All posts by z3u9t.icu

As an injury-hit Arsenal toiled away to relegation strugglers Leicester City last month, manager Mikel Arteta looked to his bench in need of inspiration. Up stepped Mikel Merino.

Deployed in an unorthodox centre-forward role for the first time in his senior career, the £31.6m summer signing remarkably bagged a quick-fire brace to seal the win in the closing stages.

With the Gunners devoid of attacking options amid injuries to the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, Arteta had successfully rolled the dice, producing a tactical tweak that potentially looked like being a defining one in the title race.

Unfortunately for those in north London, that Merino moment has not provided a springboard for success, with it looking as if the Premier League crown is on its way to Merseyside, barring a shock late collapse in Liverpool.

That said, the continued centre-forward experiment has yielded results of late for the Gunners, with it potentially time to consider replicating that whacky decision with another change of position.

Mikel Merino's record at centre-forward

With Arteta having been without Havertz and Jesus against the Foxes, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka also out of action at the time, Merino was viewed as a worthy trial through the middle, after replacing Leandro Trossard late on.

To his credit, the Spaniard delivered, showcasing shades of Olivier Giroud to clinch three points for his side, having since added a further goal and assist against PSV Eindhoven, as well as the winner in the triumph over Chelsea last time out.

That latest effort in the cagey affair with the Blues came courtesy of a delightful, flicked header at the near post, with Arteta praising the way his compatriot is “winning matches” for his side, amid his “incredible” attitude.

As per Transfermarkt, the 28-year-old now boats four goals and an assist in just seven outings in that central role, a record that any natural striker would likely be more than happy with.

Indeed, any centre-forward would be delighted to have finished in the manner that Merino did against the west Londoners on Sunday, with the strikerless visitors potentially ruing their own lack of options through the middle, amid the loss of Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu to injury.

Stat

Merino

Pedro Neto

Minutes played

90

90

Touches

22

35

Goals

1

0

Assists

0

0

Key passes

0

0

Pass accuracy

91%

83%

Successful dribbles

0/0

0/2

Total duels won

5/15

1/7

Possession lost

5x

11x

As Arteta indicated, the one-time Newcastle United man showed his “value” in that tense tussle, leading the line effectively after winning five duels and recording a solid 91% pass accuracy, while getting on the scoresheet despite registering just 22 touches.

The elegant left-footer may not prove the man to take Arsenal to the title, but he has been a more than adequate stopgap. Perhaps, Arteta should consider repeating the experiment with Riccardo Calafiori.

Arteta could now repeat Arsenal's Merino experiment

What has been so impressive regarding Merino’s impact is that he hasn’t exactly been aided by those around him, excluding the tie with PSV, with Leandro Trossard looking particularly off the boil against Enzo Maresca’s side.

The Belgian winger failed to register a single key pass nor successfully complete a single dribble during his 90-minute outing, having simply offered little in the way of a threat down the left flank.

With just four goals and five assists to his name in the league this season, Trossard has hardly ripped it up, in truth, and with the aforementioned Martinelli only just making his return from injury, an alternative solution could be considered in that left-wing berth.

It could be argued that having already thrust Kieran Tierney into that attacking role of late, Arteta could repeat the trick with Calafiori, with teenage sensation Myles Lewis-Skelly having seemingly locked down the left-back berth.

Calafiori has largely operated as a centre-back or a left-back to date, although he has previously lined up as a left winger, a point outlined by Italian journalist Daniele Vierri upon the 22-year-old’s arrival last summer:

Beautifully described as “like a wild horse on the loose” by the Telegraph’s Sam Dean, the Italy international has already showcased the threat he can pose in the final third, having popped up in an advanced position to score away in the 7-1 rout of PSV.

The former Bologna man’s potentially untapped attacking potential was also on show amid his pin-point strikes against both Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the campaign, illustrating what an outlet he could be as a more permanent part of the front line.

Much like in the case of Merino, this bold new role should certainly not be a long-term solution – not with Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams again a reported summer target – yet if Arteta is looking for a short-term fit, he could do worse than trial Calafiori further forward.

Let that ‘wild horse’ roam free…

£38m Arsenal star is now "one of the best signings of the Emirates era"

Arsenal have certainly struck gold with this signing…

ByMatt Dawson Mar 17, 2025

Liverpool are closing in on the Premier League title and will have some intriguing transfer priorities up their sleeve to build on an impressive campaign at Anfield.

What do Liverpool need to do this summer?

Arne Slot will likely be given considerable financial backing after his debut season at Anfield, but he has plenty of decisions to mull over between now and the summer window.

Addressing the elephant in the room, Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract. Speculation is mounting over the trio’s long-term futures on Merseyside and they remain the central priorities from an internal standpoint.

Evaluating the squad, Liverpool may need to seek out another striker amid Darwin Nunez’s frustration at the club. The Uruguay international had interest from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in January before he was blocked from entering talks over a mid-season exit.

Sparing no prisoners, Slot didn’t want to offload important stars in the middle of a Premier League title fight, though the summer may paint a different picture as he continues to shape the squad in his own image.

Arne Slot’s signings since becoming Liverpool manager

Federico Chiesa

£12.5 million

Giorgi Mamardashvili

£29 million (joins Liverpool next season)

Taking a minimalist approach on the transfer front so far, the Dutchman has successfully maximised the capability of a squad already rich in talent since his arrival. However, the onus will be on FSG to deliver some high-profile additions in light of the Reds’ consistency under his stewardship.

The AXA Training Centre is bound to see some new faces walk through the door in a few months’ time, and Slot has now told Liverpool one star he is willing to sacrifice with his replacement already said to be lined up.

Arne Slot tells Liverpool to sell Kostas Tsimikas and sign Milos Kerkez

According to TBR, Liverpool boss Slot wants to sell Kostas Tsimikas to bring in Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, with the Cherries looking for a fee of £50 million before parting ways with the Hungary international.

AC Milan could also be a key player in negotiations. Not only are they keen on Kerkez, but they have emerged as contenders to sign Tsimikas should he be allowed to vacate the premises this summer.

£140k-p/w Liverpool star unhappy over being made to stay, FSG will sell him

Arne Slot didn’t want the star to leave mid-season with his side in the running for several trophies.

BySean Markus Clifford Mar 5, 2025

Labelled “fantastic” by journalist Ian Doyle, the latter has become a cult hero at Liverpool in his 110 appearances for the club, where he has registered 18 assists. Nevertheless, his existence as a peripheral figure was always likely to pave the way for a departure.

On the other hand, Kerkez has delivered two goals and four assists in 30 outings this season at Bournemouth. Maintaining a consistent level of performance, the 24-year-old has fashioned 24 chances and 21 successful crosses in the Premier League.

Antonee Robinson and Jorrel Hato make up two other names on Liverpool’s left-back shortlist, which is an indication they are set to go all out for a new name to challenge Andy Robertson for the starting slot at Anfield. If the Reds have designs on becoming the main force in English football, no sentiment can be shown in the pursuit of fresh blood.

Anger has largely been replaced by acceptance among those of a Manchester United persuasion, with Sunday’s FA Cup penalty shootout defeat at the hands of Fulham having almost been met by a sense of inevitability among those in Old Trafford.

To their credit, the United faithful stuck by their team even in the wake of that latest setback for Ruben Amorim and his charges, with the Stretford End uniting in a chorus of cheers for a crestfallen Joshua Zirkzee, following the Dutchman’s inability to convert the decisive spot-kick on the day.

That tame spot-kick does, however, ensure that the club have even one less thing to play for heading into the final months of this disastrous campaign, with all the Red Devils’ eggs now placed in the Europa League basket, in the bid to secure an unlikely Champions League qualification.

On the evidence of the weekend disappointment, even getting into the quarter-final stage of the continent’s second-tier competition will be a tough ask, with United in real danger of allowing the season to fade out with a whimper.

Attention then will largely turn toward the summer window and what will be yet another crucial squad overhaul for those at the Theatre of Dreams, with key decisions needing to be made all across the pitch – starting with the goalkeeper.

Andre Onana's frustrating performance vs Fulham

On the face of it, Andre Onana can reflect on a solid showing against the Cottagers last time out, having notably pulled off a handful of key saves to take the game to penalties, including a fine sprawling dive to deny Emile Smith Rowe’s curling strike.

Unfortunately for the hosts, the experienced shot-stopper was far less effective when the shootout rolled around, producing a string of “early” dives – as noted by journalist Daniel Storey – which handed a real advantage to Marco Silva’s men.

Not only did the former Inter man fail to get close to any of the away side’s four spot-kicks, but he also regularly drew the ire of those inside the Theatre of Dreams for taking an age to carry out each goal-kick, with the Cameroonian seemingly content to allow the seconds to tick by, even amid the need to chase a winner.

Stat

Record (per 90)

Ranking

Goals against

1.44

Top 44%

Save percentage

67.3%

Bottom 32%

Save % (penalties)

25%

Top 26%

Clean sheet %

25.9%

Top 34%

Touches

40.67

Top 27%

Avg. length of goal kicks

46.6

Top 31%

Crosses stopped

5.8%

Bottom 50%

Defensive actions outside area

0.67

Bottom 18%

Fresh off the back of his involvement in both of Ipswich’s goals in midweek, the 28-year-old – who has made three errors leading to a goal in the Premier League this season – hardly did himself any favours on Sunday evening, with it somewhat unfortunate that Amorim has no able deputy to call upon, following the loss of both Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton to injury.

Onana’s short-term future may then be safe, yet while he is also seemingly keen to stay put in Manchester for the 2025/26 campaign, consideration must surely be made regarding a change in the sticks, with reports in recent weeks suggesting that Amorim is craving a new number one.

If the one-time Ajax man was to be sent for the exit door this summer, it would be no surprise if he were to be joined by a man who also arrived at the club almost two years ago – Rasmus Hojlund.

The Man Utd star who looks finished under Amorim

There were audible groans directed toward Onana amid his hesitancy when getting the game restarted, yet the club’s number 24 wasn’t the only villain on the day, with young Hojlund also the subject of ironic jeers as he left the field just after the hour mark.

The struggling striker – who has now gone 18 games without a goal in all competitions – was again rather lifeless up against compatriot Joachim Andersen, having also notably lashed a rare effort wide inside the first half.

Remarkably, that attempt was one of just nine total touches that the Dane recorded on the day, having also lost the ball on five occasions and failed to complete a single attempted dribble, as well as winning just one of his five total duels.

Signed for £64m in the summer of 2023, the ex-Atalanta marksman did end last term as United’s top scorer with 16 goals across all fronts, yet a return of 23 goals in 73 games for the club in all marks a relatively meagre haul for such a costly addition.

The 21-year-old’s ongoing woes were also further exposed by the lively display of his replacement, 17-year-old Chido Obi, with the teenage sensation having been far more involved at the top end of the pitch.

Indeed, the former Arsenal youth asset lashed an effort wide after turning Calvin Bassey inside the area, while also seeing his close range effort saved by Bernd Leno from the angle.

Those missed attempts indicated that the new arrival remains rather raw, but the ability to create chances for himself – in contrast to Hojlund – was rather telling, having also been far more effective with regard to his hold-up play, having enjoyed an 80% pass accuracy rate and completed 100% of his dribbles.

Frustratingly, Obi isn’t actually eligible to feature in the Europa League, having been left off United’s updated squad list last month, ensuring Hojlund will remain as Amorim’s sole centre-forward option for the remainder of the competition.

That reprieve for the more ‘senior’ striker should seemingly be a short-term one, however, and with Serie A interest mounting ahead of the summer, a hasty exit could be in store for United’s number nine.

There is potential there, of course, as Hojlund showcased last season, yet having already been upstaged by an inexperienced teenager in recent weeks, it certainly looks as if the £85k-per-week enigma is on borrowed time under Amorim.

Man Utd star left on a free & it's become a bigger mistake than McTominay

Manchester United may have made a mistake when they allowed this star to leave.

ByDan Emery Mar 4, 2025

Liverpool are firing on all cylinders, and wrapping up the Premier League title is beginning to look like a formality after Arsenal’s depleted ranks have seen them drop away from the summit.

The Gunners will no doubt feel aggrieved over the incessant injury blows that have disrupted their campaign, but Liverpool have always looked like the best team in this league, right from the offing.

With just one loss all season, the top-flight table-toppers are thriving under Arne Slot, having kept more clean sheets (12) than any other team, taking control through their robust and dynamic midfield and indeed putting teams to the sword with a frightening frontline, headed by Mohamed Salah.

Salah is taking all the individual accolades and will have one eye on the Ballon d’Or ceremony later this year, but winning titles is the main thing for this incredible forward.

It’s unthinkable that he might be playing elsewhere after the summer.

Potential Salah replacements at Liverpool

Like Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Salah is out of contract at the end of the season. The consensus is that the elder stars will pen new deals, as per David Ornstein, though Trent’s situation is more nebulous with Real Madrid desperate to reel him in.

Internally, Liverpool have some fitting Salah replacements from a positional standpoint. Federico Chiesa typically plays off the right, while Ben Doak has been making headway on loan with Middlesbrough in the Championship this season.

However, both are dwarfed when up against the 32-year-old’s giddy level.

Spanish sources have long claimed that Real Madrid’s Rodrygo is on the shortlist to replace the 32-year-old, while Brentford bagman Bryan Mbeumo has more recently been touted as a suitable like-for-like successor.

Liverpool were understood to have placed Jarrod Bowen at the top of the shopping list when Saudi Arabian suitors wanted to sign Salah for £150m in August 2023.

Indeed, the West Ham United skipper is valued in the £100m ballpark as West Ham view him in the same bracket as Declan Rice, who joined Arsenal for £105m in 2023.

Bowen’s a good player, but £100m is no small haul. In fact, FSG must kick themselves for selling their own version of the Three Lions star, who was cheap as chips and capable from a utility role before being sold by Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool sold their own Jarrod Bowen Where Are They Now

Those of a Liverpool persuasion are waiting with bated breath as Salah’s future remains undetermined – in four months, he will be a free agent – but it does feel like the £350k-per-week sensation will extend and see out his final prime years on Merseyside.

Forking out £100m for the 28-year-old Bowen doesn’t feel very FSG, and plans will instead be mapped out for a success plan while Salah still plies his art at the club, in all likelihood.

Given that Liverpool had their own lite version in Takumi Minamino, such intrigue could have been parked long ago, with the Japan international joining Liverpool from RB Salzburg in January 2020 after Klopp was impressed by his display against the Reds in the Champions League.

With a £7m release clause, it was a no-brainer, an astute piece of business to shore up the frontline and provide cover for Salah. Chiesa’s arrival last summer echoed this former package, and you have to wonder whether there was ever any need for the £150k-per-week Italian at all, for Minamino’s versatile qualities could have seen him play a longer-standing role.

In fairness, the 30-year-old detailed frustrations over his bit-part role, but he could have been sated with further opportunities, having proved his worth through crucial Carabao Cup and FA Cup in 2021/22, notching eight goal contributions in total as the Merseysiders won both titles.

Make no mistake, Minamino is not good enough to succeed or even rival Salah, who has recently been described as the “best player in the world” by Sky Sports’ Melissa Reddy.

However, he does have the kind of profile that Liverpool have enjoyed over recent years, not least because FSG signed him and won titles with him.

Indeed, Minamino’s inclination toward cutting inside and striking on goal has seen FBref record West Ham’s Bowen as one of his most statistically similar players, for the Three Lions star is regarded as a constant danger for defenders with crisp dribbling and passing and an innate striker’s instinct.

At Monaco, the Japan winger has enjoyed a nice resurgence, scoring 16 goals and adding 15 assists across 85 appearances, starting 67 of those fixtures. His balanced output offers further similarities to Bowen’s clinical yet creative game.

24/25

23 (23)

7

4

23/24

34 (34)

16

6

22/23

38 (36)

6

6

21/22

36 (34)

12

10

20/21

38 (30)

8

5

19/20

13 (11)

1

4

He hasn’t always achieved the most emphatic clinical success, but Bowen has proved himself to be one of the Premier League’s most able forwards, so often a beacon of hope for a West Ham team who have lifted a European title and enjoyed several seasons up against the biggest hitters but have struggled in the bottom half of the division both this season and last.

Liverpool’s frontline, so replete with quality, doesn’t require Bowen’s services, but Minamino’s retained presence could have saved money for FSG while providing a flexible threat to supplement the likes of Salah.

After all, Minamino has scored six goals and five assists from 32 matches for Monaco this season. For context, Darwin Nunez has identical numbers from 36 appearances across all competitions at Liverpool. Might Minamino be a more capable asset in Slot’s squad?

Liverpool sold him to Monaco for £15m in 2022, turning a tidy profit, so there can’t be too heavy grievances, but the fact remains he would have been a worthy asset who fit that Bowen-like profile Liverpool admire and avoided needless signings such as that of Chiesa.

Minamino was “undervalued” at Liverpool, so says journalist Josh Bunting, and his likeness to Bowen shows he could have been more of an asset.

Slot is creating his own Gordon in Liverpool's "special" 17-year-old

Liverpool are gearing up for a long and successful chapter under Arne Slot’s leadership.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 27, 2025

The Championship has seen some iconic forwards down the years and some players who instantly remind you of the second tier. From Teemu Pukki to Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, there have been plenty of natural goalscorers over the last 20 seasons, with many going on to win the Golden Boot.

But who have been the previous winners of the end-of-season award? Here is a list of every Championship Golden Boot winner since 2004/05, with a detailed look at the last 10 recipients of the prize.

Season

Player

Club(s)

Goals

2004/05

Nathan Ellington

Wigan Athletic

24

2005/06

Marlon King

Watford

22

2006/07

Jamie Cureton

Colchester United

23

2007/08

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake

Wolves

23

2008/09

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake

Wolves

25

2009/10

Peter Whittingham

Cardiff City

20

2010/11

Danny Graham

Watford

24

2011/12

Rickie Lambert

Southampton

27

2012/13

Glenn Murray

Crystal Palace

30

2013/14

Ross McCormack

Leeds United

28

2014/15

Daryl Murphy

Ipswich Town

27

2015/16

Andre Gray

Brentford/Burnley

25

2016/17

Chris Wood

Leeds United

27

2017/18

Matej Vydra

Derby County

21

2018/19

Teemu Pukki

Norwich City

29

2019/20

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Fulham

26

2020/21

Ivan Toney

Brentford

31

2021/22

Aleksandar Mitrovic

Fulham

43

2022/23

Chuba Akpom

Middlesbrough

28

2023/24

Sammie Szmodics

Blackburn Rovers

27

The 10 best players in the Championship right now

The second tier is providing great entertainment and drama once again, but which stars are standing out?

1 ByCharlie Smith Feb 14, 2025 10 Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town) 2014/15 (27 goals)

During the 2014/15 season, Bournemouth and Watford secured automatic promotion, scoring more than 90 goals en route to the Premier League.

However, the top scorer that season was Daryl Murphy of Ipswich Town, who scored six more than Troy Deeney and Blackburn’s Jordan Rhodes. The Tractor Boys finished in the play-off places but lost out to rivals Norwich City.

9 Andre Gray (Brentford, Burnley) 2015/16 (25 goals)

In his prime, Andre Gray had electric pace and was clinical in front of goal, and scored two of his 25 goals in 2015/16 for Brentford.

He left the Bees for Burnley towards the end of the transfer window for a club-record fee and instantly repaid the faith shown in him by those at Turf Moor.

The Clarets won the title and finished on 93 points, with Gray scoring 25 times in total, four more than Abel Hernandez and Ross McCormack.

The 15 most expensive signings in EFL Championship history

The second tier has had its fair share of mega-money deals.

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 3, 2025 8 Chris Wood (Leeds United) 2016/17 (27 goals)

New Zealand international Chris Wood found a home at Leeds United and starred during the 2016/17 campaign, but the Whites finished just outside the play-off places.

He scored 27 of Leeds’ 61 goals under Garry Monk that season, four more than Dwight Gayle of Newcastle and Glenn Murray of Brighton, with those two sides winning automatic promotion.

7 Matej Vydra (Derby County) 2017/18 (21 goals)

Matej Vydra scored the lowest number of goals to pick up the Golden Boot award over the last 10 years, with 21 goals in 40 Championship appearances for Derby County in 2017/18.

The Czech forward mainly played as a second striker under Gary Rowett, with the Rams losing out in the play-offs to Fulham.

6 Teemu Pukki (Norwich City) 2018/19 (29 goals)

Daniel Farke built one of the best Championship teams ever seen in 2018/19, with Teemu Pukki firing Norwich City to the Premier League.

The Finnish forward was clinical in front of goal and scored 29 goals in the 2018/19 season. Pukki also netted 10 times for his country in 2019 in a real purple patch of his career.

The 10 best Championship play-off finals – ranked

This year’s final is drawing closer.

ByCharlie Smith May 23, 2024 5 Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) 2019/20 (26 goals)

In truth, Aleksandar Mitrovic was always going to be too good for the Championship, and after netting 11 times in the Premier League the year before, it wasn’t a surprise that he was the Golden Boot winner in 2019/20.

Fulham didn’t win automatic promotion, but they did go straight back up via the play-offs, with Mitrovic setting up Joe Bryan in the Wembley final against Brentford.

4 Ivan Toney (Brentford) 2020/21 (31 goals)

It is rare to see a player break the 30-goal mark in the Championship, but that is what Ivan Toney managed to do for Brentford in 2020/21.

The Bees, under Thomas Frank, won promotion via the play-offs, and Toney’s 31 goals and 10 assists ensured a third-place finish. Toney wasn’t done there, though, and found the back of the net against Bournemouth in the play-off semi-final and against Swansea City at Wembley.

3 Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) 2021/22 (43 goals)

A record-breaking campaign in 2021/22 saw Mitrovic make the list once again, with the Serbian netting an incredible 43 times in 44 appearances, while also registering seven assists that year.

The powerful striker netted two hat-tricks and nine braces as Fulham won the title, scoring 106 goals in the process. Mitrovic finished a whopping 14 goals clear of Dominic Solanke at Bournemouth.

The highest points tallies in Championship history

Leeds and Burnley recently made second-tier history.

ByCharlie Smith May 17, 2025 2 Chuba Akpom (Middlesbrough) 2022/23 (28 goals)

Middlesbrough were the second-highest scorers in the Championship in 2022/23 but failed to go up, with top goalscorer Chuba Akpom leaving the Riverside for Ajax.

Akpom scored seven more than Viktor Gyokeres of Coventry City and won the Player of the Year award as well as the Golden Boot, in what has proven to be the prime of his career.

1 Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers) 2023/24 (27 goals)

An attacking midfielder who played for a Blackburn Rovers side battling relegation in 2023/24, Sammie Szmodics somehow managed to score 27 goals for Rovers.

Without him, those at Ewood Park would have surely been relegated to League One. Szmodics sealed Blackburn’s survival with a brace at champions Leicester City on the final day, seeing his second-tier tally hit 27. He left months later for Ipswich Town.

The EFL Championship's top goalscorers of all time

The second tier has seen plenty of great goalscorers, but who leads the charts?

ByStephan Georgiou Feb 15, 2024

It has been a tough start to life at Manchester United for new manager Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese manager replaced Erik ten Hag midway through the season, but it has been a baptism of fire for the former Sporting CP boss.

So far, Amorim has managed 20 games at the helm of the Old Trafford club. In that time, the Red Devils have won ten, drawn two and lost eight. Having a positive record is something, but losses such as a 2-0 away defeat to Wolves and Crystal Palace springing a surprise by winning 2-0 at Old Trafford have been frustrating.

There has been much conversation about Amorim’s back three system, but it seems like he will not be switching things up. One of the most crucial parts of his system is at wing-back, which has been a struggle at times for United.

Why wing-backs are important for Amorim’s system

Amorim sets up his side in a 3-4-2-1 system, with two number 10s in behind the striker and wing-backs responsible for creating width in the absence of wingers, looking to get crosses into the box.

This season, it is a role that has been occupied by full-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui, and wingers such as Amad, and, at times Alejandro Garnacho. New signing Patrick Dorgu has also been signed to play as a wing-back.

Nick Wright, an analyst for Sky Sports, explained the use of Amoirm’s wing-backs in an article shortly after his appointment. He explained that they “are primarily attacking weapons, responsible for providing width and contributing goals and assists”.

This has not necessarily been the case throughout Amorim’s tenure. We have seen his wing-backs either struggle to contribute to goals, or underlap the number 10s rather than always hold width, although the latter is clearly an instruction from Amorim. Amad has been a success story in this position, managing to score a hat-trick there against Southampton in a 3-1 win.

There is one player who could have excelled in this role, but he has struggled for fitness this season and has barely had any involvement under Amorim.

INEOS must sell one of Amorim's wing-backs

It has been a really tough campaign for the experienced Luke Shaw. He has been sidelined with several injuries for the majority of 2024/25 and has currently missed 53 games with three separate fitness issues.

In total, the England international has managed just three appearances all season. He has not played since the 1st December against Everton when he made a 34-minute substitute cameo in a 4-0 win.

Despite his injury problems, the 29-year-old has been a stalwart at Old Trafford in the 11 years he has played for the club. He has played 278 games in the famous red shirt in total, scoring four goals and grabbing 28 assists in that time.

At one point during his Red Devils career, Shaw was incredibly highly thought of by many people. Gary Neville, who knows what it takes to succeed as a full-back at Old Trafford, once called him “the best left back in the country”.

However, perhaps it is time for the Red Devils to cut their losses in their number 23. Shaw is a fantastic player, but his injury issues are such a big roadblock to him playing regular football. Given he earns £150k per week, the joint sixth-highest earner at the club, United could save themselves a fortune and reinvest the money.

£350k

£18.2m

Casemiro

£300k

£15.6m

Bruno Fernandes

£250k

£13m

Mason Mount

£195k

£10.4m

Matthijs de Ligt

£190k

£10.14m

Harry Maguire

£150k

£7.8m

Shaw, Eriksen

It is frustrating that United fans are yet to see the England ace play as a wing-back under Amorim. Whilst his body may not be able to handle to demand of getting up and down the flank, he is technically a perfect option to slot into the role. Of course, he also scored one of the most famous goals in England’s history from that very position, the opener in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.

It is a real shame that Shaw’s injuries have hampered his career at Old Trafford. Had he not been so affected by fitness issues over the decade he has spent as a United player, he could have consistently been the “best”, as Neville rated him.

Perhaps he can get back to full fitness and over his injury issues once and for all, but it would certainly be hard to blame United if they decided to cut their losses in Shaw sooner or later.

Cost £19m, now worth more than Dorgu: Man Utd struck gold on amazing star

This was a rare strong investment from Manchester United

ByJoe Nuttall Feb 10, 2025