With Monday’s transfer deadline fast approaching, Aston Villa have reportedly launched a shock £47m offer to sign a late midfield reinforcement for Unai Emery.
Aston Villa's late transfer plan
The Villans are attempting to salvage their summer after battling with PSR constraints since the end of last season. So far, the current window has seen Evann Guessand, Yasin Ozcan and Marco Bizot all arrive, but after Emery revealed his desire to have two players in every position, the Midlands club may not be done with their incomings just yet.
The rumours have been coming thick and fast since those words and all eyes are now on Monchi as Aston Villa look to bolster their squad one final time this summer.
Of those mentioned, the biggest name has been Marco Asensio. It seemed as though Aston Villa were destined to miss out on the Spaniard after an excellent loan spell last season, but fresh reports have now indicated that they’ve made their move and he could be on the way.
Marco Asensio celebrates for Aston Villa
The Paris Saint-Germain winger was a real difference-maker for the Villans last season and would no doubt add the further firepower that they’ve lacked in recent weeks.
The same, meanwhile, can be said for another Premier League rival that Aston Villa have already reportedly launched a shock bid to sign late on in the window.
Aston Villa launch shock Paqueta bid
According to Fabrizio Romano, Aston Villa have launched a £47m bid to sign Lucas Paqueta from West Ham United before the transfer window slams shut.
West Ham's Lucas Paqueta celebrates his goal against Wolves in the Carabao Cup.
Those in the Midlands are reportedly pushing to secure his signature, but remain without the green light from the Hammers, who are keen to keep hold of the Brazilian.
Aston Villa eye shock hijack for star who's on the verge joining Man Utd
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ByTom Cunningham Aug 31, 2025
It seems like West Ham are in no mood to compromise, either. TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook has been quick to burst Villa’s bubble, reporting that a move, at this stage, is unlikely for Paqueta with West Ham unwilling to agree a loan deal that includes an obligation to buy. As such, Villa are not in a position to afford the midfield star.
Things can quickly change in a transfer window, however, and Paqueta remains one to watch. Dubbed “incredible” by David Moyes during his time at West Ham, the South American is certainly one worth fighting for.
Afghanistan are also without Mujeeb Ur Rahman at the Champions Trophy, though he played the entire SA20 for Paarl Royals
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2025AM Ghazanfar, the 18-year-old right-arm fingerspinner who has made such a bright start to his ODI career, has been ruled out of the Champions Trophy 2025 because of a “fracture in the L4 vertebra”. Left-arm spinner Nangeyalia Kharote, who was originally in the list of reserves, has now replaced Ghazanfar in the main squad.The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), which tweeted out the news on Wednesday morning, said that Ghazanfar sustained the injury during Afghanistan’s tour of Zimbabwe late last year, and “will be sidelined for a minimum of four months and will remain under treatment during this period”. That means he will also be out of the IPL that is set to be played from March 21 to May 25. Ghazanfar had bagged his maiden IPL contract recently, with Mumbai Indians.Ghazanfar, who has 21 wickets from 11 ODIs so far, played three games for MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20 league in January after the tour of Zimbabwe. He wasn’t as effective as MI Emirates would have hoped him to be, though, bowling 7.1 overs in those three games, and picking up just one wicket with an economy rate of 9.48.
Here we come, Champions Trophy!
AfghanAtalan have arrived in Lahore for their maiden participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. They will feature in a week-long conditioning camp, which will also include two warm-up matches against Pakistan A (Feb 14 in Lahore) and New… pic.twitter.com/q95aO4UU0d
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) February 12, 2025
Twenty-year-old Kharote, who hasn’t played for Afghanistan since the ODI series against Bangladesh in Sharjah in November last year – he starred in Afghanistan’s win in the second game with 3 for 28 – has played seven ODIs and six T20Is since making his international debut in March 2024.Afghanistan have a group of top-notch spinners in their line-up – Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi – but continue to be without Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Mujeeb, who played the full SA20 season with Paarl Royals through January and early February, hasn’t played for Afghanistan since that tour of Zimbabwe and was not named in the original Champions Trophy squad. He has not played ODIs since the 2023 World Cup in India and will be out “until he has fully recovered”, the ACB statement said.Afghanistan squad for the Champions TrophyHashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Fareeh Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nangeyalia Kharote, Naveed Zadran, Noor Ahmad
O torcedor do Corinthians terá que colocar a matemática em dia mais uma vez durante esse Campeonato Brasileiro, no medo de não entrar na zona de rebaixamento. Com a derrota para o Athletico-PR, em Curitiba, neste sábado (24), o Timão pode encerrar essa rodada entre os quatro piores times da competição. Para que isso não ocorra, a Fiel terá que torcer contra Goiás e Cuiabá, equipes que podem ultrapassar os corintianos.
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Ambos os adversários diretos do clube alvinegro jogarão fora de casa, assim como foi com o Coringão. Os goianos vão jogar em Bragança Paulista, contra o Bragantino, neste domingo (25), às 18h30 (de Brasília). Já o Dourado encara o Vasco, em São Januário, na segunda-feira (26), às 21h (de Brasília).
+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF
Atualmente, o Corinthians está na 15ª colocação, duas acima do Z4, com 12 pontos. O problema é que o Esmeraldino, que é a primeira equipe na ‘zona da confusão’, como costuma chamar o técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo, do Timão. Os alviverdes têm 11 pontos, sendo alçado a 15 caso vença fora de casa. O Cuiabá, por sua vez, está na 16ª posição e tem os mesmos 12 pontos do Time do Povo.
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Sendo assim, um empate do Goiás com o Braga já impossibilita os corintianos entrarem no grupo que seria rebaixado para a segunda divisão se o campeonato acabasse hoje. Isso porque, o resultado igualaria o número de pontos entre o clube do Centro-Oeste e o Corinthians, mas o Alvinegro tem três gols a mais de saldo (-5 contra -8).
+ Veja os valores dos lotes arrematados no leilão do Instituto Neymar
Agora, se os goianos vencerem no interior de São Paulo, um simples empate do Cuiabá no Rio de Janeiro colocará o Corinthians na zona de rebaixamento.
Even though Sunday put a slight dampener on things, the outlook for Arsenal this season is a positive one.
As long as the Gunners can keep their star players from missing as many games as they did last season, they should remain in the Premier League title race until the very end.
Moreover, even if the club do suffer with more injuries, they’ve done an incredible job bolstering the squad with brilliant alternatives over the summer.
Yet, there are still some issues, including one player Mikel Arteta has to give up on, a player who is earning more than marquee signing Eberechi Eze.
What Eze brings to Arsenal
The signing of Eze in and of itself lifted the mood of the Arsenal fanbase last month, as, on top of getting one over Tottenham Hotspur, the club were addressing a few problem areas in one deal.
For example, in addition to scoring goals last season, a significant problem for the Gunners was simply creating chances.
According to data from Stats Muse, despite finishing as runners-up, Arteta’s outfit were only the fifth best team at creating goalscoring chances, chalking up just 427 compared to Liverpool’s 502.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetacelebrates after the match
In other words, it was crystal clear to all who watched that the Gunners were in desperate need of some ingenuity in the team, and while one player alone won’t see them create the most chances in the league, Eze will undoubtedly help.
For example, according to Stats Muse, the Englishman created 59 chances on his own in the league last year, which is all the more impressive given that he did so for a mid-table side.
The second significant benefit of signing the 27-year-old is his ability to play in multiple positions.
One week, he might be tasked with starting in the middle of the park, either to cover for or replace, should his form not improve, Martin Odegaard, and then the next week, be the starting left-winger.
At the moment, it feels more likely that the £175k-per-week “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, will start in the latter position.
After all, that is where the player who needs to be dropped and moved on is currently playing.
The Arsenal dud earning way more than Eze
If you were to ask fans what the most significant problem area in this Arsenal team is, most would probably say the left wing.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
Leandro Trossard has not looked convincing for nearly a year now; Noni Madueke has looked uncomfortable out there on the few times he has played there, and worst of all, fans are losing patience with Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian wideman was once one of the most exciting members of the Gunners’ squad, with his breakneck speed and impressive finishing ability making him a key part of the side’s first title-challenging season in 22/23.
However, it has been a long time since we’ve seen that version of the 23-year-old, and instead of picking up 15 goals and six assists in the league like he did in 22/23, he was only able to amass a tally of eight goals and four assists last season.
Moreover, what is particularly frustrating about the winger is that, time after time, he will find himself with the ball at his feet and with one defender ahead of him and, instead of beating his man or dinking the ball over their head, he’ll pass it backwards or run into them.
This was on full display on Sunday when the Guarulhos-born ace failed to have any positive attacking impact on the game whatsoever, so much so that podcaster Phil Costa labelled him “clunky and indecisive,” which is about the worst way to describe a winger.
This wouldn’t be such a problem if the former Ituano gem were a fringe squad player on a low wage who could be easily moved on, but instead, he’s a core part of the squad and making an astronomical £180k-per-week.
Martinelli vs Eze in 24/25
Players
Martinelli
Eze
Appearances
51
43
Minutes
3564′
3303′
Goals
10
14
Assists
6
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.31
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
222.75′
132.12′
Stats via Transfermarkt
That comes out to a whopping £9.36m-per-year, and when you compare his output to Eze’s over the last couple of seasons, it’s impossible to ignore how poor a use of funds this is.
Now, there is, of course, a chance Martinelli could one day rediscover the form that led to him earning his current contract.
Arsenal's GabrielMartinelliduring the press conference
However, after two seasons of underwhelming performances and a poor start to this one, that feels very, very unlikely.
Therefore, Arteta should be dropping him from the team for the next game, and Arsenal should do what they can to move him on as soon as possible.
Arsenal could have signed Rodrygo by selling their "talent of the century"
Newcastle United frustratingly drew blanks across the entire 90 minutes away at Aston Villa on the Premier League’s opening day.
The obvious question on everyone’s minds post-match was whether the Magpies would have been so wasteful if Alexander Isak were leading the line, but the superstar Swede was notably absent, as he remains insistent on a summer switch away from St James’ Park.
With the ex-Real Sociedad striker seemingly set on leaving, Eddie Howe and Co. will be desperate to land a striker in a similar vein to their potent number 14 before the transfer window slams shut, with plenty of targets popping on the Toon shortlist.
Newcastle given encouragement over striker deal
It’s not exactly been a closely guarded secret this summer that the Magpies are in the market for an explosive, new centre-forward.
They could finally be about to land long-term target Yoane Wissa, with the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope recently revealing that a deal could be wrapped up by next week for the 28-year-old to leave Brentford behind for pastures new on Tyneside.
Isak vs Wissa 2024-25 stats (timeless)
While his 19 goals last season would make him a suitable Isak replacement, he isn’t the only clinical attacker on Newcastle’s shopping list.
Indeed, Hope has also revealed that the Isak-less Toon have been handed some “encouragement” over securing the services of Paris St. Germain hotshot Goncalo Ramos, who has also been reportedly looked at by the likes of Liverpool and Aston Villa this window.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Hope said: “Goncalo Ramos, the PSG striker, is back on the agenda. He was and then he wasn’t, I was told last week that it’s not happening. Then I was told yesterday [Friday] that actually there’s a chance it might, Newcastle have been given some encouragement there.
“But again, I think that would be a really hard one to do. I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one for want of a better phrase. But they are looking, he is an option absolutely. I’ve had that confirmed, that’s why I put the story out there last night.”
PSG forward Goncalo Ramos
How Ramos possesses shades of Ekitike
It’s still some way off from being near completion, but landing the Portuguese attacker could see the Magpies win a striker who possesses shades of Hugo Ekitike’s clinical game.
Amazingly, Ekitike was yet another striker Howe and Co. missed out on this summer, as Arne Slot’s Reds ultimately won his signature over picking up Ramos.
The Magpies must be forlorn that the former Eintracht Frankfurt striker decided to uproot to Anfield over St James’ Park, considering he already has two goals next to his name for the reigning top-flight champions, which included a fierce strike getting Liverpool up and running on the entertaining opening night of the campaign.
Any lingering disappointment surrounding the Frenchman choosing the luxuries of Liverpool over Newcastle would soon be forgotten about, however, if Ramos were to make the switch to Howe’s men, with the 24-year-old a recognised goalscoring menace in Europe, much like Ekitike was before Merseyside came calling.
Already, Tottenham Hotspur are aware of his red-hot instincts in front of goal, with Ramos only needing 14 minutes of action against Thomas Frank’s Spurs in the Super Cup final before delivering this sucker punch of a header to level proceedings at 2-2.
This has been a tale of his entire stay in Paris to date, with only 28 Ligue 1 starts coming his way across his last two seasons in the French capital.
However, that hasn’t stopped him from going on to bag a mightily impressive 21 league goals across those limited opportunities.
Coincidentally, Ekitike also struggled for gametime during his own up-and-down stay at the Parc Des Princes, but slipped up in the goalscoring department with only four strikes registered.
Games played
248
153
Goals scored
102
52
Assists
29
26
Trophies
10
3
Top goalscorer accolades
3
0
The brand new £79m Reds signing, of course, fought back from this underwhelming stint in Paris, with a promising return of 26 goals from 64 games for Frankfurt winning him the lavish move.
However, when assessing the table above, the “outrageous” 24-year-old – as he’s been lauded previously by scout Jacek Kulig for his unerring accuracy in front of goal – has actually had a far more glittering career path than his Anfield counterpart, with 50 more career strikes next to his name.
Goncalo Ramos at Benfica
Therefore, the former Benfica marksman will be loving the prospect of having his own moment in the Premier League spotlight with Newcastle, as he potentially goes head-to-head with Ekitike in the demanding division.
Once hailed by Bruno Fernandes as having “all the qualities to play in the Premier League”, the proof will soon be in the pudding if Ramos does make the move, as Newcastle’s hunt for a fresh striker looks to go the distance.
Better than Ramos: Newcastle set to see bid accepted for "outstanding" CF
Newcastle United are closing in on a deal to sign a Premier League forward to bolster their squad.
Manchester City have been dealt a blow with Andree Jeglertz confirming Lauren Hemp will be sidelined with the ankle injury she suffered last time out against Tottenham. The Lionesses winger, who has already endured long injury lay-offs in recent seasons, was seen emotional and in a protective boot after the Spurs game, but the damage is not as bad as first feared.
Hemp suffers ankle injury against Spurs
Hemp picked up the ankle issue during Manchester City's 5-1 victory over Tottenham last week and there were initial fears of a potentially lengthy absence. But scans have now confirmed she will be unavailable for the next few weeks only, with Jeglertz ruling her out of Sunday's WSL clash against London City Lionesses. The 24-year-old had missed five months last season with a knee problem, so a matter of weeks this time is a sigh of relief.
"She has an ankle injury and is out for a couple of weeks," Jeglertz told the media. "Of course, it's a tough situation for her. She wants to play and we want her to play but injuries happen. She is doing everything she can to get back as quickly as possible and she needs to support the team in another way. Hopefully, she will be back soon."
Getty ImagesGrace Clinton offers cover for Hemp
While losing Hemp is a setback, Grace Clinton's versatility could be crucial in softening the blow. The summer signing marked her debut with a goal and was deployed in a wide role, offering Jeglertz an extra option in Hemp's absence. Although typically more of a No. 8 or No. 10, Clinton's ability to adapt and contribute in attack could prove decisive as City aim to mount a serious Women's Super League title challenge over the course of the season, even after Hemp returns.
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Getty Images SportHemp-less Man City to face London City Lionesses next
Manchester City face London City Lionesses this weekend as they look to continue their positive start to the season since putting an opening defeat to Chelsea behind them. Clinton may be handed more minutes to cover for Hemp, giving her the chance to build on her impressive debut following a short hop over from Manchester United. For Hemp, the focus will now be on recovery and ensuring she avoids another extended spell on the sidelines.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Giants M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 7.30pm IST
What to expect: Can Giants find form?
Two teams coming off back-to-back losses, but in no way comparable. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have actually been really good in WPL 2025. Yet, they find themselves under pressure as they get ready to face Gujarat Giants at home.After two commanding wins, they went down to Mumbai Indians off the second-last ball of the game, and then lost to UP Warriorz in a Super Over, despite dominating most of the match. Momentum in cricket is a double-edged sword. Wins under the belt can act as a confidence booster, but losses can be deflating. And having suffered two heartbreaking losses, RCB will want to get back to winning ways, especially with the tournament entering its business end.RCB have a good record against Giants. They have won three out of five matches, which includes a solid win in this year’s season opener. In addition, they have never lost to them in Bengaluru. They also have the current purple cap holder and an all-time great in touching distance of the orange cap, and will want to move up the points table before the Bengaluru leg ends.Giants, on the other hand, have a number of problems to sort. They ended WPL 2023 and 2024 bottom of the pile, and are down there again. They are too dependent on Ashleigh Gardner and Deandra Dottin, who have also failed to get going in the last two matches.Their problem starts right from the top in the batting. Giants have the worst run rate (5.79), least runs, least boundaries (16 fours and four sixes) and have lost the most wickets (11) in the powerplay this season. With Beth Mooney not in form, and Harleen Deol not a natural striker, do they need one of Gardner or Dottin to go up the order and go on the assertive?
Recent results
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: LLWW Gujarat Giants: LWLLESPNcricinfo Ltd
Team news
It is unlikely that RCB will make any changes to their playing XI from the previous match against Warriorz.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (likely): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 Danni Wyatt-Hodge, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bist, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Ekta Bisht, 11 Renuka SinghGiants made three changes to their playing XI in the previous game, but didn’t have Phoebe Litchfield open the innings. There is a chance she moves to the top with Harleen Deol moving to the No. 3 position. Simran Shaikh has failed to make an impact so far in the tournament, and it is possible Giants might draft in Dayalan Hemalatha to shore up the batting.Gujarat Giants (likely): 1 Beth Mooney (wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Ashleigh Gardner (capt), 5 Deandra Dottin, 6 Dayalan Hemalatha, 7 Bharti Fulmali, 8 Kashvee Gautam, 9 Tanuja Kanwar, 10 Priya Mishra, 11 Meghna Singh
Players to watch: Ellyse Perry and Kashvee Gautam
Ellyse Perry seems to have gone up a gear with the bat in WPL 2025. The second-highest run-scorer this season with 235 runs in four innings at 117.50, Perry, in the last game, also went past Meg Lanning to become WPL’s overall highest run-scorer. Coming into the tournament with a hip injury, Perry did not bowl in RCB’s first three games, but sent down two overs against Warriorz, picking a wicket. If she can contribute with four overs, it could help in balancing the RCB unit even better.In an otherwise demoralising tournament so far, Kashvee Gautam has been a bright star for Giants. She was picked up for a whopping INR 2 crore ahead of the WPL auction for 2024, but was ruled out of the season due to an injury. Giants still retained her, and she is repaying the faith. She started poorly against RCB going for 22 off her two overs, but in the next three games, the 21-year-old has picked five wickets at a miserly economy. Out of all the bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 30 balls this WPL, Gautam’s economy of 6.00 is the fourth-best. Apart from the 15-ball 20 against Mumbai, Gautam hasn’t done much with the bat, and that’s one area she might want to improve.
Stats that matter
Mandhana has been dismissed by Gardner nine times in 26 T20 innings and three times in five innings at the WPL
Giants have won just five matches in the WPL and two of those wins have come against RCB
Giants have the two lowest scores this season – 120 against Mumbai and 127 for 9 against Delhi Capitals
RCB have the worst economy rate in the powerplay this season: 9.04. Giants have the best, 7.29
Giants have conceded 175 runs across four innings in the powerplay this season. Only Mumbai with 142 runs in three games have conceded fewer
O volante Pablo Maia passa por um momento difícil. Nesta quarta-feira (12), o volante recebeu a notícia do falecimento de seu pai, que passava por um tratamento contra o câncer em Minas Gerais.
+ Veja tabela e as próximas rodadas da Copa do Brasil
Por conta do ocorrido, o São Paulo liberou o jogador, que foi ausência no treinamento desta quarta-feira, visando o duelo contra o Palmeiras, na quinta (13), às 20h, no Allianz Parque. Portanto, Pablo Maia deve ser desfalque da equipe no duelo contra o Palmeiras.
Confira o novo nome da área dedicada ao seu time no Lance!
– Pai, obrigado por tudo! Sentiremos muito a sua falta, mas tenho certeza que você estará em um lugar bom e olhando por nós! Essa dor irá nos transformar e nos unir mais ainda, sua família está aqui por você! Descanse em paz, meu querido pai! Eu te amo! – escreveu o jogador nas redes sociais.
Pai, obrigado por tudo!! Sentiremos muito a sua falta, mas tenho certeza que você estará em um lugar bom e olhando por nós! Essa dor irá nos transformar e nos unir mais ainda, sua família está aqui por você!! Descanse em paz, meu querido pai!! Eu te amo! ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/nbXdeIZuGg
— Pablo Maia (@Pablo_Maia02) July 12, 2023
Logo depois, o São Paulo desejou força para Pablo Maia.
– Estamos juntos com você, Pablo Maia. Muita força neste momento difícil.
Estamos juntos com você, Pablo Maia. Muita força neste momento difícil. pic.twitter.com/jm1JClGArL
— São Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) July 12, 2023
Até por conta do momento difícil na vida pessoal e consequentemente, o abalo psicológico, a chance de Pablo Maia enfrentar o Palmeiras é difícil. Titular absoluto da equipe, ele deve ser substituído por Méndez para formar dupla com Gabriel Neves no meio-campo do São Paulo.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has been questioned about Kobbie Mainoo’s lack of game time in the Premier League so far this season.
The England international only played 45 minutes of football across the first three matches, and was an unused substitute in the first two games, playing the second half against Burnley.
Amorim has explained, in the quotes above, that the central midfielder is competing with the captain, Bruno Fernandes, for a starting berth in the team, which seems like a bit of a waste of talent when you consider that he is one of the most valuable players in the squad.
Where Mainoo ranks among Man Utd's most valuable players
Mainoo is currently valued at £43m by Transfermarkt, having come through the academy system at Carrington, but finds himself out of the picture at Old Trafford, when it comes to making the starting line-up.
It feels like a waste to have such a valuable and promising young talent rotting away on the bench, particularly when the system – a 3-4-2-1 formation – keeping him out of the side has yielded eight wins in 30 Premier League games under Amorim.
Most valuable Manchester United players
Player
Market value
Benjamin Sesko
£60m
Matheus Cunha
£52m
Bryan Mbeumo
£48m
Leny Yoro
£48m
Kobbie Mainoo
£43m
Bruno Fernandes
£43m
Amad Diallo
£39m
Manuel Ugarte
£39m
Lisandro Martinez
£35m
Matthijs de Ligt
£33m
Valuations via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, only four other players in the squad are more valuable than Mainoo. Three of them, Yoro, Mbeumo, and Cunha, are locked in starters, and Sesko may be a starter once he is up to speed.
Whilst it is a shame that the England international cannot get into the starting XI at the moment, United also had a nightmare with another academy graduate midfielder who is now valued as much as Mainoo, Scott McTominay.
Man Utd's Scott McTominay howler
The Scotland international came through the youth ranks at Carrington, just like Mainoo, and racked up 29 goals in 255 matches for the first-team in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.
He had shown some very promising signs throughout his time in the senior side. Gary Neville claimed that he “turned into Paul Scholes and Roy Keane” after scoring twice in a Premier League game against Leeds, for example.
Last summer, however, Erik ten Hag decided to part ways with McTominay and sanctioned a £25m transfer to Italian giants Napoli. It is fair to say that the decision has turned out to be a poorly-judged one.
Manchester United replaced him by agreeing a deal worth up to £50.5m to sign Manuel Ugarte from Sporting, and the two players have had hugely contrasting fortunes since those two transfers.
As you can see in the graphic above, McTominay has delivered 20 goals and assists combined for Napoli, helping them to win the Serie A title last season.
The 28-year-old star won the Serie A Player of the Year award and his Transfermarkt value has shot up to £43m as a result of his exceptional performances, taking him on par with Mainoo and significantly higher than the £25m fee that Napoli paid for him.
Meanwhile, Ugarte delivered one goal and two assists in 29 appearances in the Premier League last season, per Sofascore, and has not started a single game in the current campaign.
At the time of writing, the Uruguay international’s Transfermarkt value is £39m, which is less than McTominay’s and far less than the £50.5m deal that was agreed for him last summer.
This shows that United had a howler last summer because they essentially swapped McTominay for Ugarte in the middle of the park, and are worse off for it at this moment in time given how the two players have performed and how their values have changed.
Amorim can revive Mainoo by binning £150k-p/w flop in Man Utd system switch
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim can revive Kobbie Mainoo by changing his formation.
ByDan Emery Sep 7, 2025
Manchester United, as evidenced by his form for Napoli, did not get the best out of McTominay, and they must now avoid repeating the same mistake with Mainoo by leaving him on the bench and in a set-up that seemingly does not suit him.
RR made one change from their previous game, with Yudhvir Singh coming into their pace attack in place of Tushar Deshpande, who was out with a niggle
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-20251:44
Boucher: Punjab middle order might be the strongest in IPL 2025
Playing at their home ground for the first time in IPL 2025, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have chosen to bowl against Rajasthan Royals (RR). While conditions are something of an unknown in Mullanpur’s first game of the season, PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer expected dew to have an effect.Bowling first for the second game in a row, PBKS made one change from their starting XI in their previous game, with Nehal Wadhera coming in for Priyansh Arya. Wadhera had come in as anImpact Sub in that game and scored an unbeaten 25-ball 43, but he nonetheless received a new cap before this game. Arya is on their subs bench, and could come in for the second innings.Sanju Samson was back as RR’s captain and wicketkeeper after a finger injury had restricted him to an Impact Sub’s role in their first three games. He was happy to be back after feeling “restless and helpless” watching his team from the dugout until now.Other than the captaincy going back to Samson from Riyan Parag, RR made one change from their previous game, with Yudhvir Singh coming into their pace attack in place of Tushar Deshpande, who was ruled out with a niggle.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Yudhvir Singh, 11 Sandeep Sharma. RR bench: Kunal Singh Rathore, Shubham Dubey, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Akash MadhwalPunjab Kings: 1 Prabhsimran Singh (wk), 2 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 3 Nehal Wadhera, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Suryansh Shedge, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal. PBKS bench: Priyansh Arya, Harpreet Brar, Pravin Dubey, Vishnu Vinod, Vijaykumar Vyshak