MANCHESTER UNITED have been hit with a blow in their pursuit of Jude Bellingham.
SunSport's exclusive has been backed up by Spanish publication AS as they claim that Bellingham himself “prefers Madrid” rather than the Premier League.
While Benfica have slapped a whopping £105MILLION price tag on World Cup-winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
The Argentina star, 21, has made just 13 appearances for the Portuguese club since his transfer in the summer and was one of the break-out stars at the recent tournament in Qatar.
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- Anthony Chapman
Martinez still partying with Argentina
Lisandro Martinez looked a little worse for wear after five days of partying with Argentina pals.
The defender helped his country win the World Cup with a penalty shootout win over France.
And Martinez is still with his teammates in Argentina after some heavy celebrations.
But the centre-back had to hide his tired eyes behind a pair of glasses as he cut an exhausted figure in a new photo.
- Anthony Chapman
Christmas most important for Fergie
Sir Alex Ferguson led Man Utd to 13 titles because he was always fixated on winning in the Christmas period.
Patrice Evra told Betfair: "I remember with Sir Alex Ferguson, that was the best moment of the year when you had to make the maximum number of points and when you got through Christmas and New Years Eve you had a great chance of winning the league.
"Ferguson was always focused on Christmas time. Even if some players didn't like to play game after game, I loved it.
"It's a crucial moment and we won so many league titles because in that period of the year we were performing and winning games."
- Anthony Chapman
Donny tipped for United exit
Mikael Silvestre reckons Donny van de Beek will leave Man Utd next summer if he fails to impress during the rest of the season.
He told bettingexpert: “We haven’t seen a change for Donny van de Beek unfortunately.
“If it’s not within the next five-six months, till the end of the season, then there should be a change.
“It’s hard when you don’t have a run of games. Let’s wait and see.”
- Anthony Chapman
Barcelona want to keep Frenkie
Barcelona have dealt Man Utd a huge transfer blow.
That’s by admitting they never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong.
And a fresh bid from the Red Devils now looks in doubt.
Barca president Joan Laporta said: "I’ve never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong. He has to be a pillar of the team."
- Anthony Chapman
Martinez told to be 'furious'
Paul Parker believes that Lisandro Martinez should be "furious" with his lack of game time for Argentina during the World Cup.
Parker said: "He must have been furious that Nicolas Otamendi played instead of him, which is absolutely crazy.
"He will be disappointed without a shadow of a doubt. He won the final, but he didn't play in the final and that is a weird feeling.
"It's a different feeling to win a medal and put it around your neck when you didn't really contribute to the team on the pitch. He will return with a medal and a bad experience."
- Anthony Chapman
Gunners 'pushing' for Rabiot deal
Arsenal are reportedly looking to wrap up a deal for France and Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
La Repubblica claims the playmaker, who almost joined Man Utd in the summer, will not be renewing his Juve deal.
It means Rabiot can leave on a free at the end of the season.
United are still keeping tabs, but it's Arsenal who now lead the race, and Mikel Arteta could even land Rabiot next month for a small sum.
- Anthony Chapman
Scott dismisses Garnacho 'bully' claims
Scott McTominay has laughed off claims he was "bullying" Alejandro Garnacho by swiping the teen's hat in training last month.
McTominay told the Athletic: "I had a lot of people saying that was bullying!
"That was just a bit of a joke.
"But he needs to keep his feet on the ground and keep working hard and he can be one hell of a footballer."
- Anthony Chapman
Preston kid wanted by duo
Liverpool and Manchester United are in a transfer battle for Preston wonderkid Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile, according to reports.
The 16-year-old striker has been starring for Preston’s youth side, scoring five goals in just one match.
And the Mirror claims he has caught the eye of Liverpool and United as a result.
Man City, Spurs and Newcastle are also fans of the Brazil-born Argentine, who is also a Spanish national.
- Anthony Chapman
Bellingham delivers Prem deal blow
Jude Bellingham is reportedly keen to AVOID a Premier League move.
And he has his sights set on a big-money move to Real Madrid this summer.
Marca claims Bellingham does not care for the advances of English clubs like Man Utd, City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
That opens the door for Real to swoop for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder in a deal worth over £100million.
- Anthony Chapman
Martinez's Arsenal transfer snub revealed
Erik ten Hag has lifted the lid on how he persuaded Lisandro Martinez to reject Arsenal and join him at Manchester United.
The former Ajax boss told Voetbal: "Martinez himself wanted to leave Ajax anyway. If we hadn't taken him, he would have gone to Arsenal.
"They wanted him anyway, he was top priority there. Licha (Martinez) called me at one point: 'Coach, listen, I'm leaving Ajax anyway. I can sign with Arsenal, but if you want me, I'm going to Manchester United.'
"Then I thought: 'I shouldn't shoot myself and United in the foot either'. He really wasn't staying in Amsterdam, that was out of the question. Then we struck and it all worked out."
- Alex Terrell
Man Utd fixtures
Here are the Red Devils' upcoming fixtures in all competitions:
- Dec 27: Nottingham Forest (H) 8pm
- Dec 31: Wolves (A) 12.30pm
- Jan 3: Bournemouth (H) 8pm
- Jan 6: FA Cup – Everton (H) 8pm
- Jan 10: Carabao Cup – Charlton (H) TBD
Fred on PSG's radar
Fred is the shock name on Paris Saint- Germain's wishlist despite Manchester United triggering a 12-month extension on his contract, writes Phil Thomas.
The Brazilian's current deal was set to run out next summer.
But the Red Devils acted this week to stop the 29-year-old leaving on a free.
That is unlikely to deter the French giants who are long-term admirers of the midfielder.
United would demand at least £30million yet that fee would not put off the mega-rich Ligue 1 outfit either.
And the chance of joining his international colleagues Neymar and Marquinhos in the French capital is sure to appeal.
United boss Erik ten Hag remains a big fan of Fred and has been impressed by his attitude, despite limited starts.
Erik Ten Hag has been partnering Casemiro, 30, with Christian Eriksen, and Fred has made just four Premier League starts this season.
Good morning Man Utd fans
Manchester United have been drawn with Charlton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
United made it to the next round after eliminating Burnley in the Last 16 with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils punched their ticket after goals by Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford.
The Manchester giants and Charlton will face off in the week commencing on January 9.
Meanwhile, Benfica have slapped a whopping £105million price tag on Enzo Fernandez.
Liverpool were understood to be admirers of Fernandez before his stellar World Cup displays with Argentina, which have also impressed United.
But it's claimed the two rivals will have to shatter the Premier League record transfer fee to land the midfielder's services.
The Portuguese giants have no intention of selling the 21-year-old for a penny less than his mammoth release clause.
If the Red Devils were to push through a deal they would top the former world-record £89m fee they splashed for Paul Pogba.
And United have been dealt another blow in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta insistent that he does not want to sell him.
The Manchester giants were heavily linked with a swoop for De Jong throughout the summer transfer window, but a move never came to fruition.
The Red Devils' boss Erik ten Hag was desperate to reunite with the ex-Ajax star and he even prepared an offer of at least £70m in an attempt to sign him.
However, Barca chief Laporta has now revealed that he never wanted to sell the Netherlands international in the first place.
In an interview with Barca TV, he said: "I’ve never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong. He has to be a pillar of the team."
Finally, Ten Hag is set for a selection headache due to a defensive crisis
Victor Lindelof is his only fit centre-back as he played alongside midfielder Casemiro in Wednesday's Carabao Cup win over Burnley.
Harry Maguire was not in the squad and Lisandro Martinez as well as Raphael Varane are still on a break after playing against each other in the 2022 World Cup final.
Ten Hag confirmed that Maguire missed out on the match against the Clarets due to an illness.
Martinez has been back in his homeland of Argentina celebrating his World Cup triumph.
Varane went down in the final, but it has been put down to fatigue rather than a serious injury.
Palace eye Man Utd star
Crystal Palace are interested in re-signing Manchester United ace Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Palace were interested in Wan-Bissaka last summer and they retain an interest in him ahead of the January transfer window.
A loan deal until the end of the season is the most likely outcome.
But United are expected to want guarantees over any move being made permanent in the summer
Vlahovic considering Juventus exit
Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic is open to leaving Turin in January with Manchester United monitoring his situation.
A number of Juve stars are coming under scrutiny with The Times reporting Vlahovic is among them.
The 28-year-old is said to be open to a move away either next month or in the summer with United keeping tabs.
The Red Devils' boss Erik ten Hag eager to bring in a centre-forward in January with Anthony Martial his only recognised option through the middle after Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit
- Kostas Lianos
Cristiano Ronaldo update
Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo is muscling his way to a new club – with a show of strength for his fans.
Ronaldo, 37, posted a topless snap to show off a bulging bicep and remind suitors he's still in prime shape.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner seems totally at ease as he weighs up a reported £173million offer from Al Nassr.
The Saudi Arabian side want the star forward despite his disappointing 2022 World Cup campaign with Portugal.
And although it's thought CR7 would prefer to stay in Europe, he's been enjoying himself with selfies in the past 24 hours
Credit: Instagram / @cristiano - Kostas Lianos
Ten Hag on Maguire
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag confirmed that captain Harry Maguire missed out on the Carabao Cup Last 16 tie against Burnley due to illness.
Before the game, Ten Hag said: "Harry is sick. I don’t know how that develops".
This leaves Victor Lindelof as the only fit centre-back at the club, although he has rarely been picked.
Lindelof has only played five times in the Premier League, as Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have been his preferred options.
Another option the Dutch tactician has is to give Axel Tuanzebe a chance as he has been back in training
- Kostas Lianos
Man Utd's injury woes
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is set for a selection headache due to a defensive crisis
Victor Lindelof is the club's only fit centre-back as he played alongside midfielder Casemiro in Wednesday's Carabao Cup win over Burnley.
Harry Maguire was not in the squad and Lisandro Martinez as well as Raphael Varane are still on a break after making it to the 2022 World Cup final.
Ten Hag confirmed that Maguire missed out on the match against the Clarets due to illness.
Martinez has been back in his homeland of Argentina celebrating his World Cup win.
Varane went down in the final in Qatar, but it has been put down to fatigue rather than a serious injury.
- Kostas Lianos
Off the Marc
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has praised Marcus Rashford for his return to action after a stunning Carabao Cup display against Burnley.
Neville told Sky Sports: “I think that is the hardest of the positions on the right that Marcus plays. He is better centrally and he is better on the left certainly.
“On the right, I think it is difficult for him at times but he looks more enthusiastic and more willing to play there at this moment in time and he makes the best of it. I thought generally he was happy in the warm-up, he looked like he was ready to come back.
“You think about the World Cup and the impact will have had on some of these teams, you have got the Brazilians out there and some of the English lads out there that have been knocked out in the quarter-final games.
“He has come back and looks like he is happy, and I think it is a good warm-up game to get back into the Premier League”
- Kostas Lianos
Cris-is, what crisis?
Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo has taken to Instagram as speculation over a move to Al-Nassr heats up.
It is reported that Ronaldo has a contract worth a whopping £173million on the table from the Saudi Arabian club.
And transfer expert Fabrizio Romano says the Saudi giants have now confirmed their huge bid to the star forward's camp, including a deal until June 2025.
But the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was giving nothing away in his social media story.
The Portugal captain posted a picture of himself in a spa complex with five different emojis.
They were of a frozen face, a finger pointing upwards, a pair of goggles, drops of sweat and an emoji lifting weights.
Credit: Instagram @cristiano - Kostas Lianos
Luke Shaw keen
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed that Luke Shaw was so keen to compete in the Carabao Cup tie with Burnley that he offered to play out of position.
Ten Hag said: “It’s an issue as Raphael [Varane] and Lisandro [Martinez] were in the World Cup final.
“We have picked Casemiro as he has played more often there, also Luke reported himself that he could play at centre-half, which is really good.
“They are all committed and they want to play, they are hungry and I like that”
- Kostas Lianos
Let's be Frenk
Manchester United have been dealt another blow in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, with Barcelona president Joan Laporta insistent that he does not want to sell him.
United were heavily linked with a swoop for De Jong throughout the summer transfer window, but a move never came to fruition.
The Red Devils' manager Erik ten Hag was desperate to reunite with the ex-Ajax star and he even prepared an offer of at least £70million in an attempt to sign him.
However, Barca chief Laporta has now revealed that he never wanted to sell the midfielder in the first place.
In an interview with Barca TV, he said: "I’ve never wanted to sell Frenkie de Jong. He has to be a pillar of the team"
- Kostas Lianos
Man Utd visit hospital
Stars from Manchester United's men's and women's teams continued their Christmas tradition of supporting local hospitals.
The women's team visited patients, families and staff while the men's team sent gift bags to spread festive cheer.
Marcus Rashford wrapped presents and the men's team also shared video messages to patients at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Francis House Children’s Hospice and The Christie.
David De Gea was snapped filling a Christmas gift bag, with Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek also helping to spread festive joy.
Meanwhile the women's team visited patients in all three hospitals – they also delivered presents, as well as posing for photos and signing autographs for those facing a challenging Christmas
Credit: Manchester United - Kostas Lianos
VAR-cical referee decisions
Premier League officials have admitted there have been six game-changing “wrong” VAR decisions in the first half of the season.
New referees’ chief Howard Webb’s reign begins with the Boxing Day fixtures and the former World Cup Final whistler is understood to be determined to make clubs, managers, players and fans feel more convinced by the effectiveness of the technology.
That will see a push to make sure there are less VAR interventions when the on-field decision is not “clearly and obviously” wrong.
Among the six mistakes admitted by the Prem hierarchy was Gabriel Martinelli’s disallowed goal for Arsenal against Manchester United.
Martinelli’s goal was chalked off after referee Paul Tierney consulted the VAR monitor and wrongly decided Gunners captain Martin Odegaard had fouled Christian Eriksen in the build-up
- Kostas Lianos
Man Utd prediction
Ex-Manchester United ace Kleberson doesn't expect his former team to finish in the Premier League top four.
Kleberson told Ladbrokes: Fanzone: "There are so many teams up there competing for the top four spots… I think it's going to be really difficult for Manchester United to be there by the end of the season.
"So much has happened already this season, on and off the pitch, and now Cristiano Ronaldo has moved on. Bruno Fernandes did really well at the World Cup, but I don't think he's enough to take them into fourth.
"So, I'm putting Manchester City and Arsenal in there for the top four, of course. I think Newcastle have a great chance, especially with the investment and the financial backing they have – I really think they can get there. I know they haven't been amazing up to this point, but I think Chelsea could sneak in there, too.
"I'm really curious to see how teams are going to get on after the World Cup, because this is something we've never experienced before. But those would be my four: City, Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea.
"It'll be between City and Arsenal, for sure, for the title. When we come to the end of the season, where there's so much to play for, that's where I think City will better Arsenal; I just think they have that experience and know how to win vital games.
"As for Arsenal, they're going to come up against teams week-in, week-out with so much to play for, and I'm not sure that young side is capable of sustaining these current levels. Their best chance of winning the title is by making that gap between themselves and City as wide as possible right now, because if it goes down to the wire, I'd say City will do it"
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