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From Italy: United have perfect ace up their sleeve to land dream striker in the summer, it is a win-win situation for Amorim

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From Italy: United have perfect ace up their sleeve to land dream striker in the summer, it is a win-win situation for Amorim

Ruben Amorim’s need for a striker is evident from the fact that Manchester United have outscored only five teams this Premier League season.

And the lack of goals is not because chances have not been created with the club’s two most recent league games seeing a total of 36 shots being taken by the Red Devils with not a single goal to show for their efforts.

And that is mainly due to the lack of cutting-edge upfront with Rasmus Hojlund’s form a source of concern for the head coach.

The Dane has only two league goals under the Portuguese and Amorim has not been convinced with what he has seen and wants him out in the summer.

Rasmus out

INEOS are aware that it will be difficult to shift the 22-year-old in the summer given his woeful form, which is why they are mulling over a loan exit.

Another unique opportunity to get rid of him could present itself as per TuttoSport. It is well known that the 20-time English league champions are eyeing Napoli’s Victor Osimhen in the summer.

But the Nigerian has a release clause worth €70 million, a fee the Old Trafford side could struggle to pay given the financial constraints at the club.

On top of that Juventus are also eyeing the Galatasaray loanee, but the Naples outfit want to avoid strengthening a direct rival and are open to taking Hojlund from United to replace the Nigeria international.

With the United No 9’s market value standing at €45 million, INEOS could potentially grab Osimhen for €25 million, while also replacing the Dane.

Osimhen in

“Victor Osimhen, a striker that the Juventus technical director has long identified as a top reinforcement for next year.

“Napoli have no intention of selling their striker to Italy and even less to Juventus. In this case, among other things, there is no clause that simplifies the situation because the 70 million clause is only valid for teams from abroad.

“And the sporting director of the blue club, Giovanni Manna, is discussing with Manchester United for Osimhen’s sale that also takes into consideration the arrival of Rasmus Hojlund to Napoli.”

The ex-Lille ace has been on fire during his loan spell in Turkiye, notching 28 goals and six assists in 32 games across all competitions.

His wage demands are another hurdle United will have to cross with a first proposal already submitted as per reports. A saga worth keeping an eye on.

Feature image Ahmad Mora via Getty Images

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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

0 shots, 0 tackles, 1/3 dribbles: United star hit with harsh dose of reality as he falls short in loan club’s devastating loss

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0 shots, 0 tackles, 1/3 dribbles: United star hit with harsh dose of reality as he falls short in loan club’s devastating loss

Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford couldn’t inspire Aston Villa, as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

In the 35th minute, Villa took the lead against the run of play courtesy of in-form midfielder Morgan Rogers.

John McGinn won the ball off Nuno Mendes near the halfway line and ran up the pitch before finding Rashford with a good pass. Rashford played in Youri Tielemans in the inside-left channel, inviting the Belgian to deliver a superb low-cross into Rogers at the far post.

However, Villa’s lead only lasted for four minutes as Desire Doue produced a sensational curling effort that beat Emi Martinez and struck the underside of the bar before heading into the back of the net.

PSG took control of the game shortly after the break via Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who left Axel Disasi on the floor and fired a ferocious shot into the roof of the net.

Mendes added a third in stoppage time, putting PSG one step closer to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Once again, Unai Emery opted to have Rashford lead the line for Villa. While this tactic has been effective in recent matches, it didn’t yield the same results on Wednesday night in the French capital.

Rashford was not as threatening in front of goal as he has been since joining Villa on loan, with his most notable contributions coming as the visitors’ outlet during their attempts to counter-attack.

The Carrington academy graduate was on the pitch for 79 minutes before he was taken off and replaced by Ollie Watkins.

Rashford failed to register a shot, whether on target or off target. He completed just one of the three dribbles he embarked on.

The 27-year-old touched the ball 29 times and successfully found his Villa teammates with 17 of the 23 passes he attempted (74% pass accuracy).

He won only one of the three ground duels he engaged in and was outmatched in the single aerial challenge he contested.

Rashford did not put in a tackle or make an interception. He lost possession eight times.

(Stats obtained from Sofascore)

While his performance wasn’t a disaster, like many of the Villa players, he will likely feel that he could have contributed a bit more.

Mendes’ late goal left Villa with a mountain to climb in the return leg, but the tie is far from over.

Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

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!

Outside Thursday’s venue

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Outside Thursday’s venue

Lyon’s Groupama Stadium may be less than 10 years old, but its exterior is rich in the culture of both city and club.

Man Utd: Amorim responds to ‘fair’ Neville blast with key reason for ‘robotic’ performance revealed

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Man Utd: Amorim responds to ‘fair’ Neville blast with key reason for ‘robotic’ performance revealed

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has responded to club legend Gary Neville after his “fair” criticism of his side’s performance against Manchester City.

The Red Devils are enduring a woeful season as they are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table with seven matches remaining.

Amorim has struggled since replacing Erik ten Hag as his squad is not suited to his preferred 3-4-3 formation, but they have arguably made gradual improvements in recent weeks.

Over the weekend, Man Utd earned a 0-0 draw in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. After the match, Neville hit out at each side as he was “disappointed”.

“They’re micromanaged within an inch of their lives – so robotic, that game – and quite symptomatic, actually, of a lot of games that we’re watching nowadays,” Neville said on Sky Sports.

READ: Report reveals Chelsea’s decision on ‘paying’ £5m to cancel Sancho ‘agreement’ with Man Utd

“It’s not good enough. I feel disappointed.

“It’s a Manchester derby and it should have more blood, thunder, and risk, and courage involved in playing the game and trying to win the game than that.”

Now, Amorim admits Neville’s comments were “fair” as he “understands what he’s saying”.

“In this game, they are seeing the games and in our moment, with the season that we are doing, we have to accept it and this is quite fair,” Amorim told Sky Sports.

“Sometimes at the end of the game, you don’t like it because you are trying really hard to change things and they are talking about your players.

“But then, one day later, you can understand. It’s fair and I understand what he’s saying.”

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Man Utd ask for Prem striker with just three goals this season, as he ‘wants to leave’ rivals
👉 Man Utd ‘prepare’ to submit ‘£50m offer’ to land ‘priority’ target as Amorim makes ‘internal demand’
👉 Ruben Amorim picks ‘surprise’ Man Utd defender to ‘replace’ Kobbie Mainoo amid ‘internal concerns’

Explaining Man Utd’s recent woes, Amorim claimed it’s important for current sides to be “good” in their “base” and they “need time” to adapt.

“The game is completely different and you have to be so good in your base and then that individual aspect and the freedom and the fluidity of the game is going to appear. But, for that, I think we need time,” Amorim added.

“There was an evolution, you can like it or not, but there was an evolution because you have all the games from the opponent’s detail, from your departments, so you can understand better the movements that they make.

“In that evolution, you have to be better tactically. Sometimes I talk to [Darren] Fletcher, about how he prepared the games with Sir Alex Ferguson, it’s completely different.

“There was more a feeling, that aspect of the individual talent. I think today is not enough and you can see some of the best teams, especially if you remember the years of Galacticos, they had maybe the best players in the world, but you need to have a connection.”

Lyon vs Man United prediction, expected line-ups, how to watch and stats

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Lyon vs Man United prediction, expected line-ups, how to watch and stats
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Lyon will welcome Man United to the Groupama Stadium on Thursday night for the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final.

The Red Devils will hope to extend their unbeaten record against their French hosts, though we’re not sure that fixtures played over a decade ago hold much relevance.

United’s preparations for this season-defining clash were less than ideal, as Ruben Amorim’s side struggled to one point last week, losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest and drawing 0-0 with Man City.

Meanwhile, Lyon extended their magnificent run of form to eight wins from 10 matches, beating Lille to leapfrog them in the race for Europe and close in on a Champions League spot.

They flexed their muscles and showed their might at home, coming from a goal down in the opening minute, navigating injury setbacks, and rotating their attack while still winning 2-1 and creating better chances.

The quality of Lyon’s attack and the nature of the atmosphere will put Amorim’s side to the test on Thursday, yet we’ve seen them rise to similar occasions before.

As bad as they were defensively, they didn’t shy away when drawing 3-3 with Galatasaray last season or scoring late to draw 3-3 with Porto this season.

They were a match for Fenerbache earlier in this campaign, and even in their current form, they’re still good enough to win the Europa League on paper.

Lyon vs Man United prediction:

On the one hand, you can see areas of improvement in this United team, who continue to get healthier, and they boast a pretty strong Europa League record.

On the other hand, they’re still relatively shambolic, and the Groupama Stadium is an extremely hard place to go.

Lyon may be fifth in Ligue 1, but there’s an argument to be made that this team has the potential to be better than the class of 2019/20 that thrashed Man City.

Thiago Almada and Rayan Cherki are good enough to run rings around this team when they’re at their best.

United were fortunate to claim a 1-1 draw away to Real Sociedad and have already used their get out of jail free cards up away to Viktoria Plzen and Porto.

The draw no bet market is mightily tempting as it offers a fair price and the security blanket of a draw, though it’s hard to say no to the value offered by the win market.

In the end, we’ll respect the quality this United team has on paper and settle for more cautious bets during a watching brief of the first leg.

Lyon team news

Lyon suffered a serious setback over the weekend as tricky winger Ernest Nuamah was stretched off with a severe ACL injury in the 2-1 win over Lille.

Lyon’s star man, Rayan Cherki, who was being rested, entered the action after seven minutes.

He’ll return to the starting lineup to join World Cup winner Thiago Almada, Corentin Tolisso and Euro 2024 star Georges Mikautadze in attack.

There are more familiar faces further back, as another former Arsenal man, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, lines up at right-back.

There’s another World Cup winner in the ranks with Nicolas Tagliafico at left-back, while Nemanja Matic, who spent eight years in the Premier League with Chelsea and United, anchors the midfield.

Lyon expected line-up

Perri – Maitland-Niles, Mata, Niakhate, Tagliafico – Tessman, Matic – Cherki, Almada, Tolisso – Mikautadze

Man United team news

There was some good news for Amorim at the weekend as he was able to name Kobbie Mainoo on the bench. He’ll likely remain there on Thursday and could be joined by Matthijs de Ligt.

Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Ayden Heaven and Amad Diallo are still ruled out.

We may see an unchanged side from the team that drew 0-0 with Man City at the weekend, though Alejandro Garnacho is hardly commanding a starting place, so Mason Mount or Joshua Zirkzee may feature.

Christian Eriksen has seen minutes in this Europa League campaign and would be another option if Bruno Fernandes was to drop deeper.

United’s injury list may mean we see Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Patrick Dorgu again.

Man United expected line-up

Onana – Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro – Dalot, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dorgu – Fernandes, Garnacho – Hojlund

Lyon vs Man United: How to watch and listen

Thursday’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final between Lyon and Man United will be shown live on TNT Sports 1. Live commentary will be on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.

Lyon vs Man United stats:

– Lyon are enjoying their best run of the season so far, winning eight of their last 10 matches

– Lyon have avoided defeat in 18 of their last 20 Europa League fixtures

– Lyon are unbeaten in six European games against English opposition, most recently winning 2-1 and 3-1 away to Man City in successive seasons

– Man United boast an unbeaten European record against Lyon, winning two and drawing two

– Man United have avoided defeat in 20 of 21 Europa League fixtures, winning 14 and drawing six

– Man United have avoided defeat in the first leg of their previous 11 European knockout ties

The jaw-dropping stats that prove United star is currently the best in the world in his position

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The jaw-dropping stats that prove United star is currently the best in the world in his position

Two standout stats have surfaced, further solidifying the case for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes as football’s ultimate midfield machine.

United have endured an extremely disappointing season, with the club currently in 13th place in the Premier League standings after 31 matches played. A top-half finish seems to be a tall order and the Europa League remains the club’s only way of somewhat salvaging the campaign and restoring some lost pride.

However, one player who has consistently upheld United’s high standards despite the team’s woes is their talisman, Fernandes.

Time and again, when the odds have been stacked against the club, it’s been Fernandes who has stepped up, delivering crucial performances and dragging his side out of difficult situations.

In 30 top-flight appearances, Fernandes has notched an impressive eight goals and 10 assists. He has notched 16 goals and provided as many assists in 45 matches across all competitions. One can only imagine where United would be without his crucial contributions.

Fernandes’ exploits in March alone earned him three coveted awards – United’s Player of the Month, the Premier League’s Player of the Month and PFA’s Player of the Month.

Three from three for Bruno in March 😍🔥

🏅 United Player of the Month
🏅 #PL Player of the Month
🏅 #PFA Fans’ Player of the Month#MUFC pic.twitter.com/peH1TEC38W

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 8, 2025

But it’s not just his heroics in front of goal that make him such an influential player; it’s also the defensive side of his game that adds to his impact and the numbers prove it.

According to statistician Statman Dave, no player in the Premier League has won possession more times than Fernandes (182) this season.

He also leads the league in chances created (75).

No player in the Premier League has won possession more times than Bruno Fernandes (182) this season. He also leads the league in chances created (75)

The most complete midfielder on the planet. ✅ pic.twitter.com/9WHLNuHVIT

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 8, 2025

The Portugal international is also dominant on the continental stage.

He is the only player across Europe’s top five leagues this season to have made 70+ tackles and interceptions and to have created 70+ chances.

Bruno Fernandes is the ONLY player across Europe’s top five leagues this season to have made 70+ tackles+interceptions and to have created 70+ chances.

Does the job of three players to an elite level. 🔝 pic.twitter.com/Afn8AtyPD4

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) April 9, 2025

Few can rival Fernandes’ numbers, and what’s even more impressive is that he’s achieving this in a struggling United side that seems to be getting many things wrong at the moment.

The Red Devils are back in action on Thursday when they face Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

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!

Picture: Man United share extremely positive fitness update on Amad

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Picture: Man United share extremely positive fitness update on Amad

Manchester United have issued an injury update on Amad ahead of the club’s Europa League meeting with Lyon on Tuesday.

Amad has missed the past several weeks with an injury but there is hope that he will return before the end of the season.

And now, United have posted pictures of the Ivorian working at Carrington as he nears full fitness.

A sight that will brighten your Wednesday 🥰

⏳ @AmadDiallo_19#MUFC pic.twitter.com/v1rkCCLDZe

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 9, 2025

Latest Top Stories…

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!

Amad pictured working on injury recovery

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Amad pictured working on injury recovery

Wednesday 09 April 2025 20:48

Club cameras were in the men’s gym at Carrington earlier, where Amad was pictured working hard under the supervision of medical staff.

The Ivorian hasn’t played since February after picking up an ankle injury in training, but is currently doing everything he can to return from the issue before the end of the season.

As you can see in the photos below, our no.16 is putting in the work behind the scenes and, while he must go through all the necessary steps to make a safe recovery, there is no doubting that a comeback over the next couple of months would be a huge boost for Ruben Amorim’s Reds at the business end of the term.

In the gym with Amad

 Gallery

Our no.16 is laser-focused on getting back to full fitness, as he puts in the work at Carrington.

Prior to suffering the problem, Amad was enjoying the best season of his United career to date, proving himself as a consistently impactful performer from multiple positions.

While operating at both wing-back and as an attacking midfielder in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, the 22-year-old took his tallies for the term up to eight goals and nine assists, while also collecting three of our Player of the Month prizes for his efforts.

Only captain Bruno Fernandes had scored as many times across all competitions for the Reds by the time Amad confirmed he was set for a spell out of action, and the popular forward has since been supporting his team-mates from the sidelines while working his way back up to fitness.

The Ivorian has vowed to come back “stronger than ever” and, whenever that may be, we can’t wait to see him back on the pitch and doing his thing for the Reds again.

WHAT AMORIM HAS SAID ABOUT AMAD

Ruben’s latest update on our no.16 came on Friday, prior to last weekend’s Manchester derby, when he told MUTV’s Mark Sullivan that the hope remains for Amad to return before May’s season finale.

“He’s doing quite well,” said the boss. “We hope to have him before the season is finished. 

“We’ll see, but he’s anxious to play, so we are waiting for him.”

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In the gym with Amad

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In the gym with Amad

Our no.16 is laser-focused on getting back to full fitness, as he puts in the work at Carrington.

Amorim plays down pre-match ‘misunderstanding’

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Amorim plays down pre-match ‘misunderstanding’

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Wednesday 09 April 2025 17:30

Ruben Amorim cut a positive, focused figure in Wednesday’s pre-match press conference at the Groupama Stadium, before arguably the biggest game of United’s season, against Lyon.

Our head coach was quizzed on an array of issues, as ever, including the comments made by Andre Onana and former United midfielder Nemaja Matic in the build-up to the match.

He also discussed the return of Onana’s fellow goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, and explained why Lyon will pose a stiffer test to the team we bested in the last round, Real Sociedad.

Scroll down to read every word the boss said, including detailed thoughts on Kobbie Mainoo and why we have fared better in the Europa League than the Premier League during recent months…

Ruben and Diogo’s press conference Video

Ruben and Diogo’s press conference

PRESS CONFERENCE | Ready for the first leg? You will be after watching Ruben Amorim and Diogo Dalot’s media briefing…

ONANA COMMENTS WERE MISINTERPRETED

“Tomorrow it will not matter [what was said pre-match]. I think if you see the full quotes of Andre Onana, it’s quite different. The first sentence is Lyon is a very good team. I think sometimes the players and the coaches don’t listen to the full quotes and sometimes it’s a misunderstanding. I know Matic also, and he’s a great guy. So tomorrow is going to be a normal game.

“If you look to all the quotes, you cannot see the disrespect there, just respect, but trying to show and give confidence to his team, especially in this year. Everyone can talk bad things about Manchester United. Sometimes our group, as players, as a coaching staff, has to show confidence in our team. So I think that’s all. Again, I know really well Nemanja Matic, and how good a guy he is. So he hears some things but half, not the whole story. That for me is clear in this situation.”

WE’LL NEED FRESH APPROACH AGAINST LYON

“If you look, it’s quite simple: the team of Lyon are stronger, faster than Real Sociedad. They play different football. Since this year, they are winning most of the games, they are scoring more goals, they are suffering less goals. It’s a strong team physically but they have a type of game that is really based on possession. So it’s going to be a different game. You feel against Real Sociedad we made a lot of runs, with Rasmus and Josh. To do that with this team, it’s going to be harder to do it all time. We have to arrange other ways to win the games.”

ZIRKZEE MUST BE MORE SELFISH

“I think he’s improving in a lot of aspects. I think he needs to be more selfish, and that is a thing when you play as a striker. He’s not a typical striker, but he has to be more selfish. He’s more aggressive now, he works better now, he’s defending better now, he’s connecting quite well. He played as a striker in some games, especially against Arsenal he did really, really well. Then in some games, against [Real Sociedad], he played as a 10, so he can adapt to different situations. So I see that Josh is improving and showing good things.”

WHY ARE WE BETTER IN THE EUROPA LEAGUE?

“I think it’s nothing tactical. I truly believe it’s the pace of the game, the physicality of the game. We have the best league in the world. Sometimes you don’t see a lot of intensity, but I guarantee that if you compare to some games that we have in the Europa League – and I have the data to talk about it – it’s completely different. And if you have one more second to think with the ball, it’s a different game. I don’t know the game tomorrow, but until now, I felt a difference whenever we played Europa League and when we play any Premier League game. So that small space of time can give us an advantage a bit better.”

EUROPA SUCCESS COULD BE TRANSFORMATIONAL

“It’s really important in all aspects. The first one is to win a title, especially a European title. In this season, in this context, winning something like that is massive for us, for our confidence. And then, to the future, to the next season. To play Champions League in our club is completely different. The environment, the way we are going to face the summer, the budget for the summer, everything is connected with this competition. We know that pressure, but again, it’s not the biggest problem in Manchester United. We have other strings to get this in the right way, without Champions League next year. But of course, if we are here, we will try to win it.”

WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH KOBBIE

“In this moment, we have to be careful with Kobbie. He had some weeks out, so we have to be careful with his fitness. We are really happy to have more options and an option like Kobbie Mainoo, with the quality that he has… he can play in different positions, he has already played as a six, as an eight, as a 10. So we are really pleased to have Kobbie Mainoo, but we have to be careful, and we need Kobbie Mainoo fit and fresh.

DE LIGT AND COLLYER UPDATES

“Matta has a problem in his foot. We are trying to assess. We still don’t have the data that [tells us when] he can return. Toby has a small issue in his leg so we hope to have him in a few weeks.”

COULD BAYINDIR PLAY AGAIN SOON?

“We’ll see. Tomorrow we’re going to play Onana and Altay is returning now, so we have two, three top goalkeepers.”

Is Mainoo about to return? Video

Is Mainoo about to return?

TRAINING CLIP | It’s great to see Kobbie Mainoo looking so fit and fresh at Carrington…

KOBBIE CAN PLAY AS A NO.6

“Yeah, I think in England sometimes they played with three defenders also. It was more or less the same position [as in our team], so he can play [there]. Of course, we need to help him. We need to find a little bit, like Casemiro in this moment is playing better, because we are understanding better the way that Casemiro can play, and I think we can do that with Kobbie, because he has a lot of qualities. He’s really good on the ball. But he’s also really good near the opponent’s box, so we’ll try to manage all that, to try to find the right space for a player like Kobbie.”

I WANT TO HELP MAINOO

“When I see Kobbie Mainoo, I see a lot of talent, but in the way I see – I could be wrong, that’s for sure – I see some things that Kobbie Mainoo has to improve. The space during the game, he has the qualities, like I said, in the build-up he needs to improve, and near the box he has a lot of talent, and that’s why I think he did a very good game in the Europa League in that position [against FCSB]. When I see Kobbie Mainoo, I see him not like a full player in the moment, because he’s 19. If I say to Kobbie ‘No, you are done, you are the final player’ I think I’m not helping Kobbie, that’s all.”

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