With the first summer window fast approaching, we look at 10 of the top talents who could be on the move

It’s good news for anyone who enjoys the chaos of transfer deadline day: this summer there’s not one but two to look forward to in the Premier League. Due to an unique registration period for the expanded Club World Cup, the window will open on Sunday 1 June until Tuesday 10 June before closing for a few days. It will then reopen on Monday 16 June until Monday 1 September. Here are a selection of players who could be on the move.

• Captain has been linked with move to Al-Hilal

• Amorim: ‘We can find another way to earn money’

Ruben Amorim believes Bruno Fernandes will stay at Manchester United this summer amid suggestions the player could be set for a lucrative switch to the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Hilal are said to have made an approach for the United captain, bidding in the region of £100m and offering to make Fernandes one of the world’s highest-paid players in the process. United’s stance remains that Fernandes is not for sale and Amorim doubled down on that position after watching his team beat Hong Kong 3-1 in a post-season friendly on Friday. He views his countryman as vital to the club’s future. The 30-year-old was named United’s player of the season for a record-equalling fourth time. He is contracted to the club until June 2027.

• Winger claims fans outside hotel insulted his mother

• Manchester United back Amad over ‘personal abuse’

The Manchester United winger Amad Diallo has said he “does not regret” making an obscene gesture to fans in Kuala Lumpur, claiming they had insulted his mother.

After United’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Asean All-Stars in May, footage emerged on social media of Amad putting his middle finger up to fans outside the team hotel.

While Manchester United ended the season trophyless and 15th in the Premier League, they did at least get to join their comparatively triumphant Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle counterparts in having an open-top bus parade. Currently serving club-enforced penance for their shambles of a season on a money-spinning post-season tour of Asia, the players – well, four of them at least – were forced to endure the indignity of being paraded through the streets of Kuala Lumpur on a heavily branded giant red doubledecker with ‘Glory, Glory, Man United’ blaring through its speakers, presumably to try to drum up interest in upwards of 12,000 unsold tickets for their Maybank Challenge Cup match against a scratch Asean All Stars side, scheduled to take place the following day.

• Asean All-Stars 1-0 Manchester United

• Amorim: ‘We should win these kind of games’

Manchester United’s post-season tour followed their late-season form as Ruben Amorim’s team lost 1-0 to a scratch team of Asean All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur.

United’s latest defeat, part of a lucrative end-of-season tour in the wake of their 15th-placed finish in the Premier League, came after the players had been paraded through the streets of the Malaysian capital.

• Manchester United open to selling Alejandro Garnacho

• Ruben Amorim also keen on Ipswich’s Liam Delap

Manchester United are poised to sign Matheus Cunha after triggering the £62.5m release clause in the Wolves’ forward’s contract. United have agreed to split the fee in three payments across the next two years.

Wolves rejected United’s attempt to stagger the payment across five years but now the Brazilian is set to become Ruben Amorim’s first summer signing after a hugely disappointing season.

After 380 games featuring more than 1,000 goals, we look back at some of the finest images from across the campaign

Liverpool started the season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Ipswich, while Erling Haaland scored back-to-back hat-tricks against the Tractor Boys and West Ham to leave City top of the pile at the end of August. Elsewhere, Everton remarkably coughed up a two-goal lead at home to Bournemouth – conceding three times from the 87th minute – becoming the first team in Premier league history to taste defeat from such a commanding position.

• ‘Next season it has to be better,’ says departing Dane

• Thanks ‘really supportive’ fans after difficult season

Christian Eriksen believes Manchester United were lucky to avoid relegation from the Premier League and has thanked the club’s fans for not causing “chaos” when performances were poor.

A dire campaign saw United finish 15th in the Premier League, a record low, winning 11 games and ending with a goal difference of -10. They collected 42 points, 17 better than third-bottom Leicester, and Eriksen was frank in assessing his final season at the club.

From Lucas Bergvall to Leny Yoro, these five talents all made a big impact and have bright futures ahead

It was tempting to exclude Bergvall from consideration for this list simply because he played in Spurs’ 4-0 League Cup semi-final defeat at Anfield, as cowardly a display as could possibly exist. Overall, though, he’s enjoyed a fine debut season, especially as, when he joined Spurs from Djurgården, there was little sense he’d establish himself so soon. But with a little help from injuries and incompetence, he forced his way into consideration and is now a fixture in Ange Postecoglou’s starting XI – with good reason. In this era of attacking and defensive prefixes, Bergvall is that rarity: a midfielder who plays in the middle of the field. Clever enough to create, calm enough to score, physical enough to tackle and athletic enough to harry, perhaps his best quality is his decision-making, especially notable for a player of his age. If he continues improving, this will not be the last time his name makes a list of this ilk.

Managers, teams and players who have disappointed over the campaign – including the reigning footballer of the year

Ruben Amorim’s average points tally of a point per league game since arriving at Manchester United in early November puts him just above Malky Mackay’s record at Cardiff and Paul Jewell’s Premier League record with Bradford, Wigan and Derby. While Sporting won the Primeira Liga title without Amorim, United have fallen down the table to 15th since the Portuguese took the reins from the interim coach, Ruud van Nistelrooy. Much of the ire towards United has been directed at the owners but on the pitch Amorim has failed to adapt his squad of expensive, experienced internationals into anything approaching a cohesive unit. The Europa League final defeat by Tottenham showed how much work is left to do.

• Official blew before Morgan Rogers put ball in net for Villa

• Villa unhappy at selection of inexperienced referee

Aston Villa will lodge an official complaint to the Premier League about why a more experienced referee than Thomas Bramall was not appointed after the official blew before Morgan Rogers scored against Manchester United. This meant the video assistant referee could not intervene to rule if the forward had illegally kicked the ball from Altay Bayindir’s hands – as Bramall judged – and Unai Emery claimed later that this was the “key moment” that turned Villa’s Champions League qualification bid.

The incident happened in the 73rd‑minute with the game at Old Trafford goalless and as Newcastle were losing to Everton, Villa were heading for the Champions League. Bramall’s ruling caused a furious reaction from Emery, along with his staff. After this Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen goals – each provoking sarcastic Emery gestures – gave United a 2-0 win. The visitors ended in sixth and so will play Europa League football next season.

• Head coach addressed fans on pitch after Aston Villa win

• ‘I want to apologise for this season … we move forward’

A defiant Ruben Amorim promised “the good days are coming” after apologising for Manchester United’s “disaster season” that ended in 15th place after their 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Sunday.

After the game the head coach addressed the fans on the Old Trafford pitch. “First of all I want to apologise for this season,” he said. “I know you are very disappointed with me and with the team. I want secondly to say: ‘Thank you.’

On 73 minutes a moment that Aston Villa will argue for a long time cost them the bumper prize of Champions League football next season and its lucrative cash injection of millions.

A weak Harry Maguire header had Altay Bayindir scrambling to collect. As he did, Morgan Rogers prodded the ball from his clutches – the goalkeeper did not have it under control – and the forward found the empty net.

• ‘I will say what is in my mind and what is in my heart’

• United’s problems bigger than he first thought

Ruben Amorim will make a public apology to Manchester United fans on the pitch after their final home game of the season, but the head coach admitted he does not know how long it will take the club to challenge at the top of the table again. United face Aston Villa on Sunday to conclude a desperate season without a trophy and potentially in 17th place, but the players will undertake a lap of honour at Old Trafford.

Their last chance of salvaging something from the campaign ended with a dismal performance in the Europa League final on Wednesday, losing 1-0 to Tottenham, ensuring United will not compete in Europe next season.

After plumbing new depths at the final in Bilbao, the crisis at the club may at last hurt the people who actually own it

Oh yes, Europe. Now you see it. Now you understand why we’re harvesting your players, hoovering up your football culture, poaching your 27-year-old rollerblading hyper-nerd coaches. This is the spectacle we’re creating over here on our island of trade and innovation. Behold our Europa League final, our Wednesday night field of the cloth of gold. Look on our works and … well, maybe go out for a sandwich instead.

The all-English Europa League final has already taken some stick for not being a spectacle worthy of the occasion. Or at least, for looking like what it was: two muddled teams scrabbling for the last escape ladder. It would be normal at this stage to bring out the phrase about a pair of bald men fighting over a comb. But baldness at least has a pattern. Baldness is orderly. Baldness is noble. This was more like two men with bad, failing hair transplants fighting over an emergency toupée.

Our fans network reviews the season with one game to play: the highs, the lows and the moments that made them smile

It’s been yet another “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” season. There were times it felt we were destined for glory, but injuries and red cards cost us. We still had jaw-dropping moments, though, especially in a phenomenal Champions League campaign. As they say, it’s the hope that kills, but even this jaded old lag had begun to believe I’d finally tick that big-eared prize off my bucket list. Still, 8/10.

Bernard Azulay onlinegooner.com; @GoonerN5

Jonathan Pritchard

Chelsea braced for City Ground cauldron, Rodri back on the scene and party vibes all round at Anfield

• Golden Boot: how the leading scorers stand

Bournemouth’s hopes of European football were vanquished after defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday but the Cherries, 11th on 53 points, could still achieve ninth spot and match their best finish in the Premier League (under Eddie Howe in 2016-17, although that was achieved with only 46 points). A home game against relegated Leicester looks to offer the perfect opportunity but the closing stretch has been tough for Andoni Iraola’s side, with the past 12 league games producing only two victories. Remarkably, a three-game league form table puts Leicester in fourth after home wins over Southampton and Ipswich either side of a 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest. Perhaps this won’t be the walkover most are expecting, and there could be a wistful feeling in the air at the Vitality on Sunday afternoon. No one can deny it has been a strong season but what a party it might have been. With Dean Huijsen off to Real Madrid and Milos Kerkez linked heavily with the champions, Liverpool, how many of the goodbyes on the traditional end-of-season lap of honour will be permanent? David Tindall

Wednesday’s fare in Bilbao was low on quality, bringing to mind some other high-stakes stinkers, such as the 2003 Champions League showpiece between Milan and Juventus

The attacking talents on show for both Italian sides were frightening. Juventus partnered David Trezeguet in attack with Alessandro Del Piero, while Milan opted for Pippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko in front of the creativity of Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Rui Costa. Such was the embarrassment of riches available to Carlo Ancelotti, Rivaldo was an unused sub for Milan. Yet after 120 minutes, the final remained goalless. Marcello Lippi, who had succeeded Ancelotti as Juve manager in 2001, was particularly culpable, having brought on the defensively minded Antonio Conte as a makeshift No 10 at half-time. How they missed the suspended Pavel Nedved. Milan prevailed in the shootout, with Paolo Maldini lifting the trophy at Old Trafford, but the final did nothing to dispel the belief that Italian football is a defensive game.

Not many at Old Trafford are suited to the manager’s trusty 3-4-2-1 but replacing them will cost hundreds of millions

Everything always seems clearer in the morning, and in the cold grey light of Thursday, the prognosis for Manchester United is bleak. While Tottenham face an awkward calculation – weighing up whether the delirium of a first European trophy in 41 years offsets their worst league season in terms of proportion of games lost – for Manchester United the equation is far starker.

Ruben Amorim will only play in one way. He is committed absolutely, uncompromisingly, irrevocably to the 3-4-2-1. Liverpool considered him, looked at their squad, realised the two things did not go together, appointed Arne Slot and won the league. Manchester United looked at their squad, flinched at the horror, and seem to have reasoned it was such a mess that it was impossible to find a manager whose philosophy would fit. There was a dissenting voice, Dan Ashworth, but at the court of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, reasoned doubts are as unwelcome as a free lunch.

Many happy tax returns | Saving the welfare state | Defeat’s silver lining | Champion pundits | AI and copyright

Re your article (UK’s 50 richest families hold more wealth than 50% of population, analysis finds, 19 May), we would all see how little the super‑rich pay in taxes if we adopted the Scandinavian system of putting all tax returns in the public domain. Nosy neighbours would soon flush out tax dodgers.
Anthony Stoll
London