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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta suggests the Gunners could be without a key player until 2026 after a pre-Chelsea injury update.

Arsenal set for Premier League six-pointer against Chelsea

The Gunners face a brief period of assessment ahead of Sunday’s Premier League blockbuster at Stamford Bridge, with Arteta sweating over the fitness of a few key players following Wednesday’s triumphant Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

Their commanding 3-1 victory over the German champions came at a cost, with Leandro Trossard forced off in the first half through injury.

The Belgian’s withdrawal was a fairly worrying sight given his excellent form this season, though substitute Noni Madueke stepped up brilliantly in Trossard’s stead to score his first goal for the club.

Arteta played down fears surrounding Trossard’s injury in his post-match press conference, suggesting the decision to withdraw him was precautionary rather than enforced by serious damage.

However, the manager’s cautious approach means Trossard’s participation against Chelsea remains uncertain, with Arsenal’s medical staff set to analyse his condition ahead of Sunday.

Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres are also doubts for this weekend, with Arteta refusing to confirm their involvement against Chelsea following their spells out through injury.

Havertz has been nursing a knee problem which required surgery, keeping him out since the very start of 2025/2026, while Mikel Merino has deputised well in place of Gyokeres, who hasn’t featured since their 2-0 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.

Arsenal hold 'initial talks' to sign Real Madrid target who Arteta thinks is 'ideal'

The Gunners are moving in ahead of January.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 28, 2025

Gabriel Jesus continues to work his way back to full fitness after 11 months out with an ACL injury, with the Brazilian participating in a behind-closed-doors friendly this week.

Jesus is actually set for an ‘earlier than expected’ return from injury, but uncertainty continues to surround his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.

The star defender injured his thigh on international duty with Brazil and is set to miss the trip to Chelsea, with Arteta also asked if he’ll return before the end of 2025.

Mikel Arteta suggests Arsenal star Gabriel could be out until 2026

When asked by reporters if Gabriel would make a return to the field this year, Arteta’s answer cast doubt.

This suggests that the £100 million defender may not be back until 2026, thrusting summer signings Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera right into the spotlight.

Hincapie was given the nod for Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Spurs last weekend, and the Ecuadorian performed very well alongside William Saliba at the heart of Arteta’s backline.

Mosquera was then chosen to partner Saliba against Bayern, and again earned plaudits for his display, so Arsenal’s boss has a key selection decision to make against Enzo Maresca’s side.

MLB's protective netting was being a little too protective during Tuesday's game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Blue Jays infielder Addison Barger hit a 2-2 pitch into foul territory near third base, sending Rays third baseman Junior Caminero sprinting towards the protective netting. Caminero made the grab, then tumbled into the netting.

Somehow, Caminero's earring became tangled in the protective netting, forcing him to pause for a moment to separate his jewelry from the net. Check out the bizarre moment, which was perfectly summed up by the Rays broadcast.

It's difficult to overstate just how badly this could have gone for Caminero. We're thankful that his ear—and his earring—made it out of this encounter unscathed.

And Caminero certainly managed to leave his mark on the game, as he belted a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth inning to give the Rays an 11-7 lead.

Evidently, the netting made Caminero angry.

How the mighty have fallen at Liverpool.

Expectations for the season heading into this campaign would have been that Arne Slot and Co could achieve the tricky feat of lifting back-to-back Premier League titles, having splashed the cash on the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz in the summer.

Yet, the Reds are now deep in a depressing patch of form that has seen them lose a staggering nine matches from their last 12 outings – which has left them marooned in mid-table in the top-flight – with a 4-1 defeat at the hands of PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday night surely the pick of a bad bunch.

Not a single Liverpool shirt would trudge off at the end of the shambolic loss at Anfield with much credit left in the bank, as Ibrahima Konate’s error-ridden season continued against the Dutch visitors.

Konate's disastrous season continues

Liverpool will want January to come around in a flash now, having been linked with Marc Guehi to fix their leaky defensive issues.

Konate wasn’t the only ropey figure in the Reds’ porous backline against PSV, though, with Virgil van Dijk setting the tone for what was in store when giving away an early penalty from a brainless handball.

But, after a “nightmare” showing against Nottingham Forest last time out in the Premier League, as it was branded by the Athletic’s James Pearce, the Frenchman did himself no favours in trying to get back into the good books of Anfield supporters, by putting in another shaky showing against Peter Bosz’s fortunate away side.

His woes were summed up when he failed to clear the ball away for PSV’s rampant third of the one-sided affair, which then resulted in second-half substitute Ricardo Pepi breaking forward with pace to play a major part in the Eredivisie outfit’s game-clinching strike.

For Konate’s sake, who has now been in the heart of a “disgraceful” defence – as it was bluntly branded by Reds-based content creator DAVEOCKOP – across Liverpool’s last three games, where ten goals have been given up, Slot should ditch him for the next away match at West Ham United.

Yet, worryingly, Konate was far from the worst performer on a night that will live long in Anfield infamy. Indeed, another underperformer faces the axe for their must-win clash at the London Stadium.

Not just Konate: Liverpool star faces the chop

Indeed, although it meant very little come the full-time whistle, Konate would, at least, come away from the game with just one misplaced pass next to his name and three ground duels won.

Unfortunately for the under-fire number five, though, his horror moment leading to PSV’s third is all that will be remembered, with Cody Gakpo also another figure that generated a lot of criticism come the full-time whistle, as his goalless stretch of form shows no signs of stopping.

It’s now been six games in November for the Dutchman with no goals or assists coming his way, but it could have been very different against PSV on another occasion, as Gakpo spurned a big opportunity against his former employers when the score was just 2-1.

On top of fluffing his lines to the dismay of Anfield, the hot-and-cold 26-year-old also lacked the same cutting edge that PSV showed throughout when bursting forward with pace, with possession given away 21 times by Gakpo when attempting to set his teammates up for chances.

On an evening when the defence received the majority of the pelters, Gakpo wasn’t completely immune from scathing criticism himself, with Liverpool World’s Will Rooney handing him a very low 3/10 post-match rating after the dust had settled on the harrowing loss, noting that he needed to “be better” in various attacking scenarios to up his score.

Further labelled as “laughable” on the ball by one Reds content creator, Gakpo will surely be worrying now that he will be shoved down to the substitutes bench for the tie with the Hammers up next, as Slot makes selection decisions that he hopes save his skin.

Journalist David Lynch has stated that he doesn’t think Slot can “survive” his predicament, whatever he does next, but it does look like a smart immediate call anyway to drop both Konate and Gakpo, to attempt to steer the collapsing ship back on course.

Ranked: The worst title defences in Premier League history

Look away now, Arne Slot…

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 25, 2025

Arsenal are now the last team with a perfect Champions League record this season after they beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. The Gunners have recorded five wins from five and kept up their 100 percent start by ending that of the Germans' in the process. Jurrien Timber put Arsenal ahead in the first half, while Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to score.

Midway through the first half, Arsenal broke the deadlock. Bayern's terrible record on set pieces was emphasised before the game, and the hosts took full advantage from a corner, with Timber getting in front of Manuel Neuer to nod in a Bukayo Saka corner.

That lead should have been doubled soon after when Eberechi Eze played a neat one-two with Mikel Merino to set himself in on goal, but Joshua Kimmich made a brilliant recovery challenge to deny the derby-day hero. And that missed opportunity came back to haunt Arsenal as Bayern levelled the score seconds later. Kimmich's delectable ball over the head of Myles Lewis-Skelly found Serge Gnabry, whose first-time cross picked out teenager Lennart Karl to thunder in at close range.

After the break, Mikel Merino spurned a free header after an excellent cross from Saka to the back post, while Karl went down the other end in search of his second but his tame shot was held by David Raya. Merino then headed wide from a wicked Declan Rice corner and Neuer kept out Cristhian Mosquera from a few yards out shortly afterwards in a manic 15 minutes following the interval.

An almighty scramble saw Rice force Neuer into a low save with his foot, and the rebound didn't fall kindly for Saka to be able to convert, with the Bayern goalkeeper able to sweep up the loose ball, much to the frustration of a brooding home crowd.

With 20 minutes remaining, Arsenal went back in front. Riccardo Calafiori, just on as a substitute, drilled in a low cross right through the Bayern box, and Madueke arrived ahead of Konrad Laimer to tap in his first goal for the Gunners.

Bayern nearly pulled level again when another straight ball over the defence found former Gunner Gnabry, but he couldn't make contact with his acrobatic effort and Arsenal were let off the hook.

The hosts wrapped up the points in the final quarter of an hour after another howler from Neuer. Eze's dink over the top found Martinelli, who still had 50 yards to go to goal, only for the German keeper to try and meet him halfway, fluffing his clearance and allowing the winger to roll the ball into an empty net.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (6/10):

  As has been the case for much of the season, the Spaniard had very little to do.

  Jurrien Timber (8/10):

  Got Arsenal off the mark with his third goal of the season, heading in Saka's corner. Scarcely troubled with his defensive duties despite Gnabry's fine performance, with the German winger having to vacate that flank to get most of his joy. Afforded a rest with White taking his place.

  William Saliba (7/10):

  Nearly cost his side when a clearance hit Zubimendi straight in the backside, but Raya was on hand to clear up the mess. Otherwise dealt well with Kane, who offered very little.

  Cristhian Mosquera (7/10):

  Similarly didn't allow Kane to have a sniff, allowing home fans to gleefully chant, 'Harry, what's the score?'.

  Myles Lewis-Skelly (4/10):

  A testing night for the teenager, who was continually targeted by Bayern's attackers, including in the build up to Karl's equaliser. Mercifully taken off for Calafiori.

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  Midfield

  Martin Zubimendi (7/10):

  Positionally and technically fine again, though his contributions paled in comparison to the scorers and midfield partner.

  Declan Rice (8/10):

  Ran through Bayern in the second half like they weren't even there. Unfortunate not to have grabbed an assist for himself with his tremendous set-piece deliveries.

  Eberechi Eze (7/10):

  Technically set up Martinelli though you could probably chalk that one down as a Neuer assist instead. Didn't look out of place on this Champions League stage. Subbed for the returning Odegaard.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (7/10):

  For the most part a thorn in Bayern's side, coming up with the assist for Timber from a corner, but Arsenal fans may be worried about his rusty physicality. Taken off for Martinelli.

  Mikel Merino (6/10):

  Led the line well and had some opportunities to get on the scoresheet with a couple of headers, but lacked that scoring touch this time out.

  Leandro Trossard (5/10):

  Was set through on goal in the opening exchanges but completely fluffed his lines when faced with the onrushing Neuer. Substituted before half-time with an injury.

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  Subs & Manager

  Noni Madueke (8/10):

  Replaced the injured Trossard before the break. Took it upon himself to constantly get at the Bayern defenders and was eventually rewarded with a goal.

  Gabriel Martinelli (8/10):

  Similarly got what he deserved for showing enthusiasm and personality, racing beyond Neuer to add Arsenal's third goal of the evening.

  Riccardo Calafiori (8/10):

  Made an instant impact in place of Lewis-Skelly, putting in a cross that Madueke couldn't miss.

  Ben White (N/A):

  A late replacement for Timber.

  Martin Odegaard (N/A):

  Made his return from injury in place of Eze.

  Mikel Arteta (8/10):

  Credit to the Arsenal boss again. His side drifted to the end of the first half before they grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck, and his substitutions were pivotal to that.

April’s results can often leave lasting first impressions over the course of a season, but May is when those early outcomes are either crystalized or rebutted by the accumulation of a larger sample size. Let’s examine six instances of the latter as teams prepare to pass the 60-game mark—the length of the entire 2020 regular season.

Three Up

1. Andrew Abbott, Cincinnati Reds SP

Cincinnati’s southpaw has flown under the radar the past couple of years while posting a pair of sub-4.00 ERA campaigns, but he deserves recognition for a dominant May during which he led the majors with a 0.55 ERA by giving up just two runs across six starts spanning 32 2/3 innings. And the 26-year-old saved his best outing for last, limiting the highest-scoring offense in the majors to just one hit across seven innings in a win over the Chicago Cubs. That was actually Abbott’s second straight start against Chicago, and he earned a win in both games. He’ll be a serious contender to start the All-Star Game if he continues to excel over the next month.

2. Toronto Blue Jays offense

Only the Kansas City Royals scored fewer runs than the Blue Jays (81) in April. But Toronto tied for sixth in the majors in runs scored (136) in May, boosting the team’s month-to-month OPS from .634 to .785. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk and George Springer all resembled their best selves at the plate last month, and Toronto also got surprisingly robust contributions from utilitymen Addison Barger (.292/.370/.517 slash line) and Ernie Clement (.306/.349/.469). The Jays have ridden a five-game winning streak to within a half-game of the American League’s third wild-card spot, but they sure could use a healthy Max Scherzer to fill out a rotation that’s relied on bullpen games more often than would be preferred early on in the season.

3. San Francisco Giants pitching staff

West Bromwich Albion are currently competing to climb back up the Championship table in an attempt to join the race to gain promotion to the Premier League this season.

A 3-2 win over Swansea last time out has the Baggies in 12th place in the table, four points off the play-offs, and there is plenty of football left to be played.

Aune Heggebo, who joined the club in the summer, scored twice to take his tally to six goals in the Championship this season, per Sofascore, and he is currently one of the most valuable players in the squad.

West Brom's most valuable players

Per Transfermarkt’s valuation system, West Brom’s current first-team squad has a combined value of roughly £71m, and Heggebo contributes to around £5m of that total.

The most valuable player in the squad, unsurprisingly, is central midfielder Isaac Price, who has scored five goals and provided two assists for the Baggies in the league, per Sofascore.

Transfermarkt value the Northern Ireland international at around £10.5m and there have been no recent reports to suggest how much the club value him at internally, amid reported interest from Leeds and Crystal Palace.

As you can see in the table above, loanees Samuel Iling-Junior and Toby Collyer both rank within the top five most valuable players in the squad, whilst Josh Maja, who has only started four league games this season, ranks in third place.

Whilst the Baggies appear to be lacking in highly valuable players who could be sold for big money in the future, there is a former player who could be sold for more than the combined worth of the current squad in January.

The former West Brom player who is now worth more than the entire squad

In the summer of 2019, 16-year-old forward Morgan Rogers opted to move on from The Hawthorns at the end of his contract to sign for Manchester City.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

The Cityzens reportedly paid a compensation fee of near £4m to sign the England youth international, who had made one first-team appearance for the Baggies in the FA Cup against Brighton.

That outing in the FA Cup made Rogers the fourth-youngest player in the club’s history, and the youngest ever in the FA Cup, per Transfermarkt, and Manchester City clearly took note of that.

Things did not work out for the attacking midfielder at The Etihad, unfortunately, but he has since made his way to Aston Villa, via Middlesbrough, and is now a fully-fledged England international.

Rogers has scored 20 goals and provided 21 assists in 89 appearances for Villa, per Transfermarkt, and has scored one goal in 12 caps for the Three Lions.

Because of his impressive form for club and country, the former Baggies youngster is attracting interest from elsewhere and has been given a mammoth valuation.

TEAMtalk reported in November that Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, PSG, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Tottenham have all registered interest in the attacker and claimed that Villa offered Rogers a new deal with a £100m release clause, shortly before it became official that he had put pen to paper on an improved contract.

Towards the end of November, The Mirror reported that the Villans are said to value the England international at a whopping £100m, although they did not mention it as part of a release clause.

Whether you take it to be a release clause or how much Villa will demand from any interested clubs, Rogers appears to be valued at nine figures by the Premier League club, whilst West Brom’s squad is only worth around £71m between every first-team player.

There is no guarantee that he would have gone on to fulfill his potential at The Hawthorns, but it must be bittersweet for the club to see that one of their former players, who they lost for £4m, is now being valued at a staggering £100m, whilst their most valuable player is valued at just over a tenth of that.

Mason must now bin West Brom star who earns more than Heggebo & Johnston

Ryan Mason must now axe this West Bromwich Albion high earner for good.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 26, 2025

The Baggies can only hope that they are able to persuade the next Rogers, should such a talent come through the academy again, to stay at the club, rather than pursue a move elsewhere.

Barcelona have reiterated that they will not “fuel controversies or speculation” when it comes to a possible playing return to Camp Nou for Lionel Messi. The Liga giants are still planning the most “beautiful tribute” to their all-time leading goalscorer, but the Argentine GOAT is under contract in MLS with Inter Miami and appears unlikely to grace European football again.

• American dream: Messi has signed new contract with Inter Miami

  Messi severed career-long ties with Barca in 2021 when joining Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent. An emotional farewell was bid to Catalunya once it became apparent that the funds were not there to hand him a new contract.

  Two years were spent in France before chasing the American dream. Messi, his wife Antonela and their three sons are now settled in South Florida. An extension to lucrative terms has been agreed through 2028.

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• Getty Images
  

  Loan move? Messi sees Camp Nou return mooted

  There remains the possibility that Messi could return to Barca during the MLS offseason, before their calendar is changed, with the 2026 World Cup fast approaching. Messi is eager to ensure that he is fit and firing for Argentina’s global title defence.

  Barca have, however, played down loan talk and club president Joan Laporta continues to distance the Blaugrana from speculation regarding a potential ‘Last Dance’ for Messi in familiar surroundings.

  Quizzed on that topic again at the Foros de Vanguardia forum, Laporta told reporters: “I'm not going to fuel controversies or speculation about things that aren't realistic. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Leo will always be in the collective memory of Barcelona fans. Leo has a contract with a football club.”

  Laporta added on Barca’s plans for Messi, with an exhibition or friendly match having been mooted for some time: “The tribute should take place at a time when we can thank him for everything he's done for Barca. A tribute with a full Camp Nou, with 105,000 Barca fans thanking Messi for everything he's done for the club, could be a beautiful thing.”

  He went on to say of immortalising Messi in statue form, potentially alongside other Barca icons: “People can understand each other by talking. I don't see any problem. We've thought about giving him the most beautiful tribute ever given, and a statue alongside players who have made history. Kubala, [Johan] Cruyff, Messi and Ronaldinho also come to mind. Leo has defined an era and is the best player in history and in Barca's history.”

• Will Messi grace the field at Camp Nou again?

  Messi recently took in a surprise visit to Camp Nou, after seeing that iconic venue enjoy a serious facelift. He posted on social media: “Last night I returned to a place I have missed with all my soul. A place where I was extraordinarily happy, where a thousand times you made me feel like the happiest person in the world. I hope one day I can come back, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to.”

  Messi has since revealed that he and Antonela are planning a return to Barcelona at some stage. That is not, however, expected to see him grace a legendary No.10 jersey again.

  Sporting director Deco has said of the Messi transfer rumours: “I don't think it's possible because Leo is under contract and it was never even considered. Leo is always Leo, and he could still contribute something; he's a great player, but it's not something we're going to talk about. The current situation is entirely speculative.”

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  Messi's record: Games & goals ahead of MLS Cup final

  Messi made 778 appearances for Barca after stepping out of their fabled La Masia academy system. He scored 672 goals, winning 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns. It was during that time that he cemented a standing as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

  He now has eight Ballons d’Or to his name and is the most decorated player in history. An opportunity to land another major honour will present itself on Saturday when Inter Miami face Vancouver in the 2025 MLS Cup final.

Pete Crow-Armstrong got off to a hot start in July with four hits in eight at-bats during two Chicago Cubs wins over the Cleveland Guardians at Wrigley Field. It was the kind of performance that deserved a proper tribute from the home crowd and PCA got it on Thursday when he showed up at the ballpark to find 19 fans lined up in a row with his full name painted on their chests.

But there are only 17 letters in Pete Crow-Armstrong you might be thinking. Well, they not only had a hyphen, but they also had someone with no shirt playing the space between his first and last name.

The American League All-Star pitching staff will look a little bit different on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

New York Yankees lefthander Max Fried has been replaced on the roster by teammate and fellow southpaw Carlos Rodon, MLB announced Friday.

Fried, who in all likelihood would have pitched an inning in the game, is scheduled to start for the Yankees on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, meaning he'd be pitching on just two days rest in the Midsummer Classic. In taking his place, Rodon, Friday's scheduled starter for the Yankees, would be pitching on three days' rest in the All-Star Game.

The two southpaws have headlined New York's Gerrit Cole-less starting rotation, helping to stabilize the club's pitching staff in the wake of Cole's season-ending surgery in March. Fried leads the MLB in wins and ranks third in the AL with a 2.27 ERA. Meanwhile, Rodon has pitched to a 3.30 ERA and has recorded the sixth-most strikeouts in baseball with 127.

Fried and Rodon are joined by fellow Yankees Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the AL roster. The All-Star Game is at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.

Upon his £30m transfer back in the summer of 2004, no Manchester United supporter could have imagined the huge impact Wayne Rooney would have on the club.

The Englishman spent 13 years at Old Trafford, subsequently appearing in 559 outings in the process – currently sitting on the list for the club’s all-time appearance makers.

Such a time frame allowed the forward to reach phenomenal levels with the Red Devils, racking up a total of 253 goals at an average of one strike every 2.2 matches.

Rooney’s subsequent tally has made him their record goalscorer, with such a record still standing to this day and putting him ahead of the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton.

His phenomenal tallies catapulted Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to five Premier League titles during his stint in the North West, helping make the club one of the most successful in English history.

Fast-forward to the present day, current boss Ruben Amorim has found his own version of the fan-favourite, but it’s not in the form of one player who many would expect.

Benjamin Sesko’s start to life at United

After scoring just 44 times in England’s top-flight last season, it was crucial United invested in landing a new talisman – with Benjamin Sesko the man chosen by the hierarchy to lead the line.

The Slovenian cost a reported £74m including add-ons from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, but it’s safe to say his start in England has been a slow burner and taken time to explode into life.

He failed to score in any of his first six outings for the Red Devils, but the 22-year-old has managed to produce the goods in each of the last couple of outings.

Sesko has scored in each of his last two Premier League outings for Amorim’s side, with his latest strike helping them claim a needed victory against newly-promoted Sunderland at the Theatre of Dreams.

It may be early days into his career in England, but he’s already shown glimpses of quality that could make him a fan-favourite for many years to come – potentially even catapulting them to new levels of success.

However, he’s not the player who could emulate Rooney at Old Trafford, with one other first-team member closer to being similar to the Englishman in the future.

Man United's new Rooney

In their attempts to land top-level talents, United have spent over £800m on new signings in the last four years to try and catapult themselves back up the Premier League table.

Most of such funds have been wasted on players that, unfortunately, aren’t at the level required for success, as seen by the club’s 15th-placed standing last campaign.

Amorim was unable to extract the most out of the squad, which undoubtedly led to Sesko’s addition during the summer to prevent such a scenario from happening once again in the future.

However, he has already featured alongside Bruno Fernandes, with the Portuguese international a player who massively starred despite the struggles on the pitch in 2024/25.

The 31-year-old scored 19 times and registered 18 assists across all competitions, with such a tally being by far and away the highest of any player in the first-team squad.

Such numbers make him similar to Rooney in terms of being the Red Devils’ main talisman, but it’s another aspect of his game which has seen him emulate the Englishman.

After the hierarchy’s £200m spending spree in the summer, it saw three attacking-minded players enter the club, which has seen Bruno have to shift roles as a result.

Fernandes, who’s been labelled “world-class” by United writer Liam Canning, has since been forced to operate in a deeper midfield role, something which Rooney did during the latter stages of his career at Old Trafford.

Whilst such a decision saw the Englishman net fewer goals in his final years, his passing ability made him a phenomenal option in that area – with Bruno emulating such levels, as seen by his tally of 82% of passes completed in 2025/26.

The Portuguese international may have to suffer in terms of his goalscoring tallies, but his ability to dictate the play could be a huge asset for Amorim’s side in the years ahead.

His passing ability could be crucial for Sesko if the Slovenian is to be a success at Old Trafford, with huge pressure being placed on the youngster to provide the goods in the Premier League.

However, neither player will likely reach the cult hero status of Rooney at the Theatre of Dreams, with the manager undoubtedly wishing he could call upon such a player in the present day.

The new Yorke & Cole: Man Utd's "superb double-act" could save Amorim's job

Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke famously scored 53 goals as Manchester United won the treble in 1998/99, but has Rúben Amorim found a new “electric” duo?

By
Ben Gray

Oct 7, 2025