On Christmas Eve, it was confirmed that British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe had agreed a deal to buy 25% of Manchester United from the Glazer family for just over £1bn. It was expected to take a further six to weight weeks from that date for the deal to be officially ratified.

As part of the arrangement, Ratcliffe and INEOS will take control of the sporting operation at the club, and they were also expected to provide £236m worth of investment into the Old Trafford stadium.

However, it was claimed on Tuesday that the 71-year-old was actually considering building an entirely new site, and had already spoken to Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham about the idea. Ratcliffe, who's keen to leave a long-term legacy at the club he supports, may pursue government funding to help bankroll the project if he goes through with it.

All options on the table as Ratcliffe addresses Old Trafford issue

Now, Sky Sports have shared their "understanding" of the situation, clarifying that all options are still "on the table", including a redevelopment of the current facility, and that no decision has been made just yet.

Their on-air update went as follows: "Even though we’re still waiting for Jim Ratcliffe’s investment into the club to be ratified by the Premier League, it seems he’s wasting no time on making an impact.

"Reports overnight claim that Sir Jim is looking at the possibility of building a new stadium that will be billed as the Wembley of the North. However, it’s our understanding that all options are still on the table regarding the infrastructure at Old Trafford with no decisions made so far."

Ratcliffe must respond to "shameful" blow

Ratcliffe's priority, of course, will be sorting out Man Utd's fortunes on the pitch, where they're currently in the midst of a miserable season. With 15 Premier League games to go, Erik ten Hag's side are currently in sixth place, eight points off the Champions League qualification spots. They've already exited Europe, and they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Newcastle in the round of 16.

However, the stadium is undoubtedly an important part of the club's prestige, and last year, United suffered the ignominy of being left off the list of Euro 2028 venues. Local rivals Manchester City made the cut for the tournament, which will be held in the UK and Ireland, because their stadium is seen as a more modern option.

Wembley

N/A

90,000

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Spurs

62,850

Etihad Stadium

Manchester City

53,400

Villa Park

Aston Villa

42,640

St James' Park

Newcastle

52,000

Bramley Moore Dock

Everton

53,000*

Hampden Park

N/A

52,000

Principality Stadium

N/A

74,500

Aviva Stadium

N/A

51,700

Casement Park

N/A

34,000*

Former Man Utd player and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was left furious by the ground's omission, and launched a stinging rebuke of the Glazers: "The Glazer family have, for years, been warned about a lack of investment in Old Trafford.

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"They have overseen a decline for 20 years in which it has gone from being one of the best stadiums in the world to one that can't even get into the top 10 in the UK and Ireland. This is an all-time low. That it is not in the best ten to host a tournament is a joke. There has been no investment. It is a rusty stadium. This is a dereliction of duty. It is shameful."

One of Ratcliffe's biggest tasks, then, will be to recover from this "all-time low", and make United's home stadium a state-of-the-art base that draws the envy of much of Europe once again.

After luring Omar Berrada from arch-rivals Manchester City and making him their new CEO, Jim Ratcliffe and Manchester United now want to appoint the club's first sporting director and have set their sights firmly on Dan Ashworth.

United have yet to make a formal approach to Newcastle, where Ashworth is currently employed, but the Englishman wants to make the move to Old Trafford and INEOS are so confident of securing his services that they haven't even bothered sounding out alternative targets.

Ratcliffe attended meetings at Carrington last season as he ramps up his overhaul, and the future of football director John Murtough is now said to lie in the balance.

Ashworth eyes up Jewell for Man Utd role

Reporting for ESPN, Rob Dawson says that Ashworth would have influence over appointments in United's recruitment department if indeed he joins the Red Devils.

Leverkusen star "would love" to try English football amid Man Utd interest

Erik ten Hag is a big admirer of the player, who’s enjoying a phenomenal season.

ByDavid Comerford Feb 14, 2024

He's said to be a "big admirer" of Sam Jewell, the head of recruitment at his former club Brighton, and he could make an effort to bring him to Manchester should he assume the sporting director role.

Caicedo is Jewell's crowning achievement

Jewell was previously the emerging talent manager at the Amex Stadium but was promoted to the head of recruitment gig after predecessor Paul Winstanley was picked up by Chelsea. Moises Caicedo is without doubt his outstanding success story with the Seagulls, having generated a staggering £111m profit when he moved to Stamford Bridge in a Premier League-record transfer last summer, two and a half years on from his £4m arrival from Ecuadorian club Independiente del Valle.

As you can see in the table below, only three transfers in football history have been more profitable, so it's no wonder that Jewell has attracted interest already. Rangers tried to make him their technical director last autumn, but he resisted their approach because he was happy at Brighton.

Rank

Player

Left

Joined

Profit

1

Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool

Barcelona

£136m

2

Neymar

Barcelona

PSG

£129m

3

Ousmane Dembele

Borussia Dortmund

Barcelona

£124m

4

Moises Caicedo

Brighton

Chelsea

£111m

5

Enzo Fernandez

Benfica

Chelsea

£98m

6

Eden Hazard

Chelsea

Real Madrid

£87m

7

Antoine Griezmann

Atletico Madrid

Barcelona

£84m

8

Gareth Bale

Spurs

Real Madrid

£75m

9

Harry Maguire

Leicester

Man Utd

£68m

10

Cristiano Ronaldo

Man Utd

Real Madrid

£68m

However, the opportunity to work under Ashworth at the beginning of a new era at 20-time English champions Man Utd is a different matter entirely. If he does prove to be Ashworth's first appointment, then it will be interesting to see how he adapts to an entirely different recruitment task, looking to find established superstars rather than hidden gems who can be sold on for massive windfalls further down the line.

David Moyes was given a reprieve from what could have become an insurmountable predicament as West Ham United dispatched Brentford in the Premier League on Monday night, talisman Jarrod Bowen bagging a hat-trick.

The Irons have just emerged from a dismal run of form that had soured the atmosphere in east London, with the previous win coming in the late days of December.

Now, West Ham must build, with a trip to Merseyside this afternoon to face off against relegation-threatened Everton, who last won in the Premier League against Burnley on December 16th.

West Ham team news vs Everton

Lucas Paqueta's anticipated return last time out did much to rekindle the offensive fluency, and even if the Brazilian playmaker did not enjoy his most eye-catching appearance, the impact of his return was certainly felt.

Out-of-sorts winger Maxwel Cornet is set to miss a few weeks of action, however, that is the extent of the Hammers' injury issues, with Aaron Cresswell also given the green light.

Kalvin Phillips could return to the fold after missing out against Thomas Frank's Bees due to suspension, and while the England international has endured a torrid start to his loan spell, it may be a good idea for Moyes to unleash him from the outset.

Why Kalvin Phillips must be unleashed vs Everton

To put it plainly, Phillips has not enjoyed a good start under Moyes' tutelage, moving to the club from Manchester City on a six-month loan deal after languishing on the periphery with the Treble winners.

It's been a long few years since the England international was basking in prominence at Elland Road with Leeds United, but while he's fallen by the wayside there is latent quality in abundance that needs harnessing and focussing, and now that West Ham have ended their tough spell Phillips might find his performance improve in the centre of the park.

Matches played

29

Goals

1

Assists

2

Pass completion

85%

Key passes per game

1.2

Tackles per game

2.6

Interceptions per game

1.6

Clearances per game

1.7

Successful duels per game

5.3 (52%)

Dribbles per game

0.7 (63%)

It's hard to put into words just how good Paqueta is, but perhaps the best way to look at it is that, yes, he didn't have his best game against Brentford but it's certainly no surprise that his comeback aligns with a return to form and an emphatic one at that.

The influential ace had been sidelined since West Ham's previous Premier League victory against Arsenal (well, look at that), so Phillips has not actually had the honour of playing alongside the "mind-boggling" talent, as Paqueta was once dubbed by Declan Rice.

Moreover, the 5 foot 10 Phillips ranks among the top 8% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 8% for passes attempted per 90, as per FBref, so the synergy that could be found with these contrasting yet well-matched skill sets is exactly what West Ham need to win against a resilient Everton side that will be buoyed by a roaring Goodison Park crowd.

Ultimately, West Ham have more work to do until they are firmly away from the chasm of poor form, and though Phillips has enjoyed a miserable start to life in London, he has been regarded as a midfield "machine" – as said by reporter Jordan Campbell – in the past and could now find his feet with Paqueta fit and firing once again.

Bukayo Saka was the hero for England as they won on penalties against Switzerland, and Jadon Sancho had a special message for the Arsenal star.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Saka scores in crucial penalty shootoutSancho thanks 'Man of the Match' SakaSays the goal was for him and RashfordWHAT HAPPENED?

In 2021, it was Saka, Sancho and Marcus Rashford that missed their penalties in the final of the Euros against Italy. The Arsenal star pulled off a spectacular performance against Switzerland three years on, with an outstanding equaliser followed by a nerveless spot-kick that was fired beyond Yann Sommer. Sancho thanked Saka for erasing ghosts of the past that had haunted the trio and seen them heavily criticised for.

AdvertisementWHAT SANCHO SAID

On Instagram, Sancho shared a story of Saka with the 'Man of the Match' award and wrote: "I'm so proud of this guy, Bukayo Saka! You did it for me and Marcus [Rashford] brother!"

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Saka has arguably been Gareth Southgate's most consistent forward so far in the Euros, and in a new three-man defensive system the Arsenal starlet has been deployed as a wing-back. In the match against Switzerland, it was expected that he would start as a left wing-back, however, Southgate deployed him on the right to allow Phil Foden to operate as an interior with Saka as the width provider.

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WHAT NEXT FOR SAKA?

The Arsenal star will definitely be a starter, in likely the same role, when England take on the Netherlands on July 10 in the semi-finals at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.

‘I look back and just forget about it’ reflects Warner on horror run against Stuart Broad

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane11-Oct-2019

David Warner put his Ashes struggles behind him as he started the Shield season with a ton•Getty Images

David Warner put his bat away and banished a horror Ashes from his mind when he returned to Australia, convinced there wasn’t much more he could have done to overcome the stranglehold the England attack – and chiefly Stuart Broad – had over him from start to finish.The five Tests brought him just 95 runs, the lowest tally for an opener to bat 10 times in a series, with 61 of them coming in a single innings at Headingley. Broad was his nemesis, removing him seven times with one of the most one-sided batsmen-bowler contests since in Test cricket.ALSO READ: How Broad owned WarnerWarner exchanged notes with Broad after the series had finished and was full of respect for what he had been able to do against him, but secure in his mind that his game did not need a complete overhaul ahead of the Australia season – to such an extent that he only had his first net three days before New South Wales’ opening Sheffield Shield match where he scored an excellent century at the Gabba.”Me and Harry [Marcus Harris] spoke about it. What can you do? If it’s in your first 10 balls and you get a good one, you can’t do anything,” Warner said. “I spoke to Broady about the one he bowled me at Lord’s and he said to me it’s probably one of the best balls he’s ever bowled, up the slope and nipping back in, it’s very difficult to do that repeatedly. I look back at that and just forget about it.”Broad’s success against Warner came after the extensive work he had done on bowling round the wicket to left-handers, a tactic that has become a go-to for Broad over the last couple of years with impressive results. The Queensland quicks used that angle extensively – it appears he will see plenty of it in the future – and there were some moments of unease, especially against the tall Cameron Gannon.”It was pleasing to hear Broady, the way he spoke about how he was trying to get me out,” Warner said. “You can’t generally play for the one that nips back because he’s actually just trying to bowl scramble seam and hoping one comes back. All my hard work was for the ball going away from my bat and to his credit he bowled extremely well. He pitched the ball up [much more] than his [overall] career, he had to go work on a lot of things, and credit to him he’s bowled fantastically to left-handers over the last 18 months.”Stuart Broad goes around the wicket to hit David Warner’s stumps•Getty Images

Warner’s innings at the Gabba was cautious for significant periods against some probing bowling – he mentioned the extra bounce allowing him to leave more easily on length again than was the case in England – but there was a crispness about his attacking shots especially after he had passed fifty. “I know when I’m on when I’m playing the little back-foot punch and pull,” he said. “Knowing that, and playing that today, I was very pleased.”National selector Trevor Hohns said earlier in the week that “two or three” batting spots were up for grabs ahead of the first Test against Pakistan but, if there really was any doubt over Warner’s spot, that has now been erased. Both incumbent openers have scored hundreds in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield matches with Marcus Harris making a century against South Australia.”Trevor said what he has to do as a selector and we know what our job is, it’s to score runs,” Warner said. “If you aren’t doing than you probably rightfully aren’t going to get picked. You back yourself, I know at home I have a great record, and you trust your game plan.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Não faltou emoção para o primeiro confronto entre Bahia e Ceará, pela Copa do Nordeste, no estádio de Pituaçu. Com um gol marcado por Jael, nos acréscimos da segunda etapa, o Vozão abriu vantagem para o segundo jogo, no próximo sábado, valendo a taça da competição.

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E para tentar mudar o panorama, o Esquadrão sabe que não terá vida fácil contra o rival. No revés deste sábado, o lateral Nino Paraíba e volante Patrick de Lucca acabaram recebendo o terceiro amarelo, fazendo com que ambos sejam desfalques confirmados para a grande final.

Mas não para por ai. Além dos dois jogadores, Luis Otávio, que acabou sendo expulso em um lance com Lima, aos 18 minutos do primeiro tempo, também estará fora.O zagueiro acabou dando um carrinho em uma dividida com o adversário, fazendo com a arbitragem aplicasse o cartão vermelho ao defensor.

CALENDÁRIO DE JOGOS

Antes do confronto valendo a taça da competição, o Bahia terá o duelo contra o Independiente, no Pituaçu, na próxima terça-feira, pela CONMEBOL Sul-Americana. Já o Ceará viajará a Bolívia para encarar o Bolívar, um dia depois, na quarta-feira, também pela Sula.

The former India allrounder wants the team management to understand the youngster’s character and psychology, and work accordingly with him

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Sep-2019How does the Indian team get the best out of Rishabh Pant? As far as Yuvraj Singh is concerned, it must start with trying to understand the youngster as a person and work with him instead of trying “to suppress him”.Pant’s place in the side has been a hot topic of debate in Indian cricket in recent times, with the wicketkeeper-batsman’s shot selection at times leaving pundits perplexed and his run of low scores – one fifty-plus score across formats since the Test hundred against Australia – making people wonder if he has been elevated too soon.”Somebody needs to get the best out of him. How you get the best out of him is completely based on his character. You have to understand his character, you have to understand his psychology, and you have to work like that. If you’re going to suppress him, you’re not going to get the best out of him,” Yuvraj told in an interview.ALSO READ: Monga – The Rishabh Pant journey from ‘fearless’ to ‘careless’ and backIn mid-September, Virat Kohli had mentioned in a press conference that youngsters needed to come in to the Indian team with the knowledge that they would get around five opportunities to make the most of. Speaking specifically about Pant, Kohli had said, “Reading the situation and decision-making is the expectation from all the players, including myself.”In the same interaction, Ravi Shastri had promised “a rap on the knuckles” for Pant, and others, who let the team and themselves down. Not long after, new batting coach Vikram Rathour had been asked a similar question at a press meet, where he had said that Pant needed to understand “there is a fine line between fearless cricket and careless cricket”.Yuvraj advocated more mentoring for an obviously talented young batsman instead of “shouting and suppressing”.”Yes, he’s been given a lot of chances, but how do you get the best out of the guy – obviously the people monitoring him in the team, coach, captain, have to get the best out of him, rather than … unfortunately for me, there was no one to tell me what to do,” Yuvraj said. “At the moment, the thing is, at the IPL young guys are getting a lot of money. So maybe someone needs to tell them how to go about their business or how to go about their life, and what is your priority.”Somebody really needs to talk to them and get the best out of them, rather than shouting or suppressing, things are not going to help. That guy has scored two Test away hundreds at a very young age, so the guy has a lot of potential. How do you get the best out of that guy is something they have to realise.”The Pant question is one that many former cricketers have tried to answer over the past few days.Sunil Gavaskar, for example, called for Pant to shift down to No. 5 in white-ball matches to allow him to play his naturally aggressive game. “Giving him a bit of breathing space by slotting him at No. 5 could also help, for at that number he will invariably come in to bat where his aggressive batting is needed from the start rather than when he has to build his and the team’s innings,” Gavaskar wrote in recently.Gavaskar’s idea found a taker in VVS Laxman, who told , “The nature of Rishabh Pant’s batting is that he plays aggressive shots, and unfortunately at the international level he is not able to succeed at the No. 4 position. Pant should bat at No. 5 or 6, where you have the license to go out and express yourself. At the moment, he doesn’t know the right method of scoring runs at No. 4.”Writing in the , Gautam Gambhir also agreed, criticising Rathour’s take on the matter in the process: “It is disappointing to see the team-management using words like ‘from fearless to careless’. This is no way to handle a young human resource. What I do know is that the boy is now playing for survival rather than scoring runs. From the outside it seems that his mindset is all over the place. Someone needs to put an arm around his shoulder and tell him that he is wanted in the team.”

Honours were shared on the opening day in Perth as Victoria went to stumps at 6 for 277, having opted to bat against Western Australia. It could have been Victoria’s day but Jhye Richardson dismissed half centurions Matthew Short and Will Pucovsci in the dying stages of the day to pull things back for the home team. Richardson impressed with returns of 3 for 45 in 23 overs.Victoria had started solidly with openers Marcus Harris and Nic Maddinson continuing their good form, adding 78, before Matthew Kelly removed Maddinson for 37. Harris went on to get his 26th first-class fifty, following up on his 116 in the last match against South Australia. He became Kelly’s second and only other scalp for 69, and when Peter Handscomb fell for 12 and Glenn Maxwell quickly followed suit for 1, Western Australia were right back in the contest having reduced Victoria to 4 for 128.That’s when Short and Pucovsci got together and stitched a 114-run fifth-wicket stand to arrest the slide. But neither batsman could surpass Harris’ 69, Short falling for 55 and Pucovsci, the last wicket of the day, for 64, which meant that the match remained evenly poised. Wicketkeeper Sam Harper (22*) and pacer James Pattinson (5*) safely negotiated the remaining 5.2 overs with an unbeaten stand of 12.

Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy have been told that one club could make an eight-figure bid for an in-form player, and they'd be wise to accept.

Spurs players who could leave this summer

Ange Postecoglou's preferred squad has now taken shape, and it's clear which players he favours.

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He was spotted at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium recently.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Mar 8, 2024

The likes of Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr have played their way into Postecoglou's plans since the Australian's arrival last summer, despite being outcasts under Antonio Conte the season prior.

Tottenham's head coach is also getting the very best out of Richarlison, who netted nine goals in 10 Premier League games prior to his recent injury. While there have been many success stories of Postecoglou's reign, some members of the Spurs squad are also deemed more surplus to requirements.

Tottenham's best-performing players in the league this season

Match Rating per 90 (via WhoScored)

James Maddison

7.46

Son Heung-min

7.35

Pedro Porro

7.18

Cristian Romero

7.07

Dejan Kulusevski

7.06

Midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been tipped to leave this summer, with the Dane recently changing agents in a potential signal that he is ready to go and get more game time at another club.

Bryan Gil is also on the list of players who could quit N17 in the near future, while there is the small matter of Spurs' many loaned out players. One of them, Wales international defender Joe Rodon, has arguably enjoyed the best stint away of any current loanee.

Rodon's made 33 Championship appearances under Daniel Farke as Leeds chase promotion straight back to the top flight. There are reports, as a result, that Leeds could look to sign Rodon permanently for next season.

Tottenham told to accept eight-figure Rodon bid

Spurs expert John Wenham, speaking to Tottenham News this week, suggests that Leeds could make a £10 million bid for Rodon in the summer – and it's one which the Lilywhites should accept.

“He is putting in some really strong displays in the Championship, but he will only have one year left on his deal in North London this summer, and I don’t see Spurs offering him a new contract.

“Things just haven’t worked out for Rodon at Tottenham, and the club must now look at getting the best possible deal for the centre-back. If Leeds were to get promoted, I could see them making an offer of around £10million, which Tottenham would be wise to accept.”

The centre-back has been praised for his performances by Farke this season, with Rodon becoming a mainstay of Leeds' promotion-chasing back line.

“I wouldn’t speak too much about just one player because it was also important that our offensive players did their job," said Farke on Rodon, later praising the 26-year-old.

“Joe [Rodon] belongs to our last row, he had to be there with many clearances, was an aerial threat, even with a little cut under his eyebrow, he was willing to go [on], so he showed warrior mentality.

“That’s exactly what you need if you want to be successful at such a tough place – I think he was excellent today.”

Manchester United’s excellent run of form continues, as they narrowly defeated Luton Town 2-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Erik ten Hag’s side raced to an early two-goal lead within the first ten minutes, but that was their best spell of the entire game.

A slightly fortunate Hatters goal saw the dominance turn, and from that point on, the hosts were the side pushing for another for the equaliser.

Missed chances summed up the second half for the Red Devils, who looked dangerous on the break, but the three points ultimately put them just five points behind Aston Villa in fourth.

Rasmus Hojlund’s performance in numbers

It was that man again putting the ball in the back of the net for Man United, with Rasmus Hojlund now scoring seven goals and providing two assists in his last six Premier League games.

The 21-year-old was phenomenal throughout today, and he took his two goals extremely well. For the opener, Hojlund showed excellent composure to round the keeper and finish into an open net after latching onto a mistake from Amari Bell.

His second arrived in the seventh minute after an Alejandro Garnacho miss-hit volley was flicked into the bottom corner off the Dane’s chest.

Over his 86 minutes on the field, he was a handful and displayed his ability to play with his back to goal, excellent decision-making, and creativity, as highlighted by his two key passes.

It was a pretty perfect performance by the number 11, who will be gutted that he didn’t take home the match ball.

That said, he wasn't the only player in white on Sunday who deserves his flowers.

Kobbie Mainoo's performance in numbers

Kobbie Mainoo. The academy graduate is simply unbelievable, and with each game, he seems to get better and better.

Today, the 18-year-old played with the class and confidence of a professional with ten years in the business at the most elite level, with even Ian Wright taking to X to say:

“Kobbie Mainoo has to be in the next England squad. Such maturity in chaotic conditions that we've not seen from a England player in a long time. Impressed every time I watch him.”

Mainoo vs Luton Town
Stats	Mainoo
Minutes	94
Touches	52
Pass accuracy	88%
Key passes	2
Successful dribbles	6/7
Possesion lost	7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see by the table above, Mainoo completed six of his seven dribble attempts against the Hatters, showing composure to wriggle his way out of trouble and retain the ball during difficult spells for United, which is what earned him an 8/10 rating courtesy of the Manchester Evening News. Football creator Liam Canning went so far as to say that he's an "absolute joke."

Those are apt words indeed from a young talent with the world at his feet, so much so he's now even emulating a certain Paul Pogba with his displays in the centre of the pitch.

The number 37 also always made the right decision when on the ball, whether it was to keep it simple, as shown by his 88% pass accuracy, or take more risks in the final third, as displayed by his two key passes.

When the rest of the team panicked, the youngest player on the field remained calm and showed real courage and leadership in a ground that has seen the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool struggle this season.

A huge three points, another two Hojlund goals, and a Mainoo masterclass. The perfect way to round off the weekend as a United fan.