Heading into the 2025 summer transfer window, Arsenal fans were expectant. They were promised an unprecedented summer and despite the slow pace with which a deal for Viktor Gyokeres was completed, the Gunners indeed had a crazy summer.

That striker deal was finally wrapped but Andrea Berta strengthened Mikel Arteta’s squad in every single position possible.

At the back, Kepa arrived from Chelsea in a £5m deal while Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie, two of the most exciting young defensive talents in Europe, both signed.

In midfield, Martin Zubimendi was the marquee addition but he was joined by former Brentford skipper, Christian Norgaard.

It was the forward line that was bolstered most, however. Gyokeres, of course, was the big addition but beside him came Noni Madueke – a signing that sparked controversy – and one that had the whole fanbase unified; Eberechi Eze.

What those signings have done is take this squad to the next level. It’s another phase and level of progression for Arteta’s side and even with a whole host of injuries – namely to William Saliba, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka – they swept aside Nottingham Forest with ease on Saturday.

It’s not the first time that Arteta has chosen to take the team in a new direction; Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko are testament to that.

The Jesus and Zinchenko sagas at Arsenal

In the summer of 2022, Arteta knew he needed something to take his project to the next level.

In order to do that, he signed Jesus for £45m and Zinchenko for £30m from Manchester City within just a few weeks of each other.

Proven winners, players he knew from his days as assistant head coach to Pep Guardiola, this was a strong recipe tor success and indeed they changed the game when they first arrived.

Zinchenko allowed a huge level of tactical progression. The left-back is one of the finest inverted full-backs in European football which allowed Arsenal to gain more possession and control the tempo of a game more efficiently.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

How about Jesus? Well, he brought spice, he brought trickery and he brought goals. The Brazilian’s first few months at the Emirates Stadium were a sight to behold.

A proper Brazilian forward, Jesus was spellbinding. He beat players for fun and, importantly, he scored goals. In his first nine Premier League outings, he bagged five times and also registered four assists, proving to be a unique all-round threat.

The trouble is, while Arsenal got better as a squad, the importance of Zinchenko and Jesus became less and less.

The Ukrainian, for all of the good he brought in possession, was a liability defensively and Jesus, well, he just can’t seem to stay off the treatment table.

We all got a reminder of just how good the 28-year-old is when he scored six goals in the space of five games over the 2024/25 festive period, including a hat-trick in the Carabao Cup against Crystal Palace.

Yet, his season was turned upside down when he ruptured his ACL in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.

Even before that, however, he was beginning to be phased out by Arteta. Kai Havertz was now the golden striker.

At left-back, meanwhile, Arteta upgraded on Zinchenko by adding Riccardo Calafiori to the fray. The emergence of Hale Ender, Myles Lewis-Skelly, also bumped him further down the pecking order.

Arsenal’s game-changers were no longer game-changers; they were merely spare parts in this squad.

The same is now happening for two of Arteta’s most trusted forward players at the Emirates. It would be a surprise if they started games regularly again.

£66m Arsenal duo are going to suffer this season

What a transfer window Arsenal had. Yet, unfortunately for two players in the forward line, they may well find themselves reduced to bit-part figures, just like Jesus and Zinchenko in the last few years.

The players here are Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, key components of the Gunners’ forward line for a number of seasons now.

Unfortunately for Martinelli, he doesn’t look as though he’ll ever live up to his sky-high potential. Once described as a “talent of the century” by Jurgen Klopp, it feels like a long time now since the Brazilian netted 15 Premier League goals in a single campaign.

It also feels like a long time since Trossard’s 17-goal haul in 2023/24. That season, only Bukayo Saka scored more goals for Arsenal.

It’s safe to say that 2024/25 was not one full of too much success for either player. While Martinelli did score inside the Bernabeu, he and Trossard both ended the term with ten goals apiece from 51 and 56 games respectively.

It’s not an awful tally, but you need more, particularly when Arsenal were contending with injuries to the likes of Saka, Havertz and Jesus.

So, over the summer of 2025, Arsenal have undergone another level of progression, one that could spell the end for any thoughts both Martinelli and Trossard had of gaining regular starts.

Indeed, with Madueke and Eze having entered the fray, immediate upgrades have been sourced on the £270k-per-week duo. We saw that first-hand during Arsenal’s win over Forest at the weekend.

While Madueke didn’t leave the pitch with a goal or an assist, he was relentless down the right-hand side and showcased why he will be the most natural back-up and competition for Saka. He completed five key passes and also registered five successful dribbles.

As for Eze, he was a breath of fresh air on the left-hand side of the attack. Jinking past players for fun, he was the player who registered the assist for Gyokeres’ goal.

Running in behind, the Hale Ender was picked out by Calafiori. Eze did not need a touch to set himself, ultimately sliding the ball into the path of the big Swede who couldn’t miss from a matter of yards out.

It was a performance that evoked memories of the 2022/23 side, one that Jesus and Zinchenko were part of. The football was slick, it was sweeping and it got past the Forest defence with ease.

Unfortunately for the £66m-rated pair of Trossard and Martinelli, it’s not good news. Still, for fans of the club, it was incredibly refreshing to see a pair of wingers with the desire to beat their man.

Arsenal star looks like their best bargain since the days of Henry & Vieira

Very rarely does a player feel like a bargain but Andrea Berta has struck gold on this one.

By
Matt Dawson

Sep 15, 2025

يشهد اليوم الأحد الموافق 2-11-2025 مجموعة من المباريات القوية والمنتظرة على مستوى الدوريات المحلية والعالمية، إذ تتجه أنظار الجماهير العربية نحو منافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز، بالإضافة إلى مواجهات نارية في الدوريين الإنجليزي والإسباني.

في الدوري المصري الممتاز، يلتقي الأهلي نظيره المصري البورسعيدي في مواجهة مرتقبة على ملعب برج العرب بالإسكندرية، ضمن الجولة الثالثة عشر من المسابقة، بينما يصطدم الزمالك بفريق طلائع الجيش في اختبار مهم للأبيض الساعي للعودة إلى الانتصارات بعد سلسلة من النتائج المتذبذبة.

وفي إنجلترا، يخوض مانشستر سيتي بقيادة بيب جوارديولا مواجهة صعبة أمام بورنموث على ملعب الاتحاد، بحثًا عن تعويض خسارته الأخيرة أمام أستون فيلا، فيما يواجه وست هام يونايتد خصمه نيوكاسل في لقاء متوازن ضمن الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

أما في إسبانيا، فتتجه الأنظار إلى ملعب مونتجويك حيث يستضيف برشلونة نظيره إلتشي في لقاء لا يقبل القسمة على اثنين، في ظل سعي الفريق الكتالوني لمطاردة ريال مدريد المتصدر. كما تشهد الجولة الحادية عشر مواجهات قوية أبرزها ريال بيتيس أمام مايوركا وألافيس ضد إسبانيول.

وفي إيطاليا، يلتقي إنتر ميلان مع هيلاس فيرونا في الجولة العاشرة من الكالتشيو، فيما يسعى ميلان لتأكيد عودته إلى المنافسة حين يواجه روما في قمة مرتقبة على ملعب سان سيرو.

أما في فرنسا وألمانيا، فتقام مجموعة من اللقاءات المثيرة أبرزها مواجهة بريست أمام ليون في الدوري الفرنسي، بينما يلتقي كولن مع هامبورج وفولفسبورج أمام هوفنهايم في البوندسليجا.

طالع أيضًا | محسن صالح: الأهلي يحتاج 5 صفقات.. ولا تنسيق بين المنتخبين الأول والثاني مواعيد مباريات اليوم الأحد 2-11-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات الدوري المصري اليوم

بيراميدز ضد الاتحاد السكندري، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “On Time Sports 2”.

الزمالك ضد طلائع الجيش، الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “On Time Sports 1”.

الأهلي ضد المصري، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 9 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “On Time Sports 2”.

سيراميكا كليوباترا ضد بتروجت، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 9 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “On Time Sports 1”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي اليوم

وست هام يونايتد ضد نيوكاسل، الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 1 HD”.

مانشستر سيتي ضد بورنموث، الساعة 6:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 1 HD”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإسباني اليوم

ليفانتي ضد سيلتا فيجو، الساعة 3 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 4 عصرًا بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 3 HD”.

ألافيس ضد إسبانيول، الساعة 5:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:15 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 2 HD”.

برشلونة ضد إلتشي، الساعة 7:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 3 HD”.

ريال بيتيس ضد مايوركا، الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 11 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 3 HD”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإيطالي اليوم

هيلاس فيرونا ضد إنتر ميلان، الساعة 1:30 ظهرًا بتوقيت مصر، 2:30 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق Starz Play.

تورينو ضد بيزا كالتشيو، الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق Starz Play.

فيورنتينا ضد ليتشي، الساعة 4 عصرًا بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق Starz Play.

بارما ضد بولونيا، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 8 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق Starz Play.

ميلان ضد روما، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر تطبيق Starz Play. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الفرنسي اليوم

رين ضد ستراسبورج، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 2 HD”.

نانت ضد ميتز، الساعة 6:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:15 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 6 HD”.

تولوز ضد لوهافر، الساعة 6:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:15 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 7 HD”.

ليل ضد أنجيه، الساعة 6:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:15 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 4 HD”.

لانس ضد لوريان، الساعة 6:15 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:15 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 4 HD”.

بريست ضد ليون، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “beIN Sports 5 HD”. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الألماني اليوم

كولن ضد هامبورج، الساعة 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

فولفسبورج ضد هوفنهايم، الساعة 6:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 7:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

Adam Lyth’s patiently accumulated 185, and Jonny Bairstow’s typically belligerent half-century, set Essex an unlikely 520 to prevent Yorkshire chalking up their second Rothesay County Championship win of the season.Lyth’s second century of the spring, the 39th of his 18-year first-class career, spanned six hours and 41 minutes of determination and obduracy. The 37-year-old left-hander shared a 153-run second-wicket stand with James Wharton, who added 61 to his unbeaten 63 from the first innings, that underpinned Yorkshire’s 426 for 6 declared.The declaration was hastened by Bairstow’s 79 from74 balls that included three sixes and was part of a roller-coaster sixth-wicket stand of 99 with Matty Revis, who contributed 37 off 32 balls. The only consolation for Essex’s dispirited fielders who circled the boundary by the end, were career-best bowling figures of 3 for 96 for young seamer Noah Thain.The sense of gathering despair continued when Essex batted. They lost four wickets in the 27 overs that remained in the day in the face of some accurate seam bowling from Jack White, who took 3 for 17. Essex eked out 64 runs by the close but, with 456 to win, are staring down the barrel of back-to-back defeats when they resume on day four.Essex’s hopes of batting out nearly four sessions became considerably harder when White got a delivery to jump up around Dean Elgar’s adam’s apple as early as the second over and it was fended off into third slip’s hands.George Hill followed up his six-wicket haul from the first innings by trapping Tom Westley lbw with only his fourth delivery in the second. And next over Charlie Allison drove White uppishly to a tumbling mid-off while Robin Das nudged one to first slip.With Sam Cook rested in light of his potential England debut against Zimbabwe later this month, the Essex attack had lacked penetration. Lyth took advantage and swept Simon Harmer for his 13th boundary to reach three figures in just under four hours at the crease, having faced 196 balls. Another sweep off the same bowler brought up the century stand, also from 196 balls.The partnership might have been parted just before then when Wharton pulled Kasun Rajitha to square leg where Elgar put down the opportunity. Wharton took advantage and reached a 104-ball fifty with a six and a four, both to cow corner, during an over from Matt Critchley.The partnership was eventually broken when Wharton became Harmer’s first wicket of the game, after 38 overs of toil, as the ball was lofted halfway to the boundary. The loss of his long-time partner did not inconvenience Lyth, who pulled Thain into the pavilion for six and reached 150 from 237 balls.Jonny Tattersall helped put on 72 for the third wicket before he took a wild swing at Thain, the ball steepling so high that the bowler had time to amble down towards the batter’s crease to complete the catch.Lyth’s innings finally ended after 287 balls, 23 fours and that six, when he played a loose, uppish drive to wide mid-off to give Thain his third wicket.Critchley then claimed his 200th first-class career wicket when Hill chased one outside off-stump and was held at slip.Bairstow, dropped on five by slip that would have enhanced Thain’s analysis, played an unorthodox reverse sweep-cum-pull that sent a delivery from Critchley for six over point. With the declaration looming, Bairstow and Revis rattled off 29 runs in a 14-ball spree before the captain raced past his second half-century of the season with two sixes in the last over before tea from Shane Snater that also included a ramped four.Yorkshire batted on for 14 balls after tea before Bairstow holed out to long-on and immediately called a halt to proceedings.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em um mês e meio, Arthur Elias vai deixar o Corinthians e iniciar sua jornada na Seleção Brasileira Feminina, e a final do Brasileirão deve ser a última partida do treinador na Neo Química Arena, já que ele se despede das Brabas após o encerramento da Libertadores.

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Arthur chegou ao comando da equipe feminina do Timão em 2016. Desde então faturou 14 títulos com as Brabas, tornando-se o treinador mais vencedor e longevo no cargo.

O título brasileiro não apenas seria a “cereja do bolo” de um trabalho revolucionário no país, mas ele também defende uma invencibilidade em Itaquera. Sua equipe jamais perdeu ou empatou jogando na Neo Química Arena. São 16 vitórias, 44 gols marcados, e apenas dez sofridos.

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– Que seja um grande dia, que eu consiga encerrar essa trajetória, principalmente no Campeonato Brasileiro, dirigindo o Corinthians com algo que representou muito. Foi uma equipe vencedora e eu vou trabalhar demais esses dias para conseguir alcançar esse objetivo, junto com esse grupo fantástico de atletas que eu tenho – afirmou Arthur Elias durante coletiva.

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Corinthians

Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac have been urged to dispense with manager Phil Parkinson and appoint Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg as the Welsh club aim to finally reach the Premier League. The club have endured a difficult start to life in the second-tier after flying up the divisions from non-league, and the pressure is ramping up on the Wrexham head coach.

• Wrexham's difficult start

  The Welsh club have flown up the divisions since Reynolds and Mac took the reigns, but have appeared to hit something of a plateau after their promotion into the Championship. Thus far this season, Phil Parkinson's side have won just two of their 10 games, drawing four and losing four. As a result, they sit 19th in the table, and are already eight points behind the play-off places, increasing the pressure on manager Parkinson. Now, Anders Limpar has insisted that the club should make a change, and look towards a former Invincible in Ljungberg. 

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  Limpar's recommendation

  Limpar told Hajper: "Should Ryan Reynolds speak to Freddie Ljungberg about the Wrexham job in the future? Yes, why not! Freddie Ljungberg is a good communicator. I think he’s ready to step in to take on another team. He has the right personality.

  "Unfortunately he got the sack from Wolfsburg and then suddenly he just stopped but that’s not fair on Freddie because when he talks about football, he is a very clever guy and he can see the systems as an analyst as well. For whoever gives him another chance, he will be an unbelievable manager.

  "In general, if you ask a Swedish person about Wrexham they don't have a clue but for those of us who are following the Premier League and the Championship, for sure they are known as a small club who are trying to get up the leagues.

  "We have (Olof) Mellberg, Freddie and Henrik Larsson. All three are potentially very good managers. It was between Graham Potter and Olof Mellberg for the Swedish job. So give them a chance. There would be no regrets for the club."

• Ljungberg's CV

  Ljungberg was previously an interim manager at Arsenal but has never actually managed a senior team for any length of time. He did work in the Gunners' coaching staff for some time, doing so between 2016 and 2017, and then again between 2018 and 2020. Upon his departure, he confirmed his desire to pursue new managerial opportunities, but they have not been forthcoming. 

  At the time, he said: "I have decided to leave my first-team assistant coaching role at Arsenal to progress my management experience. I have been involved with this club on and off since 1998 and am grateful for all the opportunities they have given me both as a player and as a coach.

  "I wish Mikel and all the team every success for the season ahead. Thanks also to the fans for their constant support and for always being by my side. I hope we will all meet again soon."

  Edu, who was Arsenal's technical director at the time, also lavished praise on the Swede, adding: "We're really sad to see Freddie leave as we know how much he loves Arsenal. However, we know he has had various opportunities over the last 12 months and stuck to the job at Arsenal. Now he has the opportunity to consider other options, and it makes sense for his career at this time.

  "Freddie has made a huge contribution in his coaching role, most importantly when he led the team during that difficult period between Unai's departure and Mikel's appointment. We will forever be grateful for what he did then and what he's done since but fully recognise his desire to move on and be a head coach himself."

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  What comes next?

  Wrexham's next fixture comes against Oxford United this weekend, in what could be fairly termed as a six-pointer. Oxford sit 20th, just one place behind Parkinson's side, and will be out for a scalp this weekend. Parkinson will be hopeful of recording three morale-boosting points as they aim to climb the league table. 

Ninth-wicket pair bat out more than 10 overs to keep Lancashire winless

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay19-May-2025England bowlers past and present, James Anderson and Tom Hartley, took two wickets apiece but Lancashire’s Rothesay County Championship against Derbyshire ended in a tense draw with the visitors closing on 220 for 8, still 109 runs short of what had become a notional victory target.In the morning session, Lancashire had declared 184 for 7, thereby challenging their opponents to score 328 in 88 overs for victory. Harry Came made 63 as the visitors chased this target but, after reaching tea on 165 for 5, Derbyshire’s batters settled for securing the draw.The heroes were Anuj Dal, who faced 114 balls for 13 not out, and Jack Morley, who was unbeaten on nought after 36 balls when the game ended. Anderson finished with 2 for 25 from 16 overs and Hartley 2 for 38 from 20.5.Despite remaining winless after six games, Lancashire take 13 points from the match, meaning that they move off the bottom of the Division Two table, whereas Derbyshire’s 11 points keeps them in second place.In the morning session, Lancashire scored 43 runs off six overs before declaring. The only home batter dismissed was George Balderson, who was caught at third man by Martin Andersson off Blair Tickner for 9, while Matthew Hurst was 56 not out when Marcus Harris called his men in.Derbyshire’s pursuit of 329 began poorly when Caleb Jewell played too early at a slower ball from Anderson and chipped a catch to Tom Bailey at mid-on.Anderson returned figures of 6-1-17-1 in his first spell and, following Jewell’s dismissal for 12, David Lloyd and Came guided their side to 78 for 1 after 20 overs at lunch. By that interval, both batters were batting fluently and the visitors were up with the required run rate.But any optimism among the visiting supporters was dampened four balls after the resumption when Anderson trapped Lloyd lbw for 30. Undaunted, Came and the new batter, Wayne Madsen, saw off Anderson’s spell (4-2-4-1) and had added 50 in 16 overs before Madsen tickled Bailey down the leg side and was caught by Hurst for 17.By that stage, Came has reached his third fifty of the season off 72 balls, most of them pedigree strokes, but Brooke Guest could not match his partner’s fluency and was bowled round his legs for 2 when trying to sweep Hartley, who was bowling over the wicket, partly with the aim of achieving such a dismissal.Four overs later, Hartley struck again when he took the vital wicket of Came, the Derbyshire batsman pushing uncertainly forward and giving a catch to George Bell at short leg when he had made 63. That left Derbyshire on 151 for 5 with 44 overs still to be bowled.By tea the visitors had reached 165 for 5 and it soon became clear that Derbyshire had abandoned all thoughts of victory. Anderson bowled three uneventful overs, Hartley wheeled away from over the wicket from the Brian Statham end.Over an hour into the evening session, Lancashire took their sixth wicket when Josh Bohannon induced Andersson to drive a full toss straight to Keaton Jennings at short extra cover. Andersson’s dismissal for 43 was followed two overs later by a second success for Bohannon when Zak Chappell gave him a return catch.That left Derbyshire on 212 for 7 with 18 overs to be bowled and Tom Bailey struck the next blow when he had Ben Aitchison lbw for nought with 65 balls left in the game. After 80 overs Lancashire took the new ball and Anderson bowled three more overs trying to take the wickets that would seal victory. But Dal and Morley resisted him successfully.

Jadon Sancho remains a potential future Ballon d’Or winner despite his struggles at Manchester United and a series of unspectacular loan spells, claims former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic. The England international winger has rather lost his way, with a big-money move to Old Trafford not working out as planned, but there is still potential in his game to be unlocked.

Sancho struggles: Man Utd flop & loan moves

Sancho is still only 25 years of age, so should not yet have reached his peak. He would hope to have found greater consistency in his game, having shown what he is capable of when making the brave decision to leave Manchester City for Dortmund in 2017. His exploits there earned senior international recognition and a £73 million ($97m) transfer to United.

Sancho managed just 12 goals for the Red Devils through 83 appearances, with a tumble down the attacking pecking order leading to him heading back to Signal Iduna Park in January 2024. He would go on to grace the Champions League final that season – picking up a runners-up medal.

The 2024-25 campaign was spent at Chelsea, hoisting the Conference League trophy aloft there, but no permanent transfer was agreed. That meant Sancho had to find another home in 2025, with Ruben Amorim deeming him surplus to requirements in Manchester, and just eight minutes of Premier League football have been seen at Aston Villa.

AdvertisementGettyBallon d'Or hopefuls: Sancho ranked alongside Bellingham & Haaland

Terzic, though, remains convinced that Sancho can rekindle a lost spark. He has also worked with the likes of Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland, meaning that he knows how to spot a superstar in the making.

Terzic has told : “All those players can win the Ballon d’Or in the future. Even Jadon. From the talent point of view, if you talk about Jadon, then maybe five years ago you would talk about Ousmane Dembele [who won the prize this year with Paris St-Germain] in the same way. I am talking about the talent and potential.

“The difference is Erling will reach this level if he stays hungry: Jadon will only reach this level if he keeps smiling – and Jude needs to do both. I really love Jude. He and Declan Rice will be the key figures in English football for the next 10 years. They have leadership and Jude has the ability to give solutions on the highest levels [and] make players around him better. This is what he can do.”

How Terzic brought the best out of Bellingham

Terzic, who led Dortmund to the 2024 Champions League final, added on how he helped to bring the best out of current Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham: “One example: I told him I possibly won’t be around when he’s going to win the Champions League but I’m going to be around when he’s going to lift his first trophy of his career and this is what we did with the German Cup. So he was on a springboard.

“Unfortunately, I was there when he lifted the Champions League trophy [at Wembley]! Both of us made our way to the final, but he left us for a record fee, and 10 months later, we faced each other in the Champions League final. We tried to develop him from being a winner, because he wants to win every game, into becoming a leader.”

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Getty Images SportHandle with care: How Sancho needs to be managed

Terzic added on how he was able to get Sancho firing on all cylinders, with other coaches having struggled in that task: “On the pitch, I tried to reach the joy of the child in Jadon – off the pitch, the professional athlete in Jadon. The only thing players hate more than rules is if there are no rules. As a manager sometimes you are a brother, sometimes you are a father, sometimes you have to be a lawyer and sometimes you have to be a judge. What I don’t want to be is a policeman all the time.”

World Cup winner Dembele has shown what is possible, having faced plenty of uncomfortable questions at Barcelona before landing a Golden Ball with PSG, but it may be that Sancho needs to find another new challenge in 2026 – severing ties with United on a permanent basis – in order to start heading down a similar path.

Ruben Amorim is edging closer to his one-year anniversary since he was appointed Manchester United manager, but it’s safe to say it’s not been an easy ride in the role.

The 40-year-old was seen as the perfect man to come in and change the Red Devils’ fortunes, but his spell at Old Trafford certainly hasn’t gone the way many anticipated.

He’s only achieved a 40% win rate since taking the reins last November, losing 20 of the 48 matches he’s taken charge of across all competitions – the worst of any manager of the club post World War 2.

The 2024/25 campaign was a dismal one for all involved at the Theatre of Dreams, registering their lowest-ever Premier League finish, but he was still handed over £200m to make the changes he desired.

After just a couple of games of the new campaign, judgment may have to be reserved until the new additions are settled, but that hasn’t stopped rumours from circulating about his future in the role.

The latest on Amorim’s future at Man Utd

Despite losing two of the first five league games of the 2025/26 season, the United board have stated that they will continue to back Amorim in his quest for success at the club.

The likes of Sir Jim Ratcliffe were at the training ground last week, but it’s been claimed that they still have full faith in the Portuguese boss to transform the club’s fortunes.

However, that could all be about to change in the coming weeks, especially if the latest rumours around the current managerial situation are to be believed.

GIVEMESPORT have reported in recent days that the staff behind the scenes at Old Trafford are huge admirers of Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and could be tempted to appoint him should they part ways with Amorim.

The report also states that no move or decision on either situation has yet been made, but the 51-year-old remains a boss they’re tracking in case they decide to make a change.

Why United’s manager target is an upgrade on Amorim

The new generation of United supporters have only endured disappointment and frustration, subsequently failing to reach the heights achieved during the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The Scotsman won 13 Premier League titles during his time in charge at Old Trafford, the most of any manager in the division’s history, with the former boss putting the Red Devils on the map.

However, since his retirement in 2012/13, the club have failed to win a single league title, with second-placed finishes in 2017/18 and 2020/21 as good as it’s got for the fans in the last decade.

Amorim will undoubtedly be hoping to change such a drought, but up to now, he’s failed to create a side and system that looks remotely close to even challenging for a European spot.

Such failures could lead to the hierarchy making a change in the next few weeks/months, with Glasner the leading candidate to take over, as seen by recent reports.

When comparing the duo’s respective stats in England’s top-flight, the Austrian has achieved a far better record, doing so with a shoestring budget compared to Amorim.

Glasner, who’s been labelled “incredible” by Pep Guardiola, has achieved a better win percentage than Amorim – leading the Eagles to a 12th-placed finish last season, ending the year three places higher than United.

Games managed

70

48

Wins

34

19

Draws

21

9

Losses

15

20

Points per game

1.76

1.38

Win percentage

48.5%

39.5%

Goals scored (per 90)

1.71

1.96

Goals against (per 90)

1.14

1.92

Trophies won

2

0

He’s also notched a better point per game record, whilst also achieving a better win percentage, highlighting how impressive he’s been since taking the reins at Selhurst Park.

Glasner has also created new history for the Eagles, winning the FA Cup against Manchester City last campaign – subsequently claiming the club their first ever major trophy.

There’s no debating that the Austrian is a phenomenal manager, with any potential move to Old Trafford giving the fanbase an added reason to be excited in the near future.

It’s unclear at present if the 51-year-old would want to leave his current employers, but it’s certainly a situation for the fanbase to keep a close eye on.

Even though the board aren’t planning for a change, it could only take a couple of poor results to change that – with Glasner needing to be the priority if the Red Devils are to have any chance of ending their drought for a league title.

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Harry Brook threw his head back in anguish after picking out long leg on 99 but his free-scoring innings and some lower-order hitting cut India’s first-innings lead to just six at Headingley. They were led off by their spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, who mopped up the tail to finish with 5 for 83 after three vital breakthroughs on the second afternoon.Brook had three reprieves but made India pay for their profligacy. He was caught miscuing an ugly pull to midwicket in the final over on Saturday night before he had scored, saved by Bumrah overstepping, and was dropped twice on Sunday: Rishabh Pant put him down off Ravindra Jadeja on 46, and on 80, Yashasvi Jaiswal made a mess of a simple chance at gully.He played a freewheeling innings, taking down Mohammed Siraj who tried to goad him into a verbal battle after being hit for consecutive boundaries; instead, he was slapped back over his head for a towering six into the lower tier of the Football Stand. There was an outrageous falling paddle-sweep off Jadeja too, emulating a shot Pant had played off Shoaib Bashir.Jasprit Bumrah finished with five wickets•AFP/Getty Images

But like Jamie Smith before him, Brook fell into Prasidh Krishna’s short-ball ploy and holed out to one of the leg-side boundaries riders. Smith’s brisk 40 ended when he hooked Prasidh to deep backward square leg, where Jadeja and B Sai Sudharsan combined for a relay catch; Brook tried to keep his pull down, but top-edged it straight down Shardul Thakur’s throat.Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse added 55 for the eighth wicket in just 7.2 overs as India grew ragged, Woakes reached 2,000 Test runs by clubbing Prasidh for consecutive sixes. But Siraj bluffed Carse with a yorker and Bumrah cleaned up Woakes and Josh Tongue to complete his third five-wicket haul on English soil.England trail by just six runs, and we have a one-innings shoot-out in store.

West Ham are plotting to sign a new striker in the January transfer window amid concerns surrounding Niclas Füllkrug and Callum Wilson, with the former recently sidelined yet again.

Niclas Füllkrug injury confirmed in blow for West Ham

Fullkrug missed both of Germany’s World Cup qualifying wins against Luxembourg and Northern Ireland, and manager Julian Nagelsmann confirmed exactly why.

In what is a major blow for new manager Nuno Espírito Santo, Fullkrug finds himself back on the treatment table, having torn a muscle bundle in his thigh, with a report by Kicker suggesting he faces “several weeks” on the sidelines.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

The 32-year-old’s London Stadium stay has been marred by repeated fitness issues, with Fullkrug missing 28 games for West Ham and Germany combined last season as his physical problems continue.

It’s becoming crystal clear that Nuno cannot rely on the ex-Borussia Dortmund hitman to lead his line, and the Portuguese has precious few alternatives bar another injury-prone star in Callum Wilson and unproven youngster Callum Marshall.

The importance of signing a proven, reliable goalscorer cannot be understated, with West Ham also among the Premier League’s lowest scoring sides thus far as the Hammers yearn for attacking creativity.

Man United’s Joshua Zirkzee has been repeatedly linked with a move to West Ham already in the build up to January, and despite failing to establish himself as a key man under Ruben Amorim this term, he could be a good option.

The arrivals of Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha at Old Trafford have heightened competition for places, but Zirkzee was called a potential “elite” number nine in the making during his impressive spell at Bologna, so perhaps he simply needs consistent minutes to reach those heights once again.

A more ambitious option could be Juventus star Dušan Vlahović, considering he’s out of contract in 2026 and could potentially move for a cut-price fee in January.

That being said, West Ham could face stiff competition from the likes of Spurs and Chelsea for Vlahovic, while it is debatable whether the Serie A star would choose to join a side who appear likely to be battling relegation.

West Ham's striker "plan" for January involving Lucas Paqueta

In any case, no matter their desired target, it is believed that West Ham have every intention of bringing in a centre-forward when the window reopens.

That is according to journalist Dean Jones, who also reports that star £150,000-per-week midfielder Lucas Paqueta won’t be going anywhere in January despite reports, as West Ham want any new striker to feed off the Brazilian’s creativity through the middle.

The 28-year-old was subject to an offer from Aston Villa in the summer, but decided to stay at West Ham after the club stuck by him through his spot-fixing allegations.

Taking this into account, Paqueta will be itching to repay the faith with some vital performances under Nuno.

However, the East Londoners also have to make a key decision about Paqueta’s long-term future pretty soon, considering his deal expires in under two years.