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      Man Utd could have got £500m for Cristiano Ronaldo and that would have been CHEAP, says man who took his number

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      MANCHESTER UNITED could have sold Cristiano Ronaldo for more than £500million when he left the club, Michael Owen has claimed.The Portuguese legend, 39, departed Old Trafford for £80m in 2009 when he joined Real Madrid.Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United for £80million in 2009Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdMichael Owen became Man Utd’s new No7 following Ronaldo’s departureCredit: PA:Empics SportHe had scored 118 goals in 292 games for the Red Devils, winning a host of trophies including three Premier League titles and the Champions League.Ronaldo also moved to Spain as a Ballon d’Or winner having collected the 2008 award ahead of Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres.England striker Owen, 44, took the No7 shirt at Man Utd following Ronaldo’s exit having joined in the same summer transfer window.He would go on to score 17 goals in 52 games, struggling to fill the huge shoes of his predecessor.READ MORE ON MAN UTDMeanwhile, Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 matches for Real Madrid across a nine-year spell that solidified him as one of the all-time greats.Now Owen has spoken about the price Ronaldo left Man Utd for and how it should have far exceeded the £200m mark set by Neymar – despite the Portuguese superstar’s move happening 15 years ago.Speaking to Genting Casino, he said: “If you look at the transfer record now of over £200million, you’d have to say that Cristiano Ronaldo was worth more than that at Manchester United.”In hindsight, for what he gives you, look at the amount of Champions League medals he’s going to pretty much win you single-handedly, for the amount of shirts and the publicity and the merchandise around the world that he’s going to sell.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSHe continued: “In hindsight, I think £500m would be cheap. You could even double that if you look at the goals, the trophies, the shirts, and how much the clubs have benefited from having him there.”Since he played for Real Madrid they’ve thrown hundreds and hundreds of millions on the new stadium, they are in a great financial position.Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand in hysterics as they remember Man Utd nicknames from ‘Shrek’ and ‘SatNav’ to ‘J-Lo'”They’re paying all this money to Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham – a lot of this will have been off the back of the success of Cristiano Ronaldo.”How he’s grown their brand, how he’s won them trophies and made them all this money.”So I guess if you’d said to them at that point how much he would give you for nine seasons, they might say yes to a billion pounds, forget about £80m. £500m would be cheap.”Owen also opened up about how he felt replacing Ronaldo – who returned for a second spell at the club in 2021.He added: “I think because I was at that stage of my career I didn’t feel any pressure in taking Cristiano Ronaldo’s shirt number and that’s what Sir Alex Ferguson said to me.”He said to me when he handed me the number because I had pretty much been there, seen it, done it and played for great teams under the biggest of pressures and won the biggest of trophies. “It was probably in safe hands. I wasn’t going to go into a nightclub and do anything stupid or be disrespectful to the shirt in any way.”I was a pro and people knew my character and knew that it was in safe hands. There also wasn’t the expectation of matching his 40 goals because I was coming to the end of my career.”But I think from the manager’s point of view, he wanted it represented really well. When you look at the players that have worn it in the past, then he wanted it in safe hands and I would like to think I treated it with a lot of respect and that was probably the reason. “I’ve had a bad back since wearing that with the weight of it! But no, on a serious note, it was a huge honour at the time to be offered. And I was definitely not going to say no.”READ MORE SUN STORIESRonaldo recently criticised Man Utd’s ambitions under Erik ten Hag, insisting they need to “rebuild everything”.Ten Hag responded by saying the Al-Nassr forward is “far away in Saudi”. More

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      Arsenal ‘snubbed chance to sign Victor Osimhen after Gunners placed price cap on new striker transfer’

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      ARSENAL turned down the opportunity to sign star striker Victor Osimhen in the summer because they thought he was too expensive.Osimhen, 25, has put the whole world on notice the last four years thanks to some stunning performances with Napoli whom he led to their first Serie A title in 33 years.Arsenal turned down the opportunity to sign Victor Osimhen in the summerCredit: RexArsenal opted against Osimhen because of his staggering release clauseCredit: GettyThe Nigeria international attracted immense interest this past summer transfer window and came close to Chelsea who made him their top target.The Blues made a final bid in the dying hours of the transfer market last month but did not hear back from the centre-forward, while there were even reports of club chiefs flying to Naples to hold talks.Osimhen ended up moving to Galatasaray on loan much to the surprise of everyone after he fell out of favour in Naples and new manager Antonio Conte gave his shirt number to Romelu Lukaku.According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal also had the chance to land the Nigerian.Read More on ArsenalHowever, the Gunners opted against meeting his staggering release clause, which is said to have cost £109million.The North Londoners also decided against going for a striker altogether with manager Mikel Arteta placing his faith on Kai Havertz as a false nine.That is despite Eddie Nketiah moving to Crystal Palace and Gabriel Jesus still dealing with fitness issues.Arsenal looked determined to land a centre-forward from the top shelf in the early days of the summer transfer window.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSArteta’s side was strongly linked with the likes of Victor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko.But Gyokeres and Sesko ultimately stayed put at Sporting Lisbon and RB Leipzig respectively.How superstar Mikel Merino is the final piece of Arsenal’s jigsaw – City should watch outAccording to The Times, however, Arteta looks set to sign a star forward in the next two transfer windows after penning a new deal at the Emirates which ties him until 2027.That could see Arsenal going back for Sesko, while Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams and Bayern Munich ace Jamal Musiala have also been linked. More

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      Unemployed ex-Premier League star, 35, lined up for Serie A transfer after leaving old club four games after signing

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      A FORMER Tottenham star is reportedly being lined up for a move to Italy.The 35-year-old is looking for a new club after being made a free agent by Croatian outfit Hadjuk Split.The player left Spurs in the summerCredit: GettyHe joined Hajduk last January on loan from Spurs, before ripping up his contract in north London to make the move permanent this summer.But after playing just four games as a permanent addition to his hometown club, he was cut loose following a fallout with new boss Gennaro Gattuso last month.Now he is searching for a new club after being left in limbo, and it looks like a return to Serie A could be on the cards.According to reports, Monza are looking to sign the experienced star as they search for a new full-back.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLMonzas boss Alessandro Nesta is said to be keen to bring in a new left-back with his side yet to win a league game this season.And according to Italian journalist Nicolo Schira, Monza chairman Adriano Gallini is “dreaming” of signing the player to fill the void.However, it’s also claimed that the former World Cup finalist is hesitating over the move.136-time Croatia international Ivan Perisic previously played in Serie A for Inter Milan – winning the Scudetto with the Italian giants in the 2020/21 season.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSPerisic joined Spurs from the Inter in 2022 with the club managed by Antonio Conte at the time.But the arrival of Ange Postecoglou at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium ultimately saw the veteran lose his place in the side and join a number of high-profile players in mass exodus from the club.Perisic left Spurs having made 50 appearances and scored one goal.Premier League stadium given subtle makeover during international break More

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      Arsenal star Jorginho, 32, reveals shock retirement plan and admits ‘I’m in trouble’ after getting taste for new job

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      ARSENAL ace Jorginho revealed he is planning to transition to coaching after his retirement.The 32-year-old has become a key figure in the Gunners’ dressing room ever since his arrival from rivals Chelsea in January 2023.Arsenal ace Jorginho is planning to pursue coaching after his retirementCredit: GettyJorginho was initially against becoming a manager but Arsenal changed his mindCredit: GettyAnd the new surroundings at the Emirates changed his mind on something he was adamantly against for many years.The midfielder insisted that he doesn’t want to become a manager once he rolls credits on his career.Arsenal chiefs asked him if he wanted to pursue coaching badges upon his arrival and he initially declined as he stayed true to his previous assertions. The Italy international, however, ultimately caved in and started gaining his credentials.Read More on ArsenalAnd the ex-Napoli star soon found himself “in trouble” as he ended up enjoying the experience and now looks set to follow in the footsteps of his current boss Mikel Arteta.Jorginho told the Seaman Says podcast: “Because of how I am and how much I love the game, my friends back home, my family, since I was 18 or 19, they were always like, ‘You’re going to be a coach’.”And I was like, ‘No way, I want to be involved in football, but no hope or chance I’ll be a coach’.”Then I came to Arsenal and they asked me if you wanted to do badges and I said, ‘No, I don’t want to be a coach’.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS”After some encouragement I did them and in the first session I was saying, ‘Oh no why did I do this, now I’m in trouble’. And I think I I’ll go for it [a coaching career] now.”To be on the pitch, with the players, I fell in love with it. It was so satisfying, when you see things coming up and working out how you expected, it was so good.Former Chelsea team-mates Mason Mount and Jorginho embrace after Man Utd’s pre-season defeat to Arsenal “Being on the pitch, seeing the stuff there is different, but it’s really good.”Jorginho has amassed a total of one goal and three assists in 52 appearances at Arsenal.The Italian is likely to start on Sunday’s North London Derby at Tottenham as Declan Rice is suspended, Mikel Merino is injured and captain Martin Odegaard poses as a major doubt. More

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      Ousmane Dembele becomes third most expensive transfer EVER seven years after leaving Borussia Dortmund

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      OUSMANE DEMBELE has become the third most expensive transfer of all-time… SEVEN years after completing the move.The winger, 27, joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for an initial £96million.Ousmane Dembele’s Borussia Dortmund exit has become the third most expensive transfer everCredit: EPABarcelona paid a total of £125million after add-ons and bonuses for Dembele in 2017Credit: AP:Associated PressHis fee saw him tied with Paul Pogba’s Manchester United return as the eleventh most expensive deal in football history.However, Dembele has now risen to third in the list after the final cost of his Barca switch was revealed.He leapfrogs Philippe Coutinho’s 2018 move to the Nou Camp from Liverpool, in a deal understood to have been worth £105million.According to Bild, the Spanish giants paid £125million in total for the Frenchman once bonuses and add-ons were included.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAmong those add-ons was £17million from Barca qualifying for the Champions League twice during Dembele’s time at the club.The fees see Dembele place behind Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who were signed by Paris Saint-Germain for £198million and £163million, respectively.His move to LaLiga came just a year after joining Dortmund from Rennes for £30million.During his single season in Germany, Dembele scored 10 goals and provided 22 assists in 50 appearances.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSThe forward went on to spend six years at Barcelona before a £42million switch to PSG last summer.That deal took his cumulative transfer fees to £197million following 40 goals in 185 appearances for the Blaugrana.Top 10 highest paid footballers in the world revealed with no Premier League players making the top fiveDembele joined Paris Saint-Germain last summer to take his cumulative fees to £197millionCredit: RexMeanwhile, Bild also report Dortmund have made more from player sales than any other German club since 2015.Across the last nine years, BVB have raked in £876million in transfer fees.Those fees include Jude Bellingham’s £87million move to Real Madrid in 2023, which could rise to £115million with add-ons.Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland have also been sold for over £50million in recent seasons.Dortmund have raked in £876million from player sales since 2015, including an initial £87million for Jude BellinghamCredit: GettyErling Haaland and Jadon Sancho were also sold for a combined £123millionCredit: AFP More

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      Former Newcastle star Dwight Gayle, 34, returns to football with new club after playing friendlies for free agent XI

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      PREMIER LEAGUE cult hero Dwight Gayle has joined Hibernian on a one-year deal.The 34-year-old has been without a club since leaving Derby at the end of last season.Dwight Gayle has signed for Scottish side HibsCredit: X @HibernianFCGayle spent six years at NewcastleCredit: GettyHe has kept fit over the summer by playing for a PFA side dubbed “unemployed XI”.The players association invited several free agents to train together and feature in friendlies as a team.Gayle starred alongside Ravel Morrison and Carl Jenkinson in the side.And the matches have helped convince Scottish outfit Hibs to hand him a contract.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLManager David Gray said: “It’s great to be able to bring Dwight to the club.”He’s performed at a top-level throughout his career and has a real desire to show his abilities here in Scotland.”He’s a different type of striker to what we currently have in the building. “He’s a real penalty box type of striker, a great finisher, and his experience will be of great benefit to us.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSGayle joined Crystal Palace in 2013 and scored 25 goals in 74 appearances for the club.His time at Selhurst Park is best remembered by the two goals he netted to cost Liverpool the title in 2014.Premier League stadium given subtle makeover during international breakWho are these famous footballers?Gayle also spent six on the books of Newcastle, scoring 34 times.In recent years, he has been in the Championship with Stoke and League One with Derby. More

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      Former Premier League star names manager who could solve Man Utd’s problems but warns Zidane would reject club

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      MANCHESTER UNITED need to bring in Thomas Tuchel as their new manager as he is the “solution” to their problems.That is according to Premier League hero William Gallas, who suggested Tuchel, 51, could succeed at United just like he did at Chelsea.Zinedine Zidane won’t join Manchester United, insists William GallasCredit: GettyGallas claims Thomas Tuchel would be the ‘solution’ at Man UtdCredit: GettyMan Utd boss Erik ten Hag is already under fire after a poor startCredit: GettyGallas believes Tuchel would succeed at Man Utd like he did at ChelseaCredit: GettyThe Red Devils are off to a slow start, losing two of their three opening Premier League games and manager Erik ten Hag is already under fire.Ten Hag barely managed to hold on to the top job last season thanks to his FA Cup triumph over rivals Manchester City, but he revealed club chiefs informed him they looked for a replacement.The Dutchman even admitted that Tuchel was among his bosses’ top candidates.Gallas believes the German tactician would be able to turn things around at Old Trafford if he got at least two years in charge.Read More on Man UtdThe ex-Bayern Munich boss, who is now a free agent, won the Champions League in his first season with the Blues in 2021 as well as the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup.Gallas told Gambling Zone: “Thomas Tuchel could be the solution to Manchester United’s problems.”If he came into the club and was given time, given two years to create his team, the club would be in a completely different position to the one it is in now.”At Chelsea Tuchel was very organised, the players respected him and he won the Champions League as well as a couple of other trophies, you can see why he was a success and maybe he wasn’t given enough time to Chelsea to turn things around.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSGallas, though, is adamant that United should completely forget Zinedine Zidane as a potential successor to Ten Hag.The ex-Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham ace insists Zidane won’t be keen on the job because he can’t speak English and has his eyes fixed on France’s national team.’Will you let me finish’ snaps Gary Neville live on Sky Sports as Man Utd legend refuses to answer Carragher’s questionGallas added: “Manchester United fans should forget about Zinedine Zidane, he won’t take the job and the main reason is that he doesn’t speak English.”He won’t want to put himself in that situation where he would need to learn the language and I think that’s fair. “He needs the players to understand what he expects from them and to have that relationship where he can have fun and joke around. “He won’t accept the job if an offer came in and I don’t think we will see him in the Premier League any time soon.”I think he is still waiting for the France national team job. He won everything there is to win with Real Madrid and he only has one job on his mind now.”Nine managers Man Utd considered before keeping Erik ten HagERIK TEN HAG appears to be safe as Man Utd manager, but the Dutchman edged dangerously close to the sack.Here are nine managers Red Devils chiefs are reported to have considered for the job and what allegedly happened with each.Gareth SouthgateEnjoys plenty of support among Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos chiefs but made clear he wouldn’t talk to any clubs until after Euro 2024. There is yet to be any suggestion that contact was made with the England boss.Kieran McKennaTalks were opened with McKenna’s representatives before the FA Cup final, but the former Man Utd coach opted to sign a new deal with Ipswich after Ten Hag’s Wembley win.Roberto De ZerbiAllegedly sounded out before the FA Cup final with salary expectations discussed. But Ineos chiefs concluded ex-Brighton boss was not the right fit for the project.Thomas FrankBrentford boss met Man Utd representatives the day before the FA Cup final. The Dane also dined with Ratcliffe, Roy Hodgson and Frank Lampard at the launch of a new Ineos car in February.Marco SilvaFulham boss reportedly met Man Utd representatives face-to-face two days before the FA Cup final, around the same time as Ten Hag was conducting his press conference.Mauricio PochettinoFell out of Man Utd’s thinking in the first week of June, despite being a favourite of Sir Alex Ferguson.Thomas TuchelMade a very strong impression and came across well during a Monaco meeting. Personal terms were discussed before the ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss decided to step back from the process.Ruben AmorimSporting boss was discussed by the Man Utd hierarchy but did not make the final reckoning.Roberto MartinezPortugal manager was considered in the early stages. More

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      Man Utd were chasing alternative to Joshua Zirkzee ‘right up until moment he signed’ in move for in-demand £25m striker’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED reportedly explored a £25million move for Jonathan David as an alternative to Joshua Zirkzee.The Dutch striker completed a £36m switch to United from Bologna after Euro 2024.Man Utd pursued a deal for Lille striker Jonathan David this summerCredit: GettyUnited only gave up the ghost after completing a move for Jonathan ZirkzeeCredit: GettyHe’s already made an impact after scoring the winner on his debut against Fulham.And the future looks bright for Zirkzee as he gets finishing tips off compatriot and Old Trafford legend Ruud van Nistelrooy.However, the ace almost didn’t join United this summer.ESPN claims the Red Devils explored several other options while they lined up a deal for Zirkzee.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLOne of those was Ivan Toney, who eventually left Brentford for Al-Hilal on deadline day.But he was deemed too expensive by United’s hierarchy, despite his move to Saudi Arabia only ending up £4m more than Zirkzee’s switch.Another player in Ten Hag’s sights was Jonathan David, who was also linked with Chelsea.The Canadian was valued at £25m by Lille, making him a tempting option.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSAnd United reportedly explored a deal all the way until Zirkzee signed his Old Trafford contract.It remains to be seen if they return for David in January though.Watch frosty moment between Liverpool star Van Dijk and Man Utd striker Zirkzee in tunnel before Holland clashDavid vs Zirkzee – the statsJonathan DavidGames: 189International Games: 56International Goals: 29Trophies: Ligue 1, Champions TrophyJoshua ZirkzeeGames: 161International Games: 3International Goals: 1Trophies: Bundesliga, Champions League, German Cup, German Super Cup x2, Uefa Super CupUnited offloaded Jadon Sancho to Chelsea before the transfer window slammed shut.While Antony is struggling for minutes and Rasmus Hojlund is yet to find full fitness.David is capable of playing across the entire front three.His contract also expires next summer.And it means David could be available for a bargain fee in January should any suitors come forward.Inter Milan and Juventus have already made contact, with the Italians giants ready to offer pre-contracts for a free transfer in 2025.But David could find it hard to resist the lure of the Premier League. More