Normal view

Today — 30 October 2025Main stream

PL club have “called” Man United about two potential January signings, says Fabrizio Romano

30 October 2025 at 18:23

West Ham United have reportedly called Manchester United to ask about both Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee as possible options to sign on loan in the January transfer window.

Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim hasn’t found much room for either player so far this season, with these two young talents now likely to be keen on moving elsewhere in order to play regularly.

The Red Devils are on a better run of form at the moment, having won their last three games in a row, but there are still some issues for Amorim to resolve.

It might be that we’ll see further changes to the squad this January as Amorim might want to bring in one or two new faces, while he also has a few first-teamers that he’ll struggle to keep happy as they’re not playing much.

Fabrizio Romano provides transfer update on Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee

Kobbie Mainoo in action for Man United against Grimsby
Kobbie Mainoo in action for Man United against Grimsby (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Speaking on his YouTube channel, reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano says that West Ham have asked to be kept informed on the situations of Mainoo and Zirkzee.

However, it seems this isn’t really evolving into anything more concrete for the Hammers at the moment, according to Romano.

“West Ham have called to understand the situation of both Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo, on loan of course, for six months, to give them the opportunity to play, to give them the chance maybe to go to the World Cup.

“But at the moment from United they are not opening to any negotiation, so that’s the status of the story – nothing else is evolving about this.”

Can West Ham land double United raid?

West Ham are having a really poor season, so if they could strengthen with these two smart loan signings it could be vitally important to help them improve in the second half of the campaign.

Zirkzee hasn’t been at his best for United, but might be better suited to a lower-mid-table team like West Ham, while Mainoo is a quality talent who’s arguably unlucky not to be playing more at Old Trafford.

These two could surely prove important additions for Nuno Espirito Santos’ side in their fight to avoid relegation.

The post PL club have “called” Man United about two potential January signings, says Fabrizio Romano appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Worry for Chelsea as key figure approached by Champions League giants

30 October 2025 at 16:53

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has been targeted by Juventus as they eye him to potentially take over in time for next season, according to Simon Phillips.

The Italian tactician has done some fine work during his time at Stamford Bridge, winning the Europa Conference League last season and then the Club World Cup during the summer.

On top of that, Maresca got Chelsea back into the top four in the Premier League last season, improving on previous managers such as Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter.

Maresca could surely be a fine appointment for Juve, and it seems there is genuine and concrete interest in him.

Enzo Maresca is Juventus’ top manager target for next season

Enzo Maresca during the Chelsea vs Ajax game
Enzo Maresca during the Chelsea vs Ajax game (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

According to Phillips, there has been contact with Maresca’s representatives, though it’s not clear yet if there has been any direct contact with Chelsea yet.

Juventus have just appointed Luciano Spalletti as manager until the end of the season, with the option to extend that for another year if he gets the club into the Champions League.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out, but one imagines Maresca could still be a target for Juventus.

The Turin giants will likely have been impressed by Maresca’s work at Chelsea, and the west Londoners would do well to keep hold of him.

Should Chelsea keep Enzo Maresca?

Some Chelsea fans might feel there is still room for improvement at the club, even if Maresca has done better than some of his recent predecessors.

There are still issues with this CFC team, who have not been particularly consistent, so perhaps someone with more experience of winning major silverware could be ideal to help this youthful group of players to fulfil their potential.

Is Maresca the man for Chelsea or is this an opportunity to bring in a better manager? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Worry for Chelsea as key figure approached by Champions League giants appeared first on CaughtOffside.

‘Get rid of him’ Sherwood tells West Ham to axe their expensive star

30 October 2025 at 16:05

Former Tottenham and Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood has criticised West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta for his poor form and selfish performances.

The Brazil international has at various points been a key player for the Hammers, even leading to speculation that top clubs like Manchester City were interested in him.

There were also links with Aston Villa in the summer, though a deal never materialised and he seemed to commit his future to West Ham.

Paqueta can undoubtedly be a fine player on his day, but he’s a tad inconsistent and he’s not really contributed enough so far this season.

Sherwood has singled Paqueta out for criticism and insisted he’s someone West Ham should be looking to sell after their poor start to the season.

Tim Sherwood tells West Ham to sell Lucas Paqueta

Lucas Paqueta of West Ham
Lucas Paqueta of West Ham (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

It remains to be seen if WHUFC will risk getting rid of Paqueta, but there could be some logic to it as they arguably need a different kind of character in their squad to help them out of their current predicament.

“Paqueta is a luxury player. Paqueta plays for Paqueta. I think he has wonderful talent and I’m not taking away from that. You need to keep him away from goal and in responsible areas of the field,” Sherwood told Sky Sports.

“He’s a liability. You saw it with [Joe] Rodon last weekend at Leeds United. They asked him to mark him for some unknown reason from a corner. Keep him towards the opposition goal, get him in the final third.

“He’s got magic feet but, for me, when you need all hands on deck like West Ham do – if they were to be offered some money to spend in other positions, I would get rid of him.”

Would you keep or sell Paqueta this January? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post ‘Get rid of him’ Sherwood tells West Ham to axe their expensive star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

I woke up with two missed calls – by the end of the day I’d signed for Arsenal before even telling my wife

30 October 2025 at 15:44

Former Arsenal left-back Nacho Monreal has revealed what a crazy day it was when he joined the Gunners back in January 2013.

The Spaniard proved to be a smart signing by Arsene Wenger, arriving on the cheap and without being the biggest name, before becoming something of a cult hero for the club.

Monreal has now spoken out on a slightly bizarre story about the day he joined Arsenal, which included some missed calls from Santi Cazorla, and a rushed move that meant he’d actually joined his new club before even having the chance to tell his wife.

Monreal told Ladbrokes at the launch of Ladisfaction: “I signed for Arsenal on the last day of the January transfer window, and to be honest the whole move was crazy for me, because I woke up on that day with no idea that I’d be signing for the club.”

Nacho Monreal’s frantic Deadline Day transfer to Arsenal

Monreal added: “I remember waking up on that day, checking my phone and seeing I had two missed calls from Santi Cazorla. I was a bit surprised because that wasn’t really a normal thing for me to wake up to, but I got to the training ground and called him back to see what was up, and why he was calling me so early in the morning…

Nacho Monreal during his time at Arsenal
Nacho Monreal during his time at Arsenal (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

“‘Nacho, Nacho, be quick… do you want to sign for Arsenal? Arsene Wenger asked me if you want to join the club.’

“Of course I wanted to, but it was all out of nowhere, so I didn’t know if he was being serious.

“‘Yeah, yeah, Nacho, it’s 100% serious.’

“And from that moment, it was crazy… I finished the training session with Malaga, and after training, Manuel Pellegrini – the head coach at the time – called me in and told me the club had received an offer from Arsenal. He asked me if I wanted to go, and I said yes.

“Three hours later, I was in London, signing the contract. I didn’t even have time to talk to my wife about it!

“She was working at the time, and I tried calling her nine or ten times, but she never picked up because she was working. So when she did call me back, I was like ‘I’m in London… I just signed for Arsenal!’

“I didn’t even ask her if she wanted to come with me, which is crazy when I think about it now. But at the same time, who doesn’t want to go to London and play for the Arsenal? I knew the answer, so I had to make the call for us, without her knowing. That’s how quickly it all happened, but it had to be that way because it was the last day of the window.

“So it was only ever Arsenal for me. And then, as my career went on, I always told my agents that as long as Arsenal wanted me, I was never going to leave the club. I loved it, because it really felt like a family for me.”

Nacho Monreal had a fine career at Arsenal

Monreal didn’t initially look like he’d definitely be first choice at Arsenal as he was up against Kieran Gibbs when he joined, but he ended up becoming a key player for Wenger’s side.

The former Spain international finished his time in north London with 251 appearances and ten goals, helping the club to three FA Cup final victories and three Community Shield titles.

It’s intriguing to hear what some transfer sagas can really be like behind the scenes, as Monreal’s move is one of those that sounds so much more hectic than you’d expect for clubs and players at such a high level.

The post I woke up with two missed calls – by the end of the day I’d signed for Arsenal before even telling my wife appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Leeds United star set to secure January exit

30 October 2025 at 15:26

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier is reportedly attracting growing interest ahead of a potential exit in the January transfer window.

The French shot-stopper is no longer first choice for Daniel Farke’s side, and this means he is likely to move on in the near future after almost making an exit during the summer.

According to latest reports, Club Brugge are up against Anderlecht for the signing of Meslier, with the 25-year-old also coming towards the end of his contract.

This could mean Meslier ends up leaving on a free transfer next summer, but Leeds will surely look to take the opportunity to cash in on him this January.

Leeds United set to offload Illan Meslier in January transfer window

Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier greeting the fans
Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier greeting the fans (Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images)

Some initial contacts have already taken place over Meslier’s departure, with Club Brugge and Anderlecht seemingly his most likely next destinations.

Leeds have not yet used Meslier in the Premier League this season, so they surely won’t stand in his way if clubs come in and offer him a chance of playing more regular first-team football.

Meslier might not have become the player he looked like he could become when he was a youngster, but he’s surely still good enough to represent some major sides around Europe.

Leeds fans won’t be too disappointed to see him move on now, but one imagines there’ll be a few who keep an eye on how his career progresses if he does get his move to Belgium.

The post Leeds United star set to secure January exit appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Furious Enzo Maresca admits he’s embarrassed after “stupid” action by Chelsea player

30 October 2025 at 14:53

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has hit out at his players and Liam Delap in particular after last night’s nervy 4-3 win over Wolves.

The Blues just about scraped past Wolves in the Carabao Cup, booking a place in the quarter-finals, but Maresca was not at all happy with how the second half panned out.

Chelsea were in control at half time, with Maresca praising the first half display and criticising the second period as they allowed Wolves back into the game.

The Italian tactician was particularly unhappy with the “stupid” red card from Liam Delap, and went on to say he’s embarrassed by the club’s record with red cards this season…

? "Completely unnecessary" – Enzo Maresca was NOT happy with Chelsea's second half performance and Liam Delap's "stupid" red card! ?? pic.twitter.com/HwgUYFwJ8a

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) October 30, 2025

Maresca said: “Very happy first half, very upset second half. This is my personal view of the game.

“(I) think first half we were very very good, it’s always complicated to go away and score three goals.

“We were playing nice, forward, creating chances, we didn’t concede nothing. And second half we were not doing the right things.”

He added: “For sure today also we had a very stupid red card that is completely, completely unnecessary.”

Enzo Maresca unhappy with Chelsea’s red card record

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca looks on
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca looks on (Photo by Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

Chelsea have struggled with discipline this season, with the Blues now on a run of six red cards in nine games.

Maresca clearly isn’t happy about it as he slammed it as embarrassing, particularly the Delap red card for two yellows in quick succession, when he’d also told the player several times to keep calm.

The Chelsea manager even went as far as slamming Delap for thinking too much about himself when he’s on the pitch…

? "It's embarrassing!" – Enzo Maresca did NOT hold back on Liam Delap's sending-off and Chelsea's record with red cards this season ?? pic.twitter.com/IIsjEPki5V

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) October 30, 2025

It will be interesting to see how Chelsea’s players respond to this outburst from Maresca.

Delap in particular was really singled out with some strong criticism, and it remains to be seen if this is really the best way to deal with the problem.

The post Furious Enzo Maresca admits he’s embarrassed after “stupid” action by Chelsea player appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Eddie Howe reveals this player was “desperate to join” Newcastle United this summer

30 October 2025 at 14:01

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has praised backup goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale after his performance in last night’s Carabao Cup win over Tottenham.

The England international hasn’t had that much playing time since joining Newcastle on loan from Southampton this summer, but he did well when brought into the side yesterday evening.

Ramsdale looks like a decent option to have as a squad player, and Howe emphasised that the former Arsenal goalkeeper was really keen to move to St James’ Park this summer.

Ramsdale will surely have known that he’d be up against Nick Pope for a place in the Newcastle starting line up, but it seems that didn’t stop him from wanting the move to go through.

Aaron Ramsdale transfer claim made by Eddie Howe

Aaron Ramsdale celebrates during Newcastle's win vs Tottenham
Aaron Ramsdale celebrates during Newcastle’s win vs Tottenham (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

Speaking after the game, Howe was quoted by Newcastle World as saying: “Yeah, he was very good tonight, Aaron. I was really, really pleased with the big save he made in the second half. I thought that was an outstanding reflex save and showed his agility and his power. He distributed the ball really well, I think that’s one of his big strengths.

“We’ve known Aaron for a long time and I think the big thing for him coming to this club was that he wanted to come. He was desperate to join us, and he’s acted that way ever since as well.

“There’s been no hint of frustration or negativity in the fact that he’s not played as much as he wants to. He wants to play more. He’s supported Nick really well but he’s been really positive. His energy’s been really good around the group.

“I think because of all that attention he’s focused on his training and his work with the goalkeeper coaches, which has been excellent, he then produces a performance like he did tonight. So, a really, really big moment for him and I’m delighted for him.”

Ramsdale certainly sounds like a good presence to have at Newcastle, so fans will be delighted to hear Howe is so happy with how he’s been getting on.

NUFC won the Carabao Cup last season and their win last night puts them into this season’s quarter-finals, where they will take on Fulham.

The post Eddie Howe reveals this player was “desperate to join” Newcastle United this summer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Sources: Club “confident” of completing transfer deal with Man United “soon”

30 October 2025 at 13:07

Napoli are understood to be confident of signing Rasmus Hojlund in a permanent transfer from Manchester United, as first reported here for the Daily Briefing.

The Red Devils loaned Hojlund to Napoli in the summer, but the deal included the option to trigger a purchase clause to make the move permanent.

The Denmark international struggled at Old Trafford but has started well since returning to Serie A, where he’d previously also impressed during a spell with Atalanta.

As my source told me: “Napoli are confident. They’re in a strong position with the buy clause and they’re ready to activate it. Talks have been taking place and it should be finalised soon, ready to formally go through at the end of the season.”

Details of Rasmus Hojlund’s transfer to Napoli

Rasmus Hojlund in action for Napoli
Rasmus Hojlund in action for Napoli (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Hojlund’s transfer is expected to include an offer from Napoli to join on a contract until 2030.

This looks like a great opportunity for the 22-year-old to rebuild his career after a difficult spell at United.

Hojlund never quite looked like the best version of himself in English football, but it’s clear that he has it in him to shine at the highest level of Italian football.

In fairness to Hojlund, he’s also far from the only player in recent times to struggle at United before improving elsewhere, just like his Napoli teammate Scott McTominay.

Other exits to watch at Man United

As my report also details, Kobbie Mainoo is another Napoli target ahead of January as he looks likely to push for a move away from United.

Joshua Zirkzee is also one to watch ahead of the winter window after struggling for playing time under Ruben Amorim.

Both players could head to Serie A, with Zirkzee being eyed by Roma, though these deals are not yet as advanced as Hojlund to Napoli.

The post Sources: Club “confident” of completing transfer deal with Man United “soon” appeared first on CaughtOffside.

From Italy: Man United star has Serie A transfer on his mind as new suitors emerge

30 October 2025 at 12:10

Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee is reportedly one of the names on Roma’s list of transfer targets up front ahead of January.

The Netherlands international has struggled for playing time at Man Utd, but previously shone during a spell in Serie A with Bologna.

It seems Zirkzee is now considering returning to Italy, with Roma among his suitors, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Roma look in need of strengthening up front after the poor form of loan signing Evan Ferguson, and Zirkzee could prove a decent option if he can play like he did in his previous spell in Serie A.

What will Manchester United decide on Joshua Zirkzee this January?

Joshua Zirkzee in action for Manchester United
Joshua Zirkzee in action for Manchester United (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

United ended up keeping Zirkzee in the summer, but it could be that they’ll relax their stance on his situation in January.

The Red Devils simply don’t seem to have any room for the 24-year-old at the moment, and it’s hard to see that changing any time soon, even if Ruben Amorim might at some point need to make more use of his squad players.

Zirkzee, however, might not fancy waiting around to find out if he’ll get a chance eventually, as he needs to start playing regularly as soon as possible if he is to stand any chance of making it into the Dutch national squad for next summer’s World Cup.

Who else wants to sign Joshua Zirkzee?

As CaughtOffside reported earlier this week, Zirkzee also has other suitors, such as Premier League clubs Brighton and West Ham United.

MUFC clearly won’t be short of takers for Zirkzee if they decide to offload him, so this might end up being a good window to let him go.

If United keep Zirkzee for too much longer without playing him then it’s only going to be harder to sell him.

The post From Italy: Man United star has Serie A transfer on his mind as new suitors emerge appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arne Slot complains about his Liverpool squad despite spending almost £450m this summer

30 October 2025 at 10:50

Liverpool manager Arne Slot made a rather baffling complaint about the strength of his squad after last night’s Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace.

The Reds are on an absolutely awful run of form at the moment, losing six of their last seven games in all competitions and conceding floods of goals.

Slot worked wonders in his first season at Liverpool, guiding them to the Premier League title last term, but things have quickly turned sour at the start of this campaign.

Remarkably, it seems the Dutch tactician is now saying his squad isn’t nearly as good as the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea, despite spending close to £450m in the transfer window just gone (£446m to be precise, as per Sky Sports).

Arne Slot’s expensive squad isn’t big enough, apparently…

Speaking after the 3-0 defeat at home to Palace, Slot said: “Before I went out I saw (Manchester) City’s line up (against Swansea) and I don’t think they had one starter from the weekend, but it felt if you look at their line up, like they played with eleven starters.

? Arne Slot is complaining about the strength of his squad after spending £450m in the summer! ? pic.twitter.com/MLbZM7BQVx

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) October 30, 2025

“So maybe it gives a little bit of an insight. Everyone’s always said what a big squad we’re having…when we played Chelsea I said they’re missing eight but they can still bring Estevao in.

“Now we’re only missing four players at the moment and we already needed to start with four players under the age of 19. And after I made two substitutions, we were on six.”

Liverpool hit full crisis mode

Whatever Slot might think about the state of his squad, this current Liverpool run of form is far from good enough.

Liverpool players in a team huddle before the Crystal Palace game
Liverpool players in a team huddle before the Crystal Palace game (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Six defeats from seven is shocking for a club of this size, especially after they strolled to the title last season.

Somehow, Liverpool have just got worse despite their big spending, with their new signings struggling to settle, and with the players who performed so well last season going backwards.

It feels slightly crazy to be saying it, but Slot surely has to turn things around very quickly or there’s going to be serious uncertainty over his job soon.

The post Arne Slot complains about his Liverpool squad despite spending almost £450m this summer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

New record: Arsenal have just done something no English top flight club has ever done before

30 October 2025 at 10:18

Arsenal beat Brighton in the Carabao Cup last night to complete a perfect October, with Mikel Arteta’s side winning all six of their games this month without conceding a single goal.

The Gunners look like they really mean business this season, sitting top of the Premier League table with seven wins from nine and only three goals conceded in that time.

Even Arteta’s heavily rotated side last night kept up the team’s perfect record for the month, with goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka taking the club through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

See below as football statisticians Opta have confirmed this is the first time ever that a top flight English side has won six out of six games in a single month without conceding a single goal…

6 – Arsenal in October 2025 are the first English top-flight team in history to play six games in a month and win them all without conceding a single goal. Philosophy. pic.twitter.com/PqtR5HkRdJ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 29, 2025

This is some achievement by Arsenal, and although it’s still only early on in the season, it suggests they’re going to be the team to beat this term.

Arsenal’s record-breaking October run in full

Arsenal started the season with some tricky fixtures as they took on Manchester United away on the opening day, and faced Liverpool away at the end of August.

They were also made to work with a late goal to earn them a draw against Manchester City at the end of September, but since then they have been flawless, winning eight games in a row in all competitions.

Ethan Nwaneri celebrates with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Mikel Merino
Ethan Nwaneri celebrates with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Mikel Merino (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

See below for their record-breaking October fun in full…

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Clearly that’s not the toughest run of games, though Fulham away has been a bit of a tough fixture for the north London giants in recent years, and to thrash Atletico Madrid 4-0 is a hugely impressive result.

Arsenal will have tougher months ahead, for sure, but even if they can’t quite produce a run of results like this again, it’s looking like it’s going to be very hard for anyone to stop them this season.

The post New record: Arsenal have just done something no English top flight club has ever done before appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Yesterday — 29 October 2025Main stream

How much time has Ruben Amorim bought himself with Man United’s win at Liverpool?

29 October 2025 at 22:10

A win at Anfield will do wonders for any manager, but perhaps especially if you’re manager of Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson once said that he judged his players on how well he performed in big games like away to United’s arch rivals Liverpool, so what does Sunday’s result mean for Ruben Amorim’s future as manager?

Make no mistake about it, the Portuguese tactician needed a statement result like this, not to mention the fact that it’s the first time he’s actually managed to win back-to-back league games since taking over last year.

United haven’t had the best start to the season, and there’ll still be concerns there after that shocking Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby, as well as that really poor display in the 3-1 defeat away to Brentford.

But Amorim will be feeling a lot more secure in his position now. The question is, should he be, or was this win against a struggling Liverpool side just a bit of a false dawn?

Manchester United rode their luck in 2-1 win against Liverpool

Football is a results business, of course, so the only real thing that matters after Sunday’s game is that United came away from Merseyside with all three points.

Ruben Amorim looks on during Manchester United's win vs Sunderland
Ruben Amorim looks on during Manchester United’s win vs Sunderland (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Still, there’s no escaping the fact that these games often rest on fine margins, and had any one of Cody Gakpo’s *three* shots against the post gone in, it would have been a very different game.

Arne Slot said after the game that he couldn’t believe how many clear cut chances his side missed, and you certainly feel like a fully fit and firing Alexander Isak would’ve buried that big chance in the first half.

In total, LFC had a whopping 63% possession and a total of 17 shots, 6 of which were on target – if United allow their opponents that kind of dominance too often, you’d be unwise to bet on them winning a lot of games.

Football is unpredictable, though, so if you’re feeling brave you can always try your luck by taking a look at the kind of odds you can get on the wide choice of football sites on FIRST.com.

Is Amorim’s system really working?

On the other hand, Amorim arguably did well to get United creating ten shots, including three on target, when they had so little of the ball.

[morestories_latest]

And some MUFC fans might argue that, for all Liverpool’s dominance, not all their chances were of that great quality.

Matthijs de Ligt has one of his best games in a United shirt, and Amad Diallo really shone in that right wing-back role, so perhaps Amorim is finally winning these players round to his way of playing.

We’ll probably need to see a few more wins in the coming weeks and months to be totally sure of that, but the signs after this big win are looking a little more promising.

The post How much time has Ruben Amorim bought himself with Man United’s win at Liverpool? appeared first on CaughtOffside.

❌
❌