UtdDistrict

Manchester United will be paying close attention after Tottenham Hotspur made an appeal to the Football Association against Rodrigo Bentancur’s ban.

Tottenham Hotspur have filed an appeal against the severity of the FA’s seven-game domestic ban for Rodrigo Bentancur.

The ban was imposed after the midfielder made a racist remark about teammate Son Heung-min. Spurs described the Football Association‘s punishment as “harsh.”

The North-London club have acknowledged the guilty verdict reached by an independent regulatory commission, which also fined Bentancur £100,000 and mandated his participation in a face-to-face education program.

A statement from Spurs read: “We can confirm that the club has appealed against the length of Rodrigo Bentancur’s FA suspension, issued earlier this week.

“While we accept the guilty finding against Rodrigo by the independent regulatory commission, we believe the subsequent sanction is severe.”

The charges stemmed from comments Bentancur made during a television appearance in Uruguay in June, with the FA formally charging him in September.

Despite denying the allegations, the midfielder is currently suspended from domestic matches until 26 December.

Manchester United will be keeping an eye on the result of the’ appeal since they face Tottenham in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup on 19 December.

It is the final game of Bentancur’s ban as things stand, but if the FA do lighten the punishment in any way, it is possible that he could be available for selection in that match.

United will remember when Edinson Cavani – Bentancur’s former national teammate – received a ban from the Association in 2021 after the striker made a comment on social media to a friend, with the term used being considered as racist in the United Kingdom.

He received a three-game ban at the time and while United decided against an appeal, Uruguay’s players’ union called for the decision to be overturned.

It has been reported that Bentancur will remain suspended domestically while the appeal is heard, with no timeframe given for when a result could come.

Tottenham Hotspur are planning a move for an ex-Manchester United star on a free contract next summer, while those at Old Trafford are also looking at a potential deal.

The Reds completed the signings of Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, and Manuel Ugarte in the summer transfer window.

Those additions have bolstered Erik ten Hag’s squad, while some important sales have also been made.

Jadon Sancho joined Chelsea on an initial loan, with an obligation to buy the player next summer, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka moved to West Ham, among other deals.

However, as always, clubs are beginning to think ahead to next January and the following summer transfer window to identify potential targets and deals.

A new report from HITC has explained that Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close eye on former United starlet Angel Gomes, who has recently been awarded his first England call-up.

Gomes left Old Trafford for free at the end of his contract in 2020 and has since flourished at Lille in France. However, the now-24-year-old is once again out of contract next summer and the aforementioned report explained that he currently has no plans of extending his deal.

Another recent report from Team Talk has also stated that United are “keeping tabs” on their former player and weighing up whether to make a move.

United have recently signed Ugarte, as well as up-and-coming midfield talent Sekou Kone, however further additions in the engine room will be needed.

Toby Collyer is only 20 years of age and we are not yet sure how he will adapt to more consistent minutes in the first team. Kobbie Mainoo cannot continue to be relied on to play every single game.

Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro are ageing and likely to be sold next summer.

Gomes is no longer a no.10 but instead a deeper playmaker – the type of player that United do not really have. He has grown but his size will likely still be a concern.

However, on a potential free contract next summer, it seems like a deal that could make perfect sense for those at Old Trafford if an agreement could be made with the player.