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Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League last season, with emphasis on the word ‘last’.

Ruben Amorim didn’t mince his words when talking about the need to turn things around and use the 2024/25, and all the baggage that came with it, as a springboard for the future, finally ending these endless years of frustration for one of the game’s biggest superpowers.

Fixing the frontline was always going to be among the chief priorities for the Old Trafford side, and INEOS started on a strong footing there, signing Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a £62.5m fee, the Brazil forward rejecting interest from a host of Premier League suitors to join the Red Devils.

Efforts for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo are ongoing, but the pointers suggest that the right-sided forward will join up with Amorim’s squad in the coming weeks, having expressed a burning desire to make the switch.

This is all well and good, but Man United still need to sign a central striker.

Why Man Utd need a new striker

By all accounts, Amorim wanted to commence pre-season with Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho all sold. That hasn’t happened, and they have all informed the hierarchy of their wish to depart.

More concerning, perhaps, is Rasmus Hojlund’s continued presence in the Man United senior squad.

The Danish striker, 22, was well out of sorts last term, and has been heavily linked with a summer exit, Inter Milan showing the most interest in his signature.

​​​​​

Hojlund is clearly a talented forward, but after such an abject run across the recent campaign, it might be a good idea for him to leave, not least because Sir Jim Ratcliffe openly admitted that the young talent was inherited from the past regime, and that he would “have to sort that out”.

Well, whether Hojlund goes or not, United’s movements in the market thus far suggest that a central frontman is on the agenda.

And they’ve been locked in talks for one of the best that Europe has to offer.

Man Utd open talks for new striker

According to talkSPORT, Manchester United have made a fresh enquiry for Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward Hugo Ekitike, who is one of the hottest commodities in the market this summer.

Ekitike has been coveted by a host of Premier League sides this summer, with United joined in their interest by Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

However, with the Gunners closing in on Gyokeres, Jason Wilcox might feel he has a good shot at securing the talented Frenchman’s signature.

Transfer Focus

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

Frankfurt value their man at €100m (£85m), a figure they are unwilling to budge on and suitors are as yet unwilling to meet.

What Hugo Ekitike would bring to Man United

Ekitike is only 22 years old, but he’s already established himself as “one of the best strikers out there”, as said by analyst Ben Mattinson.

After leaving Paris Saint-Germain for Frankfurt in January 2024, initially on loan, he’s only gone from strength to strength, scoring 22 goals and supplying 12 assists across 48 matches in all competitions last season.

Ekitike’s natural finishing ability is neat and all, but his high-speed movements and all-round presence in the final third have led journalist Graeme Bailey to dub him “the next Mbappe”, with such a skill set surely perfect for the frontline Amorim is trying to build, namely with Mbeumo circling in on the Theatre of Dreams.

Runners – and confident ones at that – were in short supply at Old Trafford last season. Adding Mbeumo and Ekitike would do wonders, building back up a will to win and work which would pour over to the rest of the squad.

He’s certainly performing at a superior level to Hojlund, and could in that sense prove the perfect centre-forward for Mbeumo to combine with and rekindle the United attack.

Goals scored

0.53

0.18

Assists

0.28

0.00

Shots taken

4.00

1.44

Shot-creating actions

3.55

1.53

Touches (att pen)

6.88

3.32

Progressive passes

1.86

0.82

Progressive carries

3.27

1.26

Successful take-ons

1.83

0.40

Ball recoveries

3.06

1.57

Tackles + interceptions

0.81

0.22

Quite comprehensively, Hojlund was outstripped by his French counterpart, like bark from a sun-weathered tree.

Ekitike’s dynamic movements and innate creative flair suggest he could be perfect for a pair of goal-focused wide forwards such as Cunha and Mbeumo.

Of course, Mbeumo isn’t only about goalscoring. The Cameroonian racked up seven assists in the Premier League last season, creating 17 big chances across the campaign and averaging 1.8 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.

He also finished the campaign ranked among the top 9% of Premier League attacking midfielders and wingers for crosses completed per 90 (FBref), so he would be well equipped to turn provider for the rangy striker when required.

The fact that the Red Devils have tweaked their strategy and appear to be intent on signing Prem-proven quality alongside the rising phenoms from overseas like Ekitike bespeaks the new era, incipient but inspired by the struggles of recent years, of ensuring that a corner will be turned.

United were at their nadir last season, and no mistake. However, Amorim is a tactician worth his salt, and he might just piece together a squad capable of competing at the top once more, with the likes of Mbeumo playing with the perfect frontman in Ekitike.

Let’s see how this one pans out over the coming weeks.

Cunha 2.0 for Amorim: Man Utd in talks to sign "unstoppable" £35m star

Manchester United are still planning to make some attacking signings this summer.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 8, 2025

It’s safe to say the summer window started slowly for Arsenal, but over the last few days, things have roared into life for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta may not have his elusive centre forward quite yet – Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres will have to wait – but Andrea Berta has been busy nonetheless.

The club’s new sporting director has already wrapped up three deals – pending confirmation – that will see backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga arrive in a £5m move from Chelsea, Martin Zubimendi sign for over £50m from Real Sociedad and Brentford captain, Christian Norgaard, join.

Still, there could be a fourth deal wrapped up very shortly, with talks reportedly underway to sign 20-year-old centre-back Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia.

As we said, Berta has been a busy beaver but he’s not done yet.

Arsenal in talks to sign Premier League star

Arteta has enjoyed shopping for proven Premier League talent since becoming Arsenal manager.

Some of his most successful deals have seen the Spaniard prise away stars of the English top-flight, most notably Declan Rice.

Transfer Focus

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

Rice could have fallen flat under the weight of his £105m price tag but the midfielder has made that price look like a bargain, specifically after those two free-kicks against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

David Raya – the division’s Golden Glove winner – was also picked up from Brentford, while Leandro Trossard, Arsenal’s second top scorer in 2023/24 with 17 strikes, came in from Brighton.

That’s not forgetting Gabriel Jesus too. While the Brazilian has fallen by the wayside in the last two seasons, primarily due to injury, the forward was electric in the opening months of his Gunners career.

Signed from Manchester City, the club’s number 9 bagged five goals in his first eight league matches.

Now, in the summer of 2025, Arsenal are turning their attention to the Premier League again with Eberechi Eze in their crosshairs.

That’s according to the Sun, who reported this week that Berta has already held talks with one of the representatives of Eze.

It’s alleged that the north Londoners are set to go head to head with fierce rivals, Spurs, in order to get a deal across the line.

The Crystal Palace star has a £68m release clause in his contract, which according to a different source, can be paid in three instalments of £20m, plus £8m in add-ons.

That same source reports that Arsenal have actually already agreed personal terms with Eze and his camp.

Why Eze could be Arsenal's new Saka

Bukayo Saka has been the poster boy for the Arteta project at the Emirates Stadium, and in the words of journalist Charles Watts, he is already the “best right winger in the world.”

Despite missing a large part of last season with a hamstring problem, Saka still finished the campaign on 12 goals and 15 assists, topping the tree at the club for that second metric.

Blessed with magical flair, creativity and the ability to produce something out of nothing, Eze is cut from a very similar cloth, not least because he also came through the Hale End academy.

The Arsenal youth system is highly regarded and we’ve seen, particularly in the last five to six years, a whole wealth of talent come through the ranks.

From Saka to Emile Smith Rowe and Ethan Nwaneri to Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arteta certainly has a lot to thank the academy for.

Eze was also part of that same system once upon a time but was released in 2011 when he was just 13 years of age.

After that setback, the Palace superstar headed to Fulham, Reading, Millwall and then QPR, where he finally found a home for himself. His rise since then has been meteoric. He’s now one of the most exciting players in the Premier League, and he’s a full England international too.

That wouldn’t have been possible without an incredible mentality, one that saw him overcome the adversity of being canned by Arsenal at such a young age.

Speaking in an interview back in 2020, Eze commented on the situation, revealing that it left him highly emotional.

In a further interview, the 26-year-old revealed how his mindset helped him to get over the whole ordeal.

“My dream was to play for them [Arsenal] so hearing them say no at 13 was tough and I remember training after I got released and I couldn’t focus. I was crying but I think that helped me so much in the other rejections because if I can get through Arsenal releasing me I can get through any other club releasing me. My mindset was if it was not going to be Arsenal I have to find somewhere else.”

Having got over that, Eze has taken the long way around to get to where he is now. It may have been a less glamorous route than Saka’s path to stardom but they certainly share the same mental fortitude and, vitally, similar attributes.

Far too often Arsenal’s talismanic number 7 has been left with everything to do in the final third. Players around him don’t chip in as regularly but in Eze, someone capable of rivalling Martin Odegaard, he’d find his match.

According FBref’s similar players tool, Saka is adjudged to be one of the most like-minded players in the Premier League to Saka, alongside the likes of Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers.

Eze might not have the left foot that Arsenal’s number 7 has but his positional versatility could be key. He primarily features through the middle as more of a no.10, however, he can also shine on the left-hand side.

Saka hasn’t played much behind the striker in his career, but like Eze, he loves to find space in central pockets as he attempts to dance his way through the defence.

So, what does the data say?

Goals

0.28

0.31

Assists

0.28

0.52

Shots

3.47

3.44

Expected goals (xG)

0.36

0.35

Key passes

2.01

3.02

Progressive passes

3.37

3.65

Successful take-ons

2.33

2.14

Carries

29.2

32.7

Progressive carries

2.40

5.00

Carries into final 3rd

1.67

1.67

Well, Saka is certainly the more progressive and more aggressive when it comes to carries and overall assists, but let us remember that Palace are hardly a team that has the ball regularly enough for Eze to create at a similar rate as his international colleague.

Last season, Oliver Glasner’s men sat 17th in the league for average possession, enjoying just 42.4% of the ball. In contrast, Arsenal sat third with 57.1% of possession.

On that evidence, Saka is always going to produce higher numbers in the final third but the fact the two England stars are as close as they are for metrics like successful take-ons, key passes and progressive passes suggests that Eze’s numbers could soar to new heights at a team like Arsenal, a ball dominant side.

The Eagles star may not play in the same position as Saka but he could just be the right-footed version.

£68m is a lot to pay when you also need to get a striker over the line this summer but given it could be paid in instalments, this really does feel like a no-brainer for the Gunners.

He’s like Saka, he’s Premier League proven, and he’s always dreamt of playing for the club. What’s not to like?

Better than Williams: Arsenal open talks to sign ex-Spurs player for £50m

The dynamic winger could provide Arsenal with another avenue of attack next season.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 24, 2025

New Zealand hope he will recover in time to play the third Test in Mumbai

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2024

Kane Williamson picked up a groin strain in Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty Images

Kane Williamson is unavailable for the second Test between India and New Zealand starting in Pune on October 24 as he continues to recover from a groin strain.Williamson did not travel to India with the New Zealand squad, after suffering the injury during the tour of Sri Lanka last month, and will remain at home to continue his rehabilitation. Will Young batted at No. 3 in Williamson’s absence and made 33 and 48 not out in the first Test in Bengaluru.”We’re monitoring Kane and he’s tracking in the right direction, but isn’t yet 100% fit,” said New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “We’re hopeful to see further improvement over the coming days and have him available for the third Test. We’ll give him as much time as possible to get himself ready, but certainly continue to take a cautious approach.”New Zealand lead the three-Test series in India 1-0 after winning the first Test by eight wickets. Rachin Ravindra was the Player of the Match, for scoring a century in the first innings and an unbeaten 39* in the chase. Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke took eight and seven wickets respectively. New Zealand travelled to Pune on Monday evening and are set to have their first practice session in the city on Tuesday.

MatériaMais Notícias

da winzada777： O estádio Walter Ribeiro, em Sorocaba, interior de São Paulo, recebeu no último sábado (19), cerca de 10 mil pessoas em suas arquibancadas para o “Jogo dos Famosos”, encabeçado pelos craques Ronaldinho Gaúcho e Falcão.

da 888： A partida contou, também, com importantes nomes como Amaral, Marcos Assunção, Edilson Capetinha, Júnior, Zé Love, entre outros: “Um grande espetáculo foi realizado para o público. Não poderia ser diferente o encontro que reuniu importantes ídolos do esporte que é paixão nacional”, resumiu o empresário Túlio Patto, proprietário do Complexo Vila Don Patto, que mantém apoios às principais realizações em prol da sociedade sorocabana.

Ronaldinho Gaúcho que posou para as lentes dos fotógrafos presentes fez as redes balançarem com um dos dois gols, um com a bola rolando e outro nos pênaltis. Como de costume na carreira, a comemoração foi junto com a torcida, dando aquela sambadinha e no final da partida agradeceu os amigos e mostrou intensa alegria: “Foi ótimo. Que venham os próximos”.

Especialista nas quadras, Falcão já jogou profissionalmente nos gramados em 2005, no São Paulo de Émerson Leão. Falcão deu bicicleta, bateu falta de letra e também deixou seu gol.

O jogo teve ainda Baianinho, craque da sinuca e o cantor MC Biel, quer deixou seu golzinho no evento.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet nacional： O Coritiba está na zona de rebaixamento do Campeonato Brasileiro, mas a diretoria não mede esforços para reforçar a equipe neste segundo semestre.

da cassino： O centroavante Islam Sliman, ex-Anderlecht-BEL, pode bater o martelo e atuar no time do Couto Pereira.

De acordo com as informações apuradas, o jogador recebeu uma proposta do Coxa, que aguarda a resposta até sexta-feira.

Europa 

Apesar da oferta apresentada pelo Coritiba, o Sliman ainda deseja continuar no futebol europeu e espera uma proposta tentadora na janela de verão do velho continente.

Anderlecht 

Em seu último clube, o centroavante participou de 16 jogos, marcou nove gols e deu uma assistência.

تحدث دانيال ستوريدج، لاعب ليفربول السابق عن اللاعب الذي يفقتده الريدز في موسمه الجديد 2025/2026 في ظل التخبطات الأخيرة التي يعاني منها الفريق على مستوى النتائج.

وخسر ليفربول آخر 3 مباريات لعبها بعد تقديم أداء سيئ للغاية على عكس المعتاد من فريق آرني سلوت، رغم الميركاتو الصيفي الناري الذي قام به النادي.

وقال ستوريدج لشبكة “سكاي سبورتس”: “رحيل لويس دياز كان خيارًا خاطئًا بالنسبة لي، بالنظر إلى أداء ليفربول العام الماضي وكيفية ضغطهم، أعتقد أنه كان بلا شك من يفرض الضغط على الثلاثي الهجومي، أما سوبوسلاي فكان سيفعل ذلك في خط الوسط بقوة وحيوية”.

ورحل نجم منتخب كولومبيا عن صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول لينضم إلى بايرن ميونيخ في صفقة بلغت قيمتها نحو 60 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

وحقق دياز بداية رائعة في الدوري الألماني، مسجلًا 6 أهداف في 10 مباريات، أحدها جاء بعد 14 ثانية فقط من مباراة بايرن ميونخ وفرانكفورت عصر أمس، السبت.

اقرأ أيضًا | فان دايك: لاعبو ليفربول مطالبون بـ4 أشياء للعودة إلى الانتصارات

وأكمل ستوريدج: “بالنسبة لي، لويس دياز يتميز بمثابرته على الكرة وشغفه باسترجاعها لفريقه، لقد قدم لليفربول شيئًا يفتقده الآن، أعتقد أن إيكيتيكي وإيزاك وفيرتز يبذلون جهدًا كبيرًا، ولا أقول إنهم لا يفعلون ذلك، لا يمكننا التشكيك في مستوى عملهم أو جودتهم”.

وأضاف: “لكن ما أرغب في قوله هو أنهم لاعبون ذو عقلية هجومية، أعتقد أن دياز كان يضحي بنفسه دفاعيًا، هذا ما عليهم فهمه الآن، من في هذا الهجوم سيضحي بنفسه قليلًا، في الثلاثي الهجومي، يجب أن يكون هناك دائمًا لاعب يقول لست متعطشًا للإحصائيات”.

وأردف: “ترى هذا العام أن جاكبو يُسجل أهدافًا أكثر، وصلاح يُسجل أهدافًا أقل، والمهاجمون الجدد يُريدون الانطلاق بقوة، لذلك أعتقد أن جيمي (كاراجر محلل سكاي سبورتس) شكك في توازن خط الوسط، لكنني أعتقد أيضًا أن التوازن في الثلاثي الهجومي هو السبب”.

وأتم: “من المهم أن نفهم أي من الثلاثة سيكون ركيزة أساسية في الفريق، ومن سيفعل ما يشاء، ومن سيجمع بين الاثنين، حاليًا لست متأكدًا من أن المدرب يعرف ما سيفعله”.

da leao： Chelsea’s chances of securing a place in the Champions League were dealt a blow when they lost to rivals Newcastle United 2-0 in the Premier League on Sunday.

da betsson： The Blues remain fifth in the division, in the last Champions League spot, but only one point separates them from Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in the table, which tees up a tense final two matchdays.

As shown in the highlights above, Enzo Maresca’s side were not helped by Nicolas Jackson’s decision to charge into Sven Botman whilst the ball was in the air.

The Senegal international had a look at the Dutch defender and moved his defender into the upper chest and lower face of the Newcastle star whilst grappling to win an aerial duel, which led to VAR recommending a red card for the striker.

Jackson will, now, sit out the final two matches of the Premier League season, and the first game of the 2025/26 campaign, after being hit with a three-game ban for violent conduct, which is a big blow for the Blues.

Why losing Nicolas Jackson is a big blow for Chelsea

The former Villarreal star scored three goals in his last three games before the trip to St. James’ Park and looked to be on his way back to his best in front of goal after a barren run.

Prior to his strike against Everton in the Premier League last month, Jackson had gone 13 matches without a goal in all competitions for the Blues, stretching back to the middle of December.

However, a goal against the Toffees and two goals against Djurgarden in the Conference League suggested that he was on track to play a pivotal role in the final few games of the season.

There is little doubt that Jackson is a player who has the ability to make a big impact in the final third for Chelsea, despite his tendency to miss ‘big chances’, because he has had plenty of impressive moments since his move to Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson (Premier League)

23/24

24/25

Appearances

35

30

xG

18.63

12.34

Goals

14

10

Big chances missed

24

19

Big chances created

8

6

Assists

5

5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the former LaLiga star has been a wasteful finisher, missing 43 ‘big chances’, but he has also been directly involved in 34 goals in 65 Premier League games for the club.

This shows that, despite his flaws, Jackson is a constant threat who can be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch as either a scorer or a creator of goals, which is why losing him to suspension for the last two games of the campaign is a blow for Maresca.

The 23-year-old centre-forward, who scored a hat-trick against Spurs last season, is Chelsea’s best number nine option and has proven that he can score goals in the Premier League, hence why he would have been useful to have as an option heading into these last two games.

What makes the situation even worse for the Blues is that Christopher Nkunku, their other forward option, is currently out with an injury that could keep him out of the last two matches if he does not recover in time.

That is not the only problem with the France international, though, as he has also failed to deliver quality when called upon this season when fit, which is why the club must ruthlessly cash in on him this summer.

Why Chelsea must cash in on Christopher Nkunku

The Premier League side reportedly paid £52m to bring him to Stamford Bridge from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, as they aimed to bolster the quality of their attacking options, having offloaded Kai Havertz to Arsenal that summer.

Nkunku scored 70 goals and provided 55 assists in 17 matches for Leipzig in all competitions during his time in Germany, which made him an exciting signing, at face value, as he had a history of providing consistent quality in a major European league.

Unfortunately, however, the France international has been unable to translate that form over to English football in his two seasons at Stamford Bridge to date, as he has struggled to make an impact in the final third for the Blues.

After the club’s exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Brighton earlier this year, former Chelsea player Craig Burley criticised the 27-year-old star, who reportedly earns £195k-per-week, and described him as a “waste of money”.

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Burley said: “There was no cutting edge to the game. [Cole] Palmer has stopped influencing games like he was. Nkunku up front, I mean what a total waste of money he’s been.”

It is hard to argue with his assessment of Nkunku’s situation because he has not provided much quality back on the pitch to make up for the £52m fee and £195k-per-week wages as a forward player.

Christopher Nkunku (Premier League)

23/24

24/25

Appearances

11

27

xG

2.30

4.83

Goals

3

3

Big chances missed

3

6

Key passes per game

0.3

0.5

Assists

0

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the French flop has only been involved in seven goals in 38 appearances in the Premier League since the start of last season, and has underperformed his xG overall, which shows that he has been even worse than Jackson in the last two campaigns.

The experienced forward has not delivered goals or assists on a regular, or even semi-regular, basis in the top-flight, despite the huge outlay to bring him to London almost two years ago, whilst the Senegal international has, at least, delivered 34 goals and assists.

Arsenal have been linked with an interest in Nkunku ahead of the summer transfer window, and Chelsea must finally cash in on the big-money flop in an attempt to recoup some of the £52m fee that they splashed out on his services.

The French dud has not done enough to suggest that he will be a key player for Maresca moving forward, given his lack of quality in the Premier League, which is why the club should ruthlessly ditch him this summer, whether that is to Arsenal or another club.

Related Chelsea favourites to sign £148m forward ahead of Al-Nassr with talks held

The Blues are ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s side.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini May 11, 2025

da poker： Manchester United are still alive in their quest to obtain Champions League football and could now have an opportunity to land one of Europe’s most talked about playmakers, per reports.

Manchester United look to boost summer budget

da prosport bet： Despite a fairly dismal domestic campaign, the Red Devils could still wheel away with a place in the Champions League league phase next season should they claim the Europa League crown later this month.

After a storming victory over Athletic Club last Thursday, Manchester United have one foot in the final and will look to build on their three-goal advantage next week at Old Trafford.

Should they prevail, Ruben Amorim would then be tasked with a money-spinning winner-takes-all clash against either Tottenham Hotspur or Bodo/Glimt, with the former looking the more likely to progress to the showpiece occasion.

Financially, Manchester United could make around £85.8 million from winning the Europa League, factoring in subsequent Champions League qualification. Unsurprisingly, this could give INEOS a much-needed leg-up in the market, so Viktor Gyokeres and Matheus Cunha could join the Red Devils from Sporting and Wolverhampton Wanderers, respectively, if all goes to plan.

Manchester United’s remaining fixtures in all competitions

Brentford (A)

Premier League

Athletic Club (H)

Europa League semi-final second leg

West Ham United (H)

Premier League

Chelsea (A)

Premier League

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

*Potential Europa League final appearance on 21/05/2025

Talks have been held over Manchester United signing Jonathan Tah on a free transfer once his contract at Bayer Leverkusen expires, though there is further interest in his services from Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Fundamentally, it remains to be seen how Amorim’s squad takes shape. Plenty of individuals could be moved on, but how you supplement their departures is what counts. Now, Manchester United have found out that they can sign one of the top playmakers in all of Europe’s top-five leagues if he is made the star man at Old Trafford.

Manchester United given demands by Lyon's Rayan Cherki

Per reports in Spain, Manchester United could see Rayan Cherki arrive from Lyon this summer if he is given a ‘leading role’ in their line-up moving forward under Amorim. The France Under-21 international would be open to a new challenge at the end of this season and it is said that negotiations could intensify over the next few months that may see him end up at Old Trafford.

Related Perfect for Cunha: Man Utd in advanced talks to sign "world-class" talent

Manchester United have wasted no time in targeting reinforcements, with a deal edging closer for one star.

Posts ByEthan Lamb May 2, 2025

Earning adulation for his entertaining displays, Cherki has registered 12 goals and 19 assists in 41 appearances across all competitions this season for Lyon. Creating 68 chances on Ligue 1 duty, the 21-year-old has shot to prominence as one of Europe’s maverick inventive forces and now looks destined to take the next step in his career at one of the elite.

Now, Manchester United need to make sure they can give him assurances on first-team action, which may be the factor that helps any deal over the line.

The former Australia captain has amassed more than 11,000 runs across the format

Alex Malcolm12-Jan-20241:07

Finch on retirement: It’ll be sad but it’s time to move on

Aaron Finch believes he might get more emotional in his BBL and Melbourne Renegades farewell than he did when he retired from international cricket for Australia, as he prepares to play his last professional match in the Melbourne derby on Saturday night.Finch has announced his retirement from professional cricket despite having a year to run on his Renegades contract. He has only played four games for Renegades this season and none since he injured his back on December 23.He has been available to play after recovering from that injury but has not been selected. However, with Renegades out of the finals picture, he has been granted a farewell game against Melbourne Stars at Marvel Stadium on Saturday with a crowd of more than 30,000 expected to turn out to say goodbye to one of the iconic figures of the BBL.Finch will retire the competition’s second leading run-scorer behind Chris Lynn and Renegades’ games record-holder having played in each of the 13 seasons of the BBL for the one club. He also captained the side to their lone BBL title in 2018-19. He is also the seventh-highest run-scorer in all T20 cricket.Finch revealed he was not overly emotional in his last game of ODI cricket in 2022. He did not have a T20I farewell as he announced his retirement months after his final game, but he said his BBL farewell will feel different.”I haven’t got emotional around any of my retirements, which is quite strange,” Finch said on Friday. “But maybe tomorrow I will. This has been a huge part of mine and my family’s life for the last 13 years and have put as much time and effort into it as I can and, yeah, it’ll be sad, no doubt.

He’s been a mainstay of the Renegades for 13 years now and his contribution, we’ll always be grateful for players like him in particular. It’s exciting to kind of have this opportunity to say goodbye to himAdam Zampa on Aaron Finch

“But it’s time to move on and the next generation of players coming through are seriously good. So it’s in good hands.”Finch said it had been difficult not being selected for most of the season despite being fit and available for the majority of it. He admitted that the transition from international cricket to franchise cricket only had been a challenge.”When you’re no longer captain, I guess that’s taken out of your hands a bit as well because you’re not in selection,” he said. “It’s been difficult no doubt. It’s been something that I’ve been lucky with throughout my career actually that it hasn’t happened a huge amount of times. But to finish up here at Marvel will be really special as well.”From a playing point of view, once you go from hitting balls day in day out, hundreds of balls, 1000s of balls a week to then it, not becomes your second priority, but you just don’t have the time or the resources to hit as many balls as you would want.”Then it takes a bit more catching up to do so. That’s probably been the most difficult part to keep playing in franchises, but to not be in a system where you have access to a lot of resources.”Finch cited the 2018-19 title as his greatest achievement in the BBL but he added that he had loved playing home games at Marvel Stadium under the roof, despite it not being the most popular venue amongst players within the BBL.”The title win was unbelievable,” Finch said. “Especially against the Stars in a game where they well and truly had one hand, almost two hands on the trophy, and to drag it back and win that game was really special.”I think just overall just getting to play here. It’s such an unusual venue for cricket and we’re the only team that does play cricket here. There’s no other games, no international games or anything that happens so it’s really cool.”Finch’s Renegades and Australia team-mate Adam Zampa said players should be grateful for Finch’s contribution to the competition.Aaron Finch picked out the 2018-19 BBL title as a career highlight•Getty Images”He’s one of those inaugural players from the first year that kind of the competition was built around,” Zampa said. “I don’t think the BBL would have the position it does without players like Finchy. He’s been a mainstay of the Renegades for 13 years now and his contribution, we’ll always be grateful for players like him in particular. It’s exciting to kind of have this opportunity to say goodbye to him.”Stars allrounder Marcus Stoinis was also full of praise for Finch’s contribution to his own career having played almost all of his limited-overs cricket for Australia under Finch’s leadership, including the 2021 T20 World Cup triumph in the UAE.”He’s been great for the BBL, been great for the Renegades, Victorian cricket and Australian cricket,” Stoinis said. “For us, we’ve got a different lens in that he helped nurture us through our early stages of playing for Australia. He captained us pretty much the whole time. He was the one that, in those first games where we weren’t feeling comfortable within ourselves, he threw us the ball, kept us going, educated us.”As much as he’s in the opposition I’m glad that it’s working out that I get to play in the game that is his farewell because he deserves a farewell. I do hope we win. But he deserves to have a great night.”Finch is likely to step into the commentary box full-time after Saturday night’s farewell but he is excited about the future of the BBL after its resurgence this season.”I think the fact that it’s back to 10 games now is a really good thing,” Finch said. “That just puts an emphasis on every single game and with more Test players playing [next year], the amount of Australian cricketers playing, that are the best in the world, is better for the competition and I think in turn that will then attract more internationals, better internationals, because the whole standard of the competition goes up.”So that’s something to be really excited about. Over the last 13 years, the young players come in and have a bigger impact straightaway than probably what they used to.”It’s going to go from strength to strength again. I think it’s a really exciting time for BBL.”

Meola, who is coaching Pat McAfee's CONCAFA SC at TST, spoke with GOAL about the current state of the USMNT roughly one year out from the World Cup

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• USMNT legend Meola says Pulisic missing Gold Cup is not a big issue
• Believes Milan star requested out for a reason, needs to be respected
• Adds goalkeeper pool is wide open ahead of 2026 World Cup

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  CARY, N.C. — U.S. men's national team legend Tony Meola believes Christian Pulisic's request not to participate in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup is no issue, and that his decision to do so should be respected as it was by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino.

  "I've been pretty clear on this. It doesn't bother me. I know that's an unpopular opinion with some of my ex-teammates and stuff. If the guy needs time off, take it. I'm of the mindset that if you don't want to be there for whatever reason, whether you gotta recover, you got some issues going on… there's a million reasons that you could have that you're not fully there 100 percent," Meola told GOAL at media day at The Soccer Tournament 2025 on Tuesday.

  Pulisic, Antonee Robinson, and Yunus Musah have all faced criticism for skipping the Gold Cup – particularly given Pochettino’s status as a high-profile hire and the limited windows he’s had to work with a full squad. With the World Cup just over a year away, this summer marks another missed opportunity for the Argentine to fully assess his team. Still, Meola believes the U.S. will rarely have their full roster available and must use moments like this to evaluate new options and build depth.

  "I'm okay with it. I would prefer that Christian was there for obvious reasons. I would prefer that Antonee Robinson wasn't getting an operation. I would prefer that Yunus Musah didn't have to deal with the stuff off the field, whatever he's dealing with. But this is a national team, and I think we all look at the World Cup and go ‘everybody's going to be available,’ like, that's our dream. But if you just look at the history of the World Cup or tournaments in general, you rarely have everybody available. So there's no downside for me in seeing new faces and new players. And I think that's what we're going to get."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The USMNT are set to have a new-look squad during their Gold Cup training camp in the buildup to the CONCACAF competition, with a handful of regulars missing in addition to Pulisic, Robinson, and Musah. The likes of Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, and Gio Reyna will all be at the FIFA Club World Cup, while Folarin Balogun is absent due to injury, with Josh Sargent not selected.

  Notably, among new faces, a few regulars are in the mix, specifically in the goalkeeping department, an area where Meola made 100 appearances while playing in three World Cups. Matt Turner, Matt Freese, and Chris Brady make up the group, and even though Turner has been the undisputed starter since the 2022 World Cup, Meola believes the pool is open after the 30-year-old recorded just four appearances for Crystal Palace across this past season.

  "We're going to find out Pochettino’s thoughts. I mean, he made it real clear about a week ago that this is open, and I think he was leaning towards just giving Matt opportunities. I believe it was four games total this year with Crystal Palace – just not good enough to play at the national team level," Meola explained. "I watched him in the World Cup in 2022, and I thought Matt Turner was outstanding, right? And whatever you rate him on a day or a game, my mind always goes to, if you were rated an eight, if you were playing all year, could you have been a nine? Like, that's true. That's just my way of looking at it."

  Turner mentioned he is keeping all options open, including MLS, in his first media availability of the Gold Cup. Meola think its crucial he finds a situation where he is the guaranteed No. 1.

  "This is nothing that Matt Turner doesn't know, right? He's having discussions with his agent and his representatives, and he's got to find a better opportunity," Meola said. "I think he thought it was going to be at Nottingham Forest, and things change. So I don't, I can't tell you who the number one is. I think what we'll see is some guys get some opportunities in this competition."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Meola is coaching McAfee's team at TST 2025 for the second straight season, but he's been joined by former U.S. assistant Tab Ramos on the touchline this time around. Former U.S. international Brek Shea is on the team's roster.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Group Stage for TST 2025 begins on Wednesday, where Meola will look to lead CONCAFA SC to the $1 million prize.

  The USMNT, meanwhile, play Turkey in an international friendly on Saturday in their first of two matches ahead of the Gold Cup.