AC Milan have made contact with Nottingham Forest over a deal for a £26m Nuno signing who now wants to leave.
Forest on the up under the helm of Dyche
Ange Postecoglou didn’t last long after replacing Nuno earlier this season, but Sean Dyche has really managed to turn things around, with his side now four points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, after defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.
The Tricky Trees edged out a 1-0 victory against the bottom-placed side, courtesy of an Igor Jesus goal with just under 20 minutes left to play, meaning they finally have some breathing room, and survival is looking increasingly likely.
Dyche praised his side’s mindset in the narrow victory, saying: “They kept going and throwing things at us. I’m pleased with our mentality. You saw the way we dug it out, they threw a lot at us second half and we dealt with it well.”
In fairness, given that Forest qualified for the Europa League last season and spent heavily in the summer, relegation shouldn’t be on the cards, but it would be fair to say some of their recent additions haven’t hit the ground running at the City Ground.
Arnaud Kalimuendo, who arrived from Rennes for £26m, has particularly struggled to make an impact, having failed to score in his opening seven Premier League games, predominantly being utilised as a substitute.
According to a report from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the striker could be offered an exit route soon, with it being revealed that AC Milan have made contact with Nottingham Forest CEO Lina Souloukou over a potential deal.
Kalimuendo now wants to leave Forest, amid a lack of game time, featuring for just 81 mintues across his seven Premier League appearances this season, and clubs from Italy are lining up to sign him, with AS Roma also being named as potential suitors.
Forest should sanction Kalimuendo departure this January
In truth, it is probably best for all parties if the centre-forward moves on this summer, given that he clearly hasn’t managed to impress all three of Forest’s managers this season, given the lack of game time in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old has impressed at times in the Europa League, most recently scoring in the 3-0 victory over Malmo FF, but he was unable to make an impact as a substitute against Brighton in the following match, failing to register a single shot.
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In fairness, it is difficult to have a major impact coming on late in the game, and Kalimuendo may need to be given a Premier League start if he is to prove himself.
However, with Jesus recently scoring his first Premier League goal, and Chris Wood still to return from injury, opportunities are likely to be even more limited going forward, and it may be worth Forest cutting their losses in the January transfer window.
“It will help in Shubman’s growth as a captain. It’s good if young and experienced play together”
Tristan Lavalette17-Oct-20252:16
What to expect from Rohit, Kohli in this phase of their careers?
The symbolism was striking. During India’s main training session ahead of the first ODI against Australia, Virat Kohli was having a typically intense hit with Rohit Sharma to his left in the next net at Optus Stadium.Shortly after, India’s last two Test and ODI skippers were joined in the nets by their successor Shubman Gill, who started preparation ahead of his ODI captaincy debut as a new era begins.Having set such a commanding tone launching his Test captaincy against England, where he finished as the highest run-scorer with 754 runs at an average of 75.40, Gill has suddenly become the face of Indian cricket.Although his predecessors, especially Kohli, still hog most of the attention publicly as gleaned by a strong Perth media presence and smattering of fans around Optus Stadium following their every move.Related
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It could be viewed as an awkward balancing act amid a transition for this India team after Kohli and Rohit dominated the leadership over the past decade, a particularly fruitful period across formats.But their presence will undoubtedly deflect some spotlight off Gill, who can ease into the role with the support of his sage team-mates as India make their first steps towards the 2027 World Cup.”This is a great experience for Shubman too. Rohit are here and Shubman is doing the captaincy. It will help in Shubman’s growth as a captain. It’s good if young and experienced play together.”While typically steely in the nets, Kohli has been notably jovial during the first couple of days of the Australian white-ball tour.After his 40-minute net session on Friday, Kohli clearly enjoyed himself bantering with several team-mates leading to much laughter all around. India’s training sessions have had a relaxed vibe around them, perhaps a sign of things to come in this new era.But much focus of this three-match ODI series will be on the performances of Rohit and Kohli, almost certainly their farewell on Australian soil, at the top of the order.Shubman Gill won his first Test series at home as captain•BCCI”If you look at their form, the way the two of them have prepared – they trained at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and also played practice games – I think they are ready performance-wise,” Axar said.”They look in good touch in the training sessions. And if you talk about their physical fitness, of course everyone has passed their fitness tests, I think they are ready to go.”The series is a chance for Gill, 26, to start moulding a XI in a bid to put his stamp on the ODI team. Axar, 31, looms as an intriguing player, whose versatility makes him so appealing in the shorter formats.Having been picked ahead of Ravindra Jadeja for this tour, there will be pressure on Axar who is set to bat at No.5 and will be India’s leading allrounder with Hardik Pandya on the sidelines due to injury.”I am very confident about this series,” Axar, who last played in Australia during the 2022 T20 World Cup, said. “In the Asia Cup, I did well with bat and ball. I am ready for the challenge.”If you look at my growth – I came here in 2015 for the first time during the World Cup – I have been with the Indian team regularly in recent years.”I know what I have to do. The team relies on me now – ‘it’s Axar, he can get us the results’. If you perform continuously, you get the confidence too.”I am more confident now and I know and I can do my bit to win games for my team.”
Rumoured Celtic manager target Craig Bellamy has shared praise for one Hoops player who has impressed under Martin O’Neill.
Celtic linked with shock Bellamy move
The Hoops are yet to appoint Brendan Rodgers’ permanent successor, with O’Neill steadying the ship with wins over Falkirk and Rangers.
The Irishman booked Celtic’s place in the Scottish League Cup final at the weekend and there have been class he could stay on until the end of the current campaign due to his relationship with Dermot Desmond.
Wales boss Bellamy has been one of numerous managers linked with the full-time vacancy, though, with those at Parkhead even weighing up contact at the end of October.
Celtic can make Tierney completely unplayable by hiring 4-2-3-1 manager
Bellamy has even spoken out on the rumours of a move to Glasgow, saying: “It’s not on my radar – and it won’t be on my radar. I can understand the links because I played there, [now] I’m coaching, so I definitely understand the links.
“But to me, I love what I’m doing at this present moment. I have to be honest, I’m completely focused on what’s to come. It looks it’s going to be a play-off in March, we know that and to me, that’s all I’m focused on and I know it’s a little bit cliched, but it’s the honest truth.
“I couldn’t want for anything more than what I have at this present moment and that’s where it lies with me.”
Bellamy shares praise for Celtic teenager Callum Osmand
Bellamy also expressed his disappointment that he could not consider Celtic teenager Callum Osmand for Wales selection after a change in the rules around the eligibility of players from the Channel Islands.
Jersey-born forward Osmand was capped by Wales at Under-16 and Under-17 level when players from the Channel Islands were able to represent any of the four Home Nations.
But a change in the rules means players from the Channel Islands – British Crown Dependencies who are not full FIFA or UEFA members – are now only eligible to play for England, and Osmand’s Wales career is at an end as he has no Welsh heritage.
Osmand made a dramatic impact since Celtic interim managers O’Neill and Shaun Maloney came in.
He made his senior debut in Celtic’s 4-0 win over Falkirk and netted his first goal for the club in Sunday’s 3-1 Hampden victory over Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final. The 19-year-old has even been added to Celtic’s Europa League squad.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping to power Arsenal’s Premier League title bid. The Gunners are looking to land a first top-flight crown since the fabled ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04, with their Spanish head coach prepared to use all of the tools available to him. He has, however, urged caution when leaning on technology for assistance.
Unique methods: Arteta seeking marginal gains
Arteta has become renowned for his somewhat unique take on coaching, with an Amazon Prime documentary series lifting the lid on his occasionally bizarre methods of motivation – which once included playing crowd noise in training sessions. He is always seeking marginal gains.
In the modern era, that means taking advantage of the many sources of advice that are available. AI services are on hand to answer questions and simplify masses of data, with Arteta conceding that he is among those to have explored potential benefits there.
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Former Arsenal Women's boss uses ChatGPT
Former Arsenal women’s team coach Laura Harvey, who now works with the Seattle Reign in NWSL, recently told the of ChatGPT influencing her tactical decisions: “One day in the offseason, I was writing things into ChatGPT like, ‘What is Seattle Reign’s identity?’ And it would spurt it out. And I was like, ‘I don’t know if that’s true or not’. “And then like, ‘what do you need to do to be successful in the NWSL?’ Like really broad questions.
“And then I put in, ‘What formation should you play to beat NWSL teams?’ And it spurted out every team in the league and what formation you should play. And for two teams — I’m not going to say who they are because they’ll know — it went, ‘You should play a back five.’ So I did. No joke, that’s why I did it.
“It was early in the season and I said to the coaching staff, I’m not joking this is what I did. And they were like, ‘huh, interesting’. We researched it, we did a deep dive on it, we thought about how we could play it. And we went for it, and we liked it. It worked. We won the game. It didn’t tell you how to play it or what to do in it or any of that stuff. It was just like ‘this is what we would say to do’. And I was like, ‘alright’. And that was what spurred me to look into it. So then I really looked into it.”
How Arteta is using AI at Arsenal
Quizzed on whether he is treading a similar path, Arteta said of using AI to evaluate performances and identify areas of improvement: “It’s a tool that is super powerful if you use it in the right way and you ask the right questions. It’s in use already for many things and many processes that can help not just a team but an organisation as well. It will improve and it will give us good insight, or things at least to think about. I’m not an expert but it’s a valuable tool.
“We have developed certain things that in our opinion can help us to understand ourselves better and evaluate what we do and what we can improve. And then we will explore using it in many other areas of the club.”
He added on tech tools being unable to replicate the skills required to deal with players on a personal level: “If it’s reliable, it can help us [for injuries], for sure but always without losing the sensitivity and feeling and following your gut. We are dealing with human beings and that’s an aspect that, so far, it is not able to replace.
“With the stats, it is about how do I interpret those stats and how reliable they are? You can get very confused, very annoyed, immediately. But this data means nothing, because you have to analyse. What is the methodology of that? And if you don’t understand that, and you just look at the data, then you can have a big problem.”
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North London derby & Kane: Arsenal fixtures
Arsenal have opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, but dropped two in the latest outing after being held to a dramatic 2-2 draw at Sunderland.
With another international break being reached, the Gunners will be back in action on November 23 when playing host to arch-rivals Tottenham in the north London derby – before then tackling Harry Kane and Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
One of the most significant managerial decisions of the 2024 World Series was made by Dave Roberts late into Game 5 when he opted to keep Blake Treinen on the mound in the eighth inning during a one-run game.
Roberts admitted he received some unspoken help from Freddie Freeman when it came to making that decision.
Roberts visited the mound to gauge how Treinen was doing after the veteran surrendered a double to Aaron Judge and walked Jazz Chisholm. With Giancarlo Stanton due up in the batting order, the right-handed reliever unsurprisingly bargained to remain in the game.
Treinen induced a softly-hit fly out from Stanton, and Roberts had planned to pull him after that at-bat, before catching a glance from Freeman out of his peripheral vision.
"I give Freddie credit," Roberts said, via ESPN. "Freddie was waving me off. He kind of subtly kind of said, 'Hey, let him stay in.' So then I trusted the players, and Blake made a pitch."
Roberts left Treinen on the mound to face Anthony Rizzo, despite approaching 40 pitches at that point and throwing into a less favorable matchup in terms of handedness. He struck him out on four pitches, paving the way for Walker Buehler to take the ninth inning and shut the door on the Yankees.
Had Roberts not caught the glance from Freeman out of the corner of his eye, he may have opted for a pitching change, which could have drastically altered how the remainder of the game played out.
كشف ماهر غريب، رئيس المنظومة الإعلامية بنادي الزمالك، عن آخر استعدادات الأبيض قبل مواجهة بيراميدز في كأس السوبر المصري، متحدثًا عن جاهزية اللاعبين، وموقف الغيابات، بالإضافة إلى كواليس تعيين أحمد عبد الرؤوف مديرًا فنيًا، وردّه على الجدل المثار بشأن مدرب حراس المرمى الجديد، وأزمة إيقاف القيد، ومستقبل بعض اللاعبين.
وقال ماهر غريب، في تصريحات عبر برنامج “اللعيب” على قناة “MBC مصر”: “الأجواء جيدة، والزمالك جاهز بإذن الله لمباراة الغد أمام بيراميدز، وكل الأجواء داخل الفريق مبشّرة، الحقيقة أنّ جهودًا كبيرة جدًا بُذلت من الجميع من أجل تجهيز الفريق للمشاركة في بطولة السوبر، الغيابات بالطبع ستكون مؤثرة بعض الشيء، خاصة غياب دونجا المعروف، وكذلك غياب خوان بيزيرا، ولكن كما يُقال: البركة في الموجودين، فالزمالك بمن حضر”.
وعند سؤاله عمّا إذا كان من الممكن أن يشارك بيزيرا في المباراة الثانية بكأس السوبر، قال: “من الصعب حسم هذا الأمر حاليًا، فقد أجرى اللاعب تدريبات علاجية بالأمس، وهناك محاولات لتجهيزه، لكن لا يوجد تأكيد حتى الآن بشأن لحاقه بالمباراة أو عدمه”.
وتابع: “الزمالك يفكر حاليًا في مباراة بيراميدز فقط، ومن الصعب التفكير في النهائي في هذا التوقيت، نسير خطوة بخطوة، وبعد الانتهاء من مواجهة بيراميدز سيتم تحديد وضعية باقي اللاعبين سواء بيزيرا أو غيره، التفكير في مباراة النهائي الآن لن يكون في مصلحة الفريق”.
وعن موقف أحمد فتوح ومحمد صبحي، قال: “مصيرهما سيتحدد بإذن الله صباح يوم المباراة، حيث يتابع الكابتن أحمد عبد الرؤوف حالتهما، وأعتقد أن الأمور تسير نحو مشاركتهما كأساسيين في اللقاء إن شاء الله”.
وتعيين أحمد عبد الرؤوف مديرًا فنيًا للفريق، قال: “الثقة في مدرب من أبناء النادي خطوة إيجابية جدًا، من الجيد أن تُمنح الثقة لأحد أبناء الزمالك، خصوصًا في ظل الظروف الصعبة التي تم فيها إنهاء التعاقد مع المدرب البلجيكي فيريرا، إذ كان الوقت ضيقًا للغاية”.
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وأضاف: “أحمد عبد الرؤوف انضم إلى الجهاز الفني منذ 48 ساعة فقط قبل تكليفه بمهمة المدير الفني، وأعتقد أن وجهة نظر الإدارة بالتنسيق مع المدير الرياضي جون إدوارد كانت صائبة بإسناد المهمة إليه، فهو أحد أبناء النادي، وسبق أن خاض تجربة تدريبية في الدوري الممتاز مع بلدية المحلة الموسم الماضي، وقدّم مباريات جيدة، ولو كانت لديه إمكانات أكبر حينها لكان شكل فريق بلدية المحلة أفضل”.
وتابع: “هو أحد أبناء النادي ومدرب يتمتع بشخصية قوية وطموح كبير في مجال التدريب، الدعم الذي يلقاه من جميع عناصر النادي، إلى جانب ترحيب جماهير الزمالك به، عوامل ستساعده كثيرًا على تحقيق الآمال المعقودة عليه بإذن الله”.
وأردف: “ولمَ لا يكون أحد المدربين الذين يتركون بصمة في تاريخ الزمالك؟ فالنادي لطالما أنجب مدربين كثر من أبنائه قادوا فرقًا عديدة في الدوري الممتاز، بإذن الله سيكون واحدًا من هؤلاء، ويترك بصمة واضحة مع الفريق الأول، وتكون هذه البداية خيرًا له، ليصبح من المدربين الذين يُعتمد عليهم مستقبلًا بشكل كبير”.
الجدل المثار بشأن مدرب حراس المرمى الجديد، قال غريب: “المدرب موجود بالفعل مع الفريق، وتم الاتفاق معه، وأرى أن الجدل الدائر حول هذا الموضوع يبدو ممنهجًا وغريبًا، خاصة أن ما حدث لا يُعد أمرًا غير مسبوق، فهناك لاعبون ومدربون آخرون في أندية مختلفة واجهوا مواقف مشابهة، المدرب برتغالي الجنسية، وسبق له العمل في مصر، فلماذا لم يُثر أحد هذا الجدل عندما عمل مع نادي فاركو؟”.
وأضاف: “الأمر مُبالغ فيه، وأعتقد أن جماهير الزمالك واللاعبين والجهاز الفني يدركون تمامًا أن الهدف من مثل هذه الأمور هو تشتيت تركيز الفريق قبل المباريات المهمة، يجب أن يكون المعيار واحدًا؛ فما يُطبق على الزمالك يجب أن يُطبق على الجميع والعكس، ولكن للأسف، نجد أن الزمالك دائمًا هو محور الانتقادات والشائعات، سواء بالحديث عن رحيل المدرب أو غضب الإدارة، وهذا أمر غير طبيعي”.
وشدد: “الفرق الكبيرة تُعامل معاملة الكبار، وأحيانًا يكون الصمت هو دليل القوة وليس الضعف، أكرر: الصمت نابع من القوة، ليس مطلوبًا الرد على كل صغيرة وكبيرة، فالأجدر أن ننشغل بالعمل داخل الملعب، علينا أن نتساءل: هل ما يحدث يخدم كرة القدم المصرية فعلاً؟”.
وبشأن أزمة إيقاف القيد، قال: “لا توجد مشكلة، إيقاف القيد الحالي يتعلق بفترة القيد الشتوية في يناير، ونحن الآن في شهر نوفمبر، بإذن الله في يناير لن يكون هناك أي إيقاف، والأمر بسيط جدًا ولا يستحق كل هذه الضجة أو القلق”.
وأضاف: “قبل عدة أشهر، سدد الزمالك ما يقارب سبعة ملايين دولار من مستحقات لاعبين ومدربين كانت لديهم قضايا لدى فيفا، فمن يسدد هذا المبلغ الكبير لا يُعقل أن يُثار حوله الجدل بسبب خمسين ألف أو مئة ألف دولار! هناك أولويات في النادي، فقد تُوجَّه مثل هذه المبالغ لدعم فرق أخرى مثل كرة السلة أو اليد، الأمر لا يتعلق بتعمّد الدخول في أزمات بل بإدارة الأولويات، أؤكد مرة أخرى: في يناير لن يكون هناك أي إيقاف قيد للزمالك”.
وعند سؤاله عن وجود نية لتجميد اللاعب حسام عبد المجيد، أجاب: “بصراحة لا أرى أن هذا سؤال يستحق الرد، فحتى آخر مباراة، أمام طلائع الجيش، كان اللاعب أساسيًا، لذلك الحديث عن تجميده غير منطقي ولا يستحق التعليق”.
واختتم: “إذا كانت صفقة انتقال حامد حمدان إلى الزمالك لم تُستكمل في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية، فبإذن الله سيكون لاعبًا في صفوف الزمالك خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية المقبلة، وهذا هو المتوقع والمأمول”.
Visitors slide against spin after being made to follow on as Glamorgan revival continues
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(File photo) Matthew Kuhnemann claimed career-best figures•Getty Images
Australia international Matt Kuhnemann ripped through Middlesex’s top order either side of lunch as Glamorgan cruised to a ten-wicket victory in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two clash at Sophia Gardens.The left-arm spinner, available for this match only before his involvement in the World Test Championship final next month, ensured he left a lasting impression in Cardiff, returning career-best figures of 6 for 53.It is the first time since 2015 that the Welsh county have achieved three Championship wins on the bounce and the only time in their history that they have achieved the feat by winning each match inside three days. Victory propels Glamorgan, temporarily at least, into second place behind leaders Leicestershire and marks a truly remarkable turnaround for Sam Northeast’s men, who, after the opening three fixtures, sat 19 points adrift at the bottom of the table.With a soggy bank holiday Monday predicted in Cardiff and a first hour utterly dominated by the Middlesex opening pair of Sam Robson and Max Holden it was starting to look like a victory that might slip through the fingers of the home side.After Middlesex were asked to follow-on 228 runs behind the hosts, Robson appeared to be on a one-man mission to reduce the deficit as he flayed Glamorgan’s attack to all parts during the early exchanges – his first 28 runs came courtesy of boundaries as he raced to a half-century off just 40 balls, which included 10 fours.In an attempt to gain some control, Glamorgan turned to spin in just the 15th over of the morning. When Kuhnemann’s first ball was drilled disdainfully through extra cover for four by Holden it appeared little was about to change. However, with the score on 98, Kuhnemann found Holden’s inside edge and Asa Tribe took a sharp catch at short leg to begin the Middlesex slide.Robson soon followed, failing to pick a Kuhnemann arm-ball, the former England man trapped on the crease lbw for an entertaining 66 off just 58 balls. When the Aussie bowled Leus du Plooy through the gate, the game had suddenly been broken wide open with Middlesex reduced to 113 for 3.As lunch approached, Timm van der Gugten got in on the act for Glamorgan, Luke Hollman edging into the cordon where Kiran Carlson took a smart, low catch at second slip. It capped an extraordinary end to what was looking like being a rather chastening morning session for Glamorgan, four wickets had fallen for just 17 runs and 98 for 0 had suddenly become 115 for 4.Bright sunshine greeted the players as the afternoon session got underway, however, the upturn in weather failed to bring a change of fortune for Middlesex. Ben Geddes decided attack was the best form of defensive but his expansive drive off Kuhnemann was miscued and Zain-ul-Hassan took an excellent back-peddling catch at wide mid-off to give the spinner his fourth wicket.James Harris (2-65) removed Ryan Higgins and Zafar Gohar to leave the visitors reeling on 160 for 7 before Kuhnemann had Middlesex keeper Jack Davies caught on the midwicket fence for his fifth wicket of the innings.At 190 for 8, Middlesex were facing the prosect of an innings defeat but skipper Toby Roland-Jones refused to go down without a fight, unleashing a series of lofty blows on his way to 57 off just 42 balls with four sixes. He too was caught in the deep by Harris, this time off van der Gugten (2-29) before Kuhnemann dismissed No. 11 Dane Paterson to record his maiden six-wicket haul in first-class cricket.The Middlesex innings closed on 235, meaning Glamorgan required just 8 runs for victory, which they knocked off without any alarms after 2.2 overs.With attention now turning to the Vitality Blast, both sides will be back in County Championship action on Sunday June 22. Glamorgan visit pace-setters Leicestershire while Middlesex will look to get their promotion push back on track with a trip to bottom side Northamptonshire.
Rory McIlroy has named an “under-appreciated” England legend as his favourite footballer growing up.
McIlroy became the sixth man to complete a Career Grand Slam earlier this year, with the Northern Irishman finally getting his hands on The Masters back in April, and he is now gearing up for the Ryder Cup, which is due to take place from September 26th – 28th in New York.
The 36-year-old has revealed he has knocked back the opportunity to captain Europe in the past, given the difficulties of combining that role with being a player, saying: “I’ve been asked to do that and I’ve turned it down. The idea of me being a playing captain sometime soon has come up and I’ve shot it down straight away.
Northern Ireland'sRoryMcIlroyreacts after holing a birdie putt on the 12th hole during the final round
That said, given that the current World No. 2 is the only European player in the top five of the rankings, he will still have a huge role to play later this month.
While McIlroy ended up going to be one of the greatest ever golfers, one of his first loves growing up was football, supporting Manchester United, and he has previously described an England legend as his favourite-ever player.
Speaking on The Overlap, McIlroy said: “I loved (Wayne) Rooney, he just worked so hard and he’d run everywhere, and you just felt exhausted after watching him for 90 minutes. To be that good, but also to have that work ethic and track back when someone loses the ball or if you lose it. To me, he just looked like he loved football and I loved watching him play.”
The Grand Slam winner also suggested the Manchester United legend is still underrated, saying: “It’s amazing to think that, all the great stuff that he’s done, you would say like under-appreciated in some way.”
Rooney was a "once in a generation" player
It is perhaps surprising that McIlroy didn’t opt for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi as his favourite player, given that the Manchester United and Barcelona legends have a whopping 13 Ballon d’Ors between them.
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However, Messi himself has previously made it clear just how highly he rates Rooney, saying: “Wayne Rooney is for me a once in a generation player. One of those special players, who is not comparable to any other. There are many special players, but Rooney has exceptional quality and technical ability as well as being one of the strongest players I have faced with an exceptional work rate – there is nobody like him.”
The United legend won 17 trophies during his time at Old Trafford, while also amassing 120 caps for the Three Lions, second only to Peter Shilton on the all-time list, showcasing that he is undoubtedly one of the best players England has ever produced.
A worrying update has dropped regarding the future of a “fantastic” Liverpool player, with a huge club confident that they will sign him next year.
Liverpool linked with potential Salah successors
Mohamed Salah continues to be one of the best players in the Premier League, despite the fact that his form has been well short of its best so far this season.
At 33 years of age, however, Liverpool do need to be aware that the Egyptian legend isn’t getting any younger, and that an elite replacement will eventually need to be found, in order to make the transition as seamless as possible when it happens.
Lyon winger Malick Fofana has been linked with a move to Anfield, being touted as a Salah successor, with the Belgian a hugely talented young player who can excel on either flank. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich star Michael Olise is also reportedly considered a leading option to come in and be Liverpool’s next star winger, with the Frenchman already scoring three goals in two Bundesliga appearances this season.
Away from the Salah situation, there is a Reds player whose future needs to be resolved as soon as possible, with a new update dropping.
Club think they will sign Liverpool regular
Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic, journalist Mario Cortegana claimed that Real Madrid feel Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate wants to move to the Bernabeu.
This comes just days after it was reported that Konate is in “very advanced” talks over a move to Madrid, with the rumours refusing to go away.
He doesn’t appear to be any closer to extending his stay, with the European giants considering him a key target alongside Arsenal’s William Saliba.
At this point, it does certainly feel more than possible that Konate could join Madrid next year, with his current Liverpool deal expiring in 2026 and no sign of an extension being agreed currently.
The £70,000-a-week Frenchman is an important player who the Reds should be looking to tie down, though, with Virgil van Dijk one admirer, heaping praise on him early last season.
“I think we need everyone to be at their best. He is a fantastic player who still can be better. As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding in my opinion.”
Konate has received criticism for some poor form this season, but that shouldn’t cloud the fact that he is Liverpool’s second-most important defender and he has been a regular under Slot.
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While losing him to Madrid wouldn’t necessarily feel like the end of the world, some supporters may only fully appreciate the job he does when he leaves, and how hard it may be to replace him.
Everything you need to know about the new Manchester United kits, including leaks, where to buy and more.
Home
Home Kit
Primarily red with white logos and black accentsInspired by Old Trafford, “The Theatre of Dreams"Features an abstract sleeve graphic in multiple red tones, referencing the pitch, stands, and tunnel
From
$100
Buy Now!Away
Away Kit
Features a white, plum, and modern lilac base with metallic trimThis colour scheme is inspired by the distinctive snowflake pattern from the 1990-92 away kitHas an overlapping V-collar and flaunting the devil logo instead of the full club crest
From
$150
Buy Now!Third
Third Kit
Black base with yellow and blue accents, echoing a 30-year-old designClassic Adidas Trefoil and modern shielded club badgeSubtle woven devil motif with bold yellow 3-stripes on the shoulders
From
$150
Buy Now!Home
Home Kit
Primarily red with white logos and black accentsInspired by Old Trafford, “The Theatre of Dreams"Features an abstract sleeve graphic in multiple red tones, referencing the pitch, stands, and tunnel
From
$100
Buy Now!Away
Away Kit
Features a white, plum, and modern lilac base with metallic trimThis colour scheme is inspired by the distinctive snowflake pattern from the 1990-92 away kitHas an overlapping V-collar and flaunting the devil logo instead of the full club crest
From
$150
Buy Now!Third
Third Kit
Black base with yellow and blue accents, echoing a 30-year-old designClassic Adidas Trefoil and modern shielded club badgeSubtle woven devil motif with bold yellow 3-stripes on the shoulders
From
$150
Buy Now!Home
Home Kit
Primarily red with white logos and black accentsInspired by Old Trafford, “The Theatre of Dreams"Features an abstract sleeve graphic in multiple red tones, referencing the pitch, stands, and tunnel
From
$100
Buy Now!Away
Away Kit
Features a white, plum, and modern lilac base with metallic trimThis colour scheme is inspired by the distinctive snowflake pattern from the 1990-92 away kitHas an overlapping V-collar and flaunting the devil logo instead of the full club crest
From
$150
Buy Now!Third
Third Kit
Black base with yellow and blue accents, echoing a 30-year-old designClassic Adidas Trefoil and modern shielded club badgeSubtle woven devil motif with bold yellow 3-stripes on the shoulders
From
$150
Buy Now!
Manchester United will continue to have adidas as their main shirt sponsor after the Red Devils signed a 10-year extension with the German giants in June 2023.
Shop Man Utd kits at adidasBuy now
The club may have dodged a bullet as adidas could have ended their £900 million ($1.12 billion) worth deal in case of relegation to the Championship, but fears of repercussions owing to their poor form linger.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the new Manchester United kits, including where to buy, prices, leaks, rumours and more.
READ MOREAll the new 2025-26 football kitsMan Utd 2024-25 home, away, third & goalkeeper kitsadidas x Manchester United Bring Back collectionadidas/Man UtdMan Utd 2025-26 home kit, release date & priceShop Man Utd kits at adidasBuy now
The Manchester United 25-26 home kit officially launched on June 12, 2025. Primarily red with white logos and black accents, it is designed to capture the true essence of the club's identity, honouring its rich history and foundational spirit. The design takes inspiration from Old Trafford, also known as 'The Theatre of Dreams'.
The club has not incorporated bespoke sleeve prints on their home shirts for quite some time, but this time, you should see an abstract sleeve graphic in various shades of red, highlighting elements of the pitch, stands, and tunnel. The last instance of a unique sleeve graphic on a Manchester United home jersey was the 1996-98 design.
To complete the look, the kit features a stylish black and white V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs, black three-stripes running down the shoulders, and contrasting white adidas and sponsor logos. A final touch, paying homage to the club's heritage, is a 'Theatre of Dreams' sign-off on the back of the collar. A notable feature is an Old Trafford-inspired graphic on the sleeves, along with "Theatre of Dreams" printed on the collar, paying homage to the iconic stadium.
The new Man Utd home kit can be bought for £85 ($115) for adults, with the authentic strip costing £120 ($162). These rates are for the short-sleeved shirts.
Advertisementadidas/Man UtdMan Utd 2025-26 away kit, release date & priceShop Man Utd kits at adidasBuy now
The 2025-2026 Manchester United away kit, featuring a white, plum and modern lilac base with metallic trims, has been unveiled on July 16, 2025. This colour scheme is inspired by the distinctive snowflake pattern from the 1990-92 away kit, but this will not be the first time Adidas has drawn inspiration from the snowflake design for Manchester United kits. They previously used it for the 2015-16 third kit and the 2017-18 away kit. In addition, this season's away kit even incorporates an innovative snowflake M pattern.
The new kit has an overlapping V-collar and flaunting the devil logo instead of the full club crest, a design choice by Adidas. The shorts for the 2025-2026 away kit are expected to be in a dark plum shade, which matches the colour used for the logos on the shirt.
The pricing for the United 2025-26 away kit resonates with that of the home kit.
adidas/Man UtdMan Utd 2025-26 third kit, release date & priceShop Man Utd kits at adidasBuy now
The new adidas Manchester United 2025-2026 third football shirt, officially unveiled on August 12, 2025, brings back the iconic look of the 1993-94 away shirt famously worn by Eric Cantona. The club confirmed it would be worn for the first time on September 27, 2025 in the Premier League game against Brentford.
The kit is predominantly black with striking yellow and blue accents, mirroring the original design from three decades ago. Key features include the classic Adidas Trefoil logo and a contemporary take on the shielded club badge. The shirt will also sport a stylish tricolour design on the collar and cuffs, with matching shorts and socks to complete the kit.
The black and grey base exposes a subtle yet striking club devil motif, woven directly into the design, finished with authentic 3-stripes in bold yellow across the shoulders.
Speaking of honouring the club legends with this strip, the on-field version of the kit is available to purchase for €150, while the fan version is €100.
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adidas/Man UtdMan Utd 2025-26 goalkeeper kit release date & priceShop Man Utd kits at adidasBuy now
The design of the Adidas Man United 2025-2026 goalkeeper home football shirt resembles the Juventus 2025-26 keeper shirt, with a predominantly black base that smoothly transitions into grey towards the bottom. This is nicely accented by the logos and other details rendered in a light green colour.
The jersey is built upon the new Adidas 25 Tiro Goalkeeper Competition teamwear shirt. Leaks have also revealed a blue goalkeeper drip, likely to be used for away matches.
Meanwhile, the new Adidas Manchester United third goalkeeper kit for the 2025-26 season is similar to that of Bayern Munich. The kit features a striking bright mint green colour with subtle vertical stripes. It also showcases the classic Adidas Trefoil logo along with a shielded Manchester United crest.
While the Man Utd home goalkeeper adult long sleeve shirt is available for £90 ($122), fans can anticipate the release and availability of the other two drips anytime around late summer of 2025.