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Manchester United are now increasingly keen on signing a “special” forward this summer, and his price tag may have dropped by £65m, according to a report.

Man Utd lacking creativity

Man United’s goalscoring issues this season have been well-documented, with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund failing to hit the heights expected of them, but another major problem has been a lack of service for the strikers.

The Red Devils have created just 54 big chances in the Premier League this season, the 13th-highest total in the top flight, which indicates they may need to bring in a new winger or attacking midfielder this summer, alongside a centre-forward.

Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo is well-liked, with United planning to make the winger their first summer signing, and there is a feeling a deal could be possible for a fee of around £50m.

Man Utd make contact for "unbelievable" £62m star as agent flies for talks

The Red Devils have set their sights on a striker, whose agent is set to fly to England for talks.

ByDominic Lund Apr 8, 2025

There are some other options from within the Premier League, however, with Southampton’s Tyler Dibling also of interest, although the reported £100m price tag may have been off-putting for potential suitors.

However, according to a new report from Caught Offside, Dibling’s price tag may have now dropped considerably, with it being revealed a deal could be possible for a fee of around €40m (£35m), which would be a £65m price reduction.

Man United and Ruben Amorim are becoming increasingly keen on signing the Southampton winger, who is now high up their list of targets, with the manager eager to bring in a top young attacker.

A whole host of clubs could be set to battle it out for the 19-year-old, however, with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, RB Leipzig and West Ham United also expressing an interest, so there may be fierce competition for his signature.

"Special" Dibling could launch career at Old Trafford

The young forward has been a breakout star for Southampton this season, making 27 league appearances, but it was always going to be a tall order to stand out in a very poor side, who could go down as one of the worst teams in Premier League history.

That said, the Englishman caught the eye with his performance at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign, receiving praise from Fabrizio Romano.

Having also been lauded as a “special talent” by journalist Josh Bunting, it is clear the starlet has a lot of potential, so it is promising news that Man United are in the race for his signature.

The recent news that a deal could amount to just £35m is also a welcome update, given that a £100m price tag would have been very hard to justify, with Dibling yet to prove himself at the top level over a sustained period.

After losing the ODIs 3-0 and the one-off Test, South Africa are still looking for their first win of the tour

Srinidhi Ramanujam04-Jul-2024South Africa’s long, multi-format tour of India is nearing its end with the T20I leg starting in Chennai on Friday. India have been dominant throughout, winning the ODIs 3-0 and the one-off Test by ten wickets on the final day.Laura Wolvaardt’s team has been good in patches and showed resilience every time India threw a punch but have still not been able to win a game on tour. With Chloe Tryon back in the side and Marizanne Kapp likely to take the ball, South Africa will pose a tough challenge for India in the T20Is. Here are a few talking points ahead of the series opener:The unstoppable Mandhana”She is in the form of her life. It’s a privilege to watch.”Former South Africa captain Dane van Niekerk aptly summed up Smriti Mandhana’s performance in Bengaluru, on air. With scores of 117, 136, 90 and 149, the India vice-captain has been phenomenal across formats in this series and has looked assured like never before. Her game awareness has peaked and her calmness under pressure has helped her convert starts to big scores. If she carries her form into T20Is, paying just INR 150 to watch her at the MA Chidambaram Stadium is a steal.Related

Wolvaardt: SA 'pretty close' to nailing best XI for T20 World Cup

Chloe Tryon returns to South Africa's T20I squad for series in India

Stats – India's hat-trick, records for Shafali and Wolvaardt

Chennai's hard grind leaves India and South Africa wanting more Test cricket

The Wolvaardt-Kapp threatIndia’s biggest challenge will be to keep Wolvaardt and Kapp quiet. Having missed just one T20I, against Sri Lanka, this year the South Africa captain has notched up 247 runs in five innings, with a hundred and two half-centuries, at a strike rate of 132.08 in 2024. Her control and clarity combined with her ability to take calculated risks were visible in the ODI series as well.While Marizanne Kapp has been good with the bat, she is yet to bowl in the series•Getty ImagesKapp might bowl for the first time on the tour during the T20I series. After playing as a specialist batter in the ODIs and Test due to a minor back injury and workload management, she is likely to threaten Mandhana and Shafali Verma the new ball. Playing at No. 3, she has been aggressive with the bat as well, slamming 208 runs in six T20Is at a strike rate of 136.84 this year. That includes scores of 75, 60 and 44. In Sune Luus’ words, Kapp’s game ” is so sorted at the moment.”Tryon is backTryon has been in and out of action for some time now. The allrounder picked up a groin injury during the WBBL in October 2023 and returned for the tour of Australia in January this year. In the next series at home against Sri Lanka, she played only two T20Is and missed the remaining four white-ball games due to recurring back injury. After missing the ODI and Test leg of this series, she was included in T20Is, a much-needed boost for her side against a strong Indian team at home.An explosive batter in the middle-order who is also effective with her left-arm fingerspin, Tryon has the know-how of the Indian conditions, having played for Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians for two years in the WPL. She is yet to pick up a wicket against India in T20Is and it remains to be seen whether she will make her first strike in Chennai. But importantly, South Africa need her to stay fit when they land in Bangladesh for the World Cup in October.Radha’s road to redemption (and Bangladesh)On the back of an impressive WPL, Radha Yadav returned to the Indian side against Bangladesh in May after last featuring in an international game in February 2023. With Deepti Sharma leading the spin attack, India had to choose between Shreyanka Patil’s offspin, S Asha’s legspin and Radha’s left-arm orthodox. Harmanpreet picked Radha in all of the five games and she repaid the faith with 10 scalps in 19 overs at an economy of 5.05, finishing as the highest-wicket taker in that series. Deepti was the second best for India with five wickets.Radha Yadav starred in the series against Bangladesh•BCBShe might not have found her feet in the ODIs against South Africa, struggling with speed and length, but the shortest format is her forte. She has learnt to harness her aggression and has showcased better control and accuracy of late. Nine of her ten wickets in Bangladesh were of right-hand batters. With South Africa stacking themselves with right-handers in their line-up, Radha could be a threat on a spin-friendly Chepauk surface. A strong performance here and at the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka later in the month will bode well for India before the World Cup.Recent formIndia come into the series on the back of a 5-0 sweep of Bangladesh in Bangladesh. This was after an underwhelming outing against Australia at home, which India lost 2-1 last December. South Africa, however, have struggled to get more wins in this format, losing four of the six T20Is played this year against Australia and Sri Lanka, all while batting first.Pitch and conditionsThe MA Chidambaram Stadium hosted nine IPL matches during peak summer this year with an average score of 170. Surprisingly, only 25 of the 99 wickets were taken by spinners.But in the one-off Test against South Africa, the Indian spinners took 19 of the 20 wickets across four days. South Africa’s spinners took three out of five wickets. That apart, two days before the opening T20I, there was late-night rain with gusts of wind at Chepauk. The city is expected to have thunderstorms in the late evening almost every day till the end of the series.

His second successive golden duck added to the growing chorus calling for him to take a break

Shashank Kishore23-Apr-20225:07

Vettori: This is the time when Kohli could turn to his friends, mentor

It’s the second over of the innings. Kane Williamson has to strain his vocal cords to get Aiden Markram’s attention. He wants to move Abhishek Sharma from backward point to first slip. He wants to strengthen the slip cordon in a T20 powerplay with Markram now at second slip. He’s had to literally yell from across the pitch because the decibel levels have soared.Virat Kohli takes strike to Marco Jansen, who until four years ago could barely mumble a word to Kohli while assisting India’s then all-format captain as a net bowler in Pretoria. The Jansen of 2022 isn’t as conservative with his actions, though.Jansen is expressive with his body language and most certainly expressive with his words. If he wants to give Jasprit Bumrah a send-off, he very well will, after roughing him up with a succession of short balls. Even if it means copping a few when it’s his turn to bat. It comes from an unmistakable confidence in his abilities.The inswing to the right-hander is his natural ball. But it’s the one that holds its line that had brought him much success during a breakthrough home summer against India. It’s this very ball that has him all pumped up this evening. He sends Faf du Plessis’ off stump cartwheeling.Now, he’s up against Kohli. The Mumbai crowd can be unforgiving at the best of times. Kohli will know all too well the feeling of being booed here. But now, they’re willing him on. To score runs. Just about anything that can classify as “form”.Kohli, bat-twirler and ferocious gum-chewer, faces up. His body language exudes naked aggression. Even before the openers had walked out to bat, there he was, all padded up, helmet strapped in, gloves set, like they usually are every single game. Nothing different there.What has been different this IPL, though, is Kohli has been searching for runs. He has blown more cold than hot. Where’s the timing? Is he struggling with bubble fatigue? Is he a victim of his own greatness? Where are the hundreds? Where’s the genius chase master? Even MS Dhoni has wound the clock back. Surely, Kohli isn’t far away.2:17

Is Kohli a victim of bubble fatigue?

Kevin Pietersen wants him to “chill”. Ravi Shastri wants him to “take a break”. Dilip Vengsarkar, the man who picked him for India, straight out of the Under-19s, is sure it’s the tiredness that is getting to him. The harder he’s trying, the tougher it’s getting.Game after game, the chorus has been getting louder. Where is Kohli of the 2016 vintage? The season where he could have walked on water. The season when he made four centuries and a mind-boggling 973 runs. That aggression has gone missing. The accumulation has been painful. The struggle to force the pace against spin all evident.Royal Challengers Bangalore’s team management, however, believes he’s as free in the mind as he has ever been without the captaincy. Head coach Sanjay Bangar is confident the drought will end soon. Kohli believes, everyone believes.Williamson thinks otherwise, as he places Markram at second slip. Kohli sees one pushed full. He instinctively throws his hands at it. Brabourne doesn’t quite have the spongy bounce of Centurion, so it’s likely the ball will fly off the bat should it meet his forward stride. Except, Jansen has angled it away towards fifth stump. He has dangled a carrot.It can play on the ego of great players like Kohli. The front foot is out in no time, hands away from the body. The bolt-upright seam hits the deck and moves away a wee bit. In a split second, after he has played it, Kohli knows it hasn’t gone where he wants it to. The ball flies low to Markram. Gone. Zero. A second straight first-ball duck.Four nights ago, he had a wry smile after he flayed one straight to backward point. Here, he looks down at the pitch, looks at his bat, looks at the non-striker Anuj Rawat. As if to ask if what has happened is legitimate. He then yanks his gloves off and walks off shaking his head.The Royal Challengers dugout is stunned. Kohli is stunned. Then comes the realisation. It’s another knock that has ended in disappointment. And the chorus grows again.What is ailing Kohli the batter?

Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners clinched a spot in the MLB postseason on Tuesday night. While it felt inevitable this season, it's only the team's third trip to the postseason in the 21st century so it's an accomplishment worth celebrating.

And yet the Mariners want more. A playoff berth is nice, but Raleigh had a bold message for fans in his postgame interview suggesting that the Mariners have their sights set on a much bigger goal.

After telling the fans that the team loved them Raleigh added, "Might as well go win the whole f—— thing." And the fans rejoiced as the home broadcast apologized for the rough language.

Now that the Mariners have clinched their spot in the playoffs Raleigh, baseball's home run leader, has five games to focus on personal accomplishments as he sits at 58 home runs. It's a Mariners record, but he's got a legitimate shot at hitting 60 home runs, which only six players in the entire history of the sport have done before.

Might as well do that too, right?

Things took an unexpected turn at a recent Coldplay concert thanks to their version of the Kiss Cam and now the internet is doing what the internet does. The viral story continues to twist and turn as people gawk into other's private lives. Heck, even the social media managers from the Seattle Mariners have gotten involved, capitalizing on Cal Raleigh Awareness Week.

So perhaps it wasn't surprising to see anchors Randy Scott and Gary Striewski get in on the moment during Friday's show.

Talk about an awkward way to start the Kiss It Goodbye segment. Or really the perfect way.

Maybe you got a big laugh out of this. Maybe there was absolutely no reaction. But hey, they tried something. And on the slowest sports week of the year, that's just what's going to happen.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has lavished praise on a Gunners who’s done something he never expected.

Arsenal look to extend unbeaten run against Brentford

Arsenal return to the Emirates tonight seeking to rebuild momentum against Brentford following Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea, where Arteta’s side failed to capitalize on their one-man advantage despite playing almost an hour against ten men.

The north Londoners have also seen their five-point lead atop the Premier League table reduced to two after Man City’s thrilling 5-4 win away to Fulham on Tuesday, so nothing but a win will do against one of the worst away teams in the division this evening.

Arteta faces selection dilemmas ahead of Brentford’s visit, with defensive concerns persisting following the unexpected absence of both first-choice centre-backs at Stamford Bridge.

William Saliba suffered a training ground injury in the build up to Chelsea, compounding Gabriel Magalhaes’ absence and marking only the second occasion in 162 matches both defenders have missed simultaneously.

It could well be the third time in 163 matches against Brentford, with Saliba a doubt for tonight’s clash and Gabriel still weeks away from returning to the field.

Arsenal’s incredible unbeaten streak has now reached 17 matches across all competitions, yet Arteta demands improvements following the Chelsea stalemate. The Gunners managed just eight shots at Stamford Bridge – their lowest total in any Premier League fixture this season.

Arsenal hold new talks with Juventus star who Alonso has recommended to Real Madrid

The Gunners are ‘captivated’ by him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 3, 2025

Leandro Trossard, who’s been in excellent form with 10 goal contributions already this term, looks set to miss the Brentford game with Havertz also suffering a setback in his recovery from a knee injury.

Mikel Arteta says Merino has took him by surprise at Arsenal

Bearing this in mind, if Arteta doesn’t start Viktor Gyokeres, then makeshift number nine Mikel Merino could well be handed another chance to impress.

The Spain international has been nothing short of extraordinary in a very unfamiliar role, scoring 20 goals this calendar year for club and country, and Arteta has now had his say on the matter.

When asked by reporters whether he thought Merino could become a striker like this, Arteta admitted the 29-year-old has taken him completely by surprise.

Merino’s equaliser ensured that Arsenal’s unbeaten streak didn’t end in west London on Sunday, and the former Newcastle star has fast become a fan favourite.

2025 has been a real year to remember for the midfielder, who was one of Edu’s final signings before his departure as sporting director late last year.

Arteta can take a lot of the credit for transforming Merino into an attacking powerhouse and having the initiative to experiment with him up front, but the versatile star has seized that opportunity with both hands.

The baseball card of the year, Paul Skenes's one-of-one rookie debut patch autograph, has a surprise new owner. The card was pulled by an 11-year-old collector who received a hobby box of Topps' Chrome Update product as a Christmas present.

Although the Pittsburgh Pirates put out a strong bounty for the card's finder, the collector decided to auction the card through Fanatics Collectibles. The auction recently ended with a $1.11 million sale, netting more than Skenes's $875,000 salary in 2025.

The buyer was later revealed as sporting-goods chain Dick's, who plans to make the card available to the Pittsburgh community by displaying it at their "House of Sport" store at Ross Park mall.

"Acquiring the Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch card enables us to celebrate his incredible talent while giving our athletes a unique opportunity to experience a piece of baseball history up close," Dick's executive chairman Ed Stack said in a statement. "We're thrilled to bring this special card home and display it in our Pittsburgh House of Sport store where it can inspire the next generation of athletes and collectors."

The card features the patch that Skenes wore on his jersey sleeve during his Major League debut, making it a one-of-a-kind artifact for baseball fans. The Pirates offered season tickets for 30 years, to host a softball game at PNC Park, two autographed jerseys and a meet and greet with Skenes for the card. Skenes's girlfriend Livvy Dunne upped the ante by chipping in a spot in her luxury suite at a Pirates game.

Pittsburgh wanted the card. Ultimately, it ends up in the city. Just in a roundabout way.

The weekend of European soccer brought plenty of drama, and GOAL US unpacks the main storylines from the Premier League, La Liga, and other top competitions in The Euro XI.

So, Liverpool can surely kiss the Premier League goodbye, right? After a 3-0 loss to Man City, the defending champions look finished. They now sit eighth, eight points off the top, and there’s little sign they can rediscover their swagger. It’s a strange place for title holders to find themselves.

But it's not the only bit of drama from the Prem last weekend. Points dropped elsewhere should have meant that Arsenal could kick on at the top of the table. Instead, they drew against newly-promoted Sunderland. And lower down the table, Manchester United and Tottenham delivered on the magnitude of the occasion with a mad last 15 minutes. 

Other top leagues in Europe delivered their share of drama, too. Real Madrid’s scoreless draw was a reminder they’re far from runaway title favorites. Barcelona had to grind past Celta Vigo, and perhaps most shockingly, Bayern dropped points.

GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.

Getty Images SportLiverpool's title hopes fade

Title race over, then? Liverpool were always going to have some growing pains – it's what happens when you sign 10,000 new players – but could anyone have expected this? The Etihad is a really tough stadium to play at, and Liverpool went to the home of their rivals and simply crumbled. The 3-0 scoreline flattered Manchester City, which is pretty damning in a game of such a magnitude. 

AdvertisementAFPCity find their form

And then, there's the other side to things. Pep Guardiola managed his 1,000th game Sunday evening. He actually tied his first. This one couldn't really have been more convincing of a win. For all of Liverpool's shortcomings, City were simply magnificent, full of attacking verve and intent. Erling Haaland was quiet, so Jeremy Doku decided to take over. He completed seven dribbles, tortured Liverpool's defense, and bagged an audacious goal to finish it off. And now, they might just be in the title race. 

Getty Images SportArsenal hit a bump in the road

Was Saturday’s result a setback in the Gunners’ chase for their first Premier League title since 2003? It might prove to be if Arsenal keep struggling like this. To be fair, a trip to Sunderland was always going to be tricky – the Stadium of Light tends to shine on occasions like this, and the Black Cats have enjoyed a fantastic start to the season. But Arsenal didn’t rise to the moment. They were muscled out of the contest and, truthfully, a bit fortunate to escape with a 2-2 draw. Then again, they would’ve lost these games in the past – and this season, a draw away to a newly promoted side somehow feels like a point gained.

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GettyDan Ballard, back for revenge

A word, briefly, for Dan Ballard. The center back was supposed to be part of Arsenal's new era. For 12 years, he was in the Gunners' youth setup, and every bit the kind of central defender that seemed ready to anchor a defensive line long term. But like so many, he never took the step up in time. Ballard landed at Sunderland, and, in a center back-y kind of way, battered his boyhood club. Ballard scored one, assisted another, and made a truly remarkable block in stoppage time to save a point. It's hard to recall a better individual showing this season. 

Arsenal are well and truly on the charge this season.

Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League table and on Tuesday night stunned Europe by dismantling Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

While they finally faced a shot on target in the second half, the Gunners ended up putting four goals past the Spanish giants, and even then, didn’t even look like they were at their best.

One of the standout performers on the night was undoubtedly Declan Rice, and in brilliant news, another of Arteta’s signings is starting to play a bit like the Englishman.

Declan Rice's incredible form

To the surprise of practically nobody who has watched him over the last few years, Rice has continued to perform at a world-class level for Arsenal this season.

On top of being a bruising, no-nonsense midfielder who can batter opposition players and disrupt their attacks, he’s become a sensational offensive operator in his own right.

Whether it’s crashing the box late, lashing in a shot from range or delivering absurdly perfect set-piece deliveries, the Englishman is a player opposition defenders simply cannot ignore.

His dead-ball expertise was on full display against Atléti on Tuesday night, as it was his free-kick that found the head of Gabriel Magalhães to open the scoring in the 57th minute.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, it was his free-kick in the 70th minute that eventually led to the Gunners’ fourth and final goal.

Moreover, he’s already chalked up three assists in the Premier League this season, all three of which have come from, you guessed it, set-pieces.

With all this in mind, it’s really quite difficult to disagree with Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz’s opinion that, in the former West Ham United captain, Arsenal have “the best set piece taker in world football.”

However, he’s not just a set-piece machine, and there is now another player in Arteta’s squad who is starting to emulate some of his other best traits.

The Arsenal star playing like Rice

There were several players who really shone for Arsenal on Tuesday night, from Gabriel to Martin Zubimendi and even Gabriel Martinelli, who scored a wonderful curled effort to make it 2-0

However, one of the real stars of the show, and the man who could be described as playing a bit like Rice these days, is Viktor Gyokeres.

The summer signing finally ended his goalscoring drought with a brace against Atléti, and while neither goal was particularly impressive from an aesthetic perspective, that really doesn’t matter.

It was just important for the Swedish international to finally get his name back on the scoresheet and to get some of the pressure off his back that has been slowly building over the last few weeks.

Moreover, even without the two goals, it was, as analyst Rohan Jivan said, his “best game in an Arsenal shirt by far,” and one that saw him named Man of the Match and given a 9/10 match rating by the Sun’s Jordan Davies.

For example, he was constantly making smart runs in behind the Madrid outfit’s defence, or off to the left to stretch the pitch and free up space for his teammates.

Moreover, even when the ball wasn’t finding him, or he had a couple of poor touches, his head never dropped; instead, it seemed to make him more determined.

This never-say-die and run yourself into the ground for the team approach is one of the key traits he shares with Rice, and then, on top of that, he’s also got that bruising, physical side to him.

The Stockholm-born “steam train,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, might not have the silky footwork of a Hugo Ekitiké or Alexander Isak, but like the former West Ham man, he will bulldoze his way into dangerous positions.

Appearances

12

Starts

11

Minutes

925′

Goals

5

Assists

0

Goals per Match

0.41

Minutes per Goal

185′

With all that said, it is still clear that there is more to come from the former Sporting CP monster this season, even if he now has a pretty reasonable haul of five goals in 12 games this season.

Ultimately, there are plenty of differences between the pair, but the way in which Gyokeres never gives up and uses his physical gifts to bulldoze opposition players is starting to make him look a bit Rice-like.

As vital as Rice: Arsenal star is becoming "one of the best on the planet"

Arsenal sealed a remarkable 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 22, 2025

Manchester United’s poor start to the 2025/26 season has once again cranked up the pressure on manager Ruben Amorim, with uncertainty now emerging around his future.

The 40-year-old took the reins last November, but was unable to catapult the Red Devils up the Premier League table – subsequently ending the year in a record-low 15th place.

However, after £200m worth of new additions during the off-season, he’s been unable to transform the side, already losing 50% of their top-flight outings to date.

His side even got knocked out at the first hurdle in the Carabao Cup, losing to League Two side Grimsby Town on penalties, something which has no doubt pushed him closer to the exit door.

Despite constant reports that no change of manager is expected in the immediate future, numerous managers are being lined up to potentially take the reins at Old Trafford.

Man Utd’s manager hunt to replace Amorim

Over the last couple of days, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has been hugely linked with the role at United – understandably so given his recent form at Selhurst Park.

The Austrian has led the Eagles to an 18-game unbeaten run, beating Liverpool at the weekend and subsequently adding to their recent FA Cup and Community Shield triumphs.

However, he’s not the only boss currently in their sights at present, with the Red Devils hierarchy considering a move for Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola, according to The Sun.

Their report claims that the United board are hugely impressed with his work at the Vitality and could be tempted to make a move should Amorim be given his marching orders.

It also states that he’s part of the club’s current shortlist to replace the 40-year-old, currently sitting alongside Glasner, but it remains to be seen if they are set to pursue either of the aforementioned candidates.

Why United’s latest target would be their answer to Arteta

Whilst Arsenal are a club very few United fans are content with, many of the supporters must be feeling an ounce of jealously in the direction of the Gunners under Mikel Arteta.

The Spaniard is nearing six years in charge at the Emirates, only winning one major trophy, but he’s transformed the side into consistent Premier League title contenders.

His side have finished as runners up in each of the last three years, but could go one further this time around, subsequently showing glimpses of a successful side – as seen by their late comeback against Newcastle United.

The 43-year-old has given the fanbase a reason to be proud of their club, something which Iraola has also done with the Cherries – but certainly on a different level to his compatriot.

He took charge of the South Coast outfit back in the summer of 2023, but has taken the club to new heights – achieving their best ever top-flight finish by ending the year in 9th last time around.

However, he’s certainly faced adversity in recent times, losing key players like Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez and Illia Zabarnyi to many of Europe’s giants during the recent summer.

Despite the departures, he’s led the Cherries to 6th place after the first six outings, with their only defeat coming against Liverpool on the opening day at Anfield.

In the words of journalist James Horncastle – via John Brewin of the Libero podcast – he is the “best coach in the Premier League”.

Iraola, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by one journalist, has achieved a 40% win rate at the Vitality, winning 38 of his 94 matches in charge – subsequently doing so on a shoestring budget.

There’s no doubt he would have a huge amount of money to play with at United, which in turn could allow him to make the desired changes to try and battle with his compatriot, who’s in charge of the Gunners.

Games managed

82

Wins

31

Draws

22

Losses

29

Goals scored

120

Goals conceded

120

Points won

115

Points per game

1.40

Win percentage

37.8%

The similarities to Arteta are there for all to see, with both being the same age and making a huge impact in England’s top-flight after their respective appointments.

Both also came from the Basque Country, with United having the chance to appoint an incredible manager should they decide to pursue a move for Iraola in the months ahead.

His stint at Bournemouth has made him one of the most talented young managers in Europe, but it’s unclear how much the Cherries would demand for his signature in the months ahead.

It remains to be seen if Iraola would be open to the job at Old Trafford, but if he can replicate such talents with the Red Devils – there’s no reason as to why they can’t rise up the table under his guidance in the future.

This season's Rashford: Man Utd star is now a big "problem" for Amorim

There is much for Ruben Amorim to fix at Manchester United.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 29, 2025