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Manchester United have now received an offer for an “insane” player ahead of the January transfer window, and he’s said yes to the move…

Man Utd could offload "insane" player in January

Just when Man United were looking like they might have turned a corner, they were brought crashing back down to earth against Everton on Monday night, with the Toffees emerging as 1-0 winners, in what was David Moyes’ first-ever win as a visiting manager at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were unable to take anything from the game, despite playing against ten men for the majority of the night, with Idrissa Gueye being shown a straight red card after striking his own teammate, Michael Keane.

Having gone the five previous Premier League games undefeated, the loss serves as a reminder that the current squad is still some way off being able to compete for major honours, as pointed out by Ruben Amorim in his post-match interview.

As such, there is work to be done in the January transfer window and beyond, and Man United now have a decision to make when it comes to Joshua Zirkzee’s future, as AS Roma have submitted a loan with an option to buy offer for the striker.

That is according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), which states Zirkzee is now edging closer to joining Roma, having ‘said yes’ to the January move, although it is currently unclear whether United are willing to sanction a departure.

The Dutchman is valued at €40m (£35m), with the Italian club willing to include an obligation to buy if they qualify for the Champions League, but it is not specified what sort of fee they would be willing to shell out.

Man Utd should cash-in on Zirkzee this winter

The 24-year-old has flattered to deceive ever since his arrival at Old Trafford, scoring just three Premier League goals in 37 appearances, and his recent performance against Everton was less than impressive.

The Netherlands international squandered one big chance and received a SofaScore match rating of just 6.3, the joint-lowest of any player, excluding Gueye, who was dismissed after just 13 minutes.

Alongside Zirkzee: Man Utd's "waste of time" must not start again for Amorim

Ruben Amorim has a bold decision to make over the future of one Manchester United flop.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 25, 2025

Having been lauded as “insane” by scout Ben Mattinson in the past, the £105k-a-week forward could succeed elsewhere, and he may have a part to play until Benjamin Sesko returns from a knee injury.

However, Amorim should definitely move Zirkzee on in the January transfer window and bring in a new striker to rival Sesko for a starting spot, with Man United recently renewing their interest in Bayern Munich star Harry Kane.

Babar Azam bagged a duck on T20I return as a second-string South African side cruised to victory

Danyal Rasool28-Oct-2025Against a second-string South Africa side, Pakistan produced a second-rate performance, with the faultless visitors crushing the hosts by 55 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series. South Africa’s top three, shepherded by a half-century from Reeza Hendricks, saw them fly into an advantage they never relinquished, rallying at the death after getting stuck midway to post 194.Pakistan’s response was found wanting in all phases of the game as South Africa’s seamers kept Pakistan on a leash, with Corbin Bosch and George Linde picking up clumps of wickets along the way. Pakistan were derailed both by a mounting asking rate and the fall of wickets, and their defeat was de facto confirmed long before the final wicket fell in front of an emptied-out Rawalpindi stadium.

QdK, TdZ and Reeza

South Africa’s top three of Hendricks, Quinton de Kock and Tony de Zorzi was stellar but is not the first choice for too many – certainly not South Africa’s. But on a batting-friendly surface with small boundaries, the openers, Hendricks and de Kock, set the tone in the second over with Hendricks leaning across to wallop Naseem Shah over square leg for six. It set off carnage in the powerplay with de Kock joining in as the pair found five boundaries in the next ten deliveries.De Kock sliced one against Saim Ayub to give Pakistan a breakthrough, but not a breather, as de Zorzi ensured. The last two overs with the fielding restrictions saw South Africa plunder a boundary every other delivery, and it continued just beyond, too, with a majestic six over cover from de Zorzi fetching the visitors another 15 runs in the seventh. By the end of the seventh over, they had put up 89; it took Pakistan six more overs, for the loss of six more wickets, to get to that mark later.Reeza Hendricks laid down South Africa’s platform with a half-century•Getty Images

Corbin Bosch torments Pakistan once more

At the tail-end of last year, Bosch made his Test debut and was the bane of Pakistan’s existence all week, picking up wickets and scoring runs as South Africa trumped Pakistan in a thriller. Much water has flown in the relationship between Pakistan and Bosch since. He was signed up in the PSL, a deal he abandoned to take one up in the IPL. The PSL responded by banning him from the league for a year.Six months on, Bosch returned to Pakistan and in Rawalpindi, made sure he laughed last. With Pakistan desperate to keep up with a spiralling asking rate, they had no choice but to attack the fast bowler as he came on in the final over of the powerplay, with the hosts barely trickling along at just over a-run-a-ball. Babar Azam, facing his second delivery in his first T20I since December 2024, hacked wildly at a hard length delivery, but the pace meant he only caught the splice of the blade. The ball looped up harmlessly to cover, sending the returning fan favourite back into the dug out for a second-ball duck.

A bad day for Pakistan’s high-profile stars

There was no visible evidence upon which Babar had been recalled, with his duck capping off a miserable day on which he also dropped a catch late on during South Africa’s charge at the death. He was not, however, the only failure on a day Pakistan littered the board with them.Captain Salman Agha has been under fire for his performances in the format. Coming in to bat at four at the end of the powerplay, he scratched around at the start – as he often does, the required rate climbing every delivery. After two runs off his first six, Bosch darted in a 144kph ball angling back towards the Pakistan captain, rocketing into his front thigh. Agha took a review along with him, there was no reprieve to be found. It finished off a day where he also bowled one over – the one just as the powerplay ended, and gave away 15 wicketless runs.Mohammad Nawaz did well with bat and ball•Getty Images

Left-arm fingerspinners shine all round

Much separated Pakistan and South Africa on the day, but the only thing to unite them was the success each team’s left-arm spinner enjoyed with bat and ball.Linde and Mohammad Nawaz were the most effective men on either side on the day. Linde picked up South Africa’s flagging innings in the final five overs by taking apart Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 16th over, smashing four fours off him in a 22-ball 36 run counterattack.Nawaz, meanwhile, had done the most to ensure South Africa’s middle-overs flagged, breaking the Hendricks-de Zorzi stand in the eighth over, and then deceiving the dangerous Dewald Brevis in his following over. He sealed his bowling spell with the wicket of South Africa’s stand-in captain – Donovan Ferreira – off his final ball to finish with figures of 3 for 26.The two also swam in each other’s slipstream during the chase. Linde came back from Ayub taking him for runs in in his first two overs, tossing a surprise ball out wide from around the wicket. It left Ayub reaching before tamely lofting it to cover, realistically killing off a chase just as the opener came to life. It was the first of three wickets as the offspinner also accounted for Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf.While the batters crumbled around him, Nawaz timed it beautifully. The game had long gone by then, but he found a level of ball-striking none of his peers were able to reach, smashing four fours and two sixes. When he chipped his 20th ball to long-on to conclude his innings and the game, he matched Linde’s 36 exactly. It was one similarity between a Pakistani and a South African on a day when the visiting collective pulled well clear of the hosts early.

Hosts face a tricky path to 2027 ODI World Cup while Pakistan will bank on their returning big names to fire

Danyal Rasool07-Aug-2025So, this is the series that might not have happened. The PCB didn’t try too hard to conceal their displeasure at being dragged out to Trinidad to play out a three-match ODI series after T20Is in Florida; an additional few short-form games in the US would have suited them just fine. Their opposite number felt a tour of the West Indies ought to at least include setting foot in the West Indies, and that once Pakistan made it there, they might as well play the 50-over games the two had mutually agreed upon.And West Indies really do think it’s about time people stopped trying to keep them from playing ODI cricket. They missed out on the two most recent ICC tournaments in the format, qualification defeat in 2023 locking them out of both that year’s World Cup and this year’s Champions Trophy. Three games apiece against Ireland and England comprise the sum total of ODIs West Indies have played in 2025, with just one win to show for it.West Indies need to turn that around quickly if they’re to avoid missing a third successive 50-over ICC event. They are ranked 10th, with qualification for 2027 only guaranteed to the top eight teams aside from hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe; with Zimbabwe well outside the top eight, West Indies realistically need to finish within the top nine – one place higher than they are – to secure automatic passage at the cut-off date. A series win against Pakistan, ranked six places above them, would help significantly.Related

• Forde to miss Pakistan ODIs with dislocated shoulder

• Alzarri Joseph rested, Shepherd back in WI squad for Pakistan ODIs

• Chase becomes first Full Member team batter to retire out in T20Is

• Fakhar ruled out of remainder of WI tour

Pakistan may be favourites for this series, but you wouldn’t know it from their recent ODI form. Their win-loss record this year is worse than the hosts, their solitary win sandwiched between seven defeats. It included an ignominious tournament as hosts of the Champions Trophy, where they were knocked out within the first five days, and exited without winning a game at the bottom of their group.Even so, as the rankings reflect, this is probably Pakistan’s best format. In its current state, that’s a bit like the straightest line in a Picasso painting, but it isn’t like Pakistan are producing masterpieces anywhere else. Before they timed their horror run with devastating precision at the most important juncture of the year, Pakistan had come into 2025 on a wave off ODI optimism. Three consecutive away series wins – in Australia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa – made them look a formidable side with a set template that worked consistently. Saim Ayub was in the form of his life at the top and Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf each were among the top wicket-takers for fast bowlers in 2024.Saim Ayub is back to full fitness and back to the Caribbean, where he has had success in the CPL•Associated PressWhile all of that was to vaporise in the wake of Ayub’s injury in Cape Town, the core of Pakistan’s side remains similar to the that one. And Ayub is now back to full fitness, as well as nearing his best form. The bowling is led by Shaheen and Naseem Shah, while wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan captains the side.Babar Azam, No. 2 in the ICC ODI rankings, also returns. But in the wake of Fakhar Zaman’s injury, it remains to be seen if Pakistan replicate their cack-handed strategy of throwing him up to open the batting in the Champions Trophy, inspired by Aqib Javed and random hope rather than any evidence of its wisdom.West Indies’ squad is not dissimilar to the one that had toured England over the summer, though Shimron Hetmyer continues to be unavailable with a side strain. Brandon King and Evin Lewis have shaken off injuries to form part of the squad.While Trinidad & Tobago, where all three ODIs will be played, has a reputation for turn, information on conditions at the new venue in Tarouba is harder to come by. The Brian Lara Cricket Academy has only hosted one ODI, a game where India beat West Indies in by 200 runs. Barring weather playing spoilsport with Trinidad in the peak of its wet season, the three upcoming games will clarify if West Indies’ decision to go in with just one specialist spinner alongside Roston Chase was judicious.This series may not have a lot going for it commercially. It’s the wrong format, in the wrong time zone, between the wrong sides, in the wrong season. But for West Indies, it could prove the difference between the life support of an ICC World Cup berth or the financial oblivion of missing out once more.For the visitors it is a chance to show themselves as much as anyone else they still have the quality to be world-class at a time when Pakistan cricket is less marketable than it has ever been. If a measure of a series’ value is what’s at stake for it, then perhaps there’s not much wrong about the games that will unfold in Trinidad this week.

Tensions are running high in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.

In the bottom of the fourth inning Saturday night, Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski hit Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez with a 96.4 mph four-seam fastball in the forearm.

Giménez dropped his bat and held his arms out wide while staring at Wrobleski on the mound. The reliever took a few steps toward Giménez, and that’s when chaos ensued on the field.

Both the Dodgers’ and Blue Jays’ benches cleared, and even the relievers in the dugout did their ceremonial trot down to the field to get closer to the confrontation.

Despite showing the early signs of a fracas, no shoves or punches were thrown, and every player remained in the game. Wrobleski struck out Nathan Lukes and got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to line out to center field to get out of the fourth inning without giving up a run.

Through five-and-a-half innings of Game 7, the Blue Jays lead the Dodgers 3–2.

Manchester United are now seriously considering a move for a “lightning quick” Paris Saint-Germain star, with a surprise Marcus Rashford swap deal on the cards.

Rashford tearing it up on loan at Barcelona

Rashford has really managed to kick on since joining Barcelona on loan in the summer, amassing six goals and ten assists in all competitions, but it has recently emerged that the forward isn’t expected to make his stay at the Camp Nou permanent.

The Englishman is likely to have plenty of options to choose from next summer, however, with it being revealed Chelsea have held talks over a potential deal, while Tottenham Hotspur are determined to win the race for the 28-year-old’s signature and give him a leading role.

It is difficult to envisage a way back for the United academy graduate at Old Trafford, given his sour relationship with Ruben Amorim, and it has now been revealed the manager could get him off the books in a different way at the end of the season.

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now seriously considering signing PSG forward Bradley Barcola, and a surprise swap deal is possible, with Rashford potentially set to be sent in the opposite direction.

Barcola’s negotiations with the French club over a new contract have now stalled, which could open the door for a move to Old Trafford, although his current employers are very reluctant to sanction a departure.

With a market value of around €70m (£61m), a deal for the Frenchman would be on the expensive side, but there are indications he could be worth every penny…

"Lightning quick" Barcola impressing in Ligue 1 and Europe

Hailed as “lightning quick” by journalist Raj Chohan, the PSG star has put in some top performances in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season, regularly contributing with goals and assists.

Competition	Appearances	Goal contributions
Ligue 1	12	6
Champions League	5	2

The 23-year-old also played a major role in the French side winning the Champions League for the first time last season, chipping in with three goals and four assists in 17 appearances.

Man United appear to have recruited well in the summer, with new forward Matheus Cunha grabbing an assist in the 4-1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, while Bryan Mbeumo already has six Premier League goals to his name.

Beckham loves him: Man Utd submit £100m+ offer to sign England superstar

INEOS are chasing their biggest deal yet…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

4 days ago

However, with the Red Devils looking to return to Europe next season, they may need more depth in attacking areas, and Barcola could be a brilliant addition to Amorim’s squad, so they should definitely try to negotiate a swap deal involving Rashford.

Jose Mourinho has revealed what was said during his post-match chat with Scott McTominay, with the Benfica boss getting one over on his former Manchester United charge in a Champions League clash with Napoli. Scotland international McTominay is now starring in Italy, with his old boss at Old Trafford using the 29-year-old as an example to the teenage hopefuls he is helping to bring through in Lisbon.

• Friends reunited: Mourinho worked with McTominay at Old Trafford

  Back in 2017, it was Mourinho who handed McTominay his senior bow for the Premier League heavyweights. He was introduced off the bench in a meeting with Arsenal in May of that year, before starting a final-day showdown with Crystal Palace.

  At just 20 years of age, McTominay became a regular in the 2017-18 campaign – taking in 23 appearances and becoming a full international. There were plenty of occasions in which the versatile midfielder was favoured over World Cup winner Paul Pogba – who had been signed by the Red Devils for a world-record £89 million ($119m) transfer fee in 2016.

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• Getty
  

  High praise & a gift: What Mourinho said to McTominay

  Mourinho was reunited with McTominay when seeing Benfica take on Napoli in elite European competition. They exchanged words afterwards, with the ‘Special One’ revealing that he was also handed a special gift.

  At his press conference, Mourinho told reporters when asked about the accessories that he had with him: “The bag is mine. It’s McTominay’s shirt. I gave him his debut. I benched Pogba and let him play. The least he could do was give me the shirt!”

  Mourinho went on to say of his chat with McTominay, which saw the Scot lauded for all that he has achieved since stepping out of a fabled youth system in Manchester: “I told him that the kids I put in today in the final minutes are my 'Next McTominay'. I've given many of them their debuts at Roma too. [Jose] Neto is 17, and I had to be the first to play him because he'll make history, trust me.”

  While Mourinho was feeling upbeat after seeing goals from Richard Rios and Leandro Barreiro earn Benfica an impressive 2-0 victory over Napoli, he added on McTominay’s mood: “He was sad because he lost. That’s Scott, that’s the nature of winning players. He chatted with me for five minutes, but he lost, and he was sad.

  “But he’s very happy in Naples. Winning the award for best foreign player is absolutely fantastic, it qualifies Scotland for the World Cup after so many years. He’s having a really, really good time. He gave Manchester United a real boost, and there’s a connection with him. When he’s 70, he’ll still remember me.”

• Notable scalp: Mourinho proud of Benfica's performance

  McTominay was recently named the Serie A Player of the Year for 2025, becoming the first Scot to win that prize. He savoured title glory with Napoli last season, posting a career-best return of 13 goals across all competitions.

  McTominay and Co are back in the hunt for another domestic crown this term, sitting level on points with AC Milan at the top of the table, and Mourinho said of seeing Benfica claim a notable scalp on home soil: “We deserved it, we played an extraordinary match. Some will say that Napoli weren't the team we know, but I disagree. Benfica did an extraordinary job, controlling the game at all times. For us, beating Napoli like this and still being alive in this competition is a great thing.”

  He went on to say: “We have six points. Benfica lost at home to Qarabag early on, otherwise we'd have nine and be one step away from qualifying. The schedule is incredibly tough, but losing that match put us on the edge right away. It was important to win today, otherwise the story would have ended.”

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• AFP
  

  Mourinho is a two-time Champions League winner

  Benfica remain in contention for a Champions League play-off spot, which would extend their European adventure into the spring of 2026. Mourinho will be hoping to guide them down that path, having previously claimed the most prestigious of continental honours during his time with Porto and Inter.

India have exposed weaknesses in the Australian side before and they have to do it again in the second Women’s World Cup semi-final

S Sudarshanan28-Oct-20251:08

Mithali: ‘Game awareness’ will be key against Australia

Familiar foes Australia and India will face off in the second semi-final of the Women’s World Cup 2025 in Navi Mumbai. India remain the last team to beat Australia at the ODI World Cup – in the 2017 semi-final – with the defending champions unbeaten in 15 completed matches since. Here are a few areas of tactical interest ahead of this huge clash.

Mandhana vs Schutt and Gardner

Smriti Mandhana is the leading run-scorer at this World Cup with 365 runs at a strike rate of 102.52. Her latest ODI avatar features her as the enforcer with the bat, which comes across in the numbers as well.Till 2024, Ashleigh Gardner vs Mandhana went the offspinner’s way – five dismissals in eight innings, an average of 13.60 and a strike rate of 89.47. Megan Schutt vs Mandhana was not too dissimilar – four dismissals in 12 innings, an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 70.50.Related

• Shafali tunes up for Australia, a day after destiny's call

• Shafali Verma replaces injured Pratika Rawal in India's World Cup squad

• Mithali Raj on India vs Australia: 'One thing you don't want is to get overwhelmed with the occasion'

• How to beat Australia in three easy steps (step 1 – invent a miracle)

• Ashleigh Gardner ranked in top three among ODI batters, bowlers and allrounders

In four matches against Australia in 2025, Mandhana has two centuries and two half-centuries. She has faced 71 balls from Gardner and scored 96 runs (135.21 strike rate) and hasn’t been dismissed yet. Against Schutt, she has scored 41 off 28 balls (146.42 strike rate) for zero dismissals. Mandhana has also been severe on the legspinners Alana King (225 strike rate) and Georgia Wareham (176.19) as well as on left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux (164.70), with only Molineux dismissing her earlier in the World Cup.