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Ian Watmore has stood down as chair of the ECB with immediate effect after just over a year in the role.Watmore, who experienced an almost equally brief period as chief executive of the FA just over a decade ago, is understood to have lost the confidence of the ECB board and the counties after a demanding couple of weeks which has seen England cancel their tour to Pakistan and a failure to agree a domestic schedule for the next couple of years.The 63-year-old, who has also recently stood down from the position of First Civil Service Commissioner, is understood to be retiring completely. Current ECB Deputy Chair, Barry O’Brien, will step up as interim Chair, but has indicated to the ECB board that he will not be a candidate for the role. Instead a process to find a successor will begin shortly.Watmore, the first chair to receive a salary for the role (£150,000 a year before expenses), could be forgiven for finding the job very different to the one he expected. His period in office, which officially started on September 1, 2020, has been defined by the battle to stage cricket in a time of Covid and has seen the ECB make relatively large-scale redundancies and suffer serious financial pressures. In a statement released by the ECB, Watmore alludes to some “wellbeing” concerns – he had a heart problem at the time he left the FA and is understood to have been wearied by the unrelenting pressure of his time at the ECB – and admits the demands of the job “taken have a personal toll” on him. It is understood that, when the issue of his future was raised, he was willing to move aside.While initially popular with the counties, who welcomed his gentle style of management after years of more robust characters such as Giles Clarke and Colin Graves, Watmore appears to have lost their confidence in recent weeks. It is understood that several counties contacted the ECB to express their concerns after a meeting of the county chairs at Lord’s last week in which he was described as somewhat confused. Several present at the meeting described it as “shambolic”. The ECB has also been stung by criticism of the decision to cancel the England tour to Pakistan which was made by the ECB board chaired by Watmore.Related

• Why PSL 2022 is a reminder of the ECB's flimsy pullout from Pakistan tour

• ECB chairman promises to 'do everything we can' to travel to Pakistan on schedule in 2022

• ECB chairman admits prospect of Ashes is a 'complicated picture'

• England players' body did not play a part in Pakistan tour abandonment

• ECB chairman Ian Watmore lays out vision for repairing cricket's 'Covid wounds'

But while Watmore’s tenure at the ECB is unlikely to be remembered as especially successful, he did have an impact at the ICC. He was a key figure in Manu Sawhney’s departure as the organisation’s CEO and gave crucial impetus in the push towards cricket embracing Olympic participation.It may be relevant, however, that the ICC part of his role demanded far more time than he had originally anticipated. And, at a time when the ECB seemed to lurch from crisis to embarrassment with only brief moments of respite between, he found himself worn, jaded and exhausted. Even his critics acknowledge he was a decent, well-meaning man who inherited an incredibly tough situation.It might also raise questions about the character required for the role. Watmore, a data-led individual who didn’t relish the spot light, was initially welcomed as a breath of fresh air after the eras of Graves and Clarke. But subsequent events might suggest their unquenchable self-belief and determination are pre-requisites for the job.”It is with regret that I step down as Chair of the ECB, but I do so in mindfulness of my own wellbeing and that of the game which I love,” Watmore said in a statement. “I was appointed to the post in a pre-pandemic era, but Covid has meant the role and its demands on time are dramatically different to all our original expectations, which has taken a personal toll on me. Given this, the Board and I feel the ECB will be better served by a new Chair to take it forward post pandemic. Leaving now, at the end of the season, gives the Board time to find a new Chair to support cricket through the challenges of the 2022 season and beyond.”On a personal level, I also retired last month after five years at the Civil Service Commission and recently became a grandfather. I would now like to retire completely from work and enjoy our great game as a spectator.”

Everton have put their poor start to the season behind them, with a three-match unbeaten run following the dismal four defeats in a row to kick off the year.

As such, the Toffees have clambered out of the drop zone and will be confident that they can put it all behind them, especially with a favourable (on paper) run of fixtures coming up in the Premier League. Sean Dyche will be looking ahead with renewed optimism.

19/10/24

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11th

Let’s not forget that Jarrad Branthwaite has been sidelined for six of the seven fixtures thus far, and with the young titan set to return after the current international break, there’s reason to be sanguine.

The defensive issues of recent months have been concerning, but Branthwaite’s return will go a long way toward fixing that for good. All this fragility at the rear has made us think about what it would have been like to have Yerry Mina at the top of his game in this Everton side – unfortunately, the Colombia international scarcely claimed top fitness across his years at the outfit.

How much Yerry Mina cost Everton

Everton signed Mina from Barcelona in August 2018. The towering defender was only 23 at the time and cost £27m, which was a steep figure but seemed worth it for a player of high-standard quality.

He had just risen to fame after his performances on his nation at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, scoring an equaliser against England in the first knockout phase before the Three Lions surprised the globe with a competitive penalty shootout victory.

However, Mina would fall heavily by the wayside on Merseyside after a lasting series of injuries ravaged his chances of living up to and surpassing that initial price tag.

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Former Everton manager Marco Silva commented on the South American’s “unlucky” track record on the fitness front back in 2019, having been restricted to a bit-part role in his maiden term, but as you can see, he only enjoyed two seasons of comparatively high availability.

And when considering that he earned £120k per week during his time at Goodison Park, more than starting number nine, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£100k per week), took home both then and now, the misfire is really underscored.

Combining his transfer fee (£27m) with the centre-back’s total earnings across the five-year period he plied his trade in the Premier League, it can be unravelled that Mina cost the club from £58m in total, or, to put it another way, £760k per top-flight start.

It’s poignant, mostly because Mina – like Calvert-Lewin, who has endured his own injury woes in recent years – could have reached such loftier heights.

Yerry Mina's Everton career

Perhaps the most frustrating point of all this is that Mina is actually an excellent defender. When fit, the Colombian showcased his quality and indeed cannot be fully discredited after recovering his fitness levels at the perfect time toward the business end of the 2022/23 term.

Everton were in an imperilled position, and time was running out to craft a purple patch. He scored two goals from just seven Premier League appearances that year, but started all four of Everton’s final matches and indeed had a vital say in this proud club’s future after bundling home against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the penultimate week to salvage a last-gasp point.

It fuelled Goodison for the finale, which saw Bournemouth fended off and Abdoulaye Doucoure volley in a second-half winner to preserve top-flight status. Mina played the full 90 on his final display and kept a clean sheet, winning eight of his 11 contested duels, as per Sofascore.

He encapsulated the phrase short but sweet, putting in some colossal performances to save a club from falling. It’s fair to say that without his efforts, the Toffees wouldn’t have found the verve to avoid the maw of relegation.

Oh, what could have been. Fans will cherish the defender’s best moments, but sadly, they were few and far between for a player who arrived with a weight of expectation and took home a pretty penny besides.

Their own Luis Diaz: Everton plot January move for £8m "absolute beast"

The Toffees could bolster their attacking firepower in 2025…

ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 2024

يستعد فريق ليفربول، بقيادة المدرب آرني سلوت، لخوض مباراته في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز عصر يوم الأحد، ضد خصمه ولفرهامبتون.

ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة الفريقين في الجولة الخامسة والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2024/25.

ويتصدر ليفربول جدول الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 57 نقطة، بفارق 4 نقاط عن آرسنال الذي فاز على ليستر سيتي في الجولة نفسها، أمس، بهدفين دون رد.

طالع | تشكيل ليفربول الرسمي أمام ولفرهامبتون في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح

كما يتصدر النجم المصري محمد صلاح قائمة هدافي الموسم الحالي من الدوري الإنجليزي، برصيد 22 هدفًا.

وتألق المصري الآخر، عمر مرموش، في مباراة مانشستر سيتي ونيوكاسل يونايتد في الجولة ذاتها أمس، حيث سجل هاتريك على ملعب “الاتحاد”. تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام ولفرهامبتون اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: أليسون.

خط الدفاع: ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، كوناتي، فان دايك، روبرتسون.

خط الوسط: جرافنبرخ، ماك أليستر.

خط الوسط الهجومي: محمد صلاح، سوبوسلاي، لويس دياز.

خط الهجوم: ديوجو جوتا.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

 

Tottenham Hotspur got their Premier League campaign underway in underwhelming fashion last night with a 1-1 draw away to Leicester City.

Ange Postecoglou's side were far and away the better team in the first half but struggled to put away their chances before Jamie Vardy punished them in the second 45.

There were a couple of good performers for the North Londoners, such as goalscorer Pedro Porro, but there were more disappointing displays, especially in attack.

One of those who failed to provide much was Brennan Johnson, and if the Lilywhites want to get the most out of Dominic Solanke this season, they may want to consider signing a new rightwinger. Interestingly, they have already been linked with someone who'd be the perfect solution this summer.

Johnson and Solanke vs Leicester

So, the first thing to point out is that while Johnson is a talented winger, and certainly of the level required to play in the Premier League, there are still question marks over whether he's good enough to play for a top side like Spurs, and unfortunately for him, his performance last night did little to sway those concerns.

In his 79 minutes on the pitch, he struggled to have any impact at all, and aside from a shot in the first half that was straight at the Foxes' keeper, he looked largely clueless on the ball and seemingly unable to time a run off of it.

Unsurprisingly, he failed to impress football.london's Spurs correspondent, Alasdair Gold, who gave him a 4/10 at full-time and wrote that he was 'not decisive enough in his play.'

In contrast, Solanke looked lively on his debut for the club, and while he'll be disappointed that he couldn't put away the chances he had, the signs were positive, and given that it was his first game in about three weeks, the rustiness is entirely understandable.

The £65m marksman looks like he could be the goalscorer that Postecoglou and the fans have been after ever since Harry Kane left last summer, but to get the most out of him, a new rightwinger might be needed, and the ideal candidate was already linked with the club earlier this summer.

How Coman could unlock Solanke

Yes, the player in question is Bayern Munich ace Kingsley Coman, who was touted for a move to Spurs earlier this month.

The report revealed that the North Londoners are keen to sign a new wide player this summer, and the Frenchman was one of the players they were interested in.

The good news for Daniel Levy and Co is that other reports from this month claimed that Bayern would be willing to sell the talented winger for just £34m, or better yet, loan him out for the season.

However, would the former Paris Saint-Germain gem really help unlock Solanke more than Johnson? Yes, yes, he would.

The primary reason the "1v1 specialist", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, would be a better teammate for the striker than the former Forest man is that over the last two seasons, he has maintained a more impressive goal involvement-to-game ratio.

For example, in his 62 appearances across the 22/23 and 23/24 campaigns, he produced 24 goals and assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 2.58 games.

In contrast, the Welshman produced 28 goals and assists in 82 games across the same period, which breaks down to a goal involvement on average every 2.92 games.

Coman vs Johnson in 22/23 & 23/24
22/23	Coman	Johnson
Appearances	35	44
Minutes	2173'	3303'
Goals	9	10
Assists	7	3
Goal Involvements per Match	0.45	0.29
Minutes per Goal Involvement	135.81'	254.07'
23/24	Coman	Johnson
Appearances	27	38
Minutes	1737'	2506'
Goals	5	5
Assists	3	10
Goal Involvements per Match	0.29	0.39
Minutes per Goal Involvement	217.12'	167.06'
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Just imagine how much more effective the former Bournemouth ace would be playing alongside the rapid Frenchman, who'd either be able to provide him with a brilliant pass to bury in the back of the net or terrify defenders with his brilliant skills and, therefore, open up more space for the Englishman to exploit himself.

Lastly, the Bayern ace has been playing at the highest level for most of his career, so he could bring a much-needed winning mentality to Postecoglou's squad, which could help them avoid collapses like the one they suffered against Leicester.

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It wasn’t the opening game fans were hoping for.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 20, 2024

Ultimately, while Johnson isn't a bad player, he doesn't look like the type of winger who will supercharge Solanke or help Spurs climb up the league. Therefore, Levy and Co should return for Coman before the window slams shut.

The international break was an opportunity for Manchester United players to turn their form around, and some of them have, although one came in for criticism.

It has been a frustrating start to the new season for the Red Devils and Erik ten Hag, as the club got off to a winning start against Fulham, but since then have suffered two defeats, putting pressure on them on the eve of the league returning.

Rashford is now being outscored by Man Utd flop who was sold by Solskjaer

The talented winger couldn’t make it work at Old Trafford.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 11, 2024 Man Utd players on international duty

Like many Premier League clubs, Manchester United have had a lot of players away representing their countries during these last two weeks. It has been an opportunity for them to get away from club football and get back into form with their countries.

The Red Devils have seen four of their five summer signings go away on international duty, with Joshua Zirkzee impressing with the Netherlands as he netted in their 5-2 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, Manuel Ugarte has also impressed once again while playing for Uruguay, as he completed 78 minutes and 90 minutes in the two outings. As well as these two players impressing, Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes also done well while on duty with Portugal, as the pair both got on the scoresheet, as it was two wins from two.

Man United have seen many of their other international players excel while on duty, even seeing academy player James Scanlon, who is yet to make his debut for the club, score for Gibraltar and now is just five goals away from their all-time leading goalscorer. But it wasn’t all plain sailing for United’s international players, as one in particular didn't have a great time.

Pundits slam Man United defender De Ligt after Netherlands error

Netherlands and Manchester United defender Matthijs De Ligt was slammed for his performance on Tuesday night against Germany, with the international making a mistake that cost his country the win.

De Ligt started in the Netherlands’ game against Bosnia & Herzegovina, and despite them winning 5-2, the Dutch centre-back did make an unfortunate mistake to make the game a nervy ending. He retained his place in the starting XI against Germany on Tuesday, but once again he made a mistake and was pulled off at half-time, and now there is speculation that his international career may be in jeopardy for the time being.

Pundit Pierre van Hooijdonk for NOS said on De Ligt’s performance: “He had a similar moment in the beginning, where he actually loses the ball in a simple way by means of a pass. And then it happens a second time. That is terrible for De Ligt.

“Ultimately, top sport is very tough, and then it’s over. We all think De Ligt is a great player, but how often has this happened to the Dutch national team? And at almost all crucial moments. At some point, it stops, especially when you have competitors who are of a high level.”

Apps

46

Goals

2

Assists

0

Meanwhile, Rafael van de Vaart’s three-word response to the analyst was: “This is fatal.”

De Light, who is said to be on a weekly wage of £195,000 at Old Trafford, has been capped 46 times by the Netherlands, and he will be hoping he can come back to United and play as best he can between now and the next international break, so he can retain his place in the squad.

Viktor Gyokeres has hailed former Manchester United stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as his idols, adding fuel to transfer speculation.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

Gyokeres reportedly on Man Utd's shortlistHas been linked with a summer move to OTAmorim's arrival in Manchester helping the causeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Swedish striker has been in sensational form for Sporting CP, scoring 25 goals in just 22 games this season. Despite his impact on the pitch, Sporting's struggles since head coach Ruben Amorim's departure for Old Trafford have reportedly unsettled the 25-year-old striker, leaving him to contemplate his future, with a summer move appearing increasingly likely.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With Amorim now part of the Red Devils' setup, the transfer dynamic has shifted in their favour. Gyokeres’ links to United have grown stronger in the last few weeks. Moreover, the Swede’s admiration for Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic and his desire to emulate their achievements adds a compelling twist to the transfer narrative.

WHAT GYOKERES SAID

Ahead of Sporting's Champions League clash with Club Brugge, Gyokeres revealed his football inspirations during an interview with UEFA.

"The players who inspire me are Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo," he said. "Because of the way they behave on the pitch. They went above and beyond what was expected, that's what impressed me. I want to do similar things on the pitch. in today's football, you need to be physically strong, have the talent to score goals, communicate and combine well with other teammates. My three best qualities are my physicality, my finishing and often being in the right place to score."

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AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic are two of football’s greatest goalscorers, leaving a lasting legacy at United and beyond. Ronaldo scored 145 goals in 346 appearances across two spells with the Red Devils. Whereas, Ibrahimovic netted 28 goals in his debut season at Old Trafford, leading United to a League Cup and Europa League double. It is no surprise that Gyokeres looks up to these two icons, whose achievements have inspired countless young players.

Gloucestershire in total control at Cheltenham after England call for unlikely pair

Paul Edwards06-Jul-2021

Brooding skies above Cheltenham College•Getty Images

With the charming eccentricity that is entirely characteristic of county cricket, the College Ground boasts a number of signposts, none of which are much use. Instead of telling spectators the distances to splendid nearby villages like North Cerney or Elkstone, they inform them how far it is to the six traditional Test grounds. Mileages are also indicated for more distant destinations: Motera (India), 4329, for example, and even Cheltonians might consider the latter a little ambitious for a half-holiday jaunt. But in the school attended by Edward Wilson, one of Scott’s men, the simple mention of such locations is probably thought an inspiration. The omission of Cardiff from the list, however, appeared an unfortunate oversight on the second morning of this game, when both John Simpson and David Payne received utterly unexpected calls to the England squad that will play Pakistan at Sophia Gardens on Thursday.Meanwhile the two teams contesting the match followed the advice of Winston Churchill and kept buggering on. Such slightly coarse language may seem inappropriate in these classical surroundings – Churchill himself used “plodding” when ladies were present – but it is nevertheless fair enough when applied to a game thrown into slight disarray by the isolation of the national team. Dominic Goodman replaced Payne in Gloucestershire’s side and James Bracey assumed the captaincy. Middlesex’s Robbie White took over the gloves from Simpson, whose overdue call-up was greeted with particular pleasure from those who suspected this very fine cricketer’s chance had gone.In truth Simpson’s colleagues missed his batting rather more than his keeping. For if we may civilise Churchillian phraseology, Gloucestershire’s cricketers went about their business with far greater resolution than their opponents, gaining a first-innings lead of 147 and then extending that to 345 by the close. It is a quintessentially match-winning position and one that has been achieved without the skipper, Chris Dent, who has a broken finger, and Ryan Higgins, whose wife gave birth at 4.48am – how can they be so precise? – on Monday morning.This day’s play – quite possibly the whole game – hinged on the 10.3 overs that bridged the luncheon interval. At the beginning of that period Middlesex were 76 for 2 having lost the debutant Josh de Caires, who was leg before to Matt Taylor in the fourth over of the day, and Stevie Eskinazi, whose authentic leg glance off Goodman was athletically caught by a diving Bracey. The only other noteworthy incident early in the day saw Gloucestershire penalised five runs after Dan Worrall had hurled the ball back at Eskinazi and appeared to hit the batter on the back.An hour later even more painful injuries followed for Middlesex who lost their last eight wickets for 25 runs with the final seven batsmen falling either leg before wicket or caught in the keeper-and-slip cordon. Gloucestershire’s bowling was excellent. Having failed to remove Eskinazi by a method that would have earned him an appointment with his Housemaster in this school’s distant past, Worrall returned at the College Lawn End and employed more conventional methods to dismiss both Robson, who was bowled between bat and pad, and Daryl Mitchell, whose maiden first-class innings for Middlesex lasted one ball. The New Zealander clearly thought he was too far down the wicket to be give leg before but replays indicated otherwise and Graham Lloyd’s finger, which had earlier been wagged in Worrall’s direction, now brought the bowler joy illimited. White, who a few hours earlier may have been looking forward to a gentle day of squeezing sanitiser bottles, prevented the hat-trick.Related

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Yet that was as far as Middlesex’s resistance extended. On the resumption the visitors folded up their tents and disappeared like the bedouin in the night. Faced with confident seam bowling on a typical Cheltenham pitch that rewards excellence but offers no exculpation for carelessness, six Middlesex batsmen were sent packing in less than half an hour. Peter Handscomb received a fine ball from Taylor and nicked it to Bracey; Martin Andersson attempted the careless drive typical of a man desperate to find form. The non-specialist batsmen were swept away by Taylor and Tom Price, the latter taking his second, third and fourth first-class wickets in 17 balls. Middlesex have now been bowled out for less than 175 in eight of their 15 completed first-class innings this summer.Gloucestershire’s cricketers, by contrast, for all that they lost their last two Championship matches by an innings, are enjoying themselves hugely this season and cricket is so revelatory of character that their pleasure is evident in almost all they do. Miles Hammond’s 46 included a lovely pick up over square leg off Ethan Bamber and an equally fine cover drive in the next over. George Scott, Tom Lace and Glenn Phillips were all dismissed for single figures but those reverses were more than countered by the batting of Bracey, whose 88 included four fours in one Mitchell over, and Jack Taylor who clearly had licence to pillage and made 40 off 29 balls before he edged Mitchell to White. The New Zealander celebrated that wicket with the enthusiasm of a man putting his bins out but rather more joy attended the dismissal of Bracey, who was caught at point by Eskinazi eight balls before poor light ended the day’s play.Neither of those last two wickets affected the price of fish very much. The two sessions that comprised Gloucestershire’s second innings were watched with quiet satisfaction by paying spectators and members, most of whom were sitting at the Chapel End. For their part the Middlesex players might enquire whether Henry Prothero’s most famous piece of architecture is open to the public. One fears their chances in this match have entered the Land of Lazarus.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Departamento Jurídico do Sport está seguro de que o clube não corre risco de perder pontos acerca do caso envolvendo o zagueiro Pedro Henrique e possíveis problemas em sua utilização.Quem afirmou de maneira categórica que “não existe qualquer irregularidade” na situação foi o Vice-Presidente Jurídico do clube, Rodrigo Guedes, em palavras que foram veiculadas pelo portal ‘JC’.

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>Querendo escapar do Z4: a tabela atualizada do Campeonato Brasileiro

Além de assegurar que não existiu qualquer problema envolvendo as quatro partidas em que o defensor atuou com a camisa do Leão da Ilha, Rodrigo explicou quais teriam de ser os procedimentos burocráticos para que existisse ao menos a possibilidade da perda de pontos:

– O Sport não foi denunciado. Para iniciar o processo no STJD, é preciso existir uma notícia de infração e pode partir de qualquer parte. Essa notícia de infração é emitida para a Procuradoria do STJD que avalia e encaminha para a CBF pedindo informações. A partir dessas informações, de acordo com o que a CBF afirmar, ou a Procuradoria arquiva a denúncia ou abre e, assim, remete ao clube denunciado. Até agora não existiu nada.

A principal figura jurídica do Sport ainda chegou a apontar que a possível mobilização de outras equipes para “pressionar” uma possível punição ao clube da Praça da Bandeira soa apenas como uma tentativa de ganharem vantagem na briga pela fuga do rebaixamento.

– O direito do Sport é muito bom. Não existe qualquer irregularidade. Como o Sport está crescendo na competição, o campeonato está muito parelho, ninguém quer cair, aí estão querendo arrumar mais um para o rebaixamento – concluiu Guedes.

Apesar de seguir dentro do Z4 com 23 pontos ganhos na 19ª colocação, a equipe vem de duas vitórias consecutivas (cortando para dois pontos a distância para o primeiro time fora da zona da degola, o Santos) e colocará sua boa fase a prova no próximo sábado (9). Na oportunidade, o Leão receberá o Corinthians, às 16h30 (de Brasília) na Arena Pernambuco.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided a new update regarding Mason Mount's future at Manchester United, with a twist emerging.

Mount struggling to impress at Man United

The Englishman moved to Old Trafford during last year's summer transfer window, completing a big-money move from Chelsea and being considered an exciting piece of business, given the impact he had enjoyed at Stamford Bridge.

Mount's first season as a United player ended up being a hugely disappointing one, however, with his performances a long way short of their best, and injuries playing a big role in his struggles. In the end, he started just five matches in the Premier League, with only nine more coming from the substitutes' bench.

The 25-year-old's lack of action ultimately cost him a place in England's Euro 2024 squad, having done nowhere near enough to justify being a part of Gareth Southgate's plans in Germany. In fact, some rumours have recently linked Mount with a quickfire move away from the Red Devils this summer, with the club believed to be open to selling him.

Now, a significant update has emerged over the midfielder's future at United – one that suggests things may pan out differently for him than has been predicted of late.

Romano drops update on Mount's Man Utd future

Taking to X on Saturday, Romano claimed that there is "no plan" for Manchester United to sell Mason Mount this summer, with the Englishman expected to stay put beyond the current transfer window:

While Mount's first year at United was unquestionably underwhelming, there is still a reason why they were willing to break the bank for him last summer, so persisting with him for at least another year makes sense.

The hope is that the influence of Sir Jim Ratcliffe is beneficial to the 36-time capped England international, with a more settled feeling at the club helping him find his best form, as well as bringing in the right players for him to bounce off in midfield areas.

At 25 years of age, Mount remains a relatively young player with lots to offer, and the fact that none other than Kylian Mbappe once described him as a "superb" footballer says a lot about his ability.

Goals

0.25

0.18

Assists

0.20

0

Key passes

2.08

1.05

Ball recoveries

6.49

4.52

There is no doubt that more is needed from the former Chelsea ace moving forward, however, with more quality and intent needing to be shown in attacking midfield areas, but he has shown in the past what he is capable of, scoring 33 goals and registering 35 assists for the Blues. Should his second season at United also not work out, it would then be more understandable for the club to consider moving him on.

Arsenal are reportedly hopeful captain Martin Odegaard will return from injury next week after an ankle issue.

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• Odegaard been out with ankle injury
• Arsenal captain closing in on return
• Could feature against Inter Milan

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners skipper was injured while playing for Norway in early September, with manager Mikel Arteta saying this was a "significant" injury for the attacking midfielder. However, The Standard claims Arsenal are hopeful the 25-year-old will be back for their Champions League trip to Inter Milan next Wednesday. The report adds he even has an 'outside' chance of making Arteta's squad for Saturday's trip to Newcastle United in the Premier League, but they are wary of rushing him back too soon.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Odegaard has proven to be a vital player in Arsenal's team in recent seasons, with the former Real Madrid man bagging 11 goals and 11 assists in the 2023/24 campaign. Having him back could reignite their Premier League title hopes after falling five points behind defending champions Manchester City.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Since Odegaard swapped Madrid for Arsenal in the 2020/21 season, he has scored 35 goals, created 25 assists, and made 156 appearances in all competitions. His current contract with the Gunners runs until the summer of 2028.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Third-placed Arsenal travel to 12th-positioned Newcastle this weekend, as they look to close the gap on the Premier League's top two City and Liverpool. They then take on Inter in the Champions League five days later.