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da apostaganha： Manchester United has several exciting youngsters coming through the ranks at Old Trafford who are hoping to establish themselves as the club’s next generation. Some of these players have been involved in Ruben Amorim’s matchday squads of late.

da jogodeouro： That includes midfielder Sekou Kone, who featured on the bench against Tottenham Hotspur and Everton last month. Academy Scoop said on X that he has shown “glimpses of promise” in a United shirt since his summer move.

Another player who could break through is young left-back Harry Amass. The former Watford academy star was most recently on the bench against Real Sociedad in midweek, and he is “one to keep an eye on” according to Academy Scoop via X.

However, arguably the most exciting United talent breaking through is Chido Obi.

Obi’s United career so far

What a whirlwind few months it has been for Obi, since his move to United from Arsenal over the summer. He has made a brilliant start to life in the Red Devils academy, scoring 12 goals in nine games for the under-18s so far this term.

This electric form resulted in Amorim giving him his first team debut, a three-minute cameo away to Spurs. He has since gone on to play twice more for United’s first team, in the Premier League at Goodison Park against Everton, and in the FA Cup against Fulham.

His 52-minute cameo against the Cottagers, which included extra-time, showed just how talented Obi is. He managed to fashion chances for himself and was a real nuisance for the Fulham centre-backs.

United legend Wayne Rooney said he was “really impressed” with the 17-year-old, and Alan Shearer explained, “I like what I see from Chido Obi”. The Denmark under-18 international has made a big impression so far.

It certainly seems like Obi could become a player Amorim utilises more going forward. However, if things had worked out differently, he could have had another talented young striker at his disposal.

Man Utd's original Chido Obi

United’s academy is a place where young stars can make a real name for themselves, like Obi has done in the short time he’s played for the club.

Where Are They Now

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Well, that was certainly the case for Charlie McNeill, who was a prolific goalscorer in the youth ranks. The now 21-year-old initially left United to join Manchester City in 2014, before returning to Old Trafford six years later, after racking up a real reputation for himself – much like Obi – having reportedly netted over 600 goals for the Citizens.

In 35 appearances for the United under-18s, the striker scored an impressive 34 goals and grabbed 11 assists. He also scored several times in the UEFA Youth League and for the under-23s during his time in the youth set-up.

One of McNeill’s biggest contributions in a United shirt came in the club’s impressive run in the FA Youth Cup in 2021/22.

Alongside now first-teamers Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, he was a key player as United lifted the trophy at Old Trafford, scoring five goals and creating two others in six games.

McNeill record by round in 2021/22 FA Youth Cup

Round

Opponent

Score

Goals

Assist

3rd

Scunthorpe (h)

4-2

1

1

4th

Reading (a)

1-3

1

1

5th

Everton (h)

4-1

1

0

6th

Leicester (h)

2-1

0

0

Semi-final

Wolves (h)

3-0

2

0

Final

Nottingham Forest (h)

3-1

0

0

Stats from Transfermarkt

Football statistician Statman Dave once described the 21-year-old as a “natural goalscorer”, and it seemed like he could become a first-team player for the 13-time Premier League champions in the future.

However, he only played once for the club, a six-minute Europa League cameo against Real Sociedad, and was only on the bench once more. After loans to clubs in the EFL, specifically Newport County and Stevenage, McNeill left United permanently last summer, upon the expiration of his contract.

The former England under-16 international joined Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer, but things have not worked out for him there. He has played just five games, with just two coming in the Championship, scoring twice against Hull City in the Carabao Cup.

Now valued at just £167k, it has not been an easy ride for McNeill, who was so deadly for United’s academy. Of course, due to his age, there is plenty of time to get his career back on track and find his best form again.

However, if things had worked out differently, and he got the opportunity he arguably deserved in the United first-team, perhaps he would be competing with Obi for a spot in the matchday squad.

Related Forget Garnacho: Amorim can unleash Man Utd teen who's the next Rooney

Man Utd might have another academy star on their hands

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Mar 8, 2025

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker could reportedly leave the BBC early after sharing a social media post with an "anti-semitic" rat emoji.

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MOTD host Lineker in hot water againApologises for sharing social media postPresenter's future at BBC in 'serious doubt'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lineker "apologised unreservedly" after being criticised for sharing a now-deleted Instagram post about Zionism, from the campaign group Palestine Lobby, that included a rat drawing – something that has historically been used as an "anti-semitic" insult. The situation has led some BBC staff to call for Lineker to be axed from his position.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lineker will front the BBC's coverage of the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace on Saturday but The Telegraph reports that any appearance for the corporation beyond that is 'in serious doubt'. The 64-year-old is supposed to continue leading the BBC's Match of the Day show until the end of the season and work with the corporation up until the 2026 World Cup but that may change now.

DID YOU KNOW?

Lineker, who has repeatedly been the source of much controversy in recent years, will be replaced by Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman, and Kelly Cates next season on the Match of the Day show.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

It remains to be seen what will happen to Lineker, who has presented Match of the Day for 26 years, in the coming days and weeks with the BBC.

Los Blancos are expected to make a change in the dugout this summer, but the new manager won't have an easy time fitting the pieces together

Real Madrid could be in trouble. Things aren't going well at the Santiago Bernabeu at the moment, and there is a real fear that they could finish the 2024-25 campaign without a trophy. That would be an immense failure for a club that brought in Kylian Mbappe last summer.

But there is reason to believe that some of this had been coming. Madrid were carried hard by Jude Bellingham at the end of 2023, and buoyed by Vinicius Jr in early 2024. And, crucially, Toni Kroos was there throughout it all, his metronomic pinging of the ball keeping Los Blancos afloat. None of that matters now, of course. Madrid are bad at football. Changes have to be made.

The ensuing moves are already underway. Carlo Ancelotti is already reportedly on his way out, with the Brazil job potentially beckoning. In turn, it seems that Xabi Alonso – long linked with the job – will come in – and he will have a serious task on his hands. Not only will be face the immense scrutiny of expectant fans, he will also be handed an awkwardly-assembled squad, with tons of talent and glaring holes.

Although Alonso has proved himself as a shrewd tactician with Bayer Leverkusen, this is by no means an easy assignment in just his second senior job in professional management. GOAL looks at the ways in which Alonso could set up his Real Madrid side…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The obligatory transfer moves

  Since we're playing Football Manager here, three things need to be established; the first is the easy assumption that Trent Alexander-Arnold does indeed arrive from Liverpool on a free transfer. That seems to have been sorted for some time now – his puzzled expression after Liverpool won the league at Anfield last week notwithstanding. It seems likely that, given the strength of Dani Carvajal at right-back – and the new contract offered to him – that Alexander-Arnold will be slotted into midfield (a frightening prospect for those who watched that woeful experiment for England at Euro 2024).

  The second is the less likely but equally sensible guess that Rodrygo departs. His name has cropped up in transfer talk more frequently of late, and it is becoming increasingly clear that he is never going to be able to play in his preferred left-wing position if he is to stay in Madrid.

  And the third – which is much more far-fetched than either of the previous two – is the likelihood of everyone here staying fit and healthy. Madrid have been hit hard by injuries this season, and at the time of writing have just one fit natural centre-back in Raul Asencio. All of the nerdy stuff that follows assumes that Carvajal is fit enough to play right-back, and Eder Militao recovers in time in central defence.

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• Getty Images
  

  Traditional 4-4-2

  Carlo Ancelotti claimed a few weeks ago that a 4-4-2 was the best system for Madrid. It felt quite a lot like an act of desperation; Los Blancos were trying to attack too much. They have two very quick forwards in Vinicius and Mbappe, an imperfect right-midfielder in Rodrygo, and Bellingham could, sure, play off the left.

  Alonso, should Alexander-Arnold arrive, could make this one a bit more interesting – but also compromise in some other areas. It would certainly allow for both Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold to get into the team – something that could get complicated otherwise. But it would also sacrifice the attacking nous of Bellingham, and also give up some tempo-setting quality in midfield. A four-man midfield of Alexander-Arnold, Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Bellingham, with Mbappe and Vinicius up front, is an enticing thing that might just work, and with Carvajal offering cover at right-back, should be resolute enough defensively.

  Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

  Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy

  Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham

  Forwards: Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe

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  Leverkusen-esque 3-4-2-1

  The temptation here might be for Alonso to stick with what he knows. There is a real danger in coming to a new club and immediately trying to instate a slightly unorthodox system (just ask Ruben Amorim). Alonso's most effective formation to date is a 3-4-2-1, with two very attacking wing-backs, and dual 10s who play in behind a bigger centre-forward. Look at Madrid's squad, and there's room for optimism, but also many ways in which this simply would not work.

  For a start, it would seem to be Alexander-Arnold's dream – removing his defensive responsibilities and asking him to create from wide areas. It would also, presumably, suit Bellingham, who could tuck in nicely as one of the No.10s. Outside of that, things look trickier. Mbappe could play as the No.9, but Alonso likes his big man to be more static and reliable in holding up the ball. Vinicius, too, could be something of a mixed bag here, his attacking skills valuable when the game opens up but not quite as effective in tight spaces.

  There are concerns, too, at the back. Madrid have struggled for centre-backs this season due to a sheer volume of injuries. Such a system would require a few medical miracles as well as some new signings. Left-wing-back is also an issue. Ferland Mendy would seem too defensive for the position, while Fran Garcia might be too attacking. Perhaps Swiss Army Knife Camavinga could do a job? In short: interesting, but not immediately effective.

  Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

  Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger

  Midfielders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga

  Attacking midfielders: Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham

  Forward: Kylian Mbappe

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  Tika-taka regen 4-3-3

  This is the fun one – the high-risk, high-reward setup that could either be a dream or a total nightmare. First of all, it's probably where the purest football comes into play; a three-man midfield of Alexander-Arnold, Valverde and Bellingham would be defensive suicide. But when executed well, it's not hard to see Los Blancos exerting full control over their opponent. It would also, presumably, offer a chance for Endrick to get a real look, while giving more space for Mbappe and Vinicius to play together. Should Alonso opt for a sturdier defence, he could play Valverde at right-wing – as he did in the 2021-22 campaign – and drop Tchouameni or Camavinga into midfield.

  Either way, this setup doesn't scream of defensive solidity but would certainly offer the sort of tempo-setting from central midfield that Los Blancos haven't had since Kroos left. Just pray the game doesn't open up…

  Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois

  Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy

  Midfielders: Federico Valverde, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jude Bellingham

  Forwards: Endrick, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr

India began each session of day three knowing the best they could do was stay alive, and they did just that. Still, Australia’s grip had tightened by stumps

Sidharth Monga09-Jun-20231:15

Manjrekar: Not a flash in the pan from Shardul

India hung in admirably on the third day of the WTC final through fighting runs from Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur and a better bowling effort than in the first innings, but by the end of the day it was apparent they had lost too much ground on the first two days. They began the day 318 behind with half their side gone, took body blows to somehow reduce the deficit to 173, but ended the day 296 behind with six Australian wickets still standing.India began each session of the day knowing the best they could do was stay alive. They managed to not get blown away, but in the long, final session, Australia progressed steadily to leave India somewhere between just alive and out of the game.Related

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Ball-by-ball: How Rahane and Thakur rode their luck at Oval

Scott Boland began metronomically and snuck past KS Bharat’s inside edge to bowl him second ball of the day. Pat Cummins and Boland then proceeded to torture the two batters, Rahane and Thakur, with uneven bounce out of the pitch. For the best part of the first hour, they were relentless and quick. Thakur was forced to take a painkiller and wear padding on both his forearms.However, it was still not a perfect display in the field from Australia. Cummins ended up with six no-balls with wickets off three of them. Following Ravindra Jadeja and Rahane on day two, he missed out on Thakur’s wicket on day three. Three catches went down in the slip cordon. Mitchell Starc struggled for control.Once they saw off the threat of Cummins and Boland, Rahane and Thakur began to score freely. By lunch, Rahane was 11 short of what would have been a special century on Test comeback, and Thakur 14 short of a third fifty in three innings at The Oval. The 60-over-old ball had stopped misbehaving by now, and India had a good shout at cutting down the 209-run deficit significantly before the second new ball.Ajinkya Rahane punches Nathan Lyon through the off side•Gareth Copley-ICC/Getty ImagesPost lunch, though, Rahane followed a widish delivery and edged it only for Cameron Green to pull off a spectacular catch at gully. The next three wickets could add just 35, though Thakur did manage to get to his half-century.India bowled with better control than they did in the first innings. Mohammed Siraj, in particular, extracted uneven bounce after nicking David Warner off early. Twice the bat fell out of Marnus Labuschagne’s hands on impact, much like it had done earlier with Thakur. Once he was swept off his feet. Umesh Yadav benefited from the pressure created with his first wicket of the match as Usman Khawaja wafted at a wide delivery.At 24 for 2, India would have hoped for further inroads, especially with Labuschagne struggling, but Steven Smith played a breezy knock to push India back. Having set himself up for a long dig in the first innings, Smith now looked for quick runs, racing away to 12 off his first seven balls. India’s second string of quicks now bowled with spread-out fields as Smith looked set for a big, effortless knock.Steven Smith knew he was in trouble right after miscuing a swipe across the line•Getty ImagesThen Smith tried to charge Jadeja for the third time in the Test. On the first two occasions, in the first innings, he managed to get enough of a half-hit to avoid mid-off, but this time there was enough grip from the surface to take the edge for point to take the catch. To get Smith out for just 34 when he was batting at a control rate of above 90% was a relief for India.Jadeja then used the rough outside the left-hand batter’s off stump to get rid of Travis Head. Labuschagne, standing well outside the crease to face the India quicks, never really looked in control. He ended the day 41 off 118 but, along with Green, he denied India any further success. To their credit, India didn’t allow them easy runs, going at well under three an over.It was half the job done for Australia, who would want to give their fast bowlers at least 24 hours with their feet up before they begin their final push for the title.

Everton are now believed to have made an approach to complete the signing of a “world class” player who knows the Premier League well but has fallen out of favour at his current club.

A host of players continue to be mentioned as options for the Blues in the summer transfer window, including Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper. The 25-year-old Englishman started all 46 of the Blades’ Championship matches last season, helping them reach the playoff final, but defeat to Sunderland at Wembley ruined their chances of promotion, and he may like the idea of heading to the top flight.

Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is another player who could want to remain in the Premier League, following his side’s relegation to the second tier, and Everton have been backed to snap him up, amid their search for more quality in the middle of the park.

Meanwhile, Millwall forward Mihailo Ivanovic is another reported target for the Merseysiders, with the Serb potentially seen as a strong replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Just 20 years of age, he scored an impressive 12 goals in 23 Championship starts last term and could serve as the old fashioned number nine alongside the more elusive Thierno Barry.

Everton make approach for "world class" midfielder

According to La Gazzetta Dello Sport [via Goodison News], Everton have made an approach for Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz, seeing him as an excellent choice to bring in this summer. The Blues are said to have asked for information regarding the 27-year-old, but it is added that no offer has been tabled for him yet.

He joined Juventus for around £42m last summer but was once worth a much higher figure, with Neil Moxley even claiming “somebody’s just having a bit of a laugh” when he was quoted at £60m while thriving at Aston Villa, pointing to Declan Rice’s £105m move to Arsenal as a benchmark.

Indeed, albeit out of form and out of favour in Turin last season, Luiz is a player who has proven his worth at the highest level for many years now, having been such an influential performer for Villa, so he could be a brilliant signing for Everton.

The Brazilian has 175 appearances to his name in the Premier League, as well as 20 goals and 18 assists, with John McGinn heaping praise on his ability, describing him as “world class”, and Jermaine Pennant calling him better than Rice in the past.

“Any team would dream to have Rice, but there are better sixes in the Premier League at the moment. I would say Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa, I think he can do everything that Rice can do and better. I think he assists more, he chips in with goals more than Rice. Creativity-wise he’s better, flair is better, he can put in a tackle just like Rice, break up play just like Rice. So I think if someone said to me you can have Douglas Luiz for £60m or Declan Rice for £100m, easy every day of the week, Douglas Luiz.”

Everton now ready to pay £5m+ to sign new star with same agent as McNeil

The Toffees are ready to take advantage…

1 BySean Markus Clifford Jul 7, 2025

Luiz is still in his prime, so this wouldn’t be a case of Everton splashing out on a player who has peaked, and his box-to-box style could be a great asset for David Moyes.

Jude Bellingham has reportedly missed Real Madrid training as injury fears grow amid fierce La Liga title battle with Barcelona.

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• Bellingham worked inside the training facilities
• Currently awaiting a medical report
• Remains doubtful for the fixture against Celta

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to, Bellingham felt minor muscular issues on Thursday. While the club’s medical team is not overly alarmed and currently views the situation as a precautionary measure, his absence from collective training has nevertheless raised questions about his availability for Sunday’s crucial match against Celta Vigo.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While star forwards Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior rejoined full training on Friday after nursing minor muscular issues of their own earlier in the week, Bellingham’s status remains uncertain. Madrid’s medical staff are closely monitoring the situation, and a detailed medical report is still awaited.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In addition to fitness issues in attack and midfield, Real Madrid are also bracing for changes in their defensive lineup. Injuries and suspensions have forced Ancelotti into yet another defensive shuffle, with left-back Fran Garcia and centre-half Raul Asencio expected to start in their respective roles. On the opposite flank, Lucas Vazquez is the likely candidate to feature once again at right-back, offering stability and experience. Meanwhile, Aurelien Tchouameni, traditionally deployed in a holding midfield role, may once again be called upon to provide emergency cover in central defence.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Real Madrid are under no illusions about the stakes this weekend. They know that anything short of three points against Celta Vigo could severely damage their hopes of overhauling Barcelona in the final weeks of the season. Should the Catalan giants manage to secure a result against Real Valladolid, Madrid would need a victory to remain within striking distance, potentially just four points behind, with a vital El Clásico on the horizon.