MANCHESTER UNITED are targeting a summer swoop for Flamengo star Wesley Franca, according to reports.The 21-year-old right-back has risen through the ranks at the Brazilian giants.Wesley Franca (right) is being targeted by Manchester UnitedCredit: AlamyThe full-back has starred for Flamengo since breaking into the first-team two years agoCredit: ReutersWesley was a near-ever present as Flamengo finished third in Brazil’s Serie A last season. The versatile defender is being watched by Red Devils scouts ahead of a potential £25million move, according to reports in Brazil.Reports claim Ruben Amorim wants to put Wesley on the right side of his 3-4-3 system.United splashed the cash on Patrick Dorgu earlier this week, bringing in the left-sided full-back from Lecce.READ MORE ON MAN UTD NEWSBut any deal for Wesley is likely to take place after the Club World Cup.Flamengo are taking part in the revamped 63-game competition, which gets underway on June 14.The club have already rejected a bid worth over £20m from Russian side Zenit for Wesley.And they believe they could receive an even bigger offer from United in the summer.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSUnited have yet to fire under Amorim, with reports suggesting almost the entire squad could be up for sale.The Portuguese boss has been unable to turn around the club’s fortunes since arriving in November.Ruben Amorim insists Man Utd are ‘trying everything’ to improve his squad after Crystal Palace defeat Amorim has since claimed he is in charge of the “worst Manchester United team in history”.And the 40-year-old admitted last month he had lost his temper in the dressing room following a 3-1 defeat to Brighton, breaking a TV.Amorim said: “I’m a young guy and sometimes I make a mistake.”That’s why I don’t [usually] speak after the game. This game, I needed to talk and maybe it was a mistake.”Then I get more nervous and go to the [press] conference really nervous and say things you should not say.READ MORE SUN STORIES”I don’t promise I will not do it again. I don’t know, but I’ll try to improve.”Amorim later clarified his comments, adding: “I did not say I was nervous. I said the team was nervous and I was frustrated.”Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club. More

EUROPE’S biggest clubs are facing a £2BILLION price for the Covid-19 pandemic.
The analysis by football finance experts Deloitte lays bare the impact of the crisis on even the game’s elite giants.

And one significant victim was Manchester United, who dropped out of the top three of Deloitte’s ‘money league’ for the first time since 2013.
According to the Deloitte number crunchers, the immediate consequence of the virus outbreak was to knock £1.05bn off income for the leading 20 European clubs last year.
But Deloitte expects 2021 will see a similar impact on TV revenues and with crowds not expected back in grounds until next season at the earliest – and even then likely to be limited – anticipates the total cost will exceed £2bn.
Analyst Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said: “There is no doubt that this is one of the most testing times the football industry has ever had to endure.

“While no football club has been immune to the challenges of Covid-19, and other clubs have suffered more in relative terms, those in the Money League have borne the greatest financial impact in absolute value terms.
“In this year’s edition, the top 20 clubs generated an average of £363m per club, a decline of £49m compared to 2018-19.”
Barcelona remain top of the money table despite income dropping £111.5m to £627.1m, less than £200,000 ahead of bitter rivals Real Madrid.
But United’s £119.1m fall, to £509m – a consequence of missing out on the Champions League – saw them drop below Bayern Munich into fourth place, although the Old Trafford club were still English football’s highest earner.

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Manchester clubs have the worst net spend in the past decade by some distance

Other Premier League sides in the top ten were Liverpool, whose £489.9m took them into the top five for the first time since 2001-02, with Manchester City sixth on £481.6m, Chelsea eighth on £411.9m and Spurs ninth with £390.9m.
Yet the figures are unlikely to recover over the next 12 months as Jones added: “The safe return of fans to stadia in significant numbers is one of the highest priorities across global football.
“Matchday operations are a cornerstone of a club’s business model and help drive other revenue-generating activity.
“The final size of the financial impact of the pandemic on football will depend, in no small part, on the timing and scale of fans’ return.”
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Solskjaer believes he has fab four to fire Man Utd top again More

NEWCASTLE and Borussia Dortmund are both interested in signing Donny Van de Beek on loan from Manchester United.According to the Manchester Evening News, the 24-year-old is being offered to the Magpies while he remains out of favour with the Red Devils.
Van de Beek has lost his spot in the Holland squad due to his lack of game time at Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
Eddie Howe has already made two January signings in Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, and the addition of Van de Beek could be crucial in their fight to stay in the Premier League.
The Dutch international came close to a move to Everton in the summer but remained at United as he was expected to play more.
However, he has only made 13 appearances so far – and most of them have seen him step off the substitutes bench.
Van de Beek joined Manchester United in September 2020 for a fee of £35million, but he did not have the impact that fans were expecting.
He fell out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer shortly after his arrival and has barely been given a chance by Ralf Rangnick.
As a result he has also lost his spot in the Dutch National Team.
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The midfielder has evidently been unhappy at Old Trafford for a while and reportedly seeks a new challenge.
Manchester United could be open to letting him go out on loan to prevent further unrest.
Borussia Dortmund are also in contention for his signature.
The German Giants are on the hunt for players that could help them close the gap to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.
Van de Beek could fit nicely into the midfield alongside the likes of Jude Bellingham and Julian Brandt. More

IT SEEMS almost sacrilege to say it but is Bruno Fernandes actually not very good at the moment?
At the weekend during the defeat to Arsenal he looked in a sulk for most of the game.

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Bruno Fernandes has looked poor in losses to both Arsenal and Istanbul BasaksehirCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Moved wide to accommodate Paul Pogba in a central position, he was out the game, and did not look interested in getting back in it.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer changed it back but by that time the shoulders were slumped and he was subbed with 15 minutes to go.
Likewise in this 2-1 Champions League defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir, as Solskjaer tried to accommodate the creation of Juan Mata and Donny van de Beek, Fernandes was not the dominant figure.

When he was on the ball he just kept losing it. A loose pass to Juan Mata even led to the opening goal.
He can be an angry man. We have seen it on a backstage camera in his time at Sporting Lisbon.
Seen it when he tore into Victor Lindelof when they conceded the winner to Sevilla in the Europa League semi-final.
Then there was the rumoured bust up with Harry Maguire at half-time during the 6-1 defeat to Spurs, denied on all sides remember.

Yet you need to be doing the business yourself when it comes to calling others out.

His influence last season following his move from Sporting Lisbon was undoubted.
He was the catalyst for a second half of the season that saw the club finish third in the Premier League and reach three semi-finals.
There have been four goals this season, three of them penalties and one the fantastic finish against Newcastle.
He also missed one against Newcastle and PSG before the latter was ordered to be retaken for the goalkeeper coming off the line and he converted.
Last night, like Sunday, however, there was little coming from him.
He was not alone… Van de Beek got another start that he wanted and, well, we still wait for the Ajax star who can turn a game.
Edinson Cavani came on too. Solskjaer tells us he does some great runs off the ball.
It would be nice if he actually touched it now and again too.
Still, before panic breaks out let us remember that it was United’s first away defeat in 19 matches dating back to last January’s defeat to Liverpool.
It was also the club’s first away defeat in 19 matches dating back to last January’s defeat to Liverpool.
They were superb in their opening two Group H games winning away to PSG and home to RB Leipzig.
But this result on the back of Sunday’s defeat adds to the fans’ worries.
Next up it is Everton away on Saturday, a fixture that the first manager after Sir Alex Ferguson will remember all too well.

Man Utd legends van Persie and Scholes tears into the defence during Istanbul Basaksehir Champions League tie More

ERIK TEN HAG says Cristiano Ronaldo can top his 24-goal tally from last term at Manchester United.The Portuguese superstar’s problem is not taking enough of his chances.
Ronaldo has scored just one Premier League goal so far this seasonCredit: PA
Ron’s strike against Sheriff Tiraspol in Thursday’s 3-0 win was just his third of the season in 13 appearances — with two more gilt-edged chances missed.
It has been a familiar story in this campaign for the Old Trafford legend, who is not taking the opportunities he used to score in his sleep.
So what are the chances he can better his goal haul from last season?
United boss Ten Hag said: “It’s up to him, but I think when you collect all the chances he creates and the team creates for him in the last weeks, you see he’s still capable of getting in the right positions.
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“And he’s still capable of finishing them. I think it’s possible, yeah.”
It is doubtful whether 37-year-old Ronaldo gets enough game-time to do it.
He was back in the team for Thursday’s Europa League clash but it is likely he will return to the bench on Sunday for the visit of West Ham in the Premier League.
While Ten Hag denies he has a Red Devils team for one competition or the other, it is clear his full-strength side is reserved for the Premier League.
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That does not include Ronaldo who is now more of an option off the bench if Ten Hag has to change to “plan B or C”.
He said: “I know some see it like this but I don’t have a Europe team and I don’t have a Premier League team.
“I look at the opponent and what we need, what suits the opponent. Now I have to focus on West Ham for Sunday.
“We will pick the team to start but also have a plan B or plan C in the pocket to win that game.
“That’s what we need finally, to win games, and for that we not only need 11 players, we need the whole squad.”
Ronaldo must now accept he is just a squad member.
Last week, he could not and refused to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham at Old Trafford.
That led to Ten Hag banishing him to train on his own and axing the five-time Champions League winner from the squad for the trip to Chelsea.
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A successful clear-the-air meeting meant he returned on Thursday but it remains to be seen how he will react if the same situation arises.
Ten Hag reverted to more of a 4-4-2 when he brought Marcus Rashford on at the break to play just behind Ronaldo up front, with both netting.
He said: “With Cristiano and Marcus, it worked well. I was happy with that.”
United are racking up a huge number of shots at the moment, with Thursday seeing another 24 — with ten on target.
Their 28 against Spurs was the most in a game by any Prem team this season.
It shows they are on the right track under Ten Hag, yet their 16 goals from 11 games in the Premier League is the lowest – level with Chelsea – in the top eight.
Still, for Ten Hag there is progress and he insists more goals will come.
He said: “To develop the team takes time. You can’t go from zero to 100.
“You must construct it from the outside, you need development before you go to the top, to the roof.
“Unfortunately it takes time and I don’t have time, I’m really the most impatient, but I have to, it’s quite clear.
“Now, we’re getting better defending with 11. Players are more and more aware of it. Also our build-up, I think we’re improving game to game.
“Now, we need to do more to develop our attacking game but it’s the most difficult part, so it takes even more time.
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“You can’t increase the tempo of that process. I want it but we have to take the time for it.”
MAN UTD (likely): De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Antony, Fernandes, Sancho, Rashford. More