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O Internacional não aplicará uma punição mais severa para com o atacante Enner Valencia após o mesmo ter se desentendido com Luiz Adriano e com Magrão, Gerente Esportivo do clube. A informação, publicada pelo portal ‘ge’, foi confirmada pelo Futebol Latino/LANCE!

No último sábado (5), depois do empate em 2 a 2 contra o Corinthians, no Beira-Rio, o jogador mostrou contrariedade com a abordagem feita por seu companheiro de equipe e virou as costas para Luiz Adriano. Já no caso de Magrão, a situação foi mais séria, ao ponto do camisa 13 ter dado um empurrão no dirigente antes de ser retirado do gramado.

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>Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Inter com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Não há informações mais precisas sobre qual teria sido o motivo que desencadeou a confusão. Porém, a discordância envolveria unicamente de situações ocorridas durante a partida pelo Campeonato Brasileiro do último fim de semana, não tendo qualquer resquício de convívio diário.

Apsar do teor da situação, o Colorado não entende que o assunto careça de um tratamento mais rígido. Com isso, se reuniu com o atleta de 33 anos de idade e fez apenas uma advertência formal, não agregando qualquer pena relacionada a questão financeira. Desta forma, a compreensão é de que o tema está solucionado e não terá maiores desdobramentos.

Um dos pontos que influencia na decisão da diretoria do Inter em tratar do tema com o menor impacto possível é, também, a semana de teor decisivo que entra a equipe de Eduardo Coudet.

Na próxima terça-feira (8), o clube de Porto Alegre decide sua vida na Libertadores ao receber no Beira-Rio, pelo segundo jogo das oitavas de final da Libertadores, o River Plate. Após perder a ida por 2 a 1, de virada, o time precisa vencer, ao menos, por um gol de diferença para levar a disputa rumo as penalidades.

Philadelphia weren't perfect, but they ground out enough wins to claim the Shield – and are set up well for playoff success

The confetti has been swept off the field. The grass has been cut. The lines have been redrawn. The beer bottles have been cleaned out of the locker room. It has been almost a week since the Philadelphia Union won the Supporters' Shield. Midfielder Jovan Lukic still claims it was the best day of his life. 

"I wasn't drunk in the moment or something. So I can say that for sure," Lukic told GOAL. This is my first professional career trophy. So for me, you work since the age of six and through the things in all your life for these moments."

That night, last Saturday, after Philadelphia beat NYCFC, 1-0, Lukic stayed out on the pitch long after everyone else had left. The 22-year-old helped the groundskeepers sweep up confetti. He sat there on the Subaru Park turf, taking in the moment. And why shouldn’t he? The Union had clinched the Supporters' Shield. They had collected the most points over the course of a long, grueling season. In most of Europe's top competitions, this would be winning the league. 

For Lukic, that was the pinnacle of soccer. A Serbian-born midfielder, who joined Philadelphia this year, this was the peak of the sport. 

MLS, of course, makes this thing a bit difficult to celebrate. The Supporters’ Shield is a strange concept – a trophy awarded to the team that gets the most points in a league, of which the real “winner” is decided by the unpredictability of knockout soccer in the playoffs. Lukic doesn’t care. Neither do the Union. This has been a deserved thing, a vindication of sorts for a team that didn’t spend in the offseason, pushed towards the top of the Eastern Conference, hung in there, and never let go. 

"It was a celebration, and we're obviously very excited, and we're very happy," midfielder Indy Vassilev said to GOAL. "You know, we did it for ourselves, for our family, for the fans, for the city, and it feels really good." 

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportUnique to Philly

This felt all like quite a Philadelphia win, when you think about it. This is, after all, a blue-collar place, one traditionally of grit, hard work. Think Rocky and the Art Museum steps, its history as a manufacturing hub, and cheesesteaks. Somewhere in that, there's room for a soccer team that doesn't really take any stick either. 

"I don't mind saying we've had a lot of blue-collar wins, just like, f*cking put your feet in the ground and just grind it out," Vassilev said.

There is a concept in soccer of being "good title winners." You hear it a lot in the European game. Elite seasons are built on comfortable scorelines and topped off by dramatic victories to take a side over the line. And the Union were the very definition of that. They only won five games by more than two goals (two of those came against D.C. United). Their longest winning streak was just four games. They mixed in seven draws. Only three Eastern Conference playoff teams tallied more. 

Perhaps it's not the most glamorous sentiment in a game that is more finesse-based than ever. But that's kind of the point. They were reliable in a league that is inherently frantic.

"We kind of go by five or six game blocks," Vassilev explained. "But even within those five or six game blocks, the mentality is the next game. And once you win the next game, you do a review on the next game." 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe big results

But of course, there were some signature moments here. Every league-winning season needs them. Vassilev and Lukic can refer to any number of performances. Late wins stand out. On May 14, they were down 2-0 to LA Galaxy at home – and not playing particularly well. Yet three second half goals, including a 96th-minute winner from striker Tai Baribo, sealed a season-defining victory. A similar result against Toronto comes to mind.

"There were many games where we won late. Obviously, there was the LA game where we're down to zero, we ended up winning it late at home. There was a Toronto game where we scored two late goals and we win 2-1 away from home," Vassilev said. 

Ultimately, that might just come down to certain collegiality.

"Even if it's not the best in that moment, we fight for each other, then the quality comes again. I think that's the key at the end of the day," Lukic said.

It helps, also, that the Union have quality all over the pitch. Baribo has bagged 16 goals in the league this year. Kai Wagner might be the best left back in MLS. Olwethu Makhanya, 21, is an elite central defender.

ImagnA bit unsteady at times

There were moments of adversity, too. 

"There are others where we're up 2-1 against Columbus, and we lose on a corner kick in the last minute of the game. So we dropped two points there," Vassilev said. 

Still, the point is that the Union were able to rebound.

"You can nitpick the whole season, where all we could have won points here, or, you know, we shouldn't have dropped points there. But I think credit to the group, because we genuinely did take it as the next game is the most important," he said. 

If anything, it might just have made them battle-hardened for the tougher moments that followed.

"You win like four or five games in a row, then you lose like two games in a row. That happened like three times. And I think that helps us, because we reset in our head," Lukic said. "It's the key at the end of the day. I think that bad moments, like the losses and that things, we change in a good way. That's the reason we are on top of the table right now." 

That makes the difference in this league. There is quality everywhere, especially in a loaded Eastern Conference. Miami have the best player to ever lace up his football boots, and were outside of a spot for home field advantage for long stretches. Even the worst teams have good players they can turn to at any minute. The difference, then, is mentality. And the Union had it. 

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GettyWhat does this thing mean?

But there are some questions worth asking here. Lukic sees the Supporters' Shield as the pinnacle. It was the type of soccer he was raised on. They won the league, and there is no higher honor than that. But MLS, historically, doesn't tend to value this kind of thing. Supporters' Shield winners are largely forgotten. In the scope of things, it's MLS Cups that stand out. 

This is an American sports thing in general. Few remember which teams had the best regular season record in Major League Baseball in 2021. They could tell you, though, that the Atlanta Braves won the World Series. 

Whether or not that's fair is up for debate. 

"To be like first of 30, not even like in our conference, it's first of 30 teams. For me, that's the biggest success," Lukic said. 

Yet at the same time, he and the Union understand the importance of playoffs. It's part of the American psyche, and what makes MLS unique in the global sphere.

"I respect that way of thinking in America. It is like that. Even in the NBA, playoffs are like more fun and everything," Lukic said.

Why has the IPL started measuring bats all of a sudden during IPL 2025? That has become a significant question ever since April 13, when match officials began using a gauge to measure bats.While the IPL has not put out an official statement on the reasons, ESPNcricinfo has learned the move has been made with an eye on maintaining the balance between bat and ball and ensuring that batters do not derive an undue advantage from using bigger bats.Related

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It is understood that the move was initially discussed by key decision-makers of the IPL before it was ratified by the tournament governing council and formally introduced on April 13. While the IPL has checked bat dimensions in previous seasons, the process involved the fourth umpire measuring the bat dimensions on the day before the match, with players chosen at random. It did not matter, then, if the player would be part of the team on match day. And not all bats of the player were checked, which meant that a batter could have one bat tested and walk in with another on match day.

Why now?

To plug that loophole, the IPL decided during discussions at the start of the 2025 season that it would be better check bats during the match rather than during training. It is understood that some match officials had privately expressed concern over the size of some bats players had been using. So instead of being subjective and selective in their assessment, it was decided a better approach would be to uniformly check the legality of the bats of all players during a live match.Girish TS/ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It is understood that the IPL decided to adopt a rule that was originally used by the ECB. In 2018, the ECB introduced, as part of its domestic playing conditions, checks on bat sizes to make sure they conformed to Law 5 of the MCC’s Laws of Cricket, which restricts the thickness of bat edges to 4cm (1.56 inches), the overall depth of bats to 6.7cm (2.64 inches), and their width to 10.8cm (4.25 inches).

How does the bat gauge work?

The guage is a rectangular implement with a house-shaped cut-out through which the bottom part of the bat is inserted. The cut-out conforms to the bat dimensions permitted under Law 5, which is also part of the IPL playing conditions. To be deemed legal to use, the bat must be able to pass through the gauge, even if it has been fitted with “[p]ermitted coverings, repair material and toe guards, not exceeding their specified thicknesses”The gauge in use at the IPL to test bat sizes•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

When do the checks happen?

It is understood that the IPL informed all teams before mandating the bat checks from April 13. Teams were also given bat gauges so their players could themselves check their bats before the match.On matchdays, on-field umpires carry a bat gauge each to assess the bat of the incoming batter. The fourth umpire is tasked with checking both openers’ bats at the start of each innings. Any bat was found exceeding the specified dimensions is marked and cannot be used during a match. In case a batter asks for a bat change, the new bat is also checked.So far, only two bats have failed the gauge test: they belonged to the Kolkata Knight Riders pair of Sunil Narine and Anrich Nortje.

What are the sanctions?

Just like the ECB has done, the IPL too has put the onus on players to ensure that their bats comply with Law 5. However, there is a significant difference when it comes to sanctions. The ECB has imposed severe sanctions for any breach, as Essex bitterly experienced during the 2024 County Championship season when they were docked 12 points after one of their batters used an oversized bat during the opening match of their season.The IPL has decided not to impose any sanction other than disallowing bats that have failed the gauge test. While the ECB’s bat checks are random, the IPL checks every bat that enters the field of play.It is understood that batters have been caught off-guard by the move. A tailender at a title-winning team was left in a spot when his entire set of bats, numbering seven or eight, failed to pass through the gauge. Such a situation could prove particularly tricky for overseas batters, particularly those whose bat manufacturers are based outside India.Specialist batters usually request manufacturers to design bespoke bats with custom measurements. In the past, since bat checks were only carried out at random by match officials, and usually only on the eve of the match, there was a certain amount of leeway for players to get away with measurements that exceeded permissible limits. Even if a bat or set of bats was rejected on training day, a player could still use a matchday bat that had never gone through the gauge.The IPL has decided to discourage such actions in the quest to maintain the balance between bat and ball.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will have been relieved to have seen Daizen Maeda pop up in stoppage time to claim all three points for the Hoops against Motherwell on Sunday.

The Glasgow giants were 2-1 down heading into the final 25 minutes and needed goals from Benjamin Nygren and Maeda to complete a comeback at Parkhead.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha, as shown in the highlights above, registered his first goal involvement for the club with his assist for the winning goal at the end of the game.

Ranking Celtic's wide players this season

Maeda has to rank at the top of Celtic’s wide players this season because he has produced the most quality in front of goal with two goals and two assists in the Scottish Premiership, per WhoScored.

Daizen Maeda (7)

2

2

Michel-Ange Balikwisha (4)

0

1

Sebastian Tounekti (3)

0

0

Hyun-jun Yang (3)

0

0

James Forrest (7)

0

0

As you can see in the table above, the Japan international is the only out-and-out winger who has scored a goal for the Hoops in the league this season. Nygren has played out wide at times, but has predominantly played in a central midfield position.

Sebastian Tounekti may not have a goal or an assist to his name in the Premiership, but he has excited supporters with his direct play out wide, completing 14 dribbles in five matches, per Sofascore.

He needs to add more goals and assists to his game if he wants to overtake Maeda as the best winger at the club, though, particularly when you consider that a winger let go by the Hoops this summer is now outperforming him.

The Celtic loanee who is outperforming Sebastian Tounekti

Rodgers ditched Luis Palma during the summer transfer window by sending him out on loan to Lech Poznan, with an option for the Polish side to make it permanent at the end of the season.

The Honduras international, who spent the second half of last term on loan at Olympiacos, fell out of favour at Parkhead despite a fairly impressive record when selected.

Palma racked up ten goals and ten assists in 48 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, per Transfermarkt, which is a very respectable return for a winger.

Given how Celtic’s wingers have performed at the top end of the pitch this season, Rodgers could currently do with a player like Palma who can provide goals and assists on a regular basis.

The 25-year-old star has already fired in four goals and assisted three goals in 12 appearances for Lech Poznan, per Transfermarkt, whilst Tounekti has one goal and zero assists in ten outings in all competitions for Hammarby and Celtic combined.

This shows that Palma, who was described as a “magic” player by Peter Grant, has outperformed the Tunisia international with more goals and more assists from a left wing position.

Tounekti is exciting to watch and can get supporters off their feet in a way that Palma was unable to because of his impressive dribbling, but he needs to add the goals and assists that the Honduran star has proven that he can offer.

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Therefore, at this moment in time, Rodgers may rue not giving the Lech Poznan star more of a chance to establish himself on the wing for the Hoops, because he is now out on loan and outperforming the club’s new £5m winger.

Lancashire, Warwickshire and The Blaze also book their spots at Finals Day

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2025Emma Jones starred with the bat, as Surrey made light of the absence of their big guns on England duty to march into the semi-finals of the T20 Women’s County Cup with an emphatic 72-run victory over Durham at Guildford.Jones, 22, made a blistering 88 not out from 49 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes, as Surrey recovered from the early loss of their openers to post an imposing 194 for 4. She was joined by Phoebe Franklin, who made 58 from 41 balls in an 88-run stand for the third wicket that spanned 11 overs.Durham’s attack was led by the returning Lauren Filer, who missed the start of the season with a knee injury. Though she eventually dismissed Franklin at the start of the 15th over, an attack that also featured Mady Villiers and Katie Levick could not halt Surrey’s momentum.Even in the absence of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey on England duty, Surrey’s bench strength proved more than adequate. In reply, Durham were restricted to 122 all out in 19.1 overs, with Ryana MacDonald-Gay the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 22 in four overs.It was an even more emphatic display for Lancashire at Kibworth, where they routed Leicestershire by 109 runs.Batting first, Lancashire posted 180 for 4, with Seren Smale’s half-century anchoring the innings alongside explosive knocks of 41 from 29 balls from Emma Lamb at the top of the order, and 45 from 27 from captain Ellie Threlkeld.Sophie Ecclestone, continuing her return from injury, pitched in with a brisk 15 from seven balls then ripped through Leicestershire’s reply with 3 for 14 in 3.5 overs. Tara Norris, however, went even better with 3 for 7 in four, as Leicestershire were bowled out for 71 with a ball to spare.In Saturday’s encounter at Headingley, Yorkshire’s run came to an emphatic end at the hands of their Tier 1 opponents, Warwickshire who romped to a 10-wicket victory after hunting down 139 with 29 balls to spare. Abigail Freeborn made 78 not out from 47 balls and Davina Perrin 58 not out from 44, after Millie Taylor starred with the ball with 3 for 17.The Blaze meanwhile ended the run of another Tier 2 team, Kent, whom they routed by 109 runs at Canterbury. Sarah Bryce’s 94 not out from 61 balls helped rescue them from an early wobble at 10 for 2. And that in itself was plenty as Kent were rolled aside for 71, with Cassidy McCarthy returning the remarkable figures of 3-0-3-3.Both semi-finals and the final of the T20 County Cup will be played at the Cooper Associates County Ground in Taunton on Monday.

Wrexham have endured a difficult start to the Championship campaign and could be set for a change in the dugout, with speculation over movement likely to be fueled further by a recent known face who has been spotted at the Racecourse Ground.

Wrexham hold Phil Parkinson talks after QPR defeat

After a run of three defeats in five league matches this term, the Red Dragons find themselves in the Championship relegation zone after a 3-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

Phil Parkinson is a man under pressure after recording a bigger net spend than the likes of Aston Villa, Celtic and Rangers during the summer, and talks have now taken place over the Wrexham manager possibly being replaced after a poor run of results, according to talkSPORT.

Internally, club chiefs could take a ruthless approach as they look to build on three successive promotions under the 57-year-old, and his job may now be under threat after four years in North Wales.

Speaking after his side fell to another damaging loss, Parkinson lamented his team’s contribution at both ends of the pitch, saying: “The previous home games, we looked like we can create chances and score. But the goals we conceded, one one hand, you’ll say they were clinical, but when we analyse them all, we’ll know we could have done better.

“The strikers are better (in the Championship). To be fair to Burrell and Kone, they were in League One last year.”

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Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have brought plenty of big names to the Racecourse during their tenure, and supporters may be intrigued to know that a former Premier League winner was in attendance at their latest encounter in the second tier.

Former Manchester United star Phil Jones spotted at Wrexham

Taking to social media platform X, Mailsport correspondent Nathan Salt shared a picture of former Manchester United star Phil Jones in the stands as Wrexham lost out to QPR.

The 33-year-old, who was once dubbed “phenomenal” by Sir Alex Ferguson due to his versatility, was at the Red Devils working voluntarily within their Under-18 set-up.

Salt later explained why Jones was invited to take in the action, stating: “Been one suggestion put to me by someone I respect in the game that Wrexham have been putting feelers out to add to the coaching staff. Jones was in with Utd’s U18s on a voluntary basis last season. Could fit the bill.”

Wrexham CEO Mike Williamson is the one who invited him to the match, per the reporter, suggesting that movement could be on the cards one way or another at the Welsh outfit.

With Parkinson’s future at the club uncertain, it remains to be seen where Jones, a Premier League winner with the Red Devils, may fit, albeit he would likely be ruled out of taking over himself due to a lack of senior coaching experience.

Mukesh Kumar, the Delhi Capitals (DC) seamer, has been fined 10% of his match fee after his team’s defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians (MI) knocked them out of playoff contentions for IPL 2025.He was pulled up for a level 1 offence under Article 2.2 of IPL’s Code of Conduct which deals with “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match” and accepted match referee Daniel Manohar’s sanction.Mukesh had a forgettable evening with the ball on Wednesday, conceding five fours and three sixes in his spell of 2 for 48 in four overs. He also conceded 27 runs in the 19th over of the first innings as Suryakumar Yadav and Naman Dhir eventually lifted MI to a match-winning score of 180. That over went for 6, 1, 4, 6, 6, 4.Related

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He was substituted out for impact player KL Rahul in DC’s chase but the visitors folded for 121 with only uncapped Indians Sameer Rizvi (39) and Vipraj Nigam (20) scoring 20 or more runs. Mitchell Santner and Jasprit Bumrah produced miserly spells to wreck DC in the second innings, taking three wickets between them while conceding only 23 runs in the 44 balls the pair bowled.This season, Mukesh has featured in 11 of DC’s 13 fixtures so far, taking 11 wickets at an average of 32.63 and economy of 10.11.

Chelsea’s transfer strategy has seen them sign and sell an enormous number of players over recent years, and while it has worked, they’ve also lost out on some brilliant talent.

For example, FA Cup winner Marc Guehi was sold to Crystal Palace for just £18m in 2021, and has since become one of the very best defenders in the Premier League.

He has also become a key player for England, starting both games during the international break and scoring his first international goal against Serbia.

However, there is another Cobham graduate who was sold too soon, someone arguably more exciting than Guehi and who looks destined to become an England star.

Ex-Chelsea players to play for England

Due to the sheer number of players Chelsea have sold or released over the last decade or more, it’s hardly surprising that there are quite a few who have gone on to play for England.

Where Are They Now

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For example, Declan Rice was famously a part of the group of Cobham gems that included Mason Mount, but was released at 14 years old and ended up joining West Ham United.

The 26-year-old would go on to make 245 appearances for the Hammers and captain them to Conference League glory before joining Arsenal for £105m two years ago.

He made his debut for the national team in March 2019 under Gareth Southgate and has since become one of the most important players for the side, accumulating 68 caps during which he has scored six goals, provided six assists, and played in two European Championship finals.

Other former Chelsea players who have pulled on the Three Lions after leaving Stamford Bridge, but aren’t as crucial to the teamlike Dominic Solanke, who made his debut while playing for Liverpool.

While none of those players have gone on to be stars for the national team, another Cobham graduate, who might be more exciting than Guehi, appears to be on track to be one.

The Cobham gem primed to be an England star

While Guehi received plenty of attention for his impressive performance on Tuesday night, and rightly so, there was another former Cobham gem playing alongside him: Tino Livramento.

The Croydon-born full-back joined Chelsea as a child and made quite a name for himself coming up through the academy, even winning the player of the year award in the 20/21 season.

However, after failing to agree on terms on a deal, the Blues sold him to Southampton for around £5m, where injuries would limit him to just 34 appearances in two years.

Yet, those 34 appearances were still impressive enough to convince Newcastle United that he was a player worth signing, so in August 2023, they spent around £32m rising to £40m to bring him to St James’ Park.

Since then, the 22-year-old has gone from strength to strength, making 83 appearances for the Toon, in which he’s produced four goal involvements, averaged 1.77 points per game, played on both sides of the defence and most importantly, helped the club with their first silverware since the 50s.

All of this was enough for him to win his first senior cap for England under Lee Carsley last November, and then this international break, Thomas Tuchel played him in the first game and started him against Serbia.

Moreover, it looks like he could become a star for the side, as according to some reports, the German has told his staff he views the Toon ace as someone who can become his ‘first-choice left-back.’ Theo Walcott has even stated in the past that he believes Tuchel may have a “future England captain” at his disposal, such is his presence.

Finally, on top of passing the eye test and still having plenty of time to develop, another reason why the former Cobham gem might be even more exciting than Guehi is the fact that his underlying numbers are already stellar.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 4% of full-backs in the league last season for ball recoveries, the top 6% for long pass completion, the top 11% for passes blocked, the top 13% for progressive passes and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it’s challenging to predict how a youngster will develop, it feels like Chelsea made a significant mistake in allowing Livramento to leave in 2021.

The Chelsea academy star turning Maresca's head after Nicolas Jackson praise

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Emilio Galantini

Sep 11, 2025

Tottenham are planning fresh negotiations with Bayern Munich after one player has made it clear he wants to seal a North London move in 2026.

Tottenham face Leeds United after Bodo/Glimt draw

Spurs boss Thomas Frank is now 10 matches into his tenure and there have been some fairly promising signs for the Dane, although they’ve been made to work very hard to salvage some games against lesser sides.

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The Lilywhites were extremely fortunate at best to come away from the Arctic Circle with a 2-2 draw against Bodo/Glimt in their last outing. A quick-fire brace just after half-time from Jens Petter Hauge very nearly made Tuesday night one to forget for Frank, who watched his side be dominated by the Norwegian minnows for extended periods.

Luckily for the Spurs boss, captain-elect Micky van de Ven was on hand to head home a delightful Pedro Porro cross and grab a goal back just minutes after Hauge’s second, before a dramatic late own goal from Jostein Gundersen spared Frank’s blushes.

Thomas Frank’s managerial record at Tottenham so far

Stats

Matches

10

Wins

5

Draws

3

Losses

2

Points

15

Points per game

1.80

Tottenham’s came back from a losing position to earn a result for the third time this season, despite not being at their very best, which is in itself an encouraging sign — as all the best teams in Europe display this level of grit when required.

That being said, supporters will be hoping for much more convincing overall displays moving forward, and critics certainly weren’t impressed by what Spurs had to offer in Norway.

Next up, Frank’s side travel to Leeds United for what is a tough clash at Elland Road, with all three promoted sides from last season thus far showing they won’t be canon fodder like in the previous two campaigns.

Summer loan signing Joao Palhinha will likely play a key role after his excellent start to life at N17, and reports suggest that the Portugal international is very keen on remaining there beyond 25/26.

The former Fulham star was insistent that a buy option was to be included when Tottenham negotiated the deal with Bayern (Ben Jacobs), and he’s now attempting to play his way into the club’s long-term plans.

Tottenham plot fresh Bayern Munich talks with Joao Palhinha clear he wants 2026 move

Palhinha’s man of the match display away to Man City in August, his last-gasp equaliser against Wolves last weekend and an overhead kick at home to Doncaster Rovers tell just half the story.

The 30-year-old is forming an excellent partnership with Rodrigo Bentancur, who’s just signed a new contract, in the middle of the park — with Palhinha seriously impressing on-lookers as ex-chairman Daniel Levy’s best signing of the summer so far.

Resultingly, as things stand, it appears very likely at this point that Tottenham could choose to activate his £27 million buyout clause.

That being said, according to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs for GiveMeSport, technical director Johan Lange and the Spurs recruitment team might not actually trigger the clause.

Instead, Tottenham are considering re-opening talks with Bayern over new terms for Palhinha to try and get a cheaper deal, with that seen as a distinct possibility.

Joao Palhinha’s only season at Bayern Munich

Stats

Appearances

25

Goals

0

Assists

0

Bookings

2

Red cards

1

Minutes played

986

via Transfermarkt

The former Sporting Lisbon star has made it clear behind-the-scenes that he’d prefer to stay in London beyond this season, as per GMS, while reports in Germany suggest that Bayern are hoping that Tottenham do sign Palhinha permanently.

A deal is definitely there to be done, but it’s unclear whether Bayern would let him leave for less considering Palhinha’s top form right now.

Talks over the£135,000-per-weekstar may not be the only bit of business Tottenham do with Vincent Kompany's side, either. Tottenham could re-sign Harry Kane next year

Spurs legend Harry Kane has a £54 million release clause in his deal which becomes active next summer, and his former club also possess first refusal rights in talks (The Telegraph).

The 32-year-old, if he were to go anywhere next year, would return to England, and Kane is also set to consider the possibility of a Bayern exit after the 2026 World Cup (Ben Jacobs).

This could open the door for Spurs, with it possible that both Palhinha and Kane seal moves to Tottenham next year.

Manchester United have faced managerial uncertainty recently and Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on developments that could follow at Old Trafford.

Manchester United pressure on Ruben Amorim eases a little

Supporters of Manchester United will be the first to tell you that this season hasn’t all been plain sailing so far. However, Ruben Amorim looks to have bought himself more time after helping to deliver a competent 2-0 victory over Sunderland.

After some turbulent results, the Red Devils rounded off the international break with a display that showed signs of recovery, alongside some excellent performances, notably from Senne Lammens. Optimism will now start to flow ahead of the Premier League return.

ESPN FC pundit Steve Nicol took time to praise Amorim’s side for their ‘comfortable’ performance, claiming that the win was the first match in a long time where nobody would’ve been able to ask any questions of Manchester United.

He stated: “I bet you, Amorim wishes every Saturday could be like this. I can’t remember the last time we watched Manchester United, home or away, where there wasn’t at some stage, some sort of drama, whether it’s giving a lead away, or whether it’s a comeback or or whether it’s just rubbish.

“I mean, for the first time ever I can remember in recent memory, there’s nothing to say about this Man United side. It was comfortable. As soon as Mount scored, they never looked in any danger.”

Nevertheless, consistency needs to be the focus for Manchester United after the break; otherwise, there will be a return of familiar rumours linking other managers to Amorim’s role at the club.

Speaking of which, Romano has now delivered an update on one man who could be a candidate to succeed the former Sporting boss if he does end up being relieved of his duties.

Romano: Man Utd are on good speaking terms with Gareth Southgate

Communicating on his YouTube channel, Romano confirmed that Manchester United hold an excellent relationship with Gareth Southgate, though he conceded that they are heading into the international break feeling far more comfortable with Amorim at the helm after Saturday’s triumph.

He said: “Man Utd were not going to sack Amorim even if Man Utd were going to lose the game against Sunderland. Even in that case, he was not going to be fired. That was the plan of Man Utd unless completely crazy things happened, like losing, I don’t know, 3 or 4 or 5-0. But, for example, losing the game, I don’t know, 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, something like that – Amorim was not going to be fired.

“I spent basically the last 10 days telling you that Gareth Southgate was in the media, but there was never a concrete negotiation between Man Utd and Southgate or his representatives. There is a very good relationship between Southgate and INEOS, but never a negotiation. And Man United wanted to show their support to Amorim.”

Amorim was always likely to gain an extended crack of the whip off the back of a victory. Still, Southgate would be an astute plan B option should results begin to head south over the coming months.

The 55-year-old retained a 59.8% win ratio in charge of England and has previously been labelled “ruthless” by John Stones. On the flip side, the main concern over him taking over at Old Trafford would be the fact he hasn’t managed in the Premier League since 2009.

Middlesbrough fans will remember him well for stabilising the club in the top flight. Nevertheless, managing Manchester United is an entirely different kettle of fish, an honour Amorim seems set to retain for now.