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Manchester United are reportedly ready to cash in on Alejandro Garnacho in a bid to sign Wolves star Matheus Cunha.

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Garnacho linked with Man Utd exitAtletico Madrid target could be soldHis sale could help fund Cunha bidFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to, United are open to offers for their Argentine winger to help finance a move for Cunha – who has a £62.5 million ($83m)release clause. Atletico Madrid are said to be keeping tabs on the 20-year-old who is 'reluctantly open to leaving Old Trafford' after struggling to find a 'defined role' under head coach Ruben Amorim. Chelsea have previously been linked, too.

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United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the club would go "bust" by Christmas unless big cuts were made. Whether or not that is true, the Red Devils do need to sell players before they can buy and moving on an academy player, who goes down as pure profit on the balance sheet, may be a shrewd financial move. Garnacho was linked with Chelsea and Napoli in January, and while his stock is still relatively high, this summer may be the best time to sell him after a tough campaign.

DID YOU KNOW?

Garnacho, whose United contract runs until 2028, has scored five goals and bagged one assist in 32 Premier League games for the Red Devils this season.

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Aside from those rumours circling Cunha and Garnacho, United travel to Europe-chasing Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors overcame a frustrating first half to secure three vital points in the battle for the Spanish crown

A heavily rotated Barcelona team took to the pitch in Valladolid on Saturday, sandwiched between the two legs of their Champions League semi-final against Inter. The league leaders might have expected an easy ride against La Liga's bottom club, already relegated ahead of kick-off. But that may have taken the pressure off the hosts, who went ahead inside just six minutes through Ivan Sanchez.

Barcelona were frustrated in the first half, but things changed when Hansi Flick introduced Raphinha and Frenkie de Jong at break. Raphinha's 31st goal of the season soon levelled things up when a stray punch from goalkeeper Andre Ferreira fell at the Brazilian's feet. Fermin Lopez then put the Catalans 2-1 up an hour in, taking up a position at the edge of the box for Gerard Martin's cutback.

Hector Fort hit the post and Lamine Yamal, a first half injury replacement, had an effort cleared off the line towards the end. But Marc-Andre ter Stegen also needed to be sharp on his long-awaited return to keep out a would-be Valladolid equaliser with a fine save. The lead has at least temporarily grown to seven points on Real Madrid, who host Celta Vigo in their weekend game on Sunday

GOAL rates Barcelona's players fromEstadio Jose Zorrilla…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (7/10):

Back in the team after months out injured and beaten far too easily in the opening exchanges. Spent a long time as a spectator after that, but a huge save to protect the lead with less than 20 minutes left demonstrated that class is permanent.

Hector Fort (6/10):

Replaced the injured Jules Kounde in the line-up. Denied a first senior goal by the foot of the far post after close control and skills in the box that Lamine Yamal would have been proud of.

Ronald Araujo (6/10):

His impact in an attacking sense was felt when leaping for the ball in Andre Ferreira's eyeline likely contributed to the weak punch that gave Raphinha the chance to equalise.

Andreas Christensen (6/10):

This was just his third appearance of the season and a first start since the opening day back in August. Came through fine after the early disappointment of conceding.

Gerard Martin (8/10):

Hasn't instilled massive confidence during Alejandro Balde's absence and endured a tough night in Milan in midweek. But this was much better and he will take big confidence from a fine assist, especially important given that Balde is still a doubt for the Inter return.

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Pedri (7/10):

Created a few chances in the first half with his passing and vision, but didn't return after the break.

Fermin Lopez (7/10):

Proved to be the match-winner in the end. Took the decisive goal well and was generally a threat.

Gavi (7/10):

There may be a litle concern over his night ending slightly prematuresly through injury. Had done well on and off the ball.

AFPAttack

Dani Rodriguez (6/10):

Flick was sufficiently confident the teenager would rise to the occasion on his senior debut. But after impressing in flashes, his evening was over with a suspected dislocated shoulder inside the first half.

Pau Victor (5/10):

So often the forgotten supporting act in the Dani Olmo saga this summer, Victor was handed just a second La Liga start. But 12 touches of the ball in an hour on the pitch is hardly the way to get noticed.

Ansu Fati (6/10):

Tried to make the most of a rare start and drew a fine save from Andre Ferreira half an hour in. Did okay but was withdrawn at half-time because it was clear Barcelona needed more.

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Lamine Yamal (8/10):

Might not have expected to play much of a part in this one, but Rodriguez's first half injury forced the switch. Made Barcelona better.

Frenkie de Jong (7/10):

Ensured Barcelona weren't losing the ball in midfield and helped grind Valladolid down.

Raphinha (8/10):

Underlined his importance to this team and their fortunes with the clinical equalising goal that changed the game.

Dani Olmo (5/10):

Filled a 'false nine' role but saw very little of the ball.

Eric Garcia (N/A):

Replaced Gavi 79 minutes in.

Hansi Flick (6/10):

He would have known it was a big gamble to make such sweeping changes to his team, especially with the La Liga title race hardly sewn up. The fact that both De Jong and Raphinha appeared at the interval would suggest he decided it was a mistake. At least he could admit it wasn't working and made the changes with plenty of time to take effect.

Arsenal’s ambitions of ending their two-decade wait for a Premier League title have taken a huge hit in recent weeks, with various injuries and setbacks derailing their progress.

Whilst Liverpool have been the runaway leaders for the majority of the campaign, Mikel Arteta’s side have the quality across the pitch to mount a serious charge to close the gap.

However, the hamstring injury to winger Bukayo Saka has seen an understandable decline in goals within the final third, with the Englishman registering five goals and 10 assists before his spell on the sidelines.

He’s been missing since the triumph over Crystal Palace on the 21st of December, with the Gunners failing to win five matches across all competitions in that time frame.

Saka isn’t the only forward who’s been sat on the sidelines in recent weeks, as two other players have seen their season cut short by injuries over the last couple of weeks.

Arsenal’s injuries to Gabriel Jesus & Kai Havertz

Just a couple of weeks after the injury sustained to Saka, Arteta also saw Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus suffer his own setback, picking up an ACL injury in the FA Cup defeat against Manchester United.

The 27-year-old had previously had issues with his knee, but this time the issue appears to be way more serious, undergoing surgery to solve his latest issue – ruling him out for the remainder of 2024/25.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Kai Havertz recently picked up a torn hamstring injury during the warm weather training camp in Dubai, leaving the Gunners without a recognised senior centre forward.

His own setback will also see him miss the rest of the season, with Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri the only attacking options left at Arteta’s disposal.

The decision not to sign a new attacker in January now looks to be a huge mistake, but it’s not the first time they may regret not landing a forward, after one former target’s rapid development on the European stage.

The player who Arsenal nearly signed & is now worth more than Saka

There’s no denying that Saka has been a sensational player for Arsenal over the last couple of years, registering 56 combined goals and assists over the last two years despite his recent issue.

However, he’s often needed the added reinforcement alongside him to help the club end their long wait for a Premier League title despite finishing runners-up in each of the last two seasons.

They may have been able to complete the task had the club completed a deal for Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé, especially considering his form over the last couple of years.

Former boss Arsène Wenger revealed in an interview that he flew to speak to his compatriot during his time as a youngster at Monaco, but was unable to convince him to move to North London.

The 26-year-old has since emerged as one of the leading attackers in European football, impressing at Monaco, before a huge move to PSG back in 2017 – costing the Parisians a whopping £150m.

Mbappé, who’s since been dubbed “lethal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 256 times in just 310 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants, offering that clinical edge Arteta’s side have been craving.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2017/18

46

21

16

2018/19

43

39

17

2019/20

37

30

18

2020/21

47

42

11

2021/22

46

39

26

2022/23

43

41

10

2023/24

48

44

10

Total:

310

256

108

He’s since moved to Real Madrid in what’s dubbed the “most expensive free transfer in history” after the Spanish side had to pay the attacker a mammoth signing bonus after leaving PSG.

The forward has continued his goalscoring form under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring 24 times in his 36 appearances for his new side, creating a deadly partnership with Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior.

As a result of his tremendous displays over the last few years, Mbappé is now valued at £133m by Transfermarkt – a figure higher than that of Saka, who’s valued at £125m after his own emergence in England.

There’s no denying that the Englishman is one of the Premier League’s leading attackers, as seen by his goal contributions before his injury, with Arteta certainly desperate for the youngster to return to action as soon as possible.

However, the thought of the academy graduate featuring alongside Mbappé is a scary one, but unfortunately for the supporters, it will always remain a case of what could’ve been had Wenger worked his magic during his time in charge.

His value has soared by £58m: Arsenal hit the jackpot on "phenomenal" star

Arsenal have conducted superb business in the transfer market over the last couple of years.

ByEthan Lamb Feb 14, 2025

Jay Shah to head influential Finance and Commercial Affairs committee

Nagraj Gollapudi and Tristan Lavalette12-Nov-2022Greg Barclay has been re-elected as ICC chairman for another two-year term after his rival, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, pulled out of the contest late on Friday. Barclay, who served his first stint as ICC chair between 2022 and this November, will now be in the position until 2024.The election assumed intrigue over the last couple of weeks after Mukuhlani decided to enter the fray despite knowing Barclay had potentially more votes in his favour from the 16-strong ballot. The election rules stated that winner would be determined by a simple majority. Mukuhlani, a long-term director on the ICC board, had at least six backers including some of the smaller countries from the Asian bloc. However, it was the BCCI, as always, which carried a lot of influence over the voting process.Despite stating informally that the board was leaning towards supporting Barclay, the BCCI kept everyone guessing which way they would eventually vote in case of an election. Whilst no one at the ICC has officially spoken, more than one director pointed out to ESPNcricinfo that the BCCI wanted to have a prime seat on the influential Finance & Commercial Affairs committee, which not only decides budget allocations for ICC events, but also looks after the distribution of money to member countries from the overall revenue pool.Accordingly, the BCCI camp led by Jay Shah and Arun Dhumal (IPL chairman) landed in Australia more than a week before the ICC Board meetings happening this weekend in Melbourne. Shah replaced former India captain Sourav Ganguly as the BCCI representative (BCCI president between 2019 till October) on the ICC Board while Dhumal will be sitting on the chief executives committee. More importantly, Shah will also be part of the F&CA and is poised to take over as chair of the committee at its next meeting in March 2023 from Ross McCollum, former Cricket Ireland chair, who is due to retire soon.Ever since the Shashank Manohar-lead ICC dismantled the Big Three power structure in 2017, and put in place a new financial model that enhanced the earnings of smaller Full Member countries, the BCCI has publicly said it would strive to get a bigger share of the ICC revenue pool which recently got much bigger this August after Disney Star* bought the broadcast rights for men’s and women’s events between 2024-27. The deal, to broadcast in the India market only, is reportedly worth over US$3 billion, considerably more than what the ICC got in the previous rights cycle (which was for eight years, and globally). That pot will get more bigger once the ICC sells the broadcast rights in the remaining key markets including the USA, Australia and Europe.Both Barclay and Mukuhlani’s manifestos comprised having a re-look at the financial distribution model as well as advocating changes to the ICC governance structure. While Mukuhlani has pulled out of the ICC chair contest, his camp believes they have secured enough assurances that smaller countries will receive a more significant share from the ICC revenues as well as occupying key positions in the ICC committees. Accordingly, Imran Khawaja, the ICC deputy chair, will retain that post and continue to lead the ICC Development Committee. Khwaja had lost to Barclay in 202 ICC chair elections and had thought of running again before deciding to back Mukuhlani.Mukuhlani himself is part of the ICC’s Audit Committee and chair of the Membership Committee. He is also part of the global body’s Olympics working group, which is tasked with pushing for cricket’s entry in the Summer Games. Mukuhlani said in an ICC media release on Saturday that he decided to “withdraw” because he believed Barclay continuing as ICC chair was “in the best interest of the sport.”On his part, Barclay said his aim would now be to “strengthen” cricket and help it grow beyond the “core markets.””Over the last two years we have made significant strides forward with the launch of our global growth strategy that provides clear direction to build a successful and sustainable future for our sport,” Barclay said.

The midfielder's glittering career at the Etihad Stadium is almost over but he still had time to guide his side to three vital points

Kevin De Bruyne used his penultimate home game for Manchester City to remind them of his timeless brilliance as he scored the only goal in a crucial 1-0 win over in-form Wolves.

The midfielder put City in front in the 35th minute after a nervy first-half display from Pep Guardiola's side and the Cityzens held on, despite the visitors hitting the woodwork in each half, to record a fourth consecutive Premier League win and keep them on track for a top-five finish and Champions League qualification.

Wolves turned up in the midst of a club-record run of six consecutive Premier League wins and crafted the first clear-cut chance when Matheus Cunha slid to win the ball and played a through ball to Jean-Ricner Bellegarde between the lines. The Frenchman could have shot at goal but instead tried to set up Marshall Munetsi, badly over-hitting the pass and forcing his team-mate to slide in while failing to connect with the ball.

The visitors had a double chance a few minutes later when Rayan Ait-Nouri hit the post then saw his rebounded shot cleared off the line by Josko Gvardiol. Wolves were made to pay for their wastefulness when De Bruyne broke the deadlock, finishing first-time after a mazy run down the left from Jeremy Doku.

The excellent Cunha struck the woodwork in the second half and Wolves kept pushing for an equaliser right until the last kick of the game but City held firm to move up to third in the table with three games left for them to play. Erling Haaland made the bench for the first time since injuring his ankle in March against Bournemouth in the FA Cup but he only got to warm up and was not one of the five substitutes Guardiola introduced.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (6/10):

Had a quiet and comfortable return from injury after three weeks out. Faced six shots but didn't have to make a save. A searching long kick of his nearly released Doku.

Matheus Nunes (5/10):

Appeared to be targeted by his former club, with Ait-Nouri and Munetsi causing him plenty of grief down his right flank.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

Had a hopeful early strike which missed the target. Caught out on occasion by Cunha but mostly held the fort well.

Josko Gvardiol (7/10):

Made a super block on the line from Ait-Nouri and was alert to stop other potential breakaways.

Nico O'Reilly (6/10):

Strong going forward, combining well with Doku and forcing a save from Jose Sa. A little lax in the second half, leading to him being taken off for Akanji.

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Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

Cumbersome at times, especially out of possession. On the plus side, it was his ball which released Doku for the goal.

Mateo Kovacic (6/10):

Not quite as dominant as during the FA Cup semi-final but still helped City monopolise the ball and spread the play around nicely.

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

Made his 400th appearance for City and risked a serious injury when Ait-Nouri trod on his ankle, leading to a VAR check for red card which was ultimately dismissed. Energetic when it came to winning second balls but his passing was a bit off.

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Jeremy Doku (8/10):

His pace and trickery always kept Wolves on their toes. His twisting run set up the only goal and he was also a nuisance down the left wing after the break.

Omar Marmoush (5/10):

Another game in which he didn't make the most of Haaland's absence, especially with the Norwegian returning to the bench and warming up. Missed the target with his two efforts.

Kevin De Bruyne (7/10):

This was his second-last game at the Etihad and he made it count, making the difference with his pin-point finish. Was involved in City's best plays and got a standing ovation when he left the pitch.

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Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Gave City more solidity in defence after replacing O'Reilly.

Phil Foden (N/A):

Got seven minutes off the bench after being dropped from the line-up for the second game running.

Rico Lewis (N/A):

Replaced Marmoush late on to give City more control in the last few minutes.

James McAtee (N/A):

Came on for Gundogan in the latter stages.

Nico Gonzalez (N/A):

Brought on in added time.

Pep Guardiola (6/10):

Did not look happy with his players for much of the game. His side rode their luck but took another crucial step towards finishing in the top-five.

And breathe. Liverpool moved a point further clear at the top of the Premier League table after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday night but it wasn’t a night without its fair share of drama.

A stunning 98th-minute thunderbolt from centre-back James Tarkowski secured a dramatic point for the hosts, in their last Merseyside derby in their long-term home.

That came after goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah had cancelled out an opener from Toffees centre-forward Beto in the first half.

There were a few disappointing performances on the pitch for Arne Slot.

Central defender Ibrahima Konate is one of the players who may not be best pleased with his efforts at Goodison.

Ibrahima Konate's performance against Everton

The France international was selected to start alongside Virgil van Dijk at centre-back for the Reds after both players had been rested for the 1-0 defeat to Plymouth Argyle last time out.

Konate will be disappointed with his attempt to prevent Beto from getting across him and through on goal from the quick free-kick for the Everton opener, as he allowed the forward to get goalside to finish past Alisson.

The former RB Leipzig man was also brushed off too easily in the box moments before Tarkowski’s goal, as he appeared to claim a foul by exaggerating the contact. While you could argue that there was enough contact for a foul, the defender had to be stronger in that crucial moment of the game.

Konate did, however, win 100% (8/8) of his aerial duels in the match and was not dribbled past a single time, which shows that his general performance was strong, but he let himself down in two critical moments.

He was not the worst performer on the field for the Anfield giants, however, far from it. It’s safe to say Slot won’t be too happy with the performance of his man…

Chalkboard

The Liverpool star who must be dropped after Goodison

It’s safe to say that Hungary international, Dominik Szoboszlai, put in a performance that could see him dropped.

He came back into the starting line-up in the number ten position after the horror show of Plymouth Argyle and really struggled to stamp his mark on the game, despite putting plenty of effort in.

Szoboszlai failed to offer much in or out of possession for Liverpool and let himself down when he attempted to call for a penalty in the second half after a coming together with Vitalii Mykolenko. Rio Ferdinand described his actions as “embarrassing” for staying down on the floor after the incident.

Minutes

90

xG + xA

0.05

Pass accuracy

72%

Duels lost

10/13 (77%)

Possession lost

16x

Dribbled past

4x

As you can see in the table above, the former RB Leipzig star lost the majority of his physical duels with Everton players and was dribbled past a whopping four times, as the opposition midfield found it far too easy to get the better of him.

The right-footed dud also lost possession far too frequently, considering the incredibly little threat he offered in the final third, and that is why he was even worse than Konate, as his all-round display was simply not good enough.

Therefore, Slot must instantly ditch the central attacking midfielder from the starting line-up, after his disastrous showing at Goodison on Wednesday night.

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ByAngus Sinclair Feb 11, 2025

Tasmania will still be confident of the chase but need much more than looked likely

AAP26-Nov-2022Tasmania 220 and 4 for 151 need 87 more runs to beat Victoria 121 and 336 (Elliott 80*, Harper 57, Holland 55, Bird 4-54)Victoria were back in the hunt for their first win of the Sheffield Shield season after a remarkable day-three fightback against Tasmania.Debutant Sam Elliott struck an unbeaten 80 at the MCG on Saturday to help set Tasmania a victory target of 238.The visitors stuttered in response before Ben McDermott (46 not out) and Jake Doran guided them through to stumps.Tasmania are in the stronger position, requiring a further 87 runs for outright victory on Sunday with six wickets remaining, but the match is delicately poised.Will Sutherland made two important breakthroughs for Victoria, removing opener Caleb Jewell and Matthew Wade, who had made a strong start.Fergus O’Neill had Tim Ward caught at first slip and Jon Holland trapped Jordan Silk lbw.Earlier on Saturday, Elliott took a leaf out his famous father’s book with the bat in a superb knock to help lift Victoria to 336 in their second innings. Sam Harper and tailender Holland also hit vital half-centuries in Victoria’s rearguard.Winless Victoria had been staring down the barrel of another defeat when they slumped to 5 for 115 late on day two, having trailed by 99 runs on the first innings.But the 22-year-old son of former Test opener Matthew Elliott came in at No. 9 and combined with Harper in a vital 84-run partnership that extended into day three, turning the match on its head.Elliott and veteran Holland then put on a remarkable 96 for the ninth wicket.Holland’s blistering innings matched his previous best first-class tally as he smashed eight boundaries and a six in just 50 balls.Elliott, who also hit eight boundaries, was on 19 when he survived a huge lbw shout by Jackson Bird. He then frustrated Tasmania’s front-line paceman by nicking the next ball through the slips for four.Peter Siddle did not bowl on Saturday, with ex-Australian captain Tim Paine fielding as the substitute.