In the summer of 2021, Manchester United fans built up lots of anticipation and excitement around Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s final transfer window in charge of the club. At the time, they did not know their club legend would be sacked just months later, but it is fair to say his final transfer window as manager was a memorable one.

The biggest of the four signings made by the Red Devils that summer was to bring back to the club arguably the game’s greatest player, Cristiano Ronaldo. The legendary attacker cost £12.9m plus add-ons from Juventus, and whilst his second season under current manager Erik ten Hag went pear shape, the first season was memorable, scoring 18 goals in 30 Premier League games.

United also signed one of the most reputable defenders in world football, bringing experienced French defender Raphael Varane to the club from Real Madrid for an initial £34m. The 2018 World Cup winner has so far played 93 games in the red of United, although he could well leave this summer.

That summer, the Red Devils also brought two English players to the club. One was the return of Tom Heaton, on a free transfer as a back-up goalkeeper, and the other saw the end of a long transfer saga which had gone on for over a year.

Jadon Sancho’s Man Utd career in numbers

The player in question here is England winger Jadon Sancho, who joined United from Borussia Dortmund for £73m. Sadly, his time at Old Trafford has not been easy, and he is now back on loan in Germany, although is currently thriving and through to a Champions League semi-final.

Sancho has played 82 times for United so far, scoring just 12 goals and assisting six. He was also part of the squad that won the Carabao Cup last season. Of course, those are not the numbers Sancho, or fans, would have been hoping to see, but it has not been an easy time for him during his time at the club so far.

Sancho’s time at United started rockily, due to an ear infection he picked up right before his first pre-season at the club, a very unfortunate occurrence. Indeed, it was not an easy season for anyone at United, with Solskjær’s sacking coming in November, and the whole squad struggling under interim Ralf Rangnick.

Under Ten Hag, Sancho struggled for minutes due to the arrival of Antony and took a break away from football for personal reasons. When he returned in the New Year of 2023, he hit the ground running and went on a good run of form for the Red Devils.

In the 2023/24 season, the winger fell out with United’s manager, and after a stalemate in which he was iced out from the rest of the squad, got a January move back to Dortmund, where he has since thrived.

Following a disastrous season for United, there are rumours that Ten Hag could leave his post as manager at the end of the season. This may allow Sancho a way back into the first-team fold at Old Trafford, especially considering Thomas Tuchel has been contacted by United, as per journalist Georg Holzner.

How Tuchel would benefit Sancho

At Borussia Dortmund second time round, Sancho has been playing under Edin Terzic. So far, the England international has three goals and two assists in the 17 games he has played since his return to the club.

There are certainly lots of similarities between Sancho’s current role under Terzic, and how that could see him fit in under Tuchel, should the former Chelsea manager get the job at Old Trafford.

Sancho has tended to play on the right-hand side under Tezric so far, yet operates a lot in the half-space, where he does much of his best work. He is a wonderful combination player, often having support from an overlapping full-back and a central midfielder, playing in triangles to help progress Dortmund’s play.

Not only that, Sancho’s final third creativity can shine through in this Dortmund side, who like to pack the box full of players waiting for a cross. Playing on the right means he can very easily cut inside or go on the outside of a defender, before crossing from the byline, a very effective means of creating an opportunity for his side.

Like Terzic, Tuchel has favoured a 4-2-3-1 system at Bayern so far, although both managers are praised by the Bundesliga website for their “tactical acumen”, discussing Tuchel, and “innovative tactical thinking”, talking about the Dortmund boss.

Indeed, the 24-year-old may well fit into a similar role under Tuchel, who loves excellent ball carriers operating in both the left and right half-space, as Sancho excels. Under Tuchel this season, Leroy Sane has been given a licence to drift inside and impact the game from such areas, so it is certainly a possibility Sancho would be given the same chance.

Alternatively, if Tuchel was to play a back three as he did at Chelsea, Sancho could slot into one of the two number 10 roles, which Mason Mount and Kai Havertz at Stamford Bridge under the German mainly occupied. Here, Sancho would no doubt thrive, once again operating in the half spaces again, and being able to drop deeper in midfield at times to carry the ball forward.

When Tuchel was Chelsea manager, there were rumours he wanted to sign the 24-year-old when he was Chelsea manager. Thus, it is fair to assume that he would happily manage him at Old Trafford should he get the United job.

Should the Dortmund number 10 get another chance, but this time with Tuchel at the helm, we could well see another version of Sancho, the one that was on display during his mesmerising performance against PSG in the Champions League semi-finals.

Tuchel was once described as “a bit crazy” by former player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who then said his “style is a bit like that of Guardiola”. Perhaps the Bayern Munich boss is exactly the man to help Sancho discover his best form in a United shirt.

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تلقى فريق الهلال، هزيمته الأولى في بطولة الدوري السعودي، هذا الموسم 2024-2025، أمام نظيره الخليج، في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم السبت.

وتواجه فريقا الهلال والخليج، في إطار الجولة الـ11 من بطولة دوري روشن السعودي، على ملعب محمد بن فهد بالدمام.

وفاز فريق الخليج على الهلال، بنتيجة ثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

الهلال كان قد حقق 9 انتصارات في بطولة الدوري، وتعادل في مباراة النصر بالجولة التاسعة، قبل أن يخسر اليوم، ليتجمد رصيده عند النقطة 28، متصدرًا ترتيب الدوري السعودي.

طالع | وكيل نيمار يرد على أنباء رحيله عن الهلال السعودي

بينما فريق الخليج، واصل نتائجه الجيدة خلال الفترة الأخيرة بدوري روشن، حيث حقق الفوز الرابع له على التوالي، ليرتقي إلى المركز السادس في ترتيب الدوري السعودي، برصيد 19 نقطة.

فريق الخليج يضم في صفوفه المهاجم المصري محمد شريف، لكنه يغيب عن مباريات الفريق في الفترة الأخيرة، بسبب معاناته من إصابة.

وسجل أهداف الهلال، المهاجم الصربي ميتروفيتش والبرازيلي ماركوس ليوناردو في الدقائق 12 و37 من عمر الشوط الأول.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، جاءت أهداف فريق الخليج عن طريق عبد الله سالم الذي سجل هدفين في الدقيقتين 45 و47، وهدف الفوز سجله فابيو مارتينز في الدقيقة 85.

Sporting director Edu and the Arsenal board are ready to green-light three senior players' exits this summer in an effort to fund the major signing of a £100 million star.

Arsenal draw up plans to sign striker, midfielder and winger

The north Londoners are preparing for what will be another crucial summer window, regardless of whether or not they pip Man City to the Premier League title.

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Arsenal have scored more goals and conceded the fewest of any other side in the top flight, but City are usually near-unstoppable at this point of the season and currently hold all the cards with a game in hand on Mikel Arteta's side – who currently top the league by one point.

Following what has been an excellent campaign in terms of form, it will be a real disappointment if Arsenal miss out on the title again after also coming close last season. However, if that is to be the case, Edu and co will soon have an opportunity to shore up the squad and come back stronger next campaign.

The Brazilian and Arsenal chiefs are thought to be eyeing a new striker, midfielder and potentially another winger – according to reliable journalist Charles Watts.

"It's no great secret that Arsenal want to sign a striker this summer. When the window opens it will be the priority, along with a midfielder and potentially another wide attacker," Watts said to CaughtOffside recently.

Bukayo Saka

19

Leandro Trossard

15

Kai Havertz

13

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Jesus

8

"It will be interesting to see whether they move for Victor Osimhen. He, like Toney, is a player they like and I know that his representatives have visited Arsenal's training ground for talks with Edu. Those talks took place in the summer when Arsenal eventually signed Gabriel Jesus. Jesus was always the priority that year, but Osimhen was definitely a player they viewed as a serious alternative.

"That interest will remain, but the Nigerian could prove to be too costly an option in a summer given Arsenal want to spread their budget around as they look to take the squad to the next level."

In terms of the midfield players attracting Arsenal interest, one big name who's been repeatedly linked is Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes.

The Magpies midfielder has continued to star under Eddie Howe this season, leading to big clubs targeting a summer move for him, but sides will have a limited time to pay the £100 million release clause in his contract – which is only valid from the last week of May to the beginning of the last week of June (Fabrizio Romano).

Arsenal are considering a summer bid for Guimaraes alongside Man City, and a new report has shed light on how they plan to move for him.

Edu ready to sanction triple Arsenal exit to afford Guimaraes deal

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are ready to offload Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah to fund a move for Guimaraes this summer – as all three don't feature in Arteta's long-term plans.

All three are also homegrown and will count as pure profit, as Arsenal look to try and afford a move for Guimaraes without sailing too close to the wind in terms of potentially breaching Profit and Sustainability rules.

It's added that the Gunners face a race against time to raise the funds needed to sign the £160,000-per-week Guimaraes, due to his release clause only being valid until the end of next month.

Former Scotland offspinner Majid Haq has announced on Twitter that he is recovering after testing positive for COVID-19. The 37-year-old posted the news on Friday morning, saying he was being treated at Royal Alexandra Hospital in the Paisley area of Glasgow.”Looking forward to potentially getting back home today after testing positive with Coronavirus,” Haq tweeted. “Staff at the RAH in Paisley have been good to me & thank you to everyone who has sent me messages of support. Insha Allah the Panther will be back to full health soon. #covid19UK”According to the UK government’s dedicated NHS web site for Coronavirus information, there were 266 confirmed cases of the virus in Scotland as of 9.00 am on March 19, part of 3,269 confirmed cases across the whole of the United Kingdom.Haq, who logged 54 ODIs and 21 T20Is for Scotland, last played for his country at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. He was Scotland’s all-time leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket with 60 wickets until being passed in 2019 by fast bowler Safyaan Sharif. However, Haq has still been active in domestic cricket in Scotland, most recently captaining Royal High Corstorphine CC in the Cricket Scotland League Eastern Premiership for the 2019 summer.Both Cricket Scotland and the ECB announced this week that recreational cricket would be suspended indefinitely in light of the Coronavirus outbreak. Many cricketers from around the world have been under self-isolation since the Coronavirus was declared a global pandemic.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras venceu, no último domingo (04), o Sport por 1 a 0 e se manteve na briga pela liderança do Brasileirão. Após o confronto, o elenco retornou a São Paulo e se reapresentou, nesta segunda-feira, na Academia de Futebol. Sem contar com os titulares em Recife, que realizaram apenas atividades regenerativas, o treinador Abel Ferreira teve a presença de Dudu, Veron, Pedrão e Mayke nas atividades.

Mourinho quer Marcelo na Roma, Sergio Ramos vai assinar com o PSG, Felipão na mira do Grêmio… O Dia do Mercado

Após voltarem de empréstimo, Dudu e Pedrão foram liberados pela FIFA e logo poderão atuar pelo Maior Campeão Nacional. Pedrão, inclusive, já apareceu no BID e está à disposição para o duelo contra o Grêmio, na quarta-feira (07). Veron, em fase final de transição física, e Mayke, que se recupera de uma inflamação no joelho direito também participaram normalmente dos trabalhos.

No treinamento, Abel Ferreira propôs dois trabalhos. No primeiro, numa atividade de ataque contra defesa, o time trabalhou marcação pressão e busca por espaço. Na sequência, foram disputados jogos em campo reduzido.

>> Veja a tabela completa do Brasileirão

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPedrão é inscrito no BID e já pode atuar pelo PalmeirasPalmeiras05/07/2021PalmeirasApós quatro jogos sendo vazada, defesa do Palmeiras passa ilesa no BrasileirãoPalmeiras04/07/2021PalmeirasCom camisa 7 ocupada, confira opções para Dudu e demais reforços na LibertadoresPalmeiras04/07/2021

O atacante Luiz Adriano, se recuperando de um edema no joelho, não participou da atividade junto com o elenco.

O Palmeiras volta a campo na próxima quarta-feira (07), às 19h (horário de Brasília), contra o Grêmio.

Cristiano Ronaldo has sent an inspirational message to his Al-Nassr team-mates after they opened their season with a draw against Al-Raed.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Nassr held on opening matchday of season
• Ronaldo scored in 1-1 draw
• Sends Instagram message

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Al-Nassr drew their opening game of the Saudi Pro League season, being held to a disappointing 1-1 stalemate with Al-Raed. Ronaldo scored Al-Nassr's only goal, sending a thumping header into the back of the net to open the scoring.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Al-Nassr are still seeking their first trophy during Ronaldo's time at the club, but have already been dealt two blows this season. While they drew their opening league game, they were thumped 4-1 by Al-Hilal in their Saudi Super Cup final.

• WHAT RONALDO SAID

  Ronaldo posted on Instagram: "We will never settle. We will never give up. Our determination knows no limits!"

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Al-Nassr play Al Feiha on Tuesday as they aim to record their first win of the season.

Arsenal have joined the race to land a new midfielder this summer, and could yet walk away with a bargain.

Question marks in Arsenal's engine room

There is no doubt that the Gunners failed to replace Granit Xhaka in the heart of their midfield last summer, with the Switzerland international heading to Bayer Leverkusen to become a key part of their success this season.

Replacing him with Kai Havertz, Mikel Arteta's side have missed Xhaka's box-to-box tenacity despite still being top of the Premier League as things stand.

There are bigger question marks over their midfield this summer too; though Declan Rice remains a long term part of the engine room, both Thomas Partey and Jorginho will be approaching the end of their contracts in north London, and decisions will have to be made about their futures. Mohamed Elneny will also be out of contract, but replacing the Egyptian is less of a concern given his few minutes this season.

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But midfield reinforcements are certain to arrive, and Arsenal are likely to need at least one, with an alternative to Rice also likely to be high on Edu Gaspar's shopping list as well as a more natural "number eight" to play alongside Martin Odegaard further forward.

Arsenal's current midfield options

Player

Premier League starts

Martin Odegaard

31

Declan Rice

33

Jorginho

10

Thomas Partey

5

Mohamed Elneny

0

Fabio Vieira

2

Emile Smith Rowe

3

With money tight and a striker also on the agenda, they may have to make some (relatively) lower cost additions in places to fund bigger moves. Now, they seemingly have the opportunity to do just that.

Gunners in race for Frenchman

That is according to French outlet Foot Mercato, who claim that Arsenal are one of several clubs tracking Monaco midfielder Youssouf Fofana. The 25-year-old midfielder will be down to the last year of his contract in the south of France come this summer, and may decide it is time for pastures new after seeing a move to West Ham United fall through last summer.

He is unlikely to be an expensive addition for whoever snaps him up; valued at £24m by Transfermarkt, last summer it was suggested that £30m would be enough to tempt Monaco into selling and, with 12 months less now on his contract, it is unlikely they would be demanding more this time around.

For that money, interested clubs could be landing a gem. Football Analyst Ben Mattinson described the Frenchman as "under-valued" and "technically brilliant" who could "be whatever you need in midfield".

All that in a man who currently takes home just £4,600 per week on his Monaco contract. The Gunners are not alone in their admiration, with Foot Mercato adding that PSG, Athletico De Madrid and AC Milan are all also tracking the player, who could be one of the bargain buys of the summer.

But, with the power and finances on offer to the Gunners, they are likely to be the winners of that particular fight if they really want to be.

اختتم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي تدريباته مساء اليوم السبت على ملعب التتش بالجزيرة، استعدادًا لمواجهة فريق البنك الأهلي غدًا في إطار منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري المصري.

بدأ المدير الفني للأهلي، مارسيل كولر، المحاضرة الفنية مع اللاعبين من خلال عرض فيديو، ركز خلاله على الجوانب التكتيكية والخططية قبل انطلاق المران الجماعي.

طالع..قائمة الأهلي لمباراة البنك الأهلي في الدوري المصري.. استبعاد الشناوي وموقف إمام عاشور

شهد المران فقرات بدنية وفنية متنوعة تحت إشراف أندرياس إندويا، مخطط الأحمال، فيما خصص مدرب الحراس ميشيل يانكون تدريبات مكثفة لرباعي حراسة المرمى محمد الشناوي، مصطفى شوبير، حمزة علاء، مصطفى مخلوف.

اختُتم المران بتقسيمة قوية بمشاركة جميع اللاعبين، تحت قيادة كولر، حيث ظهر اللاعبون بحالة فنية وبدنية جيدة.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه الأهلي فريق البنك الأهلي غدًا الأحد في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسادسة مساءً بتوقيت السعودية على ملعب السلام.

وكان الأهلي، قد تعادل أمام الاتحاد السكندري، في المباراة الأخيرة بمسابقة الدوري المصري بهدف لكل منهما.

Mikel Arteta has been in the Arsenal hot seat for over four and a half years, and while the team today is practically unrecognisable from the one he inherited in December 2019, the changes over the last two seasons have been seismic.

At the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign, the Gunners were recovering from a failed top-four challenge that was decisively ended at the home of their biggest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur. This setback led to low expectations, with the BBC's Chief football writer Phil McNulty bluntly stating, "I do not see them as title contenders."

However, with additions such as Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko and the integration of William Saliba, challenge they did, and while they failed, they have challenged once again this term.

That said, while Saliba has maintained his place in the team, and Jesus has still racked up an admirable haul of eight goals and eight assists, Zinchenko has seen his stock plummet, and as a result, it might be time for the club to move on from him.

Oleksandr Zinchenko's Arsenal career

Zinchenko completed his £32m transfer to Arsenal from Manchester City in July 2022 and immediately replaced Kieran Tierney as the Gunners' first-choice left-back.

Zinchenko vs Tierney 22/23

Player

Zinchenko

Tierney

Appearances

33

36

Starts

28

15

Goals

1

1

Assists

2

2

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In his first season with the club, the Ukrainian made 33 appearances, of which 28 were starts, while the Scotsman made just 15 starts in his 36 appearances, and had the former City ace not been injured for 20 games, he likely would've started many more.

It was his ability to play as "one of the most central players", per Tierney, that saw the Radomyshl-born ace become the club's go-to left-back last season, which shouldn't have come as a surprise as it was Arteta who helped transform the 27-year-old from a central player into a full-back during their time together at City.

However, for all the attacking options he brought to the team, the left-footed ace was frequently exposed at the back.

Liverpool's equalising goal at Anfield last year came from his mistake when defending against Trent Alexander Arnold, and while the manager persevered with his signing at the start of this season, the writing was on the wall.

Yet again, Zinchenko made another big mistake away at Anfield, with Mohamed Salah's equalising goal resulting from his poor defending, so much so that Gary Neville labelled him a "liability."

Since the turn of the year, Arteta has favoured Jakub Kiwior over the former City man and with Takehiro Tomiyasu seemingly back to full fitness and Jurrien Timber likely to play a significant role next year, he'll fall even further down the pecking order.

Starts since the turn of the year

Player

Starts

Oleksandr Zinchenko

6

Jakub Kiwior

11

All Stats via Transfermarkt

So, with his valuation collapsing as well, it's probably time the club cashed in while they still can.

Oleksandr Zinchenko's valuation in 2024

According to CIES Football Observatory, Zinchenko is worth just €20m, which converts to around £17m, or £15m less than the club paid for his services less than two years ago.

Valuations of Arsenal's 2022/23 signings

Place

Player

Valuations

Original Fee

Position

1

Gabriel Jesus

€80m (£69m)

£45m

LW/ST

2

Leandro Trossard

€40m (£34m)

£27m

LW/ST

3

Jakub Kiwior

€30m (£26m)

£20m

LB/CB

4

Oleksandr Zinchenko

€20m (£17m)

£32m

LB

5

Fabio Vieira

€10m (£9m)

£34m

AM/RW/LW

6

Jorginho

€5m (£4m)

£12m

DM/CM

All Valuations via the CIES Football Observatory

This new valuation also means he is now only the fourth most valuable player that the club signed in the 2022/23 season who is still at the club, ahead of the 32-year-old Jorginho and Fabio Vieira.

As if that wasn't bad enough, he's now also worth substantially less than Saliba, who was integrated into the team simultaneously, with CIES valuing the Frenchman at €100m, which is around £86m.

That means the 23-year-old is worth a whopping £69m more than his defensive teammate, or in other words, the Ukraine international is now worth just 14% of the former Saint-Etienne star's current value.

That might sound excessive, but Saliba has really established himself in the team this year, starting 100% of league and Champions League games while being named in both Jamie Carragher and Neville's team of the season on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football this week – stick that one on your mantlepiece, William.

Ultimately, while Zinchenko helped to propel Arsenal up the table and into a genuine title fight last year, his lacklustre performances this season and declining importance to the team have seen his valuation understandably tumble.

So, if the Gunners can find a buyer, they should cut their losses and let the former City ace leave this summer before his value drops further.

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Newcastle United have entered the race to sign "one of the best defenders in the world" at the moment, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies have made some superb signings in recent years, with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak really kick-starting this new era and cementing Tyneside as a viable destination for top level talent.

A number of players have been linked with summer moves to Newcastle recently, with defensive, midfield and attacking signings all being looked at. Few individuals have been backed to head to St James' Park more often than Amadou Onana of late, and the Magpies are believed to be among the favourites to acquire the Everton star's signature.

Miguel Amiron is expected to leave Newcastle at the end of the season, and Irfan Can Kahveci has emerged as an option to come in for him. He has 19 goal contributions (12 goals and seven assists) in 22 Turkish Super Lig starts this season, invariably shining in a right-sided attacking role for Fenerbahce.

Eddie Howe could need further midfielder reinforcements if Bruno ends up leaving St James' this summer – that remains up in the air, as things stand – and Leicester City ace Wilfried Ndidi is a target for the Magpies, having helped the Foxes secure promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

Newcastle want one of world's top defenders

According to Mundo Deportivo, Newcastle have joined the race to sign Barcelona defender Jules Kounde, but a host of clubs are keen on snapping him up. The likes of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United are all mentioned as potential suitors for the Frenchman, who is contracted at Barca until the summer of 2027.

Kounde stands out as a wonderful option for Newcastle with the summer window around the corner, even though he is reportedly keen on remaining at his current club for the time being. The France international started in his country's 2022 World Cup final defeat to Argentina, featuring in six matches in the competition and starting five of them.

Barca manager Xavi has heaped praise on him: "He was one of the transfers that I asked for. He’s one of the best defenders in the world right now. Stopping Mbappé was a collective effort. Kounde did amazing against Mbappé but Lamine [Yamal] also helped him a lot."

One of the biggest positives about Newcastle signing Kounde is not only would they be bringing in an elite defender, but his versatility allows him to excel as both a centre-back and a right-back.

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ByHenry Jackson May 6, 2024

At 25, the Barca man is also still relatively young, meaning he wouldn't be arriving as a quick fix, and he could provide cover in two key positions, making up for the long-term injury absence of Sven Botman and also acting as a possible successor to Kieran Trippier in the process.