Manchester United have held talks to sign Barcelona star Marc Casado as they look to continue their midfield rebuild, but there has been a twist, according to TEAMtalk.

Man United have made strengthening their midfield the biggest priority with a week to go until the summer transfer window officially opens, with a deal for Atalanta’s Ederson already agreed.

The Brazilian is expected to complete his move to Old Trafford at the start of July after undergoing a medical, but the Red Devils won’t be done there when it comes to adding new faces in midfield following the expected departures of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.

United could still add two more midfielders to their squad after Ederson, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni are both ‘dream’ signings for the club this summer.

The club is also looking at lower-cost options too, with two Championship players on their radar that Michael Carrick and Jason Wilcox know well in Hayden Hackney of Middlesbrough and Shea Charles of Southampton.

While there has been a focus on identifying players with Premier League experience, they have held talks over bringing a Barcelona player to Old Trafford.

Man Utd Hold Talks Over Marc Casado Deal

According to TEAMtalk, Premier League clubs are queuing up to sign Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado, with the Spaniard expected to leave the La Liga champions this summer as Hansi Flick looks to make room in his squad.

Manchester United have held talks alongside top flight rivals Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Everton and Crystal Palace, although none of those clubs have launched a formal offer for the 22-year-old ‘animal’.

Now, Monaco are pushing to finalise a deal for the Spain international, after taking pole position in the race to prise him away from the Camp Nou.

Monaco are increasingly confident of signing the Spaniard in a deal worth in excess of £20m, with the likes of United looking elsewhere should the Ligue 1 club get a deal over the line.

United In Talks Over Deal for Two Midfielders

While Man United dream of doing deals for Anderson and Tchouameni, they are reported to be in talks over deals for two Premier League-based players as they look to get their business done early.

The difference between Anderson and Tchouameni and this duo is that neither will be at the World Cup, which could help negotiations.

One is West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, who has become a key target in recent weeks, and even more so now the Irons have been relegated to the Championship.

United are one of the clubs who sense an opportunity with the talented Portuguese star, who is unlikely to want to play in England’s second tier next term and is said to be keen on a switch to Old Trafford.

The other player is Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, with one report from Italy claiming that Carrick had instructed Red Devils chiefs to land the Italy international this summer.

Neither player will come cheap however, with West Ham and Newcastle ready to dig their heels in on asking prices, although the former’s relegation surely weakens their negotiating position slightly.

When Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool in the summer of 2024, he was clear that he needed a break.

The intensity of nearly nine years at Anfield, not to mention seven before that at Borussia Dortmund, had taken its toll on the German. But football has a way of pulling people back in, and reports have now emerged that Klopp is in discussions over a new role in the game.

It won’t be a return to management, at least not immediately. But it does suggest that the man who won the Champions League, Premier League, and two Bundesliga titles isn’t quite done yet.

Jurgen Klopp Linked With Real Madrid and a Liverpool Return

Before the latest development, the 58-year-old’s name had been swirling around some of the biggest jobs in world football. Real Madrid were frequently mentioned, with defeated presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme even going as far as to promise supporters he’d pursue Klopp if he got elected. This was the second time in less than a year Klopp’s name had been mentioned, after Los Blancos had parted ways with now-Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso.

There was also brief speculation about a sensational return to Liverpool following the dismissal of Arne Slot, but the Reds eventually appointed former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraiola.

In his current role as Red Bull’s Head of Global Football, Klopp oversees football operations across the energy drink manufacturer’s network of clubs, RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, and sides in Brazil, the USA and Japan. He’s contracted until 2029, but reports of internal fallouts have surfaced in recent months, which only adds to the speculation over him leaving.

Saudi Arabia Calling for Jurgen Klopp

The talks in question are with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, and they’re reportedly more advanced than his camp would like to let on. According to Goal, Klopp’s agent Marc Kosicke was dismissing the speculation outright, stating flatly that a move to the Saudi club was “out of the question” just a week ago. But Sky Sport’s transfer insider, Sacha Tavolieri, claims that discussions have resumed within the last 24 hours.

The role being discussed isn’t a managerial one. Al-Ittihad are understood to want Klopp as technical director, with oversight of the club’s transfer strategy, rather than day-to-day coaching. Klopp has said multiple times that he won’t leave Red Bull until after the transfer window closes at least.

But unlike most European leagues, Saudi Arabia’s transfer window stays open until the 12th of October, meaning he could very easily make the switch and get straight to work recruiting for a club which has a budget bigger than most clubs in world football.

Whether a deal eventually gets done is anyone’s guess, but the fact that his own agent was shutting it down completely just days before talks apparently resumed tells its own story. In football, “out of the question” has a funny habit of becoming “done deal” faster than anyone expects, and Klopp’s next chapter, be that in or out of management, may be closer to being written than it appears.

In football, there is no greater individual prize than the Ballon d’Or. Some players even appear to be more keen on winning that award than even the biggest trophies.

England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, for example, once claimed he’d rather win the Ballon d’Or than the World Cup. Perhaps that explains why he isn’t part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans with the Three Lions this summer.

Lionel Messi has won the award more times than anyone else, lifting it eight times across his career. Cristiano Ronaldo ranks second, having been crowned the world’s best player on five separate occasions. However, creators of the Ballon d’Or, France Football, published an internationalised reevaluation of the awards in 2016, in which they claimed that five players should have won the award but did not.

This is because up until 1995, only European players were eligible to win the award. They admitted that 12 out of the 39 Ballons d’Or presented during this time period would have been awarded to South American players.

Although they did not officially retract the award from the original recipients, they did ‘retrospectively recognise’ five new men as worthy winners – dubbing them as Le nouveau palmares (the new winners). As such, one football icon would have been given the prize on seven occasions, taking him above Ronaldo in the overall rankings

Pele – Seven ‘Retrospective’ Ballon d’Or Wins

For many, Pele is the best footballer of all time. Modern fans will claim Messi is better, and some may even argue for Ronaldo, while Maradona also belongs in the conversation. Regardless, the Brazilian legend – who won the World Cup on three occasions – is one of the all-time greats.

And so it’s an obvious blip for France Football that they never recognised him as the best footballer on the planet. Had the award been extended to South American players soon, they admitted that Pele would have won it on seven different occasions.

Two of those wins, in 1958 and 1970, were when he helped lead his nation to World Cup glory. In those years, the prize instead went to France’s Raymond Kopa and Germany’s Gerd Muller. It’s worth noting that Lev Yashin remains the only goalkeeper to have won the prize, but would have lost out to Pele in 1963.

Garrincha – One ‘Retrospective’ Ballon d’Or Win

Although Pele dominated that era, he wasn’t the only legendary Brazilian figure of the time. It goes to show just how good Garrincha was that – in the eyes of France Football – he would have put an end to his brilliant teammates’ Ballon d’Or dominance.

Indeed, Garrincha was ‘retrospectively’ named the best player on the planet in 1962, having shone at the World Cup, scoring in the quarters and the semis as Brazil were crowned world champions. He finished joint top scorer with four goals at the tournament, but the actual Ballon d’Or went to Josef Masopust, who had reached the final with Czechoslovakia, scoring in the 3-1 loss to Brazil.

Mario Kempes – One ‘Retrospective’ Ballon d’Or Win

After Pele/Muller won in 1970, it took eight years until France Football accepted that there should have been a different winner. This time, England’s Kevin Keegan could perhaps count himself lucky as Mario Kempes likely would have claimed the Ballon d’Or ahead of him, had he been eligible.

The Argentine was astonishingly good at the 1978 World Cup, winning the competition, as well as the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball for being both the top scorer and the best player. Having shone on the biggest stage of all that year, few could argue with the belated call to suggest Kempes really was the best player in the world at that time. It’s worth noting that he also won the Copa del Rey with Valencia that year and was the top scorer in Spanish football.

Diego Maradona – Two ‘Retrospective’ Ballon d’Or Wins

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It’s no shock to see Diego Maradona’s name pop up. If anything, it’s a surprise that France Football decided that he should have won the award on only two occasions.

The first of those came in 1986 when he dragged Argentina to World Cup glory with one of the most iconic tournament displays ever seen. USSR striker Igor Belanov claimed the award in 1986 instead, having scored four times and claimed six assists at the World Cup.

The second came in 1990, after that spectacular season in which he delivered a Serie A title for Napoli. In that year, German legend Lothar Matthaus scooped the Ballon d’Or, having captained his nation to World Cup success.

Romario – One ‘Retrospective’ Ballon d’Or Win

With the Ballon d’Or opened up to non-European players from 1995 onwards, the final ‘retrospective’ award was given to Romario. Once again, his performances in a World Cup year played a key role in the decision.

The Brazilian was electric in 1994, as his nation won the tournament, while he took home the Golden Ball as the most valuable player. At the time, Romario was very much the best striker on the planet, and he still regards himself among the six greatest footballers of all time. Not everyone will agree there, but he certainly would have been a deserving Ballon d’Or recipient in 1994.