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Newcastle United will be hoping that their recent excellent run of form ensures they have the best chance possible of finishing in the top four of the Premier League.

After missing out on the Champions League via their league finish during 2023/24, Eddie Howe won’t want that to happen again, especially after tasting what Europe’s premier club competition has to offer.

In order to achieve this, Howe will need to bulk out his squad with a few reinforcements this month.

One area that is a priority is the attacking department. Alexander Isak is enjoying a wonderful campaign thus far, scoring 17 goals and grabbing five assists at the time of writing in all competitions.

Should he suffer an injury, however, Howe doesn’t have many options to call upon, suggesting another striker is imperative.

Elsewhere, signing a defender or two would also be a massive boost to Howe’s chances of leading the club back into the promised land of the Champions League.

Several targets have been identified of late. The question is, will any of them secure a move to St James’ Park before the transfer window closes in a couple of weeks?

Newcastle United’s January transfer targets

In recent days, Newcastle have sent scouts to watch Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki with regard to making a move to bring him to the North east this month.

Additionally, the Toon sent chief scout Steve Nickson to watch Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo in action against Manchester City during the 2-2 draw that took place midweek.

The Bees are demanding a fee of around £50m for any club to secure his signature, but they won’t be entertaining bids this month.

With Lloyd Kelly emerging as a key transfer target for José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe of late, could Howe cash in on a player who only joined the club last summer? Making a solid profit in the process.

If so, he will need to add another centre-back to his squad before the end of the window. Could he turn to Portugal to find the perfect replacement?

Newcastle have scouted Sporting defender

Ousmane Diomande is a name familiar with the Newcastle support. The club tried to sign the centre-back during the summer transfer window, but his £67m release clause proved to be too much, especially with PSR rules.

Could they make it second time lucky, however? According to Portuguese outlet A Bola (via Flashscore), the Magpies have sent scouts to monitor his performances for Sporting of late.

Howe could face plenty of competition for the Ivorian international, as Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United are all linked with a move.

Despite his high release clause, a bid of between €50-60m (£42m – £50m) could well be accepted by the Portuguese side, either now or during the summer transfer window.

Howe may have to offload a player or two in order to make a move for Diomande happen, but given how impressive he has been for Sporting, it could be money well spent indeed.

Ousmane Diomande’s season in numbers for Sporting CP

The 21-year-old defender has made a total of 25 appearances for his club this season, missing just one league game in the process.

In the top flight this season, Diomande holds a 94% pass success rate, while he has also averaged 1.1 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and wins 64% of his total duels contested per game, showcasing his defensive abilities and wonderful passing skill.

Diomande also loses possession just 4.7 times per game for the club domestically, which speaks to his ability to retain the ball for his side under pressure.

Adding this sort of quality to the Newcastle team would undoubtedly bolster their chances of securing a top four finish, no doubt about that.

Still to hit his peak, Diomande is already showing the characteristics of a world-class centre-back, and he could shine in the Premier League for the Magpies.

Not only that, but his attributes are fairly similar to an Arsenal defender who has arguably been one of the finest centre-backs in the English top flight over the previous couple of seasons – William Saliba.

Ousmane Diomande can be Howe’s own Saliba

The Frenchman has been a rock for Arsenal over the years. This term in the Premier League, he has won 61% of his total ground duels along with losing possession just 5.1 times on average.

Analyst Ben Mattinson lauded Diomande last year after he was linked with a move to Arsenal and Chelsea, saying: “As big of a no brainer as you can get. There’s other CB’s out there I like but like many I love Diomande.

“The thing I like about Diomande is in many ways he’s a hybrid between Gabriel and Saliba. If you allow him learn from them he could become a monster in no time.”

According to FBref, Saliba is the third-most comparable player to the Ivorian in the Champions League this season, proving that the pair are similar in terms of attributes and playing style.

Indeed, the pair have also registered similar statistics across a range of metrics in Europe’s premier club competition this season, including pass completion percentage (95% vs 93%), clearances (13 vs 20), touches in the defensive third (145 vs 181), percentage of aerial duels won (75% vs 81.8%) and carries (239 vs 216).

These statistics clearly show that both players play the game in the same way. Diomande is already displaying qualities which could see him rise to the upper echelons of the game.

A move to Newcastle would give him a platform to showcase these talents in the Premier League and could be one of the final parts of the jigsaw for Howe as he seeks a return to Europe for next term.

Much will depend on how much the manager has to spend this month, but these are the sort of transfers the club needs to make in order to progress to the next level.

The next couple of weeks could be interesting indeed.

Newcastle send high-ranking scout to watch "unplayable" £45,000-a-week star

What a signing he could be for the Magpies.

By
Henry Jackson

Jan 17, 2025

The Rossoneri defeated Inter in leg two after a 1-1 draw, advancing to the final where they will play the winner of Bologna vs. Empoli

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• AC Milan defeat Inter 3-0 (4-1) in Coppa Italia semifinals
• Luka Jovic nets emphatic brace to lift to finals of competition
• USMNT's Christian Pulisic started match

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  TELL ME MORE

  Christian Pulisic and AC Milan are off to the Coppa Italia final for the first time in eight years. The defeated arch-rivals Inter 3-0 in leg two of their semifinal on Wednesday, winning and advancing by an aggregate score of 4-1

  Goals from striker Luka Jovic in the 36th and 50th minute, and a late dagger from midfielder Tijani Reijnders in the 85th minute secured the victory, with Milan knocking out the

  Jovic's first was a beaming header, and the second was him smashing home off a corner kick, following a brief period of pinball in the box. Reijnders found the back of the net late off a counterattack, smacking home to his teammates swarming him, knowing they'd found victory.

  Pulisic started the match, logging 78 minutes before he was replaced by midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek. In his time on the pitch, the American winger completed 22 of 28 pass attempts, while creating two attacking chances in the final third. He registered 41 touches on the ball and completed three defensive recoveries, as well.

  Fellow U.S. teammate Yunus Musah went as an unused substitute on the bench.

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  The last time Milan won the Coppa Italia was in the 2002-03 season, while their last appearance in the final was 2018 – a 4-0 loss to Juventus.

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  THE MVP

  Luka Jovic:

  The Serbian forward, in his fourth-straight start across all competitions, scored his second and third goals across the stretch to lift Milan to glory on Wednesday. It was a fantastic strikers performance, with him capitalizing in two big moments to shine on the brightest stage.

  He's had an inconsistent 2024-25 season, but this was his moment to shine – and he did exactly that.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  The Inter defense: Torn apart on all three goals, they were exposed on both set pieces and from open play. It was a catastrophic showing from their back line, from Yann Bisseck to Stefan De Vrij to Alessandro Bastoni. The lone performer for them on the day may have been wingback Federico DiMarco, but overall, just a really poor defensive performance.

Marc Skinner's side were Chelsea's closest title rival a few weeks ago, but defeat on Sunday could lead to them missing out on Europe

In early March, Manchester United were Chelsea's closest rivals for the Women's Super League title. Just five points behind the Blues and with a clash against them to come in late April, their chances were somewhat slim but not at all far-fetched. However, the last two months have seen the Red Devils produce nothing like title-winning form, meaning Wednesday's loss to Chelsea not only handed the Blues the title but also weakened United's hold on the third and final Champions League place.

Defeat to an up-and-down Liverpool in mid-March was extremely costly and a draw at West Ham a few weeks later only compounded United's misery, meaning they went into Wednesday's game just four points ahead of chasing Manchester City. A win against the champions-elect suddenly felt massively important, especially ahead of the visit of City this coming weekend.

The nature of their 1-0 defeat to Chelsea will have been particularly frustrating, then. United were the better team for most of the game, and yet they came away empty-handed. It means a rejuvenated City can close the gap to the European spots to just one-point with victory this weekend, a result which would put the Red Devils under real pressure away at Arsenal on the final day.

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  Positives all season

  It's quite incredible to think that United could miss out on Champions League football. Marc Skinner's side have been impressive this term, boasting the best defensive record in the WSL and losing just once in the competition, that at Chelsea, before the month of March began.

  Summer signings like Elisabeth Terland, Dominique Janssen and Celin Bizet have been real success stories; Phallon Tullis-Joyce has followed brilliantly in Mary Earps' footsteps; and the form of Lionesses midfield duo Grace Clinton and Ella Toone has proved decisive in big moments.

  It's all come amid a fantastic FA Cup campaign, too, with the Red Devils into a third-successive final and in with a chance of defending their title when they face Chelsea at Wembley later this month.

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  Skinner's rewards

  Unsurprisingly, then, Skinner was rewarded with a new contract last month. It will keep him at the club until 2027, with the option of another year. "Marc’s record since taking charge speaks for itself, having delivered our first major women’s silverware and firmly established us among the leading teams in the WSL," Jason Wilcox, United's technical director, said. "After a major overhaul last summer, we have an exciting, developing squad ready to compete for further success, and we are convinced that Marc is the right coach to lead that process."

  It has been a good job by Skinner to respond to departures like those of Earps, captain Katie Zelem and top-scorer Nikita Parris, among others, and lead his team through a much better WSL season to date, having finished fifth last term, as well as a fantastic FA Cup run.

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  Precarious position

  However, that all said, United's position as Chelsea's closest competitors just a few weeks ago did still feel like it needed to be presented with caveats. One of the reasons was because the Red Devils still had all of Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal to play in their final three games of the season.

  It placed extra emphasis on winning almost every game until that point, but those dropped points against Liverpool and West Ham have left United needing to perform against their biggest rivals at the top in order to achieve something that will have been their minimum expectation this term, in qualifying for the Champions League.

  That's not to say United cannot get results against City and Arsenal in these last two weeks. After all, they were very unlucky not to get a result against Chelsea on Wednesday. But it serves as a reminder of just how good a team has to be to even compete for the WSL title, never mind win it.

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  Improvements elsewhere

  Both City and Arsenal are much better now than when United last played them, too. The reverse fixture against the Gunners came way back in early November, not long after the north London side had parted ways with head coach Jonas Eidevall. Since then, Renee Slegers has transformed this team into one that qualified for the Champions League final with a 4-1 thumping of eight-time winners Lyon at the end of last month.

  Wednesday's 5-2 defeat at Aston Villa, which opened the door for Chelsea to seal the league title, was a serious shock, but that it came just three days after such an incredible high explains some of it, as does Slegers' heavy rotation of personnel. It was also just Arsenal's second league defeat under the Dutchwoman, with the other a narrow 1-0 loss to Chelsea in January.

  While the WSL title has gone and some might envision the Gunners' focus switching to the Champions League final now, that simply won't be the case – not least because there is serious value in finishing second rather than third as it determines which round of qualifying a team enters into Europe. Arsenal will certainly want to stay ahead of the Manchester clubs and clinch second as it means their new season will begin in mid-September rather than late August. That's particularly significant given this summer's European Championship, at which most players for these top WSL teams will be, doesn't finish until July 27.

Sheffield United have been the main big spenders in the Championship this transfer window so far with a whole host of new faces entering the building.

At the time of writing, the Blades have added in four new faces to their ever-growing camp, with the latest addition seeing Ipswich Town promotion hero Harry Clarke arrive through the door to strengthen in the right-back spot.

The promotion hopefuls aren’t done there in terms of enhancing their options defensively, however, with the centre-back department still a cause for concern if another fresh body doesn’t arrive.

United's centre-back issues

Indeed, there isn’t significant depth for Wilder to rely on in this problem area of the pitch, owing to Harry Souttar picking up an unfortunate season-ending injury on Boxing Day.

Before that untimely development, Souttar was starring in the heart of defence for his loan side with a mammoth 13 clean sheets picked up from 21 league appearances, only for his positive campaign to be derailed in an instant against Burnley.

As a direct consequence of the Australian suffering a serious achilles tendon injury, the Blades only have three fit centre-back options at the club, with Alfie Gilchrist often drafted out to play as a right-back owing to more depth issues.

That has since been resolved somewhat by Clarke’s arrival onto the scene, but a new centre-back remains a top priority, with this face perhaps their number one target in easing concerns over numbers.

United could now sign Darling upgrade

The automatic promotion candidates have been very keen on adding Swansea City star Harry Darling to their ranks to plug some gaps, with the Swans defender nearing the end of his contract in Wales.

But, instead of solely pursuing the 25-year-old, the Blades could switch their focus back to Queens Park Rangers colossus Jimmy Dunne, who would be more than an apt replacement for the injury-stricken Souttar.

Away from being a rock at the back for his current employers this season with a mighty 7.8 duels won on average, Dunne has also proven himself to be a scorer of some audacious strikes across his QPR career to date with this stunning effort back in March gifting his team a last-minute win.

Darling is also well known for popping up with the goods in an attacking sense too, with two goals and three assists coming his way this campaign under Luke Williams’ guidance, but he does fall flat in comparison to Dunne – who Marti Cifuentes dubbed a “quality, quality human being” – when looking at their defensive dirty work.

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that Darling fits Swansea’s possession-heavy approach, but with Wilder in need of a similarly no-nonsense figure to Souttar, Dunne could well be the perfect late buy with the Irishman bettering the ex-Milton Keynes Dons man in most areas of their basic defensive games.

It might well be more of a challenge for the promotion chasers to gain Dunne’s services, with Swansea arguably resigned to Darling not penning a new deal in Wales and are looking to offload, but a last-gasp deal coming to fruition for the £8.5k-per-week man will further show how seriously Wilder’s men are taking the automatic promotion battle.

After all, many of United’s recent promotion glories have been built on a tough presence at the back who can also be a goal threat – with John Egan and Jack O’Connell coming to mind – with Dunne perhaps going down as the next memorable titan.

Dream Choudhury partner: Sheffield United could land "outstanding" star

Sheffield United could land this statement deal before the transfer window is over.

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By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 29, 2025

The Canadian midfielder has drawn attention from fans and teammates alike after he scored a rare Olympico goal during a recent training session

• Kaye's perfectly kick curved from well behind the corner flag into the net
• Canadian international’s strike was met with celebrations
• The Quakes play Portland Timbers next in MLS

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  During a standard training session ahead of San Jose's upcoming Western Conference fixture against Portland Timbers, midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye stunned fans and teammates alike. The Canadian international delivered a perfect Olympico goal despite standing a few yards behind the corner flag. The 30-year-old’s effort curved beautifully from the corner flag and into the far side of the net. The moment was captured by the club's media team and subsequently shared on the Earthquakes' official social media accounts.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mark-Anthony Kaye joined San Jose in December 2024 following an extensive MLS journey through LAFC, Colorado Rapids, Toronto FC, and New England Revolution. The 30-year-old Toronto native has compiled 179 MLS appearances with 15 goals and 2 assists throughout his career. A 2019 MLS All-Star and Supporters' Shield winner with LAFC, Kaye also brings international experience with 42 caps for Canada.

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  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Following their 2-1 loss to Columbus Crew, the San Jose Earthquakes remain in 11th place on the Western Conference table with 10 points after as many league games. They remain in the hunt for a playoff place and host Portland Timber next in the MLS on May 3. Following that, the Quakes face Sacramento Republic FC in their Round of 32 clash in the US Open Cup on May 7.

Manchester United are also set to sign a “remarkable” youngster alongside Patrick Dorgu, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Man Utd agree deal to sign Patrick Dorgu

The Red Devils and INEOS look to be closing in on the first big-money signing of the Ruben Amorim era, with a verbal agreement in place with Lecce for left-back Patrick Dorgu.

The 20-year-old, who has been thriving in Italy in recent years, has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford this month. United have made multiple bids, but it looks as if they have now made a breakthrough. If all add-ons are met, a transfer is set to be worth just under £30m.

Romano has since added that a medical for Dorgu has been booked for Thursday, January 30. However, it isn’t just Dorgu who United have been working to sign this month, with Arsenal’s Ayden Heaven also wanted in Manchester.

Man Utd make first contact to sign "magnificent" bargain Nkunku alternative

They’ve made their first move…

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By
Tom Cunningham

Jan 29, 2025

Romano previously revealed that it was Man Utd who were leading the race to sign the centre-back, and a development on Heaven emerged on the same day United agreed to sign Dorgu.

Man Utd also set to sign Ayden Heaven from Arsenal

Taking to X earlier on Tuesday, Romano revealed that Man Utd have booked a medical to sign Heaven, with an agreement being sealed.

Heaven, primarily a centre-back who can also play as a left-back, has been with Arsenal since 2019 where he joined from West Ham and stands at 6 foot 2. He’s been included in three Premier League matchday squads under Mikel Arteta this season and made his senior debut for the Gunners off the bench in the EFL Cup win over Preston North End. Talking about Heaven, Arteta previously praised the teenager.

“Very impressive. At 17, I don’t know how many players are able to do that on a stage like this. He’s lost a duel against one of the strongest and fastest players in the world, it can happen, but the reaction afterwards, the composure, the quality, the body language that he had were all remarkable. I’m really happy with him.”

With Heaven and Dorgu just 18 and 20 respectively, United officials appear to be building for the future after recently landing the services of prolific young forward Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal too.

Dorgu looks set to have an instant impact in Amorim’s first-team squad going off his experience in Serie A, whereas in years to come, Heaven and Obi-Martin could be starring on the biggest stage at Old Trafford too.

Demichelis will watch Monterrey’s quarterfinal first leg from the stands after being sent off during the Play-In clash against Pumas.

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• Ramos has only managed to feature in eight of 14 regular season matches
• His status for the second leg remains uncertain
• The Spanish defender has scored three goals so far in Liga MX

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 2025 Clausura Liguilla officially kicks off tonight, with top-seeded Toluca set to visit Monterrey in the opening match of the quarterfinals. While Toluca enters the postseason after an 18-day break, Monterrey arrives with a sharper edge, having just battled through the Play-In round. However, will once again be without their marquee signing and team captain, Sergio Ramos.

  The Spanish defender has now been ruled out for a third-straight game due to a lingering injury suffered in Matchday 17 against León, where he was forced off the pitch in the 75th minute. Ramos missed both Play-In matches—against Pachuca and Pumas—and has not seen action in over three weeks. Hopes that he might return for the quarterfinal opener were dashed after he trained separately from the squad on both Monday and Tuesday, according to ESPN. Although he did light ball work at the training ground, Ramos left the facility before midday on Tuesday, confirming his continued recovery.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ramos, who arrived in Monterrey during Matchday 6 as one of the most high-profile signings in Liga MX history, has only managed to feature in eight of 14 regular season matches. His presence has been noticeably impactful-Monterrey lost three of the four regular season games he missed. His absence was particularly felt during a mid-season slump that complicated the club’s path to the postseason.

  Despite his unavailability, have shown resilience. Though they fell to Pachuca in the first Play-In match, they bounced back with a win over Pumas to secure their place in the quarterfinals. But once again, they will have to face one of the league’s toughest opponents without their defensive leader.

  Now facing a Toluca side that topped the league table, Monterrey will need to rely on squad depth and momentum to overcome this challenge—and hope that Ramos recovers in time for the second leg.

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  WHAT RICARDO CHÁVEZ SAID

  Although Ramos has missed several matches due to injury, his influence hasn’t diminished. Monterrey full-back Ricardo Chávez spoke highly of the Spanish defender’s leadership since joining the team earlier this season.

  "If you think he looks like a professional and a leader from the outside, just imagine what it’s like up close. It’s incredible," Chávez said. "He’s always looking out for himself and his teammates. It’s extremely motivating to have him around. Whether he’s fit or not is up to him and the coaching staff, but his presence alone adds a lot to the group."

  Ramos, sidelined since Matchday 17, has continued to be involved with the squad off the pitch, providing guidance and support as Monterrey navigates the Liguilla without their captain on the field.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Monterrey manager Martín Demichelis will be forced to watch Monterrey’s quarterfinal first leg from the stands after being sent off during the Play-In clash against Pumas. The Argentine manager was involved in a heated exchange with Pumas head coach Efraín Juárez at the end of the match, leading to red cards for both.

  As a result, assistant coach Sebastián Grazzini will take charge of Monterrey on the sidelines for tonight’s crucial match.

Manchester United brought two players in during the January transfer window, signing Ayden Heaven from Arsenal and Patrick Dorgu from Lecce. However, Ruben Amoirm’s side were very close to a third addition and almost brought Mathys Tel to the club from Bayern Munich.

The winger ended up joining Tottenham Hotspur on loan until the end of the season with a buy option reported to be £50m plus various bonuses and five months of salary. However, according to David Ornstein, the Frenchman was also of interest to the Red Devils, and they reportedly held talks with his representatives.

Sadly for United, the deal did not get over the line. Tel could have joined the plethora of young talent on the books at Old Trafford, including a certain Chido Obi-Martin, who is very highly rated.

Chido Obi-Martin's Man United career so far

United manager Amorim teased fans about a potential debut for highly rated striker Obi-Martin before the end of the season. When quizzed on the youngster, he explained he is “doing his job” in the academy, and said he would “see at the end of the season” if he will play for the first team, hinting at a debut.

The 17-year-old Dane has been sensational for the Red Devils academy sides this season. He has played 11 times so far this term, scoring nine goals and grabbing two assists in that time. That includes four goals in just two FA Youth Cup games.

Obi-Martin has got an extraordinary record in the U18s Premier League, for both United and his former club Arsenal. He has played just 26 games in the competition but has 37 goals to his name in that time.

The Denmark U18 international is a player with high potential and is already showing excellent quality. He might well be in line for a professional debut if his form continues, just as Amorim alluded to.

However, there could be an even more exciting talent waiting in the wings, who might make United glad they never bought Tel.

Man United's most exciting talent at Carrington

Red Devils fans can certainly get excited about young talent Shea Lacey, who is someone compared to a rival player. In the past, some have compared his style of play and size to Phil Foden, and it is hard to deny they look like similar players when you watch them.

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Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Not only are they both left-footed right-wingers, but the pair look similar when they have the ball at their feet. They both have a low centre of gravity, ride tackles with ease and like to cut inside on their stronger foot.

Sadly for Lacey, injuries have affected his short career so far. Last season was particularly tough for him, and the youngster missed 162 days and 15 games due to a reported torn thigh muscle.

However, when he is fit and firing, the Liverpool-born winger has impressed. So far, he has played 28 games for United U18s and United U19s in the UEFA Youth League and has five goals and seven assists to his name.

One of his best performances in a United shirt to date came in the UEFA Youth League, against Lithuanian outfit FK Zalgiris U19s in a 6-0 win. Lacey made a 22-minute cameo, and, as per Sofascore, created two chances, completed four dribbles and grabbed one assist in that time.

Talents like Lacey are a rare find. Perhaps missing out on Tel was a good thing for United. If they had another winger in the squad, just a few years older, he might become the priority and block the youngster’s path to the first team.

The 17-year-old could well be a better talent than Obi-Martin, and that is saying something given the striker’s ability. He has the difference to transform a game with a moment of magic, and that is an exciting prospect for Red Devils fans.

Man Utd's answer to Saka: Amorim must promote "explosive" teenager

Man Utd could save themselves millions by unleashing an explosive young academy star.

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By
Joe Nuttall

Feb 10, 2025

Newcastle United were thrashed 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City’s £59m winter signing Omar Marmoush bagged a first-half hat-trick.

While City have been out of sorts this term, they showcased some of their old flair and guile against Eddie Howe’s outfit, who slump to seventh in the Premier League standings, nursing a third defeat in four top-flight matches.

The error-strewn display has served as a reality check of sorts. Howe has plenty of work to do in order to restore United’s Champions League pedigree and prepare for a Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.

One thing that Howe will need to do at Wembley – and over the coming months in the league – is get the team selection right. He definitely didn’t against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Howe gets it wrong

Howe is an expert tactician, crafting a system that has bore dividends for Newcastle over the past few seasons. However, Pep seems to have his number and proved this with a comprehensive win over the Magpies.

One of the most peculiar decisions was to keep Kieran Trippier in the starting 11 in lieu of Tino Livramento, who has his place to the 34-year-old after his clean sheet display against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.

He lost both of his duels, as per Sofascore, and failed to contain a Man City side that played with gusto and enthusiasm and, most importantly, confidence. The shift when Livramento came on at the interval wasn’t significant, but the younger man’s energy and crispness in the tackle – winning both of his duels – did make a big difference in reducing the hosts’ threat.

Newcastle didn’t hit their rhythm, instead playing to City’s strengths and continuing a miserable and abiding run against them: Newcastle have only beaten City once in the Premier League since the 2005/06 season.

Trippier’s right-back berth didn’t help things, but his opposite number at left-back, Lewis Hall, should be incredibly frustrated with his meek showing.

Howe must boldly drop Lewis Hall

Trippier was pretty bad, and it was a questionable decision to place him in the starting line-up with Livramento’s athleticism more suited to the rigorous test. However, Hall should have done far better against Man City.

The 20-year-old was described as “the best left-back in the country” by correspondent Dominic Scurr earlier in the campaign but showed little sign of authority as he was steamrolled by the energetic Savinho.

As is the nature of social media, Hall will be rebuked for his performance in Manchester, and while he was indeed poor, there’s little question that he’s one of the most talented young players in the Premier League.

However, he’ll be dismayed that his efforts against the four-in-a-row champions didn’t reflect that.

The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson was particularly scalding in his post-match comments, noting that the deservedly-hooked Trippier was culpable for a ‘dreadful error’ in the build-up to Marmoush’s opening strike, but that Hall wasn’t much better.

In fact, Hall wasn’t any better. Also branded with a 3/10 match rating, Wilson said this of Hall’s performance: ‘His defensive limitations were repeatedly exposed by Savinho – especially poor for City’s third goal.’

It wasn’t all doom and gloom. City’s relentless attacking called the full-back into making seven tackles, also winning eight of his 11 duels on the afternoon, as per Sofascore. However, such metrics don’t paint the full picture, with reporter Adam Clery making a candid statement on the woeful effort.

The FourFourTwo journalist said: “Lewis Hall’s been outstanding this season, but he’s currently putting in one of the single worst defensive performances I’ve seen in a long time. Backing off all the way into his own box and then still getting ran past. He looks like he’s 36.”

BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton also chipped in on the criticism, singling Hall out and commenting that he looked “absolutely petrified of Savinho,” going on to say that the English defender couldn’t “cope” with the intensity and fleet-footedness of his adversary.

Newcastle will brush themselves off after this setback – especially with a crucial run of games coming up – but the likes of Hall will use this as a brutal reality check, one that might prompt Howe to make a bold intervention and place maybe Dan Burn or even Matt Targett at left-back for next weekend’s crucial contest against third-place Nottingham Forest at St. James’ Park.

Forest are no joke but the business period of the campaign will hit United like a freight train, with a trip to Anfield coming just three days after the clash against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

Newcastle actually won 49% of the duels on the day, also coming out with a 62% tackle success rate compared to Man City’s 50% win rate.

The difference is that the Sky Blues were incisive and pounced on the mistake-filled and unconvincing individual efforts of the Magpies.

The consensus at full-time was that Newcastle were uncharacteristically passive, lacking their usual bite and synergy – especially in the middle of the park.

The likes of Hall will be dejected after such a poor outing, but there’s still everything to play for over on Tyneside, and Newcastle have proved time and time again their powers of recovery and ability to weather the storm and come out on top.

It’s clear that Livramento should take his berth back from the ageing Trippier on the right, and while Hall’s got a big future ahead of him and has been an integral cog in the Howe machine this year, he hasn’t been named as a substitute since September, and a tweak may be worthwhile in the short term.

His value has risen by £87m: Newcastle struck gold on "world-class" star

Eddie Howe has turned this Newcastle talent into one of the world’s best.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 14, 2025

Premier League legend Alan Shearer has roasted Ruben Amorim by claiming that the Portuguese coach has made Manchester United worse.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Man Utd fail to win Europa League
• Amorim's first season ends as a failure
• Shearer claims Amorim has made United worse

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amorim decided to join Manchester United in November after the Red Devils parted ways with Erik ten Hag, after the Dutch coach left the side 14th in the Premier League. A lot was expected of the Portuguese coach who had revolutionised Sporting CP. However, what followed was a horror season as Amorim has only led the side to six wins in 26 Premier League matches, and United are set to end the campaign 15th in the league, at best.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite their domestic struggles, United reached the Europa League final but ultimately fell short against Tottenham Hotspur in a somewhat underwhelming final between the two struggling Premier League sides. Newcastle United legend Shearer has now claimed that Amorim has hurt the Red Devils more than he has improved the side's dwindling fortune.

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  WHAT SHEARER SAID

  Speaking to Betfair, Shearer said: "There will be a lot of questions around Ruben Amorim’s future now and very much like the Spurs situation, it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't the manager at the beginning of the season. Whether that's his choice or not, I guess.

  "I've said it so many times, there's no way he's gone into that football club and expected what he found. There's no way he thought it was that bad. He couldn't have, because I'm not sure you'd go.

  "He hasn't helped the situation. They've actually got so much worse under him. It might have been papering over the cracks if they had won the Europa League, but their problems were summed up in that 97 minutes: no creativity, no legs, no energy, no goals, and a complete mess."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR AMORIM?

  Despite Shearer's claims that Amorim may not be at United past this summer, reports have suggested that the Portuguese coach will be backed by United to continue next season. It has been reported that INEOS are set to offer the coach a transfer budget of £100 million as they look to improve the squad based on Amorim's desired options.