Manchester United have now made contact over a potential new forward for Ruben Amorim’s side as they look to rebuild their attack amid significant speculation surrounding potential departures in the coming months.

Manchester United lose again as INEOS chase Dorgu

Yet another defeat for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim has left them languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, having lost three of their last five outings.

Saved by a late Amad Diallo hat-trick at home to bottom of the league Southampton in midweek, there was no such fortune against Brighton at Old Trafford three days later, with Amorim’s side sinking to a 3-1 defeat in which they managed just a single shot on target, coming from the penalty spot midway through the first half.

It means that Amorim has now seen his side lose six of his 11 games at the helm in the Premier League, with only three wins to his name since his arrival after the November international break, and after the match he claimed that this side may well be the worst in the club’s history.

Manchester United in the PL under Ruben Amorim

Played

11

Won

3

Lost

6

Points per game

1

Goals scored per game

1.36

Goals conceded per game

1.81

Changes will have to be made both on the training ground and in the transfer market, with a deal for Patrick Dorgu thought to be in the pipeline and now another attacking target on the agenda too.

Man Utd make approach for exciting English talent

That comes as Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Manchester United have “expressed concrete interest” in Borussia Dortmund forward Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who has regularly been hittting the headlines in the Bundesliga this campaign.

Still just 20-years-old, the forward was once on the books of the Manchester City academy before opting to follow the path trod by Jadon Sancho and swap the Etihad for Signal Iduna Park, where he has thrived.

Mostly playing off the left hand side, Gittens has grabbed four goals in six Champions League outings, while he has also managed seven goals and four assists in the Bundesliga so far this season, the joint most efforts with Serhou Guirassy for the Black and Yellow.

He has been the subject of significant praise from Football Analyst Ben Mattinson, who dubbed him a star with “electric pace” who has a “lovely ability to use either foot to cross or shoot”.

That form has caught the eye, and the report claims that Bayern, Manchester United and Chelsea are all “considering a move”, though it is likely one that would take place in the summer rather than in the final two weeks of the winter window.

Though he still has three and a half years left to run on his £48,000 a week deal with Dortmund, a move could occur and is even said to be “highly likely” should Dortmund fail to qualify for the Champions League next season, though whether he would be willing to move to another club who likely won’t have Champions League football remains unclear.

With the futures of current left-wing options Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho far from secure at Old Trafford, would Bynoe-Gittens be a smart move by the Red Devils?

Ryan Gravenberch's agent has revealed that the Liverpool star "would love to play" for Real Madrid but explained why a move is "impossible".

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Liverpool paid €40m for GravenberchHas a contract with the Reds until 2028Dutch midfielder keen to play for RealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After being reshaped into a deep-lying playmaker, Gravenberch has flourished in the No.6 position, dictating play and anchoring the midfield with composure and physicality. Initially considered a fallback option after Liverpool failed to secure top target Martin Zubimendi, Gravenberch has proven to be a more than capable alternative. In fact, his consistent displays have arguably made him one of the standout performers in the Premier League this campaign.

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In an interview with Gravenberch’s agent Jose Rodriguez offered a glimpse into the player’s mindset and lofty aspirations right from his childhood. He revealed that top European clubs have been interested in his client since he was a teenager, with both Barcelona and Real Madrid among his suitors.

WHAT RODRIGUEZ SAID

“When Ryan was 16, Barça called us. They wanted to sign him, but his father and I prioritized his development,” Rodriguez recalled. "At Ajax, he was able to develop in a way that he possibly wouldn't have at Barça."

Now, as Gravenberch continues to shine at the highest level, Rodriguez believes his client has reached a point where he could comfortably fit in at Real Madrid.

"He's good enough for Real Madrid," Rodriguez admitted. "We would love for him to play for them, but Liverpool would ask for a lot of money. I know they've had their eye on him, but now it's impossible."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Given his form and long-term contract, Liverpool are in no rush to entertain offers. Reports suggest that the Merseyside club has placed a valuation on Gravenberch that could climb to €90 million (£77m/$100m), a price tag that reflects both his current impact and his future potential. Such a sum could ward off even the biggest suitors, including Real Madrid, who are said to be monitoring his situation.

Santos star Neymar has made his prediction for the Champions League and he has backed his former club to win the European title.

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• Neymar predicts Champions League winners
• Backed former club to win the trophy
• Star recovering from hamstring injury

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neymar is among the finest players to have graced European football in the last decade. He has spent 10 years in Europe with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and won the Champions League title with the Blaugrana in the 2014-15 season. In 81 appearances in the European competition, the Brazilian has scored 43 goals, and he has now revealed who he expects to win the trophy this season.

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  Neymar left Europe in 2023, and after spending one-and-a-half seasons at Al-Hilal, the forward is now plying his trade with boyhood club Santos. The Brazil icon, however, continues to follow the action in Europe's premier club competition.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 33-year-old first picked the semi-finalists, as he chose PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich to go through to the last-eight stage. Neymar was then asked to pick the winners of the competition, and he chose his former club, Barcelona.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?

  Neymar has been out injured since March 10, as the Brazilian picked up a hamstring injury. He has now missed a total of three games for the Brazilian club and two World Cup qualifying matches for the Selecao during the March international break.

Hollywood star and Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney was in attendance for the club's crucial away fixture at Blackpool on Monday.

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McElhenney joined Wrexham for Blackpool clashWrexham beat Blackpool 2-1Wycombe went down 4-0 at CharltonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham leapfrogged Wycombe to reclaim second place in League One as they edged out Blackpool 2-1 on Monday. James McClean broke the deadlock just past the hour mark and Oliver Rathbone extended the lead shortly afterwards. Rob Aptor scored a late goal for the hosts, but the Red Dragons eventually walked away with three points.

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As the Welsh club took a step forward to secure a third consecutive direct promotion to the Championship, the travelling fans at Bloomfield Road were joined by club co-owner McElhenney. The Hollywood actor was spotted clicking photographs with the Wrexham supporters and cheering for his team from the away stand.

DID YOU KNOW?

Phil Parkinson's team received a further boost in their bid to secure promotion as Wycombe went down 4-0 against fellow promotion hopefuls Charlton, who happen to be Wrexham's next opponents.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Ryan Reynolds and McElhenney's team have two points more than Wycombe with two matches left to play – after their final home game of the season against Charlton they will visit Lincoln to finish off the campaign on May 3.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hopes a few January signings will revitalise his squad ahead of the next few months.

A deal to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush looks set to be completed sooner rather than later, bolstering City’s stagnating frontline in the process.

The 25-year-old has scored 20 goals in just 26 games for the German side, and his presence could give the Etihad side an edge in the final third.

Guardiola doesn’t appear to be stopping there, however, as a move to sign a player from Serie A is close to being agreed…

Man City transfer latest

According to Sky Sports Italy, City are close to lodging a bid for Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso, with a fee in the region of €65m (£55m) having been mentioned.

Transfer Focus

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

Juventus are holding out for a slightly higher figure, but the report adds that there is a good chance the club will accept the proposal submitted by City, who are willing to offer Cambiaso a five-year contract.

Aged just 24, the defender has plenty of experience in Serie A and with the Italian national side, indicating that he could be a wise signing by the Spaniard.

Perhaps he could even rejuvenate Jack Grealish too, who has struggled of late.

Why Andrea Cambiaso could revive Jack Grealish

Grealish was a key member of the squad during the treble-winning 2022/23 campaign, registering 16 goal contributions in all competitions for City as they swept the board.

Since then, however, things have been much more difficult. Indeed, since the start of the 2023/24 season, the Englishman has scored only four goals in 56 appearances.

Jack Grealish’s stats in the PL since August 2022
Metric	2022/23	2023/24	2024/25
Goals	5	3	0
Assists	7	1	1
Key passes per game	1.8	1.4	1.6
Big chances created	12	3	2
Successful dribbles per game	1.6	0.9	0.9
Via Sofascore

Furthermore, he ranks in the bottom 1% for non-penalty goals and in the bottom 72% for assists per 90 when compared to peers in the Premier League.

By signing Cambiaso, Guardiola might be able to get the former Aston Villa starlet back to his best, especially considering how good the Italian is going forward.

Amid links with City, one analyst stated that the defender could “become one of the best FBs in the world” upon moving to Manchester, while data analyst Ben Mattinson has also lauded just how “dangerous” he is down the flanks.

The 24-year-old has created three big chances in Serie A this season, along with succeeding with 63% of his dribble attempts, proving that he loves bursting forward from his own half to create opportunities deep in the final third.

Additionally, compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Cambiaso ranks in the top 8% for progressive carries (3.38), the top 7% for shot-creating actions (3.29), and the top 13% for key passes (1.54) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

These statistics are evidence of his forward-thinking abilities, which could see Grealish return to the player he was a couple of seasons ago, knowing that there is someone ready to link up with him down the left flank.

Having Grealish back firing might just be the catalyst for City to go on a solid run of form over the next few months.

One of the world's best: Man City could sign dream Marmoush alternative

Manchester City could land themselves another forward instead of Omar Marmoush this month.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jan 17, 2025

Solid support from Harry Came and Anju Dal enables home side to recover from 58 for 4

ECB Reporters Network05-Sep-2022

Leus du Plooy clips off his pads•Getty Images

Derbyshire 306 (du Plooy 82, Came 78, Dal 56, Rushworth 3-60) vs DurhamLeus du Plooy enjoyed another good day at Durham’s expense as Derbyshire recovered in the LV=Insurance County Championship match at the Incora County Ground.The Division Two promotion hopefuls were struggling at 58 for 4 but du Plooy followed his two centuries in the game at Chester-le Street in July with 82 from 123 balls. Harry Came scored a career-best 78, sharing a stand of 143 in 32 overs with du Plooy before Anuj Dal added 56 as Derbyshire were bowled out for 306, Chris Rushworth and Ben Raine both taking three wickets.Durham’s decision to bowl on a well-grassed pitch looked a good one when Rushworth and Raine reduced Derbyshire to 31 for 3. Luis Reece went to the second ball of the match when he edged Rushworth into the gloves of Tom Mackintosh and Billy Godleman’s poor season in the Championship continued when he played on driving at Raine in the next over.Brooke Guest again looked the part at No. 3, showing good judgement in challenging conditions but Derbyshire lost another big wicket in Rushworth’s sixth over. Wayne Madsen had to play at a ball that seamed away and was caught behind for 9 and Guest, who scored a hundred at Chester-le-Street in July, was also the victim of a good delivery.Guest drove Rushworth down the ground for four and, with du Plooy, was starting to rebuild the innings when Raine nipped one away to take his off stump.Another wicket before lunch would have plunged Derbyshire into deep trouble but Came and du Plooy negotiated nine overs and batting became increasingly easier in the afternoon.The inevitable change of ball came after 40 overs but Durham probably wished they had stuck with the old one as du Plooy drove the first delivery from Raine back past the bowler for his ninth four to reach 50 from 73 balls. He took three more fours from the over and with Durham’s bowlers failing to maintain the consistency they showed in the morning, du Plooy and Came played with increasing assurance.Came scored his maiden first-class fifty at Trent Bridge earlier in the season and two sixes off Liam Trevaskis got him moving towards a second. He launched the left-arm spinner down the ground before dispatching a full toss over the ropes and with du Plooy punishing anything short or overpitched, the momentum swung towards Derbyshire.The pair looked set to bat through the session when du Plooy aimed a loose forcing shot outside off stump at Trevaskis and was caught behind.Durham’s bowlers could not apply any sustained pressure after tea and Came pulled Oliver Gibson for his fifth four to pass his previous best score of 70. But Gibson, who bowled at a lively pace, yorked him just before the second new ball which accounted for the tail although Dal completed another half-century to secure a third batting point before he was out in the last over of the day.

Joshua Zirkzee could miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury in a huge blow to Manchester United.

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• Zirkzee injured in defeat to Newcastle
• United fear he could miss rest of season
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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Dutch striker went off 10 minutes into the second half of his team's 4-1 loss against Newcastle on Sunday and it is feared he will miss the final weeks of the season due to the severity of the hamstring injury, reports.

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  United are already without the likes of Amad Diallo, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt among others due to fitness issues, and the loss of the 23-year-old leaves Ruben Amorim relying on Rasmus Hojlund as the only senior striker available. Beyond him, Amorim could bring 17-year-old Chido Obi back into the fold.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Zirkzee has managed just three Premier League goals this season, having started 14 of his 32 appearances in the competition, while he has netted two in the Europa League.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ZIRKZEE?

  Zirkzee's injury comes just days ahead of United's clash with Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The two sides are level at 2-2 after the first leg in France.

Sri Lanka name 15-member squad and five reserves – where Dinesh Chandimal finds himself – for the show-piece event in Australia

Madushka Balasuriya16-Sep-2022Sri Lanka have shown faith with the group of players that won the Asia Cup, with the inclusions of fast bowlers Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara – who missed that tournament due to injury – the only change, as they named their 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.From the squad that toured the UAE, batters Dinesh Chandimal, Ashen Bandara and Nuwanidu Fernando, and left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama have been listed as standby players alongside left-arm quick Binura Fernando. This means Matheesha Pathirana, Asitha Fernando and Nuwan Thushara miss out.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe inclusions of Chameera and Kumara, however, are subject to them being passed fit. Kumara is recovering from a hamstring strain, while Chameera has been nursing an ankle injury – which spread into his calf and forced him out of the Asia Cup squad.Much of Sri Lanka’s hopes of going deep in the World Cup, on bouncy Australian pitches, will hinge on their fitness, with these two the only bowlers in their ranks capable of consistently hitting speeds in the 145kph range.Related

After Asia Cup glory, Sri Lanka leave for T20 World Cup brimming with confidence

Calf injury puts Dushmantha Chameera out of Asia Cup

Murali and Vettori give away the secrets to spin bowling in Australia

That said, in the 21-year-old Dilshan Madushanka and the 28-year-old Pramod Madushan, Sri Lanka have two stirring, if relatively green, seamers ready to step in if needed. The pair, both of whom had been uncapped prior to the Asia Cup, proved impressive deputies over the course of the tournament.However, with both Madushanka and Madushan happier pitching it up and looking for swing, the likes of Chameera and Kumara offer the variety needed to succeed on Australian tracks; in Sri Lanka’s tour of Australia earlier this year, the latter pair found a lot of joy in hitting the deck hard.While their injury concerns remain, they will nevertheless be a part of the squad that heads off to a training camp in Pallekele, Kandy, on September 25, to give them every chance to prove their fitness ahead of the World Cup.Aside from the uncertainty in the fast-bowling ranks, the rest of the squad has virtually picked itself – not something commonly said about Sri Lankan teams in recent times.Dasun Shanaka, who will lead the side, will have at his disposal a fairly settled batting unit. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis look to have locked down their places at the top of the order following a string of important stands in the Asia Cup, while the middle and lower order has the firepower of Shanaka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga and Chamika Karunaratne.The only question marks remain in the crucial No. 3 and No. 4 spots, where the trio of Charith Asalanka, Danushka Gunathilaka and Dhananjaya de Silva will be vying for two places.Asalanka had a poor Asia Cup by his standards, and found himself out of the side that beat Pakistan in the final. He was replaced by de Silva, who had been on the fringes for most of the tournament, but impressed with both bat and ball in the two games he came in for.While admittedly a small sample size, de Silva’s ability to bowl his flat offbreaks economically in the middle overs, while offering considerable heft with the bat, provides a versatility that neither Asalanka nor Gunathilaka provide. Gunathilaka, nominally an opener, however does offer the potential for explosiveness in the middle order – even if he didn’t showcase that as much as he would have liked at the Asia Cup.On the spin-bowling front, Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana form an enviable pairing, while in Jeffrey Vandersay there’s an able deputy waiting in the wings.Sri Lanka will start their T20 World Cup campaign on October 16 against Namibia.

West Ham United have made a shock late enquiry over signing a former Liverpool star on loan, with Graham Potter’s side looking set for an active end to this January transfer window.

West Ham table late January bids in effort to secure signing

The Irons have no shortage of targets for this latter stage of the winter window, as reported bids are submitted for West Ham’s prime attacking targets with talks also being held.

West Ham likely to bid for once-£100m player in the final days of January

The Hammers are looking set to be busy.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 30, 2025

West Ham held negotiations with Ajax to sign Brian Brobbey, and even agreed personal terms with the Dutchman on a £100,000-per-week contract (Alex Crook, talkSPORT), but as things stand, a club-to-club deal is looking unlikely due to the finances involved.

This has led West Ham to explore other January forward options, and one of them is reliably believed to be Brighton starlet Evan Ferguson, who is a prime target for the east Londoners amid reports he’ll be allowed to depart on loan.

Ferguson is also reportedly willing to join West Ham, handing Potter a boost as the tactician looks to bolster his attacking options after long-term injuries to both Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio.

Chelsea (away)

February 3rd

Brentford (home)

February 15th

Arsenal (away)

February 22nd

Leicester City (home)

February 27th

Newcastle United (home)

March 10th

After West Ham also saw a bid rejected for PSV Eindhoven star Ricardo Pepi, co-chair David Sullivan and the recruitment team appear fully intent on signing a new striker before February 3rd’s deadline.

However, it is also believed that they’re keen on a new midfield man for the engine room.

West Ham make surprise contact over signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

According to Turkish news outlet Sozcu, former Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is on their list of potential new additions.

West Ham have contacted Bestikas over signing Oxlade-Chamberlain in a surprise late January move, and they could even free up space for the ex-England international by offloading both Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse.

They’re said to want the 31-year-old on a temporary deal with an option to make his move permanent. Oxlade-Chamberlain is also keen on a return to the Premier League, so they may not have that much trouble convincing the player.

“He came here, had played from time to time at wing-back at Arsenal, winger for sure, and he became a proper No.8 here in the way we wanted to play,” said Jurgen Klopp in 2023.

“Super-energetic, technically outstanding.”

Arsenal put their devastating 2-2 draw with Aston Villa behind them on Saturday with an impressive 1-0 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.

However, while the win was vital to keep their title chances alive, and the winner was scored by a returning Ricardo Calafiori, neither of those things became the main story.

Instead, Hale End product Myles Lewis-Skelly was the one to grab all the headlines, as his fairly innocuous tactical foul on Matt Doherty late on in the first half saw him sent off, in a decision that the Gunners are expected to challenge ahead of the clash with Manchester City next week.

Away from his sending off, the 18-year-old academy gem has been one of the real bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season for Arsenal, and based on recent reports, the club could be about to sign another young talent who could be the perfect teammate to grow alongside the Englishman.

Arsenal move closer to signing promising talent

According to a recent report from the Guardian’s Ed Aarons, Arsenal are now hopeful of signing Norwegian wonderkid Sverre Nypan.

Transfer Focus

In fact, Aarons has revealed that the North Londoners held ‘further talks’ to sign the youngster and that he is now close to making a decision on his future having faced competition from Manchester City for his signature.

It’s understood that he met Arsenal officials on Sunday and it would appear as though that meeting has gone rather well.

Nypan is expected to be available for £10m according to the report with Arsenal now in pole position to seal a switch according to Miguel Delaney of the Independent.

While that is a lot of money for someone so young, he looks like he could be worth it, especially as he could be the perfect player for Lewis-Skelly to develop alongside.

Why Nypan would be a great teammate for Lewis-Skelly

So, there are a few reasons why signing Nypan would not only be good for Arsenal overall, but also for Lewis-Skelly, and the first is his age.

At 18 years old, the Norwegian gem is the same age as the Hale End star, and while that might not sound like much of a big deal, it means the pair should be able to develop together, make similar impacts within the first team, and in the process, build a rock solid understanding of one another’s game due to the fact they’ll be spending their formative years playing together.

The second reason is similar: the pair will likely be playing very close to one another on the pitch.

For example, while the Rosenberg star can play in a few positions, he’s at his best in the middle of the park as an “all-phase midfielder with the ability to control the pace of the game,” per respected analyst Ben Mattinson.

For his part, the Islington-born prospect has been playing as an inverted left-back this season, as demonstrated by his heatmap, meaning that, should he maintain this role for the foreseeable future, he’ll be consistently tucking in alongside Nypan in the midfield should they both start.

Position

DM

LB

CM

Appearances

26

19

10

Goals

2

0

1

Assists

3

1

6

However, for much of his time in the academy, the England U19 ace played in defensive and central midfield, so should Arteta be able to get a run of games out of Calafiori without him suffering yet another injury, then Lewis Skelly could see his primary role in the first team become that of a midfielder.

Therefore, Lewis-Skelly could realistically be playing directly alongside the “exciting talent,” as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig, in a couple of seasons, and if that is the case, then their understanding of each other’s game will surely only strengthen, which in turn could see them become a brilliant partnership in the middle of the park.

Ultimately, while there is always an element of risk in signing such a young player from a league outside Europe’s top five leagues, Nypan, whom Mattinson claims has “world-class potential,” looks to be something special, and alongside Lewis-Skelly, Arteta could have an incredible duo.

Saka's dream teammate: Arsenal ready to pay £42m to sign "devastating" ace

The unreal winger would be a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 27, 2025