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Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone reiterated the desire to bring the tournament to the United States and Mexico in 2031

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• U.S. Soccer vows to fight for 2031 Women's World Cup hosting rights
• Set to work with Mexico for pursuit of competition
• Potential 48-team field in expanded version of tournament

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone said that the federation is “committed to bringing" the 2031 Women’s World Cup to the U.S. and Mexico, and is “just waiting for FIFA to open the bidding process.”

  "As soon as they do, we'll put our bid in," Cone said during an appearance at the United Soccer Coaches Convention on Saturday, according to USA Today. "And we're going to win it."

  FIFA has not shared when bidding will begin for the competition, but expectations are that bidding will open as early as 2027, with an expansion to 48 teams. The 2027 FIFA World Cup will take place in Brazil, however the CONMEBOL nation was not awarded hosting rights until May 2024 – meaning U.S. Soccer could have to wait until 2028, if timing remains the same.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  U.S. Soccer CEO J.T. Batson said it would be fitting for the United States and Mexico to host the first expanded version of the women's competition in 2031, considering the two countries are combining – along with Canada – to host a 48-team version of the men's competition in 2026.

  "America knows how to throw a sports party, and the women's World Cup deserves the same party as the men's World Cup," Batson said. "We think that, from a growth of the game broadly, from a commercial revenue standpoint, which is so important to enabling countries all across the world to invest in their women's soccer programs, we think we're uniquely positioned to throw a great event but also generate the resources that can invest in women's soccer around the world."

  U.S. Soccer and Mexico were among the initial bidders for the 2027 competition, but backed out last May ahead of Brazil being awarded it, shifting the focus to 2031. Cone said there was a concern that some fans wouldn't be able to afford to attend World Cups in back-to-back years, following the men's World Cup in 2026.

  "It was hard for us to shift from 2027 to 2031, but we all felt it was the best thing for the sport," Cone said. "I wanted that build-up so we can put the same focus and energy into the women's World Cup that we are into the men's World Cup."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  U.S. Soccer hosted the 2003 FIFA World Cup after FIFA moved it from China concerns over the SARS epidemic.

  "We think we helped set the standard for women's soccer," Batson said, "and we can help raise that to new heights."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR USWNT?

  The USWNT are undergoing a January training camp, ahead of the SheBelieves Cup in February.

Arsenal has been the home to many top-level talents over the years, many of whom have come through their academy before making a huge impact on the club’s first team.

Winger Bukayo Saka is the best example currently in Mikel Arteta’s side, with the 23-year-old scoring 59 times in his 229 appearances for the Gunners since his debut back in 2020.

In years gone by, Ashley Cole, Martin Keown and Tony Adams have all come through the Hale End academy setup, having a huge effect on the club’s first team – with the latter spending his entire career with the Gunners.

The unbelievable work done by the staff in the youth ranks has saved the club endless amounts of money in the transfer market – but they’ve also allowed numerous talents to slip through the net in the process.

England record scorer Harry Kane was once a part of the Arsenal setup, before joining bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur – with his tally of 342 goals at club level undoubtedly improving Arteta’s current attacking unit.

However, one other talent was once a part of the club and was sold prematurely with his market value rapidly increasing after departing the Emirates.

Ismael Bennacer’s time at Arsenal

Midfielder Ismael Bennacer was one talent who thought he had what it took to become the latest player to come through Arsenal’s academy before making an impact on the first team.

The Algerian featured at different youth levels for the Gunners, including the U18 and U23 sides between 2015 and 2017.

He also managed to make a single appearance in the first team under Arsène Wenger back in October 2015, replacing Theo Walcott in the 3-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup.

However, he would fail to appear under the Frenchman again, being sent on a loan spell to French side Tours for the second half of the 2016/17 season – before securing a permanent move away from North London that summer.

Bennacer swapped England for Italy, moving to then Serie B side Empoli – with the talent going on to thrive in Europe over recent years.

Bennacer’s market value in 2024

After his minuscule £850k move to Empoli, Bennacer rapidly impressed with his increased game time making 77 appearances for the Italian side over a two-year period.

He helped the club secure a return to the Italian top-flight, before leaving at the end of the 2018/19 season, joining European giants AC Milan in a £13.5m deal – netting Empoli a hefty profit just two years after joining the club.

Bennacer has since taken his career to the next level, becoming an integral part of the Milan squad, helping them reach the Champions League semi-final back in the 2022/23 campaign – before falling to defeat to bitter rivals Inter.

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?

Since his move to Milan five years ago, the 26-year-old has made 172 appearances for the Serie A side, with his market value skyrocketing as a result of his increased performance levels.

The “fantastic” talent, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, now has a €50m (£42m) release clause in his current deal – seeing a whopping 4841% increase on the fee that the Gunners sold him for seven years ago.

His talents would make him perfect for Arteta’s side, providing cover and depth for the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, who look set to miss the North London derby this weekend.

However, their loss is Milan’s gain, with the Algerian developing into a top-level talent who is capable of being a success at the very top level of European football.

Arteta let Arsenal star walk away on a free, now he's outscoring Saka

The goalscoring sensation was incredible last season.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 12, 2024

The Turkey international made two stunning penalty saves while Joshua Zirkzee also had a moment of redemption in a spirited performance

Altay Bayindir and Joshua Zirkzee enjoyed redemption stories as Manchester United knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on penalties following a spirited 1-1 draw after extra-time despite playing more than an hour with 10 men due to Diogo Dalot being sent off.

Bayindir, who had been mocked for conceding straight from a corner against Tottenham in his last trip to north London, saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time and then thwarted Kai Havertz in the shootout while United scored all of their four kicks before Zirkzee, who had been humiliated by his own supporters less than two weeks ago against Newcastle, buried the fifth and decisive kick.

United kept things tight throughout and especially in a dull, stop-start first half when they had just one shot on target. They let Arsenal have the ball but made sure they did nothing of note with it, save for Gabriel Martinelli netting from an offside position. The visitors grew into the game the longer it went on and did the damage on the counter, with Garnacho dispossessing Gabriel and tearing forward to tee up Fernandes, who sent the ball flying into the net.

It was the third time in four trips to the Emirates that United had taken the lead only to lose their heads moments later. Dalot slid in on Mikel Merino and earned his second yellow card in 12 minutes to leave United with 10 men and 29 minutes to see their lead out. They lasted less than two minutes as Gabriel volleyed home after Bayindir had feebly punched away a cross. United continued to unravel, conceding a penalty when Harry Maguire brushed over Gabriel Martinelli.

But Bayindir made a miraculous save to thwart Odegaard and then made two fine saves from substitute Declan Rice to take the game to extra-time. Joshua Zirkzee and Amad Diallo spurned United's only attempts in the extra period, where the Red Devils' defence again stood tall to force penalties. And that was where Bayindir completed his sensational performance and Zikzee kept his cool to send the holders into the fourth round.

GOAL rates Man Utd's players from the Emirates Stadium…

• Goalkeeper & Defence

  Altay Bayindir (9/10):

  Was having a bad day until he became the hero. His footwork was poor, with three sloppy kicks in the first 20 minutes and he flapped at the cross leading to the equaliser. All was forgiven with two stunning save, flying across the length of the goal to claw Odegaard's penalty away before tipping over Rice's header and then thwarting the England international again in added time. Made another full-stretch save in the shootout to deny Havertz.

  Matthijs de Ligt (8/10):

  Compensated for his difficult afternoon at Anfield with a concentrated display. Stayed on top of Arsenal's forward line, doing particularly well to shepherd Martinelli in the first half and to block Rice with a lunge in extra-time.

  Harry Maguire (8/10):

  Another strong display of reactive defending, getting his head and body in front of everything Arsenal threw at him. Unlucky to give away the penalty, booked for his reaction to the decision.

  Lisandro Martinez (6/10):

  Less attacking than at Anfield, instead digging his heels in and scrapping. Booked for elbowing Jesus.

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• Midfield

  Noussair Mazraoui (7/10):

  Showed good awareness and limited Martinelli's threat down the right before switching to the left after Dalot was dismissed.

  Manuel Ugarte (6/10):

  Did his best to disrupt Arsenal's play.

  Kobbie Mainoo (5/10):

  Had United's only effort of the first half but later mistakenly tried to shoot when he had better passing options and gifted Arsenal a counter. Removed for Collyer in the 80th minute.

  Diogo Dalot (4/10):

  An intelligent defensive display went out the window with two reckless slide tackles, on Lewis-Skelley and then Merino. The second was particularly silly as Merino posed no danger.

• Attack

  Alejandro Garnacho (7/10):

  Did well with little support in attack in the first half and did everything right to set up the opening goal.

  Rasmus Hojlund (5/10):

  Pressed defenders and Raya tirelessly but with little reward.

  Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

  Scored a wonderful goal and worked his socks off to keep Arsenal at bay. Led by example by taking and scoring the first penalty.

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• Subs & Manager

  Amad Diallo (6/10):

  Showed bags of energy and looked like being United's best hope of a goal in extra-time. Scored from the spot.

  Toby Collyer (6/10):

  Mucked in with some no-nonsense defending and some bold touches bided United valuable time.

  Joshua Zirkzee (5/10):

  Another clumsy display but made amends in the shootout. Released Amad too late and should have done better with his chance inside the area which was deflected and then pushed away by Raya. Deserves credit for keeping his cool from 12 yards.

  Tyrell Malacia (6/10):

  Made a well-timed tackle on Sterling.

  Leny Yoro (6/A):

  Replaced Maguire in the 114th minute. Kept up United's high defensive level then scored his penalty.

  Ruben Amorim (7/10):

  Devised another clever game-plan to nullify a top opponent away from home and was reactive with his changes, making sure his side stayed in control after the red card.

Celtic have gained a strong reputation over the years for developing talented young prospects before selling them on for big profit to European teams.

The likes of Virgil van Dijk, who joined Southampton for £13m in 2015, Fraser Forster, Victor Wanyama, and Gary Hooper all earned big moves away from Parkhead from the Neil Lennon era.

More recently, Kieran Tierney completed a staggering £25m move to Premier League giants Arsenal from the Hoops in the summer of 2019, which made him the most expensive Scottish player in history.

That fee was matched by the one that the Bhoys raked in from Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad for Portuguese forward Jota, who left for £25m in the summer of 2023.

These sales show that the Hoops have made a habit of raking in huge sums of money for their talents over the years, which suggests that they have created a nurturing environment that allows players to thrive whilst winning trophies for the club.

The latest example of their fantastic work in that respect is central midfielder Matt O’Riley, who recently completed a move to Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Celtic's Matt O'Riley blinder

Former Celtic head coach Ange Postecoglou moved to sign the English-born starlet from League One side MK Dons for a reported fee of £1.5m at the start of 2022.

The 21-year-old central midfielder did not take long to adjust to football in Scotland, with a return of four goals and three assists in 16 Scottish Premiership appearances.

It was immediately clear that the Hoops had struck gold by signing the midfield maestro for a fee of just £1.5m, as he made an instant impact as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the club.

O’Riley followed that up with four goals and 14 assists in 52 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants in his first full season under Postecoglou.

The 23-year-old star then produced a staggering 19 goals and 18 assists in 49 outings in all competitions for Celtic under Brendan Rodgers last term, with the bulk of those goal contributions coming in the Premiership.

As you can see in the table above, the Denmark international provided a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a central midfield position for the Northern Irish head coach in the 2023/24 campaign.

His sensational form in Scotland attracted interest from down south and Brighton & Hove Albion eventually won the race for his signature for a reported fee of £25m.

Celtic played a blinder with the former Fulham prospect as they snapped him up for just £1.5m from MK Dons and turned him into a £25m player in less than three years.

The Hoops do not always manage their talent perfectly, however, as they once allowed a player to leave for nothing and he is now worth more than O’Riley in the present day.

Celtic fumbled Andy Robertson

Current Liverpool star Andy Robertson started his youth career with the Bhoys in 2003, at the age of nine, and spent six years in the academy before his departure in 2009.

The Scottish ace was released in the summer of 2009, at the age of 15, and later revealed that he went home and cried after that rejection, as it was his dream – having been a season ticket holder at the club at the age of two – to play in front of a packed out crowd at Parkhead.

Robertson has also spoken of the reasons behind his exit from Paradise. The Hoops opted against keeping hold of the youngster due to his lack of height and physicality, whilst he was one of a number of players who were allowed to move on for that reason.

The young gem was then picked up by Queen’s Park before joining Dundee United in the Premiership in 2013, which is where he produced three goals and six assists in 36 league outings.

After just one season with Dundee United, Premier League outfit Hull City swooped in to sign him for a reported fee of £2.8m in 2014, and that is where his rise in English football began.

Andy Robertson's current market value

At the time of writing (12/09/2024), Robertson currently has an Expected Transfer Value (xTV) of €34.6m (£29.2m), as per FootballTransfers, thanks to his fantastic form over the years in England.

This means that he is currently worth more than Matt O’Riley, who just joined Brighton for £25m, despite being seven years older than the Dane – at 30.

His rise in value over the years has been down to his sensational form for Liverpool, having signed for the Reds after three years and 115 appearances for Hull, where he has won the Premier League and the Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp’s side paid an initial fee of £8m, rising to £10m, for the Scotland international in the summer of 2017 and his current market value suggests that they struck gold, as he is worth significantly more than that after seven years at Anfield.

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish dynamo has been a consistent source of creativity down the left flank for Liverpool over the years.

Robertson has racked up 59 assists in his Premier League career, for the Reds and Hull combined, and currently tops the charts for assists by a defender in the history of the league, as he has overtaken Trent Alexander-Arnold’s return of 58.

The Liverpool star, who was once described as a “world-class” player by Klopp, has developed into one of the best defenders in Premier League history, as evidenced by the incredible record he currently holds.

£5m Celtic flop who was sold by Rodgers is outscoring Kyogo this season

The Hoops allowed the centre-forward to move on from Parkhead last summer.

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By
Dan Emery

Sep 11, 2024

All of this – his soaring value, his performances, Klopp’s praise, his record in the English top-flight – suggests that Celtic blundered when they released him for nothing back in 2009, as they failed to make the most of the ‘world-class’ talent on their books.

Aston Villa return to Premier League action on Sunday following a midweek victory over Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup.

Unai Emery’s men won comfortably to secure progress into the fourth round, giving some academy graduates minutes in the first team.

The likes of Kadan Young, Sil Swinkels and Aidan Borland all played a part in the 2-1 win, proving that Emery has plenty of talent at his disposal.

Having enjoyed a solid start to the Premier League campaign, winning all but one of their matches, it is likely that the Spaniard will rotate his starting XI to bring back his big-game players.

This could mean several youngsters drop out, but positive signs are there for the future, no doubt about that.

Ipswich have yet to win on their return to the top flight, but there are some encouraging signs from the Tractor Boys after three successive draws.

With this in mind, here’s a look at the starting XI that Emery could unleash to secure yet another three points in the league, with seven changes from the side that saw off the Chairboys on Tuesday…

1

GK – Emiliano Martínez

The goalkeeper was given the night off against Wycombe in midweek, which gave Joe Gauci the chance to shine.

He performed well in the Argentinian’s place, making five saves during the clash while succeeding with 87% of his passes. For the Ipswich tie, however, Martinez will return to the starting XI.

The World Cup winner is yet to keep a clean sheet in the league this term, something which he hopes to change tomorrow.

2

RB – Kosta Nedeljkovic

The right-back area looked like it could be a problematic area when Matty Cash suffered an injury against Arsenal, but several players have filled in the position.

Lamare Bogarde started the previous two league games on the right side of defence, while Nedeljkovic played against Wycombe. Emery should stick with the Serbian, who completed 89% of his passes while succeeding with 100% of his dribbles in midweek.

3

CB – Ezri Konsa

Konsa was another player who was given a rest by Emery in midweek, as he didn’t even feature in the full matchday squad.

The Englishman has started every single Premier League fixture of the campaign, scoring his first goal against Wolves last week to seal a 3-1 victory.

He has formed a solid partnership alongside Pau Torres, one that Emery will once again deploy against Ipswich this weekend.

4

CB – Pau Torres

Of all the signings Emery has made during his Villa tenure, Torres is arguably the standout. Domestically, Torres has won 72% of his ground duels this term, while averaging an 86% pass success rate.

The duo may not have kept a clean sheet as yet, but the building blocks have been put in place for a successful defensive partnership.

5

LB – Ian Maatsen

The summer signing has played a part in every game for Villa this term, yet has started just once, the 2-1 win in midweek.

The left-back was in solid form, succeeding with 94% of his passes, while no opposition player managed to dribble past him during his time on the pitch. This surely merits him securing a start in the Premier League.

6

CM – Youri Tielemans

Losing Douglas Luiz during the summer was a blow, but Emery has certainly found a more than adequate replacement in Tielemans.

Described as “underrated” by Premier League Panel last term, the Belgian has emerged as a key member of the starting XI this term and will take his place back in the side to play Ipswich.

7

CM – Amadou Onana

Onana started in the EFL Cup clash in midweek but was brought off in the 62nd minute. The summer signing has already scored three goals for Villa this season, netting twice in the league and once in the Champions League.

While splashing £50m on the midfielder may have been seen as a bit of a gamble by the manager, Onana is certainly living up to his lavish fee, that’s for sure.

8

RW – Leon Bailey

The winger hasn’t found the back of the net so far this season, which is surprising given how effective he was in the final third during the 2023/24 campaign.

Against Wycombe, he did register one key pass and created one big chance, while succeeding with two of his three dribble attempts, but he couldn’t get on the scoresheet.

He will be given another start this weekend.

9

AM – Morgan Rogers

Rogers has been in excellent form this term for the Midlands side. He may not have scored in the top flight yet, but the youngster has created four big chances, averaging 1.8 key passes per game along with registering 2.2 dribbles per game.

Impressive stats indeed and the player should be fresh after he was rested in midweek. Can he finally get on the scoresheet for the first time this term? Only time will tell.

10

LW – Jacob Ramsey

The academy graduate struggled with injuries last season but appears to have gotten over his problems.

The Englishman even managed to get on the scoresheet in the Champions League, proving his worth to Emery, and he will return to the starting XI against the Tractor Boys.

After the Brazilian superstar cancelled his contract with the Saudi champions, GOAL counts down the worst moves ever…

Money makes the football world go around, but spending big doesn't always guarantee success. In the modern era, clubs are more willing than ever before to splash the cash in a desperate pursuit of silverware.

And yet, time and time again, quality players have proven incapable of living up to their lofty transfer fees. It's not always solely their fault, of course. Sometimes, it's simply a case of joining the wrong club with the wrong coach at the wrong time.

Whatever the reasons, though, a plethora of the biggest transfers of all the time have proven awfully expensive mistakes, as GOAL outlines below…

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  19James Rodriguez: Monaco – Real Madrid (2014)

  Just like everyone else in the football world, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez fell in love with the fresh-faced, silky-skilled James Rodriguez during Colombia's run to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup. Given the attacking midfielder with a keen eye for spectacular goals had long dreamed of moving to Santiago Bernabeu, a transfer was inevitable, so James became Perez's latest Galactico.

  At times during his first season in Spain, he played like one, ending the 2014-15 campaign with 17 goals in all competitions. However, while Zinedine Zidane's appointment as coach in 2016 proved a crucial turning point in Madrid's modern history, it effectively spelt the end of James' Blancos career. He rarely featured under the Frenchman, who at one point claimed that James had asked to be left out of a game against Athletic Club.

  In the end, after a couple of years on loan at Bayern Munich, and a dire final season in which he made just eight appearances, the €80m (£68m/$86m) signing left for nothing – the perfect illustration of just how far his stock had fallen since winning the Golden Boot in Brazil.

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  18Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Inter – Barcelona (2009)

  As Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be the first to tell you, he's an absolute legend of the game. However, his move to Barcelona ranks as one of the most disastrous deals of all time. Remember, the Blaugrana didn't just pay Inter €69.5m (£59m/$75m) for Ibrahimovic, they also handed over 2009 Champions League hero Samuel Eto'o, who then helped the Nerazzurri win the treble, after eliminating Barca in the semis.

  By that stage, the Swede's relationship with then Barca boss Pep Guardiola had completely collapsed, with Ibrahimovic having accused the Catalan of having "no balls" and "sh*tting himself" in front of his former boss Jose Mourinho. The striker's agent, the late Mino Raiola, also labelled Guardiola a "coward" and even went for the coach ahead of the 2012 Champions League final.

  It's worth remembering that Ibrahimovic scored 21 goals in all competitions, but what we're talking about here is arguably the greatest personality clash in football history.

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  17Neymar: Barcelona – Paris Saint-Germain (2017)

  At times, Neymar played sensationally well for Paris Saint-Germain, wowing all and sundry with his wonderful array of tricks and flicks. Nonetheless, it would be hard to paint his time at the Parc des Princes as anything other than a failure.

  He stepped out of Lionel Messi's shadow to become a superstar in his own right by leading the French club to a first Champions League title. However, the most expensive player of all time was quickly upstaged by Kylian Mbappe and was then joined in Paris by Messi, whose arrival only pushed the Brazilian further from the spotlight.

  The Ligue 1 outfit tried to sell Neymar in 2022 before eventually sending him to Saudi Arabia in exchange for a most welcome €90m (£77m/$100m) the following year. Given his continued injury issues in Saudi Arabia, that was a fine fee for PSG.

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  16Kepa Arrizabalaga: Athletic Club – Chelsea (2018)

  The most expensive goalkeeper in the world – and yet nowhere near the best. Indeed, Chelsea are still desperately trying to find a buyer for their historic £72m ($94m) signing from Athletic Club in 2018.

  The former Spain international was a regular during his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge and actually managed to reclaim his starting spot from Edouard Mendy for the 2022-23 season, but it wasn't long before he slipped down the pecking order once again and he's presently on loan at Bournemouth.

  Consequently, his time in west London, which is likely to come to an end sooner rather than later, will probably be best remembered for his antics in the Carabao Cup.

  In the 2019 final, he shamefully refused to be subbed, while in the 2022 decider, he was brought on specifically for the penalty shootout but failed to make a single save before skying the decisive spot-kick. Some legacy…

Manchester United fans have roasted Erik ten Hag after seeing Cristiano Ronaldo call out “bad coaches” that “don’t have f*cking idea about football”.

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• CR7 butted heads with Dutch coach at Old Trafford
• Ten Hag now out of work after Red Devils sacking
• Portuguese icon tipped to become a boss himself

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Portuguese superstar Ronaldo has worked with some iconic managers, including Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane. He has enjoyed considerable success at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner still going strong at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It has not all been plain sailing for Ronaldo, though, as an emotional return to Old Trafford in 2021 soon turned sour. He butted heads with Dutch coach Ten Hag on a regular basis, leading to his contract eventually being torn up as he was released as a free agent.

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  WHAT CRISTIANO RONALDO SAID

  Without referring to Ten Hag by name, Ronaldo has told when asked what makes a good coach: “He has to have been a player before. If he hasn't been in a dressing room, it's very difficult, impossible. If you look at history, of the 50 best, 48 have been players. I don't have a favourite coach, I learned from everyone. I've had very bad coaches. They don't have a f*cking idea about football.”

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  United fans have been revelling in Ronaldo’s comments, with @FootyAP saying: “We all know who that is.” @Mohsin_Bahi_01 said: “Cristiano Ronaldo's comments about some of his past coaches definitely stir up some drama.” @sj_pep47683 was happy to get involved with that, saying: “Bodied Ten Hag even in unemployment is crazy petty from my GOAT.” @kingosazexman added “cook Ten Hag” while @evansmemphis chimed in with “cooked that imbecile, love it”.

West Ham United are on the hunt for attacking reinforcements and have identified one potential new face to add to Julen Lopetegui’s ranks in 2025, according to a report.

Goal-shy West Ham leave Lopetegui under early pressure

Six games into the Premier League season, West Ham have scored just six goals, the same number as 20th placed Wolves. After heavy spending over the summer, they have just one win to show for it, while Julen Lopetegui became the first West Ham boss in Premier League history to lose each of his first three home games.

None of his new signings have got their first goal in West Ham colours either, with Niclas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Carlos Soler all toiling without success.

It means that the Hammers are 14th in the Premier League with five points to their name, and will be hoping to see a large improvement in their next run of games, which include clashes with Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest and Everton.

But clearly there is a problem at the top of the pitch, with Michail Antonio yet to open his account for the season and Danny Ings largely used from the substitutes bench, leaving the responsibility on Tomas Soucek to score the equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Brentford over the weekend.

At 31-years-old, £25m addition Fullkrug is not a long-term solution to their issues, and they remain on the hunt for a man to lead their line and finally take the mantle from Antonio, who has done so for the last decade but now looks well beyond his best. Now, they may have identified their man.

West Ham chasing Valencia star

That comes as Caught Offside claim that the Hammers are set to rival Aston Villa for the signature of highly-rated Valencia striker Hugo Duro in the upcoming transfer windows. The Spaniard, who has scored twice this season, is still just 24-years-old and is likely to improve in the years to come.

Lost the ball every 3.4 touches: Lopetegui must now drop 5/10 West Ham star

He lost the ball every 3.4 touches

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Sep 29, 2024

And that has caught the attention of both Aston Villa and West Ham, with the report claiming that the pair are “in a fierce battle” for his signature. The striker still has four years left to run on his £67,000 a week deal in Spain but is thought to be available for between €25m and €30m (£20.8m and £25m).

It is added that “manager Julen Lopetegui sees Duro’s energy and goal-scoring ability as a major potential asset” for the Hammers, who have looked docile in the final third, while they “have been impressed by the Spanish striker’s talents” and “are keen” to “sign him in the near future”.

It remains to be seen whether a transfer ultimately materialises, but following their failure to land Jhon Duran from Aston Villa over the summer there is clearly work still to be done on the Hammers frontline, and early form suggests that it is an issue that will need to be remedied sooner rather than later.

The Portuguese wanted to begin work in the summer, and the Red Devils missed an open goal by not keeping the legendary striker in charge until then

Back in November, Ruben Amorim had the opportunity to work alongside Ruud van Nistelrooy at Manchester United, but instead chose to stick with his trusted backroom staff and parted with the legendary striker, who had done a fine job holding the fort as interim manager between Erik ten Hag being fired and Amorim starting work.

Fast-forward two-and-a-half months, and the two coaches will meet for the first time as opponents as United host Leicester City in Friday's FA Cup fourth-round tie, which has turned out to be a meeting of two of the worst teams in the top flight – and thus two of its most embattled managers.

Van Nistelrooy has lost eight of his 11 league games in charge of the Foxes while winning just twice, meaning they occupy the final relegation spot, sat two points from safety. United, meanwhile, are only doing marginally better, losing seven of their 11 games in the same period under Amorim and sitting in 13th.

Neither coach seems suited at all to the circumstances of their current clubs, and given what has happened at United in the last two months, it is difficult to not venture that the Red Devils made a big mistake by not keeping Van Nistelrooy in charge until the end of season before getting Amorim on board in the summer.

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  Happy interim spell

  Van Nistelrooy only spent four games in charge of United, but it was an exciting and happy period. The team won three out of four games, as they easily beat Leicester in both the Carabao Cup and league, overcame PAOK in the Europa League and drew with Chelsea.

  The former striker did have the advantage of playing all his games at Old Trafford and facing a relatively comfortable fixture list, with the exception of Chelsea. However, what has happened since has put his tenure in an even more favourable light; Amorim has lost five of his nine home games in all competitions, with the 'Theatre of Dreams' having been deathly silent and downbeat for most of his tenure. By contrast, the stadium was extremely fired up while Van Nistelrooy was in charge.

  The Dutchman opted for a simple tactical approach, going with the same 4-2-3-1 formation Ten Hag had used, but made his midfield more robust by deploying Casemiro next to Manuel Ugarte. It might not have been innovative, but the two South American bruisers gave United a solid platform and a level of consistency.

  Van Nistelrooy's United played a similar style to Ten Hag, geared towards counter-attacking and with heavy reliance on their wingers, but there was a renewed energy among the players, who seemed to respond better to a club icon than they had his predecessor.

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  Mid-season fears realised

  Amorim started work at United the day after the thumping 3-0 Premier League win over Leicester, and there was a sense that Van Nistelrooy was leaving United in much better hands for the new coach than if he'd immediately stepped into Ten Hag's shoes. But rather than taking advantage of that upswing in form, United have gone backwards under the Portuguese.

  Gary Neville said on his podcast: "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 – and that's surprising."

  There was always a danger that this would happen given the radical style the coach was going to impose on the team, and Amorim was painfully aware of that. Indeed, just after accepting the job in early November, he admitted: "The only request I made was that it (his arrival) was at the end of the season. I spent three days asking for it. They told me it wasn't possible, that it was now or never, or Manchester United would go for another option. So, I had three days to make my mind up, to make a decision that radically changes my life."

  Amorim was not wrong about that, and for now the move has radically changed his life for the worse. He went from a Sporting CP team that had won every single league game to a United side that has forgotten how to win, especially at Old Trafford.

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  No fun at all

  Amorim's attempts to impose his style on United have been made harder by the relentless schedule, and he was also aware that he would have very few opportunities to get his ideas across. He said in his first press conference: "It's so much harder to come to the team in the middle of the season because you have to get to know the players during the games, you are talking about no national-team periods to work with the players, it's just games. It depends: if you are winning it's a lot of fun, having a lot of games, trying to make changes tactically and winning games. But if you are losing, you don't have time in training to work out everything you want to work on."

  United are definitely not having a lot of fun. There have been some big highs, such as beating Manchester City, knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup and holding Premier League leaders Liverpool to a draw at Anfield. When Van Nistelrooy left, United were in 13th, but the gap between them and the top four was just four points. Now while in the same league position, that gap is 14 points, with only 14 games remaining.

  The team's goal difference has also fallen even further, from zero at the start of Amorim's reign to minus six; only five teams have a worse goal difference than the Red Devils. United also keep on breaking new unwanted records, as they have already lost as many home games as in their worst-ever Premier League campaign of 2013-14, and have their worst home record at this stage of a season since 1893-94.

  Amorim has been painfully honest about how bad his team are, calling them "maybe the worst in the history of Manchester United" and admitting that there is an atmosphere of anxiety around the stadium. The Portuguese had a wonderful rapport with his players at Sporting, but there has been little sign of a bond with his squad at United. The fact he has insulted the players' ability both directly – with his public comments – and indirectly, such as by starting Kobbie Mainoo up front against Crystal Palace ahead of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, is not helping.

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  Paying a heavy price

  United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and CEO Omar Berrada were both enamoured with Amorim's work at Sporting and dismissed then-sporting director Dan Ashworth's opinions in their search for a new boss, leading to Ashworth ultimately being fired. It is easy to see why they were attracted to the charismatic and young coach who had awakened a sleeping giant in Sporting, but they knew they were taking a huge risk by hiring him in the middle of the season, and they are now paying a heavy price for it as they endure one of the club’s worst campaigns in modern times.

  Of course, there were potential downsides to keeping Van Nistelrooy on for the rest of the campaign. United saw the negatives of an interim boss when they appointed Ralf Rangnick three years ago after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer while they waited for Ten Hag to become available. The players knew Rangnick would be off in the summer and there was little long-term motivation to work hard under him. But there was another factor underlying that pitiful campaign – the fact that players did not respect the German.

  Indeed, as Cristiano Ronaldo articulated in his infamous interview with Piers Morgan, many of them did not know who Rangnick was. That would not be the case with Van Nistelrooy, one of the finest strikers of his generation who many of the current squad would have watched growing up. Van Nistelrooy would have also been able to rally the Old Trafford crowd in a similar fashion to how Solskjaer did in his sensational first few months in charge.

  That does, however, lead into another potential pitfall that might have come with keeping Van Nistelrooy in charge. Had he had great success, United may have been tempted to give him the job permanently, like they did with Solskjaer in a move they quickly came to regret. Yet there was an easy way around that: tie up a deal with Amorim so that the Dutchman's time had an expiry date.

After failing to reinforce their backline in the summer, Newcastle United are now reportedly ready to go again in pursuit of a Serie A defender who’s attracting plenty of interest.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies certainly seem prepared to make up for what was an incredibly quiet summer on the transfer front. Sporting director Paul Mitchell will be well aware of just how much he and the rest of his team behind the scenes failed on the recruitment front, especially regarding their very public chase to sign Marc Guehi.

In the end, the England international stayed put at Crystal Palace as Eddie Howe was forced to settle for makeshift internal solutions amid existing injury concerns within their backline.

Newcastle now plotting move to sign "great" £34m star ahead of Arsenal

He could replace Callum Wilson…

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By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 12, 2024

With plenty of making up to do, the transfer rumours have already come thick and fast, including those regarding potential moves for Jonathan David and Antoine Semenyo. The former would particularly steal the headlines given the lethal partnership that he could form with Alexander Isak at St James’ Park.

Meanwhile, Semenyo would arguably be the answer to Newcastle’s right-wing dilemma before they turn their attention towards finally adding a defensive reinforcement.

According to Milan Live, Newcastle are now ready to go again in pursuit of Fikayo Tomori in 2025, competing against the likes of Aston Villa and West Ham United for the the centre-back’s signature.

Beginning to struggle in Serie A after becoming one of the best defenders in Italy, the door could now be opened for Tomori to complete a move back to the Premier League. Leaving Chelsea in 2021, the Englishman has unfinished business in the top flight that he could complete courtesy of Newcastle in the new year.

Just 26 years old, if Tomori wasn’t ready for England’s top flight before, then he would surely be now after what has been a successful spell at Milan, all things considered.

"Outstanding" Tomori can solve Newcastle problem

Newcastle were seemingly well aware of their defensive problems during the summer window having chased Guehi for the majority of the window, only to fail in that pursuit. Now, when 2025 arrives, those at St James’ Park look set to go again in an attempt to bolster Howe’s options, this time focusing on a player who has played in the Premier League as well as Europe’s biggest stage.

With a point to prove following his Chelsea exit, Tomori could complete a Premier League return at his peak to hand Newcastle a defensive leader for years to come. It’s a rise that former manager Frank Lampard may have seen coming, even with the Blues eventually showing Tomori the door.

Lampard was full of praise for the Chelsea academy graduate after the Blues defeated Lille 2-1 in the Champions League, saying (via Metro): “Fikayo was outstanding again. He has to keep on with that.”

It wouldn’t be the first time Newcastle have explored bringing Tomori to Tyneside, either. Reports in the summer claimed that despite Milan’s then-reluctance to sell, a bid of at least €40m (£33.5m) could have been enough to initiate negotiations, according to Italian outlet CalcioMercato.