Manchester United
Amorim instructs United to reject January approaches for Mainoo and Zirkzee
Amorim plans to reject January offers for Mainoo and Zirkzee to protect United’s squad options plus.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has instructed the club to turn down any January approaches for Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee, according to a report from Fabrizio Romano. Both players are understood to be unsettled and are expected to explore moves when the transfer window reopens, with both currently outside the thinking of their respective international managers.
Amorim is said to view Mainoo and Zirkzee as useful squad options rather than players to be sold. He is reportedly concerned about a congested schedule across the festive period, the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and a potentially frenetic run-in to the season. The manager wants as many rotation options as possible to manage workload and reduce the risk of injuries to preferred starters.
Interest in both players has been persistent. Napoli are named admirers of Mainoo and are believed to have tried to sign him in the summer. Their reported interest is expected to resume after summer signing Kevin De Bruyne suffered a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him sidelined for several months. La Gazzetta dello Sport note Roma are pushing to sign Zirkzee, and both players have been linked with West Ham United, though David Ornstein has admitted the Hammers are unlikely to end up with either Mainoo or Zirkzee.
Mainoo’s standing as a club-trained player is a complicating factor. United have included one club-trained player in every matchday squad for the past 88 years, and Mainoo is one of only two senior options available to Amorim to maintain that streak, alongside third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton. The manager has publicly said he does not want to be the one to end that run.
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand recently urged Mainoo to respond to his current situation, challenging him to work harder and to “show some fight” as he attempts to convince Amorim of his value to the squad.
Arsenal
Evaluating the Premier League’s Best Midfielders
Assessment of the Premier League’s leading midfielders: roles, form, transfers and impact. Season 25.
The Premier League currently fields an unusually deep pool of midfield talent, spread across the traditional powers and beyond. Below is a concise assessment of the players outlined in the original draft, concentrating on roles, recent form and defining attributes.
Xavi Simons arrived at Tottenham Hotspur last summer from RB Leipzig and is still adapting to English football. The Netherlands international has shown glimpses of his creative brilliance. A versatile attacking midfielder, Simons excels in small spaces, using a low centre of gravity and a quick turn of pace to influence play around the penalty area.
Martin Ødegaard remains one of the division’s top midfielders despite a dip in stock over the past year due to injuries and questions over his long-term role. The Arsenal captain is often deployed into the wide right space by the system, but he has built a strong relationship with Bukayo Saka. He may be better suited to a traditional attacking midfield role where his playmaking and left foot are most threatening.
Bruno Guimarães has been a model of consistency since joining Newcastle United in 2022. An all-action presence, he combines tackles, accurate diagonals and timely goals with a tireless work rate, forming a central trio with Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.
Martín Zubimendi turned down Liverpool in summer 2024 before joining Arsenal. The Spaniard has adapted quickly, offering defensive midfield control through a blend of ferocity and finesse.
Sandro Tonali returned from a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules and has repaid Newcastle’s faith since early in the 2024–25 season. He contributes goals, tempo, ball carrying and accurate distribution, backed by tenacity.
Dominik Szoboszlai impressed Liverpool supporters with spectacular strikes on arrival but has been noted for his work ethic. Used across midfield and even at right back, he is valued for stamina, clean ball striking and passing range.
Enzo Fernández required time to settle at Chelsea but now matches the expectations of his £107 million transfer fee, offering box-crashing runs and chances from both deeper and more advanced positions.
Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, has been hampered by injuries and missed nearly all of 2024–25. On form he remains one of the best defensive midfielders, a calming, intelligent presence essential to Manchester City.
Bruno Fernandes has been Manchester United’s standout player in recent years, producing double-digit goals and assists in each of his five full seasons at the club with exceptional touch and vision.
Alexis Mac Allister rose to prominence at Brighton & Hove Albion, claimed the World Cup while representing the Seagulls, and has since become Liverpool’s deep-lying playmaker.
Cole Palmer, a Manchester City academy product, emerged at Chelsea as a talisman after a breakthrough debut season in 2023–24 and is described as a generational talent.
Florian Wirtz has had a subdued start since his £116 million move to Liverpool but previously spearheaded Bayer Leverkusen to the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal double in 2023–24 and is expected to improve.
Ryan Gravenberch was redeployed into a combative defensive midfield role under Arne Slot in 2024–25, playing a key part in Liverpool’s title and winning the Premier League Young Player of the Season award.
Declan Rice, acquired for £105 million, has transformed Arsenal’s midfield. Effective as a holding player and in a box-to-box role, he contributes goals, assists and set-piece delivery and is viewed as a complete midfielder.
Manchester United
Eighty-Eight Years of Home-Grown Continuity at Manchester United
United have named a home-grown player in every matchday squad since October 30, 1937 – 88 years long
On October 30, 1937, Manchester United named two home-grown players in a 1–0 defeat at Fulham’s Craven Cottage. That selection marked the first match in a run that, as of October 30, 2025, has seen the club include at least one home-grown player in every matchday squad for 88 years and more than 4,000 consecutive matches.
The club’s roots stretch back to 1878 when it was founded as Newton Heath LYR FC for employees of the Carriage and Wagon Department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath in north east Manchester. United first played top-flight football in 1892, changed its name to Manchester United a decade later after financial difficulties and collected two First Division titles and an FA Cup between 1907 and 1911.
Financial collapse loomed again after the loss of benefactor John Henry Davies in 1927. James W. Gibson’s takeover in 1931 proved pivotal. Gibson helped establish an ‘A’ team and, by 1938, the Manchester United Junior Athletic Club, MUJAC, to give local amateur players a pathway into the first team. Tom Manley, who joined in September 1930, and Jack Wassal were the two home-grown players in that October 1937 side.
MUJAC was created and overseen by Gibson and Walter Crickmer. Crickmer had two spells as manager and served 32 years as club secretary before being tragically killed in 1958’s Munich air disaster. The club’s commitment to youth was later amplified by Matt Busby. The term “Busby Babes” became synonymous with United’s values as youth scouting extended across Great Britain and Ireland. Alf Clarke wrote in the Manchester Evening Chronicle: “History was created in Manchester United football circles today. This afternoon, there are no fewer than five United teams on duty. They are the senior side, Central League XI, ‘A’ team, MUJAC first team and MUJAC second XI…no club in the country is better served with junior players than Manchester United.”
Home-grown graduates have powered many of the club’s successes. Ryan Giggs (963 appearances) and Sir Bobby Charlton (758) remain among the most-capped home-grown players, with Paul Scholes (718), Bill Foulkes (688) and Gary Neville (602) also prominent. Changes to matchday squad sizes over decades, now allowing up to 20 players in the Premier League, have helped ensure at least one academy player can be included to protect this uninterrupted record.
Arsenal
October 2025: Premier League Player and Manager of the Month Shortlists
October Player and Manager of the Month shortlists feature Cash, Guimarães, Haaland and Amorim. fans
The shortlists for the Premier League Player and Manager of the Month awards for October have been published.
Matty Cash’s individual form was central to Aston Villa’s resurgence in October. The Villans went three for three, with Cash making a huge impact at both ends of the field. His second goal of the campaign downed Manchester City last time out, after a glorious pass the week prior had put Tottenham Hotspur to the sword.
Bruno Guimarães dominated Newcastle United’s highlight packages this month. A delicious strike from range stole the show in victory over Nottingham Forest, and he saved the best for last with a 90th-minute winner against Fulham to keep the Magpies climbing the table.
Erling Haaland, September’s Player of the Month, remains among the favourites. Three goals in three games saw Haaland reach 11 for the campaign—nobody else in the squad has more than one to their name.
October was a breakout month for Bournemouth summer signing Junior Kroupi. He marked his first Premier League start with two goals against Crystal Palace and followed that with another strike against Nottingham Forest to lift the Cherries into second in the standings.
Bryan Mbeumo forced his way into the race with a dazzling October. Nobody in the league managed more than his four goal involvements—three goals, one assist—as United roared to a three-game winning streak.
Sunderland’s understated summer signing Nordi Mukiele has proven to be a masterstroke. His goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers helps his case, and he was a defensive force across October while adding menace with long throws.
Igor Thiago moved into second in the Golden Boot race with two goals for Brentford this month, scoring against West Ham United and converting a penalty to see off Liverpool. Arsenal defender Jurriën Timber emerged as one of the most in-form right backs and helped the Gunners build a record-breaking defence which did not concede a single goal this month.
On the managerial front, Ruben Amorim enjoys his first nomination as Man Utd manager after a dream October that delivered back-to-back Premier League victories and three consecutive wins over Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion. Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola also feature among the nominees.
Previous winners listed include Jack Grealish (Everton, August) and Erling Haaland (Man City, September).
