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Five Man United and Man City transfer clashes with clubs on another collision course

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Manchester United and Manchester City have had some iconic battles in the transfer window

With Manchester United narrowing the gap on Manchester City in recent months, United may once more be able to compete with their local rivals for elite talent.

More than a decade of underachievement and multiple seasons without Champions League football has somewhat restricted United’s options in the transfer market in recent years.

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This has only enabled ‘noisy neighbours’ City to establish themselves as the more appealing Manchester destination for rising stars, as they maintained their dominance over English football. However, considering United’s stature and with the resolution of City’s 115 alleged charges still pending, the momentum may now be shifting, particularly given Michael Carrick’s remarkable start as interim manager.

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Both clubs are expected to compete for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson at the end of this season. The 23-year-old, valued at around £75million, wishes to have his future resolved before the World Cup kicks off this summer, aware that Forest face potential relegation and that a number of elite clubs are pursuing his services.

United securing Champions League qualification would significantly improve their prospects of signing the England star, although Anderson is yet to decide which club he prefers. The Manchester Evening News now takes a look at the players City and United have competed to sign in recent years and who has come out on top in each instance.

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Alexis Sanchez (2018)

Both City and United were keen to sign a frustrated Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in January 2018. Pep Guardiola sought to recruit the former Barcelona winger but City later said they were unable to match the financial terms presented by their local rivals, ultimately withdrawing from the pursuit.

Sanchez moved to United in a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan head in the opposite direction. Yet the Chilean’s spell at Old Trafford proved largely unsuccessful, managing just five goals in 45 outings before departing for Inter Milan.

Fred (2018)

In the summer of 2018, Brazilian midfielder Fred turned down City and sealed a £47m switch from Shakhtar Donetsk to United. He later disclosed that the opportunity to work under Jose Mourinho proved decisive, having received a personal phone call from the iconic Portuguese boss which persuaded him to pledge his future to the club.

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Harry Maguire (2019)

In another setback for City, who had secured back-to-back league titles by the summer of 2019, United pipped them to the signing of Harry Maguire. The Leicester City centre-back’s £80m transfer was and remains the world record fee paid for a defender.

Guardiola admitted City could not splurge such a sum on Maguire, saying: “He’s an excellent, top-class player. We were interested but could not afford it.”

Maguire has endured a difficult seven years at United, having had his performances regularly scrutinised and been stripped of the captaincy. Yet, the Englishman has proven more valuable in recent seasons, despite £80m still being considered a poor use of resources.

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Cristiano Ronaldo (2021)

United once again got one over their rivals on transfer deadline day of the 2021 summer window. Reports had indicated Cristiano Ronaldo was close to a switch from Juventus to the Etihad Stadium before executing a dramatic U-turn to rejoin his beloved United after the club submitted an offer.

Ronaldo claimed he followed his heart, with reports saying Sir Alex Ferguson and Rio Ferdinand directly phoned him to persuade him to join United. However, it emerged that City’s interest was only mild, with some reports claiming Guardiola was not interested in the ageing star after Ronaldo was offered to the club by his agent.

Despite a strong first season, the Portuguese legend’s second spell in Manchester ended acrimoniously following a breakdown in relations with Erik ten Hag and club chiefs, suggesting City dodged a bullet.

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Jack Grealish (2021)

United were also interested in buying Jack Grealish in 2021 before ultimately signing Jadon Sancho. Grealish was among the Premier League’s most sought-after players at that point and attracted significant attention from several English clubs.

Following a drawn-out transfer saga, City eventually signed the Aston Villa captain that summer for a then-British record fee of £100m. United’s own signings disappointed that season, while Grealish found it difficult to adjust to Guardiola’s requirements in his debut campaign.

He did contribute to City winning an elusive Champions League trophy and the Treble, however, but is currently on loan at Everton.

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Fulham Move Closer to Permanent Deal for Samuel Chukwueze

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Fulham FC have taken a significant step towards signing Samuel Chukwueze on a permanent deal after opening talks with AC Milan over a possible summer transfer.

The Nigerian winger, who joined Fulham on loan earlier this season, has impressed since arriving in England. After struggling for regular form in Italy, Chukwueze has rediscovered his confidence in the Premier League, where he has played with greater freedom and purpose.

One of his most notable performances came in December, when he scored twice against Manchester City in an exciting encounter. That display strengthened Fulham’s belief that he can play an important role in the club’s future.

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Chukwueze has also settled quickly off the pitch, helped by the presence of fellow Nigerians Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey. Their influence has contributed to his smooth adaptation and improved performances.

Reports indicate that Fulham have now informed AC Milan, through an intermediary, of their intention to trigger the buy option included in the loan agreement. Although the move has not yet been made official, it reflects the club’s strong interest in securing his services permanently.

Chukwueze is also believed to be open to the move. The winger is said to be happy at Fulham and would welcome a permanent stay if both clubs reach an agreement.

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For AC Milan, the deal could represent good business. The Italian side had hoped a loan move would help the winger regain his form, and that plan now appears to be working. During his time in Italy, Chukwueze found it difficult to secure a consistent starting role, partly due to competition from players such as Christian Pulisic.

The agreed buy option is reportedly valued at around €24 million, with additional bonuses that could take the total fee to €28 million. Milan are now waiting for Fulham to formalise their interest, with expectations that the deal could be completed smoothly once negotiations are finalised.

Based on his performances this season, the move appears beneficial for all parties. At Fulham, Chukwueze has already made a stronger impact in fewer matches compared to his time in Italy, showing that his style suits the pace and intensity of English football.

The potential transfer represents a fresh start for the Nigerian international, who now looks set to continue his revival at Fulham.

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Alcaraz stunned in Miami as Korda delivers biggest Win

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Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock defeat at the Miami Open 2026, falling to Sebastian Korda in what marks one of the biggest wins of the American’s career.

For Korda, this moment has been a long time coming. After battling injuries and setbacks, the 25-year-old finally delivered on his potential against one of the best players in the world.

After the match, Korda reflected on the performance:

  • Arthur Fils destroys Tsitsipas in Miami OpenArthur Fils destroys Tsitsipas in Miami Open

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“It feels great. I took the scenic route that’s for sure . A little more stress than I would want but happy with how I played and stayed with it. Kept believing. I got myself in some nasty situations . Just kept going and kept believing. I played really well at the end.”

He also spoke about the mindset shift that helped him get over the line:

“a lot of soul searching that’s for sure. I’ve gone through a lot of things, played a lot of great players. Haven’t been able to get it done but I felt always when I was playing these top players that I’d start spraying the ball and try to do a bit too much than I need to do. With Ryan we sat down, our goal today was to play average. Just have an average ball. Don’t do too much with it. That’s when you get in trouble. That’s kind of what he’s searching for is you start spraying and you get yourself in trouble against him.”

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On how he managed to execute against Alcaraz:

“I mean the ball speed. Not the way I played I was as aggressive as possible. I served great the whole match. That’s what you need to do to beat a player like him. He’s unbelievable in every aspect of his game. Movement, volleys, forehand, backhand.. there’s nothing he can’t do. I had to be aggressive. I had to take the ball out of his hand and take the point in my favor.”

A huge result in Miami and a reminder that even the very best can be pushed off their game.

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Keyshawn Davis accused of ‘making excuses’ not to fight bitter rival: “It’s the truth”

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A man who knows Keyshawn Davis very well has claimed the former world champion is doing everything in his power to avoid a fight.

Davis is widely regarded as being one of the best talents in all of boxing, beginning when he won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

After turning professional, he became WBO lightweight champion when he knocked out Denys Berinchyk, though he was later stripped of the title when he came in overweight for a defence against Edwin De Los Santos, which was subsequently cancelled.

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Davis returned in January when he moved up to 140lbs and earned a stoppage win over Jamaine Ortiz, and he has since made his intentions known to head up a further weight class and potentially challenge WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney.

One man that seemingly doesn’t appear to be on the radar of Davis is Andy Cruz, who beat the American on all four occasions when they met as amateurs, most notably in the gold medal clash of the Tokyo Olympics.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Cruz referred to Davis as ‘his son’, and accused his past rival of making excuses to not face him again.

“Truth is, my son doesn’t want anything to do with me and I’m letting him enjoy his career on his own. He always talks about me but he’ll always have excuses not to fight.”

As a professional, Cruz holds a record of six wins from seven fights, after unsuccessfully challenging Raymond Muratalla for the IBF lightweight title back in January, perhaps making it difficult for a fight with Davis to take place anytime soon.

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Man United flop in embarrassing telling off as he’s caught texting on subs bench

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Manchester United signed Memphis Depay for £25million over a decade ago now and the forward made barely 50 appearances, scoring just seven goals, before leaving

Memphis Depay received a telling off from a Corinthians coach after being caught using his mobile phone on the substitutes bench during their match against Flamengo.

The former Manchester United player started the match but came off midway through the first half after grimacing earlier in the game. Memphis went down the tunnel to their dressing room before later reemerging and sitting in the dugout.

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During the final few minutes of second-half added-time, he was looking down at a phone in his hands. A staff member soon came over and animatedly spoke to Memphis, who quickly put the phone away.

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The player claims he was using it to communicate with medical staff in the Netherlands after sustaining an injury. Memphis said on X afterwards: “Just to clarify, my moment with the phone was purely to communicate with the medical staff in the Netherlands at that moment.

“I came outside to show support to my team, while I could’ve stayed inside the dressing room with the injury. I’m upset with the result of the game as well. We keep working for better days.”

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Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman said Memphis had a scan on Monday and was awaiting the results. He said at a press conference on Monday: “He can still travel over, but it doesn’t look good.

“We might bring him in later, perhaps for the second match, but if that’s not feasible, then there’s no need.” The Netherlands face Norway in a friendly on Friday, followed by Ecuador four days later.

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Memphis remains a regular for the national team 18 months after moving to Brazil following short spells with Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. Erling Haaland was the only player to manage more than his eight goals in the European section of World Cup qualifying.

That is one more than Memphis managed during his entire United career. All seven strikes came during his first season, when he made 45 appearances across all competitions.

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However, after Jose Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal, the former PSV player featured just eight more times before being sold to Lyon midway through his second season in England. Memphis rediscovered his form across the Channel, scoring 76 goals over 178 games and earned a dream move to Barcelona.

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He scored 13 times during his debut season, but, like at United, left midway through his second for Atletico. Four goals in nine games from January onwards did not translate over his first full season, however, scoring nine in 31 before departing and eventually joining Corinthians.

Memphis has made 76 appearances across three seasons in Brazil, scoring 20 times, but just once so far this season. His contract with Corinthians is due to expire this year.

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MLB futures odds, picks: Best bets for wins, strikeouts, saves leaders in 2026

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We’ve already examined which MLB players we think might cash futures bets in offensive stat categories, but what about the pitchers? Aces are nastier than ever, but which of the game’s great hurlers will rack up the most strikeouts or pace the field in wins? Which closers will notch the most saves? SportsLine expert Angelo Magliocca looks at the pitching landscape across MLB ahead of the 2026 season and makes his case for who will lead the league in key statistical categories while also giving some options to stay away from.

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Magliocca, also known as “Amags” is a hugely profitable MLB capper who uses his deep knowledge of baseball to find value on player props, sides and totals. He is coming off another strong season at SportsLine. Over the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 MLB seasons, Amags is up 133.4 units on straight bets and parlays while winning an additional 25.3 units on ladder plays. 

Here’s a look at his picks and analysis of World Series futures for the AL and NL in 2026.

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MLB wins leader: Paul Skenes (+1400)

We saw how great Paul Skenes was in the World Baseball Classic against a Dominican Republic lineup filled with all stars, showing how dominant pitching can keep a dominant offense at bay any day of the week. Having a lineup that scores a bunch of runs has been a missing piece so far for the 2025 NL Cy Young winner, getting the third lowest average run support in the majors last year at just 3.16, far below MLB average, and something that will need to change for this bet to hit. Yet he wound up with 10 wins because of his impeccable ERA at 1.97, and holding opponents to the fourth lowest hit total of any pitcher with 180+ innings last year. 

The Pirates have finally invested (slightly) in upgrading their lineup, adding Brandon Lowe, Marcell Ozuna, and Ryan O’Hearn, all of whom have been All-Stars and will help them score more runs. Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds finally get some big league level help in the order, and I love Cruz as a real breakout star this year offensively too. Scoring more runs for Skenes is imperative to their success, and the offense is getting better at the same time it seems the young right-hander is getting better on the mound. Skenes ended last year with just 10 wins, and projects for around 13-14 this year, which would get us within striking distance of the leaders. With one of MLB’s most improved offenses behind him, getting to 15+ wins is well within the potential outcomes. We could be getting the best pitcher in baseball priced as the fourth or fifth option on the odds board. 

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MLB strikeouts leader: Logan Webb (+8000)

When betting this market, you’ll need to get at least a little bit lucky when it comes to the health of the pitchers you’re backing. We have Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet and Skenes at the top of the projected leaderboard here, each above 230 strikeouts. But after that tier, you have a bunch of pitchers in that 200 strikeout range, Logan Webb being one of them. Last year, Webb struck out 224 batters, leading all National League pitchers (including Skenes), but we’re getting odds as if he has absolutely no shot here. I get that regression is expected, but I also recognize Webb’s progression last year, where he adjusted the use of his changeup and cut back on the fastball but used it more in two-strike counts. He’s getting maturing and just pitched for Team USA, racking up 11 strikeouts in 8.2 innings of work. 

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If something were to happen where Skubal and Crochet missed portions of the season, it would open the field up. If you’re trying to fade the top three options, how about the pitcher that’s led the MLB in innings pitched in two of the last three seasons, and recently tweaked his pitch arsenal to hunt more strikeouts? At this price, I can’t pass it up.

Bet on MLB props at FanDuel, where new users can get $300 in bonus bets every day for 10 days: 

MLB saves leader: Daniel Palencia (+2500)

It may be tough to overtake Edwin Diaz for this award with how many wins the Dodgers are projected to rack up this year, but we’re going to try. Daniel Palencia has as much talent as any reliever in baseball, with a fastball that tops 100 mph and a hard slider that has a nearly 40% whiff rate. The Cubs are in line to win the NL Central if all goes to plan and the Brewers don’t come up with another historic effort to overtake them. The Pirates are young and exciting but they lack depth, which should catch up with them over 162 games. The Reds have already been hit with a Hunter Greene injury, so we’ll need to see how they recover, but I’m not sold on the offense or bullpen either. And the Cardinals are already half torn apart as they enter a rebuild. 

In the end, winning just 88 games could take this division and it could get tight if the Brewers play well, so having Palencia to help shorten games will be huge. He wasn’t really used as a closer until late May last year, yet he picked up 22 saves, spanning from May 21 to Sept. 2. Producing 22 saves in just over three months has me excited to see what he can do with full ownership of the ninth inning now. Palencia joins last year’s leader, Carlos Estevez, as my two picks in this market.

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MLB futures odds: Expert offers his World Series best bet, longshot and team to fade for AL, NL

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SportsLine expert Angelo “Amags” Magliocca has looked at the 2026 season from all angles and has his top plays for betting on the World Series champion

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Ryan Blaney bows down to Tyler Reddick amid 23XI drivers’ flying start to 2026 NASCAR campaign: “He just goes faster”

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Tyler Reddick continued his dominant start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series with his fourth win of the season at Darlington, drawing praise from rivals, including Ryan Blaney. The 23XI Racing driver has been the benchmark early in the year, and his latest performance in the Goodyear 400 only reinforced that.

Reddick sits at the top of the NASCAR standings with 325 points. He has led the most laps (189) this season, secured three poles, and hasn’t finished beyond 13th so far. Across track types, the No. 45 Toyota has consistently shown speed that others have struggled to match.

Ryan Blaney, who sits second in the standings, admitted that he has no clear answer to Reddick’s pace advantage. When asked what sets the 23XI driver apart, he said:

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“I don’t know. He just goes faster… I wish I could point something out, but he’s just faster. And Tyler is an amazing racecar driver. Always has been. And they’ve got it going on over there right now. And momentum is a big thing. Once they find something, it’s a big thing. And pair that with a really good team, really good race car driver, you’re going to get this stuff.” (2:55 onwards)

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Tyler Reddick’s Darlington win highlighted that advantage. Despite dealing with an alternator issue in the opening stretch, running without his cooling system, and dropping back after a battery change, he still drove through the field. His pace on long runs allowed him to erase a late deficit and pass Brad Keselowski for the win.

Even within his own team, the performance stood out. Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing, admitted that the No. 45 had an edge in every phase of the corner.

“He was faster on the entry, the middle and the exit. I do not know. I’ll study it and try to learn something from it because clearly they got it figured out,” he said via FOX.

Keselowski, who finished second, pointed to both car performance and execution:

“Tyler is a great driver. You shouldn’t take anything away from that. But they’re clearly up on horsepower and downforce right now, and he’s making that count. So he deserves a lot of credit.”

Ryan Blaney, meanwhile, was one of the big performers of the Goodyear 400 behind Tyler Reddick, turning his own race into a recovery drive to a third-place finish.

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Ryan Blaney recovers from setbacks to secure strong Darlington finish behind Tyler Reddick

Ryan Blaney (12) and Tyler Reddick (12) - NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400. Source: GettyRyan Blaney (12) and Tyler Reddick (12) - NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400. Source: Getty
Ryan Blaney (12) and Tyler Reddick (12) – NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400. Source: Getty

Ryan Blaney’s race was defined by execution swings rather than pace limitations. After starting seventh, he moved early and finished Stage 1 in third, challenging at the front. However, a pit road penalty between stages dropped him deep in the field.

The No. 12 Team Penske responded with steady progress through Stage 2, climbing back to 12th. Another issue on pit road later in the race again shuffled him to the back, but Blaney worked his way forward again.

“I’m proud of us keeping our head down all day and finishing where we did. I thought the 45 (Tyler Reddick) was probably the best guy by a little bit, and then I thought me and the 6 (Brad Keselowski) were pretty kind of close right behind him. I think the three of us were kind of the class of the field, and us three finished top three. So, I was just happy,” he said post race. (onwards)

The result moved Ryan Blaney up to second in the standings with 230 points. The series now heads to Martinsville Speedway, a track where Blaney has historically been strong, while Tyler Reddick is still searching for his first win.