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One of the targets Leeds United have for the January transfer window seems to be a new striker. Despite bringing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha in for free over the summer, they have been lacklustre in front of goal, and are now set to sign a new number nine.

Indeed, that player could be Troy Parrott. The former Tottenham Hotspur star is said to be a key target for the Whites going into the winter transfer window.

However, the 49ers will not have a clear run at his signature, with Wolverhampton Wanderers also keen on the £20m-rated star.

Indeed, the Irish international is a man in excellent goalscoring form, sparking such interest.

Why Leeds want to sign Parrott

£20m is a small fee in the current transfer market, and Parrott certainly seems like he’d be worth that sort of price. The 23-year-old has been in excellent goalscoring form this season for both his club, Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and his country, Ireland.

For the Dutch top-flight side, the Spurs academy graduate has bagged an impressive 14 goals in 15 appearances, chipping in with a couple of assists, too. His form in the Eredivisie has been scintillating, with seven goals in eight appearances.

However, what has really stood out of late is Parrott’s form for Ireland.

He became a national hero earlier in the month, bagging five times in just two World Cup qualifiers to help guide his side to the playoffs and keep their dream of going Stateside next summer well and truly alive.

The 33-cap Ireland star kicked off November’s qualifiers by scoring twice to sink Portugal in a 2-0 win. Next up was a game against Hungary, in which the centre-forward bagged a remarkable hat-trick, scoring the third in stoppage time, to secure a 3-2 win and a playoff spot.

To fund the signing of Ireland’s striker, though, Leeds might first have to sell one of their highest earners.

The player Leeds must now sell

After a summer of heavy spending under the new 49ers regime, there is no saying just how much Leeds will have at their disposal in January.

The reported £20m fee for Parrott isn’t too expensive in the grand scheme of things, but who knows how much the Whites have left in the bank?

Thus, it might be the case that Jack Harrison has to depart the club in January. He has not been in good form this season after returning to the club following two years on loan at Everton, and isn’t necessarily loved by the fans. They even booed him in a preseason friendly upon his return.

Indeed, Harrison has not been the most trusted lieutenant this season under Daniel Farke. He’s played ten times in the Premier League, but has only started once and has racked up just 262 minutes.

Whilst the Stoke-born winger has yet to bag this term, he has scored 34 times and assisted 32 for Leeds across his career.

Perhaps the highlight of that was a hat-trick away to West Ham United back in 2022. However, he simply can’t reach that sort of form nowadays.

As for his time as an Everton player, those were a forgettable couple of seasons. The former Middlesbrough star played 73 games for the Toffees, but could only muster nine goals and assists.

Premier League legend Gary Neville said at the end of last season that his “quality’s been poor” for the Merseysiders.

It is easy to see why Harrison might be the fall guy for Leeds if they are to sell someone. Valued at £10.5m by Transfermarkt, he is also the second-highest earner at the club, on £90k per week, a yearly total of £4.68m.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

£100k

£5.2m

Jack Harrison

£90k

£4.68m

Sean Longstaff

£80k

£4.16m

Daniel James

£75k

£3.9m

Noah Okafor

£72.5k

£3.77m

Selling Harrison this winter could help Leeds raise the funds they need to add to their squad up front. Depth on the left wing is not necessarily an issue, with Noah Okafor and Wilfried Gnonto both fighting it out for a starting spot out there.

If Leeds can help themselves sign Parrott by selling Harrison, a player who hasn’t exactly set the world alight with his form this term, then it might be an excellent piece of business.

He's a lot like Bielsa: Leeds could sack Farke for "special" 4-2-3-1 manager

Leeds United could finally dismiss Daniel Farke and replace him with their next Marcelo Bielsa.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 24, 2025

In the wake of a breakout season, Athletics right fielder and designated hitter Lawrence Butler appears set to stick around for the foreseeable future.

The Sacramento-based team has signed Butler to a seven-year contract extension worth $65.5 million, according to a Thursday night report from Jeff Passan of ESPN. The deal includes a year covered by a team option.

Butler, 24, is coming off a breakout 2024 in the Athletics' final season in Oakland. The Burlington, N.J. native slashed a rock-solid .262/.317/.490 with 22 home runs and 57 RBIs—bettering his numbers from a 42-game cameo in 2023.

Since its relocation, the Sacramento team—aiming to move to Las Vegas by 2028—has shown an uncharacteristic willingness to spend on its roster. The Athletics gave pitcher Luis Severino a three-year, $67 million contract on Dec. 6, for instance.

The Sacramento team is scheduled to open its 2025 season on March 27 against the Seattle Mariners.

Teenager Ollie Peake made 92 for Australia A as the two-match series finished at a dull 0-0 draw

AAP23-Jul-2025

Jason Sangha has given his future Test prospects a massive boost after posting an unbeaten double century for Australia A in their drawn first-class clash with Sri Lanka A in Darwin.In reply to Sri Lanka’s dominant 485 for 6 declared, Sangha posted 202 not out off 379 balls as Australia A reached a monster 558 for 4 before the game was declared a draw on the cusp of tea on day four. Only ten wickets fell across the four days, with the two-match series finishing in a dull 0-0 draw.Eighteen-year-old Oliver Peake showed he could also be part of Australia’s next generation of Test players, scoring 92 off 178 balls in just his second first-class game, and sharing a 165-run stand with Sangha. Opener Jake Weatherald (183) led the way for the hosts on Tuesday in a knock that gave his own Test hopes a boost ahead of the Ashes.But it was the Sangha show on Wednesday. The 25-year-old began the day unbeaten on 121, and the skipper continued to pile on the pain on the way to his maiden double-century in first-class cricket. Sangha’s previous highest score in first-class cricket was 151, but he blew that away on the batter-friendly deck at the Marrara Cricket Ground.Sangha’s star is well and truly on the rise. He struck an unbeaten 126 to lead South Australia to a tense four-wicket victory in last season’s Sheffield Shield final against Queensland, helping his side break a 29-year title drought.Sangha averaged 78.20 across six Shield games last season, and he looms as part of generation next for the Australian Test team, having scored three centuries in his last five first-class innings. Peake put his name in that mix as well, falling just eight runs short of a maiden first-class century, having only made his first-class debut for Victoria in March. Peake’s 92 came after he scored an unbeaten 55 off just 38 balls during Australia A’s series-opening one-day win over Sri Lanka A on July 4.Meanwhile, Weatherald’s century on Tuesday came at the perfect time, with the Tasmania opener firmly in the mix to play in this summer’s Ashes if he can keep his form going.Australia’s current opening pairing of Usman Khawaja and Sam Konstas struggled in difficult batting conditions in the recent Test series against West Indies, raising questions about whether it’s time to inject a player like Weatherald.Weatherald led the Shield run charts last season with 906 runs at an average of 50.3, and his scores of 54 and 183 across his two first-class innings against Sri Lanka A will further bolster his cause.

Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro is in no doubt: Florian Wirtz "definitely" would have joined Real Madrid rather than Liverpool during the summer had he been offered the chance to follow Xabi Alonso to Santiago Bernabeu. "But Xabi has less say at Madrid than he did with us," Carro pointed out in an interview with Sport1. "One of Alonso's greatest strengths was his ability to work with our scouting department to define who needed to be in our team, but Florentino Perez decides the transfers at Madrid – not Xabi Alonso."

Consequently, Wirtz was left with three serious suitors to choose from: Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Liverpool. After careful consideration, he went with the latter.

However, as Wirtz wonders – just like the rest of us – whether he'll start for Liverpool in Sunday's massive Premier League showdown with City, it is worth asking if he made a mistake moving to Anfield? And might he actually have been better off at the Etihad instead?

• Getty
  

  'Wanted to be a part of this team'

  There were many reasons why Wirtz picked Liverpool over City and Bayern. He was struck by both the quality of Arne Slot's side – and the club’s facilities – after Leverkusen were routed by the Reds in last season's Champions League. He was also blown away by the stunning scenes of celebration on Merseyside that followed Liverpool's record-equalling 20th English title triumph in May. "I just wanted to be a part of this team," he told the club's official website.

  What really won Wirtz over, though, was the promise of not just becoming a part of Slot's side, but being absolutely integral to it. According to Liverpool sources, it was the Dutchman's detailed plan for Wirtz that effectively sealed the deal.

  Whereas Wirtz reportedly had doubts over whether he would play regularly as a No.10 at Bayern because of the presence of Jamal Musiala at the Allianz Arena, he would literally be central to attacking strategy at Anfield, deployed in his preferred position just behind the centre-forward. However, Slot's plan for Wirtz appears to have already been scrapped – or at least shelved – because of Liverpool's incredibly erratic form.

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• Getty Images
  

  'Damages' Liverpool's balance

  Wirtz started Liverpool's first four games of their 2025-26 Premier League campaign – and in his familiar attacking midfield role. However, he wasn't involved in a single goal during that winning run, which inevitably led to online mockery and intense media scrutiny of his transfer fee.

  So, when the Reds' results took a serious turn for the worse, Wirtz became something of a scapegoat, even though his obvious struggles with the pace of the Premier League had absolutely nothing to do with his team's far more costly inability to deal with set-pieces.

  "I think Wirtz actually damages the balance of Liverpool and how they play," former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney said on his podcast. "He's a top player and I'm sure he will get better – but he's had a slow start and I think there's no denying that. I've seen players come into this league and it takes time.

  "But it's not the price tag. It's not the player or his ability. I just don't see where he fits into what Liverpool do in that [4-3-3] system. Is he a third midfield player? For me, no, he's more of an attacking player. So, if I have to choose between him and [Dominik] Szoboszlai, then I choose Szoboszlai."

  Worryingly for Wirtz, Slot is now favouring the Hungarian too.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Upstaged

  Amid all of the excitement surrounding Liverpool's unprecedented summer of spending, Szoboszlai became something of an after-thought. The versatile No.8 may have played a major role in last season's title triumph with his remarkable work-rate, but the presumption was that Wirtz would take his spot in Slot's starting line-up.

  The German was widely regarded as a massive – and necessary – upgrade on Szoboszlai, whose end product has been repeatedly criticised by the likes of Jamie Carragher. Even Slot stated earlier this year that he wanted more goals and assists from Szoboszlai.

  In that context, Liverpool's willingness to push the boat out to sign Wirtz made perfect sense. He was the most coveted No.10 on the market, a young man who had already proven himself highly adept at both scoring and creating goals.

  However, while Wirtz has yet to get off the mark for his new club, Szoboszlai has already scored twice, including a fantastic free-kick winner against Arsenal. Even more surprisingly, Szoboszlai, Liverpool's undisputed player of the season so far, also has twice as many assists (four) as Wirtz in all competitions.

  When one also considers that the Hungary captain played a starring role in last season's win over City at the Etihad, there appears little doubt that Slot will field his trusted title-winning trio of Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister on Sunday – particularly as they laid the foundation for the wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid that arrested the Reds' recent slide.

  So, is Rooney right, then? Is there no room for Wirtz in Liverpool's strongest side? And if so, should he have pushed to join City despite his alleged doubts over Pep Guardiola's long-term future at the club?

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  City a better fit?

  It's been widely reported that Guardiola identified Wirtz as the ideal replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, whose contract expired at the end of the 2024-25 campaign, and it would be easy to understand why. Wirtz, with his mix of industry and innovation, fits the profile for Pep’s perfect 10. So, why didn't the German end up at the Etihad?

  Well, that very much depends on who you talk to, because there are those that claim that City felt that Wirtz was overpriced at £100 million ($130m), while others insist that the player walked away from the deal because Guardiola could offer no guarantee that he'd extend his stay in Manchester beyond 2027.

  If Wirtz really did reject City, it is possible that he's regretting that decision now, given he probably would have immediately settled into one of the two attacking midfield roles in Guardiola's 4-1-4-1 formation. After all, Rayan Cherki is already enjoying a more productive start to his Premier League career than Wirtz. Despite being hindered by a thigh problem that ruled him out of action for more than a month, the Frenchman has already racked up eight direct goal involvements since signing for City just before the Club World Cup.

  As plenty of critics have been quick to point out, Liverpool were also considering signing Cherki if their audacious move for Wirtz failed to come off – and it would certainly be hard to argue against the £30m ($42m) signing from Lyon looking like a better-value buy right now.

يستعد منتخب الإمارات تحت 17 عامًا، لمواجهة كرواتيا اليوم الخميس، ضمن منافسات كأس العالم للناشئين المقام في قطر.

ويلتقي منتخب الإمارات مع نظيره كرواتيا، في مجمع أسباير بمدينة الريان، على الملعب رقم 4 “ملعب خالد سلمان” ضمن الجولة الثانية من منافسات المجموعة الثالثة في كأس العالم تحت 17 سنة قطر 2025.

وكان منتخب الإمارات قد بدأ مشواره في البطولة بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1 أمام كوستاريكا في الجولة الأولى.

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعة السعودية في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا بعد الخسارة أمام النمسا

وفي الجولة ذاتها، تعادل منتخب كرواتيا مع السنغال بدون أهداف، ليحتل منتخب الإمارات مع كوستاريكا صدارة ترتيب المجموعة برصيد نقطة لكل منهما، وبفارق الأهداف عن كرواتيا والسنغال.

ويأمل منتخب الإمارات في تحقيق الفوز الأول له في البطولة لتعزيز حظوظه في التأهل إلى دور الـ16، مستندًا إلى جاهزية لاعبيه الفنية. موعد مباراة الإمارات وكرواتيا في كأس العالم للناشئين

وتقام مباراة الإمارات وكرواتيا في كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا في تمام الخامسة والربع مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسابعة والربع مساءً بتوقيت الإمارات العربية المتحدة. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الإمارات وكرواتيا في كأس العالم للناشئين

ومن المقرر أن تنقل قنوات بي إن سبورتس المفتوحة المباراة.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

On Tuesday, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) officially presented Sonia Bermudez as the new head coach of the Spanish women's national team, who will be succeeding Montse Tome in the role. Bermudez, one of the best players in Spain during her time, addressed the future of veteran striker Jenni Hermoso, who was left out of the Euro 2025 squad.

• Bermudez presented as new Spain coach

  Having retired in 2020, Bermudez obtained her UEFA Pro License immediately and started coach the women's youth teams of Spain. She has managed the U-19s, the U-20s, and the U-23s. On Tuesday, she was presented as the new head coach of the senior women's team on a two-year contract, which will end after the 2027 Women's World Cup. The former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid forward takes over from Montse Tome, who led La Roja to a runners-up finish at the Women's Euro in the summer.

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  Hermoso's international career with Spain could be over

  Speaking at her presentation, Bermudez spoke highly of Hermoso, a player she has previously shared the dressing room with at Rayo Vallecano and Barcelona. However, the 40-year-old didn't clarify whether the Tigres UANL forward was in her plans. 

  "I'm not going to reveal who Jennifer Hermoso is. She's a legend, the national team's top scorer, who's now in Mexico. But you'll have to wait for the list," she said. "We're starting from scratch. We want to focus on the project and we're going to try to bring in the best players. We're following all the players and monitoring them every week. I'm looking forward to getting started. When the list arrives, we'll talk about all the players."

• Hermoso is Spain's all-time top scorer

  The 35-year-old made her debut for Spain in 2012 and has since made 123 appearances for her country, scoring 57 goals. No other footballer has scored more for Spain's women's team in history. She won the Silver Ball for her exploits in Spain's World Cup-winning campaign in 2023, scoring three goals and delivering two assists. What's more, she has finished as the top scorer in Spain's top-flight five times. 

  Her time with Spain, though, seems to be coming to an end. Despite finishing as Spain's joint top scorer in the Euro qualifying campaign along with Salma Paralluelo, she was surprisingly left out of the Euro 2025 squad, with the likes of Esther Gonzalez, Alba Redondo, Claudia Pina and Mariona Caldentey getting the nod.

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  When do Spain play their first games under Bermudez?

  Bermudez will make her senior managerial debut on October 24, when Spain host Sweden in the first leg of the Women's Nations League semi-final. The return leg will be played four days later.

Newcastle United are feeling optimistic after claiming their first three points of the season, though Eddie Howe has now been dealt a frustrating injury blow involving one of his prize assets.

Newcastle show resolve to defeat Wolves after Woltemade winner

Nobody of a black and white persuasion needed to be told twice how important their clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers was yesterday, and supporters will feel a sense of relief that they managed to secure a gritty 1-0 triumph courtesy of Nick Woltemade’s debut header.

After draws against Aston Villa and Leeds United with a defeat to Liverpool sandwiched in between, the Magpies are finally on their way up the Premier League table in another campaign where they will target Champions League qualification.

Making his feelings known post-match, Eddie Howe showered £69 million striker Woltemade with praise, complimenting his excellent showing and signalling that there is plenty more to come from his towering Alexander Isak replacement.

“There was a lot of love for Nick and a lot of pats on the back. The group are really good at doing that, when someone does well.

“It was a great moment for Nick. I was very pleased with how he played. You saw his technical qualities and his intelligence. But most importantly for a striker, when the ball comes into the box, you need to be there – and he was. It was a great finish. I’m really pleased for him personally because that just settles him down and relaxes him. He’s a very humble guy, he wants to do well and he’s delighted to be here.”

£60m Newcastle target now open to Tyneside as PIF hold talks over transfer

The Magpies could look to try again to land his signature.

BySean Markus Clifford Sep 13, 2025

While drama surrounding Isak’s departure to Liverpool has come and gone, Howe has suffered another sizeable blow before some crunch fixtures as his side work to find their groove.

Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa out for at least a month

According to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie on X following the win against Wolves, Newcastle summer signing Yoane Wissa will be out for four to five weeks after sustaining a knee injury on international duty with DR Congo.

Despite disappointment over the £140,000-per-week earner being unable to feature since joining from Brentford on deadline day, the Magpies have evaded concerns that his knock is ACL-related. However, he will now miss their next six matches prior to the next international break.

This comes after the news about Jacob Ramsey, another summer signing, who will also be out for a month with an ankle problem, with things going from bad to worse for Howe.

Wissa scored 20 times in 39 appearances for Brentford last campaign and established himself as Thomas Frank’s go-to man in West London, albeit Howe will now face a period where he is short of striking alternatives behind Woltemade.

William Osula may deputise when needed despite seeing a late move to Eintracht Frankfurt fall through late on in the summer, while Anthony Gordon is another option once he comes back from suspension.

قبل ساعات من المواجهة المرتقبة أمام الأهلي، تحدث لاعب نادي إيجل نوار، جان دي ديو، عن طموحات فريقه واستعدادهم لمواجهة بطل إفريقيا في ذهاب دور الـ32 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويستعد الفريق البوروندي لاستضافة الأهلي في مباراة تُعد الأبرز في تاريخه، حيث يسعى لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية أمام حامل الرقم القياسي في عدد مرات التتويج بالبطولة.

وتنطلق المواجهة بين الأهلي وإيجل نوار، السبت، في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا بتوقيت “القاهرة” في بوروندي على أن تقام مواجهة الإياب يوم السبت 25 أكتوبر.

اقرأ أيضًا | في أول اختبار لـ توروب.. الأهلي يبدأ مشواره في دوري أبطال إفريقيا أمام إيجل نوار

وأكد جان دي ديو سعادته الكبيرة بمواجهة العملاق الإفريقي، قائلًا في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات: “سعيد بمواجهة فريق مثل الأهلي، لأن اللعب ضده كان دائمًا حلمًا بالنسبة لي”.

وأضاف اللاعب أن مواجهة الأهلي تمثل له فرصة لا تُعوض، مشيرًا إلى قوة الفريق الأحمر وخبرته القارية، حيث قال: “الأهلي هو أفضل وأقوى فريق في إفريقيا، ولذلك نحن جاهزون وسعداء بخوض هذه المباراة”.

ورغم الحماس الكبير أبدى اللاعب بعض التوتر الطبيعي قبل المباراة المهمة، موضحًا: “رغم أنني ما زلت أشعر ببعض الخوف، إلا أنني مستعد جيدًا لهذه المواجهة”.

Well, how do you sum that up? A madcap two sessions of cricket on the third day saw 17 wickets fall. Pakistan lost seven for 48, with Jomel Warrican registering the third-best figures for a visiting bowler in Pakistan. And yet, with half an hour to go for tea, Pakistan’s spinners had wrapped up a 127-run victory, skittling West Indies out for 123 in 36.3 overs to go 1-0 up in the series. Sajid Khan and Abrar Ahmed were the chief architects, taking nine of West Indies’ ten wickets as the visitors’ challenge appeared to melt away along with the solidity of the playing strip.West Indies had about 15 overs to face before lunch, and Pakistan just about made victory safe in this time. The visitors began with positive intent, having realised that poking and prodding would get them nowhere. It saw them through the first four overs, but as Sajid said yesterday, the strategy was to attack with the ball and defend with the field. Brathwaite employed the slog sweep to good effect so Pakistan had a fielder at deep midwicket, and it was him that the opener picked out to give Pakistan their first breakthrough.With prodigious turn around, especially to the right-hander off the footmarks, the stumps were always in play, and it helped Sajid clean up Mikyle Louis and Kavem Hodge to reduce West Indies to 37 for 4. Noman Ali, who had surprisingly not opened the bowling from the other end, came into the attack and picked up a wicket on the stroke of lunch when Justin Greaves missed a sweep laden with risk in front of middle stump.Alick Athanaze was the only West Indies batter to score a fifty in the match•PCB

There was plenty of West Indian resistance in the first hour after lunch, most notably from Alick Athanaze, whose half-century – West Indies’ only such contribution all Test – just about kept them alive. Alongside Tevin Imlach first and then Kevin Sinclair, Athanaze worked to give the Pakistan spinners as little as possible. They ditched the belligerent shot-making, and for the first time all Test, Sajid and Noman briefly didn’t look like a huge threat.But the momentum shifted once more when Shan Masood turned to Abrar Ahmed. The slightly different challenge his legspin poses saw a beauty to dismiss Imlach, the ball drifting in and ripping away to take his outside edge. He would also break the next partnership, thanks to some variable bounce and a splendid diving catch at first slip from Salman Agha, before Agha took the regulation catch the following ball to send Gudakesh Motie on his way.By now, West Indies’ resistance had been completely broken. Athanaze missed a straight one from Sajid to leave Pakistan one away, and Abrar put a bow on proceedings as the shot West Indies played often to try to cope on this surface – the high-risk reverse sweep – carried onto the stumps.Jomel Warrican took his career-best 7 for 32•AFP/Getty Images

The omens for this kind of day were there. It began with Pakistan’s best player of spin, Saud Shakeel, falling off the first delivery when he clipped one into short midwicket’s hands. Warrican followed it up with the wicket of Rizwan the following over, and on a pitch where grip and turn became ever more variable, Pakistan’s batters were finding it hard work.Kamran Ghulam had hung around until then, but some extra turn from Warrican drew his outside edge to give Warrican his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. West Indies began to burrow into the tail as Warrican grew in confidence. He varied his pace to trap Noman in front of the stumps as he tried a reverse sweep, before making it seven when Sajid miscued a slog and got an edge to backward point.The ninth wicket did not register directly in Warrican’s account, but it may as well have. Agha prodded one to him on the off side and hared off for a single, but Warrican picked up cleanly and hit the stumps direct, catching Khurram Shahzad well out of his crease. The innings wrapped up when Agha tried to go over the top against Motie, only to find long-off, and Pakistan were all out for 157.On a surface like this, and with the spinners Pakistan have, though, it was still, by some distance, more than enough.

The INEOS hierarchy at Manchester United has been hellbent on avoiding the same mistakes as the previous regime, although there does appear to be a real sense of Deja Vu with regard to Jason Wilcox’s pursuit of a new centre-forward.

Rewind two years ago, with then-boss Erik ten Hag having identified Harry Kane as his primary striker target, albeit with United wary of engaging in protracted negotiations with Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy.

The ageing Englishman instead packed his bags for Germany, while the Old Trafford side went down the high-potential route. Despite reportedly being Ten Hag’s fifth-choice option at the time, in came a 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund for an initial fee of £64m.

A player coveted by Paris Saint-Germain at the time, Hojlund had been earning rave reviews amid his promising displays in Atalanta, with then-boss Gian Piero Gasperini highlighting his electric pace that had ripped through Serie A defences.

We’d all seen the clips of the young Dane bursting into the box at breakneck speed. All dreamed of this ‘new Erling Haaland’ proving to be the next Scandinavian striking sensation on Premier League soil.

Overlooked, however, was the mere nine league goals he had scored in his solitary season in Bergamo, with such a gamble having yet to pay off for the Red Devils. The same mistake can’t happen again under Wilcox.

Latest on Man Utd's striker search

Speaking after scoring in the recent 4-1 victory over Bournemouth in the latest Premier League summer series clash, the 22-year-old – who had been linked with a move to Inter Milan earlier in the window – outlined his desire to “stay and fight for his spot, whatever happens”.

A bright start to pre-season has raised hopes that United’s number nine can kick on in 2025/26, although Hojlund might not get his own way, with reports indicating that he could be used as part of a deal to bring in a new striker.

Indeed, it has been claimed – including by The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell – that a swap deal could be on the cards which would see the Denmark starlet head to RB Leipzig, with Benjamin Sesko moving in the opposite direction.

Transfer Focus

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

Additional reports, as per journalist Graeme Bailey, having indicated that there is an “internal confidence” at Old Trafford that a deal for Sesko will get over the line amid their ongoing talks, with the club currently going toe-to-toe with Newcastle United for his signature:

Reportedly valued at around £70m, Sesko – who has been the subject of a bid from Newcastle – is hot property amid two solid seasons in Germany. That said, doesn’t this all feel a little familiar?

Why Man Utd are risking a Hojlund repeat

For a brief moment, it looked like United’s decision to plump for Hojlund had paid off, following his destructive debut away to Arsenal in September 2023. Having endured an injury-hit start to life in Manchester, the towering left-footer announced himself in fine fashion, proving a real nuisance for Gabriel and William Saliba in the home defence.

That image of Casemiro grabbing the youngster by the jersey – a mark that he was to be the man to win the game for Ten Hag’s men – evoked that strong early impression, with Hojlund also subsequently making his mark by netting five times in six Champions League group stage outings, including a breathtaking brace at home to Galatasaray.

Such moments have indicated that there is a player in there somewhere, yet with 26 goals to his name in 95 appearances, this is an expensive risk that has yet to pay off, with TNT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher notably describing the misfiring marksman as perhaps the “most unlucky number nine Manchester United have ever had”.

But should his woes be a surprise? His only season in a top-five league had yielded only nine Serie A goals, having previously scored 17 goals in 53 games for Sturm Graz and FC Copenhagen combined. Thrusting him in as the leading striker was perhaps a step too far, too soon.

Sesko’s path has worryingly been rather similar to date, with the 22-year-old – who is actually younger than Hojlund – having spent two seasons in the Bundesliga, after previously scoring 29 times in 79 games for Austria side Red Bull Salzburg.

A player whom United turned down for a fee of around £2.5m back in 2019, the Slovenian has reached double figures for league goals in each of the last two campaigns, although he hasn’t exactly ripped it up with 13 and 14 goals, respectively.

Like Hojlund, at 6 foot 4 the in-demand striker is an eye-catching figure, having been described as a “monster” of a striker by analyst Ben Mattinson. His penchant for the spectacular will also have onlookers licking their lips – boasting a highlight reel of goals that any number nine would be proud of.

That said, in the view of The Athletic’s James Horncastle, speaking on the Libero podcast, there is a sense that he merely is a “highlights player”, with the respected journalist even quipping that he is akin to a ‘Slovenian Andy Carroll’ in that regard.

A scorer of great goals, but not exactly a great goalscorer then, with United again at a juncture where they are in need of a proven talent, rather than a player of undoubtedly exciting potential.

Like with Ten Hag and Kane two years ago, Ruben Amorim is said to have a preference for signing Premier League menace, Ollie Watkins. Perhaps listening to the Portuguese coach would be the right choice this time around?

Most important deal since Bruno: Man Utd make enquiry for "world-class" gem

Manchester United are set to make another key move within this summer’s transfer window.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Aug 2, 2025