After going 12 years without a Premier League trophy, the Manchester United fanbase will no doubt be getting restless at their lack of success on the field.

However, it’s certainly not been without serious efforts from the hierarchy, with the board spending a hefty chunk in the transfer market to aid their chances of top-flight success.

Over £800m has been sent since the summer of 2022, but many of the additions have subsequently failed to live up to the massive fees paid for their signatures.

Brazilian winger Anthony is arguably one of the biggest examples of their failures in the window, after paying £86m for his services three years ago, before departing for just £21m this summer.

However, despite the lack of impact from the aforementioned addition, one other player has proved his worth and made himself one of the best signings in the club’s history.

Bruno Fernandes’ record under different Man Utd managers

Bruno Fernandes is just one example of a player who has proven value for many for United in the transfer market – after he joined in a £47m deal from Sporting CP back in January 2022.

In his 299 outings for the Red Devils, he’s registered 100 goals and 90 assists, but which manager has the midfielder endured the most success?

His worst period at Old Trafford came under temporary boss Ralf Rangnick, with the German in charge of just 26 matches during the 2021/22 season.

Such a period saw the 31-year-old achieve a total of just 10 combined goals and assists in his 26 outings – an average of just 0.38 contributions per 90.

His second-lowest tally of goals and assists came in the Erik ten Hag era, with the Portuguese international only able to notch 63 goal contributions in his 120 appearances.

Such a period did see the club win two trophies – the FA Cup and Carabao Cup – something which no other manager in this list has managed to achieve.

Current boss Ruben Amorim has chosen to utilise the 31-year-old in various positions, mainly the number ten and eight positions, but it has still allowed the midfielder to have a positive impact.

He’s currently on 30 combined goals and assists in the manager’s 49 outings, but such a record is still shy of the one he produced under the guidance of Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

The Norwegian utilised the Portuguese star as his key man, with such faith reflected in his tally of 79 goals and assists – an average of 0.81 contributions per game.

It’s clear that Solskjaer was the boss to get the best out of Fernandes, but can Amorim do the same with one other player already within his ranks?

The United star who’s the next Fernandes

United’s season in 2024/25 was one of their worst in their history, as seen by their 15th-placed finish in the Premier League under Amorim’s guidance.

However, that didn’t stop Bruno from impressing within the final third once again, as seen by his total of 18 combined goals and assists – the most of any player in the squad.

As a result of the lack of quality, the board invested over £200m into new attacking talents, with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all arriving at Old Trafford.

Such moves haven’t prevented Mason Mount from being a key member of the squad, with the Englishman still playing a vital role during Amorim’s tenure.

He joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2023 for a fee in the region of £60m, but he’s somewhat struggled to live up to the expectations due to his injury issues.

Mason Mount’s injury history after leaving Chelsea

Season

Injury

Days missed

Games missed

2023/24

Unknown

37

6

2023/24

Calf

110

21

2024/25

Hamstring

23

3

2024/25

Head

2

0

2024/25

Hamstring

75

16

2025/26

Knock

20

2

Total:

6 injuries

267

48

Stats via Transfermarkt

However, the manager has since stood by the 26-year-old, subsequently starting him in five of the club’s league outings in the early stages of the 2025/26 season.

Mount has already netted his first goal of the campaign in the recent triumph over Sunderland, hopefully the first of many during the ongoing season.

Despite his recent struggles, he still has bags of time to be the club’s next version of Bruno, possessing numerous similar traits to the Portuguese international.

Mount, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by John Murtough, is capable of featuring in a number ten or eight role – just like Fernandes – subsequently highlighting his versatility.

However, his underlying stats also showcase his creativity, with the former Chelsea star ranking in the top 6% of all midfielders in England’s top-flight for long-balls completed.

He’s also created 1.6 chances per 90 to date, whilst also registering 4.3 chances in the opposition box per 90 – able to pop up in key moments – as seen against the Black Cats.

There’s no disputing that his first few years at Old Trafford have been a disappointment, but there’s a real hope that the current year can be the one in which he kick-starts his Red Devils career.

He has a long way to go until he reaches the heights of Bruno, but should he get there, Mount could play a huge role in any success endured under Amorim.

Related Man Utd star looks like their best signing since Bruno & it's not Mbeumo

Manchester United have struck gold on a player who could be more important than Bruno Fernandes.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Oct 21, 2025

Bayern Munich continued their record-breaking start to the season as the Bundesliga leaders swept aside Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 at the Allianz Arena to secure a 15th straight victory of the new season. With Harry Kane named amongst the substitutes, Nicolas Jackson stepped up to score his first Bundesliga goal. Serge Gnabry also scored for Vincent Kompany's side, while Loic Bade put through his own net to secure the result before half-time.

• Tell me more

  Vincent Kompany's team selection raised a few eyebrows prior to kick-off, as the Bayern head coach opted to change his entire front three, dropping Kane, Luis Diaz and Michael Olise to the bench and giving Jackson a start through the centre.

  Despite the absence of some of the league leaders' biggest stars, Bayern were clearly the superior side over their visitors from start to finish. Lennart Karl showed flashes of brilliance early on, curling just wide from the edge as the 17-year-old looked to score his third goal in four matches.

  It would be Gnabry who opened the scoring. Played through beautifully by Tom Bischof, the 20-year-old's curling pass was severely misjudged by Jarell Quansah to allow Gnabry in behind. When the German found a clear path through on goal, there would only be one outcome and Bayern had taken a 25th-minute lead.

  One would become two just six minutes later, Jackson scoring in the Bundesliga for the first time with a perfectly-placed header from Konrad Laimer's cross from the right. It was a big moment for Jackson, who had proven his credentials to fill in for Kane in the Bayern attack. He had the ball in the net a second time less than ten minutes later, but was adjudged to have gone slightly early with the goal disallowed for offside.

  Just before half-time the game was safe when Bade put through his own net, deflecting in a Raphael Guerrero cross to secure another comfortable victory before the champions had even needed to call upon their in-form attacking trio on the bench.

  Jackson could, and maybe should, have had a second from another inch-perfect Laimer delivery, but on this occasion the Senegalese headed just wide of the post. Soon after as the game approached the hour mark, Kompany rang the changes and took off both of his goalscorers alongside Karl, with all of Kane, Diaz and Olise taking to the field to strike further fear into Leverkusen hearts.

  The away side came into the game from a possession stand-point at least in the second period, as the game began to slow down into a lull with the three points already secured. But the visitors, last season's runners-up who currently sit fifth in the division after a challenging start, never truly looked like scoring and did not have a single shot on target until the 80th minute. Christian Kofane sliced wide at the near post when given space in the Bayern penalty area, in a moment which summed up Leverkusen's day in front of goal. It was another comfortable victory for Bayern, who look very difficult to stop so far this season.

  Leverkusen, for their part, have seen their 37-game away unbeaten run in the Bundesliga ended, and emphatically so. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  The MVP

  Having already scored twice for Bayern in the Champions League this season, getting off the mark in the Bundesliga was important for Jackson. Tasked with filling in for Kane against one of the division's top sides, he scored a great header and had the ball in the net on another occasion in the first half. Also played a part in the third goal with a smart first-time pass into Guerrero.

  Though he missed a presentable opportunity in the second period, Kompany will be encouraged by the Chelsea loanee's showing as he proves a valuable part of the Bavarian giants' squad which will look to win it all this season.

  Bayern had strong performers across the park, as Laimer was a strong creative presence while Karl continued to show flashes. Jonathan Tah was imperious at the back as he faced off against his former club. But Jackson will get many of the headlines, and deservedly so.

• The big loser

  Leverkusen were second-best across the park, but Loic Bade struggled and scored an own-goal in pretty poor circumstances. Giving the ball away himself in the build-up, the French defender could not sort his feet out and got it all wrong, striking the ball beyond Mark Flekken to seal defeat for Leverkusen before the break. The visitors had no answer to Bayern and can have no complaints about the result.

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  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco quitou nesta semana a dívida que tinha com o Atlético-MG por conta da transferência do volante Jair. O pagamento foi possível por conta do recebimento da última remessa do aporte anual da 777 Partners na terça-feira (10).

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O valor pago ao Galo foi de aproximadamente R$ 3,32 milhões, referente à segunda parcela da trasferência, que estava atrasada desde do dia 25 de julho. A informção foi dada pelo jornalista Fábio Torres.

+ Transforme sua paixão pelo futebol em profissão. Descubra o caminho com o curso Gestor de Futebol!

O montante total é de R$ 13 milhões e, por conta do atraso, o Atlético-MG chegou a acionar a Câmara Nacional de Resolução de Disputas para receber o valor.

Com o pagamento, agora o Gigante está em dia com o clube mineiro até janeiro de 2024, quando vence a próxima parcela. A quarta e última parte do pagamento está prevista para abril de 2024. Jair é uma das grandes contratações desse momento de reconstrução do Vasco.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to save their season and force a Game 5 of their NLDS with an 8-0 win over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday night. It was the type of dominant performance they needed after dropping two straight games in what has been a heated series between the two NL West rivals.

There was one wild play in the fourth inning that helped the Padres keep a run off the board. Teoscar Hernandez hit shot up the left field line that should have easily scored Shohei Ohtani from second. But the ball hit the umpire behind third base and Manny Machado was able to throw Ohtani out at home.

Ohtani went back to the dugout and watched a replay on a tablet. Cameras then caught him screaming at the ump:

Ohtani must have been stunned when he got thrown out at home and the replay clearly made him mad. But there's nothing the umpire really could have done better in that situation.

Game 5 is Friday night in Los Angeles. It should be a fun one.

A disciplined bowling effort from India’s seamers led England to scale back their usual aggressive intent

Matt Roller10-Jul-20251:21

Manjrekar in praise of Root’s batting

Shubman Gill declared the return of “boring Test cricket” but England did not care. They scored uncharacteristically slowly – at just 3.02 runs per over – and ground their way into the ascendancy on their slowest-scoring full day of the Bazball era, as Joe Root reached the close a run short of his 37th Test century and his eighth at Lord’s.”Baz-Baz-Bazball! Come on, I want to see it,” Mohammed Siraj was heard telling Root over the stump microphones, as England put their attacking shots away during a wicketless second session. “No more entertaining cricket, lads,” Gill told his team-mates, after Ollie Pope left the ball alone outside his off stump. “Welcome back to the boring Test cricket.”Boring suited England just fine. The crowd at Lord’s was probably anticipating a very different day when they cheered Ben Stokes’ decision to bat after winning his third consecutive toss, but a sluggish surface and a disciplined bowling effort from India’s seamers – including the returning Jasprit Bumrah – led England to scale back their usual aggressive intent.Related

Reddy credits Cummins and Morkel for bowling improvement

For Crawley and Pope, the struggle gets real

Bumrah and Root show their class on bizarre Bazwalling day

England sweat on Ben Stokes as spectre of injury looms

Pant suffers blow to finger, Jurel called up as substitute keeper

But India will be heartened by the fact that after a long day in the field, they have kept England in check. The bowling heroes of their 336-run win at Edgbaston, Siraj and Akash Deep, both went wicketless, but timely scalps for Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and two in an over from Nitish Kumar Reddy ensured that England never got away from them.Root walked in straight after Reddy’s first over, which accounted for both England openers and saw Gill drop a tough chance off Pope in the gully, and quickly got his head down. He put on 109 with Pope for the third wicket, then an unbroken 79 with Stokes for the fifth – though Stokes’ apparent groin issue could become a major worry.India had their own injury problem to worry about: Rishabh Pant tried to grimace through the pain after being struck on the index finger as he tried to gather a rare loose ball from Bumrah, but instead spent the last 49 overs off the field. But Dhruv Jurel proved an able deputy, taking a fine catch to dismiss Pope as Jadeja found his outside edge with the first ball after tea.0:57

What explains England’s ‘Blockball’ approach?

Brendon McCullum ordered a pitch with “plenty of life in it” after England’s heavy defeat at Edgbaston but his plea either arrived too late or fell on deaf ears. It was clear within an over that this was a slow surface, with Ben Duckett edging through to Pant on the half-volley; Bumrah, who replaced Prasidh Krishna, immediately called for the slip cordon to stand closer.Duckett was repeatedly struck on the body in the first hour as Bumrah nipped the new ball off the seam, while Crawley was frenetic. He changed his guard several times and threw his hands at the ball; while he nailed three cover drives, he slashed another over the slips and regularly played and missed at both Akash Deep and Siraj.But it was Reddy, wicketless in Birmingham, who made the breakthroughs. He struck first with perhaps the worst ball of the morning, a long-hop on Duckett’s hip which he under-edged to Pant on the pull, but then dismissed Crawley with one of the best, a wicked outswinger which angled in then shaped away late to take the outside edge.Pope was reprieved by Gill in between those two dismissals and batted as though determined to live up to his tag – coined by Steve James in the – as “the worst starter since prawn cocktail”. But he made it through to lunch unscathed, and dug in alongside Root after the interval; early in the second session, they went 28 consecutive balls without scoring.1:15

Manjrekar: India introduced spin very late

Root, the senior pro, recognised that the best way to play Bumrah was from the non-striker’s end: he faced only two balls of his five-over spell after lunch, pinching singles to give Pope the strike back. They added 70 in a sleepy second session, as India’s seamers hung the ball wide outside off stump and waited for a mistake which didn’t come.It finally arrived straight after tea, as Pope flashed hard at Jadeja and edged through to Jurel. He stood disconsolate, bent over his bat handle in disbelief that he had thrown his wicket away. India had another soon after, as the battle between the ICC’s No. 1-ranked Test batter and bowler ended swiftly: Bumrah nipped one back off the seam to peg Harry Brook’s off stump back.Stokes was underway early with consecutive cuts for four, but looked uncomfortable against spin once more and survived an lbw shout from Reddy via DRS thanks only to the on-field umpire’s call. He was in obvious discomfort after a leave against Reddy, but batted on getting treatment from England’s physio during another long delay.Root, meanwhile, cruised along as he does, only once putting his foot down with a rasping slog-sweep off Jadeja. He was a boundary away from his hundred in the final over of the day but could only manage a two and then a single. History bodes well: the previous 16 men to sleep on 99 in Test cricket have all reached three figures the following morning.

The football never stops, and Liverpool are back in action on Saturday evening as they take on Brentford at the Gtech, desperate to end their three-match losing streak in the division.

Arne Slot knew the gravity of his side’s situation as the Reds travelled to Eintracht Frankfurt having lost four on the bounce, including their previous European tie against Galatasaray in Istanbul. The 5-1 scoreline offered a glimpse of the attacking success yet to come after a summer of sweeping changes.

To slip once again on domestic soil is unthinkable; defeat would leave Slot’s title defence in tatters.

And with that in mind, could keeping Mohamed Salah on the bench be the solution for the trip to the capital?

Why Slot could bench Salah again

For so long, Salah has been an unstoppable force in the final third for Liverpool. One of the deadliest goalscorers and most prolific creators in Premier League history, last year was his year as he made it a title-winning first term for Slot.

The 33-year-old, however, has toiled this season, scoring one penalty goal in the top flight since netting on the opening day. Moreover, the overall quality of his performances have left much to be desired.

We must also acknowledge the human element. The passing of Diogo Jota this summer will have had an indescribable effect on his Liverpool teammates, and Salah has bravely displayed outward emotion in the months since the summer.

The Egyptian King will score goals once again for his club; Slot has no doubt about that.

But keeping him benched for now might not be a bad thing. Liverpool produced their most fluent attacking performance against Die Roten, and Salah squandered a great chance late on when he could have played Florian Wirtz in for his first goal.

Goals

0.77

0.25

Assists

0.48

0.25

Shots taken

3.23

1.77

Shot-creating actions

4.51

2.65

Touches (att pen)

9.50

5.30

Pass completion (%)

70.6

69.0

Progressive passes

3.84

3.28

Progressive carries

4.14

3.16

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.13

Ball recoveries

2.70

3.16

Should Salah make his mark as a substitute once again, Slot may well opt to field the same formation as he did in Germany. However, rotation is important, and there’s someone waiting in the wings who would love to make their first Premier League start of the season.

Liverpool's Salah solution

On Wednesday evening, Slot fielded Wirtz in a roaming right-sided role. It bore dividends for the German, who racked up two assists and connected play and directed the flow of the attack. It was a promising performance from one of Europe’s most talented stars.

Energy. Liverpool took on their opponents, and Sofascore record that they won 61% of the ground battles during the second half. A large part of this was Federico Chiesa’s energy and enthusiasm, replacing the injured Alexander Isak at the interval and clocking 5.1km. Moreover, he created two chances.

The Italian was bleakly on the fringes last year, impeded by injuries and neglected by Slot. But now he is resurgent, playing an increasingly important role for the Merseysiders.

It was Chiesa whose goal sealed victory against Bournemouth in August, and the 27-year-old netted again during that defeat at Selhurst Park. He provided both assists in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton and another last week, when Manchester United won at Anfield.

With Isak a doubt for Saturday’s clash, Hugo Ekitike is primed to star as Liverpool’s sole striker. Thus, Chiesa could be placed down the right, running and creating and arcing inwards. He does, after all, have a natural reserve of energy, with Liverpool analyst Sajad Iqbal saying the Italian “presses like a monster”.

Brentford are a resilient and hard-working outfit, and though Salah has a match-winning moment in his locker, utilising Chiesa’s athleticism might be the order of the day. If the need for goals is great enough come the eleventh hour, a refreshed Salah’s introduction could prove the difference-maker.

Liverpool have signed a Salah-type player who's got the "pace of Torres"

Liverpool are watching before their eyes the birth of a superstar.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 24, 2025

Everton are now reportedly keeping tabs on an “unbelievable” player who has enjoyed significant recent success at international level.

Moyes upbeat despite Everton loss

The Blues were beaten 2-0 away to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday, with the visitors unable to contain the in-form Erling Haaland.

Despite the result, Everton manager David Moyes still managed to feel positive about what he saw, with defeats at the Etihad never too concerning.

“I’m pleased with how we played. We were a bit disappointed when we lost the first goal. It was only 1-0 but to give them a second goal quickly was a killer for us. But there are a lot of good things we could talk about and what we’ve done well. We’ve come here and given them a bit of a game.

“Maybe we’d like to do better, but we’re only growing at the moment and we’re still trying to get better. We missed a couple of big chances in the first half, which might have altered things the way we were playing. We needed any opportunities we got to go in or to certainly get us something more positive than we did. So, look, no real problems with the performance overall – most of it.”

Everton have made a solid start to the new season, but that’s not to say that new signings in the January transfer window wouldn’t go amiss.

Everton eyeing move for "unbelievable" defender

Speaking to Everton News, journalist Graeme Bailey talked up the idea of Everton completing the signing of Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell in January.

“Charlie Cresswell is doing very well in France, and this comes after a very good showing at the Euros. Everton are very much in the market for new defenders in 2026 and I am told that he is one they have watched. He certainly fits the profile of player David Moyes likes, and is one to keep an eye on.”

Cresswell has enjoyed an excellent year, winning the European Championships with England’s Under-21s and proving to be a key man, starting three matches.

The 23-year-old is also impressing in France with Toulouse, being hailed as “unbelievable” by presenter Joe Wainman, and he stands out as an excellent option for Everton.

While James Tarkowski remains a great player for the Blues, both in terms of quality and leadership, he is now 32 and a long-term successor needs to be found.

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If Everton managed to entice Cresswell to the club, he could be Jarrad Branthwaite’s centre-back partner for years to come, also enhancing his chances of forcing his way into the senior England setup at the same time.

The New York Mets' history is littered with teams that accomplished the impossible, but none of them seemed to have as much fun doing it as the 2024 edition of the team.

Shaking off an ugly 24-35 start, the Mets dispatched the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies in the playoffs to come within two games of the National League pennant. Though they ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, their legacy of success and silliness is secure.

On Tuesday, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced it had added a token of New York's magical run to its collection: the team's trademark "OMG" sign.

The sign—held aloft after every Mets home run—was inaugurated as a tribute to infielder Jose Iglesias, who released a Latin pop single titled "OMG" on June 28. Iglesias, who had not played in MLB since 2022 before this season, hit .337 in '24.

Whether Grimace will join the sign in Cooperstown, N.Y. is unknown at press time.

Argentina forward and AS Roma talisman Paulo Dybala appeared to suffer a thigh injury over the weekend, as the ace missed a penalty against AC Milan. Boss Gian Piero Gasperini has now shared a worrying update on the 31-year-old's thigh injury, labelling it as a major setback for the side.

Dybala misses a penalty

After league leaders Napoli played out a 0-0 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como, Roma, who had accumulated 21 points prior to the Milan game, had a huge chance to move top of Serie A. Strahinja Pavlovic scored the only goal of the game in the 39th minute, helping Max Allegri get the better of his Italian counterpart during the first half, despite Roma being the more dominant party among the two. Late on, Dybala had the opportunity to convert from the spot but his shot was saved by Milan custodian Mike Maignan and the Argentine sustained a thigh injury in the process.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportGasperini sheds light on Dybala's injury

The scenario was enough to assume Dybala had indeed suffered a hefty blow, but the extent of his injury is yet to be revealed. Gasperini said: "The worst thing of all on the penalty is that Dybala got injured. Now we need to see how long he’ll be out, certainly until after the break for international duty. This is the biggest loss of the night."

Notably, this was Dybala's first penalty miss in Roma colours. The last time the Argentine missed from the spot in a competitive fixture dates back to his Juventus days, as he last missed against Salernitana on November 30, 2021, almost four years ago.

Gasperini rues finishing but praises team

The Italian head coach once again criticised his team's clinical abilities in front of goal. However, he felt the quality of football had improved. 

He claimed: "We created lots of chances, this is the approach I want to take, and when you leave these games empty-handed there is a lot of regret, but also confidence we are on the right path. I think we made the step up in quality today in everything except the finishing. Our first half was excellent, with strong character to dominate a strong team on their own turf. We suffered a little after their goal and the start of the second half, but then got back to pushing again. I am struggling to find negatives from the performance. Naturally, we are angry and have regrets at the defeat, but unfortunately in football you can miss chances by centimetres, I remain happy with the overall performance. 

"This team has spirit, it can play good football, we’ve certainly paid a price over these last few months for failing to convert four out of five penalties, which are a lot between Serie A and the Europa League. The other thing we need to improve is that I see many big clubs pouring forward and they still manage to get a goal somewhere even in chaotic fashion. I think that is what we are lacking, when you dominate a game to this degree, you need to take home the result."

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Getty Images SportRoma's finishing and upcoming games

Roma sit fourth on the Serie A table and boast the same points tally as Inter and Milan, but they have the lowest goals scored among the top 10 teams in the table, with only 10. While they have the best defensive record in the league, with just five goals conceded, the lackluster finishing has cost them. Previously, Gasperini had been furious with his team's sluggish approach in the attacking third, and now with Dybala's injury, he has another puzzle to solve. The Argentine is a vital cog in his system and missing his services against Rangers (November 6) in the Europa League, where his team are desperate for a win after emerging victorious only once in three matches, and against Udinese (November 9) in the league, who have six points fewer than them, is a huge blow for the Giallorossi.

Arsenal have built an outrageously talented squad over the last five years or so, one capable of winning the Premier League and Champions League.

However, for all the incredible stars Mikel Arteta has signed over the seasons, from Declan Rice to David Raya, it would be fair to say his most important player remains Bukayo Saka.

The Hale Ender has transformed from an academy prospect into a world-class forward, and the fact that he produced his 100th league goal involvement on his 200th appearance at the weekend is a testament to that.

So, it’s incredibly exciting to see that the club are producing another academy talent who looks destined to become someone of Saka-level importance in the years to come.

Saka's academy career

Saka joined Arsenal in the Arsenal academy set-up at seven years old, after spending some time with Watford.

Chalkboard

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

The youngster’s first game for the Gunners’ U18 side came in a 4-1 loss to Fulham’s U18s in August 2017, and while he failed to make much of an impact in that game, he did end that season with eight goals and four assists in 22 games.

The following season started with the “future legend,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, continuing to play for the U18s while also making appearances for the U23s.

However, while he was used in the FA Youth Cup at the turn of the year, and the final of the U18s Premier League, it was increasingly clear that the young dynamo was too good to stay in that age group, and so the U21s became where he spent most of his time.

In all, the Ealing-born gem made 24 appearances for the U23s across 18/19, in which he scored six goals and provided nine assists, but something else happened that season: he made his first-team debut.

Former manager Unai Emery gave him a chance off the bench in a Europa League clash with Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava in November, and then started him at home against Qarabağ FK a month later.

Saka’s youth record
Team	U18s	U23s
Appearances	28	25
Goals	16	6
Assists	6	9
All Stats via Transfermarkt

With him now featuring for the senior side, he would make his final appearances in junior football the following season, playing a single game against Everton in late August for the U23s.

In all, Saka produced 37 goal involvements in 53 appearances for the junior sides before establishing himself as Arsenal’s most important player over the following years, and now it looks like Hale End has produced someone else capable of doing the same.

Arsenal's future Saka

While last season saw Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly make it into the first-team, the Hale Ender set to become as crucial as Saka is someone even younger: Max Dowman.

It feels like the 15-year-old is the most talked-about youth prospect Arsenal have had in a generation or more, and it’s not just coming from supporters.

For example, at the start of last season, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig went as far as to claim the teenager was the “most exciting prospect” he had seen “since Lamine Yamal”, and considering the Spaniard’s absurd ability, that is an astounding thing to say.

As if that wasn’t enough, you also had senior professionals waxing lyrical about the youngster, with Rice labelling him “the best 15-year-old in the country.”

Finally, away from players and scouts, Hale End expert Will Balsam probably had the boldest opinion of the lot, arguing that the Chelmsford-born gem is “one of the greatest footballing brains that’s ever come through Hale End.”

Dowman in 24/25
Appearances	23
Minutes	1945′
Goals	19
Assists	5
Goal Involvements per Match	1.04
Minutes per Goal Involvement	81.04′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

As if that wasn’t enough, he also claimed that he’s “the biggest talent in England,” a statement supported by his statistics for the youth sides last season.

For example, in just 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes, he scored 19 times and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Finally, what makes it really feel like he could become as big a star for the first team as Saka has is that in his few senior appearances, he has looked incredible, most notably against Leeds United at home and Newcastle United in pre-season.

Ultimately, there is still a long way to go for Dowman, but as things stand, he looks destined to become a world-beater for Arsenal.

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