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With just one win picked up across their last five Premier League games, Manchester United now look short on confidence again heading into a bumper December.

Everything looked to be smooth again with three victories secured on the bounce in October, but the boos would ring out at the full-time whistle when the tired Red Devils could only muster up a 1-1 draw versus relegation-threatened West Ham United last time out.

It will be very interesting to see where United sit in the ever-changing league standings when the hustle and bustle of the Christmas period is over, with the up-and-down outfit still only three points off fourth position, despite their recent stumbles.

Whatever does play out, United will surely use the January transfer window to their advantage, as several standout signings are tipped to move to the Theatre of Dreams, despite their hot-and-cold nature.

Man Utd's number one January target

Amorim will just have to hope he is still in the United dug-out by the time January window rolls around, with ESPN reporter Rob Dawson stating that he needs “time and patience” amid shouts he should be given the axe.

Even with this uncertainty in the air, plenty of transfer rumours are circulating, with the likes of Adam Wharton alleged to be on the Premier League outfit’s radar, as they try and win themselves some fresh blood in the middle of the park.

Of course, there is also one incessant piece of gossip that Elliot Anderson could swap Nottingham Forest for the Red Devils, with a statement double deal now even in the works involving Anderson, according to Football Insider.

As per Mick Brown, via Football Insider, United are chasing after the signatures of both the England international and AFC Bournemouth ace Antoine Semenyo, with the duo named as top targets in a combined £170m deal.

£65m of that alone could be spent on securing Semenyo, as is the Cherries attacker’s previously mentioned release clause, with Amorim loving the idea, surely, of the Ghananian forward moving to Old Trafford, especially with Bryan Mbeumo off to the African Cup of Nations shortly.

Brown said: “Semenyo is the one they’ve been looking at. United need to spend in January to improve the squad, and he’s somebody they wanted to bring in during the summer before he signed that contract. If the opportunity comes up when the window opens, it would make a lot of sense because he would also be able to plug that hole left by Mbeumo.

“You’re looking at people like Semenyo and Elliot Anderson to come in, they’re the top targets for Amorim because both of them would be real improvements in key areas of the squad.”

While United are desperately searching for some fresh blood centrally, Semenyo might well go down as an even better signing than Anderson, particularly as Amorim is no doubt cursing his side’s ineffectiveness in front of goal as of late.

Why Semenyo could be a better signing than Anderson

Immediately after the poor 1-1 draw versus the Hammers, Sky Sports’ Roy Keane would heavily criticise the disappointing United attackers, stating that they’re not “nasty enough” or “clinical” enough to kill off a game.

With Mbeumo set to link up with Cameroon soon at the AFCON, Amorim’s options in attack could soon become even weaker, with the former Brentford striker way out ahead as United’s strongest attacker of the season so far, having powered home five Premier League goals.

In stark contrast, both Joshua Zirkzee and Matheus Cunha only have two league strikes between them this season, while Benjamin Sesko has just two goals, himself, when fit, with Semenyo’s arrival on the scene finally gifting United that deadly, rampaging attacker that Keane, and presumably Amorim, is crying out for.

Indeed, just in the Premier League alone this season, the blistering attacker has managed to conjure up a devastating nine-goal contributions, with Pep Guardiola even going out of his way to herald Semenyo as an “extraordinary” talent who can change games, which is what United are in dire need of, to avoid any more underwhelming draws.

25/26

14

6 + 3

24/25

37

11 + 6

23/24

33

8 + 3

22/23

11

1 + 0

Of course, against West Ham, the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro weren’t at their best, but they are still some of the more consistent performers in the United ranks through the middle, with the ex-Real Madrid man managing to win a high 11 duels to keep up his United resurgence.

Moreover, with two goals and five assists next to his name this season, Fernandes will feel he’s done enough to be kept in the United starting XI for the foreseeable future, away from Amorim and Co splurging out £100m on Anderson.

Whereas, if the Red Devils were to splash out a more reasonable £65m on Semenyo, their attack could be taken to that next level, with Chris Waddle even hailing the vibrant number 24 as “the best winger in the country”, as he now sits on a mighty 26 goals and 12 assists from 95 Premier League outings.

Anderson’s arrival could well gift United a fantastic, well-rounded midfield presence for the long run, but in the immediate, with Amorim and Co fluffing their lines consistently up top, Semenyo feels like the more pressing purchase, especially if they’re left short during the AFCON.

INEOS have signed a "destroyer" who could be another Amad at Man Utd

Manchester United have another top-level talent who could replicate Amad at Old Trafford.

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Tournament will run into February and will comprise 33 matches

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2022There are only 100 days to go for the start of a new franchise T20 league, with Cricket South Africa’s SA20 scheduled to begin on January 10 next year.The league has six teams – MI Cape Town, Durban Super Giants, Johannesburg Super Kings, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, which represents the city of Gqeberha – in the fray. All of them are owned by groups that also own teams in the IPL.Related

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Each squad comprises 17 players – with a maximum of seven internationals – and they filled their rosters at the player auction on September 19, where batter Tristan Stubbs was the most expensive player after being bought for approximately US$ 520,000 by the Sunrisers franchise.Johannesburg Super Kings will be led by former Chennai Super Kings stalwart Faf du Plessis, and their assistant coach Albie Morkel – another former CSK player – was bullish about the opening season of the league.”The player auction was a huge success for us as Jo’burg Super Kings and for the league itself,” he said. “There were a lot of quality local and international cricketers picked up and that will certainly produce competitive cricket from the teams …We have already started doing work behind the scenes and can’t wait for the action to start come January 10th.”Robin Peterson, the former South African spinner and MI Cape Town general manager said the league would be extremely valuable for the development of cricket in South Africa.”The SA20 is going to have a massive impact on South African cricket,” he said. “It is going to revolutionise the game in our country and if used correctly and to its full potential, it will be an exciting competition. Being on the ground working at domestic level, there is a certain level of excitement from cricketers that there is a league within our own country. There’s knowing that if they showcase their skills, who knows where it may lead to, be it playing for the Proteas or getting deals around the world.”The SA20 will comprise 33 matches, to be played from January 10 into February. All teams will play each other twice – on a home-and-away basis – during the league followed by two semi-finals and the final.

Chelsea have built a team full of brilliant game-changers over the last few years, but it’s still clear who their most important player is: Cole Palmer.

The Englishman joined the club from Manchester City just two years ago and is already considered by many to be one of the best players in the Premier League, and it’s not hard to see why.

In 98 appearances, the 23-year-old has scored 43 goals and provided 29 assists, resulting in a goal involvement every 1.36 games.

However, as with every club, Chelsea have also let a number of sensational talents leave too early, including one who’s even better than Palmer.

Chelsea's biggest transfer regrets

It would be fair to say that Chelsea have made their fair share of regrettable sales over the years, with Kevin De Bruyne being one of the most notable examples.

The Belgian joined the club in January 2012 for a fee of around £7m, but remained with Genk for the rest of that season and then joined Werder Bremen on loan the following year.

Unfortunately for the Blues, then manager José Mourinho didn’t take to the future icon, and after just nine competitive appearances for the club, he was sold to Wolfsburg for £18m in January 2014, where he would go on to produce 57 goal involvements in 73 games, win the DFB Pokal and secure a big money move to Manchester City in August 2015.

We all know what happened next, as the world-class midfielder went on to make 422 appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring 108 goals, providing 177 assists, and winning everything there was to win, including six league titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, and the Champions League.

While not as successful, another player the Blues surely wish they never sold is the man of the moment, Marc Guehi.

The combative centre-back left the West Londoners for Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021, and did so for only £18m.

Since then, he’s made 161 appearances for the South Londoners, in which he’s scored nine goals, provided four assists and most crucially, led them to a historic FA Cup triumph.

His impressive development at Selhurst Park has also seen him brought into the national team setup and now, with 24 caps to his name, is arguably England’s best centre-back.

Yet, while Chelsea surely regret selling both of these players, there is another international superstar, someone who is better than Palmer, that may be their biggest regret.

The former Chelsea star better than Palmer

With Palmer being one of the best attackers in the Premier League, the player in question has to be truly exceptional to be in with a shout of being better than him, and Mohamed Salah is undoubtedly that.

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The Egyptian legend joined the West Londoners in a £11m move from Basel in January 2014, going on to make his debut for the club in a game against Newcastle United the following month.

However, after just 19 appearances over the following year, he moved to Fiorentina on loan in January 2015, where he produced 13 goal involvements in 26 games and caught the eye of AS Roma.

The Italian giants signed the future legend on a season-long loan with an option to buy that summer, an option that was activated for just £12m the following year.

During his time in Rome, the Nagrig-born game-changer racked up a brilliant tally of 34 goals and 21 assists in 83 appearances, totalling 6588, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.50 games, or every 119.78 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, such an incredible run of form started to turn heads back in the Premier League, and in June 2017, two and a half years after he left England, Liverpool spent around £34m to bring him back to these shores.

To say he’s been worth that outlay would be a monstrous understatement.

In the seven years since, he has racked up an astronomical haul of 246 goals and 114 assists in 405 games and played a pivotal role in two Premier League winning campaigns, a Champions League triumph, and the winning of several domestic cups.

How did he stack up to Palmer last season, though?

Well, the Englishman scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists in 52 appearances, totalling 4247 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.62 games, or every 132.71 minutes.

In contrast, the “world-class” Reds star, as dubbed by Roy Keane, scored 34 goals and provided 23 assists in 52 appearances, totalling 4501 minutes.

In other words, he averaged 1.09 goal involvements per match, or one every 78.96 minutes – a mind-blowing rate of return.

Ultimately, Chelsea have a brilliant squad and in Palmer a genuine world-beater, but it would be fair to say selling Salah was one of the club’s biggest mistakes.

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da esoccer bet： One Newcastle United player has found the experience of playing in England “bad” and now wants to leave the club, in a significant new update.

Howe demands more quality from Newcastle

da pinnacle： The Magpies have suffered some demoralising home defeats already this season, including against Liverpool and Barcelona, and Arsenal inflicted a last-gasp loss on them on Sunday afternoon.

While Eddie Howe could find positives from Newcastle’s performance, he has also made it clear that he needs to see the same level of quality as he does commitment from his players.

“I think harsh words are sometimes needed. Whether that is to the team or to indviduals, I will usually look to do it on an individual basis. What I look for is effort, commitment, desire and organisation.

“There are so many things that go into a performance. I am seeing the effort there, but the quality was lacking. So I have to be very careful. You don’t want to make the morale or the mood worse, I will be very reflective tonight and figure out a way forward tomorrow.”

This is still a strong Newcastle squad that Howe has at his disposal, but it looks increasingly as though one player doesn’t have a long-term future at St James’ Park, following a fresh update.

Newcastle player wants permanent St James' exit

According to a new update from Estadio Deportivo [via Sport Witness], Newcastle goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos wants to leave the club permanently, despite only joining last year.

The 31-year-old is currently out on loan at Sevilla, keeping a clean sheet in their 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano over the weekend, and he wants to stay there permanently, following a “bad experience” living in England. He is valued at £4.3m by Transfermarkt and hopes to be sold for an “affordable price” by Newcastle.

The January transfer window feels like the right time for Newcastle to sell Vlachodimos for good, considering Howe doesn’t appear to have any plans for him at the club moving forward.

This is despite Jurgen Klopp speaking glowingly about him after an impressive performance for Benfica against Liverpool back in 2022.

“We should have scored much more. I think, mainly because of their goalkeeper, credit to him. Their goalkeeper was probably the game’s best player. We played well, but he made a couple of really good saves.”

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Sometimes, a move simply doesn’t work out for various reasons, which appears to be the case for Vlachodimos at Newcastle, and it’s now a case of them trying to get as much money as possible for his signature.

Newcastle United have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the market and could now be set to strike for an England international come January.

Newcastle United prepare to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers

After a chaotic end to the transfer window, Eddie Howe will have welcomed the calm of an international break and a chance to fine-tune his tactical ideas before Wolverhampton Wanderers travel to the North East this weekend.

Without putting too fine a point on it, controversy surrounding Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool has been widespread over the past few months, though Dan Burn has claimed that it will all be left in the past now that he is no longer on the books at Newcastle.

He told BBC Sport: “We are very protective of our club and city, and we want players to be there who want to play for Newcastle. You don’t want them to naively think that there is anyone else to go to apart from Newcastle. I understand why our fans are frustrated.

“I’m glad it is done. We wanted the window closed to have a bit of clarity on it. Alex is a mate, and I have nothing but good wishes. No animosity. I wish Alex all the best, apart from when we play Liverpool, obviously.”

Looking ahead to the January window, Newcastle want to trigger Athletic Club defender Dani Vivian’s release clause of £34.6 million, while anticipation is growing over whether Yoane Wissa or Nick Woltemade will be able to make their debuts this weekend.

PIF won’t be deterred in their mission to complete big-money deals despite competition from their Premier League rivals, and they may be about to live up to that mantra amid recent developments.

Newcastle United enter race for Adam Wharton January deal

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle have entered the race to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as the England international continues to impress with his performances at Selhurst Park.

Manchester United and Liverpool are also keen on the former Blackburn Rovers star, who is said to be valued at around £60 million by Oliver Glasner after the Eagles rejected advances from the Red Devils to try and land their prize asset during the summer window.

It is stated that Howe personally sees Wharton as ‘an ideal fit to complement the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, offering both defensive solidity and creative spark’.

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Labelled “outstanding” by Alan Shearer, Wharton has starred in a deep-lying midfield role for Crystal Palace, registering six assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

Setting the tempo in a 2024/25 campaign where his side claimed the FA Cup, the 21-year-old has continued his excellent showings this term, racking up 79 successful passes in the Premier League, per Fotmob.

While the Eagles are unlikely to let Wharton leave in January, a summer sale in 2026 could be on the cards and Newcastle will hope to be at the front of the queue to avoid missing out on a premium homegrown talent.

England went to lunch on 83 for 2

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2025

Jasprit Bumrah in action•Getty Images

Nitish Kumar Reddy removed both England openers in his first over but the hosts escaped the first session only two wickets down after choosing to bat first at Lord’s. Reddy struck twice in four balls after Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley scraped through the first hour unscathed. Ollie Pope and Joe Root then led England’s recovery with an unbroken stand of 39 before lunch.Duckett was repeatedly struck on his body in a probing first spell from Jasprit Bumrah, who replaced Prasidh Krishna in India’s only change from the side that won at Edgbaston last week. But England reached the drinks break at 39 for 0, despite a frenetic start from Crawley which featured four boundaries – one via the outside edge – and several plays-and-misses.Reddy’s double-strike opened up both ends for India. His first wicket was a freebie, a long-hop down the leg side which Duckett under-edged through to Rishabh Pant on the pull, but his second was a beauty. He angled the ball into Crawley, then found late movement away off the seam to take the outside edge, as India sensed an opportunity.Pope was dropped between those two wickets, edging his first ball – a full outswinger – to gully, where Shubman Gill could not hold onto a tough, low chance, diving to his right. But after his early life, he grew in confidence alongside Root, and they saw off Bumrah’s third spell to reach the lunch interval at 83 for 2.Ben Stokes’ decision to bat first on winning the toss – for the third time in a row – was met with cheers at Lord’s, after bowling first had backfired at Edgbaston. Gill admitted he was “a bit confused” about what he would have done but said that he would have leaned towards bowling in the belief that the only assistance from the pitch would come early on the first day.

da bet7： As a hectic transfer window came to an end, Birmingham City reportedly explored a late deal to sign an ex-England international in a bargain deal.

da realsbet： The Blues were expected to have a busy summer and that very much proved to be the case. Fresh from League One promotion, they ended the transfer window with as many as 14 fresh faces and will now be hoping to shock the rest of the Championship even further as the campaign continues.

The pick of the bunch was no doubt Kyogo Furuhashi. There’s a strong argument to be made that the former Celtic star has the quality to be playing in the top-half of the Premier League, but it is Championship side Birmingham that swooped in.

Meanwhile, the return of Demarai Gray also stands out as an impressive move. Like Kyogo, the winger is a player full of Premier League quality, but one that chose a return to his boyhood club rather than elsewhere.

The latest players to arrive came on deadline day in the form of Jack Robinson and former Celtic star Patrick Roberts. The latter told the club’s official website after putting pen to paper: “I’m a winner. And this is a place, and a club, that wants to strive to get to the top.

“And off the back of last season, where I did that (winning promotion), I can see there’s potential here to have a good season. It didn’t take much convincing. It’s a big club, and getting back to where Birmingham should be is an aim.”

That said, 14 signings very nearly became 15 late on when the Blues reportedly explored an opportunity to sign a former Premier League star.

Birmingham explored late Dele Alli deal

According to Football Insider, Birmingham explored a late deal to sign Dele Alli after he was released by Como 1907. The former England international has endured a tumultuous spell on and off the pitch in recent years and things didn’t change when he finally made his comeback in Italy, as he was sent off just minutes into his only appearance.

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Once a PFA Young Player of the Year, Alli is now without a club again. At 29 years old, he desperately needs someone to take a chance on his talent and hand him a route back to where he belongs in English football.

After his struggles away from the pitch, Alli’s comeback story is one that English football wants to see, but Birmingham ultimately decided against pursuing a deal.

Described as “excellent” by former Tottenham Hotspur coach Ryan Mason in 2021, Alli needs his next move to go right and needs to avoid injuries if he is to get back to the incredible player that he once was.

Chelsea certainly appear to be a team who are aiming for a big season in 2025/26.

Enzo Maresca not only led the Blues to a wonderful triumph at the Club World Cup, but he simultaneously managed to bolster his squad in the process.

In came João Pedro and Liam Delap. Elsewhere, Jamie Gittens was signed to bolster Maresca’s wide options, while Brazilian sensation Estevao will link up with the club ahead of the new season.

It is a summer of change at Stamford Bridge, and the victory stateside will only heighten expectations once the Premier League season gets underway in a few weeks.

The $125m that the club won at the tournament this summer will help fund a few of the summer signings, but Maresca will be looking to sell a raft of players to fund more incomings.

João Felix and Christopher Nkunku could be set to leave the club this summer. As to Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga and Raheem Sterling in the coming weeks.

These players could fetch decent fees, which, in turn, will allow the club to further bolster key positions.

Noni Madueke has also been sold to Arsenal, while Nicolas Jackson is being heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. These two might be the biggest losses.

Chelsea looking to sell more players

Given the imminent arrival of Estevao at Stamford Bridge, plus the presence of Pedro Neto, it was evident that Madueke’s chances of regular game time on the right flank would be limited next term.

When Arsenal began to show serious interest, it was only a matter of when and not if the Gunners would seal the deal.

His sale could earn Chelsea around £50m, which is a remarkable sum for a player who scored seven Premier League goals for the Blues last term.

Jackson has been subject to interest from a host of clubs since the summer transfer window opened a few weeks ago.

Recently, however, it is Manchester United who are keen on securing a move for the Senegal international.

According to reports, United have already held talks with Jackson’s representatives regarding a potential move to Old Trafford.

With Pedro and Delap looking like they will share the centre-forward workload this season, is there any room for Jackson?

Last term, he made just 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring only 13 goals in the process for the club.

His form tailed off towards the end of the season after a decent start, going on to find the back of the net on four occasions after Christmas.

Given his competition for a place in the starting XI combined with his poor form throughout 2025, Jackson could seek a fresh start by moving away from London.

He could easily command a fee of over £50m in the current market, and he wouldn’t exactly be a massive loss to Maresca.

The Blues might have to brace themselves for a potential offer for one of their star players, however, and he would be a far bigger loss than Madueke and Jackson combined…

Chelsea could receive an offer for Cole Palmer

While Maresca is keen on selling several of his first-team players this summer to raise funds, certain players won’t be for sale.

Cole Palmer is one such name. The Englishman is at the forefront of the club’s recent success, and he will have another big part to play next season.

An extraordinary recent report from Spain has claimed that Manchester City are looking to bring him back to the Etihad, just two years after selling him.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola is willing to offer Chelsea £147m to seal a swoop for the former City academy graduate, and he could be the final part of the jigsaw for the Spaniard.

It is highly unlikely that Maresca will even consider such an offer, despite it meaning the club could rake in £100m profit on the midfielder. He is far more important than that ahead of the new season.

What Chelsea would lose if Palmer leaves

For a fee of just £40m, Palmer has arguably been one of the finest signings in the club’s recent history.

Hailed as having a “special quality” in front of goal by Guardiola a few years ago, Palmer soon emerged as one of the finest talents in the Premier League during his maiden season at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer scored 27 goals and grabbed 15 assists for the Blues as they sealed a return to European football under Mauricio Pochettino.

Last season, the former City starlet registered 32 goal contributions across all competitions, particularly shining at the recent Club World Cup.

Indeed, the attacking midfielder was in sublime form stateside. Aside from his five-goal involvements, Palmer averaged 3.5 shots per game, created four big chances while also averaging two key passes each game.

He powered the club to the title, and it sets him up for another wonderful campaign at Stamford Bridge.

This will be the first time the Blues will play in the Champions League since 2022/23, highlighting how important it is for them to keep Palmer.

While everyone has their price, Maresca will surely be ready to turn down any official bid should it arrive in the coming days; that’s for sure.

Jackson and Madueke are certainly dispensable, with the Blues already having players better than them in the current squad.

As for Palmer, there might not be a better attacking midfielder in the whole of England who has offered as much as the Englishman since he moved to London.

There are plenty of weeks left in the transfer window, but every single Chelsea fan will be hoping that their talisman remains at the club. Not just for next season, but for the foreseeable future too.

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Manchester City are now “leading” the chase for a “special striker”, who is keen on a move to the Etihad Stadium, according to transfer expert Graeme Bailey.

Guardiola looking to trim squad ahead of new campaign

The new Premier League campaign is a matter of days away, with Man City set to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home this Saturday, and Pep Guardiola will travel to Molineux with a new-look squad.

City have not been afraid to splash the cash this summer, bringing in new options in attacking midfield and between the sticks, given that Kevin De Bruyne left upon the expiration of his contract, while Ederson is also expected to depart.

New signing

Transfer fee

Position

Tijjani Reijnders

£46.5m

CM

Rayan Ait-Nouri

£36.3m

LB

Rayan Cherki

£34m

AM

James Trafford

£31m

GK

Sverre Nypan

£12.5m

CM

Marcus Bettinelli

Undisclosed

GK

To make way for the new arrivals, there have also been plenty of departures, with Jack Grealish becoming the latest player to leave, joining Everton on a season-long loan deal.

Guardiola has also suggested he is looking to trim the squad even further, saying: “A lot of players should leave. New players, I don’t think so. We need a little bit less. I don’t like (lots) of players. One reason we sent Vitor Reis to Girona is for that.”

However, there may be room for Man City to make one last statement signing, having recently entered talks over a deal for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, which could amount to around £86m.

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Speaking to The Boot Room, Bailey has now revealed that Man City are “leading” the chase for the Madrid star, alongside Arsenal, with the reporter adding: “Both clubs really appeal to him – they are both Champions League contenders and look like a good fit.”

Bailey also suggests the Spanish side are willing to part ways with the Brazilian, adding: “Rodrygo has been told the situation – Real love him but they are ready to move on, and the player is in full agreement with them, he also believes that the situation needs resolving.”

Rodrygo could be "special" signing for City

It would be difficult for any centre-forward to compete for Erling Haaland’s starting spot, but Carlo Ancelotti has waxed lyrical about the Brazil international in the past, saying: “He is a special striker, he can play in all positions. He is fast, smart and effective one on one. The learning is over. He is a Real Madrid player for all purposes.”

However, the former Santos man has predominantly featured on the wing throughout his career to date, indicating that he could be brought in as a direct replacement for Grealish.

Given his exploits in a Madrid shirt, there is every indication the 24-year-old would be an upgrade on Grealish too, chipping in with 68 goals and 51 assists in 270 appearances for the Spanish club.

Guardiola seems hesitant to make more additions to his squad, but he should make room for Rodrygo, as the Brazilian could take his forward line to the next level.