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It must be difficult not to get carried away if you’re a Birmingham City fan at present.

After all, £10m was recently splurged out on Kyogo Furuhashi to boost an already potent forward line, on top of the fact that pre-season action kicked into gear with a bang as the new-look Blues confidently beat Spanish titans Sevilla 3-1.

Any naysayers doubting Birmingham ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign might well have been silenced after this impressive victory, with more new signings now being tipped to join the exciting St. Andrew’s rollercoaster before pre-season is up.

Birmingham now targeting move for Premier League star

Despite a barrage of fresh signings entering the building, only Phil Neumann out of all the summer buys would be unleashed from the get-go against Sevilla, as Davies dripfeeds minutes to his whole camp before the second tier comes into view.

Transfer Focus

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

Taichi Hara could soon be another option the Blues boss tests out across the remaining pre-season fixtures, with reports suggesting that Birmingham have added the Japanese gem to their shortlist after he has impressed out in the J1 League with Kyoto Sanga.

Alongside him, Birmingham could tap into the Asian market even more by snapping up Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Hwang Hee-Chan.

Indeed, a development from South Korean journalist Han June has suggested that the newly promoted side views the Old Gold number 11 as a main target due to his top-flight experience in England.

This might well result in Birmingham pulling off another ambitious swoop like the Kyogo deal, with both players in question hailing from Asia, but both well-known and exciting entities when plying their trade in some demanding divisions up and down the United Kingdom.

Why Hwang could be Kyogo 2.0

Whilst Hwang has fallen down the Molineux pecking order since Vitor Pereira’s arrival on the scene, his goalscoring record at the very top for Wolves at his prime will be enough to convince Blues fans that this is a worthwhile capture to chase after.

22 Premier League goals have come his way since he moved to the West Midlands for £14m, with 12 of those being fired home across the 23/24 season, leading to then Old Gold boss Gary O’Neil hailing the South Korean marksman as “excellent” for his clinical nature in front of goal.

On top of that, his goalscoring expertise also stretches out to a standout spell leading the line for Austrian side RB Salzburg, with a bumper 45 strikes collected, with three of those goals even coming in the illustrious Champions League.

Kyogo is well-versed in what it takes to be a goalscoring menace at this intimidating level, too, with three of his mammoth 151 career strikes falling on Europe’s grandest stage.

CF

168

61

35

LW

45

9

4

RW

32

5

3

AM

8

0

0

CF

177

105

29

LW

99

31

22

SS

11

2

1

RW

11

3

1

But, as can be seen looking at the table above, they both won’t just be vying to steal the striker limelight off Jay Stansfield or Alfie May, with Hwang and Kyogo more than comfortable sneaking out to the left wing if needed, alongside also slotting nicely into Davies’ 4-2-3-1 system as a presence just behind by the main striker.

Hwang wasn’t just labelled as a talent who has “got everything” by ex-Arsenal great Ian Wright by fluke, with the 29-year-old a real standout purchase for the Blues if it goes through.

There are some hurdles for Birmingham to overcome in terms of fee and wage costs, but if Birmingham wants to accelerate to that next level quickly, it might well be worth throwing the necessary cash at Hwang, much like they did when forking out £10m for Kyogo.

Birmingham City could sign "special" star who'd be Kyogo's dream winger

Birmingham City could soon win a dream attacking partner for Kyogo Furuhashi by securing a deal for this special forward.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 13, 2025

The January transfer window is fast approaching and Liverpool could be tempted back into the market to bolster their squad as they compete for the Premier League title.

Jurgen Klopp's side are currently second in the division and next month could provide them with an opportunity to give the team a boost ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Over the summer, The Daily Mail reported that the Reds have a long-standing interest in Bayern Munich superstar Joshua Kimmich and would be keen to secure a deal if he became available.

This is worth remembering as Sport BILD recently claimed that selling the Germany international is no longer unthinkable for the Bavarian side, as his contract is due to expire in 2025.

Klopp could now land his own version of Manchester City star Rodri by tempting Bayern to cash in on the defensive midfielder in one of the next two windows.

Rodri's season in numbers

The Spain international is a rock in the middle of the park for the Cityzens with his outstanding play in and out of possession in front of the back four.

Over the last 365 days, Rodri ranks within the top 4% or higher of his positional peers in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European Competitions for progressive passes (8.81) and passes attempted (95.76) per 90.

This shows that the former Atletico Madrid prospect is an exceptional passer who is able to dictate the tempo of a match with the volume of passes he gets off whilst also being able to progress his team up the pitch with line-breaking, forward, passes.

The 27-year-old battler has also displayed his defensive awareness in the Premier League this season with 3.2 tackles and interceptions and 7.2 ball recoveries per match across 14 appearances, which shows that the talented gem can break up opposition attacks on a regular basis.

The statistics that show Kimmich is similar to Rodri

Liverpool could now sign their answer to Rodri in a swoop to bring Kimmich to Anfield as the German maestro has similar qualities to the Spaniard.

The £322k-per-week whiz, who was once hailed as "phenomenal" by Jose Mourinho, is also a fantastic passer who can contribute out of possession as well.

Over the last 365 days, Kimmich ranks within the top 3% or higher of his positional peers in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European Competitions for progressive passes (9.47) and passes attempted (87.32) per 90.

This shows that the Bayern star actually progresses the ball up the pitch through his passes more often than Rodri despite attempting fewer passes overall.

However, the 28-year-old ace falls slightly behind the City enforcer when it comes to the defensive side of the game. Kimmich has averaged 2.8 tackles and interceptions combined and 6.3 ball recoveries per match over 11 Bundesliga appearances this season.

These statistics show that the Liverpool target can be an imposing presence in front of the defence by winning possession back for his team on a regular basis, albeit not quite as regularly as Rodri.

Overall, the Bayern metronome is similar to Pep Guardiola's midfield star in what he offers on and off the ball, and that is why Klopp should swoop for him in January or next summer.

West Ham United have gone from relegation contenders to Europa Conference League champions and a side comfortably sitting in mid-table all in the space of a year. And this is all whilst losing star man Declan Rice during the summer window. David Moyes' side have so far enjoyed an impressive campaign despite some inconistent performances, having qualified out of their Europa League group and risen to ninth in the Premier League.

They won't want to just simply sit back and rest on their laurels now that they're back to their best, however. Instead, reports suggest that they've already turned their attention towards one particular January target.

West Ham transfer news

Those at the London Stadium spent the Rice money incredibly well during the summer transfer window. James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez and Mohammed Kudus have continued to impress throughout the current campaign to make their former golden boy's exit somewhat of an afterthought. If West Ham can qualify for European football once again, meanwhile, then Rice's exit may even be looked back on as a blessing in disguise.

The Hammers will reportedly look to repeat their transfer genius in January to land even more upgrades. According to Rudy Galetti, West Ham are considering an attempt to sign Ian Maatsen from Chelsea in January and have already asked their London rivals for information about their left-back.

Maatsen's current Chelsea deal is due to run out in the summer of 2025, meaning that the Blues have just over a year to cash in before facing the risk of losing the reported West Ham target on a free deal.

"Pacy" Maatsen needs minutes

Maatsen's stats expose just how desperately he needs a move during the January transfer window. The young Dutchman is yet to start a single Premier League game and has played just 106 minutes – the same as just over one full game. Even when Ben Chilwell has been unavailable, it has been Marc Cucurella who has been given the role, perhaps leaving Maatsen to wonder what more he has to do to break into Mauricio Pochettino's side.

West Ham could offer the full-back the minutes he so desperately needs though. Maatsen would be left competing with former Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri, but would also have the chance to feature in Europe – something that Chelsea cannot currently offer.

At his best, Maatsen has been at the centre of praise, including from Burnley boss Vincent Kompany upon the start of his loan move at the Clarets last season. Kompany told the club's official website: “We’re pleased to add Ian to our team, he’s a talented, energetic and pacy player, who can defend and get forward well. Ian will be a great addition to our team on and off the pitch.”

For the last couple of seasons down at Goodison Park, Everton have lacked a potent goalscorer in attack – the days of Romelu Lukaku scoring twenty plus for the Toffees a distant memory, with Dwight McNeil coming in as the top scorer for Sean Dyche's men last campaign with a passable seven goals.

The Toffees have not been helped by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's woeful injury record of recent times, the once promising starlet – who bagged an encouraging 16 goals for the Merseysiders during the 2020-21 season in the Premier League – is often sidelined with a long-term injury knock now rather than leading the line for Dyche's men.

The Englishman has been a regular fixture for the Toffees in the starting eleven this campaign – after unfortunately suffering a broken cheekbone in August – scoring two goals from six league outings.

All those connected with Everton will hope Calvert-Lewin can put these injury troubles to one side of his mind and transform back into a deadly striker again over a full campaign, with a creative midfielder from Turkey being linked with a switch to Goodison Park that could aid and assist the 26-year-old forward to reach that level again in Kerem Akturkoglu.

Are Everton interested in Kerem Akturkoglu?

TEAMTalk are reporting that a whole host of Premier League clubs are circling for Akturkoglu, the Galatasaray winger wanted by Aston Villa, West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion and many others on top of Everton's interest in the player.

Valued at £13m, as per CIES Football Observatory, it could prove to be a shrewd purchase by the Merseysiders to bring the Turkish midfielder to Goodison Park – Galatasaray's number seven having been "impressive", according to Manchester United journalist Samuel Luckhurst, when his side travelled to Old Trafford, the 25-year-old a nuisance all evening for the Red Devils defenders.

Adding new reinforcements that could enhance Everton's creativity would be perfect for Calvert-Lewin, who would surely benefit from the tricky Turkish winger leaving Istanbul behind for Merseyside.

How good is Kerem Akturkoglu?

Away from his one-off starring role in the Champions League group stage, in which he got on the scoresheet to level the tie at 2-2, the 23-cap international has been a consistent performer for his side in the Süper Lig over the last few seasons.

He's notched up 136 appearances for the Istanbul-based giants, registering an impressive 34 goals and 37 assists.

This season alone, Akturkoglu has had a part to play in eight of his side's 18 goals in the league as Galatasaray attempt to overcome fierce rivals Fenerbahce at the top of the division – scoring three goals and assisting five along the way.

Comparatively, the likes of Dwight McNeil, Jack Harrison and Arnaut Danjuma for the Toffees only have a combined two assists between them – the Everton ranks crying out for more creativity to help Calvert-Lewin recapture his previous goalscoring heights.

He could even help Everton score more just from his own efforts alone, hitting the target from ten of his 21 shots on goal for his current Turkish employers this season per FBRef – sharing the goal load out as a result.

Akturkoglu's interest from Premier League teams would only have intensified after his performance versus Man United, Erik Ten Hag's Red Devils surprisingly beaten by Galatasaray 3-2 on a bruising night for the Dutch head coach's ego in the Old Trafford dugout.

Although he would lose possession 17 times in total in this contest – as per Sofascore – the 5 foot 8 dynamo was always available to receive the ball to push his team forward and was an effective thorn in the side that the hosts struggled to contain.

If Everton could beat other suitors to seal the Turkish winger's signature when January comes around, they could have a real star on their hands who could boost Calvert-Lewin's performances subsequently.

A group of Roma fans have been arrested after causing unrest on a flight to London ahead of their Europa League tie against Brighton on Thursday.

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Roma fans arrested after flightSuspects accused of disruptionSet to face Brighton in Europa LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Five or six Giallorossi supporters were met by police when they landed in England after causing disruptions on the flight from the Italian capital, reports. Police cars were ready on the landing strip at Stansted airport to detain the suspects.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The arrest of the Roma fans is just the latest controversy surrounding the tie. Two Brighton fans were stabbed in Rome ahead of the first leg of the Europa League last-16 tie, while the Italian fans threw bottles, lighters and coins at the away support during the game.

DID YOU KNOW?

Roma ran out 4-0 winners in the first leg of the European tie last week, with Paulo Dybala, Romelu Lukaku, Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante all getting on the scoresheet to give Daniele De Rossi's team a significant advantage.

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Getty WHAT NEXT?

Roberto De Zerbi's team will aim to get back into the Europa League tie as best they can when they host the Serie A side on Thursday. The Seagulls will then have two weeks off ahead of the international break.

Joe Denly and Adil Rashid shared seven wickets as England closed out victory in their final white-ball encounter of the tour

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo27-Oct-20181:39

Social Story: Denly’s back!

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJason Roy – dropped three times – thwacked 69 off 36, Moeen Ali smote 27 off 11 while the lower-middle order rallied, and England lurched in fits and starts to 187 for 8, which would prove 30 too many for Sri Lanka.The target was imposing enough by itself, with only one greater total having been successfully chased at Khettarama. But when Joe Denly, playing in his first England international in almost nine years, removed both Sri Lanka openers with his virtually non-turning legspin, Sri Lanka’s pursuit was seriously imperilled. England’s other legspinner – the main one – Adil Rashid then claimed three wickets through the middle overs to essentially seal victory for his team.Between them, Rashid and Denly accounted for Sri Lanka’s top five, and had them well behind the asking rate. Sri Lanka captain Thisara Perera slammed his way to 57 off 31 balls for the remainder of the innings, but his team had lost too much ground to make even that innings meaningful. The hosts limped, eventually, to 157 all out by the end of 20 overs, Denly claiming career-best figures of 4 for 19.England, and Roy in particular, made their intentions felt in the very first over. Running down the pitch to Lasith Malinga, Roy thumped him over long-off for six second ball, before glancing the fourth ball to the fine leg boundary for four. Sri Lanka tried to target Roy with the left-arm spin of Amila Aponso, perhaps working off the theory that he was susceptible to that form of bowling early in his innings. It didn’t work – Roy thrashed two fours off Aponso’s first two balls.The spinner would have more luck at the other end, in his second over, however, dismissing Roy’s opening partner Jos Buttler, and Alex Hales in the space of four balls. That prompted a brief respite from Roy’s onslaught – a period of about four overs when he did not hit a boundary. The big hits would resume soon enough, though.The ninth over, bowled by Lakshan Sandakan, was the most eventful over of the innings, and perhaps the definitive one of the game. Batting at the time on 34 off 25 balls, Roy top edged the second ball, and sent a miscued slog-sweep high to deep midwicket. But the substitute fielder, Sadeera Samarawickrama, spilled the straightforward chance, after which Roy nailed a slog-sweep into the western stand. Fourth ball, another top edge, this one to Dasun Shanaka at long-off. That was also grassed. Last ball, Sandakan should have had Ben Stokes lbw as well, only for the umpire to deny him, and his team-mates to refuse the review.Adil Rashid made important inroads•Getty ImagesRoy, who was dropped again in the next over, clobbered 34 runs off 11 balls after his first reprieve. Stokes made 24 off his next 21. Between these two innings and that of Moeen, who struck three sixes and a four off his first 10 balls despite having arrived in the 12th over with four wickets already down, England were powered to their daunting total.Denly, who produced a useful 20 off 17 with the bat as well, might not have been the kind of bowler that worried Sri Lanka before this match, but he nevertheless was the first to push them off course, before Rashid truly toppled them later on. He slipped a ball under Kusal Mendis’ ambitious slog-sweep with the last ball of his first over – Kusal making a return to single-figure limited-overs scores, after hitting a half-century in the last ODI. Niroshan Dickwella, who is perhaps the form batsman of this top order, was out in almost identical fashion in Denly’s next over.Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva threatened to rebuild – even if Sri Lanka were already struggling in terms of run rate – but Rashid’s arrival at the bowling crease the moment the Powerplay ended, swung the match decisively for England. He had Chandimal caught attempting a reverse-slog in his first over, then dismissed Kamindu Mendis and de Silva in the space of three deliveries in his third, conceding only 11 runs – no boundaries – right through his four-over spell.Aside from Thisara’s late fifty, debutant Kamindu’s all-round performance might have been the only real positive for the hosts. Not only did he deliver both left-arm orthodox and right-arm offbreaks for the first time in an international match since 1996 (Sri Lanka’s Hashan Tillakaratne had been the last to do it), his batting was also full of promise. In 14 balls at the crease, he struck three fours and a six, before eventually holing out attempting a slog-sweep. For now, his batting appears his foremost cricketing talent, even if the uniqueness of his bowling will command more headlines.

The old cliche goes that if you can’t beat them, join them, but the same is also true that if you can’t stop them, then sign them. Liverpool appear to be doing the latter.

Few players will have given Anfield hero Virgil van Dijk sleepless nights in recent years, although Alexander Isak might well be one of them, with Newcastle United’s Swedish sensation proving an absolute menace for the Dutchman and his fellow defenders.

Described by the Reds skipper as “definitely the most in-form striker at the moment in world football”, ahead of the Carabao Cup final in March, the returning Isak duly scored in that Wembley showpiece to seal an emotional, surprise win for the Magpies.

In all, the former Real Sociedad man has netted four times in just six appearances against the Merseysiders across all competitions, with that likely to have played its part in their apparent bid to prise the 25-year-old from St James’ Park on a £120m deal.

Such bombshell news has become the talk of the town from a Premier League perspective, although on Tyneside, Eddie Howe and co don’t appear to have thrown in the towel just yet.

Still steadfast in their desire to keep hold of the 6 foot 4 machine, Newcastle may steer Arne Slot’s side toward potential attacking alternatives…

Liverpool's potential Isak alternatives

The obvious place to start is with the man who could well have a pivotal role to play in Isak’s future, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.

The young Frenchman is being lined up as a future replacement for the Sweden star at St James’, albeit with Liverpool also throwing their hat into the ring, should it prove too difficult to get their top target out of the north east.

It would appear that it isn’t just that duo who the Merseysiders have their eye on, however, with the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones reporting that the champions are considering multiple other options in the bid for a new number nine.

Transfer Focus

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

Among those said to have been discussed at Anfield is Manchester United outcast, Marcus Rashford, with the Englishman noted as one of the six Isak alternatives that have been considered.

As the report does note, such talks have not progressed any further as yet with it looking unlikely that Slot and co will pounce, albeit with the 27-year-old certainly available having been exiled by Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim.

Valued at £40m earlier this year, amid the chance for Aston Villa to purchase their loan signing on a permanent deal, Rashford would represent a far cheaper choice than that man Isak. He would also be far more controversial, however…

Why Liverpool could be targeting the new Michael Owen

It says it all that the last player to directly move between Liverpool and Man United was Phil Chisnall, with the forward scoring ten goals in 47 games at Old Trafford, before moving to Anfield on a £25k deal in 1964.

Even signing a player with a previous association to the ‘other’ club has been a rarity in modern times, with notable examples including a certain Paul Ince in the late 90s, alongside the more infamous ‘treachery’ of Michael Owen.

Once the golden boy of Liverpool, having emerged from the academy ranks as a dazzling teenager, Owen burned his bridges – and then some – after ending up on the books at United in 2009, having joined Sir Alex Ferguson’s side via spells at Real Madrid and Newcastle United.

Despite admitting that he had had his heart set on returning to Merseyside amid his exit from Madrid in 2005, no such homecoming came to fruition, with the declining striker later linking up with Fergie on a free transfer.

Still just 29 at the time of that controversial switch, it was evident that Owen’s powers were on the wane, with his last-gasp goal in a 4-3 win over rivals Manchester City the only real moment of note across the next three years. Just 17 goals in 52 games says it all.

While circumstances might be different in the case of Rashford, he too could prove to be something of a bizarre, unnecessary signing, this time for Liverpool, with it hard to see the wisdom in even considering the Three Lions star as an Isak alternative.

Like Owen – who burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old at Anfield – Rashford was also once a teen sensation for Man United, having scored twice on debut as an 18-year-old back in February 2016, before ending that campaign with eight goals in just 18 games under Louis van Gaal.

2024/25*

24

7

3

2023/24

43

8

6

2022/23

56

30

11

2021/22

32

5

2

2020/21

57

21

18

High points have followed since for the academy graduate, namely his 30-goal season in 2022/23 during Erik ten Hag’s time at the helm, although inconsistency has been the theme of recent years.

As evidenced in the table above, the forward’s “unstoppable” 2022/23 campaign, as hailed by Ten Hag, stands out amid a rather underwhelming half a decade, in truth, with Liverpool not exactly targeting a player in his pomp.

As was the case with Owen, for all parties this appears to be a move best avoided, with the scrutiny and controversy unlikely to be made worthwhile by performances on the pitch.

He's better than Ekitike: Liverpool chasing "monster" £60m Isak alternative

Liverpool are looking to sign a new number nine in the summer transfer window.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 15, 2025

Glasgow Rangers delivered their most astute performance of the season in midweek as they thrashed Nice 4-1 in the French Riviera.

Philippe Clement will be looking for his team to keep their foot on the gas as they play St Johnstone away from home this afternoon. Given they are now trailing Celtic by a massive 14 points ahead of taking to the field in Perth, three points are imperative.

Truth be told, the Premiership title race already feels like a foregone conclusion, yet with another vital European game to come before Christmas, plus the small matter of a League Cup final, the Gers need to build momentum.

The Belgian may make some changes to his starting XI, which could see Jefte dropped to the bench after an average display in Europe on Thursday evening.

Jefte’s game in numbers vs Nice

The Brazilian has been a consistent member of the starting XI over the previous few months due to Ridvan Yilmaz’s absence, gaining vital minutes which will only aid in his development.

Against Nice, he struggled to make much of an impact, both defensively and going forward. He attempted four dribbles, yet succeeded with just one, while failing to deliver a single cross into the opposition box.

The defender won only one of his five duels contested, and he even lost possession 14 times throughout his time on the field, suggesting it was a sloppy display.

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Yilmaz was brought on in the second half for just his second appearance since suffering an injury back in August. The Turkish left-back should certainly be given the nod over Jefte for the league match today.

The Rangers star that Clement must unleash

The £5m signing from Besiktas in 2022 has enjoyed a few purple patches during his stint with the Gers, but the supporters want to see more from the player, especially given his obvious talents.

Last season, the 23-year-old made 33 appearances in all competitions, and it would have been more had he not suffered yet another injury on international duty towards the end of the campaign.

Metric per 90

2022/23

2023/24

Accurate passes

23.9

24.1

Tackles

0.9

1

Total duels won

2.8

3.4

Successful dribbles

0.7

1.3

Key passes

0.7

1.5

Domestically, he created six big chances, averaged 1.5 key passes and succeeded with 1.3 dribbles per game, proving that he was the heir apparent to Borna Barisic, certainly in terms of his attacking nature.

Yilmaz also impressed defensively, as he won 56% of his total duels per game and made one tackle per match. Clement even hailed the Turkish star as a “fighter” last season, suggesting the player had a big future ahead under the Belgian.

Hopefully, his injury problems are a thing of the past as he works himself back to full fitness. The clash against St Johnstone represents an ideal chance for Yilmaz to make his first start since August, having played only six games this term – just four of which have come from the start.

Whether or not Clement will start the £12k-per-week ace is another question, but squad rotation will be crucial over the next few weeks.

The 10 greatest Rangers players of all time – ranked

Rangers have had plenty of legendary players turn out for them over the years.

ByRoss Kilvington Nov 29, 2024

With Ruben Amorim under increasing pressure at Manchester United, the amount that it would cost INEOS to sack their manager has now been revealed.

Latest on Ruben Amorim's Man Utd future

Victory over Chelsea seemed like a glimmer of hope for many, but the reality is that it just papered over the cracks for Amorim in what has been an historically disastrous tenure. A win over Brentford would have handed the former Sporting Club boss back-to-back wins in the Premier League for the first time in his 11-month spell and it just about sums things up that the Red Devils came away defeated in West London.

Now, it’s all eyes on Old Trafford and Sunderland’s visit. Lose and that may be that for Amorim, who is still refusing to alter the system which has picked up just nine Premier League wins in 33 games.

With pressure increasing, questions have naturally arrived about who could replace Amorim at Old Trafford, with those questions leading to the likes of Gareth Southgate and Oliver Glasner.

Southgate has been out of a job since leaving his England post and has been mentioned among reports as a candidate to replace Amorim if the manager loses his job at Man United.

That said, he’s not the only one on the list. Reports have also mentioned Crystal Palace manager Glasner, who has taken the Eagles into European football and to a stunning 19-game unbeaten run. If the Red Devils want someone who can transform a side in the Premier League, then he is their man.

Just how much it would cost to take the Austrian out of his role at Palace immediately is another question entirely, however, and it would already cost INEOS more than enough to sack Amorim.

How much it would cost Man Utd to sack Amorim

INEOS didn’t just go all in on their manager when it came to summer signings, they also backed the Portuguese coach from the off when negotiating his contract. Now, after a disastrous spell, it would reportedly cost Man Utd £12m to sack Amorim in what should be seen as a nightmare ending for Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

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1 ByCharlie Smith Oct 3, 2025

It also continues a shocking trend for Man United, who would take their termination costs to as high as £81.8m since Sir Alex Ferguson by relieving Amorim of his duties. For context of how incredibly poor that record is, Liverpool paid £75m to sign Virgil van Dijk in 2018, who has since won every trophy on offer at Anfield and been a part of several thrashings over the Red Devils.

Ferguson’s coaching team

£2.4m

David Moyes

£5.2m

Louis van Gaal

£8.4m

Jose Mourinho

£19.6m

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

£9.1m

Ralf Rangnick

£14.7m

Erik ten Hag

£10.4m

Ruben Amorim*

£12m

Total* if Amorim sacked

£81.8m

When INEOS first hired Amorim, it was their first big call and one that many backed. He was a young, impressive candidate. Now, 11 months on, their first decision is one that looks destined to end in expensive failure.

ESPNcricinfo learned the groundsman was concerned by the presence of a number of Indian players and support staff on the square

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Jul-20250:35

Watch – Gambhir’s heated exchange with Surrey groundsman

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated argument with the Surrey head groundsman Lee Fortis, two days ahead of the fifth and final Test between India and England at The Oval. Gambhir was seen wagging his finger at Fortis, and repeatedly telling him he was “just a groundsman”. Fortis warned the former India batter he would report him to the ICC match referee if he continued to “swear” at him.India arrived in London, having kept the series alive after drawing the fourth Test in Manchester, and had an optional training session on Tuesday. As has been the norm, members of the support staff arrived early before the players and Gambhir, along with the assistant coaches, joined them.Although Fortis did not divulge details of his run-in with Gambhir when questioned by reporters, ESPNcricinfo understands he was not happy with the Indian team using the majority of the main square for their training session. He was also concerned by a few players and coaches getting too close to the pitch.India’s assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak was talking to Fortis when Gambhir intervened. Fortis was heard telling Gambhir not to “swear” and that if he continued to do so, he would “have to report to the match referee.” Kotak and Fortis continued to chat by a side net. Gambhir asked Kotak to “not get into a discussion” with Fortis and that he could go and report to the match referee.When Fortis cautioned him again, Gambhir was heard saying: “You stop it. You don’t tell us what we need to do. You don’t tell us what we need to do, okay. You don’t need to tell us. You don’t tell any of my squad what we need to do. You have no right to tell us. You’re just a groundsman, you stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman.”The main concern for Fortis was that with plenty of cricket still to be played at The Oval this summer – stretching into early September – he needs to protect the pitches as much as possible. When he pointed this out to the visitors, India’s support staff told him it would be difficult to stay off the area around the three practice pitches provided for training.5:43

Kotak on what led to the altercation

‘It’s a cricket pitch, not an antique’Kotak later said they felt “awkward” at being asked to stay a certain distance from the pitch despite not wearing spikes.”When some of us coaches went to see the wicket, a member of the groundstaff said stay away at least 2.5 metres, which was a little surprising,” Kotak said. “Because it is the pitch, the match is starting day after, it will be a five-day Test, and we’re standing in our joggers, so we felt a little awkward.”Kotak did not expand on the exchange between Gambhir and Fortis. “[We were] just looking at the wicket, with rubber spikes, day after there’s a Test match there, there’s nothing wrong [with that]. Curators also need to understand the people they are talking to, they are highly skilled and intelligent. For example, if you go on the ground now where we practised, you won’t even see that any bowler in the outfield would have marked with his spikes. That all comes from the head coach. We try and see this ground also doesn’t get damaged.”Kotak hinted tempers might have flared due to the tone of communication. “When you’re working with very intelligent and highly-skilled people, if you sound a bit arrogant or if you come across like… you can be protective, but at the end of the day it is a cricket pitch. It is not an antique where you can’t touch, because otherwise if it is 200 years old it can be broken.”We were standing there [on the square] with rubber [spikes]. You tell me a day after a batsman will be sliding to survive a run-out, a bowler will be sliding to stop the ball, so you tell me; maybe he [Fortis] is thinking we are trying to grow the grass. I mean I don’t know. He said that we are trying to get this grass [on] the next wicket to the centre wicket. I don’t know how much grass will grow in one day and what will happen in the next five days. [We understand] You want your ground to be good, the square to be good, but end of the day it is a cricket pitch.”England have a 2-1 lead in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with the final Test due to begin on July 31.