Rangers have been dealt a big blow with the news that a key player will miss the Scottish Cup final clash with Celtic, according to an injury expert.

Rangers gearing up for final showdown

The Gers' Scottish Premiership title hopes received a hammer blow over the weekend, with Saturday's 2-1 defeat away to Celtic leaving them six points adrift of their rivals and needing a genuine miracle to scoop the top prize from here.

A nightmare afternoon for John Lundstram saw him score an own goal and also receive a red card, with their chances of title glory now looking extremely slim thanks to a moment of madness from the soon to be free agent.

All hope is not lost for Philippe Clement and his players this season, however, and if they do just fall short in the league, there is still another trophy on offer to add to their Scottish League Cup from earlier in the campaign.

On May 25th, Rangers take on the Hoops at Hampden Park on another massive occasion, in what could end up being a revenge mission for them. In order for them to have the possible chance of glory, however, they need as many key players available as possible, and one important individual now definitely won't be taking part.

Rangers handed injury blow before cup final

Speaking to Ibrox News, injury expert Dr. Rajpal Brar said that Danilo will miss Rangers' cup final showdown with Celtic, after hopes had risen following images of him returning to the training pitches. Brar insists that given he is still away from the full team sessions in the images, a return this season is virtually impossible.

"Considering how long he’s been out and the fact he just got back to the field and is only doing straight line running, there could still be a bit of time before he’s back in first team training.

"I would expect him to be back at the start of pre-season and he may do some individual work ahead of time in order to get back his mobility. He does seem a month away from training with the same intensity as the rest of the team."

While not necessarily the biggest shock, having confirmation that Danilo will play no part against Celtic certainly has an adverse effect on their chances of beating their biggest adversaries.

Sadly, injuries have robbed the 25-year-old of making a genuine impact this season, but he has still scored four goals in five Scottish Premiership starts – 12 appearances in the competition in total – showing that he has been fairly prolific when available. Clement is a big admirer, too, saying of him earlier in the campaign: "He has killer capacities in the box, he’s a goalscorer.

"I want to make him a striker who works hard not only thinking about scoring goals because that’s a part we need, he has the individual actions to make a difference."

Rangers' top goalscorers this season

Total

James Tavernier

20

Cyriel Dessers

17

Abdallah Sima

15

Danilo

6

Todd Cantwell

6

Rabbi Matondo

5

The aim for Danilo, who is one of the club's highest earners, will be to get back to full fitness during the summer, before returning to the Rangers side next season and enjoying an injury-free campaign. Eleven goal contributions (six goals and five assists) in 21 appearances has been a promising start, but there is hopefully so much more to come.

Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Pedri have previously won the prize, but who will pick it up this year at the ceremony in Paris on October 28?

It's not just the men's and women's Golden Balls that will be handed out the Ballon d'Or ceremony, as a swathe of new prizes have been added to the roster by co-organisersFrance Footballand UEFA in recent times. One of those is the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the best player under the age of 21 from the previous season.

The 2023-24 campaign saw a number of youngsters thrive at the highest level, with some of the defining moments of the year provided by players who are only just making their way in the game.

Previous winners of the Kopa Trophy include Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Pedri and Gavi, and with the award voted for by previous Ballon d'Or winners, it is regarded as one the biggest any young player can win.

We will have to wait until the ceremony in Paris on Monday, October 28 to find out who will walk away with the 2024 prize. But for now, here is the shortlist of nominees:

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  Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)

  Cubarsi has developed into one of Barcelona's most important defenders. He is just 17, but already has 28 first-team appearances under his belt, as well as six caps for Spain. He is tied to Barca until 2027 and one has to think they will hope to extend that.

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  Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)

  United's next great hope, Argentina international Garnacho already has six caps, and he is just 20. In 2023-24, he developed into a key player under Erik ten Hag, scoring 10 goals in all competitions – including in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City – and becoming the club's undisputed first-choice right-winger.

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  Arda Guler (Real Madrid)

  Guler lit up Euro 2024 with Turkey as they embarked on an unlikely run to the quarter-finals. One goal and two assists in the tournament followed an injury-hit season in which he scored six La Liga goals for Real Madrid in just 10 games. A dazzling technician, Guler has marked himself out as a playmaker to watch.

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  Karim Konate (Red Bull Salzburg)

  Konate is fast becoming one of the most impressive strikers in Europe, and one has to think it is only a matter of time before he gets a big move. He scored 20 goals last season and also registered eight assists for Salzburg. Still 20, he is also an Ivory Coast regular and was part of their triumphant Africa Cup of Nations squad in 2024.

As Michael Edwards prepares for his first summer transfer window back at Liverpool, reports suggest that he is not messing around as he looks to hand Arne Slot the perfect start at Anfield.

Liverpool transfer news

It's set to be an emotional week for Liverpool with Jurgen Klopp's last game taking place on Sunday against Wolverhampton Wanderers. But as the Reds prepare their farewell, Edwards has been setting his sights on assembling the next era of potential success in Merseyside.

That new era looks set to result in changes on the pitch too, with the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Goncalo Inacio already linked with a Liverpool move this summer. Neither of those could end up stealing the headlines if the Reds land one of their most expensive targets, however.

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According to reports in Spain, Liverpool have submitted a bid worth €120m (£103m) to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid this summer, but have since seen that bid rejected as the Spanish giants look to keep hold of their star winger, who has the favour of their board.

Whether that rejection stops Liverpool in their tracks remains to be seen, but there's no doubt that the Brazilian would be an ideal eventual replacement for Mohamed Salah, whose long-term future at Anfield remains in doubt.

At 23 years old, it could even be argued that Rodrygo is yet to even reach his peak, making his reported £206k-a-week salary far more understandable at the Bernabeu. With that in mind, the interest of a club like Liverpool hardly comes as a shock.

"Extraordinary" Rodrygo can succeed Salah

Replacing Salah, whenever that may be, will be no easy task. The Egyptian is a modern-day Liverpool legend who has sealed record after record in Merseyside and in the Premier League. Rodrygo is an ideal candidate to step into that void, however. The Brazilian even proved that he can go toe-to-toe with England's best after scoring against Manchester City on Real Madrid's way to advancing past the Cityzens at the Champions League quarter-final stage.

Goals

10

18

Assists

5

10

Take-ons Completed

57

26

Key Passes

43

66

It's no surprise after the rise he has enjoyed at Real Madrid that Rodrygo has earned the praise of Carlo Ancelotti, who said via AS: “Rodrygo’s match today wasn’t even as good as other matches because he has played some spectacular ones. But his effectiveness was extraordinary. The work he has done in other matches where he hasn’t scored made the difference despite not scoring. But today, he sealed the deal with two goals.”

Now, it is Liverpool who are looking to benefit from an "extraordinary" player to kick off the Slot era with a bang this summer.

Mats Hummels has signed for AS Roma after leaving Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season.

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Hummels moves to Serie ACentre-back signs one-year dealWon World Cup with GermanyWHAT HAPPENED?

Hummels has joined Daniele De Rossi's Roma on a one-year deal after leaving Dortmund in the summer. The 35-year-old was linked with a host of clubs, including Brighton, Bologna and Real Sociedad, but he has finally settled on Roma and will earn a yearly salary of €2 million, according to .

Advertisement(C) Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The World Cup-winning German defender replaces former Manchester United centre-back Chris Smalling in Roma's backline after the English star ended his stint in Italy to sign for Saudi Pro League club Al-Fayha on a two-year deal.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID?

The official statement from the Serie A side read: "AS Roma is pleased to announce the signing of Mats Hummels. Born in 1988, the German is a central defender with enormous international experience. He has over 600 appearances in all competitions, national and international, 78 games with his own national team, as well as 16 titles won between club and national team, including the 2014 World Cup.

"During his career he wore the shirts of Borussia Dortmund (in two periods of time) and Bayern Munich. He chose the number 15 shirt, he is the seventh German footballer in the history of the Giallorossi. Welcome to Rome, Mats!"

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MATS HUMMELS?

The veteran defender could make his debut after the international break as De Rossi's side take on Genoa in a Serie A clash on September 15.

Rangers have been handed a boost in their hunt for a potential free transfer after it emerged that he will definitely not sign a new deal with his current side.

Clement facing tough summer

Rangers and boss Philippe Clement are facing a potentially tough summer after what now seems to be certain Premiership heartbreak, with plenty of movement on the transfer front. Reports suggest that a deal to take veteran defender Borna Barisic to Turkish side Trabzonspor on a free transfer is all but complete, with the Croatian out of contract this summer at Ibrox.

Meanwhile, Clement revealed last week that he feels it is unlikely Saturday's villain John Lundstram stays at the club, with his contract also coming to an end: "There is nothing official around that. I am not naïve, the longer that things last the more possibility that other people step in. But for the moment apparently the water is too deep between the two sides.

Rangers' out of contract stars

Player

SPL Appearances this season

Borna Barisic

20

John Lundstram

34

Ryan Jack

11

Leon Balogun

14

Kemar Roofe

13

Jon McLaughlin

0

“But I see Lunny every day the same way that he was two months ago, three months ago, five months ago. He is fighting for the club. All these players are busy with winning trophies and doing the right things together. Otherwise they would not be in the selection.”

Four more players are out of contract this summer too, which could see Rangers left with a very light squad for the new campaign, and needing to find reinforcements on a budget. Fortunately though, they have been handed a boost in their pursuit of one.

Johnson rejects new deal

That comes in the shape of West Ham defender Ben Johnson, who is approaching the end of his £20,000 per week deal in East London and will become a free agent this summer.

It's not for the want of trying on the Hammers' part though. As per TeamTALK, the Irons have made one last bid to keep him at the club, with the Premier League side "reluctant" to lose the defender for nothing.

Rangers chiefs now believe £25k-a-week star will be at Ibrox next season

Huge news for the Gers.

ByTom Cunningham May 10, 2024

However, it is added that "Johnson is set to snub their latest offer and will consider his options as a free agent" after being largely overlooked by David Moyes this season.

This comes as a boost to Rangers, who have reportedly held talks over bringing the fullback north of the border to Ibrox this summer. They will have to fight off interest from the Premier League though, with Crystal Palace, Wolves and Everton all thought to be pushing to sign the versatile defender, who can play across the back four and even in midfield.

In a summer where the Glasgow giants will be losing plenty of players for nothing, signing a few for the same fee would be a massive boost to their ranks and their coffers. However, they will have to move fast.

West Bromwich Albion will know, when all of the drama of this Championship season is over and done with, that they will need to attempt to tie down Cedric Kipre to a new contract at the Hawthorns – with his existing deal set to expire in June.

Once shipped out on loan to Cardiff City as a fringe figure clutching onto his Baggies future precariously, the 27-year-old is now a mainstay in the heart of defence for Carlos Corberan's men with 44 appearances tallied up in all competitions this season.

The centre-back's future in the West Midlands remains up in the air however, with Alex Mowatt even potentially following the defender out of the door if an extended deal cannot be reached for the ex-Leeds United man either.

Corberan will look towards the crop of young talent coming through at the Hawthorns right now to try and replace Kipre if he does leave in the summer, with this 21-year-old defender potentially ready to take on the baton.

Caleb Taylor's time at West Brom

Described as a character that "leads by example" by his former U18 coach Peter Gilbert, Caleb Taylor could be set for more first-team opportunities next season if Kipre does depart.

Taylor has amassed nine first-team appearances for the Baggies to date, having excelled in the youth set-ups in the West Midlands over 69 games.

The 21-year-old has shown he can tee up his teammates to score, much like Kipre managed at the weekend with Jed Wallace away at Leicester City, by picking up four assists from those U18 and U21 contests.

West Brom decided in the last transfer window to ship Taylor off to Bolton Wanderers until the end of the season on loan, with a view that this loan switch would be formative for the promising centre-back who could cut his teeth further with the Trotters.

It hasn't all gone to plan for Taylor away from the comforts of the Hawthorns, however, with injury issues keeping him sidelined for large chunks of the loan spell, but the 21-year-old impressed Bolton boss Ian Evatt last time out up against Port Vale when handed a start.

Caleb Taylor's time at Bolton

Only playing six times for Evatt's promotion hopefuls down in League One since joining, Taylor's standout display against Darren Moore's Valiants was undoubtedly his best.

Praised by the Trotters manager for doing "really well" up against Vale's physical forward Uche Ikpeazu all afternoon, who even left Evatt with "two broken ribs" during an encounter in his playing days, Taylor might well have made himself a guaranteed starter now if Bolton have to make do with the playoffs.

Minutes played

90

Touches

107

Clearances

5

Tackles

4

Interceptions

4

Duels won

12/15

As can be seen scanning the table above, Taylor was a brick wall in the eventual 2-0 win for his loan side – winning 12 duels bravely against Vale, whilst also showing his calmness on the ball by amassing 107 touches when playing out from the back.

It looks unlikely that the Trotters can leapfrog Derby County at the death to that second automatic spot, with the Rams' superior goal difference and final day task of needing just a point against an already relegated Carlisle United to go up, but Taylor will be relishing the prospect of the playoffs to get even more minutes under his belt for his short-term employers.

Corberan, back in the West Midlands, will also be preparing his players for the scraps that will follow in the playoffs in the division above with the potential for the Spaniard to integrate Taylor into the West Brom first-team set-up more when this wild campaign is over.

If Kipre, therefore, does move on at the end of his deal later this year, the Baggies could already have a ready-made replacement.

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The versatile teenager is Pep Guardiola's new golden boy and looks set for a glorious future for club and country

It was Manchester City's first Premier League game after the 2022 World Cup, away to Leeds United. The starting XI looked familiar enough, featuring 10 players who had just appeared in Qatar. There was one exception though. Rico Lewis, who had only turned 18 the month before, was making his first league start.

Meanwhile, the highly experienced pair of Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker were on the bench. Both had gone deep at the World Cup, to the quarter-finals, but here they were, behind a kid who had only begun training with the first team the previous summer.

Lewis was eventually taken off for Cancelo when City were 3-0 up. But he was back in the line-up ahead of Walker and Cancelo again for the next game against Everton. Walker and Cancelo were restored for the following game at Chelsea, but both were hauled off at half-time at 0-0. Lewis was brought on and helped City earn a 1-0 win.

The humiliation grated away at Cancelo and he grew more and more irritated at losing his place in the team, leading to a furious spat with Pep Guardiola which saw him quickly loaned out to Bayern Munich, the first step of his eventual permanent departure to Al-Hilal. Walker, however, knuckled down and worked his way back into the team at Lewis' expense, becoming a crucial part of the team which won the treble before being named club captain.

Lewis continued to impress but ended up playing fewer minutes last season than in his breakthrough campaign. However, now the pattern has repeated itself and Lewis has pipped Walker's place again, not just for City but for England too.

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  Locking it down

  In similar circumstances to when he made his breakthrough into the City team, Lewis has seized the opportunity that his absence from a major tournament presented. When Walker walked out at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin for the Euro 2024 final against Spain, Lewis was sat at home alone, watching the game on television.

  He had turned down the chance to watch the game with his friends in Manchester, partly out of fear of getting soaked in beer and partly because he wanted to watch the game from a tactical point of view and take it all in. Besides, he had to rest up ahead of City's pre-season tour of the US.

  The States holds a special place in Lewis' heart as it was where he first made his mark for City's first team, coming off the bench against Club America and Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022. Back then he was 17 and so shy he sat down at the dinner table alone.

  But this summer he was one of the most experienced players in a mostly youthful travelling squad as most of his team-mates had been involved in the Euros or the Copa America.

  And since returning from the tour he has locked down his place in the team, playing 90 minutes in all four of City's games from the Community Shield to the 3-1 win at West Ham, when he played a starring role.

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  Taking Walker's place

  Walker joined up later with the squad after being given an extra week off by Guardiola and missed the Community Shield. However, he has been sat on the bench for all the Premier League games, only getting two minutes of action against West Ham. His lack of game time has cost him his place in the England squad for the first two games of the post-Gareth Southgate era.

  Lewis has taken his place, getting recalled by his former under-21's manager Lee Carsley. "I wanted to put a mark on the squad. Kyle hasn’t played this season. City are phasing him in gently and we have to respect that," explained Carsley.

  Guardiola also sought to lift Walker's spirits by assuring him he could get back into the England squad. "He is an incredible weapon for the national team because he has special qualities," he said.

  "But it was late, he arrived back with a few niggles and some problems. There are many games for the national team as well and with his physicality he has a chance to come back, play well here and the option to play for the national team remains open."

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  'Always free'

  But Guardiola's choice of words was telling, especially compared with how he talks about Lewis. While the manager highlights Walker's physical traits, he uses higher praise when talking about the teenager.

  "Have you seen the minutes he played in the pockets when Kyle came in? Rico has one incredible ability that for many years was difficult to find: always he is free," Guardiola said after the win at West Ham, in which Lewis set up Erling Haaland's second goal and nearly scored himself in a stunning opening 45 minutes by the champions.

  "He is always alone. Whenever his mate has the ball, I don't know what he does but he is free. You can pass the ball to him and not just in a comfortable position but where the spaces are so tight. He arrives in the final third, he is a good defender, he gives continuity, he can play in two or three positions. He's playing well so he deserves to play."

  The one thing holding Lewis back and in Walker's favour, Guardiola hinted, was that physical difference. The coach added: "But every three days he cannot sustain that, we need Kyle back, John [Stones] back and all the players ready because of the schedule that comes now until the end of the season."

  Walker will be back, it seems, but he has his work cut out in wresting his starting berth back from Lewis once more. He is nearly two years older than when he regained his place in the treble winning season and there were a few signs during the Euros that his physical powers are ever so slightly waning. Lewis, meanwhile, is two years wiser and also physically stronger.

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  Leading the evolution

  Guardiola thought so highly of Lewis that he entrusted him to lead the team's tactical evolution during the treble winning season. City had lost their final game before the World Cup to Brentford and Guardiola was scratching his head as to how to make the team more solid now that they were accommodating Haaland, having played without a centre-forward the previous season.

  Lewis was part of the solution, operating as a hybrid defender-midfielder, shuttling between right-back and holding midfield according to the situation of the game. Lewis' physical shortcomings ended up counting against him though and he lost his place back to Walker shortly after City were beaten 1-0 at Tottenham. In that game, Lewis got bullied by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Guardiola was annoyed with his more senior players for not backing the youngster up.

  At a similar time, the manager publicly humiliated Walker by saying he was not capable of slotting into the new system and playing that hybrid role. He instead asked John Stones to do it from centre-back, and restored Walker to his usual role of right-back. Walker had the games of his life against Vinicius Junior in the Champions League semi-final tie with Real Madrid and in the top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal.

  But Walker was then left out of the line-up for the Champions League final against Inter, highlighting his fragile status in Guardiola's eyes, even though he did come on for the final eight minutes. That snub led to him almost joining Bayern Munich, only for Guardiola to book out a high-end Japanese restaurant in Manchester's city centre and convince Walker, while eating the finest sushi, to sign a new contract. He gave him the captain's armband too.

Shannon Gabriel looks set to be added to West Indies’ Test squad for the series against England.Gabriel, who was a key player in West Indies’ victory over England in the Caribbean, was only named as part of the reserve squad for the tour as he was seeking to prove his fitness following an ankle injury.But Phil Simmons, West Indies’ head coach, suggested Gabriel was now “bowling as fast as I’ve seen him for while” and hinted that, if he came through the warm-up games, he was highly likely to be added to the 14-man Test squad.ALSO READ: Phil Simmons recalls racist abuse in English league cricket“Yes, there is a possibility of Shannon Gabriel joining the touring party,” Simmons said. “He’s one of West Indies’ prominent fast bowlers coming back from injury and we just had to make sure that he was fit enough to work through the tour.”The last week he’s been at full tilt and he looks fit. He looks good. He’s bowling as fast as I’ve seen him for a while so he’s ready and close enough to the Test match.”When leaving home 14 were named in the squad. Because of Shannon coming back from his injury, we had to let him get a little bit further and see how he is and then we’ll decide whether to make it a 15-member squad. After that, injuries might be the cause for changes.”The top three bowlers speak for themselves. Jason Holder is the number one ranked all-rounder in the world in Test cricket, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel are high up on that fast bowling list in the ICC rankings. That shows you there’s quality there.”Shannon Gabriel hasn’t played since September last year•Getty Images

West Indies start their first warm-up game – a three-day affair – on Tuesday. While that inter-squad match may feature teams of more than 11 players and could see some flexibility around conventional playing arrangements, their next game will be a four-day, first-class match which looks set to pit the first choice Test team against the reserves.While Simmons was understandably cautious about committing to a team at this stage, he did hint that fast bowler Alzarri Joseph and spin-bowling all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall could also feature. Both venues for the series – the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and Emirates Old Trafford – usually provide some assistance for spinners in Test cricket and, in the likes of Jason Holder, Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase, West Indies have the all-round options which may allow them to squeeze an extra bowler in if required.”We haven’t seen what the Ageas Bowl is like,” Simmons said. “When we see that, we will know what our combination will be like.”But at this stage, you can say that Rakheem will be a part. He got 10 wickets against Afghanistan in our last Test. So you can say he’ll be a part if we go in with two spinners and three fast bowlers or four and one.”Alzarri Joseph is going to be a big hit on this tour.”Simmons confirmed the entire squad, including the reserves, were currently considered fit with Jason Holder having recovered from “a little thing with his ankle”.”He seems to be all right,” Simmons said. “He batted and bowled today. He could bat No. 6; Shane Dowrich could bat No. 6. The warm-up games will help us decide how we structure the batting. There are possibilities in different directions.”

تتوالى الإصابات على صفوف فريق ريال مدريد الإسباني، بإصابة جديدة وقعت خلال مباراة ليفربول بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على ليفربول ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة لمرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

لمتابعة التغطية المباشرة لمباراة ريال مدريد وليفربول لحظة بلحظة بالفيديو من هنا.

وتقدم ليفربول بهدف أول سجله أليكسيس ماك أليستر في شباك تيبو كورتوا بالدقيقة 52.

وبعد الهدف، تعرض إدواردو كامافينجا لاعب ريال مدريد للإصابة وسقط أرضًا، مما دفع المدرب كارلو أنشيلوتي لاستبداله.

وتم استبدال كامافينجا في الدقيقة 56 وشارك داني سيبايوس بديلاً له خلال المواجهة أمام ليفربول.

ويغيب عن ريال مدريد فينيسيوس جونيور للإصابة بالإضافة إلى داني كارفاخال وميليتاو وديفيد ألابا وتشواميني. إصابة كامافينجا في مباراة ريال مدريد وليفربول

Manchester United's deal to sign Chido Obi Martin from Arsenal may go before a court as the Red Devils attempt to finalise his transfer.

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United attempting to sign youngsterRed Devils tried to complete free transferCompensation fee may be owedWHAT HAPPENED?

Per Christopher Michel, United are struggling to finalise a deal for Obi Martin because of "very complicated" legal issues. The Athletic have previously reported that the two clubs have been in talks over an acceptable compensatory fee, as United cannot simply sign him on a free transfer.

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Obi Martin's contract with Arsenal expired at the end of last season but because of his age, the Gunners are due a fee because of the role they played in his development. They had attempted to convince the 16-year-old to stay, but United beat off serious competition to bring him in.

DID YOU KNOW?

Obi Martin was prolific for the Gunners' Under-18s, scoring 32 goals in 21 games for the club. He is also a Denmark Under-18 international.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

United plan to finalise Obi-Martin's signing swiftly but it remains to be seen if they will be able to do so without going before a tribunal.