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After a summer in which Manchester United completed just three permanent signings in Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire, the Red Devils already appear to be paying for their lack of significant transfer activity.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side currently find themselves in 12th place in the Premier League, having picked up just nine points from their opening eight games. Their poor start has already begun to ramp up the speculation on the United boss’ future, whilst several reports in recent weeks have claimed the club will look to be active over the upcoming transfer windows.Now, Spanish publication Sport, claim Barcelona are ready to let Ivan Rakitic leave the Catalan giants, and that United have contacted their European counterparts over a possible move for the midfielder.After hearing the transfer news surrounding the Croatia international, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts on the reported target.Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Many supporters of the Manchester side slammed the links to the 31-year-old, and insisted he simply isn’t good enough anymore.

Some Red Devils supporters felt Rakitic is just looking for one last “pay day”, with one fan in particular describing a possible swoop as a “panic buy”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Arsenal fans believe that Brazilian striker Gabriel Martinelli has the most potential of the club’s current crop of youngsters.

The teenager arrived from the South American side Ituano for £6m on a “long-term contract” in the summer and has had an exhilarating start to life in north London.

Martinelli has already scored four goals in four appearances for Arsenal during his four-month stay at the club. The youngster received praise from former England striker Michael Owen after his strong start with Arsenal, saying that he “looks like a talent” after his brace during the Gunners’ 4-0 win against Standard Liege in the Europa League.

Martinelli has said that he models his game on Cristiano Ronaldo and it was a dream to play football in Europe. His performances reflect his comments and the Arsenal supporters have seemingly warmed to him since his summer move.

Fans responded to the question posted by Now Arsenal on Twitter (via @now_arsenal) questioning who has the most potential out of Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock, Reiss Nelson and Martinelli himself. One fan said that the Brazilian has the “full package” while another said that he was an “absolute legend in the making”.

Here you will find some of the best comments from Arsenal fans:

[ad_pod ]You may or may not have caught the news the other day that former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger allegedly said it would be a dream to manage Manchester United.“Manchester United? To coach Man United would be a dream for anyone. If you have belief in yourself, then coaching a club like Manchester United should be one of your goals.”I think that United have a pretty good team, but I think that they would need at least 4 new signings if they want to compete for trophies. Even so, I don’t think they need all that much to become competitive again.”They need guidance if they are to take that next step. I have a lot of faith in myself and I think that I would have to right ideas for them. Let’s see what happens in the coming months.”Unfortunately, if you were one of those who got tremendously excited at the prospect of seeing the Frenchman back in the dugout, this particular nugget of tremendously misleading information was, in the not-so-wise words of Donald Trump, ‘fake news’.Those darn bogus quotes have done it again.Indeed, in the interest of maintaining his health and protecting his already slightly damaged legacy, the 69-year-old has absolutely no intention of coming back to the Premier League to take on one of the most difficult jobs in football.And can you blame him? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already looks like he’s aged 20 years since accepting the permanent job. Poor Arsene is much better off protecting what’s left of his Arsenal legacy, and Unai Emery may just be giving him a helping hand in that regard based on recent results.Here’s what the Frenchman really said…

According to The Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino’s treatment of three players this season has caused unease.

The report names Jan Vertonghen, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli as the trio in question, with all being dropped by the Argentine at points during the season.

The former missed out on the squad entirely on the opening day against Aston Villa despite being available – with The Daily Mail reporting at the time that it was down to fitness levels and poor pre-season displays – while Eriksen had to settle for a spot on the substitutes’ bench against Leicester City and then Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Meanwhile, Alli was another who failed to make the 18 altogether for the trip to the King Power Stadium last month.

The Daily Mail says those occurrences have caused unease at the club.

Verdict

It is surprising to see players who have been so key during Pochettino’s tenure with the north London outfit left out of matchday squads, because even if they aren’t performing to the level they once were you would still expect them to be part of the 18.

Vertonghen especially is clearly an experienced and influential member of the team, so it is no surprise that the manager potentially having disagreements with the 32-year-old would cause some tension and unease.

It is also understandable in other ways however, with the 47-year-old manager probably frustrated that the Belgian and Eriksen both have less than a year remaining on their contracts, meaning the uncertainty over whether they will go or stay remains.

He could do without that distraction, but he also needs everyone onside and pulling in the same direction to get Tottenham back on track.

Charlton Athletic moved into eighth in the Championship table on Saturday evening following a 2-2 draw over league leaders West Brom.

Lee Bowyer’s men went behind early on to a Matty Phillips strike, but they found themselves level just after an hour as Macauley Bonne headed home his fourth in as many games.

There was then a moment of controversy as the referee sent off Grady Diangana instead of Nathan Ferguson before he finally corrected his decision, though that didn’t stop the home side thinking they had won the match after substitute Hal Robson-Kanu curled one home nine minutes from time.

The Addicks were gifted a penalty in the 94th minute after Naby Sarr was brought down inside the area, to which Josh Cullen duly stepped up and dispatched to clinch a point at the Hawthorns.

Following the match, goalkeeper Dillon Phillips took to Twitter to share some thoughts on the performance, which has led to several of the Charlton fanbase throwing heaps of praise behind the 24-year-old.

One supporter claimed that an England call up couldn’t be too far away with another expressing similar thoughts by saying Nick Pope’s place is in jeopardy after his shot-stopping performance.

Others labelled him a ‘beast’ and ‘unbelievable’ with one more member of The Valley faithful believing his showing was worthy of the Man of the Match award.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Joe Aribo made a sensational start to his international career on Tuesday night by scoring just three minutes into his debut for Nigeria against Ukraine.The talented youngster signed from Charlton in the summer with Rangers only having to pay a small development fee. The transfer is already proving to be money well spent, having produced four goals in twelve games from midfield.Rangers have secured Europa League qualification and with Aribo sampling his first – and surely not last – taste of international football as well, it’s clear to see why he decided to come north of the border.Charlton manager Lee Bowyer might have to re-think his verdict that the youngster’s wasting his time moving to Scottish football.It wasn’t just Rangers fans who congratulated Aribo on his early success for the Super Eagles – first team coach Michael Beale also congratulated him via social media as reported in The Daily Record.But Gers followers quickly took to Twitter to deride Bowyer for suggesting a move to Rangers would be a backwards step for the former Addicks sensation. Here’s a look at what they’ve been saying online…

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After the departure of the iconic Vincent Kompany this summer, John Stones would undeniably have been dreaming of taking the Belgian’s place at the heart of the Manchester City defence.

The England international has endured a mixed time at the Etihad since arriving in a big-money deal from fellow Premier League side Everton, with injuries and form playing a big part in his struggles.

Despite that, Italian journalist Nicolo Schira has claimed the Citizens are “in talks” to renew Stones’ contract until 2024, and the club’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, has offered him new wages of €7m (£6.1m) a year, plus bonuses.

After hearing the reports of a potential new deal for the centre-back, City fans took to Twitter to voice their frustrations about the situation.

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Many supporters of the Manchester side slammed the reported decision, and insisted Stones has shown no signs of improvement since joining the club.

Some fans pointed to the 25-year-old’s poor record with injuries as another major reason why the defender should not be handed a new contract, whilst a couple even called for him to be let go.

Check out some of the reaction of City fans below:

Zak Foulkes and Adi Ashok have also been handed their first deals while Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel drop off the list

Andrew McGlashan03-Jun-2025Wicketkeeper-batter Mitchell Hay and allrounder Muhammad Abbas are among four new names on New Zealand’s central contracts list for 2025-26 after making an impact in white-ball cricket over the past year.Fast bowler Zak Foulkes and legspinner Adi Ashok have also earned their first deals among the 20 names on national retainers.As he had indicated recently, Kane Williamson has not taken a contract along with Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Tim Seifert and Lockie Ferguson. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said discussions “are ongoing” around their casual playing arrangements.Related

• Williamson to miss Australia series under NZC casual agreement

• Kelly and Carter to lead young New Zealand A squad in South Africa

• Stead calls time on seven-year tenure as New Zealand coach

• Williamson backs international windows and WTC 'tweaks'

• Kane Williamson shares the stardust as Middlesex Blast stint begins

From last year’s group, Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel and Josh Clarkson have dropped off along with the retired Tim Southee.Among the new faces, Hay made an unbeaten 99 against Pakistan during the ODI series earlier this year and Abbas struck the fastest half-century on ODI debut with his 24-ball effort in the same series.Foulkes has ten T20I caps and earned his ODI debut against Sri Lanka last year. Ashok made his three international appearances back in 2023 but was part of the squad against Pakistan in March and has recently impressed on the New Zealand A tour of Bangladesh, where he claimed 5 for 54 in the first four-day game.Kane Williamson is among the players to not take a central contract•Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

The contracts list was drawn up by a panel including head coach Gary Stead, who has stepped down from the white-ball job with a decision expected shortly over whether he will continue as the Test coach.New Zealand have a light Test schedule in the next contract cycle with two matches in Zimbabwe (which aren’t part of the World Test Championship) from late July and three home games against West Indies before Christmas. Next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka will be one of the main focuses.”The contracts with Mitch, Muhammad, Adi and Zak reflect the incredible talent coming through our system,” Scott Weenink, the NZC CEO, said. “These players have shown they can compete at the highest level, and their hunger to represent the Blackcaps is exciting. The list captures the depth and versatility of our talent pool.”

New Zealand Men central contracts 2025-26

Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitch Hay, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Nathan Smith, Will Young

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

West Ham United midfielder Manuel Lanzini has signed a new contract at the club, the Hammers have confirmed.

What’s the word?

The Argentina international has been with the Hammers since 2015, making a total of 112 appearances for the club.

In that time, he has scored 21 goals and registered 19 assists.

He has played in the first three encounters of the season, registering assists against Brighton & Hove Albion and Watford.

And he has now committed to a new deal that ties him to the club for another four years.

Ducks in a row

West Ham are finally getting their ducks in a row.

Lanzini is a key member of their first-team squad and has been vitally important to the team that Manuel Pellegrini is building in east London.

A remarkable dribbler with the ability to unlock a defence and score as well, he had to write off nearly the entirety of the 2018/19 campaign due to injury.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Now back to full fitness and playing well, this contract is a just reward for a player who the Hammers will be delighted to be keeping hold of.

This is a remarkable step forward for the Irons.

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The BCCI also announced back-to-back India A series at home against Australia A and South Africa A later this year

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2025Australia will tour India for a three-match ODI series in mid-September as part of both teams’ “crucial preparation” for the women’s ODI World Cup, scheduled to be played in India from late September.The matches will be played at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), the BCCI said in a statement on Thursday, on September 14, 17 and 20. The World Cup is scheduled to begin on September 29.India, the hosts, and Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka had earned direct entry into the World Cup, while Bangladesh and Pakistan got there after topping a qualifying event in Pakistan earlier this year.Pakistan’s matches at the World Cup, however, are likely to be played at a neutral venue in accordance with the BCCI-PCB agreement made earlier this year before the Champions Trophy. The PCB was the host of that tournament, but all India matches, including the one against Pakistan, were played in Dubai.

Australia, South Africa men’s ‘A’ teams to visit India

India A, now in England to play two four-day matches against England Lions and then a four-day fixture against the main India Test team ahead of the five-match England vs India Test series, will have more cricket in September, October and November when Australia A and South Africa A visit.Australia A will visit first and play two four-day games – starting September 16 and 23 – and three one-dayers, on September 30, October 3 and October 5. After a gap, South Africa A will play a similar set of matches, two four-dayers, starting November 2 and November 9, and three one-dayers, on November 13, 16 and 19.The four-dayers between the Indians and Australians would be played in Lucknow, and the one-dayers in Kanpur, while all the India A vs South Africa A games would be played in Bengaluru. The two four-dayers are scheduled to be played at the BCCI’s new Centre of Excellence (formerly the National Cricket Academy), making these the first competitive matches to be played at the facility.