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Manchester United have come in for criticism with Sir Jim Ratcliffe accused of "pinching off people" due to his latest cost-cutting measure.

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• Man Utd cut steward bonuses by £150
• Used to receive £100 for every 10 matches
• Steward of the Week cash prize also cancelled

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Since taking operational control with a 25% stake in the club, Ratcliffe has initiated significant reductions in outgoings to channel more funds into improving the playing squad. However, these moves have sparked backlash, particularly after the decision to eliminate bonuses for stewards—some of the club’s lowest-paid employees.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Stewards, who play a crucial role in ensuring matchday safety and fan experience, previously received a £100 attendance bonus for every 10 matches worked. Additionally, a "Steward of the Week" was awarded £50 for exceptional service. According to both bonuses have been discontinued this season, leading to widespread dissatisfaction among staff.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  The changes have prompted many stewards to leave the club. Frank Robinson, a former steward with 24 years of experience at Old Trafford, shared his frustration, describing the move as a step too far.

  “A lot of stewards are leaving since Ratcliffe came in,” he told iNews.

  “Up until last year they used to get an attendance bonus. Every 10 matches we did, we got a £100 bonus. Now they said you’re not having that. So they stopped that completely. For many years you’d have a steward of the week, someone nominated or fans wrote in and said how well this steward had done. You got £50 for that. Now they still have steward of the week, but they have no award. It’s very petty for a football club. You’re pinching off people at the bottom of the ladder.”

  Robinson also highlighted the increasing use of agency staff to replace seasoned stewards, which has further eroded morale.

  “Supervisors and stewards who’ve been at United for years are packing it in,” Robinson said.

  “Some stewards in their 70s, they’re putting them into the top tier of the North Stand because they know they won’t like it and they’ll leave. They can bring more agency staff in. They’re trying to force them out. They are getting rid of stewards and replacing them with untrained, unqualified agency staff. There’s no overheads with agency staff, no training, no uniforms, nobody having to work wages and holiday out.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Once a symbol of gratitude, the club previously awarded long-serving stewards with engraved watches, often presented by legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. These timepieces, valued at over £1,000, were a cherished acknowledgement of loyalty and dedication. Now, such traditions have disappeared.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has provided the latest in Nottingham Forest's pursuit of another signing this summer as they look to hand Nuno Espírito Santo a squad capable of pulling well clear of the Premier League relegation battle this season.

Nottingham Forest keen to make signings

With a month left in the transfer window, it was suggested that Nottingham Forest would be looking to make five new signings before the window slams shut, with the reliable John Percy explaining that the Premier League side were on the hunt for "two wingers, a forward, a left-back and another goalkeeper" before the August 30th deadline.

Since then, they have added those two wingers, with Jota Silva arriving from Portuguese outfit Vitória S.C, while more recently they completed a move to sign Paraguayan forward Ramon Sosa on a five-year deal.

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“Ramón has been coveted by many clubs but was so clear in his desire to join Nottingham Forest", Forest's Chief Football Officer Ross Wilson explained. “We could all feel his energy, emotion, pride and excitement to be here from the first minute he arrived".

Now, attention is turning elsewhere, with the club understood to be keen on signing Aston Villa left-back Alex Moreno on a season-long loan deal to provide cover at full back. They have also been linked with a move for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, so the final thing on the agenda is a new centre forward.

Romano issues update on striker hunt

Now, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Garibaldi have seen a bid turned down for Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez as they look to bolster their frontline.

As it stands, they have both Chris Wood (who scored in Saturday's draw) and Taiwo Awoniyi to call upon, but they are looking for further firepower and have identified the Mexican as a potential solution. Gimenez was thought to be on the radar of Tottenham last season as he enjoyed an excellent campaign, and he has started the new season in similar vein with two goals and an assist in two outings.

As per Romano, sharing news from Mexican media outlets, Forest are still in negotiations over a move for the talented forward, having seen an initial 25m euro (£21m) offer rejected. It is added that the offer is "not enough for Feyenoord to accept" and that they are holding out for a higher fee, but the Reds haven't given up and are pushing ahead to agree on a new number.

They will be in no rush for Feyenoord to sell the Mexican, with Gimenez still having three years left to run on his £29,000 a week deal with the Eredivisie champions. But with Wood now the wrong side of his peak and Awoniyi unreliable fitness wise, his addition would be a massive boost for Forest if they can get it over the line.

Arsenal would sign a £200,000-per-week forward before deadline day if they could, and it is claimed he'd be open to joining them.

Arsenal looking at last-minute chance to sign forward after Merino

As per reliable media sources like journalist Fabrizio Romano, there is a belief that Arsenal are looking at "last-minute" opportunities to sign a new forward as we fast approach the transfer window cut-off.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 29, 2024

Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has been heavily linked with a late switch to Arsenal in the last week, with GiveMeSport even writing that the Frenchman was offered out to the Gunners at some point recently.

While Mikel Arteta has the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Reiss Nelson, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka at his disposal, who are all capable of playing out wide, the Gunners and sporting director Edu Gaspar could enter the market for an alternative Saka.

“I think it’s not going to be a super big name. I don’t expect Arsenal to go for a central striker," said Romano on Men in Blazers (via TBR).

"There was some fear around the injury of Gabriel Jesus, but I’m told it’s quite positive. The idea of Arsenal is to sign a winger rather than a number nine, looking at a last-minute opportunity on the market."

This comes amid their attempts to bring in a new second-choice keeper to replace the departing Aaron Ramsdale after Southampton agreed a deal worth up to £25 million for the England international (BBC).

Arsenal have submitted a bid for Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia to fill the role, but the La Liga side want his full £26 million release clause to be paid in full, so it remains to be seen just how much the north Londoners will be able to splash out on a new winger as well.

It's been a very busy week at the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal also announcing their capture of Mikel Merino, who will don the number 23 shirt and could make his Premier League debut this weekend.

Arsenal would sign Nico Williams before deadline day if they could

Speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras podcast, journalist Dean Jones says Arsenal are still very fond of Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams, even if he doesn't look likely to be leaving any time soon.

Jones says that, if it were up to them, Arsenal would sign Williams "tomorrow", and he wouldn't say no to joining despite preferring Barcelona as a destination.

“Nico Williams, they still love up to right now. I think they would sign Nico Williams tomorrow if they could. There are problems more around his wages than an actual transfer fee that would be needed,” Jones said (via TBR).

“There’s also the desire of the player. I don’t think he doesn’t want to join Arsenal, I just think he’d prefer to join Barcelona. I’m waiting to see if that can crop up again for Arsenal.”

The £200,000-per-week player starred for Spain at the Euros, and there is a very serious case to be made that he's one of Europe's brightest talents right now.

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing a forward who Virgil van Dijk says "has everything", seeing him as an alternative to Santiago Gimenez.

Nottingham Forest miss out on Gimenez

The Reds have suffered a setback with one high-profile transfer target, with a move for Feyenoord striker Gimenez possibly not materialising after plenty of interest emerged in him from the Premier League side.

The Mexican looked like a hugely exciting option for Forest, considering what a key performer he was for his current club last season, scoring 23 goals in just 29 starts in the Eredivisie, as well as netting twice in four appearances in the Champions League.

With Gimenez potentially no longer a target for Nuno Espirito Santo's side between now and the end of the summer transfer window this week, having rejected a switch to the City Ground, they could do with finding an alternative target.

It looks as though they may have found that player, with a new report suggesting as much, as Forest look to give themselves the best possible chance of enjoying a solid Premier League campaign.

Nottingham Forest eyeing attacker who "has everything"

According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are now "ready to turn their attention" to signing Ajax striker Brian Brobbey this summer, looking to acquire his signature before the window closes on Friday.

The Reds have "set their sights" on the Feyenoord ace, seeing him as an ideal option in place of Gimenez, but with his contract not expiring until 2027, the report does state that "it would take a big fee to try and prise him away from Amsterdam".

Brobbey stands out as a shrewd option for Forest in the coming days, and if they were able to entice him to the club, it could make up for the blow of missing out on the prolific Gimenez.

The Ajax ace is a top-quality player in his own right, and still only 22 years of age, scoring 49 goals and registering 19 assists for Ajax to date, as well as winning three caps for the Netherlands. His international captain Van Dijk has spoken highly about his compatriot's qualities, too, saying:

"I think he’s a great boy. He is a great talent and basically has everything. He is fast, strong and can finish well. He had said in an interview that he would score against us, but luckily, we were able to prevent that. He can be a very good weapon [for the World Cup], but it’s up to the national coach."

Forest signing Brobbey may feel like a real coup, given his international pedigree and the praise he has received from such a huge player in Van Dijk, and he scored a combined 31 league goals in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons combined.

The £48,000-a-week Dutchman may only improve, too, given his tender years, so the idea of him in a Reds shirt for many years to come is an exciting prospect for Reds supporters.

One of the biggest priorities at the moment for Tottenham is recruiting a new striker, someone capable of making up for the departure of Harry Kane a year ago. Yeah, no pressure.

Two of the names on supporters' lips at the moment are Bournemouth taliman Dominic Solanke and Napoli superstar Victor Osimhen.

That said, a winger could also be on the agenda for Ange Postecoglou and Co.

Tottenham's hunt for a new winger

One of the fiercest rumours in recent weeks has been to Italy international Federico Chiesa. The Juventus star was actually left out of the Turin outfit's squad over the week, fueling further speculation that he'll be on his way out in the forthcoming weeks.

However, it's unlikely to be to Tottenham. Journalist Tom Barclay confirmed a few days ago that the Italian is not a target for Spurs this summer.

A more concrete option could be Wolves' Pedro Neto. That's according to recent reports from Caught Offside this weekend who suggest that Arsenal and their north London rivals are going head to head to sign the £60m talent.

Another name who has been hotly tipped to move this summer is Eberechi Eze. Older reports suggests Spurs are in the hunt for him too.

How Eze compares to Chiesa and Neto

Valued at £60m, the idea of signing Eze for those at Spurs should be greatly appealing. After all, this is one of England's and the Premier League's most exciting talents.

Last season, the 26-year-old scored 11 goals and supplied six assists in all competitions on his way to being hailed as an "unbelievable" player by pundit Danny Murphy.

How do those base stats compare to Neto and Chiesa? Well, pretty well it turns out.

So, Eze is clearly the more clinical of the three in front of goal but Neto is a far more creative outlet. Vitally, the former stays fit on a far more regular basis though. The Wolves star missed a lot of football last term – 23 games in fact. The Crystal Palace man? He was only absent for five games with one muscle injury at the turn of the year.

What do the deeper numbers suggest about the trio? Let's take a look.

So, it's a very resounding win in most areas for the Eagles talisman, Eze. The England international scores more regularly, is more accurate with his passing and even more impressively on top of that is more of his passes are progressive in nature. He's even a dazzling dribbler, completing far more take-ons.

Neto is the better progressive carrier of the ball and supplies far more assists but considering Eze is reportedly available at the same price tag, there is only really one winner here.

If Johan Lange and Co can find a way to get a deal done then it would be a superb acquisition for Spurs.

Spurs hit gold on "masterclass signing" who's worth way more than Eze

The Lilywhites already have a left-sided player worth a king’s ransom.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 25, 2024

Paul Pogba was all smiles at his wife Zulay’s birthday bash, with the World Cup winner now a free agent after seeing his Juventus contract terminated.

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• World Cup winner released by Serie A giants
• Free to resume career after ban in March 2025
• Enjoying spending time with his family for now

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Manchester United midfielder finds himself without a club after being released by the Serie A giants in Turin. That decision has been taken as Pogba continues to serve a worldwide football ban on the back of failing a doping test in September 2023.

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• THE GOSSIP

  Pogba was initially suspended for four years, but has seen that sanction reduced to 18 months on appeal, meaning that he will be free to resume his professional career in March 2025. It remains to be seen who the France international will be representing the next time that he takes to the field.

• WHAT ZULAY SAID

  For now, Pogba is enjoying spending time with his family. He has taken in relaxing breaks with his partner, while also helping her to celebrate turning 31. He was among the guests at a lavish party which saw Zulay post on Instagram: “Welcome my 31!!! Feeling so thankful and blessed for everyone and everything. Thank to my baby for making all this happen @paulpogba”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Pogba is being linked with clubs across the world as he begins to mull over his next move. There has been talk of him joining the likes of Lionel Messi and Olivier Giroud in MLS, while another stint in the Premier League or potential return to his roots in France are both being speculated.

It's set to be a big transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur this summer as Daniel Levy and Co look to land the right players for Ange Postecoglou's exciting project.

The Australian managed to bring the team back into European football last season, but a collapse towards the end of the campaign meant it was the Europa League, not the Champions League.

To take that next stop, the North Londoners will need to sign some quality additions over the next couple of months, and based on recent reports, that may well happen.

The latest star touted for a move to N17 is an incredibly exciting winger who would help bring more goals to the side and challenge Brennan Johnson for a spot in the starting lineup.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham are interested in signing Juventus and Italy star Federico Chiesa this summer.

The 26-year-old's £150k-per-week contract expires next summer, and according to the report, the Lilywhites have matched the €6m-per-year offer the Old Lady have made him, which converts to around £5m.

However, it's claimed that the winger wants a wage of closer to €8m-per-year – £7m – and, according to reports earlier this week, it'll cost North Londoners around £25m if they want to prise him out of Turin a year early.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, but given Chiesa's quality, it is one worth pursuing, especially as he could be a fantastic rival for Johnson.

How Chiesa compares to Johnson

So, if Spurs can get their hands on Chiesa this summer, he'd likely come in primarily to play off the right of a front three, as that is the position he has played most in his career.

In which case, Johnson would be one of his main competitors for a place in the starting lineup, but how do they compare?

Well, when it comes to their raw output last season, the Welshman just about edges it, scoring five goals and providing ten assists in 38 matches for the Lilywhites, equating to a goal involvement on average every 2.53 games.

In contrast, the "unstoppable" former Fiorentina ace, as dubbed by Giorgio Chiellini, scored ten goals and provided three assists in 37 appearances, producing a slightly worse average of a goal involvement every 2.84 games.

However, when it comes to their underlying numbers, the tables turn, and it's the Italian "wizard", as dubbed by football media personality Roger Bennett, who comes out ahead.

For example, while the former Nottingham Forest ace produces a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, more actual assists, higher passing accuracy and more goal-creating actions, he's comfortably second best for actual non-penalty goals, progressive passes and carries, shots and shots on target, key passes and shot-creating actions, all per 90.

Ultimately, if Chiesa is available for the reported fee, then Spurs cannot afford to miss out. While he might not be clear of Johnson, for example, he is clearly talented and could push the other wingers in the team to improve, if not outright replace them in time.

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Phil Foden admitted that Manchester City will come up against a "frightening" Liverpool team on Sunday, but insists his side are up to the challenge.

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• Liverpool on six-game winning run
• City winless in as many matches
• Foden sure they can turn it around

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City went on a five-game losing streak before squandering a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday. Their dismal domestic results leave the Premier League champions eight points behind leaders Liverpool ahead of the Anfield showdown between the two sides on Sunday.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In contrast, Liverpool are on a six-game winning streak and have failed to win on just two occasions in all competitions this season. They head into the game off the back of a 2-0 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League, and Foden is aware his team face a massive challenge.

  "Yeah, they look frightening to be fair," he told . "They’ve gone under the radar a bit because everyone was talking about City and Arsenal but we know how good they are. [Sunday’s match] is going to be a challenge and we’re up for it."

• WHAT FODEN SAID

  City's dismal form has sparked talk of a crisis at the club under Pep Guardiola. Defeat on Sunday would see City fall 11 points behind their rivals, which Guardiola conceded would likely put his team out of contention for the title.

  However, Foden is confident of turning the situation around as he believes the players are mentally strong enough.

  "Obviously, we’ve had a blip. We’ve had injuries and niggles," he said. "We can’t make that an excuse but we do know if we had the full team fit and key players, maybe the results would have been different. It’s about just getting over it. I’m pretty sure we’ll be OK once we start picking up the results again."

  He added: "It’s just the way we are. When we lose, we have meetings as a team, you know: ‘It’s not right, we need to put things right,’ so it’s just our mentality. I know when I look around the changing room, the mentality is right. Our hunger is still there, which is nice to see after us winning so much. It could easily not be — but the hunger is definitely still there."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FODEN?

  Yet to score in the Premier League so far this season, Foden will hope to open his account when City line up against Arne Slot's team.

When a transfer window comes around Chelsea get busy. That has always been the motive since Todd Boehly took over.

However, rather than throwing the book at big-money names this summer, the Blues have been shrewd, planning for the future by wrapping up a number of deals for future stars.

Still, there could be room for one big expenditure if they can sell players like Conor Gallagher and Romelu Lukaku in the forthcoming weeks to raise funds.

Nico Williams continues to be linked with a move, as does Borussia Dortmund sensation Karim Adeyemi.

However, a striker continues to elude Boehly who will no doubt be keen to add to Enzo Maresca's firepower.

Chelsea still targeting a new striker

Last summer, Nicolas Jackson was brought to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £30m from Villarreal.

It took a while for the Senegalese striker to get up to speed but he did actually enjoy a pretty impressive debut campaign in England despite criticism from various corners, scoring 17 goals in all competitions.

So, is a striker really necessary? Well, it depends who it is you'd imagine. Newcastle forward Alexander Isak was linked a few weeks ago but the Toon don't want to sell and with the PSR deadline now having passed, they no longer need to cash in on their prized assets.

Who else is of interest? Well, Chelsea lodged a bid for Atletico Madrid's young striker Samuel Omorodion earlier this week. There's also a certain Victor Osimhen.

The latest on their interest in the Nigerian comes from Football.London who report that it is a deal the Blues could still 'look to do' before the window closes.

That comes after talks involving a possible swap deal including Lukaku fell through.

The trouble is that it could take a fee north of £100m to draw him away from Napoli and the Serie A.

How Osimhen compares to Alexander Isak

Now, who would turn their noses up at either striker? Certainly not us. However, there is a question to be asked, who is the better option?

Well, Isak has Premier League experience and has shone in English football already, scoring 25 goals from 40 matches in all competitions last term.

So, he knows where the back of the net is. Sadly, just like Osimhen, he doesn't have the greatest fitness record.

Besides the 2022/23 campaign, the Swedish striker appears to have a better fitness record, but even with Osimhen missing more days through injury, he has scored more goals.

Therefore, the next comparison should be in how well-rounded their game is. Let's take a look at the numbers in a bit more depth.

In some key areas for a striker, it's Isak who looks like the more captivating asset. He scored more goals per 90 minutes, registered more shot-creating actions and was more likely to carry the ball forward in a progressive manner.

That said, it's Osimhen who looks like the stronger of the two physically, reigning supreme in the air and doing his fair share of defensive work, winning more tackles.

What other factors can we take into consideration? Well, the ability to perform on the big stages should be something that Maresca and Co look at.

At the age of 25 (Isak is 24), the Napoli forward has been scoring at a bigger and more consistent rate for a number of years now. He's taken his side to a historic Serie A triumph too. In short, there is a reason that Joao Cancelo once hailed him as "one of the best strikers in the world."

Further boasting nine goals in 17 Champions League fixtures – with Isak having scored just once at Europe's top table – there is a reason to believe that Osimhen is the more likely of the two to help Boehly meet his dizzying ambitions for Chelsea.

Newcastle's star man is no doubt still a fantastic option but Osimhen, with his power and goalscoring ability, could be perfect, ushering in a new era under Maresca and taking them to the next level.

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Celtic are yet to make their first signing of the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month, but it is not through a lack of trying.

BBC Sport recently reported that the Scottish Premiership champions had an offer rejected for Ireland international Adam Idah, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Parkhead.

The outlet claimed that the Hoops submitted a bid that was worth between £4m and £5m for the 23-year-old attacker, but that was not enough to tempt Norwich City to cash in on the forward.

It now remains to be seen whether or not the Bhoys will go back in with an improved effort to sign the 6 foot 3 marksman, after his impressive spell in Glasgow last term.

However, Celtic do already have a striker who they have hit gold with and Brendan Rodgers could look to extract more from Kyogo Furuhashi, who is currently worth more than Idah.

How much Adam Idah is currently worth

HITC have reported that the Canaries are looking for a fee in the region of £8m to allow their academy graduate to move on from Carrow Road, which could be twice as much as Celtic offered for him if their offer was at the lower end of the £4-5m range.

That valuation has come off the back of Idah's impressive performances in the Premiership for the Scottish giants during the second half of last term.

As you can see in the table above, the right-footed dynamo plundered an exceptional ten direct goal contributions in 15 appearances, despite starting just eight games.

Celtic struck gold with Kyogo Furuhashi

The Hoops already have a centre-forward who is currently worth more than him, though, as Football Insider reported earlier this summer that the club value Kyogo at a whopping £25m.

That is a staggering 433% increase on the £4.6m they reportedly paid to sign the attacker from Vissel Kobe in 2021, which shows that Ange Postecoglou struck gold by bringing the Japan international to Parkhead as his value has skyrocketed.

It also shows that he is currently valued at a considerably higher fee than the £8m wanted by Norwich for Idah, and that may be down to the goalscoring potential he has.

As you can see in the table above, Kyogo struggled in front of goal last season with ten more 'big chances' missed than goals scored in the Premiership.

However, the 29-year-old star's form during the 2022/23 campaign under Postecoglou shows that the quality is there for him to be a prolific scorer in Scotland, which means that all hope is not lost for him at Parkhead.

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If Celtic fail to agree a deal with Norwich for Idah, Rodgers must do everything possible to get Kyogo back to his lethal best in the top-flight to reinforce that the Hoops struck gold when they snapped him up three years ago.