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Manchester United are confident their Argentinian youngster, Alejandro Garnacho, will put pen to paper on a new deal at Old Trafford.

What’s the latest?

The Red Devils are flying in the Premier League once again after picking up three huge points against their city rivals on the weekend.

And a player who made a big difference in that game was Garnacho after he came off the bench late on in the game to provide Marcus Rashford with the assist for the winner.

Garnacho’s current deal at United still has 18 months left until it expires at the end of next season, however, his sudden rise this season has the Red Devils wanting to extend his future at Old Trafford.

And speaking on the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has suggested the powers that be at United are convinced the 18-year-old will put pen to paper:

“I’m told the Man United are still convinced of this contract extension, convinced and relaxed that everything will be resolved very soon.

“So conversations between Man United and Garnacho continue to extend the contract. They want him to have an important contract as an important player.”

Tie him down at Old Trafford

Garnacho only made his debut in the Premier League at the age of 17 less than one year ago under Ralf Ragnick in a draw at home to Chelsea.

But his rise this season has been huge with the Argentinian having now made seven appearances in the top flight as well as four in the Europa League (via Transfermarkt).

And across those two competitions, the 18-year-old has been able to return Erik ten Hag’s trust with two goals and two assists.

What is perhaps most impressive is the magnitude of some of the games he has affected already having scored the winner in the final group game in the Europa League to clinch the top spot against Real Sociedad.

More recently, he came on with just 18 minutes remaining of the derby against Manchester City and was able to work his magic down the left to put it on a plate for Rashford to seal the points.

And it is apparent his displays for United are not going unnoticed with the likes of Real Madrid believed to be showing an interest in the youngster.

With the same report suggesting Garnacho’s representatives have rejected United’s £20k-per-week offer, the Red Devils will be hoping for no more pushbacks in their bid to tie the youngster’s future down at Old Trafford.

However, Romano’s comments may provide fans with some confidence that Garnacho will be playing his football at the theatre of Dreams for years to come.

Although this may not deter Madrid from attempting to take him in the future, it would provide some insurance for United on their asset.

Tottenham Hotspur just about scraped through their third round FA Cup meeting against Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon as Harry Kane’s 50th-minute strike ultimately proved the difference between Spurs and the League One outfit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the Premier League club running out 1-0 winners.

However, while Antonio Conte will undoubtedly be pleased with his team’s progression to the next round of the competition, the performance of a number of Spurs’ lesser-seen first-teamers may just be the 53-year-old’s biggest takeaway from the cup clash, with Davinson Sanchez, Pape Matar Sarr and Bryan Gil all impressing on the day.

Indeed, having only been handed two starts by Conte in 2022/23 prior to the Portsmouth game, it was arguably Gil’s display which will have most caught the Italian’s eye on Saturday, with the 21-year-old showing flashes of why Tottenham paid Sevilla £21.6m to bring the winger to the club in the summer of 2021.

Over his 89 minutes on the pitch, the £18m-rated talent was a near-constant threat to the Pompey backline, creating one big chance, enjoying 62 touches of the ball and completing one of his two attempted dribbles, in addition to playing one key pass, attempting two crosses and completing 41 of his 46 passes (89% success rate).

The £40k-per-week attacker also won four of his nine duels, made one tackle and drew two fouls, proving that despite his 5 foot 9 frame, the Spain U21 international is more than capable of holding his own against a tough League One outfit.

These metrics saw the winger earn an impressive Sofascore match rating of 6.8, while Evening Standard journalist Dan Kilpatrick also awarded Gil a seven in his own player ratings, stating of the winger’s performance: “A number of lively moments in another eye-catching display.”

Spurs’ attacking injury list appears to grow longer by the day, with Dejan Kulusevski, Richarlison and Lucas Moura all currently sidelined. Therefore, should the Portsmouth fixture have been a test that Conte put in front of the 21-year-old, it is one that the Spaniard passed with flying colours, as Gil very much “caught the eye” – in the words of Tom Barclay – on Saturday afternoon.

Glasgow Rangers continued their 100% record under Michael Beale in the Premiership with a 3-0 win over Motherwell on Wednesday night at Ibrox.

The Light Blues took the lead after 13 minutes as Alfredo Morelos celebrated a return to the starting XI with a fine header at the back post to score his fifth league goal of the campaign.

A cross and a header proved to be successful again for the Gers in the first half as Connor Goldson nodded in from a corner to double the lead before the interval.

Malik Tillman then made it three on the hour as he latched onto Morelos’ pass and brilliantly turned to fire past the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.

Beale’s side were then able to see out the game in a professional manner after making a host of changes to provide opportunities for those on the bench to get minutes on the pitch.

Whilst Morelos produced a goal and an assist as he led the line on his return to the team, the real match-winner for Rangers was left-back Borna Barisic.

He came back into the side in spite of Adam Devine’s impressive performances – recording two Sofascore ratings of 7.0 or higher as a stand-in over the three previous matches – and justified his selection with an exceptional performance at the back.

The £18k-per-week gem was a constant threat in possession of the ball and did not shirk away from his defensive responsibilities as he remained solid in defence.

As per Sofascore, the Croatian international won four of his six individual duels, including his only battle in the air, and made two tackles and one block. The dynamo also only gave away one foul in the 90 minutes and these statistics show that he barely stepped a foot wrong from a defensive perspective.

In possession, the left-back was sublime as he set up the opening goal for Morelos with an inch-perfect cross to the back post and then provided the assist for the second goal with a fantastic corner to meet Goldson’s head.

Those goals made up two of the three chances he created throughout the game and he managed that with 87 touches of the ball, completing 81% of his 52 attempted passes in the process.

His cross for the first goal set Rangers on their way after a nervy start to the match and that moment of quality allowed the team to then kick on and cruise to a comfortable victory, with the defender’s ability on show throughout the rest of the game.

Therefore, he was the real match-winner for the Light Blues and fans should praise Beale for his decision to drop the in-form Devine in favour of the experienced campaigner.

Everton could be set for another disastrous and difficult relegation battle if their performances and league position do not improve when the team return to action later this month.

The Toffees are currently 17th in the Premier League table with only one point keeping them out of the relegation zone after suffering three defeats in their last five outings ahead of the World Cup.

Frank Lampard will be scrambling for ways to improve the performances on the pitch with his current crop of players, however, he will also be given the golden opportunity to strengthen his team when the transfer window opens in the new year.

As a result, there is no room for error when it comes to acquiring players in January as it could be the defining decision that could either make or break the second half of Everton’s season, with irreparable consequences should they get relegated from the top-flight.

One player who has been recently linked with a move to Goodison Park is USMNT and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, however, if the reports from CalcioMercato are true, it would come with huge risk.

It is believed that the Serie A giants are interested in snapping up the services of newly-signed Everton midfielder Amadou Onana and would use McKennie as leverage to secure a deal for the talented player.

The two midfielders have been representing their respective countries at the World Cup in Qatar, but how do they compare over their season so far? And would a swap deal be worthwhile to the Toffees?

McKennie – who was hailed “magic” by journalist James Horncastle – has outperformed Onana in some attributes, including goal contributions (2 v 1), pass completion rate (81.1% v 80.2%), shot-creating actions per 90 (1.63 v 1.04) and dribbles completed (80% v 32.1%) per match.

However, Onana has been stronger in his defensive attributes, including aerial duels won (46.2% v 31.6%), tackles and interceptions completed (47 v 12) and percentage of dribblers tackled (75% v 57.1%).

Based on their contrasting strengths it would certainly pose a dilemma for Lampard, as, whilst Onana provides solid defensive skills, McKennie could offer a more attacking threat on goal, which is something Everton is desperately in need of.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored fewer goals than the Merseysiders this season so far which has contributed to the struggle Everton are facing in collecting crucial points to comfortably compete in the Premier League.

Indeed, it was reported that Lampard was keen to sign Conor Gallagher in the summer and the Chelsea midfielder also happens to be the second most comparable player to the £21.5m Juventus midfielder in the top five European leagues, according to FBref.

The pair share many similar attributes and have come close in their output this season including shots on target percentage (50% v 50%), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.13 v 0.36), clearances completed (9 v 11) and touches (320 v 356).

With that being said, it would be a major coup if the powers at Goodison Park could secure a deal for McKennie, however, if it is at the cost of losing Onana it could be a too big a risk for the club.

Everton are in a poor run of form in the Premier League and are currently just one point off the relegation zone, so it would be no surprise if Frank Lampard looks to the January transfer window to fix some of the problems, with a new potential target emerging.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Everton are one of the teams interested in a January swoop for Villarreal defender Pau Torres.

As per the report, Lampard is ready to move on from Michael Keane and Yerry Mina by acting upon their long-term interest in Torres, who the La Liga club are willing to part ways with for a transfer fee in excess of £40m.

Huge Michael Keane upgrade

There is no doubt that there are desperate improvements needed at Goodison Park if the side doesn’t want to experience another difficult relegation scrap this season, and adding players in January who can not only add depth but quality could be season-changing for Everton.

The Toffees are currently 17th in the Premier League table after collecting just 14 points from a possible 45 in their first 15 outings, so when they return to action after Christmas Lampard must pick up some crucial points.

As a result, the signing of Torres could be a fantastic move for the club despite signing James Tarkowski and Conor Coady in the summer as the Spanish sensation could certainly provide the manager with more high-quality options in his backline.

The 25-year-old – who was hailed an “exciting talent” by ESPN editor David Cartlidge – would be a huge Keane upgrade with the Everton player unable to provide consistency and solid defensive performances over the last 18 months.

Over last season, Torres outperformed Keane in many defensive attributes including pass completion rate (85.4% v 76.4%), dribblers tackled (7% v 62.2%) and was dribbled past fewer times (25 v 45), via FBref.

Not only that, the Villarreal star ranks in the top 15% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for dribbles completed, progressive passes and non-penalty goals, proving that he also offers attacking attributes that could be a valuable asset to Everton in their current campaign.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer to make a move for Torres in the January transfer window as he could make a huge difference in the team in their efforts to better their position in the top flight over the second half of the season.

Recent West Bromwich Albion target Davie Selke could soon be available for free after a report emerged from Hertha Berlin.

The Lowdown: West Brom linked with Selke

The Baggies were fairly busy in the summer transfer window as they signed eight players, six of whom didn’t cost a penny. The Championship club were in the market for a deadline day addition at centre-forward and reportedly held talks with Hertha Berlin over a move for Selke.

As we know, a move failed to materialise, but it looks as if Albion CEO Ron Gourlay could have another chance to sign the German in the New Year.

The Latest: Contract update

German outlet Buli News relayed an update from Bild regarding Selke on Wednesday lunchtime.

They claimed that Selke is actively pushing to depart Hertha Berlin in January, with the Bundesliga club open to the idea of letting the striker go for free six months before his contract expires.

The Verdict: Perfect for West Brom?

The Baggies showed in the summer that they love a free transfer, so this update on Selke could be of interest to those at The Hawthorns.

The 27-year-old has plied his trade in Germany throughout his career and has netted 53 senior goals for RB Leipzig, Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin.

He would bring plenty of experience to the Midlands, although you’d expect that the club’s current position near the foot of the Championship may not appeal to Selke.

It could be one to watch, though, following recent interest from the Baggies and the German playing just 144 minutes of league action this term.

He will be travelling overseas for the surgery and is expected to be out for at least three months before he resumes training

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Apr-2023India batter Shreyas Iyer will undergo surgery on his injured back and will therefore miss the entire 2023 IPL, and the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Iyer, who’s Kolkata Knight Riders’ full-time captain at the IPL, will be travelling overseas for the surgery and is expected to be out for at least three months before he resumes training.An impinged nerve caused by a bulged disc in the lower back area on the right side has troubled Iyer ever since he returned from the Bangladesh series last December. Despite taking about six injections, Iyer continued to experience discomfort which initially ruled him out of the white-ball series at home in January against Sri Lanka as well as the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in February. Iyer then returned to play the following two Tests of the Australia series but did not come out to bat in the first innings of the final Test in Ahmedabad and was eventually ruled out of the match.Related

Bumrah commences rehab after undergoing back surgery

Time for the IPL to start keeping time better

Nitish Rana to captain KKR in place of injured Shreyas Iyer

Iyer was then ruled out of the first half of IPL after seeking guidance from medical experts. While the Knight Riders hoped he would return for the second half of the season, it is learned he has not been able to train at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore where he is undergoing rehab under the care of BCCI’s medical staff.Nitish Rana was named interim Knight Riders captain in Iyer’s place ahead of IPL 2023.

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘confident’ that they can sign Vasco da Gama midfielder Andrey Santos, and are also eyeing his team-mate Eguinaldo.

The Lowdown: Signing young talent

It was reported last week that the St. James’ Park outfit are now looking to tap into South America as their next location for bright young talent.

This follows the signings of Garang Kuol from Australia and highly rated Irish defender Alex Murphy, as they look to build for the future with an extensive scouting network across the globe.

The Latest: Double Brazilian swoop?

Taking to Twitter, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has revealed that the North East club are ‘confident’ of signing Santos, and they have also ‘taken a liking’ to his team-mate Eguinaldo:

“Newcastle confident they can strike deal for Vasco Da Gama’s Andrey Santos. They have also taken a liking to his team-mate Eguinaldo – who has burst into the first-team this season.”

Expanding in his article for 90min, Bailey adds that Eddie Howe’s side are currently ‘in talks’ over the former, and Vasco have put a £20m price tag on him, as they believe him to be ‘one of the best young players in Brazil’.

They have also ‘enquired’ about Eguinaldo, who has recently been called up to Brazil’s U20 squad for the first time, but a deal for him is ‘not as far advanced’ as for Santos.

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The Verdict: Exciting

It is certainly exciting to see the Magpies snapping up the best young talents across the globe as part of their long-term project.

Hailed as a ‘monster’ physically by Brazilian legend Juninho, and likened to one of the greats of the game in Sergio Busquets (Goal), 18-year-old Santos has already played 33 times for Vasco, and has seven goals from midfield in 2022 (Transfermarkt).

Eguinaldo has also enjoyed a breakthrough season with the Brazilian club this year, with the forward scoring three goals in 15 matches (Transfermarkt) on his way to his Brazil U20 call-up.

Nonetheless, adding both of them to the likes of Kuol and Murphy certainly bodes for an exciting squad in the future.

The season is shaping up well, despite the strain on the schedule due to stymied by Her Majesty’s passing. Unlike in cricket, footie fans can’t quite be trusted to show their respects through songs and so matches have been pushed back to honour the county’s loss. Perhaps it is not out of disrespect for the Queen but disregard for Charles’s accession to the throne. Whatever, either way there are going to be some delays for September’s action!

Arsenal sit at the top of the table with 15 points, despite having taken a (more than light) beating from Man U. Well, the league table that is – the odds maker’s table is taking a different shape with Liverpool and Man City looking like two honchos ready for a showdown in June. It has to be said though that the gunners certainly didn’t leave the transfer window out gunned. With the sensational Gabriel Jesus presiding over the rest of a hundred million spend, Arsenal are not out of the running to finish the league victorious.

Tottenham (and their under twenty one secret weapon) really are looking hot this year in spite of their undeservedly blank victory history. These guys are the most likely out of the unexpected wins, meaning, who would make the cup-taking the most memorable whilst realistically having a shot. Sorry Leicester, it’s not that bringing back the magic of 2015-2016 would not be memorable, it just isn’t realistic. Yes, Leicester shaped up poorly – losing almost every game so far and winning none. Chelsea beat them despite being only ten men deep for over an hour – not a good look for Leicester. It must be said though, seeing these guys at their best and when morale is running high is such a joy, it would be a genuine shame to see them relegated… even if Hotspur and Forest show them the curb in the coming weeks.

As for the end game, will this be an old tale of vengeance and standing ground between the current (and usual) suspects Liverpool and Man City? Or will there be more to it?

Well, Man United might be the underdog of the top tier… And it doesn’t seem that long ago that that phrase would have sounded insane. I’m of course talking about the Sir Alex Ferguson years. Truly golden years when you look at the stats – United won the premier league 12 times in the past thirty years and once in the last ten. This contrast shows what is at stake and the legacy that fans dream will one day be lived up to. And slashing their odds in half after the Arsenal match (and let’s not forget beating Liverpool) equally shows how promising they are this season.

Speaking of Underdogs, Brighton and Hove Albion have been the unexpected stars by pillaging a whopping thirteen points. They may not be around the top of the table in the latter stages of  the season but, in football, nothing is certain. Graham Potter is an outstanding manager who has given Brighton an explosive start to the season. Unfortunately for the seagulls however he is… a little too good perhaps and has been snapped up by Chelsea. Brighton are currently looking at replacements and hoping for some consistency with the rest of the season.

So… City. Yes the Norwegian demi-god Erling Haaland has manifested in this year’s squad to score an almighty 12 EPL goals, having smote the back of ten nets in this nascent premier league. Who knows what the future brings, maybe he even has his boot aimed at Shearer’s record. His collection of golden accolades is certainly a testament to this twenty two year old. It’s clear from his goalless performance at community shield that Haaland needs his gang, the support to sail above the rest, and this year’s city squad (perhaps even Julian Alvarez alone) is more than enough for this Viking to thrive.

Liverpool obviously want to avenge their past selves and remedy the cigar-less and oh so close last season. Although they all went to Naples to get hammered 4-1, we can focus on the Premier League and ignore any unexpected blips. They may currently be seventh but are considered to have an edge even on City when it comes to end game favourites. Indeed, Klopp could well be the new king.

Just as predicting the league’s winner can be lucrative so too can predicting its losers. All the top gambling sites will sport relegation odds. In regards to relegation, Nottingham forest and Bournemouth (who may never recover from Liverpool’s thorough gutting) may be the ones having their own showdown. That is of course if Leicester doesn’t continue to make their lives a whole lot easier. Just as predicting the league’s winner can be lucrative so too can predicting its losers.

Photo by Unsplash

Leeds United are still pursuing a move for Cody Gakpo…

What’s the word?

That’s according to their chairman Andrea Radrizzani, who tweeted about the PSV Eindhoven winger as the Yorkshire outfit looked to be closing in on a move for Marseille frontman Bamba Dieng.

“Let s welcome Bamba Dieng and we will continue to work on Gapko. Now it’s time to focus on the pitch and support our new project and the great job Jesse and the staff are doing,” he tweeted in response to one Whites supporter.

The 22-year-old Senegalese forward would have cost Leeds around €10m (£8.6m), as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who also revealed that Dan James would be joining Fulham on a season-long loan. However, a deal has now remarkably fallen through with the player joining Nice instead.

Meanwhile, PSV were reported to have rejected Leeds’ most recent bid for Gakpo this morning after director of football Victor Orta travelled to Eindhoven last night to try and complete a deal.

Romano, in another update, suggested that the Dutch international was set to remain at the Eredivisie side until January, at the very least, but Radrizzani’s latest comments could hint that the Yorkshire side aren’t done with the pursuit just yet.

Huge coup

Bringing in Gakpo, who was available for £34m, would be something of a huge coup for the Italian chairman, Orta and manager Jesse Marsch, particularly as the 23-year-old is capable of playing in multiple attacking positions.

Such versatility has seen him already likened to Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie, two of the best to ever do it in the Premier League.

“I always refer to Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie – he’s not at that level yet. But they came into the Premier League as left wingers and were turned into strikers under Arsene Wenger and did very well,” claimed Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan to Sky Sports News.

“He is slowly being transitioned into a striker because he has had some good coaching from [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy.”

Last season, Gakpo set pulses racing in Holland as he delivered a whopping 21 goals and 15 assists from 47 appearances in all competitions, and he looks to have continued that form into the new campaign, where he has already provided PSV with seven goals and six assists from nine outings, per Transfermarkt.

It’s evident that the 6 foot 2 talisman is a super talent, given the likes of Manchester United, Southampton and Arsenal have all been keen on signing him too, so if Radrizzani can seal a move for the attacker – who journalist Josh Bunting recently dubbed “electric” – then it would certainly be something of a mouthwatering end to the summer transfer window.

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The likelihood is, however, that it’ll be a deal that is either completed in 2023 or one that has an advanced look ahead to January, perhaps a loan back until then.

That said, this tweet from the Leeds chairman should still leave the Elland Road faithful absolutely buzzing indeed.

AND in other news, Leeds “are interested” in swoop for “unreal” £26k-p/w talent, Marsch badly needs him…