Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola faces arguably his most important summer transfer window since he took charge of the club back in 2016.

He could finish the season empty-handed for the first time since that maiden campaign, something which may fuel his desire to enhance his first-team squad before another go at winning the Premier League and Champions League in 2025/26.

Of course, the Spaniard used the winter transfer window to excellent effect, signing four players and spending around £180m in the process.

These signings could pay dividends next season, forming the bedrock of what Guardiola will hope is his final great team at the Etihad.

There could well be plenty of movement in the other direction too, especially as the club will need to sell a few high-profile stars in order to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations.

Kevin De Bruyne’s future has been in question over the previous few months. The Belgian star has just a few months left on his current contract with the club.

Will he sign an extension? Or is his time in the Premier League coming to an end?

The latest on Kevin De Bruyne's future at Man City

In February, Guardiola provided an update on De Bruyne’s future, saying: “I think in that situation he has to decide, that is the most important thing. He’s completely honest with himself, to decide what he feels and what he can do in the next period of his life. He’s 34 in the summer and he has to decide, like what happened with David Silva for example.”

Now, according to reports from the Mirror over the weekend, De Bruyne has reportedly held talks to join MLS side San Diego once his City contract expires, but no decision has been made on whether he’ll make the move.

There are reportedly offers on the table from the Saudi Pro League, with one last big payday reportedly available for the player, who will turn 34 in the summer.

With the 2026 World Cup just over a year away, De Bruyne has a big decision to make, that’s for sure.

Why it's time for De Bruyne to move on

The 33-year-old is currently in his tenth season at the club, making over 400 competitive appearances, scoring 106 goals and registering 174 assists.

It is no secret that the Drongen-born star has been one of the club’s most important signings in their recent history, helping City win six Premier League crowns and the Champions League in 2023.

De Bruyne was limited to just 18 league appearances last year as injury issues hampered his campaign, yet he still averaged 2.4 shots per game and registered 3.3 key passes per game in the top flight.

Kevin De Bruyne’s Man City statistics

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2023/24

26

6

18

2022/23

49

10

29

2021/22

45

19

15

2020/21

40

10

18

2019/20

48

16

22

2018/19

32

6

11

2017/18

52

12

21

2016/17

49

7

20

2015/16

41

16

13

Via Transfermarkt

These statistics prove that when on the field, he was keen on contributing effectively in the final third.

Across 20 appearances this term, these numbers have dropped to 1.9 shots and 2.1 key passes per game. With eight of these appearances coming from the bench, plus a drop in his usual high standards, is the end near for the midfielder?

If he does leave, they will need to find a new permanent skipper.

Man City's next captain after De Bruyne.

It’s safe to say that Ballon d’Or winner Rodri could be the perfect candidate.

Indeed, if De Bruyne is one of the club’s best signings from an attacking point of view, then Rodri must be classed in a similar sort of bracket. He is a player who can dominate games from the heart of the midfield while providing effective defensive support.

The Spaniard has made 260 appearances for the club at the time of writing, registering 56 goal contributions in the process.

Although he was a solid signing initially, it took him a few years to finally get the plaudits he deserved. During the 2022/23 title-winning season, Rodri succeeded with a staggering 92% of his passes across 34 games.

The midfielder also made 2.1 tackles, won 5.9 of his total duels and recovered 6.9 balls per game in the top flight, helping City win their fourth crown on the spin.

It was a sensational individual season and he went even better last term with the 28-year-old ranking in the top 1% for passes attempted (112.26) and progressive passes (11.55) per 90 when compared to his positional peers in the Premier League.

Last summer, he played a key role for Spain during their victorious 2024 European Championship-winning campaign as the country sealed their fourth win in the competition.

These performances for both club and country saw Rodri claim the Ballon d’Or for 2024 last October, pipping Real Madrid star Vinícius Jr in the process.

Following this win, Kyle Walker lavished plenty of praise on his teammate in the aftermath, saying: “For him, it’s absolutely fantastic. I think he’s been nothing short of probably perfect in the last couple of seasons. You can see what he means to Man City.”

His value has subsequently also soared over the previous few years.

The midfielder cost City an initial transfer fee in the region of £62.8m, which was a club record back in the summer of 2019.

Since then, however, his value has reached astronomical heights due to his wonderful performances since the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

According to Transfermarkt, Rodri is currently worth €130m (£109m) and if he can return to the level which saw him win plenty in 2024 upon his injury recovery, this value will rise even further.

If De Bruyne does depart the Etihad this summer, Guardiola will need to find a new captain heading into the 2025/26 season.

While there are a few candidates for the potentially vacant role, Rodri must be the player who replaces the Belgian.

City have struck gold on the former Atlético Madrid midfielder since his move to the Premier League in 2019, who has turned out to be the best player on the planet.

Related Man City are brewing Pep's new Busquets in their young "Rodri back-up"

Man City need support for Nico Gonzalez and Rodri.

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Mar 24, 2025

England star Angel Gomes has reportedly agreed to join Marseille despite links with Manchester United and Arsenal.

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• Gomes been linked with Man Utd & Arsenal
• Other Premier League teams interested
• Outgoing Lille man to join Ligue 1 rival

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Journalist Fabrice Hawkins states the midfielder will join Marseille on a three-year deal, with the 25-year-old about to become a free agent. He adds that Tottenham and West Ham also tracked the England international but Gomes 'prefers' Roberto De Zerbi's side.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gomes was previously linked with United and Arsenal and even spoke about potentially returning to Old Trafford, after going through the club's youth system. But Marseille's qualification to next season's Champions League and how they have fared under De Zerbi appears to have convinced the former Boavista loanee.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  To signal his Lille exit, where he has spent the last four seasons of his career, he wrote on Instagram last month: "After four unforgettable years at LOSC Lille, it’s time for me to say goodbye. This club has been more than just a team — it’s been a family, a home, and a place that has shaped me both on and off the pitch. Like any journey, there were ups and downs, highs and lows, but I’m truly grateful to my team-mates and the fans for sticking with me throughout. I’m proud of what we achieved together and thankful for every moment. To the fans — thank you for your amazing support and for believing in me. I will forever be grateful. I always gave everything I had for the badge and for all of you. Lille will always have a special place in my heart."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Hawkins added that Gomes – who made just 10 appearances for United's first-team – will likely finalise his move to Marseille, who finished second in Ligue 1 this season, later this week.

نجح فريق فلومينينسي البرازيلي، في تسجيل الهدف الثاني في شباك الهلال السعودي خلال المباراة الجارية الآن بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية لتصبح النتيجة 2-1.

ويلتقي الفريقان في الوقت الحالي في خضم منافسات دور ربع نهائي كأس العالم للأندية، نسخة 2025، التي تستضيفها أمريكا حتى 13 يوليو الجاري.

وجاء الهدف الثاني لصالح الفريق البرازيلي في الدقيقة 70 من عمر المباراة عن طريق هركليز، بعد وصول الكرة له في منطقة الجزاء ليضعها في الشباك.

كان فلومينينسي قد تقدم بهدف قبل نهاية الشوط الأول، وتحديدًا في الدقيقة 40، عن طريق اللاعب ماتيوس مارتينيلي.

ونجح الهلال في تسجيل هدف التعادل أمام خصمه فلومينينسي، في الدقيقة 51 من عمر المباراة، عن طريق ماركوس ليوناردو، بعد ركلة ركنية نفذها روبن نيفيز، ووصلت الكرة إلى منطقة الجزاء ليستلمها كوليبالي برأسه، وتصل إلى زميله الذي سددها بقوة في الشباك.

ويلتقي الفائز من مباراة الهلال وفلومينينسي مع الفائز من مباراة تشيلسي وبالميراس، في نصف نهائي كأس العالم للأندية يوم الثلاثاء المقبل.  هدف فلومينينسي الثاني أمام الهلال

70′ HERCULEEEEEES! 💥

Fluminense’s hero goes for it twice, and puts Fluzão back in front! 🇭🇺🔥 pic.twitter.com/8XzEUUoszR — DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) July 4, 2025

What a week it has been for Manchester United’s number nine, Rasmus Hojlund. You wait so long for a goal, and two come along in quick succession.

The Danish speedster had endured a dismal 21-game goal drought prior to finally getting on the scoresheet again on Sunday evening away at Leicester City, with the struggling striker showcasing remarkable composure to slot home on his weaker right foot against the relegation-threatened Foxes.

Just days on from that long-awaited goal, the 22-year-old leapt off the bench to clinch victory for his country against Portugal on Thursday night, the former Atalanta man condemning Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Cristiano Ronaldo to a 1-0 defeat in their Nations League quarter-final clash.

While a return of nine goals this season for club and country makes for grim reading for the £64m signing, he has helped to lift the pressure on his shoulders this week, not least with 17-year-old sensation, Chido Obi, waiting in the wings for a starting berth back at Old Trafford.

Selected strikers – Record for Man Utd
Player	Games	Goals	Assists
Zlatan Ibrahimovic	53	29	10
Romelu Lukaku	96	42	12
Odion Ighalo	23	5	1
Edinson Cavani	59	19	6
Cristiano Ronaldo (2nd spell)	54	27	5
Wout Weghorst	31	2	3
Anthony Martial	317	90	46
Rasmus Hojlund	82	24	4
Stats via Transfermarkt

That youthful pairing are currently vying to be Ruben Amorim’s main man through the middle, with the Portuguese coach still no doubt looking to find his next goalscoring talisman, in the mould of Sporting CP’s, Viktor Gyokeres.

Man Utd's interest in Viktor Gyokeres

There is an argument to be made that Amorim has found his new attacking, Gyokeres-like figurehead in the form of Bruno Fernandes, although for all the playmaker’s brilliance, there is still a need for United to acquire a reliable, prolific presence to lead the line.

Indeed, in 82 games for the Red Devils to date, Hojlund has scored just 24 goals, while young Obi is still waiting to break his first-team duck, albeit while having made just four senior appearances. Summer signing Joshua Zirkzee, meanwhile, has scored just six times in his new surroundings.

With that in mind, it is then no surprise that the signing of a new centre-forward appears high on the agenda, with journalist Florian Plettenberg only recently naming the aforementioned Gyokeres among a raft of targets that Amorim and co are looking at.

The Swedish goal machine has been a revelation in Portugal since arriving from Coventry City for just £17m back in 2023, having notably scored 66 goals in just 68 games under Amorim’s watch.

Unsurprisingly, ever since the new United boss made the move to England, there has been talk of a reunion. However, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell reported back in February that while Sporting could cash in for around €70m (£59m), it is ‘unlikely’ that the 26-year-old follows his former boss to Manchester.

As per Whitwell, the one-time Brighton and Hove Albion man is likely to want to join a team competing in the Champions League – something United, currently, won’t be able to offer – while the club themselves may have reservations, amid the pursuit of ‘younger signings’.

While there may be frustration at not handing Amorim the perfect attacking tool in Gyokeres, perhaps the Red Devils are already brewing the next version of the Swede…

Man Utd's own Gyokeres

As two towering, Scandinavian marksmen like Gyokeres, it could be argued that both Hojlund and Obi are primed to evolve into that type of figure for Amorim, provided they are given time to develop.

That said, there could well be another, more suitable option in the equation, in the form of academy star, Ethan Wheatley, with the 19-year-old also a “clinical finisher”, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson.

As per Mattinson, the promising Englishman possesses a lot of the “typical hold-up, link-up and channel running” that Gyokeres has shown at Sporting, while he is also deemed to be a “closer fit” to the former Coventry man than fellow youth star, Gabriele Biancheri.

Currently out on loan at League Two highflyers Walsall – for whom he has actually made just three appearances since arriving in January – Wheatley has previously dazzled in the youth set-up at United, scoring ten times in just 22 U21 outings.

The Stockport native – who, like Gyokeres, stands at 6 foot 2 – was also previously the star of the U18 side, after netting 14 goals in 28 games at that age group.

While it hasn’t worked out so far during Wheatley’s temporary stint away from Old Trafford, he did score for England’s U19 side against Wales in midweek, having also been awarded a new long-term contract with United earlier this month.

That show of faith by the club has indicated how highly regarded the teenager is at Carrington, with the rising star already making four first-team appearances for his parent club, including a late cameo in the 4-2 win over Leicester in the EFL Cup back in October.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

With Amorim having already shown his willingness to utilise the academy in recent weeks, amid the emergence of Obi and Harry Amass, United’s 250th graduate may still have hope of forcing his way into the senior reckoning next season.

Who knows, Wheatley could even prove himself to be the 40-year-old’s next Gyokeres.

Amorim's next Gyokeres: Man Utd plotting move to sign "the new Haaland"

Manchester United are still targeting a striker to hand Ruben Amorim with the firepower he craves.

By
Ethan Lamb

Mar 20, 2025

Scott Boland will likely return if the selectors feel a change is needed

Andrew McGlashan05-Jul-2023The risks of asking Josh Hazlewood to push through three consecutive Tests is likely to be the decision that will most occupy the minds of Australia’s selectors ahead of Headingley, where the Ashes can be secured.Todd Murphy’s inclusion to replace the injured Nathan Lyon is all-but rubberstamped, but when Hazlewood appeared at Lord’s it became the first time he had played consecutive Tests since 2020-21 following a series of injuries.He was held back from the World Test Championship final against India to ensure he was ready for the Ashes and has since bowled 56 overs in two Tests, claiming eight wickets, although his economy is 4.64. It is not a massive workload, but one that may give the selectors some pause with the third Test beginning just three days after Lord’s.Related

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“He’d be the obvious one you’d be a bit more careful of,” captain Pat Cummins said. “The tour so far for him has gone as well as he could have hoped – no injuries, but he is kind of uncharted territory for the last year or two.”I think there will be some conversation around that. I think he bowled 25 and 35 [25 and 31], which isn’t extreme numbers, but again you weigh up this game versus the last two, how he’s tracking so we’ll work through that.”It’s a quick turnaround,” he added. “It’s obviously a huge match, but there are three matches to come. So you don’t want to put anyone in high risk than you’d like knowing that there’s a couple of fresh guys on the bench that come straight in.”While the major prize of retaining the Ashes with a series victory can be achieved at Headingley, the two remaining Tests at Old Trafford and The Oval would still carry important WTC points with this series being the first in the new cycle where Australia are defending champions.Should Hazlewood be benched for this game, Scott Boland would be the likely replacement ahead of Michael Neser, who has been retained in the squad. Boland played the opening Test at Edgbaston, where England took him at nearly a run-a-ball, but Cummins would have no qualms over his return.Josh Hazlewood took the match-deciding wicket of Ben Stokes at Lord’s•Associated Press

“We have such high standards of him [Boland] because of how well he has bowled,” Cummins said. “You saw in that little stretch where conditions were in our favour, how damaging he could be.”During the Lord’s Test, David Warner spoke about the difficulties he was facing with damaged fingers, but Cummins was not aware of them being a concern and Warner netted on Tuesday.”I saw him icing them at one stage in the changeroom and then him talking about it was the only time I’d heard of it,” he said. “So I don’t think it’s an issue.”Victory at Headingley, meaning a first away Ashes series win since 2001, would cement the legacy of this Australian Test team following their WTC title. Cummins was a central figure in the drawn 2-2 series in 2019, which meant the urn was retained, but conceded there were mixed feelings.”I think everyone felt a bit differently about it,” he said. “In Manchester, when we won that Test match to retain it, there was a big celebration where some people, me included, kind of thought, ‘do you celebrate when you retain it’. I genuinely didn’t know. For me it’s always about winning a series outright so that’s the goal. We want to win one of these last three Test matches.”

Aston Villa are pushing to sign a Barcelona star in the summer in what would be yet another big coup for the West Midlands club, according to a new report.

Villa trio help England beat Albania

Aston Villa stars Ezri Konsa, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers all played a part as England began Thomas Tuchel’s tenure with a victory at Wembley.

The Three Lions beat Albania 2-0 courtesy of goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane to kickstart their qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a win.

England: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying info, format, fixtures & more

England are set to get their World Cup campaign up and running under Thomas Tuchel.

ByRoss Kilvington Mar 20, 2025

While it was generally a positive night for England and Tuchel, the German coach, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October, was critical of Rashford – making his first England appearance in over a year – and his fellow winger Phil Foden after the game.

“Both of our wingers were not as impactful as normally they can be, as they normally are in club football,” said Tuchel, as per Sky Sports. “I’m not sure why we struggled to bring the ball quicker to them, not sure why it took us so long.

“We lacked a bit of runs off the ball, and not enough passing and dribbling, not enough driving with the ball, not aggressive enough towards the goal.

“They were decisive in training, that’s why we picked them.”

Villa want Torres

While Rashford may have come under fire from Tuchel for his performance for England, the Manchester United loanee has been in stellar form for Villa since joining the club on loan from Manchester United in February.

However, with his future currently up in the air and a return to Old Trafford at the end of the season still on the cards, it seems Villa are already eyeing up a replacement for the Englishman in the form of Barcelona star Ferran Torres.

According to a new report from Spain, Villa are one of a number of Premier League clubs who have expressed an interest in signing the former Manchester City forward in the summer amid what has been a superb season for the player.

Torres, who was recently described by Barcelona manager Hansi Flick as “quality”, has scored 13 goals for Barca this season, and the Spanish publication claims that Villa have been closely monitoring his progress and are now in the driving seat to land him later this year.

Manager Unai Emery is said to have given the green light to the deal, feeling that Torres would fit perfectly into his attacking lineup, though it’s thought only an offer of between €35-40m (£29-34m) would be enough to prise him away from Catalonia.

Dawid Malan adds fifty to help hosts reach 286 for 4 in response to Sussex’s first-innings 216

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2023Adam Lyth’s excellent 115 – his second LV= Insurance County Championship century of the season – underpinned a dominant Yorkshire batting display as they seized control after two days against Sussex at Headingley.Lyth led the county’s 286 for 4 in response to Sussex’s inadequate first-innings 216 after the visitors elected to bat on a pitch they believed would get worse but has got much better.Lyth’s 31st career first-class century included 18 fours in 175 balls and was ably supported as opening partner Fin Bean made 45, South African overseas batter Ryan Rickelton 46 and England white-ball star Dawid Malan 51.Play started with Sussex advancing their first innings from 120 for 6 overnight after they struggled in bowler-friendly conditions during a shortened first day.All-rounder Fynn Hudson-Prentice and Australian overseas seamer Nathan McAndrew gave their total respectability by completing a 94-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Impressive Hudson-Prentice top-scored with 73 and McAndrew added 47.It was a sign of things to come that they batted comfortably late on day one and early on day two in advancing from 76 for 6.Matthew Fisher finished with 4 for 69 for Yorkshire, all four of his wickets coming on the opening day.Left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty claimed two of the four morning wickets including Hudson-Prentice brilliantly caught by substitute fielder Matthew Revis running back towards the long-on fence. He was on for Lyth at the time.Yorkshire clearly haven’t had things easy in Championship cricket for the last season-and-a-half.And while Lyth, dropped on 38 at second slip by James Coles, played the lead role, it is his 21-year-old opening partner Bean’s form this season which is even more pleasing as they build for the future.Even though he missed out on the big eye-catching score in this innings, Bean still went beyond 600 Championship runs for the season – a milestone Lyth later reached as well.Bean put his name in lights last summer with a remarkable 441 in a second-team Championship match at Nottinghamshire when not on contract at Headingley.It earned him an almost immediate rookie deal with the county, and only last week that was turned into a maiden two-year full professional deal following three Championship centuries in 2023.Stalwart Lyth has not had a solid opening partnership since fellow Championship-winner Alex Lees left for Durham in late 2018. Now, this Lyth and Bean alliance looks to be set in stone for a good while to come.Lyth, as ever, drove handsomely as Yorkshire confidently made inroads into Sussex’s total.At one stage, he and Bean hit five fours in seven balls off the seam of Hudson-Prentice and Henry Crocombe in the 15th and 16th overs, moving the score to 75 without loss. In fact, 76 out of Yorkshire’s first 89 runs came in boundaries.Lyth drove with more of a flourish and Bean was more compact and mechanical. The latter is not too dissimilar to the way Sir Alastair Cook bats.Lyth reached his fifty off 77 balls shortly after Bean had departed, caught at slip trying to play forcefully off the back foot against McAndrew – 94 for one in the 22nd over.But Lyth found another partner in Rickelton, who is playing his second of four Championship matches as a short-term replacement for captain Shan Masood, away on Test duty with Pakistan.Rickelton was quick on his feet in lofting Coles’ left-arm spin for six over long-off before he edged the seam of Ari Karvelas to second slip as he jammed down on a full ball.Lyth later reached his century off 157 balls but was the first of two wickets in as many overs from off-spinner Jack Carson, who helped Sussex end the day well. Lyth chipped to midwicket and George Hill edged to slip without scoring, leaving Yorkshire at 258 for four in the 63rd over.While Sussex limited the damage late on, Malan reached his fifty off 82 balls.

England remarkably came from 5-1 down to secure a draw against Germany in their second match at the Under-19 European Championship.

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England looked shaky from the start at the Stadionul Arcul de Triumf and fell behind in the seventh minute as the skilful Said El Mala beat Caleb Kporha out wide and put it on a plate for Noah Darvich to tap in the opening goal.

The Young Lions could do little more than briefly threaten in attack as Germany won possession back time after time and a sublime run and finish from El Mala just after the half-hour mark had his side 2-0 up and in a commanding position.

There was a brief period of optimism as England tried to mount a comeback and pulled one back. A Jayden Meghoma cross from the left found its way to Fulham youngster Joshua King, who chested it up into the air and finished with a volley to half the deficit. However, any hope of a revival looked to have been quickly extinguished as Germany struck twice more before half-time.

Kjell Watjes' hopeful drive from distance was somewhat fortuitously turned in by Max Moerstedt to re-establish the two-goal advantage before Leopold Wurm leapt highest from a corner, flicking a header into the far corner.

The lively El Mala grabbed his second of the night as he tapped in a cross at the back post, but there were a few helpings of defensive calamity on the German side as goalkeeper Konstantin Heide spilled a straightforward shot, allowing Manchester United's Ethan Wheatley to get himself on the scoresheet.

Only a few minutes later, it was 5-3. Again Germany failed to effectively clear their lines and the ball eventually fell to Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny just outside the six-yard box, the 19-year-old finding the far corner clinically. They had been staring down the barrel of an embarrassing defeat but England brought it back to 5-4 as Zach Abbott nodded a header in off the far post. Incredibly, an equaliser arrived in the 63rd minute as Heide dropped a cross and allowed Jesse Derry to stab home from close range.

The incredible frenzy of goals looked likely to continue but both sides managed to tighten up at the back and and no deciding strike arrived, leaving the few fans in attendance to get their breath back after a truly remarkable game.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE MVP

Well, clearly none of the defenders. The game was incredibly frantic and defined by poor defensive mistakes. Credit must be shown to Joshua King for pulling England back into the game and Ethan Wheatley for kick-starting the second-half comeback, but Said El Mala was the best player on the pitch by quite some stretch, being rewarded with two goals.

THE BIG LOSER

Some of the worst individual errors came from the goalkeepers. Neither Tommy Setford, who made his senior Arsenal debut earlier in the 2024-25 season, nor Konstantin Heide covered themselves in glory, but it was full-back Caleb Kporha who arguably struggled the most, failing to get to grips with the dangerous El Mala.

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Getty/GOALWHAT COMES NEXT?

Both sides will hope to secure qualification to the knockout stages in the final round of games on Friday. England face the Netherlands while Germany take on Norway.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na última janela de transferência, Flamengo e Botafogo negociaram a contratação de um jovem promissor: Luis Henrique. O Glorioso, clube que revelou o jogador, levou a melhor na propalada “queda de braço” e o repatriou. Neste domingo, as equipes medem forças, às 18h, no Nilton Santos, mas o atleta ainda busca seu espaço sob a batuta de Luis Castro.

+Botafogo fecha o empréstimo de Erison para o Estoril, de Portugal

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O Alvinegro convive com a dualidade entre expectativa x realidade. O elenco foi formado ao longo da temporada, e Luís Castro precisa de tempo para transformá-lo em um time competitivo. Neste primeiro momento, Luis Henrique está atrás de Victor Sá e Jeffinho na disputa por uma vaga entre os titulares.

Além desses nomes, o comandante português tem outras peças, que ainda não conseguiram ter regularidade e seguem com problemas físicos. Entre eles, estão Diego Gonçalves e Gustavo Sauer – ambos com poucos jogos na temporada. Vinícius Lopes, por sua vez, pode deixar o clube.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

Nesta segunda janela, o Flamengo fortaleceu o setor com Everton Cebolinha e mudou da água para o vinho com a chegada de Dorival Júnior. Embalado e com estratégia de duas escalações diferentes, o time da Gávea segue vivo nas três competições que disputa e tem tudo para beliscar pelo menos um título em 2022.

A tendência é que Luís Henrique também não tivesse muito espaço se optasse pelo Rubro-Negro. O time tem um grupo mais numeroso e qualificado no momento, e o atacante atuaria, provavelmente, mais na escalação alternativa do Brasileirão.

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Luís Henrique deu o sinal verde para jogar no Flamengo. Os números que agradaram foram apresentados diretamente ao estafe e à família do jogador. Além disso, o atleta afirmou que queria jogar pelo clube.

+Dorival Júnior explica sua maior conquista pelo Flamengo até o momento: ‘Sempre me incomodou’

Ocorre que o time da Gávea nunca chegou a um entendimento com o Olympique de Marselha (FRA). O clube carioca queria somente o empréstimo do atacante, mas os franceses não concordaram. Desta forma, os flamenguistas ofereceram uma opção de compra ao final do período.

Por outro lado, o Botafogo começou as conversas diretamente com a equipe francesa. Inicialmente, a proposta do Flamengo era mais vantajosa do que a alvinegra. Contudo, o Glorioso igualou os valores e ofereceu uma obrigação de compra em caso de metas batidas. Com isso, saiu vitorioso na negociação e repatriou a cria de sua base e ainda provocou o rival no anúncio.

O INÍCIO DE UMA JOVEM PROMESSA

Em 2019, o atacante marcou seis gols pelo time sub-20 do Botafogo e logo estreou entre os profissionais – contra o Atlético-MG já na reta final do Brasileirão da época. O garoto não só agradou, como fez a pré-temporada do ano seguinte em Domingos Martins, no Espírito Santo, local dos treinamentos.

Na época, o Alvinegro era comandado por Alberto Valentim, que enxergava potencial no menino. Na estreia do Carioca 2020, marcou um gol e deu uma assistência na vitória sobre o Macaé por 3 a 1. No fim da competição, foi um dos grandes destaques ao balançar a rede duas vezes e dar cinco passes para gol.

Apesar de não ter uma veia goleadora, Luís Henrique foi um dos protagonistas do time no ano e logo despertou o interesse de equipes do Velho Continente. Na sétima rodada do Brasileirão, foi vendido para o Olympique de Marselha (FRA) e não participou da campanha que culminou no terceiro rebaixamento da história do Botafogo.

Manchester United have agreed a new deal with a homegrown player to remain at the club into his 40s.

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• Man Utd "verbally agree" new deal
• Homegrown hero to stay at Old Trafford
• Amorim wants experienced head

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Head coach Ruben Amorim wants to keep experienced heads at the club and is set to strike a new deal with goalkeeper Tom Heaton to continue in the goalkeeping department, report . Heaton is currently 39 and would turn 40 during his additional year.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Heaton has not played a single Premier League minute for United since rejoining the club in 2021 but appears to be a valued member of the squad, providing support for the other goalkeepers. There have also been discussions about a coaching role down the line but this is purely a playing contract.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  United have released three out-of-contract first-team players, Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen. They have also added to their squad this summer, signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  United have also been linked with moves to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting. Alejandro Garnacho could leave the club, with Chelsea and Atletico Madrid showing interest.