Aston Villa kept their Champions League ambitions intact with an impressive 4-1 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday evening in the Premier League.

The two clubs are both vying for a top-five finish and with it a spot in Europe’s top table next term. Unai Emery’s side defeated PSG in midweek, but this performance will also bolster their confidence ahead of the final few games of the campaign.

Ollie Watkins opened the scoring in the first minute before Fabian Schar equalised for Newcastle.

The second half was all Villa, however, as Ian Maatsen, an own goal by Dan Burn and an effort from Amadou Onana sealed all three points.

The majority of the starting XI performed wonderfully well, but it was Watkins and Morgan Rogers who powered the club to yet another league win.

How Watkins and Rogers performed against Newcastle

Watkins set Villa on their way to all three points after slotting home a deflected opener against the Magpies.

The Englishman also grabbed an assist, registered five total shots and made two key passes before he was subbed off in the 82nd minute.

He is returning to the form of last season and Rogers is someone who is helping him flourish. The attacking midfielder has enjoyed a fine season, having scored 14 goals and recorded 12 assists in all competitions.

Accurate passes

Youri Tielemans (71)

Key passes

Marco Asensio (5)

Ground duels won

Youri Tielemans (8)

Tackles

Ian Maatsen (6)

Shots on target

Morgan Rogers (3)

Against the Toon, Rogers grabbed another assist, completed 90% of his passes, made two key passes and succeeded with all three of his dribble attempts.

When the pair are playing at this high standard, nothing can stop Villa, that’s for sure. There is one player in the squad who has been the fulcrum which makes everything tick – Youri Tielemans.

The 9/10 star who's becoming Aston Villa’s best player

The Belgian international has been the standout performer for the club this season, showcasing his talents at the highest level.

Five goal contributions in 12 Champions League games proves that the midfielder has been sublime in the competition. Add in another eight goal involvements in the Premier League and Emery has a player who could be in high demand this summer.

Content creator Mark Goldbridge described Tielemans as “Villa’s player of the season this year” following his display on Saturday evening, and it is easy to see why.

Operating in a deep-lying midfield role, the former Leicester City star completed 88% of his passes, took 98 touches, won 11 of his 16 total duels contested and even made three key passes throughout the match – including the assist for Watkins’ opener.

Alongside Boubacar Kamara, Tielemans dominated proceedings and his performance was key in Rogers and Watkins delivering in the final third yet again. Indeed, journalist John Townley awarded the 27-year-old a match rating of 9/10 for his stunning display.

Emery has started the midfielder in every single Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League match this season, highlighting his importance to the club.

Should Villa qualify for Europe’s premier club competition next season while also winning the FA Cup, they will have Tielemans to thank.

Aston Villa in talks to sign "talented ball carrier" likened to Grealish

Villa aren’t the only side interested, though.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 19, 2025

Three more points in the bag. Newcastle United might just claim a top-four spot in the Premier League, you know, to make an incredible season even more special.

Leicester City were tired and weary against a Newcastle side that pulled no punches. The Foxes limped through the contest, picked at by the swooping Magpies.

Eddie Howe has worked wonders at the club, reaching such heights this year off the back of a disappointing 2023/24 campaign and a frustrating 2024 summer transfer window.

But he needs a big push this summer, should United rise to the next level in 2025/26. Holding onto Alexander Isak will be key, but that’s not to say Howe’s squad won’t need a new centre-forward anyway.

Newcastle make contact with striker

As per Calcio Mercato over in Italy, Newcastle have made contact with Moise Kean’s agent as they prepare to chase down his signature this summer, though caution is needed with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also eager to sign him.

Kean, who flopped during his younger years at Everton, has bloomed into one of Serie A’s leading strikers over the past few years, currently enjoying a prolific campaign with Fiorentina.

With a release clause in his contract worth £45m, the 25-year-old could be on the move this summer and St. James’ Park would be the perfect new stomping ground.

What Moise Kean would bring to Newcastle

PIF will hope that their valuation of Isak, north of £150m, will deter interested parties this summer. In any event, Howe needs new forwards, with Callum Wilson’s contract expiring this summer and William Osula as yet unproven as a reliable option.

If Newcastle are to sign a new number nine, they might be wise to target one in the same vein as their Swedish sensation. Kean is that man.

The Italy striker, who has scored 22 goals for Fiorentina this term, so strong and assured of himself, so “fearless” and “courageous,” as has been noted by Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel.

Reviving his career after a rocky start – a bit like Isak at Real Sociedad, before his £63m transfer to St. James’ Park – Kean has the athletic skill set to succeed in the Premier League.

He boasted such quality before, but was felled by a lack of composure and frustrations concerning being an up-and-coming talent in a turbulent Everton team.

Fiorentina – 24/25

28

17

3

Juventus – 23/24

19

0

0

Juventus – 22/23

28

6

0

Juventus – 21/22

32

5

3

PSG – 20/21*

26

13

0

Everton – 20/21*

2

0

0

Now, he’s enjoying the apotheosis of his career (thus far), with his clinical nature marrying into an aggressive approach to the final third, actually ranking among the top 9% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

This is a further illustration of how he could slot right in as Isak’s partner, mirroring the superstar while bringing something new to the table too.

Last month, BBC Sport’s Mina Rzouki remarked that Kean “made the best decision of his career to go to Fiorentina and leave Juventus.”

Newcastle could provide a similar hothouse for development, and he should emulate his international teammate Sandro Tonali in making the move to Tyneside.

As good as Murphy: Newcastle star just proved he's as undroppable as Isak

The Newcastle United star showed why he is as undroppable as Alexander Isak.

ByDan Emery Apr 8, 2025

لم يُخفِ نادي ريال مدريد استيائه من القرارات التحكيمية خلال منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني، وآخرها طرد لاعبه دين هويسن أمام ريال سوسيداد.

والتقى ريال مدريد وريال سوسيداد يوم السبت على ملعب “أنويتا” ضمن مباريات الجولة الرابعة للدوري الإسباني “الليجا” لموسم 2025-2026.

وتغلب ريال مدريد على ريال سوسيداد بهدفين لهدف، في مباراة شهدت طرد لاعبه دين هويسن ببطاقة حمراء مباشرة في الدقيقة 32 من اللقاء.

وذكرت تقارير صحفية أن ريال مدريد سيقدم استئنافًا ضد طرد هويسن بالأدلة التي يراها تدعم حجته، لإلغاء البطاقة الحمراء للاعب.

ويرى ريال مدريد أن قرار البطاقة الصفراء كان كافيًا في اللقطة التي تسببت بطرد هويسن، وهو ما وضحه المدرب تشابي ألونسو في تصريحاته عقب المباراة (طالع التصريحات كاملة من هنا).

ومع ذلك، تشير صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، إلى أن فرص إلغاء إيقاف هويسن ضئيلة للغاية، وأن جميع الدلائل تُشير إلى فشل ريال مدريد في مساعيه.

وتنص المادة 27 المتعلقة بتقارير التحكيم، على أن التقارير الموقعة من الحكم تُعتبر دليلاً مقبولاً وتُبرر موقفه، وتُقبل الطعون إذا أثبتت لقطات الفيديو بوضوح وجود خطأ جسيم يتعارض مع تقرير الحكم.

وإذا قُبل طعن ريال مدريد، فسترفع العقوبة عن هويسن، إذ لا يمكن للجنة تخفيض عقوبة الطرد إلى بطاقة صفراء.

ويمكن لريال مدريد اللجوء أولاً إلى لجنة الاستئناف ثم إلى المحكمة الرياضية الإسبانية، ومع ذلك يؤكد التقرير أن احتمالية خروج النادي الملكي بنتيجة إيجابية ضئيل للغاية.

ويستعد ريال مدريد لمواجهة أولمبيك مارسيليا الفرنسي غدًا الثلاثاء، ضمن مباريات الجولة الأولى لمرحلة الدوري في منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

The USMNT Transfer Notebook tracks American player movements, with latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool

The Summer of Soccer is fully underway, with the CONCACAF Gold Cup and FIFA Club World Cup both being played in the U.S. The USMNT opened their Gold Cup campaign with a dominant win over Trinidad and Tobago. Several Americans are playing in the Club World Cup, including the Juventus duo of Weston McKennie and Tim Weah.

At USMNT camp, newcomer Damion Downs – who missed the opener due to an illness – has been the subject of interest from clubs all around Europe. Reports surfaced last week that Southampton are monitoring his situation.

Another striker to watch this summer is Ricardo Pepi. Transfer speculation surfaced this week, as Premier League side Fulham is reportedly considering an approach. In Italy, it seemed all but certain that Yunus Musah was set to swap AC Milan for Napoli. However, there's been a snag in talks, and the deal is stalled.

Meanwhile, Brentford is set to promote 19-year-old goalkeeper Julian Eyestone to the senior team next year, as the former Duke University standout makes waves with the Premier League side. There's also a handful of potential moves on the cards involving prominent USMNT contributors, including Josh Sargent, midfielder Johnny Cardoso, and goalkeeper Matt Turner.

GOAL tracks all of the American player movements in the USMNT Transfer Notebook, a recurring feature covering the latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool.

Getty ImagesEyestone eyes first team football

Julian Eyestone is set to represent the U20 U.S. men's national team at the U20 FIFA World Cup this fall, and with that, he's set to be rewarded by Premier League club Brentford, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Eyestone, 19, is set to be handed a new contract with the , where he will be locked down until 2031. In addition, he's set to be promoted from the club's B team to the senior team, and is expected to be with the first team for the Premier League campaign next season.

A product of Duke University, who previously was a part of the FC Dallas academy, the 6-7 goalkeeper made waves domestically before his move to England. In his lone season with the Blue Devils, he earned a spot on the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman team, as well as on the All-Atlantic Coast Conference second team.

Another goalkeeper in Europe within the USMNT's ranks will only benefit the national team, but there's stiff competition in his age group, with Barcelona's Diego Kochen and Chelsea's Gaga Slonina also looking for roles.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDowns to England?

Recently relegated English side Southampton reportedly have interest in Damion Downs, according to Sky Sports Germany. The 20-year-old forward, who is a dual national with Germany, led FC Köln to promotion from the 2. Bundesliga this past season. The 6-4 striker scored 10 goals and recorded three assists in 29 regular-season appearances for FCK during the 2024/25 campaign.

Downs made his USMNT debut in a recent international friendly against Switzerland, coming off the bench and logging 15 minutes in a 4-0 loss – but he is not cap-tied to the program because it was a friendly. If he features in the Gold Cup, he will be.

Southampton, meanwhile, were relegated from the Premier League. They finished last in the standings this past season and are heading to the English Championship for the 2025-26 campaign.

Downs was part of the FCK squad that was relegated from the Bundesliga in the 2023-24 season. In that campaign, he made 10 appearances while scoring two goals off the bench – but it wasn't enough to keep them afloat in the top division.

A potential fee of $5.7M (€5M) is reportedly being discussed, but FCK doesn't want to lose him this window. Local media outlet Kölner Stadt Anzeiger has reported that FCK is prepared to offer the 20-year-old a new four-year contract with a hefty raise.

The question begs: is he willing to risk relegation with FCK once again, or is it worth moving to England in the Championship with a club known to offer a pathway to the Premier League?

Getty ImagesMusah deal hits a snag

Musah's agreement to join Napoli seemed all but settled last week, but recent developments have halted progress. According Milan News, the two clubs have come to a stalemate in negotiations over bonuses. The deal has been on the table for "days" according to reports, but there is no agreement over the bonus structure.

Antonio Conte's side were named Serie A champions in the 2024-25 campaign, topping Inter by one point in the standings to secure just their second regular-season title since 1990. The side has also added Belgian midfielder and former Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne this summer.

The 22-year-old Musah fell out of favor at Milan this past season, struggling under the leadership of Portuguese manager Sergio Conceicao during the second half of the domestic campaign. However, veteran Italian manager Max Allegri has since been appointed as the manager.

Allegri doesn't appear to be blocking any transfer away from the club for Musah. Talks are at a standstill, but if an agreement can be made, the 22-year-old could be wearing Napoli blue next season.

AFPPepi to the Premier League?

Ricardo Pepi could be on the move this summer, as clubs from all around Europe monitor his situation at PSV. Missing out on the Gold Cup due to injury, the 22-year-old is now reportedly the subject of an approach from Premier League side Fulham, according a report from Romano.

Across all competitions in 2024-25, the American scored 17 goals and recorded three assists for the Dutch club as they won their second straight Eredivisie title. However, he injured his knee in the Champions League in January and was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign in February.

Fulham finished their Premier League campaign in 11th on 54 points – 12 back from a European placement spot. USMNT star Antonee Robinson had a standout season for Fulham. Previous U.S. internationals to sport the Fulham badge include Clint Dempsey, Tim Ream, Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson, Luca De La Torre, Kasey Keller, and Carlos Bocanegra.

Their American representation over the years has earned them the nickname "Fulhamerica."

The Premier League side won't be the only club chasing Pepi this summer, the report added, as clubs from Italy and Spain are also monitoring his situation.

Alex Carey was the beneficiary when Shamar Joseph breached his defences only for a spinning bail to remain on its groove

Andrew McGlashan26-Jan-20241:57

Gabba Test, Day 2: Australia climb out of a hole

Do West Indies believe they can win? For a little while, as they cut through Australia’s top order in double quick time at the Gabba, it was just possible for the mind to drift back to the past. The quicks roaring in, a line of five slips stood well back and the ball climbing through past the edges, shoulders and heads of the batters, plenty of whom were soon in the dressing room.Steven Smith missed one that nipped back, Marnus Labuschagne fended into the cordon and was brilliantly held by debutant Kevin Sinclair, who had already scored his maiden Test fifty, Cameron Green drove to mid-off and Travis Head glanced down the leg side first ball. Australia went to dinner on 24 for 4. A short while later Mitchell Marsh’s brief counterattack ended with a miscued pull to mid-on.Then Alex Carey’s off bail refused to drop. The ball from Shamar Joseph nipped past the inside edge and there was an appeal for caught behind because of the sound. West Indies didn’t review. The replay showed the zing bail spinning in its groove. clocked the ball was travelling at 115kph. Carey was on 8 and had the bail fallen they would have been 72 for 6.Related

Khawaja, Carey, Cummins rescue Australia from 54 for 5

“We only saw it on TV inside. No one knew,” Kemar Roach said. “There was a noise, but everyone thought it was the pad. Sometimes you need some luck and it didn’t go for us today. Would have been a different game, I think, at 70 for 6.”At the end of the over Carey was on 10 off 15 balls; in another 23 deliveries he had brought up his half-century and the mood was changing. When he flicked to deep square leg and Mitchell Starc soon followed, the deficit was still 150. Yet before the close Pat Cummins, having flayed his career-best, felt confident enough to declare behind and have a crack at West Indies’ top with the new ball under lights.Alex Carey raced to his half-century in 38 balls•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”I didn’t go out there with that [his scoring rate] in mind,” Carey said. “I felt like I reacted pretty well to what was bowled at me and had good intent. Think we’ve seen that this summer with Mitch Marsh and Travis Head, they play that way. Would have been nice to get a few more but to be where we are after a difficult start, we are certainly in this game of cricket.”Having made the major inroads, the West Indies were in a position rarely seen for visiting sides in Australia. Pakistan had a taste of it at the MCG when they had the home side 16 for 4, but Australia had taken a first-innings lead on that occasion. There was a realistic chance West Indies could earn a decisive advantage but, after Carey’s moment of fortune, they couldn’t stem the run rate. It finished as Australia’s fourth-quickest 250-plus total in Tests – two of those above it were in the second innings to set a target and the other back in 1902.”We knew that the wicket gets better after the new ball disappears so we knew it would be hard work and Australia bat deep,” Roach said. “We haven’t won [in Australia] in a long time. We don’t really come here too often, but guys really want to come here and leave a mark. To win a Test match in Australia as a young side with a lot of debutants and guys who have played less than ten Tests, that would set a really good mark for us.”Until the dying moments of the day it appeared West Indies’ openers would get through a nasty 35 minutes unscathed after Smith spilled a chance at second slip. Then Tagenarine Chanderpaul was given out caught behind on review to the smallest of spikes. West Indies lead by 35. Do they believe?

da jogodeouro： While Barry Ferguson remains in charge of Rangers for now, he’s highly unlikely to keep the job beyond the summer.

da stake casino： Last time out, the Gers were dumped out of the Europa League, battling to a goalless draw with Athletic Club Bilbao at Ibrox, before being beaten 2-0 at San Mamés last Thursday.

So, to conclude the campaign, the Light Blues have very little to play for, but have all five post-split Premiership fixtures to fulfill, starting with Saturday’s trip to St Mirren, all but mathematically guaranteed to finish second, 15 points adrift champions-elect Celtic and 13 points clear of Hibs.

Thus, attention has already started to turn towards plans for the summer, so could “one of the best managers” in football history be occupying the Ibrox dugout by the time their season commences with a Champions League qualifier in late-July?

The latest on Rangers' 49ers takeover

As reported by Sahil Jaidka of Sky Sports News on Wednesday, Rangers have confirmed they are in “productive conversations” with an American-based consortium who are planning to take over the club, thereby “injecting additional capital”.

Back in March, Lawrie Anne Brown and Sahil Jaidka also reported that Paraag Marathe, who is president of the investment arm of 49ers Enterprises, is the person spearheading this takeover, ‘aiming to acquire’ 51% of the shares at a minimum.

Ewan Paton of the National notes that, after posting losses of £17.2m last year, an unsustainably high figure, investment is badly needed.

Meantime, Michael Grant of The Times believes that the fact Kevin Thelwell has recently been appointed as head of football operations, arriving from Everton, suggests the 49ers have already started making behind-the-scenes decisions.

Speaking on the Scottish Football Show, Rangers supporter Findlay Marks expects the new owners will want to make a ‘statement appointment’ when it comes to the manager, so are they going to go after one of the most successful managers of all-time?

Rangers' first choice managerial target

According to a report from TEAMTalk late last week, José Mourinho is amongst the front-runners to become the new Rangers manager, with the piece claiming he ‘would be interested’ in taking over.

Well, last month, ahead of Fenerbahçe’s Europa League tie at Ibrox, Mourinho more than intimated that he’d be open to managing one of Glasgow’s big two in the future, adding the Premiership “is a league of passion. Passion in football is everything”.

His current club Fenerbahçe were dumped out of the Europa League by Rangers on penalties, and are staring down the barrel of a trophyless season, ousted in the Türkiye Kupası quarter-finals while currently second in the Süper Lig, five points adrift of Galatasaray with only six games remaining.

The Yellow Canaries appointed Mourinho in a desperate attempt to win their first title since 2014, but appear set to fall just short once again, having been runners-up six times in the last decade.

Nevertheless, fair to say, the 62-year-old has a pretty impressive CV, as the table below outlines.

José Mourinho’s managerial career

Clubs

Matches

Win %

Trophies

Benfica

11

54.55%

Zero

União de Leiria

23

52.17%

Zero

Porto

127

71.65%

6

Chelsea

185

67.03%

6

Internazionale

108

62.04%

5

Real Madrid

178

71.91%

3

Chelsea

136

58.82%

2

Manchester United

144

58.33%

3

Tottenham Hotspur

86

51.16%

Zero

Roma

138

49.28%

1

Fenerbahçe

50

62%

Zero

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

The trophies speak for themselves: two Champions Leagues, league titles in four different countries and, after getting his hands on the Conference League in charge of Roma, he got a tattoo to commemorate the fact he’d won all three major UEFA competitions.

While he was at Tottenham, Son Heung-min described him as “one of the best managers in the world”, while Oisín Doherty of Breaking the Lines believes he was the ‘most dominant manager in world football’ for over a decade.

Manager Focus

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Of course, as outlined by Barney Ronay of the Guardian, some of Mourinho’s tactics are outdated, meaning he is past his best, but he would certainly represent a major coup for Rangers and would be box office for all of us who love Scottish football.

​​​​​​​

He would represent the perfect upgrade on Ferguson, no doubt about that.

Related Dream XI Mourinho could build at Rangers: No Tavernier & £8.5m star signs

Mourinho could build a solid starting XI should he take the Rangers job

Posts 1 ByRoss Kilvington Apr 22, 2025

Since taking the job as Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has made his fair share of dire signings.

The likes of Pablo Mari, Willian, Marquinhos and Fabio Vieira are some examples of players who either failed to live up to expectations or were just poor when they played.

However, for all the bad, Arteta has also overseen plenty of sensational signings, with Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and David Raya and perhaps the best of the lot, Declan Rice, joining the club under his stewardship.

The former West Ham United captain has been sensational for the Gunners since his club-record move in the summer of 2023, and now it would probably be fair to say one of the manager’s signings from last summer has proven to be his best since the Englishman.

How Arsenal's summer signings are getting on

So, it would be fair to say that overall, the campaign has been a mixed one for the signings made last summer, so before we get to the player in question, it’s worth going over how the others have fared, starting with the worst of the lot: Raheem Sterling.

The Kingston-born star joined the club on a season-long loan deal on transfer deadline day, and while he told the fans they would “see the best” of him, the complete opposite has been true so far.

For example, in 24 appearances, the former Manchester City monster has scored just a single goal, which came against League One Bolton Wanderers, and provided five assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every four games.

Appearances

13

6

1

4

Minutes

352′

297′

80′

270′

Goals

0

0

0

1

Assists

2

2

0

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.15

0.33

0.00

0.50

Minutes per Goal Involvement

176′

148.5′

N/A

135′

It’s been a more positive year for fellow summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, who joined the club from Bologna for around £42m, as when he’s played, he’s looked good and has an impressive tally – for a defender – of three goals and two assists in 26 appearances so far.

However, there has been one significant problem, which is his fitness.

So far, the Roma-born international has missed a whopping 24 games for club and country thanks to three knee injuries, one muscle injury and one calf injury, allowing Myles Lewis-Skelly to come in and make the left-back position his own.

Aside from David Raya, who initially joined the club on loan in 2023, and Neto, who barely played, there was one more senior signing made in the summer, a signing that might be Arteta’s best since Rice.

Chalkboard

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

Arsenal's best signing since Rice

So, with all the other signings from last summer covered above, it should be no surprise that Mikel Merino is the addition in question.

The Spanish international joined Arsenal for around £31.6m in late August after what felt like a particularly protracted transfer saga, but things did not start out well.

In cosmically poor luck, the European champion fractured his shoulder in his first training session with the club and remained out of action until the Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain on the first of October.

Unfortunately, his luck didn’t improve much over the coming months as he struggled to assert himself in the team and, as a result, found himself constantly in and out of the starting lineup, which understandably made it hard for him to establish any sort of rhythm or consistency.

However, things took a turn for the unexpected in February, as injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus left the Gunners without a recognized number nine, so after a rather paltry first 70 minutes of goalless action away to Leicester City, the Spaniard was thrown on to lead the line.

Somehow, even though he had admitted to never playing there before, the former Real Sociedad ace looked right at home, scoring a brilliant header and then slotting home another to secure the North Londoners all three points.

Since then, the 28-year-old “mentality monster,” as dubbed by podcaster Matt Kendala, has scored another four goals to add to his two assists, and following his exceptional strike against Real Madrid, it’s hard to imagine that the club are still officially without a fit centre-forward in the team.

The Pamplona-born game-changer has been hearing his song sung by the fans more and more in recent weeks, and if he keeps on producing in the way he is, Kendala’s claim that he’s “approaching cult status” will undoubtedly be proven correct.

Ultimately, while he’s not on the same level as the Englishman, it would be hard to deny that, thanks to his performances of late, Merino is unquestionably Arteta’s best signing since Rice in 2023.

He's like Saka & Yamal: Arsenal in talks to sign "world-class" £39m star

The incredible winger would bring so much experience and quality to Arsenal’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 15, 2025

Real Madrid are interested in signing towering Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade, amid rival interest from Chelsea.

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Real eye WoltemadeHaving standout Under-21 EurosChelsea also linked with strikerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Woltemade has emerged as a standout talent at the European Under-21 Championship, scoring six goals, including a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Slovenia. In the Bundesliga, for Stuttgart, the striker scored 12 league goals in 28 games as they finished ninth.

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Woltemade stands at 6'6 tall, and along with the Blues and Los Blancos, he has also been linked with a potential move to Bayern Munich. He would be seen as a potential back-up option for the super-clubs, were he to move.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 23-year-old has only been with Stuttgart for a season, having spent four years at Werder Bremen. In his time at Bremen, he only managed to score two senior goals.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Germany will face England Under-21s in the final of the European Under-21 Championships this weekend. The Young Lions beat the Netherlands on Wednesday in their semi-final.

This summer is a huge window for Manchester United if they are to overturn their lack of success in the Premier League throughout 2024/25, currently sitting in 14th position.

However, despite their lowly league standing, the Red Devils could find themselves in the Champions League next season should they manage to win the Europa League in the coming weeks.

If they are to compete at the top level, all areas of the pitch are in need of investment to inject the needed quality and depth to take the side back to their former glory.

Undoubtedly, sales are needed to provide Ruben Amorim with the funds he requires to make the necessary changes to his squad to try and push them back towards the summit of England’s top-flight.

With the summer window rapidly approaching, work is already being done behind the scenes as Amorim prepares for an overhaul of the Red Devils side this summer.

The latest on United’s pursuit of new attackers

Over the last few weeks, countless attackers have been linked with a move to United, including Liam Delap, who was seen as the club’s number one option for the centre-forward role.

However, no deal appears to have progressed despite his £30m relegation release clause, with the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle United entering the race for his signature in recent weeks.

It appears that the Red Devils have switched their attentions to other targets in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, that’s if the recent reports from Spain are to be believed.

It’s been reported that United have stepped up their attempts to land the Sporting CP striker, advancing talks and making contact with the player’s representatives ahead of the summer.

It also states that they are considering making a lucrative offer to the player and club to hand Amorim a reunion with the player who thrived under his guidance in Portugal.

Why United’s target would be perfect with Cunha

Matheus Cunha is another player who has emerged on United’s shortlist over the last couple of weeks, with the Brazilian potentially becoming their first signing this summer.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Red Devils have already been in talks with Wolves over a deal for his signature, whilst also willing to trigger his £62.5m release clause.

The 25-year-old himself is open to a switch to Old Trafford, regardless of whether or not the side secure a place in the Champions League next season.

Cunha would be signed to operate in the number ten role behind the striker in Amorim’s side, handing strikers endless chances – based upon his figures of 2.1 chances created and 2.2 dribbles completed.

Such tallies would fall perfectly into the hands of Gyokeres, who could certainly end United’s pursuit of a new talisman, taking the side to the next level as a result.

The Swede, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one Portuguese analyst, has registered 52 goals in 48 appearances in 2024/25, potentially forming a deadly partnership with Cunha in forward areas.

He’s also managed to register 2.6 shots on target per 90 and complete 49% of the dribbles he’s attempted in the Liga Portugal – offering a constant threat to all opposition backlines.

Games played

30

Goals scored

38

Pass accuracy

75%

Shots on target

2.6

Dribbles completed

49%

Aerials won

55%

Touches in the opposition box

10.7

Gyokeres has also impressed as a focal point, winning 55% of the aerial duels he’s entered, allowing the likes of Cunha to link up and play off him, bolstering his own goalscoring tallies as a result.

Whilst it’s unclear how much a deal for the Sporting talisman would set the hierarchy back in the coming months, it’s evident that he would massively bolster the attacking department.

The prospect of the pair linking up together at Old Trafford is certainly an exciting one for the supporters, with their talents hopefully pushing the club in the right direction ahead of 2025/26.

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