Manchester United have cut their short-list of midfield targets to replace Casemiro this summer down to three players.
Confidential can reveal that Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are United’s top contenders to take over from the Brazil star when he leaves Old Trafford at the end of the season.
The club have been linked with a number of central midfielders since it became clear that Casemiro would be moving on, and they are likely to be in the market for another one if Manuel Ugarte departs. United will face competition from their biggest Premier League rivals, notably Manchester City who are thought to be leading the chase for Anderson.
At least, United will keep hold of Kobbie Mainoo who is set to sign a new five-year contract once the fine details of the deal are completed after nearly two years of talks. The 20-year-old has revived his Old Trafford career, starting every game for United since Michael Carrick took over as head coach and reclaiming a place in the England squad.
Although United have an interest in Tonali, it’s understood that they would be unlikely to move for his Newcastle team-mate Bruno Guimaraes. Sources have dismissed speculation that talks are at an advanced stage, and Newcastle are said to be determined to keep the Brazilian.
If United qualify for the Champions League, they will have more money to spend this summer and more to offer new signings. Moving big-earners like Casemiro, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho off the wage bill will also help.
Sandro Tonali is on United’s summer wishlist as they look for a replacement for the departing Casemiro
Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace is also on United’s reduced list of midfield targets
Casemiro will leave as a free agent, United hope that Barcelona will take up the £26million option on Rashford’s loan at the Nou Camp, and Sancho is in talks over a permanent return to Borussia Dortmund when his contract runs out in June.
As well as up to two central midfielders, United will also prioritise a left-sided player. A United scout is believed to have watched Eintracht Frankfurt left-back Nathaniel Brown in their game against Heidenheim last week when Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson was also assessed with a number of Premier League clubs looking at him in recent weeks.
Sesko’s Slovenia surprise
Benjamin Sesko may have withdrawn from Slovenia’s squad due to injury, but this time there has been no tension between club and country.
In fact, Confidential has learned that United’s £73.7million summer signing turned up to the national team training camp in Ljubljana on Monday and went through some light exercises with his team-mates as part of a fitness test.
Sesko had already pulled out of Slovenia’s games against Hungary and Montenegro ‘in order to ensure that he fully recovers from an issue that United have been carefully managing throughout recent weeks’. But having headed home in the international break, it was an opportunity for him to be assessed by Slovenia’s medical staff and speak to new manager Bostjan Cesar in person.
Cesar replaced Matjaz Kek following Slovenia’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in the wake of a defeat to Kosovo in November. Sesko missed the game with a knee injury sustained in a draw at Tottenham, and Kek was unhappy with the lack of communication from United over the 22-year-old player’s condition.
‘With all due respect to a great club like Man United, we have officially not received anything yet; no papers, no documents,’ said Kek at the time. ‘We want our medical team to take a look at it. Our doctor is an expert in this field, we don’t have just anyone in this position.
‘I have certain information, and I am also in contact with Beni. I can’t say anything because officially we don’t know anything at all, United hasn’t contacted anyone from our camp.’
Sesko isn’t the only United player to withdrawn from international duty. Bryan Mbeumo dropped out of Cameroon’s friendlies against Australia and China in Sydney and Melbourne, with the long journey a factor in United’s decision to rest him as a precaution.
Both Sesko and Mbeumo are expected to be fit for United’s next game against Leeds. Harry Maguire will serve a one-match suspension, but Lisandro Martinez will be available again.
Benjamin Sesko joined up with the Slovenia squad at their training camp in Ljubljana on Monday and even went through some light exercises with his team-mates even though he has officially withdrawn from their camp through injury
Sesko has pulled out of Slovenia’s games against Hungary and Montenegro ‘in order to ensure that he fully recovers from an issue that United have been carefully managing throughout recent weeks’
Elvis backs Benji
There are those in Manchester who are nostalgic when the term ‘super sub’ gets thrown around, whether it’s for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, or even referring to Michael Owen coming on to score the winner in the 4-3 victory over City – one of United’s greatest ever derby wins.
Owen told Daily Mail Sport on Monday that he sees Sesko as more of a squad player who can come off the bench than a striker who can spearhead a title bid.
Unsurprisingly, back in Sesko’s homeland, his agent Elvis Basanovic has come out bullishly in his defence. ‘If you ask me about this [super sub] name, I don’t like it. I like super striker much more,’ he told Arena Sport. ‘Benjamin is a super striker. He has started 13 games this year, coming off the bench in 13 games.
‘He scored half of his goals when he started the game and half when he came off the bench. We can see that he is a complete striker and Benjamin is someone who deserves the name “super striker”.’
Plenty of pundits in the UK have been strong in critique of Sesko before backing down. Now it’s a waiting game to see if Owen reaches the same conclusion.
Michael Owen celebrates his own super-sub moment after coming off the bench to score the winner against Manchester City for United in 2009
Carrick’s spot check
As United wait for a response from the PGMOL over their complaint about the officiating of Friday’s 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium, it’s interesting to learn that Michael Carrick’s anger wasn’t actually directed at the decision to award Bournemouth a late penalty and send off Harry Maguire for his challenge on Evanilson.
The post-match inquest has centred around comparisons between Maguire bringing down the Brazilian and Adrien Truffert flooring Amad Diallo, with Sky Sports referee expert Dermot Gallagher one of many to weigh into the debate.
However, Carrick was more concerned that referee Stuart Attwell and VAR official Craig Pawson saw fit to award United a spot-kick for Alexis Jimenez foul on Matheus Cunha and then deny his team a second penalty for the same offence by Truffert on Diallo.
‘It’s pretty much identical for me,’ said Carrick afterwards. ‘A two-hand grab and so either way he (Attwell) has got one wrong. To give one and not give the other, I just can’t get my head around it. It’s crazy. Because of that, they go down the other end, they score and then it’s chaos after that.
‘Surely whatever they think, if one’s been given there’s enough people to decide that it’s the same as the first. That’s what VAR was for. It’s two different decisions, so a bit baffling really.’
The fact that Bournemouth went straight upfield and equalised at 1-1 through Ryan Christie after the Diallo incident only added to Carrick’s sense of injustice. While he accepted that, on balance, the Maguire challenge was worthy of a penalty, in his opinion United should have been 2-0 up at that stage.
Harry Maguire is sent off at Bournemouth on Friday – but that decision is not what angered United boss Michael Carrick
Big break for Reds
United’s stars will be given extra-time off at the end of the international break as the club takes advantage of another blank weekend.
Normally the international players would start to drift back into Carrington to resume training at the end of next week. But with United not involved in the FA Cup quarter-finals, they won’t be required to report back until early the following week. That’s good news for the foreign players in particular who can spend some extra time in their homelands seeing family and friends.
The combination of the international break, FA Cup and Premier League fixture has created a unique scenario for United. With the last game at Bournemouth falling on Friday March 20 and the next one at home to Leeds on Monday April 13, the club will have had four blank weekends in total.
The small number of non-internationals will continue to train at Carrington until Thursday – with academy players called in to make up the numbers – and then have the weekend off.
More match-day change
United’s head coach Carrick has already pushed back the team’s arrival time for home games at Old Trafford and brought it forward for away matches, so they are synced at one hour 45 minutes. Carrick also gives the players a day off after games, unlike his predecessor Ruben Amorim who preferred to use it for a recovery session at Carrington.
Now Confidential has learned that for the last two away games at Newcastle and Bournemouth, Carrick has taken the squad on a midday stroll around the hotel grounds to break up the day and give the players some fresh air ahead of the evening kick-off so they aren’t cooped up inside all day.
It’s unclear if this affected Bruno Fernandes’ annual walk on the beach at Bournemouth with Tom Heaton whenever United play at the Vitality Stadium, something the captain divulged when he gave an interview to UK media in October.
Bournemouth might be the furthest Premier League trip for United, but Carrick and the players were back in Manchester in no time after Friday’s 2-2 draw as the team’s flight landed around 12.45am. The squad were home roughly an hour later and then had the weekend off.
Easter heads to Carrington
Extra time around matches has given United the chance to put on more team and family bonding events. Last Wednesday, players brought their families into Carrington for an Easter fun day organised by the club.
Many players have young children, and while previously there have been team-bonding BBQs or Christmas events, this was another chance for family members to experience the newly-renovated Carrington facility.
Last week, the day before players flew down to Bournemouth, United put on entertainment and an easter egg hunt around Carrington.
It has been well documented that Carrick and his staff have chosen not to over-train players in the absence of games and it’s understood the light relief of a family day on Wednesday was warmly received by the squad.
The Easter Bunny takes advantage of a gap in the fixtures and pays a visit to Carrington
Ramadan fundraiser a big success
This column has previously detailed the tenacious fundraising efforts of Manchester Muslims Supporters Club (MUMSC), and it is worth reflecting on their efforts during Ramadan. The group raised an impressive £324,437 for Palestinian refugees in Jordan across the past two months.
Part of the fundraising saw MUMSC members distribute cash to refugee families in Jordan, as well as secure 12 months’ worth of sponsorship for around 120 orphans, as well as a further 12 sponsorships for families.
‘This is why we have built the platform that we have,’ MUMSC chairman Asif Javed Mahmud said. ‘Not for numbers or followers but so that we can contribute and do good, both locally here in the UK where we have supported the Manchester United Foundation on local initiatives, and also abroad where we can support those who really need it.’
Alan’s disco beat
Alan Keegan is part of the furniture at United, the Voice of Old Trafford since 2000 whose familiar tones ring around the ground on match days.
The popular stadium announcer is taking his talents elsewhere next month, having signed up to the Dementia Disco at Stockport Guildhall. Along with BBC Radio Manchester’s Joe McGrath, Keegan will host the auction and raffle as part of the fundraising drive.
The event on April 25, which includes live performances from artists such as Clint Boon and The Marlins, is raising money for vital dementia research. United fans looking to support, there is more information online. Just search Dementia Disco.
