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Despite picking up an injury a few weeks ago, new Manchester United number ten Matheus Cunha has made a positive start to life at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old has only played seven games for the club so far, missing the Manchester derby defeat away at the Etihad with the hamstring issue he had earlier in the season.

He’s yet to score or assist, but his impact in the final third has been felt. He’s created seven chances so far, and averaged 1.4 per 90 minutes. He certainly shone on debut against Arsenal.

The Brazil international has performed well for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the international break this month.

Cunha’s form for Brazil

With the form he showed for Wolverhampton Wanderers throughout his time at Molineux, it was always going to be a matter of time before Cunha became a regular in the national team.

After making his debut back in 2021, he broke into the side as a key player earlier in 2025.

The 26-year-old is currently away with Brazil on international duty. In their recent game against continued his excellent form for Selecao, where he managed to score and assist in four games this calendar year.

Well, he added to that tally, which is now three goal involvements in five games, after he assisted Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior against South Korea in a 5-0 win.

Playing as a centre-forward for Ancelotti’s team, he managed 44 touches, created three chances and won four from seven ground duels.

Cunha vs. South Korea

Stat

Number

Touches

44

Pass accuracy

83%

Passes in oppostion half

16/21

Ground duels won

4/7

Ball recoveries

3

Chances created

3

Assists

1

Stats from Sofascore

The 26-year-old has a good relationship with Los Blancos star Vinicius. The pair have played together 11 times for the national team, combining for two goals in that time.

Both of those came in the last two games they played alongside each other in that famous Yellow shirt.

With Cunha’s form threatening to explode for United, too, it will be encouraging for Ruben Amorim that he has a howgrown version of the Brazilian brewing.

United’s homegrown Cunha

United have some incredibly exciting academy players. They’ve produced some sensational talents over the years, and currently on the books, some rising stars can eventually fit that mould.

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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It is no secret just how talented 15-year-old forward JJ Gabriel is, with the Red Devils academy diamond tipped for a huge career ahead of him.

Yet, he is not the academy star who could be the homegrown Cunha. Instead, that is Samuel Lusale, an 18-year-old winger who moved to Old Trafford last summer from Crystal Palace. He’s already impressed for the academy sides.

In 22 games for the Red Devils under-18s side for far, Lusale has scored once and assisted seven times. This season in particular, the Slovakia under-19 international has been on fire, with four assists and one goal in five U18 Premier League games.

His run of form has been largely unstoppable. The 18-year-old, who was born in Guilford, has only failed to score or assist once, coming against Burnley. He gave Wolves a nightmare, grabbing two goal involvements in a 4-0 win.

Already, you can see how the 18-year-old is similar to Cunha, with the threat he offers in the final third. Described as a “dynamic” attacker by Academy Scoop over on X, he is a threatening ball-carrier, just like Cunha has shown for United this season.

The other similarity comes in the versatility Lusale offers. According to Transfermarkt, he is a winger by trade and has featured on both flanks for the Red Devils. He can also operate as a number ten, which really draws comparisons to Cunha.

The Brazilian is surely going to be an instant hit for United, and has shown glimpses of his best form before getting derailed by injury.

To be brewing a homemade version of Cunha in Lusale is exciting for United fans, especially if he can turn out to be as deadly as their number 10.

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Anthony Gordon is convinced Newcastle United can be “anything we want to be” this season after playing a key role in igniting their Champions League campaign.

The 24-year-old England international started the Magpies’ impressive 4-0 victory over Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise in Brussels on Wednesday evening as Eddie Howe’s new-look side finally rediscovered its swagger.

Goals had been in short supply for much of the season previously, dulling the effect of good performances, in particular the 3-2 home defeat by champions Liverpool with 10 men following Gordon’s dismissal.

Asked what the season could hold for his team, Gordon replied: “We can be anything we want to be this season. We can beat anyone in any game.

“I never go into a game thinking we’re going to lose. As long as we can keep that defensive structure, that creativity, we can beat anyone.

“You saw that in the Liverpool game. For the first 30 minutes before I got sent off, we dominated them and they’re the champions of England.”

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Newcastle had won just two of eight games in all competitions before they ran out at Lotto Park, and they did so knowing a failure to add to that tally after a 2-1 home defeat by Barcelona in their opening European fixture would significantly dent their qualification hopes.

However, they need not have worried as they turned in perhaps their most coherent display to date to brush aside a team that had won 3-1 at PSV Eindhoven last month.

Gordon reacts to comments on Newcastle striker Woltemade

Nick Woltemade’s cheeky 17th-minute flick, which went in off defender Kevin Mac Allister, set the ball rolling, and two penalties calmly dispatched by Gordon and a fourth goal from substitute Harvey Barnes completed the job in style.

Record signing Woltemade had found himself in Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s firing line ahead of kick-off with the Bayern Munich executive claiming Stuttgart had found “an idiot” to pay £69million for a player the German club had also been chasing.

£150,000-a-week Gordon’s assessment of Rummenigge’s comments on a man who scored for the third time in four starts, however, was withering.

Woltemade might have added to his tally had he managed to get his hands on either of the two penalties, but having seen former team-mate Alexander Isak boost his goals tally from the spot during his time on Tyneside, Gordon was in no mood to let that happen.

He said: “I don’t mind him wanting to take it. A striker should want to take it. But I’ve won too many and not taken them at this club. Now Alex is gone, they’re definitely mine.”

Leeds United’s squad of 2019/20 will go down in history, with the Whites sealing a return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence under Marcelo Bielsa in what was the club’s 100th anniversary.

Patrick Bamford played a key role in that side, but after seven years at Elland Road, has now left the club. The striker was not in Daniel Farke’s Premier League plans after Bamford became a two-time Championship winner with Leeds and mutually had his contract terminated.

Back in 2020, Bielsa had 18 players in his Leeds squad who made 10 or more Championship appearances as the Whites eventually won the league by 10 points ahead of West Brom.

Wins

28

Draws

9

Losses

9

Points

93

Goal difference

+42

Biggest win

Leeds 5-0 Stoke City

Now, following Bamford’s Leeds exit, we’ve had a look at where the rest of the 2019/20 squad are in 2025.

18 Kiko Casilla 36 appearances

Goalkeeper Kiko Casilla officially left Leeds in 2022, having his contract terminated a year early.

The Spaniard made 36 Championship appearances in 2019/20, and after leaving the Whites, signed for Getafe before retiring in 2023.

17 Luke Ayling 37 appearances

A regular at right-back and the scorer of that wonderful volley against Huddersfield Town, Luke Ayling is currently at Championship side Middlesbrough.

He initially moved to the Riverside on loan in 2024 before making a move permanent and is under contract until 2026.

16 Ben White 46 appearances

Starting every Championship game that season, Ben White would seal a big-money move to Arsenal in 2021, where he has gone on to be a regular.

Costing around £50m, White has featured as a centre-back or right-back and is under contract at the Emirates until 2028.

15 Liam Cooper 38 appearances

Captain of the side, Liam Cooper, left Leeds in 2024 after making 284 appearances for the Whites.

He swapped Yorkshire for Bulgaria and CSKA Sofia, but after just over 12 months, became a free agent in 2025.

14 Ezgjan Alioski 39 appearances

Initially a left-winger, Ezgjan Alioski turned into an attacking full-back under Bielsa and scored five Championship goals in 2019/20.

He featured regularly in the Premier League in 2020/21 but left that summer for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli. Alioski also played for Fenerbahce before returning to Swiss side FC Lugano, where he is under contract until 2027.

13 Kalvin Phillips 37 appearances

A vital member at the base of Bielsa’s midfield was Kalvin Phillips, who sealed a £50m move from Leeds to Manchester City in 2022 after starring under the Argentine.

Things didn’t go to plan for the holding midfielder at the Etihad, though, with Phillips having loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich Town. In the summer of 2025, he was looking for another new club but is still under contract with City.

12 Stuart Dallas 45 appearances

A versatile star under Bielsa, Stuart Dallas transformed into a Leeds legend but suffered a serious injury against Manchester City at Elland Road in 2022.

He would officially retire from football two years later after failing to recover, ending in 267 Leeds appearances in all competitions. Dallas now works as a pundit for Sky Sports’ EFL coverage.

11 Helder Costa 43 appearances

A loanee for the 2019/20 season, Helder Costa’s Leeds move became permanent in 2020, however, he had spells with Valencia and Al-Ittihad before being released at Elland Road in 2023.

The winger then played in Portugal with Estoril and China with YN Yukun, but as of the summer of 2025 and at the age of 31, Costa was without a club.

10 Mateusz Klich 44 appearances

Box-to-box midfielder Mateusz Klich became a cult hero at Elland Road and, after starring for Leeds, was allowed to join DC United in 2023.

The Poland international joined Atlanta at the end of 2024, and then in August 2025, returned to his native country with Cracovia, where he is under contract until 2027.

9 Jack Harrison 46 appearances

Still at Leeds is winger Jack Harrison, who had two loan spells with Everton following Leeds’ Premier League relegation back in 2023.

Having work to do to get the Leeds fans back on side, Harrison is still under contract at Elland Road until 2028 and appears to be in Farke’s plans.

Late blows from Abdul Samad and Ayush Badoni dragged Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 171 for 7 on a two-paced, red-soil pitch after Punjab Kings (PBKS) had opted to bowl in IPL 2025.Such a competitive total seemed beyond LSG’s reach after Arshdeep Singh, Lockie Ferguson, who had replaced Azmatullah Omarzai, and Glenn Maxwell had carved up their top order. At the end of the powerplay, LSG were 39 for 3. Maxwell had just dismissed LSG captain Rishabh Pant for 2 off 5 balls with an innocuous delivery. LSG, however, offset the early slide by taking 63 off the last six overs of their innings.While Badoni anchored their innings with 41 off 33 balls, Samad kicked into top gear right away, smacking 27 off 12 balls, including two sixes and two fours. Samad left jaws on the door when he reverse-scooped Arshdeep over the keeper for four in the 18th over, which cost PBKS 20 runs. Arshdeep bounced back to dismiss both Badoni and Samad in the final over, but the pair had done enough to repair the innings.Arshdeep had also started well earlier in the evening, snaring Mitchell Marsh for a golden duck. His opening partner Aiden Markram moved to 28 off 18 balls before Ferguson bowled him via an inside edge. PBKS then matched Maxwell up with Pant and got him cheaply too.A cat-and-mouse game then ensued between Nicholas Pooran and Yuzvendra Chahal. When the wristspinner looped a couple of wrong’uns away from Pooran’s reach in his first over, the batter carved those away for fours. In his next over, though, Chahal cut Pooran’s innings short at 44 off 30 balls with a loopier googly. LSG were 89 for 4 in the 12th over at that point. Samad and Badnoni then got together in the end overs to help push that total past 170.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called a Hoops transfer target “brilliant” ahead of their Champions League qualifier with Kairat Almaty.

Rodgers addresses Celtic transfers before Champions League qualifier

So far in the 2025 summer transfer window, those at Parkhead have signed seven new players and still have time for further incomings and outgoings ahead of the September 1 deadline.

It has been two weeks since their most recent arrival, 19-year-old Manchester City loan defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Rodgers is focused on getting past the Kazakh opposition with familiar players.

Rodgers was asked if he would get the signings he was looking for when the board discover whether they have Champions League income.

“I’m not going to get into a situation where I look frustrated or am frustrated because that transfers on to the players that I have, and those guys have been brilliant.

“If we get somebody in, great. If not, then we’ll go with what we’ve got. We’ll do everything we can to try and ensure all the details are right for the game and see if we can take Celtic back into the Champions League again.

“I’ve had no injuries and I believe that the quality of our game and the intensity that we want to work at can hopefully be enough to see us through. But these games will always be tough games.”

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Rodgers responds to Vardy joining Celtic rumours

One player who has been linked with Celtic is free agent Jamie Vardy. The forward has his heart set on a move to Celtic Park after leaving Leicester City, and Rodgers called the forward “brilliant” when quizzed on a potential move.

Rodgers also wanted to ensure uncertainty over potential outgoing transfers also does not affect players.

“I mentioned this a few weeks ago to the players, I think it’s important to just set the narrative for them because there’s so much noise, especially as it ramps up towards the end.

“I’ve been in enough changing rooms to know how stability can be lost in this moment because some players will be thinking are they staying, are they going, but in the midst of that you’ve got really important games.

“So I’ve already mentioned this to players about respecting and acknowledging that it is a difficult part of the season, however, the money will be in your bank every month and it’ll be from Celtic and whilst it is, you need to perform. And in fairness to the players, they’ve been brilliant with that. You see it in their attitude in the game, the energy in the games.”

Brentford have opened talks to sign highly-rated Borussia Dortmund left-back Almugera Kabar in a deal worth a reported €20 million. The U17 World Cup winner is struggling for game time in Germany, and the Bees are pushing for a permanent January transfer for a player they believe is physically ideal for the Premier League.

Bees make €20m move for German youth international

Brentford have opened negotiations with Borussia Dortmund over a January move for highly-rated teenage left-back Kabar. According to German publication , the Premier League club have expressed "concrete interest" in the 19-year-old and are already in contact with the player's representatives. The Bees are reportedly prepared to pay a substantial fee of around €20m (£17m/$21m) to secure the defender in January.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWho is Almugera Kabar? Dortmund's U17 World Cup winner

Kabar is a product of Dortmund's esteemed youth academy, having joined the club at the age of 13. A physically imposing full-back standing at 1.86m, he is seen by Brentford as possessing the ideal attributes for the Premier League. His stock rose significantly in 2023 when he was a key part of the Germany side that won both the U17 European Championship and the U17 World Cup. He is now a regular for the national U19 team, for whom he has already made 19 appearances.

Kabar's first-team struggles under Kovac

Despite his success at youth level and a contract that runs until 2028, Kabar has struggled to break into the first team at Signal Iduna Park. The defender made five Bundesliga appearances last season but has found opportunities limited under current head coach Niko Kovac, featuring just once. This season, he has been unable to dislodge Daniel Svensson from the starting left-back position, a situation that could make him open to a move in search of regular senior football.

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Dortmund reluctant to sell but could be tempted

Dortmund's official stance is that they wish to keep their homegrown talent for the long term, having only been open to a loan move for Kabar during the summer transfer window. However, the report from Bild suggests that a permanent winter transfer "could certainly become a reality," with a €20m offer potentially being enough to tempt the Bundesliga giants into a sale, given the player's current squad status.

أعلن دونالد ترامب رئيس الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية أنه مستعد لاتخاذ قرار مهم قبل انطلاق منافسات كأس العالم لكرة القدم 2026 في الصيف القادم.

ونشرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية أن دونالد ترامب رئيس الولايات المتحدة أعلن أنه على استعداد لنقل مباريات كأس العالم 2026 المقرر إقامتها في مدن يعتبرها غير آمنة إلى أماكن أخرى إذا لزم الأمر.

وقال ترامب للصحفيين في البيت الأبيض: “كأس العالم سيكون آمنًا، إذا وجدت أنها غير آمنة في مدن معينة، فسنقوم بنقل المباريات لمدن أخرى”.

وندد رئيس الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية بشكل خاص بإحصائيات الجرائم في مدينة شيكاغو الأمريكية التي لا تستضيف كأس العالم.

أقرأ أيضاً.. صورة | الكشف عن 3 تمائم لـ كأس العالم 2026

وأضاف ترامب: “إذا شعرنا أن مدينة ما ستكون غير آمنة ولو قليلاً لاستضافة كأس العالم أو دورة الألعاب الأوليمبية التي ستقام في لوس انجلوس عام 2028، خاصة كأس العالم نظراً لانتشار البطولة في عدد من المدن، فإننا لن نسمح بإقامة المباريات هناك بل سننقلها”.

وتشمل المدن التي تستضيف بطولة كأس العالم وتعد معاقل للحزب الديمقراطي في الولايات المتحدة مثل لوس أنجلوس “8 مباريات مجدولة”، وسان فرانسيسكو “6 مباريات” وسياتل “6 مباريات”.

ونشرت إدارة ترامب الحرس الوطني هذا العام للحفاظ على النظام في بعض المدن التي يديريها الحزب الديمقراطي، مثل لوس أنجلوس على الرغم من اعتراضات السلطات المحلية.

وتستضيف الولايات المتحدة كأس العالم 2026 في الفترة من 11 يونيو إلى 19 يوليو بالاشتراك مع المكسيك وكندا، وقد عين ترامب نفسه رئيساً لفريق عمل البيت الأبيض المعني بكأس العالم.

سجل الدولي الإسباني ماركوس يورينتي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي أتليتكو مدريد هدف التعادل لصالح فريقه أمام ليفربول في المباراة التي تجمعهما ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويفتتح أتليتكو مدريد مشواره في دوري أبطال أوروبا بمواجهة ليفربول الإنجليزي، على ملعب “آنفيلد” في الجولة الأولى لمرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتقدم ليفربول في النتيجة وأحرز هدفين في أول 6 دقائق بالمباراة بأقدام روبرتسون ومحمد صلاح لتذهب المباراة في اتجاه النادي الإنجليزي الذي سيطر على كل مجريات اللقاء.

لكن رجال سيميوني رفضوا الاستسلام وسجل يورينتي الهدف الأول في الوقت بدلًا من الضائع من الشوط الأول بعد تسديدة نفذها بشكل مهاري على يمين الحارس البرازيلي أليسون بيكر.

ولأن “آنفيلد” ملعب السعد على الدولي الإسباني، أحرز يورينتي الهدف الثاني لصالح فريقه في الدقيقة 85 من عمر اللقاء بعد تشتيت دفاع ليفربول الكرة على حدود منطقة الجزاء سددها يورنتي ببراعة ارتطمت باللاعب ماك أليستر وسكنت مرمى أليسون. يورينتي يسجل هدف التعادل لصالح أتليتكو مدريد أمام ليفربول في دوري أبطال أوروبا

Australian Daniel Hughes made 144 as second division leaders Sussex established a strong position after day one against Derbyshire at Hove.Derbyshire elected to bowl first then saw Hughes and Tom Haines put on 196 in just 36 overs. Haines made 72 and after Hughes departed Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten 69 as Sussex closed on 391 for 4.It was just the response they would have wanted after losing only their second game of the season to promotion rivals Yorkshire last week.They began the game six points clear of second-placed Middlesex and nine ahead of Yorkshire, who are playing each other at Headingley, but three of their remaining four matches are at the 1st Central County Ground where they won three out of four this season and know the conditions well.Once again there was a good covering of grass on the pitch which would have influenced Derbyshire skipper David Lloyd’s decision to insert Sussex but his seamers, armed with the Kookaburra ball which is being used for the next two rounds of Vitality County Championship fixtures, struggled for consistency, particularly before lunch, and Hughes and Haines cashed in.It wasn’t until deep into the second session, when spinners David Lloyd and Jack Morley operated in tandem, that the run rate dipped below five an over but by then Sussex had taken control.Hughes offered one chance on 35 when he drove at Zak Chappell, but Derbyshire skipper Wayne Madsen couldn’t hold on to the edge diving to his right at second slip, and by lunch the two left-handers had plundered 161 from 28 overs, targeting the short boundary on the scoreboard side.Hughes duly eased to the ninth first-class hundred of his career just after lunch and it was a surprise when he fell for 144 off 142 balls. South African Daryn Dupavillon had bowled a wide earlier in the over when he speared another delivery outside off stump which Hughes could have ignored, but instead under-edged to keeper Brooke Guest. Hughes hit 18 fours and three sixes, but it was a somewhat tame end to an excellent innings by the 35-year-old from Sydney, who has already confirmed that he will return to Sussex next season. It was also the 1500th century scored against Derbyshire in all formats.Haines had already departed for a fluent 72 when Chappell tempted him into a loose drive and this time Madsen held on at slip while Tom Clark, one of the five left-handers in Sussex’s top six, squandered a promising start when left-armer spinner Morley found extra bounce and the edge looped to slip high off the bat.But by then Alsop was easing to his seventh half-century of the season as he added 66 for the fourth wicket with James Coles, who looked untroubled until he played across the line to off-spinner Lloyd. Alsop has yet to convert any of those fifties into a hundred but he won’t have a better opportunity when he resumes tomorrow, having so far put on 39 for the fifth wicket with captain John Simpson, who was dropped by Madsen off Dupavillon on 21 late in the day.

Chelsea are now in “ongoing” negotiations over a deal to sign an “incredible” striker, with a meeting taking place “in recent days”, according to RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins.

Blues looking to bolster squad before Club World Cup

The initial summer transfer window is set to close on June 10th ahead of the Club World Cup, before reopening on June 16th, and the Blues are looking to get a number of deals over the line before the first deadline.

Jamie Gittens has emerged as a major target since it was confirmed Jadon Sancho will not be making a permanent move to west London, while there have long been doubts over the goalkeeper options, with Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen being used interchangeably last season.

The interest in Hugo Ekitike is a little stranger, given that Enzo Maresca has already added Liam Delap to his squad this summer, but the manager may feel he needs a more experienced option at centre-forward, with the former Ipswich Town man yet to prove himself at the top level.

There has now been a new update on Chelsea’s Hugo Ekitike pursuit, with Hawkins taking to X to reveal they are in “ongoing” negotiations over a deal for the Eintracht Frankfurt striker, having held a meeting with his camp “in recent days”.

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The Blues are still considering a move for the forward, with contact yet to be broken off, despite talks not progressing, but a deal will not be cheap, with Frankfurt currently unwilling to compromise on their asking price of €100m (£84m).

Ekitike could be "incredible" signing for Chelsea

While the 22-year-old is the same age as Delap, he has more experience than the Englishman, having regularly provided goals and assists for Reims, Paris Saint-Germain and Frankfurt across spells in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga.

Teammate Rasmus Kristensen has also been left impressed by the Frenchman, lauding him as “incredible” back in January, so it is little wonder that Chelsea are keen to take him to Stamford Bridge, although there are doubts over whether he is worth £84m.

With the Frankfurt star contracted until 2029, the German club are in a strong negotiating position, but the Reims-born striker is yet to prove himself in the Champions League, while a return of 15 goals in 33 Bundesliga games last season isn’t out of this world.

As such, while Ekitike could go on to be a top striker, the £84m asking price is a little steep, so the Blues should continue to try and negotiate a lower fee.