Manchester United are now planning a move for Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, amid the uncertainty surrounding his future at Spanish club.

Despite their struggles last season, Man United proved they still have pulling power in the summer transfer market, winning the race for the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo, even though both forwards attracted interest from a number of clubs playing in Europe.

However, it has been a long time since United have been able to make a real statement signing in the transfer window by signing one of the world’s best players, given the decline since Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2012-13 season.

It was recently revealed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe actually stepped in to prevent a move for FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, despite Ruben Amorim being very keen to sign the Poland international.

The INEOS chairman has concerns about Lewandowski’s age and wage demands, which means the move wasn’t given the green light, despite the 37-year-old being regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.

Vinicius, on the other hand, is still in the prime of his career at 25-years-old, and the Red Devils have now joined the race for his signature…

Man Utd now planning move for Vinicius Junior

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United now intend to make a move for the Real Madrid forward if the opportunity comes up, with it emerging that his future at the Spanish club is up in the air.

The Brazilian’s contract is set to expire in 2027, meaning rumours of a possible departure are now swirling, amid widespread interest from some top clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester City also named as potential suitors.

However, United may have to shell out a massive fee to tempt the La Liga giants into a sale, with it recently being revealed they are unwilling to sanction a departure for less than €250m (£220m).

Having identified one of the best wingers in the world as a target, INEOS clearly mean business, and the left-winger’s goal catalogue alone suggests he could be capable of taking Man United’s forward line to the next level.

Throughout the 2024-25 campaign, the former Flamengo man was a constant threat in front of goal, chipping in with a whopping 41 goals and assists for Real Madrid in all competitions, finding the back of the net eight times in the Champions League.

Amorim will no doubt be pleased with his summer acquisitions in attack, with Mbeumo making an instant impact, bagging a brace in the 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, and Matheus Cunha is also now off the mark.

However, Vinicius Junior, who has been lauded as “spectacular” by journalist Tom Allnutt, is a proven top-level forward, and Man United should not pass up the chance to sign him if the opportunity arises.

Vinicius Junior is currently in the top 10 of the Ballon d'Or Power Rankings Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings

Who will be lifting the individual honour in 2026?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 6, 2025

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres is set for a period on the sidelines after picking up a suspected hamstring injury, with a reliable club insider sharing the true extent of his problem and expected return date.

Gyokeres was just beginning to catch fire with three strikes in his last three appearances, following a barren run of seven consecutive games without a goal before he ended the drought against Atlético Madrid.

Arsenal 5-0 Leeds United

8.84

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

7.97

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

7.68

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

6.69

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

6.68

via WhoScored

The 27-year-old, signed for an initial £55 million which could rise to £64 million if add-ons are met, was brought in by sporting director Andrea Berta as the club’s statement signing of the summer.

After a sensational haul of 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting CP, marking him out as one of Europe’s most lethal marksmen, Mikel Arteta was understandably excited by Gyokeres’ arrival at N5.

While Gyokeres hasn’t exactly ‘free scored’, the Sweden international has added something entirely unique to their forward line with pace, power and intelligent runs to drag opposition defenders away and free up space for Arsenal’s attackers.

Gyokeres has also averaged more shots at goal per 90 than anyone else in the Arsenal squad so far this season, but they’ll now be missing his threat for a while.

Arteta admitted he was “concerned” by Gyokeres’ injury after hauling him off at half-time against Burnley last weekend, right after he opened the scoring at Turf Moor, and supporters are anxious to discover the results of his scans this week.

The early prognosis is that Arsenal expect Gyokeres to return for their North London derby against Tottenham right after the next international break, with the Scandinavian omitted from Sweden’s squad for the international break.

Insider reveals true extent of Viktor Gyokeres injury at Arsenal

Now, according to reliable insider Hand of Arsenal via X, this still looks like the most likely outcome so far.

It is believed that Gyokeres’ injury is on the “minor” end of the spectrum, and while more tests are still to be conducted, the club are “relaxed” about his situation.

This comes as a major boost for Arteta, who is already without the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke.

Arsenal have done amazingly to navigate this plethora of injuries to attacking players, with makeshift number nine Mikel Merino showcasing his ability in the role once again at Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

Speaking before their win away to Burnley last weekend, Arteta said that Odegaard, Havertz and Madueke are all closing in on returns and could play against Tottenham as well.

The north Londoners could have a near-full attacking complement for one of their most important games of the season, with Havertz blowing away Arsenal staff after his faster than anticipated rehab.

The same can be said of Madueke, who has apparently been racing to get back fit.

Lancashire have said they are investigating the incident at Old Trafford

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2025Lancashire have said they are investigating after an incident in which a fan attending the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford was asked to cover up the Pakistan shirt they were wearing.The fan, named in Pakistani media as Farooq Nazar, posted a video on social media documenting the request, initially from a member of the security staff at the ground, that he cover the shirt, a replica of Pakistan’s traditional green limited-overs kit.The security guard, who identifies himself as working for Lancashire, says: “I’ve been asked by control if you can cover that shirt up, please.” Later on, a steward can be heard saying the shirt “might be considered nationalistic”.Related

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In the video, Nazar can be seen becoming increasingly agitated amid repeated requests to cover up. Eventually, he is approached by a police officer, who asks to continue the conversation away from the stands. According to reports, Nazar then opted to leave the ground rather than hide his shirt.Political relations between India and Pakistan, frosty for years, have been at their most tense this year, following a brief military skirmish between the two countries in May. Those tensions have filtered into relations between the BCCI and PCB; the two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 and no Test cricket since 2007-08. Their participation in ICC events hosted by either country has also recently become problematic, with a neutral venue added in to stage their games as part of a hybrid solution to the issue.It is unclear on which day of the Test, which ended in a draw as India batted their way through five sessions, the incident took place but Lancashire confirmed they were looking into it.”We are aware of the incident referenced and are taking steps to understand the facts and context surrounding the matter fully,” a Lancashire spokesperson said.In recent years, Lancashire have openly spoken of building their links with India. The Hundred team based at the ground, Manchester Originals, are set to become 70% owned by Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG group, which runs Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, while Lancashire’s chief executive, Daniel Gidney, has suggested giving the BCCI a stake in the 100-ball tournament.

Chema Andres has opened up about his early days in Real Madrid's youth squad under Xabi Alonso revealing the “spectacular” training sessions under the Spaniard and as he revealed he scored the first-ever goal of the Liverpool legend’s coaching career.

• The youngster who scored Alonso’s first goal as a coach

  Andres' journey has taken him from Madrid’s youth fields to the centre of Stuttgart’s midfield, but one of his most defining memories goes back to 2018. At just 13, he entered the Madrid academy and soon met, Alonso, who would leave a lasting mark on him.

  Chema recalls that season vividly. Alonso, then beginning his coaching career in Madrid's youth academy, was still transitioning from iconic midfielder to manager. In the very first match of his managerial career, the first goal scored under Alonso’s leadership came from a young Andres. 

  “He was my first coach at Real Madrid. We arrived together in the Under-14 A team, and I scored the first goal in the first match on a rebound, which is a bit of a funny story,” he said in an interview with .

  But it wasn’t the goal that stayed with him the most, it was the training. 

  "When training sessions finished, he would stay behind practicing passes to the goalkeepers or long balls that went straight to their feet; it was spectacular," he added. "He would have us practice with him, but of course, there was no comparison between his passes and ours."

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  Andres' smooth landing and rapid rise at Stuttgart

  Seven years later, Andres is no longer a youth hopeful but has since become a Bundesliga starter. After making his senior debut for Madrid in early 2025, he moved to Stuttgart this summer, seeking consistent top-flight minutes. Few expected the adaptation to be so seamless, including Andres himself.

  Asked about why he chose to join Stuttgart, the 20-year-old said: "It's a team that invests heavily in young talent. They aren't afraid to put young players in the spotlight in high-level matches. They instilled confidence in me a long time ago and presented a project that was interesting to me."

  In his first months, he delivered commanding performances, earning trust from manager Sebastian Hoeness and the sporting director. His physical presence, tactical maturity, and passing range made him an immediate fit.

  Yet the off-field transition was tougher. “I recently saw [Alejandro] Grimaldo say it was an impossible language. I totally agree. Learning German is the hardest thing I'm doing. Luckily, I speak English well and communicate easily. But I want to keep learning and see if I can get by in German in a few months," Andres laughs.

  "I'm very happy. Nobody imagined the adaptation would be so smooth, not even me. It's been a very good four months, and I hope the next four will be at least as good."

• Looking back at Madrid and the U-21 dream

  Despite his move abroad, Los Blancos remains in Chema’s story. His move to Germany wasn’t driven by frustration, he clarifies, though limited minutes at the Club World Cup nudged him toward a decision.

  "I don't think it was the deciding factor, but it did tip the scales. I had considered it beforehand, but I waited until after the World Cup so as not to get ahead of myself," Andres says.

  His development has been shaped by mentors: Raul and Alvaro Arbeloa in the Madrid academy, Lucas Vazquez and Thibaut Courtois when he trained with the first team, and his grandfather, who attended almost every match while Chema was growing up. “The poor man still hasn't been able to come see me in Germany, but he will. He's a key person in my life; without him, I wouldn't be here," he added.

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  The next steps for Andres

  This season, Andres has emerged as one of Stuttgart’s most promising players. His combination of height, physicality, clean distribution and reading of the game has strengthened Stuttgart’s midfield significantly. The 20-year-old has scored a goal and registered an assist in 12 games for the club across the competitions.

  His contract includes Madrid’s buy-back clauses, a clear sign that the Spanish giants still believe in his ceiling. Stuttgart, meanwhile, see him as a long-term anchor in midfield.

  Looking ahead, Chema keeps his objectives simple which is to earn more minutes in Stuttgart, remain a regular with Spain’s Under 21s, and finish the year better than he started it. When asked about the senior national team, he laughs it off saying: “Forget it, that’s not on my mind right now."

Glasgow Rangers decided to splash the cash in the summer transfer window to sign Youssef Chermiti from Everton for a fee of £8m, their most expensive signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

The Portugal U21 international has scored one goal, which was aided by some fairly dismal goalkeeping, in 11 appearances in all competitions for the Gers so far, per Sofascore.

Michael Stewart criticised his “poor” finishing in the League Cup semi-final defeat to Celtic on Sunday, as he spurned two great chances, whilst Ally McCoist said that he was “showing nothing” up front against Brann in the Europa League.

Meanwhile, Hearts, who are top of the Scottish Premiership, reportedly paid a fee of around £400k to sign Claudio Braga, who has been far more impressive.

Why Rangers need to find their own Claudio Braga

Instead of splashing huge money on project players, like Chermiti, Rangers should be looking at bargain options to bolster their squad, because you can find some real gems.

Hearts paid less than a million pounds to sign Braga from the second division of Norwegian football, and he has been a huge success for the Jam Tarts.

The Portuguese attacker has delivered nine goals and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions for Hearts, per Sofascore, this season, which shows that he has provided far more quality than Chermiti has since his £8m move to Ibrox.

Whilst Rangers can learn from the Jam Tarts to utilise different markets for cheaper prices in future transfer windows, Danny Rohl may have his own version of Braga, from a stylistic perspective, in the building.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Expand Collapse Rangers can unearth their own Claudio Braga with this forgotten star

Before Rohl’s arrival at Ibrox, Brazilian centre-forward Danilo appeared to be forgotten about by Martin as a genuine first-team option for the Scottish manager.

The striker only made one appearance for the first-team under Martin in September and October, which was an 11-minute cameo off the bench against Sturm Graz.

Danilo’s last 10 matchday squad appearances

Opposition

Manager

Minutes played

Celtic

Danny Rohl

45

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

45

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

69

Brann

Danny Rohl

14

Sturm Graz

Russell Martin

11

Genk

Russell Martin

0

Hibernian

Russell Martin

0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0

Celtic

Russell Martin

0

Club Brugge

Russell Martin

59

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, he was an unused substitute on several occasions, when he even made the matchday squad, before Martin’s exit in October.

Rohl came in last month and immediately made the Brazilian striker an option, as he has played in all four of the manager’s games so far, and scored two goals.

Like Braga, Danilo is not a towering and physical striker who can bully opposition defenders. He is dynamic and looks to use his control and movement to create chances and score goals, as he did brilliantly against Hibernian.

For Hearts, Braga has struck up a partnership with Lawrence Shankland, who is a physical presence, and Rohl can unearth his own version of that partnership by continuing to play Danilo off another striker, whether that is Chermiti or Bojan Miovski.

Danilo, who ex-teammate Ofir Marciano claimed “has the quality to be a big player for Rangers”, scoring two goals in two Premiership matches under Rohl shows that he can be effective in the final third.

However, it is now down to the manager to find the right blend alongside him to ensure that his skillset is used to its fullest potential, as Hearts have done with Braga by playing him alongside Shankland.

Related Martin claimed Rangers star was a "huge asset", now he looks "rotten"

This Rangers signing was heavily praised by Russell Martin, now it looks like he needs to be sold.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2025

Once forgotten by Martin at Ibrox, the former Feyenoord centre-forward looks like he might have a bright future under the German head coach.

The home side were in trouble on 74 for 6 but Tim David constructed a superb innings then the bowlers were impressive

Firdose Moonda10-Aug-2025

Tim David was left needing to repair the damage, which he did magnificently•Getty Images

by 17 runsAustralia extended their T20I match-winning streak to a record nine games and pulled off their lowest successful defence against South Africa despite losing six wickets inside the first eight overs. Amid an explosive start, Australia stumbled to 75 for 6 before Tim David’s superbly-constructed 52-ball 83 and seventh-wicket stand of 59 with Ben Dwarshuis took them to a match-winning total. Mitchell Marsh has now won 22 out of 25 matches as T20I captain.As much as South Africa were blown away by Australia’s ultra-aggressive batting approach they also have themselves to blame for letting their hosts get away. South Africa dropped four catches – including David on 56 – though they bowled Australia out for the first time in 26 T20I meetings. The biggest positive was the performance of left-armer Kwena Maphaka who, at 19 years and 124 days old, became the youngest bowler from a Full Member country to take a T20I four-wicket haul. It was not enough to limit Australia to a chaseable score.Related

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South Africa’s downfall was their lack of power hitting. They struck only two sixes compared to Australia’s 13 (and David was responsible for eight on his own) and appeared to be specialist batter short. By the time George Linde arrived at the crease at No. 6, South Africa needed 59 runs off 33 balls and Josh Hazlewood had broken the game’s best partnership of 72 between Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs. He would also end Linde’s stay to finish with 3 for 26.Adam Zampa took two wickets in two balls and South Africa lost four wickets for three runs in the space of 10 balls to all but end their chase. Rickelton batted until the last over, when South Africa needed 21 runs to win, and was stunningly caught by Glenn Maxwell on the boundary. Dwarshuis also picked up three wickets as South Africa finished 17 runs short.Australia’s rollicking startAustralia batted first for the first time in seven T20Is and wasted no time showing their intent. Marsh slammed Lungi Ngidi over long-off to mark only the second time Australia have started a match with a six. Ngidi’s opening over cost 14. Their big test was always going to come against Kagiso Rabada, who only conceded one run off his first four balls, then had Head dropped at point and caught at short third to win the opening exchange. Josh Inglis was out for a duck as he tried to slice a square drive over point off Linde, who was then taken for 14 runs off three balls. The best was yet to come.When Marsh skied Rabada to deep backward square, David hit him for six down the ground. Corbin Bosch’s first over was the most expensive of his short T20I career so far and Ngidi was taken for 10 in two balls before he took pace off and removed the in-form Cameron Green off the penultimate ball of the powerplay. Australia had accumulated 71 by then: their second-highest in a powerplay against South Africa and the highest in their last six matches, which includes the five in West Indies. Muthusamy reels them inMaphaka quietened things down after the powerplay with an over that went for four and brought the wicket of Mitchell Owen and had excellent support from left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy. Maxwell, batting at No. 7, tried the reverse sweep, the flick and drive before he sliced Muthusamy to deep cover where Linde took an excellent running catch. Muthusamy’s second over was just as good as he maintained a tight line to Dwarshuis and David and conceded only one. After two overs, his analysis read: 2-0-2-1 and he finished with 1 for 24 off four overs.David stands aloneAt 75 for 6 in the eighth over, Australia were in danger of not batting out the innings but David not only ensured they did but that they got to a defendable score. David’s six-hitting against the short ball was particularly impressive, from his flat-batted pull off Maphaka in the ninth over to the swivel-pull off Bosch in the 13th, which came two balls before he smoked Bosch through the covers to bring up 50.But it was the way he made South Africa pay for dropping him that stung most. David was on 56 when Stubbs put down a skier at long-on and went on to hit Muthusamy for massive back-to-back sixes followed by another against Ngidi’s slower ball. Seven of his eight sixes were scored in front of square and four in the ‘V’. David added 27 runs after he was put down. He was in sight for a second hundred before he was caught at long-on with 10 balls left in the innings.Josh Hazlewood produced a superb over to change the game•Getty Images

Maxwell makes his mark with the ballFrom opening in West Indies, Maxwell found himself at No. 7 but played a vital role in the field. He shared the new ball as a match-up against the left-handed Rickelton and caused problems. He convinced Marsh to review an lbw call against Rickelton off his fourth ball when he beat the outside edge but the batter survived on umpire’s call.When Maxwell changed ends, Rickelton still could not get him away (two runs off six balls against him) and he also had a plan against another left-hander, Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Maxwell had a long-off in place and dished it up full, Pretorius went inside-out and picked out the fielder. Maxwell bowled his full quota of four overs, finishing with 1 for 29, and took two decisive catches to cap off a good performance.Hazlewood has the (almost) final say but Maxwell adds the full stopHazlewood, back in the side after missing the West Indies series, took the first wicket when Aiden Markram, who hit three boundaries off his first five balls, drove him to cover and then made the breakthrough that all but won the game. He was brought in the 15th over when South Africa needed 60 runs to win and with a partnership that was threatening.Rickelton and Stubbs had put on 72 off 52 balls when Hazlewood bowled a cross seam delivery to Stubbs, who tried to pull but bottom-edged through to Inglis. Australia inserted a slip and three balls later, Hazlewood ended a game-changing over when he bowled it back of a length, Linde played across the line and got a thick edge. Maxwell completed the catch at slip but something far more spectacular would follow in the final over.Maxwell was on the long-on boundary when Rickelton, who had given South Africa a glimmer despite battling for fluency, tried to hit Dwarshuis for six but jumped over the rope, parried the ball back in and completed the catch without touching the boundary or breaking a sweat.

The veteran looks back at his 20 years working as a cricket coach across the world – with teams including West Indies, Ireland, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and now Bangladesh

Interview by Mohammad Isam11-Dec-2024When Bangladesh play West Indies in the third ODI in St Kitts on December 12, it will be Phil Simmons’ 400th international in a 20-year coaching career. He looks back at the various teams he has coached and what he’s learned during his time with them.You are about to become the fourth coach, after Duncan Fletcher, Mickey Arthur and Dav Whatmore, to be in charge for 400 internationals. What does the milestone mean to you?
As far as cricket is concerned, I am not a numbers man. I can say that reaching 400 matches was a surprise. It wasn’t something that was in my mind when I started coaching. It is great to have reached the milestone. It means I have done something right.You are currently the Bangladesh coach on an interim basis. It is a team in transition, with its own set of complexities. How do you stay hungry after 20 years?
My hunger is determined by the ability of seeing improvement. It is a team in transition. They need some sort of stability and guidance, but also there’s a chance of improvement and success. It is my motivation. A chance to get success and improve people.Related

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Simmons quits as West Indies coach after 'unfathomable' World Cup exit

Amid the drama, new coach Simmons wants Bangladesh to 'focus on the cricket'

You led West Indies to the 2016 T20 World Cup title. It was probably the highest point in your coaching career. Where do you rank the campaign?
It was an unbelievable campaign in the way we played the cricket. We had a bit of luck at times. Lendl Simmons being out and not out on a few occasions at the Wankhede [Lendl Simmons was twice caught off no-balls in the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final against India] was one of them. The campaign was exciting throughout. We played really good cricket. We deserved to be winners at the end of the day. It was definitely the highest point I have reached in my coaching career.It all started in Zimbabwe in 2004. What were your initial days like? Why did you take up coaching?
I took up coaching because I enjoyed helping my team-mates while I was playing. We looked after one another. We would try to help out in the nets. When I finished, I was encouraged by Tim Boon at Leicester to do my coaching courses. He saw something in me. After that [the role at] Zimbabwe came up, first with the academy and then the national team. I was trying to understand what coaching at that level was about, especially trying to help players who have not been at the highest level. The initial days were all about learning, and then it got better and better.