In the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, it feels as if more attacking signings at Manchester United have failed as opposed to succeeding. Names like Alexis Sanchez, Romelu Lukaku, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Angel Di Mari, and Rasmus Hojlund all spring to mind as big-money flops at Old Trafford.

The weight of expectation often appears too big a burden for many. For Cristiano Ronaldo, that never seemed to be an issue. After all, he shone for the club under Ferguson between 2003 and 2009 and then returned in 2021, and had no issues finding the back of the net.

Indeed, in the final Premier League season of his first spell, he netted 18 league goals, and then when he turned to England 12 years later, in his first campaign back in the competition, he netted the exact same number of goals.

Ronaldo’s elite mentality is part of what made him so good; it’s also what helped him hold his teammates to the highest standards. With that in mind, one current Man Utd star has now revealed how the Portuguese forward was less than impressed with a former striker.

Ronaldo Knew Man Utd Striker Was ‘Not Gonna Make it’

In a new article written for Players’ Tribune, Diogo Dalot explained how Ronaldo could be a harsh but accurate judge of his teammates if he didn’t feel as though they were doing enough work behind the scenes. The 27-year-old recalled:

It remains unclear who exactly Ronaldo was talking about, as Dalot didn’t want to directly name the player in question. However, the strikers on the club’s books during the 2021/22 season were Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, which suggests the Portuguese star could have been referring to one of the four.

Ronaldo Helped Convince Dalot to Stay at Man Utd After AC Milan Loan

Dalot is obviously a big fan of former club and current international teammate Ronaldo, and explained how the iconic forward helped convince him to return to Old Trafford after spending the 2020/21 season at on loan at AC Milan. The pair had already struck up a friendship while playing for Portugal, and this helped convince the right-back about where his club future would be best served. He recalled:

“Thank God, my idol turned out to be one of the best people I’ve ever met. We would talk for hours in the hotel, in the gym, at the dinner table. At that time, I liked Milan so much that I thought maybe we could make something work. They really wanted me, and I also had meetings with other clubs.

“One day I got a text from Cristiano. ‘Kid, stay. I’m coming back to Manchester.’ He was saying that United is the best club in the world, that we would get back to the top if only we changed a few things. He was going to help me and we’d play a lot of games together.

“I talked to my agent. I talked to [my wife] Claudia. [Jose] Mourinho wanted me there for 10 years. How could we leave after two?”

Dalot has now played 246 games for Man Utd and has a contract which runs until 2028.

With Barcelona and Arsenal interested, a potential Julian Alvarez departure threatened to be one of the transfer sagas of the summer. But after that initial promise, it seems that the World Cup winner might now stay put at Atletico Madrid.

The former Manchester City star set tongues wagging when he reportedly showed a strong interest in moving to Barcelona. But it seems that any gossip around Alvarez’s exit has been silenced, with Atletico now supposedly building their squad around Alvarez as the first-choice striker.

Alvarez was integral to Atletico’s Champions League semi-final run this season, contributing 14 goal contributions in 15 games in the competition.

Alvarez rebuffs Arsenal, as Atletico and Barca tensions amplify

Barcelona always have a significant pull in the transfer market, but Atletico’s long-time CEO Gil Marin is refusing to sell to their La Liga rivals on this occasion. And following Atletico’s controversial social media posts, which saw Barcelona accused of lying in relation to a bid for Alvarez, the deal has become “absolutely stalled”, according to a report from Spanish outlet Cadena SER.

With Barcelona and Atletico Madrid’s relationship frayed to say the least, Arsenal now supposedly remain the only viable option for Alvarez. However, the Argentinian attacker has reportedly outright refused a move to the Premier League champions, not wanting to make the move to London, suggesting that it is Barcelona or bust.

Alvarez, who won the Premier League twice with Manchester City, is not willing to force a move and will most likely remain at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano next season.

What next in the summer window for Arsenal, Atletico, and Barcelona?

With the Alvarez deal seemingly dead in the water for the Gunners, Mikel Arteta is reportedly eyeing a striker with a little more time on his side. Bournemouth’s teenage sensation Eli Junior Kroupi is next on the list for Arsenal, who is also attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

Kroupi made history during Bournemouth’s stellar campaign, notching 13 goals in his debut Premier League season. The haul broke the record for the highest goal tally in a debut Premier League season by a teenager, surpassing the joint record held by Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane.

As for Atletico, their battle with Barcelona could be set for another twist. As well as registering an interest in Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella, Diego Simeone’s side are keeping tabs on departing Man City star Bernardo Silva. Atletico are confident of securing a deal, but the Portugal international also remains interested in a move to the Nou Camp.

Moving from player to coach is a path that many footballers take after hanging up their boots, and African football icon Yaya Toure appears to be ready for his first role as a manager. The former Manchester City and Barcelona star will be starting out at a Champions League club, no less.

Toure is best remembered as a midfield powerhouse dominating the Premier League during his eight-year spell at the Etihad. In England, he won three league titles, the FA Cup and two League Cups, having won La Liga and the Champions League, among other major honours, during his time at Barcelona between 2007 and 2010.

He also played for the likes of Olympiacos and Monaco in his career, and retired in 2019 after a short stint in China with Qingdao Huanghai. He has worked as an assistant coach for a number of clubs, but will now have his first shot at management.

Yaya Toure Lands Champions League Manager Job

In 2021, Toure worked at Olimpik Donetsk and Akhmat Grozny as an assistant before then landing a role as an academy coach for Tottenham Hotspur. After just one season, he moved on to coach with Standard Liege and then spent three years as Saudi Arabia’s assistant coach.

He is now reportedly set to land a role as the head coach of Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava. The news will come as a bit of a surprise to some, as he’s never played or coached in the country before, but it will be a great opportunity for Toure to prove his credentials.

After all, Slovan Bratislava have made it into the Champions League qualifiers for next season after winning the Slovak First Football League. That was actually their eighth consecutive Slovakia top-flight title, so expectations will be high for the new manager.

Toure takes over from former boss Vladimir Weiss, who stepped down from the role this summer after five successful years in the dugout. According to TalkSport, the Ivorian will hope to have former Celtic and Swansea coach Darren O’Dea as his assistant in the Slovakian capital.

O’Dea is currently a free agent, and has reportedly had a number of opportunities on offer in Scotland, England and abroad, so it remains to be seen if he’ll join Toure in Bratislava. The Slovakian club last played in the Champions League in 2024/25, finishing 35th out of 36 teams in the league phase.

Toure isn’t the only member of his family currently working in the world of football coaching. Indeed, former Arsenal Invincible and older brother Kolo has been working as an assistant for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City over the past few years. The 45-year-old also coached at Leicester City and for youth teams with the Ivory Coast and Manchester City.

Kolo took charge of Wigan Athletic in November 2022 but lasted until January as three defeats saw his side drop to the bottom of the Championship. Having seen his brother fail to win any of his nine games in charge in his only role as a head coach, Yaya will hope to have more success with Slovan Bratislava.

Kolo is actually a free agent now, as he followed Guardiola out of the door this summer, alongside other City coaches Pep Lijnders, Lorenzo Buenaventura and Xabi Mancisidor.