Manchester United find themselves in a transitional period under Ruben Amorim and could now turn their attention to an experienced international who could be available for free next summer.

Man Utd begin to look at Ruben Amorim alternatives

There is no secret that the last few days have been difficult for the Red Devils, who ended the Premier League weekend in 14th place after a frustrating defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Despite having their fair share of opportunities during the affair, including a missed Bruno Fernandes penalty, Manchester United failed to deliver, and Amorim is a man under growing pressure at Old Trafford.

Making contingency plans should their poor form continue, Gareth Southgate has been contacted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe over potentially succeeding the Portuguese boss, with Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola also on the Red Devils’ shortlist.

In a separate development, Graham Potter is also a candidate to take over at Manchester United after a dismal spell at West Ham United, albeit he has previously proven his Premier League credentials at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Sunderland visit Old Trafford this weekend, and put simply, Amorim is in desperate need of a victory. Anything less than three points would bring the Red Devils closer to the relegation zone, an unthinkable position following their summer spend of over £225 million.

Ultimately, the proof will be the pudding for the former Sporting boss over the next few weeks. There is an argument to say that consistent managers struggling to sustain success depict a wider problem, but his refusal to change tactically is a source of frustration for some.

Either way, Manchester United will continue to fight on all fronts, and they could now be about to step up the ante in their hunt for a midfielder come January.

Man Utd could sign Ruben Neves for free in 2026

According to Graeme Bailey in conversation with United in Focus, Manchester United could sign Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves for free in 2026 as they seek to bring in an experienced operator in the engine room. The Red Devils have been linked with Neves for nearly a decade, with controversial former chief executive Ed Woodward’s pursuit of the Portugal star dating all the way back to 2017.

The reporter stated: “Ruben Neves is a fascinating figure and a player Man United have long admired, even before he joined Wolves during his Porto days. Now 28, many feel he could be coming into his prime years, and he could be available for free in 2026. I am told from Al-Hilal sources that they are fighting hard to extend him beyond next year.”

Ruben Neves at Al-Hilal

Appearances

96

Goals

10

Assists

24

Formerly captain of Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Portugal international is an established name in the Premier League and could well offer some expertise and an ability to dictate, as reflected in the fact that he has played 13 accurate long balls and created four chances this term on league duty, per Fotmob.

Neves is now into the prime years of his career at 28 years of age, and Manchester United may well be the perfect environment for him to make a return to English soil, especially since they have wanted him from his Porto days in 2017.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos anunciou nesta segunda-feira (21) a contratação do lateral-direito Júnior Caiçara, que estava livre no mercado desde sua saída do Istanbul Basaksehir, da Turquia, em fevereiro deste ano.

O jogador, de 34 anos de idade, assinou com o Alvinegro Praiano um vínculo até o final do Campeonato Brasileiro deste ano.

+ Já atualizou sua camisa de 2023? Confira os novos uniformes do Peixe!

QUEM É JÚNIOR CAIÇARA?

Natural da cidade de Santos, o lateral é torcedor assumido do Alvinegro Praiano. Apesar de ter um apelido ligado com o local onde morou, Júnior não tem uma passagem anterior pelo Santos. No município, apenas teve passagem pelas categorias de base da Portuguesa Santista.

Como profissional, passou por Santo André, CSA e América-SP no Brasil, mas saiu em 2010 do país e fez grande parte da sua carreira na Europa. Depois disso, rumou ao futebol português, onde jogou pelo Gil Vicente. Após isso, o lateral atuou por Ludogorets, da Bulgária; Schalke 04, da Alemanha; e, por fim, ficou por seis anos no Istanbul Basaksehir. Desde sua saída do clube turco, em fevereiro de 2023, o atleta não disputou partidas profissionalmente.

REFORÇOS ANUNCIADOS PELO CLUBE

Com a chegada de Júnior Caiçara, o Peixe chega ao sétimo reforço do Santos na janela de transferências. Anteriormente, o Peixe já havia contratado João Basso, Dodô, Jean Lucas, Nonato, Tomás Rincón e Julio Furch.

Além desses jogadores listados, o Alvinegro Praiano assinou pré-contrato com o volante Diego Pituca, que só chegará no time da Vila Belmiro para a próxima temporada.

Al-Nassr manager Jorge Jesus has explained why Cristiano Ronaldo has not travelled with the rest of the squad for Wednesday's AFC Champions League Two clash against Goa. The Portugal superstar has been in great form in the early weeks of the campaign for club and country but will play no part in his team's fixture as Al-Nassr keep a careful eye on the 40-year-old's fitness.

• Al-Nassr face Goa without Ronaldo

  Ronaldo was a notable absentee from the travelling squad for the match in India. The Portugal star scored a brilliant goal last time out as Al-Nassr beat Al-Fateh 5-1 in the Saudi Pro League but has been given a breather by manager Jesus. The Al-Nassr boss does still have plenty of attacking options for the game, with Sadio Mane, Kingsley Coman and Joao Felix making the trip to Goa for the match. However, Ronaldo's absence will be a big blow to fans in Goa who will have been hoping to catch a glimpse of the footballing legend.

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  Jesus explains why Ronaldo has been left out

  Jesus has been asked about Ronaldo's absence and says it's purely a case of managing his workload. He told reporters: "Everyone loves Cristiano Ronaldo, and he has a lot of fans. We decided he would rest when we play outside Saudi Arabia. Everyone wants to see him, but we have to make choices and we've decided to leave him in Riyadh to prepare for the next game."

  Ronaldo has scored five goals in five Saudi Pro League games so far this season and has netted another five times in four World Cup qualifiers for Portugal.

• Ronaldo catches up with Djokovic

  After being left out of Al-Nassr's game, Ronaldo has been spending time catching up with tennis great Novak Djokovic. The two stars has been snapped swapping shirts at Lisbon tennis club. Ronaldo handed over his famous yellow Al-Nassr jerseys and received a red Lacoste shirt as well as a signed racket, with the Portugese star's iconic 'Siiiuuuu' celebration scrawled on it. 

  Djokovic is clearly a big fan and has previously spoken of his admiration for Ronaldo. He told the Joy Forum in Riyadh: “Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I really want to see how far I can go. If you see across all the global sports, LeBron James, he's still going strong, he's 40, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tom Brady played till he was 40-something years old. I mean, it's unbelievable. They're inspiring me as well. So I want to keep going and that's one of the motivations I have.”

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• Al-Nassr scoring for fun this season

  Al-Nassr may be without their talisman in Goa but should not lack for goals. New signing Felix has enjoyed a prolific start to his time at Al-Nassr, bagging eight goals in five league appearances, and has explained why the team are finding the back of the net so regularly.

  "It's easy to play with him, sometimes it even ends up being good, because since he's Cristiano, they end up focusing more on him and leaving the others with more space. And that ends up helping the forwards, both me, Mané, and Coman . And yes, playing with him on the pitch is something else," he said, via A Bola.

  "I always work to give my best; sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't. Of course, this context is more favorable, because I'm in my position, which brought me into football, which made a bit of my name in the beginning. And the team, the team is doing very well. The manager's ideas are good; they benefit me, my game, the attackers in general. That's why we've been scoring so many goals, and it's partly due to that, the manager's tactics and ideas."

انتهت مباراة الزمالك، أمام نظيره البنك الأهلي، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز منذ قليل على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي.

وتعادل الزمالك مع البنك الأهلي، بهدف لكل فريق في الجولة الثانية عشر من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز في لقاء اليوم.

طالع.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري بعد هدف شيكو بانزا في مباراة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي

ورفع الزمالك رصيده إلى 19 نقطة في المركز الرابع من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري بعد تعادله اليوم بينما البنك الأهلي في المركز التاسع برصيد 15 نقطة.

وشهدت نفس الجولة تعثر الأهلي أمام بتروجيت بالتعادل بهدف لكل منهما في اللقاء الذي أقيم أمس الأربعاء على ملعب استاد الكلية الحربية.

ويتصدر سيراميكا كليوباترا، جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري المصري برصيد 23 نقطة بفارق نقطة عن الأهلي صاحب الوصافة. ترتيب الدوري المصري

1- سيراميكا كليوباترا: 23 نقطة

2- الأهلي: 22 نقطة

3- المصري: 19 نقطة

4- الزمالك: 19 نقطة

5- وادي دجلة: 19 نقطة

6- إنبي: 18 نقطة

7- بيراميدز: 17 نقطة

8- زد: 16 نقطة

9- البنك الأهلي: 15 نقطة

10- غزل المحلة: 15 نقطة

11- سموحة: 15 نقطة

12- مودرن سبورت: 15 نقطة

13- بتروجيت: 15 نقطة

14- الجونة: 15 نقطة

15- حرس الحدود: 12 نقطة

16- طلائع الجيش: 10 نقاط

17- المقاولون العرب: 9 نقاط

18- فاركو: 9 نقاط

19- الاتحاد السكندري: 8 نقاط

20- كهرباء الإسماعيلية: 8 نقاط

21- الإسماعيلي: 7 نقاط

Newcastle United have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the market and could now be set to strike for an England international come January.

Newcastle United prepare to take on Wolverhampton Wanderers

After a chaotic end to the transfer window, Eddie Howe will have welcomed the calm of an international break and a chance to fine-tune his tactical ideas before Wolverhampton Wanderers travel to the North East this weekend.

Without putting too fine a point on it, controversy surrounding Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool has been widespread over the past few months, though Dan Burn has claimed that it will all be left in the past now that he is no longer on the books at Newcastle.

He told BBC Sport: “We are very protective of our club and city, and we want players to be there who want to play for Newcastle. You don’t want them to naively think that there is anyone else to go to apart from Newcastle. I understand why our fans are frustrated.

“I’m glad it is done. We wanted the window closed to have a bit of clarity on it. Alex is a mate, and I have nothing but good wishes. No animosity. I wish Alex all the best, apart from when we play Liverpool, obviously.”

Looking ahead to the January window, Newcastle want to trigger Athletic Club defender Dani Vivian’s release clause of £34.6 million, while anticipation is growing over whether Yoane Wissa or Nick Woltemade will be able to make their debuts this weekend.

PIF won’t be deterred in their mission to complete big-money deals despite competition from their Premier League rivals, and they may be about to live up to that mantra amid recent developments.

Newcastle United enter race for Adam Wharton January deal

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle have entered the race to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as the England international continues to impress with his performances at Selhurst Park.

Manchester United and Liverpool are also keen on the former Blackburn Rovers star, who is said to be valued at around £60 million by Oliver Glasner after the Eagles rejected advances from the Red Devils to try and land their prize asset during the summer window.

It is stated that Howe personally sees Wharton as ‘an ideal fit to complement the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, offering both defensive solidity and creative spark’.

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Labelled “outstanding” by Alan Shearer, Wharton has starred in a deep-lying midfield role for Crystal Palace, registering six assists in 49 appearances across all competitions.

Setting the tempo in a 2024/25 campaign where his side claimed the FA Cup, the 21-year-old has continued his excellent showings this term, racking up 79 successful passes in the Premier League, per Fotmob.

While the Eagles are unlikely to let Wharton leave in January, a summer sale in 2026 could be on the cards and Newcastle will hope to be at the front of the queue to avoid missing out on a premium homegrown talent.

As rumours continue to surround Ruben Amorim’s future, Manchester United have reportedly joined the race to sign a much-needed midfield reinforcement in 2026.

Ruben Amorim sack update

Despite some reports suggesting that he has just three games to save his Man United job, Amorim reiterated that a meeting with club chiefs was nothing more than routine earlier this week.

Reports claimed that INEOS had already lined up the likes of Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva as potential candidates to replace their struggling manager, but Amorim has since shut down any rumours that he could be on his way out of the club.

The former Sporting Club boss also reiterated that now is not the time to change his 3-4-2-1 system, telling reporters: “No, no, no. Not once [have I thought about changing]. Not even the Pope [can make me], it will not change.”

It’s a decision that continues to split opinion. Amorim’s win-rate suggests that things wouldn’t get worse with a change in system, but he looks unlikely to change things up in the face of yet more disappointing form.

Before the manager changes once again at Old Trafford, INEOS may decide to change the players. Ahead of 2026, Old Trafford chiefs have reportedly set their sights on beating Arsenal to a talented midfield target, who would be an instant upgrade on their current options.

Man Utd racing Arsenal to sign Agoume

As reported by Caught Offside, Man United are now racing Arsenal to sign Lucien Agoume from Sevilla in the January transfer window. The Gunners already made an approach to sign the talented Frenchman in the summer, but their failed move has now potentially left the door ajar for the Red Devils to move in.

Praised for his “amazing” profile by analyst Ben Mattinson, Agoume is the type of player that United should do everything to sign when the chance arrives.

The midfielder is still just 23 years old and about to enter the peak of his powers. If Amorim is looking to replace an ageing Casemiro, then he should look no further than the Sevilla star.

Man Utd keen to sign £70m Champions League star with same agent as Mainoo

He’s a man in-demand…

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Tom Cunningham

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Jumping ahead of Arsenal in the race for the midfielder won’t be easy, but United already proved their attraction by landing Benjamin Sesko in the summer.

CSA was concerned about the wellbeing of its premier fast bowler after he was banned for drug use

Firdose Moonda13-May-2025

Kagiso Rabada’s well-being was top of mind for Cricket South Africa (CSA) when the organisation learnt of his positive drug test and subsequent month-long ban. Now, coach Shukri Conrad, Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma and director of the national team and high performance Enoch Nkwe are all satisfied that Rabada is not a regular recreational drug user, has educated himself, and is ready to get back to his best at the World Test Championship (WTC) final next month.”I’ve been engaging with KG ever since I learnt about it,” Conrad said at a press conference in Johannesburg, where South Africa’s squad for the WTC final was announced. “The biggest thing for me was whether KG is all right and to close ranks around him and ensure that he’s in a good space. At the end of the day, we care for all our players. He served his sentence, and all that I’m interested in now is KG producing performances that we know he’s capable of.”Rabada tested positive on January 21 after a match between MI Cape Town and Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 for what the South African Institute of Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS, which is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency) calls a “substance of abuse”. SAIDS will reveal the exact substance on June 4, 30 days after Rabada’s appeal period lapses, but according to their doping code, it can only be one of four: cannabis, cocaine, heroin or ecstasy.Bavuma on Rabada: “If there is an issue there, then he gets the support that he needs. If there’s not an issue, if it was him being reckless, then he deals with it”•Gallo Images

Several sources around Rabada said they hoped it was a one-off while recognising that the chances of someone using a substance just once and being caught are minimal, which has raised questions over Rabada’s general well-being. Nkwe confirmed that the incident happened “out of competition” (which is not on a match day) but had no further details, while Bavuma, also a long-time friend of Rabada’s, said his “biggest concern is more from a personal point of view”. “If there is an issue there, then he gets the support that he needs. If there’s not an issue, if it was him being reckless, then he deals with it,” Bavuma said. “The sledging, the media from the UK, from Australia, he deals with that. Just make sure that he comes out better from the situation.”Related

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The timing of Rabada’s indiscretion, with a WTC final against Australia in England as his next assignment, means that there would be more spotlight on his sanction than usual. Already, former Australian captain Tim Paine has criticised the communication around Rabada leaving the IPL for what was at the time said to be “personal reasons” even though, by then, Rabada knew he was banned.Nkwe explained that CSA was unable to communicate any more detail because they needed to “respect SAIDS in driving the process and ensuring that everything was completed correctly”. “SAIDS embarked on that process and unless an individual feels that they want to come out straight away, it is a private matter,” he said. “We needed to respect that when it was time for information to be shared, it was shared by SAIDS.”Conrad was blunt in his response to Rabada’s naysayers. “To Tim Paine and everybody else out there, I’d probably say something simple like, ‘Let he without sin cast the first stone’. I’d leave it at that.”Paine resigned as Australia’s captain in 2021, after it was revealed that he was involved in an explicit text-message scandal before he took over as captain. He had ascended to that post in the wake of Sandpapergate, when Cameron Bancroft was caught using sandpaper on the ball during the Newlands Test – in a series where tensions had been simmering all the way through.Rabada earned demerit points for a shoulder brush against Smith in the second Test and was initially banned from the following two games before a successful appeal; his history with Australia is fraught. Nkwe expected that to continue: “We know the Australians are probably going to use it against him. But he’s gone through that journey, in 2018 with Sandpapergate and we saw the outcome of that.”For now, Nkwe said, Rabada had paid his penance, which included two educational sessions.”As much as he’s a superstar, he can also make a mistake,” Nkwe said. “But for us now, it’s the educational side of things and putting that into practice. It’s one of the things that he wants to drive – educating the youth and turning this thing around and making it into a positive message. For a 19-year-old or a 16-year-old, to hear it from someone that has done great things for South Africa, I think it becomes even more impactful.”

A Leeds United player who the club made a millionaire at a young age has returned to the club.

Leeds’ youngest ever players

The Whites have had some brilliant teenagers come through their Thorp Arch academy in recent years, with Harry Gray the latest youth product who looks destined for a regular first-team role.

The forward, younger brother of Archie, made his senior debut for Leeds on the day they sealed their return to the Premier League in a 6-0 win over Stoke City.

At the age of 16 years, 6 months and 13 days, Gray is in the top five of Leeds’ youngest ever players, with club legend Peter Lorimer top of the charts after debuting as a 15-year-old.

Peter Lorimer

15 years, 9 months and 19 days

Tom Elliott

16 years, 2 months and 25 days

Aaron Lennon

16 years, 4 months and 7 days

Harry Gray

16 years, 6 months and 13 days

James Milner

16 years, 10 months and 6 days

Neil Aspin

16 years, 10 months and 8 days

Aidy White

16 years, 10 months and 16 days

Simon Walton

16 years, 10 months and 25 days

Jimmy Greenhoff

16 years, 10 months and 26 days

Ryan Edmondson

16 years, 11 months and 16 days

Talking about Gray earlier in 2025, Daniel Farke said the teenage forward has the “confidence” and the “skills” to make it as a Leeds player.

“So he definitely has this confidence that you need but it’s also important to channel this a little bit and not to raise expectations too high. He is doing right now his first steps in senior level.

“He has many skills and we like his potential and professionalism. And how humble he behaves – with a few exceptions.

“But that’s totally OK, it would be a pity if your young players were not self confident. But we have to make sure he is not overdoing this. There is a long way to go, he has many things where he needs to improve.”

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Another former Leeds youngster, Aaron Lennon, is a previous success story of the Whites academy, and he has made a return to the club.

Aaron Lennon back at Leeds after becoming teen millionaire

Lennon, a teenage winger at Leeds between 2003 and 2005, made 43 appearances for the first-team prior to joining Tottenham Hotspur for a reduced fee following the financial troubles at Elland Road.

Lennon, who actually made approximately £1.37m in his time at Elland Road from wages and bonuses, admitted his Leeds contract was “silly”, with “crazy numbers” that ultimately impacted his playing time.

“My contract was silly looking back. It was crazy numbers, and they were thinking he won’t play. But then I started playing. I was on the bench, and they couldn’t put me on because I was going to hit one of those appearances.”

“I remember Gary Kelly going mad and saying our best player is on the bench now. Our most in-form winger is on the bench. I was just sat there, and Leeds fans were singing my name.

“At the end of the season, Ken Bates told me ‘you are done at this club’ because of the money. It wasn’t even in a nice way. And I was like, ‘this is my hometown’. I was upset, and I remember going away and got the call saying they have accepted a bid, ‘you are going Tottenham’.”

It emerged last month that Lennon, now 38, has made a return to Leeds in a coaching role for the U18s, working with Rob Etherington and Alex Purver.

Jonny Howson also made the move back to Leeds after leaving Middlesbrough over the summer, helping the U21 in both a playing and coaching capacity.

Roston Chase has been appointed West Indies’ new Test captain. The allrounder’s first Test as captain will be his 50th; his 49th, against South Africa in Johannesburg, came more than two years ago. West Indies have played 13 Tests since then.Chase has previously led West Indies in one ODI and one T20I. His first assignment in the longest format will be the three-Test home series against Australia, which begins on his home ground in Bridgetown on June 25. Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican will be Chase’s vice-captain.The series will be the first of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle for both teams.Related

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CWI said that Chase had been appointed from a shortlist of six after a “detailed assessment process that included psychometric testing to evaluate leadership style, behaviour, and overall suitability for the role”. The other candidates interviewed were John Campbell, Tevin Imlach, Joshua Da Silva, Justin Greaves, and Warrican.Shai Hope, West Indies captain in the white-ball formats, asked not to be considered in order to focus on his existing leadership roles.”This selection process is one of the most comprehensive and forward-thinking we have undertaken,” CWI president, Kishore Shallow, said. “I am deeply impressed by the professionalism, objectivity, and strategic thinking that shaped the final decision. It sets a new benchmark for leadership appointments in West Indies cricket.”West Indies head coach, Daren Sammy, said: “I fully endorse this appointment. Our new captain has earned the respect of his peers, understands the responsibility that comes with the role, and has shown the leadership qualities we need to take this team forward. I urge fans across the region to rally behind him–we’re building something special.”The 33-year-old Chase takes over from Kraigg Brathwaite, who resigned in March after 39 matches in charge of the Test team. West Indies won 10 of those Tests, lost 22 and drew seven.At the time of Brathwaite’s resignation, CWI had handed Hope – already West Indies’ ODI captain – the T20I reins, but had held back on naming a new Test captain, announcing that they would do so “in the coming weeks”.