Bryan Mbeumo wants Carlos Baleba at Manchester United (Action Images via Reuters)

Bryan Mbeumo is trying to convince Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba to join Manchester United, according to reports.

United made an approach to sign Baleba…

Man City also want the Germany international.

‘I see him at Real Madrid.’

An exceptional talent.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta (Picture: Getty)

Barcelona president Joan Laporta was ‘stunned’ by Manchester United’s low asking price for Marcus Rashford and believes he has struck a ‘bargain deal’, accordi…

Caption: Transfer Talk: Granit Xhaka

In a 2016 interview, Granit Xhaka infamously revealed that while growing up in Switzerland, he was once given a probably premature gift for a boy in kindergarten by parents Eli and Ragip — his own set o…

William Gallas says Manchester United ‘cannot justify’ the transfer fee they paid for one of their key summer signings.

The struggling Premier League giants spent over £200m on new recruits over the summer, bringing the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to the club

The improved mood at Old Trafford over the summer has quickly disappeared during a poor start to the 2025-26 campaign.

Manchester United have won just two of their first six Premier League games to slip to 14th in the table and suffered an embarrassing Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town.

The poor run has led to huge scrutiny over Ruben Amorim’s future as manager and reports that United are beginning to lose faith in the 40-year-old, who replaced Erik ten Hag last November.

Gallas believes Manchester United ‘spent a lot of money’ in the summer without actually strengthening the team greatly.

The ex-Premier League defender has also suggested United paid an overinflated price for £65m summer signing Bryan Mbeumo, who joined from Brentford.

‘I think the problem is that I find it hard to understand what they did in the transfer window,’ Gallas told Gambling Zone.

‘They have Bryan Mbeumo, and the player is good enough for most sides, but I don’t know if you can justify that transfer fee.

‘They’ve spent an awful lot of money and not really changed too many of their first-choice XI.

‘We’re always talking about money these days, and I know the prices keep on rising every year, but come on. This seems crazy.’

Mbeumo has looked bright in his seven appearances for Manchester United but has only contributed one goal – which came against Grimsby – and is yet to provide any assists.

United’s miserable start to the season has left Gallas wondering whether Amorim will still be in charge by Christmas.

Manchester United’s board appear to be backing Amorim for now but their patience will be tested if results do not improve, starting with Saturday’s clash against Sunderland.

‘The problem for Ruben right now is that he looks like he’s struggling for the solution on the bench,’ added Gallas, who played for the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea.

‘He looks like he’s trying to figure things out for the first time, trying to make them play better somehow. He looks lost.

‘I don’t think his body language and manner, his emotional response, gives a great impression to his players and the fans of Manchester United.

‘Looking at him, I don’t know if he will make it to Christmas, to be honest, because it feels like United are one defeat or one bad performance away from a crisis.’

While Manchester United were beaten by Brentford last time out, Sunderland continued their brilliant start to life back in the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest.

That was Sunderland’s third victory from six games and leaves Regis Le Bris’ side fifth in the Premier League ahead of this weekend’s trip to Old Trafford.

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Owen Hargreaves has named the two signings Chelsea need to take the next step and win the Premier League or Champions League.

The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League last season, 15 points behind champions Liverpool.

Enzo Maresca’s side threatened to push Liverpool all the way during an impressive first-half to the season but fell away after Christmas.

Chelsea beat the likes of PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to win the Club World Cup over the summer and also enjoyed a productive transfer window, spending over £300m on new signings.

The Stamford Bridge board hoped the new additions would help Chelsea challenge for the Premier League title this season but that already looks doubtful.

Chelsea have won two, drawn two and lost two of their first six games in the league, slipping seven points behind defending champions and early pacesetters Liverpool.

In the Champions League, the west Londoners have six points after two games, following up an opening defeat to Bayern Munich with a narrow win over Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.

Despite Chelsea’s incredible spending in recent years, Hargreaves is still of the belief that a ‘world-class goalkeeper’ and an ‘experienced centre-back’ is needed for the Blues to win major silverware.

‘If Chelsea want to go and win the Premier League and the Champions League, they need a world-class keeper and an experienced centre-back,’ Hargreaves told TNT Sports.

‘For the centre-back, a player like [PSG and Brazil legend] Marquinhos to help these young players along the way.’

Joe Cole agreed that Chelsea would benefit from strengthening in those two positions but warned that the club’s owners are unlikely to deviate from their current transfer strategy.

‘That’s what everyone wanted,’ said Stamford Bridge hero Cole in response to Hargreaves’ assessment.

‘What the club are trying to do is work and develop young players. That’s all well and good.

‘They’re waiting for Robert Sanchez to come to the level, he did have a good Club World Cup and started the season well before that red card [in the defeat to Manchester United].

‘Chelsea fans need to get their heads around this because the club are going down this route and are going to stick with it.’

A number of pundits have speculated that Chelsea will struggle to compete for the Premier League or Champions League without a new goalkeeper.

Jamie Carragher says it was a big mistake not to sign a replacement for Robert Sanchez over the summer, especially as the club held talks with France goalkeeper Mike Maignan and knew Gianluigi Donnarumma was available.

‘The glaring flaws last season were in goal and at centre-half,’ Carragher wrote in a column for The Telegraph. ‘Despite 12 new arrivals over the summer, those areas remain the Achilles’ heel.

‘Chelsea were linked with AC Milan’s French keeper Mike Maignan, but the message was they were not prepared to pay more than £12m. Why not?

‘Manchester City showed what ambitious clubs do when an obvious issue needs sorting out, signing Gianluigi Donnarumma.

‘Why were Chelsea not part of the conversation for the PSG keeper? He could have been a transformative signing for them.’

After returning to winning ways against Benfica, Chelsea will look to clinch their first Premier League win since August 30 this weekend when Liverpool visit Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool won their first seven games of the season before suffering rare back-to-back defeats to Crystal Palace in the Premier League and Galatasaray in the Champions League.

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Should Man Utd bring him back?

Should Man Utd bring him back?

Should Man Utd bring him back?

Three clubs are keen on the midfielder.

The Red Devils snap up another young talent

Kevin De Bruyne during Napoli’s win over Sporting (Picture: Getty)

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Alejandro Garnacho joined Chelsea from Manchester United over the summer (Picture: TNT Sports)

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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United are keen on exploring a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic but face competition from Bayern Munich, according to reports.

United revamped their attacking options…

‘They were very tough moments.’

Ex-Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham (Picture: Getty)

Teddy Sheringham believes Leeds United should make a move for Manchester United outcast Kobbie Mainoo, insisting the England midfielder simply needs the right manager to get th…

Premier League icon Thierry Henry (Picture: Getty)

Thierry Henry has hailed Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike as the ‘most impressive’ signing of the summer. 

The French striker joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in a deal that could rise…

William Saliba(Picture: Getty)

Arsenal’s positive start to the new season has received a further boost following confirmation that William Saliba has signed a new long-term contract.

The France international’s contract had bee…

Ruben Amorim is fighting to save his job as Manchester United manager (Picture: Getty)

Oliver Glasner would jump at the chance to replace Ruben Amorim as Manchester United manager if the opportunity were to arise.

Defeat at Brentford on …

Hugo Ekitike rejected approaches from Man Utd and Newcastle (Picture: Getty)

Hugo Ekitike has explained why he rejected a transfer approach from Manchester United before agreeing to join Liverpool.

The French striker completed a £69m move…

Paul Merson admits he has been shocked by Mason Mount’s struggles at Manchester United given he was ‘unbelievable’ at Chelsea.

Mount established himself as a key player at boyhood club Chelsea after being given his first real chance by Blues legend Frank Lampard.

The midfielder made at least 50 appearances in three successive seasons at Stamford Bridge and helped Thomas Tuchel’s side win the Champions League in 2021.

Mount confirmed he was leaving Stamford Bridge in an emotional social media post in the summer of 2023 after spending 18 years at the club.

Manchester United emerged as the frontrunners to secure Mount’s signature and ended up bringing him to Old Trafford in a deal worth £60m.

Much was expected of the England star, especially after he took the No. 7 shirt previously won by all-time great Cristiano Ronaldo.

But Mount’s first season at United was hindered by injury issues and he continued to struggle last term, scoring just one Premier League goal.

Fortunately for Mount he appears to still have the support of under-fire Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, who has used him in five of the club’s opening six league games this season.

But Mount faces a major battle to revive his Old Trafford career, particularly following a summer in which attacking midfielders Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo arrived at the club.

Merson says Mount has ‘probably had two good games’ for Manchester United and believes his struggles highlight the pressures of playing for the Red Devils.

‘I don’t think people understand how big the club is,’ Arsenal legend and ex-England winger Merson said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

‘They get signed for big money and they come in. I’m a Chelsea fan and Mason Mount was unbelievable for us, unbelievable!

‘He goes to Man United and he’s probably had two good games in two seasons and can’t even stay fit.’

Mount was used as a late substitute in Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford on Saturday.

Despite a poor start to the season, United appear ready to stick with Amorim and have dismissed rumours they have already started lining up replacements for the former Sporting manager.

Discussing Amorim’s prospects, Merson added: ‘I don’t like seeing managers getting sacked but there’s just no flexibility is there?

‘He plays this system but he doesn’t have the players for it. You can play players out of position when you’re at Sporting because you’re not playing against top teams week in week out and that’s what he’s underestimated at United.’

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, meanwhile, admitted he would not have been surprised had Amorim lost his job in the aftermath of the Brentford loss.

‘We talk about Ruben Amorim and his job and we all say we don’t like seeing managers get sacked,’ said Scholes, who lifted 11 Premier League titles during his time at Old Trafford.

‘But if he got sacked yesterday, we would all sit here and probably be thinking it felt like time.’

Manchester United’s patience with Amorim will truly be put to the test if they fail to beat newly-promoted Sunderland at home next weekend.

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Jose Mourinho admits he would love to have Chelsea winger Pedro Neto at Benfica as he prepares for an emotional return to Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho was appointed as Benfica manager earlier this month and takes the Portuguese side to Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The 62-year-old, who was recently sacked by Turkish giants Fenerbahce, won three Premier League titles across his two spells in charge of Chelsea.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Mourinho said he would ‘always be a Blue’ but insisted he was still determined to lead Benfica to a European win.

‘I will always be a Blue,’ said Mourinho, who has won two and drawn one of his first three games back at Benfica, the club where he began his managerial career in 2000.

‘I am part of their history. They are part of my history. I helped them to become a bigger Chelsea, and they helped me to become a bigger Jose.

‘It will be my Chelsea before the start of the game and after the game but during the game it’s my Benfica and that’s all that matters.

‘When I say I am not a Blue, I am only speaking about the job I have to do tomorrow.’

Mourinho embraced several journalists and Chelsea employees at his press conference on Monday.

As well as managing the Blues, Mourinho had spells at Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Porto, Manchester United, Tottenham and Roma.

‘After 25 years [of coaching] I was expecting to go back to Portugal through the national team, not Benfica,’ Mourinho added.

‘I’m back to Benfica so I don’t have a career project. I don’t try to think what can happen or what cannot happen.

‘The important thing is giving everything. Now I’m in Benfica and very happy. It’s a big responsibility, Benfica is a huge responsibility for different reasons.’

Chelsea winger Neto spoke glowingly of Mourinho ahead of the Champions League clash against Benfica.

Enzo Maresca’s side were beaten by Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener, while Benfica lost 3-2 to Qarabag before Bruno Lage was sacked and replaced by Mourinho.

‘As a Portuguese player it will be a pride to play against a manager like Jose Mourinho,’ said Neto, who completed a £54m move from Wolves in 2024.

‘He gave us an opportunity to go around the world and play in the best clubs and for managers to coach the best clubs. We know what he represents to this club and to Portuguese people.’

Neto also said he would love to work under Mourinho and the legendary manager was asked about his compatriot’s comments.

Asked if he would like Neto at Benfica, Mourinho added: ‘Pedro Neto is one of the best wingers in the world.

‘Roberto [Martinez] at the [Portugal] national team is very privileged because he has not only Pedro Neto but four or five players of that profile.

‘At Benfica we don’t have as many. Of course I would like Pedro Neto but of course he is playing in a different reality, much different to ours, especially financially.

‘What can I say? I can wish him the very best, injury-free career. And of course I thank him for his words as well.’

Chelsea started the season strongly but Saturday’s defeat to Brighton was their third in four games.

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‘We certainly wouldn’t have done that…’