Juventus striker Jonathan David has been linked with a move away from the Italian club this summer. Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing the player, as per Gazzetta dello Sport. He has also been linked with clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal. The 26-year-old has not been able to live up to expectations in […] The post Aston Villa identify 26-year-old as surprise target after disappointing Serie A spell appeared first on CaughtOffside.
While dealing with the sudden absence of team star and captain Lionel Messi, Inter Miami are on the verge of being eliminated from the 2026 Leagues Cup. Inter Miami find themselves on thin ice following a 2-1 loss to CF Monterrey in the 2026 Leagues Cup group stage. With star captain Lionel Messi absent and only one match remaining on the schedule, the Herons are teetering on the brink of an early exit from the international tournament. The Herons initially kicked off their campaign on the right foot with a 4-2 victory over Atletico San Luis. However, ahead of their Matchday 2 clash against Rayados, Messi received the heartbreaking news of his father’s passing and was granted compassionate leave to fly to Argentina. The loss deeply affected the squad, which held a moment of silence prior to Saturday’s kickoff. With Messi in South America and Luis Suarez, German Berterame, Mateo Silvetti, and Tadeo Allende all sidelined, Miami’s attacking depth was severely depleted. Young prospect Daniel Pinter shared frontline duties with Lovens Delinois, the Haitian forward called up from Inter Miami II to make his senior debut. Rodrigo De Paul put the Herons ahead with a brilliant long-range strike in the 32nd minute, removing his match shirt to reveal Messi’s jersey underneath in a poignant tribute to his close friend and teammate. However, Hugo Cuypers netted the equalizer in the 47th minute, and Diego Rossi delivered a crushing blow with the game-winner in the 90th minute, leaving Inter Miami empty-handed at Nu Stadium. Rodrigo De Paul of Inter Miami CF dedicates his goal to Lionel Messi. (Leonardo Fernandez/Getty Images) Now, only one group stage match remains, set for Wednesday, August 12, at Nu Stadium against a formidable Club Leon side that won both of its opening fixtures against Nashville SC (1-0) and Orlando City (2-1). Facing a must-win situation with a depleted frontline, Inter Miami risk missing the knockout phase for the first time since Messi’s landmark arrival in South Florida. What do Inter Miami need to avoid early elimination? Under the expanded Leagues Cup format introduced for the 2025 tournament, only the top four clubs from the MLS table and top four from Liga MX advance to the quarterfinals. Cross-league matchups are determined by table standing, but to secure one of those coveted qualification spots, Inter Miami no longer control their own destiny. Inter Miami currently occupy 11th place in the MLS Leagues Cup standings with three points, five goals scored, and four conceded, trailing ten clubs in the table. The top six sides, Charlotte FC, Austin FC, FC Cincinnati, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, and FC Dallas, have swept their first two matches with a goal differential of at least +2 (+5 for leaders Charlotte and Austin), meaning Miami needs multiple top teams to lose badly while the Herons secure a blowout win over Leon. Seventh-place LAFC sit on five points with a +1 goal differential, meaning Miami needs the Black and Gold to drop points or lose a potential penalty shootout following a draw. Meanwhile, Real Salt Lake occupy eighth with four points, while Portland Timbers (9th) and Nashville SC (10th) remain tied with Miami on three points, making the Herons’ path to qualification mathematically possible, but statistically improbable.
Manchester United summer signing Andrey Santos (Picture: Getty) Andrey Santos insists Manchester United are a ‘step up’ from Chelsea after swapping Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford in a deal worth £48m. The Brazil international emerged as a top target for Michael Carrick earlier in the summer as he looked to bolster his midfield options. Carrick bid farewell to Casemiro at the end of last season and has lost Manuel Ugarte to a serious injury, although he had already put the Uruguayan up for sale. Santos made 43 appearances for Chelsea last season, finally breaking into the team and featuring heavily following his 2023 move from boyhood club Vasco da Gama. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. Chelsea finished just 10th in the Premier League last season, failing to qualify for any European competition following a dismal campaign. Manchester United looked set for a similar fate but improved after Carrick took over in January to finish third and qualify for the Champions League. ‘My first week is a little bit funny because you know when you change, so it’s a new club,’ Santos said from United’s pre-season camp. Man Utd signed the Brazilian from Chelsea (Picture: Getty) ‘But since my first day I feel at home, so I think this is so important for me and for new players as well. ‘Is it a step up from Chelsea? Yeah, of course. I know Chelsea is a big club as well, so I think thank you for everything Chelsea did for me in my period. ‘But now Chelsea is gone, here is my home right now. And I want to be here for a long, long time and win so many trophies. https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbyj9TblvMr/?hl=en&img_index=1 ‘I have my goals and I hope that I can work with my teammates with my goals and and hope to win some trophies.’ Santos hopes to fill the void left by Casemiro’s departure from Manchester United, adding: ‘I prefer playing deep like a number six. ‘I try help my teammates without the ball and with the ball I love breaking the lines. ‘For me Casemiro is a legend. Now he’s gone and I’m here. I feel that I can do like Casemiro did last season.’ Santos is not the only midfielder to arrive at Old Trafford this summer, with Youri Tielemans joining from Aston Villa in a deal worth £35m. Manchester United drew 1-1 with Champions League holders PSG in a pre-season friendly on Saturday. Carrick’s side have two more warm-up games, against Leeds United and AC Milan, before kick-starting their Premier League campaign against newly-promoted Hull City. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
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