Man United eye Declan Rice for summer transfer as midfield overhaul prioritised after quiet window
Manchester United are plotting a midfield overhaul after a quiet January window -- ESPN's Insider Notebook has the latest.
Jump to: Spotify Camp Nou? | West Ham wary of Rice interest | Real Madrid keen on Brazil wonder kid | Dembele seeks bumper pay deal | Why Jones' United exit broke down
Man United plan midfield overhaul
After deciding against adding to their squad in January because top targets were not available, Manchester United are focusing attention on signing a central midfielder in the summer, with work starting before a new permanent manager is appointed, sources told ESPN.
The Old Trafford recruitment department is working to whittle down a list of midfield targets, with West Ham's Declan Rice, Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips and Amadou Haidara at RB Leipzig all being considered.
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West Ham United are already quoting suitors -- including Manchester City and Chelsea -- more than £100 million for Rice's signature while there are doubts about whether Phillips would be willing to move to one of Leeds' biggest rivals.
United will narrow their list of midfield targets to around 15 before cutting the names to around 10. Negotiations with representatives and clubs will begin after cut down to a shortlist of three.
Midfield has become the focus, sources told ESPN, because the need for an established centre-forward has been reduced by Cristiano Ronaldo's return to the club. Ronaldo, who has a contract until 2023 with the option of another year, was not originally on the list of targets last summer but the club decided to act once City firmed up their interest.
Detailed recruitment meetings with interim manager Ralf Rangnick are set to be held each month following the closure of the January window on Monday, but there is hope talks to install a new manager will gather pace before the end of the season.
The aim is for the new boss to have input into the players who arrive. The manager and the recruitment department have a veto when it comes to new signings. -- Rob Dawson
Spotify Camp Nou?
Barcelona are in advanced discussions with Spotify for the Swedish company to become the club's principle sponsor, which would include holding the naming rights to Camp Nou, sources told ESPN.
According to sources close to the negotiations, the deal could be worth up to €57m annually to the LaLiga giants, whose partnership with Rakuten expires in the summer. In exchange, Spotify's name would appear on the front of the Catalan club's shirts, training kit and alongside Camp Nou.
In addition to their agreement with Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten, Barca also have a deal with Beko to sponsor training kit. That partnership also runs out in the summer.
Barca first signed a four-year deal with Rakuten in 2017, with the initial agreement worth up to €60m per year depending on the team's success on the pitch. The partnership was extended by an additional season last year, but at almost half the price due to the effects of the pandemic.
Beko's sponsorship of the club's training kits started in 2018 and sources told ESPN it was worth around €57m over the course of the agreement.
Meanwhile, no business holds the naming rights to Camp Nou, but president Joan Laporta has said the club are open to change that to help fund the €1.5 billion redevelopment of the 100,000-seater stadium. -- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens
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