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Nottingham Forest haven’t enjoyed a positive start to life under Ange Postecoglou and a key update on his future has now emerged from the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest suffer damaging Europa League defeat

The fairytale return of Nottingham Forest to the European scene was a just reward for an excellent campaign last term. However, their shock 3-2 defeat at home to FC Midtjylland was a stark reminder of the frailties present within Postecoglou’s side.

Despite being alive in the majority of the Australian’s matches so far, conceding at awkward times has led to six games without a win under the former Celtic boss, breeding an elevated level of pressure on him to get it right in the East Midlands.

Speaking post-match, Postecoglou remained unbothered by chants calling for his dismissal, claiming that nothing surprises him in football anymore.

He said: “I heard it. They’re fans, they want to see their team win, and they’re entitled to their opinion. Nothing surprises me in football any more. We’ve just got to keep going. There is no hiding in the sport we’re in. Got to keep your head up and recover. We have a tough game against Newcastle at the weekend.”

With high-profile pundits such as Tim Howard among his detractors, Postecoglou has work to do in order to prove the doubters wrong, but that sort of challenge saw him win the Europa League last term, hence why it would be premature to count him out.

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Newcastle United await on Sunday and won’t be an easy outfit to overcome. Nevertheless, their indifferent start to the Premier League season may offer a sliver of hope to the travelling supporters.

Either way, a change in mood is needed at the City Ground, though how are the Nottingham Forest hierarchy feeling about Postecoglou’s situation? Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on that front.

Fabrizio Romano on how Nottingham Forest view Ange Postecoglou

Writing in his GIVEMESPORT newsletter, Romano has confirmed Nottingham Forest are being patient with Postecoglou and believe that he simply needs time to adapt before results improve at the City Ground.

Truthfully, Postecoglou is between a bit of a rock and a hard place, though he is certainly made of strong stuff and has shown he has the thick skin to come through adversity.

However, his side need to find a level of stability, as two draws and four defeats isn’t going to cut it if Nottingham Forest want to survive. Making their priorities clear, Evangelos Marinakis and company are opting to keep the faith for now.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin would have been the most relieved man in the ground when Max Aarons scored the winner in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

The Ibrox side avoided a sixth game without a win to start the top-flight season thanks to the substitute’s last-gasp strike from Nicolas Raskin’s corner.

It was far from a perfect performance from Rangers, hence why they needed a stoppage-time winner, but there were some positives to take from the match.

Connor Barron’s emergence in the middle of the park was one of those positives, as the Scotland international showed that he is ready to stand up and fight for a place in the team.

How Connor Barron made himself undroppable against Livingston

At least for the time being, the former Aberdeen star has made himself undroppable in the Premiership because of his workman-like display against Livingston on Sunday.

Barron’s constant pressing and harrying of the opposition made life difficult for the hosts and helped the Gers to gain control of the game, particularly in the first half.

The young ace made six ball recoveries, without getting dribbled past once, and played six passes into the final third, per FotMob, which shows that he worked hard to win the ball back and was progressive in his passing.

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This is why Barron is currently undroppable, as his work rate, defending, and progressive passing have made him a valuable member of the side. It is also why he is currently an even better option than a star who was once compared to Zinedine Zidane.

The Rangers star who is even worse than Connor Barron

Mohamed Diomande was an unused substitute in the 2-1 win over Livingston just days after he was sent off in the 1-0 loss to Genk in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday night.

The Ivorian midfielder’s form has dropped off in the 2025/26 campaign, just months after being compared to Zidane by Turkish legend and TV pundit Nihat after the 3-1 win against Fenerbahce in the Europa League in March.

After an assist and five out of eight ground duels won for the midfielder, per Sofascore, Nihat said: “Mohamed Diomande was brilliant – like the best of Zinedine Zidane – thank God they substituted him.”

Diomande, who was linked with a move to Besiktas in the summer, has been unable to carry his impressive from last season over to the current campaign, as he has been outperformed by Barron in the Premiership.

Appearances

4

5

Sofascore rating

6.73

6.38

Tackles per game

1.8

1.4

Clearances per game

1.0

0.2

Duels won per game

3.8

3.4

Ground duel success rate

52%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

40%

17%

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish midfielder has been far more strong and reliable to the team in the middle of the park in comparison to the left-footed ace.

On top of his struggles in the Premiership, Diomande was, as aforementioned, shown a red card against Genk and will be unable to bounce back in Europe against Sturm Graz on Thursday.

The Light Blues and Martin need the Ivorian star to get back to being like Real Madrid legend Zidane again, because he is currently underperforming and finds himself behind Barron, who has been an unusued substitute on six occasions this season, in the pecking order.

Hopefully, the red card against Genk will provide Diomande with a bit of time to recharge and come back into the team with a point to prove, starting with the game against Falkirk on Sunday.

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Manchester United pushed the boat out during the summer transfer window and now seem to be planning on their next capture ahead of the market opening for business again in January.

Manchester United set to offload Andre Onana on loan

The English transfer window is now closed and Ruben Amorim will need to work with the players at his disposal for the time being, though he is in the process of sanctioning a departure that could be announced imminently.

Fabrizio Romano has reported on X that Andre Onana is set to leave on loan to join Trabzonspor, in a deal that will contain no loan fee or option to buy the player once his agreement comes to an end.

Concern over Onana’s performances at Manchester United have existed for a long time and his exit will be seen as a timely one by many supporters.

High-profile errors and the weight of the number one jersey at Old Trafford have left the Cameroon international seeking a new challenge, especially after Senne Lammens’ £18.2 million arrival from Royal Antwerp.

Speaking about the realities of Onana’s situation, Roy Carroll has given his own account of the difficulties he faced when between the sticks at the Red Devils, claiming that mental toughness is key for Amorim’s chosen stopper moving forward.

He stated: “It’s not easy playing for Manchester United at the moment, but it was hard back then because everyone was expecting the new Peter Schmeichel.

“Even then, if you made a mistake, it was big news. You had to be mentally strong and that is still the case. But we are not robots; we are all human beings. It is not so much what you do on the pitch as what you do off it.”

With a change of the guard within Manchester United’s backline apparent, the next domino could be about to fall once the January window opens.

Manchester United plan to trigger Dani Vivian's release clause

Onana’s exit will leave Lammens between the sticks, and reports in Spain claim Manchester United could look to trigger Athletic Club defender Dani Vivian’s release clause in January, which stands at the £34.7 million mark.

Deemed similar to Dayot Upamecano by FBRef, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are also keen on the Spain international, who has made 152 appearances for Athletic Club, registering seven goals and two assists.

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Seen as a market opportunity due to his favourable value, Vivian has already won five tackles and made 16 recoveries in La Liga this term, per Fotmob, illustrating his capacity to sniff out dangerous opportunities.

Harry Maguire is into the final year of his Manchester United contract, prompting interest from Saudi Pro League clubs in a money-spinning move for the England international.

With the Red Devils’ veteran at risk of departing, Vivian could be a natural replacement if circumstances align at Old Trafford over the coming months.

Liverpool won the Premier League with relative ease last season, and so FSG’s staggering summer of spending at Anfield must have struck quite the frisson of fear through the rest of the European game.

Though Arne Slot’s side haven’t been at their best across the opening fixtures of the season, they have claimed nine points from nine in the league, winning a tough match at St. James’ Park before narrowly seeing off title rivals Arsenal after Dominik Szoboszlai’s stunning free-kick.

The Reds haven’t looked at their most fluent, but new number nine Hugo Ekitike has certainly started in fine fettle, three goals and an assist from his first four games.

Undroppable, right? However, the deadline-day acquisition of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak maybe stirs the pot a tad up top.

What Isak brings to Liverpool

Liverpool have two of the most dynamic strikers in the game in Isak and Ekitike, but both would fancy themselves at their most fluent and formidable when threatening from the centre.

Isak is the more clinical and refined man, to be sure, but he’s also nearly three years Ekitike’s senior.

Having two high-level centre-forwards isn’t the worst problem for Slot to have, but he is going to need to consider ferrying one out to the left wing or pushing Liverpool toward a tactical transformation.

However, neither have Cody Gakpo’s fluency as a left-sided forward.

And, of course, Liverpool have already sold an elite winger in Luis Diaz who could have been the perfect balancing force in the frontline.

Liverpool may regret selling Luis Diaz

Liverpool sold Diaz to Bayern Munich for £65.5m in July, with the German giants convincing the 28-year-old to join after FSG failed to agree terms on a new contract with the Reds winger.

He arrived from Porto as Jurgen Klopp’s choice of replacement for Sadio Mane, and though he didn’t quite live up to the same stratospheric heights, succeeded all the same.

Indeed, Klopp himself lauded his new arrival as a “top world level player” back in April 2022.

He leaves an integral part of an illustrious period in Liverpool’s history, having scored 17 goals and supplied eight assists across all competitions last term, filling in at centre-forward on multiple occasions.

Though some questioned Diaz’s output, he didn’t do too badly, ranking fourth among all left wingers across Europe’s top five leagues last year for goal contributions, and in what many would describe as the toughest division of the lot.

Raphinha

18

11

Bradley Barcola

14

10

Vinicius Junior

11

10

Luis Diaz

13

7

Vincenzo Grifo

8

11

Given that Isak arrives at Liverpool with a wealth of prolific Premier League experience under his belt, he could have formed an incredible partnership with Diaz, who always balanced his output and ranked among the top 9% of positional peers in the Premier League last season for pass completion, keeping it crisp and opening up a strong supply line with the Sweden star.

The fact that Liverpool’s player sales across the summer has left them with a smaller net spend than Arsenal perhaps underlines the suggestion that Diaz needn’t have been sold.

The emergence of 17-year-old sensation Rio Ngumoha has tempered the Colombian’s departure, but Diaz remains one of the most experienced and dynamic forwards in the business.

Equally, Florian Wirtz’s struggles across his initial foray into the English game are a reminder that Diaz was pretty crucial in Slot’s title-winning team, and he will be missed as the campaign progresses.

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Rashid Khan and his team lift the SA20 trophy•SA20

Rashid Khan’s MI Cape Town have been crowned the new champions of the SA20, after they denied Aiden Markram’s Sunrisers Eastern Cape a three-peat and decimated them for the third time this season, in front of a packed crowd at the Wanderers.After opting to bat, MICT felt at home – all of their top five play for Lions at the Wanderers – and sent the ball flying over the boundaries in the Highveld. The rarefied air suited their style of play: despite losing wickets, MICT kept attacking and posted 181 for 8 on the back of electric cameos. Three of their batters passed 30 and all of them struck at 150 or above. It was Dewald Brevis who truly brought the crowd alive with his 18-ball 38. Brevis, 21, capped the season as its rising star.MICT’s older stars Trent Boult and Kagiso Rabada then wrecked Sunrisers’ chase by sharing six wickets between them. Boult, in particular, hooped the new ball both ways in the powerplay, and ended with 4-0-9-2. Rashid and George Linde, the left-arm fingerspinner, then ramped up the pressure in the middle overs before Rabada wrapped up the victory. Sunrisers folded for 105 in 18.4 overs.MI have now ticked off title wins in every franchise T20 tournament they’ve been part of. IPL, CLT20 (now defunct), WPL, MLC, ILT20, SA20.Rickelton fires opening salvoRyan Rickelton threw the first punch at Marco Jansen, the best bowler of the competition, taking him for 29 off nine balls at an eye-popping strike rate of 322.22. When Jansen pitched it up, Rickelton pumped him over his head and then, when he shortened his lengths, Rickelton used the rarefied air of the Highveld to his advantage and hooked him away over the leg side.However, when Craig Overton took pace off, Rickelton couldn’t manufacture his own pace and ended up chipping a catch to mid-off.As for Rassie van der Dussen, he also showed attacking intent on the occasions he manufactured swinging room, but his execution wasn’t as good as Rickelton’s. Van der Dussen made 23 off 25 balls before Liam Dawson had him stumped in the ninth over. By then, Reeza Hendricks had also fallen to Richard Gleeson for a duck.Brevis interventionWhen it seemed like Sunrisers had seized control, Brevis intervened and put MICT back on track for a tall total. He walloped Dawson for back-to-back sixes down the ground and proceeded to line up Andile Simelane, who had replaced the injured Ottneil Baartman. Playing only his second SA20 game, Simelane wilted under pressure and leaked 14 in the only over he bowled.Kagiso Rabada struck in his first over and claimed four wickets in all•SA20

Brevis then brought the roof down at the Wanderers when he launched a one-handed six off a slower variation from Overton in the 15th over. Linde, who had been promoted to No.5 to counter Dawson’s left-arm fingerspin, also did his job, hitting him for two sixes. When he attempted another six, he failed to clear long-off.After having been taken to the cleaners in the early exchanges, Jansen bounced back to cut Brevis’ innings short.Markram didn’t want to risk Similane at the death and hence decided to take matters into his own hands in the 17th over. Though he got rid of Connor Esterhuizen, the batter had already done the damage with a sequence of 6,6,4 in an 18-run over.Delano Potgieter and Rabada then ensured MICT breached 180.MICT’s bowling masterclassThat total looked a whole lot bigger when Boult, especially, made Sunrisers’ batters look silly in the powerplay. After he softened David Bedingham with inswingers, Rabada made the incision by having the batter chipping a catch to short cover for 5. Boult got his first wicket of the evening when he drew a leading edge from Jordan Hermann for 1.Boult had scarcely believable powerplay figures of 3-0-4-1 before he returned at the death to trick Tristan Subbs with a slower variation. Tom Abell briefly countered MICT’s strikes before Linde had him stumped for 30 off 25 balls. Linde continued to keep it tight along with his captain Rashid, who pinned Tony de Zorzi lbw for 26 in a boundary-less spell. During their chase, Sunrisers went without a boundary for 45 balls.Dawson ended the drought when he sent a thick outside-edge flying to the boundary off Rabada but the quick sunk the Sunrisers’ lower order with his nifty variations.From finishing bottom of the table in the first two seasons of the SA20, MICT clinched their first title on Saturday and celebrated under firework-filled skies.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin wants to make further additions to his first-team squad before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

The Light Blues are in Champions League action against Panathinaikos tonight, as they look to progress through to the next round of qualifying, after they won 2-0 in the first leg.

Work is still going on behind the scenes to improve the squad, though, despite the season having already got underway, as the Gers attempt to bolster their options in the wide areas.

Rangers are reportedly closing in on a deal to sign right-sided attacker Oliver Antman from Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles, in a move that could set them back £5m.

The Scottish Premiership giants are also reportedly close to securing a deal to bring England U19 forward Mikey Moore to Ibrox on loan from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Rangers would add to Martin’s options on the flanks if they can get both of these deals over the line in the coming days, hopefully before the league opener against Motherwell on Saturday.

What Moore and Antman could bring to Rangers

Both players are exciting wingers who could provide creative flair at the top end of the pitch if they are able to show the best of their abilities in Scotland this season.

Moore, who has only played 21 times for Tottenham to date, is relatively untested at senior level, though, and it remains to be seen if he can make the step up to be a key player on a regular basis in the first-team at Rangers, as he has yet to prove himself.

However, the 17-year-old talent did produce 19 goals and 13 assists in 24 matches for Spurs at U19 level before he made his first-team breakthrough, which shows that the potential is there for him to deliver goals and assists if he can hit the ground running at Ibrox.

Antman, on the other hand, would be joining the Scottish giants off the back of an impressive campaign with Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie last season, as he showcased his ability to create high-quality chances for his teammates at an exceptional rate.

24/25 Eredivisie	Oliver Antman
Starts	28
Goals	6
Key passes per game	1.6
Big chances created	16
xA	6.54
Assists	15
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Finland international created a whopping 16 ‘big chances’ in 28 starts in the Dutch top-flight, which suggests that he could be a fantastic addition to the Rangers squad.

This is because no Rangers midfielder, winger, or forward created more than 11 ‘big chances’ in the Premiership last term, which suggests that Antman could come in as Martin’s chief creative threat.

Both players could provide a threat at the top end of the pitch, notably as creators, and that is why the club’s latest transfer target would love both of them.

Rangers in the race to sign new striker

According to Croatian news outlet Germanijak, Rangers are still in the race to secure a deal for Westerlo centre-forward Matija Frigan this summer.

The report claims that the Gers are lining up a move for the Croatian number nine after his proposed transfer to English Championship side Hull City was put into doubt by a transfer ban for the Tigers.

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It adds that Spanish side Elche and Premier League team Sunderland are also interested in signing the 22-year-old striker, which shows that there is plenty of competition for his signature.

The outlet states that Westerlo are looking for a fee in the region of £7m in order to allow the forward to move on this summer, whilst Elche are said to be looking at a deal worth around £5.1m.

This gap in valuation between what Elche want to pay and how much the Pro League team are asking for could leave the door open for Rangers to swoop for him in the coming weeks.

Why Rangers should sign Matijia Frigan

The Light Blues should swoop to sign the 22-year-old attacker because he is a talented young forward who could love to play with Antman and Moore at Ibrox this season.

As aforementioned, Moore and Antman are both creative wide players who could provide the striker playing ahead of them with plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net, which is why Frigan could be delighted at the prospect of being in the same side as them.

The left-footed forward’s form for Westerlo in the last 12 months or so suggests that he could come in as an effective forward who could thrive alongside the wing wizards.

Since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, Frigan has scored 14 goals from 14.26 xG in the Pro League, which shows that he is about on par with where he should be for the chances that have been created for him.

The Croatian forward, who was hailed as “complete” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the finishing powers to potentially make the most of Antman and Moore’s creativity, whilst he may also come in as a big upgrade on Cyriel Dessers by offering a physical presence in the number nine position.

24/25 season	Dessers (Premiership)	Frigan (Pro League)
Appearances	35	39
Ground duels won	42	74
Aerial duels won	28	51
Ground duel success rate	34%	43%
Aerial duel success rate	31%	36%
Fouls won	21	35
Fouls committed	32	31
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Frigan is far more likely to win physical duels with defenders, on the ground and in the air, which could make him more reliable for Martin than the Nigeria international is.

Therefore, there are technical and physical reasons why the Gers should splash out £7m to bring the Westerlo star to Ibrox before the end of the summer transfer window, as he could be an upgrade on Dessers as well as a great foil for Antman and Moore to play with.

At the age of 22, Frigan would also come in as a young player with the potential to grow and develop during his time in Glasgow, which could make him an excellent long-term signing for the club as well.

Overall, the £7m-rated star is an effective centre-forward who could thrive off the creativity that Rangers are currently looking to add to their squad and could be a very shrewd addition this summer.

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West Ham have now made a formal approach for a “brilliant” player in the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Alex Crook.

Potter admits he's ready to sell West Ham star

There is still time for the Hammers to sort out some important business this summer, both in terms of new signings and current players who could move on.

One such figure who falls into the latter category is Maxwel Cornet, with Graham Potter admitting earlier this week that a move away from West Ham makes sense for him before the window slams shut on September 1st.

“He’s at a stage in his career where he needs to play regularly. At the moment, it’s difficult for me to guarantee that. He’s been brilliant to work with, I must say. A really good part of the group. He’s fit and in a good place. But he’s got Afcon coming up and sometimes a player gets to the point where they do need to make a little change.”

In terms of potential summer signings for West Ham, Club Brugge and Nigeria midfielder Raphael Onyedika is seen as a key target, with the Hammers reportedly accelerating their efforts to sign him, and they are also said to be leading the battle to sign Cagliari striker Roberto Piccoli. Now, another name has been thrown into the mix.

West Ham make approach for "brilliant" ace

Taking to X, talkSPORT‘s Crook claimed that West Ham have formally approached Leicester City goalkeeper Mads Hermansen over a summer move to the club.

This is a deal that makes sense for both the Hammers and Hermansen, allowing the east Londoners to strengthen their goalkeeping options, and ensuring the player himself returns to the Premier League after Leicester’s relegation to the Championship.

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The 25-year-old started 27 league games for the Foxes last season, being relegated but still showing he can perform in the top flight, being described as “brilliant” by Mark Schwarzer after saving a penalty from Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.

Meanwhile, Hermansen has represented Denmark across five different youth age groups, highlighting his potential from a young age, although he is still awaiting his first cap at senior level.

Mads Hermansen’s international stats

Caps

Denmark Under-21s

9

Denmark Under-19s

9

Denmark Under-18s

3

Denmark Under-17s

4

Denmark Under-16s

4

At 25, the Dane is still young for a ‘keeper, though, meaning West Ham could enjoy his best years, as he battles Alphonse Areola for minutes at the London Stadium.

Birmingham City will be looking to press on this summer with even more exciting signings joining the St Andrew’s camp.

Chris Davies has recently stated that this is the intention when speaking to Birmingham Live, with seven brand new faces entering the club already not quite enough, as he insists that this newly promoted side needs ‘all the quality we can get’ to hit the ground running in the Championship.

Another striker addition might now be deemed a priority, with a report by Football League World revealing that Alfie May is set to leave Davies and Co. behind for a fresh League One challenge at Huddersfield Town.

This would be a big blow that the Blues would have to address, considering how many times last campaign the experienced centre-forward came up clutch for his promotion-chasing outfit with crucial goals.

Why losing May is a blow for Birmingham

Of course, around £10m has just been splashed out to land Kyogo Furuhashi as a thrilling capture up top, but May regularly proved during the Blues’ promotion heroics his vital nature from off the bench, which could well have been an effective calling card up a league too.

From just 27 starts last season in league action, May rifled home a mightily impressive 16 strikes, with Jay Stansfield the only other venomous attacker in Davies’ ranks that managed to hit double digits.

However, whilst the 32-year-old is a well-known beast at the testing level – with 89 goals and counting in the third tier – he has never once set foot in the Championship, with the EFL veteran’s legs perhaps not well suited to such a demanding step-up.

This is where an earlier £10m striker target on the Birmingham shopping list could come to the rescue and be a dream replacement for the departing May, with the target in question even tasting promotion up to the Premier League just last season, whilst Davies’ men soared to the top of League One.

Birmingham's "dynamite" May replacement

Whilst there will be some sorrow regarding May’s exit when looking at his starring role in that promotion story, the second tier is an unforgiving terrain which will have factored into Birmingham’s somewhat cut-throat decision-making.

May’s exit would soon be forgotten about if the Blues did fork out £10m to land Leeds United reserve striker Mateo Joseph, with reports back in June stating that the triumphant League One champions were keen on winning the services of the Spanish hotshot, as interest now emerges from Joseph’s native country in the form of Real Betis.

Games played

39

Games started

11

Minutes per game

33 mins

Goals scored

3

Assists

3

The standout numbers from the table above really do hammer home why Joseph would be an ideal replacement for the soon-to-be Terriers attacker, with the 21-year-old offering the same amount of firepower from off the bench last season in the Championship that May offered in spades back at St. Andrew’s, as seen in his blistering six goal contributions from a meagre 11 starts.

With a further four strikes next to his name for the Whites, which included a breakneck brace finding the back of the net against Chelsea last year, he might just be capable of turning up that goalscoring notch even more if he’s given regular first-team minutes in the West Midlands.

The “dynamite” attacker – as he’s been labelled in the past by U23 scout Antonio Mango – would give Davies the best possible selection headache subsequently, with his Leeds manager in Daniel Farke, also going out of his way to shower the up-and-coming striker with praise when hailing his link-up play as “excellent.”

In an ideal world, Birmingham might have kept May around for the long run as he then finally made a name for himself in the EFL’s elite setting.

Yet, the one-season hero is now closing in on a £1.2m move to Huddersfield, meaning Joseph could be just what Birmingham desire to get over May’s exit swiftly and improve their overall squad.

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Manchester United’s hunt for a new centre forward has been continuous throughout the current summer window, but their hunt has so far been to no avail.

Countless names have been mentioned to fill the role at Old Trafford, but their need for a new talisman is evident by the lack of quality options at Ruben Amorim’s disposal.

Rasmus Hojlund has been the manager’s main man in such a department since his appointment, but he’s struggled to repay the faith shown in him by the manager.

The Dane has come under fire from the fanbase in recent months, unsurprisingly so given his tally of just four Premier League goals throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

However, he may struggle to maintain his role in the side next season, with numerous names entering the mix over a potential move during the off-season.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

Moise Kean is a player who’s been on the radar of Jason Wilcox and Co in recent weeks, but may have to act quickly to secure his signature, given his current £44m release clause expires at midnight tonight.

He’s not the only forward on their radar, with Juventus star Dušan Vlahović another man in their sights, potentially being included in any deal which could see Jadon Sancho move in the opposite direction.

However, another name has reemerged as a potential option this summer, with Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitiké also being considered, according to CaughtOffside.

Their report claims that the Red Devils have made contact with his representatives over a move to Old Trafford after scoring 22 goals across all competitions last season.

However, recent updates have highlighted competition for his signature, with fellow English side Newcastle United making an offer of more than £60m for the Frenchman’s signature. He has an £86m release clause in his contract, according to reports.

Why United’s latest target could be Amorim’s next Gyokeres

Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres has been another man in demand this window, which is no surprise given his incredible goalscoring feats in Portugal over recent seasons.

The Swede has registered 97 goals in his 102 appearances for the club, 54 of which came during the most recent campaign – the highest tally of any player in Europe.

He’s already stated his desire to move on and undertake a new challenge, with United one of the interested parties, given his previous spell playing under Amorim.

However, it appears as though he is set for a move to rivals Arsenal, a deal which could massively dent the club’s hunt for a new talisman during the current window.

The supporters shouldn’t worry though, with fellow target Ekitike an excellent option for the club, potentially being Amorim’s next star talisman in his quest for success in Manchester.

When comparing the Frankfurt star’s stats with those of Gyokeres last season, he managed to outperform him in multiple key areas, arguably being a better option ahead of 2025/26.

Ekitike, who’s been labelled “world-class” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced a better goal per shot on target rate, proving that he’s more clinical with the chances he’s presented with in front of goal.

Games played

33

33

Goals scored

15

39

Goals per shot on target

0.4

0.3

Pass accuracy

75%

71%

Passes into final third

0.8

0.5

Take-on success

47%

45%

Carries into final third

2

1.3

Aerials won

1.8

1.1

His all-round play is also more impressive than the Swede’s, completing more passes and winning more aerial battles per 90, having the ability to link up with players and allowing them to bolster their own tallies.

The former PSG star has further showcased his talents, registering more carries into the final third per 90 and completing more of the take-ons he’s attempted – having the star quality to create a chance out of absolutely nothing.

The interest in both talents highlights the ambition the hierarchy are targeting this summer, as they look to provide Amorim with the chance for success at the Theatre of Dreams.

However, whilst missing out on Gyokeres may be a disappointment, Ekitike has proven he would be a just as impressive option in the final third, potentially being the talisman to lead Amorim to glory during his reign at the club.

He'd be better than Gyokeres: Man Utd in contact to sign "the new Haaland"

Manchester United are desperately searching for a new centre-forward this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 14, 2025

South Africa made it to their first men’s World Cup final but they are not celebrating yet

Sidharth Monga27-Jun-20243:20

Moody: We haven’t seen the best of South Africa yet

A big indicator of the scars South Africa’s men’s cricket teams carry is how the outpouring of emotion at making their first World Cup final came more from former cricketers who faced all those near-misses than the ones who have made it to the final. Perhaps it is because they have a final on hand in two days’ time. Perhaps it is because they are led by a fairly even-headed captain. Perhaps it is because they finally got an easy win, which can sometimes rob the moment of its enormity.Whatever it is, their media commitments after the semi-final didn’t suggest a team relieved at having crossed a hurdle they had fallen at seven times previously. Their mental strength has been called into question. The tag “choker” has been thrown around liberally. This is only their second win in a knockout match at a World Cup. Yet they hardly displayed any emotion.At least winning close games this time must make them feel something is different, right? “I don’t really look too much into things like that, to be honest,” Markram said. “It’s a game of cricket. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose ultimately. That’s the name of the game. You take it in your stride. You do get belief, though, from winning close games and potentially winning games that you thought you weren’t going to win. It does a lot for your changing room and the vibe in the changing room. We’ll take a little bit of confidence from that and see if we can put it to any use in the final.”Related

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'That's not the pitch you want to have a World Cup semi-final on'

That Markram is focused more on the cricket and not on the signs is evident from how he didn’t even know he has won every World Cup match – as a boy at the Under-19 World Cup and as a man in ODIs and T20Is – as a captain.Tabraiz Shamsi, though, gave a slightly better insight into what it might mean for some of them to make it to the final. Dale Steyn, a commentator at the ground, tweeted how emotional he was. He also met Shamsi on the sidelines. “I actually did speak to him after the game,” Shamsi said. “He gave me a massive hug and said the exact same thing that, like I said to you, this is not just for us, it’s for the people back home and the players that have played before us. They have laid the foundation for the team to progress and it’s just our duty to take it one step forward.”Are they deliberately playing it down because they might fear getting too emotional too soon? “There’s no such thing, as you would’ve seen throughout the whole campaign from this team,” Shamsi said. “We haven’t even worried about the second fixture that was ahead of us. It was just about the next game and the next and the next. So now we’ve got to the final, we can sit down, see who we are going to be facing and then do our preparation as we have done for every single team.”