Things are looking up for Chelsea at the moment.

Enzo Maresca’s side put a stop to their middling form in the Premier League with their incredible 2-1 over Liverpool on the weekend.

It was the sort of performance and result that could see them now go on a winning run in the after the international break.

Moreover, with the talent Todd Boehly and Co have added to the squad, plus someone soon to return whose valuation has exploded at Stamford Bridge, there is no reason the Blues couldn’t win something again this year.

How Todd Boehly's most significant signings are faring

Since taking charge of the club in 2022, Boehly and then Clearlake have invested substantial sums of money in players, and while not all have succeeded, some of Maresca’s most important players have joined under his leadership.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

For example, Moises Caicedo, who cost around £115m, is now finally looked upon as one of the very best midfielders in the Premier League, someone capable of breaking up opposition attacks and then kickstarting them for his team.

Moreover, he seems only capable of scoring absolute bangers.

It’s been a little tougher to win people over for Enzo Fernández, who also cost over £100m, but he played himself into some brilliant form by the end of last season, and seems to be getting better with each passing game this season.

Furthermore, even when he’s not playing at his best, he has been able to pop up with a goal involvement, scoring three times and providing one assist in seven league games so far this season.

Goals

0.44

Top 2%

Goals + Assists

0.58

Top 2%

Penalty Kicks Made

0.15

Top 2%

xG: Expected Goals

0.54

Top 2%

npxG: Non-Penalty xG

0.44

Top 2%

npxG + xAG

0.55

Top 2%

Progressive Passes Rec

3.93

Top 2%

GCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.29

Top 2%

Penalty Kicks Attempted

0.15

Top 6%

npxG/Shot

0.30

Top 6%

Passes into Penalty Area

1.46

Top 6%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.58

Top 6%

Touches (Att Pen)

2.48

Top 6%

SCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.29

Top 10%

Progressive Passes

6.41

Top 14%

Then there are his underlying numbers, which help illustrate the extent of his influence over games, as according to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of midfielders in the Premier League this season for expected goals, the top 6% for passes into the penalty area and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

Someone who endured a tough start to life in West London, but is now as undroppable as Caicedo, is Marc Cucurella.

The Spanish left-back has been sensational for the Pensioners for well over a year now, and has proven himself to be as brilliant at the defensive side of being a full-back as he is at the offensive side.

He was excellent against the Reds at the weekend and provided the assist for Estevao’s late-late winner.

However, while these three are clear examples of successful signings under the club’s new ownership, there is one international who has become the jewel in the crown, someone whose value has exploded since moving to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's best signing under Boehly

It’ll likely come as no surprise at all that the signing in question is none other than Cole Palmer.

The former Manchester City star joined the club in the summer of 2023 for a fee of around £42.5m, including add-ons, and according to the CIES Football Observatory, is now worth up to €161m, which is about £139.5m.

In other words, the Englishman’s valuation has skyrocketed a whopping 228% in just over two years, and while that might sound absurd, it’s an increase that simply mirrors the international’s immense talent and importance to this Blues side.

For example, since making the move, the 23-year-old game-changer has made 101 appearances for the club, totalling 8095 minutes, in which he has scored 45 goals and provided 29 assists.

That translates to a world-class average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games, or every 109.39 minutes, which would be an outrageous rate of return for a number nine, but is all the more impressive considering he primarily plays on the right or in attacking midfield.

Appearances

101

Minutes

8095′

Goals

45

Assists

29

Goal Involvements per Match

0.73

Minutes per Goal Involvement

109.39′

Moreover, he isn’t some flattrack bully who scores meaningless goals; he’s someone who loves the biggest stage, as he demonstrated in the Club World Cup final, with a brace and assist against Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Finally, in addition to the sheer number of goals and the important big-game goals, the former City ace is also a great entertainer, someone capable of turning defenders inside out and getting the crowd on their feet.

It’s an outlandish comparison to make, but there is certainly an element of truth in the statement from GOAL’s Sean Walsh that he’s like “Lampard, Drogba & Hazard all in one.”

Ultimately, Chelsea have made their fair share of poor signings over the last three years or so, but they’ve also made some world-class additions, none more so than Palmer.

Chelsea lost a homegrown Estevao for £0, now he's "one of the world's best"

The sensational talent would be perfect for Chelsea and could help push Estevao to be even better.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 8, 2025

انتقد محمد صلاح مدرب نادي الزمالك الأسبق، إدارة احمد عبد الرؤوف المدير الفني للقلعة البيضاء، لمباراة الأهلي، في نهائي كأس السوبر المصري. 

وكان الزمالك قد خسر نهائي السوبر المصري أمام غريمه التقليدي الأهلي، بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين على ملعب آل نهيان. 

طالع.. مدرب الأهلي يمتدح أحمد عبد الرؤوف: لديه أفكار يحارب عليها.. وقادم بقوة

وقال محمد صلاح على قناة “أون سبورت”: “أحمد عبد الرؤوف لم يدر المباراة بشكل جيد، وموضوع التغييرات الكثيرة مرة واحدة ليست جيدة من قبل المدرب”. 

وأضاف: “التأليف في الكتب أو المسلسلات ممكن، لكن في كرة القدم (مفيش تأليف)، بمعنى إنك كسبت بشيء معين، إذًا لا بد أن تبدأ به”.

وتابع: “كثرة التغييرات في التشكيل شيء غير جيد، انظر إلى تشكيل الأهلي، تقريبًا ثابت”.

وأردف: “لا أرى مبررات لكثرة التغييرات في التشكيل الأساسي للزمالك، وتغيير عواد هو الأصح بسبب إصابة محمد صبحي، وسيف جعفر وعمرو ناصر، أحمد عبد الرؤوف أخطأ في الدفع بهما”.

وواصل: “ناصر ماهر اُستهلك بسبب أحمد عبد الرؤوف، رغم أنه أفضل لاعب ولكن عدم تواجده في مركزه الأساسي استنزفه بدنيًا، وكنت مع مشاركة بيزيرا أساسيًا طالما متواجدًا على دكة البدلاء”.

Baseball fans were not having it with Dave Roberts's latest quote.

On Monday afternoon on the eve of Game 3 of the Los Angeles Dodgers' NLDS matchup with the San Diego Padres, Roberts made an odd statement.

The Dodgers manager was asked about reports of Padres third baseman Manny Machado tossing a ball into the L.A. dugout during a contentious Game 2 on Sunday night. Roberts claimed he saw video that showed Machado throwing a ball at him that was stopped by a net. He said he thought there was "intent behind it."

Video is below.

For his part, after the game, Machado claimed he was throwing the ball over to the ball boy, something he does often.

Roberts then followed up his claim about Machado by saying, "That team over there, they like the villain-type kind of role."

That's an odd thing to say the night after Dodgers fans threw things at Padres players on multiple occasions during their 10–2 win over L.A. in Game 2. Also, it's rich to hear someone associated with a team that spent roughly $1.2 billion over the offseason discuss another team embracing a "villain-type kind of role."

MLB fans weren't on board with Roberts's statement.

Yeah, not sure that characterization is going to go over well with people after what happened Sunday night.

Brian Cashman did not watch the playoffs last year. It was the first time in seven seasons, and only the fifth since he took over as New York Yankees general manager in 1998, that his team did not make it to October, and as a consequence, he found himself with less time than ever. 

“I was too busy being audited,” he says wryly. 

Whether the 82–80 record, the club’s worst since 1992, sparked a reckoning depends on whom you ask. In the days after a season that led fans to call for owner Hal Steinbrenner to sell the team, wear FIRE CASHMAN T-shirts to Yankee Stadium and boo manager Aaron Boone, the decision makers—among them Steinbrenner; Cashman; Boone; assistant general manager Mike Fishman; vice president of baseball operations Tim Naehring; vice president of player development Kevin Reese; and special assistants Brian Sabean, Jim Hendry and Omar Minaya—gathered at the organization’s offices in Tampa. 

Cashman stayed calm, says Hendry. “His opening speech was: ,” he recalls. “He didn’t panic.”

The week after the meetings, Steinbrenner said he had told his executives, “I want you to challenge everything, all of our philosophies, all of our practices, but more importantly, in a respectful way, I want you to challenge each other. I want you to critique each other. Check your egos at the door.”

Steinbrenner described the meetings as productive. “At times it got a little dicey, but it was respectful the entire time,” he said. “And there wasn’t one stone we left unturned, from health of the team, what we’re doing in the clubhouse, clubhouse culture, what we do in the weight room, analytics, pro scouting, biomechanics, is there enough communication between everybody.”

Underneath the stones they found a variety of answers. Captain and right fielder Aaron Judge lobbied for more contact and athleticism. Naehring wanted to balance the lineup and add players with more level swing paths. Minaya believed they had gotten too pull-happy. Assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes thought the answer was just improved health. 

“Some good convos,” Judge says. “Some bad convos.” Did his calls with Cashman get contentious? “I think it’s just us both being passionate about what we believe,” Judge says. “I think that what it comes down to is he listened to us, he did what he thought was best and now we’re in this position.”

The changes the organization made were powerful enough to get the team to the World Series, which begins on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but subtle enough for Cashman to insist he was right all along.

“We executed our philosophy [in 2023],” he says. “But then I think that, because we had a poor season, the philosophy was challenged. So we stayed true to our philosophy, which has consistently paid off for us for feels like 30 years, but the philosophy was questioned and challenged and dissected and turned upside down and inside out, by outside and inside forces. And we stayed the course.”

He adds, “We’re either going to double down on everything we do and how we do it, or make some adjustments. And for the most part, we doubled down on most of what we do.”

As he speaks, on the cusp of the World Series, does he feel vindicated? He rejects the question. He knows how this goes. If the team wins, they’ll all be heroes. “If it doesn’t,” he says, “Then it goes into the same category of all the other teams that tried and failed, right?”

A few dozen feet away, the team’s most obvious adjustment takes batting practice, ripping line drives to center field. It all comes back, everyone agrees, to Juan Soto.

“We knew he was one of the elite guys in the game,” says Hendry. “You put him together with Judge, and you just saw things that go back to Ruth and Gehrig, and Mantle and Maris.”

The Yankees had tried to acquire Soto from the Washington Nationals at the 2022 trade deadline after Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension offer and GM Mike Rizzo “put him up for auction,” says Cashman. But he found the price too high, and Soto went to the San Diego Padres instead. Cashman tried again a year later, when both the Yankees and the Padres were within a few games of .500 and were waffling about whether to buy or sell. In the end both opted for some bargain shopping, and both finished 82–80 and missed the playoffs. 

So as the season wound down, the Yankees turned their attention to who would make up the next year’s team. That process included consulting with present stars. DH Giancarlo Stanton says he had some opinions and he shared them, but he does not wish to share them now. He does acknowledge, though, that at times in the past he felt the lineup was unbalanced. 

“Seven, eight righties,” he says. “And when they bring in a guy [with a batting average against] of .130 off righties, it makes it harder.”

Judge is willing to be a bit more specific. 

“It was just how they valued players and what players they were going after,” he says. “I think numbers tell a certain story, and you gotta use analytics and numbers like that, but it comes down to: You gotta have good players. You gotta have good people. And I think that's where going out and getting Juan Soto; getting a guy like [left fielder Alex] Verdugo who plays good defense, hits for a high average; getting a guy like [third baseman] Jazz [Chisholm], who’s an athletic player that can do so many things; [righty] Marcus Stroman, a guy who’s gonna give you quality starts—I think that just helped put us in a good position.” 

Judge adds, “I didn't do much. I think I was just the squeaky wheel that was making some noise, but that’s hats off to [the front office]. They’ve been working hard for us to get us in this position.”

On Dec. 5, the Yankees traded three pitching prospects to the Boston Red Sox for Verdugo. Two days later, they finalized the biggest deal of the offseason: their best young pitcher, Michael King, top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe, two other strong young pitchers and backup catcher Kyle Higashioka for Soto and glove-first center fielder Trent Grisham. They committed to paying Soto $31 million for 2023, the highest salary ever for a player in arbitration, and they took the chance that they will lose him when he becomes a free agent at the end of this season. He is expected to pursue a deal of well over $500 million. 

“We gave up a lot,” says Cashman, “And it was a one-year deal for a lot of money, and it was a big chess move, no doubt about it, that was designed to increase our chances—and it did.”

You don’t have to be a terribly good scout to identify Soto—a 25-year-old four-time All-Star who has had the fifth-highest WAR by a hitter since his 2018 debut—as a target, but he offered more than just moments such as the 10th-inning three-run home run that last week propelled the Yankees to the pennant. 

“We looked in the mirror and said, ,” says Naehring, listing the qualities: “Control the zone, damage, with a lot of strikeouts.” Indeed, from 2021 through ’23, no other team had more hitters than the Yankees’ 15 with less than four at bats per strikeout and an isolated slugging average of more than .175. And most of those were righthanded; Soto, Verdugo and Chisholm, added from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline, all bat from the left side.

“Obviously swing and miss is big in our game right now, the industry,” says Naehring. “Here’s a guy that controls the zone, bat-to-ball, a more level swing that still has damage and power, can basically utilize the whole field—so things that we want to continue to get better with, better than the industry itself, he’s the poster child for.”

By the end of the season’s opening series, a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros in which the Yankees averaged 5.25 runs per game, Minaya says he knew they were onto something. “We were working the count, but we were hunting early,” he says. “[Soto] doesn’t give up an at bat. That’s contagious.” Dykes says he thinks Soto’s level of dedication spread quickly. “It’s almost like an accountability piece,” he says. “You know that you better be focused, too.”

“He is laser-focused, every pitch of every at bat, which, to me, is something that players learn from, gravitate to, so there’s a big residual value there,” says Naehring. In fact, he has noticed as he tours the minor leagues: All of a sudden, a lot of Yankees prospects have adopted Soto’s batting stance, down to the way he turns his front toe slightly inward, and his shuffle, the dance he does on close pitches. Naehring hopes they will pick up elements of the at bats Boone likens to a “war.” 

In the meantime, the big-league Yankees are enjoying it. “He just wears the pitchers down,” says Stanton. “It doesn’t matter if he gets out. He’s having a tough at bat. He’s having a stressful at bat. And those are the things that you can’t fully understand unless you're in the game—the stress to get him out, and then you gotta deal with Judge, and then you gotta deal with everyone behind.”

Everyone behind has been more dangerous than in years past, too. Judge, who missed 42 games last year after tearing a ligament in his right big toe, hit well when he played last year but was notably better this year. He fell 10 points of batting average short of the Triple Crown and will almost certainly win the American League Most Valuable Player award. Shortstop Anthony Volpe dropped his power numbers but improved his batting average. Second baseman Gleyber Torres struggled for much of the 2024 season but fixed his swing in the second half and has been nearly unstoppable in the playoffs, leading off eight of the Yankees’ nine postseason games by reaching base. And Stanton, after hitting .191 last year—easily the worst mark of his career—has been October’s most fearsome creature, with a 1.179 OPS in the playoffs. 

Some of that improvement is surely due to the new players the Yankees added. And some is likely because these were always good players, and eventually they would play well again. “I just felt like the noise was inaccurate, and it just became emotional,” Cashman says. “I thought at the end of the day, we had some individuals that didn’t perform up to expectations, and we had a lot of injuries, and that’s really what derailed us, and it was as simple as that.”

The World Series—if not vindication—awaits.

Chelsea are seemingly starting to build some serious momentum.

On Saturday lunchtime, the Blues swatted aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the City Ground; Josh Acheampong breaking the deadlock, Pedro Neto firing home a free-kick and then Reece James making the points secure.

This result saw Ange Postecoglou sacked as Forest manager mere moments after full-time, ending his 39-day tenure.

Meantime, that’s now back-to-back league wins for Enzo Maresca’s team, who will take on Ajax in the Champions League on Wednesday, but the Blues boss will be concerned by his growing list of absentees.

Levi Colwill, Benoît Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Enzo Fernández, Dário Essugo, Cole Palmer and Liam Delap all missed out due to injury, while Malo Gusto’s stoppage-time red card means he will sit out next weekend’s clash with Sunderland suspended, with João Pedro already banned for the Champions League tie.

Of course, one of these absentees is significantly more noteworthy than the others, so how should Maresca fill the void of his talisman?

The latest on Cole Palmer's injury

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Maresca confirmed that Cole Palmer will be sidelined “for another six weeks”.

The 23-year-old has been plagued by injury issues throughout this season already, withdrawing following the warm-up at West Ham in August, before hobbling off inside 20 minutes at Old Trafford last month, not seen since.

With fierce London derbies against both Tottenham and Arsenal to come in November, as well as a Champions League clash against Barcelona, not having Palmer available for these games would be a major blow.

Minutes

3,191

2nd

Goals

15

1st

Assists

8

1st

Shots

121

1st

Shots on target

44

1st

Key passes

87

1st

Progressive passes

214

2nd

Shot-creating actions

202

1st

Goal-creating actions

15

2nd

Big chances created

24

1st

Attempted take-ons

113

1st

As the table emphasises, in the Premier League last season, Palmer ranked first for pretty much every available attacking metric; the second and third-highest goal-scorers, namely Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke, have both been sold.

This time round, despite only starting two matches, accumulating 235 minutes, Palmer has already scored twice, on target against Brentford and Bayern Munich, both on the road.

Maresca added, during his aforementioned press conference, that “to replace Cole is difficult, because Cole is a very important player for us, probably one of the best players in the Premier League, so to replace that kind of player is always difficult… we don’t have another player like Cole, because Cole is unique”.

Of course, he is right, no current member of the Chelsea squad is at Palmer’s level just yet, but which player could get there soon and appears best-suited to start in his absence?

Chelsea's perfect Palmer deputy

Against Nottingham Forest, Maresca deployed a starting lineup surely no one could’ve foreseen, with Gusto alongside Roméo Lavia at the base of midfield, while Andrey Santos, Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho were deployed in-behind João Pedro.

He then made a triple alteration at half-time, Moisés Caicedo, Jamie Gittens and Marc Guiu all introduced, but there was still no room for Estêvão Willian, not brought on until the 78th minute, as he continues to be under-utilised.

In the previous game, the 18-year-old had announced himself to the world by scoring the injury-time winner against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, connecting with Marc Cucurella’s low cross at the back post.

Despite his tender age, Estêvão arrived in West London with a big reputation, not least after he scored against Chelsea during the Club World Cup quarter-finals for Palmeiras in July.

Even before that, he had been touted as a future global superstar.

Respected analyst Ben Mattinson has labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner”, while Brazil’s all-time top-scorer Neymar believes the teenager “will be a genius”, adding that he is a “big talent that is surging in Brazilian football”.

Before joining Chelsea for a reported fee of £29m, Estêvão scored 27 goals and registered 15 assists in only 89 appearances for Palmeiras, winning the Brasileirão title in 2024.

At international level, he scored his first senior goal for Brazil during a World Cup qualifier against Chile at the Maracanã in September, before netting twice as the Seleção smashed Korea Republic 5-0 in Seoul just last week.

Across his final season and a half in the Brasileirão, the youngster scored 13 goals, registered 12 assists, created 12 big chances and completed an average of 2.3 dribbles per 90.

Of course, moving to the Premier League is a step-up, but these numbers should not be dismissed because, according to Global Football Rankings, the top division in Brazil is the ninth-strongest league in the world.

Thus, both in terms of the eye test but also the statistics, Estêvão appears to be, stylistically, the best fit to replace Palmer.

His talent certainly warrants more than the four starts from ten matches he has enjoyed to date, not starting any of the last four matches.

So, with Chelsea’s next three games against Ajax, Sunderland then Wolves in the EFL Cup, Maresca must make Estêvão a central figure in his team as he seeks to find a way to fill Palmer’s void.

Worse than Garnacho: Maresca must axe 4/10 Chelsea flop who had 55% passing

Chelsea were 3-0 winners away to Forest but this star struggled

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 18, 2025

The schedule for Euro 2028 has been released, with England – if they qualify – set to take in their first game of that tournament away from Wembley at the Etihad Stadium. The home of Manchester City will play host to the Three Lions after a competition opener that heads to Wales and the Principality Stadium – with the countdown on to an event that will also see fixtures take place in Scotland and Ireland.

GettyEngland in Manchester: Three Lions head to the Etihad

The Three Lions have made light work of recent qualification campaigns – last failing to reach a major international tournament in 2008 under Steve McClaren. They are now aware of what their path will be when chasing down continental glory in 2028.

England will be looking to reach a third consecutive Euros final there – having suffered heartache against Italy and Spain in the last two competitions. Their bid for the ultimate prize will be opened in Manchester – as the Etihad stages an England men’s game for the first time since May 2016, when the Three Lions were beaten 2-1 by Turkey in a friendly.

Said contest will take place on Saturday June 10, 2028. From there, England will return to Wembley Stadium for their two remaining fixtures in the group stage. If they were to top Group B then they will head to St James’ Park in Newcastle for a last-16 match, or Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium if they finish second in their pot.

AdvertisementEuro 2028: Nine host stadiums across UK & Ireland

Wales have been made aware that, if they are able to qualify, Cardiff will have the honour of hosting the opening game on Friday June, 9. The Republic of Ireland have games heading to Dublin, while Hampden Park will welcome fixtures to Scotland. Both semi-finals and the final will take place at Wembley in north London. Two automatic qualification spots will be held back for host nations that do not reach the finals through the normal routes.

Villa Park and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium complete the list of nine host venues – with each of those set to figure in at least one knockout match. The quarter-finals will be split across the national stadiums of the four host nations. The qualifying draw will be held in Belfast, with Northern Ireland missing out on games after it was revealed that Casement Park could not be redeveloped in time.

GettyEuro 2028 final: Change to kick-off time

The final – on Sunday July, 9 – will kick-off at 5pm. That is three hours earlier than the last Euros showpiece to take place at Wembley in 2021 – with that clash between England and Italy being marred by fan unrest as supporters broke through barriers and forced entry.

The Football Association’s chair, Debbie Hewitt, has said of moving that game forward – in line with changes to Champions League final kick-off times: “It's easier to get there – we all know what happens to public transport late on a Sunday night.

“Also we hope that the fans will want to celebrate after the game and so it allows that to happen. And of course, you have safety and security too. So all of those factors come together and it's a common sense decision.”

She added on working with UEFA to ensure that ticket prices will be as fair as possible: “It will be a tournament for the fans and a festival of everything we love about the game – its passion and ability to bring people together.

“We're not a fan of dynamic ticketing pricing and I think UEFA have heard that loud and clear. There's been no pushback from UEFA. They're great partners. They understand, and have at their core, too, that we want to make this the most accessible Euros. So we're giving a lot of thought to ticket pricing, how we make sure that the accessibility metrics are delivered on.”

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Euro 2028: Dates for qualifying draw & group stage

The qualifying draw for Euro 2028 will be held on December 6, 2026. The group stage will then run from March 2027 until November 2027, with the play-offs being held in March 2028. Ultimately, 24 teams will take part in the tournament.

A significant update has now emerged regarding Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Manchester United, with a Champions League side pushing hard to sign him.

Mainoo’s stock has fallen over the past 12 months or so, having burst onto the scene at Old Trafford, and he is struggling for playing time this season.

Ruben Amorim has recently spoken honestly about the Englishman’s future, admitting that he rates him but also needs to keep other players happy.

“No, like a lot of guys, he wants to play more. I didn’t have a conversation with him before the window closed – I did this week. Because I don’t want Kobbie Mainoo thinking that I was having any conversation with him just to hold on to him. I don’t want that feeling.

“I believe a lot in Kobbie, but some of you think that Kobbie Mainoo is already done (the finished article). I think he can do so much better, he can improve a lot. I think for some guys it is enough (their talent), but for him it is not enough. Maybe it’s not fair, but I think I’m helping Kobbie Mainoo, and that’s it. He will have opportunities like the other guys.”

Mainoo has been linked with a move away from United in the January transfer window, and now a fresh update has emerged regarding his future.

Napoli in advanced talks to sign Mainoo

According to a new report from TEAMtalk, Mainoo’s representatives are in “advanced discussions” with Napoli over a loan move from Manchester United in January.

It is also stated that Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester City also “continue to monitor” the £45,000-a-week ace, but “Napoli’s wage pledge and option clause have vaulted them to pole position.”

It has been sad to see Mainoo fail to kick on at United, having looked such a special talent, but it simply appears as though Amorim doesn’t think he is right for his system.

That’s not to say that the Red Devils manager doesn’t consider him a talented footballer, however, with the 40-year-old lauding him back in September.

“Maybe it’s not fair, but I think I’m helping Kobbie Mainoo and that’s it. He will have opportunities like the other guys. If I feel during the week that he’s the best player to play, he’s going to play and I proved that already to every player here. I believe a lot in him. I have the same thing [opinion] that you have and that is a top, top player, but he can be so much better, so I’m focused on that.”

Endrick tells Real Madrid he wants January exit amid Man Utd interest

The Red Devils could have to face competition to land the coveted young star.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 4, 2025

A loan move to Napoli means that Mainoo’s United career isn’t over, giving fans some hope that he has a future, but as things stand, it is hard to see him becoming a key figure with Amorim at the helm.

Carrington's "best talent" is a big Sesko upgrade in the making at Man Utd

Former England star Stuart Pearce has pinpointed Tottenham Hotspur’s “weakness” after spotting what Cristian Romero did against Manchester United in a “horrific” display.

The Argentina international could only watch on with the rest of Spurs’ backline when Amad Diallo’s floated cross found the head of Bryan Mbeumo, who made no mistake. It summed up a frustrating first-half for Thomas Frank’s side, who were once again blunt going forward. Any progress made in 4-0 mauling of Copenhagen seemed to disappear on the Premier League stage.

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Tottenham ended up drawing a frenetic Premier League clash against Manchester United this weekend.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 9, 2025

Unlike against Chelsea last weekend, however, Spurs fought back against Man United and substitute Mathys Tel soon had them level. Setting up a grandstand finish in the 84th minute, the young forward wheeled away in celebration before Richarlison thought he had stolen all three points seven minutes later.

In a familiar sight, the Brazilian ripped his shirt off in belief that he had headed home a dramatic winner, only for Man United’s Matthijs de Ligt to have the final say by scoring a last-gasp equaliser. From a dull first-half, North London was treated to a frantic, entertaining affair.

Whilst complaints have been made about Spurs’ attack in recent weeks, it was their defence that was found wanting this time around as they continued a run of just one win in their last four games.

Frank spoke about the dramatic draw, telling reporters: Thomas: “I saw this game as one game ahead of us, to try to do everything we could to try to win it. That was the aim. I spoke before the game about it’s clear they have improved this season.

“They look, how can you say, more in sync together, especially going forward they look like a big threat. That’s why I actually think, I know we conceded two goals, but if you said to me before the game you concede five shots, I would take that. So we’re all happy.”

The Dane chose to take the positives, but ex-England star Pearce wasn’t so kind and shared exactly where he thinks Spurs’ “weakness” is coming from after the draw.

Pearce pinpoints Tottenham "weakness" in "horrific" Romero display

Speaking on talkSPORT, Pearce told Tottenham that Romero is their biggest “weakness” after a performance against Man United that he described as “horrific”. The former England man was particularly unhappy that the Spurs defender lost possession in midfield before failing to make a recovery run on Saturday afternoon.

With Arsenal up next in the North London derby, Romero must get back to his best and help Spurs end a recent run which has featured just one win in their last four games in all competitions.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Fernando Diniz realizará nesta segunda-feira (6), às 14h, na sede da CBF, sua terceira convocação no comando da Seleção Brasileira. O Brasil encara a Colômbia, no dia 16 de novembro, em Barranquilla, e a Argentina, no dia 21, no Maracanã, pela 3ª e 4ª rodada, respectivamente, das Eliminatórias para a Copa do Mundo. Veja os nomes selecionados e a entrevista coletiva de Fernando Diniz no vídeo acima.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

➡️ Veja a tabela e simule as últimas rodadas do Brasileirão 2023

PRÓXIMOS JOGOS DA SELEÇÃO BRASILEIRA

> Colômbia x Brasil – 16/10, às 21h (de Brasília) – Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez – Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo

> Brasil x Argentina – 21/10, às 21h30 (de Brasília) – Maracanã – Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo

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كشف الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، عن القائمة النهائية للمرشحين لـ جائزة أفضل لاعب داخل القارة الإفريقية لعام 2025.

ومن المقرر أن يقيم الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، حفل جوائز الأفضل في إفريقيا لعام 2025، يوم الأربعاء 19 نوفمبر الجاري.

واستبعد كاف من قائمة اللاعبين المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب داخل القارة، لاعب الأهلي إمام عاشور وإبراهيم عادل لاعب بيراميدز السابق والجزيرة الإماراتي الحالي.

وتواجد ثنائي نادي بيراميدز، المغربي محمد الشيبي، والكونغولي فيستون مايلي، في القائمة النهائية المكونة من ثلاثة لاعبين. 

طالع | كاف يعلن القائمة النهائية لجائرة أفضل مدرب في إفريقيا 2025.. موقف حسام حسن المرشحون لجائزة أفضل لاعب داخل إفريقيا 2025

فيستون مايلي – بيراميدز (جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية)

محمد الشيبي – بيراميدز (المغرب)

أسامة المليوي – نهضة بركان المغربي (المغرب)

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝗠𝗲𝗻) – 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀#CAFAwards2025 pic.twitter.com/p6QNP6tJ5r

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