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Newcastle United have won five of their six matches across all competitions in October, and the latest phase in Eddie Howe’s plan is starting to take shape.

It’s another trip to St. James’ Park for Fulham in December, with Newcastle drawn against the Cottagers for the Carabao Cup quarter-final. Tottenham Hotspur were put to the sword on Wednesday evening, and the cup defence moves forward.

Howe made changes after that weekend win over Fulham, whose grit was spilt open when Bruno Guimaraes struck low and true on 90 minutes to seal a 2-1 win and allow United to make headway in the Premier League.

Sandro Tonali was rested for that one, replacing Lewis Miley after the hour mark. Against Spurs, the Italian took centre stage, and he dominated and dictated and took home the Player of the Match award.

He really is the difference-maker for the Magpies.

Why Sandro Tonali is Newcastle's main man

It wasn’t always this way. After Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan for a hefty £55m fee in 2023, he would struggle to adapt to the Premier League climate before being hit with a lengthy ban for betting breaches, cutting his debut campaign short, with just 12 appearances made.

But he bounced back last year, forming an ever-tighter relationship with Guimaraes and Joelinton in the centre of the park. The synergised midfield charged a wonderful winning run of form and carried the Toon toward Wembley and victory in the Carabao Cup final.

Now, Tonali is “the best midfielder in the Premier League”, according to pundit Paul Scholes. Whether this is true is open to debate, but he’s certainly in amongst the pack, and the fans would not see him swapped for any other number six in the business.

Against Tottenham, Tonali ran the show, effortlessly good as he defended and attacked and guided the flow of the contest where he pleased.

So energetic and enterprising in his central berth, Tonali covered so much ground against Thomas Frank’s side, and it was his whipped delivery that found Fabian Schar’s head in the box and set the home side on their way.

Newcastle have hit the jackpot with this Serie A star, and, while the season is still young, they appear to have done it again.

Newcastle's new version of Tonali

Newcastle are well-stocked across the field. Tonali is the superstar in the centre, but Guimaraes is too, and Howe has recrafted a frontline with talents like Nick Woltemade, who scored against Spurs and has the potential to be one of the best forwards in the country.

But there was a need to reinforce the St. James’ Park defensive line, too, and Malick Thiaw was chosen to join the project this summer, following the footsteps of his former teammate Tonali at AC Milan.

Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle signed Thiaw in a £35m deal this summer. A talented defender, the German international had suffered regular injury setbacks in Milan, never starting more than 19 Serie A games in any one of his three campaigns.

But he has long been regarded as a “monster in the air” by the likes of journalist Martino Puccio, and he has developed one of the most underrated passing games from any centre-back across Europe.

Now, having started Newcastle’s past five Premier League fixtures and having excelled once again in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham, it’s safe to say Howe has got bang for his buck.

Against the Lilywhites, it was an all-encompassing performance, one that has only reaffirmed his quality and potential inside this squad. Marvelling at the display, Sky Sports’ Keith Downie hailed the player as being “an incredible piece of business” for the club.

Minutes played

90′

Goals conceded

0

Touches

50

Shots (on target)

2 (1)

Accurate passes

38/39 (97%)

Big chances created

1

Possession lost

2x

Tackles won

1/1

Interceptions

3

Recoveries

1

Duels won

2/7

Thiaw’s teething problems have been far less painful. Upon arrival, it was clear Newcastle had landed a progressive centre-half with qualities to advance Howe’s vision. As per data-driven platform FBref, the German ranks among the top 9% of defenders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 18% for progressive passes per 90.

He is, quite simply, a cut above, and the Chronicle Live handed the ace an 8/10 match rating after he was done with Tottenham, remarking that he didn’t put a foot wrong.

In truth, that score could have been higher still. Not only commanding defensively, Thiaw also got stuck in from an attacking standpoint, winning the ball and adding to the attack ahead of Woltemade’s second-half strike.

In the Premier League, in fact, Sofascore record that Tonali has won 71% of his duels so far this season, completing 88% of his passes and recovering four balls on average each match.

There’s a long way still to go this season, but Newcastle’s two Milan-schooled talents are shaping up to be two of the key components in a campaign which promises so much for the outfit.

Given that we can reasonably expect Thiaw to polish and refine his skillset over the coming months, there’s a sense that United might even have landed one of Europe’s most talented in their position. And in that, he might soon sit alongside Tonali.

Not just Joelinton: Newcastle's "true legend" may now be on borrowed time

Newcastle may well part ways with this Howe mainstay at the end of the campaign.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

NEW YORK — He heard the boos in 2022, when he followed his American League MVP season with seven strikeouts in the first two games of the division series. He heard the gasps of his teammates when the Guardians intentionally walked Juan Soto to face him in the DS last year. He heard the questions over the last three years about whether, after carrying his teammates to October every year, he was letting them down when they got there. 

On Tuesday, as he watched his rocket to left field to see whether it would stay fair, save the Yankees’ season and rewrite his postseason legacy, Aaron Judge heard only silence. 

“You just got so much adrenaline pumping and you’re so locked in on the moment,” he said. The noise only turned back on for him as he rounded third base to tie a game the Yankees would win 9–6 to stave off elimination and force Game 4 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays. Toronto had led Game 3 6–1 in the top of the third; the comeback was tied for the second largest in MLB history to avoid postseason elimination, and also tied the second-largest postseason comeback in franchise history. 

The moment was both impossible and inevitable. The question surrounding Judge most of this year was not whether he would win his third AL MVP award in four years (almost certainly yes) but whether he would finally play to his talent level in the postseason (much less clear). He has always rejected that narrative, but ignoring it has not made it go away. Only producing moments like he did on Tuesday can do that. 

Just before the chaos, there was that instant of stillness, as Judge at the plate, Toronto reliever Louis Varland on the mound, Trent Grisham at first base and Austin Wells at second all wondered if this would be just another missed opportunity. “I felt like I made good contact, and I thought we had a chance,” Judge said. “You just never know with the wind, if it's going to push it foul, going to keep curving or not. But I guess a couple ghosts out there helped kind of keep that fair.”

Ghosts and wrists, perhaps. Even if the moment had been lesser, the shot would still have been impressive: It came off a 99.7-mph fastball 1.2 feet from the center of the plate, almost at his elbows. It was the first time since MLB began tracking such things in 2008 that a hitter homered off a pitch thrown so hard and also so far inside. Considering how much velocity has increased in recent years, there’s a good chance it’s the first time in MLB history.

No one who has ever tried to do that could believe it. 

“It would be in the catcher’s glove if I tried to do that,” said Wells.

“I can’t even comprehend,” said reliever Tim Hill. 

“We all went over the video in the dugout after that about 10 times,” said second baseman Jazz Chisholm. 

“I get yelled at for swinging at them out of the zone, but now I’m getting praised for it,” Judge said wryly, his only acknowledgement of the criticism. Mostly he stuck to well-worn phrases: “Just trying to do my job, what I’ve been trying to do all year. Not trying to do too much. Guy’s on base, drive him in. If no one’s on base, try to get a rally going. That’s all you can do.”

He is now hitting .500 this postseason. Even that performance, though, had not been enough: He had produced only walks and singles, and they had come in such low-leverage moments that in the first two games of the DS he had actually made the Yankees 0.69% less likely to win the World Series, according to Baseball Reference. In his one key at-bat, down two with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth inning of Game 1, he struck out waving at what he realized immediately would have been ball four. 

“Definitely,” he said afterward. “I think all you guys saw that.”

The narrative is not always fair, and it is not always easy to overcome. Ted Williams got 25 career postseason at-bats, had hits in five of them and was forever thought of as someone who didn’t come through when it mattered. Barry Bonds hit .471 and slugged 1.294 in the 2002 World Series, but the Giants lost and he’d hit .196 in his previous five Octobers, so no one cared. Mike Trout has one hit in 15 postseason plate appearances; barring an Angels organizational turnaround, his career will be seen as a missed opportunity. 

Before Tuesday, in 20 high-leverage postseason plate appearances, Judge had three walks, two singles and a double for a batting average of .176 and a slugging percentage of .235. He had never homered. (League average in those spots was a .225 average and a .377 slugging percentage.) 

“I don’t worry about Aaron and his state, even understanding all the outside noise,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. (For his part, Blue Jays manager John Schneider joked that his plan for attacking Judge the rest of the way was to hope “he gets a bad night’s sleep and has some bad food tonight or something like that. Give him credit, man, that was a ridiculous swing.”)

After the Blue Jays jumped out to that 6–1 lead, the Yankees embarked on what felt like a sequence emblematic of their season: a furious comeback attempt that would fall short. But Grisham and Judge led off the bottom of the third with back-to-back doubles, and Cody Bellinger singled to make it 6–3. With one out in the fourth, Wells popped a ball to short left field and took second in astonishment as third baseman Addison Barger failed to come up with it. Grisham worked a walk. As he stood at first base, he thought, . 

“Knowing the moment, knowing how he is, his personality—it just felt like the right time,” Grisham said afterward.

Varland’s first pitch was a knuckle curve that Judge chopped foul down the third-base line. Next came a 100-mph fastball down the middle that Judge could not catch up to. With an 0–2 count, Varland uncorked that 100-mph fastball up and in. Judge caught up. 

“I think it’s all timing,” Judge said. “That’s what a lot of hitting comes down to. If you’re not ready to swing and ready early, you’re not going to hit anything. After he blew my doors off on the pitch before, I said, ” He added, “He’s got all the leverage, so he’s probably in attack mode, is what I’m thinking. You’ve got to attack that head-on. You can’t be passive or try to be scared in the box. You’ve just got to trust your play and trust your gut and kind of see what happens.”

After what happened, Jazz Chisholm’s go-ahead home run and Wells’s single to drive in an insurance run in the fifth felt almost like formalities. But that the Yankees got 6 ⅔ scoreless innings from a sometimes beleaguered bullpen bodes well for them.

The Blue Jays are still in the better position, needing only one win in the next two games, but somehow it doesn’t feel that way after they blew a five-run lead for the first time this season. In Game 4, the Yankees will start Cam Schlittler, who last week in the winner-take-all AL wild card series Game 3 against his hometown Red Sox authored one of the best playoff games of all time (eight innings, no runs, no walks, 12 strikeouts). The Blue Jays will counter with a bullpen game. After six relievers pitched on Tuesday, the Yankees’ hitters have now seen every arm on the staff. And if they can force a Game 5, anything can happen there. 

Judge’s legacy is still incomplete—and in New York, he will be a disappointment until he wins a World Series. (Perhaps until he wins several.) If they lose on Wednesday, this season will still be a failure. Judge knows that as well as anyone—and for as much as he tries to keep an even keel, he believes as much himself. But for one night, at least, he quieted the noise. 

Bavuma, part of the series defeats in 2015 and 2019, hails South Africa after their 2-0 sweep of India

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-20256:06

Karim: ‘Harmer’s variations upset India batters’

Temba Bavuma hailed South Africa’s “incredible achievement” as they completed a 2-0 clean sweep over India, winning their first series in the country in 25 years. Bavuma, who was part of the squad when South Africa lost 3-0 in India in 2019 – and 3-0 in 2015 – said the victory tasted even “sweeter” as he knows the feeling of being “on the other side of the result.””It’s not every day that you get to think that you can come to India and walk away with a 2-0 series win,” Bavuma said after South Africa trounced India in Guwahati by 408 runs, their second-highest margin of victory ever by runs. “I think what makes it sweeter as well for some of us within the group is the fact that we’ve been on the other side of the result.South Africa, the reigning World Test Champions, have been on an incredible run in Test cricket in the last year and a bit. Since August 2024, they have lost only one out of 15 Tests, with Bavuma winning all of his 12 Tests as captain. According to Bavuma, the positive change in mindset and “guys wanting to be the men for the team” have been the biggest reasons behind South Africa’s recent success.Related

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• SA coach Shukri Conrad: 'Wanted them to really grovel'

• Harmer flips Test cricket in India upside down

“There’s a big shift in our mindset in terms of what we want to do when we’re out there on the field of play,” Bavuma said. “We want to play what is in front of us and adapt accordingly. Guys go out there quite clear on their roles and what they’re trying to do. There’s a strong sense in each other that anyone on their day can do it for the team. As a captain, sometimes it’s very hard to take the ball out of the bowler’s hands. Everyone wants to continue bowling and you see it with the batting as well.”We don’t have the guys who go on and score big 150s and all, but we’ll have four or five different guys going on to score 60s and 70s. I can go on forever about the team, but I feel like the team is in a good space.”

‘Struggled to take the ball out of Harmer and Maharaj’s hands’

Bavuma also heaped praise on his two premier spinners, Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj, particularly pointing out the competitiveness between the two, which in turn has boded well for the team. That South Africa won the Test series with Kagiso Rabada out due to injury impressed Bavuma even more.”Simon, as a spinner, as a player, he’s got the wealth of experience,” Bavuma said. “He complements Keshav quite well. A little bit on the taller side, a bit more guile with the ball. What I appreciate is the competitiveness between the two. They are the two guys that I have struggled to take the ball out of their hands.Simon Harmer and Aiden Markram celebrate Rishabh Pant’s wicket•Associated Press

“Simon was the man for us in this series. We’re so used to Kesh being that guy. We’re in a good space from a bowling point of view. A guy like Simon, Kesh as well on his days, them stepping up, having lost a guy like KG [Rabada] who was a big player for us, again speaks about the need for the guys to want to do it for the team.”For Harmer, this was a sweet comeback after ten years. Having toured India back in 2015, with limited returns, he finished the two-match series with 17 wickets in four innings at an incredible average of 8.94 and said he will now go back with “a lot more fond memories”.”It’s been a long road,” Harmer said after winning the Player-of-the-Series award. “Ten years later, back here, completely different feelings. I’m going to leave with a lot more fond memories than I did the last time but I think as a whole, as a team, for us to leave here 2-0, that was always the goal. And for us to get over the line against a very good Indian team, I think it was a hell of an effort.”Despite an incredible series, Harmer is not guaranteed a place in the starting XI, with Maharaj being South Africa’s preferred spinner, particularly at home.”Keshav’s record speaks for itself. He’s an incredible bowler and he deserves to be the number one spinner,” he said. “I’m very happy playing the supporting role and if the opportunity presents itself for me to play, I try and take it with both hands. At the end of the day, I just need to make sure that I’m getting better, keep trying to evolve, keep trying to get better.”

A quick explainer for the controversy in the Asia Cup Rising Stars game and the new law for boundary catching

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2025There was controversy and confusion during Pakistan A’s win over India A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars on November 16, when a relay catch between India A fielders Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir was given not out by the third umpire.Pakistan A opener Maaz Sadaqat took on India A spinner Suyash Sharma at the start of the 10th over of the chase, looking to clear the cow corner boundary. Wadhera ran to his right from deep midwicket and caught the ball, but, before momentum took him over the boundary rope, lobbed it towards Dhir, who was running back from long-on.The third umpire deemed the catch not legal, because of the interpretation of the new ICC rules about fielders making contact with the ball after jumping from outside the boundary.The new rule, which has been in effect since June this year, states that if a fielder jumps from beyond the rope and makes contact with the ball, he then has to first land back within the field of play for it to be out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the case of the Wadhera-Dhir catch, Wadhera clearly caught the ball and released it while still within the field of play. Even though his foot was in the air over the rope, it was still considered within the field of play according to the rules, as he had not grounded his foot beyond the rope.He tossed the ball to Dhir and then stepped over the boundary rope and outside the field of play. It should not have mattered that he landed outside the rope as he was not in contact with the ball after going beyond the rope. It also should not have mattered that he was outside the rope when Dhir took the catch. So even by the new rules, the catch should have been given out.ESPNcricinfo checked with two experienced international umpires and both confirmed the decision taken was a misinterpretation of the laws by the third umpire to rule this not out.So Wadhera and Dhir were unlucky to have their catch disallowed. Subsequently, the umpires also incorrectly ruled it a dot ball, and not a six.Sadaqat, who was batting on 56 at the time, finished unbeaten on 79 as Pakistan A chased the target of 137 in the 13.2 overs.

England’s attack leader endures a luckless day with DRS but still prises out two key wickets

Matt Roller02-Jul-2025

Chris Woakes trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal in front, and the batter survived on umpire’s call•PA Images via Getty Images

“That is a f***ing joke,” Chris Woakes was caught muttering to himself on Edgbaston’s giant screen, after umpire Sharfuddoula’s on-field decision of not out was upheld via umpire’s call by the DRS. It was out of earshot, but reflected both a rare outward glimpse of Woakes’ inner steel and his disbelief that he would end a faultless opening spell with a solitary wicket to his name.It was also a moment that summed up England’s mood on the first day, as their attack toiled hard with some success only to walk off at the close with India slightly ahead of the game after being sent in. Woakes was the clear pick of the attack, although his figures of 2 for 59 from 18 overs failed to reflect the problems that he caused, particularly with the new ball.The specific source of Woakes’ chagrin was an lbw shout against Karun Nair that he was convinced should have been given out. Nair shouldered arms to a ball delivered from wide on the crease, which ball-tracking projected would have gone on to hit some – but not enough – of his off stump. It left him seething to the extent that he even called for a law change.Related

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“I need to be careful: I’ve had some [decisions] go my way over the years,” Woakes said. “In general, DRS has been good for the game. A lot more right decisions are given [than before]. The only thing I would like to come in is that if a batsman decides to leave the ball and it’s still hitting the stumps, I think that should be out – regardless if it’s clipping or not.”It was the second umpire’s call lbw in three overs that went against him, and the first could have changed the course of the day. Woakes told his team-mates in the huddle that the ball – from over the wicket to the left-hand batter – had “100 %” pitched in line and was vindicated by the DRS, but HawkEye projected a bail-trimmer, which meant Yashasvi Jaiswal survived on 12.”We could have easily had them 30 for 3,” Woakes said. “It was a pretty frustrating morning, really. Obviously emotions run high when you are desperate to do well for the team, do well for yourself, and it would’ve been nice… had those decisions gone our way, the day looks completely different, but that is Test cricket and we move on.”His first wicket came between the two referrals, and was the culmination of a severe working-over for KL Rahul. Woakes’ lengths were far more consistent at Edgbaston than they had been at Headingley last week, and his line was immaculate. Rahul played out consecutive maidens but, after two tight leaves, chopped the ball on to his stumps while defending off the back foot.2:06

‘Frustrating’ – Woakes on the DRS decisions that went India’s way

Woakes celebrated with a look to the skies, in memory of his late father Roger, who died last May. Woakes has a new tattoo dedicated to his father and has felt his absence keenly at his home venue. “He’s always on my mind, that’s for sure,” he said, his voice wavering. “There are moments where you certainly think about him. He loved his cricket; he would’ve loved this week.”But his plan to Nair eventually paid dividends against another batter: in his third spell, after a change of ends – and umpires – Woakes went wide on the crease, convincing Nitish Kumar Reddy to leave the ball alone. It nipped in off the seam to take out his off stump, highlighting Woakes’ adjustment to a slow pitch where bowled and lbw were the main modes of dismissal.”It felt like the stumps were in play all day,” Woakes said. “It didn’t feel like a massive nick-off wicket, to be honest; it didn’t feel like it had the pace in it for that… It was something which we were looking for. Basically, it was trying to find the right length that allowed you to be full enough not to get driven, but still bring the stumps into play.”0:53

Aaron: Marked improvement by the English bowling unit

Woakes made an inauspicious start to this series, taking 1 for 148 across 43 overs at Headingley, and had been noticeably struggling for rhythm. It was no surprise that he looked sharper on Wednesday, in only his fourth first-class appearance of 2025 – “I’ve always been better for overs under the belt,” he has previously said – not least given the venue.”Across a career, you don’t get that many games at your home venue: this is my fourth Test match here. They are really special weeks. You have a lot of friends and family in the ground, and I’ve got a lot of love for Warwickshire, which goes deep. It’s all I’ve ever known… There’s a lot of people behind the scenes who support you through the good times and the bad.”Woakes spent 18 months either injured or out of favour between the end of Joe Root’s tenure as captain and the 16th Test of the Stokes-McCullum era, but has since become an integral part of England’s attack again. They have only lost once with him in the side in the last two years, and at 36, he has finally emerged from James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s considerable shadows.A hard-earned reputation as one of cricket’s good guys has sometimes worked against Woakes, making it relatively easy for coaches to leave him out – or for umpires to turn down his appeals. But today his obvious exasperation reflected a self-evident truth: reaching this level of sport demands talent, but staying there for as long as Woakes has demands tenacity, too.

Celtic manager target Kieran McKenna is now thought to be keen on leaving Ipswich Town to take over at Parkhead, and he is a frontrunner alongside one other boss.

What McKenna has said about Celtic job

The Ipswich Town boss has been linked with taking over from Brendan Rodgers in Glasgow, with the Hoops taking their time in regards to appointing their next permanent manager.

Martin O’Neill is currently doing a solid job in interim charge, defeating Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park at the beginning of November.

O’Neill’s first game in caretaker charge was a 4-0 win over Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, and talking after that, McKenna was quizzed on a potential move to Parkhead. A Hoops supporter growing up, McKenna called Celtic “a really big football club” but was coy on any move north.

“It’s not something that I’ve followed greatly. I used to coach Martin’s nephew, which is my closest link to Martin O’Neill. Rory Fallon, who is a very good footballer and no other big links there. I think he got a good result last night.

“It’s a really big football club growing up. Again, we all have our affinities. I don’t think everyone has to go around and announce what they were. There are clubs that we support and clubs that we follow.

“But yeah, of course, it’s a really big football club. Again, we’re in a really busy, really important stage of the season, going into international next week with three big games.”

Celtic manager twist on Martin O'Neill after Desmond relationship revealed

Now, a new promising development has emerged over McKenna moving to Glasgow.

Kieran McKenna "wants the Celtic job"

Speaking to The Go Radio Football Show, relayed by 67 Hail Hail, journalist Mark Guidi claimed that McKenna “wants the Celtic job” and is a “clear front runner” for the vacancy alongside Bodo/Glimt’s Kjetil Knutsen, 57.

Guidi also hailed the work O’Neill has done so far in his short interim period.

McKenna’s Ipswich side currently sit 10th in the Championship with a game in hand, three points outside the playoffs.

Games

187

Wins

87

Draws

50

Losses

50

Players used

81

Many would have expected the Tractor Boys to make an immediate return to the Premier League under the “sensational” McKenna after splashing the cash, but by the looks of things, a move to Celtic for the manager is a possibility.

Manchester United made it three successive wins in the Premier League at the weekend when they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Bryan Mbeumo was, arguably, the star of the show with his two impressive goals for the Red Devils, taking his tally for the season to five goals since his move from Brentford.

The Cameroon international was not the only United star who caught the eye with an excellent display for Ruben Amorim in the win over the Seagulls, though.

Experienced central midfielder Casemiro impressed with his performance in the middle of the park, although his goal was rather fortunate with the deflection off Ayari.

The Brazil international provided a goal and an assist, whilst winning four of his six ground duels (Sofascore), in the 4-2 win for United, which shows that he was effective in and out of possession.

Despite producing an eye-catching display for the Premier League giants alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield, Manchester United may be starting to think about what life will look like after Casemiro.

Why Man Utd need a replacement for Casemiro

The Brazilian midfielder will be 34 when his contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether or not the club will exercise their option to extend it by a further year.

This means that they may be looking at who will take his place in midfield alongside Bruno in the mid-to-long-term. Kobbie Mainoo, though, may not be that player, for reasons outlined by Amorim.

As shown in the comments above, the Portuguese head coach views the England international as an alternative to Bruno, rather than as a defensive option to take Casemiro’s spot.

That leaves Manuel Ugarte as the only natural replacement within the current first-team squad. That is a concern because his performances for the club last season left far too much to be desired.

24/25 PL

Manuel Ugarte

Rank vs midfielders

Non-penalty goals

0.05

Bottom 41%

xAG

0.06

Bottom 30%

Shot-creating actions

1.56

Bottom 16%

Progressive passes

3.08

Bottom 18%

Progressive carries

0.81

Bottom 23%

Passes into the final third

2.96

Bottom 36%

Passes into the penalty area

0.45

Bottom 20%

Stats via FBref

Ugarte, as shown in the statistics above, was among the worst midfielders in the division in a host of key possession-based metrics, which shows that he does not offer enough on the ball.

Casemiro has had a turbulent time at Old Trafford, as shown in the graphic below, but his recent performance against Brighton shows that he can still offer quality in and out of possession.

With Amorim’s view of Mainoo and Ugarte’s lack of quality, Manchester United may have to look elsewhere to find a replacement for the former Real Madrid star.

Man Utd preparing offer for Premier League midfielder

The Red Devils appear to have identified that as an issue in the squad, as they are reportedly looking to sign a new midfielder in the next window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to TuttoJuve, Manchester United are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Chelsea’s versatile midfielder Andrey Santos in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Premier League giants and Juventus are both keen on a move for the Brazil international, as they look to bolster their midfields ahead of the second half of the campaign.

TuttoJuve adds that both clubs are preparing to make offers to sign the 21-year-old starlet, which suggests that they are both serious about a deal for his services.

Al-Qadsiah had an offer of around £60m (£59.5m) turned down for the midfielder last month. This suggests that United and Juventus will need to be in or above that ballpark if they want to snap him up in January.

Why Man Utd should sign Andrey Santos

The Red Devils should be pushing to beat Juventus to Santos’ signature in the January transfer window, even if it costs north of £60m, because he could be the perfect long-term replacement for Casemiro.

He has only started two of his seven appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, two midfielders who cost over £100m each, ahead of him. This means that he has not had too much of an opportunity to shine for the Blues.

His performances whilst on loan at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 last season, though, suggest that he has the quality in and out of possession to be a dream signing for United to replace Casemiro in the defensive midfield role in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

Santos, including the stunning strike in the clip above, scored 11 goals and provided four assists in all competitions for Strasbourg in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he can make a big impact in possession from a central midfield position.

Analyst Ben Mattinson described the Brazilian star as a “duel monster” who “has everything you want in a CM”, and his statistics in Ligue 1 last season back up that claim, as he was influential all over the pitch.

24/25 Ligue 1

Andrey Santos

Percentile rank vs CMs

Goals

10

Top 1%

Assists

3

Top 20%

Passes completed

1,400

Top 7%

Successful dribbles

18

Top 18%

Fouls won

63

Top 1%

Tackles won

110

Top 1%

Duels won

228

Top 2%

Duel success rate

66.7%

Top 5%

Blocked shots

14

Top 14%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Santos excelled in virtually every aspect of the game, as a scorer, a passer, an assister, a dribbler, a duel winner, a tackler, a blocker. He did it all for Strasbourg.

These statistics suggest that the 21-year-old star has all the qualities that Amorim would want from his defensive and combative midfield player next to Bruno, because he has the defensive and duel-winning skills to screen the defence, whilst still being good enough to make an impact in possession.

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Posts BySean Markus Clifford Oct 27, 2025

Therefore, he could take the best qualities of Ugarte and Mainoo and combine them to be a complete star for United in the middle of the park as Casmeiro’s long-term replacement, as he is 12 years younger than his international teammate.

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ESPNcricinfo staff