Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has personally requested two summer signings, including an “exciting” £30m+ winger, according to a report.

Amorim called into question

It was always going to be a difficult task to take on the Man United job, with the squad underperforming for such a sustained period, and it would be fair to say it has been a mixed start for Amorim at Old Trafford.

There is now a feeling some of the players have doubts about whether the former Sporting CP boss’ style of play will prove to be successful, and Gary Neville has also been critical of the new three-at-the-back formation.

“I thought it would get better when Ruben Amorim came in, the enthusiasm of him and the new system, the players would buy into and we’d see a bounce, but we’ve seen the absolute opposite and it’s got a lot worse.

“They (United) are obviously going to stick with Amorim. But the more you lose, the more difficult it is for the manager to convince the players of his idea.”

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With the Portuguese coach unwilling to compromise on his principles, the only solution is to bring in new options who will buy in to his system, and a report from Spain has revealed he has now requested the signing of two players he knows very well.

Amorim is said to have personally requested INEOS sign Geovany Quenda and Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, and there is a feeling the opportunity to be a part of their former manager’s project could help lure the duo to Old Trafford.

The 40-year-old is keen to bring in players familiar with his style of play, meaning Gyokeres fits the bill, and there are even rumours a pre-summer agreement has already been reached for the Sweden superstar.

Quenda could be an "exciting" signing

Gyokeres has made a name for himself with his fantastic goal-scoring record in Portugal, and while Quenda is a little more obscure, there are plenty of signs he could also be a good addition this summer.

The winger is still only 17-years-old, but he has managed to force his way into the Sporting first team this season, picking up four assists in the league and receiving high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig after bagging his first goal.

Quenda’s emergence as a key player for Sporting at such a young age indicates he could be a fantastic signing for United, but it also means he will not come cheap, with a report revealing the teenager may cost £30m+.

Bayern Munich have been warned Harry Kane will do “one more year” before returning to the Premier League and chasing down Alan Shearer’s goal record.

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Moved to Allianz Arena in 2023Has landed first major trophyBeing tipped to return to EnglandFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The England captain is tied to terms at the Allianz Arena through to the summer of 2027. He may, however, walk away 12 months before that deal is completed. That is because there are still targets for him to try and hit in his homeland.

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Kane has landed the major silverware that he craves in 2025, with his trophy curse being broken in a Bundesliga title triumph. He will look to defend that crown next season, while also having another shot at Champions League glory.

WHAT TRANSFER EXPERT SAID

From there, the prolific frontman is being tipped to seek out a Premier League switch. Alex Crook, transfer expert, has said: “Arguably the greatest English goalscorer of all-time, he's got his league title now. There's been some talk that he's got a release clause that would enable him to come back to the Premier League.”

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Crook added: “He'll do one more year, try and retain the title, try and have another crack at the Champions League. And then I think, probably, he'll set his sights on a return to the Premier League and breaking Shearer's goalscoring record.”

Former India Under-19 World Cup-winning captain now in a bid to qualify for USA

Shashank Kishore23-Nov-2022

After becoming the first Indian to play in the BBL, India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand is set to add another chapter to his journeyman career when he lines up for Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) early next year.Chand, now 29, was picked up at the draft in Dhaka on Wednesday, with the franchise keen on having an Indian player to tap into the fan base in the country, according to franchise owner Rifatuzzaman.Chand’s eligibility comes from having retired from all forms of cricket under the BCCI’s ambit in September last year. He currently plays league cricket in the USA in a bid to qualify for the national team, which could happen at some stage in 2024. Chand lives in San Francisco, and has also signed a multi-year deal with the USA’s Major League Cricket that is set to kick off next year.Related

Unmukt Chand joins Melbourne Renegades for BBL 2021-22

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Memories from 2012: Chand on India's last U-19 World Cup triumph

His maiden BBL stint last year was far from memorable: he managed to feature in just two matches, scoring 35 runs with a best of 29. As things stand, Chand won’t be returning to Melbourne Renegades this year after making his BBL debut during the 2021-22 season.Chand’s USA eligibility pathway rests on him being in the country for ten months in a year for three years, and featuring in the BPL is unlikely to jeopardise his chances of qualifying to play for USA in 2024, as the tournament is set to run only for six weeks from January 5 to February 15. However, taking on a subsequent T20 gigs outside the USA could prove challenging.After his heroics at the Under-19 level – he scored 111 not out in the 2012 final against Australia to win the Player-of-the-Match award – Chand was marked for success at the higher level too, but couldn’t make the grade, never getting selected for India’s senior side.Chand, who represented Delhi in India’s domestic circuit, played 67 first-class games while scoring 3379 runs at an average of 31.57. He fared better in List A cricket, where he scored 4505 runs at an average of 41.33 in 120 matches. And before leaving Indian cricket, he had 1565 runs at an average of 22.35 and a strike rate of 116.09 in 77 T20s.In the IPL, he represented the erstwhile Delhi Daredevils – now Delhi Capitals – before also playing for Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians. He featured in 21 matches in all, scoring 300 runs in 20 innings with a highest of 58.

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has persuaded his mother Fayza Lamari not to give up on their Caen project after the club were relegated to Ligue 2.

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• Mbappe holds investment in French side Caen
• Club have been relegated out of Ligue 2
• Real Madrid star refuses to walk away

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mbappe and his family splashed out approximately €20 million (£17m/$22m) to secure 80 per cent of the shares in Ligue 2 side Caen last summer. However, it's been a difficult campaign for the club who have gone through three managers and still managed to finish bottom of Ligue 2, with just 21 points from 32 games.

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• AFP
  

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  Caen fans have hit out at Mbappe during the campaign. Banners insulting his mother have been displayed which led club president Ziad Hammoud to leap to the Real Madrid star's defence. Mbappe's mother has now revealed she has had thoughts about walking away from the club but her famous son has convinced her to stay involved.

• WHAT FAYZA LAMARI SAID

  She told Ici Normandie: "I remember humbly telling Kylian that they (Caen) didn’t deserve us and that we had to know when to leave when we weren’t wanted. He didn’t want [to leave]. He convinced me otherwise."

  Lamari added: "And today, it would be dishonest for us to leave. The objective is to tell ourselves that we are making a societal project of it."

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT

  Mbappe and family will have to watch Caen compete in the National 1, the third tier of French football, next season. It's the first time in 41 years Caen have played in the French third tier.

Big Picture

For the first time in nearly seven years, two sides with a great history meet in Test cricket. That history has been sadly one-sided for a long time, but this is an overdue meeting for Australia and West Indies.The last time West Indies won a Test on these shores was back in 1997 in Perth – the WACA version – when Brian Lara scored a century, and Curtly Ambrose got one to roll along the deck to Greg Blewett from one of the infamous cracks. West Indies’ last Test victory against Australia was in 2003, when they chased a world record 418 in Antigua.West Indies could field four players in their XI who were part of the side that played a damp affair from the two teams’ last meeting, which was in Sydney in early 2016: Kraigg Brathwaite, now the captain; his predecessor Jason Holder; Jermaine Blackwood, and Kemar Roach. But for most, this will be a new experience. And that may not be a bad thing.Related

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• The West Indies quicks who could give Australia the hurry-up

• Holder urges WI quicks to not get 'carried away seeing carry, bounce'

Few give them a chance in this series – and it would be a surprise if it was anything other than 2-0 to Australia – but West Indies’ Test cricket has shown improvement, albeit mostly at home. However, revivals have to start somewhere. It may sound defeatist, but if they can compete in these two matches, it could provide more building blocks for the future. Their pace attack has the potential to cause problems; it will likely come down to whether they can put enough runs on the board to apply some pressure.Even though Australia lost their most recent Test – against Sri Lanka in Galle – they are in good shape in the format, as witnessed by the XI being entirely predictable. They are in a very strong position to reach the World Test Championship final – but be careful of those over rates – and a summer of victories will further strengthen their cause.This will be Perth’s first Test since the 2019-20 season when they hosted New Zealand in a day-night game, and it is just the second match at the venue with India having played the year before in an absorbing contest on a spicy pitch. It would be nice to think both those things can be repeated this time.There will be plenty of interest in Tagenarine Chanderpaul•Getty Images

Recent form

(Last five matches, most recent first)
Australia: LWWDD
West Indies: WWWDD

In the spotlight

Steven Smith has found his hands, feet, stance, grip…everything sounds as though it is working perfectly for him, as good as it has been since around 2016. It is a scary prospect for opposition bowlers because Smith has still averaged 61 in Tests since then, albeit the last couple of years have been more of a struggle. The signs were promising in the ODIs against England but he may have to be on his guard on a lively Perth pitch. Still, it feels like it could be a summer of runs for Smith.The surname will be familiar. The stance may bring back memories. A few of the shots, too. And he marks his guard with the bail. But Tagenarine Chanderpaul wants to be his own man. At 26, he has had to bide his time for a Test debut, but this year his weight of runs have made an unquestionable case. Chanderpaul backed that up with a terrific double of 119 and 56 against Prime Minister’s XI in the pratice match. Australia’s bowling attack will be another level of the challenge, but he looks to have the game.Josh Hazlewood returns to the side, having missed the last four Tests•Getty Images

Team news

This XI, confirmed by Australia, could have been picked weeks ago: Josh Hazlewood returns to the side, having missed the last four Tests due to requirements as per conditions in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and four Ashes Tests because of injury before that. Scott Boland will have to wait to build on his bowling average of 9.55.Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Travis Head, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh HazlewoodBrathwaite confirmed that Chanderpaul would make his debut and that Raymon Reifer was ruled out through injury. Beyond that, West Indies will name their side tomorrow. But the good news was that Blackwood and Jayden Seales were fine after brief scares during training on Monday. The likelihood is four quicks supported by Roston Chase’s offspin.West Indies (possible): 1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt), 2 Tagnarine Chanderpaul, 3 Nkrumah Bonner, 4 Kyle Mayers, 5 Jermaine Blackwood, 6 Roston Chase, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Joshua Da Silva (wk), 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Kemar Roach, 11 Jayden Seales

Pitch and conditions

Perth. Hot. Pace. Bounce. Cracks. We’ll get some of that for sure, the first day is set to be 35 degrees, and there is a chance for all of them. The pitches for the T20 World Cup had plenty of life – the India vs South Africa contest was perhaps the best indicator, given the bowling attacks on display – although it is not quite as early in the season now. On the eve of the match, the curator said he had left 12mm of grass on the surface although that may get a trim before the toss. It is also worth noting Nathan Lyon’s excellent record at the Optus Stadium, where he has taken 14 wickets at 15.50 in two matches.

Stats and trivia

• Pat Cummins needs one wicket to reach 200 in Tests, and go level with Jeff Thomson, while Kemar Roach requires eight to go past Joel Garner and become West Indies’ fifth-leading wicket-taker.
• Steven Smith needs one century to go level with Don Bradman on 29.
• A few of the West Indies players who were part of the 1997 win in Perth will be at this game: Phil Simmons is in his last series as coach, while Ian Bishop and Brian Lara will be commentators. Carl Hooper is also involved in Australian cricket this season as an assistant coach with Adelaide Strikers.

Quotes

“I feel like there’s so many good things going on at the moment, especially this Test team [being] No.1 in the world. It’s disappointing sometimes the focus gets drawn to off-field issues, but it hasn’t really affected our team.”
“Our long-form cricket has really developed. It’s really good signs to see a lot of our players actually developing at the rate we want them to develop. This is not going to be an easy tour. But…this is a tour that a lot of people make their name.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Na próxima quarta-feira (22), o Corinthians entrará em uma maratona de jogos decisivos, que englobará as oitavas de final de Copa do Brasil e Libertadores. E para essa sequência, o desejo da comissão técnica é contar com o lateral-direito Fagner.

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O camisa 23 está há dois meses e 11 dias sem atuar devido a uma entrose no tornozelo direito nos primeiros minutos do empate com o Deportivo Cali, da Colômbia, ainda pela fase de grupos da Libertadores, no último dia 4 de maio.

O jogador está em um processo longo de transição física, iniciada há pouco menos de um mês para que ele volte a atuar sem dores.

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Nos últimos dias, Fagner tem trabalhado com bola, tanto que havia a expectativa de ele estar em campo contra o Athletico-PR, na última quarta-feira (15), o que não ocorreu.

A decisão da comissão técnica de preservar o lateral deveu-se ao fato de o gramado da Arena da Baixada ser artificial, dando maior impacto na pisadas, além de os atletas corintianos não estarem acostumados com ele.

– Fagner teve uma lesão ainda mais grave e precisa de tempo para se habituar. Se eu trago para o campo sintético, com dores no tornozelo… um campo difícil para que jogadores tenham lesão. Tem muita gente fazendo gelo, porque é um campo mais duro. Por isso, optamos por não dar minutos para ele por causa disso mesmo – explicou o técnico Vítor Pereira na entrevista coletiva após o empate por 1 a 1 do Timão com o Furacão.

Mesmo admitindo que Fagner ainda sente um incômodo no tornozelo, a expectativa do treinador português é relacionar o atleta para o confronto diante do Goiás, no próximo domingo (19), na Neo Química Arena, pelo Brasileirão.

A ideia de Vítor Pereira é dar tempo em campo ao jogador para a sequência entre 22 de junho e 13 de julho, que começa e termina com os jogos contra o Santos, pelas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. O período também terá os dois jogos contra o Boca Juniors-ARG, pelas oitavas da Libertadores, e partidas contra Flamengo e Fluminense, pelo Brasileiro.

A tendência é que Fagner ganhe alguns minutos contra o Esmeraldino, neste fim de semana, mas não inicie como titular. O mesmo deve acontecer contra o Peixe, pelo jogo de ida da Copa do Brasil.

Caso o camisa 23 mostre condições físicas e técnicas nesses primeiros passos de volta ao campo, a tendência é que ele vá ganhando mais tempo nas partidas seguintes, principalmente as de volta da copa nacional e Libertadores.

Na ausência de Fagner, o técnico Vítor Pereira contou com Rafael Ramos e João Pedro, atletas do setor, à disposição.

No entanto, Ramos não estava inscrito em jogos da fase de grupos da Libertadores, e João sofreu com algumas lesões e não permanecerá no Corinthians no segundo semestre. Ele será devolvido de empréstimo ao Porto, de Portugal.

Vitor Pereira também recorreu algumas vezes ao esquema tático com três zagueiros, tendo alas pelos lados. Ademais, houve improvisações, como com o lateral-esquerdo Lucas Piton e o atacante Gustavo Mantuan sendo usado por ali.

Mantuan, inclusive, foi o lateral-direito corintiano contra o Athletico-PR. Isso mesmo com Rafael Ramos relacionado e ficando no banco de reservas – vinha de boa atuação contra o Juventude, quando deu assistência para o primeiro gol, no último sábado (11).

– Mantuan fresco dá profundidade ao corredor. Hoje sentiu dificuldades do ponto de vista defensivo, corrigimos a situação. O Mantuan tá mais habituado a puxar no corredor. Já que ele estava tendo dificuldades, fizemos a substituição – justificou a escolha o técnico corintiano.

Caso Fagner realmente seja relacionado contra o Goiás, ele interromperá uma sequência de 11 partidas fora de combate. Esse é o segundo período de inatividade do lateral desde que retornou ao clube, em 2014.

A série só não é maior do que a de 16 partidas em que o camisa 23 ficou ‘de molho’ em 2018.

They say that managers justify their wages when things start to go wrong, and if that’s the case, Mikel Arteta has the chance to prove his worth to Arsenal over the next three months.

The Gunners came into this season with the express intention of finally dethroning Manchester City atop the Premier League, but instead, they find themselves second to Liverpool and in quite a hole.

The Spaniard’s side have been ravaged by injuries, so much so that the manager has had to play Mikel Merino as the starting number nine, despite him being a hybrid eight/six.

However, aside from the last 20 minutes against Leicester City, it’s a tactic that has not worked, so to ensure his side doesn’t fall any further behind the Reds, Arteta needs to make a change, one that could see him hand an academy star his first start for the club.

Arsenal's striker options

So, with Havertz, Jesus and Martinelli all out of action, Arteta’s options for his starting number nine are certainly limited but not nonexistent.

The most obvious option he has, and probably the one he’ll opt to go with for at least a few more games, is to simply start Merino up top again, as while he’s looked somewhat lost in the last two games, he scored a brilliant brace any regular nine would be proud of against Leicester.

Another option that we can’t see the manager going with is starting Raheem Sterling down the middle, as while he’s spent most of his career out wide, the Englishman scored 14 goals and provided six assists in 28 appearances there for Manchester City.

However, the Chelsea loanee is not the player he once was and has been frankly awful this season, racking up a haul of one goal and two assists in 21 games and undoubtedly losing the support of the fans.

The final realistic decision Arteta might make for the next run of games is to start Leandro Trossard down the middle, and either play Sterling off the left or even move Riccardo Calafiori or Kieran Tierney into the frontline.

The Belgian is certainly more effective when playing off the left, but has a decent amount of experience playing down the middle for Arsenal, scoring four goals and providing nine assists there in 16 appearances for the Gunners.

With all that said, there is another, perhaps unlikely, option: start an academy star.

The Hale Ender who should start over Merino

While Arsenal’s current attacking situation is far from ideal, the good news is that they have an incredible academy from which they could find a solution, such as Khayon Edwards.

Now, there are some other promising youngsters, such as Dan Casey and Andre Harriman-Annous, that Arteta could turn to, but Edwards has one significant advantage over both of them: his age.

The Islington-born ace turned 21 in September, so even though he’s probably not the club’s long-term solution up top – he’d already be in the team if he was – he should be able to step up to the physicality of senior football far easier than the aforementioned 17-year-olds.

Moreover, while he didn’t have a great time on loan with Leyton Orient last season, the “deadly” number nine, as dubbed by football.london’s Kaya Kaynak, has a more extensive track record with the youth teams and it’s a seriously impressive one.

For example, in 91 appearances across the U21s and U18s, the 5 foot 11 poacher has scored 43 goals and provided 16 assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.54 games.

Team

Arsenal U18

Arsenal U21

Appearances

41

50

Goals

23

23

Assists

9

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.78

0.60

Furthermore, in just 14 appearances this season, he’s scored nine goals and provided three assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.16 games, and shows he’s now too good for the level at which he’s playing.

Ultimately, Edwards is unlikely to be Arsenal’s long-term solution at centre-forward, but with Merino struggling to make an impact there, it might be time for Arteta to hand the youngster his first start for the club; he’s earned it.

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