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It’s generally felt across the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase that Thomas Frank has made a solid start to life at the helm.

Contextualising the Danish tactician’s early months in the hot seat: Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League last season, malfunctioned under Ange Postecoglou. Still, they won the Europa League and salvaged a pathway into the Champions League, but all was not well, and Ange probably did need to leave.

Tottenham are more stable under Frank’s wing. Gone is the fevered energy that the previous system was defined by, with a smoother and calmer approach in its place.

This, however, has had offensive ramifications. The Londoners are third in the Premier League after seven matches, 13 points on the board. They have scored 13 goals, but boast an xG (expected goals) total that leaves plenty to be desired.

Still, context. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, two key sources of creativity, have not touched a blade of grass this season as they recover from injuries.

Using this statistical thread, we can observe the biggest winners and losers from the early months of the Lilywhites’ campaign.

Biggest winners & losers of Frank's tenure so far

Maddison and Kulusevski aside, who are losers in that they are incapacitated, there have been plenty of differing fortunes down N17 this season.

To a lesser degree, Dominic Solanke has also been beset with injury issues this term. Arriving from Bournemouth for an initial £55m fee in 2024, the striker has struggled for consistency ever since his arrival, regarding both form and fitness.

After joining Tottenham on a permanent basis this summer, having spent the second half of last term on loan, Mathys Tel is struggling to find his footing, although the versatile French forward scored before the international break and has bundles of ability. He has started only two top-flight fixtures and was excluded from the club’s Champions League squad.

However, Mohammed Kudus has been flying since making a cross-London switch from West Ham United. The snappy winger, 25, has one goal and four assists across seven Premier League outings thus far. Squawka confirm he has attempted (57) and completed (30) more dribbles than any other player in the division.

Plenty of promise across the frontline. Defensively, Tottenham look stronger too. In midfield, loanee Joao Palhinha has made a strong start, and Sky Germany suggest a permanent deal with Bayern Munich could be struck before long.

However, the fact remains that Spurs need more impetus up top, and there’s one forward who might have scored a few since the summer, but could be on borrowed time all the same.

Spurs forward is already on borrowed time

With Solanke’s fitness levels failing him and Tel yet to earn Frank’s trust on the big occasions, Richarlison has been the focal frontman at Tottenham this season.

The opening weeks of the season promised much, but Richarlison has struggled to impress over the past month; the goals have dried up and, as per Sofascore, he has averaged only six passes per match in the Premier League.

TalkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor even acknowledged the Brazilian was “on fire” in front of goal at the start of the campaign, with a brace on the opening day against Brighton & Hove Albion, but that one goal from nine appearances since underlines the issues with the 28-year-old leading the line.

While Agbonlahor’s comments might be somewhat incendiary, there’s a truth underlying the argument. Richarlison is a fierce striker on his day, and is more than capable of stringing together a purple patch, but consistency across the span of a season has long been his enemy, and is something he has yet to demonstrate at Tottenham.

Given that he cost such a hefty sum when moving from Everton in 2022 for £60m, there’s a sense Richarlison may indeed be on ‘borrowed time’, especially since the board were open to cashing in this summer, with a return to Everton mooted before David Moyes’ side explored other options.

At the start of the season, the fearsome forward had his manager’s trust; however, having been benched during the win at Leeds United before the break, it’s fair to suggest that mindset might have shifted.

Richarlison has entered the penultimate year of his £90k-per-week contract at Tottenham, and given the obvious need for something more in attack, it’s not out of the question that he will be sold before his deal in north London expires.

Whether this enacts sustainable and positive growth in the final third for Tottenham remains to be seen, but Frank is a manager worth his salt, and while he has publically named Richarlison among his most trusted lieutenants at number nine, it’s likely he harbours tacit uncertainties around his ability and how this will affect Tottenham as they look to build on last year’s success and challenge both domestically and out on the continent.

Across 101 matches for Tottenham, Richarlison has posted 23 goals and 11 assists. This isn’t good enough to warrant a prominent position at the front, and Frank and co are likely to move for a new centre-forward with a more impressive track record in front of goal to keep the momentum moving forward and take this team to an even higher sphere.

Spurs have signed a "demon" who looks like a "goal-threatening Dembele"

Tottenham Hotspur have hit the jackpot on this star who has been dubbed a ‘goal-threatening Mousa Dembele’.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 14, 2025

The Oakland Athletics will play their final series in the East Bay this week before the franchise packs up and heads north to their new temporary home in Sacramento next season.

Ahead of the three-game slate against the Texas Rangers at the Oakland Coliseum, A's owner John Fisher wrote a letter to the Oakland fan base that has supported the franchise since it moved from Kansas City in 1968.

"There are millions of dedicated and passionate A's fans, in Oakland and around the world," Fisher wrote. "Countless dedicated staff members and Oakland Coliseum employees have poured their hearts into this team, and their efforts have meant so much to our community. I know there is great disappointment, even bitterness.

"Though I wish I could speak to each one of you individually, I can tell you this from the heart: We tried. Staying in Oakland was our goal, it was our mission, and we failed to achieve it. And for that I am genuinely sorry."

Fisher and the A's aim to move the franchise to Las Vegas by the 2028 season and plan to play in Sacramento for the next three seasons while they are between permanent homes. However, the construction of their proposed $1.5 billion ballpark project in Las Vegas is not yet underway. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported earlier this month that the ballpark design is "sitting at about 50% complete" while Fisher wants to begin construction next spring.

Although their relocation to Las Vegas is not officially official, the A's will indeed play in California's capital city next season at Sutter Health Park, the home of the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Per the , the A's plan to lay off over 230 employees in Oakland after the 2024 campaign concludes as they move to Sacramento.

Like many of Fisher's public statements in recent years, his letter to the fan base was not received well by the A's faithful and the general MLB world.

The A's are scheduled to take on the Rangers at 6:40 p.m. PT Tuesday in the series opener. The final game at the Oakland Coliseum will begin at 12:37 p.m. PT Thursday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have won the 2024 World Series over the New York Yankees, and they did so in historical fashion.

At the start of Game 5 on Wednesday night, it looked promising that the Yankees would push for a Game 6 as they took an early 5–0 lead through the first three innings. They scored three of those runs in the first inning alone thanks to back-to-back home runs from Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

But, this early lead didn't deter the Dodgers from believing they could still clinch the series. They scored five runs in the fifth inning to tie the game because of various Yankees errors. The Yankees took the lead again in the sixth inning, but then the Dodgers brought in two more runs in the eighth because of two sacrifice flies. They ended up winning 7–6.

The Dodgers' comeback from trailing 5–0 marks the only time an MLB team has clinched the World Series after trailing by at least five runs, per OptaSTATS. This means the Dodgers' comeback on Wednesday night is the biggest in World Series history.

This was the Dodgers' eighth World Series title in franchise history. They last won in 2020.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action in the Premier League this evening as they prepare to welcome rivals Chelsea to North London.

The Lilywhites are looking to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in the League Cup at St. James’ Park on Wednesday night.

Thomas Frank may look to make several changes to the starting line-up from that loss to the Mapgies, which should include dropping Brennan Johnson.

Why Brennan Johnson should be dropped

The Wales international kept his place in the starting line-up after the 3-0 win over Everton in the Premier League, but he failed to justify his inclusion in the side.

Per Sofascore, Johnson produced no shots on target and no key passes in 65 minutes on the pitch against Newcastle, whilst he also failed to complete any of his four attempted crosses.

This shows that he had no impact at the top end of the pitch for the Lilywhites from a right wing position, as he failed to cause any problems for the Magpies in the final third.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

That dismal showing came after he also played 89 minutes without registering a single shot or key pass against Everton in the previous game, per Sofascore, which means that the forward has failed to deliver much in the way of quality in his last two starts.

This is why Frank should ruthlessly drop him from the XI, after two ineffective showings, and unleash Mohammed Kudus in his place this evening.

Why Mohammed Kudus should replace Brennan Johnson

Unlike Johnson, the summer signing from West Ham United has provided plenty of quality and proven himself to be a consistent threat in the Premier League this season.

The £150k-per-week star, who Erik ten Hag claimed has “incredible potential”, came off the bench to replace the Welshman for the last 25 minutes against Newcastle, and should now come back into the XI to face Chelsea tonight.

Kudus scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 win over Leeds United at the start of last month, but it has been his creativity on the ball that has made him a standout star for the Lilywhites in the Premier League.

The left-footed star has provided four assists in nine appearances in the top-flight, per Sofascore, and ranks highly at the club in a host of metrics as a creative force at the top end of the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, the former Hammers star has been the most influential attacking player in the Tottenham squad in the Premier League this season, leading the way for xG and in every key creative statistic.

Kudus, who was dubbed a “dribbling demon” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has averaged at least 2.3 more completed dribbles per game than any other player in the squad, which speaks to how integral he is to how Spurs bring the ball up the pitch.

Meanwhile, Johnson, who struggled against Newcastle and Everton, has no assists and no ‘big chances’ created in 14 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham this season, per Sofascore.

Kudus provides a level of creativity that means that Frank can rely on him to create something out of nothing with a moment of pure quality, which he cannot rely on Johnson to do, based on his form this season.

Kudus repeat: Paratici preparing Spurs move to sign £53m "game changer"

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a star who would be a Mohammed Kudus repeat.

2

By
Dan Emery

Oct 31, 2025

Therefore, the manager should ruthlessly ditch the former Nottingham Forest star from the starting line-up in order to bring the left-footed winger back into the XI.

Mathis Albert made history for the U.S. U-17s, firing a decisive 39th-minute strike to seal a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic and a perfect group-stage record – the first in program history. The victory at ASPIRE Academy in Doha capped three straight wins in Group F, sending the Americans into the knockout rounds with maximum points.

• Albert's finish caps historic group stage

  After entering as a halftime substitute for Jamir Johnson, Mathis Albert made an immediate impact, breaking the deadlock with a well-placed right-footed finish from inside the box following an excellent assist from Máximo Carrizo.

  The 23-year-old forward, who had been threatening the Czech defense throughout the second half with multiple attempts, finally found the breakthrough that proved to be the difference in a tightly contested match. Albert's goal continued his impressive tournament form, having already showcased his technical ability with three successful dribbles in earlier group matches.

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• Getty
  

  Defensive resilience complements attacking flair

  The United States' perfect group stage record represents a significant milestone for the program, which had never previously won all three group matches in any U17 World Cup appearance. Coach Michael Nsien's squad demonstrated remarkable balance throughout the group phase, with Albert's winner against the Czechs complementing earlier victories over Tajikistan and a strong European opponent in their opening matches.

• Knockout round contenders

  The perfect group stage record not only secures the United States a favorable position in the knockout bracket but also signals the continued development of American youth soccer on the international stage. With players like Albert and creative midfielder Nimfasha Berchimas the U.S. team has demonstrated both technical quality and tactical maturity beyond their years.

  As they prepare for the Round of 16, the young Americans will look to build on their historic group stage performance and make a deeper run in the tournament than any previous U.S. U17 squad.

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• Tournament success highlights promising generation

  The perfect record achieved by this U17 squad provides a timely boost for U.S. Soccer's youth development pipeline as the nation prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup. The standouts from this tournament could potentially gain future opportunities with the senior side in the years to come. 

Chelsea defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo has been one of the standout performers for Enzo Maresca in the Premier League in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 24-year-old star, who signed for a club-record £115m from Brighton in 2023, has scored three goals in 11 matches in the top-flight, whilst averaging 5.5 tackles and interceptions per game, per Sofascore, which is a club-high.

Caicedo offers an exceptional box-to-box presence with the goal threat and defensive quality that he provides in the middle of the park, which makes him such an important player for Maresca.

The Ecuador international arrived at Stamford Bridge as a proven Premier League star, thanks to his time with Brighton, and the club are now reportedly looking to repeat that feat.

Chelsea want to sign one of the best midfielders in the Premier League

In theory, signing players from other clubs in England is preferable to signing from abroad because they do not need time to adapt to the league or country, which helped Caicedo to hit the ground running when he first arrived at the Blues.

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 CaughtOffside, Chelsea are interested in a deal to sign Nottingham Forest central midfielder Elliot Anderson to bolster their ranks in the middle of the park.

The Blues are set to fight it out with Manchester United and Manchester City to land the England international in the January transfer window or next summer, after extensive scouting work done on the Tricky Trees star.

The Mirror reported, earlier this month, that Nottingham Forest are expected to demand a fee of up to £120m for the midfield star, and it remains to be seen whether or not Chelsea are willing to pay that much for Anderson.

Why Chelsea should sign Elliot Anderson

The Conference League champions should push to win the race for the Forest star’s signature in the January transfer window because he could be Caicedo 2.0 at Stamford Bridge.

Like the Ecuador international, Anderson would arrive at the club as a Premier League-proven star and as a club-record signing, if he costs as much as the reported £120m.

The 23-year-old star has racked up 92 appearances in the division, per Transfermarkt, and was described by former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League”, which shows what a former Champions League winner and the current England boss thinks of his talent.

That opinion is also held by former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who recently sang Anderson’s praises in the clip above.

As you can see in the table above, the central midfielder’s statistics in the Premier League this season make it easy to understand why the likes of Tuchel and Carragher rate him so highly.

The England international has proven himself to be one of the top-performing midfielders in the division, particularly with his use of the ball at the base of the midfield, and that is why he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea.

Pairing Caicedo and Anderson at the base of the midfield could be an exciting prospect for Maresca, as the former brings defensive quality and a goal threat, while the Forest ace offers incredible ball progression, mobility, and creativity.

Chelsea open talks with Premier League star as £26m January deal on the cards

The Blues could now look to one of their London rivals to acquire an exciting new addition.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 15, 2025

If Chelsea do decide to go through with a January or summer swoop for the English star, his proven quality in the Premier League could allow him to hit the ground running in the same way that Caicedo did.

One of the best midfielders of his era, perhaps the greatest crosser of a football ever and a free-kick taker to rival the best the game has ever produced, David Beckham was a special player to say the least. And yet due to his off-field impact, one of the sport's great champions of the past 30 years is generally forgotten when it comes to referencing the true legends of the game.

Beckham – or, to give him his newly-minted full title, Sir David Beckham – marked an era both on and off the pitch as he wrote the manifesto for the evolution from footballer to brand. He represents to football what Michael Jordan did for basketball a few years earlier as Beckham became a true global icon who pushed boundaries beyond the sport, paving the way for Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi, among others, to follow in his footsteps.

But that shouldn't overshadow what 'Becks' was able to achieve from a pure football perspective, and what makes him a fine addition to GOAL's Hall of Fame:

• Bend it like Beckham

  Through the late 1990s and early 2000s, Beckham was the sport's poster boy, the player every teenager dreamed of becoming, both from a sporting and style point of view. His ever-changing hairstyles – from his boyband-style blonde highlights to the buzz cut he sported at the beginning of the new millennium, from the mohawk that infuriated Sir Alex Ferguson, to the controversial cornrows and the man bun of his Real Madrid days – were copied around the world. His adidas Predator boots became must-haves for any wannabe footballer; a No.7 Manchester United shirt suddenly the height of fashion.

  A lot of fans wanted to look like Beckham, but everyone dreamed of being able to kick the ball like him. His unmistakable style, with his right arm whipping behind him as he swung another ball into the box, became one of the sport's most famous silhouettes, and even inspired the title of a film that allowed a new audience to find the game: 'Bend it like Beckham'.

  However, no one has ever come close to the absolute perfection of that technical move, with which Beckham was able to trace millimetric trajectories with a class, elegance and naturalness that are more akin to artists than sportspeople.

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• Much more than a pop icon

  Beneath the glossy surface, Beckham was undoubtedly one of the strongest midfielders going, and probably the most underrated champion of his era. He was a victim of the mass media, who were more interested in his relationship with popstar Victoria Adams than his displays at Old Trafford on a weekend.

  For many years, Beckham was talked about more in the front pages of the tabloids than he was in the sports section. As such, the common perception when discussing him being amongst the true elite was inevitably influenced by him being a personality before a footballer, almost as if he were too handsome, too perfect, too stylish to be taken seriously.

  But let's get one thing right: Beckham was a special player. He was not a pure winger who would wow crowds with his dribbling and agility, but with his right foot he managed to leave everyone speechless with his pinpoint passes. He was more of a wide playmaker – although he did try to reinvent himself as a central midfielder at points – a midfielder with refined technique, heavenly vision and extraordinary ball skills. It is no coincidence that he is unanimously recognised as the best crosser of all time and one of, if not the best, free-kick taker in history.

  His free kick against Greece in October 2001, which allowed England to qualify for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea, remains his Mona Lisa, a masterpiece that will remain forever in the annals, as will his fabulous goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon in 1996, which symbolically marked the beginning of his legendary career at United.

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  Appearances can be deceiving

  However, Beckham's greatness on the pitch cannot be limited to the precision of his right foot. The third-most capped player in the history of the Englan national team, Beckham was also captain of the Three Lions for six years, wearing the armband in 58 matches, going from public enemy number one,after his sending off in the 1998 World Cup against Argentina to a symbol of redemption and leadership.

  A charismatic and courageous leader on the pitch, Beckham was always ready to sacrifice himself for his team. He was a true example of professionalism, as repeatedly emphasised by even the toughest coaches such as Fabio Capello, who went so far as to disobey president Florentino Perez's instructions and reinstated Beckham to the Madrid line up, which led to a historic La Liga title triumph before the midfielder left to join LA Galaxy.

  Wherever he went, Beckham left his mark: From titles with United to those in Madrid, from successes in MLS to his short stints at AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, the Londoner was able to immerse himself in each new environment with a humility that had nothing to do with the image that the tabloids had built up around him for years.

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• Ballon d'Or worthy?

  In 1999, the year Beckham won the treble as a key player for Ferguson's United, Beckham arguably deserved to also take home the the Ballon d'Or, which was instead awarded that year to Rivaldo. The Brazilian had been sensational in La Liga for Barcelona but had been eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages.

  >Beckham, by contrast, had been forced to pick up the pieces after a World Cup in which he was vilified, publicly bullied by English fans, and greeted on Premier League pitches with a soundtrack of boos, insults and verbal abuse. He endured this relentless hostility without ever showing his emotions, responding simply with what he did best: playing football.

  "The more he was targeted, the better he played," his former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would later say. Six goals and 12 assists in the Premier League, two goals and eight assists in the Champions League, and a crucial goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal, Beckham unquestionably made a decisive contribution to the Red Devils' journey to immortality.

  The 1999 Ballon d'Or, which saw Beckham finish in second place, would probably have allowed the English midfielder to enter another dimension in the collective imagination, in the circle of undisputed number ones. Today, 12 years after his retirement, re-evaluating the value, relevance and footballing aura of Sir David Beckham is not a nostalgic gesture, but rather an act of justice towards one of the great icons of the sport.

Baseball is back as MLB Opening Day is here, but it doesn't quite feel the same without the voice of Mr. Baseball, the late great Bob Uecker. Uecker, who called Milwaukee Brewers games on the radio for 54 seasons and infamously starred as hilariously unpredictable play-by-play announcer Harry Doyle in the movie , passed away at the age of 90 back in January.

So, before the start of the Opening Day game between the New York Yankees and Uecker's Brewers, ESPN fittingly honored the beloved announcer with a special tribute before the start of the game.

Check it out.

The tribute included some photos of Uecker over the years, as well as some of his best calls. Then, Bill Schroeder, a former Brewers player and longtime color commentator who knew Uecker for over 40 years, summed up Mr. Baseball perfectly.

"No one loved the game, nobody loved the Brewers, nobody loved Milwaukee more than Bob Uecker," Schroeder said. "He cherished every day at the ballpark. Had integrity, loyalty, class. Had time for everybody and anybody."

"He taught us to respect the game, respect the players and to always cherish what we do for a living—coming to the ballpark and doing baseball games. He is missed—there's a big hole in the heart of the Brewer family and you know he's looking down upon them and hoping to get to a World Series."

Well said.

Pep Guardiola once described Tottenham as 'the Harry Kane team', but amid Manchester City's ridiculous reliance on their own superstar striker this season, it has been suggested that his side could be renamed 'the Erling Haaland team'. But after Phil Foden pulled off a miraculous escape act against Leeds United on Saturday, a fairer description might be 'the Haaland AND Foden team'.

That does not reflect well on the rest of a City squad who seem to no longer have the air of invincibility that used to define them. One reading of Foden’s balletic, 91st-minute winner against Leeds that snatched victory after City threw away a two-goal lead in a mostly abject second-half display, was that Guardiola's side showed impressive mental resilience. Another, though, was that they almost threw away two points – if not three – with a complacent performance and had to rely on individual brilliance after a team capitulation.  

City’s recent games suggest they are indeed vulnerable and that they are going to struggle to chase down Arsenal in the title race unless they kick a worrying recent habit of surrendering leads.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Really struggling'

  Guardiola didn’t want to read too much into the result nearly 48 hours later when he spoke before Tuesday’s trip to Fulham, but he certainly wasn’t hailing it as a positive shift in their mentality. 

  "It depends on Phil putting the ball in the net," he said in a dreary manner suggesting he was still not happy with how his team managed the second half. "I don't know that one win can define the mentality of the team. I don't believe in these kind of things."

  Foden gave a more lengthy assessment of what happened, outlining what City did right and wrong: "We were in full control. They changed it around in the second half, changed the system and we couldn't seem to get going. We really struggled, to be honest. It was a frustrating half but when we had a short break, the manager got us together to adapt to their formation and we started playing again."

  The England midfielder, who has six goals and three assists in all competitions this season, also warned his City team-mates that they cannot afford to play like they did in the second half on many more occasions.

  "We have to work on things and get things better because when the opponents get better in the later stages of the season, we can't afford to come out like this because we're going to lose the league," Foden added. "We have to put things right and get better and just work hard on the training pitch.”

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  Consistenly losing leads

  Saturday marked the sixth time this season where City have surrendered a lead. They conceded twice in the final half-hour at Brighton to turn a 1-0 lead into a 2-1 defeat before letting in a 90th-minute equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli against Arsenal to draw 1-1. They were subsequently dominant in their Champions League outing against Monaco but twice lost their advantage, letting in their second equaliser in the 90th minute, while they conceded an equaliser against Bournemouth, when Gianluigi Donnarumma vented his fury for contact in the area, before eventually securing victory.

  They also had poor second halves against both Villarreal and Borussia Dortmund in Europe, even though the scorelines – 2-0 and 4-1, respectively – suggested that they won both games comfortably.

• AFP
  

  No longer invincible

  City's struggles to build on the momentum of a good start is becoming more pressing when they are no longer dominating every opponent, as evidenced by their defeats against Tottenham, Aston Villa and Newcastle in which they conceded the first goal.

  City went into the game against Leeds on the back of consecutive defeats to Newcastle and Bayer Leverkusen, and Foden admitted that harmed their confidence: "Obviously, from our own performance, it wasn't good enough from start to finish. But sometimes it's like that when you come off the back of two defeats. For whatever reason, it's so much more difficult to get the three points when you come off the back of defeats."

  "But today wasn't about the way we played or how we performed," he continued. "It was just for us about getting the win because we just wanted to feel how we used to feel with the three points."

  That felt like an admission that something in City’s mentality has changed in the last year or so.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Replacing relentless winners

  Guardiola's side no longer go into every game believing that they are going to win, nor do they seem capable of ensuring they are going to win even when they get off to a good start. Perhaps that should not be surprising given the turnover in the squad, with seven key members of the squad that won the treble in 2023 and secured a record-breaking fourth Premier League title a year later have since left. 

  This is not say that City were wrong to move on from those players, several of whom were no longer at their physical peak as they approached their mid-30s, such as Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker and Ederson. Julian Alvarez, meanwhile, asked to leave so as to play more, while Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji were struggling with their fitness and form before being loaned out. 

  The insatiable winning mentality of the departed players, above all De Bruyne and Gundogan, has, however, proven very difficult to replace.

Manchester United are keen to secure a new midfield arrival and could now be set to turn to a star who Sir Alex Ferguson once likened to David Beckham.

The Red Devils are probing in their hunt to climb the Premier League table under Ruben Amorim and will hope that they can attack their festive schedule now that the international break is over, even if they need to navigate injuries and absences along the way.

Benjamin Sesko is set to be on the sidelines, and the former Sporting boss has confirmed that his summer striker signing is set to return around the same time that Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui exit for the African Cup of Nations.

He said on his potential return: “He’s going to stay a few weeks out. I don’t know how long but it is not that serious. We have to be careful with him. He is doing the recovery, he is feeling better, so in a few weeks I expect to have Ben.

“I think it’s going to be more or less at the same time. I don’t want to say for sure but when they are going to the camp, I expect to have Ben back.”

While the goals have been spread for Manchester United this season, there is always a cause to add more expertise in front of the target to alleviate pressure on the strikers, something Mbeumo in particular has brought to the club since his summer move from Brentford.

With the transfer window fast approaching, Amorim and INEOS will have their list of targets in place and ready to go, either for the January period or even beyond into the summer.

Man Utd now make approach to sign exciting gem who shone at U17 World Cup

The Red Devils are now keen to secure his signature before some high-profile suitors.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 23, 2025

Now, they have added a surprise name to their shortlist who is a popular figure among supporters, and news that he could be set to move to Manchester would certainly make headlines.

Man Utd eyeing surprise Scott McTominay return

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are eyeing a surprise return for Napoli midfielder Scott McTominay, who is also on the radar of Arsenal due to his exploits for club and country.

His career revival since leaving Old Trafford hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the Scotland international striking 17 times and registering eight assists in 51 appearances for the reigning Serie A champions.

Of course, McTominay’s exploits for the Tartan Army have also drawn worldwide attention, especially after his incredible overhead kick strike to help his country edge out Denmark for a place at the World Cup finals.

Happy in Italy, it is believed that Napoli has set a £60 million valuation of the 28-year-old, and unless something drastic were to happen, a summer 2026 transfer move appears to be the most likely outcome.

Manchester United have been in the market for a midfielder to add to their existing pool of options, though it would be a surprise if they were to bring in a former academy star with such a strong connection to the club, where his ascent was even likened to Beckham’s at Old Trafford by Ferguson.