Tag Futebol

Marcus Rashford could return to Manchester United next summer if Ruben Amorim leaves the club by then, according to former Red Devils coach Rene Meulensteen. Rashford left his boyhood club this year to join Barcelona on a loan deal after he was included in Amorim's 'bomb squad' during pre-season, alongside several other unwanted United stars.

• Rashford back in form following Barcelona move

  Since completing his season-long loan move to Barcelona during the summer transfer window, Rashford has rediscovered his game under Hansi Flick and has slowly established himself as a regular starter. The attacker has already recorded three goals and five assists in 11 matches across all competitions for the Catalan club and has also earned a call back to the England national team.

  It is still unclear whether Rashford would return to United at the end of his season, especially with Amorim in charge of the club, as he clearly had fallen out with the Portuguese manager this summer. The Spanish giants also have an option to but the forward permanently next season for around €35 million (£30m/$41m), although they are compelled to trigger the option.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Former Man Utd coach's verdict on Rashford's return

  Former United assistant coach Rene Meulensteen addressed the topic of Rashford's possible return to Old Trafford as he claimed that it is unlikely for the striker to return, with Amorim still in charge of the club.

  Meulensteens was speaking to CasinoHawks, who offer the latest online casinos, and said: "Marcus Rashford back to Man Utd? That's a real personal choice, and things can change, you don't know. I don't think it would happen with Ruben Amorim, to be fair, because I think something must have happened for that move to be forced. So I don't know, but I think Marcus, and maybe Barcelona as well, would most likely want to see if they could make it a permanent deal because Marcus is 27 now, so he's still a good age. Playing in Spain is different than in the Premier League. It's not as demanding, especially with Barcelona having maybe 70% or more of the ball, which is a nice position to be in."

• Rashford backed to become Barcelona's No.9

  Rashford has already earned Flick's trust with consistent performances in the attack in both La Liga and Champions League matches. With Ferran Torres and Raphinha doubtful for both their Champions League clash against Olympiacos on Tuesday and El Clasico at the weekend, the German coach has confirmed his faith in the England international to spearhead the attack as their No.9.

  Speaking to reporters, Flick said: "Rashford is a good option as a No. 9, but he can also play as a No. 11. That's what we thought when we signed him: he can play as a No. 9 or No. 11, and it's great to have him in our team. He's improved a lot in recent weeks. He gives us a lot of positives, and of course, he can play as a No. 9."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Rashford blamed Man Utd's 'inconsistent environment' for failures

  Rashford experienced a major dip in his form in the last two seasons at Old Trafford as he managed to score just 19 goals across the two campaigns. In the second half of the 2024-25 season, the winger was sent out on a loan move, where he started to regain his confidence and long-lost form.

  Addressing his issues at United, Rashford had earlier told : "For sure, consistency is a massive part of it. I feel like I have been in an inconsistent environment for a very long time, so it is even more difficult to be consistent. But I completely agree, I think consistency is what I need to bring into my game and I am looking to do that. I want to be at my best, not sometimes, but as often as possible. When people talk about consistency, in order to be consistent in anything not just sport, you need consistent variables in your life and the way you train. We have just had so many changes so far in my career but I have to look forward and that it definitely one of the things I want to put right and improve on to be at my best more often. When I am at my best I really enjoy everything about the sport."

While it’s always tricky to determine who has ‘won’ the transfer window, Arsenal certainly have a strong shout this year.

New Sporting Director Andrea Berta has been transformational since his arrival, overseeing eight additions to Mikel Arteta’s squad over the last few months.

Moreover, while a number of those players have been signed to bolster the squad, others could be real game-changers for the starting lineup, like Eberechi Eze.

The Englishman is an unbelievably exciting signing for the Premier League hopefuls, although they did sell their own version of him not too long ago.

Eze's return to Arsenal

Signing a player of Eze’s quality is hugely exciting and would have been enough to delight the Arsenal fanbase regardless of the nature of the deal.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

However, the fact that it looked like the club had cooled their interest in him weeks prior, only to suddenly reenter the conversation in the 11th hour and steal (rescue) him from Tottenham Hotspur, was enough of a story to send the fans into delirium.

It’s easy to see why Arteta was reportedly so keen to bring the 27-year-old to the Emirates this summer as well, as not only is he a creative force, but he also knows exactly where the goal is.

Despite playing for a mid-table side last season, the Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, was an output machine, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling 3303 minutes.

In other words, the versatile game-changer, who can play in the middle of the park or out wide, averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes – just imagine what he’ll do with better players around him.

Moreover, it’s not just the hijacking of his move to Spurs or the quality he’ll add to the side that makes this transfer so special; there is the human side, which is the fact that the club released him as a 13-year-old and has finally made his way back.

In short, Eze’s move to Arsenal is one of the best of the summer, even though the club sold someone who could’ve been described as their version of the Englishman not too long ago.

Arsenal's former Eze

It would be fair to say that fans were left quite disappointed by Edu Gaspar’s final summer transfer window at Arsenal, as he only oversaw five signings, two of which were the loan deals for Raheem Sterling and Neto.

However, while he failed on the incoming front, he did do reasonably well regarding outgoings, as he saw Eddie Nketiah move to Crystal Palace for £30m, Aaron Ramsdale join Southampton for up to £25m, and Emile Smith Rowe move to Fulham for up to £34m.

The latter was undoubtedly the one most fans were sad to see go, as even though the money was good for someone who had fallen out of Arteta’s plans, there was a belief he could be something special.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the former fan favourite is the player who could have been described as the Gunners’ own Eze.

The first reason stems from the positions he’d play under Arteta.

While he now almost exclusively plays as an attacking midfielder for the Cottagers, he would spend plenty of time in other areas of the pitch at the Emirates.

For example, across his time with the Gunners, the “phenomenal” talent, as dubbed by one analyst, made 54 appearances in attacking midfield, 25 in left-midfield, ten in central midfield, three at left-wing, three in right-midfield, and he even played up top on two occasions.

It wasn’t just where he played that made him similar to the former Palace man, though, but how he played, and still does to an extent.

Even though he wore the number ten in North London – another similarity to the club’s new star – the Croydon-born gem was far more of a ball-carrier than someone who’d play pinpoint passes like traditional tens. In the words of his manager while on loan at Huddersfield, Danny Cowley, he was “like Dennis Bergkamp but with pace.”

For example, in the 20/21 season, his best at Arsenal, the 25-year-old ranked in the top 9% of Premier League midfielders for progressive carries and the top 14% for carries into the penalty area per 90, per FBref.

Finally, in addition to the similarities in their game, both players have featured for the national team and progressed through the Gunners’ legendary Hale End academy.

Ultimately, while they have finally signed the real thing, for some time, Smith Rowe was Arsenal’s own Eze.

Arsenal sold homegrown Gyokeres for £4m, now he's one of the best in Europe

Arsenal had a promising talent in their ranks who could have been their own homegrown Gyokeres.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 3, 2025

Kate Scott's husband, Malik, has urged former Manchester United team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney to stage a 'global' boxing bout, claiming that it would do a lot of 'good' for the sport. Celebrity boxing events have been gathering a lot of fame over the last couple of years with multiple stars getting involved.

• Scott wants Ronaldo and Rooney to fight in the ring

  Former boxing heavyweight Scott has been coaching a number of athletes since his retirement, including names like Deontay Wilder and Ezra Taylor. The 44-year-old, who has started delving into the football world since marrying broadcaster Kate, has suggested that Ronaldo and Rooney should have it out in the ring, as it would bring a lot more eyes to the sport thanks to their stature.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Boxing would be better for another celebrity fight

  Speaking to , Scott said: "Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Wayne Rooney would bring more eyes to boxing, and I'm all for it. Any time boxing gets more attention, it's a good thing. I want people to enjoy the spectacle, not just critique it. Just enjoy the carnival.  It would be a global event because these are high-level names that would draw huge numbers."

• AFP
  

  Ronaldo and Rooney's history with boxing

  While neither Ronaldo has never boxed in a match before, his former Manchester United team-mate does have a love of the sport. Rooney's infamous boxing celebration and the revelation that former Sheffield United keeper Paddy Kenny wants to fight him in the ring are among his escapades in a game he loves on the side. Ronaldo, meanwhile, has often been spotted watching MMA and boxing clashes.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Could Ronaldo and Rooney actually get into the ring?

  The chances of Rooney taking part in a boxing bout are actually high with the ex-England international often having talked about getting into the ring. However, facing off against Ronaldo seems highly unlikely at least for the next few years, as he continues to focus on his Al-Nassr career.

رد إكرامي الشحات، حارس الأهلي السابق، على أنباء عرض نادي بيراميدز زوج نجلته رمضان صبحي للبيع خلال الفترة القادمة.

وقال إكرامي خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “اللعيب” على قناة “إم بي سي مصر”: “الكلام الذي يتكتب على السوشيال ميديا 90% منه كذب”.

وأضاف: “هل بيراميدز الذي قام بتجديد عقد رمضان صبحي ثلاث سنوات ويعالجه يريد بيعه! هذا كلام هري”.

طالع.. رسميًا | بيراميدز يتخذ قرارًا جديدًا بشأن رمضان صبحي وأسامة جلال

وتابع: “أريد أن اتحدث في نقطة، هناك لاعب خرج في تصريحات عن رمضان صبحي، في الأيام الماضية، أقول له عيب، أنت كنت لا تستطيع أن تتكلم بهذا الشكل وهو معك في الفريق (وهو بيحط عليك في الفريق)”.

وأتم: “عيب أن يطلع يتكلم على الكابتن بتاعه بالأسلوب ده، وانت أصلا لاعب قليل أنك تطلع تتكلم على الكابتن بتاعك بالاسلوب ده، الله كريم خليك في نفسك”.

تجدر الإشارة إلي أن لاعب الأهلي السابق وسيراميكا كليوباترا الحالي، كريم نيدفيد، هو من كان تحدث عن رحيل رمضان صبحي من الأهلي مؤخرًا، لمطالعة تصريحاته كاملة من هنا).

Aston Villa are now making advances in their pursuit of a “fabulous” attacker, with Unai Emery keen to bolster his forward line before the September 1st transfer deadline.

Emery keen on new forward after disappointing start

The 0-0 draw against Newcastle United on the opening day wasn’t the worst result, but Emery is likely to be a little more concerned by his side’s most recent performance, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat away at Brentford on Saturday.

The Villans dominated possession throughout the match, and arguably should have at least drawn the game on the balance of play, recording an xG of 1.23, compared to Brentford’s 1.27, but they were ultimately unable to take their chances.

As such, it is no surprise that Emery wants to bring in at least one new attacker before the deadline, and Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that three forwards with Premier League experience remain on the manager’s shortlist.

However, according to a report from A Bola (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa have also submitted an offer for a Liga Portugal forward, namely Sporting CP’s Geny Catamo, with a €20m (£17m) proposal being tabled.

The Villans are said to be making advances in their pursuit of Catamo, but there is set to be competition for his signature from Fenerbahce, and the most recent offer was deemed too low by Sporting.

The Portuguese club are looking to hold out for around €25m – €30m (£22m – £26m) for the forward, meaning Monchi will have to increase his offer to tempt them into a sale.

He's like Duran & Benteke: Aston Villa make £65m star their top target

Aston Villa are eyeing up a new striker who is a mix of Jhon Durán and Christian Benteke.

ByWill Miller Aug 23, 2025 Catamo could be "fabulous" Ramsey replacement

With Jacob Ramsey departing to join Newcastle United, Emery could do with bringing in another versatile midfielder, and the Sporting star certainly fits the bill in that regard, given that he is capable of playing on both wings and in attacking midfield.

Once lauded as “fabulous” by former coach Filipe Celikkaya, the 24-year-old also played a major role in Sporting CP’s back-to-back Liga Portugal title triumphs in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, regularly chipping in with goals and assists.

Season

League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

27

8

2024-25

30

7

That said, it would be a risk to sign Catamo, given that he is unproven in one of Europe’s top leagues, and with Villa known to be treading a fine line PSR-wise, it may be better to only bring in Jackson, who could set them back £65m.

A week after George Bailey issued a call for Australia’s left-arm spinners to stand up, Western Australia’s Ashton Agar virtually said, “Don’t forget about me”.WA extended their lead at the top of the Sheffield Shield ladder with a comprehensive thrashing of Tasmania in Hobart, with left-armer Agar claiming 3 for 12 in 17.5 testing overs in the second innings.Related

• Cartwright catches lucky break as WA grind down Tasmania

• Cartwright's ton, late wickets set up Western Australia victory push

The visitors dismissed Tasmania for 98 to win by an innings and 45 runs, with paceman Brody Couch becoming the first bowler to take a Sheffield Shield hat-trick for Western Australia in their history.Couch had Jake Doran lbw, before Lawrence Neil-Smith chopped a ball onto his stumps and Couch clean bowled Sam Elliott. The three wickets came in the first over after tea, killing off any hopes of Tasmania hanging on for a draw after they started the final session at 89 for 6.Agar’s strong performance came after New Zealand left-arm spinners Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel played crucial roles in a historic 3-0 Test series win in India.Just last week Australian chairman of selectors Bailey said left-arm orthodox spin was “an incredible skillset in the subcontinent”, with a series in Sri Lanka next year on the horizon.”Realistically there’s not a huge amount of players in domestic cricket that are doing it, so it is something we are looking to expose,” Bailey said.Agar showcased great variety on the final day and dried up the runs, allowing the pace attack at the other end to also shine.WA, winners of the past three Shield titles, had earlier taken a 143-run first innings lead The hosts resumed at 10 for 2 needing one of their top order to dig in for a big score.It was not to be, as left-arm quick Joel Paris swung a pearler in to Charlie Wakim to trap him lbw without troubling the scorers to the fifth ball of the morning.Nightwatchman Gabe Bell was undone by a perfect left-arm orthodox delivery from Agar that curled in and spun away to hit the top of the off stump. Captain Jordan Silk was unable to get going and was trapped in front by an Agar skidder.Paris, 31, showcased why he is one of the leading exponents of left-arm pace bowling in the country. His 2 for 18 in the second innings complemented the 4 for 45 he claimed in the first. At times he was unplayable on a surface that offered very little.The WA performance was more meritorious considering strike bowler Matthew Kelly was rubbed out after suffering a hamstring injury in the first innings.

He will re-unite with Dravid, not long after they lifted the T20 World Cup this year

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2024Vikram Rathour, the former India batting coach, will once again team up with Rahul Dravid as he joins the support staff at Rajasthan Royals in a similar capacity. Dravid was named the RR head coach earlier this month.Rathour’s association comes on the back of a five-year stint with the Indian team, where he worked alongside Ravi Shastri and later Dravid. In June, Rathour’s contract ended soon after India’s triumph at the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.”Having worked closely with Vikram for many years, I can confidently say that his technical expertise, calm demeanor, and deep understanding of Indian conditions make him a perfect fit for the Royals,” Dravid said in a statement.Related

Sairaj Bahutule appointed Rajasthan Royals' spin-bowling coach for IPL 2025

Herath, Rathour join NZ Test team for short-term roles

Dravid to return to Rajasthan Royals as head coach

“Together, we’ve built a strong rapport, guiding India to key successes, and I’m thrilled to reunite with him. His ability to nurture young talent and elevate players’ potential will be invaluable as we aim to further strengthen our squad and continue building a world-class team here at Rajasthan Royals.”This will be Rathour’s second IPL stint, having earlier been part of the coaching set up at Punjab Kings. He has also been the director of cricket at Himachal Pradesh previously.Earlier this month, Rathour was part of New Zealand’s coaching set-up as batting consultant in Greater Noida, as part of their preparation for six Tests they were to play in Asia.”The opportunity to work again with Rahul, and now with a talented group of young cricketers, is hugely exciting,” Rathour said. “I look forward to contributing to the team’s vision and working toward our goal of developing top-class players for the Royals and for India which can help in winning championships.”Back in the day, Rathour was a prolific scorer for Punjab, scoring a majority of his 11,473 first-class runs for them. His international career was very brief; he played six Tests and seven ODIs between 1996 and 1997.

أعرب الأرجنتيني دييجو سيميوني، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي أتلتيكو مدريد، عن غضبه واستيائه من الهزيمة أمام ليفربول ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحقق ليفربول فوزًا مهمًا على حساب أتلتيكو مدريد بثلاثية مقابل هدفين في المباراة التي جمعتهما مساء الأربعاء، في الجولة الأولى من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، على “آنفيلد”.

وتحدث سيميوني عن المباراة في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “هناك عدة أمور، لم يبدأ الفريق بشكل جيد، لم يحالفنا الحظ بتسجيل ليفربول هدفا مبكرا، مما أخرجنا عن الطريق، ثم جاء الهدف الثاني، وكان هدفًا رائعًا لكن الفريق بروحه المعنوية وعمله المخلص وجودته العالية، بدأ في معادلة النتيجة، وخلق فرصا هجومية، وأثبتنا أننا قادرون على ذلك”.

وأكمل: “أنهينا الشوط الأول بنتيجة 2-1، وهو أمر مشجع، وفي الشوط الثاني رفعنا مستوى لعبنا أيضًا، وكنا أكثر هدوءً، واجهنا بعض الهجمات المرتدة لكننا حافظنا على هدوءنا، انتهت النتيجة بالتعادل 2-2 ثم سجل فان دايك هدفًا رائعًا، هذا يترك لنا مرارة الهزيمة ولكن أيضًا الروح التي نحتاجها للعب مع أتلتيكو”.

اقرأ أيضًا | فان دايك يكشف لغز أهداف ليفربول في الدقائق الأخيرة.. ويصرح: لاعبو أتلتيكو مدريد عدوانيون

وعما حدث للجمهور بعد هدف فان دايك، أردف: “دائمًا ما يتحدثون عن الاهتمام والاحترام لكنهم يهينونك من وراء الكواليس طوال المباراة، لا أستطيع قول أي شيء لأني المدرب، رد فعلي غير مبرر لكن بعد 90 دقيقة من الإهانات لم يكن الأمر سهلًا، أخبرني الحكم أنه فهم الموقف، آمل أن يتحسن ليفربول في هذا الجانب وعندما يحددون هوية الفاعل، ستكون هناك عواقب”.

واستطرد: “تلقينا إهانات طوال المباراة وإيماءات أيضًا، أنا من يجب أن أحافظ على هدوئي ويجب أن أتحمل الإيماءات والإهانات وأي موقف لماذا؟ لأنني في وضع يسمح لي بتحملها”.

وعن الجانب الإيجابي من المباراة كشف: “الروح المعنوية كانت ما نحتاجه، هناك الكثير من اللاعبين الجدد يتأقلمون، لعبنا على أرضية صعبة ضد خصم شجاع، يتقدمنا ​​2-0 في البداية، لم يكن متوقعًا أي شيء جيد لكننا استطعنا العمل والقتال وبذل أقصى جهد ممكن في المباراة، إذا كان علينا الخسارة، فلنخسر هكذا”.

Birmingham City co-owners Tom Wagner and Tom Brady are now in very advanced talks to sign a £10m+ star for Chris Davies, according to a new transfer report.

Birmingham City seal Demarai Gray return

It has been a busy summer transfer window so far for the Blues ahead of their Championship return, with a number of new players arriving at St Andrew’s ahead of the 2025/26 season.

One of the latest additions is former academy star Demarai Gray, who has returned to Birmingham nine years on after leaving for Leicester City. The winger joins from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq and has penned a three-year deal with the Blues.

Talking after returning to the club, Gray said: “To be back here now means a lot and having tasted success a bit throughout my career, I’m hungry and I really want to do it here with Birmingham and try and help the team get back to where we belong.

“It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time. Seeing some old faces is always nice, to be back around the stadium brought back a lot of feelings and I can’t wait to get going now, get back in front of the fans and see where this season can take us.”

Birmingham City enter race to sign £6m "monster" ahead of Sheffield United

The Blues have joined the race to sign a defender from a Premier League club.

2 ByBrett Worthington Jul 2, 2025

Wagner and Brady aren’t showing any signs of stopping, though, and there has been a promising development in the club’s pursuit of Rennes forward Kyogo Furuhashi.

Birmingham City in “very advanced” talks for £10m+ Kyogo Furuhashi

According to reliable French outlet L’Équipe, Birmingham City are now in “very advanced” talks to sign Furuhashi from Rennes.

A deal is ‘close to being concluded’ and it may be worth a total of €12m (£10.3m), the same figure Rennes paid Celtic for the Japan international earlier this year.

Furuhashi has struggled in France after leaving Glasgow, however, he certainly enjoyed his time in the UK, scoring on a regular basis and winning numerous honours with the Scottish giants.

Games

165

Goals

85

Assists

19

Minutes played

10,741

Trophies won

9

Called an “elite striker” by Brendan Rodgers during his time at Celtic, whereas Ange Postecoglou also waxed lyrical of the forward when he was Hoops manager.

Now, it looks as if Davies could have the hard-working striker at St Andrew’s potentially lining up alongside Gray and Jay Stansfield in the Championship.

In January, Manchester City made a handful of signings who could become the cornerstones of a team entering a new era under Pep Guardiola next season.

With only the FA Cup winnable this season, it has been one of transition for the Spaniard. He did sign a new deal last November, however, indicating that he is looking ahead to a new challenge starting this summer.

The likes of Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov have all proven over the previous few months that they have the required tools to perform for a club like City.

One player who will be departing the Etihad this summer is Kevin De Bruyne, who will end his ten-year association with City when his contract expires.

Guardiola has taken the club to new levels since he arrived in Manchester in 2016 after spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

It could also be argued that the main reason he led the team to such heights was having someone like De Bruyne in his squad to begin with.

The numbers behind De Bruyne's staggering Etihad career

Given what the Belgian has achieved with the club since moving to England from Wolfsburg ahead of the 2015/16 season, the playmaker might be one of the most important players in their history.

Think back to Paul Merson’s verdict on the midfielder in 2015, who said: “I like the signing of Fabian Delph, but I think Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne are pathetically overpriced. They have spent £54.5m on De Bruyne – and he’s a player they don’t really need.”

How wrong was he? At the time of writing, De Bruyne has played 415 matches for City, registering 284 goal contributions – 107 goals and 177 assists – in the process. This is a staggering number for the attacking midfielder, meaning he recorded a goal involvement once every 1.46 matches.

During that time, he helped City win six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League in 2023. With City getting closer and closer to glory in the latter competition, De Bruyne took matters into his own hands that season, registering eight goal involvements, creating eight big chances and averaging 2.2 key passes per game as they eventually defeated Inter Milan in the final.

He may not have reached this sort of level over the previous two seasons, as injuries have begun to hamper his involvement. Indeed, the midfielder has missed 48 games since August 2023.

Regardless, the 33-year-old is up there among the pantheon of City greats for his contribution over the previous decade.

The question now for Guardiola is, who comes in to replace him next season? And will the club have to pay a fortune for the privilege? Considering the recent news, they might just have found a perfect heir to the Belgian maestro.

Manchester City's perfect De Bruyne replacement

According to the Mirror, officials from Bayer Leverkusen made a visit to the Etihad last week in order to enquire about the availability of duo James McAtee and Stefan Ortega.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The German side are keen on landing both players during the summer transfer window. As a result, this may give Guardiola an advantage in their pursuit of Florian Wirtz with it being made known during those meetings that City would like to bring him to England.

He has been valued at around £100m by the club, who would prefer him to leave Germany if a deal was reached to sell him, rather than joining Bayern Munich, who are also keen.

City could use McAtee and Ortega as makeweights regarding any prospective deal and, given his success already on the continent, Wirtz could have the same sort of impact that De Bruyne made.

Wirtz has the same sort of qualities as another City legend – David Silva – and if he manages to make a quick impact upon a move to the Premier League, he has the potential to replicate Silva’s success with the club.

Why Florian Wirtz could be City's next David Silva

If De Bruyne took City to new levels during his career with the club, Silva was arguably the catalyst for their golden era.

The diminutive Spaniard may have taken a few months to properly settle into life in Manchester, but he ended his first season with 19 goal contributions as the club won the FA Cup.

From there on, Silva went from strength to strength. Not only did he have an eye for goal, scoring 77 times for the club, but the midfielder was at his best creating chances for others, as evidenced by his 130 assists in 436 matches for City.

Aided by his small centre of gravity, Silva used this to his advantage, getting into dangerous positions with ease. Wirtz could offer something similar to City should he make the move to England this summer.

Hailed as a “mastermind” by talent scout Jacek Kulig during Leverkusen’s stunning 2023/24 campaign, Wirtz has plenty of qualities that are similar to Silva.

Best in an attacking midfield role, just like the Spaniard, Wirtz has the capability to both score and create in equal measure.

Indeed, since making his Leverkusen debut back during the 2019/20 season, the German international has scored 56 goals and grabbed 63 assists in that time.

His club might not win any silverware this season, but the 21-year-old has still managed to create 15 assists in the Bundesliga, along with averaging 1.9 key passes and succeeding with 2.8 dribbles per game.

The transition from an incredible prospect to a genuine world-class talent is now complete. Like Silva before him, Wirtz can take the next step in his career by moving from the continent to England this summer. Just who knows what he might have achieved at this stage next term.

Man City have a "quality" striker to replace Haaland & it's not Marmoush

With Erling Haaland sidelined for a while, Pep Guardiola must entrust Man City “quality” striker to deputise, and it is not Omar Marmoush.

By
Ben Gray

Apr 14, 2025