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Manchester United made it through to the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday evening but not without a scare against Newport County.

Truth be told, when have Erik ten Hag's side ever done something without a fright along the way? a 4-2 win may have made things look comfortable on paper but it was far from it, even if the Dutchman thought the Welsh side offered "nothing" throughout the 90 minutes. Harsh words indeed.

Attention could now turn to the transfer window although it seems unlikely the Red Devils will perform any significant business before the market slams shut on Thursday evening.

Instead, the focus is on the summer with one player already earmarked as a potential acquisition by the incoming new owners.

Man Utd lead race for Premier League talent

It will be interesting to see what United's tactics are come the summer with the backing of INEOS and the appointment of Omar Berrada who will join the club from Manchester City to become their new CEO.

With a history for tempting world-class talent to the Etihad – notably Erling Haaland and Rodri – it should be an exciting time in the market for a club who have made some notable howlers in recent years. Antony, who only scored his first goal of the campaign against Newport, tells you all you need to know there.

3 dream signings Berrada could make at Man Utd including his next Haaland

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ByMatt Dawson Jan 23, 2024

It's already been suggested that Berrada is simply not in the business of overpaying for players but they could splash the best part of a reported £60m on Michael Olise.

A report over the weekend from Football.London focused on Chelsea's interest but revealed it may well be hard for the Blues to complete a deal.

That's because Olise has put the Red Devils firmly at the front of the queue should any suitor wish to sign him.

The Frenchman reportedly favours a move to Man United and as a result, they are closely monitoring the situation ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Why Michael Olise is perfect for Rasmus Hojlund

Rasmus Hojlund's Manchester United career is a curious tale. With Ten Hag craving a new striker last summer they put that enormous burden on the shoulders of a 20-year-old Dane with 27 senior goals to his name. The fee in question? An enormous £72m.

Unfortunately, his early displays left a lot to be desired. Despite firing home five goals in the Champions League it took him until Boxing Day to score in the Premier League.

The Scandinavian striker quickly became an overnight meme but to his credit, has bounced back tremendously well in the last month.

Hojlund now has three goals in his last four matches having bagged against Aston Villa, Manchester United and most recently Newport County in the FA Cup. It's amazing what happens when you actually offer your striker some service, isn't it?

The Denmark international has been devoid of that in his opening campaign with the club. Bruno Fernandes leads the way for key passes per game with 2.8 this season but beyond that United's attack has been feeding off scraps.

Luke Shaw and Alejandro Garnacho are the next best creators but the former has spent large parts of the campaign injured and the latter hasn't become a regular starter until recent months.

#1 Bruno Fernandes

2.8

#2 Luke Shaw

1.4

#3 Alejandro Garnacho

1.1

#4 Diogo Dalot

1.1

#5 Antony

0.9

As a consequence of United's lacklustre creativity and supply line to their main centre-forward, the idea of signing Olise, a "special talent" as described by journalist Ed Malyon, should be salivating.

The Crystal Palace star has been nothing short of a sensation when he's stayed fit, supplying 11 assists in the Premier League last term. That happened to be the highest number of any player featuring for a club outside of the top six. It's hardly a surprise, therefore, that Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison said he's "way better than Antony."

This term he's only recorded one assist but has proven he can add goals to his game too with Olise finding the net on five occasions in just nine appearances.

Even despite the 22-year-old's lack of assists in the current campaign, he is still outperforming the majority of United's squad for chance creation, supplying 2.2 key passes per match. Furthermore, he ranks inside the top 10% of positionally similar players in Europe for shot-creating actions per 90 minutes and the best 12% for assists per 90.

On that evidence, this is truly a player who Hojlund would adore playing alongside. The Eagles winger is simply begging for a big move with his performances at the moment and the Dane must hope it's United who secure a swoop next summer. It could well prove game-changing for his own career.

Everytime a Leeds United player is linked with a big club, it's bound to trigger memories of the summer of 2022. After Leeds had narrowly stayed up, Barcelona swooped in to sign their hero Raphinha, while Manchester City struck a deal for Kalvin Phillips.

The following year, without the two stars, Leeds dropped back down to the Championship, and while they look a strong bet for a play-off place, sitting nine points clear of seventh spot in the Championship table, they won't want their season to be derailed by a high-profile mid-season exit. But based on a report from a major US broadcaster, a Champions League club may be about to come knocking on the Elland Road door.

Archie Gray's spectacular Leeds breakthrough

Archie Gray joined Leeds back in 2014, when he was only eight years old, and worked his way up through the ranks before earning his first professional deal at the club earlier this year, one that runs until the summer of 2025 (Leeds official website).

Even though he's just 17, he's established himself as a key player for Daniel Farke this season, starting 19 of his side's 22 Championship matches and appearing in all but one. While he's primarily a central midfield player, he's split his minutes between the middle of the park and right-back (Transfermarkt).

Borussia Dortmund eye Archie Gray

Now, according to ESPN, Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund are "seriously considering" a move for Gray. He's one of three teenage players on their radar, alongside PSG midfielder Senny Mayulu and Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.

Dortmund currently sit fifth place in the German top-flight, which has just entered its winter break, and have a six-point gap to the top four to make up in the new year. They've performed better in Europe, topping a group that also included PSG, AC Milan and Newcastle to set up a round of 16 tie against PSV in February.

Losing Gray would be a big blow to Leeds and their new owners, 49ers Enterprises, because he's one of the players they would surely look to build around long-term. EFL expert Ali Maxwell says Gray has looked "absolutely unbelievable" in his breakthrough season (Not The Top 20 Pod), while former Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford says "you forget about his age" when you watch him play (Leeds Live).

Archie Gray for Leeds this season	Volume	Leeds rank
Minutes played	1,728	4th
Tackles	45	1st
Dribblers tackled	27	1st
Blocked passes	20	2nd

Indeed, Gray has already earned the complete trust of his manager, ranking third among outfielders in the squad for minutes played (1,728) and leading all teenagers in the second tier for that metric. Despite his youth, he's certainly not afraid to get stuck in – he tops the Leeds table for tackles (45) and places inside the division's top ten for dribblers tackled (27). What's more, his tally of 20 blocked passes (2nd for Leeds) shows how well he's reading the game already (FBRef).

Sometimes young players would shy away from making a big move at this stage of their career because of concerns around playing time, but Dortmund have already shown him that there's a clear first-team pathway. 19-year-old winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has racked up seven Bundesliga starts this season, while striker Youssoufa Moukoko played 13 games before he got injured earlier this month.

The most obvious yardstick for Gray, of course, is Jude Bellingham, who also left the Championship as a teenage midfielder to join Dortmund, and ended up at Real Madrid within three years. His story is certainly an almighty recruitment tool for Dortmund.

The key question to be resolved will be around the “one-odd” spot that Virat Kohli had indicated was up for grabs

Nagraj Gollapudi08-Apr-2019

Associated Press

India’s World Cup squad will be named in Mumbai on April 15. The meeting is likely to be attended by Virat Kohli, the India captain who is scheduled to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore in their away match against Mumbai Indians the same evening.Although the deadline set by the ICC to announce squads for the World Cup is April 23, it is understood that the India selectors wanted the players to have extra time to prepare themselves for the tournament that India last won in 2011 at home.MSK Prasad, the chairman of India’s selection committee, had pointed out as early as in February that his panel had shortlisted a pool of 20-odd players from which the final 15 would be picked. “Maybe one spot might go to the last minute, otherwise we are very clear about the rest,” Prasad had told ESPNcricinfo in an interview.Prasad had also pointed out that the selection panel would not look at IPL form to firm up the vacant spots, “only because we have already made up our minds”. “We will only be observing the performances of the players we think should be in the squad and the list of stand-byes. We have rounded up on 20 players. We will follow the form of these players,” he had elaborated.Kohli, too, reiterated the point before the home ODI series against Australia last month, saying the team management and the selectors needed to be “absolutely clear” about the team they wanted for the World Cup. “I don’t see anything changing despite how the IPL goes for any of the players. If one or two players don’t have a good IPL season, it doesn’t mean that they are out of the picture for the World Cup. Those things are not going to matter.”The Australia series was India’s last ODI tournament before the World Cup, and they lost 3-2 despite wins in the first two matches. After the result, Kohli had insisted the Indian team was not “panicking”. “As a side, combination-wise, we are pretty sorted condition-based,” he said. “Maximum one change, you’ll get to see condition-based. But other than that, the XI we want to play, we are pretty clear about it.”The questions are likely to center around the No. 4 slot in the batting order and the position of the second allrounder after Hardik Pandya. Vijay Shankar’s good form since the New Zealand series has raised the possibility of him slotting in there, instead of Ravindra Jadeja, who has performed that role since the Asia Cup.Then there is the No. 4 batting slot, the bigger puzzle. Since the 2017 Champions Trophy, India have tried out 11 batsmen in that position with Ambati Rayudu getting the most games. During the home series against West Indies in October last year, Kohli had backed Rayudu for the position, as he provided the balance and had the smarts to do well in that key position. However, since then, Rayudu has just one fifty to his credit, which has allowed other aspirants to queue up. And the number of contenders has only gotten longer.Apart from Rayudu, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant are the frontrunners for the position. Of these, Pant was a late addition to the race. The selection panel believes the left-handed Pant provides a good option in the middle order, especially against bowling attacks that are stacked with wristspinners. Pant has played only five ODIs, but his fearless batting has impressed the selectors, Kohli and the senior team management, as well as India A coach Rahul Dravid.The one other talking point for the selectors is the composition of the fast-bowling attack. As things stand, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar should be certainties. Pandya could play the role of the part-time seamer, but should India then have a fourth specialist seamer? If that is the case, then the possibilities are likely to be Umesh Yadav and Navdeep Saini, who, the selectors believe, could be a dark horse due to his extra pace and ability to bowl aggressive lengths.

FIFA have revealed when they will announce the host nation for the 2027 Women's World Cup with voting process having been confirmed earlier.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

2027 WWC host announcement on May 17 Voting to be undergone at FIFA Congress Brazil likely leaders in bidding process GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

FIFA announced that the results will be announced on May 17 at the 74th FIFA Congress set to be held in Bangkok, Thailand. Only two bids remain open in the process, a joint bid from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, and a sole bid from Brazil, who held the Men's World Cup in 1950 and 2014. A bid from South Africa and a joint bid from the United States and Mexico were also in the running before they both pulled out to focus on the 2031 edition of the Women's World Cup.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

As per FIFA's bid evaluation report, it seems likely that Brazil would be the likeliest to win the bid to host the 2027 Women's World Cup. The bid from Brazil received an overall evaluation rating of 4.0 out of five compared to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands' joint overall rating of 3.7. Regardless, the evaluation doesn't confirm the host nation, which will only be sorted by the vote on May 17.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

The last edition of the Women's World Cup was hosted by Australia and New Zealand in what was the first instance of the event being hosted by two nations. If Brazil wins the bid, more history would be scripted as it would be the first time the Women's World Cup would be held in South America.

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WHAT NEXT?

The voting process will take place on Friday, May 17 in Bangkok and the results will be announced in due time after the conclusion of the 74th FIFA Congress.

MatériaMais Notícias

Titular absoluto desde sua chegada ao clube há um ano e um dos líderes do elenco auriverde, o volante Auremir comemorou muito o acesso do Cuiabá para a elite do futebol brasileiro, confirmado na última sexta-feira (22). Com 34 partidas disputadas na atual temporada, o jogador falou sobre a emoção de levar o time pela primeira vez à Série A.

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>Em que posição o Dourado pode encerrar a Série B?

– Ajudar sua equipe a conquistar uma vaga numa divisão superior é sempre motivo para grande comemoração. No caso do Cuiabá é ainda mais especial. O clube foi fundado há apenas 19 anos, tem uma filosofia distinta e de quebra, devolveu o futebol mato-grossense ao cenário nacional. A emoção foi intensa pois o feito é histórico – afirmou.

O Cuiabá se despede da Série B na próxima sexta (29), diante do CRB, no estádio Rei Pelé em Maceió. O time de Auremir só perderá a terceira posição caso seja derrotado e o Juventude supere o Guarani na mesma data. Determinado em fechar com chave de ouro a campanha, Auremir assegura que a equipe lutará bastante por uma nova vitória.

– Queremos encerrar nossa participação em grande estilo. Tivemos uma belíssima trajetória na competição, que foi coroada com o acesso. Nada melhor para terminar essa história do que mais três pontos conquistados – finalizou.

MatériaMais Notícias

A goleada por 4 a 0 sobre o Guarani na última quinta-feira (14) aproximou ainda mais o Cuiabá do acesso para a Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro. Com 58 pontos e apenas uma derrota nas sete últimas rodadas da Série B, a equipe mato-grossense voltou a viver um bom momento na reta final da competição.

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Diante desse cenário, o volante Auremir destacou a relevância do bom resultado contra o time de Campinas e também a consciência do plantel que ainda existe um caminho a percorrer.

– Fizemos nosso papel que era vencer a partida. Demos um passo imenso rumo ao acesso e esperamos concretizá-lo tão logo seja possível, já que desta forma, teremos mais tranquilidade nas rodadas restantes. Estamos todos cientes porém, que ainda não conquistamos nada – afirmou.

Os três adversários finais do Cuiabá nesta edição da Série B serão Paraná, Sampaio Corrêa e CRB, clubes que vivem situações distintas no campeonato. Para Auremir, o fato não influenciará na maneira de atuar de sua equipe:

– Realmente os três times tem objetivos diferentes neste momento. Enquanto o Paraná luta para se manter na divisão, o Sampaio ainda sonha em subir e o CRB está numa condição mais tranquila. Nada disso no entanto interferirá no nosso estilo de jogo, que vem dando certo.

Tottenham Hotspur face the unenviable task of traveling away to The Etihad to take on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City this evening.

Ange Postecoglou's side do not come into the match in the best of form as they have lost each of their last three top-flight games in recent weeks.

Spurs have been beaten 4-1 by Chelsea, 2-1 by Wolverhampton Wanderers, and 2-1 by Aston Villa, and this run came after they won eight and lost none of their opening ten league outings.

The loss to Villa was the most recent defeat for Tottenham as goals from Pau Torres and Ollie Watkins either side of half time cancelled out the opening strike from Gio Lo Celso, who had given the hosts the lead in the match.

Postecoglou could look to make alterations to his starting XI from that clash with the Villans and his hand will be forced with one as Rodrigo Bentancur is set to miss out, as one of a number of players missing through injury.

Latest Spurs injury news

The Spurs head coach has a plethora of injury issues to contend with ahead of this match against Pep Guardiola's side, which makes the task of picking up all three points all the more difficult.

James Maddison, Micky van de Ven, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon are all confirmed long-term absentees.

Pape Matar Sarr, who missed out on the loss to Villa, was a doubt for today's game and he will not be available due to a slight hamstring strain, which does not suggest that it will be a long-term issue for the central midfielder.

And, of course, Bentancur will not be in the matchday squad this evening as the Uruguay international was forced off injured in the first half of last weekend's match.

The former Juventus man was brought down by a very late challenge by Matty Cash and is now set to be out for ten weeks with ankle ligament damage, which is due to rule him out until the new year.

This means that Postecoglou will be forced into a change in midfield as Bentancur had started alongside Lo Celso in the middle of the park against Villa.

Statistic

Bentancur vs Villa (via Sofascore)

Minutes played

32

Sofascore rating

7.1

Pass success rate

86%

Duel success rate

100%

Dribble success rate

100%

Thankfully, Mali international Yves Bissouma is set to be available for selection against Manchester City after serving a one-match suspension against Villa.

The Australian tactician must now unleash the former Brighton & Hove Albion star in midfield to replace Bentancur ahead of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who came off the bench in his place against Villa.

Bissouma is a better option than the Denmark international and should be brought straight back into the starting XI against the champions.

Hojbjerg's season in numbers

The former Southampton enforcer has struggled to make a positive impression on the pitch when he has been given an opportunity to make an impact this season.

He has made 12 Premier League appearances throughout the 2023/24 campaign to date and left a lot to be desired with his contributions both in and out of possession.

Hojbjerg currently ranks 15th within the squad for tackles (0.8), 14th for interceptions (0.4), and 12th for clearances (0.8) per game in the top-flight.

Despite ranking so lowly among his teammates in those key defensive actions, only five other players in the squad have been dribbled past more than his 0.8 times per match – the joint-most of any central midfielder.

This suggests that opposition players have found it far too easy to get the better of him as he has been dribbled past as many times as he has made successful tackles to cut out attacks and win possession for his team.

In possession, the 28-year-old battler ranks 17th within the group for key passes (0.1) and 15th for dribbles completed (0.3) per outing. He has also averaged 7.96 progressive carries and passes combined per 90 over the last 365 days in domestic and European action.

Hojbjerg, who has lost 54% of his duels and 83% of his aerial battles in the Premier League, has not offered much in the way of quality on or off the ball, as shown by the aforementioned statistics in comparison to his teammates.

Bissouma's season in numbers

On the other hand, Bissouma is better than the Danish dud and has been in sublime form since Postecoglou came through the door.

The Mali international struggled at times during his debut campaign at Spurs with an average Sofascore rating of 6.68 across 23 appearances, with 1.2 tackles and interceptions and 0.3 key passes per game.

He did not showcase his true qualities and the new Tottenham head coach has been able to get the best out of the central midfielder so far this season.

Bissouma has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.17 across 11 top-flight starts this term and caught the eye with his contributions in and out of possession.

The £55k-per-week whiz has averaged 9.67 progressive passes and carries combined per 90 this season, which ranks him within the top 16% of Premier League midfielders in each of those two statistics respectively. He is also in the top 2% of his peers for successful take-ons (2.14) per 90.

These statistics show that the 27-year-old ace is an excellent progressive midfielder who can get his team up the pitch through passes and carries.

The midfield "monster" – as he was once described by journalist Aaron Stokes – has not shirked away from his defensive responsibilities.

Bissouma currently ranks joint-first within the squad for tackles (3.3), first for interceptions (1.6), and eighth for clearances (1.7) per match in the Premier League.

The impressive whiz, who also ranks second for dribbles completed (1.9) and 12th for key passes (0.5) per outing, excels at winning possession back for his team by going out to make tackles and interceptions to stop opposition attacks.

Overall, his statistics show that he has far more to offer to the team than Hojbjerg, in terms of the defensive and offensive contributions that the ex-Brighton dynamo can make, and that is why Postecoglou must unleash him alongside Lo Celso.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após duas rodadas fora por conta da Covid-19, o meia Matheus Bianqui comemora seu retorno aos gramados pelo Londrina. O jovem de 22 anos deve começar entre os titulares no jogo diante o Volta Redonda, neste sábado (5) às 19h (de Brasília, no estádio Luso Brasileiro, pela última rodada da fase de grupos do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série C.

Bianqui revela a ansiedade em poder entrar em campo novamente com a camisa do Tubarão e poder ajudar a equipe a garantir a classificação para a próxima fase da competição.

– Estou bastante ansioso por esse retorno aos gramados. É muito difícil ficar de fora ainda mais na reta final do campeonato, mas graças à Deus estou recuperado e estou à disposição do professor para o próximo jogo – disse o meia Matheus Bianqui.

Com 28 pontos – mesmo número de Ypiranga e Brusque – o Londrina lidera o Grupo B pelo saldo de gols e depende apenas de si para avançar à segunda fase da Série C, algo que fez o atleta da equipe paranaense ressaltar a importância da partida deste sábado.

– É o jogo que talvez seja o mais importante da temporada até aqui. Temos que encarar como uma final para gente avançar à próxima fase e alcançar nosso principal objetivo que é o acesso. Acredito que será uma partida difícil mesmo a equipe deles não tendo responsabilidade alguma dentro da competição. Estamos trabalhando forte durante a semana para chegar sábado e fazer uma grande partida e sair com a classificação de lá – finalizou.

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Declan Rice suffered an unhappy return to the London Stadium as West Ham United put in an excellent performance to stun Arsenal 3-1 and book a trip to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

The Hammers had lost three on the spin prior to this fixture and David Moyes was heavily criticised for his team selections, namely the decision to persist with Michail Antonio as the figurehead of their forward line.

On Wednesday night, however, the Scotsman reshuffled his attack, which worked to devastating effect. Mohammed Kudus was outstanding on the right flank and Jarrod Bowen ran riot as a lone striker.

Jarrod Bowen's statistics against Arsenal

Since arriving from Hull City for £18m in January 2020, Bowen has established himself as one of West Ham's most important players.

He ended last season as their top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions and has already amassed seven in 13 appearances this term, underlying how crucial he is to the Hammers attacking threat.

Bowen is excellent at driving forward with the ball, has the intelligence to make incisive runs and exhumes calmness in and around the 18-yard box – all attributes that point towards him being a dangerous forward.

Throughout his career, Bowen has predominantly been utilised as a right winger, rising to prominence at the Tigers through his devastating form as an inverted winger and carrying that across to east London.

Shots on target

2

Dribble Success

2/3

Pass Success

83%

Cross Success

1/4

Duels Won

10/20

Tackles Won

4

Fouled by the opposition

3x

Stats via Sofascore.

On the occasions he's been used as a forward for West Ham, however, the Englishman has thrived, scoring ten goals and supplying five assists in 24 appearances.

Moyes decided to use him as a striker against Arsenal and it worked a treat, as he contributed to every dimension of West Ham's attack, from supplying the wicked corner delivery that saw Ben White divert into his own goal to his thunderous second-half strike that put the tie beyond the visitors reach.

A constant thorn in the Gunners' side having completed two of his three attempted dribbles and peppered Ramsdale's goal with two shots on target, as per Sofascore, Bowen was in imperious form on the night and also impressed with his defensive work.

He set the standard by pressing from the front, winning nine of his 16 ground duels and was constantly throwing himself into challenges, making four tackles and intercepting once, however, he wasn't the only hero in claret and blue on the night.

Mohammed Kudus' statistics against Arsenal

Kudus' favoured position is on the right flank, but since arriving at the club in the summer, he's been mostly used in a central attacking position.

With Bowen shuffled into the striker role, the Ghanian was moved out to the right wing and he thrived in that position, putting in an exceptional all-round display.

Described as "special" by journalist Dan Woffenden for his goal, which saw him expertly control a Nayef Aguerd switch and calmly slot the ball past Ramsdale, Kudus displayed his touch of class.

That well-taken goal provided ample reasoning as to why West Ham shelled out £38m for him in the summer, while his quality in possession was also complimented by his boundless work rate.

Kudus constantly tracked back for the sake of his team and helped Vladimir Coufal double up on Leandro Trossard, making four tackles, winning six ground duels and intercepting play on one occasion.

Moyes has been put under severe scrutiny for his team selections in recent weeks, but the Scotsman deserves plaudits for getting it completely right in the attacking third on Wednesday night.

With this formula responsible for dismantling Arsenal, he has to continue with it against Brentford on Saturday.

Manchester United are looking to sign a "special talent" who has begun the 2023/24 season in fine form, according to a new report.

Man Utd transfer latest…

The Red Devils were busy during the summer transfer window, bringing in a total of eight new players ahead of Erik ten Hag‘s second season in charge. However, things haven’t exactly gone to plan during the current campaign so far, with United losing four of their eight Premier League games so far. In Europe, Ten Hag’s side have also been unsuccessful, suffering defeats against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray.

Player	Previous club	Fee
Rasmus Hojlund	Atalanta	€75m
Andre Onana	Inter Milan	€64.2m
Mason Mount	Chelsea	€52.5m
Altay Bayindir	Fenerbahce	€5m
Jonny Evans	Leicester City	Free transfer
Sofyan Amrabat	Fiorentina	Loan
Sergio Reguilon	Tottenham	Loan

Away from the pitch, the situation involving Ten Hag and Jadon Sancho is yet to be resolved, with the right-winger being absent from the squad over the last eight fixtures in all competitions. As a result, attention already appears to be on the January transfer window, and a new attacker is seemingly on the Old Trafford wishlist.

A report in Spain provided a Man Utd transfer update regarding Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo. It is believed that those in Manchester have set their sights on a move for the 22-year-old as they look to find replacements for Sancho and Anthony Martial.

Who is Takefusa Kubo?

Kubo, a Japan international, is primarily a right-winger but can also play on the left or in a central attacking role. After beginning his career in his native country, Kubo has been making an impact in Spain in recent years, turning out for the likes of Mallorca, Villarreal, Getafe and now Sociedad.

In total, Kubo has made 136 appearances in Spain, 53 of which have come for Sociedad where he has scored 14 times and registered 11 assists. During the current campaign, he has already netted five times in eight La Liga appearances, so he appeared to be going from strength to strength.

Journalist Josh Bunting has labelled the player as a “special talent”, so he could be a shrewd addition at Old Trafford, especially if Sancho and Martial depart over the next 12 months. As per FBref, Kubo has ranked highly compared to other forwards for take-ons, progressive carries, passes, tackles and blocks, showing his ability both on and off the ball. A transfer could be a move to keep an eye on, and by the looks of things, United are weighing up their options for life without Sancho.