^ ^ Gareth Barry urges Manchester United to sign £80m star before the World Cup

Former Premier League midfielder Gareth Barry (Picture: Getty)

Gareth Barry has advised Manchester United to wrap up possibly their most important transfer of the summer before the World Cup starts.

United are yet to decide who will be Ruben Amorim’s long-term replacement but Michael Carrick has emerged as the frontrunner, impressing in his role as caretaker boss since January.

Both United’s performances and form were underwhelming under Amorim but Carrick has taken the Red Devils up to third in the Premier League, just six points behind title contenders Manchester City.

Manchester United were hailed for their transfer business last summer and will hope for another productive window this time around with several key areas requiring reinforcements.

United’s priority is to sign a new central midfielder to replace Casemiro, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Amorim in fact wanted to sign a midfielder last summer but United prioritised attacking additions, signing Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, all of whom have impressed this season.

Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba have been heavily linked with moves to Old Trafford over the past six months and Premier League legend Barry has heaped praise on the Nottingham Forest star.

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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Picture: Getty)

Anderson is believed to be United’s first-choice option for the midfield position and Barry says it would benefit both him and the club if a deal was struck before the World Cup starts in June.

‘Manchester United are certainly going to be looking for a Casemiro replacement,’ Barry, who has made the second-most appearances in Premier League history, told BoyleSports.

‘Elliot Anderson is probably a slightly different player and a very different age, his skillset is a lot different. But I do like Anderson.

Nottingham Forest and England star Elliot Anderson (Picture: Getty)

‘If you’re a Man Utd scout, you’ll mention him. He’s one of the best off-the-ball players. He presses to limit the attacking player’s space. He’s one of the best around, and he’s capable of going the other way as well.

‘That’s why Thomas Tuchel’s got him in his starting eleven over a lot of big-name players with England, and he’s a possible starter for the World Cup team.

‘So I’m sure he’s being discussed in the Old Trafford boardroom, as well as maybe other teams.

Michael Carrick is the frontrunner for the Man Utd job (Picture: Getty)

‘I think, from that sort of experience for a player and a club, if the deal is going to happen, try to get it done as soon as possible.

‘I think it just helps everyone. It helps both clubs and helps the player, especially going into a big tournament. 

‘He doesn’t want to be thinking about his club future while trying to win the World Cup for England. It’s not going to help anyone. Also, the price tag could be a bit steeper if he has a good tournament.

‘If something like that is going to happen and the player’s got his head around the fact that it’s time for a move, it’s certainly better to be done before the tournament than after.’

Anderson’s form for Nottingham Forest has put him in contention to start for England at this summer’s World Cup.

Before that the 23-year-old, who is valued at around £80m, will hope to help Forest avoid relegation from the Premier League, with Vitor Pereira’s side 16th – three points above the drop zone – with seven games left.

Forest’s first Premier League game back following the international break is against Aston Villa on Sunday, while Anderson’s potential future club Manchester United return to action a day later against Leeds United.

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^ ^ FA make Gabriel Martinelli decision after Arsenal star shows referee ‘total disrespect’

Gabriel Martinelli was booked against Southampton for pushing referee Sam Barrott (Picture: Getty)

Gabriel Martinelli looks set to avoid a further punishment despite being accused of displaying ‘total disrespect’ after shoving referee Sam Barrott during Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat at Southampton.

The Gunners’ saw another shot at ending their six-year trophy drought evaporate on the south coast after Shea Charles’ late strike earned the Championship side a deserved win and a day out at Wembley where they will face Chelsea in the semi-finals.

Mikel Arteta’s side looked like they had gained control of the tie when substitute Viktor Gyokeres equalised midway through the second half but were left chasing the game in the closing stages after another uncharacteristic defensive lapse.

As their desperate search for another goal that would have taken the contest to extra time intensified, frustration boiled over in Martinelli’s case.

The Brazil international forward was determined to take a quick free kick and in attempting to do so, put his hands on Barrott and gave him a gentle shove.

Martinelli received a yellow card for his offence but former Premier League referee Mark Halsey felt he got off extremely lightly.

‘Referee Sam Barrott awarded a free-kick to Arsenal, Martinelli comes rushing in and he pushes Sam out of the way,’ he told The Sun.

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Gabriel Martinelli let his frustrations get the better of him against Southampton (Picture: Getty)

‘Now I’m sorry, Gabriel Martinelli showed total disrespect for the match official Sam Barrott in that situation.

‘Although Sam issued a yellow card, for me it’s a red card. You just cannot put your hands on a referee, let alone push him out of the way.

‘You’ve got to look around the country, up and down, Saturday and Sundays where we have local park referees going out and doing their games.

‘What message does that send out to our local park referees?

Gabriel Martinelli was shown a yellow card for his shove on the referee (Credits: REUTERS)

‘I thought Sam had a good game, he refereed the game well, but I think he let the refereeing community down by not sending off Gabriel Martinelli for pushing him at the award of a free-kick, so he could take the free-kick quickly.’

Despite Halsey’s ire, the Football Association are set to take a more lenient view and, according to The Athletic, are unlikely to sanction Martinelli given Barrott deemed the offence only worthy of a yellow card at the time.

It is the second time this season that the 24-year-old has found himself on the receiving end of a backlash for what could generously be described as ungentlemanly conduct.

A fuming Gary Neville branded Gabriel Martinelli an ‘idiot’ for shoving an injured Conor Bradley (Picture: Sky Sports)

Back in January Liverpool players were furious when the Arsenal winger attempted to shove Conor Bradley off the pitch so he could restart the game, seemingly unaware his opponent had suffered a serious knee injury that effectively ended his season.

‘You can’t push him off the pitch,’ an enraged Gary Neville said at the time. ‘You cannot do that. You idiot. That is so poor.

‘I am surprised one of the Liverpool players have not gone over and had a right pop at him. I think an apology is needed.

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‘He’s thrown the ball at him as well. That is no good. I am actually fuming with Martinelli. I don’t know how the Liverpool players didn’t go over and absolutely whack him to be honest with you and take a red card. Absolutely disgraceful, that.’

Martinelli wrote on Instagram: ‘Conor and I have messaged and I have already apologised to him. I really didn’t understand he was seriously injured in the heat of the moment.

‘I want to say I’m deeply sorry for reacting. Sending Conor all the best again for a quick recovery.’ 

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^ ^ Mikel Arteta told one Arsenal star should have ‘changed his mind’ after Southampton defeat

Arsenal’s FA Cup run ended abruptly following a shock defeat at Southampton (Picture: Getty)

Former Arsenal star Kieran Gibbs highlighted one shining light from Arsenal’s defeat at Southampton who he hopes has given Mikel Arteta some serious food for thought.

The Gunners crashed out of the FA Cup on Saturday night following a shock 2-1 defeat against Southampton.

It had been hoped that Arteta’s side would produce an emphatic response to the their Carabao Cup final setback against Manchester City prior to the international break.

Instead, a heavily rotated side were outfought and outplayed by a Saints side who tore into their opponents and capitalised on some uncharacteristic defensive uncertainty.

Arsenal looked as though they were set to take control of the tie when substitute Viktor Gyokeres equalised midway through the second half but more ponderous defending allowed Shea Charles to grab a late winner for the Championship side.

The one bright spark for Arsenal was represented by the performance of Max Dowman who impressed on the right wing before being given even more responsibility in the N.10 role following Martin Odegaard’s withdrawal.

Arsenal’s teenage prodigy has already produced one matchwinning cameo in recent weeks having come of the bench to create history in the victory against Everton that helped open up a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

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Max Dowman shone in Arsenal’s defeat at Southampton (Picture: Rex)

Successive cup defeats and the international break have combined to kill the momentum generated by Dowman’s exploits against the Toffees but Gibbs believes he should be given license to feature more regularly during the run-in.

Asked if Dowman’s latest eye-catching performance would’ve changed Arteta’s view on how he uses the latest gem to roll off the Hale End Academy production line, Gibbs said: ‘I think given the performance today, yes. Everything from Arsenal today came through him.

‘He was one of the bright sparks in today’s otherwise pretty average performance. Will he go and put that pressure on him in the Premier League and Champions League remains to be seen.

‘I think he looks ready, he’s not a player who really plays the occasion he plays the game with what’s in front of him.

Kieran Gibbs feels Max Dowman should be in contention to start more frequently (Picture: Getty)

‘That’s why he’s such a special talent because he has the ability to take in a lot of information and have his speed of thought and execution is so high to at least get into the opponents box or get a corner.

‘That is what he’s been so good at. Will he go and put him in in these next few Champions League and Premier League games when he’s used a certain formula that hasn’t involved him as much up until this point?

‘For me no. I don’t think he will rely heavily on him. He’ll probably get him in the squad and get him involved and put him in if he really needs to if they’re trying to find an answer and they just can’t.

‘I think that’s how he’ll be used. But, at the same time he himself has made a case to play in these big games.’

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^ ^ ‘Real shame’ – Concern for Chelsea as £52m signing suffers new injury

Liam Rosenior after Chelsea’s FA Cup win over Port Vale (Picture: BBC)

Liam Rosenior insisted he and the Chelsea squad would rally around Jamie Gittens after the £52m signing suffered another injury setback.

Gittens had become a key player for Borussia Dortmund and England U21 when Chelsea signed him on a seven-year contract last summer.

The expensive transfer still raised eyebrows, however, as Chelsea already boasted a number of attacking players and decided to sell Noni Madueke to Arsenal in the same window.

Gittens has struggled to cement a regular place in the Chelsea team this season, starting just five Premier League games and scoring only one goal in all competitions.

The 21-year-old has picked up a few frustrating injuries and missed Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale after breaking down in training the previous day.

‘Unfortunately, Jamie, in training yesterday, picked up what looks like a hamstring injury again,’ Rosenior said after Chelsea thrashed League One strugglers Port Vale 7-0.

‘We have to scan him and make sure. It’s a real shame for him; I think it’s the third time it’s happened. We need to help him and we need to make sure he’s okay.’

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Chelsea summer signing Jamie Gittens (Picture: Getty)

Asked when he expects Gittens to return to action, Rosenior added: ‘I can’t give you a time frame on that at the moment.’

Chelsea endured a poor period before the international break, losing back-to-back Premier League games and suffering an embarrassing Champions League elimination at the hands of PSG.

They made light work of FA Cup quarter-final opponents Port Vale, however, winning 7-0 at Stamford Bridge to march into the semi-finals.

Chelsea thrashed Port Vale in the FA Cup (Picture: Getty)

On reaching a Wembley semi-final, Rosenior – who replaced Enzo Maresca at Chelsea in January – said: ‘It’s great, it’s why you come to this club, you want to win trophies and you want to be in big games.

‘I was really happy with the players. Their attitude was top. We scored seven goals and that came from an energy and intensity which I enjoyed.’

On Chelsea’s recent slump and speculation over his future at the club, Rosenior added: ‘Football is about football on the pitch.

‘This is a huge club with a lot of scrutiny, a lot of people writing a lot of things. We had a really difficult 10 days but the way we came through is a really good step for the run-in.’

Chelsea will face Manchester City, Southampton, West Ham or Leeds United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Man City thrashed Liverpool 4-0 on Saturday while Championship side Southampton stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Chelsea, sitting sixth in the Premier League, return to action next weekend with a home match against Pep Guardiola’s City.

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^ ^ Alan Shearer makes Arsenal title claim after shock FA Cup exit

Premier League legend Alan Shearer (Picture: Getty)

Alan Shearer believes it will be ‘incredibly tough’ for Arsenal to win the Premier League after their shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Southampton.

Arsenal, sitting top of the Premier League and favourites to win the Champions League, were expected to prove too strong for Championship side Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday.

The Saints led at half-time through Ross Stewart’s opener but Viktor Gyokeres came off the bench to equalise for Arsenal, who were dreaming of a historic quadruple just two weeks ago.

The momentum appeared to be with Mikel Arteta’s side at that stage but Southampton responded superbly and clinched a famous win through Shea Charles’ 85th-minute goal.

The shock defeat means Arsenal fail to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, having lost to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final in their previous game before the international break.

The Gunners are still favourites to win their first Premier League title since 2004, leading second-placed Man City by nine points.

But Premier League record goalscorer and England legend Shearer has questioned the ‘mental’ impact losing to Southampton will have on Arsenal and their title aspirations.

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Southampton sealed a famous win at St Mary’s (Picture: Getty)

‘This is not a fluke,’ Alan Shearer on BBC One as Southampton celebrated a brilliant victory in the FA Cup. ‘Victory went to the better side on the night.’

Speaking to Betfair, Shearer added: ‘After Arsenal got knocked out of the FA Cup, it will be incredibly tough for them, mentally, to go on and achieve what they want to achieve.’

Shearer had earlier backed Man City to win the FA Cup following their emphatic 4-0 quarter-final win over Liverpool.

Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup (Picture: Getty)

Guardiola’s side built on the momentum of winning the Carabao Cup by thrashing Arne Slot’s defending Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium.

Erling Haaland returned to form with a brilliant hat-trick and Man City’s January signing Antoine Semenyo continued to impress with the other goal.

‘It wouldn’t surprise me if Man City won the FA Cup,’ Shearer said. ‘They’ve already got one trophy in the bag.

The Saints go marching in…to the semi-finals of the FA Cup! Just look at those celebrations!#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/M4eCr3Mp6p

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 4, 2026

‘I don’t think they’re going to win the league. They can’t win the Champions League.

‘I know they’ve got a tough draw, but I do think with their history and with their experience, they may be the favourites to win it.

‘Now they’ve got through the quarter-final against Liverpool, I think they’ll win it.’

Mikel Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat

After Arsenal’s humbling FA Cup exit at the hands of second-tier Southampton, Arteta urged his players to ‘show what we’re made of’.

The Gunners begin a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Sporting on Tuesday night before resuming their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth at the week.

Asked what went wrong for Arsenal at St Mary’s, Arteta said: ‘The result and especially the way we conceded the two goals.

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal after the FA Cup defeat (Picture: Getty)

‘We had so much dominance in and around the box. We conceded the first goal in a very unusual way for us, the second one from direct play as well.

‘We had two massive chances and needed to capitalise on that. If you make defending errors we made today it’s very difficult to be in the semi-final.

‘Southampton are a very good side on a very good run and you have to congratulate them. Now we have to show what we are made of.’

Saints boss Tonda Eckert, meanwhile, told BBC Sport: ‘We put in a good shift today. It was a challenge, we knew it was going to be a tough game.

‘The second half always has the chance to shift and we reacted quite well. The belief was always there, it’s not been a problem.’

Asked whether Southampton’s win was written in the stars on the 50th anniversary of their FA Cup triumph, Eckert added: ‘I think that’s more a story for the media.’

Southampton, sitting seventh in the Championship, resume their play-off push on Tuesday night against Wrexham.

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