Friday’s briefing: Man City want to be more ‘aggressive’ in market | OneFootball

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak admitted the club “probably should have been more aggressive” on the transfer front last summer as he looked back on their 2024-25 season.

Manchester United’s Amad Diallo said he did not regret his actions, alleging he had been reacting to insults about his mother, after the winger appeared to make an obscene gesture towards fans in Malaysia, while England boss Sarina Wiegman expressed her disappointment at no longer having Mary Earps to call upon.

Khaldoon on transfers

In his annual end-of-season interview, Khaldoon reflected City should have done more to strengthen going into a campaign that saw them relinquish the Premier League title, finishing third, and exit the Champions League before the last 16.

Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan were the only major signings last summer as Julian Alvarez departed, with City subsequently spending big to bring in a number of players in January.

Khaldoon told City’s website: “I think when I look back, last summer, we probably should have been more aggressive in some of the changes we needed to do. We didn’t do that and that ended up costing us this year.”

Amad addresses gesture

With United on a post-season trip to Asia, footage shared on social media appeared to show Amad raising his middle finger as he passed a crowd outside the team’s hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

United told the BBC the gesture was in response to “serious personal abuse”, while the 22-year-old Ivorian said in a post on X: “I have respect for people but not for the one who insults my mom.

“I shouldn’t have reacted like that but I don’t regret what I did.”

Wiegman reacts to Earps news

Goalkeeper Earps on Tuesday made the shock announcement of her immediate international retirement, just a few weeks out from England starting their European Championship defence in Switzerland.

The 32-year-old, who played throughout the Lionesses’ triumphant 2022 Euros campaign and run to the 2023 World Cup final, had recently been on the bench behind Hannah Hampton.

Wiegman told a press conference on Thursday: “I’m really disappointed she is not part of the team because I want her part of the team. It must have been a really hard decision for her and so it is (for) us.”

Skipper Leah Williamson said she was “devastated”, adding: “If she thinks this is the best thing, I’ll support her always.”

Alleged driver charged

The alleged driver of a car that ploughed into a crowd at Liverpool’s Premier League title parade has been charged with offences such as wounding and causing grievous bodily harm against six victims.

Paul Doyle, 53, is accused of seven offences following the incident on Monday, which resulted in 79 people suffering injuries. A wounding charge and an attempted grievous bodily harm charge relate to a child.

Doyle, of the West Derby area of Liverpool, is due to appear at the city’s magistrates’ court on Friday.

What’s on today?

As well as Wiegman’s England taking on Portugal at Wembley, other Women’s Nations League matches see Wales face Denmark away, Scotland host Austria, the Republic of Ireland play in Turkey and Northern Ireland entertain Poland.