Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has revealed he ‘chuckled’ when he saw Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp storm out of a recent interview, while also speaking about his frustrating situation under Erik ten Hag.
Eriksen played regularly for Man Utd in the first few months of the season but then picked up a knee injury which kept him out of action for seven matches between November 26 and December 17. The 32-year-old returned to Man Utd’s squad in the Christmas period but has not been able to force his way back into the starting eleven.

Eriksen has mainly had to sit on the bench in recent weeks, with Ten Hag preferring to use other midfielders such as Kobbie Mainoo, Scott McTominay and Casemiro.
Eriksen came off the bench in the 80th minute during the recent FA Cup quarter-final clash between Man Utd and Liverpool, as he replaced Mainoo.
The former Tottenham Hotspur star played in a defensive midfield role as Ten Hag went for an ultra-attacking formation in extra time, ultimately winning the game 4-3 thanks to a dramatic Amad Diallo strike.
After the game, Klopp was asked by Danish journalist Niels Christian Frederiksen why his side struggled in extra time, even though they have usually shown great intensity in the final stages of matches this term.
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But Klopp did not take kindly to this question, labelling it ‘dumb’ and saying he was ‘disappointed’ it had been asked.
Related video: Liverpool's Klopp reacts to last minute defeat to Man Utd (Daily Mail)

Klopp then ended the interview early and said: “You are clearly not in a great shape. What is wrong with you?”

Christian Eriksen reacts to Klopp debacle

Eriksen has now spoken to Tipsbladet while on duty with the Denmark national team. When asked about the actions of the Liverpool boss, he replied: “I chuckled a bit at that. I happened to meet Per Frimann, who is his [Frederiksen’s] colleague, on the plane on the way home.
“I know that Rasmus [Hojlund] has spent the whole flight home with Niels Christian, so I think they’ve had some good conversations.
“It’s journalism, and what they’re asking about isn’t something one is involved with oneself, but Klopp was of course tired and irritated after they had lost.”
Eriksen’s call-up has surprised some in Denmark, due to the fact he is not playing regularly at club level.
On his situation at Old Trafford, the playmaker added that he is ‘unhappy’ and has spoken with Ten Hag about featuring more.


“I have previously stated that I am not satisfied with not playing, but it’s not something that keeps me up at night,” Eriksen said.
“The team is performing, and I must respect the role you have alongside. For my part, it has been about working hard and focusing on being fresh for every game, and I am. It is easier now to accept my role than it would have been before.
“I have had a conversation with Erik about being unhappy with the situation and wanting to play as much as possible, but I am available and need to be available for the team, which I am and always will be.
“He said it was the team he had chosen, and Kobbie is doing well, and the rest of the midfield is also performing well, so there is competition for places, which is expected when playing for a top club. There is great competition within the team.”
Eriksen continued: “Of course, you can be concerned in the long run because I want to play as much as possible. Naturally, you don’t want to always sit on the bench. I don’t have that approach to it, but it’s not something that worries me right now.
“Often when you change teams and win, you don’t change the winning team, and I respect that.”
READ MORE: Every central defender linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, including Everton star and €100m man

Man Utd teenager Mainoo gets senior England call-up after impressive display against Liverpool

Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo has been called up to the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
The 18-year-old midfielder has been promoted into Gareth Southgate’s senior group for the first time having initially been named in the under-21s squad.

Late England call-up for Kobbie Mainoo

Mainoo, a former under-17 and under-19 international, has burst on to the scene at Old Trafford this season, racking up 20 appearances so far, including a brilliant display in their 4-3 victory over Liverpool in their FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday.
He joins the 25 other players who reported for duty at St George’s Park on Tuesday and will get the chance to stake a claim for a possible place in the squad for the summer’s European Championship.
Southgate has had the youngster on his radar for some time and recently said at February’s Nations League draw: “He’s doing brilliantly.
“I’m not certain he’s necessarily going to be a defensive midfielder, as such.
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“He’s quite a progressive player but he’s had a fabulous start to his career and it will be good to monitor him as we go forward.”
Related video: Liverpool's Klopp reacts to last minute defeat to Man Utd (Daily Mail)

It's obviously today was on, on and

Stockport-born Mainoo is also eligible for Ghana and their Football Association had previously expressed interest in calling him up.
The midfielder joined United as a nine-year-old and made his debut at the start of 2023 in a League Cup game with Charlton.
He has progressed at speed and, after overcoming an injury which derailed his pre-season, has often been a starter in Erik ten Hag’s starting XI.
Mainoo could make his debut when England play Brazil on Saturday or against Belgium on Tuesday.

Man Utd’s Amad Diallo names best player he ever played with

Manchester United attacker, Amad Diallo has named teammate Marcus Rashford as the best player he has ever played with in his career so far.
Diallo recently took part in a rapid-fire segment during a chat with the Professional Footballers’ Associations on TikTok.
The Senegalese was asked: “Best player you’ve ever played with?”


The 21-year-old responded: “Rashford.”
Diallo scored a late winner in Man United’s 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final victory against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Following his dramatic winner against Jurgen Klopp’s side, Diallo was shown a second yellow card for the celebration and trudged into the dressing room before the match ended.
He will miss Man United’s Premier League game against Brentford after the international break.
Man Utd’s Amad Diallo names best player he ever played with
Related video: Ranked! The 10 Best Manchester United Players Ever (Dailymotion)

Racism victim Vinicius Jnr among five who could be next £100m footballer

Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice joined the £100m club last summer but who will be the next £100m footballer? They’re likely to come from this list…
 
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
The most-abused player in elite football? Quite possibly. Vinicius Jnr has been the target of horrendous racist abuse across Spain, a country ill-equipped and ill-motivated to deal with such abuse. Add to that the consistent stream of stories of his lack of discipline both on and off the field, and you could forgive the Brazilian for wanting out of Madrid.

Take into account the notion that Vinicius is a ‘necessary sacrifice’ for the imminent arrival of Kylian Mbappe (and the inevitable future pursuit of Erling Haaland) and even a player starting and scoring for a team fighting for a Champions League and La Liga double might start getting antsy.
Probably not antsy enough to join Manchester United in a £172m deal, but any offer of massive wages and star status from PSG might turn his head. Until he remembers it didn’t work out brilliantly for Neymar.
 
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
“He is an exceptional holding midfielder. He is aggressive, with the ball or without the ball,” said Pep Guardiola last week. And he knows a thing or two about holding midfielders. It’s worth remembering that City made a late, doomed and ultimately fruitless move for Declan Rice, who has been the player of this Premier League season so far.


City lost Ilkay Gundogan last summer and neither Mateo Kovacic (10 Premier League starts) nor Matheus Nunes (six Premier League starts) has made a compelling case to be Rodri’s long-term partner – and certainly not his replacement – in that City midfield. Step forward Bruno Guimaraes, reportedly pin-pointed by Newcastle as their most valuable asset as they eye a summer re-build after a disastrous season.
The price will be £100m, which makes the list of potential suitors a very short one indeed. Joining City in showing interest are Barcelona and PSG. Obviously.
 
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
You might reasonably expect a striker with a £113m release clause likely to be triggered in the summer of 2024 to figure on the top goalscorers of 2024 list. But injuries and Africa have hampered his season; he has still scored a pretty impressive 11 Serie A goals in just 17 games as champions Napoli have floundered.

But you can certainly see why Arsenal, Chelsea and any other club with the horn for a new striker would look towards the more tempting, sub-£100m release clauses of Viktor Gyokeres and Evanilson.
 
Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
“I always wanted to be the best, as a child I dreamed of playing for Barça and that has not changed,” he said in 2022, but we can presume he still feels the same way in 2024, with recent reports suggesting that Wirtz would resist any urge to follow Xabi Alonso to Liverpool to be the long-term replacement for Mo Salah and would wait for Barcelona instead.
The slight problem is that 20-year-old Wirtz is having the kind of season (20 assists in all competitions is a looming landmark) that has propelled him into the £100m bracket and Barcelona no longer have those kind of levers to pull. Bayern Munich could afford Wirtz but his father and agent seems content to leave him at Leverkusen. That might change if Alonso goes to either Munich or Liverpool.

 
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
There are two debates surrounding Musiala in Germany: 1) Can he play in the same Germany team as Wirtz? and 2) Should they push the boat out to keep him at Bayern or take the considerable profit and sell to the Premier League this summer? The answers are probably ‘yes’ and ‘yes’.
Musiala is a German international but he was brought up in England and seemingly craves a return to play in the Premier League. His old club Chelsea are said to be interested (but he’s about as likely to join them as Joshua Kimmich) along with Manchester City and Liverpool. City seems like the obvious option, with reports suggesting that Guardiola eyes him as the long-term replacement for Kevin de Bruyne.

Man City warming to shock Grealish sale to fund signing of devastating Serie A forward

Manchester City are concerned by the ‘lack of progress’ Jack Grealish is making and a report claims the £100m man could be sold to fund the signing of a far more devastating winger from Serie A.
Grealish became the most expensive British footballer of all time upon completing a £100m transfer from Aston Villa to Man City in 2021. Declan Rice assumed that mantle when leaving West Ham for Arsenal two years later, and unlike Rice at the Emirates, we’re still waiting to see the best from Grealish at the Etihad.

Grealish, 28, has returned modest figures of just 14 goals and 17 assists in 114 matches for City. He did chip in with vital contributions in last year’s treble-winning campaign, though Grealish has found the going much tougher this time around.
Indeed, Grealish’s sub-par displays have prompted manager Pep Guardiola to favour other options on his preferred left wing. The end result has seen Grealish fail to start a single Premier League match in 2024.
Now, according to online outlet HITC, concerns Grealish won’t become the player they expected him to be are prompting Man City to consider a sale. Furthermore, it’s claimed they’re also lining up a far more potent option from Italy.
HITC state Grealish’s future with City is ‘in doubt’ and the player’s long-term future at the club is labelled ‘far from assured.’
The report then claims figures within City are concerned over Grealish’s lack of development over the last 12 months.
Related video: Guardiola on Grealish qualities and importance to team plus Real Madrid (Dailymotion)

Many a big name signed by Guardiola have taken a year or two to fully get to grips with the mastermind’s demands.
Indeed, the likes of Rodri and Bernardo Silva – who are now among the club’s top performers – didn’t hit the ground running in their first seasons with City.
However, while Rodri and Silva would go on to become truly top tier players, Grealish appears to be treading water.
As such, and with HITC stating City intend to spend heavily in the summer, Grealish could be sacrificed to make room for a new left winger.
READ MORE: Game over for Kalvin Phillips at West Ham, as talk of incredible Leeds Utd return heats

Man City scout Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

To that end, multiple reports by way of HITC and TuttoMercatoWeb tout a Man City move for Napoli phenom, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The Georgian, 23, was irresistible from start to finish in the 2022/23 campaign when helping to fire Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990.


Kvaratskhelia was duly rewarded for his efforts when named Serie A’s MVP for the season.
Kvaratskhelia hasn’t quite lived up to those lofty standards this term, though a return of 10 goals and six assists by far outstrips Grealish’s return of three goals and two assists across all competitions this season.
Man City reportedly sent a scout to observe the livewire winger during Napoli’s 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League last Tuesday. Per TuttoMercatoWeb, Chelsea and PSG also hold interest in the player.
HITC acknowledge Napoli will be resistant to a summer sale, not least because it’s expected Osimhen will be on the move too.
Losing both players would be a killer blow for Napoli, meaning Man City would have to put forth the type of offer that’s simply too good to refuse.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe reveals the Man Utd signing that Erik ten Hag needs the ‘most’

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has revealed the player who he thinks is “most missing” from the current Man Utd squad under Erik ten Hag.
The British billionaire completed a deal to buy 25 per cent of the Premier League club last month with Ratcliffe taking over footballing operations as part of the agreement.

Ratcliffe reveals ‘the player that is most missing’ at Man Utd

He and INEOS are currently in negotiations with Newcastle in an attempt to agree a compensation fee for their sporting director Dan Ashworth as he looks to give the former Brighton man a big say on transfers.
Ten Hag’s buys since joining the club have been mainly misses, while Man Utd have been heavily criticised over the past decade for numerous big-money transfer failures.
And Ratcliffe has his own ideas about what Man Utd need with the new co-owner insisting a Paul Scholes-type is biggest missing piece at the club.
When asked which Man Utd legend he would put in the current team, Ratcliffe told Geraint Thomas on his Cycling Club podcast: “Paul Scholes I’d bring in. That’s the player that is most missing.
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“They are not Roy Keane but they have Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo, they are more defensive. They don’t have a Scholes, an [Andres] Iniesta.”
Related video: Erik ten Hag reacts to Man Utd's epic 4-3 victory over Liverpool (Metro)

But I I've had some more very good wins.

As well as a creative midfielder, Ratcliffe thinks Man Utd are missing a centre-back, he added: “Jaap Stam was a fabulous footballer and United missed him for years.
“He was irreplaceable for a while and even today you can see that is quite a challenging position for United.”
Man Utd youth coach Paul McShane insists that you can already “sense a bit of change” at the club and that the “wheels are in motion” for more alterations.
McShane told the Irish Examiner: “You can sense that something is going on and things are definitely moving. I’ve not had many dealings with them directly but there have been some people coming from above.
“I know Dave Brailsford has been chatting to quite a few people. I think the wheels are in motion for a few changes but how that will look I’m not quite sure but you can definitely sense a bit of a change.”

No Man Utd contract on the table for Raphael Varane

Raphael Varane is one big-name signing who has struggled to settle since moving from Real Madrid to Old Trafford and Man Utd have not yet offered him a new deal.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has brought an update on contract talks, he said on his Here We Go Podcast: “In the last 24 hours, we had some papers about a proposal coming from United maybe with the new structure of a new deal based on appearances, based on titles to win, and these kind of things. What I’m told, is quite clear at the moment.


“From my understanding, Man United have not presented an official proposal to extend the contract of Varane.
“So at the moment there a is really concrete possibility for Varane to leave as free agent at the end of the season, or at the moment, nothing is being negotiated.
“Let’s see what Man United will decide to do. It is close to the end of the season, but as of now, no concrete negotiation and so concrete chance for Varane to leave on a free.”
READ MORE: The ten best players of the 2023/24 Premier League season so far