Sir Jim Ratcliffe has now personally stepped in to prevent Manchester United from making a move for Robert Lewandowski, despite Ruben Amorim being very keen on signing the striker.

Ratcliffe has been unwavering in his support of Amorim during the manager’s first year in the job, recently making it clear he has no plans to part ways with the 40-year-old anytime soon, stating he has three years to prove himself.

The INEOS chairman has also opened up on his personal relationship with the former Sporting CP boss, saying earlier this year: “I really, really like Ruben. He’s a very thoughtful guy. Every time I go to the training ground, I speak to Ruben. I sit down and have a cup of coffee with him and tell him where it’s going wrong, and he tells me to f*ck off. I like him.”

So far, there can be no doubting that the 73-year-old has backed his manager in the transfer market, with the Red Devils investing heavily in the summer, bringing in the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko to upgrade the forward line.

Sesko hasn’t made a flying start to life in the Premier League, with Peter Schmeichel claiming he was an unnecessary signing, but the centre-forward may take some time to adjust, given that he is still only 22-years-old.

Ratcliffe blocks Man Utd move for Lewandowski

According to a report from Spain, Amorim is very keen on signing Lewandowski, who is available on a free transfer upon the expiration of his FC Barcelona contract next summer, but Ratcliffe has stepped in to block the move.

United are set to prioritize the signing of younger players, meaning the 37-year-old doesn’t fit the bill, despite still being regarded as one of the greatest strikers in the world.

The Poland international’s wages are also considered an issue, given that he rakes in roughly £352k-a-week at Camp Nou, which makes him the highest paid player in the squad.

Lauded as a “world-class” striker by journalist Muhammad Butt, the Barcelona star is undoubtedly still a top-level striker, despite his age, having maintained a fantastic goalscoring record since signing for the La Liga side.

Season

La Liga appearances

Goals

2022-23

34

23

2023-24

35

19

2024-25

34

27

2025-26

7

4

That said, it is understandable that Ratcliffe isn’t keen on a move, given that the Pole would likely demand huge wages, while the veteran’s arrival could also hamper Sesko’s development, given that he would be competing with the Slovenian for a starting spot.

It is well-documented that Ratcliffe has been trying to make Man United more sustainable since his arrival, with lowering the wage bill of key significance.

As such, despite Lewandowski establishing himself as a top striker, it would probably be a wise idea for United to avoid signing him next summer.

Robert Lewandowski has been named one of the world's best strikers The Best 15 Strikers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best number nine right now?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

Leeds United have finally picked up another win this season in the Premier League on their own patch.

Before Friday night’s clash versus lowly West Ham United, the Whites’ last home success in the league stretched way back to the opening day.

Now, however, the Elland Road hoodoo has been lifted, as a quickfire double early into the tense game handed Daniel Farke’s men a much-needed 2-1 win to shove the Hammers further into their relegation pit.

Several top performers on the night ensured the three points were secured, as Leeds thankfully broke out of a run of three games without a victory in league action.

Leeds United's top performers against West Ham

Leeds fans, heading into this Friday night clash under the Elland Road floodlights, would have been lamenting their side’s recent wasteful displays in league action, having notched up 14 efforts on the Burnley goal at Turf Moor in a dire 2-0 defeat.

This wastefulness wasn’t on display against Nuno Espirito Santo’s lax visitors, however, as a first-half sucker-punch gifted Leeds a two-goal cushion after just 15 minutes had ticked away, with Brenden Aaronson getting the show on the road when converting a rebound after only three minutes.

Aaronson was a bright spark all night long, away from merely this crucial contribution, with 100% of his dribbles being successfully completed, making him a notable thorn in the side of a leaky West Ham outfit.

With 80% of his ground duels won as well, it’s fair to say everyone was singing the American’s praises come the full-time whistle, despite Farke stating at the full-time whistle that he can often be a “polarising” presence.

Joe Rodon would also be lathered with praise come the end of the 2-1 win when connecting with this sweetly taken corner to double his Premier League goal tally for the season, with Sean Longstaff also boosting his assist haul in the process, as the Welshman was left with plenty of space to head past a busy Alphonse Aréola.

Lucas Perri also stood out in between the sticks on his return to the Leeds XI, having had to calmly palm away an acrobatic Jarrod Bowen effort right after Aaronson’s instinctive opener. He was so close to a clean sheet, too, only for Mateus Fernandes to grab a Hammers consolation effort at the death.

Yet, despite the relief of a win being notched up, not every Whites first-teamer performed at their very best against the East Londoners, with this rusty individual in danger of losing his spot in Farke’s main team, as games come thick and fast in November.

The 6/10 Leeds star who could now be dropped

Of course, there will be concerns in West Yorkshire that Dominic Calvert-Lewin went another game without a Leeds strike, especially when coming up against such a charitable Hammers defence.

Still, nobody could deny the number nine’s determined work ethic for his team, with eight duels won in total when he has thrown into the thick of action.

Tanaka’s performance in numbers

Stat

Tanaka

Minutes played

72

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

37

Shots

1

Accurate passes

25/29 (86%)

Key passes

0

Total duels won

1/3

Stats by Sofascore

On the contrary, Ao Tanaka would exit the contest on the 72nd mark with zero of his ground duels being successfully won, as Farke potentially prepares to reshuffle his midfield pack for the test of Brighton and Hove Albion away at the start of next month, away from starting the Japanese gem again.

Indeed, while Ethan Ampadu and the aforementioned Longstaff made their presences widely known – as Ampadu successfully won three ground duels from his 66 touches of the ball – number 22 faded in and out of the clash, with Tanaka actually amassing fewer touches than Perri come the full-time whistle at 37 touches, next to the ex-Lyon stopper’s tally of 51.

Tanaka’s quiet performance was picked up on by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth, with Smyth reserving high 9/10 ratings for the likes of Aaronson, but the former Fortuna Düsseldorf man would only receive a middle-of-the-road 6/10 appraisal after the dust had settled on the 2-1 win.

Smyth would simply note that Tanaka’s showing was a ‘mixed bag’ as the 27-year-old fell victim to being ‘outmuscled’ a couple of times, as evidenced by him losing 100% of his ground duels.

It will be interesting to see if Farke is tempted to drop Tanaka as tough games away at Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester City come onto his team’s agenda, with the number 22’s slight off-day very much sticking out as one rare negative, during what was a largely very positive showing against the relegation-threatened visitors.

Related Better than Rodon: Leeds star who won 100% tackles is already undroppable

This Leeds United star should be undroppable after outshining Joe Rodon against West Ham.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Oct 25, 2025

 حرص أحمد دياب، رئيس رابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة، على توجيه خالص التهنئة للنادي الأهلي وجماهيره، على الفوز بلقب السوبر المصري للأبطال، مشيدًا بالأداء القوي الذي قدمه اللاعبون والتزامهم التكتيكي.

وتُوّج النادي الأهلي بلقب كأس السوبر المصري لكرة القدم بعد فوزه المستحق على غريمه التقليدي الزمالك في القمة الكروية التي استضافتها العاصمة الإماراتية أبو ظبي.

طالع.. أحمد فتحي: توروب غيّر شكل الأهلي.. والتتويج بالسوبر جاء في توقيت مثالي

وخصّ دياب نادي الزمالك بثناء خاص، مؤكدًا أنه قدم مباراة بطولية ومستوى فني راق يليق بتاريخه العريق، رغم خسارة اللقب.

وكتب أحمد دياب عبر صفحته الرسمية على “فيسبوك”: “المنافسة بين القطبين هي ما ترفع من قيمة وتطور الكرة المصرية”، مشيدًا بلاعبي الفريقين الذين أثبتوا قدرتهم على التحدي، خاصة بعد مسيرة مميزة أوصلتهم للنهائي بعد تخطي مرحلة نصف النهائي الصعبة.

وأشاد دياب بما أظهره اللاعبون من إصرار وتركيز، مشددًا على أن هذا الأداء يعد مكسبًا حقيقيًا للكرة المصرية ودافعًا قويًا للفريق الأبيض في الاستحقاقات القادمة.

واختتم دياب تصريحاته بالإشادة مجددًا بالجهود التنظيمية لدولة الإمارات واللجان المعنية، مؤكدًا أن الأجواء الاحتفالية والحضور الجماهيري الغفير والمتحضر لكلا الفريقين قد عكس صورة مشرفة وحضارية للكرة المصرية أمام العالم، مثمناً الالتزام الذي أظهره الجمهور بتقديم رسالة “حب وتنافس رياضي” من مصر إلى المنطقة.

Arsenal equalled a 105-year-old record after extending their remarkable defensive run with another shut-out win over Slavia Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Mikel Merino, who was covering for the injured Viktor Gyokeres upfront, added a brace to give Arsenal a comfortable 3-0 win in the Czech Republic.

• Arsenal equal century-old record

  This was Arsenal's eighth consecutive victory across all competitions without conceding a goal this season, a joint record for an English top-division side along with Preston in 1889 and Liverpool in 1920. The record-equalling dream run of victories started with a 2-0 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League on October 1, after which they beat teams like West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Atletico Madrid and Burnley. 

  The last time Mikel Arteta's side conceded a goal was against Newcastle United in the Premier League on September 28, although the Gunners still clinched the clash 2-1. Overall, they are on a 10-match winning streak across all competitions. 

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  Dowman creates history

  Arsenal wonderkid Max Downman became the youngest player ever to appear in a Champions League match, at just 15 years and 308 days, when he came on as a 72nd-minute substitute in place of Jurrien Timber. In the process, the teenager shattered the record previously held by Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko, who was 16 years and 18 days when he made his debut in 2020.

  It was indeed a dream come true moment for the youngster, who was playing, only weeks ago, in the UEFA Youth League, where he dazzled for Gunners' Under-19s against Atletico Madrid, providing two assists in a narrow defeat. Dowman has been training with the senior side under Arteta since the start of the season and made his debut for the club in their 5-0 win over Leeds United in the Premier League. 

• Arsenal hailed for squad depth

  The Premier League leaders have been hailed for their squad depth in the current campaign, as CBS Sports Golazo analyst Geoff Shreeves told GOAL: "Remember when Liverpool flew out the traps and they signed Wirtz? And there was the talk of getting Isak? And the amount of people who said 'Let's not bother. Just give them the trophy.' Arsenal started to falter a little bit, so it's all over. So no, I wouldn't say Arsenal win it. They've got a great chance. Would I say it's definitely going to happen? Not in a million years, because that's the beauty of the Premier League. 

  "Look at the Premier League table right now. Look at Bournemouth, look at Sunderland. It's fantastic. I think we're in for a vintage Premier League this season. Last season, you have to admire what Arne Slot did at Liverpool. But they won it pretty much at a canter, and the bottom three were gone quite early. I said at the start of the season, I think we're seeing much greater competition at the top spot, and I think we'll we'll have far more teams involved in the relegation scrap. At the moment, that's looking fairly prescient. It's a rare example of me actually being right."

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  When will Gyokeres return?

  Amid the stunning run of form, Arteta remains concerned over star forward Gyokeres' condition as he missed the Champions League tie on Tuesday. The Sweden international sustained a hamstring injury during the Premier League win over Burnley last weekend, leaving the Arsenal boss fearful that he may be out for an extended period of time. The Spanish coach told reporters ahead of the European clash: "I am concerned because he hasn't had many muscular issues and he needed to leave the pitch and he was feeling something. That's obviously never a good sign, especially for a player that is very, very explosive. So we are digging in a little bit more to understand where we are in terms of the injury and we'll announce the moment we know."

  A fresh report from BBC has claimed that Gyokeres will undergo further tests this week and Arsenal fear he could be out for up to two weeks. This means that the striker will miss the club's upcoming league clash against Sunderland and will also rest during the international break, but is expected to return ahead of the north London derby against Tottenham on November 23.

MatériaMais Notícias

A presidente do Palmeiras, Leila Pereira, está neste momento viajando para Cali, na Colômbia, para acompanhar in loco a grande final da Libertadores Feminina 2023.

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Muito criticada por não ter viajado para Quito no ano passado, quando o Verdão ganhou a primeira Libertadores Feminina da sua história, neste ano a mandatária fez questão de viajar para apoiar as meninas ao vivo.

O Palmeiras enfrenta o Corinthians neste sábado (21), a partir das 20h30 (horário de Brasília), naquela que é a partida mais importante da história do projeto feminino do Verdão.

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Apesar das críticas da torcida alviverde por conta do planejamento da equipe masculina, Leila Pereira faz um bom trabalho com o feminino e inclusive se orgulha de ter aberto o espaço de patrocínio para que outras marcas como a CIMED, Betfair e a Allianz pudessem apoiar o projeto de futebol feminino do Verdão.

+ Quais são os maiores campeões da Libertadores Feminina?

Leila já deve retornar para o Brasil neste domingo, uma vez que na próxima segunda-feira (23), teremos uma importante reunião no Conselho Deliberativo do Palmeiras.

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He achieved the feat for Munster Reds against North-West Warriors in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2025

Ireland allrounder Curtis Campher has become the first man in professional cricket to take five wickets in five balls. He achieved the feat for Munster Reds against North-West Warriors in the Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, finishing with 5 for 16 from 2.3 overs.Campher, the Munster Reds captain, took his five wickets across his second and third overs as Warriors slumped from 87 for 5 to 88 all out in their chase of 189. Jared Wilson, the first of the five wickets, was out off the penultimate delivery of the 12th over when Campher got the ball to swing in and crash into off stump. Next ball, Graham Hume was trapped lbw on the back foot as another inswinger hit him on the pads. That put Campher on a hat-trick at the start of his next over, and it came when Andy McBrine miscued a slog towards deep midwicket on the first ball of the 14th over.The wicket-taking streak continued when No. 10 Robbie Millar was out caught behind first ball, trying to poke at a delivery outside off stump, after which No. 11 Josh Wilson couldn’t keep the ball from hitting the stumps as Campher came around the wicket.”Because of the change of overs, I wasn’t really sure what was happening,” Campher said of his achievement. “I just kind of stuck to my guns and kept it real simple and luckily it kind of went off.”