A wonderful ascent in form and performance has allowed Newcastle United to bow out of 2024 with a bang.

Newcastle still have to travel to Old Trafford before the new year is ushered in, but if December is anything to go by, the visitors will be confident in their ability to leave Manchester United’s stomping ground with pockets full.

While Newcastle can approach 2025 with the renewed belief that they can throw down with the best that the Premier League has to offer, they will need to make some improvements to Eddie Howe’s squad.

Moreover, some players need to be sold. On that note, let’s have a look at the worst signings of the largely successful Howe era.

Eddie Howe's worst Newcastle signings

Regarding the current squad, Kieran Trippier is sure to be one of the first players out the door when the new year comes around, with Football Insider revealing that the 34-year-old is up for sale this January.

2024/25

10 (4)

0

0

2023/24

28 (26)

1

10

2022/23

38 (38)

1

7

2021/22

6 (5)

2

0

However, Trippier has been an incredible leader since signing for about £12m in January 2022, leaving Atletico Madrid to spearhead the PIF project on Tyneside. Father Time has simply crept up on him like the end of another year.

Looking at the genuinely bad signings, you’d have to pick Chris Wood out pretty quickly. The heavyset striker might be thriving for Nottingham Forest right now, but he was woeful for the Toon, costing £25m to prise away from Burnley in January 2022 and only scoring five times across 39 matches.

Matt Targett has also become a peripheral figure at St. James’ Park after showing initial promise when joining from Aston Villa for £15m in 2022. Really though, United have hit the jackpot more often than not.

There is a more recent signing who needs to be sold. Indeed, Odisseas Vlachodimos might just be the biggest flop of the lot.

Why Newcastle need to sell Odisseas Vlachodimos

Newcastle seemed to foster an urge for goalkeepers – and lots of them – this summer, bolstering their ranks with veteran John Ruddy and Nottingham Forest’s Vlachodimos, who was purchased for a curious £20m fee as Elliot Anderson headed the other way.

Nick Pope, Mark Gillespie and Martin Dubravka already occupied spaces in the Magpies’ senior set-up, and still do, with the bloated shot-stopping department raising the question: Why was Vlachodimos signed in the first place?

Vlachodimos, 30, has only played 45 minutes of senior football for Newcastle, replacing the injured Martin Dubravka at the interval against third-tier AFC Wimbledon in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

Oh sure, he’s made the Premier League bench on six occasions, but still he has not graced the top-flight pitch in black and white, featuring five times for the Tricky Trees last term.

The one-time Benfica shot-stopper has Champions League pedigree but can’t buy a minute under Howe’s wing. Nick Pope is sidelined for the foreseeable but Dubravka is deputising.

In fact, as per Transfermarkt, Vlachodimos’ £6m market value is even less than Trippier’s (roughly £7m) who is further into the aged stage of his career and approaching the end of his bumper contract.

Newcastle retain a long-term interest in Burnley’s James Trafford and this could be a move that is realised in the coming months. Vlachodimos – who was reportedly told he could leave as early as August – was clearly a PSR-related transfer and his future is sure to be set elsewhere.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

It might have been a deal for PIF to placate financial worries, but he’s still a flop on the field and must be sold.

Howe must finally sell Newcastle flop who is earning 3x more than Murphy

This Newcastle flop needs to be sold at the end of the season.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 24, 2024

ESPNcricinfo looks at five talking points from the England-Sri Lanka ODI series

Andrew McGlashan in Cardiff02-Jul-2016Finn not so much the attack leaderIt has been a tricky summer so far for Steven Finn. He was told by Trevor Bayliss to channel his frustrations on being withdrawn from the World T20 through injury – when Finn himself felt he was fit to play – into taking wickets. It hasn’t quite worked out that way. After an inconsistent Test series against Sri Lanka, he was talking up being the attack leader in the one-day side. It was a position he assumed last summer, but since last September against Australia he hasn’t played an ODI due to his run of injuries. Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, David Willey and Chris Jordan have all played ahead of him in this series, their ability to club a long ball – highlighted by Plunkett’s tie-sealing blow at Trent Bridge – giving England enviable batting depth. Finn, who will play for Middlesex in the Championship from Sunday, may now not be certain of his place in the Pakistan Test series once James Anderson and Ben Stokes are available. Those frustrations are likely to bubble up again.Life without StokesStokes gives England sought-after balance to their side, but they adapted well in his absence. The team’s preferred route is to chase a target and their belief is that they can hunt down anything – as was witnessed at The Oval and, in differing circumstances, when they secured a tie at Trent Bridge despite being 82 for 6, chasing 287. So, Eoin Morgan has been content to use a five-man bowling attack; Joe Root is the fill-in option but was lightly used for only three overs in the series. When fit, Stokes will return to the side and that will open up the question of who misses out. Jonny Bairstow has taken the batting role in this series – and has been outstanding in the outfield – but it could be that the philosophy of packing the batting from one to eleven means means that a five-man attack is retained.Rashid No. 1Adil Rashid is now cemented as England’s main one-day spinner if the pecking order in this series is any guide. When the ground dimensions at Bristol and Cardiff have led England to re-balance their attack with an extra quick bowler, it has been Moeen Ali who has made way for Jordan. Rashid has played every game of white-ball cricket since his England comeback against Ireland, in Dublin, last May. He began this series with two frugal displays at Trent Bridge and Edgbaston – 70 runs come off 20 overs – and though Sri Lanka then took the attack to him he did not shrunk from the challenge. His brace of wickets at The Oval played an important part in ensuring Sri Lanka could not immediately kick on after the rain break. There will also have never been a better No. 11 for England.Mendis is a gemKusal Mendis showed glimpses of his quality in the Test series and his adaptability has been on display in the one-dayers. After a slow start to the series he produced two sparkling half-centuries at Bristol and The Oval, the second of them a particularly eye-catching display as England’s bowlers were put under rare pressure, and was settling in nicely in Cardiff before being beaten by Bairstow’s bullet arm. Sri Lanka have wanted to give youth its head at the top order; coach Graham Ford is trying to oversee a rebuilding phase in the batting order and Mendis has a key role to play. That he hasn’t managed to convert into three figures on the tour will be a disappointment and was a factor among all Sri Lanka’s top order in the one-dayers.Whither Sri Lanka spinThe days of throwing Muttiah Muralitharan the ball for a match-defining 10-over spell are long gone, but even post-Murali there was an expectation to face some probing spin when playing Sri Lanka. However, now that Rangana Herath has ended his one-day career, and Sachithra Senanayake has drifted out of the scene having struggled to adapt to a remodelled action, the resources are looking thin. There is hope that legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, who showed promise at the World T20 but was injured for this tour, could be part of the answer but it is asking a lot of him. In defence of the incumbents the pitches in this series have offered them precious little and a return to home soil may revive confidence. But, still, the numbers are not pretty from this contest. Seekkuge Prasanna finished with 1 for 234 and an economy rate of 6.62 and Suraj Randiv was shelved after one match where he went for 62 off eight overs. That Sri Lanka’s leading spinner in the series was part-timer Danushka Gunathilaka with four wickets says a lot.

da pixbet： The January transfer window is a huge period for Ruben Amorim in his spell as Manchester United manager, presenting him with the first opportunity to make his own impact on the first-team squad.

da cassino online： Following his appointment in late November, the 39-year-old has been forced to work with signings made by the previous management team, evidently unable to extract what he would like out of the current crop of players.

Since his arrival, he’s only won two Premier League outings, contributing to their lowly standing of 13th, with some players just not cut out for the demands of his 3-4-2-1 system.

As a result, outgoings are to be expected, moving players on who simply aren’t at the level required for a side that desperately needs to transform their recent fortunes to resurrect the flailing campaign.

However, the departures could open the door for fresh blood to arrive at Old Trafford, including one top-level talent who’s already been linked with a move to the North West this month.

Man Utd make contact to land £83m star

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Man United have made contact with Italian side Napoli over a potential move to sign Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before the end of the window.

The 23-year-old also has strong interest from Ligue 1 side PSG, with both sides battling it out to secure the services of the winger, who’s registered five goals in 17 outings during 2024/25.

Kvaratskhelia, who’s valued at £83m according to reports at the back end of 2024, could move to the Red Devils in a cash-plus player deal, which may allow Marcus Rashford to complete a move in the opposite direction as a result.

The Englishman has been strongly linked with a move away from his boyhood club, even holding talks with AC Milan, but the emergence of the rumour about the Napoli ace could sweeten any potential deal for the attacker.

Given the interest from the mega-rich PSG, any deal may be an expensive one, but Amorim would be landing a serious talent who is up there with some of the very best in Europe.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse Why Mbappe-like Kvaratskhelia would be a good signing

Kylian Mbappé has been a leading star in Europe over the last few years, often being a menace to countless backlines during his time at PSG and now Real Madrid.

The France international has scored 14 times in 26 appearances for the Spanish giants since his summer transfer – a deal that was by far the biggest of the window despite moving on a free transfer.

His pace and eye for a goal have been evident since he broke onto the scene with Monaco back in 2017, producing a catalogue of superb strikes – highlighting his star quality within the final third.

However, the Napoli ace possesses very similar traits to Mbappé, with his blistering pace and ability to cut inside onto his stronger right foot off the left-hand side.

As a result of such performances, Kvaratskhelia was ranked as a similar player to the Real Madrid star during Euro 2024 by stats platform FBref, with United now potentially getting themselves a 23-year-old prospect with a huge skill set along with bags of potential to improve further.

The Georgian would also provide an upgrade on current United man Rashford, massively outperforming the attacker during the ongoing 2024/25 campaign.

The 23-year-old Napoli forward has registered more combined goals and assists to date, whilst also managing more shots on target per 90 with more shot-creating actions – highlighting his ability within the final third.

How Kvaratskhelia compares to Rashford in 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Kvaratskhelia

Rashford

Games played

17

15

Goals & assists

8

5

Progressive carries

5.7

1.8

Progressive passes

4.4

1.9

Shots on target

1.2

0.8

Pass accuracy

76%

74%

Shot-creating actions

4.4

2.7

Successful take-ons

1.5

0.8

Aerials won

44%

42%

Carries into the final third

3.8

1.7

Stats via FBref

Kvaratskhelia loves to run with the ball at his feet, demonstrated in his tallies of 5.7 progressive carries and 1.5 successful take-ons per 90 – achieving a staggering tally of 3.8 carries into the final third.

His link-up play is also to be admired, completing more of his attempted passes, whilst playing more of his efforts into attacking areas, handing the current crop of United attackers increased opportunities in the final third.

It’s unclear how much the Italian side will demand for their star man, but his quality is evident, potentially becoming a fan-favourite for years to come should he move to Old Trafford.

He’s undoubtedly a better talent than Rashford, massively outshining the academy star to date, with the Englishman moving in the opposite direction, potentially a huge improvement in the Red Devils’ chances of landing Kvaratskhelia.

Related £93m Man Utd star wanted by UCL giants in repeat of Fergie’s big mistake

Manchester United need to cut down the squad to allow Ruben Amorim to make new additions.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Jan 9, 2025

Glasgow Rangers will enter 2025 trailing their fiercest rivals by 14 points in the race for the Premiership title after a 2-2 draw against Motherwell.

Defeat to Celtic on Thursday surely should mark the last straw for Philippe Clement, but will the Ibrox board act and remove him from his position?

Only time will tell on that front, but his squad of players aren’t exactly performing to the ability required, that’s for sure.

Against the Steelmen, far too many anonymous shirts failed to contribute in what was a must-win match, most notably Cyriel Dessers.

Cyriel Dessers' dismal display vs Motherwell

Following the 2-1 loss to St Mirren on Boxing Day, Clement rotated some of his squad, which saw Dessers come into the starting XI in place of Hamza Igamane, much to the displeasure of the Ibrox faithful.

Unsurprisingly, the Nigerian striker lasted only 45 minutes as the Light Blues shipped two first half goals to head into the interval trailing 2-0.

Stat

Highest Ranked

Accurate passes

Robin Propper (70)

Key passes

Ridvan Yilmaz (5)

Touches

Robin Propper (96)

Shots on target

Tawanda Maswanhise, Hamza Igamane and Vaclav Cerny (2)

Ground duels won

Ridvan Yilmaz (8)

Dessers managed to complete five passes while taking just 15 touches of the ball. The striker even found time to miss two big chances. He wasn’t exactly helped by Kieran Dowell, who was operating on the right flank, but it was a dismal showing by the 29-year-old.

Dessers even lost six of his seven duels contested along with losing the ball five times and this was clearly enough for Clement, who brought on Igamane for the second half.

It wasn’t just the centre-forward who let the manager down, as Jack Butland also delivered a shaky performance and he has looked far from his best at times this season.

Jack Butland is costing Clement dearly

Last season, Butland was in such good form that he was touted for an England recall after a few years away from the national side.

On the basis of his performances this season, he won’t be a name mentioned by Thomas Tuchel. That’s a certainty. Across 28 games in all competitions, Butland has kept 13 clean sheets, conceding 25 goals, but he has looked shaky in recent weeks.

Against St Mirren on Boxing Day, Butland clattered into Greg Kiltie in his box and the home side duly scored the resulting penalty on their way to victory.

Butland was spared his blushes after punching the ball into his net against the Steelmen, as a foul against Tony Watt was spotted by VAR, but he struggled throughout.

Journalist Josh Bunting even criticised the goalkeeper, saying:

Dessers may be poor in front of goal in the final third, but is Butland the real problem for Rangers?

Beale struck gold by selling "monster" who was "shocked" Rangers signed him

Rangers hit the jackpot by selling a player under Michael Beale…

2 ByRoss Kilvington Dec 28, 2024

The spectacular piece of fielding has sparked significant debate

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2023Michael Neser’s spectacular boundary catch to remove Jordan Silk at a vital moment of the high-scoring BBL thriller at the Gabba has reignited the debate about whether the Law regarding such dismissals needs to be amended.Related

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As Silk lofted Mark Steketee towards long-off, Neser first held the ball inside the boundary then tossed it up when he realised he would run over the rope. What followed was the astonishing part. Neser, while outside the boundary, then timed a jump perfectly to palm the ball back inside the rope while he was not touching the ground, then returned into the field of play to hold the catch.

Glenn Maxwell on why Michael Neser's catch was legit

(via @7Cricket) pic.twitter.com/e8ql9vHKu9

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 1, 2023

“I knew [Matt] Renshaw did it a couple of years ago,” Neser told . “I didn’t know if they had changed the rules so I thought I would give it a crack. Thankfully they didn’t change the rules.”It was entirely within the Laws of the game and was correctly adjudged to be out when it went to the TV umpire, but it created much debate about whether it should be allowed. One view is that it rewards outstanding skill and awareness, as shown by Neser, but the alternative point is that the ball and the fielder have both been over the boundary.Australia quick Josh Hazlewood said he did not agree with the Law as it was written. “I didn’t like it all,” he told reporters at the SCG. “I think it should be back to the old rule where you have to be in the field of play and that’s your last step before you throw it back in. It was something different and ‘Ness’ is pretty cluey with the rules. It worked for them last night.”This is how the relevant Law reads, with the key point being that Neser’s first touch was inside the field of play and that he was not grounded beyond the boundary while touching the ball again.”19.5.2 A fielder who is not in contact with the ground is considered to be grounded beyond the boundary if his/her final contact with the ground, before his/her first contact with the ball after it has been delivered by the bowler, was not entirely within the boundary.”33.2.1 A catch will be fair only if, in every case, either the ball, at any time, or any fielder in contact with the ball, is not grounded beyond the boundary before the catch is completed.”33.2.2 Furthermore, a catch will be fair if…33.2.2.4 a fielder catches the ball after it has crossed the boundary in the air, provided that the conditions in 33.2.1 are met.”

The key points are:

1) The FIRST contact must be inside the boundary, and

2) the fielder can’t be touching the ball and the ground beyond the boundary at the same time.#MCCLaws

— Marylebone Cricket Club (@MCCOfficial) January 1, 2023

يرتبط إيثان نوانيري جوهرة نادي آرسنال، بالانضمام لصفوف إلى غريمهم في الدوري الإنجليزي، تشيلسي، خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

ويرغب تشيلسي بتوجيه ضربة قوية لنادي آرسنال، بضم اللاعب الذي جذب الأنظار إليه بعد حصوله على فرصة من جانب ميكيل أرتيتا، لتصعيده للفريق الأول.

اقرأ أيضاً..رومانو: آرسنال يحسم صفقة هجومية ذهبية

وبحسب تقارير صحيفة “مترو” البريطانية فإن إيثان نوانيري سيأخذ وقته ويدرس جميع الخيارات قبل اتخاذ قرار بشأن مستقبله على المدى الطويل.

وقدم لاعب خط وسط آرسنال أداء مميزًا في الموسم الماضي وأثبت نفسه كلاعب أساسي في الفريق الأول للمدرب ميكيل أرتيتا.

وسجل نوانيري 9 أهداف في 37 مباراة في جميع المسابقات، وقد اعتمد أرتيتا على اللاعب في مراكز غير مألوفة في ظل غياب بوكايو ساكا بسبب الإصابة.

ومع ذلك وعقب استعادة بوكايو ساكا لكامل لياقته البدنية، فقد عاد نوانيري لدكة البدلاء ولم تتح له سوى فرص قليلة لإثبات جدارته.

ويسعى إيثان نوانيري للحصول على ضمانات من المدرب ميكيل أرتيتا بشأن الوقت الذي سيحصل عليه للمشاركة الموسم المقبل، قبل أن يلتزم بالبقاء لفترة أطول في ملعب الإمارات.

ووقع نوانيري أول عقد احترافي له مع آرسنال في مارس 2024 عندما كانت الشائعات والتكهنات تحيط بمستقبله وارتباطه بالانضمام لصفوف تشيلسي ومانشستر سيتي.

With his brilliant performance in the Nations League, he reached a total of 40 goals with El Tri

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Jiménez scored four goals in Nations League this week

• He surpassed Cuauhtémoc Blanco to take third place

• Chicharito remains the top scorer with 52 goals

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Raúl Jiménez had a brilliant performance in the Final Four of the Nations League, scoring twice against Canada in the semifinals and another two in the final against Panama, helping Mexico secure its first title in the tournament’s short history.

  The forward reached 40 goals with El Tri, surpassing Cuauhtémoc Blanco for third place among the national team's all-time top scorers. The 'Lobo de Tepeji' is now just 12 goals away from matching Javier Hernández, Mexico’s all-time leading scorer, with a long schedule of matches ahead.

  The team led by Javier Aguirre will face Switzerland and Turkey in June before defending their 2023 Gold Cup title. There, Jiménez will aim to surpass Jared Borgetti’s 46 goals, moving into second place on the all-time scoring list.

  The FMF is planning four more friendlies before the end of 2025 as preparation for the 2026 World Cup, two against Asian teams and two against CONMEBOL teams. With this schedule, Jiménez is surely not far from surpassing Hernández.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Raúl Jiménez has maintained an impressive scoring rate with the Mexican national team, averaging a goal every 2.7 matches. Since making his debut in 2013 and scoring his first goal in that year’s Gold Cup against Canada, his journey with El Tri has been filled with highs and lows, notably failing to score in the three World Cups he has participated in.

  After a severe injury, his form dipped, but over the past two years, he has regained his sharpness. Between 2024 and 2025, Jiménez has played only five matches but has already netted six goals, raising his average to 1.2 goals per game – significantly better than his previous numbers.

  If he doesn’t reach the scoring record in 2025, he will have another opportunity in 2026. Mexico will play two friendlies before the World Cup and could feature in up to five tournament matches if they meet expectations.

  With as many as 21 potential games left before the end of the World Cup, Jiménez has a strong chance to cement his place as Mexico’s all-time top scorer.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT RAÚL JIMÉNEZ SAID

  "It's something that's there (being the top scorer). There are many matches ahead. I still have a lot to give to the national team, and I will give my best effort. If it happens, I’ll be the happiest", the forward said to TUDN.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Why does Jiménez have 40 goals for the Mexican National Team but only 39 according to FIFA? While El Tri and FIFA sort it out, the reason is simple: in the 2019 Gold Cup, the striker scored a goal against Martinique, a team not registered with FIFA.

  As a result, the football governing body officially recognizes Jiménez with 39 goals for Mexico.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have held talks over a potential January move for a new midfielder, according to a new report.

Wolves latest news

Things are looking up for Wolves at the minute. Since the appointment of Vitor Pereira as the club’s new manager in mid-December, Wolves have seen a great improvement in both their performances and results.

Not only have Pereira’s side beaten both Leicester City and Manchester United, they’ve also drawn with Tottenham Hotspur and are now, for the first time since early November, outside the Premier League relegation zone.

Perhaps even better news is that the club has, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, convinced forward Matheus Cunha to commit his long-term future to Wolves, despite interest from a host of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester United.

Cunha has been Wolves’ star player this season, scoring 10 goals and registering four assists in 19 games. After Wolves’ 2-0 win over United, Pereira said of the Brazil international: “He is a special player. He can do things that can make the difference in small details.

“Matheus Cunha is a player, in my opinion, who can reach high standards in this league. I hope not [elsewhere] because we need him.”

Wolves hold talks with Rios

As well as securing the long-term services of Cunha, Wolves are also looking at bolstering their squad from the outside in the January transfer market. One man the club reportedly has their eye on is Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios.

According to RTI Esporte, per Sport Witness, Wolves have recently held talks with Rios’ agent about a move to Molineux, and there is a “real possibility” that the Colombia international could make a switch to the Premier League in the near future.

Rios is understood to be a priority target for Pereira, with the Wolves boss personally keen, but he will face competition from Fulham, as well as clubs from France, Spain and Italy, to land him.

Palmeiras have claimed they will only sell Rios in January if his £83 million clause is activated, which would be beyond Wolves’ reach. RTI Esporte, however, claim that the Brazilian club could be bluffing, and that Wolves may agree a deal with Palmeiras for just £16.6 million plus bonuses, with Rios possibly arriving in the summer.

Rios has been described by South American football expert Ben Mattinson as a “ball-carrying machine.”

“When he gets the ball from deep, he brings it up the field with purpose and can eat up a lot of ground in a short space of time. His long legs allows him to open his stride and power away from defenders in no time,” Mattinson wrote on X.

Another game has come and gone and Ruben Amorim has still opted to leave Manchester United star, Marcus Rashford, languishing on the sidelines, with the England international having not featured in any of the last four matchday squads.

Whether that exile will be reversed amid United’s run of three successive defeats in all competitions remains to be seen, although it is clear that the 27-year-old faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford, following his shock admission that he is ready for a “new challenge”.

As reported by The Athletic, the winger’s hefty wage – claimed elsewhere to be as high as £300k-per-week – may make it difficult for a permanent exit to occur in January, although a temporary departure on loan could represent a solution for all parties.

Whether Rashford does ultimately move on in 2025 or not, the attacking unit is in desperate need of reinforcement regardless, with recent outings having further exposed the lack of quality in the forward line.

Man Utd's attacking woes

The Red Devils have now failed to score in their last two league games following dismal defeats to both Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers, taking their total tally to just 21 goals in 18 top-flight fixtures in 2024/25. A -3 goal difference makes for grim reading.

That failure to fire was even evident in the 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, with it taking a handful of Fraser Forster gifts for United to eventually get on the scoresheet. Speaking afterwards, Amorim lamented the fact that Spurs were more “clinical”. The same phrase was then uttered after losing to the Cherries.

Player

Games

Goals

Alejandro Garnacho

27

8

Marcus Rashford

24

7

Rasmus Hojlund

21

7

Bruno Fernandes

27

6

Amad Diallo

26

5

Joshua Zirkzee

26

4

Christian Eriksen

16

4

Casemiro

21

3

At present, United’s top scorer is Alejandro Garnacho with eight goals across all fronts – ahead of Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund on seven apiece. To put that into context, league leaders Liverpool already have three players into double figures, in the form of Cody Gakpo (ten), Luis Diaz (11) and Mohamed Salah (19).

With summer signing Joshua Zirkzee scoring just four times – while Antony has netted just once this season – it is hard to see just where the goals will come from, particularly if Rashford does depart. Even man of the moment, Amad Diallo, has only scored five goals in total this season.

It is for that reason that new recruits must be a priority for INEOS in the near future, with United having assembled an attack that is simply nowhere near capable of challenging for major honours.

Man Utd could land the 'next Ronaldo'

Those of a United persuasion no doubt yearn for the days of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, with the trio notably spearheading the side that claimed Champions League glory in 2008. How the mighty have fallen.

Transfer Focus

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

Talents of that ilk appear to be long again at Old Trafford, although if recent reports are to be believed, the ‘next Ronaldo’ could emerge as a possible target for 2025, in the form of AC Milan star, Rafael Leao.

As reported in Spain – via Milan Live – earlier this week, the Red Devils are among the clubs, alongside Arsenal, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, who are keen to snap up the Portuguese sensation in the near future.

The suggestion is that Leao – who arrived at San Siro from Lille back in 2019 – is seeking a fresh challenge after almost six years in Milan, with a raft of clubs rightly queueing up to land the at times “unstoppable” speedster, as hailed by teammate Tammy Abraham.

While there may be concern that the £102k-per-week hero previously described that man Rashford as a “model”, United should be far more interested in the forward’s stellar form in recent years, having terrorised defenders down the left flank.

With 64 goals and 55 assists to his name in 232 games in all competitions for his club side, Leao has been a shining light in his current home, with it no surprise that national team boss Roberto Martinez has dubbed him “one of the best players in the world one-on-one”.

That explosive, game-changing talent was even evident during his academy days at Sporting CP – where Ronaldo also began his career. Indeed, his former youth coach Tiago Fernandes even went as far as to say:

Following in the footsteps of a player who scored 145 goals in 346 games for United across two spells may prove too great a burden, yet with Leao possessing shades of his international colleague, there’s every reason he could shine in Manchester.

Man Utd need to upgrade on 4/10 star who was Ten Hag's fifth-choice target

Manchester United’s grim December continued away at Molineux

1 ByRobbie Walls Dec 27, 2024

Three wickets in an over from Taskin killed Ireland’s revised chase of 104 in eight overs

Mohammad Isam27-Mar-2023Rony Talukdar, Litton Das and excellent death bowling form Taskin Ahmed helped Bangladesh beat Ireland and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series in Chattogram. The home side won the rain-interrupted game by 22 runs.Talukdar made a rapid 67, adding 91 runs for the opening stand with Litton, who struck 47. The Ireland bowlers struggled to stop the boundary flow on a flat pitch.The play was, however, stopped between 3:37 pm and 5:40 pm local time due to the drizzle. It left the visitors with a revised target of 104 runs to chase in eight overs. They made a fist of it at the start, but Taskin, Hasan Mahmud and Shakib Al Hasan made sure Bangladesh did not let this game slip away from them.Taskin’s triple blowChasing at 13 runs an over, stand-in captain Paul Stirling and Ross Adair got Ireland off to a quick start. They scored 32 runs off the first two overs bowled by Nasum Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman. But Bangladesh worked back into the game quickly.Mahmud shot back with three dot balls before yorking Adair for 13. Taskin then doubled down on Bangladesh’s momentum with three wickets in his first over. He cleaned up Lorcan Tucker off the first ball before bowling out Stirling for 17 in the fourth ball. George Dockrell was then caught at third-man for a duck the next ball.Shakib pull things back for BangladeshIreland fought back with 16 runs off Hasan Mahmud in the fifth over. Harry Tector struck three fours in the over, top-edging one delivery and hitting the other two for four cleanly. Shakib followed it up with a superb sixth over, giving away just five runs to bring Bangladesh back into the game.Mustafizur Rahman then bowled a seven-run penultimate over, mixing his cutters with full-length balls that Tector and Gareth Delany couldn’t quite hit. The equation came down to 31 off the last over. Taskin dismissed Tector in the first delivery to complete his four-wicket haul and conceded just nine runs off the final over.Rony Talukdar reached fifty off only 24 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh’s rapid startLitton signalled his intent in the first over, hitting Tector for a six over long-on in an 11-run over. Talukdar hit Adair for his first six in the 14-run second over, before Graham Hume pulled things back slightly in the third over. Craig Young went for 16 runs in his first over since returning to international cricket after last year’s groin injury. Litton hammered him for a six over midwicket, before picking him over wide long-off for a four.Legspinner Delany conceded just one six in the fifth over, before Adair got hit for 20 runs in the sixth over. After Litton nearly got caught at cover, Talukdar smashed Adair for a six over long-off and three more fours.The big over took Bangladesh to 81 for no loss, their highest score in a powerplay in T20Is. It beat their previous best of 76-4 against New Zealand in Dhaka in 2013. Young removed Litton in the eighth over, when he was caught at mid-off after mistiming a drive, having made 47 off 23 balls with seven boundaries including three sixes. The 91-run partnership is now Bangladesh’s highest first wicket stand.Talukdar hits maiden T20I fiftyLitton’s departure, however, didn’t help Ireland stem the flow of runs for Bangladesh. Talukdar reached his maiden T20I fifty in the ninth over. He took 24 balls with a nicely-timed four through cover-point. Najmul Hossain Shanto struck a six in his 13-ball 14 before Tector had him stumped in the 11th over. Shamim Hossain, promoted to No. 4, smashed Ben White for one of two sixes in the 12th over, which went for 18.Talukdar struck the other six, a massive hit over midwicket. He fell shortly afterwards missing a slog against Hume, having struck three sixes and seven fours in his 38-ball stay. Shamim was caught in the covers for a 20-ball 30 before Tohwid Hridoy was the fifth man out in the penultimate over.The win was largely set up by Bangladesh’s batters, who put up their third-highest total in T20Is.