Newcastle United are adamant they will not allow Lewis Hall to leave this summer, with the club regarding the left-back as untouchable despite interest from Manchester United.
In a turbulent summer in which the Magpies have brokered big sales, seen long-serving manager Eddie Howe resign and could yet lose captain Bruno Guimaraes, there have been fears that other players could go as part of a hard reset at St James’ Park.
Manchester United are in the market for a full-back as well as another midfielder this summer, with sources indicating to The i Paper that they were planning to start talks with Newcastle this week over Hall’s capture.
He shares an agent with Howe and insiders insist the full-back is keen to move to Old Trafford.
But the England international is “unequivocally not for sale” this summer and has been earmarked for a vital role in new boss Matthias Jaissle’s plans.
Hall has a bright future at St James’ Park (Photo: Getty)
His age profile, potential, contractual status and experience mean he is regarded as crucial to Newcastle’s future.
Manchester United are also aware that it will be very difficult to get a deal done, and have earmarked other candidates for the position, where providing weary Luke Shaw some competition is essential.
The versatile Myles Lewis-Skelly is one option they have looked at, sources added, with Arsenal potentially open to a sale.
The next priority at St James’ Park is to bring in full-backs to support Hall and Tino Livramento, who is also set to stay at Newcastle this summer.
While many will view their not-for-sale stance as a familiar story, there are key differences with Hall.
The plan had always been to sell Anthony Gordon early in the transfer window given Newcastle’s need to comply with Uefa’s financial fair play rules.
Sandro Tonali, having expressed a desire to explore new opportunities in the spring, was also always going to leave – and Newcastle felt they “overindexed” on the fees they received for both.
Arsenal have submitted an opening bid for Bruno Guimaraes (Photo: Getty)
While the Magpies do not want to lose Guimaraes, there is some cold, hard logic that the two clubs are now in negotiations over a fee.
His age of 28 means he is at the peak of his value and Newcastle are in a rebuild stage under a new manager.
But sources insist there is no flexibility on Hall, whose age and potential mean that – like Lewis Miley, who agreed a new contract at the start of the close season – he is regarded as untouchable by Newcastle’s hierarchy.
He is also not actively agitating for a move away from Newcastle, having played in both the summer curtain-raiser at Gateshead and a full 90 minutes in the defeat at Bristol City, which turned out to be Howe’s last game in charge.
Michael Carrick had wanted to make Hall a priority, but Newcastle’s strong stance may force them to refocus on their hunt for a midfielder.
Nothing is advancing in their search for another marquee name, with funds restricted as a result of their inability to make much from player sales.
Mason Mount’s performances in pre-season have lessened the need for a desperate pursuit, sources indicated.
Should Mount stay fit, he is seen as a strong midfield option, alongside Andrey Santos.
Kobbie Mainoo is also set to return to pre-season training next week and must prove his fitness after a World Cup campaign in which he did not play a single minute for England.
Manchester United are prepared to go late into the window to wait for the right signing in order to avoid long, drawn-out sagas that ultimately result in them overpaying.
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Marc Skinner was divisive. He had staunch critics within Manchester United’s fanbase over his tactics and his squad management. There were reports of squad members being underwhelmed by his training methods, often hands-off and leaving players to work it out for themselves. Some academy players believed that their own pathway to the first team was… difficult, to put it mildly.
Skinner also overachieved given the budget, which is the remit of every manager of Manchester United Women. That is an undeniable truth. He led the club to two top three league finishes and reached four major finals, winning the FA Cup in 2024. Across that period, United never had a top three budget.
Marc Skinner has gone, a month before the new season starts. Mutual agreement is the official explanation, but in April Skinner spoke extensively about the need for greater investment to keep pace with others in the Women’s Super League.
Skinner led Man Utd to one FA Cup win (Photo: Getty)
This is a super-club through name alone: their wage bill is dwarfed by Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City in the WSL.
Last season, hopes of silverware petered out with squad depth badly lacking. Manchester United repeatedly failed to fill their bench due to an injury crisis that some insiders believed was related to physical overload – again due to a small playing squad.
Finally, then, Skinner was a useful stooge, a human shield for the frustrations of supporters. With him gone, the questions will – and should – be directed higher up the food chain. Those questions: is this an ambitious football club? Does this club actually want to win a league title and, if so, how does it suppose the current investment makes that possible?
So far this summer, Manchester United have sold Melvine Malard to Chelsea. Millie Turner and Lisa Naalsund have joined Birmingham City. The only significant first-team arrivals are a back-up goalkeeper from WSL2 side Leicester City and an uncapped Spanish defender from Atletico Madrid. United have regularly left it late to do their transfer business, but fans are understandably disturbed.
A ceiling has been put on the women’s team’s progress (Photo: Getty)
On the opening weekend of the WSL season, Manchester United will play London City Lionesses. One is a grand expansion project, a little gauche perhaps but with significant ambition and investment. The other, supporters say, is simply treading water and going through the motions. Skinner leaving (even if he wasn’t universally popular) is further reason for fear.
Skinner’s replacement will be sold a project – what does that really encompass? This is the house that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has built for Manchester United Women: the impression that he cares insufficiently about this area of his club.
In 2024, Ratcliffe said that focusing on the operations and finances of the men’s set-up had prevented him from fully engaging with the plan for the women’s team. He attended neither of the Women’s FA Cup finals United have been in during his tenure.
Also in 2024, Manchester United women’s team were moved into portable buildings at the club’s Carrington training centre because the men’s squad needed to use the women’s building while the men’s indoor facilities were being revamped. The women’s team are in the new centre now, but a message of subservience and carelessness was established.
Has that ever improved? Manchester United are further behind than they were. The arrival of London City as a legitimate force means that a place in the top four is no longer assured. There is no European football, no manager and a thin squad is thinner than last season. There are so many possible quick wins and long-term plans here. Right now, it’s hard to see any of them.
Women’s football seems to be an afterthought at Manchester United. They have become a stepping stone for the biggest talent, a middle-of-the-road spot within a supposedly elite environment.
The squad is being left outside to fade in the sunshine. Manchester United left it far too long to re-form the women’s team. They are leaving it far too long to do them justice.
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Newcastle United have rejected Arsenal’s first bid for Bruno Guimaraes after the two clubs opened direct talks for the Brazil international.
The i Paper can reveal that the offer for Guimaraes fell significantly short of Newcastle’s asking price, which is in excess of £80m.
Arsenal remain at the table, however, and it is anticipated that further bids will be made for the Newcastle captain, who is keen to move to north London.
So far all negotiations have taken place between third parties, with Guimaraes’ representatives talking informally with Newcastle sources.
The Brazilian is expected to leave Newcastle this summer (Photo: Getty)
Guimaraes touched down in Spain on Monday morning on a pre-agreed travel plan with Newcastle.
The 28-year-old is due to report to the club’s training base in La Manga and sources have stressed that he has done everything asked of him.
He was due for assessments this morning after his exertions with Brazil in the World Cup but that may be overtaken by events.
While Guimaraes is keen for the move, there has been no repeat of the scenes last year when Alexander Isak effectively went on strike and refused to join up with Newcastle for their pre-season tour.
But it appears increasingly likely that Guimaraes will leave St James’ Park this summer, making him the third big-name departure after Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon.
Newcastle have made five signings but there is an internal acknowledgement that if Guimaraes leaves, they will need to sign someone who has experience to support the work of incoming coach Matthias Jaissle.
It is understood that Newcastle are working on bringing in another midfielder who is likely to be a younger age profile.
Porto’s Victor Froholdt is one player that Newcastle like but there are other options being considered by sporting director Ross Wilson.
Newcastle expect to confirm Jaissle as their new manager on Monday afternoon and the German is in La Manga ahead of a week-long training camp in Spain.
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The World Cup is forever evolving but no previous change came close to the threat this tournament faced had Fifa president Gianni Infantino got his way.
And after promise of a Uefa boycott, and a potential challenger to his presidency at March’s election in Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani, as exclusively reported by The i Paper, Infantino has at least climbed down from his grand plans. And now there are calls for him to quit.
All change? Please! Here is how Fifa can save itself and then restore the World Cup to how it should be. And yes, most importantly of all, that means no more Shakira. Whenever. Wherever.
Don’t elect an egomaniac
Few would have believed in 2015 that a decade later the footballing world would soften on Sepp Blatter, but here we are.
Infantino was the Uefa general secretary before replacing Blatter, and upon election in 2016 he vowed to protect the sport’s “integrity” after scandals took centre stage.
A self-serving reign has followed. His astonishing “Today I feel…” speech in 2022 was a generational glimpse into a narcissist’s mind, while offering Donald Trump the Fifa Peace Prize evoked a leader more interested in political brown-nosing than proper governance of the world’s favourite game.
Elect someone who knows ball
Just watch…
When FIFA president Gianni Infantino grabbed the captain's armband and stepped up to take this corner…
How do you stop a Fifa president from slowly becoming more tyrannical? Limit them to one four-year term. They should be stewards, not overlords, and regular change would prevent lengthy reigns.
There have been just three presidents since 1974 – Joao Havelange (1974-1998), Blatter (1998-2015) and Infantino (2016-present) – and that isn’t right.
Drop the World Cup back to 32 teams
The millennial in me wants the next men’s World Cup to revert to 32 teams but knows 64 is more likely. Either way, a format that prevents teams who finish third in their group from reaching the knockout stage. With 32, there is greater quality and jeopardy, although the argument for 64 is opening the door for more nations to have their Cape Verde moment.
Just one host nation
Think traversing one continent was bad? The next men’s World Cup will take place across three, a ridiculous footprint when this tournament is better staged in one nation. Like, er, Saudi Arabia 2034.
After that, give it to Australia. Go back to Japan. Pick a sport-obsessed country in South America. Just somewhere fun and accessible and welcoming where a festival of football is front and centre.
Growing the game does not have to mean constant expansion and multiple hosts.
Ignore world leaders’ phone calls
If you are the Fifa president and the leader of the free world calls you mid-World Cup asking for their nation’s striker to be unsuspended for the next match, do not listen to them. In fact, don’t even answer the phone. Have some integrity.
Ban influencers
Few enjoyed the constant shots of football stars and celebrities at the World Cup – remember the size of David Beckham’s wine glass? – and absolutely no one wanted to see countless influencers and streamers attend matches and broadcast their inane videos when those seats were better filled by actual fans.
It was an insult. The percentage of corporate seats should be limited, and the World Cup final in particular sounded far quieter (and worse) because real supporters of Argentina and Spain had been priced out.
— Scotland’s Coefficient (@scotlandscoeff1) June 24, 2026
Cap ticket prices
On that note, Fifa – this non-profit organisation (ha!) – should install a cap on ticket prices. No match should cost anything near four figures, unless paying in Thai baht or Colombian pesos, and fans should not have to shell out thousands on a trip to watch their team once or twice.
Hopefully Uefa sticks to its promise for Euro 2028 where 40 per cent of tickets will cost £30 or £60, and there is no dynamic pricing. And hopefully the UK does not increase the cost of public transport disproportionately. The same goes for hotels and Airbnbs, but we won’t hold our breath.
Introduce that viral penalty shootout idea
An actual football idea, and something that would properly shake up the World Cup. It did the rounds this summer but was actually from a paper in 2006, with the idea that a penalty shootout takes place after 90 minutes when a knockout tie is drawn.
The winner of that shootout then heads into extra-time 0.5 goals ahead. It eradicates 30 minutes of stale football and guarantees a winner without the harshest of endings.
Limit Shakira to one song (and show)
You’ve had your fun, Shakira. It was pointed out that the singer has appeared at more World Cups (four) than her ex, the Spanish defender Gerard Piqué.
At the last World Cup, she performed at the opening ceremony and then basically did the same routine again at the half-time final show. Which reminds us…
No half-time final show
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy attend the Fifa World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina in New York (Photo: Getty)
Bin it. Argentina and Spain players were made to wait 27 minutes as Shakira invaded the pitch along with Madonna, the original Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Justin Bieber, BTS, that Ted Lasso guy and Coldplay.
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, though, fair enough.
No more hydration breaks
Bring back halves and make quarters a “remember when” question for quizzes of the future. Given it cannot be changed now, the 2026 World Cup is the only time we ever want there to be hydration* breaks.
Sell off tournaments to private investors, flog the rights to tech companies and streamers, ramp up ticket prices so only influencers and the super-rich can afford to watch, stage the World Cup every two years, damage domestic leagues as well as the players’ bodies – no proposal is too radical nor too mercenary for Infantino and his pursuit of a buck.
But involving women or daring to imagine they might contribute to the sport’s commercial future is apparently where he draws the line.
Women’s football isn’t just an afterthought of his plans – it will be their first casualty.
Uefa’s 55 member organisations have voted to boycott all Fifa competitions until it drops Infantino’s proposals. It is the strongest possible condemnation – a World Cup without any European teams is unimaginable; it will kill it.
But there are four years to backtrack and renegotiate before it hits the men. The Women’s World Cup is only 11 months away; the Under-20 Women’s World Cup is set to commence in Poland in September. Uefa is right to take a stand – but it will be women who in effect are denied opportunities, revenue and exposure, not the men.
It’s hard to feel surprised that Infantino has neglected to consider women, again. In fact, he seems to see their involvement as a favour, a concession, “giving in” rather than vital, just and earned.
Ahead of the women’s World Cup final in 2023, during which female players were fighting for equal pay to the men, he invited them to “convince us men” at Fifa of their value to the sport.
“Pick the right battles. Pick the right fights. You have the power to change. You have the power to convince us men what we have to do and what we don’t have to do… With men, with Fifa, you will find open doors. Just push the doors. They are open,” he said.
Bizarre, patronising, backwards – and dismal confirmation that when it came to women, Fifa still needed convincing in the first place.
Then, when that tournament’s final was soured by Spanish football president Luis Rubiales kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, it took Infantino a week to condemn the violation – even though he was on the same stage at the medal ceremony, and even though it immediately ignited a global scandal that threatened to tear women’s sport apart.
Infantino simply does not care. He doesn’t care about fans, he doesn’t care about clubs, he doesn’t care about rules; he doesn’t care about being liked or making honourable decisions or preserving the integrity of the sport. What he cares about is money. And how power and proximity to power can get him more of it.
All the more ironic, then, that he fails to recognise just how lucrative women’s football can be for him. Women’s professional footballers have never been as good or as bankable; there has not been this kind of shift in the prestige of a sport in generations.
The fanbases are swelling, the players are superstars, streamers are fighting for the broadcasting rights. Women’s football is already worth hundreds of millions of pounds annually and that figure is only accelerating – there is an enormous untapped market of female and young fans have yet to be fully exploited.
For a man who only cares about money, he is missing a very big opportunity. Infantino’s sidelining of women from his visions for football’s future isn’t just bad PR – it’s very bad business.
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Fifa president Gianni Infantino has abandoned plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup and other international events in the face of fierce backlash, boycott threats and the resignation of a high profile advisor.
The enormously controversial plan would have seen a new commercial subsidiary, part owned by an investment company tied to the younger brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, run Fifa’s main events.
It prompted outrage from global football associations, who said they had been blindsided by the proposal.
Uefa, Concacaf, which governs football in North, Central America and the Caribbean, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) all released statements condemning the move, with the European governing body also declaring its members would boycott all future Fifa events if the plan went ahead.
Carlos Cordeiro, who had been serving as Infantino’s senior adviser on global strategy and governance, resigned in protest and issued a statement branding the proposal a “bad deal for football”.
Facing overwhelming criticism from others in the game and beyond, Infantino on Saturday morning confirmed he was abandoning the proposal.
“It has become clear that the project has created divisions of a nature that, regardless of the level of support, are no longer in the interest of the objective set out in the first place,” he said in a statement.
“As a result, this proposal will not proceed.”
Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 National Associations
The admission of defeat came despite Fifa having, just a day earlier, issued a statement declaring it would press ahead with the plan, even after Uefa laid down its boycott threat and Concacaf said its members had “rejected” the move.
However, the decision of the AFC to stand against the proposal meant securing the 106 votes from Fifa’s 211 member nations needed to implement it was likely to be a long-shot.
In pitching the plan, Infantino appeared to have been relying on the promise of a hefty financial incentive for member nations, particularly those outside Europe.
An offer of an initial $20m (£15m) to all members, while not insignificant for the likes of England, France and Spain, represented a major funding boost for many smaller footballing nations and drew accusations Fifa’s president was trying to buy votes.
Critics have also suggested Infantino had one eye on Fifa’s upcoming presidential election, in which he had been expected to run unopposed, and was using the offer of more funding to consolidate his hold over football’s governing body.
Fifa’s chief operating officer, Kevin Lamour, gave weight to those claims when he issued a scathing assessment of the proposal to the Associated Press, calling it “the project of one person”.
“A president must bring people together, unite them, and inspire them,” he added, before claiming Infantino had done “the opposite”.
For his part, Fifa’s president continues to insist: “Our purpose has always been – and will always be – to unite and improve”.
“Moving forward, my intent is to bring all interested parties back together in the coming days and weeks in the spirit of shared interest in our game, and with the objective to continue growing football everywhere, particularly in those countries that mostly need our support,” Infantino said in his Saturday statement.
Despite his insistence on plotting a path forward, Infantino’s future now appears in real doubt.
Having served as president since 2016, Fifa’s boss was largely viewed as unassailable due to his work to boost funding for member nations through commercial deals and the revamp of the Club World Cup.
The expansion of this year’s World Cup, from 32 teams to 48, was also aimed at increasing revenues, both through increasing the number of matches and through a new controversial ticketing system.
Despite criticism of both the expanded format and ticketing, as well as Infantino’s apparent role in overturning the ban handed to US striker Folarin Balogun, the Fifa boss still appeared set to remain in his post.
Even in the face of a widening rift between Fifa and Uefa, Infantino’s hold over the majority of world football’s 211 member nations and a lack of viable alternative candidates meant an actual race for the presidency had long since been ruled out.
Despite his insistence on plotting a path forward, Infantino’s future now appears in real doubt. (Photo: Getty)
However, Infantino’s own actions appear to have shifted the dial.
While it remains to be seen whether opposition to the World Cup privatisation plan will translate into all three of Uefa, Concacaf and the AFC formally withdrawing their support during the election next March, the severity of the backlash against Infantino’s leadership has suddenly presented an opening for would-be challengers.
One of those, North American football chief Victor Montagliani, is already “making moves” in an effort to oust Infantino, sources told The i Paper.
While many in European football were hoping Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi would put his name forward, the chairman of European Football Clubs (previously known as the European Club Association) has ruled himself out of contention.
Other candidates, potentially including Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, have until 18 November to put their name forward.
Until then, Infantino will will be focused on winning back support from member nations left angry by his effort to further commercialise football.
AFC members in particular will likely prove crucial in his effort to remain in charge of the world game.
While the Asian federation ultimately sided with Uefa and Concacaf to down the privatisation plan, it took time to consider its response and notably suggested its decision in part hinged on the fact Infantino could not “realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward”.
AFC member nations hold a total of 46 votes within Fifa’s decision making process, while Uefa and Concacaf combined hold 90 – short of the 106 needed to prevent the proposal from passing.
The AFC has otherwise been broadly supportive of Infantino’s presidency and Fifa’s boss has previously sought to foster closer cooperation between the governing body and some member nations, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
It is not immediately clear how Infantino might go about mending ties with the Asian association, although one option already being investigated by Fifa could provide a handy solution as well as meet the president’s aims of further boosting commercialisation.
A “research brief” seen by the Guardian reportedly revealed plans for a consultation process to again increase the size of the World Cup, this time to 64 teams.
The successful party commissioned to carry out the brief will be given just four weeks to assess the proposal and Fifa expects to receive any conclusions by 11 September.
If the analysis proceeds as reported, it could allow Fifa to make a determination on whether to expand the tournament before the end of this year.
Infantino addressed rumours Fifa was contemplating further expansion in July, saying it was “an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup”, after the head of South America’s football association raised the prospect.
The move to expand the 2026 edition of the tournament to 48 teams had already drawn pushback, primarily from Uefa and the global players’ union, due to concerns over fixture congestion.
However, Infantino has repeatedly claimed the expansion was a major success and it has enjoyed broad support from other football associations, including the AFC, as it has allowed more teams to qualify and increased Fifa’s revenues.
A 64-team tournament would likely draw even harsher criticism from some groups, but it is unlikely to spark the same intense backlash as the privatisation plan.
The promise of having more member nations involved, as well as the additional revenue on offer, could be enough to sure up the support Infantino needs to continue his now controversial reign.
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North American football chief Victor Montagliani is “making moves” to run for the Fifa presidency against Gianni Infantino.
Having looked immovable only a few days ago, Infantino faces the first real threat to his reign with a credible candidate to oppose the under-fire supremo preparing to step forward.
Two sources close to the matter have told The i Paper that Canadian Montagliani – president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean association (Concacaf) – is set to challenge Infantino in the elections next March.
Infantino was planning to run for the presidency unopposed, as is often the case in Fifa elections. He did so in 2019 and 2023.
Victor Montagliani consoles Lionel Messi after the World Cup final (Photo: Getty)
But the extraordinary reaction to plans to raise over $4bn (£3bn) by selling off part of the World Cup to private investors, including Uefa’s proposed boycott of football’s showpiece event, has caused a major shift in support.
Concacaf became the latest association to unanimously reject Infantino’s plan on Thursday, before the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) followed suit.
A source with knowledge of Concacaf’s meeting told The i Paper that not only was there blanket condemnation for the proposal, “the sentiment and discussion expressed among the vast majority of Concacaf members is that they are losing confidence, or have lost confidence, in the ability of Gianni Infantino as Fifa president moving forward”.
PSG president has ‘no interest in Fifa role’
Several influential figures within European football had hoped that Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi would stand against Infantino.
The Qatari government official and businessman is already embroiled in the world of football governance, as the chairman of European Football Clubs (EFC, previously known as the European Club Association) and an executive committee member of Uefa.
President Gianni Infantino and Nasser Al-Khelaifi (Photo: Getty)
The i Paper has been told, however, that the 52-year-old is not interested in the role: “Mr Al-Khelaifi has absolutely no ambition, no intention and no interest in the Fifa role and all this media noise, and instead will continue to quietly and constructively support all the institutions of world and European football,” a spokesperson for Al-Khelaifi said.
Another not understood to be interested is the man who quickly kicked off the condemnation, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin. It is also unclear whether the Slovenian would have the supporter to mount a presidential challenge.
Who is Montagliani? And can he win?
Sources familiar with the matter insisted Montagliani retains much more backing across the world.
Montagliani is a long-standing ally of Infantino and is one of eight current Fifa Vice-Presidents. He became the first non-Caribbean Concacaf president since 1969 to be appointed in the aftermath of the corruption scandal in 2015.
It was not thought candidacy for the next election was on the 60-year-old’s radar, with Infantino described as “home and dry” for another term. It was more likely Montagliani would target the following campaign in 2031 and run for re-election in his region instead.
Having delivered a largely successful North American World Cup this summer, however, the Canadian is now at the peak of his powers, in an ideal position to overthrow a figure who is doing his best to dissuade the entire footballing world of his legitimacy.
Fifa and Infantino have doubled down on their plans in a convoluted statement on Friday, vowing to press ahead with an “open and democratic” consultation on the proposals.
“Nobody is selling football,” the world governing body said. “This is not something FIFA would ever entertain. We respect the feedback and concern aired in public and reaffirm our commitment to an open and democratic consultation.”
The AFC, who are crucial for Infantino if he is to stay on for another four years after the next election, expressed concern that the Fifa proposal was made public before all 211 member associations were fully consulted. Infantino’s senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro has also resigned in protest.
The next Fifa presidential election will take place in Morocco. Currently Infantino is the only declared candidate. The deadline for others to come forward is November 18.
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