أعلن الإسباني بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي تشكيل فريقه لمواجهة ليدز يونايتد ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستقبل فريق مانشستر سيتي نظيره ليدز يونايتد في مباراتهما، مساء السبت، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لموسم 2025/2026.

تلك المباراة تأتي ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي، على ملعب “الاتحاد”، في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، السادسة مساءً بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

ويمتلك مانشستر سيتي 22 نقطة حيث يحتل المركز الثالث في ترتيب جدول الدوري الإنجليزي في الوقت الحالي، بينما يحتل ليدز يونايتد المركز الثامن عشر برصيد 11 نقطة فقط.

اقرأ أيضًا | جوارديولا يلوم لاعبي مانشستر سيتي بسبب عمر مرموش.. ويتحدث عن مشاركته في أمم إفريقيا

ويجلس عمر مرموش على دكة البدلاء بعدما لعب أساسيًا ضد باير ليفركوزن في دوري أبطال أوروبا، الثلاثاء الماضي، قبل استبداله بزميله إيرلينج هالاند في الدقيقة 65.

ويجلس على دكة البدلاء كلًا من: ترافورد، ستونز، آكي، عمر مرموش، شرقي، آيت نوري، سافينيو، عبدالقادر خوسانوف، ريكو لويس. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي أمام ليدز يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي

في حراسة المرمى: جيانلويجي دوناروما.

في خط الدفاع: ماتياس نونيز – روبن دياز – جوسكو جفارديول – نيكو أوريللي.

في خط الوسط: تيجاني ريندرز – نيكو – برناردو سيلفا.

في خط الهجوم: فيل فودين – إيرلينج هالاند – جيريمي دوكو.

Your City side to face Leeds! 💪🩵

XI | Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly, Nico, Bernardo (C), Reijnders, Foden, Doku, Haaland

SUBS | Trafford, Stones, Ake, Marmoush, Cherki, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Khusanov, Lewis

🤝 @etihad pic.twitter.com/561jvqiDBa — Manchester City (@ManCity) November 29, 2025

Three of the four semi-finalists have overcome personal and structural hardships to beat the best in the world at this T20 World Cup

Firdose Moonda19-Oct-20242:54

Carson leads the way, West Indies’ injuries costly

The Sharjah outfield received a hard smack from Zaida James’ bat as she walked off, with West Indies 11 runs away from the T20 World Cup final. James, 11 days away from turning 20, contributed 14 runs off eight balls batting at No. 9 and had believed she could “bring it home”. Ashmini Munisar, just a year older than James, came in next and gave James a reassuring pat on the helmet as they swapped places. Munisar would do her job and get off strike but had to watch from the other end as the match was lost.That West Indies’ last hopes lay with two of the youngest players in their squad spoke volumes about what they lacked in this tournament, and also about what they may have to look forward to. There is talent, but it must be nurtured and more of it must be found in a region where resources remain scarce. All of this makes West Indies’ final-four finish that much more remarkable.”Honestly speaking, we probably just don’t have it like a lot of the rest of the teams,” Hayley Matthews, the captain, had said after West Indies knocked England out of the tournament on Tuesday. “Back home in the Caribbean, sometimes we don’t have facilities and a lot of our girls come from very humble beginnings. To be given this opportunity to come out, represent your nation, and make a living out of it, for every single person it changes their lives.”Related

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• Hurt can turn to hope for West Indies after defying the odds

While West Indies have central contracts for the women’s team, the regional system is only on the cusp of professionalising. Creating a year-round high-performance system remains a challenge. Ahead of international assignments, players get taken to centralised camps, which Matthews says are “really difficult on the girls because they are not able to stay in their homes with their friends and their families”. She would like to see them “be able to just get proper cricket training whilst they’re home”, because “we’ve got enough good coaches around the Caribbean that something can be done or put in place for everyone to be able to stay in their own territories and be put in a proper system where they can continue to improve there”.Legspinner Afy Fletcher, who is currently the joint-second-highest wicket-taker at the T20 World Cup, is one example. She is the only player in the West Indies team from Grenada, an island whose players compete alongside four others as Windward Islands. When she is not on regional or national duty, she practices with her partner, a former club cricketer, because it is her only option.”Fletch just goes to the nets with someone she knows, maybe her partner, and he throws balls at her a lot of the time. So it’s amazing for her to be able to come out here and perform the way she does,” Matthews said. “For all of our players to come out and perform the way they do – that’s why I feel as though you can never really be too hard on them because I think a lot of the time with what we’re given and what they’re given we’re still exceeding expectations every single time.”While Matthews has experience in the WBBL, the Hundred and the WPL, where she plays alongside other internationals, most players in her West Indies team have to “learn on the international scene and that can be so difficult”. She would love a system as advanced and professional as Australia’s, for example, which is designed “to create players who are ready to step onto the big stage”.Hayley Matthews tries to hide her emotions after the loss•ICC/Getty Images”I’m watching the T20 Spring Challenge right now in Australia and I’m seeing 13- and 15-year-old girls doing some insane things,” Matthews said. “I would absolutely love it if we had a system like that in place where our girls could come out from the regional system and be at a certain level.”The challenges for West Indies lies in creating this from the geographic spread of the islands to their economies but they will receive a big boost from this T20 World Cup. As losing semi-finalists, West Indies will take home US$ 675,000, some of which may be invested back into the women’s game. That thought won’t dry Matthews’ tears on a night when she thought her team had a World Cup final in the bag, but as someone who, in the words of the team coach Shane Deitz, is “really driving” the legacy-building aspect of the women’s game, it may provide some comfort in the days and weeks to come.Then, perhaps, Matthews and West Indies will be able to look back and appreciate the significance of what they achieved by getting to the semi-finals at a World Cup where better-resourced teams like England and India did not. New Zealand, who advanced to their first final in 14 years, already know that especially after they identified a lack of depth as their primary concern despite a developed domestic system.

“For all of our players to come out and perform the way they do, that’s why I feel as though you can never really be too hard on them because I think a lot of the time with what we’re given and what they’re given we’re still exceeding expectations every single time.”Hayley Matthews

In March, their captain Sophie Devine told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast that “there’s not much depth coming through” in a country with a small population. After getting to the semi-final by beating Pakistan in the UAE, she repeated and expanded on that: “We’re not India, we don’t have a billion people to sort of pick from.”But they do have some, and Devine recognised that as a start. “Look at who’s on the bench. Molly Penfold’s been outstanding the last 12 months, she’s come on in leaps and bounds and you’ve still got players like Jess Kerr, Hannah Rowe and Leigh Kasperek – it’s those small, wee things where it’s going to take time to build depth, especially in a country as small as New Zealand. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to be a continual work on for us.”New Zealand do not suffer from poor finances like West Indies and were the first country to introduce equal match fees, but have to deal with several other competing sports that attract some of their best athletes. Netball is their most popular women’s sport, followed by rugby union. But cricket is gaining ground.That is reasonably similar to the situation that their opponents in the final, South Africa face. Netball is also the most popular female sport in participation numbers in South Africa but cricket is growing. South Africa are the third country out of the four that advanced out of the group stage, whose players have battled personal and structural hardships to beat the best in the world.Ayabonga Khaka is an integral part of the SA women’s team•Getty ImagesAlmost every one of them has a story but Ayabonga Khaka, who was born in the small town of Middledrift in the Eastern Cape two years before democracy came to the country in 1994, is a standout example. Khaka was born into “impoverished circumstances”, as Eddie Khoza, CSA’s pathways manager, told ESPNcricinfo. She went on to become one of the first women at a boys’ academy when she joined the University of Fort Hare’s facility under the tutorship of former international Mfuneko Ngam. She has a degree in human movement science, she invests in farming in her community, and Khoza calls her “a living example and an icon who has achieved things on and off the field and could inspire the next generation of cricketers”.In Khaka, South Africa have a player whose quiet consistency and confidence has proved how much is possible. She has played in two ODI World Cups – both times reaching the semi-final – and four T20 World Cups and has lived and breathed the gains and misses of each of them. Her message to “people from the parts that I come from” is: “anything you want, you can do it”.That sums up what this World Cup has said for the progression of women’s cricket. Two of the Big Three – England and India – did not reach the semi-final, and Australia’s grip on the trophy was released. Three of the four semi-finalists come from places where their players put their passion ahead of the struggle, even when it seems that the odds are stacked against them. They know that desire alone doesn’t win a World Cup. It’s a combination of planning, luck and the muscle memory of dealing with pressure and if nothing else, they now know a bit about that. As James said, “I take this as a learning experience”, which may mean next time will be better.

Leg spinner runs through host’s middle and lower order to boost Glamorgan’s title hopes

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025

Glamorgan 261 and 95 for 2 (Carlson 43*, Anderson 2-20) vs Lancashire A career-best 6 for 19 by Mason Crane led a superb bowling effort from Glamorgan that has put the visitors firmly in the ascendancy after two days at Emirates Old Trafford.Having been bowled out for 261 in their first innings of this Rothesay County Championship division two promotion battle, second-placed Glamorgan hit back strongly to dismiss fourth-placed Lancashire for 137 before reaching the close on 95 for 2 in their second innings to lead by 219 runs.The day turned Glamorgan’s way during a dramatic afternoon session following the introduction of Crane into the attack. The leg spinner ran through the Lancashire middle and lower order after producing an outstanding 10.3 over spell from the James Anderson End that was chiefly responsible for the hosts losing their last seven wickets for 30 runs.Anderson, on his 43rd birthday, took two early wickets in one over when Glamorgan began their second innings but a steadying partnership of 71 between Sam Northeast and Kiran Carlson has the visitors well-placed to push home their strong advantage tomorrow.Following a delay of one hour due to rain, Lancashire took just eight deliveries to wrap up the Glamorgan first innings for the addition of one run to their overnight score of 260 for 8, Tom Bailey trapping Crane lbw for 9 and Anderson having Ned Leonard caught behind for 4.In testing, seaming conditions Asitha Fernando had early reward trapping Luke Wells lbw for 2 and it took some determined and, at times, dogged batting from Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon in a partnership of 45 to prevent further damage to the Lancashire reply.It took a superb one-handed catch by Asa Tribe at bat-pad to dismiss Jennings for 28 off spinner Ben Kellaway shortly before lunch and Glamorgan made further inroads soon after the break, Fernando rewarded for a fine spell when having Bohannon lbw for 32.The introduction of Crane into the attack transformed the afternoon as the leg spinner produced a devastating burst of 5 for 12 in 41 balls on a wicket that has taken spin from the start to put the visitors firmly in charge.If the first of the five was a touch fortunate, Marcus Harris hitting a full toss to Kellaway at mid-on for 30, the rest were a result of some excellent leg spin that the Lancashire batters failed to master.Phil Salt edged behind for 8, Matty Hurst (21) top-edged a sweep that deflected off wicketkeeper Chris Cooke to Colin Ingram at slip, Chris Green drove a catch back to the bowler for 2 while Tom Hartley was lbw three balls later.That left Lancashire reeling on 132 for 8 by the tea interval and Glamorgan wrapped up the innings five overs after the break when Fernando gained a third lbw verdict against Bailey and Crane took his sixth after George Balderson chipped to Kiran Carlson at midwicket.Leading by 119 runs, Glamorgan lost Zain ul Hassan bowled for 12 shouldering arms to Anderson who then took a smart, tumbling catch off his own bowling five balls later to dismiss Tribe for 11.Northeast (26 not out) and Carlson (43 not out) steadied matters with their unbroken partnership during the final hour of the day to leave Glamorgan in a strong position going into day three.

With Mulder and Coetzee out injured, South Africa have a number of options to pick from for the must-win Test

Firdose Moonda03-Dec-2024In a must-win Test match, with two players from your previous game injured, would you pick a bowler with a 15-year first-class career and 165 caps to his name, or an 18-year old breakout star, or a spin-bowling allrounder who can lengthen the batting line-up or one of your two extra specialist batters?That’s the conundrum facing South Africa’s Test coach Shukri Conrad over the next 36 hours as he tries to put together the team that will be best suited to beat Sri Lanka at St George’s Park.The good news is that Conrad can pick at least two of the five mentioned above. With Wiaan Mulder ruled out of the series with a broken right middle finger and Gerald Coetzee out of the entire international summer with a groin injury, that’s the number of vacancies in the XI. If he was going like-for-like, it would be between the first three players: Dane Paterson, Kwena Maphaka, who are specialist bowlers much like Coetzee, and Senuran Muthusamy, who brings an all-round aspect, albeit with a different bowling discipline to Mulder. And all of them have strong cases for selection.Related

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Let’s start with Paterson, who made his Test debut in Gqeberha in January 2020 but has only played four more matches in almost five years since, three of them in 2024. Why? It’s probably as simple as the fact that he is a medium-pace bowler over 30 years old in a country where they seem to come off a production line.Between his debut outing and his recall earlier this year, South Africa capped seven other seamers: Beuran Hendricks, Lutho Sipamla, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, Lizaad Williams, Gerald Coetzee and Nandre Burger. Of those, Jansen is in the current squad, while Coetzee and Burger are injured, and the rest have not been in a Test squad since.Paterson, probably thanks to three-and-a-half outstanding seasons for Nottinghamshire in which he took 180 wickets in 45 matches at 23.25, received the SOS when South Africa had to take a makeshift side to New Zealand in February. He did especially well in New Zealand’s first innings in Hamilton where he took 3 for 39 and has been part of every one of Conrad’s squads since. He didn’t play in either matches in West Indies, missed the Dhaka Test but got a game in Chattogram, and carried drinks in Durban. He is comfortable with being a horses-for-courses inclusion.”I’m 35 so I’m enjoying every moment because you never know – this could be the last,” he told reporters at St George’s Park. “When you’re younger you put a lot of pressure on yourself and that’s what I did when I got those first call ups back in the day. Now, I’m just taking it day by day and enjoying every moment that goes by.”So is this the course of action? It could be. “His style of bowling would suit that surface,” Piet Botha, South Africa’s Test bowling coach said. “You know, bowl that perfect length consistently and with good discipline, you’ll definitely come into play.”Paterson has played seven first-class matches, including his franchise debut for the Cobras in 2013, in Gqeberha, where has taken 31 wickets at 21.22 including two five-fors and has an economy of 2.92. That suggests he can play both an attacking and, perhaps more importantly for a team that will have Rabada and Jansen in it, a containing role.”I’d prefer to do the holding job, like the dirty work,” Paterson said. “If the big two fast bowlers need a break, I’ll do the dirty work. And say if I can pick up two or three wickets, we’re all good. It’s just holding the game and then the fast guys can just come in and just be 100% on the first ball. I’m happy. Whatever job I need to do, I need to do. I’m never going to complain. That’s always me, through my career. If I need to bowl into the wind and it needs to be a long spell, I’m not going to say no.”Senuran Muthusamy was impressive in the Chattogram Test against Bangladesh•AFP/Getty ImagesThe wind will, of course, be a factor in this city. Two days before the match, it was breezing in at 33kmph from the south-west, the drying wind also known as the batting wind in cricket speak. If it stays that way, which it is forecast to do, that will also bring the spinners into play later in the game. That may lead to Muthusamy, a left-arm spinner who made a Test half-century at No.8 against Bangladesh, being the next pick.”Traditionally, at St George’s Park spinners do come into it,” Botha said. “It can even be the first innings, depending on the moisture and the pitch. And if you get that wind factor in, spin comes more into play. So the option of a second spinner is definitely there to be discussed.”But there is a potential x-factor South Africa cannot overlook: Maphaka, the 18-year-old left-arm seamer, who has only just finished his final school exams and was the leading wicket-taker at this year’s Under-19 World Cup. He has all the ingredients of a superstar.”He is an unbelievable talent. He’s got pace for a young guy and he’s got the mental makeup,” Botha said. “That’s one of his strengths. When you speak to him and you work with him, he’s got a big self-belief in his ability. And he bowls in the 140s for a young guy. That’s exceptional.”Botha worked with Maphaka when he made his first-class debut against Sri Lanka A in June last year. He has only played two more red-ball games, a year apart, but one at this venue. In November last year, he took two wickets in each innings against the Warriors, including Matthew Breetzke, one of the reserve batters in the Test squad.Kwena Maphaka could be South Africa’s potential x-factor•ICC/Getty ImagesOn the face of it, Maphaka needs time to learn his long-format game and Conrad hinted at providing that when the squad was first announced and Maphaka was not in it. Then, when injuries struck and with the number of quicks unavailable, he had no choice but to call Maphaka up to the squad. Will Conrad also take a gamble on him playing? It may depend on whether South Africa believe raw pace and an unknown quantity could be what they need to beat Sri Lanka.And if Maphaka is included, Conrad would still have to decide if the experience of Paterson or the all-round ability of Muthusamy would be the best complementary skill. Whichever of those two is left out could face the reality that they might not play another Test this season, with the Pakistan Test at Centurion, where a seam attack is likely, and Newlands, by which time Mulder could be fit. Does Paterson feel envious that he may be leapfrogged by the future aka Maphaka? “No, you’ve got to be happy for him,” he said. “He’s an 18-year old youngster. I also wish I’d got a call-up when I was 18,” he said. “I’m excited for him. As a country, we can be excited because bowling stocks are absolutely full and in a good space.”The names of those who are not in the squad also include Lungi Ngidi (groin injury), Anrich Nortje (T20 only for now) and Ottneil Baartman (benched since October but yet to play a Test). In essence, that means South Africa, if all their players are available, will have at least 10 (the three above plus Rabada, Jansen, Coetzee, Mulder, Burger, Maphaka and Paterson) quicks to pick from going forward so Paterson has a point. The challenge is to make sure they’re all fit at the same time.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to play his first professional game since his elbow injury during IPL 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2025Prithvi Shaw has been picked in Maharashtra’s 17-member squad for the All India Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Chennai from August 18 to September 9. This will be Shaw’s first tournament for Maharashtra, after his move from Mumbai in July.Shaw joined Maharashtra after requesting a no-objection certificate from Mumbai, who had dropped him dropped from their Ranji Trophy squad in 2024-25 due to poor fitness and lack of discipline.The Maharashtra squad, captained by Ankit Bawne, also includes Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is set to play his first professional game since his elbow injury during IPL 2025. Gaikwad had played for India A during an intra-squad warm-up match ahead of India’s Test series in England.Related

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However, Gaikwad and wicketkeeper Saurabh Nawale will likely leave after Maharashtra’s first game to link up with the West Zone squad in Bengaluru for the Duleep Trophy. A direct entry into the semi-finals means West Zone’s first game will begin on September 4.

Ayush Mhatre named Mumbai captain

Ayush Mhatre, who captained India Under-19 during their recent tour of England, will lead Mumbai in the Buchi Babu Tournament. Mhatre, 18, had a memorable IPL 2025 with Chennai Super Kings after being called up as Gaikwad’s injury replacement. He was also the leading run-scorer (340 in four innings) in the U-19 Tests in England.Mumbai’s squad includes Sarfaraz Khan and his brother Musheer, who had suffered “a fracture in the neck region” in a road accident in September last year and missed the domestic season. His lone appearance since his recovery was for Punjab Kings, in the IPL 2025 Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Maharashtra Squad: Ankit Bawane (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prithvi Shaw, Siddhesh Veer, Sachin Dhas, Arshin Kulkarni, Harshal Kate, Siddharth Mhatre, Saurabh Nawale (wk), Mandar Bhandari (wk), Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Pradeep Dadhe, Vicky Ostwal, Hitesh Walunj, Prashant Solanki, Rajvardhan Hangargekar.Mumbai squad: Ayush Mhatre (capt), Musheer Khan, Divyansh Saxena, Sarfaraz Khan, Suved Parkar (vc), Pragnesh Kanpillewar, Harsh Aghav, Sairaj Patil, Aakash Parkar, Aakash Anand (wk), Hardik Tamore (wk), Shreyas Gurav, Yash Dicholkar, Himanshu Singh, Royston Dias, Sylvester DâEUR(tm)Souza, Irfan Umair

Abbas, Pennington claim three wickets each as Somerset are bowled out for 438

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-Jul-2025 Nottinghamshire 189 for 2 trail Somerset 438 (Rew 166, Abell 156, Abbas 3-60) by 249 runs Captain Haseeb Hameed’s third century of the season helped title-chasing Nottinghamshire build a solid foundation in reply to Somerset’s 438 on day two of their Rothesay County Championship clash at Trent Bridge.Hameed, who struck 15 fours and two sixes, also passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season with the same shot that completed his hundred. He had earlier shared a stand of 101 for the second wicket with Freddie McCann (48).At 189 for two, though, Nottinghamshire, who began this round one point behind Division One leaders and defending champions Surrey, still have much work to do, trailing by 249 runs even after third-placed Somerset lost their last seven wickets for 100, Mohammad Abbas (three for 60) and Dillon Pennington (three for 71) sharing the bowling honours for the home side.Somerset’s 438 all out – while a total not to be sniffed at after being asked to bat first – perversely still felt like fewer than Somerset probably should have accumulated on a pitch with little in it for the bowling side, given that they had been 338 for three before Tom Abell’s demise shortly before Tuesday’s close,Abbas excepted, Nottinghamshire had not been at their best with the ball on the opening day. They looked better for a night’s reflection, yet most of the damage suffered by Somerset was to some degree self-inflicted.Of the four wickets to fall in adding 58 before lunch, nightwatchman Jack Leach cut the first ball of the day straight to backward point, after which James Rew fell into a trap set on the leg side as his impressive 166 ended with him athletically caught behind pulling.Tom Banton, chasing a wide one, and Archie Vaughan, nibbling outside off stump, gave Joe Clarke two much easier catches in his latest tour of duty keeping wicket, this time because Kyle Verreynne is back home in South Africa for an awards ceremony. Migael Pretorius popped back a tame return catch for Calvin Harrison soon after lunch.Craig Overton’s 31 not out was the third highest score in an innings dominated by Rew’s 313-run fourth-wicket stand with Abell (156). Jake Ball, the former Nottinghamshire quick, made 24 against his old mates before chipping back a catch to Liam Patterson-White after 41 were added for the last wicketOpening a Nottinghamshire innings for the 100th time together – matching the feats of Chris Broad and Tim Robinson, and Darren Bicknell and Jason Gallian as the only opening pairs to reach that milestone for the county since 1960 – Haseeb and Ben Slater were quickly parted, Slater falling to the eighth ball of the innings, shouldering arms to a ball from Craig Overton that clipped his off stump.Yet it took another 28 overs for the Somerset attack to make a second incision. McCann was looking to match Hameed, who had just completed an 87-ball half-century, when Ball offered him a delivery wide of off stump. It was a boundary for the taking to the short side of the square but he flashed at the ball and it took the edge, Rew having no problem taking the catch.If this represented a potential opening for Somerset, though, it was not one that offered any more than a glimpse of light, as Hameed and Clarke negotiated a safe passage through the 25 overs that remained.Hameed survived a chance on 91, albeit a difficult one, when he drove a ball back hard at Pretorius, who instinctively flung out a hand but could only prevent runs. The Nottinghamshire skipper celebrated his reprieve by lofting Vaughan’s off spin down the ground, not cleanly but with enough power to beat the fielder and the boundary for his second six, then patiently waiting on 99 to drive the same bowler to the long-on boundary for his 15th four and his 18th first-class century.

Manchester United have made a "concrete" approach for Elliot Anderson, who is being valued at an eye-watering amount by current club Nottingham Forest. Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim remains keen on signing a new central midfielder in 2026 as he continues to try and build a squad capable of challenging for the biggest honours again, and Anderson is reportedly near the top of his wishlist.

• New midfielder remains Amorim's priority

  United spent over £200m in the last transfer window to rebuild their squad after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, which saw the Red Devils fail to win a trophy and finish 15th in the Premier League. They brought in big names like Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, with the overhaul primarily aimed at bolstering the team's attack. 

  Amorim also wanted to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba towards the end of the window, but a move did not materialise. The Portuguese coach remains determined to bolster his options in the middle of the park in the January transfer window and has prepared a six-man midfield shortlist for the position.

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  United make 'concrete' Anderson approach

  According to , United have "registered concrete interest" in Forest talisman Anderson. Forest have been informed about the Red Devils' interest, and will demand between £100–120 million ($131.5 – $158m) for the England international. 

  reported last month that Amorim is in search of a player who fits into his template for a dynamic midfielder, and Anderson perfectly ticks that box. However, it remains to be seen if United will match Forest's massive valuation or try to significantly bring down the asking price.

• How is it going for Anderson at Forest?

  Anderson has retained his place in the Forest starting lineup despite the club changing three managers this season. He has started in every Premier League game for his club and has contributed with a goal and an assist. Anderson's immediate target is to nail down a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad as he is desperate to play at the World Cup next year.

  After making his England debut in the September international break in a 2-0 win against Andorra, the 23-year-old had said: "I think it’s only one game really. I’m focusing on the next game and then the game after that, to try and make an impact. But obviously, all eyes on the World Cup. It couldn’t have gone much better apart from if I’d have scored. I should have scored, it is what it is… next time."

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  United keeping an eye on Baleba and Wharton

  While Anderson remains a key target for the Red Devils, the club are also keeping an eye on Baleba and Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton.

  Wharton recently reacted to the United transfer link, dismissively rebuffing the rumour. The Englishman told : "I don't really look into it or think too much about it. There are always rumours floating about on social media. Is it true? Is it not? You tell me. My friends, my family, my brothers, everyone will message me and be like, 'Is it true this club's interested?' I'm like, 'Thanks for telling me because I didn't know.' I don't know who's spreading it or who at United is looking at it. I see it and I'm like, 'OK', and then I carry on with my day. United, the big teams, they're all linked to 10, 20 different players. If I'm one of 20, then it's nothing special, so it doesn't really mean too much. I speak with my agent about planning ahead and possibilities. But at the end of the day, it is who's interested and who's willing to try and get you and if that becomes the case? You can speak about it, but you've got to represent that on the pitch and prove that you deserve it."

The New York Mets have landed another bat for the homestretch of the season, as the franchise has traded for Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, according to a report from Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

In return, the Mets sent three prospects back to the Orioles, including reliever Chandler Marsh, corner infielder Anthony Nunez and reliever Raimon Gomez.

Mullins has spent his entire eight-year career in Baltimore. He is slashing .229/.305/.433 this season with 15 home runs, 49 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

Mullins will be under contract with the Mets through the rest of the season before hitting free agency this winter.

It has not been the start to the season that many Chelsea fans were hoping for in the summer.

Enzo Maresca’s side are not necessarily playing poorly, but as things stand, they are ninth in the Premier League and have lost three of their last five in the competition.

The good news is that they have progressed to the next round of the League Cup, and Jamie Gittens finally put in a sensational performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

His three goal involvements in that game should take some of the heat off him, although with him starting to perform, another summer signing is looking even more perplexing, a signing who could be the new Jadon Sancho.

Sancho's record at Chelsea

Contrary to what many non-Chelsea fans believe, the Blues did, at one point, intend to sign Sancho upon the completion of his loan last season.

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The deal they agreed with Manchester United the previous summer included an obligation to buy for £25m or a fee of £5m to send him back, and so initially, the club looked to keep him on a permanent basis.

However, according to reports, the reason they eventually paid to send him back to Old Trafford was because the Englishman refused to accept a pay cut to his massive weekly wage of up to £300k-per-week.

Such an astronomical salary would have been a ludicrous waste of money, as while the former Borussia Dortmund star had his moments here and there, he never blew anyone away during his time at Stamford Bridge.

For example, in 41 appearances across all competitions, the 25-year-old was only able to score five goals and provide ten assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.73 games, which is hardly the output of someone who can demand the wages he did.

Moreover, those numbers start to look even worse when you dig a little deeper.

Games

41

Goals

5

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

For example, two of his goals and five of his assists came in the Conference League, and while it was great that the club won the competition, the opposition they faced to do so were subpar at best.

In all, while it seemed like a good idea at the time, signing Sancho on loan last season was probably not worth it for Chelsea, and it looks like they made a similar mistake this summer.

Chelsea's Sancho repeat

While they haven’t all settled in just yet, it would be fair to say that Chelsea made several quite exciting signings this summer.

However, one signing that baffled fans and pundits alike at the time, and remains even more confusing, is that of Facundo Buonanotte.

The Blues signed the Argentine ace from Brighton & Hove Albion on a season-long loan with no option or obligation to buy, and while it’s not a terrible signing, there are a few reasons which make it a poor one.

For example, and this is a crucial one, he didn’t exactly light the world alight last season.

In his 35 appearances for Leicester City, the supposedly “magnificent” youngster, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored six goals and provided three assists, with seven of those goal involvements coming in the league.

Such a middling return just makes the Blues’ decision to bring him to the club on a short-term basis all the more baffling, as it’s not like he was an output machine last year.

This leads to the second problem with the move, which is that, if he’s only meant to play the less important games, why couldn’t the club give their own academy products that chance?

Surely it makes more sense to build up the experience of your own prospects over that of Brighton’s.

Finally, when he has actually played for Maresca, he’s not impressed.

In his five appearances thus far, the Pérez-born gem has scored a single goal, and that came against the mighty Lincoln City in the League Cup.

Ultimately, Buonanotte’s lack of impact last season, his underwhelming displays so far this season, and the fact that he could be blocking the pathway for a Cobham graduate just make his loan move more baffling with every passing gameweek.

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Almost a week and a half on from Brendan Rodgers’ shock resignation from Celtic, the Scottish champions appear no closer to naming a permanent successor, with this manager saga likely to run and run if recent history is anything to go by.

While the abrupt nature of the Northern Irishman’s exit has no doubt put the club hierarchy on the back foot, there is little evidence to suggest that those at the helm will secure a replacement swiftly.

You only have to look back to the chaos surrounding the Eddie Howe and Ange Postecoglou developments back in 2021.

The fear is that despite a positive week or so on the pitch, the Hoops may well take the easy route until the end of the season, with recent reports suggesting that 73-year-old interim boss Martin O’Neill is in line to see out the campaign.

The enigmatic and much-loved coach has already done a creditable job with two wins from two, although the head should surely rule over the heart. A younger, more long-term appointment needs to be made.

Finding such a figure may well prove tricky mid-season, although a range of targets are already being considered…

Latest on Celtic's manager search

As already stated, the somewhat worrying whispers are that O’Neill could be given the reins until the summer, despite the fact that the treble winner had been parachuted in after a six-year absence from the game at managerial level.

Turning to the veteran coach may well be the only option if Dermot Desmond and co are unable to acquire their top targets, however, with it yet to be seen if the likes of Kieran McKenna can be prised from Ipswich Town.

With a potential return for that man Postecoglou also deemed to be ‘very unlikely’, a clear favourite for the vacancy has yet to emerge, with the Scottish Sun suggesting that the Parkhead outfit have now put together an eight-man shortlist of possible candidates.

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As per that report, among the names who is being considered is 37-year-old Efrain Juarez, with the Mexican coach touted as something of a shock appointment having come out of the blue as a new managerial target.

Currently at the helm of Liga MX side Pumas UNAM, the promising coach previously had a brief spell as a player at Celtic between 2010 and 2012, albeit while making just 21 appearances in total during that forgettable stint.

Also previously an assistant coach to ex-Hoops boss Ronny Deila at New York City FC, Standard Liege and Club Brugge, Juarez does have something of a Celtic connection, with his name thrown into the ring as the Premiership side prepare interviews with prospective targets.

A wildcard move it would certainly be, although similar gambles have paid off in the past for the Glasgow giants…

Why Celtic could appoint their next Postecoglou

As already stated, Celtic are no strangers to chaos when it comes to seeking out a new manager, with the summer of 2021 – in the wake of Neil Lennon’s second Parkhead exit – seeing a protracted pursuit of Howe prove fruitless.

With time running out ahead of the new campaign, a surprise pick was selected in the form of Postecoglou, with the Greek-Aussie later quipping that he was seen as a “joke” by many when he arrived in Scottish football.

Following initial struggles – including a run of three away league defeats in a row – the attack-minded coach quickly quashed the doubters after overseeing two seasons of stunning success, romping to five domestic trophies with a brand of football that has hardly been seen before or since.

Fluid, relentless, breathtaking – Celtic under Postecoglou’s watch were a joy to behold, regularly putting the likes of Rangers to the sword with an almost unstoppable level of performance.

That remarkable stint in charge emphatically extinguished any concerns over his lack of Celtic connection or prior experience in European football, with such a left-field appointment no doubt paying dividends for those at Parkhead.

While Juarez does have brief experience of the club, like Postecoglou he is yet to manage a European side in his embryonic coaching career thus far, having taken over at Pumas in March following a successful stint at Colombian club Atlético Nacional before that.

Like Postecoglou, Juarez has had to fend off the doubters and has done so to notable effect. Indeed, question marks over his lack of experience as a manager were quickly put to bed in Colombia, as he claimed the league and cup double last year.

Days in charge

750

Games

113

Wins

83

Draws

12

Losses

18

Players used

53

Points per game

2.31

Trophies won

5

From 27 games in charge of his former side, he won 15 games and enjoyed a points per game ratio of 1.93. For context, while it is a small sample size, that record exceeds what Postecoglou has achieved in any of his career stints, barring his time at Celtic, where he achieved a 2.31 points per game ratio from his 113 games in charge, as per Transfermarkt.

A passionate coach with a style of play noted for its “quick transitions” – as per journalist Esteban Cristancho Medina – the 4-2-3-1 manager certainly has shades of Postecoglou about him, ensuring he could be a risk worth taking.

While, unlike ‘Ange’, Juarez does not boast a wealth of experience as a manager to date, he has already proven his credentials amid his exploits in Colombia, cultivating a winning formula that could be translated into success in Scotland.

No stranger to being something of an underdog when appointed at his former employers, he would no doubt relish the chance to silence any critics at Celtic – just as Postecoglou did so before him.

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