When it comes to top-level academies around England, it is hard to think of many that are outdoing Arsenal’s Hale End at the moment.

Carrington has its stars, and Cobham has produced an outrageous number of top-flight players, but when it comes to genuinely world-class talent, the North Londoners have it.

For example, Bukayo Saka has already hit that level, Ethan Nwaneri racked up double digits for goal involvements last season, and Myles Lewis-Skelly is now a regular starter for England.

Moreover, at just 15 years old, Max Dowman looks likely to become the youngest player in Champions League history this year, and as if that wasn’t enough, Hale End may already have the next Dowman coming through.

Dowman's rapid rise

While those in the know would have been aware of Dowman for some time, fans first began to hear talk of this wonderkid in the making around this time last season, when he was still just 14 years old.

The teenage prodigy had just become the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Youth League history, and by the time the club’s injury crisis hit its peak in February, there was talk of making a special request for him to be allowed to be included in their Premier League squad.

It was probably a good thing that such a request was never made, though, as it allowed him to finish his stellar campaign with the youth sides, which saw him score 19 goals and provide five assists in just 23 appearances, totalling 1945 minutes.

Appearances

23

Minutes

1945′

Goals

19

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.04

Minutes per Goal Involvement

81.04′

In other words, despite playing at age levels well beyond his own, the Chelmsford-born gem averaged 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes, which helps to explain the clamour for him to play first-team football this year.

Unsurprisingly, he has not disappointed, winning a penalty at home to Leeds United on his Premier League debut and then being trusted to come off the bench at Anfield when the team were in need of a goal.

Overall, while some of the talk around the young Englishman might sound a little hyperbolic, he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting youngsters to come out of Hale End in years, which is really saying something when you consider the academy graduates already tearing it up in the first team.

Therefore, it’s more than a little exciting that the club might already have another Dowman-level talent on their hands in another 15-year-old prospect.

Arsenal's next Dowman

Arsenal are blessed with a number of promising youngsters in their academy set-up, but in this instance, the gem in question is Marli Salmon.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Now, for those of you who keep up to date with Hale End developments, you’ll know that, unlike Dowman, Salmon is primarily a centre-back, not an attacking midfielder or winger.

However, when we compare the two teenagers, we are not doing so based on their positions, but on the potential they possess and how those in the know perceive them.

For example, Hale End expert Will Balsam has not held back in his assessment of the player, describing him as the academy’s “best defensive prospect in recent memory” and the “perfect combination of freak physical attributes and technical composure.”

Respected analyst Ben Mattinson went even further, claiming that the teenager is a “top top prospect” and the “best CB Hale End has produced.”

It’s not just those on the outside that rate the young Englishman so highly, either, as even though he is still just 16 years old, the club have already moved him up to the U21s.

Moreover, while his fellow Hale Ender grabbed the headlines during pre-season, the promising defender was also given a chance to play for the first team.

He got 13 minutes of action against Newcastle United and 24 against AC Milan, and neither team scored a goal while he was on the pitch.

Ultimately, while Dowman is the talk of the town and looks like he could be a genuine world-beater, we might be talking about Salmon in the same way next season.

Arteta can ignore Merino by unleashing Arsenal star a "bit like Wilshere"

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 9, 2025

Australia sent a statement to the current world champions New Zealand as to why they are still ranked No.1 with stunning twin half-centuries from Beth Mooney and Georgia Voll and a frugal bowling performance setting up a dominant eight-wicket win with 36 balls to spare in the opening T20I in Auckland.The only dampener on the victory was a significant right index finger injury to star allrounder Ashleigh Gardner who was sent for scans after copping a blow trying to take a return catch while bowling.She would not have batted in any case but she would not have been required if she was fit as Mooney and Voll mowed down New Zealand’s target of 138, which was underpinned by Amelia Kerr’s 51 not out off 46 and Sophie Devine’s 39 not out off 36.But their unbeaten 90-run stand off 76 balls proved too slow as Australia’s opening pair set a slew of records with a staggering display of sustained boundary hitting with Mooney finishing with 75 not out from just 42 balls while Voll made 51 off 30.They posted 77 in the powerplay, which was the most Australia’s women have ever produced in a T20I. They brought up their century stand in 8.2 overs and posted the highest opening partnership, 123, by an Australian female pair against New Zealand in a T20I.Mooney celebrated her 200th international for Australia across all formats by racing to her 26th half-century in T20Is from 28 balls, to go with her two centuries. Voll cruised to her maiden T20I half-century in 30 balls but played second fiddle as Mooney accelerated past her by facing more of the strike.Mooney was brutal going both off side and leg side with trademark lofted cover drives mixed with pick-ups over midwicket. Voll was savage on anything straight, mowing it repeatedly over the leg side with her powerful bottom hand until she finally picked out deep square off Lea Tahuhu with just 15 runs to win.New Zealand’s total was always well under par after winning the toss and batting first. Australia’s attack, which did not feature Ashes star Alana King who was left out of the line-up, was frugal throughout. They could have restricted New Zealand even further had they not dropped two catches and missed three clear-cut run out chances.Darcie Brown made the first breakthrough, claiming Suzie Bates caught behind for a run-a-ball 14, and bowled superbly to finish with 1 for 22 from four overs with 13 dot balls. Georgia Plimmer briefly threatened, accelerating to 27 off 23 but then picked out long-on trying to loft Tahlia McGrath down the ground.Devine, playing her first game since January after taking a mental health break, showed clear signs of rust as she battled for fluency. She was 16 off 27 at one point as all of Australia’s bowlers tied her down. Annabel Sutherland was particularly tough to get away in the middle overs, conceding just 21 off her four.Gardner’s dropped catch seemed to spark Devine. Gardner left in clear pain with blood flowing from a cut on her right index finger and was unable to complete her third over due to the power of Devine’s strike. She found the boundary four more times after that, having scored just one across her first 27 deliveries.Kerr was more consistent across her innings but only found the rope five times in her fourth T20I half-century. New Zealand scored just 17 boundaries in total with Kerr and Devine striking five each. Mooney struck ten fours herself, plus a six, while Voll crunched nine boundaries.Australia claim a 1-0 series lead, with matches to come at Mount Maunganui on Sunday and Wellington on Wednesday.

Antony has opened up about the darkest phase of his career at Manchester United, recalling how he was sidelined to train alone at Carrington and even missed his son’s first steps. Yet through it all, faith, family, and belief in destiny kept him focused, helping him rebuild and thrive again at Real Betis.

• Antony's difficult spell at Manchester United

  When Antony joined United from Ajax in August 2022 for €94m (£82m/$110.7m), expectations were sky-high. But the dream quickly soured. Over two seasons, he managed just 12 goals and five assists in 90 Premier League appearances, struggling to justify his price tag amid criticism and scrutiny. What followed was a period of complete disconnection, both professionally and personally.

  In an interview with ESPN Brazil, Antony revealed how he was ostracised from the first team before his eventual move to Real Betis. “I reported back on July 14 and trained separately for more than a month. It was very complicated. For more than 40 days we stayed in hotels. Me and my father were there, waiting. I trained at five in the afternoon while the group trained in the morning,” he said. “I felt there was a lack of respect, even a lack of education. Nobody said good morning or good afternoon. Not even that,” he added.

  That sense of isolation, he explained, tested his patience and belief. “It was a moment to test myself, to believe. I knew that something good would happen, even if doubts crossed my mind."

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  The pain of missing his son's first steps

  Beyond the football pitch, Antony’s emotional struggle ran deeper. The winger opened up about the personal cost of his time in England – being away from home and missing out on key family moments. “I lost my son’s first steps because I was away. That hurt a lot,” he said, reflecting on what he calls the most painful memory of his United spell.

  His family, however, became his anchor. “They reminded me: it’s difficult now, but it was harder in the slums, when you slept on a sofa. That helped me see the good side of things,” he shared, crediting their resilience for helping him stay grounded.

• Lessons learned and a renewed mindset

  While Antony’s Old Trafford chapter ended in disappointment, he insists it shaped him for the better. “Maybe if I had exploded right away, I might have lost myself later. It was necessary to go through that process. Today I feel like a better man, a better father,” he reflected.

  He even revealed a lesser-known detail – that before joining the Red Devils, he was close to signing for Liverpool. “Before closing with United, I was very close to Liverpool. But the path was meant to be what it was,” he said.

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  Antony's revival at Real Betis

  Antony’s revival story began in Spain. His loan spell at Real Betis during the first half of 2025 reignited the spark that once made him one of Europe’s most exciting young wingers. He scored nine goals and registered five assists in 26 appearances, helping Betis reach the Conference League final.

  Impressed by his form, Betis made the move permanent this summer, signing him for around €25m (£21m/$29m) on a deal until 2030, with United retaining a sell-on clause. This season, Antony has already played five matches across competitions.

يستعد فريق ريال مدريد الإسباني، بقيادة مديره الفني تشابي ألونسو، لمواجهتين هامتين خلال أيام، أمام يوفنتوس الإيطالي، وضد برشلونة، في ظل وجود بعض الغيابات للإصابة.

ويستقبل ريال مدريد نظيره يوفنتوس غدًا الأربعاء على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” ضمن مباريات مرحلة الدوري لدوري أبطال أوروبا.

ثم يحل برشلونة ضيفًا على ريال مدريد بملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” بكلاسيكو الدوري الإسباني، في إطار مباريات الجولة العاشرة، يوم الأحد القادم.

وبحسب ما أفادت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، تأكد غياب النمساوي ديفيد ألابا، مدافع ريال مدريد عن مواجهة يوفنتوس وكذلك مباراة برشلونة.

ويوضح التقرير أن ألابا يعاني من حمل عضلي زائد ولن يتمكن من المشاركة أمام يوفنتوس وأمام برشلونة.

اقرأ أيضًا | هويسن عن إمكانية لحاقه بكلاسيكو ريال مدريد وبرشلونة: دعونا نفاجئ الجميع

دين هويسن أيضًا لن يكون جاهزًا لملاقاة يوفنتوس، وقد ظل في صالة الألعاب الرياضية خلال تديبات ريال مدريد.

أما داني سيبايوس، فقد تدرب بشكل منفرد على ملعب مجاور للملعب الرئيسي، بحسب ما أوضحت “آس” في تقريرها.

وبشأن ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد وداني كارفاخال فهما مرشحان بقوة للمشاركة، وقد شاركا في التدريبات الجماعية في فالديبيباس قبل المباراة ضد يوفنتوس.

Leeds United have missed out on signing some brilliant players in recent years after Marcelo Bielsa led the Whites back to the Premier League in 2020.

Those at Elland Road struck transfer gold on Raphinha, with the Brazilian winger starring in Yorkshire before sealing a big-money move to Barcelona in 2022.

However, Leeds could have signed icons Diego Maradona and Frank Lampard once upon a time, and more recently, plenty of other star names came close to joining the Whites.

Leeds United's most expensive sales of all time

A look at the record departures from Elland Road.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 3, 2025 10 star players Leeds United almost signed 10 Diego Maradona

A year on after Diego Maradona led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 saw Leeds make an ambitious move to sign the icon from Napoli.

A Division Two side at the time, Whites director Bill Fotherby was ready to spend a whopping £8m on Maradona and opened talks with the player’s agent. However, Leeds would eventually pull the plug and Maradona would remain with Napoli until 1991.

9 Frank Lampard

Following Rio Ferdinand’s move to Elland Road in 2000, Leeds looked to raid West Ham again a year later, this time for Frank Lampard.

The Whites were thought to be ready to pay £10m for the midfielder, but as we know, he’d instead join Chelsea.

Lampard has since gone on to become a rival of Leeds and was manager of Derby County during the famous ‘Spygate’ scandal during Bielsa’s time as Whites boss.

8 Erling Haaland

Striker Erling Haaland was born in Leeds and has openly admitted he is a Whites supporter, and those at Elland Road passed up on the chance to sign the Norwegian when he was at Molde.

Now a global superstar, Haaland was 17 at the time and Leeds were in the Championship when the failed transfer happened, with the forward instead signing for RB Salzburg.

7 Duncan Ferguson

Duncan Ferguson was a striker who would have loved the Elland Road atmosphere as a home player, and Leeds almost signed him in 1993.

Dundee United even accepted an offer worth £3.25m from the Whites, however, he would sign for Rangers instead before making a move to England with Everton 12 months later.

6 Josko Gvardiol

Manchester City signed Josko Gvardiol in 2023 for a world-record fee for a defender worth more than £77m. However, three years prior to his move to England, Gvardiol could have signed for Leeds following their promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds even agreed a fee with Dinamo Zagreb, but the Croatia international snubbed the Whites for RB Leipzig.

5 Rodrigo De Paul

During the summer of 2020, Leeds missed out on central midfielder Rodrigo De Paul as well as Gvardiol.

De Paul was a Udinese player at the time and would instead sign for Atletico Madrid, before helping Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar two years later.

4 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Now a Paris Saint-Germain star and one of the best in Europe, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is another case of what could have been for Leeds under Bielsa.

Following their successful first season back in the Premier League, Bielsa wanted attacking additions, with Victor Orta and co targeting Kvaratskhelia from Russian club Rubin Kazan.

Instead, Leeds signed Dan James from Manchester United with Bielsa losing his job during the 2021/22 season.

3 Cody Gakpo

Leeds were desperate to sign Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven late in the summer transfer window in 2023, with Orta and co flying out to the Netherlands looking to bring the star attacker back to Yorkshire.

Gakpo even recalled the story of how he placed his fate in the hands of God the night before the transfer window slammed shut.

Gakpo scored a hat-trick for PSV that night in a 7-1 win over FC Volendam so remained with PSV, eventually moving to Liverpool six months later.

2 Viktor Gyokeres

Viktor Gyokeres signed for Arsenal in 2025, but years before his big-money move to the Emirates from Sporting CP, Orta nearly signed him for Leeds.

The Swedish striker was scoring for fun at Coventry City in the Championship, however, Leeds would instead break the bank in 2023 for Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim.

Coventry City

Sporting CP

Games

116

102

Goals

43

97

Assists

17

28

1 Ollie Watkins

When Leeds were looking for a new striker in 2020 upon their return to the Premier League, they targeted Ollie Watkins who was starring for Brentford in the Championship.

Watkins admitted himself that the Whites were keen on him, however, Leeds instead decided to sign Spanish international Rodrigo to lead their line.

Rodrigo had his ups and downs at Elland Road, whereas Watkins would sign for Aston Villa and regularly hit double figures for goals in the Premier League.

Glasgow Rangers central midfielder Nicolas Raskin has attracted interest from other clubs in the summer transfer window, thanks to his performances at Ibrox over the last year or so.

Premier League sides Wolves, Aston Villa, and Leeds United have all been linked with an interest in the Belgium international, who is said to be valued at £25m by the club.

Despite his undoubted quality, which is backed up by interest from Premier League clubs, Raskin as not helped Rangers to pick up any wins in the first three Scottish Premiership matches.

The midfield star has failed to score or create a ‘big chance’ in any of the three games, fortunately registering an assist when the ball deflected off his thigh and teed up Findlay Curtis to score from range.

Rangers have failed to score more than one goal in all of their league outings, so far, and that is why it would be an even bigger blow for them to lose a difference-maker in the final third, rather than Raskin, before the deadline closes.

European side plotting bid for Rangers star

Whilst noise over Raskin’s future has gone quiet, despite the report interest from down south earlier this summer, there is still plenty of chatter over what will happen to one of Russell Martin’s star forwards.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to the Daily Record, Lille are preparing to submit an offer to sign Glasgow Rangers centre-forward Hamza Igamane before the end of the window.

The report claims that the Ligue 1 side are set to propose an initial fee of £9m with add-ons that could take it up to £12m, as they look to test the Scottish giants’ resolve.

It adds that Lille have already had one bid turned down for Igamane and that they have now reopened talks to sign the forward, who Martin claimed said he was injured and unavailable to come on as a substitute against St Mirren.

The Daily Record reveals that Rangers want a fee close to £15m to allow the forward to leave, but Lille are not willing to go that high and will offer a £12m package in an attempt to get a deal done near the end of the window.

Why selling Igamane would be a big blow for Rangers

Losing Igamane this late in the window would be an even bigger blow than losing Raskin because he is the kind of player who can turn poor performances into positive results.

Raskin is not a natural game-changing attacker who is going to score and create goals out of nothing on a consistent basis, which is partly why he has been unable to turn the tide in the first three games.

That is not a criticism of the Belgian maestro, who is a joy to watch in midfield at times, but it just speaks to the kind of player Rangers need right now, and that player is Igamane.

As you can see in the table above, the Morocco international helped to turn losses into draws and draws into wins with his contributions in the final third last season in the Premiership.

Igamane, who analyst Ben Mattinson claimed tries “outrageous” efforts in games, showcased his game-changing quality when he scored the winner against Celtic at Parkhead back in March, in the clip below.

The 22-year-old attacker is the kind of player who can turn a game on its head by delivering a moment of magic, which is what Rangers have sorely lacked in the first three games of the league campaign.

This is why selling Igamane would be an even bigger blow than losing Raskin this summer, because he has more potential to be an influential player for the Light Blues in the Premiership.

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Former Tottenham and Manchester United defender Sergio Reguilon is in line to reportedly link-up with Lionel Messi as the Spanish star is in shock talks to join Inter Miami as a free agent. The 28-year-old Spaniard, who was released by Tottenham when his contract expired in July, is now exploring a move that would see him become the latest European star to land in Major League Soccer alongside some of the game’s biggest names.

Spurs flop could find new life in the sunshine state

Reguilon’s time at Tottenham ended quietly after a season in which he made just six appearances, with only two starts to his name. Despite that, he still managed to find himself at the heart of the club’s Europa League celebrations, bizarrely collecting a winner’s medal and even kissing the trophy on stage, despite never playing a single minute in the competition.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportReguilon's record at Spurs

Reguilon departs north London having racked up 73 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and providing nine assists. His career has been a rollercoaster, featuring loan spells at Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, and Brentford, but the opportunity to reignite his career in Miami might prove too good to refuse.

Reguilon could join Miami's title push

According to Inter Miami are considering Reguilon as part of their final roster reinforcement ahead of the MLS playoffs, with hopes of getting the deal done before the post-season kicks off. With the MLS regular season concluding on October 19, Miami have already secured their spot in the Eastern Conference play-offs, sitting fourth with 56 points. The top seven teams in each conference qualify automatically, while those in eighth and ninth battle it out in a wildcard round. If the deal is completed swiftly, Reguilon could become part of Lionel Messi’s charge for the club’s first-ever MLS Cup, adding European experience and defensive depth at a crucial moment.

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Getty Images SportMiami look to bounce back as Reguilon waits in the wings

Miami’s play-off preparations took a slight hit after their recent 5-3 defeat to Chicago Fire, a result that exposed defensive vulnerabilities, something a player like Reguilon could help address. The Florida-based side will aim to return to winning form when they take on the New England Revolution this Sunday, with their star-studded squad eager to finish strong.