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Manchester United boast a rich history of academy production at the highest level, with their famed 'Class of 92' a shimmering example which other clubs could only dream of.

However, whilst many rush to outline that as the apex of their youth graduates, and rightly so, there has still been a steady stream of youngsters produced over the years that have gone on to have fine careers at the top level.

Marcus Rashford, although struggling recently alongside the rest of Erik ten Hag's side, is the current jewel, but his exploits have been supplemented over the years by the likes of Dean Henderson, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Elanga and James Garner, who are all enjoying spells with their respective clubs in the top flight of English football.

Dan Gore

19

26/09/2023

Kobbie Mainoo

17

10/01/2023

Charlie McNeill

18

08/09/2022

Alejandro Garnacho

17

28/04/2022

Tom Heaton

35

08/12/2021

The hope will be that they can produce their next big star soon to help pull them out of their misery, with particular emphasis on unearthing a midfield maestro to help ease the desperate rebuild needed.

Whilst many would rush to champion Kobbie Mainoo, and rightly so given how extraordinary the 18-year-old has been performing for the U23s, there is arguably another within the academy with a differing profile that could aid them even more.

How good is Kobbie Mainoo?

Having been handed his first senior start just last term, the future is already exceedingly bright for the teenage maestro who is already capturing attention.

After all, in the run-up to that 3-0 EFL Cup win over Charlton Athletic, the former Ajax boss would note: "We want to get into the semi-finals, so it's a big game. For him (Mainoo) it's a great opportunity, he did very well during the winter camp in Spain. He also did very well against Everton in a friendly. He deserved to play, so I'm happy to give him the opportunity – it's about deserving it."

This had been a long time coming for the Stockport-born creator, who Ten Hag actually earmarked for a first-team opportunity as Garnacho was breaking through: "But we want to develop players into the first team. So I think we are also in that perspective in a good way: Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo is also on his way. There is a pathway to the first team but they have to deserve it."

With two goals and two assists across 13 Premier League 2 games, it is fair to say that he certainly has done, starring as a calming presence in the engine room with enough know-how to chip in with goal contributions too.

However, he is not the only one starring in the midfield for the U21s, with a Norwegian starlet surely closing in on a similar senior path. His name is Isak Hansen-Aarøen.

Who is Isak Hansen-Aarøen?

Having plucked the teenager from his homeland in 2020 after starring for Tromso, it has been a rapid progression for the 19-year-old, who is enjoying a meteoric rise through the ranks and could soon be their latest official academy graduate.

Enjoying an impressive recent full campaign, where he recorded four goal contributions across 22 Premier League 2 games, this term is poised to be his best yet, having already scored twice in just four league matches.

Such form could catch the eye of Ten Hag, who will likely be well aware of Hansen-Aarøen's outstanding assets due to the numerous glowing testimonies that have poured in as he has made his way closer to senior football.

A former teammate of his at Tromso, Yttergård Jenssen, was one such name who rushed to praise the youngster who had just lit up the 2022 FA Youth Cup final: "I think he was very good and the fact that he has taken the next step so well is very cool. I realized that this was a talented boy already in the first training.” Jenssen told Dagbladet.

“He has some skills that are completely raw. He’s so playful with the ball. And the way he moves on a football field… There’s something artistic about it. He is a bit reminiscent of Martin Ødegaard."

Such high praise, both with regard to his beauty in possession and the comparison to one of the division's outstanding creators, must surely have piqued the interest of United's hierarchy. After all, with Bruno Fernandes often forced to shoulder the heavy creative burden, nurturing some support for the Portugal international would certainly not go amiss.

A stellar display against Leeds United in pre-season likely aided his case further, as Ten Hag noted back in July: "He did well, making a good pass for the first goal. He’s really comfortable on the ball; he has good vision and good scanning."

If he is to grow into half as successful a star as Arsenal's captain has become, it will certainly be another successful graduate for the fanbase to attach themselves to.

How good is Martin Odegaard?

After all, the Norway international only continues to go from strength to strength, having evolved with each passing year since his permanent departure from Real Madrid.

Once touted as the next big thing, plucked from his homeland as a 16-year-old to join the Spanish giants, such an overawing experience was bound to affect someone so young. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that his peak has come many years following that, having spearheaded the Gunners' unlikely title push last season.

With 15 goals and eight assists in the league, the 24-year-old was exceptionally prolific, having begun this term in similarly proficient fashion.

Mikel Arteta would laud the contribution of his midfield master after a stellar personal campaign, which should excite the Old Trafford faithful even more given the potential similarities: "Those are the demands he puts on himself and the areas he had huge margins to improve. He is making huge steps in the right direction to become a game-winner.

"He has a character that everybody respects, everybody admires and everybody follows. He does it in his own way. There are many ways to lead a team and he has a unique one. We don’t want to take anything from that."

Whilst the Dutch manager will likely have his focus on Mainoo as the next big star to break through, Hansen-Aarøen cannot be far behind, especially if he is to maintain his goalscoring form to start the new season.

‘Runs are the currency’, says assistant coach, as clamour for white-ball batting berths hots up

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2018Paul Farbrace, England’s interim coach, has backed Joe Root to bounce back strongly after being dropped for the series-deciding T20I against India at Bristol on Sunday, but reiterated that “runs are the currency” by which all of England’s batsmen need to be judged in the current clamour for white-ball berths.Despite being acknowledged as England’s finest multi-format batsman, Root found himself under pressure following scores of 35, 0 and 9 in his three previous T20 innings against Australia and India. He made way for the return of Ben Stokes in Bristol after Alex Hales had made his own place in the side secure with a match-winning half-century at Cardiff on Friday.Root’s omission would have seem unthinkable two years ago, when he was the glue in the England T20 line-up that came so close to victory in the World T20 in India, and prior to the series Farbrace insisted Root was a fixture in the side. However, Farbrace – who has been standing in for the head coach, Trevor Bayliss, during the T20I series – said that Root remained a shoo-in to play in the first ODI against India at Trent Bridge on Thursday.”Every player goes through a period where you either find it tough or you’re left out the side,” said Farbrace. “We all know that [Joe’s] response will be to work harder, try harder and score more runs – that’s the nature of him.”I’m sure he was bitterly disappointed to be left out because he wants to play every game for England and he wants to show he’s a high quality player in all forms of the game, but we all know Joe very well – he’ll be spurred on by that and he’ll do all he can to make sure he’s ready come Thursday’s game at Trent Bridge.”Root’s role in T20 cricket has come under inadvertent scrutiny in recent months, partly as a consequence of his huge importance to England’s fortunes in the longer formats. In the aftermath of a gruelling Ashes campaign, he was rested during England’s T20 tri-series in Australia and New Zealand in February, and also missed out on an IPL deal after being overlooked in this year’s auction.And, now in the aftermath of a T20 series decider when even a target of 200 was shown to be some 20-30 runs short, Root’s value – as a man who can keep the strike rotating and soak up the pressure moments of an innings – has been undermined by the sheer muscularity required to put a defendable total on the board, at least on the sort of flat deck that was served up at Bristol.”It is important in low-scoring games on tough wickets, you need people who can manipulate the strike, who can play spin bowling well, and can keep you in tight games,” said Farbrace. “That’s a skill that Joe has – he has the ability to hit boundaries. He might not have the raw power of a Stokes or a Bairstow but he has strong cricket shots, even in 20-over cricket, which will get you your reward.”In the game at Cardiff, a low-scoring game, the idea of him going in when he did [at No.3] was to rotate the strike, knock it around and get you close to winning the game. In the end, he got out playing the sweep shot – which is fine, because that’s a shot that he plays exceptionally well.”I still think, and I genuinely believe it, that if England are to be successful in T20 cricket over the next couple of years leading into the World Cup, Joe Root will play a magnificent and big part in that. He’s our best player – a fantastic player in all forms of the game.”Yes, he hasn’t got any runs in the last couple of games and, yes, that does make you vulnerable in any side. Runs are your currency – that’s what you’re selected on. It’s the same for bowlers – it’s about wickets and economy rates in T20 cricket.”Despite the disappointment of losing the series decider, Farbrace said that England would take confidence from their Cardiff win into next week’s ODI series, which arguably has far more significance for the two teams leading into next year’s World Cup, and which England will begin as the No.1-ranked side in the world.”It was really important that we showed that we could learn very quickly from the first game and we showed that we are capable of beating India in tough conditions,” said Farbrace. “It will be a brilliant series – they’re a magnificent side, they’ve got a lot of experience, a high level of skill, and you can see that they’re definitely here to get stuck into the challenge.”That’s the way that you’d expect all of [Virat] Kohli’s teams to play, so we’re going to have to play extremely well to win it.”

Newcastle United are believed to be in the race to sign a highly rated prospect from Dortmund's fabled youth ranks, and he's been called "one of the best" at beating defenders one on one.

Newcastle's FFP situation…

The Magpies have enjoyed a highly impressive few weeks of action, having recovered from an iffy start to the season to show their mettle once again. Granted, two points were dropped late in the day at West Ham last weekend, but the 2-2 draw was still a perfectly respectable result, and the 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League is still fresh in the memory of many Newcastle supporters, in what was a legendary night at St James' Park.

What is clear is that Eddie Howe has gradually built a fantastic squad since taking charge, adding quality and depth in all positions, which helped his side finish fourth in the Premier League last season. That's not to say that new faces don't need to be added once the coming transfer window opens, with an opportunity to sign players arising in January.

Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions however mean that Newcastle can't simply spend whatever they like – Lewis Hall's deal was even intentionally structured to prevent further stress on their finances – and while it is clear that they are in a strong financial position, they will need to be shrewd in the markets once again in 2024.

Newcastle linked with Dortmund's Jamie Bynoe-Gittens

That shrewd outlook appears to be targeting up and coming players with potential to grow huge sell-on values, as according to Bild [via Metro], delivering a transfer update on Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, the Magpies are one of the clubs who are interested in signing Borussia Dortmund's latest hot prospect.

Chelsea are also mentioned as potential suitors for the 18-year-old, but it is Arsenal who are the overriding favourites to snap him up, according to the report. Bynoe-Gittens only signed a new deal with Dortmund last week, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028, so it isn't going to be easy to prise him away.

It is exciting to see Newcastle be in the conversation for the teenage winger, especially from a club so renowned for producing top talents, and it shows how far they have come in recent years, in terms of being in the picture to sign such players against the likes of the Gunners and Blues.

Dortmund teammate Karim Adeyemi has spoken highly of Bynoe-Gittens' playstyle in the past, describing him as "one of the best" when it comes to taking on defenders in isolation: "He has no fear. For me, he is one of the best players one-against-one I have ever seen, to be honest. He will be a really good player."

This illustrates what an enormous talent Bynoe-Gittens is, and the hope is that he will enjoy a similar trajectory to another fellow English player who shone at Dortmund in Jude Bellingham.

It seems clear that Arsenal are leading the way to sign the former Manchester City youth team ace – who has won one cap for England's Under-21s to date – but the lure of St James' is clear these days, with that stunning aforementioned win over PSG showing what a top side Newcastle are and what a fantastic following they have.

James McClean, Paul Mullin and Steven Fletcher all scored to seal a vital three points for Wrexham as they came from behind to win 3-1 at Morecambe.

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Morecambe took early lead vs WrexhamVisitors fought back to claim 3-1 winRed Dragons stay third in League TwoTELL ME MORE

It took just four minutes for Morecambe to take the lead as Wrexham's lackadaisical defending gave Gerard Garner all the time in the world to control the ball and smash it past Arthur Okonkwo from a tight angle.

From then on, the hosts were their own worst enemies as it was a defensive error that gave Wrexham the chance to pull level just after the half-hour mark. A poor pass back was pounced on by Mullin but he still had plenty to do as he tore down the wing, cut in past Jacob Bedeau and squared to McClean who lashed it into the net.

Wrexham had been growing into the game before then but the lift provided by the goal put them well on top, as Mullin and then Ryan Barnett forced Morecambe goalkeeper Archie Mair into quick consecutive saves.

Disaster struck for Morecambe early in the second half when Max Melbourne was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Ollie Palmer. Less than five minutes later, Wrexham were awarded a penalty for a handball and Mullin sent Mair the wrong way to compound his former team's misery and give his current one the lead.

Wrexham were hardly troubled since then and ensured a comfortable win in the end through a goal from Steven Fletcher, lifting them back into the automatic promotion spots in the English fourth-tier.

AdvertisementGettyTHE MVP

Despite some early positive signs from Morecambe forward Garner, it was Wrexham sensation Mullin who took over as the star of the show. He did an excellent job to pressure Morecambe into making a mistake and go on to get the important assist before comfortably tucking in his penalty in the second half. The star forward came close to adding more to his tally as he remained a constant threat.

THE BIG LOSER

Morecambe defender Melbourne will feel he let his team down by getting two yellow cards to leave his team floundering for almost the entirety of the first half. He was punished for two blatant fouls and his second was particularly galling as he chopped down Palmer from the side.

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Getty ImagesWHAT COMES NEXT?

On Tuesday, Wrexham will be confident of building on Saturday's result – their second league win in five matches – when they come up against a Harrogate team who have failed to win any of their last six matches.

Having grown up just outside Johannesburg before moving to Australia, the middle-order batsman was at ease against South Africa A, despite the occasional sledge from his opponents

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2018Marnus Labuschagne’s Australia A debut was memorable for two reasons. One: he could understand every little sledge South Africa A’s players dished out. Two: he struck a half-century and forged a formidable association with Travis Head, the captain, to set up their first win on tour in the Quadrangular series in Bengaluru.Labuschagne grew up in Klerksdorp, 130 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg, before moving to Brisbane, where his father took up a job in the mining industry. Growing up predominantly in an Afrikaans-speaking household, he had little exposure to English until he moved to Australia. When he finally settled in school, he found the Australian pronunciations and the accent hard to understand.When his class teacher asked the students to remove their “rubber and ruler”, he had no clue what she was referring to. However, instances such as these are things of the past now. “When I came here, I mainly spoke only Afrikaans,” he said. “Over the years, just learning English and what not, my speaking has gotten a lot better. I wouldn’t say the same about my spellings though (laughs), but yeah it’s better now. It’s great being able to communicate with the boys well now.”In September last year, Labuschagne, who debuted as a 20-year old in 2014, became part of cricket trivia for being penalised under the new ‘fake fielding law’. But by the end of the season, he was being talked about for his run-scoring when he finished just nine short of Matt Renshaw’s tally of 804 runs, the most in Queensland’s victorious 2017-18 Sheffield Shield season, their first in six years.He has also been a standout in the 50-over format, where he was named Player of the Tournament just a season earlier, in 2016-17. It coincided with Queensland finishing runners-up. Now he hopes to sustain his form across formats on his first tour of India with Australia A.He isn’t a stranger to the country though, having had a stint in 2017 as part of the National Performance Squad. “I learnt a lot from the tour last year,” he said. “Just spending time in the nets here and batting a lot over here is key. Been working with Sri [S Sriram, Cricket Australia’s spin consultant] on those plans and how to approach spin, and what the benefits are for approaching pace and spin in India.””It’s always good to contribute to a side that wins at the end of the day. It was nice that I was able to do my job [on Australia A debut]. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go on and make a big one at the end there, but it was good to get the team in a good position. We spoke about how one of the top four needs to get big hundreds. We did that perfectly; we had people who supported Travis (Head) on the way to a big total.Labushagne is far from a white-ball destroyer. He prides himself on being able to keep runs ticking as a middle-order batsman, preferring the patience route to consistency. “I think it’s about being calm,” he said. “It’s about knowing if the bowler has bowled a few good balls, to then go ‘righto, we will be still able to score.’ Just trusting your game is the key. If you panic under the circumstances and think you need to hit out, the next ball for six, you can put yourself under unnecessary pressure.”He has already had a taste of international cricket, when he was brought in as a substitute during a Test against India at Brisbane in 2014. He even took a reflex-action catch at short leg to mark his presence. Obviously, Labuschagne doesn’t want that to be his only memory of international cricket.”It’s great to have a good Shield season, I’m trying to learn as much as possible all the time,” he said. “I’m trying to improve my game as much as I can. [In that sense], its good to be tested here, and having to adapt here to the conditions in India. Queensland won the Shield last year, we had a very good team, and we obviously have a few players from the team here in the Australia A side, pushing for places. It’s a good thing.”

Jadon Sancho has explained his badge-thumping goal celebration after netting for Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League win over PSV.

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Winger loaned out by Man UtdAmong the goals again for BVBHopes knock is nothing seriousGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international, who is on loan at BVB from Premier League giants Manchester United, helped to secure progress into the quarter-finals of continental competition. He opened the scoring in the second leg of a last-16 encounter with PSV less than three minutes into a contest that had been locked at 1-1 on aggregate.

AdvertisementWHAT SANCHO SAID

Emotion spilled out of Sancho after registering his first goal at Signal Iduna Park during a second spell with Dortmund, and the 23-year-old told afterwards: “It was like a relief. I think all players want to have a good start to the game and there is no better feeling than that. I’m grateful that I got the goal for the team. I’ve always got a special place for Borussia Dortmund. This is where I made my name, so I have got to be grateful to them, but also to my team-mates for believing in me. I’m just happy that we got the win.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Sancho had cause for celebration against PSV, he was forced off 15 minutes from the end after picking up a knock. He said when delivering an injury update: “Last time I played a home game, before I got injured, I felt something and I didn’t want to risk it. We’re going to check and hopefully it’s nothing. Hamstring, but it should be okay.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?

Sancho’s replacement, Marco Reus, netted a second for Dortmund in stoppage-time against PSV as they progressed 3-1 on aggregate. The Bundesliga heavyweights will now figure in the quarter-final draw, which takes place on Friday.

Tottenham Hotspur have approached one club over signing their "little superstar", and there is a real belief that he's a "special" player.

Spurs form under Postecoglou

Ange Postecoglou's high-flying Lilywhites are taking everybody off guard with their sumptuous displays so far this season, and few could've envisaged their best start to a campaign since 1960/1961. Spurs are currently top of the Premier League pile after an unbeaten run of six wins from a possible eight, sealing all-important wins against the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in that time.

This has all been achieved without star striker and all-time top goalscorer Harry Kane, who departed Tottenham for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window. The England international's exit was seen as a potentially major blow to Spurs, but they've since thrived in his absence. Kane himself is overjoyed with the start Postecoglou has made in north London.

"I have made it clear my whole career I am a Tottenham fan and I would love to see Tottenham do well," Kane said at a press conference with England.

"It's great to see. I think I've said before, the manager is doing great for them with the way they're playing. The fans are right behind the team and it's definitely what they needed after the last few years. I'll always keep an eye on Spurs and the Premier League.

"There is no other team in the Premier League I would want to win than Tottenham. I have to be respectful to Bayern Munich and of course, the fans know I will always have a soft spot for Spurs – there is no question about that. Of course, I hope [Tottenham] do as well as possible but my main attention is where I am now and trying to perform for Bayern."

Will Tottenham sign anyone in January?

While their imperious form has been just that, there are still suggestions that Tottenham could make some signings in the January transfer window. The likes of Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba and Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly are reported targets to bolster Postecoglou's backline, while it is believed Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermereen is of interest as well.

The 18-year-old, who has been likened to Barcelona legends Xavi and Andres Iniesta, has also been praised by former Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld.

"Do I sometimes watch with my mouth open? Certainly," said Alderweireld.

"Everyone knows perfectly what to do when in possession of the ball and when losing the ball. Then the qualities of such a boy come to the fore. What he shows at his age is fantastic. I have rarely seen that."

Now, journalist Graeme Bailey has joined in on the praise, calling him a "little superstar" and "special" player as Spurs make contact for him. Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, sharing the latest Vermeeren transfer update, he said:

“This guy is special. Antwerp have a little superstar on their hands here in Arthur Vermeeren. He really is, from what I’m being told speaking to scouts, they think he’s special. Our understanding is that Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham have all enquired about him, so have Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Juventus, Barcelona as well who looked in the summer at him."

Gareth Southgate's side struggled to create anything of note before Endrick's late goal secured victory for the visitors

England may have been without a number of key men, including Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka and an array of full-backs, but the way in which they struggled against an inexperienced Brazil side in their 1-0 defeat on Saturday should be a real cause for concern so close to Euro 2024.

The Three Lions dominated possession in the first half but it was the visitors who had the better chances, as Kyle Walker cleared off the line from Vinicius Jr before Lucas Paqueta struck the post and Raphinha fired wide after robbing Harry Maguire on the edge of the England box.

England's best chance of the first half came when Ollie Watkins was played in by Phil Foden, but he was denied by a fine challenge from Fabricio Bruno. Debutant Anthony Gordon was then denied twice by Bento either side of half-time, but the home side struggled to create much of note.

They were made to pay with 10 minutes left, too, as Vinicius broke clear of the England defence, and though Jordan Pickford saved his shot, teenager Endrick was on hand to tap into an empty net for his first international goal.

GOAL rates England's players from Wembley Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Jordan Pickford (6/10):

Didn't really have to stretch himself to make a save until Vinicius' effort in the build-up to the goal. Distribution decent, as always.

Kyle Walker (6/10):

Got back well to deny Vinicius on the line, but in doing so tweaked his hamstring, forcing him off after just 20 minutes.

John Stones (6/10):

Carried the ball out of defence and showed some nice touches when stepping into midfield. Lost Vinicius a couple of times, however, and was left in his wake for the goal.

Harry Maguire (4/10):

Fortunate not to be punished by Raphinha after his poor touch on the edge of his own box. Looked shaky at other times, too, as his performance didn't inspire confidence for the summer.

Ben Chilwell (3/10):

Failed to take his opportunity. Looked off the pace from the outset, while his final ball when attacking was abysmal. Replaced midway through the second half.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Conor Gallagher (7/10):

Was excellent for the first 30 minutes, as his pressing caused a number of turnovers high up the pitch. Faded thereafter as he began to run out of steam.

Declan Rice (6/10):

Not asked to provide as much going forward as he does at Arsenal, and therefore felt a little shackled. Barely put a foot wrong, however.

Jude Bellingham (7/10):

Looked the most likely to create opportunities for England, and was the target of a number of fouls from the Brazil midfield. Couldn't quite provide that killer moment, but that wasn't necessarily his fault.

Getty ImagesAttack

Phil Foden (6/10):

Couldn't influence the game from the right-hand side as he has done for Manchester City this season. Had a couple of nice touches around the penalty area, but they never came to anything.

Ollie Watkins (4/10):

Stepped into Kane's shoes but struggled to get involved in the game. Fabricio's challenge kept him from breaking the deadlock in the first half.

Anthony Gordon (7/10):

Grew into the game after a quiet start, and combined excellently with Bellingham down the England left. Denied on a couple of occasions by Bento.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Ezri Konsa (5/10):

On for his debut after Walker's injury but doesn't offer anywhere near as much as the Man City man from right-back.

Jarrod Bowen (6/10):

Was bright after coming on down the right.

Joe Gomez (6/10):

Got 25 minutes but didn't really make his mark on the game.

Lewis Dunk (4/10):

Gave the ball away too often in dangerous areas, most notably with a poor header that led to Endrick's goal.

Kobbie Mainoo (6/10):

Had a couple of neat touches during his 15-minute cameo on debut.

Marcus Rashford (5/10):

Too often ran down blind allies as he looked to force something.

Gareth Southgate (5/10):

Hamstrung somewhat by the amount of players he was unable to call upon, but this was still an uninspiring showing from his team. Can't just rely on Bellingham to produce everything in the final third.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are currently enjoying a strong run of form as they completed a fourth match without defeat in succession on Saturday.

Gary O'Neil's side battled back to secure a spirited 2-2 draw at home to Champions League side Newcastle United at Molineux, with goals from Mario Lemina and Hee-chan Hwang earning a point for the team.

The Old Gold had beaten Manchester City and Bournemouth – both by a 2-1 scoreline – either side of a 1-1 draw with Midlands rivals Aston Villa prior to last weekend's clash.

However, they remain in the bottom half of the Premier League – in 12th – and have lost more matches (four) than they have won (three) as it stands, which suggests that there is still plenty of room to improve.

The January transfer window is around two months away from opening for business and O'Neil is reportedly already looking at potential signings to bolster his squad.

Sunderland star Jack Clarke is a reported target for the club ahead of the second half of the campaign and the manager could land his new Pedro Neto in a swoop to sign the former Tottenham Hotspur prodigy at the start of next year.

Wolves' interest in Jack Clarke

TEAMtalk recently claimed that Wolves are one of a number of Premier League interested in a deal to sign the talented maestro during the next window.

Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Burnley, Brentford, and Brighton are all also said to be keen on the English sensation, with Palace and Brighton said to be ready to push on with a move for the ace.

The report also stated that the Clarets made multiple attempts to sign Clarke during the summer transfer window as the Black Cats rejected their offers for his services, one of which came to £10m.

This indicates that O'Neil would face serious competition for the English wizard if they decide to press on and make a swoop for him, as a host of top-flight clubs appear to be lining up to welcome him to their stadium.

It remains to be seen exactly how much it would take for Wolves to secure his services on a permanent basis in January but his form at Championship level this season suggests that he has the potential to be a fantastic signing, if the price is relatively reasonable.

Jack Clarke's statistics this season

The right-footed dynamo has been a consistently brilliant performer for Tony Mowbray's side so far this season and is proving himself to be an outstanding performer in the second tier.

He has showcased his terrific ability to punish opposition teams with his goalscoring ability from a left wing position. No other Championship player has scored as many goals (nine) as Clarke has this term, which illustrates how impressive he has been in front of goal.

Sofascore rating

10

Goals

One

Assists

One

Penalties won

One

Key passes

Five

Dribbles completed

Eight

Clarke's most recent performance for Sunderland (via Sofascore)

To be the top goalscorer in the league in spite of playing out wide shows that the Sunderland star can provide a significant and consistent goal threat in support of a number nine, which could take the scoring burden off his starting centre-forward.

The flying winger has racked up his nine league strikes from 6.01 xG (Expected Goals) and this shows that the standard of his finishing has been impressively high, as he has overperformed based on the quality of chances that his teammates have provided him with.

Clarke has only registered one Championship assist in his 14 appearances during the 2023/24 campaign but that is not a fair reflection on the creative quality the gem has produced out wide.

The 22-year-old magician has created four 'big chances' and accumulated 3.01 xA (Expected Assists) to go along with 2.1 key passes per game across those 14 games.

This suggests that his Sunderland teammates have let him down in front of goal as they have not been able to make the most of the fantastic opportunities that the star forward has been able to create for them.

Clarke, who journalist Josh Bunting hailed as "unplayable" and able to play passes that are a "nightmare" to defend against, has also showcased his eye-catching dribbling ability.

The 5 foot 11 nightmare ranks within the top 1% of Championship wingers for progressive carries (8.04) and successful take-ons (3.39) per 90 this season, which shows that he is an outstanding dribbler who can constantly cause problems for opposition defenders.

His aforementioned statistics also show that he has the ability to punish teams with goals and assists at the end of his surging runs, rather than having the drive without the end product.

Therefore, Clarke could be O'Neil's next version of Portuguese forward Neto, who has enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2023/24 campaign with the Old Gold.

Pedro Neto's performances this season

The 23-year-old talent has been a menace to opposition defences at Premier League level this term with a whopping seven assists in ten appearances.

Interestingly, though, Neto has only created 2.63 xA to earn those seven assists, which is less than Clarke has racked up for Sunderland despite having one assist to his name.

This suggests that his Wolves teammates have been clinical in front of goal as they have been able to outperform the quality of chances that the Portuguese youngster has provided them with.

The former Lazio man has only scored one goal in those ten outings and could take the next step in his development by improving his output in that area of his game.

However, his return of eight goal contributions in ten matches is an impressive one, as he has averaged a goal or assist every 1.25 games on average. Meanwhile, Clarke has managed one every 1.4 outings with his nine goals and one assist in 14 Championship appearances for Sunderland.

Therefore, O'Neil could land another winger who has the ability to score or assist goals on a regular basis to bolster his attacking options for the second half of the season by securing a deal for Clarke.

Although it remains to be seen whether or not the English gem will be able to translate to Premier League level, his sensational form this term suggests that it is a gamble worth taking.

Craig Miles and Matt Taylor shared eight wickets at Gloucestershire closed in on victory over bottom side Glamorgan

ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2018
ScorecardWhen Timm van der Gugten joined Kieran Bull, with Glamorgan 150 for 8 and 32 overs still to play, Gloucestershire were contemplating a win within three days, a 45-minute drive up the M4, and a well-earned day off after outplaying Glamorgan for most of the game.The Glamorgan tailenders, however, had other ideas as they resisted Gloucestershire’s bowlers for the next 28 overs, with Bull showing commendable application in occupying the crease for 135 balls over nearly three hours. They shared a partnership of 73 for the ninth wicket before Bull was out for 30, but van der Gugten saw out the day unbeaten on a career-best 58.Although the visitors should win easily enough on Thursday morning – the new ball is due in five overs – Glamorgan have avoided a fourth defeat by an innings, with a slender lead of 18 runs.Gloucestershire had resumed their first innings on 284 for 6. Jack Taylor scored the two runs he needed to reach his seventh first-class century, before his seventh-wicket partnership of 155 with Ben Charlesworth was ended when the 17-year-old was caught at slip off van der Gugten for a composed 72.Taylor then became van der Gugten’s fourth victim when he was caught behind the wicket for 112, an innings that lasted 214 balls, with 14 fours and a six, while the bowler completed a splendid morning’s spell of 10-6-12-2.After Craig Miles and David Payne had further punished a tired Glamorgan attack, who were handicapped by a side injury to Ruaidhri Smith, the visitors were all out for 354, with Glamorgan facing four overs before lunch.They swiftly descended to 6 for 3, as Miles, who is leaving Gloucestershire for Warwickshire at the end of the season, demolished the top order. He took three wickets in ten balls without conceding a run to leave Glamorgan reeling, having started their second innings 217 runs adrift.Connor Brown was out first ball, then three balls later Miles trapped Tom Cullen leg before, and in his second over, he dismissed Kiran Carlson who collected a pair. Miles then dismissed Stephen Cook shortly after lunch, with Glamorgan on 34 for 4 and heading for yet another defeat within three days.David Lloyd counterattacked with a brisk 54 from 59 balls with nine fours, but there was little resistance as Cooke and Wagg both departed cheaply. Smith emulated Lloyd with his attacking approach, and with Bull an able partner, the eighth-wicket pair put on 49, before Smith, who had struck seven fours in an enterprising innings was caught behind to give Matt Taylor a fourth wicket.