Manchester United are only getting started with their signing of Andrey Santos, who will join the club on a big-money deal from Chelsea. The Red Devils are paying £48million to sign the young Brazilian, who has a big future ahead of him, but there is no room for him in terms of regular minutes for the Blues.

The deal came after United canceled a deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta weeks after agreeing a deal. The Red Devils requested a second medical after the World Cup, and they didn’t like what they saw, even if Atalanta still maintain there is nothing wrong with the player physically,

Michael Carrick wants two or three new midfielders this summer, well aware that he needs to replace Casemiro while adding further depth, and in Santos, United now have a modern hybrid midfielder who can play almost every role in the midfield, but he is only the beginning of the club’s business this summer.

Fabrizio Romano on Man Utd’s next steps after Andrey Santos transfer

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Man Utd are still looking at midfielders after the Andrey Santos deal, which is done even if not yet announced, and it looks as if there will be more than one new midfielder recruited.

“Man Utd remain keen on signing new midfielders because Andrey Santos is done,” Romano said on his YouTube show. “Also, many of you asking me why Andrey Santos is not official. Guys, I’m not controlling the social media of Manchester United to make announcements, but I can guarantee you Andrey Santos is signed and completed. Also, the contract has been signed yesterday (Friday). The deal is done.”

That will be seen as good news for United fans, who will know the midfield is the one place where Carrick can’t afford to be caught short if they have big ambitions.

What will Man Utd look for next?

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It’s likely United have another big-money midfielder in mind. While Santos is able to play in a deeper role, it would be surprising if Carrick did not sign a more senior player who specialises in the holding or pivot midfield role.

Casemiro was a huge presence in that deep role, and in the modern game, you are not going to compete without a top player in that position. PSG have Vitinha and Joao Neves, Man City have Rodri, Arsenal have Declan Rice and Bayern Munich have Joshua Kimmich. There are few more important positions in the modern game, and United are going to have to go and get one if they have ambitions of competing for titles, even if it’s likely to be a pricey deal.

Argentina have been at the forefront of many controversial decisions during the 2026 World Cup, and many fans have been left questioning the legitimacy of the tournament and whether FIFA has a biased agenda towards Lionel Messi and Argentina.

Messi had a stellar 2022 World Cup campaign as he was the main man behind Argentina’s tournament win, and he hasn’t let up in this tournament four years on, as he currently battles for the tournament’s golden boot award.

However, the Argentine has perhaps benefited from some controversial refereeing decisions, which have cast doubts over the tournament, and it isn’t the first time Messi has been the centre of refereeing problems.

Messi’s 2022 World Cup Controversy

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Flashback to 2022, Argentina were facing up against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals and had taken a 2-0 lead. Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz had dished out 17 bookings during the game, including sending off Dutch full-back Denzel Dumfries. The Netherlands had brought the game back to 2-2, taking the tie to a penalty shootout, which Argentina won and went on to win the tournament.

Speaking after the tie, Messi said: “This match shouldn’t have ended as it did. I don’t want to talk about the referee because they sanction you. But people saw what happened. We were afraid before the match because we knew how he was and I think FIFA has to review this. You can’t put a referee like him for these matches.”

Fellow Argentina teammate Emiliano Martinez also spoke out after the game. He said: “The ref gave everything to them. It all turned upside down. He gave 10 minutes extra time for no reason. He just wanted them to score.

That referee is crazy. Arrogant. You say something to him and he talks back to you. It’s crazy. Because Spain were eliminated, he wanted to eliminate us. He is the worst referee at the World Cup. Hopefully we won’t have him again – he’s useless.”

After these post-match quotes from Messi and Martinez, Lahoz was never to be seen in the World Cup. The referee was suspended and kicked out of the tournament; that would be the last match he refereed in the competition.

As far-fetched as claims of bias towards Messi may seem, seeing a referee sent home from a tournament following comments from the Argentine does raise some interesting questions.

Referees rarely receive ‘punishments’ as such following poor standards, so seeing Lahoz disappear after an incident with the world’s biggest star does seem interesting, to say the least.

Messi went on to lift the World Cup in 2022, beating France in the final, and the winger added another Ballon d’Or to his tally.

Is the 2026 World Cup a Similar Story?

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This World Cup has also seen similar controversies surrounding Messi and his Argentina side. In the group stages, Messi appeared to challenge an Algerian player from behind, with his studs digging into the player’s calf, yet there was no referee intervention, and VAR allowed the game to continue.

In their most recent game, Argentina got away with many decisions as they came back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2. Egypt had a goal ruled out following a foul that had happened at the complete opposite end of the pitch, whilst Argentina scored similarly, yet their goal was allowed to stand.

Egypt’s Mostafa Ziko alleged that the World Cup was ‘rigged’ in Messi’s favour. If Argentina does go on to win this World Cup, FIFA could be faced with some tough questions to answer from the footballing world.

Max Holloway has revealed the nine words he shouted during his 69-second victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 329 on Saturday night.

McGregor and Holloway were scheduled to go five rounds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in a rematch of their August 2013 bout. ‘The Notorious’ won that fight via decision, despite sustaining a torn ACL during the contest.

Injury would again play a part at UFC 329, but this time the Irishman was unable to battle his way through to victory.

Conor McGregor Suffers Devastating Injury at UFC 329

Entering the Octagon for the first time in five years, McGregor damaged his right leg badly while throwing a jumping roundhouse kick in the opening moments of the fight. The 37-year-old didn’t manage to land the blow, but his awkward landing when his right foot hit the canvas essentially ended the bout before it had really begun.

To his credit, McGregor did all he could to try and stay in the fight. However, every time he tried to regain his footing, the former two-division UFC champion fell straight back down to the mat.

It was immediately obvious to those close to the action that Conor was in serious trouble. Among those to instantly realise something was wrong was Holloway himself.

What Max Holloway Shouted During UFC 329 Win Over Conor McGregor

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Speaking during his appearance at the post-fight press conference, Max was asked for his views on the fight’s premature ending.

The 34-year-old told the media exactly what he screamed at referee Mike Beltran once he knew that McGregor was badly injured.

“I told the ref: ‘Ref, stop the fight. He doesn’t want to fight!'”

The official would eventually take note of Max’s words, calling a halt to the fight after a little more than a minute. Holloway insisted he had no desire to inflict unnecessary damage on his incapacitated opponent, reasoning:

During his post-fight interview, Holloway floated the idea of a trilogy fight between the pair. McGregor has yet to answer that challenge as he limped out of the arena without speaking to Joe Rogan.

However, McGregor did break his silence on his loss, describing his mood as “beyond dark.” A potential diagnosis has emerged for Conor’s injury, and it does not appear that he will be back in action any time soon, if at all.

Backstage sources indicate that McGregor was offered crutches when he made it back to the locker room. McGregor is believed to have turned down any assistance and was later seen hobbling out of the venue on foot.