Manchester United have permanently washed their hands off Alexis Sanchez as he completes a three-year deal to Inter Milan.

The Chilean international switched camps from Arsenal to ManUtd in what many touted as a big coup for the Red Devils at the time but didn’t go according to plan as he had to join Italian side, Inter Milan on a season-long loan in August 2019.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed the departure of Alexis to reporters after his side also progressed to the quarter-finals beating LASK over a two-legged tie 7-1.

“We have agreed [the deal], he has enjoyed his time there. He is a top player but for whatever reason we didn’t see the best of him. He is a top professional and we wish him all the best.” he ended.

The exact terms of the deal are relatively unknown as both sides are unwilling to provide firm details but it’s been largely speculated that the English side may have suffered a huge financial hit even though they have offloaded on of the big earners at the club.

Sanchez scored just five goals after featuring in over 45 games for United after joining from Arsenal in 2018.

Inter have become used to poaching players from ManUtd over the past few months, with striker Romelu Lukaku,defender Ashley Young and now wideman Alexis Sanchez.

When David De Gea arrived in Manchester as a young lad from Atletico Madrid almost a decade ago, very little people breathed him a lifeline of survival considering he wasn’t physically imposing, couldn’t command his backline and language was a problem in a new country.



Fast forward to almost a decade, Sir Alex Ferguson will sit in his Director’s box and afford a smile knowing he signed a very good player for the club at the time. The Spanish lad has gone on to make an enviable 300 appearances with the Red Devils, beating club legend Peter Schmeichel to that feat, I look at the other clubs and I’m like if De Gea had been there, he would have been tossed out of the ship long ago, Lukas Karius arrived at Liverpool with bundles of expectation but he was tossed out even before one could say jack in the last window, Kepa Arrizabalaga has also been linked with a move away to Valencia, because he can’t make the grade at  Chelsea.



I hear people say, De Gea needs to be let go, they compare him to Allison Becker and Ederson Morales of Liverpool and Manchester City respectively and how they have effortlessly carried their respective clubs shoulder high but I say De Gea did it for four (4) straight years when Man Utd’s defense was out of sorts. I look at the respective backlines assembled by these units and I’m tempted to believe that, De Gea is being attacked for no potent reason, Liverpool have a world-class backline proven and tested (Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson) a Champions winning side and recently crowned English Premier League Champions.

At 29-years the Spaniard should be at the peak of his career but considering the shift he has putting in over the last few years it’s understandable he has worked his socks for a team that has been in transition for so many years under different managers since the retirement of SAF.

A quick peek at the stats below shows that DeGea is never a goalkeeper in decline but needs support to get his aura of invincibility that made him one of the top goalkeepers some seasons past.

David de Gea – do the statistics support the negative views? (Premier League only)

Season           Games           Saves Save %           Conceded    Conceded per game        

2011-12           29        102      77.9     29        1.00     13

2012-13           28        84        76.4     26        0.93     11

2013-14           37        99        69.3     43        1.16     12

2014-15           37        93        71.9     36        0.97     10

2015-16           34        83        71.1     33        0.97     15

2016-17           35        74        71.8     29        0.83     14

2017-18           37        115      80.3     28        0.76     18

2018-19           38        122      69.0     54        1.42     7

2019-20           36        91        72.2     35        0.97     12

There are numerous questions being asked about David De Gea, as to whether, the fat contract, he recently signed has made him comfortable, that he lacks strong competition from Romero or there’s more to it than meets the eye.?.

Whatever be the case, Dean Henderson is a budding talent still cutting his career into a perfect storyline. He needs a season or two to rival DeGea or even stake a claim for the number one spot at a big side of Manchester United’s caliber.

In the end, DeGea needs support than condemnation, he is only human after all.

Manchester United have agreed in principle to sign Olympique Lyonnais striker Moussa Dembele, according to reports. Since the inevitable departure of Lukaku, the club have tried endlessly to replace him and with the turn of events, it looks like they have their man in the French prolific striker.

Manchester United will dish out a whopping £61.8million (€70m) for Dembele, who has scored 42 goals in 88 appearances for Lyon since joining from `Celtic in 2018.

Todofichajes claim an agreement has been reached between all three parties for the 23-year-old to head to Old Trafford in the next transfer window.

Lyon look set to be forced to cash in on their prize assets because they will miss out on European football next season as a result of the 2019/20 Ligue 1 campaign being curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Jean-Michel Aulas, the club’s president, has admitted he might have no choice but to sell his star players.

“I am going to do everything to keep the players, but players who are programmed to play in Europe could want to go elsewhere because we don’t have European football,” he said.

The departure of Lukaku to Inter saw the signing of Odion Ighalo to the squad on loan from Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua.

This signing may prove decisive for United, who have not had an out and out striker since Lukaku’s departure rendering Martial, Rashford, Greenwood on lots of pressure to score more goals.

Per reports making headway, Manchester United may have beaten Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG and Real Madrid to the signing of one Europe’s brightest goal scoring predators.

Two of Europe’s powerhouses in football Manchester United and Juventus are considering a swap deal that will involve two players that have been heavily mooted as gems of their generations.

Dutch defender Mathias DeLigt led botany of talented Ajax side to sweep Europe with their mesmerizing football but has since failed to settle at Juventus after a big-money move.

Whiles Paul Pogba moved to Manchester United for a club-record fee of £89m but has failed to replicate the form that caught the attention of the club hierarchy some seasons past.

Manchester United are looking to swap Paul Pogba for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt, claims the Sun.

Pogba has long been courted by Juventus, in a move that will suit both parties.

An exchange deal, then, would keep both clubs happy, although Real Madrid are also interested in De Ligt, who is nevertheless believed to favour a Premier League move.

It remains to be seen if both players and clubs can rally around the negotiations table and make a deal happen in the next few weeks leading to the resumption of the league once the COVID-19 phase wears off hopefully.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to wreck damage all over the globe, with lots of things badly affected, football has been one of the worst-hit in the sporting arena with the Premier League no exception to that.

In the midst all these challenging adversities, we have to turn focus on the small things that glitter the most.

Before the suspension of the league, Manchester United signed one of Europe’s most sort after cult midfielder’s of Portuguese descent, Bruno Fernandes.

Since his arrival in the footballing city of Manchester, he has lit up the spirits of the Old Trafford faithfuls to an astronomical level.

His arrival after a protracted winter transfer in January has produced a remarkable 11-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, with the former Sporting Lisbon captain crucial to the success under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He played a pivotal role in his debut against Wolves on January 29 before putting up an outstanding display as United won 2-0 away at Chelsea in February.

A week later, United cruised past struggling Watford by 3-0 with Fernandes getting a goal and an assist to be crowned Premier League player of the month for his immediate impact.

It has been the dream start to life at Manchester United for Bruno Fernandes, this has seen him win an accolade to become just the 12th player to win the award within a month of making their debut in the English top-flight, and only the second United player following on from Anthony Martial.

It is no doubt that Bruno Fernandes is clearly developing himself into a cult hero with how he has set the Premier League ablaze, boasting the performances of other players and giving the Old Trafford fan base all over the bragging rights of a well-respected club in Manchester United.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane has reportedly made a decision on his future amid interest from a host of European clubs.

The Englishman is currently nursing an injury that has seen him sidelined for the last few months. His injury has so far caused his club who are still battling a top-four finish.

Several European heavyweights United, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona are said to be interested in signing Kane.

English reports surfaced last week that the hitman was keen on joining Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s rebuilding project at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho’s side are eighth in the Premier League table, seven points behind fourth-place Chelsea.

As it stands they could miss out on all European football altogether next term with Sheffield United, Wolves and United occupying the Europa League spots.

Manchester United have finally pinned Tahith Chong to commit his immediate future to the club when he signed a new two-year deal with the option to extend for a further year on Monday.

The Dutch winger had less than three months on his contract deal which meant that he would have walked out of the doors a free agent in July.

His agent, Erkan Alkan, was spotted a few times in Italy with the likes Juventus, Inter Milan, and Lazio sending scouts to watch the United academy product a few times.

“There was a lot of interest, we talked to big clubs, but Manchester United came up with a good plan for Tahith,” Alkan has said.

“He likes to stay with the club that brought him from the Netherlands.”

The United hierarchy didn’t want to repeat the mistakes they did with the then 19-year-old Paul Pogba who left United for Juventus in the summer of 2012.

Chong came highly recommended by his academy coaches who knew he had the potential having shown glimpses of his capability making 14 first-team appearances after his debut at the start of last year.

The young lad is far from a finished product as there’s some level of rawness and unfinished quality to his game, but needed lots of nurturing to get to his level best.

“Tahith works extremely hard every day and he is constantly improving,” Solskjaer has said. “His performances this season, whether for the first team or Under-23s, are a testament to his hard work, dedication and to his character.”

“We are pleased with the progress he has made since he stepped up from the Academy and are looking forward to continuing to develop his talent.”

“Tahith has great potential; given his age, ability, and work ethic, we can see that he has a bright future at Manchester United.”

It’s said that Chong nearly opted out of Old Trafford before conferring with his family and agent.

Massimiliano Allegri is reported to have agreed a deal in principle with English club Manchester United.

The former Milan and Juventus manager Allegri is without a job since leaving Italian club Juventus last season, where he won five Serie A titles with the club.

Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has failed to replicate the form that got him the job when he managed the side temporarily before he got it on a permanent basis.

Manchester United again this season are set to miss out on the chances of finishing within the top four, this could have dire implications on the sporting side and commercial activities of the club.

With some players set to exit if the club fail to finish in the top half of the league, notably Pogba amongst other players.

Sportsmail reported last month that Allegri has been holding off moves to return to his native Italy with Milan and Juventus after his services in the hope of landing the top reigns at Old Trafford.

Allegri is without a doubt the man with the credentials to help United reclaim its glory days though it won’t come on an easy turf should they dispense the services off Solskjaer, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is also hovering around.

English club Manchester United have tabled £160million in a bid to sign up Jack Grealish and James Maddison this summer.

The pair have been hugely impressive for their respective club sides, as such their performances have not gone unnoticed.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to be a huge admirer of the two Englishmen, who are attacking oriented players and would add lots of firepower to the numb Manchester United side who are struggling to create and score goals in recent times.

Manchester United is preparing for the exit of their star midfielder, Paul Pogba, who was signed for £89m a club-record fee, with SunSport revealing last week United have cut their asking price by £30m to £150m.

The club only managed to bring in just one player for the January transfer window, Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon, which is not enough to augment the club’s visible problems under Ole.

Leicester City playmaker, Maddison, 23, has opened talks with Leicester over a new deal.

But a £90m move to United would see him command a salary of £200,000 a week — double the money on offer at the King Power.

Star midfielder Grealish has been at Aston Villa for 18 years since joining at the age of six.

But the £70m-rated star is beginning to accept he will have to quit his beloved club to boost his  England hopes and also play at the top end of the Premier League and in Europe. Some sources say, he has started house hunting in Manchester, which will come as a huge boast for the Red Devils.

If Manchester United manages to swoop the pair without Champions League football moving forward they will be able to sign quality players to help their Premier League title ambitions which have eluded them the last seven years.

Following the retirement of Alex Ferguson in 2013, the club has failed to find a replacement for the Scot, going through a carousel of managers: something most fans are not used to.

After the disaster of David Moyes, United appointed Loius Van Gaal who got them an FA cup trophy but no Champions League football. Then came Jose Mourinho. The controversial Portuguese tactician was heralded by many as the answer to United’s managerial woes and the man to steer the club into a new and familiar era of success at the club. At the start that was true but Mourinho’s nadir came in his 3rd season after a 3-1 loss to Liverpool. It was too much for the club to take and many felt he had to leave. After Jose’s departure, a club Legend was appointed in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. He had a great start but it tapered to a poor run of form and now with Europa League football secured a fan by the name Kwaku Sarfo Mensah feels this is the way United can return to their glory days.



 

On Football Structure At United

Every successful team is run by football people. People who understand the game and what it needs. People who are passionate about the sport. Every successful club has a CEO who is passionate about the sport and also has in-depth knowledge about the sport. Even if the person isn’t quite a football person, he/she has a football brain by his/her side taking the football decision. Nasir Khelafi is CEO of PSG but has had Leonardo etc taking the football decisions. Ferran Soriano is CEO of Man City and although he’s been in football for long, he has Txiki Begrestain taking football decisions.



In the curious case of Man Utd, I personally would want Ed Woodward to stay, why because with all the rebuild we need money to fund it and there’s no better CEO in football who brings in more money, Not even the legendary Florentino Perez. Ed isn’t a football person. He’s never been in football. He’s been an investment banker all his life. His principle and approach are obviously different. What he needs to do is to bring in seasoned football people to build a good technical structure which will be spearheaded by a technical director. These people should take the football decisions. Ed should focus on the commercial and administrative role.

On Who Should Be Manager 

These guys should bring in a manager and set realistic targets for the manager. Let’s say a 3-5year development plan with KPIs that are assessed at the end of every year. With this plan must come investment into the playing body. With this plan, the manager must be backed all the way. This, in my opinion, is the only way out for ManUtd.

The standard is so high now in the premier league. Can you imagine 97points May not win you the league this year? That’s how high the standards are now.
Man Utd as a club has never reached 90+ points. Ever!

Jurgen Kloop after 4 years at Liverpool has done his greatest job ever in terms of total point tally-97 and is currently set to lose out on the Premier League trophy.



This is where we are at now. That’s the target. Either you aim at 100points or you forget entirely.

On Players To Recruit/Buy

On players to bring in, we need players with an incredible work ethic and quality.

I think we should splash hard cash at Spurs and take both Son and Kane. This is a long shot but the more realistic one will be to get Son.
I also think we can lure Lewandowski to Old Trafford. He could give us an RvP season or 2.
So 2 signings in the attack. I’ll dispose of Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez both because of their wages and performance. Lingard and Mata will be squad players. We can’t change everything at once. The following summer will see us change more in the attack.

In midfield, Fellaini hasn’t been replaced since he left, plus the possibility of Herrera leaving. We need to bring in Thomas Partey and a young tempo controlling midfielder eg Frenkie De Jong. (I know he’s off to Barca but he’s just an example).

In defense, we need to dispose of Phil Jones, Darmian and Marcos Rojo all because of fitness and performance.
We need to bring in Koulibaly or Jan Vertonghen and Skriniar as a RCB. We also need to sign a young left back as cover for Luke Shaw.
I’ll keep Young not for football reasons but as a leader to instill discipline and positive team ethics.

CK Akonnor is a bad coach, he treated me unfairly – Appiah Kubi

This is just year 1 summer 1 of our 3-5 year development plan. KPIs being top 4 with minimum 75points. A trophy (any at all).

Also, we should stop this philosophy nonsense and be more strategic and goal oriented.

Left to me alone, José should be brought back and a good football structure built with the above KPIs set plus absolute backing from the board. If you want to match Pep Jose is your guy. He’s done it at Real Madrid and given the necessary support he’ll do so at Manchester United



 

Avid Fan: Kwaku Sarfo Mensah

Twitter: @ksarfo_

 



So there you have it the thoughts of a very passionate Manchester United fan. Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box.