Thomas Frank – CaughtOffside https://www.caughtoffside.com Football transfer rumours, news and Gossip from the English Premier League and beyond Tue, 23 Jul 2024 13:53:52 +0100 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.9 3497552 Manager of Man Utd, Arsenal target admits ‘you never know’ what can happen in the transfer window https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/07/20/man-utd-arsenal-transfer-target-brentford-manager-thomas-frank-ivan-toney/ https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/07/20/man-utd-arsenal-transfer-target-brentford-manager-thomas-frank-ivan-toney/#respond Sat, 20 Jul 2024 16:40:00 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1594794 Brentford manager Thomas Frank has admitted ‘you never know’ what might happen with Ivan Toney in the summer transfer market.  The 28-year-old striker has been the subject of much transfer speculation over recent months, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham heavily linked with his signature. West Ham have also been urged to make a […]

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Brentford manager Thomas Frank has admitted ‘you never know’ what might happen with Ivan Toney in the summer transfer market. 

The 28-year-old striker has been the subject of much transfer speculation over recent months, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham heavily linked with his signature.

West Ham have also been urged to make a bid for Toney — who has 36 Premier League goals in 85 appearances to his name and was part of England’s squad for Euro 2024.

Despite Toney only managing four goals last season following his return from an eight-month ban, his 20-goal showing in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign remains strong in the memory.

As such, Brentford would love to keep hold of their star striker and have reportedly slapped a £60m fee on his head — although some outlets (including The Sun) have suggested the Bees are willing to slash their asking price.

Either way, Frank cannot say with any real certainty that the Bees will keep Toney away from the clutches of bigger powers this summer.

“You never know! He’s a Brentford player and I would love him to stay. It would give me a very positive challenge,” Frank told Sky Sports News on Saturday.

“I haven’t met a coach who doesn’t want as many good players as possible. Right now, he’s a Brentford player.

“He’s enjoying his time off and I’m happy, if he’s here with us I’ll be more than happy. A 20-goal goalscorer, there’s two things in that. It’s very good to have that in your team, and it makes him expensive!

“We’ve said before, I want to keep all my players, besides maybe five or six clubs in the world we’re a selling club – and if there’s the right bid which comes in, fine.”

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Man United ready to gazump Tottenham for England ace https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/06/12/man-united-tottenham-england-ace/ Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:54:11 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1589511 Now that Erik ten Hag has been confirmed as Man United first-team manager after an internal review, the club can set about landing some of its transfer targets. A superb FA Cup final win over rivals, Man City, can’t mask what was a hugely disappointing campaign for United, so it stands to reason that a […]

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Now that Erik ten Hag has been confirmed as Man United first-team manager after an internal review, the club can set about landing some of its transfer targets.

A superb FA Cup final win over rivals, Man City, can’t mask what was a hugely disappointing campaign for United, so it stands to reason that a handful of changes will be required rather than just one or two.

Defensively, the Red Devils were shot to pieces for long periods during the 2023/24 season, and it wouldn’t therefore be a surprise if that area of the squad took priority.

Man United want Ivan Toney

However, having ended the season with a negative goal difference also clearly evidences that the club need someone other than Rasmus Hojlund or the misfiring Marcus Rashford to be banging in the goals.

It’s perhaps with that in mind that ESPN report that Brentford’s Ivan Toney is on United’s shopping list.

The 28-year-old England international would certainly be an intriguing hire.

Ivan Toney could sign for Man United
Man United want Ivan Toney

Back in November, Sky Sports were noting that the Bees wanted £100m for the striker, and when he returned from his ban in January with four goals in his first five games, that figure didn’t appear too steep in the current market.

However, since then he’s failed to find the net, per WhoScored, seeing his value plummeting.

Football Insider‘s Paul Robinson has suggested that Tottenham will be disappointed if they don’t land the player, and if he wants to stay in London then the Lilywhites would hold an advantage in any negotiations.

However, if United follow up their reported interest, there’s some certainly that Toney will be assuaged by the opportunity of playing at one of the most storied clubs in the history of English football.

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Exclusive: “He might be…” – Fabrizio Romano’s intriguing Ivan Toney update with Tottenham ready to sign a striker https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/06/01/fabrizio-romano-ivan-toney-tottenham/ https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/06/01/fabrizio-romano-ivan-toney-tottenham/#comments Sat, 01 Jun 2024 08:00:00 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1588136 Back at the start of the year when Ivan Toney had just returned to the Brentford starting line-up after his ban, the chatter appeared to be that it was a foregone conclusion that the 28-year-old would be heading to Germany with England. His four goals in his opening five games, per WhoScored, only strengthened that […]

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Back at the start of the year when Ivan Toney had just returned to the Brentford starting line-up after his ban, the chatter appeared to be that it was a foregone conclusion that the 28-year-old would be heading to Germany with England.

His four goals in his opening five games, per WhoScored, only strengthened that notion.

Paying top dollar for his services if he was going to move on from West London also didn’t necessarily appear to be out of the question.

Since that purple patch in late January/early February, however, the striker has gone right off the boil.

Ivan Toney’s value slashed by half

To that end his transfer fee will have been revised significantly as Thomas Frank will know that the club can no longer market him as a £100m player, which they were back in November according to Sky Sports.

He’d arguably be nearer the £40m-£50m bracket nowadays, and with Tottenham Hotspur apparently looking for a striker, there’s a possibility that Toney could fit the bill.

However, rumours linking the Lilywhites with the Bees hit-man appear wide of the mark, at least for now.

Tottenham might be interested in signing Brentford's Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney to Tottenham?

“Although it’s expected that Tottenham will sign a striker this summer, there’s no concrete update yet on Ivan Toney, despite reports,” Fabrizio Romano said to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing.

“He might be one of the strikers being considered at Spurs but no final decision on their top target has been made yet.

“Tottenham’s priority was to decide what to do with Timo Werner, and now they will move into next targets.”

If Spurs were able to acquire Toney for a reasonable market value, there’s no reason why he couldn’t resurrect his career under Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian has shown that he can motivate his players to play some brilliant football, and arguably Toney is a better marksman than Richarlison has been for the North Londoners.

With James Maddison providing a supplementary attacking presence and the likes of Timo Werner and Heung Min-son alongside, Toney should find goals easy to come by if he moves to North London.

Time will tell if the club consider him to be the right man for the job moving forward.

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Next Man United manager odds: Pochettino among favourites, club legend an outsider https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/05/28/next-man-united-manager-odds-pochettino-de-zerbi/ Tue, 28 May 2024 12:42:52 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1587664 Erik ten Hag may not have been sacked just yet, but there’s plenty of speculation that he won’t last much longer at Manchester United and there’s already talk about who could be the next Man United manager. Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with the Red Devils several times in the past and is now available […]

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Erik ten Hag may not have been sacked just yet, but there’s plenty of speculation that he won’t last much longer at Manchester United and there’s already talk about who could be the next Man United manager.

Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with the Red Devils several times in the past and is now available again after leaving his position at Chelsea at the end of the season just gone.

Enzo Maresca is about to replace Pochettino at Chelsea, and it could be that the Argentine will find himself back in work again quickly due to the opening at Man Utd.

See below for the latest odds on the United job, with other big names in there, such as Thomas Tuchel and former midfield player Michael Carrick an outsider…

Next Man United Manager Odds (Ladbrokes)
Mauricio Pochettino – 7/4
Kieran McKenna – 2/1
Thomas Tuchel – 5/1
Roberto De Zerbi – 7/1
Gareth Southgate – 10/1
Thomas Frank – 14/1
Ruben Amorim – 16/1
Zinedine Zidane – 20/1
Michael Carrick – 33/1

United fans will surely have mixed opinions about the prospect of replacing Ten Hag after his success in the FA Cup final, but there is perhaps arguably not a clear outstanding candidate out there to replace the Dutch tactician anyway.

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Man United News: Red Devils open talks with Premier League manager https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/05/27/man-united-open-talks-manager/ Mon, 27 May 2024 05:58:08 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1587434 Erik ten Hag’s job at Manchester United is still uncertain after winning the FA Cup by beating Premier League champions Manchester City. The crucial win was expected to give Ten Hag some hope of his future at Old Trafford. However, according to The Telegraph, the Red Devils have held discussions with the representatives of Brentford […]

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Erik ten Hag’s job at Manchester United is still uncertain after winning the FA Cup by beating Premier League champions Manchester City.

The crucial win was expected to give Ten Hag some hope of his future at Old Trafford.

However, according to The Telegraph, the Red Devils have held discussions with the representatives of Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

Ten Hag’s job at the club is at risk after an unimpressive season in the Premier League which saw Man United finish in eighth position, their worst ever finish in the league.

The report states that Man United have opened talks with the agents of Frank as they explore the manager market to find a replacement of their current manager.

A number of managers have been linked with the Old Trafford job since the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS at the helm.

England boss Gareth Southgate, recently sacked Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino and former Brighton and Chelsea manager Graham Potter have all been linked with the Man United job.

Ten Hag’s difficulties at the club were not helped by the injury crisis Man United suffered in the season.

Man United Premier League Thomas Frank
Thomas Frank to Man United?

The Dutch manager was unable to play his best starting line up throughout the season with key players missing because of injury.

The Red Devils finished eighth in the league and initially missed out on qualification to Europe, however, after winning the FA Cup final, they booked their place in the Europa League next season.

Man United should keep the faith in Ten Hag

Man United should show faith in Ten Hag as even after the difficulties he has faced, he has won two trophies in two seasons at the club.

The players have spent two seasons with the former Ajax manager and keeping Ten Hag at the club will give the Red Devils continuity and stability.

Getting a new manager will start the project from zero again and it will take at least one more season for the club to get back on track.

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Man United make contact with Mauricio Pochettino’s representatives whilst they decide Erik ten Hag’s future https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/05/26/united-contact-pochettinos-representatives/ Sun, 26 May 2024 18:34:08 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1587372 Manchester United have held talks with Mauricio Pochettino’s representatives according to reports, with the club sounding out potential replacements whilst they decide on Erik ten Hag’s future. Despite guiding United to the FA Cup on Saturday the Dutchman has been under severe pressure following a campaign which saw the Red Devils finish eighth, and bottom […]

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Manchester United have held talks with Mauricio Pochettino’s representatives according to reports, with the club sounding out potential replacements whilst they decide on Erik ten Hag’s future.

Despite guiding United to the FA Cup on Saturday the Dutchman has been under severe pressure following a campaign which saw the Red Devils finish eighth, and bottom of their Champions League group.

It’s believed the United hierarchy will carry out an end of season review next week which will determine the future of the 54-year-old, who has won two trophies in two seasons at Old Trafford.

United make contact with Pochettino’s representatives

The future of Ten Hag has been a hot topic, with the Dutchman having to defend himself after being asked about his future in the aftermath of United’s Wembley success.

The former Ajax man admitted he didn’t know if his future would be at Old Trafford, with the club assessing their options should they decide to part ways with the Dutchman.

Ten Hag’s future is set to be decided by an end of season review.

It was reported United made contact with the representatives of Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna on Thursday, with the 38-year-old a man in demand having guided the Tractor Boys to back to back promotions from League One to the Premier League.

The Telegraph have now reported that since then United have made contact with people from Pochettino’s camp as well as from Thomas Frank’s.

Pocehttino is freshly out of work having left Chelsea by mutual consent on Tuesday following just one season at the club, and he was linked with the United job two years ago before they appointed Ten Hag.

If United do part ways with Ten Hag they are likely to be appointing their next manager from the same pool as Chelsea, with the Blues also interested in the services of McKenna and Frank.

The Red Devils have been linked with Graham Potter, Thomas Tuchel and Gareth Southgate, with the report adding there are thought to be reservations as to whether Tuchel is the right fit for the club at the moment.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos have a big decision to make ahead of their first transfer window since assuming control of footballing operations at Old Trafford, with their set to be a lot of change this summer.

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Chelsea have held talks with PL manager who could also be in contention for Man United job https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/05/26/thomas-frank-chelsea-man-utd-talks/ Sun, 26 May 2024 10:16:31 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1587304 Chelsea have reportedly held multiple meetings with Brentford manager Thomas Frank, according to Christian Falk via the Daily Briefing. Frank has impressed during his time in charge of the Bees, and Falk also suggests he could be one of the contenders for the Manchester United job this summer. Chelsea recently parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino, […]

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Chelsea have reportedly held multiple meetings with Brentford manager Thomas Frank, according to Christian Falk via the Daily Briefing.

Frank has impressed during his time in charge of the Bees, and Falk also suggests he could be one of the contenders for the Manchester United job this summer.

Chelsea recently parted ways with Mauricio Pochettino, while Erik ten Hag is widely expected not to survive as Man Utd manager, even if his side won the FA Cup final against Manchester City yesterday.

Before the game, the Guardian reported that the Red Devils had already decided to sack Ten Hag, so it may be that the club’s new ownership want to start afresh next season.

Frank looks a tempting option for the likes of Chelsea and United, but it remains to be seen precisely how high he is on their lists, as Falk says he was also considered by Bayern Munich before they ultimately decided to go for Vincent Kompany instead.

Frank to Chelsea or Man Utd?

Thomas Frank to Chelsea or Manchester United?

Explaining the situation, Falk wrote: “Thomas Frank has had multiple meetings with Chelsea as he is understood to be one of the candidates for the vacancy at Stamford Bridge.

“The Danish tactician was also under consideration at Bayern Munich before they chose to appoint Vincent Kompany, with a deal now done for the Belgian tactician to leave Burnley to take over at the Allianz Arena.”

He added: “Manchester United are understood to have also had contact with Frank on one occasion as they consider the position of Erik ten Hag.”

If this is to be the end of Ten Hag’s time at Old Trafford, he did well to end on a high note with a surprise 2-1 win over Man City yesterday.

Fabrizio Romano praised the result and performance in his Daily Briefing column earlier today, saying: “Congratulations to Manchester United as they won the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City. I was there at Wembley for this very special moment especially for the young goal-scorers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, but also for many other players who showed great leadership and made it a perfect afternoon for Man United at Wembley.

“I thought it was an excellent performance by Man United, it was not easy at all but they were perfect on the day and I think deserved to lift the trophy. Man City were just not on their best day, probably tired after such a big effort to win the Premier League title.”

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Exclusive: Lautaro stalemate, Xavi out and Flick in at Barca… and more https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/05/25/lautaro-xavi-flick-barca/ Sat, 25 May 2024 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1587126 This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io — Man City big favourites in the FA Cup final but there is a way to stop them Today it’s […]

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

Man City big favourites in the FA Cup final but there is a way to stop them

FA Cup trophy

Today it’s the big one, the FA Cup final, and of course Man City are the big favourites.

You never know what can happen in a final, Man United will surely fight for it and I think it won’t be super easy for Man City, but I still see them as favourites no doubts on that.

If United want to have any chance of causing an upset, it will be crucial to stop Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden’s creativity. That could really change the game… but it’s not easy at all.

Ten Hag situation is one to watch

Erik ten Hag
Erik ten Hag

On Erik ten Hag, Manchester United will wait until after the FA Cup final, obviously, but in general the possibility of saying the club and ten Hag could part ways afterwards remains concrete.

It’s true that Manchester United have now started discussing options to replace ten Hag internally, and they’ve also made some contacts with agents of managers so that they’re ready in case United fire the Dutchman. There’s no expectation on the timing of the announcement because Man United have still not told anything to Erik ten Hag.

The situation will absolutely be one to watch in the next days and there are several candidates interested. Some of them would love to take the job like Tuchel, but Man United are still reviewing that internally.

Lautaro Martinez wants an important salary if he’s to sign new Inter contract

Lautaro Martinez

Despite the words of Lautaro Martinez’s agent to Italian media, Inter and Lautaro remain locked in negotiations over a new deal.

Talks are continuing and Lautaro has his right to ask for important money after an important season.

Inter also have their budget and now they have to decide how to proceed. There will soon be a new meeting to discuss the conditions of the contract… again.

Kompany close to Bayern but Grealish definitely isn’t

Vincent Kompany

English media have suggested that Jack Grealish could be on his way to Bayern, but it’s curious to see a player linked even before a meeting with the board to discuss transfers 🙂

The agreement with Vincent Kompany is done and Bayern and Burnley are still in negotiation over final details, but before mentioning any targets we have to wait for Bayern to meet with Kompany and discuss.

There’s really nothing in the Grealish link at the moment.

Chelsea searching for Poch replacement; Maresca more than keen

Enzo Maresca

Let me say also that Chelsea keep going with their manager search and I will keep you posted.

I’m receiving many questions about Enzo Maresca guys, and I can confirm that Maresca is super open and super keen on joining Chelsea. So it’s a concrete possibility.

He’s not the only target. Hoeness doesn’t want to leave Stuttgart, Michel is also very happy at Girona, but Thomas Frank remains there, McKenna remains there and it’s true that there is also another candidate in Chelsea’s list but there’s no clarity on who that is yet, so they are still discussing all the possibilities.

Maresca said no to Sevilla, he wants to work in the Premier League, at Leicester or any other club, he wants to stay in England and he has a release clause around €10m.

It’s really open, and I understand why Chelsea are taking their time to pick the best option possible.

Barcelona sack Xavi; Hansi Flick deal agreed

Xavi and Hansi Flick

The big bomb has again come from Barcelona because just weeks after the official statements from the club confirmed that Xavi was going to stay as their coach, he has been fired. Xavi will no longer be Barcelona manager after the Sevilla game, the decision has been made by the president, Joan Laporta.

Laporta was not happy with some decisions made by Xavi, for example, what happened with Vitor Roque was, for him, unacceptable. Also crucial, as I told you, was the press conference before the Almeria game when Xavi explained the difficulties he faced with regards to the financial situation at the club.

Laporta was literally furious about that. He wanted a completely different communication, not just for that press conference, but for the entirety of next season. Not to say fake things, but just to bring a positive atmosphere to the team, the squad and the club. He didn’t want Xavi to go public and say the things he did, so the tension between Laporta and Xavi was really big in the recent weeks.

The president already had two options on the table since February, when Xavi originally announced that he was going to leave the club. Hansi Flick, who did something historical at Bayern and who was also the manager of the German national team, and the internal solution, Rafa Marquez, really highly rated at the club but with no experience as a coach of a top club.

Laporta made his decision days ago, and Hansi Flick will be the new Barcelona coach. Let me say really guys that Hansi Flick simply wanted this job in a crazy way. It was an obsession. His dream was to land the Barcelona job because he believes that it’s an incredible club, a super top club, a fantastic place to be at and a fantastic club to do something historical.

Hansi Flick will bring experience, some fresh air, but he’ll also need time to adapt to a new country, new league, new club, new life.

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Exclusive: Title winner super keen on Chelsea but Blues keeping options open says Romano https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/05/25/title-winner-chelsea-blues-options-open/ Sat, 25 May 2024 07:30:00 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1587109 Regardless of whether people feel it was the wrong decision, Todd Boehly and the Chelsea board dispensed with the services of Mauricio Pochettino after a poor 2023/24 campaign. Just when the Argentinian appeared to be getting a tune out of his squad, the American wielded the axe. Not only could it be suggested that it […]

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Regardless of whether people feel it was the wrong decision, Todd Boehly and the Chelsea board dispensed with the services of Mauricio Pochettino after a poor 2023/24 campaign.

Just when the Argentinian appeared to be getting a tune out of his squad, the American wielded the axe.

Not only could it be suggested that it will put Chelsea’s project back further, but it also throws up the possibility of another frantic transfer window for the West Londoners.

Any new man coming in will almost certainly want to put his own stamp on the squad, and to that end, a number of first-team players could be fearful of their places after largely disappointing during the season.

Enzo Maresca keen on the Chelsea job

One could also make the argument as to who in their right mind would want to take over at Stamford Bridge given the consistent upheaval, but it appears that there are no shortage of takers.

Enzo Maresca, a Championship title winner with Leicester City, appears to be very interested for example.

“I’m receiving many questions about Enzo Maresca guys, and I can confirm that Maresca is super open and super keen on joining Chelsea. So it’s a concrete possibility,” Fabrizio Romano said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.

Chelsea could turn to Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca to Chelsea?

“He’s not the only target. Hoeness doesn’t want to leave Stuttgart, Michel is also very happy at Girona, but Thomas Frank remains there, McKenna remains there and it’s true that there is also another candidate in Chelsea’s list but there’s no clarity on who that is yet, so they are still discussing all the possibilities.

“Maresca said no to Sevilla, he wants to work in the Premier League, at Leicester or any other club, he wants to stay in England and he has a release clause around €10m.

“It’s really open, and I understand why Chelsea are taking their time to pick the best option possible.”

From a Chelsea perspective, it’s vital that they get their next managerial appointment spot on if they want to have any sort of consistency.

Clearly, whomever comes in Pochettino’s stead needs to win trophies whilst playing in a certain way, but Boehly needs to stop meddling at the first sign of trouble.

That way of working might well be successful in the business arena though it’s been shown not to be a successful way of doing things at a football club.

Perhaps he’s looking for a quicker than usual return on his investments and the volatility that we’ve seen at Stamford Bridge over the past 18 months or so is the only way of managing that.

It won’t help the new incumbent, however, particularly if he’s expected to hit the ground running as soon as he’s announced.

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Transfer news: Next Chelsea manager, De Zerbi Man United links, Arsenal midfielder to leave & more https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/05/23/transfer-news-next-chelsea-manager-arsenal-exit-and-more/ Thu, 23 May 2024 16:02:00 +0000 https://www.caughtoffside.com/?p=1586878 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 Truth about Kompany to Chelsea links and the main names in contention to replace Pochettino Vincent Kompany has had […]

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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

Truth about Kompany to Chelsea links and the main names in contention to replace Pochettino

Vincent Kompany has had two direct calls with Bayern Munich – he’s keen on the job and excited by this possibility. So now it depends on all the directors at Bayern deciding to proceed together. As things stand, they are tempted and consider Kompany one of the most talented managers in the industry, but it needs the green light from everyone on the board.

Kompany is super keen on the job and he’s just waiting for Bayern now, with conversations ongoing, but I can also say that Chelsea never made contact with the Belgian tactician. There were some rumours about this after the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, but they never started conversations with Kompany.

Chelsea also haven’t made contact with Sergio Conceicao – they are still in the process of deciding their next manager, so despite reports there is nothing concrete going on with Conceicao at the time of writing. They also never made contact with Antonio Conte, this was never an option, despite some rumours that he offered himself to Chelsea – Conte doesn’t have to offer himself to anyone, and he’s not been talking to Chelsea.

Other former managers being linked are Jose Mourinho and Thomas Tuchel, but again it’s all quiet. Tuchel never spoke to Chelsea in recent days or weeks, and Chelsea never contacted him. What we know is that Tuchel would be super keen to return to England, and Manchester United could be an attractive destination for him in case they call, but there is nothing with Chelsea.

Hansi Flick is another name being linked with Chelsea, but again they haven’t reached out to him. Flick is one of the names on the list at Barcelona in case Xavi leaves, but the meeting with Joan Laporta still hasn’t happened yet. So, who are the names in contention for the Chelsea job?

One of the names I’m hearing about is Sebastian Hoeness at Stuttgart – a very talented coach who is highly rated at Chelsea and regarded by some as someone who’s going to be one of the next big managers. But, he already said to Bayern as his intention remains to continue at Stuttgart, so it’s not easy but Chelsea really appreciate him.

Thomas Frank has been mentioned internally at Chelsea, and this comes after they just hired the set piece coach from Brentford, so that’s a very good relationship. Another name to mention is Kieran McKenna after he did an excellent job at Ipswich Town and my understanding is that he’s not negotiating a new deal with Ipswich because his priority is to wait for a different club. McKenna has had conversations with several clubs, including Brighton, now let’s see if Chelsea reach out to him as he’s being discussed internally.

Enzo Maresca has also been discussed internally, he’s also appreciated by some people Chelsea, but there’s nothing yet about him being the favourite for the job, it’s still just an internal discussion. He has a release clause at Leicester of around €10m, or £7m, after winning promotion to the Premier League. Still, for Chelsea, the list is still open and they’re taking their time to work out who they really want.

Is De Zerbi really dreaming of the Manchester United job?

I’ve had many questions on Erik ten Hag and my understanding is that the internal process to decide his future at Manchester United is still ongoing, but as I keep saying, the situation is really open. It’s not just about winning the FA Cup final on Saturday – it’s about seeing the performance and the attitude of the squad, and there is absolutely the possibility that we’ll see Ten Hag fired by Man United.

As of now, it’s absolutely open and there is a 50-50 possibility to see Ten Hag leaving Old Trafford, and it’s normal that new owners can consider to appoint their “own” manager, but internal talks are still ongoing. But what about some of the names being linked as potential replacements for United?

Mauricio Pochettino is now available and my understanding is that he’s really open to new possibilities. He feels he has the energy to go for a new job, he’s not tired after the last season at Chelsea – he’s not taking a break like Jurgen Klopp, he’s ready to continue and return as soon as possible. So keep an eye on Pochettino because he’s absolutely open to a new job, including with clubs in England. Still, despite reports of Pochettino being appreciated by INEOS, there is nothing to say about Manchester United now for Pochettino.

It’s also important to say that, at this stage, Chelsea are not talking to Roberto de Zerbi. He’s another name we see in the media a lot, but at the moment it’s completely quiet. We’ve also seen him linked as dreaming of the Man United job, but my understanding is that he would love to work in Premier League again, even if it’s not about a specific club, he would just love to continue in the Premier League. He’s really open, even possibilities in other countries could attract De Zerbi for sure. He’s really keen on re-starting as soon as he finds a good project.

Arsenal want new Arteta contract ASAP, plus Lokonga likely to leave

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has only one year left on his contract, but the club consider him an absolutely crucial piece of their project, so they want to extend his contract as soon as possible.

The expectation is for Arsenal to advance on Arteta’s new contract soon. Negotiations will be in the next weeks, potentially months, but both parties are very happy together and I expect Arteta to continue at Arsenal because he’s very happy at the club.

Also on Arsenal, we’ve heard Albert Sambi Lokonga speaking publicly about his future and saying he doesn’t expect to stay at the Emirates Stadium. My understanding is that Arsenal are open to both loan or permanent deal proposals, based on the fee or the player’s preference – that will also be important. Lokonga is expected to leave again because Arsenal want to bring in a new midfielder and they’ve already got many players in that position.

Tottenham linked with Toney as Postecoglou eyes attacking signings

Ivan Toney to Spurs?

Ange Postecoglou has spoken publicly about wanting to bring new attacking players to Tottenham, but it’s still early to name specific names so I don’t have these for now.

There are many names under consideration, so we will be clear in the next weeks. An important first step will also be to decide on Timo Werner, then all the other options. Tottenham will take their time for these kind of deals, but for sure there’s interest in bringing in one or two offensive players.

Ivan Toney is one name I’ve been asked about with Tottenham, after months of links with other clubs as well. It remains a strong possibility for Toney to leave Brentford if top clubs arrive with proposals. He’s an option for several clubs, again Tottenham still have to decide what kind of player they want to bring in, same for Man United… but for sure, there’s a good chance for Toney to leave Brentford for a new club this summer.

Thiago Motta says yes to Juventus job

Thiago Motta has said yes to the Juventus project after a long time of Juve deciding he was the only candidate they wanted to replace Massimiliano Allegri. He looks set to join on a three-year contract worth a little less than €5m net per season.

So, everything is set between Motta and Juventus, the only thing that’s missing is a meeting between Motta and Bologna. He wants to respect Bologna after doing something fantastic there to get the club back into the Champions League after 50 years, so he wants to communicate with them before he signs the contracts, even if the contracts with Juventus are already prepared.

Everything is in place for Motta to leave Bologna for Juventus, as expected, and it’s now just about signing the contracts.

The post Transfer news: Next Chelsea manager, De Zerbi Man United links, Arsenal midfielder to leave & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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