Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League triumph at the end of the 2024/25 campaign has injected a newfound sense of excitement into the fanbase for the future of the club.

Ange Postecoglou may have lost his job despite the success, and Daniel Levy’s position as chairman, remarkably, is no more, but with Thomas Frank at the helm, the man tasked with the responsibility of building on the European victory, things look rosier.

The Dane has already made an incredible start to life in North London, winning two of his three outings – including a superb display against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad.

The fanbase mustn’t get carried away with the recent showings, but it’s excellent to see the Lilywhites moving in the right direction after years of failures on the pitch.

However, if the club are to mount any serious charge up the Premier League this campaign, they will likely need to nullify the threat of one big-money transfer in the months ahead.

Alexander Isak's record against Spurs

Despite owner Daniel Levy spending over £120m on new additions this summer, top-flight rivals Liverpool have obliterated such a number – dropping over £400m in the window despite winning the league in 2024/25.

The likes of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké had already completed moves to Merseyside before the Reds dropped an English record £125m fee to secure the services of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.

Arne Slot’s side now possess a huge array of attacking talent, further strengthening their grip at the top of the table – with the Lilywhites needing to try and keep the Swede quiet after his big-money move.

Over the years, Isak has enjoyed coming up against Spurs, netting six times in his five outings against the club – the joint-most of any side he’s faced in his professional career.

Such a move has left the rest of the division in awe, offering a real fear factor to any side who dares go toe-to-toe with them – but Frank’s side now also possess a player of similar quality within their ranks.

The Spurs player who’s worth more than Isak

In an attempt to bolster the options at the new manager’s disposal, Levy secured the signature of winger Mohammed Kudus, with the Ghanaian joining in a £55m transfer from West Ham United.

He’s already made an immediate impact in North London, registering two assists on his league debut for the club – subsequently nailing down the right-wing position as his own.

However, he could be aided in the final third by another one of the club’s additions – potentially linking up together and creating their own deadly partnership.

Xavi Simons was selected as the man Levy and Co wanted to fill the number ten role in North London for 2025/26 and beyond – forking out a fee in the region of £52m for his signature.

He’s become a recognisable name over the last couple of years after starring for RB Leipzig, but he now has the chance to further impress upon his move to the Premier League.

The Dutchman impressed in the Bundesliga last campaign, subsequently ranking in the 97th percentile for passes into the final third per 90 (2.5) and the 97th percentile for carries into the final third (2.9).

Such numbers highlight the talent the 22-year-old possesses with the ball at his feet, able to provide needed quality to Frank’s side, whether that be in a wide left or central attacking midfield role.

However, it’s all well and good getting into good areas – but it’s another being able to add an end product, something which Simons demonstrated last season, as he ended the year with 17 goal contributions in Germany’s top-flight.

Creating a connection with Kudus is one thing, but his transfer to the club has already generated massive excitement – with the hierarchy getting themselves a bargain given his recent upturn in market value.

Simons’ stats – Bundesliga (24/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

25

Goals & assists

17

Pass accuracy

83%

Chances created

2.2

Successful dribbles

1.4

Tackles won

75%

Duels won

5.7

Stats via FotMob

Simons, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Rafael van der Vaart, has now been valued at a staggering £92.2m by FootballTransfers – a near 100% increase on the fee paid not even a week ago.

Such a figure is higher than that of Isak, with the new Liverpool man only valued at £89.4m despite his recent record-breaking transfer to Anfield on deadline day.

If Simons can replicate the numbers which led to his move to join Spurs, his transfer fee would be a huge bargain – potentially fulfilling the board’s ambitions of building on the Europa League win.

At just 22, he has bags of time to reach the next level in his career, with his value only going to rise higher if he can keep improving under Frank’s guidance. This could well turn out to be an amazing parting gift from Levy.

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It would be fair to say that West Ham United have had a mixed summer transfer window so far.

While the Hammers have made a few smart additions to the team, like Kyle Walker-Peters and El Hadji Malick Diouf, they’ve also decided to take a gamble on the perennially unfit Callum Wilson.

Moreover, as we saw on Saturday, they haven’t added enough quality to Graham Potter’s squad, and that could ultimately end up costing them come May.

Fortunately, the club have now been linked with a new exciting midfielder, someone who could be an upgrade on another of their targets: Mateus Fernandes.

West Ham target Fernandes upgrade

Arguably the most significant transfer saga for West Ham at the moment concerns Southampton’s exciting Portuguese ace Fernandes.

Transfer Focus

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

The Irons have been linked with him consistently over the last couple of weeks, and even though they saw a £30m offer rejected, they have reportedly gone back in with a new and improved bid.

The Saints ace looks like a real talent, but it now looks like the Eastenders are eyeing another midfield star, someone who could be an upgrade.

At least that is according to a recent report from Football Insider, which claims that West Ham are interested in Fabio Vieira.

The report has revealed that the Arsenal man’s agent has been speaking to clubs about a transfer this summer, and one of the sides he has been in talks with is the Hammers.

It’s not clear how much the former Porto man would cost, but considering he joined the North Londoners for £34m in 2023 and hasn’t been a success there, the fee would likely be a lot less than Fernandes, even though he could be an upgrade on his compatriot.

How Vieira compares to Fernandes

The first area to compare between Fernandes and Vieira is their output last season, and while it is not the be-all and end-all, it is an area in which the Arsenal man comes out on top.

In his 42 appearances on loan at Porto, totalling 2697 minutes, the “phenomenal” midfielder, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored five goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.81 games, or every 245.18 minutes.

In contrast, the Southampton star managed to rack up a tally of three goals and six assists in 44 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 3409 minutes, which comes out to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 4.88 games, or every 378.77 minutes.

Now, it is worth pointing out that the Portuguese league is a significantly weaker competition, but the Santa Maria da Feira-born ace was also able to produce two goal involvements in just 398 minutes of Europa League action.

Moreover, there is far more pressure to make an impact at a club the size of Porto, whereas the remit for a recently promoted side like the Saints last year is to simply survive.

Finally, on top of being more of a goal threat, the 25-year-old also comes out way ahead when we take a look under the hood at their respective underlying numbers.

For example, he comes out on top in most key metrics, including, but not limited to, actual and expected non-penalty goals plus assists, shot and goal-creating actions, key passes, shots and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.34

0.22

Non-Penalty G+As

0.39

0.18

Progressive Passes

6.08

4.51

Progressive Passes Received

5.93

3.37

Progressive Carries

1.32

2.45

Shots

2.25

1.32

Shots on Target

0.73

0.43

Key Passes

2.01

1.07

Passes into the Final Third

2.01

0.86

Passes into the Penalty Area

4.07

3.04

Live Passes

42.8

37.1

Shot-Creating Actions

4.74

2.48

Goal-Creating Actions

0.59

0.21

In other words, the Gunners ace is a far more creative, incisive and dangerous midfielder, which sounds like just what the Irons need.

Ultimately, Fernandes would be a good signing in his own right, but Vieira looks to be the better player and would likely be available for less as Arsenal are looking to sell players.

Therefore, West Ham should do what they can to bring in the former Porto star before the window slams shut next month.

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Michael Owen has taken aim at Ibrahima Konate for the French defender's role in Liverpool's first defeat of the season away at Selhurst Park. Up until Saturday afternoon, the Reds had been unassailable in the Premier League, winning five of their opening five games and opening up a five-point gap at the top of the table. With Palace taking the three points, they climb to second in the table.

The Eagles rise to beat Liverpool again

Oliver Glasner's side reached their 18th game without defeat, a run which has seen them win both the FA Cup and the Community Shield – the latter coming against Liverpool at Wembley. The Eagles have been impressive and have now matched their longest-ever unbeaten run, closing the gap on Saturday's opponents and moving to within three points of the league leaders. Palace were dominant against the Reds in the first half, earning a well-deserved 1-0 lead through Ismaila Sarr, and looked set to strengthen their grip on the game. With the minutes ticking away, Palace appeared to be close to earning a great victory over the champions, but Federico Chiesa popped up late to equalise. The Eagles did not give up and Eddie Nketiah chested down a loose ball and flashed an effort past Alisson in the Liverpool goal to steal all the points in the 97th minute. The Eagles deserved the victory and Michael Owen believes the Liverpool defence were at fault for their first defeat of the season. The former Reds striker even singled out Konate for criticism, claiming the French defender was lost and unable to cope with the rampant Palace attack.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTiredness is not an excuse for Owen

Speaking after the game, via , Owen said: "I don't know whether it was tiredness, but they rested a fair few players in midweek in the Carabao Cup. They weren't their usual selves. We are early in the season, I'd be hesitant to blame it on that [tiredness].

"I mean, Konate in the first half didn't know what he was doing. I can't say that it was because of rustiness or tiredness. We've seen one or two performances like that from him this season that have been quite similar.

"I wouldn't use that excuse, I would give praise to Crystal Palace, they're a proper team. They've beaten Liverpool in the Community Shield, it wasn't a fluke. I'd be more inclined to say Palace played very well."

Slot spots weakness in the Liverpool team

Slot admitted that the Reds were not at the races in the first half and deserved to be behind at the break. The Dutch coach then added that he felt that the Reds turned the game around in the second half and could have earned a positive result, but fell apart thanks to a set-piece. Speaking to the , Slot said: "Very difficult first half. They did really well and deserved to be 1-0 up, we were lucky it was only 1-0. Second half it was the opposite. It took a while before we scored and we did with a few minutes left. But from a second set piece they won the game. If you want to compete you need a very positive balance with set pieces and even more in this league. It was one of our biggest strengths last season, now we have conceded two against Newcastle and two here. But this league is more and more and more about set pieces."

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Getty Images SportKonate still in Madrid's sights

Liverpool head to Istanbul this week to continue their European campaign. The Reds face Galatasaray before travelling to west London to take on a faltering Chelsea. The Blues made it back-to-back defeats after a loss to Brighton on Saturday, but will be determined to rebound with a victory over the Reds. It marks a tricky week for Konate who, under pressure from pundits and critics, will need to raise his performances to the level he reached last season. The Frenchman may have been distracted by rumours linking him with a move to Real Madrid. Los Blancos are plotting to bring Konate to the Spanish capital on a free transfer next summer, emulating the move they made on Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer. The Spanish giants may feel compelled to step up their interest in the central defender after their key target William Saliba turned them down. The Arsenal centre-half has agreed to a new deal with the Gunners that will keep him in north London until 2030.

سلطت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية الضوء على تأهل منتخب المغرب إلى نهائي كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عامًًا واصفةً إياه بأنه تأهل تاريخي ورحلة ملحمية لأشبال أسود الأطلس.

وحقق منتخب المغرب فوزًا تاريخيًا على حساب نظيره فرنسا في بطولة كأس العالم للشباب 2025 بركلات الترجيح بنتيجة 5-4، ليتأهل إلى المباراة النهائية.

منتخب المغرب كان قد تأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي، بعدما تصدر مجموعته برصيد 6 نقاط متفوقًا بذلك على البرازيل وإسبانيا والمكسيك.

وتعتبر هذه هي المرة الأولى التي يتأهل فيها المنتخب المغربي للشباب إلى نهائي كأس العالم في التاريخ.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه أشبال أسود الأطلس نظيره الأرجنتين في المباراة النهائية من بطولة كأس العالم، وذلك يوم الإثنين الموافق 20 أكتوبر، فيما يخوض منتخب فرنسا مباراة أمام نظيره كولومبيا لتحديد المركز الثالث.

اقرأ أيضًا | القنوات المجانية الناقلة لمباراة المغرب والأرجنتين اليوم في كأس العالم للشباب

وقالت “آس” إن منتخب المغرب أتى للبطولة ليكون بين منتخبات الصفوة، إذ كتب فصلًا جديدًا في رحلة ملحمية جعلته قوة كروية عظمى بعد صعود منتخب المغرب الأول إلى نصف نهائي كأس العالم 2022 وتتويج الأولمبي بالميدالية البرونزية في أولمباد باريس.

وصفت الصحيفة الإسبانية أن صاحب تأهل المغرب إلى النهائي هو بطل غير متوقع وهو حارس المرمى الثالث عبد الحكيم مصباحي الذي دخل بديلًا في الدقيقة الأخيرة من الوقت الإضافي.

وذكرت أن المنتخب الفرنسي كان متفوقًا بشكل كبير على مجريات اللقاء إلا أن المنتخب المغربي كان صامدًا بقوة أمام الهجوم الشرس للديوك.

دخل الحارس المصباحي في الدقيقة 120 محاولًا مفاجأة المهاجمين الفرنسيين، وحسب ما وصفت أنها كانت مغامرة أتت ثمارها، حيث أصبح بطلًا من ركلة جزاء مفاجئة، وحمل المغرب إلى نهائي كأس العالم تحت 20 عامًا لأول مرة في تاريخه.

On ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day show, Agar said Kohli’s ability to rotate strike leaves bowlers with little chance to exert pressure

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-2025Bowlers struggle to build pressure on Virat Kohli in ODI cricket, and one key reason for that is his ability to rotate the strike, Ashton Agar said on ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day show after the batter’s match-winning 84 in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai.Agar also said Kohli’s ability to manage the pressure from one end by finding the gaps makes him among the most difficult batters to bowl to in ODI cricket, and that combined with the other batters’ big shots makes it very difficult for teams to defend totals against India. Terming his innings as a “masterclass”, Agar said bowlers rarely feel like they’re on top of a batter of Kohli’s quality.”That’s the frustrating part about bowling to him,” Agar said in the post-match show on ESPNcricinfo. “It is not the damage that he can do to the fence, it’s just the fact that you cannot build pressure on him. So it’s really hard to get him out in a sense. You never really feel like you’re on top of him unless the ball is really spinning. And you don’t get a lot of pitches in one-day cricket like that.Related

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“He has this fantastic ability to hit your best ball, the top of middle stump, slightly spinning away, he holds the bat’s face slightly longer than other batters do, opens it in the last second, and hits it in the cover point gap. He’s probably the best in the world at doing that and he’s very difficult to build pressure on.”India batted around Virat beautifully. The guys who came in kept pushing the rate and allowed Virat to do his thing, hit the odd boundary and just keep ticking over. I saw a stat that Virat has scored the most singles since the year 2000, which is phenomenal. It was a bit of a masterclass from him and all the batters contributed nicely.”1:55

Kumble: Kohli always in control during chases

Kohli scored 64 of his 84 runs on Tuesday with ones and twos to slowly take the game away from Australia. Although he has been dismissed six times to legspinners since the start of 2024 for an average of only 12, he dominated Tanveer Sangha and Adam Zampa to score 35 in 33 balls against the leg-spinning pair before falling to the latter. Sanjay Manjrekar observed that Kohli was back to playing shots off the back foot.”Now you have five fielders inside the circle, so it’s not easy as it used to be – like during our times – when you had four fielders,” Manjrekar said. “Very rarely has he hit the ball straight to the fielder and hasn’t got a run.”So that one issue against spin that he had where he couldn’t rotate strike, hopefully that’s out of his system now. Because today was an affirmation that he is back to that very nice footwork, off the back foot playing late, finding gaps all the time. He was the best batter to find gaps from both sides [on Tuesday].Anil Kumble said he continued to be impressed by Kohli’s propensity to make tricky targets look easy.”He rarely makes a mistake,” Kumble said. “He’s totally in control. Especially in run chases. In a chase of around 265, he’s in total control except for the one chance to Maxwell. It’s not just this innings but every time he bats in a run chase, there’s hardly any loss in control. He’s always in control of this situation.”Kohli’s latest half-century marked his third 50-plus score in Champions Trophy semi-finals and his fifth in ICC knockout games. He is only one half-century away from Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six fifty-plus scores in ICC knockout games, while India are one more win away from making it two ICC titles in a row.

Shubman Gill and Maheesh Theekshana have become the new No. 1 men’s ODI batter and bowler respectively in the ICC rankings update released on the opening day of the Champions Trophy. Gill has gone past Babar Azam on his list, while Theekshana has gone past Rashid Khan on his.Gill had an excellent time of it in the home ODI series against England, which India won 3-0, with scores of 87, 60 and 112, which made him the top run-getter in the series, his 259 runs coming at an average of 86.33 and a strike rate of 103.60. The next highest scorer, Shreyas Iyer, was 78 behind Gill with 181 runs.This is the second time Gill has gone to the top of the pile in ODI cricket – the previous occasion was during the ODI World Cup in 2023.

Full rankings tables

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• Click here for the full player rankings

Gill’s rise has pushed Babar to second place. Gill has 796 rating points, while Babar has 773.They are followed in the top five by Rohit Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen and Daryl Mitchell, who has moved up two places after the tri-series in Pakistan where he scored 81, 10 and 57.Following the two-ODI series against England, Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka has moved up eight spots to No. 8, while Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan captain, has reached 15th place.Maheesh Theekshana became the seventh Sri Lanka bowler to bag an ODI hat-trick during the Australia series•Getty Images

Sri Lanka are not a part of the Champions Trophy, having missed out on qualification, but along with Asalanka, Theekshana made the most of the two-ODI series at home against Australia, returning 4 for 40 and none for 11.Rashid, who hasn’t played an ODI since last December, has slipped to the second spot, but isn’t too far behind Theekshana – he has 669 ratings points to the table-topper’s 680, and a good Champions Trophy campaign can take him back to the top.Behind Theekshana and Rashid on the bowlers’ table is Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi in the top five. Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand captain, has made big moves too, his five wickets in the three ODIs in the Pakistan tri-series giving him a five-spot boost and putting him at No. 7.

Glasgow Rangers were no strangers to signing players from Barcelona in the early 2000s, paying big money for Mikel Arteta and Ronald de Boer.

However, those at Ibrox nearly brought in Lionel Messi from the Catalan giants before he broke into the first-team picture at the Nou Camp.

The Argentina icon is rightly recognised as one of the best footballers to ever play the game and hasn’t looked back since making his senior Barcelona debut at the age of 17 in 2004. He spent 17 years with Barcelona before signing for Paris Saint-Germain and then Inter Miami.

Ballon d’Or

2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, 2023

World Cup

2022

Copa America

2021, 2024

Champions League

2006, 2009, 2011, 2015

La Liga

2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019

Ligue 1

2022, 2023

Uefa Super Cup

2009, 2011, 2015

Club World Cup

2010, 2012, 2016

Copa del Rey

2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021

Spanish Super Cup

2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018

Supporters’ Shield

2024

MLS League Cup

2023

Olympic Gold Medal

2008

French Super Cup

2022

Messi has won everything there is to win in the game, including eight Ballon d’Or awards, and he finally claimed World Cup glory with his country in 2022.

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However, things could have been so different for the magician, if those in Glasgow got their way.

How Rangers nearly signed Messi from Barcelona

As per a report from Goal, Rangers actually made enquiries to sign Messi on loan from Barcelona prior to his senior debut. Unfortunately, those efforts were turned down by those at the Nou Camp, but it was Alex McLeish’s son, Jon, who found Messi.

Talking on Graham Hunter’s The Big Interview podcast in 2017, McLeish went into detail on how his son’s love of Football Manager alerted him to Messi in 2003, with Rangers on the search for a replacement for Barry Ferguson.

Jon’s prediction of Messi becoming the greatest in the world was accurate, showing the powers Football Manager can have in real life.

Since joining Arsenal earlier this year, Andrea Berta has exceeded all expectations.

The new Sporting Director may not have been responsible for the signing of Martin Zubimendi, but he and his team deserve the credit for the other seven additions made to Mikel Arteta’s squad over the summer.

That includes the potential game-changers Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, who were included in the club’s Champions League squad.

Yet, he still needs to improve the club’s ability to move on players, including one in particular who earns more than Eze and Gyokeres.

Arsenal's Champions League squad

With the excitement of transfer deadline day and the return of the Premier League, it’s easy to forget that the Champions League draw took place last week, and the first games of the league stage are scheduled to take place in under two weeks.

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The Gunners’ first match will see them travel to Spain to play Athletic Bilbao, and while we can take a guess at what the starting line-up will be, we now know the squad Arteta has picked.

There are 23 names on the list – with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly being on the B list due to their ages – and not too many surprises.

The likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Gabriel Magalhães, Gyokeres and Eze are all there, for example.

Interestingly, so is Max Dowman, as being so young, he does not qualify as a ‘locally trained player’, which is someone who has spent three full seasons with the club between the ages of 15 and 21.

If the Hale End gem ends up playing in the league phase, he will become the youngest player in the competition’s history, taking the record from Youssoufa Moukoko.

Another positive inclusion is Kai Havertz, which suggests reports of him being able to return to the fray before Christmas were accurate.

However, there is one notable absence: a player who earns more than Gyokeres and Eze and should probably be moved on next year.

The Arsenal star earning more than Eze & Gyokeres

Given their performances over the last few seasons and the signings they’ve made, it should come as no surprise that Arsenal have a substantial wage bill, one that is further inflated by the additions of Gyokeres and Eze.

The former earns around £200k-per-week and the latter around £175k-per-week, which for one of the most prolific strikers in Europe and one of England’s most creative midfielders, seems about right.

Yet, both earn substantially less than Gabriel Jesus, who is on around £220k-per-week, which works out to £11.4m-per-year, or about £36m since he put pen to paper in early July 2022.

Since joining the club, the mercurial forward has made 96 appearances, in which he’s scored 26 goals and provided 20 assists.

In other words, in wages alone, he has cost around £375k-per-appearance, £1.38m-per-goal and £1.8m-per-assist.

Wages (Total)

£220k (£36m)

Appearances

96

Cost per Appearance

£375k

Goals

26

Cost per Goal

£1.38m

Assists

20

Cost per Assist

£1.8m

Unfortunately, the 28-year-old star has been left out of the UCL squad due to the ACL injury he suffered against Manchester United in January, and he’s likely to be out of the team overall until the end of the year at the earliest.

Now, it has to be said that, when fit, the former Manchester City monster is one of the most entertaining and skilful attackers to watch in the Premier League, and someone who would be a massive boost to Arteta.

However, since moving to North London, he has suffered seven injuries, which have forced him to sit on the sidelines for 519 days and miss 79 games and counting.

Ultimately, the “frustrating” Brazilian maestro, as dubbed by Micah Richards, shouldn’t be blamed for his horrendous misfortune in this regard.

However, it is impossible to deny the fact that he is extraordinarily injury-prone and, therefore, regardless of his undeniable talent, he cannot be relied upon as an important member of the squad.

Therefore, while it might sound harsh, Berta and Co should look to move him on at the end of the season, as he cannot sit on the sidelines on his wages for another campaign, only to leave for free in 2027.

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Ruben Amorim's position as boss is hanging firmly in the balance according to former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster, who also says Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner may not be best-suited to take over. United have made a woeful start to the season and the heat is firmly on the beleaguered Portuguese boss, who is desperate for results to improve, despite the win over Chelsea last weekend.

• Amorim on the brink?

  It has been an awful start to the season for Manchester United, coming hot on the heels of a disastrous campaign last term. The Red Devils finished 15th, their worst finish in the Premier League era, and they lost the Europa League final to Tottenham in Bilbao. This season has brought more misery, they were dumped out of the League Cup by League Two Grimsby and below-par performances have turned the heat up on the Portuguese boss.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Foster makes big call on boss

  Foster, who was signed to United for five years believes Amorim is living on borrowed time, but doesn't believe Crystal Palace's highly-rated manager Oliver Glasner will necessarily be the first choice to replace the Portuguese, if United decide to pull the trigger. Glasner led the Eagles to FA Cup glory last year and his side sit fifth in the Premier League, but his team set-up could prove to be a stumbling block.  

• Foster sees bleak future for Amorim

  Foster said on the Fozcast: "I think he has got a couple months left, probably. He'll go through a bad little run of two or three or four games in a row where he loses and eventually they'll go, 'Right, we've had enough now, it's obviously not working'. I just watch them, and I don't really see any kind of cohesion. Somebody who would be good for Man United is Glasner. He's only got nine months left on his contract at Palace. My only worry about it is that Man United are so sick and tired of playing three at the back. If they go and get Glasner and he goes, 'Right, I'm playing three at the back,' they'll go, 'Nah, come on mate. This isn't going to work.' For this guy to have lost five star players though and for Palace still look like they've got better. They're fifth in the league."

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  All eyes on Amorim

  There's a queue round the block to replace Amorim, and while Glasner is a favourite with the bookmakers, Gareth Southgate, Marco Silva and Mauricio Pochettino are named among the other contenders. It's a big one for Amorim away at Brentford at the weekend. 

Manchester United are rallying themselves to try and enjoy an improved Premier League season but have now pulled out of a huge deal for a priority transfer target.

Ruben Amorim speaks ahead of Manchester United vs Arsenal

The English top-flight has returned in all its glory and there won’t be a single eye in the footballing world that isn’t paying attention to Manchester United’s league opener against Arsenal on Sunday.

Ahead of the mouthwatering clash at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim has confirmed that new Red Devil Benjamin Sesko is ready to start despite only having limited time on the training field in the lead-up to the clash.

“I can see Ben being a striker at this club for many years. That is why we paid a lot of money. He didn’t have a lot of time (on the training field), but physically, he is ready. That is a big component in our league. He’s ready to play, and we’ll see if he starts.”

Coming as a major boost, his arrival will form one major part of trying to reshape Manchester United’s fortunes, but who else could be set to join the Amorim revolution?

Reports suggest Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller is on the Red Devils’ shortlist and carries an impressive profile that has also attracted Liverpool to his situation.

INEOS make £320m: AI predicts players Manchester United will sell this summer

It could be a busy summer ahead of Ruben Amorim’s first full season in charge.

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By
Charlie Smith

Jun 21, 2025

In the long-term, Harry Kane could also be set for a surprise transfer to Old Trafford amid a £56 million release clause in his Bayern Munich contract that is set to activate next summer.

INEOS clearly plan to push the boat out across their reign and were prepared to shatter Manchester United’s transfer record amid recent developments.

Manchester United pull out of Carlos Baleba move

According to Graeme Bailey speaking to United in Focus this week, Manchester United were set to submit a record bid for Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba. However, despite designs on smashing the £89 million fee paid for Paul Pogba, David Ornstein has now revealed INEOS are “not planning to proceed with Carlos Baleba move this summer”.

There was “direct contact between clubs but Brighton clear – not for sale”, leading the Red Devils to look elsewhere despite the midfielder’s own keeness to move.

Last term, Baleba registered four goals and two assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. His personal ambitions match recent interest from high places amid claims he wants to win the Ballon D’or after Rodri’s success, given the pair feature in similar positions.

Brighton were apparently set to hold out for £115 million, and with time ticking before the window closes, Manchester United appear to have moved on to other targets with the belief a stalling deal would deprive Amorim of midfield reinforcements before the deadline.

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