All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United have encountered issue after issue so far this season, with the likes of Jadon Sancho falling out with Erik ten Hag in what is an ongoing saga, whilst the Red Devils continue to struggle on the pitch, suffering a 3-2 loss in their most recent outing against Galatasaray. The club have a number of players out injured, too, and those at Old Trafford will be desperately waiting for the full squad to return.

Any boost is a plus in the current circumstances, and, those in Manchester have finally been handed some good news to cling onto, with one particular player edging closer and closer to a return from an injury suffered in pre-season.

What's the latest Man Utd injury news?

When it comes to injuries, United have suffered the same luck that they've faced when attempting to get results on the pitch this season. At various stages of the campaign, Ten Hag has already been without Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, Raphael Varane, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Lisandro Martinez, who is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

The Red Devils have, however, received a recent injury boost, with youngster Kobbie Mainoo back in training, and edging closer to a return to action. And whilst United's next Premier League clash against Brentford could come too early for the youngster, he isn't far off from making a comeback, according to the club's official website.

We've seen in the past just how much of an impact young players can have at Old Trafford, with Marcus Rashford a prime example of that. Now, it could soon be Mainoo's turn to light a spark that has been slowly fading at the theatre of dreams this season. It will be interesting to see if Ten Hag turns to the midfielder, given the current form of his side, and, therefore, the ease with which several names could play themselves into the Dutchman's plans.

Who is Kobbie Mainoo?

Just 18 years of age, Mainoo has the world at his feet at Manchester United, and could soon get his chance to show just how good he is. With Casemiro suspended in the Champions League after his red card against Galatasaray, Mainoo may yet even be handed a chance to stake his claim on the biggest stage to showcase his talents. The pressure would be on, but if he impressed on his chance, then Ten Hag may just have himself another option in the middle of the park.

The teenager has already earned plenty of praise during his time at United, including from club legend Bryan Robson, who told The Telegraph:

"He’s calculated and he’s reading the game, doing things in his own time. He closes down really well, receives the ball and changes the pattern of the game, quickens it up when he wants to and he’s using his football brain. I’m quite impressed with him."

Everything seems to be pointing to the fact that United have a gem on their hands, and who knows, a player who could yet play a surprise part in turning their campaign around after such a disappointing start this season.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is looking at signing a new striker in the January transfer window, with a report revealing one of the main targets he has in mind…

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are already running the rule over potential targets ahead of the January transfer window, with it recently emerging they have set their sights on Real Sociedad's Igor Zubimendi, who could be brought in to refresh Arteta's midfield options.

Not only is a new midfielder of interest to the north Londoners, but they could also look at signing a new winger, and Club Brugge's Antonio Nusa has now been named as a target, with contact already being made by Arteta to discuss a deal.

However, a report from TEAMtalk has now revealed that Arsenal's priority in the January transfer window could be signing a new striker, depending on how the season is going, with Arteta keen on adding some more versatile players to his squad.

The manager already has Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah at his disposal in attack, but they are similar players, and Charles Watts believes a more physical option could be looked at in January or next summer.

Brentford's Ivan Toney is named as a potential target by Watts, who believes the Englishman could take the Gunners "to another level", with the journalist also highlighting Victor Osimhen as an option, as there has been interest in the Napoli striker for some time.

Talks have previously been held over a deal for the Nigerian, whose agent has been over at the training ground, and Watts has revealed he will still be on Arsenal's list of targets, simply because of how good he is.

However, there is likely to be fierce competition for the forward, as he is going to be at the top of pretty much every club's list, and he will command a huge fee, indicating that a deal may be difficult to orchestrate.

The 24-year-old is set to put pen to paper on a new contract with Napoli, but Watts believes there will be an agreement in the deal allowing him to leave if a certain fee is met.

How good is Victor Osimhen?

The Lagos-born striker played a vital role in Napoli's title-winning 2022-23 season, weighing in with 26 goals and five assists in 32 league games, while he also showcased his ability in the Champions League, scoring five in six matches.

Hailed as "world class" by members of the media, the Napoli star has made the perfect start to the current campaign, scoring three goals in as many games, and he ranks in the 99th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

It is still very early days in the Premier League season, but Manchester City have made a perfect start, winning their opening four games to cement their place at the top of the table.

As such, Arsenal may be in need of a signing to help bridge the gap in January, and Osimhen is a top-level striker, who could take them to the next level.

Tottenham Hotspur look set to lose one of their first-team stars sooner rather than later as Ange Postecoglou looks to trim his squad, according to a fresh report.

Tottenham Hotspur's fine start in the Premier League

Despite Manchester City's victory over Bournemouth on Saturday, Spurs will have the chance to regain top spot in the Premier League table on Monday when they host London rivals Chelsea in N17.

Tottenham vs Chelsea match preview

So far, Tottenham have been in fine fettle domestically, winning eight and drawing two of their opening ten league matches; however, tough encounters are on the horizon for Postecoglou's men as they aim to prove their mettle as title contenders.

Nevertheless, the initial signs emanating from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are very positive indeed, especially when factoring in how the goal burden has been shared around the Lilywhites' squad.

Son Heung-min leads the scoring charts with eight strikes for Spurs, while James Maddison has three goals, and Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and Cristian Romero are all tied on two apiece this term across all competitions (Tottenham squad statistics – Transfermarkt).

Destiny Udogie and Ben Davies are doubts for the visit of Chelsea and will undergo fitness tests before a decision on their availability is determined.

Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon are all unavailable for selection as Postecoglou looks to become only the third manager in Premier League history to go unbeaten in their first 11 games in charge, which would see him join Nottingham Forest's Frank Clark and former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri in achieving this feat.

Of course, Chelsea's visit will also mark the return of Mauricio Pochettino to his old stomping ground for the first time since he was sacked by Tottenham in 2019. Speaking before the London derby, as per BBC Sport, Pochettino stated: "It's really special to go back to a place where we created amazing memories together. It's special, I'm not going to lie. That is true."

Even though Spurs are seemingly entering a new era on the field, another one of the old guard could now be set to depart, according to latest reports.

Tottenham Hotspur's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Chelsea (H)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Molineux

Premier League

Aston Villa (H)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Manchester City (A)

Etihad Stadium

Premier League

West Ham United (H)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Eric Dier now set to leave Tottenham Hotspur

According to a transfer update from Football Insider, Tottenham star Eric Dier is set to leave the club in 2024. Dier is keen to run down his contract and leave as a free agent rather than be sold in January. Spurs will listen to offers in January for the former Sporting CP man, who has not featured at all under Postecoglou's stewardship.

The England international reportedly believes more options to continue his career trajectory would become apparent if he is available as a free agent, after talks collapsed between Dier and Tottenham over a contract extension in north London.

Dier, who has previously been hailed as a "reliable player" by Antonio Conte, has made 360 appearances for Tottenham across all competitions during his time at the club, notching 13 goals and 12 assists (Dier statistics – Transfermarkt).

Now, it looks as if the experienced defender could be set to embark on a new venture as his time at Tottenham slowly draws to a close.

West Ham United are admirers of an exciting young coach should they decide to sack David Moyes, according to a reliable journalist.

West Ham's up and down season continues

The Irons have made an extremely mixed start to the new campaign having won five, drawn two and lost five of their opening 12 games, meaning that they currently find themselves ninth in the top-flight table heading into the international break.

Following Sunday’s 3-2 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest, which just about epitomised their campaign, Moyes’ side will have gained some confidence that they are able to go on a positive run of form upon their return to domestic action, but regardless, there have been some questions asked about the manager’s position in the dugout.

According to 90min, David Sullivan is happy for the Scotsman to see out his contract until the end of the season unless a candidate that fits the profile of what he’s looking for was to become available between now and then, but it’s not the first time that chiefs have assessed their options in the market.

The London Stadium outfit have previously been credited with an interest in Feyenoord’s Arne Slot and Lille’s Paulo Fonseca, as per the same report, and they have now set their sights on an alternative who has experience playing in the Premier League.

West Ham chiefs considering Michael Carrick

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Dean Jones revealed that Michael Carrick is of interest to West Ham and admitted that he has the attributes to match what the board are searching for.

“My expectation would be that they look to be forward-thinking. Unless West Ham suddenly find themselves in crisis and need crisis management, that's the only time I could see them going for somebody with huge experience as their next appointment.

“I would expect them though to go for somebody who's younger, more forward-thinking and is more in tune with the way that the game is heading in the next 10 years, rather than how it's been for the last 10 years. That's what I would be thinking. Carrick is a really interesting one, but we have to see which direction his career goes in right now. But he's definitely somebody who is on West Ham's radar.”

Michael Carrick's record at Middlesbrough

Since being appointed at Middlesbrough, Carrick has won 29, drawn eight and lost 16 of his 53 games in charge, taking a total of 95 points from a possible 159 whilst averaging 1.79 points per match (Transfermarkt – Carrick statistics), so he’s really settled into life at the helm at the Riverside Stadium.

The Wallsend-born coach, who is 42 years of age, was also named last week’s Championship Manager of the Week for successfully beating Leicester City, so he’s proven that he’s capable of overcoming a squad of mostly Premier League players.

Furthermore, Carrick, who is “perfect” at bringing out the best in his stars and developing younger talents, according to journalist Josh Bunting, led the northeast outfit to the second tier playoffs at the end of last season, so for a manager who already knows what it takes to compete and be successful under big pressure, he could be the ideal candidate for West Ham.

Newcastle United were flying high last season and rode the wave of the PIF’s influx of cash, eventually finishing inside the top four which had been the club’s best campaign for more than two decades.

However, the Magpies are now a product of their own success and are starting to feel the pressure of increased expectations mounting on their shoulders. An early exit from the Champions League and back-to-back defeats in the Premier League over the past week certainly haven’t helped to alleviate this burden.

A draw would have secured the Geordie outfit Europa League football heading into the new year but a rather naive game plan from the side saw them throw the kitchen sink at the possibility of qualifying for the UCL knockout phase.

A handful of players froze during the game and looked incapable of handling the pressure, particularly the entire forward line.

Newcastle United’s performance in numbers vs AC Milan

Eddie Howe set his team up in a typical 4-3-3 and deployed Miguel Almiron on the right, with Anthony Gordon positioned on the left flank. Callum Wilson was perhaps the only surprise addition to the side, having made his first start since the beginning of November after suffering from a hamstring problem.

Wilson looked off the pace from the get-go. The England international had four attempts on goal which came to a total xG of 0.42 on the night. Overall, the Magpies registered an xG of 1.78, so Wilson alone had roughly one-quarter of his team’s total xG.

Incidentally, Almiron had a larger share of the xG pizza on Wednesday night. The Paraguay international had three shots at goal and boasted an xG of 0.86 in total, but failed to convert a single opportunity. This number was heightened by a miss in the 20th minute where Almiron refused to go with his right foot to tap the ball into an open goal, allowing Fikayo Tomori to make a huge block.

On the opposite side, Gordon had only one shot, which tallied an xG of 0.03, before being hooked after the hour-mark by the manager.

For Howe, the most worrying aspect of his frontline’s performances will undoubtedly be the lack of service for the striker. Both Almiron and Gordon failed to create a single chance during the game and together didn’t even manage to put a successful cross into the box, according to FotMob.

When Alexander Isak entered the fray, the Swedish centre-forward created one chance which was more than both combined. However, as per FotMob, Newcastle’s top-scorer this season managed to take merely one shot in over 30 minutes on the pitch — a true indictment of the wingers’ performances.

As a result, Newcastle are now being linked with a wide player ahead of the winter window, somebody who can offer a little more creativity than both Gordon and Almiron.

Newcastle United transfer news – Samuel Iling-Junior

According to Corriere Dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Newcastle United are keeping tabs on Samuel Iling-Junior’s situation with Juventus ahead of the January transfer market. The Italian outlet are claiming that the Bianconeri are willing to allow the winger to leave over the coming weeks and have even 'mandated' some agents to potentially complete a deal.

Tottenham Hotspur are another club that have been interested in signing Iling-Junior ever since Juventus made the 20-year-old available for purchase, but now the Magpies could battle it out with last Sunday’s victors for the ex-Chelsea academy star.

Iling-Junior has been tipped with having a £20m price tag as his contract does not expire with the Italian giants until the end of the 2024/25 campaign. However, Newcastle could have an edge in the race to acquire the attacker’s services as Iling-Junior has the same agent as Kieran Trippier.

Despite breaking through the ranks with the Old Lady last season, Iling-Junior hasn’t had much game-time at all this term to showcase his talents, making merely five substitute appearances which comes to 114 minutes of action. Now, a move could be on the cards.

Samuel Iling-Junior’s stats

One of Iling-Junior’s most impressive characteristics is his ability to play on either side of the flank and even as a wingback. This would be a dream for Howe as the young Englishman can cover on both wings in case another injury crisis riddles the team.

Position

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Left-Winger

59

15

15

Left Wingback

23

3

6

Right-Winger

7

3

1

Central Midfielder

1

0

0

Stats via FBref

Furthermore, Iling-Junior’s attacking output is first-rate too. In 113 appearances in all competitions since the start of the 2019/20 season, including at youth level, the winger has bagged 44 goal contributions, including 21 goals and 23 assists. In that same four-and-a-half-year period, Almiron has recorded 39 goal contributions, with 10 assists and 29 goals.

It’s very clear from his statistics that Almiron is more of a goalscoring winger, considering he has almost triple the number of goals as he has assists. However, what Isak and Wilson need right now is someone who can put the ball on a plate for them.

This season alone, Howe’s side have whipped in just 239 balls which is the third-lowest in the Premier League. Only Burnley and Sheffield United have mustered fewer, according to FBref. In addition, Newcastle have scored merely five headed goals from 20 matches.

Since being at Newcastle, Almiron has registered one assist every 18.8 matches on average. Meanwhile, Iling-Junior boasts one assist every five matches in his career. The talent's style of play has even been described as "flamboyant" by football scout Jacek Kulig.

Isak is the future of Newcastle United and Howe needs a wide player who will be able to provide his top goalscorer with excellent balls to tuck away chances and win games. In this respect, Iling-Junior is a clear upgrade on Almiron and the Mags would do well to secure his services for so cheap in January.

Aston Villa are in the race to sign a new central player in January, but they aren’t the only club hoping to bring him to the Premier League.

Aston Villa transfer news

Ahead of 2024, NSWE, Monchi and Unai Emery will be assessing their options in the market and have most recently been linked with moves for Palmeiras defender Joaquin Piquerez and Sporting CP forward Pedro Goncalves, but they are also looking to bolster their ranks in the centre of the park.

The Midlands outfit already have Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey, John McGinn, Youri Tielemans and Tim Iroegbunam as their options in central midfield, but that hasn’t stopped the boss from wanting to increase his numbers in that position during the upcoming window.

Over in Germany, Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios has firmly established himself as Xabi Alonso’s second best-performing defensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Bayer Leverkusen statistics), and the 25-year-old’s impressive form seems to have caught the eye of the hierarchy at Villa Park.

Aston Villa interested in Exequiel Palacios

According to TEAMtalk, Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios is of interest to Aston Villa in January, and his club are "fearing" possible bids from England's top flight.

“Bayer Leverkusen are fearing bids in January for their midfield star Exequiel Palacios, with a host of Premier League clubs checking on the Argentina international, according to TEAMtalk sources.

"Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are amongst the sides looking at the 25-year-old, but TEAMtalk can reveal there is also interest from England. We understand that Manchester City, Newcastle United and Aston Villa have all watched him in recent months and have been hugely impressed.

"Bayer, though, are insistent that they don’t want to lose any of their star men in January as they are making a real push for the Bundesliga title.”

Whilst Palacios is naturally a central midfielder, Bayer’s star is much stronger in the defensive aspect of his game where he currently ranks in the 97th percentile for interceptions and the 96th percentile for tackles, highlighting his desire to get stuck in and win back possession for his team (FBRef – Palacios statistics).

When Argentina’s international does retain the ball, he’s extremely calm and composed, recording a 91.9% pass success rate (WhoScored – Palacios statistics), form which has seen him described as a “fantastic” player by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Likes to tackle

Likes to play short passes

Gets fouled often (Data via WhoScored)

The BayArena’s £28k-per-week earner (Bayer Leverkusen salaries), is also capable of making a positive impact at the opposite end of the pitch having posted 28 contributions in the final third, 20 goals and 18 assists, in 184 appearances since the start of his career (Transfermarkt – Palacios statistics).

Palacios already knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured seven trophies throughout his professional career, the most notable being winning last year’s World Cup with Argentina, so he would be able to match and even improve the winning mentality of the current squad who are already at Aston Villa.

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City. It's one of the most notable, and arguably important, results in Premier League history. These two were the title challengers back in 2011/12 after all, and yet one of them thrashed the other on their own patch.

And in hindsight, this was City announcing that they were firmly at the top table. They'd go on to win the Premier League title on the final day in the most dramatic fashion, of course, and the three points here proved decisive.

United would win what is, to date, their most recent Premier League title the following season. But this result signified a shift in the power not just within Manchester, but all of English football. City were ready to take over – and haven't they just?

Unsurprisingly, given this game was well over a decade ago, none of the players in City's squad that day remain with the club. In fact, most have retired from the game.

So how did their careers pan out after this fixture? Football FanCast takes a look at what happened to the members of that famous City XI.

Joe Hart

Rewind back to 2011 and Joe Hart was considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Not only that, but many assumed he'd kick on and become the outright best – he was only 24, after all.

Hart was in the PFA Team of the Year for 2010 and would make it again at the end of 2011/12. He'd win three consecutive Golden Gloves in this span, too, but things quickly went downhill.

Pep Guardiola's arrival in 2016 saw Hart immediately moved on. He found himself loaned out to Torino and later, West Ham United – neither spell worked out. A stint with Burnley saw him fail to depose Nick Pope, while he couldn't break in at Tottenham Hotspur, either.

Hart is now at Celtic, where he's won back-to-back Premiership titles, but it's been far from the career many expected back in 2011.

Micah Richards

Micah Richards was, like Hart, considered one of the brightest prospects in English football. He was only 23 in this game – and was expected to become a star. The defender showed that wonderfully in this one by setting up two of City's six goals.

Injuries, however, were a massive concern. They'd hampered Richards in the previous campaign, limiting him to just 18 Premier League appearances. As it turned out, the 2011/12 season would be the last with the defender as a top player.

He'd play only 19 more games for City after this, before going to Fiorentina on loan in 2015. A move to Aston Villa later that year saw the last 'regular' spell of football Richards enjoyed – and that was still only 24 games. Villa were relegated that season, too, and he'd play just three more career games before retiring in 2018.

Vincent Kompany

City named Vincent Kompany club captain at the start of this season – and didn't that go well? He'd lead them to the title (eventually) while also lifting the trophy in 2014, 2018 and 2019 before leaving the club.

Kompany was considered by some to be the best defender in England back in 2011 and he held onto that position for many years. He was Premier League Player of the Season in 2012 and included in the PFA Team of the Year for 2011, 2012 and 2014.

He left City in 2019 to be player-manager at Anderlecht, achieving mixed results. A move to Burnley, where Kompany remains as manager, has proven very successful, though – they won the Championship in 2022/23.

Joleon Lescott

Joleon Lescott is the first name here that showed off the new-found spending power City had back in 2011. He'd joined in 2009 from Everton as one of the most highly-rated defenders in the Premier League. City flexed their financial muscle to sign him – and is far from the last in this XI that you can say that about.

This was Lescott's best season for City and the one in which he played the most games (42 in all competitions). But they actually started replacing him in the summer of 2012 and his playing time diminished quite drastically over the forthcoming seasons.

After just 10 Premier League appearances in 2013/14, Lescott left for West Bromwich Albion, impressing enough in a single season there to join Aston Villa a year later. That move, however, was a disaster – Villa were relegated in what proved to be the final full season of Lescott's career.

Gael Clichy

Gael Clichy was a serious signing for City ahead of this season. They'd essentially gone out and grabbed Arsenal's first-choice left-back for themselves and he slotted right into their XI.

The Frenchman would stay with City for six seasons, winning two Premier League titles as a reasonably regular inclusion in the starting XI. Clichy never actually managed 30 league appearances in a single campaign for the club, though.

After a very successful time with City, he left for Istanbul Basaksehir in 2017, winning the Turkish Super Lig in 2020. Clichy then left for Swiss side Servette later that year before retiring in 2021.

Yaya Touré

City signed a very promising player in Yaya Touré but he was far from the star he'd become. Arriving in 2010, the Ivorian had been just below the elite level at Barcelona, albeit with a Champions League title already under his belt. At City, however, he'd kick on to become one of the best midfielders in the world.

Now, Touré wasn't quite that in 2011/12 (he'd score six goals this season but 20 two years later), though he was still a midfield powerhouse that the Premier League hadn't seen for quite some time.

Touré would go on to play out the rest of his peak years with City, becoming one of the most important and best players in their history. His post-Manchester career was odd, though. After not quite clicking with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, Touré left for Olympiacos in 2018 – but had his contract terminated after just three months.

Half a year in the Chinese Super League followed before retirement in 2020.

Gareth Barry

Gareth Barry was a star with Aston Villa but made the move to City in 2009 as he sought to compete for trophies. That decision was proven right in 2012, of course, as he won the Premier League.

Barry would only spend four seasons with City before moving to Everton. Another four seasons of regular seasons followed before the midfielder capped his career with a couple of years at West Brom.

All that football certainly added up. Barry retired as the player with the most Premier League appearances in history (635) and only had one season where he played in fewer than 30 top-flight matches between 1998/99 and 2016/17.

James Milner

James Milner was in a similar spot to Barry when he arrived at City. He'd been a regular at Villa alongside the midfielder, in fact, and had a reputation as one of the best midfielders outside of the Champions League clubs.

City snapped him up and he'd play five seasons of consistent football with the club, winning two Premier League titles as the ultimate utility man. However, Milner would leave the club in 2015 to join Liverpool on a free transfer.

That would eventually see Milner compete directly against City for trophies as the two sides dominated English football. His eight years at Liverpool saw multiple title challenges – including a triumph for the Reds in 2020.

Milner is now the only player from this squad who still plays at the top level. He's currently with Brighton & Hove Albion, having moved there from Liverpool in 2023. It makes him the sole active Premier League player with over 500 appearances – a fact that has actually been true for five years now.

David Silva

David Silva was named Man of the Match in this fixture, scoring in the 91st minute to make it 5-1. He'd arrived in 2010 as one of the most sought-after playmakers on the planet – and fully lived up to that billing across ten seasons with Manchester City.

In fact, there's a very good case that Silva is the greatest player in City's history. He was integral across four title wins and made the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.

He eventually left City at the end of 2020 to play three seasons at Real Sociedad. Unfortunately, his career was ended in July 2023 after an ACL tear forced him into retirement.

Mario Balotelli

No idea where you start with this one. Mario Balotelli is one of the most enigmatic players to ever grace the Premier League. He arrived as one of Europe's top talents but didn't live up to that billing – not that he was at all quiet.

In fact, this is the most famous game of Balotelli's career. He scored twice, and celebrated his first by revealing a T-shirt that read 'Why Always Me?'. Just an all-time Premier League moment.

The Italian would wrap up the season by assisting the goal that won the title – his only assist for the club. Balotelli then followed this campaign by starring at Euro 2012, but was sold by City the following January. His career since then has seen him at eight different clubs with wildly varying success.

We can't possibly explain it all here.

Sergio Agüero

City signed Sergio Agüero ahead of this season, hoping he would be the missing piece that put them on top of the Premier League. He very much was that.

Not only did the Argentine bag in this game, but he'd also score arguably the most famous goal in Premier League history to end the campaign – winning the title with the last kick.

Agüero would remain with the club from 2010 until 2021, winning five titles and going down as one of the best players to play in English football. He is, like Silva, up there as one of the best players in City's history.

He left the club for Barcelona, but a heart condition ended his career prematurely after just five games there.

Edin Džeko (sub)

Okay, so Edin Džeko didn't start in this game, but he came on and scored twice – well worth a mention. He'd joined City in 2010 but had a slow start before kicking into life in 2011/12.

50 Premier League goals followed before a move to Italy and AS Roma. There, Džeko had a 29-goal season that saw him finish as top scorer. His post-City career has been very good, with a trophy-laden two years at Inter coming after his time in the capital.

He's still playing as of October 2023, too, and started life with Fenerbahçe by scoring seven times in his opening nine games.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is personally leading the charge to sign a “powerful” player, with an offer now ready to be submitted, according to a report.

Berta taking hands-on role at the Emirates

Having laid the foundations, the Arsenal hierarchy believes now is the time for the team to start winning silverware, and Berta has a big role to play, with the Italian regarded as a master negotiator, capable of being involved in multiple deals at once.

The 53-year-old is taking a hands-on role at the Emirates Stadium, attending training sessions and press conferences, while also putting in work behind-the-scenes to secure agreements for the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi.

There have been some disagreements with Mikel Arteta, however, especially when it comes to which striker they should bring in, with Berta keen to sign Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, while the manager would prefer to sign RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Berta is simultaneously working on moves for both strikers, indicating a decision is yet to be made as to which striker is the preferred option, and the north Londoners are also keen to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch.

That is according to a report from Super Deporte (via Sport Witness), which states Berta is now leading the charge for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, who has recently been identified as a key target by Arteta.

Saka will love him: Arsenal agree initial fee to sign £60m "monster"

Arsenal could be growing closer to signing a new striker.

ByMatt Dawson Jun 29, 2025

Such is Arsenal’s level of interest, they are now ready to submit an offer in the region of €20m – €25m (£17m – £21m) for Mosquera, with around €3m – €5m (£2.6m – £4.3m) of the higher amount based on bonuses relating to performance.

Berta is said to be key to the deal, with the sporting director retaining a long-term interest in the 21-year-old, having also targeted him during his time with Atlético Madrid.

"Powerful" Mosquera could be ideal centre-back signing

With any new centre-back signing unlikely to immediately take Gabriel or William Saliba’s spot in the starting XI, it would make sense to bring in a younger centre-back, capable of replacing one of the first-choice options on a long-term basis.

The Valencia star is showing very promising signs in La Liga, having now established himself as a key player, missing just one La Liga game last season, while the defender has also received high praise from former youth coach Miguel-Ángel Angulo.

Angulo said: “He’s characterised by a physical condition and good technical qualities, powerful in the air, and mature for his age.”

Having also received plaudits from Statman Dave, Mosquera is clearly an exciting young player, who could provide Arsenal with the depth to compete on all fronts next season, before going on to stake a claim for a regular starting spot.

Fulham have now been provided with an update on the future of midfielder Joao Palhinha by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Does Joao Palhinha want to leave Fulham?

Palhinha was set to join Bayern Munich at the end of the summer transfer window, with a £60m deal being agreed, however the move collapsed at the final stages, as Fulham were unable to bring in a replacement before the deadline.

The midfielder has expressed his disappointment about the move not going through, saying: "I can’t lie, in football, we all have dreams and those are to play in the Champions League and for the best clubs in the world.

"People need to see and understand that as well but I also want to say I have all respect and I am really happy to be here as well.

"The move didn’t happen and now I am just focused on Fulham again. I will focus on my work and give everything I can like I have done in the past."

Since then, the 28-year-old has put pen to paper on a new contract, which runs until 2028, with the option for an additional year, and no release clause has been included, meaning the Cottagers hold the bargaining power in any future transfer windows.

The fact the Portugal international has committed to a new deal suggests he is happy at Craven Cottage, but Bayern remain undeterred, and Romano has now indicated the Bundesliga club could make a fresh approach in the next transfer window.

As relayed by CaughtOffside, the transfer expert said: “Joao Palhinha – Fulham are stronger on their position after contract extension, but the new deal was also done to give Joao a better salary until 2024.

“Then we will see in January or June, it will depend on bids and more. Bayern are still interested after coming close to getting the deal done in the summer, but obviously they’re not working on it yet.”

How much did Fulham pay for Joao Palhinha?

The Cottagers signed the former Sporting Lisbon man for just £20m back in the summer of 2022, and they were in line to make a huge profit by selling him to Bayern Munich for £60m in the summer, but fans will undoubtedly be happy he stayed.

The central midfielder was voted Fulham's Player of the Season for 2022-23, with more than half of Whites supporters voting for him, off the back of a fantastic campaign, in which he made 47 more tackles than any other player in the Premier League.

Lauded as "superb" by The Athletic reporter Peter Rutzler, Palhinha had a very promising first season at Craven Cottage, and Marco Silva will now be hoping he can kick on in the ongoing campaign, having put pen to paper on a new long-term deal.

However, if Bayern do come back with a fresh bid in the January transfer window, Fulham will be in an even stronger negotiating position than they were in the summer, indicating they could hold out for a larger fee.

Erik ten Hag will look to bolster his attacking options at Manchester United by acquiring a £36m-rated ex-Chelsea forward in January.

As per reporter Florian Plettenberg, the Red Devils have enquired about 27-year-old, Timo Werner, however negotiations are yet to take place.

The likelihood is that Werner will remain at his current club until the summer, but the move could develop over the next few weeks.

Why Man United want Werner

Following an impressive debut campaign as manager of Manchester United, Ten Hag has been dealt an unfair hand this season, due to the sheer number of players that have been unavailable, with the current list tallying up to ten.

This was on show at Goodison Park at the weekend, with the only attackers on the Red Devils bench being Facundo Pellistri and youngster, Joe Hugill.

Rasmus Hojlund was one of the players who endured time out, which left an injury-prone Anthony Martial as the main striker versus Everton. Unreliable is the most appropriate term to describe the French attacker and Ten Hag will want to ensure that his side isn’t without a true number nine like last season.

Availability is key and Werner’s injury record whilst he was at Chelsea wasn’t an issue, only missing nine matches throughout his time in London due to injury.

The RB Leipzig forward is known for his electric pace, movement beyond the opponent and being a natural goal scorer, who is lethal when confidence is high. Werner also recognises himself as a player who can perform in numerous roles and four years ago, he stated “I’ve become more versatile”.

Buying individuals who can cover a handful of positions will be beneficial to United, especially going into the second half of the campaign. Werner can feature off Hojlund, as a lone striker or as a left-sided forward, but Rafael van der Vaart isn’t convinced by the attacker, labelling him as a "blind horse".

The Bundesliga transfer curse

Manchester United have signed a handful of players from the Bundesliga in the past, with the majority of those individuals failing to live up to the high standards set by the United faithful.

Jadon Sancho, Shinji Kagawa and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all made the switch from Borussia Dortmund, yet despite having small spells of quality, a lack of consistency has been the driving force behind a shortened career at Old Trafford.

Sancho has been the notable Bundesliga nightmare, now alienated from the squad by Ten Hag after some less-than-favourable numbers. Indeed, the former Dortmund man has only registered 12 goals in 82 outings for the Red Devils.

Unlike the three aforementioned, Werner has played in the English top-flight prior and Premier League fans are more informed of his ability. During his first campaign at Chelsea, Werner played an important role in the UEFA Champions League triumph, whilst also scoring 12 goals and accumulating 15 assists in 52 appearances across all competitions.

However, the signing of Romelu Lukaku in the 2021/22 season affected the German and he later claimed that he “didn’t feel honoured enough”.

It is reasonable to presume that if Ten Hag had his full squad available, including Werner, then the rapid forward would not make it into his best starting XI ahead of Marcus Rashford or Hojlund.

Given the quote just mentioned and the fact that the boss doesn’t rotate often, dressing room unrest may occur like at Chelsea, which raises question marks on whether this would be a smart signing.