Premier League
Agent Arrested After Alleged Firearm Threat to Premier League Player
An agent has been arrested after an alleged firearm threat against a Premier League player. More info.
A football agent has been arrested after a Premier League player reported being threatened with a firearm following an altercation on a busy north London street.
The Telegraph reports the agent, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has worked with players operating at international level and that the player in question is an established Premier League regular. The incident was reported to police late on a Saturday evening in early September.
“Police were called at 23.14hrs on Saturday, 6 September, to reports a man in his 20s had been threatened with a firearm on Cockfosters Parade, Barnet,” a Metropolitan Police statement confirmed.
The force said their enquiries identified a second alleged victim. “Officers spoke to the victim and during the course of their investigation it was also reported another man in his 20s had also allegedly been blackmailed and threatened by the same individual. No injuries were reported in either incident.
“A 31-year-old man was arrested on Monday, 8 September on suspicion of possession of firearms with intent, blackmail and driving without a licence. He has been bailed while enquiries continue.”
A source speaking to The Sun described the impact on the player and the wider business side of football. “This was a terrifying incident and one which has sent shockwaves through the business side of football. The player was understandably shaken up—to have threats made against you with a gun is shocking.
“He reported it right away. It was the right thing to do for his safety. He has been supported by his friends and club and they all hope it will not impact his performances. But there will be serious questions about why this happened, which the police are now trying to answer.”
The story highlights the off-field role agents play in the modern game. A football agent traditionally takes care of all off-field matters, namely contract negotiations, sponsorships and even the managing of social media accounts on the likes of Instagram, X and TikTok. They make the majority of their money by earning commission from transfers, often bringing in the help of intermediaries to help facilitate and flush out potential deals.
Agents can work individually or as part of a wider agency. Jorge Mendes and Rafaela Pimenta are named in discussions about prominent agents; the draft notes Pimenta took on the client base of Mino Raiola after his passing in April 2022, and that Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland are among the high-profile players associated with leading agents.
Aston Villa
Why Casemiro Will Miss United’s Trip to Villa and the Options in Midfield
Casemiro is suspended for United’s trip to Villa after a fifth booking; Ugarte or Mainoo may step in
Manchester United head to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon without Casemiro, a significant absence for a player who has been central to United’s structure this season. Villa have already beaten Arsenal and Manchester City at home, so the challenge facing Ruben Amorim’s side is intensified by the Brazilian midfielder’s unavailability.
Casemiro, the 33-year-old, will not make the journey to Villa Park because he is serving a one-match suspension after accumulating five yellow cards in the Premier League. His latest booking was shown in the 4–4 draw with Bournemouth last Monday. This will be only the second match he has missed for United this season; he was also absent for the 3–1 defeat at Brentford in September following a red card picked up against Chelsea.
Casemiro has started all but three games this season, and those matches without him have produced defeats for Amorim’s side. The sequence includes the shock second-round humiliation at Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup and top-flight losses at Manchester City and Brentford. United will be desperate to avoid a fourth successive away loss when playing without him.
When Amorim has omitted Casemiro this season Manuel Ugarte has been the replacement used. The Uruguayan has not impressed in his rare opportunities, and question marks remain over his long-term future at Old Trafford. With Villa’s midfield featuring Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara, the manager must make the right call. Kobbie Mainoo is presented in the squad as the only other viable alternative to Casemiro and Ugarte.
Selection in central midfield will be pivotal to how United approach a stern away test against a Villa side proven to be dangerous at home. The absence of Casemiro forces tactical choices that could shape the immediate course of United’s campaign.
Man Utd
Injury Rules Kobbie Mainoo Out of Matchday Squad as United Lean on Academy Depth
Mainoo missed the squad through injury; United rely on academy replacements protect the 88-year run.
Kobbie Mainoo was omitted from Manchester United’s matchday squad to face Aston Villa after picking up an injury, the club confirmed.
Mainoo’s absence carries both immediate and symbolic weight. He is the sole remaining academy graduate in Amorim’s senior squad following the summer departures of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho. United have maintained a run of more than 88 years with at least one academy graduate in matchday squads, and that sequence has been a persistent consideration for the manager.
Amorim has openly admitted his fear of being the manager who breaks the famous record. The current season already included a scare when Mainoo sustained an injury in November. On that occasion Amorim turned to academy midfielder Jack Fletcher to preserve the run, and Fletcher returns to the squad once again for the meeting with Aston Villa.
There are other young figures included among the substitutes. Centre back Tyler Fredricson is named on the bench for a second successive game as he aims to build on three senior appearances for the club. Midfielder Shea Lacey, who has been an unused substitute on previous occasions, will hope to make his debut at the fifth time of asking this season.
Bendito Mantato, a versatile option comfortable as a wing back on either side, is also in the squad to provide cover while Noussair Mazraoui and Amad Diallo are away at the Africa Cup of Nations alongside forward Bryan Mbeumo.
Starting XI: Lammens; Yoro, Heaven, Shaw; Dalot, Ugarte, Fernandes, Dorgu; Cunha, Mount, Šeško.
Bench: Bayındır, Heaton, Fredricson, Malacia, Mantato, Martínez, Fletcher, Lacey, Zirkzee.
Manchester United
Amorim: United to Target Future-Focused Signings in January, Not Short-Term Fixes
Amorim: United will pursue long-term January signings, not short-term fixes amid AFCON absences. Jan
Ruben Amorim has confirmed Manchester United will be active in the January transfer window but is determined to avoid short-term, stopgap additions.
Amorim acknowledged the immediate strain caused by the departures of Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui to the Africa Cup of Nations, but repeated that any incoming players must fit the club’s long-term plan rather than simply cover temporary absences.
“We’ll see,” Amorim said. “The only thing that we know is that we will only try to bring players that we think are going to be for the future. It’s not going to be to save something at this moment, to cope with the losses of three players for AFCON.
“It’s not going to be like that. We will try to bring now—and at the end of the season—players that are perfect for our future.
“So I don’t know what is going to happen, but it’s possible that we can do something. Even if we try to bring one player, maybe it’s not the position that is [the one] that we need [even] more.”
One primary name linked to United this winter is Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo. His contract reportedly contains a release clause worth £65 million ($87 million) that is active only during the first two weeks of the window, with some reports claiming it may expire as early as Jan. 10. United are expected to move early for Semenyo but will face competition from Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, all said to be interested in the Ghana international.
A new central midfielder remains a stated priority. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba was judged too expensive in the summer, while interest in Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is expected to meet similar financial obstacles. Al Hilal’s Rúben Neves has been noted as a potential cut-price option, and interest in Conor Gallagher of Atlético Madrid continues.
Amorim has also publicly requested a wing back, though that reinforcement may be deferred until the summer transfer window.
Why Casemiro Will Miss United’s Trip to Villa and the Options in Midfield
Injury Rules Kobbie Mainoo Out of Matchday Squad as United Lean on Academy Depth
