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The 2024 summer transfer window has nearly reached August, meaning that Liverpool have little over a month to wrap up their business at the start of the Arne Slot era.

Of course, in order to 'wrap deals up', initial signings need to be made first. Over 40 days into the market, Liverpool have yet to dip their toes into the summer's frenzied transfer activity despite falling short in the Premier League title race last season, also losing to eventual champions Manchester United and Atalanta in the FA Cup and Europa League respectively.

This might feel concerning but Anfield chiefs have done all they can to ease the mounting trepidation, with new sporting director Richard Hughes stating: “I would see a quiet July and perhaps a crescendo in August.”

Slot is currently working on his first-team squad, bringing his ideas into a coherent vision and inculcating his methods into a club operating with the muscle-memory movements forged from Jurgen Klopp's long reign.

Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are all entering the final year of their contracts, so sorting these quandaries takes a sizeable degree of precedence, understandably.

Liverpool transfer news

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool are interested in signing Wolverhampton Wanderers' Pedro Neto this summer and have even been in contact with the winger's representatives.

Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in signing the £60m-rated Portuguese, and while Wolves's 2023 selling spree has put them in a comfortable PSR-related position, Neto has long been regarded as the player who may well be sold this summer.

The 24-year-old has had his injury woes over the past several seasons but was superb when on the pitch under Gary O'Neil last year, and he might just prove to be the perfect addition to enhance Liverpool's flanks.

What Pedro Neto would bring to Liverpool

Wolves signed Neto from Lazio in an £8m double swoop with Bruno Jordao in 2019, snapping him up as a 19-year-old prospect who had only earned five appearances for the Italian club.

Fast earning himself the reputation as one of the Premier League's most exciting up-and-comers, Neto has amassed 135 appearances for the Old Gold, scoring 14 goals and supplying a further 24 assists.

How interesting that last season, despite being plagued by injuries, he notched 14 of those 38 goal contributions. Described as an "incredibly talented and physically very gifted player" not two months into the 2023/24 campaign by O'Neil, he positively burst into life.

Finishing the campaign with three goals and 11 assists across just 24 outings, the £50k-per-week star impressed during his time on the field but admittedly spent two significant spells on the sidelines with hamstring injuries.

Still, his potency despite such niggling issues bears testament to his elite-level skillset, ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across the past year for assists and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

He played all across the frontline, and while Neto has often been viewed as a left-sided forward in the past, O'Neil's decision to shift him onto the alternate flank paid dividends, for the Portugal international hit the finest vein of creative form of his career to date – with Jamie Carragher even hailing him as a "superstar".

Given that he is also left-footed, this could open up a realm of opportunity for new levels of goalscoring success down the line, especially when placed in a Liverpool team bearing immense playmaking properties across the park, with the Reds' 103 big chances created last season the most in the Premier League.

Liverpool need to seriously consider launching a bid, especially when considering the success that's been borne from the £45m deal to sign Diogo Jota from Molineux in 2020.

Jota, like Neto, is afflicted by injuries with too much consistency but he's one of the deadliest finishers in the game, scoring 15 times for the Reds last year despite only starting 19 matches across all competitions. Neto has been Wolves' prized forward since his countryman's transfer and he could now follow suit.

Why, he might even have the skills to succeed the aforementioned Salah. Okay, he's not blessed with the same predatory instinct that has seen the Egyptian king plunder 211 goals from 349 appearances, but his efforts in the Midlands suggest that he has what it takes to succeed at a powerhouse such as Liverpool, should fitness prevail.

Why Pedro Neto could replace Mohamed Salah

The pointers suggest that Salah will see out the final year of his £350k-per-week contract before departing on a free transfer next summer, abdicating his Anfield throne.

Many fans will probably view this as detrimental, but Salah will not last forever and, given that he will be on the cusp of his 33rd birthday, it might be the right time to part ways.

FSG will hope to be one step ahead of the curve concerning Salah's departure, so bringing in a proven Premier League right winger such as Neto to serve as the 32-year-old's foil ahead of a prospective step-up to the No. 1 spot on the wing could be the perfect move to increase the club's depth and dynamism.

Of course, the inexorable wheel of time has yet to slow down the Egypt captain's clinical brilliance, ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals and the top 3% for assists per 90, as per FBref.

But he was among the culprits for Liverpool's startling nosedive in form toward the end of the campaign, proving to be uncharacteristically wasteful and going missing in decisive matches.

Neto might not unleash the kind of scoring numbers that Salah has invariably produced under Klopp's leadership, season on season, but he's an immense talent who would be stepping into a new Anfield era.

Slot is not Klopp and is tinkering away to create some tactical tweaks that could have a lasting effect. Neto has his prime years ahead of him and he must now follow in Jota's footsteps to the red half of Merseyside.

Liverpool could land Jones upgrade with swoop for £60m PL star

The Reds have been linked with an interest in the Premier League maestro this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 25, 2024

The Red Devils' next opponents have created an unlikely dynasty and an unbreakable team spirit – with the help of a fighter jet pilot

There could not really be two more contrasting clubs than Manchester United and Bodo/Glimt, when it comes to size, history, financial muscle and recent achievements. The whole town of Bodo could fit inside Old Trafford and there would still be 20,000 seats to spare. And when the teams meet for the first time on Thursday, around 12 percent of the population (6500 fans) will be at the Theatre of Dreams for the biggest game in the club’s history.

The Norwegian club have spent most of that history outside of the top-flight and were not even allowed to compete to play in the top division until 1971 due to logistical difficulties. Until recently, they were regarded as an ‘elevator team’ going up and down the divisions. When they were in the top division, they had one of the smallest budgets, though money was not the only thing holding them back. Bodo is located 200 kilometres above the Arctic Circle, where there is hardly any daylight in the winter months. Norway's capital, Oslo, is a 16-hour drive away while the nearest city is at least an eight-hour drive away.

Despite all these competitive disadvantages, something incredible has happened in the last five years: Bodo/Glimt have become the top team in Norway, winning three out of the last four titles while being on course to win another next weekend. They have also staged some stunning campaigns in Europe, and they could teach this bloated and dysfunctional United team a thing or two…

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  Destroying Mourinho

  In their full debut campaign in continental competition back in the 2021-22 season, they reached the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League, walloping Jose Mourinho’s Roma 6-1 in the group stage and destroying Celtic 5-1 on aggregate in the knockout stage, before they were eventually knocked out by Roma in an ill-tempered tie. They also reached the group stages of the Europa League two seasons ago, facing Arsenal, and the knockout rounds of the Conference League last term.

  This season in the Europa League, they have already beaten Porto and Braga and go into Thursday’s game at Old Trafford above United in the standings. The match is set to be the biggest occasion in the club’s history and an emotional one too, as many of the staff and fans also support United. But the Red Devils should be taking an even keener interest in their opponents, as they could learn a lot from them.

  "More than other clubs, we talk about values and working hard on our culture," CEO Frode Thomassen tells GOAL. "Most of all, it's a core group of people that have been together now for many years and have the same kind of ambition, the same kind of thinking, the hunger to achieve more. Bodo could inspire a lot of smaller clubs.

  "In 2017, we had a budget of €4.2million (£3.5m/$4.5m), the third-lowest in the Norwegian league. We don't have a rich uncle or investors, we have built the sporting project over time."

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  Unifying force

  Thomassen became Bodo’s CEO in 2017 when they had just been promoted to the top-flight and when their average attendance was between 2,000 and 3,000. Now, more than 7,000 people watch each home game, accounting for 15 percent of the town’s population (around 53,000 people). Football is the unifying force for a region that was not just cut off from the rest of the country, but often looked down upon by the south.

  Thomassen explains that when his father moved to Oslo, no one wanted to rent a room to someone from the north. "Bodo/Glimt has made people feel more proud of where we come from and our identity," he says. "So many people love football here. When people travel from the south up here for business, they want to talk about Bodo."

  Around half of Bodo’s players hail from the north of Norway, giving the team a real sense of togetherness and identity. But the club has also turned into an attractive destination for players from across Scandinavia, despite the harsh weather and being isolated from everywhere else.

  "People would look at Bodo on a map and see we were north of the Arctic Circle, so it’s not like people were rushing here before," admits Thomassen. "But we have done so well during the last four or five years so the opportunity to be a part of a team playing in Europe makes you also more attractive to the bigger clubs in Europe. So it’s not a problem for us anymore. I think most of the players in Scandinavia would like to play for us."

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  No breaks

  There is one drawback of playing in Europe, though. The Norwegian season runs from March to November, so when the players and staff should be enjoying their time off, they are instead preparing for the biggest games of their lives. The expanded Europa League means that Bodo will be playing games until the end of January, two months after their domestic season has ended. If they reach the play-offs or last 16, they will get almost no break at all.

  "That's a big discussion in Norway, something we actually feel heavily as a club," says sporting director Havard Sakariassen. "This is the fifth year in a row we're in Europe. We will play not just up until Christmas but also in Europe after Christmas, so there is no break for us, that's a bit crazy. Running the club the way we have been for the last six years, the fatigue is massive, not just for the players but also for the staff."

  Adopting a schedule in keeping with the rest of the continent would help Bodo, but is unworkable for the other teams in Norway, particularly those in the lower leagues, due to the harsh winter weather. "Maybe it's impossible to do it. But for Bodo/Glimt and the teams competing in Europe it would be a great thing if we could turn it around. The load is massive and over the years it's quite… It's great fun, we're privileged, but it would be nice to have some breaks some time."

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  'We attack things'

  A key element of Bodo’s success has been the attacking style of play they adopted in their second season back in the top-flight. Thomassen explains how the change in style came about: "We drew 14 games the previous season. We weren’t an attacking team, we were focusing on defence and just counter-attacking. But I think the coaches did a really fantastic job from 2018 to 2019. We got more possession oriented, dominating the game. It was a big change in playing style and in 2019 we finished second and then the journey started. I think that the change between 2018 and 2019 was really important."

  Bodo won their first-ever league title in 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. "When other clubs or businesses were putting on the brakes, we put on the gas," Thomassen adds, beaming with pride. "We were training under strict controls as we had to, but then we travelled to Spain, worked very hard in that period, and then the league started up that year we won games 4-0, 5-0 and 6-0. We beat every record in Norway. How we attacked the pandemic and how we worked during that period was a part of the success story we are building now. We challenge things, we think differently, we attack things. We do not copy other clubs."

Cristiano Ronaldo would “love to return to Manchester United” if “friend” Ruben Amorim believes that he can “help”, claims Louis Saha.

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• Two previous spells taken in at Old Trafford
• Ex-Portugal team-mate in charge of Red Devils
• Into final year of contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Questions are being asked of CR7’s future after entering the final year of his contract at Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr. There has been talk of him remaining in the Middle East as he moves to Al-Hilal and fills the void that Neymar’s supposedly imminent departure is set to create there.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo certainly intends to play on for some time yet, despite preparing to celebrate his 40th birthday in February 2025. Some are suggesting that he could still do a job in the Premier League, with there no sign of his remarkable strike rate slowing for club or country.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo’s former Portugal youth team-mate Amorim is now calling the shots at Manchester United, and rumours of a reunion at Old Trafford have started to circulate. CR7 has previously taken in two spells with the Red Devils – one which saw him win the Champions League and a first Ballon d’Or, and a second that was brought to an abrupt halt in November 2022 when he was unceremoniously released by Erik ten Hag.

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  WHAT SAHA SAID

  Saha, a colleague of Ronaldo from his memorable first stint in England, has told of why the all-time great would welcome an opportunity to retrace professional steps if asked to do so by a familiar face: “I do think Cristiano Ronaldo would love to return to the club in a role where he’s respected. He left the club on somewhat bad terms, so the club’s hierarchy may not want it to happen, but the players and the fans understood what he was trying to say. People can’t say that what he was saying was wrong.

  “Cristiano does have a connection with Ruben Amorim, but I don’t believe he would sign him purely because he’s his friend. He wouldn’t sign him just to please him, he would only do it if he believes Cristiano can help. If there was an opportunity to come back, I’m sure Cristiano would love to return and help the club because he will love the challenge. If he has the chance, he will come.”

Everton could move to sign a La Liga defender this summer, it has emerged, as Sean Dyche looks to bolster his ranks ahead of the new Premier League season.

Question marks at the back

Having secured Premier League survival despite two separate point deductions last season, Everton are looking to kick on this season. They have already brought in reinforcements, signing Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille after an unsuccessful spell in Ligue 1, while Jack Harrison has returned for another loan spell and Tim Iroegbunam has arrived from Aston Villa to strengthen the midfield.

But there is still plenty of speculation about how the Everton squad could look come the start of the season, with promising centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite at the heart of much of it.

The Englishman has already been the subject of two failed bids from Manchester United, the second of which totalled around £50m and was swiftly rejected.

The Toffees are thought to be holding out for around £70m to let their gem leave, with the 22 year old having appeared 42 times for Sean Dyche's side last season and becoming one of the Premier League's best left-sided defenders in the process.

The Times claim that United will return with a third bid for the Everton man, though they are "unwilling to meet" the £70m asking price, which will force Everton to consider lowering their demands or keeping the centre-back. Now, they have been linked with a potential replacement for Branthwaite.

Toffees chase Copa America man

That comes with Paraguayan media revealing that Everton are in the running for 27-year-old centre-back Omar Alderete, who appeared three times at the most recent Copa America and even found the net against Brazil with a thunderous effort.

The defender only joined Getafe permanently last summer, in a deal worth 4m euros, but has gone on to cement himself as a key figure in their defence. He featured 31 times in La Liga as he helped his side out of relegation trouble, and is thought to have caught the eye of several clubs in the process.

One of those is fellow Spanish outfit Sevilla, but Everton are also named among the sides chasing his signature and have made contact to sign the defender.

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Alderete only penned his £20k per week deal 12 months ago, and it runs until 2028, meaning that Getafe will demand a reasonable sum for his departure, though no specific fees are mentioned.

With Branthwaite being the only left-footed centre-back in the squad at present, Alderete's arrival could simply be to provide cover for the 22 year-old. At present, Dyche's only centre-back options are first choice pair Branthwaite and James Tarkowski along with Michael Keane and Mason Holgate, who has just returned from loan with Sheffield United and could be set to leave again.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been forthright in admitting the squad needs an overhaul this summer, with a 27-year-old now swapping N17 for Europe.

Players who could leave Spurs with Joe Rodon

Wales international Joe Rodon has become the latest player to depart Spurs, coming four years after Jose Mourinho signed him from Swansea City for around £11 million.

Club reply as Tottenham make bid for £21 million player after Archie Gray

Postecoglou is looking to sign another starlet after the Yorkshire sensation.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 2, 2024

The 26-year-old was out of favour in north London for quite some time, despite arriving with plenty of potential, and spent the last two seasons on various loan spells at Rennes and Leeds United.

Rodon managed to impress for the latter club, making 46 appearances in the Championship last season under Daniel Farke and playing a crucial role as they narrowly missed out on promotion back to the Premier League.

Leeds were heavily linked with re-signing the centre-back on a permanent deal, which has now become reality, with Rodon making the move back to Elland Road for around £10 million and English sensation Archie Gray going the opposite direction to Spurs.

Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy will be happy with the business conducted, as the club make most of the money they paid for Rodon back off his sale, whilst also sealing a deal for one of the country's most exciting talents.

Rodon now officially joins Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier, Ivan Perisic and Tanguy Ndombele in leaving north London for pastures new. The aforementioned crop could also be joined by Bryan Gil, Djed Spence, Giovani Lo Celso, Troy Parrott, Richarlison, Sergio Reguilon, Yves Bissouma, Manor Solomon, Emerson Royal and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – who have all been named as players who could be sold by Tottenham this summer.

Postecoglou suggested that a number of his squad could leave Spurs, while reliable insider Paul O'Keefe has recently claimed that Levy is open to offers for over a dozen Tottenham stars.

Genoa have been in recent talks to sign Spence on a permanent deal, but things have gone quiet on that front. AC Milan remain locked in negotiations over Royal as well, so we could see more exits in the coming weeks.

Perhaps the most crucial departure was that of Ndombele, who endured a nightmare stint at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after previously signing for a club-record £55 million deal from Lyon. The Frenchman earned a reported £200,000-per-week at the club, so Levy will be glad to vanquish his high salary off the books.

Tanguy Ndombele agrees to join Nice after leaving Tottenham

Ndombele was sent out on various loan spells during the latter stages of his Spurs career, having put pen to paper on a temporary spell back at Lyon, Napoli the season afterwards and Turkish Super Lig giants Galatasaray last campaign.

The 27-year-old was also criticised for being out of shape over 2023/2024, with the Turkish press claiming Ndombele was 6 kilograms overweight last season.

Now, after leaving Tottenham, Foot Mercato state that he is in much better shape fitness-wise and determined to reignite his career. They add that Ndombele has agreed to join OGC Nice after quitting Spurs, having chosen the Ligue 1 side despite receiving "several exotic offers".

It will be interesting to see if the midfielder can truly make something of his obvious ability, with England star Declan Rice even once calling Ndombele one of the toughest opponents he's ever faced.

Messi's legacy will be fine, Miami's brand will be fine and MLS will be fine, but club needs serious retooling to compete in 2025

Lionel Messi's message was one of defiance. The Inter Miami forward took to social media to address Inter Miami's 2-1 series loss to Atlanta United in the first round of MLS playoffs – the biggest upset in the history of Major League Soccer's postseason – and said all of the right things. He referenced the growth of the club, the accomplishments during the regular season, the support of the fans.

But he also pledged to return stronger. It was all a bit cliche, but Miami, we are led to believe, will be back.

And good for them. They need to be. For the sake of MLS – if nothing else – Messi's message was a good thing. Still, zoom out, and this loss to a team that barely edged its way into the playoffs via a wildcard, was symptomatic of a wider problem in South Beach.

Even though he missed significant time with an ankle injury, Messi still did his bit in the regular season, as did the stars around him, leading Miami to the Supporters' Shield with a record 74 points. But so much of this side went into brand building, the acquisition of big names, and the hiring of a marquee coach.

Someone, somewhere didn't say enough about how a roster should be pieced together for playoff success. Miami, the brand, will be fine. Messi, the GOAT, will certainly be fine. MLS, with hope that the league is actually bigger than one player or one team, will also be fine.

But Miami, the team, have some serious retooling to do if they want to exceed this performance next year.

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  Not enough Messi magic

  For all of the good vibes from Messi, though, it must be said that he probably could have done more.

  Messi was quiet for most of the Atlanta series. In truth, he has been in knockout football for a while. Yes, the Argentine got on the scoresheet, nodding home the equalizer in the game 3 loss. But when a 5-7 playmaker, with just 27 headed goals in his career – less than 5 percent of his total – leaps to knock the ball into the net, there is little you can do but reluctantly accept it. Otherwise, though, Messi had few real chances against Atlanta. He found himself forced into deeper areas, receiving the ball far from goal.

  And when he was close, Atlanta simply crowded him out. A couple of free kicks hit the wall. One of two nice dribbles were cut short by smart fouls and timely tackles. There was no magic to be found, no last-second winner, no no-look pass. More than anything, this is all due to good defending. Atlanta had a plan, executed it well, and ensured that the best player to ever kick a football didn't have a sniff.

  But we have become so used to Messi working miracles. It basically feels like a disappointment when he doesn't.

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  Personal legacy intact

  Big-picture, this doesn't mean much for Messi's career narrative. The Argentine, in truth, could have retired after the 2022 World Cup, and few would have begrudged him. After all, with that trophy, he completed football. There is nothing more left for him to win, no further accolades needed to cement his legacy. No one seemed to care when he left PSG without a Champions League. Miami means even less, comparatively.

  In a sense, that could be a bad thing. This league should be his stomping ground. With 26 goal contributions in 19 regular season games, it actually was. Messi isn't necessarily here to just to win. Rather, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also carries the mantle of growing the game. But the implicit argument of it all, the thing that goes unsaid by the depth of his trophy cabinet, suggests that the Argentine be lifting the MLS Cup every year.

  Expectations are nothing new – and Messi has failed to meet them in his prime years – but in five years, no one will remember if Messi won the MLS Cup or not in 2024. More likely, it become a trivia night special that he didn't.

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  What this means for Miami, the brand

  For Miami, the team, meanwhile, this is all a bit embarrassing. It's hard to spin this as anything but a massive upset for the best team in MLS. This squad, assembled by co-owner and team president David Beckham and the Miami front office, met all expectations during the regular season. They were the No. 1 seed in the East, winners of the Supporter's Shield and statistically the most successful regular season side ever.

  Yes, Atlanta executed a wonderfully constructed gameplan, and made it very difficult for the Herons. But if Miami were better managed across the three-game series, and got the most out of their stars, this really shouldn't have been a contest.

  Still, little of this has to do with the performance of the 11 men on the pitch. Miami in MLS, much like Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, are a brand. Ask anyone outside of the MLS sphere, and they would likely only know the Herons as "Messi's team."

  They would recognize the pink kits and know that Beckham owns them, and that Luis Suarez joined Messi in this South Beach escapade. Scroll social media or ask people on the street and they are unlikely to know how Miami performed. This won't come as comfort to the players, fans, or league itself – the passion therein is real – but team performance is irrelevant to the brands of Messi and Inter Miami in the wider sphere.

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  Where Miami go now

  But the team might have some thinking to do. This is a strangely assembled roster, top heavy, and lacking in the kind of intelligent, athletic role players needed to succeed in MLS. Messi is not to blame – he's a designated player and therefore can be paid however much the Herons want. Neither is Sergio Busquets, who is also allowed to be paid whatever Miami deems the right price within league regulations.

  Financially, at least, neither Jordi Alba or Suarez are at fault, either. They are both on affordable contracts, and have taken immense pay cuts from the kind of money they might have earned elsewhere. Still, roster assembling is more than a question of how much you pay individuals. There are knock-on effects, wage structures to be pieced together.

  Suarez, Alba, Busquets and Messi pretty much have to start, based on those salaries. Much like some of the best teams across other American sports, Miami needs to shrewd in how they spend the money. In abstract, they need a right back, defensive midfielder and center back. They will get some help by the fact that big-money man Diego Gomez is leaving for Brighton in January.

  There remain questions elsewhere, though. Suarez is out of contract at the end of the season, and although there is talk that he wants to stay, Miami might need a new No. 9 if he elects to hang up his boots. The long-term effectiveness of Drake Callender in goal, as well as the puzzling underuse of Julian Gressel, must also be addressed. Miami have tried the expensive route. Now, it might be time to be a little smarter.

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have held talks over a move to sign a £63m Brazilian ahead of Arsenal, according to a new report.

Man Utd targeting striker signing

Ratcliffe and INEOS are now officially into their first summer transfer window in charge of sporting decisions at Old Trafford and have already made a big decision.

The club decided to stick with Erik ten Hag as manager, with Ratcliffe recently explaining that call. “The coach isn't the central issue at Manchester United”, Ratcliffe said on keeping Ten Hag.

“It’s a sports club. It needs to be competitive, it needs a degree of intensity, but with a supportive side to it because you are dealing with players who are relatively young. It hasn’t had that type of environment historically.”

Man Utd could sign a "monster" £0 upgrade on Scott McTominay

The Man Utd target is reportedly ‘waiting’ for them.

By
Tom Lever

Jun 20, 2024

With the club’s attention now on the transfer window, Ratcliffe has already hinted that United need two of three summer windows to complete a rebuild.

"I don't think the solution is to buy an Mbappe. We are more grassroots than that. One player is not going to solve the problem at Manchester United. The first thing we need to do is build a balanced squad and ultimately maybe top it off with one or two players like Mbappe. It will take two or three summer windows to get to a better place."

This summer, a centre-back and striker appear to be at the top of their to-do list at this moment in time. Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite has been at the top of the defensive wishlist, whereas a number of attacking targets have been on the club’s radar.

Bologna striker Joshua Zirzkee is one of those, with Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg stating there is a good chance Man Utd can hijack AC Milan’s deal to sign the Netherlands international.

Lille’s Jonathan David is another target, with talks advancing for the Canada international, who is wanted by a number of Premier League clubs.

There was also noise around Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, with Ratcliffe reportedly willing to double his wage at Old Trafford to £120,000-a-week. Now, a new update has emerged on the Molineux star.

Cunha to Man Utd update

According to CaughtOffside, Man Utd have now held talks with Cunha’s agents ahead of a possible move to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have received information about a potential deal, with the Brazilian also wanted by Arsenal. Wolves are demanding €75m (£63m) to sell the forward, and it remains to be seen if United and Ratcliffe are willing to pay such a big price.

Cunha, Zirkzee and David appear to be the three main attacking targets to rival Rasmus Hojlund next season, with the Wolves star more expensive than David and Zirkzee who could cost around £30m and £34m respectively. It’ll be interesting to see if United can secure the services of one of the three attacking names mentioned, with a deal for Cunha once again one to watch.

Lautaro Martinez has been advised to forget about his Ballon d'Or disappointment as Marco Materazzi urged the Inter striker to listen to Lionel Messi.

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• Martinez angry over his Ballon d'Or ranking
• Messi said forward 'deserved the award'
• Materazzi says 'Messi's words more important'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Martinez did not hide his disappointment at his lower than expected placing in the Ballon d'Or rankings this week, calling his seventh-place finish "unfair" as Manchester City star Rodri went on to win the award.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Martinez had a wonderful year playing for Inter in Serie A as he scored 27 goals and assisted three more in all competitions, playing a huge part in Inter's league and cup double. He went on to score five times as Argentina won the Copa America in the summer.

  More so than Rodri or Vinicius Junior, Messi argued that it was his Argentina team-mate who deserved to take home the award, and those sentiments, Materazzi says, outweigh the honour of winning the Ballon d'Or.

• WHAT MATERAZZI SAID

  In an interview with , 2006 World Cup winner Materazzi said: "He is undoubtedly top five. You can't complain about Rodri, who won the Champions League and the Euros, or Dani Caravajal. But Lautaro has also won trophies with Inter and Argentina. He's right when he says he expects more. I think the Ballon d'Or doesn't count much. The real value is determined by the clubs with which you win trophies. Lautaro has won the World Cup and two Copa America, the last one as a top scorer. This is what counts."

  Materazzi added: "Lautaro must heed Messi's words, because his judgement is more important than the one of the Ballon d'Or jury."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MARTINEZ AND INTER?

  Martinez will have to recover from this disappointment quickly, as Inter are set to face Arsenal in the Champions League and Serie A leaders Napoli before the November international break begins. Martinez has five goals and two assists in all competitions so far this campaign, and will want to maintain that form against their upcoming opponents.

A list purporting to show the top 12 finishers in the 2024 men's Ballon d'Or has gone viral before Monday night's official ceremony in Paris.

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• Viral social media post shows alleged Ballon d'Or results
• Vinicius Jr's apparent winning points tally revealed
• Identity of top 12 finishers unveiled

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The unconfirmed but widely-shared list shows Vinicius Junior top of the standings with 630 points, which is significantly more than Lionel Messi won with in 2023, but not as much as Messi in 2019 (686), Luka Modric in 2018 (753) or Cristiano Ronaldo in 2017 (946). If accurate, Manchester City midfielder Rodri has finished second with 576 points, with Jude Bellingham in third on 422.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ballon d'Or votes are cast in advance of the ceremony and rumours started circulating in September that Vinicius was aware he'd won, although he hasn't been officially told. has reported this is the first time that the winner doesn't formally know the outcome prior to the ceremony, with no interview or photoshoot conducted in advance as has been the case in the past.

  The alleged top 12, according to the leaked list, in this year's vote are as follows:

  1. Vinicius Junior, 630 points
  2. Rodri, 576 points
  3. Jude Bellingham,422 points
  4. Kylian Mbappe, 317 points
  5. Harry Kane, 201 points
  6. Erling Haaland, 195 points
  7. Lamine Yamal, 128 points
  8. Phil Foden, 29 points
  9. Dani Olmo, 25 points
  10. Florian Wirtz, 24 points
  11. Dani Carvajal, 17 points
  12. Antonio Rudiger, unknown

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Vinicius, who was instrumental in Real Madrid winning both la Liga and the Champions League last season, stands to be the first Ballon d'Or winner born in the 21st century. The men's award has bizarrely never been won by someone born in the 1990s, due to the long-term dominance of Cristiano Ronaldo (1985) and Lionel Messi (1987).

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The Ballon d'Or trophy will be presented at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Monday night, along with the Feminin prize, for which Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati is the favourite, and subsidiary accolades, including the Kopa Trophy, Yachine Trophy and new coaching gongs.

Douglas Luiz's move to Juventus has yet to be finalised. Aston Villa are under pressure to adhere to Premier League profit and sustainability (PSR) rules before the end of the month and the Brazil midfielder has been sacrificed.

According to Gianluca di Marzio, Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior are poised to move to Villa Park in the same deal, but the former is currently holding up the deal, having yet to agree terms. Still, the move is very much on, with McKennie expected to ply his trade under Unai Emery next season.

The USMNT midfielder is talented but failed to impress during his loan spell with Leeds United in 2022/23. He will need support to reach his zenith, and Villa are lining up a new forward who could be the perfect partner for the 25-year-old.

Villa eyeing new striker

As per Football Insider, Aston Villa are hoping to strengthen their frontline with the signing of Tammy Abraham this summer, who are open to selling the striker.

Abraham enjoyed an instrumental loan spell at Villa Park in 2018/19, scoring 26 goals as the club got promoted to the Premier League. He has since enjoyed a trophy-laden career but missed most of the 2023/24 campaign due to a knee injury.

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are also thought to be interested in the £20m-rated Englishman, but Emery will hope his outfit's connection to the player holds sway.

Imagine Tammy Abraham & Weston McKennie

There is rarely an obvious branching point in a player's career, but Abraham cut his teeth at Aston Villa and honed his ability ahead of a prosperous few years.

An ACL rupture suffered on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign restricted him to only two Serie A starts last term, scoring one goal and adding one assist.

Standing at 6 foot 3, Abraham has scored 36 goals and provided 12 assists across 107 matches for his Italian club, notably notching a 27-goal haul during the 2021/22 campaign, scoring nine goals in the Europa Conference League en route to the title.

He's been hailed as a "goal machine" by former coach Stephen Elliott and would offer something different, more of a focal point, to that of Ollie Watkins. His imposing style up front would benefit McKennie greatly.

McKennie might have flattered to deceive during his loan spell with imperilled Leeds but this should not define him as a player. Last season, back in Turin, he was a key figure in the middle of the park and demonstrated a rounded skill set.

The 25-year-old's seven-assist total would obviously help Abraham, whose silky footwork could be a good target point for the American's distribution, but deeper analysis highlights the reason this would be so successful.

As per FBref, the Old Lady midfielder ranked among the top 5% of midfielders in Serie A last season for assists, which is great, but he also ranked among the top 20% for progressive carries, the top 17% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 7% for progressive passes received per 90.

A forward-scurrying star, his athleticism and passion for pushing forward and influencing play would give Villa's prospective new striker a steady stream of creative support.

Given that he also ranked among the top 9% for crosses into the penalty area, his dynamic delivery also suggests that Abraham could find his noggin meeting ball with prolific constancy.

Watkins is the main man at Villa Park but with Jhon Duran mooted for a move to Chelsea, Abraham could be the perfect supplementary to add a dimension as Emery and his troops march toward Europe's elite club competitions.

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