Harry Kane provided an update on his condition after suffering an injury scare during Bayern Munich's 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Kane, who scripted yet more Bayern history with a goal, had to be subbed off towards the end of the game after he picked up an ankle injury. The knock certainly left the English fans sweating as he is scheduled to link up with the national team.
Kane suffers injury scare
Kane suffered an ankle injury and had to be substituted in the 85th minute following a challenge from Kaua Santos. He returned to the pitch for a few seconds before Vincent Kompany replaced him with Nicolas Jackson to protect the England captain.
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England captain provides update on his condition
Speaking to reporters after the match, Kane said: "I'm okay. It was a contact to the bone. I had it a few weeks ago, and it was in the same spot today. A few days and it'll be fine."
When asked if he would join the England team on Monday, the Three Lions star added: "Yes I'll be there Monday."
Kane created more Bundesliga history
The prolific star scored the second goal for his side just three minutes before the half-hour mark with a brilliant strike. In the process, he became the first player in history to score 11 goals in his six league appearances in a season. Former Liverpool star Luis Diaz also had a fabulous outing as he contributed with a brace.
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Relief for Tuchel ahead of World Cup qualifier
Thomas Tuchel will breathe a sigh of relief after Kane's statement as he needs his captain to be in his best shape ahead of England facing Wales in a friendly match on October 9, before taking on Latvia in a World Cup qualifier five days later.
Despite already signing Yeremy Pino from Villarreal, Crystal Palace are now reportedly in advanced talks to sign another attacking reinforcement for Oliver Glasner.
Pino realises Premier League "dream"
Following the departure of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, Crystal Palace swiftly swooped in to welcome Pino from Villarreal. Securing the talented winger in a deal worth around £21m, the Eagles will be desperately hoping that he has what it takes to fill Eze’s boots and become an instant hit among the fans at Selhurst Park.
After putting pen to paper, the 22-year-old quickly admitted that it’s a “dream” come true to be joining a Premier League side – telling the club’s official website: “Of course this motivates me. In the end, you have to continue the path the team has taken by coming here, winning titles, and my goal is to be in Europe.
“It’s very important for the club, for me as well. Doing well in Europe is a goal of mine, but also [to contribute] lots of goals, lots of assists, and for the team to be happy with me. A dream for me is to come to the Premier League at this historic club, being able to help the team with my game and my experience.”
Crystal Palace make late approach to sign 19-cap defender alongside Canvot
The Eagles are ready to try and land his signature.
BySean Markus Clifford Aug 30, 2025
Chairman Steve Parish also welcomed the new Crystal Palace star, saying: “It’s fantastic news that Yeremy – an exciting young talent, with already such an impressive record in domestic, European and international football – has chosen us as the next step in his career.”
After securing Pino’s signature, however, Palace are not done there. Reports are now suggesting that they’ve stepped up their pursuit to sign a talented Bundesliga star before Monday’s transfer deadline.
Crystal Palace in advanced talks to sign Baumgartner
According to Sacha Tavolieri, Crystal Palace are now in advanced talks to sign Christoph Baumgartner from RB Leipzig this week. The Austrian reportedly wants to complete the move and the Eagles are negotiating a loan deal with an option to buy the attacking midfielder at the end of the season.
At 26 years old, Baumgartner is a player who has featured at the very top of European football and would instantly offer Glasner some much-needed experience. After starting 18 out of 34 Bundesliga games last season, meanwhile, it’s a move that the midfielder himself arguably needs if he wants a permanent starting place.
That said, inconsistent game time hasn’t stood in the way of praise for the Leipzig man. Former Leipzig sporting director Max Eberl previously told reporters after signing the midfielder: “Christoph is quick, possesses a threat on goal and is a very intelligent player.
RB Leipzig's Christoph Baumgartner in action with Celtic's DaizenMaeda
“He can play with both feet and has an incredible shot. His skills and abilities lend another aspect to our game. Baumi is also a good guy: down-to-earth, eager to learn and ambitious.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may not be happy with Andrea Berta’s transfer talks to offload a “sensational talent”, with the Gunners believed to be locked in exit discussions after a meeting in the last 48 hours.
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Fresh off a solid start to their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 win over Man United at Old Trafford, Arteta could still see a host of deals conducted at the Emirates Stadium ahead of deadline day on September 1.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetaduring a lap of appreciation after the match
Unfortunately for the supporters who wanted to see Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze link up with Arteta, that dream appears to be on the verge of collapsing.
Tottenham have verbally agreed a deal for Eze after Arsenal’s reported hesitation to move for the England international, with the club apparently deciding not to move, partly due to their desire for Ethan Nwaneri to get more minutes this season (talkSPORT).
Meanwhile, it is now believed that winger Leandro Trossard is on the verge of signing a brand-new deal at Arsenal, following previous reports that Berta could move for another left-winger if the Belgian leaves.
Given he is set for a salary increase, but the actual length of his deal hasn’t changed, it is unclear exactly what Arsenal’s plans are for the long-term when it comes to bringing in an eventual replacement for the 30-year-old.
However, in the meantime, Arsenal’s focus could be purely focused on outgoing transfers.
Fabio Vieira, Karl Hein, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior have all been linked with moves away from N5 in the last few weeks.
Stuttgart remain in lengthy talks for Vieira, which now centre around the possibility of a loan deal that includes an obligation to buy for £17 million, dependent on certain conditions.
Zinchenko has attracted interest from Italy and Turkey, with some reports suggesting that the Ukraine international has already discussed a move to Fenerbache with José Mourinho (Sabah).
Arsenal in talks to offload with FC Porto to offload Jakub Kiwior
According to GiveMeSport, following a meeting on Monday with FC Porto, Arsenal are also locked in talks over letting Jakub Kiwior depart for the Primeira Liga on loan.
The Poland international deputised brilliantly for the injured Gabriel at the back end of 2024/2025, impressing with some solid performances, but Kiwior is firmly a squad player under Arteta.
GMS report that Porto are pushing to sign Kiwior on a temporary deal, including an obligation to buy for 2026, with the major obstacle in negotiations believed to be the 25-year-old’s wages.
Francesco Farioli’s side want Arsenal to cover the majority of his salary before agreeing a move. It is interesting to note that, given just how highly Arteta rates the player, the Spaniard may not be keen to lose a reliable member of his squad.
Kiwior has also been called a “sensational talent” during his time in N5, but Portugal could now be beckoning.
Wayne Rooney has lifted the lid on his unlikely bromance with former Manchester United team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger. The two played alongside one another at Old Trafford for two years and to this day they remain good friends but the German's character surprised the ex-England international.
Rooney taken aback by Schweinsteiger's manner
When Germany and Bayern Munich star Schweinsteiger swapped the Bundesliga for Premier League giants United in 2015, Rooney was expecting the midfielder to fit the German stereotype of an "efficient" player. Instead, the forward was pleasantly surprised to learn that his new team-mate was quite the "prankster".
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What Rooney said
In the latest episode of the 'Wayne Rooney Show', he said: "Thierry Henry made a comment. Bastian Schweinsteiger won't leave me alone. He keeps just following me everywhere. So the comment was that, it was like T-Bag (Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell) and his guy [from Prison Break] with him. Basty’s brilliant. He's so much fun and he's come out with his dad. His dad's a good character as well. I've said to him all the time, when he signed for Man United, I thought, we sign this really efficient German, he's gonna come in and, you know, really organised and that, and he comes in and he’s like the biggest joker prankster I've seen. And then with Bastian, even when he was at United, me and him end up on FaceTime to Thomas Muller. He was on FaceTime this morning, Thomas Muller, who is out in Vancouver at the minute. And I'm like, I think I've been kidded all these years that these Germans are very efficient. They’re just big pranksters! Even Bastian's dad, who, I think, he said was 72, but he was all great fun."
Rooney and Schweinsteiger are two of the greats
The two players will go down as some of the best players of their generation. Rooney was one of England's best-ever forwards, and Schweinsteiger had a hugely successful career, both for Bayern but also in winning the 2014 World Cup with Germany. Despite having quite different backgrounds, these two showed that friendships can blossom from just about anywhere.
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Rooney and Schweinsteiger's plans for the future
In another anecdote about spending time in South Korea with former United team-mate Ji-sung Park, Rooney said he and Schweinsteiger planned to go to the famous German festival, Oktoberfest, one day.
He added: "Ji-sung Park again took us out for some Korean food for lunch and to try on some Korean school uniforms, which was quite strange. It was cringy. And do you know what I think, just for Ji-sung Park, we've all done it. Because we love him that much. We all said, okay, we'll just do it. And we all knew how cringy and how bad it looked. I didn't put the trousers on it. I said I'll put the shirt and the jacket, and the tie on. It's been great. And we went to one of the famous towers here. And like you have in Paris, where you have the lock, where you write the message and make a wish? It was like one of them. And so me and Schweinsteiger done a message each on either side of the lock, so mine was, 'Basty, can you please take me to Oktoberfest?' He said, 'Yes, I will but you have to wear the outfit'. We’re gonna try and organise it."
No access to drinking water for spectators at the MCA Stadium on a hot and humid day in Pune led to chaos and complaints of sickness among the fans who came to watch the first day of the second Test between India and New Zealand.During the lunch break, hundreds of spectators queued up near the North Stand for water, which was unavailable at the time. Police intervention was needed to manage that crowd. Around 20 people complained of dehydration and giddiness and needed attention at the first-aid kiosk at the North Stand. With temperatures over 30 degrees celsius, a member of the staff at that kiosk suggested that there were more cases of dehydration in other stands.The MCA stadium, located in the outskirts of Pune near the expressway to Mumbai, has a capacity of 37,000, and almost 18,000 spectators turned up for the third Test match at the venue and first since 2019. More than half of those spectators had to brave the heat and humidity as only six stands at the MCA stadium have a roof.The MCA had promised free water during this game, but amid the chaos, a number of fans ended up buying water from vendors at high prices. One fan said he had spent more on water bottles than his ticket for the entire Test match.Once water was made available to the spectators the MCA secretary Kamlesh Pisal apologised to the fans and said that more water booths would be set up across the stands from Friday.”We can only apologise to the fans for inconvenience caused,” Pisal told reporters. “But we want to assure them, through MCA, that this won’t be repeated, and everything will be taken care of.”Considering the scorching heat, we had decided to provide cold water. In our previous experience, the fans had complained about us providing warm water or boiling water. We, as management, thought we would provide them with cold water, so we had kept cool cages. Once the water in cool cages finished, we tried to refill it with the same cold water, and in that process, it got delayed. We have done a recce of the entire water in stands and will make sure everything is refilled properly tonight to avoid such situations.”
نجح منتخب مصر للكرة الطائرة للشباب تحت 20 عاماً، في تحقيق الفوز على كينيا، وحصد بطاقة التأهل إلى نهائي البطولة الإفريقية المقامة في مجمع صالات الدكتور حسن مصطفى بمدينة السادس من أكتوبر.
وحقق منتخب مصر فوزًا على كينيا، في المباراة التي جرت بينهما في دور نصف النهائي بثلاثة أشواط نظيفة.
وكان منتخب مصر قد تأهل إلى المربع الذهبي بعد سلسلة من الانتصارات المميزة، حيث تغلب على رواندا بثلاثة أشواط مقابل شوط واحد، وسبق ذلك فوز مستحق على الجزائر بثلاثة أشواط نظيفة، إلى جانب التفوق على زيمبابوي في الافتتاح بنفس النتيجة، ثم الفوز المثير على أوغندا بثلاثة أشواط مقابل شوطين.
طالع أيضاً.. تشكيل الأهلي أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا في الدوري.. عودة ياسر إبراهيم وبن شرقي أساسيًا
وتشهد النسخة الحالية من البطولة الإفريقية للكرة الطائرة مشاركة ثمانية منتخبات هي، مصر، كينيا، الكاميرون، المغرب، الجزائر، أوغندا، رواندا، وزيمبابوي، وسط منافسة قوية على اللقب.
وينتظر منتخب مصر الفائز من مواجهة أوغندا والكاميرون والمقرر إقامتها بعد قليل، لمواجهته في نهائي إفريقيا.
The last couple of days have been a whirlwind, to say the least, for Tottenham Hotspur, making multiple key moves in the transfer window ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Mohammed Kudus’ move to North London was confirmed last night, in a deal worth in the region of £55m, handing Thomas Frank the attacking quality he’s craved since taking the reins.
However, their heavy spending looks set to continue, with Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White completing his medical today after his £60m release clause was triggered.
Nottingham Forest's MorganGibbs-Whitereacts after the match
The deal for the latter has progressed rapidly, only taking two hours between the Lilywhites’ original interest being confirmed before a deal for the 25-year-old’s signature was agreed.
Despite the two moves in recent days, work is constantly being conducted elsewhere, with other players potentially joining the duo in North London next season.
The latest on Spurs’ hunt for added signings this summer
Yoane Wissa has been a player firmly on Spurs’ radar over recent weeks, especially considering his former boss left Brentford to take the reins of the Lilywhites this summer.
The 28-year-old netted 19 Premier League goals last campaign, but could cost a pretty penny, with the Bees demanding a fee in the region of £50m for his signature, despite having just one year left on his deal.
However, he’s not the only forward on their radar this window, with Nice star Evann Guessand a player in their sights, according to the latest report from Africa Foot.
They claim that the Lilywhites are preparing a £22m bid for the Ivorian international, who registered 13 goals and nine assists across all competitions last season.
It also states that the French outfit are holding out for a fee in the region of £25m this summer, with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fenerbahçe also interested in the 24-year-old’s signature.
Why Spurs’ £25m target would be perfect with Kudus & Gibbs-White
The prospect of Gibbs-White operating in the number 10 position for Spurs is certainly an exciting one, especially considering his tally of contributions at the City Ground last campaign.
The England international netted seven goals and eight assists, as he helped Nuno Espírito Santo’s side secure a place in Europe for the first time in three decades.
His average of 1.7 chances created per 90 showcases the ability he possesses in being able to find a teammate, something which could benefit Kudus and Guessand in attacking areas.
Kudus himself has also demonstrated the talent he possesses when in possession, completing 90% of the passes he attempted last campaign, having the tools to also provide those around him.
Should Guessand make the bargain move to North London, he could be a huge hit for Frank’s side, having the ability to finish off the chances provided by the aforementioned duo.
Nice winger Evann Guessand
The Nice star, who’s been labelled “complete” by current boss Franck Haise, registered 20 combined goals and assists in the league last season, one of only seven players to achieve the feat – showcasing the clinical talent he possesses.
His subsequent goalscoring tally saw him finish in the top 17% of all players in the division, offering depth and versatility given his ability to feature across the frontline.
Games played
33
Goals & assists
20
Shots on target per 90
1.1
Dribbles completed
1.7
Pass accuracy
78%
Touches in opposition box
5.3
Aerials won
46%
Guessand’s talents are further reflected in his tally of 1.7 dribbles completed per 90, able to take the ball past the opposition and create his own danger, along with linking up with Gibbs-White and Kudus.
£25m in today’s market could appear to be another excellent addition for Frank’s side, having the talent and potential to be an immediate and long-term star in North London.
If he can continue his tremendous rise in England, Guessand would be a superb signing and one that could reinforce the fact that the Lilywhites are a side to be reckoned with ahead of 2025/26.
Better than Kudus & Wissa: £60m star agrees personal terms to move to Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur appear to be edging closer towards another summer addition.
With Andrea Berta now Arsenal’s transfer chief, replacing Edu a few months ago, there is a different feel to the club’s transfer strategy this summer.
In fact, it’s quite a clever one really. Berta isn’t putting all of his eggs in one basket. Instead, he’s advancing a number of deals before concluding which would be the best one to proceed with.
If you believe reports, then the Gunners have held negotiations over deals for both RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko and Sporting’s goal machine, Viktor Gyokeres.
The latest on that is the Swede is now ‘dreaming’ of a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer.
Alas, signing a striker isn’t Arsenal’s only priority over the transfer window. They also need a winger.
Arsenal's pursuit of a new winger this summer
This is a busy old time for Berta and if he can remodel Arsenal’s attack successfully, he will become a quick fan favourite in north London.
On the agenda on the flanks is Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, with Arsenal having reportedly held talks to bring the Brazilian to the Emirates.
If a move cannot be done there, they may well turn their attention to Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams again. The Spaniard, who scored in the Euro 2024 final last summer, caught the eye of the Gunners during that tournament but despite the winger’s release clause, did not look at doing a deal.
A year on, they could revisit their interest. That’s according to reports in Spain who claim that while Williams is hoping to stay in Iberia, where Barcelona are very much interested, Bayern Munich and Arsenal are also looking at the 22-year-old.
Athletic Bilbao'sNicoWilliamscelebrates scoring their third goal
Williams ‘likes’ the idea of moving to Barca but Bayern and the Gunners are now ‘willing to meet’ his bargain £53m release clause. They are also willing to lodge a high salary offer in a bid to tempt him away from the clutches of the Camp Nou.
Why Williams could be Arsenal's answer to Florian Wirtz
In the opening ten days of the summer transfer window before it shut again due to the Club World Cup, it was all very much about Florian Wirtz.
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Liverpool have pulled no punches in their bid to capitalise on a title-winning season and they have done so by breaking a British transfer record.
Wirtz will arrive from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £116.5m. In the words of former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes, he’s “probably the best midfielder in the world,” but that doesn’t mean he can’t shine in other areas.
Florian Wirtz
The German is predominantly a no.10, cut from the same cloth as a Mesut Ozil or Kevin De Bruyne, but he’s also very much capable of featuring from the flanks.
Aged just 22, coincidentally the same age as Williams, the Spaniard could be the Wirtz-like signing that Arsenal really need to kick on themselves.
If there was one area of weakness at Anfield this season, it was the no.10 role. Dominik Szoboszlai is certainly no mug, but his goalscoring ability has been questioned, notably finding the net just six times in the Premier League throughout 2024/25. Well, Arne Slot has already solved that problem; Wirtz bagged ten Bundesliga goals and beat the goalkeeper on 16 occasions in all competitions.
So, Arsenal now need to address their own weakness, and it’s on Williams’ left-hand side.
Bukayo Saka is always going to guarantee you output on the right and whatever you say about Mikel Arteta’s lack of a striker, Kai Havertz was on for a 20-goal season before his injury and Mikel Merino scored six in 12 outings as a centre-forward.
It’s the left flank where the biggest imbalance in quality has arguably been seen. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard scored eight goals apiece in the league this season.
Their biggest issue is consistency and to be fair, you may well argue that with Williams, too. The Spain international bagged 11 in all competitions with only five coming in LaLiga. Judging by that, you may well question where the upgrade is coming from.
Spain star Nico Williams
The numbers below suggest Williams would certainly be a significant upgrade in some areas. He’s a better and more regular dribbler, while the sheer number of shot-creating actions suggests he could be an enormous threat in the Premier League.
Williams vs Trossard & Martinlli: 2024/25
Stat (per 90 mins)
Williams
Trossard
Martinelli
Goals
0.23
0.28
0.31
Assists
0.23
0.25
0.16
Key passes
1.80
1.45
1.57
Progressive passes
3.11
3.57
2.05
Shot-creating actions
5.05
3.29
2.91
Goal-creating actions
0.59
0.28
0.28
Attempted take-ons
8.42
3.04
4.29
Successful take-ons
3.06
1.34
1.30
Progressive carries
5.32
2.83
4.88
Stats via FBRef.
Additionally, as he was described by Bilbao’s official channels, Williams is “one of the best wingers in the world”. He famously showcased that for Spain at Euro 2024, thriving in a much better team. He registered two goals and one assist in his six European Championship matches, while during the recent Nations League campaign, the young winger scored two goals in four games, also registering a solitary assist.
This is a player whose output could soar to new heights in a team like Arsenal. He’s already an “electric” talent in the words of content creator, Statman Dave, and given Arteta’s track record of improving young talent, Williams would surely thrive at Arsenal.
Like Wirtz at Anfield, the young Spaniard could solve one of the Gunners’ biggest problems in attack.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Part and parcel of being a club in the lower leagues in England, as Sunderland had been for far too long, is that you are constantly at risk of clubs higher up the food chain snatching your best talent.
The Black Cats finished 16th in the Championship at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, falling well short of the play-offs, and it was time for Jack Clarke to make his way up the pyramid without the club.
Ipswich Town swooped to sign the winger in a deal that could rise to £20m, following their promotion to the Premier League, and that meant that Sunderland hit the jackpot with the forward.
How Sunderland struck gold with Jack Clarke
The Black Cats signed the English wizard from Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal in 2022, after an initial loan spell on Wearside, and Transfermarkt valued him at £2.9m at the time of the move.
Market Movers
Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?
Clarke went on to rack up 24 goals and 16 assists in two seasons in the Championship with Sunderland as an exciting wing wizard, which convinced Ipswich to splash a fee of up to £20m on his services.
This shows that his value soared by just over £17m during his spell at the club, thanks to his performances in the second tier, which shows that the Black Cats struck gold with the winger by providing him with a platform to showcase his talent on a regular basis.
There is now a player in the current squad who is on his way to becoming Jack Clarke 2.0, as Sunderland have already hit the jackpot with Eliezer Mayenda.
How high Eliezer Mayenda's value has soared
The man who got Sunderland back into the game at Wembley with a terrific strike in the play-off final has been a terrific signing for the club.
Mayenda arrived from Sochaux in the summer of 2023, valued at just £252k by Transfermarkt at the time, and he failed to score in eight Championship appearances during the 2023/24 campaign.
Regis Le Bris came through the door last summer, though, and transformed the young starlet, who went on to provide ten goals and five assists in 40 outings in the second tier.
July 2023
£252k
October 2023
£419k
December 2023
£587k
September 2024
£838k
March 2025
£3.5m
May 2025
£10m
As you can see in the table above, the 20-year-old star’s market value has soared by a staggering 3,868% since his initial move to the Stadium of Light, to the point that he is now valued at a whopping £10m.
Mayenda, who was described as a “threat” by Kevin Phillips, has followed in Clarke’s footsteps as a young player who has soared in value as a result of performing brilliantly in the Championship, thanks to the opportunities given to him by Le Bris.
Sunderland could sign "incredible" star who's as exciting as Enzo Le Fee
Sunderland could now go full steam ahead to try and sign this exciting star after sealing promotion.
ByKelan Sarson May 26, 2025
This shows that Sunderland have hit the jackpot with the Spain U21 international, because they snapped him up when his value was low and have turned him into an incredibly valuable player and asset ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Manchester United are now determined to sign an “incredible” Barcelona star, having identified him as a top target for the summer transfer window, according to a report.
Man Utd in need of summer rebuild
Harry Maguire’s late winner to send Man Utd through to the Europa League semi-final was undoubtedly the best moment since Ruben Amorim’s arrival, but the high was short-lived, with a 1-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers following at the weekend.
With United just two points clear of 17th place, it is clear a rebuild will be needed this summer, and with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee failing to deliver in front of goal, a new striker is of particular interest.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha, Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko are among the potential targets, but striker is not the only position in which Amorim is looking to strengthen this summer.
New Cantona & Berbatov: Man Utd on the verge of signing £90k-p/w "maverick"
Man Utd appear to be closing in on what could prove to be a real marquee move
By
Robbie Walls
Apr 22, 2025
Signing a new central midfielder is also on the agenda, and there have even been suggestions they could make a move for Scott McTominay, who has been thriving since moving to Napoli last summer.
According to a report from Spain, however, Man United’s top target for the summer transfer window is Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong, and they are determined to get a deal done, which means they are willing to make a huge offer for his services.
Benfica's Kerem Akturkoglu in action with FC Barcelona'sFrenkiedeJong
De Jong has been identified as the ideal option to upgrade United’s midfield, and there are plans to force Barca to the negotiating table with a tempting offer, despite the La Liga club’s insistence that he is not for sale.
The Red Devils are set to step up their pursuit in the coming weeks, but for a deal to transpire, the Dutchman’s entourage would have to change their stance, with the move not currently of interest.
"Incredible" De Jong impressing at Barcelona
It is no surprise to see the 27-year-old being linked with a move to Man Utd once again, given that he has been a long-term target, and he has continued to impress for Barcelona in La Liga this season.
After overcoming an ankle injury early in the season, the Netherlands international has received regular game time for the title-chasers, picking up two goals and two assists in La Liga, while he also ranks highly on some other key metrics for midfielders over the past year.
Statistic
Average per 90
Pass completion %
93.7% (99th percentile)
Progressive passes
7.19 (90th percentile)
Progressive carries
2.05 (85th percentile)
Former United boss Erik ten Hag is also a huge admirer of his compatriot, saying: “Frenkie is an incredible player and for every club in the whole world he will strengthen the squad because he has a unique quality.”
That said, a move does not seem likely this summer, given that Barcelona are unwilling to part ways with their £313k-per-week midfielder, so Amorim may be forced to move on to alternative targets.