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Celtic are back in action in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since the first international break of the campaign as they travel away from Glasgow to take on Kilmarnock.

Brendan Rodgers will want to see more from his side from an attacking perspective after the disappointing 0-0 draw away against Rangers last time out before the break.

The attacking set-up did not click at Ibrox, as they failed to create any ‘big chances’, and the Northern Irish head coach must look to make some changes to his starting line-up.

The Celtic player Rodgers should drop against Kilmarnock

Benjamin Nygren was deployed on the right wing against Rangers, despite thriving in a central midfield role for most of the season so far, and failed to shine with zero chances created and one out of six dribbles completed, per Sofascore.

The Sweden international, who scored three goals in the first three Premiership games, also lost possession a whopping 24 times, but it is Arne Engels who should be dropped instead of him.

Celtic’s £11m record signing played in Nygren’s best role, on the right of the midfield three, and did not do enough to suggest that he should keep his place in the starting XI, as the Belgian lightweight lost eight of his ten duels and failed to create any ‘big chances’ for the team.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Per Sofascore, the £16k-per-week flop did not register any shots, successful dribbles, tackles, or interceptions in his 65 minutes on the pitch, which further illustrates how poorly he performed in the middle of the park.

Rodgers must ruthlessly ditch Engels from the starting XI, move Nygren into central midfield, and bring Sebastian Tounekti in for his debut for the club.

Why Sebastian Tounekti should start for Celtic

The Hoops swooped to sign the Tunisia international from Hammarby on deadline day last week to bolster their options in the wide positions. He is a versatile forward who can play on the left or the right flank.

With Michel-Ange Balikwisha now in the building and starting on the left wing, Rodgers should deploy the former Allsvenskan star on the right wing against Kilmarnock this afternoon.

Celtic’s right wingers, James Forrest and Hyun-jun Yang, have combined for zero goals and zero assists in the first four matches of the Premiership campaign, which shows that the Hoops have not had much in the way of quality in that position so far.

Tounekti’s form for Hammarby across 21 appearances in the Allsvenskan in the 2025 campaign, though, suggests that he has the potential to change that by coming into the starting line-up.

2025 Allsvenskan	Sebastian Tounekti	Percentile rank vs wingers
Shots on target	12	Top 19%
Goals	3	Top 25%
Successful dribbles	41	Top 3%
Chances created	22	Top 18%
xA	4.62	Top 3%
Assists	5	Top 9%
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Tunisian maestro is a winger who excels at creating high-quality chances for his teammates, breaking down opposition defences with crosses and passes.

Celtic did not create a single ‘big chance’ in the 0-0 draw with Rangers in the Premiership last time out, which is why they need to change their team to bring more creativity into the XI for this clash with Kilmarnock.

They have signed Tounekti to offer more quality in the wide areas than they have got from their other options in that area of the pitch, which is why he should be thrown straight into the starting line-up for this clash.

His form in Sweden this year suggests that he has a good chance of hitting the ground running and creating high-quality chances for the likes of Daizen Maeda and Balikwisha to open their accounts in the league this season.

He's worth way more than Dolberg: Celtic nearly signed Haaland-esque striker

A star who once had trials with Celtic is now worth £25m more than Kasper Dolberg.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 10, 2025

SRH captain Pat Cummins struck thrice and that helped restrict DC to just 133

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-May-20251:01

What did Cummins do right?

No Result Rain put an official end to Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) IPL 2025 playoffs hopes and gave Delhi Capitals (DC) what could be a valuable point in their bid to finish in the top four. It certainly looked like a point gained for DC rather than one lost, after Pat Cummins took three new-ball wickets to put SRH in the driver’s seat at the innings break.Rain arrived soon after DC, sent in to bat, finished their innings at 133 for 7. By the time the weather cleared, the outfield was too sodden for the ground staff to clear by 11.42pm, the official cut-off time for a five-over chase.c Kishan b Cummins, again and again and againA grass-free surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium proved to be a tricky one, offering enough grip for balls banged into a hard length to misbehave, and Cummins is a master of banging the ball into a hard length.The SRH captain took the new ball himself with Mohammed Shami left out, and struck first ball, getting it to straighten and find Karun Nair’s edge. It was a sign of things to come, with the ball frequently stopping on the batter or – particularly if delivered with a wobbly seam – deviating sideways, usually just enough to find the edge.By the time he had bowled 19 balls, Cummins had taken three wickets and Ishan Kishan – keeping for the first time this season, relieving Heinrich Klaasen of the gloves – three catches.Pat Cummins wheels away after dismissing Karun Nair with the first ball•BCCIWith Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat also getting into the wickets column, DC were gasping at 29 for 5 in the eighth over. The fullish ball Unadkat bowled to dismiss KL Rahul, from left-arm around, summed up the conditions – on nine out of ten IPL pitches, Rahul would have probably middled the drive he attempted; this was the tenth pitch, and the ball straightened to kiss his edge and make Kishan the first keeper to catch out an entire top four in an IPL innings.Stubbs and Ashutosh steer DC towards respectabilityTristan Stubbs anchored DC’s recovery from that point, putting on 33 with Vipraj Nigam for the sixth wicket – Nigam sacrificed his wicket following a mix-up that left both batters at the same end – and 66 with Ashutosh Sharma for the seventh.As they have done in other recent games, DC named a bowler-heavy starting XI despite batting first, and brought Ashutosh off the Impact Player bench when the need arose. And Ashutosh was primarily responsible for a late flourish that brought DC 61 runs off their last six overs, hitting three sixes in a 26-ball 41. Stubbs finished unbeaten on 41 off 36 balls.Rain ends SRH’s hopesRain began soon after DC’s innings ended, leaving SRH waiting to begin a chase that eventually never took place.With three games left to play, SRH can finish the league stage with a maximum of 13 points. Four teams already have 14 or more points. DC, with 13 from 11 games, sit just outside that group.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Internacional ficou no empate com o RB Bragantino em 0 a 0, neste domingo (23). As equipes se enfrentaram pela 16ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, no Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista. A partida marcou o retorno do técnico Eduardo Coudet ao Colorado.

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+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão

Com o resultado, o Bragantino fica em 7º lugar na tabela, com 25 pontos. O Inter aparece em 10°, com 23 tentos. Na próxima rodada, o Massa Bruta enfrenta o Fortaleza, no sábado (29). Já o Inter encara o Cuiabá, no mesmo dia.

LÁ E CÁ!

A partida começou bastante equilibrada, com os dois times buscando chegar com perigo a todo momento. A primeira chegada foi do Bragantino, aos 6. Lucas Evangelista cobrou falta na área, mas a defesa do Inter afastou.

O Colorado tentou assustar com Alan Patrick e Enner Valencia. No entanto, atentos, os donos da casa conseguiram travar a dupla do time gaúcho.

IMPEDIDO!

Aos 15, Wanderson fez uma bela jogada e chutou rasteiro. Cleiton defendeu. No rebote, Alan Patrick bateu e mandou a bola para o fundo das redes. No entanto, a arbitragem marcou impedimento e anulou o tento.

RESPOSTA!

Depois do gol do Inter ser anulado, o Bragantino esboçou uma reação. Aos 17, o time paulista apareceu com Hurtado, que mandou muito perto do gol. Cinco minutos depois, Eduardo Sasha chutou no canto esquerdo de Rochet, que voou e defendeu. Aos 37, Natan aproveitou escanteio, mas cabeceou para fora.

NA BUSCA PELO GOL!

Na volta do intervalo, o Bragantino teve uma das melhores chances da partida. Aos 2, Nico fez lambança e entregou para Lucas Evangelista. A bola sobrou para Vitinho, que chutou cruzado. Faltou alguém para finalizar.

O Inter respondeu com Wanderson. Aos 9, o atacante aproveitou escanteio cobrado por De Pena e chutou de primeira. Cleiton segurou. Aos 13, Sorriso recebeu na direita e soltou uma defesa. Rochet salvou o Internacional.

UH!!!!

Enner Valencia teve uma boa chance para o Colorado. Aos 16, o equatoriano recebeu na esquerda, avançou e chutou. Mais uma vez, Cleiton brilhou e salvou o que seria um gol do Colorado.

NA TRAVE!

No final da partida, o Bragantino quase garantiu uma lei do ex. Aos 35, Léo Ortiz aproveitou uma jogada de perigo e pegou um rebote. O lateral soltou a bomba, mas a bola explodiu no poste.

FICHA TÉCNICA: BRAGANTINO X INTERNACIONAL
Campeonato Brasileiro – 16ª rodada

Local: Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid, em Bragança Paulista
Data e horário: 23 de julho de 2023, às 16h (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro: Maguielson Lima Barbosa (DF)
Assistentes: Kleber Lucio Gil (SC) e Leone Carvalho Rocha (GO)
VAR: Emerson de Almeida Ferreira (MG)
Cartões amarelos: Andres Hurtado, Natan e Léo Ortiz (Bragantino); Nico Hernandez e Matheus Dias (Internacional)
Cartões vermelhos: –

Gols: não houve

BRAGANTINO
Cleiton; Andrés Hurtado (Léo Ortiz, aos 28’/2°T), Luan Patrick, Natan e Juninho Capixaba; Matheus Fernandes (Thiago Borbas, aos 14’/2°T), Lucas Evangelista e Eric Ramires; Sorriso (Bruninho, aos 13’/2°T), Eduardo Sasha (Gustavinho, aos 41’/2°T) e Vitinho. Técnico: Pedro Caixinha.

INTERNACIONAL
Sérgio Rochet; Bustos, Mercado, Nico Hernandez e Renê; Johnny, Carlos de Pena (Matheus Dias, aos 32’/2°T), Aránguiz (Gustavo Campanharo, aos 32’/2°T) e Alan Patrick; Wanderson e Enner Valencia. Técnico: Eduardo Coudet.

MatériaMais Notícias

Botafogo e Fortaleza medem forças neste sábado (10), às 21h, no Nilton Santos, pela décima rodada do Brasileirão. O time de Luís Castro busca uma vitória dentro de casa para se manter na liderança isolada do Brasileirão.

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O Glorioso contará com uma presença ilustre nas arquibancadas. John Textor chegou ao Rio de Janeiro nesta semana para resolver algumas pendências do clube e estará presente no estádio para acompanhar os jogadores alvinegros em campo.

+ Estudo põe seis brasileiros entre os 50 jovens mais valiosos do mundo: veja lista

+ Botafogo x Fortaleza: onde assistir ao vivo, horário e prováveis escalações

O horário da partida rendeu muitas polêmicas nos últimos dias. O jogo, que estava marcado para às 18h30, acabou sendo alterado para 21h. A mudança da CBF gerou revolta em muitos torcedores nas redes sociais, que reclamaram do fato de ter que retornarem muito tarde para casa.

Luís Castro terá duvidas na escalação do Botafogo. Com dores na coxa, Tiquinho Soares é duvida na partida. Caso seja realmente desfalque, Matheus Nascimento e Janderson disputam pela vaga no ataque alvinegro.

+ Botafogo x Fortaleza: ingressos disponíveis para o público geral; saiba como comprar

O Botafogo ainda não foi derrotado no Nilton Santos desde que foi reaberto. O time disputou nove jogos no novo estádio e conquistou oito vitórias e um empate. A expectativa é por mais um resultado positivo antes da parada da Data Fifa, que será realizada entre os dias 12 e 22 de junho.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has faced mounting criticism in the aftermath of their botched deal for Eberechi Eze, and talks for Man City winger Savinho haven’t exactly been plain sailing either.

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Eze ultimately chose a move to boyhood club Arsenal ahead of Spurs, despite agreeing personal terms with the latter, when Mikel Arteta’s side swooped in at the last second and offered him a chance of returning to N5.

Tottenham also had a verbal agreement with Palace over the finances of a deal for Eze, but as the old saying goes – a signing is never done until all the contracts are signed.

Arsenal’s dramatic late hijack leaves Thomas Frank still without a star number 10 to replace the injured James Maddison, nor does the Dane have an heir to club legend Son Heung-min out wide.

Just under two weeks ago, Tottenham entered talks for both Eze and Savinho in separate deals, prompting huge excitement among the fanbase, but there is the possibility that Frank ends up with neither.

Eze is completely off the table, but in Savinho’s case, the north Londoners are not giving up, despite City blocking the deal as things stand.

Reports from Brazil earlier this week claimed that Tottenham are vowing to go all out for Savinho behind-the-scenes after losing out on Eze, and his agents are in London right now attempting to facilitate a deal (Globo Esporte).

Spurs could even submit a club-record £69 million bid for the Brazil international, but Pep Guardiola has previously insisted that he wants him at Eastlands for “many years” amid Levy’s interest.

Savinho is out injured right now, funnily enough, but an alternative to the 21-year-old could be Real Madrid star Rodrygo – if Spurs can’t agree a deal for the City man.

Tottenham make approach for Rodrygo amid chance of Real Madrid loan deal

Frank and Guardiola are poised to come head-to-head this weekend, and it gives club officials a chance to hold further talks over Savinho, as widely reported elsewhere.

However, City appear to be making this very difficult, and Rodrygo’s pool of suitors is running low.

The 24-year-old Brazil star, who bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions last season, has struggled for starts under new manager Xabi Alonso, and Defensa Central have claimed that Real could sanction a loan-to-buy deal as Tottenham take note.

Now, Mundo Deportivo, relayed by Sport Witness, have an update on the story – reporting that Tottenham are the only side to have approached Real over signing Rodrygo – and his potential exit remains a ‘live’ possibility heading into the final stretch of this summer.

Jude Bellingham called the ex-Santos star their most “underrated” and “gifted” player this year, and if a deal is there to be had, it is certainly one worth considering.

Rodrygo would be the statement signing that Tottenham are crying out for after a very testing window, and one that could seriously lift spirits around N17.

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ذكرت تقارير صحفية بريطانية أن كريستيانو رونالدو قد يجتمع مع مانشستر يونايتد مرة أخرى لأول مرة منذ رحيله إلى صفوف النصر السعودي.

ووفقاً لـ”ذا صن” البريطانية فإن السير جيم راتكليف وفريقه يدرسون إمكانية تنظيم مباراة ودية في منتصف الموسم ضد النصر السعودي.

ويملك مانشستر يونايتد الذين لا يشاركون في البطولات الأوروبية هذا الموسم جدول مباريات أقل انشغالاً، وتسعى إدارة النادي لزيادة إيراداتها وتخطط لسلسلة من المباريات الودية إحداها سيكون في السعودية ضد فريق كريستيانو رونالدو.

أقرأ أيضاً.. سلوت يحسم موقف ثلاثي ليفربول من مواجهة تشيلسي.. ويتحدث عن إيزاك

وكان مانشستر يونايتد فشل في التأهل لدوري أبطال أوروبا بعد خسارته نهائي الدوري الأوروبي على يد توتنهام بهدف نظيف.

جدير بالذكر أن كريستيانو رونالدو ارتدى قميص مانشستر يونايتد في فترتين مختلفتين وكانت الفترة الأولى بين عامي 2003-2009 هي الفترة الأكثر نجاحاً للاعب البرتغالي.

وعاد رونالدو إلى مانشستر يونايتد في موسم 2021-2022 وانضم بعد ذلك للعب في دوري روشن السعودي مع فريق النصر السعودي.

 

“If I speak, I’ll get into trouble. So I better stay quiet on that,” TKR captain Pollard said of the incident

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2024An lbw decision against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons batter Imad Wasim that swayed between out and not out for over 10 minutes led to “chaos”, controversy and an unusual delay in the CPL game against Trinbago Knight Riders in Port-of-Spain.The initial not-out decision was briefly overturned by the third umpire Nigel Duguid before Wasim was called back to resume batting, which sparked off animated chats between TKR captain Kieron Pollard and the on-field umpires Christopher Taylor and Patrick Gustard.The incident happened on the second ball of the tenth over of the chase right after Sunil Narine had Hassan Khan stumped for 36 off 20 balls. Falcons needed another 67 off 65 deliveries when Wasim looked to defend his first ball with a forward press in front of the stumps, and Narine, from around the wicket, pitched the ball on a good length, before it went on to hit Wasim’s pads right in front of middle stump. The loud lbw appeal was first given not out by umpire Taylor, which Narine asked Pollard to review. When Pollard did, ball-tracking showed the ball hitting leg stump, which would have meant a golden duck for Wasim.Wasim, however, looked confident that he had edged the ball before it hit his pad. He was seen chatting with the umpires before he started walking off, and was even willing to, in turn, review TKR’s review as replays on the big screen showed he had edged it. Falcons assistant coach Curtly Ambrose was watching the replays in the dugout too with the rest of the squad, and was seen gesticulating from just beyond the boundary to protest against Wasim’s dismissal.The umpire soon reverted his decision to not out after seeing the inside edge, but only to spark off an animated conversation between Pollard and both on-field umpires, with this time the TKR coach Phil Simmons signalling from the dugout. It led to a near 12-minute delay, with the TKR camp clearly unhappy about the eventual decision, and later seeing Wasim hitting the winning runs too.Despite the loss on Thursday, TKR are still second on the points table. But they have not sealed a playoffs berth yet, and a visibly upset Pollard kept things very short at the presentation. “If I speak, I’ll get into trouble,” he said about the Wasim incident. “So I better stay quiet on that.”Falcons captain Chris Green was more expressive. “Chaos, absolute chaos,” Green said. “I don’t know what went on. He was given out when he shouldn’t have been, and then he stood over the rope and he probably shouldn’t have – but he was told to. Absolute chaos. I don’t know what happened, but this tournament continues to entertain in different ways… Really happy with the win. We outplayed them in all facets of the game tonight, and we thoroughly deserve that win.”

Arsenal are reportedly working to recruit some high-profile targets behind-the-scenes, and a significant update has now dropped on one of them, courtesy of a Sky Sports reporter this morning.

Arsenal identify new winger and striker as priority targets

Two items at the very top of sporting director Andrea Berta’s to-do list over the coming months are signing a new winger and striker.

Arsenal confirm "very popular" 22-year-old has now joined another club

He’s officially left north London.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 11, 2025

Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus during the second half of 2024/2025 left Mikel Arteta desperately short of options up front, whilst adding further weight to the opinions of many critics that the addition of a prolific centre-forward is long overdue.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)	Money on new signings
19/20 – winter	£0
20/21 – summer	£81.5m
20/21 – winter	£900k
21/22 – summer	£156.8m
21/22 – winter	£1.8m
22/23 – summer	£121.5m
22/23 – winter	£59m
23/24 – summer	£208m
23/24 – winter	£0
24/25 – summer	£101.5m
24/25 – winter	£0

Mikel Merino did pretty well to cover the aforementioned duo as an emergency striker, but Berta and the recruitment team are eager to ensure that Arteta won’t be left in a similarly precarious position next season, when they’ll be looking to mount a far more successful Premier League title challenge.

Arsenal’s need for more goals is evident by their numbers from last term, with Arteta’s side scoring just 69 in total across their top flight campaign, a far cry beneath the 91 and 88 they’d managed in the two seasons prior.

Berta has laid the groundwork over deals for both Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, according to the BBC and reporter Sami Mokbel, but it appears the latter centre-forward is taking priority right now.

Arsenal are believed to be advancing in talks for Sesko, with Leipzig demanding around £70 million for their star striker as the Gunners look to find middle ground in negotiations.

Arteta and co also want to add further quality out-wide.

Leandro Trossard is about to enter the final year of his contract, while Bukayo Saka’s three-month injury lay-off midway through last season highlighted the need for Berta to bring in an alternative to the England international.

Leroy Sane pulls U-turn over joining Arsenal after Galatasaray agreement

One of their widely reported top targets is out-of-contract Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane.

Man City once valued the 70-cap Germany international at around £137 million during his time at Eastlands, but he’s now set to leave Bavaria for zero transfer cost.

According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal held talks with Sane as far back as April, and more recent reports from this week, via CaughtOffside, claim that the 29-year-old has spoken to Arteta about a move to the Emirates Stadium.

Sane apparently had an offer to join Arsenal on the table, and was thought to be very keen to work with Arteta again and join the Gunners (CaughtOffside).

A contract extension at Bayern was still on the cards as well, until very recently, with the ex-Premier League star informing Vincent Kompany’s side that he won’t be signing a new deal after all.

Now set to leave on a free, while Sane was believed to favour a move to Arsenal, he’s now apparently pulled a U-turn.

Instead, Turkish Süper Lig champions Galatasaray are closing in on a deal for Sane, according to Sky Germany’s Plettenberg in a “breaking” update this morning.

Sane’s top-level experience and proven record of goals and assists from the last few seasons arguably make him one of the bargains of the summer, but he’s still very pricey in terms of salary.

Reports suggest that the former Schalke sensation is demanding a big “mega-money” contract, with Galatasaray seemingly set to pay him big-money.

Sane is close to the twilight phase of his career at nearly 30, and they have other high-profile wide targets to turn to as alternatives – ones which could prove better value for salary in the long run.

Football is built on gossamer-fine margins, and Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will know that his side came within a whisker of failing to restore their place in the Champions League.

The Toon might have lost to Everton at St. James’ Park on the final day of the Premier League season, but Aston Villa also lost at Old Trafford, thus securing Newcastle’s place among Europe’s elite once again, having also won the Carabao Cup in March.

United won’t be losing Alexander Isak to a rival this summer, but with Callum Wilson at the end of his contract, a new striker is among the biggest priorities for the Tynesiders.

Newcastle leading race for new striker

Howe reportedly wanted his striker addition to be Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, but he’s now set to join Chelsea for £30m.

However, PIF have found an alternative, and have even established the lead in the race.

Transfer Focus

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

As per Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, Fiorentina’s Moise Kean may be on the move this summer, and Newcastle are said to be ‘very interested’ in signing him.

Kean, 25, has also been the subject of enquiries from Serie A champions Napoli, who are deliberating over whether to meet his €52m (about £44m) release clause, which will be active across the first two weeks of July.

Why Newcastle want Moise Kean

Kean flopped like a fish when last trying his skills on Premier League soil, only scoring twice across 32 games for Everton in England’s top flight.

However, he was young and Everton were turbulent. The Italy international re-joined Juventus from Goodison Park in a deal worth £25m (the same ballpark Everton initially paid). Now he is regarded as “the king of kings” for La Viola by those like reporter Mina Rzouki.

His rise has truly been something to behold, and if Kean can translate his sustained form over to Newcastle, he could become a force to be reckoned with, one who could even apply pressure on Isak.

24/25 – Fiorentina

32

19

3

23/24 – Juventus

19

–

–

22/23 – Juventus

28

6

–

21/22 – Juventus

32

5

3

20/21 – PSG

26

13

–

20/21 – Everton

1

–

–

His stratospheric leap into rich form since moving to Florence has been a remarkable thing to witness, scoring 19 league goals last term, but it’s not Kean’s only weapon. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 12% of Serie A forwards this year for successful take-ons per 90.

There’s a power and purpose to his football that echoes Delap’s qualities, the English striker captivating so many suitors this season with his strength and confidence, hailed by Alan Shearer for being a “nuisance to play against.”

Kean, meanwhile, has been praised for his “scary” physical presence by reporter Carlo Garganese.

Newcastle must push hard to get this one done; across all competitions this season, Kean has posted 25 goals, even outscoring supposedly Manchester United-bound Bryan Mbeumo, who has indeed opted to sign for the Red Devils, rejecting Newcastle and more in the process.

Brentford’s Mbeumo, while not a striker, has been one of English football’s finest goalscorers this year, bagging 20 goals from 42 matches.

It’s clear: Newcastle must secure Kean’s signature. After all, they are already in the lead and were willing to spend on Delap. Here is the perfect alternative.

Move over Delap: Newcastle teen is one of the "best prospects in the world"

Newcastle may find a new teenage superstar burst onto the scene next season.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 3, 2025

Irrespective of whether or not Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur to win the Europa League this week, it has been a disastrous season for the Red Devils.

Ruben Amorim’s side are 16th in the Premier League table and have lost 18 of their 37 matches to date, which illustrates how poorly the campaign has gone.

The Portuguese head coach, who joined the club from Sporting earlier this season, will look to bolster his squad in the upcoming summer transfer window in order to bounce back in the 2025/26 campaign.

It was recently reported that Manchester United are closing in on a deal to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha, for example, to improve their attacking options.

The Brazil international is seemingly set to join Amorim’s squad ahead of next season and he could provide them with the attacking quality that they have lacked at times this season, given that he has already proven his quality in the Premier League.

What Matheus Cunha could bring to Man Utd

Cunha would arrive as a proven quantity in the English top-flight because he has already showcased his ability at the top end of the pitch in the last two seasons at the Molineux.

The former Atletico Madrid magician racked up 12 goals and seven assists in the Premier League during the 2023/24 campaign in the Midlands, along with two goals in two FA Cup matches.

Cunha has kicked on in the current campaign under Vitor Pereira to deliver even more goals in the division, with 15 strikes in 31 appearances to date.

Crucially, the 25-year-old star has also been playing as one of two number 10s behind a central striker for Wolves, which is akin to the attacking system that Amorim regularly plays at Manchester United. This suggests that he could slot straight into the team without having to learn a new way of playing.

Appearances

31

xG

8.04

Goals

15

Big chances missed

2

Big chances created

13

Key passes per game

1.8

Assists

6

As you can see in the table above, Cunha has delivered quality in the final third on a regular basis for the Old Gold in the Premier League this term, with 28 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 31 matches.

Meanwhile, no Manchester United player has scored more than eight goals in the top-flight this season, which suggests that the Wolves star would come in to add a much-needed goal threat for Amorim’s side in the 2025/26 campaign..

Cunha may not be the only proven Premier League star who joins the Red Devils in the coming months, however, as the club are reportedly lining up a move for another player who has already showcased their talents in the division.

Man Utd submit bid for Premier League star

According to a report from Spain, Manchester United have submitted a bid to sign Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Red Devils have officially made an offer worth around £55m to sign the Cameroon international ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

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This means that INEOS are in talks with Brentford over a deal to bring the left-footed attacker to Old Trafford, although the report does not reveal whether or not the Bees are prepared to accept a fee of £55m for their star forward.

It does show, however, that Manchester United are serious about a deal for the 25-year-old attacker, as they want to bolster their attacking options, as they have gone as far as to submit an offer for him.

The club must, now, attempt to get a transfer over the line for the Brentford star in the coming weeks because he could be amazing alongside Cunha for Amorim, if United are able to snap both of them up.

Why Mbeumo could be amazing alongside Cunha

Whilst Mbeumo is more used to playing as a right-winger in a 4-3-3, rather than as a number ten as part of a two and a one up front, the forward could be an exciting partner for Cunha behind a starting striker next season.

The Brentford and Wolves stars could operate as the two number ten options behind a new centre-forward, which would provide Amorim with two proven goalscorers to deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

As aforementioned, Manchester United’s top scorer in the Premier League this season, Bruno Fernandes, has scored eight goals, which illustrates how much the Portuguese boss needs reinforcements who can find the back of the net on a regular basis.

In Mbeumo, who was once dubbed “unplayable” by Thomas Frank, the Red Devils would be signing another player who has proven that he can be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch in the English top-flight.

The left-footed star delivered nine goals and six assists in the Premier League during the 2023/24 campaign, but he has taken his game to new heights in the current season.

As you can see in the graphic above, Mbeumo has been directly involved in 26 goals in 37 matches in the top-flight, and has scored more than twice as many goals as Manchester United’s top scorer.

This suggests that he would bring much-needed goals and assists to Amorim’s side, which is also the case with Cunha, because he has already proven his quality at the top end of the pitch at that level.

Therefore, Cunha and Mbeumo could be amazing together as Manchester United’s two number ten options in the 2025/26 campaign because they are both attacking midfielders or wide players who can find the back of the net at an exceptional rate in the Premier League.

Both aged 25, they are also heading into the prime years of their careers and could be key players for Amorim for many years to come, hopefully kickstarting a new era of glory for the Red Devils.

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