Cristiano Ronaldo is promising "Hollywood stars" in his new movie venture, with hints being dropped at involvement from the likes of Taron Egerton.

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Business empire has been expandedTwo films have already been madeNo distraction for iconic 40-year-oldFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has revealed that his business empire is being expanded. While he remains focused on his football career at 40 years of age, exciting projects are being lined up away from the pitch.

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The latest of those has seen CR7 and his UR brand team up with iconic film producer Matthew Vaughn. It is already confirmed that the pair have two movies ready to go, with work about to begin on a third.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo and Vaughn are vowing to deliver "passion and storytelling" as part of a "disruptive era in entertainment". The promotional video for their intriguing project – which includes Egerton and James Bond actor Daniel Craig – is also promising appearances from "Hollywood stars".

Mikel Arteta's side are through to the semifinals after a historic 5-1 aggregate win against the 15-time European champions

Arsenal enjoyed a historic night at Santiago Bernabeu, beating Real Madrid 2-1 to secure a stunning 5-1 aggregate victory over the 15-time European champions and book their spot in the Champions League semi-finals against Paris Saint Germain.

It was a dream evening for the Gunners, who never looked like surrendering the 3-0 lead they took into the second leg following their convincing win over Carlo Ancelotti's side in north London last week, although they did have to endure a nervy period in the first half after Bukayo Saka had seen an attempted Panenka penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Madrid were awarded a penalty of their own soon after as Declan Rice was adjudged to have pulled down Kylian Mbappe, only for the decision to be reversed after a long VAR check.

Arsenal then saw out the first half relatively comfortably, with the hosts failing to register a single shot on target, and they then looked to have seized control of the game on 65 minutes when Saka raced onto Martin Odegaard's delightful through ball and clipped a superb finish over the advancing Courtois.

But a mistake from William Saliba moments later allowed Vinicius Jr to draw Madrid level on the night and give them some hope with 20 minutes still remaining.

There was to be no famous comeback from the hosts, however, with Arsenal keeping them at bay comfortably before Gabriel Martinelli raced away in the final seconds to put the seal on a special night for the Gunners.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Bernabeu…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (7/10):

  Came and gathered the ball so well to relieve the pressure on his defence. Had very little to do in terms of making saves.

  Jurrien Timber (8/10):

  Continued his superb form. Just such an impressive player in all aspects of the game. So strong against Vinicius.

  William Saliba (8/10):

  Colossal performance at the heart of Arsenal's defence until he was caught napping by Vinicius for the equaliser. Poor mistake, but was massive otherwise.

  Jakub Kiwior (8/10):

  As good as he was in the first leg. Has come in for Gabriel and looked right at home.

  Myles Lewis-Skelly (8/10):

  Another huge game where the teenager has looked totally unfazed, even against a winger of the quality of Rodrygo.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Thomas Partey (8/10):

  Calm and composed. Moved the ball well and swept up in front of the defence. Excellent display.

  Declan Rice (9/10):

  Outstanding. Just never ever stopped. Another all-action display from Arsenal's star midfielder.

  Martin Odegaard (6/10):

  Really struggled in the first half. Sloppy in possession and was dispossessed too easily at times, causing moves to break down when Arsenal were threatening. Credit to him, though, as he improved a lot after the interval.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (7/10):

  Awful penalty, which seemed to knock him off his game for the rest of the first half. But was very good after the interval, running himself into the ground before scoring a wonderful goal to make it 1-0.

  Mikel Merino (8/10):

  Worked as hard as always and produced a moment of real quality to set up Saka's goal before also releasing Martinelli for the second late on.

  Gabriel Martinelli (7/10):

  Tested Courtoius with an effort just before the break. Found a lot of space at times and finally got clear in the final seconds to score and put the seal on a wonderful night for Arsenal.

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  Subs & Manager

  Leandro Trossard (N/A):

  On for the tiring Saka as the clock ticked down.

  Kieran Tierney (N/A):

  Came on in injury time.

  Ben White (N/A):

  Came on in injury time.

  Oleksandr Zinchenko (N/A):

  Came on in injury time.

  Mikel Arteta (8/10):

  His biggest moment as Arsenal manager. Had his team perfectly drilled to frustrate Madrid and see the tie out.

Everton could agree a deal to sign a striker who has been described as a “diamond” to replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin, according to former scout Bryan King.

Calvert-Lewin suffers injury setback

Calvert-Lewin had been showing signs of improvement since the return of David Moyes, scoring in the 3-2 victory against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, but the striker has now suffered yet another injury setback.

The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Croll has expressed his concern about the forward’s injury, which is set to keep him sidelined until the end of next month.

There have been widespread rumours about Beto’s future at Goodison Park, with the striker at one point keen on a move to Italy, but the Toffees may be forced to persist with the 26-year-old if they are unable to sign another player before the deadline.

Moyes is considering his options, with Graeme Bailey revealing there is interest in Rangers striker Hamza Igamane, and there has now been another update on the potential move. In an interview with Goodison News, former scout turned pundit Bryan King has now revealed that a deal to sign Igamane could be there to be done for Everton before the deadline.

King said: “If they have got the money, a deal could be agreed. I don’t think Igamane would be cheap. However, now that Calvert-Lewin is injured, I imagine that Everton will be looking to get that deal across the line.”

Igamane impressing in the Europa League

The Moroccan has recently emerged as a consistent starter for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, scoring five goals in his last five outings, and he has also looked impressive in Europe this season. The Scottish side have faced some difficult opponents in the Europa League, including Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, but the forward has proven his worth to Philippe Clement, netting four times in five matches.

Clement has recently spoken about his decision to sign the 22-year-old, while praising how quickly he has adapted to life in the Scottish Premiership.

“People in Morocco I knew from before. I’m lucky in that way that people knew him. They said he’s a rough diamond. They said: ‘We don’t know if he’s going to be ready from the start. Maybe in one year he’s going to be ready to play’.

“So we need to make players better who can go to a higher level. We will see with him. It’s about hunger and desire in that way. He’s doing really good things.”

At 22-years-old, Igamane is likely to have a lot of room to develop and it may be difficult for Everton to sign him this winter, given that Rangers remain in a strong negotiating position, with the centre-forward contracted until 2029.

Everton have now been offered the chance to bolster their ranks on the cheap as they look to survive in the Premier League this season, with the Toffees sinking ever closer to the relegation zone.

Everton lose again

David Moyes’ return got off to a poor start as his side were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa in his first outing, but there will be plenty of positives to take from the game for Toffees fans.

Against a potential challenger for the Champions League spots, they held their own and created more than enough opportunities to snatch a point, only for their familiar failings to strike again.

Everton

Aston Villa

Possession

50%

50%

Shots

10

11

Shots on Target

3

3

Big Chances Created

3

4

Big Chances Missed

3

3

Expected goals

1.14

1.21

They generated largely the same number of chances as their opponents, but could not find the back of the net, a reoccurring theme this season. In fact, only Southampton (12) have scored fewer goals than Everton’s 15, and Moyes admitted after the game that he was “definitely” planning on using the transfer window to try and address their goalscoring woes.

“I can definitely see we are lacking a level of quality that will give us opportunities or make us more goals or score more goals which we’d like to address if we can do that,” he told the media.

They have been linked with a move for Leicester City forward Tom Cannon, and now they have been offered the chance to potentially bolster their ranks on the cheap with some Premier League experience.

Everton offered chance to sign Willian

That comes as the Telegraph report that Everton are one of several Premier League sides who have been offered the chance to sign Willian on a free transfer this winter after he agreed a mutual termination of his deal at Olympiacos.

Now 36-years-old, the Brazilian forward left the Premier League over the summer after a two-year stint at Fulham, but struggled in Greece and is keen on a return to the English top flight.

Dubbed a “top class” player during his last spell with the Cottagers by manager Marco Silva, the veteran would certainly bring Premier League experience, having amassed over 300 appearances in the top flight and lifting the Premier League title on two occasions, and Everton are “understood to have shown an interest” in bringing him to Goodison Park.

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Though his best days may now be behind him, Willian still proved his value to Fulham last season, scoring four times and grabbing two assists in 31 appearances and being a regular starter for Silva’s side, who finished comfortably midtable.

That return would have put him fourth on Everton’s goalscoring charts last season, and would see him at the top of them so far this campaign. With the club keen to add more options to their attack, he could be a low cost solution that may provide massive potential return on investment, especially if he can help propel the Toffees up the Premier League and away from the drop zone.

اقترب مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، من حل أزمة القيد الخاصة بالفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالقلعة البيضاء قبل فترة الانتقالات الصيفية.

وكان الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم، قد قرر إيقاف قيد الزمالك، بسبب مستحقات متأخرة لـ خالد بو طيب مهاجم الأبيض السابق، والبرتغالي جايمي باتشيكو المدير الفني السابق.

طالع.. إيقاف لاعب الزمالك.. إعلان عقوبات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة حسم الدوري

وعلم بطولات، من مصدر في الزمالك أن النادي في طريقه لرفع إيقاف القيد بعد إرسال ما يقرب من ٩٠٠ ألف دولار قيمة مستحقات خالد بو طيب المتأخرة.

وأوضح المصدر أن مجلس الإدارة جهز المبلغ المطلوب لإرساله للبرتغالي جايمي باتشيكو المدير الفني السابق، على أن يحصل النادي على مخالصتين من الثنائي لتقديمها للفيفا لرفع إيقاف القيد والتمكن من الحصول على الرخصة الإفريقية.

ويواصل مجلس الزمالك، إنهاء الأزمات المالية التي عاني منها النادي، من أجل الحصول على رخصة المشاركة في البطولات الإفريقية.

وضمن الزمالك التأهل إلى كأس الكونفدرالية بصفته وصيف كأس مصر على الأقل، بعد ضمان بيراميدز التأهل إلى دوري أبطال إفريقيا الموسم المقبل.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has not had the chance to splash the cash in the transfer market since he arrived at Anfield from Feyenoord last summer.

Whilst Premier League rivals Manchester City have swooped for the likes of Omar Marmoush in the January transfer window, the Reds are yet to make a signing this month.

The Merseyside giants have not needed a host of new recruits to find success on the pitch, though, as they are currently top of the Premier League and the Champions League.

Liverpool, who beat Ipswich Town 4-1 at Anfield at the weekend, are six points clear in the top-flight and are on course to win the second Premier League title in the club’s history.

This is a testament to Slot’s coaching ability as he has only made one signing, Federico Chiesa, in his two windows in charge on Merseyside to date.

The Dutch head coach is, however, reportedly looking at potential additions to come in and bolster the squad in the summer window, including Lyon star Rayan Cherki.

Why Liverpool may be interested in Rayan Cherki

It was recently reported that the Reds are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign the France U21 international from Lyon at the end of the season.

The 21-year-old starlet is reportedly valued at £18m by the French side and Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have also shown an interest in the versatile forward.

Liverpool may be interested in Cherki because he is a talented young player with time left ahead of him to grow and improve, whilst he has already shown flashes of quality in the current season.

The technically gifted star, who can play through the middle as an attacking midfielder or out on the left or right flank, has produced five goals and eight assists in 24 appearances in all competitions for Lyon in the 2024/25 campaign.

Appearances (starts)

15 (10)

6 (5)

Goals

3

2

Big chances created

8

8

Key passes per game

2.5

3.7

Assists

3

4

Dribbles completed per game

2.1

3.0

Cherki, as shown in the table above, Cherki has provided an impressive level of creativity both in Ligue 1 and in the Europa League for the French side this season, which may be why the Reds are keen to bring him in at the end of the season.

He has not offered a huge goal threat for his team, however, and that may be one area of his game that he could look to improve in the years to come.

Liverpool do reportedly have one target, though, who is no stranger to finding the back of the net, and he could come in as an even bigger signing than Cherki.

Ligue 1 striker's Liverpool audition

Earlier this month, the Mirror reported that Lille centre-forward Jonathan David had the chance to audition in front of the Liverpool recruitment team when he came to Anfield in the Champions League.

The outlet claimed that the Reds have had long-term links to the Canada international, going back to Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at the club, and that his clash with Slot’s side in Europe provided him with a chance to show them what he is capable of first-hand.

It added that Tottenham Hotspur are among the other Premier League teams interested in a possible deal to snap up the 25-year-old marksman, who is out of contract in the summer and could be a bargain signing on a free transfer.

Minutes

90

xG

0.22

Shots

1

Goals

1

Pass accuracy

90%

Key passes

1

As you can see in the table above, David was ruthless in front of goal against the Reds by taking his only opportunity in front of goal, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to find the back of the net.

Liverpool may well have been impressed by his clinical and assured, given his 90% pass accuracy under pressure from Virgil van Dijk, performance against them in Europe’s top competition.

Why Liverpool should sign Jonathan David

With this in mind, Slot should push for the board to secure a deal to bring the Canadian marksman to Anfield on a bargain free transfer at the end of the season because he could be an even better addition than Cherki.

With Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo on the flanks, Liverpool are not in desperate need of another wide player to feature in those positions, which is why the Frenchman can play, although they could use him in a central role in midfield.

However, the Reds have lacked a consistent goal threat in the centre-forward position. Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez have combined for nine goals in the Premier League this season, with neither on more than five strikes.

This suggests that Slot could improve his squad for the 2025/26 campaign and beyond by moving for a striker who can find the back of the net on a consistent basis year-on-year.

David, who was dubbed “one of the best STs in the world” by football personality Tony Marinaro, has scored a staggering 102 goals in 214 matches for Lille, along with 31 goals in 59 caps for Canada.

Appearances

18

7

xG

10.28

3.80

Goals

11

5

Big chances created

2

2

Assists

2

1

As you can see in the table above, the Lille number nine has been incredibly effective and prolific in front of goal in Ligue 1 and the Champions League this term, outperforming his xG in both competitions.

David has the quality to be the consistent and reliable centre-forward that Liverpool have not had in recent seasons, which is why he could be an even better signing than Cherki for the Reds in the summer.

The Canada international, as shown by their respective statistics domestically and in Europe, has contributed to more goals and could make a bigger impact in the final third for Slot.

Their new Firmino: Liverpool could sign "De Bruyne-esque" star for £60m

Liverpool have been linked with an interest in the Premier League centre-forward.

ByDan Emery Jan 28, 2025

Whilst the Lyon playmaker is a talented midfielder who could provide quality at the top end of the pitch, there appears to be a greater need for a striker at Anfield and that is why they should consider a swoop to land the Lille man for nothing in the summer.

No play on Friday after first-day washout, match could still begin on Saturday

Vithushan Ehantharajah08-Sep-2022

The Union flag flies at half-mast above the Oval pavilion•Surrey CCC/Getty Images

The third Test between England and South Africa at the Kia Oval has been suspended following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.The announcement of the Queen’s death at the age of 96 came at 6.30pm on Thursday, the scheduled first day of the Test, after which the ECB confirmed that no scheduled cricket would take place on Friday. As well as day two of the Test, four fixtures in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy were due to be played.”Following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Friday’s play between England and South Africa Men at The Oval, along with all scheduled matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, will not take place,” the ECB said in a statement. “For fixtures beyond Friday, updates will be provided in due course.”The ECB is in consultation with government and other sports on the appropriate course of action for the rest of the Test. Ticket-holders for day two will be eligible for a full refund, the board confirmed.No play was possible on day one because of rain throughout the day, with stumps eventually called at 4.44pm, as speculation rose about the condition of the monarch.ESPNcricinfo understands the ECB and the Proteas management team met to discuss options, whether moving day two to Saturday or cancelling the Test altogether. CSA was happy to accept whatever the ECB board deemed appropriate and is willing to extend the team’s stay in the UK to facilitate the completion of the series, which is currently tied at one Test apiece.ECB chair Richard Thompson said: “I’m sure I speak for everyone in the game when I say how truly sad I am to hear of the Queen’s passing. Her Majesty has been such a great supporter of the game and was always so vocal of her and her late husband’s enjoyment around the sport. Her dedication to her country will never be forgotten. For her service and her selflessness over her extraordinary reign, we owe her a debt that can never be repaid.”A period of national mourning is expected in the UK, with sporting cancellations likely. Play was suspended at the PGA Championship in Wentworth on Thursday evening, while the British Horseracing Authority announced the postponement of Friday’s races.England were playing a Test match in India when the death of King George VI was announced in 1952. Day two of the Chennai Test was designated a rest day, with India going on to record their first victory in the format on the fourth day of play.

His 136 off 131 balls against Yorkshire brings Surrey closer to Championship title No. 21

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Sep-2022To celebrate the 90th birthday of Surrey legend Micky Stewart, the Kia Oval changed its name to The Micky Stewart Oval for this penultimate fixture of the County Championship season against Yorkshire. On Day one, however, Ollie Pope reminded everyone that this was his house.For the time being at least. Just as cricketers pass through the game, so it is they merely occupy the places they call “home” during their careers. But a blissful 136 from 131 deliveries, a 10th first class century at this famous ground (15th overall) has put Surrey that little bit closer to adding Championship title number 21 to the mantlepiece, as they ended Tuesday on 292 for 6 while 85 miles away second-place Hampshire had already been skittled for 57 by Kent. The challengers were 108 behind after the first innings of the match meaning they can only take 19 points from this round. Surrey, meanwhile, still have the full 24 up for grabs.They say the worst thing you can do when you’re leading is to look over your shoulder. But few begrudge those that do. And though Surrey came in with an eight-point cushion , it was only natural to cast a few glances towards the Ageas Bowl. However, when Pope is in this kind of mood, all eyes are on him. This was as typically him as you could get: on the front foot from ball one when he advanced down to Steven Patterson, late cuts on tap, and impish invention to get him from 90 to 100 with a ramp off Jordan Thompson for six, then a reverse sweep off Dom Bess’ first delivery for four.Among the 18 boundaries was a palpable Big England Player energy from one who has grown into an international role as a No. 3, even if he knew he’d be returning here at No. 4 given Hashim Amla has a far greater claim at first drop. He didn’t mind all that much.A first summer under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum has seen Pope assume greater responsibility, and with that was a clear desire not to shirk duty as a returning England Test cricketer, especially after notching a first home century this summer. He was one of three for Surrey, alongside Ben Foakes and summer debutant Jamie Overton, who was back after recovering from a foot injury sustained on July 27 against Warwickshire. Yorkshire, by contrast, had no real belief they would be able to call upon Joe Root for the run-in.It certainly wasn’t all Pope, and the part of Jordan Clark (55 not out) is certainly not over. The 142 for the sixth wicket was six more than the five stands before it, and Clark, along with Overton (9*) are the last two Surrey could reasonably expect to pick up at least two of the three remaining batting bonus points.The situation at lunch was far more even, both here and further down south. At the time, Surrey were 82 for 3, bruising a little from the departure of opener Ryan Patel, whose dismissal brought about the end of the opening session. Meanwhile, a confusingly under-strength Kent batting card was 35 for 5, reaffirming to the division leaders that they were best served focusing on what was within their control.Patel’s 41 was diligent, impressively unperturbed by the loss of his captain Rory Burns for a 13-ball duck and then Amla (14) around half an hour before the interval. Like those two, a twitch outside off stump brought about a catch in the cordon. For Yorkshire and Ben Coad, who had his second, it tilted the balance back to equal after Jonny Tattersall had won the toss and chosen to bat first.Related

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Perhaps the only time the dial shifted unquestionably in their favour came with Patterson’s two dismissals in three deliveries. The first the more important with the returning Foakes snared low by Tattersal after skewing an edge between bat and pad. The second was still of note given Cameron Steel’s diligent 48 in the first innings of last week’s draw at Wantage Road, but an unnecessary fish outside off stump gave Tom Kohler-Cadmore a third catch at first slip.At 136 for 5, there was a distinct possibility of things going badly awry. But Pope and Clark’s stand was the kind that both sped up the game and reasserted a season’s worth of dominance. Three figures between them came up in just 20.1 overs, at which point they seemed to make a conscious effort to pick up the remaining batting bonus points on their own.Both uppercut Yorkshire debutant Ben Mike over the cordon for sixes, thus prolonging what has been a long and expensive wait for a Championship wicket. The 24-year-old’s last – Nottinghamshire’s Liam Patterson-White on June 14 for former club Leicestershire – has subsequently been followed by 336 runs in 50.2 overs.At the other end of the control spectrum was Patterson, who managed to finally get Pope over-balancing onto the off side to take out his leg stump, moving him to 487 career dismissals. The gasps around the ground said it all, as did the congratulatory pats from Yorkshire fielders.An innings that did not look like ending did just that, its worth underlined by the fact the other six of the seven batters so far had only managed 142 of the 278 between them. And perhaps there is a sense of regret in the home dressing room that 350 could have been ticked off before day two if Pope had remained. Nevertheless, Clark continued, improving the percentage of “the rest”, moving to a 18th score above fifty before bad light at 4:46pm eventually became stumps.By the time the umpires Alex Wharf and Russell Warren came out for a cursory look 25 minutes later, Hampshire’s score of 39 for 4, having dismissed Kent for 165, was greeted by a smattering of cheers. An addendum at the end of this announcement brought news of Hampshire losing a fifth. The microphone was back in action on to alert those still remaining of wickets six, seven, eight, nine and 10 before confirmation play was officially abandoned. Even with their players in the changing room, Surrey were marching on to glory.

Manchester United star Joshua Zirkzee appeared to take a dig at 'all the fans who left' Old Trafford during their thrilling comeback win against Lyon.

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Zirkzee took dig at Man Utd fansSome supporters left stadium after Lyon's fourth goalRed Devils won 5-4Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The injured Zirkzee was in attendance at Old Trafford on Thursday as United staged a historic comeback to beat Lyon 5-4 to book their berth in the last-four stage of the Europa League. United went two goals up in the first half, only to concede twice after the break. The ten-man visitors then took a 4-2 lead in extra-time before the Bruno Fernandes pulled one back, and then both Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire scored in the 120th minute. A section of United fans left Old Trafford when Alexandre Lacazette scored Lyon's fourth goal in the 109th minute.

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On Instagram story, Zirkzee took aim at the fans who missed out on witnessing the team's epic comeback and showed them what they missed out on.

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Dutch forward is likely to remain sidelined for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign after suffering a hamstring injury last Sunday. Zirkzee went off 10 minutes into the second half of United's 4-1 loss against Newcastle.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

Ruben Amorim's side will be back in action on April 20 in the Premier League as they host Wolves at Old Trafford.

With just over two weeks to go in the transfer market, Ruben Amorim is yet to make any new additions to his Manchester United squad to try and make his own mark after taking over in November.

There’s no question that new signings are needed if the side are to move in the right direction under the 39-year-old, especially considering their lowly Premier League standing of 12th after the first 21 outings.

Supporters have grown frustrated in recent months, understandably so given the previous success in the North West, especially considering the rise of the likes of Nottingham Forest and AFC Bournemouth, who are battling it out for a European spot this season.

Many of the frustrations have been a result of the poor recruitment, with many of the players brought into the club failing to make the desired impact – numerous of which haven’t been worth the fees forked out for their services.

However, if the club are to invest in the near future, outgoings need to be made, with countless members of the first-team already being touted with departures from the Theatre of Dreams.

Man Utd’s potential attacking outgoings in January

Numerous players have been touted with a move away from Old Trafford, including £86m man Antony, who has been of interest from the likes of Real Betis and Olympiacos over the last few days.

The Brazilian isn’t the only one close to the exit door, with fellow attacker Alejandro Garnacho also attracting interest from Italian side Napoli, who look set to lose their own star man Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to PSG.

The Argentine could well leave after previously dropping out of Amorim’s side completely, but the Red Devils would demand a fee in the region of £60m to offload the youngster this month.

Garnacho could be followed out of the door by Marcus Rashford, with the Englishman almost certain to depart his boyhood club after a fallout with the new manager which has seen him excluded from the 39-year-old’s plans.

Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and West Ham have all been mooted as potential destinations for the 27-year-old, whether that be on a temporary or permanent basis.

Should they lose all three of the aforementioned attackers, the side would be massively lacking in options within the final third, making it crucial that the hierarchy target replacements accordingly before the end of the window.

The player who would be an upgrade on Rashford

Out of the three players linked with a move from Old Trafford, a deal for Rashford would undoubtedly be a sad one for the supporters, especially after his long-standing affiliation with the football club.

The Englishman has made over 400 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring more than 130 goals, producing countless moments of magic during his time in the first team.

However, no player is bigger than the club, with trust needing to be put in the new manager to make his own impact on the squad to try and lead them back to their glory days.

A deal for the academy graduate could make room for Lille star Jonathan David to make a switch to Old Trafford as a result, handing Amorim with the added attacking reinforcements he’s desired recently.

The Canadian has been linked with a move to join the Red Devils this month, along with the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, but could be an absolute bargain given his current contract situation.

David is out of contract in the summer, either opening the door to a pre-contract agreement to join in the summer, or moving for a minimal fee in this window.

Any move would hand Amorim an upgrade on Rashford, softening the blow of his potential departure away from the North West over the coming weeks.

How Jonathan David compares to Marcus Rashford in 2024/25 so far
Statistics (per 90)	David	Rashford
Games played	17	15
Goals & assists	12	5
Shots on target	1	0.8
Pass accuracy	82%	74%
Take-on success	52%	23%
Aerials won	0.6	0.4
Fouls won	1.3	0.6
Stats via FBref

The Lille ace, who’s been dubbed a “superstar” by international teammate Jonathan Osario, has massively outscored the Englishman and also posted a higher shot-on-target rate, proving Amorim a clinical option in forward areas.

He’s also managed to complete more of his attempted take-ons, whilst achieving a higher pass completion rate, potentially being the perfect all-round option for United in attacking areas – ending their current dilemma over who should be the regular starter at the top end of the pitch.

All things considered, it would be a superb addition should the club land David before the end of the transfer window, possessing a lot of qualities that could massively improve the club’s fortunes in the years ahead.

However, given the competition for his signature, they would have to act quickly to land a talent who would be the perfect replacement for Rashford – and Garnacho – should the pair complete their own transfer.

INEOS ready bid to sign "big talent" who could be Man Utd's new Zlatan

Ruben Amorim appears to be wasting no time in making his mark on the Manchester United squad.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Jan 16, 2025