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Manchester United fans have been blessed with numerous elite-level strikers over the years, with many capturing the hearts of the supporters during their respective stints at Old Trafford.

Wayne Rooney spent 13 years with the Red Devils, joining them as a youngster from Everton and going on to exceed everyone’s expectations upon his arrival.

The Englishman netted 253 goals in his 559 outings – a tally to this day which remains the most in the club’s history after he overtook Sir Bobby Charlton’s record back in 2017.

He often starred alongside the likes of Robin van Persie and Dimitar Berbatov – subsequently playing a huge role in their record-breaking 13 Premier League title triumphs.

However, in the present day, boss Ruben Amorim is hunting for his own talisman to try and end the decade-long wait for another league trophy at the Theatre of Dreams.

What Sesko & Mbeumo will bring to Man Utd

After scoring just 44 league goals in 2024/25, Amorim made it clear that he wanted a new centre-forward in the summer window – with the board backing him with a deal to land Benjamin Sesko.

The deal to land the Slovenian international cost upwards of £70m, with the former RB Leipzig talisman able to be an immediate and long-term solution to their problems, given his tender age of 22.

However, he’s already showcased his quality in the Bundesliga, racking up 27 league goals in the last two years – a tally higher than any player in the Red Devils’ current first-team squad.

He’s going to be aided in his attempts by fellow new addition Bryan Mbeumo, after the Cameroonian international also joined Amorim’s men in a deal worth a total of £71m.

Like Sesko, the 26-year-old has thrived in front of goal over recent times, scoring 20 times in the Premier League throughout the 2024/25 campaign – subsequently leading to his big-money transfer.

However, despite the talents of the aforementioned talents, one former Red Devil star has thrived since leaving the club and once again demonstrated his incredible goalscoring nouse.

The former United star who’s outscoring Sesko & Mbeumo

Securing deals for experienced attackers isn’t unfamiliar to United after securing the signature of legendary forward Zlatan Ibrahimović back in the summer of 2016 after his release from PSG.

The Swede moved to Manchester at the age of 34, but that didn’t stop him from making a huge impact within the club’s first-team during the 2016/17 campaign.

He’s registered a staggering 28 goals in his 46 outings across all competitions – helping the side win the Europa League and Carabao Cup under José Mourinho.

Zlatan wasn’t the only experienced option landed by the hierarchy in recent years, with Edinson Cavani also following a similar pattern after also joining from the French giants.

Such a move occurred four years after his former teammate, also moving at a similar age, given that the Uruguayan was 33 at the time of his free transfer to join the Red Devils.

Cavani would spend two years at Old Trafford, racking up 59 appearances and managing to find the back of the net on 19 separate occasions – including an outrageous long-range against Fulham.

Given he was entering the back end of his career at the top level, he would leave in the summer of 2022 – departing on a free transfer to join Spanish side Valencia.

Fast-forward to the present day, the 38-year-old is still plying his trade for Argentine outfit Boca Juniors, but is still managing to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.

Games played

59

Goals scored

19

Assists

7

Minutes played

3094

Yellow cards

6

Minutes per goal

163

Minutes per assist

442

Cavani, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has scored 24 goals since the start of the 2024/25 campaign – a simply remarkable tally given his age.

Such a figure is also higher than new additions, Sesko (21) and Mbeumo (22), subsequently highlighting the attacking threat he still carries to this day.

There’s no denying that the hierarchy made the right choice in allowing him to depart United, but it’s great to see a former fans’ favourite still thriving like he did at Old Trafford.

If the two new additions can make a similar impact to the Uruguayan at the Theatre of Dreams, there’s no reason why the club can’t be competing at the top end of the table once again in the years ahead.

Not just Onana: "Sunday League" level flop now looks finished at Man Utd

Manchester United should be looking to move another talent on after Andre Onana.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 10, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo perdeu a oportunidade de alcançar mais um marco histórico em relação à presença da público no estádio do Morumbi. Nos últimos sete jogos, o clube atraiu mais de 40 mil pagantes em cada partida. No entanto, contra o Athletico-PR, praticamente metade desse público compareceu ao estádio.

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Conforme os levantamentos do historiador Alexandre Giesbrecht, do ‘Anotações Tricolores’, a sequência de sete jogos com mais de 40 mil pagantes igualou o recorde estabelecido em 2017 e repetido no ano seguinte. Curiosamente, em 2018, essa sequência foi interrompida em um Choque-Rei, assim como ocorreu na rodada anterior ao confronto contra o Athletico-PR, no qual o São Paulo foi derrotado em casa por 2 a 0. Se tivesse chegado a oito jogos, tinha feito história.

Apesar dos resultados positivos em relação à presença da torcida são-paulina neste ano, a média de público ficou abaixo do registrado em 2017 e 2018. Enquanto, em 2017, o São Paulo teve uma média de 52.803 torcedores durante essa sequência de jogos, em 2018 a média foi de 49.897. Já neste ano, a média ficou em 48.665 pagantes.

ATUAÇÕES: Gabriel Neves vai do inferno ao céu e Luciano comanda virada do São Paulo contra o Athletico-PR

Para os tricolores apaixonados: produtos a partir de R$39,90 na FutFanatics!

Existem algumas suposições que podem explicar essa queda de público após o período sem jogos devido à Data Fifa. Um dos fatores é o resultado negativo no clássico contra o rival alviverde. Além disso, a partida contra o Athletico-PR foi realizada às 19h (horário de Brasília), período de pico no trânsito da capital paulista, o que pode ter dificultado o deslocamento dos torcedores até o estádio.

+ Clique aqui e veja como apostar no Brasileirão

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Existem chances de o São Paulo retomar a sequência de grandes públicos nos próximos jogos. Nas próximas duas semanas, o Tricolor terá três desafios em casa: o confronto contra o Tigre, pela Copa Sul-Americana, o jogo de ida das quartas de final contra o Palmeiras, pela Copa do Brasil, e o duelo contra o Fluminense, pelo Brasileirão. Essas partidas representam oportunidades para a torcida são-paulina comparecer em peso e contribuir para o aumento da média de público no estádio do Morumbi.

After a summer break that felt far too long, the Premier League is finally back this weekend, and West Ham United travel to Sunderland for their opening game of the campaign.

It’s been a largely positive pre-season for Graham Potter and Co this year, as while they lost 2-1 to Manchester United, they dispatched of Grasshoppers as well as Everton and Bournemouth.

Moreover, while they’ve not pulled up any trees in the market, the Irons have made a few smart additions to a side that’s already strong enough to challenge for a top-half finish this season.

They aren’t done either, as it now looks like West Ham want to sign a midfield talent who has won comparisons to the highly sought-after Carlos Baleba.

West Ham target their own Baleba

While West Ham haven’t been as busy as some of their rivals in the market this summer, they’ve still made some wise additions to the team, while also making a pretty penny on Mohammed Kudus.

Transfer Focus

The likes of Kyle Walker-Peters and Mads Hermansen, for example, should help make the side more difficult to play against, while the young El Hadji Malick Diouf looks like he could be a real handful for opposition defenders.

Interestingly, it seems like the Senegalese international might not be the Hammers’ only midfield signing, as they’re now moving for an up-and-coming gem who’d been compared to Baleba.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sacha Tavolieri, who has revealed that West Ham are very interested in Ngal’ayel Mukau.

More than that, the journalist has claimed that the Irons have already made contact with LOSC Lille over the incredibly exciting talent.

In more good news, it shouldn’t be a prohibitively expensive deal to pull off, as the report states that the French side will demand a fee in excess of €20m, which is about £xxm.

While that is still a lot of money to spend on a young talent, Mukau looks like he’d be worth the risk, especially as he’s been compared to the sensational Baleba.

How Mukau compares to Baleba

As things stand, it looks like Manchester United are going to go all out for Baleba, who, according to some reports, is valued at more than £100m by Brighton & Hove Albion.

So, while nobody is suggesting that Mukau is at that level at the moment, it’s certainly encouraging that those in the know, such as respected analyst Ben Mattinson, are comparing him to the Seagulls ace.

Mattinson made the bold claim that, due in part to just how “well balanced” the 20-year-old is, he specifically makes him think of the now in-demand Cameroon international.

Interestingly, the opinion that the two players share similar characteristics must be shared by Lille themselves, as just a year after selling the Brighton ace, they signed the Antwerp-born gem to play in the same positions.

Moreover, just as the United target is known for his lung-busting runs from deep and ability to do a bit of everything in the middle of the park, the young Lille gem can excel as a box-to-box midfielder, in part thanks to his “ability in tight spaces and arriving into the box,” per Mattinson.

With that said, while the comparisons to a rising star of the Premier League are encouraging, they are not the only argument for signing the “tenacious” ace, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, as he also has some seriously impressive underlying numbers to his name.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 3% of midfielders in the Champions League last season for goal-creating actions from shots, the top 4% for goals per shot, the top 6% for dribblers tackled, the top 12% for aerial duels won and more, all per 90.

GCA (Shot)

0.16

Top 3%

Goals/Shot

0.40

Top 4%

Pass Completion % (Long)

94.7%

Top 4%

% of Dribblers Tackled

75.0%

Top 6%

Goals – xG

+0.19

Top 7%

Non-Penalty Goals – npxG

+0.19

Top 7%

npxG/Shot

0.17

Top 9%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.32

Top 12%

Goals/Shot on Target

1.00

Top 12%

% of Aerials Won

71.4%

Top 12%

Goals

0.32

Top 13%

Carries into Final Third

2.24

Top 16%

Ultimately, Mukau might not be a particularly well-known name to fans of English football at the moment, but he looks set for a bright future, and the comparisons to Baleba are simply more evidence of that.

Therefore, while it won’t be cheap, West Ham should be doing all they can to sign him this summer.

Their new Lanzini: West Ham in talks to sign "exquisite" star for £0

West Ham United could pick up their next Manuel Lanzini by signing this exciting free agent.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 10, 2025

“If I can have even a minimum impact, it will be worth it, despite how much time I have till the Champions Trophy”

Mohammad Isam11-Nov-2024

Mohammad Salahuddin (L) has been involved with many teams in the Bangladesh domestic and BPL circuit•Bangladesh Cricket Board

Mohammad Salahuddin wants to leave his mark on Bangladesh cricket in what will be a short stint as the team’s senior assistant coach. The appointment – his second, he had served from 2006 to 2010 as assistant coach too – is till the Champions Trophy next year, but he comes with a big reputation, having built one of the most impressive coaching CVs in the domestic circuit.Salahuddin, who won the BPL four times with Comilla Victorians, has already started working with the Test cricketers in Dhaka while the team is in Sharjah for the ODIs against Afghanistan. He will travel for the Caribbean with the Test players on Monday.”I think this is the right time [to work in the Bangladesh team],” Salahuddin said. “I might not be in coaching for much longer, maybe another four or five years. It will be great to help more generations of cricketers in my long coaching career – it won’t be right if I just know everything but can’t light a lamp. If I can do this job properly, it will be helpful for the team. If I can have even a minimum impact, it will be worth it, despite how much time I have till the Champions Trophy. I may not be able to cause dramatic change, but if something I say can cause a change, I will be happy.”Salahuddin said that he hadn’t talked in detail with head coach Phil Simmons, who was appointed in mid-October on an interim basis after Chandika Hathurusinghe was sacked.”I might have a different role this time. I have to understand the philosophy of the head coach, how he wants to run the team,” Salahuddin said. “I have to help him. I just hope our boys get a bit more confident. I will also keep an eye on their communication with the foreign coaches.”Salahuddin was on the verge of being appointed as the team’s batting consultant in 2017 only for the BCB to call it off at the last minute. It soured relations between Salahuddin and the BCB for several years, and Salahuddin being one of the foremost critical voices in Bangladesh cricket didn’t help mend fences.When the country’s political regime changed in August, the BCB chose as president Faruque Ahmed, who committed to bringing in a Bangladeshi in the coaching setup.Salahuddin said that his long discussion with Faruque convinced him to wind down his coaching commitments elsewhere. “I asked for a bit of time. I was involved in a couple of places, so I needed a bit of time to leave those places. I have been speaking to Faruque for three months, so it gave me time to settle those commitments.”Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal, among others, both benefitted from their association with Salahuddin when he was the assistant coach earlier. He has subsequently played a role in the development of several cricketers as a coach at the domestic level – the likes of Jaker Ali and Mahidul Islam Ankon, who are new in the Bangladesh Test team, among them.”Please don’t be quick to label someone as a hero or a villain. When a player joins [the national team], they go through many processes and perform consistently to get into the team. They struggle a lot,” Salahuddin said in a message to the media. “In international matches, some players may take a few games to find success, while others succeed right away. At that time, you make them heroes, but if they don’t perform well in a couple of matches, you label them a villain.”

Everton were one of the four sides involved in the Premier League Summer Series held in the United States. They ended up finishing bottom in the four-team competition, with Manchester United, West Ham United and Bournemouth the three sides who placed above them.

What might concern manager David Moyes is that they scored only three goals across the three games, fewer than any of their opponents. Two of those came in the final game against Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United. That came after the Toffees boss said he was “disappointed” with striker Beto’s performances in the competition.

So, it seems like the Toffees need attackers to help end this drought in front of goal. They are reportedly targeting a Premier League attacker to help their cause.

Everton’s next attacking target after Dibling

Of course, with Everton needing to become more clinical, the likes of Beto must step up, with new signing Thierno Barry waiting in the wings. Yet, they also need more creativity in attack, and seem to be targeting a Premier League star to help solve their problem.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to a recent report from talkSPORT, the Merseysiders are ‘set to step up their interest’ in signing Manchester City and England international attacker Jack Grealish.

They are said to have been interested in the 29-year-old ‘for much of the transfer window’, and could now accelerate a move.

That comes after Southampton asked for £50m to sign Tyler Dibling, after Moyes’ side ‘have seen multiple bids rejected’ for the winger. Thus, they will ‘turn their attention’ to signing Grealish this summer, with a loan swoop seemingly on the cards.

Why Grealish would be a good signing

It has been a tough 12 months at the Etihad Stadium for Grealish. The former Aston Villa star seemingly fell out of Pep Guardiola’s plans and was not even taken as part of the squad to the Club World Cup earlier in the summer.

He played just 32 times for the Citizens last season, chipping in with eight goals and assists. That included just 20 Premier League games, where the attacker scored and assisted one goal apiece. He played 715 minutes in total and completed a full game three times.

A fresh start is needed for Grealish, but if Everton can recapture his best form, then they have a “generational talent” on their hands, according to former Villans chief executive Christian Purslow. He made 213 appearances in that famous Claret and Blue shirt, scoring 32 times and assisting 43.

Perhaps signing the England international will be like bringing a more experienced version of Dibling to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The pair have been compared before, with Tony Cascarino explaining he has “elements” of Grealish’s game, and analyst Umir said on The Overlap: The Breakdown that “the way he carried” the ball is similar to the City man.

Of course, Dibling, at just 19 years of age, is far from the finished article. Last season, he scored two goals and assisted one in 33 Premier League games, including this well-taken effort against Ipswich Town.

Yet, the similarities are there to see, and there is a bit of Grealish in the way he took the ball on the half turn, evaded the defender and fired home. The numbers also back up the theory, and if Everton can help Grealish rediscover his best form from his Villa days, they’ll have a more refined version of Dibling who can have an impact now, rather than later down the line.

Using stats on FBref from Grealish’s last season at Villa, he averaged 2.67 completed take-ons and 4.03 carries into the final third per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Southampton forward averaged 2.16 successful take-ons and 2.4 carries into the final third each game.

Grealish and Dibling key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Grealish (2020/21)

Dibling (2024/25)

Progressive passes

7.78

3.08

Take-ons completed

2.67

2.16

Progressive carries

7.08

3.32

Carries into final third

4.03

2.4

Carries into penalty area

3.25

1.25

Stats from FBref

The similarities between the two attackers are clear. Whilst Dibling can be a long-term addition for Everton, there is a strong case to make that Grealish would be a better signing for Moyes’ side this season.

He is far more experienced and closer to the finished product. The 29-year-old is almost guaranteed to have an instant impact if Moyes can help him rediscover the form he showed at Villa. This could be a genius move for Everton.

Related Imagine him & Dewsbury-Hall: Everton pushing to sign "world-class talent"

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Aug 6, 2025

Liverpool have reportedly had a “phone call” with the representatives of a big-money attacking player, as they look to sign a replacement for Darwin Nunez.

Slot's beautiful Jota tribute before Preston

The Reds started their pre-season with a 3-1 win away to Preston North End on Sunday afternoon, on what was an emotional occasion after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota earlier this month.

Prior to the game, Arne Slot provided some beautiful words on the Portuguese, showing exactly why he was such a perfect successor to Jurgen Klopp.

“Nothing seems to be important if we think of what has happened. But we are a football club and we need to train and we need to play again, if we want it or not. What I’ve said to the players, I can say it here as well. It’s very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate what is appropriate. What is appropriate in our actions? What is appropriate [for] what we have to say? Can we train again? Can we laugh again? Can we be angry if there’s a wrong decision?

“And I’ve said to them, maybe the best thing for us to do is handle this situation like Jota was. And what I meant with that is that Jota was always himself, it didn’t matter if he was talking to me, to his teammates, to the staff, he was always himself. So let us try to be ourselves as well. So, if we want to laugh we laugh; if we want to cry we’re going to cry. If they want to train they can train, if they don’t want to train they can not train. But be yourself, don’t think you have to be different than your emotions tell you.”

Now, it is a case of Slot and his Liverpool players trying to achieve lots of success with Jota in their thoughts, and further signings may help in that respect. A new update has now emerged regarding a potential addition in the final third.

Liverpool have "phone call" with £78m Nunez replacement

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal on X, Liverpool have been in contact with a “phone call” to RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko’s agents about a £78m move to Anfield, coming in to replace the likely-to-leave Nunez, who scored against Preston.

Sesko feels like an ideal option to come in and lead the line for the Reds, considering it looks increasingly unlikely that they will be able to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.

The 22-year-old is already such a prolific and dominant striker, scoring 39 goals in 87 appearances for Leipzig, as well as 16 in 41 caps for Slovenia.

Slot's next Wirtz: Liverpool in contact to sign "the new Haaland" for £78m

Liverpool are planning to sign a new striker in the summer transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 14, 2025

If Liverpool could sign Sesko on top of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez this summer, it would be outstanding business, with a new backup centre-back potentially the next priority after Jarell Quansah’s move to Bayer Leverkusen.

Newcastle United’s pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo seems to be completely off the cards now. The Magpies were strongly linked with the Brentford winger at the end of May, with The Telegraph claiming they would ‘be in pole position’ for the Cameroon star if they acted fast.

However, they didn’t act fast enough, with Manchester United nipping in before the Magpies and seemingly reading the race for Mbeumo now. Ruben Amorim’s side ‘are expected to continue prioritising the signing’ according to the Manchester Evening News, suggesting there is little to no chance the Magpies will sign their first-choice attacker now.

With that in mind, Eddie Howe’s side need to find an alternative attacker. They may well have another Premier League star linked to a summer move up North.

Newcastle’s search for a winger

There is no doubt that losing out on Mbeumo has put a real dent in the summer transfer plans at St James’ Park. However, with Champions League football returning to the club, the alternative option has bags of experience in the competition.

Transfer Focus

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

It seems as though Jack Grealish is destined to leave Manchester City this summer, after a tough few months and his omission from the Club World Cup squad. Well, Football Insider suggest that the Magpies ‘are leading the race to sign’ the England international this summer.

However, they will not be the only side trying to sign Grealish this summer. Fellow Premier League outfit Everton are also at the front of the queue, whilst there will be interest from abroad.

Grealish is valued at £41m by Football Transfers, but a loan deal is the ‘most likely’ outcome.

Why Grealish would be a good signing

Make no mistake about it, the 2024/25 campaign was not an easy one for Grealish. He only played 32 times for the Citizens across all competitions, with just 20 of those games coming in the Premier League.

2025 so far has seen the England international play just seven Premier League games, featuring for just 144 minutes. He scored in that spell, too, with his goal coming against Leicester City.

It was a strike which meant a lot to the player on a personal level.

Yet, let’s not forget the quality the former Aston Villa star has. It was on show both at his boyhood club, for whom he scored 32 times and grabbed 43 assists in 213 games, and at the Etihad Stadium.

In fact, City content creator Steven Mcinerney described him as “immense” back in 2023.

One thing that Grealish can bring to the Magpies’ squad is experience in the Champions League. He was a treble winner with City in 2022/23, playing 90 minutes in all but one of the knockout games in their successful European campaign.

He managed 16 goal involvements in 50 games in that successful season for City.

That European pedigree is one reason why he makes an excellent alternative to Mbeumo, who, in his own right, would have been an excellent signing.

The Bees star managed 28 goal involvements in 38 top-flight games last term, and certainly would have added dynamism to their attack.

Yet, he seems to be off the table, and the maverick that is Grealish might be St James’ Park bound, instead. To get an idea of how suitable an alternative Grealish is, one can compare their stats from their most productive Premier League seasons, which for the City star was 2020/21, when he managed 16 goals and assists in just 26 games.

The stats on FBref stack up against each other well. That season, Grealish averaged 3.33 key passes and 7.08 progressive carries per 90 minutes, compared to 1.85 key passes and 3.43 progressive carries each game from Mbeumo this term.

Goals and assists

0.66

0.71

Key passes

3.33

1.85

Shot-creating actions

6.96

3.8

Goal-creating actions

0.82

0.53

Progressive carries

7.08

3.43

If Howe can help get Grealish back to his very best, like we saw four years ago, then he will have a sensational player on his hands. Not only will he bring flair on the ball and creative nous, but plenty of experience in the Champions League.

Losing out on Mbeumo was disappointing, but signing Grealish could be a huge catalyst for the Magpies to kick on in the 2025/26 campaign.

Better than Joao Pedro: Newcastle plotting offer for £85m "monster"

Newcastle are hoping to add more firepower to Eddie Howe’s squad this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 11, 2025

Manchester United appear to be at risk of losing their captain, Bruno Fernandes, in the upcoming summer transfer window, amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Daily Mail journalist Chris Wheeler claims that his agent has held face-to-face talks with Al Hilal over a deal to move to the Pro League, in a move that would see him earn £200m over three seasons.

The reporter adds that Manchester United would earn a fee of £100m for the 30-year-old star, who delivered 19 goals and 18 assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.

It now remains to be seen what is going to happen with the Portugal international, but he is not the only Red Devils player in another team’s crosshairs, as one of their attackers is in talks to move on.

Man Utd attacker in talks to leave

After failing to qualify for any European competition for next season, Manchester United may have to find other ways to raise funds to bring in new players to bolster Ruben Amorim’s first-team squad.

Transfer Focus

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

There is a deal that was put in place last summer, however, that could provide them with a cash injection, as one of their players is in talks to move on from Old Trafford.

According to Sky Sports, Jadon Sancho’s representatives are in talks with Chelsea over a move to sign for the club on a permanent basis in the summer transfer window.

The Blues want to keep the England international by going through with the £25m obligation to sign him permanently, but they are not looking to keep him on the £300k-per-week that he earns at Old Trafford.

This is why the two parties are currently locked in talks to reach an agreement on a contract that would fit the wage structure at Stamford Bridge, as they would otherwise have to pay £5m to send him back to United.

Selling Sancho, albeit it was a decision that was made last summer, could be a repeat of the howler that United had with Scott McTominay.

Why Jadon Sancho could be a Scott McTominay repeat

The Red Devils sold the Scotland international to Napoli last year and had to watch on as he scored a career-high 13 goals and won the Serie A title for Antonio Conte’s side this season.

United may now wonder whether or not they utilised McTominay’s talents effectively enough, given his career-high in goals for Napoli, and that could also be the case with Sancho.

The 25-year-old whiz, dubbed “special” by Enzo Maresca, delivered five goals and eight assists (13 contributions) in all competitions for Chelsea, which is better than his best tally of seven goals and three assists (ten contributions) in his first three seasons at United.

This shows that the English playmaker has had his best season in senior English football with the Blues, after struggling at Old Trafford for three years, and it is another case of a player thriving elsewhere.

Goals

3

5th

Big chances created

6

3rd

xA

4

3rd

Assists

3.11

3rd

Dribbles completed per game

1.5

2nd

As you can see in the table above, Sancho’s performances at the top end of the pitch for Chelsea rank well against the current United squad, sitting in third behind Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo in creative metrics.

These statistics suggest that the England international is set to be another star who goes on to thrive elsewhere after leaving Old Trafford once this £25m transfer is official, provided the contract talks go smoothly, as he has already taken his game to another level at Stamford Bridge.

Forget Garnacho: Man Utd must sell flop who's worth even more than Cunha

Man Utd could find a different solution to selling Alejandro Garnacho…

ByRobbie Walls May 29, 2025

Therefore, the Premier League giants are on course for a McTominay repeat with this deal for Sancho, which was sanctioned last summer before Ruben Amorim’s arrival.

Potentially in a position to spend again at long last this summer, Newcastle United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a £51m striker who’s already received high praise from Alan Shearer.

Newcastle preparing for crucial Arsenal clash

There were stages in the first half of the season in which it seemed like Newcastle could miss out on Champions League football, as though their transfer failure was going to catch up to them. Now, however, with the Carabao Cup under their belt, the Magpies could finish as high as second in the Premier League. In fact, if they beat Arsenal this weekend, then Eddie Howe’s side will go above the Gunners and into the top two.

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Howe is well aware of the importance of his side’s trip to The Emirates this Sunday, too, as they look to take a major step towards Champions League qualification. He told reporters in his pre-match press conference: “It’s not done yet. The picture can change game to game and I think we’ve got to be really focused on our next game and trying to win it.

“We have been, our preparation has been good and the focus is there from the players. Nothing is achieved until it’s achieved. We have to be single minded in that and not get distracted.”

Premier League’s UCL race

Points

Games Played

Liverpool (C)

83

36

Arsenal

68

36

Newcastle United

66

36

Chelsea

66

37

Aston Villa

66

37

Manchester City

65

36

Nottingham Forest

62

36

Those at St James’ Park need no reminder about the impact that Champions League football could have on their summer transfer window, either. A place among Europe’s elite could help convince Alexander Isak to stay put amid interest from the likes of Arsenal, whilst also helping to attract key upgrades for Howe in the coming months.

Newcastle join race to sign "superb" Pedro

The Magpies could even attract a Premier League rival with Champions League football to offer. According to Caught Offside, Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Joao Pedro, who Brighton & Hove Albion have valued at a hefty €60m (£51m) amid interest from Tyneside as well as Liverpool, Aston Villa and others.

Whilst a deal to sign the forward won’t come cheap, Pedro would provide Newcastle with an instant fail-safe in the event that Isak departs. The Brazilian, who has scored 10 goals and set up another six this season, has the potential and quality to replace the Swede in the long-term. What’s more, he’s also already got a fan in the form of Newcastle legend Shearer.

The iconic goalscorer sung Pedro’s praises on Match of the Day after he scored in Brighton’s 2-1 victory over Bournemouth in November, saying: “He was superb today and they just edged it in those forward positions. They are really strong with him, Rutter, Mitoma and Welbeck. Their understanding and they linked really well today in Rutter and Joao Pedro.”

The approval of Shearer certainly goes a long way in Newcastle, but whether it’s enough for PIF to make their move for Pedro remains to be seen this summer.

Reportedly prepared to spend to make the deal happen, Aston Villa and NSWE have reportedly set their sights on winning the race to sign a defender worth £50m this summer.

NSWE prepared to spend despite Aston Villa PSR concern

This summer wouldn’t be the first time that those at Villa Park spent big, given how they’ve splashed the cash to improve Unai Emery’s side in recent windows. Unlike in the past, however, NSWE will reportedly have to walk a fine line if they are to avoid breaking any profit and sustainability rules in a problem that they’re already looking to solve in an unexpected way.

Whether selling stakes in the women’s team solves Villa’s problem remains to be seen, but such a possibility certainly adds pressure to the achievements that the men’s team are in pursuit of. By qualifying for the Champions League for a second consecutive campaign, Emery’s side would undoubtedly provide the entire club with some added funds.

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What will have certainly helped on that front is their 2-1 victory over top-four rivals Nottingham Forest to maintain their push to sneak into European contention. Emery was well aware of just how important the result was, telling reporters: “I’m very happy because here in Villa Park we are feeling very strong.

“We are transmitting our energy to the supporters and their energy is transmitting to us. We are, more or less, winning, responding well.

“The supporters are happy with how we are responding and getting challenges like today against Nottingham, who are having a fantastic season. We’re trying to keep going in the challenges we have: today, next Wednesday, then again in Premier League, the FA Cup semi-final in London.”

What’s more, that financial boost courtesy of European qualification could yet see Aston Villa win the race to sign an in-demand defensive reinforcement in the coming months.

Aston Villa targeting £50m Diomande

As impressive as Aston Villa’s depth has been since the January transfer window, it won’t be long before they lose loanees Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio and Axel Disasi. And that’s when they could turn towards a £50m defender.

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa and NSWE are now prepared to spend to sign Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Club, who value their talented defender at £50m ahead of this summer.

The 21-year-old has also attracted interest from Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea to form a hectic Premier League race for his signature. Whether other clubs are willing to spend like Aston Villa seemingly are remains to be seen, however.

Described as an “aggressive” and “tough tackling” defender by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Diomande would be worth every penny in a £50m deal this summer, no matter who wins the race for his signature.