Arsenal are working to complete the signings of Manchester United academy players James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye.

The north London club is confident of finalising deals for both Scanlon, a 19-year-old winger, and 20-year-old right-back Ogunneye.

Scanlon is a Gibraltar international, making 24 appearances and scoring five goals since his debut against Lithuania in March 2024. The former Derby County academy product, who signed for United in 2023, qualifies to represent the British territory through his mother Gabriella, a former Gibraltarian athlete.

Scanlon spent the second half of last season on loan at League Two outfit Swindon Town, scoring once in six appearances.

Meanwhile, Ogunneye made 21 loan appearances for Newport County last season under then-manager Dave Hughes, a former under-21s assistant coach at United, before being recalled in January.

The London-born England under-17 international was included in United’s first-team matchday squad as an unused substitute on nine occasions during the 2023-24 campaign under Erik ten Hag.

Both Scanlon and Ogunneye were part of United’s successful under-18s campaign that season, winning the U18 Premier League National title and the U18 Premier League Cup, as well as finishing as regional league champions.

Arsenal’s academy focus

Analysis by Arsenal correspondent James McNicholas

These moves would strengthen Arsenal’s under-21 options. The Premier League champions are conscious of the need to have a competitive, winning team at academy level — and to develop prospects who, if they don’t become first-team players, may generate revenue through moving elsewhere.

The club have already recruited a number of promising academy players this summer: defender Elijah Upson joined after leaving Tottenham, and attackers Mylo Bernard and Vincent Joseph have agreed to join from Crystal Palace and Liverpool respectively.

Arsenal have also agreed a deal for 16-year-old Axel Donczew, Cardiff City’s youngest ever first-team player.

The New York Giants agreed Wednesday to trade backup offensive lineman Daniel Faalele to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round 2027 NFL Draft pick, according to a league source with knowledge of the deal but not authorized to speak publicly.

Just a couple of months ago, a trade like this would have been tough to predict. There was a moment during the spring when it looked like Faalele was in line to start at right guard for the Giants. That wasn’t a particularly appealing scenario based on Faalele’s shaky play while starting every game over the past two seasons for coach John Harbaugh’s former team, the Baltimore Ravens.

Well, things can change fast in the NFL. A week after signing Faalele, the Giants traded nose tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals for the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which they used on Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.

Mauigoa was instantly inserted into the starting lineup at right guard, pushing Faalele down the depth chart. Faalele fell so far that he became expendable, culminating in Wednesday’s trade. Jaguars starting right guard Patrick Mekari, another ex-Raven, will miss time after undergoing back surgery, so they had a need for an experienced option like Faalele.

Faalele has been a favorite of Harbaugh’s, following the coach to New York after four years together in Baltimore. Faalele was locked into the second-team offensive line for the first two weeks of training camp before the Giants bumped up rookie left tackle JC Davis to the second team. That shifted Marcus Mbow to second-team right tackle and slid Josh Ezeudu from tackle to guard. Faalele also ceded some second-team reps to Evan Neal in recent practices.

The biggest winner from this trade will likely be ninth-year veteran Aaron Stinnie, who is the only proven backup guard on the roster. With Mbow, Davis and a backup center (Lucas Patrick or Bryan Hudson) all locks to make the roster, Neal or Ezeudu would need to outplay Stinnie to earn a roster spot unless the Giants carry 10 offensive linemen. Ezeudu has played far more second-team reps than Neal in camp, and his guard/tackle flexibility offers more value as a backup.

The Giants signed Faalele to a one-year, $1.4 million minimum contract with $687,5000 guaranteed. The Giants will be left with only $187,500 in dead money from his signing bonus, since the Jaguars inherit the $500,000 of his base salary that was guaranteed.

The Giants only had five picks in the 2027 draft before this trade because they dealt their fourth-round pick to move up for wide receiver Malachi Fields this year, and they traded their seventh-round pick as part of the deal that sent tight end Darren Waller to the Dolphins last offseason.

Manchester United’s midfield rebuild has taken another positive step with The Athletic revealing that the club are closing in on a deal for Carlos Baleba.

The fee is still to be decided, with discussions taking place after United made an offer of about £60million (€70m, $81m) plus £5m in add-ons.

United’s interest in Baleba has been long-standing. In August 2025, the club explored a move for the Cameroon international but decided the cost at that point was too high. Baleba endured a patchy 2025-26 season with Brighton. Fabian Hurzeler substituted him in eight times in eight games to open the season and alluded to transfer speculation affecting his form.

His performances improved for the second half of the season, with Baleba looking reinvigorated after a solid AFCON campaign in which Cameroon reached the quarter-finals. In April, The Athletic reported United still retained an interest in the midfielder.

So if a fee can be agreed for the 22-year-old, what effect could Baleba have on Michael Carrick’s new-look United? It’s time for another cheat sheet.

The good news: Baleba is a clever midfield enforcer

Three seasons ago, Brighton turned to Baleba to anchor the team’s midfield after Moises Caicedo’s £115million move to Chelsea. Baleba may have had difficulties last season, but he remains one of the best Premier League players outside of the traditional Big Six.

He is an athletic and courageous midfielder who helps bring out the best from those around him.

Baleba’s efficiency, aggression, and decisiveness in his defensive actions would make him a suitable successor to Casemiro at United. The midfielder is a clever front-foot defender, capable of an early tackle or interception to halt opposition momentum.

Sometimes this manifests high up the pitch with Baleba patrolling the space just outside the opposition’s penalty area before looking to snatch any loose balls. Brighton’s final game of 2025-26 – against United – saw him first to snap up a loose ball after Kobbie Mainoo cleared a cross from Yankuba Minteh. 

An encouraging aspect of Baleba’s play comes in the controlled and consistent manner in which he approaches his standing and sliding tackles. He combines timing and technique to maximise his chances of regaining possession for his team.

Below, Baleba’s pace allows him to beat Patrick Dorgu to the loose ball, but his tackle is clean enough that he doesn’t give away a foul, and ensures Brighton remain in control.

Baleba isn’t the tallest of defensive midfielders (about 1.78m/5ft 10in) but combines balance and excellent body intelligence when looking to protect the ball. Sometimes tackles come with an improvisational flourish, like with this quick shift of feet to stop Fulham from mounting a counter-attack…

Sometimes, he’ll use his shoulders to nudge an opposition player off the ball…

Baleba’s acceleration and aggression make him a formidable presence when working closer to his own goal, too. He regularly fills in defensive gaps to prevent easy crosses or cutbacks into the box, and he’s clever when looking to delay or deny easy passes through the centre.

Couple this with his ability to carry the ball through midfield and a deceptively capable passing range (head here for a look at his attempts when passing long), and we have a player who would immediately improve United’s ability to protect the middle of the pitch, with the potential to help them progress the ball through the centre too.

In short: Baleba is tough, talented and should make for a worthy enforcer within Carrick’s side.

The not-so-good news: he may take a while to warm up

Baleba suffered an injury to his ankle ligaments during pre-season training, and while the midfielder is hoping to return within the next few weeks, the nature of the injury means it will take some time for him to reach match sharpness.

Once Baleba does regain his usual rhythm, there will be questions as to how he might fit into a United side that has looked to dominate possession for longer stretches under Carrick.

Baleba’s appetite for tackles and ball regains make him well suited for games played at a more chaotic pace, but he may take some time to adjust to new tactical demands at United.

The club’s pre-season tour has seen Carrick’s side look to progress the ball quickly through midfield with quick one-pass combinations. Baleba is left-footed and has the potential to slot in well next to figures such as Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans, but there may be some early teething problems as he gets used to his new in-possession responsibilities.

What’s most appealing about Baleba is his tactical fit 

If Baleba joins United, he is most likely to slot into the midfield position on the right of Carrick’s 4-2-3-1.  His midfield capabilities are so stretchy that he should — in theory — pair well with Tielemans. Baleba will offer the Belgian international some of the defensive security he previously enjoyed at Leicester City with Wilfred Ndidi, before later having fruitful partnerships with Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana at Aston Villa.

Working with Tielemans may also see Baleba further refine his long-passing skills, giving another important tool to a United side most dangerous on the counter-attack.

If Carrick elects to pair Baleba with Mainoo, the former can take on the role of hard-running physical enforcer for the academy graduate, allowing Mainoo to focus on ball-progression duties. A potential pairing with Andrey Santos would be the most tactically intriguing combination, with Santos serving as the defensive midfielder, giving Baleba greater freedom to roam central midfield in a box-to-box capacity.

All three combinations would help improve United’s defensive discipline. That is the true appeal of Baleba to United: a player with the athleticism and defensive acumen to become a cornerstone of whatever side Carrick is looking to build.

At a time when many top European sides look to have one athletic midfielder capable of stopping opposition counter-attacks, Baleba brings an intensity and wherewithal to stand up against the very best.

He’s not quite a “plug-and-play” individual for United, but he would better equip the club for the physical gauntlet that lies ahead in 2026-27.