David Ornstein

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui has had minor surgery after experiencing heart palpitations and hopes to be available to play in the next few weeks. Mazraoui pulled out of the Morocco squad on Monday, with United saying his withdrawal was “a precaution”. The 26-year-old right-back was substituted at half-time of last Sunday’s goalless draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League. United manager Erik ten Hag confirmed after the game it was a forced withdrawal and Mazraoui would have to be assessed, but did not specify his issue. Sources close to United and the player expect...

Manchester City are set to hire Sporting Lisbon’s Hugo Viana to replace the outgoing Txiki Begiristain as their new sporting director. Viana’s arrival at City could be announced as early as next week, after The Athletic reported that Begiristain is expected to leave the Premier League club at the end of the 2024-25 season on Tuesday. Begiristain, who has been a pivotal figure in City’s success since his arrival in 2012, had initially planned to step back when he turned 55 but was so invested in the club’s project and working alongside manager and friend Pep Guardiola...

Jonas Eidevall is to leave his role as head coach of Arsenal Women. Arsenal have won just two of their last seven matches across all competitions and have picked up just five points from their opening four matches in the Women’s Super League (WSL). That run included a 5-2 Champions League loss at Bayern Munich last week. Eidevall’s final game was the 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea on Saturday, where his side were booed by the Emirates Stadium crowd after going two goals down in the 16th minute. Eidevall took charge of Arsenal in 2021, replacing Joe Montemurro. The 41-year-old won the...

Ronnie Gibbons was twice shut in a room on her own with the Fulham FC and Harrods owner - this is her story

Jack Wilshere is leaving his role as Arsenal Under-18 head coach to take up a first-team coaching position at Norwich City. The 32-year-old will leave Arsenal on Wednesday and begin at his new club the following day where he will effectively replace Narcis Pelach, who departed in September to take the head coach role at fellow Championship club Stoke City. Wilshere’s relationship with Norwich’s sporting director Ben Knapper, who previously worked as Arsenal’s loans manager until October 2023, has helped the process. The opportunity to move into a first-team role at Norwich, where he...

The U18s coach is held in extremely high regard by his players and there are concerns about what his decision to leave might mean

Erik ten Hag has been sacked as Manchester United manager. The Dutchman was informed on Monday morning and leaves Old Trafford after two and a half years in charge with his final game proving to be the Premier League defeat to West Ham United on Sunday. That result left the club 14th in the table, seven points off the Champions League qualification places, after just three league wins from nine games and only four in 14 in all competitions. The club are now working on next steps with former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, recruited in the offseason to work alongside Ten Hag, having been asked to...

Manchester United are working on a deal to appoint Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim as their new head coach. Sources in Portugal, speaking anonymously as they’re not authorised to discuss the matter, have told The Athletic the 39-year-old is open to taking up the opportunity after Erik ten Hag was sacked earlier on Monday. United are ready to pay the €10million (£8.3m) release clause in his contract with the two clubs in talks to finalise a deal that could see Ruud van Nistelrooy take interim charge before Amorim’s arrival. Amorim has emerged as one of Europe’s most...

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers has received his first England call-up for the upcoming Nations League games against Greece and Republic of Ireland. The 22-year-old was originally named in the under-21s squad but has now been promoted to the senior setup ahead of Thursday’s game in Greece. Rogers has become an important part of Unai Emery’s Villa squad, playing every Premier League and Champions League game so far this season. At international level, the former Middlesbrough midfielder has represented his country at every age group from under-15s through to under-21s. In...

Real Sociedad’s renowned director of football Roberto Olabe is to leave his post at the end of this season, in a surprise development that will place some of the game’s leading clubs on high alert. Olabe told Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay of his decision last summer, prior to the transfer window that saw him secure the sale of Mikel Merino to Arsenal and negotiate with Liverpool over Martin Zubimendi’s proposed switch to Anfield, although the midfielder eventually chose to stay. Despite his contract running until June 2026, Olabe has opted to step aside early; he wanted to give...