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Atletico Madrid and Manchester United are ready to battle each other for the signature of Inter Milan midfielder Davide Frattesi. The Red Devils are ready to shift their attention to midfield as they continue their squad overhaul plan this summer.
United’s vulnerability in all areas of the pitch last season forced their fans to endure a horrible Premier League season. As they finished 16th in the Premier League, the problems escalated when the Red Devils lost the Europa League final.
Without the European fixture next season, United have shifted their focus to signing quality over quantity while selling their surplus. United boss Ruben Amorim needs players who will suit his tactical style of play after the current squad failed miserably.
The Red Devils have prioritised the attacking department earlier this summer by signing Matheus Cunha and targeting Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. The midfield department remains a big area of concern amid the failure of signings like Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte.
Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen will depart as a free agent, while the future of Kobbie Mainoo remains uncertain at the moment. The same goes for Casemiro, who has drastically regressed as a reliable midfielder since joining the club from Real Madrid.
Only Bruno Fernandes remains a certain starter under Amorim, after deciding to stay at United despite a massive Saudi offer. According to Fichajes, United are ready to battle Atletico to sign Frattesi from Inter and bolster their midfield this summer.
Frattesi joined Inter from Sassuolo permanently in the summer of 2024 for over €31 million after a season-long loan deal. The Italy international played a pivotal role for Inter in their tough journey to the Champions League final last season.
Furthermore, the Italian club narrowly lost the Serie A as Frattesi played a regular role in the midfield. The 25-year-old would fit perfectly in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation, which is similar to what was preferred at Inter. With Inter’s complicated finances, United could exploit the situation and sign a strong, technically gifted box-to-box midfielder in Frattesi this summer.
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Man Utd man ramps up efforts to leave by flying to hold ‘discreet but meaningful’ talks with three Euro giants over break
Jadon Sancho is already putting plans in place for his Manchester United departure by holding talks with three potential suitors. The 25-year-old, currently spending the season on loan with Aston Villa, is now in the final seven months of his United deal. As such, he will be free to sign a pre-contract with his next club from January. What’s United stance on outcast Sancho? Reports had suggested over the summer that, despite him having no future at Old Trafford anymore, the club would look to activate Sancho’s 12-month option to protect his resale value and try to make at least something from his exit. However, another lacklustre start to the term has left the board ready to just wash their hands of the situation, and they are now resigned to taking a major financial loss by releasing the £73 million signing come June 2026. As witnessed over the summer, there aren’t many sides willing to take a punt on the forward, but the fact he’ll be available for nothing this time around may prompt more clubs to hold talks and see where his head’s at. That’s seemingly already happening, according to a new report from CaughtOffside. Sancho ramps up efforts to secure next club They claim that Sancho flew to Turkey over the international break – amid his continued, four-year absence from the England setup – to hold ‘discreet but meaningful’ meetings with Besiktas, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce. Sancho had been tipped for a switch to the Super Lig in the summer before he opted to test his resolve in the Premier League once again. Yet, three months into the campaign, he’s still awaiting his first league start under Unai Emery. Remarkably, the outlet adds that both Villa, United and the player’s entourage could opt to cut his loan spell short to allow him to move to Turkey as early as January. That way, the Red Devils can at least set a cut-price transfer fee before bidding farewell to the outcast attacker.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian gives bold claim on job rumors
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has been a popular name in both the NFL and college football coaching cycles. It makes sense, too. He's brought Texas back to being competitive and in the championship hunt, but he also has a wealth of great experience as an assistant in both college and the NFL. He's about as well-rounded a candidate as you'll find, so of course, programs like the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers or even the New York Giants may be interested to see if he's interested. The thing is, though, he's not. Or, at the very least, that's what he's telling the media. He's all-in with the Longhorns, according to comments he made on a recent SEC teleconference call. “I’d like to comment something before I get into our team that has been bothering me now over the past few weeks. That is people reporting that are insinuating that there’s a possibility I could leave the University of Texas, and that is absolutely false and untrue," Sarkisian said (h/t On3). "I’m not going anywhere. Never do I do this because I never want to be a distraction, so I never address these things. At this point, I feel like this is important that I do this because it’s important for our team. It’s important for our university." Steve Sarkisian has deep roots in Austin and is all-in with Texas As if that weren't clear enough, Sarkisian said that he has not had any discussions with anybody about coaching elsewhere. He even went as far as to say that even his agent hasn't spoken to anyone. Sometimes coaches can say publicly that they aren't talking about any opportunities while, in the meantime, their agents are working backchannels and putting something together. He could be lying, of course, because college football history is full of head coaches saying one thing and doing another. A full-throated statement like this seems to be a pretty clear indication that Sarkisian is serious about what he's saying, though. Heck, he went as far as calling Austin home, which is a pretty big deal for a coach to say. Those guys aren't used to staying in one place for too long. With that said, Sarkisian does have two kids actually enrolled at Texas, one on the football team. He has a third kid he wants to go to Texas in the near future. He also just had a baby. Sarkisian has roots in Austin. He also has high aspirations for the Longhorns. “We came here to win championships," he said. "We’ve built a damn good football program over the five years that we’ve been here. We’ve been to two College Football Playoffs. We won a Big 12 Championship. We went to the SEC Championship game in Year 1. We’ve had 23 players drafted the last two years, which is more than any other school in the country and our team GPA is at an all-time high. “Can we please stop putting things out there that you have absolutely zero evidence on? Can we please stop retweeting and putting it back out there as if it’s true? As if it’s the gospel? It is not true."
Packers Receive Disappointing Injury News Before Vikings Matchup
Jayden Reed’s anticipated return to the practice field for the Green Bay Packers will have to wait a little longer. Despite some growing hope earlier this week that the dynamic wide receiver could begin the next phase of his recovery, head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Reed will not open his 21-day practice window yet. “He’s not practicing today,” LaFleur said ahead of Sunday’s critical matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. When pressed for a clearer timeline on the second-year standout, who remains on injured reserve with collarbone and foot injuries, LaFleur deferred to the medical staff. “I don’t know. As soon as medical clears him, he’ll be out there,” LaFleur said. “I know he’s excited to get back. As am I.” The optimism had spiked in recent days. On Monday, LaFleur indicated there was a chance Reed and/or rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd could start their practice windows this week. Reed himself fueled the excitement Tuesday by sharing a photo of himself dressed in full uniform on social media. Those plans, however, are now on hold. Reed’s surgically repaired foot seems to have healed satisfactorily, but the collarbone—fractured on a diving attempt during the first half of Green Bay’s Week 2 victory over the Washington Commanders—still needs additional time. For a wide receiver whose job involves regular physical contact and the risk of landing hard on the shoulder, the medical staff is requiring clear imaging evidence that the bone is strong enough before green-lighting a return. The cautious approach echoes the Packers’ handling of Aaron Rodgers’ similar collarbone injury in 2017, when the former quarterback sat out seven games while waiting for full healing. Nearly 10 weeks removed from the injury and having already missed eight contests, Reed could still require another one to two weeks before doctors are comfortable clearing him for football activities. That timeline keeps a potential return for the Thanksgiving night clash with the Detroit Lions or the following week against the Chicago Bears realistically in play. Before the injury, Reed had established himself as Green Bay’s top receiving weapon. He paced the team in receiving yards in both 2023 and 2024, and in the two games he played this season while managing the foot issue, he recorded three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Green Bay Packers will continue their Week 12 preparations without their leading wideout on the practice field, with LaFleur and the organization prioritizing full recovery over a rushed comeback.
The Big Five: Most dangerous teams currently outside the playoff picture
With just a week until Thanksgiving, the NFL playoff picture is beginning to take shape. But seven weeks remain in the regular season, giving teams on the outside looking in time to turn things around. Below, we rank the five most dangerous teams currently not in the playoff field. 5. Houston Texans (5-5, eight in AFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 40-31 (.563) • Currently in playoff field: 4 • Above .500: 4 With a defense as good as Houston's, it can't be taken lightly despite a brutal remaining schedule. Over the Texans' final seven games, they only play two teams currently with a losing record — the Arizona Cardinals (3-7) and Las Vegas Raiders (2-8). With C.J. Stroud (concussion) out for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills (7-3), the team's hopes of remaining in contention will be even tougher. But Houston has won its past two games with Davis Mills at quarterback, thanks in large part to a defense allowing 221 yards per game. The Texans have the league's longest active streak of holding opponents under 200 passing yards (seven games), per Stathead research. In addition to the Bills, the Texans play the Indianapolis Colts (8-2) twice, Kansas City Chiefs (5-5) and Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), teams that can put up points. Houston, which is No. 21 in scoring offense (22 points per game), likely won't be able to keep pace in shootouts — even when Stroud returns — so it must lean on the defense to complete the long trek from 0-3 to the playoffs. 4. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1, 10th in NFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 35-38 (.479) • Currently in playoff field: 2 • Above .500: 3 While we can't glean much from Dallas' convincing Monday night win over the directionless Raiders, it was still telling that the defense, a sore spot all season, kept an inept Las Vegas attack from having a season-best performance. Among the five teams listed here, the Cowboys have the easiest remaining strength of schedule, with more games against teams with losing records (three) than those in the playoff field (two). Their next three games — against the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), Chiefs and Detroit Lions (6-4) — will inform how heavily Dallas factors into the playoff race through December. But for a team that seemingly had no hope following a Week 9 loss to the Cardinals, Dallas could be feistier down the stretch than most predicted. 3. Detroit Lions (6-4, eighth in NFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 37-32-2 (.521) • Currently in playoff field: 4 • Above .500: 4 Sunday's game against the New York Giants (2-9) is almost a must-win considering what lies ahead for Detroit. Over its final five games, it plays the Green Bay Packers (6-3-1), Los Angeles Rams (8-2), Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) and Chicago Bears (7-3) plus the division-rival Minnesota Vikings (4-6). The Lions, who rank in the top five in total offense and defense, are more than capable of holding their own against stiff competition, although injures (particularly to the offensive line) have made them more vulnerable than the past two seasons, when they reached the NFC Championship Game (2023) and claimed the conference's No. 1 seed (2024). 2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5, ninth in AFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 36-35-1 (.500) • Currently in playoff field: 3 • Above .500: 3 ESPN's Bill Barnwell recently laid out a convincing argument why this year's Chiefs squad isn't much different from last year's team that went 15-2. Other than a staggering regression in one-score games and special teams lapses, Kansas City is good enough to go on a run and crash the playoffs. The Chiefs' toughest remaining games (Colts, Chargers, Broncos) are at home. They also have a head-to-head with the Texans at Arrowhead. It's far too early to write Kansas City's obituary. The AFC West might be out of play, yet NFL Next Gen Stats still gives the Chiefs a 52 percent chance of making the playoffs. However, NFL.com's Ali Bhanpuri noted in a recently column that Kansas City's odds will drop to less than 33 percent with a loss this Sunday to Indianapolis. 1. Baltimore Ravens (5-5, 10th in AFC) Remaining opponents stats | Record: 35-35-1 (.493) • Currently in playoff field: 3 • Above .500: 4 The Ravens are just one game out of first in the AFC North and have the New York Jets (2-8) and Cincinnati Bengals (3-7) on the schedule before the first of two games with the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4). By the end of the first weekend in December, Baltimore, which has won four in a row following a Week 7 bye, could easily be in pole position for a third straight AFC North title.
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