أشاد التونسي رشاد العرفاوي، لاعب غزل المحلة، بتجربة اللاعبين التونسيين في الدوري المصري، مؤكدًا أن اللاعب التونسي يتمتع بقدرة كبيرة على التأقلم والانسجام مع الأجواء داخل مصر سواء من الناحية الفنية أو الاجتماعية.

وقال العرفاوي في تصريحات عبر إذاعة “أون سبورت إف إم”: “اللاعب التونسي يمتلك ميزة كبيرة في سرعة التأقلم، سواء من الجانب التكتيكي أو في التعامل مع الناس أو حتى من ناحية البيئة، فحين ينتقل إلى بيئة مشابهة لتونس مثل مصر، يتأقلم بسرعة ويستطيع إبراز موهبته في وقت قصير”.

وعن أبرز اللاعبين التونسيين الذين تركوا بصمة في الكرة المصرية، أوضح العرفاوي: “هناك عدد كبير من اللاعبين التوانسة الذين نجحوا في مصر، ولا أحب أن أظلم أحدًا بذكر اسم دون الآخر، لكن عندما أعود إلى تونس الكل يسألني عن أسماء مثل علي معلول، وسيف الدين الجزيري، وحمزة المثلوثي، وقبلهم أنيس بوجلبان، هؤلاء اللاعبون تركوا بصمة واضحة في الكرة المصرية”.

وتحدث اللاعب عن مواطنه علي معلول نجم الأهلي السابق، مؤكدًا أنه صنع تاريخًا كبيرًا في القلعة الحمراء، وقال: “البطولات التي حققها علي معلول مع الأهلي تشهد له، وتجعله واحدًا من أساطير النادي، ما قدمه من أداء وإنجازات مع الأهلي يجعله فخرًا لنا نحن التوانسة، فأن يكون لاعب تونسي من أساطير نادٍ كبير مثل الأهلي، فهذا شرف كبير لنا جميعًا”.

طالع أيضًا | محمود فتح الله: الزمالك يمتلك عاملين أساسيين للمنافسة على أي لقب.. والأهلي ليس بعيدًا عن الأزمات

وحول توقعاته لمجريات الدوري المصري هذا الموسم، أوضح العرفاوي: “المستويات هذا الموسم قوية، وأرى أن أندية بيراميدز والأهلي والزمالك والمصري هي الأقوى حاليًا من حيث قائمة اللاعبين، لكن في كرة القدم لا يمكن استبعاد المفاجآت، فكل شيء وارد. ومع ذلك، من الصعب خروج اللقب من بين هذه الفرق الأربعة، وإن شاء الله يفوز به الفريق الأجدر”.

وعن اللاعبين المصريين الذين لفتوا نظره، قال لاعب غزل المحلة: “هناك عدد كبير من اللاعبين المميزين في مصر، ولا أريد ذكر اسم واحد أو اثنين حتى لا أظلم الآخرين، لكن أرى أن هناك لاعبين مثل محمد رمضان ودغموم من العناصر الجيدة جدًا، وبالنسبة لي، أفضل اللاعبين المصريين هم زملائي في غزل المحلة، فريقي الحالي”.

وعن الشعبية الكبيرة للأهلي والزمالك في تونس، اختتم العرفاوي تصريحاته قائلاً: “في تونس، الجماهير منقسمة بين الإفريقي والترجي، وكذلك الحال في مصر بين الأهلي والزمالك، هناك جماهير ضخمة لكلا الفريقين، وإدارتا الناديين تعملان باحترافية كبيرة، هذه الأندية ستبقى دائمًا في القمة، لأنها أندية عريقة ومصيرها النجاح”.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot revealed why star winger Federico Chiesa was left out of the Reds squad for their upcoming Champions League fixture against Galatasaray this week. The Italian displayed impressive performances in the club's last couple of matches. After starring with two assists in the win over Southampton, he scored the Reds' solitary goal against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Chiesa's impressive run of form

Chiesa enjoyed an impressive run of form last week as he scored a goal and provided two assists for the Reds. He first starred with a couple of assists in the club's 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup and then scored the only goal for Liverpool in their 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace in the Premier League. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportChiesa dropped from Liverpool squad for Galatasaray clash

Earlier on Monday, Liverpool announced a 21-member travelling squad to Turkey that will face Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday. While Slot named a star-studded roster, Chiesa was a notable absentee from the list of players.

Slot revealed why Chiesa was left out

Speaking to reporters, the Liverpool manager said: "He got a little niggle, I think it is the word you use here in England, in the last game against Palace. He tried it today, he was on the pitch in the beginning but he couldn't end the session, so we decided not to take him because in a few days it's Chelsea again."

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Getty Images SportChiesa important for key Premier League away fixture

Chiesa has proved to be a key member of Slot's first-team in the 2025-26 campaign and the Dutch coach will hope that he recovers from his injury soon and be ready to take the field in their crucial away fixture of Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar de estabelecer metas financeiras e esportivas modestas para 2023, o Corinthians caminha para falhar na maioria dos objetivos estabelecidos para a temporada. Com a eliminação precoce no Paulistão e na Libertadores, o clube ficou para trás em dois dos quatro objetivos traçados.

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+ Lance! estreia nova marca e se reposiciona no mercado de mídia esportivas

Mesmo assim, a diretoria não considera o ano como um fracasso e aposta na Copa do Brasil para salvar o caixa e a seca de títulos do clube. O mata-mata nacional é a competição na qual o Alvinegro já cumpriu a meta traçada no orçamento – chegar às oitavas de final.

+ Todos os jogos doBrasileirãovocê encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

– A nossa meta da Copa do Brasil já foi até superada e através dela podemos superar todas as outras. É uma questão de valores. Além do planejamento orçamentário tem o de desempenho, de conquistas, que é o mais importante. A manutenção do clube na Copa do Brasil vai equacionar. Inclusive, passando essa difícil fase que teremos, as saídas das outras. Uma coisa é a parte econômica, outra é a performance – disse Alessandro Nunes, gerente de futebol corintiano, após o empate com o Cuiabá na Neo Química Arena.

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Caso o Corinthians repita a campanha da temporada passada na Copa do Brasil, onde ficou com o vice-campeonato, o clube ainda embolsaria mais R$ 39 milhões, totalizando R$48,7 milhões em premiação apenas na Copa do Brasil. O orçamento de 2023, aprovada pelo Conselho Deliberativo, previa cerca de R$ 60 milhões somando a premiação de todas as competições.

+ Timão se afasta do Z4? Veja tabela e os próximos jogos do Brasileirão

METAS FINANCEIRAS CORINTHIANS 2023

Paulistão – Semifinal (R$ 850 mil) – Eliminado nas quartas de final

Libertadores – Oitavas de final (R$ 22,2 milhões) – Eliminado na fase de grupos

Brasileirão – Sétimo lugar (R$ 31,5 milhões) – Em andamento

Copa do Brasil – Oitavas de final (R$ 5,4 milhões)- Superado

Na temporada passada, o Timão traçou as mesmas metas e cumpriu todas, indo além na Libertadores, Copa do Brasil e Brasileirão.

+ Clique aqui e saiba como apostar com segurança

Lennart Karl has faced his first significant criticism after making his maiden Bundesliga start for Bayern Munich. The 17-year-old wonderkid's performance in Die Roten's 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim last Saturday raised a few eyebrows, particularly from former Bayern winger Mario Basler, who was not fully satisfied by Karl's outing as a starter under Vincent Kompany.

• Highly-rated Karl makes first start for Bayern

  Hot prospect Karl was handed his much-anticipated first-ever start in the German top-flight for Bayern during Saturday's comfortable 4-1 win over Hoffenheim. The young attacker played 62 minutes before being hooked for Michael Olise. Karl was impressive during the pre-season, but was frustrated by the lack of minutes in the opening weeks of the 2025-26 season. 

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• Getty
  

  Basler unimpressed by rising star's display

  "If you say he's the biggest talent at FC Bayern at the moment, then I have to say there's still a lot missing," Basler complained in his podcast .  "People have been praising him to the skies for months. If I get the chance from the start, then I have to show my talent too. It has nothing to do with his age, I simply expect more. But there was nothing there. That has to be said clearly and unequivocally. And you can't take his age or anything else into consideration, there was simply too little there."

• Karl assisted Harry Kane opener against Hoffenheim

  Although Karl's performance was not invulnerable to criticism, the 17-year-old showed flashes of his brilliance in his maiden start. The youngster assisted Kane's opening goal from a corner routine, highlighting how lethal he can be in the final third despite not having his best game. 

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  What's up next for Bayern?

  The Bavarian giants will aim to extend their flawless start to the season when they Werder Bremen at home on Friday.

Wolves’ summer window has been one marked by exodus. Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri have joined Manchester clubs, and long-standing players like Nélson Semedo and Pablo Sarabia have also left on free transfers.

These departures have led to some pundits talking about Wolves in terms of Premier League relegation candidates, but the board are making moves to ensure they survive the drop.

Underrated striker Jorgen Strand Larsen’s time at the club has been made permanent, and he has arrived alongside his Celta Vigo teammate Fer Lopez for a combined £43.3 million. These signings will go some way in securing the club’s future, but Vitor Pereira is looking to further deepen their roster by bringing in a versatile player who can support the team across the pitch.

Pereira working to bring in versatile Tchatchoua

Ben Jacobs has shared on X that Wolves have approached Hellas Verona over the signing of Jackson Tchatchoua “with club-to-club talks active”. The Cameroon international spent most of his early career in the Belgian league before joining Verona last summer. He is seen as one of a number of targets that Wolves are currently exploring.

Verona paid just under £2.6 million for Tchatchoua last summer and are looking to make a hefty profit on him already. Fabrizio Romano reported that Nottingham Forest had previously been interested, and there were other reports of a £10 million offer from the Reds, though nothing materialised.

Tchatchoua doesn’t look like a replacement for one specific player, as during his time for Hella Verona, he has been utilised in six different positions, including right and left back, on both sides of the midfield and further up as a left or right winger. He could fit comfortably in any of the roles that were previously occupied by Ait-Nouri, Sarabia or Semedo.

Tchatchoua's versatility and his drawbacks

The phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” may come to some apprehensive fans’ minds when hearing of a player who can play in six different positions. With Tchatchoua, there may be some merit to this fear.

When looking at his stats in comparison to similar profile players, there are very few categories where he stands out, and in most metrics, he is middle of the pack. Where he does shine is in his dribbling, his winning of possession high up the pitch and in not letting players past him.

However, he struggles in terms of pass accuracy (where he was in the bottom third of players in Europe last term) and touches per 90 (where he was in the bottom 5 per cent of players). These are some worrying results that indicate he is not a confident player with the ball, but with his previously mentioned ability to win the ball and dribble, he will get Wolves further up the pitch with his directness.

While he may not specialise in any position and has some areas of weakness, he should do a competent job wherever Pereira puts him, and with the high volume of games teams now face, he may become an invaluable addition to the squad.

Manchester United are now in a strong position to win the race for a “fantastic” Carlos Baleba alternative, despite rival interest from Juventus.

Man Utd eyeing Baleba alternatives after halting pursuit

It was always going to be difficult for Man United to lure Baleba to Old Trafford this summer, given that Brighton & Hove Albion were set to hold out for £115m, and Ruben Amorim’s side are now believed to have pulled the plug on the deal.

As a result, the Red Devils have been forced to move on to different targets in central midfield, and a number of exciting options have made their way onto the shortlist.

Player

Current club

Potential cost

Mateus Fernandes

Southampton

£30m+

Adam Wharton

Crystal Palace

£100m

Fermin Lopez

Barcelona

£69m

Morten Hjulmand

Sporting CP

£68m

Amorim knows Morten Hjulmand well, with the United boss working with the midfielder during his time at Sporting, but given the £68m release clause in his contract, a deal could be on the expensive side.

However, according to a report from Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Man United should be in a strong position to win the race for Hjulmand, despite rival interest from Juventus, as they are less likely to be put off by the huge asking price.

The Italian club, on the other hand, had been hoping to sign the maestro for less than half of Sporting’s asking price, and consider the Portuguese club’s current valuation to be way too high.

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As such, the Red Devils are better-placed to sign the 26-year-old this summer, and the next few days are said to be crucial, with Juventus standing no chance of winning the race if Amorim’s side decide to launch a formal move.

"Fantastic" Hjulmand impressing for club and country

The Danish midfielder has certainly impressed at international level in recent times, with compatriot Andreas Christensen saying: “Morten has become extremely important to the team. For us in defense, he always offers a passing option and provides a lot of tranquility. He is a fantastic player.”

Christensen is right to point out that passing is one of the central midfielder’s key strengths, as his ability in possession of the ball has regularly been on display for Sporting over the course of the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Passes attempted

63.65 (89th percentile)

Pass completion %

90.2% (97th percentile)

Progressive passes

6.75 (85th percentile)

That said, there are some doubts over whether the Sporting star is a like-for-like alternative to Baleba, given that the Brighton midfielder is arguably more solid defensively, having averaged more tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 over the past year.

Not only that, but Man United should also be wary of Hjulmand’s huge asking price, as £68m would be a huge sum to pay for a player who is yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues.

West Bromwich Albion, despite their early promising position towards the top end of the Championship, have now succumbed to their first league defeat of the season.

It was former Baggies loanee Andreas Weimann who broke hearts all around the Hawthorns late on in a 1-0 loss, with the hosts being made to rue their wastefulness in the forward areas, having fired 18 shots on Derby County’s goal in total, compared to the visitors only mustering up a measly four.

Ryan Mason and Co won’t want to dwell too much on this unfortunate loss; however, with Isaac Price hopeful he can get back to his best across the rest of September, having just suffered from a rare off-day in Baggies blue and white against John Eustace’s men.

How Price has improved this season

Price couldn’t quite stamp his mark on proceedings last season, having joined mid-way through a second-tier campaign that was collapsing under the former short-lived tenure of Tony Mowbray.

The promising Northern Irishman did collect a solitary goal and assist from those 13 league starts under Mowbray.

Still, it’s this season, under the tutelage of Mason, who is known to get more out of youngsters, where he has come into his own as a forceful attacking presence for the revitalised promotion candidates.

From just five Championship games so far, the “magnificent” 21-year-old – as he’s been dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – has a hefty tally of three goals and one assist next to his name, with a brace against Wrexham sticking out as the Baggies shocked Phil Parkinson’s Red Dragons.

Having amazingly netted against Germany on international duty with Northern Ireland, too, it’s clear that West Brom’s promotion aims rest on the ex-Everton midfielder keeping up these sublime performances, with a worry he could fade the more the season chugs along.

While the added boost of Price firing on all cylinders has certainly helped raise the optimism levels that promotion could be on the cards, particularly with Tom Fellows no longer being around, other more experienced members of Mason’s squad might be even more crucial in ensuring West Brom go the distance.

West Brom star is more important than Price

Fellows wasn’t the only painful departure West Brom had to cope with this summer, as the likes of Darnell Furlong also left the building after a long-standing affinity with the club.

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

On top of that, another loyal and seasoned servant, Kyle Bartley, also announced his retirement, with Mason now having to rely on a whole host of new signings to shine across the full season, even when the pressure of trying to seal promotion is severely ramped up.

Thankfully, West Brom’s dependable number 27 in Alex Mowatt, didn’t desert the building this summer, with his know-how of the Championship arguably making him a more important member of Mason’s camp than Price in their bid to finally return to the Premier League.

After all, although he has no goals or assists so far this campaign, it’s clear from his overall numbers in the EFL’s elite division to date that he is still someone the former Tottenham Hotspur coach can rely on in some crunch situations to come, more so than an inexperienced Price, who is yet to be exposed to the heat of a promotion race.

Games played

134

Goals scored

13

Assists

9

Playoff finishes

1x

In total, when regularly competing near the top of the Championship pile, Mowatt has managed to tally up an impressive 13 goals and nine assists for the Baggies, with seven of those goal contributions coming during the 2023/24 season, as the Carlos Corberan-led outfit unfortunately slipped up in the playoffs.

Still, despite that promotion near-miss, it’s clear to see why the “sensational” midfielder – as he has been labelled by ex-boss Steve Evans – continues to be picked week in week out, with Mason hopeful he can spark into life shortly with some more of his trademark bullet strikes.

Once added to the ranks on a free transfer, it’s amazing to see how vital a glue Mowatt continues to be, with yet another Baggies manager going out of his way to start him consistently as promotion is sought after.

Price 2.0: Mason must unleash West Brom star who has “energy in abundance"

Ryan Mason could unearth his next Isaac Price at West Bromwich Albion by unleashing this energetic youngster.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 13, 2025

The DC head coach managed to keep things light after another heart-breaking loss for his side

S Sudarshanan16-Mar-2025

It is not often that Jemimah Rodrigues is a far cry from her cheerful self. Alice Capsey and Shafali Verma also seldom shy away from a laugh. But as the Delhi Capitals dragged themselves towards the presentation area, the dejection loomed large. A few hundred fans who were cheering Rodrigues, Shafali, Shikha Pandey and the others only got a nod with heads bowed down in response. The players were desperately searching for a shoulder to lean on. For someone to console them, to tell them it was a bad dream.DC had now lost a third-straight WPL final. In each season, they topped the league stage and earned a direct entry to the title clash. Their margins of defeat in the finals of WPL 2023 and 2024 were seven wickets and eight wickets respectively; but Saturday’s defeat was a mere eight runs.A narrow defeat in the final notwithstanding, Jonathan Batty brought his funny side out in the press conference. He was facing the media after overseeing a third successive runners-up finish as DC’s head coach. Was there a common theme to each of their three finals’ losses? “The opposition got more runs than we did!”Related

Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet seal second WPL title for Mumbai Indians

Stats – Another WPL final, another defeat for DC

Harmanpreet hails Sciver-Brunt and Ismail after MI make 150 look 'like 180'

A Harmanpreet masterpiece blows Delhi Capitals away

In the first two seasons, despite having Jasia Akhter and Laura Harris, they couldn’t find the right gear to finish the innings. They lacked lower-order firepower with wicketkeeper Taniya Bhatia batting only five times in 18 matches across the first two seasons. She batted at No. 11 in the WPL 2024 final. But with Scotland wicketkeeper Sarah Bryce in the squad this time, DC could field five overseas players. Despite primarily being a top-order bat, a strike rate of 150 while batting at No. 7 points towards a job well done.Which is why this defeat would stink DC most. They found a weak link, filled the gap and still ended up at the same spot. Such was the depth that India internationals Arundhati Reddy and Radha Yadav featured in only four and two games respectively. But Batty was not reading much into it and conceded that MI played better on another important night.”It will take time to think through what went wrong,” Batty said. “Two great quality teams going head-to-head and it was such a tight game. To lose by eight runs, which is two boundaries, we lost it by two balls in the end. That game can go either way from there. I don’t think there was a common denominator. You always have a side that wins and a side that loses, and we have been on the losing side three times unfortunately.”To finish top of the table three years running, we have played some amazing cricket. You don’t get over the line until [you win] the final. Everyone’s hurting a huge amount at the moment. I think 99% of the time you back yourself to chase 150 on that wicket there. Big match finals, maybe the occasion got to the players.”Twice DC opted to set a target in the finals, twice they crumbled to a below-par score. So Meg Lanning hesitated little in choosing to chase after a third direct final entry. In WPL 2025, teams batting first – dew or no dew – had won all three matches before the final at the Brabourne Stadium. A fresh surface was in use for the final with the square boundaries nearly equidistant. None of that perhaps mattered to Lanning.Harmanpreet Kaur rescued Mumbai Indians after coming in at 14 for 2•BCCI

But for a third title-clash in a row, DC’s batting failed to live up to expectation. The top order caved in to the pressure Mumbai mounted. At most times, DC’s scores were more than Mumbai’s at the corresponding stage. But it couldn’t cover up for the early stutter that saw DC – chasing 150 – slip to 17 for 2, 44 for 4, 66 for 5 and 83 for 6. Marizanne Kapp briefly rekindled their effusive dream by scoring 40 off 26. But MI held their nerve to concede just 14 off the last two overs and win their second WPL title.”I don’t think it is a mental block at all,” Batty said. “You look at how we performed with the ball and in the field in the first half to keep them to 149 on that wicket. You see what’s happened through the week, with the eliminator and the other games here, we were expecting probably 180 to be par score, so we were really pleased with that. The players were up for it, they were fine and I think there was no mental block at all. But it’s just full credit to the opposition, they outplayed us and deserved to win the game.”Chasing 150, you expect the batting unit to play positive, aggressive cricket, and you should, nine times out of ten, win that game at a bit of a canter – I think 180 was par on that wicket. Full credit to Mumbai Indians, they never let us get ahead of the run rate.”Kapp bowled an opening spell that made Lanning’s toss call seem right. It looked as if a side batting first in a WPL final would end up with a low score again. Harmanpreet Kaur’s middle-overs assault was menacing, but the score was not beyond DC at any stage. And despite Mumbai scoring 25 off the last two overs, figures of 2 for 37 at the death was not a blemish on DC’s bowling.”I thought Harmanpreet took the attack to us,” Batty said. “I thought we bowled pretty well and she took a few risks and got away with it, she backed herself to do that. Coming out of the powerplay, we were in charge of the game. There was always going to be a partnership at some point. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur’s partnership was the pivotal one for them, it has been the whole season. To break through that and then reduce the total we were chasing in the end was a really good effort. We held our nerve fantastically through that partnership.”It was a case of being so near yet so far once again for DC. Batty’s humour can alleviate their pain only so much.

Manchester United have endured a torrid few years on and off the pitch, leading to discontent shown by the fanbase amid their lack of tangible success.

From managerial changes to board protests and record-low Premier League finishes, it really has been a continuous period for the supporters to forget about.

Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to try and transform the club, but so far to no avail, as seen by the 15th-placed league finish in the 2024/25 campaign.

The 40-year-old had the summer transfer window to try and transform the fortunes on the pitch, but so far he’s been unable to do so, only winning one of the first four outings to date.

£200m spent and yet another Manchester Derby defeat could spell the end for the manager, especially if recent reports around his future in the role are to be believed.

The latest on Ruben Amorim’s future at Man Utd

Despite his 20th defeat since taking the reins last November, it’s been reported in recent days that INEOS may not be looking to part ways with Amorim in the near future.

Many people on the board see the 40-year-old as the man to lead the club forward, but there’s no denying concerns have been raised given the dismal form under his guidance.

Contrary to recent reports, a report from Miguel Delaney states that the Red Devils are huge admirers of Andoni Iraola and could see him as a potential replacement in the months ahead.

The journalist claims that the hierarchy have been impressed by his work at Bournemouth in recent months, with the 43-year-old seen as an ideal candidate to take the reins.

However, Delaney’s report also states that rivals Manchester City are also keen on the Spaniard, who could move to the Etihad to replace Guardiola, should he depart the Citizens.

Why Iraola would be a huge upgrade on Amorim for Man Utd

Amorim’s record of just 18 wins in his 48 outings in charge of United is nothing short of shocking and has fallen way below the standards demanded from the fanbase.

His 3-4-2-1 system was something to be excited about upon his appointment 10 months ago, but now it appears to be a real sticking point of his tenure at Old Trafford.

He’s spoken about his reluctance to switch away from his preferred system, with his stubbornness potentially adding to the case to sack him from his current post.

The 40-year-old has failed to have the desired impact on England’s top-flight, but the same can’t be said for Iraola during his own spell at the Vitality Stadium.

The Spaniard has won 38 of his 92 games in charge of the Cherries, securing the club’s best-ever Premier League finish in the 2024/25 campaign. As a result, it’s arguably no surprise to see him described as the “best young coach in the world” by many, including Sky Sports pundit Sam Tighe.

It’s unclear how much a deal for the 43-year-old will cost, and if he would want a move to Old Trafford, but when comparing his stats to those of Amorim – it’s clear he would be an upgrade.

Iraola, who’s been labelled “incredible” by Sky Sports’ Nick Wright, has achieved a higher win percentage to date, whilst also achieving a better point-per-game record in England’s top-flight.

How Iraola & Amorim compare in the PL

Statistics

Iraola

Amorim

Games managed

80

31

Wins

31

8

Draws

20

7

Losses

29

16

Points per game

1.4

1

Win percentage

39%

25%

Goals per 90

1.5

1.1

Goals conceded per 90

1.5

1.6

Stats via Transfermarkt

His side have also scored more goals and conceded fewer per 90, showcasing his ability to get the best out of his sides at both ends of the pitch.

Such success if further highlighted in the higher league finish throughout 2024/25, undoubtedly conducting a better job in the role despite the Cherries having a much smaller stature.

There’s no disputing that Iraola has done a phenomenal job on the South Coast, massively outperforming expectations over the last few seasons – especially on a shoestring budget in comparison to the Red Devils.

If he’s able to achieve such success with limited funds, the prospect of him working under INEOS at Old Trafford would be one to get excited about – potentially able to be the perfect replacement for Amorim.

Related Amorim wanted his own Donnarumma & Haaland but Man Utd got Altay & Sesko instead

It’s been yet another poor start to a Premier League season for Manchester United.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Sep 16, 2025

A last-place finish in IPL 2024. A new captain who was booed by the home crowd at Wankhede a few times. A new season without Jasprit Bumrah for the first few games. And without their captain Hardik Pandya for their first game, against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) no less.Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have their plate full of challenges that will be thrown at them in IPL 2025 as they try and win their first title since 2020. To turn their fortunes around, they are banking on the core group they retained before the auction in November last year; the return of Trent Boult, who was the Player of the Match in the IPL 2020 final; and the seniors getting back with Mahela Jayawardene, who returns as head coach after having won the title with them three times during his first tenure with them from 2017 to 2022.”Last season threw us some challenges, but it’s been a big auction, and a lot of changes have happened,” Jayawardene said at MI’s pre-season press conference in Mumbai. “With that, we got a fresh canvas to start and paint our destiny. We have the core group with us who’s got the experience, who knows what the culture is, how we need to play, and how we need to win.Related

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“And with the new group of guys includes some of the old faces coming back – like Trent, who was a big part in our success in 2020. So, for us, it’s about the putting this parcel together, making sure that we gel well as a group, understanding our strengths, and have a good start.”Even though the same core was there last year too, there were reports and rumours of rifts inside the dressing room as the team started with three straight losses. Amid that, Hardik faced a lot of backlash from the local fans for taking over from their five-time champion Rohit Sharma, who has since gone on to lead India to the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy titles. Even though Mark Boucher was MI’s coach last season, Jayawardene was asked what he thought of the “miscommunications” within the team last year.”The communication within the bubble was quite good,” Jayawardene, who was MI’s global head of performance across T20 leagues till 2024, said. “And even though I wasn’t the head coach, I was part of the main set-up. So I knew what was happening. It was important for us to get together. We pride on our core group; that’s been our success for many years, and these guys have done brilliantly, [and] worked hard. It’s not an easy thing to win an IPL trophy. And Mumbai has been successful delivering that, and each year, the challenge is for us to set ourselves up for that.”With the core group, the experience that we have, we have added more experience into that this year. That was something planned that we wanted to achieve. We have seven guys in our main squad who’ve won IPL trophies with different franchises as well. As a coach, I’m trying to get that structure in place, get the best out of them, and then add the other individuals that we need to add to be a bit more different.Hardik Pandya will lead a side that will feature two India captains in Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav•AFP/Getty Images

“I realise that the last few years with the rule changes and all that, the dynamics have changed, and that’s something we need to be mindful of, but at the same time, play the brand of cricket that we want to play as a group, and dominate in there.”Hardik himself was a crucial part of the India sides that lifted the two ICC titles since the last IPL, even being the vice-captain during the 2024 T20 World Cup. He will now lead an MI side that features two India captains – Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav – and India’s Test vice-captain Bumrah, whenever he is fit. Hardik said the last 12 months had been “very entertaining” for him, and that he was “lucky” to have three captains in his side who will “always be there” for him.”I am very confident. I was confident back then. I was confident when I was playing the Champions Trophy, and I am confident now,” Hardik said. “So if you ask me about my confidence, it’s always going to be high.”My life has been quite up and down, but I think that has been the learning which I really enjoyed. It has just not taught me about the sport, [but] it has taught me about life as well that how life would be over the years. This year, it’s a fresh year. A lot of things have changed, a lot of things are added. There will be always passion. There will always be grit, there will be always challenges which I love, and for me, the crucial part would be to make sure if the challenges are thrown at my boys, how I can help them fight their way out.”Among the biggest challenges coming his way is the absence of Bumrah, who has been out with a back injury since January. He is expected to join the MI squad some time in April, after he recovers at the Centre of Excellence (earlier called NCA) in Bengaluru under the watch of BCCI’s medical team. Bumrah was one of the few bright spots for MI in an otherwise forgettable 2024 season, when he picked 20 wickets – third-most overall – with a stunning economy rate of 6.48 in the most high-scoring IPL that saw eight 250-plus totals.MI will hope their pace attack of Boult, Deepak Chahar, Corbin Bosch and Reece Topley steps up, especially in the death overs, a phase in which Bumrah is all but irreplaceable.Hardik Pandya and Mahela Jayawardene share a laugh at the pre-season press meet•AFP/Getty Images

“See, [for] the bowling group, I will tell you the plans: we are very clear to get a lot of experience in it,” Hardik said, “because Wankhede can be sometimes very unforgiving to the bowlers, the kind of track which we play on. So it was very, very important to bring in experience – from Mitch [Santner] to Trent.”Trent was very, very important for us. Deepak, all are experienced individuals. Boom [Bumrah], myself, Mujeeb [Ur Rahman] – even youngsters who have played a lot of cricket. And I think that was very, very important to bring a lot of experience. So when the tough time comes, they have felt the pressure earlier.”Hardik himself will miss MI’s opening game against CSK on March 23 in Chennai, serving a one-match suspension that he is carrying forward from the end of last IPL. To add to their worries, MI also hold a record of not winning their first match of an IPL season since 2012.”There’s a little bit more adrenaline for the boys as well [playing against CSK],” Jayawardene said. “Yeah, we have a big challenge to try and correct something in history where we haven’t won a first match in a tournament for a number of years. So looking forward to that.”