With less than 12 months left of his current deal, Liverpool are facing a familiar situation with Ibrahima Konate and one that Anfield chiefs must solve sooner rather than later.

Ibrahima Konate contract latest

Of course, it wasn’t so long ago that Liverpool faced this exact situation with Trent Alexander-Arnold. But as the former Liverpool star is finding out, life at Real Madrid offers no guarantee of game time. As things stand, he finds himself behind veteran Dani Carvajal in the pecking order under Xabi Alonso, which recently cost him his England place.

Whether Konate heeds that warning is the big question. The Frenchman has been locked in talks with Liverpool without the emergence of an outcome that suits all parties. It’s been a frustrating situation for all involved, but one that Konate far from helped on international duty when he joked that Kylian Mbappe is attempting to lure him to Real Madrid.

Had Liverpool signed Marc Guehi on deadline day like it looked as though they would then any concerns around Konate’s future may have been eased. After Crystal Palace pulled the plug on their captain’s late switch, however, Arne Slot has been left with four senior centre-backs, which includes the injury-prone Joe Gomez.

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Guehi could still become a Liverpool player at the end of his own contract in the summer, but keeping Konate should still be the priority. After a tough start to the season, the Frenchman has been back to his dominant best in the last two games against Arsenal and Burnley, helping his side keep their first two clean sheets of the season.

Alas, with his contract ticking down, and Real Madrid stepping things up, Liverpool have a big decision to make on Konate’s future.

Liverpool now considering Konate decision

According to reports in Spain, Michael Edwards and Liverpool are now considering selling Konate in the January transfer window. The central defender is reportedly set to be the subject of a winter offer from Real Madrid, who are ready to go all out amid their centre-back crisis.

The Spanish giants are supposedly ready to offer €40m (£35m) in an attempt to sign Konate in January in what is similar to the £20m that they offered to sign Alexander-Arnold last winter. Last time around, Liverpool rejected Madrid’s early attempts. This time, things could seemingly be different.

It’s no surprise that there’s been some added urgency from Madrid in their chase for the Frenchman, either. Dean Huijsen has endured a shaky start to life at the Bernabeu and Antonio Rudiger’s recent injury has once again left them short on options.

Dubbed “fantastic” by Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, the Reds won’t want to lose Konate on a free like they did Alexander-Arnold, but there’s no denying that he would be a tough player to replace midway through the current campaign.

Watching Marcus Rashford score an emphatic brace for Barcelona in the Champions League would have been a bitter pill to swallow for many Manchester United fans.

On the one hand, the England international is a cherished, homegrown part of the club, still a member of the club, in fact, and only out on loan with La Blaugrana. On the other hand, his permanent departure at the end of the campaign feels rather likely.

The 27-year-old’s relationship with Ruben Amorim quickly disintegrated last season, and then he was shipped out to Premier League rivals Aston Villa for a short-term stint.

Having sold Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea too, the Red Devils perhaps have something of a shortage of widemen, even having completed impressive summer deals for Prem-proven duo Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

INEOS probably needed to ship out more stragglers than they did this summer, but they were faced with a huge task. And, in fairness, Mbeumo may well have the goalscoring ability to replace Rashford at the Theatre of Dreams.

Why Man United signed Bryan Mbeumo

Arsenal, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur. Just a few clubs who wanted to sign Brentford’s attacking talisman this summer. All failed, with Man United winning the race despite offering nothing on the European front.

One of the greatest clubs in England, if not the, United are still a dormant superpower and such signings are needed to bring them back to the fore.

Both Cunha and Mbeumo have entered the fray at a tumultuous period, but it is their quality which will help United steer through, having both been so potent in the Premier League last season.

Matches (starts)

33 (29)

38 (38)

Goals

15

20

Assists

6

7

Shots (on target)*

3.3 (1.3)

2.2 (1.1)

Big chances missed

2

9

Pass completion

79%

74%

Big chances created

13

17

Key passes*

1.8

1.8

Dribbles*

1.8

1.4

Ball recoveries*

3.8

4.1

Tackles + interceptions*

1.7

1.7

Duels won*

5.5

4.7

However, Man United didn’t get it all right during the summer window, and they still need to get rid of several stars who have run past their sell-by dates.

The player of significance here has been at Old Trafford for quite some time, but just as Mbeumo’s £150k-per-week salary reflects the new, streamlined wage structure INEOS are trying to implement, so too does this undeservedly matching pay packet underline the failings of the past decade.

INEOS must sell high-earning Man United flop

One of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s principal priorities upon assuming co-ownership at Manchester United was to rewrite the financial books and stop the rot that had led to incremental losses across an extended period.

The 33-year-old Casemiro, taking home £350k per week, is probably the most obvious member of the first team who needs to move on sooner rather than later, but the man in question here is Luke Shaw, whose £150k-per-week wage sits level with Mbeumo’s.

Had Shaw enjoyed a more fortuitous career on the fitness front, this likely wouldn’t be a conversation. When United signed the left-back from Southampton for £27m in 2014, making him the most expensive teenager of all time, it was widely recognised that the post-Fergie era would still see the development of some of the country’s finest prospects.

But Shaw’s has been a rocky road, and it may well be coming to an end, having been deployed by Amorim as the left prong of a three-part central defence, starting all four of United’s Premier League matches so far.

According to Sofascore, he has only won 44% of his ground duels, which hardly speaks of the defensive security the outfit needs to rise once again.

Moreover, given that Shaw’s incessant fitness issues have permitted more than 20 starting berths in any given top-flight season just twice across the span of his career, it’s hardly surprising that noise of a potential departure to welcome a new, hungry talent on a more affordable wage is rising.

Indeed, reports from the summer suggested that INEOS were open to the stalwart’s departure, with clubs from the Saudi Pro League interested, but nothing came to fruition. Still, it suggests that he could be shipped on for a modest fee next year, especially if he maintains a degree of fitness.

Content creator Dev Bajwa put it in no uncertain terms: “Luke Shaw should not have been playing at this football club for the past two seasons.”

He might be right. Aged 30, the England international has spent the lion’s share of his professional career in Manchester, playing 202 games for the club in total and notably winning silverware such as the Europa League and the League Cup (injuries prevented him from earning a medal when Erik ten Hag’s United won the FA Cup in 2024).

Shaw might have big ambitions, but sadly, he isn’t at the level required for a club who might demand a place challenging for the Premier League title, but presently face a battle to secure a place in any level of European competition next term.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ coverage of the Manchester derby last weekend, pundit Gary Neville conceded that his countryman was “nowhere near it”, and the question now lingers as to whether he is fit for purpose in Amorim’s three-man backline.

Having entered the penultimate year of his deal at the club, it seems unlikely that technical director Jason Wilcox would renew terms for a struggling star who has been around for an age but hardly produces the consistency of performance to warrant a salary in line with a new superstar such as Mbeumo.

Shaw can hold his head high, especially due to all the fitness troubles he has been plagued by, but it’s time for the Three Lions star to move on.

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Both teams are pushing for a place in the IPL playoffs

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2025

Devdutt Padikkal found success at No. 3 for RCB•Getty Images

Devdutt Padikkal has been sidelined from the rest of IPL 2025 with a hamstring injury. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have brought in his Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal as his replacement.Agarwal, 34, will join RCB for INR 1 crore. He returns to his home franchise, having played 35 matches for them between 2011 and 2013, scoring 492 runs at a strike rate of 128.79.Padikkal’s injury absence is a significant setback for RCB: his left-handedness around a cluster of right-handed batters worked well for the team in this IPL. He made 247 runs in ten innings at an average of 27.44 and strike rate of 150.60. It was a significant improvement from his previous season, when he averaged 5.42 and struck at 71.69.”Technically, there were a few things I needed to change in order to be at my best,” Padikkal said. “So DK [Dinesh Karthik, batting coach] and Andy [Flower, head coach] have worked on me relentlessly over the last couple of months, and that’s really working now.”RCB are one win away from securing a spot in the playoffs this year. They play their next game against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday.Sediqullah Atal made a half-century against Australia in the Champions Trophy•ICC/Getty Images

Atal replaces Brook at DCDelhi Capitals (DC) have signed Afghanistan batter Sediqullah Atal as a replacement for Harry Brook, who had opted out of IPL 2025 before the start of the season. Brook had pulled out of his contract with DC for a second season running, and as a result he could face a two-year ban from the tournament.Atal, 23, will join DC for his base price of INR 1.25 crore. A left-handed top-order batter, Atal has played 49 T20s so far, scoring 1507 runs at an average of 34.25 and strike rate of 131.27. This will be his first stint in the IPL.”We are excited to welcome Atal to the Delhi Capitals,” head coach Hemang Badani said. “He is an exciting, young talent who has impressed everyone with his performances for both the Afghanistan youth and senior teams. Going into this important phase of the tournament, his presence will certainly add depth to our batting line-up.”In his most recent international game, in the Champions Trophy in Lahore in February, Atal scored 85 off 95 balls against Australia. Before the Champions Trophy, Atal had a stint with MI Cape Town as a replacement for Ben Stokes, scoring 82 runs in three innings at an average of 27.33 and strike rate of 146.42.

It was another night to forget for Celtic on the European stage as they were condemned to another defeat by SC Braga, but it was VAR that stole the biggest headlines.

Rodgers admits he must find Celtic "solution"

Whilst Rangers’ struggles have taken much of the focus in Scotland this season, Celtic are quietly enduring a frustrating season of their own by their standards. The Bhoys haven’t won in three games and now sit second in the Scottish Premiership courtesy of a surprisingly quick start from Hearts, with things not getting much better on the European stage.

Playing host to Braga in their first home game of the Europa League campaign, Celtic were put to the sword and found themselves behind in the first-half courtesy of Ricardo Horta’s effort from range, before Gabri Martinez sealed the three points from the bench in the 85th minute.

After another disappointing evening, Brendan Rodgers admitted that he must find a “solution” to his side’s current problems.

It’s not just Celtic’s performance that the manager will be frustrated by, though. It was also an interesting night in the VAR room, with the officials deciding to rule Kelechi Iheanacho’s goal out to deny Celtic their equaliser in controversial fashion.

The Nigerian has been in excellent form since arriving in Scotland, but had his best moment yet chalked off in a decision that has left Celtic and Rodgers fuming.

VAR audio exposes why Iheanacho had goal ruled out

The VAR audio, shared by commentator Jamie Lyall, exposed why officials denied Celtic an equaliser. Lyall said: “Officials are saying there is a clear brush of the left arm somewhere in the footage.”

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Now, this is where things begin to get controversial. In the replay of the goal, it’s difficult to spot just where this “clear brush of the arm” is that the VAR officials have spotted. The more that the moment is replayed, the more it seems as though Celtic have every right to be frustrated.

Rodgers had his say on the moment after the game, telling reporters: “I can’t understand why the referee isn’t asked to go and have a look at it.

“Even if you look at it once, twice, and I’m assuming the guys in the VAR will have watched it more than that, because of the time it took, there’s absolutely no way from every angle you look at that he’s touched it. It’s hit his face, he’s gone on and finished it really, really well.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is blessed to have an array of exciting talents coming through the Hale End academy right now.

Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Myles Lewis-Skelly are making waves at N5 right now, with the latter rewarded for his Arsenal form by England boss Thomas Tuchel as he eyes a place in the Three Lions’ 2026 World Cup squad.

Ethan Nwaneri

15 years, 181 days

Arsenal

Max Dowman

15 years, 235 days

Arsenal

Jeremy Monga

15 years, 271 days

Leicester City

Harvey Elliott

16 years, 30 days

Fulham

Matthew Briggs

16 years, 68 days

Fulham

Despite being just 18-years-old, Lewis-Skelly burst on to the scene last season and fought his way into becoming one of Arteta’s first-choice left-backs with Riccardo Calafiori, thereby pushing established Premier League defender Oleksandr Zinchenko down the pecking order as a result.

Nwaneri, meanwhile, became the youngest Premier League player in history after making his debut in a 3-0 win over Brentford in 2022, with the sky appearing to be the limit for him.

Since then, the 18-year-old has racked up nine goals and two assists from 40 senior appearances under Arteta, and Arsenal initially hesitated over a deal for Eberechi Eze due to their desire for Nwaneri to be given more minutes this season (talkSPORT).

Nwaneri signed a new five-year contract at Arsenal in August, keeping him at the club until 2030, but the teenage talent now has another academy sensation to contend with for a place in the first-team.

That man is, of course, Dowman.

The 15-year-old became Arsenal’s second-youngest ever Premier League player behind Nwaneri after coming on in their 5-0 win over Leeds United last month, winning a penalty for summer signing Viktor Gyokeres to smash home.

Understandably, there is a lot of excitement around Dowman right now, and club legend Paul Merson insists he is just a “freak” for his age.

Still barely seen in the first team with just 27 minutes of competitive senior football to his name, former Arsenal keeper Graham Stack has now told Standard Sport that Dowman already reminds him of an England legend.

Arsenal teenager Max Dowman likened to Paul Gascoigne

Stack believes that Dowman has similarities with Paul Gascoigne, with the pundit hailing Arsenal’s “gifted” new teenager when speaking ahead of A Night To Remember.

While this bold statement continues to pile on lofty praise for Arsenal’s latest starlet, it is important not to put too much pressure on Dowman at this very early stage of his career.

The attacking midfielder has displayed real signs of promise, but the GCSE schoolboy is still at a preliminary stage of his development and needs time to grow before being thrust into the limelight so intensely.

That being said, there is still reason to be excited about Dowman, and Arsenal’s work with young players behind-the-scenes is continuing to pay dividends.

Chelsea are now ready to open agent talks to sign a “spectacular” forward, who is also being targeted by Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Blues keen on new winger amid slow start for Gittens

Jamie Gittens arrived at Stamford Bridge in a £51.5m deal back in July, but it would be fair to say the winger has made a slow start to life in west London, having failed to record a goal or an assist in his opening four Premier League games.

After struggling against Brentford, touching the ball just 17 times, the 21-year-old has been rested for the last two matches, with Enzo Maresca opting not to call upon the left-winger at Old Trafford, despite the Blues trailing for most of the game.

Gittens still has plenty of time to prove himself ahead of the January transfer window, but the west Londoners have now set their sights on a new winger, who could push for a starting spot on the left-wing.

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That is according to a report from Bianconera News (via Sport Witness), which states Chelsea have ‘come knocking’ for Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, who is attracting widespread interest from the Premier League, with Arsenal and Manchester United also keen.

Such is the Blues’ level of interest, they are now ready to open talks with his agents over a deal, but it could be difficult to prise Yildaz away from Juventus, given that the Italian club are reluctant to sanction a departure, and have started working on a new contract.

The report doesn’t state how much the Serie A side are looking to receive, but it may take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, with Maresca’s side having a £61m offer knocked back during the summer transfer window.

"Spectacular" Yildiz could be Gittens upgrade

The 20-year-old has made a flying start to the new Serie A campaign, picking up four goal contributions in his opening four games, while also finding the back of the net against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Scout Jacek Kulig has also lauded the youngster for his ability to make “spectacular solo runs”, and he has outperformed Gittens across a number of key attacking metrics over the past year.

Average per 90	Jamie Gittens	Kenan Yildiz
Assists	0.10	0.21
Progressive passes	4.36	3.47
Shot-creating actions	4.36	2.04

As such, Yildiz could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, but it may take a huge offer to get a deal done, given that a £61m bid was knocked back during the summer, and the Turk is yet to prove himself over a long enough time period to justify paying that sort of fee.

The South Africa captain becomes the club’s pre-draft overseas player

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2025

Laura Wolvaardt has been a familiar presence at the top of Adelaide Strikers’ order•Getty Images

Laura Wolvaardt will continue her association with Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL after becoming their pre-draft signing on a two-year deal.In 71 matches for Strikers over five seasons, South Africa captain Wolvaardt has made 1726 runs at 27.83 and a strike-rate of 110.92.Strikers were aiming for a hat-trick of titles last season but struggled with just three wins in 10 matches to finish seventh.”The club has become a second home to me, and I’ve made so many incredible memories here, especially our back-to-back championship wins,” Wolvaardt said. “While last season didn’t go as we hoped, I’m incredibly excited about the future and determined to help bring more success to the Strikers and our amazing fans. I can’t wait to get back to Adelaide with the team.”Strikers head coach Luke Williams said: “Laura is a world-class player and a vital part of the Strikers family, so we are ecstatic to have her sign on for two more years.”Her skill with the bat, combined with her leadership and experience, is invaluable. She has consistently performed under pressure and played a huge role in our previous championship successes. We know she will be a key pillar for us as we build towards a strong WBBL|11 season and beyond.”The overseas draft for the WBBL and BBL will be held on June 19. All clubs can pre-sign one player with Melbourne Renegades now the only club not to have filled that slot for the WBBL.

It’s tough to be KL Rahul sometimes.Over the years, he has faced criticism for his strike rate in T20 cricket and it was once again a talking point when he scored an unbeaten 112 off 65 balls in a losing cause against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday. Despite a slow start from Delhi Capitals (DC), where they scored just 28 for 1 in the first five overs, Rahul ensured the team almost had 200. But it wasn’t enough as B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill chased down the target with ease and took GT to the playoffs.Rahul scored his century in 60 balls on Sunday, and his 112 not out came at a strike rate of 172.30. He has been striking at 148.04 in IPL 2025, having accumulated 493 runs in 12 innings. In terms of his strike rate, he hasn’t done better since IPL 2018, when he went at 158.41 in scoring 659 in 14 matches.The criticism hasn’t gone down well with Tom Moody.Related

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“I always find the criticism around KL Rahul quite extraordinary,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “I think he’s a lot better player than a lot of people give him credit for. And the way I look at this innings, I think it’s an outstanding innings. And yeah, look, it’ll depend who wins the game to whether he’s, you know, the Player of the Match or not. But the way I look at this and I look at the batting card, what’s let them down and not reaching that 220 is the other batters that were in only struck at 150. On a [batting-friendly] surface, you want impact.”When you’ve got someone in there that’s anchoring, that’s building the total, your role when you come in is to impact the game – 30 off ten balls, those types of innings, that suddenly take you to that 220. Instead of pointing the finger at the same person, I think it’s the other way around.”At the end of ten overs, DC were 81 for 1 with Rahul on 56 off 38 balls. However, between 15 and 18, Rahul faced a total of only six balls with Axar Patel and Tristan Stubbs at the other end facing more of the bowling. This, Moody felt, made him lose a bit of momentum.”The team had the opportunity to get it to 220. The team didn’t do that,” Moody said. “This is not an individual sport. This is a team sport. And that’s where the communication around who’s coming in and the communication when you’re out there: ‘okay, we need to target two boundaries at the beginning of this over; let’s make this a big over’, that type of conversations.”To me, they just lay idle a little bit in that middle [period]. And also, we’ve got to recognise KL Rahul, I believe, only faced four [six] balls in a period of four overs in the middle of that. So therefore, you know, he lost a bit of his rhythm as well.”

West Bromwich Albion’s inconsistent performances in the Championship so far this season let them down again versus Millwall.

After a 1-0 away win at Norwich City, spirits must have been somewhat high among the travelled Baggies contingent at the Den, only for all that positivity to be replaced by doom and gloom when a 3-0 loss was served up.

Truthfully, it was a car-crash showing, as every single big chance that fell to the hosts was put away, while Aune Heggebo, up top for Ryan Mason and Co, failed to fire a single on-target effort at the Lions’ net.

Again, Isaac Price also didn’t cover himself in much glory at the full-time whistle as the wheels continue to come off his own individual Championship season, after being heralded as a fan’s favourite early on.

Price's drop in form for West Brom

It has now been six straight second-tier games for the former Everton youth product without a goal or assist.

Amazingly, at the start of the campaign, Price chipped in with a breakneck four goal contributions from his opening three league clashes. But, since then, his form has dramatically declined.

Against the stern test of Millwall, long gone was the same confident performer who powered home two goals in quick succession against Wrexham, with the out-of-sorts Northern Ireland international managing just one effort – which was blocked – across his unmemorable 62 minutes on the Den turf.

Moreover, only 65% of his passes would find their intended target, with Price now no longer held in such high esteem as a potential Fellows replacement.

Mason would love to have Fellows available for selection right now, after the lightning-quick winger amassed 14 assists across all of last season, to be a constant thorn in the side of Championship sides up and down the division. Unfortunately, he moved to Southampton in the hectic summer transfer window.

However, even with Price going off the boil, the rookie head coach could well have a Fellows-like figure still up his sleeve.

West Brom's new Tom Fellows

The new Baggies manager will believe firmly in his ability to get the best out of the exciting attackers at his disposal in the long run, having worked with the likes of Mikey Moore at Tottenham Hotspur, who was tipped once upon a time to move to the Hawthorns.

That move not working out might well be a blessing in disguise now, however, with Samuel Iling-Junior recruited instead as a tricky and slick winger ready to leave a lasting impact on proceedings, out on loan from nearby Aston Villa.

Iling-Junior certainly showed off a similar burst pace to that of Fellows when gliding forward against Leicester City at the end of September, with the 22-year-old also possessing the necessary composure to finish off the opportunity after such a gung-ho gallop forward.

Sky Sports’ Jobi McAnuff would label the new Baggies’ number 22 as “brilliant” for his ability to open up the Foxes in a split second, with similar praise once handed out to Fellows, too, by former Hawthorns teammate Karlan Grant, who noted his “unbelievable” skill to carve out openings to change tense games.

Games played

172

Clubs played for

5

Goals scored

26

Assists

26

The 16-time England U21 international will also hope – in a similar fashion to the now Southampton number 18 – that he can use this formative stint in the West Midlands as a springboard to be a success elsewhere, having already been around the block with five different clubs in his early career, before moving to West Brom temporarily.

Despite once being lauded as a starlet who has “everything” in his locker to be a success by ex-youth coach Saul Isaksson-Hurst, Iling Junior has yet to make a senior appearance at Villa.

Still, time is very much on the 22-year-old’s side, and if he goes on to fire home even more spectacular efforts to guide the Baggies to promotion, he will surely go on to be successful in the higher league, after becoming a short-term Fellows-style hero for Villa’s near neighbours.

88% passing, 7 duels won: 8/10 West Brom star was even better than Maja

This West Bromwich Albion colossus was even better than a returning Josh Maja away at Norwich City.

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Already plotting one January move, Manchester United and INEOS reportedly want to finalise their deal to sign a Premier League rival when the winter window arrives.

Gary Neville: Amorim "not off the hook" after Sunderland win

It was a good weekend for Man United and a much-needed one after defeat against Brentford prior sparked further questions about Ruben Amorim’s immediate performance. It was particularly promising to see summer signing Benjamin Sesko find back-to-back goals to truly get his Old Trafford career going. Alas, for all the positives, Gary Neville was quick to remind Amorim that there’s still work to be done.

The United legend and Sky Sports pundit said on the Gary Neville podcast: “It was a must-win game and I don’t think it lets him off the hook.

“There’s too many defeats, the record’s too poor so I don’t think anybody will be celebrating too much tonight at Manchester United but I think they’ll be relieved that there is a victory which allows a little bit of peace going into the international break.

“Manchester United win the odd game but that’s nowhere near enough. I don’t think anybody would be kidded on by the fact that Manchester United beat Sunderland at home. The fact that it was even in doubt before the game is probably the problem in itself.”

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What should help the Red Devils kick on is the introduction of Senne Lammens, who impressed on his debut against Sunderland. Whether it was Altay Bayindir or Andre Onana, Amorim’s had a goalkeeper problem for far too long, but one that could now be solved by his summer signing.

That said, it seems as though those at Old Trafford are still looking to ensure that their shot-stopping department receives further upgrades. Reports are now even suggesting that they’re ready to finalise one move to do exactly that in January.

Man Utd want to finalise Martinez move

According to reports in Spain, Man United now want to finalise their deal to sign Emiliano Martinez at Amorim’s request in the January transfer window. The Aston Villa goalkeeper very nearly became a Man United player in the summer, before they chose Lammens instead. Now, they reportedly want both and the Argentine could finally get his move as a result.

Going from Bayindir and Onana to Lammens and Martinez would represent the ultimate upgrade for Amorim’s side. From struggling to find a reliable No.1, the Portuguese manager would suddenly have a tough decision to make for all the right reasons.

If United do make their move for Martinez, Villa boss Unai Emery will be disappointed to have to face another transfer saga having praised Martinez so highly after he stayed put.

The Spaniard told reporters: “In football, things always happen with players—some leave, some stay, sometimes someone is close to joining, sometimes close to departing.

“For me, that’s normal; I completely understand it. The fact that Martínez is staying with us is fantastic news. I’m very, very happy. For me, he’s the best goalkeeper in the world. We have the best goalkeeper in the world. His commitment is immense.”