Manchester United are reportedly lining up a reunion with former fan favourite Cristiano Ronaldo. The Red Devils have been left with a £100 million ($135m) financial hole to fill after missing out on European qualification for 2025-26. It has been suggested that glamorous midweek friendlies could be arranged in a bid to raise much-needed funds, with one of those potentially seeing Ruben Amorim’s side line up against Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr.

• Getty
  

  Ronaldo left Man Utd in 2022 & now plays in Saudi Pro League

  Portuguese superstar Ronaldo, who has taken in two spells at Old Trafford over the course of his record-shattering career, is among those to represent Al-Nassr. The evergreen 40-year-old has committed to a new two-year contract in the Middle East that will take him beyond his 42nd birthday.

  Ronaldo last severed ties with United in November 2022 when seeing his contract torn up. A falling out with then Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag led to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner becoming a free agent. He will, however, always be held in high regard by United supporters after helping them to Premier League and Champions League titles during Sir Alex Ferguson’s iconic reign.

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• No documentary but glamour friendlies planned

  It could be that his path crosses with the Red Devils again during the 2025-26 campaign. According to , Al-Nassr are one of the friendly opponents being considered by United. It is claimed that the Premier League giants are “holding early-stage talks with stakeholders while looking into possible dates and opponents”. Amorim’s side have plenty of gaps in their schedule having also suffered a humbling Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby.

  Failure to qualify for Europe has cost United around £100m, while co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sees £750m ($1bn) worth of debt weighing heavy on the Red Devils. It is reported that the opportunity to take part in a money-spinning “fly-on-the-wall documentary”, which “could have earned them millions” has been shunned. Alternative ways to make money are now being explored.

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  Ratcliffe on trying to get Man Utd back on track

  Ratcliffe has previously told of efforts to steady United’s ship on and off the field, with a long-term project being overseen in Manchester: “I didn't expect it to be a walk in the park. It's quite tough sometimes reading the press, obviously. But in a way I'd rather the press had a go at me than Ruben the coach. You know I suppose I've stood out there and said 'we can make Manchester United great again' so people are entitled to their opinions. In my view are on the trajectory I thought we would be on. We are in the process of change at the moment.

  “We put a new management team in place. We didn't get that all right at the beginning, obviously. But today I think we have a really good management team in place. We are dealing with the financial issues in the club, because the club has got financial issues and we need to address those. Then we need to move on to the squad, recruitment, data analysis and those types of things. So we are on the path we anticipated we would be on.”

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• Ronaldo & warm weather training: Man Utd's plan

  The Sun has previously reported on how the likes of AC Milan, RB Leipzig, Lazio and Sevilla – four other leading clubs that have no European football on their agenda this season – have been sounded out regarding potential friendly dates. The plan is for said contests to take place in surroundings that would allow for warm weather training to be taken in – while Amorim and Co also work on building stronger bonds between underperforming players.

  Saudi Arabia would fit the bill for United, especially if Ronaldo is involved. There would be plenty of interest in a meeting between the Portuguese GOAT and his former employers. United now need to determine whether a suitable date on their calendar can be found, with Al-Nassr also having to agree to a fixture that would be worked into a packed schedule that already sees them chasing down major honours in domestic and continental competition.

While KKR will be bolstered by Narine’s return, MI have a 9-2 record against them at the Wankhede

Vishal Dikshit30-Mar-20251:48

Rapid Fire Review – Serious concerns for Mumbai?

Big picture – MI seek first win on homecomingWhether you are in Mumbai city or the Mumbai Indians (MI) dressing room, it has started getting hot. While the temperatures in Mumbai have hit 35°C, MI must be feeling uneasy about their position on the points table: tenth.MI have traditionally been slow starters in the IPL, having not won their opening game since 2012, and scraping through to the playoffs at the last minute at times, including in 2023. While they could draw confidence from their 2023 campaign – they were without Jasprit Bumrah even then – they have plenty of other kinks to iron out this time as they prepare to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday.In captain Hardik Pandya’s own words, MI’s top order hasn’t come to the party yet, with totals of 155 for 9 and 160 for 6 in two games so far. Against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Saturday, they committed numerous fielding errors and probably made a mistake with their batting order too. As they finally get home after two away games, they have had only one day’s break.Related

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KKR coach bats for home teams getting favourable conditions

In the absence of Bumrah, who would have been primarily their death bowler, MI’s new-ball specialists – Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar – have largely been ineffective, with just one wicket between them in the powerplay. Lack of runs from the senior batters – especially Rohit Sharma – is hurting them too. The sooner MI fix those issues, the better it will be as two of their next three games are again away from home.KKR, meanwhile, don’t have that many issues to worry about. They adjusted very well on the slow track of Guwahati even without Sunil Narine, who was unwell for that game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) but is now 100% fit. Different batters chipped in against RR and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and be it spin department or pace, KKR’s bowling looks a lot more potent and well-rounded than MI’s. They have not even had to bowl Andre Russell yet, who was their joint-second-highest wicket-taker in the victorious campaign last season.Will Mitchell Santner miss out if MI include Reece Topley?•Mumbai Indians

Team news and likely XIIsMI left out Will Jacks and recent-debutant Vignesh Puthur against GT to bring in Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Hardik. They might bring in the tall left-arm quick Reece Topley for the red-soil surface at home, which aids pace and bounce. Topley’s ability to bowl yorkers will give MI another option in the death overs on a ground with small boundaries. Including him could mean leaving out either Mujeeb or Mitchell Santner.Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Robin Minz, 7 Naman Dhir, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Mitchell Santner/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Trent Boult, 11 S Raju, 12 Reece TopleyNarine will slot right back in for KKR, which means leaving Moeen Ali out despite him bagging 2 for 23 against RR.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5 Venkatesh Iyer, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Spencer Johnson, 10 Vaibhav Arora, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Harshit RanaBig questionShould Hardik bat ahead of Robin Minz? When Hardik returned to action in Ahmedabad, the captain sent the inexperienced Minz above himself when MI needed a stiff 100 off 51 balls on a tricky pitch. Hardik himself may want to shoulder more responsibility going forward to not leave as much work for Minz.In the spotlight – Rohit Sharma and Angkrish RaghuvanshiRohit Sharma bagged a duck against CSK, and lasted just four balls to score 8 against GT when an inducker from Mohammed Siraj castled him. While many batters may not have had an answer to that Siraj delivery, Rohit’s dismissal against CSK – a flick to midwicket – brought back memories of similar dismissals that plagued him in the Tests against New Zealand and Australia, and in the Ranji Trophy before he got back into runs in ODIs. Despite a century against England at home and a 76 in the Champions Trophy final, Rohit looks far from the batter that used to take down bowlers after having his eye in, in the IPL. Now, back to his home ground where he has played for nearly 20 years, MI will bank on Rohit to give them the start they missed in the first two matches.Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored quick runs in the middle order•AFP/Getty Images

Also returning home is Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who moved from Delhi to Mumbai at the age of 11. He has, however, played only one game at the senior level at the Wankhede – in last year’s IPL – when he scored 13 off six balls against MI. But he has had two good IPL seasons, and with his tall frame and sound technique, he will hope to get some runs in the city that has adopted him.Pitch and conditionsThis is the first game at the Wankhede this IPL, and the ground is expected to see humidity and a decent sea breeze coming in from Marine Drive. Even though the dew isn’t expected to play a big role, the teams might still play it safe and bowl first. With short boundaries awaiting the crowd that is likely to make the game a sellout, they should be ready for some catching practice.Key stats Boult and Chahar with the new ball against KKR’s top order could make for a delicious contest. Boult has dismissed Ajinkya Rahane three times in six IPL innings (strike rate 97), Narine four times in four T20s (strike rate 135), and Quinton de Kock six times in nine T20s (strike rate 114). Chahar has also removed de Kock four times (strike rate 117.50), Rahane four times in four IPL innings (strike rate 91.30), and Narine twice in four T20s but while leaking at 209.09. The Wankhede is also a home ground for KKR’s new captain Rahane, who averages 40 there in the IPL against MI, with three half-centuries from ten innings. Rahane scored his fastest IPL half-century, off 19 balls, at the Wankhede two years ago when he was with CSK. MI dominate KKR in the head-to-head rivalry at this ground, with a 9-2 record. However, KKR have won five of the last six matches against MI.Venkatesh Iyer’s lowest score against MI is 42. He averages 72.40 against them in six matches, with a century and three half-centuries, while striking at 165.29. Rohit has been dismissed by Narine ten times in all T20s. No bowler has dismissed a batter more times, which is level with Dwayne Bravo getting Kieron Pollard, who are in the KKR and MI dressing rooms, respectively. Suryakumar Yadav is only 20 away from 8000 runs in T20s.Next three fixturesAfter their first home game at Wankhede, Mumbai fly out to Lucknow to play Lucknow Super Giants, then come back to host RCB before going to Delhi to play Delhi Capitals.KKR will return home from the west coast for two home fixtures – against Sunrisers Hyderabad and LSG – before going down south to play CSK.Quotes”There should not be a concern [about the batting]… and it’s [at an] early stage. But at the same point of time, I think batters have to come to the party. And yeah, hopefully they come soon.”
“More than anything, I’m focused on how well our team played in the last game. Mumbai Indians haven’t been performing at that level, which gives us another advantage to put pressure on them.”

He is an ICC Level III qualified coach, and brings plenty of coaching experience in Sri Lankan domestic cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Mar-2025Former Sri Lanka batter Chamara Silva has been appointed as the head coach of the Sri Lanka Under-19 men’s team. His appointment runs from March 2025 to December 2026. This period includes the Under-19 Men’s World Cup to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia next year.Silva brings plenty of coaching experience from Sri Lanka’s domestic circuit. He is an ICC Level III qualified coach, and has served as head coach of the Police Sports Club. Before that, he has also coached the Bloomfield Cricket Club and Panadura Sports Club.Silva played 11 Tests, 75 ODIs and 16 T20Is for Sri Lanka in a 12-year period from 1999-2011. His last game for Sri Lanka was a T20I against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in November 2011. Two days before that, Silva played what turned out to be his final ODI.He was part of the side that finished runners-up in back-to-back ODI World Cups in 2007 and 2011. While he managed only 77 runs in four innings in 2011, he had got four half-centuries in 2007, including three in a row to start the tournament. Silva last played a Test in 2008, having got scores of 61 and 152* in his debut series, which was on the tour of New Zealand in 2006-07.He was also part of the World T20 in 2007 and 2009, with Sri Lanka losing the final of the latter tournament to Pakistan.In 2017, he was banned from cricket for two years by SLC for his supposed role in a Tier B first-class match that featured unusual scoring rates. Silva’s last domestic game came as recently as last month, when he represented Police Sports Club against Ace Capital Cricket Club in a Major League Tournament fixture in Colombo.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nome que deve ser o próximo reforço anunciado pelo Internacional, o meio-campista Bruno Henrique está na cidade de Porto Alegre para cumprir os últimos trâmites burocráticos da negociação.

Após chegar ao Aeroporto Salgado Filho, Bruno concedeu uma breve entrevista para o canal ‘Vozes do Gigante’, dedicado a conteúdo relacionado ao Inter, onde falou sobre a chance iminente de trabalhar novamente com o técnco Mano Menezes. Antes, ele atuou sob o comando de Mano em suas passagens por Corinthians e Palmeiras.

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>Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Inter com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

– O Internacional é um clube grande que eu vou ter a oportunidade de trabalhar a partir de agora. Tem um treinador como o Mano Menezes que eu já trabalhei duas vezes com ele. Um clube gigantesco e uma torcida fantástica. A oportunidade apareceu e eu estou abraçando essa oportunidade juntamente com a minha família. Muito feliz de estar aqui – disse o jogador atualmente com 33 anos de idade.

Além dos clubes citados, o atleta defendeu, em solo brasileiro, Iraty, Atlético-MG, Londrina e Portuguesa. Fora do país, ele esteve em 2017 no Palermo-ITA antes de iniciar sua bem sucedida trajetória recente no Oriente Médio com a camisa do Al-Ittihad.

UM DE CHEGADA, OUTRO DE SAÍDA

Enquanto o Colorado está perto de oficializar Bruno Henrique, o clube também está atento ao mercado de saída de jogadores onde Alemão está próximo de ser negociado com o futebol do México.

Segundo informação recentemente veiculada pelo portal ‘GZH’, o Pachuca está em conversas avançadas para adquirir o avante de 25 anos de idade onde os mexicanos pagariam um total de R$ 15 milhões para ter 70% dos direitos econômicos do avante. Desse montante, algo próximo de R$10 milhões iria para os cofres do Colorado que optou por manter 30% do montante visando venda futura.

There has been an update on the future of Rangers manager Russell Martin’s Ibrox future ahead of Sunday’s Glasgow derby against Celtic.

Martin reacts to Rangers’ “humiliating” Champions League exit

The Gers were knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday evening after suffering an embarrassing 6-0 defeat to Club Brugge, losing 9-1 on aggregate over the two legs.

Any chance of a Rangers comeback was ended after going a goal and a man down on the evening after less than 10 minutes, with the hosts running riot for the rest of the game.

Martin, asked if he still had belief that he was the right man to take Rangers forward after the game, said:

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve learned anything new tonight, just really hurt, really embarrassed by the defeat. It’s probably the toughest night I’ve had as head coach/manager. But it doesn’t it doesn’t change the fact that I think we can get this place going, we can get the team going.

“And as I said, progress and move forward and grow and we have an opportunity to really do that, to feel everything tonight that comes our way and accept it, because we have to with a manner of defeat and then we have a chance to really show some character and some growth and some personality and desire on Sunday.”

Sunday sees the Gers face rivals Celtic for the first time in the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season, with Martin going on to apologise to the supporters.

The speculation regarding Martin’s Ibrox future will only increase after the Champions League defeat, but there has been an update ahead of the Glasgow derby.

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Russell Martin sack update from Rangers before Celtic

Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke shared an update on Martin’s future at Rangers 24 hours before their defeat to Club Brugge.

Focusing on the game against Celtic, O’Rourke stated that ’Rangers are unlikely to react quickly and sack Martin even if he oversees a defeat’ to the Hoops at Ibrox.

Should the Gers lose to Celtic, Martin’s side will already be nine points behind their fiercest rivals after just four fixtures.

O’Rourke added that ‘the Rangers board will not make any knee-jerk decisions and still have full faith’ in the 39-year-old and that ‘the 49ers Enterprises know that it is a long-term project’.

Whether or not Rangers’ stance has changed following the humiliating Champions League exit remains to be seen, but by the looks of things, Martin’s job is safe for now regardless of the result on Sunday.

After missing out on Facundo Buonanotte to Chelsea, Leeds United have now reportedly re-opened talks to sign a priority target before the transfer window slams shut.

Chelsea hijack Leeds' Buonanotte move

Just like Igor Paixao earlier this summer, Leeds are set to miss out on an attacking reinforcement at the death. This time, it’s Chelsea who have jumped ahead of them in brutal fashion to close in on a deal to sign Buonanotte from Brighton & Hove Albion. The news leaves those at Elland Road back to square one and still in need of additions.

Just where Leeds go from here is the big question. The 49ers have just two days to welcome alternative options and complete a squad that must be good enough to avoid the drop.

So far, Leeds have welcomed as many as 10 signings, with the latest arrival being James Justin from Leicester City. Once again, though, he will boost Daniel Farke’s backline rather than add some much-needed goals to his side.

The defender told Leeds’ official website after putting pen to paper: “Obviously to join a club of this size and to have the history it has had, and being back in the Premier League was a massive thing for me, so I’m over the moon to have joined.

“Everyone that I’ve spoken to about the club and the area has had great things to say about it. So I’m excited to join the lads and get to work.

Whilst Justin is a welcome arrival, Leeds have continued their search for an attacking reinforcement and have reportedly turned back towards one of their main targets.

Leeds re-open El Khannouss talks

According to Leeds United News, Leeds have now re-opened talks to sign Bilal El Khannouss from Leicester this week. The attacking midfielder just missed out on a move to Crystal Palace after they decided to sign Yeremy Pino instead. Although that would have been a disappointment for him, it has seemingly allowed Elland Road chiefs to swoop back in for their priority target.

Dubbed a “fantastic talent” by scout Jacek Kulig, El Khannouss was a rare bright spark in a relegated Leicester side last season and could now provide Leeds’ attack with that same spark.

Leeds eyeing £75k-p/w Premier League playmaker who's a lot like Buonanotte

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With their attacking problems clear for all to see, the 49ers must back Leeds one final time to welcome a talent like El Khannouss before the deadline.

Former national team star Alexi Lalas cast doubt on Ricardo Pepi’s chances of making the 2026 World Cup roster after the striker’s knee injury with PSV, noting that USMNT roster spots will only be more competitive – leaving injured players especially at risk of losing out as the tournament gets closer to kicking off.

Getty Images SportInjury timing threatens Pepi's standing

Lalas addressed the implications of Pepi's injury absence ahead of the October friendlies against Ecuador and Australia. The 22-year-old striker had returned from a long-term knee injury, but has been ruled out for the U.S.'s upcoming October friendlies with another injury.

“If you're hurt, you're hurt,” Lalas said on his State of the Union podcast. “There's nothing you can do about it, but it does. It's not a good situation. You're not Erling Haaland, right? You're not going to come no matter what, as long as you're okay by the time the World Cup shows up! There is a competition and an ongoing competition. "

Pepi has 13 goals in 33 international caps for the Americans.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRoster competition intensifies

Lalas pointed to the delayed announcement of the October camp roster as evidence of the heightened competition for national team positions – including Pepi's striker position. It was expected that the roster would be released earlier in the week, but instead came out Thursday.

He also pointed to Sergino Dest's recent injury as another example of how setbacks affect position battles. 

“I do think that the importance of this window is I think it was reflected in the fact that this was pushed back,” Lalas said. "And so when it comes to Pepe or Dest, yeah, they'll say, well, they're injured here and injured here. But you start gobbling up those windows, and you're not involved. You may be the odd man out either for the roster or for a starting position going forward because you just won't have enough time to really prove your worth, with the competition going on.”

Calendar constraints

The timing of Pepi's return will prove particularly crucial with the November international window approaching. When he's healthy, he's a man largely in form. He's scored two goals in five appearances this season, and in the last campaign, he netted 11 goals in 18 appearances. 

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AFPBig matches ahead

The U.S. will hope to navigate past the absences of Pepi and Dest when they face Ecuador and Australia on Oct. 10 and Oct. 14, respectively. 

Liverpool are reportedly “confident” of signing Marc Guehi on a free transfer next summer, and FSG also want to snap up an £87m-rated star.

Liverpool preparing for trip to Burnley

The international break seems to have lasted a lifetime, but the Reds aren’t too far away from their return to Premier League action this weekend.

Arne Slot’s champions make the trip to Burnley on Sunday afternoon, looking to continue their 100% winning start to the season, and while the Clarets are a newly-promoted team with far less quality than Liverpool, Turf Moor can be a tricky place to visit.

Slot has some key decisions to make with his personnel, not least with Alexander Isak, as he weighs up whether to start the Reds’ new record signing or use him from the substitutes’ bench.

Meanwhile, both Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley could be in the mix to start at right-back, but Dominik Szoboszlai’s superb form in that role may mean that he keeps his place, having flourished in a role that is relatively alien to him.

Liverpool linked with double transfer swoop

According to a new update from Caught Offside, Liverpool and FSG are “confident” of completing the signing of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi next summer, with the 25-year-old out of contract at the end of this season. This is despite rumours of Real Madrid showing an interest in the centre-back.

He showcased his quality once again on Tuesday evening, scoring in England’s 5-0 win away to Serbia and producing an immaculate all-round performance.

Elsewhere, Guehi’s former Palace teammate Michael Olise is also a rumoured target for Liverpool, with the £87m-rated Bayern Munich winger being looked at as a potential long-term replacement for Mohamed Salah.

If Liverpool were able to sign both Guehi and Olise at the end of the current campaign, it would feel like another huge step in the right direction.

Michael Olise’s 2024/25 Bundesliga stats

Total

Appearances

34

Starts

28

Minutes played

2348

Goals

12

Assists

15

Key passes per game

2.7

Shots per game

2.5

Dribbles per game

2.1

It is common knowledge that Guehi had all but sealed a move to Anfield on deadline day, only for Palace to pull the plug, but it is vital that their interest in him remains strong, with England manager Thomas Tuchel lauding him earlier this week.

“He looks absolutely fine and impressive on the field. He has had a good couple of weeks behind him on the performance side. He has continued like that in camp and he handles it [the transfer situation] with respect and with a brilliant attitude.”

As for the £87m-rated Olise, he feels like a perfect Salah replacement once the Egyptian’s world-class quality has waned, possessing his ability to cut inside from the right flank and wreak havoc.

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If Liverpool could sign both, and Palace youngster Adam Wharton, it would be another great summer transfer window, making this one to watch.

Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has admitted that one of his “idols” is guilty of making one of the worst decisions in the club’s history.

Shearer's legacy at Newcastle unmatched

When it comes to genuine St James’ Park icons, Shearer’s name rightly appears at the top of the list when supporters are asked who the best footballer in Magpies history is.

No Newcastle player has scored more goals for the club than the former England international, who is also still leading the way in the Premier League overall, netting 260 times in total in the competition.

While Shearer forever missed out on winning major trophies at Newcastle, he lived out his childhood dream of representing his boyhood club and scoring endless goals in front of the Gallowgate End.

The legendary striker played under numerous managers at St James’, from Kenny Dalglish to Bobby Robson, but even great figures such as those mentioned weren’t immune from making errors during their time in charge.

Shearer reveals huge error Dalglish made at Newcastle

Speaking in 2024, with quotes provided by Give Me Sport, Shearer claimed that Dalglish’s decision to sell Les Ferdinand in 1997 was among the worst calls in Newcastle’s history.

Shearer is spot on in his assessment regarding Ferdinand, and while he clearly still sees Dalglish as a hero of his own, there is no question that selling his former attacking teammate was a bad call looking back.

Ferdinand and Shearer were devastating together, with both scoring in the iconic 5-0 win at home to Manchester United in the Premier League in 1996, and the former still had plenty of years left in him.

Granted, the Englishman was 30 years of age when Newcastle opted to move him on to Tottenham, but he showed over a six-year spell in north London that he could have continued scoring goals for the Magpies.

Newcastle signing Nick Woltemade names Arsenal star as his favourite player

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Dalgilsh’s playing and managerial careers are legendary ones, with the Scot considered by many as the greatest player in Liverpool’s history, but it never worked out for him as Newcastle boss, which was a huge shame, especially for Shearer.

Wayne Rooney has revealed that he loves watching Manchester City star Erling Haaland, but the striker has one key flaw that “frustrates” him.

Rooney reveals he wants "more" from Haaland

Although Man City haven’t started the Premier League campaign in their usual dominant fashion, Haaland has been fantastic on a personal level, reminding everyone why he is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.

The Norwegian was at his best in the 3-0 victory in the Manchester derby, scoring a brace in what was a comfortable victory for City against their rivals, who simply couldn’t cope with the towering centre-forward, who has continued to set new records this season.

As such, it will come as no surprise to learn that Rooney is a keen admirer of the 25-year-old, with the former Manchester United striker naming him as the striker he loves watching, on a recent podcast with Rio Ferdinand.

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However, the 39-year-old was also quick to point out that he feels the Man City star has a key flaw, saying: “I do like watching Haaland, but also frustrates me as well. If you watch his movements in the six-yard box, it’s incredible, but then you just want a little bit more from him.

“I want him to be more commanding.”

Haaland can still make improvements to his game

The Leeds-born striker has been an absolute revelation in the Premier League, retaining an astounding goal record ever since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund back in the summer of 2022.

Season

PL appearances

Goals

2022-23

35

36

2023-24

31

27

2024-25

31

22

2025-26

5

6

However, just like any player, the 45-time Norway international can still make improvements to his game, and at just 25-years-old, he still has plenty of time on his side.

City may not be at their best, but the former Borussia Dortmund man has proven he is still a big game player, who is at the top of his game, most recently reaching an insane top speed before opening the scoring in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

Man City have proven time and time again that they are capable of hunting Liverpool down, so they certainly shouldn’t be too disheartened by the start they’ve made, but Haaland will be crucial to their chances of winning the Premier League title.