Kai Rooney, son of Manchester United legend Wayne, has shown support for one fellow teenage talent at Old Trafford after the club’s recent friendly against Rosenborg. Fans of the Red Devils were also excited by what they saw.

With the World Cup now over, the 2026/27 Premier League season will kick off again next month. As such, the coming weeks will be vital for all clubs as they look to get their squads in tip-top shape.

Having now been made permanent boss at Man Utd, Michael Carrick is overseeing his first pre-season and likely would have enjoyed the action, with his men winning 5-0 against Norwegian side Rosenborg at the Lerkendal Stadium.

Kai Rooney Impressed by Man Utd Talent in Pre-Season Friendly

Shea Lacey opened the scoring for the Red Devils, as the 19-year-old showed good composure to cut in on his left foot and curl a smart finish past goalkeeper Leopold Wahlstedt. Joshua Zirkzee doubled our lead on the other side of half-time with a fairly spectacular goal as he sat down two players before rolling the ball into the back of the net. After plenty of changes, a series of youngsters finished the match, but that didn’t stop Man Utd from scoring three more times, through Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass and Ethan Williams, to seal the 5-0 victory.

It was the scorer of the first goal, however, who caught the eye of many. Indeed, 16-year-old Kai Rooney – who currently plays as a forward for Manchester United’s youth academy – could not help but highlight the talent of teenager Lacey.

Taking to social media, he shared a clip of the 19-year-old winger’s goal, with the simple caption: ‘My brother!’

Adding to the hype after the game, ManchesterEveningNews went with the headline: “Manchester United’s own Phil Foden is ready for a breakout season.” In that article, journalist Steven Railston noted: “It’s understood the 19-year-old was backed by academy coaches ahead of pre-season to have a breakthrough 2026/2027, and he will vindicate that faith if he continues to perform well in friendlies over the coming weeks. “

In his player ratings, Railston also gave him an 8/10 and wrote: “Received the nod to start after coming off the bench last weekend and grabbed his chance with both hands. Pressed aggressively and sent United on their way to a comfortable win with a great opening goal.”

Man Utd Fans Want More of Shea Lacey

Add to those who liked what they saw, fans on social media were very excited by Lacey’s efforts. Some have even suggested he should get more first-team chances next season under Carrick. One wrote:

Another added: “Shea Lacey is really trying. Deserves minutes when league starts.” A third wrote: “Harry Amass & Shea Lacey are both good enough to play a squad role in the 1st team this season.”

Someone else said: “Shea Lacey breakout season off to a sensational start. Go on, lah.” A final fan insisted: “I’m sure Lacey has already earned a spot on the first team.”

Liverpool are said to be showing interest in another winger as they look to continue bolstering their attacking ranks this summer. Andoni Iraola is expected to ramp up his summer business in the coming weeks, with the Spaniard looking to put his own stamp on his new squad.

The Reds had already agreed a deal for Jeremy Jacquet coming into the summer, and they followed up that deal with the signing of Victor Muñoz. The young Spain international is tipped for big things, and he may well see plenty of football this coming season, but he is unlikely to be a starter.

That role is reserved for whoever Liverpool decide is their Mohamed Salah replacement, but the attacking recruits may not end there, with another winger also being linked.

Liverpool interested in Porto talent Oskar Pietuszewski

Liverpool have been linked with a move for FC Porto winger Oskar Pietuszewski, who has been impressing in Portugal. According to Fussballdaten, the Reds are in the mix to land the winger, who is quickly becoming a priority for German giants Borussia Dortmund.

Porto signed the winger for around £6million in January, and the 18-year-old went on to score three and assist four, aiding a title win.

According to the report, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid are all said to be interested and tracking the young winger’s rapid rise. The youngster has already won four senior caps for Poland, and there is no sign of him going back to the youth age groups.

Dortmund appear to be showing the most serious interest, but Porto have no interest in selling Pietuszewski this summer. According to the report, the Portuguese giants are going to demand the full value of the winger’s €60million clause, which works out at £51.9million. Dortmund are said to be planning to bid a touch under £30million this summer, but they are likely to met with a firm ‘no’.

Dortmund have no plans to pay the full release clause, and they could wait and circle back at a future date if there is no sign of Porto dropping their price. Premier League clubs may be willing to pay, but that is big money for a player who has only impressed in a top league for a few months.

Pietuszewski is ready to make a ‘huge impact’

REUTERS/Peter Powell

Speaking to TalkSport back in February, analyst Andy Brassell explained what is so special about Pietuszewski. He said: “He has been brilliant… He is something special. His balance, his ability to stretch the game, his maturity in being able to judge the pass, to let it go at the right moment, to find a teammate, the timing of his runs, the timing of his passes, you add that to his pace.

“I think his ability to know when to hold on to the ball and beat a player and when to let go of the ball is something that you would expect a player of 21, 22, 23 to still be learning. And he seems like he’s there already. He’s so, so convincing, and he’s so advanced for his age. He’s not just a promising player. He’s a player who makes a huge impact now.”

Nearly a week has passed since Argentina produced a performance that was hardly worth talking about in a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final, with Lionel Messi and co. committing 26 fouls and registering zero shots on target across 90 minutes of normal time.

That disappointing display has done little to quiet the reaction surrounding the tournament, and it also hasn’t stopped Angel Di Maria from finding a way to throw shade at England. Speaking in his first interview since the ugly full-time scenes of last weekend, the former Manchester United winger was asked about the World Cup following an appearance with his new club, Rosario Central.

Indeed, Lionel Scaloni’s side booked their place in the final by defeating the Three Lions in dramatic fashion, coming from behind to secure a 2-1 semi-final victory.

And while there is still political fallout from the tournament, with those associated with the three-time world champions continuing to stake their claim over the Falkland Islands by unveiling banners and singing chants as their political leaders have their say, Di Maria has now renewed hostilities on the footballing front as well.

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Speaking to Argentine newspaper tyc sports, Di Maria said he wants both coach Lionel Scaloni and Lionel Messi to carry on with the national team. And, for him, the tournament reached its peak with the 2-1 semi-final win over England. He explained:

It didn’t take long before critcism came his way, with one X user labelling him ‘pitiful’, as another called him a ‘loser’. Elsewhere, another user wrote: “This is so tinpot from a country who’s won as many World Cups as them,” as a fourth remarked: “These people are living in their own bubble of denial.”

“What on earth is he waffling about?” a sixth asked, as a seventh concluded: “Okay, FIFA should give Argentina the ‘Won Against England’ Cup. The final doesn’t matter, lol.”

Argentina Adopt Siege Mentality As Record-Breaking Petition Wants Them Banned

REUTERS/Lee Smith

Argentina president Javier Milei has claimed the rest of the world is “jealous” of his nation after a petition calling for the team to be banned from football surpassed 23 million signatures this week. But he isn’t the first figure in the South American country to adopt a siege mentality, with plenty of players, coaches and supporters believing it is very much a case of them against the world going forward.

Of course, that mindset helped La Albiceleste reach the pinnacle of world football back in 2022, but it is also causing them to become one of the most disliked teams in the world. In the eyes of many, it has tarnished a reputation they once had as a side filled with genuinely brilliant footballers, with accusations that they now rely more on the dark arts than their star power to get the job done.

Those within the Argentine FA are attempting to punish sections of the world media that they believe have contributed to damaging the country’s image. Ultimately, however, they have been the architects of their own downfall.

The ugly scenes after the World Cup final saw Dani Olmo punched by a member of Argentina’s coaching staff, while Gavi was allegedly punched and choked to the ground by Leandro Paredes. Of course, none of that has been helped by the explosive allegations surrounding Argentina’s relationship with FIFA, which have only added further scrutiny to the controversy.