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Harry Maguire ended Manchester United's long, long wait to win away at Liverpool as he snatched a 2-1 victory which could kickstart the Ruben Amorim era at last. Maguire headed home Bruno Fernandes' swerving cross in the 85th minute to restore United's advantage shortly after Cody Gakpo had cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo's quick-fire opener.

The victory was United's first at Anfield since January 2016 and also gave Amorim successive Premier League wins for the first time as Red Devils' boss.

United grabbed the lead on exactly 60 seconds thanks to some razor sharp reactions after Virgil van Dijk, Mbeumo and Alexis Mac Allister went down from an aerial challenge. Fernandes set Amad Diallo away down the wing in space and the Ivorian threaded a ball for Mbeumo, who was back on his feet quickly, to run towards and knock past Giorgi Mamardashvili. 

United had a cautious game plan and were fortunate when Cody Gakpo hit the post after a lightning quick break. The Dutchman later hit the woodwork twice more, but United also threatened on the break, and Fernandes should have scored when he lashed an Amad cut-back off the outside of the post. The captain then saw his free-kick skim the top of the net after taking a flick off Gakpo while Mason Mount had an effort repelled by Mamardashvili.

The Red Devils lost their edge as the game progressed, particularly after Casemiro and Amad were taken off, and Liverpool kept on threatening until Gakpo appeared at the far post to tuck in Federico Chiesa's cross after poor defending from United on the whole.

The stage looked set for Liverpool to complete the comeback victory, but instead it was United who were left celebrating thanks to Maguire.

GOAL rates United's players from Anfield…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Senne Lammens (8/10):

  Hard to believe it was his second game and first away match. Transmitted confidence to his defenders, taking crosses with conviction. Made a smart save from Isak with his legs, caught a stinging shot from Jones and did enough to put Salah off from close range. Took a no nonsense approach to kicking which served him well.

  Harry Maguire (9/10):

  Justified starting ahead of Yoro by getting his head in front of every ball and anticipating the danger well. A good performance became a great one when he headed in the winner and ended a 10-season wait for United to win at Anfield.

  Matthijs de Ligt (7/10):

  A decisive and dominant display at the heart of the defence. Showed strength to barge Kerkez out of the way early on and helped weather the storm, save for the defence switching off when Gakpo struck.

  Luke Shaw (8/10):

  An excellent display from start to finish. His tidy play under pressure seamlessly created the move leading to Fernandes' chance while he made key challenges on Chiesa and Mac Allister.

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  Midfield

  Amad Diallo (8/10):

  Back towards his best after a difficult start to the season. His threaded pass to Mbeumo set up the crucial goal while he would have gotten a second assist had Fernandes taken his chance. Had Kerkez on the back foot for most of the game. Taken off shortly after being booked.

  Casemiro (8/10):

  A gigantic presence for his hour on the pitch. Won every header and challenge while his positional sense was impressive, allowing him to control the middle of the pitch without having to exert himself.

  Bruno Fernandes (7/10):

  Crucial to both goals. Showed his quick thinking to release Amad for the opener and sould have scored himself when he struck the post. Made amends in other ways, such as when he dispossessed Isak in the box. Kept the move alive leading to Maguire's winner.

  Diogo Dalot (5/10):

  The only weak link and was somewhat fortunate his lapses, such as losing Van Dijk at a free-kick and sending a clearance to the feet of Isak, were not punished. 

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  Attack

  Mason Mount (6/10):

  Not a vintage display and yet he helped the team execute Amorim's tactical plan with clever movement. Had two half-chances to score.

  Matheus Cunha (6/10):

  A surprise choice as the false nine but it just about worked as he linked the play well, even without creating many clear chances.

  Bryan Mbeumo (7/10):

  Got the team off to a flying start by quickly bouncing off the floor and using his pace to get onto Amad's pass and score. Kept working hard, leading the press with his selfless running. 

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  Subs & Manager

  Manuel Ugarte (5/10):

  Not nearly as assured as Casemiro and United's performance dropped when he came on, although he did play his part in preventing another equaliser.

  Patrick Dorgu (6/10):

  A little scrappy but dug in and did his job to protect the lead late on.

  Benjamin Sesko (6/10):

  Put himself about well and his aerial presence came in handy in his own box.

  Kobbie Mainoo (N/A):

  Introduced in the 85th minute to see out the win.

  Leny Yoro (N/A):

  Came on to put an extra body on the line and get the win over the line.

  Ruben Amorim (8/10):

  His finest display and result in 11 months in charge. His tactics were spot-on and he at last has back-to-back wins, getting the all important victory at Anfield of all places.

Jayden Meghoma believes sticking together is the only way for Rangers to navigate through troubled waters at the Ibrox club.

Under-fire head coach Russell Martin again faced the wrath of the Gers fans following the 1-0 home defeat to Genk in their Europa League opener on Thursday night.

The former Southampton boss has won only four of 14 games since taking over in the summer with the Light Blues second bottom of the William Hill Premiership table and knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers with a humiliating 9-1 aggregate defeat by another Belgian outfit, Club Brugge.

Meghoma, the 19-year-old left-back signed on loan from Brentford, is looking to bounce back against Livingston in West Lothian on Sunday and, asked if the players are supporting each other through a testing period at the club, he said: “Of course, you have to.

Meghoma: Rangers must stick together

“As a team, we have to be together. It’s the only way to get through a tough time like this. I’m enjoying it, but at the same time, I’m always focused on the next game.

“As a team, as a whole, we do need to focus on what we can do together. We’re always attempting to win the game and that’s what we have to do against Livingston.

“Every game has its different challenges and poses a different threat. We know we’re coming up against them and we’re ready for it.

“Like I said, focus on the next game and making sure that we win for this club because it’s a massive club and we should be doing better for this club.”

Livingston boss David Martindale has told his newly-promoted team they need to adapt quickly to the demands of the Premiership after conceding stoppage-time winners in two of their last three matches against Hearts and Dundee.

“If we had got the two points from those games we would have been sitting third on the table last Saturday night, but that’s the unforgiving nature of the Premiership,” said the manager.

Fabrizio Romano shares what he's heard from Rangers on Martin's Ibrox future

The Gers fell to yet another defeat in midweek…

By
Tom Cunningham

Sep 27, 2025

“That’s the fine margins at this level and I feel as a group, we need to understand that very, very quickly. If we play like we did against Dundee in the Championship last year, we’d have probably won 2- or 3-0. It’s just different levels, different players and the unforgiving nature of the Premiership.”

Despite winning only one of their six top-flight matches so far, Martindale sees no reason why his side should be wary of facing Rangers on Sunday.

“We’ll just treat it like any other game, really,” he said. “If we were going away to Ibrox we’d potentially approach the game slightly different, but we’re at home and I think we’ve got to kind of stick to how we want to play.

“I don’t want to play here and shut up shop. I want to stick to as many of the principles that we’re trying to force into the players this year, so we want to go and try and get the three points.”

Arne Slot defended his decision to field a severely inexperienced side on Wednesday night as Liverpool were soundly beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace to exit the Carabao Cup at the fourth-round stage. Only a handful of first-team regulars were involved and multiple played out of their natural position as Slot made 10 changes to his starting XI ahead of what the Dutchman called a "big week".

• Liverpool dumped out of cup but Slot defends controversial selection

  Speaking to Sky Sports at the full-time whistle, Slot claimed he had little choice but to give youth and fringe players an opportunity to start with a huge week on the horizon for his side. He said it would have been a "stupid choice" if a first-team regular had picked up an injury in the cup tie.

  The Reds face Aston Villa, Real Madrid – including potentially the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold – and Manchester City within the space of eight days as they look to get their season quickly back on track, but a sixth defeat in seven games will have done nothing to help the atmosphere around the club after the Eagles left Anfield with a comprehensive three-goal victory.

  Slot’s defensive selection was particularly striking, as third-choice Freddie Woodman made a debut in goal, Calvin Ramsay came in from the cold to start at right-back and both Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson started out of position in the centre of a back five alongside Joe Gomez. The fact that the underperforming Milos Kerkez was the only player to keep his place in the XI only raises further questions – though Palace boss Oliver Glasner claimed it would be "disrespectful" to claim Liverpool had fielded a weakened side.

  Three teenagers were also handed a start, Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni earning a chance to impress while 18-year-old Kieran Morrison made his debut for the club. Several more young players came off the bench, including Amara Nallo – who was sent off to receive a second red card in two appearances and just 16 minutes for Liverpool’s senior side.

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  Slot responds to criticism and claims injury issues led to selection

  "Everybody can have [their] opinion about it but with the squad we have – maybe 15, 16 first-team players available – this is the choice I've made," Slot told Sky Sports.

  But he conceded: "It's not of Liverpool's standards to lose five out of six, or six out of seven.”

  "Last time we played Southampton here in the League Cup, Giovanni Leoni got injured, and we don't have such a big squad as people might tell, because there was so much focus on the amount of money we spent [in the summer].

  "People all of a sudden think we have 25 players available, but we mainly have 20 players then we have four injuries.

  "I only have one right full-back, Conor Bradley, as an example, and every time I had to play him twice in three days or three times in seven days [last season], it led to him… that I had to take him off with a hamstring injury or something else.

  "Are you willing to take that risk with such a big week coming up? Last time I played a player that wasn't fully prepared – we thought he was prepared but it was the first time – Alexander Isak, he got injured.”

• Slot cites Southampton match as situation to avoid

  "Last time we played Southampton Leoni was injured and it was a red card for Hugo Ekitike. Those are the things we can't use with a big week coming up," he added.

  "But there's always a choice. What if I had played Virgil [van Dijk] and Ibou [Konate], for example, if one of them got injured people would have said, 'what a stupid choice'.

  "And also with them [the first-team players] it was very difficult for us, for our starters to beat Palace because it's not the first time we lose against them."

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  Upcoming fixtures could justify Slot's selection

  With an important week coming up, Slot can be forgiven for making changes if his first-team stars return to winning ways quickly. It is with little doubt that the Dutchman’s selection will only have added to the increased pressure he could soon find himself under.

  Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp said: "It was the wrong team. Make no mistake. He picked a team today that made it really difficult for himself. You've not helped the young players because of the players that are around them. You've made 10 changes from Brentford.

  "You can't tell me that he's picked that team today and those subs thinking 'that will get me a result against a really good Crystal Palace'. You might hope you can. I didn't believe for one second they could beat them. He's made a mistake today.”

Are Aston Villa starting to build some serious momentum?

Having failed to win any of their first six matches this season, scoring only two goals, the Villans have since won four on the spin, beating Bologna and Feyenoord in the Europa League, as well as Fulham and Burnley at Villa Park in the Premier League.

Nevertheless, chance creation remains a concern for Unai Emery, considering his team sit second-bottom of the Premier League when it comes to expected goals, above only Burnley, while only Fulham, Sunderland and Burnley have mustered fewer shots on target.

Back in January, the Claret and Blue Army addressed this by signing both Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford on loan; the Spaniard scored eight goals and registered one assist, while the England international netted four times and notched six assists.

However, both moved on to pastures new over the summer, so who could be this season’s Asensio, and why will he help unlock Villa’s primary star attacker?

Ollie Watkins' struggles for confidence

As the graphic documents, ever since he arrived from Brentford, Ollie Watkins has been a reliable goalscorer in a claret and blue shirt.

However, this season, the England international is seemingly struggling for confidence, seeing a very tame penalty saved by Bologna’s Łukasz Skorupski, before, to great relief, getting off the mark three days later against Fulham.

Nevertheless, when compared to last season, pretty much all of his statistics are down, as the table below outlines.

As documented, every available metric for Watkins this season has plateaued, with the decrease in his shooting statistics the most stark drop off.

Of course, seven matches into the Premier League season, it is only a small sample size, while the fact Watkins’ touches as well as touches in the opposition penalty area have both decreased suggests that it is as much a service issue as a Watkins problem.

Last season, Watkins and the aforementioned Asensio formed an effective partnership, the former setting up the latter to score his second goal against Cardiff City in an FA Cup tie in February, but who is most likely candidate to break into the Villa team now and add that much-needed creativity?

Aston Villa's forgotten summer signing

After a summer of very little activity, restricted by Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules, Aston Villa were certainly busy on deadline day.

Chalkboard

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

Victor Lindelöf arrived as a free agent, Harvey Elliott joined from Liverpool, on loan with a £35m option to buy, so the move many missed was Jadon Sancho’s loan move, rescued from the Chelsea bomb squad at the 11th hour.

Still only 25 years old, it is now four years since the England international joined Manchester United for around £73m, and his career certainly has not panned out as hoped since.

Upon his arrival at Old Trafford, then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær praised his “tremendous pace, flair and creativity”, noting that he had “already achieved a great deal” for such a young player.

Well, after scoring only 12 goals in 83 appearances for the Red Devils, he has been loaned back to Borussia Dortmund and then Chelsea, spending last season at Stamford Bridge.

While he may not have been the world-beater he once was, Sancho was effective for the Blues, scoring five goals and accumulating ten assists across all competitions, including netting at Tottenham in the Premier League and then against Real Betis in the Conference League Final in Wrocław.

Given how little he has done since 2021, his most recent England cap coming against Andorra almost exactly four years ago, it is easy to forget just how exciting Sancho was when he first burst onto the scene at the Westfalenstadion.

Raj Chohan of BBC Sport praised his ‘incredibly mature decision-making’ in the final third, while Nick Wright of Sky Sports asserted that the ‘extraordinary talent’ was one of the very best young players in Europe.

During his best season in the Bundesliga, 2019/20, Sancho ranked third for goals, second for assists, first in terms of goals – xG, first for goal-creating actions, second for attempted take-ons and second when it came to carries into the final third.

Put succinctly, the Englishman was truly a phenomenon so, with Emery’s coaching, will Aston Villa get him back to that level?

Well, if they can, during that aforementioned 2019/20 Bundesliga season, Sancho created 19 big chances, thereby ranked behind only Thomas Müller and Serge Gnabry.

For comparison, in the Premier League last season, the Villa players who created the most big chances were Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, both reaching 16.

Thus, getting Sancho back to his exhilarating best could be exactly what this team needs to unlock talisman Watkins. Like Asensio – and Rashford – before him, he could be the club’s new loan success story and revive his floundering career.

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Forget McGinn: Aston Villa's "jewel" looks like the modern day Gareth Barry

Man in the middle of the park is Aston Villa’s modern Gareth Barry, key to their revival

By
Will Miller

Oct 5, 2025

The NWSL finished the season with a five-percent overall dip in attendance from its record-setting 2024 season, when it averaged 11,235 fans per game. This year, the league had an average attendance of 10,669 across 182 games, nearly even with 2023. Eight of the NWSL's 14 teams had year-over-year drops. Meanwhile, four clubs set attendance records.

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  A developing trend?

  The NWSL's decline mirrors MLS's five-percent drop this season as well, with the men's top-flight league also having a record attendance year in 2024. Among the more concerning declines were the San Diego Wave, which had a 26-percent decrease from 2024 and 35-percent drop from 2023.

  The arrival of San Diego FC, an MLS expansion club in the city, and Alex Morgan's retirement could have played a factor in those numbers, according to Sports Business Journal. The other major drops included the Chicago Stars FC (22 percent), Angel City FC (16 percent), Utah Royals FC (16 percent) and Racing Louisville FC (15 percent).

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  On the bright side

  To the positive, five clubs had increases, and four set franchise records for attendance. 

  North Carolina Courage crowds increased by 21 percent to an average of 7,684, the biggest improvement in the league – despite the club missing the playoffs. The Orlando Pride increased by 15 percent while the Washington Spirit continue to grow under owner Michele Kang, with a nine-percent increase.

  Bay FC had an increase of eight percent, but that includes a match at Oracle Park, which set an NWSL attendance record of 40,091. Gotham FC, the Courage, Spirit and Pride all set club records for attendance.

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  The top five

  San Diego led the league with 18,233 fans on average last season, but their decline in 2025 put the Portland Thorns on top at 18,173 per game. 

  NWSL 2025 Top Attendance Leaders

  Rank	Club	Average Attendance
  1	Portland Thorns FC	18,173
  2	Angel City FC	16,257
  3	Washington Spirit	15,259
  4	Bay FC	14,823
  5	San Diego Wave FC	13,427

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• 'Business is incredibly strong'

  Sarah Jones Simmer, NWSL COO, downplayed the dip in overall attendance. 

  "Our underlying business is incredibly strong,” Simmer said in a statement. “Across the league, we’re seeing consistent attendance growth, franchise-best seasons, and record-breaking moments in markets big and small. The fact that so many clubs set all-time attendance highs in 2025 speaks to the durability of demand and the momentum powering the NWSL’s future.”

  Overall, seven of the 12 teams that have been in the league for more than two seasons drew larger crowds in 2025 than they did in 2023.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.'s sensational 2024 campaign continued Tuesday as he made MLB history during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers.

After drawing a walk in his first at-bat of the game, Witt showcased his speed by swiping second base for his 30th stolen bag of the year. In doing so, Witt reached the 30–30 club for the second consecutive season, becoming the first shortstop in league history to record multiple seasons with 30 homers and 30 steals in their career.

Witt achieved the feat in just the third season of his career, making the accomplishment even more impressive. For all the great shortstops that have suited up in the past, none have managed to match Witt's combination of strength in the batter's box and speed on the base paths.

To put his achievement into perspective, in league history only five other shortstops have ever recorded a 30–30 season, including Barry Larkin (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Jimmy Rollins (2007), Hanley Ramirez (2008) and Francisco Lindor (2023). Witt has now done it twice in his first three seasons.

This year, Witt has launched 32 home runs and has now swiped 30 steals. He's slashing .332/.384/.600 with 108 RBI and a league-best 200 hits, having earned his first trip to the All-Star Game. During last year's breakout campaign, he hit 30 home runs and stole 49 bases.

The future is bright in Kansas City so long as Witt is manning the shortstop position, something he's proven early and often into his young career.

England captain Harry Kane has revealed that an 'NFL-like playbook' will help the Three Lions set-piece their way to the World Cup in North America next year. England have maximised dead ball situations to great effect in qualifying having scored five goals from set pieces and a further two from the penalty spot as they booked their flight across the pond with ease.

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  25% of England's qualifying goals have been from set pieces

  England complete their World Cup 2026 qualifying on Sunday evening when they take on Albania. The Three Lions will look to round off their qualification campaign with a 100% record having won all seven games so far and having beaten Albania at Wembley earlier this year, they'll fancy their chances of claiming another three points.

  Thomas Tuchel's men are also yet to concede a goal in their seven matches so far and have netted 20 times on their way to booking their trip stateside next summer. England have fully utilised the set-piece weapons at the their disposal with 25% of their goals coming from corners or free kicks.

  And Kane has now revealed that England have been developing an 'NFL-like playbook' as the Three Lions look to secure World Cup glory for the first time since 1966 in North America next year.

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• Kane explains England's World Cup plan

  Ahead of Sunday's game against Albania, Kane was asked about the importance of set pieces in USA, Mexico and Canada next summer. "It is massive to be honest," he said.

  "I know it is not the prettiest part of the game, but we have always been big on set plays, both defending and attacking. I feel like we are getting in some really good routines attacking-wise. Obviously Dec and players like that can put in perfect crosses and are doing it week-in, week-out for their clubs as well."

  Kane also revealed that he has been working with assistant coach Anthony Barry and set-play analyst Paul Quilter, who worked together at Chelsea, as England look to nail their set-piece routines.

  "We want to build a book of set plays," Kane added. "So we can go into the tournament, where there is not a lot of time to practice. You want to have an NFL-like playbook in a way. Where you look at the opposition and see if they are zonal or man-marking and we can pick what we want to do.

  "We don’t get loads of time to do it on the grass, as meetings are really important. With Paul and Anthony here, they try to go through the detail. It is about the lads taking it in – more mentally than physically – and hopefully by the summer we will have a good mixture of set plays that we can go from."

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  England no strangers to set-piece dominance

  Kane was part of the England squad that made it to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup. The Three Lions relied heavily on set pieces to progress to the last four in Russia under Gareth Southgate, scoring six times from corners of free kicks, more than any other nation.

  As such, the England captain knows just how important set pieces can be, adding: "Ultimately, the best team at set plays normally goes on to be the best team in the tournament. They go on to have clean sheets, they go on to the latter stages. We did that in 2018, we did that in Euro 2020. Our defensive record is really good as well. So, that is a big part."

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• Three Lions could lean on Arsenal expertise

  England boss Tuchel is able to call upon Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, the pair crucial in the Gunners' superb start to the season. The north London side sit top of the table after 11 matches, four points clear of second placed Manchester City and eight above defending champions Liverpool.

  Arsenal have maximised set piece situations in their title bid and have scored more goals from corners or free kicks (10) than any other team in the Premier League this season, coining the term 'Set Piece FC' as a result. Rice himself ranks joint fourth for chances created from set pieces in England's top tier this term, with nine, 

Manchester United made it three successive wins in the Premier League at the weekend when they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Bryan Mbeumo was, arguably, the star of the show with his two impressive goals for the Red Devils, taking his tally for the season to five goals since his move from Brentford.

The Cameroon international was not the only United star who caught the eye with an excellent display for Ruben Amorim in the win over the Seagulls, though.

Experienced central midfielder Casemiro impressed with his performance in the middle of the park, although his goal was rather fortunate with the deflection off Ayari.

The Brazil international provided a goal and an assist, whilst winning four of his six ground duels (Sofascore), in the 4-2 win for United, which shows that he was effective in and out of possession.

Despite producing an eye-catching display for the Premier League giants alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield, Manchester United may be starting to think about what life will look like after Casemiro.

Why Man Utd need a replacement for Casemiro

The Brazilian midfielder will be 34 when his contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether or not the club will exercise their option to extend it by a further year.

This means that they may be looking at who will take his place in midfield alongside Bruno in the mid-to-long-term. Kobbie Mainoo, though, may not be that player, for reasons outlined by Amorim.

As shown in the comments above, the Portuguese head coach views the England international as an alternative to Bruno, rather than as a defensive option to take Casemiro’s spot.

That leaves Manuel Ugarte as the only natural replacement within the current first-team squad. That is a concern because his performances for the club last season left far too much to be desired.

Ugarte, as shown in the statistics above, was among the worst midfielders in the division in a host of key possession-based metrics, which shows that he does not offer enough on the ball.

Casemiro has had a turbulent time at Old Trafford, as shown in the graphic below, but his recent performance against Brighton shows that he can still offer quality in and out of possession.

With Amorim’s view of Mainoo and Ugarte’s lack of quality, Manchester United may have to look elsewhere to find a replacement for the former Real Madrid star.

Man Utd preparing offer for Premier League midfielder

The Red Devils appear to have identified that as an issue in the squad, as they are reportedly looking to sign a new midfielder in the next window.

Transfer Focus

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

According to TuttoJuve, Manchester United are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Chelsea’s versatile midfielder Andrey Santos in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Premier League giants and Juventus are both keen on a move for the Brazil international, as they look to bolster their midfields ahead of the second half of the campaign.

TuttoJuve adds that both clubs are preparing to make offers to sign the 21-year-old starlet, which suggests that they are both serious about a deal for his services.

Al-Qadsiah had an offer of around £60m (£59.5m) turned down for the midfielder last month. This suggests that United and Juventus will need to be in or above that ballpark if they want to snap him up in January.

Why Man Utd should sign Andrey Santos

The Red Devils should be pushing to beat Juventus to Santos’ signature in the January transfer window, even if it costs north of £60m, because he could be the perfect long-term replacement for Casemiro.

He has only started two of his seven appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, two midfielders who cost over £100m each, ahead of him. This means that he has not had too much of an opportunity to shine for the Blues.

His performances whilst on loan at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 last season, though, suggest that he has the quality in and out of possession to be a dream signing for United to replace Casemiro in the defensive midfield role in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

Santos, including the stunning strike in the clip above, scored 11 goals and provided four assists in all competitions for Strasbourg in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he can make a big impact in possession from a central midfield position.

Analyst Ben Mattinson described the Brazilian star as a “duel monster” who “has everything you want in a CM”, and his statistics in Ligue 1 last season back up that claim, as he was influential all over the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, Santos excelled in virtually every aspect of the game, as a scorer, a passer, an assister, a dribbler, a duel winner, a tackler, a blocker. He did it all for Strasbourg.

These statistics suggest that the 21-year-old star has all the qualities that Amorim would want from his defensive and combative midfield player next to Bruno, because he has the defensive and duel-winning skills to screen the defence, whilst still being good enough to make an impact in possession.

Euro club's target: £105k-p/w Man Utd star is "set to move" in January

The Red Devils could be able to cut ties in January.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Oct 27, 2025

Therefore, he could take the best qualities of Ugarte and Mainoo and combine them to be a complete star for United in the middle of the park as Casmeiro’s long-term replacement, as he is 12 years younger than his international teammate.

As the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals battled during the ALDS, Bob Costas babbled on in the TBS broadcast booth.

Sometimes, he was on topic. Other times, he rambled on about absolutely anything and everything. At one point, he even began quoting Mark Twain.

It wasn't an enjoyable experience for fans, and one moment in particular drew the ire of viewers, regardless of what team they supported. Costas completely botched a call on a play during the eighth inning, in which Vinnie Pasquantino hit a soft line drive that was caught just past the infield dirt by Anthony Volpe. His call made it seem like much, much more.

"Line drive base hit to center field. It was smothered out there… I don't know if it was caught. Oh my gosh. What a play," said Costas, leaving fans utterly perplexed as to what he was saying.

Definitely a questionable level of excitement for the second out of the inning. That wasn't the only mistake call he'd made, either.

The slumping Aaron Judge hit a fly ball to deep left field, though it didn't quite reach the warning track. Costas's overexcited call made it seem as if Judge had parked a no-doubter in the left field seats, only to leave Yankees fans disappointed when it was caught for a routine out.

Baseball fans didn't hesitate to rip Costas for his performance in the booth throughout the series, making their opinions heard on social media.

Luxury watch influencer Ziv Tamir, known as "Ziv the Watch Guy," had an interaction with Antonela Roccuzzo, Lionel Messi's wife, in Miami where he approached her after a padel match, complimenting her expensive Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger Rope watch, which is valued at around £20,500 ($26,800). But then Tamir dropped a question, which left Messi’s other half looking very confused.

• Watch out for Messi's wife

  Unaware of her identity, Tamir asked, "What do you do for a living?" as is his custom in such videos. Antonela, initially confused, smiled and looked to her friend, who spoke to her in Spanish. She did not answer the question directly, simply offering a smile and a thumbs-up to the camera before politely ending the brief, somewhat awkward exchange. The video went viral due to Ziv's obliviousness to her global fame as the Argentina legend's wife. 

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  Messi's MLS revolution

  The Argentina icon has been a revelation at Inter Miami, he’s transformed the club from an MLS also-rans into trophy winners. He has delivered two major trophies, the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters' Shield, the first silverware in franchise history. On the pitch, Messi's brilliance endures, making him the club's all-time top scorer and assist provider in record time. His exceptional 2024 season saw him win the MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals and 19 assists in 28 games, setting a league record with five assists in one match. Beyond the stats, his desire for greatness has elevated the entire squad's performance and significantly boosted the league's global profile, attendance, and revenue. But despite this, Messi has recently spoken about his desire to return to the Catalan capital.

  Messi told SPORT: "I really want to go back there, we miss Barcelona a lot. My wife and I, the kids, are constantly talking about Barcelona and the idea of moving back. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want. I'm really looking forward to going back to the stadium when it's finished because since I left for Paris, I haven't been back to Camp Nou, and then they moved to Montjuic." 

  He added: "Obviously, I'm going to come back. I'm going to be at the stadium like any other fan, following the team, the club, and being just another supporter. For now, I'll be here [Miami] for a few more years, most likely, but we'll return to Barcelona because, as I've always said, it's my place, my home. We miss it a lot, so we'll be back there."

• Showpiece reunion shut down

  Messi made a surprise visit to the Nou Camp last week, sharing an emotional online message about the place he misses, hoping to come back one day not just to say goodbye. However, the 38-year-old recently signed a contract extension with Inter Miami through the 2028 MLS season. And Barcelona president Joan Laporta has stated that the club is building for the future and cannot live in the past, effectively shutting down transfer speculation. Both parties desire a proper tribute match to honor his legacy when the stadium renovations are complete. Laporta said: "Leo Messi’s return as a player is something just not realistic. As of now, he has a contract with Inter Miami. The club is building a project for the present and future. It's complicated, and if you live in the past you hardly move forward."

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  Play-off pressure for Messi and Co

  Inter Miami are currently competing in the Eastern Conference semi-finals of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs. They beat Nashville 2-1 in their first-round, best-of-three series, overcoming a shock loss in the second match with a decisive 4-0 win in game three of the head-to-head. Their next match is a single-elimination game on Sunday against Cincinnati.