Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has made no secret of his desire for further offensive reinforcements before the end of the summer transfer window.

After the 0-0 draw with Newcastle United in the Premier League, the manager said: “In defence and midfield, goalkeeper position and full-back position, we’ve done really good business. But we spoke quite open and honest about it, we would need to add some more quality up front.”

The Championship champions have only scored one goal in their first three matches back in the top-flight, which has placed further emphasis on the need for new attacking talent to arrive at Throp Arch.

Leeds in talks to sign new winger

With only a few hours left before the deadline passes, the club are reportedly looking to sign a player from one of their Premier League rivals.

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 journalist Graham Smyth, Leeds United are in talks with Fulham over a potential deal to bring Harry Wilson to Elland Road in the coming hours.

The reporter does not reveal whether it would be a permanent or loan move for the former Liverpool man, who signed for the Cottagers for £12m in the summer of 2021.

Smyth adds, though, that he expects the club’s business to be done for the summer if they are able to get a move for Wilson over the line in this last-ditch approach.

What Harry Wilson could bring to Leeds

The Wales international is a proven Premier League performer who could slot straight into the side on the right wing as an upgrade on Daniel James.

Farke’s current Welsh winger has failed to create a ‘big chance’ or register a shot on target in any of his three starts in the Premier League so far this term, and only managed two goals and one assist in 24 outings in his last season in the top-flight with Fulham in the 2022/23 campaign, per Sofascore.

These statistics suggest that Leeds should not expect the former Manchester United man to deliver much in the way of quality at the top end of the pitch this season.

Appearances

35

25

xG

3.38

4.21

Goals

4

6

Big chances created

5

2

Key passes per game

0.7

0.8

Assists

6

1

As you can see in the table above, Wilson has delivered ten goals and seven assists in his last two seasons in the Premier League with Fulham.

These statistics show that the left-footed star, who was once hailed as “incredible” by Jurgen Klopp, can provide quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals on the right wing.

The Fulham forward has shown that he can score and assist goals at a decent rate in the Premier League and could, therefore, hit the ground running at Elland Road as an upgrade on Dan James, who has consistently struggled to deliver in front of goal at that level.

He has shown that he can make a bigger impact in front of goal than the current Leeds winger and that is why a move for the £12m forward could be a shrewd last-minute move.

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Leeds United are now “keeping close checks” on an “exceptional” player, and there is a “good chance” he completes a move to Elland Road.

Leeds looking to bolster midfield options

One of Daniel Farke’s main tasks this summer has been to improve his central midfield options, bringing in the likes of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach, but two of the manager’s Championship promotion-winners stole the headlines against Everton.

Ao Tanaka was voted the Player of the Match by Leeds fans after the 1-0 victory against Everton, and the Japan international was not the only midfielder who impressed, with Ethan Ampadu winning six of the eight duels he contested to keep the Toffees at bay.

However, there has now been a disappointing new injury update on both Tanaka and Ampadu, with the two midfielders being ruled out due to MCL injuries.

As such, Farke may feel a need to dip bring in another central midfielder before the transfer deadline, and transfer expert Graeme Bailey has now revealed the Whites are in a strong position to get a deal for one of their former players over the line…

Speaking to Leeds United News, Bailey suggested that Kalvin Phillips could soon be on his way to Elland Road, saying: “Leeds are keeping very close checks on Kalvin Phillips – am told that Man City might be trying to pay up his contract – there is still a good chance he ends up at Elland Road.”

Phillips still has nearly three years remaining on a £150k-a-week deal with City, but Pep Guardiola’s side are clearly eager to get him off the books, which could open the door for a return to Leeds.

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The Whites are very keen on bringing in a new central midfielder.

1 ByDominic Lund Aug 27, 2025 Signing Phillips could be gamble worth taking for Leeds

If Man City are willing to pay off the 29-year-old’s contract, bringing him in could be a risk worth taking for Farke, given that the former Leeds man has proven he has what it takes to perform at Premier League level in the past.

The defensive midfielder made 49 appearances across the Whites’ two previous stints in the Premier League, during which time his form was good enough to earn regular call-ups for the Three Lions, with the Englishman picking up 31 international caps.

Despite being lauded as an “exceptional human being” by Man City boss Pep Guardiola, the ex-Ipswich Town loanee didn’t exactly set the world alight at Portman Road last season, however, given that he suffered two major injury setbacks.

That said, given that Phillips could potentially be available on a free transfer, he would be a low-risk signing for Leeds, who are perhaps in need of more depth in midfield, given that they are light on options following injuries to Ampadu and Tanaka.

The team made gains on the bowling rankings as well with Kuldeep Yadav ranked third and Jadeja tenth

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2025

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are among the four Indians making up the top eight in the ODI batting rankings•ICC via Getty Images

After India’s unbeaten run through the Champions Trophy, several of their star performers have moved up the ICC’s ODI rankings. They make up four of the top-eight batters in the world with Shubman Gill still at No. 1. Rohit Sharma, Player of the Final for his match-winning 76, has moved up two places to No. 3, and Virat Kohli, with 218 runs in the tournament, is at No. 5. Shreyas Iyer has retained his No. 8 spot.The side’s third Champions Trophy title was set up by their spinners and two of them have made it to the top ten on the bowlers’ rankings. Kuldeep Yadav, who began his spell in the final with a wicket, is up at third place, and in tenth is Ravindra Jadeja, who had a miserly economy rate of 4.35 in the tournament.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

India’s next ODI assignment is away in Bangladesh in August, followed by ODIs in Australia in October-November. South Africa and New Zealand then tour India over December and January, and one question has been whether Rohit and Kohli continue playing the format with the 2027 ODI World Cup still quite far away.Ricky Ponting, though, believes Rohit certainly has some unfinished business in the ODI game. “I think probably the fact that they lost the last one [2023 World Cup in India] and he was captain, that might be the thing that’s playing on the back of his mind,” Ponting told . “Just have one more crack at trying to win the T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and the ODI World Cup. I mean when you see him play like he played in the Champions Trophy final, you wouldn’t say that his time is up just yet.”Santner, Bracewell, Ravindra zoom upNew Zealand’s players made significant gains as well after their team’s run to the final of the Champions Trophy. Captain Mitchell Santner is ranked second on the ODI bowlers’ list, moving up six places on the back of several eye-catching performances. Santner finished with nine wickets in the tournament with an economy rate of 4.80.Santner is also fourth on the ODI allrounders’ rankings with Michael Bracewell, who made a fifty in the final and was New Zealand’s second-highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy, in seventh place.The other standout New Zealand player, Rachin Ravindra, who was the highest-scorer of the competition, jumped 14 places to 14th on the ODI batters’ rankings and eight places up to eighth in the allrounders rankings.

The Pakistan players were fined 5% of their match fee on Thursday for maintaining a slow over-rate during their match against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener at the National Stadium in Karachi.The tournament hosts and defending champions lost to New Zealand by 60 runs on Wednesday, and were later found one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration, the ICC said.While on-field umpires Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula, third umpire Joel Wilson, and fourth umpire Alex Wharf levelled the charge, match referee Andy Pycroft imposed the sanction.Related

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Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan pleaded guilty to the offence with no formal hearing required thereafter.In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over if their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.Pakistan had suffered another blow on Thursday, with Fakhar Zaman ruled out of the rest of the tournament with injury. Imam-ul-Haq has been approved by the ICC as Fakhar’s replacement. They will next face India in Dubai on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur are attempting an ambitious end to the summer transfer window by backing Thomas Frank with multiple key additions.

Spurs have a few key areas of the first team to reinforce, especially following James Maddison’s long-term ACL injury and club legend Son Heung-min’s departure to MLS.

Dejan Kulusevski is also expected to remain out for a long time yet too, after injuring his knee towards the back end of last season, while defender Radu Dragusin’s own ACL tear in January means he might not be back until December.

As Tottenham’s injury nightmare continues into the Frank era, it is reliably believed that Spurs are targeting three major signings before deadline day on September 1 – a new centre-back, winger and attacking midfielder.

This is backed up by Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge in a Q&A from last week, with the Lilywhites since identifying Bayer Leverkusen star Piero Hincapie as their ideal central defensive target (Paul O’Keefe).

Before any move for the Ecuadorian, though, it is more likely that Tottenham will put pen to paper on a deal for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

Eze has already agreed personal terms to join Spurs, according to reliable media sources, with Daniel Levy and Steve Parish holding fresh talks over the 27-year-old’s transfer this week (Fabrizio Romano).

A move for the England international is on the verge of being completed, but final details remain before Spurs can fully seal an agreement for Eze, with Palace also on the hunt for a replacement, which could be Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss.

Alongside Eze, Tottenham have been pursuing Man City winger Savinho in a separate deal (Fabrizio Romano).

The player’s own agent, Frederico Moraes, told Jorge Nicola last week that City rejected a £42 million bid from Spurs for the Brazilian, with Pep Guardiola’s side holding out for closer to the £67 million mark.

Savinho is currently out injured for weeks and missed City’s opening day 4-0 win over Wolves at Molineux on Saturday, and Guardiola is personally keen for the 21-year-old to remain at Eastlands.

Savinho adamant he'd join Tottenham with Levy ready to spend over £60m

The former Girona star would be an absolutely excellent addition for Frank.

Savinho was a key member of the Girona side that shockingly competed for a La Liga title in 2023/2024, bagging 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions that year, and he managed double digits for assists again last season at City.

He can play both on the right and left-hand sides too, as well as through the middle on occasion, so the South American would be an adept replacement for Son and cover for Kulusevski.

Despite Guardiola’s stance, City’s price tag and his injury, journalist Graeme Bailey has told TBR Football that Spurs have no intention of throwing the towel in when it comes to signing the player.

It is believed that Tottenham held fresh talks over a deal for Savinho on Sunday, and the forward is adamant behind-the-scenes that a move to Spurs is something he’d be open to.

As well as this, Levy is apparently ready to spend over £60 million on his potential signing, and any fee beyond that mark would come much closer to City’s reported asking price.

This is definitely still one to watch in the coming days, as Savinho will want guaranteed game time ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Heading into today’s Premier League showdown with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United found themselves winless from their opening three league fixtures.

Thankfully, that early-season curse has now been lifted as Eddie Howe’s Magpies just about got the better of the travelling Old Gold courtesy of a debut strike from £69m buy Nick Woltemade, who was thrust straight into action by the Toon boss.

Woltemade’s game-winning strike fell at the perfect time for the Tyneside hosts after Wolves had threatened with some early first-half efforts. Thankfully, while Vitor Pereira’s away side were wasteful, the home side were more clinical, with the ex-Stuttgart man heading home a teasing Jacob Murphy cross to break the deadlock.

Woltemade wasn’t the only inspired inclusion in Howe’s XI, however, as the 47-year-old reintroduced Joelinton back into the first team fold, who worked excellently alongside the duo of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali during the 1-0 victory.

Guimaraes and Tonali's relationship

Both Guimaraes and Tonali are solid first-team faces at this point, with both players in question starting every possible league game they can so far this season.

The Magpies’ number 39 wasn’t quite at his accurate best centrally with the ball at his feet, as seen in him relinquishing possession a near costly 19 times, but the forceful Newcastle captain did still make his presence known with six ground duels won during the tight win.

While Guimaraes wasn’t quite at his confident best roaming forward, his Italian counterpart was certainly lively in this capacity, with the energetic number eight even hitting the woodwork with one of his three efforts in a bid to make the victory more comprehensive.

With Joelinton also thrown back in the mix after injury, it must be rather easy for Howe to pick his midfield personnel when everyone is fit and firing, knowing he will get consistent greatness out of those at his disposal.

Other partnerships across the pitch will equally make Howe beam from ear to ear, with one duo, in particular, standing out once more against Wolves to now stake a claim at being even more important than the aforementioned duo of Guimaraes and Tonali.

Trippier & Murphy are looking like Howe's "best" pairing

Woltemade will hope, in time, that he can form a partnership that is held in high regard at St James’ Park, with Alexander Isak once bouncing off the likes of Anthony Gordon for fun, before he exited the building for Liverpool.

Newcastle’s right-hand side clearly boasts a healthy working relationship based on the 1-0 win, as both Kieran Trippier and Murphy worked together in harmony throughout to guide Howe’s men to a much-needed three points.

Minutes played

90

89

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

0

1

Touches

96

51

Shots

0

4

Accurate passes

53/68 (78%)

17/26 (65%)

Key passes

5

1

Successful dribbles

0/0

2/3

Total duels won

4/6

3/5

Between them down the right-hand side, both Trippier and Murphy would amass a whopping six key passes from their combined 147 touches of the ball, with the right winger ultimately picking up the assist that saw Woltemade break his Magpies duck to hand Howe’s men a win.

But, away from their constant creativity, both the hard-working number two and the number 23 also won their fair share of duels to keep Wolves at bay, with a combined duels won count of seven come the full-time whistle.

This split-second ability to create, but also fight for their team’s cause, certainly puts them on the same pedestal as Guimaraes and Tonali, with journalist Craig Hope stating during the match that they make a “big difference” when together on the pitch, as the pair have the “best” understanding as a partnership.

This is high praise, indeed, with Murphy hopeful he can remain a part of Howe’s first team plans, even with Anthony Elanga breathing down his neck as a new £55m recruit.

Trippier, despite being 34 years of age, will also hope he has plenty more first-team minutes heading his direction, as Newcastle tries to build on these three points against Pereira’s visitors, with a Champions League humdinger against Barcelona next on the menu.

Newcastle can get Woltemade hitting Isak levels by unleashing "unsung hero"

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Peter Lever, the former Lancashire and England fast bowler, has died after a short illness. He was 84.Lever took almost 1000 wickets for Lancashire during his playing days in the 1960s and ’70s. He was capped 17 times in Tests by England, as well as featuring in 10 one-day internationals.He went on to work as England bowling coach under Ray Illingworth, and was inducted into the Lancashire hall of fame last year.Lever’s chances with England were initially limited by strong seam-bowling competition, and he had to wait until the age of 30 for his official debut. He had played for England against the Rest of the World during the summer of 1970, taking 7 for 83 including the wickets of Graeme Pollock, Garry Sobers and Clive Lloyd – but the matches subsequently lost their Test status.Related

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He played five Tests during the 1970-71 Ashes, taking 13 wickets, as England won 2-0 to reclaim the urn; he was also picked for the first-ever ODI, staged due to the abandonment of the third Test, in Melbourne.Although his involvement thereafter was sporadic, Lever toured Australia and New Zealand again in 1974-75. It was during the Auckland Test that Lever bowled the ball that struck Ewen Chatfield on the side of the head, leaving the New Zealand No. 11 needing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the pitch.Lever was part of the England side that reached the semi-finals of the first men’s World Cup later that year, but he only made one further Test appearance before retiring in 1976.

It is fair to say that Manchester United have moved to address their quality issues at the top end of the pitch in the summer transfer window so far.

Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko have all been brought in to bolster Ruben Amorim’s options in the final third, with the hope that they will score the goals to push the Red Devils back into the Champions League.

Sesko scored 21 goals in all competitions for RB Leipzig in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, and will be hoping to carry that kind of goalscoring threat over to his time in England.

The Slovenia international made his second appearance in the Premier League on Sunday, but is still waiting for his first start in the red and black.

United also need to look at other areas of the pitch, though, and were reportedly interested in a deal to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Red Devils were reportedly keen to sign the defensive midfielder before Brighton made it clear that he would not be sold this summer, and they ended their pursuit.

What Baleba could have brought to Man Utd

Baleba will not be signing for United, if the latest reports are to be believed, this summer, but the interest is clearly there, and it will be interesting to see whether or not they go reignite it in January or next summer.

The left-footed star could have been an excellent addition to the squad for the current campaign, though, if they had managed to convince Brighton to part ways with him in the current window.

That is because the 21-year-old star is a proven Premier League performer who could have come in as an upgrade on Manuel Ugarte as the holding, or ‘defensive’, midfielder alongside Bruno Fernandes.

Baleba started 31 matches in the top-flight for Brighton in the 2024/25 campaign and made 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game, winning 55% of his duels, per Sofascore.

What makes the United target stand out, however, is that he has quality on the ball to go along with his combative play out of possession in the middle of the park.

24/25 PL (per 90)	Baleba	Ugarte
Non-penalty goals	0.10	0.05
Shot-creating actions	2.23	1.56
Progressive passes	3.99	3.08
Progressive carries	1.45	0.81
Key passes	0.71	0.50
Passes into the final third	3.69	2.97
Passes into the penalty area	0.78	0.45
Stats via FBref

As you can see in the table above, Baleba offered more to his team in possession across a host of metrics in comparison to Ugarte in the Premier League last season, which is why he could have been an excellent addition to Amorim’s squad.

Whilst they will not be adding a defensive pillar to their midfield ranks, the Red Devils are reportedly interested in a star who could be an even better signing than Baleba.

£21m star wants to sign for Man Utd

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United target Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens wants to sign for the club before the end of the summer transfer window.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, as relayed by TEAMtalk, Romano said: “Manchester United remain focused on the opportunity to bring in a new goalkeeper before the end of the window. The player they want is Senne Lammens at Royal Antwerp.

Transfer Focus

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

“The player is keen on the move. Contacts took place again today, on Saturday, between United and Antwerp. The two clubs are talking. At the moment, [it is] not yet a done deal but [is] advancing as I told you as an exclusive story on Friday.

“The agreement with the player is OK. Club-to-club negotiations: they started at €17million plus €3m in add-ons to reach the package of €20m. Now, Antwerp are asking for something close to €25m for Lammens, so there is negotiation ongoing on the transfer fee, a negotiation on the numbers and the details of the deal. Conversations ongoing for Lammens to United.”

Romano further noted on X prior to United’s draw with Fulham that a fee was now close to being agreed.

Why Man Utd should sign Senne Lammens

Whilst Baleba would, as aforementioned, have been a solid addition to the squad as an upgrade on Ugarte, the Royal Antwerp star could be a transformational signing.

A goalkeeper is the last line of defence for a team and United, unfortunately, have not had an impressive operator in that position for many, many, years.

In the 2024/25 campaign, Andre Onana prevented 0.53 goals (xG) and made three errors that directly led to goals in 34 Premier League starts for the Red Devils, per Sofascore, which shows that he was not outstanding as a shot-stopper and made too many errors.

Lammens’ performances for Royal Antwerp in the Belgian Pro League suggest that he has the potential to come in as a monumental upgrade for United between the sticks, which could help to propel Amorim’s side to the next level.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig described his form as “simply phenomenal” and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you compare his shot-stopping to the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League from last season.

Top performing shot-stoppers in Premier League vs Senne Lammens
24/25 season	Goals (xG) prevented
Senne Lammens (Pro League)	+15.57
Jordan Pickford (Premier League)	+6.15
Matz Sels (Premier League)	+4.55
Mark Travers (Premier League)	+4.48
Ederson (Premier League)	+4.46
Dean Henderson (Premier League)	+3.14
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Lammens prevented a staggering 15.57 xG with his shot-stopping exploits for Royal Antwerp last term, almost ten more goals prevented than any goalkeeper in the Premier League managed.

These statistics suggest that the 23-year-old colossus, who has prevented 1.19 goals in four league games this season, has the potential to be the best shot-stopper in the top-flight, if he can translate his form over to English football.

Whilst there is no guarantee that he will be able to adapt and deliver the same level of performances, it appears to be a gamble that is well worth taking for United given his unbelievable form for Royal Antwerp.

In theory, his shot-stopping has the potential to prevent United from conceding around 15 goals in comparison to Onana over a Premier League season, which could be a huge difference in points by turning defeats to draws, draws to wins with huge saves.

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This is why Lammens would be an even better signing than Baleba, if they can get him playing at his best at Old Trafford, because he could be a transformational addition to the team, rather than just a decent upgrade in one area of the pitch.

Celtic and Brendan Rodgers have now reportedly made a significant decision regarding the future of a four-time Scottish Premiership champion.

Rodgers linked with foreign move away from Celtic

It hasn’t been the happiest start to the season for the Hoops, following a disappointing summer, with the 0-0 draw at home to Rangers proving to be a turgid affair.

All doesn’t appear to be well regarding Rodgers, having been frustrated during the summer transfer window, and journalist Alan Nixon believes a move to a foreign club appeals to the Northern Irishman next, despite links with the Nottingham Forest job.

It remains to be seen how long Rodgers’ second stint at Celtic lasts, but it is a tumultuous period in the club’s history, summed up by the statement they released days ago, with Michael Stewart calling it a PR disaster.

“Talk about not being able to read the room. Of course, they were under pressure and felt like they had to speak but they’d have been better just being quiet than coming out with that. At no juncture in that statement did the Celtic board actually say, ‘you know what, it’s not been as good as we hoped’. That statement could’ve been one word – ‘sorry’.”

Celtic make huge decision regarding "physical beast"

According to Football Insider, Celtic and Rodgers have decided that Daizen Maeda is not for sale when the January transfer window opens, despite him pushing for an exit which was blocked by Parkhead chiefs.

It is claimed that the Hoops have “blocked his potential transfer” away from Parkhead “due to their lack of depth in forward areas” between now and the end of the season, with Maeda himself admitting he wanted out of Celtic Park over the summer.

Maeda is contracted at the club until the summer of 2027, so time is running out if they want to eventually receive a fee for him, but keeping hold of him for the time being does make sense.

Celtic cannot afford to be in a position where they don’t have enough firepower in their ranks, following such a forgettable summer of attacking signings, and the £25m-rated Japanese is a player who has been lauded as a “physical beast” by coaches and also hailed by Rodgers in the past.

“He’s been absolutely brilliant wherever he’s played, however he’s played, he’s had an amazing season. He earns every penny and we feel as a club he deserves more. He doesn’t give away much, other than saying he’s very happy.”

Maeda is still searching for his first league goal of the season after four appearances, which is unlike him, but the four-time Scottish Premiership champion is too good a player not to find some form sooner rather than later.

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It could well be the 27-year-old’s final season in a Celtic shirt, however, in order to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2027, and Rodgers will hope he can see the best of him again before next May arrives.

Manchester United enjoyed a productive summer window and could now have landed a shot in the arm as they bid to force an exciting deal over the line in January.

Man Utd preparing for Man City battle

Despite a mixed start to the Premier League campaign, Manchester United sit above rivals Manchester City in the table as they prepare for Sunday’s derby clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Ruben Amorim will have found some solace in the international break after leading his side to a last-gasp victory over Burnley before his players jetted off to different corners of the world, but the hard work begins now if the Red Devils are serious about climbing the top-flight standings.

Paul Scholes has admitted that it is difficult to gauge what level of league finish would be acceptable given the transitional nature of Manchester United’s season, claiming that anywhere from eighth upwards may be deemed as an adequate return.

“This season… It’s so hard to tell. You’re even looking at the first three games: okay, they won one, drawn one, lost one. So difficult. I think top eight. I think he would take that at this point.”

After a strong showing in the transfer window, Manchester United have Nottingham Forest star Elliott Anderson on their radar heading into January, and he may not be the only name on their radar as the Red Devils build under the guise of INEOS.

Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman is also on the Red Devils’ radar, indicating that they could be set to target youthful assets with years of development potential ahead of them at Old Trafford.

Regardless, the need for ready-made experience is always paramount at Manchester United, and INEOS have now received a boost in pursuit of their top target.

Man Utd have Emiliano Martinez at top of January shopping list

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United have Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at the top of their shopping list in January as he continues to remain out of the picture in the West Midlands.

The Argentina international, a former Arsenal player, is said to be desperate for minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which could hasten the process of an exit should he manage to land a stunning move to Old Trafford. The report also adds that Martinez could cost €25m (£22m) halfway through the season.

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Maintaining a save percentage rate of 69% in the Premier League last term, per Fotmob, Martinez, a World Cup winner in 2022, kept 16 clean sheets in 53 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25, though has started just once this campaign.

AC Milan’s Mike Maignan is also being looked at on a free transfer as an alternative, something that could potentially put the cat among the pigeons regarding Senne Lammens’ place in the pecking order.

Andre Onana’s recent loan move to Trabzonspor has created a space for someone to fill between the sticks at Old Trafford, and Martinez would definitely be a popular solution among supporters to their goalkeeping debacle.