The mood around Nottingham Forest at the moment is surely one of confidence.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men have managed to keep a firm grip on star man Morgan Gibbs-White, have Europa League football to look forward to, and are currently unbeaten in the Premier League from their opening two contests.

Of course, there is always the unwelcome distraction of Evangelos Marinakis’ enigmatic persona, with it being reported that Nuno and the Greek owner are currently on frosty terms.

Still, hopefully their feud can be sorted out soon, with Marinakis no doubt keen on a few more additions here and there this summer to further enhance the Forest ranks.

Forest close to securing deal for £10m star

Swatting aside talk linking Forest with a whole host of new managers, the Tricky Trees are also in line to snap up some last-minute purchases on the pitch.

Indeed, Mads Bidstrup is reportedly on their shopping list for a fee around the £17m mark, as more and more notable names are linked to the City Ground after splashing excessive wads of cash – £67.5m to be precise – on promising English duo Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Defensive additions must also be seen as a priority, and Fabrizio Romano took to X recently to confirm that the Europa League competitors are in negotiations regarding Leicester City star Victor Kristiansen:

“Nottingham Forest are in club to club talks with Leicester City for Viktor Kristiansen. Deal on as exclusively revealed in July and now in progress.”

With Forest in need of more options in this depleted position on the pitch, he could well be an ideal late capture for a modest fee around the £10m mark.

That’s before you even mention his close-knit relationship with new Forest ace Dan Ndoye at Bologna, which makes it even more of a dream deal to urgently seal.

Why Kristiansen would be a dream for Ndoye

While Ndoye has started like a runaway train in his new surroundings, with a goal and an assist coming his way from his opening two clashes on English shores, he would no doubt welcome a familiar face through the door in the form of the attack-minded Scandinavian.

After all, while the brand new £34m winger has started both of his Forest clashes to date on the right flank, he regularly lined up down the Dane’s regular left flank during his time with Bologna, with a healthy four goals and five assists coming his way from 35 appearances on this opposing channel.

Kristiansen – Bologna stats (23/24)
Stat – per 90*	Kristiansen
Games	32
Goals scored	0
Assists	3
Touches*	60.4
Accurate passes*	38.8 (86%)
Big chances created	5
Total duels won*	2.9
Clean sheets	8
Stats by Sofascore

Kristiansen stood out as a strong performer all season long during Bologna’s 2023/24 heroics, which saw Vincenzo Italiano’s men finish in fifth spot, with three assists tallied up as an impactful attacking teammate next to Ndoye.

Amazingly, when they were selected together in the same XI, the pair only lost two clashes all campaign, with Kristiansen’s further knowledge of the Premier League – with two assists at the challenging level with the Foxes – making him, again, an interesting presence for the Swiss attacker to bounce off of.

With Kristiansen also being lauded as a “powerful” figure when first signing on the dotted line for Leicester by King Power Stadium great Iwan Roberts, it will be up to Nuno to get the very best out of the 22-year-old, even if he is just primarily used as a back-up figure next to the more consistent starter of Neco Williams.

When he is thrown into action, though, expect him not to look out of place, as another young and exciting talent who once called the Serie A home tries to shine in the Premier League, much like Ndoye.

Nottingham Forest prepare £17m bid to bring "silky" star to the City Ground

The Tricky Trees are looking to strike an exciting deal.

1

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Aug 26, 2025

It wasn’t the start to their Champions League campaign Chelsea would’ve been looking for last night.

The Blues travelled to the scene of their greatest European achievement, but instead of getting another one over Bayern Munich, they were comfortably beaten.

Now, there were several starters who put in a good showing, like Cole Palmer and Robert Sanchez, but there were more who let themselves down.

One of those was Enzo Fernández, and since he’s not really been at it this season, Enzo Maresca should look to drop him for the Premier League clash against Manchester United in two days.

Fernandez's slow start to the season

Now, there is no doubting Fernandez’s quality; he’s a World Cup winner after all and played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s success last year.

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However, as was the case at the beginning of last season, the former Benfica gem has not started the campaign in particularly impressive form.

For example, while he managed to bag a goal and assist in the win over Fulham, he’s only created one big chance in five appearances.

Moreover, in the Premier League, he has averaged just 1.5 key passes per game, been accurate in 20% of his crosses, completed 41% of his long balls, and been accurate in just 76% of his passes when in the opposition’s half.

Last night was probably the Argentine’s most underwhelming display yet, as even though he was moved further up the pitch, he offered practically nothing in attack while also lacking off the ball.

Fernández’s game vs Bayern

Minutes

81′

Expected Goals

0.23

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.01

Assists

0

Touches

34

Accurate Passes

17/21 (81%)

Key Passes

0

Crosses (Accurate)

2 (0)

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (0)

Shots on Target

0

Big Chances Missed

1

Lost Possession

9

All Stats via Sofascore

In fact, he amassed an expected assists figure of just 0.01, failed in 100% of his crosses and long balls, failed to have a single shot on target and missed a huge chance created by Palmer.

It was a performance that saw the Standard’s Simon Collings award him a 5/10 match rating at full-time, which was probably rather generous.

In all, it feels like Maresca should do what he did last season and take Fernandez out of the team for a little while, especially when he already has a player who could be the ideal replacement.

The player Maresca should start in place of Fernandez

While there are a few options Maresca could pick from, the player we think he should start against United is Andrey Santos.

Now, there is certainly an argument to be made that handing the 21-year-old his first Premier League start at Old Trafford, a ground Chelsea haven’t won at for over a decade, is a little foolish.

However, the young Brazilian does not seem like the sort of player to be overawed by that sort of thing, and his overall play from last season warrants him getting this chance.

He’s more than comfortable playing in a couple of midfield roles and has shown himself to be just as effective at breaking up play as he is at scoring and creating goals.

For example, in 34 appearances for Strasnourg last year, totalling 3024 minutes, the Rio de Janeiro-born ace scored 11 goals and provided five assists.

In other words, he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.12 games, or every 189 minutes.

Moreover, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for tackles won, the top 4% for goals per shot and tackles in the middle third, the top 10 for tackles plus interceptions and more, all per 90.

Santos’ Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Tackles Won

2.23

Top 2%

Non-Penalty Goals – npxG

+0.11

Top 3%

Goals/Shot

0.19

Top 4%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

1.59

Top 4%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.27

Top 5%

Tackles

3.22

Top 5%

Pass Completion % (Long)

78.2%

Top 7%

Touches (Def 3rd)

19.12

Top 8%

Goals/Shot on Target

0.57

Top 9%

Goals + Assists

0.37

Top 10%

Tkl+Int

4.30

Top 10%

Fouls Drawn

2.00

Top 10%

Dribblers Tackled

1.42

Top 12%

Penalty Kicks Won

0.03

Top 12%

Stats via FBref

These numbers help to back up the claim made by analyst Ben Mattinson that the youngster is a “duel monster” who is “brilliant at screening the backline.”

Going even further than that, talent scout Jacek Kulig called him a “one-man war machine in midfield” due to his ability to seemingly do it all and constantly dash from one box to another.

Ultimately, there would be an element of risk in starting Santos over Fernadez on Saturday, but the Argentine hasn’t looked anywhere near his best this season, and based on his performances last year, the Brazilian could be just what Chelsea need.

Related Maresca must drop Chelsea dud who was as bad as Chalobah vs Bayern

Chelsea lost to Bayern Munich in their first Champions League game of the season.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 18, 2025

علق ييس توروب، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، على الفوز على إيجل نوار بهدف نظيف في إياب دور الـ32 لدوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وكان الأهلي قد حقق الفوز في مباراة الذهاب بهدف دون رد، على إيجل نوار، السبت الماضي، ليصعد لدور المجموعات في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بنتيجة 2-0 بمجموع المباراتين.

وقال توروب في المؤتمر الصحفي عقب اللقاء: “كان هدفنا هو التأهل لدور المجموعات، نتيجة الذهاب ساعدتنا، لدينا دائمًا طموح للمكسب والتأهل للخطوة التالية، مررنا بموقف صعب اليوم لعبنا بـ10 لاعبين لمدة 75 دقيقة”.

طالع.. فيديو | بـ10 لاعبين.. الأهلي يهزم إيجل نوار بهدف ويتأهل لمجموعات دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وتابع: “أحد الصحفيين سألني في المؤتمر الماضي عن كيفية الدفاع، أظن أننا أجبنا بعد مباراة اليوم، أغلقنا بشكل جيد ودافعنا جيدًا، وأشكر عمر كمال عبد الواحد على استغلال الفرصة، وأشكر اللاعبين على الأداء رغم النقص العددي”.

وواصل: “لم أر هناك أي اختلاف بين أداء الفريق في الشوط الأول والثاني، بالعكس أرى أن هناك نضجًا من جانب اللاعبين رغم النقص العددي في اللقاء، كما أننا أجرينا تعديلات كثيرة على التشكيل وعلى الرغم من ذلك قدموا جودة كبيرة وهو يؤكد على أن الفريق الأحمر يمتلك لاعبين جيدين وأصحاب جودة عالية”.

وعن ضغط المباريات وتغيير طريقة اللعب: “أنا من نوعية المدربين الذين لديهم مرونة لذلك كل مباراة ألعب بطريقة مختلفة تناسب الخصم، والمهم أن يكون لدي أساس أعمل عليه، أنا أتعلم كل يوم وأتعلم من كل مباراة، ومن حديثي مع اللاعبين في أول 3 مباريات حققنا 3 انتصارات، الأهم هو أنني أحقق الفوز وأعمل على تطوير الأداء وكذالك تحقيق الفوز، اليوم غيرنا عناصر كثيرة في التشكيل وحققنا الفوز”.

واختتم: “لن أرد على وجود مداروة بين الشناوي وشوبير، أنا لدي هذه الميزة ولكن لن أفصح عن ما سأفعل، دائما أعتمد في طريقتي على منح الثقة لكل اللاعبين، ولن أخاف بشأن تغيير اللاعبين، وأحتاج أن يشعر كل اللاعبين أننا فريق واحد لأننا بالفعل هكذا”.

Australia’s selectors looked beyond the numbers in handing allrounder Tess Flintoff her first central contract as they aim to “future proof” the national side, conceding that her returns alone could raise questions about the decision.The uncapped Flintoff was the most notable inclusion on the 18-player list, becoming the first player to be added to the women’s contracts list without having made her debut since Beth Mooney and Grace Harris in 2015-16.It also comes after a season where her bowling returns across both the WBBL for Melbourne Stars (three wickets in nine matches) and WNCL for Victoria (eight wickets at 59.25) have been underwhelming although she finished the season strongly with five wickets for Australia A in the four-day game against England A.Related

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Flintoff, who as a 19-year-old struck the fastest WBBL fifty off 16 balls in 2022, also had a lean season with the bat for Stars but finished productively in the WNCL.”Certainly looking at her performances, you’d go, why?,” national selector Shawn Flegler said. “She hasn’t really banged the door down with wickets or anything, but there’s something about her that’s probably a little bit different, and if you just go by numbers alone, then that’s not really selection. It’s trying to find a little bit extra that you see in a player, and we think Tess has got that.”Flintoff was called into the Australia squad as cover during a tour of Ireland in 2023 and has regularly featured for the A side. Her elevation to the contract list suggests she has a chance to force herself into World Cup plans over the next 12 months.”We’ve always thought she’s got some attributes as an allrounder that are pretty exciting, the way she shapes the ball back in at some good pace. She hits the ball pretty well, she’s a good athlete, so she’s very good in the field,” Flegler said.”I guess it’s probably future-proofing the squad a little bit. We’ve got a number of white-ball tournaments over the next few years, obviously the ODI World Cup coming up at the back end of this year, and then we go to a T20 World Cup in June next year. So it’s looking at the squad and seeing what we need in the future, and I guess giving Tess an opportunity to be in and around this group a little bit more.”The recently-completed season has seen Australia dip into the next generation. Georgia Voll, who was also handed her first full contract, had a standout debut international season while wicketkeeper Nicole Faltum and allrounder Charli Knott were part of the T20I squad in New Zealand.Flegler said both Faltum and Knott were in contract discussions with Knott, especially, having made a strong case with her WNCL and Australia A performances. Knott captained Australia A to a final-over victory in the red-ball game against England A, scoring 52 and 123 before claiming the winning wicket.”Charli’s had a great season, and she certainly capped it off with a great game in the four-day game in particular,” Flegler said. “She’s certainly in discussions, and Nic had that opportunity to go to New Zealand, and we think there’s a group of keepers that we’re keeping an eye on over the next little while.”Charli could probably feel a little bit unlucky not to be in the squad of 18, but like everyone, if there’s an opportunity there for her to play, then she can still play from outside the squad.”In terms of players currently recovering from injury, Flegler said that the hope was that allrounder Sophie Molineux would be available for the ODI World Cup in September following the knee injury which kept her out of the Ashes and New Zealand tour.Fast bowler Tayla Vlaeminck, who suffered another shoulder injury early in last year’s T20 World Cup, continues to be a longer-term recovery. The current target is to have her back for the WBBL in November with the 2026 T20 World Cup in England viewed as realistic target for an international comeback, although if she tracks well she could be considered for the India and West Indies series early in the year.

MatériaMais Notícias

Jogando no Estádio Couto Pereira, o Bragantino alcançou uma importante vitória pensando em seguir na parte alta da tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro. Com o triunfo por 1 a 0 sobre o Coritiba, gol de Sorriso, o Massa Bruta salta para a quinta posição, com 31 pontos, perdendo para o Palmeiras apenas no saldo de gols (16 contra 10). Por outro lado, o Coxa Branca perde a chance de ficar mais perto de sair do Z4, estando em 18° lugar, com 14 pontos.

>Olho no Brasileirão! Assine o Prime Video e acompanhe todos os jogos do seu time do coração!

CURITIBA OU BRAGANÇA PAULISTA?

Respeitando seu estilo baseado na posse de bola e em transições rápidas, o Braga era a equipe que se mostrava mais capaz de envolver o adversário do que os anfitriões. Além disso, a equipe paulista conseguia se segurar bem na defesa, protegendo efetivamente as imediações da meta defendida por Cleiton.

Curiosamente, foi quando conseguiu se aproveitar de uma rara subida ao ataque do seu adversário que os espaços apareceram para um contra-ataque letal. Depois de bola lançada, onde Vitinho se livrou bem da marcação em duelo individual, no lado esquerdo, Sorriso recebeu um cruzamento rasteiro e completou para a rede, de primeira, na segunda trave.

MUITA DISPUTA, POUCA AÇÃO

Depois de aberto o marcador, o duelo entrou em um momento onde as divididas nos mais diferentes setores eram muito mais presentes do que a elaboração de novas jogadas. Seja para ampliar a dianteira do Bragantino ou para o Coritiba deixar tudo igual. A torcida da equipe da casa perdia a paciência gradativamente. A primeira etapa da partida seguiu este panorama até apito do árbitro Yuri Elino Ferreira da Cruz, que decretou o intervalo.

UM ASSUSTOU, O OUTRO GUARDOU! MAS…

Seja pela questão técnica como pelo psicológica, o Braga parecia mais perto de aumentar o marcador por seu trabalho ofensivo e consistente na ideia de jogo. Chegando, não à toa, a formular uma jogada de grande perigo quando Eduardo Sasha escorou, e Luan Cândido bateu com força, obrigado Gabriel a grande intervenção.

>Olho no Brasileirão! Assine o Prime Video e acompanhe todos os jogos do seu time do coração!

Mesmo sem encaixar da melhor maneira sua partida, tendo sérias dificuldades para superar as linhas de marcação e muito mais correndo atrás da bola do que tendo a posse dela, Marcelino Moreno chegou a deixar tudo igual em lance onde o camisa 10 do Coritiba bateu cruzado e superou Cleiton. Todavia, antes da bola passar pelo argentino, Bruno Gomes recebeu passe em impedimento captado pelo Árbitro de Vídeo.

COM AS ÚLTIMAS FORÇAS

Se valendo de uma mistura de necessidade e certo desespero, na reta final do confronto, os donos da casa se atiraram com mais agressividade ao plano ofensivo enquanto o Bragantino, sem qualquer pudor, recuou totalmente suas linhas e se limitava a sair daquela condição somente com a chance de contra-ataques mais claros. Dentro desse panorama, a organização defensiva dos paulistas prevaleceu, com o marcador no Alto da Glória não sendo mais alterado até o término do confronto.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
CORITIBA 0 x 1 BRAGANTINO – Campeonato Brasileiro – 18ª rodada

Local: Estádio Couto Pereira, em Curitiba (PR)
Data e horário: 6 de agosto de 2023, às 18h30 (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro: Yuri Elino Ferreira da Cruz (RJ)
Assistentes: Kleber Lucio Gil (SC) e Luiz Claudio Regazone (RJ)
VAR: Carlos Eduardo Nunes Braga (RJ)
Cartões amarelos: Andrey, Bruno Gomes, Jamerson (CTB); Andrés Hurtado, Cipriano, Juninho Capixaba, Luan Cândido e Vitinho (BRA)
Cartões vermelhos: Thiago Kosloski (CTB)

Gols: Sorriso, aos 18’/2°T (1-0).

CORITIBA

Gabriel; Natanael (Diogo Batista, no intervalo), Kuscevic, Henrique e Jamerson; Andrey (Mauricio Garcez, aos 38’/1°T), Bruno Gomes (Edu, aos 27’/2°T) e Matheus Bianqui (Sebastián Gómez, aos 13’/2°T); Marcelino Moreno, Diogo Oliveira e Kaio César (Fransérgio, aos 13’/2°T). Técnico: Thiago Kosloski.

BRAGANTINO

Cleiton; Andrés Hurtado (Aderllan, no intervalo), Luan Patrick, Cipriano (Guilherme, aos 30’/2°T) e Juninho Capixaba; Matheus Fernandes (Yani Quintero, aos 6’/2°T), Lucas Evangelista e Luan Cândido; Sorriso, Eduardo Sasha (Gustavinho, aos 21’/2°T) e Vitinho (Thiago Borbas, aos 21’/2°T). Técnico: Pedro Caixinha.

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Tottenham Hotspur have been active once again this summer, with a real focus on landing young talents for Thomas Frank to develop during his time at the helm.

Owner Daniel Levy made eight additions this window, including pre-arranged transfers, resulting in an average age of the new players totalling just 23.5 – further highlighting the impetus on landing younger prospects.

Luka Vuskovic was the youngest signing at just 18, whilst midfielder Joao Palhinha has arrived in North London, offering an experienced presence at 30 years of age.

The total average age of Lilywhites’ current first-team squad is now just 25.1, the fourth lowest of any side in the Premier League for the 2025/26 campaign.

Their ambitions of landing another player in such an age range looked certain at one stage, but Frank’s side were unable to complete a deal – leading to one of the sagas of the summer window unfolding in front of their very eyes.

Spurs’ failed move to land Morgan Gibbs-White

At the start of July, Spurs completed a deal for Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United, but quickly followed up the addition with a move for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White.

Such a deal seemingly came out of nowhere, after entering talks, to agreeing a £60m transfer fee, all taking place within just a matter of hours – but that wasn’t the end of the drama.

It was reported that the Lilywhites made an illegal approach for the 25-year-old’s signature, leading to Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis threatening Frank’s men with legal action.

As a result, the player ended up penning a new deal at the City Ground – arguably being a blessing in disguise, given their recent £52m transfer to land Xavi Simons.

However, despite their failed move for the England international, the club have already conducted superb business – now seeing the benefits of their latest transfer focus of investing into youth talents.

The Spurs player who’s now worth more than Gibbs-White

Spurs’ recruitment shift to land youth talents has reached new levels in recent years, as seen by Daniel Levy’s move to land Lucas Bergvall from Swedish side Djurgarden back in the summer of 2024.

The now 19-year-old arrived as an unknown quantity to many of the supporters – understandably so given his tally of just 12 appearances in 2024 for the Swedish outfit before his transfer to North London.

However, the youngster endured a first season to remember, racking up 45 appearances across all competitions – subsequently helping the Lilywhites claim Europa League glory.

He wasn’t the only teenager who played a vital role in Europe and in the Premier League last season, with Archie Gray also making waves in the first-team after his £40m switch from Leeds United.

Such a move was undoubtedly questionable from Levy and Co, especially after the youngster only had one year of senior football under his belt before joining the Lilywhites.

Throughout the first few weeks of the season, the Englishman found minutes hard to come by, but the injury crisis saw him operate in various positions within Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Gray, who’s been labelled “sensational” by one analyst, ended up with a total of 46 appearances across all competitions – many of which were in unfamiliar roles such as right-back and central defence – but roles he filled admirably given his tender age.

Games played

46

Minutes played

3243

Pass accuracy

89%

Dribbles completed

58%

Tackles won

50%

Aerials won

50%

Interceptions made

1.1

Recoveries made

3.6

At just 19, he’s undoubtedly the future of Spurs, having plenty of time to fulfill his potential, but his stats from last campaign showcase the talent he already possesses.

As a result of his showings in North London, he’s seen his market value soar since his arrival, now being valued at £61.5m by FootballTransfers – a £21.5m increase on the fee paid for his signature.

Such a figure is £1.5m higher than the fee touted for Gibbs-White’s signature earlier this summer – showcasing the hierarchy’s desire to land youth prospects has already been a success.

If Gray can build on his excellent start to life in the capital, there’s no reason as to why he can’t be a regular starter under Frank in the Dane’s hunt for success during his time spell in the role.

The transfer is added evidence of the perfect recruitment model currently in place, with such deals desperately needing to be replicated if the Lilywhites are to win further trophies in the years ahead.

Levy has already sold Spurs' original Xavi Simons for just £8m

Tottenham Hotspur may have made a mistake in allowing one player to depart the club in recent years.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 3, 2025

Despite the recent failings on the pitch for Manchester United, captain Bruno Fernandes has often been a shining light and producing numerous moments of magic.

The Portuguese international saved the Red Devils from a catastrophic campaign, ending the 2024/25 campaign with a total of 37 combined goals and assists across all competitions.

The 30-year-old has continued his excellent form into the new season, already netting two goals in the Premier League – with his latest securing a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim’s job would certainly have been on the line had it not been for his compatriot’s contributions in the final third, with the former Sporting CP talent certainly the club’s most important player in recent years.

However, the same can’t be said for one of his teammates, with the first-team talent unable to make the desired impact, with part of his failures potentially down to his squad number.

The curse of the Man Utd #7 shirt

Over recent years, United’s number seven shirt has often been one that has brought huge pressure onto the players who have worn such an iconic shirt.

Talents such as Alexis Sanchez, Memphis Depay and Ángel Di María have all succumbed to the pressure, subsequently leaving Old Trafford after disappointing spells at the club.

Mason Mount is the latest player to try and break such a curse, but like the aforementioned trio, he’s also struggled to make the impact he would’ve wanted upon his move to the Theatre of Dreams.

The 26-year-old joined in a £60m deal back in the summer of 2023, but he’s been restricted to just 52 appearances in his two-year spell in Manchester – with injuries massively halting his progress.

He’s suffered five separate injuries during such a period, missing a total of 52 matches in all competitions – subsequently being ruled out of 50% of games since joining the Red Devils.

Even when fit, the former Chelsea star has struggled to meet expectations, only registering six combined goals and assists – a record of just one contribution in every eight matches he’s featured in.

As a result of his lack of impact and constant injury issues, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Englishman drop down Amorim’s pecking order – potentially seeing one player take the number seven shirt in the near future.

The United star who could be Amorim’s next #7

As previously mentioned, Bruno has often been the man to come up with the magic for United, but it’s safe to say his responsibility has been taken off his shoulders in 2025/26.

The hierarchy backed the manager for his quest for success, spending over £200m on new additions to improve the options within the final third.

Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko were just two of the additions made during the off-season, with the latter being the most expensive of the bunch – arriving in a deal totalling £74m including add-ons.

Fellow summer addition Bryan Mbeumo has already managed to star for the Red Devils, scoring twice in his first appearances for the club after joining from Brentford.

The 26-year-old arrived with huge expectations after netting 20 league goals for Brentford last campaign, but has already kick-started his United career with a bang.

His strike against Burnley helped secure Amorim’s side their first Premier League win of the new campaign – subsequently winning the club’s Goal of the Month award in the process.

Mbeumo, who’s been dubbed a “superstar” by one analyst, has also produced numerous impressive underlying stats which further highlight his quality start to life in Manchester.

Games played

6

Goals scored

2

Pass accuracy

80%

Successful crosses

2.1

Chances created

1.9

Dribble success

60%

Fouls drawn

1.7

Shots on target

1.3

He’s created 1.9 chances per 90 to date, along with a 60% dribble success rate – highlighting his ability to transition the ball into dangerous areas before teeing up a teammate.

The Cameroonian has also drawn 1.7 fouls per 90, whilst completing 2.1 successful crosses per 90, with such numbers further showcasing how much of an impact he’s had since his big-money transfer.

Should he continue his impressive form in Manchester, there’s no reason as to why the attacker can’t follow in Bruno’s footsteps and lead the club back to their former glory.

It looks as though he’s currently the best addition since the Portuguese international, with the pair potentially forming a deadly partnership together in the near future.

As a reflection of his immediate impact, Mbeumo should be handed the number seven shirt, with the Cameroonian talent arguably the perfect man to break the current curse at Old Trafford.

Outperforming Mainoo: Man Utd must regret losing "sensational" star for £0

Manchester United made a huge mistake in allowing one young talent to leave the club on a free.

1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 23, 2025

Steven Gerrard has made his decision on returning to management with Rangers after the Scottish giants approached the Liverpool legend to replace sacked head coach Russell Martin. Martin had to step down from his role earlier this month and his disastrous reign came to a close after just 17 games.

Why did Rangers sack Martin?

Former MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton manager Martin only took charge at Ibrox over the summer. His ball-playing philosophy was considered to be a good fit for Rangers, but many fans had their doubts from the off. Those fears proved to be well-founded, with Martin stumbling out of the blocks and never getting into his stride. A 1-1 draw with Falkirk proved to be the final straw, with Rangers left languishing in eighth spot after picking up just eight points from seven top-flight fixtures this season. They have just one league win to their name and are already 11 points adrift of table-topping Hearts, while trailing Old Firm rivals Celtic by nine points.

Before the manager's sacking, the Rangers fans had made their feelings clear when they went public with their protest against the boss as they visited the Ibrox for a Scottish League Cup quarter-final clash with banners, which read: "Russell out – worst manager in history." They also hurled balls onto the pitch, which led to a delay in the start of the game.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGerrard front-runner to replace Martin

Soon after Martin left the job, Rangers prepared a shortlist of head coaches, which consisted of several top names, including Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard, who had previously managed the club and even guided them to the Scottish Premiership title. Gerrard has been without a job since January, when he mutually parted ways with Saudi Pro League giants Al-Shabab, where he spent one-and-a-half seasons.

Gerrard also had the backing of Gers legend Ally McCoist, who claimed in April that the England icon would be a perfect fit for the club. He had said: "It’s absolutely vital that his next job is the right one. It didn’t quite work out at Villa or in Saudi. It’s similar to Frank Lampard – his move to Coventry has been crucial in getting his managerial career back on track. Steven’s in that same position. His next step needs to be spot on."

Gerrard pull out of managerial race

According to journalist , Gerrard is no longer keen on accepting the manager's role at Ibrox Stadium. The former England international has withdrawn his name from contention for Rangers' managerial role. The report adds that Gerrard is not quite ready to take up a new assignment as head coach at the moment. He had held positive talks with the Scottish side and an agreement was almost reached, however, both parties have now ended the discussions, although they have kept the door open for future negotiations. 

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Getty Images SportRangers set to explore other options

While negotiations were going on with Gerrard, Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl was also seen as a possible candidate to manage the Gers, while former Burnley and Everton boss Sean Dyche was another coach who was being considered. Dyche is currently out of work and could be charged with the task of delivering a reversal in fortune for Glasgow-based giants. 

Gerrard, on the other hand, might have pulled out of the race to become the next Rangers boss, he has been told that Wrexham could be a possible destination for him. Former Red Dragons star Matt Jansen, in an interview with GOAL, has said: "There is always going to be names linked to it – the razzmatazz around it, the Hollywood theme. There are always going to be names linked to it, that’s the nature of the beast. Will Parkinson stay there? Will a bigger name come in? Would a Steven Gerrard be interested in a similar thing to what Frank Lampard is doing at Coventry? Then you have got Graham Potter, who is out of work now. You’ve got Sean Dyche, who is vastly experienced. Then you’ve got Big Sam [Allardyce], who is always there or thereabouts. There are always going to be names dotted about. Phil Parkinson has done a fantastic job so far. How long that will continue, who knows."

Returning from injury, Mayank Yadav is expected to play a pivotal part in LSG’s push for a playoffs spot

Ashish Pant18-Apr-20253:48

Ganga: Mayank Yadav is perfect for the T20 world

Big picture: RR’s problems keep getting biggerThat things haven’t quite gone to plan for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025 is known. Barring Yashasvi Jaiswal, their top order has underperformed, the bowlers have consistently struggled, and they are languishing in the bottom half of the points table. If that isn’t enough, they are sweating over captain Sanju Samson’s fitness as they get ready to host a resurgent Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).Samson was forced to retire after hurting his side in RR’s previous game, against Delhi Capitals (DC). Rahul Dravid confirmed at the pre-match press conference that Samson “experienced a bit of pain in the abdominal area”. He further said that Samson had undergone scans, and his availability would be decided based on the reports.If Samson does not recover in time, Riyan Parag is expected to take over the captaincy reins. Parag led RR in the first three games of the season, with Samson recovering from a finger injury. At the time, Samson had batted as an Impact Player and did not keep wicket.Related

Samson set to miss RR's game against LSG; Parag to lead again

Nitish Rana 'okay' to bat at any position for Royals

Jaffer: Pant 'needs to get better at rotating strike'

Mayank Yadav likely to play against Royals

Royals unsure if Samson will play LSG game

If he is not fit, then who replaces Samson? There is Shubham Dubey, who has been coming in as an Impact Player for RR, but he isn’t a top-order batter. Then there is Kunal Singh Rathore, the 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter. The other option is for one of Parag or Nitish Rana, or even Dhruv Jurel, to open the batting with Dubey slotting in the middle order.RR do have a readymade opener in Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but he is only 14 and untested. Will RR risk such a young player in a game where a loss could derail their season? They have just two wins in seven games so far and a loss would mean having to do a lot of catching up for the playoffs.For LSG, who started the season without Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, and Avesh Khan, and lost Mohsin Khan, they have held their own quite brilliantly. After seven games, they have won four and lost three and a win will take them to ten points. With Mayank back in the mix, they now also have an almost full-strength bowling unit to choose from.It didn’t seem that way when the season started, but LSG now have a solid chance to make it to the playoffs. Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh have scored 652 runs between them. The middle order has been dependable, while spinners Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi have been more than a handful.LSG are coming into the game having suffered a defeat to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at home. They will want to make amends against a patchy RR side.2:43

Cricinformed: Nicholas Pooran, the unstoppable force

Form guideRajasthan Royals LLLWW
Lucknow Super Giants LWWWLNew loyaltiesYudhvir Singh was part of LSG in IPL 2024 and is now with RR. Avesh, who has been key in LSG’s fast-bowling lineup this season, was part of RR last year.In the spotlight: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mayank YadavYashasvi Jaiswal’s form was always going to be critical in RR’s fortunes but with the top order misfiring, it becomes even more crucial. Jaiswal had a poor start to his season with scores of 1, 29 and 4, but has since scored three fifties in his next four innings and looks fluent.Jaiswal scored 75 the last time he was in Jaipur on what was a tacky surface. He has a handy record here – two fifties and a hundred in 11 IPL innings – and would want to step up.Mayank Yadav had a breakthrough IPL 2024 where he touched the 156.7kph mark on the speed gun and regularly breached 150 clicks. He played just four matches, in which he picked up back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two games, and seven wickets in all. It got Mayank an India debut against Bangladesh in October last year.However, since then, he has been down first with a back injury and then a toe injury. But he is now back and expected to play a pivotal part in LSG’s push for a playoffs spot. He joined the team on Tuesday and his express pace adds a new dimension to what has already shaped up to be a more than handy bowling attack.2:51

Pujara: Parag could open the batting for Royals

Team news and likely XIIsDespite the loss against CSK, LSG are unlikely to make too many changes to their starting XI. Mayank is almost certain to make his IPL 2025 debut. He is likely to come in place of Akash Deep, who has seemed off the mark since returning from a back injury.Lucknow Super Giants: 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk) , 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Mayank Yadav, 11 Digvesh Rathi, 12 Ravi BishnoiRR could bring in Akash Madhwal or Yudhvir in place of Tushar Deshpande, who has hardly inspired any confidence so far this season. If Samson is not fit, Jurel is likely to don the wicketkeeping gloves. Kumar Kartikeya is expected to come in as the impact sub.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson (capt, wk)/Vaibhav Suryavanshi/Shubham Dubey, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Tushar Deshpande/Akash Madhwal, 12 Kumar KartikeyaThe big questionPitch and conditionsThere has been only one game so far this season in Jaipur – a day game – where RR went down by nine wickets against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The pitch felt a touch two-paced but eased out as the evening progressed. The Sawai Man Singh Stadium isn’t historically a high-scoring venue. Since IPL 2023, the average first-innings score here has been 179. There is a warning in Jaipur for excessive heat, but the temperatures should drop by the time the match gets underway. Dew could be a factor later in the evening.Stats and trivia Pooran is just one away from 9000 T20 runsPooran has fallen to Jofra Archer three times in seven T20 innings and averages just 13 with a strike rate of 108 against the quick Nitish Rana has fallen to Avesh twice in five IPL innings Bishnoi has the wood over Shimron Hetmyer in T20s, having dismissed him three times in six innings – Hetmyer has an average of 8.00 and a strike rate of 65 against the legspinner RR have the third-best run rate in the powerplay (9.69) and third-worst run rate in the middle-overs (7.39) in IPL 2025Quotes”We have suffered a little bit with our death bowling. I think that is another area for us that we need to get slightly better with, working with slightly more in execution. I think our plans have been pretty good. It is just more around the execution of some of those skills. A lot of teams are going for runs, but it is those extra 15-16 runs that we seem to go for. Even if, say, for example, a 57-60 is acceptable in the last five overs, it has become almost a norm now. We seem to go for 72-77. “

Philadelphia weren't perfect, but they ground out enough wins to claim the Shield – and are set up well for playoff success

The confetti has been swept off the field. The grass has been cut. The lines have been redrawn. The beer bottles have been cleaned out of the locker room. It has been almost a week since the Philadelphia Union won the Supporters' Shield. Midfielder Jovan Lukic still claims it was the best day of his life. 

"I wasn't drunk in the moment or something. So I can say that for sure," Lukic told GOAL. This is my first professional career trophy. So for me, you work since the age of six and through the things in all your life for these moments."

That night, last Saturday, after Philadelphia beat NYCFC, 1-0, Lukic stayed out on the pitch long after everyone else had left. The 22-year-old helped the groundskeepers sweep up confetti. He sat there on the Subaru Park turf, taking in the moment. And why shouldn’t he? The Union had clinched the Supporters' Shield. They had collected the most points over the course of a long, grueling season. In most of Europe's top competitions, this would be winning the league. 

For Lukic, that was the pinnacle of soccer. A Serbian-born midfielder, who joined Philadelphia this year, this was the peak of the sport. 

MLS, of course, makes this thing a bit difficult to celebrate. The Supporters’ Shield is a strange concept – a trophy awarded to the team that gets the most points in a league, of which the real “winner” is decided by the unpredictability of knockout soccer in the playoffs. Lukic doesn’t care. Neither do the Union. This has been a deserved thing, a vindication of sorts for a team that didn’t spend in the offseason, pushed towards the top of the Eastern Conference, hung in there, and never let go. 

"It was a celebration, and we're obviously very excited, and we're very happy," midfielder Indy Vassilev said to GOAL. "You know, we did it for ourselves, for our family, for the fans, for the city, and it feels really good." 

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  Unique to Philly

  This felt all like quite a Philadelphia win, when you think about it. This is, after all, a blue-collar place, one traditionally of grit, hard work. Think Rocky and the Art Museum steps, its history as a manufacturing hub, and cheesesteaks. Somewhere in that, there's room for a soccer team that doesn't really take any stick either. 

  "I don't mind saying we've had a lot of blue-collar wins, just like, f*cking put your feet in the ground and just grind it out," Vassilev said.

  There is a concept in soccer of being "good title winners." You hear it a lot in the European game. Elite seasons are built on comfortable scorelines and topped off by dramatic victories to take a side over the line. And the Union were the very definition of that. They only won five games by more than two goals (two of those came against D.C. United). Their longest winning streak was just four games. They mixed in seven draws. Only three Eastern Conference playoff teams tallied more. 

  Perhaps it's not the most glamorous sentiment in a game that is more finesse-based than ever. But that's kind of the point. They were reliable in a league that is inherently frantic.

  "We kind of go by five or six game blocks," Vassilev explained. "But even within those five or six game blocks, the mentality is the next game. And once you win the next game, you do a review on the next game." 

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  The big results

  But of course, there were some signature moments here. Every league-winning season needs them. Vassilev and Lukic can refer to any number of performances. Late wins stand out. On May 14, they were down 2-0 to LA Galaxy at home – and not playing particularly well. Yet three second half goals, including a 96th-minute winner from striker Tai Baribo, sealed a season-defining victory. A similar result against Toronto comes to mind.

  "There were many games where we won late. Obviously, there was the LA game where we're down to zero, we ended up winning it late at home. There was a Toronto game where we scored two late goals and we win 2-1 away from home," Vassilev said. 

  Ultimately, that might just come down to certain collegiality.

  "Even if it's not the best in that moment, we fight for each other, then the quality comes again. I think that's the key at the end of the day," Lukic said.

  It helps, also, that the Union have quality all over the pitch. Baribo has bagged 16 goals in the league this year. Kai Wagner might be the best left back in MLS. Olwethu Makhanya, 21, is an elite central defender.

• Imagn
  

  A bit unsteady at times

  There were moments of adversity, too. 

  "There are others where we're up 2-1 against Columbus, and we lose on a corner kick in the last minute of the game. So we dropped two points there," Vassilev said. 

  Still, the point is that the Union were able to rebound.

  "You can nitpick the whole season, where all we could have won points here, or, you know, we shouldn't have dropped points there. But I think credit to the group, because we genuinely did take it as the next game is the most important," he said. 

  If anything, it might just have made them battle-hardened for the tougher moments that followed.

  "You win like four or five games in a row, then you lose like two games in a row. That happened like three times. And I think that helps us, because we reset in our head," Lukic said. "It's the key at the end of the day. I think that bad moments, like the losses and that things, we change in a good way. That's the reason we are on top of the table right now." 

  That makes the difference in this league. There is quality everywhere, especially in a loaded Eastern Conference. Miami have the best player to ever lace up his football boots, and were outside of a spot for home field advantage for long stretches. Even the worst teams have good players they can turn to at any minute. The difference, then, is mentality. And the Union had it. 

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  What does this thing mean?

  But there are some questions worth asking here. Lukic sees the Supporters' Shield as the pinnacle. It was the type of soccer he was raised on. They won the league, and there is no higher honor than that. But MLS, historically, doesn't tend to value this kind of thing. Supporters' Shield winners are largely forgotten. In the scope of things, it's MLS Cups that stand out. 

  This is an American sports thing in general. Few remember which teams had the best regular season record in Major League Baseball in 2021. They could tell you, though, that the Atlanta Braves won the World Series. 

  Whether or not that's fair is up for debate. 

  "To be like first of 30, not even like in our conference, it's first of 30 teams. For me, that's the biggest success," Lukic said. 

  Yet at the same time, he and the Union understand the importance of playoffs. It's part of the American psyche, and what makes MLS unique in the global sphere.

  "I respect that way of thinking in America. It is like that. Even in the NBA, playoffs are like more fun and everything," Lukic said.