New Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim earned a comparison with Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti after going ahead in the second minute at Ipswich Town.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Amorim in first Man Utd game
Rashford scores in second minute
Manager earns Ancelotti comparison
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
WHAT HAPPENED?
Marcus Rashford got Amorim's United tenure off to a rapid start as he gave the visitors the lead just 80 seconds into the contest at Portman Road on Sunday. Some Red Devils supporters noticed the 39-year-old "didn't even celebrate" at the opener – something the understated Ancelotti frequently does. The Portuguese also became the second manager in Premier League history to see his team score inside the opening two minutes in his first match at the helm, alongside David Moyes with Everton in 2002.
Advertisement
WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING
@UTDTrey wrote on X: "Amorim didn’t even celebrate that goal at all, we have our own Ancelotti bro😭."
@AmorimBalll_ posted a photo with Amad Diallo and Lionel Messi and tweeted: "I don’t make the rules unfortunately."
@LiamPaulCanning commented: "I must say, I’m loving the Amorim era so far."
And @UTD_Pat_ put: "Amorim is the new Ancelotti at Old Trafford. This was his reaction to Rashford’s goal."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Amorim took over at United earlier this month following the sacking of Erik ten Hag in October. His new team are languishing down in the bottom half of the Premier League and desperately need some positive results to kick-charge their season. And a win at Ipswich would be the ideal start.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images Sport
WHAT NEXT?
After the Ipswich game, Amorim's United side host Bodo/Glimt in their next Europa League fixture on Thursday, before entertaining struggling Everton in the Premier League next Sunday.
Their 48-run win is their 15th consecutive T20 victory in the UAE as captain Afghan equalled Dhoni’s record for the most wins in this format
Firdose Moonda19-Mar-2021
Mohammad Nabi goes down the ground•Abu Dhabi Cricket
Afghanistan sealed the T20I series against Zimbabwe, with a match to play, in another authoritative display with both bat and ball. Their 48-run win is their 15th consecutive T20 victory in the UAE and captain Asghar Afghan has equalled MS Dhoni’s record for the most wins in this format.Usman Ghani and Karim Janat’s 102-run second-wicket stand laid the foundation for Afghanistan to post a total close to 200. They fell seven short, but it was still more than enough against a Zimbabwe side that has not come to grips with how to pace a chase. Zimbabwe’s biggest partnership of 62-run between Ryan Burl and Richmond Mutumbami kept them in the game but collapses at the beginning and end of their innings meant they were always behind the game. Zimbabwe slumped to 56 for 5 inside seven overs and then lost four wickets for seven runs in seven balls at the end. They have not won a T20I since October 2019.Lucky No.13 Mohammad Nabi had gone 12 T20Is without a wicket before he bowled Zimbabwean captain Sean Williams, who missed a slog sweep and lost his offstump. The dismissal was celebrated enthusiastically by Afghanistan’s batting coach HD Ackerman but it wasn’t Nabi’s biggest contribution on the day. That came a little earlier with his 40 off 15 balls, and later, when he ended the 62-run stand between Richmond Mutumbami and Ryan Burl that threatened to keep Zimbabwe in the hunt.With the bat, Nabi took Afghanistan’s total from middle to mammoth and was an exhibition of power-hitting. Nabi struck three sixes off legspinner Brandon Mavuta in the 16th over, all over long-on to bring up 24 runs off 7 balls for himself and elevate Afghanistan’s scoring rate over nine runs an over. He hit one more six, off Muzarabani, when the tall seamer missed a yorker before holing out off a slower ball in the penultimate over of Afghanistan’s innings. By then, the stage was set for Asghar Afghan and Rashid Khan to have some fun and they took 18 runs off the last over to take Afghanistan close to 200.Rashid’s records mount The third-highest wicket-taker in T20Is. All because of three wickets in one over that ended Zimbabwe’s hopes of staying in the series. Rashid Khan went for runs – 23 in his first two overs, 21 of them off Burl – but he had the final say once again. Searching for big runs, Burl was caught at deep mid-wicket when he didn’t get hold of the first delivery of Rashid’s third over. Two balls after that, Brandon Mavuta swept to long-on. And three balls later, Donald Tiripano was bowled as he missed the reverse sweep.Rashid Khan poses with a special cap gifted to him on the occasion of his 50th T20I appearance•Abu Dhabi Cricket
Power in the powerplay Left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava’s two overs for three runs in the powerplay kept Afghanistan quiet in the opening period of their innings but with one over of fielding restriction left, Karim Janat decided to up the ante. He took 20 runs off Blessing Muzarabani’s second over including a six down the ground, two cuts that went for four, and upper cut off a short, wide delivery that sailed for six. Janat left Afghanistan one away from fifty runs at the end of the powerplay and had raced to 33 off 18 balls. While Ghani farmed most of the strike in the next six overs, Janat brought up his fifty off 31 balls in the 13th over.The first no-baller no-one wants Tinashe Kamunhukamwe enjoyed Zimbabwe’s best batting return from the first T20I and their worst in this match when he was dismissed off the first ball of the innings. He was hit on the back leg by a Naveen-ul-Haq ball that moved in sharply from outside off stump. Kamunhukamwe cleared his front leg to try and hit it to the leg side but missed and was struck on the knee, as the pad slipped down. Aleem Dar gave it out lbw, although there may be an argument for the ball sliding past leg stump especially as the wicketkeeper was moving that way, but Kamunhukamwe had more to worry about than that. He needed on-field treatment for what will likely be a painful bruise and had to be helped off the field.Decisions in the spotlight Zimbabwe had another batsman who may also have felt aggrieved with the decision made against him. Richmond Mutumbami had reached a run-a-ball 21 when he missed a reverse-sweep and was given out lbw to Nabi, although replays showed he may have been hit outside the line. There is no DRS in this series, but it would have been welcome.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore have signed uncapped New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Finn Allen as a like-for-like replacement for Josh Philippe who will miss the entire IPL 2021 for personal reasons.Allen, who had initially found no takers in the auction last month, had listed his base price at INR 20 lakh – identical to that of Philippe who was snapped up by the Royal Challengers at the IPL 2020 auction. Like Philippe, Allen can open the batting and keep wickets if needed.”The RCB management is disappointed to lose a player of Josh’s calibre for this IPL season, but at the same time we fully understand, respect and support his decision of excluding himself from the tournament,” the franchise said in a statement. “We had to select the next best option from the list of players registered for the IPL auction, at the same base price as Josh (20 lakh). We spent a great amount of time working through that potential list and have selected Finn Allen as a top-order batting replacement.”Allen, the 21-year-old Auckland batsman who had moved to Wellington ahead of this domestic season, had a bumper Super Smash 2020-21, his chart-topping 512 runs at a strike rate of almost 194 powering the Firebirds to the title. All up, Allen clattered 25 sixes in the tournament – the most by any player – and pulled off a variety of trick shots, including an outrageous switch-hit off New Zealand and Northern Knights’ premier spinner Mitchell Santner.Related
Chennai Super Kings fast bowler Josh Hazlewood withdraws from IPL 2021
Watch the ball hard, hit the ball hard: the Finn Allen mantra
Adam Zampa to miss Royal Challengers Bangalore's first game of IPL 2021
Finn Allen gets New Zealand T20I call-up, Adam Milne returns
Finn Allen the breakout star in Super Smash
A day out of the Super Smash final, Allen had no expectations of an IPL call-up although he conceded that featuring in the league would be a bit of a dream come true.”For me, there are no expectations,” Allen had told ESPNcricinfo. “It has kind of always been that way for me – I’m just going out there and enjoying what I am doing. Just trying to win the title for Wellington, and if more than that comes out of it, it would be awesome. Obviously going to the IPL would be pretty amazing – that’s almost my dream for a long time now, so yeah hopefully get lucky and get picked up. But, obviously no expectations, and if it doesn’t happen, there’s always the future.”A day after lifting the Super Smash trophy, Allen made it to the New Zealand T20I squad although only as cover for senior opener Martin Guptill. After Guptill cleared his fitness test, Allen linked up with Wellington again and continued his stellar form with a maiden List A hundred. During his knock of 128 off 59 balls, he drew level with Peter Fulton for the fastest hundred (50 balls) by a New Zealander in the format as Wellington posted 427 for 8 – another New Zealand List A record.
RCB director of cricket Mike Hesson, who had closely followed the New Zealand domestic season, was impressed with Allen’s ball-striking in the Super Smash.”From a New Zealand point of view, once again I’m not so sure about Colin Munro right now,” Hesson had told Ian Smith on in February. “I think he has played a lot of cricket and once again you what he can do. You can bring him in if you need to. Finn Allen is the exciting one, isn’t he? It’s a matter of whether you can fit him in there…often players need to have a breakout season like that just to get their first opportunity before you find out that they’re actually really good.”And New Zealand has done that with (Devon) Conway – obviously he’s been knocking on the door for a long time – and Will Young is another fine player who has had to bide his time. But, if we think back to when Martin Guptill made his debut – he was young and on the back of some really, really good domestic performances to the point where he needed that opportunity. And Finn Allen, for me, there’s no better time to do it. He’s been exceptional at the top of the order and once it’s about who you going to leave out.”At RCB, Allen will now unite with Hesson and Kyle Jamieson, who was signed for INR 15 crore at the auction.Allen’s maiden IPL deal means he could potentially be unavailable for New Zealand’s three-match T20I series at home against Bangladesh, starting on March 28. IPL 2021 is due to begin on April 9, with RCB scheduled to play their league fixtures in Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. The franchise’s pre-season camp is already underway at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have tabled a bid for an impressive teenager as they look to bolster their ranks this summer, it has been reported.
New Premier League season brings questions for Wolves
Gary O'Neil's side kick off the 2024/25 Premier League season with a trip to last season's runners up Arsenal, a game which kicks off a challenging start to the campaign. The Old Gold face Newcastle United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City in their opening eight games, alongside tricky away trips to Nottingham Forest and Brighton in a brutal opening to the season.
Transfer business in the Black Country has been slow too. They have sold club captain Max Kilman to West Ham in a deal worth £40m, but are yet to bring in a replacement for the Englishman, who played every minute of their 2023/24 campaign.
PL Games missed by Max Kilman in the last three seasons
Season
Games Missed
2023-24
0
2022-23
1
2021-22
8
They have made just two permanent signings (plus the confirmation of Tommy Doyle's loan move becoming permanent), adding 18 year old Pedro Lima and 20-year-old Rodrigo Gomes to their ranks alongside a loan move for Norweigian forward Jorgen Strand-Larsen.
Approach made: Wolves move to sign new striker who scored 18 goals in 23/24
He was hailed as “clinical”.
ByCharlie Smith Aug 8, 2024
It means that they head into the final few weeks of the transfer window needing to do business to add depth to their ranks, and they look set to continue down the youthful route as they explore a move for a centre-back.
Wolves target £2k per week teenager
That comes as reports in France claim that Wolves have identified FC Nantes defender Bastien Meupiyou as a potential new addition at Molineux this summer.
As it stands, O'Neil can only call upon Toti Gomes, Craig Dawson, Santiago Beuno and the returning Yerson Mosquera in the heart of his backline, and the Old Gold feel light in that area.
According to French outlet L'Equipe, they have moved to fix that by tabling an offer for Meupiyou, who has impressed at youth level for Nantes and the French national team.
The left-footed centre-back is down to the final 12 months of his £2,000 a week deal in France, and Nantes boss Antoine Kombouaré has made it clear he must be sold this summer if he doesn't pen fresh terms with the Ligue 1 side.
Wolves had one bid turned down but have returned with a fresh 4m euro (£3.3m) bid for the teenager's services recently. However, L'Equipe relay that Nantes turned this down too, and are set to demand 10m euros (£8.5m) for the youngster to leave the club this summer despite his contract situation.
Despite being highly rated, Meupiyou has made just a single Ligue 1 appearance, seeing red nine minutes into his debut against Marseille before a torn meniscus saw him sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Given the circumstances, it seems unlikely that Wolves will stump up anything close to the asking price this summer, especially when he is set to be available for nothing in 12 months' time.
Ipswich Town have made contact over the signing of an "excellent" new target in the summer transfer window, according to a new update from Italy.
Ipswich transfer news
Kieran McKenna's side are close to opening their Premier League account, following two stunning back-to-back promotions from League One and the Championship, with a mouthwatering home clash with Liverpool arriving on August 17th.
Summer signings were always essential, in order for Ipswich to have enough quality to compete in the top flight, and some eye-catching business has been completed. Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves and Liam Delap have all arrived for relatively large fees, coming in from Chelsea, Hull City and Manchester City, respectively, but further signings would be ideal before the window slams shut.
Jacob Greaves in action for Hull City in the Championship.
Sunderland ace Jack Clarke has emerged as an option, having excelled for the Black Cats in recent years, while another Championship star, Sammie Szmodics, has also been linked with a summer move to Portman Road, having outscored everyone in the division for Blackburn Rovers last season.
Another attacking player, Wilson Odobert, is another reported target for Ipswich, as they look to prise him away from Burnley, promising him Premier League football instead of him being back in the Championship with the Clarets. The 19-year-old is a player with so much potential, scoring three goals and registering two assists in the top flight in 2023/24.
Ipswich make contact for "excellent" player
According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Ipswich have made contact over the signing of Napoli midfielder Jean Cajuste this summer. The report does not specify whether contact has been made with the player, the Serie A club or both parties.
The 24-year-old is believed to be "on his way out" of Napoli before the end of this month, with Brentford also battling the Tractor Boys for his services. Leicester City are mentioned, too, while Galatasaray have seen their advances turned down in the past.
Cajuste could feel like a signing of real intent by Ipswich, considering the size of the club he is playing for currently, making 35 appearances for the Serie A giants. He is also a 23-time capped Sweden international, showing that he can play at an extremely high level for an extended period of time now.
The Napoli ace is a former league champion, earning title glory with FC Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga back in the 2019/20 season, and football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed him in the past, saying: "21 years of age. Excellent performance in an extremely important game for Midtjylland. The future of Swedish football."
Imagine him & Szmodics: Ipswich in the running to sign Odobert upgrade
Ipswich Town would terrify Premier League defences if this signing gets over the line.
ByKelan Sarson Aug 5, 2024
That is a big endorsement, and shows how highly-rated Cajuste has been for a number of years now, and he has the ability to make a big difference for Ipswich in the middle of the park from the off, providing McKenna with much-needed quality, experience and depth.
SA were bowled out for 117, but Abhishek Sharma’s blazing knock ensured India won despite a wobble
Sidharth Monga14-Dec-2025India reclaimed the series lead by bowling South Africa out for 117 in seam-friendly conditions in Dharamsala. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, the latter playing in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, who was on leave for personal reasons, set the tone with three early wickets, and the support bowlers never let up. Aiden Markram kept South Africa in the fight with a half-century, but they were at least 20 runs short of what could have been a fighting total, keeping in mind their strong seam attack. Once Abhishek Sharma scored 35 off 18 balls, India could afford a wobble in the rest of the chase.Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube cashed in on the conditions with a wicket each in their first overs, but it was Varun Chakravarthy’s four overs for 11 runs and two wickets that denied South Africa any chance of creeping back into the match. One of his victims was Donovon Ferreira, the only other recognised batter to reach double digits.Arshdeep, Rana lead carnageArshdeep went for 0 for 54 in the last match, bowled an unending over, and was now without Bumrah. His first over was an example of how to bowl if you get that rare pitch that helps you in T20 cricket. He bowled three balls to Reeza Hendricks, all on a similar good length on middle and leg. Two of them seamed away to beat his outside edge, and the third nipped back in to trap him in front.Rana swung the ball late, got some seam movement as well, but his wickets were slightly inexplicable. Quinton de Kock missed a straight and full delivery, and Dewald Brevis dragged on a long wide half volley, making it 7 for 3 in 3.1 overs.Markram and Tristan Stubbs saw through the rest of the powerplay, but Stubbs never looked at home. In his first over, Pandya drew just enough nibble to take Stubbs’ outside edge to make it 30 for 4. Corbin Bosch, one of the three batters dropped in the field, missed the first ball from Dube by a long way: a 124kph length ball that nipped back to hit the top of middle.Varun quells first resurgenceIn the 12th over of the innings, Ferreira hit a Kuldeep wrong’un for a no-look six, the first boundary of the innings by a batter not named Markram. This was the first time India had to deal with two threatening batters. The sixth wicket added 25 runs, but Varun got rid of Ferreira with a wrong’un that he missed by a mile. Varun repeated that dismissal in his next over, this time to a defensive push from Marco Jansen.Aiden Markram’s 61 held South Africa’s crumbling innings together•CREIMASArshdeep limits Markram damageDube had two catches missed off his bowling. While Ferreira couldn’t cause much damage, Markram went on to punish Rana in the 18th over, thus bringing up his fifty and taking South Africa past 100. It was all on Markram’s bat now to take South Africa to 140, a total they could have been competitive with. However, he ended up edging a slot ball from Arshdeep in the 19th over, leaving Kuldeep two tailend wickets to feast on in the last over.Abhishek kills the chaseSwivelling inside the line of the first ball and pulling Lungi Ngidi over fine leg for a six, Abhishek set the tone for the chase. He charged at Ngidi for a four in the same over, and went one better with a six off Jansen in the next. When Abhishek hit Ottneil Baartman for a six in the fifth over, he brought up India’s fifty and went to 44 sixes in the first six overs of T20I innings, level with KL Rahul, who did so in more than twice than the matches. Rohit Sharma is the only Indian with more sixes in the first six overs.The low target allowed Abhishek’s opening partner Shubman Gill time to play himself in, but neither he nor Tilak Varma ever looked set with plenty of seam movement available. Suryakumar Yadav hit two fours, but managed only 12 off 11 balls. When Abhishek was at the wicket, 60 runs came in 5.2 overs; the rest of the match featured 177 in 30.3 overs. Twenty more runs for South Africa, and/or an early departure for Abhishek could have made this a much closer affair.
Wolverhampton Wanderers will hope that their 2024/25 campaign can be even better than the performances they put in during last season. Ahead of 2023/24, many people thought the Midlands side could face the drop, including BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty. He explained he had a ‘very, very worrying feeling’ about them last term.
However, they defied McNulty and many other people’s expectations and managed to finish 14th in the Premier League, ending up with 46 points, which saw them finish an impressive 20 points clear of Luton Town who occupied the final spot in the relegation zone.
Wolves striker Matheus Cunha
However, they did slightly overachieve on their expected points tally, according to Understat. The midlands side were expected to get just 39.79xPTS, which would have seen them finish 17th according to the expected points table, although they would still have finished a comfortable six points clear of the danger zone.
As they look to push further up the table in the 2024/25 season, Wolves will no doubt need to strengthen their side and add quality depth to their squad. They have already made some moves in the transfer window, but have been linked with another player who could finally replace a club cult hero.
Wolves' search for a striker
The player in question here is Middlesbrough and Ivorian centre-forward, Emmanuel Latte Lath. The 25-year-old impressed in his only season in England so far, and has now been linked with a move away from the Riverside Stadium during the transfer window.
As reported by Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato earlier this week, Wolves are one of the clubs who are thought to be interested in signing Latte Lath this summer. The 25-year-old has been subject to interest from the Midlands side, with the reports suggesting there have been ‘various surveys’ done on the player and his availability.
However, they are not alone in the hunt for the Ivorian international this summer. Austrian outfit RB Salzburg is one potential destination, as is German side Stuttgart. However, it is Ligue 1 side AS Monaco who are leading the race to acquire the services of Latte Lath this summer.
In terms of a price, it is thought that Boro could charge over £8.5m for the 25-year-old Ivorian after he impressed last season. That would see the North Eastern outfit make a small profit after they paid a fee of around £5.1m to Atalanta.
Why Latte Lath would be a good signing
It was certainly an impressive season for Latte Lath in the Championship last term. During his first season in England, the Cote d’Ivoire international played 30 Championship games and got himself on the score sheet an impressive 16 times.
Should he make the move to Molineux this summer, he could finally prove to be a replacement for Wolves legend Raul Jimenez. The Mexican was superb for the Midlands club during his time there before a terrible head injury led to a long time out with injury.
He departed the club for West London and Fulham last season, but he had an exemplary record for Wolves and left as their leading goalscorer in the Premier League, with 40 goals in total.
Jimenez record by PL season for Wolves
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2018/19
38
13
7
2019/20
38
17
6
2020/21
10
4
0
2021/22
34
6
4
2022/23
15
0
1
Stats from Transfermarkt
Indeed, Latte Lath has shown such goalscoring pedigree already, having scored more goals than any other Boro player last season. In fact, the 25-year-old centre-forward was one of only two players to reach double figures in the second tier of English football, with Finn Azaz the other, scoring 11 times, as per SofaScore.
Jorgen Strand Larsen for Celta Vigo.
It would certainly be interesting to see how Wolves would utilise Latte Lath with Jorgen Strand Larsen. The 24-year-old Norweigan international signed for the club on loan which could become permanent at the end of the season.
Of course, having squad depth is important, although Gary O’Neil could well prefer to play one striker, as he did at times last season. Therefore, it would be a straight shootout between the 25-year-old and new acquisition Larsen, although given Latte Lath’s form in the Championship last season, he could well get the nod. Football analyst HC described the Ivorian as "the real deal", and this certainly shows based on his performances last season.
Regardless, for a deal of around £8.5m this summer, it could be an ideal option for the Molineux side, as they look to add depth up front and finally replace one of their all-time great players, Jimenez.
Wolves could land a dream signing for Cunha in "superstar" target
Gary O’Neil could land a Colombian sensation this summer…
أعلن نادي برشلونة بشكل رسمي، تمديد تعاقده مع لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، اليوم الخميس، بعدما توصل النادي الكتالوني إلى اتفاق سابق مع لاعبه.
ويحتل برشلونة المركز الثالث في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 39 نقطة، ويتواجد الفريق أيضاً في المركز الثاني برصيد 18 نقطة بترتيب دوري أبطال أوروبا.
اقرأ أيضاَ.. مدرب بنفيكا يُحمل التحكيم مسؤولية الهزيمة أمام برشلونة
وكشف نادي برشلونة في بيان رسمي عن توقيع مدافع الفريق الأول، رونالد أراوخو، على عقد جديد مع النادي الإسباني حتى موسم 2031، مساءً اليوم.
Ronald Araujo renews contract with FC Barcelona until 2031! 💙❤️ — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 23, 2025
ووقع المدافع الأوروجواياني على العقد يوم الخميس الماضي في حفل حضره رئيس النادي خوان لابورتا، والنائب الأول للرئيس رافائيل يوستي، والمدير الرياضي للفريق ديكو.
وانضم أراوخو إلى نادي برشلونة في صيف عام 2018 قادماً من بوسطن ريفر، مونتيفيديو، ليبدأ مسيرته مع فريق برشلونة ب، ولكنه ظهر لأول مرة رسميًا مع الفريق الأول في 6 أكتوبر 2019 في مباراة إشبيلية.
وخاض أراوخو 154 مباراة مع الفريق الأول، وسجل ثمانية أهداف وصنع ستة أهداف طوال مشواره مع برشلونة.
Jose Mourinho has refuted rumours of Cristiano Ronaldo joining him at Fenerbahce in Turkey next season.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Mourinho rubbishes Ronaldo reunion reportsInvited CR7 for meal in TurkeyVeteran forward nearing end of Al-Nassr dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
A report emerged on Saturday that Fenerbahce boss Mourinho had called Ronaldo, his former star player at Real Madrid, and urged him to join the Turkish Super Lig club next summer. Per , the veteran manager told the Al-Nassr star, "Are you happy there? It’s being rumoured that you want to leave. If you go, would you like to come to Fenerbahce?"
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
On Sunday, however, the ex-Manchester United boss refuted the report, terming it as 'ridiculous' as he stated that he would love to catch up with his compatriot in Istanbul, although just to share a meal. The 39-year-old is currently in the final year of his contract, but he is expected to sign a new deal with the Saudi giants soon as he wants to continue playing beyond the 2024-25 campaign.
WHAT JOSE MOURINHO SAID
Speaking to reporters about the possibility of his reunion with Ronaldo, Mourinho said, "News about Cristiano Ronaldo to Fenerbahce are ridiculous. Cristiano might come to Istanbul to eat because it's right in the middle of the road between Saudi and Portugal. Or maybe he'll come see his old friend Jose, we can eat at my hotel!"
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO?
The Portugal captain will be back in action for Al-Nassr on Monday as the Saudi Pro League side take on Al-Gharafa in an AFC Champions League clash away from home.
Everton might be embroiled in an alarming ownership (or lack thereof) situation that places the club's future in uncertainty, but Sean Dyche is hard at work as he musters his troops ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
It would seem that avoiding relegation from the Premier League would be the primary objective, but the Toffees have showcased resilience and robustness under their gritty manager, finishing 15th last term despite being hit with an eight-point deduction for financial breaches.
10th
Crystal Palace
-1
49
11th
Brighton & Hove Albion
-7
48
12th
Everton
-11
48
13th
Bournemouth
-13
48
14th
Fulham
-6
47
They are also displaying a willingness to improve. Iliman Ndiaye and Tim Iroegbunam have been welcomed to the fold, while Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Napoli winger Jesper Lindstrom is currently in the process of completing a loan move with a £19m buy option inserted.
A host of players have been sold, notably Amadou Onana to Aston Villa in a £50m deal, but long-serving defender Ben Godfrey is also among the departees, having joined Atalanta in Serie A for a £10m fee.
Everton's Ben Godfrey
Everton hope that Jarrad Branthwaite remains at Goodison Park for the 2024/25 season despite the vested interest of Manchester United, but a new face is needed at the rear, and Dyche is hoping to make a signing.
Everton want new defender
According to Foot Mercato over in France, there's a lot of excitement bubbling around Lyon centre-back Jake O'Brien, with Everton and Brentford tussling for his signature. O'Brien, 23, is also attracting interest from West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Lyon defender Jake O'Brien
Brentford have the lead, holding talks with the Ligue 1 side to discuss the possibility of a transfer, but the Toffees are expected to accelerate their interest if Thomas Frank's side ramp it up a gear.
What's so good about Jake O'Brien
Standing at a lofty 6 foot 6, O'Brien has gone from strength to strength in France, joining from Crystal Palace last summer after never making a senior appearance for the Eagles.
Jake O'Brien for Lyon.
The Republic of Ireland international failed to enter the field of play over Lyon's opening five Ligue 1 matches last season, though started 27 times henceforth, missing out only once due to a one-match suspension.
Remarkably, it was his first taste of sustained top-flight action after loan spells at Swindon Town and RWD Molenbeek (second-flight Belgian side) in recent years. Still, across all competitions, O'Brien demonstrated his brilliant attacking sense by notching five goals.
Not just a goalscorer from deep, O'Brien also completed 88% of his passes in the French top flight, won 61% of his duels and averaged 4.7 ball recoveries and 3.6 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.
He's got what it takes to be a complete-performing centre-half in the Premier League, but his attacking ability is hard to ignore, ranking among the 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored and the top 10% for assists per 90, as per FBref. No wonder he's been dubbed a "revelation" by writer Zach Lowy…
With such impressive aerial qualities and an innate attacking instinct, O'Brien could be the perfect addition to an already-imposing Toffees backline, with his height and aptitude in the final third making him the dream partner for Dwight McNeil, whose set-piece delivery is something to behold.
Why O'Brien would be perfect for McNeil
McNeil, principally a left winger, joined Everton from Burnley for a £20m fee following the Clarets' relegation from the Premier League in 2022, since clinching ten goals and ten assists apiece over 80 appearances.
Everton winger Dwight McNeil
Last season, his ball-playing quality was on full show, averaging two key passes and 1.9 crosses per outing, creating 17 big chances for his teammates.
That's a pretty special number of created chances, speaking highly of his creative acumen and what it brings to Dyche's outfit, adept at utilising its bulk to impose itself on opponents and pressing for goals.
1.
Mohamed Salah
22
2.
Kevin De Bruyne
21
2.
Bruno Fernandes
21
4.
Heung-min Son
20
5.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
17
5.
Cole Palmer
17
5.
Dwight McNeil
17
5.
Martin Odegaard
17
As you can see, McNeil's up against some knockout names right there. Journalist Joe Thomas has praised him for his "magic" talents in the past, while Dyche has been particularly vocal in his effusions.
The manager said: “He’s a really good player, he’s improving, his calmness at the end – I’m saying get it in the corner – but he cuts in, and his calmness to cross it into a dangerous area, and then gets his reward. Before then, his calmness to dribble out of trouble – he’s a really good player, really good, and he can only mature.”
After all, ranking among the top 9% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating action and the top 13% for progressive carries per 90, his workrate is clear and so too is his drive to improve his team. His skill as a creator would certainly prove to be a happy marriage as far as O'Brien is concerned, with the defender so devastating as an aerial threat.
Indeed, signing O'Brien would add another string to Everton's bow, increasing the depth and dynamism at a crucial point in the club's history.
Everton manager Sean Dyche
The Merseysiders were reported to be considering a bid totalling around £17m earlier in the summer, so it wouldn't be out of the question to imagine that the club have the funds to get the deal done – especially after selling Onana for such a sizeable figure.
The road ahead might look to be fraught with peril, but Everton have proved themselves resilient and determined under Dyche's management, and the forthcoming season might just prove to hatch a sense of optimism.
Imagine him & Lindstrom: Everton make contact to sign £72k-p/w sensation
The attacker has huge experience playing all over Europe.