Full-backs in today’s game have to be as good offensively as they are defensively, with modern-day managers wanting to see them high up the pitch in the final third.

However, it wasn’t always like that, and we have seen some brilliant no-nonsense left-backs since 1992. But who is the best left-back in Premier League history?

Ranking factors Appearances Longevity Titles Goals Clean sheets What others have said about them 20 best left-backs in Premier League history: in pictures 20 Aleksandar Kolarov Man City

Serbian left-back Aleksandar Kolarov spent seven years at Man City and won two Premier League titles titles, proving to be worth the £16m transfer fee.

A powerful full-back who looked more like a centre-back than a left-back, Kolarov could also get forward and would also be on free-kick duty, scoring a goal in all seven of his top flight seasons at the Etihad.

Games

165

Goals

11

Assists

20

Clean sheets

46

Titles

2

19 Phil Neville Man Utd, Everton

A proper Premier League ‘Barclaysman’, Phil Neville could play as a right-back, holding midfielder or left-back, and was an extremely reliable performer for both Man Utd and Everton.

After winning six titles at Old Trafford, Neville moved to Goodison Park with the Toffees and continued to be a solid option at full-back, captaining Everton as he reached more than 500 Premier League appearances.

Games

505

Goals

9

Assists

25

Titles

6

18 Mikael Silvestre Man Utd, Arsenal

With Man Utd having plenty of world-class options to choose from at centre-back, Mikael Silvestre would be used as a left-back on a regular basis by Sir Alex Ferguson between 1999-2008.

The Frenchman was able to play there due to his pace and would win four Premier League titles at Old Trafford, with Ferguson calling Silvestre “a great servant and a wonderful professional”.

Games

275

Goals

9

Assists

19

Clean sheets

83

Titles

4

17 Gabriel Heinze Man Utd

Another Man Utd left-back, Gabriel Heinze’s time at Old Trafford was short but sweet and would eventually leave after a falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Signed from PSG and sold to Real Madrid highlights just how good Heinze was, and he was named the Red Devils’ Player of the Year in his first season, winning the title in his last campaign with United.

Games

52

Goals

1

Assists

1

Clean sheets

18

Titles

1

16 Wayne Bridge Southampton, Chelsea, Fulham, Man City, West Ham, Sunderland

Wayne Bridge played for multiple Premier League clubs between 1998-2012, and the Englishman would have won more caps for England if it wasn’t for somebody else on this list.

He liked to get forward and cross at every opportunity, while also being solid defensively, which resulted in Chelsea spending £7m on his services in 2003, with Bridge winning one title at Stamford Bridge.

Games

315

Goals

3

Assists

21

Clean sheets

100

Titles

1

15 Danny Rose Tottenham, Sunderland, Newcastle, Watford

Arguably Danny Rose’s career highlight came on his Tottenham debut against rivals Arsenal, where he announced himself in north London with a brilliant long-range goal.

Rose would go on to have a successful career in the Premier League, with Thomas Tuchel even admitting previously it took him three days to work out how to stop the left-back and his attacking threat ahead of a Champions League clash with Spurs.

Games

202

Goals

9

Assists

17

Clean sheets

42

14 Marcos Alonso Bolton, Sunderland, Chelsea

Marcos Alonso made a name for himself as a left-back who could score from distance at Chelsea following spells with Bolton and Sunderland, winning the Premier League and Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard’s tally of 26 goals and 17 assists in just 179 appearances in defence shows how good he was in the final third, and he was called a “spectacular signing” for Barcelona when leaving the Blues.

Games

179

Goals

26

Assists

16

Clean sheets

63

Titles

1

13 Luke Shaw Southampton, Man Utd

After bursting onto the scene as a teenager at Southampton, Man Utd paid a then-world-record £30m fee for a teenager to sign Luke Shaw.

Since then, Shaw has been named in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions and voted Man Utd’s Players’ Player of the Year twice. Called “the best left-back in the world” by former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag, Shaw has also had his critics but there has been more positives than negatives in his Premier League career.

Games

265

Goals

3

Assists

17

Clean sheets

70

12 Gael Clichy Arsenal, Man City

Part of Arsenal’s Invincibles side in 2003/04, Gael Clichy would also win two more titles with Man City and would make himself known as a brilliant attacking left-back in north London and Manchester.

The Frenchman was also solid defensively and had a great passing vision that was hailed by Arsene Wenger, who labelled Clichy as “awesome”.

Games

325

Goals

3

Assists

18

Clean sheets

115

Titles

3

11 David Unsworth Everton, West Ham, Portsmouth, Sheffield United, Wigan

David Unsworth, a left-back who could also play as a central defender when needed, is the highest-scoring full-back in Premier League, becoming somewhat of a penalty king in the top flight.

Best known for his time at Everton, Unsworth, in his prime, was extremely pacey and powerful on the left-hand side, acquiring the nickname of “Rhino” during his time at Goodison Park.

Games

364

Goals

38

Assists

18

Clean sheets

90

Stats highlights from India’s comprehensive win in the second Test in Chennai

S Rajesh16-Feb-2021317 – The margin of victory, India’s largest, in terms of runs, in a Test against England. The previous highest was 279 runs, at Headingley in 1986. India have also beaten England six times by an innings.2 – Instances of R Ashwin scoring a century and taking eight wickets in a Test; he had earlier achieved the feat against West Indies in Mumbai in 2011, when he scored 103 and took 9 for 117 in a memorable drawn Test which ended with scores level: India finished on 242 for 9 chasing 243 for victory. No other India allrounder has managed this in a Test.9 – India bowlers who have taken a five-for on debut; Axar Patel became the latest to join this group with his 5 for 60 in England’s second innings. The only other left-arm spinner in this group is Dilip Doshi, who took 6 for 103 against Australia in Chennai in 1979.ESPNcricinfo Ltd21 – Test wins in India for Virat Kohli the captain. He equals MS Dhoni’s record for most wins by an Indian captain at home. Overall, India have won 34 Tests under Kohli, which is seven clear of the next-best, 27 under Dhoni.10 – Instances of Ashwin dismissing Ben Stokes in Tests. Stokes averages 17.8 against him. Stokes and David Warner are the two batsmen who have been dismissed most often by Ashwin in Tests. Both average less than 20 against him.ESPNcricinfo Ltd298 – England’s match aggregate, their third-lowest in a Test against India in which they lost 20 wickets. Their lowest is 230 (102 and 128) in that Headingley Test in 1986. It is their second-lowest in any Test in Asia.4 – Instances of a team winning the second Test of a series by 200-plus runs after losing the first by a similar margin. The three previous instances were by South Africa in England in 2017, by South Africa at home against Australia in 2014, and by West Indies in England in 1950. On both occasions when South Africa fought back to win the second Test, they ended up losing the series, 3-1 to England and 2-1 to Australia.ESPNcricinfo Ltd0 – Half-centuries for Joe Root in the match; it is the first time Root hasn’t passed 50 in a Test, in the eight matches he has played against India.8.16 – England batsmen’s average when playing the sweep shot in this Test – they scored only 49 runs off the shot and were dismissed six times. In the first Test, they averaged 38.75 when playing the shot, scoring 155 runs for four dismissals.15 – Test wins for India at Chepauk, which is their highest at any venue. They have 13 wins in Delhi and Kolkata each.238.9 – Moeen Ali’s strike rate in the second innings: he scored 43 off 18. It is the highest by an England batsman for any innings of 15 or more balls (in matches where balls-faced data is available). For all teams, this is the second-best, next to Abdur Razzak’s 17-ball 43 against Zimbabwe in 2011.

da cassino： It was obvious that Celtic were going to need to sign a new left-back to bolster their squad in the summer transfer window as the 2024/25 campaign came to an end.

da dobrowin： Greg Taylor’s contract at Parkhead expires this summer and there is still no update on whether he will be renewing or if the defender has found a new club to join.

Jeffrey Schlupp spent the second half of the season on loan from Premier League side Crystal Palace and has since returned to his parent club, where his contract is due to expire at the end of this month.

This is why it was important for the Hoops to add to their squad in that position, and that is exactly what they have done with the signing of Kieran Tierney on a free transfer from Arsenal.

Brendan Rodgers will be looking at the squad and how it could look in the years to come, hence signing Tierney on a five-year deal, and he will also be looking at other positions in the squad.

One current star who does not have a clear successor in place is club captain Callum McGregor, who remains the first-choice holding midfielder for the Hoops.

Why Callum McGregor is so important for Celtic

The former Scotland international is not a classic holding midfielder, in the sense that he is not a midfield destroyer who is dominant defensively, but the Celtic maestro is exceptional when it comes to setting the tempo and controlling a game.

McGregor sits at the base of the midfield for the Scottish giants and uses his ability on the ball to dominate matches in possession, by passing teams into the ground.

24/25 Premiership

Callum McGregor (per 90)

Percentile rank vs midfielders

Passes made

79.78

Top 1%

Pass accuracy

94.3%

Top 1%

Long pass accuracy

64.1%

Top 5%

Cross accuracy

44.4%

Top 4%

Touches

96.30

Top 1%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed star ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of possession and passing statistics, which shows that he was one of the best passers, if not the best, in the division.

McGregor also added a big goal threat to his game in the 2024/25 campaign, with a return of eight goals in 35 matches in the Scottish Premiership, after he had only scored two goals in the league in the previous season.

The Scottish star is important to Celtic and Rodgers, though, because of his metronomic passing qualities, and the Hoops are interested in a midfielder who could be their next version of McGregor.

Celtic have long-standing interest in Premier League midfielder

According to The Celtic Star, the Premiership champions have a long-standing interest in West Ham United’s central midfielder Andy Irving.

The report claims that the Hoops were interested in a deal to sign the left-footed star last summer but a change in management at the London Stadium, with Julen Lopetegui replacing David Moyes, put an end to any chance they had of signing him.

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

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It states that a managerial change once again put a stop to Celtic’s interest in the recent January transfer window, as their attempt to sign the midfielder was turned down because Graham Potter wanted to run the rule over him during the second half of the season.

The Celtic Star does not reveal whether or not the Hoops are expected to go back in with a third attempt to sign the 25-year-old star, but it is clear that the club have an interest in him.

Rodgers must now push for the Hoops to go back in with another offer for the Premier League midfielder, because he could be McGregor 2.0 for the Bhoys.

Why Andy Irving could be the next Callum McGregor

The 25-year-old star could be the perfect signing to be a back-up option and potential successor to the captain due to his age and style of play.

Irving, who described his Scotland debut against Liechtenstein as “perfect”, is six years younger than McGregor and could be the long-term option for Rodgers at the base of the midfield.

The Hammers midfielder came on for the last 31 minutes against Liechtenstein and completed 23 of his 25 attempted passes (92%), whilst also creating two chances for his teammates, in what was an impressive cameo off the bench.

Irving, however, did not get too many opportunities to showcase his ability in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign, as he played just 178 minutes across ten appearances in the division for West Ham.

In that limited game time, though, the Celtic target showed why he could be a really good fit for Rodgers at Parkhead next season if the club were to snap him up.

24/25 Premier League

Andy Irving (per 90)

Percentile rank vs midfielders

Passes made

60.00

Top 8%

Pass accuracy

90.0%

Top 16%

Long passes made

3.89

Top 5%

Long pass accuracy

87.5%

Top 4%

Cross accuracy

50%

Top 11%

Touches

87.78

Top 6%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Irving excelled in possession when coming off the bench for West Ham, ranking highly among Premier League midfielders in a host of passing and possession-based metrics.

The Scottish whiz also showcased his ability to score goals, as McGregor did in the 2024/25 campaign, with nine goals in 28 matches in the Austrian Bundesliga during the 2023/24 season, whilst playing for Klagenfurt.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Irving to be a midfielder who can control and dictate games for Celtic from a number six position, due to his promising cameos in the Premier League as a dominant and reliable passer.

In a Hoops team that dominates possession week-in-week-out and competes for the title every year, the 25-year-old star could thrive as a tempo-setter who can enjoy plenty of touches of the ball.

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Therefore, Celtic should make it third time lucky with another move for Irving before the end of the summer transfer window to add brilliant depth to their midfield, whilst also securing their long-term successor to McGregor.

An English manager has never won the Premier League. In fact, the only Brits to get their hands on the illustrious trophy have been Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Kenny Dalglish. But that’s not to say England hasn’t been blessed with some of the most talented and charismatic coaches football has ever seen.

The fact that English football proudly created managers like Alf Ramsey, Bob Paisley and Brian Clough only for their successors at the top level to later create such a dismal Premier League record makes it all the more bizarre.

In the Premier League era, Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan particularly stand out, but the truth is that England’s best products came before the top flight received a new lick of paint.

Before Robson and Keegan, the likes of Ramsey and Paisley etched their legacies into English football history. Paisley’s name still echoes around Anfield as one of the most successful managers in their incredible history, whilst Ramsey remains the last manager to win silverware with England – winning the 1966 World Cup.

Bob Paisley

Liverpool

Sir Alf Ramsey

Ipswich, England, Birmingham

Sir Bobby Robson

Fulham, Ipswich, England, PSV, Sporting, Porto,

Barcelona, Newcastle

Kevin Keegan

Newcastle, Fulham, England, Man City, Newcastle

Roy Hodgson

Inter, Blackburn, Udinese, Finland, Fulham,

Liverpool, West Brom, England, Crystal Palace, Watford

Out of all those names, from Paisley to Hodgson, one manager who doesn’t get enough credit at times is Keegan. But the iconic David Ginola wasted no time before giving his former boss his flowers.

Ginola: Keegan made Newcastle feel "invincible"

The man who took Newcastle United closest to the Premier League title, Keegan is unfortunate to be known for his famous “I would love it if we beat them” rant, but the story behind that infamous interview is even more dramatic.

Labelled “The Entertainers”, Keegan’s Newcastle side finished second and third in their first seasons back in the top flight before going toe-to-toe with Ferguson’s Manchester United side.

Ginola and Les Ferdinand were among those to arrive in a £16m spending spree, and the Magpies soon found themselves 10 points clear at Christmas.

By the time that March arrived and United came to town to secure victory, however, Newcastle’s lead had been cut to just four points following the beginning of a collapse. Stan Collymore then famously closed in at Anfield a month later to hand Keegan another defeat.

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It was then Ferguson’s suggestion that Nottingham Forest could hand Newcastle preferential treatment due to their meeting for Stuart Pearson’s testimonial which sparked Keegan’s infamous rant. In the end though, as much as he wished it to happen, Newcastle could not find a way to beat United to the title in the 1995/96 campaign.

“We can’t make mistakes against him tomorrow,” says Prabath Jayasuriya

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Sep-2024

Rachin Ravindra kept New Zealand’s chase alive with a fighting half-century•AFP/Getty Images

If you’re a batter, your first Test at one of the most trying venues on the planet tends not to go well for you. Rachin Ravindra, though, is proving across formats, that he’s not your run-of-the-mill batter out of New Zealand.His fourth-innings vanguard, which by the end of day four has brought him 91 not out off 158, and pushed New Zealand into a spot where they still have an outside chance of victory, has been full of bravado.Sri Lanka’s offspinners attacked him outside off stump, figuring that as he likes to play shots out there, there will eventually be an edge that comes off his bat. The edge never materialised but plenty of runs did – 40 of his runs coming in the arc between backward point and cover, Ravindra’s shot-making frequent and consistent even when the pitch was spitting towards the end of the day.Related

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“I’ll be honest, the pitch isn’t easy – but there were periods there when Rachin made it look very easy,” said Ajaz Patel, who partnered Ravindra through the last few overs of the day.”He’s a phenomenal player. I think he’s world class. With his batting out there today, you saw him sticking to a solid plan for long periods, and trusting his skills. He’s got an amazing future in front of him. I’m grateful he’s on our team. He’s a headache to bowl to in first-class cricket.”When Sri Lanka switched to bowling straighter at him, Ravindra was no less proficient through the legside. He was ruthless when the bowlers erred even slightly on length, preferring the pull to the sweep as his main run-scoring option on the legside.In fact, four of his nine fours, and his one six all came through midwicket, with the six coming off a full toss.Opposition left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya had serious praise for Ravindra too.”I mostly tried to bowl into the rough to him and turn it into him. Sometimes he was very good at latching on to the short balls.”There was some little chances that came off him. But he kept his patience and batted nicely. He hit the loose balls away and kept the good ones out. He played like someone who understood his game, and was sticking to a game plan. Sometimes we tried to take his wicket and bowled aggressively, but he turned those into scoring opportunities.”Sri Lanka now need two more wickets to win, while New Zealand need 68 for victory. Ravindra has to score those runs in the company of No. 10 Patel, and No. 11 Will O’Rourke. If he gets through that challenge, it may be the finest moment of his career to date – in Tests, at least.”We can’t make mistakes against him tomorrow,” Jayasuriya said. “We have to take those two wickets.”

It has been all but confirmed that Matheus Cunha is going to depart Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer.

Their talismanic number ten seems set to join Manchester United for £62.5m, the value of his release clause, with Fabrizio Romano giving the move the famous “Here We Go” as recently as Tuesday.

For the Old Gold, losing a player as impactful as Cunha will be a huge blow. He has been pivotal in the past two seasons, helping to keep them in the Premier League. In the top flight in 2024/25, the Brazilian scored 15 times and assisted six goals in 33 appearances.

Dealing with such a sale will not be easy for the West Midlands outfit. However, he might not be the only key player set to leave Molineux this summer. Nelson Semedo could also be on his way out.

The latest on Semedo’s Wolves future

Just like Cunha is going forward, Semedo is pivotal for this Wolves side defensively. The Portugal international has also had a huge part to play for the Old Gold’s survival this season, but could be in line to depart the club, too.

According to a report from A Bola last Tuesday, a Portuguese news outlet, the player has ‘confirmed that Benfica is trying to sign him’ this summer, on what would be a free transfer. His deal at Molineux expires in a few weeks.

Indeed, the report suggests that Semedo has explained a return to his former side is something that ‘appeals to him’ this summer. He came through the academy as an As Aguias player, and was born in Lisbon.

There is no doubt that losing Semedo would be a blow. He played 34 times for the club in the Premier League in 2024/25, grabbing four assists and taking over the captaincy in the second half of the campaign.

He is also one of the highest earners in the squad, on £80k-per-week. If anything, that reflects his importance on the Old Gold, and given Cunha earns £90k-per-week, that seems to be a trend throughout their squad, for the most part.

There is one example of a high earner whose performances at Molineux do not match up to how much he earns. In fact, he is earning even more money per week than Semedo.

The Wolves player earning more than Semedo

Wolves have put in some disappointing performances at times over the past few years, almost getting dragged into relegation fights in the Premier League. One man who has never really shown his best form for the Old Gold is Goncalo Guedes.

Over two seasons for Wolves, the former Benfica academy star has played just 51 times, having been loaned out back to his boyhood side, and Spanish side Villarreal. He has managed just seven goals and six assists in those appearances.

This season was another frustrating campaign for the 28-year-old, who was once said to be “two years ahead of his age” by former Benfica boss Jorge Jesus. He made 29 Premier League appearances, but could only muster five goals and five assists. He also scored twice in the Carabao Cup against Burnley at the start of 2024/25.

Incredibly, Guedes is one of the players at Molineux who earns more per week than Semedo. Like Cunha, he is on £90k-per-week, although it certainly feels like it is not as reflective of performance as it is for their outgoing number 10.

Wolves – top five highest wages
Player(s)	Weekly wage	Yearly wage
Goncalo Guedes, Matheus Cunha, Pablo Sarabia	£90k	£4.68m
Nelson Semedo	£80k	£4.68m
Hee-chan Hwang	£70k	£4.16m
Boubacar Traore	£55k	£2.86m
Matt Doherty	£50k	£2.6m
Figures via Football FanCast

It certainly seems like Wolves should look to cash in on Guedes this summer. His returns have not quite been what they would have wanted, and they could recoup some of the £27.5m fee they paid for him, whilst also saving money on wages.

If he does depart Molineux, it seems he will not be the only high-earner to leave. With that being said, it does feel like a case of what could have been for Guedes in that famous Old Gold shirt.

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da betcris： Chelsea find themselves in the hunt for a striker this summer and could now have landed a boost after one target has agreed to leave his current club.

Chelsea looking to sign a striker

da esport bet： Nicolas Jackson’s red card against Flamengo last week at the Club World Cup has raised conversations over whether the Blues should look for another striker despite Liam Delap arriving earlier in the window from Ipswich Town.

The Senegalese attacker was also sent off against Newcastle towards the end of the Premier League season, missing some crucial games during the run-in, but he did contribute with an effort in the Blues’ Europa Conference League final victory over Real Betis upon his return.

While Jackson continues to divide opinion, Chelsea have opened talks to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain as his loan spell at Juventus draws towards a close.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike is also mentioned. Nevertheless, Liverpool have emerged as rivals for his signature amid their recent mission to get things done swiftly after claiming the Premier League title.

Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens is a key priority for Chelsea and Mohammed Kudus could move to Stamford Bridge from West Ham United, with the latter capable of stepping in through the middle when needed.

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Whether it be finding the creative foil behind the main man or securing another option to provide competition up top, Enzo Maresca is clearly in the hunt for goalscoring prowess at Stamford Bridge.

Now, he could possibly have landed a boost on that front after recent developments involving a star operating in Europe’s top-five leagues that is open to a move elsewhere.

Chelsea's long-standing Dusan Vlahovic interest could take a twist

According to Sky reporter Sacha Tavolieri, Chelsea are attentive to Dusan Vlahovic’s situation at Juventus and could now have an advantage in their hunt for a striker after it was revealed both he and the Old Lady have found agreement that he will be allowed to leave this summer.

Currently, he is on Club World Duty and won a penalty in the dying stages against Wydad Casablanca before stepping up to slot home his 16th goal of the season in 43 appearances across all competitions.

Five similar players to Dusan Vlahovic (FBRef)

Ermedin Demirovic

Stuttgart

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

Valentin Castellanos

Lazio

Artem Dovbyk

Roma

Patrick Cutrone

Como

Vlahovic earns roughly £369,000 per week at Juventus and appears primed for a move, given he has one year left on his contract. He has recently turned down two big proposals from Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.

It feels like the Belgrade-born man has been someone in line to move to the Premier League for a number of years. However, that dream could finally be realised if Chelsea firm up their interest in his services over the next few months, which they could now do ‘under certain conditions’, per the outlet.

Atletico Madrid are outraged with Jesus Areso's transfer to Athletic Bilbao after Diego Simeone's men struck a deal to sign him from Osasuna.

• Osasuna to sell Areso to Athletic
• Atletico outraged with dramatic turn of events
• Rojiblancos to no longer go after the defender

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Atletico had reached an agreement with Osasuna over Areso, and believed the player would be ultimately sold to them. However, in a dramatic turn of events, Osasuna sanctioned his move to Athletic. The Rojiblancos were informed that if Athletic want to sign the player, they would have to pay the amount mentioned in the release clause. However, according to , Osasuna ignored the agreement and sold the player to the Basque club, which has humiliated the Metropolitano club.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Atletico were in search of a right-back and opted for Areso, 26, as a perfect fit for Diego Simeone's philosophy, considering the player amassed 40 appearances last season, showcasing valuable contributions in Osasuna's defensive third. However, with Los Rojillos not respecting the agreement between the two parties, the Rojiblancos will now have to search for an alternative.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Areso represented Spain U-19 side twice, debuting under Luis de la Fuente back in 2018.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ATLETICO?

  Simeone's side would need a new right-back, as they are left with only Argentine full-back Nahuel Molina available to fill the position.

Manchester United fell by the wayside last season, but the early readings from the summer transfer market suggest Ruben Amorim and INEOS are doing all they can to lift Old Trafford back to its feet.

With sights set on driving their way back into the Premier League ascendancy next year, getting their foot back through the European door, the Red Devils acted swiftly to activate Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause, and that’s despite interest from Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.

The prestigious outfit needs new goalscoring superstars, and Cunha will certainly add to that department. However, United are also pushing to sign another who could become their new talisman.

And all this before they even sign a striker.

Man Utd still leading race for Premier League star

It’s safe to say that the ongoing transfer window has all been about attacking additions for United. After a move for Cunha was completed, Jason Wilcox and Co have turned their attention to the likes of Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres, according to reports.

However, while Gyokeres would allegedly favour a move to Arsenal instead of Old Trafford, that’s not the same story for another of football’s brightest forward players.

As per TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks with Bournemouth for the transfer of Antoine Semenyo. Why is this relevant? Well, because Spurs also have a vested interest in Bryan Mbeumo having appointed the winger’s former boss, Thomas Frank, as their new manager.

Mbeumo, 25, has been immense for Brentford and is a wanted man. With Frank heading to Spurs, there were fears that he may not sign for United now, but as with Cunha, his preference is still to move to the Theatre of Dreams.

United have already seen an opening offer worth £55m rejected, and are expected to go back in for the Cameroonian with Fabrizio Romano revealing that there is an ‘agreement with the player in place’ on personal terms.

Why Bryan Mbeumo could be Man Utd's answer to Salah

Mbeumo did rather well across the recently finished campaign, only outscored in the Premier League by Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland – not bad competition to be pitted against.

1.

Mohamed Salah

38

29

2.

Alexander Isak

34

23

3.

Erling Haaland

31

22

4.

Chris Wood

36

20

5.

Bryan Mbeumo

38

20

It certainly makes a convincing comment on Mbeumo’s skillset, not least because he, like Liverpool’s Salah, is a right-sided, left-footed forward, not technically a striker.

In fact, Mbeumo has been described as a “mini Salah” by talkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy, arcing inward to curl powerful strikes into the back of the net.

Anfield’s Egyptian King has so often been a thorn in United’s side, but in Mbeumo they might just find their own version, one whose prowess could inflict damage not just on Liverpool but the division at large, having ranked among the top 2% of positional peers in the English top flight in 2024/25 for goals scored per 90, as per FBref.

Moreover, Mbeumo isn’t just a sharpshooter, and would instead dynamise the Red Devils and raise their creative bar through his skilled performances, having created 17 big chances last season, averaging 1.8 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.

Playmaking has increasingly become a defining part of the 33-year-old Salah’s game as his athleticism drips away, and so it’s good to know that Mbeumo already plays with a natural focus on linking play together and helping his team in that regard.

Mbeumo has performed with gamely courage and a confidence in his high-level quality. He’s only 25, which, coincidentally, was the age Salah was when he joined Liverpool from Roma for £34m in 2017.

It’s clear that Man United need to forge ahead with this exciting signing. Mbeumo wants the move and has the English experience to lift the club and propel Amorim toward greener pastures.

Better than Ekitike: Man Utd open talks to sign "the best ST on the market"

Manchester United could be edging closer to ending their hunt for a new striker this summer.

2 ByEthan Lamb Jun 16, 2025

He came into the role amid the Covid-19 pandemic having worked on the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup

Andrew McGlashan06-Aug-2024Nick Hockley has announced he will step down as Cricket Australia chief executive in March 2025 after five years in the job.Hockley, who has worked in the Australian game in various positions for 13 years, initially came into the role in an interim capacity early in the Covid-19 pandemic after Kevin Roberts resigned following unrest at CA’s initial handling of crisis which included a mass stand down of staff.He was appointed full time in May 2021 having helped the game navigate the 2020-21 season amid border closures which included successfully hosting the Test series against India that ensured the game was able to survive financially.”This was a difficult decision, however following what promises to be a blockbuster summer and with our five-year strategic plan well progressed, this is the right time to pursue another challenge, while giving the Board plenty of time to find its next CEO to build on the strong foundations now in place,” Hockley said.”This is not the time for goodbyes, as I remain completely focussed on the season ahead and supporting the Board on succession and a smooth transition.”Hockley’s final season in charge of CA will again see India visit, this time for a five-Test series, as well as the hosting of the Women’s Ashes in January.Alongside the pandemic, the major challenges on Hockley’s watch included an associated stand-off with broadcaster Channel Seven who pushed for a discount. Relationships were later repaired to an extent that Seven has remained a long-term broadcast partner, although the new seven-year deal signed with them and Foxtel in 2023 did not produce a significant uplift in value.However, he was able to oversee a much smoother MoU agreement compared to 2017 which included large pay increases in the women’s game.Hockley had to contend with the controversial departure of Tim Paine as Test captain on the eve of the 2021-22 Ashes, although the transition to Pat Cummins eventually proved smooth and successful, and an ugly split with head coach Justin Langer.Hockley also attempted to have David Warner’s lifetime leadership ban overturned although that fell apart in late 2022 when Warner angrily withdrew his case amid pressure from an independent panel to relive what happened at Newlands in 2018.He has been in charge during a period of significant on-field success which has included the men’s and women’s teams winning T20 and ODI World Cups plus the men claiming last year’s World Test Championship and the women gold in the Commonwealth Games. Significantly, in 2022 the men’s team also toured Pakistan for the first time since 1998.One of the major projects he has led in recent years has been the implementation of CA’s Multicultural Action Plan which aims to improve participation and attendance among the South Asian communities.”As CEO, Nick navigated the sport through a period of unprecedented challenge during the pandemic and has delivered significant growth and stability,” CA chair Mike Baird said. “Under Nick’s leadership, several major deals are now in place – many for the next seven years – and the game is set up for continued success.”As Nick says, his full focus is on delivering another successful summer for our fans, players, broadcasters, partners and the whole of Australian Cricket and there will be time to celebrate his legacy and achievements when he steps down from the role next year.”Prior to his hasty elevation into the top CA role, Hockley had been chief executive of the 2020 T20 Women’s World Cup committee that had staged the record-breaking tournament in Australia. Before that, he had worked on the 2015 Men’s World Cup, having also previously been involved in the London Olympics.CA will search globally for Hockley’s successor although Todd Greenberg, the current CEO of the Australia Cricketers’ Association, will likely be a frontrunner if he is interested in the job.