Paris Saint-Germain's post-Kylian Mbappe era is gathering pace after the signing of Rennes star Desire Doue for a reported €50 million (£42.6m/$55m).
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Mbappe leaves PSG for Real MadridFrench side enter new eraComplete €50m Doue signingWHAT HAPPENED?
PSG have confirmed winger Doue has signed for the Ligue 1 giants on a five-year contract. After being linked with Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United, the French outfit have won the race to sign the 19-year-old.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
PSG have entered a new era, without their talismanic, record-scorer Mbappe, who left for Real Madrid earlier this summer. Finding a way to replace his goals and still be a force in France and Europe is a big task. While it is not fair to put all of that pressure on Doue, he and the club will hope he can hit the ground running for them this season after his big-money signing.
Getty ImagesWHAT DESIRE DOUE SAID
He told the club's website: “I'm delighted to be joining Paris Saint-Germain. I'm really excited, and also happy and proud. It's a dream come true. I can't wait to discover the Parc des Princes in a PSG jersey and to play in front of these fans."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
WHAT NEXT?
Doue, who scored seven goals and bagged six assists in 57 appearances for Rennes in Ligue 1, helped France win a silver medal at the Olympics and after a break, he will link up with his new PSG team-mates in the coming weeks.
West Ham have set their sights on a Diego Simeone transfer target amid technical director Tim Steidten's search for a new forward.
West Ham's need for more goal threat as they make early summer plans
Regardless of whether manager David Moyes will still be at the London Stadium post-June 30, with his contract set to expire on that date as things stand, there is little arguing that the east Londoners could do with more goal threat in their squad.
£60 million price drop as West Ham move for clinical striker
The Hammers arguably need a new front man.
ByEmilio Galantini Apr 11, 2024
Michail Antonio (34) and Danny Ings (31) aren't getting any younger, and both have only scored a combined five Premier League goals this season.
Moyes' side are heavily reliant on star winger Jarrod Bowen for the majority of their goal threat, but as highlighted by the England international's recent injury, which caused him to miss their Europa League first-leg defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, they need other attacking outlets.
Jarrod Bowen
19
Mohammed Kudus
13
Tomas Soucek
9
Lucas Paqueta
8
James Ward-Prowse
6
West Ham failed to replace Gianluca Scamacca last summer, following the Italian's return to his homeland with Atalanta, and that is something which Steidten apparently intends to do when the window reopens.
Indeed, Brentford striker Ivan Toney is attracting interest from West Ham ahead of the summer, with his Bees deal expiring next year.
Toney will be a man in demand given his proven top-flight ability, having scored 20 league goals last season, so West Ham have alternatives to the former Peterborough United ace.
Steidten is thought to be keeping tabs on Toulouse's star Thijs Dallinga as another option from abroad, while it's also believed that they could add another threatening winger to their ranks to chip in going forward.
West Ham are casting their net far and wide in that regard, and South America could be a fruitful pool of talent for them.
West Ham set sights on Jhon Arias who's wanted by Simeone
This is where West Ham's interest in signing Fluminese forward Jhon Arias comes in.
The Colombia international, highlighted as "one of the players to watch" ahead of the summer's Copa America, is also a personal target of Atletico Madrid boss Simeone, according to journalist Christian Martin.
“[Atletico Madrid manager Diego] Simeone has him in the pipeline as an interested party. Jhon Arias could end up on Los Colchoneros’ team with a value between €15million and €17million," said Martin to Colombia's version of AS this week.
“West Ham, Burnley, Wolverhampton and Crystal Palace, would also be on the list of suitors.”
According to WhoScored, the 26-year-old is "very strong" at key passes in the final third and adept at both crossing and dribbling, which will come as enticing for supporters.
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer, bringing him back from Barcelona just a year after he left.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Gundogan makes Man City return on a free transferReunites with English side a year after Barca moveWas not considered part of Hansi Flick's plansWHAT HAPPENED?
The Germany international left City at the end of the 2022-23 season, opting to join Barcelona instead of extending his stay with the Premier League champions. However, Pep Guardiola's team have snapped him up again on a free transfer, committing him to a one-year contract.
AdvertisementManchester CityTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite playing an important role for the Catalan club last season, Gundogan was told he was not guaranteed a regular starting spot under new coach Hansi Flick and was made available for a transfer. There were reports of interest from Saudi Arabia, but he opted to rejoin his former team-mates in England.
WHAT GUNDOGAN SAID
"I’m incredibly happy, happy to see my teammates, the staff, people that I had seven years with and an amazing time with," Gundogan said as his return to City was announced. "Many ups and a few downs but an incredible experience. When you leave this place, you spend a year away and you then start to appreciate the place even more. You realise what you had, how amazing the time was and how big the Club is. The best Club in the world and I think in terms of football – getting back onto that level and coming back a year later is an incredible feeling. I am very pleased, very happy and I feel privileged to share the dressing room again with these amazing players."
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
DID YOU KNOW?
Gundogan spent seven years with City after joining from Borussia Dortmund and went on to make over 300 appearances. He won five Premier League titles, four League Cups, two FA Cup crowns and the Champions League before he left for Barcelona.
West Bromwich Albion will want to get back to winning ways against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, knowing that their spot in the Championship play-off picture isn't concrete just yet.
Hull City's entertaining mid-week win over Coventry City will have troubled the Baggies somewhat, knowing that the Tigers could be level on points with Carlos Corberan's promotion challengers if the West Midlands outfit lost to Danny Rohl's Owls at the end of play this weekend.
Corberan will want titan-like performances from his defenders away at Hillsborough subsequently, knowing that Wednesday will be going full-throttle to attempt to win themselves in their bid to stave off relegation.
West Brom will also know that one of his centre-back heroes, Cedric Kipre, could be nearing a summer exit even if do they go up, walking out of the building on a potential free transfer – with the Baggies at least cashing in sensibly on another former star in the heart of defence back in 2008.
Curtis Davies' time at West Brom
Remarkably, Curtis Davies is still lining up for League One outfit Cheltenham Town at 39 years of age, with Baggies supporters fondly remembering the veteran defender more for being a spritely young star.
Davies would make his West Brom debut all the way back in 2005, the 6 foot 2 warrior plunged straight in at the deep end at the Hawthorns by making 33 Premier League appearances that same campaign.
Scoring two goals during that season too, Davies' name would start to be uttered by higher-up suitors as a potential transfer target when the Baggies were relegated to the Championship.
Under Tony Mowbray during the 2006/07 season in the second tier, in which West Brom failed to clinch promotion, Davies would star again with 32 appearances accumulated before near neighbours Aston Villa swooped in for his services.
Reportedly signing on the dotted line at Villa Park for £9m, after initially joining on loan for the 2007/08 campaign, the Baggies would end up winning with this sale by offloading Davies for such a high price which would be even higher in today's inflated market, according to TotallyMoney's Transfer Index.
Curtis Davies' transfer value in 2024
If that same deal went through by 2024's inflated standards, West Brom would have pocketed significantly more at an eye-watering £23m, as per Totally Money.
Regardless, the West Midlands outfit would have been pleased with the original amount Villa coughed up especially when evaluating how much their ex-centre back ended up struggling away from the Hawthorns.
1. Salomon Rondon
£16.5m
2. Matheus Pereira
£16m
3. Saido Berahino
£12m
4. Nacer Chadli
£10m
5. Jay Rodriguez
£10m
Davies' new bumped-up fee would see him become West Brom's record departure in a theoretical world, the Baggies hitting the jackpot anyway by making the 6 foot 2 defender Villa's problem.
Admitting his debut performance for his new club was that of a "pub player" in 2007, his full three seasons at Villa Park would be very underwhelming with the move now seen as a major flop.
Davies would make 68 appearances in total before becoming public enemy one by moving on to Villa's arch nemesis in Birmingham City, relocating to St Andrew's controversially after playing just three games during his final season for The Villans.
Amazingly, the now-veteran defender would be a hit for the Blues to add even more salt into Villa's gaping wound by netting 12 goals from 106 games.
West Brom will hope that they can tie down Kipre to a new contract soon, not wanting to fall victim to a transfer blunder in the here and now involving their current crop of defenders after having the last laugh over Davies.
West Brom can solve Kipre situation with 21 y/o who “leads by example”
West Bromwich Albion will have to prepare for life without Cedric Kipre soon.
The grand final is expected to be one of the seminal events in the history of sport in Australia, and of women’s sport around the globe
The Preview by Daniel Brettig07-Mar-20201:24
How India made it to their maiden T20 World Cup final
Big PictureTournament organisers have been handed their dream final, between the world’s No. 1 team and hosts Australia, and the world’s mightiest and most populous cricket nation, India. An enormous crowd is expected at the MCG, with the ICC releasing extra standing room tickets on Saturday to cope with demand. With Katy Perry performing either side of a contest on International Women’s Day, it shapes as one of the seminal events in the history of sport in Australia, and of women’s sport around the globe.But what about the cricket? Australia, grappling with tournament favouritism and a pair of ruinous injuries to Tayla Vlaeminck before the event and Ellyse Perry in the middle of it, have had the rockiest possible road to the final. They have not played their best cricket, but instead shown forbearance, determination and big-match temperament to forge through what have effectively been four successive elimination matches after they lost the opening game of the tournament to India.In Meg Lanning, they have a captain and top-order bat of the highest possible quality, while in the field they have shown discipline and athleticism to defend middling targets against New Zealand and South Africa. Fatigue, both physical and mental, will be an obstacle.India, meanwhile, have more or less ridden the wave they caught in defeating Australia at the Sydney Showgrounds on opening night, neither beaten nor particularly troubled at any point in their next three group matches, then enjoying the benefit of a free pass to the final over England due to their higher better qualifying position. Shafali Verma has been the tournament’s undisputed batting star, consistently rocketing her team to rapid starts, while Harmanpreet Kaur has marshalled her spin bowlers and the mediums of Shikha Pandey adroitly.ALSO READ: How Australia and India made their way to the MCG finalIf there are any question marks over India, they are matters of belief, having never played in a T20 World Cup final before, let alone won one, and also sharpness: in a tightly scheduled tournament, their draw and the Sydney rain has meant that they have not played a match in more than a week. Australia, in the meantime, have played twice.Form guideAustralia WWWWL (completed matches, most recent first) India WWWWL In the spotlightAgainst South Africa, Jess Jonassen essentially took up the bowling role left vacant by Perry’s torn hamstring, sharing the new ball with Megan Schutt in the powerplay and then bowling at the death as Laura Wolvaardt threatened to perform a middle-order miracle for her side. It was Jonassen, too, who was the decisive force against India in the final of the triangular series that preceded the Cup proper, plucking five wickets in quick succession to deliver the Australians a narrow victory. How Jonassen fares in concert with the other spin bowlers at Lanning’s disposal will go a long way towards deciding the outcome.Shafali Verma gets ready to take strike•Getty ImagesScores of 29, 39, 46 and 47, all made at whip-crack pace, have made Shafali Verma the most feared top order bat in the tournament, capable of either setting up a big first innings or supercharging any pursuit of a target. Her danger to Australia is enhanced by the lack of any top pace or bounce bowlers to challenge Verma on the back foot, meaning that Lanning will be relying heavily on the likes of Schutt and Jonassen to nail their lines and lengths. The only thing Verma is yet to achieve in this event is a truly major score, leaving India to hope that the biggest innings will arrive on the biggest day.Team newsAustralia will be tempted to stick with the same formula that saw them through against South Africa, although Molly Strano’s offspin is a worthwhile option given India’s left-handers, and she did play in the opening match of the tournament. Georgia Wareham would be the bowler most likely to make way.Australia (possible): 1 Beth Mooney 2 Alyssa Healy (wk) 3 Meg Lanning (capt) 4 Ashleigh Gardner 5 Rachael Haynes 6 Jess Jonassen 7 Nicola Carey 8 Delissa Kimmince, 9 Georgia Wareham/Molly Strano 10 Sophie Molineux 11 Megan SchuttIndia have a very settled line-up after their smooth progression through the group stage and semi-final walkover against England.India (probable): 1 Shafali Verma 2 Smriti Mandhana 3 Jemimah Rodrigues 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt) 5 Deepti Sharma 6 Veda Krishnamurthy 7 Taniya Bhatiya (wk) 8 Shikha Pandey 9 Radha Yadav 10 Poonam Yadav 11 Rajeshwari GayakwadALSO READ: Factors that can influence the T20 World Cup finalPitch and conditionsMelbourne’s forecast is mercifully fine for the final after Sydney’s weather travails knocked out England and nearly did likewise for Australia. The pitch itself should be hard and flat, although the ground itself has not hosted any cricket since Australia A’s meeting with England Lions more than two weeks ago.Stats and trivia This would be India’s first-ever T20 World Cup final appearance The MCG has hosted one women’s World Cup final previously, the decider of the 1988 ODI tournament, won by Australia over England in front of a crowd of about 3,000 spectators Australia won all of the first seven T20I encounters between the teams, but India have won six of the past 12 and three of the past five.Quotes”This build-up to the game is something I’ve not experienced before and I’m quite glad that the final’s here tomorrow and we can say we’re involved in it. I always dreamed of being involved in this game, when I saw it was the MCG and they were hoping for a big crowd I just wanted to be involved.” “We are going to have 90,000 in the stadium and it’s a great feeling. We just need to enjoy the moment because it’s a big moment for all of us.”
Chelsea are ready to send out of favour defender Ben Chilwell on loan to Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Chelsea ready to part ways with ChilwellDefender linked with a move to FenerbahceCould exit Stamford Bridge on loanWHAT HAPPENED?
Per , Chelsea have agreed to part ways with Chilwell and he could head to Turkey on a loan deal. Earlier in the summer, the England international was informed that he had been deemed surplus to new manager Enzo Maresca's plans. He was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge while the transfer window was open, however, a deal did not materialise.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The only country Chilwell could head to now is Turkey as the transfer window there is open until September 18. If he fails to secure a move, he will have to continue training away from the Blues' first-team squad for at least four months until the January window starts. The England international has been linked with a move to former Blues boss Jose Mourinho-managed Fenerbahce, although the Premier League giants have not received a formal offer from any Turkish Super Lig club.
DID YOU KNOW?
While the English giants will aim to offload the player permanently as he earns £200,000 a week, it is unlikely that any club would be willing to offer such a deal. As a result, there is a possibility that Chilwell could move out on a loan deal at the moment.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
Maresca's men have managed to collect four points from their first three Premier League outings and will be next seen in action after the international break as they take on Bournemouth on September 14.
England seamer also sees no problem playing with dad Chris as match referee
ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-20200:56
Stuart Broad enjoys first day back at Trent Bridge
Stuart Broad has described thoroughly enjoying his return to bowling for the first time in more than two months, despite pulling up weary afterwards.England seamer Broad was one of 18 bowlers to return to individual training programmes at venues around the country last Thursday and Friday amid a slight easing of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. He also said he saw no problem playing in a match where his father, Chris Broad, was referee, as might be the case this summer with limits on travel and social contact set to remain in place even if the international season goes ahead.Broad trained at Trent Bridge under the guidance of Nottinghamshire physio James Pipe and adhering to strict infection control protocols. Broad had to record his temperature before heading to the ground, where he had his own parking space and toilet and bowled with a new set of Dukes balls, which he will keep and continue to use throughout the individual training period.”I was only bowling at an empty net, and yet, when I left Trent Bridge on both Thursday and Friday there was a real ‘wow’ feeling,” Broad wrote in his column for the . “It felt really good to be back out in the middle again.”It was the first time I’d bowled properly since we returned from the tour of Sri Lanka 10 weeks ago. To be fair, although I’ve only bowled 12 overs so far, the action feels pretty solid.”ALSO READ: Prospect of Chris Broad officiating over son Stuart raises concernsBroad also described undergoing aerobic training excercises in the form of shuttle runs, known at Nottinghamshire as stag runs and borrowed from the Brisbane Broncos rugby league team in Australia.”I have done quite a bit of long distance running at a slower pace during these last couple of months but the good thing about the stag run is that it is done at about run-up pace,” Broad explained. “It incorporates turning too, which gets the body into similar scenarios that you would encounter on the field – like changing direction to chase the ball.”Although I felt great, on the second morning I woke up at half past six to discover muscles I’d forgotten existed. That’s what bowling does to you. Even bending down to touch my toes caused me to grimace a little. I could feel my sides too. I wouldn’t call it pain. I was just very aware that my body had been doing something different again.”Stuart Broad looks on in training•Getty ImagesEngland are expected to name an international training group of up to 45 players, including red- and white-ball squads, this week in hopes of playing a condensed interntional schedule behind closed doors at venues deemed ‘bio-secure’, possibly starting with the first of three Tests against West Indies on July 8.Plans to play in bio-secure environments with players, officials and staff required to isolate before, during and after series, have also raised the prospect of Chris Broad, the only English representative on the ICC’s elite panel of seven match referees, officiating in England’s home Test series.While no one is questioning Broad Snr’s impartiality as an official, the scenario is understood to have raised some eyebrows in the Caribbean. But Broad Jnr rejected any suggestion that it could pose problems.”Sure, if he was an umpire I could understand that because he could have a subconscious influence on decisions that are made on the field,” Broad said. “No offence to him here but he sits in an office and if I, or anyone else, breaks the code of conduct he simply looks up the regulations in a handbook and determines the appropriate sanction from the relevant section.”There is no emotion in a match referee’s job. And there is likely to be no contact between us … there’s no haggling over the punishment. It’s not as if I can go into a room and barter to only pay 12 per cent of a 15 per cent match fee fine.”From experience, and I’ve played 138 Tests, you only see a match ref if you’re in trouble. Often they are sat in a different building. You only tend to meet at breakfast in the hotel or on the outfield before the start of play. From a selfish point of view, I’d love the chance to be able to have a coffee and catch-up with dad in a bio-secure environment.”
Glasgow Rangers lost a host of attacking players during last summer under Michael Beale, who, if truth be told, were not properly replaced.
Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos left after their contracts expired, while Antonio Colak and Fashion Sakala – despite being fairly one dimensional, scored 30 goals between them – were sold by Beale in order to raise funds for future arrivals.
Overall, these four players scored 45 goals combined last season, something which Beale had to replace in the summer.
Former Rangers forward Fashion Sakala.
Aside from Cyriel Dessers, who has found the back of the net on 20 occasions since joining, and Abdallah Sima, the other summer recruits have failed to really give the club much going forwards.
Danilo has missed most of the season due to injury, while Sam Lammers was so poor, Philippe Clement ended up sending him out on loan to FC Utrecht, where he has scored nine goals in just 16 Eredivisie matches since February.
While the other three were dispensable, especially Kent, following his poor final season in front of goal, it was clear Beale made a mistake allowing Morelos to leave.
How much Alfredo Morelos cost Rangers
The summer of 2017 proved to be a disastrous one for Rangers. Pedro Caixinha, who was appointed as manager in March, made a total of 11 new signings, which ranged from the expensive flop Carlos Pena to a bargain move for Ryan Jack.
Combine this with the fact that Caixinha failed to lead Rangers beyond the first qualifying round of the Europa League, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Luxembourg side Progres Niederkorn, it was clear his managerial spell wasn’t going to last long.
Season
Games
Goals
2022/23
48
12
2021/22
42
18
2020/21
44
17
2019/20
47
29
2018/19
48
30
2017/18
43
18
There weren’t many reasons to be cheerful as a supporter, but the acquisition of Morelos for a fee of just £1m from Finnish side HJK Helsinki.
The Colombian had scored 46 goals in just 62 appearances in Finland and Caixinha was certainly hoping he could replicate this type of form in Scotland throughout the 2017/18 campaign.
Over the next six seasons, Morelos would exceed all expectations and then some.
Alfredo Morelos’ Rangers statistics
Morelos scored 18 goals in his maiden season at Ibrox, certainly proving to be worth the £1m that was paid to sign him, and he would go from strength to strength.
Tallies of 30 and 29 goals saw him emerge as one of the finest signings the Light Blues had made since returning to the top flight in 2016.
Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos.
It wasn’t just his performances domestically which were impressive, but under Steven Gerrard, the Colombian striker was a feared presence in European competition.
The 2019/20 Europa League competition certainly proved it. Across 17 games in both qualifying and the main tournament, the centre-forward scored 14 times as the Gers lost to Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16.
A few months later, Morelos would go on to make history. His goal against Benfica during the group stage of the 2020/21 competition saw him become the highest ever goal scorer in Europe for the Ibrox side, with his 22nd effort surpassing the total of club legend Ally McCoist, who had terrorised defences on the continent during his 15-year spell at Rangers.
By the end of his time in Glasgow, Morelos had netted 29 goals in Europe, further extending his advantage over McCoist, but he couldn’t add to that tally in the Champions League last season.
His final campaign in Scotland saw the 27-year-old score just 12 times in all competitions as he battled fitness problems, and it appeared he was looking to move on when his contract expired.
In reality, he should have left for a big transfer fee a couple of years previously when he was in his prime at the club. Failing to extend his contract was certainly a mistake, especially as his market value has risen recently since departing Rangers.
Alfredo Morelos’ current market value
A few years ago, Morelos was a target for quite a few clubs on the continent, with Gerrard even rejecting a bid of around £16.25m from French side Lille in the summer of 2020 for their prized asset.
Hailed as a “nightmare for defenders” by one former Premiership opponent back in 2019, Morelos failed to really recover from an injury sustained while on international duty in April 2022, thus ruling him out of the Scottish Cup and Europa League finals.
He looked a shadow of his former self when returning the following season before leaving last May. A few years ago, clubs were queuing up to secure his signature, but he had to wait a few weeks in order to make his next move.
Former Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos.
Following what was a surprise move to Santos, Morelos has scored just three goals in 13 games for the iconic Brazilian club, which counts Pele, Neymar, and Robinho as former alumni.
They were relegated at the end of last season; therefore, the Colombian will be aiming to fire them back to the top flight at the first time of asking.
Despite his poor form, Morelos’ market value means Rangers made a big mistake in letting him go for free. According to Transfermarkt, the striker is now currently valued at €4m (£3.5) and this could rise steadily if he begins to score on a frequent basis.
It’s a far cry from the €15m (£12.9m) he was valued at in 2020 following his wonderful season, but there is no doubt if he can return to this sort of form in Brazil, the striker could soon start to garner plenty of interest.
Much will depend on his attitude and whether he wants another crack in Europe. Poor fitness and mindset certainly disrupted his progress during the final two years at Ibrox.
If he can battle these demons and continue to showcase his true talents, Morelos could be a good signing for a number of sides.
Turning down a bid of nearly £17m four years ago showed that Gerrard believed in his main centre-forward, but he has since failed to ever match those lofty heights. Perhaps the club should have struck when the iron was hot.
Rangers could finally replace Kent with 20 y/o who "wants to go to Europe"
Rangers may have been given a boost with regards to a player they have been linked with…
Declan Rice's controversial red card against Brighton has been explained by a VAR expert.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Rice sent off for two yellow cardsNo intervention from VARRule has now been explainedWHAT HAPPENED?
Rice was dismissed for two yellow cards against Brighton on Saturday. The England international was first booked for a clumsy late challenge, but his second was far more controversial; he appeared to kick the ball away before Joel Veltman took a free-kick, but the defender then swung his leg and kicked Rice. The Brighton star was not punished, but Rice was shown a second yellow and sent off.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE EXPLANATION
Now, Dale Johnson of has explained why Rice was carded and the VAR process involved. While there was a VAR review for a red card for Veltman, he was not adjudged to have committed serious foul play, as his attempted kicking of the ball did not possess the required force or brutality for a sending off. He likely should have been booked, nevertheless.
Rice was shown a second yellow for "kicking or carrying the ball away, or provoking a confrontation by deliberately touching the ball after the referee has stopped play," and for delaying the restart. Rice has admitted he can have no complaints over the issue, despite the controversy.
SHOULD JOAO PEDRO HAVE BEEN BOOKED?
Many Arsenal supporters complained after the game that Joao Pedro had committed a similar offence – he kicked the ball away after it had run out of play – but received no booking. explains that this is because he did not effectively delay the restart, as there was an Arsenal player within close proximity who was able to receive a ball from the sidelines and take a quick throw-in, if they had wanted to.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
Arsenal are next in action against Tottenham in the north London derby, after the international break. Rice will be suspended and will play no part.
The rogue cascade from the Old Trafford roof was an allegorical expression of all that has gone wrong at Manchester United.
As the players trudged off the pitch on Sunday evening, there was surely an understanding that the Premier League campaign must go down as a failure, eighth-placed ahead of the final two fixtures and with two wins from 11.
Isolated, a 1-0 defeat against title-chasing Arsenal, who are so oiled, so slick, so sublime in their football, is not the worst result in the world. Erik ten Hag has bemoaned injuries interminably but the Dutchman does have a point – Man United have been ravaged on that front and building on last season's tentative success was always going to be difficult.
But this is emblematic of a wider, gaping problem, with the Gunners firing themselves back into first place and United dismayed after suffering a ninth home defeat of the campaign in all competitions.
There was, at least, something of a response after being carved open at Selhurst Park on Sunday, with Man United's inherent youth pedigree proving itself once again as the shining light, the beacon of hope, that may yet see the sun stretch onto the leaky Theatre once again.
Amad Diallo's performance vs Arsenal
Long have United reaped the rewards of a steady flow of academy and youthful talent filtering through to the first team – the historic record of having an academy graduate in the Premier League matchday squad since October 1937 stands tall and proud to this day.
Against Arsenal, Kobbie Mainoo featured and continued to offer such promise, a diamond in the rough, though he wasn't the standout for the home team. While he's not from Carrington, Amad Diallo produced yet another convincing display that suggests he should earn a more regular role under Ten Hag.
Starting for the first time in the Premier League this season, the 21-year-old lasted 70 minutes but certainly made an impression on the right flank, offering a rounded performance full of energy and spirit.
Minutes played
70'
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
46
Accurate passes
23/25 (95%)
Shots taken
0
Key passes
2
Dribble attempts
4/7
Duels won
7/14
Tackles
2
Clearances
2
Amad is showcasing his quality and ability to step up in big games and he must surely play a bigger part in his team's football next season, having also scored a dramatic winner against Liverpool in their FA Cup quarter-final tie.
Penning his post-match thoughts, the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst handed the young winger a 7/10 rating and wrote: 'His first start in 886 days and performed so enterprisingly it remains mystifying why Erik ten Hag has started Antony and Omari Forson over him.'
It was a combative and creative effort of equal measure, with the young Ivorian's ball-carrying skills having an influence on the team that certain positional peers failed to muster up themselves.
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo
Indeed, Antony replaced Amad and while he enjoyed a lively cameo, the Brazil international has flattered to deceive in England and must surely now be sold this summer.
Why Antony must be sold
In the summer of 2022, Antony was signed from Eredivisie side Ajax for a jaw-dropping fee of £86m, but his first season left plenty to be desired and the current campaign has seen a return of just three goals and two assists from 38 matches in all competitions.
Earlier in the campaign, Forbes' Sam Pilger remarked that Facundo Pellistri needed "to start games ahead of the woeful Antony", but might it be that Amad has been the rightful heir to the struggling forward's position in Ten Hag's squad all along?
Antony is an aggressive and committed player, to his credit, ranking among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 7% for interceptions and the top 1% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
But he also ranks among the bottom 4% for goals scored and the bottom 21% for assists per 90 – content creator Liam Canning has dubbed the 24-year-old as "unpredictable" in the past but his inability to hit a vein of prolific form has become dully tedious, in all honesty.
He was signed for a mammoth figure but his travails over the past two years have left him valued at just £27m at present, according to Football Transfers, which is probably a fair measure of where he is at on the market.
1.
Casemiro
£350k-per-week
2.
Raphael Varane
£340k-per-week
3.
Marcus Rashford
£300k-per-week
4.
Anthony Martial
£250k-per-week
4.
Mason Mount
£250k-per-week
6.
Bruno Fernandes
£240k-per-week
7.
Antony
£200k-per-week
8.
Jadon Sancho
£195k-per-week
Moreover, he is earning a staggering salary for one so ineffective, taking home £200k per week to place him on the edge of the bloated overpaid top earners at Old Trafford.
Amad, naturally, is nowhere near the upper end of the salary rankings at the club, earning just short of £29k per week, and while that is a fair reflection of his age and current standing in the team, this is seven times less than Antony's pay packet and based on recent performances, the disparity in wage does not equate to a difference in playing level. In fact, Amad might just be the superior player.
Of that entire list, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are the only players who can state that they have enjoyed high levels of success at Man United.
Antony is not proving himself to be Red Devil material and there it seems unlikely that he will ever reach the height that would see him playing up to the price tag. He must be sold this summer, with Ten Hag perhaps even wise to unleash Amad in his stead over the final two fixtures of the term, ensuring that he never wears this historic shirt again.
INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have much work to do in Greater Manchester this summer, and while there are several other pressing concerns to focus on, cashing in on a wayward flop like Antony must be at the forefront of the to-do list.
Ten Hag was let down by 3/10 Man Utd star who was worse than Casemiro
He had just 17 touches of the ball at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.