كشفت تقارير صحفية إيطالية، أن الإنجليزي فرانك لامبارد، يقترب من قيادة أحد فرق الدوري الإيطالي الكبرى، خلال الموسم الجاري.
فرانك لامبارد عاطل عن العمل منذ مايو 2023، حيث ترك منصبه كمدرب مؤقت في نادي تشيلسي، بعد جراهام بوتر، ومنذ ذلك الحين لم يتواجد في أي نادٍ.
طالع أيضًا.. كيكر: عمر مرموش أفضل لاعب في الجولة التاسعة بـ الدوري الألماني
صحيفة “لاجازيتا ديلو سبورت” الإيطالية، أكدت بأن لامبارد الآن مرشح محتمل ليحل محل إيفان يوريتش في روما، بعد النتائج السيئة التي يعاني منها الفريق العاصمي.
يوريتش تولى قيادة روما في سبتمبر الماضي خلفًا لـ دانيلي دي روسي، لكنه لم يتمكن من تقديم الإضافة، وخلال 10 مباريات بمختلف المسابقات، فاز في 4 فقط، وخسر 4 وتعادل 2.
يوريتش خسر أمام 10 لاعبين أمس من فريق هيلاس فيرونا، وهي الهزيمة الخامسة للفريق في الدوري الإيطالي هذا الموسم، مما جعل مجموعة فريدكين المسؤولة عن نادي روما، تبحث عن بدائل محتملة.
ويعتبر باولو سوزا المرشح الأبرز، بالإضافة إلى روبرتو مانشيني بعد رحيله عن منتخب السعودية، ولكن فرانك لامبارد ظهر بقوة على طاولة المفاوضات.
ويحتل روما حاليا المركز الحادي عشر في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإيطالي، بعد أن أنهى الموسم الماضي في المركز السادس تحت قيادة دي روسي، الذي أقيل في سبتمبر.
Australian players, however, will skip the tournament since it clashes with the Women’s BBL
Shashank Kishore11-Oct-2020Overseas players from seven countries will feature in the upcoming Women’s T20 Challenge, scheduled to be held in the UAE from November 4-9. However, Australian players will not be a part of the tournament, understandably, as it clashes with the Women’s Big Bash League that begins in Sydney on October 25.Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj will once again lead the three teams – Supernovas, Trailblazers and Velocity – at the week-long tournament consisting of three round robin matches and a final.Sophie Ecclestone, the No. 1-ranked T20I bowler, and Danni Wyatt who both appeared in the 2019 edition, are the two England representations, while other big names include West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin, Sri Lanka’s current captain Chamari Atapattu and former captain Shashikala Siriwardene.Thailand, who are among the fastest emerging teams in the women’s circuit, also have a representation in the form of batter Natakkan Chantam. The 24-year-old impressed with her quality stroke-making during Thailand’s maiden T20 World Cup appearance in Australia earlier this year.All the three squads will be put up at one hotel, most likely in Dubai, and will be part of a biosecure bubble. No venue has been announced yet, although ESPNcricinfo understands all four games are likely to be played in Sharjah.The Indian players are likely to arrive in Mumbai early on October 13 to complete a nine-day quarantine before flying out to the UAE. This will be the first time the group assembles together since their appearance at the T20 World Cup final in March earlier this year.Just like the eight IPL franchises, the women’s contingent will undergo a mandatory six-day quarantine at the team hotel during which tests will be carried out on days one, three and five. Each of the three sides will take part in at least four training sessions before the start of the tournament, which will run alongside the IPL playoffs. Squads: Supernovas: Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah Rodrigues (vice-captain), Chamari Atapattu, Priya Punia, Anuja Patil, Radha Yadav, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shashikala Siriwardene, Poonam Yadav, Shakera Selman, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Ayushi Soni, Ayabonga Khaka, Muskan Malik Trailblazers: Smriti Mandhana (capt), Deepti Sharma (vice-captain), Punam Raut, Richa Ghosh, D. Hemalatha, Nuzhat Parween (wk), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Harleen Deol, Jhulan Goswami, Simaran Dil Bahadur, Salma Khatun, Sophie Ecclestone, Natthakan Chantham, Deandra Dottin, Kashvee Gautam Velocity: Mithali Raj (capt), Veda Krishnamurthy (vc), Shafali Verma, Sushma Verma (wk), Ekta Bisht, Mansi Joshi, Shikha Pandey, Devika Vaidya, Sushree Dibyadarshini, Manali Dakshini, Leigh Kasperek, Danielle Wyatt, Sune Luus, Jahanara Alam, M Anagha
The playmaker was superb again as Gareth Taylor's side finished their tour of Australia with a loss to the French outfit
For Manchester City, Sunday was a case of remembering that pre-season is not all about results, as their tour of Australia ended in a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The Cityzens were the better side throughout and really took the game to one of Europe's elite teams, but regularly found outstanding goalkeeper Katarzyna Kiedrzynek in their way before Jennifer Echegini scored a late penalty to win the game.
Jess Park, Khadija Shaw and Laura Blindkilde Brown were among those in blue to be left frustrated by the excellence of Kiedrzynek in the first half of the final match of the Perth International Football Cup, the Poland international producing some fantastic saves to show that England star Mary Earps will have to be on top form to earn the No.1 shirt at the French club. Shaw had some frustration to direct the way of the referee, too, after seeing strong penalty appeals waved away following a clumsy challenge from Eva Gaetino.
PSG did start to get into the game towards the end of the first half, with Marie-Antoinette Katoto having a shot blocked, Sakina Karchaoui going close and Paulina Dudek prodding just wide after a corner turned into a goalmouth scramble. However, City remained the dominant side after the break, Kiedrzynek producing some more top saves to thwart Lauren Hemp and Shaw.
Echegini, though, gave the City defence plenty to think about after coming on at half-time. A good run down the right troubled the English side, even if her shot from an angle could only hit the side-netting, and young Naomi Layzell needed to position herself well to block a shot from the Nigeria international just before the hour, too. While her game-winning goal wouldn't come from any of this lively play, instead from a penalty conceded when Kerstin Casparij fouled Tara Elimbi Gilbert in the 86th minute, Echegini's cool conversion from 12 yards only added to her impressive performance.
There was a good chance late on for City to level the scores and take it to penalties, but Chloe Kelly's effort fizzed agonisingly wide just seconds before the whistle went for full-time.
GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from HBF Park…
Getty ImagesWINNER: Jess Park
After a good performance against Leicester on Wednesday, Park once again gave Taylor plenty to ponder with her display on Sunday. The England star brings so much energy to the table, her pressing is a real nuisance for any opponent and a fantastic asset for Man City, as she is able to regularly win the ball back in good areas to get the team on the front foot quickly.
Most would expect summer signing Vivianne Miedema to start in that No.10 role just behind Shaw, to create a dual goal-scoring threat that any opposition will struggle to deal with. However, the Dutchwoman will not bring the tenacious, battling qualities to the role that Park can, and City do lose something when she isn't on the pitch.
Is there a way that Taylor can accommodate both? That would likely be by sitting Park next to Yui Hasegawa in the deeper areas in midfield, or playing the Japan star as a single pivot and pushing the former up a little higher to get the benefits of her energy further forward. The question is whether or not that would be a strong enough midfield, in terms of defensive qualities, against top sides. Either way, Park has certainly given Taylor plenty to think about.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: The attack
There have been a ton of positives for City to take from their time in Australia. As well as all the standard benefits of game time, team cohesion and so on, the club's summer signings have integrated themselves well, some fringe players have really staked a claim for places and a large handful of young academy talents have certainly shown what they can offer. The one big negative, though, has to be that neither game played in Perth has resulted in a City goal.
It doesn't necessarily raise huge concerns over the quality in attack because there have been good performers in those areas and plenty of chances were certainly created, especially against PSG. One also has to take into account the inspired performance of Kiedrzynek on Sunday, who was unbeatable.
However, to have not found the back of the net in either game will surely be frustrating for the players, as they look to build that confidence and rhythm in attack ahead of the new season.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Naomi Layzell
While not many questioned the quality of signing when City announced the arrival of Naomi Layzell last month, plenty pondered just how much the young defender will play in this star-studded team. Alex Greenwood has locked down one of the spots in central defence, with Layzell then joining Australia international Alanna Kennedy, Spain's Laia Aleixandri and emerging academy talent Gracie Prior in the battle to play alongside her.
The 20-year-old has spent the last four years marking herself out as one of the best young players in England, establishing herself as a starter at Bristol City before choosing to take on a new challenge this summer. How will she handle the step up from a team that was relegated from the WSL this year, to one that was battling for the title? Quite well, Sunday suggested.
On at the break for Greenwood, before Prior replaced Kennedy to partner her just 15 minutes later, Layzell didn't look lost without that senior centre-back next to her. She was composed on the ball, even when under pressure in dangerous areas, and showed good awareness to thwart Echegini in a promising position for PSG. There might still be questions around how much game time she gets, but Layzell hardly looks out of her depth.
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Getty ImagesLOSER: Laura Coombs
Though City took a quality squad out to Australia for this pre-season tour, there were a number of senior players who missed out due to injury. Sandy MacIver and Jill Roord are coming back from ACL ruptures, summer signing Risa Shimizu picked up a knee problem during the Olympics and Tara O'Hanlon and Laura Coombs were particularly unlucky, as both were unable to travel due to what Taylor described as "slight niggles".
It's been a real blow for Coombs especially to be absent, because while she hasn't been able to stake her claim for a starting role in midfield, the players she is going to be competing with there have really caught the eye. Hasegawa has long nailed down the spot at the base of that trio, Blindkilde Brown and Park have really impressed in Perth, and Miedema, likely to be in there too, is quickly getting up to speed.
There is plenty of time until the new season starts, with City in action on September 18 or 19 in Champions League qualifying before the Women's Super League begins a few days later, and so there will be chances for Coombs to make her case ahead of that competitive action, if she can recover from that niggle quickly. Still, she has no doubt lost out this week while her fellow midfielders have been able to star on tour.
Newcastle United have moved to the front in the race to sign a soon-to-be free agent, it has been reported, with his current club failing to agree terms over a new deal with him.
PIF trying to upgrade on a shoestring budget
After a less than ideal season for Eddie Howe's side, there are serious concerns about the Premier League's financial fair play rules heading into the summer.
As it stands, they seem likely to need to sell one of their stars before they can invest in the squad, and CEO Darren Eales only fanned those flames by admitting that it was "the nature of the beast" back in January.
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"Any decision we make will always be against the backdrop of the medium to long-term benefit for the club. It's difficult to say specifically on certain players, but I can say that, if we're going to get to where we want to get to, at times it is necessary to trade your players", he explained. "It's just the nature of the beast."
The alternative would be to operate on a low budget this summer, with European football and the prize money that comes with it looking unlikely at present, with Eddie Howe's side stuck in 10th as things stand.
Joelinton appears likely to be sold at the last chance to cash in this summer if the club cannot extend his deal beyond 2025, while there are rumours that his midfield partner and compatriot Bruno Guimaraes, who has a £100m release clause in his contract, could be the one to make way.
Joelinton in action for Premier League side Newcastle United.
But the club may have just found a solution to that particular pair of potential departures.
Newcastle heading race for free agent
As per reports coming out of Italy, Newcastle are at the front of the queue for France midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who is due to be out of contract with Juventus this summer as the Turin outfit struggle to tie him down to a new deal.
The ex-PSG man has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, and almost made the switch to Manchester United two summers ago, only for the deal to fall through.
Now, he could finally make his move to England, with Italian outlet Tutto Juve claiming that there are four clubs in the race for his signature. Of those, however, Newcastle and Premier League rivals Arsenal are 'the clubs most interested in signing him' this summer.
Rabiot vs Newcastle midfielders 23/24
Adrien Rabiot
Bruno Guimaraes
Joelinton
Appearances
23
27
16
Goals and assists
7
8
3
Pass accuracy
82.6%
84.9%
83.3%
Shots on target (per 90)
0.6
0.34
0.4
Tackles and interceptions (per 90)
2.81
3.04
3.73
Eddie Howe's side held talks with Rabiot's agent last month, but it had appeared as though Tottenham had moved ahead of them in the race for the Frenchman. However, the latest reports from Italy have put the Tyneside outfit firmly back in the picture.
One concern for the Magpies may be the lack of European football, with Rabiot used to playing regularly in the Champions League. However, if they could sell the Frenchman on their project it could well sway him. Better still, a return to France seems out of the question, as Rabiot has already admitted a return to Paris Saint Germain is unlikely.
"It’s [the interest] flattering on the one hand, but it remains difficult when you know how it finished", he told reporters. “You should never close any door, but that will not be my priority in any case.”
With suitors potentially few and far between for the midfielder, a hefty wage package could just swing things in Newcastle's favour this summer.
Manchester United limped over the line to an unsatisfactory 1-1 draw with Burnley on Saturday, with ex-Manchester City colossus turned Clarets boss Vincent Kompany managing to spoil the mood at Old Trafford by collecting a share of the points.
The action-packed Premier League contest saw a remarkable 43 shots attempted by both sides, but the manner of the Burnley equaliser will have irritated an already under-pressure Erik ten Hag, with Andre Onana clattering into a Clarets man before Zeki Amdouni fired home the resulting penalty.
Without the former Ajax shot-stopper, however, Kompany's relegation-threatened side could well have even pulled off a shock win at the Theatre of the Dreams with the Red Devils thankful somewhat for Antony scoring to at least pick up a point at the end of another frustrating clash.
Still, Antony's days in a Man United strip could well still be numbered especially if Sir Jim Ratcliffe flexes his millions and goes all out for this fantastic upgrade.
Man United transfer news
There's plenty of transfer rumours being churned out from a Red Devils perspective, even with ten Hag's future up in the air as boss for the next campaign.
Jeremie Frimpong's name is one floating about as a potential incoming to bolster the Man United defence, with the Bayer Leverkusen full-back fresh off lifting the Bundesliga title under Xabi Alonso's masterful guidance.
Michael Olise
Yet, one name who will catch the eye of Red Devils supporters as an improvement on yesterday's goalscorer is Michael Olise with a report from The Mirror suggesting that the former Reading man is admired by United, with Ratcliffe spearheading a potential £60m move.
Despite the current Crystal Palace winger missing large chunks of the season owing to recurring hamstring problems, the 22-year-old has dazzled Premier League defences for fun whenever he's been selected and could only get better in Manchester.
This could signal the end for the Brazilian attacker, however, who has failed to bed himself into ten Hag's first-team consistently this campaign despite firing home against Burnley.
How Michael Olise compares to Antony
Olise has blown Antony's numbers out of the water when starting for the Eagles this season, even from significantly fewer games than the divisive 24-year-old.
Antony's strike hitting the back of the Clarets net was the first goal of his Premier League campaign from 27 games, whilst Olise has a superior seven goals from 11 fewer clashes.
Olise has remarkably only started 11 of those encounters too, with four assists also tallied up to Antony's inferior one.
The Palace number seven also does Antony's tricky, showboat-based game better than the South American has been able to pull off for Ten Hag's men this up-and-down season to date.
The in-demand 22-year-old is head and shoulders above his below-par Man United counterpart when it comes to shot-creating actions and progressive carries over the last year per 90 minutes, according to FBRef.
Olise betters Antony with 5.72 SCAs managed to Antony's lesser 3.81 and also with 5.04 progressive carries compared to the ex-Ajax man's 3.71.
The breakout Palace sensation was even described as "wonderful" last season by his ex-manager Roy Hodgson after the exciting winger tore Leeds United to shreds at Elland Road by creating three goals.
It won't be a walk in the park for Man United to get a deal over the line for Olise's services despite their fervent interest, however, as the Frenchman has been placed with a bumper £60m price-tag above his head by the Eagles who are desperately trying to cling onto their star-man.
But, with prior reports suggesting that the ex-Reading winger is keen on a switch to the red side of Manchester, this could be a move sanctioned by Ratcliffe very soon.
After all, £60m looks like a bargain compared to the excessive £86m splashed out on Antony once upon a time when you consider Olise's advantages over the topsy-turvy South American attacker.
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The Man United target has created more big chances than Bruno Fernandes this season.
da apostaganha： Foi com uma dose a mais de sofrimento mas, na noite deste sábado, o Botafogo levou a melhor sobre o Coritiba neste sábado, pela segunda rodada da Série B. Em jogo com direito a erros de arbitragem em lances capitais, o Alvinegro contou com gols de Marco Antônio e Chay para sair do Nilton Santos com uma vitória por 2 a 0, no seu primeiro triunfo nesta edição da Série B.
O resultado deixa a equipe de Marcelo Chamusca com quatro pontos. Já a equipe paranaense fica com três pontos. O Alvinegro pega o Remo no próximo sábado, às 18h15, também no Nilton Santos. Os comandados deGustavo Morínigo fazem no mesmo dia um duelo estadual com o Londrina, também às 18h15.
> Confira como está a classificação da Série B do Brasileirão!
BOTAFOGO TEM CHAMA INICIAL, MAS…
As investidas de Chay levaram o Alvinegro a um início promissor. Logo aos sete, o camisa 14 se desvencilhou da marcação adversária e lançou Rafael Navarro. O atacante abriu espaço, encheu o pé, mas o grito de gol foi abafado por Wilson. Em seguida, Chay cobrou falta de forma traiçoeira, e o goleiro do Coritiba saltou para, de mão trocada, espalmar. Contudo, a sucessão de erros aos poucos abrandou o fôlego da equipe, que passou a depositar as fichas em contra-ataques.
LAMBANÇA NO APITO!
Pouco a pouco, o Coritiba se lançou à frente, tendo como válvula de escape Igor. O lateral encheu o pé e a Douglas Borges saltou para evitar. Aguerrida diante de um Botafogo que via sua marcação frouxa, a equipe de Gustavo Morínigo esbarrou em um situação controversa no Nilton Santos.
Igor cobrou falta no fundo da rede, enquanto Douglas Borges apenas observou. Porém, a jogada foi anulada porDewson Fernando Freitas da Silva de maneira insólita: o árbitro, após autorizar a cobrança, havia se dirigido para arrumar a barreira alvinegra.
Após uma queda brusca de ritmo no duelo, a reta final renovou as emoções dos dois lados. Val arrancou pela direita e bateu com efeito para defesa de Douglas Borges. Já a equipe botafoguense viu Paulo Victor receber passe da esquerda e fazer Wilson se desdobrar.
O Botafogo voltou do intervalo com Chay outra vez mais participativo. O camisa 14 buscou jogada com Ronald e assustou Wilson em finalização. Só que a equipe se atrapalhava nas finalizações.
GOL SOFRIDO E POLÊMICO
De tanto rondar a área, o Alvinegro teve sua chance de abrir o placar aos 14 minutos, em outra jogada que deu o que falar. Após cobrança de escanteio, o árbitro marcou pênalti por toque de mão de Rafinha. No entanto, a bola tinha sido desviada por um colega do Coritiba.
Marco Antônio partiu para a cobrança e bateu rasteiro. No entanto, após desvio de Wilson, aproveitou que a bola voltou para os seus pés e o meio-campista mandou para o fundo da rede: o esperado 1 a 0.
CHAY DEFINE O PLACAR
Em desvantagem, o Coritiba chegou a esboçar uma reação em finalização de Natanael. Só que o Alvinegro se manteve ávido para ampliar o marcador. Ronald abriu caminho para Warley, que cruzou. A bola rolou por toda a área, passou por Rafael Navarro, mas encontrou Chay. O camisa 14, em seu primeiro jogo como titular, não titubeou para fazer o segundo o gol.
Com as mudanças, o Botafogo passou a cadenciar a partida e viu o Coritiba sair de maneira atabalhoada para o ataque. No apito final do Nilton Santos, veio o otimismo da primeira vitória da equipe nesta Série B.
FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO 2×0 CORITIBA
Data-Hora: 05-06-21 – 21h Estádio: Nilton Santos, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ) Árbitro: Dewson Fernando Freitas da Silva (PA) Assistentes: Helcio Araujo Neves (PA) e Luis Diego Nascimento Lopes (PA)
Cartões amarelos: Chay e Paulo Victor (BOT), Nathan Ribeiro, Natanael (CTB)
Gols: Marco Antônio, 15/2T (1-0) e Chay, 28/2T)
BOTAFOGO: Douglas Borges; Warley, Kanu, Gilvan e PV; Luís Oyama (Rickson, 36/2T), Pedro Castro (Guilherme Santos, 30/1T), Marco Antônio (Enio, 36/2T) e Ronald (Daniel Borges, 28/2T); Chay (Ricardinho, 28/2T) e Rafael Navarro. Técnico: Marcelo Chamusca
CORITIBA: Wilson; Igor, Nathan Ribeiro, Luciano Castan e Natanael; Willian Farias, Val (Valdeci, 36/2T), Matheus Sales (Robinho, 25, 2T) e Rafinha (Taílson, 36, 2T); Waguininho e Léo Gamalho (Dalberto, 25, 2T). Técnico: Gustavo Morínigo
Ex-Celtic striker Frank McAvennie has warned his former club to "be aware" of a potential transfer development happening at Rangers this summer.
Rangers eyeing summer signings
The Gers may be focusing on winning the Scottish Premiership title this season, but work will also be going on behind the scenes to complete some important summer transfer business.
Abdallah Sima has been an excellent loan signing from Brighton in 2023/24 to date, even though injuries have disrupted his campaign, with ten league goals coming his way to date. The Seagulls are happy to offload him at the end of the season, and it could be that Rangers strike a permanent deal for him.
Fabio Silva
Fabio Silva finds himself in a similar position, too, admittedly not impressing as much as Sima this season, but potentially leaving Wolves for good this summer, at which point the Gers could look to retain his services albeit for a larger fee.
Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland is seen as another top option to bolster Philippe Clement's attack, possibly even standing out as a superior player to both Sima and Silva. He leads the Scottish scoring charts so far in 2023/24, finding the net 20 times in the league.
McAvennie shares Shankland warning to Celtic
Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie admitted that Shankland joining Rangers could be a great piece of business, and one that he could see happening.
"I don’t understand why the Shankland rumours are all over the place if there’s nothing in it. I think he would do well at Rangers. He hasn’t got the pace for England. Unfortunately for him, the Premier League is all about pace. But Shankland is a very intelligent player, he’s great with his feet. Has he got the pace to play in England? No.
"He’ll score goals in Scotland. I think it’ll be an interesting one if he goes to Ibrox – it’s a real step in the right direction and something Celtic will have to be aware of."
Regardless of what Rangers are planning with Sima and Silva this summer – Champions League qualification may need to achieved in order for them to afford at least one of them – Shankland should be considered a brilliant choice to come in and make Rangers' attacking even more fearsome.
Lawrence Shankland
20
James Tavernier
15
Bojan Miovski
14
Cyriel Dessers
13
Matt O'Riley
12
Theo Bair
12
Kyogo Furuhashi
10
Simon Murray
10
Abdallah Sima
10
The 28-year-old is now an experienced player who knows the Scottish Premiership inside out, and his performances this season suggest that he is a player who is coming right into his prime.
From a Celtic perspective, seeing the Gers snap up Shankland would be a big concern, at a time when Clement's men have not only narrowed the gap hugely on their rivals, but are also threatening to pip them to title glory.
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The Hoops should also be looking to strike a deal for the Scot, although the fact that the Hearts star is a boyhood Rangers supporter could quickly put paid to that.
Arsenal taking influence from Manchester United? Ha, now there's a pretty awful thought to behold.
Under their latest managers, Mikel Arteta and Erik ten Hag, the clubs have headed in two separate directions.
While Arsenal are fighting on two fronts, sitting at the top of the Premier League and in the Champions League quarter-finals, United have been dumped out of Europe and are sixth in the table, half a dozen points off Tottenham in fifth.
Why, therefore, would Arteta take influence from anything going on at Old Trafford? Well, a certain Kobbie Mainoo stands as a testament to why you should always hand opportunities to your young players.
The Arsenal boss knows that first hand having been the man to nurture the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, two Hale End graduates, but since then opportunities for academy players haven't been too forthcoming in N5.
Heading into the 2023/24 campaign the 18-year-old United star had been seen on just three occasions at senior level.
That's hardly a surprise really. They had spent £70m on Casemiro in 2022 and were hellbent on utilising the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay.
While Fred has departed Old Trafford, the other two names remain. Yet, it's Mainoo who is shining brightest.
Kobbie Mainoo in Premier League action for Manchester United.
He first started a league outing in their 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park late last year and since that moment hasn't looked back. Now a fixture in the England set-up, too good for Gareth Southgate to ignore, Ten Hag is also finding it tricky to drop the teenager. Indeed, Mainoo has missed just two league games since that Everton win.
What does he offer? Well, his coach at U18 level Travis Binnion paints a rather nice picture: “His strengths are close control, good awareness, body contact. He’s really good in both boxes, he’s combative. He’s got a nice blend of many skills," he told The Athletic in 2022.
So, do Arsenal have any players like Mainoo in their academy?
Arsenal's answer to Kobbie Mainoo
Given the meteoric rise of the football club under Arteta's watch in the last few years, the Spaniard hasn't found the opportunity to hand many first-team chances to those in the academy.
One lucky soul has been Ethan Nwaneri. He became the youngest player in Premier League history at 15 years, five months and 28 days in the 2022/23 campaign when he came off the bench against Brentford. Since then Nwaneri has only been seen once more after he was substituted onto the field in the 6-0 victory over West Ham.
#1 Ethan Nwaneri
15 years, 5 months, 28 days
2022: Brentford
#2 Cesc Fabregas
16 years, 5 months, 24 days
2003: Rotherham
#3 Jack Wilshere
16 years, 8 months, 12 days
2008: Blackburn
#4 Jermaine Pennant
16 years, 10 months, 15 days
1999: Middlesbrough
#5 Paul Vaessen
16 years, 11 months, 11 days
1978: Lokomotive Leipzig
#6 Ryan Smith
16 years, 11 months, 18 days
2003: Rotherham
#7 Gedion Zelalem
16 years, 11 months, 29 days
2014: Coventry
#8 Armand Traore
17 years, 16 days
2006: West Brom
He has a partner in crime, however, who we're yet to see earn senior minutes; Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Aged 17, the talented teen has trained with the first team on multiple occasions and has been fielded in various squads without making the pitch.
Lewis-Skelly was on the bench against Lens in the Champions League last year and sat among the subs for the clash with Brighton in the league back in December.
It feels a matter of time before the youngster makes his debut. Rated incredibly highly by those at the Emirates, he offers similar qualities to the aforementioned Mainoo.
Primarily a central midfielder, analyst Ben Mattinson has described the Hale End star as a "crazy athlete, insane ball-carrier with physicality and tackling ability."
A player capable of a lung-busting run forward to break the lines, Lewis-Skelly isn't all just power. Like Mainoo he has the technical elegance to dazzle opponents with Mattinson outlining his "turn radius" as one notable strength.
That's one area where Man United's wonderkid thrives too. We saw that in the dramatic FA Cup quarter-final between Ten Hag's side and Liverpool. It's also something national team boss Southgate has identified. "To get Kobbie on the pitch was a brilliant moment for him and his family," he said. "You saw a couple of turns and composed moments. There's a bit of an indication about what he might become."
We're not suggesting we'll see Lewis-Skelly anywhere near England recognition in a years time but he clearly possesses the same intricate qualities that makes Mainoo such a special talent.
What might set him apart is his versatility. The Standard suggested last week that he's someone the senior coaching staff at Arsenal thinks could become a left-back in the mould of Oleksandr Zinchenko.
For now, however, they suggest the plan is to keep him in a no.8 setting, learning from none other than Declan Rice. That's not a bad player to be tutored by, is it?
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement enjoyed his first transfer window at the club in January, alongside new head of recruitment Nils Koppen.
It was their first chance to shape the squad to their will after the work former Light Blues boss Michael Beale did over the two previous transfer windows.
They allowed the likes of Sam Lammers and Jose Cifuentes to depart on loan, just six months after they had been signed by the English tactician, and swooped to sign Fabio Silva, Oscar Cortes, and Mohammed Diomande initially on loan.
Fabio Silva
Clement and Koppen will be hoping to nail recruitment over the coming windows as they look to build a team that can compete for and win multiple trophies per season.
The Scottish giants have made their fair share of blunders in the transfer market, particularly in recent years, and Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst – working alongside sporting director Ross Wilson – was not exempt from that.
For example, the former Rangers and Arsenal midfielder, who could also play at full-back, had a howler with the signing of Ben Davies, who cost more than Ridvan Yilmaz, in the summer of 2022.
How much Rangers paid for Ben Davies
The Glasgow-based outfit spent £4m to sign the central defender from Premier League giants Liverpool in the summer of 2022, who had signed him from Preston North End for £500k in 2021.
Jurgen Klopp swooped for the English titan to provide cover at the back for the Reds but he did not hand the Barrow-born gem a single appearance for the club before they sold him to Rangers.
He spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan with Sheffield United in the English Championship, which meant that the centre-back was playing regular football before his move to Ibrox, even if it was not with Liverpool.
Appearances
22
Ground duel success rate
71%
Aerial duel success rate
54%
Errors
1
Pass accuracy
85%
As you can see in the table above, Davies showcased his strength in physical duels against opposition players as he won the majority of his battles on the deck and in the air throughout the season for the Blades.
That came after the left-footed enforcer had made 145 appearances for Preston in all competitions combined, including League One and the Championship, before his move to Anfield.
His form south of the border convinced van Bronckhorst, who hailed Davies as a "strong" defender, to spend £4m on the Reds flop to bolster his defensive options ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Unfortunately, the transfer has not been a roaring success as the defender is currently out of favour under Clement, after a decent first year in Glasgow.
Ben Davies' Rangers career so far
The 28-year-old titan played in 27 of the club's 38 Scottish Premiership matches during the 2022/23 season under van Bronckhorst and Beale, and showcased his strong defending with a duel success rate of 67%.
Davies, who made one error that led to a shot or goal in the division that term, went on to rack up 38 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, which appeared to be a solid base from which to build the rest of his Light Blues career over the years to come.
Ben Davies
However, the English defender has become an outcast this season under Beale and Clement. Speaking on the Rangers Review Morning Briefing (20/03/2024), journalist Chris Jack described him as a "forgotten man" and claimed that he is "dispensable".
The reporter went on to say that the move has not worked out for all parties involved, and that Davies has never "really convinced" on the pitch for the Scottish giants.
He has only made 12 competitive appearances in all competitions for Rangers so far this term, and only four of those have come in the Premiership.
The former Preston star has not done enough to convince the manager that he should be playing over Connor Goldson and John Souttar at centre-back, and has been an unused substitute in his last eight matchday squad appearances.
Ridvan Yilmaz was signed during the same transfer window as Davies but, unlike the centre-back, is currently winning the battle in his position.
How much Rangers paid for Ridvan Yilmaz
The Daily Record reported that the Light Blues splashed out a fee of £3.4m to sign the Turkey international from Besiktas in the summer of 2022.
He endured a difficult first season in Glasgow as the left-back struggled for game time ahead of Croatian dynamo Borna Barisic. Yilmaz totted up 15 appearances in all competitions for the club during the 2022/23 campaign, which included nine outings in the Premiership.
This term, however, the Turkish whiz has emerged as the first-choice option in his position under Beale and Clement, and has played 28 times in all competitions so far.
Appearances
22
Big chances created
6
Assists
1
Duel success rate
56%
Dribble success rate
64%
As you can see in the table above, Yilmaz has been an effective operator down the left flank as he has won the majority of his physical duels and completed his dribble attempts more often than not.
The 22-year-old ace also has a reason to be frustrated with his teammates as they have only scored one goal from the six 'big chances' that he has created for them in the Premiership this term.
Rangers defender Ridvan Yilmaz.
Meanwhile, Barisic has only created one 'big chance' in the Scottish top-flight to earn three assists in 15 appearances for the Gers, which suggests that the Croatia international has been more fortunate in the final third.
Overall, though, Yilmaz has emerged as the first-choice left-back for Rangers under Clement and, at the age of 22, he still has plenty more time to develop and improve over the years to come.
Whereas, Davies has become a 'forgotten man' at Ibrox and is an experienced player with little room left to develop at the age of 28, which highlights how much of a howler van Bronckhorst had with the English defender.
Rangers paid more money for the Liverpool flop, who has failed to establish himself as a regular starter, than they did for Yilmaz, who appears to have a bright future ahead of him in Glasgow.
After finishing third in the Premier League and winning the Carabao Cup last season, many predicted that Manchester United would progress even further this term.
However, Erik ten Hag’s second campaign in charge hasn’t exactly gone to plan, with his team now facing an uphill battle to secure Champions League football.
#1 Liverpool
26
38
60
#2 Man City
26
33
59
#3 Arsenal
26
39
58
#4 Aston Villa
26
21
52
#5 Spurs
25
14
47
#6 Man Utd
26
0
44
#7 Brighton
26
8
39
#8 Wolves
26
0
38
An unfortunate injury crisis alongside poor recruitment has cost the Red Devils, with the youth having to step up and arguably becoming the most reliable players in the starting lineup over the last couple of months.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at one signing in particular that United have wasted millions on over just five months.
Sofyan Amrabat’s salary at Man Utd
In the 2022/23 season, Sofyan Amrabat was regarded as one of the most reliable defensive midfielders in football, after starring in the World Cup for Morrocco, being named in Football FanCast's Team of the Tournament, and helping Fiorentina to the UEFA Conference League final.
FFC World Cup Team of the tournament
In an attempt to reinforce the midfield and replace Fred, who left for Fenerbahce, the boss opted to bring the 26-year-old on loan to the club for £8.5m until the end of the season with an option to buy.
According to Capology, Amrabat is earning £65k-per-week at Man United, which doesn’t make him one of the top earners, but it is still more than Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, and Scott McTominay.
Over the season, the defensive midfielder will earn around £3.4m without bonuses, but his loan spell hasn’t exactly been as successful as once anticipated.
What Amrabat earns compared to the United squad
The former Feyenoord gem has struggled to settle in the Premier League, and he only made his debut at the end of September after struggling with an injury.
Since then, he’s played just 12 times in the league, starting five games, with journalist Steven Railston stating that Amrabat “has been awful since signing.”
Sofyan Amrabat
If the ex-Fiorentina star had impressed during his loan, it is reasonable to presume that Man United would have been snapping up his £21.4m buy clause, hence the original loan cost of £8.4m.
Instead, he’s cost the club £10m already since arriving just five months ago, and he hasn’t justified the move one bit on the field. The number four has started more games for his nation than he has in the league for United this season.
Kobbie Mainoo
£10k
Amad Diallo
£28.8k
Altay Bayindir
£35k
Alejandro Garnacho
£50k
Scott McTominay
£60k
Sofyan Amrabat
£65k
As you can see, Amrabat is among the lowest-paid players at the club, but the problem lies in the fact that he's barely featured and that his time at Old Trafford isn't permanent.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like his involvement in the starting XI is going to increase any time soon, as he has only played ten minutes over four games since returning from AFCON.
Overall, if Amrabat had lived up to his potential and hype, then this deal could have been fantastic, but it is looking set to be another United failure in the transfer market unless a miraculous change occurs quickly, with the club reportedly not looking to make his move permanent in the summer.