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Kevin De Bruyne jetted off to Cannes for a holiday with wife Michele Lacroix after winning the Premier League title with Manchester City.

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De Bruyne spending holiday with wife in CannesHelped Man City win the Premier LeagueWill next play for Belgium in JuneWHAT HAPPENED?

The Belgian midfielder and his wife shared some photographs on social media from Cannes where they are spending a well-earned holiday with friends. The Cityzens star jetted off to France after guiding his club to a fourth consecutive league title.

Kevin De Bruyne InstagramMichele De Bruyne InstagramAdvertisement(C)GettyImagesTHE GOSSIP

The 32-year-old's future at Etihad has been a subject of speculation in recent times with Saudi Arabian clubs including champions Al-Hilal showing interest in the player. However, the City star is unlikely to leave the club in the upcoming summer window.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite missing the first half of the season due to a hamstring injury, the Belgium international played a crucial role in Pep Guardiola's side's league win this season as he contributed with 18 assists and scored six goals in 26 matches across all competitions.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KEVIN DE BRUYNE?

The former Chelsea star will be next seen in action for his national team next month as Domenico Tedesco's team take on Montenegro and Luxembourg on June 5 and June 8 respectively in international friendlies.

Jose Mourinho put the blame on Erik ten Hag for his failure to "get the best out of" Jadon Sancho at Manchester United.

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• Sancho had a public fallout with Ten Hag
• Shipped out on loan to Borussia Dortmund
• Mourinho took aim at Man Utd boss

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The tension between Sancho and Ten Hag became evident after the Dutch manager publicly criticised Sancho’s training efforts. Following these remarks, Sancho took to social media to refute his manager’s claims, an act that further soured their relationship. The fallout resulted in Sancho being frozen out of the first-team setup in September after he refused to apologise for his public outburst – before being ultimately shipped out on loan to Borussia Dortmund in January.

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  WHAT MOURINHO SAID

  Mourinho, a seasoned manager with a wealth of experience, including a tenure at Manchester United, sympathized with Sancho’s situation. In a chat with , Mourinho stated: "As a player, we know his talent. We saw what he could do, there are no doubts about it. What happened at Man United…if I look at my own history, sometimes I failed with players. Sometimes I couldn't create the right empathy, I couldn't understand the player's DNA and I couldn't help players grow up in the right direction. The majority of times, yes, I did it but on some occasions, I couldn't.

  "I think sometimes we have to learn with experiences, which I tried always to do, to try to understand the nature of the player. Sometimes they have the talent but don't have the mindset you want from a player. For sure, the kid [Sancho] made mistakes, that's for sure, but for sure his manager was not able to get the best out of him."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  When questioned about whether Sancho was let down by United as a whole, Mourinho highlighted that such situations are typically influenced by multiple factors. “Normally, it's multi-factorial. Normally, it's not the manager, the player, the family, the agent, the club,” he noted, suggesting that the blame cannot rest solely on one party.

  However, Mourinho reiterated that experienced coaches bear significant responsibility in guiding young players. “But looking at myself as a coach, I did many times get the best out of young players and helped them to be what they were in the future. Other times I failed. For sure, even if it's multi-factorial, we are part of it. For us coaches with more experience and many situations of déjà vu as we get older, we try to help the players in the right direction. I think in this case, they look at it and for sure they try to analyse what happened at Man United and what happened and what he found in Dortmund."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Sancho has undoubtedly redeemed himself at Dortmund and has been a crucial figure in the Black and Yellow's run to the Champions League final. However, it remains to be seen if the German outfit can hold on to him for another season or the forward heads back to Old Trafford at the end of his loan term.

The South Australia fast bowler was on the radar of the national selectors for the upcoming Ashes series

Alex Malcolm07-Mar-2019

Ashes hopeful Daniel Worrall has been left devastated after a hamstring injury all but ended his Sheffield Shield season with South Australia.The lively 27-year-old right-arm swing bowler has been on the radar of Australia’s national selection panel as a possible England tourist after he took 17 wickets in two Shield matches in November before succumbing to a back injury.He returned to action late in the Big Bash League, helping Melbourne Stars reach the final. He was rested from the first Shield game after the BBL in order to try and prevent a recurrence of his back injury. But after taking 3 for 60 from 15.4 overs in the first innings against Western Australia at the WACA earlier this week, Worrall injured his hamstring in the first over of the second innings and will miss South Australia’s next game.”(Worrall’s) really disappointed, he’s devastated,” South Australia coach Jamie Siddons said. “He knows it’s a critical time for him. He bowled beautifully in the first innings and was set to the job for us in the second.”He was looking for Australia A (opportunities), or the Ashes, and to win games for us, which is probably more disappointing for him.”We’ll do everything we can to get him back for the last game of the year to give him a chance to push his claims, but he’s pretty shattered at the moment.”Worrall has experience of playing in England. He played four games with Gloucestershire in the last County Championship season, taking 16 wickets at 21.75, but suffered a stress fracture in the foot that saw him miss the first part of the Australian domestic summer.He has already represented Australia in three ODIs in South Africa in 2016, having played two first-class matches for Australia A several months earlier against South Africa A and India A in Brisbane.

In a bid to intensify the Premier League title race, the penultimate matches for Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City have been rescheduled.

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• PL fixtures have been amended
• Broadcast selections lead to fixture overhaul
• FA Cup clashes also rescheduled

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Arsenal will kick off the series of crucial encounters as they travel to face Manchester United on Sunday, May 12. The following day, Liverpool will visit Aston Villa on Monday, May 13, while City will be away at Tottenham on Tuesday, May 14. These matches set the stage for what promises to be a thrilling matchday 37 of the Premier League campaign with the final round slated for Sunday, May 19, marking the culmination of an enthralling season filled with twists and turns.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Originally scheduled for Saturday, May 11, the matches between United and Arsenal, as well as Aston Villa and Liverpool, have been moved to favour broadcast selections. Both fixtures will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, ensuring widespread coverage for fans across the country.

  City's clash with Tottenham was initially set for Sunday, April 21. However, the fixture was postponed due to Erling Haaland & Co. reaching the FA Cup semi-finals, which are scheduled for the weekend of April 20-21. This shift in date has also enabled the match to be televised live on Sky Sports.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In addition to their domestic commitments, Arsenal, Liverpool, and City could also be involved in European competition. If they progress to the semi-finals, they will be in action the week before their penultimate league fixtures. The Champions League second-leg ties are scheduled for May 7 and 8, followed by the Europa League matches on May 9.

  In further fixture amendments, Brighton vs Chelsea and United vs Newcastle have also seen a date change. These matches, originally planned for different dates, will now both take place on Wednesday, May 15, due to Chelsea and United's participation in the FA Cup.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  With seven league matches still to play, every point will be crucial in determining the eventual champions of England.

  The opponents for Arsenal, Liverpool, and City in their penultimate fixtures could all have European football aspirations of their own. Fourth-placed Tottenham and fifth-placed Villa are separated by goal difference, highlighting the competitive nature of the race for European spots. Meanwhile, United, currently in sixth place, will be eager to secure a vital victory against Arsenal to ensure a top-five finish. As the Premier League season reaches its climax, fans can expect an exhilarating conclusion with the title race going down to the wire.

  Date	Time (BST)	Fixture
  Saturday, May 11	12:30pm	Fulham vs Manchester City
  Sunday, May 12	4:30pm	Manchester United vs Arsenal
  Monday, May 13	8pm	Aston Villa vs Liverpool
  Tuesday, May 14	8pm	Tottenham vs Manchester City
  Sunday, May 19	4pm	Arsenal vs Everton, Liverpool vs Wolves, West Ham vs Manchester City

Alphonso Davies' agent has attacked Bayern Munich over the club's contract renewal stance, with a summer move to Real Madrid looking imminent.

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Davies forced to extend or present offer by AprilDavies' agent fires back at treatmentReal Madrid move now seems imminent(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 23-year-old left-back has reportedly received a contract offer from the Bundesliga winners, but an agreement is still a long way off. As a result, Davies has been given until April to either accept the contract offer from Bayern Munich or present a proposal from any team that wishes to sign him, per sporting director Max Eberl. Nedal Huoseh, Davies' agent has now blasted the Bavarians for their handling of the situation, criticising their need for a quick response despite the continued uncertainty at the club.

AdvertisementWHAT DAVIES' AGENT SAID

Speaking to , Huoseh said: "It’s unfair to receive an ultimatum from Bayern. We will decide how to proceed at the end of the season when there is more clarity. It's unfair that Alphonso is now being attacked. We were close to an agreement a year ago. Then the entire club management was replaced. We didn't hear anything for seven months."

"Now we are being given an ultimatum and are supposed to react within two weeks because the club is under pressure and took a long time to reposition itself in the management? That's not fair," he continued. "It’s a very important contract in Alphonso's career and we're supposed to make the decision without knowing who the coach will be next season or what the team looks like. That's why we think it's unfair to react to the ultimatum."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Given these developments and the seeming discord between Davies and his employers, long-term prospects for Madrid appear bright. In the event that the player is dissatisfied and feels under duress to accept a renewal, which it certainly seems like at present, Bayern could ultimately be forced to negotiate with Los Blancos and accept a lower fee for Davies rather than risk losing him for nothing in the future.

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DID YOU KNOW?

As that contract looks increasingly unlikely to come to fruition, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano offered an update on the situation. Romano states that Davies categorically won't sign a deal with Bayern, leaving Real on high alert and being "prepared to open talks". His transfer to the Spanish capital, then, seems a mere formality at this stage.

The England coach feels good batting surfaces and quick outfields are needed to sustain the growth of the game, especially with the World T20 set to go standalone

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai02-Apr-2018″It’s entertainment, isn’t it?”Rarely does a coach pose a question of this sort soon after a hiding, of the kind Australia meted out to England in the tri-series final in Mumbai on March 31.This wasn’t a tongue-in-cheek remark from England coach Mark Robinson. Nor was he aiming for hyperbole when he threw the question. He then jogged his mind back to the semi-final of the World T20 in March 2016 in New Delhi, where Australia beat England by only five runs on a slow surface. There, Australia didn’t hit a six in the last 10 overs; England managed two.”Here, it was just the opposite,” he said, referring to the final where a record fourth-wicket stand of 139 between Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani set the tone for a dominating win. Australia’s 209 was the highest T20I total in women’s matches, achieved largely because of 32 fours, the most in a T20I innings. Lanning alone smashed half the number of those fours in her 45-ball 88*.”Australia were absolutely outstanding. They fielded well, and that partnership between Lanning and Villani was outstanding,” Robinson said. “I mean, 120 (129) in the last 10? I mean, that’s how we learn; that’s brilliant. That’s going to bring people in. If I was a young person, I’d want to play such kind of cricket and come [to the stadium to watch].”Robinson hoped he wouldn’t see surfaces of the kinds that hosted the inaugural women’s day-night Ashes Test. He called for conducive batting conditions and quick outfields which could bring about a significant shift in viewership, in a year when the Women’s World T20 is set to become a standalone event.”What you want is the game to give credit to these fantastic female athletes. And I don’t think previously it was the case,” he said. “What you had in this tournament was the groundsmen go out of their way to produce the best surfaces possible, and that’s all you ask for wherever you go in the world. I would like to congratulate the BCCI getting these things right during the tri-series.”Robinson hopes boards would continue to provide conducive batting conditions and fast outfields•PA ImagesIn Robinson’s assessment, the tri-series lent testimony to the ever-increasing prowess of batsmen, who also somewhat benefitted from the new playing conditions that restrict the number of fielders outside the 30-yard circle to four. He cited Megan Schutt’s example to explain what bowlers needed to do to outfox batsmen in such conditions.”In this game, if you keep playing in these kind of wickets, you have to have a big legspinner somewhere, you have to have a yard of pace, you have to have a spinner who can get her fingers around it and the standards will go up, it will have to,” he said. “My criticism of the female game previously was the average wickets we’d play on and the standard of bowling wouldn’t be good enough.”I still feel the standard of bowling in the tournament hasn’t matched the standard of batting, and it will only go up. So the intent for the bowlers would mean they’ll have to hang in there and know what they want to do. Megan Schutt’s bowled really well, hasn’t she? So, you’ll need great changes of pace, or an extra yard of pace or something different. The game of cricket always evolves and we got to allow it to evolve and the bowling will start to catch up.”Robinson felt every team had a few marquee players who had to take it upon themselves to embed this brand of aggressive cricket to make the women’s game more attractive. “It’s about the big players scoring runs, isn’t it?” he asked. “Every team’s got such players. If Lanning got out in that game, it would have been different. But she didn’t, she had a partnership and that’s how she takes the game away from you, doesn’t she?”It’s about your best players: if [Harmanpreet] Kaur comes off, she can win the game by herself, we’ve seen it. The two games we won, we made mockery of two [huge] scores. Danielle Wyatt gets a big one and Nat Sciver does etc. So it’s always about the big players. So the shorter the game is, the less the big players you need, because the shortness of the game allows you to dictate terms.”While he conceded that going down in the final hurt, the “bigger agenda” was to identify the next generation of internationals, many of whom learnt plenty playing in conditions far different to the ones they’ve grown up on.The build-up to the tri-series wasn’t as promising for England, though. A back injury ruled out frontline fast bowler Katherine Brunt, while wicketkeeper-batsman Sarah Taylor was rested to “manage her long-term health.” Their pace bowling resources were further depleted when vice-captain Anya Shrubsole was forced to sit out all five games due to a shoulder strain.Danielle Wyatt’s batting came in for special praise from the England coach•BCCIReflecting on the loss, even as they prepare for three ODIs in Nagpur, Robinson was enthused by Wyatt’s performance. The opener finished atop of the run charts with 213 runs in five matches. Sciver and Tammy Beaumont too propped up much of the batting with half-centuries. He also appreciated the effort of the three debutants on tour.”From a selfish point of view, you’ve seen Nat Sciver look good as anybody in the world. You’ve seen Tammy Beaumont look as good as anybody I’m the world and you’ve seen Danny Waytt beginning to emerge as a cricketer to be feared. That’s really exciting,” he said. “We know we’ve got some bigger players to put back in but we’ve also got one eye on the future as well.”With Sarah, we can’t take her health for granted; Katherine, the age she’s in, we’ve got Lauren Winfield and Georgia Elwis working independently here trying to move their game on. That’s what we are doing. Trying to move our game on.”The upcoming series will be England’s first against India in the 50-over format since beating them in the World Cup final in July last year. Apart from spelling out the mantra for his side, Robinson also put himself in the Indian management’s shoes and felt they needed to “try and extract little more” out of their senior players. The talent among the youngsters wasn’t lost upon him either.”If I was their coach, I would be excited, by the age of them. They’ve obviously got two stalwarts [Raj and Goswami] who need to try and bring a bit more out of them. But India have got so much promise. And sometimes, with the brutality of sport you can only see warts and not the beauty spots,” he said.”If I was coach of that team, I’d need some patience and require my bosses to give me some patience as well, should I want to coach them because they’ve got some exciting talent. The young batters (Jemimah) Rodrigues and the young fast bowler [Pooja Vastrakar] and [Deepti] Sharma, there are a lot of great ages to work with.”

Lachlan Ferguson flew all the way from London to Hobart to watch his brother make his Test debut. What he saw caused him to rush to the exit in exasperation

Daniel Brettig in Hobart12-Nov-2016Let’s say you live in London. You get a call to say that your older brother Callum Ferguson, after years of trying and a pair of serious knee injuries, has been added to the Australian squad for a Test match for the very first time. You don’t know for sure if he’ll be playing, but you book a flight to the far side of the world anyway, just in case.You take the journey, around 20 hours in the air from London to Melbourne, followed by a short hop of around an hour from there to Hobart. On arrival, you find that your brother is actually going to play, making the trip worthwhile but also filling you with plenty of nerves.So you sit and watch things unfold alongside your father. You see your brother presented with a baggy green cap he has been chasing for well over a decade, handed over by his old Redbacks teammate Greg Blewett. You see the coin toss and the news that Australia are to be sent in to bat. You notice the green grass on the pitch, the lushness of the outfield, the dull light and sprinklings of rain. You’re reminded of the country you’ve just flown from.Your brother is set to bat at No. 6, so you don’t expect to be seeing him out there particularly soon. You settle in to watch the openers David Warner and Joe Burns trot out to the middle to start the innings. You see Vernon Philander at the top of his mark, looking calm but eager, in conditions tailored beautifully for his seam and swing.After the first five balls, you think Warner has handled things well enough, but then you see Philander spray his sixth delivery well wide of the stumps, out almost near the return crease. You’re half expecting the umpire to signal wide, but instead you see Warner’s arms outstretched instead, trying vainly to reach the ball and succeeding only in snicking a catch behind and gifting his wicket to Philander. You hear exclamations of surprise and annoyance around you.Next you watch Burns being sized up by Kyle Abbott, a seam bowler who had success against the Australians in the ODI series in South Africa. You know that Burns has just been recalled to the team after being dropped in Sri Lanka, and that his Gabba education should help on tough days for batting against pace. Then you see Abbott jag one back off the seam, much as he did to Aaron Finch in Port Elizabeth a few weeks ago, and see Burns struck on the pad in front, his bat not straight, his head falling over to the off side. You feel slightly nauseous as the umpire’s finger goes up – not all to do with the jetlag.David Warner chased at a wide one from Vernon Philander to start Australia’s collapse•Getty ImagesYou watch Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith scratch around for a while, letting numerous balls sail perilously close to the stumps either side of a brief rain delay. You start to think they might be getting through the worst of it, with just eight runs on the board, when you see Khawaja squared up by a Philander delivery that rears off the pitch and caught in the slips.Not far from where you’re sitting, Adam Voges walks out to the middle. This time last year, you followed the scores from a Test in Hobart against the West Indies, and saw Voges collar 269 not out against a benighted Caribbean side. Now you see Voges take guard, ready himself, then stand motionless at the crease after edging the most perfect of leg cutters from Philander. You don’t think there’s much more he could have done, but then you realise your brother will now be coming in to face a hat-trick ball, with the scoreboard reading 4 for 8.You’re tense and struggling to sit still as Philander rolls in for that ball, sending down a delivery on target that your brother gets enough bat on to keep out. The ball is seaming treacherously, and your brother lets one delivery go that passes more or less over the top of middle stump. The febrile environment in the middle is shown when Steven Smith and Philander collide during the middle of an LBW appeal, sending the bowler off the field for treatment.Watching Philander leave the field with South Africa’s physio, you think that might be a chance for the Australians to find some breathing room. But then your brother, facing his 12th ball, knocks one down into the gully where the substitute fielder Dane Vilas misfields. You sense the adrenaline coursing through your brother’s veins as he turns to try to force a second run, but you also see Vilas’ rapid recovery in chasing after the ball.In a moment that seems to take an age but is barely a couple of seconds, you see Vilas gather, turn and throw in one motion. You see your brother realise he’s suddenly in trouble and shape to dive for the crease. You see the ball fired in low and hard towards the stumps, hitting them as Quinton de Kock jumps up in exultation. You see your brother sprawled on the ground, short of his crease and out in the most maddening way possible. You see an Australian innings in utter chaos, and a team bereft of method or confidence to deal with the prevailing conditions.You’ve seen enough. You throw your hands in the air in total exasperation, stand up and rush past your dad, and walk out through the entrance to the Ricky Ponting Stand – a scene captured by television cameras. You cannot believe your journey around the world has ended in this awful scene, watching the total collapse of a team your brother was rushed into in an effort to fix problems that seem more systemic than personnel-based. You’re not alone.

James McClean sent out a message to supporters after Wrexham ended their 'history-making' season with a win over Lincoln City.

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McClean sends message at end of the 2024-25 campaignWrexham ended the historic season on a highBeat Lincoln City 2-0 in their final gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham, who made history by becoming the first club in England to secure three consecutive promotions to the Championship, ended their 2024-25 campaign on a high as they beat Lincoln City 2-0 on Saturday. Elliot Lee and Ryan Longman were on target as the Red Dragons signed off from League One in style.

AdvertisementWHAT JAMES MCCLEAN SAID

Wrexham skipper James McClean was elated by his team's performances in the history-making campaign as he took to Instagram to share his thoughts. The Irish winger shared a team photo and wrote in the caption: "Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, and working together is success.” Immensely proud to be part of what is now the history making back2back2back red Dragons."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On Sunday, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side announced their end-of-campaign awards, where Ollie Rathbone was named the club's Player of the Year. Club legend Paul Mullin was given the Goal of the Season award for his spectacular volley against Blackpool on Boxing Day.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Manager Phil Parkinson has revealed the club's transfer plans are already in full swing, with the manager having "a lot of thinking to do" ahead of their Championship campaign. The Hollywood owners will likely provide another injection of cash to help the Welsh club reach the Premier League promised land.

It’s been a tough season for Arsenal this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side came into the campaign hoping that this would be the year they finally toppled Manchester City in the Premier League, and while they’re six points clear of the Champions, they’re six points behind current leaders Liverpool.

This drop-off is due to several reasons, from suspensions to injuries and a lack of cutting edge in attack, especially from those off the left, like Leandro Trossard, who’s produced just six goal involvements so far.

So, recent reports linking the club with an incredibly exciting left-sided gem should excite the Arsenal faithful, especially as he could get the Belgian firing again.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in Club Brugge’s talented full-back, Maxim De Cuyper.

The report has revealed that the Gunners are currently leading the chase for the 24-year-old, but fellow London sides Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the exciting player.

The report does not mention a price, but given that Brugge’s most expensive departure of all time was the €36.5m – £30.2m – transfer of Charles De Ketelaere to AC Milan and that the left-back is valued at just €12m – £10m – by Transfermarkt, we can’t see this potential deal costing the North Londoners an arm and a leg.

Overall, it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given De Cuyper’s ability and potential, it’s one well worth pursuing, especially as he could revive Trossard.

How De Cuyper could revive Trossard

Now, one of the benefits of signing De Cuyper is that he’s shown over the last few years that he’s versatile enough to play on either side of the defence and even further up the pitch.

However, left-back is his preferred position; therefore, it’ll be those out on the left wing, like Trossard, who will be most affected by him.

Fortunately, the Knokke-Heist-born dynamo appears to be an incredibly gifted attacking full-back, and that’s the reason he’d be able to revive his fellow compatriot out on the left.

For example, in just 24 appearances this season, the promising prospect, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed “one of the best left-backs” around, has scored one goal and provided four assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 4.8 games.

Just imagine how much more effective the Gunners’ Belgian winger could be with the 6 foot full-back hurtling down the pitch, ready to overlap or play a killer pass through the lines for him to get on the end of.

That said, if his raw output from this season isn’t enough to convince you, perhaps his underlying numbers will be.

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across the next best 14 competitions, the left-footed star sits in the top 1% of full-backs for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the top 2% for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 3% for attempted passes and the top 7% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area, all per 90.

Ultimately, Arsenal’s left-hand side has been underwhelming so far this season, and while signing a new forward could help, signing a new attacking full-back to get the most out of their current attackers might be an even better idea.

Therefore, Arteta and Co should do what they can to sign De Cuyper as soon as possible.

Arsenal can solve Saka crisis by signing "unstoppable" £60m "machine"

The incredible player could pick up some of the slack for Arsenal amid Bukayo Saka’s massive injury blow.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 24, 2024

Manchester United have now made contact over a potential new forward for Ruben Amorim’s side as they look to rebuild their attack amid significant speculation surrounding potential departures in the coming months.

Manchester United lose again as INEOS chase Dorgu

Yet another defeat for Manchester United under Ruben Amorim has left them languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, having lost three of their last five outings.

Saved by a late Amad Diallo hat-trick at home to bottom of the league Southampton in midweek, there was no such fortune against Brighton at Old Trafford three days later, with Amorim’s side sinking to a 3-1 defeat in which they managed just a single shot on target, coming from the penalty spot midway through the first half.

It means that Amorim has now seen his side lose six of his 11 games at the helm in the Premier League, with only three wins to his name since his arrival after the November international break, and after the match he claimed that this side may well be the worst in the club’s history.

Played

11

Won

3

Lost

6

Points per game

1

Goals scored per game

1.36

Goals conceded per game

1.81

Changes will have to be made both on the training ground and in the transfer market, with a deal for Patrick Dorgu thought to be in the pipeline and now another attacking target on the agenda too.

Man Utd make approach for exciting English talent

That comes as Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Manchester United have “expressed concrete interest” in Borussia Dortmund forward Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, who has regularly been hittting the headlines in the Bundesliga this campaign.

Still just 20-years-old, the forward was once on the books of the Manchester City academy before opting to follow the path trod by Jadon Sancho and swap the Etihad for Signal Iduna Park, where he has thrived.

Mostly playing off the left hand side, Gittens has grabbed four goals in six Champions League outings, while he has also managed seven goals and four assists in the Bundesliga so far this season, the joint most efforts with Serhou Guirassy for the Black and Yellow.

He has been the subject of significant praise from Football Analyst Ben Mattinson, who dubbed him a star with “electric pace” who has a “lovely ability to use either foot to cross or shoot”.

That form has caught the eye, and the report claims that Bayern, Manchester United and Chelsea are all “considering a move”, though it is likely one that would take place in the summer rather than in the final two weeks of the winter window.

Though he still has three and a half years left to run on his £48,000 a week deal with Dortmund, a move could occur and is even said to be “highly likely” should Dortmund fail to qualify for the Champions League next season, though whether he would be willing to move to another club who likely won’t have Champions League football remains unclear.

With the futures of current left-wing options Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho far from secure at Old Trafford, would Bynoe-Gittens be a smart move by the Red Devils?