Manchester United's ownership problems have been well-documented since the Glazer family bought the club back in 2005.
Despite spending a similar amount of money to the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea over the past decade, the Red Devils have just two EFL Cups, an FA Cup and a Europa League title to show for it.
Both City and Chelsea have splashed huge wads of cash on players over the years but have been able to recuperate funds to bring their net spend down by selling the likes of Cole Palmer for £40m and Mason Mount for £55m, making a profit on certain big-name players.
On the other hand, Man United have made a profit on just one player in the last three years and he is currently outperforming the team's second-most expensive player of all time.
Daniel James' stats at Manchester United
Daniel James arrived at Old Trafford in 2019 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for a fee of £15m from Championship outfit Swansea City, having never played a single minute of Premier League football before.
United's record appearance maker Ryan Giggs admitted that Solskjaer sought his advice before giving the green light to sign the rapid winger when he was the head coach of the Welsh national team.
The Wales international spent a little over three seasons at the Theatre of Dreams, making 74 appearances in all competitions and scoring nine goals while registering nine assists. However, by the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign, the Reds secured the signing of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund which was the catalyst behind James' eventual departure to bitter rivals Leeds United for £25m.
The English giants made a £10m profit on the Welshman but given Antony's recent performances in a red shirt on the right wing and Sancho's internal suspension from the first-team, Man United may have made a mistake allowing James to leave.
James vs Antony stats comparison
In 12 appearances this season for Manchester United, Antony has failed to register a single goal or assist, leading to a lot of criticism directed at him. The Athletic journalist Adam Crafton even claimed that James was "more useful than Antony", following United's heavy 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City at the end of October.
antony-premier-league-man-united
While James is not the type of player to set the world alight, he has statistically had a better individual campaign at Elland Road than Antony at Old Trafford, with the Peacocks sitting pretty in third place and pushing for promotion back to the promised land of the Premier League.
The 26-year-old has played a vital role in what has been a solid campaign for the Yorkshire club so far, bagging four goals and four assists in 15 appearances.
James is currently averaging 0.75 goals and assists combined per 90 while Antony has yet to record one goal contribution. Additionally, James has been far more of a threat for Leeds, boasting 3.4 shots per 90 and 1.23 shots on target per 90 to Antony's 2.96 shots per 90 and lowly rate of 0.56 shots on target per 90, according to FBref.
Furthermore, James is attempting fewer take-ons in each game, totalling 2.83 per 90 to Antony's 4.44, yet has a 49.3% success rate to the Brazil international's 29.2%.
While Antony is playing at a higher level than James, there is not much difference between the duo's performances or statistics on the pitch, further highlighting United's flawed recruitment strategy under the Glazers.
Erik ten Hag dragged Manchester United from a sixth-place finish when he took the reins back in 2022 to third in the Premier League, two finals and even managed to end the club's six-year trophy drought by winning the EFL Cup in February.
One of the keys to United's success last term under the Dutchman was a well-balanced midfield, primarily consisting of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, although Fred and Scott McTominay played their part as well.
However, due to unforeseen injury issues this season, Ten Hag has struggled to find the right balance in the middle of the park and now the Red Devils' Brazilian general has been ruled out of action for several weeks with a hamstring problem.
Nonetheless, Ten Hag has a glaringly obvious, yet risky solution staring him in the face.
Why Man Utd's midfield are struggling
In the opening two games of the 2023/24 campaign against Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur, the Dutch coach opted to deploy summer signing Mason Mount and club captain Fernandes in front of Casemiro in the midfield but both teams carved United open a worrying amount. The English giants lost possession of the ball 88 times in the middle third across these two fixtures, according to Opta.
bruno-fernandes-casemiro
Regardless, Ten Hag refused to admit that the midfield was the issue after the 2-0 defeat to Spurs back in August. Instead, the former Ajax boss felt as though the frontline's pressing and the lack of stability at the back were the primary culprits. Still, the club secured the loan services of midfielder Sofyan Amrabat until the end of the season but the arrival of the Moroccan hasn't fixed the team's issues, with club legend Paul Scholes even calling Eriksen a "much better footballer" than Amrabat.
Win or lose, the midfield balance has come under the microscope in almost every game this season. Against Manchester City in the derby over a week ago, the manager decided to take Amrabat off at half-time after his booking in the first half. City ran United ragged after the interval. Pundit Gary Neville criticised this decision, claiming that "Amrabat coming off emptied the midfield".
Ten Hag has tried almost every combination possible in midfield, but there may still be one more trick up the Dutch tactician's sleeve, a return for Kobbie Mainoo.
Kobbie Mainoo's stats at Man Utd
Stockport-born Mainoo made his Premier League debut for Manchester United last season in the Premier League at home to Leicester City and was even handed his first-ever start for the club in a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup back in January. However, it was a pre-season game at the MetLife in New Jersey where Mainoo really stood out from the crowd.
Partnering with Casemiro in a double-pivot until half-time, the teenage sensation bossed the midfield against the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, assisting the opening goal of the game, and ending the match with a 7/10 rating, as per Sofascore.
After the game, club legend and former skipper Bryan Robson called Mainoo a "top player" and insisted that Ten Hag "must trust him" this season. Meanwhile, Fernandes heaped praise on Mainoo, claiming he is "good on the ball, strong, he can defend and attack". In a 45-minute performance against the Gunners, the young midfielder held a 96% passing accuracy, made one key pass and one interception, and won 100% of his defensive duels.
In Mainoo's one and only competitive start for the Red Devils, at home to Charlton in the League Cup last term, the youngster boasted an 82% passing accuracy over the course of his hour on the field. What's more impressive is that the academy product registered five passes into the final third in that game while creating one chance, according to FotMob. Piling on the praise, Anthony Elanga, Mainoo's former teammate at Old Trafford, recently labelled the 18-year-old as "unreal".
Kobbie Mainoo
Unfortunately, Mainoo picked up a nasty ankle injury in a game against Real Madrid in pre-season which has kept him out of the team for several months. However, Mainoo is back in training and even made it onto the bench during United's dismal derby defeat to Man City recently.
With Ten Hag running out of options, perhaps Mainoo could be the perfect answer to the manager's woes in the middle of the park.
As they look to finally solve their defensive issues, Manchester United are reportedly in pole position to sign a La Liga star who could hand Ruben Amorim an instant improvement.
Man Utd transfer news
Sat in the depths of mid-table, rapidly losing money and continuing to struggle under Amorim, Manchester United desperately need reinforcements when the summer arrives. However, just how feasible those arrivals are remains to be seen, as they simply must sell before they can even consider turning towards further additions.
On that front, the rumours are already coming thick and fast, with names such as Jules Kounde threatening to steal the headlines in recent weeks. That said, the Barcelona man may not be the only La Liga defender on his way.
According to reports in Spain, Manchester United are now leading the race to sign Alejandro Balde ahead of their as-yet-unnamed Premier League rivals. The Barcelona defender has enjoyed an impressive season in and out of Hansi Flick’s strongest side and could now emerge to solve Amorim’s full-back problems.
In place of Luke Shaw, the young Spaniard would offer those at Old Trafford an instant upgrade. Whether the Red Devils can afford his signature is, of course, another question entirely.
Their own Rogers: Teen Man Utd ace can be "pushed closer to the first-team"
Man Utd need to fill the void of Amad Diallo, who is out for the rest of the season.
By
Joe Nuttall
Feb 21, 2025
One way or another, the England international must be replaced when the summer arrives. His injury issues have become increasingly disruptive to the point of no return and as Manchester United continue to struggle financially, they should cut their losses.
One of many tasks that INEOS must complete in the coming months is that they must raise key funds.
"Real gem" Balde would be instant upgrade
Despite welcoming Dorgu in the January transfer window, Manchester United would be wise to pursue Balde and take advantage of their recent arrival’s versatility at the start of next season. Killing two birds with one stone as a result, Amorim could finally turn his tenure around at Old Trafford.
The Barcelona man has been at the centre of impressive praise since breaking through in Spain, including from Jacek Kulig. The football talent scout described the full-back as a “real gem” last summer after he reached six assists in La Liga.
Swapping Barcelona for Manchester United would certainly be a bold choice this summer, but if the Red Devils come calling the left-back will have quite the decision to make. A starting role would certainly be waiting for Balde at Old Trafford under Amorim.
Declan Rice became the most expensive West Ham United academy graduate in the history of the club when he completed his move away from the London Stadium this year.
The England international signed for Arsenal for a club-record £105m, which is a record between two English clubs and just shy of the British transfer record of £106.8m that was set by Enzo Fernandez' move to Chelsea from Benfica.
West Ham's current most valuable former academy players:
Player
Market value (via Transfermarkt)
Declan Rice
£78m
Josh Cullen
£11.2m
Ben Johnson
£8.6m
Toni Martinez
£6m
Sorba Thomas
£5.2m
A number of talented players have come through the youth set-up for the Hammers over the years and the likes of Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, and Rio Ferdinand paved the way for them when they became England stars after starting their careers in London.
Rice appears to be the next academy graduate who is set to enjoy a fantastic career now that he has moved to Champions League side Arsenal, but West Ham do not always make the best decisions over their young prospects.
One player whom David Moyes may now regret allowing to move on too early is central midfielder Pierre Ekwah, who departed the club in January to sign for Championship side Sunderland.
How many appearances did Ekwah make for West Ham?
The French battler did not make a single first-team appearance for the Hammers during his time at the London Stadium but did catch the eye with his performances at youth level.
He racked up nine goals and three assists in 39 U21 matches before his move to the Black Cats. However, that was not enough to convince Moyes to hand him an opportunity to impress at senior level.
Ekwah did showcase his quality against first-team opposition in the EFL Trophy for West Ham, though, during the first half of the 2022/23 campaign.
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
The midfield ace averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 across three appearances against Walsall, MK Dons, and Cheltenham as he caught the eye on and off the ball.
His creativity was on full display with two key passes per game for his teammates to open up the opposition's defence at the top end of the pitch. Meanwhile, no Hammers player managed more than 1.4 key passes per match throughout the Premier League season last term.
He also made two tackles and interceptions combined per outing and won 54% of his individual duels, as per Sofascore, which showed that the young gem was ready to deal with the physicality of the professional game.
These displays for West Ham came after he started his career with Chelsea, where Ekwah scored five goals and provided two assists in 24 matches for their U18 side.
How much was Ekwah worth at West Ham?
At the time of his move to Sunderland in January 2023, FootballTransfers placed the central midfielder's Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at just €60k (£52k).
Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah.
He had yet to make the first senior appearance of his career and the Black Cats took a leap of faith to sign him from the London-based side as Tony Mowbray seemingly saw the potential there for Ekwah to be an excellent option for his team.
Whereas, Moyes never offered him the chance to shine in a West Ham shirt in a competitive setting and sanctioned a permanent exit for him in January, without seeing what he could do out on loan or in a match for his first-team.
How many games has Ekwah played for Sunderland?
Mowbray has made the France U20 international a key cog in his Black Cats side this season and he has made 25 appearances for the club in total this year.
However, Ekwah did not become an immediate success at the Stadium of Light as the second half of last season was a struggle at times.
He had not played any senior football before his move to Wearside and the end of the 2022/23 campaign was his introduction to the professional game.
The French gem averaged an unimpressive Sofascore rating of 6.57 across 14 Championship appearances for Sunderland, which was the 23rd-highest score within their squad. This shows that the midfield maestro struggled to adapt at first as he was not among the club's top performers.
Ekwah, who journalist Josh Bunting once hailed as "excellent", has now found his feet at senior level, though, and has emerged as an outstanding player for Mowbray at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.
He has averaged an excellent Sofascore rating of 7.27 across six Championship games so far this term, which is the fifth-highest score within the club, and caught the eye with his fantastic performances in midfield.
The former Chelsea prospect has been reliable in possession with 90% of his attempted passes being completed and showcased his defensive instincts with three tackles and interceptions per game, to go along with two goals, as per Sofascore.
How much is Ekwah worth now?
At the time of writing (29/09/2023), FootballTransfers has placed his xTV at €3.4m (£2.9m) and this shows that his market value has skyrocketed since leaving West Ham in January.
His xTV has soared by a staggering 5,566% from the initial €60k that he was valued at earlier this year, which shows that exposure to first-team football has helped him to thrive as a player.
Mowbray and Sunderland showed faith in the young dynamo's ability and they are now benefitting from it on the pitch with his sublime performances in the Championship this season.
Ekwah also has the time, at the age of 21, to develop and increase his value further at the Stadium of Light, which could be helped if they are able to secure promotion to the Premier League.
Therefore, Moyes had a mare with the sale of the former Chelsea academy prospect in January as his xTV has soared since his London Stadium exit and the Scottish head coach did not give him a chance to prove himself with the Hammers.
West Ham could also have sent him out on loan instead of sanctioning a permanent move in order to see how he would fare with regular first-team football.
This could have given the manager the evidence he needed to make a decision on the player's future, instead of doing so without knowing how he would cope with senior games.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale oversaw an overhaul of the playing squad throughout the summer transfer window as a number of players were moved on to make way for new signings.
The Light Blues head coach snapped up Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers, Danilo, Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland, Jose Cifuentes, Abdallah Sima, and Leon Balogun ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Who left Rangers this summer?
Seven players were allowed to depart from Ibrox on free transfers upon the expiry of their contracts with the Scottish giants this summer.
Players who left on a free this summer
Player
Age
Ryan Kent
26
Alfredo Morelos
27
Allan McGregor
41
Filip Helander
30
Scott Arfield
34
Nmandi Ofoborh
24
The Gers also decided to cash in on Glen Kamara, Fashion Sakala, and Antonio Colak to build up some funds to strengthen the squad.
Sakala was a particularly surprising exit as the Zambia international had enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign with the Light Blues.
His transfer to Al-Fayha did, however, represent the end of a terrific piece of business for the club as they were able to make a significant profit on the talented ace.
How much did Rangers pay for Sakala?
The Scottish giants did not pay a penny to sign the Zambian dynamo from Belgian side Oostende as they snapped him up on a free transfer.
At the time of the move, FootballTransfers placed his Expected Transfer Value at €2.3m (£2m) and this suggests that the club secured a bargain with their £0 swoop for his services.
Then-manager Steven Gerrard hailed him as a player with the potential to thrive in Scotland and detailed his hopes for the speedy gem to fulfill his potential at Ibrox.
Former Rangers forward Fashion Sakala.
He made the move to Rangers after an impressive 2020/21 campaign with Oostende in Belgium, as the former Spartak Moscow prospect showcased his goalscoring quality.
Sakala caught the eye with 16 goals and five assists in 34 matches in all competitions for the club, which included three goals and two assists in five Jupiter Pro League play-off matches.
The right-footed whiz averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.92 across 31 Pro League starts for the Belgian outfit and scored 16 goals – slightly better than a strike every other start on average.
How many goals did Sakala score for Rangers?
Sakala ended his career at Rangers with 24 goals in 91 appearances for the club in all competitions after Gerrard opted to snap him up after his impressive form for Oostende during the 2020/21 season.
The 26-year-old hotshot produced 12 goals and seven assists in 50 matches for the Light Blues throughout his debut campaign in Scotland.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 across 30 Scottish Premiership outings and contributed at the top end of the pitch with nine goals. However, his teammates often let him down in the final third as the talented whiz created seven 'big chances' and 38 key passes, only to be rewarded with three assists.
Sakala also played a crucial role in Rangers' Scottish FA Cup success as he caught the eye throughout the competition on their way to lifting the trophy at Hampden under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who replaced Gerrard during the season, in 2022.
The Zambia international scored in each of his first three appearances in the tournament and then assisted the winning goal against Celtic in the semi-final before the club beat Hearts 2-0 in the final.
He followed up on his impressive debut campaign with the Gers with a return of 12 goals and eight assists in 41 matches throughout the 2022/23 season under van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale combined.
Sakala plundered 12 goals and seven assists in 22 Premiership starts as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 across 29 appearances in total.
Only Antonio Colak (14) and James Tavernier (16) scored more top-flight goals for Rangers than the former Oostende star and this shows that he was one of the club's biggest goal threats throughout the year.
Former Rangers forward Fashion Sakala.
The electric ace, who scored four goals in five games during the top-six split, ended his two full seasons with the Gers on 21 goals and ten assists in 35 starts in total.
This means that Sakala contributed with a goal or an assist every 1.13 Premiership starts on average throughout his time with the Scottish giants, which highlights how efficient he was for the club.
How much did Rangers sell Sakala for?
Rangers reportedly raked in a fee of around £4m from Al-Fayha during the summer transfer window after he fell down the pecking order in Beale's thinking due to the likes of Danilo, Lammers, and Dessers coming through the door.
This shows that Gerrard, and former sporting director Ross Wilson, struck gold for the Light Blues in the summer of 2021 when they swooped to sign Sakala on a free transfer.
The Scottish side enjoyed his impressive talents on the pitch for two years before they were able to sell him for £4m more than they signed him for, which was nothing.
How many goals has Sakala scored this season?
Although, Beale may end up regretting his decision to cash in on the 26-year-old "firework" – as he was once dubbed by ex-Gers defender Alan Hutton – as the talented forward has enjoyed a terrific start to life in Saudi Arabia.
Sakala has scored four goals and assisted one in seven Pro League appearances for Al-Fayha and averaged an exceptional Sofascore rating of 7.46 in that time.
Meanwhile, Lammers, Dessers, and Danilo have four goals and zero assists in 16 combined Premiership matches, whilst no Rangers player has produced more than two goals so far this season.
Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers.
The 5 foot 10 marksman's Sofascore rating would also place him third within the Gers squad this season as only Borna Barisic (7.48) and Tavernier (7.70) have averaged higher ratings in the league.
These statistics suggest that it may have been a mistake to move Sakala on from Ibrox in the summer as they have been unable to replace his goalscoring prowess, as it stands, and he is enjoying himself in front of goal with his new side.
However, there is no doubt that, whatever happens from now, Gerrard played a blinder with his move to sign him on a free transfer in the summer of 2021 and that the 26-year-old speedster should be seen as a successful signing by the English boss.
O goleiro Cássio desabafou após a goleada sofrida para o Flamengo, por 5 a 1, na Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo. O arqueiro corintiano, que vem sendo duramente criticado nos últimos dias, respeitou as críticas, mas acredita que toda a má fase da equipe vem sendo colo cada na sua conta.
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– Ultimamente tem sobrado tudo pra mim, tudo é culpa do Cássio, o time não ganha é culpa do Cássio, o time não faz gol é culpa do Cássio, e antes que falem algo, não acho que sou maior que o Corinthians, não me acho intocável, sou mutio grato a tudo que o Corinthians fez pra mim, mas nesse momento acho que estou sendo escudo, tudo é culpa do Cássio – afirmou, em entrevista à TV Globo, após a partida.
O camisa doze afirmou que vai continuar honrando a camisa corintiana, mas deixou no ar uma possível saída da equipe ao comentar sua situação no gol do Corinthians.
– Tem todo direito de ser criticado, mas no momento que eu atrapalhar o Corinthians é melhor eu procurar outro lugar. Vou honrar, foi muito duro hoje, foi uma das piores derrotas minhas aqui, mas não vou deixar de estar aqui, de meter a cara, falar, atuar, se o professor me colocar no banco vou estar aqui apoiando. Jamais sentei em cima dos títulos, dos números, ou jamais me achei melhor que o Corinthians. A partir do momento que eu estiver atrapalhando, acho que tenho que procurar outro time – finalizou.
Com Cássio ou Walter como titular, o Timão enfrenta o Vasco, às 21h30, na próxima quarta-feira (21), em São Januário, pela 18ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.
It is no real secret that Manchester United have been far from astute with regard to their transfer dealings in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, having both invested unwisely in unsuited talents, while also proving unable to shift the 'deadwood' when needed.
With regard to that latter failure, it was only recently reported that the Red Devils top the charts among European clubs with regard to their net spend over the past decade, having spent £1.19bn more on new additions than they have recouped with player sales.
Those woes were particularly evident in the recent transfer window, with the Old Trafford outfit only raking in £15m for both Dean Henderson and Anthony Elanga, for instance, while rivals Manchester City moved on Cole Palmer for a mammoth £42.5m to Chelsea – despite the 20-year-old having started just three Premier League games.
Equally, the United hierarchy also failed to ditch those who appeared to be surplus to requirements, such as West Ham United target Harry Maguire – who had been stripped of the captaincy earlier this year.
Erik ten Hag
The England international is not the only unwanted presence still on the books, however, with the window having come and gone without a new home having been found for forgotten man, Donny van de Beek – a player who has perhaps bled the club dry over the past three years or so.
Why did Man United sign Donny van de Beek?
Following what has been a truly dismal period in Manchester for the 26-year-old, it is hard to remember just why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to fork out £40m to sign the playmaker in the first place, yet the Dutchman had no doubt warranted that interest following his prior sparkling displays at Ajax.
Before departing the Amsterdam giants in the summer of 2020, the midfielder had been a key figure for the Eredivisie side after rising up through the youth ranks, scoring 41 goals and contributing 34 assists in 175 games in all competitions.
The promising talent had particularly impressed as part of a youthful side that reached the semi-final of the Champions League under Erik ten Hag during the 2018/19 campaign, with Ajax seeing off the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Juventus prior to slipping up against Tottenham Hotspur.
That lengthy, surprise run in the competition saw Van de Beek score three goals and provide two assists – including netting in the first-leg 1-0 win over Spurs – having subsequently courted attention from those at the Bernabeu with a move to Spain looking likely.
It was United, however, who ultimately won the race for his signature – despite potential reservations from Solskjaer – although fast-forward three years and the club may be wishing they hadn't, following what has proven "one of the most disappointing transfers ever", according to ex-Old Trafford star, Dimitar Berbatov.
How much does Van de Beek earn at Man United?
While there are reports that Ten Hag and co are hoping to shift the struggling asset over the next week or so – with the transfer window still open in Turkey, for instance – at present the club are still having to fork out for the player's reported £120k-per-week wages.
That hefty salary has remained the same since Van de Beek walked in the door in 2020, ensuring that he has cost United roughly £18m in that time – a rather sizeable figure for a player who has just two goals and two assists to his name in 60 appearances in all competitions.
While only ranking as the 14th-highest earner at the Theatre of Dreams – according to Capology – when that salary is added to his £40m transfer fee, it does look as if the Premier League outfit have simply wasted £58m on a player who has made next to no impact in a red jersey.
Man United's Top earners (2023/24)
Casemiro – £350k-p/w
Raphael Varane – £340k-p/w
Marcus Rashford – £300k-p/w
Mason Mount – £250k-p/w
Jadon Sancho – £250k-p/w
Anthony Martial – £250k-p/w
Bruno Fernandes – £240k-p/w
Antony – £200k-p/w
Harry Maguire – £190k-p/w
With two years left to run on his existing deal, the club will be desperate to ensure that the 19-cap international – who has been left of Ten Hag's Champions League squad – can find a new home sooner rather than later, rather than continuing to prove a financial burden.
What's gone wrong for Van de Beek at Man United?
It's difficult to know where to begin with regard to Van de Beek's woes, with the player having always looked set to struggle for a regular role due to the signing of Bruno Fernandes earlier that same year, with the pair both operating in an advanced midfield berth.
With Fernandes – who now boasts a haul of 120 goal contributions for the club – the obvious favoured option in that role, Van de Beek has been forced to try his hand in more of a deep-lying berth, albeit with limited success.
Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.
Although he may count himself unlucky after being restricted to just 23 starts in total to date, the one-time Everton loanee has hardly impressed when he has been given the nod by the likes of Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick or Ten Hag – with journalist Samuel Luckhurst writing last season that playing the 6 foot dud simply "doesn't work".
That came after his limp showing away to Real Sociedad in the Europa League back in November – amid a rare run of three successive starts in all competitions – with Luckhurst also writing at the time that Van de Beek simply "couldn't hack the pace" against the La Liga side.
Luck and misfortune has also likely played its part in the midfielder's decline as he suffered a season-curtailing injury against Bournemouth in January, with that blow epitomising what has been a "really strange, disappointing and surprising situation", in the words of Berbatov.
In truth, it is best for all parties that the out-of-favour talent finds a new home as soon as possible, with the fact that he can't even get a game under his former Ajax boss, Ten Hag, indicative of just how far his stock has fallen.
Sri Lanka competed hard on a bouncy Wankhede Stadium deck, but India pulled ahead at the crucial moments to wrap up a five-wicket win
The Report by Shashank Kishore24-Dec-20172:40
We showed glimpses of where we’re heading – Pothas
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFor the first time in the series, Sri Lanka were genuinely in the contest. The bounce at the Wankhede Stadium gave their seamers some zip that they couldn’t quite manage to generate in Cuttack and Indore. In defence of 136, they dismissed the rampaging pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, who walloped joint-fastest T20 hundred two nights ago, inside seven overs. India’s asking rate climbed to close to 8.5 per over with eight overs left, a genuine test for a middle order that hasn’t had too much batting time of late.This was Sri Lanka’s best opportunity to close out the game. But India had MS Dhoni in the middle at the end along with Dinesh Karthik. Nuwan Pradeep only conceded six runs off the first five balls of the penultimate over, leaving India nine to get off the last seven balls. At that point it was Pradeep who cracked under the pressure; he sent down a friendly full-toss that Karthik swatted into the stands beyond deep midwicket. That, right there, was the knockout punch with one full over to play. A heady climax eventually turned cold right at the end, but not before India had been given quite a scare.Lack of scoreboard pressure early in the chase gave India some leeway as Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey overcame early struggles against the moving ball to add 42 in 6.2 overs to put India back on track. But the match swung again when Iyer was run-out at the non-striker’s end, Akila Dananjaya’s fingertips intercepting a flat-batted strike from Pandey and deflecting it into the stumps.The wicket may have not come about had Thisara Perera not thrown himself to his left to stop a single at cover off the previous delivery. Clearly, Sri Lanka were in the game, waiting to grab at any opportunity. When they sent Iyer back, India needed 55 off 40. This was precisely the moment when Pandey, largely subdued until then, decided to cut loose, hitting three fours off the next five balls he faced. India were back in it.But Sri Lanka weren’t giving up. Hardik Pandya feathered an attempted ramp to the wicketkeeper, leaving India four down with 37 to get off the last five overs. When Pandey was bowled by one that jagged back in to beat his inside edge – the dismissal coming about largely because of his style of playing beside the line – it came down to 28 off 23.Up against Chameera with no slip in place, Dhoni managed to find a thick edge that beat the diving wicketkeeper and ran away for four. In the same over, there was more drama when Sri Lanka reviewed a not-out lbw decision, the tense crowd roaring in unison as the giant screen showed the ball missing the stumps. Dhoni would eventually hit the winning runs.The architects who masterminded Sri Lanka’s downfall after they were sent in to bat were Washington Sundar and Jaydev Unadkat – two bowlers who had been at the forefront of Rising Pune Supergiant’s magnificent run to the IPL final earlier this year.Washington, India’s youngest T20I debutant, bowled three overs of no-frills offspin upfront, often varying his pace between fast and faster, his length between good and full, and strangulated the largely left-handed top order. He finished with figures of 4-0-22-1. Unadkat, IPL 2017’s second-highest wicket-taker who also finished the tournament with an economy rate of 7.02, cramped the left-handers early on and was rewarded for his accuracy. Washington and Unadkat prised out Sri Lanka’s top three inside four overs to set off a procession.It needed Asela Gunaratne’s industrious 37-ball 36 and Dasun Shanaka’s 29 off 24 to haul Sri Lanka to 135 from a precarious 85 for 6.India suffered a few early jitters in their chase. KL Rahul was the first to fall, given out lbw while trying to heave Dushmantha Chameera’s indipper across the line. Rohit too was shaky to begin with, and was saved by the bounce in the first over when he played down the wrong line of a Dananjaya googly that sneaked between bat and pad. Two balls later, he was deceived in flight and nearly chipped a return catch.Rohit broke the stranglehold by disturbing Dananjaya’s length – slog-sweeping him to midwicket and then stepping out to hit him straight down the ground for six. But unlike in the previous two games, Sri Lanka managed to sustain the pressure with Shanaka nibbling away in the off-stump channel and getting the ball to jag both ways.A miscued pull to a ball that skidded on faster than Rohit expected resulted in a simple catch to deep square leg. This left the middle order in the spotlight, and they were able to steer India to their target, with some help from Sri Lanka’s nerves and the dew, and bring a memorable home season to a winning end.
Manchester United could finally be about to change hands if updates released in the press this week are to be believed, but there is conflicting information emerging from all angles.
What's the latest on the takeover situation at Manchester United?
Last year, the Glazers put Manchester United up for sale and detailed that they were exploring "strategic alternatives for the club" in the hope of being able to "enhance the club’s future growth", as per The Independent.
At the time, the Red Devils' ownership confirmed that they would look into a multitude of options as part of the process, including “new investment into the club, a sale, or other transactions involving the company”.
Two main candidates have emerged to take over Manchester United and bring the Glazers' controversial tenure at Old Trafford to an end, which has of course contributed to periods of regression on and off the pitch for the Premier League giants, particularly in the last decade.
Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani has and his consortium Nine Two Foundation have been heavily involved with all stages of the process and would like to claim outright control at Old Trafford – alongside clearing debt at Manchester United and investing in both the playing staff and club infrastructure – as per The Mirror.
On the other hand, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his firm INEOS have also been in contention to acquire custody of Manchester United and are proposing a majority takeover that would allow two of the Glazers, Joel and Avram, to hold minority stakeholding positions in the club moving forward. Ratcliffe has also promised to wipe out the Red Devils' debt and either renovate or reconstruct Old Trafford.
Despite the uncertainty over the future of Manchester United, Erik Ten Hag has still been busy in the transfer market, bringing in Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana for considerable sums of money, as per Transfermarkt.
Who will win the takeover battle at Manchester United?
According to The Sun, Sheikh Jassim looks to have won the fight to take over at Manchester United for £6 billion and could enter office at Old Trafford as early as mid-October.
An official announcement may take place next week according to their report while Jassim and his associates are doing their 'due diligence' regarding Manchester United before being installed at the expense of the much-maligned Glazer family.
100% of the club will fall into the hands of Sheikh Jassim and company, while the Qatari businessman will not take any dividend payments from the Red Devils, which is a practice the Glazers have engaged in since taking control in 2005.
However, Sky Sports have since claimed virtually the total opposite, claiming on Twitter less than 24 hours later: "Sources close to the Qatari bid believe the process has stalled amid concerns that the Glazer family are not sure they want to sell the club."
Sheikh Jassim has made five separate bids to try and succeed the Glazers at Old Trafford and could look to prioritise renovating Carrington and Old Trafford alongside clearing debts at the club that have reached levels of nearly £1 billion, as per Sky Sports.
Of course, Manchester United have been affected by Financial Fair Play issues this year and are also struggling to complete the rest of their summer business unless player sales are solicited, which are two problems that could be completely wiped out once new ownership arrives in the North West, but it remains to be seen which source is closer to the truth.