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In what could be the first signing of the Ruben Amorim era, INEOS have reportedly now made contact to sign a Champions League forward for Manchester United in 2025.

Man Utd transfer news

There’s work to be done at Old Trafford. The final few months of the Erik ten Hag era only set the Red Devils back – arguably to square one – to give Amorim the ultimate task of turning things around. The former Sporting Club boss officially arrives this week and will square off against Ipswich Town in his first game after the forthcoming international break.

Amorim wants to sign "important" ex-Man City star in first Man Utd arrival

This would be a controversial move…

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 9, 2024

With a new manager appointed and one they’ll be hoping finally solves their problems for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United look set to get ruthless, showing the door to a number of players. Among those looks likely to be Victor Lindelof, who is on course to leave as a free agent upon the expiry of his current contract at the end of the campaign.

Given recent reports linking Lindelof to AC Milan, the Swede seems almost certain to be among the departures. As he and others potentially leave, however, the Red Devils could welcome a Champions League forward.

According to reports in Spain, INEOS have made contact to sign Randal Kolo Muani for Manchester United and Amorim. The Frenchman has struggled at Paris Saint-Germain and now looks destined to leave the Ligue 1 champions just two years after arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt. In need of a revival, Manchester United could step in, with Amorim seeing the player as an interesting option.

It must be said though, that the 25-year-old could cost a hefty fee if PSG are looking to regain as much of the initial £64m that they splashed out in 2023, which would give United plenty to think about. The Red Devils have made several transfer mistakes in the past and do not need to add the £203,000-a-week forward to that list.

"Superb" Kolo Muani would be a risk

Whilst he showed potential at Nantes before truly bursting into life at Frankfurt – scoring 23 goals and assisting a further 17 in the 2022/23 campaign – Kolo Muani has simply struggled on the big stage. Even in the absence of Kylian Mbappe, he has failed to establish himself as the main man at PSG, culminating in just two Ligue 1 starts so far this season.

The 25-year-old was once described as a “superb player” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, but is not currently operating at that level. There is, of course, plenty of time to turn things around but Old Trafford is not the place to do that. In a transitional period of struggle themselves, Manchester United are in no position to help players back to their best form.

As Manchester United and Kolo Muani look to rebuild, it’d arguably be best to take a separate path.

“Things were different before IPL started and now KL Rahul is playing the way he is, so it’s very hard to look past him at top of the order.”

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Oct-2021

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma had opened together in the final T20I against England in March•Getty Images

Virat Kohli has indicated that he will bat at No. 3 during the T20 World Cup, reversing his desire to open with Rohit Sharma, which he expressed during the home T20 series against England in March. Speaking on Monday at the toss ahead of India’s first warm-up match against England, Kohli said KL Rahul’s commanding form in the IPL was so compelling that he was the best choice to be Rohit’s opening partner.”Things were different before IPL started and now KL Rahul is playing the way he is, so it’s very hard to look past him at top of the order,” Kohli said. “Rohit is a no-brainer. He has been a world-class player right at the top of the order for us. I will be batting at three.”In the 16 matches he has played at the previous three T20 World Cups, Kohli has always batted at No. 3. Kohli was the highest run-getter in the 2014 edition of the tournament, and the second-highest in 2016.But in March, after India’s emphatic win in the fifth T20I against England, Kohli said he would “like to partner” with Rohit because of the potential “damage” each batter was capable of causing once set.The 94-run opening partnership between Rohit and Kohli was the scaffolding on which India built the win, with the captain batting through the innings and scoring an unbeaten 52-ball 80. Rahul was dropped for the final T20I after scoring just 15 runs in the first four games, including two ducks.KL Rahul is set to reclaim his opening slot after finishing the IPL as its third-highest run-getter•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

That was only the seventh occasion on which Kohli opened for India in T20Is, but he said he would open for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL to prepare for the World Cup. Kohli finished this IPL with 405 runs at a strike rate of 119.46 and an average of 28.92.In 16 T20 games this year, including 15 in the IPL, Kohli has opened the batting and managed strike rates of 129.00 in the powerplay and 112.57 in the middle overs. The middle-overs strike rate is the lowest among Indian batters who have batted five or more times this year.In contrast Rahul, leading Punjab Kings, once again finished among the IPL’s most prolific batters, finishing as the third-highest runmaker with 626 runs. Although the Kings failed to make the play-offs, Rahul ended the tournament with a spectacular, unbeaten 42-ball 98 against eventual champions Chennai Super Kings, one of the innings of the tournament.Since 2018, Rahul has been the highest run-getter in the IPL with 2548 runs, winning the Orange Cap (most runs) in the 2020 edition. While announcing the India 15 for the World Cup, Chetan Sharma, India’s chief selector, had nominated Rohit and Rahul as the first-choice openers with Ishan Kishan as the back-up, without naming Kohli. Against England in the warm-up game, both Rahul and Kishan were part of the playing XI with Rohit resting.This World Cup is Kohli’s final assignment as India’s T20I captain after he announced recently that he would step down from the leadership position in the shortest format. Kohl said India were “pretty sorted” about their planning ahead of the first match in the tournament, on October 24 in Dubai against Pakistan.

The allrounder’s form over the last few months will make it hard to move him

Andrew McGlashan11-Oct-2021Mitchell Marsh appears set to retain the No. 3 spot in Australia’s XI for the T20 World Cup after his success on the tours of West Indies and Bangladesh which will have a knock-on impact on where Steven Smith returns to the side.Marsh was Australia’s standout batting star on the recent tours, scoring 375 runs across 10 matches, with the series in the Caribbean being the first time at batted at No. 3. They were missing a host of first-choice players for those trips with Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis now all available again.Maxwell’s outstanding returns in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore make a strong case for him batting as high as possible to maximise the time he has at the crease with No. 4 seeming the logical place. However, that would mean Smith, who has missed Australia’s last three T20I series, moving down to the middle order and since 2011 he has only twice batted lower than No. 4 in T20Is.Related

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“I dare say that if I play in this tournament, I’ll be listed at No. 3,” Marsh said. “But I think the beauty of our squad is that from three to six or even seven, all of us can float. It will just be a matter of game situation and who we think is best to go in next. So, I think I’ll be at the top, but it’s about being adaptable and being able to float with the guys that we’ve got coming after me.”Marsh picked up the form he had shown overseas in his one domestic innings before leaving for the World Cup when he hit 111 off 124 for Western Australia in the Marsh Cup. As he enters his fourth global limited-overs event, on the back of a seven-week period at home where he also got engaged, he feels well placed.Mitchell Marsh took his chance up the order•Getty Images

“I probably feel more confident just in my preparation and that often allows me to go out there and just play the game and try and perform for the team,” he said. “I know that when I’ve prepared really well I go out there full of confidence and that’s certainly been the case for the last few months. I’ll continue to do that.”On the evidence of some of the IPL, Marsh’s success on slow pitches in West Indies and Bangladesh could stand him in good stead. Playing spin was an area of his game he put particular focus in, picking the brains of Adam Zampa to find out how he would bowl to him and then working out ways to counter that.”I just asked him where he where he would bowl to me, to try and stop me from scoring. I think if I can try and nullifying bowlers from and doing that, and get the game a bit more on my terms when playing against spin, it becomes a little bit easier and you can you get more boundary options.”I’ve watched guys like Marcus Stoinis who use the crease unbelievably well. Getting back and hitting guys over deep midwicket off the back foot for six and I think when you start playing shots like that, then you get more balls in your area to look down the ground. In these conditions we know we’re going to get a lot of spin.”

تتجه أنظار عشاق كرة القدم في جميع أنحاء العالم إلى الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، حيث ستُقام النسخة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم للأندية بنظامها الجديد، بمشاركة 32 فريقًا، في حدث تاريخي من المنتظر أن يكون الأضخم على الإطلاق على مستوى الأندية.

مع تبقي أقل من أربعة أشهر على ضربة البداية، بدأت التقارير تكشف عن التفاصيل المالية الضخمة التي رصدها الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” للبطولة، حيث أكدت مصادر مسؤولة أن إجمالي الجوائز المالية سيصل إلى مليار دولار، يتم توزيعها وفق معايير مختلفة تشمل تصنيف النادي، قاراته، وأداءه في البطولة.

ووفقًا لما أوردته صحيفة “هسبورت” المغربية، فإن الفرق الأوروبية ستحصل على منح مالية تتراوح بين 12.5 مليون دولار و38 مليون دولار، وفقًا لحجم النادي ومكانته.

أما الأندية الإفريقية والآسيوية، فقد تم تحديد مكافآت موحّدة لكل فريق، بواقع 9.5 مليون دولار، تشمل فرق: الأهلي، الوداد المغربي، الترجي التونسي، ماميلودي صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي، الهلال السعودي، العين الإماراتي، أوراوا ريد دايموندز الياباني، وأولسان هيونداي الكوري الجنوبي.

وبجانب مكافآت المشاركة، قرر “فيفا” تخصيص جوائز إضافية تعتمد على نتائج الفرق في البطولة، حيث سيحصل الفريق الفائز بأي مباراة على 2 مليون دولار، بينما ينال الفريق المتعادل مليون دولار.

طالع أيضًا | محمد الشناوي: سنكتب التاريخ لـ الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية

أما الفريق الذي سيتوج باللقب فسيحصل على الجائزة الكبرى بقيمة 40 مليون دولار، بالإضافة إلى مكافآت تصاعدية تُمنح للفرق التي تتجاوز الأدوار الإقصائية، بدءًا من دور المجموعات وحتى المباراة النهائية.

وبالحديث عن المشاركين، سيكون النادي الأهلي هو الممثل الوحيد للكرة المصرية في البطولة، حيث جاء ضمن المجموعة الأولى، إلى جانب إنتر ميامي الأمريكي، بورتو البرتغالي، وبالميراس البرازيلي، وسيكون المارد الأحمر أمام اختبار صعب منذ البداية، إذ سيفتتح البطولة في مباراة مرتقبة أمام إنتر ميامي يوم 15 يونيو المقبل.

لم تقتصر المكاسب المالية على الأندية فقط، بل ستحقق البطولة أرباحًا ضخمة للاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، حيث تشير التقديرات إلى أن “فيفا” سيجني نحو 2 مليار دولار من تنظيم البطولة، سيتم تخصيص نصفها كجوائز مالية للأندية المشاركة.

بهذه الأرقام الضخمة، يبدو أن مونديال الأندية 2025 سيكون حدثًا غير مسبوق، سواء من حيث قوة المنافسة أو العائدات المالية، مما يجعله واحدًا من أكثر البطولات المنتظرة في عالم كرة القدم.

Real Madrid have sent employees to run the rule over an Arsenal star who they are considering a deal for, as Carlo Ancelotti's side cast their eye to the Premier League in search of proven talent.

Arsenal preparing for all-important north London derby against Tottenham

The north Londoners have an all-important derby clash against Tottenham awaiting them after the international break, and Mikel Arteta will be desperate to return to winning ways after being held by Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.

"Extraordinary" Arsenal player already considering exit in January

Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay in the summer.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 7, 2024

Kai Havertz's expertly taken chip over Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton net was later cancelled out by Joao Pedro's second-half strike in the second half, with the game finishing 1-1 and ending Arsenal's winning start to the new Premier League season.

"It was a very emotional afternoon, for sure," said Arteta on Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brighton.

"We started the game really well, created three or four chances that we didn’t convert. After that we had a period with some issues, particularly with the ball and we lacked some dominance in that period. We then score a really good goal in a moment when we take advantage of the opponent. Then we go in at half-time, come back and we were really strong. Then the referee makes a decision that changes the course of the game. With 10 men, the team reacted unbelievably well, the stadium reacts unbelievably well and we should have won the game."

To make matters more complicated for Arteta and his coaching staff, star midfielder Declan Rice was controversially sent off for two bookable offences on the day, so he is set to miss Arsenal's trip to Spurs next weekend.

Tottenham (away)

September 15

Man City (away)

September 22

Leicester City (home)

September 28

Southampton (home)

October 5

Bournemouth (away)

October 19

Arsenal will also be without summer signing Mikel Merino for nearly two months, following the Spaniard's shoulder injury. Merino fractured his deltoid in a collision with Gabriel Magalhaes during the Spaniard's first ever training session at London Colney, so it looks like Arteta will be pretty short in midfield.

There are even suggestions that Arteta could hand youngster Salah-Eddine Oulad M'hand his senior Arsenal debut against Tottenham as a result, while other reports state Havertz could be dropped into midfield so Raheem Sterling can play a false-nine role.

Real Madrid consider signing William Saliba from Arsenal

Whatever tactical tweaks Arteta is planning, one of the few certainties next weekend is that William Saliba will be playing a crucial role at the heart of his defence.

The Frenchman has starred since coming into the team on a regular basis at the beginning of 2022/2023, so much so that Real Madrid have been regularly linked with a move for Saliba.

The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey have an update on this, and they write that Real are indeed considering a move for Saliba, sending their club scouts to watch over him during Arsenal's 2-0 win over Aston Villa – where the 23-year-old put in an excellent display.

The centre-back, who Bailey claims could fetch around £100 million in this current market, is firmly on Ancelotti's radar as they carry on keeping close tabs.

Birmingham Phoenix struggle to contain home side after posting solid 140 for 4

Alan Gardner30-Jul-2021A scintillating innings from Danni Wyatt enabled Southern Brave to chase down an apparently taxing target of 141 with ease at the Ageas Bowl, as the home side joined Trent Rockets at the top of the women’s Hundred table with three wins from three. Wyatt bided her time before upping the tempo with a fusillade of fours and sixes during the second half of the innings, as Birmingham Phoenix’s attack was found severely wanting.Wyatt’s opening partner, Smriti Mandhana, holed out in the second set of five, hitting into the wind against Erin Burns. But none of the other Phoenix bowlers managed to pick up a wicket thereafter, with the run-out of Sophia Dunkley coming when Abtaha Maqsood dropped a return chance off Wyatt on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end.Wyatt could also have been out lbw a couple of deliveries later, but Phoenix’s captain Amy Jones opted not to review an lbw appeal off Maqsood that Hawk-Eye later showed to have been hitting off stump. Having been chugging along on 25 off 22 just beyond the halfway mark of the innings, Wyatt took 44 off the next 18, hitting the ball to all parts of the ground before finishing things in style by carting her fourth six over deep midwicket off Issy Wong.That completed the highest successful chase of the women’s competition, and rendered an improved display from Phoenix’s top order largely academic.Phoenix fire (apparently)
It has taken a few goes, but Phoenix look like they might have found a batting order they can settle on. Having started the tournament with Shafali Verma opening alongside Katie Mack, they pushed up Erin Burns in place of Mack in their second match and here partnered Verma with Eve Jones. The left-hand, right-hand combination brought immediate dividends with a 58-run stand – which included the third-highest Powerplay score in the women’s competition of 40 without loss.Eve Jones was ‘Hero of the Match’ in defeat in Phoenix’s opener, having anchored the innings with 47 from 41 at No. 3, but dropped down the order for the spin-heavy encounter in Manchester. Pushed up again here, she helped counter the twin pace threat of Anya Shrubsole and Lauren Bell, who played key roles in Brave’s opening two wins. Both had trouble adjusting to bowling to the left-hander in windy conditions, with Jones taking Shrubsole’s first three legitimate balls for 10 runs.Related

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The proactive start from Eve Jones also allowed Verma to take a bit of time to settle. Much has been expected of the India opener but she has had a quiet start to the Hundred after seeing her form tail off during the multi-format series against England. She only faced two of the first 14 deliveries, then pulled Shrubsole for a boundary, before tucking into Charlotte Taylor’s offspin with a couple of trademark biffs over mid-on (perhaps aided by Brave’s field placings). An encouraging start drifted somewhat, as she fell lbw to Amanda-Jade Wellington – but 22 off 20 represented her best outing of the Hundred so far.Jones the finisher
Amy Jones has looked Phoenix’s most-dangerous batter, but her returns had been affected by a malfunctioning top order and starts of 37 for 3 and 35 for 4 in the opening two games. Here she came out at No. 3 for the tenth set of five with her side in a strong position, and although Wellington struck again in her 10-ball stretch, Jones and Katie Mack had licence to go hard down the back nine, putting on a sparkling stand of 71 off 43.Amy Jones moves across to slog sweep•Getty ImagesThe pair initially saw off the middle-phase threat of Bell with a handful of nudged singles, and then combined intelligent hitting with hard running to get the scoreboard rattling. They successfully targeted the Brave spinners, four times hitting opening deliveries from Fi Morris and the two Taylors for four; and when Bell returned, Jones was confident enough to walk across her stumps to the inswinger and belt it imperiously through backward square leg. Bell went wicketless but Phoenix crucially lost altitude towards the end of the innings, only managing to score 22 off the last 20 deliveries.Slam Dunkley
The rise of Dunkley into the top tier of English batting has been one of the stories of the summer, after an unbeaten 74 on Test debut and 73 not out to see home a successful England chase in her maiden ODI innings. Her form had tailed off a little, with single-figures scores in the T20Is and innings of 6 and 16 in Brave green – but her boundary-laden assault after the early loss of Mandhana was key in giving the home side a chance of reeling in a 140-plus target.Dunkley’s aggressive innings featured a superbly timed flick off the pace of Wong and an impudent uppercut over third man to Emily Arlott. She might have been fortunate to survive after top-edging a spiralling catch to Jones, with Arlott’s delivery harshly judged a no-ball on height – but she was definitely unlucky to be run out backing up, when Maqsood dropped the ball on to the stumps. Her innings also allowed Wyatt to slipstream her way into form, as the game’s momentum swung towards Brave.Wyatt goes through gears
Wyatt is one of the most-destructive batters in the women’s game but she also showed her sense of game management to help snuff out a daunting chase with an eye-popping 18 balls to spare. She scored 6 from 6 during the Powerplay and was going at just above a run a ball when joined by Stafanie Taylor, but killed Phoenix’s chances with a clinical assault. Her first six saw her step outside leg stump and hammer Wong’s pace over extra cover, and she then swept Maqsood over deep square leg, before hitting Georgia Elwiss over long-off. The third-wicket stand with Taylor was worth 74, Wyatt crunching 51 of them, as Brave’s fans got a first glimpse of what their power-packed batting order can do.

Arsenal have a whole host of stars away on international duty this week as fans watch from behind the sofa in the hopes their squad returns to north London free of injuries, and one fan favourite will be coming away from national team duty with a spring in his step.

Arsenal players away on international duty

Mikel Arteta is already without Mikel Merino and Declan Rice in midfield for the north London derby against Tottenham, so will be praying his midfielders in particular return to London Colney in one piece.

On that note, Bukayo Saka featured for England as the Three Lions cruised past the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in Dublin on Saturday, and the winger was on the recieiving end of a couple of nasty tackles from Robbie Brady, but came away unscathed.

Martin Odegaard’s Norway meanwhile face off against Kazakstan and Austria, the former of which resulted in a disappointing 0-0 draw in which the skipper played the full 90 minutes.

Thomas Partey’s Ghana are in 2025 AFCON qualifiying action, as the 31 year-old played the full game in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Angola last Thursday, with a chance to redeem themselves on Monday against Niger.

The standout result from this international break from a Gunners perspective is undoubtedly what Kai Havertz and Germany produced this weekend, crushing Dominik Szoboszlai's Hungary 5-0 in a Nations League group match, as Arsenal's 25 year-old found himself in a new role and shone.

German media praise Havertz in new number ten role

While his finishing left a little to be desired – the former Chelsea star missed two "big chances" and hit the woodwork twice – he did get on the scoresheet from the penalty spot, and it was his general play as a number ten that earned him praise from the press in his homeland.

As shared by TBR Football, Frankfurter Rundschau said Havertz's general performance was "world class" outside of his inability to finish his chances, while Sky Germany praised his "good movement" and "good ideas".

Kai Havertz vs Hungary

Stat (via Sofascore)

Pass accuracy

92 per cent

Shots total

Four

Big chances missed

Two

Penalties won

One

Duels won

Seven

Fouls drawn

Five

Havertz, of course, has been forced to make the striker role his own in north London after they neglected to sign an out and out centre-forward, and has also shone for Arteta in a left centre-mid role, but featured here as a true number playmaker, sitting just behind West Ham target man Niclas Füllkrug.

Related Arsenal dealt injury blow with potential fourth star set to miss Tottenham

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Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 3, 2024

Whether Arteta ever chooses to adopt a slightly different system than his usual 4-3-3 in order to fit Havertz into this playmaker role remains to be seen, but having a player so full of confidence thriving in a variety of positions can only be a good thing for the manager ahead of such a huge clash against rivals Spurs.

Arsenal could table an eight-figure transfer bid to sign an ex-Olympian, with manager Mikel Arteta personally green-lighting a move for him.

The next signing Arsenal could make after Riccardo Calafiori

The Gunners have sealed just one outfield signing this summer window in defender Riccardo Calafiori, who joined the club in an initial £34 million deal from Bologna plus add-ons.

Edu will make £22m Arsenal bid to sign "really exciting" forward this week

The Brazilian transfer chief has his eyes on a fellow countryman.

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Emilio Galantini

Aug 7, 2024

The 22-year-old comes with plenty of promise, having just stood out as a star player for Italy at Euro 2024, and was a sore miss for the Azzurri when Luciano Spaletti's side crashed out to Switzerland in the Last 16.

Calafiori also helped Bologna to qualify for the Champions League next season, with his ability to play as both a centre-back and left-back potentially coming as a very big draw for Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar.

Riccardo Calafiori's Bologna Statistics 2023-24
Serie A Games	30
Goal Contributuion	7
Clean Sheets	15
Interceptions Per 90 Minutes	1.92
Tackles Per 90 Minutes	1.80
via WhoScored

That being said, if the ex-FC Basel starlet finishes this summer window as Arsenal's only major signing bar David Raya, it would be deemed an unsuccessful summer window – especially considering Arsenal's desire to finally beat Man City to the Premier League title.

After Calafiori, reports have centered around the possibility of bringing in a new midfielder and forward. Declan Rice, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira and Thomas Partey currently occupy the middle of the park for Arsenal, but the latter has been heavily linked with an exit all summer, and has entered the final year of his contract.

Partey has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and Turkey ahead of a potential Emirates Stadium departure, but if the Ghanaian does find a new home before deadline day on August 30, Arsenal would need a replacement.

Edu and Arteta's desire to bring in a new midfielder has lead to their serious interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this last fortnight.

The 28-year-old, like Calafiori, impressed at the Euros – scoring Spain's winner against host nation Germany in the quarter-finals. He eventually went on to win the illustrious tournament with his nation, and Merino's performances at club level weren't bad either.

He scored eight goals and registered five assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for Sociedad last season, and with Merino's contract expiring next year, the former Newcastle ace could be an astute option for Edu.

Arsenal eye opening bid for Merino after Arteta green-light

Diario AS and journalist Asier Aurrekoetxea, the player is determined to leave Sociedad for a fresh challenge, coming after other reports have claimed Merino is awaiting a move to join Arsenal specifically.

Aurrekoetxea writes that Arteta has personally green-lit an Arsenal move for Merino, and they could make a formal eight-figure opening bid of around £26 million to finally get him over the line after weeks of talks.

Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano has stated that talks are ongoing, but it is all verbal, with no formal offer on the table just yet for the ex-Olympian who represented Spain at the 2020 competition in Tokyo.

Manchester City have been brutally trolled after five straight defeats, with a San Marino super fan sending a “please play us” message to the Etihad.

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• Blues suffered five straight defeats
• International minnows enjoying historic high
• Joked that they could beat Premier League champions

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Pep Guardiola has hit a new low, with the highly-decorated Catalan coach enduring the worst run of his trophy-laden managerial career. A stunning slump from the reigning Premier League champions has been bookended by defeats to Tottenham.

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• Getty/Goal
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Spurs saw off City in the Carabao Cup back on October 30, before repeating the trick in top-flight competition on Saturday as they left Manchester with a remarkable 4-0 win. In between those setbacks, City came unstuck against Bournemouth, Sporting and Brighton in Premier League and Champions League competition.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Plenty are suggesting that the wheels are falling off City’s bandwagon – one which steered them to Treble glory in 2022-23 – with there much work to be done on the field as they continue to fight a 115-charge Financial Fair Play case that has sparked speculation of points penalties or potential demotion into or completely out of the English Football League.

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• WHAT SAN MARINO SAID

  Guardiola’s side have lost their fear factor, leading international minnows San Marino – who have been enjoying a historic purple patch in the UEFA Nations League of late – poking fun at the star-studded Blues. Their popular X account, which is run by a passionate supporter, has posted in response to seeing City suffer a humbling reversal on home soil against Spurs: “Hello, please play against us. I think we can beat you.”

With the INEOS era now in full swing at Manchester United, the immediate task for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co appears to be righting the wrongs of over a decade of scattergun recruitment at the club, having far too often spent erratically in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Arguably, there has been just one unequivocal success story of the last ten years or so on the transfer front – Bruno Fernandes – with the former Sporting CP man having swiftly solidified his place as the club's talisman, chalking up 79 goals and 66 assists in just 233 games for the club in all competitions.

With just two games missed through injury across that four-and-a-half-year spell – both of which came back in May – the Portuguese genius has been United's 'Mr Reliable' for a significant period now, often shouldering the creative, attacking burden on his own at times.

That reliance on the 29-year-old has perhaps not always been a healthy one, however, with the club now eyeing a potential rival or competitor who can keep Fernandes on his toes…

Latest on Man Utd's search for a midfielder

According to Spanish newspaper AS – via Sport Witness – United are in the mix to sign RB Leipzig and Spain star, Dani Olmo, with the 26-year-old having been heavily linked for a departure following his sparkling form at Euro 2024 this summer.

As per the piece, the former Dinamo Zagreb playmaker does have a €60m (51m) release clause in his current deal, although this is set to expire today (20 July), thus ensuring any interested party would likely have to negotiate a fee with the Bundesliga outfit.

Why Dani Olmo could thrive in the Premier League

As indicated in the graphic above, Olmo was a central part of La Roja's European triumph in Germany, registering five goal involvements from just six outings, while also averaging 1.8 key passes and 2.3 successful dribbles per game as a marker of his creative influence.

Lauded as a "technical genius" by journalist Josh Bunting amid that form on the international scene, the Leipzig star has unsurprisingly caught the attention of Europe's elite clubs, with rivals Manchester City also said to be plotting a move this summer.

If United can win the race for his signature it could allow Erik ten Hag to finally acquire a worthy alternative to Fernandes in an attacking midfield role, with a certain Donny van de Beek – who recently departed for Girona – having tried and failed to dislodge the Red Devils' skipper.

What makes Olmo such an exciting option is also his apparent likeness to a current Premier League sensation in the form of Chelsea's Cole Palmer, with the Spaniard and the boyhood United fan said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, as per FBref.

Olmo vs Palmer – League stats 2023/24
Metric (per 90)	Olmo	Palmer
Goals	0.25	0.76
Assists	0.31	0.38
Progressive carries	3.73	4.02
Progressive passes	4.22	6.77
Progressive passes received	6.89	6.70
Pass completion	77.8%	79.2%
Shot-creating actions	3.79	5.57
Stats via FBref

As can be seen above, it is Palmer – who scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in the Premier League last season – who unsurprisingly comes out on top, but Olmo notably boasts a similar return with regard to assists per 90, as well as in relation to progressive passes and progressive passes received, indicating his ability to create in the final third.

The latter man did actually only end 2023/24 with four goals and five assists in Germany's top-flight, although considering that came from just 17 starts – while Palmer started 29 games for the Blues – it is hardly the worst return.

Of course, those at United may have concerns over Olmo's injury record in recent times, yet as seen this summer, when he is fit and firing the 5 foot 9 sensation can prove almost impossible to contain.

Fernandes, it must be said, may need to watch out.

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By
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