MANCHESTER UNITED chiefs are set to meet on Thursday to discuss Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s proposed offer to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club.
Meanwhile, Harry Maguire has been offered an escape route by Italian giants AC Milan.
Elsewhere, United have been dealt a huge injury boost after Casemiro was spotted in Brazil training this week.
The midfielder picked up a knock against Brentford and was touch and go whether he would play for his national side.
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Follow ALL of the latest from Old Trafford below…
Neville at Dragons’ Den
Manchester United legend Gary Neville “owned the chair” when he made his Dragons’ Den debut, Deborah Meaden has revealed.
The programme will return to the BBC next year as they use guest celebrities to join the usual panel of Peter Jones, Meaden, Touker Suleyman, Sara Davies as well as Steven Bartlett.
A first next year in @BBCDragonsden when we have some guest Dragons…
First up @GNev2 who was utterly brilliant and owned that chair!!
Deborah Meaden
Sheikh-ing things up
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani could launch a bid to buy Tottenham after withdrawing his Manchester United takeover offer.
Sheikh Jassim is understood to have submitted a £5billion offer to purchase United in full- which he has now withdrawn after months of stalemate.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now set to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club for around £1.4bn.
And now the Sheikh could turn his attention to Spurs, report The Mirror.
Paris Saint-Germain owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi is believed to have played a role in Sheikh Jassim’s United bid, and the pair could link up once again to discuss a move for the North Londoners.
Qatar have held a long-term interest in Tottenham while the Qatari banker has always eyed Spurs as an alternative to United should his bid fail, which it now has.
Man Utd rivals sponsorship
INEOS will continue sponsoring Tottenham despite owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe buying 25 per cent of Manchester United.
Branding of the company’s car named the Grenadier 4×4 is seen prominently around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Logos can even be spotted on the headrests in the stadium’s dugout.
Meanwhile, Spurs players have featured in the firm’s corporate videos that promote the vehicle.
According to The Telegraph, that there are no signs the agreement between INEOS and the North Londoners’ chairman Daniel Levy is set to end despite Ratcliffe closing in on part-owning United.
Sir Jim’s company has been with Tottenham since December 2020 when their Hygienics branch were surprisingly announced as the club’s official hand sanitiser supplier during the pandemic.
England 3-1 Italy
England defeated Italy at Wembley to confirm their place at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions trailed after Gianluca Scamacca’s 15th-minute opener.
But captain Harry Kane equalised from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute.
Manchester United star Marcus Rashford turned the game on its head after 57 minutes and Kane sealed the win 20 minutes later.
Credit: Getty El Ghazi suspended
Former Premier League star Anwar El Ghazi has been suspended by Mainz after a social media post about the current conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Ex- Aston Villa ace El Ghazi uploaded a pro-Palestine Instagram statement – which he has since deleted.
But the Bundesliga outfit have confirmed the winger has been suspended, saying he’s been taken off football duties for an “intolerable position.”
The Netherlands international, previously linked with Manchester United, only joined the German side last month on a free transfer.
Wout Weghorst slams pitch
Manchester United flop Wout Weghorst lashed out at the state of the pitch in Athens after Netherlands beat Greece 1-0 to clear the way for Euro 2024 qualification.
This was the worst pitch I have ever played football on.
We knew it wouldn’t be an easy game here, given the conditions and the way the opposition played. The pressure was there.
Not so much from the crowd, but mainly from the pitch which was very bad. There were stones on it. The conditions were difficult.
Wout Weghorst
Ratcliffe supports Ten Hag
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has the backing of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is set to buy 25 per cent on the club.
According to The Athletic, Ratcliffe’s company have conducted a review into what has gone wrong at United in recent years and Ten Hag is not seen as part of the problem.
Sir Jim admires the Dutch tactician’s work and will not explore avenues relating to changing the manager.
The Red Devils have endured a difficult start to the season under the ex-Ejax boss.
Maguire offered escape route
Manchester United outcast Harry Maguire has been offered a shock escape route by AC Milan.
Maguire has fallen out of favour under United manager Erik ten Hag and was strongly linked with a move to West Ham in the summer that fell through due to financial reasons.
Now the England international has become the Red Devils’ sixth-choice centre-back behind Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and left-back Luke Shaw,
According to talkSPORT, Milan are one of a number of Serie A clubs monitoring the 30-year-old’s situation at Old Trafford.
Credit: AP More on U-turn
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani pulled out of the takeover race over the weekend after almost 12 months of work to buy Manchester United.
Sheikh Jassim’s representatives had even been to Carrington to meet director of football John Murtough to get insight into how United were being run on the playing side, writes SunSport’s Neil Custis.
The Qatari delegation, just like second bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, were said to have been impressed and neither were looking to radically shake things up.
Ratcliffe is now left as the sole bidder and that is just for 25 per cent of the club for £1.4billion with a condition he can oversee football operations.
A board vote on Thursday will decide whether to accept Sir Jim’s official bid.
The news that there will be no full sale has dramatically hit the Red Devils’ share price with it down 11 per cent in early trading on Monday.
Man Utd takeover U-turn
Manchester United senior staff have been left stunned by the takeover U-turn, reports SunSport’s Neil Custis.
United employees had been gearing up for a full buy-out of the club this month by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
A number of staff had even been told not to book any annual leave for this month to help see the takeover through.
Meetings were still going on last week to try and rescue Sheikh Jassim’s bid which was for a 100 per cent sale at £5billion.
It is understood a number of the six strong Glazer family who are on the Red Devils’ board were happy to sell.
But co-chairman Joel Glazer, who was in control of the process, was the one wanting to either keep a majority shareholding or accept an increased bid of £6bn from the Qatari banker.
Sheikh Jassim could turn to Tottenham
Sheikh Jassim could launch a bid to buy Tottenham after withdrawing his Manchester United takeover offer, according to reports.
The Qatari has been linked with purchasing a Premier League club since his interest in the Red Devils was first made public.
Sheikh Jassim is understood to have submitted a £5billion offer to purchase United – which he has now withdrawn after months of stalemate.
Rival bidder Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club for around £1.4billion.
And Sheikh Jassim could now turn his attention to Spurs, as reported by The Mirror.
Casemiro back in training
Casemiro is back in Brazil training ahead of their clash against Uruguay tomorrow.
The United midfielder picked up a knock against Brentford and was touch and go to play for Brazil.
But he is now expected to play a role in the friendly and could be back for the Sheffield United game.
Ratcliffe to bring about change
The Telegraph have reported that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will not be a “hands off investor” should his 25 per cent stake in Manchester United be approved.
An INEOS insider told the paper: “Ratcliffe is not going to buy part of the club and then sit back and hope things improve without changing anything. He will not be a passive investor.””
Ratcliffe will learn if his takeover is approved on Thursday when the Manchester United board are due to meet.
Roberto Martinez praises Fernandes
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has praised Bruno Fernandes for his performances for Portugal on international duty.
Martinez said: “Bruno Fernandes is a great professional, an intelligent player, who adapts to the qualities of his teammates, who gives a lot of tactical flexibility.
“He is a dream for a coach. Technically, he has a vision of the game that I find to be of exceptional quality. He has adapted to many positions, he gives balance, he’s a key player for us.”
Credit: AP Referee appointed for United’s next game
Michael Oliver has been appointed as referee for Manchester United’s trip to Sheffield United on Saturday.
United currently sit 10th in the table and will be hoping to build on the momentum built during their late comeback victory against Brentford last time out.
United cancel Fans Advisory meeting
Manchester United have cancelled their latest Fans Advisory Board meeting while the sale of 25 per cent of the club goes through to Jim Ratcliffe.
The board had this to say to The Daily Mail: “Following the start of that process there are tight legal and regulatory restrictions on what we can say about the strategic review.
“It would not be appropriate or productive for the owners to participate in these [Fans’ Forum] meetings when they are not able to talk about the main issue that fan representatives would naturally wish to question them on.”
Victor Lindelof statement
Victor Lindelof has released a statement condemning the terrorist attacks that took place in the lead up to Belgium vs Sweden.
Sweden’s match with Belgium was abandoned at half-time after two Sweden fans were shot dead before the game.
Lindelof had this to say in a statement on his Instagram: “I’m shocked and devastated by the terrible incidents in Brussels with the cold-hearted attacks on our fellow Swedes.
“I’m lost for words for the cruelty and inhumanity, I want to send my deepest condolences to the families and friends of those affected. At the same time, my thoughts go out to all the supporters in Belgium last night, no one should ever go to a game of football and feel unsafe when supporting their team.”
INEOS conflicts of interest?
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS already have a deal in place with another Premier League side in the form of sponsorship.
INEOS Grenadier, a car designed by the company is an official partner of Tottenham Hotspur.
However, there is a feeling that the deal can remain in place without causing a conflict of interest.
Ten Hag has INEOS backing
Erik Ten Hag has the backing of Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, according to reports.
The Athletic say that they have conducted a review into what has gone wrong at United in recent years and Ten Hag is not seen as part of the problem.
Ratcliffe reportedly admires the Dutchman’s work and will not explore avenues relating to changing the manager.
Ten Hag in favour of overhaul
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag is reportedly in favour of Jim Ratcliffe’s overhaul of Manchester United’s football operations.
The Daily Mail report that Ratcliffe will look to hire a new sporting director and restructure the club’s transfer policy.
Ten Hag is in favour of this having been left frustrated with the club’s transfer policy so far.
Ratcliffe changes
Senior figures at Manchester United have been left fearing for their roles following the prospective deal for Jim Ratcliffe to buy 25 per cent of the club.
The positions of Richard Arnold, the chief executive, and John Murtough, the director of football, are both thought to be under particular scutiny.
With Ratcliffe set to take care of football operations at the club, it is expected that his first move as the executive will be to bring in a new director of football.
Ratified
Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of 25 per cent of Manchester United is set to be ratified by the board on Thursday, according to The Times.
The board are set to meet to approve the £1.3billion deal.
It is likely to take another eight weeks for the deal to be completed, with Ratcliffe also required to undergo the Premier League’s owners’ and directors’ test before he can officially join the board.
Other names in the frame for Ratcliffe
Ratcliffe is considering a number of names for the sporting director role should his 25 per cent purchase of United go through.
Other names in the mix are former Liverpool chief of recruitment Michael Edwards and former Spurs and Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell.
Ratcliffe’s sporting director
United’s prospective owner Jim Ratcliffe is looking to apoint a new sporting director should his 25 per cent purchase of a stake in the club go through.
Among the names in the frame, according to The Telegraph, is PSG sporting director Jean-Claude Blanc, who joined the Parisian club in February.
Blanc recently joined the board of Ineos, and his closeness with Ratcliffe could see him sounded out for the job.
Van Gaal made Bayern stars cry, says chief
A former Bayern Munich chief has claimed that Louis van Gaal made stars cry with his “merciless” criticism and “insane presence” while in charge.
Christian Nerlinger told Bild: “His analysis were respectful and not offensive, but so hard that one or two players even cried.
“Deficiencies were pointed out mercilessly, every bad pass was discussed.”
That led to players no longer wanting to take risks on the pitch as Nerlinger said they “were afraid that the bad passes would be dissected the next day”.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
