Leeds United are now showing the strongest interest in signing an “incredible” midfielder, following the recent Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka injury blows.
Leeds pursuing new midfielder with Ampadu and Tanaka sidelined
Leeds got off to the perfect start to the new Premier League campaign, securing a 1-0 victory at home to Everton, but things have since taken a turn for the worse, most recently being knocked out of the EFL Cup by a youthful Sheffield Wednesday side.
To make matters worse, Daniel Farke has now confirmed that two of his midfielders are set for spells on the sidelines in the coming weeks.
When asked about the nature of Tanaka’s issue, Farke said: “MCL injury, he will also be out for a few weeks. It’s difficult at the moment to say exactly when he can return but also definitely not before the international break so it’s quite a similar injury to Ethan Ampadu’s.”
Leeds now leading race to sign "excellent" star with same agent as Justin
The Whites will look to see off rival suitors for his signature.
BySean Markus Clifford Aug 27, 2025
Having two players in the same position ruled out at such an early stage of the season is a blow for Farke, but there is still time to get another central midfielder through the door before the deadline, and that is exactly what the manager plans to do.
According to a report from Caught Offside, Leeds are now showing the strongest interest in signing Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who is open to leaving the Red Devils before the end of the transfer window.
In fact, having fallen down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim, one Caught Offside source has stated Mainoo could “formally request a transfer” in the coming days, with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur known to be long-term admirers.
Given that a £70m price tag has previously been touted, the Whites are planning to sign the midfielder on a loan deal, but it remains to be seen whether he would be interested in the move, given that a relegation battle is likely to be on the cards.
Mainoo could be "incredible" coup for Leeds
When the 20-year-old first burst onto the scene, he received extremely high praise from numerous Sky Sports pundits, with Michael Dawson lauding the youngster’s calmness in possession of the ball as “incredible”.
Since then, the Stockport-born youngster hasn’t really managed to kick on, failing to feature in United’s first two Premier League games this season, but he could still be a real coup for Leeds.
Amassing 10 England caps at just 20-years-old is no mean feat, and suggests the central midfielder has a great deal of potential, with Leeds perhaps in need of more depth in central midfield, given that Ampadu and Tanaka have been sidelined.
However, it would be a real surprise if Mainoo were willing to move to Elland Road, given the rivalry with his current club, and the move seems a little far-fetched.
Under dark Durban skies, Sri Lanka had very nearly their perfect first morning of a first Test, their captain inserting the opposition, before his seamers removed four South Africa batters.But only 20.4 overs were possible on the first day before rain arrived just before scheduled lunch. It stayed put over Kingsmead, until play was called off at around 3pm.Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando had led Sri Lanka’s advances, zipping the ball around on a somewhat moist surface to frequently beat and occasionally collect the outside edges of South African bats.Vishwa, the left-arm quick, was especially disciplined, finding significant inswing in the air from over the wicket, as well as away movement off the deck. He took the wicket of Tony de Zorzi, who was caught by a diving Kamindu Mendis at second slip, soon after Asitha had Aiden Markram held in the cordon – both bowlers striking in their second over of the day.Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs scratched their way through to the drinks break, putting on 32 together, with many of those runs coming off the outside edge through deep third. But Lahiru Kumara, Sri Lanka’s fastest bowler, made amends for a wayward first over by having Stubbs fend one to third slip. Soon after, he nipped a ball through David Bedingham’s defenses to send his off stump cartwheeling – the most dramatic dismissal of a short day’s play.Sri Lanka could have had an even better morning but for two indiscretions. Bavuma, who survived 47 balls and ended the day on 28, should have been held by Dimuth Karunaratne for 1, but he grassed the low chance at second slip. That was off the bowling of Vishwa. Then, shortly before rain arrived to cut the session four minutes short, Bavuma edged a Kumara bouncer he was trying hook, but Kumara was found to have marginally overstepped. Bavuma was on his way to the dressing room when the umpires called him back. He was on 20 at that point.Bavuma, however, was perhaps the most restrained of South Africa’s batters. He covered the line of his stumps nicely as Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers plugged away in the channel, and though he frequently had his outside edge beaten, he did not appear especially eager to feel bat on ball. He had wicketkeeper-batter Kyle Verreyne for company when the showers came through.Though Kumara claimed two wickets, his four overs cost 35 runs. Asitha and Vishwa both went at less than three an over.The forecast for Thursday is for better weather. Sri Lanka will feel they did justice to the good bowling conditions they got by dint of having won the toss.
Josh Hazlewood will make his first appearance of the season for New South Wales as he builds up to the India Test series while Nathan Lyon has been rested.Hazlewood had been due to play last week’s One-Day Cup game against Victoria alongside Pat Cummins but withdrew on the morning of the match due to illness. It means the Sheffield Shield fixture against Queensland will be his first outing since the England tour finished in late September and will likely be his one competitive game before the first Test against India.It had been expected that Lyon would feature in three Shield matches before the Test series, but he has sent down 104 overs in the two matches he has played against South Australia and Victoria and it’s understood he is unlikely to have another run before facing India.A number of states have been significantly hit for round three of the Shield by Australia ODI and Australia A call-ups. From their previous XI, alongside Lyon, NSW are missing Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott, Sam Konstas and Josh Phillippe due to those concurrent series.Ollie Davies is also part of the Australia A squad but will only feature in the second four-day game next week at the MCG so is available to face Queensland. And in a boost for NSW, allrounder Jack Edwards is fit after a hamstring injury. Lyon’s absence means legspinner Tanveer Sangha will be able to return to the XI.Mitchell Swepson will captain Queensland with Marnus Labuschagne in ODI duty. They are also with Michael Neser (Australia A) and Mark Steketee (ankle), Gurinder Sandhu (calf), Callum Vidler (groin). Jimmy Peirson will be the wicketkeeper in the second Australia A match next week.Mahli Beardman is a chance to make his first-class debut for Western Australia after being named in a 13-man squad to play Tasmania in Hobart. Beardman was a shock selection on Australia’s recent limited-overs tour of the UK after playing just one List A game last summer. The Under-19 World Cup winner has played just one Second XI match for WA this summer returning figures of 1 for 30 and 1 for 25 from just 13.3 overs across the two innings. He’s also gone wicketless in his three WA premier cricket matches for his club side Melville.Uncontracted international spinner Ashton Agar has also been named in the squad with Corey Rocchiccioli rested ahead of his appearance for Australia A. Agar has not played a first-class match since his last Test appearance in January 2023. Joel Paris has been named for his first game of the Shield season. Cameron Bancroft (Australia A), Cooper Connolly (Australia A), Aaron Hardie (Australia ODI), Josh Inglis (Australia ODI) and Mitch Marsh (paternity leave) are all unavailable.Joel Curtis will keep wicket while Jhye Richardson has been named to play another Second XI game for WA as he continues to build his red-ball fitness. Lance Morris played a club T20 for Scarborough last Sunday but is still working back to full fitness from a quad injury.Tasmania have lost Beau Webster to Australia A duty but welcome back Gabe Bell and Lawrence Neil-Smith after the two seamers were rested from the last Shield clash with WA.South Australia are also missing key players with Nathan McSweeney captaining Australia A while pace bowlers Jordan Buckingham, Brendon Doggett and Nathan McAndrew are in the squad. Alex Carey, who has been in outstanding form, will captain against Victoria.Peter Siddle, who turns 40 later this month, has been recalled for his first Shield game of the season as Victoria are missing Scott Boland, Fergus O’Neill, Todd Murphy and Marcus Harris due to Australia A duty.New South Wales squad Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques (capt), Nic Maddinson, Blake Nikitaras, Kurtis Patterson, Tanveer SanghaQueensland squad 4. Mitchell Swepson (capt), Jack Clayton, Benji Floros, Liam Guthrie, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Jack Sinfield, Tom Straker, Jack WildermuthSouth Australia squad Alex Carey (capt), Harry Conway, Daniel Drew, Henry Hunt, Thomas Kelly, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Conor McInerney, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry ThorntonVictoria squad Will Sutherland (capt), Dylan Brasher, Ash Chandrasinghe, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Cam McClure, Jon Merlo, Mitch Perry, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle, Doug WarrenTasmania squad Gabe Bell, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Mitch Owen, Jordan Silk (capt), Charlie Wakim, Jake WeatheraldWestern Australia squad Sam Whiteman (capt), Ashton Agar, Mahli Beardman, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Joel Curtis, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Matt Kelly, Joel Paris, Ashton Turner, Teague Wyllie
Russell Martin is now leading Glasgow Rangers’ pursuit to bring a “class” £18 million midfielder to Ibrox with Joe Rothwell, according to a recent report.
Rangers chasing multiple Ibrox targets as they close in on Rothwell
The Gers have already added Max Aarons to their squad since the appointment of Martin, but as the Scottish side don’t have long to wait until they return to competitive action, the club are working on multiple transfers to try and get their business done as early as possible.
Sakala 2.0 at Ibrox: Rangers in talks to sign a star with "silky dribbling"
Rangers are reportedly in talks to sign a star who could be their next Fashion Sakala at Ibrox.
ByDan Emery Jul 1, 2025
The next arrival at Ibrox is Joe Rothwell, who has joined Rangers on a permanent basis after both the Scottish side and AFC Bournemouth agreed a transfer fee. The 30-year-old has worked with Martin before at Southampton in the 2023/24 season, and his relationship with the now Rangers boss seems to have swung him to favour a move to Scotland, as he also had offers from teams in La Liga.
As well as moving for Rothwell, the Gers are also looking to sign not one but two more new midfielders. Current Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin is being linked with a move away, as several Premier League teams are interested in a potential deal.
Therefore, Rangers are looking at players who could replace him, and according to The Scottish Sun, the Gers are chasing a permanent deal for Metinho and are ready to ramp up their efforts to get a deal completed.
Martin leading Rangers move to sign £18m midfielder with Rothwell
As well as Metinho, according to TEAMtalk, Rangers are in talks with Southampton over a deal to sign Flynn Downes.
The report states that Martin is keen to reunite with the player once again after signing him in the summer of 2023 from West Ham United in a deal that was worth £18 million for Southampton, and before that, Martin worked with Downes during his time as Swansea City manager. It doesn’t state what type of deal Rangers are looking to do, as the midfielder is still under contract at St Mary’s until the summer of 2028.
The 26-year-old, who has been dubbed “class” by Dan Woffenden, has been a regular in the Southampton team in the two seasons at the club. In their promotion-winning campaign, Downes played 33 times in the regular season, as well as a further three games in the play-offs. Last season, Downes started 25 of the 27 Premier League games he featured in.
Apps
66
Goals
3
Assists
3
During his time at Swansea, Martin labelled Downes “incredible” and a player who does the “dirty work perfectly well”. Martin said: “Flynn was incredible; it’s difficult to single people out, but he does the dirty work perfectly well. He enables other people to do their roles brilliantly; he knows exactly what his role in the team is.”
Allrounder hits 115 to set up win against Leicestershire, whom he represented in the Blast this year
ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2024Lewis Goldsworthy hit a career-best 115 not out as Somerset progressed to the final of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a 23-run victory over holders Leicestershire Foxes at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.The hosts posted 334 for 4 after losing the toss, Goldsworthy blasting five sixes and six fours in a brilliant 86-ball innings against the team he represented on loan in this season’s Vitality Blast. James Rew contributed 71 and Andy Umeed 57.In reply, Leicestershire made 311 for 9, Peter Handscomb leading the way with 111 off 86 balls, including 13 fours and two sixes, while Ben Cox hit 49. Somerset go forward to face Glamorgan in the final at Trent Bridge on September 22.Somerset openers Umeed and George Thomas took time to assess the pace of the pitch with a solid stand of 91 in 19 overs. It ended when Thomas, on 47, departed lbw to Tom Scriven falling across his stumps, having struck seven fours.Umeed’s half-century was the tenth in his last 15 One-Day Cup innings. His 76-ball knock concluded when he tried to lift a ball from Roman Walker over mid-on and was well caught by the back-pedalling Ian Holland above his head.After 30 overs, Somerset were becalmed on 135 for 2. But Goldsworthy and Rew soon began to raise the tempo, Goldsworthy going to fifty off 52 balls and Rew quickly following off 44.The pair had taken the score to 251 in the 44th over when Rew was superbly caught by the diving Louis Kimber on the midwicket boundary off Chris Wright. By then Goldsworthy was in full flight, smashing two of his sixes in the same Holland over as Somerset plundered 119 off the last ten overs of their innings.Goldsworthy, the 23-year-old Cornishman, raised his second List A century off 79 deliveries and he went past his previous career-best score of 111 with a pulled four off Walker. Skipper Sean Dickson made a rapid 18 and Ben Green, another Leicestershire loanee this summer, cleared the ropes off Walker.Peter Handscomb’s century was not enough for Leicestershire•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesIt was Somerset’s highest-ever List A total against Leicestershire. But soon Sol Budinger and Holland were eating into it, putting on 54 in eight overs before Budinger, on 33, pulled a catch to deep square off Josh Davey.Holland and Lewis Hill then accumulated sensibly and had taken the total to 92 in the 17th over when Hill top-edged a pull off Green to be caught for 19. Holland followed in Green’s next over, bowled by a slower ball that kept low, having moved comfortably to 40.Green struck a third and vitally important blow when Ajinkya Rahane pulled a short ball straight to substitute fielder Ned Leonard at deep backward square and Leicestershire were in disarray at 106 for 4 in the 21st over.Kasey Aldridge bowled his first five overs for 11 runs to increase the pressure and at halfway in their innings the Foxes were 126 for 4, needing a further 209 at more than eight an over.While Handscomb was going strong there was hope. The experienced Aussie went to a 42-ball half-century with a six off Goldsworthy, whose second over went for 18 runs. Cox provided impressive support as the fifth-wicket partnership reached the century mark off 13.4 overs.Aldridge switched to the Marcus Trecothick Pavilion End to have Cox caught behind, having faced 55 balls. Kimber quickly followed, skying a catch off Jack Leach to long-on and Aldridge took a steepling caught and bowled to remove Liam Trevaskis.Scriven provided some belligerent blows and Handscomb went to a deserved hundred by lofting Aldridge over mid-off for four, having faced 75 balls. But when he holed out to long-on off Davey with 42 still needed, Leicestershire were a spent force.
Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of rivals Chelsea in the race to sign a “magnificent” player in the summer transfer window.
Kerkez to join Liverpool this week
The Reds have now officially signed Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a British-record £116m move, in a piece of business that has made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice.
There is unlikely to be a bigger signing made this summer, with Wirtz considered one of the world’s top attacking players, but Liverpool are not expected to be done there, still planning on adding fresh faces to the squad.
Florian Wirtz
It looks as though Milos Kerkez will be the next name through the door at Anfield in the coming days, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming over the weekend that a minor issue has been ironed out and that he could be unveiled as soon as Tuesday.
David Ornstein of The Athletic has gone one better, however, saying that a medical is now expected to be done on Monday after flying into the UK, with the deal set to be worth £40m for the Bournemouth left-back.
Liverpool leading race to sign "magnificent" ace
Now, reliable Sky Sports journalist Sacha Tavolieri [via Sport Witness] has said that Liverpool are “clearly ahead” of Chelsea and others in the battle to sign Lyon winger Malick Fofana this summer.
He states that the Reds’ head of recruitment, Barry Hunter, admires the 20-year-old and has him at the top of his list of summer targets. The Premier League champions will need to sell Federico Chiesa first, though, and Fofana could possibly cost as much as £60m.
Lyon's Malick Fofana
Fofana could be a brilliant long-term signing for Liverpool, with scout Jacek Kulig describing him as a “magnificent” prospect last year.
At just 20 years of age, the young Belgian has already bagged 22 goal contributions (15 goals and seven assists) in 62 appearances for Lyon, also winning one cap for Belgium at senior level, and those numbers should only improve as he matures as a player.
Predominantly a left-sided attacking player, it seems slightly strange that Liverpool would push so hard for Fofana, though, especially as Chiesa is right-sided in general.
Better than Guehi: Liverpool eyeing one of the best young CBs "in Europe"
Liverpool are looking to bolster their backline with Marc Guehi touted.
By
Matt Dawson
Jun 22, 2025
Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo appear to be staying put, so it would arguably only make sense for the Reds to sign the Lyon ace if one of them moves on, or if Arne Slot sees him as a backup option to Mohamed Salah on the right. But his talent is undeniable, so the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt is exciting.
Birmingham City have “reached an agreement” with the club of a player once hailed as “world-class”, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
Attackers top of Birmingham's summer agenda
The Blues now know the full fixtures for next season, following their promotion from League One to the Championship, opening the campaign with a home clash with Ipswich Town, which will be a big early test.
Excitement is building ahead of Birmingham’s return to the second tier of English football, but Chris Davies will know that new signings are badly needed, in order for his side to compete near the top of the table, rather than at the bottom of it.
Attackers appear to be a priority currently, with former Celtic ace Kyogo Furuhashi linked with a move to St Andrew’s, having departed the Scottish Premiership giants to join Ligue 1 side Rennes back in January.
Holstein Kiel attacker Shuto Machino is also seen as a strong option for Birmingham, as they look to provide healthy competition for star striker Jay Stansfield next season. The 25-year-old scored 11 goals in 23 Bundesliga starts in 2024/25, highlighting what an exciting signing he could be.
Birmingham reach agreement with star winger
Now, according to Jacobs on X, Birmingham have “reached an agreement” with Al-Ettifaq over the signing of Demarai Gray from the Saudi Pro League club on a free transfer.
This feels like such a positive signing for Birmingham, assuming the move goes through, not least because they are Gray’s boyhood club, with the 28-year-old making 78 appearances there at the start of his senior career.
Since then, the winger has gone on to enjoy an excellent career, appearing 200 times in the Premier League and even winning the title with Leicester City in 2015/16, in what remains one of the greatest achievements in English football history.
At 28, this isn’t the Blues signing a player who is past his best either, with the Jamaica international still having lots to offer in his career, and he will surely be desperate to prove his worth at his former club.
Gray has so much natural ability out wide, with Ian Wright once even lauding him as “world-class” during his Everton days, following a memorable goal against Nottingham Forest back in 2022.
Stansfield 2.0: Birmingham close in on "unbelievable" signing after Gray
Birmingham City are close to securing another standout transfer.
1 ByKelan Sarson Jun 27, 2025
It will be fascinating to see how he fares back in English football, following a two-year stint in Saudi Arabia, and if he hits top gear, he will be a potent weapon for Birmingham next season.
Barry Ferguson has three more matches left to manage as the interim head coach of Glasgow Rangers before he moves on from Ibrox this summer.
The former Scotland international came in to replace Philippe Clement earlier this year and has only won four of his 12 games in charge of Rangers to date, drawing his most recent clash in the Old Firm derby.
Ferguson, therefore, has not done much to suggest that the new owners, when they complete their takeover, should be looking to hand him the role on a full-time basis moving forward.
In fact, TEAMtalk recently reported that the 49ers want to appoint a fresh face with no prior connection to Rangers, which immediately rules out Ferguson, who has now played for and managed the Light Blues.
The outlet added that Steven Gerrard is also out of the running, because of that stance, and will not be returning to Ibrox for a second stint in the dugout.
Whilst the 49ers will not be pursuing a move for the out-of-contract English tactician, they should be looking for a manager who can be their own version of the Liverpool legend.
Why the 49ers should want their own Steven Gerrard
Back in the summer of 2018, Rangers, who were aiming to put Celtic’s dominant run of league titles to a stop, confirmed the appointment of Gerrard on a four-year contract.
Nathan Patterson, Steven Gerrard
Prior to that summer, the Hoops had won seven Scottish Premiership titles in as many seasons and the Gers needed a manager who could wrestle back control of the league.
Gerrard was a risky appointment, as he had not managed a first-team game by that point, and it was not a move that instantly worked out for the Light Blues, because the English boss needed time to develop a style and to build a squad that was ready to win the title.
Rangers finished in second place, behind Celtic, in the manager’s first two seasons at Ibrox, before they went on to win the division in the 2020/21 campaign, going unbeaten in the process.
Matches
38
12
Wins
32
8
Draws
6
3
Defeats
0
1
Points
102
27
Points per game
2.68
2.25
League position
1st (Champions)
1st
As you can see in the table above, Gerrard’s side won 32 of their 38 matches that season to clinch the Premiership crown and to stop Celtic from winning ten in a row.
The Light Blues then won eight of their first 12 matches in the following season, taking them to the top of the table, before the manager decided to pursue an opportunity with Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Steven Gerrard
Unfortunately, Rangers have finished second in all four of their seasons without Gerrard at the helm, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Michael Beale, Philippe Clement, and Barry Ferguson have all failed to deliver a title to the Ibrox faithful.
The 49ers should, therefore, want to find their own version of the English boss because they now face the same task that the club faced in 2018: stopping Celtic’s title dominance.
Why Rangers should target Frank Lampard
Back in October 2023, when Beale was relieved of his duties, Sky Sports reported that Frank Lampard had shown an interest in the available post at Ibrox.
Almost two years later, the 49ers must target the English manager to see if he would be interested in the job this time around, should Coventry fail to earn promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs.
Frank Lampard in charge of Coventry City.
It seems unlikely that he would want to ditch the Sky Blues if they make their way to the top-flight in England, but Rangers must attempt to convince Lampard to make the move to Scotland if Coventry do not join Leeds United and Burnley in the top division.
The 46-year-old tactician, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, joined the Sky Blues when they were 17th in the Championship and level on points with the bottom three and led them to a fifth-placed finish, to secure a place in the play-offs.
Speaking on talkSPORT recently, pundit Jermaine Jenas hailed Lampard’s ability to work through criticism and claimed that he has done a “pretty special” job at Coventry, which is hard to argue against when you look at the images above.
The former Chelsea midfielder, who played alongside Gerrard at international level for England in their playing days, has had mixed success throughout his managerial career, but is currently thriving at the CBS Arena.
24/25
Championship (Coventry)
29
1.79
5th
22/23
Premier League (Chelsea)
9
0.56
12th
22/23
Premier League (Everton)
20
0.75
19th
21/22
Premier League (Everton)
18
1.11
16th
20/21
Premier League (Chelsea)
19
1.53
9th
19/20
Premier League (Chelsea)
38
1.74
4th
18/19
Championship (Derby County)
46
1.61
6th
As you can see in the table above, Lampard enjoyed early success with sixth and fourth place finishes with Derby County and Chelsea, before being sacked by the Premier League giants and by Everton.
He then endured a dismal interim spell at Chelsea after Graham Potter’s dismissal at Stamford Bridge, earning just 0.56 points per game across nine matches, before taking the Coventry job earlier this season.
Whilst managing at the top of the Premier League may be a step too far for him at this moment in time, Lampard has finished in the play-off positions in both of his seasons in the Championship with Derby and Coventry, which shows that he can motivate and set up a team to win consistently.
Couple that with the respect that his playing career earns him, and there is a compelling argument to suggest that he could be the 49ers’ own version of Gerrard in the new era at Ibrox, as another manager on the up who has something to prove rather than someone who has been there and done it and may not have the same motivation.
Not just Gerrard: "Error prone" Rangers star must not be part of 49ers era
Steven Gerrard is not the only big name who should not be part of the 49ers era at Rangers.
ByDan Emery May 8, 2025
Like Gerrard, Lampard is yet to win a league title and the prospect of doing that at Ibrox could be an attractive and highly-motivating factor for him, which is why the 49ers could tempt him to leave Coventry if his side fails to win the play-offs.
The English tactician has shown promise at Championship level and has proven that he can galvanise a losing team and turn it into a winning one, which is, in essence, what Rangers are in need of.
Manchester United have made “aggressive” £40 million star a top target ahead of this summer but face competition from Chelsea, who are also readying a bid, according to a new report.
Onana calls for Man Utd to stick together as summer window approaches
It was a Manchester derby to forget for both sides on Sunday afternoon, as while the Red Devils will consider themselves unlucky not to score, neither did enough to win the game. United goalkeeper Andre Onana wasn’t called into much action during the 90 minutes, and he believes the club needs to take positives in what is “not an easy situation” at this moment.
Andre Onana
“We have to take positives [from the match] as it is not an easy situation at the moment, and we have to stick together,” Onana told BBC Radio Manchester.
The goalkeeper then went on to say that they know the priority is the Europa League and winning that competition. United know winning that competition would not only bring Ruben Amorim his first trophy at Old Trafford, but it would also place them in next season’s Champions League.
Man Utd now submit £64m bid for "powerhouse" who's told Arsenal to sign him
INEOS are looking to beat Arsenal and Chelsea to the signing of a star player this summer.
2 ByBrett Worthington Apr 7, 2025 Man Utd make £40m Ipswich star Delap their top transfer target
As the current United team have their eyes set on victory in the Europa League, the club’s board are slowly turning their attention to the summer and what business they wish to conclude. According to ESPN, Man United have made Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap their preferred target for the centre-forward position this summer.
The report states that United have placed Delap, who bagged his 12th goal in the Premier League over the weekend, over the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen and Benjamin Sesko when it comes to signing a new striker this summer.
That is because the Red Devils will be able to sign Delap for around £40-50 million this summer if Ipswich were to be relegated to the Championship. That means he would be a cheaper option than what Sporting CP want for Gyokeres or what Napoli want for Osimhen.
However, United are not alone in the race to sign Delap, as Chelsea are also considered to be interested in the striker, and it’s been reported that the Blues already have a £50 million bid ready ahead of the summer transfer window opening.
Apps
30
Starts
29
Goals
12
xG
8.95
Shots per game
2.0
Goals per game
0.4
Goal conversion
20%
Assists
2
Big chances created
3
Signing a new striker is considered a priority for United, and Delap, who has been dubbed “aggressive” by former United captain Roy Keane, would be a risk for the Premier League side, as he’s not played for a big team before despite coming through the ranks at Man City.
However, he has 12 top flight goals to his name this season, two of which have come in the last two games against AFC Bournemouth and Wolves, and that has been achieved in a side that looks destined for relegation, so Amorim will believe his scoring instinct and ability to be a threat in the air can excel further at Old Trafford.
Alan Gardner, Andrew Miller and Vish Ehantharajah get together to discuss James Anderson’s (enforced) Test farewell and preview the series with West Indies
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2024The start of the England Men’s Test summer has been accompanied by an unusual news event, with James Anderson preparing to retire after a 21-year Test career. After Anderson spoke candidly about signing off at Lord’s, where it all began, the pod assembled: Alan Gardner, Andrew Miller and Vish Ehantharajah discussing the reluctant goodbye for England’s greatest wicket-taker, whether the team management have made the right call, impending debuts for Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith, and how West Indies can spoil the party.