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Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Randal Kolo Muani and Rasmus Hojland once the summer transfer window arrives.

Will a striker arrive at United this summer?

The Red Devils have become a truly formidable outfit again this summer, despite a recent dip in form that has included respective 7-0 and 2-0 defeats away to Liverpool and Newcastle United. The EFL Cup has already been won and there is also a genuinely good chance of Europa League and FA Cup glory, too.

As the summer window egdes closer, the one area of the pitch that could arguably do with the biggest upgrade is in attack, with Wout Weghorst only on loan until the end of the season and Anthony Martial simply injured far too often to be considered a key player.

The likes of Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen have emerged as summer targets, with the pair arguably among the best in the world in their position currently, but they may not be the only options that United are looking at. A new update certainly suggests that is the case, with two new other names being thrown into the hat.

Are Muani and Hojlund strong targets?

According to Give Me Sport's Dean Jones, United will "explore the suitability" of both Muani and Hojlund in the coming weeks, seeing the pair as potential additions at the end of the season if their "striker hunt takes them into plans beyond the game’s elite stars."

It is believed that Eintracht Frankfurt star Muani is "slightly preferred between the two new targets as it stands" but could cost £105m, although Atalanta ace Hojlund is also in the mix. The former has scored 12 goals in 24 Bundesliga starts this season, as well as netting twice in the Champions League, while the latter has seven in 14 Serie A starts in 2022/23 to date.

While both players are clearly two effective young footballers with possible big futures in the game, they may still be more of a risk than Kane or Osimhen, at a point where United need to be a signing a sure-fit hit who can be explosive from the off and take them to another level.

For that, they could be better off avoiding Muani and Hojljund for the time being – they could be great options further down the line – and instead go all in on either Kane or Osimhen. The Tottenham legend could be sensational, having scored 271 goals for his current club, many of which have come in the Premier League. Age is working against Kane, though, ahead of his 30th birthday, so 24-year-old Osimhen has the edge in that respect and has also been on free-scoring form in recent seasons.

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani is still keeping his options open regarding the managerial situation at Elland Road, according to Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Gracia in charge for now

The Whites have suffered another tough season in the Premier League, once again battling relegation after surviving by the skin of their teeth last time around.

Leeds find themselves sitting 14th in the table with 11 matches remaining, with Javi Garcia coming in and doing an impressive job as the club’s manager on a short-team deal.

The Spaniard replaced the departed Jesse Marsch after the American struggled to ever properly get going in charge, and Saturday’s 4-2 win away to Wolves was one of the most important results of the campaign to date.

Gracia is only currently in the Elland Road hot seat until the end of the season, at which point Leeds will have a big decision to make regarding the situation.

The Latest: Radrizzani keeping options ‘open’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs claimed that Gracia would likely get the job if Leeds stay up but Radrizzani and the 49ers are continuing to keep their cards close to their chest:

“We know that Andoni Iraola was a top choice, but there was no ability to get a deal done with Rayo Vallecano and Iraola wasn’t that intent on leaving mid-season either.

“There are lots of moving parts with Leeds at the moment, and the best way for Gracia to get the job beyond this season is to keep Leeds up.

“But I think all options are being kept open at this stage.”

The Verdict: Massive few months

In fairness to Gracia, it would be a huge surprise if he kept Leeds in the Premier League and was then disposed of by Radrizzani, given the job he would have done.

Assuming he wants to stay on as boss, keeping him in charge makes perfect sense, as the Whites look for some stability under a manager with genuine pedigree, having guided Watford to the 2019 FA Cup final.

Should Leeds go down, things could be different, in truth, while Radrizzani and the new 49ers group are understandably planning for a scenario where Gracia ends up not wanting to extend his stay at Elland Road.

As things stand, though, he is doing enough to guide the Whites to safety come May, and given the positive results he is picking up, the supporters will surely be perfectly content to see him remain as manager this summer and beyond.

Chelsea are interested in swooping for Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi, who took the reins at the AMEX Stadium to replace Graham Potter, who previously left Albion to join the Blues and is now facing intense scrutiny over his position at the head of the table at Stamford Bridge.

It’s about as tumultuous a situation as it gets, like the roar of a disgruntled crowd in the face of a questionable VAR decision.

And with The Telegraph’s Matt Law stating that the next two matches might be “make or break” for Potter, with Chelsea tenth in the Premier League and 14 points adrift of the top-four, boasting just two victories from the past 15 outings across all competitions, a change might indeed be made.

According to Football Insider, Blues owner Todd Boehly has earmarked the current Seagulls boss as an option to replace the club’s under-fire manager, amid interest in the Italian from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with the future of their manager Antonio Conte itself shrouded in uncertainty.

Should Boehly appoint De Zerbi?

Boehly would replicate his first managerial appointment and have another big blunder on his hands with a move for De Zerbi, with the 43-year-old of the same mould as the current man in the dugout.

Frankly, for all Potter’s acumen on the south coast, it has not worked out at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea face a dreadful end of a woeful season, with the Sun’s Alex Matthews recently saying “he’s out of his depth.”

De Zerbi has been lauded as a “special” coach by journalist Carlo Garganese, and while he is clearly a tactically astute manager with a commendable approach to his systematic construction and footballing intellect, he fails to boast the experience and pedigree of managing a club looking to land silverware of the very highest order, drawing parallels with Potter in this regard.

Albion sit in seventh place in the top-flight, four points behind Liverpool, and his impact has been profound – even being described as “very influential” by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

But given Potter’s tutelage at Brighton saw the club complete a steady rise up the ranks in the Premier League, there might be fear that lightning will strike twice should the past approach be emulated in this regard.

No discredit to the work that De Zerbi has forged on the south coast, but it’s a formula Chelsea are all too familiar with at present, and given the current woes, there might be a sense of incredulity pervading across west London if the club dipped back down the road to prise another manager away from Brighton.

And given reports from Spain have hinted that the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Enrique are available, there is a discernible route that Chelsea must delve down to navigate toward brighter pastures under their new owners.

Conor McGilligan believes the possibility of Leeds United being relegated will put Rafael Benitez off the managerial role.

The Lowdown: A permanent manager is needed

After back-to-back solid performances against Manchester United which resulted in one point being picked up, some Leeds fans and people on the board may have seen Michael Skubala as a fine option moving forward until the end of the season.

However, they failed to get anything from their relegation six-pointer away to Everton yesterday and what’s even more damning is that they didn’t lay a glove on the Toffees registering zero shots on target.

Therefore, it appears clear the new coach bounce has already evaded Skubala and a new permanent manager with experience being a first team manager has to be put in place before the Southampton game this weekend.

The Latest: Benitez being linked

Benitez was a pundit on Sky Sports yesterday and insisted that he’s happy in England and wants a return to Premier League management, which is what could well see Leeds miss out on the Spaniard given their perilous position as McGilligan discussed on his YouTube channel.

He said: (17:38) “Obviously he’s worked at [Real] Madrid, he’s worked at Chelsea but I don’t think Rafa would come. He wants to stay in the Premier League, he wants a project. Are Leeds going to stay in the Premier League? Is he really going to take over a team that is where we are?

“I don’t think he’s ever taken control of a team that is in the position that Leeds are in.”

The Verdict: Leeds must go all out for Benitez

It’s safe to say that a permanent manager that can get a grip on this rather talented Leeds squad and ensure they maintain their top-flight status in any way possible is very much required as soon as possible.

Even if Leeds were to go down under the stewardship of someone such as Benitez then they can still look forward to a season in the Championship as he does have experience of getting promoted at the first time of asking as he won the title with Newcastle United back in 2017.

While Benitez certainly wouldn’t guarantee survival – he did relegate Newcastle – but with 173 Premier League wins under his belt he would be far more experienced at handling the pressure of the top flight than Skubala so Victor Orta should be working tirelessly to convince his fellow countrymen to join the Whites.

Manchester United should have made an attempt to sign midfielder Jorginho before his deadline day move to Arsenal, claims journalist Jamie Jackson.

The Lowdown: Deadline Day

Erik ten Hag was forced into adding a fresh face in midfield after it was confirmed on Tuesday morning that Christian Eriksen would be out until the end of April at the earliest (via Man Utd).

The news of missing a key player who’s been a key part of the Dutchman’s plans since he arrived – playing 31 games in total so far – amid their position in the top four of the Premier League was only cushioned by a last-minute swoop to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on loan (via BBC) to replace the 30-year-old.

The Latest: Jackson’s comments

However, Manchester football correspondent Jackson questioned why United didn’t attempt to bring in another midfielder available on deadline day who he dubbed as the signing of the January transfer window on Sky Sports, following Jorginho’s £12m switch to Arsenal (via BBC).

He said: “I’m going to say Jorginho [is the signing of the window], because I can’t believe for £12m… for example, the club I report on, Manchester United, who sort of need a midfielder, didn’t have a look at him; it just shows the money they don’t have at the moment.

“This is a guy who’s European champion at club and country level, he’s only 31 and crumbs – £12m to buy the gentleman, I think that’s an unbelievable value.”

The Verdict: Right fit?

With Jorginho out of contract at Chelsea at the end of the season, it made sense for the Blues to cash in on the 31-year-old amid their €329.5m (£288.9m) January window spending spree.

The Italian played 25 times for Chelsea this season, with all but one of those appearances coming as a centre-midfielder, as opposed to in a defensive role, highlighting the difference between the profile of Jorginho and Sabitzer, with the United signing playing only eight times there in his whole career.

With Casemiro occupying the defensive midfield slot at United, there perhaps wasn’t room to accommodate someone like Jorginho in his natural position, whilst Eriksen’s role further up the pitch arguably suits Sabitzer’s game more given all but one of his Bundesliga appearances this season have come as a centre-midfielder, making the move for the Austrian understandably more popular behind the scenes at Old Trafford.

Tottenham Hotspur are tracking the situation of Leandro Trossard and Fabrizio Romano expects some form of development surrounding his future in the coming days.

What’s the latest?

Spurs are said to be eyeing a possible move for the Brighton & Hove Albion forward, Trossard, this month amid his ongoing situation on the south coast.

The Belgian has had a very public falling out with the Brighton manager and is believed to have left the country as their spat developed over the weekend.

It is also believed Spurs have already had a verbal offer for the Belgian rejected by Brighton with the offer believed to be worth in the region of £12m.

And as the speculation continues to grow over his future with Brighton, Romano has said on the House of Champions YouTube channel that he expects the Belgian to leave this month:

“It is true Tottenham approached Brighton. It was a few days ago; at the moment, not reaching any agreement, but it’s true that Tottenham are very interested in Trossard. He’s one of the options they are considering, he’s a player appreciated, but at the moment, it’s still not at an advanced stage yet.

“I think the player will leave in January. The player wants to go; his relationship with De Zerbi and with Brighton, in general, is broken. So the player asked the club to leave immediately and I think in the next days there will be developments for a player who is really interesting – Premier League-proven.”

Optimism for Spurs?

Given their form over the last few months, it would seem apparent that Spurs need some form of a boost this month to rescue their season from truly capitulating.

And it does appear as if the Belgian is the option they could look to if they are to bring in another forward over the course of this month.

However, there is a belief that the Seagulls are looking for an offer in the region of £25m if they are to allow their seven-goal forward to depart in this January window.

There could also be another issue for the Lilywhites in their reported interest in Trossard and that is possible competition from their north London rivals.

Arsenal have recently missed out on the signing of Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea and there have since been suggestions that the Belgian could be on their list as a potential alternative.

And if it does come down to a shootout between the two north London sides this month, there would be major question marks as to why Trossard would choose Spurs over Arsenal at the moment.

But it is yet to be seen how his return to Brighton may pan out with his manager, Roberto De Zerbi, actually saying he would welcome him back and look to strengthen their relationship.

But it seems as if Romano is of the belief this stage has sailed past and the Belgian will still be intent on leaving the club this month following the blunt statement released by his agent.

Glasgow Rangers are yet to make their first senior addition to their squad during Michael Beale’s first transfer window in charge of the Ibrox giants.

The English head coach replaced Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the break for the 2022 World Cup break and this month is his first opportunity to bring in his own players.

Sky Sports recently reported that the Light Blues are ‘leading’ the race to sign attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell on a permanent deal from Championship side Norwich and he could be Beale’s first addition.

However, the Canaries gem may not be the only signing of the month for the Gers as they are also reportedly one of a number of teams in Europe interested in a deal to sign Romanian youth international Alexi Pitu from FCV Farul.

Beale could now form an exciting pairing at the top end of the pitch by signing the 20-year-old gem and pairing him with his fellow countryman Ianis Hagi.

The pair trained, and played once, together when they were at Viitorul Constanta and Pitu recently responded to a question asking if reuniting with the Gers gem would interest him by saying:

“Yes I would very much love to play with Ianis again, but first I want to win the title with Farul Constanta.

“I focus on football, I do my training and in the matches, I try to give my best.

“I understand the interest in playing with Ianis at Rangers and of course, it would be very nice.”

Rangers must now convince Pitu to ditch his current club in favour of a move to Ibrox as his form this season indicates that he could be an excellent signing for the Gers.

The gem, who has been described as a “playmaker” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has produced five goals and five assists in 19 league starts for Constanta, which means that the forward has contributed with a goal contribution more than once in every two matches.

Hagi, meanwhile, is due to return from injury this month and has already proven himself in a Light Blues shirt, with 15 goals and 21 assists in 85 appearances for the club in all competitions.

Both players can play anywhere across the attack and this means that Beale could pair them together in a multitude of ways, with one out wide and the other in the number 10 role, or both of them lining up on the flanks to run at teams and cause them problems.

Therefore, the head coach could seal an exciting, Romanian, duo for the Gers in the second half of the season by signing Pitu to play alongside Hagi and deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.

Sky pundit and former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has raved as West Ham eye a move for Man United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka

The Lowdown: Hammers linked…

The Englishman’s future under Erik ten Hag is currently up in the air as top flight clubs nearer the foot of the table circle ahead of January.

West Ham are among the sides eyeing a move for Wan-Bissaka but could face stern competition from the likes of Wolves and Crystal Palace, according to reports.

David Moyes’ side are languishing near the bottom three and have lost the division’s joint-largest number of matches alongside Southampton and Wolves (9).

The Latest: Robinson thrilled…

The need for reinforcements is arguably obvious, and as West Ham allegedly target Wan-Bissaka, pundit Robinson has claimed he could be the ‘perfect fit’.

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Speaking to Football Insider, he explained:

“He is not in the thinking of Erik ten Hag.

“I believe David Moyes would be able to get the best out of him. He has fallen out of favour at United. He has not had the run of the green.

“I think he would excel at West Ham. He is the type of player Moyes loves.

“There will be no shortage of takers for him. It is important he takes the correct step next though.

“At West Ham, he would get game time under a fantastic man-manager. It would also allow him to move back to London. I think it would be the perfect fit. That would be a good move for all parties in my eyes.”

The Verdict: Make the move?

Wan-Bissaka has been hailed as one of the best one-v-one defenders in recent seasons, and despite his lacklustre last 12 months at Old Trafford, the defender could indeed bolster Moyes’ options.

Vladimir Coufal arguably hasn’t replicated his stunning debut season at the London Stadium recently and West Ham may need to weigh up alternatives.

It seems as if Wan-Bissaka could be available and could possibly provide more strength in depth at full-back.

New Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale has barely been in the job for a full week and he has already received some positive injury news.

What’s the latest?

According to sources close to Vital Rangers, Beale revealed that Connor Goldson, Kemar Roofe and Ben Davies are all close to returning to first-team action.

The recent pictures of training at Auchenhowie show Roofe taking part in the training sessions under Beale and his coaches, which points to a hopeful return before Christmas.

The 42-year-old also discussed the club’s recent injury crisis, explaining that the club will be stronger when everyone returns:

“It’s fair to say we’ve got some key injuries at the moment, we need to get them back fit because they’ll certainly make us stronger. We don’t want to use that as an excuse right now but it will certainly make us stronger over time when they get back and then we’ll look at that.

“In the coming month we will have Ianis Hagi and Tom Lawrence as well and all of a sudden we will have a much stronger squad and a much stronger Rangers.”

Fantastic news

This update is exactly what the Ibrox faithful needed to hear, and this is both fantastic news and a massive boost for the manager.

Having Goldson back sooner rather than later – whose average Sofascore match rating of 7.24 ranks him as Gers’ joint fourth-best performer in the league – will be imperative if Beale wants to secure some early success at the club.

Indeed, the new boos will know just how big a boost Goldson’s return would be for the rest of the squad – having coached him for three and half years during his spell as first-team coach under Steven Gerrard.

Having summer arrival Davies – whose own average Sofascore match rating of 6.97 ranks him as the Light Blues’ ninth-best player in the top flight – back quickly to partner Goldson at the heart of the Ibrox defence will also be crucial, as Giovanni van Bronckhorst had to shuffle his pack numerous times due to the injury issues at the club, which didn’t exactly help with stability.

Finally, the return of Roofe – who has played just nine minutes of first-team football so far this season – will also be a very welcome boost for Beale, as, despite the 29-year-old unlikely to be considered a first-choice centre-forward this term, his 16 goals over 36 appearances in all competitions last season would come in very useful from the bench.

Indeed, if Beale can get these key players off the treatment table and onto the pitch in the coming weeks, the second half of the season might be more fruitful than the early months – with Gers currently trailing the league leaders by nine points.

Queens Park Rangers’ focus right now is on finding a manager to replace Michael Beale at Loftus Road but it seems as if they are still considering some players ahead of the January transfer window.

According to Football League World, Lincoln City defender Regan Poole is attracting a lot of interest from Championship clubs including QPR ahead of next month’s transfer window.

The 24-year-old has been a regular at Sincil Bank since joining the Imps from MK Dons in 2021, making 101 appearances in all competitions in a number of positions across the backline.

Kennedy was full of praise for the Welshman after he reached a century of appearances for Lincoln, saying:

“It is a phenomenal achievement and one we have seen TJ Eyoma reach recently too. The lads should be very proud of themselves.

“I keep saying we have got the youngest squad in the league, and within that we look at Regan as one of our leaders, yet he is only 24. For him to get to that level already means he deserves a huge amount of credit and all the plaudits which are coming his way.

“He is a high-end guy in terms of his characteristics as a person, and is somebody we are privileged to have at our club.”

Poole, who has represented Wales U21s on 23 occasions, can play as a right-back, defensive midfielder and a centre-back but has prospered in the heart of Lincoln’s defence over the past two campaigns.

After helping Lincoln to the playoff final in his first season with the club, the former Manchester United man was a mainstay in Michael Appleton’s side last season, making 44 appearances in League One, averaging a solid 6.73 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He is impressing once again under Mark Kennedy in the current campaign, averaging a 6.86 rating across his 18 appearances in the third tier, which would rank him as the seventh-best performer had he produced the same level of performance with QPR.

Should he arrive at Loftus Road in January, he could emulate Rob Dickie, who made the move from League One to QPR in 2020 before earning the supporter’s player of the season in his debut campaign after some superb displays for the Hoops.

Poole and Dickie are both centre-backs who excel with the ball at their feet, as WhoScored suggests that both players’ strengths include passing, while they have both averaged the exact same number of aerials won per game (3.1) so far this campaign.

Therefore, they are clearly similar types of centre-back and considering Dickie’s success at Loftus Road since arriving from Oxford United, QPR’s new manager would surely be foolish to turn down any opportunity to sign Poole in January.