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Chelsea have confirmed that Dario Essugo has completed his move from Sporting and signed a deal that runs until 2033.

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• Essugo signs long-term deal with Blues
• Spent last season on loan with Las Palmas
• Could debut at Club World Cup

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Essugo has become Chelsea's first arrival of what could be a busy summer in the transfer window. The midfielder has completed his move from Sporting and could now debut for the Blues at the Club World Cup.

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• WHAT CHELSEA SAID

  "Chelsea is pleased to confirm the signing of Dario Essugo from Sporting CP," read a club statement:
  "The midfielder, who spent last season on loan in La Liga with Las Palmas and is a Portugal Under-21 international, has signed a contract until 2033.

  "Essugo began his career in Sporting's academy and became the youngest-ever player to feature for the club when he made his senior debut aged 16 years and six days against Vitoria de Guimaraes in March 2021. Later that year, he broke Luis Figo’s record as the youngest starter for Sporting, aged 16 years, 11 months and 17 days."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Blues have splashed out a reported fee of €22.3 million (£18m) for Essugo, and he's being lined up for a key role under Enzo Maresca next season either alongside Moises Caicedo or as an alternative to the Ecuadorian. The youngster has already been tipped for the top by Luis Dias, a technical consultant to the Portuguese football federation. He told : "He will play for Real Madrid or wherever he wants. He has enormous potential."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ESSUGO?

  Chelsea's new arrival is expected to join up with his new team-mates for the Club World Cup. Maresca's side kick off their tournament on June 16 against LAFC.

The first game of the summer is over, but with Gold Cup kickoff just days away, the coach's challenges are only beginning

During Mauricio Pochettino's news conference, the U.S. men's national team head coach turned the tables on reporters. He had a question for the room: What is the most important action in soccer?

"The first touch," was one reply.

"The final one, the finish," was another.

Pochettino smiled and waved them all off.

"The next action," he said. "Of course, everything you all said was very important. But the most important action is the next one. You cannot think about how you missed the control, or missed the touch or the finish. Because you have to be ready for the next one. The next one comes quickly."

That's true, micro and macro. In terms of little things, yes, the players that make up the USMNT must put themselves in position to execute – but must also put mistakes, losses and disappointments behind them. Pochettino's question was in response to one about two quick goals, just three minutes apart, yielded to Turkey in a 2-1 loss last Saturday. There's a lesson to be learned, and Pochettino's words apply. They also apply to the big picture.

The U.S. is on to the next action, namely a friendly against Switzerland on Tuesday a 8 p.m. ET in Nashville – the last match before the Gold Cup kicks off this weekend. Turkey is over. So, too, is the Nations League from March.

Prior achievements or mistakes are in the past, and Pochettino is now looking for responses, not reflections. The next action arrives on Tuesday, and then another and another, and Pochettino's big message is to make the most of each one.

GOAL looks at five keys for the U.S. against Switzerland.

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  Adams out against Switzerland

  Seconds into his pre-game press conference Monday, Pochettino gave the bad news: Tyler Adams is out. Foot injury. Not serious. But not available.

  "I think it's not a big issue," Pochettino said. "We hope it's not a big issue. I think we can manage in a good way. He'll rest a few days and then we'll see if he's ready for the start of the Gold Cup."

  Without Adams, though, the situation changes ahead of this Switzerland game. For years, we've seen that there are two versions of the USMNT: one with, and one without Adams. There's no like-for-like replacement for the USMNT's midfield bulldog, and there certainly isn't anyone with his skillset in this particular camp.

  How, then, do you assemble a midfield against a top-20 world-ranked Switzerland team that put a smackdown on Mexico, 4-2, just a few days ago?

  That is the biggest question Pochettino will have to answer. While it's more important to have Adams healthy in the Gold Cup then in a friendly, every repetition matters for this team in the big-picture build-up to the 2026 World Cup.

  That said, it's an opportunity, in a sense, for some guys to make their mark. But it's also a challenge considering the fact that Switzerland could play a midfield with more than 250 caps between them. Is this a game for Seb Berhalter to make his debut? How important is Luca de la Torre's experience now without Adams? Can Jack McGlynn do enough defensively?

  The spotlight, though, will likely fall on another midfielder, the one who suddently has biggest point to prove.

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  Rebuilding Cardoso

  More than anyone else in the stadium on Saturday, Johnny Cardoso knew he messed up. There was no debate or discussion needed. It was a mistake, a very bad one, one that is impossible to explain away at any level. His giveaway led directly to Turkey's first goal, canceling the energy of the USMNT's quick 1-0 start.

  Pochettino said it best on Monday. It's all about that next action.

  Those words will particularly apply to Cardoso, who will certainly feel the weight of the world. He's long been criticized for not bringing his club form to the international level, and his mistake on Saturday only turned the spotlight brighter. Now, every touch will feel more important.

  Cardoso has his critics, yes, but Tuesday is another chance to prove them wrong. He spent all season playing incredible soccer with Real Betis, going toe-to-toe with the world's best. Those performances, like his mistake, are in the past. How will he respond?

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  The presence of Pochettino

  After fielding a series of questions about the USMNT's performance against Turkey, the USMNT manager had to field one about himself. Those Spurs rumors had popped up, as they so often have since his departure. Was there any truth to the fact he was interested in succeeding Ange Postecoglou?

  "Since I left in 2019, for the position of the manager or the head coach, my name has been appearing on every list!" he said on Saturday. "If you are seeing the rumors I’ve seen, there are 100 coaches on their list! Don't be worried about that. If something happened, you will see, but we cannot talk about this type of thing.

  "Today it's not realistic. Look at where I am, where we are, and I think the answer is so clear."

  Pochettino remains committed to the USMNT, and he remains committed to this all-important summer of succer in the U.S. It's a vital one for him as he looks to set a tone. This isn't about tactics or even really about results; it's about correcting all of the wrongs that were very apparent during the Nations League.

  "This attitude is what I want to continue to have in the future until we arrive to the World Cup," Pochettino said after the Turkey game, having repeatedly praised his side's mentality despite the defeat. "That is the only way that we can improve. If I decide in September to have a different roster, what I want is the same level of commitment, of attitude, between this and that squad, outside and inside."

  Tuesday is another chance to showcase that. He'll rotate, no doubt, but the expectation will remain the same. He'll hope that this will be another building block, regardless of the result, heading into a big summer.

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  A pair of Aaronsons

  There's been a phenomenon at USMNT training this week: everyone's seeing double. There are two Aaronsons running around – brothers Brenden and Paxten – and it's impossible not to notice, particularly in the moments where they crash into one another.

  "Their movements, their mannerisms, the way they talk – they're two of the same," Walker Zimmerman said. "There's no question they're brothers. It's fun to watch them, even in training, as they're squaring up against each other. Sometimes, you can see that there's a little extra brotherly pride on the line when they go into duels."

  Neither Brenden nor Paxten Aaronson featured in the loss to Turkey, which leaves them very available for this Switzerland game. Common sense would suggest that, if healthy, both get a look in this match – and perhaps there's a chance they get a look together. They're only the 10th set of brothers to have earned USMNT caps and, if they do feature together, they'd be the first to appear in an official game together since 1957.

  For all of their similarities, they are different players. Brenden can play either as an attacking midfielder or winger, and after his season with Leeds, he remains eager to prove he can impact the game on the attacking end. Paxten, meanwhile, can play those spots, too, but, during this breakout season with Utrecht, featured a lot as a central midfielder, too.

  "For me, my best position is box-to-box," Paxten said. "That's where I feel most comfortable, especially after the season I had in that deeper position. If you asked me two years ago, I probably would have said a little higher up. I think in the last year, I've played every position. In the Olympics, I played striker and left wing, then six with Utrecht, then eight and also 10. It's good to have versatility, but I've spoken with the coaching staff and let them know that my favorite position, the one I think I'm best at, is the eight."

  There is a scenario, then, where the younger brother plays just behind the older brother – and it could happen this week.

Manchester United, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and manager Ruben Amorim are ready to axe 10 players this summer on a combined salary of £1.8m-a-week.

Ratcliffe calls some Man Utd players ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’

The Red Devils and Ratcliffe have been in the headlines this week, and before plans for a new 100,000 capacity stadium were unveiled, the main talking points were on the co-owners’ comments to the media.

Talking on various topics, including Erik ten Hag, Amorim, the squad and Old Trafford finances to the likes of Gary Neville and the BBC, Ratcliffe took aim at some of the current Man Utd squad.

“If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho. These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.

“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea [on loan] and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17m to buy him in the summer. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future.

“Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.”

"Devastated" – Mark Goldbridge gutted at Man Utd update confirmed by INEOS

He hasn’t held back.

By
Charlie Smith

Mar 12, 2025

Amorim has since responded to Ratcliffe’s comments on some of the squad being ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’, saying: “If you’re a top player playing in this club, even me – a lot of people say I am not good enough for the club – my feeling is that you can change that with results. In training, I feel that they want this really bad.”

It promises to be a busy summer ahead of Amorim’s first full season in charge of Man Utd, and by the looks of things, a mass overhaul of the playing squad is on the cards.

Ratcliffe and Amorim ready to move on 10 Man Utd players this summer

According to a recent report from Spain, Man Utd are preparing to get rid of 10 players who are on a combined £1.8m-a-week at Old Trafford.

Casemiro (£350,000-a-week), Marcus Rashford (£300,000-a-week), Mason Mount, (£250,000-a-week), Jadon Sancho, (£250,000-a-week), Antony (£200,000-a-week), Christian Eriksen (£150,000-a-week), Victor Lindelof (£120,000-a-week), Rasmus Hojlund (£85,000-a-week), Jonny Evans (£85,000-a-week) and Tom Heaton (£45,000-a-week) are all in line to leave Old Trafford over the coming months.

As we know, Rashford, Sancho and Antony are on loan at Aston Villa, Chelsea and Real Betis respectively, whereas Eriksen, Evans, Lindelof and Heaton are out of contract at the end of the season.

INEOS will look to move all 10 on ‘in an attempt to generate income and free up space for new signings’ and Amorim has given the green light regarding the exits.

Should the three loanees complete permanent moves to their new employers, United will only need to find homes for Casmeiro, Mount and Hojlund.

The Three Lions will tackle a pair of June fixtures as part of their second camp under Gareth Southgate's permanent successor

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The never-ending 2024-25 season has spilled over into June's round of international fixtures, right on the eve of the revamped Club World Cup. It's all the football all the time, to loosely paraphrase David Mitchell.

Some of you may have even forgotten that England are back in action this week, with the Three Lions facing Andorra in Barcelona (for some strange reason) in a qualifier for the 2026 World Cup, before returning home to face Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest's City Ground. This is only Thomas Tuchel's second window in charge of England and there is relatively limited time for him to get to know his players further before the finals.

The big winners from the March internationals were the unlikely duo of Dan Burn and Myles Lewis-Skelly, while solidified favourites Harry Kane and Declan Rice showed why they are still two core members of the team moving forward, so who else needs to prove their worth to the boss? GOAL runs through seven players with everything to play for…

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  Cole Palmer

  Bar the (ever-increasing) danger of a serious injury in the modern game, there isn't any other conceivable reason to believe Cole Palmer won't be on the plane to North America next summer. The real question is in regards to his role – will he be a starter or first off the bench?

  Midway through 2024-25, Palmer's Chelsea performances had been so fantastic over an 18-month stretch that it seemed he would be shoehorned into any Three Lions line up possible, even with Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham playing in similar areas of the pitch to him. There was talk he alone stood as the Premier League's best player altogether.

  But the ice-cold sensation has cooled off since, notably and infamously scoring only three times and adding three assists in the league in 2025. He has also been accused of only being able to thrive in transition, with the limits of his game racing to the surface when trying to break down low or mid-blocks. Nevertheless, Palmer still has credit in the bank at international level having scored in last year's Euro 2024 final, though after missing Tuchel's first camp through injury, he's playing catch-up against his positional rivals.

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  Trent Alexander-Arnold

  Another player who was forced to miss the March internationals is Trent Alexander-Arnold, now officially of Real Madrid and who will likely have one eye on the Club World Cup with his new team later this month. He can't let his eye wander in an England shirt any longer, however.

  Believe it or not, Euro 2024 was Alexander-Arnold's first major international tournament where he played major minutes, having scarcely featured at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups while he missed Euro 2020 with injury. Even then, he largely played in midfield in a doomed experiment that was abandoned after the group stage. Despite his obvious quality and stacked CV of achievements at the highest level, he's only earned 33 caps at senior level.

  Alexander-Arnold has largely been an afterthought in the international setup, and he's going to have to wrestle the right-back spot off of Tuchel's old Chelsea favourite Reece James if he's to feature as a starter at a World Cup for the first time.

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  Dean Henderson

  Prior to every tournament for the last eight years, the English public have questioned Jordan Pickford's credentials as the Three Lions' starting goalkeeper, and each time he has come back swinging. Even now, with 75 caps under his belt and season-upon-season of impressive showings at Everton, there are still naysayers to his ability and influence.

  Once more, there have been murmurs that Pickford is facing trial under new manager Tuchel to prove he should keep the No.1 shirt. If he at any point falters, then Dean Henderson would be the top contender to step in. Having jumped around from club to club all career, the 28-year-old is now settled at Crystal Palace and was a primary reason why they won this season's FA Cup.

  Henderson, like Pickford, is a bit mad between the sticks and shares that same northern charisma. The difference between them might only be their shot-stopping abilities, and the Eagles goalkeeper will be eager to take his chance should it arise over the next week.

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  Anthony Gordon

  This time last year, the Three Lions faithful were pleading with Gareth Southgate to let Anthony Gordon spread his wings down England's left flank, with a stale team in need of pace and runners. Fast-forward 12 months and the wide-man's place in the squad is not quite as secure, nor is there a clamour for him to play a starring role.

  Gordon is still one of the most electric wingers eligible to represent the country, though he's coming off a fairly underwhelming season on a personal level in spite of Newcastle's successful campaign, which ended with Carabao Cup glory without the suspended Scouser and qualification to the Champions League. He also had his thunder stolen a little by Harvey Barnes, whose return of nine goals and five assists was superior to Gordon's six of each.

  With Eberechi Eze in the form of his life and Noni Madueke putting in some quality displays for Chelsea on the left, Gordon is facing a battle to merely stay relevant in Tuchel's thinking. He can't hide behind the annoyances of foul-baiting and runs down dead ends any longer.

It is fair to say, Everton have not been renowned within the Premier League for being the best at recruitment over the last decade.

Huge fees have been paid for players such as Yannick Bolasie, Morgan Schneiderlin, Davy Klaassen, Cenk Tosun, Yerry Mina, André Gomes, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Moise Kean, Allan, and many, many more, with the vast majority, if not all of those, offering very little return on investment.

However, the Toffees did have a genuinely top-class Premier League full-back on their hands, whom they decided to let go for just £2m.

That’s proven to be one of the Blues’ biggest mistakes in the market given their options on the right and left side of defence now.

How Everton's full-backs are performing in 2024/25

Last Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with Wolves at Molineux, in which Jack Harrison was on target, extended Everton’s unbeaten streak to eight Premier League games, with David Moyes propelling them away from danger and up to 15th.

Nevertheless, as the Toffees prepare to move into their brand-new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in August, they have a poor squad, with former England midfielder Karen Carney telling the Guardian she believes the club’s ‘long-term strategy’ should remain under scrutiny.

This lack of quality certainly extends to the full-back positions where, as outlined by Patrick Boyland of the Athletic, Moyes has a selection of imperfect options, so let’s assess these players.

As the table shows, two of Everton’s full-backs are both in their mid-to-late 30s and out of contract this season, with both Nathan Patterson and Séamus Coleman making very few appearances this season due to injuries.

This has left Ashley Young, who’ll celebrate his 40th birthday in July, and Vitaliy Mykolenko as the first-choice options, even though Boyland of the Athletic described the Ukrainian as ‘limited’ and ‘unspectacular’, hence why Jake O’Brien, a centre-back by trade, has been deployed on the right in recent weeks.

Mykolenko’s lack of forward threat is in complete contrast to another left-back, on Everton’s books until quite recently, now considered one of the best in the Premier League.

Ex-Everton full-back now thriving in the top-flight

Antonee Robinson joined Everton’s academy at the age of 11, making 27 appearances at U21 level for the Toffees, but never handed his first-team debut, loaned out to both Bolton Wanderers and then Wigan Athletic, before joining the Latics permanently in 2019 for a reported fee of only £2m.

The left-back made 65 appearances for Wigan across two seasons, catching the attention of Serie A giants AC Milan, seemingly set to make a £6m move to San Siro in January 2020, especially considering he travelled to Italy for a medical.

However, speaking on Ben Foster’s podcast, Robinson revealed that the move fell through because, during his medical, it was discovered that he was having ectopic heartbeats.

That prevents him from playing in Serie A, given that the Italian authorities are ‘very stringent’ when it comes to heart health, following the high-profile and tragic deaths of both Davide Astori and Piermario Morosini.

Instead, six months later, he moved to Fulham for £2m, paying his release clause following Wigan’s relegation, while Everton attempted to re-sign him, intending to then sell him straight away to make a quick profit, which Robinson himself said he “wasn’t having that”.

Now 27, the full-back has made 180 appearances for the Cottagers, featuring in each of their last 60 Premier League fixtures, starting all but one of these matches.

Robinson’s performances have been earning rave reviews, with Jeff Rueter and Andy Jones of the Athletic labelling him the ‘best left-back in the Premier League’, while David O’Brien of BBC Sport describes his displays as ‘outstanding’.

Meantime, Dom Smith of the Evening Standard notes that he has been ‘brilliant’, with Fadumo Olow of Sky Sports praising his ‘speed, defensive resilience, and attacking contribution’.

So, let’s take a look at his statistics this season.

The most eye-catching of the statistics in the table above is the fact Robinson has ten Premier League assists to his name, only Mohamed Salah has more, which is not bad for a full-back.

This has also seen Robinson earn international recognition, named United States men’s national team player of the year for 2024, having won his 50th cap for the USA against Jamaica in November, very much the undisputed first-choice for Mauricio Pochettino ahead of a World Cup on home soil.

Football Transfers believe Robinson’s current value to be around £31m, which for context, is a higher valuation than anyone in the current Everton squad, even Beto and Jarrad Branthwaite and higher than £29m-rated Richarlison, a man sold by Everton for £60m.

Meanwhile, amidst interest from Liverpool, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider reports Fulham would only be willing to sell for around £50m.

Thus, Everton must regret letting the American slip through the net, both when they initially sold him and then when they made a seemingly half-hearted attempt to bring him back to Merseyside.

He earns more than Ndiaye: Everton must axe Thelwell's "disaster" signing

The Everton board surely can’t wait to see the back of this miserable signing.

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 12, 2025

Everton’s time at Goodison Park has very nearly run its course with a second test event at Bramley-Moore Dock now complete.

It remains to be seen what players will be picked by David Moyes for Everton’s first competitive fixture at their fresh home, with the Scotsman having to wrestle with the futures of many of his camp now owing to their contracts running down, on top of loanees such as Jack Harrison and Jesper Linderstrom perhaps not sticking it out long-term.

Whatever does take place, the options at Moyes’ disposal on the left side of the attack look to be light with Iliman Ndiaye currently out injured and homegrown gem Anthony Gordon now way away from the grasps of Goodison at Newcastle United.

Gordon's rise at Newcastle since leaving Everton

Gordon has had to walk away from Thomas Tuchel’s England camp this international break due to his own injury difficulties, but it’s fair to say his career has come on leaps and bounds since waving goodbye to Merseyside.

Indeed, the Liverpool-born attacker is front and centre of Eddie Howe’s EFL Cup-winning side right now, with Gordon boasting an impressive nine strikes and six assists this season in all competitions, even if he did miss that Wembley showdown with the Reds through suspension.

Those numbers alone actually match his entire output from when he was in the Everton first-team picture, with Gordon only mustering up a disappointing seven goals and eight assists at the Toffees, having previously shone in many a youth side.

Still, this didn’t prove to be a setback for the now fully fledged Three Lions international who has gone on to excel past Merseyside.

On the flip side, however, a fellow former Toffees youth product hasn’t quite gone on to reach the heights once expected of him, despite bettering Gordon back in their U23s education.

The Everton academy star who was ahead of Gordon

It’s to be expected in the cruel landscape of youth football that some won’t hit the heights they believe they’re destined for, with the hype next to their name often working against them.

Nathan Broadhead is arguably a forgotten face when examining the recent crop to have come up through the youth ranks at Goodison, with the likes of Gordon stealing most of the plaudits for his heroics now at St James’ Park.

But, back in 2021, many would have been expecting Broadhead to be the star to hit the big time in the same way Gordon has, considering the Welsh starlet had a number of goal-and-assist laden campaigns under his belt playing for the U23s.

Broadhead had been in and around the U23 set-up since 2017, with Gordon still having to cut his teeth in the U18 picture initially, whilst his counterpart went on to tally up 17 goals and seven assists from 59 appearances in the highest level of youth football.

Gordon paled in comparison with his output for the U23s too – helping himself to just eight goals and five assists from a lesser 28 appearances – but only one of them would ultimately go on to forge a senior career at the club.

Despite making a name for himself in the youth circles at the club, Broadhead only made a meagre two first-team appearances for the Toffees, with the path to stardom for Gordon laid out for him when he seized his senior chances better.

He has since gone on to play in the Premier League more regularly at his current employers Ipswich Town after Kevin Thelwell sanctioned a £1.5m switch, but he has had to work hard to get back up to the level, having joined the Tractor Boys when they were marooned down in League One.

Ultimately, it’s extremely hard to predict how a youngster’s playing days will pan out, with Gordon potentially set for even dizzier heights at the Magpies, whilst Broadhead stares a relegation back to the Championship in the face.

Best signing since Branthwaite: Everton have hit gold on "dynamite" star

He may be Everton’s best player.

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 23, 2025

An angry Lionel Messi confronted James Rodriguez in a tense exchange during Argentina's clash with Colombia in World Cup qualifying.

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• Argentina draw with Colombia in feisty game
• Messi clashes with Rodriguez
• Unhappy with his Copa America comments

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Argentina played out a 1-1 draw with Colombia in a feisty match that saw Enzo Fernandez sent off and Messi exchange words with Rodriguez. According to TyC Sports, the Argentina captain was believed to have been riled by Rodriguez's recent comments about the 2024 Copa America final, when the Colombia star said: "We had an excellent Copa America. Obviously, we wanted the title, but we didn’t win the Copa America because of external things, I think. The referee favoured Argentina. He didn’t give us penalties. For me a clear one."

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• WHAT MESSI SAID

  Messi reportedly said: "You said they helped us in the final. You talk a lot." James replied: "I didn't say anything."

  The Argentina captain was then quizzed on the incident after the match but said only: "What stays on the field, stays on the field."

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rodriguez was actually named the player of the tournament after helping Colombia reach the final of the 2024 Copa America. However, they were beaten by Argentina as Messi and Co. followed up their World Cup win with yet another title. Yet the Colombia star's comments about the tournament have clearly not gone unnoticed by Messi and seem to have generated some ill-feeling.

Manchester United chief Omar Berrada was criticised by Red Devils legend Teddy Sheringham after revealing his plans to win the Premier League title.

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• Man Utd finished 15th in the PL table
• Lost in the UEL final to Tottenham
• United aim to win the PL by 2028

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United endured their most dismal top-flight campaign in over five decades, finishing 15th in the Premier League and missing out on European football altogether after a Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur. The defeat capped off a woeful season that also saw fierce rivals Liverpool draw level with United’s all-time English league title record of 20, a particularly bitter pill for United fans.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Berrada, who was hired to help steer the club into a new era, recently outlined his belief in a long-term project dubbed 'Project 150', which aims to see both the men’s and women’s teams crowned league champions by the club’s 150th anniversary in 2028. In an interview with United We Stand, Berrada stated confidently: “I firmly believe that we can do it.” However, Sheringham believes such lofty aspirations are not grounded in the current footballing scenario at United.

• WHAT SHERINGHAM SAID

  Speaking to , the former England striker stated: "Omar Berrada’s comments are dreamlike. In football clubs, you’ve got to have small steps to get to places and if you see those small steps and are encouraged and moving in the right direction, that’s when you start looking positively (at the future). But when people come out with quotes like that, it can be pie in the sky when you’ve got to give the manager time to get things right.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ruben Amorim took the reins in November following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag. But the Portuguese coach has struggled to make an immediate impact. Despite public support from the club’s hierarchy, Sheringham expressed doubt over whether Amorim will be granted the time necessary to execute a turnaround.

  “For Manchester United, the results must improve,” Sheringham said. "The way the talk is – ‘it’s alright, we’re gearing for next year, everything is OK for next season’ – but I think they’re a long way off being anything like the Manchester United of old and the pressure will be on Ruben Amorim, without a doubt. If he starts the season like the end of last season, there is only one way things will go.”

Manchester United forward Amad Diallo has been out of action since February with an ankle injury and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

The Ivorian starlet had been one of the standout performers for Ruben Amorim’s side in the Premier League before the season-ending injury blow, with nine goals and seven assists in all competitions from a wide position.

United will be hoping that he can return from injury to carry that form into the 2025/26 campaign and beyond, as he could be a future star for the club.

Where Amad Diallo ranks in Man Utd's top earners

Despite his impressive form for the Red Devils this season, Amad is not among the top few earners within the squad with his weekly wage of £120k.

As you can see in the table below, the left-footed wizard only just cracks the top ten list, below the likes of Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount, who have either been bit-part players or unavailable for most of the season.

You can also see that Swedish central defender Victor Lindelof earns as much as Diallo per week, and Manchester United must decide to finally axe him from the squad in the summer transfer window when his contract expires.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

His current deal is due to run out at the end of June and Amorim should cut him from the group, because he has already drained the club of millions in wages throughout his career so far.

How much money Victor Lindelof has earned at Man Utd

Manchester United swooped to sign the centre-back from Benfica for a reported fee of £31m in the summer of 2017, and the defender has earned even more than that transfer fee in wages in the subsequent eight years.

As you can see in the table above, Lindelof has already earned over £40m in wages during his time at Old Trafford to date, and will have earned a reported £46.64m in wages by the end of his contract this year.

That is a sum of £77.64m in total, including his transfer fee, and the 30-year-old has only played 30 or more league matches in two of his eight seasons in Manchester.

He has only started two of his eight appearances in the Premier League this season and has been an unused substitute 11 times across all competitions, which shows that the experienced defender is a bit-part player at best under Amorim.

Compare that to Amad Diallo’s importance to the team, with his aforementioned goals and assists, on the same weekly wage and that shows why United must finally part ways with the Sweden international this summer.

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By
Dominic Lund

Mar 27, 2025

Amorim should move him on from Old Trafford when his contract expires, as he has not provided good value for the wage the club are paying him, and attempt to bring in a replacement that will be a part of his plans moving forward.

The Mexican side closed out Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 loss to Al Hilal, ending last in Group H

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• Finished among bottom five teams of tournament
• Ended up in last place in Group H
• Posted a minus-5 goal differential

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Coach Jaime Lozano expressed disappointment after Pachuca's early exit from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, as the club failed to earn a single point. The Mexican side closed out their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Al Hilal, ending last in Group H and among the worst-performing teams in the tournament.

  “It’s a bitter pill to swallow for all of us,” said Lozano after the match. “For the players, the fans, everyone. Pachuca is usually a team built to go far in these kinds of tournaments and to proudly represent Mexico. That didn’t happen this time.”

  The coach acknowledged that while his team created chances, they lacked the sharpness to capitalize.

  “We had our opportunities, not just today but throughout the tournament," he said. "We just didn’t take advantage. The only way I know to bounce back is by working hard. We need to be honest about what we were missing and put in the effort – because hard work is what brings you back to where you want and deserve to be.”

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• AFP
  

  WHAT AGUSTÍN PALAVECINO SAID

  The Argentine was one of Pachuca’s reinforcements for the Club World Cup, but the midfielder will now return to Necaxa.

  “I take this as a learning experience," he said. "These aren’t the results we came here for, but we showed our level in many moments – today against Al Hilal, and also against Real Madrid and Salzburg. We leave with an important lesson: you have to take your chances, because opponents like these don’t forgive."

• AFP
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  A total of five teams bowed out of the tournament without earning a single point: Seattle Sounders (U.S.) in Group B, Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) in Group E, Ulsan Hyundai Tigers (South Korea) in Group F, Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) in Group G, and Pachuca (Mexico) in Group H.

  The worst of the 32 participants was Urawa Red Diamonds, who not only finished with zero points but also recorded a goal difference of minus-7. Next was Wydad Casablanca with minus-6, while Pachuca and Seattle Sounders shared third-worst with a minus-5 goal differential.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PACHUCA?

  It’s time to head home for Lozano’s squad after a disappointing run at the Club World Cup. Pachuca will kick off their Apertura 2025 campaign on July 13, facing Monterrey on Matchday 1.