Manchester United looked to have been blocked by UEFA from making what would have been the first signing of the summer due to their co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS Group ties to his current club.
The Red Devils had lined up Ligue 1 defender Jean-Clair Todibo to fill the boots of the recently departed Raphaël Varane as one of their targets of the summer transfer window, but it looks as though INEOS‘ existing ventures have thrown a spanner in the works.
As reported by ever-reliable transfer source Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday, UEFA has apparently blocked the move for the player due to Ratcliffe and INEOS also owning OGC Nice, as the governing body is continuing to crack down on rules around multi-club ownership.
The transfer talk has now been ultimately backed up by The Telegraph‘s James Ducker, who confirmed that the association have now blocked the move for Todibo not simply down to Ratcliffe and co.’s controlling stake in the but because United and Nice have also qualified for the same competition.
#MUFC have been blocked by Uefa from signing Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice this summer. Targeted as replacement for Varane but clampdown on multi-club ownership means Nice & Utd can’t trade. Ratcliffe challenged it but Uefa not budging https://t.co/RiJXRMZ29h
While the two clubs have both been cleared to play in the UEFA Europa League next season despite INEOS’ vested interests in both teams – due to all parties agreeing that their share of transfer fees will be put into a ‘blind trust‘ – they are not permitted to complete deals with each other.
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This essentially comes down to UEFA’s principle that no organisation or individual can exert a “decisive influence” over the running of more than one club in the same competition, something which they believe Ratcliffe could be deemed to have.
Interestingly, many have noted that Man City were able to secure a player from Girona back in February – one of their sister teams under the CFG umbrella – despite them having both qualified for the Champions League next season, though it seems his loanee status from Troyes AC led to the loophole.
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Although the Manchester side is said to have eyed up Todibo as the perfect replacement for his outgoing compatriot at CB, they are by no means the only side interested in securing 24-year-old Todibo’s services this summer.
INEOS has also been informed they are free to sell him to another Premier League club, a stipulation that is said to have frustrated Ratcliffe. He also warned the division against becoming too stringent on spending rules.
As the piece goes on to detail, the Failsworth-born billionaire responded by saying: “They’ve said we can sell him to another Premiership club but we can’t sell to Manchester United, but that’s not fair on the player and I don’t see what that achieves.”
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That isn’t all of United’s defensive targets exhausted though, as they are also thought to have agreed on personal terms with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, though the Merseysiders have so far rejected their initial £35 million bid.
Speaking to Bloomberg‘s business column, the 71-year-old said: “We want to be where Real Madrid are today, but it’ll take time… It’ll take two or three summer windows to get to a better place.”
At least when it comes to finding a new centre-half, though, he and Erik ten Hag will have to find another alternative beyond the highly sought-after Jean-Clair Todibo.
AO Arena to screen remaining England Euros games in what will be Europe’s biggest fanzone
Daisy Jackson
The AO Arena is set to transform into a giant Euros fanzone and will show all the remaining England games.
Manchester’s leading arena will be teaming up with Road to Victory to create what will be the biggest fan park in Europe.
The family-friendly fanzone will be a fully immersive football experience, complete with beer pong, penalty shoot out and table football areas.
It’s also promising to serve discounted pints.
Each Euros screening at the AO Arena will include live performances at a half-time show, and interactive games before and after the match.
Road to Victory was previously hosted at Depot Mayfield during the 2022 World Cup but is now moving into Manchester’s iconic venue the AO Arena.
All games from the quarter finals onwards will be shown to massive crowds, combining high-scale production with interactive technology, creating a multi-sensory Euros adventure.
The first Road to Victory event at the AO Arena will be on Saturday 6 July when England face Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
The news comes hot off the back of Southgate’s squad sailing through the round of 16 and defeating Slovakia 2-1.
Road to Victory also has an over-18s fanzone experience over at Diecast, which will remain throughout the summer.
Its AO Arena fanzone will be its first that’s suitable for all ages.
The Mezz, which is the arena’s luxury restaurant and bar, will be a family zone with face painting and sign making.
Tickets are available to purchase at roadtovictory.co.uk at full time on Sunday.
Roger Espinoza, part of Wigan Athletic’s famous 2013 FA Cup-winning side, has officially retired
Danny Jones
Another member of Wigan’s FA Cup-winning side has decided to hang up their boots as Roger Espinoza has confirmed his retirement at the age of 37.
Espinoza’s most recent club was Sporting Kansas City, who he played for nearly 400 times across two different spells, but in between those two stints, he was part of the famous Wigan team that managed to beat a then resurgent Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final.
Now 11 years on, the former Honduran international has revealed that he is calling time on his storied career following the conclusion of the 2023 American season.
As confirmed in an official club announcement, the number 11 will be honoured with a special pre-match ceremony at the home ground of Children’s Mercy Park before their game against Austin FC, along with a fireworks show immediately following the game.
Widely considered not just a footballing veteran but a legend of the league, he goes down as the player with the second-most appearances in Sporting KC history, winning three US Open Cup titles and helping carry them to 10 Audi MLS Cup Playoff appearances.
His time in Greater Manchester, however, was relatively fleeting; the midfielder went on to become somewhat of a utility player throughout his career after joining the Latics halfway through the season but was quickly thrown into the first team through necessity.
Following injuries to Maynor Figueroa and Jean Beausejour, Espinoza was deployed as a left wing-back under Roberto Martínez in that FA Cup final over a decade ago which proved to be a big shock and remains Wigan‘s only major trophy. He played for 42 games before leaving in December 2014.
Having racked up a total of 455 appearances all told – not including his caps for Honduras (52), who represented at two World Cups and even at the Olympics – scoring 17 goals and notching 49 assists, his playing career spans two decades and has already begun the transition into coaching.
👏 Wishing all the best in retirement to Roger Espinoza!
An FA Cup winner with Latics in 2013, thank you for your efforts during your time with us & best of luck for the future! 🙌 #wafc 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/IKhzepyadP
Paying tribute to his long-standing teammate and mate nicknamed ‘Lucky Lefty’, fellow Kansas City legend Graham Zusi was one of countless who paid tribute to Espinoza on social media, writing: “What a human. Ultimate teammate, leader, competitor and friend. Congrats, hermano!”
Roger Espinoza’s retirement also means that there are now just four surviving members of that 2013 FA Cup-winning side: James McCarthy, Callum McManaman, Jordi Gómez and goalkeeper Joel Robles.
Meanwhile, then-manager Martínez is in charge of the Portuguese national team competing at Euro 2024 as we speak, and ex-Wigan talisman Shaun Maloney is still at the club only now as the head coach himself, and has been in post since January 2023.