More stories

  • in

    Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ‘could face each other in 2023 as Saudi government target audacious double transfer’

    CRISTIANO RONALDO and Lionel Messi could sensationally face each other once again in 2023.That’s because Saudi Arabia’s government are targeting an audacious double transfer for the superstars.
    Cristiano Ronaldo is being lined up for a move to Saudi ArabiaCredit: Rex
    Lionel Messi is also being lined up for a Saudi switchCredit: Getty
    Ronaldo, 37, is without a club after leaving Manchester United this week.
    The veteran striker is currently starring for Portugal at the World Cup.
    But as soon as the Qatar showpiece is over he will then be on the lookout for a new club in the January transfer window.
    After rejecting a move to Saudi Arabia last summer, Ronaldo could now be tempted by a switch to the Middle East.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    The Mirror claims Saudi government are quietly confident the legendary forward will be playing in their country soon.
    And they also reckon they can add old rival Messi to their growing stable of superstars.
    The Argentine is out of contract at Paris Saint-Germain next summer, with the French side fearing he will move on.
    Messi is thought to be tempted by a money-spinning move outside of Europe, with the MLS an option.
    Most read in Football
    HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
    But he is already an ambassador for Saudi Arabia’s tourist board.
    And that could help solidify a deal for Messi to eventually play in the kingdom.
    However, it’s reckoned the Barcelona icon would play for a different team to Ronaldo’s.
    And that would see them resume their epic rivalry last seen in their El Clasico days. More

  • in

    Brazil in another World Cup blow as Man Utd star Antony misses training through illness amid Neymar injury fears

    BRAZIL have been dealt another blow after Antony missed training through illness.The five-time winners are already sweating on the fitness of Neymar, who limped off against Serbia on Thursday after injuring his ankle.
    Antony came on in the second half of Brazil’s win against SerbiaCredit: Getty
    The PSG star was reduced to tears after being on the recieving end of a poor tackle from Nikola Milenkovic.
    According to Brazilian journalist Andres Onrubia Ramos, Neymar won’t miss the rest of the World Cup, but might not play again in the groups.
    He said: “His participation in the World Cup is not in danger, although he may not return until the round of 16. Good news.”
    But the South Americans have been handed another blow after a malaise forced Manchester United winger Antony to sit out training on Friday.
    read more on world cup
    According to Isabelle Costa, Antony was one of four absent players.
    Along with Neymar, West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta and Liverpool star Alisson Becker also missed out.
    Antony’s setback comes less than 24 hours after making his World Cup debut in the Serbia win.
    Strangely, it was the ex-Ajax star who replaced Neymar late in the game.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    Brazil don’t play again until Monday, but they’ll need Antony available, especially with Neymar potentially missing out against Switzerland and Cameroon.
    Regardless, Tito still has an abundance of wide options, with the likes of Rodrygo, Gabriell Martinelli and Flamengo’s Pedro all waiting in the wings. More

  • in

    Man Utd were right to axe Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea should NOT sign 37-year-old Portuguese star, says Danny Murphy

    MANCHESTER UNITED made the right decision to terminate Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract as it “suits both parties”.That is according to Liverpool hero Danny Murphy, who admits it’s a “shame” Ronaldo’s second stint at Old Trafford came to an end on such a sad note.
    Manchester United were right to axe Cristiano Ronaldo, claims Danny MurphyCredit: Getty
    United tore up the star forward’s £500,000-a-week deal after his recent bombshell interview in which he slammed the club from top to bottom.
    But Murphy claims the five-time Ballon d’Or winner can now find a new challenge that will allow him to continue playing regularly while the Red Devils can move on.
    The 37-year-old’s next destination is unknown as he is currently focused on Portugal and the World Cup, but Chelsea have been linked with a bid.
    However, Murphy insists the Blues should steer clear as they would inherit the same problems as United.
    Read More on Man Utd
    The former midfielder claims Ronaldo wouldn’t suit Chelsea manager Graham Potter’s philosophy as he likes to rotate and thus wouldn’t start him on a regular basis.
    Speaking to Lord Ping, Murphy said: “I think that it’s a shame that it ended this way. We’re talking about one of the greatest players that’s ever lived, a guy that has been an inspiration to kids and footballers around the world by demonstrating what you can achieve through hard work mixed with talent.
    “He has done remarkable things in the game, and I don’t like the fact that he is leaving a club that he has had such an affinity with, in a negative way.
    “Hopefully, over time, he’ll be remembered for all of the good things that he did there and I think that will be the case. It is a shame for both him and the club. I think that it’s a decision that suits both parties. Sometimes things come to an end, and, when things end because of a breakdown, it’s very rare they end nicely.
    Most read in Football
    “I think it’s the right decision. He needs a new challenge and will want to finish his last year or two in the game playing regularly. Good luck to him. In an ideal world these things wouldn’t happen and would be dealt with behind closed doors.
    “I think over time it will die down. I don’t think it will be forgotten, but his success, goals and triumphs will be remembered as the overriding memory, not this incident.
    “For United, they can move forward now and put this to bed. They can concentrate on improving the young players they have and can bring in some new ones.
    HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
    Danny Murphy insists Chelsea shouldn’t sign Cristiano Ronaldo after his Manchester United exitCredit: The Sun
    “In terms of moving to Chelsea, I can’t see it. I think Graham Potter would inherit the same problems if he doesn’t play him every week, and Graham Potter likes to rotate.
    “In fact, he is a manager that never plays the same team every week. I don’t think Ronaldo would be too engaged with his rotation policy. I really can’t see it happening. I’d be gobsmacked if it did.” More

  • in

    Why Jadon Sancho is training in Holland during World Cup after advice from Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag

    MANCHESTER UNITED star Jadon Sancho is keeping himself in shape throughout the World Cup in Holland – and now we know why.The 22-year-old winger, who left fans baffled by blacking out his Instagram account recently, has won 23 caps for England.
    Jadon Sancho has been spotted training in Holland throughout the World CupCredit: Twitter
    He was reportedly advised to head to the Netherlands by boss Erik ten HagCredit: Reuters
    Bijzonder beeld van Jadon Sancho. De Engelse buitenspeler van Manchester United traint – nadat hij is afgevallen voor het WK in Qatar – schijnbaar bij de Brabantse amateurclub OJC Rosmalen. Conditie op peil houden in het land van zijn trainer. Prachtig. #ManchesterUnited pic.twitter.com/Fv45wLtFWr— Joost Blaauwhof (@joost_blaauwhof) November 23, 2022

    He moved to Old Trafford last year after a stunning spell in Germany at Borussia Dortmund.
    That had led to him becoming a regular in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
    However, a drop in form for his club has seen him lose his Three Lions place and miss out on the World Cup.
    Sancho’s last appearance for England was in September.
    READ MORE ON MAN UTD
    And some reports have claimed that it was his timekeeping that proved to be an issue for Southgate.
    Sancho was allegedly late for a team meeting in October 2021 ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier away to Andorra.
    The ace has found the net three times in 14 appearances this term at club level since Erik ten Hag took charge of United.
    And despite his form dropping off since his electric start to the season, Sancho is still hard at it in training now away from the Red Devils.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    Now the MEN have claimed that he is working with Dutch coaches in Holland “on the advice of Ten Hag in order to keep fit and refocus” during the World Cup break.
    They state that sources have told them “Sancho is working hard to improve his form and taking advice from Ten Hag”. 
    Sancho has been snapped training with Dutch amateur club OJC Rosmalen as he took part in some ball work around mannequins.
    When Ten Hag was asked about Sancho’s World Cup snub earlier this month, he said: “He has had some really good performances and was going in a good direction.
    “But the last few weeks he struggled with illness. Then it’s normal that you don’t get the nomination. Every manager will take only fit players to the World Cup.” More

  • in

    ‘He’s far from done’ – David Seaman urges Arsenal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo on free transfer after Man Utd exit

    DAVID SEAMAN has urged Arsenal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo on a free transfer.That’s after insisting the 37-year-old is “far from done” following his Manchester United exit.
    David Seaman has urged Arsenal to sign free agent Cristiano RonaldoCredit: AFP
    Seaman reckons Ronaldo has something to prove after leaving Man UtdCredit: TalkTV
    Ronaldo was axed by the Red Devils on Tuesday following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.
    The Portugal legend is now without a club for the first time in his professional career.
    Ronaldo is free to sign for a new side without strings attached when the January transfer window opens.
    Despite links with Chelsea and Sporting Lisbon, the only offer he has so far received is from 14th-tie AFC Crewe.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    Arsenal fan Morgan has since told Mikel Arteta to bring Ronaldo to the Emirates.
    Now, Gunners icon Seaman has also urged his old side to snap up the five-time Ballon d’Or winner too.
    Seaman believes Ronnie was right to hit out at United last week.
    And he is confident the veteran can help Arsenal to a first league title since 2004.
    Most read in Football
    HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
    Seaman told TalkTV: “Ronaldo is far from done and he would be perfect for Arsenal.
    “I would applaud him because he’s obviously talking the truth. 
    “A lot of the stuff he came out with, is not stuff we haven’t heard .
    “We have heard a lot of other experienced players moaning and criticising Man United for the way the ground is and the training…
    “That shocked me and that shouldn’t be happening. 
    Read More on The Sun
    “He’s been all around the world and seen how everywhere has progressed and he comes back to his beloved Man United and nothing has changed.
    “There was a lot of stuff in the interview that I didn’t know about the way he had been treated.” More

  • in

    David Beckham is ‘open to talks’ over Man Utd takeover and England legend could be involved in consortium to buy club

    DAVID BECKHAM is reportedly open to talks with bidders about taking over at Manchester United.The Glazers confirmed on Tuesday that they are willing to sell the club.
    David Beckham could be involved in the takeover of Man UtdCredit: Splash
    Beckham spent the best part of a decade playing for Man UtdCredit: Hulton Archive – Getty
    The Glazers have confirmed they are open to selling the clubCredit: AFP
    Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already emerged as a potential suitor to purchase the Red Devils.
    And according to the Financial Times, those hoping to secure a takeover could bring Beckham on board to ensure they clinch a deal.

    The England legend, who boasts a net worth of around £370million, would not be able to afford a takeover on his own, but would be a valuable asset to any consortium.
    As a Man Utd legend, Beckham would carry a lot of weight if he were to support a particular bid.
    READ MORE ON MAN UTD
    He spent nearly a decade in the first team at Old Trafford, winning six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League.
    Beckham contributed 85 goals and 109 assists in 388 matches under Sir Alex Ferguson.
    He eventually left for Real Madrid in 2003 but remains an icon at Man Utd.
    And Beckham could well choose to back Ratcliffe’s bid if the British money man should try to enlist his help.
    Most read in Football
    HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
    Speaking about Man Utd back in May, Beckham said: “There are changes to be made and changes that are happening.
    “There’s not many teams to have gone through what they’ve gone through in the past few years and still [be] filling out their stadium.”
    The Glazers value the club at somewhere between £6bn-£8bn.
    However, billionaire Ratcliffe, a Man Utd fan, will reportedly not pay any more than £5bn for the club.
    Ratcliffe revealed last month that he had made a private approach to the Glazers in August, when the first rumours of a possible sale began to surface and after he had been rebuffed in his attempt to gatecrash Todd Boehly’s Chelsea purchase.
    He said: “The club is deeply etched in my mind.
    “I have met Joel and Avram (Glazer), who are the nicest people, proper gentlemen, really nice people – and they don’t want to sell.
    “If it had been for sale in the summer, yes, we would probably have had a go, following on from the Chelsea thing.
    Read More on The Sun
    “But we can’t sit around hoping that one day Manchester United will become available.”
    Other possible buyers include business pair Josh Harris and David Blitzer, and basketball pair Stephen Pagliuca and Larry Tanenbaum. More

  • in

    Five best free agents to play in World Cups as Cristiano Ronaldo joins likes of Frank Lampard and Zinedine Zidane

    CRISTIANO RONALDO joins a small group of football greats who competed in the World Cup as free agents.Manchester United terminated Ronaldo’s £500,000-a-week contract via mutual consent on Tuesday after his bombshell interview with SunSport columnist Piers Morgan.
    Cristiano Ronaldo will compete in the 2022 World Cup as a free agentCredit: Getty
    The five-time Ballon d’Or winner tore United to shreds from top to bottom as he took shots at the the Glazers, manager Erik ten Hag and former team-mates Wayne Rooney as well as Gary Neville.
    The Portugal captain is now fully focused on the 2022 World Cup as he has nowhere to go back to after the end of the tournament in Qatar.
    But who else does the star forward join in the list of players that competed at the World Cup without a team?
    SunSport take you through five big names that competed in the esteemed competition as free agents:
    Read More on Cristiano Ronaldo
    CRISTIANO RONALDO
    The list’s most recent addition, Cristiano Ronaldo, has yet to kick a ball in Qatar and is already a free agent as well as the centre of attention.
    Manchester United legend Ronaldo will be looking for a new club once he returns from this year’s tournament, with the likes of Chelsea and Sporting Lisbon linked.
    But first the Portugal international will focus on Group H opponents Ghana, South Korea and Uruguay.
    Most read in Football
    HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
    ZINEDINE ZIDANE
    Zinedine Zidane decided to end his career in the 2006 World Cup and was determined to go out with a bang… literally.
    Zidane had just ended his glittering five-year stint at Real Madrid when he decided to retire from club football.
    The legendary playmaker then opted to roll credits on his scintillating career with France’s shirt on as he led his country to the final.
    And the Juventus legend almost won the trophy for the second time but his temper got the better of him as he headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi and was sent off during extra-time.
    Zinedine Zidane left Real Madrid before retiring with France in the 2006 World CupCredit: Getty
    FRANK LAMPARD
    Frank Lampard found himself in a strange position during the 2014 World Cup as he was no longer a Chelsea player.
    Lampard’s legendary 13-year stint at Stamford Bridge came to an end before linking up with England for a shambolic run that saw them crash out in the group stage.
    Things got better for the legendary midfielder soon after as he signed for Manchester City.
    Frank Lampard competed for England in the 2014 World Cup after leaving ChelseaCredit: AP:Associated Press
    TONY CASCARINO
    Tony Cascarino was a free agent when he linked up with the Republic of Ireland for the 1994 World Cup.
    Cascarino had been released by Chelsea in the summer before jetting off to the United States.
    But the striker managed to seal a move to Marseille soon after and spent two years at the Velodrome.
    Giorgos Karagounis led Greece in the 2014 World Cup after leaving FulhamCredit: Reuters
    GIORGOS KARAGOUNIS
    Just like Zidane, Giorgos Karagounis decided to have his last hurrah at the World Cup with Greece in 2014 – just 10 years after helping his country win Euro 2004.
    Karagounis had left Fulham following their relegation to the Championship and was fully focused on leading his country to yet another international success.
    And the legendary midfielder did just that as he helped the Greeks reach the Last 16 for the first and only time in their history.
    Fernando Santos’ men went to penalties with Costa Rica, who netted all of their spot kicks before Karagounis could hit Greece’s fifth and final shot. More

  • in

    Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe will make Man Utd takeover as battle for world record £8billion takeover begins

    SIR Jim Ratcliffe DOES want to buy Manchester United after the Glazer family announced it was ready to sell the club.But Britain’s richest man will NOT be held to ransom and will demand a fair market price for the Old Trafford outfit.
    Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to table a bid for Manchester UnitedCredit: AFP
    The Glazers have revealed they are open to selling the clubCredit: AFP
    The Glazers signalled the imminent end of their 17-year reign on Monday when the club announced its American owners were “looking to explore strategic alternatives”.
    That sparked a fury of speculation over potential suitors, with many supporters wanting Ratcliffe, head of petro-chemical giant Ineos and a self-confessed boyhood United fan, emerging as the popular choice.
    Suggestions of an asking price of between £6bn and £8bn for a club that cost £790m when Malcolm Glazer took control in 2005 had indicated that a Middle East state’s Sovereign Wealth fund might be the most probable purchaser.
    But it has now emerged that, despite the figures being quoted, Ratcliffe DOES want in – as long as he is not being ripped off.
    READ MORE ON MAN UTD
    Ratcliffe revealed last month that he had made a private approach to the Glazers in August, when the first rumours of a possible sale began to surface and after he had been rebuffed in his attempt to gatecrash Todd Boehly’s Chelsea purchase.
    He explained: “The club is deeply etched in my mind. 

    “I have met Joel and Avram (Glazer), who are the nicest people, proper gentlemen, really nice people – and they don’t want to sell.
    “If it had been for sale in the summer, yes, we would probably have had a go, following on from the Chelsea thing.
    Most read in Football
    HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON THE WORLD CUP
    “But we can’t sit around hoping that one day Manchester United will become available.”
    Now, though, United ARE available and Ratcliffe was first out of the blocks, although there were also rumours that Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, owner of the Zara fashion chain, is also a contender.
    The United sale is being handled by the US-based Raine Group, who also acted for Roman Abramovich when he disposed of Chelsea.
    But Ratcliffe believed that Raine were demanding too much for the Stamford Bridge outfit and believed that the asking price would drop before the deal with Boehly went through.
    And while Ratcliffe does have that emotional attachment to United, he is determined not to pay over the odds – with the initial valuation unlikely to be one he is willing to match.
    That business acumen and logical approach could still end up counting Ratcliffe out of the equation – but also leave the Glazers with a small field of alternatives.
    Spaniard Ortega would represent a wild card but the price indicates a more likely alternative would be oil money from the Middle East.
    Read More on The Sun
    However Premier League and Uefa competition regulations effectively rule out a bid from Qatar – who own Champions League contenders PSG – Saudi Arabia, after the £300m purchase of Newcastle, or Abu Dhabi, whose reign at neighbours City has supplanted United’s place as the pride of Manchester.
    That would leave possible Sovereign Wealth options from Kuwait, Dubai, Bahrain or Oman, although United fans might not be too impressed at finally getting rid of one set of unwanted owners and replacing them with an even more remote and unaccountable model. More