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Manchester United have a conundrum in midfield which needs to be solved sooner rather than later.

Ruben Amorim’s infamous 3-4-2-1 system, which he is insistent on sticking to, operates with a double pivot. Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro are his first choices in that role this season.

That has left a few players out in the cold this season, without regular minutes. The two players who have tended to be left on the sidelines are Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte. The England international is yet to start a Premier League game this season, and former Sporting man Ugarte has not been able to get into the side over Casemiro.

It seems as though the Red Devils are targeting a new midfielder who can slot into the side.

Man Utd looking to sign England international

The Manuncian side have already begun a mini-revolution in the centre of the park. They have recently signed young Colombian Cristian Orozco, who will perhaps start in the youth team but could well be considered a first-teamer in the future.

Elliot Anderson is a name who is regularly linked with a move to Old Trafford but he’s not the only England international in the crosshairs of INEOS.

Indeed, according to a report from Football Insider, Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher is a player the club continue to ‘monitor’ ahead of the January transfer window.

There has been previous interest in the former Chelsea star from Premier League clubs. Crystal Palace wanted him last summer, and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.

However, Amorim’s side are described as ‘frontrunners’ for Gallagher. As far as a fee is concerned, it has been reported that a bid in the region of £26m could be accepted.

Why Gallagher would be a good signing

The signing of Gallagher could well be a strong addition to United’s midfield. Described as a “warrior” in the middle of the park by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, he would bring Premier League experience.

Indeed, Gallagher has made 136 appearances in the English top flight, for boyhood side Chelsea, as well as loan spells at Crystal Palace and West Brom. That ready-made experience in the Premier League could be vital for Amorim, as he would need little to no adaptation period.

Of course, over the last 18 months, the former Chelsea star has been plying his trade in La Liga for Atleti. He’s played 69 times for Diego Simeone’s side, chipping in with six goals and six assists. That included a strike against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season.

If the Red Devils were to sign Gallagher this winter, he could prove to be the long-term replacement for Casemiro. United’s Brazilian midfielder is out of contract soon, and it seems like he could be on his way at the end of the campaign.

Indeed, he is a hard man to replace. The former Los Blancos star has been a key figure in that midfield pivot for Amorim, making 12 appearances and chipping in with three goals.

That included this effort against Gallagher’s former side, Chelsea, at Old Trafford.

Replacing Casemiro in that United midfield would not be easy for Gallagher. Aside from his potent threat in the final third, the Brazilian, of course, is a master at breaking up play and winning the ball back.

However, when looking at the stats, it suggests that the Atleti star possesses the skills to do just that. For example, he’s averaged 4.12 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes this season, compared to just 3.6 each game for Casemiro.

Progressive passes

3.73

5.07

Key passes

0.59

0.93

Progressive carries

2.75

0.67

Tackles and interceptions

4.12

3.60

Ball recoveries

4.71

5.60

Finding the man who can eventually step into Casemiro’s shoes was never going to be easy for Amorim. Yet, in Gallagher, United may have landed upon the perfect player. He still has plenty of quality on the ball and final third threat, whilst also being an efficient ball winner.

Furthermore, he’s also got energy, something Casemiro lacks. Indeed, he has been described as an “intensity monster” and as “one of the best midfielders in the sport when it comes to running long distances” by one notable analyst on social media.

£26m is a small fee in the current market, and should the Red Devils choose to pay it, they could have finally found the perfect player to replace Casemiro.

The new Garnacho: Man Utd ready £131m bid to sign the "best in the world"

Manchester United could be about to smash their transfer record in the upcoming January transfer window.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 30, 2025

The Padres beat the Giants, 5-1, at home on Tuesday night and one young fan will never forget his experience at Petco Park, but for all the wrong reasons.

We're used to seeing fans run on the field at games and getting laid out by security guards before being hauled off to a jail cell, but what happened late in the Padres' win was something we've never seen before.

This has to be the youngest fan to ever storm a field at a professional sporting event. And check out how many security guards it took to take him down:

Not the best decision there, young fella. It feels like he might be grounded for a little while after that move.

عقد دانييل فاركه مدرب ليدز يونايتد مؤتمراً صحفياً قبل لقاء ليفربول يوم السبت المقبل ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز التاسع في جدول ترتيب الدوري الانجليزي ب22 نقطة، ويحتل ليدز يونايتد المركز السابع عشر برصيد 14 نقطة.

وسئل فاركه عن محمد صلاح الذي غاب عن التسجيل في آخر ست مباريات متتالية ويمكنه كسر هذه السلسلة بسهولة أمام ليدز يونايتد.

أقرأ أيضاً.. بعد جلوسه بديلا مع ليفربول.. تقارير تكشف عن الوجهة المحتملة لـ محمد صلاح

وقال مدرب ليدز يونايتد في تصريحات نشرتها “بي بي سي” البريطانية: “آمل أن تستمر سلسلة جفاف صلاح عن التهديف لمباراة أخرى أكثر”.

وأضاف عن صلاح :”هو لاعب من الطراز العالمي بأرقام عالمية، عندما يمر بفترة صعبة هكذا يكون الأمر خطير للغاية فكلما زادت المباريات التي لا يسجل أو يصنع فيها أهداف، زادت احتمالية تسجيله أو صناعته”.

The New York Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Thursday. Starting pitcher David Peterson went 6 2/3 innings and only gave up one run on five hits. By all accounts, it was a quality performance. Including the account of his son, who stole a microphone from SNY's Steve Gelbs during his postgame media availability.

While he didn't grab it with the force or conviction that Riley Curry did once upon a time, Peterson's son did look like a natural with the mic in his hands and it was a truly adorable moment as his father had to ask him to give it back.

It turns out Gelbs has really been hitting it off with the younger Mets fans this week. A day before this moment with Peterson's son, he surprised a young fan by not only knowing his name, but by informing him that he was going to be the SNY Kidcaster later this month.

SNY is truly for the kids.

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A CBF divulgou a análise do VAR no gol do Memphis contra o Cruzeiro, nesta quarta-feira (10), pelo jogo de ida da semifinal da Copa do Brasil. O tento que garantiu a vitória do Corinthians por 1 a 0 gerou polêmica após vídeos que circulam nas redes sociais apontam um possível toque de mão do atacante holandês.

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Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O responsável pelo VAR na partida foi Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira. Ele foi prontamente acionado por Anderson Daronco, árbitro da partida, após o gol, para analisar um toque de mão do atleta do Corinthians. Foram vistos quatro ângulos, três laterais e um por trás do atacante.

Diálogo do VAR registrado na análise do lance:Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira (VAR): “Põe em slow para mim, vê se pega na mão dele.”Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira (VAR): “Casa com outra imagem essa.”AVAR: “Vou te jogar quatro imagens: essa, essa, essa e essa. Frame a frame.”Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira (VAR): “Não pega.”

Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

Polêmica

O lance ganhou repercussão na manhã desta quinta-feira (11). Leonardo Jardim, treinador do Cruzeiro, chegou a compartilhar em suas redes sociais um vídeo em que sugere que Memphis tocou com a mão na bola antes de marcar o gol. O ângulo apresentado pelo técnico não foi analisado pelo VAR.

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A segunda partida acontece no próximo domingo, às 18h (de Brasília), na Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo. O Corinthians tem a vantagem do empate para avançar à final. O Cruzeiro, por sua vez, precisa ganhar por dois gols ou mais para ficar com a vaga. Se vencer por apenas um gol de diferença, a definição do classificado será nos pênaltis.

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Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi was the latest to flirt with a no-hitter this season.

His no-hit bid was broken up in the eighth inning Monday on a single by Royals second baseman Michael Massey. Cecconi's gem becomes the most recent close call as MLB pitchers search for the first no-hitter of the season. Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto came just one out away from reaching the feat Saturday and L.A. then miraculously lost to the Orioles. He pitched 8 2/3 hitless innings before Jackson Holliday broke up the bid on a home run that started the chaos.

Orioles rookie Brandon Young flirted with a perfect game last month before he let up a single and committed an error to give up both the perfect game and no-hit bid with two outs in the eighth. No pitcher has thrown a no-hitter this season amid a myriad of close calls. If that stands the case, this year would become the first MLB season with no no-hitters since 2005.

Baseball saw four no-hitters last year, which came from Ronel Blanco of the Astros, Dylan Cease of the Padres, Blake Snell as a member of the Giants and a combined no-hitter from the Cubs where Shota Imanaga threw seven innings. Bookending the no-hitless season of '05, there was just one no-hitter in '04 (Randy Johnson) and one in '06 (Aníbal Sánchez).

There's just under three weeks left before the MLB's regular season concludes on Sept. 28. Opportunities are running out to keep the streak alive, but you never know.

Visitors were wobbling at 96 for 7, still in arrears, before eighth-wicket pair come to rescue

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025

A stoic rearguard action from Durham eighth-wicket pair of Ben Raine and Matthew Potts, coupled with an untimely heavy thunderstorm, essentially ended Essex hopes of pulling off a stunning last-day Rothesay County Championship victory.Raine and Potts came together at 96 for 7 with Durham still requiring 28 runs to make Essex bat again. When a bolt of lightning forced the players from the field 14 minutes before the scheduled tea interval, the deficit had been turned into a narrow 19-run advantage courtesy of the biggest partnership of an otherwise dismal batting performance. When the players came back for the remaining 9.5 overs in the evening, 4.1 actually being possible before the rain returned, Raine took advantage of spread-out fields to reach 42 not out.Before the rains came, it looked like the old firm of Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer were rolling back the years to pull off a win that had looked unlikely at the start of the day. The seam-and-spin double act combined to rip through Durham’s fragile batting with Porter ending on 3 for 36 and Harmer 3 for 64.Essex had thrown down the gauntlet by declaring on their overnight score of 457 for 8, which gave them a 124-run lead. Before Raine and Potts joined forces in an unbroken stand of 77 out of 173 for 7, it appeared a prescient decision.The 14 points Essex collected from the draw eased their relegation concerns while Durham’s dozen keeps them in serious danger with two games to play.In the end Essex were close to a third Championship win of an underwhelming season with an attack that was already without Sam Cook, nursing a broken thumb, and Shane Snater, who tweaked a calf while bowling during Durham’s first innings. It heaped a lot of responsibility on to the shoulders of Porter, but he responded immediately and emphatically.Porter needed just 14 balls to make the initial breakthrough, Alex Lees beaten for pace. Six balls later Emilio Gay followed, also lbw and also all at sea.Ben McKinney, who scored a well-judged century first time around, was another who struggled against Porter, taking 15 balls to get off the mark. He had only 11 to his name 49 balls later when he inexplicably left alone a ball from Harmer that went straight on and knocked back off stump.Durham tried to settle into full survival mode, but the pressure got to them. David Bedingham, for instance, faced 60 balls for 16 that included a six over long leg three balls before he top-edged a hook to deep fine leg off Noah Thain.Colin Ackermann, in turn, took 19 balls to score his first run. But three overs into the post-lunch session, and with a guard outside off stump, he went to give himself room to cut Harmer and ended up edging to Dean Elgar at slip.Durham were still 32 runs adrift of making Essex bat again when Porter snapped up his third wicket, rapping Graham Clark on his back pad. And four runs later, Ollie Robinson’s 21 from 55 balls ended when he attempted to slash Harmer past point and was caught behind.Raine and Potts then took Durham past Essex’s total 57 overs into their innings. And the pair had been together for exactly an hour when the players were taken off the pitch as the first flash of lightning lit up the darkening sky.The players came back nearly two hours later, having already lost 24 overs. Essex had seven men around the bat when Harmer wheeled in, but could only watch as Raine thrashed a couple of boundaries and a six over long-on. But it wasn’t long before handshakes were exchanged.

Aside from the continuous number of injuries they’ve had to deal with, it’s starting to feel like everything is falling into place for Arsenal this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have pretty much perfected the art of set-pieces, have become near enough impossible to score against, and as a result, are sitting atop the Premier League table.

Moreover, while there is still a level to go for many of the attacking players, many of those who underwhelmed last year are starting to look back to their best.

This includes one of Arteta’s signings, who has even been compared to the iconic Santi Cazorla – and no, it’s not Martin Zubimendi.

Santi Cazorla's Arsenal career

Cazorla joined Arsenal for a fee of just £16m from Spanish outfit Malaga in the summer of 2012, and it did not take him long at all to make an impact at the club.

The mercurial midfielder put in a man-of-the-match performance against Sunderland in what was his debut for the North Londoners, and ended up finishing that first campaign with a tally of 12 goals and 14 assists in 49 games.

By the time he left the Gunners in August 2018, he did so with an impressive haul of 29 goals and 45 assists in just 180 appearances, but it wasn’t the output that made him such a firm fan favourite, but the way in which he played the game.

When fit, the 40-year-old magician was seemingly able to do it all, from playing outrageous balls from one side of the pitch to the other, to driving with the ball and beating opposition defenders with ease.

At times, the two-footed wizard was the embodiment of what Wenger wanted his teams to do on the pitch, someone who was capable of winning games with some incredible skill, but doing so while also entertaining the paying fans.

There are really countless examples of the Spaniard doing something remarkable in the famous red and white, but perhaps the most iconic and impactful was his free-kick in the 2014 FA Cup final, which kick-started the club’s comeback.

Had he managed to keep fit, there is no telling what Cazorla could have accomplished at Arsenal, and while the club have not quite had a player like him since, there is someone in the current squad who has been compared to the Emirates icon.

The Arsenal star compared to Cazorla

Now, the first player many of you might think of here is Zubimendi. After all, he is a Spanish midfielder with a great range of passing and the ability to use both feet when needed.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, in this instance, the comparison to the former Arsenal star comes from another former Gunners’ great, Kevin Campbell, and concerns Leandro Trossard.

Yes, when speaking back in 2023, Campbell was full of praise for the Belgian, saying that while “they don’t play in the same spot”, he could “see the comparison because he has such quick feet like Santi did.”

He went on to compare the way in which the former Brighton & Hove Albion gem is also able to “see things quickly and Santi saw things quickly.”

Another similarity the 30-year-old shares with the Spaniard, aside from wearing the number 19, is his impressive ability to use both feet without much trouble at all.

You can see this during games, and then on top of that, his former coach at Genk once told Sky Sports that the dynamic left-winger is indeed “right-footed and left-footed.”

Finally, while there are still plenty of other differences between the pair, one more key point of overlap is the Maasmechelen-born gem’s ability to make something happen, generally by finishing a chance most would consider too difficult.

After all, that is why Arteta has referred to him as a “little magician” and Ian Wright made the bold claim that he’s the Gunners’ “best finisher.”

Ultimately, Trossard is not the same player Cazorla was at Arsenal, but from his two-footedness to his technical class and ability to make things happen, he certainly shares a great deal in common with the Spaniard.

Arteta must boldly bench Saka & unleash Arsenal's "phenomenal" talent

Mikel Arteta must be bold ahead of Arsenal’s League Cup clash and drop Saka.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 29, 2025

Shohei Ohtani isn't human. His otherworldly superpowers were known heading into Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, but he entered another stratosphere Friday. Even for him.

On the mound, he pitched six scoreless innings and recorded 10 strikeouts along the way. At the dish, he went 3-for-3 with three home runs and a walk. Yes, you read that right. His second solo shot of the night traveled 469 feet over the right-field wall up and out of Dodger Stadium, too.

The two-way superstar started his night by striking out three batters in the first inning, then quickly headed to his second job at the plate and smacked a leadoff home run.

In the second, he needed just 10 pitches to retire the Brewers' batters who went three up, three down. He recorded three strikeouts before his next homer in the fourth, which went so far even his teammates couldn't believe it.

Ohtani's second homer of the night made him the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit two home runs in a postseason game as a pitcher, according to ESPN Insights. He had one more in him, though, hitting his third deep ball of the night in the seventh. This one went to center field and made the Dodgers superstar the first player with three homers and 10 strikeouts in a game counting both the regular season and playoffs, according to MLB's Sarah Langs.

Here's an awesome look at his wildly historic night, with each strikeout and home run in order:

The Dodgers defeated the Brewers 5-1 to complete the sweep and make their second World Series appearance in a row. But, this one will be remembered forever as the Shohei Ohtani game.

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Após boas tentativas, enfim Vegetti balançou a rede e empatou para o Vasco contra o Bragantino. Os torcedores piraram na internet com o gol do argentino. Confira as reações abaixo.

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