Match story
- England fired more attempts (16 vs 6 shots).
- England was more accurate in front of goal (56% on target vs 17%).
- England held more of the ball (76% possession).
England defeated Rep. Of Ireland 0-2 in the UEFA Nations League. The fixture is part of the League B - 1 stage in the 2024 season. The match was played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez, Spain officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Rep. Of Ireland vs England meeting in UEFA Nations League with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Rep. Of Ireland and England. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
UEFA Nations LeagueRecorded meetings: 1 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Rep. Of IrelandEngland defeated Rep. Of Ireland 0-2 in the UEFA Nations League. The fixture is part of the League B - 1 stage in the 2024 season. The match was played at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez, Spain officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Rep. Of Ireland vs England meeting in UEFA Nations League with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Rep. Of Ireland and England. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
UEFA Nations LeagueRecorded meetings: 1 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
Rep. Of Ireland
Harry Kane remains optimistic on his chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or after reaching the second highest mark of goals scored in a single season only behind Lionel Messi. Harry Kane stood as one of the defining figures of the 2025-26 season, elevating himself into the front-runner conversation for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Following a historic, record-breaking campaign where he finished second only to Lionel Messi for the most goals scored in a single season, the English striker keeps his hopes of capturing soccer’s top individual honor firmly intact. On Monday, ahead of Bayern Munich’s preseason friendly against FC Heidenheim the following day, Kane addressed reporters regarding his performance over the past year: “Again, extremely proud to have put in the season I did last year. I think the Ballon d’Or is as big as it gets from an individual point of view. I know I had a great season last season, but as always, like I said already, the focus is on this new season.“ Kane’s campaign with Bayern proved to be one of the most prolific goalscoring runs in modern European soccer history. Despite coming up short in the UEFA Champions League, the English captain bagged 61 goals in 51 appearances for the Bavarian giants, including 36 in the Bundesliga to claim the 2025-26 European Golden Shoe, the second of his career. The striker, who also led England to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, took a measured approach when asked about his chances of securing the sport’s highest individual honor. “The Ballon d’Or is not in my hands. I’ve done what I can do in terms of putting in the performances. It’s now down to votes and other people and the media. Stuff I can’t control. We’ll see what happens.“ 🔴⚪️🌕 Harry Kane on the Ballon d’Or: “It’s the biggest award you can get. The Ballon d'Or isn't in my hands”.“I've done what I could in terms of performing. Of course, it would be fantastic if it happens. But ultimately, there's still 2-3 months until a decision is made”. pic.twitter.com/7GhoYitgqE— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2026 While maintaining that team goals remain his priority, Kane acknowledged the significance of potentially capturing the award: “Obviously, it’d be amazing if it was to happen, but ultimately it’s still two or three months away before that’s decided. It’s not something that’s on the front of my mind right now.“ The 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or will take place on Monday, October 26, at The London Palladium in London, marking the first time the prestigious ceremony will be hosted outside of France. With the event set in his home country, Kane will aim to become the fifth English player to win the award, and the first since Michael Owen in 2001. Messi’s single-season goalscoring record remains untouched The 2025-26 campaign presented Kane with an ideal platform to cement his legacy among the game’s legendary center forwards, starring for a dominant Bayern side and leading the line for England. He swept all domestic silverware in Germany by winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and DFL-Supercup, but ultimately fell just short of eclipsing Messi’s all-time single-season mark. Combining his output for Bayern Munich and England across all competitions, including UEFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2026 World Cup, Kane finished with 73 goals in 2025-26, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s 69-goal mark from 2011-12 to move into second place all-time. His final tally was capped in the World Cup round of 16 against Mexico, as he went goalless in subsequent fixtures against Norway, Argentina, and France in the third-place match. As a result, Lionel Messi’s mythical record of 82 goals in 69 total appearances during the 2011-12 season remains intact for another year. Wearing the Barcelona shirt that year, Messi scored 73 club goals across all competitions while adding nine goals in nine appearances for Argentina, setting a benchmark that remains unmatched in modern soccer history.
Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal have now sent an official offer to Aston Villa for the services of Villa striker Ollie Watkins. The post Aston Villa Receive Official Offer For Attacker, Player Keen appeared first on Inside Futbol | Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & Articles.
Youri Tielemans completed a £35m transfer move from Aston Villa to Manchester United (Picture: Getty) Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy has heaped praise on Youri Tielemans and backed his ‘unbelievable’ former team-mate to reach another level altogether at Manchester United. United ramped up their interest in Tielemans in their search for midfield reinforcements last month, before triggering a £35million release clause in the Belgian’s contract at Aston Villa. Tielemans pen to paper on a five-year deal at Old Trafford, tying him to the club until 2031, and will be expected to add an extra dimension to Michael Carrick’s engine room along with fellow signing Andrey Santos. After joining up with his new team-mates, Tielemans revealed he had held discussions with United on two previous occasions before his move to the Theatre of Dreams this summer. 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. But Villa managed to cling on to Tielemans ahead of last season and the 29-year-old played an instrumental role as Unai Emery’s men won the Europa League while also securing Champions League football with a fourth-placed finish. Before that, Tielemans ensured he went down in Leicester folklore by scoring the winning goal in the side’s stunning FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley. Vardy was also a part of Leicester’s success that day and after four-and-a-half years together at the King Power Stadium, it’s clear Tielemans left a sizeable impression on the iconic striker. Vardy has backed Tielemans to ‘kick on’ at Old Trafford (Picture: Jamie Vardy’s Having A Party) Tielemans and Vardy were team-mates for four-and-a-half years (Picture: Getty) ‘I just think he’ll start kicking on again if I’m honest,’ Vardy said on his Jamie Vardy’s Having A Party podcast when discussing Tielemans’ summer switch to United. ‘I played against him with Belgium, he was unbelievable and you were like, “Wow, who is this?”, because he was only young at the time. ‘It then came through that we [Leicester] had signed him on loan at first and I remember going around all the lads and saying, “We’ve signed a player here!”, and I mean a really good player. The Belgian will be desperate for a starting role against Hull this weekend (Picture: Getty) ‘He came in and straight away you could tell… the dedication, 100 per cent every day. ‘He would then get in the dressing room and he was so down to earth, so normal. ‘He was a real breath of fresh air for us at that time.’ Tielemans signed a five-year contract with the Red Devils (Picture: Getty) Wes Morgan, featuring as a guest on the podcast, echoed Vardy’s glowing remaks about Tielemans while highlighting the playmaker’s ‘dedication’ to his profession both on and off the pitch. ‘What I’ve seen with Youri is dedication to his job,’ the ex-Leicester captain expolained. ‘I always used to see him in the gym, working extra hard and doing extra work. He was really working on improving himself. ‘He never took it easy in training, he always gave it 100 per cent, but he’s another one that has that technical capability, that awareness and that speed of thought. United have made sure to strengthen their midfield options (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m not surprised to see him go to the top and be at Manchester United now. Hopefully he’ll show everyone how good he is. ‘He deserves everything that he’s got so far.’ United got a chance to see Tielemans in their colours for the first time during the side’s 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. The Belgium international also came off the bench against bitter rivals Leeds before completing the full 90 minutes in the Red Devils’ 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in Poland. He will no doubt be chomping at the bit to continue his run in the side this weekend as Carrick’s men prepare to kick off their Premier League campaign away to newly promoted Hull City. For
The league is entering a new financial phase, with clubs becoming more cautious about how much they spend on first-team players while still trying to maintain the star power that has transformed the competition in recent years. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema remain the Saudi Pro League’s two biggest earners, but the spending landscape around them has taken an unexpected turn. The league is entering a new financial phase, with clubs becoming more cautious about how much they spend on first-team players while still trying to maintain the star power that has transformed the competition in recent years. The change is especially striking because the Saudi Pro League built much of its global reputation through enormous investments in internationally renowned players. Ronaldo remains the face of that transformation, while Benzema continues to rank among the competition’s highest-paid stars, yet the latest figures suggest the era of unchecked wage growth is beginning to cool. According to estimates from salary data provider Capology, cited by Saudi newspaper Al-Eqtisadiah, the Saudi Pro League‘s fixed player wage bill has fallen by around 13% for the 2026-27 season. Base salaries are now estimated at approximately $1.11 billion, compared with roughly $1.28 billion last season. When bonuses and other estimated incentives are included, the total wage package stands at around $1.38 billion, down from approximately $1.58 billion previously. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr lifts the Saudi Pro League Trophy That represents a substantial reduction for a competition that has spent the past few years aggressively recruiting some of football’s biggest names. The decline reflects a combination of expensive contracts leaving the books and new financial controls designed to encourage more sustainable spending. Ronaldo remains the league’s highest-paid star Despite the overall reduction, Ronaldo remains comfortably at the top of the salary rankings. Capology estimates that the Al-Nassr captain earns approximately $241 million in fixed annual salary, equivalent to roughly $4.6 million per week before bonuses are taken into account. Benzema follows in second place, with an estimated fixed salary of around $142 million per year. Sadio Mane ranks third at approximately $46 million, while Kalidou Koulibaly is next at around $40 million, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ivan Toney both estimated at roughly $30 million. SPL WAGE BILL DROPS 13% THIS SEASON… 🇸🇦💰Total fixed salaries down to €959.5M — total package including bonuses around €1.2B, per @aleqtisadiah pic.twitter.com/8Jhyz0NdmL— All About SPL 🔔 🇸🇦 (@Saudifutbol) August 17, 2026 These figures are particularly significant because they highlight how much the league’s financial structure still revolves around elite talent. However, the gap between the biggest contracts and the broader spending environment could become more controlled as clubs adapt to the new regulations. New spending rules change the landscape The reduction in wages is closely connected to stricter financial regulations introduced for the new season. Clubs are now limited to spending no more than 75% of their revenue on first-team costs, down from the previous 80% threshold. The remaining portion is intended to support areas such as youth development, infrastructure and other long-term projects. The aim is to ensure that clubs can continue competing at a high level without allowing wage commitments to grow beyond what their revenues can reasonably support. Karim Benzema of Al Hilal during the AFC Champions League Elite. The Saudi Pro League’s aggressive recruitment strategy succeeded in raising its profile around the world. Ronaldo’s arrival at Al-Nassr in 2023 helped trigger a wave of major transfers, with other clubs subsequently attracting players such as Benzema, Mane and Neymar.
That resulted in the attacking midfielder missing out on a place in England's World Cup squad, two years after he scored for the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final.
MIKE KEEGAN: Marcus Rashford has left Manchester United officials 'seriously impressed' following his return to the club after his loan spell at Barcelona.
Paul Scholes and Wes Brown are confident Adam Wharton would be a great fit at Manchester United (Picture: Getty) Manchester United heroes Paul Scholes and Wes Brown have questioned why the club appear to have cooled their interest in Adam Wharton this summer. Central midfield was identified as United’s primary area of focus entering into this year’s transfer window, with the club successfully overhauling their misfiring attack in a £200million spending spree 12 months ago. It has seen a host of high-profile names have been linked to the Theatre of Dreams in recent weeks, including the likes of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Wharton. But Anderson would go on to complete a club-record £116m move to bitter rivals Manchester City, while Tonali and Fernandes snubbed the Red Devils to join Tottenham instead for a combined fee of around £185m. 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. Wharton, meanwhile, looks set to remain at Selhurst Park for the time being, with Crystal Palace reluctant to lose such a key player ahead of the new season. Fortunately for United, they successfully strengthened their options in the middle of the park last month by bringing in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively. It remains to be seen if Old Trafford bosses will look to further bolster Michael Carrick’s engine room before the transfer deadline comes around on September 1. Wharton won the Europa Conference League with Palace last season (Picture: Getty) The England international is reportedly valued at £80-100m (Picture: Getty) ‘I can’t believe Manchester United are not trying to buy Adam Wharton,’ Scholes said on a recent episode of The Good, The Bad & The Football sponsored by Midnite. ‘I think I’ve said on here before that Sandro Tonali would have been my first choice. ‘But obviously with him gone now, Adam Wharton looks perfect for me.’ Wharton has three years left on his current deal at Selhurst Park (Picture: Getty) Reports earlier this summer indicated Palace were demanding an eye-watering fee in the region of £80-100million for Wharton, which may explain why United have seemingly dropped their interest. But if the Red Devils are somehow able to drive down Palace’s asking price, ex-United defender Brown believes the 22-year-old England international would be a ‘brilliant buy’. ‘I still think he’s a player with great quality,’ Brown told Oddschecker’s Transfer Timer show. United have added Santos and Tielemans to Carrick’s midfield options this summer (Picture: Getty) ‘He gets the ball, he can pass forward, he can tackle, he’s young and if you can get him at the right price I think he’d be a brilliant buy. ‘If you got him at the right price, definitely pay. But if it was too much, I’m talking over £80million then pass.’ Wharton has made 96 appearances in all competitions for Palace since arriving from boyhood side Blackburn Rovers back in 2024. He has played an instrumental role across an historic period of success at Selhurst Park in that time, helping the club win the FA Cup, the Europa Conference League and the Community Shield under Oliver Glasner. The midfielder’s current contract with the Eagles is not due to expire until June 2029. POLL Poll Would £80m for Wharton be a good deal for Man Utd? YesCheck NoCheck 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. Team Expand Options ? Select your team for football news tailored to you Close Select All Select All Arsenal Arsenal Aston Villa Aston Villa Chelsea Chelsea Liverpool Liverpool Manchester City Manchester City Manchester United Manchester United Spurs Spurs Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign UpThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Go
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Harry Kane remains optimistic on his chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or after reaching the second highest mark of goals scored in a single season only behind Lionel Messi. Harry Kane stood as one of the defining figures of the 2025-26 season, elevating himself into the front-runner conversation for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Following a historic, record-breaking campaign where he finished second only to Lionel Messi for the most goals scored in a single season, the English striker keeps his hopes of capturing soccer’s top individual honor firmly intact. On Monday, ahead of Bayern Munich’s preseason friendly against FC Heidenheim the following day, Kane addressed reporters regarding his performance over the past year: “Again, extremely proud to have put in the season I did last year. I think the Ballon d’Or is as big as it gets from an individual point of view. I know I had a great season last season, but as always, like I said already, the focus is on this new season.“ Kane’s campaign with Bayern proved to be one of the most prolific goalscoring runs in modern European soccer history. Despite coming up short in the UEFA Champions League, the English captain bagged 61 goals in 51 appearances for the Bavarian giants, including 36 in the Bundesliga to claim the 2025-26 European Golden Shoe, the second of his career. The striker, who also led England to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup, took a measured approach when asked about his chances of securing the sport’s highest individual honor. “The Ballon d’Or is not in my hands. I’ve done what I can do in terms of putting in the performances. It’s now down to votes and other people and the media. Stuff I can’t control. We’ll see what happens.“ 🔴⚪️🌕 Harry Kane on the Ballon d’Or: “It’s the biggest award you can get. The Ballon d'Or isn't in my hands”.“I've done what I could in terms of performing. Of course, it would be fantastic if it happens. But ultimately, there's still 2-3 months until a decision is made”. pic.twitter.com/7GhoYitgqE— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2026 While maintaining that team goals remain his priority, Kane acknowledged the significance of potentially capturing the award: “Obviously, it’d be amazing if it was to happen, but ultimately it’s still two or three months away before that’s decided. It’s not something that’s on the front of my mind right now.“ The 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or will take place on Monday, October 26, at The London Palladium in London, marking the first time the prestigious ceremony will be hosted outside of France. With the event set in his home country, Kane will aim to become the fifth English player to win the award, and the first since Michael Owen in 2001. Messi’s single-season goalscoring record remains untouched The 2025-26 campaign presented Kane with an ideal platform to cement his legacy among the game’s legendary center forwards, starring for a dominant Bayern side and leading the line for England. He swept all domestic silverware in Germany by winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and DFL-Supercup, but ultimately fell just short of eclipsing Messi’s all-time single-season mark. Combining his output for Bayern Munich and England across all competitions, including UEFA World Cup qualifiers and the 2026 World Cup, Kane finished with 73 goals in 2025-26, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s 69-goal mark from 2011-12 to move into second place all-time. His final tally was capped in the World Cup round of 16 against Mexico, as he went goalless in subsequent fixtures against Norway, Argentina, and France in the third-place match. As a result, Lionel Messi’s mythical record of 82 goals in 69 total appearances during the 2011-12 season remains intact for another year. Wearing the Barcelona shirt that year, Messi scored 73 club goals across all competitions while adding nine goals in nine appearances for Argentina, setting a benchmark that remains unmatched in modern soccer history.
Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal have now sent an official offer to Aston Villa for the services of Villa striker Ollie Watkins. The post Aston Villa Receive Official Offer For Attacker, Player Keen appeared first on Inside Futbol | Latest Football News, Transfer Rumours & Articles.
Youri Tielemans completed a £35m transfer move from Aston Villa to Manchester United (Picture: Getty) Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy has heaped praise on Youri Tielemans and backed his ‘unbelievable’ former team-mate to reach another level altogether at Manchester United. United ramped up their interest in Tielemans in their search for midfield reinforcements last month, before triggering a £35million release clause in the Belgian’s contract at Aston Villa. Tielemans pen to paper on a five-year deal at Old Trafford, tying him to the club until 2031, and will be expected to add an extra dimension to Michael Carrick’s engine room along with fellow signing Andrey Santos. After joining up with his new team-mates, Tielemans revealed he had held discussions with United on two previous occasions before his move to the Theatre of Dreams this summer. 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. But Villa managed to cling on to Tielemans ahead of last season and the 29-year-old played an instrumental role as Unai Emery’s men won the Europa League while also securing Champions League football with a fourth-placed finish. Before that, Tielemans ensured he went down in Leicester folklore by scoring the winning goal in the side’s stunning FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at Wembley. Vardy was also a part of Leicester’s success that day and after four-and-a-half years together at the King Power Stadium, it’s clear Tielemans left a sizeable impression on the iconic striker. Vardy has backed Tielemans to ‘kick on’ at Old Trafford (Picture: Jamie Vardy’s Having A Party) Tielemans and Vardy were team-mates for four-and-a-half years (Picture: Getty) ‘I just think he’ll start kicking on again if I’m honest,’ Vardy said on his Jamie Vardy’s Having A Party podcast when discussing Tielemans’ summer switch to United. ‘I played against him with Belgium, he was unbelievable and you were like, “Wow, who is this?”, because he was only young at the time. ‘It then came through that we [Leicester] had signed him on loan at first and I remember going around all the lads and saying, “We’ve signed a player here!”, and I mean a really good player. The Belgian will be desperate for a starting role against Hull this weekend (Picture: Getty) ‘He came in and straight away you could tell… the dedication, 100 per cent every day. ‘He would then get in the dressing room and he was so down to earth, so normal. ‘He was a real breath of fresh air for us at that time.’ Tielemans signed a five-year contract with the Red Devils (Picture: Getty) Wes Morgan, featuring as a guest on the podcast, echoed Vardy’s glowing remaks about Tielemans while highlighting the playmaker’s ‘dedication’ to his profession both on and off the pitch. ‘What I’ve seen with Youri is dedication to his job,’ the ex-Leicester captain expolained. ‘I always used to see him in the gym, working extra hard and doing extra work. He was really working on improving himself. ‘He never took it easy in training, he always gave it 100 per cent, but he’s another one that has that technical capability, that awareness and that speed of thought. United have made sure to strengthen their midfield options (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m not surprised to see him go to the top and be at Manchester United now. Hopefully he’ll show everyone how good he is. ‘He deserves everything that he’s got so far.’ United got a chance to see Tielemans in their colours for the first time during the side’s 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. The Belgium international also came off the bench against bitter rivals Leeds before completing the full 90 minutes in the Red Devils’ 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in Poland. He will no doubt be chomping at the bit to continue his run in the side this weekend as Carrick’s men prepare to kick off their Premier League campaign away to newly promoted Hull City. For
The league is entering a new financial phase, with clubs becoming more cautious about how much they spend on first-team players while still trying to maintain the star power that has transformed the competition in recent years. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema remain the Saudi Pro League’s two biggest earners, but the spending landscape around them has taken an unexpected turn. The league is entering a new financial phase, with clubs becoming more cautious about how much they spend on first-team players while still trying to maintain the star power that has transformed the competition in recent years. The change is especially striking because the Saudi Pro League built much of its global reputation through enormous investments in internationally renowned players. Ronaldo remains the face of that transformation, while Benzema continues to rank among the competition’s highest-paid stars, yet the latest figures suggest the era of unchecked wage growth is beginning to cool. According to estimates from salary data provider Capology, cited by Saudi newspaper Al-Eqtisadiah, the Saudi Pro League‘s fixed player wage bill has fallen by around 13% for the 2026-27 season. Base salaries are now estimated at approximately $1.11 billion, compared with roughly $1.28 billion last season. When bonuses and other estimated incentives are included, the total wage package stands at around $1.38 billion, down from approximately $1.58 billion previously. Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr lifts the Saudi Pro League Trophy That represents a substantial reduction for a competition that has spent the past few years aggressively recruiting some of football’s biggest names. The decline reflects a combination of expensive contracts leaving the books and new financial controls designed to encourage more sustainable spending. Ronaldo remains the league’s highest-paid star Despite the overall reduction, Ronaldo remains comfortably at the top of the salary rankings. Capology estimates that the Al-Nassr captain earns approximately $241 million in fixed annual salary, equivalent to roughly $4.6 million per week before bonuses are taken into account. Benzema follows in second place, with an estimated fixed salary of around $142 million per year. Sadio Mane ranks third at approximately $46 million, while Kalidou Koulibaly is next at around $40 million, with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ivan Toney both estimated at roughly $30 million. SPL WAGE BILL DROPS 13% THIS SEASON… 🇸🇦💰Total fixed salaries down to €959.5M — total package including bonuses around €1.2B, per @aleqtisadiah pic.twitter.com/8Jhyz0NdmL— All About SPL 🔔 🇸🇦 (@Saudifutbol) August 17, 2026 These figures are particularly significant because they highlight how much the league’s financial structure still revolves around elite talent. However, the gap between the biggest contracts and the broader spending environment could become more controlled as clubs adapt to the new regulations. New spending rules change the landscape The reduction in wages is closely connected to stricter financial regulations introduced for the new season. Clubs are now limited to spending no more than 75% of their revenue on first-team costs, down from the previous 80% threshold. The remaining portion is intended to support areas such as youth development, infrastructure and other long-term projects. The aim is to ensure that clubs can continue competing at a high level without allowing wage commitments to grow beyond what their revenues can reasonably support. Karim Benzema of Al Hilal during the AFC Champions League Elite. The Saudi Pro League’s aggressive recruitment strategy succeeded in raising its profile around the world. Ronaldo’s arrival at Al-Nassr in 2023 helped trigger a wave of major transfers, with other clubs subsequently attracting players such as Benzema, Mane and Neymar.
That resulted in the attacking midfielder missing out on a place in England's World Cup squad, two years after he scored for the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final.
MIKE KEEGAN: Marcus Rashford has left Manchester United officials 'seriously impressed' following his return to the club after his loan spell at Barcelona.
Paul Scholes and Wes Brown are confident Adam Wharton would be a great fit at Manchester United (Picture: Getty) Manchester United heroes Paul Scholes and Wes Brown have questioned why the club appear to have cooled their interest in Adam Wharton this summer. Central midfield was identified as United’s primary area of focus entering into this year’s transfer window, with the club successfully overhauling their misfiring attack in a £200million spending spree 12 months ago. It has seen a host of high-profile names have been linked to the Theatre of Dreams in recent weeks, including the likes of Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Wharton. But Anderson would go on to complete a club-record £116m move to bitter rivals Manchester City, while Tonali and Fernandes snubbed the Red Devils to join Tottenham instead for a combined fee of around £185m. 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. Wharton, meanwhile, looks set to remain at Selhurst Park for the time being, with Crystal Palace reluctant to lose such a key player ahead of the new season. Fortunately for United, they successfully strengthened their options in the middle of the park last month by bringing in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively. It remains to be seen if Old Trafford bosses will look to further bolster Michael Carrick’s engine room before the transfer deadline comes around on September 1. Wharton won the Europa Conference League with Palace last season (Picture: Getty) The England international is reportedly valued at £80-100m (Picture: Getty) ‘I can’t believe Manchester United are not trying to buy Adam Wharton,’ Scholes said on a recent episode of The Good, The Bad & The Football sponsored by Midnite. ‘I think I’ve said on here before that Sandro Tonali would have been my first choice. ‘But obviously with him gone now, Adam Wharton looks perfect for me.’ Wharton has three years left on his current deal at Selhurst Park (Picture: Getty) Reports earlier this summer indicated Palace were demanding an eye-watering fee in the region of £80-100million for Wharton, which may explain why United have seemingly dropped their interest. But if the Red Devils are somehow able to drive down Palace’s asking price, ex-United defender Brown believes the 22-year-old England international would be a ‘brilliant buy’. ‘I still think he’s a player with great quality,’ Brown told Oddschecker’s Transfer Timer show. United have added Santos and Tielemans to Carrick’s midfield options this summer (Picture: Getty) ‘He gets the ball, he can pass forward, he can tackle, he’s young and if you can get him at the right price I think he’d be a brilliant buy. ‘If you got him at the right price, definitely pay. But if it was too much, I’m talking over £80million then pass.’ Wharton has made 96 appearances in all competitions for Palace since arriving from boyhood side Blackburn Rovers back in 2024. He has played an instrumental role across an historic period of success at Selhurst Park in that time, helping the club win the FA Cup, the Europa Conference League and the Community Shield under Oliver Glasner. The midfielder’s current contract with the Eagles is not due to expire until June 2029. POLL Poll Would £80m for Wharton be a good deal for Man Utd? YesCheck NoCheck 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. Team Expand Options ? Select your team for football news tailored to you Close Select All Select All Arsenal Arsenal Aston Villa Aston Villa Chelsea Chelsea Liverpool Liverpool Manchester City Manchester City Manchester United Manchester United Spurs Spurs Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign UpThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Go
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