Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been accused of having "verbal diarrhoea" after his side's dismal 3-0 defeat to Tottenham.
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Spurs won comfortably at Old Trafford
Bruno Fernandes sent off for Man Utd
Ten Hag refuses to condemn performance
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WHAT HAPPENED?
United were thumped 3-0 by Spurs at Old Trafford on Sunday. The Red Devils were reduced to 10 men in the first half as Bruno Fernandes was sent off, but Spurs were 1-0 up at the time, and appeared dominant throughout the initial 45 minutes.
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After the game, Ten Hag refused to condemn the performance, insisting that, despite Tottenham's territorial domination, United created enough chances to have hope of a comeback before Fernandes' red card.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Ten Hag said: "Sure. It's a bad start of the game, Tottenham were dominant, we couldn't get the right press and we also made many mistakes in possession. We couldn't find the spare man or pass over the press. We made wrong decisions. But we could have come back into the game, because we had our chances, with Garnacho, on the post. I think the red card changes the game, of course."
WHAT CHRIS SUTTON SAID
Now, Chris Sutton has accused Ten Hag of taking United on a "losers" lap of honour after the final whistle, while bemoaning his lack of explanation for the dire performance.
The former Blackburn and Chelsea striker said on BBC Radio Five Live: "Ten Hag has verbal diarrhoea. I don't know what game he was watching. The lap at the end is a lap for losers."
On X, Sutton followed up: "No finer sight in the Premier League than Angeball played at its best…the pile on earlier on this season was so over the top… for Erik ten hag that’s the type of performance which will lead to him getting the sack."
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WHAT NEXT?
United will hope to recover from their chastening defeat when they face Porto in the Europa League on Thursday. They will then start preparing for a huge Premier League clash with Aston Villa away from home.
Chelsea have held talks over signing a potential first signing for incoming new manager Enzo Maresca, with the board already getting prepared to back him.
Maresca reaches agreement to join Chelsea
After guiding Leicester City to Premier League promotion last season, winning the Championship in pole position, it is reliably believed that the former Man City backroom coach is now on the verge of replacing Mauricio Pochettino.
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Talks have been held and the likes of reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano have reported that Maresca wants to join Chelsea in the next few days. The 44-year-old, an understudy of Pep Guardiola, is also now Chelsea's unanimously preferred managerial candidate behind-the-scenes (Ben Jacobs) – with Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna out of the running and likely to remain at Portman Road (David Ornstein).
With Maresca already green-lighting a move to Stamford Bridge, the only obstacle in Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali's way right now is compensation with Leicester. Chelsea and the Foxes are currently in negotiations over the financial package to release Maresca from his King Power duties and grant the Italian a move to west London.
Journalist Ben Jacobs, sharing detail on why Chelsea opted for Maresca, claimed that co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley were left impressed with the tactician's squad knowledge and viewed him as the standout candidate after conducting interviews.
Enzo Maresca's last five games in charge of Leicester City
Leicester City 0-2 Blackburn
Preston North End 0-3 Leicester City
Leicester City 5-0 Southampton
Leicester City 2-1 West Brom
Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Leicester City
"Chelsea like Maresca's fit with their model and have been really impressed by his squad knowledge," wrote Jacobs on X.
"Both sporting director, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley viewed him as the standout candidate. And the fact he's learned off Pep, obviously another bonus."
It's looking extremely likely that Chelsea finalise the appointment of Maresca soon, as their search for a Pochettino replacement reaches a swift conclusion – coming after they parted company with the Argentine this time last week.
Attention now turns to the transfer market, and how Chelsea will back their prospective new manager. The Blues need a successor for veteran defender Thiago Silva, who waved goodbye to supporters on the final day of the season and has joined Fluminese following the expiry of his Chelsea contract.
Chelsea hold talks with Tosin Adarabioyo over joining
Now, according to inews and journalist Mark Douglas, Silva's heir could well be 6 foot 5 Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo.
The £2.1 million-per-year giant is free to leave Craven Cottage for nothing on June 30 when his contract expires, and it is believed Chelsea have held talks with Tosin over joining the club on a Bosman deal.
The 26-year-old was a key player under Marco Silva at Fulham over the second half of 2023/24, and could be a pretty astute signing at zero cost if they beat the likes of Newcastle and Man United to his signature.
Making his Anfield return, reports suggest that Michael Edwards is looking to make a statement signing to hand Arne Slot the perfect start to life at Liverpool this summer.
Liverpool transfer news
The Reds are preparing to bid farewell to a club legend and one of their greatest managers of all time in Jurgen Klopp, but that hasn't taken away from the preparations when it comes to life without the German. It now looks almost certain that Slot will be the next man in charge tasked with completing the almost impossible task of replacing Klopp, with the Feyenoord boss recently speaking about the news.
With that said, it's now up to Edwards to mould the current Liverpool squad into Slot's vision ahead of Liverpool's first season without Klopp in almost a decade. And that has already seen the headlines start, with the likes of Crysencio Summerville already linked with a summer switch to Anfield. But any deal for the Dutchman could quickly become overshadowed by one statement signing.
rutter-summerville-leeds-opinion
According to reports in Spain via Football365, Liverpool have upped their bid to sign Aurelien Tchouameni to a hefty €80m (£69m) ahead of the summer transfer window as they look to go all out to land the Real Madrid star.
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Tchouameni would undoubtedly be one of, if not the signing of the summer in a deal that would finally see the Reds land a target they've been chasing since his AS Monaco days. Having missed out on the midfielder under Klopp, Liverpool could now hand Slot the perfect welcome gift by sealing a deal for the Frenchman. A player of such talent would certainly make an impact and would be more than worth his reported £207k-per-week salary.
"Fantastic" Tchouameni would permanently unleash Mac Allister
As good as Alexis Mac Allister has been in his debut season at Liverpool, the World Cup winner has been occasionally limited when left with no choice but to play in a deeper role. And with Wataru Endo already 31 years old, the Reds need the long-term solution that Tchouameni would provide in abudance to permanently unlock the best form of Mac Allister.
Progressive Passes
111
199
Goals + Assists
4
9
Interceptions
28
34
Ball Recoveries
99
189
It remains to be seen whether Real Madrid will be willing to part ways with their young midfielder, however, especially after the praise of Carlo Ancelotti, who said via TNT Sports: “Without three centre-backs, Tchouameni played a fantastic game as a centre-back. It's an emergency now, but we understand he's a fantastic player in every place you put him. He's good as a number six, but also as a centre-back.”
Now, Liverpool will be hoping to benefit from that versatility and quality to steal the headlines in what is set to be a busy summer of change at Anfield as Slot arrives.
Leicester were handed a significant boost as it was confirmed that the club will not be deducted points for allegedly breaching financial regulations.
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Premier League charged Leicester with PSR breachClub appealed against Commission's jurisdictionHave won the case and avoided punishmentWHAT HAPPENED?
The Foxes faced charges of breaking the Premier Leagues Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) relating to the 2022-23 financial year, after which they were relegated from the top-flight to the Championship. The Premier League said that the club's accounts showed they had "exceeded the permitted £105 million threshold" for that year and referred the case to an independent Commission.
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Leicester appealed against the Commission's right to hear the case, which was dismissed, but their appeal against that ruling has been upheld by an independent Appeal Board, which ruled that the period in question ended after the season finished, so the club were no longer part of the Premier League.
The Commission's written decision notes: "The Commission considers that, in practice, it is impossible to determine the precise point in time at which LCFC allegedly exceeded the cumulative adjusted loss threshold of £105m because the PSR Calculation is determined across a three-year period up to, and including, the end of a club's financial year for the Accounting Reference Period in which the PSR Calculation is made."
WHAT THE PREMIER LEAGUE SAID
The top division said that it is "surprised and disappointed" by the decision to uphold Leicester's appeal and argues the decision will hinder the league's right to hold other offending clubs to account.
"The Premier League is very disappointed with the Appeal Board’s decision, and the limited reasons provided for it," a statement read. "The League remains of the view that the original Commission took the right approach in interpreting the rules in a practical and workable way that gives effect to their intended purpose. In overturning the original Commission’s findings, the Premier League considers the Appeal Board’s decision fails to take into account the purpose of the rules, all relevant parts of the PSRs and the need for effective enforcement of alleged breaches to ensure fairness among all clubs.
"If the Appeal Board is correct, its decision will have created a situation where any club exceeding the PSR threshold could avoid accountability in these specific circumstances. This is clearly not the intention of the rules.
"It is of critical importance that the Premier League is able to enforce its rules consistently to maintain the principle of fairness. The League will now consider what further action it can take to ensure this is the case."
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LEICESTER?
Foxes fans will breathe a sigh of relief after hearing that their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League will not be made even harder by a points deduction in this case. They have collected just one point from their first three matches of the season and will hope to get their first win when they meet Crystal Palace in their next one.
Chelsea are reportedly ready to return for a star they missed out on last summer, and are at the front of the queue for his services this time around.
Blues feeling blue
A controversial late disallowed goal against Aston Villa prevented Chelsea from completing an impressive comeback at Villa Park on Saturday, and left European football via the Premier League looking less likely.
Mauricio Pochettino's side headed into the half time break 2-0 down, but rallied after the interval and levelled late on, before they thought that they had nicked it when Axel Disasi nodded home in added time.
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However, after a VAR review it was ruled out for a foul in the build up, and after the game, Mauricio Pochettino was not a happy man.
“Everyone that was watching the game felt disappointed,” said the Chelsea boss. “We need to explain this to the people. In this situation it is really painful as it has damaged English football, the image, and even Aston Villa players and the fans didn’t understand why.
“When the referee doesn’t see anything and changes the decision of the referee, I don’t want to talk bad about the referee but it is unbelievable, it’s ridiculous. It is difficult to accept this type of thing.
“It was a challenge that happens many times in football. I was disappointed because these three points were massive to get into the Europa League, that is why it is painful.”
Chelsea in race for European football next season
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goal Difference
Points
6. Manchester United
34
16
6
12
1
54
7. Newcastle United
34
16
5
13
19
53
8. West Ham
35
13
10
12
-9
49
9. Chelsea
33
13
9
11
4
48
It is a point that does little to boost their chances of European football next season, with Pochettino's side now five points behind Newcastle United, though they have a game in hand on the Magpies.
Veiga the answer for Poch?
Now, Chelsea have been tipped to return for a player that they missed out on last summer, in the shape of Spanish talent Gabri Viega. The youngster was linked with the Blues, as well as Real Madrid and Barcelona just 12 months ago.
However, he opted to move to Saudi Arabia, something that reports now claim he is regretting, with the Spaniard now eyeing a "return to the European elite". As per sources in Spain, Chelsea are the latest team to join the race for his signature this summer.
Despite this, they are the side that "stands out above all", due to the fact that they are "already preparing an initial offer of 40m euros" [£33.8m]. He certainly has the approval of ex-Chelsea man Carlo Ancelotti, now in charge of Real Madrid.
"I like him, he is an excellent player who has something special," said Ancelotti when directly asked about the midfielder last season.
Veiga will likely have to take a hefty cut on his £205,000 per week wages to leave Saudi Arabia, even with the money being splashed around by Chelsea. Is he the man to help push Chelsea back towards the top of the Premier League?
Despite all the off-the-field turmoil at the club, Everton have enjoyed success in recent seasons in the transfer market, signing youngsters who have been a hit at Goodison Park.
The club's financial issues have often seen the Toffees resort to investing in youth, with the hope the club can make a hefty profit after they've made an impact at the club to avoid any future FFP problems.
Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner are just two examples within Sean Dyche's squad who have made a brilliant impact since joining – with the pair joining for a combined £10m from Carlisle United and Manchester United respectively.
The duo are now worth a combined £44m, according to Transfermarkt, with the club now operating in a much more sustainable way than a couple of years ago in a period which saw the Toffees spending over £20m on players such as Yannick Bolasie and Jean-Philippe Gbamin with the pair both leaving Goodison on free transfers.
With the summer transfer window set to open in a couple of months, Everton are already being linked with another young talent who could see the club make a huge profit in the years ahead should they win the race for his signature.
Everton linked with young English talent
According to Football Insider, Everton are one of a number of sides who are being linked with a move to sign Juventus youngster Samuel Iling-Junior, with the 20-year-old out of contract in just under 18 months.
The report states that the Toffees face competition from fellow Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion for the Englishman, with the Italian side set to sell Iling-Junior to avoid losing him for nothing.
Juventus forwardSamuel Iling-Junior.
The young "menace", as dubbed by scout Antonio Mango, is believed to be up for grabs for around £17m – as per a prior report from the same publication – and has made 17 appearances for the Old Lady in Serie A this campaign, but most of his game time has come from the bench after only featuring for 465 minutes.
Everton are claimed to be long-term admirers of the youngster, with the Toffees needing to address their lack of goals given their tally of just 29 league goals this season – the second lowest in the Premier League.
Illing-Junior could be Moise Kean 2.0 for Everton
The youngster wouldn't be the first player to swap Juventus for Everton in recent seasons, with the Toffees signing striker Moise Kean from the Italian side for £27.5m back in 2019.
At the time, it was seen as brilliant business by the club, with Kean impressing in Serie A after scoring six times in 13 league outings. However, the striker would flop at Goodison, scoring just four times in his 39 appearances before returning to Juve in 2021.
Despite his lack of impact, it was a good move from the club as they started to prioritise younger additions to the squad, with Everton needing to do the same again with Iling-Junior.
He might not have featured as much as he would've liked this campaign, but the 20-year-old has the ability to be a huge hit under Dyche should the club pursue any deal for him this summer.
His stats per 90, given his limited minutes this campaign, are remarkable, with the attacker consistently ranking highly among other players within Europe's top five leagues.
Touches in penalty area
3.8
Top 3%
Progressive carries
3.6
Top 9%
Shot creating actions
3.6
Top 5%
Shots
1.5
Top 7%
Assists
0.4
Top 1%
Given Everton's lack of goals, coupled with the youngster's impressive stats in the final third, the club should be doing everything they possibly can to win the race for his signature.
They would face tough competition trying to convince him to join the Toffees instead of Tottenham, who could even secure Champions League football this season, but a move to Goodison could allow him to receive more consistent first-team minutes and develop his game further, which could result in a hefty profit further down the line.
Everton want to complete signing of prolific gem compared to Bukayo Saka
كشفت تقارير صحفية أن أحد اللاعبين من القارة الإفريقية السمراء يرحب بفكرة الانتقال إلى صفوف فريق ليفربول لخلافة النجم محمد صلاح، العام المقبل.
وسينتهي العقد الحالي للنجم المصري مع ليفربول، في صيف 2025، أي نهاية الموسم الجاري.
ولا توجد أي مفاوضات بين محمد صلاح من جهة، ومسؤولي ليفربول من جهة أخرى، بشأن تمديد إقامته في ملعب “الأنفيلد”.
اقرأ أيضًا.. سبورت: محمد صلاح يعود على طاولة برشلونة و3 عوامل قد تحسم الصفقة
وارتبط محمد صلاح بخطوة الرحيل مجانًا عن ليفربول نهاية هذا الموسم، مما أدى إلى تركيز النادي الإنجليزي على البدائل المتاحة لخلافة صاحب الـ32 عامًا.
وظهرت تقارير صحفية مؤخرًا تفيد بأن ليفربول يستهدف الحصول على خدمات اللاعب بريان مبيومو، من صفوف برينتفورد، لخلافة محمد صلاح حال رحيل الأخير.
وكشفت شبكة “teamtalk” الإنجليزية، عن موقف مبيومو من إمكانية مغادرة برينتفورد والانضمام إلى صفوف ليفربول، العام القادم، 2025.
وأوضحت أن مبيومو سيكون حريصًا جدًا على اللعب تحت قيادة آرني سلوت وخلافة محمد صلاح في صفوف ليفربول، ولكن هناك مشكلة مع برينتفورد.
وأفادت بأن مبيومو قد يضطر إلى إجبار مسؤولي برينتفورد على السماح برحيله، حيث أن النادي ليس لديه نية لبيعه في يناير القادم، خلال موسم الانتقالات الشتوي.
ويعتقد كبار المسؤولين في ليفربول أنه يمكن إبرام صفقة مبيومو مقابل 60 مليون جنيه إسترليني، لكن مصادر برينتفورد ذكرت أن الأمر سيستغرق أكثر من ذلك لإبعاده عن فريقهم، ومن المرجح أن تتم الصفقة نهاية الموسم وليس في الشتاء.
وقد تكون هذه مشكلة بالنسبة لـ ليفربول حيث سيواجه منافسة أكبر على الكاميروني الصيف المقبل، مع استمرار اهتمام نيوكاسل يونايتد به بعد إجراء محادثات معه في وقت سابق من هذا العام.
Now a side on course to qualify for the Champions League, to say that Aston Villa have come a long way since Steven Gerrard had them worrying about relegation troubles would be an understatement. And nothing represents their rise more than their business away from the pitch.
Aston Villa seal "amazing" off-field deal
Whilst it's easy to focus on the likes of Moussa Diaby and Leon Bailey arriving in recent years and Unai Emery also arriving in between those two transfers, Villa have also developed as a club off the pitch. Their rise under Emery has been carefully crafted up to the present day when they find themselves inside the Premier League's top four.
Gone are the days when top-flight safety was Villa's greatest concern and safety that didn't always arrive too. Arrived, instead, are arguably the Villans' best days in the Premier League if they manage to make their involvement in the race for the top four less of a unique underdog moment and more of a consistent norm in English football.
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He’s one for the future.
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To do that, keeping up with the Premier League's big six on a financial basis will be important, which their latest shirt sponsorship highlights they're capable of doing. According to Football Insider, Aston Villa's latest sponsorship agreement with Betano is worth £40m, and Sky Sports' Kieran Maguire has claimed that deal beats Everton's previous record of the biggest deal outside the Premier League's classic top six. Maguire told Football Insider:
Record sponsorship highlights Aston Villa's progress
Smashing Everton's record out of the park, Villa and NSWE are now doing their best to keep up with the Premier League's top six both on and off the pitch. The financial boost of such a sponsorship could only help Emery's side on the pitch too, with the backing for summer arrivals now arguably more in place than ever.
Add the potential attraction of Champions League football and Villa could be in for an exciting summer. Already, they've been linked with the likes of Nico Williams and Paulo Dybala in what may prove to be two major coups.
Roma's Paulo Dybala
Signing Dybala could be particularly impressive. The AS Roma star is an experienced attacking midfielder these days, who can also play as a forward. If Villa managed to land the Argentine international, then he would form an unstoppable partnership with Ollie Watkins.
As things stand, the only way seems up for Villa, who are better placed than ever to establish themselves not only in the Premier League's top six but also on a European level. Led by Emery, those in the Midlands are only in for more days to remember at this rate.
Manchester United are "very interested" in securing the signing of a highly-rated attacking "weapon" this summer, according to an update from Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Man Utd transfer & ownership news
The Red Devils do feel like a club on the mend at the moment, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment finally confirmed and results improving on the pitch. His 25% ownership has been approved, which is fantastic news for anyone of a United persuasion, as they look to kick on after such a disappointing period in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
There seems to be a real focus on bringing in a sporting director, with Newcastle United ace Dan Ashworth a strong target, and new players are also being linked with moves.
Dan Ashworth with his son.
United are believed to have been in contact with Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini over a summer switch to Old Trafford, as Erik ten Hag looks to improve an ageing back-line that includes Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire. He isn't the only centre-back being looked at, however, and move for Bayern Munich ace Matthijs de Ligt doesn't appear to be out of the question.
In terms of attacking players who could come in, Lille star Jonathan David is reportedly as an option for the Red Devils, having scored 26 goals in just 45 caps for Canada, with a replacement for Anthony Martial required this summer.
Man Utd make contact for Bayern starlet Mathys Tel
Taking to X, Plettenberg claimed that Manchester United have opened talks with young Bayern Munich winger Mathys Tel over a move to Old Trafford, but it may not be easy for them to get their man.
Mathys Tel
"Excl. News Tel: Manchester United have made contact for the first time and are very interested to sign him in summer! Two more clubs from England have also inquired about him in the last weeks.
"Been told: Even though it's not easy for him right now, he still doesn’t want to give up as he wants to become a legend for Bayern. But: If he don’t receive the feeling, that Bayern believe in him in the future, he will consider his options – but a loan is not one of them."
Tel, who can also play through the middle up front, is a player with so much potential, and for that reason it is encouraging to see United looking to snap him up, with a clear emphasis on signing big young talent.
Bayern Munich
55
12
France Under-21s
4
2
France Under-19s
10
5
France Under-18s
11
8
France Under-17s
9
5
The 18-year-old has scored twice and assisted once in seven Bundesliga games this season – he has only started once in the competition – and Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel has lauded his influence from the substitutes' bench, saying: "Mathys has a high impact off the bench. He is a weapon for us at the moment, we know what he can give us. He will also start games this season. He is currently showing that he can assist and score goals. We’re taking it step by step with him. He’s on the right track. We’re happy that he’s here and he’s happy about it too."
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United could admittedly find it hard to persuade Tel to leave Bayern, given his ties with the club, but if they could entice him to come to Manchester, it could be a special piece of business as the years pass, bolstering their wide attacking options in the process.