Barcelona reportedly asked star striker Robert Lewandowski to "stop scoring goals" at the end of his first season with Barcelona for a bizarre reason. A newly published biography has thrown the Blaugrana back under the microscope, revealing an extraordinary episode that took place behind the scenes during the closing stretch of the 2022-23 La Liga season.

• A conversation no striker expects

  In " ("Lewandowski. The Real One”), author Sebastian Staszewski has alleged that Barcelona urged Lewandowski to stop scoring goals. With two matches still to play and Barcelona already crowned league champions under then-manager Xavi Hernandez, the meeting reportedly took a strange turn. According to Staszewski, Lewandowski was summoned for discussions with several high-ranking executives shortly after Barcelona mathematically sealed the title. At that moment, he led the league’s scoring chart with 23 goals, comfortably ahead of the competition. Then came the request.

  "Robert, we need you to stop scoring goals in the last two matches," a board member said.

  The Polish striker was stunned to hear that unusual request. In his decades-long career, no club had ever asked him to hold back. But the reasoning was not tactical, but financial.

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  The €2.5m bonus Barcelona wanted to avoid

  Barcelona, who are still wrestling with significant financial constraints, had a clause to consider. If Lewandowski reached 25 league goals, they would owe Bayern Munich an additional €2.5 million in performance-related add-ons from his transfer. With the league title wrapped up and budgets stretched thin, the club allegedly opted for the unorthodox and ethically questionable approach of trying to protect their balance sheet. Lewandowski played both the remaining matches in full but did not score in either. He still won the Pichichi Trophy, which is La Liga’s top scorer award, finishing above Karim Benzema. 

• Milan move on the horizon?

  Italian outlet has reported that AC Milan are preparing a fresh and more serious attempt to sign the 37-year-old forward next summer. The Rossoneri have pencilled Lewandowski in as a priority target for June, believing that his presence could fast-track their ambitious rebuild under Massimiliano Allegri. Meetings have already taken place between Milan sporting director Igli Tare and Lewandowski’s influential agent, Pini Zahavi. The next meeting between the parties is expected to focus on the elephant in the room, which is wages. Lewandowski currently earns around €20 million net per season at Barcelona, almost three times the salary of Milan’s highest-paid player, Rafael Leao. Matching that figure is impossible for the Italians, but they hope the striker’s priorities have shifted toward competitive football and project stability. Meanwhile, Barcelona appear to be moving toward a new attacking era. The club are evaluating long-term replacements, with names such as Dusan Vlahovic, Julian Alvarez, and Levante’s rising prospect Karl Etta Eyong all reportedly circulating in recruitment discussions. 

  For all the speculation about his age and future role, Lewandowski continues to demonstrate his value on the pitch. Even in a season where he has not been guaranteed a starter’s role, he remains Barcelona’s leading scorer in La Liga with seven goals, ahead of Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres. Last week’s hat-trick against Celta Vigo pushed him to 106 goals in 159 appearances for the Catalan club, overtaking Neymar in Barcelona’s all-time scoring list. His debut campaign was extraordinary, when he scored 42 goals in 52 games across competitions. This season, seven goals in nine league outings prove that his finishing instincts remain razor sharp.

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  Lewandowski's personal preference is clear

  Despite the swirling transfer talk, those close to Lewandowski note that he and his family feel deeply settled in Barcelona. In an interview withhe himself admitted: "It doesn't matter how many titles you have already won. The most important thing is how many titles you want to win. In my mind I know that I can improve again so many things. I love football, I love this team, I love this club. I still feel physically very well. I don't have any problem with this [age] because I don't feel it. I'm proud that I'm going to be 37 years old. But I still know that I can achieve my goals. I can help my team-mates because I'm still hungry for more."

  His contract runs until June 2026, but Barcelona have yet to clarify his long-term role or commit to any extension. For a player of his stature, the waiting game is unfamiliar, and a decision might soon be on the cards.

The match referee at the centre of the handshake row has been entrusted with the Super Fours game on Sunday

Shashank Kishore20-Sep-2025

The ICC has stood behind Andy Pycroft all along•AFP/Getty Images

Andy Pycroft, who was at the centre of the handshake row when India and Pakistan met on September 14 at the Asia Cup, will be the match referee for the Super Fours fixture between the two teams in Dubai on Sunday as well.The PCB had sought Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he had requested the captains Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands during the toss of the September 14 game. Pycroft stayed, and the row spilled over into Pakistan’s next game, against UAE. After they cancelled a pre-match press conference, Pakistan didn’t arrive on schedule for the match, which had to be pushed back by an hour, as they conducted backroom talks with the ICC.It wasn’t until a late meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team management just prior to toss – which snowballed into another controversy – that Pakistan agreed to take the field.Related

India, Pakistan will look to put off-field issues aside in Super Fours clash

Six wickets, no runs: The myth and math of Saim Ayub

Pakistan cancel pre-match press conference before India game

Suryakumar's mantra before Pakistan game: 'Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep'

Pycroft givenbarely any notice ahead of handshake-gate

It is in this backdrop that India and Pakistan square off again at the Dubai International Stadium, and Suryakumar made it clear that his team’s focus was on the game and nothing else.”I feel our preparations have been really good leading into the tournament. And we had three good games also,” Suryakumar said on Saturday. “So we are actually focusing on what we can do best. We want to follow all the good habits, which we’ve been doing in the last two-three games. And we’ll take it one game at a time.”But yeah, it doesn’t give us an edge because we played them once and we had a good game. Of course, it will be a good game. We’ll have to start well from scratch. And whoever plays well will win the game.”Having wrapped up their group fixture against Oman on Friday night and having travelled back to Dubai in the wee hours, India will have an optional training session on Saturday. Pakistan, meanwhile, are slated to have a full training session at the ICC Academy in the lead up to Sunday’s match.

Andy Pycroft, who was at the centre of the handshake row when India and Pakistan met on September 14 at the Asia Cup, will be the match referee for the Super Fours fixture between the two teams in Dubai on Sunday as well.The PCB had sought Pycroft’s “immediate removal” after he had requested the captains Salman Agha and Suryakumar Yadav not to shake hands during the toss of the September 14 game. Pycroft stayed, and the row spilled over into Pakistan’s next game, against UAE. After they cancelled a pre-match press conference, Pakistan didn’t arrive on schedule for the match, which had to be pushed back by an hour, as they conducted backroom talks with the ICC.It wasn’t until a late meeting between Pycroft and the Pakistan team management just prior to toss – which snowballed into another controversy – that Pakistan agreed to take the field.Related

• India, Pakistan will look to put off-field issues aside in Super Fours clash

• Six wickets, no runs: The myth and math of Saim Ayub

• Pakistan cancel pre-match press conference before India game

• Suryakumar's mantra before Pakistan game: 'Close your room, switch off your phone and sleep'

• Pycroft givenbarely any notice ahead of handshake-gate

It is in this backdrop that India and Pakistan square off again at the Dubai International Stadium, and Suryakumar made it clear that his team’s focus was on the game and nothing else.”I feel our preparations have been really good leading into the tournament. And we had three good games also,” Suryakumar said on Saturday. “So we are actually focusing on what we can do best. We want to follow all the good habits, which we’ve been doing in the last two-three games. And we’ll take it one game at a time.”But yeah, it doesn’t give us an edge because we played them once and we had a good game. Of course, it will be a good game. We’ll have to start well from scratch. And whoever plays well will win the game.”Having wrapped up their group fixture against Oman on Friday night and having travelled back to Dubai in the wee hours, India will have an optional training session on Saturday. Pakistan, meanwhile, are slated to have a full training session at the ICC Academy in the lead up to Sunday’s match.

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد لاستكمال مشواره في الموسم الحالي، بمواجهة أولمبياكوس ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وكان ريال مدريد قد تعثر أمام إلتشي وتعادل بنتيجة 2/2 في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

وأصبح رصيد ريال مدريد 32 نقطة في صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، متقدمًا بفارق نقطة عن الوصيف برشلونة، الذي حقق فوزًا أمام أتلتيك بلباو برباعية نظيفة في نفس الجولة.

ويستعد ريال مدريد للعودة لمنافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، وسيحل ضيفًا على أولمبياكوس اليوناني في مرحلة الدوري غدًا الأربعاء القادم.

اقرأ أيضًا | ريال مدريد يعلن إصابة لاعبه وغيابه عن مباراة أولمبياكوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

ومن المقرر أن يحل فريق تشابي ألونسو ضيفًا على نظيره أولمبياكوس غدًا الأربعاء، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، الحادية عشر بتوقيت مكة المكرمة.

وعاد إلى تدريبات الفريق الجماعية اليوم كل من أوريلين تشواميني وأنطونيو روديجر بعد اكتمال تعافيهما من الإصابة التي منعتهما من الظهور رفقة ريال مدريد خلال الأسابيع الماضية.

وتلقى ألونسو خبرًا غير سارًا بالمرة خلال تدريبات الفريق صباح اليوم، الثلاثاء، إذ يعاني دين هويسن مدافع الفريق من بعض الآلام في الركبة بعد مباراة إلتشي.

وينتظر هويسن الخضوع لفحوصات طبية عقب انتهاء التدريبات لتحديد مدى إصابته والتي منعته من التدرب مع زملائه اليوم.

يُذكر أن تيبو كورتوا لن يسافر مع ريال مدريد في رحلته إلى العاصمة اليونانية أثينا بسبب نزلة معوية حادة.

The 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA is creeping up on us, and with England already booking their spot in North America, the talk now is who will be on that plane.

Thomas Tuchel will need to select a 26-player squad as he looks to end the Three Lions’ 60-year wait for a World Cup triumph.

Some are guaranteed to be in the squad, but there are others who still need to impress. Here’s a look at who is best placed to be included.

1

Harry Kane

Forward

Bayern Munich

2

Declan Rice

Midfielder

Arsenal

3

Jordan Pickford

Goalkeeper

Everton

4

Marc Guehi

Defender

Crystal Palace

5

Bukayo Saka

Forward

Arsenal

6

Jude Bellingham

Midfielder

Real Madrid

7

Elliot Anderson

Midfielder

Nottingham Forest

8

Reece James

Defender

Chelsea

9

Anthony Gordon

Forward

Newcastle

10

Phil Foden

Midfielder

Man City

11

Djed Spence

Defender

Tottenham

12

John Stones

Defender

Man City

13

Morgan Rogers

Midfielder

Aston Villa

20

Cole Palmer

Midfielder

Chelsea

15

Adam Wharton

Midfielder

Crystal Palace

16

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Defender

Real Madrid

17

Dean Henderson

Goalkeeper

Crystal Palace

18

Marcus Rashford

Forward

Barcelona

19

Ezri Konsa

Defender

Aston Villa

20

Dan Burn

Defender

Newcastle

21

Eberechi Eze

Midfielder

Arsenal

22

Jordan Henderson

Midfielder

Brentford

23

Jarrod Bowen

Forward

West Ham

24

Morgan Gibbs-White

Midfielder

Nottingham Forest

25

Nico O’Reilly

Defender

Man City

26

Conor Gallagher

Midfielder

Atletico Madrid

1 Goalkeepers

1

Jordan Pickford

Everton

2

Dean Henderson

Crystal Palace

3

James Trafford

Man City

4

Nick Pope

Newcastle

5

Aaron Ramsdale

Newcastle

Jordan Pickford has been England’s number one since 2018 and the Everton star looks set to remain first choice heading into 2026, providing he stays fit.

With two more spots open for ‘keepers, there looks set to be a battle between Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale.

Of the four, Henderson and Pope are getting regular minutes for Crystal Palace and Newcastle, whereas Trafford and Ramsdale are finding minutes hard to come by. Tuchel has been picking Trafford, though, so Pope could miss out.

2 Full-backs

1

Reece James

Chelsea

2

Djed Spence

Tottenham

3

Trent Alexander-Arnold

Real Madrid

4

Nico O’Reilly

Man City

5

Tino Livramento

Newcastle

6

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Arsenal

7

Kieran Trippier

Newcastle

Top of the full-back charts are Chelsea’s Reece James and Tottenham’s Djed Spence, who have been regulars in Tuchel’s squads recently, with the former working under the England boss at Stamford Bridge.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out by Tuchel earlier this year following his move to Real Madrid, but his technical ability will surely see him selected even if it isn’t as a starter.

Elsewhere, Tuchel has warned Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly he needs more minutes at club level to be considered for selection. Nico O’Reilly is in a good position after starring under Pep Guardiola at Man City, whereas Tino Livramento is set to return to regular action with Newcastle soon.

3 Centre-backs

1

Marc Guehi

Crystal Palace

2

John Stones

Man City

3

Dan Burn

Newcastle

4

Ezri Konsa

Aston Villa

5

Jarell Quansah

Bayer Leverkusen

6

Trevoh Chalobah

Chelsea

7

Jarrad Branthwaite

Everton

8

Levi Colwill

Chelsea

9

Harry Maguire

Man Utd

With Tuchel potentially going with a back four, Marc Guehi is on course to take one of two starting centre-back spots if he continues to star for Crystal Palace.

John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah and Trevoh Chalobah have all been in Tuchel’s squads and could battle it out to partner Guehi.

Meanwhile, Jarrad Branthwaite and Levi Colwill could make a late push if they can get enough minutes under their belt when they return from injury in 2026.

There may not be a place for Harry Maguire, though, who appears to have fallen out of favour at international level.

4 Central midfielders

1

Declan Rice

Arsenal

2

Elliot Anderson

Nottingham Forest

3

Adam Wharton

Crystal Palace

4

Jordan Henderson

Brentford

5

Alex Scott

Bournemouth

6

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

AC Milan

7

Conor Gallagher

Atletico Madrid

8

Curtis Jones

Liverpool

Right now, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson look set to be the two starting central midfielders in Tuchel’s England side, allowing the Three Lions’ attacking stars freedom to shine.

Adam Wharton appears to be next in line to come in for either Rice or Anderson, whereas Jordan Henderson has also made a few of Tuchel’s squads.

Alex Scott of Bournemouth was also handed a maiden call-up and AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been in Tuchel’s squads in 2025.

5 Attacking midfielders

1

Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid

2

Phil Foden

Man City

3

Morgan Rogers

Aston Villa

4

Cole Palmer

Chelsea

5

Eberechi Eze

Arsenal

6

Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest

Further forward in an attacking midfield role, Tuchel will surely select Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Real Madrid star Bellingham appears to be getting back to his best, whereas Tuchel sees Foden as a central player over a winger.

Cole Palmer has been injured at Chelsea and may have some work to do in 2026 to make the 26-player squad ahead of Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White.

6 Forwards

1

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich

2

Bukayo Saka

Arsenal

3

Anthony Gordon

Newcastle

4

Marcus Rashford

Barcelona

5

Jarrod Bowen

West Ham

6

Noni Madueke

Arsenal

7

Jack Grealish

Everton

8

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

9

Danny Welbeck

Brighton

Captain Harry Kane will lead the line for England in North America, providing he stays fit, after starring once again for Bayern Munich, and Tuchel could select a number of versatile forwards instead of another striker to back up the Bayern Munich star.

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen can play out wide or through the middle, whereas Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon are currently first-choice wingers.

Players with work to do to make the squad include Ollie Watkins and maybe even Jack Grealish, despite his positive start at Everton. A surprise name to keep an eye on could be Brighton’s Danny Welbeck following his fine form in the Premier League.

The season is well settled at this point, but Newcastle United are still without the kind of fluency that has come to be expected across the past few years under Eddie Howe’s management.

In fact, 14th in the Premier League after 11 matches, there is concern over the club’s direction after an eventful summer of ups and downs.

While it feels absurd, unthinkable, to imagine Howe’s job is at risk, there’s no question that PIF expect an upswing in performances and results, and should that not occur, the Tynesiders may be forced into a tough decision down the line.

Howe is a club legend, the harbinger of all that has been good at St. James’ Park in recent years. But improvements are needed, nonetheless; the form on the road has been shocking this season.

Newcastle’s Form in 2025/26 (all comps)
Home	Stat	Away
10	Games	7
7	Wins	1
0	Draws	3
3	Losses	3
20	Goals scored	7
9	Goals conceded	8
2.1	PPG	1.16

Howe needs his players to step up, especially in attack. At the nadir would be Anthony Elanga, whose £55m summer transfer from Nottingham Forest has so far not gone to plan.

Why Elanga is struggling at Newcastle

It has been over a year since Newcastle first lodged an offer for Elanga. They failed to convince Evangelos Marinakis to part ways with the fleet-footed winger at the end of the 2024 summer transfer window, though they secured their quarry one year later.

It was a move laced with excitement, and Elanga could still prove a thrilling addition to Howe’s squad, but the right-sided forward has yet to register a goal or an assist for the Toon, and analyst Raj Chohan said the £100k-per-week talent has been “a massive overpay” on PIF’s part.

Certainly, Elanga and Anthony Gordon would appear perfect for Nick Woltemade at number nine, whose wide-ranging attacking skillset has proved unable to service either winger in the Premier League. Despite this, the German has been in fine form this season.

Howe has shown his tactical and coaching acumen over the past few years, but if he has run out of steam, there’s a manager waiting in the wings who could be the perfect successor.

The manager who could revive Elanga at Newcastle

According to The Mirror earlier in November, Newcastle have compiled a shortlist of managers who would be suitable for the job, should a managerial vacancy emerge in the not-too-distant future.

On this list is Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, whose performance on the south coast over the past several years has established him as “one of the best in the league”, in the eyes of Como scout Ben Mattinson.

Bournemouth caused a stir when they sacked Gary O’Neil after keeping them up in 2023, opting to replace him with the fresh and innovative ideas of Spaniard Iraola, who had impressed in his homeland with Rayo Vallecano over three campaigns.

But the Cherries haven’t looked back, posting a record-breaking Premier League return of 56 points last season, having implemented an attractive and progressive style of football.

Indeed, Iraola’s message of intensity underscores his potential to succeed at Newcastle, and it is this methodology that could see him prove the perfect coach to oversee Elanga’s resurgence.

Semenyo is the frontal part of a durable and exciting team. A key part of the attraction toward Iraola’s managerial skill is his ability to withstand upheaval. Many Cherries left during the summer, and Bournemouth have still impressed this season, five wins from 11 in the Premier League this year.

We have seen how Iraola has moulded Semenyo into one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League. The Ghanaian is the talk of the town and is expected to earn a big-money transfer in 2026.

Newcastle are likely to miss out, but if Iraola did end up at Newcastle, he might be the perfect manager to fashion Elanga into a star of a similar standing, taking his pace and power and weaving it into something deadly.

After all, even against the backdrop of a testing start to life in Newcastle, Elanga still ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 5% for crosses per 90, as well as the top 1% for percentage of shots on target (all data via FBref).

That latter metric is curious. It speaks of real potential as a goalscorer for Newcastle. Iraola’s adept wing play could see such success come to fruition, with Semenyo well known as a frequent pepperer of the goal.

This is all, obviously, hypothetical. Iraola is the manager of a high-flying Premier League outfit in Bournemouth, and the Magpies hierarchy continues to display a show of faith in Howe’s ability to turn things around.

But if things do not improve, and change is needed, it is clear that the 43-year-old Iraola will rank highly on the club’s list, having hit his stride and then some at the Vitality. Surely he would be tempted by a move to Tyneside, with Newcastle demonstrating over the past several years an ability to exceed expectations and win silverware.

This is all down to Howe, but he will not be in the dugout forever, and in Iraola, Newcastle could score themselves new teachings to inculcate into an outfit that has developed something of a knack for success, and is now ready to take that next step forward.

Newcastle already have the new Anderson & he's "England's next superstar"

Eddie Howe could unearth Newcastle United’s next Elliot Anderson by starting this promising star more often.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 18, 2025

Napoli have opened initial talks to sign Freiburg’s fast-rising midfielder Johan Manzambi as he is advancing in his standout Bundesliga season. The 20-year-old Swiss talent has emerged as one of the league’s most complete midfielders, attracting interest across Europe. With no release clause and a contract until 2030, Freiburg hold full control, but Napoli are pushing.

Manzambi wanted: Napoli move early for Freiburg starlet

Napoli have officially held initial discussions over a potential move for Freiburg midfielder Manzambi, who has become one of the Bundesliga’s most eye-catching breakout performers this season. reports that the Italian giants have positioned themselves strongly in the race, with Manzambi’s rapid rise pushing him toward the summer transfer market spotlight.

The 20-year-old has become a regular starter under coach Julian Schuster, delivering mature, high-impact displays in central midfield. With two goals and three assists across 15 appearances so far, Manzambi has been central to Freiburg’s attacking sequences, and his profile has naturally drawn the attention of clubs across Europe.

AdvertisementFreiburg hold firm

The report describe Napoli’s interest as “the most concrete” so far. The Serie A side reportedly view Manzambi as a key part of their long-term plans and have already opened conversations regarding a potential future deal. However, Freiburg hold all negotiating power with Manzambi is contracted until 2030 and does not have a release clause, meaning only a major offer would force the club to consider a sale.

Manzambi joined Freiburg’s U19 setup in 2023, earned promotion to the senior team within a year, and has now become one of the Bundesliga’s most intriguing young midfielders, a trajectory that has not gone unnoticed in Naples.

’s report indicates that Manzambi has received “numerous transfer offers”, but Napoli have moved fastest and with the clearest intent. Their scouting department has closely monitored his development, especially his ability to operate as advanced midfielder, a versatility that has made him invaluable to Freiburg.

With Kevin De Bruyne sidelined for months after recent injuries, Napoli see Manzambi as a dynamic midfield presence who can fill multiple roles. In his breakout season, Manzambi has shown an impressive blend of physicality, awareness, and attacking instinct.

Bundesliga moments drawing attention across Europe

Manzambi’s rise has unfolded during a turbulent yet compelling season for Freiburg. His header from a corner against Bayern, giving his side a shock 2-0 lead before the champions roared back to win 6-2, was a major highlight. The Swiss midfielder’s early-season form has mirrored Freiburg’s resurgence under Schuster, and he has become a reliable figure despite his age.

His versatility has allowed him to seamlessly fill defensive, central, and attacking midfield roles, prompting analysts to describe him as one of the Bundesliga’s most complete young midfielders. Napoli scouts are leading at this stage, but more Premier League and Bundesliga clubs are expected to join the conversation as the summer window approaches.

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Getty Images SportNapoli pursuit continues

While Napoli are pushing early, Manzambi’s current focus remains with Freiburg, meanwhile, preparing for a decisive run of games in the Bundesliga as they seek European qualification. With the club holding a contract until 2030, they are under no pressure to sell, meaning any bidder must make a substantial offer to test their resolve.

Napoli plan to advance talks in the coming months, particularly ahead of the summer window, when they aim to strengthen their midfield after key injuries. For now, Manzambi’s performances in Germany will dictate the tempo of negotiations, with every strong display increasing his value and widening interest.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians se acertou com o Shakhtar Donetsk e garantiu a permanência de Maycon. Após longas negociações, a equipe ucraniana topou ceder o meia por mais uma temporada ao Timão. A informação foi divulgada pela ge e confirmada pelo Lance!. O atual vínculo de empréstimo do atleta de 26 anos com o Alvinegro acabaria no dia 31 de dezembro de 2023.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Inicialmente, o Shakhtar não queria emprestar o atleta de 26 anos por mais um ano ao Alvinegro. A diretoria corintiana propôs uma troca de jogadores e ofereceu Roni, mas os ucranianos também não aprovaram o modelo de negócio.

A vontade de Maycon em permanecer no clube do Parque São Jorge e não retornar à Ucrânia por conta da guerra foram fatores decisivos para o Shakhtar aceitar um novo empréstimo. 

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Assim como o acordo anterior, o Corinthians pagará um valor aos ucranianos para ficar com o atleta por mais um ano. Na última negociação, o Timão pagou 500 mil dólares (R$ 2,42 milhões na cotação atual) pelo empréstimo.

+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

A indefinição sobre o futuro de Maycon no Corinthians vinha atraindo o interesse de outras equipes brasileiras. O meia caiu nas graças do técnico Mano Menezes, que pediu a permanência do atleta.

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It was a cameo that perhaps summed up Benjamin Sesko’s Manchester United career so far.

Introduced on the hour mark against Tottenham Hotspur, the Slovenian striker looked lively up against the likes of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, having twice got in behind the home backline late on.

Twice, the £74m signing was threaded through by fellow substitute Mason Mount, although – having scored just two goals for the club to date – he perhaps unsurprisingly failed to convert those promising openings.

These certainly weren’t gilt-edged, must score chances – with Van de Ven producing a stunning recovery challenge to deny the ex-RB Leipzig’s man second attempt – yet a striker in confident mood would likely have fared better.

To then add insult to injury, quite literally, Sesko sustained an injury issue in the midst of that sight of goal, subsequently forcing the visitors to see out proceedings with just ten men, as he hobbled down the touchline.

Fears mounted over the potential severity of that setback, and while the prognosis isn’t as worrying as first feared, it’s no doubt far from ideal.

How long Sesko will be sidelined for

The sight of Sesko being withdrawn late on in north London will have undoubtedly been an unwelcome one for Ruben Amorim, with the Portuguese coach already facing a notable upheaval in the forward line in the near future.

Indeed, both Amad and Bryan Mbeumo – alongside Noussair Mazraoui – are set to head to AFCON when the competition kicks off on 21 December, potentially ruling out the dynamic duo out of a string of games heading across the festive period and into the New Year.

Having allowed the likes of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony to depart over the summer, Amorim isn’t exactly blessed with attacking depth as it is, ensuring a further blow is far from ideal.

As reported by The Athletic, Sesko, thankfully, won’t be sidelined for a lengthy period, with it looking likely that the 22-year-old will only be absent for three to five weeks, thus perhaps limiting the need to acquire a suitable replacement or back-up in injury.

That said, United – who return to action against Everton on Monday – are heading into a typically hectic period in the Premier League calendar, with a string of games in the pipeline between now and the end of the year.

24/11/2025

Everton (H)

30/11/2025

Palace (A)

04/12/2025

West Ham (H)

08/12/2025

Wolves (A)

15/12/2025

Bournemouth (H)

21/12/2025

Villa (A)

26/12/2025

Newcastle (H)

30/12/2025

Wolves (H)

Whether Sesko will be back fit and firing in time to feature again in 2025 remains to be seen, with attention now turning to just how Amorim can replace him – starting against the Toffees next week.

Man Utd's answer to Zlatan could replace Sesko

The most likely solution, of course, would be for the aforementioned Mount to return as part of the attacking trio, with Matheus Cunha – who led the line against Spurs – again nudged into a number nine berth.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

That being said, the Brazilian wasn’t exactly at his scintillating best against Thomas Frank’s side, losing possession 13 times from just 35 touches, as per Sofascore, amid a rare poor performance, having looked far more effective as one of the number tens against Brighton – the game in which he scored his first goal for the club.

With that in mind – and with 17-year-old Chido Obi still yet to be seen at first-team level this season – the chance may finally come for Joshua Zirkzee to re-establish a starting role for himself, having been a bystander to proceedings in 2025/26 to date.

As explored over the weekend, United’s “modern-day Berbatov” is running out of time at Old Trafford on current evidence, featuring for just 90 minutes in total across league and cup, while yet to start a Premier League game in the new season.

That limited role has come following an injury-hit summer for the Dutchman, although it has been telling that Amorim has typically turned to Cunha to lead the line when opting to take Sesko out of the firing line, with Zirkzee swiftly sliding down the pecking order.

Something of a cult figure at United now, after fighting his way back from being jeered off against Newcastle United last year, the 24-year-old does at least deserve an opportunity to impress once again, with there certainly still a player in there somewhere.

Seven goals in 54 games for the club to date doesn’t exactly make for great reading, although his quality was no doubt evident during his stint at Bologna, having ended 2023/24 as Serie A’s Young Player of the Year.

It was that form in Italian football which even led to “comparisons to Zlatan Ibrahimovic” – as noted by analyst Ben Mattinson – with the one-time Bayern Munich man described as “just like” the enigmatic Swede as he is an “insane athlete”.

The great ‘Ibra’ enjoyed a short but sweet stint at the Theatre of Dreams, netting 28 goals in all competitions in his solitary full season under Jose Mourinho, having swiftly cemented talismanic status as the club’s marquee number nine.

Zirkzee, evidently, is of different character and experience, but like Ibrahimovic, at 6 foot 4 he is still a real focal point when leading the line, ensuring he might be the best fit to try and replace Sesko at the top end of the pitch.

While a self-described ‘nine and a half’, Zirkzee’s route to game time does appear to be as a number nine in this side, with there still an intrigue to see what he can conjure up with the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo working off him.

As a man who netted twice in a 4-0 thrashing of Everton at Old Trafford last season, the £105k-per-week marksman could be the difference maker again this time around.

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Tottenham Hotspur need a striker. How many times have we heard that one over the past couple of years?

Replacing Harry Kane at number nine was always going to be an onerous task, a glaring spotlight against Ange Postecoglou at the start of his tenure.

After all, no man has ever scored more goals in a Tottenham shirt than the England captain, who is also far and away the Three Lions’ record scorer, with 76 strikes from 110 matches.

Harry Kane

435

280

Jimmy Greaves

376

266

Bobby Smith

316

211

Heung-min Son

454

173

Martin Chivers

350

167

After a year, Dominic Solanke was signed for a £55m fee, but he has struggled with injuries, and is out now under Thomas Frank’s wing until December, at the earliest.

What the Lilywhites needed was for loanee Randal Kolo Muani to maintain fitness and find form as the club’s leading striker over the coming months.

However, he too has fallen victim to a cruel injury blow.

The latest on Kolo Muani's fitness

In August, Tottenham added Kolo Muani to their ranks for the duration of the 2025/26 campaign. The Paris Saint-Germain forward had fallen out of favour in the French capital and spent the second half of last season on loan with Juventus, where he scored 12 goals and impressed with dynamic and stylish forward play.

Spurs felt they had sealed a shrewd signing for the season, and perhaps they have, but the France international spent the early weeks of the term out injured, and though he’s started three of the club’s past four matches in the Premier League, he has yet to score or assist.

And he won’t anytime soon. Withdrawn at the interval against Manchester United last weekend, it has since come to light that the 26-year-old has fractured his jaw and will need to see a specialist. This will rule him out of action for six to eight weeks.

Mathys Tel scored in the draw to the Red Devils, but Frank actually has another Spurs prospect who could not only fill in at number nine but realise his potential as the club’s next Kane.

Spurs' new version of Harry Kane

Kane devastated Premier League defences for so many years before leaving Tottenham for Bayern Munich in 2023. His time in Germany has been laden with goals, and he has convinced the few detractors that he is one of the greatest forwards of his generation.

How Dane Scarlett would love to emulate his idol. The Tottenham forward has already mimicked his countryman in spending a series of terms out on loan with lower-level clubs, and he has now found a place in Frank’s first-team squad, coming off the bench as Spurs beat Copenhagen in the Champions League last week.

The 21-year-old graduated from Tottenham’s youth academy several years ago, making his senior bow under Jose Mourinho in 2021, the Portuguese coach even hailing the youngster as a “diamond” of a prospect.

He is fast and sharp-witted and a “fantastic finisher” besides, something that has been picked up by Frank this season, who then spoke of the player’s potential and his need to play games.

In a fully-fit Spurs squad, this might be somewhat difficult, but he has been handed a golden opportunity to impose himself with Kolo Muani and Solanke both out of action for the foreseeable future.

Did Scarlett not score his first senior goal for Tottenham under Postecoglou’s wing in the Europa League last term? This could be the mood-lifting gambit the club needs after a difficult, yet somewhat progressive, start to the campaign.

From an attacking standpoint, Tottenham have left plenty to be desired across the opening weeks of the season. However, by unleashing the new version of Kane in the homegrown Scarlett, they might just turn the tide and realise their potential under Frank’s wing.

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