Tag Futebol

Manchester United have now made an enquiry over signing a £34 million defender who is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur and once rejected a move to Arsenal.

Man Utd eyeing defensive reinforcements this summer

It could be said that there are multiple positions United need to address this summer, with strengthening their forward line clearly a key agenda, given the arrival of Matheus Cunha and the expected arrival of Bryan Mbeumo. But as well as looking at the front of the team, Ruben Amorim is also mindful about his defence, and they are now looking at potential arrivals there.

Man Utd considering move to sign "incredible" Bayern Munich star for £25m

Amorim has identified a player he believes will transform his midfield and knows the Premier League well.

1 ByBrett Worthington Jun 9, 2025

At the end of last week, it was reported in Spain that INEOS were readying a £25 million bid to sign Vanderson from AS Monaco. The Brazilian is a right-back by trade, so he would likely be a player to compete for a starting spot in Amorim’s wing-back role. The 23-year-old finished last season with one goal and three assists in 29 Ligue 1 games, and that earned him a call-up to the Brazil squad in Carlo Ancelotti’s first games in charge.

As well as preparing a bid to sign Vanderson, reports have emerged that United have opened talks to sign Aymeric Laporte from Al-Nassr. The Frenchman is expected to leave Saudi Arabia this summer, and that has alerted United, who would be making a bold move given his time at Manchester City. Al-Nassr are looking to get around £23 million for Laporte.

Man Utd make enquiry to sign Evan Ndicka from Roma

Laporte is not the only centre-back on the radar of the Red Devils, as according to RMC Sport, Man United have now made an approach to sign Evan Ndicka from AS Roma, who once rejected a move to Arsenal, saying: “I’m not pretending that I don’t see the rumours. But I have respect in Rome and I respect them. I have three years remaining on my contract, we will see what happens later.”

Amorim is looking to strengthen his options in defence, and Ndicka is now a name that is under consideration by the Red Devils. However, they are not alone, as Tottenham have also made an approach to Roma over a possible deal, and they could hold an advantage over United, as they can offer the defender Champions League football.

Despite being under contract until 2028, Ndicka, who has been dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, is allowed to leave Roma this summer, with them reportedly looking to get €40 million, which is roughly £34 million, for his services.

Apps

38

Starts

38

Assists

1

Touches per game

75.3

Balls recovered per game

3.5

Dribbled past per game

0.2

Clearances per game

3.8

Errors leading to goal

0

The 25-year-old, who has been capped six times for the Ivory Coast, joined the Italian team in July 2023 on a free transfer. During his time in Italy, Ndicka has been a consistent performer for Roma, playing in every league game during the 2024/25 campaign.

He started all 38 matches and helped Roma keep 16 clean sheets. United have seen Victor Lindelof depart Old Trafford, and with Lisandro Martínez still recovering from his long-term injury, Amorim may see Ndicka as a player who can provide not only competition but also improve their defensive organisation.

Manchester City now have a genuine chance of signing a £45 million Liverpool target after making an approach about a potential transfer, according to a recent report.

Pep Guardiola threatens to quit Man City over squad size

The Blues brought an end to the 2024/25 season at the Etihad on Tuesday night, beating AFC Bournemouth 3-1. City now have one final away game against Fulham on Sunday to ensure they are in the Champions League next season, but it is a campaign that Pep Guardiola is going to want to forget fairly soon.

Better than KDB: Man City star showed he's already their answer to Wirtz

Following Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, they’re on the cusp of Champions League qualification, with the Sky Blues’ “maverick” the star.

ByBen Gray May 21, 2025

Given the poor start to the season, City spent big in January to try and better their chances of having a strong second half of the campaign. That didn’t fully go to plan, and now heading into the summer, Guardiola has revealed that he will leave City if the club doesn’t trim the squad down, as he doesn’t want to have players watching in the stands.

Guardiola told Sky Sports, via BBC: “I said to the club I don’t want that [a bigger squad]. I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad; I will stay.

“It’s impossible for my soul to [tell] my players in the tribune [stands] that they cannot play.”

Man City to fight Liverpool for Kerkez

While Guardiola wants his City team to be shortened down, the Blues hierarchy may have other ideas, as according to iNews, Man City want to sign Milos Kerkez from AFC Bournemouth.

It was considered that Liverpool were the frontrunners to sign the left-back, as they have already held talks with the player about a move to Anfield, but as of yet they haven’t made a transfer offer. City have made enquiries about signing Kerkez, and they are now viewed as ‘genuine rivals for his signature’.

The fact Liverpool have not made an offer has left the door open for City, who are looking at bringing in a new left-back, as Guardiola wants a specialist player to play in that position. Incoming sporting director Hugo Viana is understood to be a fan of Kerkez.

Apps

65

Goals

2

Assists

8

Kerkez, who has been dubbed a “mad man” by teammate Marcus Tavernier, is said to be valued at £45 million by the Cherries, and while he is under contract until the summer of 2028, there is an expectancy they will allow the player to leave as long as their price tag is met.

The 21-year-old has been at Bournemouth since the summer of 2023, and in his two years in the Premier League, he has gained many admirers for his direct, attacking style of play from left-back, a style that would see him flourish in teams such as Man City or Liverpool.

We’re less than one month away from the end of the 2024/25 campaign, a year of shifting emotions for those of an Everton persuasion.

The Toffees started off dismally, losing their opening four fixtures of the season under Sean Dyche’s wing and lacking any semblance of spirit or invention. When The Friedkin Group took over and ended the interminable pursuit of new ownership, they (re)appointed David Moyes in January.

Now, hope has been restored. Everton are 13th in the Premier League with just a few matches to go, relegation fears long in the past.

However, with as many as 15 senior players departing this summer, there’s plenty of work to be done, and who can argue that strengthening the frontline ahead of the move to Bramley Moore isn’t the priority?

Everton ready to sign new forward

The Toffees are rightly in the market for a new forward this summer, particularly given Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggles and the fact that his contract expires in a few months time.

So, who could head to the new stadium and join Moyes’ revolution?

Transfer Focus

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

Well, according to GIVEMESPORT, Moyes has decided to earmark Tottenham Hotspur’s Richarlison, with the Brazilian identified as the ‘dream’ target.

Richarlison, of course, spent four seasons at Goodison Park before transferring to Spurs in a £60m deal back in 2022, but it hasn’t worked out and both parties appear ready to cut their losses.

The 28-year-old wouldn’t come cheap, however, priced at no less than £40m, given Tottenham face a sell-to-buy scenario this summer.

Amid those claims, it’s stated that Everton are seriously weighing up a summer offer.

Why Everton should re-sign Richarlison

Richarlison is a versatile forward with a fiery personality that he uses to his advantage more often than not. It’s all come down like a house of cards at Tottenham, but that’s not to say he’s been poor, rebounding from a tough first season to provide a comparative clinical edge.

If Moyes can get him firing, it would be sure to dynamise Everton’s frontline. Currently, Iliman Ndiaye carries quite a weight on his shoulders, recognised as a “relentless forward” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, who “could be at least a squad player in every Prem team.”

Having scored nine times across all competitions since signing for Everton from Marseille in a £15m deal, Ndiaye has been one of the brightest sparks, with his silky movements and sharpness in the danger area making him a dangerous presence against any opponent.

However, Richarlison at his best could be the new cream of the crop, having already proved himself a £60m player as a Blue in the past.

Although his debut campaign in the capital didn’t go to plan, Richarlison has returned to prolific form in the two terms spent under Ange Postecoglou. If Moyes can solve the forward’s injury problems, there’s no question that he could usurp Ndiaye and take the tag of Everton’s best player next season.

Richarlison: Premier League Career by Season
Season	Club	Apps (starts)	Goals	Assists
24/25	Tottenham	12 (3)	4	1
23/24	Tottenham	28 (18)	11	4
22/23	Tottenham	27 (12)	1	4
21/22	Everton	30 (28)	10	5
20/21	Everton	34 (33)	7	3
19/20	Everton	36 (36)	13	3
18/19	Everton	35 (32)	13	1
17/18	Watford	38 (32)	5	4
Stats via Transfermarkt

The stats are on his side. As per FBref, Richarlison ranks among the top 8% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 11% for assists, the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 14% for tackles and the top 2% for clearances per 90.

With a firmly embedded goalscoring quality, a raw athleticism and a tried-and-tested past on Merseyside, Richarlison could be a “constant nuisance for defenders” under Moyes’ wing, as he has been described before by Postecoglou.

Of course, there’s nothing to say that the two mavericks couldn’t work in conjunction at Everton next year, Ndiaye charging down the left flank while Richarlison looks to add to his 53 goals for the Merseyside outfit.

If the Tottenham man can reach his highest level, there’s no question he could be Moyes’ standout star.

He won't start again: TFG must finally axe Everton's new Phil Neville

Recent results have shown Everton need a sweep of fresh faces in the transfer market this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 28, 2025

Well, after a thumping win away at the weekend, Arsenal returned to form with yet another draw last night.

The result against Crystal Palace was the North Londoners’ 13th tie of the Premier League season, and while it wasn’t a total disaster, it would not have been what Mikel Arteta would have wanted to see ahead of next week’s colossal Champions League game.

From practically the first minute to the last, it felt like a game played in slow motion, and aside from Jakub Kiwior and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Leandro Trossard – the Gunners’ goalscorers – the entire starting lineup was poor.

That said, there were at least a couple of players that stood out as being particularly disappointing, such as William Saliba.

Saliba's performance vs Crystal Palace

Now, it should be said that away to Real Madrid last week, Saliba was almost perfect right up until he lazily gave the ball away to Vinícius Jr mid-way through the second half.

Unfortunately, instead of putting together a solid performance ahead of next week, the Frenchman made another silly mistake when, entirely unforced, he passed the ball to Jean-Philippe Mateta close to the box, who then saw David Raya off his line and pulled off a brilliant finish.

It was the sort of mistake fans might have been worried about Kiwior making, but instead, the Polish international was once again assured at the back while the former Saint-Étienne gem struggled.

We weren’t the only ones disappointed by the Bondy-born monster either, as Arsenal writer Charles Watts gave him a paltry 5/10 match rating at full-time, describing him as a ‘bit off it,’ which may be rather kind.

With all that said, there can be no doubting Saliba’s immense ability and importance to the team, so he should still be starting the game on Tuesday.

However, the same cannot be said for one of his fellow starters last night.

Arsenal's biggest underperformer against Crystal Palace

Now, as we’ve already said, there were a number of players who let themselves down last night, from Raya to Gabriel Martinelli, but only one starter was so dismally poor that he should not start another game for the club: Raheem Sterling.

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
Arsenal	Statistics	Crystal Palace
2	Goals	2
1.22	Expected Goals	1.75
4	Big Chances	4
12	Total Shots	15
6	Shots on Target	4
705	Passes	325
3	Corners	6
68%	Possession	32%
All Stats via Sofascore

Yes, in what was just his 12th inclusion in a starting lineup for the Gunners this term, the Chelsea loanee might have managed to put in his most lacklustre showing yet.

Unlike Saliba, he wasn’t directly at fault for a goal, but he was also never likely to score or create one either, as when he wasn’t losing the ball, making the wrong run or fading out of the game entirely, he looked bereft of ideas.

It might sound hyperbolic, but once again, it’s an opinion shared by Watts, who slammed the Englishman for being a “passenger” when he came off and then gave him a damning 3/10 match rating at full-time.

Unsurprisingly, the Kingston-born ace’s statistics more than back up this appraisal, as in 60 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.02, took no shots on or even off target, failed in 100% of his dribbles, took just 19 touches, made just ten passes, failed in 100% of his crosses, lost four of five duels and was dribbled past twice.

Sterling’s game in numbers
Minutes	60′
Expected Goals	0.00
Goals	0
Expected Assists	0.02
Assists	0
Shots	0
Dribbles (Successful)	1 (0)
Touches	19
Passes	10
Crosses (Accurate)	2 (0)
Duels (Won)	5 (1)
Dribbled Past	2
All Stats via Sofascore

Ultimately, it was a real night to forget for Arsenal, and while Saliba will undoubtedly come back stronger and remain a crucial part of the team, Sterling should not start another game for the rest of his loan spell.

Big Havertz upgrade: Arsenal confident of signing "the hottest CF in Europe"

Arsenal are looking for upgrades on Kai Havertz in their attack.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 23, 2025

Leeds United are interested in signing an in-demand French striker who is also wanted by Scottish giants Celtic.

Leeds transfer rumours following promotion to the Premier League

The Whites and Daniel Farke are preparing for life back in the Premier League following a successful Championship campaign.

Promotion was secured for Leeds over the Easter weekend which resulted in a party at Elland Road on Monday evening. Farke’s side secured wins over Oxford United and Stoke City, whereas Sheffield United fell to defeat against Burnley to guarantee a top two finish for the Whites and the Clarets.

Talking after sealing promotion to the Premier League, captain Ethan Ampadu said: “It’s amazing. If you look at the scenes here, as it was after the final whistle, just pure excitement. Within ourselves we’ve got another target, so we can enjoy this now, but we’ve got another target we want to achieve. But right now, it’s very good.”

Centre-back Joe Rodon added: “For me it hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t think it will until the end of the season, but I’m just delighted for everyone involved with the club, the fans and what it means to them. It’s what everyone has worked for all season and I’m buzzing.”

With top flight football back in Yorkshire for the 2025/26 season, the 49ers Enterprises may look to splash the cash on several new signings, and a new centre-forward is thought to be on the wishlist.

2024/25 signings that helped Leeds secure promotion

Player

Fee

Joe Rodon

£10m

Jayden Bogle

£5m

Ao Tanaka

£2.95m

Manor Solomon

Loan

Largie Ramazani

£9.3m

Joe Rothwell

Loan

Isaac Schmidt

£2.5m

Josuha Guilavogui

Free

Alex Cairns

Undisclosed

There are doubts at Leeds over Joel Piroe’s ability in the top flight, despite the striker scoring four goals in the first half against Stoke on Monday. There are also concerns over Patrick Bamford.

There have been some forwards linked with moves to Elland Road recently, including AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham. However, a new up-and-coming young forward appears to be on the Leeds radar, going off a recent update.

Leeds keen on French forward Moussa Soumano

According to Africa Foot, Leeds are one of several sides keen on Ajaccio forward Moussa Soumano. Aged just 19, Soumano is also wanted by Celtic and Leicester City, whereas Brentford have already made an offer worth €3m (£2.5m) to sign the attacker.

Related 49ers not messing: Leeds swoop for "unique" £1.5m Premier League striker

The Whites have set their sights on a forward who is currently plying his trade in the Premier League.

Posts 1 ByDominic Lund Apr 24, 2025

Also capable of playing on the wing if required, Soumano has scored five goals and provided two assists in 66 appearances for his current employers. Not exactly a prolific record, however, the 6ft French attacker has been hailed as a promising talent and is ‘considered one of the great hopes of Corsican football’ in Africa Foot’s report.

Soumano could be one to keep an eye on, with Leeds potentially looking to bring in some talented teenagers alongside some big names, just like they did with Crysencio Summerville and Mateo Joseph when they were last in the top flight.

A bowler of Sinhalese origin playing for a Tamil Nadu franchise to raucous applause at the Chepauk: things are changing, for the better

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Apr-2024At the cricketing heart of it, Matheesha Pathirana is Chennai Super Kings’ sweet revenge.No bowler had wrecked CSK batting orders on the scale Lasith Malinga managed. With 37 wickets against CSK in 23 games, he is by a distance their biggest destroyer.But, oh, what’s that? There’s a young slinger that CSK have had eyes on first? Someone who has an even lower arm action than Malinga and more explosive pace? Okay, less control, less swing, not nearly as much general mastery… but still, CSK’s own ? It sounds almost too good to be true, right?Snap him up. Get him in as a net bowler. Have your legendary captain slap eyes on him. Promote him to the main team. Follow him as he becomes one of the best death bowlers in the league. Then on 14 April 2024, watch him rip Mumbai Indians to shreds, taking 4 for 28, while Malinga, in Mumbai Indians colours, watches on.Related

Marcus Stoinis does the unthinkable and breaches fortress Chepauk

Stuttering CSK look to make most of home stretch at fortress Chepauk

Pathirana's four-for overshadows Rohit's ton as Mumbai go down

Pathirana the point of difference against Malinga's Mumbai

In a more perfect world, Pathirana’s cricketing rise, and the CSK vs Mumbai Indians vengeance arc, would be the only stories. But this is a world in which a 27-year-long civil war was fought in Sri Lanka, where for most of Sri Lanka’s and India’s post-Independence decades, the governments of Tamil Nadu and the Sinhalese-led government of Sri Lanka have been vehemently opposed. A world in which, only 11 years ago, the IPL’s governing council ruled no Sri Lankan players could play in Chennai for any IPL team over security concerns, such was the ferocity of political opposition.Against that history, Pathirana’s rise at CSK, and to a lesser extent that of Maheesh Theekshana, has been almost startlingly smooth. Pathirana showed promise at the end of the 2022 season, when Theekshana was more useful to the franchise. But then, with the onset of the Impact Player rule in 2023, Pathirana has become a go-to death bowler on account of his ultra-specialised skill set, MS Dhoni prodding him forward like a bird its fledgling chick. Pathirana has not merely been accepted, he has been embraced by CSK’s yellow army, and wildly cheered for at Chepauk.It is not certain exactly what political shifts have enabled this, but deductions may be made. Sri Lanka’s colossal protests of 2022, which culminated in the ouster of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, are significant in the timeline. The Rajapaksas were understood regionally to be champions of Sinhalese-Buddhist nationalism, and had also overseen the vicious conclusion to the war, which substantially deepened an already profound divide with Tamil Nadu. But that family having been so chastened by a movement produced largely by the southern (mostly Sinhalese) population likely cast Sri Lankan southerners in a mellower light in Tamil Nadu.Around this time, Sinhalese animosity towards Tamil Nadu began to abate too. Through the worst of those crisis months of 2022, when the island was cripplingly short of fuel, power, medicines and food, the government of Tamil Nadu came through with humanitarian aid worth around 3.4 billion Sri Lankan rupees.

It is no surprise that the Chepauk fans who first bellowed for Pathirana are people roughly his age – Gen Z and young millennials, who tend to pack out the C, D and E stands. If you can make it there, Chepauk veterans say, you’re the rubber-stamped next big thing

Where previous decades had been characterised by a vortex of escalating tensions, here was a mutual softening, and in Sri Lanka at least, long-overdue introspection. It was in that year that Theekshana, then Pathirana, made their debuts for CSK, though there were no home games for the side in 2022.Additionally, there is the passage of time. Theekshana was ten when the war ended. Pathirana was seven. While injustices persist in Sri Lanka, and the kind of accountability Tamil Nadu has called for remains barely even a promise, there is also the simmering sense that these many years on, people need to move on.It is no surprise that the Chepauk fans who first bellowed for Pathirana are people roughly his age – Gen Z and young millennials, who tend to pack out the C, D and E stands. If you can make it there, Chepauk veterans say, you’re the rubber-stamped next big thing. Enmity, it turns out, does not have to be passed down through the generations.It’s worth clocking too that part of Pathirana’s rise among the CSK faithful is down to Dhoni’s vocal support of the bowler. When Dhoni struck that 91 not out and sealed one of Sri Lanka’s most painful cricketing memories with a six at the Wankhede, who could have guessed what he’d be capable of in the future? Since then, he has graduated from to in the Tamil imagination. And now he is – however unwittingily – playing a role in a Tamil-Sinhalese connect.Hurtbringer: for years, as Mumbai Indians’ bowling spearhead, Lasith Malinga was a thorn in Chennai Super Kings’ side•BCCIThere is also beautiful history here. Pathirana is far from the first Sri Lankan to feel the love at Chepauk, and in fact, Muthiah Muralidaran, in CSK’s early years, wasn’t either. In the pre-civil war decades, the Tamil Nadu state side was Ceylon’s (as Sri Lanka was then known) biggest regular opponent. In 1947, M Sathasivam – a Ceylonese Tamil, if you’re keeping track – hit a 215 against them that glittered by all accounts with delectable late cuts, fine glances, and spectacular drives. Right into the 21st century, old-timers who watched that innings would swear it was the greatest ever witnessed at Chepauk.There is no more legendary Sri Lankan cricketer of the pre-Test era than Sathasivam, and Chepauk was likely the scene of his crowning triumph. Whether or not Pathirana and Theekshana are aware, this too is a story to which they belong. Where their boots now tread, Sathasivam’s went first.These are victories worth celebrating, because despite what nationalists of any stripe would have you believe, hatred is not intractable. Neither, then, is cohesion. If there are many in the world intent on fanning flames, it is vital that when green shoots emerge from the earth, they are seen as worth protecting too.Right now, one of the brightest fast-bowling prospects Sri Lanka has produced, quite possibly the island’s fastest ever bowler, a man of Sinhalese origin, is being invested in and developed by a franchise side in Tamil Nadu. Across Sri Lanka, families turn their televisions on in the evenings and hear entire stands in a Chennai stadium scream “PA-THI-RA-NA”.You’d be foolish to think a few stump-splaying yorkers and stadium chants can heal grievances collected over decades. But you’d be naïve to think they mean nothing.

There are various roles to account for but the selectors have options for each of them. Here’s a run through, with an IPL lens for context

Gaurav Sundararaman21-May-2022

BATTERS
Role 1: Powerplay enforcer
Contenders: Prithvi Shaw and Ishan Kishan
One of the key requirements of a T20 opener is the ability to maximise the powerplay. This is crucial for various reasons: conditions could get tougher for run-scoring later in the innings, and teams often try to slip in a few overs from a weaker bowler up front if the batters are conservative. Not to mention, the powerplay enforcer is critical to taking advantage of fielding restrictions to set a strong foundation and/or bring the asking rate down in a jiffy.