Four-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. enjoys one major benefit that many other big leaguers don't: Having a Baseball Hall of Fame father in his corner.
Guerrero Jr., who on Wednesday officially signed the third-richest contract in baseball history in terms of total value at $500 million, appears to have heeded the advice of Vladimir Guerrero Sr. when it comes to his new deal.
While speaking to reporters before the Toronto Blue Jays' 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, Guerrero shared the advice his father gave him during contract negotiations.
"Trust god," Guerrero said, via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. "My dad told me to trust god, and to get the last penny that I could from the organization."
Guerrero did exactly that. The Blue Jays star's contract includes no deferred payments, a full no-trade clause and a very unique structure. $325 million of the $500 million will be paid out to Guerrero in a signing bonus, while the other $175 million will be paid out in salary. This benefits the Blue Jays slugger both during tax season and in the event that baseball has a work stoppage in the future.
Even as contract negotiations between the two sides hit a snag during spring training, Guerrero, seemingly ticketed for free agency, was steadfast about wanting to remain in Toronto for the rest of his career. To that end, Guerrero's daughter joined his father in making her voice heard during the process.
"That’s one of the hardest ones, right there, when your daughter comes to you and asks you, ‘Daddy, are we going to stay in Toronto?’" Guerrero said. "When you know that your family really wants to stay in Toronto, that was the hard one. All along, they wanted to stay in Toronto."
In putting pen to paper on Wednesday, Guerrero and his family got their wish.
Leeds United need to improve their offensive output if they want to stand a chance of avoiding an instant relegation from the Premier League this season.
Last season, every team that avoided the drop scored at least 42 goals, with Spurs in 17th place scoring 64 times, whilst all three of the teams that went down averaged less than a goal per game.
The Whites are currently in the middle of that, with 11 goals in 11 matches in the Premier League, which shows that they need to improve their output at the top end of the pitch.
11 games into the season, no Leeds player has scored more than two goals in the division, with three players leading the way for goals, and that needs to change in the coming weeks.
Leeds’ top Premier League scorers since 20/21
Season
Top goalscorer
Goals
25/26
Noah Okafor
Joe Rodon
Lukas Nmecha
2
22/23
Rodrigo
13
21/22
Raphinha
11
20/21
Patrick Bamford
17
Stats via WhoScored
As you can see in the table above, at least one player hit double figures for goals in each of the three seasons that the club were in the Premier League during their last stint.
In their run in the division before that, Australian forward Mark Viduka hit double figures in four successive seasons, including 17 and 20-goal hauls in two of them, per Transfermarkt.
Why Leeds need to sign a new centre-forward
Leeds need to sign a new centre-forward to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch in the January transfer window because none of their current options look likely to be their next Viduka.
As aforementioned, no one in the squad has scored more than two goals in the Premier League after 11 matches, and summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been a particular disappointment so far this term.
The experienced number nine, who was signed on a free transfer from Everton in the summer, is reportedly the highest earner in the squad on £100k-per-week, but has not done enough on the pitch to justify that.
Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League career
Season
xG
Goals
25/26
1.62
1
24/25
8.85
3
23/24
13.63
7
22/23
6.50
2
21/22
6.22
5
20/21
18.21
16
19/20
16.11
13
18/19
6.17
6
17/18
5.44
4
16/17
1.25
1
Stats via Understat
As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin has historically been a poor finisher in the Premier League, mostly for Everton, and arrived at Elland Road in the summer off the back of four successive seasons without scoring more than seven goals in a league campaign.
It should, therefore, not be a surprise that he has struggled for form for the Whites in front of goal, with one goal and ten ‘big chances’ missed in all competitions so far this season, per Sofascore.
Nmecha, meanwhile, has scored two Premier League goals this season, but has not scored more than eight goals in a league season, per Sofascore, since he plundered 18 goals in the Pro League for Anderlecht in the 2020/21 campaign.
Leeds plotting move for new striker
The unlikelihood of Calvert-Lewin or Nmecha pushing on to hit double figures for goals in the Premier League has reportedly prompted the club to pursue another option in their position.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to TEAMtalk, the club recognise that they let Daniel Farke down in the summer transfer window and plan to rectify that mistake by adding more firepower to his squad in January.
The report claims that Celtic attacker Daizen Maeda is one of the players they are plotting a possible move for, alongside Coventry’s Haji Wright, AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott, and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia.
It adds that the Scottish Premiership forward has told the Hoops of his desire to move on from Parkhead in the next transfer window, which will come as a boost to Leeds, as well as Everton and Brentford, who are said to be leading the race for his signature.
Maeda was reportedly valued at around £21m by Celtic in the summer, amid interest in his services at the time, but it remains to be seen if that valuation has changed ahead of January.
Why Daizen Maeda could be Leeds United's new Mark Viduka
As aforementioned, Viduka had great success in the Premier League during his time at Elland Road, with 72 goals in 166 matches in all competitions for the club, per Transfermarkt.
That impressive form for the Whites came after he made a move from Celtic, where, per Transfermarkt, he scored an eye-catching 27 goals in 37 games in the 99/00 season, before his switch to West Yorkshire in the summer of 2000.
Maeda, who is currently shining for Celtic, could follow in Viduka’s footsteps by making a similar move to be a goalscoring sensation for Leeds in the second half of this season, and beyond.
The Japanese forward, who can play on either wing or as a number nine, scored 33 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign, per Transfermarkt, and has scored four goals so far this term.
These statistics show that Maeda has been an incredibly prolific goalscorer for the Scottish giants, which is exactly what Leeds are lacking in their current squad.
24/25 Premiership
Daizen Maeda
Percentile rank vs positional peers
xG
12.76
Top 1%
Goals
16
Top 1%
xA
5.99
Top 6%
Assists
10
Top 1%
Duels won
104
Top 23%
Tackles won
44
Top 6%
Possession won in the final third
13
Top 16%
Stats via FotMob
Perhaps most interestingly, though, the Japan international ranked within the top 16% of his positional peers in the Premiership last season for winning possession back in the final third, despite Celtic being an incredibly dominant team who won the title.
At Leeds, Maeda would be in a team that is under pressure a lot in matches, as they are fighting relegation, which would give him even more opportunities to use his incredible pressing skills and speed to win the ball off the opposition to spark counter-attacks.
The Celtic star, who ex-Rangers boss Barry Ferguson claimed is “built like a brick”, could be the perfect signing for Leeds because he has the goalscoring record to suggest that he can provide the threat that they are currently missing, whilst also possessing the out-of-possession attributes that you need a player to have in a relegation scrap.
Maeda’s relentless running and pressing could be invaluable to the Whites as they battle to avoid the drop, and his goalscoring quality could make him Viduka 2.0 at Elland Road.
Raphinha repeat: 49ers keen on signing "generational" £79m star for Leeds
Leeds United are lining up a January swoop for a star who could be as exciting a signing as Raphinha once was.
Bilal Sami replaces Saleem in Afghanistan’s squad for the three-match series in Abu Dhabi
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-2025Afghanistan’s right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Saleem has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi due to a groin (adductor) overload.As a result, Saleem will report to the ACB’s High Performance Center for rehabilitation, a release by the Afghanistan Cricket Board said.In Saleem’s place, right-arm medium-pace bowler Bilal Sami will be joining Afghanistan’s squad for the ODIs against Bangladesh.Twenty-three-year-old Saleem has played two ODIs so far, with both of those matches coming against Bangladesh in July 2023. He last played for Afghanistan in his solitary Test, which was against Sri Lanka in Colombo in February 2024.Saleem’s replacement Sami, meanwhile, has played for Afghanistan only once, which was on ODI debut against Zimbabwe in December 2024. Sami, 21, has played 25 List A games, where he has 44 wickets at an average of 25.72. He represented Afghanistan Under-19 at the World Cup in 2022, where he got four wickets in five matches.Sami was recently in action at the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament, Afghanistan’s domestic List A competition, which ended in September. There, he was his team Speen Ghar Region’s second-highest wicket-taker with ten wickets at an average of 22.90, and an economy rate of 4.97.Afghanistan’s first ODI against Bangladesh will take place on Wednesday, October 8.
Sunderland are now reportedly in pole position to sign a midfield star who Regis Le Bris already knows well ahead of rivals Newcastle United.
Le Bris eyes Sunderland reaction vs Bournemouth
It’s not often that Sunderland have been handed setbacks this season, but defeat against Fulham last time out was exactly that for Le Bris’ side.
Whilst it was just their third loss of the season and there’s no reason to think that last week’s result could derail their strong start, the Black Cats will be eyeing a reaction against Bournemouth.
Three points could take the Black Cats to as high as third if other results also go their way and after 13 games that would simply be remarkable. In many ways, those at the Stadium of Light are replicating the impressive work that Bournemouth have gradually enjoyed since their own promotion.
Le Bris admitted his admiration for the Cherries, saying: “Bournemouth are a good model for us. They way they have built in the last four seasons in the league is really interesting for us.”
An Isidor repeat: Sunderland line up move to sign "special" £4.7m star
Sunderland could win their next Wilson Isidor by going after this star in January.
By
Kelan Sarson
Nov 24, 2025
It must be said, however, that Sunderland’s model has so featured more investment and the type of investment that could see them land Matteo Guendouzi ahead of Newcastle in January.
Sunderland leading Newcastle in Guendouzi race
According to TeamTalk, Sunderland are now ahead of Newcastle in the race to sign Guendouzi in 2026 in a deal that could be worth up to £26m. Le Bris knows the Lazio midfielder well from their time together at Lorient and admitted that he’s still in contact with his former midfielder a few weeks ago.
It would be a statement move if the Black Cats landed a transfer target ahead of their rivals, who are backed by the extensive riches of PIF. But that’s the position they find themselves in after such an impressive start to the Premier League campaign.
League stats 25/26
Matteo Guendouzi
Granit Xhaka
Minutes
888
1,080
Progressive Passes
45
66
Tackles Won
5
13
Ball Recoveries
43
55
It’s easy to see why Sunderland are chasing a reunion between Le Bris and Guendouzi, given how the Frenchman has compared to star man Granit Xhaka so far this season. The transfer report even states that the Black Cats view Guendouzi ‘as the perfect midfield partner for Xhaka, adding experience and bite to their engine room’.
Previously dubbed a “great professional” by former Hertha Berlin sporting director Arne Friedrich, Guendouzi also has unfinished business in the Premier League after leaving Arsenal under a dark cloud in 2021 and could earn redemption at Sunderland.
Isidor upgrade: Sunderland open talks to sign "unstoppable" £26m striker
Tottenham hero Cristian Romero revealed international team-mate Lionel Messi as the influence behind his "beautiful" last-gasp overhead kick goal against Newcastle. Spurs' trip to St James’ Park ended in a breathless finale, with the Argentine defender scoring an acrobatic equaliser deep into stoppage time to rescue a 2-2 draw.
Newcastle dominate early but made to settle for a point
For much of the evening, Newcastle appeared set for a victory that would have accurately reflected the flow of the contest. Eddie Howe’s side were sharp from the opening whistle, pinning Spurs back and dictating the first half with confidence. Yet, despite their control, the breakthrough refused to come until midway through the second period. It was the introduction of captain Bruno Guimaraes that changed the tempo. Howe, searching for inspiration, turned to his midfield leader, and within minutes the Brazilian had stamped his authority. Anthony Gordon whipped a teasing cross into the box, a flick redirected the ball into Guimaraes’ path, and he dispatched a precise finish into the corner.
Up to that point, Tottenham had offered little more than occasional flashes of counter-attacking intent. But Thomas Frank, confronted by another worrying result, responded boldly with a triple substitution. Mathys Tel, Richarlison and Xavi Simons were thrown into the fray. The impact was immediate. Mohammed Kudus swung a dangerous ball into the penalty area just seven minutes after Newcastle’s opener, and Romero, who was already leading by example at the back, launched himself into a diving header that skimmed off his forehead and drew Spurs level.
The drama only escalated as the final minutes ticked down. A Newcastle corner sparked a VAR review when Rodrigo Bentancur tangled awkwardly with Dan Burn at the back post. After a lengthy check, a penalty was awarded, and Gordon made no mistake, sending goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario the wrong way in the 86th minute. However, Spurs were unwilling to throw in the towel. When a Tottenham corner was punched weakly by Aaron Ramsdale, the ball travelled only as far as Romero. He showed great athleticism to produce a bicycle kick, and although his connection wasn't as clean as he would have liked, the ball skipped through the crowded box and rolled into the net to break Newcastle hearts.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRomero name drops Messi
After the match, Romero admitted the audacity of the attempt came from studying Messi up close during Argentina training sessions.
"I train every day with Leo Messi in the national team and I watch him,” he said to Sky Sports. ”It's a beautiful goal."
He also acknowledged the emotional weight of the moment, saying the Tottenham team had been deeply aware of their recent shortcomings.
Romero said: "It's very important. In the last three or four games, the team knows it's not been good enough. Today, the mentality to play like this altogether it's a difficult time, but especially in this game, I love the mentality.”
Thomas Frank praises captain’s leadership at both ends
Spurs manager Thomas Frank was effusive in his praise, describing Romero’s performance as “exceptional” and highlighting not just his goals but also his discipline and composure in defence.
"The perfect bicycle kick, hit the shin, aiming for the bottom corner," he said. "I think let's start praising Cuti, I think he deserved that for all of the top performance, defending, on the ball, coolness, calmness, duels. And then getting up there and scoring two goals. I think the bicycle kick will most likely get a little bit more praise, but I think the header is more exceptional, the way he does that is better than many strikers."
Frank emphasised that the team’s resilience was what pleased him most.
"The performance showed fantastic mentality and character," he added to Sky Sports. "Every team needs that. It is fair to say it has been a tough week, fourth game in 10 days, third away game. St James' Park is always a difficult place to come. Last 60 minutes I am very happy with that performance overall. The ability to react to setbacks was great. We suffered the first 25 minutes. Sometimes you need to suffer, after that we were very brave, calm on the ball going forward. There's a lot to love about the performance."
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The draw leaves Tottenham 11th in the Premier League table with 19 points from their opening 14 matches. The wider concern is their long winless run, which now extends to five matches in all competitions. Yet the manner of the comeback, and the grit shown in the final 30 minutes, injected a sliver of optimism into an atmosphere that has grown increasingly restless. Frank’s side will aim to turn resilience into wins when they return home to host Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
Over the years, Manchester United has been the home to numerous elite-level centre-forwards, with Robin van Persie one who captured the hearts of the fanbase.
The Dutchman joined in a controversial deal from Premier League rivals Arsenal for a reported £24m back in August 2012 – a deal that proved to be an absolute bargain.
He ended up making 105 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring a total of 58 goals, with his total of 26 league goals in 2012/13 helping Sir Alex Ferguson win his final top-flight title.
Former Manchester United forward Robin van Persie.
Van Persie also managed to notch 16 assists during such a period, taking his total goal contributions to 74, resulting in an average of 0.7 goals or assists per game over a three-year period.
Such a record has undoubtedly cemented his place in the Red Devils history, but numerous managers have been unable to rely upon similar talents at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try and unearth his own version of the talisman, subsequently spending big on a new centre-forward during the recent summer window.
The reasons behind Benjamin Sesko’s struggles at United
After taking the reins back in November last year, Amorim had to rely upon the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to provide the goods at the top end of the pitch.
However, the duo’s tally of just seven combined goals in the Premier League last season highlighted the need for reinforcements during the summer transfer window.
The board handed the manager over £200m worth of funds to make the desired changes, which resulted in three huge names making the move to Old Trafford.
Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy, with Benjamin Sesko the player brought in to operate alongside the pair in the final third.
The latter of the trio cost a reported £74m from RB Leipzig during the summer, with real hope generated by the fans that he would be the man to solve their issues.
However, his start to life in Manchester has been far from plain sailing, as seen by his tally of just two goals in his first 11 league outings – even going four games without a goal.
His early struggles will no doubt present cause for concern, with his underlying numbers also highlighting his lack of impact in recent months after his big-money switch.
He’s only registered a total of 3.6 touches in the opposition box per 90, which has ranked him in the bottom 20% of all other centre forwards in England’s top-flight.
Such a figure showcases that he’s either unable to get himself into the right positions, or he’s not being provided the goods – which could explain his lowly goalscoring tally.
However, Sesko has been hugely reliant upon players around him, with his tally of 0.2 dribbles completed showcasing that he’s unlikely to create a chance on his own.
Like the aforementioned tally, it has placed him in the bottom 20% of other strikers in the league, which could also be contributing to his lack of goals at present.
The United star who could end Sesko’s Man Utd career
There’s no doubt that Sesko will need added time to flourish in England, with his big-money transfer to United in the summer presenting a huge culture change for the 22-year-old.
He’s had to move to a new country, league and surroundings, which is certainly a daunting task for a young talent – which too could be having an effect on his lack of output.
But the lack of quality in such a department has no doubt ramped up the pressure on the Slovenian international to provide the goods in front of goal at Old Trafford.
Amorim will no doubt have to manage Sesko personally to get the best out of the centre-forward, but it’s unclear how much patience the manager will present to the new addition.
The fans, too, will need to cut him some slack, but it will no doubt be tricky, especially given the form of the previous talents in such a role – including the likes of Van Persie.
However, the club may have their next talisman in the form of Chido Obi, with the young star already matching the Dutchman in making the move to Old Trafford from rivals Arsenal.
At just 17, the fans will have to be patient with the Dane, but there’s no doubt excitement has been generated by his incredible goalscoring record in the youth setup.
He scored 13 times in just 11 appearances for the U18 outfit last campaign, living up to the billing he is a “goalscoring machine” in the words of scout Jacek Kulig. Such form has seen him make the step-up to the U21 squad over the last couple of months.
Obi has now made 22 appearances at such a level, scoring nine times and registering four assists in the process – even managing to thrive at an age group four years above his own.
Given the lack of quality in the centre-forward department last season, Amorim even handed the teenager his first taste of senior football in an attempt to improve the situation.
The Dane made a total of eight first-team appearances in 2024/25, but failed to find the back of the net once – however, it didn’t stop the youngster from receiving huge praise.
Teammate Leny Yoro previously waxed lyrical about the youngster, even claiming that he could become “one of the world’s best” in the years to come should he continue on his current path.
After returning to youth level, Obi has backed up Yoro’s statement, averaging a goal every 100 minutes and registering a staggering total of 2.2 shots on target per 90 this season.
Games played
8
Games started
3
Goals scored
3
Mins per goal
100
Shots on target
2.2
Dribbles completed
68%
Touches in opposition box
6.6
Fouls won
1.7
He’s even completed 68% of the dribbles he’s attempted, massively starring in such an area, something which Sesko has been unable to do over the last few months.
Obi has also dominated countless backlines lately, as seen by his tally of 4.7 duels won, with his physical presence potentially perfect for Amorim’s current side.
Whilst he’s just 17, the future is massively bright for the Dane at Old Trafford, with the club desperately needing to streamline his progress into the senior ranks.
Sesko’s inability to impress could certainly hand the manager the perfect chance to allow him to stake his claim and nail down the position as his very own for many years to come.
If he can match Van Persie’s level during his own time with the Red Devils, he will certainly be a fan-favourite and a player who can take the first-team back to their former glory.
An Mbeumo repeat: Man Utd to make £52m bid for "best winger in the country"
Manchester United look set to make another huge bid for a new attacker for Ruben Amorim.
Os confrontos da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil foram definidos nesta quarta-feira (17), na sede da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF).
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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
Ao todo, são 32 clubes nesta fase da competição, que foram divididos em dois potes, separados pela posição de cada instituição no ranking da CBF.
A partir da terceira fase, os duelos passam a ser disputados em partidas ida e volta. As datas reservadas pela confederação são os dias 1º e 22 de maio. Em caso de empate na soma dos confrontos, a vaga será decidida nas penalidades. Gol fora de casa não entra como critério de desempate.
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Pote 1: Flamengo, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Athletico, Atlético-MG, Corinthians, Fluminense, Grêmio, Fortaleza, internacional, Botafogo, Bahia, RB Bragantino, Atlético-GO, Ceará e Cuiabá.
CONFIRA TODOS OS CONFRONTOS DA TERCEIRA FASE DA COPA DO BRASIL
▪️ Operário-PR x Grêmio ▪️ Bahia x Criciúma ▪️ Sampaio Corrêa x Fluminense ▪️ Sousa-PB x RB Bragantino ▪️ Goiás x Cuiabá ▪️ Botafogo x Vitória ▪️ Vasco x Fortaleza ▪️ Flamengo x Amazonas ▪️ Águia de Marabá x São Paulo ▪️ Palmeiras x Botafogo-SP ▪️ Ypiranga-RS x Athletico ▪️ Internacional x Juventude ▪️ Ceará x CRB ▪️ América-RN x Corinthians ▪️ Brusque x Atlético-GO ▪️ Atlético-MG x Sport
*Os times da direita decidem a classificação em casa
Manchester United slung themselves back into the win column with a hard-fought, turnaround win at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.
When Crystal Palace took the lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half penalty, there was a sense that Ruben Amorim’s squad would struggle to find the spirit to fight back. But, credit to the manager, his principles and the deepening tactical understanding led to goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount after the interval.
United are eighth in the Premier League after 13 matches, yet trail second-place neighbours Manchester City by only four points.
This is an imperfect and imbalanced team, but one whose potential is starting to be realised. However, Amorim needs to add to his squad depth, for sure, if he is to shape his side into proper contenders.
Man United looking to add depth
Man United have a team filled with quality, but it’s not an expansive pool of talent, and it would be remiss to suggest there aren’t any stragglers.
In midfield, something hasn’t felt quite right from the get-go in Amorim’s system, and now Jason Wilcox and co must look to bring in some new quality.
Well, according to the Mirror’s John Cross, Man United are looking to take advantage of Federico Valverde’s contractual stalemate at Real Madrid and bring him to Old Trafford in 2026.
Los Blancos view their versatile midfielder at £100m, whereas United believe his price tag falls into the £70m ballpark.
With the 27-year-old’s future at Xabi Alonso’s outfit in doubt, this could be the perfect opportunity for INEOS to swoop in and seal a coveted signature.
What Fede Valverde would offer Man United
There’s no question that Casemiro has proved Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher wrong after his infamous rant, but the 33-year-old is surely approaching the twilight of his Premier League career.
With Kobbie Mainoo’s future at the Theatre of Dreams uncertain, United could do a lot worse than packaging their engine room with a player like Valverde who has “world-class technical ability”, as said by journalist Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo.
The Uruguay international splits his time between the centre of the pitch and a right-back berth, and he is immense in both roles. As per FBref, he actually ranks among the top 11% of positional peers for pass completion, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90.
He is not an anchor, but in La Liga this term, he has won 58% of his duels and averaged 1.6 tackles per game (data via Sofascore), and he is unquestionably among the most physical and tenacious profiles in Spanish football.
Central midfield
282
19 + 27
Right-back
56
2 + 8
Right wing
33
11 + 4
Defensive midfield
15
1 + 0
Attacking midfield
14
1 + 0
Left-back
7
0 + 0
Centre-back
1
0 + 0
Valverde might not be an out-and-out defensive midfielder, but his completeness and dynamism in the centre of the park suggest he could be the perfect partner for a more mobile playmaker beside him.
That’s not to say Valverde isn’t an elite distributor, though, and he might come to be an incredible asset to pair up with a tough-tackling and single-minded number six.
Casemiro has been a dutiful and underrated part of Amorim’s project this season, but he is out of contract at the end of the term and lacking his typical combativeness – this season in the Premier League, he has won just 54% of his ground battles.
Valverde has the range and breadth to be a significant upgrade for a Man United side that just need a few on-the-money additions to become real contenders once again.
Imagine him & Mbeumo: Man Utd submit bid to sign "unbelievable" £53m winger
Man United and INEOS are already preparing a winter bid to strengthen Amorim’s team.
Enzo Fernandez has been reflecting on how he helped Lionel Messi to complete “unfinished business”, with an “incredible” experience being savoured at the 2022 World Cup. The Albiceleste captured a global crown at that tournament, allowing their talismanic captain to complete his medal collection and emulate the achievements of fellow GOATs Pele and Diego Maradona.
World Cup win: Messi prevailed in epic final
Messi headed to Qatar aware that the clock was ticking on efforts to capture the most prestigious of trophies. He suffered final heartache in 2014 and must have wondered whether he would ever get another chance to hoist the World Cup aloft.
His dreams came true in the Middle East, with Argentina prevailing in an epic showdown with France that saw Messi bag a brace and Kylian Mbappe net a hat-trick before a penalty shootout determined the winner.
Fernandez played his part in that triumph, with a memorable first goal for his country being recorded in a must-win group stage clash against Mexico – which saw him become Argentina’s second-youngest scorer at a World Cup, behind all-time great Messi.
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Fernandez proud of efforts alongside Messi
The all-action midfielder, who is now plying his club trade in the Premier League with Chelsea, made enough memories in Qatar to last a lifetime. He will forever be proud of delivering the most sought-after of honours for an illustrious countryman.
Fernandez has told : “Winning the World Cup with Messi was incredible. We were fully motivated because our team grew up watching Leo at home on TV. We’d been fighting for it for many years and Messi had unfinished business.
“I’m so proud that I was able to share that moment with him and win the World Cup alongside him, knowing what it meant to him and all of us. Of course, we all wanted to do it for him because it was the only sporting achievement missing for him.
“He’s a great person and I’m so proud to share these moments with him. He’s the greatest of all time, so it’s a privilege to share the dressing room with him. It’s a huge thing for me and I’m really enjoying it. I try to make the most of every moment spent with him.”
Shock award: Fernandez landed gong he knew nothing about
Messi walked away with the Golden Ball after lifting the World Cup, while Fernandez was – at 20 years of age – named young player of the tournament. He was unaware that such a prize was even up for grabs, but was delighted to fend off competition from the likes of Jude Bellingham, Goncalo Ramos and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Fernandez added: “I wasn’t expecting the award. I didn’t even know it existed, so it was a big surprise to receive it after the final.
“I’m so proud to have won it because the best players take part in the World Cup, including many youngsters. It was a unique moment because they called me up and I didn’t know which trophy I was going to receive. It was so strange for me.
“I remember the moment when they handed me the award, as they also gave Messi the Golden Ball for the best player at the World Cup and Emi Martínez received the Golden Glove.”
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World Cup draw: When is it & will Messi grace the tournament?
Messi, Fernandez and Martinez are now looking to go back-to-back in the World Cup-winning stakes. The countdown is very much on to the next staging of FIFA’s flagship event, with the United States, Canada and Mexico preparing to throw open their doors in the summer of 2026.
Messi is yet to confirm that he will be taking part in that event, as head coach Lionel Scaloni refuses to pressure his skipper, with the evergreen 38-year-old conceding that playing in MLS for Inter Miami may leave him short of match sharpness.
The expectation is that he will be involved, with Fernandez among those desperate to line up alongside the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner at another major tournament. Argentina are among the favourites again and will discover their group stage opponents when the 2026 World Cup draw takes place on Friday.
تحدث عمرو بسيوني مدير التعاقدات ونائب المدير الرياضي بنادي بيراميدز، على بيان الأهلي بشان دعم رمان صبحي لاعب الفريق السماوي بعد أزمة إيقافه لمدة 4 سنوات من قبل الوكالة الدولي لمكافحة المنشطات وأيضًا قضية حبسه بسبب التلاعب في أوراق رسمية.
وقال عمرو بسيوني في تصريحات لقناة “النهار”: “بيراميدز على أتم الاستعداد للمواجهة المقبلة في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا أمام باور ديناموز”.
وأضاف: “استقبلنا بيان الأهلي بتقدير شديد عن دعم رمضان صبحي، شيء ليس غريب عن الأهلي ومجلسه بقيادة الخطيب، رمضان صبحي هو واحد من أفراد عائلة بيراميدز، يمر بمشكلتين كبار جدًا في وقت قصير”.
وتابع: “رمضان صبحي يحتاج إلى جهود كل شخص متواجد في المنظومة الكروية المصرية، رمضان شاب أعطى الكثير للكرة في مصر، لاعب دولي وكان له دور كبير في السنوات الماضية ببيراميدز”.
طالع.. ترتيب مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد فوز نهضة بركان على ريفرز يونايتد
وتابع: “الأهلي هو أكبر قلعة رياضية في مصر هو والزمالك، خطوات الخطيب محترمة ومشرفة جدًا، دائمًا في كل مواقفنا نحرص على التعاون المستمر والعلاقة التي تسودها الود والاحترام مع الأهلي، ودائمًا نتحدث كيف نقرب المسافات المتواجدة بين الناديين، المشاكل المتواجدة على السوشيال ميديا، والعلاقة بين الإدارتين محترمة جدًا”.
وأردف: “علاقتنا جيدة بمجلس إدارة الأهلي، دائمًا عندما نتقابل في المباريات تكون هناك حفاوة، العلاقات الشخصية في المسؤولين بالأهلي هائلة ومحترمة، ولو هناك فرصة نزور الأهلي سيكون شيئًا هائلًا أو العكس”.
وشدد: “رمضان صبحي يستحق مننا تظافر كل الجهود لكي نقف بجانبه، يجب أن يشعر أن هناك ناس في ظهره وتساعده بشتى الطرق، نحترم القضاء المصري، من حقنا ومن واجبنا نقف بجانبه، وبعض الشائعات ظهرت بالأمس أن النادي لن يجدد لرمضان صبحي؟ الموسم الماضي رمضان جدد عقده لمدة 4 سنوات، هو فرد من عائلة بيراميدز، المشاكل وارده في حياتنا أهم شيء يشعر أنه يوجد أحد في ظهره، لم يطرح من الأساس فكرة ايقاف التعاقد معه أو فسخ عقده، هذا الكلام ليس وقته”.
وأكمل: “مايلي واسامة جلال عقودهما تنتهي بنهاية الموسم، محمد حمدي عقده مستمر لموسم مقبل، ومايلي افضل لاعب في إفريقيا ومهاجم كبير وإضافة كبيرة لبيراميدز وللدوري المصري بشكل عام، ونحاول أن نحافظ على اللاعبين المميزين، سنبدأ التفاوض معه على التجديد عقده، هو حاليًا أصبح أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا ومتبفي في عقده 6 أشهر”.
واختتم: “مايلي حتى الآن لم يوقع بشكل رسمي على التجديد، ويجب أن تكون الرغبة متبادلة بين الطرفين، ونحن نريد استمراره، وهو سعيد بتواجده في بيراميدز، وأسامة جلال لاعب هائل وصادفه سوء حظ بسبب الإصابة وفتحنا التفاوض معه ومع وكيله وفي أقرب فرصة ملف أسامة سيكون منتهيًا”.