Arsenal are reportedly tracking a teenage striker already dubbed the “next Zlatan Ibrahimovic.” The prospect in question is 16-year-old Partizan Belgrade centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic, according to France Football (h/t Alex Harris of the Daily Star).

Those reports claim the Gunners have been “eagerly watching” Vlahovic:

The 16-year-old stands at 6ft 2″ and has been compared to the Swedish superstar following his recent breakthrough into Partizan‘s first team.

He has made four appearances in their last five Serbian SuperLiga games but Arsenal face competition from Manchester City and Paris St-Germain.

PSG have been following Vlahovic particularly closely and have made enquiries as to his availability.

Vlahovic is under contract until 2018 – he became the youngest player ever to sign a pro contract at Partizan.

Assuming Arsenal could fend off interest from the French capital, Vlahovic would join the growing ranks of young and talented prospects waiting to break into the starting XI. Nigerian 19-year-old forward Alex Iwobi has already taken that step this season, but 18-year-old Frenchman Jeff Reine-Adelaide could soon join him.

Academy players such as 17-year-old Dutch striker Donyell Malen and 18-year-old English attacking midfielder Chris Willock are both talented enough to make a similar leap in the near future.

Adding Vlahovic to this group would reaffirm Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger‘s commitment to building his squads on a foundation of precocious youths. Yet Wenger‘s philosophy aside, signing a 16-year-old, relatively unproven striker would likely not please sections of the club’s support anxious to see a more established goal-getter next season.

The Gunners have had their struggles up front throughout this campaign, with Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck all dealing with loss of form or injury woes. As a result, Arsenal have found the net just 48 times in 30 Premier League games, per the division’s official site, an unusually low number for a Wenger-coached team.

But judging by the latest rumours, Wenger seems content to gamble on potential to solve the problem.

One area where the Emirates Stadium chief appears ready to opt for more experience is in midfield.

Marcelo Brozovic Could Move After Euro 2016

Longtime Arsenal target Marcelo Brozovic recently addressed the rumours linking him to north London and even suggested he could be on the move this summer.

The 23-year-old Inter Milan pass-master was speaking to Croatian source Jutarnji (h/t Metro‘s Max Miller):

I have heard about these rumours.

For now, I am an Inter player and I will behave as such.

Everything is possible. We’ll see. We’ll know more after the Euros. There’s nothing more to say at this time, it’s too soon.

Brozovic is on loan at Inter from Dinamo Zagreb. But he looks likely to seal a potentially permanent switch to Serie A this summer, according to Sky Sports Italia (h/t Football Italia.net, via James Gray of the Daily Express).

Back in late February, Italian source Tuttosport (h/t talkSPORT) had suggested Inter would sign Brozovic and then cash in on him by selling the player to Arsenal for a “fee of around £15 million.”

While that’s a convoluted deal, Brozovic does boast attributes Wenger‘s midfield needs. Not only is he more physical than the pantheon of playmakers the Gunners have relied on in recent seasons, Brozovic also has the technical quality Wenger adores.

ESPN FC‘s Nick Dorrington believes Brozovic is best as a versatile and steadying force in the middle: “Indeed, he performs best as the adaptable third wheel in a midfield three in which the others take charge of the dedicated defensive (Arijan Ademi at Dinamo) and creative (Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric for Croatia) tasks.”

That’s the role Jack Wilshere should play for the Gunners, but he has never stayed fit or disciplined enough to make the position his own. Brozovic would be a nice fit, provided he remains a priority for Wenger.

The Arsenal boss is currently strongly linked with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka, per Sky Germany (h/t Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol):

German journalist Raphael Honigstein (h/t Metro‘s George Bellshaw) believes this deal could go ahead.

Like Brozovic, Xhaka is nominally a deep-lying playmaker, one more akin to Bayern Munich’s Xabi Alonso. It’s unlikely Wenger would target two midfielders of this type in the summer, especially with January signing Mohamed Elneny currently performing well.

Given the long-winded nature of any potential deal for Brozovic, one possibly involving up to three clubs, count on Xhaka being the midfielder Wenger stays focused on.

As for Vlahovic, his immediate impact would likely be minimal next season. Yet his arrival would show that Arsenal’s longest-serving manager remains determined to safeguard the club’s future.

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Liverpool are reportedly targeting a £9.5 million move for River Plate striker Lucas Alario, while the Reds face competition from Sevilla in the race to land Anderlecht starlet Dennis Praet during the summer transfer window, according to the latest rumours.

Per Mike McGrath of the Sun, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp plans to overhaul his attacking options this summer, and Liverpool scouts have been watching Alario ahead of a possible summer move.

The 23-year-old joined River Plate from Colon last summer and immediately made his mark at the club by scoring the opener in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final. He has only improved since then, as you can see in the video below (warning: NSFW lyrics):

Per WhoScored.com, he hasn’t missed his start to the new campaign, either:

Alario has a natural feel for playing inside the box and moves exceptionally well in limited space, displaying quick footwork to create room for shots. He always seems to position himself in the right place to connect with crosses, and he’s a solid finisher with both feet and his head.

But perhaps his biggest asset is his versatility. He shows a surprising turn of speed and does plenty of damage on the counter-attack, and he even has the playmaking abilities to get his fellow forwards involved inside the box.

His ability to move in space would make him a strong fit for Klopp‘s attacking system based around pressing high and hitting at pace. River Plate use similar tactics, and so far, he has done exceptionally well during his time at the club.

Alario has already told TyC Sports (h/t Daily Express‘ David Wright) he would love to move to Anfield, saying: “Tell them to contact me. Given the choice, I’d like to experience the Premier League, and I’d like to play for Liverpool. I always select them when I play football on the PlayStation.”

While that’s great news for Liverpool, River Plate are unlikely to part with the youngster so shortly after bringing him into the squad, and they’ll hold out for a sizable fee. Per Wright, the likes of Ajax and Inter Milan have also expressed an interest, and those two clubs could drive the price up even further.

If the Reds really want Alario, you have to assume they’ll go all out to land him, and a summer move would definitely be possible. But the young forward won’t come cheap, and there are always risks involved with moving for South American talent with limited experience.

Elsewhere, Fichajes.net (h/t Daily Star‘s Colin Harvey) believe Sevilla will battle the Reds for Praet, Anderlecht‘s attacking midfielder who was linked with Liverpool back in January.

The 21-year-old has been a regular in Anderlecht‘s midfield for years and has already won the Gouden Schoen, the award for the best player in the Belgian league. Here’s a look at some of his highlights:

Praet has been a well-known talent for years, yet another member of Anderlecht‘s Purple Talents program that seems to produce star youngsters on a yearly basis. But the attacking midfielder has failed to take the next step in his progression in the last two seasons, and his 2015-16 campaign hasn’t been his greatest.

He’s likely to leave Anderlecht this summer, but at this point in time, he doesn’t seem ready to make the step up to a top club. According to Kristof Terreur of Het Laatste Nieuws, the persistent links with Liverpool come down to praise Klopp offered him years ago, and little more:

Praet is a ball-dominant midfielder who will remind some of Philippe Countinho, and while he has experience in a wide role, he does his best work through the middle. Liverpool’s squad already boasts a number of players who prefer to ply their trade in such a role, including Coutinho and Adam Lallana, and spending money on a similar player doesn’t make a lot of sense.

The Belgium international is a solid player, but a transfer to the Bundesliga or a smaller Premier League club would probably be the right move for his career.

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AC Milan were looking for a striker this summer.

After years of streaky play up front, vice-president and transfer chief Adriano Galliani, flush with a sizable transfer budget for the first time in years, was determined to address that need.  He attacked it aggressively and immediately zeroed in on his preferred target—Colombia international Jackson Martinez, then in the employ of Porto.

By the middle of June, the Portuguese club had told the media Martinez was headed for the San Siro.  But a week later the deal was off—Martinez was headed for Atletico Madrid instead.

Galliani needed a backup fast, especially since his other main target, Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, had also rejected Milan after seemingly having a deal locked in—and was headed to cross-town rivals Inter Milan to boot.  Fortunately, his secondary target up front was a much easier target to secure.  A deal was completed with Sevilla for their own Colombian, Carlos Bacca, on the second day of the transfer window.

Now they need to keep him.

It seems like Milan got the best of the summer dealings.  Martinez only scored three goals in 19 appearances in all competitions for Atleti, and when Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande offered them a staggering €42 million fee over the winter, he left the Vicente Calderon and headed east.

Milan, on the other hand, have gotten the best out of Bacca.  He’s scored 14 times in the league and added two assists, representing an excellent debut season in a league that can be difficult for strikers to adapt to.

It’s a testament to his quality that he’s scored as much as he has despite abysmal service from his teammates.  According to WhoScored.com, he’s scored those goals despite managing only 1.9 shots per game.  Squawka.com clocks his shooting accuracy at an excellent 67 percent—and it was as high as 70 percent in late February.

Bacca‘s success has naturally attracted attention from outside Milanello.  According to MilanNews (h/t Football Italia), Bayern Munich are planning on sending scouts to Italy to keep tabs on the striker.  In January, the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reported heads had also turned at Chelsea, who are thin behind Diego Costa and will be building a team for a new coach this summer.

But regardless of all this interest, Milan absolutely must keep Bacca in the fold.

In the three years preceding Bacca‘s arrival, Milan had lacked a reliable goalscorer on the front line.  The hole was of their own making after they sold Zlatan Ibrahimovic—who had just won the league scoring title and had fired them to the Scudetto the season before that—to Paris Saint-Germain, along with Thiago Silva, in the summer of 2012.

Since then, the team had relied on a motley crew of forwards, none of whom managed to find a groove for an extended period of time.  Giampaolo Pazzini, Stephan El Shaarawy, Robinho, Alexandre Pato, M’Baye Niang, Bojan Krkic, Alessandro Matri, Mario Balotelli, Fernando Torres, Jeremy Menez and Mattia Destro all had chances, and none was able to string together the kind of success that makes for a top-line striker at a big club.

Only three of those men even had limited success.  El Shaarawy picked up the slack when Ibrahimovic left the team, scoring 16 times in all competitions before Christmas of 2012.  But the winger was 20 years old that season, and the strain of playing starter’s minutes in three competitions ground him down, and he was a shell of himself in the second half.

Balotelli picked up that slack when he arrived late in the winter window in 2013, scoring 13 times and helping the Rossoneri cap an epic comeback to earn a UEFA Champions League place.  But he couldn’t keep that form the next season and was abruptly sold to Liverpool two summers ago.

Menez put up good numbers last season, scoring 16 times, but half of those goals came from the penalty spot, and his selfishness often saw attacks die.  He’s missed most of this season with a back injury and needs to prove that he’s back to being himself.

It’s difficult to contend for the top spots in the table without a go-to scorer.  Juventus managed it for the first two of their current four-year title run, but they were augmented by elite goalscoring midfielders like Arturo Vidal—a luxury Milan don’t possess at the moment.  If the Rossoneri expect to get back to contending for a place in the Champions League—let alone the title—keeping a player like Bacca is a must.

He’s truly the kind of scorer that can change games.  The Colombian’s excellent at identifying gaps in the defense and driving through to exploit them, and once he’s put into position, that incredible accuracy makes stopping him a tall order indeed.

His weakness, of course, is that it’s rare for him to fashion his own opportunities.  He needs service from his teammates to be at peak effectiveness.  Too often this season good service has been rare—hence his low shot count.  But if Milan keep him and turn their attentions to finding a player who can get him the ball on a regular basis, the team should improve on their position in the standings yet again come 2016-17.  

And if they do manage to qualify for next season’s UEFA Europa League, the whole team would benefit from the experience of a man who has won that competition twice.

Besides being an integral part of the team on the field, there are off-field reasons to make sure Bacca is around next year as well.

The first concerns the situation up front next season—which could end up in a state of upheaval.  Adriano was almost swept up in the wave of Chinese buys this winter and had all but signed for Jiangsu Suning before the deal fell through.  Balotelli is back in Milan on loan from Anfield, but various reports, like from the Independent’s Samuel Stevens, say the club is unlikely to move to make the situation permanent.  Menez was also the subject of speculation over China this past transfer window, according to French publication L’Equipe (h/t Football Italia).

The only man playing up front that is remotely a lock to remain in Milan at this point is Niang.  If two or all three of the other strikers leave, selling Bacca would create a massive vacuum at the position, one that would probably necessitate multiple signings to fill.

Beyond that, there’s the question of just what Milan might get for Bacca.  He’ll turn 30 in September, and even the richest clubs will only go so far for a striker who’s age suggests he’ll soon decline.  Last week, Corriere dello Sport reported (h/t Football Italia) Milan’s price tag for the striker would be €30 million—exactly the amount they wired to Sevilla last summer to secure his services.

For Milan to sell a player so good and so important and not even make a profit is absurd, and if it happens, Galliani and team owner and president Silvio Berlusconi should be run out of the city.  

Between the lack of European competition and the glacial pace of negotiations with Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol, who agreed in August to buy 48 percent of Milan’s shares but has yet to complete the deal, the temptation to sell a high-level player for a big figure is certainly understandable, but to sell a player like Bacca on without even turning a profit is, plainly and simply, madness.

At the end of the day, though, that discussion should be moot, because Bacca really shouldn’t be going anywhere.  If Milan are serious about rebuilding and reaching the top of the table again, their star striker needs to stay exactly where he is.

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Manchester United are reportedly keen on Inter Milan central defender Jeison Murillo. The Red Devils could also be in the market for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, amid reports potentially incoming manager Jose Mourinho has made contact with the Swedish striker.

At the moment, United are keeping an eye on Murillo’s performances, according to David McDonell of the Daily Mirror: “Colombia international Murillo has caught the Old Trafford giants‘ eye, according to reports in Italy, with Inter said to want upwards of £15million for the 23-year-old.”

McDonnell also noted how concerns over Daley Blind’s ability to play the position, as well as Phil Jones’ struggle to stay fit, are driving the interest in Murillo.

United do need more pace and strength at the heart of defence. While Chris Smalling has made tremendous strides under the stewardship of manager Louis van Gaal, finding a suitable partner for the England international hasn’t been easy.

Blind commonly gets the nod no doubt because of his ability on the ball, a quality suited to the possession-based game Van Gaal preaches. But the former Ajax man lacks the strength and athleticism to be a force in the air or to handle robust and pacy strikers at close quarters.

Murillo has the physical qualities to be an obvious upgrade on Blind and form a formidable pairing with Smalling. His speed across the ground would be welcome in what’s been a sluggish, cumbersome defence at times this season.

Of course, any plans like that are likely to change if Mourinho replaces Van Gaal. The Portuguese, who has reportedly been offered a three-year, £60 million contract, per the Sun‘s Neil Custis, will naturally have his own ideas about who to bring in.

One idea of Mourinho‘s is reportedly to try to sign Paris Saint-Germain attacking talisman Ibrahimovic. Football agent Mesrun Izzet told Turkish source Radyospor (h/t Metro‘s Mark Brus) Mourinho has retained an interest in the 34-year-old striker, but any deal is dependent on one important factor:

Izzet told Radyospor that Jose Mourinho wanted to sign him with Chelsea and remains a big fan of the Swedish forward.

He added that if Mourinho takes over at Old Trafford and they qualify for the Champions League, then a deal for Ibrahimovic could well be on the cards.

Izzet is believed to have close relations with Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola and he insists that United can sign him if those conditions are met.

Ibrahimovic makes sense for any top club, despite entering the winter of his career. The towering Swede would be the provocative force Mourinho loves to lead the line. He relied on Didier Drogba and then Diego Costa to do the same at Chelsea.

Ibrahimovic would give United goals and assists while transforming the way the team plays in the final third. The Red Devils need that kind of transformation after scoring just 38 goals in 30 Premier League games this season, per the division’s official site.

Earlier this month, French publication L’Equipe (h/t Goal.com) indicated United also see Ibrahimovic as a possible “mentor” for young forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

Landing Ibrahimovic would be a welcome coup for Mourinho, should the ex-Chelsea gaffer get the job to rebuild United. But it will be as important for whoever is in charge to address the team’s inconsistent back four. A player on the rise like Murillo would be an excellent addition in this area.

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Manchester United are reportedly keen on Inter Milan central defender Jeison Murillo. The Red Devils could also be in the market for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, amid reports potentially incoming manager Jose Mourinho has made contact with the Swedish striker.

At the moment, United are keeping an eye on Murillo’s performances, according to David McDonell of the Daily Mirror: “Colombia international Murillo has caught the Old Trafford giants‘ eye, according to reports in Italy, with Inter said to want upwards of £15million for the 23-year-old.”

McDonnell also noted how concerns over Daley Blind’s ability to play the position, as well as Phil Jones’ struggle to stay fit, are driving the interest in Murillo.

United do need more pace and strength at the heart of defence. While Chris Smalling has made tremendous strides under the stewardship of manager Louis van Gaal, finding a suitable partner for the England international hasn’t been easy.

Blind commonly gets the nod no doubt because of his ability on the ball, a quality suited to the possession-based game Van Gaal preaches. But the former Ajax man lacks the strength and athleticism to be a force in the air or to handle robust and pacy strikers at close quarters.

Murillo has the physical qualities to be an obvious upgrade on Blind and form a formidable pairing with Smalling. His speed across the ground would be welcome in what’s been a sluggish, cumbersome defence at times this season.

Of course, any plans like that are likely to change if Mourinho replaces Van Gaal. The Portuguese, who has reportedly been offered a three-year, £60 million contract, per the Sun‘s Neil Custis, will naturally have his own ideas about who to bring in.

One idea of Mourinho‘s is reportedly to try to sign Paris Saint-Germain attacking talisman Ibrahimovic. Football agent Mesrun Izzet told Turkish source Radyospor (h/t Metro‘s Mark Brus) Mourinho has retained an interest in the 34-year-old striker, but any deal is dependent on one important factor:

Izzet told Radyospor that Jose Mourinho wanted to sign him with Chelsea and remains a big fan of the Swedish forward.

He added that if Mourinho takes over at Old Trafford and they qualify for the Champions League, then a deal for Ibrahimovic could well be on the cards.

Izzet is believed to have close relations with Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola and he insists that United can sign him if those conditions are met.

Ibrahimovic makes sense for any top club, despite entering the winter of his career. The towering Swede would be the provocative force Mourinho loves to lead the line. He relied on Didier Drogba and then Diego Costa to do the same at Chelsea.

Ibrahimovic would give United goals and assists while transforming the way the team plays in the final third. The Red Devils need that kind of transformation after scoring just 38 goals in 30 Premier League games this season, per the division’s official site.

Earlier this month, French publication L’Equipe (h/t Goal.com) indicated United also see Ibrahimovic as a possible “mentor” for young forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

Landing Ibrahimovic would be a welcome coup for Mourinho, should the ex-Chelsea gaffer get the job to rebuild United. But it will be as important for whoever is in charge to address the team’s inconsistent back four. A player on the rise like Murillo would be an excellent addition in this area.

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Real Madrid‘s reported interest in Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski has reignited transfer rumours surrounding Karim Benzema, with Serie A giants Juventus and Inter Milan the latest clubs linked to the Frenchman.

According to Corriere dello Sport (h/t Calciomercato.com), the Bianconeri and Nerazzurri are joined by Bayern Munich and Arsenal, with all clubs keeping an eye on the situation. Juventus could be on the lookout for a new striker if Los Blancos decide to bring Alvaro Morata back to the Spanish capital.

The report claims Benzema’s value could drop significantly due to the ongoing controversy involving Lyon star Mathieu Valbuena, per Le Parisien (h/t Reuters, for the Daily Mail).

On the pitch, Benzema is enjoying another stellar season for Real, scoring a remarkable 20 goals in 21 La Liga appearances so far, per WhoScored.com. Here’s a look at some of his highlights:

The 28-year-old has been Real’s top option at the striker position for years, developing fantastic chemistry with Cristiano Ronaldo. The two combine exceptionally well in the attacking third, as Benzema loves to drop off and create chances for his team-mates and Ronaldo is remarkably gifted at drifting inside to take advantage.

But despite his strong form and consistent showings, rumours persist. Los Blancos continue to be linked with Lewandowski, whose scoring form has been even better than Benzema’s, per the UEFA Champions League’s official Twitter account:

The Poland international has spent the bulk of his career in Germany and ranks among Bayern’s most important players, but Los Blancos present an interesting transfer destination for even the biggest stars.

The Bavarians will do what they can to keep hold of their ace striker, but once Real come calling, they usually get what they want.

And then there’s Morata. The Spain international hasn’t enjoyed the greatest season for Juventus, but he continues to impress in the big matches, and he recently flashed all of his talent in the epic Champions League tie with Bayern.

The contract of the 23-year-old contains a buy-back clause, and he recently confirmed he’s growing frustrated with not knowing where his future lies, per Cadena Cope (h/t Football Italia):

Speaking about next year is difficult for me, because I don’t have the certainty of knowing where I will be and this is a strange situation.

I can’t wait for the question of the re-purchase to be resolved. I’m happy in Turin, but I want to be able to know where I should buy a house. I want to know as soon as possible where I’ll be.

I’m happy at Juventus, but returning to Madrid is a real possibility because there’s a contract, it was all already written. I just want all of this to be resolved.

AS‘ Sergio Gomez claims Real will use their clause to bring him back to the Santiago Bernabeu and immediately sell him on for a profit, but Morata is highly unlikely to agree to such a move.

If Real do decide to bring him back, it would add yet another body to their strike force―and force Juventus into diving into the transfer market themselves. The Bianconeri have a number of options up front, including Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza, but they’d love to add someone of Benzema’s calibre.

Bayern might opt to replace Lewandowski with Benzema if they can’t keep hold of Lewandowski, while Arsenal need a clear upgrade at the position and are expected to spend during the summer transfer window.

In all likelihood, Benzema’s future will depend on Lewandowski. The Frenchman is unlikely to stay in Madrid if it means he’d have a backup role to the former Borussia Dortmund star, and there should be enough interest in his services for Real to net a hefty transfer fee in a sale.  

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Manchester United are reportedly set to offer Zlatan Ibrahimovic a huge £250,000-a-week contract in order to lure him from Paris Saint-Germain to Old Trafford.

According to Jeremy Cross in the Daily Star, the Swedish striker is set to leave Paris at the end of the season when his contract expires, and he is one of United’s key targets. The club are willing to “flex their financial muscle” and offer the 34-year-old a two-year deal worth £24 million.

Per Cross, a United source said: “The team needs a major injection of talent and some superstar additions. Zlatan fits the bill. He might be getting on a bit but he can still do it at the highest level and would be worth the risk in terms of big wages because no fee is involved.”

His availability as a free agent—and his reported eagerness to move to the Premier League—have made Ibrahimovic a key target for other English clubs also, and United are hoping to beat Arsenal and Chelsea to him.

His age would usually be a concern as he is undoubtedly drawing to the end of his career, but his goalscoring output is still remarkable—he has netted 27 times in 25 Ligue 1 appearances this season, per WhoScored.com.

The striker himself is also clearly not ready to hang up his boots:

The Premier League is not the only place United will have opponents for Ibrahimovic’s signature, with MLS and Chinese clubs also interested, per La Repubblica (via Calciomercato).

Swedish journalist Jennifer Jugerup also recently suggested that Serie A’s Napoli could be a good fit for Ibrahimovic, per Sport Mediaset (via Calciomercato):

I don’t think he’ll be back to Italy. However, a club like Napoli would be ideal for him. He has never played in the south of Italy, that would be a new experience. I don’t think he’ll move back to AC Milan as the team is even struggling to qualify to Champions League. 

He’s fit and he still wants to play in a big European side. It’ too early for him to play in the MLS because he has realized he became a man, both mentally and physically.

However, United have the profile and financial power to persuade Ibrahimovic to join them, and they should be well in the race for his signature if they manage to engineer a top-four Premier League finish this season.

The current Red Devils squad is crying out for a player like Zlatan, a prolific goalscorer who can win games on his own if required.

Great United teams of the past always had at least one superstar—George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo—but they are currently missing a player of such stature.

Signing Ibrahimovic would solve that problem, and former captain Roy Keane has encouraged United to make a move for him, per the Manchester Evening News‘ Samuel Luckhurst:

The trump card for United—along with the huge deal they are reportedly willing to offer the prolific Swede—could be Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese manager has been strongly tipped to replace Louis van Gaal as United manager in the summer, with reports even suggesting a pre-contract agreement is in place, per El Pais (via Ed Aarons in the Guardian).

Ibrahimovic previously played under Mourinho at Inter Milan and the pair have an excellent relationship, per Luckhurst.

Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones previously referenced Mourinho’s ability to attract major stars to United as one of the key reasons why they should appoint him as manager:

That hunch could be borne out if Mourinho comes in and helps to sign Ibrahimovic.

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Heavyweights. Rivalries. The champions. Knife-edge ties. Charged arenas. Comebacks. Floodlights. 

Contests.

This night had all of it and more. This felt like a proper European night. 

At Old Trafford, the mood was electric, mutual loathing between foes driving it just as it had at Anfield seven nights earlier. At White Hart Lane, there was a feeling of titans colliding, which is a strange sentence to type. At the Mestalla, the stands were rocking, European competition serving as a salvation, while at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, the intensity of the pre-game hymn tugged at your soul. 

There were other sites too, but these were the ones.

At the first of the above addresses, the advantage started with Liverpool, swung toward Manchester United and then back to Liverpool; at the second, there were no swings in Borussia Dortmund vs. Tottenham Hotspur but the clash felt significant, like a forerunner for something big; at the third, Athletic Bilbao had arrived with the upper-hand, then watched it snatched away before they got it back; at the fourth, Sevilla exploded against a Basel with a puncher’s chance. 

This was European football at its finest. As it should be. 

On a Thursday. 

If ever there’d been a week in which the Europa League outshone the Champions League, this was it. Two nights earlier in the tier above, a pair of matches had failed to produce a goal between them. Atletico Madrid vs. PSV Eindhoven was highlight-lacking, while Manchester City vs. Dynamo Kyiv, so tedious that drying paint frustratedly watched it, might have been the worst game in the competition’s history. 

The following night, Barcelona’s ever-so-predictable 5-1 aggregate saunter beyond Arsenal wasn’t much better.

Only the exhilarating Bayern Munich vs. Juventus clash prevented this particular Champions League cluster from being a snooze, and yet still it was comfortably outdone by that belonging to the “other” competition. The one that no one supposedly cares about. The ugly one. The one with the weird-looking trophy. That schedules finals in locations that force fans to dust off their maps. That has beige in its colour scheme.  

Surprising? Not at all. 

For several seasons now, the Champions League has been taking on a growing feeling of staleness. 

For many, it’s the familiarity and sense of routine that’s concurrently striking and tiresome. In the round just gone, Chelsea did battle with Paris Saint-Germain. Again. Arsenal took on Barcelona. Again. In the group stage, Arsenal (again) met Bayern Munich, who they seem to have on some sort of weird rotation with Borussia Dortmund.

Likewise, Barcelona now have a habit of drawing Celtic, Ajax and BATE Borisov; Chelsea and Schalke are familiar with one another; Manchester City consistently enjoy the sort of luck Ed Rooney did with Ferris Bueller. 

When this year’s competition returns for its next round, we’ll get Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid. Across two legs, the clubs will take their three-season tally of meetings to 14. Yep, 14. 

The staleness goes further than this, though.  

Throughout the group stage, a sense of inevitability lingers; in the round of 16 it continues, and often still does when the quarter-finals roll around. It’s not so much the format that’s the issue, but the growing absence of competitive balance driven by enormous financial discrepancies. 

Since 2010, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have occupied 15 of the competition’s 24 semi-final slots. Since 2012, they’ve occupied 11 of the 16—almost 70 per cent—and this season are on track to take three of another four, given that the trio are strong favourites in their quarter-finals ties. Currently tipped to join them is PSG, who would round out a Super Club final four. 

That’s not a knock on those clubs; their job is to win and they do it better than everyone else. But simultaneously, it feels as if the Champions League is losing much of the essence of European competition: variety, unpredictability, new faces and new rivals, the connection of the continent, evenness and a sense of every round—every game—carrying context and possibilities. 

The current push for change isn’t surprising, then, even if the nature of it is disheartening.  

On Wednesday night, it was reported by the Guardian that UEFA, under pressure from Europe’s leading clubs, is considering a major revamp of the Champions League. 

Amid stagnating revenues, declining interest and concern about the Premier League’s growing financial might, a revised format has been floated that would feature a seeded knockout round followed by a 16-team group stage, split into two groups of eight. The top two from each group would then progress to the semi-finals. 

Such a development comes on the back of the meeting between representatives of Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool with Charlie Stillitano, chairman of Relevant Sports and organiser of the International Champions Cup, and whose apparent desire it is to oversee the creation of a closed competition for Europe’s elite. 

The intention in both instances couldn’t be any more clear: All the BATE Borisovs, Malmos and Astanas out; guaranteed heavyweight clashes in.

Or more bluntly: To hell with the rest of ‘em. To hell with upward mobility. To hell with the principles of competition. 

It couldn’t be more short-sighted. The Champions League’s problem is familiarity and repetitiveness driven by inequality, and this would only increase it: Chelsea vs. PSG again, year after year; Arsenal vs. Barcelona on a perpetual loop.

It would become a world of emotionally-detached, cash-driven mediocrity, where under-performing giants such as AC Milan, Inter Milan, Liverpool and Manchester United can exist without the need for qualifying—just like, funnily enough, is the case in the International Champions Cup. 

When that becomes stale—and it would—where do you go from there? What happens when there becomes an elite group within the elite group? When Milan or Inter become the Malmos or BATE Borisovs of the closed shop? 

Do you break away again? Go from 16 to 14, 14 to 12 and so on? Just eventually hand out a trophy for being the richest and be done with it?

Suddenly, the Europa League is looking pretty good. 

In the same period in which Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have totally eclipsed the rest in the Champions League, Europe’s second tier has felt fresh and diverse. 

Since 2010, the list of Europa League semi-finalists reads: Hamburg, Fulham, Atletico, Liverpool, Porto, Villarreal, Benfica, Braga, Valencia, Sporting Lisbon, Athletic Bilbao, Fenerbahce, Basel, Chelsea, Sevilla, Juventus, Napoli, Fiorentino and Dnipro. 

Of course, some will argue such diversity is the product of conflicted interests, that those with the best capacity to dominate haven’t always chosen to do so. There may be an element of truth to that, but concurrently such a notion seems as though it’s losing strength. 

Right now, the Europa League feels as if its emerging. 

Differentiating itself. 

In the current edition, the competition has unquestionably been helped by marquee ties such as Manchester United up against Liverpool and Dortmund going head-to-head with Tottenham. Dortmund vs. Liverpool in the next round looks pretty tasty, too, while the strength of the German outfit, Spurs, Napoli and Villarreal domestically this season has given the Europa League added weight.

It helps that prominent managers are leading the shift, too. 

“A game like this is the mother of all football games, a derby, two old rivals in a knockout competition,” said Jurgen Klopp ahead of Liverpool’s tie with United. “There is talk of it being a game at Champions league level, but I don’t really know what that means. I have seen a lot of rubbish games at Champions League level, but I don’t think this one will disappoint.”

As refreshing as ever, Klopp gets it, “it” in this case meaning the need to connect. Triumph. Stand for something. Sevilla’s Unai Emery gets it, too; he and his club cherish the Europa League and what it represents. 

In an interview with Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail ahead of last season’s final he said:

To win something and share it with the fans is the greatest feeling there is in football. The Champions League is nice, and we want to play in it, but you meet the very top teams in that competition and they overcome you. When you are in the Europa League, you know you can win it.

It’s the competing that keeps them happy. Fans want their emotions to come to the surface and the only to way to make that happen is to give them a team that transmits emotion: intensity, attacking, scoring goals, competing, fighting.

That awakens them. The fans want emotions. The Champions League generates more money and allows you to buy better players but what fans really want is to enjoy their team, to win things. If you have money but you don’t generate feeling and emotion, it’s worthless. You can be in the Champions League and generate money but if you get knocked out in the group it means nothing to the fans. Sure, you’ve made 20 million, but what does that mean to them?

Admittedly, the Europa League isn’t without its flaws—the sheer number of teams in the group phase can make it difficult to follow. Qualification cuts into pre-season, catching the game you want on television can be hard work and the dropping down of Champions League teams midway through leaves an uneasy feeling—but still, it’s delivering.

Delivering for entertainment and for competitiveness.

For stories. 

In recent years, the competition has featured a pre-Diego Simeone explosion from Atletico. The incredible run of Fulham. Athletic Bilbao’s defying of the odds. Benfica’s semi-final toppling of Juventus. Dnipro doing the same to Napoli. The journey of Carlos Bacca from bus conductor to two-time European champion. 

This is what it’s about. 

When the competition resumes in early April, Dortmund vs. Liverpool will give the round its glamour and ferocity. Bilbao vs. Sevilla, both unique and likeable, will give it personality. Completing the scene, Braga vs. Shakhtar Donetsk and Villarreal vs. Sparta Praha will give it diversity. New faces. New ties. 

Evidently, what gives continental football the element of fun is still out there to be found. 

You just might have to look in a different place to find it.  

Follow @TimDCollins

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For AC Milan supporters, the 2015-16 season has been a difficult one. Due to the team’s frustrating inconsistency, any hopes of challenging for the Scudetto or returning to the UEFA Champions League were extinguished early on.

However, there remains plenty to be excited about for the future.

In recent years, Milanisti have had to put up with hugely underwhelming mid-table finishes, no continental competition or silverware and the sale of the club’s best young talent. The good news is that now, in all of these respects, the outlook appears vastly different.

Since Sinisa Mihajlovic was appointed as coach last summer, Milan have had an upturn in fortunes on the pitch. While he has yet to implement a clear tactical vision at the San Siro and his team is not a particularly attractive one to watch, they are functional. This in itself is an improvement on previous seasons.

Perhaps in the main because—unlike his predecessors, Filippo Inzaghi and Clarence Seedorf—the Serbian is a qualified coach with previous managerial experience under his belt, the Rossoneri are now more effective.

Aesthetically, the current Milan team aren’t going to be compared to Arrigo Sacchi’s iconic side of the 1980s and 1990s—or even Carlo Ancelotti’s version in the 2000s—any time soon, but their results are better than they have been in several years.

After 30 Serie A fixtures, they sit sixth in the league table with 49 points, a tally attained through 13 wins and 10 draws, with just seven defeats against them. This compares favourably to their standings at the same stage in 2014-15 and 2013-14.

At this point last season, Milan were eighth with three fewer wins, one more loss and seven less points. The campaign before, they were 12th with a mere 39 points and more defeats (11) than they had wins or draws.

Put simply, the Rossoneri’s results have got better since Mihajlovic came in, suggesting that the team is moving forward—even if they are doing so gradually and without any clear identity.

Their current league position also puts them in the frame for a return to European football through the UEFA Europa League.

Milan fans have missed the midweek trips to foreign lands, and the club as a whole has no doubt suffered from being absent from continental competition. As it stands, however, with a four-point gap separating Mihajlovic’s men from seventh-placed Sassuolo, this could change next season.

At the beginning of this campaign, the Rossoneri’s aim was to achieve a top-three position and seal Champions League football. This is highly unlikely now, though it seems that the club’s objectives have changed as a result.

Per Football Italia, in a press conference prior to January’s 3-0 win over Inter Milan in the Derby della Madonnina, the club’s joint-chief executive Barbara Berlusconi stated: “We have to be honest and direct with the fans. The target is the Europa League, we think we can do it and next year get into the Champions League.”

Qualification for European football’s secondary competition is something the club could obtain not only through their Serie A position. Once the league season is complete, the Coppa Italia final will take place on Saturday, 21 May. Milan will be contestants alongside reigning Italian champions Juventus.

After progressing beyond Perugia, Crotone, Sampdoria, Carpi and Alessandria to reach the cup final, the Rossoneri are now just one win away from silverware. As well as sealing a place in Europe, victory would also secure the club’s first trophy since their Supercoppa Italiana win in 2011.

Milan have already achieved subtle improvements in both results and league position this season, but combining a return to European football with triumph in the Coppa Italia would be a serious statement of intent, one of a club firmly back on an upward trajectory.

Arguably the most exciting aspect of the current team is the promise of several young players within the current first-team squad.

Seventeen-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is perhaps the most obvious symbol of what Milanisti can look forward to going forward. In a position where players usually don’t establish themselves until their mid-20s and don’t peak until their early 30s, he has already established himself as a regular starter.

Even the incumbent Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been impressed by the youngster, per ESPN FC:

He is definitely a top goalkeeper. To be … able to handle that kind of media pressure is important and rare.

I’m happy, because he’s being protected and growing adequately, despite the enormous pressure that has been created for him.

Donnarumma’s potential is extraordinary considering he has, quite feasibly, two decades of football ahead of him but has already produced crucial performances between the posts. And he isn’t the only prospect that Milan fans can look forward to watching for years to come.

In front of him, Alessio Romagnoli has matured over the course of his first season with the club since joining from AS Roma last summer. He is an improving physical force and, with his refined left foot, has what it takes to become an elite ball-playing centre-back at just 21 years of age.

Mihajlovic can take credit for the development of both Donnarumma, who he promoted to the first team this season, and Romagnoli, who he had previously worked with at Sampdoria.

The coach has also utilised 19-year-old right-back Davide Calabria, while another Primavera graduate, Manuel Locatelli, was promoted in February.

Striker M’Baye Niang, 21, has also benefitted from the coach’s presence. After a spell on loan at Genoa last season, he was introduced to the Milan starting lineup in November and hasn’t looked back.

The Frenchman was recently ruled out for the rest of the campaign due to injuries sustained in a car crash, but his five goals in 16 league appearances represent his best tally for the club.

When asked about Mihajlovic’s influence, Niang was effusive in his praise.

“I have an excellent rapport with the coach,” he told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia). “He makes me work hard and we got on from the first day we met. He can help me in many different ways. Milan really needed a coach like Mihajlovic.”

In addition to the promise of flourishing young talent, the Rossoneri are in possession of an increasingly strong core of players who will be vital to the club in the ongoing process of rejuvenation.

This core includes Luca Antonelli and Ignazio Abate, the 29-year-old full-backs who have been two of the most consistent players in Mihajlovic’s squad this season, as well as Giacomo Bonaventura, a 25-year-old midfield technician, and Carlos Bacca, a 29-year-old striker with a clinical finish.

All four of these players are in or approaching their prime, and they could be joined by Andrea Bertolacci.

The 25-year-old playmaker has floundered with injury and underperformance for much of his first year with Milan but remains a talent and—if used correctly—could become just as vital to the club’s near future as Abate, Antonelli, Bonaventura and Bacca.

This core of players, alongside the aforementioned young generation, could fuse to form an impressive team perhaps capable of challenging for the title and reaching the Champions League in years to come, however they must be given the appropriate direction in order to do so.

That remains up in the air, with speculation over Mihajlovic’s future as club coach rife throughout much of his first term in charge. However, he still has a year left on his contract, and it would be worth allowing him to see out the deal with this crop of players.

The change may be slower than hoped, but it is happening. Milan are on the up and, if this ascension continues over the next few years, the club can reasonably aim to return to the top of Serie A and compete in the Champions League.

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Manchester United are reportedly plotting a summer swoop for Inter Milan centre-back Joao Miranda.

Although the defender only joined the Nerazzurri from Atletico Madrid before this campaign, according to Gianluca Di Marzio (translated by David Amoyal), the Red Devils are “looking to Italy” in an attempt to address their defensive issues, and “Miranda is a player they like.”

While Inter have tailed off this season, all in all, the performances of the 31-year-old have remained consistent. Here are some of his best moments for the Serie A side:

Miranda may feel underwhelmed at the San Siro. The club spent a lot of money in the summer with a clear title tilt in mind. But some early promise has faded from coach Roberto Mancini’s side, and they now look like outsiders to secure a Champions League spot for next season; they’re in fifth, five points back on third-place Roma.

So the chance to take on a new challenge at Old Trafford would surely appeal to Miranda, especially given he’ll turn 32 next season. Jack Rathborn of uMAXit Football is a big fan of the defender:

It’s evident from his showings this term that Miranda still has plenty to offer as well. Here is a look at how the Brazil international compares statistically to United’s star centre-back this season, Chris Smalling:

The issue for United in any potential transfer is likely to be the fee. While they have significant clout in the window, Inter paid in excess of £10 million for Miranda last summer, and given he remains a fine defender, that’s a sum they’d surely be keen to make a profit on. The Red Devils would have to weigh whether a player of his age would be worth that kind of outlay.

Centre-back is a facet of the squad where United have a lot of options, with Daley Blind showing he can be a fine foil for Smalling this term. But having a player with the experience, physicality and winning mentality of Miranda at the base of the team would be a significant boost for United. If they can get this one done, it’d be a savvy bit of business.

Rashford Form Set to Be Rewarded with New Deal

According to Phil Thomas of the Sun, Manchester United are ready to give prodigious striker Marcus Rashford a new contract that’ll see his weekly wage leap to £15,000, more than 15 times what he’s earning now.

In a campaign that has seen the Red Devils play some moribund football at times, the emergence of the 18-year-old has been a massive bright spot. Rashford scored twice in his Premier League debut against Arsenal, and most recently netted the winner in a 1-0 win over local rivals Manchester City.

Commentator Ian Darke thinks Rashford could follow in the footsteps of another brilliant United goalscorer, Andy Cole:

It’s a bump in pay many will say the teenager deserves, as vultures will inevitably begin to circle if he’s on a meagre salary compared to his team-mates.

United will want to keep the striker sated too. While the club is renowned for drafting academy talents, it’s been a long time since a local player burst onto the scene quite as spectacularly as Rashford has. It’s an emergence that has given all associated with the Old Trafford outfit a significant boost.

As these numbers from Sky Sports News HQ illustrate, some of the feats he’s already achieved are unprecedented:

Still, there will be concerns that the player is getting a little too much, too soon in some quarters. While the enthusiasm and enjoyment with which Rashford has taken to life in the Premier League is enamouring, he’s still only made eight senior appearances, regardless of how impressive they’ve been.

It’s important the club nurtures the teenager appropriately to ensure he’s not another bright English talent who falls by the wayside. Do that, and they may have a player on their books who is the real deal.

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