Everton scouts have now reportedly been spotted watching Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott over the break, as he scored twice to shock Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal side.
The Toffees very nearly enjoyed the perfect summer. They welcomed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City and splashed out on one of their biggest-ever deals to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton. In many ways, it was a statement from The Friedkin Group ahead of Everton’s move into the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
That statement came without one key part, however, and that was a clinical goalscorer. Those in Merseyside took a £27m gamble on Villarreal’s Thierno Barry, but he’s yet to score a goal for the club. Meanwhile, Beto hasn’t done much better – scoring just twice in 13 games in all competitions.
Minutes
386
609
Goals
0
1
Assists
0
0
Expected Goals
1.3
4.1
What’s most concerning about the form of Everton’s strikers is that they’ve both had the chances to record better records than they have done. Barry is without a goal with an XG of 1.3, whilst Beto has significantly underperformed with one goal from a 4.1 XG.
It’s a clear problem that Everton must address for David Moyes in 2026 and a number of targets have already emerged as a result. According to recent reports, the Toffees have so far set their sights on Celtic’s Daizen Maeda, who wants to leave the Scottish club, Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Al Ahli’s Ivan Toney.
Everton now exploring Ward-Prowse move with January exit expected
The midfielder desperately needs a winter move.
ByTom Cunningham Nov 12, 2025
All three options make sense. Maeda wants to leave Celtic and is reportedly available for just £15m. Zirkzee could offer Everton a repeat of their Grealish revival, whilst Toney may need a Premier League return to boost his World Cup chances.
The list doesn’t end there, however. Joining those aforementioned names, Everton reportedly sent scouts to watch Parrot against Portugal earlier this week.
Everton send scouts to track Troy Parrott
According to Everton News, Everton sent scouts to watch Parrott in action for Ireland against Portugal on Thursday night, as he netted a brace to hand his country a major boost towards their World Cup hopes. In the same game, Ronaldo was handed the first red card of his international career to sum up a shocking night to forget.
On a stage which featured Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva and others, it was Parrot who stole the show to take his goal total to 13 in 14 games for the season. Quite simply, he has been in sensational form for AZ Alkmaar and Ireland.
Compared to Irish legend Robbie Keane by the man himself, Parrott has scored more goals than Beton and Barry combined so far this season and there’s still plenty more to come.
As Everton’s search for a striker goes on, they may hand the former Tottenham Hotspur gem the perfect chance to complete a return to English football.
Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season
UAE lost a couple of wickets in the last over, but they had done enough damage with Oman being sloppy
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2025A skillful half-century from Alishan Sharafu and a dogged one from Muhammad Waseem took UAE to 172 for 5 in their Asia Cup game against Oman on Monday.Both teams are searching for their first win of the tournament and their challenge in Abu Dhabi was to negotiate a slow and low pitch. Sharafu did so by charging out of the crease. Twelve attempts just within the powerplay fetched all six of his fours in that period. Then came perhaps his best shot, an inside out drive over cover for six against legspinner Samay Shrivastava.UAE were 11 for 0 in three overs. Then they whacked 39 runs off the next three and never looked back.Waseem was scratchy. He attempted a number of big hits and not all of them came off, indicating how he never really got the pace of the pitch. But thanks to his experience at this level, he was able to bide his time, recover from 3 off 9 to post 69 off 54. Oman didn’t help themselves in the field. They had a chance to dismiss Waseem on 27 off 22 but the fielder wasn’t all the way back on the long-on boundary and not only did he miss the catch he let it go for four. Then on 34 off 33, Shakeel Ahmed dropped a dolly at short fine leg. He came in for further punishment, hit for 12 runs (three times as many as he had given up in match) in the 15th over.Shah Faisal missed his mark in the 19th over which went for 18 runs and finished with figures of 4-0-45-0. UAE lost a couple of wickets in the last over, but they had done enough damage.
They might have dropped points last time out, but Arsenal are flying this season.
They sit four points clear atop the Premier League table and second in the Champions League, with four wins and four clean sheets in as many games.
One of the stars of the Gunners’ impressive campaign so far has been Declan Rice, who has been as crucial going forward as he has been in keeping those clean sheets.
Therefore, fans should be delighted about reports linking them with another top-quality international who’d be a Rice-type signing.
Arsenal target Rice-Type signing
The transfer window is still over a month away, but Arsenal are starting to be linked with some exciting players again.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
For example, stories are once again touting Real Madrid’s Rodrygo for a move to the Emirates following a disappointing start to the season.
A cheaper, lesser-known, but nonetheless exciting wide option the Gunners have been linked with is Lyon’s Malick Fofana, who has been catching the attention of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
However, while either attacker would be an exciting addition to the team, neither could be described as particularly Rice-esque, unlike Elliot Anderson.
Yes, according to reports from Spain, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in the Nottingham Forest star.
In fact, the report has revealed that North Londoners are set to enter the bidding war for the England international, who has a price tag of between £100m and £120m.
It could therefore be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Anderson’s immense ability, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as it would be a Rice-type signing.
Why Elliot Anderson would be a Rice repeat for Arsenal
Now, there are obviously some differences between Rice and Anderson, from their playstyles to career paths, but were the latter to join Arsenal, there would be many parallels with the former’s move as well.
For example, it would be another example of the Gunners going out and spending north of £100m on a top-quality central midfielder from a non ‘big six’ Premier League team.
Moreover, like the former West Ham United captain was at the time of his move, the Forest ace is now an established and vitally important player for England.
In fact, ahead of his side’s win over Serbia, Thomas Tuchel described the 23-year-old as a “key player” for the Three Lions and “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.”
The fact that he is such an incredible central midfielder is another obvious trait he shares with the Gunners’ number 41, as is his versatility.
For example, since moving to the City Ground, the former Newcastle United gem has made 25 appearances in central midfield, 20 in defensive midfield, five in left midfield and three in attacking midfield.
In other words, like the former Hammers star, the “world-class” ace, as dubbed by one commentator, could play wherever Arteta wanted him to in the middle of the park, and as a result, form relationships with a host of Arsenal players.
Finally, on top of also taking corners, the Whitley Bay-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has some incredible underlying numbers to his name, proving that the comparisons to Rice are fully justified.
According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for ball recoveries, the top 3% for tackles in the defensive third, the top 4% for carries into the penalty area, the top 7% for successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
Anderson’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
Ball Recoveries
7.42
Top 1%
Dribbles Challenged
3.32
Top 2%
SCA (Defensive Action)
0.16
Top 3%
Tackles (Def 3rd)
1.61
Top 3%
Carries into Penalty Area
0.70
Top 4%
Fouls Drawn
2.14
Top 6%
Outswinging Corner Kicks
1.18
Top 7%
Successful Take-Ons
1.21
Top 7%
Penalty Kicks Made
0.03
Top 9%
GCA (Defensive Action)
0.03
Top 10%
Tackles
2.89
Top 11%
SCA (Take-On)
0.16
Top 12%
Corner Kicks
1.96
Top 13%
SCA (Fouls Drawn)
0.16
Top 13%
Tackles Won
1.61
Top 13%
Dribblers Tackled
1.39
Top 13%
Crosses
3.35
Top 14%
SCA (Dead-ball Pass)
0.64
Top 14%
Penalty Kicks Won
0.03
Top 15%
All Stats via FBref
Ultimately, while it would cost a king’s ransom, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Anderson, as he’s an excellent player and could have a Rice-type impact on the team.
Arsenal lost 'one of the world's best', now he's outperforming Saka & Eze
The incredible international is now playing better than Arsenal’s Eze and Saka.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has a chance to recalibrate now that the Premier League has put the brakes on for the November international break.
It has not been good enough this season. Ahead of the latest pause, Newcastle needed to get something from their trip to the Gtech. It didn’t happen, and Keith Andrews’ side emerged 3-1 victors and with Dan Burn sent off to boot.
The truth is that the Magpies need a reset. It was always going to be tough to match the form of last season, with Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak charging an incredible winter winning run that led to triumph in the Carabao Cup. Isak has been sold, and the summer transfer window was a turbulent one.
Everton
13th
28.0
Aston Villa
6th
27.9
Newcastle
14th
27.6
Fulham
15th
27.6
Burnley
17th
27.1
But United are getting old. Too many starters this season ripened some time ago, and in this, Howe must work toward developing further the younger members of his squad.
Newcastle must promote their future
Newcastle might have a somewhat elderly Premier League squad, but that’s not to say they lack up-and-coming stars.
For example, injuries have kept Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall on the sidelines for much of the campaign. 22 and 21 respectively, the dynamic full-backs will be integral to the rekindling of Howe’s system. Last season, Alice Talks Footy hailed Hall as “the best left-back in the league”, and his fellow Cobham graduate as a “super impressive” up-and-comer.
Alexis Mac Allister challenges Tino Livramento
Likewise, Lewis Miley has shown signs of development this season, growing into his skin in central midfield. The Geordie talent has impressed alongside Tonali and the all-action skipper, Bruno Guimaraes, and he could end up replacing a teammate in Joelinton, who has flattered to deceive at times this term.
Has the 29-year-old Joelinton exhausted his physicality? Undoubtedly, the Brazilian is missing some of his usual sharpness and intelligence in the middle of the park.
25/26
1.4
4.2
24/25
2.0
5.7
23/24
2.0
4.9
22/23
2.2
7.0
21/22
2.1
6.9
20/21
1.1
6.0
19/20
0.9
7.5
Joelinton has played so much football at Newcastle, no holds barred, that it’s understandable he might be slowly winding down.
However, there’s another Toon star whose form this season has been more concerning, for they have yet to reach their prime, and there is a worry that so many injuries have knocked this talent too far out of kilter.
"The future of this club" is now struggling
Newcastle have always been resilient and organised under Howe’s wing, and even amid the frustration of wretched away form this term, Newcastle’s xGA (expected goals against) total stands at just 11.1 in the Premier League, a more impressive figure than all in the division save for Manchester City and Arsenal.
But, even so, improvements need to be made in central defence, and the form of Sven Botman is admittedly becoming a concern for Howe as he waits for his star man at the rear to click into gear.
Sports writer Joel Bland actually commented on Botman’s “embarrassing” effort to clear one of Brentford’s notorious long throws at the weekend. The ball was cannoned in after the interval, Newcastle one goal to the good after Harvey Barnes’ first-half finish, but Botman’s tame clearance allowed Kevin Schade to nod home from close range.
You might call it a schoolboy error. When dealing with aerial danger, it is well-known to sweep the ball away, not divert it cross-box and into the melee.
In this, Botman failed in his duties, and newspaper Chronicle Live saw it fit to brand the centre-half with a 3/10 match rating, having been ragdolled by Igor Thiago all afternoon besides.
Botman needs to recover his former level of security and completeness at the back. He was redoubtable in front of Nick Pope in 2022/23, his debut year in England, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding only 33 goals all season, the joint-best record, shared with champions Manchester City.
It was only at the start of the current campaign that Bruno described the Netherlands star as being “the future of this club”, along with Malick Thiaw, who swapped AC Milan for St. James’ Park in a package worth around £35m this summer.
But Thiaw has outperformed his counterpart this season, and that having suffered regular injury issues of his own in Italy over the past several years. With Botman having spent plenty of time in the thick of the Premier League action this term, having started seven matches in a row, he should be sharper and more commanding at this point.
The fact that this is not the case is bound to be on Howe’s mind, though the manager may feel that the reintegration of Hall on the left side of the backline could smooth out some creases and allow Botman to connect with a more natural wide fit that Burn, whose industriousness can only stretch so far.
This all comes with the addendum that Botman has indeed been ravaged by injuries in recent years, stripped bare by setbacks after that tremendous debut campaign in England’s north east.
It is only natural he would take some time to rebuild himself to that one-time level, but Newcastle need quick results if they are to shape this campaign, and the £90k-per-week defender has entered the penultimate year of his contract, and he will need to convince PIF that they would be foolish not to extend his career on Tyneside.
But the Dutchman needs to improve – fast. His form has slumped in recent weeks, and he is paling in comparison to Thiaw beside him, the summer recruit very quickly establishing himself as the cream of Newcastle’s defensive crop.
As bad as Botman: Howe must drop Newcastle dud who lost the ball 20x v Bees
Newcastle United had another away day to forget in the Premier League when losing 3-1 versus Brentford.
Arsenal are now open to January offers for one Gunners star, with it being revealed Mikel Arteta will need to offload players and free up space in the squad.
The Gunners are well-stocked in the striker department, with Viktor Gyokeres adapting to life in the Premier League very well since making the move from Sporting CP in the summer transfer window, receiving high praise from Arteta after bagging a brace against Atletico Madrid.
The Spaniard said: “All of us [appreciate Gyokeres] because he makes us a much better team. I think we’ve become much more unpredictable,”
“He’s so physical, opens the spaces for everyone. The way he presses the ball, holds the ball, it’s just phenomenal.”
The 27-year-old, who bagged his fourth Premier League goal of the season against Burnley earlier this month, has certainly started well, while Kai Havertz is now closing in on a return from injury, having not been involved since the 1-0 win against Manchester United back in August.
Consequently, there may be little game time available for Arteta’s other striker, Garbiel Jesus, and there has now been a major update on his future at the Emirates Stadium…
Arsenal now open to January offers for Gabriel Jesus
According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now open to offers for Jesus in the January transfer window, as they need to offload players and free up space in the squad, and the Brazilian is no longer a part of Arteta’s plans.
Persistent injuries have meant the 28-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium, and a return to Palmeiras could now be on the cards, with the Brazilian club willing to bring him back, potentially on a loan-to-buy deal.
The 64-time Brazil international has received high praise from Arteta in the past, with the manager saying back in September 2023: “He is a tremendous player, a really important player for us. He changed our world last season. You could all see that.”
That said, it is probably the correct decision to offload the centre-forward, given that he has been unable to put his injury problem in the rearview mirror, missing a number of games for club and country over the past few seasons.
Gabriel Jesus’ injury record by season
Games missed
2022-23
17
2023-24
17
2024-25 onwards
56
It has recently emerged that the £13.7m-a-year striker has returned to training after an extended period of time on the sidelines, which could be a boost for Arteta, given that the manager has been left light on options at times this season, with Gyokeres and Havertz suffering setbacks.
With Arsenal looking to compete on all fronts, faring well in the Champions League and through to the EFL Cup quarter-final, Jesus may still have a role to play in the short-term, but it would not be the end of the world if Arsenal sanction a January departure.
Gabriel Jesus makes admission on Arsenal's future Arsenal star makes transfer admission and says club "want" to sign him
He’s responded to the speculation around his future.
Fourth-innings chase completed in an hour and a quarter on final morning
ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Sep-2025
Charlie Allison steered Essex over the line with 32 not out•Surrey CCC/Getty Images
Essex 438 (Walter 158, Elgar 118, Overton 6-88) and 99 for 3 beat Somerset 433 (Goldsworthy 100, Thomas 86, Rew 74, Overton 60) and 99 (Thomas 39, Porter 4-18) by seven wicketsTwenty-year-old Charlie Allison kept his head during an otherwise nervy hour and a quarter as Essex claimed a seven-wicket victory to round off the Rothesay County Championship season.Allison, one of Essex’s stand-out performers during an otherwise disappointing season, finished the game with a second six off Jake Ball over long leg. He was 32 not out from 34 balls as Essex reached their target of 95 from just 18.4 overs.Lewis Gregory had given Somerset some hope of an unlikely upset by removing Dean Elgar and Tom Westley inside the first six overs before taking the catch in the deep to end Paul Walter’s tone-setting innings. Walter, a first-innings centurion, had amassed 30 from 31 balls when he departed with 39 runs still required.The Somerset captain was fired up in the face of desperate odds against and caused jitters in the Essex ranks as he repeatedly beat the outside edge of the bat. He bowled through unchanged and was rewarded with figures of 2 for 43 from his nine overs.For two-and-a-half days it looked like the game would peter out into a tame draw with handshakes accepted in mid-afternoon and the curtain brought down on a forgettable Championship season for both sides. However, that was before Jamie Porter initiated a collapse of monumental proportions amid the gloom of a day-three afternoon and early evening.Essex had subsided themselves earlier in the day from an overnight 295 for 2 to 438 all out and a nominal lead of five runs. But in 34 overs reminiscent of some of Essex’s glory years of the recent past, they rolled Somerset over for 99 with Porter taking 4 for 18 and falling just one wicket short of another 50-wicket haul for the season.Essex had already confirmed their Division One survival during this final match while Somerset had settled for the no-man’s land of mid-table. Three successive wins in May had even suggested a title challenge that did not materialise.However, with all day to knock off the runs, a modicum of tension was introduced in only the second over. Having put on 277 for the first wicket in the first innings, the opening partnership lasted just seven balls. Elgar departed for a golden duck, rapped conclusively on his front pad by Gregory without getting anywhere near the ball.Westley withstood the rest of a torrid over from Gregory but got off the mark with a characteristic drive through midwicket for four off Craig Overton. He followed that with an emphatic pull through midwicket off Gregory for a second boundary before he, too, fell to the same bowler. After putting on a run-a-ball 28 with Walter, Westley nibbled at one outside off stump and wicketkeeper James Rew dived in front of first slip to claim the catch.Walter had been busy turning twos into threes to the extent that Essex reached fifty from just nine overs when Allison walked down the pitch and smashed Overton through extra over for four.Overton had been relatively expensive, his five overs costing 25, but his replacement Ball struck with his first ball when Walter went for a big heave and paid the price.Allison made sure the target came down quickly and deposited Ball over long leg for six to take Essex within two runs of the target and then repeated the act to complete the victory.
CSK’s streak of not able to seal a 180-plus chase continued in the IPL
Sampath Bandarupalli03-May-20251:12
Chawla: Very little margin for error against Shepherd
1 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) completed a double against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the first time in the league phase in the IPL. CSK have done the double against RCB in three seasons – 2015, 2018 and 2021.12 – Consecutive 180-plus targets that CSK have failed to chase in the IPL. Only Punjab Kings (PBKS) had a longer streak – 15 between 2015 and 2021 – while RCB also had a streak of 12 between 2019 and 2023.54 – Runs RCB scored in the last two overs of their innings, the most by any team across the 19th and 20th overs in an IPL innings, bettering Delhi Capitals’ (DC) 53 runs against Gujarat Titans (GT) in 2024. RCB’s predicted total was 184 at the start of the 19th over, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster, expecting them to add 25 further runs off the last 12 balls.ESPNcricinfo Ltd14 – Balls that Romario Shepherd took to score his fifty on Saturday, the joint-second-fastest in the IPL, behind Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 13-ball feat against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2023. KL Rahul (against the Delhi franchise in 2018) and Pat Cummins (against Mumbai Indians in 2022) also had 14-ball fifties in the IPL.The previous fastest fifty for RCB in the IPL was by Chris Gayle, off 17 balls, against Pune Warriors in 2013.32 – Runs scored by Shepherd in the 19th over off Khaleel Ahmed. Only three batters have scored more runs in an over in the IPL. Shepherd also scored 32 runs in an over against Anrich Nortje in 2024. Only Gayle and Cummins have scored 30-plus runs in an over twice in the IPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1146 – Runs scored by Virat Kohli against CSK in the IPL, the most by any batter against an opponent, surpassing David Warner’s 1134 runs against PBKS. Kohli has scored 1160 runs against CSK in all T20s, the most by any batter against an opponent.8 – Seasons where Kohli has scored 500-plus runs, including in IPL 2025. These are the most occasions by any batter, going ahead of Warner, who did it seven times.ESPNcricinfo Ltd17.5 – Entry point for Shepherd in RCB’s innings on Saturday. The only batter who came later than that in a T20 and scored a fifty is Dipendra Singh Airee. He entered at 18.2 overs for Nepal against Mongolia in 2023.The latest entry point from which a batter has scored a fifty in the IPL before Shepherd was 14.3, by Naman Dhir against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2024. Shepherd scored 52 runs across the last two overs, the joint-most by any batter in a men’s T20 innings in the 19th and 20th overs, alongside Airee’s effort against Mongolia.7 – Fifty-plus scores for Kohli in IPL 2025, all of which have resulted in RCB wins. These are the joint-most 50-plus scores by any batter in wins in an IPL season. Kohli and Warner had seven apiece in 2016, while all seven 50-plus scores of Shubman Gill in 2023 came in wins.4 – Instances of three RCB batters scoring fifties in a match in the IPL. No other team has done it more than twice in the IPL. In all men’s T20s, only India and Northamptonshire have had four such instances.17y, 291d – Ayush Mhatre’s age on Saturday, making him the third-youngest batter to score a fifty in the IPL. Vaibhav Suryavanshi (14y, 32d) against GT earlier this year, and Riyan Parag (17y, 175d) against DC in 2019 were younger than Mhatre when they scored their maiden IPL fifties.2 – Overseas players younger than Jacob Bethell with an IPL fifty. Bethell was 21 years and 192 days on Saturday when he scored his maiden fifty. Only Sam Curran (20y, 334d vs KKR) in 2019 and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (21y, 129d vs RCB) in 2023 were younger.
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has been found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct during the Super Four game against India in the Asia Cup on September 21. Rauf was fined 30% of his match fee by ICC match referee Richie Richardson.It is understood that Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan was not fined and let off with a warning by Richardson on Friday.During an ill-tempered game in Dubai, Rauf was seen responding to heckling from Indian fans by signalling 6-0 with his hands and making gestures depicting the downing of aircraft, in an apparent reference to the military conflict between India and Pakistan in May this year. Farhan had celebrated his fifty by mimicking a gunshot.India captain Suryakumar Yadav was also fined 30% after being found guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct for making comments that alluded to the military conflict after the group game against Pakistan on September 14. India had appealed against the verdict.The PCB had filed a complaint against Suryakumar, while the BCCI had done the same against Rauf and Farhan. All three players had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which necessitated hearings with Richardson.There was heightened tension between India and Pakistan during their group game on September 14, with India refusing to shake hands with Pakistan at the toss and after the game, which India won by seven wickets. In the Super Four match between the sides, there were a number of confrontations between Pakistan’s bowlers and India’s openers. Abhishek Sharma later accused Pakistan of “coming at us for no reason”.The two teams are set to play each other for the third time in the tournament, in the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday.
Casemiro wasn’t just on the brink at Manchester United, he looked to have gone over the cliff.
Who can forget that night at Selhurst Park in May 2024, with the Brazilian – albeit deployed in an unorthodox centre-back role – looking all at sea as Crystal Palace ran riot to romp to a 4-0 victory.
Jamie Carragher’s infamous “leave the football before the football leaves you” quotes appeared to hint that the end was nigh for the ageing midfielder, a fact only heightened amid the former Real Madrid man’s dismal start to the following campaign, having been hooked at the break following a disastrous 3-0 loss at home to Liverpool in September.
The arrival of Ruben Amorim, and the shift to a midfield pairing, looked like the final nail in the coffin for his Old Trafford career, with all eyes on the January window and a potential Saudi exit.
Fast forward almost 12 months, however, and the 33-year-old – as he was back in his debut campaign in Manchester – is the glue in this side again, with Saturday’s 2-2 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur outlining the stark drop off that occurs when the five-time Champions League winner is withdrawn.
Manuel Ugarte seemingly can’t cut it, while Kobbie Mainoo is being groomed as Bruno Fernandes’ successor, ensuring a long-term replacement for Casemiro still needs to be found.
Man Utd's record with & without Casemiro this season
It is telling – and rather frustrating – that even in a season of largely just one game a week for the Red Devils, Casemiro still appears unable to complete a full 90 minutes, having been substituted off in seven of his nine Premier League starts this term.
Indeed, the solitary 90 minutes that he has played came recently against Nottingham Forest, in which the £350k-per-week star opened the scoring, with the veteran destroyer far too often withdrawn in the closing stages.
Against Brighton, for instance, United were coasting at 3-0 when the one-time Porto man was replaced on the 70-minute mark, before the Seagulls swiftly staged a stirring comeback in his absence.
A similar scenario occurred last time out, with the away side’s 1-0 lead in north London quickly flipped on its head after Ugarte slotted in alongside Fernandes instead, rubber-stamping Casemiro’s status as arguably one of the most important players in Amorim’s lineup.
That importance is emphasised most notably by the fact of the 20 goals the Old Trafford side have conceded in all competitions this season – including the grim night at Grimsby – 15 of those came when the Brazil skipper wasn’t on the pitch.
Ugarte, a ball-winner and workman-like midfielder by trade, looked to be the perfect successor to his fellow South American upon arrival in Manchester, although now well into his second season, the 24-year-old remains a polarising figure, with Amorim reportedly telling the Uruguayan he no longer recognised the player he had previously coached at Sporting CP.
Hope remains that the aforementioned Mainoo could still thrive alongside Fernandes, rather than act as his deputy, although whether the young Englishman has the defensive nous remains to be seen, with United crumbling when the changes were made in that 4-2 thriller against Brighton.
Casemiro vs European midfielders
Stat
Rank
Non-penalty goals
Top 10%
Total shots
Top 15%
Assists
Top 34%
Pass completion
Top 29%
Progressive passes
Bottom 29%
Progressive carries
Top 35%
Successful take-ons
Bottom 1%
Touches (att pen)
Top 15%
Tackles
Top 1%
Interceptions
Bottom 47%
Aerials won
Top 5%
Clearances
Top 10%
Stats via FBref
With options limited beyond that in the midfield department, Amorim might have to get creative to find a perfect replacement for Casemiro moving forward.
Man Utd's wildcard Casemiro replacement
Ugarte – unused in the Europa League final – looks destined for an exit before too long. Mainoo, meanwhile, is facing his own uncertainty, having yet to start a Premier League game in 2025/26.
Neither has taken their chance when introduced off the bench, ensuring Amorim could look elsewhere to fill that midfield void, with a potential solution already in-house in the form of ex-Arsenal starlet, Ayden Heaven.
Still just 19, the England youth star has quietly impressed since his arrival from the capital back in January on a £1m deal, with only a cruel injury sustained against Leicester City cutting short his early progress in the first-team ranks.
A powerful, athletic presence, the 6 foot 2 teenager has thus far been deployed in a left-sided centre-back role under Amorim, albeit with his hopes of game time having been hampered this term by the form of Luke Shaw in that starting berth.
With Lisandro Martinez also nearing a return from injury, Heaven could then be nudged into third choice, with a player of his talent and potential arguably far too good to simply be pushed into the periphery.
That is why shifting the Hale End graduate back into midfield could be the answer, with the rangy left-footer having largely featured as a number six or number eight in the Gunners youth ranks in the past.
In the view of respected analyst Ben Mattinson – now a scout for Serie A side Como – the Islington-born sensation “is a midfielder, not a centre-back”, highlighting “his ability to receive the ball under pressure”.
So calm and composed during his early United outings thus far, Heaven has that ability to drive forward from deep with the ball at his feet with ease, with comparisons to a certain Paul Pogba having previously been made by his grassroots football coach Terry Bobie:
The type of player who can dominate a midfield, like Pogba, it would certainly be worth giving Heaven a chance to shine in a more advanced role, having largely passed every test so far in a United shirt.
Indeed, his solitary Europa League start against Real Sociedad saw him win 100% of his duels, while not being dribbled past once, as per Sofascore, producing a performance that simply belied his youth.
With the physical prowess that United appear to be in need of in the absence of Casemiro, the £1m man might just be a bargain solution to Amorim’s longstanding midfield problem.
Man Utd teen who was "beating Yamal" could now replace Amad during AFCON
Man Utd will lose Amad, Mbeumo and Mazraoui just before Christmas due to their AFCON commitments.
Thomas Tuchel dished out another warning to an England defender over his conduct on the pitch. Tuchel has been very particular with the on and off-field behaviour of the players who represent the Three Lions and the former Chelsea manager is in no mood to compromise when it comes to discipline. Tuchel recently oversaw England's historic World Cup qualifying campaign, where they won all eight of their matches.
Djed Spence ignored Thomas Frank after Spurs loss to Chelsea
Following a terrible performance against Chelsea earlier this month, which produced just one shot on target, the home supporters made their feelings clear as boos rang around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following the conclusion of the match. Despite the jeering, as is customary, Spurs boss Frank went onto the pitch as he and the rest of the players planned to show their appreciation for their fans' support during the game.
However, later in a video which was widely shared across social media, Spurs duo Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence opted to leave the pitch instead of greeting supporters, to the anger of head coach Frank.
The Spurs, though, later downplayed the incident as he told reporters: "All the players are, of course, frustrated. They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform. I understand that. I think it’s difficult to be consistent in good times and bad times, that’s why I went around to the fans as I did, it’s more fun when we win, I can tell you that. I understand why you ask the question. But I think that’s one of, how you can say, small issues. We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence doing everything they can. They’ve performed very well so far this season. Everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, I don’t think it’s a big problem."
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Spence warned by Tuchel
Following the misconduct on the pitch for his club, England boss Tuchel has now spoken to the defender and warned against repeating such behaviour. The German coach later told reporters, "I didn’t like it. Because the players know they are not only national players when they are ten days in camp. They are always national players, and the standard of behaviour is always important."
Tuchel slammed Bellingham earlier
During England's World Cup qualifier against Albania on Sunday, Jude Bellingham finally got a chance to shine as he displayed an impressive performance. However, he was disappointed at being substituted in the 84th minute and was later accused of not "embracing the collective"
On Bellingham's behaviour, Tuchel later said: "That is a bad impression. It should be about the collective. What we did in camp is all about the collective. I have to then review it – I was happy about the goal. I had a quick talk with Morgan Rogers and I was sure that everyone celebrated together. I will have a look at it. That is not the image we want to transport. We feel everyone is committed and that everyone accepts tough decisions, be it before the match or in the match.
"He [Bellingham] has to accept it, he has to accept it. We should not make more out of it than it is. Rogers was not happy when he couldn't start today because he deserves to play, and he wants to play all the time. We gave him a bit of a rest because he came with a lot of minutes playing at club [level] and played for us against Serbia. I also don't want to make more out of it. I stick to my words – behaviour is key. Decisions are made, and you have to accept it as a player."
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England's historic World Cup qualifying journey
England scripted history as they became the first team to win all of their eight World Cup qualifying matches without conceding a single goal, as they scored 22 times in this period. In their latest win over Albania, courtesy of a brace from Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich star took his international goals tally to 78 as he surpassed Brazil icon Pele in the list of all-time highest goalscorers in the international arena.