Ten Hag ‘closer to the axe’ with Man Utd ‘falling apart’ after Palace loss – Paper Round

Papers react to Man Utd defeat

Manchester United’s heavy defeat at Crystal Palace has put further pressure on head coach Erik ten Hag, with the national papers focusing heavily on the Dutchman’s future in their reports from Selhurst Park.

The Telegraph refers to Bayern Munich’s interest in Ten Hag, writing: “Ten Hag must know that his hopes of remaining in his job are vanishing, if not already vanished. And that is assuming he even wants to remain. Few would blame him for feeling otherwise, especially amid suggestions in the German press that Bayern Munich are interested.”

The Guardian’s report began: “If Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United remained up for debate then surely this removed any lingering doubts for Sir Jim Ratcliffe.”

The Sun claims Ten Hag is one step closer to the axe, adding: “For many observers, Ten Hag looks like a dead man walking already, with this the latest in an embarrassment of embarrassments.”

The Mail wrote: “Ten Hag’s team are falling apart around him and his grip on the Manchester United job is fading.”

The Mirror points out United’s FA Cup final against Manchester City as their best hope of achieving European football next season, having fallen behind Chelsea in the table.

Chelsea want £65m midfielder

Chelsea have held initial talks in their bid to sign Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Georgiy Sudakov this summer, the Daily Mail reports. Sudakov has a pricetag of £65m and has already been scouted by Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool this season.

But Chelsea hope to move ahead in the race thanks to Sudakov’s friendship with a current player.

The Mail adds: “Chelsea are understood to have held discussions with his representatives in recent weeks to ascertain the figures involved while Shakhtar chief executive Sergei Palkin was a guest recently at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea beat Everton 6-0.

“Sudakov is close friends with Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk and has joked that his former teammate is missing him in London. Mudryk has struggled to adjust to life in the capital since his own £62m transfer from Shakhtar last summer and remains in regular contact with Sudakov often advising him to make the switch to England.

“A playmaker, Sudakov signed a new contract until 2028 which has a release clause of around £125m active from June but Shakhtar are expected to consider sensible offers for the 21-year-old.”

Sevilla keen on Maresca

Sevilla are considering an approach for Enzo Maresca despite the 44-year-old recently guiding Leicester City back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

The Daily Mail claims Maresca will hold talks with Leicester over his future and the club’s summer plans in the coming days, but having only just won the Championship, both staff and players are enjoying a break.

The Mail adds: “There will be changes to the playing staff though with key midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall the subject of Premier League interest and they have been charged over an alleged breach of profitability and sustainability spending rules meaning the club could face a points deduction next term if found guilty.

“Maresca and his squad are being whisked away on a three day holiday as reward for promotion and he has stated he is happy at the club.

“However, that has not stopped rivals looking at his situation. Sevilla are understood to be one club as they contemplate changes of their own this summer but there is also interest from others in Europe and in England. Leicester will not wish to lose Maresca, who has a good relationship with chairman Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha, but will recognise the quicker they can resolve issues off the pitch, the quicker they will be able to help put plans in place for his squad.”

Nunez fuels Liverpool exit

Darwin Nunez’s decision to remove all Liverpool posts from his Instagram account has sparked talk of the striker leaving the club in the upcoming transfer window, according to the Mirror.

Nunez moved to Liverpool in 2022 and has faced criticism from fans and pundits virtually ever since.

The Mirror adds: “Nunez’s inconsistency has been held against him with the striker’s finishing becoming a major concern. He’s scored 33 times for Jurgen Klopp’s side but has fluffed his lines in numerous big games this term and, with a change of manager incoming, there is talk of a move away.

“The 24-year-old has been the subject of criticism and has only aided the rumour mill by removing all pictures of himself playing for Liverpool on his Instagram. All that remains are family pictures and images of the striker playing for Benfica and Uruguay, although his profile picture is a snap of him playing in Liverpool colours.

“Nunez has never been vocal about any desire to leave Merseyside but the new man in the dugout, expected to be Arne Slot, is likely to review his squad options and go from there. A number of major names at Liverpool, including Mohamed Salah, are due to have their futures reviewed.”