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Manchester United will hold talks this week to bring Mitchell Van der Gaag to Old Trafford alongside Erik ten Hag, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag agreement

The Red Devils are edging closer to a deal for Ten Hag after holding positive talks with the Dutchman last month.

Romano revealed on Monday that an agreement regarding a contract was set to be completed, adding his famous ‘here we go’ phrase to his Twitter post.

The transfer expert said then that Van der Gaag was the ‘priority candidate’ for Ten Hag’s coaching staff, and it looks as if United chiefs will look to grant that wish over the coming days.

The Latest: Romano’s update

Romano provided an update on United’s pursuit of Ten Hag on Monday evening, revealing that an announcement will depend on reaching an agreement with Ajax over a €2m clause.

He also said that ‘talks to appoint Mitchell Van der Gaag as assistant will continue this week’.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

United need to get everything in place for next season as soon as possible, especially following Tuesday’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, which served as an emphatic reminder of how far behind the club currently is.

Getting deals for Ten Hag and Van der Gaag over the line before the end of the season will allow the pair to make a head start on a summer rebuild, with Ralf Rangnick admitting that up to ten signings could be made ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

A major shake-up is required at Old Trafford, so pushing through a move for Van der Gaag could be crucial for Ten Hag prior to an official United announcement – the last thing they need is a hectic summer of rushed transfer decisions.

In other news: Contact made: Man Utd now working on signing ‘unplayable’ star once valued at £125m for Ten Hag. 

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has been passed fit for his side’s Champions League clash with Benfica on Tuesday night, journalist Ian Doyle has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Liverpool face latest test

The Reds continue their quadruple charge with a trip to Portugal as they take on the Lisbon outfit in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

In truth, Jurgen Klopp’s men were handed a relatively kind draw in the grand scheme of things, with the Portuguese side surprise winners over Ajax in the last round.

Jones was a doubt for the game after he limped out of Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Watford, but a positive update has now emerged.

The Latest: Jones passed fit

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Doyle confirmed via Klopp that the 21-year-old was in contention to start, having overcome his weekend problem.

The journalist tweeted: “Klopp on injuries: Full squad available for the game, absolutely. Curtis had a little swelling, disappeared overnight. Trent now, 4-5 days is ready as well.”

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The Verdict: Place on the bench

Prior to going off last weekend, Jones had disappointed against Watford, firing a couple of efforts wide of the target and struggling to get into the game, also losing possession 12 times.

For that reason, it would be a surprise if he starts tonight in what is another crucial match in Liverpool’s potentially legendary season, especially given his recent injury concern and his rarity of starts throughout the season in general.

Fabinho coming back into the number six role makes complete sense, while Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita could be the number eights, allowing Thiago to be managed carefully ahead of Sunday’s huge Premier League clash with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

In other news, a fresh update has emerged regarding Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future. Read more here.

Tim Spiers has delivered a killer blow with an update on Wolves star Pedro Neto’s injury situation.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s Tim Spiers, Wolves winger Pedro Neto has suffered a setback in his recovery from a dislocated kneecap and is now due to be out until February 2022.

The report claims that he was initially expected to return to training in October, following the injury that he sustained in April of this year. He is now set to watch on from the sidelines for the rest of the year and the start of 2022.

Lage will be gutted

Wolves boss Bruno Lage will be gutted with this news as he will surely want to work with the best possible players this season and Neto was one of the club’s top performers in the Premier League last term.

The Portuguese attacker averaged a phenomenal WhoScored rating of 7.11 across 30 starts and was the club’s top scorer and assister, with five goals and six assists. This suggests that Wanderers have lost their biggest goal threat as well as their most prolific creator in one fell swoop

He also won five WhoScored Man of the Match awards last term, the most by any Wolves player, whilst his two key passes per game topped the charts for creativity. These statistics highlight how important he was to Nuno Santo and why Lage will be devastated that he now has to potentially wait six months before he is able to utilise his talents on the pitch.

Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer hailed him as a huge talent after he scored against Southampton in the Premier League last season. He said.

“A huge talent who is having a fine season. He changed the game and scored a great goal.

As Shearer explained, Neto changed the game with his goal. He is a match-winner, as shown by him scoring and assisting more goals than any other Wolves player, and that is what makes him difficult to replace for Lage. The Portuguese head coach needs his other forwards, like Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore, to step up in his absence and start picking up the load in front of goal.

If they struggle to do that and Wolves go on a barren run in terms of scoring, it could be a long wait for February to roll around. Although, it must be stressed that there is no guarantees that Neto will be able to hit the ground running instantly after such a serious injury, so the club should not rush him back.

AND in other news, Lage must avoid first Wolves howler over £77k-p/w “monster”, fans would be livid…

Celtic were keen on securing a late deal for striker Kevin Nesbit but baulked at Hibernian’s £4million asking price, according to The Celtic Way reporter Anthony Haggerty.

Ange Postecoglou, who was appointed as the Bhoys’ new manager in June, brought in a host of fresh faces during the transfer window and was also eyeing Scotland international Nesbit all summer.

According to PLZ, via the Daily Record, Celtic also sounded out the possibility of being able to clinch Nesbit’s services with former Hibs frontman Leigh Griffiths and cash going in the opposite direction.

However, Hibs boss Jack Ross rubbished claims of a transfer being in the offing a matter of days before the deadline and, while Griffiths has joined Dundee on loan until the end of the season, Nesbit has remained with his current employers.

The 24-year-old has already scored three goals this season and Haggerty insists Celtic were interested but unwilling to meet the frontman’s valuation.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “They quite like Kevin Nesbit but they didn’t know if he was worth the £4million Hibs were looking for in terms of a transfer fee.

“There was talk of Celtic offering cash plus a player on loan and I thought there might have been a deal to be done there.”

Even though Wolves currently have the joint-second lowest number of players in their squad with just 24 across the current crop of Premier League clubs, it’s surprising that they have a significant number of players currently out on loan deals with other teams.

One Wolves player that is currently out on loan is 23-year-old attacker Patrick Cutrone who is spending his season with Italian club FC Empoli.

Despite being rather familiar with going out on loan away from Molineux, having spent temporary spells at clubs such as Fiorentina and Valencia, Cutrone finds himself back in Serie A to show what he can do. He signed for Wolves on a permanent basis back in the 2019 summer transfer window from AC Milan for a fee of £16.2m but hasn’t exactly set the world alight.

Things have not exactly been plain sailing for the Italian so far this season either. With seven appearances across all competitions and a total of 373 minutes under his belt for Empoli, Cutrone has yet to score a goal or provide an assist for them.

Cutrone’s last start for Empoli in Serie A saw him substituted in the second half of their 3-0 defeat against Sampdoria at home after the striker failed to register a single shot at goal and lost possession on ten occasions, ultimately earning him a rather uninspiring overall match rating of 6.6/10 according to SofaScore.

Taking this into account and the fact that Wolves manager Bruno Lage urged Cutrone to stay at the Midlands club this summer and prove himself there, he won’t be happy to see that his latest loan spell has gone the way it has so far.

Since joining Wolves, Cutrone, who is currently valued at £8.1m via Transfermarkt, has made 28 appearances for the Old Gold across all competitions in which he has managed to score only three goals and provide four assists in the process.

In our view, it’s safe to say that while Cutrone’s latest loan spell away from Wolves has not got off to a great start as of yet, there’s still a significant time left in the season for him to turn his form around and make the best use of the time he has there.

However, if the player doesn’t manage to do this, then he will put his place at Wolves at risk if they don’t feel like he’s good enough to be a regular figure for them in the Premier League.

On the evidence he’s provided over the last few years, they must get rid. Lage simply has to wield the axe on his Molineux career.

In other news: Forget Hwang: “Special” £41k-p/w Wolves ace who made 3 key passes ran the show vs NUFC

Newcastle United have now reportedly made an offer to try and sign Carles Perez before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Winger needed

The St. James’ Park faithful currently only have three natural wingers in their squad at the moment (Transfermarkt), and one of them is Jacob Murphy, who may be seen more as a right wing-back when the new 2021/22 Premier League season starts.

Thus, if he, Allan Saint-Maximin or Ryan Fraser were to find themselves injured for a sustained period of time, it would leave Steve Bruce pretty short in that area.

The Latest: Perez offer

As per Italian football journalist Rudy Galetti, the North East club have ‘officially stepped forward’ to sign Perez, and have made an offer to AS Roma of around €10m (£8.5m) for his signature.

There are ‘ongoing evaluations’ between both teams as the Tyneside club look to strike a deal before the window closes.

The Verdict: Sign

Given the lack of depth in wide areas, it would be a smart move for Bruce and co to go out and sign Perez, especially if they can get him for a mere £8.5m.

Once praised by Lionel Messi while he was at FC Barcelona back in 2019, the Spaniard will feel as if he has a point to prove, and at just 23 years of age, still has a lot of potential.

His three goals and three assists in 31 games in total over all competitions last term (Transfermarkt) show that he can be deadly at times in front of goal, but is perhaps lacking a little consistency.

Nonetheless, £8.5m could turn out to be a steal for a position that needs filling for the Tyneside club.

In other news, find out which £12.6m-rated ‘phenomenon’ NUFC are keen on signing here!

An update has emerged on Rangers loanee Cedric Itten, regarding a potential change in style for the Ibrox forward under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

What’s been said?

Responding to a fan’s question about loan players suiting van Bronckhorst’s squad, The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell named the attacker as an ‘interesting case’.

The report claimed that he was told Itten had been training to play in a similar way to Tottenham’s £108m-rated striker Harry Kane, in the way that he drops deep to receive the ball.

He said:

“Cedric Itten is an interesting case. When I watched him at St Gallen, it was obvious he was not a target man primarily. But Gerrard tended to start him from the right as a way to play towards him diagonally.

“I don’t think it played to his strengths and I was told in the summer, in the lead-up to the Malmo first leg he had to start because Alfredo Morelos was suspended, that Itten had been working on dropping deep in a way that replicated the role Harry Kane has carved out at Tottenham.”

Unleash him

The Gers have a number of players currently out on loan and van Bronckhorst may want to run the rule over them heading into January, in case he decides that he wants to recall them to utilise their talents in the second half of the campaign.

Instead of asking Ross Wilson to splash the cash on expensive additions to the squad, the Dutchman could bring Itten – for example – back to Ibrox and look to make him a success. This could save the club millions in the transfer window and make for an intriguing tactical tweak in the coming months.

The £14k-per-week gem, who was once dubbed “superb” by ex-Gers boss Steven Gerrard, could slot perfectly into the way van Bronckhorst’s team has set up since his arrival if he is able to play in a similar way to Kane.

If Itten can drop deep to receive the ball on the half-turn before spinning and firing the ball into the space he vacated then it could be a masterstroke by the Dutchman.

Ryan Kent and Fashion Sakala, who played in the wide roles vs Hearts, have pace to burn and could make runs inside their full-backs into the space Itten leaves – latching onto the Swiss striker’s passes to go through on goal. Scott Arfield and Joe Aribo have also made a similar run from deep that could suit this style of play, with both scoring goals by making runs past the attacker.

Itten scored 36 goals in 63 games for St Gallen, showing that he has the ability to be a regular goalscorer to go along with his potential stylistic suitability to van Bronckhorst’s side, but he is yet to fulfil his potential for Rangers.

By bringing him back to the club in January and utilising him in this new role, the ex-Feyenoord coach could get the best out of him.

AND in other news, Forget Tavernier: “Terrific” Rangers beast with 51 duels won is already Gvb’s key man…

Sunderland enjoyed a busy January transfer window as Kristjaan Speakman brought in a number of players to bolster then-manager Lee Johnson’s squad.

Jermain Defoe, Jack Clarke, Jay Matete, Trai Hume, Danny Batth and Patrick Roberts all came in to aid the club’s attempts to win promotion to the Championship this season.

One of those signings has already flopped as Defoe recently announced his retirement from football after playing seven League One matches for the club.

Kristjaan Speakman error

Another January signing who the club could end up making an embarrassing error over is attacking midfielder Patrick Roberts.

At the time of his arrival, Johnson said: “We hope that this is the place he calls home for a number of years.”

However, that may not transpire as he is attracting interest from elsewhere. TEAMtalk recently reported that Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise are keen on a deal for the former Manchester City man at the end of the season.

They are set to have Champions League football to offer and want to tempt Roberts into making the switch just months after he signed for the Black Cats.

This is where Speakman must act quickly to avoid making this blunder. He was only able to agree a short-term deal with the forward until the end of the season and must now extend his terms to secure his future at the Stadium of Light.

At the very least, Roberts signing a new contract would allow Sunderland to recoup a fee for his services instead of losing him for nothing in the summer.

The winger has one goal and has averaged 1.3 key passes per game across ten matches in League One, starting four times, and has the potential to improve further at the age of 25. He still has his best years ahead of him as he is yet to reach his peak and he could enjoy that at the Stadium of Light if he stays.

Ex-Black Cats player Stephen Elliott dubbed him “sublime” recently and former Norwich head coach Daniel Farke also previously hailed the forward’s talents, saying: “He is a brilliant lad who is full of potential. He is the type of player who can change a game because he has this ability that he can create something in a one against one situation.”

These comments suggest that Sunderland are yet to see the best of the attacker and that is why they cannot lose him on a free. It would be embarrassing to lose a player of his talent without receiving payment for him just months after bringing him to the club, which is why Speakman must rectify his error to avoid making another one.

AND in other news, Cost £13.6m, now worth £1.8m: SAFC had a nightmare on dud who “lacked professionalism”…

A number Manchester City fans have, tongue in cheek, been ruing the absence of Paul Pogba from their upcoming clash with Manchester United.

On Sunday, the Red Devils suffered humiliation at the hands of Liverpool at Old Trafford as they were defeated 5-0 – Mohamed Salah was the man of the match as he picked up a hat-trick. As it stands, the Citizens are already six points ahead of their local rivals after just nine matches (Sky Sports).

[freshpress-quiz

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s woes were compounded when Pogba received a straight red card for a poor challenge on the Reds’ Naby Keita. As a result, the 28-year-old will miss United’s clash with City on November 6 through suspension, but some City supporters have shared their displeasure.

With the Frenchman often flattering to deceive, some of the Etihad faithful joked that his suspension is actually worse news for the Premier League champions than for United.

The news was shared on @City_Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Pogba’s suspension

“Gutted”

Credit: @joe_nolann

“Advantage United”

Credit: @BernardoTouch

“Oh no”

Credit: @Nazario_24_

“pain”

Credit: @ItsFodenTime

“Advantage United”

Credit: @100_MCFC

“That’s just not fair !!! Surely City can appeal this decision ?”

Credit: @MWeaver72139842

In other news, lots of Man City fans react to this Raheem Sterling news

Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson may not be ready to return from injury until ‘the last two or three games in the season’.

That’s according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, who was speaking to GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Wilson hasn’t played for Newcastle in 2022, having suffered a calf injury in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United on 27 December.

The £46,200-per-week frontman, who remains the team’s top scorer with six goals, has now been sidelined for 13 matches in total.

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The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards had reported in March that Wilson had an ‘outside chance’ of returning against Wolves. He said a comeback against Crystal Palace on April 20 or Norwich City on April 23 looked far more ‘likely’.

However, it now appears that the timeline has been extended further.

The latest

Downie has heard from his sources that Wilson won’t be ready until the May 8 trip to Manchester City at the earliest.

But he wouldn’t rule out the striker being kept back until next season.

“I think the best case scenario, from what I’m hearing, is he will maybe be involved in the last two or three games in the season, but by then they might be safe, so is there any need to do that?” he said.

“Are you better off just getting him into good shape for the start of next season?”

The verdict

Downie identifies an important consideration here. Journalist Pete O’Rourke has previously said that Eddie Howe will be eagerly awaiting the ‘welcome’ boost of Wilson’s return, but do they need to play the long game?

In theory, the more recovery time Wilson is afforded, the lower the risk of re-injury. Any setback could affect the no. 9’s preparations for the 2022/23 campaign.

This is a player whose lengthy injury record demands that he be managed with particular care.

And Newcastle may also have to consider bringing in a new no. 9 who can deputise more effectively than Chris Wood in the event of future problems.

Wood has only scored one non-penalty goal in his 12 appearances since he joined from Burnley.

In other news, read this transfer insider’s latest PIF claim.