Massimiliano Allegri backed his Juventus side to claim a vital Champions League win at Benfica after they thrashed Empoli 4-0 on Friday.

The Bianconeri followed up their derby victory over Torino last weekend with an impressive display at the Allianz Arena, where Moise Kean put them in front with his first goal since April.

Weston McKennie opened his Serie A account for the season to double their lead and there were two late goals for Adrien Rabiot as Juve moved above Inter into seventh place.

Allegri's future had been called into question following defeats to Milan and Maccabi Haifa, but the Turin giants look to have turned the corner.

They must win at Benfica on Tuesday to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions League round of 16 and head coach Allegri fancies their chances in Lisbon.

He said: "Tonight it was important to win because we are behind in the championship and we hadn't won two in a row.

"Unfortunately we have to chase in the championship for the points lost against Salernitana and Monza. Tuesday will be an important match for two reasons: we are not out of the Champions League and we are not even in the Europa League.

"We will face a strong team, we can go there and overturn the result [they were beaten at home by Benfica], we need to be confident."

Moise Kean ended his goal drought and Adrien Rabiot scored twice as rejuvenated Juventus eased to a 4-0 win over Empoli on Friday.

Kean had not scored since April, but the striker set Juve on their way to victory with an early strike at the Allianz Stadium.

Weston McKennie doubled the Bianconeri's lead with his first Serie A goal of the season, heading home in the second half, and Rabiot added a late double to cap an impressive performance.

That is now back-to-back wins for Massimiliano Allegri's side, who moved up a place to seventh ahead of a must-win Champions League clash at Benfica next week.

Juve started with great intensity and were rewarded just eight minutes in when Filip Kostic whipped in a cross from the left and an unmarked Kean applied the finish from close range.

Kean should have found the net again just after the half-hour mark but headed a McKennie cross wide from six yards out.

The Bianconeri demonstrated the danger they pose from set-pieces to double their lead nine minutes into the second half, McKennie rising to powerfully head Juan Cuadrado's delivery into the roof of the net.

Kean nodded in another sublime Kostic delivery but had his celebrations cut short after straying offside as hungry Juve continued to cause problems.

Juve scored another goal from a Cuadrado corner after 82 minutes, Guglielmo Vicario unable to palm away Rabiot's header before it crossed the line.

The France midfielder then capped a great evening for the Turin giants when Danilo's cross gave him a tap-in at the end.

Adrien Rabiot is unsure about his future as he tries to "drag" Juventus back into form following a poor start to the season.

Rabiot's contract expires at the end of the season and there appears to be no sign of him signing a new one.

The France midfielder was linked with Manchester United during the last transfer window, but a deal reportedly fell through before the Red Devils signed Casemiro from Real Madrid.

Juve are eighth in Serie A after a 2-0 defeat to champions Milan at San Siro on Saturday and face a battle to qualify for the Champions League round of 16, with the pressure on head coach Massimiliano Allegri.

The Bianconeri got up and running in Group H by beating Maccabi Haifa last week to sit four points behind Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica, Rabiot scoring twice in a 3-1 victory.

Rabiot says his focus is on turning Juve's fortunes around ahead of the return fixture against Maccabi at Sammy Ofer Stadium on Tuesday.

"I feel important for the team, but I think we all are," he said. "Everyone has an important role. Right now I feel good, I'm trying to drag the team and do my best to help my team-mates.

"I don't know about the future. There are other things to think about now. I'm focused on the pitch, getting out of this difficult moment. Then we'll see what happens."

The former PSG man says it is difficult to explain why the Turin giants have failed to live up to expectations so far this season.

He added: "We are always talking, even when we win. If I had known what was wrong it would have been easy.

"We have to solve the problems on the pitch, we have a good group. We work well in training and we must try to do what we do in training then in the match."

Massimiliano Allegri is "a complete coach" who has the ability to turn Juventus' season around, according to midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

Experienced coach Allegri won 11 trophies in his first five-season spell with Juve, but he is under intense pressure a year and a half on from returning to the Allianz Stadium.

Juventus finished fourth in Serie A last season and ended the campaign trophy-less for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.

The Bianconeri have started this season slow, too, with Saturday's 2-0 loss to rivals Milan leaving them eighth in the table and already 10 points off top spot after nine matches.

But speaking ahead of Juve's Champions League tie with Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday, Rabiot gave his backing to the under-fire coach.

"Allegri is a strong coach," Rabiot, who has started seven matches in all competitions this season, said at Monday's pre-match press conference.

"He knows how to manage the team, both on the pitch and off it. Not everyone can do that. To me, he is a complete coach, on and off the pitch."

Juve appeared to have turned a corner with back-to-back wins over Bologna and Haifa, but their loss at San Siro was considered a backward step by Allegri.

They realistically require a victory in Israel if they are to remain in contention for the knockout stages as they trail PSG and Benfica by four points after three matches.

"We have a chance to return to the pitch quickly," Allegri told reporters. "The previous two wins [before Milan defeat] were misleading and we need to be realistic.

"This is a path we must take. We are facing strong teams, but we know we can't make certain errors and must avoid making the same mistakes we've made all season.

"We are aware of the importance of tomorrow's match and must fight for every ball, as well as doing the simple things.

"We will put in all our love and passion that Juventus deserves, but we must do more if we are to regain some confidence and return to our previous level."

Juventus have won all three of their Champions League matches against Haifa, who are on a nine-game losing run in the competition.

However, Juve are winless in three away Champions League matches and risk losing multiple away games in a single group stage for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

"It's going to be a tough game," Allegri said. "They showed good things here and played well against PSG. We must be careful, we can't commit the same mistakes again.

"We must improve and be more solid, which is the easiest and most obvious thing to do. Details make the difference, even just one centimetre. We need attention and passion."

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United remains uncertain after he reportedly tried to leave in the offseason.

The Portugal great has struggled to break into United's starting XI in the Premier League this term.

And Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure in United's 3-2 win over Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday.

TOP STORY – MLS CLUB TO OFFER RONALDO A WAY OUT

David Beckham-owned MLS club Inter Miami are set to offer Cristiano Ronaldo a way out of Manchester United with a contract worth £30million per year, reports The Daily Star.

Ronaldo, who is a regular visitor to Florida, could make the move in January, with Phil Neville's Miami planning to replace Gonzalo Higuain, who announced his retirement last week.

One stumbling block, however, is that the deal is on the condition Ronaldo joins Inter on a free transfer, with United - who insisted on a fee when clubs enquired in the last transfer window - seemingly content to retain him for now.

ROUND-UP

– The Mirror claims Leeds United have agreed personal terms with PSV's Cody Gakpo, beating Manchester United in the pursuit for the 23-year-old Dutch forward. Leeds still need to thrash out a transfer fee with PSV for Gakpo to move in January.

– Paris Saint-Germain have joined the long list of clubs pursuing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk reports Fichajes. Arsenal, Newcastle United and Real Madrid are also keen on him.

– PSG are also chasing a deal for Adrien Rabiot who is set to exit Juventus when his contract expires in mid-2023, according to Fichajes.

– El Nacional claims Real Madrid are interested in Benfica's 18-year-old centre-back Antonio Silva. Manchester United are also monitoring the Portuguese stopper.

– Manchester United's Diogo Dalot is being considered by Barcelona, who need to bolster their right-back options, reports Sport.

Dusan Vlahovic said he was "honoured" to play alongside Angel Di Maria after the Argentina international claimed three assists in Juventus' Champions League win over Maccabi Haifa.

Adrien Rabiot scored a brace either side of Vlahovic's cool second-half finish as Juventus triumphed 3-1 to boost their hopes of progressing from Group H on Wednesday, but Di Maria was the star of the show.

At 34 years and 233 days old, Di Maria became the oldest player to record a hat-trick of assists in the Champions League since data began in 2003-04, as well as the first player to do so for an Italian club.

Since Di Maria made his first Champions League appearance in the 2007-08 season, meanwhile, only Lionel Messi can match his tally of 35 assists in the competition.

Asked about Di Maria's influence by Sky Sports, Vlahovic said: "I don't know what to say. I am honoured to have the opportunity to play with him, to see him every day, to learn from him. I would like to make the most of my moments with him on the pitch."

Vlahovic was pleased to see Juventus end a three-match losing streak in the Champions League, but saw room for improvement in his own performance.

"I could do better and do more," he added. "I had to make better use of the assists of my team-mates, but we won. We have to improve and work with our heads down in silence.

"Attackers live on goals. I am always focused on the team, then the goals come as a consequence. 

"If I think I have to do something, I just put weight on myself and I don't do things with clarity. I have to be more calm and focused."

Meanwhile, under-pressure Bianconeri coach Massimiliano Allegri praised Di Maria's display, but was concerned by his team's lack of control in the final 15 minutes.

"Di Maria is good, the important thing is to get the ball to him, the first and second assists were of excellent craftsmanship," he said in his post-match news conference.

"The boys immediately realised that you cannot not play for a quarter of an hour. The games must be closed earlier, this does not mean to stop playing, but to play less and be more bad.

"We were too light, then the games are about psychology, and we risked 2-2. This doesn't have to happen.

"The defensive phase is a mental issue. Everything seemed easy, we gave up as a team. We didn't foul [ahead of] their goal, that's not good. Goal difference will also be important."

Looking ahead to next week's return fixture in Israel, two-goal hero Rabiot said: "We will have to be concentrated, but with this attitude, I am convinced that we will win. We must continue like this.

"I'm happy to have scored, but it's more important to win, and tonight we did it well. We played well - a little less in the second half - but we're on the right path."

Adrien Rabiot's brace helped Juventus to a much-needed 3-1 win over Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League on Wednesday, boosting their hopes of progressing from Group H.

The Bianconeri approached the match requiring a victory after successive European losses against Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica, and they hit the front through Rabiot's powerful first-half finish.

Angel Di Maria starred with a hat-trick of assists, including a sublime pass to allow Dusan Vlahovic to double Juventus' lead shortly after the break.

Juventus came under pressure after Dean David raced through to reduce the arrears, but Rabiot's late header made the points safe and eased the pressure on Massimiliano Allegri.

Vlahovic twice went close as Juventus started strongly, seeing a well-placed strike turned away by Matt Cohen before dragging a poor effort wide from Filip Kostic's cut-back.

Maccabi posed a threat on the break throughout the first half, leading to jeers from a nervous home crowd, but the Bianconeri made the breakthrough when Rabiot darted onto Di Maria's pass to blast into the roof of the net 10 minutes before the break.

Di Maria was again involved when Juventus extended their lead five minutes after half-time, picking out Vlahovic with a sublime outside-of-the-foot pass before the Serb slotted into the bottom-right corner.

Omer Atzili struck the foot of the post as Maccabi refused to go down without a fight, before Vlahovic was denied a double by the offside flag after converting from yet another Di Maria pass.

David ensured a tense finish when he rounded Wojciech Szczesny to give Maccabi hope with 15 minutes remaining, but Rabiot had the final say, securing Juventus' win by nodding Di Maria's corner home eight minutes later.

What does it mean? Juventus stay alive in Group H

Juventus approached Wednesday's match having lost three successive Champions League games. Had the Bianconeri fallen to a fourth consecutive defeat for the first time in the competition's history, their hopes of progression – and Allegri himself – may not have recovered.

But the Bianconeri – led by their outstanding midfield duo Rabiot and Di Maria – shook off any first-half nerves to move within four points of PSG and Benfica.

Di Maria equals Messi with creative masterclass

Di Maria was limited to one substitute appearance in Juventus' first two European matches of the campaign after struggling with an injury, and the Bianconeri may be left to rue his early absence if they fail to escape Group H.

Since the start of the 2007-08 campaign – when Di Maria made his first Champions League appearance, no player has bettered his tally of 35 assists in the competition.

Only his legendary compatriot Lionel Messi has teed up as many Champions League goals during that spell.

Rabiot ends long wait

Rabiot looked every inch the natural goalscorer as his brace led Juventus to a vital win, but the France international had endured a long goal drought prior to Wednesday's double.

The 27-year-old's first-half effort ended his 50-game run without a goal in all competitions, and represented his first strike since he found the net against Bologna in May 2021.

What's next?

Juventus will face a huge test of their Serie A credentials when they travel to Champions Milan on Saturday, while Maccabi Haifa go to Maccabi Bnei Raina on the same day.

Newcastle United are reportedly prepared to launch a third bid for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison in the January window.

Maddison, 24, has had a strong start to the season despite Leicester sitting bottom of the table through seven games, with the midfielder registering three goals and an assist.

Newcastle reportedly placed bids of £40million and £45m in the last window – which prompted manager Brendan Rodgers to say "that might just cover three-quarters of his left leg" – but January will mark 18 months remaining on his contract, with a voluntary extension looking extremely unlikely.

TOP STORY – MADDISON OPEN TO NEWCASTLE UNITED MOVE

Maddison is said to be more open to the idea of leaving Leicester after failing to break back into the England setup for the World Cup, with his only international cap coming as a substitute during a win against Montenegro in 2020.

With Newcastle players Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier both being involved with the Three Lions, it is viewed as a more favourable situation to capture the attention of Gareth Southgate.

The report from The Times indicates Leicester do have the option to extend Maddison's contract by one extra season, which could give them the freedom to see out the remainder of the campaign.

However, if Newcastle are willing to move into the £60m range, that kind of spending power could fund some significant moves to address the Foxes' problems, and there is no guarantee his value will remain this high if they delay.

ROUND-UP

– According to Spanish publication Beteve, Lionel Messi will refuse any contract extension and will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this season.

– Kicker is reporting Tottenham's Harry Kane remains Bayern Munich's top target, and with only one more season left on his deal after this campaign, Tottenham could be forced to cash-in if he indicates he is ready to leave.

– Juventus will not renew the contracts of Angel Di Maria, Juan Cuadrado and Adrien Rabiot in order to reduce their wage bill, per La Gazzetta dello Sport.

– Calciomercato is reporting Roma will join Bayern Munich and Manchester United with interest in €30m Ajax centre-back Jurrien Timber.

– According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle United are monitoring highly regarded Vasco da Gama 18-year-old Andrey Santos.

Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara has been summoned by France boss Didier Deschamps after Adrien Rabiot was ruled out of next week's Nations League games.

Already without a number of key midfield figures including Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, the injury to Rabiot deprives Deschamps of another experienced player.

Rabiot has not fully recovered from a left calf muscle injury, the French Football Federation (FFF) said on its website, and has been ruled out of Juventus' Serie A match against Monza this weekend.

Deschamps decided it was sensible, as a precautionary measure, to withdraw Rabiot from his group and promote a player more likely to be available for full squad activities when the group gather at the Clairefontaine training base on Monday.

Kamara made his France debut against Croatia in June, shortly after it was announced he would be leaving Marseille to join Villa.

France have recorded two draws and two defeats in their first four games in Group A1 of the Nations League, leaving the world champions battling relegation from the competition's top tier. They host Austria on September 22 and travel to face Denmark three days later.

Massimiliano Allegri was left frustrated by a "wasted chance" after his Juventus team lost 2-1 to Paris Saint-Germain.

Juve's Champions League campaign looked set to get off to a humbling start at the Parc des Princes when Kylian Mbappe's double put PSG 2-0 up inside 22 minutes.

Yet some sloppy finishing and poor defending from their hosts allowed Juve back into it in the second half, with Weston McKennie heading home to reduce the deficit.

Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off a fine stop to deny Dusan Vlahovic and Manuel Locatelli had a late effort blocked close to the line, and while Juve were fortunate not to concede more at the other end, they ultimately gave a strong account of themselves despite losing to PSG for the first time in a competitive fixture.

Allegri previously declared Benfica – who beat Maccabi Haifa 2-0 on Tuesday – as Juve's main rivals in Group H, but the Bianconeri's coach was in the end disappointed not to get a result against PSG.

"We played a good game, it's a wasted chance, we had to be more clear-headed in the final minutes," Allegri told Canale 5, as reported by Football Italia.

"We had to create more chances on the left, we didn't do it enough. We could have been dangerous in those situations with McKennie wide on the right. We must improve, it's a wasted chance."

Juve lost their opening match to a Champions League campaign for just the second time in their 23 seasons in the competition (W13 D8), also losing to Barcelona in September 2017 (3-0), but after going down fighting – registering just two shots fewer than PSG (13 to 15) and a similar expected goals value (1.1 to 1.5) – midfielder Adrien Rabiot shared his coach's frustration.

"We started badly, in the first 20 minutes we suffered," he said, via Football Italia. "We could have done even more, being more clinical. I am a bit angry, especially because of the first half. We conceded two early goals, too early, and the game changed.

"We proved that we could do better in the second half, we had chances, but we must continue to work and think of Benfica at home [in the next game].

"We have to work, find the right system and the right players on the pitch, but I think that tonight we did better than in league games.

"Unfortunately, when we lose there is always criticism for the players and the coach. We reacted well in the second half and I am glad of it, we showed good things but we must work, it's a long season and we know it."

It is easy to imagine how Manchester United landed on Casemiro's name in the week that followed their shambolic 4-0 defeat at Brentford.

United were preyed upon by the Brentford press, giving up three chances and two goals from high turnovers as Christian Eriksen – a false nine in their previous match – ended up as the deepest midfielder and struggled badly.

Through two games, no Premier League side allowed more shots following high turnovers than United (eight).

At the very least, Casemiro – a five-time Champions League winner anchoring one of the great modern midfields at Real Madrid – should make United harder to play against.

Yet the 30-year-old, whose arrival at Old Trafford was confirmed ahead of Monday's game against Liverpool, possesses a vastly different profile to the previous two midfielders United very publicly pursued – ultimately unsuccessfully.

The progression from Frenkie de Jong to Adrien Rabiot to Casemiro was not a particularly obvious one, but have the Red Devils now ended up with the right man?

No more 'McFred'

Few United fans who have seen their 'McFred' midfield repeatedly overrun in recent seasons would complain about the club recruiting an upgrade on Fred.

The numbers would suggest that is what they are buying in Casemiro, who is comparable to his Brazil team-mate by several metrics.

Only two LaLiga midfielders made more recoveries than Casemiro (230) last season, yet his 8.0 per 90 were topped by Fred's 8.7. Fred matched Casemiro for tackles per 90 (both 2.8) and edged him in terms of interceptions (1.4 to 1.3).

However, Casemiro's physical presence ensured he won 59.7 per cent of his duels, far outperforming Fred's 47.8 per cent.

And the Madrid man, crucially, is more effective with the ball once he has won it.

Carlo Ancelotti's side attempted 43 shots at the end of sequences that started with Casemiro recovering possession, seeing the midfielder lead LaLiga in this regard and trail only Marcelo Brozovic (44) across Europe's top five leagues.

Although just 27.6 per cent of Casemiro's passes were played forward – versus Fred's 30.4 per cent – he was at the heart of so many Madrid attacks.

Casemiro played 34 passes to players who immediately created chances for team-mates, which compared very favourably with Rabiot (12), Scott McTominay (18), Fred (19) and, indeed, De Jong (22).

Carrying United's hopes

There was an obvious appeal to the attempted signing of De Jong, who would have offered something different to the United midfield.

Highly skilled with the ball at his feet, De Jong's carries progressed the play 113.6 metres upfield per 90 last season. Ahead of playing Liverpool, United's five midfielders (Fred, McTominay, Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek) had progressed the ball only 384m combined so far this season – or 192m per 90.

Casemiro clearly cannot offer this dynamism either, given he carried the ball just 54.3m upfield per 90 last term.

And United could seemingly still benefit from a player of De Jong's talents, as Casemiro is used to being able to rely on others in midfield to fulfil this role; he was by far Madrid's least progressive midfield carrier in 2021-22, behind Toni Kroos (80.6m), Luka Modric (85.7m), Eduardo Camavinga (91.1m) and Federico Valverde (133.3m).

But considering the difficulties in getting that deal done with Barcelona, United's scattergun approach has at least – via Rabiot – picked out a player capable of helping them both with and without the ball.

No Premier League team conceded more goals than United through the first two matchweeks of the season, while they only netted themselves courtesy of an own goal.

One man alone may not be able to get United's season back on track, but Casemiro is primed to give it a good go.

Adrien Rabiot will play for Juventus at Sampdoria on Monday, just days after his move to Manchester United collapsed, manager Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.

The Bianconeri boss has also not ruled out further arrivals before the transfer window shuts, after a busy off-season for the Serie A heavyweights.

Rabiot looked set to bring the curtain down on his time in Turin with a move to the Premier League earlier this month, with new United boss Erik ten Hag looking to bolster his ranks after a slow start to the new campaign.

But despite the two clubs agreeing a fee, it was reported that the deal fell through when terms could not be successfully brokered with the player.

It means Rabiot looks destined to remain at Allianz Stadium for another season - and now Allegri has confirmed the France international will feature in Monday's clash with Sampdoria.

"Rabiot will play tomorrow," he stated. "On the transfer market, [with] players, it is normal that there are chances that they can leave and that the club will ask if the player is available."

Having scraped their way to Champions League football again last term, Allegri has strengthened with the recruitment of Angel Di Maria, Filip Kostic, Bremer and Paul Pogba in the transfer window, the latter returning from United.

But the Frenchman's injury record will see him miss the first few weeks of the season, and his boss is keeping his powder dry when it comes to further additions.

"Regardless of the transfer market, we must do our best with the squad we have available," he added. "We are doing a lot these months. without being distracted."

It is easy to imagine how Manchester United landed on Casemiro's name in the week that followed their shambolic 4-0 defeat at Brentford.

United were preyed upon by the Brentford press, giving up three chances and two goals from high turnovers as Christian Eriksen – a false nine in their previous match – ended up as the deepest midfielder and struggled badly.

Through two games, no Premier League side have allowed more shots following high turnovers than United (eight).

At the very least, Casemiro – a five-time Champions League winner anchoring one of the great modern midfields at Real Madrid – should make United harder to play against.

Yet the 30-year-old, whose arrival at Old Trafford appears imminent, possesses a vastly different profile to the previous two midfielders United very publicly pursued – ultimately unsuccessfully.

The progression from Frenkie de Jong to Adrien Rabiot to Casemiro was not a particularly obvious one, but have the Red Devils now ended up with the right man?

No more 'McFred'

Few United fans who have seen their 'McFred' midfield repeatedly overrun in recent seasons would complain about the club recruiting an upgrade on Fred.

The numbers would suggest that is what they are buying in Casemiro, who is comparable to his Brazil team-mate by several metrics.

Only two LaLiga midfielders made more recoveries than Casemiro (230) last season, yet his 8.0 per 90 were topped by Fred's 8.7. Fred matched Casemiro for tackles per 90 (both 2.8) and edged him in terms of interceptions (1.4 to 1.3).

However, Casemiro's physical presence ensured he won 59.7 per cent of his duels, far outperforming Fred's 47.8 per cent.

And the Madrid man, crucially, is more effective with the ball once he has won it.

Carlo Ancelotti's side attempted 43 shots at the end of sequences that started with Casemiro recovering possession, seeing the midfielder lead LaLiga in this regard and trail only Marcelo Brozovic (44) across Europe's top five leagues.

Although just 27.6 per cent of Casemiro's passes were played forward – versus Fred's 30.4 per cent – he was at the heart of so many Madrid attacks.

Casemiro played 34 passes to players who immediately created chances for team-mates, which compared very favourably with Rabiot (12), Scott McTominay (18), Fred (19) and, indeed, De Jong (22).

Carrying United's hopes

There was an obvious appeal to the attempted signing of De Jong, who would have offered something different to the United midfield.

Highly skilled with the ball at his feet, De Jong's carries progressed the play 113.6 metres upfield per 90 last season. United's five midfielders (Fred, McTominay, Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek) have progressed the ball only 384m combined so far this season – or 192m per 90.

Casemiro clearly cannot offer this dynamism either, given he carried the ball just 54.3m upfield per 90 last term.

And United could seemingly still benefit from a player of De Jong's talents, as Casemiro is used to being able to rely on others in midfield to fulfil this role; he was by far Madrid's least progressive midfield carrier in 2021-22, behind Toni Kroos (80.6m), Luka Modric (85.7m), Eduardo Camavinga (91.1m) and Federico Valverde (133.3m).

But considering the difficulties in getting that deal done with Barcelona, United's scattergun approach has at least – via Rabiot – picked out a player capable of helping them both with and without the ball.

No Premier League team has conceded more goals at this early stage than United, while they have only netted themselves courtesy of an own goal.

One man alone may not be able to get United's season back on track, but Casemiro is primed to give it a good go.

Chelsea are in the market to bolster their defence following the exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

Thomas Tuchel's side have already added Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £35million.

The Blues are eager to add another centre-back to their ranks before the closure of the transfer window.

TOP STORY – BLUES TO MAKE WORLD-RECORD BID FOR FOFANA

Chelsea are preparing to make a world-record offer for Leicester City's French defender Wesley Fofana, reports Football London.

The Blues' bid would be the highest fee paid for a defender, having had a previous offer declined by the Foxes.

It is believed Chelsea's previous bid was £70m with Leicester insisting he is not for sale. Harry Maguire, sold by Leicester to Manchester United, holds the record for a defender at £80m.

ROUND-UP

– Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, having reached an agreement with the Italian club for an initial £15m fee, according to The Guardian. France international Rabiot is in the final year of his contract with Juventus.

– 90min reports that United target Benjamin Sesko is close to agreeing to a deal with German club RB Leipzig. The report claims that 19-year-old Slovenian forward Sesko will move from Salzburg to Leipzig in 2023.

– United have also reached out to Real Betis on Guido Rodriguez's status according to AS, while the Red Devils are still considering Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reports The Telegraph.

– Tottenham have reached an agreement with Udinese for winger Destiny Udogie for more than €20m, claims Fabrizio Romano. Udogie, however, will still on loan at Udinese this season.

– Monaco are keen on signing Manchester United defender Eric Bailly on loan, claims L'Equipe. The Ligue 1 club want the Ivorian, who is under contract until 2024, with an option to buy.

– Fiorentina will rival Villarreal for the signature of Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Argentina international spent time on loan with Villarreal last season.

– Valencia will revive its interest in Tottenham's Bryan Gil following Goncalo Guades' move to Wolves, claims Diario AS.

– The Telegraph claims Milan have re-opened talks with Chelsea's Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech who has been transfer listed.

Chelsea are in the market to bolster their defence following the exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

Thomas Tuchel's side have already added Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £35million.

The Blues are eager to add another centre-back to their ranks before the closure of the transfer window.

TOP STORY – BLUES TO MAKE WORLD-RECORD BID FOR FOFANA

Chelsea are preparing to make a world-record offer for Leicester City's French defender Wesley Fofana, reports Football London.

The Blues' bid would be the highest fee paid for a defender, having had a previous offer declined by the Foxes.

It is believed Chelsea's previous bid was £70m with Leicester insisting he is not for sale. Harry Maguire, sold by Leicester to Manchester United, holds the record for a defender at £80m.

ROUND-UP

– Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, having reached an agreement with the Italian club for an initial £15m fee, according to The Guardian. France international Rabiot is in the final year of his contract with Juventus.

– 90min reports that United target Benjamin Sesko is close to agreeing to a deal with German club RB Leipzig. The report claims that 19-year-old Slovenian forward Sesko will move from Salzburg to Leipzig in 2023.

– United have also reached out to Real Betis on Guido Rodriguez's status according to AS, while the Red Devils are still considering Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reports The Telegraph.

– Tottenham have reached an agreement with Udinese for winger Destiny Udogie for more than €20m, claims Fabrizio Romano. Udogie, however, will still on loan at Udinese this season.

– Monaco are keen on signing Manchester United defender Eric Bailly on loan, claims L'Equipe. The Ligue 1 club want the Ivorian, who is under contract until 2024, with an option to buy.

– Fiorentina will rival Villarreal for the signature of Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Argentina international spent time on loan with Villarreal last season.

– Valencia will revive its interest in Tottenham's Bryan Gil following Goncalo Guades' move to Wolves, claims Diario AS.

– The Telegraph claims Milan have re-opened talks with Chelsea's Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech who has been transfer listed.