Crystal Palace are now eyeing a move for a “sensational” midfielder, but there could be competition for his signature from a number of their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Palace keen on a midfielder amid Wharton uncertainty

Had Palace made a better start to the campaign, they could be major contenders for the Europa League this season, although they still have an outside chance of pushing for the European places, given their fantastic form over the past few weeks.

The Eagles are undefeated since February in the Premier League, picking up some impressive victories over the likes of Aston Villa and rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, so it is little wonder some of their key figures are starting to attract attention.

One such player is midfielder Adam Wharton, who has been linked with moves to Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, and should the 21-year-old leave this summer, Oliver Glasner will be tasked with bringing in a replacement.

Crystal Palace battling to sign "amazing" 26-goal ace who may replace Eze

He’s enjoyed an excellent season…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 5, 2025

SC Freiburg’s Martin Rohl is one option for the south Londoners, having emerged as shock contenders for the 22-year-old, alongside Liverpool and Newcastle United, with the German potentially set to be available for £21m.

There is a clear focus on bringing in talented young players at Selhurst Park, and a report from Caught Offside has now revealed Crystal Palace are eyeing a summer move for Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham.

However, a whole host of top Premier League clubs are also in the race for the 19-year-old, with Chelsea currently showing the strongest interest, so it may be a tough ask for the Eagles to win the race for his signature.

Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund headline the interest from abroad, and a move to the latter club could appeal, given his older brother’s impressive stint at Signal Iduna Park, which earned him a move to Real Madrid.

"Sensational" Bellingham would be exciting addition for Palace

It remains to be seen whether the 19-year-old can go on to achieve what his brother Jude has in the game, but he has certainly been showing promising signs at Sunderland in the Championship.

The Black Cats are vying for promotion this season, and the teenager, who is thought to be valued at £20m, has been one of their key players, picking up four goals and three assists in 36 league games.

Not only that, but the young midfielder has caught the eye of journalist Josh Bunting, who previously lauded him as “sensational”, and his performances this season indicate he is now ready to make the step up to the Premier League.

It could be very difficult for Palace to win the race for Bellingham, particularly if European football is not on offer next season, but it would certainly appease Glasner if they secure a deal, given that the manager wanted the youngster last summer, indicating he is a fan.

Ryan Reynolds has sent a heartfelt farewell to Paul Mullin after his loan move to Wigan Athletic was confirmed.

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• Mullin leaves for Wigan
• Will spend next season on loan at the club
• Reynolds posts heartfelt tribute

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham confirmed on Monday that Mullin has completed a loan move to Wigan, after four years of incredible service to the Welsh club. The striker scored 105 goals in 165 games for Wrexham, helping them go from the National League to the Championship with three successive promotions.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Now, Reynolds, who played a key role in bringing Mullin to the club, has sent a heartfelt goodbye to the forward, who will hope to bring his promotion experience to the Latics. Wigan finished 15th last season.

• WHAT REYNOLDS SAID

  Reynolds wrote on Instagram: "I can't imagine seeing Mulls on loan and in another kit. We wouldn't be where we are without his heart, skill and work ethic. We love you Paul Mullin."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Wrexham will look to move on without one of their best players of the modern era.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betsul： Terceiro colocado da Série B, o Atlético-GO vai a campo na noite desta sexta-feira contra o Avaí, pela sétima rodada da competição, no Estádio Antônio Accioly, em Goiânia (GO). Os visitantes ocupam apenas a 14ª posição. Em caso de vitória, o Dragão pode assumir a liderança. Para isso, vai depender ainda de um empate ou derrota do Vitória, que visita o Mirassol.

RelacionadasFutebol NacionalMirassol x Vitória: onde assistir, horário e mais informações sobre o jogo pela Série BFutebol Nacional19/05/2023Futebol NacionalVÍDEO: CBF divulga áudios do VAR de Fluminense x Flamengo em lances de expulsão de Felipe Melo e pisão de Gabigol em GansoFutebol Nacional19/05/2023Lance! BizGrêmio alcança 100 mil sócios pela primeira vez e mira arrecadação milionária; veja valoresLance! Biz19/05/2023

da stake casino： + Confira a tabela completa da Série B e a classificação atualizada

ATLÉTICO-GO x AVAÍ

Data/Horário: sexta-feira, 19/05
Local: Estádio Antônio Accioly, Goiânia (GO)
Árbitro: Vinicius Gonçalves Dias Araújo
Auxiliares: Daniel Luis Marques (SP) e Victor Hugo Imazu (SP)
Onde assistir: Premiere e SporTV

PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES:

ATLÉTICO-GO: Ronaldo; Rodrigo Soares, Emerson Santos, Ramon e Heron; Renato, Rhaldney e Shaylon; Bruno Tubarão, Luiz Fernando e Igor Torres. Técnico: Alberto Valentim.

AVAÍ: Ygor; Thales, Roberto, Alan Costa e Natanael; Xavier, Eduardo e Rafael Gava; Dentinho, Waguininho e Vitinho.

Nottingham Forest are in for an exciting end to the season under Nuno Espírito Santo, with their Champions League ambitions firmly within their own hands.

The Reds are just two points off third place with five games to go, with their game in hand against Brentford on Thursday night crucial to any success they could achieve in the near future.

If they were to finish in the top five and secure elite European football, it would be a truly remarkable feat, opening the doors for added investment from owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Given the Greek’s previous tendencies within the transfer market, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him once again delve into the window and splash the cash to sustain such success endured in the Premier League throughout 2024/25.

With the window not far from opening, plans have already been put in place to help the side compete at the top level on a consistent basis, resulting in numerous names touted with a move to the City Ground.

An update on Forest’s pursuit of new signings this summer

Qualification for the Champions League could see Forest handed a huge injection of cash to invest further, handing Nuno the tools to try and repeat similar success for many years to come.

Matheus Cunha has been one name constantly touted for a move to join the Reds in recent months, but it appears that the Wolves star is in favour of a deal with Manchester United.

As a result, Manchester City attacker James McAtee has emerged as the club’s top target ahead of the summer window, according to Football Insider’s latest report.

They state that the 22-year-old is in favour of a switch to the East Midlands to kickstart his career after making just two league starts at the Etihad this campaign.

With just over a year left on his current deal in Manchester, Pep Guardiola’s men could be tempted to cash in, with other reports claiming a deal could set the Reds back £30m.

Why the £30m PL star would be perfect alongside Gibbs-White

Morgan Gibbs-White has been one of Forest’s leading stars over the last few seasons in the Premier League, joining in a deal totalling £42.5m in the summer of 2022.

He’s registered 16 goals and 25 assists in his 113 appearances for the club, even taking the captain’s armband in the absence of academy graduate Ryan Yates.

Such form has led to links with Manchester City over the last couple of weeks, but Nuno’s side appear to be holding firm on their £100m asking price for the England international.

Undoubtedly, all supporters will be wanting to keep hold of the 25-year-old this summer, potentially striking up a superb partnership with McAtee in the final third on the banks of the River Trent.

The City talent, who’s been labelled “sensational” by journalist Zach Lowy, has completed 90% of the passes he’s attempted to date, whilst also achieving 67% dribbles completed – having the tools to provide endless opportunities in the final third.

Games played

15

Goals scored

3

Pass accuracy

90%

Dribbles completed

67%

Duels won

54%

Recoveries made

5

Progressive carries

2.8

However, despite his outstanding attacking figures, he’s also impressed without the ball, winning 54% of duels and completing five recoveries per 90 – fitting into Nuno’s hard-working and counter-attacking system at the City Ground.

The most important aspect of the manager’s tactic is to take the opportunities that present themselves when in attacking areas, something which the City youngster has done, as seen by his tally of three league goals in 2024/25.

There’s no denying that Gibbs-White has been the player the Reds have relied upon to create chances for other attackers this campaign, subsequently putting too much pressure on the midfielder to perform.

A move for McAtee this summer would help balance the attacking output across the squad, handing the manager another superb option in forward areas to cause damage in transition.

£30m may seem like a hefty sum for the 22-year-old, but should he get anywhere close to the levels produced by Gibbs-White in recent seasons, it would be a bargain – potentially allowing for another huge profit in years to come.

Instead of Cunha: Nottingham Forest now eyeing "incredible" £50m PL forward

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Everton signed off at Goodison Park with a rip-roaring victory over relegated Southampton, marking a historic and unforgettable day for Blues across Merseyside and beyond.

With no hyperbole, the emotion was palpable as the Premier League match entered the dying embers.

It was an emotional farewell, one which was always going to end with three points for the hosts. It was Southampton, but it could have been anyone unfortunate enough to be swallowed into the noisy sea of Everton support.

Everton say goodbye to Goodison Park

The Toffees have weathered some storms in recent years, and no mistake, but with David Moyes back at the helm, there’s something cyclical about this change of scenery.

It’s a new beginning, but one which shouldn’t see the club lose their sense of place, nor their deep-rooted ‘Evertonism’ as they finally close the door at Goodison Park for the final time.

And what a send-off. The fans were out in force, and so too were some club legends and former icons. Tim Cahill, Peter Reid and Graeme Sharp were all there as special guests, as was Wayne Rooney.

Rooney might not have played the prime years of his career out on Merseyside, but he was reared in the city and raised to the professional level by Moyes before signing for Manchester United in a £30m deal, aged 18.

One of the Premier League’s superstars, Everton may well have found their new version of the Three Lions legend, and he took centre-stage on Sunday.

Everton's new Wayne Rooney

Moyes elevated numerous players when he replaced Sean Dyche at the helm in January, and while this could be said for Iliman Ndiaye, the Senegal international had proved the bright spark for the Merseysiders across the first half of the season.

Signed from Marseille for £15m last summer, Ndiaye has been a pillar of strength for Everton throughout the campaign, and while he’s the top scorer with nine goals from just 28 starting appearances, his slickness and thrilling movements suggest he could become a talisman in the mould of Rooney, one who could actually devote some of their finest years to the club.

Rooney’s capacity to excite, especially in his earlier iterations, was something that differentiated him from other talented up-and-comers.

Though Ndiaye is 25, he bears a likeness to the English great in this regard, as evidenced by his underlying data this term. As per FBref, he ranks among the top 20% of positional peers in the Premier League for goals, the top 17% for pass completion, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 1% for ball recoveries per 90.

There’s certainly a spring in his step. Ndiaye has been hailed for his ability to produce “magic” moments by Sky Sports commentator Seb Hutchinson, and if Moyes and the owners can get it right in the transfer market this summer, there’s every chance he could hit the next level in his development and truly establish himself as one of the country’s heaviest hitters.

Man United

559

253

141

Everton

117

28

8

D.C. United

52

25

14

Derby County

35

7

3

Were Everton to end up selling their silky star, he would also fetch a large transfer fee, like Rooney. Whichever angle you look at it from, Moyes has hit the absolute jackpot with this one, and must ensure he retains his services for the upcoming campaign at the least.

Most exciting deal since Richarlison: Everton could sign “world-class” star

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ByAngus Sinclair May 18, 2025

da apostaganha： Manchester City want to sign an “exciting” £34 million winger ahead of fierce rivals Manchester United, according to a new report.

Man City chasing De Bruyne replacement

da spicy bet： Kevin De Bruyne has just a few Premier League games and an FA Cup final to play for the Blues before his time at the Etihad comes to an end. The Belgian has been a stellar performer for Man City and Pep Guardiola, and therefore, it will be very hard for them to find a player who can replicate the things De Bruyne has done.

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According to a recent report, Man City have submitted a £55 million bid to sign James Maddison from Tottenham Hotspur. Guardiola is a big fan of the Englishman, as his creative ability and style of play make him the perfect player to potentially replace De Bruyne. However, it is unknown if that offer is enough to convince Spurs to sell Maddison, but Tottenham missing out on European football could persuade them into a deal.

As well as looking at Maddison, Man City are also interested in signing Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues are planning to advance on a deal for Gibbs-White, with personal terms not set to be an issue. However, Forest have placed a £100 million price tag on the English star, and City will have to negotiate with Forest chiefs to find an agreement.

Man City want to sign £34m Trincao ahead of Man Utd

As well as looking for a new number 10, Guardiola also wants to add to his wide options, and according to Caught Offside, Man City are keen on signing Francisco Trincao from Sporting Lisbon, as incoming sporting director Hugo Viana is a big fan of his.

The report states that Trincao has become one of the most sought-after players in European football, as Premier League teams such as City, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Newcastle United are all keeping a close eye on the winger. However, they all face competition from Europe, as Barcelona and Juventus are also tracking Trincao heading into the summer.

It goes on to state that City’s pursuit of Trincao has come from Viana, who is set to join the Blues as their new sporting director from Sporting CP. Viana is a long-term admirer of the winger, and he is believed to be behind this potential transfer that could end up costing €40 million, which is roughly £34 million.

Francisco Trincao’s 24/25 Liga Portugal stats

Apps

32

Starts

32

Goals

8

xG

8.89

Shots per game

3.2

Assists

14

xAG

7.13

Big chances created

17

Key passes

2.3

Successful dribbles

2.2 (53%)

Man Utd and Ruben Amorim are also eyeing Trincao, given he worked with the player in Portugal. But City may hope they have another advantage in this race, as Trincao, who has been dubbed “exciting” by former Wolves technical director Scott Sellars in the past, has the same agent as current Blues defender Ruben Dias.

Leeds United are interested in signing ex-Arsenal defender Nuno Tavares this summer, two months after his exit from the Gunners was confirmed.

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Tavares joined Lazio permanently this summerLeeds interested in Premier League returnWas previously on loan at Nottingham ForestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Calciomercato, Leeds are interested in signing Tavares this summer as they prepare for a return to Premier League action. The left-back left Arsenal for the Serie A side on loan last summer, and the move was made permanent just two months ago. Now, though, Lazio are said to be willing to do business at around €25 million (£21.5m/$29m).

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

West Ham are also said to have an interest in the full-back, who made just 28 first-team appearances for the Gunners. He has been on loan at Marseille and Nottingham Forest before heading to Lazio, where he enjoyed a standout season last term. He made 23 appearances in the league, providing eight assists.

DID YOU KNOW?

Leeds have already strengthened their backline this summer, bringing in centre-backs Jaka Bijol and Sebastian Bornauw from Udinese and Wolfsburg respectively. They have also signed forward Lukas Nmecha from Wolfsburg on a free transfer.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Leeds and West Ham may look to formalise their interest in Tavares in the coming weeks. It remains to be seen if he would be willing to move, however, having only just confirmed his transfer to the Italian giants.

ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB is likely to reject NOCs to several all-format players for upcoming franchise tournaments

Danyal Rasool13-Jul-2024The PCB is set for a collision course with some of the biggest names in Pakistan cricket after deciding to refuse an NOC to Naseem Shah for the Hundred.ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB is likely to reject NOCs to several all-format players for upcoming franchise tournaments. While the Global T20 League in Canada has not yet been officially sanctioned by the ICC – without which the PCB cannot issue NOCs to centrally contracted players – it is believed Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam will not be allowed to play there either way, with workload management likely cited as the reason.The immediate implications of the decision mean The Hundred’s Birmingham Phoenix will lose out on Naseem next month, while Afridi, Rizwan and Babar will be unavailable for the Global T20 League Canada. Neither tournament directly clashes with any international cricket Pakistan play, but with a busy upcoming schedule for the national side, it is understood the PCB wishes to see their all-format players rest up ahead of Pakistan’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which starts on August 21.Related

• Shaheen, Babar, Rizwan denied NOCs to play in Global T20 Canada

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Though the GLT20 awaits official ICC sanction, the Pakistan players drafted were fully expected to be allowed to play the league; Afridi is scheduled to travel to Canada shortly, with the tournament officially slated to begin on July 25. Naseem, meanwhile was set to earn £125,000 for his time at The Hundred, which starts on July 23.This doesn’t necessarily mean no NOC requests will be entertained, with the latest NOC repressions likely to only affect those considered all-format regulars. Usama Mir, who had his NOC denied last month for the T20 Blast, will be allowed to play The Hundred, as will Haris Rauf.The NOC rejections are set to go further than just the leagues over the next month. Pakistan have a virtually non-stop cricketing schedule from October to May the following year. They play three Tests against England at home that month, followed by limited-overs series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa, a Test series in South Africa, a home Test series against the West Indies, a home tri-series featuring South Africa and New Zealand, a home Champions Trophy, and the PSL. It is understood the PCB will entertain no NOC requests during that period for all-format players, which coincides with a spate of T20 leagues.The three-year central contracts the PCB and the players signed last year allowed for two overseas franchise leagues per year, as long as those tournaments did not clash with the player’s international commitments. While the contracts do state the PCB has the right to refuse NOCs if they feel it is in the best interests of Pakistan’s international obligations, the decision to withdraw the players from leagues which do not directly clash with international cricket is set to cause discontent among players affected, and questions around whether the allowance made in central contracts is being respected in spirit.The past month has seen an uneasy quiet take hold after Pakistan’s disastrous T20 World Cup campaign which saw them exit in the first round. Initial reports suggested PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi wanted to enact “major surgery” on the side, but no immediate ramifications followed in the wake of the exit. Of late, however, there have been signs that events are beginning to gather speed, with Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq sacked from the PCB selection committee.

Chennai Super Kings signed off their home league campaign with a win, giving themselves a decent chance of coming back to Chennai for the last two playoff games. Despite losing their 11th toss out of 13 and being asked to field in the afternoon heat 40 hours after finishing their last match in Ahmedabad, the CSK bowlers used a slow pitch expertly to keep Rajasthan Royals down to 141, which they chased down with relative ease.The slow pitch was right up the home bowlers’ alley, and they kept Royals quiet in a wicketless powerplay after which Simarjeet Singh kept getting wickets every time Royals tried to push back. Royals never really succeeded in mounting an attack, which CSK’s New Zealand batters, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, successfully did to put their chase on course with a Shivam Dube putting them on top.Related

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• As it happened – Royals slip to third straight defeat

The win took CSK up to 14 points from 13 matches, level with Sunrisers Hyderabad who have a game in hand, and two points clear of the nearest challengers outside the top four. Royals suffered their third straight defeat, which will be a cause for concern for them going into the playoffs, especially with Jos Buttler not expected to be available for the final week.RR’s power-less-play
These are the two slowest teams in the first two overs of the IPL. They like to suss the pitch out before they start attacking. Royals stayed true to form, scoring just seven off the first two, but they couldn’t kick on even after that with Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana and Shardul Thakur giving them nothing to drive. Their 42 for 0 was the slowest wicketless powerplay of IPL 2024, one run behind their 43 for 0 against Punjab Kings, but that came in a small chase.Simarjeet Singh exults after dismissing Jos Buttler•BCCI

Simarjeet cashes in
Usually CSK go to Ravindra Jadeja in the seventh over, but perhaps because of the right-left combination, which didn’t let their orthodox spinners bowl in their last match against Gujarat Titans, they bowled Simarjeet in the seventh over. Playing only his third match this year, Simarjeet had ground to make up after going for 60 in that Titans match. On this slow pitch, he was immediately on target: hard lengths and no room. When Yashasvi Jaiswal tried to take him on, the ball got big on him and resulted in a skier to cover. In his next over, Simarjeet became the beneficiary of an odd shot from a frustrated Buttler: a ramp on a slow pitch with fine leg back on the fence.With Royals’ only left-hand top-order batter gone, Jadeja rattled through his four overs for just 24 runs to go with Theekshana’s four overs for 28. Sanju Samson just kept looking for singles while Riyan Parag tried the odd boundary. It seemed as if Royals had decided they needed to get somewhere around 160 and not aim too high.The final kick doesn’t arrive
Even to get to 160, they would need two a ball for the last six overs after getting to 89 for 2 in 14 overs, which is when the spinners bowled out. Royals were banking on cashing in on pace, but just when they tried to go hard they handed Simarjeet another wicket: Samson caught at mid-off. Again Royals were pushed back.Deshpande and Thakur stuck to their plans in the death overs, and Royals never got the big overs. Only Parag’s 47 off 35 took them to 141, which was 23 less than the lowest total successfully defended in this IPL. Royals attacked just 30 balls in their innings, the sixth-lowest figure this season in non-all-out innings when setting a target.Shivam Dube played a crucial cameo after CSK had gone 39 balls without a boundary•Associated Press

Ravindra, Mitchell get chase going
CSK have been the only team slower than Royals in the early goings but they were mindful of not letting the bowlers settle into their defence. Ravindra flicked Sandeep Sharma for a six over midwicket in the second over, and went after compatriot Trent Boult in the third. Even though R Ashwin got Ravindra out in the fourth, Mitchell kept up the intent. Their 56 for 1 was their fourth-highest powerplay of this IPL.Royals claw back but Dube breaks chase open
In the middle overs, Royals clawed their way back. Yuzvendra Chahal got Mitchell, the spinners kept Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad quiet, Moeen got out for 10 off 13, and 39 balls went without a boundary. Still it was 50 needed off seven overs. This was when Ashwin came on to bowl his last over with Dube on strike. Dube took the veteran spinner on for 6, 4, 4, with a leg-side wide in between, and while Ashwin came back with Dube’s wicket, CSK needed 35 off the last six.Captain Gaikwad stayed true to his anchor role for this chase, and saw his team home despite Jadeja getting himself out obstructing the field.

After the chaos and jubilation of Thursday night, Manchester United returned to their usual selves on Sunday afternoon, as the Red Devils slipped to a 15th Premier League defeat of the season at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In many ways, it was the same old story for the hosts at Old Trafford, with Ruben Amorim forced to watch on as his lacklustre side squandered a litany of chances, before being punished late on by a sublime Pablo Sarabia free-kick.

Indeed, on a different day, Alejandro Garnacho could well have walked away with a hat-trick of assists, having picked out both Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount inside the box, while also seeing Rasmus Hojlund come agonisingly close to getting on the end of his clever pull-back.

The struggling Dane – who has scored just once in all competitions since mid-December – also failed to pick out Kobbie Mainoo when advancing into space in the second-half, with Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer subsequently stating that the “damaged” 22-year-old “isn’t ready” to be United’s starting striker.

24 goals in 88 games for the Red Devils makes for grim reading for the £64m man, with it no surprise that the addition of a new centre-forward is high on the agenda this summer – alongside the capture of Wolves talisman, Matheus Cunha.

Latest on Man Utd's search for a forward

With all of United’s eggs now in the Europa League basket, there remains an anxious wait as to whether or not INEOS will have a Champions League budget to work with next season, with so much resting on success on the continent.

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of May, however, it does appear that the Old Trafford hierarchy are intent on adding Cunha to their ranks, with Fabrizio Romano outlining that the Red Devils are leading the race for the Brazilian’s signature.

The 25-year-old has scored 14 goals in the league this season – including against Amorim’s side on Boxing Day – with The Athletic previously outlining that he is viewed as a solution for one of the two number ten berths in the 3-4-3 set-up.

Transfer Focus

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

That same report had indicated that Ipswich Town starlet, Liam Delap, is being considered as a potential upgrade at centre-forward, although the Englishman is evidently not the only candidate, as revealed by Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

As Luckhurst has noted, United have remained in contact with the agent of RB Leipzig sensation, Benjamin Sesko, having previously missed out on the Slovenian superstar back in the summer of 2022.

The interest in the 6 foot 5 striker – who has a £58m release clause in his current deal – appears to extend even further back than that, with prior reports outlining that the Red Devils rejected the chance to sign him for just £2.5m from NK Domzale as a teenager back in 2019.

This summer could then finally see the 21-year-old arrive at the Theatre of Dreams, with Sesko potentially set to represent the perfect upgrade on both Hojlund and Delap.

How Man Utd could upgrade their centre-forward ranks

For all United’s success in Europe – as they currently remain unbeaten in the Europa League – the fact of the matter is they have been simply abject domestically, having found themselves just two points above 17th-placed West Ham United.

A key issue has been the club’s woes at the top end of the pitch after scoring just 38 times in 33 top-flight games – almost half of what champions-elect Liverpool have recorded at the summit (75).

With Hojlund and the now stricken Joshua Zirkzee scoring just six league goals between them, the need of a new number nine is bordering on desperation – enter, Sesko.

Described as a “monster” of a striker by analyst Ben Mattinson, the 41-cap international has enjoyed another fine campaign in Germany, netting 20 times in 41 games in all competitions, including four goals in eight Champions League appearances.

Including his time at sister club Red Bull Salzburg, Sesko has now scored 12 league goals or more in each of his last three seasons. The 22-year-old Delap, for instance, has only broken into double figures for the first time in 2024/25, in what is his first campaign in a top-tier league.

Games (starts)

29 (27)

32 (29)

Goals

12

12

Big chances missed

10

10

Goal frequency

182mins

198mins

Assists

5

2

Big chances created

5

3

Key passes*

0.6

0.6

Pass accuracy*

67%

62%

Successful dribbles*

1.3

1.2

Aerial duels won*

56%

45%

As indicated in the table above, it is the Leipzig star who comes out on top too across a string of attacking and defensive metrics, showcasing just why United have been wise to maintain contact with his representatives in recent years.

A player with “incredible potential” – in the words of Jurgen Klopp – what particularly stands out is Sesko’s venomous shooting ability, having already chalked up a stunning catalogue of long-range, pinpoint efforts in his career thus far.

While there may be fears over enduring something of a Hojlund repeat, considering the potential price tag and age of the Slovenian hero, Sesko – unlike the current United man and Delap – has proven himself at the elite level over a number of seasons now.

He would represent the high-potential talent that Amorim and co are craving, who can make an instant impact.

For the third campaign in a row, the Red Devils look set to dip into the market for a new number nine – they simply can’t afford to get it wrong again…

He's a lot like Cunha: Man Utd hopeful of signing "frightening" £50m star

Manchester United are eyeing up a deal for a star who could be their own Matheus Cunha.

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