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Despite the phenomenal effort by Bruno Fernandes in 2024/25, Manchester United simply haven’t been good enough in attacking areas, undoubtedly contributing to their lowly league standing.

The Portuguese international has notched a staggering 33 combined goals and assists in all competitions, but has been alone in his attempts to transform their fortunes in recent months.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund have both shared the responsibility of leading the line for Ruben Amorim, but have both been massively disappointing and struggled to provide the goods.

The aforementioned pair have only netted six Premier League goals between them this campaign, leading to huge rumours over new additions this summer.

One player in particular has emerged as a key target, with the club wasting no time in identifying players to make amends for the dismal season this time around.

The latest on Matheus Cunha’s move to United

Over the last week, huge rumours have emerged linking Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Cunha with a move to join United this summer, as the hierarchy looks to back Amorim in the market.

The Brazilian, who’s registered 18 combined goals and assists in the league this season, currently has a £62.5m release clause within his current contract – something which the club could look to exploit.

According to Fabrizio Romano’s latest update, the 25-year-old is keen on a move to Old Trafford this summer, with the hierarchy willing to trigger his release clause and being confident of completing a deal.

However, they could turn their attention to another summer target in the form of Villarreal star Alex Baena, who’s emerged as an alternative to Cunha for the upcoming window.

According to Spanish journalist Eduardo Burgos, United have already entered talks with the Spanish side over a deal for the 23-year-old, who has a £50m release clause.

Why Baena would be a better signing than Cunha

There’s no denying that Cunha is a fantastic talent, as seen by his tally of goals and assists this season, but the only major concern is his attitude issues that have prevented him from starring further in 2024/25.

He received a two-match ban for an incident after the clash with Ipswich Town, whilst also receiving a separate four-game suspension for headbutting Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

If he is to move to Old Trafford this summer, there’s hope that Amorim will be able to separate that side of his game, allowing him to become a key member of the side.

However, it’s a huge amount of money to spend with a risk lingering over his head, potentially opening the door for a move for Spanish star Baena in the coming months.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats from the ongoing campaign, the LaLiga ace has managed to outperform the Brazilian star in numerous key areas, showcasing what a superb addition he would be to Amorim’s squad.

Baena, who’s been labelled a “creative machine” by one analyst, has managed more progressive passes per 90, along with a higher tally of passes into the final third, highlighting his ability to find his teammates in attacking areas.

The 23-year-old is best suited in a role behind the striker, but that hasn’t stopped him from achieving a higher goal per shot on target rate and more shot-creating actions than the Wolves star.

Games played

27

28

Goals & assists

13

18

Progressive passes

6.7

4.7

Goals per shot-on-target

0.4

0.3

Passes into final third

3.5

3.2

Shot-creating actions

6.1

4.2

Aerials won

46%

27%

He’s also won more of the aerial battles he’s entered, offering Amorim a dangerous all-round option alongside Fernandes in the number 10 role at Old Trafford.

It’s unclear whether Cunha would be signed to play as the focal option or slightly deeper, but if it’s for the latter, there’s no denying that Baena would be a better option this summer.

Given his age, he has the ability to improve further in the years to come, playing a vital role in Amorim’s ambitions of taking the club back to the heights they’ve achieved in previous years.

Amorim's next Gyokeres: Man Utd hold talks to sign "unplayable" £70m star

It isn’t just Matheus Cunha who could be on their way to Man Utd this summer

ByRobbie Walls Apr 23, 2025

The batters’ decision-making and execution were found wanting as they went down quickly on the final day in Kanpur

Mohammad Isam01-Oct-2024Mominul Haque sat with an empty look on his face in the Bangladesh dressing room minutes after his dismissal on the fifth day of the second Kanpur Test. Such empty looks have been a common sight among the visitors during this Test series where Bangladesh have been comprehensively out-thought by India.Mominul had employed the sweep productively in the first innings on his way to an unbeaten 107. But in the second dig, Rohit Sharma moved KL Rahul to leg-slip as an aggressive move. Within three balls, the fielding change paid off for India and the sweep brought about Mominul’s fall.India have almost been unbeatable at home for the last 12 years. But that hasn’t allowed complacency to seep into their system. Instead, they have looked like a team that plans meticulously, and more importantly, executes those plans with precision. How Bangladesh responded to their approach was, however, disappointing.Related

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Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe didn’t see anything wrong in Mominul playing the sweep shot, but said that his side’s decision-making and execution were found wanting on the fifth day in Kanpur.”We didn’t talk about survival [on the fifth day],” Hathurusinghe said after Bangladesh went down seven wickets. “We thought of playing according to the conditions and strength of the individuals. If you defend and get caught at bat-pad, it is the same when getting out sweeping on a wicket like this. If the batsman thinks his best form of defence or getting off strike, is a sweep shot rather than the defensive shot, that’s his option.”Execution probably let us down in this [second] innings. If you look at Mominul yesterday, he swept really well. I am sure they are disappointed at some of the dismissals and the decision-making. What stands out for me is that we lost a wicket when there’s been a bowling change. We didn’t give ourselves enough time to get used to the new bowler.”Mominul walking into India’s trap was typical of Bangladesh’s batters during this Test series. They have generally fallen in three scenarios. India’s well-planned traps were one thing, but the Bangladesh batters also hastily attacked a bowler early in his spell, and there were instances of losing concentration after seeing off a mini battle. There were examples of all three during the fifth day in Kanpur.

“We don’t have much time to make drastic changes. We have to improve our execution and decision-making.”Chandika Hathurusinghe on the changes needed before the series against South Africa

Of the three times Mushfiqur fell to Jasprit Bumrah in the Test series, his dismissal in the first innings in Kanpur was a well-thought-out plan. He packed the slip cordon which prevented Mushfiqur from playing at away-going deliveries. Bumrah then slipped a length ball that decked in, which Mushfiqur left like he was leaving the other deliveries.It wasn’t just Mushfiqur among the experienced lot to fall for such plans. Litton Das giving Rohit a catch at mid-off in the first innings was India trying to make him do something out of the ordinary. Litton could have seen off Mohammed Siraj’s spell, but instead charged the bowler, and although Rohit took a great catch, the shot was a result of a set plan. Shakib Al Hasan miscuing a heave against R Ashwin on the fourth day, the ball after hitting him for a four over extra cover, was another example.Shakib charged out of the crease again, which Ashwin definitely saw coming, so he bowled it slightly quicker but with a bit of dip on the ball and the allrounder fell into the trap.Bangladesh’s batters were also guilty of haste. Perhaps they didn’t want the Indian bowlers to execute their plans, but their choice of shot was confusing. On the fifth day in Kanpur, captain Najmul Hossain Shanto missed a reverse-sweep off the first ball he faced from Ravindra Jadeja. The shot felt unnecessary at the time and sparked a collapse after a 55-run stand for the fourth wicket.Hathurusinghe, however, said the reverse sweep was always on given how much the batters practice it, especially when they see it as an option on a spinning pitch. “[Playing the reverse sweep] is an individual and team plan as well. We are playing on a spinning wicket,” he said. “If the defence is getting challenged, it is a strategy to play the reverse sweep if you have practiced hard on the shot.”Falling just after seeing off a good spell or after batting well for a short period also brought about plenty of headaches in both Tests. Bangladesh’s last wicket in Kanpur was of Mushfiqur trying to slog Bumrah off the last ball before lunch.Ravindra Jadeja broke through with Najmul Hossain Shanto’s wicket•AFP/Getty ImagesShadman Islam had earlier fallen just after getting to his half-century with Sunil Gavaskar on air pointing out that the opener played a shot of a batter who got relaxed after reaching a milestone. He remarked that Shadman might not have played the shot, having shown control against deliveries outside the off stump all morning, if he hadn’t reached his fifty.Hathurusinghe agreed that the top-order had to make better decisions in the upcoming Test series against South Africa at home. “We don’t have much time to make drastic changes, ” he said. “We have to improve our execution and decision-making. We will be playing on different surfaces back home. We have to take it into account, and the opposition bowlers.”A cluster of wickets falling after a bit of a recovery isn’t just the top order’s problem. The middle order suffered from it, too. Litton and Shakib played needless shots after getting Bangladesh out of trouble with a decent partnership in the first innings in Chennai. Litton was caught in the deep while Shakib miscued a reverse sweep. In the second innings, Zakir Hasan and Shadman saw off a testing period in the second innings, before falling to tame dismissals.Bangladesh’s lack of fight in the two Tests was disappointing. They lost in three-and-a-half days in Chennai, while lasing technically just under two days in Kanpur. They had arrived in India on the back of a historic 2-0 win against Pakistan.This 2-0 defeat against India doesn’t necessarily cancel out their good showing in Pakistan, but it rams home the point that Bangladesh are a side still short of competing against top sides consistently. They weren’t expected to win 2-0 in Pakistan but they applied themselves in the best possible way. They, however, couldn’t withstand India’s heightened challenge, and now have to go back to the drawing board before the home series against South Africa later this month.

A belligerent T10 campaign has followed success in the CPL, but no franchise league, he says, can match “the charm of representing Pakistan”

Aadam Patel29-Nov-2022Azam Khan has always had big boots to fill; of course, he would, as the son of former Pakistan cricketer Moin Khan.Perhaps a debut at international level came a tad too early. Or he didn’t really get a proper chance? Azam played three T20Is for Pakistan in July 2021, batting twice and scoring just six runs off the seven deliveries he faced. But he hasn’t played at the highest level since.Surely his time will come again; it is question of when rather than if. But right now, Azam is striking the ball as well as he has ever done.Related

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Fresh from an impressive CPL campaign where his 257 runs were second only to Faf du Plessis in terms of overseas players, Azam was in fine touch again in Abu Dhabi. His 47* off 21 deliveries was a joy to watch on Monday night, as New York Strikers became the first team to defeat Moeen Ali’s Morrisville Samp Army at the Abu Dhabi T10, winning by 12 runs.Azam’s hitting was sweet throughout, but in the disdainful way he treated two experienced pace bowlers in Sheldon Cottrell and Anrich Nortje caught the eye in particular.The 24-year-old took Cottrell for 16 in the seventh over, first slamming one over long-on for six before audaciously sweeping him over deep backward square leg for six more, and finishing the over with a scoop to the boundary.Off Nortje, Azam went 6, 4, 6 before the South African trapped him with a yorker to leave Azam just three short of his half-century. He now has 118 runs in 67 balls across four games in Season 6 of the Abu Dhabi T10 at an average just shy of 40, and looks to be going from strength to strength. Post-match, Azam spoke of the way he has worked on his hitting against pace bowlers.”I’ve been practising on really high speeds on the bowling machine whenever I’m not playing, so I’m not afraid of pace anymore,” he said. “There was a perspective in Pakistan that I can’t face pace, but I’m playing all over the globe now [while] scoring runs. It’s tough but you have to be on your feet every time and work hard in the gym, which I am doing.”In the clash of the new franchises, Strikers struck first with a total of 110 despite losing wickets throughout. Kieron Pollard had to use eight bowlers but they did the job to put Strikers level on points with Samp Army.First Pollard removed the dangerous Johnson Charles, before Paul Stirling picked up the prize wicket of David Miller. But Moeen and Shimron Hetmyer kept Samp Army in the game, and after they took Ravi Rampaul for 16 in the eighth over, the equation was down to 31 required off 12 balls.Hetmyer slogged Jordan Thompson for six, but the very next ball the West Indian found his countryman Pollard. Moeen was on strike for Rampaul’s final over, with 16 needed off the last four balls.Rampaul set an off-side heavy field, and the bluff worked as Moeen stepped across and was clean bowled trying to slog away to the leg side; and two balls later, Dwaine Pretorius faced the same fate.It was a mightily impressive win for Strikers, especially after falling from 66 for 2 to 110 for 8, but if anything, it showcased the value of having genuine six-hitters. Azam’s five sixes were one more than all of Samp Army’s combined, and after an impressive CPL, all he can do is keep knocking on the door for selection for his country.”It hasn’t been easy for me – people think I’m a product of nepotism,” he said. “I’m performing all over the world now, so it’s up to them if they want to select me.”After a World Cup where perhaps the Pakistani batting order could be criticised for applying a somewhat timid approach, Azam represents something daring and slightly more dazzling: a desire to embrace risk and take on the game. Ultimately, these experiences in franchise leagues around the world can only do Azam good in his larger quest to follow in the footsteps of his father and play for his national team.”The charm of representing Pakistan is such that no T20 league can match it”, Azam had said in an interview with ESPNcricinfo earlier this year. All he can do is keep on doing his thing if he wants that feeling again.

We know from the PSL that scoring is slower, big totals are harder to come by, and running between wickets matters more

Sidharth Monga and Gaurav Sundararaman17-Sep-2020Back in February, when India had only a handful of Covid-19 cases but knew of the menace approaching, one of the possible contingency plans on offer was to hold the entire IPL in one city that has two or three grounds. It seemed improbable the IPL franchises would agree to such a move: they had assembled their squads with home conditions in mind and with the aim of getting as many points as possible from their seven home games.Here we are now, ready to play the IPL in a whole new country, with a whole new set of conditions. As with everything, some teams will have to adjust more than others, and some teams will benefit from the shift more than others.Home or away?

The concept of home games, where you play seven games at a familiar venue and any of your opponents only one there, ceases to exist. Some teams will have a home base. The Royal Challengers, the Delhi Capitals, the Chennai Super Kings, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kings XI, and the Rajasthan Royals will play around half of their group matches in Dubai; for the other two teams, that venue is Abu Dhabi. But even their opponents will know the conditions just as well.Going by ground records, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are not that different. The one ground that is significantly different, Sharjah, will host each of the eight teams for three matches apiece.ESPNcricinfo LtdSlow it down
Let’s start with a few riders. The data we have draws mainly from the months of February and March, the usual cricket season in the UAE. The pitches could behave differently in October and November. The timings of these matches will be different to those that make up the historical data. Also, we don’t know what the strain of hosting 24 matches in about 40 days will do to the Dubai pitch towards the end of the tournament. If that in itself doesn’t point to a lower-scoring tournament, here is data from the last three years.