French Ligue 1
Man United players want Pochettino as next manager
Manchester United‘s players are keen on Mauricio Pochettino becoming permanent manager in the summer, sources have told ESPN.
United are stepping up the search for their next permanent boss now that Richard Arnold has officially taken over from Ed Woodward as CEO at Old Trafford, and there is growing clamour from within the dressing room for Pochettino to get the nod.
Sources have told ESPN that a number of senior players believe the former Tottenham Hotspur boss is the right man for the job and his potential appointment has been openly discussed.
The Argentina-born Pochettino, in charge of Paris Saint-Germain, is one of the names on a five-man shortlist along with Ajax coach Erik ten Hag.
United are keen to have a new manager in place as soon as possible at the end of the season, and there is a feeling Pochettino is obtainable.
He has faced criticism in France despite guiding PSG to a 13-point lead at the top of Ligue 1.
Sources have told ESPN his position could be under threat as early as next month if PSG are beaten by Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The second leg is due to be played in Madrid on March 9.
Sources have told ESPN that Pochettino would welcome a return to the Premier League after a successful spell in charge of Spurs between 2014 and 2019.
The 49-year-old is also highly regarded at Old Trafford, in part because of his style of football but also because of his willingness to work with young players and promote from within the academy.
Ten Hag is also considered to be a viable candidate.
Sources have told ESPN that interim coach Ralf Rangnick, who is set to take up a two-year consultancy role at Old Trafford from this summer, is an admirer of the Dutch coach and believes he would be a good fit at United.
Rangnick is also yet to rule out the possibility of continuing his coaching role for another year.
-ESPN
Paul Pogba has joined AS Monaco on a free transfer after signing a two-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday, as the 32-year-old French midfielder looks to revive his career following a doping ban.
Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels. The suspension was cut to 18 months after a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Italian club Juventus announced in November that they had mutually agreed to terminate his contract, which was due to expire in June 2026.
The 2018 World Cup winner had a disappointing second spell with Juventus due to injuries after returning to the Turin-based club following his departure from Manchester United on a free transfer in 2022.
Pogba was signed by United in 2016 for a then-world record fee of 89 million pounds ($122 million) but the four-times Serie A champion won only two trophies with the Premier League club — the League Cup and Europa League in his first season.
He last played for France in 2022 but knee surgery prevented him from appearing at the World Cup in Qatar.
Monaco finished third behind Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain and Olympique de Marseille last season.
-Reuters
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After Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi signed a contract extension with French Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint-Germain, he became the World’s most-paid fullback.
The Moroccan international will earn a staggering €70 million in wages over his new five-year deal, cementing his status as football’s highest-paid defender.
He signed a contract extension with the French champions until 2029. The new deal adds three years to his previous contract, which was set to expire in 2026.
His net salary is increasing from €10 million to €14 million per season (€28 million gross).
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The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee and Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, is almost certain to leave the Serie A in the coming winter transfer window following interest from Premiership but the biggest interest is from Paris Saint Germaine.
The AFCON 2024 silver medal winner with Nigeria has been on the radar of the London side, West Ham United and three other sides from the league but all is more certain that the London club will find it difficult to compete for the signature of Atalanta star according to Football Insider.
Reports have suggested that the Irons are ready to swoop for the Nigeria international in the January transfer window.
However, sources say there will be “huge interest” from Europe in the 27-year-old ex-Everton star.
Paris Saint-Germain will be the frontrunner for the forward if he becomes available in the coming months.
Additionally, Lookman plays in the same area of the pitch as West Ham’s big-money summer signings Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme.
The London-born has raised his stock with his displays for Atalanta since joining from RB Leipzig in 2022.
He finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings this year after leading the Italian side to a Europa League title last term.
Lookman has already hit five goals and contributed five assists in 10 games across all competitions this term.
The forward, who is under contract until June 2026, hit 17 goals and notched 10 assists in 45 appearances last season.
West Ham are unlikely to have serious funds to spend in the January window after their lavish spending in the off-season.
Julen Lopetegui’s side started slowly and sat 13th in the Premier League after nine games.
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