All posts by z3u9t.icu

Italian football expert Conor Clancy has delivered his verdict on reported Aston Villa target Stefan De Vrij.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, Clancy revealed that the Dutchman – who has been linked with a move to Villa Park – could offer Steven Gerrard’s invaluable quality both on and off the pitch, while also proving something of a coup at a reported £15m for a player of vast experience.

Asked whether the 30-year-old’s addition would prove to be a bargain buy for the Midlands outfit, the journalist said: “I think so. And the Villa project is interesting because they’ve got Steven Gerrard there and they’ve probably underachieved given the players that they have this season.

“But for a player like him to come in – because they are still relatively newly promoted into the Premier League – he’s the kind of player that can offer a lot in terms of he’s been there and done it all before with other clubs. He’s got a lot of experience and he’s capable of leading a team on the pitch.”

Axe Mings

The arrival of the Inter Milan defender would no doubt enable the club to part ways with current captain Tyrone Mings, following reports that Gerrard is keen to move the 29-year-old on this summer following his dismal displays this term.

The 17-cap international has come in for fierce criticism from pundit Danny Mills this season, with the Englishman insisting that he has a “mistake in his game somewhere” and that the Villans need a “top-quality centre-half” in order to go to that “next level”.

The club captain has formed part of a backline that shipped 54 goals in the recent campaign – the tenth worst record in the division – with the current boss failing to settle on a regular defensive pairing, shifting between both Calum Chambers and Ezri Konsa alongside the skipper.

As their collapse at the Etihad at the weekend proved, there is a soft spot in this Villa side, with it time that NSWE bolstered their defensive ranks after splashing the cash on attacking reinforcements, such as Philippe Coutinho.

Mings himself had cost the club £20m just under three years ago, although it would appear that his race is run at Villa Park, with De Vrij seemingly the man set to replace him.

The former Lazio defender was part of an Inter side that narrowly missed out on a second successive Serie A title to rivals AC Milan, with the £116k-per-week gem having featured 30 times under Simone Inzaghi in that title challenge.

Although he has largely featured on the left of a back three, the 55-cap international would seemingly be able to comfortably slot into Gerrard’s preferred back four, proving the solution to the club’s left-sided centre-back problem.

One notable benefit to his arrival would be his quality in possession, the £31.5m-rated gem averaging a 92% pass success rate in the Italian top-flight in the recent campaign, while also ranking in the top 5% among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion.

Mings, by contrast, had just an 80% pass accuracy rate in the 2021/22 season in the league – squandering possession 10.3 times per game on average – while he also ranks in just the top 84% for pass completion among centre-backs on the continent, as per FBref.

Those statistics don’t appear good enough for a side seeking to finish far higher up the table next term, with De Vrij the club’s ideal, quality replacement.

IN other news, Imagine him & Kamara: NSWE can form “unreal” duo as AVFC eye “exceptional” £60m target

Now that the next summer transfer window is on the horizon, it seems as though Manchester City have their eye on securing the signature of one player that could potentially become their next version of Phil Foden.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Mirror, City are in the mix to sign Birmingham City’s 16-year-old midfielder Jobe Bellingham.

As a product of Birmingham’s youth system, the midfielder has followed in the footsteps of his brother Jude by making his senior debut for the Midlands club at a very early age.

The next Foden?

Manchester City have a raft of young players at their club that they have given Premier League minutes to this season.

Some of these players such as Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, James McAtee, CJ Egan-Riley and Kayky have all had their first taste of top-flight action at some point.

One other prime example of a young player working his way through the academy and becoming a regular first-team player is Foden.

With 210 appearances under his belt for the club across their youth and senior sides, the Englishman has scored 66 goals and delivered 46 assists along the way.

Having played in 44 games across all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s side this season, the 21-year-old is a top example of a young talent coming through a club’s youth system and making a name for himself at senior level.

Thus, with 26 appearances to his name across the club’s senior, U23 and U18 sides with five goals and one assist, Bellingham could become the next prominent young star at the Etihad.

This highlights the fact that he has a knack for not only scoring goals but creating them as well in a similar fashion to Foden.

>After making his senior debut for Birmingham, the £450k-rated youngster found himself on the receiving end of big praise from Lee Bowyer.

He said: “Young Jobe coming on looked so comfortable. He’s earned that, he’s been training with us for two, three, four weeks now, you can just see him growing and improving every day.”

Further praise has come from talent scout Jacek Kulig, who took to Twitter earlier this season to call the teenager a “huge talent.”

Given the exciting attributes that he clearly has, enough to see him get some senior minutes at such a young age, Bellingham could be a fine addition to City’s ranks.

If the Manchester club do end up signing him and he then gets the chance to become Foden 2.0, this could end up being a solid long-term investment from the Citizens.

In other news: Big boost: £59.6m “genius” now willing to seal move to Etihad, it’s great for Man City

Leeds United winger Raphinha is in advanced talks concerning a move away from Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), who claim that the 25-year-old’s agent is in continued talks with Barcelona regarding a transfer to the Camp Nou at the end of the current campaign.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more” title=”Read the latest Leeds United news and rumours!”]

The report goes on to state that, despite earlier claims that the Brazil international will be available for €25m (£21m) in the event that Leeds are relegated, this is in fact not the case, before also suggesting that Victor Orta has an agreement in place to sanction Raphinha’s sale for “not too high an amount” if the Whites do drop out of the top flight this season.

Supporters will be livid

Considering just how important a part of the Leeds side Raphinha has become since joining the club back in 2020, the news that the winger could leave the Elland Road on the cheap this summer is sure to be an update that will leave the Elland Road faithful livid.

Indeed, the £40.5m-rated attacker has continuously been a standout for the Whites ever since his £17m move, bagging 16 goals, registering 12 assists and creating 21 big chances over his 63 Premier League outings, in addition to making an average of 2.0 key passes, taking 2.3 shots and completing 1.9 dribbles per game.

These metrics have seen the £63k-per-week Brazilian average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.03 over his two league campaigns for the club – playing a crucial role in Leeds sealing a top-half finish last time out, as well as being the club’s top-scorer in the current campaign.

As such, should Orta sanction the sale of the 25-year-old for anything less than Leeds’ reported £60m asking price, it would certainly come as a huge blow to all involved with the Whites, as it is clear that Raphinha is a talent who would be well worth a figure around the £60m mark in the current market.

AND in other news: Forget Klich: Radz must ruthlessly axe £80k-p/w Leeds figure, he’s “out of his depth”

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has been reacting to the news that Celtic could be set to receive a healthy financial windfall in the near future. 

The lowdown: £40m windfall?

This comes following a report from the Daily Record confirming that the Hoops will earn upwards of £40million due to participation in next season’s UEFA Champions League group stage.

Ange Postecoglou’s side will book an automatic place in the competition with success in the Scottish Premiership after Russian teams were banned from competing in Europe due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-5/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As things stand, the Bhoys are six points clear at the top of the Scottish top-flight and could all but wrap up the title with victory over Hearts at Parkhead.

The latest: Kenny reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny has claimed that the influx of funds could be monumental for Scottish football.

“Celtic and Rangers both need that money. We know what the financial situation is like up in Scotland. It’s the same every year.

“A guaranteed place in the group stage is massive. £40million is a crazy amount of money to either club.

“Celtic have also failed to get through the qualifying rounds in recent years and Rangers couldn’t do it this season.

“Europa League is great but the Champions League is far more lucrative. So if they get this money, and it looks like they will, that gives them such a boost.

“They can spend more and we know good Ange Postecoglou is with transfers. With Rangers’ finances, you would think they couldn’t pay the same, so I think Celtic could pull further away if they get their transfers right.”

The verdict: Spot on

Out of the elite European competition since 2017/18, Celtic have not only missed the prestige of playing amongst the upper echelons of the continent but also the money that comes with the participation.

Having already proven to be an astute operator in the transfer market, giving Postecoglou even a percentage of the mooted £40million windfall towards transfers would be a daunting prospect for the rest of the league.

Whilst the quality of the group may dictate whether or not the Hoops advance beyond the first stage, simply being back at the top table will be a huge plus for the club.

In other news… a Celtic ace has been backed to make a permanent move away from Parkhead this summer.

Speculation has been mounting surrounding Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s future at Everton, with a new update emerging that the striker intends to leave the club no matter the outcome of the season.

Football Insider reported yesterday that sources have revealed that Arsenal would be the player’s favoured choice this summer, and he will push for the move whether Everton are relegated from the Premier League or not at the end of this season.

With that being said, Frank Lampard can prepare for the worst without spending a penny by utilising a particular youngster in the squad that has been impressing over his time in the academy.

Lewis Dobbin has been impressive over his youth career so far and we’ve had glimpses of the young striker getting chances in the senior team at Goodison Park this season too.

The 19-year-old ace has scored five goals and contributed one assist in the Premier League 2 this season, as well as 30 minutes of game-time handed to him under Rafa Benitez featuring against Norwich City, Manchester United and Chelsea in the Premier League, and made his debut under the new manager in the FA Cup against Hull City.

One of the former Chelsea boss’s most notable attributes in his managerial career is the willingness and success in developing and offering young talent their chances to break into first-team football, with both Champions League winners and Euro 2020 finalists Mason Mount and Reece James both earning their debuts in the Premier League under his watchful eye.

With that being said, Lampard could unearth an absolute gem in Dobbin who has been hailed an “exciting talent” by journalist Patrick Boyland, and if Calvert-Lewin did depart in the summer it could be the golden opportunity for the youngster to grow into his position and follow in the footsteps of Anthony Gordon by becoming integral in the forward line.

Ultimately, the focus currently remains on the side securing Premier League football next season and although there will be big changes needed this summer there is unlikely to be any drastic changes or transfers discussed by the club until the fate is sealed after the remaining six games of the season.

AND in other news: Sources: Huge exit claim emerges out of Everton that will leave supporters fuming

Tottenham Hotspur fans have entered the 2025/26 campaign with huge expectations, especially after the Europa League triumph against Manchester United at the end of May.

The Lilywhites ended their 17-year wait for a trophy in Bilbao, which has no doubt cranked the pressure up on Thomas Frank after he took the reins from Ange Postecoglou during the off-season.

He completed four deals of his own during his maiden summer in North London, with his arrivals racking up over £100m spent to help improve the options at the Dane’s disposal.

The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons made the move to join the Lilywhites, with the pair helping the side sit in fifth-place in the Premier League at present.

However, Frank will no doubt want to further bolster his squad in the upcoming January transfer window to improve the club’s chances of finishing in the Champions League places once again.

Numerous players have been strongly touted with a switch to North London, but one name has been continuously been mentioned over the last couple of weeks.

The latest on Semenyo's move to Spurs in January

Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been named as one of numerous Premier League clubs in the hunt to land a deal for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in January.

The 25-year-old has been one of the division’s biggest talents in the 2025/26 campaign, with the Ghanian already scoring six times and registering three assists in his 11 appearances.

Such a tally of nine combined goals and assists is the second-highest of any player in the division, with only Erling Haaland notching more at this stage of the season.

Over the last couple of days, it’s become apparent that the winger could be available in the upcoming transfer window, with the Cherries potentially powerless to losing their starman.

It’s been reported that Semenyo has a £65m release clause which becomes active in the winter market, with Spurs just one side currently interested in a move for his signature.

The likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool also remain keen on a deal for the attacker, but it’s unclear who is leading the race for his signature.

However, it would be yet another huge investment by Frank, especially after splashing upwards of £50m on two different additions during the recent summer window.

A deal for Semenyo would also be a joint-club record, with such a fee matching the price paid for Dominic Solanke after his own switch to North London from Bournemouth back in 2024.

If the club are to afford such a deal in the coming months, the club will likely have to offload numerous first-team players to help balance the books in the process.

How Spurs can fund the Semenyo move

Over the years, Spurs have spent big on numerous players across various areas of the pitch in an attempt to try and battle for Premier League supremacy.

The hierarchy have spent upwards of £400m in the last couple of years to back various managers, but their investment has often been wasted on numerous players who have failed to match the demands in North London.

Tanguy Ndombele is arguably the biggest example, after the hierarchy forked out a reported £63m for the Frenchman’s signature back in the summer of 2019.

He only made a total of 91 appearances for the Lilywhites over a five-year spell, before being released and returning to his homeland to join Nice back in the summer of 2024.

Frank’s current squad also does boast numerous big-money additions, with the centre-back partnership of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero costing nearly £100m combined.

However, the pair have been worth every penny in North London, with the partnership helping the Dane’s side keep the fourth-best defensive record in the division at present.

However, not all the club’s big-money investments have paid off in recent years, with Richarlison one player who has massively struggled to match expectations at the club.

The Brazilian joined the Lilywhites for a reported £60m back in the summer of 2022, with such a move raising the eyebrows of many supporters given the nature of the transfer fee.

In the three and a half years since such a move, the 28-year-old has racked up a total of 108 appearances for the first-team, only finding the back of the net on 24 occasions.

This season alone, Richarlison has massively struggled to match the levels many expect of him, with the club desperately needing to move the former Everton man on in the near future.

He’s often been ineffective in numerous matches, as seen by his average of 22.3 touches per 90 this season, with the Brazilian only notching 10 touches in 90 mins against Bodo Glimt in the Champions League.

Other figures, such as a 50% dribble success rate and just 42% aerials won in the Premier League to date, showcase his poor all-round quality at the top end of the pitch.

As a result of his disappointing displays in recent months, Gabriel Agbonlahor stated that he believes the Brazilian is “one of the worst signings in Premier League history”.

Games played

11

Goals scored

4

Pass accuracy

63%

Dribble success

50%

Aerials won

42%

Big chances missed

5

Fouls committed

1.5

Touches per 90

22

The manager will no doubt want added quality in the final third, as seen by their move for Semenyo, but they will likely need to move Richarlison on to generate the funds needed to land the Ghanaian.

However, Richarlison has been subject to interest in recent months, with MLS outfit Orlando City FC already registering interest in a potential transfer for the striker.

Frank and the hierarchy will certainly need to jump at the rumoured interest, with this window one of the last opportunities to get some of their £60m investment back.

If the club want to land Semenyo, a sale of the Brazilian is desperately needed, with all parties needing a fresh start, which could help secure a move for the Bournemouth star in the process.

Spurs already have their answer to Semenyo out on loan & he's "like Son"

Spurs could save themselves from having to dip into the transfer market for Antoine Semenyo…

ByRobbie Walls Nov 19, 2025

Manchester City are looking to make their mark once the January transfer window rolls around, and Pep Guardiola now has his eyes set on a statement signing.

Manchester City icon Bernardo Silva wanted by Benfica

Few players in Manchester City’s history could lay claim to the trophy haul or talent that Bernardo Silva has at his disposal. However, the Portugal international is at the centre of an intriguing storm involving his former club Benfica.

With the Primeira Liga giants set for their presidential elections next month, high-profile candidate Noronha Lopes has confirmed that there is a ‘contract waiting’ for the 31-year-old to sign should he win be installed at Estadio Da Luz.

“Yes, I confirm that there is a contract waiting for Bernardo Silva. And I really want to bring him already in January. He personifies everything I want for Benfica: identity, a winning culture, and he is a great Benfiquista. And I can guarantee you that we will not stop here.”

Enjoying a magnificent nine-year spell at the Premier League heavyweights, Silva has notched an impressive 72 goals and 73 assists in 410 appearances, though he may well be set for a new challenge if reports are to be believed.

Regardless, Manchester City have Real Madrid star Rodrygo on their list of potential January reinforcements, emphasising that Guardiola is determined to alter his forward line.

Now, the Citizens could be set to step up their search for a replacement should Silva call time on his heroics at the Etihad, per recent developments.

Manchester City want to sign Fermin Lopez in January

According to reports in Spain, Manchester City boss Guardiola has a personal wish to sign Barcelona star Fermin Lopez if Silva does take up the option to return to Lisbon during the January window.

Citing his ability to feature either in central midfield or as a left winger, Guardiola is a big fan of the Spain international, who has produced a return of 11 goals and 19 assists in 90 appearances for the reigning La Liga champions.

Five similar players to Fermin Lopez (FBRef)

Serge Gnabry

Bayern Munich

Dani Olmo

Barcelona

Christian Pulisic

AC Milan

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Paris Saint-Germain

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich

Labelled “fantastic” by national boss Luis de la Fuente, Lopez is said to be valued at around the £69 million mark and was previously targeted by Liverpool during the summer transfer window.

Nevertheless, the fact that his contract runs until 2029 at Barcelona could be a source of frustration for Manchester City, who are likely to make a decision on their financial outlook regarding a deal nearer the time. He even shares the same CAA Stellar agency as five Etihad stars, including summer signings James Trafford and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Even with the window closed, the Citizens are already plotting some serious moves, and it will be intriguing to see whether they can pull off such an exciting capture.

Celtic head into the first international break of the season off the back of a disappointing performance in the Scottish Premiership against their city rivals.

The Hoops travelled away from Parkhead to take on Russell Martin’s Rangers side at Ibrox on Sunday, and were held to a drab 0-0 draw in the derby clash.

There were a number of disappointing performers across the park for Brendan Rodgers in the bore-draw, including Benjamin Nygren on the right flank.

Benjamin Nygren's performance in numbers

The Sweden international has mainly played on the right of the midfield three for the Hoops since his move to the club in the summer, but the manager opted to play him on the right wing ahead of Hyun-jun Yang and James Forrest.

Unfortunately, Nygren failed to offer much of a threat up against the pacey Jayden Meghoma at left-back for Rangers, failing with all five of his attempted dribbles. He ended the 90 minutes with zero key passes and zero shots on target, per Sofascore, which speaks to his lack of impact on the game.

The left-footed star did, however, work his socks off out of possession to help his team out defensively, winning nine duels and making six tackles and one interception, per Sofascore.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Whilst Nygren’s performance lacked a cutting edge at the top end of the pitch, Rodgers can still be pleased with his physical and defensive contributions, which cannot be said for Arne Engels.

Why Arne Engels should be dropped

The Belgium international was brought into the midfield three for this game, thanks to Nygren’s move to the right wing, but did not do enough to suggest that he should keep his place.

Rodgers must ruthlessly ditch the former Augsburg man for the clash with Kilmarnock after the international break because he was poor in and out of possession against Rangers in midfield.

The club-record signing played alongside Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor in the middle of the park and did not offer any creativity or a goal threat on the ball.

Minutes

65

Pass accuracy

76%

Big chances created

0

Crosses completed

0/2

Shots

0

Ground duels won

1/7

Aerial duels won

1/3

Tackles + interceptions

0

As you can see in the table above, Engels did not create anything of note for his side and was incredibly weak out of possession, losing eight of his ten physical duels.

This shows that the Rangers midfielders, Mohamed Diomande and Connor Barron, found it far too easy to get the better of him in midfield in physical battles for the ball, and shows that he was even worse than Nygren, who found success in his defensive actions.

Sky Sports commentator Ian Crocker noted that the Belgium international “offered little” for Celtic before he was substituted by Rodgers in the 65th minute of the match, with Forrest coming on so that the Swedish ace could play in that right-sided midfield role.

This suggests that the manager felt that Nygren was better suited to seeing out the game in the position that Engels was hoping to impress in, which says a lot about who the preferred option in that role may be when they play Kilmarnock in a fortnight.

Idah upgrade: Celtic consider last-gasp bid for "extraordinary" £10m star

Celtic are reportedly preparing an offer to sign a star who could come in as a big upgrade on Adam Idah.

ByDan Emery Aug 29, 2025

Therefore, Rodgers should be looking to ruthlessly ditch Engels from the starting XI after he flopped at Ibrox, moving Nygren back into his central midfield berth.

Rangers’ hierarchy have got plenty of work to do this summer at Ibrox, and not a whole lot of time in which to do it.

The club are still searching for a new manager while, following a trophyless campaign, a mass-squad overhaul at Rangers is required.

Well, they need to act fast, because next season will commence early for the Gers, facing off in a Champions League qualifier on 22/23 July; the identity of their opponents will be confirmed on 18 June.

So, could the Light Blues be poised to make a statement signing?

Rangers targeting a new attacker

According to a report by Ola Gustavsson of Fotboll Direkt, Rangers are ‘interested’ in signing Oskar Fallenius, who is also reportedly a target for fierce rivals Celtic.

Transfer Focus

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

He is a 23-year-old winger who plays for Allsvenskan side Djurgardens, a key figure in the Blue Stripes’ side that reached this season’s Conference League semi-finals, ousted by eventual winners Chelsea.

Freddie Arnesson of TuttoSvenskan labels Fallenius’ performances ‘incredible’, but it is difficult to know his valuation, although, having arrived from Brøndby for just two million kronor, around £155k, two years ago, Djurgardens are likely to enjoy a massive return on investment.

So, could the attack soon be swapping Stockholm for Glasgow?

Why Fallenius would be a great Cerny replacement

Following the end of the Premiership season, Rangers announced that Vaclav Cerny will return to his parent club Wolfsburg, with David Irvine of the National inferring that he will not be returning, even though the Czechia has previously stated “every opportunity is still open”.

Well now, some reports now suggest that Turkish Süper Lig side Trabzonspor have “opened talks” with Wolfsburg over a potential £9m move for Cerny, thereby surely pricing Rangers out of any potential deal.

This would be a major blow, with the table below underlining how important the winger was to Rangers last season.

Appearances

52

4th

Minutes

3,933

5th

Goals

18

2nd

Assists

9

3rd

Europa League goals

6

1st

Shots per match

2.9

1st

Big chances created

9

5th

Key passes per match

2.5

1st

Successful dribblers per match

1.4

1st

Average SofaScore rating

7.40

2nd

Only Cyriel Dessers scored more goals for Rangers throughout the campaign, while Cerny’s tally of six Europa League goals was only eclipsed by Bruno Fernandes, Kasper Høgh and Ayoub El Kaabi across the entire tournament.

So, as it seems he will not be returning to Ibrox, would Fallenius be equipped to be his replacement?

Well, prior to Djurgardens’ extra time victory over Rapid Wien in the Conference League quarter-finals, manager Jani Honkavaara told Fallenius to be “the X-factor”, with Marcus Christenson of the Guardian adding that he is one of the Swedish club’s ‘key’ attackers.

So, how do his statistics compare to those of Cerny?

Shots on target

1.5

2.0

Chances created

1.4

0.3

Pass accuracy %

70%

75%

Crossing accuracy %

28%

12%

Take-ons completed

2.6

1.0

Take-on success %

56%

36%

Duels won

3.6

4.7

Ball recoveries

4.8

4.2

As the table outlines, Cerny’s statistics are, unsurprisingly, more impressive, albeit Fallenius’ numbers are largely comparable, coming out on top when it comes to both passing and shooting accuracy while he also more than does his job defensively, winning more duels and averaging a similar number of ball recoveries.

Thus, while it is going to be nigh on impossible for Rangers to find someone out there replicating Cerny’s output, the young Swede could be a low-cost, high-potential option.

Better than Martin: Rangers in contact to hire "amazing" 4-3-3 manager

Rangers could land an even better manager than Martin in a move for this reported target.

ByDan Emery May 28, 2025

With the disappointment of Wednesday night still lingering, the post-mortem can continue for those of a Manchester United persuasion, with the focus now on what lies ahead for the INEOS regime, and for Ruben Amorim.

For a manager who has lost 14 of his 26 Premier League games since arriving in November, the Portuguese coach has largely managed to retain the goodwill of supporters until now, although even he can not be free of responsibility for the dour display in Bilbao.

This may not be his squad, although the 40-year-old’s decision to remain wedded to his 3-4-3 system has thus far backfired, with the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur marking the 16th time this season that United have failed to score in all competitions.

That has come amid an at-times pragmatic approach from the Sporting CP boss, a fact perhaps outlined best with the decision to select Mason Mount ahead of Alejandro Garnacho against Spurs. A man who boasts just four goals and one assist in 45 games for the club got the nod over a player who has 21 goal involvements this season alone.

Such a decision made the headlines both pre and post-match, not least with Amorim pointing out that it was Garnacho who missed a “big opportunity” in the semi-final second-leg against Athletic Club, while Mount subsequently “changed the game”.

With the ex-Chelsea man proceeding to play on the periphery last night, Amorim’s choice not to make a change until the closing stages requires scrutiny, with the manager’s substitutions – or lack of – perhaps showcasing some worrying signs for sections of his squad.

Amorim's substitutions under the microscope

Whether Erik ten Hag’s successor got his starting lineup right or wrong is up for debate, although a more pressing issue is quite why he took so long to alter proceedings, not least with his side continuing to toil in the second half.

It wasn’t until the 70-minute mark that Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee were finally introduced, with the pair hardly afforded much time to make an impact up against a retreating and stubborn Spurs backline.

Even fewer minutes were granted to Kobbie Mainoo at the death – prior to the introduction of Diogo Dalot minutes earlier – with that lack of involvement marking the playmaker’s slide down the pecking order following last year’s FA Cup final heroics.

Like Garnacho, Mainoo’s future has already been in doubt heading into the summer window, with his inability to force his way into Amorim’s starting lineup only set to further heighten that uncertainty.

Of greater concern may be among those who failed to even make it off the bench at all, however, with it difficult to understand why the struggling Luke Shaw was not replaced, particularly with the exciting Ayden Heaven waiting in the wings.

Equally, the man who had started in all four games in the quarter-final and semi-final, Manuel Ugarte, was also an unused option on the night, with the Uruguayan in danger of drifting into Donny van de Beek territory under Amorim’s watch.

Man Utd's new Donny van de Beek

Failed signings have been the theme of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, none more so than that of Van de Beek, with the Dutchman signed on a £40m deal in the summer of 2020, despite suggestions that then-boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen on alternative targets.

The former Ajax man – who had reached the Champions League semi-final under Ten Hag in 2019 – went on to start just four league games in his debut campaign under Solskjaer, prior to not making a single start in the opening of the following season.

Following a loan switch to Everton, the hope was that the arrival of his compatriot in the dugout would alter proceedings, albeit with the playmaker unable to force his way into Ten Hag’s plans. Indeed, just eight league appearances came his way under the Dutch coach, prior to being sold to Girona for just £500k last summer.

Erik ten Hag

12

0

0

Michael Carrick

3

0

0

Ralf Rangnick

5

0

0

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

42

2

2

Total

62

2

2

In many ways, Ugarte’s tale looks to be following a similar path, with reports indicating that Ten Hag wasn’t wholly in favour of the £42m move last year, particularly with Scott McTominay’s exit sanctioned to fund the move.

The ex-Paris Saint-Germain man made just seven appearances under the 55-year-old before he was sacked, with the appointment of Amorim looking like the perfect fit amid their prior Sporting relationship. Indeed, Ugarte had played 85 games under the Portuguese in Lisbon.

While the midfield “monster” – as described by Statman Dave – has since made 34 appearances following Amorim’s appointment, chipping in with two goals and six assists, it hasn’t all been plain sailing.

Indeed, against Athletic Club, the defensive-minded asset was particularly poor, despite racking up two assists in the first leg, having lost the ball on 27 occasions across the two legs combined.

That erratic nature on the ball perhaps resulted in Amorim’s decision to leave Ugarte out of Wednesday’s showpiece, instead favouring the experienced pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as part of the midfield two.

For the all-action Uruguay international to not be able to get the nod in such an important fixture, particularly considering he has thrived in Amorim’s 3-4-3 before, should have alarm bells ringing.

If he can’t earn the trust of a manager he is familiar with – much like Van de Beek and Ten Hag – then there should certainly be reason for concern.

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