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Fifteen years ago, Manchester City were so enamoured with the all-conquering Barcelona that they sought to replicate the same structure. They began by hiring chief executive Ferran Soriano and sporting director Txiki Begiristain, before eventually landing Pep Guardiola to manage the team. All that was missing was Lionel Messi – though they nearly signed the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner at the very start of the Abu Dhabi-led project by mistake!

Ever since Guardiola moved to City in 2016, speculation was rife that the coach wanted to prise Messi from Barcelona and bring him to the Etihad Stadium. Throughout his first season with City, the coach had to deny reports that he had tried to sign Messi, as well as Neymar and Sergio Busquets. 

The closest Messi came to being reunited with Guardiola at City was in the summer of 2020 when he informed Barcelona in a Burofax message that he wanted to leave and held a meeting with his former coach at his house, before eventually opting to stay in Catalunya.

Messi was subsequently offered to City in 2021 when he was forced to leave Barcelona due to the club's financial problems, although Paris Saint-Germain showed a greater interest in signing him. On none of these occasions, however, did the Manchester club actually lodge a bid for the Argentine. 

City only reached out to Barca about signing Messi on one occasion, all the way back in 2008, days after the club had been taken over by the Abu Dhabi United group and before the Argentine had won his first Ballon d'Or. The bid, however, caused great confusion both at Barcelona and back at City. That's because it was made in error, all stemming from a misunderstanding amid the excitement of City becoming billionaires overnight…

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  Not fit for purpose

  City had begun the 2008-09 season in gloomy fashion, losing 4-2 at Aston Villa. It was not entirely unexpected, given they had lost the final game of the previous season 8-1 at Middlesbrough. Their transfer business had been unremarkable, signing Brazilian forward Jo from CSKA Moscow and Tal Ben Haim from Chelsea, plus a little-known defensive midfielder from Hamburg by the name of Vincent Kompany for £6 million. But later in the month, it became clear that change was coming and that the club, and indeed English football, would never be the same.

  With City owner Thaksin Shinawatra facing legal trouble back in Thailand and running out of cash due to his assets being frozen, the club were on the brink of financial collapse, leading to them having to ask for a loan from a former owner just to pay their players. Meanwhile, new coach Mark Hughes was shocked at the state of the club he had just landed at. 

  He recalled to : "The training ground was not fit for purpose. I was quite shocked by how run down it was. I assumed that people and facilities would be top quality and it was patently obvious they weren't. I made the switch from Blackburn because I thought City was a club with potential, in a good financial position, and there would be money available. The reality wasn't exactly what was described and sold to me." 

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  Billionaires overnight

  But everything changed on September 1. Hughes was playing golf when he got a call from CEO Garry Cook informing him the club had been bought by the Abu Dhabi United group. He continued hitting balls, but soon he was being followed by a crew from . Suddenly City were a lot more than a club with potential. And oh boy would money be available now, and Cook informed Hughes that the new owners "wanted a marquee signing" as soon as possible. 

  Hughes had the pick of the best players in the world; the problem was that it was also transfer deadline day. There was another issue, too: City were still seen as a bit of a joke of a club.

  "They just asked me ‘Who do you want?’. They had a load of bids out for pretty much every top player in the world," Hughes told the podcast. "They had just put all of these bids out to see if anyone would actually come back, but people forget that at that time, Man City were a mid-table Premier League club – mid-table to bottom if we’re honest. There weren’t that many takers because players were thinking, 'Man City, who?'.

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  From 'getting messy' to 'let's get Messi'

  "They had all these bids out and nothing was happening, then all of a sudden they had a little nibble from Robinho and Real Madrid," Hughes added. "It was a crazy day, there were bids going out for Lionel Messi and all sorts! We finally managed to get Robinho over the line which was a hell of a statement, and the rest is history."

  Robinho left Madrid on the assumption he was going to join Chelsea, and when he headed for Manchester, he assumed it was United, and not their nouveau-riche rivals who he was going to play for. He wasn't the only one who was confused. Although Shinawatra had just sold the club, his right-hand man Pairoj Piempongsant was still involved in City's transfer negotiations. 

  He and Cook jumped on a conference call with the club's then-COO Paul Aldridge to discuss who to sign, as Cook explained to in 2019: "So picture the scene. There's Paul with his London accent: 'Pairoj, you got to tell me what we're doing, it's getting out of control'. Pairoj was lying on a chaise lounge, getting a massage, and shouting: 'Yes, yes, yes! Very messy, messy, it's getting messy.' Something got lost in translation and – on my daughter's eyesight, this is the truth – that was misheard as "We've got to get Messi'.".

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  'Are you mad?'

  "Paul came to me afterwards: 'Garry, this is getting confusing, I don't know what we are doing here.' I said: 'Put the offer in, let's see what we come up with'." According to Cook, City put in a £70m bid for Messi which would have smashed the previous world transfer record of £50m, the fee Madrid had paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001. 

  Messi was 21 at the time but was well on the way to stardom, having scored a hat-trick against Real Madrid two seasons previously and finished third in the latest Ballon d'Or voting, behind Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo. He had scored 10 goals and provided 14 assists during previous season, but given City's sudden change in fortunes, signing Messi was not as outlandish as it seems now. Indeed, Robinho had scored one goal more than the Argentine for Madrid in 2007-08.

  Such was City's low standing in the global game, Barcelona did a double take when they learned of the bid. Cook added: "Then Dave Richards called me the next day from the Premier League: "Garry, have you put in an offer for Lionel Messi? Seventy million pounds? Are you mad?"'

Manchester United are now on red alert in the race to sign a Real Madrid star ahead of Manchester City in a shock £69m deal next year.

Amorim "angry" at "frustrating" West Ham draw

Like the rest of Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim was left angered by Man United’s 1-1 draw against West Ham. The Red Devils were in control for the large part and deservedly got their opener through unlikely goalscorer Diogo Dalot in the second-half, but that’s when things started going wrong.

With seven minutes remaining, the visitors sent a timely reminder of United’s struggles courtesy of Soungoutou Magassa, who scored his first Premier League goal to snatch a point for West Ham.

Amorim, left frustrated at full-time, told reporters: “Yeah, it’s frustrating, it’s angry. That’s it.”

The former Sporting CP manager also pinpointed where things went wrong, saying: “Yeah, but there are second halves that we lose control of the game.

“Today, I think it was not that case. Maybe after the first goal, we lost some second balls and Matheus [Cunha] won one or two second balls there and made it a transition.

“We try to defend all the time far from the goal because we knew it. They tried to make a cross, win a corner. Like it happened, long ball, they win a second ball against three guys of us in the defence. So, we need to be better in the second half.”

Any assumption that United have turned a corner under Amorim is quickly evaporating and the Old Trafford boss desperately needs further reinforcements in 2026.

Midfield stars such as Conor Gallagher and Elliot Anderson have already been mooted, but United could still set their focus on welcoming Rodrygo from Real Madrid. The Brazilian is attracting plenty of interest and could yet swap the Bernabeu for the Premier League.

Man Utd on red alert in Rodrygo race

According to reports in Spain, Man United are now on red alert in the race to sign Rodrygo next year and could land the talented winger ahead of rivals Man City, as well as a number of other Premier League sides.

The Brazilian has struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso – starting just three La Liga games all season – and looks destined to leave Real Madrid next year.

Sparking a flurry of interest, Madrid reportedly value their winger at around €80m (£69m). Whether INEOS and others deem that fee reachable for a player who’s yet to impress Alonso remains to be seen, however.

Related Man Utd now rivalling Liverpool to sign £87m forward who Klopp loves

The Red Devils have joined the race for a new attacker, who has made an impressive start to the campaign.

Posts ByDominic Lund Dec 5, 2025

At his best, Rodrygo played a key part in Madrid’s success in the Champions League and in La Liga. Now, he’s been cast aside to hand United the opportunity to land arguably their best signing yet under Amorim.

Dubbed “spectacular” by former Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti in 2023, Rodrygo is still just 24 years old and is full of potential – even if he’s forced to realise it with a move to Old Trafford in 2026.

Amorim's £150k-p/w star just had his worst game for Man Utd vs West Ham

The allrounder entered at 179 for 5, with Ruturaj Gaikwad seemingly running out of partners, and did what he does best

Ashish Pant05-Sep-2025Around an hour and a half after lunch on the opening day of West Zone’s Duleep Trophy semi-final against Central Zone, Tanush Kotian jumped down the track and smashed offspinner Saransh Jain for two straight fours. It is unlikely these two boundaries will be spoken about too much in the broader context of this match, but when Kotian hit them, they seemed to shift the momentum of the innings.West Zone were 179 for 5 in the 44th over. Shreyas Iyer and Shams Mulani had fallen in the space of eight overs, and while Ruturaj Gaikwad had reached his century, he seemed to be running out of support. Enter Kotian, Mumbai’s crisis man. He began steadily, getting right behind the line against the quicks, moving his feet swiftly against the spinners, the ball pinging off the centre of his bat. But he couldn’t find the gaps at the start. That changed with his charge against Jain. It changed things not just at his end but at Gaikwad’s too.Related

'Genuine allrounder' Tanush Kotian continues to be Mumbai's crisis man

Shubham Sharma – a low-profile red-ball warrior in the T20 era

From elbow injury to epic comeback: Gaikwad's masterclass in patience and power

After difficult Test debut, Kamboj returns with a display of quiet control

West Zone went into the tea break on a high, and kept their foot on the pedal when play resumed. They crashed 73 runs in the first 11 overs after tea, and while Gaikwad did most of the scoring, Kotian ensured he did not clog up the strike.”I’ve played for Mumbai for the last three to four years, so I have an idea of how to bat down the order and how to absorb the pressure,” Kotian said of his innings. “I know how to take chances, when to take chances, and where to rotate the singles and build the game. That’s what I’ve implemented in this match.”Ruturaj was a set batsman in front of me. I just wanted to build a partnership with him, taking it ten runs at a time. That’s what I was planning. I was trying to play as many balls as I could and just wanted to rotate.”Kotian was happy to be the bystander in a 148-run stand with Gaikwad, which came off 184 balls. It was the first time the two had batted together in a first-class game, but Kotian said he “developed a good bond” with Gaikwad and learned a lot along the way.”We have played on the same team before but because he is an opener, we haven’t had a chance to bat together,” Kotian said. “It was quite fun to bat with him, the way he was rotating the singles, and he was also guiding me on how to play, what to do on this wicket, where to take a single.”I learnt a lot from him in this game and the way he was batting, the shots he was playing, it was fun to watch. He was giving me a lot of confidence with the shots he was playing. I think we were batting at a run rate of close to 4 or 4.5 yesterday; that was a plus point.Kotian has been part of the Test squad, but he isn’t worrying about when he’ll get to wear the India cap•PTI “Strike rotation was a key part of our partnership. We were hitting the ball straight to the fielder and running. It was about understanding, just the eye contact and we were off. I think we developed a good bond and that contribution benefited us.”Since his comeback to the Mumbai team in 2022, Kotian has often rescued Mumbai from tricky situations. Now, he was at it for West Zone, his 76 vital to their reaching 438 in the first innings. Kotian says he thrives on the challenge of batting with the tail, and, as a bowler himself, understands the importance of extra runs down the order.”It’s all about how I can utilise myself, because I have the capability to bat well,” Kotian said. “Whenever I go [to bat], I don’t think about how many wickets have fallen, or that the team is in trouble. I have confidence. I just focus on my game, analyse it properly. ‘How can I play my shots, and how can I get the team out of that pressure situation?’ That’s my game plan.”I try and play time and take it one hour at a time. My goal is to reach the next drinks break and take it from there. If I can take it one small session at a time, the opposition automatically gets bogged down and after that it gets easy to score.”Kotian has had a busy couple of seasons. Apart from being a regular in the Mumbai line-up, he has also been part of India A squads in Australia and England. When R Ashwin retired midway through the Border-Gavaskar series in 2024-25, Kotian was the offspinner India called up as his replacement. The India cap seems like the next step, but Kotian says he doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself.”I have not changed anything in these last six months,” he said. “What I have always done, I am continuing the same. I am not thinking too far ahead. I just like to stay in the present and plan each session accordingly.”Whatever happens in the future is in the selectors’ hand, but I try to give my 100%, whether it is batting or bowling.”Kotian is one of the few genuine allrounders in the Indian first-class setup. Before this semi-final, he averaged 25.93 with the ball and 43.50 with the bat after 38 matches, numbers that would make specialists in either discipline proud. With Ashwin’s retirement, a space has opened up in the Indian Test side, and with the numbers Kotian has accumulated, that cap may not be too far away.

The Colorado Rockies were cheered heartily by fans at the 2025 MLB draft after Rob Manfred announced that the organization had selected Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick in the first round.

Holliday, 18, is the youngest son of former Rockies All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday, who played the first six seasons of his career in Colorado and was a fan favorite.

After Ethan followed in his father's footsteps as a Rockies draft selection, some old photos of him supporting the organization throughout his youth emerged on social media, courtesy of both the Rockies and MLB.

Ethan has been making trips to Coors Field since his youth, and now he'll get to look forward to playing there on a daily basis in the future.

Matt played in Colorado from 2004 to '09 and finished his career with the team in 2018. He was a seventh round pick by the organization in 1998 and rose to stardom at Coors Field, where he earned three of his six career trips to the All-Star Game.

Ethan is a standout shortstop and third base prospect who played high school baseball at Matt's alma mater, Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla. He launched 16 home runs and had a stunning 1.309 slugging percentage in 32 games during his senior year.

Giuliano Simeone has spoken candidly about life under his father, Diego Simeone, revealing how he balances the weight of a famous surname with the responsibility of earning his place at Atletico Madrid. With the club preparing a new long-term contract after his breakout season, the 22-year-old reflects on his journey from Calderon ball boy to first-team contributor, and the expectations that come with both roles.

• Giuliano Simeone's relentless push to be an Atleti

  Simeone’s story with Atletico began long before he stepped onto the pitch as a professional. As a long-haired eight-year-old, he served as a ball boy at their former stadium, but his path to the first team required a long diversion. 

  After years n River Plate’s youth academy, he was finally snapped up by the Atletico youth academy while his father was building a solid reputation as coach of the senior team, but it took spells on loan to Real Zaragoza and Deportivo Alaves to lay the foundation for his breakthrough in the capital. 

  The 2024-25 campaign finally opened the door: his first senior goal, his first Champions League moment, and his growing influence in his father's demanding system.

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  "At Cerro, he's the coach. Outside of training, he's my dad"

  For years, Simeone has lived with a familiar accusation: that every opportunity he receives is because he is Diego Simeone’s son. Every debut, every promotion, every appearance has come with someone claiming he is “only there because of his father.” The criticism follows him everywhere, from the youth system to La Liga, and he knows it will never fully disappear.

  Asked directly about the nepotism narrative in an interview on , he delivered a clear response: "I've said it many times, I think we have a coach-player relationship where we both have a lot of respect. When we go into training at Cerro del Espino, when we cross those gates, he's the coach and I'm a player. And the player always does what the coach says. Outside of training, obviously he's my dad and he loves me a lot, like any father, and we have a different relationship. Outside of training, we talk a lot about football. We have a WhatsApp group with my brothers, and they send us videos of their plays, highlights, and we discuss them. Everyone gives their opinion. We're all big football fans in the family, of course."

  The 22-year-old added: "I was told that a lot when I was very young. When we played matches at 12 years old: 'You play because you're your father's son.' At first, you kind of get used to it, but then it becomes a habit, and you know you play because you love it and you give it your all. I don't know if I kept quiet or silenced them, I swear I try to isolate myself from what's said, I focus on myself, on growing and improving."

• Simeone battle odds to become Atleti's first-team player

  Simeone describes his biggest transformation in recent years as a physical one, an evolution forged inside Atletico's famously demanding training environment. The club’s conditioning standards reshaped him, making him stronger, quicker, and far better suited to the defensive intensity that defines his father’s footballing philosophy. Working daily alongside top-level teammates pushed his technique to a higher level.

  He reviews every match the following morning, once the adrenaline has faded and his judgment is clear, as he looks to improve on an important aspect of his game: "Technically, my striking, my finishing… There are many aspects or facets of the game that help you raise your level. I always watch all my matches. But not with my dad, please, there are already enough videos at the Cerro, no, no, no… (laughs). I watch myself quite a bit because I like it and I think it's a way to learn and improve. Before, as soon as I got home, I'd put on the match and wouldn't sleep. Now I do it better and watch it the next day. Sometimes I say: 'What a great match I played!' And then I watch it and say: 'Does this really seem like a great match to you, Giuliano?'"

  His rise has not been smooth, but it has been steady. Giuliano scored three goals across two seasons with Atletico B, then proved himself in the physically demanding Segunda Division with Zaragoza, scoring nine goals and playing a leading role in their attack. His momentum was halted by a serious injury during his loan at Alaves, a moment that forced him into long months of rehabilitation and mental resilience. But he returned to Atletico stronger and soon delivered his first La Liga and Champions League goals.

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  Atletico eye contract extension talks with Giuliano

  Los Colchoneros are finalising an extension that will keep Giuliano at the club until 2030, accompanied by a salary correction that aligns with his new role. Until now, he was among the lowest earners in the first-team squad which is typical for academy graduates—but his increased importance has made the renewal a priority. Giuliano says he dreams of a career like Koke’s.

  "I'm very happy to be at Atlético. Very happy, I hope to be here for many years. I hope to have a career like Koke's. I would love to be here for many years," he says.

Both Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars are currently on 11 points, only behind Hobart Hurricanes

AAP03-Dec-2025Less than a fortnight after Sydney Sixers were mauled by Melbourne Stars, they have won the return bout to continue their late-season WBBL surge.Ash Gardner starred with her highest score in the league for more than two years, as well as taking three wickets, in the 16-run win on Wednesday at Drummoyne Oval. The Sixers improved to equal-second in the standings with Stars, and have a game in hand.On November 20, Stars great Meg Lanning unleashed a batting masterclass against Sixers, and her 135 remains the top score of the season. But since that heavy loss, Sixers are on a three-game winning streak, with one no-result. By contrast, Stars have lost their past two matches to fall three points behind top side Hobart Hurricanes.After Sixers won the toss on Wednesday, Gardner headlined their innings with a quickfire 50 from 31 balls, featuring seven fours and two sixes. It was her highest WBBL score since October 2023.Maia Bouchier’s 67 went in a losing cause•Getty Images

Opener Sophia Dunkley contributed 41 and Sixers reached a healthy 164 for 5.Stars looked shot when Gardner trapped Lanning lbw for just eight, leaving them 30 for 4.Enter Maia Bouchier, playing her first game of the WBBL season as a replacement for Marizanne Kapp. Bouchier combined with Kim Garth for a fifth-wicket stand of 82 that put Stars back in the hunt.After Gardner dismissed Garth for 17, Dani Gibson immediately hit three fours and suddenly the pressure was on Sixers.Stars were 131 for 5 in the 18th over when Bouchier rifled a low drive off Mady Villiers and Lauren Cheatle took an outstanding catch at cover. With Bouchier out for a match-high 67 from 40 balls, and Gibson dismissed in the next over for 17, Sixers could breathe again.Stars reached 148 for 8 as Gardner snared 3 for 31 from four overs.Sixers will close out the regular season against Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers, while Stars will play Sydney Thunder.

Pat Cummins says his return to bowling has gone better than expected, with Australia’s captain still eyeing a return for the second Ashes Test

AAP05-Nov-2025Pat Cummins remains on track to return for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, but has conceded playing through the rest of the series unchanged could be difficult.Cummins has progressed to bowling off a three-quarter run up as he plots a meticulous return from a back injury that has sidelined the Test captain since July.The 32-year-old was able to get through close to eight overs in the nets on Wednesday, and expects to be bowling at full pace by the start of the first Test.Related

• Hazlewood cleared of injury, Abbott out of first Test after hamstring scans

• Cummins ruled out of first Ashes Test due to back injury

• Cummins makes tentative return to bowling in Ashes fitness race

• Ashes squad talking points: Kingmaker Green to dictate Australia's plans

• Konstas dropped, Weatherald called up for first Ashes Test

Cummins has not felt any significant pain since his managed return to bowling, with no signs of any recurrence of the stress injury in his lower back.Officials have been coy on whether Cummins would return for the second Test in Brisbane starting four weeks from now, but the skipper remains a genuine chance.”That’s the aim and we’re building our plan to the second Test,” Cummins said at the Seven Network’s cricket launch on Thursday.  “It’s probably not until you get a bit closer that you can really know where you’re at.”The good thing is that I’m pulling up well and the body is great.”We’re trying to keep that second Test as a live option. I’ll have a really good bowl in Perth, and by then I’ll know where I’m at.”What won’t be so easy, Cummins concedes, is playing every remaining Test this summer once he does return. There is an eight-day gap built in between the second and third Tests, but only four-day gaps between the third, fourth and fifth Tests.Australian officials have already identified that as a pressure point of the summer for bowlers, particularly if Tests go the distance and the hosts spend long periods in the field.”I’m pretty keen to play as much as I can,” Cummins said. “But realistically, if we have a big game and bowl 40 or 50 overs and then there’s a game that starts a few days later, it might be a bridge too far.”I’m trying to get right, and if I get right then hopefully I’ll try to play most of it as I can.”Ashes race: Pat Cummins goes through a running session•Getty Images

Cummins said he did not feel he would need a warm-up match in either the Sheffield Shield, a tour game with the Cricket Australia XI or Prime Minister’s XI against England or England Lions, or a grade cricket fixture to have his body right for Test cricket.Instead, Australia’s pace leader will fly to Perth with the rest of the team next week and spend the Test with the coaching staff.”Before the 2023 ODI World Cup I flew over to South Africa and watched the last couple of ODIs there,” Cummins said. “It was actually a really different view from the coach’s box. It’s a different perspective.”So hopefully I gather some information from being in that position through the Test that later on in the series I can use.”Or maybe Steve Smith needs something and I have seen something differently from up there.”But being close to the game and the conversations, I think I will need that going into the second or third Test.”Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will lead the pace attack in Cummins’ absence, with Scott Boland to keep his spot after taking a hat-trick in Australia’s most recent Test in the West Indies.Australia are hoping allrounder Cameron Green can bowl up to 20 overs in his next Sheffield Shield match, with Beau Webster a chance to stay on as a second allrounder.

Find out which player has moved to what team

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2025Sanju Samson: Traded to Chennai Super Kings from Rajasthan Royals in exchange of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam CurranShardul Thakur: Traded to Mumbai Indians from Lucknow Super Giants for INR 2 croreSherfane Rutherford: Traded to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans for INR 2.6 croreArjun Tendulkar: Traded to Lucknow Super Giants from Mumbai Indians for INR 30 lakhMohammed Shami: Traded to Lucknow Super Giants from Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 10 croreMayank Markande: Traded to Mumbai Indians from Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 30 lakhNitish Rana: Traded to Delhi Capitals from Rajasthan Royals for INR 4.2 croreDonovan Ferreira: Traded to Rajasthan Royals from Delhi Capitals for INR 1 crore

L’Equipe reports that Celtic are in advanced talks with Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy to make him their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead.

The outlet claims that the French tactician could be in the dugout for the club’s Scottish Premiership clash with St Mirren on Saturday if a £2m compensation agreement can be put in place before the weekend.

Nancy will be looking to build on the success that Rodgers, as shown in the graphic above, had with the Hoops during his second spell in charge of the Scottish giants, and Johny Kenny is one star who he will surely be looking forward to working with.

How Johnny Kenny could fit into Wilfried Nancy's system

Per Transfermarkt, the French boss typically plays with a 3-4-2-1 system but has also utilised a 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2, and a 4-4-2, which means that there is the potential for Kenny to be used as part of a front two.

Chalkboard

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

The Ireland international has scored four goals in his last four appearances for the Scottish giants since Kelechi Iheanacho suffered a hamstring injury, with Martin O’Neill placing his trust in the youngster during his spell in interim charge.

Kenny’s best performances so far, arguably, came in the 4-0 win over Falkirk at Parkhead in the Premiership, as the 22-year-old centre-forward scored half of his side’s goals.

His recent goalscoring exploits have put him in a good place ahead of Nancy’s potential arrival, and he could play as part of a front two for Celtic if the manager goes with a two-striker formation.

Celtic’s last striker to score 20 or more goals in a league season was Kyogo Furuhashi, who scored 27 goals in the 2022/23 campaign, but it is not Kenny who could be Nancy’s own version of the Japan international.

The young star who could be Celtic's next Kyogo Furuhashi

Callum Osmand broke onto the scene for Celtic in the League Cup semi-final clash with Rangers earlier this month, as he came off the bench to score his first senior goal.

The Jersey-born star then came off the bench to win a penalty against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, but went down with a hamstring injury shortly after and is set for a spell on the sidelines.

Once he is back and available for selection, though, Nancy could unearth his own version of Kyogo and an upgrade on Kenny by playing him in the centre-forward position, either on his own or alongside the Irishman.

Reporter Mark Hendry described Osmand’s goal against Rangers as Kyogo-esque and said that the forward was “so dangerous” for the Hoops in that semi-final clash.

The former Wales international’s career statistics in comparison to Kenny’s also suggest that he is more likely to develop into a Kyogo-type goalscorer in the Premiership moving forward.

Appearances

149

82

Goals

47

49

Games per goal

3.17

1.67

Assists

11

13

Games per assist

13.55

6.31

As you can see in the table above, Osmand scores and creates goals at a greater rate than the Ireland international, with two more goals in 67 fewer matches in his career at youth and first-team level.

The former Fulham youngster’s exceptional goal return in the statistics above illustrates how exciting he is as a centre-forward prospect, which was evident in his recent cameos for the first-team before his injury.

Osmand’s form at the top end of the pitch for Fulham and Celtic suggests that he has the potential to be an even better number nine option than Kenny, as well as being Nancy’s own version of Kyogo.

Therefore, the potential Celtic manager will be hoping that the 20-year-old talent is back from his hamstring injury sooner rather than later, so he can get to working with him as quickly as possible.

Not just Ralston: Nancy must ditch Celtic dud who "unsettles defences"

Wilfried Nancy should immediately drop this Celtic forward from the starting line-up once he arrives.

ByDan Emery Nov 18, 2025

If Rome wasn’t built in a day, it couldn’t be fixed in one either. In the case of Manchester United, who over so many years were shaped by Sir Alex Ferguson into a superpower, it’s understandable that this budding resurgence under Ruben Amorim’s wing might take a while.

And though the weekend draw at Nottingham Forest cut the Red Devils’ three-match winning streak in the Premier League, the squad look physically and mentally stronger, more receptive to the intricacies of the manager’s vision.

Amorim recently revealed he does not have an issue with any of the United stars pushed out of the Old Trafford gates in recent months, even though the manager felt strongly about such players leaving the club for the greater good of his project.

There is undoubtedly a ruthlessness about the 40-year-old, which will have charmed INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe as they ploughed through the recruitment process. And that may need to come into play once again here, with certain first-teamers surely at risk of being sold in 2026.

The Man United players INEOS need to sell

The jury is still out for many of these Manchester United players, and the recent upswings in form from veterans such as Luke Shaw and Casemiro suggest that they will keep their places at Old Trafford, having only last season been unanimously viewed as must-sells.

Manuel Ugarte is struggling to impose himself in the middle of the park, though, and Joshua Zirkzee has recently been reported to be frustrated on the fringe, looking to leave the outfit in January.

However, the revamp of the frontline suggests that Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford, both out on loan, will be sold next summer.

For Rashford, it’s clear the England international wishes to stay with Barcelona, having rediscovered his form out in Spain this season, scoring six goals and supplying seven assists from 14 matches in all competitions so far.

His relationship with his long-time club broke down last season and he left on loan for Aston Villa shortly after Amorim’s arrival. The general consensus is that the 28-year-old will not return in a professional capacity.

Amorim was right in parting ways with a player who wasn’t right within his system, and while things are now improving, he may need to apply a similar exit strategy toward another star who is failing to impress this season.

Amorim's new version of Rashford

Rashford’s future is unlikely to fall back into the Theatre of Dreams, plying his craft down the left for Amorim at Manchester United. The Three Lions star is abundantly talented, though he was at odds with the boss and appears to have divorced from his boyhood club.

In a similar way to Rashford, Diogo Dalot is becoming something of a scapegoat at the club, and as with Rashford, there is good reason for the frustration around him.

After the result at the City Ground, content creator Liam Canning said that the Portuguese defender is “becoming a worry long term”, given that he “doesn’t look like he suits the wing back role”.

His performance certainly corroborated that claim, with the Manchester Evening News branding him with a dismal 3/10 match rating after another unsuccessful venture on the left-hand side, having been ‘exposed at various stages of the contest’.

Concerning. Amorim simply doesn’t employ a four-man backline, and as Dalot’s outings on the left become more frequent, so too is it underlined that he does nnot cut the mustard in the system, and will surely be replaced next year.

Minutes played

68′

Goals conceded

2

Touches

43

Accurate passes

21/24

Possession lost

12x

Crosses

0/2

Key passes

0

Dribbles

0/2

Ground duels won

2/5

Aerial duels won

1/3

Man United content creator Dev Bajwa even said that the Portugal international “has got to be dropped” ahead of this weekend’s away trip to Tottenham Hotspur, a day which could underline the recent revival of Amorim’s side.

Amad Diallo’s impactful performance on the right stood as a dichotomy of tactical understanding in Amorim’s system. The wing-backs are among the most essential cogs for a team built on zonal rigidity. Dalot, to put that another way, isn’t effective in his unnatural placement, not least because he’s on his unfavoured side.

The 26-year-old has been a dependable servant for United over the years, arriving from Porto aged 19 in June 2018, for a £19m fee. In total, he has featured 219 times for the Old Trafford side, scoring nine goals and providing 18 assists.

It’s time for a change. The Braga-born star still has two-and-a-half years remaining on his £85k-per-week contract, but this suggests United could bank a sizeable fee were they to cash in on the stalwart next year.

His struggle to perform to his maximum in Amorim’s world is no new thing. Ten months ago, Dalot was singled out by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher as bearing tactical differences to the new manager, and, as we reflect on the recent draw to Forest, it’s clear that not all that much has changed.

With Patrick Dorgu waiting in the wings, United have options to shuffle the pack. Moreover, Lisandro Martinez’s imminent return from injury could even see Luke Shaw deployed in a more advanced and wider berth.

This is all to say that Dalot isn’t cutting it, and when transfer season comes around once again, there’s little question that the Red Devils must prioritise a new robust option to perform down that left channel.

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