All posts by n8rngtd.top

Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Manchester United came to an end in October last year. Things ultimately did not work out for the Dutchman, despite winning two trophies in his two full seasons at the club. He guided United to their lowest-ever Premier League finish, eighth, last term, although that seems like it will be beaten this time around

The former Ajax boss was certainly backed in the transfer market, too. He spent a reported £616m on new signings over the course of his time at the club, reshaping the squad. Sadly, not many of those signings have ended up working out.

However, one player Ten Hag signed – under the INEOS regime – who seems to be finding his best form in a United shirt is Joshua Zirkzee.

Zirkzee’s United career so far

It has been a mixed debut season in Red for Netherlands international Zirkzee. He made the move to Old Trafford from Bologna in the summer for £36.5m, and initially struggled to find his best form, despite showing glimpses of what he can do.

So far, the former Bayern Munich star has scored six times and registered two assists in 41 games in that famous Red shirt, and has been particularly excellent of late, playing as one of the two number 10s in Ruben Amorim’s system.

Goals were a bit hard to come by for the attacker at the start of his United career. However, he has been finding the back of the net more consistently of late, and scored for United away to Real Sociedad in the Europa League.

He got the Red Devils’ only goal of the game to get a crucial 1-1 draw in the Round of 16 first leg.

As United social media presence Adam McKola said on Stretford Paddock, the United number 11 is “an intelligent footballer”, and possesses excellent close control. His ability on the ball is second to none.

So, Zirkzee may turn out to be one of the success stories of Ten Hag’s and INEOS’ transfer business. However, the new regime have made a handful of poor decisions in the market too, including selling one of United’s most important players last season, who is now outscoring Zirkzee this term.

The former United player outscoring Zirkzee

One of the rare things in modern-day football is to become a one-club player. Well, before his summer move to Napoli, Scott McTominay was on his way to doing just that at Old Trafford. He cost the Naples club £21m up front, with a further £4.2m in add-ons.

Where Are They Now

McTominay departed his boyhood club after making an impressive 255 appearances, scoring 29 goals and grabbing eight assists. Once described as a “hero” by Statman Dave last season, he scored some vital goals throughout his time at Old Trafford.

Last season in the Premier League, the Scotland international scored seven times. That included two goals against Brentford and Chelsea in match-winning causes at home, to earn United some big wins.

This season, the former United number 39 is thriving under Antonio Conte at Napoli. With Gli Azzurri pushing for the Scudetto, he has seven goals and four assists in all competitions, with ten of those 11 goal involvements coming in Serie A.

McTominay has made a brilliant start to life in Italy, and is even outscoring Zirkzee, who is starting to find his best form in Red for United.

Some of his stats on FBref show just how well he has played this term. For example, the Napoli midfielder averages 0.26 goals per game, ranking him in the top 95% of midfielders in Italy’s top flight.

Looking back on it, perhaps United regret selling McTominay. As well as Zirkzee is playing now, having their former academy star’s goal threat to add to the dynamic up front could have been deadly.

Even though they sold him for just £25m including add-ons, it seems United could have got an even better deal, or just kept him at the club instead.

Man Utd can ditch Dalot for 18-year-old who's "banging" on Amorim's door

Man Utd could have another Carrington gem on their hands

2

By
Joe Nuttall

Mar 7, 2025

All the key numbers from West Indies’ astonishing victory at Headingley as they chased 322 to level the series

Bharath Seervi29-Aug-20172000 – Last time West Indies won a Test in England, before this win – at Edgbaston by an innings. Since then, in the 18 Tests they played, they could draw only three and lost other 15.4 – Number of overseas wins for West Indies in the last 20 years, excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, in 88 Tests. They had won the Edgbaston Test in 2000, Boxing Day Test of 2007 in Port Elizabeth and against Pakistan in Sharjah last year win at Headingley.2 – Instances of teams winning a Test after facing a bigger innings defeat in their previous game in the series than West Indies who have sealed a victory after losing by an innings and 209 runs in the first Test. India had won against Sri Lanka after losing by an innings and 239 runs in 2008 and Australia won against India after a defeat by an innings and 219 runs in 1998.4 – This is the fourth successive series in which England have lost the second match of the series. They had won the first Test in three of those series – against Bangladesh, South Africa and West Indies – and drew against India, but have lost the second match in all four of them. England have lost the second Test in 10 of the last 14 Test series, since the Ashes in 2013-14.3 – Number of bigger targets successfully chased by West Indies than the 322 in this match. Against England, this is their second-highest successful chase and the third-highest chase for any visiting team in England.12 – Instances of teams losing a Test after declaring in the third innings, as England in this match. The last such occasion was also for England, against India in Chennai in 2008 when their captain Kevin Pietersen made the declaration. Other England captains to suffer this are Norman Yardley and David Gower.1 – Shai Hope is the first ever player to score centuries in both innings of a first-class match at Headingley. This was the 534th first-class match at the venue and 76th Test match but the first to see witness a batsman scoring two centuries.12 – Instances of a West Indies batsman scoring twin hundreds in Tests, including Hope. The last West Indies player to do so against England was Gordon Greenidge at Old Trafford in 1976. Greenidge was also the previous youngest player, at age of 25 years, 68 days, to achieve this in England and now Hope has beat that, ageing 23 years, 288 days.4 – Number of West Indies pairs to share 100-plus partnerships in both innings of a Test. Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope became the fourth such pair. They are the seventh pair to add 200-plus runs and 100-plus runs in a Test and first to do so against England.390 – Runs added by Brathwaite and Hope as a pair in this Test – the third-most by a West Indies pair in a match. The list is lead by 446 runs between Garry Sobers and Conrad Hunte against Pakistan in Kingston in 1957-58. Against England, there have been only three higher partnership aggregates in a Test.1989 – Last time a visiting opener scored a century and fifty-plus in the same Test at Headingley, Mark Taylor with 136 and 60. Brathwaite is the first visiting batsman to do so at Headingley from any batting position since Gary Kirsten’s 130 and 60 in 2003.2009 – Last time a West Indies player scored century in one innings and was out in 90s in the other – Sarwan (94 and 106) against England in St John’s. Brathwaite, with 134 and 95, is the sixth West Indies player with this distinction. The last such instance for any player was also against England, Hashim Amla, 109 and 96 in Centurion in January last year.11 – Number of players to score their career’s first two Test centuries in the same match, as Hope did it in this game. Lawrence Rowe, 214 and 100* on his debut, is the only other West Indies player to do so. The last to achieve this was New Zealand’s Peter Fulton in 2013. Hope’s highest score before this Test was just 90.

The Atlanta United goalkeeper and the Seattle Sounders defender have secured places in EA Sports FC 25's MLS’ Team of the Season (TOTS) selection

• Ragen receives impressive 94-rated regular TOTS card
• Veteran Guzan earns 93-rated TOTS Highlights card
• Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Christian Benteke, Evander and Moreira highest rated cards

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED

  EA Sports revealed its annual MLS Team of the Season selections for EA FC 25, with Seattle Sounders center back Jackson Ragen and Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan both making the prestigious squad. Ragen earned a coveted 94-rated regular TOTS card, while veteran Guzan received a 93-rated TOTS Highlights designation. The two Americans join Inter Miami's star-studded contingent featuring Lionel Messi (97-rated), Luis Suarez (96-rated), and Jordi Alba (95-rated) in a lineup that celebrates the best performers across the 2024-2025 MLS season.

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• WHAT EA SPORTS POSTED

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The EA FC 25 MLS TOTS selections reflect the evolving landscape of Major League Soccer, balancing recognition for international superstars with acknowledgment of domestic talent. While Inter Miami dominates with three selections (Messi, Suarez, and Alba), the inclusion of American players like Ragen and Guzan demonstrates that homegrown talent remains competitive even as the league's profile and quality continue to rise.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Guzan and Atlanta United’s focus will be on their next league game as they face the New York Red Bulls on May 31 in the MLS. The Seattle Sounders and Jackson Ragen will hope to carry their recent form, winning their last two games, when they welcome Minnesota United to Lumen Field on June 1.

Last summer, Arsenal needed to sign a new centre-forward. Benjamin Sesko was in their crosshairs but he ultimately ended up signing a new contract with current employers, RB Leipzig.

In the end, the Gunners went without. The only signing to bolster the forward line was Raheem Sterling.

The Chelsea loanee promised we’d see the best of him. That did not happen.

In January, Mikel Arteta was crying out for a striker again but it wasn’t forthcoming. What happened next? Kai Havertz sustained a nasty hamstring injury during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai.

Arsenal’s Premier League form suffered drastically and it ultimately tripped them up in Paris when they exited the Champions League at the semi-final stages.

So, a year on from when a new centre-forward first should have arrived, Arteta and Co are back at square one, chasing Sesko again.

Arsenal moving closer to signing a new centre forward

When you end the campaign with Mikel Merino up top, you know something has gone drastically wrong.

In all fairness, Merino was fine. Fine being the key word. He wasn’t exceptional, he wasn’t the spearhead you need to win a Premier League or continental title but he did score six goals in 12 outings as a striker.

That’s not bad at all, but it’s not the 54-goal tally Viktor Gyokeres scored. It’s not the 27 goals Alexander Isak scored. It’s not the 21 goals Sesko scored either.

All three of those players would be excellent signings, but it’s Sesko who looks the most likely to arrive at the moment.

Transfer Focus

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

That’s according to German publication BILD, via Sport Witness. They report on Wednesday that a deal is beginning to move on the player side.

Indeed, BILD states that Arsenal have ‘reached an agreement’ on personal terms between them and the striker.

While that doesn’t mean anything is wrapped up with Leipzig, the report does note that Arsenal have signalled to the Bundesliga club that they are set to made a bid that will not fall below their expectations financially.

It’s likely to take an offer between £68m-£85m to convince them to sell.

How Sesko could replicate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal

It’s safe to say that since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left Arsenal behind, Arteta has lacked a real potent centre-forward.

That’s not to say it was a mistake to let him go. After all, the Gabonese striker departed in controversial circumstances, stripped of the captaincy (video below) and then flying out to Barcelona on a trip that wasn’t sanctioned by the club.

Despite his flaws, Aubameyang was a mighty fine player for the club and was a key reason behind Arteta’s only trophy as a manager so far, the FA Cup in 2019/20.

Given Arsenal’s recent progress, it’s remarkable that they’re currently in the middle of a five-year trophy drought, but it’s perhaps no coincidence that they’re yet to win any major honours since Auba departed.

His record with the Gunners was exceptional, scoring 92 goals in 163 outings, most notably winning the Premier League Golden Boot in 2018/19.

He was one of the meanest forwards in the whole of English football during his time at the Emirates Stadium and even deservedly found his way into the PFA Team of the Year for 2019/20.

Aubameyang was relentless, netting 31 goals in 51 games throughout 2018/19 and then the following term, he bagged 29 in 44 matches.

Well, if Sesko did arrive then he’d certainly have a lot to live up to but there are similarities in the way they play the game.

Described as “the new Haaland” by scout Jacek Kulig, the Slovenian possesses a tall frame, standing at 6 foot 5. In contrast, the former Arsenal forward stands at 6 foot 2.

There is a slight difference there but what their height allows is for a longer and more powerful stride pattern. They can burst beyond the last line of the defence and surge towards goal in a similarly explosive fashion.

Rather than relying on intricate build-up play, they’re also very clever with their movement and rely on their instinctive finishing ability. In essence, they’re both mighty fine poachers. More often than not, they’re always in the right place at the right time.

Comparing one of Aubameyang’s best seasons at Arsenal with Sesko’s latest campaign, we can see see alike the pair are.

They took a near identical number of touches and completed a near identical rate of successful passes per 90 minutes, suggesting their actions in the build-up are very similar.

Likewise, they come out very closely for key passes and shot-creating actions, underlining how often they make something happen in the final third of the pitch.

Aged just 22, Sesko clearly has a lot of development left to do but if Arteta could extract that in north London, the Spaniard may well have the next Aubameyang on his hands, just without the excess baggage. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

He's shades of Nwaneri: Berta holds talks to sign £40m star for Arsenal

Arsenal are looking at signing one of Europe’s best young prospects this summer.

By
Matt Dawson

Jun 18, 2025

Newcastle United are thought to be interested in completing the signing of an “exceptional” Premier League player in the summer transfer window.

Who are Newcastle being linked with this summer?

The Magpies continue to push for new signings all over the pitch, as Eddie Howe prepares for an exciting season back in the Champions League in 2025/26.

Crystal Palace and England centre-back Marc Guehi is a long-time target and Newcastle are said to be among the favourites to snap him up this summer, with a move away from the Eagles arguably feeling more likely than ever.

Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford has also emerged as an audacious summer target, as the Magpies battle the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona for his signature. It feels highly likely that he will leave Old Trafford, with Ruben Amorim not considering him an important part of his plans.

Bryan Mbeumo has constantly been mentioned as the leading choice to bolster Newcastle’s right-hand side, but it looks as though the Brentford ace could be off to United or Tottenham instead. For that reason, Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert is reportedly being lined up as an alternative option.

Newcastle keen on "exceptional" Liverpool attacker Jota

According to a new claim that has emerged from Anfield Index, Newcastle are interested in signing Liverpool striker Diogo Jota this summer.

The Portuguese is considered a “potential attacking target” for the Magpies, with his future at Anfield up in the air, not least because the Reds have been linked with Alexander Isak, even holding talks with him over a move and remain in contact with the Newcastle star.

On £140,000-a-week, Jota is a top-quality player when fit and firing, with Jurgen Klopp making it clear what he thought of him during their time working together.

“Exceptional player, exceptional boy. He has everything that a Liverpool player in this squad needs. He has the technical skills, he has the physical skills and he is very smart and can learn all the tactical stuff pretty quick. On top of that, he can play all three positions; in a 4-2-3-1 he could play as the 10. So, it is very helpful. He has the speed, has the desire to finish situations off really good. I think his goalscoring record is pretty impressive.”

If Jota is potentially being seen as a replacement for Isak, though, it would be very risky, considering the Portugal international is an injury-prone player who was limited to only 14 starts in the Premier League last season.

He also turns 29 later this year, and the fact that Liverpool may be willing to sell him suggests that he could be past his peak, with his fitness woes catching up with him.

Schar upgrade: Newcastle among favourites to sign "unbelievable" £40m star

Newcastle will be looking to improve their defence this summer

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 16, 2025

If the Reds ace is brought in as a backup option to Isak, it is easy to see it being shrewd business, given Jota’s ruthlessness in front of goal, but he may not be considered a key starter for Howe.

England legend looks set to sign all-formats deal with club, after retiring from Tests last summer

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jan-2025James Anderson looks set to make a professional comeback in Division Two of the County Championship next season, after it was revealed he is in talks with Lancashire about an all-format return that will take his career past his 43rd birthday.Anderson played his 188th and final Test against West Indies at Lord’s in July 2024. He bowed out after 21 years as an England cricketer with 704 Test wickets at 26.45, and has not featured competitively since.However, he showed he had unfinished business when he put himself forward for the IPL auction in December – where he went unsold – and has stayed fit during his role as England’s Test bowling coach, with regular stints in the nets plus work with the team’s strength and conditioning coaches.Now, according to The Telegraph, he is ready to commit to at least one final season with Lancashire – the club that first signed him as a teenager almost a quarter of a century ago, and for whom he made his first-class debut in 2002.Lancashire were relegated from the top flight of the County Championship last season, although Anderson demonstrated his enduring prowess in first-class cricket with figures of 7 for 35 in his solitary appearance against Nottinghamshire at Southport in June.He is expected to be available from the start of the 2025 season, including a return to Lord’s to face Middlesex in Lancashire’s opening match from April 4 to 7, and – assuming he continues his coaching role with England – he could feature in five matches before the Test summer begins with a one-off match against Zimbabwe in May.Anderson’s comeback would also have to be combined with his burgeoning media duties, while Lancashire would also have to pay his wages for the first time in more than a decade, now that he is no longer an ECB centrally contracted player.Lancashire’s first home match is against Northamptonshire at Old Trafford in the second round of the Championship, beginning on April 11.He could also feature in Lancashire’s white-ball teams, although he hasn’t played any form of T20 cricket for more than a decade. His last match in the format was Lancashire’s four-run loss in the T20 Blast final in 2014.

Wrexham have been warned, as they bid to become the No.1 team in Wales, that they are entering “one of the hardest leagues in world football”.

• Run of three successive promotions
• Hollywood co-owners dreaming big
• Ready for Championship challenge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Three successive promotions, with the history books being rewritten along the way, have lifted the Red Dragons into the Championship. Dreams of one day reaching the Premier League continue to form at SToK Racecourse.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have helped to fund an ambitious project that shows no sign of slowing down. Wrexham have been busy again in the summer transfer window, with recruitment records being smashed on a regular basis.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Phil Parkinson is aware of the need to raise collective standards, despite all that he has achieved, with Wrexham now operating at a level above former top-flight performers Cardiff City and alongside Swansea.

• Getty
  

  WHAT PHELAN SAID

  Quizzed on whether the Red Dragons can become top dogs in Wales, former Swans defender Terry Phelan – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “When ownership come in, they have a vision. Wrexham are a big club, let’s be honest. Wrexham are a massive club. Back in the day, Wrexham were competing with everybody – Micky Thomas was playing there, Joey Jones, Brian Flynn was there.

  “You look at Wrexham, the owners have gone in there, seen the vision and put this vision together. They have gone out and splashed big money, so they are not afraid of spending. They are going in the right direction. They have a wonderful environment with the ground, the training facilities on the way, and what they want to do is attract players. You want to attract players because it’s a new project. I think they are selling the project very well.

  “Yeah, it’s a different kettle of fish now, they are going to be playing in one of the hardest leagues in world football. That is a big statement. It is a hard league and we’ll see how they go.

  “Swansea, bit of a yo-yo club. They have been there in the EPL, come down a little bit, but I think they will always be there or thereabouts. South vs North, there is a bit of distance there. The rivalry is more between Swansea and Cardiff, so I think Wrexham will just want to compete at the highest level and with the best teams.”

And what’s the record for the most consecutive Test appearances by a player against the same opposition?

Steven LynchI was looking at Rory Burns’ Test stats, and noticed that his average during wins is surprisingly quite a bit lower than in defeats. Who has the biggest difference between averages in wins and defeats? asked Rahul Sompura from India

That’s a great spot because, as it turns out, England’s Rory Burns has the biggest negative difference between his batting average in Tests won (25.41) and lost (35.86). Looking at the 394 players who were part of at least ten wins and ten defeats, next comes the 19th-century Australian Harry Trott, who averaged 16.40 in wins but 25.88 in defeats, a difference of -9.44 to Burns’s current -10.45.This is a very wide-ranging list: next come Mohammad Sami of Pakistan, with 6.11 in wins and 12.87 in defeats, and the old England wicketkeeper Dick Lilley (13.38 in wins, 20.11 in defeats). The England offspinner John Emburey averaged 13.88 in wins but 20.26 in losses, while Wasim Raja managed 21.92 when Pakistan won but 28.09 when they lost.Another old Australian deserves a mention: Monty Noble averaged 26.17 in victories, and 36.73 in losses – a difference of -10.56, slightly higher than Burns – but Noble only tasted defeat on nine occasions in Tests, so doesn’t quite make our cut-off.The winner in the opposite direction is rather less surprising: Don Bradman averaged a stupendous 130.08 in Australia’s wins during his long Test career, but a more modest 43.27 in defeats, a difference of 86.81. Next comes the West Indian Frank Worrell, with a difference of 55.74 (74.15 in wins, 18.41 in losses).I think Mark Waugh played 29 successive Tests against England without missing one. What’s the record for consecutive appearances in one match-up? asked Rajiv Radhakrishnan from England

This query tested the database skills of ESPNcricinfo’s Shiva Jayaraman, who thought it was the toughest one I’d ever asked him (luckily, he enjoyed the challenge!) And the record turns out to be held by Mark Waugh’s long-time captain for Australia – Allan Border played 44 successive Tests against England between 1979-80 and 1993. He went past two other Australians in Ashes matches: Victor Trumper played 40 in a row between 1899 and 1911-12, and Monty Noble 39 between 1897-98 and 1909.Next come the first non-Ashes combatants: Sunil Gavaskar appeared in 38 successive Tests for India against England between 1971 and 1986, while Courtney Walsh played 38 in a row for West Indies against Australia between 1984-85 and 2000-01.Jaskaran Malhotra of the USA hit 16 sixes but only four fours in an ODI the other day. Was this some sort of record? asked H Sharma from the United States

That remarkable effort by Jaskaran Malhotra last week, when he hammered 173 not out – the United States’ first century in ODIs – against Papua New Guinea in Al-Amerat also included six sixes in the final over, only the second instance of six sixes in an over in ODIs after Herschelle Gibbs did it for South Africa against Netherlands in St Kitts during the 2007 World Cup.The ratio of sixes to fours wasn’t quite a record, however. For England against Afghanistan during the 2019 World Cup, England’s captain Eoin Morgan thrashed an ODI-record 17 sixes, but only four fours, in his 148 at Old Trafford.The most sixes in an ODI innings without any fours at all is six, by Paul Collingwood for England against New Zealand in Napier in 2007-08, and Jimmy Neesham (who faced only 13 balls) for New Zealand against Sri Lanka in Mount Maunganui in 2018-19. For the list of the most sixes in an ODI innings, click here.Jimmy Anderson has been not out in 99 Test innings so far, 38 more than the next No. 11, Courtney Walsh•Getty ImagesAs a perennial tail-end “not-outer” myself I was interested to see that Jimmy Anderson is currently on 99 red-inkers in Tests. Is this the record? asked Robert Lewis Jones from the UK

It’s the record by a distance: Jimmy Anderson is on the verge of becoming the first man to have remained not out in 100 Test innings. Only five others – all fully paid-up members of the No. 11s union – have managed more than 50: Courtney Walsh (61), Muthiah Muralidaran (56), Bob Willis (55), Chris Martin (52) and Glenn McGrath (51). The first recognised batsman comes next: Shivnarine Chanderpaul was unbeaten in 49 innings in Tests, during which he made more than 4000 runs. Allan Border and Steve Waugh both finished not out on 44 occasions.Anderson also leads the way in all international cricket, with 145 not-outs in the three formats – but his lead there is much narrower: MS Dhoni had 142 not-out innings, Muralidaran 119, and Shaun Pollock 113.Maheesh Theekshana took a wicket with his first ball in ODIs – how many people have done this? asked Jayant Sampath from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s latest “mystery spinner”, 21-year-old Maheesh Theekshana, dismissed Janneman Malan of South Africa with his first ball in one-day internationals, in Colombo last week. His captain, Dasun Shanaka, predicted a bright future: “It’s not easy to read him because he’s now got the googly and the carrom ball, and his offspin as well. Because he’s got several variations, I don’t think it’ll be easy for any team to read him.”Theekshana was the 29th bowler – the third this year – to take a wicket with his first delivery in ODIs, a list which includes a few unexpected names.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Tom Brady has been “so impressed” with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as Birmingham spend in a bid to “keep up” with Wrexham in the transfer market.

• NFL legend on the Blues' board
• A-list co-owners in North Wales
• Friendly rivalry has been forged

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues will believe that they are in a stronger position at present than ‘Hollywood derby’ rivals from North Wales. It was they who captured the League One title in record-breaking style last season, accumulating 111 points in the process.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  They smashed recruitment records in 2024 and have continued to splash the cash 12 months on, with notable additions at St Andrew’s placing them among the favourites for promotion out of the Championship and into the Premier League.

• WHAT BRADY SAID

  Wrexham are also hoping to be in that mix, as A-list co-owners Reynolds and McElhenney smash transfer records of their own, and Brady admits that the Blues are looking to stay one step ahead of the Red Dragons on and off the field.

  NFL legend Brady told : “We've got to [keep spending]. We've got to keep up with one another. Wrexham have, I'd say, done an incredible job. I mean, you can't be anything but excited about what they've done for that club … I'm so impressed by Wrexham. What they do on the pitch, off the pitch, and again, they're in a great position to succeed as well.”

• Amazon Prime Video
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ is about to be rivalled in the documentary stakes by ‘Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues’, with “fun theatre” being generated. Brady added on light-hearted banter between A-list ownership groups: "We're going to talk a lot of smack in the meantime between all of us [Birmingham and Wrexham], because it's pretty fun theatre, and I think there's some little friendly side bets going on. But make no mistake, the people who are going to decide the fate of those games are the players wearing those jerseys."

Leeds United are set for a busy summer of transfer business as they look to make sure that their squad is ready to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Athletic reporter Beren Cross has reported that Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff is one of the names on the club’s shortlist of targets to improve their midfield options. He claimed that no bid has been made for the English maestro, but he is an ‘experienced’ player that they like.

Longstaff only started eight times in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign and Leeds could look to offer him a chance to play more regularly next term.

The Championship champions, however, are reportedly looking at another star from the top-flight who would be a way better signing than the homegrown Magpies ace.

Leeds eyeing move for Brentford midfielder

According to CaughtOffside, Leeds United are one of the teams monitoring Brentford central midfielder Yehor Yarmolyuk ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites, Tottenham Hotspur, Burnley, Everton, Wolves, Borussia Dortmund, and Napoli are all keeping tabs on the Ukraine international.

Transfer Focus

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

It states that the Bees are set to demand a fee of around £25m for the 21-year-old talent, and that no clubs have made any formal offers for his services as of yet.

Caught Offside adds that Brentford would prefer to keep hold of him to utilise his quality in the Premier League next term, but Leeds must now convince them to part ways with the young gem by meeting the £25m asking price.

Why Leeds should sign Yehor Yarmolyuk

Daniel Farke should push for the club to swoop for the Bees midfielder over a move for Longstaff because of his age profile and the quality that he could provide on the pitch.

He is six years younger than the Newcastle star, at the age of 21, and would arrive at Elland Road as a long-term addition to the group, whilst also being able to make an instant impact.

Yarmolyuk, who was described as a “dynamic” player by Thomas Frank, only started 15 of his 31 outings in the top-flight, but showed plenty of promise in the minutes that he did play.

If you look at his performances in comparison to Longstaff’s in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign, the Ukraine international appears to be the better option for Leeds on paper.

As you can see in the table above, Yarmolyuk could offer more to Farke’s team with his play both in and out of possession, particularly when it comes to progressing the ball into the attacking third whilst remaining efficient with his passes.

These statistics suggest that the Brentford ace is very similar, if not better, defensively to Longstaff, but is more effective at making things happen at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, the £25m-rated midfielder would be a significantly better signing than the Newcastle man because he can deliver more quality immediately, having outperformed him in the Premier League, whilst also offering more to the side in the long term due to his age.

He could be a terrific investment for the future, at the age of 21, whilst also being a Premier League proven star who can hit the ground running for Farke next season, which is why the Whites must seal a deal for him this summer.

The new Phillips: Leeds want to sign £15m star with "undeniable" potential

Leeds United are reportedly keen on a star who would be Daniel Farke’s own Kalvin Phillips.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 9, 2025