Weekly Football News Catch-Up: July 10th: Maguire To Lose Captaincy; AC Milan Eyeing Chukwueze; Others

Maguire To Lose Manchester United Captaincy

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag is likely to take away the captaincy from Harry Maguire this week, even if he chooses to stay at the club, according to the UK Sun.

Maguire got only eight Premier League starts last season, trailing players such as Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, and Victor Lindelof.

Ten Hag has already demonstrated that Maguire is not in his long-term plans at Old Trafford, and hence a captaincy change is imminent.

Bruno Fernandes of Portugal has been named the most “likely” to succeed Maguire in the new season.

Fernandes wore it for the majority of last season while Maguire sat on the bench.

David De Gea would have been another candidate for the armband, but the goalkeeper left the club after his contract expired.

AC Milan Interested In Super Eagles Chukuweze

Fabrizio Romano, a reliable transfer specialist, has verified that AC Milan are working on a deal to sign Samuel Chukwueze from Villarreal.

According to Milan Eye, the Rooseneri have made a €35 million proposal for the Nigerian international.

Romano has now confirmed the news, confirming that the former Serie A champions are in talks with Chukwueze and USA star Christian Pulisic.

“Christian Pulisic, getting closer. After personal terms agreed and player pushing since last week, clubs are now close to agreeing on the fee; #ACMilan €22m second bid submitted and talks progressing to final stages,” Romano wrote on his Twitter handle.

“Milan keep working on the Samuel Chukwueze deal too.”

Chukwueze has one year left on his contract with Villarreal and is unwilling to sign an extension.

PSG New Coach Luis Enrique Speaks On Mbappe’s Future

Luis Enrique, the new manager of Paris Saint-Germain, has stated that “a lot of things can happen” regarding Kylian Mbappe’s future at the club.

Mbappe has already informed the Ligue 1 giants in writing that he will not be extending his current contract beyond June 2024.

As a result, the 24-year-old will be a free agent next summer.

PSG has already warned Mbappe that he must sign a new contract or risk being sold, but Enrique feels there are other choices.

Read Also: Mbappe Told He Has Only Two Weeks To-sign A New Contract

“When I signed, we always remained open. A lot of things can happen.

“I will keep it private as it’s professional secrecy.

“I cannot give confidence but we will try to make the best possible squad for PSG,” Enrique said during his unveiling on Wednesday.

Gabriel Jesus Tells The Difference Between Guardiola And Arteta

Gabriel Jesus, an Arsenal striker, has emphasized the differences between manager Mikel Arteta and his previous Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola.

Arteta worked as Guardiola’s assistant before taking over as Arsenal manager in December 2019.

During his time at the Etihad, Arteta collaborated with Jesus during an era of tremendous success for City.

However, in the summer of 2022, the Spaniard signed Jesus and nearly won the Premier League title ahead of Guardiola.

Jesus was asked about working with the two managers on the Brazilian Podcast with Paulo Filho and Tiago Damulakis.

Jesus noted that apart from experience, “Mikel wants us to be very intense. We have a young squad, so he wants us to be running all the time.”

Super Falcon’s Coach Slams NFF Over Misappropriation Of Funds

Randy Waldrum, the head coach of the Super Falcons, has unleashed yet another stinging attack on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

Waldrum and the Nigeria Football Federation have been at odds in recent weeks over a variety of problems, including the roster list for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, preparations, and unpaid payments.

The American on the podcast The Whistle has expressed his dissatisfaction with the allocation of FIFA’s funds.

“In October, every country was given $960,000 from FIFA to prepare for the World Cup, where is that money?

“Up until about three weeks ago, I had been owed 14 months’ salary, and then they paid seven months’ salary.

“We still have players that haven’t been paid since two years ago when we played the summer series in the USA…it is a travesty,” the coach said.