England fans showed love as Nike dropped Three Lions' new home and away kits ahead of Euro 2024.
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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could be dealt a cruel blow on the injury front as one of his star players is now awaiting assessment for an injury picked up on international duty, according to reports.
Recently, huge news has hit the headlines in regards to a Man Utd takeover after Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani withdrew from the bidding process to try and acquire 100% of the club. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now close to agreeing a deal to buy 25% of the club, in an agreement that would still see the Glazer family hold a verticle of control at Old Trafford; however, the exact terms of any potential deal upon ratification are yet to be fully established.
In other news, The Athletic have recently reported that Man Utd's injury latest is being investigated as their list of absentees continues to mount over the course of the season. Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo and Tyrell Malacia are all currently on the sidelines long-term due to various concerns; meanwhile, summer signing Mason Mount, Raphael Varane and Sergio Reguilon have missed chunks of action due to sustaining knocks. Director of Football John Murtough has shed some light on the next steps to try and combat the Premier League giants' injury crisis, stating:
"We’re also looking at why we’ve had so many injuries to see if there are any patterns to improve prevention in future. Some of them have been impact injuries, such as Kobbie’s and Amad’s, which are unpredictable. Others have been muscular and could reflect the sheer volume of games played over the past year, including last year’s World Cup."
Meanwhile, Barcelona are said to be keen on a cut-price move for Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho next summer; however, the England international would need to significantly lower his salary demands to push through any deal either on loan or permanently.
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Jadon Sancho at Manchester United – statistics per season since arrival |
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Signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee in the region of £73 million in 2021 |
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Statistics 2021/22: Appearances in all competitions – 38 |
Goals: 5 |
Assists: 3 |
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Statistics 2022/23: Appearances in all competitions – 41 |
Goals: 7 |
Assists: 3 |
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Statistics 2023/24: Appearances in all competitions – 3 |
Goals: 0 |
Assists: 0 |
As per a fresh Man United injury update on Casemiro from the club, the midfielder suffered an ankle injury on international duty with Brazil against Venezuela and was substituted in the 79th minute after asking to be taken off.
Reports since have claimed he did not train on Saturday due to his ankle being 'badly swollen' and he will undergo further assessment to determine the severity of the injury, which could lead to a spell on the sidelines for the veteran midfielder, who has previously been hailed as "magnificent" by Ten Hag.
Casemiro has been a major contributor for United since completing his move from Real Madrid in 2022, registering 11 goals and seven assists in 62 appearances across all competitions (Casemiro statistics – Transfermarkt).
Nevertheless, it looks as if he could now be unavailable for some upcoming fixtures at Old Trafford, though United will need to wait and see on that front.
The FA are set to introduce a major overhaul of their kit approval process after controversy surrounding the cross on new England kits' collars.
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Rangers will no doubt be busy in the January transfer window as they look to shape the squad to the new manager's liking, but it looks as though the first order of business is tying down a current star to a permanent deal.
The Gers have started a new era with Philippe Clement in charge, with the 49-year-old already making a good impression since replacing Michael Beale as manager. There is a eight-point deficit to make up on current Scottish Premiership leader Celtic, however, so it is going to take some superb form to oust the biggest rivals as the reigning Scottish champions.
For that to happen, Rnagers could need to look to make new signings during the January transfer window. Some important additions were made in the summer, including the likes of Jack Butland, Danilo and Kieran Dowell, but further improvements are needed.
The Gers have been linked with a number of players in recent times, and it has been reported that Clement himself is scouring for "solutions" to his squad, and now a fresh update has emerged regarding their winter transfer business.
According to a new update from Football Insider, Abdallah Sima could make a permanent move to Rangers in January, having shone on loan since arriving from Brighton before the start of the season:
"Rangers will explore the possibility of landing on-loan Brighton star Abdallah Sima permanently but could face competition for his signature, sources have told Football Insider. The 22-year-old has impressed at Ibrox since arriving on a season-long loan in the summer window and is attracting the attention of several other clubs.
"Football Insider revealed on Friday (27 October) that Rangers do not have the option to buy Sima at the end of his temporary spell."
This could be an excellent piece of business by Rangers, with Sima doing well to date at Ibrox, showcasing his goalscoring prowess in the Scottish Premiership. Sima's stats of scoring five times in just four league starts in 2023/24 to date – nine appearances in the competition overall – are impressive, and he has also netted twice in the Europa League.
The 22-year-old has been described as an "electric" player by Rangers captain James Tavernier, who urged others to reach his level, saying of him:
"(Abdallah Sima) has been a real attacking threat for us this season. He’s got electric pace and can finish in difficult areas. Generally with our forwards, we have to give them better service as a team. We need to get around them and give them opportunities to get on the scoresheet the same as Abdallah."
The early signs suggest that a permanent move for Sima is a no-brainer for the Gers, considering the influence he is already having and the fact that he should only improve in the coming years.
Regular football away from Brighton for good could also appeal to the player himself, rather than jumping from club to club on a temporary basis, allowing him to settle properly and kick on further in his career.
The Brazilian winger stepped into his suspended compatriot's shoes and scored two superb goals on an otherwise underwhelming night at the Bernabeu
Real Madrid maintained their eight-point gap at the top of La Liga as Rodrygo ensured the suspended Vincius Jr wasn't missed by scoring two stunning goals to secure a 2-0 win for Los Blancos over fourth-placed Athletic Club.
Athletic made a bright start, but Madrid broke the deadlock with their first real attack, as Rodrygo cut inside from the left before lashing a 20-yard strike into the top corner. Madrid had the better of the chances thereafter, as Fede Valverde had a long-range effort saved while Aurelien Tchouameni headed narrowly wide.
Andriy Lunin was called into service shortly after the break as he parried Inaki Williams' fierce angled drive, while Brahim Diaz should have made it 2-0 when he hit the post. In the end, it was left to Rodrygo to secure the points, as he finished off a rapid Madrid counter-attack by again cutting inside before firing in a near-post finish.
GOAL rates Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu…
Monterry boss Fernando Ortiz considers Lionel Messi to be “the greatest of all time” and meant no offence with comments aimed at Inter Miami.
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Leeds United could be set to lose one of their first-team stars next year, with a fresh report revealing that he is unhappy with his current situation at Elland Road.
Crysencio Summerville is expected to be the subject of interest once again in January having emerged as a target for Premier League trio Everton, Bournemouth and Burnley over the summer, but he’s not the only one who could be heading for the exit door.
The Whites have seven permanent existing members of their squad who will have reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the current campaign, including the likes of Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas (Leeds contracts), so chiefs may decide to cash in should they not want to risk losing them for free.
The Yorkshire outfit could additionally sanction the sale of Wilfried Gnonto, who has made just six starts and three substitute appearances this season in the Championship (WhoScored – Gnonto statistics), and the left-winger hasn’t exactly been committed to his future as of late.
The Italy international was previously the subject of attention from Everton, whilst Calciomercato have more recently reported that Lazio and AS Roma have both made contact with his agent to discover the conditions of a deal, so there’s a chance that the 20-year-old could be on his way to the Serie A.
According to Football Insider, Wilfried Gnonto isn’t settled at Leeds and he’s therefore set his sights on a departure in January.
“Wilfried Gnonto is unhappy with his situation at Leeds United as the January transfer window approaches, sources have told Football Insider.
"Daniel Farke has been happy to keep the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Georginio Rutter, Dan James and Joel Piroe together as an attacking unit – and has so far seen no reason to bring the Italy international back into the fold permanently.
"But Gnonto wants to play regular first-team football as he targets a place in the Azzurri’s squad for next year’s European Championships in Germany – should they qualify. It is believed there will be interest once again in the winger’s services in the January window.”
During his time at Leeds, Gnonto has posted ten contributions, five goals and the same number of assists, in 38 senior appearances (Transfermarkt – Gnonto statistics), with his form in the final third making him an “unpredictable” player to read, as per journalist Josh Bunting.
Sponsored by Puma, Daniel Farke’s £20k-per-week earner (Leeds salaries), also ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive carries, which highlights his desire to use his pace, take on his marker and push his team as high up the pitch as possible (FBRef – Gnonto statistics).
Furthermore, Gnonto is a versatile operator having been deployed in seven different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so it’s important that the boss does everything he can to retain the services of his forward in January.
Paul Mullin scored his 100th goal for Wrexham against Colchester on Saturday as the Welsh club continue to chase promotion to League One.
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Aston Villa are happy to listen to any proposals for one of their senior players next year, with a report revealing that he has been given the green light to leave by Unai Emery.
The Midlands outfit sanctioned the permanent sales of Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, Marvelous Nakamba, Keinan Davis, Ashley Young and Wesley Moraes over the summer, whilst sending Philippe Coutinho, Morgan Sanson and Viljami Sinisalo out on loan for the remainder of the term.
The Villans will know that Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet are both set to depart at the end of the season having only joined on a temporary basis – should the former’s obligation to buy not be triggered – but there is another existing member of the squad who could also be heading for the exit door.
Bertrand Traore will have reached the expiration of his deal upon the conclusion of the current campaign (Aston Villa contracts), and it’s fair to say that the right-winger has failed to make any kind of positive impact having fallen significantly out of favour.
The Burkina Faso international has made zero starts and two substitute appearances, playing just ten minutes of football, this season in the Premier League (WhoScored – Traore statistics), and if the following update is to be believed, the 28-year-old’s situation is only set to get worse.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are happy to sell Traore in the early stages of next year, with the attacker having been made aware that he doesn't feature in the manager's long-term project.
"Aston Villa are ready to accept an offer for Bertrand Traore in the January transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.
"The 28-year-old does not figure in Unai Emery’s plans and the Spaniard has given the green light for the forward to go in the mid-season window. Traore is out of contract at the end of the 2023-24 campaign and will not be offered an extension at Villa Park."
While Aston Villa will know that Traore hasn’t been given enough of a chance to prove what he’s capable of this season, he’s failed to show that he deserves to stay having ranked as the club’s 21st overall best-performing player out of 23 squad members who have featured since the start of the campaign (WhoScored – Aston Villa statistics).
Emery’s left-footed winger hasn’t even made the squad on four occasions in the top-flight this term, whilst being an unused substitute the same amount of times (Transfermarkt – Traore statistics), with his form when he is handed the opportunity to showcase his talents having seen him described as too “inconsistent” by journalist Josh Bunting.
Additionally, Traore currently earns £77k-per-week which is more than the likes of Douglas Luiz, Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Buendia (Aston Villa salaries), so it’s vital that chiefs get him off the books as quickly as possible and put the extra cash that they will have at their disposal towards generating funds to bring in new signings in January.
Alisha Lehmann made the most of having Douglas Luiz around on Sunday as she went roller-skating with her boyfriend and two pet dogs.
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