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The team was en route to the Al Noor mosque for Friday prayers at the time of the attack but escaped to the nearby Hagley Oval

Mohammad Isam in Christchurch15-Mar-2019Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand has been called off following a terrorist attack on two Christchurch mosques, in which at least 40 people have been killed. The players and other members of the touring party are safe, in lockdown at their hotel; some of them were on their way to one of the mosques for Friday prayers at the time of the attack but escaped to the nearby Hagley Oval.

Timeline of the Christchurch attack

1.40pm (local time): A man enters a Christchurch city mosque and opens fire on the people inside. Witnesses hear multiple gunshots.
1.52pm: Senior Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal calls travelling ESPNcricinfo journalist Mohammad Isam for help. He asks Isam to call the police and inform them about the “shooting” at the mosque they were about to enter.
2.45pm: The team, after consultation with NZC and BCB, heads to the hotel on Cathedral Street.
2.54pm: New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush says the situation involves an “active shooter”.
4.15pm: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks publicly, calling it “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.” Later, calls it a “terrorist attack”.
5pm: The third and the final Test of the tour is called off by NZC, after consultation with the BCB and ICC.

New Zealand police commissioner Mike Bush said police had made four arrests in connection with the attack, which included multiple improvised explosive devices attached to vehicles.Prime minister Jacinda Ardern called it a terrorist attack. “There is no place in New Zealand for such acts of extreme and unprecedented violence, which it is clear this act was,” Arden said. “This is and will be one of New Zealand’s darkest days. I would describe it as an unprecedented act of violence, an act that has absolutely no place in New Zealand. This is not who we are.”The attack took place just after 1.30 pm local time. The players and some support staffers were on their way to the Al Noor Mosque, less than a mile from Hagley Oval, when they saw signs of the unfolding carnage. They initially stayed in the bus and made phone calls, including one to this reporter, who was at the ground. Several journalists then came over to where the bus was and accompanied the players to the ground.ALSO READ: ‘There’s shooting here, please save us’Much of the coaching staff were back in the team hotel while the head coach Steve Rhodes was at the ground. Later, the players went back to their hotel.Team manager Khaled Mashud said the players had had a lucky escape. “We must have been about 50 yards from the mosque. I would say we were really lucky. Had we reached even three or four minutes earlier, we probably would have been inside the mosque. This could then have been a massive incident.”He said arrangements were being made to fly the team back to Bangladesh as soon as possible.Within a couple of hours the two boards had decided on the fate of the tour. “We are shocked and appalled as I am sure all New Zealanders are,” NZC CEO David White said. “We are offering support to all those within the teams affected by the situation and are continuing to take advice from authorities on the ground.”The Bangladesh team will take off from Christchurch at midday on Saturday and arrive in Dhaka in the evening.

A “celeb-fest” is being predicted when Wrexham face Birmingham in League One, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney coming up against Tom Brady.

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• Red Dragons promoted into third tier
• Blues dropped out of the Championship
• Potential for famous faces in the stands

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons and Blues have been heading in opposite directions of late, with promotion and relegation in 2023-24 ensuring that they will be competing in the same division next term. Wrexham are on the rise, having bounced up from the National League, while Birmingham are in the third tier for the first time in 30 years.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reynolds and McElhenney have made a point of attending Wrexham matches on a regular basis, often bringing famous friends along with them, while NFL legend Brady can occasionally be spotted at St Andrew’s. There is the potential for them to go head-to-head in the executive box during the 2024-25 campaign.

• WHAT GOULDING SAID

  Chris Goulding of the podcast can see that happening, telling of Brady’s involvement as an investor and chairman of the advisory board in the West Midlands: “The shares really feel like just a token. His friendship with Tom Wagner seems more like the reason for his involvement. Whether his sporting prestige can have any meaningful adaptation remains to be seen. I’m not sure he’ll be making too many visits to the club next season when we’re hosting the likes of Cambridge and Exeter, but you have to wonder if the visit of Wrexham might be a celeb-fest.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Wrexham and Birmingham will discover when their paths are due to cross when the EFL fixtures for next season are released on June 26. Both sides are being tipped to go well in League One, with promotion to the Championship very much in their thoughts.

Not even Pep Guardiola can boast the same level of success as the under-appreciated Italian, who is bidding to win his fifth European Cup as a coach

When Arrigo Sacchi and Carlo Ancelotti spoke the morning after Real Madrid had knocked Bayern Munich out of the Champions League semi-finals with two late goals, the older man was still suffering the effects of the nerve-shredding nature of the victory.

"Carlo, I had a really bad time watching that game!" Sacchi said with faux fury. "Arrigo, it's a tactic," Ancelotti dead-panned. "We pretend to be dead and then, suddenly, at the end of the match, we rise again and win!"

The Madrid boss was obviously joking, but there are those that seriously believe that Ancelotti is a man without a plan; all vibes, no tactics. Indeed, his critics see him as some sort of Italian Harry Redknapp, nicking a living for years at some of Europe's elite clubs by simply telling Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. to "just f*cking run about".

Such a view does Ancelotti a great disservice. After all, we're talking about a man who has a strong claim on the title of the greatest manager of all time.

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  War for football's soul

  The likes of Fabio Capello and Jorge Valdano have long argued that, for better or for worse, Pep Guardiola has become the biggest influence on the coaching world. The Catalan clearly won the war with Jose Mourinho for football's soul while his beautiful Barcelona side collided with the Portuguese's pragmatic Real Madrid in one toxic Clasico clash after another more than a decade ago.

  Consequently, Guardiola's followers are now everywhere. Arsenal clearly felt that the only way to compete with Guardiola was to hire one of his proteges in Mikel Arteta. Following the shock loss of Jurgen Klopp, who simply ran out of energy trying to keep up with the relentless winning machine Guardiola constructed at the Etihad, Liverpool have turned to a self-confessed super-fan of the Man City boss in Arne Slot.

  And only this week, Bayern Munich gave one of the biggest jobs in the world to Vincent Kompany, a recently-relegated coach that appears to have only one qualification: he once played under Pep. Chelsea, meanwhile, are set to appoint another of Guardiola's disciples and former assistants, Enzo Maresca, in the coming days.

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  'Football for me is not complex'

  In that sense, Ancelotti is something of an anomaly in the era of footballing philosophers and tormented tacticians. He is not wedded to one single way of doing things. He was once, many, many years ago at Parma, when he felt the 4-4-2 he had learned under Sacchi was sacred, but turning down the chance to sign Roberto Baggio made him see the error of his ways.

  Consequently, he has "never cultivated an ideology, like Guardilismo or Sarrismo", meaning he doesn't obsess, and he doesn't stress.

  "Football is my passion but I try to manage things in the simplest way possible," he recently told Valdano. "Football for me is not complex, it's simple, even in strategy. Creativity is needed to attack; to defend, you need organisation. I can teach you more about the second one, but you don't teach creativity."

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  Only 'two types of players'

  Consequently, his attacking players are afforded a level of freedom that is the antithesis to the micro-management and automatism now prevalent in the modern game. But Ancelotti doesn't care.

  "I would be an idiot if, with a striker like Vinicius, who has a scooter under his feet, I didn't focus on the counter-attack," he argued in an interview with the . "If I have (Luka) Modric and (Toni) Kroos, I can't expect to press high.

  "And I'll give you one last example: if I have (Cristiano) Ronaldo in front of me, I study how to get the ball to him often. I don't ask him to tire himself out by tracking back. The same with Ibra (Zlatan Ibrahimovic). Essentially, there are two types of players: those who make the difference and those who have to run."

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  'Big bear'

  Such thinking sounds archaic in the current climate, at the very least, overly simplistic. And yet it works. Ancelotti is adored by nearly every single player that's ever played under him – perhaps because he was a world-class talent himself back in the day, a key member of Sacchi's era-defining and game-changing AC Milan.

  But there's clearly more to it than shared experiences at the highest level. Ancelotti is renowned by rival coaches for his humility, humour and warm personality, and it's telling that Vinicius Jr and Toni Kroos both say that they just like talking to the Italian (and not even about football), while Cristiano Ronaldo famously compared him to a big cuddly bear.

  "He's so nice, so sensitive," the Portuguese told . "I wish every player could have the opportunity to work with him because he is a fantastic person, a fantastic coach and I miss him a lot, because we won many trophies together."

  And that's the thing, while Ancelotti's coaching acumen often goes unrecognised – and is even sometimes ridiculed – his record is remarkable.

  He's the only man in history to have won all five of Europe's 'big' leagues (Serie A, Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and La Liga), while he's won a record five Champions Leagues as a coach after Madrid saw off Borussia Dortmund on Saturday at Wembley. When it comes to major titles, nobody else comes close.

  "Both Pep and Sir Alex (Ferguson) are a part of history, but let’s look at what Ancelotti has achieved," Ruud Gullit recently argued. "He's the king of kings, better than anyone else."

Finch was run out backing up for 13 when a Cameron White straight drive ricocheted off Jackson Bird’s boot

Alex Malcolm18-Feb-2019Aaron Finch has been reprimanded for smashing over a plastic chair following his unfortunate run out in Sunday’s BBL final against Melbourne Stars.Finch was run-out backing up after Cameron White crunched a straight drive which ricocheted off Jackson Bird’s boot onto the stumps at the bowler’s end with Finch caught short trying to get his bat back.Finch kept his cool all the way off the playing surface but halfway down the tunnel to the dressing room he lashed out using his bat to twice knock over a plastic chair with it being caught on the TV broadcast. He was reprimanded for a Level 1 breach of CA’s Code of Conduct for equipment abuse but was not fined.”Just about sums up my summer,” Finch said. “But that happens. It’s a tough one, you’re looking to score, looking to get down the wicket, pinch a one here or there, but it happens.”Renegades coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on that Finch had accepted the charge.”He’s taken that and accepted that and received a reprimand,” McDonald said on Monday. “I’ve only seen the paperwork. I haven’t seen the actual footage. I’ll probably see it today. Do I forgive him? It’s probably an act that’s brought about my emotion, it’s probably a build-up of the summer and probably just plays out in that moment.”Finch has previously spoken of looking forward to a break after difficult season, but that won’t come until April. The morning after the BBL final he was on a flight to India as captain of Australia’s T20 and one-day side. After that it is straight to the UAE for the five more ODIs before he finally gets to put the bat away for a month until Australia reconvene for a pre-World Cup training camp in Brisbane in early May.Other players from the BBL final joining Finch on the hasty departure to India were Glenn Maxwell, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson.Maxwell will be travelling with very different emotions to Finch having seen the BBL title slip from his team’s grasp as they lost 7 for 19 in 30 balls.”Unfortunately, we just couldn’t have a batter come in and do the job,” he said. “It seemed like every time we had a person come out and take a risk they got out.”The tour of India begins with the first T20 in Visakhapatnam on February 24.

‘He’s back as the world’s No.1 allrounder – and that’s where we think he belongs. But he’s got a point to prove to make sure everybody else believes that’

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2019Thanks to the finger injury that kept him out of Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand, the recently concluded tri-series in Ireland was Shakib Al Hasan’s first taste of ODI cricket in nearly five months.He recovered from that injury in time for the IPL, but only got to play three matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament. In Ireland, Shakib played an important role in Bangladesh winning their maiden non-bilateral ODI tournament, scoring two unbeaten fifties and bowling economically. Though he missed the final with a side strain, the performance was enough to move him back up to the top of the ICC rankings for ODI allrounders, 20 points clear of Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.Shakib is fit again in the lead-up to the World Cup, and, according to Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes, is looking to prove a point.”Shakib is fine,” Rhodes told the ICC in Cardiff, after Sunday’s warm-up match against Pakistan was washed out. “He’s in a great position physically. He had a little problem in Ireland but he’s got over that and is raring to go.”He’s looking forward to a wonderful tournament. I think he’s got a bit of a point to prove and he probably thinks that as well. He seems to have been a little bit forgotten but now he’s back as the world’s No. 1 allrounder in ODI cricket – and that’s where we think he belongs.”But he’s got a point to prove to make sure everybody else believes that.”Another Bangladesh player who hasn’t been at full fitness of late is Mahmudullah, who has been playing as a specialist batsman in recent matches thanks to a shoulder issue that is keeping him from bowling his offspin. While admitting that the injury was affecting the balance of the side, Rhodes expressed confidence that Mahmudullah would be back to bowling in matches at some point during the World Cup.”Mahmudullah’s shoulder is coming along a little slowly,” Rhodes said. “I don’t think it would have been possible for him to bowl against Pakistan. We’re very optimistic that we can get him up and running for the early stages of the World Cup.”It may affect our balance slightly, but the good thing about Mahmudullah is that he doesn’t need a lot of practice to be good at bowling.”Bangladesh’s squad is among the most experienced at the World Cup, featuring five players with 175 or more ODIs under their belt.”People keep telling me that to win a world tournament you need experience,” Rhodes said. “I’m glad because we’ve got a wealth of experience there. I listen to them a lot because why wouldn’t you with that vast experience?”It will be a good thing when it gets a little tight towards the end of the group. There are 10 teams in this World Cup, but when I looked at the odds, we were ninth favourites and Afghanistan were tenth favourites – but on our day we both could beat the favourites.”There’s going to be a lot of winning and losing by all teams.”

Football fans far and wide, heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, must have been expecting that Liverpool would continue their domestic dominance.

It started well for Arne Slot’s Reds, too, as they went about defending their status as reigning champions, with five straight wins picked up in league action in the early stages of the campaign.

However, since they got the better of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in mid-September, it has all gone rather pear-shaped for the Reds, with an alarming six defeats now collected in all competitions, pushing them down to a dire seventh position in the Premier League standings.

Things have to change, and quickly, with many of the players Slot and Co. purchased in the summer failing to live up to their grand expectations.

Liverpool's most underwhelming signings

Liverpool really didn’t hold back this summer when breaking the bank.

Indeed, a jaw-dropping £415m in total was spent on revamping the Reds, with the triumphant top-flight champions waving goodbye to the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer for mega money.

Unfortunately, despite sitting at the top of this above list with their spending power, a lot of their high-profile signings have flopped so far at Anfield, with Florian Wirtz – who cost a whopping £116m just on his own – still yet to pick up a single goal or assist in league action, culminating in the German being labelled as “pretty average” by ex-Liverpool midfielder, and compatriot, Dietmar Hamann.

Milos Kerkez has also been subject to some scathing criticism, with the £40m recruit looking like a shadow of his expansive AFC Bournemouth best, particularly against Crystal Palace last time out in the EFL Cup, as Ismaila Sarr confidently collected two goals down his left flank.

Another former Liverpool favourite in Jason McAteer, has even suggested that the move to the Reds was “too big for him”, amid concerns he looks “lost” donning the number six jersey.

Thankfully, Hugo Ekitike has shone in spurts as another flashy new signing, but there is one dud that is extremely concerning now, as Slot potentially has to contend with his own Naby Keita-style blunder.

The £280k-per-week star who is Slot's own Keita

Glancing over Liverpool’s most expensive signings of all time is an intriguing read.

Of course, they struck gold when landing Virgil Van Dijk for £75m as he remains the club’s top leader to this day. But, when you

scroll down more, you’re then greeted by Keita’s name, who is still Liverpool’s eighth most expensive recruit at the £48m mark.

Keita did, of course, have a stunning goal up his sleeve at Liverpool – as evidenced in this glittering highlight package – but he didn’t consistently shine bright enough to justify his once club-record fee, with injuries galore often stopping him in his tracks.

Fast forward to the present, and an eerily similar tale could now be unfolding with Alexander Isak, with the ex-Newcastle United striker – who is prone to an injury niggle himself – yet to get up and running at Anfield, after breaking the Reds’ transfer record when joining in the summer for a ludicrous £125m.

After all, Liverpool must have thought they’d sealed the signing of the window when landing the £280k-per-week hotshot, considering he was once branded as a “world-class” talent at Newcastle United by ex-boss Eddie Howe when burying a lethal 62 strikes from 109 games.

But, caution should have been exercised here in trying to temper expectations, considering Jurgen Klopp also hailed Keita as the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when sealing his services, only for everything to fall apart.

Indeed, as is the case looking at the table above, Isak has only one paltry goal next to his name so far in his uncomfortable new surroundings, with the extortionate number nine already falling foul of sitting out five games for club and country this season through injury issues.

The hope will be that it doesn’t get as bad as Keita’s injury situation got, with his penultimate season in England seeing him miss a staggering 40 games with recurring trips to the treatment room.

He looks set to miss Liverpool’s must-win clash with Aston Villa on the weekend, to add insult to injury.

Isak, additionally, has the pressure of being known as a lethal goalscorer weighing him down, as the burden of being Liverpool’s most expensive signing proves, yet again, to be a debilitating hindrance, rather than a badge of honour.

The Reds waited a year for Keita to arrive, after initially signing him in advance in 2017, only for the move to end in disappointment.

Having waded through a whole summer saga before landing Isak, it looks as if the Swede could be heading for similar frustration at Anfield.

"We never speak about this in here" – Slot stunned at Liverpool press conference

It took the Dutchman by surprise.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 31, 2025

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho is expected to win his battle to be fit for the Champions League final, The Daily Mirror’s David Maddock reports. 

The lowdown

Fabinho was forced off half an hour into Liverpool’s 2-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday night with an apparent hamstring injury.

It’s since been confirmed that the 28-year-old will miss Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea, as well as the Reds’ remaining league games against Southampton and Wolves.

That means that the no. 3 faces a race to be fit for the meeting with Real Madrid in Paris at the end of the month.

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The latest

Maddock, northern football correspondent for the paper, shared the ‘big news’ on Fabinho on Thursday evening.

The Brazilian ‘should be fit for the Champions League final’, he wrote, news which has now been confirmed by Jurgen Klopp himself.

The verdict

This would be a significant boost for Klopp and Liverpool. Fabinho is typically one of the first names on the team-sheet, starting 26 of the 30 Premier League games for which he’s been available.

What’s more, Klopp has previously hailed him as ‘the best’ defensive midfielder on the planet.

And with Fabinho on the pitch, Liverpool are outscoring the opposition by an average of 1.7 goals per 90 minutes.

Injury played a part last time Liverpool faced Real Madrid in the UCL showpiece, with top goalscorer Mohamed Salah forced off in the first half, and they won’t want it to be a factor this time around.

In other news, there’s been a ‘major development’ in the Aurelien Tchouameni race. 

Black African Cricket Club questions new CSA director of cricket’s understanding of development agenda

Firdose Moonda27-Dec-2019Graeme Smith has assured South Africans of all races that he is committed to transformation after he was criticised by the Black African Cricket Clubs (BACC), who held a meeting at the Wanderers on Friday. The group, which formed in 2011 after a racially charged split in the Central Gauteng Lions, aim to reposition and grow black African cricket and expressed their mistrust in the current administration’s ability to do that.Smith was not present at the meeting, nor has he been directly approached by the BACC yet. South Africa’s new director of cricket was working in Centurion, venue for the first Test with England, but when asked for comment, he issued this statement saying he understood concerns among the black community about putting “their trust in a white man of my background”.”I’m fully aware that in times of change in any organisation there will be instances of uncertainty and distrust from members of certain groups,” he said. “I’m also well aware that in South Africa, it will take a lot for some members of the black community to put their trust in a white man of my background. I can assure them however that I fully intend to do my best to advance the transformation agenda of Cricket South Africa and ensure that young black African players are given the opportunity that they deserve to reach the highest levels in all areas of the game.”Smith’s acknowledgement of his own privilege came in response to an accusation that he does not fully grasp the black African experience, which is steeped in the legacy of Apartheid segregation. In cricket terms, that is best illustrated by national representation where only eight black African players have been capped at Test level, out of the 107 players since readmission, which speaks to the differences in opportunity and is the BACC’s main concern.”You are sitting with a director of cricket who has the responsibility to develop everyone,” BACC chairman, Ntsongo Sibiya, said. “I am not sure what he understands about a kid in Soweto or in a rural area. I don’t think he understands those dynamics. If you were a black man and Graeme Smith becomes director of cricket, would you trust him to develop your side? I am saying Graeme Smith, the position, not Graeme Smith, the man. I am talking about the director of cricket position. It is a critical position. It needs to be managed. It needs to make sure it does what this country needs. It needs to be someone that thoroughly understands.”In an effort not to concentrate the conversation on race alone, the BACC put forward other names for the director of cricket position, who they believe have more experience in transformation. “Had you said Adrian Birrell or Greg Hayes was the director of cricket, none of us would have complained. They have a track record over time of producing black cricketers,” Lewis Manthata, a BACC member, said.Birrell and Hayes are both from the Eastern Cape, the heartland of black African cricket, and have worked in rural cricket programmes for many years. While Hayes was instrumental in Makhaya Ntini’s development, Birrell has worked as recently as 2017 as the national assistant coach. Smith, despite captaining his country for 11 years, has not worked in development.”There is no one currently in the system who understands how to develop a black African child,” Sibiya said. “We have a lot of players who have come through the system but they don’t make it all the way, not because of ability but because the system halts them and does not allow them to go to the next level.”He pointed to economic issues, such as the differences required in equipment for different kinds of cricketers and the dearth of facilities in townships, as examples. “To produce a bowler, all you need is a pair of spikes,” Sibiya said. “To produce a batter, you need a R10,000 (US$700) bat. You need support. If you look at Temba Bavuma, he has got that support. How do we make sure any boy with potential can come through?”Essentially that speaks to a class issue, which is inevitably tied up with race in South Africa. Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada are both from wealthy backgrounds, while even the likes of Ntini, Lungi Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo, who are from more modest beginnings, received scholarships to top schools, where they excelled.Therein lies the BACC’s greatest concern – they want to be able to produce a cricketer from an underprivileged area, who is also allowed to develop there. They have called on the government, CSA (despite its debt forecasts), and the corporate world to provide the funds for this to be made possible. “How do you expect players of colour to come through if there is no investment?” Manthata said. “Government has a responsibility to invest but they have far more important issues to deal with. It’s the responsibility of federations and those with monopoly power.”That presents a conundrum. South Africa’s past has created a present where the wealth of the country is more prevalent in some demographics (ie. non-black African), but for transformation to succeed it needs the buy-in of all races. The BACC, whose names suggests otherwise, claim their meetings, which will be taken around the country soon, are open to all. They also said their agenda covers all players of colour even though it is most concerned with black African players.”The meeting said anyone that has vested interests in black African people can attend,” Sibiya said. “We had white people, we had coloured people. It was a black African agenda but not necessarily a black African meeting. We are looking at transformation generally and black Africans in particular as the most marginalised group from the past.”South Africa went into the Centurion Test – the first since Smith took the director of cricket job and appointed Mark Boucher as head coach – with only four non-white players, including one black African, which is shy of the transformation target of six and two, although injuries to Bavuma and Ngidi have limited the selectors’ options.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has rejected the idea of Neymar returning to Barcelona in the summer.

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• Neymar won't return to Barcelona
• Deco ruled out Neymar's dream move
• Neymar wants to come back to Europe in the summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neymar, who left Barcelona in 2017 to join Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee, has been linked with a move back to Catalunya as the Brazil is eyeing a return to Europe ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. The 33-year-old forward spent six years in the French capital before heading to Saudi Arabia, where he had a nightmare outing as he spent the majority of time on the sidelines due to an ACL injury. In January 2025, Neymar mutually terminated his deal with Al-Hilal to move back to his homeland and sign for boyhood club Santos.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amid the Brazilian star's transfer links to the Blaugrana, claims that sporting director Deco has reportedly ruled out any chance of re-signing Neymar in the summer. The reason stated by the ex-Portugal is reportedly Neymar's declining form in recent years. The club also do not want Neymar in their dressing room as they feel that his influence could prove to be negative for several budding superstars in the team.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The former PSG star enjoyed a lot of success during his first stint at Camp Nou as he scored 105 goals and provided 76 assists across all competitions in 186 appearances. He won La Liga twice and also bagged the Champions League title.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?

  The 33-year-old will be back in action for Santos on Sunday as they take on Corinthians in a Paulista A1 semi-final clash.

Manchester United have massively struggled to find the back of the net over the last couple of years, which has massively held the side back in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have spent hundreds of millions of pounds on numerous attackers under multiple managers, but largely to no avail, as seen by their measly goal tally from 2024/25.

Ruben Amorim’s men only notched a total of 44 league goals last campaign, with two centre forwards, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, only netting seven goals combined.

The latter has rapidly fallen down the manager’s plans, leaving on a season-long loan to join Serie A side Napoli during the off-season, with such a deal having an option to buy in the summer of 2026.

In an attempt to improve the current first-team squad, many of the fanbase will have been craving a move for one talent who set England’s top-flight alight in recent years.

Alexander Isak’s form against Manchester United

Alexander Isak has been one of the Premier League’s leading attackers over the last couple of years, often being a player to be feared when coming up against the Magpies.

The Swede has registered 54 league goals in his three years in England, ending last year on 23 goals, sitting second in the goalscoring charts as he helped the Magpies secure Champions League qualification.

He is unbeaten in 63% of his matches against the Red Devils, scoring a header in the clash at Old Trafford as Eddie Howe’s side claimed a 2-0 win back in December.

Isak stated his desire to leave St James’ Park this summer, subsequently joining United’s rivals Liverpool in an English record £125m transfer on deadline day.

Such a move has massively strengthened Arne Slot’s side for the 2025/26 campaign, which could inflict more pain in the Derby matches for Amorim’s men in the near future.

The prospect of the Swede linking up with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitiké is a dangerous one for the rest of England’s top-flight, with such a trio making the Reds favourites to retain their league title.

However, despite the business conducted elsewhere, the Red Devils have also landed numerous top-quality talents who could also make themselves fan favourites at the Theatre of Dreams.

Man United's Isak-level signing

In an attempt to avoid a repeat of 2024/25, the United hierarchy splashed £200m on three new attackers during the summer to inject the needed added quality to the frontline.

Matheus Cunha was the first to make the move, joining in a £62.5m transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers after scoring 15 times in England’s top-flight last campaign.

The Brazilian has been joined by Benjamin Sesko in the final third, costing a fee in the region of £74m from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig – filling the void left by Hojlund’s departure.

The third and final player added to the attacking department was Bryan Mbeumo, with the Cameroonian arriving from English outfit Brentford as an “unplayable” star in the words of Thomas Frank.

His addition set the club back £71m, including add-ons – a mammoth sum of money, but one that could prove worthwhile after he scored 20 times in the top-flight last time around.

The 26-year-old was one of just five players in the division to achieve a total of 20 goals or more in the Premier League – highlighting the talent the club have on their books at present.

Such a move is similar to that of Isak to Liverpool this summer, with both players falling into the aforementioned bracket for goals scored in 2024/25.

Both players will be hoping to repeat similar feats at their new clubs this campaign, but for the Red Devils’ sake – they will hope Mbeumo can add further goals to add to his dominance over the Swede.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats in the league from 2024/25, Mbeumo managed to better Isak in numerous areas, subsequently highlighting the excellent addition made by Amorim and Co.

The Cameroonian, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Statman Dave, posted a better shot on target accuracy rate (44%) and a higher goal per shot on target rate (0.5).

Such numbers highlight the clinical edge he possesses within the final third, arguably making him a more threatening option than the English-record signing.

He also completed more of the take-ons he attempted (47%) whilst carrying the ball into the opposition’s box per 90 (2.1) – further highlighting his talent when in possession.

If he can replicate such numbers during his time at Old Trafford, Mbeumo may have all the tools to help the Red Devils return to their former glory in the near future.

It remains to be seen if he can once again outperform Isak in 2025/26, but if he does, his £71m transfer fee may be a bargain – especially if he can lead the side to any form of silverware.

Worth more than Baleba: Man Utd have struck gold on "generational" talent

Manchester United already have a big-money talent on their books despite missing out on Carlos Baleba.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Sep 10, 2025