05/06/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | JUNE 5, 2026

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Devils midfield upgrade How Ederson can help fix Manchester United’s biggest problem

Ű BY BEN MCALEER

M ANCHESTER UNITED’S priority this summer was always going to be cen tral midfield. It was an area they’d hoped to strengthen last year. Casemiro’s departure combined with question marks over Manuel Ugarte’s Old Trafford future means they need to rectify a somewhat problem position sooner rather than later. And with the 2026 World Cup a week away, United are closing in on their first midfield sign ing. While Elliot Anderson is unattainable for the time being, with the Nottingham Forest man seemingly on the cusp of a move to rivals Manchester City, Atalanta star Ederson is set for his own high-profile switch to United after a fee was agreed between the clubs. The 26-year-old Brazilian, not included in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, has previously been linked with a move to England. Liverpool have been connected with the Brazilian previ ously. However, it’s United that are set to clinch a move for Ederson. The Atalanta man might not be the entire answer to the club’s midfield issues, but he’s cer tainly a step in the right direction. Indeed, he brings the much-needed dynamism to the mid field that had previously been found wanting. Ugarte is a handy ball-winner, but the Uruguayan is limited beyond the ability to get around the pitch and put in challenges. The

with the freedom to push forward. He’s a handy ball carrier that offers United an attacking alterna tive through the middle, and he operates best alongside with a more defensive minded partner. Mainoo and United will benefit from the cap ture of a midfielder of Ederson’s skillset as he pro vides both the defensive knowhow and the ability to get the ball forward. However, it can’t be a case that United sign Ederson and turn their attention elsewhere. The return of European football, and a first season in the expanded Champions League, means Carrick needs more options in such a key area. If United see out the summer window having landed only Ederson, then it could be a recipe for disaster, especially if – as expected – Ugarte departs. To put it simply – he is a piece of United’s midfield puzzle. Ederson, though, is a key fit in the middle of the park for now. He’s at the right age in that he’s experienced but has more to offer. His skillset suits the Premier League too. All things considered, he should thrive at Old Trafford. – The Independent

2025-26 Serie A season. It was a shade lower than Casemiro (1.3) but far higher than Ugarte (0.4). Of course, Ederson isn’t there to provide the ammunition for the attacking players. That’s what Bruno Fernandes is for. Having a midfielder to readily feed the United skipper is what’s vital. The man to play the pass before the pass that leads to a goal. So, too, is having a midfielder capable of get ting about the pitch to rob opponents of posses sion. Admittedly, Ederson’s return of 2.4 tackles per 90 fell below Casemiro (3.1) and Ugarte (4.7), but he made up for that with a superior ground duel success rate (56.5%). The dip in tackles per 90 can again be attributed to United having a lower possession return than Atalanta. He’s an all-action midfield dynamo that should slot in seamlessly alongside Kobbie Mainoo at the base of Carrick’s favoured 4-2-3-1 setup. They’ve upgraded on Ugarte and then some with the addi tion of Ederson. He’ll provide the requisite defen sive resolve to help shield the backline. In addition, he’ll complement Mainoo well. The England international is a player who thrives

inability to get the ball forward once he regains possession is a huge weakness to Ugarte’s game. The addition of Ederson, though, should go some way to rectifying this issue. Ederson, after all, averaged 14.8 forward passes per 90 in Serie A last season compared to Ugarte’s 13.1, according to Squawka . The former’s average fell below compatriot Casemiro (19.6); however, this can be attributed to United seeing less of the ball (51.6%) than Atalanta (54.9%) in their respective leagues last season. Atalanta showed a greater willingness to retain the ball in Serie A. They were a little more patient in possession, whereas United were more active in their efforts to get the ball upfield as quickly as possible, with 41 shots following a counter attack ranked fourth in the Premier League last season. Even so, Ederson showed a real desire to quickly transition from defence to attack when required in Italy’s top tier last term. This was not only evident by the number of forward passes, but also the chances created haul. Ederson created 1.1 chances per 90 in the

Mourinho in the middle of Real battle

SIDENETTING

today. “This is not what you want in your farewell match,” Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk told Dutch NOS television. “If you look at the game, we should have been at least 2–0 up. Hopefully, our sharpness will return quickly and we’ll finish our chances properly from now on. It’s positive that most of the players got some playing time, but of course we don’t play to lose,” he said. Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, sporting a mask after facial injuries suffered in April, made several good stops throughout the game to alleviate concerns over the keeper’s position in the side, which has been the subject of speculation in recent months. South Korea edge El Salvador SOUTH KOREA kept up their momentum ahead of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over El Salvador yesterday in their final friendly before the tournament begins next week. Lee Dong-gyeong

Congo cheered on by 23,000 fans

JOSE MOURINHO has emerged as Florentino Perez’s preferred candidate to return as Real Madrid manager, as the club’s presidential race intensifies ahead of Sunday’s election. In a brief video shared on the offi cial Instagram account of Perez’s cam paign, the Portuguese

with debt, overspending on players and putting off investments on infra structure. Ratcliffe has taken steps to revive United’s fortunes, including cut ting jobs and raising ticket prices. After struggling to replicate the suc cess the club enjoyed on- and off-the pitch under Alex Ferguson, United’s third-place finish this season under Michael Carrick secured a berth in the Champions League for the first time in two seasons. United shares ended yes terday at US$21.11 (RM85), valuing the Old Trafford club at US$3.64 billion (RM14.6b), according to data compiled by LSEG. – Reuters He would be set to arrive in Madrid after managing Benfica this season. Perez has also indicated that, should he remain in charge, a new signing will be announced later this week . With both candidates setting out bold visions – one centred on a high profile managerial return, the other on marquee signings – Real Madrid’s presidential contest is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched in recent years. – AFP should he win the presidency on June 7. He revealed a Real Madrid shirt bearing Haaland’s name and the No. 9 as part of the announcement. “Rodri plays in a position Real Madrid need and he fits the profile. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid,” Riquelme said. He added that discussions with Manchester City and the player’s rep resentatives would begin “as early as next Monday”, while acknowledging the midfielder still has a year remain ing on his contract. “As for Haaland, it is a different situation. He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid,” he added. Mourinho, who first managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, would return to the club thirteen years after his departure. During his previous spell, he won a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup, while overseeing a fierce rivalry with Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona.

coach appears wearing a Real Madrid shirt and simply says: “Yes,“ in what is widely seen as confirmation of his willingness to return to the Santiago Bernabeu. He also said he would sign defender Ibrahima Konate who is leaving Liverpool. The timing of the announce ment appeared deliberate, coming as Perez’s rival,

THE Democratic Republic of Congo held fellow World Cup qualifiers Denmark to a 0-0 friendly draw yesterday, the day after their game in Spain against Chile next week was cancelled due to health concerns regarding the Ebola outbreak in the African country. Their coach Sebastien Desabre has said they are willing to play their next pre-World Cup friendly with Chile, scheduled for next Tuesday, behind closed doors. But the mayor of Spanish town La Linea de la Concepcion, which was due to host the match, signed a decree cancelling the game. Yesterday, around 23,000 fans turned out in Liege, where a significant Congolese minority live and work. The DR Congo – who have qualified for their first World Cup since they featured in the 1974 edition as Zaire – cancelled a planned pre-World Cup training camp at home after the country was hit by the Ebola outbreak last month and have been based in Belgium instead. US authorities said on May 22 that Congo’s squad must isolate for 21 days before they would be allowed into the United States for the World Cup. Algeria score late to upset Oranje WINGER Anis Hadj Moussa scored on his home ground to give Algeria a surprise 1-0 away win over the Netherlands in their World Cup warm-up yesterday. Hadj Moussa, who plays for Dutch club Feyenoord, cut in off the right wing and struck a powerful shot into the far corner four minutes from time to hand the North Africans a morale boosting win at De Kuip, where he plays his club football. It was as much as Algeria deserved after a strong second-half performance, roared on by a large number of noisy travelling fans. Hadj Moussa’s effort was his first international goal and spoilt the home team’s send-off before they depart for New York

Real’s potential next manager Jose Mourinho. – REUTERSPIC

Enrique Riquelme, unveiled his own ambitious plans during a television appearance. Speaking on

Antena 3 , Riquelme pledged to sign Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Spain interna tional mid f i e l de r Rodr i

scored 10 minutes into the second half at their training base in Utah to give South Korea their second straight friendly win following a 5-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago last week. “We had some difficulties offensively early in the match but I

think this match will be of huge help for us,” said coach Hong Myung-bo. “I think our players must have learned a great deal today by playing this type of team.” Captain Son Heung-min started on the bench and came on five minutes after Lee had given South Korea the lead with a curling, left-footed free kick. Defender Cho Wi-je made his debut as a second-half substitute. Cho, who was playing in South Korea’s second division until the start of this year, was called into the World Cup squad when Cho Yu-min was ruled out with an injury earlier this week. “I think he played well stepping in for an injured player,” Hong said. “He helped the team tremendously.”

Glazers studying Manchester United stake sale SOME Glazer family members have been debating whether to sell their stake in Manchester United FC after more than two decades of ownership, Bloomberg News reported yesterday, cit ing people familiar with the matter. members, who are now trying to con vince others to join them, according to the report. Manchester United did not immedi ately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while the Glazer family could not immediately be reached.

Several stakeholders in the U.S.- based billionaire family have been studying the possibility of divesting part or all of their holdings in the English Premier League football club, the report said. The club’s New York listed shares were up 7% in extended trading. The internal talks initially centered on stake sales by some individual family

The report on current deliberations comes more than two years after the family sold a roughly 29% stake in the club to Ineos Group chairman Jim Ratcliffe, giving the billionaire control of their football operations. The Glazer family, who still owns a majority of the club, has faced strong criticism from fans for saddling the club