JADON SANCHO OFFERED MAN UTD TRANSFER ESCAPE ROUTE AS EMI MARTINEZ UPDATE EMERGES

Aston Villa are interested in signing Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho, who has been offered to the Midlands club, as United look to sign goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez

Aston Villa have set their sights on signing Manchester United's sidelined player Jadon Sancho, amidst United's own interest in goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Martinez, 32, has been keen to join United for several months, but the club's earlier loan enquiry was swiftly dismissed.

The Manchester Evening News reported in January that United were exploring options to strengthen their goalkeeping squad, with Senne Lammens of Royal Antwerp also on their radar.

Roma have been leading the race to sign Sancho for several weeks, but have yet to make any headway in negotiations. Sancho, 25, had previously identified Italy as his most likely exit strategy and held discussions with Juventus earlier in the summer.

However, Villa have now emerged as a potential destination, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Both Martinez and Sancho are on similar wages, with the former earning £200,000 per week. Sancho's salary is roughly the same due to a Champions League penalty clause that reduces a United player's wage by 25% if they fail to qualify for the competition.

Martinez, who won the World Cup, was notably absent from the Villa squad during their 3-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday. Villa coach Unai Emery conceded that Martinez was not focused.

Villa have struggled to bolster their squad this summer and are yet to secure a win after their first three Premier League matches.

Sancho hasn't made a Premier League appearance for United in over two years. Chelsea paid a £5million penalty fee to avoid signing Sancho at the end of his season-long loan last term.

The winger is in the last ten months of his contract with United, and it's highly unlikely that the club will activate the one-year extension if Sancho remains under contract.

Sancho also made a deadline day switch from United to Chelsea last year.

- Samuel Luckhurst and Will Schofield

JADON SANCHO'S BRUTAL ONE-WORD MESSAGE TO MARCUS RASHFORD SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT MAN UNITED'S EXIT

Marcus Rashford made his first appearance in 59 days coming off the bench for Aston Villa in their FA Cup win over Spurs.

Image: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Ex-Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho has sent his former teammate Marcus Rashford a brutally honest message after making his Aston Villa debut yesterday.

The 27-year-old came off the bench for the Villains in their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup, making his first appearance since leaving Old Trafford in the January transfer window. That display was his first competitive outing in 59 days since United's 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League back in early December, having been cast out by new boss Ruben Amorim.

The England international would go on record to express his desire for a new challenge, which cast his future at the club into further doubt. Rashford was included in just one matchday squad since then, in the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United, but he remained as an unused substitute.

Amorim repeatedly stressed the need for Rashford to improve standards in training if he was to resurrect his United career, drawing some parallels with his situation at Old Trafford to former Reds winger Sancho.

The latter fell out of favour under former boss Erik ten Hag, having also been criticised for his attitude in training, before sealing a loan switch to Borussia Dortmund and then Chelsea this season. Sancho flourished back in Germany, helping Dortmund reach the Champions League Final, before a summer switch to Stamford Bridge, which has also been pretty fruitful so far this campaign.

Chelsea have the option to make the move a permanent one, similarly to Rashford and Villa. Rashford is still under contract at Old Trafford until the summer of 2028, but Emery's side have the option to make his move to the Midlands a permanent one for a fee of £40 million, should he impress.

Rashford was given a warm welcome by the Villa faithful on Sunday night, his first outing for the club a week after signing on the dotted line. He entered the pitch in the 65th minute, replacing fellow new boy Donyell Malen, and touched the ball 22 times, with each touch met with excitement from the home crowd.

Rashford took to Instagram to thank his new fanbase for the support, sharing six photos with the caption: "Thank you for the warm welcome. Great team performance."

Sancho gave a brutal one-word response saying: "Freedom," along with the praying and the raised hand emoji. His comment appears to take aim at those doubting Rashford, hinting we could now see the best of the Reds academy graduate having sealed a move away from Old Trafford.

Rashford will be hoping his stint at Villa Park can follow in the footsteps of his former teammate, hoping to rediscover his best form under Unai Emery.

- Matty Hewitt

MAN UNITED WON'T OVERPAY, RISK TRANSFER 'SETBACK' - CEO

Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada has said the club will not be held to ransom in their future transfer dealings because a bad deal can "set you back."

In the past, United have been accused of over-paying for players, both in terms of transfer fees and wages.

The first summer window under the new leadership team -- of which Berrada is part -- saw United spend close to £200 million ($221m) on five new players.

Berrada said the club were "disciplined" with the fees paid for new players while also highlighting the dangers of getting deals wrong

"We were able to do it [the summer window] in a financially sustainable way," Berrada said.

"We were quite disciplined about the valuations we were giving to the players who were going to come in. We stuck to those valuations. I think [sporting director] Dan [Ashworth] and the team did a fantastic job in the negotiations process.

"The reason I mention that is if you make a mistake and if you overspend or get a player who can cost you too much, it can set you back. Which is why you need to be able to take those decisions and make the right ones consistently over time to be in a position to win consistently."

As well as five new players, United also sanctioned the departures of a number of first-team squad members including Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Scott McTominay.

Sources have told ESPN that some within the club had reservations about letting McTominay leave for Napoli. Ashworth, though, said it was part of his job to make tough decisions.

"You have to be quite brave and make decisions that maybe you don't want to make," he said.

"But you can't have a bloated squad, and you're also dealing with players that ultimately want to play football. So you want to make sure that the squad is lean, but you have enough depth.

"The schedule, especially with the new Europa League format, is pretty punishing. So we want to make sure we've got enough depth that we don't carry a bloated squad and we're able to keep the players with the motivation and thought that they've got a chance of playing. If you run with too big a squad, it can cause problems. So you have to sometimes make some brave decisions on that."

Jadon Sancho was another senior player allowed to leave after he made the move to Chelsea, initially on loan, on deadline day.

It came almost a year after Sancho's public fall-out with Erik ten Hag but Ashworth insists the 24-year-old has not been "kicked out" of Old Trafford.

"I think with any player, whether it's Jadon, whether it's Scott or whether it's Aaron, if there's a preference that they would like to move and go to a new club and it's right for them and it's right for us, then you have to explore it," Ashworth said.

"We felt we had enough depth in that particular position to be able to cover it, we've got four really good wide players, Jadon was a fifth, and it just enabled us to make that decision that if it was good for him and good for us it was something we were willing to consider.

"It was a decision that we made. If it's right for Jadon and it's right for us to move on.

"He wanted to explore the opportunity at Chelsea, like Scott wanted to explore the opportunity at Napoli, like Aaron Wanted to explore the opportunity at West Ham. We're not in a position where we're kicking players out of the club."

- Rob Dawson, Correspondent

ARSENAL GIVEN CHANCE TO SIGN CHELSEA'S STERLING - SOURCES

Raheem Sterling has been told he is surplus to requirements at Chelsea. Jeff Dean/Getty Images

Arsenal have been offered the chance to sign Chelsea winger Raheem Sterling, sources have told ESPN.

The 29-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and sources have said he is keen to secure a permanent move to another Premier League club to revive his career at club and international level.

Chelsea want to offload his £325,000-a-week wage and are thought to be open to a loan deal given Sterling has three years remaining on his contract.

They have been in talks with Manchester United over a possible swap deal involving Jadon Sancho but that proposal remains complicated given the salary levels involved.

Juventus also remain interested in Sancho, while Sterling's camp have sounded out other options including Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta distanced the club from a move from Sterling last week despite speaking positively about his character after the pair worked together for three years at Manchester City.

However, Arsenal have been open to signing an attacking player throughout the window and are discussing their options, having also been linked with a late move for Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are closing in on the loan signing of Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto with the Brazilian set to undergo a medical on Friday morning, sources have told ESPN.

The 35-year-old has been identified by Arsenal as a back-up for first-choice goalkeeper David Raya and his arrival will enable Aaron Ramsdale to complete his move to Southampton.

As ESPN reported on Thursday, Ramsdale has agreed a deal worth up to £25 million ($33m) including add-ons. Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal are open to signing another goalkeeper on Friday if the right opportunity arises having allowed Karl Hein to go out on loan to Real Valladolid.

They have shown an interest in Espanyol's Joan García and have also been linked with Wigan's Sam Tickle. Sources added that Espanyol want a fee in excess of €20m ($22m) for Garcia.

CHELSEA SET TO RIVAL JUVENTUS FOR JADON SANCHO DEAL - SOURCE

Jadon Sancho has not featured for Manchester United in the Premier League this season. Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images

Chelsea are considering rivalling Juventus for the signing of Jadon Sancho, a source has told ESPN.

Manchester United are willing to let the forward leave before Friday's transfer deadline. Juventus have held talks with United, but so far an agreement has not been reached.

Sancho, according to a source, is one of a number of options being considered by Chelsea in the last week of the window.

The 24-year-old is yet to feature for United so far this season after being omitted from the squad for games against Fulham and Brighton.

He has been reintegrated at Old Trafford this summer after spending the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund.

Sancho came on as a late substitute in the Community Shield defeat to Manchester City, but he hasn't played a competitive game for United for a year following his public fall-out with manager Erik ten Hag in August 2023.

United would prefer to secure a permanent move for Sancho but, so far, clubs have been unwilling to match their valuation of around £40 million ($52.8m).

Sancho's wages of more than £300k per week are also a stumbling block.

He has two years left on the contract he signed when he arrived from Dortmund in a £73 million deal in 2021.

United have not ruled out agreeing to an initial loan deal for Sancho, as long as there's an option or obligation to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.

Meanwhile, Scott McTominay is in talks with Napoli after United agreed a £25m fee with the Italian side on Sunday.

Should the midfielder decide to join Antonio Conte's team, sources have told ESPN it will give United greater flexibility in their negotiations to bring in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

PSG have been holding out for a fee of around £50m for the Uruguay international to recoup the money spent to sign him from Sporting last summer.

- Rob Dawson, Correspondent

MAN UNITED BOSS TEN HAG BACKES SANCHO TO 'CLICK' AFTER 'MISTAKE'

Jadon Sancho played his first match for Man United in almost a year against Rangers at Murrayfield on Saturday. Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has backed Jadon Sancho to "click" after his return to the club following a public fallout between the pair last season.

Sancho made his first appearance for Man United since last August in a preseason friendly against Rangers on Saturday.

He spent the second half of last season on loan at former club Borussia Dortmund, reaching the UEFA Champions League final, after publicly criticising Ten Hag in a social media post.

But after holding a meeting with Ten Hag earlier this month, Sancho has returned to training with the first team.

"We spoke well," told Dutch outlet AD Sportwereld before Saturday's 2-0 friendly win. "Everyone can make a mistake. If the player reflects on this well, you draw a line and move on.

"This club needs good players, and one thing is certain: Jadon Sancho is a very good player. I hope that we will still click and that he will contribute to our success."

Despite intense speculation over his future, Ten Hag signed a new contract to remain Man United manager this summer. The former Ajax boss took over at Old Trafford in 2022 from interim boss Ralf Ragnick, who had said that the club needed "open-heart" surgery in order to return to their former glories.

"Rangnick was absolutely right," Ten Hag added to AD Sportwereld. "We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he said it exactly right: it is a thorough, very complex operation. And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job."

The structure in place around Ten Hag has changed dramatically in recent months following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe as minority owner. Ten Hag described the early signs of working alongside new sporting director Dan Ashworth, technical director Jason Wilcox and director of recruitment Christopher Vivell as "very good."

Already this summer, United have signed teenage French defender Leny Yoro for an initial fee of €62 million ($67.6m), as well as Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee for more than €40 million ($43m) from Bologna.

The club also continue to hold an interest in defenders Matthijs de Ligt of Bayern Munich and Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, sources have told ESPN.

"I will not specifically comment on whether or not we attract those two names," Ten Hag said in the interview. "It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come. I know Matthijs well and I will not deny that.

"I wanted to sign him two years ago but at that time, he was already very far along to join Bayern Munich but believe it or not, his name did not come from me in the process."

- ESPN 

MAN UNITED PUT OFF BY £70M FEE FOR JARRAD BRANTHWAITE

Jarrad Branthwaite has impressed at center-back for Everton this season. Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images

 Manchester United are prepared to pursue other targets if Everton are unwilling to negotiate over a fee for Jarrad Branthwaite, a source has told ESPN.

Branthwaite is a priority for United in the summer window, but Everton's valuation of more than £70 million ($89m) is problematic.

Sources have told ESPN that Branthwaite is keen to move to Old Trafford and contact with the 21-year-old's representatives has been positive.

United intend to make a formal offer, but a source has told ESPN that Everton will need to compromise on their demands over a fee for a deal to happen.

Sources have told ESPN that United have other centre-backs targets including Marc Guéhi, Jean-Clair Todibo, Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt and are prepared to move on if Everton refuse to negotiate.

According to a source, Everton will need to offload players this summer as they battle to stay on the right side of profit and sustainability regulations.

Everton, according to a source, are insisting their valuation of Branthwaite is fair and in part based on Josko Gvardiol's move from RB Leipzig to Manchester City last year.

Gvardiol, who is a similar age and also a left-footed centre-back, moved to the Etihad Stadium for a fee of around £77m.

United are working with a tight transfer budget this summer and sources have told ESPN that the fee paid for a centre-back will have a direct impact on which other targets can be pursued during the window.

The club are also looking to bring in a striker and a central midfielder with both top targets and lower cost options being considered.

United are hopeful of boasting their summer budget by securing permanent exits for Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood.

Both are valued at around £40m and United are keen to explore permanent deals first before considering whether to sanction loan moves. Sancho and Greenwood spent last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund and Getafe, respectively.

- Rob Dawson, Correspondent

SANCHO'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REDEMPTION SHOWS MAN UNITED WHAT THEY ARE MISSING

Jadon Sancho has been able to return to his great form as he was instrumental in helping Borussia Dortmund advance to the UEFA Champions League final. (Photo by Hendrik Deckers/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)

 DORTMUND, Germany -- Jadon Sancho was a man alone during a miserable autumn in Manchester. Ostracised by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and forced to train, eat and change away from his teammates, sometimes taking his lunch break in his car, the €85 million signing was left wondering where his once-glittering career was headed. Six months later, he is 90 minutes away from winning the UEFA Champions League with Borussia Dortmund.

Life can come at you pretty fast, and Sancho's story of sporting redemption is already complete, regardless of whether he walks off the Wembley pitch on Saturday with a winners' medal following Dortmund's clash with Real Madrid. Win or lose, Sancho has emerged from the toughest period of his career with his reputation as a talented, game-changing winger restored.

But for four months, Sancho was a nobody at United. His reaction to being dropped by Ten Hag for a Premier League game at Arsenal as a consequence of what the manager deemed to be unsatisfactory performances in training was to post a message on his X account saying the comments were "completely untrue."

Ten Hag demanded a public apology, which Sancho refused to give, and although he deleted his X post 10 days later, the damage was done, and the two men held firm in their respective positions through Sancho's departure to Dortmund, who he had left for United in an €85m transfer in 2021, on a six-month loan in January.

Dortmund have witnessed Sancho's rebirth. His return of three goals and three assists in 20 Bundesliga and Champions League games does not paint the full picture of his importance to Edin Terzic's team on their path to Saturday's final. Anyone who witnessed his performance in the first leg of the semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain would attest to Sancho's impact.

That night, he completed 11 take-ons (aka "direct runs past a defender"), which was the most recorded in any Champions League game since Lionel Messi for Barcelona against United in 2008. After the game, Dortmund's official X account posted about Sancho, "You all owe him an apology, we were ALWAYS familiar with his game."

But does he have one more stellar performance in his locker this season? Can Sancho use the biggest club game in world football to show United, and Ten Hag, what they are missing?

"He made the decision a couple of years ago to leave us and he thought it would be a step to help him win the Champions League trophy," Dortmund coach Terzic said. "And now he is back and he is as close as possible to win it. We are now on a mission to fulfill our dreams. Jadon wants to fulfill his dream of lifting the Champions League trophy and hopefully, we can give him that support."

Sancho has often been a challenging character for clubs and coaches throughout his career. Ten Hag was not the first coach to encounter Sancho's uncompromising streak, with Pep Guardiola and Gareth Southgate also having to address disciplinary issues over the years. Guardiola sanctioned Sancho's move from Manchester City to Dortmund in 2017 because he "didn't want to take this challenge" of proving himself at the Etihad Stadium, while Sancho's poor time-keeping was one factor in Southgate's decision to omit him from the senior England squad.

A United source has told ESPN that Sancho is a "good kid, but unbelievably stubborn" and it is that stubbornness -- framed as a refusal to compromise if he believes he has been wronged -- that defines Sancho, who attributes much of his personality and mentality to his upbringing and early years playing cage football (on small, wire-fenced pitches) in the tough Kennington district of south London.

"I know I've taken a different route to where I am now from most of the other players, but it's what helped make me," Sancho told the Football Association in 2021. "I never had a club or anything like that, it was just cage football at the start and at weekends there might've been a tournament at a local park.

"I just used to have fun, being free and having no rules. There'd be me and my boys from one estate and we'd play the boys from another estate and there'd be a rivalry.

"There's a lot of people who play street football, but it's the progression as you get older and more rules come into play. I wouldn't say it becomes less fun, but it becomes more strict which might affect people."

That sense of Sancho being a kid at heart, who loves the fun of the game and struggles to embrace the rigidity and demands of the professional sport, is a real one. Sources have told ESPN that he is "very shy" around non-playing staff, albeit courteous and polite, and that he took time to settle at United after arriving from Dortmund. In late 2022, Sancho spent time away from the club, training in the Netherlands, due to what Ten Hag described as "physical and mental issues," while a source within the England camp have said that Sancho was also deeply affected by the reaction to his penalty shootout miss in England's Euro 2020 final defeat against Italy.

"He was hammered for that and Jadon, like Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford, suffered some horrendous racism within the social media abuse," the source told ESPN. "All three of them took time to get over it, but Jadon also had to factor in a big move from Dortmund to United at the same time and the pressure of his transfer fee at just 21 years old. He found it really hard to overcome all of that."

Sources also said that while Sancho is not a troublemaker or negative influence within the group of players, his habit of breaching minor rules can be an issue. Being late for training or team meetings has been a regular occurrence for club and country, while his aversion to fulfilling media duties has also irked teammates and officials. During Euro 2020, he was the only senior member of the England squad to refuse to speak to the media, even when nominated to do a news conference ahead of the second-round game against Germany, despite spending four years in the Bundesliga.

There were also infringements during his first spell at Dortmund, with then-coach Lucien Favre dropping Sancho for a game against Borussia Monchengladbach in 2019 as a "disciplinary measure" for returning late from international duty. But as Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said before his return from United in January, Sancho's shortcomings are the source of frustration rather than anything more serious.

"Jadon has no problem with discipline," Watzke said. "I don't know who thought that up. The lad has a bit of a problem with his internal clock and can be a bit late from time to time."

Ten Hag's disciplinarian approach at United proved to be less forgiving than Dortmund's, however. When the former Ajax coach was hired by United in the summer of 2022, one element of his remit was to impose greater discipline on a squad that had taken advantage of predecessor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's light touch to management. Cristiano Ronaldo was censured twice by Ten Hag for breaching his disciplinary code before the Portugal forward's contract being cancelled by mutual consent in Nov. 2022, while Alejandro Garnacho and Rashford were dropped by the manager last season for turning up late for team meetings.

"Marcus was 30 seconds late for a meeting at Wolves away," a United source told ESPN. "These are the standards set and all the players agreed and bought into this."

One source said that Sancho's frustration with what he perceived to be unfair treatment by Ten Hag was rooted in a belief that his performances were being judged more harshly than those of some teammates signed during the manager's period in charge. His post on X was a combination of anger at Ten Hag's comments and at others being given more chances in the team despite struggling to justify their selection.

- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

JÜRGEN KLOPP AIMS DIGS AT MAN CITY, CHELSEA AND MAN UNITED

Jürgen Klopp attended a farewell event in Liverpool on Tuesday that was attended by approximately 11,000 fans. John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

 Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp criticised several of the club's rivals during a "Danke, Jürgen" farewell event on Tuesday, appearing to aim digs at Manchester City's alleged financial rules breaches, Chelsea's owners and Manchester United's handling of Jadon Sancho.

Klopp returned to the city for the send-off event at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena, nine days after his final match in charge -- a 2-0 victory over Wolves at Anfield.

The 56-year-old won seven major trophies during his nine-year tenure, lifting the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League title in 2020. But Liverpool were also pipped to the title by a single point by City on two occasions.

City have been charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, with the league's CEO Richard Masters saying on April 26 that the hearing over City's alleged breaches will take place in the "near future."

"You leave this club having won the Premier League once," one of the event's hosts, comedian John Bishop, said. "There could be a court decision that means you've won the Premier League three times..." Klopp interrupted: "If you organise a bus parade, I'm in! How long it takes I don't care."

Klopp also said that he had no regrets over Liverpool not signing star players such as Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland as it is not the "Liverpool way."

"Can you imagine LFC as the club with unlimited money?" Klopp said. "Imagine Kylian Mbappé came here. Imagine Bellingham came here, Haaland. It is not us, it just does not fit. We won what we won and we did it the Liverpool way. We had hard conversations and other clubs didn't do that in the same time."

Klopp said that he felt supported by Liverpool's owners during his time at the club and added that he felt that he would not have been shown as much faith at some other teams.

"We should be really happy that we have these owners and not guys who bought London clubs and other stuff," the German coach said. "I wouldn't have survived a year at Liverpool [with them in charge].

"'Great development but not good enough, sack him!' A year later: 'Sack him.' Then finally they play football where people think they might be back and they sack the manager anyway.

"People always think the grass is greener but we have owners who really feel responsible for the club and work really hard as well to be successful. I felt supported. We did it as good as we could have done and I'm fine with it."

Klopp also appeared to criticise United's treatment of Sancho, who joined the team from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, before falling out with head coach Erik ten Hag and re-joining the German club on loan last summer.

"If the whole world loses trust and faith in the player, the manager has to be the one behind the player," Klopp said.

"I cannot just buy into that, 'he's useless,' like other clubs did by the way, buying a player for £80 million ($102m) and then sending him out on loan."

- ESPN 

LOTHER MATTHAUS ON JADON SANCHO IN 2021 | VIA THE GUARDIAN

 

EUROPEAN SOCCER NEWS: DREAM GOAL FOR REAL MADRID'S GÜLER

Arda Güler scored on his first league start for Real Madrid to win 1-0 over Real Sociedad edging closer to the LaLiga title. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images)

 It's another weekend of exciting action across Europe and here we are again to bring you a review of all the sights, sounds and drama that has occurred.

In Spain, we saw Real Madrid get closer to the LaLiga title following a 1-0 win against Real Sociedad, while over in Serie A there was a lackluster 0-0 draw between Juventus and AC Milan. Bayer Leverkusen remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga after a dramatic 2-2 draw with VfB Stuttgart, but the real spectacle was in Leipzig where Marco Rose's side hit four past Borussia Dortmund.

Let's take a look back at what happened all across the continent this weekend.

SATURDAY REVIEW

Güler scores as Madrid grow their lead at the top

"Arda Güler will get the minutes he wants" was what Carlo Ancelotti said this week. On Friday, the Real Madrid coach was true to his word. The 19-year-old Güler got his first league start away at Real Sociedad and was rewarded with the goal that gave Madrid a 1-0 win to increase their lead at the top of the LaLiga table.

Güler has had to be patient this season. A pre-season meniscus injury disrupted his start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu, followed by two muscular problems which kept him out until January. Since then, more patience has been required, with Ancelotti reluctant to throw the raw teenager into a team looking to win LaLiga and the UEFA Champions League.

The playmaker scored his first Madrid goal off the bench against Celta Vigo on March 10, and almost got the goal of the season at Osasuna a week later, hitting the bar from the halfway line. ESPN has reported that some at Madrid feel Ancelotti should have given the teenager more opportunities to prove himself.

Those voices will have been happy with Güler's contribution in San Sebastian. His 29th-minute goal was a cool finish, slotting Dani Carvajal's cross first time through the legs of keeper Álex Remiro. Before that, Güler had been booked for arguing with the referee; later, he showed deceptive strength going shoulder-to-shoulder with defender Robin Le Normand. There were two second-half shots from distance before he was substituted in the 68th minute.

Güler's 2023-24 record now reads six LaLiga appearances -- one start here, after five as a sub -- and two goals, an impressive return given such limited minutes. His development might be best served on loan next season, playing every week, but Ancelotti won't hear it. "Arda will be a very important player for us in the future," the coach said post-match. "There's no doubt he stays with us next year." -- Alex Kirkland

Saturday talking points around the leagues

Dortmund collapse against Leipzig days before Champions League clash with PSG

In a battle for fourth place in the Bundesliga standings on Saturday afternoon, RB Leipzig comfortably eased past Borussia Dortmund to extend the gap between the two teams to five points with three games remaining.

Four days before their Champions League semifinal first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund lacked the luxury of resting key players. However, both Emre Can and Ian Maatsen missed the game in eastern Germany through suspension.

Before Saturday's game, RB Leipzig had prevailed in four of their five previous meetings with Dortmund, with Leipzig's intense pressing style often neutralizing BVB's efforts in possession. During the opening quarter, the dynamic between the two teams looked quite familiar. Dortmund were indebted to their two center-backs, Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck, for surviving the game's early stages without conceding.

Once Jadon Sancho scored the go-ahead goal for the visitors, all hell broke loose at both ends of the pitch. But Leipzig converted their chances for a 2-1 lead at halftime. Moments after the break, Dortmund were caught off guard again, as Leipzig advanced down the field at a rapid pace to set up a Mohamed Simakan goal. Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for BVB, Hummels had to be taken off with what appeared to be a muscle injury, putting his availability for Wednesday's game against Paris in jeopardy.

A lackluster Dortmund failed to mount a second-half comeback. Leipzig remained more dangerous offensively and added a fourth goal in the 80th minute. While Dortmund have normally played better in Champions League games this season, this performance in a crucial league game does not bode well for their chances against a Kylian Mbappé-inspired PSG side.

Dortmund's chances of finishing fourth in the Bundesliga are now incredibly slim with Leipzig five points ahead. However, the Bundesliga will likely be granted a fifth spot for next year's Champions League, thanks largely to strong results by Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Dortmund in European competition this campaign. -- Constantin Eckner

Juve and Milan serve up forgettable draw

Once again, Serie A has been great this season. Inter Milan are superb champions, Bologna and manager Thiago Motta have been a beautiful revelation, Atalanta a breath of fresh air, Fiorentina a joy to watch, and Daniele De Rossi a pleasant surprise for Roma. We have had some great games, amazing derbies and late drama. And then we had Juventus against Milan on Saturday. The most disappointing 0-0 draw of the season. 90 minutes of not much between a Turin side that has been average all season (to be kind) and a Milan team who had not won any of their last four matches and suffered a historic defeat in the Derby della Madonnina on Monday to crown their arch-rivals and neighbouring champions.

Christian Pulisic and his teammates are second in the table and for them, the only objective in this game was simply not to lose. They played for a 0-0 draw and they got it. They didn't create anything, had zero shots on target and mere expected goals of 0.31.

Juventus tried a bit more at least. They had two big chances saved by Marco Sportiello, in front of Danilo with a great acrobatic move and on a Arkadiusz Milik header. The Bianconeri were poor in the first half but had to push a bit more after the break because their third place is not guaranteed at all considering their current form: only two wins in their last nine games. They are only three points clear of Bologna in fourth and seven on Roma in fifth who both have a game in hand while Atalanta are 11 points behind in sixth but with two games in hand. This could be a very tense end of the season for them with four matches to go! And Saturday's game didn't do much good for head coach Max Allegri's future at the club. This team and this club are going nowhere with him at the helm.

For Milan, it is all about seeing out the season now after a disappointing last few weeks, losing to Roma in the Europa League quarterfinals and handing the title to Inter. Manager Stefano Pioli is also under pressure regarding his future at the club and today's performance would not have really helped him either. -- Julien Laurens

Americans abroad: Sargent scores, Americans in Italy disappoint

The huge highlight coming from the USMNT players abroad on Saturday came in England where Josh Sargent scored in Norwich City's 2-2 draw against Swansea City as the striker now has 16 goals to his name in the EFL Championship.

With that goal, he becomes the leading top American goalscorer in England's second division, surpassing Coventry City's Haji Wright by one goal. The Canaries are still pushing to get promoted to the Premier League as they currently sit in fifth place in the league table, in a qualification spot for the play-offs as they look to join Leicester City and another side to England's first division next season.

Meanwhile, in Italy, we saw an all-American affair as Juventus of Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie took on AC Milan of Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah in a heavyweight clash between two historical giants in Serie A.

However, it was a mere dull encounter as both teams played to a scoreless draw, meaning that Milan continue in second below the newly crowned champions and neighbors, Inter but above Juve by five points as both teams look to qualify for next season's Champions League. -- Roberto Rojas

News of the day

Mohamed Salah has refused to reveal the reasons behind the touchline disagreement he had with manager Jurgen Klopp during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with West Ham. The Egyptian forward was quoted in the mixed zone saying: "There is going to be fire today if I speak." Klopp had declined to elaborate on the reasons about the argument saying: "We spoke about that in the dressing room and it's done for me, that's all."

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says her team were "robbed" in their UEFA Women's Champions League semifinal loss on Saturday, describing the penalty awarded to Barcelona as the "worst refereeing decision in women's Champions League history."

And finally, on Saturday ...

46 matches unbeaten in all competitions. An insane number continues to increase as the new reigned Bundesliga champions from Germany in Bayer Leverkusen snatched another last-minute result that keeps their unbeaten streak to 46 games following a comeback 2-2 draw at home to VfB Stuttgart.

It was looking like it was going to go the way of the visitors as two goals from the second half came from Chris Führich and Deniz Undav in a span of 10 minutes meaning that Xabi Alonso's unbeaten streak was going to be broken right at the near end of the Bundesliga season. However, this is Bayer Leverkusen we're talking about. They don't give up as they have repeated done so in the league and also in the Europa League.

A goal from Amine Adli 29 minutes from time restored some hope for Leverkusen and they kept attacking by putting more pressure on Stuttgart until the final ball came in the 96th minute, as off a free kick, the ball was found to Robert Andrich and struck it into the back of the next to secure a point and keep his team's streak alive as they head into their Europa League semifinal tie against Roma this upcoming week.

A even crazier stat? Bayer Leverkusen have now scored an equalizer or game winner in stoppage time on 10 different occasions! An insane amount as they look to cap off a historic season with possibly three trophies. But for now, the unbeaten streak continues. -- Rojas

- ESPN

SANCHO FIRES DORTMUND PAST PSV INTO UCL QUARTERFINALS

Jadon Sancho's return on loan has provided a welcome boost for Borussia Dortmund. INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images

 Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus scored as Borussia Dortmund secured a 2-0 win over PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday and a Champions League last-eight place for the first time in three years with a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Sancho, on loan from Manchester United, threaded his shot through the legs of an Eindhoven player and in off the post for his second goal in two matches.

It was the second goal in two matches for Sancho, who returned to Dortmund in January on loan from United after falling out of favour with coach Erik ten Hag.

He had joined United from Dortmund for €85 million ($93m) in 2021 on a five-year deal, but failed to hold down a regular spot and had made just three appearances this season before returning to the Ruhr valley in January.

Sancho was also on target in Saturday's 2-1 league win over Werder Bremen.

Donyell Malen almost scored another for the hosts a little later but his low shot sailed just wide of the far post.

"I think we really earned our quarter-final spot today with hard work," said Dortmund coach Edin Terzic. "We played perhaps the best 30 minutes of the season at the beginning."

"We should have scored more goals during that pressing phase. Unfortunately, in the second half, we stopped playing like that but defended with passion."

Eindhoven, who last reached the quarterfinals in 2007, improved after the break and substitute Hirving Lozano rattled the post with a missile from 25 metres.

Johan Bakayoko then dribbled past defender Mats Hummels, forcing a good save from Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel in the 70th as Eindhoven kept pushing for an equaliser.

Niclas Füllkrug thought he had settled the hosts' nerves and put the game to bed when he volleyed in a Reus free kick in the 77th but his effort was ruled offside and the Germans had to endure even more Dutch pressure.

Luuk de Jong could have sent the game into extra time when he was left free in front of goal but instead of tapping in, he sent the ball wildly over the bar in stoppage time.

"I got the ball and did a one-two with [Jordan] Teze," De Jong said. "But I was leaning back when I shot and it all happened so quickly. Of course, I feel that I shouldn't have missed."

Dortmund then struck with the very next move as Reus completed a quick break to seal the win.

- Reuters 

SOME PLAYERS CAN'T HANDLE MAN UNITED - TEN HAG

Getty 

Erik ten Hag has suggested some players can't handle the pressure of representing Manchester United but insists signing for the club is still "the best challenge" for any footballer.

Ten Hag has sanctioned Donny van Beek's loan move to Eintracht Frankfurt in the January window while Jadon Sancho is set to return to former club Borussia Dortmund, also on loan.

Dawson

Van de Beek was on a Ballon d'Or shortlist before his £35m move from Ajax in 2020 and Sancho was one of the most promising young players in Europe when he arrived in a £73m deal from Dortmund in 2021.

Ten Hag, however, insists it's not always the club's fault when high-profile signings don't work out.

"That is always on those players and how much confidence you have in your capabilities but I can tell you one thing; the Premier League is tough," said Ten Hag.

"Man United; that is tough to play there because it's easier to play in almost any other team than Man United because the pressure is that high, always. You have to deal with that.

"But if you have confidence in yourself, this is the best challenge and this is definitely the best club you want to be at as a player. It depends from player to player, and it depends especially on the character of the player, their personality."

Sancho's dip in form since his transfer to Old Trafford two-and-a-half years ago has seen the 23-year-old -- exiled at United for the four months following a public fall-out with Ten Hag -- lose his place in the England squad while Van de Beek was never able to win a regular place in midfield.

Van de Beek excelled under Ten Hag in a team which reached the Champions League semifinals in 2019 but the United manager said a series of injuries meant he was never able to reach the same level at Old Traffor"He has had many injuries, first of all," said Ten Hag.

"I worked with him for two years [at United] and before he was under different managers here. He had a loan before as well. Actually, from the first moment I came in here at Manchester United, he wasn't the player he was at Ajax because he was injured.

"So many times he was not available and then he struggled for a long time to recover from that injury. That is probably the main reason why he was not playing.

"We decided for a loan in the summer but it didn't come and then his opportunities are few because also we make appointments and we make agreements with players and contract players in that position. The competition was high."

- Rob Dowson, Correspondent, ESPN 

MAN UNITED, DORTMUND AGREE SANCHO LOAN 'IN PRINCIPLE' - SOURCE

PA Wire

Manchester United have agreed a deal in principle to send Jadon Sancho on loan to former club Borussia Dortmund, a source has told ESPN, but there are still details to finalise before he's allowed to join up with the Bundesliga side.

Sancho, 23, has indicated he's keen to return to Dortmund, 2½ years after his £73m move to Old Trafford, after being exiled from United's first-team squad by manager Erik ten Hag.

United have accepted the framework of a six-month loan proposed by Dortmund, which will include a small fee and a contribution to Sancho's wages.

However, the agreement has not been officially signed off, and until it is, Sancho will not be allowed to travel to Dortmund's winter training camp in Spain.

Barring a late collapse in negotiations, the England forward should get the green light over the weekend.

TEN HAG UNSURE IF SANCHO WILL PLAY FOR MAN UTD AGAIN

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he does not know whether Jadon Sancho will play for the club again amid the forward's exile from the first-team over a disciplinary issue.

Sancho, 23, is training away from United's first-team after saying in a now-deleted statement on social media that he had been made a "scapegoat" following his omission from the squad for the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal on Sept. 3.

Ten Hag stated at the time that Sancho had been left out because of his poor performance in training.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday before United host Brighton & Hove Albion, the Dutch coach did not confirm if Sancho remains a part of his long-term plans at the club.

JADON SANCHO HAS FOUND HIS SCORING TOUCH

 

SANCHO HAVING A MEDICAL AS HIS £73 MOVE FROM DORTUMUND TO MANCHESTER UNITED IMMINENT

THE JADON SANCHO-TO-MANCHESTER UNITED TRANSFER SAGA MIGHT BE AT AN END | ESPN FC