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Liverpool have reportedly added Monaco right-back Vanderson to their list of potential replacements for the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

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• Liverpool looking at right-back options
• Keen on Frimpong and Vanderson
• Reds tipped to spend in summer window

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Alexander-Arnold has already announced he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season when his contract expires. Conor Bradley has been tipped to take over from the England star, but Liverpool are also scouring the transfer market for potential replacements. According to , Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong is Liverpool's top choice but they are also looking at Vanderson. The Brazilian will be allowed to leave the Ligue 1 club this summer, should an acceptable offer arrive, and may be an option for the Reds.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Vanderson joined Monaco in 2022 from Germio and has gone on to become a regular in the team. He has previously been linked with a move to Barcelona but appears now to have attracted interest from Liverpool. Frimpong does still appear to be Liverpool's preferred option, although the Reds are expected to face plenty of competition for the Bayer Leverkusen defender.

• WHAT SLOT HAS SAID SAID

  Liverpool boss Slot had already spoken about the club's transfer plans and admitted it may not be easy to bring in replacement. He told Sky Sports: "I think it would be a surprise if I were to tell you now 'Yes, we we are looking at this and looking at that'. We don't talk about contracts here so we don't talk about the positions or if we want to improve the team in certain areas. That's the most difficult thing for a club like Liverpool if you just won the league is that it is not easy to find better players than we already have. And if they are there then they still need to be affordable and need to want to come. That last thing is mostly not a problem, by the way, but transfer fees sometimes are."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL

  Liverpool have managed to keep hold of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk but Alexander-Arnold's expected departure for Real Madrid may see the Reds dip into the transfer market. Slot is also being tipped to bring in a new left-back, centre-back and striker before the start of the new campaign.

Eyeing a return to the transfer market yet again this summer, Aston Villa are now reportedly keen to beat Barcelona in the race to sign an attacking addition worth £48m.

Aston Villa transfer news

After selling Jhon Duran for a hefty fee in the January transfer window, Aston Villa decided to lay down a marker. In came Marcus Rashford, in came Marco Asensio and in came Axel Disasi all on loan as the Villans set their sights on the Premier League’s top four. If recent cameos are anything to go by, it was job well done by those at Villa Park.

Rashford and Asensio put on a short show in their respective debuts against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, with the latter particularly silky. All of a sudden, the depth of Unai Emery’s frontline is worthy of a place in the Champions League for a second season on the bounce.

Stacked with Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, Morgan Rogers, Rashford, Asensio and Leon Bailey – just to name a few – Aston Villa look unstoppable going forward on paper. But they’re seemingly not done there.

According to The Boot Room, Aston Villa are now keen to sign Nico Williams ahead of Barcelona and Premier League rivals Arsenal this summer. The Athletic Bilbao winger lit up Euro 2024, but has struggled to find his best form ever since. Aware of what he can do when firing on all cylinders, however, Villa could yet trigger his reported £48m release clause.

Aston Villa enter race for "world class" £247k-p/w star who Emery rates

The Villa boss is interested in signing a defender who he believes could become a key player.

By
Dominic Lund

Feb 12, 2025

A move which considers Emery’s long-term options to replace loanees such as Rashford and Asensio, Williams could quickly rediscover his red-hot Euros form at Villa Park this summer, should he complete a move.

"Relentless" Williams needs big move

After scoring eight and assisting a stunning 19 goals last season, Williams has since followed that up with four goals and five assists in the current campaign in what has been a frustrating drop-off. At just 22 years old, however, clubs in pursuit of his signature have seemingly shown much-needed patience and remain in the race to welcome the winger.

Following a disappointing season, the Spaniard should look to depart as soon as possible this summer and earn the big move that many believed he’d earn after Euro 2024 last year.

Receiving plenty of praise even amid his struggles at times in recent months, analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed Williams a “relentless dribbler” at the beginning of the year.

Whether that sees Aston Villa swoop in remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that Emery certainly knows how to get the best out of exciting talents of Williams’ calibre.

Manchester United have been warned they are set for financial turmoil, with sponsors set to have the upper hand over minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

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• Manchester United set for financial woes
• Club lost £85m Europa League final
• Ratcliffe sent sponsors warning

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United missed out on £85 million ($115m) by losing the Europa League final, according to football finance expert Dr Rob Wilson, and will feel the pinch for years to come as a result – with failure to qualify for the Champions League a major issue.

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  WHAT WILSON SAID

  Wilson, the Director of Executive Education at University Campus of Football Business, told : "Having lost the Europa League, they've probably missed out on something between £10-15 million in direct prize money. The qualification that they've missed out on in the Champions League has cost them around about €80-100 million of additional revenue. That revenue is due to broadcast gate receipts and some of those UEFA payments. Then there's stuff around commercial bonuses, appearance fees, match day revenues that they would have benefited from. 

  "There's some significant reputational impact that you would bake into this as well. Sponsors obviously pay for success and failing to lift the trophy last night and their league position dents the kind of narratives that those sponsors can use for leverage in commercial negotiations. The offset to that is a lot of Manchester United sponsors will have clauses in their contracts where they don't have to pay as much if the club is not participating in Europe."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United are set to have to sell numerous first-team players to balance the books and give Ruben Amorim a chance to rebuild the team this summer. That could include captain Bruno Fernandes, who has an offer from Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, while Alejandro Garnacho looks set to leave after airing his disappointment over his role in the Europa League final.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Amorim is set to apologise to United supporters ahead of Sunday's final Premier League match of the season against Aston Villa. Failure to win could see them drop to a finishing position of 17th.

Glasgow Rangers suffered their third consecutive defeat at Ibrox for the first time since 2012 after Motherwell secured a 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon.

The game was Barry Ferguson’s first game in charge at Ibrox and he was looking for his side to continue the momentum from the 4-2 comeback victory over Kilmarnock in midweek.

The Steelmen were two goals up after half an hour, however. Cyriel Dessers reduced the arrears after half-time, but the damage was done.

Several members of the starting XI performed poorly, with a few looking like they were on autopilot as the summer transfer window looms on the horizon. Unless things improve sooner rather than later, it might be a summer of discontent at Ibrox ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Ferguson was so dismayed by the first-half performance over the weekend that he made three changes at the break. Robin Propper, Hamza Igamane and Ianis Hagi were all brought off following an underwhelming 45 minutes.

The first two were poor, but it was the performance of Hagi that was the most disappointing, failing to offer much of a threat in the final third during the opening 45 minutes.

Ianis Hagi's game in numbers vs Motherwell

Since making his long-awaited return to the first team back in October after a contract dispute threatened to derail his Ibrox career, Hagi has contributed fairly well.

His goal against Celtic at the beginning of the year in a 3-0 victory was a key highlight, while the Romanian has registered 11 goal contributions – four goals and seven assists – across 23 games for the Gers this term.

Deployed mainly on the left wing in recent weeks, Ferguson continued this theme, unleashing Hagi on the left of his four-man midfield in a 4-4-2 system.

The formation didn’t exactly bring out the best in the 26-year-old, who failed to link up well with either Igamane or Dessers in the final third.

During the opening 45 minutes, Hagi completed only 19 passes while taking 44 touches as he struggled to make much of an impact in a different system than he was used to.

Going forward, Hagi delivered ten crosses into the opposition penalty area, yet only two were accurate. The midfielder also succeeded with just two of his four dribble attempts, registered a single shot off target and lost possession a staggering 15 times.

This works out as once every three touches, proving he couldn’t quite settle into the match.

Hagi has failed to score or assist in his previous three Premiership matches but he has been added to the European squad ahead of the last-16 clash against Fenerbahçe this week so perhaps he could become an important cog in Europe.

That said, his contract does expire in this summer and there haven’t been any updates regarding a potential extension, meaning the midfielder can speak to other clubs if he wishes to do so.

While losing him on a free wouldn’t be ideal, the new manager may not find space in his plans for the player.

The club have lost plenty of talented players in the past and one is even outscoring Hagi this season…

Robbie Ure’s Rangers statistics

Robbie Ure was one of the most exciting prospects of his age group, progressing through the Ibrox academy during his time at Auchenhowie.

The Light Blues haven’t had a pure out-and-out Scottish striker since Kris Boyd left in 2010 and Ure looked like he fitted the bill perfectly.

During the 2022/23 campaign, Ure was particularly impressive for the B team. He scored 17 goals and grabbed eight assists in the Lowland League, but it was his displays in the UEFA Youth League which caught the eye.

The competition – which is a youth version of the Champions League – saw the Light Blues coming up against Ajax, Liverpool and Napoli, securing two wins against the Italian side.

Ure scored a goal during the 3-2 win over Napoli in the penultimate match of the group stage, leading Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie to hail him as a “standout” performer.

That same season, Ure made his senior debut for the Gers, starting against Queen of the South in the League Cup in August 2022.

Amazingly, he scored his maiden goal for the club during the first half, showcasing his talents in front of the Ibrox crowd, with Scott Arfield hailing him as “magic” following the game.

Michael Beale let him go at the end of that season on a free, however, and the Scottish centre-forward now finds himself playing for Anderlecht Futures in the Belgian second tier.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

How Robbie Ure is now shining in Belgium

Yes, Ure might be playing in the second division of Belgian football, but performing well could see him gain some first-team action for the club in the near future.

Last term, he scored five times and registered two assists, while even making a solitary appearance for the senior side against Royal Antwerp.

This season has been even better for the 21-year-old. He has netted seven goals in just 21 games for the club, including four in his last six appearances, chipping in with two assists too.

He looks at home on the continent and playing a different type of football could certainly pay dividends in the coming years.

While not saying that he is at the same level as someone like Hagi, it is another case of the Ibrox side failing to give their young talent a proper chance, before watching them blossom elsewhere.

It has been a recurring theme at the club since promotion back to the top flight in 2016. Whoever comes in to manage the Gers this summer, they must utilise the talent coming through the academy.

Bailey Rice, Findlay Curtis and Paul Nsio have all been given chances so far this season, but more minutes are required if the trio are to live up to their potential.

Ure is certainly enjoying life outside of Scotland and the Gers may rue letting him go for nothing.

Rangers' 4/10 dud was "unspeakably bad" v Motherwell

Rangers suffered yet another domestic defeat this afternoon.

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By
Ross Kilvington

Mar 1, 2025

Sergio Aguero has suggested that Saudi talk around Emi Martinez could be a smokescreen ahead of a transfer to one of the “best teams of the world”.

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• Argentine keeper tipped to move on this summer
• Remains under contract until 2029
• Has been linked with teams across the globe

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Argentina international Martinez, was sent off in Aston Villa's final Premier League fixture of 2024-25 campaign at Manchester United, appears to have bid an emotional farewell to fans in the West Midlands. Another move for the 32-year-old could be on the cards.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There has been plenty of speculation to suggest that the World Cup winner is wanted by big-spending teams in the Saudi Pro League. A move to the Middle East holds obvious appeal from a financial point of view.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Two-time FIFA Best Men’s Goalkeeper award winner Martinez is, however, still at the peak of his powers and has spoken on a regular basis – as a relative late starter at the highest level – of wanting to compete for more major honours with club and country.

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  WHAT SERGIO AGUERO SAID

  With that in mind, former Argentina star Aguero believes that his fellow countryman could end up joining one of the most prestigious teams on the planet. The ex-Manchester City striker told : “Seeing Emi Martinez tear up on his last match gave the impression that he may be leaving, but there’s nothing set in stone that I know of. Dibu is a great goalie, the best in my opinion, so if he leaves he probably has a spot among the best teams of the world.”

It’s been just over a month since the transfer window slammed shut, and in a bid to stave off relegation, Ipswich Town were one of the busier clubs in the Premier League.

Kieran McKenna’s side signed Ben Godfrey and Julio Enciso on loan, while Alex Palmer and Jaden Philogene put pen to paper on permanent deals.

The latter cost the Tractor Boys around £20m from Aston Villa, and while it is probably too early to say with any absolute certainty whether he’ll be a hit, he has been relativley impressive.

That said, one of the club’s former loan flops, who left in 2022, could be described as an even bigger talent, and so far this season, he’s managed to outscore the incredible Liam Delap.

Why Ipswich signed Philogene

So, when it came to reinforcing the squad in the winter market, why did Ipswich turn their attention to Philogene of all players?

Well, there are likely two key, intertwined reasons, with the first being that he looked like a real talent when he played regular football last season.

For example, in 32 appearances for Hull City, totalling 2811 minutes, the 23-year-old ace scored 12 goals – one of which was nominated for the Puskas award – and provided six assists.

That means the former Villa gem averaged a goal involvement every 1.77 games, or every 156.16 minutes, and so far this year, he’s scored three goals in seven appearances.

The second reason the Suffolk side were willing to splash the cash on him is that, at just 23 years old, there is still plenty of time for the winger to improve and if the club are to be relegated this year, they have a very sellable asset or someone to build around in the second tier.

In all, Philogene looks like he was a great purchase for Ipswich and a special talent who could develop into something special, but a former loan flop who left Portman Road in 2022 might be an even bigger talent.

The Ipswich loan flop who could be a bigger talent than Philogene

Ipswich have had their fair share of loan flops, who have then gone on to prove their worth elsewhere, from Chris Wood to Andros Townsend.

It looks like Louie Barry will be another such case, as when he left the club in January 2022, just five months after joining, he did so with a dismal tally of no goals or assists in six first-team appearances.

A few more lacklustre loan spells followed until the talented forward – who was a Barcelona youth player for a time – joined Stockport County on loan for the 23/24 season, where he racked up an impressive haul of nine goals and four assists in 22 games in a campaign cut short by injury.

The Englishman returned to the now League One outfit on loan this season, and to say he exceeded expectations would be a colossal understatement.

In just 24 appearances, totalling 1812 minutes, the “incredible” talent, as dubbed by England international Declan Rice, scored 16 goals and provided three assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.26 games, or every 95.36 minutes, and means he’s been more productive than Philogene and outscored Delap, who has ten goals and two assists in 30 games this year.

Such a sensational level of output saw Villa recall the 21-year-old and send him on loan to Hull for the rest of the season, but a serious knee injury late last month saw him return to Villa Park after just four appearances and could see him sit out the rest of the campaign.

Ultimately, Ipswich appear to have a potential star on their hands in Philogene, but from how unstoppable he was for Stockport and Villa’s decision to keep and not sell him, an argument could be made that Barry is an even bigger talent.

Forget Tuanzebe: McKenna can axe Godfrey by unleashing Ipswich "warrior"

Kieran McKenna will hope this Ipswich Town star can replace Axel Tuanzebe effectively.

By
Kelan Sarson

Mar 8, 2025

Los Blancos have already begun making moves in the market, but could still do with re-jigging their attack and clearing out some big names

Real Madrid mean business this summer. There were three glaring items on the Blancos' to-do list heading into the off-season, and they have moved through them mightily quickly. The first was a new manager; hello, Xabi Alonso. The second was a new centre-back who could be a long-term face of the backline; welcome to Madrid, Dean Huijsen. The third was a new Galactico, a statement signing who could do many things very well, and embody the Madrid aura that this club craves; get ready to learn Spanish, Trent Alexander-Arnold.

But Madrid aren't done there. They may have checked off their post-season priorities, but there are still some moves to be made if they are to hunt down both Barcelona in La Liga and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. The obvious issue is the crowded attack, which features Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, among others. There are too many forwards with similar skillsets in the Madrid squad, and at least one has to go. Elsewhere, there are needs for reinforcement at left-back while another midfielder – if only for the legs – would also be mightily handy.

It's a good thing, then, that this is Madrid, where money doesn't seem to matter and the pull is relentless. Los Blancos proved with the luring of Alexander-Arnold away from Liverpool that they can get who they want, when they want, and they will need to showcase that again before the summer is out.

GOAL looks at some of the moves Madrid need to make in the transfer market as they aim to become European football's top dogs once again…

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  Cut Rodrygo loose

  It was a case of too many cooks in the kitchen for Madrid's attack last season, and while Rodrygo is a fine talent, he simply didn't fit in a team that already has too may left wingers. For all of the talk about how unselfish the Brazilian is, there remains the reality that Madrid need more width on the right. Rodrygo, who looks as if he's constantly trying to avoid drifting inside, can't provide that.

  Things will only get more complicated if Alonso opts to go for the 3-4-2-1 system that served him so well at Bayer Leverkusen, as Rodrygo isn't a natural inside right forward, either, and seems an even poorer fit at that position.

  An amicable exit seems the best solution for all parties here. The good news is that Rodrygo can fetch a handsome return, and there will certainly be some interested buyers. Arsenal have been linked, and the fit is obvious as they need to upgrade on the inconsistent Gabriel Martinelli. Madrid would demand heavy compensation, but this seems a pretty clear solution.

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  Listen to Vinicius offers

  Let's make something absolutely, categorically, irrefutably clear: Real Madrid do not to sell Vinicius, and it would be pretty foolish of them to shop him around. Vinicius is an elite footballer, a consistent Ballon d'Or contender, and arguably the best left winger in the world. Mbappe, though, is the most famous left winger in the world, and that trumps everything at Madrid.

  Alonso will want to implement a clear style, and Mbappe isn't reliable enough through the middle, while Vinicius isn't versatile enough positionally. That leaves Madrid with two potential solutions: either find a system that consistently gets the best out of both players, or let Vinicius go while accepting that this is now Mbappe's team. They only have to look at PSG's Champions League win to see that modern football is about selflessness. You can make up for one reluctant presser; two is tricky.

  But who can afford him? Madrid won't shop Vinicius around, but if rumoured Saudi Pro League interest crops up again, Los Blancos will have to think long and hard about it given they could demand an astronomical fee and reinvest it in the rest of the squad.

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  Loan out Endrick

  What is Endrick good at? Well, he runs a lot, is fast, powerful, and skilful with the ball at his feet. But he is also an immensely strange fit for high-level European football.

  Right now, Endrick's best position is as a left inside forward without possessing the height to be a central striker. He has fine finishing instincts, and it is not hard to imagine him being a deadly presence for a team that likes to play on the break.

  More than anything, though, Endrick needs minutes. The kid is 19. He needs to hone his craft, learn how to operate positionally, and figure out where he can best make an impact in a modern football team. That simply isn't possible at Madrid, who don't do charity projects or sympathy minutes. If you're good enough you play; if you're not, get ready to sit on the bench.

  Endrick needs to be loaned out, plain and simple. With the right financial structure, he could be an excellent asset for a team who still play European football, but operate outside of the spotlight (are you listening, Real Betis?).

  If things go well, and he develops, Madrid have a serious player on their hands. It's certainly a risk, but one worth taking on a youngster who needs to get reps.

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  Bring in left-back help

  The left-back situation at Real Madrid always felt a bit overblown. Between Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia, Los Blancos have three good options to rotate. Sure, none of them are world-class at the position, but with Vinicius in front of them, it was more about caution than virtuosic skill. Still, that doesn't appear to be enough for Florentino Perez and co.

  Madrid are keen on Benfica's Alvaro Carreras, who would be an intriguing long-term solution. The 22-year-old impressed immensely at Benfica after being let go by Manchester United, and has the kind of physicality needed to play in an Alonso team. Whether he would slip right into the line up remains to be seen, but if Madrid want to think years down the line, he's certainly a fine option.

Manchester United may not have secured victory against Arsenal on Sunday but it was progress.

It may sound harsh but simply not losing a game of football should be a positive for Ruben Amorim’s men at the moment.

This has not been a rosy start to his tenure, to say the least, occupying 14th position, but time must be given.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, however controversial the new owner is, will surely know this isn’t an overnight fix. Amorim should be a project manager and they must give him a couple of seasons to reshape the squad.

As Gary Neville suggested on Sky Sports on Sunday, “it’s a really poor squad” and now “needs ripping up”.

That squad building should include three of the club’s brightest young stars, one of which shone during the 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Coincidentally, he came from the Gunners too…

Ayden Heaven’s performance in numbers

More injury woe for Amorim and Man United. Already missing Amad Diallo for the season and Lisandro Martinez, young centre-back Leny Yoro had to be withdrawn at half time with United leading 1-0.

On in his place came Ayden Heaven who was handed a Premier League debut against his former employers.

Heaven only signed for the Red Devils in February, leaving Arsenal behind after failing to agree new terms with the Londoners.

Well, it’s safe to say that he’s already come back to haunt them. He didn’t score but his second half display was remarkably composed, with the Express’ Alex Turk suggesting that he “already looks built for senior minutes” despite being just 18 years of age.

Arsenal may not have had a natural striker on the pitch but he dealt with the interlinking play of Martin Odegaard and Co very nicely.

The teenage centre-back played just the second 45 but was excellent nonetheless, winning two of three ground duels and making three clearances. He also successfully ensured he wasn’t dribbled past a single time.

Yet, for all the hype he and fellow new signing from Arsenal, Chido Obi, are getting, let us not forget about the club’s homegrown Carrington stars.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Toby Collyer certainly caught the eye on Sunday…

Toby Collyer’s performance in numbers

This time last year a midfielder by the name of Kobbie Mainoo was making waves in the United first team.

The teen was a regular starter and ultimately won his first England caps despite having played just half a season of senior football.

Well, in 2025, it could be the year of another central midfielder in the form of Toby Collyer.

The 21-year-old has only been seen in five Premier League matches this season due to injury but like Heaven, showcased what he’s all about with a late cameo at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Replacing Christian Eriksen with around 15 minutes to go, the young Englishman was brilliant, completing 100% of his passes and winning both of his ground duels.

Just for good measure, he didn’t let a single Arsenal player dribble past him and nearly became a match winner too.

A late Bruno Fernandes chance from close range was kept out by David Raya and Collyer came charging in to score the rebound, only for the Spanish stopper to react brilliantly to claw the ball off the line.

Had Collyer – whose contributions were supremely valuable – been a little quicker than he may have been darting off towards the crowd celebrating a famous win.

Despite that, he will no doubt be pleased to have looked so promising with United journalist Tom McDermott saying that “Heaven impressed when introduced and Collyer gained confidence.”

As it happens, this isn’t the first time the academy graduate has delivered a “statement performance” in the words of Statman Dave, with the young midfielder having “averaged a defensive action every 6.5 minutes” during the FA Cup win over Mikel Arteta’s team back in the winter.

With Casemiro back to his best during the win and Manuel Ugarte to return from injury, it remains to be seen whether Collyer will start. Either way, alongside Heaven, Obi and Co, Amorim has a brilliant trio who could form the spine of the team for many years to come.

9 tackles, 12 duels won: Man Utd "monster" is now as undroppable as Bruno

Man United battled to a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford.

By
Kelan Sarson

Mar 9, 2025

Luciano Spalletti opened up on Italy's current downfall before departing from his managerial role.

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• Italy beat Moldova in the World Cup qualifiers
• Spalletti shed light on Italy's downfall
• Coach sacked amid miserable start to campaign

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Italy national team parted ways with manager Spalletti after their 3-0 defeat to Norway in the World Cup qualifiers last week, with the 66-year-old departing after their fixture against Moldova on Monday. After the 2-0 victory, Spalletti expressed his views and highlighted the current situation of the national team.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite the victory, Italy’s performance didn’t seem convincing of a country that has won the World Cup four times in the past and Spalletti was brutally honest with his assessment of the state of the squad as he heads for the exit.

• WHAT SPALLETTI SAID

  Spalletti said: "I'm not leaving a great Italy, each of us has a way of thinking and working, a bit of excitement is to be recreated, the Italy shirt must make us vibrate, when you have it on you it must burn if you don't dress it well. We need to be able to find the right attitude again and I am convinced that they will succeed, the boys believed in me and I didn't give them a great hand, but then there were some reasons why I wasn't able to make up for it and probably others wouldn't have been able to do it either."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ITALY?

  Italy will look for a new coach before they return to action on September 5, when they take on Estonia in the qualifiers. Claudio Ranieri has turned down the offer to take the job, meaning Stefano Pioli could be next in line.

Tottenham are in the race for Manchester United target Bryan Mbeumo after holding talks with Brentford, following on from Thomas Frank's appointment.

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• Tottenham appoint Frank as manager
• Mbeumo linked to Man Utd
• But Spurs now set to rival Red Devils

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Spurs made headlines earlier this week when they secured Frank and his backroom team, including highly-rated assistant Justin Cochrane, from Brentford, shelling out around £10 million ($13.5m) in compensation. Now, Mbeumo could potentially be the first of Frank’s former players to follow him to north London, as Tottenham seem determined to back their new manager in the transfer market, as revealed by

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Until recently, United were considered front-runners to secure Mbeumo’s services. The Red Devils had even seen a £55m ($75m) bid rejected by Brentford, with the west London club holding out for a figure closer to £60m ($81m). Reports now suggest that Mbeumo is increasingly drawn to the idea of working under Frank again, with the familiarity of the manager’s system and coaching staff playing a key role in his growing interest. It has been suggested that initial negotiations have already taken place between Spurs and Brentford, although a formal offer is yet to be made.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mbeumo's importance to Brentford has been indisputable, with the Cameroon international amassing 70 goals and 51 assists across 242 appearances for the Bees since joining in 2019. He enjoyed a stellar 2024–25 campaign, registering 20 goals in the Premier League. His tally placed him fourth among the league’s top scorers, trailing only Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, and Alexander Isak.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBEUMO?

  While Old Trafford remains a prestigious destination, the lack of continental football and increasing instability at the club may diminish its appeal to top-tier targets like Mbeumo. By contrast, Tottenham, despite enduring their own league struggles, will be playing Champions League football next season after they beat the Red Devils in the Europa League final – a fact that could tip the scales in their favour.