Man United Complete Signing of “Next Dunga”

Old Trafford welcomes another Brazilian.

Manchester United have signed midfielder Rafael Leao on loan from their Brazilian feeder academy Desportivo Brasil and have the option to make the move permanent.
Leao, a tough-tackling midfielder who has been compared to 1994 World Cup-winning captain Dunga, turns 18 next week and will train with the United academy for the rest of the season.
Sportsmail revealed last week that United had options to sign five promising youngsters from Desportivo Brasil and Leao is the first to reach the age at which he can legally leave his country.
Three of the five – Aguilar, Lucas Evangelista and Agnaldo – played in a friendly for Twente last week and the Dutch champions have been lined up to be a transition club for the teenagers before they come to Europe.
However, United have decided to take Leao straight to their Carrington training base, though it has not yet been confirmed whether the move is subject to a work permit.
Part of the reason for the link-up with Twente is so that the players can take steps to gaining an EU passport, though some South Americans can gain passports through family ties.

SOURCE: Daily Mail

Clearly Manchester United have drafted in a number of Brazilians in recent years and currently they have the likes of Fabio, Rafael and Anderson on the club’s books and the partnership with Desportivo Brasil is beginning to bare fruit and it seems this form of squad building is far more financially prudent than splashing out huge sums on established talents.

Sir Alex Ferguson is looking to refresh his Old Trafford squad and to this end he brought in Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez last summer and both have taken great strides during the season and it seems that the Man United boss sees this as the best way to build a new generation of talent, and whether that decision is down to financial constraints placed on the club by the Glazers or not, it makes a great deal of sense in the long term.

By all accounts slightly built Leao is a tough tackler who is apparently likened to 1994 World Cup winner Dunga, so that can’t be all that bad.

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Arsenal Likely to Complete Signing of Dutch International Who Confirms He Wants Gunners Move

Ajax keeper makes it clear he wants to move to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal face competition from Juventus for Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. Tuttosport says Juve are ready to cash in on Gigi Buffon to fund their own transfer plans this summer.

A host of keepers are now under consideration as Buffon’s replacement, including Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari) and Stekelenburg. But the Dutchman revealed to Tuttosport: “If an offer from Arsenal arrives, I will leave.”

SOURCE: Yahoo Eurosport

Well if indeed that quote is accurate, and it is all over the web, then surely that is a pretty damn good indication that the Ajax man wants to move to the Emirates, a move that will surely go some way to helping the North London club from resolving their keeper crisis.

Manuel Almunia was of course the first choice keeper at the Emirates when the season began but a succession of clangers led to the Spaniard being dropped and replaced by the improved, but still inconsistent, Polish international Lukasz Fabianski until he fell foul to injury. Then in came youngster Wojciech Szczesny who looked decent but then made huge errors before also getting injured. Fourth choice keeper Vito Mannone is out on loan and also sidelined.

Arsene Wenger has therefore set his sights on bringing in a keeper and the likes of Mark Schwarzer and Pepe Reina have been mentioned heavily over the past year but news that Dutch international Maarten Stekelenburg is interested in a move to the Gunners will surely lead to 28 year old becoming the favourite to become the next number one keeper at the Emirates Stadium.

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