Casemiro delivers ‘huge Ronaldo snub’ as Manchester United consider lifting Newcastle transfer ban

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·12 maggio 2026

Casemiro delivers ‘huge Ronaldo snub’ as Manchester United consider lifting Newcastle transfer ban

Could Manchester United really lift their definitely real Newcastle transfer embargo? And Casemiro has delivered a ‘huge Ronaldo snub’.

It is all going on at Old Trafford, and Rio Ferdinand is inevitably at the heart of everything.

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Meanwhile, ‘it is really hard to understand’ why no-one is cheering Arsenal on. But it also isn’t hard to understand at all.

‘Shock’ treatment

As far as headlines go, this is shark-jumping, Mail-adjacent excellence to stick top of the Daily Mirror website:

‘Man Utd ace Casemiro shocks Red Devils icon Ferdinand with surprise Bale claim in huge Ronaldo snub as he makes surprise Real Madrid admission’

To get a ‘shock’, two ‘surprises’, a ‘huge snub’ and an ‘admission’, all in the space of 24 words, is genuinely impressive.

Although to be fair, telling Rio Ferdinand that Cristiano Ronaldo is anything other than the actual reincarnation of God is a bold move.

This, by the way, is that ‘huge Ronaldo snub’ in full from Casemiro, when discussing who he feels is the “most complete” player he ever played with.

It’s a Harry Maguire snub too:

“Cristiano, everyone knows, we start the season with 50 goals. Minimum. You start the season with 50 goals. Cristiano is the best. Cristiano is the best. Cristiano is another one. Take Cristiano out of the conversation. Cristiano is not in the conversation.”

Prepare to be slagged off to Piers Morgan, fella. “Cristiano is the best”? That is absolutely brutal stuff.

Casemiro instead ‘confessed’ – under positively ruthless questioning from Ferdinand – that Gareth Bale fit the bill of “most complete player” instead. You know, because of all the other stuff.

Or, as the Mirror puts it:

‘Ferdinand cut a stunned figure as he also underlined how Casemiro played with both Ronaldinho and Neymar on the international scene. They, as well as Ronaldo, were sensational in the final third but Bale’s ability to be effective in both thirds clearly set him apart in the Brazilian’s mind.’

‘Both thirds’. No wonder Rio was stunned.

I just don’t think you understand

Others at the Daily Mirror are asking the big questions. Like classy John Cross:

‘Mikel Arteta can be hard to like – but why is everyone willing Arsenal to blow title?’

It’s not often you get a journalist posing a conundrum which could be quite easily answered with a GIF of Jay from The Inbetweeners saying: “Dunno. Funny.”

It does also feel like the first bit answers the second bit. If some people find Mikel Arteta hard to like, they might be willing Arsenal to blow title. Just a thought.

The entire article starts with something of an idealistic falsehood. ‘In any other season a different name on the Premier League trophy would be a cause of celebration,’ Cross writes as someone who definitely likes to see all English teams do well in Europe.

He adds that ‘Liverpool have got their hands on the trophy and everyone loved Jurgen Klopp and there were massive celebrations around Arne Slot winning it in his first season,’ describing that ‘a breath of fresh air’.

Liverpool won the title by 19 points and rival fans pretended it should be asterisked because of Covid. Last year it was basically just put down to Mo Salah. It’s what supporters of other clubs do. People tend to only like it when specifically their team wins stuff. Arsenal are no different.

But this from Cross on the Anyone But Arsenalling is a great bit:

‘But it is really hard to understand how we reached this point.’

It’s a shame but if you take a second to think about it…oh, you’re not done?

‘Is it Arteta’s touchline behaviour? His demeanour and temperament makes him hard to like at times. ‘Arsenal’s tactics. Earlier in the season, they played great football. They really did. But at points, they have been Set Piece FC and rather dull. ‘The fan base – on social media at least – are loud, vocal and seriously annoying.’

It certainly sounds ‘really hard to understand’.

Danny, are you okay?

Cross also runs the rule over the England squad for the Mirror, tipping Ivan Toney to make the cut.

‘There is an age-old debate about how many strikers to take in a squad. When it was 23 players, you were looking at two strikers with the possibility of one of the wide players being versatile. ‘It will be 26 this summer so you can surely take three and what are the options? Liam Delap? No. Calvert-Lewin? Probably not. If Welbeck was a shout surely he would have been in for March.’

Again, this is in an article pitching for Toney to be named in the 26. Toney, who…didn’t make the squad in March.

‘At least Tuchel knows Toney and that is why amid the raft of names, a striker who is in form, scoring penalties without even looking and has gone to a tournament before should be under consideration.’

Welbeck ticks two of those boxes and can probably take a penalty if he really put his mind to it. And as Tuchel said recently: “Even without knowing him, I know what he can give me. Everything I hear about him is just the highest praise. He will be a top team member, he will train at the highest level. He can be a back-up for Harry in a very orthodox No.9 role I felt almost like I already know what he can give us.”

He also doesn’t play in Saudi.

Ton deaf

Mediawatch did enjoy this line from Samuel Luckhurst in The Sun:

‘Newcastle are likely to sanction two major sales and Tonali, 26, impressed in their 2-1 defeat of United in March but he is under contract until 2029. ‘United have also not bought a player from Newcastle since the then-British record £7million signing of Andy Cole in 1995.’

Ah yes, the famous Newcastle transfer embargo Manchester United have placed on themselves for the last three decades. Tonali would basically be like the modern Gabriel Heinze.

Of course, phrasing it as ‘United have also not bought a player from Newcastle’ is key, considering they loaned Martin Dubravka a few years ago and signed Owen a couple of days after his Magpies release in 2009.

Perhaps the self-imposed restriction has been lifted just in time to bring in Tonali?

Rash decision

This is the height of headline-based shamelessness from the Daily Express website:

‘Mikel Arteta and Arsenal sending clear message to Marcus Rashford amid transfer rumours’

The ‘clear message’ is literally winning the Premier League and Champions League, because Rashford recently said “I want to win the biggest trophies”. Sake.