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Manchester United have been handed a worrying injury blow ahead of their return to Premier League action, with Victor Lindelof potentially ruled out this weekend.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils host Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday evening and have the chance to close the gap to Manchester City at the top of the table. They could be without one of their first-choice defenders, though, with the Norwegian revealing that the former Benfica man was missing from training after his return from international duty.

The £21.6m-rated defender originally departed the Sweden camp for “personal reasons” and now could also be excluded from club action which will continue to be a big blow for the Red Devils.

Lindelof, usually Solskjaer’s first-choice defensive partner alongside Harry Maguire, has already sat out seven Premier League games throughout the 2020/21 season. In two of the matches he has missed, the Red Devils lost 6-1 to Tottenham Hotspur as well as being defeated 2-1 at home by basement club Sheffield United.

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In each of Lindelof’s last three Premier League appearances for the club, they have managed to claim a clean sheet, indicating his impact on the defence.

Solskjaer has also been recently praising the “understanding” between his defenders, with United having found a stubbornness and defensive resilience in the Premier League.

With Lindelof being ruled out, though, the manager is likely to turn to Eric Bailly, who has started just seven Premier League games this season. He has also appeared only once in the league since the start of February.

The United boss will certainly be hoping that Lindelof can return to training sooner rather than later and reclaim his position at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence.

AND in more news, have a closer look at an extraordinary swap deal that the Red Devils must complete…

Tottenham Hotspur have a bright academy system, but they haven’t always utilised it to the maximum potential.

It’s only really Harry Kane that’s made a proper name for himself in the Premier League, although bit-part roles for the likes of Harry Winks and Japhet Tanganga show that the pathway isn’t completely blocked.

But perhaps that isn’t enough as over the years, the north Londoners have missed out on many a prospect.

Two massive examples are Marcus Edwards and Noni Madueke.

The former was once likened to Lionel Messi by ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino. “He (Edwards) is a very good prospect and potentially he can be a top player,” explained the Argentine to Sky Sports.

But after only ever playing 15 minutes for the senior side, he left on a free transfer to Portuguese outfit Vitoria, where he has shone with 24 direct goal contributions in just 64 appearances.

As a result, his value has shot up to £11.7m, as per Transfermarkt. His latest contract extension saw him slapped with a €50m (£45m) release clause.

And it’s the same tale for Noni Madueke, who left Hotspur Way for nothing in 2018 and is now one of England’s biggest emerging young talents, having impressed at PSV Eindhoven.

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The 19-year-old is averaging a goal or assist every 66 minutes this season, which is even better than Kane’s current output as his 45 goal contributions have come once every 74.5 minutes in all competitions.

These two cases should serve as a mega warning to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, who is often the decision-maker in this situation as he does not employ a director of football.

One of the academy’s up-and-coming starlets could follow this trend if the tough negotiator doesn’t act fast.

Marcel Lavinier, poached from Chelsea in only October sees his contract expire this summer, according to Transfermarkt, and risking his departure is a dangerous game to play.

The 20-year-old right-back has tasted a bit of first-team action this season, playing 16 minutes from the bench in the Europa League, so clearly he’s catching Jose Mourinho’s eye on the training ground, whilst he’s been a regular for the U23s in the Premier League 2 this campaign, featuring 18 times.

Spurs have struggled in his position all season. Summer signing Matt Doherty has failed to hit the ground running, and it’s been so bad that reports have suggested he could be put up for sale in the summer, whilst Serge Aurier has lost his place to Tanganga in recent matches.

Lavinier, whose speed and versatility are two well-regarded strengths, could be an interesting solution there but not if Levy lets him run down his current contract.

Right now, the Spurs chairman is heading towards another fatal disaster. He must act.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Roberts warns Mourinho about making another De Bruyne mistake…

Former Everton striker Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that Declan Rice could leave West Ham this summer, should the Hammers get an offer they can’t refuse.

Rice has been one of the standout midfielders in the Premier League, with his impressive form catching the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs.

The 22-year-old is currently out injured following a knee problem sustained whilst away with England, with the Hammers’ victory at Wolves ending his two-year run of consecutive minutes played in the league.

Strong recent reports believe that Manchester United are leading the race to sign the Hammers midfielder, and are going to use on-loan West Ham attacker Jesse Lingard to improve their attempts of bringing Rice to Old Trafford.

David Moyes recently said that it would take the ‘Bank of England’ to lure Rice away from the London Stadium this summer, but Bent told Football FanCast that if West Ham were to receive a huge offer for the England man, it could help them improve their squad significantly.

He said: “Chelsea and Manchester United, they’re big sides. It depends on the price, if they get a big fee for him, it could be a lot of money for West Ham to go out and buy two or three players.

“He’s definitely one they won’t want to lose, but it depends on the price.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee who made 280 Premier League appearances, has praised Joelinton for being one of Newcastle’s best players between either box, but can’t understand his decision making when he gets to the final third.

Joelinton was signed in 2018 and became Newcastle United’s record signing with the club paying Hoffenehim £40 million after a season in the Bundesliga which saw him score and assist seven times.

The Brazillian was also handed the number nine shirt which has been worn by the likes of Alan Shearer, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole and Malcolm Macdonald, which naturally heightened expectations immediately.

Speaking on how good Joelinton can be between boxes and how he always does the wrong thing when he enters the opposition’s box, Lee told FFC:

“If he came for £5-10 million you’d probably think ‘yeah that’s not bad’, but when you arrive for £40 million and you wear the number nine shirt then the pressure is massively on you and I don’t understand why they paid that amount of money for him.

“He was immense against Aston Villa, probably our best player until he got to the box, and then when he’s in the box, he always makes the wrong decision.

“When you want him to shoot he passes and when you want him to pass, he shoots, it’s just a conundrum of how you play him. 

“I’d say to him unless it’s completely obvious, then when you get in the box and you’ve bullied someone you shoot and just try to hit the target.”

Joelinton has scored just seven goals in 72 games for Newcastle which has left the Newcastle hierarchy and scouting department with egg on their face.

It’s still unclear what the preferred position is for the £86,000 per week striker, with Bruce admitting he isn’t like other strikers.

According to reports, Tottenham are interested in signing AS Roma defender Roger Ibanez.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days had revealed that Jose Mourinho’s side had been keeping tabs over the Brazilian, and now it appears that they remain keen on bringing him to the Premier League.

According to Voce Giallarossa (via Sport Witness), both Spurs and fellow Premier League side Leicester have been tracking Ibanez for some months, and that the “insinuation is that their interest will continue regardless of the contract renewal” – he only signed a new deal at Roma last week.

Perfect for Mourinho

Despite having numerous options at centre-back, including the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier, one thing Mourinho desperately lacks, is someone with a bit of pace in the middle. But in Ibanez, Daniel Levy could find exactly that.

Speaking to Roma TV, Ibanez himself said: “I’m fast and I have good technique. But I can show my ability only on the pitch. Before playing as a centre-back I had also played as a midfielder and I can still play that role as well”.

AS Roma boss Paulo Fonseca has waxed lyrical about his centre-back’s abilities, saying: “It’s not easy to find fast, aggressive central defenders. But Roger has another side to his game. He has a lot of quality and courage on the ball.”

The Athletic revealed that “Fonseca loves moving him around the back three and will almost always match him up against the quickest player in the opposing attack.”

That extra pace and mobility is something Mourinho will surely absolutely love, and could give Spurs the chance to play a higher line and press further up the pitch. And, when you look at his stats this season compared to Dier’s, you can see why the north London side could land a decent upgrade on the England international.

As per Sofascore, Ibanez almost doubles the number of interceptions per game (1.7), wins more duels (4.3), commits half the amount of fouls (0.6), and loses possession far less too than Dier.

Levy must do everything to sign the £18m-rated Ibanez to give Mourinho an improved backline next season.

Meanwhile, Mourinho needs to deliver a trophy for Spurs or risk losing this star…

The perilous wait for the Premiership winners to be crowned is over and, unfortunately for Celtic, they are no longer the dominant force in Scottish football.

It’s an eventuality which could cause havoc with the club’s plans. Will the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard stay? It feels unlikely.

On the chalkboard

Edouard has been a player who has been at the forefront of Celtic’s success in recent years. After signing during the 2017/18 season, the Frenchman has racked up an almighty tally of 81 goals in 161 outings.

The forward has been catching the eye for a while now and it was perhaps a surprise that he didn’t leave Parkhead last summer.

He has stuck around, however, and is now being linked with the Premier League once more. The likes of Leicester, Arsenal and West Ham have all been mentioned as possible destinations, so keeping hold of him won’t be easy.

Edouard has been a revelation in Glasgow but, with Celtic finally relinquishing their grasp on the title, now seems like the ideal time for him to leave in search of a new challenge.

With that in mind, the Hoops would need to sign a replacement in the summer window.

The solution

It’s easier said than done but finding someone who can score goals on a regular basis will be how they replace Edouard. After all, the likes of Albian Ajeti and Patryk Klimala have hardly proved able deputies this term. They have just nine goals between them in the league while their French star has 16 on his own.

One man with whom they could replace him should he leave is Genk striker Paul Onuachu. Speaking on A Celtic State of Mind podcast last week, Celtic pundit Colin Watt touted him as someone who the Bhoys should target, saying:

“One that I think people should go and take a look at [is] Paul Onuachu. He’s a Nigerian striker that plays for Genk; he was formerly of FC Midtjylland, and he’s scored almost 100 goals in five seasons, 6ft 7in tall. Roughly, the going price for him is about £7-10m.”

His colossal height means he’s a fearsome striker to come up against, and when you add pace and the ability to score goals into the equation, he’d make a fine Edouard successor.

Onuachu has found the net on 26 occasions this term in Belgium, using his frightening power to smash opponents to one side. He has always had a natural gift and, when considering his height, it’s no surprise to see him prove so successful in the professional game.

FC Ebedei’s talent spotter Churchill Oliseh, once said: “As soon as I saw him, I knew he was special.” Oliseh knows a talent when he sees one; he was the man to spot Obafemi Martins and bring him into the limelight for instance.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

Onuachu could just be his proudest capture yet. Oliseh continued: “For a player with his height, he has good dribbling ability. People of his height only rely mostly on their aerial strength, but he can play, both in the air and on the ground. And he has speed.”

Combine dribbling with goalscoring ability and you have a defender’s nightmare. His mere presence is enough to have opponents running for the hills. In the Belgium Pro League this term, the 26-year-old has won 108 aerial duels.

That’s an obscene tally, one which should have Celtic’s recruitment team foaming at the mouth. He would seem a very capable replacement for Edouard.

AND in other news, Celtic could find their next Turnbull in 19 y/o weapon never-seen in the first-team…

Liverpool are closing in on a move for RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

Jurgen Klopp is likely to be eyeing up a new defender this summer, having experienced all sort of problems in that area throughout the season.

Liverpool are without injured trio Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the remainder of the season, with Nathaniel Phillips forced to become a regular and Ozan Kabak joining on loan from Schalke.

Konate is a player with whom the Reds have been linked numerous times in the past and it now looks as though he will be heading to Anfield in the summer.

Liverpool look set to sign Konate

According to Ornstein, significant progress has been made with regards to a deal for the 21-year-old , with talks now at an advanced stage.

Konate has been limited to just four Bundesliga starts this season, due to injuries of his own, but he is considered a player of big potential. His former coach Ralf Rangnick has said of the Frenchman: “He’s so good that he could play for Real Madrid or Barcelona one day.”

Transfer Tavern take

It is apparent that Klopp sees the importance of bringing in a centre-back this summer, with Matip particularly unreliable when it comes to staying fit consistently.

Konate is a player who could not only come in and do a job straight away, boasting ample Bundesliga and Champions League experience, but could also represent the long-term future at Anfield.

In other news, one Liverpool star has been tipped to stay put this summer – find out who it is here.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed Brandon Williams will not be leaving Old Trafford on loan before the transfer window closes today.

What’s the word?

Recent reports revealed the Red Devils were considering whether or not to loan out Williams amid interest from four Premier League clubs including Southampton having struggled for game time under Solskjaer this season.

It’s claimed the 20-year-old had emerged as Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl’s preferred candidate to provide backup for the likes of Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters after the Saints targeted him last summer.

However, Solskjaer dismissed all talk of Williams leaving on loan this month following Jesse Lingard’s switch to West Ham.

“Brandon will stay,” he said. “He played [for] the U23’s against Liverpool [on Saturday], he needed the match fitness. He has been working really hard. We don’t have any more players that we feel should be going. We need a strong squad.”

Chance to impress

Nonetheless, he may want to reconsider his somewhat hasty decision. It’s fair to say that it has been a frustrating season so far for Williams, who has fallen down the pecking order after the arrival of Alex Telles in October.

The left-back, who can also provide cover at right-back, has only featured six times for United so far this season, with his last appearance coming as a substitute in the second half in the 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig in the Champions League last year.

By comparison, both Telles and Luke Shaw have cemented their places in the starting line-up, with the two jostling for position alongside club captain Harry Maguire.

The £9.9m-rated ace has only made one appearance in the Premier League, once again as a substitute in the 3-2 win against Southampton at St Mary’s, which should indicate that Solskjaer has no intentions of including him in his plans for the immediate future.

It’s not too late for the club legend to change his mind, with there still being a few hours left on the clock until the transfer market shuts its doors tonight.

There’s no doubting the fact that the academy product who broke through the ranks into the first team last season and was dubbed an “outstanding” talent by Solskjaer has been blessed with both obvious talent and vast potential but he needs to get some game time under his belt to continue his development.

Williams, therefore, should push his representatives to try to force a loan move as he has so far been unable to oust Shaw and Telles as Solskjaer’s preferred options at left-back.

AND in other news, Manchester Utd should sign Sergio Ramos after transfer update…

In footballing terms, Leeds have had an unbelievable year.

So much has happened in such a short space of time that the club have barely had a chance to catch their breath.

Over the summer, they secured promotion to the top-flight for the first time in 16 years, ending a rotten streak of playing in the Championship.

After doing so, they broke their transfer record to secure the signing of Rodrigo from Valencia in a deal that represented one of the biggest coups of the summer.

It was quite the sight to behold as unrelenting drama followed Leeds wherever they went. Their first two games back in the top-flight ended with the scoreline of 4-3. One went in their favour, the other didn’t.

If anything summed up their crazy year it would be a trip to Old Trafford. Taking on their fierce rivals, they lost 6-2 to Manchester United but the attacking display showed everything we have become accustomed to from Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Where will Leeds be at the end of 2021? Who knows. Either way, it’s time to celebrate their fantastic year by taking on Football FanCast’s big fat quiz of the year. We bet you can’t get 100% on this United themed quiz…

AND in other news, Leeds could have their NEW Ben White if Orta sanctions swoop for “huge talent”…

Before this weekend, Sunderland hadn’t really reached top gear under Lee Johnson quite yet.

That changed, though, when they travelled to face Wimbledon. A 3-0 victory was the scoreline as Charlie Wyke took his former employers to the cleaners.

The tall striker was in terrific form as he found the net three times, taking his tally for the campaign in League One to ten.

It was a bustling display from the Black Cats, who will take a great deal of confidence from this game. After all, they are now three points behind Charlton, Doncaster and Peterborough in the play-off positions. Importantly, they also have two games in hand over the Addicks.

With Wyke bang in form, there’s certainly no reason why they can’t start rising up the table in double-quick time.

However, they will need the enigmatic Aiden McGeady to discover some consistency.

The Irishman bagged late on from the penalty spot in Sunderland’s Papa John’s Trophy victory over Port Vale but when he started against Wimbledon on Saturday, he was nothing short of abject.

Chronicle reporter James Hunter typified his display with the following post-match review: “Gave the ball away time and again, offered little threat, and it was no surprise to see him subbed.”

Indeed, McGeady was brought off after 73 minutes having surrendered possession a mighty 15 times throughout the clash.

For context, no Mackems player in the final third gave the ball away as regularly as he did. Disappointingly, though, was his lack of end product.

The former Celtic man was unsuccessful with all three of the dribbles he attempted while he didn’t provide a single cross from the left-hand side. For someone with so much individual quality, this was a very average performance, one that let Johnson down.

Of course, Sunderland still won but it will be concerning that even during a good team performance, he looked anonymous.

McGeady was stopped well by the wall of Shane McLoughlin at right-back for Wimbledon. He won four out of the five ground duels he contested while he also didn’t make a single foul. That shows just how much the Sunderland winger struggled against him on Saturday.

With Jack Diamond coming on and having an instant impact by hitting the post, McGeady will have to be careful of he could lose his place in the side. If performances like this continue, the manager will have little choice but to get red of him from his starting XI.

Johnson won’t have walked away from London very impressed with the 34-year-old.

AND in other news, Forget Wyke: Sunderland star who won 7 aerial duels on Sat was Johnson’s true hero…