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How Man Utd Women have reacted to potential club sale
Manchester United Women are continuing to operate with a ‘business as usual’ attitude amid the club as a whole being made available for sale by the Glazer family.
The Glazers, who have owned United since a controversial leveraged buyout in 2005, have recently confirmed they are ready to welcome offers for either a partial or full takeover.
There is an expectation that United will therefore have new owners eventually, with a number of potential candidates already moving into position. But it is unlikely to be a speedy process as was seen with the summer takeover at Chelsea, which happened under very unique circumstances.
While the unknowns have the potential to create uncertainty, which could become unsettling the longer the process drags on, women’s team boss Marc Skinner is adamant that the day to day will carry on as normal for players and staff on the women’s side, despite possible shifts elsewhere.
“Business as usual, that’s the clear message,” Skinner said on Tuesday, speaking for the first time since the owners issued a statement on the future of the club.
“We are here to do the job of pushing this team as far as we can: the continue to look for recruitment, the continue to drive the standards,” he added.
Skinner also pointed to the recent recruitment of new head of women’s football Polly Bancroft, who has taken a hands on role at first-team level since joining from Brighton but is overall responsible for the development of the women’s operation at every level, as an indicator that the future is protected from any kind of uncertainty higher up the ladder.
“The experts will do their job to put this club in the best situation because that’s what it is there do,” Skinner also confidently declared.
Manchester United infamously ceased running a senior women’s team in 2005 shortly before the Glazer takeover was completed, with a women’s team not considered part of the ‘core business’.
The club continued to run youth schemes for girls up to the age of 16, insisting its aims were ‘best served by concentrating on youngsters’ and ‘resources better deployed at the level of school children rather than adults’. At the time, the FA called it a ‘blow’ to the women’s game.
United eventually did resurrect a senior women’s team in 2018, with a number of players who had previously been at the club as girls – like Ella Toone, Katie Zelem and Millie Turner – recruited. But enormous ground had been lost on leading WSL clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.
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The MLS transfers are heating up as the 2023 campaign approaches. Here’s everything you missed:
Orlando City have signed midfielder Dagur Dan Thórhallsson from Icelandic top-flight side Breidablik. He joins on a two-year contract through the 2024 Major League Soccer season with club options in 2025 and 2026, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and ITC.
“Dagur Dan is a versatile player that can play both in the midfield for us, out on the wings or even at right back if we need and he’s been involved with Iceland’s national team program since his days with the U16s,” Luiz Muzzi, Orlando’s EVP of soccer operations and general manager, said in a release.
“He has a great engine and fits the profile of a box-to-box player that can give us strength in both our attack and defense.”
Austin FC loan forward Moussa Djitte to Ligue 1 side AC Ajaccio through June 30, 2023. The deal includes a purchase option.
He departs temporarily after joining the team in 2021 from Ligue 2 side Grenoble Foot 38, for their inaugural Major League Soccer season. He managed five goals and two assists in 30 appearances for Austin.
Djitté has held a U22 Initiative spot for the Verde & Black.
Inter Miami sign defender Sergii Kryvtsov from Shakhtar Donetsk.
He joins on a two-year contract through the 2024 MLS season, with an option for 2025.
The defensive veteran managed 17 titles during his 13-year spell with Shakhtar, and featured for the Ukrainian national team on 31 occasions.
“Sergii is a composed defender who will provide valuable experience to our defensive line after many years playing at the highest levels both at the club and international levels; he is a solid defender in the air and possesses strong leadership skills having been vice-captain at his previous club,” Chris Henderson, Miami’s chief soccer officer and sporting director, said in a release.
“Sergii is arriving after preseason with Shakhtar Donetsk, so he is ready to get incorporated into the group. We look forward to watching him represent the Inter Miami colors and help the team work towards a successful season in 2023.”
Full-back Hector Bellerin has joined Sporting CP until the end of the season from Barcelona.
The Spanish international was signed by Barca in the summer but made just three La Liga appearances for the club in the first half of the season.
As such, Bellerin has now left the club in search of more first team football.
A statement on Barcelona’s website reads regarding the move reads: “Barcelona and Sporting Clube de Portugal have reached an agreement for the transfer of the player Hector Bellerin.
“FC Barcelona would like to express publicly their gratitude to Bellerin for his commitment and his dedication and wish him all the best for the future.
“Hector Bellerin made seven appearances for the first team. FC Barcelona announced his arrival in the summer of 2022 after he left Premier League side Arsenal as a free agent. The right back returned to the Club 11 years after leaving the youth teams at FC Barcelona to join the London club.
“Bellerin made his first team debut on 10 September in the 4-0 win away at Cádiz, starting the game at right back. The defender went to make two more appearances in La Liga, two in the Copa del Rey and two in the Champions League.”
Crystal Palace have confirmed the deadline day loan signing of Albert Sambi Lokonga from Arsenal.
Lokonga featured sporadically for Arsenal during the first half of the 2022/23 season, making just two Premier League starts as the Gunners have mounted an unlikely title challenge.
The midfielder has now joined Palace on loan for the remainder of the campaign in search of more regular football.
Speaking to the club’s official website after making the move, Lokonga said: “I’m really excited – I can’t wait to get started. I’m really happy to join Crystal Palace. I want to go as far as possible with the team. I will try to push for me and the team to do the maximum to reach the top.”
Palace chairman Steve Parish was quick to praise Lokonga too, saying: “I would like to welcome Sambi to south London, and am pleased he has chosen to join Patrick’s squad for the rest of the season, after making an impressive start to life in English football.
“He has been on our radar for several years since his emergence at Anderlecht, and we very much look forward to his contribution as we push to climb the table”.
The midfielder has been replaced by Jorginho at Arsenal, with the Italian midfielder making the move across London from Chelsea to join the Gunners on a permanent deal.
On this edition of TCOAG, Harry Symeou reacts to the news Arsenal have agreed a £12m deal to sign Jorginho from Chelsea. If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
Orlando City & Inter Miami bolster rosters
Hector Bellerin joins Sporting CP from Barcelona
Crystal Palace confirm loan signing of Albert Sambi Lokonga
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