As Manchester United consider sacking manager Erik ten Hag, top names such as Thomas Tuchel and Massimiliano Allegri are on their shortlist. In the transfer market, United also have their sights set on Benfica's Kerem Akturkoglu and Barcelona's Alejandro Garnacho, with a possible price tag of £34m and £50m, respectively. As speculation grows, billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be in attendance for United's match against Aston Villa, adding to the drama surrounding the team. Want more transfer news? Read on for Friday's full gossip column.
Manchester United, one of the world's most iconic football clubs, has been in the spotlight lately amid rumors of a potential managerial change and high-profile transfer targets.
Erik ten Hag, who took over as United's manager in May 2022, has faced mounting pressure due to the team's disappointing results. Manchester United are currently 11th in the Premier League table and have been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions.
Sources close to the club suggest that United's board is considering sacking ten Hag if the team does not improve its form. Should ten Hag be dismissed, former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel and Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri are reportedly among the top candidates to replace him.
In addition to the managerial turmoil, Manchester United has been linked with several high-profile transfer targets. The club is said to be interested in signing Benfica's Kerem Akturkoglu, a highly-rated attacking midfielder, and Barcelona's Alejandro Garnacho, a promising winger who has been capped by Argentina. The potential price tags for these players are rumored to be £34m and £50m, respectively.
Adding to the drama surrounding Manchester United, billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to attend the team's upcoming match against Aston Villa. Ratcliffe has previously expressed an interest in buying the club, potentially signaling a shift in ownership.
1. Why is Erik ten Hag facing pressure? Due to Manchester United's poor results and elimination from domestic cup competitions.
2. Who are the potential candidates to replace Erik ten Hag? Thomas Tuchel and Massimiliano Allegri.
3. Which players is Manchester United interested in signing? Kerem Akturkoglu and Alejandro Garnacho.
4. What is the potential price tag for these players? £34m for Akturkoglu and £50m for Garnacho.
5. Why is Sir Jim Ratcliffe expected to attend Manchester United's match against Aston Villa? Potentially to signal interest in buying the club.
In a high stakes match between two top contenders, Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated Jamshedpur FC with an impressive 3-0 scoreline. With this win, Mohun Bagan SG has climbed to the top of the Indian Super League standings, overtaking Bengaluru FC on goal difference. The match, held at the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, saw a dominant performance by Mohun Bagan SG, led by star player Alberto Rodriguez Martin.
Barcelona faces a tough game against Celta Vigo as they struggle to find their rhythm and control of the match. Despite their high line tactic and the return of player Gavi, the team fails to keep up with a relentless Celta Vigo attack. Star player Iago Aspas misses a crucial opportunity, leaving the match scoreless.
After a four-game losing streak, Manchester City are hoping to turn things around as they face Tottenham. Arsenal's win over Nottingham Forest helps them stay in the race for their first Premier League title in over 20 years, thanks to a strong performance from Martin Odegaard, who returned from injury. Meanwhile, Chelsea remain ahead of Arsenal on goal difference after a win against Leicester in Enzo Maresca's first game as manager.
Chelsea emerged victorious against Leicester with a 2-1 win, thanks to goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez in the first and second half respectively. Mads Hermansen's save and a disallowed goal added to the intensity of the game, but the visitors held on to secure all three points. This win puts Chelsea just one point behind 2nd placed Manchester City in the Premier League standings.
Arsenal and Brighton both clinched 1-0 victories in their respective matches against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, thanks to goals from Pedro and Saka. In other matches, Aston Villa and Wolves each scored equalizers against Crystal Palace and Fulham, while Manchester City took on Tottenham in a late match. Chelsea kicked off the day with a win against Leicester, and football fans can share their thoughts through #bbcfootball on WhatsApp or text.
Football pundits Joe Cole and Peter Crouch express their frustration with VAR after key decisions in the match between Leicester City and Chelsea at the King Power Stadium. Chelsea are currently leading 1-0 at half-time, thanks to a goal from Nicolas Jackson. The TNT Sports commentators believe Leicester should have been reduced to ten men after a dangerous tackle from Wilfred Ndidi, but VAR chose not to intervene. Cole and Crouch argue that the tackle could have seriously injured Chelsea's Cole Palmer.
Chelsea dominated Leicester City in their Premier League clash, with Nicolas Jackson scoring the only goal of the match in the 15th minute. The grudge match saw Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca returning to his old club for the first time since leaving in the summer. Despite having a goal disallowed for offside, the Blues were in complete control with around 70% possession. Young talent Noni Madueke also impressed, but had his goal ruled out for an offside call that was later revealed to be incorrect after the Spaniard was the one who cut the ball back for Madueke.
Chelsea secured a 2-1 win against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, thanks to goals from Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez. The victory was extra special for Chelsea's manager, Enzo Maresca, who returned to his former club and led his team to victory. Fernandez was the standout performer for Chelsea, scoring a goal and providing an assist in an impressive display.
In a dominant display of batting, rising Indian star Yashasvi Jaiswal has set a new world record for most sixes hit by a batter in a single calendar year in Test cricket. His valiant knock of 90 runs from 193 balls in the first innings of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth saw him hit seven fours and two crucial sixes, surpassing the previous record held by former New Zealand great Brendon McCullum. With this feat, Jaiswal has already broken the all-time India record set by Virender Sehwag earlier this year, proving his potential as a budding opening batsman.
Tilak Varma, the third-best T20I batter in the world, smashed 151 runs off 67 balls in Hyderabad's win over Meghalaya, setting a new record for the highest individual score in SMAT history. This was also Tilak's third consecutive T20 hundred, making him the first batter to achieve this feat. Hyderabad's total of 248 for six was its highest score in the tournament, while Meghalaya managed to score a mere 69 runs in response.