Sports
Cunha Dropped, £282m Spent – Carrick’s Ideal Man Utd XI for 26/27 Champions League
Manchester United’s plans for the 2026/27 season can finally get underway after Michael Carrick secured Champions League football for next season in a huge turnaround.
After Ruben Amorim was sacked in January, the legendary former midfielder has come in and won 10 of his 14 games in charge, catapulting the Red Devils into third in the Premier League table, and with elite European football confirmed with three games to spare.
It now looks likely that he will be the man to get the manager’s job permanently as a result, and squad planning can begin. But what does an ideal Carrick lineup look like in the Champions League? GIVEMESPORT takes a look.
Lewis Hall Should Be Top Left-Back Target
Man Utd addressed their goalkeeper position last summer, and Senne Lammens has been tremendous since coming into the team, so the number one position is not one that needs looking at.
At right-back, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have the quality, experience, and versatility to continue in their current roles, and Carrick has shown that he trusts them both too. Left-back is a bit of a different story, however.
Tyrell Malacia will leave, while Luke Shaw enters the final year of his contract at Old Trafford. But the England star’s fitness issues over the years have been a major worry, and the club should look to bring in Newcastle’s Lewis Hall as his long-term replacement. The Magpies have missed out on European football, and reports have suggested that he has fallen out with Eddie Howe, which could make a move more realistic. A fee of between £50-60m would likely be enough.
New Centre-Back Would Be Perfect
Carrick has brought in some defensive assuredness by moving back to a back four, with Harry Maguire handed a new contract as a result of his performances. But while Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven have shone alongside him, there are concerns over Matthijs De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez.
The Netherlands international hasn’t played since December due to a back injury, and Martinez is entering the final year of his contract with question marks over his injury record too. In an ideal world, Carrick may want to have another experienced option like Goncalo Inacio to call upon, and his £52m release clause makes a deal easy to do.
Big Money Midfielders to Arrive
Reports suggest that Man Utd want to sign up to three new midfielders this summer, and there is already a verbal agreement in place with Carlos Baleba about a potential switch to Old Trafford.
While the Cameroonian could arrive, Kobbie Mainoo’s position in central midfield is cemented, and the arrival of someone such as Aurelien Tchouameni to replace Casemiro would be the absolute perfect deal to do, especially at the reported £70m asking price. Ahead of that duo, Bruno Fernandes has the number ten position locked down until he doesn’t want it anymore.
There will likely be enough options to rotate the squad too, but on the biggest stage, the France international would be one of the first names on the teamsheet.
New Left Winger is a Priority
After spending over £200m last summer to bolster the attack with Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo, there isn’t too much work to be done in the attack. But with the switch back to a 4-2-3-1 system, and with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho expected to move on permanently, a new left winger is a necessity.
The club have been linked with a number of options, but the perfect signing would be RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande.
The Ivorian has electric pace, an eye for scoring and creating goals, can link up with his teammates, and win games on his own. That’s the type of X-factor Man Utd need, and despite his huge £100m+ asking price, this is a deal they must push to get over the line if they can.
He’d likely take over from Cunha in that wide role, forming a formidable trident alongside Mbeumo and Sesko in the process.
Ideal Man Utd XI for 2026/27 season: Lammens; Dalot, De Ligt, Inacio, Hall; Tchouameni, Mainoo; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Diomande; Sesko.
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Man Utd are looking at left-back options.
Sports
Celtic Interested in Signing Former Real Madrid Striker Alvaro Rodriguez
Celtic are eyeing a move to sign a striker in the summer transfer window who left Real Madrid in 2025.
Signing a new forward could be one of Celtic’s priorities heading into the summer transfer window, with Martin O’Neill struggling to find a consistent goalscorer in his team.
Daizen Maeda has been heavily linked with a move away from the club, meaning signing a new forward will be imperative heading into the 2026-2027 season.
Kelechi Iheanacho was one of Celtic’s key strikers towards the end of the campaign, but the Nigerian forward has struggled with injuries and consistency over the last few years.
Now, Celtic have entered the market to sign a new centre forward.
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Celtic are preparing for the summer transfer window.
Celtic Eyeing Former Real Madrid Striker
According to a report from Team Talk, Celtic are now intensifying their search to sign a new striker as they look for a replacement for Maeda.
It’s claimed that former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Rodriguez has emerged as a leading target for the Glasgow club.
The 21-year-old who joined Elche from Real Madrid last summer is set to cost in the region of £13m, which might be a difficult figure for Celtic to hit.
Rodriguez, described as a La Liga unicorn, provided 12 goal contributions in 34 La Liga appearances this season.
It’s an impressive return, especially playing for a side who were battling near the bottom of the league.
Big Summer Ahead for Celtic
It’s a big summer approaching for Celtic for multiple reasons. Firstly, the Glasgow giants need to solve their managerial situation, with manager O’Neill leaving the club this summer.
It’s currently unclear who is going to replace the experienced coach, and a new manager could impact their recruitment, meaning they need to solve it quickly.
Celtic were also behind in the race for the Scottish Premiership title for the majority of the season.
Hearts led the way for the most part, falling at the final hurdle. Given how impressive their recruitment has been, Celtic need to make sure they are sharp in the market.
Sports
Man Utd Open Talks to Sign Robert Lewandowski
Manchester United have secured their return to the Champions League for next season, and now they are already being active in the transfer market.
The Red Devils have found an agreement with Brazil international Ederson about a move from Atalanta, as Michael Carrick looks to strengthen his midfield options, with a number of other arrivals expected during the upcoming transfer window.
At least one more midfielder, a left-back, and a left-winger are all expected to be targeted at Old Trafford, but there are also expected to be some exits from the club, and those players may need to be replaced too.
Man Utd Have a Striker Problem
Last summer the club splashed over £200m on upgrading their attacking options, bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko. All three signings proved to be a success too, with each player hitting double figures for goals in the Premier League.
But while they all shone, the lack of depth in the attack could prove to be an issue next season. Amad Diallo only managed two goals and three assists all season, while Joshua Zirkzee’s future looks bleak after limited game time over his two seasons at the club.
The Ivorian winger is highly unlikely to leave, having been a key member of Carrick’s attack and only recently signing a new long-term contract, but Zirkzee could well be on the move amid strong interest from Serie A clubs looking to take him back to Italy.
Should the Netherlands international depart, then a new striker will almost certainly be needed to help cover the load amid the busier schedule for next season.
But with the priority on strengthening other key positions first and foremost with their transfer budget, Man Utd need to be sensible and clever about the players they target in the transfer market for the striker role, and they have already made a move for one shrewd option.
Man Utd Open Talks for Lewandowski
According to a report back in March, Man Utd had opened talks with Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski about a potential move to Old Trafford at the end of his contract.
The legendary Polish striker, who has been described as ‘one of the best strikers ever’, has now confirmed that he will depart the Camp Nou after four years in Spain, where he scored an incredible 120 goals in 193 games for the club, entering the top ten of their all-time scorers list.
There’s no news yet on what his next destination will be, but Man Utd should be doing all they can to convince him to finally try his hand at the Premier League.
Sesko would still be the first-choice option, but learning from someone like Lewandowski would be the perfect mentorship for a year, and the club could rely on him to chip in with a fair share of goals too. It would be a shrewd bit of business, and a perfect signing to fill a short-term problem, while the big money goes on more priority positions.
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Manchester United are progressing with plans to sign their first midfielder
Sports
Why Arsenal Will Not Lift Premier League Trophy During Bus Parade
Details have emerged about the upcoming Arsenal bus parade to celebrate their Premier League title. Interestingly enough, it has been confirmed that the club will not lift the trophy during their nine-kilometre celebration route.
The Gunners were able to put to bed 22 years of hurt as they finally lifted the Premier League on Sunday. Their success was confirmed after Manchester City drew against Bournemouth earlier that week, making a trip to Crystal Palace a formality.
Mikel Arteta’s men were still able to pick up a 2-1 win, to finish the season with 85 points, seven points and one place ahead of Pep Guardiola’s side, but the main focus was on the trophy lift at the end of the game. Martin Odegaard led the celebrations, becoming the first Arsenal captain to hold the trophy aloft since Patrick Vieira in 2004.
However, he will not do the same on the title bus parade.
Arsenal Will Not Lift Premier League Trophy at Emirates
The event is scheduled to happen in north London on 31 May. A club statement has already explained: “We are delighted to announce that we will come together with our supporters and community for a special parade around our home borough of Islington, starting from 2pm on Sunday 31 May, to celebrate our title.”
The Gunners, of course, could have two trophies to celebrate with if all goes to plan. Indeed, the night before, Arsenal will take on Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest as they aim to win the Champions League final for the first time in their history.
Regardless of the result, however, there will be no official trophy lifting moment on the parade route. As explained by the Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, this is due to the huge numbers expected during the celebrations. They said:
“The parade is over 9km long. No trophy lift at the end or at town hall due to expected numbers. Therefore, there is no advantage in crowding into one area and you are advised to spread along the whole route.”
Police Expect at Least 500,000 People to Attend Arsenal Bus Parade
Both Arsenal and local police are expecting at least 500,000 people to show up for the event. For context, there were an estimated 100,000 gathered at the stadium last Tuesday after Man City drew with Bournemouth, confirming the win. Aston Villa had approximately just 50,000 at their parade after winning the Europa League, while the official estimate for the City parade – celebrating Pep Guardiola and the two domestic cups they won this season – was 6,000, plus a further 14,000 in the Co-op Arena later.
It would not be a surprise if figures were actually well over that 500,000 mark either. The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust also revealed that there will be road closures near the Emirates Stadium from 4am Sunday morning, due to the number of attendees at the title parade. Fans are advised not to park anywhere nearby if they want to access their car later on the same day.
They then added that there will be no event at the stadium on the day of the parade. What’s more, the club’s official shop, the Armoury, will also be closed.
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