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Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has delivered his verdict after the club released their new home kit for the 2025-26 season.

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• Wrexham unveil new home kit
• Will be worn in Championship next season
• McElhenney shares his thoughts

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham are currently preparing for the coming season which will see Phil Parkinson's side play in the Championship. A new strip has been released ahead of the campaign which has gone down well with supporters. Co-owner McElhenney is also a fan of the new kit and shared his thoughts on social media.

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• WHAT MCELHENNEY SAID

  He posted on Instagram: "Spectacular. Gimme 14 of them right now."

  Instagram

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham are currently preparing for the new season on tour in Australia. Phil Parkinson's side will then jet home to begin life in the Championship with an opening fixture against Southampton. The Saints are back in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League and will provide stiff opposition.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM

  Wrexham are due to continue their tour of Australia and New Zealand with a game against Melbourne Victory on Friday. The team then play Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix.

Arsenal's decision to drop interest in RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko and target Viktor Gyokeres instead has been explained.

• Slovenia international was a top target
• Attention turned to Swedish sensation
• Gunners looking for "immediate impact"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners have been in the market for a new No.9 across several transfer windows, with the acquisition of a proven goalscorer considered to be the final piece in a Premier League title-winning puzzle for the north London outfit.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Several options have been considered, from Alexander Isak to Ollie Watkins, but Mikel Arteta has finally got his man after seeing a protracted pursuit of Swedish striker Gyokeres completed in a £64 million ($86m) deal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to , Arsenal view Gyokeres as "a player ready – and utterly determined – to make an immediate impact". He is considered to be a "striker for the here and now" who can be "a difference-maker this season".

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  TELL ME MORE

  Sporting director Andrea Berta turned his attention to Gyokeres after seeing his predecessors favour an approach for Sesko. At that stage, the Slovenia international’s "age profile and potential" appealed to the Gunners, with lengthy talks held with his representatives and Leipzig.

  As "limited progress was made", Arsenal determined that "Sesko’s salary expectations and associated commission" were "too high" for a player "considered a development project". The numbers involved in a big-money deal were "too steep" for those at Emirates Stadium.

Kai Rooney copied Viktor Gyokeres' celebration after scoring for Manchester United's Under-16 team at the SuperCupNI.

• Rooney Jr copies Gyokeres
• Scores in Man Utd's 3-0 win
• Beat West Cork Academy

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kai scored for United's Under-16s against West Cork Academy on Monday, converting a penalty to make it 2-0, having first assisted Sam O'Brien's opening goal. After the second goal, Rooney Jr ran to the touchline and covered his mouth in a celebration that mirrors that of Arsenal's new signing, Gyokeres. Bassirou Nkoto scored their third goal as United won 3-0.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  United had pursued Gyokeres throughout the summer but he instead opted to move to north London. That did not stop Rooney Jr from emulating the Sweden international, however. Gyokeres covering his mouth is said to be a reference to Batman villain Bane.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Kai is fast developing into a really promising prospect at United, playing for the youth teams and working his way slowly through the system. Gyokeres, last season, scored 52 goals in all competitions; Rooney Jr has found a pretty promising striker to follow in the footsteps of.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Rooney and his Under-16 team-mates will also play Rangers and Co Tyrone in their group.

Liverpool fans were temporarily evacuated from a section of Anfield ahead of their double-header with Athletic Club as a result of a false alarm.

• Liverpool face Athletic Club in double-header
• False alarm leads to fan evacuation at Anfield
• Reds release statement after incident

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Monday, Liverpool are playing two matches against the Spanish club at Anfield as part of their pre-season campaign. However, before the first of those two encounters, the club said a false alarm went off in the Anfield Main Stand and fans in that area were 'temporarily evacuated'. The Reds have since said the issue has been resolved and the 5pm kick-off was not pushed back.

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• WHAT LIVERPOOL SAID

  The club wrote on X: "Shortly before 15:50pm (on Monday) there was a false alarm in the Anfield Main Stand, leading to supporters in that area of the stadium to be temporarily evacuated. Fans are now being let back into the Main Stand and there is no expected delay to KO. Thank you for everyone's co-operation."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aside from false alarms, these fixtures are likely to be a good test for Liverpool as they get ready to defend their Premier League title in the coming months. They have spent £265 million ($359m) on players so far this summer but there is no guarantee those new recruits will all gel well together. That is why pre-season is vital for so many teams, including Liverpool.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After these two games against Athletic Club, Arne Slot's Liverpool side round off their pre-season schedule with a clash against Crystal Palace next Sunday in the FA Community Shield final at Wembley. 

With Mihailovic, TFC identified a proven player who they can rely on for leadership while also elevating their attack

Toronto FC began a new era on Saturday with the introduction of U.S. men's national team midfielder Djordje Mihalovic.

They paid a reported $8 million fee for the 26-year-old, but in return, they gained a proven and talented player who knows how to operate within the unique structure of Major League Soccer. The deal was the the second-largest under the new Cash for Players mechanism, only trailing that of Evander's early-season move to FC Cincinnati from the Portland Timbers.

With Mihailovic, TFC gained a player with both European and international experience, but more importantly, somebody with a proven track record who to be at the club. Earlier this season, the Canadian franchise parted ways with Italian Designated Player duo Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne, buying out the contracts of both forwards.

With manager Robin Fraser, an experienced MLS veteran, on the touchline, Toronto are looking to return to the top of the Eastern Conference. It's been a decade since they could say that.

GOAL takes a look at the move, the fit and a club searching for a long-lost identity. 

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  A track record of success

  Mihailovic is a known commodity in MLS, and for good reason. He's been one of the league's most consistent performers.

  As a teenager, he broke through the Chicago Fire academy, where he scored 41 goals in 66 matches before signing a Homegrown deal with the senior team ahead of the 2017 MLS season. Across four seasons, he featured in 75 matches, scoring seven goals and recording 15 assists in all competitions. 

  His performances caught the eyes of multiple parties, both home and abroad, and resulted in his first senior national team call up in 2019 at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In 2020, Montreal acquired Mihailovic for $800,000 in a mix of allocation money. In 68 matches for the Canadian side, he scored 16 goals and recorded 24 assists, including a record-setting season in 2021 in which he notched 16 assists.

  His play earned him a move to the Netherlands with AZ Alkmaar after the 2021 season, where he played in the Dutch Eredivisie, making 36 appearances across all competitions. However, his time abroad was short-lived. At MLS Media Day in 2025, Mihailovic told GOAL that his return to the U.S. was spearheaded by the deep connection he shared with his family.

  Colorado Rapids paid AZ a reported $3M fee, and signed him as a Designated Player. With the Rapids, Mihailovic became the focal point of Chris Armas' squad, and they built their roster around getting the most out of him. They maximized his skillset – in 63 matches across all competitions, he responded with 23 goals and 22 assists, with a goal or an assist in 71 percent of his appearances for the Western Conference side.

  He was named Colorado's MVP and set the club's single-season record for most goal contributions, while becoming a leader and captain. Perhaps Mihailovic is a late bloomer, but throughout the first eight years of his professional career, he showed glimpses for club and country. Now, Toronto are taking a gamble on him.

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  The core of a rebuild

  The last time TFC signed a 26-year-old U.S. international was in 2014, and that turned out pretty well – an MLS Cup, two runners-up awards, three Eastern Conference playoff titles, one Supporters' Shield, four Canadian Championships and one CONCACAF Champions Cup runner-up.

  His name? Michael Bradley.

  In Mihalovic's time as a teenager with CF MTL (formerly Montreal Impact), he learned a lot about the Canadian game, and had the opportunity to explore the city of Toronto. That proved pivotal in him joining their ranks. 

  "Toronto is a massive organization," Mihailovic said in his introductory news conference. "They were at the top of the league at one point when I just came into MLS, and when I think of Toronto, I think of trophies. The conversation about winning trophies, getting back to the top, is ultimately what persuaded me here.”

  With Insigne and Bernardeschi out the door, TFC needed a new centerpiece. After two reportedly unsuccessful  approaches, Mihailovic told Colorado he wanted the move, and the Rapids accepted their third bid.

  “When I hear Toronto FC, all I think about is the treble, trophies, the MVP players before me, and you think of just a massive club," explained Mihailovic. "That was how it was when I first came into the league, and that thought alone drew me immediately. When I heard this idea… I quickly tried to grab it. The thought of playing here, helping the team for how many years I'm here for, and to be a part of that history and to help get Toronto back to the top of the league.”

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  International excellence

  Mihailovic has long shown he's had the talent, but it's come and gone over the years. On his USMNT debut in 2019, Mihailovic, then just 20 years old, scored. It was a historic moment, as he found the back of the net on his first showing in a USMNT kit, which coincidentally, was also the first match of former manager Gregg Berhalter. 

  It led to his 2019 Gold Cup selection, and although he never broke through in the way many expected, he remained an option in the player pool. Selected again for the 2023 Gold Cup, he's one of a handful of players who have competed in the competition twice, and by doing so, his international experience proved to be invaluable to the program.

  Selected as one of three overage players to represent team USA at the 2024 Olympics, Mihailovic led the U.S. to their best finish at the competition in more than 20 years while scoring twice and recording one assist. It was a rise that was coming, and spearheaded by his return to form in MLS with the Rapids.

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• Instant impact

  With Mihailovic, TFC identified a proven player who they could rely on to be a leader on and off the pitch, while elevating their attack. 

  “We wanted to identify the No. 10, the creative midfielder, as a priority for us and our team," said general manager Jason Hernandez. "With that, we very quickly had our long list and our short list, at a point where we felt really strongly about it, and Djordje was at the top of the short list."

  On Saturday, he was immediately inserted into the club's XI for their match against Eastern Conference heavyweights Philadelphia Union. Mihailovic controlled the tempo, made effective passes, and looked like the missing link for a club in desperate need of guidance in the final-third. 

  “He was really good. I thought early on, he provided some through-passes that really could have turned into things and he is very quick to recognize where there’s a window to play something in,” Fraser said after the game. “He’s very capable of finding windows very quickly and executing balls at the right passes at the right weight, and that sort of thing. And I thought it was really good for us.”

  Mihailovic logged 89 minutes, completing 73 percent of his passes while creating four chances and completing 100 percent of his long ball attempts.

  “We had to dig in and fight today, and we see that Djordje is also a fighter, and he ran and defended and really worked hard,” added Fraser.

Ruben Amorim is putting together a squad capable of competing towards the top of the table, and adding the Cameroonian would be a game-changer

"We were the better team, but in the end if you don't score goals, you can't win matches." That was Ruben Amorim's assessment of Manchester United's defeat in the Europa League final to Tottenham. He declined, however, to state whether the Pope was Catholic or whether bears tend to go to the bathroom in woods. 

But while the coach was stating the obvious, he was also underlining United's biggest problem, and this summer the club have made solving it their biggest priority, spending more than £200 million ($269m) to give Amorim a shiny new front three of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. If United do not manage to seriously improve on their attacking numbers this season then they will only have themselves to blame, and Amorim will have a lot of questions to answer.

Unless something goes terribly wrong, United should score a lot more goals, even if they are unlikely to be a complete team ready to take on Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal in the title race. Their free-spending has not changed the fact that they are still lacking balance and are particularly ill-equipped in midfield, arguably the most important area of all.

The club can, though, address that issue by signing Carlos Baleba from Brighton. The move would take the club's spending to a colossal £300m ($404.5m), but it would also be a game-changing transfer that could actually turn Amorim's side into Premier League title contenders. And if they are serious about returning to the elite, they need to make it happen.

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  Twelve-year problem

  United actually scored plenty of goals in their run to last season's Europa League final, their 35 strikes making them the third-highest scoring team in the competition's history. The fact that they failed to score against Premier League opposition in Spurs, though, was no real surprise; they have struggled to make the net bulge in the domestic competition for some time, even when things are going well.

  The Red Devils struck a meagre 44 times in the 2024-25 Premier League, earning them the fifth-lowest goal count in the league. It was the least amount of goals they had scored in the Premier League era and the lowest since they were relegated in 1974. But it was not exactly an anomaly. They scored just 57 goals in 2023-24, the joint-ninth-highest in the league, and even when they finished third in 2022-23 they scored only 58 times, the joint-eighth-best tally in the league along with Brentford.

  United have not scored more than 60 goals in a league season since 2020-21, and heir tally from that campaign, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's last complete season and one played almost entirely without fans, is the only time they have breached the 70-goal mark since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. By contrast, they only failed to score 70 goals or more in one of the Scot's final eight seasons in charge, and they still managed to win the title that year.

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  Big difference

  Ferguson's last season in charge also marked the last time that a United player scored 20 Premier League goals, and the club are hoping that Mbeumo will be able to break that 12-year cycle after netting 20 times for Brentford last term. Cunha, meanwhile, struck 15 goals for Wolves even though they were fighting relegation for much of the campaign.

  Those two transfers met Amorim's criteria of signing players with proven track records in the Premier League, and although Sesko does not have that same experience of English football, he has been the most prolific player under the age of 23 in Europe's top-five leagues over the past two seasons. With Mbeumo and Cunha next to him, as well as Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo joining attacks to add further support, there is no reason why Sesko cannot replicate his goal feats for RB Leipzig in a red shirt. 

  Having prolific scorers will make a huge difference to United as they didn't actually struggle to create chances last season, despite all their problems. Amorim's side ranked sixth in chances created while Fernandes created more goal-scoring opportunities per game than any other player in the top-flight.

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  Major problems

  But while the attacking issues seems to have been solved, United still have big problems in midfield. Amorim wasn't shy about saying so following the team's first pre-season game of the summer against Leeds, when he lamented: "We had a lack of pace, especially in the middle of the park."

  Indeed, none of United's midfielders really scream 'athleticism'. Casemiro has struggled with the Premier League's intensity for the last two seasons while Kobbie Mainoo stands out for his technical ability rather than his physical prowess. The same is true of Fernandes, even though the captain is remarkably durable and almost never misses matches through injury. Toby Collyer, who played a handful of matches last season after breaking through from the academy, is very much a work in progress.

  Manuel Ugarte, meanwhile, is impressive physically and is probably United's most reliable winner of the ball, but his deficiencies in possession are becoming ever more concerning. His passing is sloppy and he has a tendency to get mugged in dangerous areas, such as when a giveaway led to Everton scoring in the club's final game of their tour of the United States. 

  It says a lot that despite Amorim working with Ugarte at Sporting CP, he left him out of the team for the Europa League final. The coach has also not been convinced by Mainoo and played him in a variety of positions before he picked up an injury in February, while he only called on the England international sparingly after he returned.

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  Ideal candidate

  Baleba, however, has the perfect blend of physical power and technical quality that United's current midfield lacks. The Brighton ma has been working on his physique ever since he was 10 years old, when he would do 'non-stop' running drills with his father which would last for two hours. He would also sprint between truck tyres to improve his agility, and would often land on the tyres with a summersault, something which he has incorporated into his goal celebrations.

  Baleba told : "It’s my dad. He said that if I learn how to do acrobatics then it will help my timing when I’m trying to read the ball or score a header. I would run up to a tyre and then jump on to it with either a front or back flip. It’s easy for me!"

  Baleba was signed by Brighton in 2023 with a daunting remit to effectively replace Moises Caicedo after the Ecuadorian's £115m move to Chelsea. The Seagulls paid £23m to sign him from Lille despite him having only made 21 appearances for the French side, where he played alongside United defender Leny Yoro. He failed to initially secure a regular place in Roberto De Zerbi's starting XI either, despite the Italian describing Baleba as being "the future of Brighton".

Bournemouth forward Antonine Semenyo said "football showed its best side" in response to the racist abuse directed his way at Anfield.

• Semenyo praises response to racism
• Bournemouth star abused by Liverpool fan
• Scoring felt like "the only language that matters"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Semenyo was subjected to abuse from an individual fan in the Anfield crowd, who was identified and ejected following a pause in the game. The Bournemouth star was grateful to how the incident was handled. He praised his team-mates, the Liverpool players and the rest of the fans inside the stadium, as well as league officials.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  After the incident, and with Bournemouth 2-0 down, Semenyo went on to score twice, what he described as "the only language that truly matters on the pitch". The 25-year-old said everything that followed, the overwhelming support, served to "remind" him why he loves football.

• AFP
  

  WHAT SEMENYO SAID

  "Last night at Anfield will stay with me forever – not because of one person's words, but because of how the entire football family stood together. To my Bournemouth teammates who supported me in that moment, to the Liverpool players and fans who showed their true character, to the Premier League officials who handled it professionally – thank you," Semenyo said in an X post.

  "Football showed its best side when it mattered most. Scoring those two goals felt like speaking the only language that truly matters on the pitch. This is why I play – for moments like these, for my teammates, for everyone who believes in what this beautiful game can be. The overwhelming messages of support from across the football world remind me why I love this sport. We keep moving forward, together."

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Merseyside Police have confirmed that a man was ejected from Anfield following the reports of racist abuse. A police investigation is already underway, while the Premier League will also investigate the incident and offer support to both clubs.

Tottenham have suffered another damaging blow after it was revealed Dejan Kulusevski's knee injury will keep him on the sidelines until next year.

• More bad news for Tottenham
• Kulusevski ruled out until 2026
• Joins list of injured players and failed transfers

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It's more diabolical news for Spurs, coming hot on the heels of missing out on Eberechi Eze to rivals Arsenal, as attacking talent Kulusevski is unlikely to play again before 2026. The Sweden international injured his knee last season and the grim update casts another cloud over Thomas Frank's side, according to . Spurs will be without James Maddsion until early next year and they've missed out on two key additions this summer in Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This season was supposed to be a fresh start for everyone at the club after the departure of boss Ange Postecoglou and the joy of lifting the Europa League. With Champions League football on the horizon Spurs had hoped to land key signings to make them competitive against Europe's best. And while there have been some important arrivals like Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha, it's those who will be absent that are most keenly felt.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tottenham head to the Etihad at midday on Saturday for a clash that most teams would dread, but not so for Frank's side. In all competitions, Pep Guardiola has lost nine games against Spurs in his managerial career, only losing more (10) against Liverpool.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

  One positive Spurs can hold on to for now is there's still time left in the current transfer window to make additions the side certainly need. Chairman Daniel Levy would also appreciate a good news story to move on from the Eze disaster, but he'll have to dig deep. Savinho is one option, but there are only two problems; he'll cost at least £80 million ($107m) and Man City don't want to sell him.

Harry Kane contributed with two assists as Bayern Munich beat Augsburg in a five-goal thriller in the Bundesliga, while Luis Diaz and Michael Olise were also on target.

• Kane contributed with two assists
• Bayern clinched a thriller against Augsburg
• Second consecutive win in the Bundesliga

• TELL ME MORE

  Six first-team starters returned to the lineup after Bayern's narrow win over Wiesbaden in the DFB Pokal, as they beat Augsburg on Saturday. 

  The reigning champions expectedly dominated proceedings from the start as they enjoyed the lion's share of possession. A couple of minutes before the half-hour mark, Bayern finally broke the deadlock through Serge Gnabry's strike. The former Arsenal man exchanged a quick one-two with a team-mate before Joshua Kimmich found Harry Kane with a pass. The star striker quickly fed Gnabry with an inch-perfect cross and the Germany international found the back of the net with a header.

  In the fourth minute of the injury time before the break, Luis Diaz doubled his team's lead with a simple tap-in. Olise found Konrad Laimer making a run into the box and forwarded a brilliant through ball from the right. Laimer then kept a low ball in front of the goal and Diaz got a touch and directed it towards the goal. 

  Three minutes into the second half, Michael Olise made it three for Bayern as he followed Kane's through ball into the box, before dribbling past his marker and finding the back of the net with a clinical finish. Olise's strike seemed like the final nail in the Augsburg coffin, although the hosts still had a lot to play for.

  Within five minutes of conceding the third goal, Kristijan Jakic responded with a brilliant strike from inside the box as he pulled one back with a first-team finish from a low cross. In the 76th minute, Jakic created his team's second goal and from his assist, Mert Komur found the back of the net. The Augsburg star took advantage of poor defending by Sacha Boey, further reducing the gap with the Bavarian side.

  Kompany's men stood firm and held on to their lead for the remainder of the game to register their fourth consecutive win in the new season across all competitions and second in the Bundesliga. 

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  THE MVP

  After starring with a brace and saving the night for Bayern during the midweek DFB Pokal game, Kane once again rose to the occasion as he contributed with two assists in the club's second consecutive Bundesliga win. 

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  THE BIG LOSER

  Bayern's defence has been a major concern for Vincent Kompany as they have now conceded four goals in one week and five overall in the 2025-26 campaign. Similar to what happened in the DFB Pokal clash, the backline was once again caught napping in the second as their complacency almost led to an epic comeback from Augsburg. 

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  WHAT COMES NEXT?

  The German champions will be back in action after the international break as they next face Hamburger in the Bundesliga on September 13.

Manchester United could honour Erik ten Hag with a Europa League medal should they lift the trophy in Bilbao later this month.

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• Man Utd could receive surplus Europa League medals
• Would consider Ten Hag for an honour
• Dutchman begun campaign in charge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United must progress through Thursday's semi-final second leg against Athletic Club, a tie they lead 3-0 after the first leg, to reach the final. If they win that, they would receive 50 medals and could choose to hand them to staff no longer at the club.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ten Hag was in charge of United at the beginning of their campaign, overseeing three draws in the league stage of the competition before being replaced by Ruben Amorim. The club could choose to recognise his contribution by handing him one of their spares.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ten Hag could soon be back in management. He has emerged as a "serious candidate" to replace Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  United's eggs are very much in the Europa League basket on Thursday, before they take on West Ham in a less significant Premier League match on Sunday.