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Celtic are planning a busy end to the transfer window with Brendan Rodgers wanting at least three more signings coming through the door. The Hoops boss wants to sign a new winger, striker and centre-back to compete for the Scottish Premiership and in Europe.

Rodgers has already made six signings this summer but believes more signings will allow them to compete on multiple fronts, especially if they qualify for the Champions League.

The first of these new signings have been identified as Celtic have put in a bid for one of their long-term forward targets.

Rodgers and Celtic bid for Jota-like winger

Celtics hunt for a new winger might come in the form of long-term target Michel-Ange Balikwisha. Balikwisha is similar in his position and style of play to Jota, as per Football Transfers, so he would be a suitable replacement while the Portuguese star is recovering from his injury.

Sports Witness have reported that the Hoops’ interest in Balikwisha first started last summer when Rodgers attempted to sign him. The report also shares that Celtic and Royal Antwerp had negotiations on his signing and that injuries to the Belgian forward halted the deal.

This summer, Celtic are seen as ‘currently the most concrete option’ for Balikwisha’s next team. The Scottish champions have reportedly put in a bid of unknown value, however, that was rejected by Antwerp. It seems the 24-year-old could cost Celtic up to £4.7 million as Antwerp are hoping to recoup most of what they spent on him in 2021.

Balikwisha injury concerns

Celtic have a long-term interest in Balikwisha, and with a similar profile to Jota, he could be a good fit to join the club. However, the deal has failed to come to fruition once before because of his injuries, and it’s certainly a factor that needs to be taken into consideration.

Even in Balikwisha’s best season at Antwerp, he missed 10 games through injury. However, his best seasons are far less concerning than his worst, as last year he was only available for 17 of Antwerp’s 46 games.

It is not certain that, just because Balikwisha has experienced these injuries at Antwerp, that he would continue to at Celtic. A change in medical staff and physio department might be needed to help the 24-year-old train so that his injuries are not as frequent, but there’s no guarantee of this, and he may just be an injury-prone player.

Celtic will have to take this into consideration when they decide whether or not to make a new offer. From the report, this has been an issue that has deterred them from this transfer in the past, so Rodgers and his team need to decide whether he is worth the money.

Ruben Amorim has been brutally told that he "bluffed his way into a job" at Manchester United, with his gift of the gab allowing a prominent Premier League post to be secured. The Portuguese tactician, after impressing in his homeland with Sporting, was handed the reins at Old Trafford in November 2024. A baptism of fire in English football has been endured since then, leading to plenty of uncomfortable questions being asked.

• Man Utd stumbled out of the blocks in 2025-26

  Amorim is facing more of those at present, with United stumbling out of the blocks again in 2025-26. They could only muster a 15th-place finish last season, while also suffering defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final and missing out on qualification for continental competition. Through six fixtures this term, the Red Devils have seven points to their name.

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  Humbling defeats & formation questions for Amorim

  Amorim has come in for criticism, having suffered a humbling Carabao Cup defeat at League Two side Grimsby, and refuses to change his ways when it comes to a 3-4-3 system that many believe United lack the players to fit. He has been backed in the transfer market, but little return is being seen on that investment. Red Devils legend Wayne Rooney is among those to have aired concerns regarding the direction in which 13-time Premier League champions are heading.

• Did Amorim talking himself into Man Utd job?

  Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood, who won the English top-flight title as a player with Blackburn, shares that opinion. He has told of United’s struggles under Amorim: "It looks like they are emulating that season again. All of a sudden to be challenging for the title, that’s not going to happen. But we need to see gradual improvement. When I’m asked ‘Is he under pressure?’, I always said ‘no’. I feel like he should be, but I don’t think he is. I think they will give him this season, I really do.

  "He has already been in the job a year, we have seen no improvement. He keeps talking about the three at the back, we have talked about different personnel coming in, playing staff. He has had the windows to bring the players in. Perhaps he hasn’t got what he wants. How many more windows are we going to give him and when are we going to see an improvement – even gradual? We aren’t seeing anything.

  "What we are seeing is a man who sticks his chest out, certainly in the press conferences. When I see him on the touchline, he has got his head down, he was hiding in the dugout at Grimsby. But when I see him in front of the press, he fronts it up – he looks and he talks brilliantly. He has probably talked so well that he has bluffed his way into a job there at Man United because we’re not seeing anything.

  "He has done very well in Portugal, a lot of managers do very well in Portugal – it’s an inferior league to the Premier League. You can build sides on the job, you have three or four games in Portugal that are really competitive, the other times you can just play and experiment with different formations. You can’t do that in the Premier League. You do that in the Premier League, you come unstuck. And that is what he’s been doing. Since he has been at the football club, 34 points in 33 games, it’s not good enough, it’s relegation form."

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  International reset: One more game before next break

  Sherwood has previously accused Amorim’s United of looking "clueless", with questions being asked of what he is doing on the training ground to get his squad ready to deliver on a remit that has been in place for several months now.

  The Red Devils came unstuck at Brentford in their latest fixture, with club captain Bruno Fernandes missing a penalty in a demoralising 3-1 defeat. United have just one more game to take in before the next international break, during which another reset button could be hit, with Amorim and Co set to play host to newly-promoted Sunderland on Saturday.

Manchester United are looking to finish the transfer window with a flourish and could now be on the verge of finalising an important exit before the focus on their remaining business, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Manchester United prepare for Grimsby Town trip

Intriguingly, Manchester United travel to face Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup second round after being unable to secure European football for 11 years, setting the scene for an exciting tie at Blundell Park.

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Changes will be in the offing, offering the chance for several fringe players to give Ruben Amorim food for thought after a frustrating Premier League start that has yielded one point from a possible six.

Nevertheless, Patrick Dorgu is choosing to remain optimistic with the bulk of the season ahead, claiming his side are laser-focused on their mission to return to continental football this term.

He told BBC Sport: “The facilities help. I think new signings have helped as well. They bring a lot of good energy and quality into the group.

“Everyone has a point to prove this season. We need to get back to Europe, so we need to stick together, be happy and positive and try to do what the coach asks.”

Either way, the hope is there will be more in the way of new additions before the window is over as the Red Devils continue their pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba.

Carrington star likened to Yamal could now leave Man Utd, he wanted to stay

The Red Devils could be set for some late window action.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Aug 25, 2025

Nevertheless, departures will be necesarry to ensure the club have an adequate budget to draft in new faces. Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho continue to be tracked by Chelsea and Roma, respectively.

Now, the Red Devils could be close to offloading another high earner as they begin to move the needle in that direction, per recent developments.

Napoli in final stages of Rasmus Hojlund negotiations

According to Fabrizio Romano on X, Manchester United star Rasmus Hojlund is very close to agreeing a deal to join Napoli on loan, but he will effectively leave for good due to a £39 million mandatory purchase option, a significant windfall to boost the transfer coffers.

The £85,000 per week earner is set to sign a contract until 2030 at the Serie A holders, and all that remains is an ‘exit terms’ agreement to sort out before a deal can be ratified.

Struggling to find his best form at Old Trafford, the Denmark international has registered 26 goals and six assists in 95 appearances for the Red Devils. However, Benjamin Sesko’s arrival has meant Hojlund has slipped down the pecking order.

Financially, Manchester United will hope to reinvest money earned into new signings, but it remains to be seen if all parties can finalise terms before the deadline.

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Ruben Amorim was shocked by the 'knee-jerk reaction' to Manchester United's latest defeat, as they lost 3-1 to Brentford, and insiders at the club now fear that he will resign, instead of being sacked, per a new report. The Red Devils have lost three of their opening six Premier League games and were dumped out of the League Cup by Grimsby Town.

• Amorim surprised by fallout

  Per the , Amorim has been surprised by the sheer amount of scrutiny that is on both the club and his position after their uninspiring start to the season. The Portuguese is said to be shocked by the fact there is a 'knee-jerk reaction' after every single defeat, and United have, thus far, lost half of their Premier League fixtures, and were also embarrassed by Grimsby in the League Cup. The most recent loss, to Brentford, has left Amorim with the sixth-lowest points tally after 33 games at any club in the history of the Premier League. Nevertheless, the club are said to have faith that the former Sporting CP boss can turn their season around, but insiders now fear he could walk away.

  Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to be very keen to ensure that Amorim has a full season to prove himself but there is a concern that Amorim will see United as being a career-defining job, particularly if they keep losing games with the same regularity they are currently. 

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  United being linked with other managers

  United have been heavily linked with potential replacements for Amorim, although the report states that sources at the club are maintaining they have yet to draw up any kind of shortlist. While Erik ten Hag was in charge, the club did actively speak to other potential hires, doing so with Amorim before the Bayer Leverkusen boss moved on, but they are insistent there has been no repeat this time. Reports are linking the club with both Michael Carrick and Gareth Southgate, however, but the latter has not had any contact with Ratcliffe, despite the owner being an admirer of the former England boss.

  Carrick could be seen as a potential interim appointment if Amorim does move on, but it speaks to the faith INEOS have in the 40-year-old that they are yet to open direct communications with anybody else. United play Sunderland before the international break and that game has already become a must-win, with the newly-promoted side in fine form with only one defeat from their opening six fixtures.

• Amorim's defining period?

  Amorim said after the defeat to Brentford that he was not concerned about his immediate future. 

  He said: "I am never concerned about my job – I am not that kind of guy It is not my decision. I will do the best I can every minute I am here."

  He was also not willing to throw his players under the bus after such a poor display, adding: "I think we played the game they wanted us to play, the opponents – really confused: first balls, second balls. If we play the game of the opponent, it’s harder for us. We never settled the game down. We suffered two goals where we knew they are really strong on that, with the long balls. Then we tried to get back in the game. We miss a penalty, and all these moments are a little bit against us. That could change the game, but in the end, we need to – and we should do – better.

  "We need to have those moments for us. In the last game we had that, especially in the beginning of the game. Today, my biggest concern is the way we didn’t settle down the game, to control the game, to play our game. We should do that more in the game."

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  Where next for Man Utd?

  United face Sunderland before the international break but they then face a huge test once they return: A trip to Anfield to face Liverpool. The two sides could not be enjoying more different seasons, and the Reds will be out to hand down another major defeat on their bitter rivals. Last season at Anfield, Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by Amorim's men, and a similar result for United would feel like manna from heaven given the state of their current campaign. 

Celtic did not have a perfect summer transfer window, as they failed to land any strikers on deadline day, but they did do some good business on the whole.

Bringing Kieran Tierney back to the club on a free transfer from Arsenal was arguably the highlight of the window on paper, six years on from his £25m move to Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

The Scotland international was the first signing of the window and the highest-profile addition to the squad to replace Greg Taylor for Brendan Rodgers.

How Kieran Tierney has performed for Celtic

Expectations were, understandably, high for the left-footed star after what he achieved during his first spell at the club, and the fact that he has played in the Premier League and LaLiga over the past six years.

The 28-year-old full-back has not had a perfect start, losing 100% of his ground duels in the second leg against Kairat for example, but that should have been expected given his injury issues in recent years.

Tierney missed 45 matches through injuries in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined, per Transfermarkt, but he has still shown glimpses of the quality that he can provide, with an excellent assist against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.

Whilst it has been exciting to see such a high-profile player return to Celtic this season, Tierney is not the most valuable full-back in the squad – Alistair Johnston is.

Celtic have hit the jackpot with Alistair Johnston

Ange Postecoglou signed the Canada international from Montreal for a reported fee of £3.5m in January 2023, and the Australian head coach hit the jackpot for the club with that move.

The impressive right-back, whose work rate was hailed as “phenomenal” by Rodgers, has gone on to play 115 times for the Scottish giants in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, and registered 22 assists.

Johnston did not have a Transfermarkt market value at the time of Tierney’s £25m move to Arsenal in 2019. Now, six years later, the Canadian star is worth even more than the Scotland international.

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old star is worth more than the Scottish defender for the first time in their respective careers, which speaks to his rise and the fall of the left-back.

This also shows that the Hoops hit the jackpot with the right-back because his value has soared from £3.5m to £9m in less than three years, making him a far more valuable asset than he was when they signed him from the MLS.

Johnston, who is currently out injured, has proven himself to be a huge attacking threat from right-back for Celtic, creating 15 ‘big chances’ in 30 league starts last term, per Sofascore.

His superb performances on the pitch for the Scottish giants have led to his market value soaring to the point that he is now worth even more than Tierney, who was once a £25m-rated player.

Sold by Rodgers, now worth £22m more: Celtic messed up with prolific star

Celtic must regret selling this star who is now worth over £20m more than the fee they received for him.

1

By
Dan Emery

Sep 4, 2025

Overall, Postecoglou hit the jackpot for Celtic by signing him from Montreal and the club will be hoping that he can continue to deliver on the pitch to increase his value by even more.

Just six months after Arsenal stunned Lyon on their own patch in the Champions League semi-finals on their way to a second European triumph, the French giants got some revenge on Tuesday night as they spoiled the start of the Gunners' title defence with a 2-1 victory that, in truth, flattered the holders. Alessia Russo gave the hosts the lead with seven minutes on the clock but once Melchie Dumornay had quickly cancelled that out, it was all Lyon as two goals from the Haitian star secured all three points for the eight-time winners.

Russo's early strike was a real moment of quality, too, both in the finish and the excellent footwork from Beth Mead that set it up. However, it seemed to serve to only poke the bear as Lyon battled back ferociously with some relentless play throughout the first half in particular. It was a gift that helped them draw level, as goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar passed the ball to Dumornay when playing out from the back under no pressure, but the 22-year-old's second was a stunner, one she sent flying into the top corner from 20 yards out.

Lyon should've added to that lead multiple times but efforts either flew off target or were parried away by Van Domselaar, who did make amends for her earlier blunder with a terrific double stop just before the break especially. Arsenal couldn't make them rue that wastefulness, either, with chances few and far between bar Mariona Caldentey's well-saved effort a minute after Dumornay's second and Caitlin Foord's strike just wide in the final seconds.

It means it's now four games without a winner for the Gunners, after draws against Manchester United and Aston Villa were followed up with defeat at Manchester City at the weekend and now this loss. It's the first time since January 2022 that they have endured such a barren run. Five months after winning the Champions League, head coach Renee Slegers isn't under any real pressure in terms of her job, it must be said, but she and her Arsenal team are in terms of regaining some momentum and getting their season back on track for success.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Meadow Park…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Daphne van Domselaar (3/10):

  Made a real blunder for Lyon's first goal and her distribution was questionable for the second, too. Made amends to an extent with some terrific saves but the damage was already done.

  Emily Fox (4/10):

  Was overwhelmed in the first half in particular, dealing with Bacha and Diani both running down her side. Could've done more at times but also needed more help.

  Katie Reid (4/10):

  Her most difficult night of the season but she still wasn't the most culpable.

  Steph Catley (4/10):

  Lost the ball far too often in dangerous areas.

  Taylor Hinds (3/10):

  Caught out of position too often as Lyon thrived out wide.

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  Midfield

  Kim Little (5/10):

  Kept the ball better than most, though the bar wasn't very high.

  Mariona Caldentey (4/10):

  Poor awareness led to her giving the ball away for Lyon's second goal. A surprisingly sloppy performance from the Ballon d'Or runner-up.

  Frida Maanum (4/10):

  Battled well off the ball, winning most of her duels, but was on the fringes of the game in an attacking sense all night.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Chloe Kelly (3/10):

  Could not get involved at all in attack and didn't do enough defensively to help deal with Bacha, who always had so much space coming forward from left-back.

  Alessia Russo (5/10):

  Took her goal brilliantly. That was about the only service she had all night, however.

  Beth Mead (5/10):

  Showed great footwork and vision to pick out Russo for the opening goal but struggled to make much of an impact after that.

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  Subs & Manager

  Caitlin Foord (6/10):

  Arsenal's liveliest introduction, she was not far away from equalising in the final moments.

  Olivia Smith (5/10):

  Battled well and won plenty of duels but couldn't really get anything going in attack.

  Kyra Cooney-Cross (N/A):

  Made a rare appearance in the final 15 minutes.

  Stina Blackstenius (N/A):

  On for the final 15 minutes but didn't get any service.

  Katie McCabe (N/A):

  A late sub.

  Renee Slegers (5/10):

  Was too predictable with her team selection and set-up, and the same with her subs. Didn't do anything to give Lyon a particularly different look going forward in order to help Arsenal get back into the game.

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick explained his controversial celebration after being sent off against Girona, as the German coach will miss the season's first El Clasico next weekend. Flick received his marching orders for an angry protest as the Catalan giants moved above their fierce rivals Real Madrid at the top of La Liga thanks to defender Ronald Araujo’s late winner.

• Flick ruled out of El Clasico

  With Barcelona tied at 1-1 against Girona in the dying minutes of the La Liga fixture, Flick was visibly angry when the fourth official announced there would be just four minutes of additional time at the Olympic Stadium. With emotions running high as his side chased a crucial winner in their attempts to leapfrog great rivals Real at the summit, the 60-year-old argued with the officials over the amount of time added on and was dismissed as a result. This also means that the German coach will not be present in the dugout at Santiago Bernabeu in the season's first El Clasico.

  Following the red card, Flick was also seen making a gesture near the dugout after Araujo netted the all-important last-minute winner for the Catalan club. Slapping his left hand against his right arm twice, it is not clear if Flick aimed the motion towards either the referee or the fourth official. Araujo met Frenkie de Jong’s cross to spark wild celebrations among the home side.

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  Barcelona boss explains celebrations

  After the game, Flick opened up about his protest against the officials, while also explaining his controversial celebration. Speaking to reporters, the Barcelona boss said: "Football is about emotions, it's about tension. It wasn't for anyone, it was just a celebration. Frenkie was there and they showed him a card. My reaction wasn't directed at the referee. And I don't know why he showed me the second one. The celebration wasn't against anyone, it was about how we won. I was happy. I don't and won't do anything against anyone. I accept the referee's decision. It wasn't against him. I applauded so the team would react.

  Flick also said he tried to talk to the match referee but Gil Manzano wasn't interested in a discussion. He added: "I tried to talk to the referee, but I couldn't. He went his own way, and I couldn't. I accept the referee's decisions; he makes the decisions. What I did had nothing to do with him. If he doesn't want to talk to me, that doesn't make me sad; I accept that."

• Yamal back in form ahead of El Clasico

  After suffering from a persistent groin injury, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal finally returned to action and even featured in Flick's starting lineup. The youngster made a blockbuster return as he turned the assist provider for Pedri's opening goal, before being subbed off in the second. While Flick's red card was a massive blow for the Spanish champions, Yamal's return to action will surely prove to be a huge boost for the team ahead of the mouth-watering El Clasico against arch-rivals Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu next week. 

  Flick also revealed why Lamine was taken off in the second half, as he added: "I think he's fine, but we'll see tomorrow. He didn't say anything to me after the game, and that's good. He was only going to play 60 minutes. We had no other option. Pedri also plays a lot of minutes, which is why we substituted both of them. They're top players. Toni also played the first 45 minutes. It's also good that Fermín is back. He didn't start from the start. It was the right strategy."

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  Barcelona dominated El Clasico last season

  Barcelona will now aim to build on the dramatic late victory over Girona and return to winning ways in the Champions League, as they are all set to host Olympiacos on Tuesday. Flick’s men began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle on 18 September, with on-loan forward Marcus Rashford scoring twice, before losing 2-1 to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in their second fixture in Europe’s elite club competition. Following the European fixture, the focus will shift to the main attraction, the all-important El Clasico. The Catalan side will draw inspiration from their performance in El Clasicos last season as they won all four head-to-head clashes with their rivals and completely dominated Los Blancos. The two Spanish giants are set to lock horns for the first time in the 2025-26 campaign at Santiago Bernabeu on October 26. 

Manchester City are enjoying their return after the international break, but could be set to allow a Pep Guardiola signing to leave the club despite the player in question only joining mere months ago.

Manchester City summer signings make instant impact

The transfer window has been and gone, leaving Manchester City hopeful they can start to build momentum as they look to reclaim the Premier League title from Liverpool.

Last weekend’s resounding victory over Manchester United will have restored belief after back-to-back top-flight defeats, and the introduction of Gianluigi Donnarumma to the fold has certainly provided an elevated level of assurance within the Citizens’ backline.

Impressing with his gigantic figure between the sticks, Peter Schmeichel admitted to Premier League Productions that he even tried to convince the Manchester City stopper to move to Old Trafford before his transfer to the blue side of the city materialised.

He said, detailing a previous encounter when he was at Paris Saint-Germain: “I asked my first question and he started to answer in Italian, and I had no clue! Over the last season I kept saying to him, ‘We want you at Man United.

“I did. So I went to him, ‘What are you doing here? You should be in the other goal (for United),’ but he said, ‘I’m very, very happy here.’ He showed it, he gave it to the team today, didn’t he.”

Man City plan offer to sign £87m star who Pep thinks can be key with Foden

The Citizens are looking to make a statement in the January window.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Sep 12, 2025

Little did Schmeichel know that Donnarumma would immediately be installed as Guardiola’s number one, but there are always ramifications that come with new signings being made.

Now, the Citizens could be willing to offload one of their summer additions in a surprise move that will shock many supporters.

James Trafford could make Man City loan exit

According to TBR, Man City could allow James Trafford to leave on loan in January to help keep his hopes of making Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad alive, given Donnarumma has become Guardiola’s preferred stopper.

The £50,000 per week earner has fallen down the pecking order, something that is further complicated by Stefan Ortega remaining at the club, and he could be permitted a temporary exit after joining for £27 million from Burnley.

Trafford, who himself is open to a loan move away, has started three of Manchester City’s opening four Premier League matches, keeping a clean sheet against Wolverhampton Wanderers, followed by less convincing performances against Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Nevertheless, he is a fine talent who also courted attention from Newcastle United during the summer before settling on a move back to the club where it all started.

Now, he needs minutes to keep his hopes of being under contention with England alive, and he is unlikely to be short of suitors once the January window opens.

While they have yet to win anything, Arsenal now have arguably the best squad in the Premier League.

Whether it’s the outrageously stacked defence, the midfield or up top, Mikel Arteta has an abundance of talent to pick from every week, and his second-string side would probably give some teams a good game.

Yet, even with the embarrassment of riches at his disposal, most fans and pundits alike would agree that his best and most important player remains Bukayo Saka.

Yet, even so, the manager should be looking to take the Englishman out of the lineup for the Champions League game against Olympiacos.

Why Saka should be dropped

Now, there is, of course, a compelling argument that Arsenal should field their best players in a European game like this.

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However, even though that’s a totally valid point of view, and one that most might hold, there are a few reasons why Saka should be dropped.

First and foremost, Arteta needs to protect the Hale End superstar from being overplayed and picking up any more injuries.

After all, he missed almost four months of action due to hamstring surgery last season, and then missed a few weeks earlier this year due to an injury to his other hamstring.

Moreover, since returning from his recent setback, the 24-year-old “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has already made three appearances, including two starts in the last two games.

In other words, he’s already had the chance to regain a significant amount of match sharpness and therefore doesn’t need to start a third game in seven days.

Second, if the North Londoners were playing a title rival or one of the real big boys in Europe, then there would be an argument to risk another start given his importance to the team.

However, without being disrespectful, Olympiacos are one of the easier opponents the Gunners will face this season, with UEFA ranking them 37th in their coefficients, behind the likes of Bodo/Glimt, PSV Eindhoven and Club Brugge.

Finally, there is also no need to play Saka, as Arteta already has the perfect option to start in his stead, and no, it’s not Max Dowman.

The Arsenal star who should start ahead of Saka

There will be plenty of fans who want to see Dowman come in from the start against Olympiacos, and while there is undoubtedly an argument to throw him in the deep end, it might be a little too much too soon.

Especially when Arteta already has the perfect option to start in Saka and the 15-year-old’s place: Ethan Nwaneri.

Speaking about him during the early stages of Nwaneri’s development, Mikel Arteta noted that the teenager is “a little bit like Jack Wilshere,” and that may suggest why he’s been getting more game time in the middle of the park recently.

That looks likely to be his long-term position, but it would make perfect sense to start the Hale Ender off the right against the Greek outfit.

The most significant argument for doing so is that the 18-year-old dynamo already has a decent amount of experience playing out there and put up some good numbers when doing so last season.

For example, in 37 appearances, totalling just 1378 minutes, the dynamic gem scored nine goals and provided two assists, which comes out to an impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.36 games, or every 125.27 minutes.

In other words, the manager can rest assured that starting the “phenomenal” talent, as dubbed by former professional Stephen Warnock, would not be detrimental to the side’s attacking output.

Another reason the Spaniard should be playing academy product is that, now that he has been tied down to a long-term contract, he needs to be given ample opportunities to play first-team football and continue his impressive development.

So, while a start against Newcastle United, for example, might be too risky, the same cannot really be said about a European fixture in which the Gunners are big favourites.

Ultimately, Saka needs to be rested and protected to ensure he does not suffer another injury, and though Dowman should feature against Olympiacos, it should be Nwaneri who starts the game off the right.

Jamie Carragher admits he was wrong about Arsenal star who's "becoming a real leader"

The former Liverpool defender has made a U-turn.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 1, 2025

Ruben Amorim has heaped praise on Bryan Mbeumo after the forward continued his fantastic start to life at Manchester United with a brace in the 4-2 victory over Brighton on Saturday. The 26-year-old netted his third and fourth Premier League goals of the season as Amorim’s side built on their recent wins over Sunderland and Liverpool with another triumph at Old Trafford.

• Mbeumo is fast becoming a United hero following Brentford move

  Mbeumo has quickly become a fan favourite amongst the United faithful following his summer move from Brentford. After scoring his first league goal in the last-gasp 3-2 victory over Burnley on 30 August, the Cameroon international then netted the opener in his side’s momentous 2-1 win over bitter rivals Liverpool last Sunday. And picking up from where he left off at Anfield, Mbeumo scored twice in the second half of what was a pulsating encounter with Brighton, with Brazil duo Matheus Cunha and Casemiro also finding the back of the net.

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• AFP
  

  Cameroon international receiving love from United fans and Amorim

  Having already struck up exciting partnerships with both Amad Diallo and fellow new boy Cunha, Mbeumo is not only being lauded by the United supporters but by manager Amorim, who paid tribute to his in-form charge after the Brighton game.

  In his post-match press conference, Amorim said of Mbeumo: “He’s a working machine. He’s so good in transitions. He’s improving when we are organising the final third. The connection with Amad, it’s really hard to beat these two guys because they change position, they are really fast, they are good in one against one. 

  “My role was, as a manager, to explain what I want from him. But it was more the club. And you guys. We can struggle a lot, but it’s Manchester United. When Manchester United is there, and when we feel that this player wants to come here, no matter what, no matter what the position, no matter if it's Champions League or not, we also give everything to bring these kind of guys, and that was the case.”

• Amorim says United produced a 'complete' display against Brighton

  Mbeumo’s heroics against both Liverpool and Brighton have played a key role in helping change the mood at United, who have now won their last three games following what was an inconsistent start to the 2025-26 season. While the victory at Liverpool – the club’s first since 2016 – was built on rapid counter-attacks from the likes of Mbeumo, Cunha and Amad, Amorim says the win over Brighton was a more “complete” performance from his side.

  Asked if he felt beating Brighton was a bigger “statement” than beating Liverpool, considering the Seagulls had won their previous three games at Old Trafford, Amorim agreed by saying: “I have that feeling. I think [it] was a more complete performance. You can say whatever you want to say against Liverpool, but they didn't deserve to lose that game. We deserve to win, but they didn't deserve to lose. I think today, we did a little bit of everything. We had the ball, create chances, we defend high, we defend low. So, when it’s more complete, it's not a statement, but I feel more complete also as a manager. So today I think I like today more than last weekend.”

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  Portuguese believes fans are seeing benefits of no European football

  And when asked if fans are now seeing the benefits of him having all week to work with the players, with United not competing in any European competitions this season, Amorim added: “I think you can sense that, of course, the results now, you can feel that. But the team, since we started this season, the team play so much better compared to last season. We have different players, more suited to this type of style. But it's a big difference. Every team that plays in this league, and has to play in Europe, it's so much harder. And we felt that last year. So, I said that last year, I will say the same thing, [it] is a big advantage to have just one game per week, and we have to take advantage of that.”