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Raul Jimenez is undoubtedly one of the finest Wolverhampton Wanderers players in the Premier League era. The Mexican centre-forward was deadly for the Old Gold and is their all-time top goalscorer in the top flight since 1992 when the Premier League began with 41 goals.

In total, the one-time Benfica star scored 57 goals for the club in 166 games. His form was especially good before his terrible head injury against Arsenal which took him eight months to recover from. At his current club Fulham, he is beginning to look close to his best again.

The Midlands club have never really managed to replace him since his departure, and whilst Matheus Cunha has supplemented the number of goals he scored, he is more of a second striker.

That said, summer signing Jorgen Strand Larsen is someone who has been impressive this season in front of goal.

Strand Larsen’s season so far

Wolves brought Strand Larsen in from Celta Vigo in the summer, signing him on a loan deal with the obligation to buy if there are certain conditions met. He will cost the Old Gold £23m if he does make a permanent move.

So far, he has impressed in a Wolves shirt. The centre-forward has played 13 times for the club, scoring four goals and grabbing three assists. He has been fairly consistent so far. The longest he has gone this term without a goal involvement is two games. It has been a good start to life in the Midlands.

Equally, the Norweigan centre-forward is currently second on the list of most goal involvements for the Old Gold this season. Cunha is the only player with more, with a standout haul of ten goals and assists to his name already.

Wolves most G/A in 2024/25 (all comps)

Player

Goals

Assists

G/A per game

Matheus Cunha

7

3

0.76

Jorgen Strand Larsen

4

3

0.53

Goncalo Guedes

4

1

0.45

Rayan Ait-Nouri

3

2

0.38

Mario Lemina

1

3

0.28

Stats from Transfermarkt

It will certainly be pleasing for Wolves fans to see their summer signing enjoying a good campaign so far. He is certainly stepping up now Jimenez has left the club, and they will be hoping he can continue his fine form into the festive period.

Strand Larsen’s form is encouraging, and there might well be another deadly striker at the club next season if one star who is out on loan can continue his form next season.

Wolves' in-form loan star

The player in question here is Fabio Silva. The Portuguese striker has not had an easy ride playing for the Old Gold but is enjoying life out on loan this season with La Liga side Las Palmas. He has four goals and one assist in ten games for the club so far.

Incredibly, the former Porto star is just one goal this season behind his entire tally for Wolves. He has scored five times and has six assists in 72 appearances. Given they paid £35.6m for him in 2020 as an 18-year-old, this is a disappointing return.

After several loan spells, it must be a relief for Silva to have found his best form in front of goal, and he has certainly reaped the rewards so far. The 22-year-old recently made his debut for the Portugal senior team, a 19-minute cameo against Croatia in the Nations League.

Manager Roberto Martinez was full of praise for the Wolves striker in the days leading up to his debut. He called him “a different player” to the one Old Gold fans have seen, and the fact he gave him a senior bow shows the faith he has in him.

There is perhaps still hope at Wolves that their former teenage prodigy can come good. He is on par in terms of goals this season with Strand Larsen, and if he can translate that form over to the Premier League, they would have two talented young strikers on their books, and, finally, some genuine replacements for Jimenez.

Related Forget Cunha: Wolves' "tenacious" star could be their next big-money sale

The Wolves star could go for double what they paid for him

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Nov 27, 2024

Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi has claimed that Mason Greenwood frustrates him as the Italian explains which area the England star can improve in.

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• Greenwood annoys De Zerbi at Marseille
• England star struggles at the corner taking
• De Zerbi reveals issues with corner takers

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Greenwood has been in very fine form since joining Marseille in the summer from Manchester United. The former England international is currently the second-highest scorer in Ligue 1 this season with 13 goals, only behind Ousmane Dembele, who is on 14.

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  Greenwood has received a lot of praise from Marseille boss De Zerbi for turning around his situation after having been cast out by United due to the accusations of domestic abuse made against him in 2022. However, the former Brighton boss has now claimed Greenwood can become better in one area over the next few years.

• AFP
  

  WHAT DE ZERBI SAID

  Speaking to the media, De Zerbi said: "Greenwood is not a specialist on corners. He could become one, but he is focused on the goal. When he goes to take a corner, he goes a bit like….. And that annoys me."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

  De Zerbi could potentially have a role as a corner taker for Greenwood this season as he claimed that other players struggled with corner duties as well. He added: "[Quentin] Merlin has the foot to shoot them, but he is not a regular. Luis Henrique does not put adequate force into it. So [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg is the one who, until today, has the best foot to shoot."

Manchester United reportedly made a move for Barcelona's Fermin Lopez in the January transfer window, however, the starlet made his stance clear.

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Man Utd tabled €70m offer for FerminBarcelona star rejected the approachWants to succeed at boyhood clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona midfielder Fermin has been showing a lot of promise at Barcelona after impressing at the Summer Olympics in Paris, winning the Player of the Tournament award as Spain U-21 clinched the gold medal. This season, Fermin has played a major role in Hansi Flick's side but is not a guaranteed starter with Pedri, Gavi and Marc Casado also shining in the middle of the park.

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SPORT has now revealed that Manchester United tabled a €70 million (£58.3m/$72.3m) for Fermin in the winter window in a bid to improve midfield options for Ruben Amorim, however, the 21-year-old made it clear that he is not considering leaving Barcelona as he is enjoying life under Flick at his boyhood club. The report suggested that Aston Villa also wanted to sign Fermin this winter, but neither Premier League side was able to get a deal over the line.

DID YOU KNOW?

Manchester United were reportedly ready to offer wages 'double of what he currently earns' at Barcelona to tempt Fermin into considering their offer, however, the 21-year-old is eager to succeed with Blaugrana and won't be moving to a new club any time soon.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FERMIN?

The 21-year-old has been playing in a number of different roles and faces direct competition with Dani Olmo and Gavi to start as the number 10 behind Robert Lewandowski. Fermin is unlikely to start for Flick on Sunday, February 9 when Barcelona take on Sevilla.

Former Netherlands batter and long-time mentor Michael Swart passed on some advice about batting in the UAE

Alex Malcolm13-Oct-2021Josh Inglis is on a journey into uncharted territory. He has never played for Australia. He has never even toured with Australia. He has never played cricket in the UAE, and the extent of his experience on the subcontinent is a couple of short tours to India with Australia’s National Performance squad, for emerging players, a few years ago.Inglis hasn’t even had the chance to mingle with his fellow Australian players and coaches yet, to glean some insights on what is to come, having been confined to his hotel room for six days quarantine after flying to Abu Dhabi from Perth.But Inglis does have one man in his corner who has already ensured he is not flying completely blind.Former Netherlands and Western Australia batter Michael Swart was a key mentor in Inglis’ youth when he was making his name in Perth grade cricket for Joondalup.Swart played in the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh, opening the batting in the famous humiliation of England, and played 9 of his 26 T20 internationals in the UAE.Inglis received a call from his former Joondalup captain last week and received some valuable intel.”Obviously, he’s played plenty of cricket for the Netherlands and played in these conditions so he did explain a fair bit about Abu Dhabi and Dubai’s wickets and what they were like,” Inglis said. “So it’s nice to have him as a bit of a sounding board, and a mentor as well so it’s been great.”Swart told ESPNcricinfo that he simply relayed his specific experiences on Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and Dubai Stadium.”As you saw in the IPL recently, the game slows down a lot after the powerplay,” Swart said. “I just let him know that the first six overs are the time to really cash in but after that the wicket slows up a lot and it’s very hard to come down the wicket to the spinners and that his sweep shots are so important to get off strike and manipulate the field. It’s easy to get stuck down one end there and the sweep shot is so vital to get off strike.”Michael Swart played 26 T20Is for the Netherlands•Getty Images

Swart, 13 years Inglis’ senior, had a big impact on the 26-year-old at Joondalup. Inglis had a prolific summer as a 21-year-old under Swart’s captaincy, scoring 1137 first grade runs and four centuries including 246 in the final to secure Joondalup the title. That led to him earning a contract with Justin Langer’s Western Australia squad.Although Inglis has barely batted in the middle order in his T20 career – just 13 of his 57 professional innings have been batting at No.4 or below – he was added to the Australia World Cup squad due to his proficiency against spin in the middle overs having caught the attention of Ricky Ponting among others during last season’s BBL.Despite his limited exposure at the professional level, he batted a lot in the middle order for Joondalup in white-ball cricket, forming a formidable partnership with Swart when batting with five men outside the circle. It was an experience Inglis believes was incredibly valuable.”I just remember times where we were playing grade cricket together and there was situations where we just really needed to soak up some pressure and he was just really smart and thought through situations really clearly and it was nice to be able to have that at the other end as a young kid, starting out,” Inglis said. “He was brilliant for my game in that sort of sense. Not so much technique-wise but more just thinking through situations and mindset and that sort of thing.”Inglis appears unlikely to start in the World Cup as Matthew Wade is Australia’s first-choice wicketkeeper. Wade is preparing himself to bat in the middle order and the Australian selectors see him as essential because of a lack of left-handers in the top seven.But it is possible Inglis could play as a specialist bat in the side, or if Australia run aground early in the tournament against spin in the middle overs. Swart believes he has what it takes to dominate at international level.”I think the most important thing is he backs himself and his game,” Swart said. “He is one of the hardest workers going around and because of the work he has done he has amazing confidence in his ability. He’s always been one to go towards tough situations rather than shy away. He’s someone with 100 per cent confidence and zero per cent arrogance.”I think he has a big future in international cricket. His greatest asset is that he hits the ball 360 degrees and has a great sweep and reverse sweep game. I think that’s going to help him get out of pressure situations after the powerplay.”All in all, he’s the ultimate professional and someone you want to play alongside. Last week he was down at club cricket throwing balls to kids. That’s the kind of bloke he is really. I can’t wait for him to show the world stage what we have known for years. He’s a gun.”

Over the years, West Ham United have been home to numerous midfield talents who have helped the club in various different ways during their respective periods at the club.

Arguably the most iconic in the club’s recent history would be Mark Noble, with the now-retired 37-year-old making 521 appearances for the Hammers over a 16-year stint as a player.

Noble is now the club’s sporting director after announcing his retirement at the end of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign – going down as one of the club’s most loved players for his time in East London.

Since his retirement, the club have kicked on in their recruitment to try and take the Hammers to the next level, with the likes of Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez just two of the elite European players plying their trade at the London Stadium.

However, the club is no longer to one player who starred during his time in the first-team under former boss David Moyes, making the club a huge profit after his departure.

Declan Rice’s time at West Ham

Midfielder Declan Rice came through the club’s academy after joining as a youngster following his release from Chelsea – going on to make over 200 appearances for West Ham’s first team.

After making his debut back in the 2016/17 season, he quickly became a regular member of the senior side, cementing himself as a mainstay in the following campaign.

The 25-year-old made over 30 appearances in every season between 2017 and 2023, capturing the hearts of the fanbase – even helping them end their long wait for a major European title after clinching the Europa Conference League trophy with victory over Fiorentina back in 2023.

It was almost the perfect send off for the England international, before departing to join Arsenal in a record transfer for an English player, totalling a mammoth £105m.

Whilst it was a huge fee that massively improved the club’s finances, it would leave a huge hole in the middle of Moyes’ midfield, with new additions needed to try and fill the void left by the talented ace.

The Hammers made moves in the transfer market, investing in two separate talents to try and combat Rice’s departure – but one of which has unfortunately already been a victim of Julen Lopetegui’s appointment this summer.

The man brought in to replace Rice

The aforementioned Alvarez was brought in for a reported £35m fee from Ajax, but the club also splashed £30m on James Ward-Prowse from Southampton, with both players possessing different qualities to soften the blow of Rice’s exit.

An article from The Athletic claims that the Mexican was seen as a deep-lying ball-winning option, whilst the Englishman was brought in to operate as a box-to-box option – both separate qualities that the departed Rice possessed during his time at the London Stadium.

Whilst Alvarez remains a key part of Lopetegui’s system, Ward-Prowse has already been moved on by the Spaniard, joining fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest on loan for the 2024/25 campaign.

It was a decision that took many by surprise especially considering his record last season, which saw the 29-year-old register seven goals and 11 assists in all competitions under Moyes – with his set-pieces causing havoc for the opposition.

He’s already settled into life during his temporary stint in the East Midlands, featuring in the club’s 1-0 win against Liverpool last weekend – producing a magnificent midfield display during the victory.

Given his form last term and his immediate impact at Forest in 2024/25, there must be a sense that Lopetegui may come to regret his decision to allow the Englishman to leave on loan.

Whilst it’s only temporary and he will return to the club for the 2025/26 campaign, he does possess a lot of qualities and Premier League experience that could help the Hammers enjoy a successful first season under the Spaniard.

Forget Ings: West Ham can drop Antonio by unleashing "unstoppable" star

Julen Lopetegui needs to make a few changes going forward…

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Angus Sinclair

Sep 16, 2024

Chelsea, despite spending £219.6m this summer, failed to acquire one of their priority positions, at the top end of the pitch.

Whilst players such as João Félix, Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho were signed, there is still a lack of clinical finishing from the striker department.

The Blues' number one target, Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, after failing to agree on a move on deadline day with Chelsea, has now taken a loan move to Turkish side, Galatasaray.

Osimhen made 32 appearances for Napoli in all competitions last season, scoring 17 goals, providing four assists, and totalling 2,476 minutes played.

Remarkably though, one of Chelsea's former flops did far more in front of goal.

Aubameyang's time at Chelsea

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Chelsea from Barcelona on transfer deadline day in the 2022 summer transfer window. The fee was in the region of £10m, plus Marcos Alonso going in the other direction to join Barcelona.

In his time at the club, he made 21 appearances, scoring three goals, providing one assist, and totalling 961 minutes played.

One of the main factors for Aubameyang's unsuccessful stint with Chelsea was the fact he was bought in by Thomas Tuchel, who had worked with him previously at Dortmund and had a plan for the Gabon international to lead the line for his Chelsea side.

Fast-forward a few weeks, Tuchel was sacked which left the new manager, Graham Potter, with a striker who didn't quite fit his system. He found himself out of the squad, with Kai Havertz playing more often as a number nine.

Had Tuchel stayed at the club, Aubameyang's Chelsea career could be vastly different. However, this wasn't the case, and a year later the forward made the move to Marseille.

Aubameyang's time at Marseille

Now in Saudi Arabia (of course), the ex-Chelsea striker found his shooting boots in France, making 51 appearances for Marseille in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring a whopping 30 goals, and providing 11 assists.

Despite finishing eighth in Ligue 1 last term, Aubameyang did fire Marseille to the Europa League semi-finals, scoring ten times along the way, including a hat-trick against Ajax in the group stage, a 4-3 victory.

Season

Aubameyang

Osimhen

23/24

30

17

22/23

3

31

21/22

20

18

20/21

15

10

19/20

29

18

Aubameyang refinding his goal-scoring form wasn't on everyone's prediction bingo card after his three-goal campaign the season prior. However, four of his past five seasons have now been 15+ goals, coming in a variety of leagues, such as the Premier League, La Liga and Ligue 1.

Chelsea's primary striker target, Osimhen, only hit nearly half the amount of goals as Aubameyang and has only outscored the Gabon forward once in the past five seasons, netting 31 times in his superb 2022/23 campaign, firing Napoli to the Scudetto.

Of course, a massive factor in this is the stages each of these players are in their careers, with Aubameyang already playing his prime years at the top level, and Osimhen only just entering his now, as he looks for a move to one of Europe's elite.

Chelsea flop who left in 2024 is about to have his career saved by Osimhen

Osimhen’s new teammate enduring nightmare start for new club

ByConnor Holden Sep 3, 2024

Sky reporter Dan Bardell has suggested that Aston Villa boss Unai Emery could now decide to drop a £120,000-per-week star from his starting eleven.

Villa open Champions League account with thumping 3-0 win

It was a dream start for Emery and the Villans in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with the Premier League side putting Young Boys to the sword in Switzerland.

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Goals from Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey and marquee summer signing Amadou Onana wrapped up a crucial and convincing 3-0 win in their first game back playing in Europe’s most prestigious competition since the 1980s.

Emery will be pleased with how Villa dominated the play in periods, finishing the game with 20 attempts on goal and the majority of possession, with Villa opening their Champions League account in excellent fashion.

Aston Villa’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Wolves (home)

Today

Ipswich Town (away)

September 29

Man United (home)

October 6

Fulham (away)

October 19

Bournemouth (home)

October 26

Speaking to TNT Sports after their thumping victory, Emery dedicated the win to former Aston Villa striker Gary Shaw, who passed away aged 63.

“This victory is for Gary Shaw,” said Emery on Villa’s 3-0 win at Young Boys. “We [continued in] the Champions League the way they finished 42 years ago. We want to dedicate this victory to Gary Shaw and his family.

“It was difficult. Our experiences last year [in the Europa Conference League] show that. We focused very well for 90 minutes to be consistent. We were adapting on the pitch. We always respected them.

“We have to create a new way. What we created in the Conference League last season was fantastic.”

Now, attention turns to Villa’s Midlands derby clash against Wolves in the Premier League this afternoon, and it will be fascinating to see how Emery sets up his team at home. Domestically, they’ve started the new campaign in equally promising fashion to their European adventures – winning three out of their opening four league games of the season so far.

Gary O’Neil’s Wolves, by contrast, are yet to win a single game and have been on the wrong side of thumping defeats to the likes of Chelsea. We’ve predicted how Villa will line up against Wolves today, but Bardell has his own verdict.

Bardell suggests Emery could drop Aston Villa star Lucas Digne

Speaking to Villa News, the Sky reporter suggested Lucas Digne may not be in the starting line up this afternoon in favour of summer signing Ian Maatsen.

The £120,000-per-week defender has started all four of their league games thus far, and played 88 minutes of their win over Young Boys. He’s chalked up two assists in that time as well, but Bardell claims Digne could be dropped by Villa for today’s game against Wolves.

“I think if we didn’t have this cup game on Tuesday, I think there is a decent chance [Jhon] Duran might have started against Wolves,” said Bardell.

“There is going to be a time when he starts games in the Premier League and there will be an element of rotation with Ollie Watkins. Maybe we’ll see Maatsen on Saturday instead of Lucas Digne. Other than that I don’t envisage many changes. I think because we played on Tuesday there’s been enough downtime going into this game.“

Everton have held talks to sign a £150,000-a-week midfielder, with Sean Dyche keen on the player.

The Toffees get their Premier League campaign underway this weekend as they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Goodison Park. The Everton boss will be pleased with what business the club has done so far in the transfer window, but he could still be looking to improve his team as they try to avoid a relegation battle like last season.

Everton in negotiations for £30m target who's best friends with Lewandowski

Everton have begun negotiations this week.

By
Brett Worthington

Aug 13, 2024

Everton’s summer signings

It was a struggle for the blue half of Merseyside last season, as they found themselves near the bottom end of the table for the majority of the campaign. However, Dyche was able to guide the club to safety, and the aim would be for them to move further up the table in this new season.

To do so, Dyche will have been keen for the club’s hierarchy to back him in this transfer window as he looks to improve his squad.

That is exactly what the Everton board has done, as the Premier League side has so far made five new signings in this transfer window. The club has re-signed winger Jack Harrison from Leeds United on loan as well as bringing in Tim Iroegbunam from Aston Villa, Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille, Jesper Lindstrom on loan from Napoli, and their most high-profile signing in terms of cost is defender Jake O’Brien from Olympique Lyon.

O’Brien is Everton’s latest addition, as he joined the club at the end of July in a deal that is said to have cost the Toffees £16.4 million. The defender impressed in Ligue 1 last season, and when he joined Everton, he couldn’t hide his delight at securing this type of transfer to the Premier League.

O’Brien said: “I'm buzzing and so happy to have signed. I've been dreaming of this kind of move in the Premier League, with such a historic club. It's a very exciting move for me.

"When the transfer window opened there were other clubs in for me, but there was only one club I wanted to go to – it was Everton. They've shown the faith in me, so now it's my turn to show why on the pitch."

Dyche will be pleased with what the club has been able to do so far in this transfer window, but he is likely going to want more additions, and that appears to be the case with the latest report that has emerged.

Everton are keen on signing Kalvin Phillips

According to TEAMtalk, Dyche’s priority in what remains of this transfer window is to sign a new midfielder, and the club is said to be keen on Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips.

The report states that Dyche is keen on landing the England midfielder this summer, who is said to be on a weekly wage of £150,000.

In fact, Everton are said to have held talks with Manchester City in the last few days about a potential deal. Furthermore, after failing to find a buyer for Phillips, the Blues are said to be open to sanctioning another loan move for the midfielder, which is good news for Everton as they want to buy the player on loan, with an option to buy included.

It was reported earlier this month that Everton were said to be leading the race to sign Phillips in this transfer window on loan and that could still be the case, as talks have started about a possible deal.

An "accomplished" Rangers player is reportedly closing in on a move away from Ibrox this summer.

Rangers transfer news

This has been a hugely productive summer transfer window for the Gers, with a host of new names brought in, adding significant depth to Philippe Clement's squad in the process. Mohamed Diomande made his loan switch a permanent one, while the likes of Robin Propper and Hamza Igamane have also come in, among others.

That's not to say that there couldn't be some late business at Rangers, with rumours continuing to swirl. Norwich City striker Abu Kamara has emerged as a transfer target for the Scottish Premiership club, with personal terms involving the 21-year-old not expected to be an issue.

Meanwhile, the Gers are believed to have submitted a bid for Almeria defender Kaiky, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the offer is a sizeable £6.5m. It has been rejected, though, so an increased amount will need to be tabled.

Fiorentina attacker Josip Brekalo is also on Rangers' radar, having been made surplus to requirements by the Serie A club, and contact has been made over a summer move. Now, it appears an outgoing regarding a current Ibrox ace is "imminent".

"Accomplished" Rangers player heading for exit

According to a report from The Daily Record, Ben Davies is set to complete a loan move from Rangers to Birmingham City.

The deal involving the 29-year-old could include a buy option at the end of the season should he impress enough at the League One club for them to retain his services.

Birmingham have been big spenders this summer following their relegation from the Championship, parting with over €15m (£12.7m) to date – far more than any of their League One rivals as they seek an immediate promotion.

This feels like the right decision for all parties, with Davies not considered an important part of Clement's plans moving forward, and never truly feeling like a key man since arriving from Liverpool in the summer of 2022.

That's not to say that the English centre-back isn't a good player, with none other than Jurgen Klopp heaping praise on him when he joined Rangers, saying:

"This presents a proper opportunity to demonstrate his quality and composure. As a person, he’s as good a guy as you could hope to meet. It’s a smart piece of recruitment from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, to be honest. Perfect for all parties. He has himself an accomplished defender, who is entering his peak years and whose character is top-drawer."

The hope is that Davies enjoys a successful stint on loan at Birmingham prior to completing a permanent move this time next year, allowing Rangers to receive a fee in the process.

Rangers eyeing move to sign £2m attacker with personal terms not an issue

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ByBrett Worthington Aug 24, 2024

The £27,000-a-week defender is contracted at Ibrox until 2026, meaning that next summer will be the last realistic opportunity for that to happen, so it does feel as though he has played his final match for the Gers.

Manchester United are in talks over a potential cheap addition to their side this summer as they look to build a strong squad for the upcoming Premier League campaign.

Man Utd face defensive crisis

The new season hasn't even started yet and Erik ten Hag's side are already picking up right where they left off in the 2023/24 campaign, with a defensive crisis.

Leny Yoro was absent in the Community Shield after picking up a foot injury in a pre-season loss to Arsenal, which sees him likely to be sidelined until October. But he is not the only one, with Ten Hag explaining that Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw were all “question marks” for the game.

It means that should all five defenders be absent, Manchester United will be down to bare bones at the back, relying on Lisandro Martinez and veteran defender Jonny Evans as their only two centre-back options.

Manchester United's defensive injury list

Player

Return date

Leny Yoro

October

Harry Maguire

Unknown

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Unknown

Victor Lindelof

Unknown

Luke Shaw

Unknown

Tyrell Malacia

October

It is no surprise, therefore, that the Red Devils are eyeing up reinforcements, with a double deal on the cards for Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui once they can sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but it seems they're not the only ones.

Manchester United explore bargain defender move

Now, they may have found a low cost option to add even more depth in the form of centre-back Mario Hermoso, with one report claiming that the Red Devils have opened talks over potentially adding the free agent to their ranks this summer.

Hermoso saw his deal with Atlético Madrid end this summer after five years, during which time he appeared 174 times for Diego Simeone's side. The Atleti boss was full of praise for the 29-year-old in the final months of his time at the Wanda Metropolitano, claiming that the Spaniard was "one of the best we [Atletico] have".

"He played the way he always does. He’s one of the best we have in that sense. He can play at full-back, at centre-back, open on the left to give us depth with his vision. He always gives us a lot. Hopefully he can stay with us,” the enigmatic boss explained.

Personal terms no issue: Man Utd closing in on their own Amadou Onana

The Red Devils could be set to make a third signing of the summer…

ByRobbie Walls Aug 9, 2024

But he ultimately departed and is yet to be snapped up despite early interest from Aston Villa. Now, Spanish journalist Máximo de la Cruz Ramírez Ramírez has claimed that "initial contacts" have taken place over a potential move to Old Trafford this summer. It is added that the defender is asking for a three-year contract worth roughly £100,000 a week or just over £5m a year.

A left-footed defender, Hermoso could prove a valuable addition for United given the injury-prone nature of current options Shaw and Martinez, with a triple deal to sign De Ligt, Mazraoui and the former Atletico man transforming the defensive depth in an instant.