Kobbie Mainoo &#8211; CaughtOffside

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The Red Devils will be hoping the pair won’t take long to get up to speed as Erik Ten Hag prepares for Saturday’s Community Shield at Wembley against bitter-rivals Manchester City.

United’s first Premier League fixture is a home tie against Fulham on Friday 16 August.

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Man United make huge commercial decision that will impact Marcus Rashford

Andrew Walker — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 15:05:33 +0000

Manchester United want to amplify Kobbie Mainoo’s stardom in a commercial move that would see the teenager become ‘the new face of the club’.

That’s according to a recent report from Football Transfers, who claim new shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to replace Marcus Rashford as the Red Devils’ pin-up boy and sees Mainoo, 19, as the ideal player to promote the club’s public image.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed a monumental rise since making his competitive debut in an EFL Cup game just 18 months ago.

Man United want Kobbie Mainoo to replace Marcus Rashford as ‘face of the club’

Not only did the teenager score in United’s 2-1 FA Cup final win against bitter-rivals City, but his end-of-season form, which saw him displace Casemiro at the heart of Erik Ten Hag’s midfield, earned him a call-up to represent England in the summer EUROs.

Despite the Three Lions falling at the final hurdle to eventual champions Spain, Mainoo’s tournament performances saw him as one of Gareth Southgate’s most important players — a genuine achievement given England’s depth of talent in midfield.

Kobbie Mainoo shone during England’s EUROs campaign earlier this summer.

And in line with the 19-year-old’s major breakthrough, Ratcliffe believes the Stockport-born playmaker has what it takes to ‘inspire a new generation of fans and players alike, while also boosting the club’s public perception’.

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Nike recently announced they had agreed a sponsorship deal with Mainoo.

Kobbie Mainoo x Nike ? pic.twitter.com/yXFPr5qM6S

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 3, 2024

And in addition to Mainoo’s latest sporting brand collaboration, United are understood to be preparing the number 37 to feature in more promotional marketing content as well as attending community events.

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Video: Fans will love what Man United star did to civilians during his USA holiday

Darren Looney — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 15:23:02 +0000

Man United are currently on tour in the United States but one of the Premier League club’s top talents Kobbie Mainoo is in America on holiday and is handing out defeats to civilians.

The 19-year-old is coming off the back of a breakthrough season in his career as the midfielder became a regular in Erik ten Hag’s Man United team before breaking into the England starting 11 at Euro 2024.

Fans of both are very excited about what the future holds for Mainoo as the youngster has shown the football world some incredible moments so far.

The Man United star deserves some time off after his efforts last season and is currently enjoying a break in the United States. However, the youngster could not come away from football fully and was spotted having fun with a ball on Venice Beach in California.

Mainoo showed off his incredible dribbling ability to some American civilians and handed out defeats to them all as they could not stop the England international from scoring.

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Watch: Man United’s Kobbie Mainoo destroys opponents during USA holiday

Kobbie Mainoo destroying opponents on Venice Beach in California ??? (@flexutd) pic.twitter.com/TYXMwY1003

— Mail Sport (@MailSport) July 29, 2024

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Confidence that Man United will reach agreement for transfer of ideal Kobbie Mainoo partner

Mark Brus — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 09:43:37 +0000

There is reportedly a growing confidence that Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain will reach an agreement over the transfer of Manuel Ugarte at some point this summer.

This is despite the fact that Man Utd and PSG still remain some way apart in their valuation of the Uruguay international at the moment, according to a report from Football Transfers.

Ugarte has not been entirely convincing since joining PSG, even though he impressed at his former club Sporting Lisbon, and it perhaps makes sense that Luis Enrique is now ready to let him leave the Parc des Princes after just one season.

United surely need a defensive midfielder of this type, with Casemiro to Saudi Arabia looking increasingly likely after his loss of form at Old Trafford last season, and the report from Football Transfers notes that they see Ugarte as an ideal long-term partner to complement Kobbie Mainoo.

Manuel Ugarte in action for Uruguay

Sofyan Amrabat’s loan from Fiorentina has also come to an end, and it remains to be seen if the Morocco international will be returning to the club.

Ugarte transfer: How much will Man United end up paying for the PSG midfielder?

According to Football Transfers, PSG are holding out for €70m for Ugarte, though the report goes on to say that their understanding is that a lower fee is expected to eventually be agreed later on in this transfer window.

Speaking to CaughtOffside recently, Fabrizio Romano also provided us with some insight into how the Ugarte negotiations are going, with a constant dialogue seeming to be in place to try to eventually reach a breakthrough.

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“For Ugarte, they remain in conversations with Paris Saint-Germain, while they have an agreement with the player,” Romano said. “I’m hearing there are contacts ongoing between Man United and PSG since June, not official bids accepted or rejected – it’s a constant dialogue between the clubs.

“Ugarte remains on Man United’s list and he said yes last week, so now it depends on Manchester United. But as I previously said, it was always going to take some days to decide after they spent big money on Leny Yoro.”

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New Manchester United signing Joshua Zirkzee reveals what Kobbie Mainoo said to him after the semi-final defeat against England

Mehdi Gokal — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 18:15:45 +0000

Manchester United announced the signing of Joshua Zirkzee yesterday from Bologna, their first transfer under INEOS.

The 23-year-old penned a 5-year deal at the club with an option to extend for a reported fee of £35.8 million.

The former Bayern Munich player joined Bologna two years ago. During his time with the Italian club, he has scored 14 goals and provided 9 assists in 58 appearances across all competitions.

Last season, he made 37 appearances, contributing 12 goals and 7 assists. Primarily a centrr-forward, Zirkzee has also demonstrated versatility by playing as a second striker, an attacking midfielder, and on the right wing.

The Dutchman who came on late in the game against England during their semi-final defeat has now revealed what his new Manchester United teammate Kobbie Mainoo said to him after the game in Dortmund.

Ready to make his mark ?

Joshua Zirkzee: welcome to Manchester United ??#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 14, 2024

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During an interview with United’s media team, shared on Instagram, Zirkzee was asked about a picture of him and the United youngster in conversation. To which he revealed that the Englishman asked him about his links with Manchester United.

He revealed: “Yeah, he just asked if I was coming. I said ‘see you soon after the final’.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Manchester United (@manchesterunited)

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England’s best players from Euro 2024 ranked: Jude Bellingham and Man Utd ace in top 5 behind Arsenal star

CJ — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 04:45:00 +0000

Euro 2024 ended on Sunday night with England falling just short again as Gareth Southgate’s men lost 2-1 to Spain in Berlin.

In truth, the Three Lions took a very long time to get going in Germany and arguably never showed their true potential, waiting until the semi-finals against the Netherlands to put in a truly fluid performance.

They then impressed in flashes against Spain but were firmly second best in Sunday’s final.

Spain duo Rodri and Lamine Yamal ended Euro 2024 with the Player of the Tournament and Best Young Player awards.

But who were England’s star men? We have ranked Southgate’s top boys, starting with Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham in fifth place.

5. Jude Bellingham

Like Harry Kane, Bellingham was often criticised during the tournament and appeared at times to be playing with the brakes on.

And yet, it was Bellingham’s powerful header that got the Three Lions going in their 1-0 opening win over Serbia a month ago. And without his ridiculous overhead kick — seriously, who tries a bicycle kick under those circumstances?! — England would have suffered a round-of-16 humiliation on par with that of Euro 2016, when they crashed out to Iceland.

England simply would not have made it to the final without Bellingham’s genius, which ultimately saved them from embarrassment.

Jude Bellingham saved England from embarrassment against Slovakia

4. Kobbie Mainoo

Mainoo played just four minutes across England’s first two games and was named as a substitute in their third group game against Slovenia.

However, since coming on at half-time in that match, he proved himself a crucial player for Southgate.

The 19-year-old provided composure, stability and quality in midfield at a time when things seemed to be unravelling in that area, with the Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment failing and Conor Gallagher not really doing anything of note.

That’s an incredible thought considering Mainoo entered the tournament with just three senior caps to his name, while he’s still only played 25 Premier League games for Manchester United.

Mainoo posted a pass completion rate of 91.92% at Euro 2024, along with 16.05 final third passes completed per 90 minutes. The youngster changed the way England approached matches from the moment he stepped on the pitch against Slovenia and may well have nailed down his place alongside Declan Rice for years to come.

Kobbie Mainoo only made his England debut in March but he’s now a key man

3. Marc Guehi

With Harry Maguire injured, finding a capable centre-back partner for Stones was seen as one of Southgate’s biggest dilemmas. With Marc Guehi around, he needn’t have worried.

The Crystal Palace defender showed supreme composure throughout Euro 2024, using the ball expertly and reading the game brilliantly without it.

There were a couple of mistakes, but Guehi showed excellent recovery speed to ensure they didn’t lead to anything fatal.

At just 23 years old, Guehi has his best years ahead of him and proving himself at this tournament could be a launchpad after an excellent 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

Marc Guehi did an excellent job in central defence in six starts

2. Jordan Pickford

We don’t need to remind you about Jordan Pickford’s biggest moment at this tournament, but it cannot be overstated how important that save to deny Manuel Akanji was in providing the platform to beat Switzerland 5-3 in the quarter-final penalty shootout.

Pickford has now saved five penalties in shootouts for England, stopping at least one in each of the four he’s been a part of.

He just turns up for his country — and Everton, to be fair — and it’s not just from penalties, with Pickford ending Euro 2024 with two clean sheets and just conceding just six goals. The former Sunderland stopper was second only to Georgia’s Giorgi Mamardashvilli (30) for saves (18).

Pickford’s composure and alertness were particularly important during England’s turgid group-stage campaign.

Jordan Pickford was England’s penalty shootout hero against Switzerland

1. Bukayo Saka

A little like Kane and Bellingham, Saka never actually found his very best form at Euro 2024. However, what he definitely did was grow into the tournament, and how!

It was Saka’s brilliant cut inside and finish that drew England level against Switzerland in the quarter-finals, just five minutes after falling behind.

After a nerveless spot-kick in the shootout, he then went on to terrorise the Netherlands and was only denied the winning goal thanks to a narrow offside call on Kyle Walker.

Across those two matches alone, Saka posted a team-highs for crosses completed (4) and chances created (3), while he was second for successful dribbles (5).

Saka will be disappointed with his performance in Sunday’s final but he still carried a bigger threat than most in an England shirt, creating two chances and drawing more fouls (3) than any other player on the pitch.

Arsenal’s star boy was England’s star boy.

Bukayo Saka was England’s star boy at Euro 2024

Honourable mentions: Cole Palmer (goal in the final and assist in the semi-final), Ollie Watkins (late winner in the semi-final), John Stones (team-highs for clearances and passes completed), Declan Rice (team-high 19 tackles), Harry Kane (joint-highest goalscorer at Euro 2024).

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Transfer news: Man Utd continuing talks over duo, Arsenal striker targets, Omorodion to Chelsea latest

Mark Brus — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 15:55:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive transfer news via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Kobbie Mainoo shows he’s the future of Man United and England

What a win for England last night as Ollie Watkins scored a dramatic late goal against the Netherlands to set up a final clash against Spain! I know some fans haven’t always been satisfied with the style of the performances by England at these Euros, but against the Netherlands it was really convincing, and a deserved result, in my opinion.

Now no one wants to talk about Gareth Southgate’s future, of course sources are quiet and only hoping to win the final all together. But for sure, for England it’s already a massive achievement. Cole Palmer has been perfect in the final minutes, same for Watkins of course.

But again, what a player Kobbie Mainoo is – he really stood out for me. He’s an incredible talent. He’s going to be the future for Man United and England – a special player.

Dani Olmo release clause to be extended amid Chelsea links

I want to start with an important update on the situation of Dani Olmo. From what I’m told, there is an important detail on Olmo’s €60m release clause. The plan was for the clause to run until Monday 15th July, but if the Spanish national team were to reach the final of the Euros, it would then run for five more days.

Now we know that Spain have reached the final of Euro 2024, where they will face England, his release clause at RB Leipzig will be valid until the 20th of July. This means the agents of the player have more time to hold more meetings to find a solution for him.

Dani Olmo in action for RB Leipzig

I’ve been asked about reports in England linking Olmo with Chelsea, but at the moment I’m told they are not negotiating for him. Chelsea already have Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and then Kendry Paez and Estevao Willian to come later, so it’s not something concrete for Chelsea at this stage. But he can be an option for many other clubs.

Chelsea are not short of talented left footed attackers, but they are looking for a right footed winger, and also for a striker – these are the two positions that are a priority. So what’s going on with Olmo? I’m told that there are meetings expected with Premier League clubs, while Bayern also appreciate this opportunity, but it could be really complicated to negotiate with Leipzig if they’re not fast and the date of his release clause being valid passes. It would take a lot more than €60m to sign Olmo after the 20th of July.

Man United still discussing Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte

As I’ve previously reported, Matthijs de Ligt wants to join Manchester United and talks are ongoing between United and Bayern Munich. Now that De Ligt is free after the Netherlands’ exit from the Euros, it’s the perfect moment to accelerate talks and get the deal done.

United and Bayern still need to agree on the fee, and on the structure of the fee, so negotiations are still ongoing between the clubs, but there are no issues between De Ligt and Man United on personal terms as he wants to move to Old Trafford.

As soon as De Ligt leaves Bayern, they are very confident of closing a deal with Bayer Leverkusen for Jonathan Tah. Bayern have presented their proposal, and Tah only wants to join Bayern, despite some links with other top clubs earlier this summer.

United also remain in constant conversations with Paris Saint-Germain over Manuel Ugarte. There is a very good relationship between the two clubs, so now it’s about Man United deciding how much they want to invest on a new midfielder, and if Ugarte is worth the money. There will be an internal discussion at United before coming to a decision, similar to what happened with Joshua Zirkzee – it took them nearly a month to review this internally, think about opportunities, consider all the different aspects of the deal, and then deciding together to go for Zirkzee.

Now Ugarte is in this kind of review process internally at United, with talks already taking place with PSG, even though there has been no official bid from United yet. It’s a direct club-to-club negotiation, but I’m told it’s not a traditional kind of negotiation with official bids at the moment.

Chelsea exploring Samu Omorodion alternatives, plus more updates

Chelsea have already had a bid rejected for Samu Omorodion. But if later in the window Atletico Madrid change their mind and open the door for Omorodion to leave for the right price, then Chelsea will be there. For now, though, Chelsea will also explore other options, as we have to respect that Atletico Madrid have always been very clear – they want to keep Omorodion and he is very happy at the club.

In other news at Chelsea – Renato Veiga has completed the second part of his Chelsea medical – everything is going to plan for this one. I also think one to watch will be David Datro Fofana – I expect him to leave Chelsea this summer, and there are many clubs interested in him.

Important days ahead for Xavi Simons

We are entering into really important days for the future of Xavi Simons. Of course he scored a wonderful goal for the Dutch national team last night, but they’re now out of the Euros, so now it’s time for him to decide his future together with his agents.

Simons has already been clear with Paris Saint-Germain – he will not play for them next season. In the coming days, he will take his time to decide what club he wants to join on loan. It won’t be a permanent transfer, this is the current situation but I will let you know if it changes.

At the moment it looks like Simons has two main possibilities – one of those is Bayern, who have been very strong in recent weeks because of director Max Eberl, who is the same man who signed him on loan for RB Leipzig last season. Eberl was able to convince Simons to join Leipzig when he was director there, and he has a very good relationship with the player and his agents. Bayern are pushing, with Eberl now the director there.

Staying at Leipzig for one more season is also an option for Simons, and they are pushing as well. They have this dream of keeping Simons for longer, after also managing to extend the contract of star striker Benjamin Sesko, and of manager Marco Rose. So, Bayern and Leipzig have positioned themselves to sign Simons, but let’s see if some other clubs will try to enter the race.

Juventus like Jadon Sancho, plus updates on Teun Koopmeiners and Jean-Clair Todibo

Juventus like Jadon Sancho, but at the moment they would have to sell Federico Chiesa to be able to afford the signing of Sancho. They are waiting to find a solution to the Chiesa situation, and then we’ll see if they take the opportunity to attack the situation with Sancho.

Other Juventus targets are Teun Koopmeiners, he remains their top midfield target after a deal was completed for Khephren Thuram. In defence, they really like Jean-Clair Todibo, who was 99% a Manchester United player before everything collapsed because UEFA rules wouldn’t allow any player to move to a club under the same ownership while they’re playing in the same competition.

So, now United have left the race, there is no chance for it to happen. Meanwhile, West Ham had a bid rejected for Todibo, worth €35m, and they have since signed Max Kilman in defence, though they keep monitoring Todibo. Juventus, meanwhile, have a strong interest in Todibo, let’s see what Juve decide to do, but he’s one of the names on the list of director Cristiano Giuntoli, who knows him well as he tried to sign him when he was at Toulouse earlier in his career.

Youssouf Fofana to AC Milan, plus surprise Carney Chukwuemeka links

AC Milan have agreed terms with Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana, and now talks are ongoing between the clubs to reach an agreement. I’m aware there have been some reports and rumours about Arsenal, but I’ve never been aware of any talks, in all honesty.

Of course, Arsenal, like all clubs, like to monitor opportunities on the market, and Fofana looks like an opportunity. Still, they never sent any proposal, and now things are happening with Milan and I can see him being a really good fit for Serie A, so it’s a smart signing by Milan if they manage to complete it.

Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has also been linked as a loan target for Milan, but I’m not aware of this story either. Chelsea don’t want to loan him out, so the situation is quiet and in any case he has a £40m release clause in his contract.

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Arsenal could still look for striker opportunities

There has been some suggestion that Arsenal will no longer necessarily be making a striker a top priority target after missing out on Benjamin Sesko, but I’d keep this situation open.

No decision has been made yet, it will also depend on the opportunities. Sesko was an opportunity, but then he decided to stay at Leipzig. Let’s see how Arsenal decide to move on the market in the next days and weeks.

There are other big names up front that we’ve heard a lot about this summer, but at the moment there is still nothing close or concrete for Victor Osimhen or Viktor Gyokeres. One striker who could be on the move, however, is Alvaro Morata, who is expected to decide soon whether he wants to stay at Atletico Madrid or try a new chapter with AC Milan.

Could Liverpool still be one to watch for Leny Yoro?

I’m sure Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain are still attentive to the situation of Leny Yoro, but at the moment the only club to go to Lille with an official bid is Manchester United. So far, United have been very aggressive on this deal, while Liverpool and PSG are there but have still not made a bid – obviously if Yoro decides he is prepared not to go to Real Madrid, then all the possibilities will be open.

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Exclusive: “The future for Man United and England” – Fabrizio Romano praises “special” talent

Mark Brus — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 08:13:16 +0000

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has earned big praise from Fabrizio Romano after his performance for England last night as they beat Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside for his latest Daily Briefing column, Romano singled out Mainoo for praise after England beat the Netherlands 2-1 to set up a final clash with Spain this weekend.

Still only 19 years of age, Mainoo has shown huge potential with his performances for Man Utd in the season just gone, and he’s now made himself a key player for his country as well, despite not starting this tournament as first choice under Gareth Southgate.

Romano is a big fan of Mainoo and has declared him the future of United and England after his latest impressive performance, so it will be interesting to see how the teenager continues to perform as the Three Lions prepare for such a huge game this Sunday.

Kobbie Mainoo has shone for England at Euro 2024

Mainoo earns special praise from Fabrizio Romano

Reflecting on the England game, Romano said: “What a win for England last night as Ollie Watkins scored a dramatic late goal against the Netherlands to set up a final clash against Spain! I know some fans haven’t always been satisfied with the style of the performances by England at these Euros, but against the Netherlands it was really convincing, and a deserved result, in my opinion.

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“Now no one wants to talk about Gareth Southgate’s future, of course sources are quiet and only hoping to win the final all together. But for sure, for England it’s already a massive achievement. Cole Palmer has been perfect in the final minutes, same for Watkins of course.

“But again, what a player Kobbie Mainoo is – he really stood out for me. He’s an incredible talent. He’s going to be the future for Man United and England – a special player.”

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Video: Declan Rice says it is “a privilege” to play with highly-rated England star

Darren Looney — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 19:11:07 +0000

England midfielder Declan Rice has admitted that it is “a privilege” to play alongside Man United star Kobbie Mainoo as the Arsenal star is ready to partner the youngster in the middle of the park for the Three Lions’ clash with the Netherlands.

The 19-year-old has experienced a breakthrough season at Old Trafford and was one of the few positives during the campaign for fans of the Manchester club.

His displays in a Red Devils shirt earned him a place in the England squad for Euro 2024 and not only that, the youngster has worked his way into Gareth Southgate’s starting 11 with his impressive performances in Germany.

Kobbie Mainoo in action for England

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