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Rival PL club take big transfer step in bid to beat United to signing of Sporting star – report

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    Arsenal have reportedly scouted and even approached Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande, who is also believed to be on Manchester United’s radar.

    A recent report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that incoming manager Ruben Amorim is desperate to fix the club’s leaky defence and as a result, wants Diomande to accompany him to England.

    At just 20 years of age, Diomande has already cemented his status in the Sporting side as one of their key players.

    In Liga Portugal this season, only Viktor Gyokeres and Francisco Trincao have started more games for the Lions than Diomande.

    It’s easy to see why Diomande is so highly-rated. He boasts a powerful stature and incredible passing ability –  attributes needed of a modern, ball-playing centre-back.

    He also excels in his duels both aerially and on the ground. He is rapid, which helps in recovery during defensive transitions.

    A fresh report has now claimed that Arsenal have been regularly scouting Diomande, with a view to potentially swoop in for him in the near future.

    TBR Football state, “Arsenal have been watching Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande as part of their scouting on a regular basis.”

    “Chelsea are also watching the 20-year-old defender regularly, while Liverpool and Newcastle United are fans too. In addition, Tottenham have always liked Diomande, even before they snapped up Radu Dragusin from Genoa.”

    On Friday, Portuguese publication Record pointed out that Arsenal and Chelsea made approaches for Diomande.

    There is also interest from abroad, with Bayern Munich thought to be fans of the Ivory Coast international. Diomande is valued at between the £42-51m mark.

    If United do indeed want Diomande, then they must move with speed to secure his signature. The Red Devils’ advantage is that they will have Amorim, who knows the player well from their successful time together at Estádio José Alvalade.

    Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

    Amorim’s orders: United eyeing shock January move to sign 2-time CL winner to fix problem position – report

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      Manchester United’s defence have failed to hold on to a lead time and time again this season, something incoming manager Ruben Amorim must fix.

      The Portuguese has his own way of working and that includes a whole new tactical system involving three at the back and the use of wing-backs.

      Plenty of young stars are on United’s radar and rather surprisingly, Juve Live have claimed the Red Devils are eyeing 33-year-old Danilo, currently plying his trade at Juventus.

      The Brazilian can play at the heart of defence as well as out wide on both flanks but he would most likely struggle in the wing-back role which requires a player with a strong engine, something the former Real Madrid star lacks.

      Danilo, a surprise target

      But the report claims Amorim likes his profile and his experience of playing in the Premier League and winning it twice for Manchester City could come in handy.

      If the 20-time English league champions end up moving on Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof in January, the Brazil international’s capture could make sense.

      His contract at Turin ends in 2025 and he could be available on a cut-price fee in the winter. His current market value stands at €7 million as per Transfermarkt.

      “A black and white player is already on the way out: Amorim wants him at Manchester United. Since every great team is built or rebuilt starting from the defence, Amorim thinks of Danilo to reinforce the Red Devils’ backline.

      Juve open to sale

      “The deal, as anticipated in the first paragraph, could materialize in January: for the Brazilian defender it would be a return to Manchester after his experience, from 2017 to 2019, at Manchester City.”

      Juventus also remain open to the deal as they would prefer earning a small fee from his sale while his form has also not been upto scratch.

      The current INEOS project is eyeing players below a certain age and Danilo’s capture makes very little sense unless it is made as a stop-gap option.

      His experience can certainly come in handy but is not the kind of player United need currently. A left-back and a striker is of much greater importance.

      Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25

      1 clean sheet, 5 clearances: Amorim may already have the perfect back three centre back in outstanding United loanee

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        Manchester United’s youngsters secured some valuable minutes as all three played 90 minutes in vital victories for their respective loan sides.

        Accrington Stanley’s Sonny Aljofree wrapped up another 90 minutes in what has been an incredibly productive loan so far for the 19 year old.

        Since joining the Owd Reds in the summer, he has played 10 games and 90 minutes in six consecutive league matches, becoming a fundamental piece of John Doolan’s back three.

        Aljofree was given a rating of 6.9 on Sofascore after helping his side secure a 3-0 win over Chesterfield in League Two.

        The young defender helped his side keep a clean sheet and made five clearances in the match, alongside one interception and one completed tackle.

        He won two out of his three ground duels and 50% of his aerial battles.

        Aljofree had 39 touches of the ball and completed only nine of his 18 passes despite his side’s dominance on the score sheet.

        The young defender will be pleased with enjoying so much valuable first team experience despite his tender age and will also be glad to be building experience in a back three as incoming United manager, Ruben Amorim, will most likely employ three central defenders in a change of formation at Old Trafford.

        Elyh Harrison also continued his fine run of games as he made another start and played a further 90 minutes for Chester FC in the National League N/S.

        He helped his side keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win away from home against Needham Market and made a crucial intervention in the first half as he palmed over Adam Mills’ strike to keep the scores level.

        James Nolan completed a successful Saturday for United’s academy products as his Inverness Caledonian Thistle beat Cove Rangers 2-1 in the Scottish League One.

        Nolan played the entire 90 minutes at left back, despite his usual position being on the right hand side of the defence.

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        Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.

        Real Madrid plotting swoop for electric United star they see as “an irresistible market opportunity” – report

          real-madrid-plotting-swoop-for-electric-united-star-they-see-as-“an-irresistible-market-opportunity”-–-report

          Reigning La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly keen on signing Manchester United forward Amad Diallo next summer.

          Fichajes reports that Madrid are eyeing the free signing of Amad next year, amidst their need for attacking reinforcements.

          The Spanish outlet points out, “Amad Diallo, one of Manchester United ‘s young prospects, seems to be on Real Madrid ‘s radar, especially ahead of next summer, where he could become an irresistible market opportunity.”

          “The Ivorian striker has a contract until June 2025, so his contractual situation and his great talent have fueled rumours of a possible exit.”

          “Real Madrid are watching Diallo’s development with interest, and his possible signing without a large outlay would be an attractive opportunity for the Spanish club. Madrid have found recent success in their policy of investing in young talents, and Diallo’s profile would fit the bill.”

          It’s understood that Amad’s versatility is another attracting point for Madrid. Not only can he play across all three positions of the attacking line, but he can also be deployed in the middle of the park in a playmaking role.

          Amad has endured a frustrating time at United since he joined the club from Atalanta in 2021.

          Unable to nail down regular first-team minutes, he had loan spells with Rangers and Sunderland. The latter especially was a successful one, setting him up for a big 2023/24 season under Erik ten Hag. However, a knee injury before the start of the campaign kept him sidelined for weeks and when he returned, he found opportunities hard to come by.

          Towards the end of the season, he seemed to have finally got his big break, scoring the extra-time winner in a dramatic 4-3 FA Cup win over Liverpool en route to winning the competition while also scoring one and setting up the other in a 3-2 Premier League triumph over Newcastle.

          He began 2024/25 as United’s starting right winger but was dubiously frozen out of the team in the final weeks of Ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford.

          Interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy finally gave him a start during Thursday’s Europa League clash against PAOK and the Ivorian certainly didn’t disappoint. He grabbed both goals of the 2-0 victory as the Red Devils clinched their first European victory in over a year.

          Van Nistelrooy waxed lyrical about Amad’s attitude, revealing that he has been requesting extra sessions to refine his game.

          Amidst all this, United are believed to be working on giving the player a new deal to extend his stay at the club. A report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that the Reds want to agree a deal with Amad’s camp by January.

          If this gets over the line, then Madrid and any other interested parties can certainly forget about landing him in the near future.

          Featured image Naomi Baker via Getty Images

          Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

          Amorim makes promise to Sporting as he gives update on Man United transfer plans

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            Ruben Amorim has indicated that he will not look to raid Sporting Lisbon for their players in the January transfer window but cannot make any promises beyond that.

            Amorim is set to officially take charge of United on Monday as a direct replacement for the sacked Erik ten Hag.

            He will inherit a squad primarily moulded in Ten Hag’s image and preference and so, he will undoubtedly need to make adjustments by dipping into the market.

            It has been suggested that the tactician could be accompanied to Old Trafford by some of his best stars at Sporting including Viktor Gyokeres, Pedro Goncalves, Geovany Quenda and Ousmane Diomande.

            Speaking in his final pre-match press conference for Sporting on Saturday afternoon, Amorim told reporters that he will not target Sporting stars during the winter window but refused to give such assurances for the summer.

            He also revealed that his main priority once he arrives at United is to win as many matches as possible before the season comes to a close.

            The 39-year-old said, “I won’t [sign Sporting stars] in January, that’s what I said. I don’t know about the summer.”

            “The first point is to hold on until the summer. Sporting players are very good players, I don’t know, we’ll see. I know the phenomenon of football especially in England, and I know how things change.”

            “I can talk about [Mikel] Arteta, [Ange] Postecoglou, how things went well, how they went badly. What will dictate is how the first game goes, with a win or not. Then we’ll see.”

            He was specifically asked about Goncalves [Pote].

            Amorim replied, “Pote? He can play for any team in the world and with any player because he is a great player. I could take him anywhere.”

            “He’s very funny, which improves our relationship but he is also very intelligent. However, he also has to focus on Sporting because we have to be champions this year, but also as a Sporting coach, I say he could play for any team in the world.”

            United are back in action on Sunday, when they host Leicester City in another crucial Premier League clash.

            Featured image Octavio Passos via Getty Images

            Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

            Nine of United’s brightest academy talents have been called up for international duty

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              Next week’s international break marks another occasion for Manchester United’s academy players to gain experience on the international stage representing their countries.

              United’s academy has always boasted of a long list of youth internationals, and we take a look at those called up so far with possibly more to come as some nations still release their squad lists.

              Ethan Wheatley – England u19s

              Wheatley has been called into the England u19s squad for their upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers. They will travel to Bulgaria for the first qualifying round where they will take on Belgium, Lithuania, and Bulgaria.

              Wheatley has already featured for England’s u19s in September when he made two starts and an appearance off the bench in a series of friendlies but failed to get his name on the scoresheet. He will be looking to bring his United record with him this time having scored 5 goals in 6 PL2 appearances so far this season.

              Jack Fletcher – England u18s

              Fletcher will join England u18s after his recent involvement in United’s senior matchday squads. The side will partake in a pair of friendlies in Spain with their first opposition being Poland before they take on one of Germany or Belgium depending on the results of the first matches.

              The young midfielder has featured for England u18s previously in September when he started one match and came off the bench in two more.

              Bendito Mantato – England u17s

              Mantato has been selected by former Manchester United academy coach Neil Ryan for England u17s training camp in Belgium where they will play two friendlies against their hosts.

              Despite operating as a high flying right winger for United, scoring 6 goals so far this season for the u18s, Mantato typically features at left back for England where he played in October for England’s u17s as they qualified for the Elite Round of the Euro qualifiers.

              Jayden Ngwashi – England u17s

              Ngwashi joins Mantato in the England u17s setup somewhat surprisingly. Not due to a lack of talent, but for the fact that he has yet to play at the u18s club level like most of the squad. It also marks the first England call up for Ngwashi who has previously represented Italy at u16s level.

              Tyler Fletcher – Scotland u19s

              Scotland u19s will compete in the first round of qualifying for the Euros with three home matches against Wales, Lichtenstein, and France which will see Tyler Fletcher come up against United teammate Biancheri.

              Chido Obi-Martin – Denmark u18s

              Obi-Martin will play in two friendlies against Finland, the 16 year old has one goal to his name for Denmark u18s from two friendly appearances.

              Gabriele Biancheri – Wales u19s

              Biancheri will join Wales u19s for their Euro qualifying matches with Scotland, France, and Lichtenstein. The striker has scored 3 goals in 5 friendly appearances for Wales’ u19s so far.

              Louie Bradbury – Wales u17s

              Bradbury is already with Wales u17s who started their Euro qualifiers before the official international break. The 16 year old goal machine scored from the penalty spot against Norway but it wasn’t enough as Wales lost 3-4. Bradbury then played the full 90 minutes as Wales lost to Italy and they will next take on San Marino for the final match on Monday.

              Samuel Lusale – Slovakia u18s

              Lusale will take part in two friendlies in Romania for Slovakia u18s. He scored a goal against Wales during his last call up in September.

              A football obsessed Canadian who moved to England to enjoy the beautiful game. Colm has been keen follower of Manchester United’s famed academy since seeing a fresh faced Adnan Januzaj for the club’s u18s and has been writing about football with a focus on youth development for over 10 years.

              Rashford, Amad, Eriksen: this explosive United line-up will tear Leicester apart tomorrow

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                Ruud van Nistelrooy’s last match in charge of Manchester United will be tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Leicester City at Old Trafford.

                With a squad that is getting fuller as players return from injury, there are some key decisions that the Dutchman will have to make when selecting his starting XI for the game.

                Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are all now in training although it is unlikely that any will feature just yet.

                Antony and Christian Eriksen are definitely back in contention.

                Amad is a doubt after limping off against PAOK on Thursday, although Van Nistelrooy said he was hopeful the Ivorian would recover in time for tomorrow’s game.

                That could be one of the big decisions awaiting the 48 year old – whether to start him after his man of the match, two goal performance against the Greek side.

                We think he will do so. This then begs the question as to who will occupy the left flank. Alejandro Garnacho is in the box seat but looked tired and unfocused against PAOK, so perhaps Marcus Rashford will be recalled to have a run against a problem position for Steve Cooper, which would be occupied by either James Justin or Ricardo Pereira. Garnacho certainly looks like he needs a rest.

                Rasmus Hojlund is hardly setting the world on fire up front at the moment but with Josh Zirkzee struggling even more, he will probably keep his place. Bruno Fernandes will be in the number 10 role.

                Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro have been Van Nistelrooy’s go-to central midfield pairing so far and have put in two decent performances – against Leicester in the Carabao Cup and against PAOK – but struggled against Chelsea.

                Kobbie Mainoo is still injured but with Eriksen back, it is likely he could be brought in for one of the more defensive-minded stars, probably Ugarte. This should give United more creativity from deep with the Foxes likely to park the bus and go for a point.

                In defence, Diogo Dalot has been looking shaky at left back and Noussair Mazraoui accomplished on the right. They could simply be reversed, or the boss could start this game how he finished Thursday’s, with Lisandro Martinez at left back, Mazraoui on the right and either Jonny Evans or Victor Lindelof coming in at centre back alongside Matthijs de Ligt.

                Harry Maguire is still out injured.

                With Andre Onana sure to start in goal, here is our predicted line-up for tomorrow’s 2pm kick-off:

                Featured image Naomi Baker via Getty Images

                Red Billy is the managing editor of The Peoples Person, author of three books and totally obsessed with football’s transfer market. Billy still insists Matteo Darmian and Alex Telles could have made it at United given half a chance.

                Skinner makes surprise claim about United despite unbeaten start to WSL season

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                  Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has suggested that his team are performing way ahead of their expected levels amidst an unbeaten start to the WSL season.

                  United currently sit in fifth place in the table on 11 points, eight below leaders Manchester City. United have two games in hand.

                  The Reds endured a busy summer, both in terms of outgoings and incoming. The likes of Mary Earps, Lucia Garcia, Katie Zelem, Gemma Evans and Irene Guerrero all departed the club.

                  The club brought in Simi Awujo, Dominique Janssen, Melvine Malard, Anna Sandberg and Elisabeth Terland. Grace Clinton also returned after a loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur.

                  Ahead of United’s Sunday meeting with Aston Villa, Skinner admitted that the players still need time to gel together, admitting that the team are punching above the weight.

                  Skinner said [via 90min], “We want to keep improving, but the reality of putting a new team together, six games in, I actually think we’re above where our marker should be. We’re still unbeaten. It’s a good space, but we want to be better.”

                  On whether the current standings are an indicator of how the season will pan out, Skinner replied, “I would tend to agree in previous seasons, but I’m not sure this year because I’m watching better performances from teams.”

                  “I [previously] watched teams that could put in an outstanding performance on one day, which was the difference between winning and losing. They didn’t have had the consistency, but they had the players to win that one off game.”

                  “I think it’s different this year. It may well go around that [the current table] but we want to be challenging higher. I looked at our midfield experience against Arsenal’s the other day, and you’ve got Kim [Little] and Leah [Williamson] and Frida [Maanum], who have played how many games together.”

                  “We just haven’t had that time [together] yet. I do think the table will change, and that’s just the feeling I’m getting. Maybe have the conversation 15 games in and see where we’re at.”

                  “This year I just think there are teams that can take points more frequently off teams that have been top four before.”

                  United vs. Villa kicks off at 18:45 BST at Leigh Sports Village.

                  Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

                  “It’s perfect”: United’s sensational starlet gives highly encouraging update about his life at the club

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                    Manchester United defender Leny Yoro has claimed that he is settling in very well in his new home city.

                    The talented Frenchman looked on course to join Real Madrid in the summer but the Red Devils pulled off a massive coup signing by luring him away from the European champion’s clutches.

                    Many fans were ecstatic with the signing but also worried that Yoro would be far from content with the move as it was widely reported that Madrid was his preferred destination.

                    Yoro made a positive start in his first pre-season match against Rangers but disaster struck against Arsenal in only his second appearance and he was ruled out for months with a metatarsal injury.

                    The medical problem has robbed him of the chance to play and get used to English football but it has also perhaps allowed him to spend more time getting to know his new home and encouragingly for United fans, he seems to be loving it.

                    In an interview with the club’s official website (via The Daily Mail) he gave a very encouraging update on how he has settled into the city of Manchester.

                    Discussing his time in the north of England so far he stated, “to be honest it’s perfect. I’ve got my home, my car, everything, so I’m good.”

                    The 18 year old claimed that it was not hard to adapt to the particular northern English climate as “the weather is the same” in his old stomping ground of Lille.

                    He mentioned some of his hobbies away from football that help him feel at home stating, “outside of football I like to play video games a lot, to watch movies at home and maybe go shopping for clothes at times. I play with Kobbie on NBA as I like basketball.”

                    Yoro also painted a picture of a united group of players and claimed that even after only a few months at the club he feels very comfortable with numerous different people.

                    “I am close to everyone in the group with a good relationship, I stay most of the time with the young guys like Kobbie, Amad [Diallo], speak a lot with [Andre] Onana as he speaks French, [Alejandro] Garnacho is a good guy.”

                    “Everyone is good and I am staying close with everyone. [Being with the young guys] is helping a lot.”

                    United fans will be delighted that he has settled so quickly into life at the club in challenging circumstances and hope he will stay for many years to come.

                    Yoro has returned to first team training and is expected to make his official debut after the international break, perhaps being available for Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge versus Ipswich Town on the 24th of November.

                    Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.

                    “The deal was basically done”: Super agent says manager with “a spark of genius” was set to become United boss

                      “the-deal-was-basically-done”:-super-agent-says-manager-with-“a-spark-of-genius”-was-set-to-become-united-boss

                      Football super-agent Pini Zahavi has revealed that Thomas Tuchel was on the brink of becoming Manchester United boss in the summer before Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS decided to afford Erik ten Hag more time.

                      Ten Hag – who was eventually sacked late last month – came close to losing his job in the summer following an extremely poor 2023/24 season in which United finished a lowly eighth in the Premier League.

                      For large parts of that campaign, the Red Devils were harshly criticised for their underwhelming performances and results, which often left a lot to be desired.

                      However, after a lengthy end-of-season review, Ratcliffe and the new football leadership group elected to stick with Ten Hag, thanks in part to an FA Cup final triumph over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Wembley.

                      It’s believed that during the review, INEOS held exploratory talks with a number of potential replacements for Ten Hag including Tuchel, Kieran McKenna, Roberto De Zerbi, Marco Silva, Gareth Southgate, Thomas Frank and Graham Potter.

                      Fabrizio Romano revealed that Tuchel personally spoke to Ratcliffe but ultimately turned down the United job.

                      In hindsight, it was the wrong decision to keep Ten Hag in the Old Trafford dugout. Fast forward a few months later and Tuchel was appointed as England manager. Mere days after he was confirmed as boss of the Three Lions, Ten Hag permanently parted ways with United, with the final straw being a 2-1 loss to West Ham.

                      Pini Zahavi – who represents a number of high-profile footballers including Christopher Nkunku, Angel Gomes, Roberto Lewandowski and Jonathan Tah – spoke to Die Welt and insisted that Tuchel should have taken the United managerial role.

                      Zahavi said, “If I were Thomas, I would have gone to Manchester United.”

                      “He had the opportunity. Everything was prepared, the deal was basically done.”

                      “Thomas has a spark of genius in him. But in today’s football you have to be wise and a diplomat. He will have to learn that.”

                      Meanwhile, Ten Hag’s replacement is due to officially begin work at United on Monday. Ruben Amorim put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year contract to become the next gaffer of the 20-time English champions.

                      Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

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