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Sunderland are on the hunt for some late deals and have submitted an enticing proposal to land a creative operator in the engine room, according to a report.

Sunderland continue mission to recruit late arrivals

The Black Cats have made quite the impression in the transfer window and don’t look to be done yet as they aim to give themselves a fighting chance of Premier League survival.

Aside from recruitment, Regis Le Bris made it clear that his side’s home form over the coming months will be critical if they are to stay in the top-flight for the foreseeable future, urging his players to feed off the energy of a raucous support.

He stated: “They are a key pillar of our identity. Sunderland is made with this support. If we don’t use it properly then it doesn’t make sense. If our fans recognise this identity, the willingness, the togetherness – they are happier when we win and that is fair, but we know this won’t be possible every time. If we are connected with this ambition and commitment, it will be a massive strength for us.”

Of course, enticing stars to play in front of faithful supporters is half the battle, though it appears they are doing a fine job, given Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi is set to join Sunderland in the coming days.

Furthermore, Juventus star Lloyd Kelly has been linked with a surprise move to Wearside, though they will also face competition from Crystal Palace for the former Newcastle United man.

Related Sunderland make transfer offer for £50,000-a-week World Cup semi-finalist

The Black Cats are on fire this summer.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Aug 29, 2025

Driving some hard bargains between now and Monday will be essential for Sunderland to maximise strength in depth, and they could now be set to complete another landmark capture if reports are to be believed.

Sunderland submit considerable Joey Veerman bid

According to De Telegraaf via Transfer Feed, Sunderland have submitted a bid worth over £26 million for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joey Veerman and the Netherlands international could now be in line for a late move to the Stadium of Light.

In response, the Eredivisie outfit have identified Anderlecht star Mario Stroeykens as a replacement that they want to bring in urgently due to the time of the window.

Offering a creative presence in the engine room, Veerman fashioned 71 chances on league duty for his teammates last term, per Fotmob, and netted once, alongside providing 12 assists in 40 appearances.

Continuing on a similar path, he has struck once and laid on two more efforts inside three outings across 2025/26, illustrating a level of vision that would help Sunderland carve out opportunities in the top-flight.

With a deal looking somewhat likely, Veerman would add to a new-look midfield at the Stadium of Light this summer that already includes the likes of Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki, albeit it may be intriguing to see exactly where he fits in.

While they didn’t exactly kick off their Premier League campaign in style, Chelsea got back on track with their thumping win away to West Ham United on Friday night.

The fans will be expecting Enzo Maresca’s side to do even better than last season this year, and rightly so, as the board have more than done their part over the last few months by significantly strengthening the side.

The likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens, Jorrel Hato and more all look like great buys, and with a week to go until the window slams shut, the West Londoners seem intent on bringing in more talent.

One of the players who now seems almost sure to join the club is Alejandro Garnacho, although if reports are to be believed, the Blues could be set to sign another international ace who’d keep him out of the team.

Chelsea target Garnacho upgrade

Chelsea’s interest in Garnacho has been a longstanding one, with reports touting him for a move to the club back in the winter window.

Transfer Focus

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

Things have significantly progressed this summer, though, with the Manchester United ace reportedly rejecting other clubs to join the Blues, so long as a deal can be worked out between the two sides.

The Madrid-born gem would undoubtedly add dynamism and more of a goal threat to Maresca’s squad, but it now looks like the West Londoners are closing in on another attacker, someone who’d surely keep him out of the team.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, which has reaffirmed Chelsea’s interest in Xavi Simons.

More than that, though, the report has claimed that, on top of already having an agreement with the player, the player will try to secure his move to the Bridge before deadline day.

In other words, the West Londoners are trying to bring the RB Leipzig star to Stamford Bridge this week, and while no price is mentioned in the story, reports from earlier this summer claim that an offer of £61m should be enough to seal the deal.

That is certainly a lot of money to spend on one player, but given Simons’ ability and potential, he’d be worth it, even if he’d keep Garnacho out of the team.

Why Simons would keep Garnacho out of the team

Unfortunately for Garnacho, while he is a versatile player who can thrive in attacking midfield and off the left, so can Simons.

In fact, the Flying Dutchman has shown himself to be even more versatile than the Argentine, as on top of playing in the middle and off the left, he has spent time off the right and up top.

In other words, the United ace would almost certainly be in competition for game time with the Leipzig star, and based on the last season or so, we’d pick the latter every time.

For example, when it comes down to their raw output, there is just no competition.

In his 33 appearances for the German outfit last year, totalling 2763 minutes, the unreal “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.

That means he was able to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.

In contrast, the 21-year-old Red Devils ace scored 11 goals and provided ten assists in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes, last term.

That comes out to a notably worse average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or every 169.90 minutes.

The comparison is just as, if not more, one-sided when we take a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers.

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.67

0.33

Progressive Passes

5.86

2.30

Progressive Carries

3.56

5.78

Key Passes

2.13

1.52

Passes into the Final Third

3.31

0.90

Passes into the Penalty Area

2.51

1.02

Shot-Creating Actions

4.52

3.40

Goal-Creating Actions

0.50

0.25

Tackles Won

0.88

0.74

Blocks

0.79

0.78

Clearances

0.79

0.45

Successful Take-Ons

1.38

1.07

Here, the former Paris Saint-Germain gem comes out comfortably ahead in most relevant metrics, such as non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes, shot and goal-creating actions, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, from their output to their underlying numbers, there is nothing that suggests Garnacho is even on the same level as Simons.

Therefore, as they play in the same positions on the pitch, it seems almost certain that the latter will keep the former out of the Chelsea team this season.

He's their next Palmer: Chelsea ace has held talks over leaving the Bridge

Chelsea really are having a summer clearout as this rising star looks set to be the next to leave.

1 ByKelan Sarson Aug 25, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

A janela de transferências atual do futebol brasileiro fecha no próximo dia 20 para negociações locais. E o diretor de futebol do São Paulo, Carlos Belmonte, deu o tom da postura do clube nesta reta final: tudo pode acontecer, sejam chegadas ou saídas.

– Não estamos nem fechados para reforçar o elenco, para contratar e nem para o contrário, que seria vender. Estamos de olho e abertos a oportunidades como foi com Igor Vinícius que não se recuperou sem cirurgia e trouxemos o Raí Ramos para a posição – disse o dirigente, em entrevista à ‘Rádio Transamérica‘.

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Além do lateral-direito Raí Ramos, citado nominalmente, o Tricolor também contratou nessa janela o meia Michel Araujo, que veio por empréstimo do Fluminense.

O clube, contudo, colecionou negativas. Nomes como o lateral-esquerdo Jamerson e o zagueiro Bernardo, de Guarani e Ituano, respectivamente, acabaram fechando com Coritiba e Fortaleza. Também houveram sondagens sobre o meia Gabriel Dias, que trocou o clube de Itu pelo Internacional.

– Sobre esperar mais jogadores… tentamos alguns, mas infelizmente não conseguimos. Temos um
ótimo elenco, com os jogadores que estão no departamento médico – definiu o técnico Rogério Ceni após o empate sem gols com o Ituano, em duelo válido pela terceira fase da Copa do Brasil, em pleno Morumbi.

– O São Paulo não tem dinheiro para sair contratando todo mundo e infelizmente teve lesões graves, com muitas cirurgias. Infelizmente, alguns vão demorar dois, três, quatro, cinco, seis meses para voltar. Muitas vezes, você não consegue repor uma peça ou todas essas que estão afastadas por lesão. É uma infelicidade, e nós temos esse elenco para sermos bem competitivos em várias competições – completou o treinador são-paulino.

+ Confia os jogos, classificação e simule resultados do Brasileirão-23 na tabela do LANCE!

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+ Confira jogos, classificação e simule resultados da Copa do Brasil-23 na tabela do LANCE!

continua após a publicidade

He said that it was important that New Zealand got overs into their spinners in Galle, which should help them in next month’s India Tests

Madushka Balasuriya29-Sep-2024

New Zealand lost the series 2-0 but had their moments, according to Southee•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand may have lost both Tests – the second particularly badly, by an innings and 154 runs – but a closer look at how the games panned out probably shows a picture not as dire as first imagined.In the first Test, they ran Sri Lanka closer than most, falling short in the chase as they lost by 68 runs. There they also had Sri Lanka on the ropes on several occasions, both with the ball and with the bat, but were unable to push on.”We had our moments,” reflected captain Tim Southee after the series. “Looking back at the first innings of the first Test, if we were able to push on there and gain a bit more of a lead then things may have been different in the series.Related

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“And I think the second match we were on the wrong side of the toss and it was tough to make those early breakthroughs and, yeah, it’s tough to come back from that.”Losing the toss definitely hurt New Zealand’s chances, though likely not as much as the number of chances they failed to take on the opening day of the second Test. Multiple catches were missed, and a stumping chance too. Southee acknowledged that this was not what they’ve come to expect of themselves.”Yeah, disappointing. No one means to drop catches. I felt like the energy and the ground fielding wasn’t too bad, but obviously, a couple of chances went down and it can hurt you in this part of the world.”But no one means to drop them, and the guys are working hard on it. It’s something that us as a Kiwi side, we pride ourselves on, so we’ll be looking to improve in that area as well.”With a tour to India next month, things are only going to get tougher. However, the experiences of Galle, for both the batters and bowlers, will no doubt hold them in good stead.Glenn Phillips did well with bat and ball in Sri Lanka•AP

Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips collectively bowled over 100 overs in the second Test alone, experience that Southee believes will prove invaluable for the challenges ahead.”I think just getting those overs into the spinners [was important]. Obviously when they’re playing in New Zealand they don’t have the opportunity to bowl a lot. You look to learn and move forward as a player and as a team, so it’s what we’ll be doing over the next week before we hit India.”Ajaz is obviously our main spinner and he did well throughout the series. Glenn Phillips, another guy who hasn’t bowled all that much, really showed that he has grown, and gone from strength to strength. They will all learn from that and we will hopefully do well in India.”As for the batters, while there will no doubt be regrets over how that horror morning session on day three turned out, their immediate response definitely offers up a truer reflection of what this New Zealand outfit hopes to achieve more consistently.Despite the margin of defeat, New Zealand notched up their highest score in Galle – 360 – and did so at an impressive run rate of 4.40 per over. It also served as a blueprint of sorts in how to effectively counter a turning surface.”The second innings was much more the way we want to play. The guys were quite positive and played in a more positive manner. It was a big shift from the first innings.”I think it was a much clearer way for the guys to play. They they went out and they played their shots. I don’t think it was reckless at any stage, even someone like Mitchell Santner, he was still hitting something like 50 of 100. So it was a good tempo innings, and it was about picking the right moments to attack and right moments to defend.”I think when the conditions are doing plenty and obviously spin was doing a lot at certain times, the guys were able to absorb at times, and also able to put pressure back on the bowlers as well.”

Former opener also feels “home advantage in Australia has been taken away quite a lot”, particularly under lights

Vishal Dikshit21-Aug-2024

Unlike Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden couldn’t pick a favourite for the series in 2024-25•BCCI

Former Australia batter Matthew Hayden believes Australia’s home advantage “has been taken away quite a lot” in recent years, and that runs are going to come at a “premium” in the forthcoming five-match Test series between Australia and India to be played from November 2024 to January 2025.As for the nature of pitches at the five venues – Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney – Hayden said on the sidelines of the CEAT cricket rating awards that “three [Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne] out of five are drop-in wickets”.”One is a day-night Test match [in Adelaide] – the second Test match,” he said. “Again, once you get those overhead conditions under that twilight zone, they can be really difficult [to bat on]. I would go as far as to say that the home advantage in Australia has been taken away quite a lot, simply on the basis that if you get the wrong side of a certain session, be that you’re 4 for 130, at twilight you can be 8 for 150.Related

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“So there’s no chance to naturally dominate a game. It’s quite even the whole time, so it’s a very different type of cricket, because you don’t have those traditional surfaces.”Australia have not only lost their last two home series against India, thus losing their grip on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for ten years now, but also saw their fortress in Brisbane breached twice in three years: the defeat to India in January 2021 followed by one against a much lower-ranked West Indies in January earlier this year, which resulted in a 1-1 drawn series.That slim, eight-run loss to West Indies was also Australia’s first in a day-night Test after 11 straight victories.Expecting the upcoming contest against India to be an “unbelievable and historic series” between the top-two-ranked Test teams in the world, Hayden couldn’t pick a favourite for the series, unlike his former captain Ricky Ponting, who has pipped Australia to win 3-1.”Those two, coming now to the later pages of their career, will be keen to dominate” – Matthew Hayden on Virat Kohli and Steven Smith•BCCI

“You look at the line-ups, and it’s hard to really tell who’s got the edge,” Hayden said. “I sense that it’s going to be runs that are going to be the point of difference. So the best need to stand up in this series; runs are going to be at a premium. And I also feel like the structure of the tournament being from the west to the east is a bit of the unique way that the Australian landscape of cricket is going to be played out. It’s usually the other way around. It’s going to be a great summer.”For runs, a lot of eyes will be on the experienced Virat Kohli and Steven Smith – the leading run-scorers in Tests for their teams among active players, and also prolific scorers against the teams they’re going to face soon. While Kohli averages 47.48 against Australia and 54.08 in Australia, Smith averages an even better 65.87 against India.”I’m sure those two players, coming now to the later pages of their cricket career, will be very keen to dominate the landscape through the summer,” Hayden said. “That’s their nature: they do it in very different ways, [and] very different styles, but certainly, they really are the keys to the Australian summer.”Hayden also pointed out the kind of challenge India’s batters will have to face in Australian conditions because of the steeper bounce and the size of the grounds across the country. When asked about the kind of impact a young and promising batter like Yashasvi Jaiswal could make, as was pointed out by Nathan Lyon recently, Hayden said Jaiswal had “superb” strokeplay, but that he’ll be challenged by three “world-class speedsters”.”I think he’s a package,” Hayden said of Jaiswal. “Yes, his strokeplay is superb. His ability, in particular, to hit on the up through the covers is phenomenal. [But] that’ll also have its vulnerabilities. I’m looking forward to seeing how he adjusts on bouncy tracks. We did notice a few times in the IPL that he’s a very hard hitter of the ball – [with the] pull shots in particular.”But that’ll be challenged by three world-class speedsters, assuming they’re all fit, and on much bigger grounds as well – grounds where it has to almost be the perfect contact for that ball to sail over for six. You can get caught easily, three-quarters of the way in the fence. So they have little adjustments that world-class players like Jaiswal will make for sure.”

It’s been a crazy few weeks for Tottenham Hotspur.

After delivering the North Londoners their first piece of major silverware for 17 years, it was announced that Ange Postecoglou was sacked on Friday afternoon.

While the timing of the decision may feel harsh, it’s not that difficult to see why Daniel Levy and Co made it, as the Australian had won just 47 of 101 games in charge of the club.

While nothing has been officially announced at the moment, it is looking more and more likely that the next man in the Lilywhites hot seat will be Thomas Frank, and based on other reports, he’s already told the club to sign someone who’d be a dream Brennan Johnson upgrade.

Tottenham's transfer targets

Now that Spurs appear to have identified their new manager, it’s worth looking at some of the talented players they’ve been linked with in recent weeks and months, such as Eberichi Eze and Xavi Simons.

Transfer Focus

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

The former enjoyed a superb season with Crystal Palace this year in which he helped the team win the FA Cup and racked up a tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in just 43 games, in turn, more than justifying the £68m release clause reportedly in his current deal.

Likewise, Simons managed to score 11 goals and provide eight assists in 33 games for RB Leipzig this season and would cost around as much as the Englishman at £65m.

However, to really upgrade on Johnson this summer, Tottenham would need to sign an out-and-out rightwinger, someone like Bryan Mbeumo.

Well, according to a recent report from the Mirror, that might be what they end up doing.

The report claims that Frank has instructed Spurs that he wants the club to sign the Cameroon international and make him his first summer acquisition.

To do that, the North Londoners would have to stump up a fee of around £60m and, more crucially, hijack Manchester United’s now well-documented efforts to bring him to Old Trafford.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but one well worth fighting for, as Mbeumo would be the ideal upgrade on Johnson.

How Mbeumo compares to Johnson

Now, while Mbeumo can play up top or even as a second striker, his most played and unquestionably best position is off the right, which would put him in direct competition with Jonnson next season.

So, with that said, who comes out on top when we compare the two?

Well, when it comes to their raw output, it’s actually the often “unplayable” Brentford star, as dubbed by Frank, who comes out on top, with 20 goals and nine assists in 42 appearances, totalling 3577 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.44 games, or every 123.34 minutes.

In contrast, the former Nottingham Forest star scored 18 goals and provided seven assists in 51 appearances, totalling 3316 minutes, which comes out to a less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.04 games, or every 132.64 minutes.

Unfortunately for the Welsh international, the one-sided nature of this comparison only grows when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Mbeumo vs Johnson
Statistics per 90	Mbeumo	Johnson
Non-Penalty G+As	0.58	0.58
Progressive Passes	3.72	2.93
Progressive Passes Received	9.26	8.14
Progressive Carries	3.43	2.48
Shots	2.08	2.23
Shots on Target	0.90	0.83
Passing Accuracy	66.1%	70.4%
Expected Assists	0.25	0.08
Key Passes	1.85	0.79
Passes into the Final Third	1.66	1.03
Passes into the Penalty Area	1.56	1.45
Crosses into the Penalty Area	0.50	0.25
Live Passes	30.7	25.8
Shot-Creating Actions	3.80	1.90
Goal-Creating Actions	0.53	0.29
Tackles	1.29	1.61
Successful Take-Ons	1.37	0.79
Ball Recoveries	4.12	2.60
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season

For example, the “incredible” Bees star, as dubbed by Frank, comes out ahead in the vast majority of relevant metrics, such as progressive passes and carries, shot and goal-creating actions, shots on target, successful take-ons, expected assists and many, many more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even though Johnson enjoyed a decent campaign for Spurs this season, Mbeumo is the superior winger in every measurable way.

Therefore, the club should do everything possible to sign the Brentford star this summer and reunite him with their soon-to-be-manager in North London.

He's another Bergvall: Spurs enter race to sign "extraordinary" wonderkid

The promising youngster could be a star at Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 7, 2025

Compared to their nearest competitors, this has been a quiet transfer window so far over at the Emirates Stadium for Arsenal.

Did you expect anything less? While Manchester City have spent a shedload on Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders, Manchester United have added Matheus Cunha to their ranks.

Over in Merseyside, Premier League winners Liverpool have already confirmed the arrival of Jeremie Frimpong to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold. Florian Wirtz is also set to arrive from Bayer Leverkusen in a British transfer record £116m fee too.

So, Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta better whack out the cheque book soon with plenty of new recruits needed, particularly in attack.

The latest on Arsenal's transfer plans this summer

Two of the biggest priorities at the Emirates are bolstering the wide positions and signing a brand new centre forward.

Out wide, we’ve seen notable links to the likes of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.

As for the striker position, it’s all about Benjamin Sesko. Arsenal reportedly opened talks regarding a deal for the Slovenian a few weeks ago. Now, according to German reporter Florian Plettenburg, there is a ‘positive’ feeling around the deal, but no agreement is in place yet over a deal that could reach £68m to £85m.

If a deal cannot be done for the RB Leipzig star, then it’s likely Arsenal will aim to conclude a deal for Sporting superstar Viktor Gyokeres.

The Gunners were interested in the Swede’s services last summer and that interest has remained over the last year. What’s the latest on this one? Well, amid interest from Premier League rivals, Manchester United, it appears as though Gyokeres would prefer the Gunners.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

That’s according to Saturday’s edition of Portuguese newspaper, Record. They suggest that north London and Arsenal is now a ‘dream’ destination for the 27-year-old attacker.

As a result, Record reveals that Man United are ‘no longer an option’ for the Sweden international. That’s despite the fact the Red Devils are now coached by Gyokeres’ previous manager at Sporting, Ruben Amorim.

According to previous reports, Arsenal have already lodged an offer worth £55m, of which £10m are bonuses.

What Viktor Gyokeres could bring to Arsenal

The great debate of the 2025 summer transfer window for Arsenal fans is whether Sesko or Gyokeres would be the better signing.

Well, as far as the raw numbers dictate, it would be the latter. There are few better finishers in the game right now than the Sporting sensation with the Swede scoring a ridiculous haul of 54 goals in 52 games throughout all competitions in 2024/25.

In the league alone, Gyokeres trumped Sesko considerably with the former now being described as “the best striker in Europe” by the Athletic, while former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot even posed the question: “Is he the best striker in the world right now?”

That question is a tricky one considering the level the big Swede has been playing at, but regardless of that, he’d surely be a sensational signing for Arteta’s attack.

They need goals and in the form of the Sporting star, they would find more of them. But, what qualities could be bring just outside of the goals?

Well, there are echoes of a certain Alexis Sanchez here. While the Chilean was certainly better on technique alone and he boasted better close control with the ball, they do have similar builds and running styles.

Indeed, one of the most notable traits Gyokeres can bring to the game is his bulldog-like style. His slightly stockier frame means he is a “human battering ram” in the words of the Athletic’s Mark Carey.

Outlining what makes him so difficult to deal with, Peter Kisfaludy, who was academy director at Gyokeres’s former Swedish club Brommapojkarna, once said: “He is a box player but he can also drive forward with the ball because he is fast and strong.”

What Arsenal have arguably lacked since the days of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sanchez up front is pace. Gyokeres would bring that, but like Alexis, he’d also bring the physicality to stand up to the test of rugged Premier League defences.

Alexis Sanchez in English football

Season (club)

Games

Goals

Assists

2014/15 (Arsenal)

52

25

12

2015/16 (AFC)

41

17

10

2016/17 (AFC)

51

30

18

2017/18 (AFC & MUFC)

40

11

9

2018/19 (Man Utd)

27

2

4

Stats via Transfermarkt.

The Chile superstar has a similar bulldog-like approach, described by FourFourTwo as someone who “plays like he hates losing”, hassling defenders and never giving them a moment’s peace.

Ultimately diminutive in size, Sanchez has a compact build like the Swede and his muscular frame, particularly in the upper half of his body, meaning he could drive forward and burst past defenders with the same sort of power we see from Gyokeres.

There are obvious differences, we cannot deny that, but by luring the Sweden international away from Lisbon, Arsenal may finally find a ruthless centre forward with the same level of efficiency, one who’s capable of replicating the South American’s incredible impact at Arsenal.

Can you just imagine Alexis in this current Arteta side? We can only dream.

Related He's a dream for Rice: Arsenal are about to submit bid for £84m "magician"

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 12, 2025

Much of the talk at Manchester United is currently centred on the goalkeeping ranks – amid reports that Andre Onana could be on his way this summer – although Sunday’s defeat to Newcastle United also showcased the Red Devils’ woes in an attacking sense too.

As that 4-1 thrashing highlighted, Ruben Amorim’s side are simply starved of quality at the top end of the pitch, with the visitors looking particularly lifeless following the loss of Joshua Zirkzee to injury, alongside the withdrawal of goalscorer, Alejandro Garnacho.

Substitute Rasmus Hojlund, for instance, has still scored just three Premier League goals this season, while the returning Mason Mount has just one goal and one assist to his name in 36 games for United in total.

Having relied on the talents of Amad Diallo during Amorim’s early tenure – with the Ivorian registering 12 goal involvements in 20 games under the Portuguese coach – the Old Trafford side having looked particularly short of ideas since the 22-year-old’s cruel injury blow.

In all, United have scored just 38 goals in 32 league games this season, while the recent Manchester derby marked the 12th time that they have failed to score in a top-flight fixture in 2024/25.

At least one new forward is then the priority this summer – will Wolverhampton Wanderers talisman, Matheus Cunha, be among those to arrive?

Latest on Man Utd's pursuit of Cunha

Tensions are brewing at Molineux regarding the future of their standout Brazilian, with Cunha – who only recently returned from a four-game suspension – having irked the Wolves fanbase following a subsequently deleted Instagram post, in which the 25-year-old stated that he “will follow my dreams, not yours”.

That hint regarding a potential exit has come after the former Atletico Madrid man previously outlined his desire to “take the next step” in his career, with the 14-goal hero signing a new contract back in January which includes a £62.5m release clause.

As reported last week, United could be among the clubs to trigger that clause this summer, with The Athletic outlining that Cunha is among those being considered to play in one of the two number ten berths under Amorim.

The in-demand talent – who is also courting attention from the likes of Newcastle United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest – notably scored and assisted against United on Boxing Day, having now racked up 39 goal involvements in just 76 Premier League outings to date.

It is clear then why Cunha would represent an attractive addition, even amid his recent disciplinary issues, albeit with there likely to be question marks over how the Red Devils would fund a move, with Amorim outlining that the club will have to sell before they can buy this summer.

The Man Utd flop who could help fund Cunha move

Reports have claimed that there could be more than ten first-team departures at the Theatre of Dreams ahead of next season, with the likes of Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof approaching the end of their contracts, while both Tom Heaton and Jonny Evans could be in line for retirement.

There will also be a desire to cash in on those who aren’t currently making an impact under Amorim, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony all in need of a permanent new home amid their respective loan moves.

In the case of the latter man, the Brazilian is one of those that INEOS certainly need to send packing after three dismal years in Manchester, with the former Ajax starlet having registered just 12 goals and only five assists in 96 games following his £86m arrival.

Antony

96

12

5

17

Amad

57

12

10

22

Jadon Sancho

83

12

6

18

Alejandro Garnacho

135

25

20

45

Dan James

74

9

9

18

Angel Di Maria

34

4

12

16

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

63

13

11

24

Memphis Depay

53

7

6

13

That grim record represents just what a costly mistake the 24-year-old has proven to be, with club legend Gary Neville describing him as “frustrating at times”, having only shown flashes of what he can do.

In truth, you can almost count on one hand the real high points that Antony has enjoyed in a United shirt, be it his crucial late equaliser in the eventual 4-3 win over Liverpool last season, or his long range stunners against both Barcelona and Real Betis in the Europa League in 2022/23.

That record against LaLiga sides perhaps illustrates why he has now found his feet while turning out for Betis in recent months, with the polarising left-footer looking like a man reborn with eight goals and assists in just 15 games for the Seville outfit.

Such performances are a positive in the sense that it should generate a market for Antony this summer, with the club desperately needing to shift their expensive flop off the wage bill, amid his reported salary of £105k-per-week.

That wage appears even more unjustified when considering that he earns more than what his compatriot, Cunha, is collecting at Molineux, with the Old Gold star taking home £90k-per-week, despite his stellar impact at Premier League level.

As Antony has shown in Spain, there does appear to be a player in there somewhere – albeit, just not a Manchester United one.

He could be their next Rooney: Man Utd submit bid to sign big-money star

Man United could welcome their new Wayne Rooney to Old Trafford this summer.

ByMatt Dawson Apr 14, 2025

What did we witness last night at Old Trafford? Manchester United reached the Europa League quarter-final in the most incredible circumstances, beating French side Olympique Lyon 5-4 on the night, and 7-6 on aggregate, in what will go down as an all-time classic at Old Trafford.

It’s hard to know where to begin describing the action, but United were 2-0 up at half-time, thanks to goals from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot. However, they let that lead slip in the second half, with Lyon clawing it back to 2-2 on the night, taking the game to extra time.

The French side, who were down to 10 men after Corentin Tolisso was sent off for a second bookable offence, went 4-2 up on the night in extra time. The impressive Rayan Cherki scored their third, and Alexandre Lacazette the fourth, from the penalty spot.

However, this is Man United; they are never down and out. With 114 minutes on the clock, Bruno Fernandes pulled one back for the Red Devils, also with a penalty, before Kobbie Mainoo equalised in the 120th minute of the game. Enter Harry Maguire, who gave United a 5-4 lead in the 121st minute. His fantastic header met Casemiro’s cross and rifled into the back of the net, winning the game for the Red Devils.

It was an extraordinary night, with Mainoo making a huge impact off the bench.

Mainoo’s stats vs. Lyon

United fans will always get behind their academy graduates, so for Mainoo to score the equaliser in an instant classic, it must have been special for the United midfielder, who actually played at centre-forward, and the fans. What a goal it was, too.

Getting on the end of a smart touch by Casemiro, the England international showed exceptional composure to bring the ball down with the outside of his right foot.

He then created space and took a couple more touches, shifting the ball into a favourable position to shoot, before he let fly. Mainoo’s strike nestled in the far right corner, a sublime goal in extraordinary circumstances.

Tyler Fell, a journalist for GiveMeSport, was incredibly complimentary of Mainoo, giving him a 7.5/10 for his efforts against Lyon. The journalist praised the United number 37 for his ‘phenomenal’ effort.

After a performance like that, the 19-year-old surely has to become a more prominent starter under Ruben Amorim, especially now that he’s over his recent injury issue. The same can certainly be said for another of United’s top performers in the historic clash with Lyon.

The player who should be a key starter under Amorim

You might struggle to find a performance with as much character this season as the one Leny Yoro put in against Lyon. After scoring a crucial first goal in the first leg last week, he was sensational at Old Trafford on Thursday, putting his body on the line and showing excellent ability with the ball at his feet.

Fell clearly thought that Yoro was excellent against the French side. Just as he did for Mainoo, the GiveMeSport writer gave him a 7.5/10, exclaiming that he ‘defended heroically’ and ‘used his pace to bail his side out’ if Lyon found a way past United’s defensive line.

Indeed, the 19-year-old’s stats from the game show just how well he played. As per Sofascore, Yoro had 66 touches of the ball, made nine clearances and won four out of his five attempted tackles.

Touches

66

Pass accuracy

93%

Passes completed

43/46

Clearances

9

Ground duels won

5/9

Tackles won

4/5

Interceptions

2

Chances created

1

Described as a “generational” player by writer Liam Canning, it felt like a statement performance from the United number 15 against Lyon. In high-pressure moments, he was there, throwing his body on the line to stop the opponents from finding a way through.

It was a colossal showing from the teen sensation, who showed once again why he should, and has, become such a key player under Amorim. United have made it to the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they face a tough tie against Athletic Club.

It certainly feels like Yoro will be a pivotal part of this Red Devils side if they are to go all the way and lift the trophy in Bilbao at the end of the season.

Saved by Maguire: Man Utd must axe star who lost the ball every 4.8 touches

Harry Maguire proved to be Man Utd’s unlikely hero in Thursday’s crazy game at Old Trafford

ByRobbie Walls Apr 18, 2025

The fast bowler finds a way to thrive in all conditions but in Kanpur his magic balls just kept beating the bat

Alagappan Muthu27-Sep-2024It started from the very first delivery of the day. Jasprit Bumrah saw it skitter through at shin height and bounce before it reached the wicketkeeper.In a way, that helped India. Their pre-match suspicions about Kanpur having low bounce were confirmed and their slip cordon was a lot more confident with the positions they’d chosen, really close in to the bat. Bangladesh’s first wicket fell because Yashasvi Jaiswal was only 14 metres away at gully.Bumrah puts a lot of effort behind the ball. His action is only one small part of why he is so hard to face. The rest of it comes from the snap of his wrist, which helps him dig the seam into the pitch and extract every bit of help that’s there, whether it’s movement or bounce. The fact that he did all that and the ball still barely rose up off the surface set the tone for the rest of his day.Usually, it’s great being Jasprit Bumrah. Just this once, it wasn’t.He bowled three straight maidens to start his spell, with Zakir Hasan hopping about, unsure of which of his edges were in danger. He also allowed 17 leaves in his nine overs. He was a little up and down. And yet, the genius that he is, he still produced 22 false shots (that’s a ratio of one every three balls) and beat the bat thrice (6) as often as any other bowler.Eventually, even the good work that he was doing brought Bumrah a little bit of frustration – because this time unlike many others – he was really trying to get wickets instead of what he usually does which is settle on a length and slowly prey on the batter’s technique. He kept shifting from over the wicket to around and back again, like a go-between trying to patch up a lover’s quarrel. He had to experiment like this because the softness of the pitch had given Bangladesh a margin of error. On a harder surface, the ball might have gone through quicker and carried through higher and made him more of a threat. On this one, the batters seemed to have an extra second to adjust to all the sideways movement he were getting.India, though, had a deep enough bowling attack and together they kept Bangladesh under enough pressure that at the end of a truncated day’s play, they were still in control of the game. Their decision at the toss to bowl first – a first such instance in a home Test since 2015 – was built on the basis that the three-man pace attack would be able to exploit the overcast conditions. And it can be no bad thing that their fast bowlers are getting as much of a workout as they are in a home season that is leading into a huge away tour of Australia.1:14

Manjrekar: If India’s batting comes good, could be a third series win in Australia

Akash Deep’s performances, not just his wickets, but the way he seems to be getting them in his first spell, are a good sign. If he keeps this up, one of the problems that affect India when they travel – the support bowlers following the lead bowlers and releasing the pressure – may not have too much of a say on the final scorecard.For now, the attention remains on Kanpur. Its weather will keep India’s fast bowlers front and centre and Bumrah will be back on day two – so long as the rain stays away – producing more magic balls. Everybody walked off to the dressing room on the back of one, actually, and as he saw it nip past, instead of taking the outside edge, Bumrah threw his head back and half smiled. Usually, it’s great being him. Just this once, it wasn’t.