Manchester United are in the market for several midfielders with a golden transfer opportunity emerging after the Championship play-off final

Manchester United look to have been handed a major Hayden Hackney transfer boost after Middlesbrough’s Championship play-off final defeat. The 23-year-old has been linked to an Old Trafford switch in recent months and the chances of a reunion with Michael Carrick now only look to have increased.

Boro went into the Wembley showpiece as favourites but a stoppage-time Oli McBurnie goal sealed Hull City’s place in the Premier League for next season. Hackney played the final 20 minutes after missing the last two months with a calf injury, but he was unable to make a lasting impact.

With Middlesbrough set to remain in the Championship, which will see them miss out on roughly £200million from promotion, Hackney staying at Riverside Stadium for the 2026/27 season seems highly unlikely. Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest have also been linked to the midfielder.

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Links to Old Trafford have been concrete in recent months with The Athletic stating he is well-liked by United and Carrick. He is also also been considered a player with huge potential for some time.

Carrick will likely be the man leading any pursuit for Hackney having spent nearly three years with him at Middlesbrough. The 44-year-old was sacked from that role last June and started his temporary job with United six months later.

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A hugely successful interim spell has seen him the club’s become permanent head coach and he is now entering his first full transfer window in charge.

Hackney is one of many midfielders that could join though Boro boss Kim Hellberg admitted earlier this year he is hopeful the club’s captain will stay.

He told BBC Radio Tees back in January: “He’s very important, of course. He’s a top player and person. In every aspect of the game he’s s good, defensively and offensively.

“I like him very much and if I had to decide I would say he’s not for sale, but it will not come down to me. I think he wants to stay here. You can see him being very happy with how it works, so hopefully he’s with us this year and further on.”

Brazilian Ederson is another central midfield option with links to the Atalanta star increasing after he missed their Serie A final day clash against Fiorentina due to being in advanced talks to join a top European club, as confirmed by the club’s head coach Raffaele Palladino.

Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba and Sandro Tonali are just a few others linked to United.

The latter also has interest from Manchester City but reports in Italy have claimed he would prefer a move to Carrick’s side.

Bruno Fernandes has been crowned the Premier League Player of the Season after an outstanding campaign for Manchester United. The Portuguese midfielder added another major individual honour to his collection after previously being named the Football Writers’ Association Men’s Player of the Year earlier this month.

Fernandes shines with goals and assists

Fernandes played a crucial role in Manchester United’s successful league campaign, helping the club secure a third-place finish and qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League. The United captain scored eight league goals and produced 20 assists in 37 appearances.

His latest assist came against Nottingham Forest last weekend, allowing him to equal the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season.

First Manchester United winner since Nemanja Vidic

Fernandes becomes the first Manchester United player to win the Premier League Player of the Season award since Nemanja Vidic claimed the honour in 2011.

The award winner was selected through a combination of public voting and votes from a panel of football experts.

Other nominees included David Raya, Gabriel Magalhães, Declan Rice, Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, Igor Thiago and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Coaching staff extend stay at Old Trafford

Meanwhile, several members of Manchester United’s coaching setup have signed new two-year contracts. Steve Holland, Jonny Evans, Jonathan Woodgate, Travis Binnion and Craig Mawson will continue working under manager Michael Carrick.

Carrick himself recently signed a permanent two-year deal after initially taking charge on an interim basis following the departure of Ruben Amorim in January.

Chicago Cubs star Nico Hoerner did his best basketball impression, throwing the baseball between his legs to make a sensational play on a bunt.

In the top of the fifth inning of the Cubs’ 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon at Wrigley Field, Hoerner showed his defensive prowess. Astros catcher César Salazar tried to jump on Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea and open the inning with a bunt single on Rea’s first pitch of the frame.

Hoerner, a two-time Gold Glove winner, charged on Salazar’s bunt. Salazar runs well, which left Hoerner’s options limited after he picked up the ball with his bare hand.

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Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs makes a play at second base during a game against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field in Chicago on May 22, 2026. (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)

They say necessity is the mother of invention.

The 29-year-old, all in one motion, dragged his right leg behind him, creating an opening for him to throw the ball between his legs to first base, despite all of his momentum coming toward home plate. First baseman Michael Busch finished the play by reaching out and snaring Hoerner’s dazzling throw to complete the highlight and nab the speedy Salazar for the out.

Hoerner’s through-the-legs throw conjured up memories of New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon and Chicago White Sox Mark Buehrle, who both made plays of a similar ilk.

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Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner runs onto the field before a game against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill., on May 22, 2026. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Imagn Images)

Colon fielded Miami Marlins first baseman Justin Bour’s weak dribbler on the first-base line and casually flipped the ball behind his back to complete the out.

Buehrle got drilled in the foot by a comebacker and the ball ricocheted into foul territory on the first-base side. He hustled over and flipped the ball with his glove through his legs to complete the out.

Like Colon and Buehrle, Hoerner’s fantastic play will be shown on highlight reels for a long time.

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Nico Hoerner of the Chicago Cubs makes a play at second base during a game against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Ill., on May 22, 2026. (Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images)

Unfortunately for the Cubs, Hoerner’s standout play was one of their few highlights in their loss to the Astros.

The Cubs (29-23) will look to bounce back when they play the Astros (22-31) in the final game of a three-game series on Sunday at 2:20 p.m. ET and hope to avoid the sweep.

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York: Dagger; Galeano, Wood, Mata’afa, Nofoaluma; Roberts, Hunter, Martin, Inman, Vuniyayawa, Buchanan, Field, McShane.

Interchanges: Balmforth, Va’a, Hudson, Hingano.

Catalans: Staines; Russell, Laguerre, Faataape, Cotric; Sexton, Aispuro-Bichet; Allen, Tison, Navarrete, Lipowicz, Maria, Garcia.

Interchanges: Satae, Condon, Wilson, Lis.

Referee: Matty Lynn

Ruben Amorim was keen to revive a Manchester United star’s career for him to be picked for England at this summer’s World Cup, but that has failed to materialise

Former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim had aspired to be the manager who propelled Mason Mount back into England contention – but Friday’s World Cup squad announcement confirmed his attempts had been unsuccessful. The ex-Chelsea midfielder had become an important figure for the Portuguese tactician during his troubled tenure at Old Trafford, though following his dismissal, he struggled to establish himself.

The Reds secured Champions League qualification comfortably thanks to the transformation overseen by caretaker boss Michael Carrick. The former midfielder has subsequently been handed a new two-year contract as recognition for his temporary stint at United.

On Friday, Thomas Tuchel revealed his 26-man selection for the upcoming tournament taking place across North America.

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The England manager faced scrutiny over certain inclusions and omissions, while Mount was left out altogether, with his most recent Three Lions outing occurring four years previously during the previous World Cup.

It had been reported earlier that Amorim intended to do whatever possible to enable Mount to thrive and press his case for England selection.

The 27-year-old demonstrated adaptability at United under the former Sporting manager and was regarded by Amorim as a ‘super talent’ and among the most underappreciated English players, as per The Sun.

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Speaking in December following United’s 4-1 victory over Wolves, Amorim praised Mount. He said: “I think, once again, after we scored a goal we were a little bit sloppy on the ball and that gave a little bit of hope to the opponent.

“But we created a lot of chances in the first half also. We should have finished that half in the different way and then in the half-time they understood that we have everything to win the game, to win three points. And they did that.

“I think the pace, the quality that we showed in the second half, understanding that the moment of Wolves is really hard as a team, as a club, so we took advantage of that.”

Mount featured in just six matches during Carrick’s caretaker period, totalling 126 minutes, with his sole full appearance coming in the scoreless draw against Sunderland.

The England midfielder will need to utilise his adaptability to slot into Carrick’s tactical setup, with Carrick choosing not to deploy two number 10s, a position where Mount had previously thrived.

An injury in February ruled him out of six fixtures, and the limited game time for Mount afterwards was a cautious approach as the club worked to restore him to peak condition.

Carrick said last month: “It’s great to have Mason back, to miss him so quickly after we came in and came together.

“So, he’s obviously had what, nearly two, three weeks of building up and finding his rhythm, finding his sharpness. So yeah, it’s great to have him back.”

Complete viewing information for Saturday Night’s Main Event in Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Saturday 23rd May is shaping up to be one of the biggest live sports days of the year, with a packed schedule featuring the Champions Cup Final, All-Ireland football clashes, the Women’s Champions League Final, Formula One qualifying, boxing, golf and horse racing.

Irish sports fans will have wall-to-wall coverage from midday right through to late-night boxing, with Leinster’s huge showdown against Bordeaux expected to dominate the afternoon viewing figures.

Leinster Face Bordeaux in Massive Champions Cup Final

The standout fixture of the day sees Leinster take on Bordeaux in the Champions Cup Final at 2:45pm live on Premier Sport 1.

Leinster are chasing another European title, but they face a dangerous Bordeaux side packed with attacking quality. With temperatures expected to be extremely high in Bilbao, conditions could play a major role in determining the outcome.

The game is one of the most anticipated rugby finals in recent years and is expected to attract massive Irish television audiences.

Huge Day for GAA Fans

GAA supporters are spoiled for choice across the afternoon and evening schedule.

The action begins at 12pm with two Ulster Minor Football Championship clashes as Derry face Donegal and Tyrone take on Cavan live on TG4 YouTube.

At 1pm, Dublin meet Clare in the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship before Cork take on Wexford at 3pm.

The senior football championship also takes centre stage with Kerry against Donegal at 3pm on GAA+, followed by Cork versus Meath at 5:30pm.

The headline evening fixture sees Galway host Kildare at 7:30pm live on RTÉ in what promises to be a major test for Pádraic Joyce’s side following their Connacht Final defeat to Roscommon.

Women’s Champions League Final Takes Centre Stage

Football fans can also look forward to the Women’s Champions League Final at 5pm as Barcelona face OL Lyonnais live on RTÉ2.

Barcelona continue to dominate European women’s football, but Lyon remain one of the biggest names in the competition’s history.

Earlier in the afternoon, Celtic face Dunfermline in the SPL Cup Final at 3pm, while Bayern Munich meet Stuttgart in the German Cup Final at 7pm.

Galway United’s Women’s LOI clash against Athlone Town at 7:45pm on TG4 also adds to a strong evening football schedule.

Formula One, Golf and Boxing Also on the Schedule

Motor racing fans can tune into Canadian Grand Prix qualifying at 4pm on Sky Sports F1.

Golf viewers have two major options with the Soudal Open at 12:30pm and The CJ Cup Byron Nelson at 5pm, both on Sky Sports Golf.

Horse racing fans will also be focused on The Curragh at 1:45pm, featuring the prestigious 2000 Guineas live on RTÉ2.

The sporting day concludes with heavyweight boxing action at 10pm as Oleksandr Usyk faces Verhoeven live on DAZN.

Full Saturday 23rd May Live Sports Schedule

• 12pm — Derry v Donegal (Ulster MFC)
• 12pm — Tyrone v Cavan (Ulster MFC)
• 12:30pm — Soudal Open
• 1pm — Dublin v Clare (All-Ireland MHC)
• 1:45pm — Racing from The Curragh – 2000 Guineas
• 2:45pm — Leinster v Bordeaux (Champions Cup Final)
• 3pm — Cork v Wexford (All-Ireland MHC)
• 3pm — Kerry v Donegal (All-Ireland SFC)
• 3pm — Celtic v Dunfermline (SPL Cup Final)
• 3:30pm — Hull v Middlesbrough (EFL Championship)
• 4pm — Canadian GP Qualifying
• 5pm — Barcelona v OL Lyonnais (Women’s Champions League Final)
• 5pm — The CJ Cup Byron Nelson
• 5:30pm — Cork v Meath (All-Ireland SFC)
• 7pm — Bayern Munich v Stuttgart (German Cup Final)
• 7:30pm — Galway v Kildare (All-Ireland SFC)
• 7:45pm — Galway United v Athlone Town (Women’s LOI)
• 9:30pm — The Saturday Game
• 10pm — Usyk v Verhoeven

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