Manchester United are reportedly open to two other potential midfield transfer targets alongside Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte, who may be too expensive.

According to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, Man Utd are not willing to pay crazy money to PSG for Ugarte, even if he remains their preferred target, with cheaper options such as Burnley’s Sander Berge and former loanee Sofyan Amrabat also under consideration.

Ugarte looks ideal for United and may be realistically available this summer due to there being so much competition for places in Luis Enrique’s PSG midfield, though the Uruguay international surely won’t come cheap due to only just joining the Ligue 1 giants a year ago.

Berge could be a decent alternative after often performing well in the Premier League, even if he’s not exactly the kind of player you’d rank as one of the best in Europe.

Likewise, Amrabat showed some promise towards the end of his loan spell at Old Trafford last season after initially making a quiet start to life at the club.

Ugarte transfer: Can Man United reach an agreement for their top target?

Speaking exclusively to CaughtOffside recently, Jonathan Johnson explained the various moving parts in the Ugarte situation and what PSG’s plans might be for the Uruguay international.

“Ugarte to United seems to have gathered pace quite significantly and it’s not too surprising. I think Ugarte is tailor-made for the Premier League and I think the drop-off from Casemiro in the season just gone means it’s normal United would be looking for a profile like that to replace him,” Johnson said a few weeks ago.

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“It’s a critical moment as well because if this drags on and Ugarte finds himself out of favour with Enrique at the start of the new season with PSG, it will become that much harder for them to command the kind of fee they’ll want, and perhaps even half what they paid for him 12 months ago. If he goes now, PSG won’t make as much of a loss.”

This surely plays into United’s hands, so it looks like this will surely remain one to watch as the window nears its conclusion.

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Manchester United are reportedly in talks with both Burnley and Monaco over potential midfielder transfers, with Sander Berge and Youssouf Fofana on the agenda.

That’s according to Dharmesh Sheth via his official account on X below, with the Sky Sports News journalist explaining that Man Utd have had contact with Burnley over Berge, while a dialogue is still open with Monaco over potentially snapping up Fofana from the Ligue 1 giants.

See below for the latest details on the situation, with United clearly keeping busy as they look for upgrades on their current midfield options, with Scott McTominay possibly someone who could leave Old Trafford this summer, as Fabrizio Romano told us earlier today…

Manchester United have held initial talks with Burnley over midfielder Sander Berge. United exploring conditions of a deal. 3 years left on contract. Dialogue open with Monaco over Youssouf Fofana after initial approach. Final year of contract. #MUFC #BurnleyFC #ASMonaco

— Dharmesh Sheth (@skysports_sheth) August 8, 2024

Berge has had a decent spell at Burnley, though some fans might question if he’s really done enough to earn a move to a top club like United at this point in his career, whereas Fofana probably looks like the player with the higher ceiling who could be just what Erik ten Hag’s side needs in that area of the pitch.

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Berge seems likely to be available after Burnley’s relegation as he’ll surely be someone who wants to be back playing in the Premier League as soon as possible, so it will be interesting to see if that boosts the Red Devils.

MUFC have had a busy summer so far, bringing in Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, while there’s also been a shake-up to Ten Hag’s coaching staff with the arrival of club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy.

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Despite signing two goalkeepers already this summer, Newcastle United are reportedly considering bringing in a third.

Forced to navigate the Premier League’s strict rules on Profit and Sustainability (PSR), the Magpies signed Odysseas Vlachodimos from Nottingham Forest and allowed homegrown talent Elliot Anderson to move the other way.

37-year-old veteran John Ruddy was also signed on a free transfer from League One side Birmingham City to accompany back-up Slovakia international Martin Dubravka.

Newcastle United in the market for another goalkeeper

However, despite being well-stocked in the goalkeeping department, which is headed by number one Nick Pope, according to a recent report from TBR Football, Eddie Howe has his sights set on another.

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Burnley’s James Trafford is a player the Magpies have been linked with several times in the past but a deal has so far failed to be agreed.

In addition to that, with the Clarets’ Championship starting in less than one week, Howe’s side could find an agreement even harder to come by.

Expected to cost within the region of £30 million, Burnley will not allow the former Manchester City academy star to leave Turf Moor for a cut-price.

Last season, Trafford, who was Burnley’s first-choice Premier League shot-stopper, kept two clean sheets in 28 domestic games.

The 21-year-old, represented by leading agency CAA Stellar, has three years left on his £25,000-per week contract (Spotrac).

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Last season, Man United manager, Erik ten Hag, faced significant issues with experienced midfielder, Casemiro, hence a potential pursuit for Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte.

Opponents were able to penetrate United’s back line too easily, with the Brazilian struggling to hold the fort.

The Red Devils pursuit of Ugarte was expected to progress after PSG signed Portuguese star, Joao Neves, however, it seems that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his board are continuing to baulk at the asking price for the Uruguayan.

Man United’s surprise alternative to Ugarte

Indeed, CaughtOffside sources now understand that United could consider a surprise alternative, notwithstanding that Scott McTominay could also yet leave the club in the current transfer window.

English Championship side, Burnley, won’t let Sander Berge go cheaply, but sources indicate that his agents have approached United regarding the availability of their client.

At this stage it remains unclear whether the Red Devils will prioritise Berge’s transfer, but he certainly represents value for money.

It’s believed that Ugarte would cost upwards of £50m, whilst Berge, 26, is understood to be available for less that half that, at around the £20m-£24m mark.

Turkish giants, Fenerbahce, have also been linked with Berge, but the financial conditions on the deal are not yet considered suitable for Jose Mourinho’s new club.

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With a few weeks still to go in the current transfer window, there’s plenty of time to get deals over the line, however, given that the trail for Casemiro to move to the Saudi Pro League seems to have gone cold, there’s a very real possibility that he will still be a United player come the first match of the season.

His astronomical wages (£350,000 per week according to Capology) would appear to be an issue, even for the Saudis, and perhaps, given his advancing years, Casemiro and his representatives would do well to lower their demands a little.

In so doing, it could set in motion a domino effect that will keep all parties happy.

The post Exclusive: Man United consider surprising cost-effective alternative to Ugarte appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Newcastle are focusing on strengthening their defence, working with particular emphasis on landing a new goalkeeper and centre-back.

Burnley’s James Trafford is gaining more and more importance for the club according to CaughtOffside sources, and this week will be important for his possible arrival.

That’s because the Magpies will present an offer of around £22m for the Englishman, who has already agreed personal terms with the club.

Newcastle set for transfer spending spree

Add-ons in this deal will play a crucial role in getting closer to Burnley’s demands.

Regarding a new centre-back, internal evaluations are still being made.

Malick Thiaw is still on the Magpies’ list, but the Premier League outfit has doubts about the player’s physical condition, particularly in light of the price tag set by AC Milan; £35m.

This aspect of the potential transfer is making Newcastle lean toward other targets and Marc Guehi is currently the preferred name.

Crystal Palace are willing to listen to any offers for the England international, as long as they are priced north of £50m.

Vitao from Brazilian outfit, Internacional de Porto Alegre, is another profile under the radar, and he has been proposed to the club through intermediaries CaughtOffside sources have learned.

West Ham have also approached the player who already has an agreement in principle with Real Betis.

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If Newcastle can stay within the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), they will also get to work on landing a new winger.

Pedro Neto and Oscar Bobb are the top names on their list, with Noni Madueke and Johan Bakayoko in in the race to play alongside Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

The latter, despite many rumours, is discussing the renewal of his contract with the Magpies.

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Crystal Palace youngster Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is a loan target for a number of clubs in England and Europe this summer, according to reports.

The 21-year-old has, to date, made just 10 senior appearances for the Eagles but is very highly thought of, boasting a record of 32 goals and 16 assists in 57 appearances for the club’s U18 and U21 teams combined.

At international level, Rak-Sakyi has one goal in five caps for England’s U20 side.

Rak-Sakyi enjoyed a loan spell at Charlton Athletic in League One in 2022/23 that yielded 15 goals and nine assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

His stock was incredibly high upon returning to Selhurst Park, but the winger struggled to make an impact last season, restricted to just eight senior appearances.

And now, according to Sky Sports, Championship sides Leeds United, Burnley and Sheffield United are among a host of clubs interested in taking Rak-Sakyi on loan for the upcoming campaign.

Alongside the Championship trio, newly-promoted Southampton are in talks to sign the forward — who can play on either flank — on a permanent deal, while Anderlecht in Belgium and Lyon in France are also potential loan destinations.

Rak-Sakyi recently joined up with the Crystal Palace squad on their pre-season tour of the United States having reportedly been too unwell to head out with them originally.

However, he may well feel like his future lies away from Selhurst Park after seeing his opportunities to impress limited, especially following the arrival of Oliver Glasner.

The post Clubs in Championship, France & Belgium chasing highly-rated Crystal Palace forward appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former England international Carlton Palmer thinks it will be a tight race for Brahima Diarra this summer, but believes Leeds could be a “great fit” for the midfielder.

The Whites are looking to win promotion back to the Premier League having lost in the Play-Off final to Southampton last season.

Leeds are facing the prospect of having to sell a number of their key stars after failing to gain promotion, and they have already lost talented teenager Archie Gray to Tottenham, whilst Crysencio Summerville and Wilfried Gnonto have been linked with moves to the Premier League.

Leeds the “perfect” fit for Diarra

Daniel Farke’s side are in the market for midfield reinforcements having lost both Gray and Glenn Kamara, and Diarra represents an interesting option.

The 21-year-old is currently a free agent following Huddersfield’s relegation to League One and he’s hoping for a move to the Premier League or back to the Championship.

Diarra, who has spent his entire career with Huddersfield has recently been linked with moves to Burnley, Hull and Leeds according to reports.

However, Palmer thinks Leeds could be a good move for Diarra, who is currently at the Olympics representing Mali.

“He has several clubs that are interested, Burnley, Hull and Leeds are all keen to acquire his services and top flight clubs in France and Belgium are also monitoring the situation,” he told Football League World.

“Burnley are going to be at the top end of the table, Leeds are going to be at the top end of the table after they just missed out on getting promotion last season.

“Hull you would expect to be in the top six, so any one of those football clubs would be a good move for him.

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“I think maybe Leeds would be a great fit for him, and we know that there’s still some business to be done at Leeds United.

“There could be people like Gnonto and Summerville who may be set to leave, so you know Leeds United are going to be in that race next season.

“I’d like to see him at Leeds where I think he could have a really big impact and the fans would take to him with his exciting style of play.”

Diarra made 23 appearances in all competitions last season and a decision on his future is set to be taken after the Olympics.

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Pre-season is already underway for Leeds United and their Championship rivals, and Daniel Farke will be looking to hit the ground running once the league season begins in earnest.

The all whites came close to going back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking, but after dropping into the Play-Offs, they were unable to get past Southampton at Wembley in a keenly contested final.

Connor Roberts would relish a return to Leeds United

With that match now firmly in the past, focus has to be on moving forward and getting up automatically at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.

As long as they don’t lose too many of their star players, Leeds will be one of the favourites for promotion, though they will need to add to their squad before the first game of the season to ensure that they have strength in depth.

One player who would apparently be keen to return to the club is Burnley’s Connor Roberts.

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“Incoming, I was looking at Connor Roberts who as I understand it would really like to come to Leeds if there is no future for him at Burnley, and now they’re in the same division anyway I know which club I’d prefer,” BBC Leeds journalist, Adam Pope, said on the Don’t Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.

“I really like Connor Roberts as well, I think he’s got a really good Leeds mentality, I think he’s got aggression, I think he bought into it. A little bit of injury just stopped him from pushing and getting a few more minutes.”

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Vincent Kompany has a huge job on his hands at Bayern Munich, not least because he wasn’t the club’s first choice to replace Thomas Tuchel.

Last season ended up being a painful one for the Bavarians.

Knocked out of the German cup by lowly Saarbrucken, beaten at the death in the Champions League by Real Madrid and well off the pace in the Bundesliga, the club need a hard reset.

There are huge question marks as to whether Kompany is the best man to provide it, however.

Vincent Kompany has it all to prove at Bayern Munich

“I think it’s good to bring in a new new coach with new ideas and yes, of course, the Pep philosophy. Pep is still a hero at Bayern and Kompany learned so much from him. Bayern called Pep and wanted to hear what he thought about Kompany and he said “do it, he’s good, he’s great, he will do the job perfectly,”” German football expert, Christian Falk, said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“But if you ask five coaches before you finally bring a coach in, and particularly one who was relegated from the Premier League, this can be a problem because you have a dressing room with players who are very, very successful.

“I heard Kompany’s very self confident when he talks to the bosses so I hope he will be the same when he’s in the dressing room.

“Karl Heinz Rummenigge, who was the former CEO, who is part of the supervisory board and whose word still means so much at the club, already said that Kompany will find things very difficult and won’t be given time if he loses some of the opening matches, so the manager is already under the greatest pressure.

“There’s always friendly fire at Bayern Munich though. Their nickname in Germany is FC Hollywood, but Bayern are always at their best when there is a lot of fire at the club because it gives them energy and life.”

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It’s clear that the Belgian has it all to do, but the fact that he’s willing to take on the responsibility says an awful lot about the man.

You don’t become the captain of Man City under Pep Guardiola if you don’t have something about you.

Arguably, it’s Pep’s testimonial to his former bosses that would’ve helped secure the position for Kompany, but now he has to push all of the noise to one side and show that he’s up to the job.

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It’s an important season for Leeds United in 2024/25, after coming oh so close to getting promoted to the Premier League via the Play-Offs.

As it turned out, Southampton were just too strong for the all whites, and they remain in the Championship for at least one more season.

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Though never really a regular as such, only getting sporadic minutes here and there per WhoScored, January loan signing Connor Roberts was, nevertheless, a reliable performer for the most part when called upon.

His parent club, Burnley, have joined Leeds back in the English second tier after their relegation from the top-flight, and with Scott Parker now having taken over the hot-seat from Vincent Kompany, there’s every chance that he might look to go in a different direction.

Dare say he'd absolutely jump at it. Also think Burnley would jump at it, if offered even a modest sum. They're well covered there now. He'd be a solid option, but a priority? Jury's out. https://t.co/jv9W1EpPcR

— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) July 5, 2024

Yorkshire Evening Post Chief Football Writer, Graham Smyth, posted on X that he believes Burnley would jump at the chance of selling him to the Elland Road outfit permanently.

Any deal isn’t a foregone conclusion at this stage, but a move would seem to make sense for all parties.

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