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Ruben Amorim was asked about Manchester United's interest in Matheus Cunha as Wolves look to take advantage of goal-shy Red Devils.

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• Amorim asked about United's interest in Cunha
• Brazilian forward has a contract with Wolves until 2029
• Man Utd face Wolves on Sunday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United, who have struggled for consistency up front in the 2024-25 campaign, are strongly linked with a move for Wolves forward Cunha. With high-profile signings like Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund failing to cement their place in the number 9 position, as they have scored just six league goals between them, the Red Devils are considering triggering the Brazilians' £62.5 million ($82m) release clause. With Cunha under contract until 2029, Wolves are unlikely to settle for a lower price.

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  United boss Amorim recently heaped praise on Wolves manager Vitor Pereira and his style of play while specifically naming Cunha, who has impressed the Portuguese coach. The former Sporting CP manager will look to bolster his squad ahead of the 2025-26 season as the Old Trafford outfit are headed for a busy summer transfer window.

• WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

  Speaking about Pereira, the 40-year-old said: "I think he's doing an amazing job. He's playing a 343, he's doing quite well. He's changing some players, he has real quality players – Cunha and all these guys, they have real quality. They are fresh. So we know it's going to be a tough match and we are going to need a lot from our supporters. I know it is a bad thing to ask anything this season from our fans but we need them on Sunday."

  When asked if Cunha could head to Manchester next year, Amorim added: "I just gave the example because I remembered about Matheus – he's scoring a lot of goals. Just that."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  After a spirited performance against Lyon in the Europa League quarter-final second leg on Thursday, United will now aim to get back to winning ways in the Premier League as they host Wolves on April 20.

Rub of the green, invisible heroes, plants in rival teams… is it too early to say ?

Sidharth Monga26-May-2022Forget the role clarity. Never mind the death bowling of Harshal Patel and death batting of Dinesh Karthik. Leave aside Wanindu Hasaranga in the middle overs. If you are a Royal Challengers Bangalore fan and believe in signs, you are probably already playing “” at wedding celebrations. For it looks destined right now that this is Royal Challengers’ year. You probably know more signs than us, but here are a few that are staring us right in the face.If you haven’t noticed these, you either don’t follow IPL or are just trying to be a hipster by following only teams that have no connect with the geographical units they claim to represent: Rajasthan Royals or Punjab Kings or whatever their name was last week or Delhi Capitals.

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Watch live coverage of Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore on ESPN+ in English or in Hindi

DRSYou probably get nightmares of the marginal calls gone against your team or that erroneous short run that you believe ended up costing you a playoffs spot, but this year the rub of the green has been on Royal Challengers’ side. Remember the second ball Karthik faced in the Eliminator? Looked gone for a duck. Not given. Saved by an umpire’s call on the review.Who will forget Rishabh Pant, so trigger happy on most days with DRS requests, being conservative in a match that Royal Challengers desperately needed Mumbai Indians to win against Capitals?All these marginal calls are going against Royal Challengers’ rivals elsewhere. Capitals’ Rovman Powell not getting the no-ball, for example. Gujarat Titans’ Matthew Wade hitting the leather off the ball only for Ultra Edge to not show a sound signature. With some luck, we might even have a year when Royal Challengers don’t demand for an aspect of decision-making to be taken away from the umpires.Related

• The thing that makes Sanju Samson special

• Manjrekar: KL Rahul needs to bat 'quicker rather than longer'

• du Plessis on Harshal: 'Every time I feel the pressure, I go to him'

• Patidar, Rahul and their different high-wire acts

• Stats: Patidar's big-match hundred

They are dropping your match-winnersBoth Rajat Patidar and Karthik were dropped when the partnership was hardly past 10: in the end they end up with 92 in 41 balls.Also before we let Pant go, he dropped Karthik on five in the league game against Royal Challengers only for Karthik to score 66 off 34 that buried Capitals.Speaking of match-winnersShouldn’t they be Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Virat Kohli? Between them, Maxwell and Kohli have played three innings of 40 or more at a strike rate above 140. du Plessis last had such a big impact on May 8. It’s the others who have been carrying them. You would think with two matches remaining the big three are due according to the law of averages.He’s won it with Mumbai. He’s won it with SRH. He’s won it with CSK. This year, Karn Sharma is with RCB. Should we say more?•BCCIWhat are the odds?Patidar was supposed to be getting married during this IPL. It was only an injury to young Luvnith Sisodia – an event so unremarkable that the IPL release doesn’t even mention what injury – that brought Patidar in as replacement after Royal Challengers had let him go. He spent more than 20 days on the bench, and came in only when others played them out of contention. Now he won you the Eliminator with his first century in T20 cricket.Plants in rival teamsIf Patidar is an example of a lost soul finding its way back, another lost soul helped them from the outside. Tim David was part of Royal Challengers last year but they made not a single bid for him at the auction table this year. Only for David to score 34 off 11 in Mumbai’s final league match to make sure Capitals finished below Royal Challengers.The invisible heroStarting 2016, only Mumbai have been able win the IPL without Karn Sharma in their squad even though Karn has played only four matches in the playoffs. That’s four titles in four playoff matches, one with Sunrisers Hyderabad, one with Mumbai, two with Chennai Super Kings. In one of the title runs, he didn’t play a single game.If you think all of Royal Challengers’ calls at the auction table have worked only in a circuitous way, you have another thing coming. They managed themselves a steal deal this year: Karn Sharma at the base price of INR 50 lakh.The captainThe last time a team won the IPL from outside the top two, it was an overseas captain leading them. du Plessis is the only overseas captain in the playoffs this year. Okay now we are taking it too far but you get the drift.

The UAE’s excitement over hosting the IPL has been well documented, but the fuss expected on the eve of the opening match was rather muffled

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Abu Dhabi15-Apr-2014It’s hard to tell if it’s one hoarding or two. They are the same size, they sit next to each other, and they share the instantly identifiable colour scheme of the same soft drink brand. Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Robin van Persie, Jack Wilshere, Sergio Ramos and David Luiz strike menacing poses in one of them, while Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Shane Watson and Rohit Sharma smile out of the other.All the above names are, in their own way, superstars. But the difference between the two groups of faces can be summed up very simply. The cricketers probably know all there is to know about the footballers, and follow their careers closely. The footballers are unlikely to have heard of the cricketers.What does it say, though, that the two worlds have collided on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road? How big, and how visible, is the IPL in its new, temporary home?The eve of the tournament provided conflicting answers to that question. It had taken over Gulf News’ sports supplement, filling up its centre-spread and the pages either side of it. There was no mention of it, though, in the evening sports bulletin on , which instead focused on the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, and news of Red Bull Racing’s failed appeal against the disqualification of one of its drivers at the Australian Grand Prix.One plausible explanation is the difference in target audience. And understandably so in a society as massively multicultural as the UAE’s.On Tuesday evening at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, players, backroom staff and a special list of invitees waited to board coaches that would whisk them away to an undisclosed location where, rumour had it, they would be entertained by Bollywood’s most famous names at a private dinner.In India, on days such as this, reasonably large crowds of fans mill around hotels to catch a glimpse of the players. Here, only a scattering of Indian expatriates hung around, despite the fact that the papers had been full of news about this tournament-eve party. It seemed that attending the matches – most of the early games are sold out – and watching the cricket would be more than enough IPL for Abu Dhabi’s cricket fans.At one point, Virat Kohli (carrying his suit on a hanger), MS Dhoni, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir walked out of the hotel entrance and strolled down towards its lawns to catch a glimpse of the skyscrapers, backlit by the setting sun, on the opposite side of the road. They went more or less unmolested, and the handful of camera-toting enthusiasts who followed them quickly gave way when a security guard gestured with a hefty arm.A group of Russian tourists sat on the steps as the cricketers walked past, completely oblivious to who they might have been. It must have been refreshing, but also a touch unsettling, for the players. It certainly wouldn’t have happened to Messi, Aguero and van Persie.Asked what the evening promised, a former India player said Shah Rukh Khan was expected perform. Turning to a friend by his side, the cricketer added: “I hope it gets over soon.”

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has been told he "may have to leave the country" if he wants to continue his managerial career.

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• Rooney axed by Plymouth in December
• Managerial future is uncertain
• Told he may need to move abroad

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rooney's latest managerial stint ended prematurely after he was sacked by Plymouth at the end of December. The Manchester United legend lasted just seven months in the job and departed with Plymouth rooted to the bottom of the Championship table and on a run of nine matches without a win.

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  Rooney has come in for plenty of criticism for his time in charge of Plymouth and his future is currently uncertain. The 39-year-old has struggled in impress during managerial stints in England with Derby, Birmingham and now Plymouth and also left MLS side D.C. United after just 15 months at the helm. Rooney has now been told he may have to head abroad again if he wants to continue coaching by former United striker Teddy Sheringham.

• WHAT SHERINGHAM SAID

  He told Boyle Sports: "With Wayne Rooney leaving Plymouth, it does make you wonder what he does from here. I went into management in League Two and if that goes badly, where do you go from there? No one will take a chance in the division above if it didn’t go well in a lower tier. For Rooney it’s tough and it will be interesting to see how will employ him after he struggled in the Championship. But I’m sure he will persevere, he wants to be a successful manager and may have to leave the country to get a new experience and learn his trade."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ROONEY

  Fans will have to wait and see what Rooney does next and whether he's interested in another move abroad. The 39-year-old has plenty of family commitments as he shares four sons with wife Coleen, whose television career is expected to take off after her successful stint on

Duo share Surrey record eighth-wicket stand of 244 as Gloucestershire bowlers toil

ECB Reporters Network29-Apr-2022Jamie Smith’s maiden double-century and a second first-class hundred from Jordan Clark gave Surrey a stranglehold on the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Gloucestershire at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.Unbeaten on 111 overnight, Smith had moved to 234 not out, from 430 balls, with 34 fours, by the time his side were finally bowled out for 603 shortly after tea on day two.It was a phenomenal effort of concentration from the 21-year-old, who occupied the crease for nine hours and 28 minutes, sharing a stand of 244 – a record for Surrey’s eighth wicket – with Clark to stifle the life out of a willing, but uninspired home attack.Clark provided positive support, making 137 after walking out at 349 for 7, with Surrey just having failed to claim a fourth batting point. He struck 15 fours and 2 sixes in an imposing 177-ball innings.By the close, Gloucestershire had replied impressively by posting 86 without loss. Openers Chris Dent, who was 45 not out, and Marcus Harris, unbeaten on 30, produced an array of positive shots in the face of considerable scoreboard pressure.Related

• Surrey sign Colin de Grandhomme to replace injured Kemar Roach

• Ollie Pope 84, Jamie Smith hundred turns tables for Surrey at Gloucestershire

The day began promisingly for the hosts as from 294 for 4 Surrey lost three wickets for the addition of 55 runs. Sam Curran was first to go, having added seven to his overnight 57 before being caught at gully driving a ball from Ryan Higgins.The next delivery saw Colin de Grandhomme bowled by a Higgins no-ball. He was then dropped at slip off the luckless Mohammad Amir before departing for 11, leg-before to Matt Taylor.When Will Jacks was caught and bowled by David Payne off a top-edged pull shot for 13, Gloucestershire were well in the game.But by lunch, Smith and Clark had added 37 to take the total to 396 for 7, Smith having gone past his previous career-best score of 138, and the afternoon session saw both batters dominate.Smith went to 150 with a leg-side boundary off Payne and in the same over produced one of the shots of his innings, a glorious straight drive for four that exuded quality.Clark brought up his fifty with an off-driven boundary off Amir, the one Gloucestershire bowler to threaten repeatedly, albeit in vain as he finished wicketless.Smith’s double hundred was brought up with a flourishing cover drive for four off Miles Hammond, his 30th boundary. It was greeted with warm applause and cheers from the Surrey balcony.Clark took two runs through the off-side from the off-spinner to reach his hundred off 151 balls, the second fifty having occupied only 60 deliveries.By tea, which was taken at 574 for 7, the partnership had overtaken the previous highest eighth-wicket stand for Surrey in first class cricket, an unbroken 222 between Ben Foakes and Gareth Batty against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl in 2016.Still captain Rory Burns wanted more runs on the board and there were five more overs of toil for the home bowlers.Some lusty swings accounted for Clark and the tail-enders, Dan Worrall falling to Jack Taylor, who has reinvented himself as a leg-spinner having had his off-spin action deemed illegal back in 2017.Surrey’s seamers found it as tough as their Gloucestershire counterparts to make inroads on the slow pitch as Dent and Harris confidently saw out 24 overs to the close.

Manchester City star Phil Foden says the team have not lost faith in manager Pep Guardiola despite their current miserable run of form.

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• Man City currently on torrid run
• Beaten at home by United on Sunday
• Foden says players still believe in Guardiola

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  City's 2-1 derby defeat to Manchester United on Sunday poured further misery on Guardiola's struggling side and handed the defending Premier League champions a fifth defeat of the season already. Bernardo Silva admitted after the game that his team had "played like Under-15s," while Guardiola said he "was not good enough" after overseeing yet another miserable performance.

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  While Guardiola may not be happy with his performances, he still has the backing of his players. England star Foden says the players still believe in the Catalan and has revealed what the Cityzens need to do to get back on track and rediscover their best form.

• WHAT FODEN SAID

  He told reporters: "We are still nowhere near our level, but I still believe that we are playing good enough to get points and results," he said. "It’s about remaining focused throughout the full 90 minutes, but we keep switching off at important times. We just need to get the focus right. We stick together, regroup and believe in ourselves after what we’ve achieved in the past. We keep believing in the process and the manager – I’m sure if we do that we will get back to winning ways and get back to our level. It’s about keeping our mentality strong throughout the whole 90 minutes and we’re not doing that at the moment. We have to go again and show character to come back from this blip. It’s not a time for moaning – it’s about sticking together, remaining strong and going again. I’m positive we are going to come back.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY

  City now have a free week to try and regroup after a demoralising defeat to their neighbours. Guardiola's side go again on Saturday against Aston Villa in the Premier League at Villa Park.

Newcastle United are expected to make an offer for an "extraordinary" free agent, but will need to act quickly as he is also wanted by another Premier League club, according to a fresh transfer update.

Newcastle contract & transfer news

The Magpies' summer transfer business is done and dusted, in what was a relatively low-key period in the market for them, but there are still contract and transfer rumours doing the rounds. The future of Anthony Gordon was a major talking point during the summer, with a move to boyhood club Liverpool mooted a number of times, but the winger ended up staying put at St James' Park. Now, it is claimed that the 23-year-old could sign a new deal at Newcastle, acting as a major boost for Eddie Howe.

In terms of potential new signings, only free agents are now available for the Magpies, with Yusuf Yazici reportedly a target, having left Lille upon the conclusion of last season. Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are also thought to be in the mix for the 27-year-old.

There is another free agent who has emerged as an exciting option for Newcastle, too, as they battle with one of the clubs mentioned above for his signature.

Newcastle plan offer for "extraordinary" midfielder

According to a new update from Le Figaro [via Sport Witness], Newcastle could soon table an offer for Adrien Rabiot, who is currently a free agent after his departure from Juventus at the end of last season. United are in the same position, however, seeing the Frenchman as an excellent option to replace Casemiro, as the two Premier League clubs are said to "need to hurry" to get a deal done.

Rabiot could be a fantastic addition to Newcastle's midfield, considering his pedigree as a player throughout his career, during which time he has won seven league titles – six for Paris Saint-Germain and one with Juve. Not only that, but the 29-year-old has won 48 caps for a formidable France team, proving to be a key figure in the middle of the park, while David Trezeguet has lauded him in the past.

With Newcastle supporters not overly happy about a lack of stellar signings during the summer transfer window, the £29.5m-valued Rabiot could add so much class and experience to Howe's midfield all without splashing a penny, possessing quality in possession and a strong work ethic off the ball.

Last season, the France international registered eight goal contributions (five goals and three assists) in Serie A, but he also averaged 1.9 tackles per game, not to mention starting five matches for his country at Euro 2024 earlier this summer.

Newcastle sold a defender for £90k, now he has more career goals than Isak

The Magpies previously sold a defender for mere peanuts…

By
Ross Kilvington

Sep 8, 2024

Signing Rabiot should be considered a no-brainer for Newcastle, even though he would likely demand big wages, with the free element of the fee making it less of an issue.

Real Madrid have sent a letter to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) complaining about refereeing standards after their 1-0 loss to Espanyol.

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• Madrid lost in controversial Espanyol clash
• Club sent letter demanding refereeing reforms
• Called for officials to be removed

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  La Liga leaders Madrid lost 1-0 through a late goal from Carlos Romero, who was lucky to escape a red card earlier in the second half for a harsh challenge on Kylian Mbappe. Espanyol committed 14 fouls to Madrid's three and were given two yellow cards over the 90 minutes at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday.

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  Madrid have since sent an official letter of complaint to Spanish football's governing body saying that the refereeing system is being "discredited" by decisions that the club argue have gone beyond "human error". The letter also called for the audio recordings of various VAR reviews during the match.

• WHAT REAL MADRID SAID

  "The events that occurred in this match have exceeded any margin for human error or referee interpretation. What happened at the RCDE Stadium represents the culmination of a completely discredited refereeing system, in which decisions against Real Madrid have reached a level of manipulation and adulteration of the competition that can no longer be ignored. The two most serious refereeing decisions in this match have once again revealed the double standards with which Real Madrid is refereed," the letter states.

  "The brutal challenge on Kylian Mbappe, from behind, on the calf and with no possibility of contesting the ball, carried out in the 60th minute of the match by the Espanyol player who would later end up scoring the winning goal for his team, deserving of immediate expulsion as highlighted by the world press, ended with the decision of the referee, Alejandro Muniz Ruiz, to only show a yellow card without the VAR, with Javier Iglesias Villanueva as responsible, intervening to correct a manifestly erroneous decision, leaving unpunished an aggression that in any other competition would have been an exemplary sanction."

  The complaint continued: "Real Madrid cannot accept that the competition continues to be governed by a discredited refereeing system, whose main officials, far from being removed, continue to exercise decisive functions in decision-making. It is not enough to make superficial changes or to replace some directors; the only way to restore the credibility of Spanish refereeing requires a comprehensive reform that includes, as an essential element, the replacement of those referees whose connection with stages under suspicion compromises the legitimacy of the system and perpetuates its lack of transparency."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

  The Spanish giants will await a reply from the RFEF and hope that reforms are soon adopted. Despite the controversial loss, Madrid are still top of La Liga and a point clear of Atletico Madrid, who they face on Saturday just three days after they meet Leganes in the Copa del Rey.

The influential coaching program will run a total of seven weeks over an 18-month period from February 2025 to August 2026

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• MLS announced EFCL Class for 2026
• Coaching program is partnership with French Football Federation (FFF)
• Avoid repetition of the same words & topics
• Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  MLS announced the incoming 2026 class for the Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL) Friday morning. The program, which saw the likes of MLS Cup-winning managers Greg Vanney and Wilfried Nancy used to develop, is one of the world's most elite coaching pathways.

  THE EFCL program runs seven weeks over an 18-month period from February 2025 to August 2026, and includes all of course work, on-pitch projects, film room studies, immersion, classes, and more.

  The program will see the classes begin at the famed INF Clairefontaine outside of Paris, with first sessions beginning on Feb. 4. The EFCL program, which is in partnership with the French Football Federation (FFF), has directly impacted the MLS Player Pathway through the development leagues coaches and players since 2013.

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  The class of 2026, for the first time, will feature five different MLS NEXT Elite Academy coaches, alongside 19 MLS representatives.

  San Jose Earthquakes U16 head coach Erin Ridley became the first woman from MLS to complete the program in August, 2024, and this year, three more women look to follow her lead as part of the program. Cassidy Chriest (Houston Dynamo), Megan McCormick (St. Louis CITY SC), and Tiffany Roberts (Royals Arizona) will all join the program.

  The first week will see coaches observe and learn from some of Europe's top clubs, Arsenal (England), FC Barcelona (Spain), Deportivo Alavés (Spain), Le Havre AC (France), CA Osasuna (Spain), Paris FC (France), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Toulouse FC (France), and Villarreal CF (Spain).

  The entire list of candidates is listed below

  2025-26 Elite Formation Coaching License Candidates
  Club	Name	Role
  Cedar Stars Academy – Bergen (MLS NEXT)	James Barnes	Technical Director/U19 MLS NEXT Head Coach
  Houston Dynamo FC	Cassidy Chriest	U14 Head Coach
  New England Revolution	Lucas Dantas	U15 Assistant Coach/Preformation
  New York City FC	Yannick Diese	U16 Head coach
  Seattle Sounders FC	Matt Dorman	U16 Head Coach
  Bethesda Soccer Club (MLS NEXT)	Pierre Dyer	U15 Head Coach
  Columbus Crew	Shahad Farahani	U16 Head Coach
  Albion SC San Diego (MLS NEXT)	Jorge Garcia	Academy Director
  FC Dallas	Phil Gomez	North Texas SC Assistant Coach/U13 Head Coach
  CF Montréal	Sylvain Hascoet	U15 Head Coach
  Columbus Crew	Eddie Hertsenberg	U15 Head Coach
  Orlando City SC	Bitielo Jean Jacques	Formation Assistant Coach
  Colorado Rapids	Keyon Khalilian	U15 Head Coach
  St. Louis CITY SC	Megan McCormick	U16 Head Coach and Pathway Program Head Coach
  Nashville SC	Rumbani Munthali	Head of Methodology
  Inter Miami CF	Christopher Nurse	U17 Head Coach
  Sporting Kansas City	Angel Rivillo	U16 Head Coach
  Royals Arizona (ECNL Girls)	Tiffany Roberts	Royals Arizona Academy Director/Girls ECNL Director
  FC Cincinnati	Andy Seidel	U14 Head Coach
  Miami Futbol Academy Rush (MLS NEXT)	Renatto Soriano	Academy Director/U14 Head Coach
  Major League Soccer League Office	Paul Templeton	Manager, Coaching Education & Player Development
  Chicago Fire FC	William Thornton	U18 Assistant Coach
  New England Revolution	Abel Wasswa	U14 Head Coach
  Orlando City SC	Edward Wilding	Formation Phase Lead/U16 Head Coach

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Austin FC manager Nico Estevez is also a graduate from the program, as well as San Diego FC assistant coach Kelvin Jones.

• WHAT NEXT FOR MLS?

  The 2025 regular season kicks off on Feb. 22 when Inter Miami clash with New York City FC in a battle of two Eastern Conference heavyweights. Until then, teams will continue their preseason training in preparation for the campaign.

Arsenal have undergone a dramatic transformation in the last five years or so and are practically unrecognisable from the club Mikel Arteta took over in late 2019.

Alongside Sporting Director Edu Gaspar, the Spaniard has completely overhauled the squad, bringing in a swathe of talented players like Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice while getting rid of those who wouldn't help him take the team forward.

However, while there has been so much change at the Emirates since the former Captain returned, a few players have remained and become integral members of this title-challenging team; players like Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Gabriel Martinelli.

That said, while there are no question marks over the future of the Englishman and Frenchman, there are some for the Brazilian, although since the manager took over, his valuation has exploded, per Transfermarkt.

1

Martinelli's market value when Arteta took over

So, on December 20th 2019, Arteta was announced as Arsenal's new head coach, and just ten days earlier, Martinelli saw his valuation rise to €18m, which is about £15m.

It's not an enormous number, but considering he was only signed for £6m from Ituano that summer, it was already a major indication that the club had a special player on their hands.

It was an increase that was more than justified during the season as well.

Despite still being a teenager and suffering a major injury during Project Restart, Martinelli racked up a seriously impressive haul of ten goals and provided four assists in 26 first-team appearances.

2

Martinelli's market value in 2020/21

Unfortunately for the young attacker, his second season in North London was much less spectacular than his first, as he was only able to rack up a total of two goals and two assists in 22 appearances for the club.

However, this disappointing output was mostly due to the severe knee injury he sustained in June, as he didn't even make his first senior appearance until the 19th of December.

That said, as he had still enjoyed a statement season in the campaign prior, his valuation in October 2020 had increased to €25m, which is about £21m, or £6m more than his price tag when Arteta took over.

3

Gabriel Martinelli's market value in 2021/22

The June before the 21/22 campaign saw the dynamic winger's valuation decrease to €22m, about £19m, due to his lack of game time the previous season.

However, this wasn't really an issue as, after a pretty miserable year, the Guarulhos-born gem was able to play some regular football again.

He wasn't just making up the numbers either, as, across 36 matches, the 5 foot 10 ace scored six goals and provided seven assists, meaning that he maintained an average of a goal involvement once every 2.76 games.

Moreover, while he didn't play in every game, he remained fit for the entire campaign, giving the manager another option in attack and boosting his reputation in the process.

4

Gabriel Martinelli's market value in 2022/23

Thanks to his impressive displays in 21/22, Martinelli's valuation was once again soaring ahead of the following season. In June 2022, it reached a new peak of €40m or £34m, and over the next ten months, he would more than justify the new price tag.

Arsenal went into the campaign with the goal of finishing in the top four, but fairly early on, it became apparent that they were suddenly in a title race with Manchester City, and a large part of the reason why was the attacking talent in the team, including the then-21-year-old Brazilian.

For example, in his 46 appearances across all competitions, the "unplayable" dynamo, as described by pundit Owen Hargreaves, scored 15 goals and provided six assists, meaning that just a couple of years after suffering a serious knee injury, he was averaging a goal involvement every 1.85 games.

Unfortunately, the Gunners would collapse near the season's end, but Martinelli had now laid down a marker and showed the league just how good he could be.

5

Gabriel Martinelli's market value in 2023/24

So, after such an incredible campaign, the former Ituano gem's reputation was at an all-time high and in June 2023, his valuation would match that fact, with Transfermarkt valuing him at a whopping €80m, which is about £67m.

However, as so many have before him, the 13-capped international struggled to follow up on his barnstorming year, and over the next ten months, he's become a player who increasingly frustrates a fanbase now expecting their team to push for the title.

In his 44 appearances across all competitions, he could only muster up a fairly uninspiring tally of eight goals and five assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement once every 3.38 games.

Now, this wasn't a dreadful return, and some of the discussion around the 23-year-old since has been hyperbolic, but compared to how well he played just the season prior, it was undeniably disappointing.

6

Martinelli's market value in 2024/25

So, we come to this season, and considering the slight step back he took last year, the Gunners' number 11 has unsurprisingly seen his valuation decrease.

Transfermarkt priced him at €70m in May of this year, which is about £59m or 293% higher than it was when Arteta joined the club.

It's set to be a massive campaign for Martinelli this year, as with all the talk of Nico Williams and other talented wingers over the summer, his place in the starting lineup isn't guaranteed anymore.

Worryingly, in his three appearances thus far, he hasn't looked particularly impressive, and when he was substituted off at Villa Park, his replacement, Leandro Trossard, came on and scored with his first touch.

However, Martinelli is still an immensely talented winger, and even though he's been in and around the first team for five years now, he's still relatively young at 23.

Therefore, while his stock might be quite low at the moment, he has all the raw qualities to turn things around and get back to his very best.

How many games Odegaard could now miss for Arsenal after ankle injury news

The Norwegian may be absent for a long while.

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 11, 2024