Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has told fans to expect more "unpopular decisions" as he bids to restore the club to its former glory.

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Co-owner criticises way club was previously runINEOS have made many big decisions in last yearSays recruitment must continue to improveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ratcliffe is approaching the one year anniversary of his INEOS firm purchasing a 27.7 percent stake in the club. He has made huge changes, including overhauling the club's board of directors and sacking coach Erik ten Hag, replacing him with Ruben Amorim. He has also made unpopular calls, such as making 250 staff members redundant, ending Sir Alex Ferguson's ambassadorial role and most recently hiking ticket prices in the middle of the season.

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But he has claimed tough decisions were needed to end a decade of stagnation since Ferguson's departure in 2013, taking aim at how the club was run before he took the reins last year. He said the club was way behind its rivals when it came to recruitment and data analysis.

WHAT RATCLIFFE SAID

"We have to make some difficult and unpopular decisions. If you shy away from the difficult decisions then nothing much is going to change," Ratcliffe said in an interview with the fanzine, via "We still have a long way to go and we still have a number of difficult decisions to make but we have to do that for the better. The club has drifted for a long period of time, a decade or so. Manchester United has become mediocre. It’s not elite and it is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world. That’s what it used to be under Alex."

He added: "We’ve not been good enough at recruitment. And until we’re as good as anyone in the world, then it’s not good enough for Manchester United We must have the best recruitment in the world. Data Analysis comes alongside recruitment. It doesn’t really exist here. We’re still in the last century on data analysis here. There’s an immense amount of useful data that we can get from data analysis and we’re in the ‘very poor’ bracket with data analysis here. These things don’t happen overnight. You can’t just flick a light switch and sort out recruitment. It’s all about people and we need to find the right people."

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Ratcliffe also appeared to defend the decision to sack 250 people earlier this year. "The other big one is we need to run the club efficiently and well. We need to sweat every pound so that we have more capacity for the investment in players. Those are the big-ticket items which take up time. The other point here is how you grow the amount of money that you can spend on players. You can run the business more efficiently. And you can grow the top line."

The former quick believes “the sky’s the limit” for Darcie Brown and has lauded all the young bowlers’ willingness to learn

Andrew McGlashan09-Apr-2021Ryan Harris is keen for a more permanent role with the Australia women’s team, having been brought on as a short-term bowling coach for the ongoing New Zealand tour.Harris admitted he was “a bit nervous” when he came into the squad but was very grateful with how the team has accepted him and was impressed by the bowlers he has worked with on the trip.There is a gap in the team’s schedule after this tour, which will include a period of leave, then a significant number of them will head to England for the Hundred before the possibility of an Australia-Australia A series in August heading into a home summer that is set to include tours by India, England and then the 2022 ODI World Cup back in New Zealand.”The easy answer is yes,” Harris said when asked if he would like to retain his role. “We’ll have to see what happens with that post this tour. By the sounds of it, there might be an opportunity, and it’s something I’ll be watching quite closely.”I was a little bit nervous coming in. I haven’t done a lot of work with the women’s teams before – done bits and pieces through my other job in Brisbane, but to get in here and see how they train, they are great to work with. [I have] Had some great discussions, not just with the bowlers but other players as well. They’ve been really good to me, accepting me, talking about my experiences which has been excellent.”Related

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Brown hungry to learn as Australia's young quicks push each other

The 17-player squad has given Harris plenty to work with, ranging from the experienced members such as Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry through to the youngsters in Darcie Brown and Hannah Darlington.Brown made her debut in the second T20I, pushing the speed gun above 120kph, and could have a chance to play in the final ODI if Tayla Vlaeminck is rested having had consecutive matches – although the forecast for Saturday is not overly promising.Australia’s pace bowling future: Darcie Brown, Hannah Darlington and Tayla Vlaeminck•Getty Images

“The sky’s the limit,” Harris said of Brown. “I look at her and the ease in the way she runs in, delivers the ball, her pace is really good for her age and still think there is room for improvement there which is the scary thing. When we talk about bowlers and how they approach the wicket, the basic skills and mechanics, she’s got it all. Makes me jealous actually because I had to work to bowl fast.”This tour has been Vlaeminck’s return to international cricket for the first time since before the T20 World Cup last year. She has had a limited workload in the two ODIs – six overs and five overs – but picked up her first wicket of the series when she had Lauren Down caught at slip on Wednesday.”Tayla, for example, is still learning. She’s so raw,” Harris said. “[She] Loves the game, just wants to bowl. If she could, she’d bowl 15-20 overs a day to bowl the perfect ball. I love that. I see a little bit of myself in her; [she] wants to get better at it, wants to bowl fast now and wants success now. That’s a great attitude to have.”While Darlington, who was selected with more of a T20 focus, has not been handed a debut on the tour, Harris said she had used every chance she could to soak up experience.”What I’ve found with Hannah is she just wants to learn about how can she be better, talking to her about different lengths to hit, who you are playing against. The knowledge about how you approach the changes you have to make for different opposition. For a young player she’s very mature and understands the game really well. She’s asked some really good questions.”

James Rodriguez could reportedly become the next star turn to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, with the MLS outfit considering a January approach.

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• Colombian enduring tough time in Spain
• Talk of contract being terminated
• Herons always interested in proven performers

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Colombia international James – who was named player of the tournament at the 2024 Copa America as Messi and Argentina defended their continental crown on U.S. soil – is enduring a difficult time back in Spain with Rayo Vallecano.

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  The former Real Madrid playmaker returned to Europe on the back of his Copa exploits, but regular game time has been in short supply after opting for a second stint in the Spanish capital. James has seen just 136 minutes of La Liga action this season, with only one start made in top-flight competition.

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  There are suggestions that his one-year contract could be terminated at the start of 2025, allowing the 33-year-old to find another new challenge. According to reports in the States, as covered by , James is registering on Inter Miami’s radar.

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  The Herons are plotting a rebuild on the back of suffering MLS Cup play-off heartache in 2024 against Atlanta United, with David Beckham and the club’s board looking for more proven performers at the very highest level.

Chelsea chief Todd Boehly has handed Newcastle United a £10 million discount, as Eddie Howe's side eye up a move for a Stamford Bridge forward.

Chelsea players who could still be sold before deadline day

There have been an abundance of fairly high-profile exits at Chelsea already this summer, including Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall, Malang Sarr, Omari Hutchinson, Hakim Ziyech, Thiago Silva, Alfie Gilchrist and Michael Golding to name a few.

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The Chelsea axe is swinging throughout Enzo Maresca's bloated squad, and it is highly anticipated that more interesting names could be set for the exit door before summer deadline day on August 30.

It is believed that left-back and sporadic captain Ben Chilwell is prepared to leave this summer as Premier League champions Man City register a loose interest, while Fabrizio Romano claims Raheem Sterling will be allowed to go if Joao Felix joins Chelsea.

As well as this, Napoli remain in talks over a deal for Romelu Lukaku, who has reportedly already agreed a three-year contract to reunite with Antonio Conte in Italy, and the transfer looks set to have a profound effect on Chelsea's interest in Victor Osimhen.

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

"Chelsea are in talks with Napoli over Victor Osimhen, whilst Romelu Lukaku has already agreed to a pay cut and a three-year contract to move to Naples," wrote GiveMeSport's Ben Jacobs on X recently.

"Napoli wanting Lukaku helps Chelsea, as does Osimhen putting pressure on Napoli to leave as soon as possible."

After Lukaku, Chilwell and Sterling, uncertainty also surrounds the futures of Angelo Gabriel, Armando Broja, Conor Gallagher and Cesare Casadei, while it is widely reported that Southampton are closing in on a loan deal for Chelsea defender Lesley Ugochukwu.

After Boehly and BlueCo agreed the signing of Pedro Neto from Wolves last week, in a deal which could be worth up to £54 million including add-ons, questions are now being asked of winger Noni Madueke.

Chelsea hand Newcastle £10m discount as Howe eyes Madueke move

TEAMtalk reported earlier this week that Newcastle have held talks with Madueke's agents ahead of a potential swoop, with Chelsea valuing the 22-year-old at around £40 million.

That same outlet have now shared a further update, and they claim Howe could now sign the Englishman for less. TT write that Chelsea are open to selling Madueke for £30 million as Newcastle register their interest, 25 per cent less than first thought, with the Magpies potentially having to replace Miguel Almiron if the Paraguayan can seal a move to the MLS or Saudi Arabia.

It would be harsh on Madueke if Chelsea opt to sell, as the winger played a big role during the latter stages of 2023/2024 under Mauricio Pochettino. He started each of the Argentine's final nine Premier League games in charge, finishing the campaign with eight goals and three assists in all competitions.

However, Neto's arrival has put the "mentality monster" in a tough position when it comes to guaranteed game time this season, so it will be interesting to see what the future holds for PSV Eindhoven's ex-rising star.

Leeds United are preparing to bid for a new midfielder as they look to bolster their ranks ahead of the new Championship season, it has been claimed.

Whites looking light in midfield

While the deal to sell Glen Kamara was a profitable one for Daniel Farke's side, they are yet to replace the Finland international. The 28-year-old midfielder completed a move to French side Stade Rennais earlier this summer in a deal worth 10m euros (£8m), helping Leeds record a profit on the reported £5m they shelled out in the summer of 2023 to bring him to Elland Road from Rangers.

Glen Kamara's Championship season 23/24
Appearances	37
Starts	33
Goals	0
Assists	3
Yellow Cards	3

But it has caused a problem given Kamara's usage last season, with the midfielder starting 33 of Leeds' 46 Championship games and all three of their subsequent playoff games. His natural replacement in the squad, teenage talent Archie Gray, has also been sold this summer with Tottenham pouncing to take him to north London.

It means that Leeds only have three recognised options to fill the double pivot role, with last season's options Illia Gruev and Ethan Ampadu boosted by the arrival of Joe Rothwell on loan from Bournemouth.

Given the desire to use two midfielders in every game, it feels as though Leeds are at least one midfield option short ahead of the Championship season kicking off in 10 days time, when Farke's side welcome Portsmouth to Elland Road. Now, they seem ready to move to sign another body in the middle of the park.

Leeds set to bid again for midfielder

That comes as HITC reveal that Leeds "are expected to make another offer" for impressive Bundesliga midfielder Dejan Ljubicic, who currently plies his trade with Koln.

The Whites have already seen one bid turned down to sign the midfielder this summer, believed to have been in the region of £3.3m, but are ready to return to ensure that they secure their man.

Ljubicic is down to the final 12 months of his £13,000 per week deal in Germany, and is yet to pen an extension in the Cathedral City, meaning that his side risk losing him for free in 12 months if they don't cash in this summer.

Latest Leeds transfer news: Farke eyes Norwich raid; PL trio after stars

Find the latest transfer reports involving Leeds United here as they look to bolster their squad over the summer.

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Dan Emery

Jul 30, 2024

Relegated from the Bundesliga last season, they are not in a strong position despite being keen to keep hold of their man.

He was dubbed a "top Bundesliga player" by boss Timo Schultz last season, and has come in for plenty of praise previously. Indeed, former coach Goran Djuricin highlighted his ability to keep the ball and win it back: "Dejan brings dynamism to our game, loves to tackle and hardly makes any bad passes."

That will come as music to the ears of Leeds fans should they be able to get a deal over the line, with the midfielder potentially being the man to help them back into the Premier League this time around.

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The allrounder admits this season has been a challenge but is committed to a spell overseas

Andrew McGlashan10-Apr-2021Sean Abbott admitted that there have been days during a long season when finding the motivation to train has been difficult but after a brief break he is ready to keeping playing in order to push his case for a T20 World Cup spot.Abbott’s Australian season will come to a close over the next 10 days with two finals – the Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield – as he aims to hold all three domestic titles aloft having also been part of the Sydney Sixers side to secure the BBL then he will head to the UK for a spell with Surrey in mid-May.The state campaign is stretching further into April that it normally would due to the impact of Covid-19 on the schedule and Abbott’s season effectively began in mid-August when he travelled to England with Australia’s white-ball squad.After returning from that tour there was two weeks quarantine before he went into the Sheffield hub in Adelaide, then to Australia A duty before returning to the Test squad after a calf strain. He then slotted into the Sixers line-up before resuming duties with New South Wales following the postponement of the South Africa Test tour.Related

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Being selected in that Test squad meant he was unavailable to be part of the T20I team that went to New Zealand and it’s the carrot of the World Cup in India that has been a large driver behind taking up a deal with Surrey which will see him available for the entire T20 Blast tournament.”It’s something I certainly had a few conversations with my girlfriend about. She’s working full time and the times I am home it’s not like I get to spend all day with here,” he said. “Was something we had to talk about seriously then obviously the risks with Covid, but it’s a World Cup year.”I missed out on the trip to New Zealand having been selected in the South Africa squad and with a lot of guys playing really good cricket there’s a lot of competition for those spots for tours at the back end of the year. Weighing up the risks of going away and trying to improve and trying to challenge for those spots.”It’s another heavy workload being away for eight to ten weeks with quarantine on the back of that, it was the risk I was willing to take given the year we have ahead.”There is plenty of motivation for the last two matches of the season with a pair of titles at stake – facing Western Australia for the Marsh Cup on Sunday before defending their Sheffield Shield title against Queensland in Brisbane – but Abbott is actually grateful to have been sidelined for a couple of weeks by injury,”There’s definitely been tough days, rolling out of bed sort of trying to work out where you are and what you are up to that day,” he said. “Splitting my webbing open [against Tasmania] was almost a blessing in disguise even though I hate missing cricket games but it allowed me the chance to visit my family, spend some time with them and my girlfriend.””We’ve had to band together a lot of the time and maybe focus less on training and more on staying mentally fresh this time of the season because there is some fatigue there. But pretty fortunate with the teams I’m involved in surrounded by a great group, both the players and the coaching staff.”Whilst right now there’s been a couple of days where you don’t really want to get up and do your job, the people I’ve been around have made it a lot easier. So pretty lucky.”

Things are starting to happen at West Ham United. Technical director Tim Steidten moved quickly to sign Luis Guilherme and Max Kilman this summer, and now further exciting deals are being worked on.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Crysencio Summerville are both closing on transfers to the London Stadium, though strides must yet be taken to secure the players' signatures.

The centre of the park could also do with some tinkering, and West Ham may well move for a new midfielder after present deals are brokered.

West Ham transfer news

According to L'Equipe – via Sport Witness – West Ham are in with a shout for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler, who has been linked with a move away from the Ligue 1 champions this summer.

The Premier League has been touted as a possible destination, with Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion also sniffing around. It's unlikely that PSG will offer him a starting berth with regularity this term, so there's a real opportunity to secure a shrewd signing here.

What Carlos Soler would bring to West Ham

Soler signed for PSG from Spanish side Valencia for €20m (about £17m) in 2022, though he has never really nailed down a role of importance in the French capital, starting 26 Ligue 1 matches across the two campaigns.

Once hailed as the "complete midfielder" by former Valencia star Curro Torres, Soler has performed across a range of roles throughout his career but is principally fielded in the centre, where his playmaking qualities shine.

Central midfield

142

27

16

Right midfield

92

11

18

Attacking midfield

28

2

1

Left midfield

25

4

1

Defensive midfield

9

3

1

Right-back

5

1

2

Left-back

2

0

0

He ranks among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 15% for assists and the top 18% for passes attempted per 90, as per FBref, highlighting the potency he would bring to Julen Lopetegui's team, instilling a new level of ball-playing quality too.

He could even find himself absorbing Lucas Paqueta's role, with the Brazil international's future uncertain amid FA charges for spot-fixing breaches, with prospective sanctions speaking of a lengthy suspension.

One of the highest-quality players in the Hammers' modern history, Paqueta has been integral since signing for a club-record £51m figure two years ago.

Across his two campaigns, the 26-year-old has clinched 27 goal contributions, threading the pass through to Jarrod Bowen to win the Conference League in 2023. He also averaged 6.3 recoveries, 2.3 tackles and won 7.6 duels per match in the English top flight last term, as per Sofascore, boasting a 'complete' skillset almost unmatched for playmakers in the division.

Paqueta has linked back up with West Ham's first team as Lopetegui and Co gear up for the forthcoming season, but a long-term spell on the sidelines looms like an ominous shadow.

In Soler, United could find a tailor-made replacement to ensure that east London is blessed with creativity and spark at the start of a new era, regardless of Paqueta's future on the field.

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ByConnor Holden Aug 2, 2024

Nottingham Forest are reportedly on the cusp of completing another deal this summer following their latest capture of Ramon Sosa.

Nottingham Forest eye late additions

After picking up their first point of the season on the Premier League opening weekend, Nuno Espírito Santo's side remain active in the transfer market as it heads towards the end of the window. The Garibaldi are eyeing up a move for fresh blood in attack, and have already seen one bid turned down for Mexican striker Santiago Gimenez, who scored 23 goals in last season's Eredivisie.

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Meanwhile, they are also understood to be chasing defensive reinforcements and a goalkeeper, with the arrivals of Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa having already bolstered their frontline.

But it is a far cry from recent transfer windows, which have seen them cram the arrivals lounge at a rate only matched by Todd Boehly at Stamford Bridge, a series of events which led to them sailing too close to the wind with financial fair play.

Despite their more settled nature this time around, they are always on the hunt for upgrades, and they may be ready to revisit a player they know well before the end of the transfer window.

Montiel on verge of Forest return

That comes as one journalist claims that Forest have agreed a deal to re-sign right-back Gonzalo Montiel ahead of the transfer deadline in what would be a bizarre move.

The Argentine, who featured six times as they lifted the Copa América over the summer, spent the 2023-24 campaign at the City Ground but appeared to fall out of favour towards the back end of the campaign, failing to feature in games between February and April, though he did start the final four games of the season.

But despite Montiel's loan move having an option to buy the defender included, the club chose not to activate it, sending him back to Seville instead. Now, it is reported they are set to buy him this summer after all, with the initial decision perhaps influenced by potential financial fair play repurcussions ahead of the June 30th PSR deadline.

Montiel's first Nottingham Forest stint

Appearances

19

Starts

12

Goals

0

Assists

3

Yellow Cards

6

Appearances under Espírito Santo

14

As per Spanish journalist Fernando Serrano, the defender is "very close" to signing for Forest once more, with the Argentine having agreed personal terms on a four-year deal at the City Ground. Meanwhile, Forest have tabled a 12m euros (£10.2m) offer to sign him, comprising 9m euros up front (£7.7m) plus a further 3m euros (£2.5m) in add-ons.

There is no mention of whether Sevilla have accepted the offer, but given that it is likely of a similar value to the option to buy Montiel in the initial loan and the Argentine is down to the final two years of his £23,000 a week deal, it could well be enough to bring the World Cup winner back to the City Ground permanently.

Arsenal have been busy on transfer deadline day, working to secure the signing of a new goalkeeper following Aaron Ramsdale's exit.

He joined Southampton on a permanent deal which has forced the Gunners into acquiring a replacement.

Espanyol's Joan Garcia looked like one option but he proved too expensive so Edu and Co have looked to bring in Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto on loan instead.

That deal is now done but official confirmation from the Gunners is yet to emerge.

That said, he's not the only deadline day signing on the cards with a forward player potentially set to arrive before 11pm.

Arsenal looking to sign Premier League forward

Arsenal are in talks to sign Raheem Sterling in a last-minute deal according to the Athletic's David Ornstein.

The winger is available after being alienated by new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca following the player's omission from the squad during their opening weekend defeat to Manchester City.

Rumours had been rife surrounding the player's future on transfer deadline with a will he won't he saga emerging.

Arsenal had been reported to be the player's favourite destination if a move could be agreed after a phone call with Mikel Arteta and now it appears a move is well and truly on the cards.

Should a deal be struck then it looks like Arsenal could sign a similar player to Gabriel Martinelli.

How Sterling compares to Gabriel Martinelli

According to FBRef's statistics for the 2023/24 season, Arsenal's Brazilian superstar was the fourth-most similar player in the Premier League to Sterling.

Why? Well, both tricky wingers who largely play down the left, they possess similar qualities that help make themselves a total nightmare for the opposition when en-song.

Here's a breakdown of the numbers between the two for last season which showcases a number of similarities.

Sterling vs Martinelli (23/24 PL season)

Stat (per 90 mins)

Sterling

Martinelli

Goals

0.36

0.27

Assists

0.18

0.18

Expected goals (xG)

0.30

0.30

Shot-creating actions

3.86

4.11

Progressive passes

3.55

2.90

Successful take-ons

2.05

1.79

Progressive carries

5.45

5.67

Stats via FBRef.

As we can see from the data above, they're particularly alike in a host of important areas for a wide player, most specifically progressive passing, dribbling and carrying.

For progressive carries, in particular, they are almost identical, with Arteta now potentially set to be able to call upon another electric dribbler in the form of Martinelli.

The Brazilian has been off the boil of late, scoring just one league goal since the beginning of March. That form, and the sheer number of minutes that Bukayo Saka played in 2023/24, meant that signing another body in the final third of the pitch was particularly vital.

Sterling, certainly at the 11th hour, isn't a bad option indeed, even if he wasn't their first choice.

Some may complain about his lack of form at Stamford Bridge but this is a player Arteta knows and he represents a brilliant late market opportunity. This one is unexpected but certainly needed for Arsenal.

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