Man Utd
Casemiro to Leave Manchester United as LA Galaxy Join Transfer Interest
Casemiro leaving Manchester United; LA Galaxy among clubs linked as transfer options emerge for fans.
Manchester United and Casemiro have confirmed they will part ways at the end of the season, an announcement made with five months still remaining. The club and the player agreed on the early disclosure after Casemiro specifically requested the early announcement to provide clarity for supporters.
Reports suggest offers for Casemiro are unlikely to be scarce. Links to Saudi Arabia and a return to his homeland in Brazil have been mentioned, while the Daily Mail notes Major League Soccer is a feasible option. Among MLS suitors, LA Galaxy are understood to have expressed interest.
Galaxy interest is framed by their need for midfield reinforcements following Riqui Puig’s second serious knee injury. Puig has not played since October 2024 and is unlikely to take to the pitch until 2027, leaving the club short in the centre of midfield. The possibility of signing an experienced midfielder on a free transfer is thought to appeal to LA Galaxy, as is the chance to recruit a player of Casemiro’s standing.
Casemiro is listed among the top earners in the Premier League after signing a blockbuster contract when he left Real Madrid in 2022. United have been cautious about activating an extension clause on his existing terms amid signs of decline in his performances. There was an expectation that United and Casemiro would discuss a new deal on reduced wages, and some reports suggested a certain number of appearances would have triggered an automatic extension.
Rather than await that process, both parties have agreed to confirm the separation now. The early announcement removes uncertainty about his immediate future and opens the window for interested clubs, domestically and abroad, to consider options ahead of the summer.
Aston Villa
United Slip Into Relegation Zone After City Ground Result
United fall into the relegation zone after Forest beat City, leaving Carrick’s side under fresh pressure.
Manchester United’s brief relief did not last long, as Manchester City’s 3-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest pushed the Red Devils into the relegation zone. It is the first time the club have been there since November 1986, at least nine matches into a season.
The table now leaves United 18th on seven points, level with Crystal Palace in 19th and only above Sunderland. Nottingham Forest’s win lifted them to 16th, with Coventry City and Crystal Palace also on seven points in the lower reaches of the standings. Fulham sit 15th on 10 points, while Nottingham Forest are on nine.
United had already been hovering around danger for much of the campaign, and their only league victory so far remains the 5-2 win over newly promoted Ipswich Town in August. There has been little sign of a sustained recovery, and the pressure has only intensified.
Michael Carrick’s side now face another difficult test. An injury-riddled squad welcomes Aston Villa to Old Trafford on Sunday, with little margin for error as the season continues to tighten around them.
Forest’s victory was built on a composed and disciplined display, even as they spent long spells under pressure at City Ground. Enzo Maresca’s team were repeatedly forced back, but Nottingham Forest held firm.
Liam Delap provided the decisive edge with a brace, taking his tally to just his second and third Premier League goals of the season. He last scored on Sept. 12 in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Forest were two goals up by the 20th minute. Jair Cunha opened the scoring in the sixth minute after forcing a turnover on City’s Joško Gvardiol, then finishing low into the left side of the net. Twelve minutes later, Delap doubled the advantage after collecting the ball in Forest’s half and driving between Rúben Dias and Marc Guéhi before firing high into the net.
Man Utd
JJ Gabriel and the Real Madrid path that awaits after Manchester United exit
Real Madrid are close to Gabriel, but the teenager’s path from United remains uncertain and demanding.
The move that has hovered over JJ Gabriel’s future now looks close to resolution, with Real Madrid reported to be nearing a deal for the teenage forward.
His eligibility to join a club overseas has been helped by his family background. His father is an English-born former Republic of Ireland international, while his mother is Greek-Cypriot, allowing him to move beyond Brexit restrictions in the next transfer window.
Reports already place Gabriel in Spain, where he has been working with a personal trainer, and a January switch now appears to be the likeliest outcome.
Gabriel’s rise has been anything but ordinary. He began with Top Ballerz FC, gained attention through YouTube skills videos while still in elementary school, and later spent time in the academies of Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham before joining Manchester United in 2022. At United, he has broken several records, including appearing for the U-18s at 14 and scoring a hat trick against Sabah in the UEFA Youth League earlier this year.
He also arrives with a sizeable profile away from the pitch, with close to one million Instagram followers and a long-term Nike deal already in place. He is managed by his father, who changed his son’s name from Joseph Junior Andreou O’Cearuill to JJ Gabriel for marketing reasons.
In football terms, he is viewed as a versatile forward who can operate centrally, just behind the striker, or from the left. He has already been compared with Lamine Yamal, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Arsenal teenager Max Dowman.
The break from Manchester United stemmed from a disagreement over his route to first-team football. His exit became more likely after he was left out of the squad to face Sabah in the Champions League. There have also been suggestions that requests linked to training, selection and pay were made on his behalf.
The Telegraph claims that Madrid have “put together a projected fast-track pathway for Gabriel towards the first team.” That may begin with Real Madrid Castilla, but the club are expected to keep open a route into La Liga and the Champions League.
Should the transfer be completed in January, Gabriel could even become Madrid’s youngest-ever player, overtaking Martin Ødegaard. But the Norwegian’s story is a reminder of how difficult that environment can be. As he said in The Players’ Tribune : “With the B team, I wasn’t with them regularly so I didn’t find that connection. In the first team, I was just some kid who came to train. I wasn’t involved in matches. I felt a bit like an outsider. I was stuck in between.”
Ødegaard left permanently in 2021 after only 11 first-team appearances, and Gabriel’s challenge would be no less exacting. Real Madrid may offer a plan on paper, but the reality for a 16-year-old in a demanding second half of the season could prove far less forgiving.
Arsenal
October Premier League award nominees announced
Premier League October award nominees include standout performers and managers across the division.
The Premier League has named the contenders for its October 2026 Player and Manager of the Month awards, with eight players and six managers included on the respective shortlists.
Bournemouth forward Evanilson enjoyed a productive month, finishing October with four goals and one assist from four appearances as his team beat Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United after a slow opening to the season.
Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson also reached four goals in the month. The former Chelsea player scored twice in the 2-1 win over Manchester City and also found the net in draws against Brentford and Fulham.
Arsenal are represented by Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice after a perfect month. Konsa impressed in defence while William Saliba was absent, keeping two clean sheets in three outings and scoring his first goal for the club. Rice contributed two important assists at the other end.
Jack Rudoni’s form has helped Coventry City. The newly promoted side took two wins from four matches in October, with Rudoni scoring three times as they moved further away from the relegation zone.
Tottenham Hotspur also had an unbeaten month, and Jan Paul van Hecke played a key role in wins over Coventry, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. No player attempted or completed more passes than the Dutch defender last month.
Brighton have two nominees in Luka Vušković and Bart Verbruggen. Three clean sheets in four matches brought recognition for the Seagulls’ defence.
On the managerial shortlist, Chelsea scored more goals than any other team in October with nine, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta guided his side to the top of the table. Roberto De Zerbi, Unai Emery, Fabian Hürzeler and Marco Rose complete the list after strong runs during the month.
Month
Player
Club
August
João Pedro
Chelsea
September
Pascal Groß
Brighton
Month
Manager
Club
August
Sergej Jakirović
Hull
September
