Mourinho eyes up Paqueta
One of the hottest properties in South American football is reported to be mulling over a move to Old Trafford.
Citing French press, Metro says that United “have opened talks to sign Flamengo midfielder Lucas Paqueta”. The 21-year-old has caught the attention of some of Europe’s finest after his displays in the Brazilian league, and with two caps to his name, is also highly regarded in his native land.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Stolen a march
French outlet Le10 Sport claim that United have stolen a march on Paris Saint-Germain, who have also registered an interest in signing Paqueta in January.
With a tally of six goals and six assists in 28 appearances for Flamengo this season, the young star is said to be open to a move to Europe.
Metro reports that Jose Mourinho’s side face fierce competition not only from PSG but also AC Milan and Barcelona.
That’s good news for Flamengo, who are believed to have slapped a £45m price tag on Paqueta and will hope that a bidding war pushes the price up further.
De Gea declaration
United kick off their Champions League campaign this evening against Swiss outfit Young Boys, and David de Gea faced a barrage of questions at yesterday’s press conference.
It wasn’t long before the Spanish goalkeeper was asked about his future, and the rumours of a move to Real Madrid that just won’t go away.
As The Sun reports, De Gea responded with an emphatic declaration of loyalty to the Red Devils. “I feel real love for this club, the fans,” said the 27-year-old. “I’m really happy. It’s one of the best clubs in the world so it’s really good to be part of this club.”
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
A reckoning over looted artThe Explainer Thousands of artifacts in U.S. and European collections were stolen from their countries of origin. Should they be sent back?
-
A surge in surge pricing
Feature And more of the week's best financial insight
-
Rupert Murdoch steps aside at the empire he built
Feature The last of the old-style 'press barons' has retired. What is he leaving behind?
-
Manchester United and Mason Greenwood: duty of care or double standards?
Talking Point The 21-year-old footballer’s possible return has provoked an outpouring of dismay from supporters
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden boot
feature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
-
Man City: can ‘one of the best sides in history’ win the treble?
feature Guardiola’s Premier League champions have two more trophies in their sights
-
Premier League: Man City vs. Arsenal predictions
feature What the pundits say about tonight’s title race showdown at the Etihad
-
Antonio Conte leaves Tottenham after ‘extraordinary’ rant at players
feature After another year without a trophy, Spurs are now searching for a new manager
-
Liverpool 7 Man Utd 0: ‘welcome to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool 2.0’
feature Anfield’s ‘new front three’ were on fire in the humbling of their bitter rivals
-
Man Utd win the Carabao Cup: how Erik ten Hag has ‘transformed’ the Red Devils
feature United lifted their first silverware since 2017 after beating Newcastle at Wembley
-
Man City’s financial charges: what next for the Premier League champions?
feature The club is alleged to have breached financial rules around 100 times over a nine-year period
