Xavi Simons has emerged as a target for Manchester United this summer, but Ruben Amorim’s transfer plans are likely to hinge on hitting the Champions League jackpot.
United have maintained contact over the RB Leipzig attacking midfielder, who is one of several options they are juggling as they approach the summer window.
Simons’ versatility and age means he has the profile desired for Amorim’s system, but he would not come cheap. The 21-year-old Holland international has also been followed by Bayern Munich and Manchester City, while Liverpool have watched Leipzig consistently this season.
Simons made a permanent switch from Paris Saint-Germain to Leipzig in January for £48million plus add-ons, but could be sold for a quick profit this summer.
United have put together a list of targets headed by striker Liam Delap, who will cost £30m if his club Ipswich are relegated from the Premier League. United are favourites to sign Delap, but face plenty of competition with Arsenal understood to be the only Premier League club not chasing him. There is also extensive interest from Spain and Germany.
However, alternative options such as Wolves striker Matheus Cunha, Simons’ Leipzig team-mate Benjamin Sesko and Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo would all cost in excess of £60m – and have interest from clubs chasing Champions League football – while Amorim also wants to strengthen in other areas.
Xavi Simons (left) has emerged as a target for Manchester United in the summer window
The RB Leipzig attacking midfielder is one of several options the club are juggling ahead of the window opening
United remain favourites to sign Liam Delap, who is available for £30m if Ipswich go down
United could only afford those prices if they win the Europa League and qualify for next season’s Champions League, which would generate up to £100m in extra income.
Amorim’s side face Lyon in the quarter-final at Old Trafford on Thursday night, all square from last week’s first leg in France, in what is seen as the club’s biggest game of the season so far.
United will also try to raise transfer funds through player sales, with the futures of homegrown talents Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo up in the air.
Aston Villa have yet to decide whether to keep Marcus Rashford at the end of his loan, with United only likely to make a £20m profit after paying off a chunk of his £315,000-a-week contract if Rashford makes a permanent move to Villa Park.
Real Betis might try to extend Antony’s loan in Spain rather than handing over a transfer fee, and Chelsea could send Jadon Sancho back to United by paying a £5m penalty on his loan-to-buy agreement.
With no guarantees over which players will go and for how much, United’s best chance of getting their targets lies in Champions League qualification.
Onana’s staying power
Andre Onana wants to stay at Manchester United this summer, despite interest in the Cameroon goalkeeper from Europe and Saudi Arabia.
Andre Onana wants to stay at United, despite interest from other clubs and criticism of his form
Onana was at fault for both of Lyon’s goals in United’s 2-2 draw in France on Thursday
Onana came under fire for his performance in last week’s Europa League first leg tie against Lyon in France and was rested for Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park.
Although the 29-year-old could return for Thursday’s return with Lyon at Old Trafford, there is still some doubt over his long-term future at United, who are planning a major clear-out of players in the summer.
However, Onana and his family are settled in the north-west having bought a house earlier this year and the former Ajax keeper wants to make a success of his Old Trafford career.
If United decide to sell Onana, two years after he was signed from Inter Milan for £47.2m, there will be no shortage of interest from Europe and the Saudi Pro League.
Matic’s old pal’s act
Nemanja Matic’s extraordinary attack on Onana in Lyon last week was out of character for a man who was hardly renowned for his explosive comments during a five-year career at Old Trafford.
Matic branded Onana ‘one of the worst goalkeepers in United’s history’, triggering a public row and a chain of events that led to the Cameroon international being blamed for both goals United conceded in the Europa League tie in France.
Perhaps Matic’s criticism of Onana has something to do with his friendship with David De Gea. The Spaniard was unceremoniously dumped by Erik ten Hag in the summer of 2023 after 12 years at Old Trafford and replaced by Onana, who had played under the manager at Ajax.
Nemanja Matic launched a stunning attack on Onana before the Europa League quarter-final first leg
Either way, it is likely to provide a sub-plot to Thursday’s second leg between United and Lyon, assuming Onana is recalled in goal.
Tear-gassed fans eye legal action
United fans are exploring legal action after supporters were tear-gassed by French police following the Europa League quarter-final first leg in Lyon on Thursday.
Those in the away end at the Groupama Stadium were subjected to heavy-handed treatment by police, who sprayed fans with tear gas after they tried to access toilet facilities during the mandatory hold-back of more than an hour.
The club are investigating, but Confidential understands groups including the Manchester United Supporters Trust are speaking with experts in England and France to see whether there is scope for a legal challenge.
It is not yet clear what this entails, but action against the French authorities themselves is believed to be on the table.
The 3,000 United fans endured a nightmare trip as they were forced to collect a stadium wristband from the Eurexpo Conference Centre, around 10km away from the stadium. The metro system then failed, which meant supporters were scrambling to reach the ground in time for kick-off, with some forced to spend three-figure sums on taxis.
Lyon fans coming to Old Trafford for the second leg on Thursday will have no such problems, however. There is no mandatory meeting point and no collection of tickets, which are being made available in supporters’ online accounts.
One United supporter shared a post-match video of a number of fans covering their noses, claiming ‘everyone’ had been tear-gassed in the ground
Supporters were seen covering their faces and coughing in a video shared on social media
One fan was heard asking: ‘What the f***ing hell is going on here?’ in the social media video
Security staff suspended
The security staff alleged to have assaulted a fan during a sit-in protest at Old Trafford after the Manchester derby nine days ago will not work at United again until the police have completed an investigation into the incident.
Greater Manchester Police told Confidential the investigation is ongoing, but no charges have been brought yet. It is understood officers have been studying CCTV footage of the incident and video taken by other fans who witnessed what happened in the East Stand, as supporters joined in a planned protest against the club’s owners.
Protest group The 1958 wrote to chief executive Omar Berrada demanding an explanation and received a reply saying: ‘A police investigation into the incident is under way and we will not be making any comment whilst that is ongoing. We can confirm that the security personnel involved in the incident will not be working for the club pending the outcome of that process.’
Rory’s triumphant return
United are looking forward to welcoming Rory McIlroy back to Old Trafford following his triumph in the US Masters, although sources say that will depend on the Northern Irishman’s schedule.
McIlroy entered the history books on Sunday when he beat Justin Rose in a play-off at Augusta to become only the sixth golfer ever to complete a career Grand Slam.
The lifelong United fan celebrated his 2014 Open win by taking the claret jug to Old Trafford and the 35-year-old has already said he will bring along his green jacket if it helps inspire the team.
Rory McIlroy is set to be welcomed to Old Trafford after winning the Masters to complete a career Grand Slam
New role for Roche?
News of a change of roles for Jean-Claude Blanc might not be the end of the musical chairs inside the Old Trafford boardroom.
Blanc has stepped down as a club director and assumed the more extravagant title of chief of international football relations and special advisor to the board, focusing on United’s relationship with FIFA, UEFA and other governing bodies.
After it emerged recently that the club’s chief operating officer Collette Roche has applied for the CEO job at Newcastle, could she be the next high-ranking United official to exit the club?
Roche is one of the few remaining executives from the old regime, with CEO Richard Arnold, interim chief executive Patrick Stewart, football director John Murtough and chief financial officer Cliff Baty all having left in the wake of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.3billion investment.
Sources say that the highly-rated Roche remains very firmly and actively engaged at United. She has been heavily involved in plans to build a new stadium and also taken more responsibility for football operations since Dan Ashworth was axed as sporting director.
The latter role will only make it easier for her to go from COO to CEO, whether that might be at Newcastle or somewhere else. Watch this space.
Execs see women return to Wembley
Roche and chief executive Omar Berrada were in the stands to see United’s women beat Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at the Joie Stadium on Sunday, as two first-half goals from Celin Bizet and Grace Clinton set up a date at Wembley with Chelsea in May.
Jean-Claude Blanc (left) has stepped down as a United director and the club’s CEO Collette Roche (right) could also move as part of a reshuffle
Man United’s women beat Man City to progress to the FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley
Berrada, back in familiar digs at City’s women’s stadium, watched on as holders United booked their third consecutive FA Cup final and a chance for revenge against Chelsea, who beat them 1-0 in their first final two years ago.
Confidential understands Berrada and Roche are the most active members of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s leadership group with the women’s team, particularly following the departure of Dan Ashworth.
Berrada played an influential role in growing City women’s team and is looking to engage with United’s women’s team in a similar way. He has been sighted at more of their games in recent months.
Meanwhile, the Wembley final date is currently set to clash with the men’s fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, although the FA have delayed announcing a kick-off time as they try to avoid that scenario.
Ratcliffe came under fire last season for attending a men’s Premier League game during the women’s sell-out final, and all eyes will be on which part of London the minority owner heads to on May 18.
Sir Jim’s Tanzania talks
Confidential reported at the start of March how Sir Jim Ratcliffe was exploring a partnership with Tanzania through his Six Rivers Africa team.
A Tanzanian delegation met with Ratcliffe in Monaco last month, but it can be revealed that fresh talks were held last Friday amid growing excitement that a partnership agreement can be found.
The Tanzanian government are eager to join forces with United for what has been described as an opportunity to enhance ‘sports development’ and ‘wildlife conservation’ in the country. In return, United would be able to leverage their enormous brand to promote Tanzania as a top tourist destination.
Ratcliffe’s Six Rivers Africa team already do work in the country to promote conservation programmes, but the belief now is that the partnership can be expanded to include the sporting side of United.
Having met with a delegation led by Dr Hassan Abbasi in Monaco last time, Ratcliffe and his team flew to Dar es Salaam to hold talks with Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu.
To further sweeten things, United arranged for personal video messages from Ruben Amorim and Sir Alex Ferguson to the president, as well as giving her a signed shirt from the first team squad.
‘I know you are in conversations with Jim about conservation projects in Tanzania,’ Amorim said. ‘We hope it goes well. We know you are a huge Manchester United fan and I hope to see you soon at Old Trafford.’
Impersonators strike again
Confidential has written numerous times about United players being targeted by impersonators online, with youngsters Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven among those who the club stepped in to protect.
This phenomenon has now spread to the women’s team, where striker Leah Galton became the latest victim. A fake account has been set up purporting to be Galton and was allegedly trying to elicit money from fans, some of whom were unaware that it was not her.
Leah Galton has become the latest United star to be targeted by impersonators online
Galton has since issued a plea on Instagram, one of the two social media platforms that she does hold. ‘Please note: this is my only Instagram account & leahgalton11 is my only TikTok account,’ she wrote. ‘I don’t have Twitter/Facebook or Skype. DO NOT SEND MONEY TO PEOPLE PRETENDING TO BE ME.
‘I am not in love or talking to anyone else but my wife! I hope this makes it SUPER CLEAR!!!’
Clamping down on dangerous fake profiles has been a key focus for United behind the scenes this season and they will look to assist Galton in finding a resolution as swiftly as possible.
Another medic on the move
Physio David Binningsley has become the latest United medic to leave the club after announcing he has quit to dedicate more time to his family.
Confidential revealed in March that United’s head of sports medicine Gary O’Driscoll is leaving the club after just 18 months and senior men’s first-team doctor Jim Moxon has also quit after two years at United to pursue another opportunity.
Moxon has since joined Brighton while O’Driscoll has remained in his role during an transitional period and was seen helping Joshua Zirkzee off the pitch at St James’ Park on Sunday after the Dutchman suffered a hamstring injury.
Binningsley has been at United for nine years after spells with Sunderland and Middlesbrough and wants to spend more time at home with his family.
‘After 26 consecutive years in football, I have decided that now is the right time to step back and give back to my family,’ he said.
‘Those who have lived it – especially at a club like Manchester United – realise that time is so precious. The schedule, travelling and training, is very tough, often to the detriment of those closest to us.
‘I feel so humble that I have ‘lived the dream’. I’m looking forward to spending some time with the family and seeing what the future holds.’
Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay and Tom Heaton all paid tribute to Binningsley on social media.
Dalot follows Mount lead
Diogo Dalot has joined a growing list of players – including his Manchester United team-mate Mason Mount – to sign up with sports marketing group B-Engaged.
The company confirmed Dalot has been added to their stable of athletes, joining the likes of Mount, Kai Havertz, Mateo Kovacic and Noni Madueke. United women’s duo Ella Toone and Emma Watson are also signed up, along with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler.
Diogo Dalot has joined Mason Mount in signing up to sports marketing company B-Engaged
A statement read: ‘We’re excited to announce that Manchester United and Portugal international Diogo Dalot has appointed B-Engaged as his exclusive marketing agency. Our team will be working closely with Diogo to manage all aspects of his off-pitch brand – from commercial partnerships and media strategy to personal brand development, with a focus on elevating his presence beyond the pitch.
‘We’ve developed a more tailored approach for each platform outside of football and refined his content to create a more engaging experience for fans.’
Under-21s face Mersey mission
Travis Binnion’s United Under-21s wrapped up their regular season on Monday night with a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers – now attention turns to the next stage.
The draw sees United finish fifth in the table, two points adrift of Chelsea in third and 11 behind league leaders Manchester City. It means they will face the 12th-placed team in the end of season play-offs, the position currently occupied by Everton.
But should Liverpool defeat Aston Villa away from home on Friday night – nothing more than a win will do – it will be United’s bitter rivals who will set up a play-off that should capture the attention of supporters.
Travis Binnion’s Under-21s wrapped up their regular season on Monday night with a 1-1 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Liverpool beat United earlier this season thanks to a Tyler Morton goal, while Everton and United never crossed paths during the 20-game regular season.
The single elimination play-offs, with players such as Chido Obi back fit and involved, represent a chance for United’s youngsters to finish the season with a flourish.
A star in the making
Congratulations to young Maker Majok and his family after he signed to join United’s academy in recent days.
Alongside his family, the young Kenyan posed with a No 5 shirt in a box at Old Trafford, while a mock-up Sky Sports News briefing was put on the television as United pulled out all the stops for signing day. Nineteen friends and family got to celebrate with him at Old Trafford as snaps of his big day were shared on social media.
Majok, whose favourite player is Kobbie Mainoo, joins United’s Under-11 group on the back of a 31-goal, 18 assist season from 20 games.