Chelsea chiefs are reportedly “fascinated” by one player, who could already be “on his way” to west London in the near future.

Players linked with moves to Chelsea in 2025

Todd Boehly and BlueCo’s series of summer investments reached the £200 million mark, with 13 new players making the move to Stamford Bridge before deadline day on August 30.

Chelsea chiefs have told in-form star that he now faces being sold

It would be a surprise.

3 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 24, 2024

Joao Felix, Mike Penders, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Marc Guiu, Renato Veiga, Estevao Willian, Filip Jorgensen, Tosin Adarabioyo, Aaron Anselmino, Caleb Wiley, Omari Kellyman, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho all put pen to paper on moves to Chelsea, with a few of them already impressing.

Sancho made quite an impression on his debut under Enzo Maresca against Bournemouth, setting up Christopher Nkunku’s late winner, and he bagged another assist for Nicolas Jackson’s opening goal away to West Ham over the weekend.

Brighton (home)

September 28

Nottingham Forest (home)

October 6

Liverpool (away)

October 20

Newcastle (home)

October 27

Man United (away)

November 3

Meanwhile, Neto got off the mark with his first ever Chelsea goal against Barrow in the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening. There could be plenty more to come from Dewsbury-Hall as well, but it is believed that Boehly and his transfer team are already planning to strengthen further next year.

Concerns surrounding Reece James’ injury record mean Chelsea are scouring the market for new right-backs, and there are some rumours that Victor Osimhen’s representatives have already been contacted ahead of January.

A break clause in the Nigerian’s Galatasaray deal means interested clubs are able to strike a deal and lure him away from the Süper Lig mid-season, and that is something which Chelsea are interested in doing.

Chelsea are said to have held talks with Osimhen’s agents already, to gauge whether a move in January is possible, with Napoli also reducing his release clause to around £63 million in a boost for Boehly.

Appearances

25

Goals

15

Assists

3

Shots Per 90

3.86

Key Passes Per 90

1.05

Successful Take-Ons Per 90

0.73

Meanwhile, the Blues’ search for world football’s brightest young talents remains an ongoing operation, with Clearlake bringing in a host of players under the age of 21 since their takeover of the club in 2022.

River Plate wonderkid Franco Mastantuono is a serious transfer target for Chelsea, according to some reports, but they’ll have to act quickly as Real Madrid have already opened initial talks to acquire his signature next year.

Chelsea "fascinated" by Patrick Dorgu who could be on his way

As per Tuttosport, promising young Lecce defender Patrick Dorgu remains on their radar, and officials at Chelsea hold him in very high regard.

The Italian news outlet shares that Chelsea chiefs are “fascinated” by Dorgu, who may also be “on his way” to the club in the near future. The Denmark international, valued at around £25 million, has become a regular for them in Serie A, and is seen as a “special” player by those who’ve worked with him.

“You can just say that with some players it can go incredibly fast,” said Denmark Under-21s coach Steffen Højer.

“He has already had a lot of playing minutes in Serie A with Lecce, and he has done really, really well. What is special about him is that he is a quiet and calm guy, but things are just incredibly natural for him on a football pitch.

“When he is put on a field, and it doesn’t matter which team, he just fits in, and he just makes incredibly many good choices for such a young player He has clear qualities, and then there is a lot of work that needs to be done in relation to both being part of the U21s, but also eventually making the national team.”

West Brom are looking at signing of a “confident” player who is without a club ahead of another English club, according to a new transfer update that has emerged.

West Brom transfer news

The Baggies knew the importance of a positive summer in the transfer market, as Carlos Corberan looked to give his side the best possible chance of going one better than last season and sealing promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

Mikey Johnston was arguably the most high-profile of West Brom’s transfer window, coming in from Celtic, but the likes of Callum Styles and Gianluca Frabotta also came in from Barnsley and Juventus respectively, giving the squad plenty of fresh quality and depth.

So far, those incomings have helped the Baggies make a strong start to the new Championship season, sitting right in the promotion mix. That’s not to say that further reinforcements may not be looked at, however, whether that be free agents, January signings or additions next summer, and one gem has been linked with a move to The Hawthorns.

West Brom eyeing move for "confident' gem

According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon [via The 72], West Brom are interested in signing teenage gem Piers Hatcliff, who was most recently at Southend United before departing the club and is yet to find a new side.

The Baggies aren’t alone in expressing an interest, however, with League One side Barnsley thought to be in the mix, although a move to The Hawthorns could offer him “a better route” in his career.

Granted, Hatcliff is a relative unknown and not the high-profile type of name who will get supporters excited, but he could be a shrewd young signing with a big future in the game. The midfielder has been lauded by former youth coach at Southend, Danny Heath, who once said of him:

“Piers has been at the club since he was an under-7 and we are all very happy that Piers has wanted to stay with the club. Piers is a positive, forward-thinking player that loves to attack to build, create and take goal scoring opportunities for the team. Piers has very good technical ability to attack with dribbling skills, combination play and also the ability to show good quality to produce an end product when in the attacking third of the pitch. Socially he is confident and demands high standards from himself but also his teammates.”

Having a nucleus of young homegrown talent is always important for any club, and for that reason, Hatcliff could be considered an exciting addition who may grow into a first-team player at West Brom over time.

West Brom will regret not selling star who earns more than Mowatt & Furlong

West Bromwich Albion had an opportunity in the transfer window to sell this player on.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 13, 2024

Gauging the progress of any young player is difficult, with injuries something that can get in the way, but the hope may well be that Hatcliff proves to be a masterstroke by the Baggies, pipping Barnsley to his signature by offering him Championship football in the process.

Zambia, which was suspended in 2019, is no longer a member, while Russia has been suspended

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2021The ICC has announced that Mongolia, Tajikistan and Switzerland will be its newest members during the 78th Annual General Meeting.Mongolia and Tajikistan are the 22nd and 23rd members of the Asia region, while Switzerland is Europe’s 35th Member, with the ICC now comprising 106 Members in total, including 94 Associates.Meanwhile, Zambia, which was suspended at the ICC AGM in 2019, is no longer a member due to continued non-compliance with ICC Membership Criteria. Russia too has been suspended and, according to a release, has until the time of the next ICC AGM to demonstrate compliance or risk having its membership terminated.The ICC Membership Criteria Zambia and Russia failed to meet

2.2 (a)(i) Have the appropriate status, structure, recognition, membership and competence to be recognized by the ICC (at its absolute discretion) as the primary governing body responsible for the administration, management and development of cricket (men’s and women’s) in its country

2.2 (b)(i) Have in place a detailed governance system that: (i) is fit for purpose; (ii) includes, as a minimum (a) a detailed written constitution containing provisions covering membership, AGMs and voting rights, and (b) adequate integrity related rules and regulations covering anticorruption, anti-doping and ethics; and (iii) is consistently applied

2.2 b(ii) Have in place an executive, administrative and corporate structure which is fit for purpose and which will enable the Applicant to exercise all the duties and responsibilities placed on it by its constitution and to meet its strategic plan

“We are delighted to be welcoming three new Members into the ICC family, which reflects the growth and potential of the global game,” William Glenwright, ICC general manager for development, said. “All three applications demonstrated an impressive commitment to growing the game – particularly amongst women and youth – and we look forward to assisting them in achieving their potential.”As cricket activity begins to emerge from the pandemic, we are at an exciting stage of cricket’s growth with ambitious plans and projects to deliver in partnership with our Members to not only navigate the impact of Covid-19 but to also help achieve transformative growth for the sport globally.”The Mongolian Cricket Association (MCA) was established in 2007. The sport was officially accepted into the National Youth Games in 2019. According to an ICC release, women account for 39% of all participants playing school cricket. In addition, Mongolia is due to host the International Youth Green Games in September 2021 where cricket has been selected as one of the participating sports.Cricket Switzerland (CS), which was inaugurated as an association in 2014, currently comprises 33 active clubs. They organise three domestic men’s competitions and compete regularly in Central European tournaments. The Tajikistan Cricket Federation, which was officially formed in 2011 with the support of the Ministry of Sports and Olympic Committee, has led the development of infrastructure and the building of a domestic cricket structure focusing on women and junior cricket.

After their Copa del Rey clash against Barcelona, Barbastro star Israel Garcia proposed to his girlfriend to add shine on a difficult evening.

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• Barcelona win 4-0 at Barbastro
• Garcia proposes to girlfriend
• Heavy defeat sweetened

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona cruised to a 4-0 victory away at Barbastro on Saturday, with goals from Eric Garcia and Pablo Torre coming either side of a Robert Lewandowski brace to send them through to the next round of the Copa del Rey. It was a straightforward victory for the Catalan giants over a team currently 16th in Segunda RFEF – Group 2. However, they will be no more pleased than the hosts' Garcia, who proposed to his girlfriend after the game.

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  Barcelona's victory comes amid chaos in the club over the failure to register summer signing Dani Olmo. The Spanish midfielder returned to the team he left in 2014, joining from RB Leipzig after his successful European Championship campaign. Although Hansi Flick insists that the club are not suffering from the crisis, uncertainty is still prevalent. The Olmo mess, coupled with mixed form in the league, has left them in a lurch.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

  Barcelona continue to try and navigate through their financial storm and Flick will hope to keep ignoring the murmurs in the background as his side take on Athletic Club in the semi-finals of the Supercopa de Espana on Wednesday.

The three-day match starting July 20 will feature “a number of players from the county circuit”, a Durham Cricket release said

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2021

R Ashwin has already bagged a six-for in a county game before the England Tests•Getty Images

India are set to play a three-day warm-up match starting July 20 against a County Select XI at Chester-le-Street in Durham. India will use the Riverside Ground “as a home venue for their preparations this summer”, a release from Durham Cricket stated on Wednesday.”The three-day game will see a number of players from the county circuit feature as they go up against the Indian national side,” the release said.There will be 90 overs scheduled per day with the game being played “strictly behind closed doors”, and will be streamed on Durham Cricket’s YouTube channel.India’s Test squad is currently on a break in the UK and is set to reconvene this week to start preparing for the five-Test series starting August 4 in Trent Bridge. R Ashwin also squeezed in a county game for Surrey against Somerset, where he took 6 for 27 in Somerset’s second innings of the drawn game.No tour games were scheduled for the Indian team until recently, and reports had said the visitors had made a late request for a warm-up game before the Test series. Soon after India lost the World Test Championship final to New Zealand in Southampton, captain Virat Kohli had even said that India wanted first-class games before the England Tests.”We obviously wanted first-class games, which I believe have not been given to us,” he said at the post-match press conference. “I don’t know what the reasons for that are. But yeah, other than that, I think our preparation time will be ample for us to be ready for the first Test.”While the squad had been on break, most players got their second shot of the Covid-19 vaccine last week, which was in line with the plans made by the BCCI to keep their players safe on the tour. There have also been recent cases of Covid-19 in the England set-up, when three of their players and four support staff members tested positive before the ODIs against Pakistan.The five Tests will be played at Trent Bridge, Lord’s, Headingley, The Oval and Old Trafford.

Faf du Plessis has been ruled out of Northern Superchargers’ first three games of the Hundred as he continues to suffer symptoms of concussions following a sickening blow to the head during the final stages of the PSL.Du Plessis suffered the initial concussion when his head collided with his Quetta Gladiators team-mate Mohammad Hasnain’s knee during a fixture against Peshawar Zalmi in Abu Dhabi in June. The injury ruled him out of the tournament and he returned to South Africa shortly after, before travelling to Croatia to quarantine ahead of the Hundred.Related

• Quetta Gladiators' du Plessis concussed during collision in field

• du Plessis ruled out of remainder of PSL 2021

He had been due to captain the Superchargers in the Hundred, but Ben Stokes led in his absence during their opening fixture on Saturday night against Welsh Fire.”The Northern Superchargers medical team have been assessing the 37-year-old since his arrival last Friday and have decided it is in the best interests of the batter to rest for the opening three games,” a statement said. “They will continue to monitor his progress.”The Superchargers confirmed on Sunday morning that Dane Vilas, the Lancashire wicketkeeper, has been recruited as a temporary replacement until du Plessis has recovered. Vilas was a £125,000 signing for Manchester Originals in the competition’s initial draft in October 2019 but lost his deal when the end of his status as a Kolpak meant he became an overseas player, rather than a local.Stokes will captain against Trent Rockets on Monday, with a new captain – likely to be David Willey or Chris Lynn – due to stand in against the Originals on Wednesday.

Michael Owen is convinced that Trent Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool to join Real Madrid, claiming that "secretive talks will have taken place".

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Owen convinced Trent will leaveReal eager to sign Trent in JanuaryLiverpool rebuffed first approachFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Liverpool striker believes Alexander-Arnold is now more likely to join Real Madrid than sign a new contract at Anfield. Owen has suggested that the full-back has held "secretive talks" with Los Blancos already which prompted them to formally approach the Premier League club.

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The England international has been strongly linked with a move to the Spanish capital for a long time and as per , Real are ready to pay a transfer fee to secure his signature in the January window. Liverpool rejected Real's initial approach, but Owen expects Alexander-Arnold to move to Santiago Bernabeu, either this month or on a free transfer in the summer.

Getty Images SportWHAT MICHAEL OWEN SAID

Taking to , Owen wrote: "The very fact that Real Madrid have now made their intentions clear towards signing Trent Alexander Arnold leads me to believe that it’s only a matter of time before he signs for them. If he was going to sign a contract extension, Madrid wouldn’t have officially made their move. Secretive talks will have taken place. Huge news."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

The Merseyside club, who are now eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a game in hand, will next take on Manchester United on Sunday at Anfield in the Premier League, with Alexander-Arnold likely to play a starring role for Arne Slot's team once again despite ongoing transfer speculation.

The summer transfer window officially slammed shut towards the end of last month and it was a busy last few weeks of the market for Celtic and their incoming business.

It was a slow start to the summer for the Scottish giants, who did not make a single outfield signing before August, but they finished it with a flourish.

Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel both came through the door before the last month of the window, following Joe Hart's retirement at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Hoops then swooped to sign Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah on permanent deals, along with Barcelona left-back Alex Valle on a season-long loan deal.

It then got to deadline day, shortly after the sale of Matt O'Riley to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion, and Brendan Rodgers dipped into the market to make three new additions to his squad.

Central midfielders Arne Engels and Luke McCowan came in from Augsburg and Dundee respectively, whilst centre-back Auston Trusty joined from Sheffield United.

Trusty has the task of displacing Liam Scales, as a left-footed central defender, in order to play alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers, who has been a rock at the back for Celtic for a number of seasons.

Cameron Carter-Vickers' current market value

At the time of writing (08/09/2024), Transfermarkt currently values the USA international at a whopping €14m (£11.8m) and that makes him the joint-highest valued player in the squad, alongside Kyogo Furuhashi.

In the summer of 2022, Celtic paid a reported fee of £6m to sign the central defender on a permanent basis after an initial year on loan with the club under Ange Postecoglou.

Carter-Vickers featured in 33 of the club's 38 Scottish Premiership matches in his season on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in the 2021/22 campaign, and won 68% of his defensive duels.

Appearances

25

29

Pass accuracy

91%

92%

Ground duel success rate

62%

59%

Aerial duel success rate

71%

74%

Clearances per game

3.4

2.9

As you can see in the table above, the American titan was a dominant figure at the heart of the Celtic defence in his first two seasons with the club as a permanent member of the team.

He has also won 67% of his duels and helped the Hoops to keep four clean sheets in four matches at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, which suggests that Carter-Vickers is on course for yet another impressive year at Parkhead.

Despite being the most valuable player in the Celtic squad and a consistently fantastic performer, there is a former Bhoys centre-back who is currently worth more than him – Kristoffer Ajer.

How much Celtic paid for Kristoffer Ajer

At the start of 2016, the Scottish giants swooped to sign the 17-year-old starlet from IK Start for a reported fee of just £650k, after the teenage gem had emerged as a first-team option for the side in his home country, in a deal that saw him officially join the club in the summer.

Curiously, Ajer played as a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, and as a centre-forward for Start, and contributed with 14 goals and seven assists in 61 matches in all competitions, including seven goals in 14 games as a striker.

The Norwegian gem initially joined the academy team, and played five UEFA Youth League matches in the first half of the 2016/17 campaign, before being sent out on loan to Kilmarnock at the start of 2017 – making 16 Premiership appearances.

Ajer then returned to Celtic and made 24 appearances in the Scottish top-flight during the 2017/18 campaign, with all 34 of his outings in all competitions coming as a centre-back.

The Norway international went on to rack up 176 games in all competitions for the Premiership giants, contributing with seven goals and seven assists.

Along with providing an attacking threat from a centre-back position, the towering colossus, who was described as "faultless" by former boss Neil Lennon, also showcased his defensive quality in his final Premiership season with the club.

Appearances

35

Pass accuracy

89%

Clean sheets

17

Ground duel success rate

57%

Aerial duel success rate

67%

As you can see in the table above, Ajer was a dominant performer at the heart of the defence for Celtic and that form helped him to earn a move to the Premier League in the summer of 2021.

How much Celtic sold Kristoffer Ajer for

Brentford swooped in to sign him from Celtic for a reported fee of £13.5m ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, following their promotion from the Championship.

This shows that the Hoops struck gold with the central defender as they turned a £650k signing from Norway into a £13.5m player, who also made the best part of 200 appearances for the club in all competitions.

At the time of writing (08/09/2024), Transfermarkt places Ajer's current market value at €15m (£12.6m) and that means that, whilst he is still more valuable than Carter-Vickers, his value has decreased since his move to the Bees.

This is another reason why the Scottish giants hit the jackpot with the central defender, as his market value has not improved during his time in England.

Therefore, Celtic seemingly cashed in on him at the perfect time and have not, as of yet, lived to regret selling him for £13.5m, as that currently looks like a fantastic deal by the Premiership side.

Appearances

28

Goals

2

Pass accuracy

76%

Clean sheets

2

Duel success rate

64%

As you can see in the table above, Ajer did feature in 28 of Brentford's 38 Premier League games in the 2023/24 campaign, but only helped his team to keep two clean sheets, which suggests that he was part of a leaky defence for Thomas Frank.

Ultimately, his performances in England over the last three seasons or so have not been good enough to see his value rise above the fee Celtic paid for him, which is why they struck gold with the Norway international, despite him still being worth more than Carter-Vickers.

Cost £900k: Celtic hit gold selling a star for more than Engels is worth

The Hoops played a masterclass with the “world class” midfield dynamo.

ByDan Emery Sep 8, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar do acerto iminente, o Corinthians ainda adota cautela para anunciar a volta do volante Paulinho, ídolo do clube. Em entrevista coletiva no CT Joaquim Grava nesta terça-feira, o o diretor de futebol do clube, Roberto de Andrade, detalhou como está a negociação com o jogador.

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– O Paulinho ainda não é jogador do Corinthians, e acho que o currículo do Paulinho não precisamos aqui estar falando, já mostrou em todos os lugares, é um grande atleta e, em mais alguns dias estará concluído, e vocês saberão todos os passos. Peço que aguardem, mas não posso falar de Paulinho como jogador do Corinthians ainda – afirmou o dirigente.

Nesta semana, imagens do jogador no centro de treinamento do Alvinegro foram vazadas nas redes sociais. Nelas, o atleta aparece utilizando o calção do clube e conduzindo a bola enquanto é filmado no CT Joaquim Grava.

– Ontem vazaram alguns coisas, ele nos fez uma visita, veio treinar, amigo nosso aqui, a gente recebe ele sempre que precisar da estrutura. Dos atletas que aqui estão, tendo esse peso de ser campeão mundial ou não, o que vale para nós é a capacidade desse atletas, o que ele pode entregar. Esse peso não aumenta, a camisa é pesada por si só, seja qual posição for, um dia estive em campo, hoje estou como gerente de futebol, existe uma responsabilidade tremenda, tem de ter cobrança. Ele ter sido um campeão mundial não vai fazer isso aumentar. A pressão pelo resultado vai ser a mesma – disse Alessandro, gerente de futebol do Alvinegro.

Paulinho e Corinthians já têm um acordo verbal há algum tempo e o contrato deve ser de dois anos. O jogador está livre no mercado após rescindir contrato com o Al-Ahli, da Arábia Saudita. Apesar do vídeo, o clube ainda não se manifestou.

continua após a publicidade

Last season, it may well have been the FA Cup that kept Erik ten Hag in the Old Trafford hot seat.

However, this term, there may not be a lot of saving him. Manchester United look as toothless as they ever have done during the Dutchman's tenure and after three games, things are not getting any easier.

United defeated Fulham on the opening day of the new Premier League campaign but they have now suffered back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Liverpool. Yes, they were tough fixtures but the performance in both games has left plenty to be desired.

Against the Seagulls, their lack of defensive organisation was bewildering as they left Joao Pedro unmarked at the back post to score late on.

We all know what Liverpool's attack can do but those in red did not help themselves one bit on Sunday evening.

It was a really poor performance as they slipped to a 3-0 defeat, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah downing Ten Hag's men who ended up looking rather sorry for themselves at full-time.

However, can we really argue with the manner of defeat when a certain Casemiro continues to be picked?

Casemiro's performance in numbers

Last season the Brazilian was a shadow of his former self. Often forced to play at centre-half, he was never convincing in that role. That said, you can slightly forgive him when playing out of position.

It was the former Real Madrid man's displays in midfield that were most worrying. So bad were the performances that Jamie Carragher pointed out that he should be departing the club during the transfer window, telling him to head to Saudi Arabia.

Well, that move did not happen and United are still paying for Casemiro's dreadful performances. Against Liverpool, he was comfortably the worst player on the pitch and it was hardly a surprise to see him dragged off at half-time. Ten Hag had seen enough as he put on academy graduate Toby Collyer instead.

Why? Well, the Brazil international was at fault for both goals in the opening 45 minutes. He gave away possession for the first and was then caught on the ball for the second. It was nicked away from him and before you knew it Diaz had the ball in the United net.

MEN's Samuel Luckhurst certainly didn't mince his words in his post-match comments, handing the veteran a 1/10 rating while suggesting it was 'one of the worst first-half performances by a United player at Old Trafford.'

After the arrival of Manuel Ugarte, that, quite frankly, should be that as far as his days as a regular starter are concerned.

Casemiro wasn't the only poor performer, far from it.

Joshua Zirkzee's performance in numbers

This was a proud day for summer signing, Joshua Zirkzee. After scoring a late winner on debut, he had to wait until the clash with Liverpool to earn his first start for the club.

Did he deliver? Not really, no. The aforementioned Luckhurst handed him a 4/10 rating, writing that he was 'completely out of kilter in the first half and might have come off had Casemiro not had to come off.'

Zirkzee vs Liverpool
Minutes played	86
Touches	33
Accurate passes	15/21 (71%)
Goals	0
Expected goals (xG)	0.88
Big chances missed	2
Dribble attempts	0/3
Ground duels won	0/6
Aerial duels won	0/4
Possession lost	13x
Fouls	2
Stats via Sofascore.

Damning indeed. Truth be told, the striker never really got into the game and eventually vacated the field on 86 minutes having had just 33 touches, 22 fewer than goalkeeper Andre Onana and 12 fewer than Casemiro.

What was most concerning, however, was the quality of finishing on display from the young attacker. He had one notable chance in the second half where he should have buried a header.

In all, this was a torrid afternoon for the Red Devils and they will have to go back to the drawing board.

Does Zirkzee keep his place? United have tried Bruno Fernandes in a false 9 position this term but it just hasn't worked. That's not to say it wouldn't work with a more dynamic forward player in that role though. Anyone for Amad Diallo?

INEOS have already struck gold on Man Utd gem who's worth more than Ugarte

Erik ten Hag has undergone a moderately successful transfer window

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 31, 2024