Manchester City are reportedly keen on signing Wolves star Rayan Ait-Nouri as the club tries to freshen up their squad.
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Things have turned around on the blue half of Merseyside – with plenty more changes on the horizon for resurgent Everton.
Bramley Moore awaits at the dawn of the 2025/26 season, the dawn of a new era, and it was only a few months ago those of a Toffees persuasion feared the new beginning would come not in the Premier League but England’s second tier.
But Sean Dyche is now gone, and in place, David Moyes takes the seat, pursued by new owners The Friedkin Group as the first port of call.
Even the most glass-half-empty Everton fans must now feel a page has been turned – and for the better. Leeds United’s chief executive, Angus Kinnear, has also been poached, and he will replace Kevin Thelwell at the end of the season when his contract expires.
TFG are enacting an overhaul and a much-needed one at that. One of Kinnear’s opening gambits will surely be to replenish Everton’s frontline – let’s take a look at how he might do it.
Everton's shift at centre-forward
Moyes orchestrated Everton’s mid-season revival, unleashing the beleaguered players and urging them toward better form, new-found confidence. After such vapid football, the Merseysiders are now riding a seven-match unbeaten streak.
Beto has been the attacking focal point throughout this run. With Iliman Ndiaye and Dominic Calvert-Lewin both injured, the 27-year-old has been reborn in England, hitting five goals from seven league appearances since the Scottish manager’s arrival.
With Calvert-Lewin back in the infirmary once more and heading toward the end of his contract, it’s increasingly likely he will be allowed to search for pastures new after 269 (currently) appearances in an Everton shirt.
With a paltry three-goal haul to his name, Calvert-Lewin has missed 13 big chances in the Premier League this year, whereas his Bissau-Guinean counterpart has only squandered seven big chances, having converted six strikes in total.
Calvert-Lewin has played a long span of his career at Goodison Park, but this feels like a natural end to his career, with the new era calling for something new to partner Beto.
Beto vs Calvert-Lewin (Prem 24/25)
Stats (per 90)
Beto
DCL
Goals
0.63
0.17
Assists
0.00
0.06
Shots taken
3.06
2.63
Shot-creating actions
1.26
1.43
Touches (att pen)
5.06
4.69
Passes attempted
15.70
15.90
Progressive carries
1.05
1.26
Successful take-ons
1.37
0.57
Aerial duels won
5.69
4.75
Stats via FBref
Beto has outperformed his positional peer considerably, but if Calvert-Lewin does indeed leave, Kinnear and Moyes will need to make the right move to replace him.
Everton make contact for Calvert-Lewin replacement
Armando Broja is on loan from Chelsea and has a clause in the agreement that could see Everton purchase him for a fee in the region of £30m at the end of the season. With injuries laying waste to his campaign, this doesn’t seem likely.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Especially with Everton’s interest piqued by another graduate from Chelsea’s Cobham talent factory: Tammy Abraham.
According to Caught Offside, TFG have already begun talks for the transfer of the rangy striker through his agents, though Newcastle United and West Ham United are thought to have the strongest interest right now.
Abraham has struggled to perform on loan at AC Milan this season but he’s a dynamic and proven goalscorer who could be the perfect foil for the revivified Beto.
What Tammy Abraham would bring to Bramley Moore
Aged 27, Abraham is a seasoned Premier League striker, with 89 appearances and 31 goal involvements to his name. Curious that it’s nearly been four years since he played in his homeland.
A Champions League winner with Chelsea, Abraham left for Roma in 2021 for a £34m fee, joining Jose Mourinho’s cause and going on to forge the most incredible campaign for himself.
Indeed, in 2021/22, Abraham was instrumental in I Giallorossi’s Conference League-winning campaign, scoring 27 goals across 53 appearances in all competitions. He hailed Mourinho for turning him into a “monster” and a more aggressive player.
Abraham’s former coach, Stephen Elliott, has described him as a “goal machine” in the past, and in the pleasant conditions at Everton right now, he could find the stability he needs, back in England, to prosper.
Though Abraham has scored eight times for Milan this term, only starting 13 matches across all competitions and adding four assists too.
The England international’s tactical efforts have actually seen Calvert-Lewin listed as one of his most comparable players by FBref, but this shouldn’t be regarded as a negative. Fans know just how brilliant the tall number nine can be when he’s fit, having been described as a “monster” himself by talent scout Jacek Kulig when in his heyday under Carlo Ancelotti.
At 6 foot 3, he’d be an able replacement, with creative and defensive qualities that suggest he would be perfect in Moyes’ system. Abraham ranks among the top 27% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 23% for aerial battles won and the top 9% for tackles per 90, illustrating his prowess across such areas.
Bringing Abraham over from Serie A could see Moyes get his own version of Beto, a forward he had signed himself. After plying such good and hard work with the powerful star, it could be a bold transfer to ensure Everton kickstart this new age, and rise toward the upper echelons of the Premier League hierarchy.
He may well be hungering for a place back in the English first division, and though he has suffered his share of injury problems over the past several years and struggled to nail down a regular starting berth across two Italian outfits, Abraham is still producing goals, invariably dangerous.
Conversely, DCL has indeed only netted three all season. They might share traits, but this would freshen up the ranks. It might even see Moyes repeat Thelwell’s trick in bringing Beto over from Italy to the Premier League.
Rooney 2.0: Everton could soon unleash "incredible" 17-year-old Beto rival
Everton fans will be excited about the potential of this youngster.
ByKelan Sarson Mar 9, 2025
An ex-Arsenal star is now being targeted by Chelsea, with Stamford Bridge chiefs internally discussing the possibility of a summer swoop for the player.
Chelsea seal 4-0 Premier League win over Southampton
Enzo Maresca would’ve been relieved after the final whistle of their 4-0 win over Southampton in the Premier League on Tuesday evening, with the Blues ending their previously torrid run of back-to-back defeats across all competitions.
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ByEmilio Galantini Feb 25, 2025
The relegation-threatened Saints offered little in the way of opposition, as Chelsea steamrolled through Ivan Juric’s side to put their hopes of Champions League qualification right back on track.
Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures
Date
Leicester City (home)
March 9th
Arsenal (away)
March 16th
Tottenham (home)
April 2nd
Brentford (away)
April 5th
Ipswich Town (home)
April 12th
Goals from Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto, Levi Colwill and Marc Cucurella downed Southampton in what was an imperious attacking display, with the home side attempting 19 shots on goal and enjoying the bulk of possession.
That being said, the match was also subject to protests from supporters over BlueCo’s ownership of the club, with Maresca urging fans to trust the process in response.
“The only thing I can say is that in this moment the fans have to trust,” said Maresca on Chelsea fan protests.
“We’re in the right process and the right direction. Since we started, we’ve been top four most games of the season. The fans have to trust the players. They are doing a huge effort every day to bring this club to the Champions League.”
Chelsea remain trophyless since Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club in 2022, despite spending millions in the transfer market, but reports suggest that they are set to splash the cash again on bolstering the spine of Maresca’s squad this summer.
Reliable journalist Simon Phillips expects BlueCo to “go big” on a new goalkeeper, defender and striker later this year, with the journalist even claiming Trevoh Chalobah could be offered as a makeweight in Chelsea talks for Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace.
Between the sticks, goalkeeping duo Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen have made notable errors recently, attracting criticism as a result, and the west Londoners are believed to be in the market for a new shot-stopper as a result.
Mike Penders is set to join Chelsea this summer, while Djordje Petrovic and Kepa Arrizabalaga are both out on loan, but that hasn’t stopped them from weighing up more options.
Chelsea hold internal talks over summer deal for Aaron Ramsdale
As per Football Transfers, £120,000-per-week Southampton keeper Aaron Ramsdale is now on Chelsea’s agenda.
It is believed that Chelsea have internally debated the idea of signing Ramsdale this summer, with the Englishman potentially looking for a way out of St. Mary’s if they’re relegated from the top flight.
The 26-year-old was attracting interest from Maresca’s side last summer as an option, but he eventually elected to make the switch down south for guaranteed first-team football after being left out in the cold by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, in favour of David Raya.
Described as “phenomenal” at times by David Seaman, Ramsdale made 89 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners before leaving last year. As of now, it is unclear how much Southampton would demand to sell if they’re relegated.
The hosts of the U19 World Cups – men’s and women’s – have been identified, while the men’s ODI World Cup has been expanded to 14 teams from 2027
Shashank Kishore13-Nov-2022The ICC’s Afghanistan Working Group (AWG) has conveyed to the governing body’s board that the country’s government has reiterated its commitment to “fully respect and comply” with the ICC constitution, including agreeing “in principle” to support the development of women’s cricket.The focus was to ensure “diversity and inclusivity, and for the Afghanistan Cricket Board to operate independent from government interference,” an ICC statement following meetings in Melbourne over the weekend said.Related
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“The meeting was positive and respectful, and the [Afghanistan] government representative was clear in his support for the ICC constitution including in principle for women’s cricket in Afghanistan,” Imran Khwaja, the AWG chair, was quoted as saying. “There are obviously challenges for it to resume but we will continue to work with the ACB to take this forward. The Working Group will closely monitor the commitment undertaken by the Afghanistan government and will continue to report back to the ICC Board.”As things stand, Afghanistan is the only Full Member to have received that status without having an operational women’s team in place. Last year, the ACB had announced its first contracts for women in their quest to build a team, but those efforts were put on the back-burner following the Taliban’s takeover of the administrative affairs of the country in September 2021.At the time, ACB chief executive Hamid Shinwari admitted that the women’s game was “in peril”, even as then acting chairman Azizullah Fazli said women would be allowed to play as long as the players adhered to Islamic rules. Soon after, Afghanistan’s Test in Australia – their first in the country – was called off. Australian sports minister Richard Colbeck said at the time that Afghan athletes would “remain welcome in Australia, but not under the flag of the Taliban”.The men’s ODI World Cup will be a 14-team affair in 2027•Getty ImagesThailand, Nepal, Namibia among hosts for U19 World Cups
Sri Lanka will host the men’s Under-19 World Cup in 2024, while Zimbabwe and Namibia will stage the 2026 edition together. And, as part of the ICC’s attempts to spread the game, Malaysia and Thailand have been named joint hosts of the women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in 2025, while Bangladesh and Nepal will jointly host the 2027 edition of the same tournament.The Under-19 World Cup for women is finally set to take off after a pandemic-enforced delay, with South Africa hosting the inaugural edition in January 2023.Men’s 50-over World Cup in 2027 will feature 14 teams
The ICC has also formulated a qualification pathway for the women’s 2024 T20 World Cup – the ten-team event will have eight automatic qualifiers – the top-three teams from each of the two groups at the 2023 women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, hosts Bangladesh (if they fail to make the cut in 2023), and the next-highest-ranked teams in the ICC rankings when the 2023 edition concludes. The remaining two teams will be identified through the ten-team global qualifying event.The men’s ODI World Cup in 2027 will be a 14-team event, as compared to ten in 2023 in India. South Africa and Zimbabwe will qualify as hosts, along with the next eight teams in the rankings on a date that is yet to be announced. Four others will join these ten via a global qualifier.
Fast bowler had picked up the injury during the Women’s CPL; PCB yet to name replacement in squad
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2022
Fatima Sana hurt her ankle at the Women’s CPL•PCB
Pakistan fast bowler Fatima Sana has been ruled out of the Women’s Asia Cup due to a twisted ankle. A PCB release said Sana had picked up the injury during the Women’s CPL, which was played in early September. She has been advised four weeks’ rest by the PCB’s medical panel.The Women’s Asia Cup runs from October 1 to 16 in Bangladesh. Pakistan had named their 15 for the tournament on September 7. They are yet to name a replacement for Sana.Sana had represented Barbados Royals in what was the inaugural edition of the Women’s CPL, which was played from September 1 to 4. She played two of Royals’ three games, picking up three wickets. Immediately before that, she had played for Royals in the Women’s 6ixty – a T10 tournament – claiming two wickets in five games.The Women’s Asia Cup will also feature hosts and defending champions Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia and UAE. Pakistan will start training for the tournament on September 19, with the squad and reserve players assembling at the Lahore Country Club for a ten-day camp.Pakistan squad: Bismah Maroof (capt), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Tuba Hasan
Reserve players: Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Umme Hani, Waheeda Akhtar
Leeds United progressed through to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday after a 1-0 win over League Two outfit Harrogate Town at Elland Road.
The Whites secured the victory thanks to a second half goal from Largie Ramazani, who headed home from Manor Solomon’s cross, as they struggled to break down the lower league outfit for much of the match.
It was far from a perfect performance from Daniel Farke’s side and the German head coach may not have been pleased with some of the individual showings on display from some of the fringe players who needed to step up.
One Leeds man who did not make the most of his big opportunity to shine was centre-forward Mateo Joseph, in the absence of Joel Piroe and Patrick Bamford.
Mateo Joseph's Leeds struggles
The Spain U21 international had a chance to show Farke that he deserves more minutes and starts in the Championship in the second half of the season, but he failed to take it.
Journalist Adam Pope praised the forward’s endeavour during the match but described his performance as “wasteful”, which has been a recurring theme for him this season.
LeedsLive awarded him a rating of 5/10 for his display and noted that the striker ‘struggled’ with the physicality of the three Harrogate defenders.
Appearances
26
Starts
11
xG
4.30
Goals
2
Big chances missed
6
As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate has been incredibly wasteful in the second tier this season, underperforming his xG tally by more than two goals.
It has been a consistent issue for the attacker and it is one that has prevented him from being a regular starter ahead of Piroe, and this latest ‘wasteful’ showing means that Farke must surely dip into the market to sign Mergim Berisha.
Why Leeds should sign Mergim Berisha
It was recently reported that Leeds are interested in a deal to sign the Hoffenheim forward, who could be available on an 18-month loan with the option to make it a permanent move next year.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Berisha, who has been described as being a “clinical finisher” by analysts Football Chatters, has only started five matches in the Bundesliga since the start of last season due to suffering an ACL injury in 2023.
The £56k-per-week forward’s form before that long-term lay-off suggests that the quality is there for him to come in and offer more to the club’s promotion push than Joseph in the second half of the season, if Farke can help him to get back to his best.
In the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign, the Germany international scored nine goals from 8.13 xG across 23 appearances for Augsburg, which speaks to his ability as a finisher in a major European league.
If Leeds can strike a loan deal for the 26-year-old marksman then he could be an excellent addition to the side, provided the attacker can get back to his 2022/23 form by playing regular football again.
Joseph’s performance against Harrogate, and his displays in the Championship more generally, suggest that a new striker could be needed and Berisha seems to fit the bill.
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Marchant de Lange, the South African fast bowler, has signed a three-year deal with Gloucestershire as a local player.De Lange, 31, played two Tests, four ODIs and six T20Is for South Africa between 2011 and 2016, but has been playing county cricket regularly over the last six years. He initially signed for Glamorgan as a local player through a spousal visa, but joined Somerset on a two-year deal from the end of the 2020 season after changes to registration rules after Brexit saw him become an overseas player.Related
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He was a popular player in Somerset’s dressing room but has only shown glimpses of his best during two seasons in Taunton. He took 18 wickets as they reached the Blast final in 2021 but has been a peripheral figure this year.De Lange also impressed in the first season of the Hundred, taking the competition’s first five-wicket haul for Trent Rockets last year, but has been kept out of their side by Daniel Sams so far this season.”De Lange is currently registered as an overseas player but it is anticipated that he will qualify as an English domestic player ahead of the start of next season,” Gloucestershire said in a club statement.The move is a significant boost for Gloucestershire, who have lost three key short-form players in recent weeks, in Benny Howell (to Hampshire), Ryan Higgins (to Middlesex) and Ian Cockbain (released).”I am very excited to have committed my long term future with the club,” de Lange said in a statement. “I really look forward to working with Dale Benkenstein [the head coach] as we have a mutual goal for the future of Gloucestershire.”I’m eager to get going, it’s a fresh start for me at a new club which is very exciting. I want to help Gloucestershire challenge for silverware and I also want to pass on advice and help the young players who are coming through the ranks.”Steve Snell, Gloucestershire’s performance director, said, “I feel Marchant will add a point of difference with his extreme pace and career record of taking a high volume of wickets. Marchant will add significant firepower to our squad with the ball, and I believe he will be a figure of positive influence in and around the dressing room.”Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, said, “Marchant played a big role in us reaching the Vitality Blast Final in 2021. However, first XI opportunities across the formats have been limited for him this summer. Moving forward, we are not in a position to guarantee him first-team cricket and we therefore completely understand his desire to seek competitive opportunities elsewhere.”
Tottenham Hotspur made an approach on Monday over the potential signing of a player who is certain to leave his club before February 3, as technical director Johan Lange and the recruitment team sense a January transfer opportunity.
Tottenham eyeing next January signing after Antonin Kinsky
Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou has already been backed with the addition of an astute new back-up keeper in Antonin Kinsky, who’s performed impressively since his £12.5 million move from Slavia Prague.
£27m player ready to join Tottenham if clubs can agree January deal
Spurs hold a serious advantage over fellow competitors.
3 ByEmilio Galantini Jan 11, 2025
Guglielmo Vicario’s injury and Fraser Forster’s poor form pushed the Lilywhites into finding a solution between the sticks, with Lange’s data-driven recruitment model reportedly landing them on top goalkeeping target Kinsky.
The Czech ace enjoyed a debut to remember against Liverpool in Tottenham’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg win over Arne Slot’s side, shutting out the Premier League title frontrunners and making a plethora of saves in what was a commanding display.
Arsenal (away)
January 15
Everton (away)
January 19
Leicester City (home)
January 26
Brentford (away)
February 2
Man United (home)
February 16
The 21-year-old, who’s yet to concede since putting pen to paper on his move to north London, also shut out English minnows Tamworth last weekend as Postecoglou’s men battled to a 3-0 victory.
The club’s talent spotting needs to be credited when it comes to Kinsky, who is surely only going to get better. However, the keeper is very unlikely to be their only January addition, as rumours continue to surround a possible move for PSG outcast Randal Kolo Muani.
There were reports last week that Tottenham hoped to finalise a deal for Kolo Muani by the weekend, and while this has proved not to be the case, reliable media outlets all claim that Spurs are firmly in the race to seal the Frenchman’s signature.
Tottenham make Monday contact over Randal Kolo Muani deal
As per Fabrizio Romano, writing via X, a fresh update has come to light on their pursuit of the £206,000-per-week forward.
Indeed, it is believed Tottenham contacted PSG again on Monday over a potential deal for Kolo Muani, alongside Serie A heavyweights Juventus, who are also attempting to prise him away from the Parc des Princes.
While PSG are insisting on their current conditions, the 26-year-old will “100%” leave this window, and Man United are only in the background of this race asking to be kept aware of the situation – so it appears Spurs and Juve are the two main contenders.
According to another credible journalist, David Ornstein, Tottenham regard Kolo Muani as one of the “best versatile attackers available” – explaining why they’re so keen to get him over the line before deadline day.
This also comes as N17 flop Timo Werner attracts interest from Napoli, so perhaps the under-fire German could make way for him.
2024, thankfully, is over. Few calendar years have been quite as grim for those of a Manchester United persuasion, even with a shock FA Cup triumph sandwiched in the middle.
Fresh from their worst-ever Premier League season, the Red Devils look hell-bent on beating that record amid what has been a frankly disastrous 2024/25 campaign to date, with Ruben Amorim’s men deservedly languishing in the bottom half of the table.
Six defeats in just 11 games under the new manager has seen United fail to even enjoy the typical ‘bounce’ after making a change in the dugout, with that record looking set to get even worse ahead of Sunday’s trip to face league leaders Liverpool on Merseyside.
Without a win at Anfield since the days of Louis van Gaal back in 2016, having failed to even score in any of their last five trips to face their rivals, the omens do not bode well for this struggling bunch.
And yet, this is a new year, time to turn over a new leaf. What better way would there be to begin 2025 than by halting Arne Slot’s side and their seemingly unstoppable title procession.
Man Utd’s recent record at Anfield (all comps)
Date
Result
Goalscorers
17 Dec 2023
0-0 (D)
N/A
05 March 2023
7-0 (L)
Gakpo (x2), Salah (x2), Nunez(x2), Firmino
19 April 2022
4-0 (L)
Salah (x2) Diaz, Mane
17 Jan 2021
0-0 (D)
N/A
19 Jan 2020
2-0 (L)
Van Dijk, Salah
16 Dec 2018
3-1 (L)
Mane, Shaqiri (x2); Lingard
14 Oct 2017
0-0 (D)
N/A
17 Oct 2016
0-0 (D)
N/A
10 March 2016
2-0 (L)
Sturridge, Firmino
17 Jan 2016
0-1 (W)
Rooney
22 March 2015
1-2 (W)
Sturridge; Mata (x2)
Results via 11vs11
They’ve already upset the odds away at the Etihad, so why can’t Amorim’s men do it again on Sunday? All they need is to look to the past, to conjure up a little Juan Mata-esque magic…
Juan Mata's Anfield heroics
Signed from rivals Chelsea on a £37.1m deal in January 2014, the World Cup-winning Spaniard never quite hit the heights in a United shirt that he showcased at Stamford Bridge, having remarkably chalked up 86 goals and assists in just 135 games in west London, while winning the Champions League to boot.
Far too often shifted out onto the right flank during his days at Old Trafford, a string of managers seemingly never played to the playmaker’s strengths, with few talents in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era having possessed that level of silk and class. That ability to create something out of nothing.
It may not have been on show often enough, but Mata certainly did have his moments, none more so than on that glorious day in March 2015, as Van Gaal’s side romped to a 2-1 victory over their fiercest rivals.
Now, this wasn’t a Liverpool side to be feared, with then-boss Brendan Rodgers suffering from a post-Luis Suarez and post-title collapse hangover, but winning at Anfield – now a rarity these days – is never something to play down.
At the centre of that victory was the diminutive Mata, with the one-time Valencia star putting the visitors ahead with a rare right-footed finish in the first half, having been played in beautifully by compatriot, Ander Herrera.
With the hosts then reduced to ten men just seconds after the interval following substitute Steven Gerrard’s rash stamp on Herrera, United took full advantage, as Mata – teed up by Angel Di Maria’s delightful dink – produced one of the great modern moments in this fixture, having pulled off a stunning scissor kick from just inside the area.
While a late Daniel Sturridge strike, as well as a missed penalty from Wayne Rooney, sparked a somewhat nervy climax, United – inspired by their number eight – held on for all three points.
Of course, the current Liverpool crop provides a far tougher test, yet Amorim will be hoping for his key figures to step up, none more so than his own answer to Mata…
The Man Utd star who could be Mata 2.0
Looking for positives this season is a tough ask as far as United are concerned, with December, in particular, having been particularly brutal, amid a run of four straight defeats in all competitions.
It is easy to forget, however, that it was just weeks ago that the Red Devils were riding high after adding to Manchester City’s doom and gloom in the derby, with a certain Amad Diallo steering the visitors to a thrilling late turnaround.
Indeed, the young Ivorian has been a real shining light in an otherwise wretched campaign, with it no surprise that the club are set to hand the 22-year-old a richly deserved new deal in the near future.
The former Atalanta star is still yet to play 50 games for the club, yet his impact this season – not just his Etihad heroics – point to a player who can be central to Amorim’s set-up for the foreseeable, with seven goals and assists coming his way in just 11 games under the new regime.
The emerging cult hero could further bolster his growing status by spearheading a much-needed win on Sunday, with it difficult to see just who else will step up and take the game by the scruff of the neck, even with captain Bruno Fernandes returning from suspension.
Equally, who better to try and emulate that man Mata than Amad, with the one-time Sunderland loanee also a left-footed, creative “wizard” of slight stature – as described by journalist James Copley.
Likely to operate in that right channel where Mata did his damage at Anfield almost a decade ago, you wouldn’t bet against the £28.8k-per-week maestro producing another glorious, memorable moment of his own on the grand stage.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Having already spoiled Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour last season following that last-gasp winner in the FA Cup quarter-final, the rising star could upset the new Liverpool boss in similar fashion this time around.
INEOS can hand Amorim his own Saka at Man Utd by signing "special" £84m ace
Man United are targeting reinforcements in January
ByJoe Nuttall Jan 3, 2025
Over the last couple of years, Manchester United’s transfer business has left a lot to be desired, often seeing them waste a huge amount of money on players who have failed to impress in the Premier League.
The club’s top five additions have all each set them back upwards of £75m, but not one of the big-money signings now appears to be worth the fees splashed out for their respective services.
Paul Pogba still remains as the Red Devils’ record signing, costing £89m during the summer of 2016, just a handful of years after being released by the club after coming through the academy.
The Frenchman made another 226 appearances during his second spell at Old Trafford before once again being let go at the end of his deal, rejoining the Italian side on a free in 2022.
However, the transfer window in January 2020 allowed for needed incomings and outgoings, with one player starring at the club after his big-money move that winter.
The aforementioned window saw the £68m arrival of midfielder Bruno Fernandes from Portuguese side Sporting CP, with the hope of transforming the heart of the side.
Nearly five years on, it’s safe to say that the 30-year-old has exceeded expectations, registering over 250 appearances, becoming the captain under various managers at the Theatre of Dreams.
The Portuguese has achieved a total of 83 goals and 73 assists in the process – an average of a contribution every 1.6 appearances he’s played in Manchester.
Fernandes has often been the constant source of attacking quality over the last couple of years, undoubtedly cementing himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in world football.
He wasn’t the only arrival that window, with Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo on loan for 12 months from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua – looking to provide that added quality in attacking areas.
The former Watford ace scored five times in his 19 appearances between January and the end of the campaign, fulfilling his dream of featuring for the club he supported as a boy.
However, despite the arrivals, numerous players also departed Old Trafford during that period, including one player who has impressed since being given the boot by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Ashley Young was often a utility man during his time at United, starring in attacking and defensive areas during his nine-year spell in the North West.
He featured over 250 times in the process after joining from Aston Villa in the summer of 2011, originally as a left-winger – notably demonstrating his talents in the meeting with Arsenal in which they won 8-2.
However, given his age, he ended up dropping further back into a full-back position, before being sold for just £1.2m to join Italian side Inter Milan during the aforementioned window.
Fast-forward nearly five years, the former England international now plies his trade for Sean Dyche’s Everton, making ten league appearances in 2024/25 despite being 39 years of age.
Despite his age, he’s still managed to impress, registering three assists in the Premier League, the same tally as Fernandes – with the Portugal international failing to meet expectations in recent weeks.
|
Young compares to Fernandes (2024/25 PL) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Young |
Fernandes |
|
Games played |
10 |
12 |
|
Minutes played |
875 |
1019 |
|
Assists |
3 |
3 |
|
Assists per 90 |
0.31 |
0.27 |
|
Short pass accuracy |
89% |
88% |
|
Take-on success |
50% |
45% |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
The former Red Devil star has also registered a higher pass completion rate than the attacking midfielder, whilst completing more of the take-ons he’s attempted – showcasing his attacking nature despite his defensive role.
There’s no denying that the club made the right call in allowing Young to depart given his age, but it’s a signal as to how disappointing the club captain has been since the start of the campaign.
New boss Ruben Amorim will be hoping to get the most out of his compatriot, looking to surpass Young’s tally in the process and allow the 30-year-old to be at the forefront of the club’s revival.
Man Utd may regret losing "magic" PL star who's now outperforming Fernandes
The Premier League ace didn’t make a single appearance for Manchester United.
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By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Nov 25, 2024