Mohamed Salah is destined to make Premier League history as the Liverpool hero matched Erling Haaland & Arsenal hero Thierry Henry's records.
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Salah inspired Liverpool to a comeback victory against SouthamptonScored twice in the second half to take his PL G/A tally to 44Equalled Haaland & Henry's tally in a 38-game PL campaignFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Despite a lackluster first-half performance, where Southampton shocked the home side with a lead from Will Smallbone, Liverpool roared back after the break, thanks to goals from Darwin Nunez and Salah. The Egyptian's first penalty saw him move ahead of Gordon Hodgson in Liverpool’s all-time goalscorer list, positioning him as the club's third-highest scorer of all time.
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Salah is tied with the highest number of goal contributions in a Premier League season, with a combined total of 44 goals and assists this term. This equals the record set by Thierry Henry during the 2002/03 season and Erling Haaland in 2022/23. However, Alan Shearer and Andy Cole still hold the record for the most goal contributions in a single Premier League campaign, having each recorded 47 in the era of 42-game seasons.
DID YOU KNOW?
Salah's 184 Premier League goals also moved him to joint-fifth place on the league's all-time goalscorer list alongside Sergio Aguero. However, he is still far off the Premier League record held by Alan Shearer with 260 strikes.
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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?
With Liverpool securing the vital three points, they continue to press on in their hunt for both Premier League and Champions League success. They will now shift their focus on the continental fixture against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 at Anfield on Tuesday. Following that, they will travel to Wembley for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United on Sunday, aiming to secure their first piece of silverware this season.
Not looking to miss out on a rising star, the 49ers Enterprises have now reportedly sent Leeds United officials to join the race in pursuit of a rising star in Scottish football, who has attracted plenty of interest as of late.
Leeds transfer news
Leeds know all about trying to keep hold of a future star, of course, having failed to prevent Archie Gray’s exit to Tottenham Hotspur in a summer full of exits a few months ago. Now, they’ll want to flip the script and land a young sensation of their own in the transfer market.
Those at Elland Road are in a strong position to convince reinforcements too, given that they now sit top of the Championship in the early race for title glory and subsequent promotion.
When the January transfer window arrives, the Yorkshire club have the opportunity to welcome the additions that could all but seal promotion to the Premier League, before then turning their attention towards future stars for Daniel Farke’s side.
According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, the 49ers have now sent Leeds officials to join the race for Lennon Miller, who has been priced at a minimum £5m by Motherwell as they look to at least benefit from the Scottish sensation’s potential exit.
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Those at Elland Road aren’t the only ones interested, however. In fact, a whole host of English clubs are reportedly chasing Miller’s signature, including Manchester United, Newcastle United, Liverpool and Championship rivals Sunderland. With that said, it could be an impressive coup if Leeds managed to welcome the 18-year-old midfielder.
A player who may make up for Gray’s exit, Leeds should go all out to sign Miller if they’re given the opportunity when 2025 arrives.
"Exciting" Miller could make up for Gray's departure
Injuries to midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev caused quite the headache for Farke, although Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell have been brilliant in their absence. A situation which highlighted Leeds’ lack of depth in the middle of the park at the time, Miller’s arrival wouldn’t just be one for the future.
The teenager has starred in Motherwell’s senior side this season, reaching four goals and four assists to prove that he no longer belongs in academy football. Now, he looks destined for his biggest move yet.
As a result of his continued rise over the last year or so, Miller has attracted plenty of interest and praise, with most of that coming from Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell, who told reporters as relayed by The Herald earlier this year: “I just think he is a really exciting talent. If he was playing at one of the other clubs I would be waxing lyrical about him as well because I do get excited when you see really good footballers in Scotland.
“It’s brilliant for us all to market and sell the product and the brand in this country. I am absolutely delighted that I feel we have got one of the top guys at his age and somebody that I believe can go on and have a real, real good future in the game.”
Prepared to get ruthless, Manchester United are now reportedly likely to show one player the door in a free deal to make room for two fresh faces in Ruben Amorim’s squad in the summer.
Man Utd transfer news
Unsurprisingly, the rumours have been coming thick and fast since Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford. There’s plenty of work to be done to undo the damage done by the last year or so of Erik ten Hag’s reign and the recruitment that coincided with the Dutchman’s time at the club. From central defence all the way to the new manager’s offensive line, there’s an argument that the Red Devils need to welcome fresh faces.
Offer ready: Amorim has personally requested Man Utd sign defender – report
He could become the first signing of the Amorim regime at Old Trafford.
ByBen Browning Dec 1, 2024
With that said, names such as Viktor Gyokeres and Morten Hjulmand have already been mentioned regarding a move to Manchester United when 2025 arrives, with both potentially following Amorim from Sporting Club to the Premier League giants. Gyokeres is someone who instantly stands out these days, of course, given his place as one of Europe’s most clinical goalscorers.
As INEOS prepare for further incomings, however, they look set to open the exit door for one particular player. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Christian Eriksen is now likely to leave Manchester United as a free agent when his current contract comes to an end in the summer and Amorim targets two midfield reinforcements.
The beginning of a new era, the Red Devils have no choice but to get ruthless when 2025 arrives, which should see an ageing Eriksen swapped out for a more ambitious option.
Eriksen exit could only be the start at Man Utd
The fact that a 32-year-old Eriksen on £150,000-a-week still has the quality to earn a starting place in the current Manchester United midfield is more of a comment on just how disappointing the Red Devils’ recruitment has been in the last two years rather than a credit to the Dane, himself.
Eriksen’s not the only one who has played a greater role than expected at times, either. It’s worth noting that 36-year-old Jonny Evans has gone from a player likely to act as more of a background and dressing room figure to an important part of Manchester United’s squad. Like Eriksen, the central defender should be swapped out for a younger option when the summer arrives.
On the midfield front, signing a familiar face for Amorim wouldn’t be a bad idea. Of course, INEOS will want to repeat the mistake they made with Ten Hag by reuniting the former Ajax manager with one player too many, but those like Hjulmand represent the calibre of midfielder that could step in alongside Manuel Ugarte to finally take a struggling Casemiro’s starting place.
Starting with Eriksen, INEOS must get ruthless when 2025 arrives.
Tottenham Hotspur have been named as a possible Premier League destination for one young star who's left them "very impressed".
Will Spurs replace Hojbjerg?
Over the last month or so, there have been many reports suggesting that Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could depart north London as early as the January transfer window. Despite being a mainstay under Antonio Conte last season, and throughout his entire stay at Tottenham really, the Dane is no longer a lynchpin of their midfield as both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr are preferred by new boss Ange Postecoglou.
Hojbjerg scored four goals and assisted five others over 35 league starts last term, but this season, he's not even started a single top flight match; making all six of his appearances from the bench. As a result, there have been suggestions that Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is a target for Tottenham, among others. A new midfielder appears to be on the Spurs agenda if Hojbjerg quits in the winter window, while Spurs are rumoured to be targeting a new striker and new central defender for 2024 as well.
Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz in action with Tottenham Hotspur'sPierre-EmileHojbjerg
Postecoglou's side have started the season remarkably well; tasting victory in five out of a possible seven league matches so far while scoring 17 goals. However, there may still be some gaping holes to fix in the squad, as injuries to key players could threaten to ruin their exceptional early-season form. Ivan Perisic, Brennan Johnson, Manor Solomon, Bryan Gil, Alfie Whiteman, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon have all found themselves injured at Spurs recently.
If one of James Maddison, Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, Micky van de Ven or Cristian Romero – Tottenham's arguable star players right now – are sidelined, Postecoglou would be in big trouble.
Quinten Timber transfer news
Feyenoord defender Quinten Timber.
A new option who may emerge for Spurs, as per journalist Graeme Bailey on the Talking Transfers Podcast, is Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timber; who would seemingly come in as a potential alternative to Hojbjerg. The brother of Arsenal star Jurrien, he already has a very interesting connection to the top flight through Tottenham's arch rivals.
Timber has been in brilliant Eredivisie form this campaign, scoring one goal and assisting three others in seven Dutch top flight starts. According to WhoScored, the 22-year-old is among Feyenoord's best-performing players per 90 this term, a fact not lost on Tottenham.
Dribbling
Aerial duels
Tackling
It is believed that Spurs are "very impressed" by Timber's form, and Bailey urges supporters to "keep an eye" him potentially making a move to England.
“I like Quintin Timber in this role, and so do the teams who have been watching Feyenoord, the likes of Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Tottenham, Arsenal, they have all been very impressed by this young lad, he’s more a midfielder than his twin brother, so let’s keep an eye on him, could we see Timber’s brother in England? I wouldn’t rule it out." said the 90min journalist.
The Dutch midfield ace facing off against his brother would make a rather intriguing development.
Crystal Palace are exploring a move to sign an in-demand “versatile” new player in the New Year, according to recent reports.
Who did Crystal Palace sign this summer?
The Eagles and Roy Hodgson were relatively quiet in the summer, bringing in just four new players during the transfer market. Big fees were paid for Matheus Franca and Dean Henderson from Flamengo and Manchester United respectively, whereas Rob Holding arrived from Arsenal late in the window and Jefferson Lerma made the switch to London on a free transfer after leaving Bournemouth.
On the pitch, Palace have made a relatively solid start, picking up eight points from their first six Premier League games. However, chairman Steve Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman already seem to have one eye on the January transfer window, and a new target has emerged at Selhurst Park.
TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace are one of five top-flight clubs who are now exploring a move to sign Shakhtar Donetsk defender Mykola Matviyenko.
Alongside the Eagles, Burnley, Everton, Sheffield United and West Ham are also keen on the Ukraine international, whose representatives are looking at possible options ahead of 2024.
Who is Mykola Matviyenko?
Matviyenko can play anywhere across the back four but is primarily a central defender who has made 175 appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk after progressing through their academy.
The left-footed defender would therefore offer plenty of versatility to Hodgson’s backline, should a move go through, and that attribute has been picked up in the media.
Journalist Andrew Todos recently described Matviyenko as a “versatile” player who “can be world-class when he plays in a formation with three defenders” following links of a move to Brighton, highlighting his pace and ball-playing ability as some of his main strengths.
"Matviyenko is a composed and experienced centre-back, who comes across as very assured, especially when playing alongside younger teammates. As he started his career as a full-back, he's got more pace than an average centre-back and this aids him quite a lot in recovery challenges.
"He rarely goes in for wild tackles that might result in bookings or penalties and one of his main strengths is blocking crosses or goalbound shots. He's also very good at playing balls over the top, playing out from the back, and he's versatile.
"In my opinion, he can be world-class when he plays in a formation with three defenders. If he plays in a back four, he should play alongside a tall defender who can help him. He is good as a centre-back but the best matches of his career were when he was in a back three and he played next to wing-backs."
The 27-year-old appears to be in his prime with Transfermarkt valuation standing at €20m – the highest figure of his career – and it looks like a move to England could be possible.
Whether or not that will be at Selhurst Park remains to be seen, but a move could be one to watch over the coming months where Matviyenko may end up coming in to rival the likes of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen.
Banger became Becks at Old Trafford and a broken metatarsal will have the whole of Somerset fearing for the future of their favourite son
Paul Edwards at Old Trafford04-May-2018 ScorecardUntil just before three o’clock on the first day of this game one of England’s best and best-loved cricketers was enjoying yet another lovely afternoon. Once again Marcus Trescothick was holding a Somerset innings together. He had batted with increasing assurance against a Lancashire attack including Jimmy Anderson and was only five runs short of his 96th century in all top-level cricket. Then Trescothick played defensively to a ball from Matt Parkinson and collapsed at the crease with what was later confirmed as a broken fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot.Scarcely half a mile from the other Old Trafford he had sustained an injury made famous by one of English football’s more famous sons. Though we didn’t know it, Banger had become Becks.After treatment on the field Trescothick carried on batting and managed to garner the runs he needed for his hundred. However, clearly tethered by pain, he was caught at the wicket off the very next ball and hobbled off Emirates Old Trafford accompanied by his runner, Matt Renshaw, and the good wishes of everyone in the game.”Marcus will be out for the foreseeable future but it’s too early to say whether he’ll be back later in the season,” said the Somerset coach Jason Kerr. “We need to get clarity on the extent of the fracture. If it’s a clean break, it’s just a few weeks’ recovery and then we’ll get him back on his feet. He’s broken his metatarsal so we’ll be calling him Beckham from now on.”Yet while this day will undoubtedly be seen as an unpleasant setback in the late career of one of Somerset’s most steadfast servants, it might be scarcely less significant in the development of one of the county’s youngest talents. Barely two hours after Trescothick had left the field George Bartlett was celebrating his maiden century in only his 11th first-class innings.Having added 134 for the second wicket with his very senior colleague, Bartlett took on a more dominant role, first by lifting Matt Parkinson straight for six and then by accumulating the runs which took him to three figures in 189 balls. It was tempting to think that a mantle was being passed from one generation to the next.The long-term consequences of Trescothick and Bartlett’s experiences at Old Trafford this lovely Friday afternoon have yet to unfold. For the moment they have certainly put their team in a commanding position in this game. Although Bartlett was eventually brilliantly caught by second slip Liam Livingstone off Joe Mennie for 110, his team ended the day on 321 for five, their satisfaction only slightly impaired by the dismissal of Steve Davies, who was caught down the leg side off Jordan Clark’s final ball of the day.The loss of Matt Renshaw for 21 and James Hildreth for five could be viewed as acceptable damage. Only the persevering Mennie had taken more than one wicket. Anderson had dyed his hair some variety of blond and bowled from his own End but had really made no other impression on events. The Somerset skipper Tom Abell finished the day on 48 not out and his confident side clearly have power to add.As the day ended it was testing to recall that it had begun with the news that Haseeb Hameed had been dropped for the first time in his Lancashire career. But while Hameed was adjusting to not appearing in what would have been his 47th first-class match, another England opener, Trescothick, was preparing for his 378th. You do not need to hail from Combe Florey or Stogumber to hope that there are still a few more to come.
Celtic were dealt a blow during the summer transfer window as Parkheaad's star winger Jota was sold ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Who are Celtic's biggest ever sales?
The Hoops forward moved to Saudi for a reported transfer fee of £25m earlier this year after one season in Glasgow on a permanent basis, having also spent 12 months on loan prior to a £6.5m switch in 2022.
Jota
£25m
Kieran Tierney
£23m
Moussa Dembele
£19m
Odsonne Edouard
£14m
Virgil van Dijk
£13m
Former Bhoys head coach Ange Postecoglou, who left the club to join Tottenham in the Premier League shortly after the 2022/23 campaign ended, certainly hit the jackpot with that particular move.
The Scottish giants made a significant profit on the Portuguese dynamo within the space of a year, showing that the Australian head coach was able to unearth a gem by developing the young talent's potential during their time together at Paradise.
Jota is not the only signing made by Postecoglou who has been a roaring success, though, and another player who could end up leaving the club for a huge fee is Japan international Daizen Maeda.
How much did Celtic pay for Daizen Maeda?
The Hoops reportedly spent £1.6m to sign the attacker on a permanent basis from Yokohama in the summer of 2022 after he spent six months on loan with the club during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.
Celtic landed the energetic forward initially on loan after he enjoyed a phenomenal 2021 campaign with his former club in Japan.
Maeda showcased his ability as a goalscorer throughout his final year with Yokohama as he plundered an eye-catching 23 goals in 36 J1 League outings. He also assisted three goals and created four 'big chances' for his teammates to go along with his frequent scoring at the top end of the pitch.
Japan international Daizen Maeda.
The Japanese sensation averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.09 throughout those matches, which was the seventh-highest score within the squad.
That exceptional form came after a difficult year in 2020 where only found the back of the net three times and failed to create a single goal for his teammates in 23 J1 League matches.
Maeda also happened to work with Postecoglou at Yokohama for the majority of that time as he scored 12 goals and assisted four in 50 appearances for the Australian head coach for the Japanese side.
How many goals has Maeda scored for Celtic?
The now-Spurs boss knew exactly what he was getting when he signed the 25-year-old and it has turned out to be a fantastic piece of business for the club.
Maeda has scored 19 goals in 77 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants to date and has become an incredibly reliable option out wide or through the middle throughout his spell.
He hit the ground running during his initial loan spell with Celtic in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign as he immediately made an impact on the pitch.
Celtic forward Daizen Maeda.
The speedy ace racked up six goals and five assists in 16 Scottish Premiership outings, 14 of which were starts, for Postecoglou as he showcased his ability to score and create goals on a regular basis.
Impressively, the at-the-time loanee recorded one goal and four assists in five matches during the top-six split, which shows that he produced consistent quality against the best of the best within the division.
There was no need for a period of adaption to life in Scottish football as Maeda was able to instantly translate his impressive form for Yokohama over to Celtic.
Maeda then completed his permanent £1.6m move to the club in the summer of 2022 and enjoyed a terrific first full season with the Bhoys as they won the domestic treble.
He racked up 11 goals and seven assists in 49 matches across all competitions, which included eight goals and five assists in 31 Premiership outings.
The 25-year-old, who created six 'big chances' for his teammates in the top flight last term, has also enjoyed a strong start to the current campaign, demonstrating himself to be a pivotal component of Brendan Rodgers' side too.
Maeda has created three 'big chances' in five Premiership matches this term and assisted one goal to go along with an average Sofascore rating of 7.10, which shows that he has the ability to split open the opposition's defence as well as being a goal threat.
How much is Maeda worth now?
It was recently reported by TEAMtalk that Postecoglou now happens to be interested in signing the Japanese marksman once again ahead of the January transfer window.
The report claimed that Spurs are monitoring the Celtic star's situation as they consider a possible swoop to sign the versatile forward ahead of the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
It stated that the Scottish giants would a fee of around £25m for the 5 foot 8 forward's services, as they would like a similar amount to the one that they received from Al Ittihad for Jota in the summer – £25m.
Celtic forward Daizen Maeda.
Maeda, who former Celtic striker Chris Sutton once hailed as a pressing "machine" for his relentless closing down of the opposition, has, therefore, seen his value skyrocket from £1.6m to £25m within the space of a year.
The former Yokohama star has been a fantastic signing for the Hoops and Postecoglou certainly played a blinder by bringing him to Scotland after their first spell together in Japan.
He evidently saw enough from the wide attacker to suggest that a move to Scotland would allow him to thrive and the Australian head coach has been proven right over the last 18 months.
Celtic have already benefitted from the move on the pitch, as shown by the aforementioned statistics over the last two seasons, but they could now benefit off the pitch with a significant profit on Maeda if Spurs decided to meet their £25m valuation in the January window.
England’s head coach has hinted that the batting line-up is unlikely to change much for the series against Pakistan in May, despite few of the issues being resolved over the winter
Andrew McGlashan04-Apr-2018Head coach Trevor Bayliss has hinted that the England batting line-up is unlikely to change much for the series against Pakistan in May, despite few of the issues being resolved over the last five months, but he called on domestic players to show they are better than those currently in the team.Bayliss conceded that England ended their 2017-18 Test campaign with largely the same questions as they began with following five defeats and two draws having been foiled by New Zealand’s lower-order on the final day in Christchurch.Over the seven Tests against Australia and New Zealand, Dawid Malan was the one batsman to enhance his reputation. Mark Stoneman and James Vince showed moments of encouragement but the pair finished averaging 30.23 and 30.54 respectively across all the Tests. Vince missed the Auckland Test when the line-up was reshuffled due to Ben Stokes being unable to bowl and returned with 76 in the second innings in Christchurch while Stoneman scored half-centuries in each Test.Bayliss on…
Jack Leach “He’s the one who holds the position at this stage and I thought he had a good game for someone playing his first Test. He had good composure. Like anyone playing his first game or two, he’s still got a few things to learn at this level but I think he bowled a good line and didn’t give too much away which was a good thing.” The batting order “We have tried Jonny up the list previously and I think he’s quite comfortable at No. 7 but he’s obviously a very good player. I think that will be revisited especially if some of the other guys don’t cement a spot and start averaging 45-plus for the batters.” Catching “We’ve got to work harder. If what we’re doing is not working we’ve got to do it even more. We’ve tried to up the catching and fielding and at times we field and catch extremely well, as good as anyone, but it doesn’t mean you’re a good fielder if you’re inconsistent.”
“I think what they’ve all shown over this winter is that they are good players and they’ve scored some runs against quality opposition bowlers,” Bayliss said. “But what we need from them is to be doing it more often. They’re averaging high 20s, we need them to get that up and hopefully put another 20 on that.”Probably the same questions are still there but Malan for example played pretty well against the pace in Australia and the other two guys at different times stood up. Vince made a couple of good scores. Stoneman under a fair bit of pressure and a barrage of short-pitched bowling handled himself reasonably well but again to be an international batter we need to be doing better than that.”And the other side of that is who do we replace them with? We need guys and I guess this is a call-out to the guys in county cricket, the first five or six matches of the county season are very important. We’ve got Liam Livingstone here and the other one I’ll add in who’s impressed in the nets is Ben Foakes. He’s batting very well also. So there’s a couple of guys in this squad who can hopefully score runs and put a bit of pressure on and make the selectors job difficult which is what we all want.”The batting was not helped by Alastair Cook’s lean time, other than his double-century in Melbourne, which was compounded by a miserable series in New Zealand where he made 23 runs in four innings. Cook has reiterated to Bayliss that he has the desire to continue to add to his 154-cap career and after a couple of weeks off he will look to recuperate in the County Championship for Essex.”It’s dangerous to write off someone with 12,000 Test runs. He’s desperately disappointed he hasn’t contributed more but speaking to him in the sheds, he’s still got a hunger for the game and he’s still wants to do well and thinks he’s got a role to play,” Bayliss said. “Going forward I think having someone with that experience we will need, so hopefully it’s not too long before he gets back into the groove.”Then there is the captain. Root is England’s best batsman but can’t break his run of unconverted half-centuries, which now stands at nine, with two more in New Zealand added to the five in Australia (although retiring ill in Sydney can’t be held against him). Having come off a distinct second best to Steven Smith in the Ashes it was a slightly closer tussle with Kane Williamson as the New Zealand captain followed his Auckland century with a lean Test in Christchurch. Coming up for Root later this year is the head-to-head with Virat Kohli.Bayliss remains largely phlegmatic about Root’s conversion rate and would like to see the rest of the batting order take some pressure off the captain. There were just four centuries scored across the seven Tests in Australia and New Zealand, two by Jonny Bairstow and one apiece for Cook and Malan.”I’m sure he would have liked a few more runs himself but there’s a fair bit of pressure on him to be the one who scores the runs and we need a few more runs from some of the other guys,” Bayliss said. “I think that would take a little bit of the pressure off Joe. But he’s a guy who sets himself very high standards so I’m sure he’d be a little bit disappointed he hasn’t turned some of the starts into big hundreds.”
Manchester United are now interested in signing an exciting youngster whose playing style has been compared to Chelsea's Moises Caicedo, according to a report.
Who could Man United sign in January?
Man United used the recent international break to scout defensive prospects, having watched Benfica's Antonio Silva and Atalanta's Giorgio Scalvini, amid former captain Harry Maguire's uncertain future at Old Trafford.
In the summer transfer window, the Red Devils managed to strengthen their midfield considerably, bringing in Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat, but Erik ten Hag is seemingly still keen on additional options, with Royal Antwerp's Arthur Vermeeren now of interest.
There have now been reports that Inter Milan's Nicolo Barella was strongly considered by United in the summer, but no official offer was submitted, with the financial constraints at Old Trafford hindering their chances of signing the Italian.
As such, Man United may have to turn their attention towards a more unproven option to bolster their midfield, with Tutto Juve reporting they are now seriously interested in signing Oscar Zambrano, who currently plays for Ecuadorian side LDU Quito.
However, United may have to fight it out with some of Europe's top clubs, as the Italian outlet reports that Barcelona and Juventus are also interested in the "great prospect for the future" ahead of the January transfer window.
Tutto Juve state that Juventus would initially give the 19-year-old experience in the U23 team, should they win the race for his signature, indicating he would not be at the level to immediately challenge for a starting place at Old Trafford.
However, the starlet could still be an exciting signing for the future, given that he is clearly thought of in very high regard by a number of sides across Europe, with Ajax and Luton Town making approaches for him back in the summer transfer window.
Who is Oscar Zambrano?
The Santo Domingo-born midfielder made his breakthrough with LDU Quito in 2022, and he has since gone on to establish himself in the first team, making a total of 36 appearances for the Ecuadorian club.
There are indications the youngster could also be about to announce himself on the international scene with Ecuador, having made 14 appearances for the U20 side since his debut in June 2022.
The Ecuador U21 international has scored just one professional goal, as he has mainly been utilised as a defensive midfielder, making 27 appearances in that area of the pitch, due to his defensive qualities.
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has provided an overview of the Quito star's abilities on X, describing him as a "modern holding midfielder", while also praising him for his tackling, pace and passing, among a number of other key strengths.
Perhaps in light of the central midfielder's tackling ability, he has been likened to compatriot Moises Caicedo, who signed for Chelsea for a British record £115m fee in the summer.
It would be very difficult for Zambrano to replicate Caicedo's rise to the top, but he is clearly a very talented youngster, and Man United should continue to monitor him ahead of January.
West Bromwich Albion failed to find a regular source of goals throughout the 2022/23 Championship season as their top scorer ended up with seven strikes.
Brandon Thomas-Asante and Daryl Dike both found the back of the net seven times and Carlos Corberan will be hoping that one of them, or new signing Josh Maja, is able to score with greater regularity this term.
Who are West Brom's most expensive signings?
The Baggies have spent a lot of money over the years in an attempt to find a consistent goalscorer and that is evidenced by four of their five most expensive signings in their history being centre-forwards.
Player
Fee paid
Salomon Rondon
£14.6m
Karlan Grant
£14.1m
Nacer Chadli
£13m
Oliver Burke
£13m
Jay Rodriguez
£11.7m
Fees via Transfermarkt.
West Brom have been willing to shell out significant transfer fees in search of a prolific number nine and one of their failures in that respect was Brown Ideye, who arrived at the club in the summer of 2010.
How much did West Brom pay for Ideye?
Alan Irvine, who was the team's manager at the time, swooped to sign the centre-forward from Dynamo Kyiv for a reported fee of £10m in 2014, which made him the most expensive player in the club's history at that point.
The likes of Rodriguez, Grant, and Rondon have since been bought for more than Ideye but there is little doubt that the Baggies had a shocker with that signing as he ended a rough time in England.
Irvine had described the former Dynamo star as a "powerful" and quality marksman and seemingly believed that the £10m addition would be the go-to man for goals at the top end of the pitch.
He arrived at The Hawthorns off the back of an excellent spell in Kyiv as the Nigeria international plundered 42 goals and 11 assists in 103 matches in all competitions. This included 34 goals in 78 Premier League outings as he showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
Former West Brom striker Brown Ideye.
Ideye had also enjoyed a strong stint with Sochaux in France prior to his move to Ukraine. The £10m-rated forward had scored 15 goals in 35 Ligue 1 appearances during the 2010/11 campaign, which promoted his transfer to Dynamo.
He started his career, however, with Neuchatel Xamax FCS in Switzerland. The attacker scored 30 goals and provided 16 assists in 61 clashes for the club in all competitions after making the breakthrough from academy football.
These statistics show that West Brom were signing a player who had scored goals for several different clubs in multiple countries, including 15 goals in a major European league in France.
Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why they were confident enough to splash out a club-record fee to secure his signature as they believed that he would do the same in England.
How many goals did Ideye score for West Brom?
However, that was not the case as the Nigerian finisher struggled throughout his time in English football and left the Baggies after scoring seven goals in 31 appearances in all competitions.
Ideye endured a rough debut season in the Premier League as he only scored four goals in 24 matches after his big-money move from Dynamo, which was considerably worse than the 15 he managed in France for Sochaux.
He averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.36 in that time and that was the 22nd-highest score within the squad, out of 26 players – with three of the four players below him failing to start more than one game – and this highlights how disappointing his performances were.
Ideye also ranked fifth and second within the team for how many times he was dispossessed and gave the ball away through poor control respectively per game.
Former West Brom striker Brown Ideye.
These statistics show that the former Sochaux star struggled to deal with the quality on display at the top level of English football as opposition players found it far too easy to take the ball off him and he did not make up for it with enough goals at the top end of the pitch.
The Nigerian forward later revealed that he felt "overwhelmed" by the expectation that came with being the club's record signing and lambasted the lack of patience people had with him as he attempted to adapt to life in England and the Premier League.
His struggles may also have played a part in Irvine's eventual sacking in December of 2019 as the Scottish tactician's huge summer signing failed to make the desired impact on the pitch.
Tony Pulis came in to replace him in January but was also unable to get Ideye firing to the best of his abilities and that led to the striker's exit in the summer of 2015 as the Welsh boss opted to allow him to leave instead of attempting to give him another season to find his feet.
How much did West Brom sell Ideye for?
The Baggies reportedly cashed in on him for a fee of €6m (£5m) at the end of the 2014/15 campaign as Greek giants Olympiacos came in with an offer to take him away from The Hawthorns after just one year.
This means that the West Brom flop's market value plummeted by a whopping £5m in just 12 months as his poor Premier League form resulted in his price halving from the £10m that the club initially paid Dynamo in 2014.
Therefore, Irvine had a howler with the signing of the Nigeria international, who scored six goals in 27 caps for his country, as the move did not have the desired effect on the pitch, as evidenced by his aforementioned statistics, and it came at a significant financial loss for the club.
Ideye went on to score 28 goals and assisted ten in 65 appearances for Olympiacos, which included 23 goals in 43 Super League outings, as he rediscovered his form in front of goal.
The 34-year-old marksman was most recently with Al-Yarmouk SC in Kuwait and endured a difficult spell in Turkey with Goztepe prior to that move. He scored three times in 36 matches for the Turkish side and two of those came in his 35 league games between the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.