Tottenham are believed to be at the front of a queue for one of Europe’s most exciting strikers as we slowly head into the January transfer window, according to a new report.

Tottenham poised for active January after attacking struggles

Spurs’ struggles this season have exposed a glaring deficiency that threatens to derail their campaign — the absence of a reliable, clinical striker capable of converting chances on a regular-enough basis.

As January approaches, manager Thomas Frank faces mounting pressure to address what has become the most pressing issue hampering Spurs’ progress.

Since the start of 25/26, they’ve registered the second-lowest rate of shots on goal out of every Premier League team, and currently sit 17th in the division for expected goals per game.

25/26 Premier League

Spurs

League rank

xG

11.0

17th

Non-penalty xG

11.0

16th

Progressive passes

413

12th

Shots

110

19th

Shots on target

40

15th

Average shot distance

15.6 yards

17th

Stats via FBref

Their lack of attacking edge was on display for all to see during Spurs’ 4-1 defeat to North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday, with the Lilywhites barely managing to lay a glove on the home side, barring Richarlison’s out-of-this-world lob from the half-way line.

Dominic Solanke’s persistent injury troubles have crippled Tottenham’s forward line since pre-season.

The England international underwent ‘minor ankle surgery’ in October and has managed just 47 minutes of football all campaign, depriving Frank of his primary goalscoring outlet.

The absence of Tottenham’s club-record signing has left a massive void that nobody has adequately filled. His latest setback follows multiple injury problems throughout last season, with the 28-year-old’s record proving a major concern for Frank.

This, combined with Randal Kolo Muani’s own fitness problems, Richarlison’s inconsistency and Mathys Tel’s rumoured unrest, means that Spurs have been repeatedly linked with a new centre-forward.

One of their chief targets, according to multiple reports, is FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa.

The young Spaniard is being targeted by Spurs ahead of the January window, alongside the likes of Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who has reportedly held direct talks with Frank over a move to London in the winter.

Aghehowa was once close to joining Chelsea in 2024 before he pulled out of the move to Stamford Bridge, and that decision has paid dividends.

The 21-year-old has scored 36 goals in 60 total appearances in all competitions since the start of last season, with Aghehowa now having his pick of Premier League suitors ahead of 2026.

Tottenham lead Chelsea, Newcastle and Arsenal in race for Samu Aghehowa

According to CaughtOffside and journalist Mark Brus, Tottenham are currently leading the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle in the race for Aghehowa as they show the strongest interest.

This follows a report from Tuesday that Spurs are prepared to strike a deal for the forward as early as January, but Porto apparently won’t budge on his £88 million release clause.

The former Deportivo Alaves sensation, who Brus describes as ‘one of the most exciting young strikers in the game’ right now, has also been revered as a ‘madman’ number nine by other members of the press.

Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, Spurs’ new co-sporting director duo, could have more funds to play with in January thanks to the Lewis family trust’s recent £100 million capital injection.

Some of these funds could be reinvested into their recruitment drive, and the signing of Aghehowa would certainly be a mid-season statement in Frank’s hunt for silverware and a top four finish.

Both teams went through the Qualifier, and have a 2-2 record against each other in the last four matches

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Oct-20252:16

Will Pakistan improve their poor record at the World Cup?

Big picture: Bangladesh’s first ODI in five monthsIn the last four ODI meetings between Bangladesh and Pakistan, both sides have won two matches each. To underscore just how evenly matched they seem to be, one of those Bangladesh wins went into a Super Over. These teams also trod similar paths to this World Cup, having played in the World Cup Qualifier in Pakistan, earlier this year. When they met in Lahore, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin and Aliya Riyaz had all contributed in a successful chase of 179.And it is those three batters that shape as a significant strength for Pakistan, as they enter the World Cup proper. All three are in decent touch, having also contributed good scores in the series against South Africa – Amin hit two hundreds – over the past two weeks. Amin, in fact, is the fifth-highest scorer in ODIs this year, averaging 86.33 in this format, though at a relatively sedate strike rate of 70.95. Muneeba, meanwhile, averages 43 across eight innings this year, and Riaz 50 across seven. Many of those runs came against lower-ranked opposition in the Qualifier, however. Thus, they must now dust off similar performances at the pinnacle event.Bangladesh, meanwhile, enter the World Cup perhaps wondering if they are a little underdone. They have had no ODI cricket since that final in Lahore, more than five months ago, in April. Although they beat Ireland 3-0 at home at the end of last year, and comfortably saw off Scotland, Thailand and Ireland at the Qualifier, they lost two matches out of three against West Indies before that.Related

Devine lauds NZ's fighting spirit on 'physically and mentally draining' day

Gardner upstages Devine as Australia kick off with a win

Through loss and leadership, Fatima Sana finds her way forward

Bangladesh Women's coach suffers minor stroke at World Cup

Bangladesh’s traditional strength has been their bowling, but they also feel they have some batting depth this year. In addition to Nigar Sultana, who has been consistent for some time, they have also been getting contributions from top-order batter Sharmin Akhter, who averages 50.85 across eight innings this year.Sultana’s team does have an additional trial this World Cup, however. Their coach Sarwar Imran suffered a minor stroke in Colombo on Monday. Sultana said he was on the path to recovery, and that she had spoken to him on Tuesday. But his focus will be on recovery for the foreseeable future.Form guide
Pakistan: WLLWW
Bangladesh: LLWWW2:30

Sultana: Batting has been our main concern

In the spotlight: Nigar Sultana and Fatima SanaHer team has crept in under the radar into this World Cup, but Nigar Sultana is having a rich year with the bat so far. In eight innings in 2025, she has four fifty-plus scores, including a 101 off 80 balls against Thailand in the World Cup Qualifier. Sultana didn’t quite get going in the warm-up matches in Colombo, but Bangladesh will likely need runs from their captain if they are to make headway in this tournament.All things considered, Fatima Sana has a tough job over the next week in particular. But she has got one major thing going for her – bowling form. She has 12 wickets at an average of 23.75 in 2025, with an economy rate of 4.92. Sana had been modest in the series at home against South Africa, but bounced back strongly in the warm-ups in Colombo (where Pakistan play all their matches), returning figures of 1 for 30 and 1 for 21, in addition to hitting 64 against South Africa.Pitch and conditions: Expect moisture in the pitchThe match surfaces at Khettarama haven’t been tried yet. But given the amount of rain around in the week before this match – the monsoon might be starting – expect a little moisture in the surface early. Showers could interrupt, but the general trend in the last few weeks is that the rain passes quickly, which should allow for a match, however shortened, to take place.Against Bangladesh, Pakistan could promote Sidra Amin up the order•Associated PressTeam newsBangladesh tried various combinations in the warm-ups. If they decide they want a second frontline seamer, Fariha Trisna might be the option they go for.Bangladesh (possible): 1 Farqana Hoque, 2 Rubya Haider, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Sobhana Mostary, 5 Nigar Sultana (capt, wk), 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Sumaiya Akter, 8 Fahima Khatun, 9 Jannatul Ferdus, 10 Rabeya Khan, 11 Marufa AkterPakistan won their most recent ODI, against South Africa last week. They might go with the same XI, although there could be a promotion up the order for Sidra Amin.Pakistan (possible): 1 Muneeba Ali, 2 Omaima Sohail, 3 Sidra Amin, 4 Fatima Sana (capt), 5 Natalia Pervaiz, 6 Eyman Fatima, 7 Sidra Khan (wk), 8 Syeda Aroob Shah, 9 Diana Baig, 10 Rameen Shamim, 11 Nashra SandhuStats and trivia Nigar Sultana has played more ODIs against Pakistan (11) than against any other opposition aside from South Africa. She has two half-centuries in ten innings against Pakistan. Bangladesh and Pakistan have won exactly eight ODIs against each other. Sana has played 49 ODIs, but this will be her first in Sri Lanka.Quotes”Recently, our coach Junaid has worked on reverse swing with me and Diana Baig. We will try to stick to what worked at the Qualifiers for us. We were successful in the Qualifiers because we had picked up wickets in the middle overs.”
“For a long time, our batting has been the main concern. The bowlers have been spot on every game, and the fielders was also doing well. We talked about it. We have the potential – why aren’t we able to capitalise and go for big innings? We’ve been working hard as a batting unit. We’ve been focusing on the strike rates.”

Rahul Dravid playing the lead as India beat Australia in Adelaide back in 2003 or Rangana Herath battling aches and pains to conquer India in Galle in 2015?

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The AUS-IND 2003 Adelaide Test moves into the quarter-finals.Dravid conquers Adelaide – Adelaide 2003It was Kolkata 2001 all over again, except the support act took over the lead role this time.Instead of 445, Australia scored 556 batting first here, with Ricky Ponting hitting 242 at a strike rate of 68.75. But unlike their 171 in Kolkata, India scored 523, keeping the match on an even keel, and it was the Rahul Dravid-VVS Laxman partnership for the fifth wicket, worth 303 runs, that made it possible. Here, Dravid scored 233 from No. 3, and Laxman 148 from No. 6. Their batting positions another change from Kolkata.Australia’s second innings was a letdown; all they got was 196, setting India 230 to win, and the star of the show, which gave India the upper hand, was Ajit Agarkar, whose 6 for 41 thwarted Australia.Dravid had scored that many in the first innings alone, but this time he only had to make 72, hitting the winning runs when he cut Stuart MacGill through the off-side infield. It remains one of India’s great victories in Australia, achieved at a time when they didn’t come as often as they have since.Herath chokes India – Galle, 2015
In the opening match of the series in Galle, India needed only 153 to win with nine wickets in hand at the start of the fourth day. A rearguard by Dinesh Chandimal, who followed up his 59 in the first innings with a 162 not out in the second, had given Sri Lanka a second-innings total of 367, and set India a target of 176 – they had taken a sizeable first-innings lead.The in-transition Sri Lanka turned to their veteran Rangana Herath, who was struggling with sore knees and a dodgy back. And Sri Lanka made the target look much bigger than what it was as they choked the life out of India’s chase.They made India work hard for every run on a turning pitch, and India couldn’t get past the then 37-year old Herath and young offspinner Tharindu Kaushal, as they folded for their lowest total against Sri Lanka. The only form of resistance after Shikhar Dhawan fell for 28 came from Ajinkya Rahane, who made 36 and was the penultimate man to fall with India at 102 for 9. India could add only ten more as they folded for 112.Herath finished with 7 for 48, as Sri Lanka won by 63 runs in a memorable start to Kumar Sangakkara’s farewell series.

CA said the incident occurred when the players were walking to a cafe on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2025

Two Australian players were “touched inappropriately” by a motorcyclist in Indore, where they played South Africa in their final league game of the Women’s World Cup on Saturday. The incident occurred while the players were walking to a cafe on Thursday, the morning after Australia’s victory against England in Indore.”CA can confirm two members of the Australian Women’s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a cafe in Indore,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. “The matter was reported by team security to police, who are handling the matter.”Rajesh Dandotiya, the additional district commissioner of police, Indore crime branch, said they had made an arrest. “The security in-charge manager of the Australian team registered a complaint about inappropriate behaviour against two players. We carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit, Aqeel. He belongs to Khajrana but now lives in Azad Nagar. He has an old criminal record.”The Indore Police Commissionerate held a meeting with the stakeholders, BCCI and MPCA, after which security protocols were put in place. We are examining where the security protocol was breached. The incident happened on October 23 around 11am and within the next six hours, we carried out an intensive strategic operation and arrested the culprit. The incident happened when they were headed to a cafe from hotel Radisson.”Devajit Saikia, BCCI secretary, described the incident as “very condemnable” and assured to “revisit our safety protocols if required.”The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) said in a statement that it was “deeply pained and shocked by the disturbing incident of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour with two players from the Australian Women’s Cricket Team in Indore. No woman should ever have to endure such trauma, and our thoughts and support are with those impacted by this distressing incident. This unfortunate event has deeply affected everyone from MPCA who cherishes the values of respect, safety, and dignity of women. It is truly inspiring to see the players rise above this painful experience and continue to compete with courage and determination, carrying the pride of their nation on their shoulders in the match against South Africa.”Over the years, Indore has earned a proud reputation as a safe venue for the visiting teams and dignitaries from other fields. It is deeply painful that the disorderly action of one individual has caused such harm and cast a shadow over the city’s image. As the host, MPCA extends sincere apologies to the Australian Women’s team for this deeply distressing and unfortunate incident while in our city known for safety, grace, and hospitality.”Australia ended the league stage on top of the World Cup points table and will play India in the second semi-final on October 30 in Navi Mumbai. South Africa will travel to Guwahati to play England in the first semi-final on October 29.

West Indies head coach Daren Sammy was critical of his bowlers after they lost 2-1 to Bangladesh in the ODI series. Sammy expressed his disappointment at West Indies spinners’ inability to take advantage of pitches that were unusually dark and cracked, and offered variable bounce.Bangladesh’s spinners outbowled West Indies’, taking 27 wickets at an average of 14.66 and economy rate of 3.80. In comparison, the West Indies spinners took 18 wickets at an average of 30.05 and economy rate of 4.39. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and allrounder Roston Chase had disappointing numbers, with even part-timer Alick Athanaze returning better figures than them in the second ODI.Related

• Report – Bangladesh seal rare series win

• Saif and Soumya show mindset to rise above conditions

• Litton Das returns to lead Bangladesh's T20I squad

• Akeal Hosein's Dhaka adventure

Khary Pierre and Akeal Hosein, both coming back to the ODI set-up after long gaps, fared better too. Hosein’s four-wicket haul in the third ODI was West Indies’ only bowling highlight in the series.”[The positive in the ODI series was] probably the batting of Shai Hope – how he continues to put the team on his back every time he faces a challenge,” Sammy said. “He is a leader. He puts the team on his back, but I am really disappointed in the way we bowled. You come to Bangladesh and you know spinners should be licking their lips. That’s the area where you will get to execute your plans and in the most favorable conditions for you. What we displayed over the last three games was very poor, not consistent enough.”Though the conditions were stacked in favour of the spinners, Sammy was all for home advantage.”I will tell you this, I always want to ask for home advantage,” Sammy said. “I can’t tell the Bangladesh team or the authorities what wicket to prepare. I focus on my team having the skillset to counteract whatever comes when they are playing away.”This series was very important for both teams. You are supposed to do what you have to do to win at home. That’s the most important thing. Whether that affects your development going outside of Bangladesh, that’s on them. I just thought my players just didn’t play well throughout the series.”Daren Sammy inspects the Dhaka pitch•AFP/Getty Images

He was also concerned by West Indies’ fielding. “We were poor in all three disciplines,” Sammy said. “I think we dropped six catches. Two didn’t go to hand and one was too wide. We were poor in all the departments today.”Sammy, though, was pleased with Hosein’s return. Back in the ODI team after two years, as a replacement player, Hosein picked up six wickets in two games at an average of 13.66 and economy rate of 4.10.”Massive kudos to Akeal in the manner in which he came up,” Sammy said. “In a team where you have three left-arm spinners and a guy who’s been out for the last two years coming in and outshine them, yes there’s a place for competition.”That’s what you want in a team. You don’t want to select guys because they have nobody else to replace them. You want to select guys because they have competition, and what Akeal did in this series is definitely going to challenge some of the guys who’ve been there.”

Manchester United are fighting to bring a talented Premier League star to Old Trafford and may face a straight shootout with Manchester City and Arsenal for his services.

Ruben Amorim looks ahead to Crystal Palace vs Man Utd

There has been plenty of noise at Old Trafford following Manchester United’s bitter defeat to Everton on Monday night, something supporters will hope can be rectified when their side take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this Sunday.

More than anything, a lack of penetration going forward led to a subdued atmosphere as proceedings rolled on, albeit Ruben Amorim has now urged his side to improve as they look to get back to winning ways against the Eagles.

He said in his pre-match press conference: “They are a different club (Crystal Palace) and they are doing things better than us so that is quite simple.

“We play in a different way and they are just doing things better than us. They are doing things really well and they play more in transition than us. We have to look at all of these things when we compare our teams but of course, in every position, we can do so much better.”

Shades of McTominay: Man Utd star is now their "most underrated player"

Manchester United now have a player who has certainly gone under the radar over the last couple of months.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 28, 2025

Looking ahead to January, Wolverhampton Wanderers star Andre could answer the Manchester United call for a midfielder, though it would be naive to think that is the only area of the field Amorim wants to bolster ahead of the run-in.

With that in mind, the Red Devils and INEOS have put themselves in a direct fight with the elite to sign an England international who is becoming an interesting commodity in the Premier League.

Man Utd eyeing move for Newcastle's Tino Livramento

According to CaughtOffside, Manchester United are keen on Newcastle United star Tino Livramento, and they could rival both Arsenal and Manchester City to land the England right-back.

The outlet shed some light on the situation, which read: “City would love to sign Livramento in January. That currently looks unlikely, but it could be a major saga next summer, when we can also expect United and Arsenal to come into the conversation.”

Capable of playing in either full-back position, Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle, scoring once and registering three assists in total.

Fresh back from his latest injury setback, he is valued at around the £80 million mark by the Magpies and could be tempted by the possibility of switching clubs, even if he isn’t exactly agitating for a move elsewhere.

Manchester United have begun to improve under Amorim and will hope they stand a fighting chance of completing a deal. Nevertheless, they may need to fend off some stiff competition to land their man, who is coincidentally six matches unbeaten against the Red Devils.

Arne Slot is not only facing an uphill battle to save Liverpool's season, but also his job. That is a sentence no Liverpool supporter would have imagined reading barely six months on from seeing the Dutchman deliver the club's second Premier League title, and yet it is no exaggeration. The Reds have plummeted to 11th in the table after losing six of their first 12 games in the 2025-26 campaign, which leaves them a whopping 11 points behind early pace-setters Arsenal already.

It's easy to forget now that Liverpool ended September three points clear at the summit, but a 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace marked the beginning of an unprecedented downturn. Slot's men have only picked up three points from their last seven matches, with a 3-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest marking their latest setback, and look like a shadow of the team that dominated the division last term.

Despite a record-breaking £450 million ($589m) spend in the summer transfer window, Liverpool have gone backwards. New faces such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have all failed to make an impact, and their presence, along with the departure of academy talisman Trent Alexander-Arnold, has upset the balance of Slot's line up. The tragic death of Diogo Jota has also clearly taken its toll on the other players who were so instrumental to the club's 2024-25 success.

Liverpool can take a sliver of hope from Manchester United, who were only one point better off at this stage but went on to defend their crown in 1996-97. However, the Red Devils' final haul of 75 points remains the lowest-ever for any Premier League champions. A closer look at the history books suggests that the Reds won't be able to claw back Arsenal, or even come back to mount any kind of challenge.

The reality is, it will now take a monumental effort for them to avoid joining the list of the worst Premier League title defences ever. Below, GOAL has ranked the six teams that regressed furthest after lifting the hallowed trophy…

Getty6Liverpool 2020-21

The Liverpool faithful actually experienced a similar situation after celebrating their maiden Premier League triumph. Jurgen Klopp's side amassed 99 points to win the title in 2019-20, finishing 18 points ahead of Manchester City. However, they reached just 69 the following season after an injury-plagued year that saw the majority of games played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That was only enough for third place, with City regaining their crown at the canter ahead of Manchester United.

Klopp had to make do without key players such as Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Mohamed Salah for lengthy periods, and Liverpool completely unravelled after the festive period. Burnley ended the Reds' 68-game unbeaten run at Anfield on January 21, 2021, which started a miserable run of six successive home defeats.

Liverpool were down in eighth by March, and although they won eight of their final 10 games to qualify for the Champions League, including a memorable victory over West Brom that saw goalkeeper Alisson head in a stoppage-time goal, it wasn't enough to paper over the cracks of a disappointing campaign. The Reds' misery was compounded by a shocking 7-2 drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa and a 4-1 loss to Man City, the latter of which prompted United legend Roy Keane to dub Klopp's flops as "bad champions" on . 

AdvertisementGetty Images5Blackburn Rovers 1995-96

Blackburn Rovers' rise from second division strugglers to champions of England is one of the greatest Premier League stories of all time, and their swift fall is among the saddest. Ray Harford had a huge job on his hands to follow the act of Kenny Dalglish, who resigned from his managerial post after masterminding the club's glorious 1994-95 campaign, but few could have predicted Rovers would start a new era in such abject fashion.

Blackburn were down in 17th just six games into the new season, with a 3-0 defeat at Liverpool effectively ending their title defence. Consistency would continue to prove elusive for Harford, whose lowest point came after a 5-0 thrashing by Coventry City in December. He did gradually turn things around thereafter as Blackburn only suffered five more losses en route to a seventh-placed finish, but the damage was already done.

That was not enough to secure European football for another year and Alan Shearer's head was subsequently turned by Newcastle. Blackburn sold their top scorer off to St James' Park for a British-record fee, before falling to 13th in the table the following season. In the end, Rovers were nothing more than a flash in the pan.

Getty Images Sport4Leicester City 2016-17

Leicester City eclipsed Blackburn's fairy-tale story by clinching the Premier League trophy as 5000-1 underdogs in 2015-16, which gave beloved manager Claudio Ranieri legendary status at the King Power Stadium. But the euphoria didn't last long; the Foxes suffered a major hangover, partly due to the sale of star midfielder N'Golo Kante, and were only six points clear of the relegation zone in 15th by the end of 2016.

They fell to 17th by mid-February, and Ranieri was ruthlessly sacked. Former Leicester striker Gary Lineker described that decision as "unforgivable", but the Italian's temporary replacement, Craig Shakespeare, immediately galvanised the team. He won all of his first five games and guided the Foxes to a comeback victory over Sevilla in the last-16 of the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid ousted Leicester in the quarter-finals, but they eventually climbed to 12th in the Premier League to beat the drop. Statistically, though, it was by some distance the worst title defence ever, and a 6-1 loss to Tottenham at the King Power in their penultimate game summed up a turbulent year that saw supporters' dreams give way to nightmares.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Hulton Archive3Leeds United 1992-93

Leeds were not technically defending the Premier League title in 1992-93, because that was the season the old First Division was rebranded, but they still started the campaign as English champions, and thus cannot escape the ignominy of a place on this list. The Whites capitalised on Liverpool's implosion to top the table in 1991-92, led by hotshot striker Lee Chapman and winter signing Eric Cantona, the latter of whom also scored a hat-trick in a 4-3 Charity Shield victory over the Reds that August.

But Howard Wilkinson's side only won three of their opening 10 Premier League games in the new season, and Cantona departed for Manchester United in November after boycotting training and handing in a transfer request. His arrival at Old Trafford propelled the Red Devils to their first domestic crown in 26 years, while Leeds descended into a full-blown crisis without their star man.

The Whites did not win a single away game all season, and finished 17th in the table of 22 teams, just two points clear of the relegation places. They lost 15 of their 42 fixtures and conceded 62 goals, the joint-fifth worst defensive record in the league. Supporters invaded the pitch after a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Coventry on the final day, but more out of relief that the pain was finally over.

It was a fall from grace for the ages, and to make matters worse, Leeds were also knocked out of the Champions League second round in a 'Battle of Britain' clash against Rangers. 

Manchester United’s work in the transfer market over the last couple of months has been hugely directed towards the central midfield department to bolster the options at Ruben Amorim’s disposal.

Other areas of the pitch have previously been improved by the hierarchy, with the attacking department transformed during the summer transfer window.

Over £200m was spent on new talent in the final third, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko tasked with leading the Red Devils up the Premier League table in 2025/26.

A new goalkeeper was also firmly on the agenda, but Senne Lammens’ arrival from Royal Antwerp has ended the need for added reinforcements between the sticks.

As a result, the midfield department remains the last one that needs work conducting to it, which has seen various players being touted with a move to Old Trafford in January.

The latest on Man Utd’s hunt for a new midfielder in January

Elliot Anderson has been United’s most talked-about target over the last couple of days, with the Englishman firmly in their sights ahead of the January window.

The 23-year-old has starred for Nottingham Forest over the last couple of months, even becoming a full England international as a result of his tremendous rise to stardom.

However, Amorim’s side have been quoted a fee in the region of £100m for his signature at present, but it’s unclear if the hierarchy would be willing to pay such a fee in the winter window.

He’s not the only player in their sights at present, with Portuguese international Ruben Neves a player they’re considering, according to one Spanish outlet.

Their report claims that the Red Devils have already made an approach to Al Hilal over a deal for the 28-year-old, who wants to return to the Premier League after previously playing for Wolves.

It also states that Newcastle United are also in the race for his signature, but the player hasn’t currently given his preference over which team he would want to join this winter.

How Ruben Neves compares to Elliot Anderson

Given his displays in the Premier League this season, many United fans will have Anderson as their top target this January – especially after his display against them earlier this month.

The 23-year-old featured for the entire contest at the City Ground, creating three chances and completing 100% of the dribbles he attempted – subsequently showcasing his talents in possession.

Without the ball, he was just as impressive, as seen by his 100% tackle success rate and 14 recoveries made – with the latter the highest of any player on the pitch.

He’s featured in every minute of the Premier League campaign for the Reds to date, undoubtedly being one of their key men, with the £100m price tag reflecting his importance to Sean Dyche’s men.

The Red Devils will have to match such a few to prise him away, but the hierarchy will no doubt be targeting other alternatives to try and improve the midfield department.

Neves is just one player who is on their radar, with the 28-year-old potentially offering a more experienced and cheaper option for Amorim’s current squad.

He made 177 appearances for Wolves before his switch to join Al Hilal, but could be available for as little as £20m this summer, with the player himself open to a return to England.

His stats from the Saudi Pro League this season showcase his talents, certainly backing up the praise he’s received from one analyst in the last few years.

Neves has completed 91% of the passes he’s attempted, subsequently creating 1.4 chances per 90 – which has led Raj Chohan to label him as “the most underrated player in world football”.

The former Wolves star has also averaged 97 touches per 90 this season, whilst being dispossessed zero times in his eight league appearances this campaign – further showcasing his talents in possession.

Without the ball, Neves has been just as impressive in recent months, subsequently winning 59% of his duels per 90, whilst also making 5.1 recoveries per 90 at present.

His box-to-box nature could allow Amorim’s men to finally end their pursuit for a new number six, which could see Anderson sounded out until the summer at least.

Neves’ Portuguese compatriot Bruno Fernandes is already one of the starting midfielders in the squad, with the pair able to take the club to the next level if they can replicate their success at international level.

Casemiro 2.0: Man Utd make £79m bid for "one of the best DMs on the planet"

Man Utd’s midfield could be improved grealty with this signing

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 20, 2025

Richard Hughes was rightly lauded after overseeing a staggering summer transfer window for Premier League champions Liverpool, but any positivity has been scourged away by the dreadful form that has fractured Arne Slot’s reign.

Nine losses across 12 fixtures is bad enough, but the limp and toothless manner of many of the defeats – especially recent losses at Anfield against Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League – underscores the severity of the crisis Slot is dealing with.

He needs to find answers, or else FSG will be forced into making a rare managerial dismissal. It’s inevitable that discussion is increasing about the security of Slot’s position.

That would be an outcome few of a Red persuasion would want, not least because of a shortage of options.

Jurgen Klopp’s name has been bandied about, but this is not realistic.

Who Liverpool could replace Slot with

Klopp draped the curtain on his Liverpool dynasty at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. He was tired. It had been a tough, gruelling, heavy metal career on Merseyside, where he had devoted nine years to restoring Anfield as a global superpower.

Premier League

1x

19/20

Champions League

1x

18/19

FA Cup

1x

21/22

Carabao Cup

2x

21/22, 23/24

Club World Cup

1x

19/20

UEFA Super Cup

1x

19/20

Community Shield

1x

22/23

There has been some discussion online as to whether FSG should push for a comeback, but this romanticised notion would fall flat.

Klopp is not the answer. His quasi-retirement has seen him assume the post of Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, and it’s important to remember that the German tactician’s tactical shrewdness waned toward the end of his tenure. He was tired, after all.

But, if Slot is fired, Liverpool would need to find a replacement, and Spanish sources suggest Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola is on the shortlist.

Iraola, 43, is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe, having shaped the Cherries into a front-footed and sharp attacking outfit.

Compensation pay would be required to pull him away from the Vitality Stadium, but given Iraola’s vision aligns with the club’s long-term project, he might be the one to go for.

Why Iraola could be perfect for Liverpool

It was a bold move for Bournemouth to ditch Gary O’Neil after the pragmatic manager steered the club to safety after promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23. A bold move, but one carried out with diligence, for Iraola was earmarked as a progressive option.

And Bill Foley must be delighted. In 2023/24, Bournemouth recorded a record points total (56) in the Premier League, leading​ journalist James Horncastle to hail him as “the best coach in the Premier League” for his sharp-witted and positive approach.

Iraola likes aggressive and high-octane football. He is not as turbo-charged in his approach as Klopp, but the Spaniard would infuse Liverpool with more risk-taking and directness than Slot prefers, albeit still maintaining an emphasis on retaining possession.

This could play to the strengths of Florian Wirtz, who has had a tough time since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m in the summer.

A silky and inventive attacking midfielder, the German has yet to register a goal involvement in the Premier League and has lacked the clarity and poise that was expected after the thrill of his official announcement.

There remains a world-class talent in there, and Wirtz’s woes come with the caveat that he has entered a dysfunctional tactical system.

Iraola’s focus on a 4-2-3-1 formation suggests that the 22-year-old could find a natural place at number ten. As per FBref, he does rank among the top 11% of positional peers in the English top flight this term for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

This suggests that Wirtz has the potential to be a superstar in England, and Iraola can provide the stability and fluency of tactics to help realise that.

He might not be Klopp, but Iraola has labelled his tactics as being akin to “rock and roll”. Klopp’s famous branding of his vision as being ‘heavy metal football’ suggests that Liverpool might hit the jackpot by making this switch.

No one wants to see Slot be sacked, but this pitiful form and level of performance cannot be allowed to continue, and Iraola has the acumen to revive Wirtz and bring the champions back into the ascendancy.

Better than Isak: Liverpool join race for "one of the best RWs in the world"

Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure is crumbling before him, and FSG are considering changes.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

Though just two international matches old, Rhys Mariu has given enough evidence of being a good fit for the highest level

Deivarayan Muthu23-Aug-2025Rhys Mariu was a run machine at the 2024-25 Plunket Shield, churning out 747 runs in 11 innings at an average of 74.70 for Canterbury.The 23-year-old Mariu’s remarkable consistency earned him a New Zealand ODI debut against Pakistan towards the end of the previous home summer. In his second match, he made a fairly smooth transition into top-flight cricket with 58 off 61 balls in Mount Maunganui.Mariu has always had the potential – he was New Zealand’s highest run-getter in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup. More mature now, he has found a method to pile on the runs in red-ball cricket too.Related

• Dale Phillips learns to stop worrying and start living

• Tim Southee is enjoying the player/coach transition

• Men's Ford Trophy to kick off NZ domestic calendar again

“I think I found a good formula for batting last season,” Mariu told ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of a camp at the Chennai Super Kings Academy in Chennai in June. “Obviously, with cricket you go through patches of scoring runs and not scoring runs. But I think I just found a good base and sort of worked through that and managed to find some success through that.”Then it was just about staying level, I guess. I was understanding that I’m not always going to be scoring lots of runs, so just trying to stay consistent with it even if it’s not successful. But at that time, I was lucky that it went well.”Mariu credits mental-skills coach John Quinn, who has also worked with Rugby NZ and Black Sticks Men (hockey team), for his success in the previous season.”Yeah, I think it’s mainly down to my mental routines and all that I’ve been working on,” Mariu said. “I work closely with John Quinn back home – a mental skills coach – and he’s really helped me sort of find a routine that I can repeat, and it just keeps me consistent. And when I am tired or things are changing, then I can just go back to that. It’s helped me play long innings as well.”Rhys Mariu hones his skills at the Super Kings Academy•Super Kings AcademyMariu hails from a cricketing family. His father Marcus and older brother Josh represented Canterbury at the Hawke Cup level. When he was younger, Mariu had even operated the manual scoreboard for Canterbury matches at Rangiora’s Mainpower Oval. Years later, he’s troubling the scorers with his prolific batting for Canterbury.”Dad played a little bit and it’s good playing with my brother,” Mariu said. “Obviously, I sort of just followed him [his father] in terms of choices to play cricket, but I was always [watching cricket] on TV and playing in the backyard, so it was good fun.”We would just sit up on the balcony and spend most of the day, especially four-dayers, just watching games and putting the numbers and names up, which was cool at the time. We just got paid 50 bucks a day [for operating the scoreboard], but it was just really good fun spending days with him [my brother] and some of our mates would also come down.”Like most New Zealanders, Mariu played a lot of sports while growing up, cycling through cricket, rugby, football and hockey. He believes that his hockey background has had a positive effect on his cricket.

“At this camp, I’ve worked on hitting straight, which is what I wanted to do coming over here […] Just keeping everything a bit more square-on and finding ways of hitting down the ground. So, that’s been the main work here”Rhys Mariu on the experience in Chennai

“Yeah, I think I’ve always been decent at sweeping just because I think that comes from playing hockey at school. That [sweep] has always come naturally to me.”Given his long reach and strong base, there are shades of Daryl Mitchell in Mariu, especially when he sweeps and reverse-sweeps. It was only fitting that Mitchell had handed Mariu his maiden international cap.”Yeah, it was pretty special with Daz presenting me that,” Mariu said. “He’s been really, really helpful with Canterbury and then making the jump up. He’s always let me know that if I have any questions or need anything, I can go to him. So, it’s nice having someone like that in your corner.”Mariu’s golden run last season included a career-best 240 in just his ninth game for Canterbury and first as captain, against Central Districts at Saxton Oval. His mammoth score led Canterbury to a ten-wicket win.”Yeah, it was a decent CD attack,” Mariu recalled. “I think the conditions were sort of in the favour of the batting team on those couple of days. And I think we just found good partners through that. Like, [Matt] Boyle was really helpful. He obviously had a hell of a knock there as well [116 from No. 4]. It was a young team and there was a really good vibe around for the whole week. Things just sort of fell into place in that game.””I think I’ve always been decent at sweeping just because I think that comes from playing hockey at school”•Getty ImagesMariu, however, wasn’t satisfied. He’s always hungry for runs and improvement. During the New Zealand winter, he travelled to Chennai and focussed on holding his shape for long enough and hitting the ball down the ground.”At this camp, I’ve worked on hitting straight, which is what I wanted to do coming over here,” Mariu said. “Sri [Sriram Krishnamurthy, former NZ pathway coach and current CSK Academy head coach] has been really good. Just keeping everything a bit more square-on and finding ways of hitting down the ground. So, that’s been the main work here.”In the recent past, Canterbury have supplied a number of players to the Black Caps, including Will O’Rourke, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay and Chad Bowes. Mariu draws inspiration from his domestic team-mates and hopes to emulate them.”Fults [Peter Fulton] and Brendon Donkers [the Canterbury coaches] have created a good environment,” Mariu said. “With a lot of Black Caps being churned out, success breeds success. It’s cool seeing those guys go up to the next level. It makes it feel like it’s less of a jump because you spend a lot of time with those guys and then you go see them play up high. It’s cool and it doesn’t make it seem too far away.”Mariu’s next assignment is an A team tour of South Africa, which comprises three one-dayers and two four-dayers. If Mariu can maintain his consistency, he might not be too far away from breaking into the Test side either.