Man Utd sign Brazilian international forward on five-year deal as coach Ruben Amorim makes first big move.
Manchester United have completed the signing of Brazil international Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers as the fallen Premier League giants begin their rebuild
The 26-year-old forward, who has scored once in 15 appearances for Brazil, signed a five-year contract to 2030 at Old Trafford with the option of a further 12 months, the club said on Thursday.
United paid a reported 62.5 million pounds ($84m) to their fellow English top-flight club for Cunha.
United coach Ruben Amorim is expected to overhaul his squad after a woeful season, and Cunha’s is the first major transfer for the Portuguese since he replaced Erik ten Hag in November.
Cunha scored 17 goals for Wolves last season while the United attack had the fifth worst scoring record in the Premier League last term.
“Ever since I was a child in Brazil watching Premier League games on TV at my grandmother’s house, United was my favourite English team, and I dreamed of wearing the red shirt,” Cunha said.
“All my focus is now on working hard to become a valuable part of the team and helping get this club back to the top.”
Brazilian national team players Matheus Cunha, left, and Vinicius Junior, right, train before their June 5, 2025, World Cup qualifier against Ecuador [Sebastiao Moreira/EPA]
United were 15th in the league standings, their worst position since the Premier League era began in 1992. It also had its most losses in a Premier League season and recorded its lowest points total.
The joint record 20-time English champions have gone 12 years without the title since last winning it in former manager Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2013.
“Bringing in Matheus was one of our main priorities for this summer, so we are delighted to have completed his signing so early in the window,” said Jason Wilcox, United director of football.
“He has proved his ability to succeed in the Premier League as one of the most exciting and productive forwards in England during his time at Wolves and before that in Spain and Germany.
“He has all the qualities we are looking for as we seek to build a strong, dynamic and entertaining team capable of challenging for the biggest honours.”
As well as Cunha, United are also interested in Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.
The clubs are believed to be in negotiations over a fee for the Cameroonian international.
Kevin de Bruyne has completed his move to Napoli after the Belgian midfielder left Manchester City at the end of the Premier League season.
De Bruyne will link up with former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte at the Italian champions after leaving City following a long and successful spell.
Napoli announced the signing of the 33-year-old with a computer-generated image, external of De Bruyne sitting on a throne wearing a crown, captioned “King Kev is here”.
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders for an initial fee of £46.5m on a five-year contract.
The Netherlands international is Pep Guardiola’s fourth summer signing with Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Cherki having also joined.
Reijnders, 26, was signed in time to be eligible for this month’s Club World Cup in America and could make his debut on 18 June against Wydad FC.
City decided not to pursue a deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz owing to the cost of the deal.
Instead, they have signed Reijnders, Cherki, Bettinelli and Ait-Nouri for a total of around £108m, less than the reported 150m Euros (£127m) asking price for Germany international Wirtz.
The midfielder has been capped 22 times by the Netherlands but was left on the bench during Tuesday night’s 8-0 thrashing of Malta.
He scored 15 goals in 54 matches across all competitions for Milan last term and was named Serie A’s midfielder of the season.
With Kevin de Bruyne departing the club, Reijnders will strengthen the centre of the pitch for Guardiola as they look to improve on their third-placed Premier League finish last season.
A few years on and ahead of the upcoming 32-teamClub World Cup, Zizou was offered an eye-watering £84million to commit to a one-year contract at Saudi Pro League runners-up Al-Hilal.
And his former team-mate Desailiy has revealed how difficult it is for club’s to persuade him to join, and where he’s likely to go next.
“He likes to travel and always keeps an eye on the France national team. He’s ready because Didier Deschamps has started the transition.
“France will be one of the favourites for the World Cup and win or lose it’s not the end of this era for France.”
Zinedine Zidane suffers embarrassing wardrobe malfunction as he brings out Champions League trophy at Wembley
Zidane is the only manager in the world to have won a staggering three Champions League titles in a row during his first spell with Real.
And he followed that up by lifting two LaLiga titles during his second stint, having only managed the Spanish giants.
Desailiy believes that Zidane is most attracted to the France job because they have a new generation of superstars, including Champions League hero Desire Doue.
He added: Since 2016, France have been growing and growing. New players have come into the team constantly and now they have the right guys.
“There is a squad and a philosophy and Zidane will know how to take that on to rebuild his own team. For another eight years at least France will be at the top level in Europe.”
Zidane made a £4MILLION investment into a new sport project in February, which turned out to be a newpadelcentre in France.
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Zidane won three Champions League titles
Zidane’s managerial career
Zizou spent 18 months in charge of Real Madrid Castilla before being given his shot at the big time following the sacking of Rafael Benitez.
Zidane, 51, took charge of the first team in January 2016 and guided them to a second-place finish in his maiden season at the Bernabeu helm.
But he went one better in the Champions League, sealing Real’s 11th European Cup triumph with a shootout victory over Atletico Madrid.
The former Los Blancos star went one better in the league in the 2016-17 season, in which they also won the Uefa Super Cup and Club World Cup.
A second successive Champions League triumph also followed, with Real beating Italian giants Juventus at the Principality Stadium.
He would create history the following season by becoming the first manager to win the tournament three times on the bounce.
A 3-1 win over Liverpool saw Real become the first team to win Europe’s elite club competition three times in a row.
Zidane announced his resignation five days after the final, insisting the club needed a “change” of direction.
He would return to the Bernabeu in March 2019 following Santiago Solari and Julen Lopetegui’s short reigns.
A return to the summit of Spanish football would follow in the 2019-20 season, in which Real also scooped the Spanish Super Cup.
Zidane would leave the Bernabeu again in June 2021 after overseeing Real’s first trophyless season in 11 years.
Zinedine Zidane’s Honours:
– La Liga: 2016–17, 2019–20 – Supercopa de España: 2017, 2019–20 – UEFA Champions League: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 – UEFA Super Cup: 2016, 2017 – FIFA Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
He shares a passion for horticulture with Charles and sported the King’s rose in his lapel.
Charles asked him: “You got it, didn’t you?”
Becks replied: “It was incredible, thank you. It was very kind.”
David Beckham meets with King Charles at Chelsea Flower Show
Letters inviting recipients to accept honours are sent out weeks in advance – and one may have already landed on David’s mat at the time of their chat.
He was first put forward for a knighthood in 2011 after helping to secure the London 2012 Olympics.
Becks retired from playing in 2013, and his finances were cleared by the taxman at least four years ago – paving the way for him to finally get the coveted honour.
The Beckham household will be glad of the good news amid a rift with their eldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola PeltzCredit: Getty
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The Beckhams from left to right: Romeo, Rome’s former girlfriend Kim Turnbull, Harper, Victoria, David, Cruz and Cruz’s girlfriend Jackie ApostelCredit: Tim Stewart
The Sun understands he narrowly missed out on a knighthood in the New Year Honours List published in December last year.
David and his wife — who shot to fame with the Spice Girls before becoming a successful fashion designer — have an estimated combined net worth of £500million.
David also has a long history of charitable work, which will have been considered by officials on the Honours Committee.
It was inspiring to hear from The King about the work of His Majesty’s Foundation
David Beckham
Last year, he was formally made a charity ambassador by the King, and beekeeper Becks was buzzing with excitement at teaming up with him.
Charles invited Beckham to Highgrove to learn more about the charity, which focuses on “creating better communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony”.
Tours of the grounds help to fund workshops and courses in traditional skills and crafts, and the former footie star met woodworking and embroidery students.
Becks said at the time: “I’m excited to be working with The King’s Foundation and to have the opportunity to help raise awareness of the charity’s work.
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Former footie ace David played 115 times for EnglandCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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David and wife Victoria have an estimated combined net worth of £500millionCredit: Instagram
“I’ve always been keen to help young people to expand their horizons and I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the Foundation’s education programmes and its efforts to ensure young people have greater access to nature.
“Having developed a love for the countryside I’m also on a personal mission to learn more about rural skills which is so central to the Foundation’s work.
“It was inspiring to hear from The King about the work of His Majesty’s Foundation during my recent visit to Highgrove Gardens — and compare beekeeping tips.”
In 2020, he teamed up with the Chelsea Pensioners as he backed The Sun’s campaign to save the Poppy Appeal amid the devastating Covid lockdown.
He said he was “in awe” of the veterans as he delivered poppies to their London HQ.
David added: “With another lockdown coming it is more important than ever that we support our veterans.”
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David teamed up with the Chelsea Pensioners as he backed The Sun’s campaign to save the Poppy AppealCredit: The Sun
Becks, also dad to son Cruz and daughter Harper, has carried out lots of charity work focusing on children, and was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador 20 years ago.
To mark his 50th birthday last month he appealed for donations for the charity.
He was also a founding member of the leadership council of charity Malaria No More in 2009, helping to eradicate the disease, even visiting No 10 to highlight the issue.
In 2023, he delighted the Brentford Penguins – a football team for children with Down’s Syndrome — with a visit to celebrate them winning one of The Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards.
He took footballing son Romeo with him to lead a surprise training session.
The honours will be formally announced later this month.
The government does not comment on them beforehand.
WINNER ON PITCH AND OFF
BECKHAM enjoyed an 18-year career that included winning titles in four countries — England, Spain, the US and France — and made him one of the world’s best-known footballers. Some of his most striking moments are:
APRIL 1995: Becks makes his Premier League debut for Manchester United in a 0-0 draw against Leeds.
AUGUST 1996: Scores famous goal from halfway line against Wimbledon.
MARCH 1997: Meets Spice Girl Victoria at an Old Trafford charity match.
JANUARY 1998: Posh and Becks announce their engagement.
JUNE 1998: Plays in his first World Cup with England but is sent off in defeat against Argentina.
MARCH 1999: Has his first child, son Brooklyn, with fiancée Victoria.
MAY 1999: Wins the treble with United as they beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
JULY 1999: Weds Posh in lavish ceremony in Dublin’s Luttrellstown Castle.
NOVEMBER 2000: Named England captain for first time.
OCTOBER 2001: Celebrates as his free-kick goal against Greece takes England to World Cup, left.
JUNE 2003: Joins Real Madrid after falling out of favour with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
JANUARY 2005: Becomes a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, having previously supported its work for children.
MARCH 2005: Opens his first football academy.
JULY 2005: Helps London to win its bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
JULY 2007: Joins US side LA Galaxy, before two loan moves to Italian giants AC Milan while in LA.
JANUARY 2013: Joins Paris Saint-Germain, donating wages to kids’ charity.
MAY 2013: Retires from professional football.
FEBRUARY 2015: The 7: The David Beckham UNICEF Fund is launched to mark his tenth year as goodwill ambassador.
JUNE 2024: Becomes a King’s Foundation ambassador.
CRISTIANO RONALDO’S attitude towards fans can’t be knocked – even when they accidentally knock him!
The Manchester United legend won new admirers for the way he dealt with a supporter catching him on the shin with his wheelchair.
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Cristiano Ronaldo rubbed his leg after being bumped into
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Ronaldo appeared to have fun over the incident
Viewers loved the amusing exchange as Ronaldo ended up with a smile almost as big as his bank balance.
It began an eventful night for Ronaldo, who was outside Portugal’s team hotel at the time of the ‘collision’.
The Al-Nassr striker was later grabbed by a pitch invader as he warmed up at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena to face Germany in the Nations League semi-final.
And he then drilled Portugal’s clincher in a 2-1 comeback win – thanks to his 137th international goal midway through the second half.
Understandably the 40-year-old looked ecstatic.
But he was in high spirits too during his earlier hotel encounter.
Wearing shorts and training gear, Ronaldo walked over to sign an autograph.
And as he was preparing to scribble his name, the fan’s wheelchair nudged forward and hit the five-time Ballon d’Or winner on the right leg.
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Ronaldo later pounced for a semi-final deciderCredit: AP
Manchester City have agreed a 55m euros (£46.3m) deal with AC Milan for Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.
The 26-year-old will sign a five-year contract at Etihad Stadium after agreeing personal terms with City.
The deal, which is subject to a medical, includes additional payments if certain clauses are met.
City hope to complete a deal for Reijnders in time for this month’s Club World Cup, which kicks off on 14 June.
His arrival will strengthen an area of the pitch that has been weakened by injury to Mateo Kovacic, who has been ruled out of the 32-team tournament in the United States after undergoing Achilles surgery.
Midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is also expected not to be involved in the tournament, with a move to Serie A champions Napoli looking increasingly likely.
OH, to be a fly on the wall of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s office when news broke that Bruno Fernandes had snubbed a mega £100million bid from Saudi Arabia.
Manchester United’s part-owner could not have believed his luck when Al-Hilal offered to take captain Fernandes, who turns 31 in September, off their hands and give the Red Devils a much-needed cash injection.
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Bruno Fernandes snubbed a mega £100million bid from Saudi Arabia
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Man Utd missed their chance of a major sale like Liverpool with Philippe Coutinho
Ratcliffe, who claimed the “bloated” club was set to go “bust at Christmas”, has led a ruthless cost-cutting drive at Old Trafford — culling 450 staff including the much-loved receptionists and also withdrew free canteen food for workers at the ground.
So to have the potential of receiving a nine-figure sum for a player whose legs are only going to get wearier was almost too good to be true.
Even the offer of tax-free £700,000-a-week wages was not enough to lure the Portuguese star to the Middle East.
Yet Fernandes’ admirable resistance has thrown United’s chaotic transfer plans up in the air once again.
It is back to the drawing board for Ratcliffe and manager Ruben Amorim, who are under pressure to juggle the books with Profit and Sustainability Rules after their failure to qualify for Europe.
Despite Fernandes turning down the Saudi riches, the midfielder could still be a target for European clubs this summer — although the offers are unlikely to be even half the astonishing transfer fee on offer from Al-Hilal.
And even if he stays, Red Devils fans will now be debating where Fernandes fits into Amorim’s rebuild next season?
Amorim is wedded to his 3-4-3 formation and his early transfer activity seems to match up.
Wolves’ Matheus Cunha has signed in a £62.5m deal and Bryan Mbeumo is now a £50m target from Brentford, with the duo expected to play in the attacking positions behind the lone striker.
Bruno Fernandes enjoys dinner with Al-Hilal ‘secret agent’ Joao Cancelo as he faces Man Utd exit decision
Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, linked with Chelsea and Napoli, are other options for the wide forward roles.
That quartet is likely to see Fernandes move further back to one of the two central midfield berths which he fulfilled in the Europa League final loss to Tottenham.
Amorim has other options in the centre of the park, including Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount.
Casemiro is on big wages, Amorim knows Ugarte well from their time together at Sporting Lisbon and the United boss lavished praise on Mount following his return to fitness towards the end of the season.
While homegrown talent Mainoo, 20, is an intriguing prospect.
So where will Fernandes play on a regular basis? In last season’s disastrous campaign, Amorim relied heavily on talismanic Fernandes to dig his woeful 15th-placed Prem side out of the mire, netting 19 times in all competitions.
Failed Coutinho moment
Fernandes’ quality and consistency led to the eye-watering bid from Saudi and the £100m fee will play on Ratcliffe’s mind in their ‘Mission 21’ operation to knock Liverpool “off their perch” once again.
The Reds went through a similar scenario over seven years ago when they sold star man Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for a staggering £142m.
The transfer fee gave Jurgen Klopp the chance to rebuild as the German used that money to bring in Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, and his new spine delivered the Champions League and Premier League titles.
If Fernandes remains at United then club legend Gary Neville believes Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Jadon Sancho must all leave.
Garnacho clashed with Amorim after the Bilbao loss to Tottenham, while the other three have all been out on loan this season.
Neville said: “If players are taking on and questioning the manager in public through social media, the manager has to win.
Neville’s transfer advice
“If the manager doesn’t win, the manager has to leave and I don’t think that’s going to happen this time. That’s happened far too many times before. I think Garnacho will leave purely because of that, I think they’ve had enough.
“Marcus has to leave for him and the club. I think that ship has sailed and he needs to find himself another club.
“It sounds to me like Villa aren’t going to keep him. I would say for Marcus’ and United’s sake that it feels like that path has come to an end.
“I feel a little bit similarly with Jadon as I do with Marcus. I’d be a bit concerned that Chelsea haven’t made the noises that they’re going to keep him. United have to make sure they part ways with him.
“Antony has gone to Spain and having seen a couple of players that I played with not do it Old Trafford but do it in Spain . . . I think he’s suited down to the ground and it’s been proven.”
Ratcliffe may have canned hundreds of local staff but he will soon discover it’s much harder to get rid of superstar players who are tied down to huge contracts.
Star signings Liverpool made after Philippe Coutinho sale
LIVERPOOL sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for an eye-watering £142million back in 2018.
Here’s five of the best players the Reds signed with that massive windfall:
“Manchester United said they didn’t want to sell me,” he said. “They said if I wanted to go I could, but they didn’t need the money. I spoke to coach Ruben Amorim who, throughout that period, he was pushing for me not to go.”
Fernandes said it was an “exciting offer” from Al-Hilal and it would have been “easy” to move to Saudi Arabia, with several Portuguese players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Cancelo and Ruben Neves currently there.
However, he added: “I want to play at the highest possible level.
“I want to play major competitions. I know I still can and I want to be happy doing the thing I love the most.
“For better or worse, this is how I see football and I’m passionate about football and this is the decision I’ve made.”
United are understood to be delighted by the news, which came after boss Amorim expressed his belief on Friday that Fernandes would stay.
There were no direct conversations between United and Al-Hilal, so they were never presented with a bid they could turn down.
However, it was expected the Saudi side were prepared to offer between £80m and £100m to sign him in time for this month’s Fifa Club World Cup.
It is not clear whether Al-Hilal will now pursue new targets.
Fernandes has made 290 appearances and scored 98 goals for the club since his £47m move from Sporting in January 2020.
Former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville told Sky Sports he believes the transfer would not have been a poor deal for the Old Trafford club but added: “He’s so important.
“The fact that he wants to stay, the fact that he wants to go through this and come out the other side, because it would have been easy for him at the end of this season to say, ‘Look, I’m done here’, will endear him towards Manchester United fans even more.
“To turn that money down at a point where Manchester United are at their lowest ebb and say, ‘No, I want to fight through this, I want to see it through the other side, I want to come out and achieve things’, I think it says a lot about him as a person, as a character.
“The club needs people who are going to run through a brick wall for them.”
Amorim was adamant in Hong Kong that United could work around Fernandes staying at Old Trafford from a financial point of view.
However, the situation is not straightforward.
With no European football of any sort next season, finances will be tight. Amorim has already said he can operate with a smaller squad given there are fewer matches, so sales are inevitable.
Broadly speaking, there are three categories.
Players Amorim just does not want – so the likes of Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
Players who have struggled and it would make sense to sell – Hojlund and Zirkzee fit into this group, as does Casemiro.
Then, the bulk are players who have something to offer and United would be open to keeping but would let go if the right bid came in.
Yet the major issue around all of this is how long would it take to do a deal and how much would it cost?
Take Sancho for example.
It has been established Chelsea would have signed him on reduced terms, which he was not prepared to accept.
If a Premier League club that has just qualified for the Champions League are baulking at Sancho’s wages, it is fair to assume most other clubs will reach the same conclusion.
If Sancho refuses to drop his demands and Amorim wants him out, United will have to negotiate some kind of compromise.
This puts them back in the uncomfortable position of paying a player to play for a rival. It is the kind of situation minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe finds so irritating and wants to end.
Yet, when you take a realistic approach to Sancho, Antony and Rashford in particular, it is hard to see how that situation is avoided. The same could also be said of many United players who remained at the club last season.
The matches may have finished but for United technical director Jason Wilcox and chief negotiator Matt Hargreaves, the hard work is just beginning.
It is how well they do, getting players in and out, that will determine how much progress Amorim can be expected to make.
A TEENAGER is fighting for his life in hospital after falling from a balcony while allegedly fleeing police.
The 19-year-old man suffered critical injuries after falling off an “upper balcony from height” in Tameside, Manchester, said cops.
A 14-year-old boy was also seriously injured in the same fall on Saturday night, according to Greater Manchester Police.
It came after police received reports of a “group of males withmachetesmaking threats towards individuals” at the location.
Upon arrival, at around 7.20pm, officers gave chase to three males who “tried to leave” the property, with one of the three escaping through a lower balcony.
The 19-year-old who fell from the balcony then sustainedserious injuries.
Footage from the scene showed emergency services at the foot of Bentinck House, a 12 storey tower block on the outskirts of Ashton town centre.
Three people have been arrested and drugs and a weapon have also been seized, said police.
Witnesses reported seeing armed police and an air ambulance at the scene.
Det Supt Gareth Jenkins from the Tameside District said: “The two injured parties, aged 14 and 19, have been taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries, with the older male in a critical condition.
“These males are under the detention of officers pending their medical treatment, and another male has been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs.
“Enquiries are ongoing to determine all of those involved and the full circumstances of what has happened in the lead up to the incident. Suspected drugs and a weapon have been recovered.
“A small scene remains in place at the property and residents in the area should expect to see further police activity.
“Anyone with any information which has not yet been provided to us, or with any concerns, should speak to officers on the ground.
“I’d like to reassure the community that this incident is believed to be between individuals known to one another, with no wider risk to the community.”
Police are looking for any witnesses to come forward with any information that could aid their inquiries.
Anyone with information is being urged to call 101 quoting incident number 2849 of May 31 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
THE BRITISH cities with the worst availability and speed of electric vehicle charging have been revealed in new research.
More and more people are making the switch to EVs each passing year, but access to charging infrastructure continues to be a key concern for motorists.
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Cost, speed and access to EV chargers can vary vastly from region to regionCredit: Getty
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Electric car plugged in outside house on street with a sunsetCredit: Getty
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Researchers looked at the number of charging points per 10,000 people within a five mile radius of city centresCredit: Getty
Researchers looked at the number of charging points per 10,000 people within a five mile radius of city centres.
They also noted the average cost and time it takes to charge half an EV battery.
The data examines 53 major cities across the UK, excluding London.
Liverpool was found to be the city with the lowest number of chargers, with just two chargers per 100,000 people within a five mile radius of the city centre.
Newcastle barely did better at 2.4 chargers per 100,000, while Bradford and Leeds followed up with 2.6 each.
10 cities with the fewest EV chargers
The following 10 cities have the fewest number of EV chargers per 100,000 people within a five mile radius of the city centre according to Available Car:
Liverpool – 2.0
Newcastle-upon-Tyne – 2.4
Bradford – 2.6
Leeds – 2.6
Sheffield – 3.0
Bristol – 3.4
Birmingham – 3.5
Southend-on-sea – 3.8
Durham – 4.0
Canterbury – 4.5
Smaller cities boasted far better numbers in the EV charging accessibility ranking.
Ripon was the city with the highest number of chargers per 100,000 at 63.1 – far ahead of second placed Salisbury at 43.7.
But simply finding a charger isn’t the only issue EV owners face.
Available Car’s data also highlighted a major regional disparity in the time it takes to charge half a battery.
Leicester is the city found to have the slowest EV charging times – taking an average of 8.25 hours to get to half charge.
Available Car’s report reads: “The city’s slower charging infrastructure highlights the need for investment in faster chargers to support the growing demand for electric vehicles.
“Without quicker charging options, Leicester may face challenges in encouraging more drivers to switch to electric.”
But Leicester EV drivers have some solace – as the survey also found it to cheapest city to charge your car, where a half full battery would cost an average of £12.60.
10 cities with the slowest EV charging time
The following cities have the slowest average time to charge an EV according to Available Car:
Leicester – 8.25 hours
Brighton & Hove – 6.24 hours
Portsmouth – 5.67 hours
Coventry – 5.45 hours
Oxford – 4.65 hours
York – 4.58 hours
Bath – 4.54 hours
Leeds – 4.51 hours
Manchester – 4.46 hours
Norwich – 4.28 hours
Brighton & Hove and Portsmouth followed Leicester as the next slowest for charging, 6.24 and 5.67 hours respectively.
Wakefield recorded the speediest charge of the cities surveyed, taking an average of just 0.8 hours.
The researchers used a Tesla Model Y as the benchmark vehicle when gathering the data.
Their report adds: “Making the switch to an electric vehicle (EV) should be an exciting step towards greener, more sustainable driving.
“However, one of the biggest barriers preventing drivers from switching from petrol or diesel to electric vehicles is having to rely on their local charging infrastructure, particularly the time it takes to charge and the cost involved.
“Unlike petrol and diesel drivers, EV owners must navigate the UK’s charging network, where charging speeds and costs vary significantly based on location and charger type.”
Manchester United have agreed a deal with Wolves for the signing of Brazil striker Matheus Cunha.
The 26-year-old is set to become United’s first signing of the summer after the club activated a £62.5m release clause in Cunha’s Wolves contract.
The former Atletico Madrid forward will sign a five-year deal at Old Trafford, with the option of a further 12 months.
Cunha was in Manchester over the weekend to complete a medical with the club.
The deal, which is subject to visa approval and registration procedures, is expected to be completed once Cunha returns from international duty with Brazil later this month.
The forward has scored 31 goals in 76 appearances since completing a permanent move to Wolves in 2023.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe initiated cost-saving measures after he became a minority owner of the club last year.
Last summer, around 250 staff were made redundant, saving the club an estimated £8m-£10m. A further 200 staff could lose their jobs this summer.
In March, United revealed plans for a new £2bn stadium on the site of Old Trafford.
Real top the rankings with a value of $6.75bn and revenue of $1.129bn, while Barcelona are third.
Manchester City boasted the second largest revenue in 23-24 ($901m), but are fifth in terms of total value ($5.3bn), a 4% rise on the previous year.
Liverpool are the fourth most valuable football club in the world with a value of $5.4bn) and a revenue of $773m in 23-24.
Forbes’ team valuations are enterprise values (equity plus net debt) based on historical transactions and the future economics of each league and each team.
Revenue and operating income – such as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization – reflect the 23-24 campaign.
The team values include the economics of each team’s stadium but not the value of the stadium real estate itself.
Debt is measured in terms of interest-bearing borrowings due in more than one year (including stadium debt).
Forbes’ valuations came from club annual reports and documents, team executives, investors, credit rating agency reports and sports bankers.
Greater Manchester Police have arrested a man after a police sergeant was injured in an alleged hit-and-run.
The officer, who has not been named, was hurt when his legs were crushed between two vehicles, the force said.
A car “reversed into the officer several times” on Frodsham Street, Rusholme, at approximately 18:00 on Friday. The driver then fled the scene, the force said.
A 41-year-old man is in custody and has been arrested on suspicion of assault, dangerous driving and failure to stop, GMP added.
Wishing her colleague a “speedy recovery”, Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker condemned any assault on an officer as “wholly unacceptable”.
These assaults take officers “away from being able to serve and protect the public, which is what they come to work each shift to do”, she said in a statement released by GMP.
Assistant Chief Constable Parker added: “This incident is a reminder of the risks that our frontline officers face daily as they go about their duties to keep communities safe and respond to incidents.”
The GMP sergeant involved in the alleged hit-and-run is being treated in hospital and is not believed to have life-threatening or life-altering injuries.
An investigation into the incident is now under way.
Thanking people who had already come forward with information, the assistant chief constable asked anyone who had relevant CCTV or dashcam footage to call police on 101.
Al-Hilal move for Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Manchester City join the race for Rayan Cherki and Leroy Sane could return to the Premier League.
Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have offered a deal for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, 30, and told the Portugal midfielder he has 72 hours to make a decision. (Mail, external)
Manchester City have joined the race to sign Lyon’s 21-year-old Frenchmidfielder Rayan Cherki, who has also been linked with Liverpool and Chelsea. (Telegraph – subscription required, external)
Everton have joined Leeds United in the race to sign 33-year-old Newcastle United and England striker Callum Wilson, who is out of contract next month. (The Sun, external)
Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign 29-year-old Bayern Munich and Germany winger Leroy Sane, who will become a free agent at the end of next month (Sky Sports, external)
Aston Villa look poised to sign Feyenoord’s 18-year-old Dutch striker Zepiqueno Redmond on a free transfer this summer. (Sky Sports, external)
Arsenal have held talks with Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres’ agent in Lisbon and made a £58.7m offer to sign the Sweden international. (Correio da Manha – in Portuguese, external)
Manchester United have agreed the framework of a deal for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap and are now waiting for the English striker to decide on his next move. (ESPN, external)
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, is expected to leave Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and sign for a new club to play in the Club World Cup, which kicks off on 15 June in the United States. (Telegraph – subscription required, external)
Wolves are set to reject Manchester United’s proposal to pay Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause over five years.
BBC Sport understands Wolves expect United to honour the clause, which requires the full fee for the Brazil forward to be paid in three instalments during a two-year period.
