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Man Utd Rival Aston Villa For Koopmeiners

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Manchester United are reportedly on a collision course with Aston Villa as they add another name to their midfield shortlist.

Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos became Michael Carrick’s first two signings as permanent coach when they arrived earlier this summer. A third midfielder has been expected to join them at Old Trafford but the club have yet to make a concrete move for any of their targets.

With the new season just under three weeks away, United continue to explore the market for another midfielder to strengthen Carrick’s squad. While Aurelien Tchouameni appears to be their dream signing, they might opt for a less expensive option.

Man Utd Eyeing Teun Koopmeiners

Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus) REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

United have already been linked with a Serie A midfielder as Manu Kone is on INEOS’ radar following an impressive World Cup campaign. The AS Roma star is likely to cost less than Tchouameni and that might persuade the higher-ups to swoop.

They are, however, reportedly also eyeing Juventus’ Teun Koopmeiners, and the Dutchman is available after falling down Luciano Spalletti’s pecking order. Calciomercato reports that the Italians are demanding around £25 million (€30m) to sell the 28-year-old who has three years left on his contract.

The report also states that Juve could be open to a loan deal with an obligation to buy if certain objectives are achieved. A departure is looking increasingly likely and Old Trafford isn’t the only possible destination for the experienced midfielder.

Villa are also interested as Unai Emery looks to continue rebuilding his midfield. He could be viewed as Tielemans’ replacement if he does head to Villa Park.

Koopmeiners, described as a “special” player, has made a name for himself in Serie A, firstly impressing at Atalanta where he won the Europa League in 2024. He headed to Turin in the summer of 2024 but hasn’t managed to replicate the heights of his time at Gewiss Stadium.

Fees correct prior to summer 2026

All 10 found — excellent!

Koopmeiners Should Be A Last Resort For United

Michael Carrick Manchester United manager (2026) via Reuters

Koopmeiners, at his best, has been called ‘one of the best midfielders in the world ‘ and has plenty of attributes that Carrick likes in a midfielder, with a playmaking profile that sees him calm and composed in possession while dictating play. He has a high footballing IQ and can come up with the odd goal or two.

That said, last season was a disappointing one for the Netherlands international, heavily criticised for a drop in form and inconsistency. He made 45 appearances across competitions, scoring two goals and providing one assist.

With Spalletti not fancying the Dutchman, it does seem odd for United to swoop for a player coming off the back of a poor campaign. The return of Douglas Luiz has jeopardised his game time at the Allianz Stadium.

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Former WWE Superstar EC3 Worries Fans as Footage Goes Viral

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Former WWE Superstar EC3 has sparked concern among wrestling fans as footage of his entrance at an indie event for ASW Canada has gone viral.

The four-time 24/7 champion was competing against Leon Lokombo for the ASW Heavyweight Championship. But the 43-year-old caught everyone’s attention before even reaching the ring, with his first few steps into the venue getting worried fans talking online.

Comments quickly flooded in as the TNA star didn’t look in the best condition of his career.

EC3 Sparks Concern With Wrestling Entrance

EC3 in WWE

Introduced by the ring announcer as the ‘Top One Percent’, EC3 looked extremely uncomfortable when walking towards the squared circle. Along with his limp, the veteran appeared to have a pained expression across his face.

Some fans pointed out his bloated stomach and overall physique. EC3, however, appeared determined to remain in character. Still, the final part of his entrance saw him resume limping after briefly posing for the crowd.

He was recently absent from TNA television, and was questioned by writer Mike Johnson. To which he replied: “Michael, I was piledriven through both a table and spiked on an open chair. That was after Eric Young stomped on my d**k 17 times. Those are wounds that require some time and solitude to regroup and strategise.”

Fans have now expressed concern after seeing the clip, which has more than two million views on X. One claimed the ex-WWE star was trying to keep his struggles under wraps, saying:

“Trying to hide his hands shaking by going into his character pose is scary as hell. Hope someone close to him reaches out and gets him the help he needs.”

Another suggested pain in his back and glutes could be the source of his problems: “Is it me or is he not moving around very well? Stiffness and pain in the lower back and glutes.”

Others weren’t convinced he should’ve been out there in the first place, with one saying: “Does not look in condition to perform,” and another adding: “This is so hard to watch.”

“Dude’s 43 and moves like he’s 70,” was a less sympathetic fan view. Regardless of any theories surrounding the health of EC3, most fans were quick to wish him well.

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Ipswich Close to £20m Deal to Sign Burnley Star Florentino Luis

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Ipswich Town are closing in on a deal to sign Burnley midfielder Florentino Luis on a permanent move, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.

The Tractor Boys have had a major summer of change after manager Kieran McKenna stepped down following a third promotion in four seasons at the helm, helping the team back to the Premier League. Gary O’Neil was brought in as his replacement, and the club have so far made eight first-team signings, including deals for striker Emerson, forward Daizen Maeda, and goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen.

But the club are still keen to make more additions before the Premier League season starts in three weeks, and the club are now close to a new addition in midfield.

Sources: Ipswich Close to Florentino Deal

Florentino Luis Action Images via Reuters

Luis, who has been described as ‘exceptional’, joined Burnley on loan with an obligation to buy from Benfica last summer, with the club agreeing to pay around £20m overall.

The Portuguese midfielder made 31 appearances in the Premier League as the club fell down to the Championship following a disappointing campaign, but he is now set to depart the club for a return to the top flight.

GIVEMESPORT sources understand that Ipswich are close to agreeing a deal to bring the combative midfielder to Portman Road for a fee in the region of £17m. Ipswich are now working on agreeing personal terms with the player, before a medical will be scheduled.

GIVEMESPORT understands that newly-promoted side Hull City have also been in advanced talks over a deal for the 26-year-old, but they are now out of the race and will pursue alternative targets.

Luis had previously made 183 appearances for Benfica before making the move to England, where he won two league titles.

Fees correct prior to summer 2026

All 10 found — excellent!

Ipswich Strengthening for 26/27 Season

Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Gary O'Neil on the touchline

Ipswich have had a busy window so far, and the expectation is that they will be pushing to battle against relegation in better fashion than they did two seasons ago.

The club have spent around £85m so far to bring in eight players across a number of positions. Abdul Fatawu, Cedric Kipre, Chuba Akpom, and Issa Diop all have previous Premier League experience, while Emerson, Scherpen, and Maeda all have experience at the highest level.

The squad is stronger than last season, and there is expected to be more to come before the September 1st deadline, with Luis now looking likely to arrive.

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20 WWE Superstars With Most PPV/PLE Defeats

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WWE is no stranger to long-tenured wrestlers throughout its history, the longest being The Undertaker, who competed from 1990 to 2020. As an active wrestler, Triple H spent 25 years in the squared circle, including his time as Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Kane went from 1997 to 2021 (though Glenn Jacobs debuted as Isaac Yankem in 1995).

Of the current roster, Randy Orton is the flag bearer, debuting in 2002. He was alongside John Cena, but after her retired at the end of 2025, The Viper is the longest-serving active WWE Superstar right now.

With Cena having wrestled, and lost, his final WWE PLE match of his career at Survivor Series 2025, below is a look at the top 20 Superstars to have lost the most times in PPV/PLEs, according to wrestlingdata.com.

20 WWE Superstars with most PLE/PPV defeats (20-11)

Position

Superstar

Defeats

20.

Cody Rhodes

57

19.

Dustin Rhodes (Goldust)

58

18.

Matt Hardy

58

17.

Drew McIntyre

60

16.

Shawn Michaels

60

15.

Seth Rollins

61

14.

Edge

65

13.

Sheamus

66

12.

Jeff Hardy

68

11.

The Undertaker

69

10

John Cena

Losses: 73

John Cena salutes crowd

Cena’s intermittent appearances since 2017 have potentially saved him a lot more losses and a spot further up the list, though, his 14 years as a full-timer involved enough defeats to put him 10th.

On the PPV/PLE stage, Cena is best known for his WrestleMania tussles with The Rock; the first at WrestleMania 28 earned one of the 17-time champ’s 73 losses on the big stage. Most of his losses on such an occasion came courtesy of Randy Orton, as since their duel debut their careers have been intertwined with each other, most recently at 2025’s Backlash. His contemporaries when at a paid event also include Edge, Batista, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker, who pinned Cena in under five minutes in their WrestleMania 34 squash match.

9

Rey Mysterio

Losses: 74

Rey Mysterio

The biggest little man in the history of sports entertainment debuted in 2002 after the collapse of WCW. Mysterio‘s size has been a contributing factor to defeat 74 times.

He is best known for his high-profile rivalry with Eddie Guerrero, which included a match for the custody of his son, Dominik, in a ladder match at SummerSlam 2005. The two-time world heavyweight champion’s most consistent opponents on PPV/PLE are those of Kurt Angle and former friend and foe, Batista. Other foes include: The Undertaker, Kane, Cody Rhodes, R Truth, and Chris Jericho.

8

Kofi Kingston

Losses: 79

wwe-kofi-kingston

A 17-year veteran who has suffered 79 losses on PPV, Kingston is an exception as many of those shortcomings have come in tag team matches, but he has also had his fair share of singles matches that haven’t gone his way.

In singles competition, he lost to the likes of Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, and Dolph Ziggler. Such losses made Kingston’s 2019 run, which culminated in him becoming WWE Champion after defeating Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35, all the more satisfying.

7

Dolph Ziggler

Losses: 82

Dolph Ziggler

The Show-Off has had plenty of rivalries that have had their blow off at a marquee event. All credit to Ziggler, many have been for a mid-card championship, like the Intercontinental or United States Championship.

Though he has come up short to the likes of Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, and Seth Rollins on the same stage, Ziggler should be held in high regard as a PPV and PLE specialist, given the amount of such he has appeared at.

6

Triple H

Losses: 83

WWE Triple H, Posing Top Rope

The reason for the legendary Triple H being so high on the list can be somewhat pointed to his 10-14 record at WrestleMania, three of which were to The Undertaker.

HHH competed in 105 title matches on the biggest stages, and though he became a 14-time champion, he was defeated by the likes of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Shawn Michaels, Daniel Bryan, The Rock, and Batista in front of the big crowds.

5

Chris Jericho

Losses: 88

WWE Chris Jericho

Stuck on 88 losses is multiple-time champion Chris Jericho, who has had loads of high-profile rivalries that resulted in a match at a big event.

These include Shawn Michaels, Edge, The Undertaker, John Cena, AJ Styles, and Kevin Owens. His championship matches totalled 43, but 24 of his total number of defeats came in such tussles. He also holds a negative WrestleMania record of 5-8.

4

The Big Show

Losses: 89

the-big-show

In his 143 matches, The Big Show has been defeated a fair few times on such occasions, by the likes of John Cena, The Undertaker, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and Brock Lesnar.

Though he only came out on the right side of PPV/PLE’s 52 times, Big Show can take pride in the fact that the matches he did lose and those who did best him were of the highest calibre, having also had a number of title matches himself.

3

The Miz

Losses: 99

The Miz

A wildcard entry for many, The Miz has been a part of WWE since 2006, and has competed in 150 PPV/PLE matches. The Intercontinental Championship scene was his kingdom for a number of years, and for a period of time in 2010-11 it was the main event scene.

Many of his PPV/PLE losses have come as a result of him losing those titles. At 2011’s Extreme Rules, he lost the WWE title in a steel cage match, which also involved John Morrison, to John Cena. At WrestleMania 34, in a triple threat match also with Finn Balor, he lost the Intercontinental title to Seth Rollins.

2

Randy Orton

Losses: 110

Randy Orton

Given he has been a constant full-time competitor, it’s no surprise to see The Viper so high on the list, accumulating 110 losses in his many years with the company.

His list of conquerors includes a who’s who of legendary Superstars; The Undertaker, John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Brock Lesnar, Rey Mysterio, and Kane to name a few, and even one to Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam 2006.

The 14-time champion has had over 190 matches at a PPV or PLE.

1

Kane

Losses: 110

Kane is a WWE Hall of Famer

The total number of PPV/PLE matches for The Big Red Machine is 187, also with a WrestleMania record of 8-1, many of which have been with his kayfabe brother, The Undertaker. The first came in Kane’s first appearance at Bad Blood 1997 and also included WrestleMania 14 and 20, along with Hell in a Cell 2010. Out of those tussles, the tally is 2-1 to The Deadman.

The Devil’s Favourite Demon, though not best known for them, can also say that he has been in a respectable number of PPV/PLE title matches, and a vast majority of those he has tasted defeat against have a claim to be on the Mount Rushmore of WWE.

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