Manchester United must be careful not to miss out on what could be a generational talent this summer. The Red Devils have a number of areas they want to strengthen after a season of progress that saw them finish in third in the Premier League.

Michael Carrick has been kept around as the club’s new permanent boss, and while he did very well last season, he will know that more progress will be expected this season. New recruits will be needed to help make that happen, but it’s not just a case of upgrading. There are parts of this United squad that now have holes following the usual slew of summer departures, and one of them is at left-back.

United’s left-back problem

United’s left-back problem is two-fold. The Red Devils are sorely lacking in depth following the departure of Tyrell Malacia, now down to just Luke Shaw and the young Diego León. And with Shaw 30 years of age and having had his fair share of injury issues, Carrick is arguably lacking a starting left-back.

The right starting left-back signing could solve both of those issues, given there will be a reduced need for depth, especially with a couple of the centre-backs able to play on the left in an emergency, while León could be used if needed, provided he is not loaned out.

But getting the right starting left-back is another task altogether, and reports now suggest that United will resist getting stuck in a bidding war for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown, instead turning to £80million-rated Lewis Hall.

Hall has impressed with Newcastle United, but he had a rocky end to the season that may have played a part in him missing out on the England World Cup squad.

Brown proving some players are worth it

via Reuters

United’s recent recruitment has been seriously impressive. They have moved away from paying silly fees for unproven players, instead going with a nice mix of players who have proven themselves in the Premier League, and some more calculated risks from abroad.

To that end, it’s understandable why United don’t want to find themselves in a bidding war for Brown, but some players are worth paying for.

Hall is a very good player, and he is undoubtedly proving himself in the Premier League. But at 22 years of age, everyone in Germany is recognising Brown, described as ‘fearless’ by the Bundesliga website, as a generational talent who will be Germany’s starting left-back for years to come. That’s a different level to Hall, who isn’t even among England’s best two or three left-backs.

Beyond that simple logic, Brown is coming off a season of registering four goals and six assists, proving himself as not only a solid left-back defensively, but one who can get forward, support the attack and produce. That kind of left-back is crucial in the modern era, and it will be crucial to keeping United a dangerous attack going forward.

Hall is far more of the traditional mould, and while there is a place for that, Carrick and the Red Devils need to be more ambitious.

And, given the news that Bayern Munich appear to have come to an agreement over a €55million (£47.5million) fee including add-ons, he would be considerably cheaper than Hall. That agreement also means United need to act quickly to complete a last-minute hijack if they are interested in the player.

The decision should be obvious for United, and this World Cup will highlight why, with Brown playing a starring role for Germany and already getting on the scoresheet in his first game.

Luis de la Fuente’s Spain side have left fans puzzled during their 2026 World Cup opener and during other international games, with many spotting that none of the players sing during their national anthem.

La Roja proved they were one of the strongest teams in the European Championships, with the Iberian nation proving many doubters wrong by reaching the Berlin final and then beating England 2-1 to lift the prestigious trophy back in 2024, as they now turn their attention to the world stage.

Blessed with stars such as Rodri and history-maker Lamine Yamal, the Spaniards are among the favourites to repeat their 2010 highpoint. Because of their fortunes in Germany, onlookers were able to see the stoic national anthem on plenty of occasions. However, despite the fact that Spain fans always tend to chant during the song, there is a good reason why the players refrain from doing so.

Current Spanish National Anthem Composed Without Lyrics

Siphiwe Sibeko via Reuters

Spanish teams in the past have often been at the end of criticism for the fact that none of the players were seen singing during the pre-match anthem, with some going as far as to call the former world champions a ‘disgrace.’

However, those levying them complaints may be unaware that the squad don’t sing because the Spanish national anthem doesn’t have any lyrics. The origin of ‘Marcha Real’ links back to the 18th century, where the tune was used as a military march, as per Classic FM.

There have been several suggestions over possible lyrics in the past, with the Spanish Olympic committee attempting to have the phrase ‘Viva Espana’ open the national chant ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games. However, this was turned down due to the fact that the words were commonly used during General Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.

Another reason why certain Spanish players may choose not to engage with the Spanish national anthem is because of their place of birth. Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba are two of the biggest stars from Spain’s past who received calls to be axed from the national set-up due to the fact that they were both from Catalonia.

The region, located in the north-east of Spain, is home to Barcelona and has recently found itself fighting for its independence. Calls for this reached its peak in 2017, with an illegal referendum and mass protests taking place. The situation was so tense that Pique even stated that he would be willing to retire from international football if his inclusion was going to upset natives.

Some of those from Basque also feel as though that region is an unrecognised nation, separate from Spain. As such, Euro 2024 heroes Mikel Oyarzabal and Mikel Merino, from the Basque Country, were branded as ‘traitors’ for their part in the tournament success.

The Spanish National Anthem’s Old Lyrics

Susana Vera via Reuters

Between 1938 and 1975, the Spanish national anthem did contain lyrics after the aforementioned General Francisco Franco came to power. Franco led the Nationalist Party during a period of civil war, eventually overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic.

The dictator ruled the country unopposed for over three decades, during which he instructed famed poet Jose Maria Peman to create a new anthem which included lyrics designed to promote ‘the rebirth’ of Spain.

Upon Franco’s passing in 1975 after battles with Parkinson’s disease, the anthem was abolished, and a lyric-less anthem made its return. To this day, some fans can be seen singing the old lyrics as they get fired up before their team’s games. However, the links to what is considered to be some of the darker days in modern-day Spain mean that we are unlikely to see any of De La Fuente’s men join in with the serenading.

Tottenham will not be dissuaded from landing one of the most in-demand strikers in Europe this summer despite big wage demands, according to a fresh report. Spurs are in need of reinforcements this summer, and Roberto De Zerbi is set to be handed plenty of them as part of a squad remodel.

The North London club have finished in the bottom half in consecutive seasons, and the board have promised significant changes, which will, at least in part, come from significant investment.

Spurs are going to be busy in this transfer window, and they have already made a good start, snapping up Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi. More will follow, and the striker position is among the priorities.

Spurs zero in on Vlahovic

De Zerbi is in desperate need of at least one striker, if not two, with Randal Kolo Muani headed back to PSG and Richarlison’s future still unclear. As ever, there are few top-level striker options available this summer, but there is one who stands out above the rest.

Dušan Vlahović is available for absolutely nothing in the way of a transfer fee after allowing his Juventus deal to expire. The Serbian is still only 26 years of age, and his powerful approach to the striker’s role is what will attract plenty of clubs to him this summer. Vlahovic netted 44 times in 98 games for Fiorentina and 50 in 123 league games for Juventus. The striker can score goals, but in truth, the strength of his game is being able to hold the ball and bring others into play.

“I have watched him a couple of times now,” pundit Micah Richards told BBC Radio Five Live prior to the Juventus move. “He is lightning. It’s ridiculous. He has got 16 in 18 this season. His left foot is like a wand. I am telling you now, he is everything, he is everything you need.”

Wage demands not a concern for Spurs

When top players are available on a free transfer, they almost always look to cash in when it comes to their contract, given they know interested clubs are saving tens of millions in transfer fees. In Vlahovic’s case, TeamTalk report the striker wants around £150,000-per-week, or more specifically, £8million per year.

That’s a hefty wage, but it is not enough to put off the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Newcastle United, according to the same report. And that should come as no surprise, given the savings involved in the deal.

Vlahovic would likely command at least a £50million fee on the conservative side in usual circumstances, and his wages would come on top of that. In this scenario, interested clubs could land him for a combined cost of £24million over three years, for instance, and opportunities to sign top-level strikers for that sort of money do not come around very often.