EURO 2021: Is Football coming home for the Three Lions?

The chaos that is consuming the world has sadly denied us all a summer jam-packed with international football, as the European Championships was initially set to take place through the months of June and July 2020. The historic tournament has been moved to the summer of 2021.

With England’s valiant display at the 2018 World Cup still a nostalgic and warming afterthought, Gareth Southgate’s hand has been forced to look ahead of shaking up the squad and preparing for another hair-raising tournament.

After raising a few eyebrows at the 2018 World Cup, England have been cemented as the clear favourites by Sporting Index to win the tournament, which will pile that extra pressure on the team to perform. Let’s have a look on how the team is shaping up and the possibility of it coming home.

Team Overhaul

Since the last electrifying tournament in Russia has passed, the England team have morphed drastically. Fabian Delph, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck and Jesse Lingard are some of the names who occupied a spot for that fateful match in the semi-finals against Croatia, but have all faded into a world of obscurity now Southgate is overhauling the squad.

The decline of the past talent has made way for the likes of Jadon Sancho, Ben Chilwell and Declan Rice, just a small glimpse of England’s future talent and the expansion of the manager’s vision.

With Kane spearheading the front line, and the spine of the England team aligning, it gives England fans another beacon of hope as the team dines once more at the international table in the summer of 2021. 

England’s Young Talent

It’s no secret that England harvests a plethora of talent, the game was devised on English soil and has reason to incubate some of the biggest prospects in the game. Southgate has shown on countless occasions he’s open to giving youth a chance. Regardless of age, the England boss will carve out a role for a young player if he believes that it will add another string to the England bow.

Leicester City’s James Maddison and Chelsea’s Mason Mount have demonstrated through the Euro qualification that their prowess and footballing ethos have earned them a place on the plane to the Euros.

Trent Alexander Arnold has been an integral cog to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool outfit, and his performances have made the Three Lion’s boss take note and rotate the young Liverpool hero with Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier.

Another notable mention who is moving through the ranks is that of Declan Rice. The West Ham maestro has become a midfield lynchpin for the Hammers over the past few years and his hard work has paid dividends, as he finds himself featured more and more in the England first team.

Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, seems to be England’s future gleaming jewel. The rising star came flying out of the blocks at Borussia Dortmund, after he first joined in 2017 from Manchester City. Sancho made it clear, early on, that he was to become Dortmund’s talisman and lead the team to a Super Cup glory. Southgate has included Sancho in the England squad for the best part of 2019/20.

Can England Win Euro 2021?

England have one of the best squads in international football littered with talent across the field. Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Tammy Abraham are all brilliant strikers, with Kane clearly a step above the other two, so going into this tournament, England are armed with attacking options.

The team spirit is at an all-time high after a string of positive qualifying results and the dynamism of the squad seems to be going in the right direction. The current crop of England players seems to be getting on and enjoy working as a cohesive footballing unit.

Long gone is the England penalty curse, as the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists dispatched a resilient and battle-worn Columbia in the last sixteen from the spot kick, in a series of nerve-rattling penalties. This penalty victory will carry the England players to the Euros with a more positive mindset if it finishes level at 120 minutes.

Finally, the Euro 2021 final is on home soil, Wembley. Conveniently, the last time England lifted an international trophy was at Wembley in 1966. Home soil is a massive advantage for the Three Lions and the men will be relishing the opportunity to play there.

Where Is Euro 2021 Held?

The 16th European Championship will be staged in 12 host cities, each in different country. The countries include England, Germany, Italy, Azerbaijan, Russia, Romania, Holland, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Scotland and Denmark.

Is the UEFA Nations League and friendlies really needed?

International football has taken over from domestic football for the past 10 days, and there seems a growing number of football fans who do not like when their seasons are interrupted. Could it be that international football has simply grown tired, and that the football in many ways feels like it is taking something from the more exciting domestic fixtures.

Normally international games break up the traditional leagues in Europe 3 times a season. In October, November and March, which means that for 30 days in a season there is no domestic football.

Friendly games have rubbed up for fans the wrong way for some time. Whilst the advantage of such games means that fans can see some of the best players in the world and exciting fixtures, they really offer very little in return. In truth you are watching a training exercise- does it matter if your team beat Brazil, Germany or Argentina? It’s just a friendly.

Thankfully the large bulk of friendly games have been replaced by competitive games and yet despite an extra competition being introduced by UEFA friendly games remain a constant fixture. Clubs loathe them because their players can get injured on international duty, even if they get injured at a World Cup that is bad news, but getting injured for a game that means nothing just seems pointless.

So UEFA introduced the Nations League- this could have been more welcomed if it had put an end to the friendly round of games, but of course it hasn’t. Witness how England had to play Republic of Ireland days before a crunch tie in the Nations League against Belgium- what purpose did the game against Ireland serve? Some could argue that it gave England manager Gareth Southgate a clearer view of the qualities of his players going into the Belgium game- one could counter that argument and say that after being in the job for four years he should have a clue what his best team line up is.

The Nations League seemed like a decent idea, but at the same time one has to wonder if it ever was? The complexes of the group stage can leave many an adult dumbfounded by all the rules- and not every team can qualify for the knock out stages that goes straight to the semi-finals. Though if you play well in this competition it can help for European and World Cup qualifications. There are groups in the Nations League where even if you win all of your games, because you are not a band A team, your competition still ends at that point. And so on.

But even if the Nations League was a straight group games and knockout competition- it just feels like one more competition for already tired players, who have a full on schedule in their domestic leagues. Remember the bulk of these players are going to be their best in their countries, which means they will be playing for the best sides who are going for the trophies.

Until it actually gets to the final the Nations League doesn’t seem very important at all. Are current holders Portugal remembered for winning it in its first year or will that team be more remembered for winning Euro 2016 instead? England have just been knocked out in the group stages of the Nations League as they lost 2-0 to Belgium, and yet the media that are always ready to crucify England managers simply haven’t dedicated column inches to their demise. Could you imagine the stories that would have been generated had England crashed out of the group stages of the Euro’s or World Cup? Manager Southgate would be packing his bags now.

Another example is the recent Spanish victory over Germany, where Spain beat them 6-0. It is a groundbreaking result until you learn it happened in the Nations League- it will be forgotten in a few weeks time by everyone outside of Spain and Germany.

Football can feel very over saturated and with UEFA adding another tournament in a calendar which can only run 12 months just feels like over kill. Take in mind that there is actually very little difference between the Nations League and the European Championships, and both competitions will clash next year.

The Nations League final was scheduled for June 2021, but has been pushed back to October. This means that teams who have made the semi-finals of the Nations League will be waiting almost 1 year to get to a final. It also means that UEFA of course recognise that the Euro’s are more important, they keep their original summer outing with the Nations League being pushed back. Also what happens if Germany win the Euro’s and a few months later Spain win the Nations League? Who will care truly? and who will believe that Spain are the best nation in Europe if they don’t win (the big one at the Euro’s)?

So what is the solution, as international fixtures have to co-exist with domestic football? One would be only having international fixtures as a means to qualifying for the respective summer tournaments that are coming up. Whilst some fans may love the idea of the Nations League one has to wonder if long time if it can work alongside all of the other competitions. So it may be best to end it- remember we have 2 international competitions that take place every 2 years to determine the best international teams- why do we need 3?

If UEFA insist on friendly games, because TV money is hard to turn down and when fans are allowed back into stadiums, it is easy gate receipt money, then these need to be limited. Possibly in the summer only, although this would be tricky in a World Cup or Euro’s year. The other possibility would be having them take place over a 10 day period but just once a season.

It is very important that domestic football takes place first and foremost with that in mind. International football can be very exciting at times, but with disjointed teams and players not being able to gel with one another like in club football it also means that international standard can drop, which means that us, the viewer, doesn’t get the very best product on show. It would be beneficial if UEFA could think through their schedules, because the current one seems painfully wrong.

 

 

Phil Foden, Mason Greenwood and Harry Maguire have embarrassed England and Gareth Southgate has a huge job on his hands

Nothing has changed from the England mental attitude of the 1970s, 80s, or 90s, and this is something that current manager Gareth Southgate learned in the most direct way in the past few weeks.

Players that are supposed to be upstanding professionals have let themselves down and let football down, and let Southgate down. So much so that even some sections of the press are wondering if Southgate is up to the job. Here is the man that led a very average England side to the semi-finals of the World Cup and the Nations League in its first edition. There is a lot of potential in this England side but Southgate ultimately might never get the chance to realise it, but he is not the major problem. The players are.

Not every player of course, but once one player makes off the pitch mistakes it just seeps into the squad. A laugh here, a jibe there. Harry Maguire the captain of the national side getting involved in a reported punch up in Greece with police, Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood arranging for two women to join them in a hotel, it all just harks back to tabloid heaven from the 1990s.

You don’t see continental and international players keep getting themselves in the headlines for the wrong reasons, scandal after scandal seems to follow England and football, if it isn’t the fans it’s the players- and they are supposed to be the role models.

Southgate has tried to play down what Foden and Greenwood did, and true they are young, 38 years between them, they will hopefully learn. But still. The problem that Southgate has is that they are two very good players and are important to the England set up. They will miss perhaps one game, like they did yesterday, the Denmark one.But Southgate should write them off for the next 3 games at least- punish them properly make them really think about what they have done.

Young players will make mistakes but it also showed a lack of respect for preparation for the Denmark game. Do they not care about the UEFA Nations League or representing their country? Would they have tried the same on had this been a knock out World Cup game?

Scandals followed the England team even when Southgate was a player, as a manager he is trying to advance the team and put them in a more professional light. But Maguire, Foden and Greenwood have sent his plans hurtling back to the drawing board faster than a janitor hitting the ground after being punched by the Rock. His plans are in tatters, and one suspects after next summers Euro’s Southgate could be departing early, sadly little has changed within the England set up, even on the surface that doesn’t look like the case, it seems as if the problems are very deep rooted.

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Can Harry Maguire keep his captaincy after arrest in Greece?

It’s been a terrible week for Manchester United and England player Harry Maguire who was arrested and then charged in Greece whilst on holiday, the question is now what will happen to him professionally?

Details are still sketchy about what actually happened when Maguire was on holiday but it seems that he was drinking and got into a scuffle or at least a shouting match with some members of the public. Soon after the police got involved and Maguire may have had a confrontation with them. After being taking to a cell reports suggest that Maguire told the police he was a very rich man and could pay them. That is of course bribery and seems to have back fired on Maguire.

This is a mess no doubt and just looks bad anyway you look at it. An Englishman abroad… but at the same time if Maguire was taunted in the first place this is not good. Can’t a famous known figure enjoy themselves without being verbally abused? Some would say that Maguire visited a tourist hot spot and should have known better though, that the life he leads means he will be a target. Well Maguire has found out the hard way.

There was a feeling that Maguire would be found not guilty but that hasn’t happened and the report has come back pressing charges on the footballer. This means in theory he could face jail time, although by Greek law that probably won’t happen and instead he will be fined- money he tried to part with a few days ago.

But Maguire’s professionalism will surely need to be questioned after this incident. Some of the accusations against the player are not befitting of someone who also leads his team. For England manager Gareth Southgate named Maguire as his starting captain for England’s next international games a day before the guilty verdict and it will be interesting to see if Southgate keeps that decision.

It has been reported that United manager Ole Gunner Solskjaer is having talks with Maguire about his captaincy and he could be stripped of it even if Solskjaer supports his player he may need to act on the guilty verdict.

If anything this has been a learning curve for Maguire and his next holiday will surely be more private. Overall Maguire has had a decent season with the club and he should be able to recover from this controversy- he will at least have a chapter for his future book wrapped up.

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Jack Grealish has the talent but needs to act like a professional

Aston Villa’s highly talented player Jack Grealish was in the media for all the wrong reasons recently. With no football being played it couldn’t be because he had a disaster of game. Instead it appeared that the player broke the law during the Convid-19 outbreak to allegedly see a friend.

But it gets worse for Grealish. The next day he was spotted in a car accident, thankfully no one was hurt but he reportedly crashed into two parked cars and iron railings. This spelled PR disaster for the player who has spent a chunk of time trying to clean up his career and trying to get into England manager Gareth Southgate’s good books.

On top of this just a few days prior Grealish appealed via video for football fans to stay safe and stay at home, underlining that he may well just be the biggest sporting hypocrite of the year so far.

Grealish has had history of going down the wrong road in the past but to be fair to him and has pretty much kept out of trouble for the past five years. But he wouldn’t have been the first Englishman to possess so much talent and natural ability but then be undone by his actions.

In a sense the incident won’t affect his season given the suspension of football because of the virus, but one has to wonder if Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will give out a fine as he can hardly suspend the player.

Of course more has to be known of the incident before we can 100% judge but it doesn’t look good for Grealish even being out in public and damaging his car when 24 hours beforehand he was asking fans to stay in.

Former football players Darren Bent and Danny Murphy have spoken out against Grealish and this story could run and run.

Grealish had been given the captain’s armband by Smith and that seemed to flick a switch in the player who had really turned it for Villa being a key player in helping the team gain promotion to the Premier League. Whilst the side have since struggled in the league Grealish has still put in some very impressive performances.

He will now want to have a very quite month or so and hope to get back to playing football. Also with Euro 2020 now delayed until 2021 he will have the chance to try and dig deep and have a good season next and try to make Southgate’s team. That’s a long way off and if the decision was having to be made today, he would most likely struggle.

Grealish is still learning that even at 24 you just can’t act like he has been doing if you are looked up to and a professional footballer. Will he learn from this latest setback?

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Has Euro 2020 qualifying been too predictable with ultimately too many miss matches?

Euro 2020 qualification is shaping up with all of the big guns qualifying easy, but have the bigger nations just had it too easy this time?

UEFA has increased the competition from 16 teams to 24, their excuse is that more nations who normally don’t qualify will get that chance and Finland have reaped that reward as an example. Wales are their too. But at the same time increasing by 8 teams also means it is very unlikely that we will get any shocks. For example the Netherlands have failed to qualify for a couple of major competitions this decade and Italy not being at the 2018 World Cup was a major surprise. Increasing teams chances also means that the bigger nations can have off days and still qualify.

England are a good example of how qualifying for the competition has basically become mundane, boring and predictable. Yes if you’re an England fan you would love the fact that the nation scored 11 goals in their last two qualifying games and didn’t ship any in their 7-0 win over Montenegro and 4-0 victory over Kosovo. But once you see that a whole domestic weekend of Premier League football had to be shifted in order to see such a miss match it just makes no sense.

England are not the only ones. There has been huge victories for the likes of Portugal and Spain and Italy recorded a 9-1 win over Armenia. Talk about competitive football.

In truth it is hard not to think that qualifiers exist for two reasons: Gate receipts and for UEFA to spread their brand and sponsorship. The solution seems an easy one not to have a qualification process. Qualifying has simply become too easy for the big nations whilst other nations are producing miss matches. Yes lesser footballing nations need that competitive football and they will get that with the UEFA Nations League, a rather silly idea but better than friendlies. Though let’s remind ourselves that friendlies still exist.

So just have no qualification and have all European national sides qualify for the competition proper. True it means the likes of San Marino could get hit for 10 goals in the competition proper, but the match would still feel more important being in a major competition than tucked away on a Monday night in Group E.

Qualification is here to stay though and it is just a thought. For now international football seems quite redundant as long as it’s not one of the major competitions- it is an advert in the blockbusting and interesting movie that is domestic football.

UEFA need to show zero tolerance to racism after Bulgaria-England game

It was suspected that it would happen before the game and then it did. England played Bulgaria away from home and the nations black players had been warned that racist chanting could happen during the game. But this time there was a plan of action at hand.

Sure enough the racist chants bellowed out throughout the stadium in under 30 minutes and it was heartening to see something different happen- the game stopped, the referee abide, talked to England manager Gareth Southgate and also a group of racist fans were led out of the stadium. Finally some action whilst the game was going on had occurred. Black players who have had to endure vile chants usually monkey gestures were taking that fight back.

One had to feel sorry for Tyrone Mings, who had earned his place finally in the England team. This was his debut for the national side and it should have been a memorable and proud one. Sure England won 6-0 and Mings played his part but it all got overshadowed by the racists.

After the game UEFA charged both sets of fans- England for chanting during the Bulgarian national anthem and Bulgarian fans even if in the minority and their racist and also Nazi salutes. But what will be the outcome?

Simply put UEFA have been pretty useless at dealing with racism. Getting the worlds best players to partake in anti racist messages does not work, banners do not work, adverts do not work, fines do not work, banning certain fans does not work. having sections of the ground closed off does not work and even playing behind closed doors does not work. So what is the solution.

Maybe simply there is none. Racism has been with us for centuries why would it go away in 2019? It won’t and to think it will is living in dreamland. But Bulgaria need to be punished as does any other nation and football club by that matter. The punishment needs to be to stop that supply- that means to actually stop the football club or nation operating. In effect suspending a business.

Bulgaria should be thrown out of the Euro 2020 qualifying and then banned from partaking in the qualifiers for the next World Cup. With every other friendly game played outside the country. It might seem harsh but a message needs to be sent.

As for clubs, stop the fines and start docking points. As much as 10 points, punish those clubs if they are on the verge of European football and those 10 points drop them out of contention or could be the difference between being relegated or not.

No matter what colour you are or religion, you have the right not to be harassed on a football field and in the wider spectrum society. We will never get rid of racism, but we need to reduce it, and the only way of doing that is by having a zero tolerance attitude.

Jordan Henderson must find way to translate club form to country

Jordan Henderson has had to fight for respect as a Liverpool player. He might be the club captain and a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s side, but Henderson hasn’t always been a favourite, even for his own supporters. Times have changed, though.

Liverpool’s midfield can be difficult to understand. Unlike Manchester City, the Reds don’t have a defined mould for their midfielders. Klopp demands that each of his central trio perform different roles, occupying different areas of the pitch. Henderson has become an integral part of what the German coach has built.

But while Henderson has more than earned his keep at Anfield, the 29-year-old hasn’t yet been able to translate his club form into the performances for his country. England could use a midfielder of his type, someone who can pick up the ball and drive it forward into the attacking third.

England have made great progress under Gareth Southgate, demonstrated by their performance at last summer’s World Cup and their displays at last year’s Nations League, but there remains a hole at the centre of his team. The Three Lions lack a figure to dictate play through the middle. Henderson will likely never be that figure, but he could still bring something they currently don’t have.

The hope is that James Maddison will give England the creative force they need around the edge of the opposition box. Looking further into the future, Phil Foden has been ear-marked as the player Southgate needs to take his side to the next level. It hasn’t helped that Foden is struggling for game time at Manchester City currently.

In the meantime, though, Henderson could be pushed further up the field, a position Klopp has used the 29-year-old in on occasion. With the 2020 European Championships already starting to appear on the horizon, Southgate must start settling on solutions to some of his problems and Henderson might offer him one.

Henderson is a first team pick for Southgate, with the Liverpool man expected to be England’s holding midfielder alongside Declan Rice who has made quite the impression since forcing his way into the national team reckoning last season. But Southgate must find a way to get more out of a player who is proving a real difference-maker at club level. Far from being a cause of England’s problems, he could be a solution.

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Three U-23 players to keep an eye on throughout the Premier League season

As gameweek one has come to an end, a large number of Premier League supporters will have already predicted which teams will have a successful season and which specific individuals will go on to being the game changers compared to the rest of the players in the top flight of English football.

Meanwhile, a small group of young talents are aiming to have a bright season at a personal level and are looking to make a name for themselves. A lot of these youngsters will be looking up to the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, James Maddison and Matteo Guendouzi, players who had their breakout moment over the last 12 months and are now seen as a hot property by their club and manager.

With no further ado, it’s time to look at the three U-23 players to keep an eye on this campaign.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Although he has had a decent amount of first-team experience under Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri, Callum Hudson-Odoi will be hoping that the managerial arrival of Frank Lampard will allow him to play on a regular basis. Also, the fact that Eden Hazard left a month ago and the club are not able to bring in any players for another transfer window, it may grant him a couple of chances to prove himself.

Currently on the sidelines after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon at the end of last season, the 19-year-old is expected to return to full training over the next couple of weeks before he begins to feature on the pitch once again. Once he gets going and is back on the pitch, there is no doubt at all that he goes straight into the Chelsea team, as they are currently lack pure quality in the final third of the pitch.

With the side missing a player that can take the game by the scruff of the neck or create something out of nothing, the return of Hudson-Odoi would help the team’s creativity and movement on and off the ball massively whilst the likes of Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham will benefit from his presence. For the sure, the departure of Hazard may hurt the Blues mentally in the long run, but they have a player in Hudson-Odoi that can confidently open up a defensive side and come up with the vital contributions. 

Max Aarons

Reviewing Norwich City’s last year in the Championship, they could have easily fallen down into the play-off area rather than winning the league, if it wasn’t for the crucial shift that Max Aarons had completed on both sides of the pitch. From being a speedy outlet on the flanks as a full-back to completing the required defensive duties, the youngster has it all to be a top player in his specific position.

If he goes on to replicating the same types of performances in the top tier of English football, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur gain interest in the player once again. However, the standards between both leagues are massively high, as Aarons’ discipline and positional awareness will have to be top notch in what could be his breakout year of his professional career.

Given that the attacking-minded players in Emiliano Buendia and Todd Cantwell are expected to be constantly marked by the opposition, Norwich have a full-back to rely on to make those striding runs down the wings and to put in the inch-perfect crosses into someone like Teemu Pukki. Also, a consistent campaign for the rising talent could see him become one of the best players in his department within the league.

Sean Longstaff

Newcastle United are going through a serious transition period, as they attempt to put the Rafa Benitez era behind themselves as well as produce new memories under manager Steve Bruce. Though, one of the positives that the Toons will have become aware of throughout this year, has been the incredible rise of central-midfielder Sean Longstaff, someone who spent a crucial loan at League one side Blackpool during the 2017-18 season and is now being a regular starter in top flight football.

At the age of 21, the youngster is living the dream that all young English football supporters have of playing in the Premier League and for their local club. And not only that, he received a new four-year deal back in November 2018, and is already expected to receive another huge increase over the next couple of weeks, as Manchester United were regularly interested in the Newcastle-born midfielder in recent months.

If Longstaff can go on to reaching his potential and the expectation of the Newcastle supporters, then the team will surely have stabilised midfield that allows them to push for success in the domestic competition and also aim for a higher finish in the league. If and once that eventually happens, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the club requesting for £50million and over for the player, purely to ward off any interest from other clubs.

Why is Leicester City’s Harry Maguire worth £80m?

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Leicester City’s Harry Maguire is being chased by both Manchester clubs with City, the current champions looking the favourites from the two to get his signature. But the asking price seems incredibly inflated. The Foxes want £80m for their defender- the genuine question is, how did they get to this figure?

Maguire has won no major trophies in his career and he is 26- he has never played for a top 4 side, not even top 6. Though he did join Leicester the season after they were declared champions. Has the price been inflated then because he is a current England international player with 20 caps- it does seem so.

The reality of the situation is that in the current price market Maguire is worth no more than £35m, and teams valuations of players has gone through the roof. Sadly for Premier League clubs selling on English players it has always been like this, when a few extra million seems to attach onto any fee.

City and United have the money but City have taken over United now and they will most likely get his signature. No one is denying that Maguire could become a better all round player at City and put in good displays, but City will not be making any money on the player in the future- indeed his value if sold for £80m will start to decrease the moment he puts pen to paper.

The reality of it is is that Leicester have no right to ask so much for the player, the price compared to what Maguire has achieved has no justification, plain and simple.

England’s manager Gareth Southgate hasn’t helped the situation, he once ill advised that Maguire was one of the best defenders in the world. Again totally unjustified. Maguire is a good defender and would never have made it in England’s set up otherwise and starred of course in a World Cup which saw England reach the semi-final stages. But one of the best makes little sense for a player who has played in his career for the likes of Hull and Leicester and we need to be realistic of that fact.

For now United have lodged a £70m bid which is ridiculous in and of itself, and Leicester had the bravado to turn that down and then ask for £10m extra. The fear for United is that their rivals will seriously start sniffing around and come in for the player. But no team is getting a good deal or bargain here.