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BARCELONA IDENTIFY LISANDRO MARTINEZ AS PRIMARY DEFENSIVE TARGET FOR SUMMER TRANSFER

Barcelona are circling Lisandro Martinez as Manchester United scouts monitor Brentford’s Michael Kayode for a summer defensive reshuffle.

Barcelona Identify Lisandro Martinez As Primary Defensive Target For Summer Transfer
Selling Lisandro Martinez To Barcelona Would Be United’s Biggest Mistake

Manchester United look set for some big changes at the back this summer. Barcelona are circling one of their centre-backs, and United scouts have started watching a standout Premier League right-back.

Up front, there’s talk United might go back in for a striker they missed out on last summer, hoping to add more firepower.

Let’s start with the Barcelona situation. The Spanish giants have their eyes on Lisandro Martinez, and with his contract running down at Old Trafford, things could get interesting. United can still trigger an option to keep him until 2028, but until that’s sorted, there’s a risk he could be lured away.

Barcelona seem to think they can pull off a deal for Martinez. They’ll need to meet United’s price—he only joined from Ajax in 2022, and the club has no plans to sell. Still, Barcelona and a few other clubs are watching him closely, ready to tempt him with a move.

Barcelona’s defenders are all right-footed, so Martinez would give them something they’re missing. With his contract situation up in the air, United have a real reason to worry—but also a chance to lock him down for the long haul. The transfer window is closed for now, so United have a few months to sort things out before the summer.

Martinez is 28, so whatever deal comes next probably covers his best years. Moving to LaLiga would be a brand new adventure for him. But if Barcelona want him, they’ll have to wait and see what happens.

There’s also a side story here with Marcus Rashford. Barcelona and United are expected to talk this summer about his future, since he’s currently on loan with Hansi Flick’s team.

Switching over to United’s own defensive plans, they’ve started keeping tabs on Brentford right-back Michael Kayode. City are already interested in him as an alternative to Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, but United are now in the mix, along with Newcastle themselves.

Graeme Bailey at TEAMtalk says United have recently scouted Kayode in case they decide to move on from Diogo Dalot this summer. Brentford don’t feel any pressure to sell—their asking price is at least £50 million, and Kayode just joined from Fiorentina last year. He’s not pushing for a move either.

If Kayode does go on the market, United would be up against heavyweights like Real Madrid, PSG, and Bayern Munich. Even so, he’s someone to watch if United decide to shake up their right-back options.

On the attacking front, United haven’t forgotten about Liam Delap. If Chelsea decides to cut ties with him at the end of the season, United could make their move. Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge is still up in the air—injuries have made his debut season tough, and while Chelsea say they’re backing him, patience won’t last forever.

United were interested in Delap before, and that hasn’t changed. If Chelsealetst him go, United won’t be the only ones interested. Newcastle, Everton, Brighton, and Sunderland are all keeping an eye on him, I'm too.

It might come down to which club needs him the most. Right now, Unitleansean has Benjamin Sesko as their main striker, with Joshua Zirkzee backing him up, after letting Rasmus Hojlund leave last summer.

BRUNO FERNANDES IS FINALLY REACHING HIS PEAK UNDER MICHAEL CARRICK’S LEADERSHIP

Michael Carrick’s Manchester United secured a fourth straight win as Bruno Fernandes clinical strike downed a 10-man Tottenham.

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Bruno Fernandes Goal Seals Fourth Straight Win For Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes made it clear: right now, Manchester United isn’t looking too far ahead. They just want to win their next game. After beating Tottenham on Saturday, the team’s now racked up four Premier League wins in a row. Michael Carrick, still the interim manager, is keeping his 100% record going.

Carrick’s done well since stepping in—United have taken down Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, and now Spurs, all back-to-back. They’re sitting fourth in the league, so a Champions League spot is well within reach.

Saturday’s match started with a bit of chaos. Bryan Mbeumo scored first, right after Cristian Romero got a straight red card just 29 minutes in. Spurs had looked good up to that point, but losing Romero changed things.

Fernandes put the game to bed with a late goal. Afterwards, he told the BBC, “Winning just boosts our confidence more and more. That matters. But we can’t get carried away. This run is great, sure, but we have to keep pushing.”

He didn’t sugarcoat what happens if they slip up. “If you stop winning, you fall right back to where you were—doubting yourself and struggling. We don’t want that. Right now, we’re doing everything Michael and the staff ask. We’re taking responsibility, being brave on the pitch, and playing to win.”

He kept his eyes on what’s next. “Four wins in a row is nice, but the real goal’s five. That’s all we’re thinking about.”

Talking about his goal, Fernandes said, “We needed to finish the job. Even though we controlled most of the game, anything can happen. Tottenham have quality players up front who can turn things around fast. We could’ve maybe scored another one or two, but breaking down a low block isn’t easy.”

He gave Spurs some credit,t too. “Even with ten men, they defended hard and stayed aggressive. They made it tough for us.” Bruno Fernandes made it clear: right now, Manchester United isn’t looking too far ahead. They just want to win their next game. After beating Tottenham on Saturday, the team’s now racked up four Premier League wins in a row. Michael Carrick, still the interim manager, is keeping his 100% record going.

Carrick’s done well since stepping in—United have taken down Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, and now Spurs, all back-to-back. They’re sitting fourth in the league, so a Champions League spot is well within reach.

Saturday’s match started with a bit of chaos. Bryan Mbeumo scored first, right after Cristian Romero got a straight red card just 29 minutes in. Spurs had looked good up to that point, but losing Romero changed things.

Fernandes put the game to bed with a late goal. Afterwards, he told the BBC, “Winning just boosts our confidence more and more. That matters. But we can’t get carried away. This run is great, sure, but we have to keep pushing.”

He didn’t sugarcoat what happens if they slip up. “If you stop winning, you fall right back to where you were—doubting yourself and struggling. We don’t want that. Right now, we’re doing everything Michael and the staff ask. We’re taking responsibility, being brave on the pitch, and playing to win.”

He kept his eyes on what’s next. “Four wins in a row is nice, but the real goal’s five. That’s all we’re thinking about.”

Talking about his goal, Fernandes said, “We needed to finish the job. Even though we controlled most of the game, anything can happen. Tottenham have quality players up front who can turn things around fast. We could’ve maybe scored another one or two, but breaking down a low block isn’t easy.”

He gave Spurs some credi,t too. “Even with ten men, they defended hard and stayed aggressive. They made it tough for us.”

DIOGO DALOT HITS BEST FORM AS CARRICK REVERTS TO TRADITIONAL BACK FOUR

Michael Carrick has abandoned Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3, restoring Diogo Dalot to right-back and helping Man Utd climb into the top four.

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Gary Neville Warns United Not To Sell "7/10" Defender Diogo Dalot

If you look at the choices Michael Carrick’s made since taking over at Manchester United, there’s a clear theme: keep it simple. He’s gone back to basics, putting players in spots where they actually feel comfortable and can do their thing.

Take Bruno Fernandes, for example. He’s back where he belongs, pulling the strings as an attacking midfielder. Kobbie Mainoo, one of the brightest young midfielders around, is finally getting a real shot and showing what he can do. Then there’s Luke Shaw—England’s best left-back for years—back in his spot on the left.

These are just the obvious ones. Carrick’s basically undone a bunch of Ruben Amorim’s old tactical tweaks, and suddenly players look sharper. Diogo Dalot’s a great case. He’s finally finding his form again, and honestly, it’s just common sense. Dalot and Amorim got along well, but that plan to turn him into a world-beating wing-back never really worked. It didn’t fit his strengths, and all those switches between left and right wing just left him looking lost. Asking him to play like a winger? He never really convinced anyone that that was the answer.

Now, with Carrick in charge, Dalot’s back at right-back. Instantly, he looks more at home. He had one of his best games of the season against Fulham, getting forward, staying involved, and touching the ball more than anyone else on the pitch. Sure, sometimes that stat can be misleading—maybe Fulham just didn’t mind him having the ball out wide—but he still created chances, and you could see his confidence building again.

Earlier in the season, he took a real hit. You could feel the crowd turning on him at times, and, let’s be honest, he fell below the standard United expects. But now, if he puts together a strong finish, he might just secure his placeonn the team. Gary Neville talked about him last month and said something interesting—he thinks Dalot still has a role to play long-term.

Neville said, “He gets a really harsh view at times from United fans. I think there’s a half-decent full-back in there. I watch full-backs closely. He’s good in the air, he’s athletic, and he’s decent on the ball. He’s not world-class, but neither was I. He’s got 7/10 performances in him every week, but we’ve seen him out of position so much—left wing-back, right wing-back, exposed all the time. If he just played right-back, I wouldn’t be rushing him out the door.”

That’s not exactly a glowing review, but it’s fair. Dalot probably wants to be more than “half-decent”, but if Carrick keeps him at right-back for the rest of the season, he’ll get the chance to show what he’s really about.

United have been linked with new right-backs for a while, but honestly, that might not be a top priority this summer. They’re after two central midfielders, a left-winger, maybe a new centre-back if Maguire leaves, and another goalkeeper. Depending on the budget, the club might just stick with Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui at right-back.

If that happens, Dalot’s heading into his ninth season at Old Trafford. When he signed in 2018, Mourinho called him the best young right-back in Europe and said he could be in the side for a decade. For a while, that seemed pretty far-fetched, especially when he fell out of favour with Solskjaer. Some fans still say the fact that he’s the first choice shows United haven’t recruited well enough.

But, from what we’ve seen lately, United have bigger problems than right-back. If Dalot can keep up this run until May, keeping his spot is up to him.

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