The Insider Notebook has the latest on Manchester United's plan to give Michael Carrick until mid-December. There are some people who could get a second chance under the interim boss.
The fringe stars put exit plans on hold, as well as Barcelona fear the premier league.
The United moved quickly to get Rangnick.
According to sources, the club's interim manager was the outstanding candidate during the interviews to find a new manager, and so they dropped plans to give Michael Carrick as many as six more games in charge.
The club set an original date of December 18 as the target for an interim to be appointed, only to accelerate plans for an interim if a stellar option emerged. The 63-year-old will leave his position as sporting director at Lokomotiv Moscow at the end of the season, and Rangnick will take over until the end of the season.
An exclusive interview with Rangnick.
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The United hierarchy had confidence in the caretaker, who will lead the team in their trip to the top of the table. The first of six games in 16 days will be the trip to the Bridge. The club faced criticism for the way they handled matters after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's dismissal, but they wanted to wait longer before appointing an interim.
Sources said that the market forces had left United with no choice but to pursue the strategy, and that the club were not in a good position when they hired both Tuchel and Klopp.
The club contacted Julen Lopetegui, the Sevilla manager, as they searched for a temporary boss. According to sources close to the man, he initially distanced himself from the idea that he could be interested in a job at United, but that changed when a role was offered as part of the deal. In recent years, Murtough has worked to build a relationship with key figures in football around Europe and he enjoys a good relationship with Rangnick, with the pair also holding talks in 2019.
The club's initial choice for the permanent position was Mauricio Pochettino, but that decision was made before Rangnick's arrival. Sources said that he is expected to play a leading role in choosing a permanent successor to Solskjaer after the interim management job ends.
The man is set to take over at Manchester United.
Van de Beek had a second chance.
According to sources, Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek have put their January transfer plans on hold.
Martial and Van de Beek were encouraged by their selection for the 2-0 win over Villarreal, and will now re-asses their options ahead of the new manager. The pair will see how they fit in over the next six weeks before deciding whether or not to push for a move.
Jesse Lingard is free to speak to other clubs in January as his contract expires at the end of the season. Lingard's style of play is similar to that of the "godfather of Gegenpressing" in Germany, which is why the stance of Rangnick's coaching philosophy is similar.
The majority of the squad are wanted by United, especially after they qualified for the knockout rounds of the European Championship. The draw for the round of 16 takes place in December.
The FA Cup campaign will start in January, though a poor start to the season under Solskjaer has increased the pressure on the second half of the campaign, as the club look to at least finish in the top four and retain their place in the Champions League next season.
Play.
It makes a lot of sense for Steven Gerrard to swap Rangers for Villa.
The new signing at Villa is artificial intelligence.
Sources told ESPN that Steven Gerrard is trying to make an Artificial Intelligence tool for his first signing.
After leaving Rangers to take charge of Villa, Steven Gerrard made an immediate impact by guiding the team to a 2-0 win againstBrighton in his first game in charge.
The former England captain has made his mark on his new club by taking off the items from the players' canteen at Villa's Bodymoor Heath training ground.
The Zone7 artificial intelligence injury prevention that helped Rangers win the title last season is something he wants Villa to adopt, according to sources. Zone7 analyses the training and match data sent to them by clubs and sends back daily emails with information about players who may be straying close to the danger zone.
In February, it was reported that clubs in Europe and Major League Soccer had adopted the system and that Rangers had reported a 52% reduction in injuries last season. Rangers had a reduction in injuries per match and days lost to injury.
Artificial intelligence is being used to predict injuries.
Zone7's artificial intelligence programme is used by more than 50 clubs across the world. Football clubs are notoriously protective of proprietary data and many want to remain anonymous in order to protect their competitive advantage. Real Salt Lake and Toronto didn't respond to requests from ESPN.
Sources said that the system is being put in place to make the team fit.
Play.
Fans shouldn't expect drastic improvement just yet, according to a report by the ESPN FC.
Barcelona's Araujo is afraid as the clubs watch.
According to sources, Ronald Araujo's salary demands and interest from the top clubs in England could complicate their contract renewal negotiations with him.
Barcelona want to sign Araujo to a five-year deal with his existing contract up in 2023 so that they can secure his future as a priority.
Sources said that there is concern at Barcelona that they may not be able to meet the terms that the player is requesting. Barcelona's financial crisis has worsened after LaLiga cut another 300 million from their spending limit this season and they recently confirmed losses for the 2020-21 season of 481m.
If Barcelona decide to push forward with their interest, they will have to pay more than either Manchester United orLiverpool. Sources said that scouts have watched Araujo throughout the year.
Pedri and Ansu Fati renewed their contracts with Barcelona and they want to sign two other players who are considered key by new coach Xavi Hernandez.
The club experienced a similar situation with Ilaix in the summer. The Spanish player refused to sign a new contract after one year and moved to RB Leipzig for 16m plus add-ons.
Araujo arrived at the Camp Nou from River Boston in a transfer worth 1.5m plus 3m in add-ons.
In the New Year, Ramsey could return to the top flight.
The hope is that the interest in Ramsey builds.
According to sources, the Bianconeri are hoping that the admiration for Ramsey will lead to a bid from the Reds in January.
Ramsey could be available for a transfer after struggling to break into the first-team since his arrival.
When Wales left for Juventus in the middle of the year, sources said that Klopp considered formalising his interest in Ramsey. Injuries and the departure of Georginio Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain made it difficult for the Reds to field a team in the middle of the park.
Several English clubs have been linked with the player, with Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Bournemouth being mentioned, as well as a number of Italian clubs.
Since Massimiliano Allegri took charge in the summer, Ramsey has made five appearances and played 112 minutes.
Play.
Craig and Kay discuss the futures of both of them.
The Mount rumour has calm over it.
According to sources, the situation with Mason Mount is not as bad as was reported in Spain, where Real Madrid were said to be interested in him.
Sources claim that Mount enjoys a good relationship with head coach Thomas Tuchel and is focused on further success with the Blues.
The club don't want to rush the negotiations because the 22-year-old has two-and-a-half years left to run on his existing agreement.
It is expected that conversations will begin later in the season as the first priority is to get deals done with Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Thiago Silva, who are all due to leave the club next summer.
