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There will no doubt be those of a Manchester United persuasion wishing for the club’s AFCON stars to endure a swift exit from the competition, with Ruben Amorim’s side left looking depleted without Bryan Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui and Amad to call upon.

Unfortunately, that trio are simply too good to be part of a tournament disaster, with Amad, in particular, already leading the charge for the Ivory Coast.

Indeed, the 23-year-old has netted a goal apiece in his side’s opening two games, the second of which saw him curl home in stunning fashion in the 1-1 draw with Mbeumo’s Cameroon last time out.

That remarkable solo strike has yet again highlighted the winger’s rise from teen wonderkid to genuine world-beater, with United having reaped the rewards following their initial £19m investment in a little-known 18-year-old back in 2020.

Perhaps, if reports are to be believed, INEOS can now repeat the trick heading into 2026.

Man Utd among frontrunners to sign the next Amad

Signed initially in October 2020, before actually arriving in Manchester a few months later, Amad has had to bide his time at Old Trafford, powering through loan spells at Rangers and Sunderland, alongside having to fight his way through a peripheral role under Erik ten Hag.

Since Amorim’s appointment just over a year ago, however, the diminutive left-footer has been a man on the charge, racking up 21 goals and assists in just 43 games under Portuguese’s watch.

With the ex-Atalanta starlet a nailed-on fixture on the right flank, be it as a number ten, out-and-out winger or a wing-back, United were believed to be looking for a similar figure on the opposite side, albeit while seemingly missing out on Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

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Alternatives appear to be being considered, however, with Caught Offside reporting that the Red Devils – and Arsenal – are among the clubs to have made ‘initial checks’ over Hoffenheim teenager, Bazoumana Toure.

As per the report, the two Premier League rivals are set to be at the ‘front of the queue’ for the 19-year-old’s signature, albeit with a summer move seemingly more likely than a mid-season switch.

The Bundesliga side are not looking to sanction a sale next month, although they appear to have placed a valuation of around €45m (£39m) on his head.

Why Toure could be Man Utd's next Amad

Currently part of Ivory Coast’s AFCON squad, the one-cap international could well be linking up with Amad at club level too if United are to firm up their interest, with Toure’s recent form in Germany highlighting just why he’d be worth the gamble.

Comfortable on either flank, albeit while typically operating off the left, the teenager has been hailed as “one of the most exciting young wingers in European football” by journalist Bence Bocsak, who also likened him to a “young Sadio Mane”.

Such praise is no doubt justified considering his impact in the Bundesliga in 2025, racking up ten goals and assists in just 29 games for his new club, since arriving from Hammerby earlier this year.

That includes a return of two goals and five assists already in 14 league games this season, with only five players in the division having bettered that tally of assists in Germany’s top tier, as per Transfermarkt.

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A left-footer, like Amad, the likeness to his compatriot can also be seen in his remarkable pace and relentless work ethic, all traits which have been highlighted by the Bundesliga official website:

Also an innate ball carrier, the teenager – who scored nine times in just 23 games back in Sweden – notably ranks in the top 12% of Bundesliga wingers for progressive carries (4.57 per 90), as per FBref, as well as in the top 10% for successful take-ons (1.99).

Toure vs Amad – 25/26 League stats

Stat (*per game)

Toure

Amad

Games

14

15

Starts

14

14

Goals

2

2

Assists

5

2

Big chances created

4

4

Key passes*

1.4

1.9

Pass accuracy*

76%

87%

Successful dribbles*

1.7

1.4

Balls recovered*

4.6

4.0

Stats via Sofascore

For comparison, in the Premier League, Amad has averaged 5.37 and 1.57 for those same two metrics, respectively, having proven to be such a dribbling menace in his own right under Amorim.

The beauty of Toure too is that his defensive work ensures he could also slot into a wing-back berth if required, having also ranked in the top 2% for aerial duels won per 90 this season.

The prospect of having the explosive talent on one side, with Amad on the other, is certainly a mouthwatering one for those back in Manchester, with all the signings pointing to the Hoffenheim man being worth the £39m investment.

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One of many battles Muttiah Muralitharan and Brian Lara would have © Getty Images

1993-94 in Sri Lanka
The entire tour was wrecked by the weather and the inaugural Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies turned into a damp squib of the wettest proportions. No play was possible on the last two days – although that was due largely to poor covering and drainage – with barely enough time to complete two innings. West Indies’ seamers dismissed Sri Lanka for 190 but they could only manage a slender lead as Muttiah Muralitharan took 4 for 47, including Brian Lara for 18 – the first of many battles the two would have over coming years.
Tests Sri Lanka 0 West Indies 0 Drawn 1
ODIs Sri Lanka 1 West Indies 1 (one no result)1996-97 in West Indies
Sri Lanka’s first visit to the Caribbean may only have been a two-Test series but it did not want for action. Wickets tumbled throughout, with Lara registering the only century – 115 – as the bowlers dominated. Curtly Ambrose took eight in the first Test in Antigua and although West Indies conceded a first-innings lead of 34 Sri Lanka couldn’t capitalise. Sherwin Campbell and Stuart Williams added 160 as West Indies eased to a six-wicket win. In the second Test Ravindra Pushpakumara skittled West Indies for 147 before Lara’s second-innings ton set Sri Lanka 269. At 189 for 3 they were on course, but a combination of rain and Courtney Walsh left them relieved to leave with a draw as they ended eight down.
Tests: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 02001-02 in Sri Lanka
This was Lara’s series – but it wasn’t. He scored 688 runs in the three Tests and yet West Indies were still whitewashed. His contests with Muralitharan will be the abiding memory as he made scores of 178, 40, 74, 45, 221 and 130. Twice West Indies were in a commanding position with the bat – with Lara in full flow – only to hand the advantage back to Sri Lanka. At Galle they were 393 for 3 and at Colombo 347 for 3 only to see the rest of the order subside. However, it wasn’t always Muralitharan doing the damage and he was even overtaken as the leading wicket-taker by Chaminda Vaas with 26. Vaas took 14 for 191 at Colombo,only Muralitharan had taken more in a Test for Sri Lanka, and their batting ensured that even replying to totals over 400 was not a problem. Hashan Tillekeratne filled his boots – and even outshone Lara by averaging 403, albeit with three not outs – although their only other century came from Kumar Sangakkara. West Indies’ bowlers were hapless, unable to take wickets or even maintain a semblance of control.
Tests: Sri Lanka 3 West Indies 0

Muralitharan destroyed West Indies in 2004-05 © Getty Images

2003 in West Indies
West Indies gained a measure of revenge for their mauling in Sri Lanka the previous year, with Lara again leading the way. However, this time, he had the support of a more penetrative bowling attack helped by the return to fitness of Corey Collymore and the emergence of Fidel Edwards and his sling-shot action. The first Test in St Vincent petered out into a draw as heavy rain lashed the area. Lara and Muralitharan, though, had enough time for the next installment of their head-to-head battle. Again Lara came out on top in the personal stakes with 209 although Muralitharan did pick up 5 for 138. The series was decided by two fiery bursts of West Indian pace bowling at Jamaica. Edwards shocked the Sri Lankan batsmen with a five-wicket haul on debut before Collymore demolished their second innings with 7 for 57. Sri Lanka unearthed a talent of of their own in Prabath Nissanka, who claimed a maiden five-wicket haul, but Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lara guided West Indies home. Sri Lanka won the one-day series, which preceded the Tests, including a successful chase of 313 in Barbados.
Tests: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 0
ODIs: West Indies 1 Sri Lanka 22004-05 in Sri Lanka
Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s unhappy tenure as captain continued in Sri Lanka, leading a West Indies side of hasbeens and wannabes due to yet another contractual crisis with the board. Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin all made their debuts as West Indies were bundled out for 285 in the first innings of the first Test. Surprisingly, they tore through Sri Lanka to dismiss them for 227…but the threat of Muralitharan was never far away and he decimated them for 113 in the second innings, picking up 6 for 36. It was a similar story of dashed hope in the second Test at Kandy. Darren Powell grabbed 5 for 25, bowling Sri Lanka out for just 150 but West Indies could only respond with 148. Kumar Sangakkara then batted West Indies out of the game with a fine 157, before Muralitharan mopped up a hapless West Indies with 8 for 46 in 16.2 overs of mayhem to record a 2-0 series trouncing.
Sri Lanka 2 West Indies 0

‘He [Sehwag] hasn’t done as badly in Test cricket as people makeout or believe’ © Getty Images

After the unexpected victory at the Wanderers, India head into this DurbanTest full of confidence, but Rahul Dravid was all too aware that therecould be no hint of complacency given South Africa’s formidable record atKingsmead. Having announced the 12 for the game, he spoke at length onkeeping faith in the opening combination and the decision to send IrfanPathan back home.”We’re under no illusion that South Africa are going to come hard at us,”he said, before India had one final tune-up in hot and humid conditions.”Obviously they’re very disappointed with what happened in Jo’burg. We’vejust got to play good cricket like we’ve shown we can, fight really hardand do the basics well. If we accomplish the targets that we’ve setourselves in batting, bowling, then it’s going to be a good Test match. Incritical situations, we played some good cricket, whether it was with thebat or the ball. There’s no sense of complacency.”While South Africa arrived in Durban only on Saturday, the Indians playedan unscheduled tour game against a KwaZulu-Natal Invitation XI, with thebatsmen getting more time in the middle and Munaf Patel an opportunity toprove his fitness ahead of the Test match. “It looks a good wicket,” saidDravid, after having scrutinised the dark-brown strip prepared atKingsmead. “It’s got some small cracks. It’ll be interesting to see how itunfolds. A lot depends on the weather. If there’s a lot of sunshine andheat over the next few days, then it [the cracks] may become a factor onthe fourth and fifth day. But if it’s like Jo’burg – drizzle and rain witha lot of moisture in the air – then it might not be a factor.”Munaf’s inclusion is a calculated gamble, given that his lastinternational outing was at this very ground more than a month ago. “Hepulled through well after the eight overs he bowled the day beforeyesterday,” said Dravid. “He came and practiced yesterday and bowled a fewovers. We’ll take a decision tomorrow morning based on how he feels, howconfident he is, and whether he can last the course of the Test match.”The decision could also be influenced by what happened to Dale Steyn atthe Wanderers, with the recurrence of a quadriceps strain forcing him offafter just 10.1 overs.With India having struggled to get half-decent starts on the tour, severalquestions focussed on the retention of Wasim Jaffer, whose eight inningson this tour have produced just 30 runs. “Wasim is a proven performer forus,” said Dravid, after Gautam Gambhir was left out of the 12. “Only threeor four matches back, he got a double-hundred for us in difficultconditions in Antigua. He’s not had the best of tours, but his recent Testrecord is very good.”He’s got runs behind him in domestic cricket and we have to give him asmany opportunities as we can. He’s working really hard in the nets, andseems pretty keen and focused. I think this will probably be the matchwhich will turn it around, turn his series around. I won’t give up onWasim that quickly.”Asked what factors had been considered while picking the 12, Dravid said:”We have a lot of faith and confidence in Wasim and Viru [Sehwag], and wehope that they’ll give us the sort of starts that we know they can.Getting off to a good start in the first 25 or 30 overs against thisKookaburra ball is quite critical. If we can get through that period withminimum damage, then we have the kind of middle order that can really putpressure.”Like Jaffer, Sehwag too has found runs hard to come by on the tour, andhis Test record over the past year hasn’t been anything like as imposingas it was earlier. Dravid, though, was certain that he too would come goodwhen it mattered most. “Viru did well in the West Indies, especially inone or two innings. He made a difference to the series, and has a provenTest record.”You obviously hope that he can get more runs because he makes a bigdifference to the game if he scores, in terms of the impact he has at thetop of the order. He hasn’t done as badly in Test cricket as people makeout or believe. We’ve got confidence in our opening pair. They did a goodjob for us in the West Indies. You also have to consider that theconditions weren’t exactly conducive to batting in the last game. Theiropeners struggled as well.”Graeme Smith, going through such a wretched run of late, certainly won’tdispute that.

Rain at Kingsmead in Durban has virtually finalised the final four placesfor the Standard Bank Cup semi-finals starting in the new year. With theLions innings washed out after 7.4 overs, the three points gained by theDolphins almost ensures them the fourth spot.The other thee teams, Titans, Eagles and Lions are still fighting it outfor a home semi-final while the Warriors have a very slim chance ofknocking the Dolphins out of the fourth spot. They have to beat theLions and gain the bonus point, and then hope that the Titans beat theDolphins well enough to deny them a bonus point. The sixth team, theCape Cobras, have no chance of reaching the semi-final stage.The Dolphins innings of 235 for 5 was also interrupted by a 49-minuterain delay after 16.3 overs with the Dolphins then on 66 for 1. With theresumption of play, the rate steadily increased but it was left to LanceKlusener to once again do the damage as he hit an unbeaten 43 off 24 ballswhich included four towering sixes. Earlier Doug Watson had propped theinnings up with a steady 53.With the weather continuing to threaten the Lions got off to a briskstart. In the end it was all to no avail as the rain resumed, leavingthe Lions on 42 without loss and a no result.

Kevin Pietersen – England’s best hope of squaring the series – meets the locals in Durban © Getty Images

From 1-0 up to 3-1 down, England’s one-day campaign has taken a decided turn for the worse. A jammy tie at Bloemfontein – where South Africa were a mis-hit full-toss away from victory – was followed by three defeats in a row, and whatever the scoreline might claim of Wednesday’s seven-run reversal at East London, the last two games have been as one-sided as they come.In fact, without the extraordinarily brusque strokeplay of Kevin Pietersen, there would hardly have been a contest at all. His series aggregate of 338 runs includes 175 in those two matches alone – 75 from 85 balls at Cape Town (where no other batsman passed 20) and an astonishing 100 not out from 69 balls at East London, which was England’s fastest one-day century of all time, and Pietersen’s second in four matches.So it is no exaggeration to suggest that England’s hopes of salvaging something from this series are already resting on his broad shoulders. Happily for England’s flagging resolve, he was far from satisfied after his final-ball six had secured a hundred – but not a victory – at Buffalo Park. “It was fantastic to get a hundred, but I’m not happy with the result,” he told Sky Sports straight after the match. “We’ll be looking to knock them over at Durban and Pretoria, and tie the series.”How England hope to knock them over, however, is less clear. In the absence of Andrew Flintoff, and with Steve Harmison beset with form and homesickness demons, the attack is severely lacking a cutting edge. Darren Gough, with his snazzy new haircut, has been urging his 34-year-old knees into an heroic assault on the bowling crease, while Kabir Ali has impressed in patches. But Matthew Hoggard has been demonstrating why he has not played one-day cricket in over two years, while Paul Collingwood and Marcus Trescothick are liabilities as the fifth bowling option.Michael Vaughan was particularly critical of his bowlers after they had conceded a ground-record 311 for 7 in the last match. “The bowling is an area we definitely need to address,” he admitted to reporters. “To get within hitting range was a great effort by the batters, but we allowed them to score too many, and if you do not get wickets, you are going to face a barrage in the final 15 overs.”That is precisely what happened, as Graeme Smith and, especially, the big-hitting Justin Kemp launched into the bowling. They took 111 runs off the final 15 overs, taking advantage of the short boundaries and a lacklustre attack. Smith finished on an unbeaten 115 – his second one-day century – but the Man of the Match award rightly went to Kemp, whose 80 came from 50 balls, and included seven massive sixes. “It is dangerous at the other end when he comes in,” said Smith. “He is playing superbly, and it is great to have people at the bottom who can hit the ball out of the ground.”Nine years ago, England capitulated from a 1-1 scoreline to a 6-1 defeat, and such is the way this series has gone, that something very similar is on the cards at Durban. It represents quite a turnaround for a side that, at the start of the series, had managed just one win in their last 13 matches – and that had come against Bangladesh.But ebb and flow was the feature of the Test series, and with Pietersen in tow, England will not have given up hope of squaring the series just yet. “We have pushed them really hard in four of the first five games,” said Vaughan, “and I believe we can turn it around and force a 3-3. If we can exert some pressure they could fold like any team in the world.

New Zealand Cricket will announce their decision on the tour of Pakistan on Tuesday. The doubts about whether the tour would go ahead – four players dropped out because of security concerns – were compounded by Pakistan’s threat to pull out of their tour of New Zealand if this one was cancelled. The financial implications of that put NZC in a fix, having to balance safety issues with commercial ones.A statement released by NZC stated: “New Zealand Cricket is continuing to work through a process to determine whether the Black Caps will be going on their scheduled tour of Pakistan. The process may be completed tomorrow afternoon. There will be no further comment from New Zealand Cricket until the process is completed.”If the tour does go ahead, NZC will also have to name the replacements for those who have dropped out. Stephen Fleming, their captain, is returning home for treatment of an abdominal strain, and a replacement will be needed for him – besides the four men who had dropped out earlier. Mathew Sinclair, Matthew Walker, Michael Mason and Andre Adams are the players tipped to replace Craig McMillan, Scott Styris, Lou Vincent and Ian Butler.The fifth replacement might well be from the New Zealand Academy, who have played several matches over the last three weeks. The main contenders are Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor.

Former captain Moin Khan was held back hours after being told to rushto Bangladesh as cover-up for wicketkeeper Rashid Latif.The chairman of selectors Wasim Bari admitted Tuesday that the tourmanagement had sent out an SOS. “But after we chose Moin, the teammanagement called from Chittagong and said Rashid was fit to completethe tour,” he told reporters.Moin, whose last appearance was as captain in March, was booked on5.30am flight to Dhaka Wednesday so that he could make himselfavailable for back-to-back matches.Earlier in the day, director of the PCB Brig Munawwar Rana said Moinwould replace Rashid whose exact nature of injury was unknown. “We arenot sure what his injury is. We received an SOS from Dhaka Tuesdaymorning.”Rashid is returning on the first available flight. We also want togive him proper rest before the series against the West Indies,” hesaid.The chairman of the PCB Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said: “The tour managementwanted a replacement. But after we saw Rashid Latif keeping wickets,we inquired what the injury was, as he looked fit. We haven’t heardfrom them as yet.” However, the General denied that a group of seniorplayers were against Moin’s inclusion. “That’s not true. In fact, theplayers like Moin and want him in the team.”Pakistan team returns from Dhaka on Jan 26 and leave for Sharjah on 28where the first Test begins Jan 31. The series ends on Feb 17 with thethird one-day international.Moin has appeared in 190 one-day internationals, 34 as captain,scoring 2,853 runs with nine half centuries. He has played in 65Tests, 13 as captain, aggregating 2,493 runs with three centuries and15 half centuries besides accounting for 138 batsmen behind thewickets.

Tamil Union secured their place in the semi final of the Premier League Limited Over tournament with a seven wicket victory against Singha CC, who were bowled out for just 112 in 39.2 overs.Following a break for rain, Tamil Union were required to score 90 runs from 27 overs. They did this within 15 overs, but, bizarrely, the umpires continued playing the match, unaware that Tamil Union had won the match. Eventually the Tamil union coach phoned KT. Francis, Director of Umpiring, who then told the umpires that the match had ended.Singha CC started the match in disastorous fashion. They lost the toss and were asked to bat first on the Oval pitch, which is notoriously lively in the opening half hour. Sure enough Singha lost early wickets and slumped to nine for three in the fourth over.Things did not improve greatly. At one stage they were 56 for seven and looking at a humiliating defeat. However, a 33 run partnership between Rajapaksha (22) and Mirando (21) ensured that they reached three figures.Despite losing both openers early on, Dias run out for seven and Shiroman caught behind off Mirando for a duck, Tamil Union cruised to victory thanks to cameo’s from Peiris (26), Rideegammanagedara (21*) and Chandana (20*).

Mehrdad Ghodoussi has now dropped an exciting claim on Newcastle United following their 2-0 win at Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Cloud nine

The Toon Army are on cloud nine at the moment, as their three points against the Bees has now lifted them up to 14th place in the table in the top flight, four points clear of the relegation zone having played fewer games than some of the teams below them.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-3/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

This is exactly the kind of impact that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium wanted Eddie Howe to make when he took on the job at St James’ Park, and now he is reaping the rewards as they look increasingly likely to avoid the drop.

The Latest: Ghodoussi claim

In an interview with The Athletic, Newcastle owner Ghodoussi has now made an exciting claim with regards to the future of the Tyneside club.

He stated: “There is no reason why Newcastle in the next five years should not be a Man City or a Man United or a Liverpool or a Chelsea.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The vision for Newcastle United from Ghodoussi is certainly exciting.

Assuming that they stay up this season, the summer looks set to be a very busy one in terms of transfers, as the Magpies look to strengthen the squad further following their January additions.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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Given the project and the fact that they would be playing in the Premier League, the kind of names that they could attract may well be mouth-watering. With the right players brought in, there is no reason why the Magpies cannot compete at the top of the division within a few years.

In other news, NUFC have now made an offer for this £31.5m-rated star

Dr. Donald Peters has been named as the new chief executive officer of the West Indies Cricket Board, succeeding Bruce Aanensen, who resigned in August after less than four months in the job.Peters, a Dominican, has a wide academic and sports background. He has served as a college president, provost and university vice president in the USA and Bermuda. He was elected as the youngest general secretary of the Dominica Amateur Sports Association and subsequently was appointed one of the country’s representatives on the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control and manager of the national cricket team.Peters has an exceptionally successful track record at senior management level in several different academic institutions. He has demonstrated success in leading programmes that have helped organisations to meet their institutional objectives and increase their revenue streams in very complex environments.Peters describes himself as an achiever and believes in results-oriented management. He has been invited by international organisations to facilitate workshops and present papers on areas related to strategic planning, revenue generation, and organizational behaviour. He has lectured at major international institutions including Oxford University and has managed budgets ranging from US$7 – US$435 million. He has distinguished himself as a leader with strong skills in resource mobilisation and financial management.”I am excited to be selected as CEO and look forward to working with the organization to provide the support and administration necessary to make our team move once again to the top of international cricket,” Peters said.He assumes his post on November 5.