Man United end talks with Dybala over wage demands

Manchester United have ended talks with Paulo Dybala because of the Juventus striker’s wage demands.

United entered talks with the Argentine, 25, as part of a proposed swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku, 26.

However, they were dubious about whether Dybala wanted to join them and viewed his wage demands as excessive.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has targeted young, hungry players and United officials concluded further bids for Dybala would be a move away from that.

Dybala joined Juventus from Palermo in 2015 and scored 10 times for the Italian side last season, including the only goal in the first leg of the Champions League group match against United at Old Trafford in October.

Uncertainty remains over the future of Belgium international Lukaku, who joined the Red Devils from Everton for an initial £75m in July 2017 and scored 12 league goals last term.

Last month United rejected a 60m euro (£53.9m) bid from Juventus’ Serie A rivals Inter Milan for the forward.

“I am very happy because we cannot be doing things the same way we were doing when I was still a player. We need to make our league more attractive and competitive.

Since volleyball is an indoor sport we need to invest on gyms because our new found opponents Cameroon have invested heavily hence their recent success,” he underscored.

2021 elections

The celebrated coach said he is mulling a leap into management ahead of the 2021 KVF elections when the current President Waithaka Kioni’s term ends.

In a wide ranging interview with Citizen Digital, Bitok said he will throw his hat into the ring after helping the current technical bench fix everything in volleyball.

“If I succeed Kioni who has done a good job then no problem but before then there is a lot to be done because we must put things in order and now I am free and ready to help the current technical bench,” he said.

Bitok was appointed in 2010 as head coach by the Rwanda Volleyball Federation of the men’s senior team, but also handled other national teams at different levels in different regional and international competitions, and before he left he had guided both the men and women’s teams in this year’s World Championships held in Germany.

But Solskjaer says he has “no doubt” France midfielder Paul Pogba – who has also been linked with a move – still wants to play for the club.

United have reached an agreement to sign England centre-back Harry Maguire from Leicester for £80m – a world record fee for a defender, with the transfer due to be finalised in the near future.

Conte ‘very hopeful’ over Lukaku

Inter boss Antonio Conte revealed he was still hopeful of signing Lukaku.

“We continue to work on it in the best possible way,” he said after his team’s pre-season friendly draw at Tottenham.

“I understand there are some gaps that need to be filled but at the moment I am very hopeful that this will happen.”

Analysis

The emergence of young players such as Mason Greenwood during pre-season, allied to the presence on Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez in the United squad means it is by no means certain a replacement will come in even if Lukaku does leave.

United are continuing to look at potential signings but have ruled out a move for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes, despite being linked with him for much of the summer.

-Courtesy BBC Online