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A Champions League club have now set their sights on signing a Manchester United star in a January deal, reportedly making it their priority to secure his signature.

Amorim "really confident" despite Wolves draw

It’s been one step forwards and two steps backwards for Man United all season. Just when they think they’ve found the solution, another frustrating evening arrives and that’s exactly what happened against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The visitors entered Old Trafford with just two points to their name all season and a record in front of goal which suggested that three centre-backs was never going to be necessary. By the halfway mark, however, the struggling Midlands side had outperformed the Red Devils and levelled things up at 1-1.

It was a dismally familiar display from Man United, who couldn’t find the breakthrough back in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system and eventually handed Wolves just their third point all season.

For all the negatives, though, Amorim decided to remain positive at full-time. He told reporters: “I’m really confident. We just need to recover all the players, and I’m really confident.

“I don’t know what is going to happen until the end of the season. Then we will make the resume of the season. But I’m really confident when we recover all the players that we are going to be a strong team. There is no doubts in my mind.”

Whether that relaxed stance arrives with the knowledge of Man United’s January plans remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the Red Devils need reinforcements in midfield.

Related Man Utd 1-1 Wolves: Gary Neville slams "bizarre" Ruben Amorim decision

It was an evening to forget for the Red Devils.

Posts ByTom Cunningham

Once again, the partnership of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte failed to bare fruit for those at Old Trafford with Jack Fletcher also struggling to impress from the bench. In many ways, it sums up United’s desperate need for a midfielder that it was young Fletcher who was called on in the second-half.

Alas, if recent reports are anything to go by, things could get worse before they get better for United’s squad depth.

Galatasaray prioritising Ugarte deal

As reported by Caught Offside, Galatasaray are now prioritising a deal to sign Ugarte in the January transfer window. The Turkish giants want to land a loan deal which will include a €20m (£17m) buy option. Despite competition from the likes of Lyon and Napoli, Galatasaray reportedly believe that buy option should put them out ahead.

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The initial reaction around Old Trafford will be relief if Ugarte leaves. The South American has struggled ever since arriving even though many tipped him to solve Man United’s midfield problems. Showing him the exit door should be near the top of Amorim’s priorities.

But Man United must find a replacement before anything. They cannot afford to let their £120,000-a-week man leave without welcoming a key upgrade. Without him, Amorim would be forced to turn to the likes of Fletcher on a permanent basis in the absence of the injured Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo.

Ugarte’s struggles are clear for all to see, there’s no doubt about that. This is, however, the wrong time to show him the door.

Gary Neville won eight Premier League titles with Manchester United and is one of the best right-backs England has ever produced.

Starring under Sir Alex Ferguson after coming through alongside the famous Class of 92’ at Carrington, Neville retired in 2011 and has since been a pundit and co-commentator.

Gary Neville’s Man Utd honours

Year

Premier League

1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009

Champions League

1999, 2008

FA Cup

1994, 1996, 1999, 2004

League Cup

2006, 2009, 2010

Community Shield

1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2007, 2008

Club World Cup

2009

Intercontinental Cup

1999

He did have a brief managerial spell at Valencia but has now been a regular on Sky Sports over the past 10 years, giving his views alongside Jamie Carragher.

But who is Neville’s greatest Premier League XI? Well, he was quizzed with selecting the best players the division has ever seen, but he was banned from selecting stars who have played for his beloved Man Utd.

Related 20 Best Right-Backs in Premier League History Ranked

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Posts ByCharlie Smith Gary Neville’s best Premier League XI without Man Utd stars 11 Alisson Liverpool

Despite being able to select the likes of David Seaman and Petr Cech, Neville decided to go for Liverpool’s Alisson Becker.

The Brazilian has helped transform Liverpool after joining from AS Roma back in 2018, costing a then-world record £67m fee. An unbelievable shot-stopper, Alisson has won two Premier League titles at Anfield.

10 Cesar Azpilicueta Chelsea

Right-back Neville decided to choose Cesar Azpilicueta over the likes of Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Signed by Chelsea for just £7m in 2012, Azpilicueta proved to be one of the Blues’ best value for money transfers of all time. Making over 500 appearances at Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup.

9 Virgil van Dijk Southampton, Liverpool

After moving to the Premier League with Southampton in 2015, Virgil van Dijk was signed by Liverpool for £75m and has gone from strength to strength at Anfield.

One of the best and most consistent centre-backs in the world, Van Dijk was always going to be in Neville’s side, with the Man Utd legend calling the Dutchman a “complete defender”.

8 John Terry Chelsea

A centre-back Neville regularly came up against at Old Trafford was Chelsea star John Terry.

The former Blues and England captain won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and a Champions League at Stamford Bridge, going down as one of the greatest Chelsea players of all time.

7 Ashley Cole Arsenal, Chelsea

Ashley Cole is regarded as the best left-back in Premier League history, and he was also involved in one of the most controversial transfers the division has ever seen when he swapped Arsenal for Chelsea in 2006.

Cole won Premier League titles and lifted the FA Cup at both Highbury and Stamford Bridge, with Arsene Wenger calling him “the best” the league has ever seen.

6 Steven Gerrard Liverpool

Starting Neville’s three-man midfield is former England teammate Steven Gerrard, who spent his entire Premier League career with Liverpool.

Despite never lifting the title, Gerrard has rightly gone down as one of the best to play in the Premier League since 1992, carrying the Reds on his back for large parts of his Anfield stay.

5 Patrick Vieira Arsenal, Man City

Alongside Gerrard is Patrick Vieira, who was Arsenal captain during the famous rivalry between Wenger and Ferguson’s sides in the early 2000s.

Neville and Vieira came to blows during that time, however, the former Man Utd right-back still saw plenty of quality in the towering French midfielder.

4 David Silva Man City

Finishing off the midfield is Manchester City legend David Silva, with the magician winning four Premier League titles at the Etihad.

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Silva helped transform Man City’s fortunes after signing from Valencia in 2010, proving to be worth every penny of the £30m fee. He contributed to more than 200 goals in 436 Sky Blues games.

3 Mohamed Salah Chelsea, Liverpool

A terrifying front three begins with Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, who initially had a tough time of things in the Premier League with Chelsea.

However, since returning to England with the Reds, Salah has become of the best forwards the league has ever seen. In 2024/25, Liverpool won the title thanks to the Egyptian King, who broke the record for the most combined goals and assists in a 38-game season.

2 Alan Shearer Blackburn, Newcastle

The Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer, Alan Shearer, could have been a teammate of Neville’s at Man Utd if Ferguson got his way back in 1996.

However, instead, Shearer, who helped Rovers win the title, swapped Ewood Park for St James’ Park and would go on to become Newcastle’s record scorer over a 10-year period.

It is fair to say that the season has not gone to plan for Glasgow Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, after their latest defeat to Hibernian last weekend.

The Gers are 13 points adrift of their city rivals at the top of the table, with just six matches left to play, and are set to miss out on the title for the fourth year running.

Barry Ferguson was brought in to replace Philippe Clement on an interim basis until the end of the season and has already lost two of his five Premiership matches in charge of the club to date.

The campaign is not completely over for the Light Blues, though, as they remain a contender in the Europa League, with a clash with Athletic Bilbao at Ibrox coming up on Thursday.

Ferguson has a chance to etch his name in Rangers history, as a manager rather than a player this time, by delivering success on the European stage, and he could look to draw inspiration from Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s run to the final in 2022.

The Dutchman led Rangers to the final, only to lose to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties, and one of the key stars in that campaign was winger Ryan Kent.

Why Ryan Kent was a key player for Rangers

The English forward, who currently plays for Seattle Sounders in the MLS, was a pivotal player for van Bronckhorst and Rangers over the years, particularly in that Europa League run.

In the 2021/22 campaign, Kent started 12 of his 13 appearances in Europe and contributed with one goal, five ‘big chances’ created, and three assists from a left wing position.

This shows that the former Liverpool winger provided an excellent creative threat for Rangers in the Europa League, which is what he did throughout his Gers career in all competitions.

Kent typically played down the left wing and had the ability to either go down the outside on his weaker left foot or to chop inside to make things happen on his strong foot, causing constant problems for opposition full-backs.

Ryan Kent’s Rangers career

Season

Appearances

Goals

Assists

22/23

44

3

10

21/22

46

3

19

20/21

52

13

14

19/20

33

8

4

18/19

43

6

9

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Kent was an incredibly creative player in his final three seasons at Ibrox, whilst his goalscoring output decreased, with 43 assists in those three campaigns combined.

This shows that Rangers could rely upon the English attacker to create openings for his teammates on a consistent basis at the top end of the pitch, which played a key role in their run to the Europa League final run under van Bronckhorst.

The Light Blues lost 2-0 to Hibernian last time out and creating chances from the attacking midfield positions was an issue for Ferguson’s side.

Why Rangers need to change their starting line-up

Vaclav Cerny, Mohamed Diomande, and Hamza Igamane lined up in the three attacking midfield roles behind Cyriel Dessers in the loss to Hibs, with Cerny on the right, Diomande in the middle, and Igamane on the left.

Unfortunately, though, they only created three chances and one ‘big chance’ between them, along with zero shots on target, and that is why Ferguson must consider making changes to his XI ahead of the clash with Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.

Igamane started on the left but the change that the manager should make is to move him centrally and to drop Cyriel Dessers from the team, opening up that position on the flank.

24/25 Europa League

Cyriel Dessers

Hamza Igamane

Appearances (starts)

10 (7)

8 (4)

xG

5.41

1.16

Goals

3

4

Big chances missed

9

0

Conversion rate

17%

31%

Assists

2

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Morocco international has significantly outperformed the Nigerian forward in the Europa League this season and appears to be the best option to start in the centre-forward role, due to his clinical finishing ability.

Dropping Dessers to play Igamane through the middle would then provide Ferguson with the chance to unearth his own version of Ryan Kent by playing Nedim Bajrami on the left flank against Athletic Bilbao.

Why Nedim Bajrami could be the new Ryan Kent

The Albania international, who made the move to Ibrox on a permanent deal from Sassuolo last summer, has only played 31 minutes across the last two Premiership matches, but he has the potential to be Kent 2.0 if given an opportunity to start.

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Bajrami has played 33 times for Rangers in the Europa League and the Premiership combined for the Light Blues this term and has only racked up three goals and one assist in that time.

You would not immediately compare him to Kent based on those statistics, as he has only delivered one assist in 33 games, but his underlying statistics suggest that he has been incredibly unfortunate this season.

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The 26-year-old playmaker has created ten ‘big chances’ in those matches and has only been rewarded with one assist, which shows that his teammates have let him down with their wasteful finishing rather than it being a case of him lacking creativity in his play.

Bajrami, whose footwork was described as “magnificent” by Willie Miller, was compared to Kent by Kris Boyd earlier this season, as the ex-Gers forward wrote that they offer similar qualities on the left flank, creating space for others by cutting in from the left flank.

24/25 Europa League

Nedim Bajrami

Appearances (starts)

9 (8)

Goals

1

Key passes

14

Big chances created

6

Pass accuracy

82%

Dribbles completed per game

1.9

Dribble success rate

65%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Albanian whiz has been incredibly creative in the Europa League, but has not been rewarded with assists because of poor quality finishing from others.

In fact, Bajrami has created more ‘big chances’ for the team than Kent did in four more appearances during van Bronckhorst’s Europa League run, which illustrates how impressive his creativity has been.

Related 20 goals in 55 games: Rangers have already sold incredible Dessers upgrade

The Rangers star sold by Steven Gerrard would now be an upgrade on Cyriel Dessers.

Posts ByDan Emery

Therefore, Ferguson can find his own version of the English forward by unleashing the ex-Serie A playmaker on the left flank, whilst moving Igamane into the middle, because of his creative quality, cutting in on his right foot from the left.

Glasgow Rangers followed up on their European success with a 1-0 win over St. Johnstone away from Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

The Scottish giants swept OCG Nice aside with relative ease in the Europa League on Thursday, winning 4-1 in France, and made sure that they did not get too complacent when back in domestic action.

Whilst it was not a brilliant performance from Philippe Clement’s side, the Light Blues did enough to secure all three points and were good value for it, with 17 shots to the host’s four.

An own goal from midfielder Jason Holt in the second half proved to be the only goal of the game, after Nedim Bajrami, Vaclav Cerny, and Hamza Igamane all flirted with the back of the net in the opening 45.

A win and a clean sheet, however, is the headline news and it should be taken as a positive, as the Gers did not allow the host to gain control at any point in the match.

Another positive from the game was the performance of the returning Ianis Hagi, who was selected from the start as the number ten in the 4-2-3-1 set-up.

Ianis Hagi's impressive showing

The Romania international started in the Premiership for the first time since the 27th May 2023 against St Mirren in a 3-0 win under Michael Beale.

After returning from his loan with Alaves last season, Hagi was initially banished to the B team due to a contractual issue that would have seen his wages rise if he had hit a certain number of games.

The Daily Record reported that the situation was then resolved after several senior players and board members pushed for him to be reintroduced, and the former Genk star has since been brought back into the squad after his contract issue was ironed out behind the scenes.

Hagi made his first start of the season, and his fourth appearance, against St. Johnstone on Sunday and caught the eye with an impressive and energetic display.

The headline of his performance was his ‘assist’ for the winning goal. It does not count as an official assist for the forward but it was his fantastic volleyed cross to the back post that, essentially, forced Holt to score an own goal to prevent James Tavernier from tapping into an empty net.

Vs St. Johnstone

Ianis Hagi

Minutes

90

Chances created

2

Shots

3

Pass accuracy

79%

Duels won

4/7

Possession lost

19x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hagi was constantly looking to make something happen at the top end of the pitch with three shots taken and two chances created, along with his involvement in the winning goal.

He did lose possession 19 times in total throughout the game but that was because the attacking midfielder was taking risks in order to progress play for the team, which inevitably led to some giveaways.

Whilst Hagi was one of the stars of the show for the Ibrox giants on Sunday, the real hero for Clement was central midfielder Nicolas Raskin.

Nicolas Raskin's performance against St Johnstone

The Belgian dynamo was selected alongside Connor Barron in the middle of the park for the Light Blues and set the tone for his side early in the match with his energy.

Raskin was constantly pushing forward to put pressure on the St. Johnstone players when they had the ball, either to make a challenge, to force them backwards, or to force them into making a mistake in possession.

His pressing work, alongside the likes of Igamane, Hagi, and Barron, pinned the home team back and helped Rangers to enjoy 61% of the possession in the match.

Vs St. Johnstone

Nicolas Raskin

Pass accuracy

94%

Touches

94

Tackles

4

Possession lost

6x

Ground duels won

6/9

Aerial duels won

3/3

Successful dribbles

1/1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Raskin had the best part of 100 touches of the ball and only gave it away six times, which speaks to his incredible efficiency in the middle of the park.

He also won 75% of his duels on the ground and in the air combined, as the Belgian midfielder was able to dominate the opposition out of possession to consistently win the ball back.

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The former Standard Liege star, who made four tackles, was the real hero for Clement because he combined quality and reliability in possession with strength, energy, and desire off the ball, to dominate the game.

Nicolas Raskin's form this season

It was just the latest in a long line of strong performances from the January 2023 signing, who has emerged as a key player for the Belgian head coach in midfield.

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After missing out through injury at the start of the campaign, Raskin has started seven of his ten appearances in the Premiership and three of his five outings in the Europa League this term.

The 23-year-old battler has yet to contribute with a goal or an assist to directly influence matches in the final third, but that is because he is doing the bulk of his work in deeper areas of the pitch – picking the ball up off the back four and progressing it to the attacking players.

As was the case against St. Johnstone, Raskin picks up positions to receive passes from the centre-backs and then looks to find the wingers or the number ten to spark attacks for his side.

24/25 Premiership

Nicolas Raskin

Appearances

10

Touches per game

59.6

Pass accuracy

90%

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.6

Ground duel success rate

66%

Aerial duel success rate

58%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian ace has provided consistent quality in his actions in and out of possession for the Scottish giants in the top-flight this season.

He has been a reliable operator defensively for the Light Blues, winning the majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, and that allows him to press high and compete with opposition players to win the ball back.

Clement will now be hoping that the Rangers gem can continue with his current performance level for the rest of the season, to help the club to compete for trophies.

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Manchester United and Erik ten Hag continue to prepare for the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, looking to bolster the squad with the aim of returning to Champions League football, after finishing 8th last season.

Reinforcements have already been made, with the signing of highly rated 18-year-old Leny Yoro from Lille, and Bologna's talented forward Joshua Zirkzee, both joining for sizable fees.

But the additions don't look set to stop there, with United still looking to offload a host of players, and bring more players to Old Trafford, including links to another central defender, a central midfielder, and another attacking signing.

Manchester United transfer news

According to a report from Sport, as relayed by CaughtOffside, Manchester United are interested in RB Leipzig attacking midfielder, Dani Olmo this summer. The 26-year-old has also been linked with other Premier League clubs, including Manchester City and Chelsea.

However, reports also suggest Barcelona are 'very much in the race' for his signature, and are confident of winning it, which could cause the heat on this transfer to increase in the coming weeks.

Olmo made 25 appearances in all competitions last season for Leipzig, scoring eight goals, providing five assists, and totaling 1,715 minutes of football. He also impressed at Euro 2024, helping Spain towards the trophy, scoring three goals, and providing two assists along the way.

Olmo comparison to Simons and Bellingham

Using FBref's "similar players" feature, Olmo is compared to two other attacking midfield stars – Xavi Simons from Paris Saint-Germain and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid.

The Spanish was described as a "genius" for his technical brilliance by Josh Bunting, praising the Spaniard for his ability to find space and deliver moments of quality, referencing his goal against France at Euro 2024.

The 26-year-old Spain international is currently on £152k-per-week, on a contract running until June 2027, according to FBref.

Olmo vs Simons vs Bellingham Comparison

Stats (per 90 mins)

Olmo

Simons

Bellingham

Non-Penalty Goals

0.28

0.25

0.60

Shots Total

2.98

2.69

2.32

Assists

0.28

0.36

0.30

Shot-Creating Actions

3.98

6.07

4.00

Progressive Passes

4.31

6.04

7.22

Progressive Carries

3.92

4.93

3.30

Successful Take-Ons

1.88

2.74

1.88

Key Passes

1.93

2.71

1.96

Stats taken from FBref

Olmo proves to be a good medium between the two of Simons and Bellingham, offering aspects of both in his game. The extra goalscoring ability and shooting volume Olmo offers over Simons, and the extra carry/creative potential (progressive carries) he offers over Bellingham.

He is also an achievable target, compared to Real Madrid's star summer signing last season, and the competition currently for the highly rated PSG man, who will only be allowed to leave on loan.

The 26-year-old would offer a welcome level of goalscoring ability from midfield, as well as that extra bit of creative genius in the attacking third, with his 0.28 assists per 90, his 0.31 xAG (expected assists) per 90, and his 3.98 shot creating actions per 90.

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His versatility would also be crucial, as he can feature as a primary attacking midfielder, but has also played off the left and right in attack, allowing him to feature alongside key man and club captain, Bruno Fernandes.

Related Man Utd line up £68m Mainoo partner who's "far less reckless than Ugarte"

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair

This is why United must now swoop to sign the Euros champion before the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the end of next month.

With a summer to-do list a mile long, FSG's first port of call will be to find the future of the Liverpool dugout at Anfield.

Liverpool's managerial manhunt continues

As the news of Jurgen Klopp's departure finally sets in for the Liverpool faithful, attention has now turned as to who will follow up the German's impressive spell with the Premier League club.

Related Liverpool man holding meetings to pick next club after exit decision made

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The immediate front-runner for the vacancy has been Xabi Alonso who has made waves this season as the manager of Bayer Leverkusen. Sitting seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, the ex-Liverpool player will be in demand this summer meaning the Reds will face stiff competition to secure his services.

With Bayern Munich also in the market for a new manager, Alonso may have the pick of his former sides when it comes to choosing his next destination. Remaining in Germany could prove the best arrangement for the Spaniard in the short term, making a move to the Bavarian giants the more likely outcome.

As the search for a new boss continues, Fabrizio Romano has given Liverpool fans a big clue as to who their side could go after if they are to miss out on Alonso.

Fabrizio Romano drops Liverpool manager hint

Whilst Alonso remains firmly at the forefront of FSG's search for a new manager, Romano has claimed that Liverpool also have their eye on other targets. He reports that the Reds are one of a number of sides eyeing up Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim with the journalist stating:

“We know many clubs will be busy with hiring new managers over the summer, that Bayern and Liverpool will fight for Xabi Alonso.

“I told you before and I’ll keep repeating it…. Keep an eye on Ruben Amorim, the Sporting manager, because many clubs are looking at him, including in England as he’s appreciated in the Premier League.

“We already say that he could be another candidate for Liverpool in addition to Xabi Alonso, but we know that Bayern are looking at both of them. Let’s see what’s gonna happen.”

It had been previously reported that Amorim was on a shortlist for the vacancy in the dugout at Anfield with Julian Nagelsmann also on the Reds' radar. Whilst there is yet to be a clear favourite for the job, securing the services of Amorim could represent a major coup for FSG.

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The 39-year-old has led Sporting to the top of the Liga Portugal, boasting a game in hand over rivals Benfica. Amorim has also guided his side to the latter stages of the domestic cup competition, bolstering their chances of picking up silverware this season.

Sporting CP Liga Portugal Stats 2023/24

Total

League Ranking

Wins

20

1st

Losses

2

1st

Goals For

69

1st

Goals Against

24

3rd

Having scored more goals than anyone else in the division, it is safe to say that Amroim may well be a fitting successor to Klopp's brand of 'heavy metal football' that has earned unanimous acclaim on Merseyside.

Whilst Alonso would be the obvious choice for many in regards to the next Liverpool boss, approaching Amorim could prove an equally effective decision and save FSG the headache of entering a bidding war for the Spaniard's services.

Aston Villa have deployed chiefs to watch a central star live in action, but a report has revealed that there are two other clubs who are also hoping to bring him to England.

Aston Villa transfer news

With Real Betis eyeing Alex Moreno in January, NSWE, Monchi and Unai Emery have seemingly entered the market to search for a new left-back having been linked with moves for Sevilla’s Marcos Acuna and Palmeiras’ Joaquin Piquerez, but the club are also looking to bolster their ranks further up the field.

The Premier League outfit have been credited with an interest in Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios, but should they fail to secure his services, chiefs have seemingly set their sights on a possible alternative as to who they may try and entice to Villa Park.

Since putting pen to paper last summer, Brondby IF’s Nicolai Vallys has made a total of 38 appearances for Jesper Sorensen’s side (Transfermarkt – Vallys statistics), with the attack-minded dynamo having been a revelation during his time with the outfit in the Superliga.

The Denmark international still has another just under three years remaining on his deal in his homeland (Brondby IF contracts), but having consistently impressed in his performances since the start of the season, the 27-year-old has caught the eye in the Midlands.

Aston Villa scout Nicolai Vallys

According to Ekstra Bladet (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa are interested in Nicolai Vallys. Manchester United and Southampton are also “keeping close tabs” on the talisman at Brondby IF, with all three clubs having sent scouts to watch their target during his 2-1 victory over FC Nordsjælland on Sunday.

VfL Wolfsburg, Real Betis, Marseille and PSV Eindhoven additionally had representatives in attendance, though it yet remains to be seen whether any of his admirers will make an official approach during the transfer window in January.

Since the start of the season, Vallys has clocked up seven involvements, six goals and one assist, in 12 Superliga appearances so far this term which shows just how prolific the attacking midfielder can be in the final third. Standing at 6 foot 2, Copenhagen’s native has also recorded 30 shots over the course of the current campaign which is the joint-highest total throughout his squad (FBRef – Brondby IF statistics), with his standout performances having seen him described as “unique player” by his manager Jesper Sorensen.

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The Villa target, who pockets £11k-per-week (Brondby IF salaries), is additionally a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass since first bursting onto the professional scene, including two roles in centre, out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside as a centre-forward, so he'd be a great option to have in the building should any unexpected injuries occur.

Finally, Vallys even shares the same representative, Beckster International SARL, as Lucas Digne (Aston Villa agents), so this existing connection that his management has to the club could give the board a small advantage should they decide to pursue a deal for the in-form star in January.

Sunderland should 'start looking at alternatives' to Jack Clarke in case the winger departs this summer amid interest from the Premier League, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Is Jack Clarke leaving Sunderland this window?

According to TEAMtalk, Clarke has attracted interest from Premier League trio Burnley, Crystal Palace and Brentford this window despite Sunderland being reluctant to lose his services.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany is said to be a big fan of the £16k-a-week ace and has made him one of his most sought-after targets that he would like to bring to Turf Moor.

iNews claim that Everton are also keen on bringing the former Tottenham Hotspur star to Goodison Park and Clarke's agent, former Republic of Ireland international Ian Harte, has spoken out amid rumours linking his client to various destinations over the last few months.

The 45-year-old stated: "I think every player, no matter what league you’re in, has a price and no matter what club you’re at, if a club is happy with it, they’ll take it.

Last term, Clarke was in fine form for Sunderland in spite of their failure to win promotion to the Premier League, registering 11 goals and 14 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored take into account that Clarke showed his ability to score and create goals during the campaign, as the 22-year-old averaged 1.4 shots, 1.7 key passes and two dribbles per match in the Sky Bet Championship.

Nevertheless, speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Sunderland may have to cast their eyes towards identifying potential replacements for Clarke as his stock continues to rise in the English game.

Jones told FFC: "I mean, losing Jack Clarke is obviously going to hurt, but a time when he's got at least three Premier League teams chasing him, it's also a time to start facing up to the reality that he could go. His form last season was very good and while they try to keep him at the club up to now and giving everything they can to that, I think it's wise they start looking at alternatives."

What other events could occur at Sunderland in this transfer window?

Sunderland have already been active in the transfer market under Tony Mowbray and have wrapped up the signings of Jobe Bellingham, Jensen Seelt, Luis Semedo and Nectarios Triantis, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite this, more arrivals could be on their way to the Stadium of Light as the Black Cats look to once again make a fist of fighting for promotion to the English top flight.

Manchester United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop is a target for Sunderland; however, they saw a loan bid rejected for the 23-year-old earlier this month, according to The Athletic.

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Fotbol STHLM report that Djurgardens youngster Gideon Granstrom has gone on trial on Wearside as he bids to win a deal at the club amid further interest from Norwich City in his services.

His father spoke to the Swedish outlet about the arrangement, stating: "He went there earlier this week and is doing his first training session today. He stays about ten days in total. They will spend one week on this tour, starting in Norwich, then finishing with three days at Sunderland. It's open. From our side, we focus on the sporting, it is instructive to come there and meet a different football culture and different way of playing."

In the next few weeks, it will become clearer whether Sunderland have any more tricks up their sleeve in the market as they prepare for the 2023/24 campaign to get underway from a competitive standpoint.

Tottenham Hotspur still have Vincent Kompany on their managerial shortlist despite him leading Burnley to promotion over the weekend.

When will Spurs hire a new manager?

The Lilywhites now have eight games remaining in their 2022/23 Premier League campaign and the prospect of playing Champions League football remains in the balance.

Cristian Stellini has been named the club's interim manager until the end of the campaign, however, pressure from the fans is growing on the board to make an appointment.

Spurs may have returned to winning ways on the weekend with victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, but the points came with a huge dose of fortune from a dreadful officiating display.

And during the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, large sections of the fanbase inside the north London stadium voiced their wish to see Mauricio Pochettino return to the dugout.

This came just days after the Tottenham fans who travelled to Goodison Park also sung the Argentine's song from his time with the Lilywhites.

However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has insisted Kompany remains a target for Daniel Levy after he enjoyed recent success with the Championship outfit, Burnley:

(1:40) "But Vincent Kompany, he is highly rated by people into Manchester City. But on Vincent Kompany I already told you a few days ago and I'm still saying here that, from what I understand, he is one of the names considered by Tottenham for the future head coach for the long term project.

"Now there is Cristian Stellini as caretaker manager, but we know they want a new coach for the long-term project. And Vincent Kompany is one of five names they have in the list."

Would Kompany leave Burnley for Spurs?

On Friday, the Clarets secured promotion back to the Premier League in their first attempt since being relegated from the top flight last season.

On top of their promotion success, Kompany's men look set to go on an get their hands on the Championship table as they hold an 11-point advantage on second spot.

So there will be natural questions as to whether the Belgian would be willing to walk away from something which he has evidently made a huge impact on.

That is, obviously, why Spurs are believed to be looking at the 37-year-old as a potential candidate, but it will throw up a huge risk for the Belgian.

There is a belief the former centre-back could be on the radar of Manchester City for the future as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola.

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And a step up so soon to Tottenham could potentially put that move back to the Etihad Stadium at risk.

We have previously seen something similar happen with Steven Gerrard who left his success at Rangers for a move to Aston Villa.

It is believed Gerrard was expected to become Jurgen Klopp's eventual replacement, however, his failings in the Premier League has surely put that move under huge doubt.

This could certainly happen to Kompany if he was to move to Spurs with the north London club showing very few signs of stability ahead of the foreseeable future.

Tottenham Hotspur will likely receive a lot of interest in Harry Kane over the summer transfer window with Bayern Munich confident they can prise him away.

What’s the latest?

There have been reports surrounding potential interest coming from Bayern in the England captain for a number of months now and it seems the interest is not going away.

Reports over his future lying away from north London are beginning to pick up again amid the Lilywhites’ struggles in the Premier League.

It has been suggested by a club insider that the 29-year-old is not engaging in conversations over a new deal to extend his stay at Spurs.

And speaking to Football FanCast, insider Dean Jones has now claimed the Bundesliga giants are quite optimistic about their chances of signing Kane in the summer:

“The Bayern Munich link is interesting. They are genuinely quite optimistic that they can get Harry Kane, I’ve always been a bit unsure about whether that could actually be plausible, but there’s so many boxes that they tick in terms of what they could offer him, and obviously, the chance to win trophies. So I definitely think that that is a possible option for Harry Kane.”

Finally time to leave

Kane has been a sensational servant for the Lilywhites over the years and is set to break the club’s goalscoring record with Jimmy Greaves’ record of 266 just a couple of goals away from being broken.

However, there do seem to be serious concerns as to whether the England captain will be playing his football in north London after this season.

The 29-year-old will on have one-year remaining on his deal in the summer and as Paul O’Keefe has suggested, he does not appear to be considering a new deal and Daniel Levy would not deny him a move this time if the right opportunity arises.

It has become apparent over the last couple of years that although this is Kane’s boyhood club, he would be willing to leave with the striker previously showing his interest in signing for Manchester City in 2021.

Now what is interesting is at the time, Kane participated in an interview on The Overlap where he told Gary Neville that a move abroad actually does not appeal to him:

“Of course there’s always the option of maybe moving abroad one day but I don’t think that really interests me in the near future,” he said.

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With Alan Shearer’s all-time goal record still to play for, it would be interesting to see whether Kane would prioritise a move to another Premier League club in the summer.

Or whether he would view Bayern as a great opportunity to finally get his hands on some silverware given they have now won the Bundesliga for 10 consecutive seasons and the Champions League twice in the last 10 campaigns.

Although it may pain a lot of Spurs fans to think about this, if Kane is unwilling to extend his deal, perhaps the best option will be to cash in on whilst they can and look to put that money into somehow replacing him.