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Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer has backed club legend Thomas Muller to potentially succeed him as president once his playing career in MLS concludes. Hainer revealed he personally advised Muller on a move to the United States to gain experience, emphasising that "all doors remain open" for the forward at the Allianz Arena.

Hainer's advice to Muller on MLS move and future leadership

Hainer has confirmed a surprising conversation with Muller, where he advised the veteran forward to move to Major League Soccer to prepare for a potential future leadership role at Bayern. Speaking to , Hainer revealed: "After his departure was confirmed, Thomas Muller came to my office. I advised him in a personal conversation that if he later wanted a job in sports, he should move to MLS." 

This advice underscores a strategic vision for Muller's post-playing career, aiming to broaden his experience before a potential return to the Bavarian club. Hainer also explicitly stated that a path back to Bayern in an operational capacity remains open for Muller. "He can work operationally for us. He can become a brand ambassador. He could even succeed me one day," Hainer affirmed, highlighting the immense value Bayern places on their legendary player.

This sentiment echoes previous comments from supervisory board member Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who last month also endorsed Muller's move to North America and expressed a desire for former players to take on leadership roles at Bayern.

AdvertisementImagn'Muller hype' in Vancouver Whitecaps

Since joining Vancouver Whitecaps on a free transfer in August 2025, the ex-Germany star has created a "veritable Muller hype" in MLS. The German forward has been in exceptional form, quickly becoming a key player for the Canadian side. In just seven MLS appearances, he has netted seven goals and provided three assists. His overall record for the Whitecaps across all competitions stands at an impressive nine goals and four assists in 13 games.

Muller, however, remains grounded despite his success. He told "I didn't come here to become Vancouver's superstar. I feel a responsibility to give something back to the club. We want the stadium to be full and to draw attention to the sport in the city." He also light-heartedly confirmed his communication skills are adapting to his new environment, joking, "Don't worry, Radio Muller broadcasts here too."

His immediate focus is on the MLS Conference semi-finals, where Vancouver Whitecaps are set to face LAFC. Muller, accustomed to European knockout formats, admitted some unfamiliarity with the MLS structure: "I thought playoffs were like basketball or ice hockey. If I could choose, I'd prefer a home and away game." The first round of the MLS playoffs is contested as a best-of-three series before reverting to single-elimination matches.

Muller's contract runs until December 31, but includes an option for another year. He is due to return to Germany for a visit next month, maintaining close ties with his former club through a "golf chat group" with many ex-Bayern colleagues.

Kompany earns praise from Bayern chief

President Hainer was also effusive in his praise for current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, calling him a "stroke of luck" for the club. Kompany's leadership style has evidently resonated with the club hierarchy and players. "He's someone who never puts himself in the spotlight, but rather the team. The players repay him for that," Hainer stated. He also believes Kompany is capable of ushering in a new era of success at the club, saying: "I also believe Kompany is capable of ushering in an era at the record champions."

Kompany has guided Bayern to an undefeated start this season, a stark contrast to recent managerial changes at the club. Hainer commented on the timing of Julian Nagelsmann's potential return, suggesting it would have been "far too early" for the former Bayern coach, who is now gaining experience with the national team. "He will become a very good coach, I'm convinced of that. He's gaining that experience now with the national team."

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AFPWhat next for Bayern?

For Bayern Munich, the immediate future involves continuing their strong domestic and European campaign under Kompany. The club's leadership, including Hainer, appears to be laying the groundwork for Muller's potential return in a non-playing capacity, signalling a clear desire to integrate club legends into their long-term structure. 

Top of the Bundesliga and Champions League tables, they will look to bounce back from the weekend's 2-2 draw with Union Berlin by beating Freiburg in their first game after the international break. Days later, they will take on European contenders Arsenal in London.

Leicestershire plunge into trouble despite Sol Budinger’s aggressive half-century

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Jul-2025

Birmingham Bears boosted their chances of qualifying for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals for a fifth consecutive season as they eased past Leicestershire Foxes at the Uptonsteel County Ground, winning by six wickets with 10 balls to spare.The Foxes were bowled out for 154 in 19.3 overs, Pakistan international pace bowler Hasan Ali finishing with 4 for 22 – all four wickets in the opening powerplay. Sol Budinger made 51 off 24 balls but allrounder Logan van Beek’s 26 was the next best score, Richard Gleeson and Danny Briggs picking up two wickets each for the Bears.Half-centuries from Sam Hain (55 from 38 balls) and Dan Mousley (64 not out from 48) then got the job done as Bears move level on 20 points with the Foxes in a tight North Group.After the Birmingham-based visitors chose to bowl, an extraordinary opening powerplay saw Budinger smash 40 off 17 balls but the Foxes careered from 38 without loss to 71 for 4 after two stunning overs from Hasan.There were eight boundaries from the first 13 deliveries, culminating in Budinger walloping Hasan’s first ball over the rope at midwicket in what looked potentially another big night for the explosive left-hander, who smashed a 15-ball half-century against Derbyshire on the opening night of Leicestershire’s season.But how the picture changed. Hasan, who took a hat-trick against Derbyshire in figures of 6 for 23 a month ago, now dismissed Rishi Patel, caught at long-off, and international team-mate Shan Masood, tamely bunting to extra cover, with consecutive balls. Budinger picked up a second six in taking 19 off Mousley but Hasan immediately grabbed back the spotlight by bowling Rehan Ahmed, stepping across, and trapping Louis Kimber in front with the first and fifth balls of his second over.By the 12th over, the Foxes were 102 for 7 after Budinger had been caught on the slog-sweep, Liam Trevaskis holed out to wide long-on and Ben Cox was bowled playing back to Gleeson.Van Beek and Tom Scriven added 36 but it took five overs and the momentum from the start of the innings had completely dissipated, Gleeson (2-24), Mousley and Ed Barnard picking up a wicket apiece at the death as the home side were dismissed in 19.3 overs.Leicestershire took two wickets in the powerplay but the Bears were comfortable at 59 for 2 from six, although New Zealand batter Tom Latham made only a single before he was caught at cover off Sam Wood after Alex Davies had been caught behind attempting to hook van Beek.By halfway the target was down to 60 at 95 for 2 with Hain and Mousley able to progress without taking too many risks with no need to chase boundaries beyond those that were there for the taking.Hain and Mousley both survived difficult chances but with the last five overs arriving with only 21 more needed, the result was effectively decided, even though Hain would be caught at long-on off Kimber before the Foxes skipper collected a second wicket in Moeen Ali with a return catch. Mousley struck Josh Hull to the cover boundary for the winning runs.

Sheffield Wednesday’s joint administrator has confirmed there are “already four or five interested parties that look like the real deal” as the club head toward new ownership.

The Owls, bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, went into administration on Friday and have been handed a 12-point deduction by the English Football League.

The EFL is also currently investigating further breaches of its financial regulations and has not ruled out another points deduction this season, the PA news agency understands.

Sheffield Wednesday administrator reveals buyers and criteria

Kris Wigfield, joint administrator with insolvency firm Begbies Traynor, told BBC Five Live’s Wake Up to Money programme that new owners could be in place by the end of the year.

Wigfield said: “As always, you get a lot of interested parties that probably aren’t going to meet the criteria, but within the numerous inquiries we’ve had, we certainly think that there are already four or five interested parties that look like the real deal.

“There are two criteria that new owners basically need to satisfy to then open dialogue and there to be an opportunity where they can make an offer.

“The first thing is they need to show the administrators that they could make the football club viable. So they’ve got to show that they’ve got sufficient funds to be able to fund it for the next few years.

“And secondly, we have to be satisfied that they will pass the EFL fit and proper persons test, and if they can satisfy both of those, then we’ll start talking to them seriously.”

Wigfield, a Wednesday season ticket holder since 1984, said that under EFL rules the club have to stay on the market for 28 days, adding: “I’m hopeful that by the end of November, if things go well, we might know who’s going to buy the football club.”

Wednesday’s financial problems under former owner Dejphon Chansiri, who bought the club in 2015, reached crisis point in the summer and they were placed under various embargoes amid tax debts and failing to pay players and staff on time.

The club were bottom of the Sky Bet Championship even before going into administration, with just one league win this season, and are now on minus six points, 16 from safety.

A tough battle to avoid relegation now appears to be nigh on impossible but it is understood the EFL does not think a possible further points sanction would deter potential new owners as it would also be applied this season.

PA also understands that the government’s new Independent Football Regulator, due to formally take office this autumn, is shadowing the EFL throughout Wednesday’s administration process.

Pep Guardiola gave a tongue-in-cheek response when discussing the ever-changing narrative surrounding the Premier League title race, joking Liverpool are now “done” following their recent run of poor form. The Manchester City manager delivered the wry take when recalling how his side were written off following a start to the season which saw them lose two of their opening three games.

• City back in title race discussion following five-game unbeaten run

  Following a 2024-25 season which saw City fail to claim any silverware, Guardiola’s side were considered by many bookmakers to be third favourites for this season’s league title, behind both Liverpool and Arsenal. City then saw their odds increase when they suffered successive defeats against Tottenham and Brighton in August, having beaten Wolves 4-0 in their opening league fixture.

  However, City are now the name on everyone’s lips in the title race discussion, having put together a five-game unbeaten run in the league. Following victories over Manchester United, Burnley, Brentford and Everton – having also recorded a draw with Arsenal – Guardiola’s men have now risen to second in the table, three points behind Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and one point above Arne Slot’s Liverpool.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Liverpool have title credentials questioned following losing run

  Liverpool, meanwhile, have had their title credentials questioned for the first time following a recent four-match losing streak. The Reds suffered defeats against Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, Chelsea and United before getting back on track with an impressive 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday. Slot’s men are looking to return to winning ways in the league when they travel to Brentford on Saturday evening, whereas Guardiola and City head to Aston Villa on Sunday after defeating Villarreal in their European encounter on Tuesday.

• Guardiola pokes fun at pundits' early-season predictions

  And ahead of another weekend which will see attentions return to the title race, Guardiola poked fun at pundits’ reactions to City’s early-season form when asked about Liverpool’s disappointing league results of late.

  "In the first two, three games we were done and now it looks like Liverpool (who are third after three consecutive losses) are done,” Guardiola joked ahead of City’s trip to Aston Villa. "I'll tell you that we will be back.

  "I've said many times that the pundits, the specialists, the former footballers know what's going to happen after five games — I'm not able to do that.

  "10, 15 games to know what's going on. Liverpool and Arsenal are there, someone else will be there and hopefully we can be there.”

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  Haaland the catalyst for City being discussed as title contenders again

  While the likes of Nico O’Reilly and Phil Foden have played key roles in helping City return to form, Erling Haaland has undoubtedly been the catalyst behind the 10-time champions’ being discussed as title contenders once again. The Norway international has been in remarkable goalscoring form in 2025-26, netting 15 times in just 11 games for City. The former Borussia Dortmund man has also replicated his club efforts on the international stage, scoring a hat-trick against Israel earlier this month to put his country on the brink of qualifying for next summer’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Newcastle United still have just one win to their name in the early Premier League standings.

Yet, that doesn’t tell the full tale of the Magpies’ wobbly start to the season, with Eddie Howe’s men also only losing one game, as the Toon had to settle for another draw on the road against AFC Bournemouth.

In truth, with just four shots registered on the South Coast, the visitors to the South Coast were somewhat lucky to come away from the drab affair with a 0-0 draw still intact, as several of Howe’s first team struggled to get going against the Cherries.

The main Newcastle underperformers vs Bournemouth

While Arsenal and Manchester City would offer up plenty of entertainment on Sunday, it’s fair to say the encounter between Bournemouth and Newcastle was a little lacking on the action front, on the contrary.

Indeed, Nick Woltemade didn’t exactly boost the Toon as they attempted to play on the front foot, with the 6-foot-6 attacker failing to register a single on-target effort at the home side’s goal, before he was hauled off the Vitality Stadium turf with just six minutes remaining.

Another of Newcastle’s new signings, Malick Thiaw, also failed to put in a convincing display, as seen in the German centre-back winning just 50% of his duels, alongside being a very fortunate individual that he wasn’t dismissed with ten minutes left on the clock when clashing with a Cherries shirt, after already picking up a yellow card.

Lewis Miley also failed to grasp his first-team opportunity as Howe made many changes from Newcastle’s Thursday night defeat to Barcelona, but one of Miley’s teammates in the middle put in an even more uninspiring display than the promising 19-year-old, to now find himself on borrowed time under his manager.

The Newcastle flop who is on borrowed time

At least with both Miley and Thiaw, they should have plenty more to give to the Newcastle cause going forward, with the teenage sensation previously showing he belongs in the senior picture, while Thiaw did register four interceptions (per Sofascore) against Andoni Iraola’s men when not finding himself tangled in contentious moments on the pitch.

The same level of patience won’t be extended to Joe Willock, however, with the 26-year-old’s below-par showing on Sunday only strengthening why Howe hasn’t been picking him for some time now.

Willock’s performance in numbers

Stat

Willock

Minutes played

62

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

32

Accurate passes

12/15 (80%)

Key passes

0

Total duels won

6/11

Stats by Sofascore

Last season saw the forgotten ex-Arsenal midfielder only make 11 Premier League starts, with Willock drafted into the XI against Bournemouth owing to some rusty legs after Champions League action.

Based on his passive display, though, Willock will be lucky to reach the same amount of starts he was afforded last season across the remainder of this campaign, with the one-time breath of fresh air at St James’ Park – who once managed eight league goals in just one season – struggling to even trump Nick Pope in terms of touches of the ball.

Indeed, Willock would only go on to amass a lacklustre 32 touches of the ball next to Pope’s weightier 42 (per Sofascore), while also only being able to accurately complete 12 passes all afternoon. In stark contrast, Sandro Tonali, who is a guaranteed starter week in week out centrally, would trudge off the pitch at the end with 49 accurate passes in tow.

It’s a no-brainer, therefore, for Howe to just reinstate both Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes to their usual positions next to Tonali when Arsenal come to town next in league action, with Willock no doubt looking out of his depth if he were handed a surprise second consecutive start against his former employers.

With Howe stating at the final whistle that his team were somewhat careless on the ball, it’s clear that the declining 26-year-old needs to be replaced instantly for the test of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, having also been handed a low 4/10 rating post-match by journalist Lee Ryder, who noted that Willock looked “miles off it.”

There will be a tinge of sadness at the end of the Magpies right now, considering Willock does have a hefty 18 goals and eight assists up his sleeve on Tyneside from 148 total clashes.

But, it does appear as if the number 28 is staring the end of his Newcastle career straight in the face now, with Howe certainly less keen to hand him significant minutes moving forward after his no-show on the South Coast.

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Em jogo válido pela 13ª rodada do Brasileirão, o Santos acabou derrotado pelo Cuiabá por 3 a 0 fora de casa. Todos os gols do Dourado foram marcados no segundo tempo: Deyverson abriu o placar aos oito minutos, Denilson ampliou aos 30, e Rikelme deu números finais ao placar já aos 41 minutos. Veja os melhores lances da partida no vídeo acima!

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It’s been a busy international break at Nottingham Forest, but could their weekend opponents Arsenal be the biggest short-term beneficiaries?

Last week, after a public falling out with owner Evangelos Marinakis, Nuno Espírito Santo was sacked as Forest manager, with Ange Postecoglou unveiled as his replacement the following morning.

One could not really find a bigger stylistic shift in world football than going from Nuno to Ange, so it’ll be fascinating to see how Forest set up at the Emirates, given the success they enjoyed last season in big games by sitting deep and counter attacking.

We’re assuming a rather different approach will be on show henceforth.

During his time across North London with Tottenham, Postecoglou’s team were renowned for their high line, most memorably during Spurs’ infamous 4-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea, in which they went down to nine men but continued playing their way.

Well, as Arsenal look to expose such a tactic come Saturday lunchtime, which member of Mikel Arteta’s squad will help get the best out of their new superstar centre-forward?

Viktor Gyökeres' start to life as Arsenal's number nine

After three Premier League games, Viktor Gyökeres has made a mixed start to life at Arsenal.

In the big away games at Old Trafford and Anfield, the Swedish centre-forward has been nothing more than a peripheral figure, touching the ball a mere 15 times on Merseyside, after enjoying only 19 touches against Manchester United.

However, in between, as Arteta’s side demolished Leeds United 5-0 at home, Gyökeres bagged a brace, the second a penalty but the first a trademark goal, bursting in behind, cutting inside from the left and deceiving Lucas Perri by lashing into the near bottom corner.

As Arsenal supporters who spent the entire summer watching goal completions will know, during his two seasons at Sporting CP, scoring a whopping 97 goals for the Lisbon-based giants, a lot of his goals in the Primeira Liga were just like that.

The problem is, in the vast majority of home matches, opposition teams sit deep and frustrate Arsenal, a challenge they often fail to overcome, resulting in the Gunners dropping points when Everton, West Ham, Brentford and others visited last season.

Well, now that Forest are led by Postecoglou, one would imagine they will not set up in that way, potentially making this the perfect game for Gyökeres, but which teammate will unleash his full potential?

The Arsenal star looking to rediscover his magic

Among many of the issues that inhibited Arsenal last season was the downturn in form endured by Martin Ødegaard.

The £30m midfielder suffered an ankle injury during Norway’s 2-1 victory over Austria on 9 September last year, making his return against Inter Milan in the Champions League on 6 November, but it was clear that he wasn’t 100% fit that night at San Siro, nor for the rest of the season thereafter if we’re honest.

Thus, with most hoping a summer rest would help Ødegaard get back to his best, it was far from ideal that he suffered a shoulder injury against Leeds but, after starting both internationals last week, he’ll be available to take on Forest this weekend.

Last season, the captain contributed just six goals and 12 assists, having registered 11 goals and 12 assists the season before, his most productive campaign in front of goal coming back in 2022/23, when he netted 15 times in the Premier League.

So, could the arrival of Gyökeres help Ødegaard get back to his best?

Well, Norway’s World Cup qualifier this week gave us a sense of what he can still produce, scoring once and bagging two assists for Erling Braut Håland as they annihilated Moldova 11-1 in Oslo on Tuesday.

Ødegaard played some stupendous through balls for Håland at the Ullevål, and his statistics in UEFA World Cup qualifying more broadly underline how productive he can still be.

Shots

16

8th

Passes

400

6th

Accurate passes

357

8th

Acc passes attacking half

258

4th

Big chances created

7

2nd

Key passes

27

1st

Passes to assist

2

1st

Average Sofascore rating

8.76

5th

As the table documents, Ødegaard has been one of the most outstanding players in European World Cup qualifying, central to Norway’s success, Ståle Solbakken’s side having won five out of five so far, scoring 24 goals, thereby on the cusp of a first major tournament since Euro 2000.

His tally of 27 key passes is eight more than Sorba Thomas of Wales and Czechia’s Václav Černý, who are joint-second on the list.

So now, can Arsenal’s club captain replicate this form at club level?

Well, in many ways, Gyökeres and Håland are very similar centre-forwards, with the Swede currently going through a comparable adaptation period that the Norwegian endured during his early months at Manchester City.

Chalkboard

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

So, while there is obviously plenty of clamour for Eberechi Eze to make his full-Arsenal debut, Arteta must get his captain back in the lineup this weekend, possibly alongside Eze, as he will get the best out of Gyökeres, thereby taking advantage of Postecoglou’s kamikaze high line.

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The defending champions steamrolled past South Africa, with their spinners ruling the roost

Sruthi Ravindranath02-Feb-2025India’s spin bowlers continued to be as brilliant as they’ve been throughout the tournament to take them to their second consecutive ICC Under-19 T20 World Cup title. On the back of the efforts of Aayushi Shukla, G Trisha, Vaishnavi Sharma and Parunika Sisodia – who took nine wickets between them – India restricted South Africa to 82. Trisha then starred with the bat as well, helping chase down a simple target in 11.2 overs to leave a heartbroken South African side in tears at the Bayuemas Oval in Kuala Lumpur.After captain Kayla Reyneke opted to bat, South Africa started strongly in the first over with opener Jemma Botha belting two fours in the off VJ Joshitha. But trouble began as early as the second over with Sisodia having Simone Lourens bowled for a duck, with a skiddy delivery that deflected off the batter’s pads and onto the stumps.India put the brakes on almost instantly after that, but Botha – South Africa’s top-scorer of the tournament – once again displayed her quality, hitting Joshitha for a four down the ground. With Shabnam Shakil’s introduction in the fourth over came the crucial wicket of Botha, thanks to a stunning catch by wicketkeeper G Kamalini, who threw herself to the right to grab a one-hander.One brought two for India, as left-arm spinner Shukla struck first ball in the very next over, having Diara Ramlakan bowled with a straighter one for 3. At the end of the powerplay, South Africa were in trouble at 29 for 3.Kayla Reyneke tries to console her team-mate Jae-Leigh Filander. South Africa came into the final an unbeaten team•ICC/Getty ImagesIndia’s spinners maintained the stranglehold on their opposition, drying up the runs in the middle overs, with no boundaries scored between seven and 14. In that passage, two more wickets fell, with Trisha removing Reyneke for 7 and Shukla taking her second by knocking Karabo Meso’s middle stump.Mieke van Voorst, South Africa’s highest scorer in the game, broke the pressure with the team’s first boundary in 56 balls, and went on to hit a couple more. But Trisha’s double-strike in the 18th over once again pegged South Africa back, with both van Voorst and Seshnie Naidu getting out trying to go for big shots.Related

Hyderabad prodigy G Trisha hopes to live her father's dreams at the U-19 World Cup

Fay Cowling then hit the first and only six of the game, but Vaishnavi recovered very well removing Cowling and Monalisa Legodi, both bowled trying to sweep, in the same over. Sisodia removed Ashleigh van Wyk off the last ball of the innings as South Africa lost five wickets in 14 balls to crumble to 82 all out. India were also superb on the field, especially with their ground fielding, with only one difficult return catch missed by Trisha.India charged at the total from the first over, with Trisha hitting three fours off the first five balls she faced. She took on legspinner Naidu for three fours in the fourth over as well. Reyneke then broke through, having Kamalini caught at long-on, but India did not slow down even then. Sanika Chalke joined Trisha and brought out a classy cover drive off her fourth ball as India mowed down more than half of the total within the powerplay.Trisha was dropped on 38 in the covers in the 10th over, but even a wicket wouldn’t have made much of a difference with India needing just 16 runs. Chalke wrapped it all up for India in the 12th over with a boundary and Trisha finished as the highest-run scorer of the tournament with 309 runs and was named the Player of the Match and the Player of the Tournament.

Manchester United now believe they can strike a deal for an “unstoppable” £40m forward, and they could hijack Bayern Munich’s deal in the process, according to a report.

Man Utd remain keen on new forwards

The Red Devils haven’t been overly busy in the transfer window up to this point, but they have managed to get two forwards through the door, namely Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, with the Cameroon international putting pen to paper earlier this week.

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Speaking about the reason he chose to sign for United, Mbeumo said: “As soon as I knew there was a chance to join Manchester United, I had to take the opportunity to sign for the club of my dreams; the team whose shirt I wore growing up.

“My mentality is to always be better than I was yesterday. I know that I have the spirit and character to reach another level here, learning from Ruben Amorim and playing alongside world-class players.”

However, with Marcus Rashford Barcelona-bound, there are also major doubts over Alejandro Garnacho’s future at Old Trafford, so Ruben Amorim may need to bring in at least one more forward this summer.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, one option the Red Devils have in mind is Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, as there is a belief they would be able to strike a deal for the 14-cap France international.

United view Bayern Munich as the frontrunners in the race for Nkunku’s signature, as he has already given the green light for a move to the Allianz Arena, but Amorim’s side could hijack the deal.

A deal should be doable for a fee in the region of £35m – £40m, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing the forward is nearly certain to depart Stamford Bridge.

"Unstoppable" Nkunku needs to leave Chelsea

The 27-year-old was largely limited to appearances as a substitute in the Premier League last season, and with the Blues signing the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens this summer, he is likely to fall even further down the pecking order.

While the Frenchman hasn’t exactly set the world alight at Chelsea, journalist Zach Lowy lauded him as “unstoppable” during his time with RB Leipzig, with the former Bundesliga star showcasing his attacking talents across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns.

Given that he flourished during his previous stint in Germany, a move to Bayern Munich may be more tempting for Nkunku, and having failed to adapt to life in the Premier League, it would not be a major blow if Man United missed out.

تلقى جافي لاعب فريق برشلونة الإسباني، صدمة قوية عقب خضوعه لجراحة في الركبة، إثر الإصابة التي يعاني منها.

وأعلن برشلونة أمس الثلاثاء، أن جافي خضع لعملية جراحية في الركبة وسيغيب لمدة تتراوح من 4 إلى 5 أسابيع (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

جافي لعب آخر مباراة له في 23 أغسطس الماضي ضد ليفانتي، وبدأ يشعر بعدم راحة في الركبة التي خضعت للجراحة.

وأختار جافي بالاتفاق مع الطاقم الطبي لبرشلونة، الخضوع لعلاج تحفظي على أمل أن تتحسن حالته ويستعيد لياقته بصورة طبيعية.

وفي نهاية الأمر استقر الجهاز الطبي لبرشلونة على ضرورة خضوع جافي لعملية جراحية، وهو ما حدث بالفعل.

وبحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، دخل جافي غرفة العمليات متوقعًا غيابه لمدة أربعة أو خمسة أسابيع، ولكن الطبيب الذي أجرى الجراحة وجد أمرًا غير متوقع.

وكانت ركبة جافي اليمنى أسوأ بكثير مما كان متوقعًا، واضطر الطبيب إلى خياطة الغضروف الهلالي الداخلي للمحافظة عليه، وهكذا امتدت فترة غيابه من أربعة أو خمسة أسابيع إلى أربعة أو خمسة أشهر.

وأوضحت الصحيفة أن الخطوة التالية تمثلت في كيفية إبلاغ جافي بحقيقة الوضع، وانتظروا حتى إفاقته بصورة كاملة من التخدير، وحين علم بالأمر كان في حالة انهيار، متذكرًا إصابته الأولى.

وكان جافي محاطًا بأفراد أسرته وحظي بدعم كبير من أليخاندرو إيشيفاريا (أحد المقربين من الرئيس لابورتا ونادي برشلونة)، وقد ظل رفقة اللاعب في مستشفى برشلونة حتى وقت متأخر.

كما حرص هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة على تقديم الدعم لجافي بعد أن علم المدرب بخطورة الإصابة، للاطمئنان عليه ودعمه في محنته.