Sheffield United are interested in signing an “incredible” attacking player before the end of the January transfer window, according to a new update.
Latest Sheffield United news
The Blades still have time to add to their squad this month, as Chris Wilder eyes reinforcements who can increase his side’s chances of sealing promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.
Jonjoe Kenny has emerged as a leading target for United, with Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg reporting that the club are in “advanced negotiations” with Hertha Berlin over the signing of the right-back, who could make a return to England after previously playing for Everton.
Hertha BSC'sJonjoeKennycelebrates with teammates
Queens Park Rangers defender Jimmy Dunne has been a key player for his side this season, but the Blades are also believed to be eyeing him up in January. He is out of contract at his current club at the end of this season, meaning they may be happy to sell now rather than lose him on a free transfer.
Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence is another possible option for United, with the 31-year-old backed to complete a move to Bramall Lane. He remains at Ibrox for now, though.
Sheffield United eyeing move for "incredible" striker
According to a report from Spain, Sheffield United are interested in signing former Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who is now playing for Sevilla.
The Blades are far from the only club showing a willingness to snap him up, however, with Panathinaikos and Watford both mentioned in the report, too. Meanwhile, Leeds United looked set to sign him at one point recently, but that move hasn’t materialised as of yet.
Leicester City strikerKelechi Iheanacho.
Iheanacho could be a signing of real intent by the Blades, given his pedigree as a top-level attacking player down the years, scoring 42 goals in 196 appearances in the Premier League, as well as netting 15 times in 55 caps for Nigeria.
Brendan Rodgers is under no illusions as to what a top-quality player the 28-year-old, waxing lyrical over him during their time together at Leicester City back in 2021: “Over the last few months Kelechi has been absolutely incredible. It wasn’t just his goal but his work-rate, he wants to press the game. He has no ego whatsoever and he works so hard.”
Leicester City
232
61
34
Manchester City
64
21
7
Sevilla
11
3
0
At 28, United wouldn’t be signing a player on the wane, which would feel risky, with Iheanacho still very much at peak age in his career, being capable of being a key man from the off.
To pip Leeds to the Nigerian’s signature would also feel sweet, considering they are locking horns with them in the Championship promotion battle, and he could be a difference-maker between now and May.
Wilder's next O'Connell: Sheffield United could now sign £8.5k p/w EFL star
Chris Wilder could sign a new version of Jack O’Connell with this next Sheffield United signing.
ByKelan Sarson Jan 26, 2025
Iheanacho has only managed five starts in La Liga this season, so he may well want a move away from Sevilla as well, so it could be a match made in heaven for him and the Blades.
Manchester United are now readying a move to sign an “exceptional” star after making initial contact, according to a recent report.
Man Utd eye move for Sunderland youngster Jobe Bellingham
This summer is expected to be a busy period for the Red Devils, as Ruben Amorim and INEOS will be looking to move players on as they look to free up space and money, so players can arrive who are more suited to what Amorim wants to do at Old Trafford.
The additions of Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu in January have worked very well for United so far, so there will be a belief that more fresh arrivals and Amorim can really start to get things going at the club.
Man Utd and INEOS eye bid to sign £20m gem who's been likened to Dele Alli
Man Utd missed out on the signing of Dele Alli years ago, but they could now be set to sign a player who has similar attributes.
ByBrett Worthington Mar 19, 2025
One player who looks set to leave Old Trafford is midfielder Christian Eriksen, as his contract expires at the end of the season. Eriksen has revealed in an interview that he hasn’t heard anything from the club and therefore expects to leave.
“I haven’t heard anything from the club, and therefore I assume that the collaboration will stop – that’s how I interpret it. I am prepared to find something new. I am fine with that. Where it will be, I haven’t decided yet.”
As Eriksen closes in on his Old Trafford exit, TEAMtalk have reported that United are considering a move to sign Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland. The Premier League side are among the clubs interested in the young midfielder and are monitoring his progress at the Stadium of Light, as they want to be in a good position to sign him.
Man Utd readying move to sign £75m+ star ahead of Liverpool
But as well as looking to improve United’s midfield, Amorim also has his eye on improving his attacking options. According to TEAMtalk, Man United have made contact and are now ready to make a move to sign Juventus winger Kenen Yildiz.
The report states that United have made initial contact to sign Yildiz, as they look to get ahead of the other Premier League teams who are also keen on signing the Turkish international, which includes rivals Liverpool.
Yildiz, who has started 22 times in Serie A this season, is considered an exciting winger in Europe and has established himself as a regular in Juventus’ first team. But despite that, the Old Lady are willing to cash in on Yildiz as long as they get a fee of around €90 million, which is roughly £75.7 million.
Apps
41
Starts
32
Goals
6
Assists
4
Yildiz, who has been dubbed “exceptional” by his national manager, may have to wait to see what his future holds, as it could depend on if the club can achieve Champions League qualification this season. United or any other team are yet to hold advance talks over signing the winger, with them only gathering information at this moment in time.
There have not been many positives this season for Glasgow Rangers. The Ibrox side won’t win any domestic silverware, trailing their arch-rivals by 16 points in the Premiership title race, also being knocked out of the Scottish and League Cups.
Barry Ferguson did mastermind a 3-1 victory over Fenerbahce in the Europa League first leg of their last-16 clash, but even the most optimistic Rangers supporter will feel glory in Europe is beyond them.
Vaclav Cerny has been a hit since joining the club on loan from Wolfsburg, scoring 17 goals in all competitions, although finances will likely prevent the Gers from securing his signature on a permanent basis.
Hamza Igamane has also been another bright spark for the club. Costing just £1.7m from Moroccan side AS FAR last summer, the 22-year-old has since netted 13 goals in all competitions, despite this season being the first outside his native Africa.
Hamza Igamane
One of the most underrated players since he returned to the starting XI in October has been Nico Raskin.
The Belgian has missed only two games between September and the time of writing, establishing himself as a key member of the team.
How Nico Raskin has grown in importance at Ibrox
Against Celtic at the start of the year, Raskin was given the captaincy due to James Tavernier missing the game through injury.
During the 3-0 victory, Raskin provided an assist while also making two key passes, creating a big chance and winning 60% of his ground duels throughout the game.
He controlled the midfield, making four interceptions and three tackles which nullified Celtic and contributed to the stunning Old Firm win.
The midfielder has struggled with his injury problems during his first year or so at the club, but his performances this season have proved he is now indispensable to any future success at Ibrox.
Raskin may not offer too much in the final third, but in terms of providing effective support in the heart of the midfield, he has been crucial.
In the Premiership, the Belgian has averaged 3.6 tackles per game, along with averaging 7.8 ball recoveries, 1.6 interceptions and 1.4 clearances each match in the top flight.
If he continues this current form until the end of the campaign, the new manager might have to fend off interest from other clubs this summer.
Indeed, these impressive performances for the Light Blues have seen Raskin’s market value soar since joining the club.
According to Transfermarkt, the Belgian is currently worth around £5.5m and this value should only continue to rise over the coming months ahead of the summer transfer window.
Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin
He has the highest market valuation in the entire squad apart from Cerny, who will depart this summer once his loan spell ends.
Whoever comes in to take charge of the Gers ahead of the 2025/26 campaign must utilise Raskin in his desired position, as he could be an ideal choice to take over the captaincy from Tavernier, especially following his display against Celtic in January.
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?
Having also starred in continental competition, shining against Fener last week and standing out against Spurs, he’s certainly following in the path of a Europa League hero from a few years ago.
Rangers' European hero is now worth less than Raskin
Joe Aribo may have only been at the club for three seasons, yet he developed from a raw talent to a player who scored in a major European final.
Glimpses of his talent were on show during the Gers title-winning 2020/21 campaign, where he registered 15 goal contributions – eight goals and seven assists – as the club went the entire league season undefeated.
2023/24
40
4
1
2022/23
27
2
0
2021/22
57
9
10
2020/21
43
8
7
2019/20
49
9
8
2018/19
39
10
5
2017/18
34
6
3
2016/17
22
0
7
From a personal point of view, the following season was even better. Indeed, the Nigeria international scored nine goals while chipping in with ten assists across all competitions, helping the Gers reach the 2022 Europa League final.
He opened the scoring in that match against Eintracht Frankfurt, becoming just the fourth player in the club’s history to score in a European final. Unfortunately, Rangers lost the game on penalties to the German side.
With Giovanni van Bronckhorst needing to raise some funds that summer in order to bring in the players he wanted, a few were moved on.
How Joe Aribo is playing in 2025
Calvin Bassey departed the Ibrox side in 2022, with Ajax signing him for a club-record fee after an impressive campaign.
This bolstered the coffers, but when Southampton came in for Aribo, a deal was concluded that could rise to around £10m, and it was too good to turn down, that’s for sure.
This fee proved to be a significant profit on the midfielder, although they would have a big gap to fill.
Aribo hasn’t exactly proved his worth on the south coast, however, struggling to adapt at times.
The “exceptional” gem – as so dubbed by his manager Ivan Juric recently – scored just twice for the Saints in his first season.
He helped them secure a place back in the Premier League last term, defeating Leeds United in the playoff final, but they look set to drop back down into the second tier.
Now part of a team that could end with the fewest points in Premier League history, Aribo has netted three top-flight goals. As a result, his value has decreased since making his move south of the border three years ago.
Now, according to Transfermarkt, Aribo is currently worth £5m and if he fails to perform in the Championship next term, this could drop even lower.
This valuation is even lower than Raskin’s at the time of writing, indicating that the Gers have struck gold by selling Aribo when they did, maximising the best possible transfer fee for the former Charlton Athletic midfielder.
The new manager will be aiming to bring in his own players for cheap, before making millions on them after a few years at Ibrox. That’s a certainty.
49ers must move on Rangers star who earns more than Raskin & Hagi
Rangers should move on from the reportedly highly-paid star in the summer window.
Manchester United have now held talks with a “sensational” ace in the hope of beating Liverpool to his signature, according to a new report.
Man Utd keeping their transfer options open
As the summer transfer window gets ever closer, the transfer stories begin to heat up, and the Red Devils look to have their eyes set on numerous players who they hope will help improve Ruben Amorim’s team.
Hidden Man Utd boardroom figure set to help them win race to sign £100m gem
United believe they have an advantage over the other suitors.
ByBrett Worthington Mar 26, 2025
Southampton’s Tyler Dibling is a player who has been on United’s radar for a while now, but it appears that the Premier League side are ready to step up their interest. It is being reported that United are now ready to sign Dibling, as other teams circle with interest, but they may have to pay as much as £100 million to get the young Englishman to Old Trafford.
Southampton's TylerDiblingin action with Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers and Ian Maatsen
The Red Devils see Dibling as someone who can become their new right wing-back as well as possibly operate as one of their number 10s.
But he is not the only player who is on their radar for becoming their new right wing-back, as the Red Devils are willing to battle Barcelona to win the race for Givairo Read, who currently plays for Feyenoord. He could cost United just £20 million this summer.
Man Utd battling Liverpool in the race to sign Frimpong
But if the 20-time Premier League champions are willing to pay more, then they may turn their attentions elsewhere. According to TBR Football, Man United have held talks over the signing of Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen but face a strong battle to secure his transfer.
Bayer Leverkusen's Nathan Tella celebrates scoring their second goal with JeremieFrimpong
Liverpool are keen on signing the Dutch international as a replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but they now face competition from United and Man City, who have both held talks with Frimpong’s camp in recent weeks.
It doesn’t say how those talks went or what they were focused on, but it is another sign that Amorim wants to strengthen his right-side this summer.
United see Frimpong, who has been dubbed “sensational” by The Guardian columnist Dominik Diamond, as a perfect fit for their right wing-back role. Frimpong has played a similar role at Leverkusen, where he scored nine goals and recorded seven assists in 31 Bundesliga games last season as Leverkusen were crowned league champions.
Frimpong
Dalot
Apps
26
28
Starts
19
28
Goals
4
0
Assists
5
2
Progressive carries
75
53
Progressive passes
43
85
Tackles (Won)
29 (22)
60 (35)
Blocks
21
20
Interceptions
7
35
Take-ons attempted (Successful)
62 (19)
40 (19)
Frimpong’s potential arrival at Old Trafford would see him replace Diogo Dalot, who has come under scrutiny throughout different times of this 2024/25 campaign. Frimpong’s ability to get up and down the pitch, as well as create and score goals, makes him the ideal player Amorim wants in his team, but it is going to cost the Red Devils £40 million plus to get a deal over the line.
Erik ten Hag’s time at Manchester United ended in disaster. The Red Devils might have won two trophies under the Dutchman, but his below-par performances in the league eventually led to his dismissal in October.
United’s poor efforts under their former boss were not through a lack of backing in the transfer market. The Old Trafford club reportedly spent more than £600m under their former manager.
He looked to recruit players familiar to him and his system, signing plenty of his former Ajax players, and not all of them were hits. The best example of that is winger Antony.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag speaks toAntony
On United’s 2024 summer additions, the jury is still out. One of their marquee additions has been Matthijs de Ligt.
De Ligt’s United career so far
The Red Devils signed Dutch international De Ligt from Bayern Munich in the summer for a fee of £42.7m including add-ons. He joined in a double deal alongside another former Ajax player, Noussair Mazraoui.
Despite the change of manager at Old Trafford this season, the experienced centre-back has been an important player for United. He has made 22 appearances in the Premier League, where he scored his only goal away to Southampton, and six in the Europa League.
Former United defender Wes Brown, a product of the club’s academy, backed the 25-year-old to succeed under new boss Ruben Amorim. He claimed back in December that he “can be an elite defender” and will “find his rhythm” under the Portuguese manager.
He has indeed been important under the tutelage of Amorim so far. De Ligt has featured in all but two of United’s games with Amorim at the helm so far, and it does not seem likely that he will become any less important in the coming months.
De Ligt scores against Southampton.
The Red Devils actually sold someone once compared to De Ligt, which could have meant they never signed the Dutchman. However, things did not quite work out for this player.
The defender who Man United sold
The player in question here is academy graduate Teden Mengi. The Manchester-born centre-back seemed like he had a big future at Old Trafford, but never managed to break into the first team.
He was a prominent player in the Red Devils academy, featuring for the under-18s, under-19s, and under-21s a combined total of 83 times. He was also the captain of various academy sides on multiple occasions.
Former United manager and club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once described the centre-back as “something special”, and compared him to De Ligt. He explained that just as Ten Hag put his trust in De Ligt as a youngster at Ajax, there was potential for Mengi to experience the same thing at United. Like United’s number four, Solskjaer said Mengi was “ready” for the challenge.
Sadly for the former England under-21 international, he never made it at United. He made just two first-team appearances for his boyhood club, both substitute appearances in European competitions.
After loan spells at Derby County and Birmingham City, the defender moved to Luton Town on a permanent deal in 2023, leaving United after years spent at the club and being ruthlessly sold by Ten Hag. He has since gone on to make 50 appearances for the Hatters and is valued at around £8.3m via Transfermarkt, up from £1.7m when he left the club..
Even though he has departed Old Trafford, Mengi has impressed at the highest level, thriving for Luton in the top flight last term. It was a difficult campaign for the team, who got relegated, but the defender impressed. As per Sofascore, he averaged 4.2 ball recoveries per game and won 58% of his aerial duels.
Games
30
Pass accuracy
78%
Tackles and interceptions per game
3.7
Ball recoveries per game
4.2
Clearances per game
4.5
Ground duel win rate
57%
Aerial duel win rate
58%
It is a shame that things did not work out for Mengi at Old Trafford, the club where he spent such a long time. However, he has certainly gone on to have a good start to his career away from United.
Had things gone differently, the Red Devils might never have needed to sign De Ligt and could have had another academy star thriving in his role.
Saved by Zirkzee & Maguire: 3/10 Man Utd star must be axed after Leicester
The Man Utd man had fewer touches than Onana in the win over Leicester.
Fair to say, it’s been an eventful week at Everton.
On Thursday, mere hours before their FA Cup tie at home to Peterborough United, it was announced that Sean Dyche had been sacked, leaving Leighton Baines and club captain Séamus Coleman in caretaker charge, overseeing an unspectacular 2-0 victory.
Remarkably, this is the first time any Premier League club have sacked their manager on the day of a game, prior to kick off, for 30 years.
Everton manager Sean Dyche
Then, on Saturday morning, it was confirmed that David Moyes had returned, 13 years after leaving Merseyside for Manchester United, having overseen a whopping 518 matches during his first spell in charge.
With the Toffees currently 16th in the Premier League table, a mere one point clear of the relegation zone, reinforcements are needed, but could the first arrival of the second Moyes-era be imminent?
Everton want to bolster their forward line
According to a report by TEAMtalk, Everton are ‘in talks’ with Olympique Lyonnais over the signing of Ernest Nuamah.
Meanwhile, reports from France on social media claim the deal is only ‘one step away’ with an ‘agreement almost reached between the different parties.’
Numah joined Lyon from Danish Superligaen side Nordsjælland for a reported €30m in 2023, suggesting the Blues are unlikely to get him on the cheap.
However, as noted by Colin Millar, Matt Slater and Matt Woosnam of the Athletic, les Gones have been provisionally relegated from Ligue 1 “following an audit of their finances”, informed they must “satisfactorily improve their financial situation before the end of this season”.
Olympique Lyonnais'ErnestNuamahduring the match
As a result, Nuamah appears set to be sacrificed, although no Everton supporter should consider this a done deal until he has officially put pen to paper.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
That’s because, in the summer, Nuamah was reportedly on the verge of joining Fulham, only to “vanish” part-way through his medical, after breaking down in tears, declaring his love for OL and refusing to move to West London, with American owner John Texter subsequently forced to send an apology letter to the Cottagers.
Fair to say, the Toffees will be hoping to avoid similar complications.
How Ernest Nuamah compares to Dwight McNeil
Ghanian commentator George Addo Jnr on Twitter describes his compatriot as “some talent”, with journalist Owuraku Ampofo adding that he is “a fantastic dribbler”.
Wesley Mak of Opta’s The Analyst labels him as “a multi-functional forward” capable of playing anywhere across the front three, comparing him to West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, another Ghanian attacker who began his career at the world-renowned Right to Dream Academy.
Well, considering Everton are the Premier League’s second-lowest scorers this season, ranked rock-bottom for xG, the Blues need all the attacking reinforcement they can get, but how does Nuamah compare to their joint-top scorer Dwight McNeil?
Appearances
56
56
Minutes
3,205
4,732
Goal
8
7
Expected goals
6
4.3
Assists
4
10
Expected assists
5.1
12.2
Shots on target %
39.7%
27.4%
Shot-creating actions
109
190
Crosses
122
365
Attempted take-ons
160
103
Progressive carries
146
111
The table outlines that these two wingers are stylistically very different.
McNeil is much more a creator, hence why he’s accumulated significantly more assists and expected assists while, last season, only eight players across Europe’s “top five” leagues put in more crosses than his 229; Dyche-ball at its finest.
Dwight McNeil for Everton
Meanwhile, Nuamah is much more of a dribbler, registering more take-ons and progressive carries, with the Ghanian significantly more of a goal threat, bagging 15 goals during his final campaign at Nordsjælland, on target against such illustrious opponents as Paris Saint-Germain and Eintracht Frankfurt since making to move to Lyon.
Well, considering Everton have scored nil during eight of their last ten Premier League outings, failing to find the net in a whopping 39% of the league games Dyche took charge of, Nuamah will certainly be a welcome addition for all Evertonians.
Could be an awful Lookman repeat: £100k-p/w Everton star in talks to leave
Everton could be set to sell one of their highest earners this month
Both Wilfred Gnonto and Tyler Adams could sign new deals at Leeds United following their relegation from the Premier League according to Phil Hay
The pair were two of the Yorkshire club's best performers last season as the side suffered relegation from the top flight.
Will Tyler Adams and Wilfred Gnonto play for Leeds United next season?
Leeds will be hoping that both players stay at the club.
The American and Italian internationals both arrived at Elland Road in the summer of 2022 for £20m and £3.8m respectively, and both impressed in what was a disappointing campaign for the club.
Adams was incredibly impressive, with his 6.73 average rating on WhoScored being the highest in the entire Leeds squad, whilst Sky Sports pundit Stephan Warnock was full of praise after his Man of the Match performance against Liverpool in October, saying: “Tyler Adams, what a performance! He is not a pleasing player on the eye that’s going to hit 50 to 60 yard diagonals. He’s not going to dictate the speed of play. But what he’s going to do, he’s going to be a menace and he’s going to be a player who closes down extremely well. Magnificent performance from an extremely important player for Leeds.”
wilfried-gnonto-leeds-united-1
Gnonto also looked bright in his first season following his move from FC Zurich, with the 19-year-old managing eight goal contributions across all competitions for the Whites, with goals against the likes of Manchester United and West Ham United showing that the player with promising potential could also deliver. Former Leeds caretaker manager Michael Skubala heaped praise on the forward after his display at Old Trafford, stating: “He’s a great lad, he’s a special player. He’s a credit to Leeds, he’s a credit to himself and he’s a really nice player to work with.”
Both players have attracted interest from Premier League sides this window, with Adams reportedly a target of Aston Villa, whilst Gnonto was the subject of a £15m bid from Everton which the club rejected.
Speaking on The Square Ball podcast, when asked whether Gnonton and Adams staying could be tied in with a new contract, Hay revealed that Leeds may be able to tie down both players to new deals: “I suspect so with Gnonto and potentially with Adams as well. I think it would have to be some carrot with it to persuade them that it was the right thing to do. It’s slightly different for Gnonto to Adams, they’re at different stages in their career, Adams clearly USA captain already and has the World Cup coming up, but I don’t necessarily feel that for either of them a really good season in the championship, a promotion year in the championship would damage them or their reputation”
Should Adams and Gnonto stay at Leeds?
It could be beneficial for the duo to stay at Leeds this season
For Gnonto, interest from Everton may not represent the biggest step forward in his career. The Toffees only just survived relegation on the last day of the season thanks to a 1-0 victory against Bournemouth, and are expected to be in a similar situation next season, whilst Leeds could bounce straight back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Ultimately it will come down to whether Gnonto believes he needs to play Premier League football next season, or whether a strong season in England's second tier will keep him in the Italian national team and keep his development on track.
It's more difficult in regard to Adams' situation, as the interest in him from Aston Villa and West Ham would give the USA international the opportunity to return to playing European football in either the Europa League or the Conference League. The midfielder may also be in line for more regular starts at the Hammers following the departure of club captain Declan Rice for £105m, with the club needing a replacement in his position, which Adams played in last season for the Whites.
Leeds will be desperate to keep their star players as they give them the best chance at bouncing straight back up from the championship, and new deals would do just that amid Premier League interest.
Manchester United are about to receive an offer for one of their players, but it is expected to be way below their asking price, according to a new report.
Man Utd looking to sign attackers this summer
As the season continues, it is quite clear that the Red Devils need to improve their forward line, as a lack of goals and a cutting edge is really costing the Premier League side. Rasmus Hojlund continues to lead the line for United, but the Denmark international is struggling a lot in front of goal, and his performances under Ruben Amorim have been nothing to shout about.
Amorim now personally pushing Man Utd chiefs to sign "exciting" £66m winger
United are among several teams interested in a young winger and Amorim is the driving force behind that interest.
ByBrett Worthington Mar 3, 2025
Therefore, a move away could be on the cards, and it was reported over the weekend that United are preparing a £33 million offer to sign Victor Osimhen, which includes Hojlund moving in the opposite direction. Napoli were interested in signing Hojlund before he moved to Old Trafford, and the Red Devils will be hoping that the interest remains despite his struggles in Manchester.
Galatasaray's VictorOsimhencelebrates after the match
As well as signing a new number nine, United are also looking at a new number 10, and Amorim is pushing the club to sign Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP. Amorim has worked with the player before, and he is now keen to reunite with the attacker, as he fits into his system with his versatility and high intensity. However, they are not alone in their pursuit, as Manchester City are also keen, and FC Barcelona are also keeping an eye on the situation.
Man Utd braced for £16m offer for Antony with talks planned over sale
For United to bring in these attacking players, there are going to have to be a few departures, and one player who is expected to leave in the summer is winger Antony. Now, according to Stretty News, Man United are expected to receive an offer for Antony from Real Betis which is far below their asking price.
Manchester United'sAntonyduring the warm up before the match
The Brazilian is currently enjoying an extremely successful loan at the Spanish side after joining in January, and despite there still being a few months of the campaign left to play, Betis are ready to make his move to the club into a permanent switch.
The report claims that Betis are planning to open talks with United over a permanent deal but are looking to halve the asking price in those talks, as they are willing to make a bid between €20m and €25m (£16-20 million).
However, United are looking to get between €40m-50m (£33-41 million) for the Brazilian – INEOS believe they can get that much for Antony because while he has struggled in England he has excelled in Spain, scoring two goals and grabbing two assists in five La Liga games.
Apps
7
Goals
3
Assists
2
Antony is under contract at Old Trafford until 2027, but given Amorim allowed him to leave on loan, it means it is likely he doesn’t feature in his plans going forward, and therefore, a sale could well go through if they can meet a middle ground on price in the coming months.
It’s the third year on the bounce that Mikel Arteta’s side have fought for the Premier League, but instead of Manchester City, it’s Liverpool who, as things stand, look set to pip them to the crown.
The North Londoners haven’t been at their scintillating best for much of the campaign, but they have also been incredibly unlucky with injuries, with their two best attackers, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, out injured.
Worse still, a player the club released as a youngster continues to thrive at the very highest level and has already scored more goals than Saka and Havertz combined.
Havertz and Saka's seasons
So, it would be fair to say that since he moved to Arsenal for £65m in June 2023, Havterz has been a player who has split opinions among fans and pundits alike.
The German international initially joined the club as a midfield option, but halfway through last season, when he was struggling to adapt, Arteta opted to move him up and make him the team’s starting number nine, which was a decision that more than paid off.
By the end of the campaign, the former Chelsea ace had scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 51 games, but eight of those goals and seven of those assists came in just 18 appearances up top, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.2 games.
He hasn’t been quite as clinical this season and has received flak for it, but we’d argue that the Aachen-born marksman has been more effective than people have given him credit for, as in 34 appearances, he’s scored 15 goals and provided five assists, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 1.7 games, and also makes him the club’s top scorer.
From one player who sometimes has as many critics as fans to one who was in simply sensational form prior to his unfortunate hamstring injury: Saka.
In just 24 appearances, totalling 1828 minutes, the Gunners’ “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored nine goals and provided 13 assists, which comes out to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.09 games, or every 83.09 minutes.
In short, Arsenal are in for a serious uphill battle if they are going to overtake Liverpool without these two in the team, which makes the club’s distant decision to release a prolific goalscorer, who has more goals than he pair combined this season, as a child even harder to take today.
The former Arsenal prospect outscoring Saka and Havertz
With a club the size of Arsenal, there will always be incredible youngsters who slip through the gaps, such as Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Donyell Malen.
Crystal Palace player Michael Olise
However, we aren’t sure many teams have made the decision to release a player who would end up being as unbelievably talented as Harry Kane.
The England captain was a part of Hale End until he was around 12 years old, when then-academy manager Roy Massey decided to release him, as he didn’t believe the youngster had what was needed to make it in the game.
Harry Kane for England
Now, while the club have since come to regret that decision in a big, big way, it did take about three years for Tottenham Hotspur to swoop in and pick him up after he spent a few weeks on trial with Watford, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Following a number of loans around the Football League, the Walthamstow-born star finally made it into the Lilywhites’ first team and went on to become their all-time top goalscorer, racking up an incredible haul of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 games before securing a mega-money move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.
The “world-class” centre forward, as dubbed by Harry Maguire, has been just as devastating in Germany, and this season, he has already scored 29 goals and provided ten assists in just 31 appearances, totalling 2459 minutes.
That means he is not only outscoring Havertz and Saka combined, but he’s also averaging 1.25 goal involvements every game, or one every 63.05 minutes, which is utterly outrageous and the sort of output that would surely fire Arteta’s men to the title.
Appearances
31
24
34
Minutes
2459′
1828′
2776′
Goals
29
9
15
Assists
10
13
5
Goal Involvements per Match
1.25
0.91
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
63.05′
83.09′
138.8′
Ultimately, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and Arsenal are blessed with a plethora of incredibly talented players of their own, but a world in which they kept hold of Kane is one that might’ve seen them win a lot more silverware.
An £85m superstar in the making: Arsenal struck gold on "incredible" dynamo
The sensational talent is already a game-changer for Arsenal.
As they continue their chase for Championship promotion, Sheffield United have reportedly turned their attention towards signing a second tier gem who has been in fine form as of late.
Sheffield United transfer news
The Blades have been given the tough task of keeping up with Leeds United in the race to win the Championship title this season, but they’ve done exactly that so far – defeating Middlesbrough 3-1 to stay within two points of the Whites.
Currently on course to achieve promotion to the Premier League, Sheffield United would be wise to keep one eye on the summer transfer window given how they’ve failed to recruit well enough to stay in the top-flight in the past.
With staying in the Premier League after promotion becoming increasingly difficult too, they simply cannot afford to get things wrong again if they secure promotion this season.
SheffieldUnitedmanagerChris Wilder reacts after the match
Of course, though, there is still plenty of work to do in the current campaign with just three points separating themselves and Burnley in the fight to secure automatic promotion and, therefore, avoid the unpredictability of the play-offs.
Whether they earn promotion or not, meanwhile, it looks as though those at Bramall Lane have set their sights on their first summer target. According to Football Insider, Sheffield United are now plotting a move to sign Oliver Lynch from Luton Town at the end of the season after sending scouts to watch the young forward on loan at Hemel Hempstead.
He's outscoring Hamer: Sheffield United must wish £16.9m ace never left
This former Sheffield United attacker has become even better since exiting South Yorkshire.
ByKelan Sarson Feb 11, 2025
Stealing the headlines in the National League South, Lynch has reportedly attracted the attention of scouts from the Blades, Wrexham and West Bromwich Albion in what could create quite the battle for his signature.
Standing at a staggering 6’5, the 19-year-old is one to watch when the transfer window swings open once again.
"Immense" Lynch is one for the future
With four goals in five games in the National League South, Lynch has been too hot to handle for those in England’s fifth-tier and looks destined to return to Luton Town before perhaps earning a move elsewhere. With a number of clubs seemingly interested in his signature, the teenager will certainly have an important decision to make when the summer arrives.
Full of praise for his loanee, Hemel Hempstead manager Lee Allinson recently told Hemel Today after Lynch found the back of the net against Farnborough Town: “We do our due diligence on players and Lynchy was one I kept my eye on after I’d faced him with Hendon against Dulwich.
“I like him, he’s a handful and I thought he was immense today and him and Joe [Iaciofano] worked tirelessly to give people a moment’s rest. He also scored an unbelievable goal and could have had another one just before half-time as well.”
Whilst Lynch is unlikely to make an immediate impact should Sheffield United swoop in, he is one for the future and a player who could lead the Blades’ line for years to come.