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Arsenal are now in pole position to sign Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, and they are expected to reignite their interest in the summer, according to a report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Arsenal board will hand Mikel Arteta a summer transfer budget of £150m, according to The Independent, and the manager's main priority will be bringing in a new midfielder, with West Ham United's Declan Rice emerging as the main target.

Given that West Ham are expected to demand £100m for Rice, the England international is affordable, however signing him would deplete a large chunk of the transfer budget, leaving Arteta with limited funds to strengthen elsewhere.

As such, the manager could look at bringing in a lower-cost alternative, with Southampton's Romeo Lavia "on the radar", according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, while Caicedo is another potential option.

At the start of May, it was reported that the Gunners were set to make an offer for the Ecuadorian, and they seemingly have a good chance of landing him, with Football Insider now reporting they are in pole position for his signature.

Despite Chelsea also sharing a long-term interest in the Brighton star, it is the north London club that are currently leading the race, and they are expected to reignite their interest in the upcoming window.

The Seagulls are now resigned to losing the 21-year-old, who is valued at £70m – £80m, and they have already found a replacement in Bourssia Dortmund's Mahmoud Dahoud.

Should Arsenal sign Rice or Caicedo?

Caicedo could be as much as £30m cheaper than Rice, and there are indications he could be better than the Englishman, at least in a defensive sense, having made far more tackles in the Premier League this season.

The starlet has made the second-highest number of tackles in the entire top flight, while he has also recorded a superior pass-completion rate over the past year, averaging 88.4% per 90, compared to 86.3% from Rice.

That said, the Ecuador international does have very limited attacking attributes, recording just one goal and one assist in all competitions this season, with the West Ham star amassing nine goal contributions.

As such, while Rice is likely to cost far more money, he is a more well-rounded player, and he is far more proven in the Premier League, having made over 200 appearances in the competition, while Caicedo has made just 42.

Rain helped Yorkshire notch their first NatWest T20 Blast win of the season by just one run against Derbyshire at Headingley

ECB Reporters Network19-Jun-2016
ScorecardAdam Lyth continued his good form as Yorkshire sneaked to victory on DLS•Getty Images

Rain helped Yorkshire notch their first NatWest T20 Blast win of the season by just one run against Derbyshire at Headingley. Chasing a modest 154 target, Yorkshire were 67 for 3 in nine overs when light rain swept across the ground, exactly the score they required to win the game under the Duckworth Lewis Stern method.After losing their first three matches in the competition and then having two no-results, this was just the result that bottom-of-the-table Yorkshire needed and it brought some comfort to the 7,114 fans who turned out on a dreary afternoon.Put in to bat, Derbyshire were never able to bring any real momentum to their innings and they were partly held in check by offspinner, Azeem Rafiq, who has been brought back to Yorkshire on contract until the end of the season. Man-of-the-match Rafiq, who was the county’s Twenty20 captain for a spell, was playing his first game in almost exactly two seasons and he was brought back after some impressive performances with the 2nd XI.”It was a brilliant day for me but it was even more important that we got over the line,” Rafiq said. “I really enjoyed myself and it was nice to get a wicket with my fourth ball. Kane had the idea in his mind to bring me on early and he mentioned it to me before the game, so I was ready for it when I came on.”I have been playing for Yorkshire seconds for the last couple of weeks and feel in a good rhythm and I am happy where my cricket is at. I was asked by second team coach Ian Dews if I wanted a game or two and I jumped at the chance.”Rafiq struck with only his fourth delivery having come on at 18 for the loss of Neil Broom’s wicket. His second ball was smacked for four by Chesney Hughes who then sliced him high to Liam Plunkett at cover.It became 35 for 3 in Rafiq’s next over as Hamish Rutherford was caught at deep mid-off by Adam Lyth for 15 and although Rafiq was less successful in a later spell he still finished with figures of 2 for 33 from his four overs and also held on to two good catches. Left-arm spinner Karl Carver also bowled well to claim 1 for 17 from three overs but the best figures were returned by Tim Bresnan who finished with 3 for 22.Too many of Derbyshire’s batsmen got out to miscued shots that sailed into the hands of waiting fielders and although Shiv Thakor reached 30 and James Neesham and Alex Hughes made it into the 20s no one played the big innings that the Falcons were looking for.The best stand was for the fifth wicket, Thakor and Neesham adding 44 together before Neesham skied Plunkett to Gary Ballance at cover, his 23-ball innings containing three fours and a six.Yorkshire’s one-day captain, Alex Lees, dropped himself from the match in order to accommodate the in-form Lyth who blasted centuries on consecutive days in 50-over matches last week, New Zealand skipper, Kane Williamson, taking over the reins.With rain threatening, Yorkshire needed to keep up with the required rate and Lyth made sure that they did, hitting Wayne Madsen just over deep mid-on for four in the first over and driving a straight six off Ben Cotton. David Willey was lbw to Madsen for 8 to make it 26 for 1 in the fourth over but Lyth went on to blast Neesham for four and six while Williamson drove Madsen sweetly for six.Having faced 16 deliveries for his 30 from 16 balls with three fours and two sixes, Lyth attempted to reverse sweep Matt Critchley but missed and was lbw.Yorkshire had two of the best batsmen in the world together with Williamson and Joe Root at the crease. But with the score at 60 Williamson was out to a cruel piece of misfortune, Root driving the ball back to Alex Hughes who brushed it into the stumps with the Kiwi just out of his crease.With their strong batting line-up, Yorkshire would have been favourites to reach their target had not rain intervened but it was still a cruel way for Derbyshire to lose the match.Before the game began Yorkshire president, John Hampshire, and both teams lined up for a minute’s silence in memory of murdered Batley and Spen MP, Jo Cox, after which the crowd burst into spontaneous applause.

Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi has admitted that he is ‘happy’ with life in the Scottish Premiership amid rumours linking him with a summer exit.

The Lowdown: Palace readying bid?

The Japanese won’t be out of contract at Parkhead until 2025, but being Ange Postecoglou’s top-performing offensive player, has been generating interest ahead of the upcoming window.

Football Insider report that Crystal Palace hold a serious interest in signing the 28-year-old which has been backed up by Italian outlet Calciomercato who claim that the Eagles are preparing to make a £20m offer.

The Hoops forward was surprisingly not selected to represent his nation at the World Cup and has once again been omitted for the Euro 2024 qualifiers currently taking place, but this hasn’t changed his view on his future north of the border.

The Latest: Furuhashi’s comments

Speaking during a recent interview in Japan, Furuhashi revealed his stance on his future at Celtic whilst opening up on how his double international exclusion motivated him to increase his performance levels even further.

As quoted by The Daily Record, he said:

“I am really happy in Glasgow. I had prepared to play in the World Cup. But it’s useless to talk and think about the past. So after me not getting into the squad happened, I decided I was only going to concentrate on the future at Celtic.

“I wanted to score a goal in every game to help the team win. I have managed to score more goals than any other Japanese player in a season in Europe. My dream of playing in the World Cup for Japan has not come true so far, but the season has been very good for me.”

The Verdict: Massive boost

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Furuhashi is a ‘fans’ favourite’ at Celtic so it’s a huge boost to learn that he’s only focused on seeing out the project at Parkhead.

The Asics-sponsored forward has clocked up a remarkable 56 goal contributions in 72 appearances since joining where he’s currently averaging 2.6 shots per game, highlighting the constant threat he provides in the final third.

The Bhoys talisman is also an extremely useful option to have in the building with his flexibility to play in seven various positions which is an advantage for the boss should any unexpected injury crisis occur.

Furuhashi has been key to the Hoops’ silverware success securing three titles over the past two seasons and that number is only set to increase should he remain in Glasgow.

TalkSport journalist Alex Crook has claimed that Leeds United are unlikely to get a relegation boost amid the FFP charges aimed at Everton.

Will Everton's FFP charges help Leeds?

It was revealed this week that the Toffees have been referred to an independent commission amid an alleged breach of Financial Fair Play rules in the Premier League.

It is claimed that Everton may have broken the rules after they recorded losses of £371.8m over the last three years, when clubs are only allowed to lose a maximum of £105m over the same period.

Seeing as Leeds are just one place above Sean Dyche and co in the table with both teams on 26 points, some supporters may have been hoping a points deduction could help their relegation fight.

However, while talking about the situation on TalkSport, Crook explained why such an outcome was unlikely to happen in time to impact the standings this season.

He said: "I think what's also interesting, this is the same charge that has been levelled at Manchester City.

"We're expecting that to go on for some time because Manchester City will challenge the charge. They'll go down all the legal avenues to try and get off that charge. I would imagine that Everton will do the same.

"So I think for any supporter of a relegation rival – a Southampton, a Bournemouth or a Leeds – who are hoping, 'well, maybe this might mean a points deduction this season, and therefore Everton are relegated,' I would imagine they will be disappointed."

Will Leeds avoid relegation?

Seeing as both Premier League sides are just two points above the bottom three, and only three points above the foot of the table, it's clear just how tight things are this season.

With that in mind, if Everton were to get any kind of points deduction, it would likely have huge ramifications for all the teams struggling down towards the relegation zone – which could have been a fascinating twist as Leeds were one of two teams (with Burnley) who wrote to the Premier League to question the Toffees' spending last year.

However, it sounds as though Leeds will have to rely on themselves to avoid the drop and not the financial mishandlings of others. Luckily for Javi Gracia and co, things are still in their hands.

Indeed, the Whites have found some improved form under their new Spanish boss, winning two, drawing one and losing one of his first four league games in charge.

As a result, Leeds now have 11 games to go and find themselves two points above the bottom three, but have a game in hand on Everton and Wolves, who sit on either side of them in the table – meaning they are very much in control of their own fate.

Celtic are in the midst of defending their Scottish Premiership crown under Brendan Rodgers and one of his reported January targets has admitted he is aware of speculation linking him with a move to Parkhead.

Celtic latest transfer news…

Building up ahead of steam, the Hoops have made an excellent start to proceedings in the Scottish Premiership, taking 25 points from an available 27 so far, placing them seven points clear of rivals Rangers at the top of the league standings. Nevertheless, there is a desire among some supporters and Celtic boss Rodgers himself to seek further reinforcements to his squad as he aims to make the Scottish champions competitive on both domestic and European fronts.

Speaking in an interview cited via Sky Sports in late September, the boss indicated that Celtic's transfer business during the summer didn't satisfy him to the point of ruling out further activity in January. Rodgers said: "No. No [happiness with summer transfer activity]; I think if you ask any manager they will always be wanting more, of course."

He then added: "But we work with the players that are here. I'm not saying that in any disrespectful way; I think every manager will tell you they maybe wished they could have done one or two more signings."

One Celtic transfer update from Football Insider has recently revealed that bringing in a goalkeeper is high on the agenda at Parkhead as the Hoops look to bring in competition to compete with veteran stopper Joe Hart between the sticks. Real Madrid ace Andriy Lunin has been mentioned as a potential Celtic goalkeeper option; however, the same outlet claim that the Ukraine international would prefer to move to the Premier League if he were to leave Santiago Bernabeu.

Reports earlier in the month suggest that Rodgers is also keen on adding another midfielder to his ranks. Gwangju FC star Jeong Ho-Yeon is also believed to be a transfer target for Celtic and is believed to be open to a move to Europe after winning Korean military exemption due to collecting a gold medal in the Asian Games.

Celtic's signings from Asia since 2021

Previous Club

Kyogo Furuhashi

Vissel Kobe

Yang Hyun-jun

Gangwon FC

Daizen Maeda

Yokohama F. Marinos

Kwon Hyeok-kyu

Busan IPark

Yosuke Ideguchi

Gamba Osaka

Yuki Kobayashi

Vissel Kobe

Oh Hyeon-gyu

Suwon Bluewings

Tomoki Iwata

Yokohama F. Marinos

Reo Hatate

Kawasaki Frontale

Celtic transfer update – Jeong Ho-Yeon

Now, an update on Jeong's future has emerged courtesy of the player himself, who has confirmed in an interview with Sports G cited by Football Scotland that he has heard speculation mentioning him in connection with a move to Celtic. He told the outlet:

"I know that such stories are coming out around me. In fact, there has never been a specific or direct contact so far. I heard the same story from my team and agent. I just want to be faithful to my team in every moment."

Plying his trade in K League 1, the versatile midfielder can play in holding or central roles and has gone on to make 29 appearances over the course of 2023 for Gwangju FC, registering two goals and three assists (Jeong Ho-Yeon stats – Transfermarkt).

Celtic have found some brilliant success stories from exploring the globe for talent in recent years, and it remains to be seen whether Jeong will be the next in line to make a name for himself at Parkhead if a move to Glasgow does materialise for the 23-year-old.

England Lions wrapped up a comprehensive 253-run victory on the final day of their four-day unofficial Test at New Road

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2018

England Lions 423 and 194 for 5 (Malan 56, Pope 50*) beat India A 197 (Shaw 62, Pant 58, Curran 5-43) and 167 (Pant 61, Rahane 48) by 253 runs
ScorecardEngland Lions wrapped up a comprehensive 253-run victory on the final day of their four-day unofficial Test at New Road, as India A were rolled aside for 167 midway through the afternoon session, having started the day at an uncompromising 11 for 3.The wickets were shared around an attack including several players who are hopeful of a recall for the first Test against India at Edgbaston on August 1 – including Chris Woakes, whose five-over second innings spell included the scalp of India A’s captain, Karun Nair, and the Somerset spin twins, Jack Leach and Dom Bess, who picked up three wickets between them.India A’s saving grace were a pair of decent innings from two men who can expect to be in the mix come the Test series – Ajinkya Rahane, who made 48 from 70 balls, and the young wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who enhanced his claims to a potential Test debut by top-scoring with 61 from 71, including seven fours and two sixes.Though Pant is nominally the reserve wicketkeeper in India’s 18-man Test squad, behind Dinesh Karthik, this was his second fifty of the match, following his first-innings 58, and was produced against a strong and multi-faceted attack.India’s second innings reached its nadir at 15 for 4 shortly after the resumption when Shabhaz Nadeem was bowled by Sam Curran’s first ball of the morning. Nair then became Woakes’ first wicket of the innings, and his third of the match, when he was caught by Nick Gubbins for 13.Bess, who is England’s incumbent Test spinner, having replaced his Somerset team-mate Leach following the latter’s thumb injury in May, enhanced his claims to retaining that berth by dislodging both of the India A top-scorers in an eight-over spell. Leach was limited to just a couple of second-innings overs, but chipped in with the scalp of Jayant Yadav for 21.”It was a very pleasing performance,” said England Lions captain, Rory Burns. “They were a good side, and we had a pretty comprehensive victory. It was set up day one by Alastair Cook, backed up by Gubbo and Dawid, and the rest of the four days all the bowlers stuck in. Sammy took the plaudits on the first innings but they all worked as group.”It was a bit bizarre captaining a team with all this experience. On the training day when it got announced to the group, Cooky was the first one to pipe up about me making my debut as captain.”It’s the first time I’ve shared a dressing room with him. I’ve watched his bat hurt us a few times. But it’s been really interesting with Cooky and a few of the other guys, to see the other side of people having played against them quite a lot. This has been my first Lions experience and it’s been really enjoyable – 100% I want more. That’s up to me I suppose, go back to Surrey and keep trying to churn them out.”

Even for a man who has been in the centre of the media spotlight for 23 years, the hype about the 100th century was unnerving

Siddarth Ravindran in Dhaka17-Mar-2012In the early hours of Saturday morning, word spread that Sachin Tendulkar was going to address the Indian press around noon at the team hotel in Dhaka. Several journalists began to wonder why. He had already spoken, at a longer than usual press conference, on Friday night about the 100th hundred and the defeat to Bangladesh. Was there going to be a major announcement?There was not, but he was even more candid as he spoke to around a dozen print journalists in a small, tightly guarded hall at the hotel. A photojournalist first presented him with a cake, with “Tons of love for you Master” written on it, and then fumbled with nervousness trying to fix in candles reading 100 X 100. Looking relaxed in a casual T-shirt, Tendulkar waited patiently, before blowing out the candles and taking a bite of the cake, and then taking questions.Even as the reporters vied with each other to get their say in a rare interaction with the biggest name in Indian cricket, Tendulkar stayed calm and answered eloquently. Over the past year, even as India tumbled to new lows in England and Australia, Tendulkar stayed away from the media, not fronting up a single press conference. His was an influential voice, and he had not wanted to increase the already relentless, and sometimes perspective-less, coverage of the latest of his many landmarks.”This anticipation and disappointment when I didn’t get (the 100th hundred) was way greater than anything else. I don’t know how to explain to you. I wish there was someone to guide me about how to deal with this,” he said, sounding helpless, as if he was faced with a new and intractable problem.Tendulkar, though, has been in the centre of the media spotlight longer than his current vice-captain has been alive. As long ago as 1988, some were asking whether he was the greatest schoolboy cricketer ever , and his coach was upset about the distractions faced by the 15-year-old Tendulkar.It showed that even for someone who had almost casually shouldered the impossible demands of his fans for over two decades, and already owned most of the batting records worth owning, the expectations and media pressure can weigh heavy. “I have to admit I was relieved. This is now out of the way and I can start a new chapter. It was possibly the toughest phase of my life. There was so much hype and attention about the 100th hundred. I thought I possibly batted the best in my life, got close in a couple of games but I couldn’t achieve it.”An instance of particular disappointment? “In Delhi (where he made a second-innings 76 against West Indies), I went in to bat in the second innings, it was a critical phase and we won that game but people were only talking about how I missed my hundred.”As the brouhaha over the pending milestone increased, and the team slid from its No. 1 Test ranking, Tendulkar said the support of his family and friends kept him going, especially that of his brother and mentor Ajit. “I talk a lot about cricket with my brother. He has guided me throughout and this is something I want to dedicate to him. We have lived our dream together. Whenever I went in to bat I knew that mentally he was always there with me.”Aside from the hundredth hundred, when asked, he duly produced a list of favourites. Perth 1992, Chennai 2008, Manchester 1990, Chennai 1999, Sydney 2004 were his favourite Test innings, a comical bit of running with Anil Kumble that miraculously didn’t end up in a run-out against Bangladesh in 2004 counted as his funniest on-field incident. The only question he hedged on was when asked to pick a hypothetical best bowling attack. “You need one ball to get out,” he joked, “I can name at least 25 different bowlers.”The promised 15 minutes with Tendulkar was stretched to 20, at which point the media manager firmly brought an end to the interaction. Those hoping to get Tendulkar’s views on the defeats in England and Australia, or even Sunday’s key match against Pakistan, were disappointed. Before being ushered out, several of the journalists, even those that had recently questioned Tendulkar’s place in the team, lined up for autographs.

Between the foreword, written by pets, and the afterword, written by a two-year-old, lies an honest, funny and fascinating account of life as England cricketer

Andrew Miller20-Jun-2009

Mark my words, Matthew Hoggard will never play for England again. He will no doubt be mentioned in dispatches when the Ashes injuries begin to stack up this summer, and the Barmy Army will sing hymns of praise if his gurning mug appears on the giant screen midway through the Headingley Test. But England’s sixth most successful wicket-taker of all time is already ancient history, thanks in no small part to this wonderful, honest and characteristically unhinged autobiography.”A suicide note to rank alongside Labour’s 1983 manifesto” was how Mike Atherton described , which is some achievement for a book that opens with a foreword (actually a paw-word) from Hoggard’s dogs, Billy and Mollie, and closes with a postscript from his two-year- old son, Ernie. But in between the doodles and digressions, and cutting through an (at times contrived) air of silliness, this is a painful but laugh-out-loud sign-off from one of the most popular England cricketers of recent times.The book’s style is utterly puerile at times, littered with block capitals, quadruple exclamation marks and all manner of devices to make his detractors harrumph, and by referring to the press pack as a “cunch of bunts” he has probably diddled himself out of several favourable reviews. But Hoggard has come up with an autobiography in the fullest and frankest sense. It is often felt that he cultivated an air of mild lunacy to mask his insecurities, but he clearly missed nothing in his near-decade as an England player. To the delight of his fans but the chagrin of his former employers he has collected a massive pile of dirty laundry and is happy to parade it just as his Yorkshire team-mates used to do with the Y-fronts of the second-team coach.The grubbiest underpants on show are those belonging to the England and Wales Cricket Board, whose methods and man-management are held up for ridicule in almost every chapter. In many ways Hoggard’s gripes are ungracious, considering he was one of the earliest beneficiaries of the central contract system that transformed the livelihoods of England’s players. Then again, the brutality of his axing in Wellington and subsequent banishment from the national set-up, coming at a time of intense personal stress, makes his indignation entirely righteous.No doubt emboldened by Marcus Trescothick’s candour in his own book last summer, Hoggard is not afraid to tackle the dark side of England life. The chapters co-written with his wife Sarah, addressing their struggles to conceive and the descent into post-natal depression that turned that last tour of New Zealand into a living nightmare, are poignant and brave. But whereas Trescothick’s tale was groundbreaking yet bleak, humour remains Hoggard’s default setting. His book is the more readable thanks to that essential levity.At any rate those newsworthy chapters come late in the proceedings, by which stage the tale has all but written itself thanks to a single relationship that creates enough friction to carry the entire narrative. Perhaps uniquely among those players who thrived in the England “bubble” Hoggard’s relationship with Duncan Fletcher was never better than suspicious: he felt, with some justification, that the coach never rated him, and as he dryly notes in his chapter on the 2005 Ashes, it could so easily have been James Kirtley making up the famous “Awesome Foursome”.Without such a powerful figure in his corner it is little wonder that Hoggard could not be persuaded to buy into the wider team ethic. But conformity’s loss is literature’s gain. From first chapter to last he goes triumphantly off message, not least on the subject of diet and fitness, in which he sounds like the reincarnation of Fred Trueman as he concludes a rollicking diatribe with the declaration: “Fast bowlers do not eat salad!” (although even Trueman might have stopped short of advocating Roast Chicken Monster Munch as the ideal energy food).If at times it feels as if he is playing to the gallery, clowning around for the Barmy Army on a tedious final day in Galle, then the only response is “Hoggy is a monkey, tra-la-la-la!” This book will surely prove to be the vehicle that has whisked him into the sporting afterlife, but at least he has chosen to travel in style.Hoggy: Welcome to My World
by Matthew Hoggard
HarperSport, hb, 352pp,£18.99

Erik ten Hag dragged Manchester United from a sixth-place finish when he took the reins back in 2022 to third in the Premier League, two finals and even managed to end the club's six-year trophy drought by winning the EFL Cup in February.

One of the keys to United's success last term under the Dutchman was a well-balanced midfield, primarily consisting of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes, although Fred and Scott McTominay played their part as well.

However, due to unforeseen injury issues this season, Ten Hag has struggled to find the right balance in the middle of the park and now the Red Devils' Brazilian general has been ruled out of action for several weeks with a hamstring problem.

Nonetheless, Ten Hag has a glaringly obvious, yet risky solution staring him in the face.

Why Man Utd's midfield are struggling

In the opening two games of the 2023/24 campaign against Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur, the Dutch coach opted to deploy summer signing Mason Mount and club captain Fernandes in front of Casemiro in the midfield but both teams carved United open a worrying amount. The English giants lost possession of the ball 88 times in the middle third across these two fixtures, according to Opta.

Regardless, Ten Hag refused to admit that the midfield was the issue after the 2-0 defeat to Spurs back in August. Instead, the former Ajax boss felt as though the frontline's pressing and the lack of stability at the back were the primary culprits. Still, the club secured the loan services of midfielder Sofyan Amrabat until the end of the season but the arrival of the Moroccan hasn't fixed the team's issues, with club legend Paul Scholes even calling Eriksen a "much better footballer" than Amrabat.

Win or lose, the midfield balance has come under the microscope in almost every game this season. Against Manchester City in the derby over a week ago, the manager decided to take Amrabat off at half-time after his booking in the first half. City ran United ragged after the interval. Pundit Gary Neville criticised this decision, claiming that "Amrabat coming off emptied the midfield".

Ten Hag has tried almost every combination possible in midfield, but there may still be one more trick up the Dutch tactician's sleeve, a return for Kobbie Mainoo.

Kobbie Mainoo's stats at Man Utd

Stockport-born Mainoo made his Premier League debut for Manchester United last season in the Premier League at home to Leicester City and was even handed his first-ever start for the club in a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup back in January. However, it was a pre-season game at the MetLife in New Jersey where Mainoo really stood out from the crowd.

Partnering with Casemiro in a double-pivot until half-time, the teenage sensation bossed the midfield against the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz, assisting the opening goal of the game, and ending the match with a 7/10 rating, as per Sofascore.

After the game, club legend and former skipper Bryan Robson called Mainoo a "top player" and insisted that Ten Hag "must trust him" this season. Meanwhile, Fernandes heaped praise on Mainoo, claiming he is "good on the ball, strong, he can defend and attack". In a 45-minute performance against the Gunners, the young midfielder held a 96% passing accuracy, made one key pass and one interception, and won 100% of his defensive duels.

In Mainoo's one and only competitive start for the Red Devils, at home to Charlton in the League Cup last term, the youngster boasted an 82% passing accuracy over the course of his hour on the field. What's more impressive is that the academy product registered five passes into the final third in that game while creating one chance, according to FotMob. Piling on the praise, Anthony Elanga, Mainoo's former teammate at Old Trafford, recently labelled the 18-year-old as "unreal".

Unfortunately, Mainoo picked up a nasty ankle injury in a game against Real Madrid in pre-season which has kept him out of the team for several months. However, Mainoo is back in training and even made it onto the bench during United's dismal derby defeat to Man City recently.

With Ten Hag running out of options, perhaps Mainoo could be the perfect answer to the manager's woes in the middle of the park.

Manchester United have won their previous two matches, scoring four goals and conceding none, as they look to kickstart their season following a run of three successive defeats.

Erik ten Hag hasn’t had it all his own way this season as he aims to challenge domestically and in the Champions League, yet much will depend on how quickly some of his new signings settle in and get up to speed with the high expectations at United.

The jury is certainly out on a few of his summer arrivals as Andre Onana and Mason Mount haven’t exactly exploded into life at the Red Devils, while Rasmus Hojlund has only played five times due to missing the first few matches of the season due to injury, scoring once.

Overall, Ten Hag spent €196.7m (£170m) during the transfer window, and he perhaps would’ve been able to spend more had he moved on some deadwood towards the end of the summer, as Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire were touted with moves away from the club.

Does Harry Maguire have a long-term future at Manchester United?

Maguire looked like he was close to securing a £30m move to league rivals West Ham United during the final few weeks of the transfer window, yet he eventually decided to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place in the starting XI.

The Englishman has just under two years left on his current contract, indicating that Ten Hag doesn’t have long to move him on for a reasonable fee as it appears he isn’t part of the long term plans under the Dutchman.

This is evidenced by the fact he has played only twice so far this term, despite the Manchester giants suffering various injuries to key defenders.

Maguire may have already departed Manchester had the club secured the signature of a defender who lit up Serie A last season – Kim Min-jae.

Did Manchester United nearly sign Kim Min-jae?

Securing Champions League football and winning United’s first trophy in six years signified an impressive start to life at the helm of the Red Devils.

The former Ajax boss entered the transfer window with the aim of bolstering his first-team squad in preparation for the rigours of challenging on two fronts and this saw the club linked with numerous big names, with the Napoli defender included.

Back in June, The Mirror even claimed that the club were set to complete the signing of the player when his release clause became active at the start of July and this was set at just £43m.

This clause was only available for two weeks at the start of July however, and it meant United had only a short time period to conclude the deal.

Although it looked close to happening, the South Korean didn’t end up in the Premier League and it represented another case of missed opportunity by the Old Trafford side.

Why didn’t Manchester United sign Kim Min-jae?

Bayern Munich swooped in and announced the signing of the centre-back as the English side missed out on him, securing his services for around €50m (£43m).

With the likes of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez as the key defensive duo at the club, perhaps Kim may have not started as many games as his vast talent deserved and this could well have been why he chose to move to Bayern, with a spot in the starting XI guaranteed.

Given how poor defensively United have been at times this season, conceding 14 goals, while a series of injury issues also hasn’t helped their cause, missing out on Kim is looking like a bigger mistake with every passing game.

What is Kim Min-jae doing now?

The former Napoli titan enjoyed his lone campaign in Naples, helping his team win their first league title since Diego Maradona was captain.

His performances domestically ensured he ranked third across the squad for overall Sofascore rating (7.22), while also ranking first for accurate passes per game (72.8), fourth for tackles per game (1.6) and third for interceptions per game (1.2) as he demonstrated his attributes over a range of metrics.

Is it any wonder then that he was dubbed an “iron barrel” by his teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia due to his defensive nature, and he was an integral part in their wonderful title triumph as the club conceded just 28 goals in 28 matches.

Comparing his statistics to that of Maguire from last term, it’s evident who is the best of the defenders.

The 30-year-old ranked seventh in the squad for Sofascore rating (6.95), while ranking only tenth for accurate passes per game (30.6), 18th for tackles per game (0.5) and eighth for interceptions per game (0.6), which clearly showcases that Kim is by far the superior centre-back than the Englishman, judging by these statistics.

Indeed, the former Napoli gem even has a forward-thinking mentality which would’ve benefitted Ten Hag as when compared to positional peers, he ranks in the top 9% for progressive passes per 90 (5.22) and the top 12% for progressive carries per 90 (1.19), demonstrating that he likes to bring the ball out from the back as often as possible.

In comparison, Maguire ranks only in the top 46% for progressive passes per 90 (3.38) and the top 18% for progressive carries per 90 (1.03), proving that he doesn’t quite display his attacking qualities as often as Kim.

The South Korean defender has already played seven times for his new club as he looks to win more silverware with the German side.

He already looks like a bargain at just £43m and this is certainly a transfer fee which United could have afforded, regardless if they had moved on Maguire or not.

Ten Hag has missed a trick with the former Fenerbahce defender as he fitted the Dutchman’s tactical philosophy while also being able to stand his ground and display his physical presence at the heart of the defence.

Maguire surely doesn’t have much time left at United, but failing to upgrade their options at centre-back by signing Kim during the summer is looking like a major transfer howler that Ten Hag will struggle to get over anytime soon.