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Browsing: United
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim thinks it is important Sir Jim Ratcliffe went public with his long-term thoughts – but says nothing is certain about tomorrow in football, let alone three years.
In an interview with The Times last week, Ratcliffe said it could take Amorim three years to make a significant impact at Old Trafford.
Coming in a period when Amorim’s future has been under scrutiny following an extended sequence of disappointing results, the comments helped quell some of the immediate pressure.
But, speaking before the 100th meeting with old rivals Liverpool at Anfield, the United boss stressed that the future is hard to predict in football.
“It is really good to hear it but he tells me all the time, sometimes with a message after games – but you know, I know and Jim knows, that football is not like that,” he said.
“The most important thing is the next game. Even with owners, you cannot control the next day in football.”
Chief executive Omar Berrada has admitted it has taken far longer for Amorim to adapt to the Premier League following his move from Sporting last November than anyone imagined.
United have won 10 times in 34 Premier League matches under the 40-year-old. They are yet to win two league games in a row and have not ended a round of league games this season higher than ninth.
The dire statistics are stretching belief in the manager among the United fanbase heading into a sequence of matches their club has been awful in for the past two seasons.
Amorim said he does not feel the uncertainty internally at the club’s Carrington training ground and is adamant nothing can match the pressure he puts on his players – and in some senses, he would prefer Ratcliffe not to be trying to bring a sense of calm because he fears the impact it could have on the team.
“It’s not just a thing that people talk about, I feel it every day,” he said. “It’s really good to hear it because it helps our fans to understand the leadership know it is going to take a while.
“But at the same moment, I don’t like it because it gives a feeling that we have time to work things out. I don’t want that feeling in our club.
“The pressure I put on the team or on myself is so much bigger [than that from outside]. In football, especially in big clubs, you need to prove yourself every weekend.”
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Red card for Janssen after VAR review
The other angle that we have just seen shows that Gio is clipped quite harshly on her ankle. And here comes the referee … she takes away the yellow card and out comes the red. United were well on top and now the game has been flipped on its head.
Gio is now being stretchered off. Portales comes on in her place.
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39 min: Gio is still down and receiving treatment. Her face is covered by her hands. Meanwhile, the referee has now been sent to the screen. Is this going to be changed to a red card?!
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37 min: Gio almost gets past Janssen and the latter sticks out a leg out to prevent her from coming across. The United defender gets a yellow and the hosts have a free-kick in a dangerous area on the right side of the box.
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34 min: How is it not 2-0?! Malard and Zigiotti Olme link up for a quick give-and-go. The former, right in front of goal, tries to hit it with the outside of her boot and the ball dribbles just wide. So close!
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33 min: The referee blows her whistle after Medina tries to jump for the ball and falls on Riviere in the process. It has been an intriguing battle between the two so far.
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28 min: It is a deserved lead for United, who have had four attempts on goal compared with Atléticoâ€s one despite having less of the ball. They have found their rhythm and their tactic of pressing and crowding the opposition box has worked well so far.
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GOAL! Atlético Madrid 0-1 Manchester United (Rolfö 24)
It has been coming! From the right Zigiotti Olmeâ€s curls it in and Toone attempt to head it down. It falls to Rolfö invitingly and from the volley, she hammers it into the roof of the net to score her first goal for Manchester United.
Manchester United’s Fridolina Rolfö fires home to open the scoring at Atlético Madrid. Photograph: Susana Vera/ReutersRolfö celebrates. Photograph: Diego Souto/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 13.28 EDT
24 min: Just the final passing missing from United at the moment. After some good play in midfield the ball dribbles out for a goal-kick after some miscommunication on the left flank.
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19 min: Riviere gets the first yellow of the game for a foul on Medina. She cannot complain really, the Canadian completely mistimed the tackle and wiped out her opponent.
Manchester United’s Jayde Riviere fouls Atletico Madrid’s Andrea Medina and goes into the refâ€s book. Photograph: Susana Vera/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.11 EDT
16 min: Fiamma denied! She arrives into the box with plenty of space but her shot is blocked by Le Tissier.
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14 min: Jensen thinks she gets the better of Le Tissier as the United captain falls but the referee blows the whistle for a foul.
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10 min: Atlético get forward but Le Tissier is able to clear the danger.
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7 min: After some patient buildup play from United Terland shrugs off her defender before laying it off to Rolfö. The Swede takes a touch and curls it wide at the far post.
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4 min: Terland tries to get on the end of a great through ball from Toone but Lola Gallardo gets there first. Riviere then intercepts the ball and finds space to hit a cross but it is cleared away.
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2 min: We get confirmation just now that concussion protocol has led to Jess Park not being in the matchday squad. Rolfö is her replacement up top in Skinnerâ€s sole XI change.
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1 min: 18sec on the clock and Malard flicks it off to Toone whose shot is just wide! A quick start from the visitors.
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Updated at 12.51 EDT
Kick-off: Atlético Madrid 0-0 Manchester United
Here we go! The referee blows the whistle and we are underway. Atlético in their traditional red and white tops with blue shorts while United don their all-black third kit.
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Some pre-match post bag from all of you.
Marc (Skinner?) sends his prediction:
United have been a lot of fun to watch this season, in my very biased opinion. I have been so pleased with our defensive structure. Tonight is probably our biggest challenge though. Up the reds!
And Amy checks in from Madrid:
I am at the Centro Deportivo Wanda Alcalá de Henares (what a mouthful) as a neutral – tickets were quite affordable – and it might be a small stadium but the Spanish fans I have seen are loud! Hopefully they keep up the tempo throughout the 90.
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Here is what Marc Skinner had to say in yesterdayâ€s pre-match press conference.
Weâ€re excited. Weâ€re looking forward to playing Atléti, fantastic team, fantastic club. Weâ€re really looking forward to it. We know how good we are, we believe in ourselves, we also know weâ€re facing a really tough challenge. Tomorrow night will be a really good challenge for us – everyone is raring to go.
[Atlético Madrid] have an incredible attack. They have flair, they have aggression, they are very evasive. They have got Vilde Bøe Risa, who used to play for Manchester United and is a wonderful footballer. They defend very well as well, so they have quite a good balance. I think we have to defend well tomorrow night because of the threats they have. Also, with the ball, I think they have to be aware of us. Weâ€ve spoken about it, we have to be focused and defensively alert because Atléti can spring counterattacks quickly and have the ability to beat you one v one. Also, in front of their fans, I think it will be a good atmosphere. We see a lot threats, but also hopefully we can give them our threats too.
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Tonightâ€s broadcast of Atlético Madrid v Manchester Unitedis available to watch on Disney+ after they acquired rights across multiple European territories. Tom Garryâ€s verdict? An intriguing collaboration but room for growth.
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Chelsea were in WCL action last night, cruising to a 4-0 win against Paris FC. Sophie Downey was at the Bridge to watch it unfold.
Their pressure eventually told, however, when Nüsken went down in the box with half an hour played. The offence from Le Moguédec was not initially spotted by the referee, Michalina Diakow, but after a brief trip to the VAR monitor, she duly pointed to the spot. Baltimore stepped up to convert for the second week in a row.
Chelsea consolidated their advantage just before the break when Thompson broke forward at pace. A clever turn gave her space to stand up a cross for Rytting Kaneryd to loop a header home. The winger looked slightly bemused that it had ended up in the back of the net, celebrating with an expression that said she is not accustomed to scoring with her head.
Read the full report below.
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Team news
Atlético Madrid XI:Lola Gallardo; Fernández, Lauren, Silvia Lloris, Medina; GarcÃa, Bøe Risa, Fiamma; Luany, Glo Garbelini, Jensen
Subs:Patricia Larqué, Bucero, Pérez, Guijarro, Vitória, Bartel, Portales, Sarriegi, Gomez, RodrÃguez, Miñambres
Manchester United XI:Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Zigiotti Olme, Toone; Malard, Terland, Rolfö
Subs:Rendell, Middleton-Patel, George, Blundell, Galton, Awujo, Naalsund, Williams
Referee:Eleni Antoniou (Greece)
Unitedâ€s injury issues means they are unable to name an entire substitute list, with only eight players out of a possible 11 on the bench.
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Updated at 13.07 EDT
Atlético Madrid will be hoping to put their 6-0 home loss to the Liga F leaders, Barcelona, on Sunday. They now sit third in the league, seven points away from top.
VÃctor MartÃnâ€s side will be looking to right the weekendâ€s wrongs against United in their first meeting against an English team in Europe since losing to Chelsea in the last 16 in 2021-22. That loss was Madridâ€s only one of their previous six contests against English sides.
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Preamble
It has been a good week for Manchester United. Last Wednesday Marc Skinnerâ€s side made their debut in the Womenâ€s Champions League after qualifying for the main phase of the tournament for the first time in their history. It was not particularly thrilling but a Maya Le Tissier penalty was enough for the hosts to earn the win against VÃ¥lerenga.
Four days later a Jess Park double saw out a commanding 4-1 away victory against Everton, the hosts†first beside the docks at Hill Dickinson Stadium, to preserve their unbeaten start to the league season.
Now United are back in Champions League action and face a huge test against Atlético Madrid on matchday two. The Spanish side won their first league phase match 6-0 at St Pölten in which they were three up within 22 minutes.
We get underway in Madrid at 5.45pm BST. In the meantime feel free to get in touch with any thoughts or predictions via email.
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Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United are seeking back-to-back league wins for the first time in the Portuguese head coach’s Old Trafford tenure.
Tasks don’t come much harder than the one before the Red Devils this weekend as they make the short journey to Merseyside where they will meet Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
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Manchester United skipper absent from training before Liverpool game
Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United (Image credit: Getty Images)
Liverpool’s early season form has waned in recent weeks, losing 2-1 to Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the Premier League, either side of a 1-0 defeat on the road to Galatasaray.
Man United, on the other hand, have registered the highest Expected Goals (xG) total in the entirety of English football’s top flight and looked much better than recent showings in their 2-0 win versus Sunderland before the international break.
Casemiro is expected to start on the bench against Liverpool (Image credit: Getty Images)
However, due to the international fixtures, any momentum Amorim had generated with his team’s win over the Black Cats risks dissipating before this weekend’s game at Anfield.
This is because several of the head coach’s key players have not been able to train with the rest of the squad, instead participating in matches for their respective countries.
In many cases, significant travel obligations go hand-in-hand with international participation and Man United are not immune.
Matheus Cunha, Amad Diallo and Casemiro were all missing from Amorim’s main training session on Thursday morning, while Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui, each returning from injury, are also anticipated to miss out.
Perhaps the biggest potential miss for Man United is Bruno Fernandes who was also granted additional leave by the club following Portugal’s international fixtures.
The Old Trafford skipper started both Portugal matches during October’s domestic break, latterly against Hungary on Tuesday.
In the absentees’ places, Amorim padded out his core training group with a select number of youngsters, including Shea Lacey who was invited to train with England’s senior group last week.
Liverpool vs Manchester United kicks off at 4:30pm on Sunday afternoon.
That is not meant as a slight on the community Shelvey has left behind.
Though Shelvey has uprooted from the UK, the 33-year-old said the north east was “the only place there he would want to live”.
“There’s this debate about whether Newcastle are able to attract the big players compared to the Manchester clubs and the London clubs but, until you go there, you don’t understand what it does to you,” he said.
“There are loads of things to do. I don’t care what anyone says. If players are going to listen to this, it’s a no-brainer to go there and play football.
“You will not find love at a football club like I found at Newcastle, with how they take to their players and how much they back you.”
Shelvey spent longer at Newcastle than any other side – seven years in total following his move from Swansea City – and said he was “honoured” to have represented the club and worn the captain’s armband on occasion.
As well as sticking around following relegation, in 2016, and playing his part in taking Newcastle straight back up, Shelvey also helped ensure the club then stayed in the top flight.
He even scored what proved to be a “massive” goal against Leeds United as Newcastle started to pull away from danger three and a half years ago.
It ended up proving a turning point in head coach Eddie Howe’s reign.
“If I had not scored that, the club would have gone down!” he said. “I’m joking. Looking back at it, you don’t realise how big a goal it was and, to be fair, the keeper [Illan Meslier] chucked one in for us. I scuffed the life out of it.
“But I’ve only got good things to say about my time at Newcastle. I loved it. Even when I first got the call about going there, I drove 12 hours from Swansea because of the traffic. I just wanted to get up there, get my medical done and get signed.
“I had experienced playing against Newcastle at St James’ Park and you get a real buzz, but you never understand how big the club is until you are there.”
Manchester United have not ruled out keeping Casemiro beyond the end of the season, but the midfielder would likely have to accept a pay cut if he wants to stay, sources have told ESPN.
The Brazil midfielder is under contract until June 2026 and as things stand will leave Old Trafford as a free agent in the summer.
United are keen to keep reducing their wage bill following the departures of high earners David De Gea, Raphaël Varane and Marcus Rashford.
Casemiro is one of the best-paid players at Old Trafford thanks to the lucrative deal he signed when he arrived from Real Madrid in 2022.
If he wants to stay at United, sources have told ESPN that he would have to agree to a sizable cut in salary.
Casemiro has made six Premier League appearances for Man United this season. Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
The club have an option to extend his contract by an additional 12 months until June 2027. However, triggering the clause would mean having to continue to pay the 33-year-old at his current level.
Casemiro has become a key player for Ruben Amorim.
United are planning a revamp of their midfield next summer with at least one major signing expected.
But with doubts over Kobbie Mainoo‘s future and Manuel Ugarte struggling to get into the team, Amorim could make a case for Casemiro to stay.
Sources have told ESPN that he’s settled in Manchester with his family. There’s interest from clubs in Brazil and the Saudi Pro League and he can start talking to clubs outside England from January.
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United also have decisions to make with Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia.
Both are in the final year of their contracts, although United hold an option to extend Malacia’s deal by an extra year.
The Dutchman is yet to feature this season since being brought back into the first-team squad after being told to train alone over the summer.
Maguire had a one-year extension triggered earlier this year. If no fresh agreement is reached, the England defender can negotiate with clubs outside England from January.
Andre Onana’s Cameroon have not been able to qualify for the 2026 World Cup via the CAF group stage and now face a series of make-or-break fixtures if they are to make the tournament.
The Manchester United goalkeeper is currently out on loan at Turkish club Trabzonspor after losing his place as Old Trafford No.1 to Altay Bayindir.
Onana featured in Man United’s somewhat embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby Town back in August and was culpable for the team’s concessions in normal time, before being eliminated on penalties.
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Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana in World Cup blow
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana (Image credit: Getty Images)
The fixture at Blundell Park could prove to be Onana’s last in a Man United shirt but it has proven not to be his final disappointment at such an early stage of the 2025/26 campaign.
Cameroon finished second in their qualifying group, four points behind winners Cape Verde. The island nation of approximately 500,000 people booked their place at a first-ever FIFA World Cup Finals with a 3-0 win over Eswatini while Cameroon drew versus Angola on Monday evening.
The goalkeeper now faces a play-off system contested by the four best-performing second-place teams from the CAF qualifying stage.
The highest ranking team of the four plays the lowest-ranked nation, while the second and third-ranked sides face each other. The winner of each semi-final will then play one another to determine who becomes the sole CAF representative in the inter-confederation play-off.
If Cameroon are successful in the CAF play-offs during November, FIFA’s inter-confederation play-off will pit them against teams from CONMEBOL (South America), CONCACAF (North America), OFC (Oceania) and AFC (Asia).
This qualifying tournament will be hosted in Mexico during March 2026, in which two of the six competing countries will progress to the 2026 World Cup. The two highest ranking countries at the beginning of the play-off tournament will be seeded and automatically progress to one of the two finals, which decide who qualifies.
Andre Onana is currently on loan at Trabzonspor (Image credit: Getty Images)
In all, Cameroon could face up to four more high-stakes matches (2 x CAF; 2 x inter-confederation) to book their place at next year’s World Cup. CAF group-mates Cape Verde, meanwhile, have already begun celebrating an historic qualification campaign and achievement. Cape Verde’s population is approximately 58 times smaller than that of Cameroon.
If the Indomitable Lions do not qualify for the 48-team tournament, it will be only their third such failing since 1986, having participated at Italia ‘90, USA ‘94, France ‘98, Korea-Japan 2002, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and Qatar 2022.
Tom Cleverley has spoken candidly about the anxiety issues that affected his playing career.
Manchester United academy graduate Cleverley rose through the ranks into the first team at Old Trafford and ended up winning 13 senior caps for England in a career that also saw him win the Premier League title in 2012-13.
But the following season was especially difficult for Cleverley, who admits to shortcomings in his form but was negatively affected by deeply unjustified by widespread public scapegoating as he should have been approaching his playing peak.
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Tom Cleverley opens up about mental health challenges
Tom Cleverley ended his playing career with Watford
Now in his second managerial role at Plymouth Argyle, the 36-year-old gave his club’s in-house media a revealing and heartfelt interview on matters of mental health.
“Stress is poor form. Stress is receiving abuse. And then anxiety is when that is a chronic problem, when that’s a problem that doesn’t go away and that’s what [2013-14] became,” revealed Cleverley.
Tom Cleverley (R) with Man United teammates Danny Welbeck and Jonny Evans in 2013 (Image credit: Getty Images)
“There was a petition to take me out of the England squad [and] that fed into it. Another thing that happened the following year… I got burgled at home and when my home then became not a place of escape it became very suffocating.”
Cleverley was indeed taken out of the England squad and found himself back on the loan market, spending the 2014-15 season on loan at Aston Villa. He joined Everton in 2015 and, after another initial loan, finished his career with six years at Watford.
“[I dealt with it] very poorly in the beginning,” says Cleverley of his early experiences with anxiety.
“It was home from training, dark rooms, sort of Netflix and, yeah, not wanting to leave the house before the next day’s training. [It was] a very unhealthy way of coping – a really uneducated way to deal with it.”
Cleverley spent a difficult season on loan at Aston Villa
Cleverley eventually sought help and credits education about breathing exercises and maintaining healthy sleep patterns with improving his ability to deal with anxiety, however it presents itself.
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“As a footballer I was always someone who judged how life was going by those 90 minutes a week,” says the former Man United midfielder. “I think a lot of people in professional football are guilty of that.
“We have to understand that there are times as a footballer you need to be strong, you need to be durable, you need to grit your teeth.
“But there are also times that it’s absolutely okay that those qualities can take a back seat and you can talk to someone.”
The Argyle manager’s account was part of the club’s support of World Mental Health Day and Mind, the mental health charity.
Oct 12, 2025, 04:46 AM ET
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is a target for Manchester United, while Real Madrid are ramping up their interest in Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s grades | Women’s grades
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Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton has been linked with a host of top clubs. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
TRENDING RUMORS
– Manchester United are plotting a £60 million bid to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, according to the Daily Star. With United boss Ruben Amorim keen to bolster his options in the middle of the park, the 21-year-old has emerged as a leading candidate. Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro are expected to leave Old Trafford in the long term, leaving a massive hole in midfield that a player of Wharton’s quality could soon fill. The Red Devils previously looked at Brighton and Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba, but a reported transfer valuation north of £100 million looks to have cooled their interest.
– Real Madrid have also been linked with Wharton but are now “ramping up” their interest in Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández, says Football Insider. Any potential transfer will hinge upon Fernández’s desire to make the move, as an offer in excess of £100 million could bring Chelsea to the negotiation table. Los Blancos are also monitoring his teammate Moisés Caicedo, who has caught the eye this season in the Premier League.
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– FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa is on Tottenham Hotspur’s radar, according to a report from TEAMtalk. With Thomas Frank’s current striking options, Dominic Solanke and Randal Kolo Muani, blighted by injuries, the club are on the lookout for reinforcements. Aghehowa, 21, has already scored five goals in seven league games this season, underlining why the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle United were heavily linked with him throughout the summer.
– Chelsea are stepping up their interest in Barcelona center back Ronald Araújo and could launch a bid in the future, Football Insider reports. With a host of defenders out due to injury, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is keen to add some quality at the back. According to the report, a future move for Araújo, while difficult to agree, may be aided by Barcelona’s ongoing financial issues.
– Juventus could explore a move for Al Hilal star Sergej Milinković-Savić in January, Tuttosport has revealed. The Serbia international is reported to be keen on a return to Europe, and more specifically to Italy, as he previously stood out for Lazio. Juventus will have to let players go in order secure a deal for a transfer fee, but they could also wait until next summer when the 30-year-old’s contract expires.
EXPERT TAKE
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Does Haaland need to play at the World Cup to become a global superstar?
The ESPN FC crew debate if Erling Haaland needs to play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to become a global superstar.
OTHER RUMORS
– Real Madrid want to land Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and are ready to let forward Vinicius Junior, 25, depart for a world-record fee (of over €222 million) to make it happen. (Caught Offside)
– Barcelona are “ecstatic” with Marcus Rashford‘s development on loan from Man United and are ready to sign him permanently for an initial €30 million. (Sun)
– Bayer Leverkusen have a genuine interest in Djurgarden midfielder Matias Siltanen. The 18-year-old has also been linked with a move to Manchester City in recent weeks. (Nicolo Schira)
– Bayern Munich are ready to hand defender Dayot Upamecano, 26, a new contract that would extend his terms beyond 2026, amid interest from Liverpool. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Manchester United defender Tyrell Malacia is of interest to Turkish giants Galatasaray, having struggled for game time. (Daily Star)
– West Ham United defender Max Kilmancould replace Marc Guehiat Crystal Palace if the latter moves to Liverpool. (Football Insider)
– AC Milan and Internazionale are monitoring Spanish center back Mario Gila, as the 25-year-old is yet to agree a contract extension with Lazio. (Nicolo Schira)
– Torino are eyeing a potential deal to sign Mauro Icardi in January, as the forward has entered the final year of his Galatasaray contract. (Ekrem Konur)
– Corinthians attacker Memphis Depay has rejected a lucrative contract offer from Liga MX side Santos Laguna. (Ekrem Konur)
– Nottingham Forest could replace manager Ange Postecoglouwith Rafael Benitez. (Football Insider)
– Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshereis a leading candidate for the Luton Town managerial position. (Sky Sports)
– Liverpool legend Steven Gerrardhas decided to withdraw from contention to become the new Rangers manager, having been at the club from 2018-2021. (Ben Jacobs)
Manchester United keep tabs on Adam Wharton, the Reds will not consider Thomas Tuchel as Ruben Amorim’s replacement, Vinicius Junior to make way for Erling Haaland at Real Madrid.
Adam Wharton, 21, is emerging as a target for Manchester United. The England international is admired at Old Trafford and the club might bid as much as £60m for the Crystal Palace midfielder. (Mirror), external
Meanwhile, United will not consider England manager Thomas Tuchel as a potential replacement should they sack Ruben Amorim. (Sun), external
Bayern Munich are determined to extend the contract of defender Dayot Upamecano, 26, amid interest from Liverpool, despite the German club not being able to agree an improved offer for the centre-back who could leave for free in June 2026. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Real Madrid are planning to sell forward Vinicius Junior, 25, for a world record fee in a bid to fund the signing of 25-year-old Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. (CaughtOffside), external
Nottingham Forest have a real interest in Rafael Benitez as a replacement for Ange Postecoglou should they decide to part ways with the Australian manager. (Football Insider) , external
Manchester United are facing a battle with Tottenham Hotspur for 26-year-old Sporting midfielder Morten Hjulmand. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Arsenal have been found to have breached FA Cup rules when they hosted Manchester United in the third round of the competition in January.
Mikel Arteta’s side went out at the first hurdle despite Manchester United being reduced to ten men midway through the second half, with Gabriel cancelling out Bruno Fernandes’ opener just two minutes after Diogo Dalot was shown a second yellow card – only for the Gunners to lose on penalties.
However, the sanction has nothing to do with events on the pitch that day, but rather relates to how they sold their away tickets.
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Arsenal handed suspended fine over away ticketing for Manchester United clash
Manchester United did not receive the proper ticket allocation for their trip to the Emirates in January, the PGB found (Image credit: Getty Images)
An FA statement explained that they had referred Arsenal to the Professional Game Board (PGB) after they were alleged to have breached FA Cup rule 192, which required all home sides to comply with rule 191.
Rule 191 reads as follows: For competition matches other than a semi-final or the Final, the away club shall have the right to claim either:
- (a) up to 15% of the tickets issued (up to a maximum of 9,000);
- or (b) if the Ground is not all ticketed, up to 15% the Ground’s maximum capacity, provided that:
- 191.1. the tickets are for admission to a fully segregated area; and
- 191.2. the request for the tickets is made within four days of the relevant draw.
Manchester United fans were left celebrating after they won the tie on penalties (Image credit: Getty Images)
Arsenal were thus required to offer the full 9,000 tickets to Manchester United for the occasion.
However, Arsenal are reported to have only allocated 8,000 tickets to visiting fans, claiming the decision had been taken on safety grounds.
The PGB found that Arsenal’s decision put them in breach of rule 192 and has hit them with a suspended £500,000 fine.
The penalty will remain suspended and won’t need to be paid as long as Arsenal confirm they are able to comply with the rules this season and follow through with any home games they face in the FA Cup this season.
Arsenal will now have to comply with the rules this season to avoid having to pay half a million quid (Image credit: Getty Images)
The FA Cup third round is set to get under way on the weekend of Saturday, January 10 2026.
Premier League and Championship clubs do not participate in the first or second rounds of the competition, which will be held on the first weekends of November and December, respectively.