Manchester United’s date for destiny on May 21 has been set after knocking out Athletic Club in the Europa League semifinal.
The 4-1 win vs Athletic was the final garnish on a tie that was arguably decided back in Bilbao with that 3-0 victory and an all-English final awaits now.
Spurs knocked out Norwegian side Bodo 5-1 on aggregate to book their place and manager Ange Postecoglou took plenty of joy hitting back at doubters afterwards.
The final laugh, however, can only be for one team, and from Man Utd’s POV, it all comes down to the £9 million player who could decide their season.
Man Utd’s fate in £9m man’s hands
This game against Spurs is full of narratives, from both Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou being under pressure, to people frothing at the mouth at the prospect of these Premier League strugglers making the Champions League next season.
For Amorim, though, the focus will be on what happens on the pitch, having already revealed that he’s stressed about the final already.
He’s right to be wary, despite what Paul Scholes says about the UEL final, considering United have already lost thrice to Spurs this season under two different managers.
When Amorim sees the Spurs squad, however, he’ll see a £9 million player who could’ve been his and can now condemn this Man Utd side to irrelevancy next season.
It’s an open secret that United were looking into signing Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich in January only for them to balk at the asking price.
Spurs swooped in, paid the hefty £9 million loan fee along with a buy option, and the Frenchman has the chance to haunt United at the biggest stage now.
Mathys Tel decision could age disastrously for Ineos
The main reason why Ineos didn’t go for Tel was because they wanted to move away from making short-term moves and the finances on the Tel deal were getting crazy.
Amorim took a risk by going into the rest of the season undermanned, and so far, nothing Tel has done for Spurs suggests United would have missed him.
He has scored three goals in 17 games and is yet to score in five Europa League games, costing Tottenham almost £3 million per goal.
So Ineos’ decision is aging like wine right now but with a decisive impact in the final, that could all change.
Winning the Europa League and qualifying for UCL next season is worth more than £100 million and if Tel’s goal/impact can facilitate it, that £9 million fee will look nothing in context.
The game that has everything at stake for Man Utd just added another reason why they just can’t lose.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/agVZv6F