Naomi Girma is back, Rose Lavelle is fresh off an NWSL Championship win and new faces arrive: Five keys to the USWNT’s final camp of 2025 vs Italy

With Rose Lavelle flying, Naomi Girma healthy again and new faces pushing in camp, Emma Hayes gets a final 2025 look at the USWNT against Italy.

The U.S. women’s national team has one final test to close out the year: a pair of friendlies against No. 12 Italy.

The USWNT and Italy have met 15 times, with the Americans holding a 10-4-1 edge. Emma Hayes’ squad opens the series Friday in Orlando before shifting south to Fort Lauderdale for the second match. The team is already in Florida, with several players joining camp straight off their NWSL Championship celebrations. Rose Lavelle, Lilly Reale, Emily Sonnett, Jaelin Howell, and Jaedyn Shaw all arrived fresh from Gotham FC’s title parade – and Hayes made sure they received a proper welcome.

“I think it’s the right test,” Hayes said. “The key for us is we have to play our game and know that no matter what the opponent throws at us – whether they change shapes in the game or are very clever in the way they defend – we have to stick to our task and our game.”

This camp reflects Hayes’ now-familiar balance of new faces and established leaders, with a few notable tweaks. Naomi Girma has returned to the roster, while two players earned their first senior call-ups. With the final window of 2025 underway, Hayes will use these friendlies as another step toward shaping the squad she wants representing the United States at the 2027 World Cup.

GOAL looks at five keys for the USWNT against Italy…

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    'I'm very excited to be here'

    The backline has been missing one major piece in recent matches: Naomi Girma.

    "I'm very excited to be here. Yeah, I'm happy to be back on the pitch and two good games for us, so I'm looking forward to it," Girma said at pre-match availability. 

    The defending hasn’t been disastrous by any means, but the inexperience has shown,  particularly against Portugal. The USWNT had never conceded to Portugal until their most recent meeting, a surprising loss that included two goals surrendered on set pieces. The team corrected course in the rematch and then dominated New Zealand, but the defensive lapses were still jarring for a program that prides itself on stability at the back.

    With Girma out, Hayes has relied on a rotating center-back pairing: sometimes Emily Sonnett and Tara McKeown, other times Jordyn Bugg and Emily Sams. For the first match against Italy, though, it feels almost certain Girma returns to the XI now that she’s fully recovered. In fact, she’s already making her presence known – U.S. Soccer’s camp video showed her jokingly celebrating being “first down for breakfast,” a small but telling indicator of how eager she is to be back in the mix.

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    Plenty of midfield choices

    The USWNT's midfield is absolutely stacked, from veterans Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Heaps to young stars like Lily Yohannes and Claire Hutton, Hayes is going to have a hard time deciding who her starting three will be. And those aren't even the only four, there's also always reliable Sam Coffey and recent call-ins Jaelin Howell and Croiz Bethune. 

    The midfield is essential to how the USWNT plays, and historically it's usually a mix of one shutdown defensive-minded midfielder, like a Coffey paired with duo of creative magicians when it comes to combining and seeing the field. 

    Fresh off scoring the game-winning goal against the Washington Spirit in the NWSL Championship, Lavelle was smiling ear to ear when she spoke to reporters on Wednesday. 

    "Happy to be back in camp, always fun when we can be back together and be together," she said. 

    Whatever trio is charging the midfield will be solid, and Hayes will most likely showcase two different lineups against Italy because they have two games to try out different lineups and rotations. 

    Howell hasn't been called up to the senior team in more than three years and was instrumental in Gotham FC's championship and postseason run. Hayes pays attention to all the leagues and players playing, so she was clearly impressed with Howell's season and contribution in the midfield. Another player back in the mix is Bethune, who has had a long journey back to health after unluckily injuring her knee last year while throwing out a first pitch. 

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    Chelsea FC trio

    The 'Triple Espresso' trio of Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson, and Trinity Rodman may not be fully back yet, but a new trio of force is here to stay, and that's out of WSL side Chelsea FC: Girma, Catarina Macario, and Alyssa Thompson. 

    All three players have a massive role on this USWNT roster. Girma, the centerback that keeps it all together, Macario, the composed and strong ball holder and handler in the No.9 spot, and Thompson, the fearless attacking winger who will take on anyone at any time. 

    Chances are high that all three will be on the field at once for these upcoming friendlies, which will be exciting and all the credit to . Three other players on this roster are currently playing professional soccer overseas. Heaps and Yohannes play for OL Lyonnes in UEFA Women's Champions League, and then there's Emily Fox, who plays for Arsenal FC, which is currently mid-table in the competition at 10th, and marks the fourth U.S. player to be competing in England. 

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    Battle of the keepers

    It’s the never-ending battle for the No. 1 shirt – a competition that truly began when longtime USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher announced her retirement earlier this year. Since then, Emma Hayes has tested just about every option available, from Houston Dash standout Jane Campbell to North Carolina Courage keeper Casey Murphy, Manchester United’s Phallon Tullis-Joyce, and several others.

    For this camp, Hayes stuck with two familiar faces in Mandy McGlynn and Claudia Dickey, but, in classic Hayes fashion, added a newcomer to the mix: Jordan Silkowitz. This is only Silkowitz’s second-ever international call-up, following her summer trip to Germany with the U-23s. She spent this past season with Bay FC in the NWSL and has quickly played her way into the senior conversation.

    Hayes recently told reporters she is “likely” to lean on the same three goalkeepers she used against Portugal – Dickey, Tullis-Joyce, and McGlynn. Silkowitz is here to gain experience and push the group, but the battle for the top spot remains very much between the established trio.

Mohammad Amir: Only available for Pakistan 'once this management leaves'

Last week, head coach Misbah-ul-Haq accused Amir of making up the circumstances around which he announced his retirement

Danyal Rasool18-Jan-2021Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has left the door ajar for a possible return to international cricket, but reiterated he would “only be available once this management leaves”. Amir, who last month retired from international cricket alleging he was being “mentally tortured”, has seen his relationship with the current PCB board and management deteriorate steadily over time, with the war of words showing no signs of simmering down since Amir walked away from the national side.Last week, Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq accused Amir of “making up” the circumstances around which he announced his retirement, claiming the bowler had missed out on selection for a number of series previously because his performance hadn’t been good enough. He dismissed suggestions Amir’s omission came about as a result of a personal feud between the 28-year old and bowling coach Waqar Younis, saying “nobody supported his selection” among the six association coaches, Misbah himself, and the Pakistan captain Babar Azam.Upon missing out on selection for the series against New Zealand, Amir had tweeted that “only Misbah” could explain why he hadn’t been included, before criticising bowling coach Waqar Younis for talking about his workload. That, coupled by Amir’s frequent praise of former Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur, at one point saying he would “love to play under Arthur for any side in the world”, offered insight into how he viewed his relations with the current coaching staff.The PCB told ESPNcricinfo they had no further comment on Amir’s latest remarks, insisting they would not issue statements through the media on matters pertaining to a retired cricketer.

Liverpool officials deployed to scout young defender likened to Van de Ven

Liverpool have now reportedly taken their first step in the race to sign Bundesliga defender Konstantinos Koulierakis, who has been compared to Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven.

The Reds have been back to their best in the last week, beating Aston Villa to end a four-game losing run in the Premier League before suffocating Real Madrid at Anfield to stop the rot once and for all. Victory over the Spanish giants certainly came at a good time too, with a trip to the Etihad to face Manchester City now awaiting Arne Slot’s side this Sunday.

The Dutchman spoke about the Real Madrid win and looked ahead to Liverpool’s clash against Man City this weekend, telling reporters: “It was impressive because we played against an incredible side that is in an unbelievable run of form. So to beat them is very positive but we can say we beat them because of a set piece. We have scored four in the Champions League.

“If we had scored as many in the Premier League we would have more points than we have now, but we have scored none and conceded five. If that is your balance you are not going to pick up many points.

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“Sunday is another game coming up against a very strong team. We have lost too many points in the Premier League but in the Champions League we are doing well. We need to do better and that is what we are going to try and there’s a lot of games coming up for us to show that.”

Meanwhile, as they return to winning ways on the pitch, those at Anfield have reportedly taken their first step towards what would be quite the win away from the action.

Liverpool take first step in Koulierakis race

As reported by The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have now sent scouts to watch Konstantinos Koulierakis, who has been compared to Spurs’ Van de Ven. The latest Wolfsburg defender to impress, Koulierakis is still just 21 years old and standing out despite his side’s poor start to the Bundesliga campaign.

The Greek defender wouldn’t be the first centre-back to swap Wolfsburg for the Premier League, either. Of course, Van de Ven is now thriving at Spurs and Maxence Lacroix is also a stand-out at Crystal Palace these days. Now, Koulierakis could be the next in line to make the switch and to the biggest club yet in Liverpool.

Described as “powerful” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Koulierakis could end Liverpool’s search for a centre-back in 2026 and act as an immediate replacement for Ibrahima Konate if the Frenchman fails to sign a new deal at the club.

What we learned: Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid

Introducing Jais-ball: contemporary yet timeless

So early in his Test career, Yashasvi Jaiswal has already shown incredible and effortless range in his batting – a product of the Bombay school of batting but also the IPL

Karthik Krishnaswamy19-Feb-2024A belief pervades many cultures that showering someone with praise summons the evil eye.Rohit Sharma seemed to be in the grip of just such a belief on Sunday evening, when he was asked about Yashasvi Jaiswal’s run-scoring feats in this series against England. He was asked first at the presentation ceremony in Rajkot.”I’ve spoken a lot about him,” he said. “I’m sure people outside the changing room have also been talking about him. I want to be calm about him, not talk a lot about him.”Related

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He was asked again at his post-match press conference.”I won’t say anything on Jaiswal. Everyone is talking about him. Let him play. He is playing well, it’s good for us and he is in good form. I am not going to say much more than that. [this is enough for now].”At these moments Rohit seemed not so much the captain of a cricket team as the anxious parent of a gifted child fretting about the inadvertent curse of excessive praise. You could imagine him nailing a string of chillies and lime to India’s dressing-room doorframe, and getting a member of the coaching staff to circle Jaiswal’s head three times clockwise and three times anticlockwise with a fistful of rock salt.You could empathise with Rohit, because Jaiswal is that kind of player. So good, so early in his career, that it seems wrong to talk about him. Let the boy be. Let him get on with it. Just watch and enjoy, no?This feeling – no doubt shared by many others apart from Rohit – is perhaps also a product of the names Jaiswal’s recent achievements have twinned him with, Don Bradman and Vinod Kambli: a career so productive that no one will ever be expected to match it, and a sad and curiously truncated career of whys and what-ifs. Kambli, of course, is a Mumbai left-hander who came from humble beginnings and brought to Test cricket both a precocious appetite for runs and a love for hitting sixes.Bradman and Kambli. A bright start, then, is just a start.The Indian camp rises as one to welcome Yashasvi Jaiswal back after his Visakhapatnam epic•BCCIBut what a start Jaiswal has had. He has played seven Tests now, and scored 861 runs at an average of 71.75. He’s already made three hundreds, each of them big, each bigger than the previous one – 171, 209, 214* – and each different to the other too.The debut effort in Dominica was remarkable for how unremarkable it appeared on the surface. On a slow Dominica pitch where India’s batters struggled for timing though not for survival against a limited West Indies attack, he batted time, with only as much fluency as the conditions would allow, and checked off one milestone after another, each appearing more inevitable than the last one. It was an innings you might have expected from Virat Kohli – who, to put the conditions in perspective, took 80 balls to hit his first boundary – but perhaps not from a 21-year-old debutant.Then, over the last two weeks, he’s made two double-hundreds: one that held together a first innings that could have otherwise fallen apart – he made just under 53% of India’s total of 396 – and one that set the tone for a jubilant third-innings surge.Perhaps nothing illustrates how different these two double-hundreds were than the methods he adopted against England’s fast bowlers in both innings. In Visakhapatnam, he faced 67 balls from James Anderson, England’s only quick, and scored 17 runs. In Rajkot, he faced 39 balls from Anderson and Mark Wood and scored 61. In strike-rate terms, he went from 25.37 in one innings to 156.41 in the other.

You could imagine Pant leaving five balls in a row if he really, really had to, but by the fourth leave you’d be off your chair and pacing the floor. When Jaiswal left five in a row from Jason Holder in his debut innings, you were probably fixing yourself a snack while the cricket played in the background.

The shots Jaiswal unleashed on the fourth day in Rajkot were always present in his kitbag: the falling scoop, the bent-knee slap over the massed off-side field, the club down the ground off the good-length ball. But where even the most subdued innings from Rishabh Pant – to take the example of the previous extravagantly gifted India left-hander to treat Anderson with cheerful disrespect in a home Test – is likely to include one or two shots of that type, it feels like Jaiswal could comfortably get through a full series without needing to demonstrate his full range.You could imagine Pant leaving five balls in a row if he really, really to, but by the fourth leave you’d be off your chair and pacing the floor. When Jaiswal left five in a row from Jason Holder in his debut innings, you were probably fixing yourself a snack while the cricket played in the background.Some players are so good that you can’t take your eyes off them. Some are so good that you frequently do, with the certainty that they’ll still be batting when you’ve returned from your fridge-foraging.Jaiswal can be both kinds of batter, but he’s more often the second kind. He’s a product of the Bombay school the Rajasthan Royals school, and while that education has given him a vast skillset, it has seemingly spared him the effects of its inherent contradictions. At this stage, it feels like you could send him out in any situation and expect that he’d make sound choices without having to think too hard about it.That clarity and certainty, of course, is partly a product of the form he’s in, and the fact that he hasn’t yet met a real setback as a batter at the highest level. That will come in its course. Watching him, it’s hard to think he wouldn’t find a way to overcome it.For now, though, it’s perhaps wisest to just let him be. Watch and enjoy. And keep your amulets and rabbit’s feet handy, just in case.

Pete Crow-Armstrong Stole Home From Second on a Wild Pitch vs. Mets

The Mets are clinging to a one-game lead in the NL wild card chase right now as they, the Reds and the Diamondbacks all lost on Wednesday night. New York didn't put up much of a fight in their loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field as Chicago won 10-3 and Pete Crow-Armstrong scored from second on a wild pitch.

That's right. The same night a guy got thrown out at first from right field, another player basically stole home from second base.

The Cubs had a 6-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth when Crow-Armstrong came to the plate with two outs and a runner on third. PCA chopped one to third that was fielded cleanly by Mark Vientos, but his throw was in the grass and bounced into the stands. A run scored and Crow-Armstrong trotted to second on the error.

Two pitches later Mets reliever Clay Holmes threw one in the dirt. PCA ran to third, but noticed that no one was covering home so as he approached the bag he excellerated and sprinted for home.

If the Mets go on to miss the postseason, it won't be because of this play, but just being able to throw it in their late-season lowlight reel seems fitting.

More importantly, it's the perfect highlight to add to Crow-Armstrong's breakout season.

أيمن يونس: الزمالك انهار بسبب لاعبه.. وبيراميدز يستحق الفوز

علق أيمن يونس لاعب الزمالك الأسبق، على هزيمة الأبيض في مباراة اليوم أمام بيراميدز بنتيجة 3-0، ضمن لقاءات الدوري المصري.

والتقى الزمالك أمام بيراميدز على أرضية استاد الدفاع الجوي، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ11 من الدوري المصري.

وقال أيمن يونس في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “خروج عبد الله السعيد أدى إلى انهيار وسط الملعب، والفارق ظهر وانهارت شخصية الزمالك”.

طالع | ترتيب الدوري المصري بعد فوز بيراميدز على الزمالك

وأكمل: “منطقة أحمد فتوح كل اللاعبين تتحرك بها، أخطاء دفاعية قاتلة وتحديدًا الونش، والعلاقة الدفاعية مع محمد عواد حارس المرمى أضعف ما يمكن، وتبديلات جروس دائمًا تكون متأخرة وغير مؤثرة”.

واختتم: “تفوق مدرب بيراميدز بأسلوبه وتبديلاته، قدموا شوط ثاني رائع ويستحقون الفوز، والزمالك قدم أسوأ شوط في الدوري هذا الموسم”.

"Big" – Attanasio's message to Clement that convinced him to join Norwich

Norwich City have appointed former Rangers boss Philippe Clement as the club’s head coach, and the new boss has revealed a message of ambition from majority shareholder Mark Attanasio.

Clement – sacked by Rangers in February – has signed a contract through to the summer of 2029 and will be joined at Carrow Road by coach Stephan Van Der Heyden.

The Belgian replaces Liam Manning, who left Carrow Road ahead of the international break with the Canaries second bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, having lost all of their home matches so far this season.

Norwich were reported to have spoken to both ex-Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, who had a spell as a player with the Canaries, as well as former Sweden and Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, before settling on Clement.

Although the Belgian’s time at Ibrox ended following a disappointing run – with Rangers well adrift of rivals Celtic in the league – Clement did win the 2024 Premier Sports Cup and had previously guided Club Brugge to their domestic title twice before a spell at Monaco.

Clement excited by Norwich ambition

His reign in Glasgow was marred by issues with ownership and recruitment – the Rangers board are still unter intense scrutiny after their failed summer revamp of the playing squad and appointment of Russell Martin – but Clement has revealed he is excited by what Attanasio and Co have in store in Norfolk.

“I’m really excited by this story and opportunity. I’ve known of this club for a long time and, whilst we are not in a good moment at this time, we are excited to work together with the players and staff to turn things around,” Clement said on the Norwich club website, revealing the board’s ambition convinced him to join.

Clement’s first game in charge will be away at Birmingham on Saturday.

Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper added: “Philippe is an incredibly experienced and prominent head coach, with clear values and beliefs that align with ours.

“We now have an incredible amount of work ahead of us to ensure we improve performances and results and we will do everything possible to ensure Philippe has our full backing and support.”

Seleção Brasileira bate Chile e conquista título do Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino

MatériaMais Notícias

da pinnacle: A Seleção Feminina encerrou a temporada de 2021 com um título nas mãos. Com gols de Kerolin e Giovana, as comandadas de Pia Sundhage derrotaram o Chile por 2 a 0 nesta quarta-feira (1) na Arena da Amazônia, venceram o Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino e deixam uma boa perspectiva na preparação para a Copa América de 2022. Em jogo acirrado, marcado por observações e pelo desentrosamento natural causado devido ao “rodízio” de elenco, a equipe garantiu o 100% de aproveitamento na competição.

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da doce: A Seleção Feminina volta a campo em fevereiro para disputar o Torneio Internacional da França. Dos dias 14 a 23, as brasileiras encararão França, Holanda e Finlândia.

CHILENAS RONDAM A ÁREA

A técnica Pia Sundhage promoveu seis mudanças em relação à Seleção Brasileira que iniciou a goleada por 4 a 1 sobre a Venezuela (a mais significativa foi entrada de Marta como titular ao lado de Debinha). Diante do Chile, um adversário mais impetuoso, as Guerreiras lidaram nos primeiros minutos com dificuldades defensivas diante dos avanços de Rojas e Urrutia.

Urrutia levou a melhor sobre Tamires e arriscou, mas o chute foi fraco e parou nas mãos de Letícia. A atacante ainda deu trabalho para Daiane e Tainara. Logo depois, Rojas puxou contra-ataque e Lara encheu o pé, só que a bola subiu.

BRASIL BATALHA, MAS O GOL…

Após 15 minutos de pressão chilena, o Brasil foi se soltando em campo aos trancos e barrancos. Kerolin cruzou para Ary Borges, que tentou por cobertura e mandou para fora. Em seguida, Duda e Marta também se atrapalharam ao concluir.Debinha fez o cruzamento e Kerolin surgiu livre, mas cabeceou em cima de Endler.

Embora tenha melhorado o toque de bola na reta final, a Seleção continuou a penar para criar jogadas com qualidade. Marta aproveitou uma rara brecha na direita, se desvencilhou da adversária e cruzou, só que Debinha chegou atrasada. Já Antônia passou como quis pela marcação e arriscou, fazendo a bola tirar tinta da trave.

PARA EMBALAR!

Bastaram cinco minutos para a Seleção achar uma brecha para seu poderio ofensivo. Antônia abriu caminho para descida de Ary Borges. Com velocidade, a camisa 17 aproveitou um espaço deixado pela esquerda e cruzou para a área. Kerolin surgiu livre na área chilena e desviou na saída de Endler para delírio da torcida na Arena da Amazônia.

As chilenas ainda ensaiaram uma reação com Aedo. No entanto, as Guerreiras se lançaram novamente à frente. Kerolin cruzou e Debinha acabou se enrolando. Antônia ainda arriscou finalização de longe, mas a bola foi por cima da meta de Endler. As comandadas de Pia Sundhage continuaram a se impor, mas esbarravam em erros de passes.

SEM SUSTO…

Quando o ritmo da partida caiu, a técnica Pia Sundhage promoveu as entradas de Adriana e Giovana. Em seguida, o Chile voltou a assustar em uma cobrança de escanteio de Araya na qual Letícia espalmou para evitar qualquer susto. Em seguida, Tamires arriscou de longe e Endler encaixou.

GIOVANA RATIFICA O TROFÉU

O título foi sacramentado aos 36 minutos graças à perspicácia digna das Guerreiras. Giovana aproveitou a hesitação de uma defensora chilena e deu o bote. A camisa 14 chutou com calma e superou Endler aos 38.

Na reta final, Ivana Fuso tentou arrancada e Geyse chutou pelo lado de fora da rede. Mas a vitória e o título estavam confirmados, indicando uma evolução brasileira sob o comando de Pia Sundhage.

Man City now make contact to sign 58-cap international who's "the perfect player"

Manchester City have now made contact over a deal for a 58-cap international, who is able to play in a number of positions.

Man City looking to increase squad depth after Bayer Leverkusen defeat

Pep Guardiola clearly had a lot of faith in some of his back-up options heading into the Champions League tie against Bayer Leverkusen, having made ten changes to his starting XI, but his side came up short in a 2-0 defeat.

The Spaniard has since admitted he probably made too many alterations, saying: “I always had the belief of the long season and everyone had to be involved but maybe it was too much. They played not to make mistakes instead of doing what we had to do.

“It was not the performance that we thought. I take full responsibility. We missed something. We missed an incredible opportunity and now we need to fight in the next games.”

Despite limiting the German side to an xG of just 0.51, the Blues conceded two goals for the second game on the spin, and having kept one clean sheet in their last seven games, they have now joined the race for a new defender.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Man City have now made contact over a deal for versatile AS Roma defender Zeki Celik, who is able to play as a wing-back, full-back and at centre-back.

Celik could be available for a bargain fee in the January transfer window, given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, but if the Italian club are unwilling to sanction a departure, City could wait to snap him up on a free next summer.

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There may be competition for the defender’s signature from a plethora of rival Premier League clubs, however, with Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea also making enquiries of their own.

"Perfect player" Celik impressing for club and country

The 58-cap Turkey international was recently lauded by national team manager Vincenzo Montella, who said: “He’s the perfect player for any coach,”

“Celik is professional, reliable, does his job wherever you play him. In a locker room it is always needed to have guys like him.”

The 28-year-old has also put in some impressive performances for AS Roma as of late, recently scoring and recording a 95% pass-completion rate in his side’s 2-0 victory over Udinese, with the latter statistic indicating he could be ideal in a Pep system.

As such, Celik could be a solid addition to the Man City squad, particularly on a free transfer, with Guardiola clearly keen on bolstering his options at full-back, given that a Bundesliga star has also been identified as a potential target…

'World-class football destination' – Man Utd to hire architecture firm tasked with creating 'masterplan' for new stadium as Old Trafford's future still hangs in the balance

Manchester United are set to partner with an international architecture firm to develop plans to regenerate the area around Old Trafford.

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  • United appoint renowned architecture firm
  • Club to revolutionise area around Old Trafford
  • Decision on stadium still hasn't been made
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The club aim to turn the district into a "world-class football destination" amid plans of either renovating Old Trafford or possibly building a new stadium. Earlier this year, United appointed Foster + Partners to lead a £50 million ($66m) project to modernise their Carrington Training Complex. Now, the same firm will be tasked with creating a "vibrant destination for visitors from Manchester, the UK and all around the world".

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    United said in a statement that Old Trafford will not be part of the project as the club hierarchy continue to consider their options, but stressed that a "world-class stadium" will be at the heart of the masterplan.

  • WHAT UNITED SAID

    "The focus will be to design a world-class football destination and home for Manchester United fans, coupled with a wider masterplan comprising mixed-use developments which will benefit the local community, attract new residents, increase job provision, and make it a vibrant destination for visitors from Manchester, the UK and all around the world," the club's announcement said.

    "The exercise will include substantial engagement with fans, community members, local authorities and the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force, whose feedback and insights will be incorporated into the masterplan design."

  • Getty Images Sport

    WHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?

    It has been reported that partial-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to have a decision made regarding Old Trafford by the end of the year. It emerged this week that United are open to demolishing their iconic ground and build a 100,000 capacity 'Wembley of the North' stadium, which would cost around £2 billion ($2.6bn).

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