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Manchester United have endured a superb upturn in form over the last couple of weeks, with the squad now finally reaping the rewards of the faith shown in the manager.

Ruben Amorim was a man under pressure a couple of months ago, especially after the Red Devils endured yet another dismal start to a Premier League campaign.

The 40-year-old has since led the first-team squad to five games unbeaten in England’s top-flight – a run which is undoubtedly the best during his 12-month spell at Old Trafford.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur showcased their ability to bounce back from losing positions – something which may have been difficult in 2024/25.

There’s little disputing that the club are certainly on the up under Amorim’s guidance, but his side could be further improved during the upcoming January transfer window.

Man Utd’s hunt for new additions in January

Over the last couple of weeks, United have been one of the sides touted with a move to land Palmeiras centre forward Vitor Roque after his impressive form in 2025.

The Brazilian youngster has scored 16 times in his 30 league appearances this calendar year, currently sitting as the division’s second top scorer at present.

His form has led to links to the Red Devils, but it would be yet another expensive addition, with the Serie A outfit currently demanding a fee in the region of £42m for his signature.

In terms of big-money additions, the Red Devils have also been touted with another move for Elliot Anderson after his incredible rise at Nottingham Forest this campaign.

According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, United have already made contact with the Reds over a deal for the central midfielder, who’s also become an England international regular in recent months.

However, the journalist has also confirmed that any deal would set the hierarchy back upwards of £100m-£120m this January – a deal that would break the club record fee paid for Paul Pogba back in 2016.

Why Anderson would finally get Sesko firing

During their £200m spending spree in the summer, the United hierarchy forked out a fee in the region of £74m for the signature of Benjamin Sesko from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

Given the magnitude of such a fee, real expectations were placed on the Slovenian to provide the goods and lead the line for Amorim’s men in 2025/26.

However, his time at Old Trafford to date has been a huge disappointment, with the 22-year-old only finding the net twice in his first 11 Premier League outings for the Red Devils.

Sesko is currently four games without a goal in England’s top-flight, even being dropped to the substitutes bench and limited to just half an hour in the draw against Spurs.

He will no doubt need time to settle into life in England’s top-flight, but he could be aided in his attempts for success at Old Trafford should the board secure the services of Anderson this winter.

It would no doubt be a mammoth investment if they were to land the 23-year-old, but such a move would provide Sesko with the ammunition he needs to thrive in front of goal.

Anderson, who’s been dubbed “sensational” by Matt Forde, has completed 1.3 take-ons per 90 – ranking him in the top 3% of all midfielders in the division at present.

Games played

11

Goals & assists

2

Pass accuracy

83%

Progressive passes

8.8

Passes into final third

8.6

Take-ons completed

1.3

Ball recoveries

8.5

Tackles made

2.6

Duels won

7.7

The aforementioned tally showcases his ability to get the ball into attacking areas, which could provide the forwards ahead of him with the chances they need to impress.

He’s also 8.6 passes into the final third per 90 – with such a tally the highest of any player in the Premier League this season, highlighting his talents with the ball at his feet.

Other figures, such as 8.8 progressive passes and 1.4 key passes per 90, further demonstrate his talents at finding a teammate – with such numbers perfectly falling into the hands of Sesko.

The prospect of Anderson linking up with Bruno Fernandes is truly an exciting one, with the United fans potentially blessed with one of the best duos in the league.

If the youngster can replicate such numbers, there’s no reason why he can’t help Sesko finally kickstart his career in England – even if a deal would cost the hierarchy a club-record fee.

Man Utd "monster" is fast becoming their new Vidic and it's not De Ligt

Ruben Amorim may have uncovered Manchester United’s new Nemanja Vidic.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Nov 11, 2025

Nine Hong Kong batters finished with single-digit scores, going down by 94 runs in the Asia Cup opener

Alagappan Muthu09-Sep-20251:36

Mukund: Dropped catches a concern for Afghanistan

There was a contest between man and nature to see who was hotter and in the end, try as the elements could, they couldn’t match Azmatullah Omarzai’s fire. Even in 41°C heat, he burned brighter, scoring Afghanistan’s fastest T20I fifty and just kept going from there.Omarzai was responsible for one of two blink-and-you’ll-miss-it run-outs, which, coming on the back of a Hong Kong fielding performance that included three dropped catches, was cricket working a little too hard to highlight the gulf between the two sides. Full Member Afghanistan made 188 for 6. It was 94 too many for their Associate nation opposition.Sediqullah’s three livesSediqullah Atal looked a real good player. Stood nice and tall in his set-up, seemed competent playing shots off both front foot and the back foot, and crucially, he was able to cope with the lack of pace in Abu Dhabi. He is only 24, but already showing signs of what players more experienced than him are known for. The bit between the ears. Atal was 26 off 17 with five fours at the end of the powerplay when the other end had contributed only 14 off 19 balls with one six.Hong Kong slowed Atal down with spin but were never able to capitalise on the pressure they created. Yasim Murtaza gave him two lives – dropping him on 4 off 3 in the first over, then on 46 off 38 off his own bowling and finally had to watch Ehsan Khan put down a clanger just after Atal had raised his third T20I fifty. A man who should’ve been dismissed in the first over batted through the innings to score 73 off 52.Azmatullah the game changerAfghanistan were 119 for 4 after 16 overs. Hong Kong’s spinners – Murtaza in particular – provided a challenge that is rarely seen in modern T20 cricket. He pulled pace off the ball, going as low as 70kph at times to deny scoring opportunities. Kinchit Shah, bowling from the other end, got the wickets. The five overs they bowled between the 10th and the 14th yielded two wickets for just 24 runs.As good as that period was for Hong Kong, it also brought Omarzai to the crease and he was so game aware. The fast bowlers returned in the 17th over and it was go time. The next 18 balls yielded 60 runs. Omarzai went 6, 6, 6 and 4 against Ayush Shukla to bring up his half-century off just 20 deliveries. From the simple, clear-the-front-leg slog to the cheeky ramp past the keeper, the Afghanistan allrounder showed impressive range on a difficult batting pitch.2:26

Mukund impressed by Afghanistan’s on-field trial

Hong Kong punishedHong Kong’s mishaps continued with bat in hand as well. They gave up a wicket for no reason – and one run on the board – when Anshuman Rath was ruled caught behind but replays showed several inches of daylight between bat and ball. Zeeshan Ali, the non-striker, had seemingly persuaded Rath from challenging umpire Virender Sharma’s decision. Then they had to watch as Rashid Khan ran out Nizakat Khan for 0 off 0 balls because he took too long to realise there was no run off a Babar Hayat hit to cover.Two overs – and two dropped catches later, apparently Afghanistan were happy to give themselves a handicap – Azmatullah had Kalhan Challu run-out off his own bowling when the batter strayed out of his crease after pushing the ball down the pitch. The Hong Kong captain had high hopes for Challu at the toss, instead his wicket for 4 off 8 was a cruel reminder of the quality of cricket at this level.Hong Kong went joint-second for most wickets (four) lost by a team in the powerplay in the men’s T20 Asia Cup. Only two of their batters got to double-digits. None of them managed to score at a run a ball. Their focus at 63 for 6 had shifted to playing the overs out and they did that to finish on 94 for 9.

Ruben Amorim could not hide his frustration after Manchester United were beaten 1-0 at home by 10-man Everton on Monday. The Portuguese said his team were nowhere near good enough to be competing for the places towards the top of the Premier League. He even declared that he wished his players had showed the same fighting spirit as Everton which led to Idrissa Gueye's red card.

United fail to take advantage of red card

Gueye was sent off in the 13th minute for raising his hands to team-mate Michael Keane's face in frustration after Casemiro had whistled a shot wide following passive defending from Everton. The Toffees had dominated the early stages of the game and they became emboldened by the red card, taking the lead through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's piledriver and then defending it astutely throughout the second half even as the Red Devils had 75 percent possession.

Amorim said he did not agree with the decision to send off Gueye and he was happy to admit that Everton fully deserved to win. It was the first time the Toffees had won at Old Trafford since 2013, when David Moyes was in charge of United. It was also Moyes' first victory at Old Trafford as an opposing manager in 18 attempts.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim: We deserved to lose

Amorim told a press conference: "I think they were a better team with 11. They then worked really well with 10 men for 70 minutes. So I think we deserved to lose. We didn't play well. We didn't play with the right intensity. I know which point we are in the moment. So we are not there, not even near the point that we should be to fight for the best positions in the league. We have a lot to do, and we need to be perfect to win games. We were not perfect.

"I feel afraid of returning of this feeling of last season, that is my biggest concern. So we need to work together. We are going to work together. I'm not going. The players are trying, but we need to be better so we have training tomorrow, and we are going to prepare the next one."

Amorim: Fighting is not a bad thing

Amorim admitted he was envious of Everton's determination to win the game and their desire, even though it led to a sending off. He explained: "Fighting is not a bad thing. Fighting doesn't mean that they don't like each other. Fighting is that if you lose the ball, I will fight you, because we will suffer a goal. That was my feeling. And I don't agree with that sending off. We can fight with team-mates. I know it's violent conduct, and the referee explained but I don't agree with that. I hope my players, when they lose the ball, they fight each other. Now they cannot get sent off a sent off, but that [players fighting with each other] is a good feeling, not a bad feeling."

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Getty Images SportUnited 'not ready' to capitalise on Liverpool & City defeats

United had the opportunity to go up to fifth in the Premier League after Bournemouth dropped points against West Ham, Tottenham were thrashed by Arsenal and arch rivals Liverpool and Manchester City were beaten by Nottingham Forest and Newcastle respectively.  Instead they are 10th in the table after 12 matches, level on 18 points with Everton and 11 points off leaders Arsenal.

The Red Devils visit fifth-placed Crystal Palace next Sunday but Amorim was disappointed that they were not energised by the other results on the weekend and performed so sluggishly against Everton.

"It is my responsibility to explain the game, and today, it was not one mistake of one individual, it was the team," said the United boss. "The way we saw the results of the weekend. We should get inside the pitch with a different level of excitement, that is, that is my feeling. It doesn't matter if you are playing well, making good passes, but the feeling and Old Trafford was there, saying we are all here to give a big step up, and I felt that we were not ready again."

The New York Yankees are sticking to the plan.

On Thursday, the team announced that they had agreed to an extension with manager Aaron Boone that will keep him in the Bronx through the 2027 season.

Boone has been leading the Yankees since 2018, and has gotten the team to at least 90 wins in all but one of the full seasons the team has played under his watch.

While they have won three AL East division titles in that span, they have yet to secure a World Series ring with him at the helm, their closest run being last year’s charge to the World Series, which they lost in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tottenham Hotspur will look to kick on once the January transfer window opens and could be willing to put their money where their mouth is to sign Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, but circumstances will need to align.

The Lilywhites have become a thorn in the side of many Premier League outfits this campaign due to their physicality and new-found ability to convert from set-pieces, making them a dangerous opposition to come up against on any given day.

Mohammed Kudus has shone in the forward areas and Spurs have earned a new lease of life after their domestic form last term, with Thomas Frank deserving of credit for managing to solidify the Lilywhites in all areas.

Despite his mixed start to life in North London, the Dane made clear before his side took on Chelsea that Xavi Simons is another figure he expects to come to life in the heart of his side.

He said: “Yes. No doubt about that. I’m not in doubt that Xavi will perform very well for us. That is down to him, to me, to the team, to everyone to get it done. The one thing you don’t have in football is time, but it will take time.

“It’s completely natural. Sometimes we can’t talk about processes and time and all that, but the reality is you need it, everyone needs it. I’m confident. I’m sure it will happen.”

Frank’s outfit appear to be solid from middle to front, that much is true, but there is always room for improvement when you are eyeing a slot in the Champions League places.

With that in mind, Spurs are now plotting a January bid for a star who they may be set to put their large transfer kitty towards.

Tottenham line up Scott McTominay amid huge Napoli demands

According to Football Insider, Tottenham will look to put their sizeable transfer kitty towards signing Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, who could be at the centre of an intriguing saga involving both parties.

Fabio Paratici has set his sights on the Scotland international and the money on offer could be a lure for the former Manchester United man to return to the Premier League. However, Pete O’Rourke believes it would take a ‘huge’ statement of intent from Spurs to push a deal over the line.

Scott McTominay’s time at Napoli

Appearances

47

Goals

17

Assists

7

He said: “Napoli won’t want to weaken their squad by losing such an important player like Scott McTominay. He’s under contract until 2028, so, to even consider selling him would be a huge fee as well.”

Intriguingly, the same report has floated the idea of Kobbie Mainoo joining Napoli, which could pave the way for movement to take place elsewhere, albeit that remains unlikely for now.

Tottenham are also eyeing another Serie A goalscorer

Still, McTominay has been a titan since joining the reigning Serie A champions in 2024 and has continued that form into this term, placing seven of his 16 shots taken on target, per Fotmob, hence why Frank is keen to do a deal.

Pakistan will go through to the final, and will play either Australia or South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2025India Champions have refused to play their semi-final against Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends due to strained political relations between the two countries. The match was scheduled to be played in Birmingham on Thursday; Pakistan Champions will progress to the final and play the winner of the second semi-final between Australia Champions and South Africa Champions.The India Champions team, which includes players such as Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa, had also refused to play their group match against Pakistan Champions on July 20.While the teams had shared points on that occasion, Pakistan Champions progressed to the final after India Champions refused to play the semi-final because they finished top of the group with nine points. India Champions had placed fourth with three points. The event organisers confirmed a 50% refund to the fans who had purchased tickets for the semi-finals.Sporting relations between India and Pakistan have deteriorated due to the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir in April this year, and the military skirmish that followed between the two.While the international teams of India and Pakistan have not yet faced each other since then, the men’s teams are due to face each other in the Asia Cup in the UAE on September 14, while the women’s teams have their ODI World Cup match in Colombo on October 6.

After registering the 400th goal of his remarkable career, Kylian Mbappe is ready to aim for "the unreal". The Real Madrid superstar is among those watching on from afar as Portuguese GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo closes in on 1,000 career goals. That milestone feels a long way off for Mbappe, but the France international is prepared to set the most ambitious of targets.

Mbappe record: Games taken to reach 400 goals

World Cup winner Mbappe reached a quadruple century on the goal front when netting for his country in a 4-0 victory over Ukraine. He bagged a brace in that contest – with his first coming from the penalty spot – and has ensured that Les Bleus will be taking in another shot at global glory next summer.

Mbappe has hit 400 goals through just 537 appearances. He is Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading scorer – having found the target on 235 occasions for the Ligue 1 heavyweights – and sits only two efforts adrift of France’s record marksman Olivier Giroud.

It is only a matter of time before he passes Giroud, with a bar of individual brilliance there set to be raised considerably higher. Mbappe also continues to star at club level, with 18 goals being recorded for Real this season through 16 appearances.

AdvertisementGetty1,000-goal target: Can Mbappe match Ronaldo?

Mbappe is only 26 years of age, so has many seasons with club and country ahead of him. With that in mind, he sees no reason why he should not be looking to emulate the achievements of five-time Ballon d’Or winner CR7.

He said: "400 doesn't impress people, if you want to be in that circle that shocks people, you have to score another 400. Cristiano Ronaldo's 1,000 goals? That's unreal. But let's try the unreal, we have to try, we only have one career."

Mbappe is arguably at his peak right now, with it on him to ensure that those standards are maintained when chasing down more major honours with Real and France. He added on silencing any doubters in his homeland: "I had to be the best version of myself so we could go to the World Cup. Last year was difficult for me with the national team, this season I had to show that the national team is important to me.

"On a mission? Everyone knows and can talk about football, but playing in a World Cup… only those who have played in it know that it's special, it's a privilege to represent your country in the eyes of the world."

World Cup trophy target: Mbappe proud of France's efforts

Mbappe captured the most prestigious of trophies with France back in 2018, before suffering final heartache against Lionel Messi and Argentina at Qatar 2022 – as he bagged a hat-trick before seeing Les Bleus lose on penalties.

He went on to say of heading back to FIFA’s flagship event, with Ukraine being swept aside with the minimum of fuss: "Pride. You should never take it for granted; today it's becoming normal, but it wasn't always the case in the history of the French national team. We had to be as sensible as possible and keep in mind that the most important thing was the win. On the pitch, we tried to do the job. We picked up the pace in the second half. After that, we played our game, we created chances, and I think people had a good evening."

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Getty2026 World Cup draw: When France will discover opponents

Mbappe added on his bid to become a two-time World Cup winner – an achievement that would see him join an exclusive club: "Of course we're going there to win, like all 48 other teams. It's a dream to be able to put the third star on the French national team jersey. We need to use this 2022 World Cup final to go to the World Cup with confidence. We'll wait for the draw and focus on the first group matches."

France will be among the favourites to go all the way when the World Cup heads to the United States, Canada and Mexico. They will discover their early opponents at that tournament when the group stage draw takes place on December 5.

As most free agency periods do, this MLB offseason will all center on one key player. This year, it's Juan Soto. Soto, acquired by the New York Yankees in a trade last offseason, helped bring New York to its first World Series in 15 years. Only 26, Soto is expected to get a lengthy contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars this offseason.

Plenty of teams are thought to be in the running, but there are likely only a few who can actually shell out the money he'll be looking for. Among them is the New York Mets, owned by Steve Cohen who has a propensity to spend big.

New York is interested, and reportedly has infield All-Star Francisco Lindor involved in their recruitment campaign according to Jeff Passan.

Lindor and Soto, though never teammates, are notably close. An old clip of Soto and Lindor in-game re-emerged this week on social media:

It shows Soto, then a member of the Washington Nationals, taking a vested interest in his opponent Lindor, who was hit by a pitch during the game. Soto asks if he's OK in Spanish and encourages a Mets staffer to get him some water.

It remains to be seen what factors Soto truly values most in his free agency decision. But an All-Star he has a friendship with can't hurt.

Celtic are basking in the glory of becoming Scottish Premiership champions and could now have eyes on a bright starlet who has admitted he is dreaming of a move to Parkhead, per reports.

Celtic set to enjoy another productive transfer window

Brendan Rodgers leads his side into battle against Rangers this weekend and will hope they can lay down a marker after claiming their fourth successive league title against Dundee United.

The Irishman will also hope to become the first Celtic manager to deliver three trebles during his tenure in charge if the Bhoys can navigate past Aberdeen in next month’s Scottish Cup final, though it is reasonable to assume he will already have one eye on the summer window.

There is an expectation at Parkhead that some form of squad refresh could take place. New blood is expected, and James Wilson could be on his way to the Hoops after a breakout campaign at Heart of Midlothian.

Kieran Tierney is on his way back to Celtic on a free transfer once his contract at Arsenal comes to an end. AC Ajaccio forward Moussa Soumano could join the Scotland international to bolster Rodgers’ options across the final third.

Champions League league phase involvement isn’t guaranteed for the reigning Scottish champions next campaign, meaning they will need to adopt a laser-focused approach to recruitment amid a swift turnaround between the end of this term and 2025/26.

Worth more than Tierney: Celtic have hit the jackpot on "brilliant" star

Celtic have hit the jackpot on this star who is now worth more than Kieran Tierney.

ByDan Emery May 1, 2025

However, there is also time for Celtic to look to the future with long-term additions who can develop into stars of the future, and they may now have their next candidate after a surprise transfer admission.

Dylan Leonard admits his dream is to play for Celtic

Speaking to A Leagues, Western United youngster Dylan Leonard has admitted he wants to join Celtic in the future, claiming signing for the Scottish Premiership champions is his ‘ultimate dream’ in football.

He stated: “That’s probably one thing I want to achieve in football is play for Celtic. Win something with Celtic obviously, but that’s definitely the one thing I want to do, the one club I want to play for.”

Enjoying an impressive campaign in his homeland, the 17-year-old has registered a goal and an assist across 24 appearances in the Australian top-flight. Primarily a central defender, Leonard has also come out in 100 duels and made 28 tackles on league duty, illustrating his potential to grow into a solid presence at the back.

Celtic are always on the lookout for talent and the Carlton-born starlet definitely appears to be someone that would fit the bill, but it remains to be seen whether a deal can be struck between all parties.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers could reportedly choose to axe some big names at Parkhead at the end of this season, following some recent criticism of his squad.

Rodgers criticises Celtic squad

The Hoops may have thumped Kilmarnock 5-1 at home in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon, but that’s not to say that Rodgers is entirely happy about what he is seeing from his players currently.

The 52-year-old was hugely unimpressed with Celtic’s performance in the 1-0 defeat away to St Johnstone last week, making his feeling clear after the game: “Bitterly disappointing. It’s a huge credit to St Johnstone and congratulations to them. For us, poor start to the game, but not the first time and this is something for me that we will look at, certainly in the summer.”

Rodgers clearly hated what he saw in that game, and while some may look at the league table and feel it was an overreaction, with title glory still inevitable this season, it highlights the standards that the Irishman sets.

It could be argued that his strong words after the defeat played a big part in Celtic’s aforementioned thumping of Kilmarnock at Parkhead on Saturday, with his players knowing that a response was required. Now, a new update has emerged regarding the manager’s approach this summer.

Rodgers could axe big Celtic names

According to Football Insider, Rodgers “won’t hesitate to swing the axe” and get rid of some high-profile Celtic players in the summer transfer window.

The individuals in question are said to have had a “sharp decline in form” recently and the Hoops boss could decide that enough is enough once the current campaign reaches its conclusion. Greg Taylor is used as an example in the report, with the left-back linked with an exit earlier this month.

This is undoubtedly a ruthless stance from Rodgers, but arguably one that needs to be taken, given some of the complacency that has been on show of late.

Prior to the win over Kilmarnock, the Hoops had lost three of their previous six Scottish Premiership matches, including a 3-2 defeat at home to Rangers, doing their best efforts to let their rivals back into the title race.

Rodgers must ruthlessly axe Kühn to unleash Celtic's "on fire" star

Ahead of Celtic’s Premiership clash with Kilmarnock on Saturday, Brendan Rodgers must drop Nicolas Kühn and start his “on fire” winger instead.

1 ByBen Gray Apr 12, 2025

While wholesale changes aren’t needed at Celtic this summer, freshening up the squad has to be a priority for Rodgers, as he brings in new faces and gets rid of those he believes have reached the end of their time at Parkhead.

Greg Taylor

2025

Jeffrey Schlupp (loan)

2025

James McCarthy

2025

Kasper Schmeichel

2026

James Forrest

2026

Johnny Kenny

2026

Scott Bain

2026

Taylor is out of contract at the end of the season, as is James McCarthy, while a decision needs to be made about whether Jeffrey Schupp’s loan move will become permanent or not.