Sports
Man Utd Midfielders Ranked as Club Close in On Baleba Deal
Manchester United are on the verge of completing their midfield rebuild this summer as they close in on a deal to sign Brighton star Carlos Baleba.
The Red Devils started the summer with a bang, signing Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans within 24 hours of each other in July, while they have also brought in Karl Darlow and young winger Tynan Thompson to further strengthen Michael Carrick’s squad.
But a third midfield addition was seen as a priority for the entire window. After assessing their options, they have now entered advanced talks with the Seagulls over a deal to sign the 22-year-old Cameroon international, which is likely to cost in excess of £70m.
Carrick now has several options to choose from in midfield, and GIVEMESPORT have now ranked those players ahead of the start of the new Premier League season.
7
Manuel Ugarte
Ugarte was one of the first signings of the INEOS era at Old Trafford, and the Uruguay international’s attributes were something that the team desperately needed at the time of the transfer.
But the former PSG star has struggled to adapt to the Premier League, with his ability in possession nowhere near the required level. Defensively, he is happy to do the dirty work. But he often found himself in the referee’s book rather than helping his team break down the opponents.
Before suffering a serious knee injury at the World Cup this summer, the expectation was that Ugarte would leave Man Utd this summer. Carrick isn’t a fan, and it’s clear he isn’t good enough. His injury is likely the only reason he is still at the club, and he’s bottom of the list of options by a considerable distance.
|
Manuel Ugarte Premier League Stats 25/26 |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
8(14) |
|
Minutes |
882 |
|
Tackles (per 90) |
2.1 |
|
Interceptions (per 90) |
0.9 |
|
Fouls (per 90) |
1.1 |
|
Clearances (per 90) |
0.9 |
|
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored |
|
6
Mason Mount
Mount has usually been considered more of an attacking midfielder throughout his career, but during pre-season this summer, Carrick used him in a deeper role to decent effect.
Technically, he is very tidy, which allows him to progress the ball well and get out of difficult situations, while he has always been a willing runner and not afraid to stick a foot into a tackle where needed. But the biggest issue for Mount has been his fitness, and it took him less than four pre-season games to suffer another injury which means he is now a doubt for the season opener.
If he isn’t someone who can be relied upon, then it’s really difficult to put him any higher in this list.
5
Andrey Santos
The first signing of the summer was Brazil international Santos, arriving in a £50m deal from Chelsea. Having struggled for regular first-team football at Stamford Bridge, there were some question marks over the deal and whether he was good enough.
But during pre-season, he has shown that he is more than ready for the step up. His positioning defensively is second to none, he is excellent in possession, looking to break the lines with his passing regularly, and is also capable of carrying the ball well too.
A lack of first-team experience is the only reason he is down on this list, but he has an extraordinarily high ceiling and could well become a top dog in the coming seasons.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
4
Carlos Baleba
Baleba is someone that Man Utd chiefs have wanted at Old Trafford for several transfer windows, and they also believe that he could be a transformative signing for the club.
Defensively, he is one of the best in the Premier League. He covers ground exceptionally, excels in duels, wins possession back regularly, and can also carry the ball forward brilliantly to help with attacks too.
His quality on the ball when it comes to passing could do with some work, but at 22 there is plenty of room for improvement, and he will still be a key member of the side this season and for years to come.
3
2
Youri Tielemans
A shock signing in the transfer window, Tielemans cost just £35m from Aston Villa this summer, and immediately arrives into the midfield as an experienced leader with top-level experience.
His ability on the ball is undeniable, but he is also underrated in the fact that he covers ground so well, wins duels, and is excellent positionally. Having played at the highest level since he was a teenager, and having captained his country at a World Cup, he is one of the best midfielders in the league, and Carrick is lucky to have him in the squad.
1
Kobbie Mainoo
12 months ago, it seemed as though Man Utd were willing to let Mainoo leave the club either on loan or permanently after a fallout with Ruben Amorim. Ultimately, the club decided against letting him move and after Amorim was sacked in January, Mainoo became one of the most important members of the squad.
His quality in possession is the best in the squad, as he is able to keep the ball in the most difficult situations because of his incredible technical ability. But defensively, he is incredibly underrated. Mainoo covers ground well, he wins his duels, and all of that comes despite being just 21 years old.
Mainoo is the future of the Man Utd and England midfield, which is the reason why this midfield rebuild was built around him.
Sports
WWE Fans Convinced Jacob Fatu is Leaving The Bloodline
WWE fans are convinced that one Superstar is set to cut ties with their current faction after watching unaired footage from this week’s edition of Raw.
Monday night’s episode concluded with tensions continuing to rise within Roman Reigns’ latest incarnation of The Bloodline. The show built to a finale of Jimmy and Jey Uso attempting to bring back Solo Sikoa to the family after his loss to ‘Main Event’ Jey in last week’s main event.
If Solo lost that match, he would be hand-delivered to the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, by his former ‘Right-hand Man’, and that is what transpired after interference from Jimmy Uso.
In the closing segment of this week’s show, the Bloodline attacked Sikoa and beat him down into submission, trying to force him to re-join the family, only to be thwarted by LA Knight.
WWE Raw Main Event Explored
It was not long before the ‘Megastars’ interference, as Roman had told Jacob Fatu not to touch Knight and to leave it to him. Sikoa would then swerve his family, nailing Reigns with the Samoan Spike and then teaming, once more, with Knight to send the Bloodline a message.
But it was the events that happened once the cameras had been turned off that caught fans’ attention. Many noted that the Samoan Werewolf remained completely still whilst the brawl was going on, acting on direct orders from Reigns.
New post-show footage has emerged showing Jacob walking away from the rest of his family whilst Jey shouted ‘What he doin?’, seemingly questioning the lack of help from his cousin.
Fans in the comments section have certainly run with this, with many desperate for Fatu to break away from Reigns, in a story that has many parallels to that of Jey Uso in his rise to becoming World Heavyweight Champion.
One user wrote: “Jacob probably turning on Roman before the year is out,” while another agreed: “This is building up to Roman vs Jacob!”
During the live segment on Raw, Reigns named Jimmy and Jey as his ‘team captains’ awarding them black ula falas, while offering nothing to Fatu.
One fan pointed out that Jacob’s “facial expression was evidently unhappy” when he was ignored, further teasing a turn.
A final user speculated on what this could mean for the upcoming Survivor Series PLE: “Jacob was following Roman’s orders and stood there the whole time; it’s going to be interesting to see the teams for WarGames because he left by himself while they were still in the ring.”
Off the back of these developments, there are a lot of questions regarding the future of one of the most powerful stables in history, and whether Roman can continue to hold Fatu down successfully or not. Also, it may finally be time for LA Knight to receive his long-awaited title shot, which has constantly been denied by the Champion, but being seen as the one who orchestrated Sikoa’s breakaway from the group may be the reason that finally gets Knight his chance to become world champion.
Sports
Paul Scholes Names Man Utd Icon the ‘Best All-Round Midfielder’ Ever
Paul Scholes is undoubtedly one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, with 499 appearances and 11 titles under his belt in England’s top-flight.
The Manchester United icon is often discussed among the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Roy Keane when it comes to midfield conversations. In more recent times, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri have made a case to be in the mix.
But who does Scholes class as the greatest midfielder in Premier League history? Well, the 66-cap England legend gave a pretty clear suggestion when asked to rank 10 of the best to ever play the position.
Paul Scholes’ Premier League Midfield Rankings
Speaking to SPORTbible, Scholes was asked to blind rank 10 of the best midfielders to ever grace the Premier League. Blind rankings are always tough, but the ex-England star was happy to be left with just the number 10 spot open for himself.
Showing great modesty, Scholes claimed: “I’m happy with that.” It’s very unlikely anyone else would rank him so low in their all-time rankings. He wasn’t quite as happy to be forced to place Arsenal icon Patrick Vieira just ahead of him in ninth.
The all-action powerhouse captained the Gunners to an ‘invincible’ season in 2003-04 as one of the best players in the team. United and Arsenal had many battles over the years, so Scholes knows just how good the Frenchman was, but ninth was the highest place available when his name came up.
Two Chelsea title winners ranked above Vieira. Cesc Fabregas and N’Golo Kante were a match made in heaven for the 2016-17 team that steamrolled the league under Antonio Conte. Both men showed their qualities at other clubs too. Fabregas rose to prominence at Arsenal, while Kante was instrumental in the biggest fairytale story in the league’s history, Leicester City winning it.
Bruno Fernandes, fresh off the back of breaking the record for the most assists in a single Premier League campaign, is sixth. Meanwhile, the highest-scoring midfielder in the division’s history, Frank Lampard, is only fifth.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Lampard is often put in debates with Scholes and Steven Gerrard regarding who the best English midfielder was. Scholes has previously stated Gerrard was a better player than he was, and now he’s ranked the Liverpool legend above Lampard.
The only man to ever win the Ballon d’Or on this list, Rodri, has dominated the Premier League. The Spanish metronome, now a World Cup winner, has lifted the iconic trophy four times in seven years at the Etihad. Scholes ranked him fourth, just behind Kevin De Bruyne.
De Bruyne earned his place on the podium of Scholes’ list after taking Man City by storm. The Belgian was the best player in the league for many years. His ability was incredible. Right foot, left foot, running with the ball, playing a killer pass, putting in a dangerous cross. He had it all.
That leaves just two men. Gerrard is the best English midfielder the league has ever seen in Scholes’ eyes. He’s the best player to never win the title, but often dragged poor Liverpool sides through difficult times.
But there was absolutely no hesitation when Roy Keane’s name was presented to Scholes. The pair were teammates for 12 years, and formed part of the most successful midfield ever. Keane was a leader by nature and as no-nonsense as they come. The Irishman’s ability on the ball is often overlooked, but his former teammate was quick to point out that Keane could do anything on a football pitch.
|
Paul Scholes Ranks Premier League Midfielders |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Rank |
Player |
Club(s) |
Premier League Appearances |
|
1. |
Roy Keane |
Nottingham Forest, Manchester United |
336 |
|
2. |
Steven Gerrard |
Liverpool |
504 |
|
3. |
Kevin De Bruyne |
Chelsea, Manchester City |
288 |
|
4. |
Rodri |
Manchester City |
196 |
|
5. |
Frank Lampard |
Chelsea, Manchester City (loan) |
609 |
|
6. |
Bruno Fernandes |
Manchester United |
230 |
|
7. |
N’Golo Kante |
Leicester City, Chelsea |
227 |
|
8. |
Cesc Fabregas |
Arsenal, Chelsea |
350 |
|
9. |
Patrick Vieira |
Arsenal, Manchester City |
307 |
|
10. |
Paul Scholes |
Manchester United |
499 |
Watch Paul Scholes rank Premier League midfielders
Scholes Pays Roy Keane the Ultimate Compliment
After his rankings were finalised, Scholes cemented his opinion that Keane is the greatest to ever grace a Premier League engine room. The midfielder-turned-pundit paid his ex-colleague an incredible compliment in doing so.
“The best all-round midfielder you’ll ever see. He could do everything. He’d be worth £200 million now.”
Statistics in this article are courtesy of the Premier League. Correct as of 17-08-26.
Sports
Romano Shares Exciting Tottenham Transfer Update as Three Players Named
Tottenham Hotspur want to make at least three signings before the summer transfer window closes, Fabrizio Romano has told GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness podcast.
Tottenham were the busiest Premier League club in the market earlier in the summer, completing six new arrivals by the beginning of July.
After transforming their defence and midfield in the early weeks of the window, business has slowed down as Spurs look to add two new wingers to Roberto De Zerbi’s squad, with their Premier League season opener against Brentford just days away.
It is no secret that the north London outfit want to add Savinho and Cody Gakpo to their squad from Manchester City and Liverpool respectively before the September 1 deadline, but they are yet to make a breakthrough in talks with their two top flight rivals over a deal.
City and Liverpool are both looking to sign replacements before they consider letting the duo leave for Tottenham, but Romano is confident that they will get the business done that they want to do, as well as one more attacking addition.
Speaking exclusively on the latest episode of GMS’ Market Madness podcast on Wednesday afternoon, Romano said:
I think, for sure, up front I expect three signings. So I expect two wingers and an attacker. I keep saying that, and that’s the feeling. I think Tottenham will get the three players. Then [it] obviously depends on negotiations, but that’s the idea.
“So Savinho is the priority. Pedro Neto is the back-up if Savinho is not happening. So it’s between these two.
“Cody Gakpo is a deal that they want to make happen, and there are daily conversations about that. And the player is also open to joining.
“Then we have to see what they decide to do in terms of [a] central striker. So there is also some conversation about that.”
Which Striker Could Tottenham Target?
While it is clear that Tottenham want to land two of Savinho, Gakpo and Neto for the wing positions in the coming weeks, their pursuit of a striker is less definitive.
Spurs have been linked with a number of strikers in recent weeks, but there has been no standout candidate for their preferred their centre-forward target.
The north London outfit were said to be plotting a move for Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi earlier in the summer, before the Frenchman suffered an injury that could keep him on the sidelines for up to four months.
Tottenham have been linked with a move for Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, although a deal for the USA international has been played down by GMS sources.
In terms of other names linked, there are the following:
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