Manchester United urged to snub Adam Wharton & Elliot Anderson in favour of signing USMNT star Tyler Adams to end their transfer search for a new midfielder. Ruben Amorim is desperate to make a quality signing in his engine room, and the club is expected to back him in the winter market to get on board a midfielder.

United's shortlist miss Adams

The Red Devils are expected to back Amorim in the winter market as he looks to stamp his authority on a squad still searching for coherence. United have not been shy in the transfer market over the past decade, investing more than £800 million ($1070m) between 2020 and 2025 and adding a further £219m ($293m) this summer alone. Yet for all that spending, the search for a reliable midfield anchor continues. Casemiro was brought in from midfield, but his future hangs in the balance with his contract set to expire in the summer. 

Brighton’s Carlos Baleba remains a long-term priority, but the south coast club have shut the door on any January negotiations. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is admired Adam Wharton, meanwhile, has impressed at Crystal Palace and harbours ambitions of Champions League football, yet he recently committed his future with a new contract and has not pressed for a move. Each target brings quality, but also complications. Against that backdrop, has suggested United could find a more immediate and tactically suitable solution in Tyler Adams. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMaking a case for Tyler Adams

Adams’ numbers this season are striking. Among Premier League midfielders, only Moisés Caicedo has made more interceptions, while the American has also racked up 35 tackles. At Bournemouth, his presence has freed Alex Scott to play higher up the pitch, knowing there is security behind him. 

Adams has increasingly been described as a natural fit for the so-called Makelele role, the deep-lying shield perfected by Claude Makelele and later embodied by players such as Casemiro and Rodri. Rodri’s Ballon d’Or triumph in 2024 was widely seen as overdue recognition of that role’s importance. Similarly, when Luka Modric broke the Messi-Ronaldo duopoly in 2018, he did so with Casemiro working to protect the defence behind him. And Adams understands that responsibility.

"My role in football is not the prettiest role," Adams explained. "I’m not the one going out every weekend like Antoine Semenyo scoring goals and dribbling past players. I want to win and know how to win and know that my role in any team can be invaluable if played right. I’m selfless and want to do the work that other guys want me to do to make them look good."

From Leeds setback to Bournemouth revival

After arriving at Bournemouth from Leeds in 2023, injury curtailed his first season, limiting him to just one start. Adams had come close to joining Chelsea before that move, with the London club hunting for a No.6 before eventually landing Moises Caicedo. Last season marked a turning point. Under Andoni Iraola, Adams became a regular fixture, and that upward trajectory has continued into the current campaign as Bournemouth’s win percentage improves noticeably when the American is in the side. And the midfielder credited Iraola for that resurgence.

"I can’t repay Bournemouth enough for the trust they had in me," he said. "They were signing a player that was injured and didn’t expect when I would be back. I played two or three games in my first season so to get a run of games, I’m just eager to grow and show what I’m capable of doing.

"The manager. The way that he plays, the way he sets up his team every week and the belief he instils in each of us and their role and job in the team. The players really believe it. All the little details we are really focused on. We had a very strong pre-season, it was good having the group healthy going into the pre-season compared to last season where we had injuries and couldn’t find the cohesiveness for a few games. Now you can see the chemistry between the players."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

On Monday night, Adams will walk out at Old Trafford as Bournemouth visit United in the Premier League. It is an opportunity for the United hierarchy to assess, at close quarters, what the USMNT captain brings to the table. With Baleba unavailable, Wharton settled, and Anderson hesitant, the case for Adams is gaining momentum. He may not arrive with the hype of a marquee signing, but could do the job for Amorim. 

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar played in the franchise's first series of the season in late March, going 3-for-15 in a four-game sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres.

It was a rough start to the season for the newly acquired outfielder, which was made worse shortly thereafter when he landed an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

Profar returned to the lineup on Wednesday night after completing his three-month long suspension, and made sure to make his debut in front of the home crowd at Truist Field count.

With Atlanta leading the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Profar turned on an 89-mile-per-hour Hunter Strickland changeup and launched a towering solo blast deep into the night.

The no-doubt home run cemented a successful home debut for Profar. The Braves won 8-3, and Profar went 2-for-4 in his return from suspension.

It's been a disappointing season thus far for the Braves, who sit at 39-46 on the year, but the franchise hopes that Profar's return can continue to spark an up-and-down offensive attack in the second half of the season.

The Cincinnati Reds announced Monday that the team had designated veteran infielder Jeimer Candelario for assignment after reinstating him from the injured list.

Candelario had been on the 10-day IL since late April while dealing with a lumbar spine strain. In his absence, the Reds have used a variation of different players at third base, including the likes of Gavin Lux, Santiago Espinal and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

Prior to the back injury, Candelario had been struggling through his first 22 games of the season. He had a .113 batting average with two home runs, 10 RBIs and an abysmal 11 OPS+.

Candelairo signed with the Reds after a strong 2023 season in which he hit a career-high 23 home runs while spending time with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs. He joined the team on a three-year, $45 million deal but hasn't lived up to expectations in Cincinnati. He posted a .707 OPS in his first year with the team, with 20 home runs and 56 RBIs in 112 games and had a -0.7 bWAR.

With Candelario out of the picture, third base will remain a platoon for the time being, but could potentially be open for Noelvi Marte to take over at the position when he returns from his oblique injury.

Ahead of a crucial week for Celtic, the last thing the Hoops needed was some disruption.

There was an argument to be made that Martin O’Neill should have remained in charge for the game against Hearts and the League Cup final next week.

The other argument, however, suggested that new manager, Wilfried Nancy, needed to get his feet under the table as soon as possible in a bid to assess the squad ahead of the January transfer window.

Well, his tenure got off to the worst possible start, losing to Hearts 2-1 and surrendering ground on the league leaders.

What made things worse was Nancy’s behaviour on the touchline. We aren’t ones to judge too hard, but the fact that he was clipped moving little magnets around on a whiteboard in the dugout with his team losing sent alarm bells ringing.

Nancy discusses his Celtic tactics

Celtic have traditionally played in a classic 4-3-3 in recent years but the Frenchman tweaked things against the Jambos, starting with Kieran Tierney in a back three, with Sebastian Tounekti and Yang Hyun-jun playing at wing-backs and a four-man box midfield.

Evidently, it did not work and rightfully, Nancy was quizzed about his tactics post-game.

The new Celtic boss said: “To be honest, in the first half we changed the system. I would say in the second half it was the same system. After that, when we wanted to push, it was not the system that we started with.

“So for me this is more about how we can deal when teams are really low. The centre-backs for example, when they had the ball, recognise the moment to play a little bit quicker, recognised the moment to play in between. The intention was here. These are now the nuances that we need to improve.”

Nancy continued: “This is more about how we can connect a little bit more. When we connected, we had opportunities to break them. But second half, we didn’t connect. When we conceded the second goal, we started to put in cross and cross and cross. We needed to combine a little bit more, to attack the box with numbers because they are really good defensively with big tall guys.”

McInnes reveals how Hearts beat Celtic

What should be really concerning for the Bhoys is just how easily Hearts were able to pinpoint the way in which Celtic would play under Nancy.

Usually when a new manager arrives, things are a tad unpredictable for the opposition but that was not the case for Derek McInnes and his side on Sunday.

Speaking at the conclusion of the match, he said: “We have studied the last two or three days, watching a lot of Columbus Crew and what they want to do and expect from their players.

McInnes continued: “We felt well prepared for that and it meant we needed to fill the middle of the pitch with bodies. Celtic have got a lot of good players in that central area, so we needed to make sure we were nice and solid through that part of it.

“We tried to play in the spaces between the outside centre-back and the winger because it’s quite a big distance at times,” the Hearts boss said.

This was a crucial game for Nancy, not just because it was his first in charge, but because the Edinburgh side moved three points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Worse than Maeda: Nancy must drop Celtic flop who lost the ball 23 times

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy must drop this flop who was even worse than Daizen Maeda against Hearts.

ByDan Emery Dec 8, 2025

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is expected to have retained the backing of FSG after a woeful start to the 2025/26 campaign, but the credit chequed into the bank is fast depleting as the champions flatter to deceive on the problem-solving front.

Soft, slow and stodgy, this is not the Liverpool we know. Slot’s Liverpool, last year, were a dangerous beast, so incisive and unforgiving as they secured toward the Premier League title.

But, nine losses from 14 matches in all competitions and just two wins from nine in the top flight have eradicated any hopes of challenging Arsenal for the trophy this season.

And it’s put Slot’s job on the line.

Why Liverpool could sack Arne Slot

Liverpool managed to avoid defeat at home against Sunderland on Wednesday evening, but the 1-1 draw, secured when Florian Wirtz’s fleet footwork forced an own goal from Nordi Mukiele late on, smacked of desperation.

You would be hard pressed to delineate Liverpool’s tactical identity under Slot’s wing this season. Their shape in the build-up. Their pressing patterns and attacking strategies.

It is damning that so much has been spent on strikers like Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, and that number nine is a barren patch at Anfield, with the supply line proving ineffective.

Wirtz needs to do better, but there’s no question that he’s a world-class talent with so much potential yet untapped.

However, this breadth of quality at Slot’s disposal means he simply has to work out a formula for results and impressive performances, with both in short supply.

If the Dutch tactician fails to get a tune out of this squad of elite, big-money players, he will eventually be dismissed by FSG, who might already have their sights set on a replacement.

The perfect Slot replacement at Liverpool

Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes know they and Liverpool’s wider project will lose face if they have to dismiss Slot, but if push comes to shove, they might just do so if it means they can appoint Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso.

Alonso, 44, acheived unprecedented success with Bayer Leverkusen, winning the Bundesliga as undefeated champions in 2023/24, claiming the DFB-Pokal title too.

This road led to the Santiago Bernabeu, the Spaniard joining the club he played so much football for during his playing career this summer.

However, Alonso also has quite the connection with Anfield, and given the troubles that are plaguing Los Blancos at the moment, FSG may well be primed to pounce if an opportunity to appoint this exciting Slot replacement materialises.

Liverpool did explore a move for Alonso after Jurgen Klopp announced he would be stepping down at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, but he was in the thick of his Leverkusen tenure and did not feel the time for a step-up was right.

His 3-4-2-1 formation is unconventional, but Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has shown that such a set-up can work out in the Premier League, when in the right hands.

Real Madrid

26

2.35

Bayer Leverkusen

140

2.14

Real Sociedad B

98

1.46

Given that Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong worked under him in Germany, hitting such staggering heights, it could also prove the perfect appointment to get the best out of Liverpool’s immensely talented playmaker.

Wirtz, 22, has not hit the ground running at Liverpool, but the system has hardly opened its arms for such a player. In fact, most of Liverpool’s top players have foundered this season.

Even so, the German international ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League this season for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

Alonso will surely get a tune out of a player he described as “a genius” during their time with Die Werkself.

Wirtz once said that “working with Alonso is a dream”. He lived that dream, and he may do so again before long, with the Spanish manager sure to be at the top of FSG’s wishlist, if Slot is indeed sacked in the coming months.

Liverpool ace who's fallen off a cliff looks like "Fabinho in his final year"

Liverpool’s draw against Sunderland illustrated a litany of problems Slot is still dealing with.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 4, 2025

Leeds United moved out of the relegation zone in the Premier League this week with an impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday night, in a game that was underpinned by Daniel Farke’s structural changes.

The German head coach, who has typically deployed a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation during his time at the club, opted to start with a 3-5-2 system against Enzo Maresca’s team.

It worked wonders for the Whites as they went on to claim all three points, thanks to goals from Jaka Bijol, Ao Tanaka, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Why Leeds United's formation change worked so well

Changing from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 worked so well for the Whites because it allowed Jayden Bogle, who assisted the second goal, and Gabriel Gudmundsson to push higher up the pitch with three centre-backs providing enough cover defensively.

It also meant that the Whites could play with two strikers, instead of leaving one isolated on their own, and that led to Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha causing plenty of problems.

The two centre-forwards combined to win 13 duels against the Chelsea defenders and won four fouls, without committing any, per Sofascore, which shows that they were a nightmare to deal with throughout the game.

Nmecha, in particular, has benefitted from having Calvert-Lewin’s physicality alongside him. The German forward, who has scored four Premier League goals, has lost 69% of his ground duels this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he struggles with the physical side of leading the line on his own.

Having another, more physical, striker alongside him means that he can focus on making runs in behind and pressing opposition defenders, which is what makes it such an effective pairing, or at least what made it so effective against Chelsea.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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Whilst Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin got the job done on Wednesday, Harry Gray could be perfect for the new role that Nmecha is now playing for Leeds.

Why Harry Gray should be unleashed in Lukas Nmecha's new role

Bringing young players into the first-team is difficult in any circumstance, but even more so in the Premier League with all that is at stake in a relegation battle.

Academy talents are not used to the physicality of professional football and may need time to adapt, particularly strikers, which is why this new role that Nmecha has could be perfect for Gray.

Farke must finally unleash the 17-year-old centre-forward for his Premier League debut in the coming weeks because playing alongside an experienced striker like Calvert-Lewin could be an ideal introduction to regular football at senior level.

Gray, who was described as the club’s “newest Wonderkid” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and his contributor Joe Blackburn, has scored a whopping ten goals in 11 games in all competitions for the academy this season, per Transfermarkt.

25/26 EFL Trophy

Harry Gray

Appearances

3

Goals

2

Conversion rate

50%

Assists

1

Dribbles completed per game

2.0

Ground duel success rate

52%

Aerial duel success rate

38%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the teenage forward has scored two goals in three EFL Trophy games, playing against League One and League Two sides, but has struggled with the aerial duels in those games.

This suggests that he would not be well-suited to playing as a lone striker in the Premier League for Leeds, as he would need to duel with towering top-flight centre-backs and hold the ball up under intense pressure, which is also where Nmecha struggled earlier this season.

Therefore, playing alongside Calvert-Lewin, who won six of his nine aerial duels against Chelsea (Sofascore), could be the perfect way for him to be introduced into the first-team this season.

Gray’s return of 14 goals in 20 U21s games and eight goals in 11 U18s matches for Leeds, per Transfermarkt, shows that he has the technical and goalscoring qualities to potentially make an impact for the Whites, but it is the physicality that is questionable.

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This change in formation from Farke, though, may alleviate those concerns because of how the two-striker system works, and that is why the manager should unleash the teen sensation in Nmecha’s role in the coming weeks.

Minority owners Red Bull have reportedly told Leeds United to replace Daniel Farke with a manager who has worked with Thomas Tuchel at Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Leeds set fresh Farke sack timeline

The pressure is on Farke, who’s looking to avoid his very own Groundhog Day in the Premier League. The German is yet to achieve survival in the Premier League, despite previous attempts with Norwich City, and will be desperate to silence any doubters at Elland Road this season.

It looked for a moment as though the Leeds boss was about to do exactly that against Manchester City last time out, to his credit, only for Pep Guardiola’s side to turn on the style and secure a late 3-2 victory. A point at the Etihad would have been invaluable for those in Yorkshire, but they now play host to Chelsea this Wednesday with Farke under increasing pressure.

According to The Guardian, defeat against both Chelsea and Liverpool could spell the end for Farke at Elland Road. On paper, that may seem harsh. After all, Leeds are facing the world champions who just earned a point against Arsenal with 10 men and the Premier League champions, albeit during a tumultuous period for the Reds.

That is the harsh reality of the Premier League, though, and Leeds are seemingly willing to act as early as possible in an attempt to avoid the drop. As such, names like Ange Postecoglou have already been mentioned as potential candidates recently, but Red Bull have reportedly recommended Zsolt Low instead.

Red Bull tell Leeds to hire Zsolt Low

As reported by TeamTalk, Red Bull have told Leeds to hire Low to replace Farke if they decide to part ways with the German. The minority owners don’t have a say on sporting matters but are there for the 49ers to lean on, should they please.

Leeds eyeing move for 4-3-3 Farke successor who has admirers at Elland Road

The Whites are struggling for form in the Premier League and could now change tact in the dugout.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 28, 2025

It seems that, if they choose to do exactly that, then Low could be an option. The 46-year-old won’t be a name that many are familiar with at Elland Road, but he is someone that PSG, Bayern Munich and Chelsea know well.

Low was Tuchel’s assistant at all three clubs and is known by Red Bull thanks to his time as the interim boss at RB Leipzig at the end of last season and his time as Adi Hutter’s assistant at Red Bull Salzburg.

Zsolt Low at Leipzig	Record
Games	8
Wins	2
Draws	3
Defeats	3
Goals scored	13
Goals conceded	17

Out of the options available, Low would arguably be the greatest gamble. He’s had just eight games as a manager and won just two of those games at Leipzig last season – using a 4-4-2 system.

His work as an assistant is admirable, but Leeds must replace Farke with a far more experienced candidate.

Leeds lining up January spending spree for "phenomenal" Farke replacement

عبر محمود عبد الرازق شيكابالا لاعب الزمالك الأسبق، عن غضبه بعد خروج منتخب مصر من منافسات بطولة كأس العرب والهزيمة بثلاثية نظيفة أمام الأردن في ختام مرحلة المجموعات.

وقال شيكابالا في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة ام بي سي مصر2: “مبروك لمنتخب الأردن، فقد استحقّوا الفوز، وأودّ أن طرح سؤالاً على المسؤولين عن كرة القدم في مصر، ماذا استفدنا من هذه البطولة؟، وجميع المنتخبات استفادت من كأس العرب”.

طالع.. فيديو | بهزيمة وتعادلين.. منتخب مصر يودع كأس العرب بالخسارة بثلاثية أمام الأردن

وواصل: “نحن نسير بلا هدف، وخضنا ثلاث نسخ من كأس العالم للناشئين، وجميعها انتهت بالخروج من الدور الأول”.

وأردف: “كنا كـ جمهور أكثر حماسًا من اللاعبين والمسؤولين أنفسهم، والناس تقابلنا لتسأل أهذا هو منتخب مصر؟ لقد ظهرنا بشكل سيء للغاية”.

وأكمل: “لو كنا قد أجّلنا مباراتي بيراميدز في الدوري، ماذا كان سيحدث؟، فقد اعتدنا التأجيل لأسبوع وأسبوعين وشهر كامل”.

وأتم: “ذهبتُ إلى المغرب وشعرت بالحزن لما وصل إليه الحال، فماذا سنفعل؟ هل سنظل على هذا الوضع؟ الناس تكاد تموت من شدة ما شاهدوه”.

Martin O’Neill signed off his second spell with Celtic in style with a 1-0 win over Dundee at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night.

The experienced interim won seven of his eight matches in charge of the club after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October, and Wilfried Nancy will take on the role from Thursday.

Daizen Maeda scored the only goal of the game for O’Neill’s side as he bravely competed to head into the back of the net after Hyun-jun Yang’s effort was saved, which led to him wearing a bandage for the remainder of the night.

Ranking Celtic's best performers against Dundee

The Japan international was, of course, one of the top performers on the night for the Hoops because it was his goal that ultimately sealed all three points to send Celtic level on points with Hearts at the top of the table.

He was not the top performer on the night for the Scottish giants, though, as a couple of other players were ahead of him in that respect, because the striker also missed a ‘big chance’ and lost five of his six duels, per Sofascore.

Reo Hatate was one of those two players. The Japanese whiz created two ‘big chances’, including Yang’s initial shot before the goal, and won four of his seven duels, per Sofascore, in what was a masterful showing in the middle of the park.

1

Colby Donovan

2

Reo Hatate

3

Daizen Maeda

4

Hyun-jun Yang

5

Kasper Schmeichel

As you can see in the table above, Yang and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who pulled off three saves and three run-outs to keep his clean sheet intact, were also among the top performers on the pitch.

However, we have ranked Colby Donovan as the best performer on the night for the Scottish giants, as he provided a reminder of his quality after a shaky game against Hibernian.

Why Colby Donovan is undroppable for Wilfried Nancy

On Sunday, the Scottish full-back lost two of his three ground duels, per Sofascore, and was subbed off at half-time after being booked for a late challenge on Jordan Obita.

After that disappointing showing at the weekend, Donovan may have known that he needed to respond with a big performance against Dundee to ensure that the new manager does not drop him for the game against Hearts on Sunday.

Now, the Scotland U21 international is surely the first completely undroppable player for Nancy at Parkhead, because he was the best performer in the last game before his first match in charge.

Donovan won three of his four ground duels and three of his three aerial duels, winning 87% of his total battles, per Sofascore, whilst Maeda, for example, lost five of his six duels and struggled on that side of the game after scoring his goal.

Sofascore rating

8.3

1st

Duels won

6

1st

Aerial duels won

3

1st

Aerial duel success rate

100%

1st

Tackles won

2

1st

Touches

91

4th

Successful crosses

3

1st

Key passes

2

2nd

As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate also added creativity in possession to go along with his outstanding defensive work, as only Reo Hatate (five) made more key passes on the night, whilst no one completed more crosses.

Donovan showed Nancy, who was unveiled before the game kicked off, that he is capable of delivering a quality performance at both ends of the pitch from the right-back position, which is why he should already be undroppable.

With Alistair Johnston still sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Scottish youngster should be the first name on the teamsheet ahead of the clash with Hearts on Sunday.

That is also influenced by Anthony Ralston’s disappointing form. Pundit Chris Sutton described his play as “really shaky” when he came off the bench against Hibernian, whilst he was also caught out twice by Mikel Gogorza in the Europa League clash with Midtjylland.

Given Ralston’s lack of form and Donovan’s impressive showing on Wednesday night, the 19-year-old defender will surely already be undroppable for Nancy in the short term.

West Indies and Afghanistan will face each other over three T20Is in Sharjah next year as both teams build up towards the World Cup. The bilateral series is scheduled to begin on January 19 just days before the ICC event kicks off in India and Sri Lanka in February.CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, said: “This series provides an ideal platform for our preparation. Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, and it also gives our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka.”West Indies co-hosted the last T20 World Cup, where they went through to the Super Eight stage but couldn’t make the knockouts. Afghanistan did make it to the semi-finals of that event, which was a first for them. The two teams have played eight T20Is against each other with West Indies leading the head-to-head 5-3.All three T20Is of this bilateral series will take place in Sharjah on January 19, 21 and 22.Naseeb Khan, CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, said: “Competing against the West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalize their lineup and enhance their preparations for the upcoming mega event in India and Sri Lanka.”West Indies are currently playing a five-match T20I series in New Zealand, which they trail 2-1. Afghanistan’s last T20I assignment was against Zimbabwe in October, which they won 3-0.