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Newcastle United are now leading the race for an “unbelievable” striker who’s been likened to Manchester City star Erling Haaland, according to a report.

Newcastle eyeing striker amid Isak uncertainty

Alexander Isak is enjoying his best season to date in a Newcastle shirt, leading his side to EFL Cup glory and scoring 27 goals in all competitions, so it is little wonder that some other top Premier League clubs are now queuing up for his signature.

Arsenal appear to be one of the most interested parties, with the Gunners now plotting a stunning £127m swoop for the striker, having identified the 25-year-old as their top target for the summer transfer window, despite the Magpies’ determination to keep hold of him.

The Premier League star is also a dream signing for Liverpool, as revealed by Fabrizio Romano, while Chelsea have expressed an interest in the past, so there is likely to be no shortage of interest in the Sweden international this summer.

Newcastle step up move for "fantastic" 28-cap star after scouting mission

The Magpies are competing with one of their rivals for his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford May 12, 2025

Of course, Eddie Howe’s main aim should be to keep hold of Isak, given the instrumental role he has played this season, but should the talisman decide to move on, the manager may look at bringing in a top-level replacement.

According to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are now above all in the race to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, who is now edging towards a summer exit, having failed to agree a contract extension with the Italian club

Vlahovic’s huge £359k-a-week deal is set to expire in 2026, and with a renewal not being agreed, the Magpies may be able to sign the Serbian for a reasonable fee, but there could be competition for his signature, with clubs from Turkey also keen.

It is not explicitly mentioned whether the Juventus striker is being targeted as a direct replacement for Isak, so there is also a possibility that he is brought in regardless of whether the Swede departs.

"Unbelievable" Vlahovic needs summer move

The Serbia international has impressed in the Serie A in the past, most notably scoring 24 goals in the 2021-22 campaign, but having found the back of the net just nine times this season, he may need a summer move to reignite his career.

At just 25-years-old, the forward still has plenty of time to fulfill his potential, having previously been likened to Haaland, while also being lauded for his “unbelievable” character by former Partizan Belgrade assistant Zarko Lazetic.

That said, it is difficult to see where the Belgrade-born striker would fit into the Newcastle team, should Isak remain at the club, given that Howe has almost exclusively implemented a 4-3-3 formation this season.

As such, Vlahovic could be a solid replacement for Isak, but Newcastle should have no desire to sanction their star striker’s departure.

Everton need to trim the fat this summer. Oh, while excitement is in the air as David Moyes gears up for what may be the club’s biggest summer of spending, there’s plenty going on out the exit door too.

As many as 15 first-team players are out of contract at the end of the season. Some will stay. Many will go. Two of these quandaries take the shape of the culminating loan spells of Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, neither of whom has enjoyed the best of terms. Several more are made from flotsam drifting out on short-term stints elsewhere.

There are too many profiles to dig into, but one curious expected outgoing is the man who earns more than any of his Toffees teammates: Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Everton set to part with Abdoulaye Doucoure

Back in 2020, Everton signed Doucoure from Watford in a deal worth £20m, and he’s since made 162 appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring 21 goals.

Regarded as a ‘pressing machine’, the Malian ace is now 32 and while he still works industriously in the middle, three goals across 29 matches is hardly a prolific return for an attacking midfielder whose duel success rate stands at just 39% in the Premier League this year, as per Sofascore.

Indeed, one of those facing the end of their contract this summer, the £130k-per-week Doucoure is Everton’s top earner. Given the amount of shuffling set to take place over at Bramley Moore this summer, it would be a grave error to renew Doucoure’s deal on the same terms.

1.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

32

2025

£130k-per-week

2.

Jordan Pickford

30

2027

£125k-per-week

3.

Idrissa Gueye

35

2025

£120k-per-week

=4

James Tarkowski

32

2026

£100k-per-week

=4

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

27

2025

£100k-per-week

He’ll be midway through his 33rd year by the end of next season and, despite scoring the winner at Nottingham Forest a few weeks back, no longer carries the same swagger in the final third.

Everton need a new star in attacking midfield. Iliman Ndiaye, Charly Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil make three exciting options, three good reasons why Doucoure’s influence is waning.

That said, the fans could be in for an even more thrilling ride if Everton’s new version of Ross Barkley hits his stride after flourishing for the academy.

Everton's new Ross Barkley

Barkley featured 179 times for Everton’s first team after breaking from the Finch Farm youth ranks, notching 52 goal involvements and drawing inevitable comparisons to Wayne Rooney.

However, he left for Chelsea in January 2018 for a £15m fee, now long archived as a bygone part of the Merseysiders’ history.

It’s been a while since such a player rose to the fore (Anthony Gordon notwithstanding), but Moyes might just find he holds the keys to unlocking the next prodigy, with 17-year-old Braiden Graham making waves for the development outfit.

Graham’s still in that unsure maiden stage, struggling to find his best position. However, a four-goal performance from attacking midfield for the U21s last time out in the Premier League 2 suggests that maybe he has a future as a ten.

Attacking midfield

5

7

1

Centre-forward

5

3

0

Right winger

2

1

0

Left winger

2

1

1

Central midfield

2

0

0

With such dynamism, ranged in his ability to make a positive impression on the pitch, Graham’s surely going to go a long way, not least because his shooting boots seem to stay intact wherever he features.

The Northern Ireland youth international has been hailed as a “fearless” forward and an “incredible player” by his former Linfield boss David Healy, prior to transferring to the Toffees. In short, there’s an ever-loudening buzz around this young talent, whose eye for goal and crisp, powerful dribbling offer shades of Barkley in his Everton days.

Having scored four goals in a single game against Tottenham Hotspur’s U21s – away from home – makes a firm comment on this young man’s potential, not least because Spurs’ U21s won the Premier League 2 last season.

One to watch, and maybe one whose professional Everton debut lingers not too far away.

Not just DCL: Everton's £55k-p/w "warrior" is finished & won't start again

Everton are set to undergo a series of changes in the transfer market this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 21, 2025

WA keeper-batter is hoping to translate her stunning Australia A form into a big WBBL season

Tristan Lavalette04-Oct-2024A naturally aggressive batter and technician behind the stumps, Maddy Darke has for some time been touted as a potential successor to Australia captain Alyssa Healy.The symbolism was evident five years ago when Darke, only 18 at the time, made her WBBL debut for Sydney Sixers and received her cap from Healy, who she had modelled her attacking batting and glove work on.But it’s been a tough journey living up to those expectations and she moved to Western Australia in 2021 to ignite her career. Darke’s WA coaches have worked hard on building up her confidence and belief that she absolutely belongs at the professional level.Having shown glimpses over the years, Darke, 23, might be putting it all together after scoring eye-catching centuries recently for Australia A in the multi-format series against India A in Queensland.In tough batting conditions against the red ball on the Gold Coast, Darke lifted Australia out of trouble at 94 for 5 in their second innings of the four-day fixture with an unbeaten 105 off 197 balls from No.6.She took heed from the messaging from her WA batting coach Wes Robinson, a concise communicator, who implores her to “keep it really simple and let your technique do the talking”.

“If I could one day play for Australia, I’d absolutely love the chance. For me, not knowing when that opportunity would arise, it’s just about improving my wicketkeeping and batting while also trying to be a better teammate. Hopefully that takes care of things.”Maddy Darke

She batted superbly with the lower order, running hard between the wickets to frustrate India A. Darke unleashed several attractive strokes through the covers, but it was mostly a gritty innings that proved the difference in Australia’s eventual 45-run victory.”I was really pleased because four-day cricket is a real test of your mental capacity as well as your physical skill-set,” Darke told ESPNcricinfo. “Being able to grind through a few sessions with the tail is something that I’m not really accustomed to.”I’m really, really pleased with how the whole series went and to get as many runs as I did,” she added, having also scored 106 in the second one-dayer.Darke, nicknamed ‘Bondi’ due to her affinity with the famous Sydney beach, has not carried her momentum into the start of the domestic season having scored just 49 runs from three innings to start the Women’s National Cricket League.Self-doubt could once again creep in, but working closely with Robinson and WA coach Becky Grundy has helped her feel more at ease.”She [Grundy] tells me to just trust that my game is more than good enough to do well at any level,” Darke said. “I think that is something that I really try to keep in mind because she wouldn’t be telling me that if she didn’t actually believe in me.”I’m trusting my strengths and recognising when I’m doing things really well to keep trying to do them and not get distracted or caught up in what other players are doing.”To see a bit more evidence of that on the field with runs in the India series, really, really helps build my confidence.”Darke has also been working hard with the gloves as shown in her solid efforts behind the stumps against India A, where she admitted to feeling “exhausted” by the end of the four-day game. While adept at keeping to pace and spin, she’s more comfortable being up to the stumps.”It’s actually been a bit of a focus to make sure I’m not neglecting keeping back and working on being in really good positions to move laterally and dive,” Darke said.Maddy Darke drives through the offside•Getty ImagesShe’s learned “different techniques” from veteran Beth Mooney and England wicketkeeper Amy Jones, her Perth Scorchers teammates, while WA wicketkeeping coach Damon Rowan regularly puts her through the same drills as men’s counterparts Josh Inglis and Baxter Holt.Darke was left almost awestruck the first time she trained alongside Inglis, who has become Australia’s No.1 wicketkeeper in white-ball cricket. “He’s amazing, so quick, so powerful,” she gushed to Rowan at the time.Darke closely studied Inglis’ technique up at the stumps. “He moved so late, but he’s so quick to the ball. I was actually taken aback,” she recalled. “He’s so explosive and powerful. That’s what I want to get to, but I’ll have to chip away at that over the years.”He has played all over the world, so it’s a great opportunity to build my knowledge and learn from him.”It’s been a slow start to the domestic season for Darke and WA, who are winless after their opening three WNCL matches. But if Darke can rediscover her Australia A form, as a potential WBBL breakout looms, then talk of being Healy’s heir apparent will go into overdrive.”I’ve definitely got my eye on that spot whenever it would become available. If I could one day play for Australia, I’d absolutely love the chance,” she said.”For me, not knowing when that opportunity would arise, it’s just about improving my wicketkeeping and batting while also trying to be a better teammate. Hopefully that takes care of things.”

There’s no WTC context to the Zimbabwe vs West Indies series, but there’s still plenty to look forward to

Firdose Moonda03-Feb-2023

Gary Ballance is back playing Test cricket

Gary Ballance, the Zimbabwe-born, England-capped top-order batter, has been out of the Test arena for longer than Zimbabwe have waited to play West Indies in this format. His last appearance was in July 2017 against South Africa and brought an end to the first phase of a Test career that had 1000 runs in its first 17 innings and yielded fewer than 500 in its next 25. Since then, Ballance has been one of the central characters in the Yorkshire racism scandal. He admitted to and apologised for using the word P*** when talking to Azeem Rafiq, and then took a lengthy break from the game to manage his mental health.Related

• Review panel urges CWI and West Indies players to find 'middle ground'

• Ballance set for Zimbabwe Test bow against West Indies

Ballance was released from his county contract, which was due to run until the end of the 2024 season, early and returned home to Zimbabwe at the end of last year. He signed a two-year deal with Zimbabwe Cricket and joined a long list of players who have headed back to the country from England, including Kyle Jarvis, Brendan Taylor (both since retired) and Blessing Muzarabani, in a bid to boost the national set-up. Ballance made his debut for Zimbabwe last month, and was capped in T20Is and ODIs, but it’s the longest format where he is expected to make his biggest contribution.With a first-class average of 47.31, four Test hundreds to his name, and years in the county circuit, Ballance will bring experience and gravitas to a line-up that is only rarely exposed to the rigours of Test cricket.

Dave Houghton’s first Test series as coach

Another prodigal son in the Zimbabwean set-up is coach Dave Houghton (who is also related to Ballance), who came back into the fold before the T20 World Cup qualifiers last year. Houghton, who previously captained Zimbabwe at the 1992 World Cup and coached them in 2009, was tasked with turning around the fortunes of a team that had lost a series to southern African counterparts and associates Namibia and were at risk of missing a fourth successive ICC event.He inspired a remarkable turnaround in which Zimbabwe not only went to the 2022 T20 World Cup but made it out of the first round into the Super 12s and stunned eventual finalists Pakistan. They also beat Bangladesh for the first time in an ODI series after nine years (that’s six series). Every player interviewed – including Sikandar Raza, who was included in the ICC’s ODI and T20I teams of 2022 but will not feature in this series because of T20 franchise commitments – has credited Houghton for changing the environment, giving them freedom to express themselves, and encouraging them to play attacking cricket.Now, he has to work his magic in the format Zimbabwe have the least experience in. They have not played Test cricket for 18 months, since they hosted Bangladesh and lost heavily.Brian Lara, here with Kyle Mayers, has his work cut out•CWI Media

What sort of impact will Brian Lara have?

West Indies have problems of their own after their dismal performance at the T20 World Cup, where they did not advance out of the first round. On their subsequent tour to Australia, they were blanked in both the T20I and Test series.A report by CWI warned that West Indies cricket could “cease to exist as an entity” if they continued to lose players to T20 leagues and failed to cultivate incentives for representing the islands, especially in Test cricket. The report detailed a new strategy where West Indies would use a select group of white-ball players in red-ball cricket in order to fast-track their development.None of them are part of the touring party to Zimbabwe, though, but another familiar face is. Brian Lara will begin his role as West Indies’ performance mentor on this trip, a job aimed at assisting with both the tactical and technical skills of the team. Much like Houghton, Lara has his work cut out. But he will be comfortable with what should be a fairly soft landing in Zimbabwe before moving south to neighbouring South Africa for a full tour.

Shannon Gabriel returns; Alzarri Joseph comes full circle

A West Indian bowling attack is usually worth keeping an eye on, especially this time, because it features two names that will be an important part of their rebuilding.Shannon Gabriel returns to the squad after a 14-month absence – a consequence of being injured and then overlooked. He will join a pack that also includes Jason Holder, Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph, who was their leading wicket-taker in Australia.Joseph is proving to be one of their most consistent players across all formats. He was their second-leading wicket-taker in ODIs last year and had his most successful year in T20s in 2022 – he took 46 wickets at an average of 19.54. Joseph is exactly the kind of player West Indies could lose to leagues unless they incentivise and manage him properly and this series could be the start of that process.Shannon Gabriel returns to the West Indies squad after a 14-month absence•AFP via Getty Images

A test case for Test cricket outside the big boys

Thanks largely to Bazball, we know that Test cricket is alive and well, but we don’t know if that’s the case outside of a select few teams. The big three, along with New Zealand, Pakistan and to a lesser degree, South Africa, still put the longest format on a pedestal. But when it comes to Zimbabwe and West Indies, where hosting Test matches is costly and the rewards are slim, this format may still be running cold. This series will give us a gauge.Zimbabwe Cricket has put an effort into marketing it and expects to see a healthy clutch of spectators, not least because there hasn’t been any Test cricket in Bulawayo since the West Indies trip of 2017.If you think that’s overly optimistic, it’s not. The Harare Sports Club was well supported during Zimbabwe’s recent series against Ireland and there’s a sense that Zimbabweans are warming to the game again, thanks to the recent form of the national side. Zimbabwe fans have formed their own supporters union, named Castle Corner after the beverage, and are campaigning for crowds to pour into the Queens Sports Club.Whether the series will be well-followed outside of Zimbabwe remains to be seen. It is being played at the same time as the start of Australia’s Test series in India, the Women’s T20 World Cup and the PSL, and the end of the SA20, the ILT20 and the BPL, which leaves cricket lovers spoilt for choice.

And who scored two hundreds in his final Test?

Steven Lynch19-Oct-2020Which batsman has the best career strike in the IPL? asked Mohan Shetty from India
Top of the pile here, for those who have faced at least 125 balls, is the explosive Jamaican Andre Russell, whose overall strike rate after the Kolkata Knight Riders’ match against the Mumbai Indians on Sunday was a towering 181.72 per 100 balls. That’s around 22 clear of the next man to have scored more than 1000 runs, Rishabh Pant, although another West Indian, Nicholas Pooran, is hurtling along at a strike rate of 170.83: he’d only scored 410 runs, though.Which player scored two hundreds in his final Test? asked Richard Daniels from South Africa
This remarkable finale was managed by the Essex and England batsman Charles Russell – who, like the later England wicketkeeper, was generally known as Jack. Russell toured Australia in 1920-21, and after two failures made a century in Adelaide. Back home, with Australia the opposition again, he added hundreds in the last two Tests of the summer, at Old Trafford and The Oval.With England’s regular openers, Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, taking the winter off, Russell toured South Africa with an under-strength England side in 1922-23. He took some time to get going, but followed 96 in the fourth Test, in Johannesburg with 140 and 111 in the fifth, in Durban, battling illness as well as the home bowlers to become the first Englishman to score twin centuries in a Test.That gave Russell five hundreds in his ten Test matches, and an average of 56.87 – but surprisingly he was never chosen again. England’s next Tests were more than 18 months away, against South Africa at home in 1924: Hobbs and Sutcliffe returned, and there was no place for Russell, who was 36 by then. He played on for Essex until 1930, passing 2000 runs in both 1925 and 1928.Which cricketer got married on the rest day of his Test debut? asked Jamie Collins from England
My first thought was that this was the Sussex seamer Tony Pigott, who received a surprise call-up for what turned out to be his only Test, against New Zealand, in Christchurch in 1983-84. But he actually postponed his wedding, as he’d been due to tie the knot on the fourth day of the match: ironically, he needn’t have bothered, as England collapsed for under 100 in both innings, and lost on the third day.The charismatic South African fast bowler Andre Nel actually got married during a Test match he was playing in, against West Indies in Centurion in January 2004. The ceremony took place after play ended early because of bad light on the second day; Nel was whisked there by helicopter, but was back next day, and celebrated by dismissing Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. ­But that wasn’t Nel’s debut – and so, finally, the answer to your question: the man who got married on the rest day of his first Test was the Guyanese offspinner Clyde Butts, during West Indies’ second Test against New Zealand in Georgetown in April 1985. Butts didn’t take a wicket, and played only six more Tests. He later became a West Indian selector.Andre Nel got married during the fourth Test against West Indies in 2004, dashing away in a helicopter after close of play one day•Getty ImagesWho just missed making centuries on his Test and ODI debuts, scoring nineties in both? asked James Morton from England
This near-miss specialist was New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming, who made his Test debut in March 1994 against India in Hamilton, and made 92 in the second innings. A few days later, in his first ODI, in Napier, Fleming was run out for 90.I remember a strange story a few years back about someone who invented some batting statistics and was given a county contract, only to be soon found out – who was this? asked Nick Hamilton from England
This strange episode concerned Adrian Shankar, who had played at Bedford School with Alastair Cook, and had a few matches for Bedfordshire and Cambridge University. He scored a genuine first-class century, in the Varsity Match at Oxford – although his coach, Chris Scott, later described the opposition bowling as “terrible”.Shankar’s career went off the rails when he became a rather surprising signing by Worcestershire in 2011, six years after his last first-class match. After a duck in a List A game and 10 (retired hurt) in the Championship against Durham, Shankar’s story unravelled. It transpired that he was three years older than he had told Worcestershire – he’s supposed to have said later that he was on life support until he was three, so those years didn’t count – while claims he had been a prolific scorer in senior tournaments in Sri Lanka turned out to be wide of the mark. Shankar was sacked, and several documents handed over to the police.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

UConn Huskies women's basketball star Azzi Fudd is having herself an excellent couple of days. Last week, she announced her new podcast , co-produced with Steph Curry's Unanimous Media.

And on Monday, the Arlington, Virginia, native threw out the first pitch at the Washington Nationals' game vs. the Cincinnati Reds.

Fudd rolled up to the mound in a custom Nats jersey, and showed off her athleticism with a pretty decent—albeit seemingly short—throw.

Check that out below:

Although she was a projected first-round pick, Fudd opted against the 2025 WNBA Draft for another year at UConn, where she'll have one last chance to study under the tutelage of Geno Auriemma.

Still, she'll have access to the WNBA and its spoils via her recently confirmed girlfriend Paige Bueckers, currently in her rookie year with the Dallas Wings.

So it's the best of both worlds for everyone. And we can't wait to see what this DMV native does next season.

Benjamin Sesko's continued injury layoff is a significant blow for Manchester United and boss Ruben Amorim. Sesko has been sidelined since early November with a knee injury sustained against Tottenham Hotspur and while there were initial reports suggesting a swift recovery, the United boss announced a disappointing reason for his striker's latest setback.

• Bitter blow for United boss

  Amorim has revealed the Slovenian striker, a £74 million ($98.8m) summer signing from RB Leipzig has suffered a recent bout of food poisoning which will delay his comeback beyond the originally anticipated date. Sesko's absence has been keenly felt, particularly as United are set to lose key forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to the Africa Cup of Nations, leaving the squad short on attacking options. The ongoing uncertainty surrounding Sesko's fitness puts immense pressure on other available forwards like Joshua Zirkzee and Matheus Cunha. And his agent, Elvis Basanovic, has noted Sesko is "impatient" to return. 

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Amorim: 'We have to see'

  Speaking to the press ahead of the clash with Bournemouth on Monday evening, Amorim said: "(Harry) Maguire is out, (Matthijs) De Ligt is out, Ben (Sesko) we have to see. We have to see if he's available, he has some food poisoning but let's wait, we have two training sessions still."

• Sesko agent: 'We will see him on the pitch very soon'

  Speaking earlier this week, Sesko’s representative Basanovic told Slovenian broadcaster Arena Sport: "Benjamin feels very good, his rehabilitation is going according to plan. He can’t wait to get back on the pitch. He’s missing matches, he’s a little impatient and we hope that he will return soon, to be where he feels best again. It’s hard to say exactly (when he will return), it will ultimately be decided by the medical service and the coach. I think we will see him on the pitch very soon. Maybe sooner than it seems at the moment."

  And on Sesko’s relationship with boss Amorim, Basanovic added: “I must say he (Amorim) received Benjamin excellently. I think Ruben is first of all, an excellent person with fantastic charisma, extremely intelligent, emotionally intelligent and I think he knows what he’s doing. I believe he’s in a difficult situation. It’s not easy to build such a project that requires enormous knowledge and amount of time. United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest and people don’t understand you need time. But I think every team being built needs time. Just look at [Matheus] Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko: they have played very few matches together.

  "And I think that they especially need games and they need to develop certain automatisms because then it’s much easier. When you have these automatisms, you don’t need to think where a player is or runs but that you start automatically. Then the results come and everything looks much better."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Bournemouth up next for United

  United face a demanding festive schedule with four Premier League matches leading up to the New Year and begin their run with a home match against Bournemouth on. The Cherries have become a banana skin for United in recent meetings and are winless in their last four Premier League games against them. But Amorim's side are in a good vein of form after a rocky start to the season, having lost just one of their last nine league games, with the defeat being the recent 1-0 at home to Everton. They then travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on December 21st and their Boxing Day fixture (which is the only top-flight game that day) sees them host Newcastle United at Old Trafford. And they round off 2025 with another home game against Wolves on December 30th.

Juventus have reportedly joined the race for Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, as the young Red Devils star continues to attract interest from Serie A amidst the stagnation of his Old Trafford career. The 20-year-old has frequently been linked with Napoli and Juve are now said to be 'monitoring' Mainoo, whom they see as the next Paul Pogba if they can convince Mainoo to swap Manchester for Turin.

Mainoo could become new Pogba at Juventus

Reports by in Italy dub Mainoo the ‘talent which conquers half of Europe’ and say that the 20-year-old could become ‘Paul Pogba 2.0’ if he joins Juventus, whom ‘the player likes’.

Reports state that while Mainoo’s potential ‘does not go unnoticed’ at United, Napoli could make him a ‘priority target’ amidst a lack of similar options in the midfield, with a permanent move touted. The door is open for Juventus to make a swoop in January, though, and recreate a famous scenario where Pogba joined the Italian giants from United as a 19-year-old and went on to become one of the world’s best midfielders before returning to Old Trafford for £89 million ($117m) in 2016.

Whether Mainoo’s career could take a similar trajectory remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that comparisons can be drawn between the Carrington academy graduate not being given the first-team opportunities he perhaps deserves, in the same manner Pogba had to deal with before his first exit from the club.

AdvertisementAFP'The club comes first' – Mainoo and Zirkzee told exit reality

Mainoo has previously been reported to have demanded an Old Trafford exit in search of more game-time, but Ruben Amorim recently stated in a press conference that January exits will only occur if it is in the best interests of the club. He appeared to be referring to want-away stars Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee.

"The first thing is that the club comes first, so we have to think about the club and the team, and then everything can happen," said Amorim. 

"I was a football player, I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation, so I don't know what is going to happen.

"I want my players happy. I understand the frustration of some players, seeing that the World Cup is there, and I know what it means for the World Cup, but Manchester United comes first, so if I can help the club and the players, I will be happy, if not I have to think about the team."

Midfielder maintains minor Old Trafford role

Having played just 170 minutes in the Premier League so far this season, Mainoo’s role within Amorim’s side does not appear to be growing in the near future. While the Portuguese continues to proclaim his trust in the 10-cap England international publicly, his continued selection decisions tell an entirely different story.

Mainoo has even recently been told to join league leaders Arsenal, by former Gunners star Stefan Schwarz: "Arsenal have the best conditions for young players. And they have a manager in Mikel Arteta that is not afraid to give responsibility to them and give them opportunities when he feels they are ready. It's just about preparing them in the best way and that's what Arsenal have done very well the last couple of years."

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AFPMainoo exit situation as Serie A interest intensifies

Speculation linking Mainoo with an Old Trafford exit will undoubtedly only increase in volume as the January transfer window approaches.

Monday’s home defeat to Everton ended a five-game unbeaten run for the Red Devils and consigned Amorim’s side to a first home defeat since August, having won all four of their Premier League home fixtures since opening-day defeat to Arsenal.

Whether the disappointing result will impact Mainoo’s chances of further minutes in the coming weeks remains to be seen, with his 32 minutes on the field against the Toffees representing his longest cameo since August 30 against Burnley.

United have European ambitions this season and with the Champions League race looking wide open at present, Amorim has previously expressed how difficult it is to give minutes to his entire squad with only one game per week. This could, ultimately, lead to Mainoo demanding a departure once again, particularly if interest from the likes of Juventus becomes more concrete.

Lionel Messi extended his remarkable scoring streak in the MLS Cup Playoffs, netting his ninth goal in seven matches to give Inter Miami a 1-0 lead over FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference semifinal. The Argentine legend struck in the 18th minute, showcasing his aerial ability as he rose to meet a pinpoint cross from young winger Mateo Silvetti, silencing the packed crowd inside TQL Stadium.

Getty Images SportArgentine connection

Messi gave Inter Miami a crucial advantage in their Eastern Conference semifinal against FC Cincinnati, heading home in the 18th minute to put the visitors up 1-0 at TQL Stadium. The goal came after a swift counterattack sparked by former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba, who intercepted a misplaced pass from Nick Hagglund in midfield.

Alba quickly found Messi in a central pocket, and the forward slid a perfectly weighted ball out to Argentine winger Mateo Silvetti on the left. The youngster delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, and Messi met it with a bouncing header that beat goalkeeper Roman Celentano and nestled into the far corner.

AdvertisementWatch the goalGetty Images SportMiami's tactical approach pays dividends

Inter Miami's tactical setup under head coach Javier Mascherano has proven effective thus far, with the team looking to advance to its first Eastern Conference final since joining MLS in 2020. Despite playing away from home, Miami have executed their game plan perfectly, absorbing Cincinnati's early pressure before striking clinically on the counter-attack.

The hosts had their best chance in the 22nd minute when forward Ender Echenique narrowly missed equalizing, his shot sliding just inches wide of the far post. The goal also sparked something in Miami, as Rodriguez fired a shot at Celentano after being fed in the area by Messi, only for the keeper to parry it clear.

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Getty Images SportMessi's playoff dominance showcases continued excellence

Messi's header against Cincinnati further cements his status as the most influential player in Major League Soccer. Since joining Inter Miami in 2023, the Argentine superstar has transformed the franchise from expansion strugglers to legitimate title contenders, bringing unprecedented global attention to the league.

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” رسميًا عن اعتماد استاد برج العرب بالإسكندرية لاستضافة المباريات الإفريقية والدولية خلال الفترة المقبلة، بعد استيفائه جميع المعايير المطلوبة.

وجاء قرار “كاف” عقب زيارة ميدانية مشتركة قام بها أعضاء من الاتحاد الإفريقي واتحاد الكرة المصري، بهدف متابعة مدى جاهزية الاستاد لاستقبال المباريات القارية.

وأكدت اللجنة خلال زيارتها أن استاد برج العرب استوفى جميع الاشتراطات الفنية والتنظيمية الخاصة بمباريات الفئة الثالثة، ما أهله لاستقبال مباريات الأندية والمنتخبات في مختلف البطولات.

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وفي خطاب رسمي، أوضح الاتحاد الإفريقي أن الموافقة على عودة الاستاد تأتي في إطار حرص “كاف” على توفير ملاعب ذات معايير فنية عالية، تضمن سلامة اللاعبين والجماهير، بالإضافة إلى جودة تنظيم المباريات.

ويمثل اعتماد استاد برج العرب خطوة مهمة للكرة المصرية، إذ يمنح الأندية والمنتخبات الوطنية فرصة خوض المباريات القارية على ملعب مجهز بأحدث المعايير المطلوبة.