After a fantastic end to a worrying overall campaign for Manchester United, winning the FA Cup and therefore securing Europa League football, the Red Devils will now be looking to strengthen in areas ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

One of the shining lights of the season for Erik ten Hag's side was 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who made 33 senior appearances, scoring five goals and providing three assists in the 2023/24 campaign.

The youngster has even gone on to earn a start at EURO 2024 for Gareth Southgate's England side, impressing on the international stage.

The task is now for Manchester United to find the perfect pairing for Mainoo, to unlock his full potential and allow him to flourish even further, with PSG's Manuel Ugarte one of the names being mentioned.

Manchester United transfer news

According to reports from le10sport, PSG do not wish to sell Ugarte this summer, and Manchester United could turn their attention to Youssouf Fofana of AS Monaco as a result.

Fofana is believed to be a much more financially affordable option than Ugarte, for a player of a similar profile. According to Transfermarkt, Fofana is valued at €30m (£25m).

Bringing a player like Fofana in on a cheaper deal than Ugarte would make better sense financially for the club, whilst also solving a position of need with the right profile.

How Fofana compares to Ugarte

First, let's compare their numbers for their respective sides, both competing in Ligue 1. Fofana made 35 appearances in all competitions for Monaco last campaign, scoring four goals, and providing four assists.

Ugarte made 37 appearances in all competitions for PSG, scoring zero goals, but providing three assists. However, Fofana did also play 500+ minutes more than Ugarte, despite his two fewer appearances.

But these players should not be judged on their G/A output for their teams, as their primary job is to protect the defence and provide a platform for the other midfielders to excel.

Ugarte excels as a box-to-box ball winner, and this is amplified by his defensive action metrics. The Uruguayan midfielder makes 4.11 tackles per 90, ranking him in the top 1% of midfielders across Europe for tackles per game. Fofana, on the other hand, only makes 2.04 tackles per 90, only ranking him in the top 48% of midfielders for tackles.

But the "monster" profile of Fofana – as he was described by analyst Ben Mattinson – gives you a bit of everything in that defensive midfield position. The 6 foot 1 Frenchman is all action, making 1.23 interceptions, 1.17 blocks, 1.03 clearances and 0.57 aerials won per 90, showing his impact on the defensive end.

But he is also one of the most progressive passers in Europe, making 8.31 progressive passes per 90, ranking him in the top 5% of midfielders for that statistic. Ugarte only makes 3.91 of these passes in comparison.

Whilst Ugarte excels as one of the best ball-winning midfielders in the world, Fofana has that same capability in defensive duels due to his frame and ability to cover ground. But what he also offers is that top level of ball progression via both passing and carrying of the ball.

Having a player who can cover for Mainoo, to allow him to affect the game higher up the pitch, but also dictate from deep to allow the teenager to pick up the ball more in advanced receiving zones, could be a recipe for success in Manchester United's midfield.

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It's been over three weeks since the transfer window opened, and after a slow start, Tottenham Hotspur have finally started making moves in the market.

They have been linked to a long list of talented players from Eberechi Eze to Santiago Gimenez, but made their first permanent signing last week as they splashed £30m on Leeds United's incredibly exciting wonderkid Archie Gray.

However, Daniel Levy and Co are seemingly just getting started.

The latest player touted for a move to N17 is another up-and-coming youngster who could be seen in the same way as Gray in time.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Alan Nixon via GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham are one of several clubs interested in Sunderland's Jobe Bellingham.

Alongside the Lilywhites, Nixon claims that Southampton, Crystal Palace and Brentford are keen to bring the younger brother of England star Jude Bellingham to the Premier League this summer, but it is the latter two clubs who pose the biggest threat to Spurs.

The good news for the North Londoners is that as long as they can agree personal terms with the 18-year-old, they shouldn't have too much trouble sorting out a deal, as the Black Cats would be willing to sell for an offer in excess of £20m. However, recent updates suggest that his preference may be to stay in the Northeast for another season.

Paying £20m might sound somewhat outlandish for a player his age, but based on how well he performed last season and how he is spoken about, it would be an investment into what he could become – similar to Gray.

Why Bellingham could be another Gray

Like Gray, last season was Bellingham's first full campaign of senior football – he only played half of 22/23 – and like the Peacocks star, he looked right at home, even if he was moved all over the pitch.

In 47 appearances for the Black Cats, the Stourbridge-born gem scored seven goals, provided one assist and started in five different positions, from centre-forward to defensive midfield.

In contrast, the former Leeds ace made 52 appearances for the Whites, provided two assists and started in four different positions, from right-back to attacking midfield.

Moreover, the Sunderland prospect is spoken about similarly to the Durham-born star, with U23 scout Antonio Mango describing him as a "wonderkid", former professional Niall Quinn dubbing him "incredible", and former manager Tony Mowbray describing the youngster as an "absolute diamond."

When you examine his underlying numbers, it's easy to see why he has impressed so many people in his short time at the Stadium of Light.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.18

Top 5%

Non-Penalty Goals

0.17

Top 11%

Touches in the Opposition's Penalty Area

2.48

Top 11%

Progressive Passes Received

4.49

Top 12%

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.26

Top 14%

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across the next best 14 competitions, the 6 foot 3 dynamo ranks in the top 5% of midfielders for non-penalty expected goals, the top 11% for actual non-penalty goals and touches in the opposition's penalty area, the top 12% for progressive passes received and the top 14% for non-penalty expected goals and expected assists, all per 90.

Ultimately, there is always going to be an element of risk when spending a considerable sum of money on a player so young, but as in the case of Gray, Bellingham looks to be the real deal. While it may take him time to adjust to Premier League football, he could have a very bright future at Spurs – if they can secure his services, that is.

Spurs struck gold on unreal "monster" now worth millions more than Guehi

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Leeds United are interested in signing a player whose market value has risen by 7,500% in the last couple of years, according to reports.

Leeds transfer rumours

Leeds United are once again preparing for another season in the Championship. The Whites spent a good chunk of 2023/24 in and around the automatic promotion places but their form at the end of the normal season saw the Yorkshire outfit slip down to 3rd in the table, with Ipswich Town taking their spot in the Premier League. Daniel Farke's side went on to reach the play-off final but fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton.

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Leeds' failure to secure promotion back to the Premier League is expected to have some impact on their transfer business. On the outgoing front, Wilfried Gnonto is said to be pushing to leave Leeds and wants a transfer to the Serie A. Elsewhere, there has been heavy interest in Crysencio Summerville, who has been linked with Liverpool. Finally, midfielder Archie Gray is said to be of interest to German powerhouse, Bayern Munich.

As well as potentially losing some of their key stars, Leeds are unlikely to be able to target some players they were perhaps looking at earlier this year, including Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha. Instead, their focus has seemingly been on smaller names who would not cost as much.

Leeds are one of a number of clubs keen on a possible swoop to sign Stade Brestois attacker Karamoko Dembele. They are also believed to be interested in the services of Stuttgart winger Silas Katompa Mvumpa. Furthermore, The Whites are one of the clubs lining up a swoop to sign FC St. Pauli central defender Eric Smith as a potential replacement for Tottenham star Joe Rodon.

Leeds target player whose value has skyrocketed 7,500%

Now, another potential budget signing has been linked with a move to Elland Road. The player in question is Natan Girma, who is currently plying his trade in the Serie B with Reggiana.

Grima joined Reggiana on a free transfer from Sona in July of 2023. Despite only spending one season at his current club, the attacking midfielder has seen his market value rise 7,500% from €10,000 to €750,000. Grima made 26 league appearances across 2023/24, scoring five and assisting three as Reggiana secured an 11th-place finish.

Goals

5

xG

3.1

xA

0.9

Shot creating actions

50

Stats via FBREF

The 22-year-old remains under contract with his current side until 2027, with the option of a further year, but reports emerging in Italy suggest a move to England could be on the cards. It is stated that Reggiana do not want to part ways with the midfielder but they could be forced to do so if the right offer came in.

On this front, offers lower than £2.5m will reportedly not be looked at. However, given his staggering market value increase in just one year, £2.5m+ still seems a serious bargain for any potentially interested club. His current trajectory looks to be one of a player on the rise, so that fee could look like a bargain in a few years.

Italian side Monza are understood to be keen on Grima but the report from Italy also mentions Leeds and Watford have been in contact with the player's camp to ask for information.

German media have brutally mocked England for appointing ex-Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel as their new national team boss.

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Tuchel takes over as England bossFirst German to take on the roleThree Lions blasted for appointment by German mediaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Thomas Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract as England manager and will take charge of the team at the start of 2025. The decision has already made plenty of waves, as England appoint a German coach for the first time. There has been criticism of the decision from fans on social media, while former West Ham boss Harry Redknapp has claimed the Three Lions should have looked for an English manager. Even former striker Gary Lineker has claimed Tuchel was not his choice to succeed Gareth Southgate.

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England's move for Tuchel has not gone unnoticed in the 51-year-old's homeland either. The editor of German newspaper Bild, Matthias Brugelmann, has mocked the appointment and claims England's long search for a trophy will not end anytime soon.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Brugelmann wrote: "Let's talk about Thomas Tuchel and the English. The motherland of football is getting a German dad. Crazy! Since 1966 – since 1966!!!! – the proud football nation has been waiting for a title (and sorry, even the World Cup victory was only possible because the referee made a mistake on the Wembley goal). So it will soon be 60 years without a title. In that time we have become world champions three times and European champions three times. Oops. The desperation on the island must be enormous if they admit that only a German can help now. What a tribute to Tuchel and German football that the English are overcoming their fears despite the huge rivalry."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND

England have famously failed to win a trophy since lifting the World Cup in 1966. Under previous manager Southgate, the team did reach the last four of World Cup 2018 and the finals of both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024. The hope will now be that Tuchel can take a talented squad one step further and finally deliver some glory for the Three Lions.

Warwickshire believe they have become the first “professional first-class county” to adopt the principles of the Rooney Rule in launching the appointment process for a new head coach of their men’s team.The club, which sacked Jim Troughton from the position last week, published an advert for the vacant position on November 2. Applications must be received by November 14 with an appointment expected around a month later.In that advert, the club has reiterated its “commitment to representing the communities it serves” and its desire to employ “a diverse and inclusive workforce at all levels of the organisation”. As a result, Warwickshire have confirmed the “principles of the Rooney Rule will be adopted to encourage applications from suitably qualified BAME candidates.” This is, they state, “the first time that a professional first-class county has adopted these principles”.The Rooney Rule – named after Dan Rooney, the former chair of the NFL’s diversity committee – is a form of affirmative action that demands ethnic-minority candidates are interviewed for head coaching and senior administrative positions.”In line with Warwickshire’s Equal Opportunities policy and desire to adopt the principles of the Rooney Rule, should the club receive applications from suitably qualified BAME candidates they will be added to the vacancy short list with a minimum of one BAME candidate invited to first interview,” the advert continues.While Warwickshire recently signed Manraj Johal, a seamer who has graduated from their own academy, by the time the 2020 season finished the club had no non-white player or senior coach on their staff. And while the club played a part in the development of the likes of Kabir and Moeen Ali as young players, both felt a need to move to Worcestershire to win greater opportunity. Their nephew, 16-year-old Ismail Mohammed, recently made the same decision.The current management at Warwickshire are acutely aware of this failure of the squad to reflect the local community and are determined to rectify it. As well as this adoption of the Rooney Rule, they have recently signed up to the African-Caribbean Engagement (ACE) programme.”There shouldn’t be a barrier in the mind of anybody with the right experience who wants to apply for this job,” Stuart Cain, Warwickshire’s chief executive, said. “So, we think it’s right to adopt the principle of the Rooney Rule in the same way as many of the world’s leading sports organisations have.”Birmingham is one of the UK’s, if not Europe’s, most diverse cities and we have to reflect this when holding a mirror up to the club and how we operate at every level, from the board down”.Among the other criteria required by the advert, a “tangible proof of developing teams capable of winning domestic cricket competitions” is demanded, as is “proven success at winning trophies, domestically or internationally”. The likes of David Saker, currently with Sri Lanka, and Ottis Gibson, currently with Bangladesh, would be certain to gain an interview if they apply while, from closer to home, Graeme Welch, the club’s current bowling coach, would also be a strong candidate.The principles of the Rooney Rule will also be utilised by the ECB when appointing specialist coaches to work with both the England team and the most promising county players. They are expected to appoint specialist batting, seam bowling and spin bowling coaches in the coming months.Marcus Trescothick and Jon Lewis (the former Durham head coach) are expected to challenge for the batting position, while Jon Lewis (the former England seamer and current England U19 coach) and Welch are well placed for the seam-bowling job. Jeetan Patel is favourite for the spin position.

The Gunners' head coach resigned from his role after defeat to Chelsea at the Emirates continued a terrible start to the new season

For Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall, the writing was quite literally on the wall after his team fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Chelsea on Saturday. On Hornsey Road, just a stone's throw from the Emirates Stadium, the words 'Jonas out' were there for all to see as night fell, boldly brushed onto dark brick in white paint. It took a couple of days for that disgruntled fan's wish to come to fruition but, on Tuesday, the Gunners announced that Eidevall's three-year stint as head coach had come to an end.

North London's new graffiti artist wasn't the only fan that wanted this outcome. Many have become frustrated in recent seasons as the most successful club in the history of English women's football has consistently fallen short in the Women's Super League, all-but-mathematically out of contention for the title when the run-in began last season, and the year before.

At times, critics of Eidevall have at least temporarily been swatted away by other achievements, such as back-to-back League Cup triumphs and a run to the Champions League semi-finals, but it was always going to be difficult for him to come back from the negativity brought on by Arsenal's start to the 2024-25 season.

It all began so well for the Swede, with a memorable 3-2 win over Chelsea at the Emirates and a title charge that fell just short on the final day. Where did it go wrong to lead to his time at the club ending in his resignation just four games into the new WSL season?

• Getty Images
  

  A difficult start

  Saturday already felt like a must-win game. That's because Arsenal had dropped points twice in their first three league outings and then, just to add to the pressure, put in an absolute shocker of a display away at Bayern Munich in the Champions League, losing 5-2.

  If a team wants to win the WSL, they have to be near-perfect because the top sides so rarely drop points. Last season, Chelsea became the first team to win the division with more than two defeats to their name and just the second to do so after dropping more than 10 points. Liverpool, back in 2014, are the only other side to have done that.

  So, when Arsenal kicked the season off with a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City and then, after only just scraping past Leicester with a 1-0 win, slumped to a disappointing goalless draw with bottom side Everton, they were already significantly on the back foot. The loss to Chelsea made it seven points dropped already. To come back from that and win the WSL title is going to be extremely difficult.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Same old problems

  But while the Chelsea defeat was Eidevall's final game in charge, the draw with Everton feels like the most important result to dwell on after his resignation. That was the one that put much more pressure on Saturday's fixture and one that encapsulated the biggest issue he faced during his time at Arsenal.

  Under Eidevall, the Gunners have been terrible at breaking down low blocks. When they fell short by one point in the title race in 2021-22, they were actually undefeated in the league against eventual champions Chelsea – and Manchester City, and Manchester United. Instead, it was a draw with Tottenham and, more significantly, a defeat to eventually-relegated Birmingham that really cost them.

  Last year, despite finishing third and five points off the pace, Arsenal actually had the best record against the WSL’s 'big four', with four wins, one draw and one defeat. However, it was once again the teams below them in the table that proved difficult to put away, with defeats to West Ham, Tottenham and Liverpool all disappointing, as was a draw with Everton.

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  Not enough improvement

  Ahead of the new season, Eidevall was confident this would not be an issue again. "We were the team that spent the most time of any team playing against low blocks in the league," he said. "I think it came to us as a little bit of a hurdle and we didn’t solve that quickly enough, but we found more and more keys to play against low blocks and what is promising for this season is we’ve been encountering solving high pressure, we’ve been encountering solving low blocks, so as a team I feel we are mature.”

  He believed that his team had learned enough from past experiences to be more "prepared" for those situations, "which is important because team maturity for me equals the likelihood of winning". "I’m super confident that if we came up against a low block, then we have tools and qualities and processes on how to play against that and I have full belief in them,” he added.

  Yet, performances so far this season showed this issue was not a thing of the past. Yes, the 1-0 defeat to Hacken in Champions League qualifying was overcome by a 4-0 triumph in the second leg and yes, Arsenal did manage to scrape a 1-0 win against Leicester last month. But the problems of breaking down a low block were there for all to see, meaning that draw with Everton was certainly not a shock, but more a disappointment. It simply showed the lack of progress made.

  The Gunners came into this season with aspirations of winning the WSL title and it felt like the pressure was on Eidevall to do so, after coming up short in the past two seasons. It was never going to be possible if this remained a stumbling block – and it has.

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  Other issues on show

  Of course, that wasn't the only issue during Eidevall's time in charge. The Swede certainly didn't make himself more popular by being the man in charge when Vivianne Miedema left the club on a free transfer, even if the player herself has spoken about it being time to move on. Other departures did not go down well either, with the likes of Jordan Nobbs, Cloe Lacasse and Mana Iwabuchi viewed as under-used by Eidevall before he let them go.

  Furthermore, as well as failing to overcome the low block issue, somewhat tied into that has been a lack of ruthlessness. After being the WSL top-scorers in Eidevall's first year in charge, Arsenal have been well off the title contenders since. Last year, Chelsea scored 71 goals to win the league. The third-placed Gunners bagged 53.

Manchester United are thought to be eyeing a move to sign a Euro 2024 star who is valued at £65m, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

Man Utd want to sign new centre-back

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have decided to keep Erik ten Hag as manager at Old Trafford heading into the 2024/25 season, with the club’s attention now on the transfer market.

Top of the transfer wishlist appears to be a new centre-back to replace the outgoing Raphael Varane, who will officially become a free agent at the end of the month when his contract expires. Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite appears to be the main target, with personal terms already agreed with the 21-year-old.

He could pick up more than £150,000-a-week in Manchester, however, the Red Devils are struggling to agree on a fee with the Toffees for his services at this moment in time. In fact, United's opening offer for Branthwaite worth £35m plus add-ons was turned down by Everton, who want up to £70m to sell.

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It could mean that United move on to alternative defensive targets, with another Premier League star also on the radar.

Man Utd eyeing Marc Guehi move

Should Man Utd not go back in for Branthwaite, then Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi appears to be a target for the Red Devils.

Valued at £65m by those at Selhurst Park, reliable reporter Sheth has said that Man Utd are eyeing Guehi, Lille's Leny Yoro and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo as Branthwaite alternatives.

Guehi got the nod ahead of Branthwaite for England in the Euro 2024 squad and started the competition partnering John Stones at centre-back in a 1-0 win over Serbia.

Former England defender Matthew Upson described Guehi as “excellent on the ball” and “outstanding” following his opening performance at Euro 2024.

"He was calm on the ball, defended superbly well and for his competitive debut at a competition level, you have to heap huge praise on Guehi. He was excellent on the ball, calm and very composed. To play that well on debut in a Euros against a tough Serbian strike force of Mitrovic and Vlahovic was excellent. It looked like he and Stones had been playing together for a long time.

"This is a massive bonus for England that they kept a clean sheet and barely looked in trouble and that is huge credit to Guehi. His performance was outstanding."

Who knows, more positive displays for the Three Lions may only lead to further speculation over a move to Old Trafford, making Guehi's form at the Euros and United's interest one to keep an eye on.