United transfer blocked

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Head Start

Manchester United’s strategy change

Manchester United’s net spend on players has been £1.1 billion since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.

Real Madrid’s net spend? £200 million. 

Yet, if you look at Transfermarkt, United have no players valued at over €70 million.

Real Madrid? Well, the reigning Champions League winners have six players valued above €100 million.

You get the point… and so does part-owner of Manchester United Sir Jim Ratcliffe. 

In his interview with Bloomberg yesterday, Ratcliffe admitted Madrid’s low net spend has allowed them to redevelop the Santiago Bernabéu stadium… something that United desperately need.

To be fair to United, comparing the Premier League and La Liga isn’t comparing apples with apples. 

The English top-flight spends far more to attract talent than other leagues. There’s only one club out of the Premier League (Juventus) in the top ten negative net spends since 2018/19… 

United’s change in strategy to lower costs will be to focus on grassroots development… rather than simply “buy[ing] Mbappé”.

But, in the meantime, one loophole that clubs have looked to use is a multi-club ownership model which would allow teams to transfer players (for cheap or nothing at all) from their sister club…

… and a report found that 14 clubs in the Premier League are part of a multi-ownership structure.

But this tactic might not be long-lived. United have already been blocked from signing defender Jean-Clair Todibo from French side Nice, owned by Ratcliffe’s INEOS.

Route One take: Complex loopholes can’t be the basis of long-term recruitment. Instead, Premier League clubs must focus on grassroots development, effective long-term recruitment strategies and getting the best out of existing talent…

… easier said than done.

Plus…

Serbia threaten to quit Euro 2024 unless the Croatian and Albanian FAs are punished (More)

Leicester City appoint Steve Cooper as their first-team manager on a three-year contract (More)

Burnley are edging closer to appointing former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as their next manager (More)

Stats Zone

Netherlands vs France (Today at 20:00 BST) 

→ This will be the fourth time these teams have faced off at the Euros. France triumphed on penalties in the 1996 quarter-finals, but the Netherlands won two group-stage encounters – 3-2 in 2000 and 4-1 in 2008.

→ France have won seven of their last eight matches against the Netherlands in all competitions.

→ Kylian Mbappé is doubtful for the game with a broken nose. But he has scored more goals against the Netherlands (six) than he has versus any other nation. 

Denmark 1 - 1 England

→ No player created more chances (3) or played more line-breaking passes in the final third (5) for England against Denmark than Trent Alexander-Arnold, despite him being subbed off in the 54th minute.

→ Morten Hjulmand’s goal from outside the box was the 13th goal from distance at Euro 2024, more than in the entire group stage at Euro 2020 (12).

Spain 1 - 0 Italy

→ Italy managed just four shots against Spain (one on target), their fewest in a game at the UEFA European Championship on record.

→ This is Pedri’s 12th appearance at a major tournament - the joint-most by a European player while aged 21 or under, along with Cristiano Ronaldo (12).

→ The only player who's made more successful dribbles than Nico Williams (6) at Euro 2024 so far is teammate Lamine Yamal (7).

Yesterday’s results

Group B: Spain 1 - 0 Italy (Highlights)

Group C: Slovenia 1 - 1 Serbia (Highlights) | Denmark 1 - 1 England (Highlights)

Women’s Super League

Women’s top-flight soaring, but pre-tax losses increase

The Women’s Super League (WSL) had a 50% increase in their combined revenues last season. 

The figures by Deloitte show that WSL clubs generated a record £48 million in aggregate revenues. That was up from £32 million in the previous season, and more than double the 2020/21 figure.

There are a few reasons why revenue is rising…

• Matchday revenues among WSL clubs grew to £7 million. 

• Average attendance across the league was up 200% compared to the previous season.

But the main driver of growth was… commercial revenue (advertising, partnerships and sales), representing 35% of total revenue for WSL clubs. 

(Unsurprisingly, the top revenue-generating clubs were Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. These four clubs generated 66% of the revenue for the 12-team division).

It’s bitter-sweet that wages take up 75% of revenue, and contributed to aggregate pre-tax losses of £21 million in the 2022/23 season…

… but losses are normal for a league whilst the teams are investing in talent and infrastructure, just as the WSL are.

Plus, the WSL hasn’t benefited from increased broadcast revenue set to come its way. This is because the 2022/23 season took place in the middle of the broadcast rights cycle for both domestic WSL and UEFA Women’s Champions League rights.

So the good news is… Deloitte forecasts WSL clubs’ revenue to reach £52m in the 2023/24 season and to grow further to £68m in the 2024/25 season.

Off The Pitch

🛫 The families of victims in two Boeing 737 Max plane crashes have asked for prosecutions and a fine of $24.8bn (More) 

🧬 A world-first study discovers why some people don’t get Covid (More)

🕊️ Actor Donald Sutherland, star of films including The Hunger Games and Don't Look Now, has died at 88 after a long illness (More) 

🎾 New British men’s number one Jack Draper beat Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz at Queen’s (More)

🤖 A cinema in London cancelled the world premiere of a film with a script generated by AI after a backlash (More) 

🤝 Russia and North Korea have signed a new mutual defence pact (More) 

Around The Football World

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min accepts an apology from teammate Rodrigo Bentancur after he said all South Korean people “look the same” during an interview (More) 

🇹🇷 Former Fenerbahçe striker Michy Batshuayi is set to join bitter rivals Galatasaray on a free transfer (More)

🇺🇸 The opening game of Copa Amerca - Argentina vs Canada - sold out with more than 70,000 in attendance at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (More) 

🇨🇴 Radamel Falcao has signed for his boyhood club Millonarios FC, 23 years after leaving (More)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Thornaby FC to reinstate its female teams after backlash (More)

🇨🇭 Fabian Schar suffered a broken nose during his nation’s Euro match against Scotland but continued to play on (More)

Extra Time

Kylian Mbappe’s mask for his broken nose has been revealed…

… but he might blocked from wearing the tri-colour mask.

Gary Neville doesn’t think Declan Rice is a defensive midfielder.

Sir Alex Ferguson is the definition of aura.

Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher change their minds on Bounty chocolate.

Is the ball made of sugar cane the reason for so many spectacular goals at the Euros?

Liverpool players rate Gomez’s signing day outfit from nine years ago.

Game Face On

Question: Harry Kane has made the most appearances at a major tournament by an outfield England player. Name either of the two players he overtook. 

Hint: Both players play(ed) on the left side of the pitch.

Scroll below for the answer.

On Today

FOOTBALL

Euro 2024: Slovakia vs Ukraine (14:00 BST)

Euro 2024: Poland vs Austria (17:00 BST)

Euro 2024: Netherlands vs France (20:00 BST)

Copa America: Peru vs Chile (01:00 BST)

CRICKET

ICC T20 World Cup: England vs South Africa (15:00 BST)

FORMULA 1 

F1: Aramco Spanish Grand Prix - Practice 1 (12:00 BST, Sky Sports F1)

F1: Aramco Spanish Grand Prix - Practice 2 (16:00 BST, Sky Sports F1)

*EST -5. PST -8. CET +1. CST +8. JST +9.

Answer

Ashley Cole and Raheem Sterling

Hottest Take of the Day

Today’s Hottest Take of the Day is: We’re seeing better football at this Euros because it’s easier to qualify from the group stages, so players are playing with less pressure and taking more risks. Thanks to Harry from Peterborough for the entry. Submit another Hot Take of the Day here.