All posts by h716a5.icu

Manchester United are working on a deal to sign “one of the best” midfielders in the world for Ruben Amorim, according to a recent report. Defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest may have been a blessing in disguise for Amorim, as he will have learned a lot about his team ahead of the January transfer window.

Man Utd plotting move to sign £20m playmaker who could replace Mason Mount

Man Utd are continuing to put plans in place ahead of the January transfer window opening in a couple of weeks time.

ByBrett Worthington Dec 9, 2024 Man Utd transfer news

The winter transfer window opens in around three weeks time, and it is a good opportunity for the Red Devils to possibly look at getting one or two players out of the club, as well as bringing in fresh faces who suit the new boss’ system.

One player who could be on United’s radar in January is Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, as a report revealed that United will look to submit a bid for the defender in 2025. The England international is under contract until 2026, and United could look to use this to their advantage, as they plan to make a £33 million offer, way below his £50 million price tag.

Another player United could look to sign in early 2025 is midfielder Martin Baturina. PSG are said to be leading the race for his signature, and they are looking to get a deal done for around £20 million, but United are also keen and haven’t given up on getting a deal completed. Baturina’s reputation is continuing to grow as several Premier League teams are keen on a deal, but it could be hard to do as Dinamo Zagreb are insistent that he isn’t for sale.

INEOS working on deal to sign Frenkie de Jong for Man Utd

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United are working on a deal to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona. The 27-year-old has been with the Spanish giants since July 2019, when he joined in a big-money move from Ajax.

De Jong, who has been described as “one of the best players in the world” by former Barça boss Xavi, has struggled for form and fitness this season, appearing just 12 times in all competitions so far. The Dutch international has just made two starts, as he’s being eased back into action by Hansi Flick.

This report states that the relationship between Barcelona and De Jong has turned into bitterness, and the midfielder is not keen on extending his stay with the Spanish side. This latest development has now caught the attention of United, who are working on a deal to sign De Jong and believe Barca are “in favour” of cashing in.

Apps

20

Goals

2

Assists

0

Touches per game

94.8

Key passes per game

1.1

Passes per game

76.3 (93%)

Tackles per game

2.2

Balls recovered per game

5.9

However, the Red Devils are not alone, as they are also mentioning Chelsea as a team that has been boosted by this development, while Bayern Munich and PSG are also interested in signing the midfielder.

United have had a long-standing interest in the Dutch international, who was valued at £51 million by Barca in the summer, as they were linked with a move for him during Erik ten Hag’s reign, and the player was even linked with a move to Old Trafford before that. De Jong’s high wages at Barcelona and their financial uncertainty has meant his future has been up in the air for a while now, and it could be that time is coming to an end, as his contract expires in 2026.

He says the backing from the team management has helped “take a bit of pressure off” as he makes a return to India’s squad

Shashank Kishore18-Sep-20225:50

How Harshal Patel has used his injury to become even better

Training without the fear of competition has been liberating for Harshal Patel.Having recovered from a rib injury that ruled him out of the Asia Cup that just finished in the UAE, Harshal is looking forward to life on the road again, which will soon include a maiden World Cup appearance. But first he has to deal with the T20Is against Australia starting on Tuesday in Mohali.Related

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Harshal has spent the past four weeks in rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. The first two weeks were spent working on his physical conditioning, before he resumed bowling. One of his key focus areas has been to be ahead of the curve and continue as the X-factor bowler teams yearn for.”I want to be tighter with my execution,” Harshal told ESPNcricinfo in August. “And I achieved that more or less last IPL [19 wickets in 15 matches]. I will continue to strive for that. If I’m bowling one or two bad balls out of 24, [I want to see] if I can completely eliminate that.”You’re not going to be able to do that every single game, but if I can do that in two games out of five, or three games out of five, that will be a goal worth striving for.”Known for his terrific slower balls and a potent dipping yorker, Harshal vaulted to the top of the wicket-taker’s charts at IPL 2021 and has ridden that wave all the way to an India cap last November.Nearly a year on, he’s emerged as a key member of India’s T20I arsenal. The time off due to injury, he believes, has helped him explore different facets of his craft apart from working on their execution, which is the “tougher bit.” Two of those areas are his new-ball bowling and variations in lengths.”I’ve explored a little bit in terms of the lengths I can bowl with the slower ball,” he explained. “Usually when I bowl the slower balls, it’s mainly fuller or at the good length. But now I’ve started bowling more shorter slower balls which are working out very well for me. That’s one thing obviously.”I’ve also been working on my new-ball skills for a while. I started doing that mid-IPL. Just because in the IPL, what I was supposed to do [mainly middle-overs and death bowling], all my skills were top notch, so I didn’t need to work on them.”So, every time I’d go to practice, I’d take a new ball and start bowling with it because it’s good to have a skill and not need it than the other way round,. It’s just something I’ve been working on and if I get an opportunity, for India or for RCB [Royal Challengers Bangalore], I would love to do that.”Harshal is deeply analytical, and challenges himself to keep getting better. That the team management has been clear of what they expect of him has helped, too.Harshal Patel: My ability to bat at No. 8 is something they [team management] really value•Getty ImagesIn the 30 T20s this year, he has bowled 54 overs in the middle phase for 19 wickets at an economy rate of 6.61 and 41.1 overs at the death for 18 wickets at 10.17. In comparison, in the 11 innings where he came on in the first six, he has averaged just one over per game.”They [India coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma] have been nothing but supportive,” Harshal said. “Whatever the team ethos is, they have taken precedence over individuals, which is a great thing.”They told me my role exactly. They said, ‘we want you to be able to bowl in all three phases, not just middle and death’. They’ve been bowling me once at the end of the powerplay every single game just to get used to that.”It isn’t just his bowling that Harshal has been working on. He takes great pride in his ball-striking too. “My ability to bat at No. 8 is something they [team management] really value,” he said.”I have not been working a lot on my batting because of time constraints, because you’re constantly in competition. But during rehab, I’ve had a chance to hit 500-700 balls over two-three weeks. It’s something I’ve wanted to work on for quite a while because I really want to contribute in that capacity as well.”What has helped along the way is clarity of roles and backing from the captain and the coach. Harshal believes this is critical for individuals from a mental standpoint, because it helps in better decision-making, especially when players return from injuries.”It does take a bit of pressure off you,” he said. “Because sometimes people make foolish decisions when they’re returning to play. They’re either trying to do too much or trying to push too hard because they feel that their place is in danger or for whatever reason.”But if you know for a fact the team management will remember what you’ve done prior to getting injured, and those performances and contributions are not forgotten, then that gives you a sense of calm or comfort that once you go back into the team – obviously you will have to perform again and again and that goes for every single cricketer – you know that you will hold that place in the team.”As Harshal looks ahead, the mention of ‘World Cup’ brings a smile to his face. He grew up like any other kid dreaming of playing in one, and in about a month’s time, it will all come true.”Obviously I am super excited,” he said. “I will get nervous at some point, but at this point of time, I’m just excited. The two World Cups India have won in 2007 and 2011, I vividly remember where I was and what I was doing.”After we won the World Cup, like every kid, we took our scooters and went onto the roads to dance and jump and shout. It would be great if I could play and if we end up winning the World Cup, to have that circle completed would be a great feeling. But [right now] it’s going to be a lot of excitement and nervous energy.”

Middlesex battle back from the brink to haul themselves into knock-outs in epic tussle

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025 Middlesex 292 for 9 (Fernandes 92, Morgan 61, de Caires 50, Singh 4-27) beat Lancashire 291 for 8 (Harris 64, Blatherwick 48*, Hollman 2-30, Brookes 2-57) by one wicket Nathan Fernandes’ brilliant 92 off 79 balls helped Middlesex conjure an extraordinary one-wicket over Lancashire in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, a result that also ensures the visitors qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition.But the bland facts tell only half the story. Coming to the wicket with his side in the toils on 105 for five and needing another 186 runs, Fernandes put on 126 for the seventh wicket with Seb Morgan and despite being caught on the boundary in the final over, went on watch Noah Cornwell clinch the victory on an evening that recalled the great limited-overs matches on this ground.Part-time off-spinner Harry Singh had earlier taken a career-best four for 27 and it seemed the visitors’ chances were gone when they were 127 for six, despite Josh de Caires 50. But their hopes were raised in dramatic fashion late in the game by Fernandes and Morgan, whose fearless batting inspired a quite wonderful victory for their team.Having reached his maiden List A fifty, Morgan was eventually caught on the boundary off George Balderson for 61, but Fernandes went on to make his best List A score and the tailenders did the rest.Lancashire skipper Marcus Harris made 64 for the home side but the main acceleration towards a defendable total had come late in the innings from youngsters Arav Shetty and Joe Moores before Jack Blatherwick clubbed an alarmingly violent 48 in 20 balls.Lancashire’s innings had begun poorly when George Bell was caught behind by Joe Cracknell off Cornwell for a first-ball duck in the day’s opening over. Michael Jones and Harris then oversaw a recovery with a partnership of 61 in eleven overs before Jones, who had hit earlier hit two big leg-side sixes was caught by Jack Davies at deep square leg off Morgan for 42 when trying to repeat the trick.For the next 20 overs Lancashire’s batsmen struggled to score fluently on a stodgy pitch against an accurate Middlesex attack. Josh Bohannon made 24 off 33 balls but perished when he skied Luke Hollman to Morgan at mid-off. Hollman was clearly the pick of the visitors’ attack, bowling his ten overs for 30 runs, and in his penultimate over he took the prize wicket of Harris when the Lancashire skipper was lbw for 64 when trying to reverse sweep.It was left to the home side’s youngsters to supply some much-needed acceleration. Shetty made 30 off 23 balls and put on 50 with Singh, thereby hoisting the total to 192. And after Shetty and Balderson had fallen to successive balls from Henry Brookes, Moores clubbed two sixes in his 21-ball 35 before he top-edged de Caires to Noah Cornwell at deep square leg.Put under pressure, the Middlesex attack crumbled a little. Blatherwick maintained the tempo, whacking two sixes off a Cornwell over that cost 21 runs and a remarkable 99 runs were scored off the final nine overs, Blatherwick thrashing four sixes and four fours in an unbeaten innings that changed the shape of the game. Singh was dismissed in the penultimate over caught at mid-off by Ben Geddes off Gilchrist for a 116-ball 38. Apart from Hollman, Brookes was the most successful Middlesex bowler with two for 57.Middlesex’s pursuit began badly when Joe Cracknell was pinned on the back foot by Tom Bailey for ten and their intent to score quickly was constantly hampered by the regular fall of wickets.Sam Robson was bowled via bat, pad and foot by Singh for 31; Geddes lost his stumps in more conventional fashion to the same bowler for eight; Davies shovelled Balderson to Singh at midwicket when her had made only nine; and when Bailey ran across from deep mid-off to catch Hollman without scoring Middlesex were in deep trouble on 108 for five with almost half their overs gone.Seven overs later, de Caires holed out on the deep square leg boundary, Moores taking the catch to give Singh his fourth wicket but the rest of the day belonged to Fernandes and Morgan, whose partnership seems certain to become part of Middlesex folklore.

After the dismissal of Erik ten Hag nearly 12 months ago, Manchester United fans will have been excited by the appointment of Ruben Amorim from Sporting CP.

The 40-year-old won two league titles back in his homeland, even beating Manchester City 4-1 in the Champions League just a couple of weeks before his appointment at Old Trafford.

However, his stint in charge of the Red Devils has been nothing short of a disaster, with the manager achieving a win percentage of just 39% in his 49 outings.

His latest defeat against Brentford has once again cranked up the pressure on his shoulders, with his £200m attacking additions still struggling to have the desired impact.

His future at the Theatre of Dreams remains hugely up in the air, with the INEOS hierarchy already seemingly targeting other alternatives to replace him should he be handed his marching orders.

The Man Utd shortlist to replace Amorim

Over the last couple of days, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has emerged as a potential option to replace Amorim at United should he be given the boot in the near future.

Whilst the Cherries want to keep hold of the Spaniard, they could have no choice in allowing him to depart, with the 43-year-old’s current contract set to expire at the end of the season.

However, he’s not the only name currently on their shortlist, with former England boss Gareth Southgate once again emerging on the INEOS radar, as relayed by FootballTransfers.

They claim that the 55-year-old could be open to returning to management and moving to Manchester after taking time out of the game following his departure from the national team in July last year.

It remains unclear if he will be the club’s main target for the role should Amorim depart, but the board have been impressed with his ability to get the best out of his players at international level.

Why United’s latest manager target would revive Mainoo

United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has endured somewhat of a frustrating last 12 months on the pitch, with boss Amorim often looking past him for selection in his midfield.

The Englishman only registered 20 league starts out of a possible 38 last season, with the likes of Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro ahead of him in the manager’s pecking order.

However, he has previously nailed down his place in the starting eleven, with Ten Hag often relying upon the 20-year-old to produce the goods during his tenure in charge.

Mainoo racked up various key goals in 2023/24, from last-minute winners to derby day goals and an FA Cup final strike – it truly was a year to remember for the youngster.

Such performances secured him a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad last summer, further showcasing his remarkable rise over such a short period of time.

He even started four of the nation’s six games in such a tournament, showcasing the faith that Southgate had in the youngster to deliver on the biggest stage for his country.

The appointment of the former England boss would certainly hand Mainoo the chance to regain his place in the side, whilst also instilling the confidence he’s been massively lacking in recent months.

For the Red Devils, the potential decision to hire Southgate may not be many supporters’ first choice, but it is one that could deliver the needed turnaround in form they’ve been craving.

The 55-year-old, who’s been dubbed “incredible” by Scott Parker, achieved a 63% win record in charge of the Three Lions and subsequently took them to two major international finals.

Games managed

102

Wins

64

Draws

20

Losses

18

Goals per game

2.3

Goals conceded

0.8

Points per game

2.1

Win percentage

63%

His side’s also achieved an average of 2.3 goals per game under his guidance, offering the Red Devils the needed attacking quality they’ve lacked in recent weeks under Amorim.

Such numbers are nothing short of remarkable, with the former England boss potentially able to end the club’s decade-long wait for a league title in the years ahead.

Success in the role is one thing, but the development of the players at his disposal would also be a massive part of his task in charge at Old Trafford.

Mainoo could be a huge beneficiary of such an appointment, potentially starring under Southgate’s reign once again and getting back on the trajectory he was once on at the Theatre of Dreams.

Arteta 2.0: Man Utd now targeting "best coach in the PL" & it's not Glasner

Manchester United appear to be targeting a manager who could replace Ruben Amorim.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 30, 2025