A year ago
Football.London has revealed that Tottenham and other clubs across Europe could benefit after FIFA announced a huge increase in club benefits.
The FIFA Club Welfare Program compensates clubs for releasing their players for tournaments like the World Cup.
Tottenham have one of the highest representations of any club at the World Cup in Qatar, even featuring two in the final as Hugo Lloris and Cristian Romero, the Daily Mail reports that the north London club won £2.32 million from the competition.
Football.London has now revealed that FIFA has announced a significant 75% increase in programming ahead of the next World Cup.
The tournament will take place in North America in 2026 (between the United States, Canada and Mexico), with the tournament increasing from 30 teams to 48 while the number of matches is expected to increase from 64 to 104. As a result, the report adds that clubs whose players reach the final stages of the competition may be rewarded higher in the next tournament.
The amount mentioned is certainly insignificant for Premier League clubs.
In fact, Spurs and other top European clubs will not be happy with the league expansion as it means some of their players will be more fatigued, increasing the risk of injury.
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After David de Gea rejected a contract extension offer from Man Utd, a source said they are moving forward with their plans to replace him by identifying two new targets that have one thing in common.
De Gea will become a free agent at the end of the season, although Man Utd want him to stay for a lower salary. However, their first attempt to renew his terms failed. Different outlets have suggested varying degrees of confidence in whether or not they will reach a compromise.
Meanwhile, De Gea has been linked with a few potential exits. For example, it has been suggested that he could succeed Hugo Lloris at Tottenham Hotspur. In addition, he has been tipped to reunite with Jose Mourinho at Roma.
Now, a report in the Italian media has updated De Gea's future, suggesting Man Utd may be ready to let him go.
Refusing to be taken hostage, the club is now linked with a number of substitutes. The two proposals appear to be the new link for 2023. According to FC Inter News, Man Utd are looking at Andre Onana and Mike Maignan as new candidates, alongside current targets Jordan Pickford and Diogo Costa.
Onana is currently having his first season with Inter, while Maignan also calls San Siro home when he is AC Milan's number one.
Former Ajax goalkeeper Onana may have to be sacrificed by Inter as they want to balance the books. With that in mind, the 26-year-old could become an accessible target for Man Utd.
In February, TEAMtalk learned that it was worth watching Tottenham in the race for Onana. But now, Man Utd seems to have stepped in. According to FC Inter News, they will be watching him in the upcoming clash with Benfica in the Champions League as he tries to save another Man Utd target, Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos.
The former Cameroon international has made 28 appearances for Inter so far, keeping half of them clean sheets. His contract at San Siro will run until 2027.
Man Utd are also considering Maignan
In addition, Maignan is tied to AC Milan until 2026. The 27-year-old is in his second season in Serie A, the league he won last time. This season, however, injuries have plagued him, leaving him with just 11 league appearances (with three clean sheets).
Both could become De Gea's successors, as is the case with Everton's Pickford and Porto's Costa.
The fact that Man Utd have too many alternatives can put pressure on their current number one. De Gea may think he has a strong negotiating position as an absolute number one, but the club could argue otherwise if he can replace him. The four contenders for his successor are all younger but established (even if Pickford is the only one to have played in the Premier League). They could therefore offer Man Utd a method to develop their goalkeeping department in the near future.
It would be a blow to De Gea, who has played very well over the past two seasons. But there have been questions about certain aspects of his game.
Therefore, his position is not guaranteed. After a long stint at Man Utd, he can be difficult to follow, but the club are leaving their options open.
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