Nottingham Forest are now poised to sign a “brilliant” midfielder in an out-of-window move, with an announcement expected imminently.

More changes expected at Forest despite transfer window closing

The transfer window came to a close on Monday evening, and Forest are likely to be happy with the business they’ve done, with Evangelos Marinakis spending heavily to ensure Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are competitive once again this season.

The Tricky Trees were particularly busy on deadline day, securing the signings of two full-backs in the form of Cuiabano and Oleksandr Zinchenko, while also bringing in winger Dilane Bakwa from Strasbourg.

With Bakwa joining, you would perhaps expect Marinakis to have sanctioned the departure of fellow winger Jota Silva, but there have now been suggestions the owner cost the Portuguese forward his dream move to Sporting CP.

As such, Jota is continuing to explore his options, and there are more changes expected at The City Ground, despite the transfer window ending, with Taiwo Awoniyi thought to be attracting attention.

Not only that, but there is also a new arrival expected in the very near future, with a report from Football Insider revealing Nottingham Forest have now agreed an out-of-window deal to sign Rangers midfielder Blaine McClure.

An announcement is expected imminently, with McClure set to move to The City Ground on a loan deal to begin with, with a view to joining permanently at some point in the future.

Just 18-years-old, the starlet is regarded as an exciting young talent by national side Northern Ireland and Rangers, but he is set to be a part of the youth set-up at Forest to begin with.

"Brilliant" McClure is one for the future

Given that the Northern Irishman is yet to make a first-team appearance for Rangers, he is unlikely to be a part of Nuno’s plans anytime soon, but there are signs he could be an exciting long-term addition to the squad.

Former Linfield player Glenn Ferguson spoke particularly fondly of the central midfielder during their time working together at the Northern Irish club, saying he has a “brilliant attitude”, before also adding: “I always call Blaine the ‘wee old man’. He is small in stature but has a massive heart.

£6m Nottingham Forest ace desperate to leave, Marinakis cost him dream move

A Forest player is now pushing for an exit…

By
Dominic Lund

Sep 3, 2025

“And when you see him playing, some of the tackles would scare you. He is afraid of nobody and he can dictate games with the way he gets on the ball and makes things happen.”

Given that McClure has just 13 senior appearances to his name, which came on loan at Scottish League One side Kelty Hearts last season, he is almost certainly some way off first-team level at a club like Forest, but he clearly has plenty of potential.

MatériaMais Notícias

Abel Ferreira ganhou dois problemas para o próximo compromisso do Palmeiras no Brasileirão, no próximo sábado (19), quando o Verdão viaja para encarar o Cuiabá, na Arena Pantanal.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBrasileirãoVÍDEO: Gol e melhores momentos de Palmeiras x CruzeiroBrasileirão14/08/2023PalmeirasATUAÇÕES: Flaco López brilha e garante vitória do Palmeiras diante do Cruzeiro nos acréscimosPalmeiras14/08/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras marca no último minuto e vence o Cruzeiro para voltar à vice-liderança do BrasileirãoPalmeiras14/08/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Gustavo Gómez e Vanderlan sofreram o terceiro cartão amarelo na vitória suada sobre o Cruzeiro, nesta segunda-feira (14), e estão fora do duelo diante do Dourado.

O paraguaio sofreu o cartão ainda no primeiro tempo, por reclamação, enquanto o lateral-esquerdo foi punido com o amarelo no final da segunda etapa, após falta em Wesley.

continua após a publicidade

Luan e Piquerez (que foi preservado do duelo de hoje) devem ser os substitutos da dupla para encararem o time de Deyverson.

Weverton e Dudu, outros dois titulares que foram preservados do duelo de hoje, também podem retornar ao Verdão diante do Cuiabá.

+ Vitória no fim não livra titular do Palmeiras de críticas: ‘Merece banco!’

A lista de pendurados do Palmeiras segue grande: Weverton, Gustavo Garcia, Zé Rafael, Jhon Jhon, Endrick, José López e Abel Ferreira.

Russell Martin’s tenure at Glasgow Rangers looks like it could be a short one, as there are already rumblings about him being removed from the role.

Earlier in the month, The I Paper’s chief football correspondent, Daniel Storey, wrote about how the 49ers Enterprises were at Ibrox and saw “the poor fare, they heard the boos, and they will not have missed the banners of dissent”, which would likely have had an effect on their thoughts around Martin.

Since then, things haven’t improved at Rangers as they remain winless in the Scottish Premiership, and their only wins have come in the Scottish League Cup.

With the situation nearly becoming untenable, the board may soon start to look at a previous managerial candidate to fill the role, should they give Martin the boot.

Rangers could look to recreate Celtic's Postecoglou's success

As per The Daily Record journalist Gavin Berry, one of the candidates that could be top of the list if Martin leaves is Kevin Muscat:

Muscat’s career thus far has followed a similar trajectory to that of Postecoglou’s, where he started in Australia and has now moved on to the Asian Leagues. The similarities go even further with both coaches having tenures at Melbourne Victory and Yokohama F. Marinos, with Muscat taking over from Postecoglou at both clubs.

Muscat is currently at the Chinese club Shanghai Port FC, where he has won both the Chinese FA Cup and the Chinese Super Cup.

Martin vs Postecoglou and why Muscat is the best candidate

Martin and Postecoglou had very different styles of play when managing in Scotland, and at the moment, it seems like the new Nottingham Forest manager’s style better fits the Scottish Premiership.

At Southampton, Martin’s style of play focused on playing out from the back and dominating possession. With a Premier League-quality side in the Championship, they were able to dominate games and secure promotion, but when they were promoted and were one of the weaker teams in the league, the tactic was ineffective.

When Martin was appointed to Rangers, it was speculated that he might be able to recreate the dominance he found in the Championship, but this has yet to happen.

Postecoglou’s method also saw his side with a high level of possession, but with a much higher line and greater attacking output. This saw his Celtic side average 2.3 points a game during his time there, leading to his winning the domestic treble. Muscat’s career may have been influenced by Postecoglou, and his sides have demonstrated the same attacking ethos.

Based on this, Postecoglou’s style of play seems to be the better one for the Scottish Premiership, so if they do decide to sack Martin, then Muscat and his attacking tactics would be the best possible replacement.

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has put striker Will Osula on red alert for the Premier League after seeing him score twice as the holders booked their place in the Carabao Cup fourth round with a 4-1 win against Bradford.

The 22-year-old Dane scored the Magpies’ second and final goals against the League One leaders at St James’ Park to highlight his development, and with record signing Nick Woltemade still coming to terms with English football and Yoane Wissa injured, he has been told he could get his chance amid a hectic schedule.

Asked how close Osula, on £25,000-a-week, is to starting a league game, Howe said:

Howe impressed with Newcastle forward Osula in training

Osula, rarely seen this season with just over 200 minutes of game time, arrived at the club from Sheffield United as a raw youngster last summer, and Howe and his coaches have since gone to work with him on the training ground.

Newcastle largely dominated throughout and the game was effectively over when Joelinton and Osula struck after 17 and 19 minutes respectively.

However, thanks to the efforts of City goalkeeper Sam Walker and some sub-standard finishing, they had to wait until the 75th minute for the Brazilian to make it 3-0, and although lifelong Magpies fan Andy Cook reduced the deficit, Osula scored again at the death to wrap up a comfortable win.

Howe said: “It was always going to be a difficult game. Nobody makes anything easy for you. Bradford are top of their league and full of confidence, so we needed an element of patience in our performance. But once we got into our groove, we were good.”

Related Worse than Miley: Howe must drop Newcastle flop who lost 100% of his duels

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe should drop this flop who was worse than Lewis Miley.

Posts 1 ByDan Emery Sep 25, 2025

Opposite number Graham Alexander, who played under Howe during his spell in charge at Burnley, was happy with much of what he saw from his side on a difficult night on Tyneside.

Asked what they had learned, he said with a smile: “We learned what a Champions League team looks like up close.”

On Cook’s goal, he added: “He’s a proper lad, he’s been a big player for this club for the last three or four years and everyone knows about his support for Newcastle, but he’s also got a massive bond with our club as well, so it was a special night for Cooky just getting on the pitch.

“But that’s a goal he’ll be talking about for the next 50 years, I expect.”

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were staring at the prospect of a sixth loss in a row when MS Dhoni joined Shivam Dube with five overs left in the chase and 56 to get. But Dhoni won the battle against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) seamers with an unbeaten 11-ball 26 while Dube made 43 not out in 27 to give CSK their second win in seven outings at IPL 2025.LSG captain Rishabh Pant said right after the game that LSG were “10-15 runs short” after being asked to bat. Despite Pant’s own 49-ball 63, his first half-century in LSG colours, they scored only 166 for 7 in 20 overs, their lowest total of the season. They were pegged back by Ravindra Jadeja’s two wickets and kept in check by Noor Ahmad’s miserly four overs that went for only 13 runs.Related

• Dhoni effect on show as CSK find a way

• The Bishnoi over that Pant left out 'a major point' in LSG's loss to CSK

• Dhoni: Tweaked attack gives 'more manoeuvrability for the captain'

After CSK’s opening partnership put them on course, LSG dragged the game back with their spinners. Digvesh Rathi, Ravi Bishnoi, and part-time offspinner Aiden Markram produced combined figures of 11-0-66-4, but a 19-run over from Shardul Thakur in the 19th ended LSG’s hopes.

Dhoni, Dube take down pacersWhen Dhoni walked out after 15 overs, Dube had made only 17 in his first 20 balls. Dube had failed to boss the spinners like he usually does and the dismissals of Vijay Shankar and Jadeja had only added to the pressure.But Dhoni enjoys pace – he came into the game with a strike rate of 222 against quicks since IPL 2024, and LSG supplied him with just that. Despite one over of Bishnoi left, LSG went for Avesh Khan and Thakur, and their wide-yorker plan ended up being too predictable.Dhoni edged a couple of fours down to deep third but showed his power by punching a boundary through the covers, flicking a full toss over midwicket, and dragging a one-handed six over deep square-leg.4:32

Why did Pant not give Bishnoi another over?

He also ran his ones and twos, sometimes gingerly, with Dube and took the pressure off his partner. When Thakur bowled two full tosses at the start of the 19th over, Dube smacked him for four and six, the second of a no-ball.Dhoni picked up his first IPL Player-of-the-Match award since 2019 and Dube, soon after hitting the winning runs, said he was pleased about taking the game deep. Their partnership of 57 came in only 28 balls.

Rasheed steps up on IPL debut

Shaik Rasheed’s ability was never in doubt. He is a former Under-19 World Cup-winning vice-captain, has a Syed Mushtaq Ali century, and a double-century in first-class cricket. It’s for those reasons CSK have kept a close eye on him since IPL 2023.With Devon Conway not among the runs, CSK gave Rasheed an IPL debut and he took strike to start the chase. By the second over, he had pumped three fours off Akash Deep, with one flick over midwicket described on the broadcast as “Virat Kohli like”.His 19-ball 27 with six fours helped CSK reach fifty in only 4.2 overs, and alongside Rachin Ravindra’s 22-ball 37, gave them a rare successful opening stand. Those runs proved crucial as a collapse against spin followed.2:04

‘What Dhoni is doing is extraordinary’

Pant fights his way to 63

With a strike rate of 80 and a high score of 21 this season, Pant needed to do something big. He walked out in the fourth over with Markram and Nicholas Pooran out to Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj respectively for low scores.He started on a positive note, improvising a reverse lap over short third early for six along with a handful of pulls and cuts. But his strike rate of 165 plummeted to 103 when CSK’s spinners applied the squeeze. Pant saw wickets at from the other end, and ended up playing ten dots in 15 balls against Noor, scoring only six runs. His strike rate of 40 against the Purple Cap holder ended up being the second worst for any batter against a bowler in IPL (minimum 15 balls).However, after 40 in 39 balls, Pant found his touch against the pace of Matheesha Pathirana and Khaleel to turn his innings around. He couldn’t stay till the end, though, and the CSK spinners’ effort ensured LSG could make only 166 on a day where their second-highest individual score was Mitchell Marsh’s 30.

Morgan Rogers was delighted to make the most of his opportunity to impress for England against Wales, with the Aston Villa playmaker aware that "people will take your role" if the demands of head coach Thomas Tuchel are not met. Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham is among those to have missed out on a place in the latest Three Lions squad, with competition for places now fierce across all areas of the field.

• First England goal: Rogers takes his chance

  Tuchel has made it clear, in an ongoing countdown to the 2026 World Cup, that nobody can take places in his plans for granted. That includes ‘Galactico’ Bellingham and Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer – another of those to miss out this time around through injury. The absence of certain individuals is giving others a chance to stake their claim for a regular role.

  Rogers was handed a starting berth against Wales at Wembley and opened his senior international goal account inside three minutes of a friendly contest that was always going to have an edge as two geographical neighbours locked horns. He also hit the crossbar in the second half before being substituted to a standing ovation.

Advertisement

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Competition for places: Bellingham & Palmer missing

  Rogers told afterwards when asked where a goal for England ranks in his career: "Right at the top. It's a proud moment to do it at home too in a home nation derby. A dream come true. The quality of players we have with people here and not here, you can never be too comfortable, or else people will take your role."

  He went on to tell : "Not a bad night for sure. It's a different team but it's the same idea. It's the same mindset. It's the same thought and the same way we want to play. The players that come in, the players that don't come in, we all know what we are doing and we are feeding off each other and it's a lovely place to be. It's a lovely environment and it's very nice to play for this team."

• Tuchel impressed: Rogers takes his opportunity

  Rogers endured a tough start to the 2025-26 campaign, being jeered by his own supporters at one stage, but opened his goal contribution account when assisting Emiliano Buendia in a 3-1 victory over Fulham and has since teed up Donyell Malen for an effort against Burnley.

  He completed 19 of his 24 passes against Wales, creating two chances alongside his goal, with Tuchel – who pointed out ahead of the game that he is "building a team" and "not collecting the most talented players" – left suitably impressed. England’s German tactician said: "Morgan is what he is. He is a number 10 and he is competing for his place. He is in a good way. We are ready for any team effort. Serbia was the next example of teamwork. We created a lot of chances. We could use Harry Kane all the time, but we need to play without Harry and Jude – the guys are injured."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  Selection headache: Nice problem for England

  Tuchel now faces a welcome selection headache, with former England defender Stephen Warnock telling of seeing the likes of Bellingham, Palmer, Reece James, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden miss out: "Tuchel has been vindicated. The players named could start a match for England, but he has got big decisions to make.

  "His job isn't to make players happy. His job is to come in and win a World Cup for England. That is the difficult job he has got to do. The difficult part is you're going to upset people. You're going to get people in the press asking about your decisions. So far, the big decisions he has made have paid off, and it is looking in really good shape for England so far."

  Warnock added: "At the moment it looks fantastic and they might be able to continue that against the best teams in the world. There will come a point when you need a Jude Bellingham, a Cole Palmer, to perhaps have an influence on the game. The great thing is, we've got the players."

  England will be back in action on Tuesday when travelling to Latvia for their latest World Cup qualifier. If results go their way, that contest could see tickets booked to next summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Ex-Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira has taken a swipe at his former club’s training facilities after hailing the quality of those at his new club Palmeiras. Pereira spent 11 years in Manchester, which included a whole host of time away on loan, and has now revealed Man Utd’s training base wasn’t a patch on the offering at his new club in Brazil.

Pereira takes aim at United’s facilities

Pereira has weighed in on the debate about Man Utd's training base facilities, which have recently undergone a £50 million ($67m) makeover since Pereira left. Speaking to , he said: "Compared to what's out there, it's the elite of football. Few clubs have the structure Palmeiras has. I've worked for several big clubs in Europe, and I can say that Palmeiras has the best structure I've ever worked in. Better than Manchester United when I was there."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportFrom dilapidated The Cliff to high-class Carrington

The Cliff was Man Utd's primary training ground from 1938 until 1999, located in Salford, it remains an iconic facility where club legends like George Best and Bobby Charlton trained. Though the first team moved to Carrington, The Cliff is still used by the United academy and foundation for training and rugby league side Salford train there, too. Following redevelopment of its first-team building, the Trafford Training Centre is a state-of-the-art facility designed to foster performance and wellbeing. The revamp, driven by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, addressed previous criticisms regarding outdated infrastructure and aims to provide a world-class environment for players and staff. The enhanced facility boasts a range of amenities, including upgraded gym facilities, swimming pool, cryotherapy chambers, and a redeveloped canteen. It also features dedicated barbershop facilities, an F1 simulator, and a cinema-style analysis room. The design emphasises open workspaces and collaboration, with natural light and ventilation prioritised and a notable addition is a "flow system" that guides players through changing rooms, gym, pool, and medical zones in a sequential order. Medical facilities have also been significantly improved, now including advanced equipment like MRI and CT scanners. The Carrington complex, encompassing 108 acres, also includes numerous football pitches, an indoor pitch, and a helipad. It is considered one of Europe's most secure training facilities, featuring a high security wall and extensive surveillance. 

Pereira’s starts new chapter in Brazil

Pereira's career has seen him transition from a promising United youth prospect to a seasoned midfielder with experience in multiple top European leagues and in Brazil. Born in Belgium, Pereira joined Man Utd in 2011 at the age of 15, progressing through their academy and making his first-team debut in 2014. While at Old Trafford, he struggled to secure a regular starting spot, leading to several loan spells. These included stints at Granada and Valencia in La Liga, Lazio in Italy's Serie A, and Flamengo in Brazil's Serie A. During his time at Flamengo, he scored seven goals in 39 appearances. In July 2022, Pereira made a permanent move to Fulham for a fee reportedly around £10m ($13.4m). In west London, he became an important player, making 119 appearances across three seasons and scoring 10 goals. His consistent performances led to a call-up to the Brazil national team, making him the first Fulham player to achieve this. In August, Pereira returned to Brazil, joining Palmeiras.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWorld Cup glory in Pereira’s sights

Pereira's is a regular for his country, who have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. And his recent return to Brazil will certainly boost his chances of becoming one of the first names on Carlo Ancelotti’s squad list for next year’s tournament.

Ryan Longman failed to convert an easy chance as Wrexham suffered yet another Championship defeat at the hands of high-flying Stoke City. The loss comes as yet another setback for Ryan Reyndols and Rob Mac's side, who continue to remain in the bottom half of the league table. Sorba Thomas scored a stunning goal for the hosts in the 36th minute to seal a key win for his side.

Stoke too strong for Wrexham

Stoke City dominated possession in the first half-hour of the game, though it was Wrexham who looked more positive with their moves in quick counter-attacks. The Red Dragons had a golden opportunity to go one up in the game in the 24th minute when Ryan Longman found himself in front of goal but the Wrexham star somehow contrived to miss from close range. Issa Kabore entered the box from the right side and attempted a shot on goal, which was parried away by Viktor Johansson but the ball fell to Longman's feet. The winger had an empty net in front of him but could only find the side-netting with a lacklustre shot.

The miss proved costly for Wrexham as the hosts shortly broke the deadlock through Sorba Thomas' brilliant strike in the 36th minute. Stoke won their first corner of the match, which was taken by Lewis Baker, whose delivery lacked sting but it somehow went to Thomas on the left side. The Stoke winger quickly switched the ball to his right foot and took a shot which flew into the top right corner.

The home side could have doubled their minutes after the hour mark as Million Manhoef rattled the crossbar with a powerful shot. Baker initiated the move and found Manhoef, who cut into the penalty box on his left before unleashing a shot. Unfortunately for him, the ball came off the crossbar, saving Wrexham from more embarrassment. 

Phil Parkinson's side had an opportunity to restore parity towards the end of the game when Aaron Cresswell almost sliced the ball into his own net, while trying to clear Liberato Cacace's cross but it went over the crossbar. 

Wrexham's misery continued as they remained in 18th position after Saturday's result. They have managed to register just two wins out of their first 10 matches and have now lost four times. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe MVP

Thomas stole the limelight in a match where both teams lacked sting in attack and remained toothless throughout the 90 minutes. The Welsh winger stepped up when his team needed him and scored the winner with a stunning effort in the first half to seal a crucial three points. 

The big loser

Longman turned out to be the villain for Wrexham as he embarrassingly missed a sitter by being unable to find the back of the net in the 24th minute despite having an empty net in front of him. The miss cost the Red Dragons dearly as their six-game unbeaten run across all competitions came to an end. It's also the first time this season they've failed to find the back of the net in a Championship game.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportMatch rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

Despite slipping to a late defeat on the road at Crystal Palace on Saturday, Liverpool remain at the summit of the Premier League for the time being.

Arne Slot and Co had five straight league wins to thank for their table-topping position, but the concerning nature of their defeat at the hands of Oliver Glasner’s Palace will make those with connections to the Anfield giants worry about more crushing losses to come.

It’s too soon to be furiously pounding the panic button, but there will still be an uneasiness in the air surrounding Mohamed Salah’s poor performances of late, as the ageing winger now inevitably faces the winding down of his esteemed playing days.

Salah's poor performances in numbers

Staggeringly, if you remove his opening day strike against AFC Bournemouth from the equation, Salah only has a last-minute penalty against Burnley to shout about for his goalscoring efforts this season.

He does also have two assists next to his name, but it was a worryingly sub-par showing from the usually enigmatic Egyptian against the tough to break down Eagles, with Tyrick Mitchell managing to make the “world-class” ace – as he was once dubbed by Jurgen Klopp – look ordinary.

Salah was arguably lucky to last the full 90 minutes, with the lacklustre number 11 managing to complete none of his dribble attempts to try and catch out a resolute Palace defence, while also squandering two big chances to try and keep the Reds’ 100% record intact.

It does feel rather far-fetched that Salah will be dropped, though, even with these off-days popping up, but Slot will have one eye on the future now, surely, with the left-footed ace coming in at 33 years of age.

Thankfully, Liverpool do have some shiny starlets in the youth set-up who will be desperate to make more considerable strides in the first team picture soon, with one rising attacker maybe even aiming to become the next Salah in time.

Liverpool's up and coming Salah heir

When the day comes that Salah leaves Anfield behind, it will be an extremely tough task to try and instantly replace the Egyptian’s unmistakable star quality.

Despite visible chinks in his armour now appearing, Salah does boast an unbelievable 248 goals and 116 assists for the Reds, with two Premier League triumphs and a Champions League trophy lifted off the back of his blistering heroics.

Still, everybody has their day in the sun before they have to walk away, and with Liverpool already beginning to put the pieces together for a new-look attack with Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, and Florian Wirtz in through the door this summer, there could soon be a queue of candidates wanting to take over from the modern day icon as Liverpool’s electric spark down the flanks.

Rio Ngumoha might well fancy his chances at being a long-term successor to Salah’s throne, having already lit up the Premier League this season with a Salah-like moment of quality when breaking Newcastle United hearts with a last-gasp winner at St. James’ Park.

In the right place at the right time to smash home that decisive strike, the tricky 17-year-old also managed to complete one successful dribble, despite only being present on the Tyneside turf for eight minutes.

Having also scored and assisted for fun in pre-season for Slot’s men – with two goals and two assists registered against the likes of Athletic Bilbao and AC Milan – it does feel like only a matter of time before Nguhoma enters into the Dutchman’s first team plans and remains there.

The future is immensely bright for this talented teen, with his former youth coach in Saul Isaksson-Hurst even going as far as to say he could one day make the Ballon d’Or shortlist like Salah.

Nguhoma’s current moment in the spotlight at Anfield could have well been Chelsea’s own success story in an alternate reality, with the teenage sensation lining up nine times for the Chelsea U18s before moving to Merseyside.

Liverpool U18s

10

0 + 3

Chelsea U18s

9

1 + 1

Liverpool U21s

9

2 + 0

Liverpool first team

3

1 + 0

Liverpool youth league

6

0 + 1

Of course, Salah was also once let go of prematurely by the Blues, before turning into a world beater donning Liverpool red.

With a Salah-like directness present in his game, also making him “one of the best young wingers in Europe” according to Secret Scout, there is an unbelievable level of hype already surrounding the 17-year-old’s name.

It will be up to the England U19 international and those around him to ensure he is brave enough to ride these choppy upcoming waves, but a homegrown Salah potentially being in the works is an absurd thought.

Slot has found the new Nunez in Liverpool star who's "struggling" big time

Liverpool have problems to fix after suffering their first league defeat of the season at Crystal Palace.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 28, 2025

Manchester United find themselves in a transitional period under Ruben Amorim and could now turn their attention to an experienced international who could be available for free next summer.

Man Utd begin to look at Ruben Amorim alternatives

There is no secret that the last few days have been difficult for the Red Devils, who ended the Premier League weekend in 14th place after a frustrating defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Despite having their fair share of opportunities during the affair, including a missed Bruno Fernandes penalty, Manchester United failed to deliver, and Amorim is a man under growing pressure at Old Trafford.

Making contingency plans should their poor form continue, Gareth Southgate has been contacted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe over potentially succeeding the Portuguese boss, with Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola also on the Red Devils’ shortlist.

In a separate development, Graham Potter is also a candidate to take over at Manchester United after a dismal spell at West Ham United, albeit he has previously proven his Premier League credentials at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Sunderland visit Old Trafford this weekend, and put simply, Amorim is in desperate need of a victory. Anything less than three points would bring the Red Devils closer to the relegation zone, an unthinkable position following their summer spend of over £225 million.

Ultimately, the proof will be the pudding for the former Sporting boss over the next few weeks. There is an argument to say that consistent managers struggling to sustain success depict a wider problem, but his refusal to change tactically is a source of frustration for some.

Either way, Manchester United will continue to fight on all fronts, and they could now be about to step up the ante in their hunt for a midfielder come January.

Man Utd could sign Ruben Neves for free in 2026

According to Graeme Bailey in conversation with United in Focus, Manchester United could sign Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves for free in 2026 as they seek to bring in an experienced operator in the engine room. The Red Devils have been linked with Neves for nearly a decade, with controversial former chief executive Ed Woodward’s pursuit of the Portugal star dating all the way back to 2017.

The reporter stated: “Ruben Neves is a fascinating figure and a player Man United have long admired, even before he joined Wolves during his Porto days. Now 28, many feel he could be coming into his prime years, and he could be available for free in 2026. I am told from Al-Hilal sources that they are fighting hard to extend him beyond next year.”

Ruben Neves at Al-Hilal

Appearances

96

Goals

10

Assists

24

Formerly captain of Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Portugal international is an established name in the Premier League and could well offer some expertise and an ability to dictate, as reflected in the fact that he has played 13 accurate long balls and created four chances this term on league duty, per Fotmob.

Neves is now into the prime years of his career at 28 years of age, and Manchester United may well be the perfect environment for him to make a return to English soil, especially since they have wanted him from his Porto days in 2017.