BRUNO FERNANDES SHOWS LEADERSHIP IN TRAINING AS SQUAD RESPONDS
Bruno Fernandes is mentoring Manchester United's record signing Matheus Cunha, helping the Brazilian adapt on and off the pitch. Their bond is paying dividends as Cunha opens his goal account.
Bruno Fernandes Makes Statement In Training As United Players Respond - Photo Credit: Getty Images
Matheus Cunha has been mentored by Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes to help him reach his full potential and become a hero at Old Trafford.
Cunha, 26, had a rough start to life at United after joining in the summer for £62.5 million from Wolves. In fact, he missed one game due to a hamstring injury before the first international break and did not score or assist in any of his first eight outings.
But in Saturday's 4-2 victory over Brighton, the Brazil international broke his goal drought and scored his first goal for United. Cunha gave goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen no chance as he curled the ball from the edge of the box into the bottom corner to score his team's first goal.
According to The Sun, Fernandes has been "incremental" in assisting Cunha in managing the demands of playing for United. The two have developed a close mentoring relationship as a result of their shared Portuguese language skills.
It is reported that Fernandes and Cunha worked on free kicks and set pieces for hours during extra training sessions, and their strong bond is beginning to show on the field.
According to sources at The Sun, Cunha's confidence and emotional regulation have improved under Fernandes' tutelage, particularly during the Brazilian's stint out due to injury.
Despite neither scoring nor providing an assist in last Sunday's 2-1 victory over Liverpool, Cunha made an impression and offered hints that he might be a true star asset for United and head coach Ruben Amorim.
Amorim was full of praise for the former Wolves and Atletico Madrid player, who scored 17 goals in 36 games last season, after he managed to get on the scoresheet against Brighton.
"He was having trouble. "He can conceal that, but I know he is having difficulties," Amorim told the BBC. However, he exudes confidence throughout the entire game. I adore his style of defence. I realise I am a little simplistic, but his response at Anfield was not shocking.
"His style of play with the ball is not surprising, but he is getting better when he does not have it. That will have a huge impact on our team. He must score goals; he suffered when he failed to do so, but he is a great player because he makes the game-winning decisions, and I am very happy with him."
On Saturday, Cunha and United return to play as they visit Nottingham Forest. A fourth consecutive Premier League victory at the City Ground would put them as high as second in the standings.
With three straight wins over Sunderland, Liverpool, and Brighton, the Reds are in scorching form and have risen from the bottom part of the table to sixth place.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND STAR EMERGES AS KEY TARGET FOR HANSI FLICK
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick has explicitly requested the signing of Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck. The German international is a top target to reinforce Barça's backline.
Hansi Flick Eyeing Nico Schlotterbeck For Camp Nou Squad - COURTESY/PHOTO
The board of Barcelona has been notified by head coach Hansi Flick that he wants to have Nico Schlotterbeck, a star for Borussia Dortmund, available to him for the upcoming campaign.
Fichajes, who gave the most recent information on the issue on Tuesday, said as much.
It is generally anticipated that Barcelona will want to add new backs either this January or the following summer.
This is because of Andreas Christensen's contract predicament (which expires in 2026) and the continued uncertainty surrounding Ronald Araújo's future.
In Catalunya's capital, a shortlist of possible signings has already been created as a result.
And according to the previously stated Hansi Flick, one name on this list sticks out above the others.
The headmaster of Barcelona wants to sign Nico Schlotterbeck, a star for Dortmund, according to a report from Fichajes.
Schlotterbeck, a German international, is anticipated to leave Signal Iduna Park in the summer of 2027, before his contract expires.
Hansi Flick has "explicitly instructed" Deco and company to do everything it takes to land his man, despite the intense competition for his services.
PSG REVENUE SOARS TO RECORD LEVELS AFTER EUROPEAN SUCCESS
PSG reports record €806m revenue after Champions League win, ranking 3rd in global football finances. The Qatari-owned club also revealed a major drop in its wage bill post-Mbappé, Neymar & Messi.
PSG finally got their hands on the Champions League title in 2025 - AFP via Getty Images
The Champions League title was won for the first time in 2024–25, which Qatar-owned PSG referred to as "a historic season on both sports and economic fronts" in a statement presenting their yearly financial results.
The club, which was acquired by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) in 2011, reported that matchday revenue, which includes ticket sales and hospitality, reached 175 million euros, while commercial revenue alone reached 367 million euros.
Compared to the previous season, when Real Madrid became the first club to earn one billion euros in a single season, the total turnover was marginally higher at 806 million euros.
In the Deloitte Football Money League, which ranks clubs' financial strength, PSG came in third place for the 2023–2024 season, behind only Manchester City and Real Madrid, whose income at that time was 837.8 million euros.
PSG added that turnover in 2011—just before the Qatari takeover—was 99 million euros. "This performance shows the maturity of the project since the arrival of its main shareholder QSI, and confirms the solidity of the club's economic model, now among the most successful in the world," the club said.
Expanding the brand
"Paris Saint-Germain's valuation and investor interest have grown exponentially since QSI's first acquisition in 2011, indicating the club's transition into one of the most valuable and important sports brands in the world."
Following the exits of superstars Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi in 2023 and 2024, the amount spent on player salaries has also drastically fallen. According to PSG, the percentage of turnover spent on wages has decreased from 111 per cent to less than 65 per cent.
However, the financial environment of French football and the small size of their stadium seem to hinder PSG's ability to expand further.
The French champions' run to the Club World Cup final and Champions League victory brought them enormous prize money, but after their local TV agreement fell through, Ligue 1's broadcasting revenue has decreased.
The team is looking for measures to boost matchday revenue, like as moving from their historic home at Parc des Princes, which can hold 48,000 people.
Larger stadiums are used for games between major continental rivals like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Arsenal. Barcelona will soon return to their Camp Nou home, where capacity will be 105,000 when renovations are completed.
"We can play at a smaller venue and yet compete with the biggest clubs in Europe. To continue expanding, we must innovate," PSG stated.
In order to relocate to a larger location far out in the Paris suburbs, they are currently thinking about abandoning their municipally owned home. Two locations are being considered: one in Massy, which is to the south, and another in Poissy, which is to the northwest, where the club recently constructed a new training facility.