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Manchester United are interested in signing a £520,000-a-year player as the first signing of the Ruben Amorim era, according to a recent report. The Red Devils are expected to announce the appointment of the Portuguese later on Thursday, with him taking charge on the 24th of November, as he remains in charge of Sporting for their next three games.

Dalot says Man Utd ace who struggled for Ten Hag is actually "unbelievable"

Diogo Dalot says a United teammate is incredible behind the scenes.

By
Brett Worthington

Oct 31, 2024

Man Utd transfer news

The 39-year-old is not through the Old Trafford door yet, but he will be pleased to see his new side sail to a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

Amorim has yet to get to grips with the United squad, but he is already potentially looking at where he can improve the team. In a new report, Amorim is said to want to bring Goncalo Inacio, Marcus Edwards and Pedro Goncalves with him to Old Trafford. All three players play for him at Sporting, and they are considered very important in his system.

They are not the only players he is interested in bringing to United, as the Red Devils may now have the edge in the race to sign striker Viktor Gyokeres. The Swedish forward has been sensational in Portugal, and while Arsenal are keen on the player, the Red Devils could be in line for his signature due to Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford.

Ashworth urgently wants Wolves star at Old Trafford

According to Give Me Sport, incoming manager Amorim is keen to sign a new left-back and United have identified Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri as the ideal transfer target. The 23-year-old has been at Molineaux since July 2021, when he joined from Angers SCO, and has been impressive for the Midlands side, especially this season.

Ait-Nouri, who Gary O’Neil described as a “great lad” last season, has scored three goals and recorded two assists in nine Premier League games this season, his latest goal coming against Brighton in the 2-2 draw last Saturday.

His performances have now caught the eye of United, as the report states Dan Ashworth and Co “will urgently look to acquire a left-sided wing-back” due to Amorim’s system requirements. The Red Devils’ interest is expected to intensify at the turn of the year, as he will enter the final 18 months of his contract, but Wolves do have the option to extend that by another 12 months.

Liverpool are also keeping an eye on the defender’s situation at Wolves, but given the injury concerns to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia and Amorim’s desire to play a back three/five, United may feel the need to press more seriously. That said, Ait-Nouri, who currently earns £520,000 a year, remains firmly in O’Neil’s plans, meaning it will not be an easy task to get him out of Wolves.

Scottish champions Celtic remain the team to catch in the Premiership, with the Old Firm giants still unbeaten after 11 games played thus far, having only dropped points at home to title rivals, Aberdeen.

Also into the League Cup final – and with seven points having been picked up from just four Champions League outings – things are certainly looking bright for the Hoops, with Brendan Rodgers having enjoyed a relatively smooth transition to life back at Parkhead over the last 18 months or so.

There is, however, always room for improvement, and with the January transfer window looming, it would be no surprise to see the Glasgow side dip back into the market to strengthen their hand.

One particular area of focus may be the centre-forward ranks, with there perhaps questions to be asked over whether Kyogo Furuhashi really is the perfect fit for the Northern Irishman. The Japanese goal machine scored 54 goals in just 83 games under Ange Postecoglou, yet has since bagged ‘just’ 25 goals in 66 games under the current boss.

The burden on the 29-year-old has undoubtedly been lessened by the capture of Adam Idah, although despite scoring nine times in 18 games at the back end of last season, the ex-Norwich City man has netted only five goals in 16 games in 2024/25 so far.

Perhaps it could be said that Rodgers – who previously suggested that having three strikers in the squad would be ideal – is still looking for that figure to hang his hat on through the middle, in the mould of a certain Moussa Dembele…

Moussa Dembele's record at Celtic

It says a lot that across his entire managerial career thus far, only three players have scored more goals under Rodgers than that man Dembele, with the Frenchman netting 51 goals in just 94 games during his time at Parkhead.

Signed for a measly fee of just £500k from Fulham back in the summer of 2016, the then-teenager was an instant hit in his new surroundings, ending that first season with 32 goals in 49 games in all competitions.

That return included that hat-trick against bitter rivals Rangers on what was just his fourth Premiership outing, having also notably bagged a brace in the thrilling 3-3 draw with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Celtic Park.

A further 19 goals were to follow over the 2017/18 season and the start of the following campaign, before Dembele was plucked by Lyon for a handsome profit, joining the Ligue 1 side for a fee of around £19.7m.

A major success story in the Invincible campaign, in particular, Dembele – who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia – is a shining example for any centre-forward to follow in Glasgow, with the Hoops seemingly looking to snap up another rising star in the near future.

Celtic's search for a striker

As reported earlier this week, Celtic are believed to still be keeping a close watch on Brondby marksman, Mathias Kvistgaarden, with the Premiership leaders said to have watched ‘several’ of the Dane’s recent matches.

This follows reports from the summer which indicated that the 22-year-old was a target for Rodgers and co, with an asking price of around £8.5m having been suggested.

Whether the club would fork out such a fee – having already spent £9.5m on Idah – remains to be seen, yet the youngster certainly warrants the attention, having been “absolutely sensational” so far this season, as per journalist Antonio Mango.

Transfer Focus

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

As Mango also noted, his “involvement in every game is phenomenal”, with the in-demand talent – who is also being courted by the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion – having scored 13 goals and provided five assists in just 20 games in 2024/25 so far.

That goal tally places him ahead of what even Celtic’s leading scorer, Nicolas Kuhn, has achieved this season, with the German wizard netting times from the right flank.

For Brondby in total, Kvistgaarden now boasts 37 goals and a further 17 assists in 108 appearances across all fronts, working out as a goal involvement once every two games.

That ability to both score himself and create chances for others also provides that similarity to Dembele, with the former France U21 international also registering 18 assists during his time with the Bhoys.

There may be concern over the Brondby star’s lack of experience and consistency – having netted just ten times in 2023/24 – although it’s worth remembering that Dembele had only scored 19 senior goals at Craven Cottage, prior to moving north of the border.

As such, bringing Kvistgaarden into the fold as competition or even a potential replacement for both Idah and Kyogo could represent a wise move, with there certainly no room for complacency with the Dons still breathing down their neck.

As well as Kuhn: £10m Celtic man wanted by Brazilian giant as talks planned

It could be a profitable few months for Celtic and Brendan Rodgers.

By
Ben Browning

Nov 12, 2024

Manchester United figureheads are reportedly ready to give up on their 2028 Premier League title goals as the club's problems are writ large.

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• Man Utd want to win PL by 2028
• Sheer scale of problems cause rethink
• Ratcliffe's plans lay in tatters

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chief executive Omar Berrada previously said that United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted to bring the Premier League title back to Old Trafford in 2028 to celebrate the club's 150th anniversary. But the sheer scale of the problems Ruben Amorim's side face has led some insiders to allegedly scrap that plan.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United have not won the Premier League since 2013 and at present they seem to be going backwards under head coach Amorim, months after sacking Erik ten Hag and spending hundreds of millions in recent transfer windows. They sit 14th in the division and it seems they need yet another player overhaul this summer. A league title win may not happen this decade at this rate.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  United can potentially qualify for the Champions League this season but to do so, they would need to win the Europa League. They drew 1-1 with Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The gloom around United could deepen if they fail to beat Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Mbaye, who just turned age 16, will immediately join the youth setup of the Rossoneri

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• AC Milan sign USYNT defender Mbaye
• 16-year-old joins ranks of rising American stars in Italy
• Teen is highly-rated defender

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  AC Milan have reportedly signed U.S. youth international Astin Mbaye from the New York Red Bulls academy.

  The 16-year-old has an EU passport, allowing him to leave at that age for the Italian. Several other teams in Europe were chasing his signature, while RBNY was in talks over a pro contract, but the have secured his services. Current U.S. internationals Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah both play for the Italian club.

  Fabrizio Romano first reported the deal, while confirmed it with additional details.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The RBNY academy has excelled in recent years, highlighted by the development of USMNT captain and Bournemouth star Tyler Adams, along with U.S. fullback John Tolkin, who plays for Bundesliga side Holstein Kiel.

  The Eastern Conference MLS side also boast one of the most talented teenagers in all of MLS in Julian Hall, who is attracting interest from some of Europe's top teams at age 16.

  Mbaye, meanwhile, has been a mainstay with the U15 youth national team, representing his nation six times at the U15 level, including at the December 2023 UEFA Developmental Tournament, where he bagged a goal against Scotland. He recently earned his first call-up to the U16 national team.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The last American defender to play for the senior team of AC Milan was Oguchi Onyewu, who played for the from 2009-2011.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MILAN?

  The senior team returns to the pitch on Saturday in Serie A action to take on Lecce. Sergio Conceicao's men sit ninth in the league standings.

A Celtic exit in the summer of 2025 is “not out of the question at all”, according to a fresh update from a “superb” 24-year-old Hoops player.

Latest Celtic news

The January transfer window isn’t a million miles away now, so it is no surprise to see Celtic being linked with plenty of potential new signings. Highly-rated teenage Motherwell midfielder Lennon Miller has emerged as an exciting target for the Scottish Premiership champions, but rivals Rangers are thought to be providing competition.

There are players who could head the other way in January, however, with Alexandro Bernabei one such figure, with the left-back reportedly playing his final game for Celtic, following a loan move to Internacional.

In terms of current injuries, Adam Idah was ruled out of the international break because of injury, with his involvement with the Republic of Ireland ending before their UEFA Nations League matches got underway. The hope is that he will be back in the fold sooner rather than later, though, with his withdrawal more precautionary than anything.

"Superb" Celtic ace hints at exit

Speaking to Fotbollskanalen [via The Daily Record], Gustaf Lagerbielke admitted that he may leave Celtic for FC Twente permanently next summer, having moved there on loan earlier this year: “It is a straight loan until the summer. Then there is always the possibility that I will be bought. So far it’s felt very good there so we’ll see how it goes forward.

“There is always that [chance of going back to Celtic]. I still have a contract there. It’s not out of the question at all. Then I’ll have to see closer to the end of the season what happens with everything. But it’s a fantastic club.”

The fact that Lagerbielke was even allowed to leave Celtic on loan during the summer window suggests that Brendan Rodgers doesn’t see him as a future part of his plans. This is despite him being admired by his manager, who said of him last December after a winning goal against Feyenoord: “It was a great moment for him because he hasn’t been involved in squads, other guys have been in front of him.

“But his attitude in training in the main has been superb and he has always been ready. The irony of him being sent off and then getting the goal was great, a really nice moment for him.”

Lagerbielke has generally done well in a Celtic shirt, winning the league title and Scottish Cup last season, but he was limited to only seven appearances in the former and may feel that a move away next year is best for his development.

Celtic man just got embarrassed by an £88m sensation for his country

The Celtic defender had a howler on Sunday evening with a poor performance against England.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 18, 2024

His admiration for the Hoops is clear, but he is also seemingly happy at Twente and likes the idea of his temporary switch being turned into a permanent one at the end of the season.

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone says he feels "anger, rage and injustice" following Julian Alvarez's disallowed penalty against Real Madrid.

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• Atletico Madrid out of Champions League
• Alvarez penalty disallowed vs Real Madrid
• Simeone reflects on controversial incident

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Atletico were dumped out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage in midweek after a penalty shootout defeat to their local rivals. The game's big talking point surrounded Alvarez's spot-kick, which was ruled out by VAR for a double touch as the Argentine slipped. Several days on from that agonising defeat, manager Simeone has not held back on the matter.

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  WHAT DIEGO SIMEONE SAID

  When asked how he and his team felt after the penalty incident, he said: "I usually always talk about Barcelona. This time, the situation warrants an explanation of my feelings. It's anger, rage, injustice… but from my position, the only thing I have the power to do is work so the team can continue competing as it does. We understand our fans, and obviously the feeling that all of us at Atlético have is anger, rage, and injustice."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The incident caused such a stir that UEFA said it will start talks with FIFA and IFAB to determine if this rule should be "reviewed in cases where a double touch is clearly unintentional". While they are out of the Champions League, they are still fighting for the league title and the Copa del Rey so there is plenty to play for this season.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Simeone's Atletico need to move on quickly from this setback when they host Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday in a battle between third and second respectively.

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola are reportedly interested in completing the signing of a player who could play for “any of the best teams in the world”.

Man City transfer news

The reigning Premier League champions may have an enviable amount of quality in their squad, but that’s not to say that further additions aren’t being mooted.

Highly-rated RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba is one player who has been linked with a move to City, in order to bolster the defensive depth at Guardiola’s disposal. The 21-year-old is already a key player for his current club, starting seven Bundesliga games this season, as well as three Champions League matches.

With Kevin De Bruyne now in the autumn of his career, it is vital that a long-term successor for the Belgian legend is found, and Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz has emerged as a reported target for City. The Germany international helped inspire his club team to Bundesliga glory last season, and he already has four goals and two assists in the league this time around.

The Cityzens are also thought to have made contact with Atalanta midfielder Ederson over a move to the Etihad in the January transfer window, as they look to make up for the huge loss of the injured Rodri.

Man City eyeing move for 24 y/o ace

According to a fresh update from Football Insider, Manchester City and Guardiola are eyeing a move for Sporting CP winger Maximilian Araujo.

The 24-year-old has been turned into a top-quality player by Ruben Amorim at the Portuguese giants, and the Cityzens are ‘now set to keep a close eye on his development’.

Araujo could be a really exciting signing for City, at a time when their wide players aren’t necessarily setting the world alight this season.

In fact, Jack Grealish and Savinho haven’t scored a single goal between them in the league in 2024/25 to date, and Jeremy Doku has only netted once, suggesting that reinforcements are needed in that area of the pitch.

In comparison, Araujo has scored once in two Champions League outings, also getting on the scoresheet twice at Copa America earlier this year, and Eduardo Espinel has lauded him, saying:

“He has much more power, much more speed and more tactical ability. I have no doubt that he hasn’t reached its limit yet. He is ready to play for any of the best teams in the world, because after all, today the characteristics he has are those that the teams of the moment ask for – speed in processes, speed, one-on-one ability and solidarity. “If not Manchester City, he will certainly have a place at another big club.”

This highlights what an excellent signing Araujo could be for City, and at 24 years of age, there is still so much more to come from him in his career.

Man City now eyeing move for £80m "leader" who's been likened to Gvardiol

He’s a man in-demand…

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 22, 2024

While generally a left winger, his versatility also allows him to play at left-back, which is an area of the pitch where a new signing is arguably needed at the Etihad. That could further appeal to Guardiola, acting as another key reason to sign the Sporting ace.

Liverpool and Everton have been denied a late appeal to move the Merseyside derby a day earlier, a move that would have benefitted both.

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• Merseyside derby rearrangement denied
• Game to be played on Wednesday 2 April
• Extra day's rest would have benefitted both teams

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The derby will be played at Anfield on Wednesday 2 April, a date that has been confirmed after the both clubs made the request, according to . The Toffees play Arsenal the following Saturday and would have liked an extra day to prepare – as would Liverpool, who are aiming to hold off the Gunners for the Premier League title.

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  Liverpool lead Arsenal by 12 points at the top of the Premier League table but have not yet wrapped up the title and have lost their last two matches in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and Carabao Cup final against Newcastle.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The appeal was dismissed as, despite hosting the Gunners at 12.30pm the following Saturday, the Toffees will not be forced to play again within 60 hours, which is the minimum period allowed.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR EVERTON AND LIVERPOOL?

  Liverpool will be keen to enact revenge on Everton, who dramatically equalised to steal a point from the reverse fixture when James Tarkowski crashed in a last-minute volley. Another win would take them a step closer to what seems an inevitable second Premier League title, while Everton are effectively playing for pride in their last season at Goodison Park.

Liverpool have now been tipped to sign a long term Arne Slot target who the new Reds boss has previously tried to sign with Feyenoord, according to a fresh report.

Slot loving life in Liverpool

Arne Slot has enjoyed a blistering start to life with Liverpool after replacing Jürgen Klopp over the summer, with the Dutchman having lost once just all season. With 18 wins to his name in his first 20 games across all competitions, his side lead the Premier League by 9 points and are also top of the Champions League, having claimed impressive scalps of La LIga Champions Real Madrid and German Champions Bayer Leverkusen in the process.

Their most recent outing, a 2-0 win over Manchester City, moved them 11 points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side after just a quarter of the season, and Arne Slot admitted his start had been almost perfect at Anfield.

“Yes [it was almost a perfect match] and, if you look at work rate, I think it was perfect. The amount of chances we missed made it tight at the end, but maybe that’s nice for matches like this. It should be like this.

“If you want to win against a team like City you have to be good at every part of football. So high defending, low defending, build-up, high, low, everything. They bring so many challenges to you.”

However, the success has been overshadowed by the futures of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, all of whom are out of contract next summer. Now, Liverpool could move in 2025 to pre-empt Salah’s exit.

Liverpool chase long term Slot target

That comes according to Algerian outlet La Gazzette du Fennec [via Sport Witness], who claim that Liverpool have lined up a potential move for Feyenoord forward Anis Hadj-Moussa to replace Salah. The Algerian attacker has long been on the wanted list of Slot, but only arrived in Rotterdam after his departure to Liverpool.

Liverpool's amazing teen could become even bigger than Trent & Bradley

Liverpool’s academy is purring, and the latest superstar in waiting may soon grace Slot’s squad.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 3, 2024

He has enjoyed a strong start to his life in top flight football, and ther 22-year-old claimed Man of the Match after helping his side come from 3-0 down to rescue a 3-3 draw with Manchester City in the Champions League, in which he scored his fourth goal of the season.

The report claims that Slot “wanted to sign him” at Feyenoord, but that circumstances prevented the pair working together. However, Slot is now keen to bring the 22-year-old with him to Anfield, with the Liverpool boss “already fascinated” by his talent.

Signed for just £1.5m in the summer and still with four years left to run on his £8k per week deal in Rotterdam, Feyenoord could smell a chance for a quick profit at the expense of their former boss, with continued impressive performances only likely to raise Hadj-Moussa’s price tag between now and the summer.

The Liga MX team was expelled due to Grupo Pachuca violating the competition's regulations by owning two teams

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• Case file opened by the Costa Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelense

• The date for the hearing now set in Madrid, Spain

• América, Tigres, and Alajuelense all vying for the spot

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Club León now knows the date on which it will be decided whether or not it will participate in the 2025 Club World Cup after being expelled for violating the ownership regulations of the competition. Grupo Pachuca owns both Tuzos and the Panzas Verdes.

  On April 23, in Madrid, the Emerald Club will present its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to resolve the issue and potentially be reinstated in the tournament, which kicks off in June in the United States.

  The hearing was scheduled due to the case filed by Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, which claimed a violation of the Club World Cup regulations by Grupo Pachuca and requested their inclusion in the competition next summer, instead of Pachuca or León.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alajuelense argued that they should take the place of one of the Pachuca Group teams in the Club World Cup. The hearing will take place in Madrid.

  Currently, each party is expected to select an arbitrator and a judge will be appointed to decide whether León can participate in the tournament and if the spot belongs to Alajuelense. América and Tigres are other teams competing for the vacant spot left by León.

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  WHAT ALAJUELENSE SAID

  "It would be very unfortunate because then it wouldn’t be called the Club World Cup anymore. Call it 'The FIFA Friends' or 'The Club of Friends,' but the tournament has a name, and the regulations established by FIFA itself should be respected," said the lawyer for the Costa Rican team, if they are not included in the tournament held in the summer.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEÓN?

  The runner-up of the Clausura 2025 will host Pumas Sunday for Matchday 13. Led by Eduardo Berizzo, the team aims to end a two-match losing streak in the tournament, with James Rodríguez playing a key role, having scored 2 goals and provided 5 assists in 11 matches with La Fiera.