‘World-class’ player Arsenal want to sign has just made Man City his ‘first-choice destination’

‘World-class’ player Arsenal want to sign has just made Man City his ‘first-choice destination’

Arsenal have been dealt a blow as one of their big summer transfer targets prefers a move to Manchester City instead.

The Gunners have gone toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s side for two consecutive seasons in the Premier League. They fell five points short in the 2022/23 campaign and finished two behind last term.

Bruno Guimaraes makes transfer decision after Arsenal and Manchester City links
Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes is expected to be a wanted man this summer.

The Brazilian joined the Magpies in January 2022 and has since been one of their best players. He has made a fantastic name for himself in the Premier League.

The 26-year-old scored seven goals and provided 10 assists for Newcastle last season, and that seems to have impressed many clubs.

Arteta’s side need reinforcements in the middle of the park. Declan Rice has done well there, but if they sign the ‘world-class‘ Guimaraes, the two midfielders can form a sensational partnership together.

Three midfielders Arsenal could sign if Guimaraes goes to City
Arsenal’s plans for midfield are very flexible this summer thanks to Rice.

The Englishman showed in the 2023/24 season that he can play both as a number six and in a box-to-box role on the left side of Arsenal’s midfield.

So, Arsenal could either sign a defensive midfielder or a number eight this summer.

🚨 BREAKING: Manchester City Put £40m Price Tag On Talented Player

Liverpool to be hurt by Man City case ‘in particular’; FSG are in big trouble

Liverpool and Arsenal will be hurt by Manchester City’s battle against the Premier League, according to one expert.

Manchester City shocked world football this week as they mounted a legal challenge against the Premier League. To say it wasn’t well-received would be an understatement – they’re essentially threatening the very fabric of English football.

a fight the Premier League must win for the sake of the game. But it’s also one that could affect Liverpool greatly.

That’s the point made by Keith Wyness, the former Everton CEO who now runs a consultancy that advises elite football clubs. He believes the likes of the Reds and Arsenal could suffer enormously if City get their way.

“This argument is about trying to protect PSR, with City trying to blow it up,” he told Football Insider’s Insider Track podcast. “If they were to be successful, it would polarise things into the haves and the have-nots.

Home
Transfer News
Paper Talk
Premier League

Teams
Your Say
Buy tickets

Login
Sign Up
Home
News
Man Utd Transfers: ‘Increased Bid Coming’ For €120m-rated Star As Man City Dream Fades Fast
Man Utd to destroy Man City transfer dream with ‘increased bid coming’ for €120m star Guardiola loves
James Marshment 5 hours ago

Joao Neves of Benfica is wanted by both Manchester United and Manchester City this summer

Manchester United are reportedly ready to launch a mammoth improved bid to win the race for Joao Neves this summer and beat Manchester City to his signature and end the transfer aims of both Pep Guardiola and Bernardo Silva in the process.

The Red Devils are preparing for what they hope will be a big summer on the transfer front as INEO chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to make his mark at Old Trafford. Having acquired a 27.7% stake in the club from the Glazers and with it gaining full sporting control, the British billionaire has ambitious plans to transform the fortunes of Manchester United.

For too long now, United have been forced to take a backseat and watch their two arch-rivals in Liverpool and Manchester City dominate  the hunt for silverware in England, though two cup wins in two years for United have punctured their duopoly and illustrated the Red Devils are also capable of competing.

GO DEEPER 🔴⚪⚫ The four problem positions Ratcliffe must fix at Man Utd and who might solve their weaknesses

Ratcliffe, however, is determined to turbo-charge a major improvement at Old Trafford that will see the club looking to strengthen the spine of their team. To that end, TEAMtalk understands the Man Utd chief wants to make a minimum of four new signings, with a central defender, a midfielder, a new striker and a new right-sided attacker all on his wishlist.

However, the club will need to make sacrifices too to keep on the right side of the Premier League’s strict new FFP regulations. The exits of Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane (on a combined £590,000 a week – or a staggering £30.68m per year) will help, while other high earners, such as Casemiro, likely to follow.

Man Utd ready to offload high earners
The first major sale of the summer, though, could see United hit badly in the pocket with a crippling £41.5m loss expected on their initial investment into Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Arsenal told to sign Man Utd star who’ll help ‘destroy’ Man City and frighten Liverpool

Man Utd transfers: Embarrassing £41.5m loss coming as bid comes in for unwanted star; second player told to lower demands to secure move
All these sacrificed, though, are necessary with Ratcliffe, alongside sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox looking to fine-tune their playing squad and add a much-needed dose of additional quality.

And with the type of targets United looking at in both defence and midfield unlikely to come cheap, the focus for the Red Devils will undoubtedly be on quality over quantity.

Ashworth’s job will be on ensuring United sign both the right characters and do not pay over the odds to land them. To often in he past the Red Devils have been seen as easy targets when it comes bringing in new players. The extortionate fees paid to Ajax two summers ago for Lisandro Martinez and Antony are testament to that – and Ashworth will need to ensure the days of United being bullied in the market are no more.

It is that policy that has come to pass with their first concrete move of the summer window for Benfica midfielder Neves.

The teenage midfielder has emerged as one of European football’s best No 6’s around, with his talents already winning acclaim from his compatriot and United skipper, Bruno Fernandes.

Tipped to be one of the stars of the upcoming European Championships, Neves has a blockbuster €120m (£102.1m) exit clause in his Benfica deal, making any such move difficult to pull off.

Man Utd transfers: Improved bid coming for Man City target Joao Neves
However, United believe a deal is there to be done and have already seen an opening €60m (£51.1m) proposal laughed off.

But while that opening gambit has been laughed off, it’s now claimed that United ‘have an increased bid coming’ in a bid to ‘steal a march’ on their rivals in the race for the 19-year-old.

While the actual amount is not disclosed, it’s believed United could raise their offer to €75m (£63.9m) for the player, while also adding in a string of add-ons that could take the fee nearer the €85m (£72.4m) mark.

United are well aware of the need to act with haste to win this particular transfer face. Benfica are keen to tie the midfielder down to a new deal and raise his exit clause further towards the €150m mark – making their prospects of a deal now even tougher to negotiate.

IN DEPTH 🔴⚪⚫ Seven Casemiro replacements Man Utd could buy this summer as they target perfect Kobbie Mainoo partner

And there is also the small matter of Manchester City‘s reported interest, with Portuguese reports claiming the midfield sensation is also very much adored by Guardiola and a player he would love to have at the Etihad.

Indeed, City’s chances of a deal have also been talked up by Bernardo Silva, who opes to convince the player to move to the blue half of Manchester this summer.

“As a Portuguese and a player I like, I’d like to see him alongside me. But I want the best for him,” Silva said of his compatriot.

Silva added: “Guardiola? I don’t need to convince him. Joao Neves is already convincing because of the way he works and the energy he brings to the game.

“He won’t be a cheap player, it won’t be easy for many clubs to get in on the act.

“Let him make his decision, let it be what’s best for him. If he keeps up this energy, he has a very good future ahead of him.”

Neves has already clocked up 75 senior games for Benfica, scoring four times, and has been capped six times by his country.

Question 1
Rasmus Hojlund cost Man Utd an initial £64m. Was the initial price they paid for Bruno Fernandes higher or lower?
use
hint
Higher
Lower
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Joao Neves
Related Articles

Harry De Cosemo
6 hours ago
Man Utd: Ratcliffe ready to sell beloved asset with major sacrifice to benefit Red Devils
Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe

James Holland
07 Jun 2024
Bernardo Silva urges Man City to hijack big Man Utd swoop for star who’s ‘convinced’ Pep Guardiola
Joao Neves

James Marshment
06 Jun 2024
Man Utd face crippling £41.5m loss as bid arrives for unwanted star; second player must lower demands to secure move
Manchester United
Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Steve Pearson
05 Jun 2024
Man Utd humbled as €60m midfielder bid laughed off, but Ratcliffe could return with huge new offer
Manchester United
Joao Neves
Featured Articles

Five Copa America players MLS clubs could target in 2024: Former Arsenal, Real Madrid stars…
20 hours ago

Man Utd transfers: TEN top stars from Euro 2024 being hunted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe
22 hours ago

Liverpool transfers: Eight Euro 2024 stars enticing Arne Slot in transformative summer window
07 Jun 2024

Arsenal winger targets: EVERY option linked for the summer 2024 transfer window
07 Jun 2024

The top 10 most expensive signings in Bundesliga history: Bayern Munich dominate
06 Jun 2024
Paper Talk

Euro Paper Talk: Man Utd to stun Liverpool with ‘immediate’ £60m bid for Arne Slot favourite; Mourinho eyes Real Madrid ace for Fenerbahce
07 Jun 2024

Euro Paper Talk: Man Utd green light to sign 93-goal LaLiga striker for cut-price fee; Barcelona confident of €50m Liverpool raid
06 Jun 2024

Euro Paper Talk: Arsenal striker signing nears after rival £500,000-a-week offer rejected; Liverpool launch Serie A transfer hijack
05 Jun 2024
Exclusives

Sources: Newcastle to stun Liverpool, Chelsea as signing of 21y/o Prem star nears
3 hours ago

Exclusive: Concrete Man City interest in Real Madrid star confirmed after brutal Chelsea snub
07 Jun 2024
Manchester City

Exclusive: Tottenham, West Ham get greenlight to sign electric winger as Postecoglou spies reunion
07 Jun 2024
Tottenham Hotspur
Pundits

Carragher slaughters Southgate over axing England star as Rooney names second player who is ‘big loss’
9 hours ago

Arsenal told to sign Man Utd star who’ll help ‘destroy’ Man City and frighten Liverpool
11 hours ago

Enzo Maresca urged to ditch £74m Chelsea pair and sign ‘world-class’ duo
07 Jun 2024
Chelsea
Planet Sport Network

Planet Sport Group
Planet Sport Partners
TEAMtalk Info
Social

© Planet Sport Limited 2024 • All Rights Reserved

Erling Haaland became ‘dressing room burden’ after Pep Guardiola dropped transfer hint

Erling Haaland became a ‘burden on the dressing room’ in his final few months at Dortmund – especially after Pep Guardiola dropped a huge hint he was going to sign him.

The Norwegian goal machine couldn’t keep out of the news toward the tail-end of the 2021/22 season, with the endless speculation putting strain on the BVB dressing room.

Haaland had been at the Westfalenstadion for two-and-a-half years and after banging in 86 goals in 89 games, the biggest clubs in the world were queueing up to sign him, particularly since he had a rather convenient £51million release clause in his contract.

Manchester City ultimately won the race for his signature in May 2022, but only after launching a charm offensive, which began nearly a year earlier. Guardiola openly lavished Haaland with praise as early as June 2021, telling reporters he was one of the very best around.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” the Spaniard said. “Of course, he’s one of the best strikers in the world right now at his age… I know the quality of this player and I think everyone knows.”

Speaking just a few weeks after Haaland’s departure, Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl insisted the clamour around the superstar forward had become a bother both internally and externally and even claimed the club were happy to be rid of him.

“As much as we have always appreciated Erling and the success he has had with our shirt, in the end, the matter had definitely become a burden, both in the dressing room and for the club,” he told German outlet Bild. “In general, for the whole environment, it was just him. The timing of the sale was right, both for us and for City.”

Haaland went on to score an eye-watering 52 goals in his first season at the Etihad Stadium, helping Guardiola’s men seal an historic Treble in the process. The club followed that up by winning the Premier League for a fourth successive year in Haaland’s second season, with the ex-Molde striker scoring 38 times in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Dortmund have been faring pretty well since Haaland’s exit. They finished level on points with Bayern Munich at the end of the 2022/23 season, agonisingly losing out on the Bundesliga title on goal difference.

Their domestic form suffered last season, with Edin Terzic’s men sealing a disappointing fifth-place finish, but they did reach the final of the Champions League, where they were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid.

Erling Haaland became ‘dressing room burden’ after Pep Guardiola dropped transfer hint

Erling Haaland became a ‘burden on the dressing room’ in his final few months at Dortmund – especially after Pep Guardiola dropped a huge hint he was going to sign him.

The Norwegian goal machine couldn’t keep out of the news toward the tail-end of the 2021/22 season, with the endless speculation putting strain on the BVB dressing room.

Haaland had been at the Westfalenstadion for two-and-a-half years and after banging in 86 goals in 89 games, the biggest clubs in the world were queueing up to sign him, particularly since he had a rather convenient £51million release clause in his contract.

Manchester City ultimately won the race for his signature in May 2022, but only after launching a charm offensive, which began nearly a year earlier. Guardiola openly lavished Haaland with praise as early as June 2021, telling reporters he was one of the very best around.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” the Spaniard said. “Of course, he’s one of the best strikers in the world right now at his age… I know the quality of this player and I think everyone knows.”

Speaking just a few weeks after Haaland’s departure, Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl insisted the clamour around the superstar forward had become a bother both internally and externally and even claimed the club were happy to be rid of him.

“As much as we have always appreciated Erling and the success he has had with our shirt, in the end, the matter had definitely become a burden, both in the dressing room and for the club,” he told German outlet Bild. “In general, for the whole environment, it was just him. The timing of the sale was right, both for us and for City.”

Haaland went on to score an eye-watering 52 goals in his first season at the Etihad Stadium, helping Guardiola’s men seal an historic Treble in the process. The club followed that up by winning the Premier League for a fourth successive year in Haaland’s second season, with the ex-Molde striker scoring 38 times in all competitions.