Despite a bounce-back season under new boss Erik ten Hag that saw them finish third in the Premier League, win the Carabao Cup and reach the Europa League semifinals, Manchester United face several challenges this season.
7/8/2023The summer transfer window is now open in Europe, and there's plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals! Manchester United are readying a bid for Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, reports the Telegraph. The 20-year-old from Denmark is now a priority for the Red Devils this transfer window and is preferred to Eintracht Frankfurt frontman Randal Kolo Muani. The club is also operating under a strict budget due to financial fair play considerations and will look to sign the striker for a transfer fee of around £50m. Hojlund had a breakout season in Serie A, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in 32 appearances for La Dea. He has also scored six goals in six games for his national side after making his senior debut in September. It has been reported that United might face delays in completing the transfer due to increasing uncertainty surrounding a potential takeover of the club.
7/7/2023After a spend approaching $750 million over the previous two transfer windows, Chelsea's priorities in this transfer window were pretty clear. In order to remain compliant with financial sustainability rules -- those of both the Premier League and UEFA (when they next qualify for European football) -- they needed to cut the wage bill and generate funds from sales. And they needed to reduce a bloated squad that, including loans, had ballooned to around 40 players (a figure higher than they needed, given the lack of European football this season). All this while giving Mauricio Pochettino a squad competitive enough to get them back into Europe -- ideally the Champions League, but at a minimum the Europa League. They got to work straight away and Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, the co-sporting directors, have been aggressive and efficient in that regard. They have made two signings thus far -- Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson -- and we expect them to bring in two to three more players: another forward and one or two central midfielders. But that may take some time as it will depend on which players they can move out. Editor's note: This is the fourth in a series of stories over the coming weeks applying the same "who to keep, who to extend and who to move on" approach to all the top clubs in the Premier League and Europe. You can find our Manchester City edition here, our Arsenal edition here and our Liverpool edition here. Goalkeepers Edouard Mendy (31 years old, contract expired in 2025) -- transferred to Al Ahli for €18.5 million MARCOTTI: They had to make a choice between Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga and they opted to shift the former. It's not a big fee for a guy who led them to a Champions League crown three years ago, but then again, he lost his starting spot last season. With his deal expiring in 2025, his valuation was only going to fall.
7/6/2023A 40-year-old suspect is in custody after a shooting in southwestern Philadelphia left four people dead and two others injured Monday evening, police said. The latest: Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference late Monday the suspect was armed with a semiautomatic rifle and that the two wounded victims were boys, ages 2 and 13. The big picture: The shooting happened about 8:30pm in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Philadelphia. Police initially said eight people were shot. Outlaw said police pursued the suspect on foot while he was shooting and when he surrendered in an alley he was "wearing a bulletproof vest with multiple magazines in the vest." He had a handgun in addition to the "AR-style rifle" and a police scanner, per Outlaw. Another person whom Outlaw said picked up a firearm and returned fire was also taken into custody. All of the victims were male and three of those killed were 20, 22 and 59 years old, Outlaw said. The age of the fourth person killed was not immediately confirmed but he was believed to be aged between 16 and 21, according to Outlaw. What we're watching: Police were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting.
7/4/2023