Category Uncategorized

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has a plethora of star players in his squad, and some have been reduced to fewer minutes than they’d like.

BlueCo are spearheading another major reshuffle of the squad, and perhaps even more so this summer, with the expectation being that Chelsea are poised to offload many more squad members as new players fill their spaces.

Carney Chukwuemeka, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Alfie Gilchrist could all still leave Stamford Bridge before the summer transfer deadline on September 1, as UEFA pressure Chelsea to produce a positive transfer balance by next month.

The aforementioned seven could follow a host of players out the door, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu parting company permanently.

For most of a portion of this window, defender Benoit Badiashile has also been linked with exit door, but the Frenchman’s future has proved more complicated.

While Badiashile isn’t exactly at the forefront of Maresca’s plans, starting just three Premier League games last season, he did play in all but two games of their Conference League campaign.

The 24-year-old was a firm regular of their ‘B team’ last term, so to speak, but remains behind the likes of Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill in the pecking order.

Unfortunately for Maresca, Colwill is now set to miss most of the new campaign after damaging his ACL in training, with Chelsea thought to be exploring new centre-back options in the transfer market as a result.

Chelsea could even sign a new defender on an emergency loan, according to some reports, but any deal for the right player will be hard to do considering how late it is in the window.

They also remain in ongoing talks to sign both Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho respectively, and bringing in the attacking duo would take Chelsea’s summer spending to well past the £300 million mark.

Maresca could well be forced to consider more internal solutions to their centre-back shortage, with Badiashile now receiving plenty of support at Cobham.

Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile praised by staff behind-the-scenes

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, speaking on the London is Blue podcast this week, the former AS Monaco man is earning real admiration from members of the Chelsea staff.

Those within the club are convinced that Badiashile can develop into a consistent and reliable player for Chelsea, with Maresca told to take note of the ex-Ligue 1 star as a potential option – even if he’s currently injured himself right now.

Badiashile is expected back around September, though, so he could soon come in as cover for Colwill if Maresca opts to head in that direction.

In another interview on Playback, Jacobs also revealed that Badiashile has a fierce work ethic, with there being a growing sense that his signing has “slipped under the radar”.

While they certainly didn’t help themselves, the biggest problem for Tottenham Hotspur last season was injuries.

Ange Postecoglou had to make do with a cobbled-together squad for much of the campaign, and when he did have his players back, they won the Europa League.

Arguably, the biggest miss for the Lilywhites was Cristian Romero, who missed 27 games before playing a pivotal role in the club’s first trophy triumph in 17 years.

The World Cup winner will undoubtedly be one of Thomas Frank’s most important players this season, and so fans should be delighted about reports linking the club to an international who has been compared to him, as well as Gabriel Magalhães.

Spurs target Romero and Gabriel hybrid

It’s been an interesting summer for Spurs so far regarding transfers, as while their pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White hasn’t borne any fruit, they’ve bought in several other potential game-changers.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, while he wasn’t cheap, Mohammed Kudus could help turn the Lilywhites into a far more dangerous side, while Joao Palhinha has the ability to make them a far tougher side to break down.

Moreover, the North Londoners appear keen on adding at least one more player to their ranks before the window slams shut, a player who has been compared to Romero and Gabriel.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sebastien Vidal, who claims that Spurs are very interested in Ronald Araujo, who is valued at £43m.

In fact, the journalist goes further, revealing that the Lilywhites are “expected” to make their first official approach for the Barcelona star as soon as “next week.”

It could be a complicated and relatively costly transfer to get done, but Araujo has proven he’d be worth it, especially as he’s been compared to Romero and Gabriel.

How Araujo compares to Romero & Gabriel

Now, there are several quite surface-level similarities you can point to between Araujo, Gabriel and Romero, such as them all being South American defenders who play for their nations, the fact they all play for top sides in one of Europe’s top five leagues, or that none of them are the kind of defender who gets bullied off the ball easily.

However, thanks to FBref, we know that there are also some undeniable statistical similarities between them as they looked at all centre-backs across the top five leagues and, over the last 365 days, the Arsenal star comes in as the third most similar to the Barça ace, while the Spurs titan ranks as the ninth most similar.

You can gain a better understanding of how these comparisons were made by examining the underlying numbers in which the Uruguayan ranked closely to the two Premier League monsters.

Araujo & Gabriel
Statistics per 90	Araujo	Gabriel
Non-Penalty Expected Goals	0.11	0.10
Passing Accuracy	91.9%	90.2%
Key Passes	0.48	0.49
Passes into the Penalty Area	0.36	0.30
Goal-Creating Actions	0.24	0.23
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Campaign

Interestingly, when it comes to the Gunners’ ace, the Rivera-born star doesn’t actually rank all that closely in the defensive metrics, and instead shares plenty of the Brazilian’s offensive qualities, from non-penalty expected goals to key passes and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

However, when it comes to the Lilywhites ace, the metrics include offensive and defensive statistics, such as interceptions, percentage of aerial duels won, tackles in the middle third, key passes and more, all per 90.

Araujo & Romero
Statistics per 90	Araujo	Romero
Non-Penalty Expected Goals	0.11	0.10
Interceptions	1.07	1.34
Aerial Duels Won %	62.3%	60.3%
Tackles in the Middle Third	0.60	0.51
Key Passes	0.48	0.45
Progressive Carries	0.71	0.76
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Campaign

With all that said, while comparisons to two of the best defenders in the world’s toughest league are certainly encouraging, there are other arguments for why the North Londoners should be all over a deal for the former Boston River star, such as his experience.

For example, despite still being just 26 years old, and therefore a year out from hitting his peak, according to research from The Athletic, the “athletic monster,” as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, has made 175 appearances for Barcelona, of which 141 have been starts, and he’s racked up a pretty good tally of ten goals and seven assists in those games.

On top of that, he has also helped the Spanish giants win two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Super Cups, which makes it easy to understand why legendary centre-back Carles Puyol once described him as “one of the best defenders in the world.”

Ultimately, even though it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, Spurs should be doing what they can to secure Araujo’s services, especially as he’s something of a hybrid between Romero and Gabriel.

Spurs prepared to pay £40m to sign "special" James Maddison replacement

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly not concerned by the price tag of a star who could be a dream replacement for James Maddison.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 11, 2025

Youssoufa Moukoko admitted he cried over claims about his age that overshadowed his rise from Borussia Dortmund prodigy to Copenhagen striker.

• Ex-Dortmund player now plays for Copenhagen
• Allegations claimed his birth certificate was fake
• Moukoko said rumours left him in tears

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Moukoko who was once tipped as Dortmund’s next superstar, has spoken out about the emotional toll of false age claims that surrounded his career. Despite scoring an incredible 141 goals in 88 youth matches for BVB, his rise was marred by allegations that his birth certificate was fake. Reports suggested he was actually born in 2000, making him four years older than officially registered.

Advertisement

• IMAGO / Michael Barrett Boesen
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After a loan spell at Nice, he left Dortmund permanently in the summer, completing a €5 million move to Copenhagen, where he has scored three times in 12 games so far. Nonetheless the scandal dented his reputation at a crucial stage in his development, with critics questioning both his legitimacy and his potential. His time at Dortmund fizzled out without a proper farewell to fans, ending a nine-year stay at the club. Now in Denmark, Moukoko is attempting to rebuild both his career and confidence, while showing resilience in speaking openly about the challenges that left him struggling mentally.

• WHAT MOUKOKO SAID

  Speaking to , Moukoko revealed: "I've cried and thought: 'How do I get out of this?' and 'When will things get better?' Many people simply say: 'Everything's fine,' after difficult times. But I want to talk about it. Sometimes you have to learn to cry for help.

  "I think I was surprised by how many people do anything to get attention. Some people are incredibly greedy. Maybe one day I'll make my own documentary."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MOUKOKO?

  The German international is now focused on making his mark in the Danish Superliga. With three goals already for Copenhagen, the 20-year-old hopes to silence the noise around him by delivering consistent performances and reigniting the potential that once made him one of Europe’s most hyped teenagers.

Nottingham Forest have now joined the race to sign a “special” £25 million international winger, according to a new report.

Nottingham Forest in contact to sign new striker after Jesus

The Reds have made two signings so far this summer, both of whom arrived from Brazilian side Botafogo. But given the club are looking to go deep into the UEFA Conference League as well as achieve further success in the Premier League, then Nuno Espirito Santo will be wanting more arrivals before the Premier League season gets underway.

Nottingham Forest among frontrunners for £20m+ Elanga replacement after talks

The Reds are progressing in talks to sign a player who will replace the departed Anthony Elanga.

1 ByBrett Worthington Jul 13, 2025

Igor Jesus, who is a striker, is one of the two players to arrive at the City Ground this summer, and he will join Chris Wood, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Emmanuel Dennis as the contracted forwards at Forest, but the latter could be free to leave the club given he has fallen down the pecking order. Meanwhile, Awoniyi’s return to action is unknown, and therefore, Forest are in the market for another centre-forward.

According to recent reports abroad, Forest have made contact with Inter Milan over the signing of Mehdi Taremi. Fulham and Turkish outfit Besiktas were already in the race to sign Taremi, but the Reds have now added his name to the list, with all three teams making contact with Inter but are now waiting for the striker to decide his next move. He could cost any side as much as £6.8 million.

Nottingham Forest join Everton in race to sign "special" £25m winger

As well as looking at new forward options, the Reds are also looking at who could replace Anthony Elanga, and according to The Express, Forest have registered their interest in signing Ben Doak from Liverpool.

Unfortunately for Forest, they are not the only team from the Premier League interested in the winger, as Doak is a “leading target” for Everton, as they have made an enquiry, but the likes of Bournemouth and Crystal Palace have also submitted enquiries about signing Doak.

It goes on to add that Doak, who has earned six caps for Scotland to date, would be open to leaving Anfield this summer, after returning from his loan spell at Middlesbrough. The 19-year-old is out of contract next summer, and therefore, Liverpool could be open to letting Doak leave, should they receive an offer worth £25 million.

This is despite the fact he has played just 10 times for the Premier League champions, but Liverpool will see his loan spell at Boro as a productive campaign, as he scored three goals in 24 league games.

Apps

24

Starts

21

Goals

3

xG

4.40

Shots per game

1.1

Goal conversion

11%

Assists

7

xAG

4.52

Big chances created

7

Key passes

1.9

Successful dribbles

1.5 (40%)

Doak is a player who is admired by a lot of clubs, and it may not come as much of a surprise, given former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp labelled Doak “special”. Klopp said: “Special boy. Really confident, has something nobody else delivers, really, this kind of dribbling, this kind of straight-forward bravery, all these kinds of things.”

The left-hander has joined Sydney Thunder following his earlier move back to New South Wales

Andrew McGlashan21-Aug-2024A return to Test cricket is at the forefront of Nic Maddinson’s mind, as he looks to bring last season’s strong finish in the Sheffield Shield to New South Wales after his winter return home, while he also hopes to reignite his T20 career after completing a double switch by joining Sydney Thunder.Maddinson hit three centuries in three Shield matches in the second half of last season for Victoria after missing the first part of the summer through injury before opting to move back to where his career began in Sydney.Those performances stood out in a Shield season where runs were hard to come by and started to have Maddinson’s name mentioned for a possible return to Test cricket. His previous three Tests came in 2016-17 against South Africa and Pakistan when the selectors revamped the batting order, but he made just 27 runs in four innings.Related

Sheffield Shield preview: Western Australia chase history, Test stars to play early rounds

Sheffield Shield team of the season: Webster, Davies, McAndrew… and who else?

Philippe and Maddinson make move to New South Wales

Warner signs for full BBL, Smith inks three-year Sixers deal

“Probably [think about it] most days to be fair,” Maddinson told ESPNcricinfo. “Obviously throughout the winter and off season you have other stuff and family at home, but when you start coming into cricket, we’ve been outdoor training on the centre wickets, [Josh] Hazlewood and [Mitchell] Starc have started to roll through, it’s hard not to think about the progression of your career.”I love playing the game and want to help New South Wales win but also from a personal point of view still feel like I offer something at international cricket and would love to have that chance again. There’s a lot of motivations for people and still playing for Australia is there for me.”He also believes there is no comparison to the player he is now to the one who first played Test cricket. Overall in six seasons with Victoria he averaged 50.63 in Shield cricket.Nic Maddinson made three hundreds in three Shield matches last season•Getty Images”Ten times better, maybe more,” he said. “Think I’m probably a much better player than I was even three or four years ago. Felt like Shield runs last year were pretty hard to come by on some of the wickets we got dished up. Opening the batting was always a great spot to bat but it was never really my strength. To be able to score the runs I did last year gave me a lot of confidence, being able to adapt and play a different style. As you look to progress career you have to adapt and last year felt I really made some good progress.”Maddinson’s prolific finish to the Shield came off the back of a difficult BBL campaign for Melbourne Renegades where he was dropped despite being captain after 48 runs in four innings. He had come into the tournament on the back of very little cricket after recovering from an ACL injury. His overall T20 record is underwhelming with an average of 20.30 from 134 innings but he hopes to reinvigorate his game with Thunder.”I’ve been pretty disappointed with how I’ve been probably since I left the Sydney Sixers [in 2018] to be fair,” he said. “I really found it challenging going into BBL off not much cricket [last season] having had such a long break. For me, what’s important is having a decent block of longer-form cricket to channel into BBL and then expand your game from there.”There’s definitely stages in people’s careers where you have a bit of a lull in formats and can bounce back. Last year was a bit disappointing for me because the only thing holding me back from feeling like I was going to do well was just the amount of game time. There were a few technical changes and bad habits I’d got into from practising for T20 that took away from the overall structure of my batting. Going forward it’s about trying to find a game plan that works regardless of where I fit in in the order.”Joining Thunder means there is the prospect of Maddinson opening with David Warner, with whom he shared a Shield opening stand of 233 in 2011 after he was confirmed as having full availability for the season”Think I opened with him for the very first time when I was 16 in a 2nd XI game,” Maddinson said. “To think we could be batting together again, it’s been quite a long time. That top order, you put Cam Bancroft into that, Ollie Davies, Sam Billings, it’s quite a nice-looking line-up and hopefully I have a role in that somewhere.”

Milos Kerkez is edging toward a move from Bournemouth to Liverpool, with sporting director Richard Hughes discussing the final details with his successor in the Cherries transfer seat.

This in itself is a fantastic deal for Anfield, whose veteran left-back Andy Robertson is an “absolute legend” but one “hanging on in every game” for Arne Slot’s side this season, says pundit Jamie Carragher.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold signing for Real Madrid at the end of his Liverpool contract, it was also important for FSG to welcome a successor, and Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong has been picked as the man for the job, signed for £29.5m.

Further change is afoot higher up the field, but Liverpool have already shown a willingness to secure a new centre-back this summer, pushing to sign Dean Huijsen before he rejected a wealth of Premier League interest for Real Madrid.

Why Liverpool need a defender

Virgil van Dijk is now a two-time Premier League winner, dominant and immense as the captain guided his team through the campaign with elite consistency.

It’s brilliant that Van Dijk signed a new deal on Merseyside, extending his stay for two more years, but he turns 34 next month and Liverpool need to find a long-term heir.

That could have been Huijsen, who was hailed as “the perfect left centre-back” by analyst Ben Mattinson after his campaign on the south coast. Complete in an age-belying fashion, the Spain international, only 20, would have secured Liverpool’s backline for years to come, had he joined.

And though FSG are big on acting upon unique market opportunities, they must surely recognise the need for a fallback. Ibrahima Konate arrived in 2021, and no first-team centre-back has since followed him.

Konate, moreover, is being courted by Los Blancos, who want to snap him up as a free agent next summer. Liverpool are currently locked in talks over a new deal with their French defender.

Given Jarell Quansah’s future is also uncertain, a Huijsen alternative to ease the burden on Van Dijk and co would be great, and the Premier League champions have identified the man for the job.

Liverpool begin move for new CB

As per Caught Offside, Liverpool have entered the race for Bayern Munich centre-back Kim Min-jae, with sources close to the South Korean claiming he will be allowed to leave the Allianz Arena this summer.

With the various parties all seeking a swift resolution, Bayern have reduced their asking price from €50m (£44m) to about €35m (£30m), which would work well for the Reds given their need for reinforcements across a myriad of positions.

With Chelsea and Newcastle United also exploring a move, Liverpool would be wise to take their interest up a notch, ready to pounce.

What Kim Min-Jae would bring to Liverpool

Kim has struggled to truly hit his stride for Bayern, but certainly showcased his quality as an elite-level central defender when in the Serie A with Napoli, heralded as an “iron barrel” of a player by his former teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

According to Luciano Spalletti, former Napoli boss, Kim has the minerals to become “the best centre-back in the world”, keeping 14 clean sheets from 35 matches as the Blues won the Scudetto in 2022/23, a colossus in protecting his side’s goal.

A player capable of getting stuck in and performing with a more elegant touch, Kim’s is the prototypical modern profile, his strength suggesting he would thrive in the rigorous Premier League.

Bayern signed the 28-year-old from Napoli in July 2023 after meeting his £43m release clause, and though he’s since recovered the Bundesliga from Leverkusen after missing out in his debut term, it hasn’t been the smoothest sailing for the left-sided defender, who made four direct errors leading to a goal this term, as per Sofascore.

Still, such lapses haven’t prevented the £194k-per-week titan from producing otherwise impressive performances, completing 93% of his passes, averaging 5.7 ball recoveries per game and winning 65% of his aerial battles.

His aerial dominance, crisp and progressive passing and left-sided berth suggest Kim could be the perfect foil for Van Dijk, especially when data-led site FBref suggest the two players bear a tactical likeness.

Goals

0.09

0.08

Assists

0.02

0.00

Touches

87.13

103.14

Pass completion

91.7%

92.9%

Progressive passes

5.05

6.45

Shot-creating actions

1.19

1.02

Progressive carries

0.50

0.62

Ball recoveries

3.11

5.51

Tackles + interceptions

2.31

3.06

Clearances

4.55

3.60

Aerials won

2.85

3.06

Securing a new centre-half who can ease Van Dijk’s defensive burden wouldn’t be a bad thing, especially with Liverpool determined to go one better than this term and compete for silverware across four different major fronts.

There’s clearly a likeness to the players, who both employ confident passing games but maintain creative flair too. Moreover, they are persistent commanders of aerial traffic, directing whipped-in danger away from the box.

If Liverpool wish to maximise the time they have left with their legendary skipper, overloading him with minutes might not actually be the best track to take. Instead, Van Dijk could thrive in an environment that allows him to step away from the action without sending Slot’s system into a spin.

Kim’s similarities to the Dutchman would allow him to do exactly that, regarded in the past as ‘the South Korean Van Dijk.’

Given Quansah was used so sparingly this season, and indeed Konate’s future is uncertain (as is his fitness, routinely missing chunks of the campaign), this would be the perfect, affordable deal for an experienced and dynamic defender who could fill in for the captain or play alongside him.

He'd be incredible with Wirtz: £80m star dreaming of signing for Liverpool

Liverpool are making some serious moves in the transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 6, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have now held advanced talks to appoint a “phenomenal” manager as a replacement for Ange Postecoglou, according to journalist Tancredi Palmeri.

Sack looming for Postecoglou despite Europa League victory

It appears as though the Europa League triumph in Bilbao will not be enough to prevent Daniel Levy from pulling the trigger on Postecoglou, with Football Insider recently revealing thaty the decision has been made to sack the manager.

That news comes after journalist Miguel Delaney revealed the 59-year-old has very little chance of remaining in his post, saying: “As of Friday morning, Tottenham Hotspur still hadn’t made an official decision on Ange Postecoglou but the chances of staying had apparently gone down from last week’s ‘five percent’.

“His departure is still expected, whenever that may be.”

Sacking the manager who led Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years will no doubt cause unrest within some pockets of the fanbase, but making the decision early will, at the very least, give any new manager an entire summer to instill a new philosophy.

According to Palmeri, who recently spoke to talkSPORT, Daniel Levy now has a top-level manager in mind as a replacement for Ange, namely Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi.

When asked about Inzaghi’s future at the San Siro, the journalist said: “The situation is that Al Hilal offered him £25million per-season for two seasons.

“I can tell you that he had advanced contacts with both Newcastle and Tottenham but at the same time, the priority for him is to stay at Inter.”

"Phenomenal" Inzaghi could be ideal Ange replacement

Tottenham’s 17th-place finish cannot be ignored, despite the Europa League triumph in Bilbao, with Ange’s side losing 22 Premier League games across the campaign, becoming the first side to lose as many without being relegated.

There is no doubting the Inter Milan manager’s talent, having led his side to the Champions League final this season, albeit coming up short in a 5-0 thrashing against Paris Saint-Germain in Munich.

Top target: Tottenham set to hold talks for "unbelievable" £68m forward

Spurs are planning to enter negotiations with the agents of a forward, who is one of their key summer targets.

ByDominic Lund Jun 2, 2025

The Italian has been lauded as “phenomenal” by former Inter striker Felipe Caicedo, and he retains a stellar record across spells with Inter and Lazio, winning three Italian Cups, five Super Cups and one Serie A title in the process.

Inzaghi’s record

Matches

Points per match

Inter Milan

217

2.14

Lazio

244

1.79

It would be a shame to see Ange leave, given that he was responsible for ending Tottenham’s trophy drought, but Inzaghi, who rakes in £5.6m-a-year (£108k-a-week), could be an excellent replacement for the Australian.

Ruben Amorim has cut a frustrated figure since replacing Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. The Portugal tactician’s candour has worked against him at times, fingers pointed toward negativity when the club needs the opposite.

But Amorim is at least clear in his vision and clear about where the Red Devils need to improve. He’s been clear about his opinion that beating Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final will not rectify the wrongs, and he’s been clear that changes are needed in the transfer market this summer.

United are down, but they aren’t out, retaining a deep-rooted appeal for players to make the move to Old Trafford. INEOS will certainly hope the club’s reputation holds sway as they look to close their first deal of the summer.

Man Utd on the verge of signing new forward

According to Fabrizio Romano, Man United will complete the signing of Matheus Cunha in the coming days, with the Wolverhampton Wanderers forward keen on wrapping up discussions and making the move to Manchester.

Cunha has a £62.5m release clause in his Wolves contract after renewing terms in January, and given that negotiations between United and the Old Gold are at an advanced stage, it seems to be the structure of the payment being the only hold-up.

What Matheus Cunha would bring to Old Trafford

Regarded as “one of the best players in the Premier League this season” by Statman Dave, Cunha may well have been the definitive factor in Wolves’ season, firing away each week to lift his team away from the relegation fodder.

He might find he’s swiftly required as a talisman at Old Trafford next season, for his efforts suggest he’s a far cry ahead of some of Amorim’s existing options.

Alejandro Garnacho is one of United’s brightest sparks, but there’s no question that he’s ebbed and flowed this year, with talks of a transfer to Chelsea or Atletico Madrid in January coming to nought.

Such clubs may return for the £65m-rated talent this summer.

Amorim and Garnacho didn’t get off to a good start, the manager dropping his 20-year-old star in December following application problems in training.

He has evident talent, but given that Cunha is expected to join, why not cash in and start afresh? To be sure, United need quite the renovation.

And when looking at the players’ respective seasons, it’s clear that Cunha is head and shoulders above the Man United man.

Matches (starts)

31 (28)

36 (23)

Goals

15

6

Assists

6

2

Shots (on target)*

3.2 (1.3)

2.3 (0.8)

Big chances missed

2

14

Pass completion

79%

83%

Big chances created

13

4

Dribbles*

1.9

0.7

Ball recoveries*

4.0

3.0

Tackles + interceptions*

1.6

1.2

Duels won*

5.6

2.8

Cunha is far more clinical, not just outscoring Garnacho (and all the rest) but doing so with style, having missed only two big chances all season. Moreover, he’s more creative and more effective, and active in the duel.

Cunha’s defensive statistics surpass Garnacho’s too, and that’s not because of Wolves’ style of play. United are hemmed in near the bottom of the Premier League table with two games left to go, having averaged 53.2% of possession each game, as per FBref.

Transfer Focus

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

The fact is, Amorim needs this kind of player in his mix. The Red Devils need a tenacious and combative forward who will work hard and shoot true, with a flair for the creative, too.

Hailed for his “incredible” performances at Molineux by his former manager Gary O’Neil, signing Cunha, regardless of United’s Europa League fate, would make a firm comment on the club’s ability to withstand adversity and still attract some of the finest players in the Premier League.

Maybe Garnacho and the £90k-per-week Wolves sensation could work in conjunction next year, but if the Argentina prospect needs to be sold to establish room and balance for this new recruit, so be it.

Not just Hojlund: Man Utd must axe one of Ten Hag's best signings in Bilbao

Manchester United fell to yet another defeat last night, losing 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

ByEthan Lamb May 17, 2025

Patrick Dorgu has become a key player at Manchester United since his January move from Lecce. The Dane, who cost the Red Devils £25m up front, has already played ten times for his new club this term, although he did miss three games due to suspension.

The 20-year-old is yet to score or assist for the first time in a United shirt. However, he did win a penalty, which Bruno Fernandes converted in the Europa League Round of 16 against Real Sociedad, showing just how deadly he can be.

With that being said, it has not all been smooth sailing for the wing-back. Aside from his red card, he was recently rotated out of the team for United’s 4-1 loss away to Newcastle United, with Harry Amass stepping into his shoes.

Amass’ full debut for United

For a football fan, there probably aren’t many better birthday presents than making your professional debut, and for Man United, nonetheless. Well, that was the case for Amass, who made a substitute appearance away to Leicester City in the Premier League on his 18th birthday.

Just weeks later, the youngster, who was born in London and played for Watford’s academy originally, made his first start in the top flight. The youngster was selected to start ahead of Dorgu at left wing-back.

Indeed, it was an impressive showing from Amass, as the stats on Sofascore reflect. The 18-year-old had 31 touches of the ball, completed 85% of his passes and won two duels. He certainly performed well.

That was certainly a sentiment that football statistician Statman Dave seemed to agree with. He was full of praise for Amass, explaining that he “didn’t look out of place in senior football” at St James’ Park last weekend.

There is certainly no worry about squad depth for the Red Devils at left-wing back, with the emergence of Amass and the signing of Dorgu. Incredibly, they are adding to that depth over the summer with another new signing.

United’s latest left wing-back signing

One of the continents where big European clubs tend to find hidden gem players is South America. Well, United may have pulled off a masterclass of their own in that sense, with the signing of youngster Diego Leon.

In the middle of January, it was confirmed by BBC Sport that the 18-year-old undertook a medical at United’s Carrington training ground. The reported fee is £6m, with the left-back set to join in the summer.

Now, United are not just signing a player without first-team experience who could one day break into the fold at Old Trafford. No, Leon has actually had years of experience at first-team level for Paraguayan side Cerro Porteno.

He has already played 26 times for the club over the past couple of years, and has even managed three goals in that time, from left-back. His 2092 minutes so far equate to 23 full 90-minute games, showing his importance to the Cerro Porteno side.

In fact, his underlying stats via Sofascore from his time in professional football so far are impressive. For example, Leon played nine key passes last term, and five this season, as well as making 45 tackles and interceptions in 2024, and 11 in 2025.

Minutes

1643

450

Key passes

9

5

Pass accuracy

71.5%

76.8%

Tackles and interceptions

45

11

Aerial duels won

21

11

One person who rates the youngster highly is football analyst Ben Mattinson. Discussing Leon in December 2024, just one month before his United medical, the analyst said he “runs like a steam train”, highlighting the physicality he will bring to Old Trafford.

Leon certainly seems like a player United fans can get excited about. The 18-year-old will bring first-team experience with him to the Premier League, and he clearly has final-third flair. He could be the perfect player for Amoirm to add to his wing-back options.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Both Amass and Dorgu may well need to watch out…

Upgrade on Rashford: Man Utd leading the race to sign £30m "monster"

Man Utd are looking for attacking reinforcements this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 16, 2025

Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Wolvaardt, Kate Cross, Shreyanka Patil, Tanuja Kanwar, Alice Capsey and Shweta Sehrawat on what they have learned about their Australian team-mates in T20 leagues

Interviews by S Sudarshanan 29-Sep-2024Out of the first 15 Women’s World Cups across the ODI and T20I formats, Australia won nine. Then they lost the semi-final of the 2017 50-over World Cup, which stung them so much that they changed the look of their line-ups – pushing up Alyssa Healy to open the batting being one of those – in a bid to get back to the winningest of ways.Since then, they have added another ODI World Cup and three more T20 World Cups to their cabinet. They also finished gold medalists at the inaugural Commonwealth Games women’s cricket competition in 2022. In short, they have swept it all – every single multi-team tournament since the start of 2018.How do Australia manage to build a winning mindset? What does it entail? And how do their players prepare for matches or deal with pressure? We asked players from other countries to tell us what they had observed about their Australian counterparts while playing alongside them in T20 leagues across the world.

Is there an Australian player you love watching play or train?

Kate Cross (*with Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Sophie Molineux in WPL; Wareham, Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield, Heather Graham in the Hundred): I think Phoebe Litchfield is probably one of the more fun players to watch at training. She often commentates on her batting, which can be hilarious at times, and she really puts a lot of time into her funky shots. So, it was interesting watching how she tries to develop and improve her game – even in the middle of competitions.Related

• South Africa head in new direction with calm Laura Wolvaardt at the helm

• FAQs: The first ever women's T20 World Cup at a neutral venue

• Ellyse Perry: 'If you worry too much about any other team, you're only reacting then'

• 'We know we're being hunted' – Mooney wants to keep winning while the going is good

• Annabel Sutherland: 'If you're a youngster coming through and you're not frustrated, you're doing something wrong'

I love watching Georgia Wareham go about her business. She’s a pretty quiet character off the field but she’s outthinking a lot of people on it. Her skill level is ridiculously high too, so having her as a team-mate recently has been something I’ve really enjoyed.Shreyanka Patil (with Perry, Wareham, Molineux in WPL): I enjoyed playing with Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham as fellow spinners. Even during practice, they were coming and helping me out, and asking questions as well, so it was a two-way learning.Laura Wolvaardt (with Gardner, Garth, Sutherland, Wareham, Litchfield, Mooney in WPL; Mooney, Garth, Wellington in the Hundred; McGrath, Wellington, Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown in WBBL): Tahlia McGrath, obviously played a lot with her at [Adelaide] Strikers. I think she is a really good cricketer, good at everything – batting, bowling, fielding, captaincy. She is a really cool and humble person off the field as well.Alice Capsey (with Lanning, Sutherland, Jess Jonassen in WPL; Lanning, Sutherland, Kim Garth in WBBL; Amanda-Jade Wellington in the Hundred): Growing up, I was more attracted to the Jos Buttlers, Jason Roys, Charlotte Edwards. I wasn’t really Australian-driven, I didn’t know many of the players that well. But now it has been great to share the dressing room with someone like Meg Lanning. It is not just about their experiences but [observing] how they go about training, preparing for a game, what they look for, what kind of prep they do and just learning how they had done it themselves. I am never going to be same as a Lanning, but I can pick up on different things she does based on what works for me.Shweta Sehrawat walks out to bat with Alyssa Healy for UP Warriorz: “My first experience playing alongside Healy and Tahlia [McGrath]… I had to adjust a bit mentally, because in my mind they were my opponents”•Deepak Malik/BCCI

How has your impression of them changed from that of an opponent to a team-mate?

Capsey: You see these players on TV and you play against them, but it is nice to understand them as a person as well and just build really good relationships and have a relaxed conversation. Every time I have been in the changing room with Meg, she has been very open, very welcome. She is one of the cricketers who just knows her game so well.She’s been a good sounding board for when I have been playing for Delhi Capitals and Melbourne Stars. People don’t realise how valuable it is batting alongside her in the middle. At the end of the day, you can do all the training and have all the conversations off the pitch. But it is how they manage the in-game situations, which is one of the aspects that makes them so great. Meg’s one of those – she manages her innings so well. She knows what’s happening and is so in control. Being able to play alongside her is so amazing.Shweta Sehrawat (with Grace Harris, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath in WPL): It was a bit different for me. I always imagined wanting to play for India against Australians as opponents. But my first experience itself was playing alongside Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath in the first season of the WPL. I had to adjust a bit mentally, because in my mind they were my opponents. But there was no fear, and I lapped up the opportunity to learn from them. I gelled better in the second season, so much so that I am in regular touch with Tahlia and we went out for dinner when I toured Australia as part of the India A side last month.Tanuja Kanwar (with Litchfield, Garth, Sutherland, Wareham, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner in WPL): I used to watch Australian players only on TV before the WPL. But when I met them, I realised they are very chill people. I used to feel, “Oh, how do I speak to them”, but it was very easy when I met them and we became a team.Cross: I think it was just nicer to have Ellyse as a team-mate for once and not worry about how to get her out! But the beauty of changing from rivals to team-mates is that it gives you an insight into how and why they have got to the very top of their game. Also, just getting to know someone on a personal level – it almost makes me look forward to the Ashes more, knowing you’ve got mates to go up against.Meg Lanning, Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey at a Delhi Capitals event: Capsey says her understanding of the game has grown in the time she’s spent with Lanning•Bhushan Koyande/Hindustan Times/Getty Images

How do they train and prepare for a game?

Wolvaardt: The level of training and preparation at Strikers is equal to an international set-up, whereas our domestic systems are very much behind. They have an analyst, physio, strength and conditioning coach, a manager, because they are just so far ahead development wise. They have 200-300 players at a professional level every single day whereas we maybe only have the national side that is at that level of training.Cross: I didn’t notice any differences, but it’s their diligence that stands out the most. How well they train is admirable and is a huge indication of how consistent they are on the pitch because of how they train behind the scenes.Capsey: Everyone does it differently; someone like Meg does it differently to someone like Nat [Sciver-Brunt], who does it differently to someone like Marizanne Kapp, who does it differently to me or anyone else. Everyone has different things that works for them. Meg’s one of those people that’s so consistent, she just churns runs for fun, and it’s amazing to watch. You can also see the hard work that goes behind the scenes, how she goes about her net sessions and how specific she is. Then you get a pretty good understanding of the process that makes her successful.That is important in cricket. You are always going to fail more than you succeed. As a batter, more often than not, you are going to get out for low scores. It is about understanding and creating a process that works for you and allows you the best chance to be successful. There are so many variables that if you have your process it makes it a little bit easier.Kanwar: I am a bit superstitious; I don’t do knocking just before toss, but I do bowl a bit to warm up. With Australian players, I have seen that they prepare fully. They do knocking, take a few catches and do fielding drills, too, just to be ready in the match.Tanuja Kanwar: “I have noticed that the Australians do not get overly dejected [by defeat]. They are focused on what to do next and how to better the performances”•Prashant Bhoot/BCCI

How do they react under pressure?

Jemimah Rodrigues (with Lanning, Jonassen, Sutherland in WPL; Jonassen in WPCL; Sutherland in WBBL): Lanning is so calm and cool, even under pressure. I feel that is one of the biggest qualities a captain can have. Everyone’s under pressure, but if you see your captain calm, it just helps calm the entire team. That is an amazing thing with Lanning.Wolvaardt: They are very good under pressure. Just as you think they are about to finally lose a game, they find a way to win. They can find a way to win from any position. That comes with time and being exposed to those scenarios. It is like a momentum type of thing – the more you win in those situations, the more you will be able to win. It’s hard when you are in those situations and you lose ().Rodrigues: I think the one thing I will really take from Lanning is that she just knows what she’s doing. That’s what helps her be calm even under pressure.Cross: Nothing massively stood out that I wasn’t expecting, but Pez would be in the nets all the time. I’m now really not surprised she has that massive hotspot in the middle of her bat. She uses it that often!Sehrawat: I hadn’t really looked at Tahlia from that perspective, but come to think of it, I can recall one thing from during the A series. I was standing at slip, and against a left-arm spinner, she hit a lovely inside-out lofted shot that beat long-off. I then remembered her playing that shot on a few occasions before as well, so I now want to steal that shot and play it as adeptly as her.Capsey: Playing with Meg, I have learnt to manage my innings a lot better. The little bits and pieces that I have taken from her have been about my mindset and how I go about reading a game. She’s one of the most successful captains in world cricket – just how she reads the game, she’s good at speaking. She’ll tell you why she’s done certain things. She just doesn’t do it and you notice it, but she speaks to you and helps you understand why she’s done it. So, mindset and my understanding of the game and reading the game, I think, has a lot to do with playing and being in an environment with her. How to be ruthless once you are on top, I think she is good at that – sensing moments and pouncing at that.*Includes Australian team-mates in T20 leagues from March 1, 2023