The cult of Scott McTominay is growing in Naples, with the former Manchester United man having emerged as the unlikely spearhead of the Serie A side’s charge toward the title in Italy.

Now shining alongside another ex-Red Devil in Romelu Lukaku, the towering midfielder has now scored 11 league goals in 2024/25 to date, a record that places him above every player in Ruben Amorim’s current ranks.

Indeed, the 6 foot 4 sensation has been particularly vital in recent weeks after popping up with five goals across just his last three Serie A games, having scored more league goals in those outings than Rasmus Hojlund has done all season back in Manchester.

Whether it is perhaps with hindsight in mind, there is a nagging feeling that maybe the INEOS regime were wrong to cash in on the 28-year-old last summer, despite raking in a £25m fee, with Erik ten Hag having been adamant that he “didn’t want” to sell the unsung star at the time.

As it is, the experienced powerhouse is now the new king of Napoli, with United turning their attention elsewhere amid the need to bolster the midfield ranks…

Latest on Man Utd's search for a midfielder

The priority positions this summer may well be a new striker and a goalkeeper, as outlined by the Manchester Evening News, although there is certainly work to be done to strengthen in the centre of the park.

With 33-year-old playmaker Christian Eriksen set to depart following the looming expiry of his contract – and with fellow veteran Casemiro likely to be linked with an exit of his own – options in the midfield two will be slim next term, outside of Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes.

Equally, with Kobbie Mainoo having been pushed into a more advanced number ten role of late – a position that Fernandes could still return to – that dearth of options is exposed even more, hence the need to hand Amorim some quality reinforcements.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to reports in Spain – via Football 365 – the Old Trafford outfit have set their sights on Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez, with the promising Spaniard viewed as the ‘perfect fit’ for Amorim’s 3-4-3.

Indeed, the report goes as far as to suggest that such interest has even led United and INEOS to now be readying an offer for the 22-year-old, said to be worth in the region of €30m (£25m).

That proposal is said to have sparked something of a ‘divide’ at Camp Nou, with the LaLiga giants viewing Lopez – who boasts a €500m (£425m) release clause – as a ‘key player’, albeit while remaining open to a sale amid their ‘complicated’ financial situation.

There are also doubts over whether the player himself actually wants to make the move, although if he can be convinced, it could represent a real coup for INEOS.

Why Fermin Lopez would be a good signing

As evidenced during Wednesday’s thrilling Champions League, first-leg semi-final clash with Inter, the current incarnation of Barcelona are a truly mouthwatering prospect, spearheaded by the devastating brilliance of Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Raphinha.

In a side that boasts so much attacking and midfield quality, including the likes of Dani Olmo and Frenkie de Jong too, young Lopez has largely been forced to take on an impact role under Hansi Flick, having actually started just 16 games in all competitions this season.

To his credit, the La Masia graduate has taken his chance whenever he has been called upon, after contributing four goals and nine assists in total in 2024/25, including a return of one goal and four assists on the continent.

Described by former boss Xavi Hernandez as the “whole package” in the past, the United target is certainly not the main man in Catalonia, but is a real threat from his advanced midfield role, having even registered two goals and two assists in the 7-1 thrashing of Valencia earlier in the campaign.

That role as a box-crashing substitute certainly sounds familiar, with that the status that McTominay enjoyed last term at the Theatre of Dreams under Ten Hag, having chalked up ten goals across all fronts.

The all-action star memorably scored twice in stoppage time to seal a dramatic comeback win over Brentford in that 2023/24 season, having also sealed victory away at Villa Park with a bullet header late on.

While Lopez may be of far smaller stature at just 5 foot 9, he does mirror McTominay with regard to his ball-carrying prowess, as shown in the fact that he ranks in the top 19% of his LaLiga peers for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref. His Napoli counterpart, meanwhile, ranks in the top 14% in that regard in Serie A.

Equally too, the duo are alike with regard to their attitude and application, despite not often taking the spotlight. As Xavi said of Lopez, he “is hungry and has a great character”, while in the case of McTominay, he had been tipped to be a future “captain” of Man United by interim coach, Ralf Rangnick due to his “leadership skills”.

Such qualities are vital in any squad, with Amorim likely to relish the chance to work with a player of Lopez’s quality and mindset.

Like McTominay before him, he may go under the radar amid the bright lights around him, although the two-cap Spain international may well be perfect for either the midfield two or one of the two number ten berths next season at Old Trafford.

Man Utd may have found the new Scott McTominay in an unlikely source

Man Utd have found a new figure who may soon emulate McTominay…

By
Robbie Walls

May 1, 2025

Turning their attention towards a third addition after Lukas Nmecha and Jaka Bijol, there have now been claims that Leeds United have a “verbal agreement” in place to sign a £20m+ star.

Jaka Bijol: Leeds move "biggest of my career"

It’s been a busy summer at Elland Road thus far. To kick things off, the Yorkshire club welcomed Nmecha in a bargain deal at the end of his Wolfsburg contract and have since spent big for the first time to sign Bijol from Udinese. The defender was officially unveiled as a Leeds player earlier this week and instantly stated that it is the biggest move of his career.

The defender told the club website: “This is a big day for me, for my family and I’m happy to be here. Maybe the biggest one of my career so far, but I’m ready for it.

Best signing since Raphinha: Leeds close to landing "exceptional" £21m star

Leeds United are closing in on a deal for a star who would be their best signing since Raphinha.

1

By
Dan Emery

Jun 23, 2025

“I work for it and that’s why I’m here, because it’s a big challenge for everyone. It’s a big challenge for me, for the club, and we’re getting ready for it together. I think the club and myself are ready for the Premier League.

“I can promise that I will give everything, that I will give everything in every training as well to be ready for the first game of the season and then just go from there.”

At £15m, the deal hasn’t come cheap, but it was one that the 49ers were clearly keen to get done ahead of Leeds’ return to the Premier League in the coming months.

Serie A seems to be where it’s at for the American owners too, amid claims that they’ve returned to Italy’s top flight to strike another agreement.

Leeds have "agreement" to sign £20m Krstovic

According to reports relayed by MOT Leeds, Leeds have now got an “agreement in principle” to sign Nikola Krstovic from Serie A side Lecce this summer. In a deal reportedly worth around £20m, the forward could arrive to boost the Whites’ attacking options alongside Nmecha in the coming months.

While a “verbal agreement” is reportedly in place, however, the player himself is reportedly yet to reach a decision regarding an exit away from Lecce this summer, and that decision will ultimately be final.

All involved at Leeds should, of course, be keen to receive the green light from the talented 25-year-old after he scored 12 goals in all competitions for Lecce last summer. If there were any doubts over his ability to perform at the top level then his Serie A record should have helped put those doubts to rest.

After spending big on Bijol, signing Krstovic for an equally impressive fee would send a statement of intent from the 49ers, who will be desperate to help push Leeds away from the dropzone next season.

The Sri Lanka batting coach felt that after some strong discussions, the allrounder was heading in the right direction

Andrew Fidel Fernando29-Jul-2018Persevered with for so long for his potential rather than his form, Thisara Perera has started to turn his game around. This, at least, is what Sri Lanka batting coach Thilan Samaraweera believed, after Thisara struck 49 off 30 balls to assist Sri Lanka’s recovery after they had careened to 36 for 5.Thisara’s innings was to be of little consequence – South Africa ended up sauntering to a five-wicket victory. But it was another solid contribution from a player who, in the past, has been a source of great frustration. For years selectors kept picking him because the idea of a seam-bowling, big-hitting allrounder was too much to resist, but his performances since 2014 had largely been mediocre. This year, though, he has seemingly rediscovered the form that had made him such an exciting prospect in the early years of this decade. Having averaged an abysmal 14.50 – at a strike rate of not much more than 100 – between January 2015 and December 2017, Thisara has now averaged 45.75 with a strike rate of 156, in five innings in 2018.”In the last six months he’s improved a lot as a batsman,” Samaraweera said. “I gave a lot of space to him, and he’s getting there. The good thing is, after his dismissal he showed a lot of disappointment in the dressing room, because this was one of the best opportunities for him to get an ODI hundred.”Felt more like a Pretoria or Wanderers wicket: Shamsi

South Africa’s left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi took 4 for 33 to wipe out the Sri Lanka innings, after South Africa’s quicks had wreaked havoc on the top order. His thoughts on:
The bowling performance
“I managed to get the guys that made runs. But the fast bowlers made our job a lot easier. Any team that is five down early for 30-odd on the board – that makes things easier. Credit to the Sri Lankans for almost getting to 200 runs after a start like that.”
The pitch
“I felt it was a little bit of a South African type wicket. There wasn’t much spin, especially because we bowled first. We bowl a lot on pitches like this at home, so it was okay to adjust. Felt more like a Pretoria or Wanderers wicket.”

A performing Thisara has always been an alluring proposition, but now, with Angelo Mathews seemingly unable to bowl due to injury concerns and a World Cup in England in less than a year, Sri Lanka’s desperation for a seam-bowling allrounder has rarely been so acute. What is heartening for Sri Lanka is that Thisara’s bowling turnaround is also impressive. Having taken 29 wickets at an average of 48.24 in the three years from 2015 till the end of 2017, Perera has claimed his wickets at an average of 17.63 this year.”We had a lot of discussions, and we emphasised to Thisara how important he is to the 2019 World Cup,” Samaraweera said. “I think you have to give a lot of credit to bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake also. He changed Thisara’s bowling approach. He was very slow to the crease before Rumesh came, and in the last seven months, we can see how much faster he is to the stumps. We had strong discussions, and sometimes disagreements. But Thisara is heading in the right direction at the moment.”That Thisara had had to come to the crease as early as the ninth over in this match, was down partly to Sri Lanka’s inability to withstand Kagiso Rabada’s new-ball spell. Rabada’s first five overs brought him three wickets for 22 runs, while Lungi Ngidi struck once at the other end, and Upul Tharanga was run out.”We talked about what South Africa’s strengths were, and their strength is in the first eight to ten overs – we have to get through that period,” Samaraweera said. “After that, they have a very inexperienced bowling attack. Unfortunately, they got five wickets. We were thinking a score of 275-280 would be good, because we have three spinners to defend that. But when you are 30-odd for five, it’s very hard to win games from there. We recovered well, but the match was decided in the first ten overs because of our very poor batting.”

PSV's Champions League run is over as the Dutch club's U.S. men's national team stars couldn't save them against Borussia Dortmund.

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Dortmund win 2-0, 3-1 on aggregatePSV exit UCL in devastating lossUSMNT trio all featureGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Following a 1-1 first-leg draw in the Netherlands, the two sides had it all to play for on Wednesday in Germany. The hosts, though, struck first, and they struck early to set a tone.

The opening goal came just three minutes in, with on-loan winger Jadon Sancho giving his side the advantage. Teed up by Julian Brandt, Sancho was able to pick out a corner with a shot from the edge of the box, giving Dortmund an early advantage while settling nerves both in the team and in the crowd.

Dortmund seemingly doubled their lead in the 77th minute on a goal from Niklas Fullkrug, but a tight offside call saw the finish called back, giving PSV some hope. Unfortunately for them, that hope never turned into a goal, while Dortmund got their own late with Marco Reus putting away a stoppage-time finish to seal a 3-1 aggregate win.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With the loss, PSV's focus will now be solely on domestic competitions, having failed to make it out of the Champions League's Round of 16. This season, though, was the first time PSV had made it to the Champions League knockouts since the 2015-16 campaign, when they fell to Atletico Madrid in the same stage.

It was a valiant effort from the Dutch side, and they impressed beyond expectations.

GettyUSMNT IMPACT

As expected, two of the three USMNT stars were in the XI for PSV just an hour or so after all three were confirmed to be in the U.S. squad for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League. Dest and Tillman were named to PSV's starting XI, while Pepi was named to the bench before coming on late as a second-half sub.

Dest started on the left-hand side at fullback, playing behind Tillman, who took up a spot on the left wing. Of the two, Dest was the more dangerous, as he had one good look at goal and one chance created. Tillman, meanwhile, never quite got going in the attack.

Pepi entered the fray in the 82nd minute with PSV pushing hard for a goal, but it never came as the American got just a few touches of the ball.

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Getty ImagesGOAL'S RATINGS

Sergino Dest (7/10):

Had a few good moments on the left-hand side. Defended fairly well and got forward as he usually does.

Malik Tillman (6/10):

Couldn't quite get anything going in the attack. Passed the ball fairly well and tracked back when needed, but didn't really impact the game.

Ricardo Pepi (N/A):

Thrown in during the final minutes, but couldn't save the day.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is so good at baseball that even his mistakes are impressive.

During the Dodgers' 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, Ohtani found himself in a bit of a pickle after reaching first base on a single in the bottom of the first inning.

The Dodgers star, who ranks second in the majors in stolen bases, took off for second just as Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo delivered a pickoff throw to first base, leaving Ohtani caught in a rundown.

But Ohtani managed to get out of the rundown and slid safely back into first base after outrunning the ball and evading the tag by Mariners first baseman Justin Turner.

Nine times out of 10, Ohtani would have had no way out of the rundown, but the Mariners gave him a bit of an opening and, like the great ones do, he seized his chance. The Dodgers slugger finished the game 1-for-3 with a walk.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees, 4–2, in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday, it did not come without a cost as Shohei Ohtani was forced to exit after suffering a subluxation of his left shoulder sliding into second base at the end of the seventh inning.

But after the game manager Dave Roberts said the team was "encouraged" by what tests revealed about Ohtani's injury and that he still expected the slugger to be able to suit up in the World Series.

On Sunday, Roberts made that official and told ESPN's Karl Ravech that Ohtani was a go for Game 3 in New York on Monday night.

This is great news for the Dodgers, who are loaded with talent but would miss Ohtani's presence at the plate and on the basepaths. It's also great news for everybody watching. Ohtani is a singular talent and the baseball world should hope he's able to play every inning of his first-ever appearance in the World Series. It will be history, no matter what happens.

Game 3 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees will commence on Monday at 8:08 p.m ET.

The ICC said no evidence had been found of Salgaoncar “actually having been engaged in corruption”, but he has been penalised for for failing to report an approach

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2018Pandurang Salgaoncar, who was suspended from his role of curator by the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in October, has also been handed a suspension by the ICC for “failing to report an approach to engage in corrupt conduct”. The issue had emerged ahead of the second ODI between India and New Zealand on October 25, following a sting operation by India Today TV; footage showed the curator telling undercover reporters that the pitch will be full of runs.However, the ICC said, no evidence had been found of Salgaoncar “actually having been engaged in corruption.”Alex Marshall, the ICC’s general manager, anti-corruption, said: “We have carried out an extensive investigation based on the allegations made by India Today and the material they shared with us. I am satisfied that Mr Salgaonkar has no case to answer on the broad allegations of corruption made by India Today.”However, as he is bound by the ICC Anti-Corruption Code as a participant of the sport, he has been charged with breaching section 2.4.4 of the Code for his failure to report an approach to engage in corrupt conduct. Mr Salgaonkar has accepted that he has committed the offence and has received a six-month suspension.”The ICC’s suspension will be backdated to October 25, 2017 – the day he was suspended by the MCA – meaning he can return to work on April 24, 2018.India Today TV had said its reporters shot the video with Salgaoncar over two days (October 23 and 24) leading up to the New Zealand ODI, alleging corrupt activity on his part. In the video, Salgaoncar is seen telling the reporters: “It [the pitch] is very good. It will garner 337 runs. And 337 will be chaseable.” New Zealand made 230 in the match, and India chased down the target four overs to spare on a slowing track.

Fleming also put forward the name of Daniel Vettori – who also works in the T20 format – but made clear he remained impressed by Mike Hesson’s achievements

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2018Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming would be keen to work with the national T20 side if there was a push to restructure the coaching set-up to reduce Mike Hesson’s workload.Fleming, who coaches in the IPL and Big Bash League, also put forward the name of Daniel Vettori – another who now works in the T20 format – but made clear he remained impressed by Hesson’s achievements. However, he believes that the packed international schedule will eventually lead to more specialised coach appointments.Simon Doull, the former New Zealand paceman, recently suggested that Hesson – and captain Kane Williamson – should move aside from the T20 international game, while England coach Trevor Bayliss said he would not have a problem if the coaching roles in his team were split.”It’s based on my passion and love for New Zealand cricket,” Fleming told . “I’ve got a very good relationship with Craig McMillan [the current batting coach] and spend a lot of time talking to him about where the game is going and what he sees. So I enjoy passing on that knowledge and it comes back to wanting the New Zealand team to be strong.”I enjoy going away and having a strong New Zealand team performing well around the world, it helps my job and I enjoy getting the New Zealand players in the sides that I’ve got.”At some stage, who knows and I think Daniel would be the same. I’d love to help, but I certainly appreciate and admire the work Mike has done.”At the conclusion of the England series in early April, Hesson will be able to have some downtime as New Zealand do not play again until a series against Pakistan in October, but Fleming still thinks that being in charge of all three formats could become too great a task for one man.”You’ve got to think for a modern day coach these days, to be spending 250-300 days away, or involved in the job, travelling and hotels and being away from the family, that’s unsustainable,” he said.”So Simon [Doull] makes some good points there about looking after your coaches and maybe T20 is one form of the game where there’s an opportunity for the head coach to have some time off.”Whether you develop a Craig McMillan or another young coach coming forward, or you get an old dog in and maybe Vettori or myself come in to spend a bit of time there?”It’s whether it keeps Mike Hesson fresh, it’s whether it falls into line with what Mike wants. But I think it’s worth discussing going forward as the schedule gets more cluttered. What I’ve heard from NZ Cricket and Mike right now is that the balance is pretty good, so he’s pretty happy to continue what he’s doing. But it needs to be explored.”New Zealand’s T20 form took a dive after a strong start earlier in the season. Pakistan came from 1-0 down to take the three-match series in January, when New Zealand conceded their No. 1 ranking, then they managed just a single victory – against England in Wellington – during the T20 tri-series. The next World T20 will take place in Australia in 2020.”If you’re bouncing from each form, sometimes you can miss the subtleties of the game that are developing behind closed doors, because you’re so focused on a Test or one-day series,” Fleming said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re relevant in all forms and have got the selectors, coaches and personnel looking at the right things.”

England will play their first three-Test series in Sri Lanka in 11 years, but the tour – which also features five ODIs and a T20I – may also clash with the island’s northeast monsoon

Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Mar-2018

England will play their first three-Test series in Sri Lanka in 11 years, but the tour – which also features five ODIs and a T20I – may also clash with the island’s northeast monsoon.England’s tour of Sri Lanka 2018

Oct 10 – First ODI, Dambulla
Oct 13 – Second ODI, Dambulla
Oct 17 – Third ODI, Pallekele
Oct 20 – Fourth ODI, Pallekele
Oct 23 – Fifth ODI, Khettarama (Colombo)
Oct 27 – Only T20I, Khettarama
Nov 6-10 – First Test, Galle
Nov 14-18 – Second Test, Pallekele
Nov 23-27 – Third Test, SSC

The matches will be played in Dambulla, Galle, Kandy and Colombo, with the SSC set to host the only Colombo Test. As it is the Tests – set for November – are more likely to be affected by rain than the limited-overs games, which end by October.SLC generally only hosts sides in November if there is no alternative, and given both teams’ busy 2018 schedule, that does appear to be the case. November Tests were last played in Sri Lanka in 2012, when both matches against New Zealand yielded results. However the previous series that began in November – the 2010 Tests against West Indies – were infamously rain-affected, and all three games ended in draws.The ODI series kicks off the tour on October 10, before the one-off T20I is played on the 27th of that month. There are then nine days before the first Test – time perhaps for England to play at least one warm-up encounter. The Test series begins in Galle on November 6, then moves to Pallekele, before the tour finishes up in Colombo.England last played Tests in Sri Lanka in early 2012, that two-match series finishing 1-1. Their most-recent three-Test tour of the island was in 2007.

With the tournament scheduled to run from August 18 to September 10, SLC is also attempting to lure second-string India players to participate

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Apr-2018

Russel Arnold, the former Sri Lanka batsman, and commentator, has been appointed tournament director for the Lankan Premier League, to be played in August and September. Having officially signed on several days ago, Arnold’s work begins in earnest in May.”We consider bringing in a person in the caliber of Russel as the Tournament Director of the LPL will help the process of making it a successful tournament, especially considering his experience as a player and also his knowledge in promoting the game,” said Thilanga Sumathipala, the SLC president.Although planning remains in the early stages, Sri Lanka Cricket is also attempting to lure second-string India players to the tournament, with Sumathipala having repeatedly stated that he plans to appeal to the BCCI about the issue. The presence of Indian players – even those of lesser renown – would be a substantial boon, particularly as LPL match times will be ideally suited for Indian viewers. The BCCI has never allowed its players to participate in foreign leagues, although SLC hopes to change that given the recent co-operation between both boards.SLC CEO Ashley de Silva also said that the board would insist that all its players take part in the LPL instead of the Caribbean Premier League, which is set to take place at the same time.SLC has not had a high profile T20 tournament since the SLPL, which had a lukewarm reception on the island in 2012, and was never played again. The LPL is scheduled to run from August 18 to September 10.