Tag Futebol

Liverpool could look to make defensive signings in the January transfer window and one "incredible" ace has been backed to move to Anfield.

Liverpool need to sign defenders…

The Reds' season has just lost its momentum in recent weeks, with the 2-1 defeat away to Tottenham setting them back significantly, and Sunday's 2-2 draw at Brighton also proving to be a frustrating afternoon.

Jurgen Klopp's side are only three points adrift of Spurs and Arsenal in the Premier League title race, and the fact that Manchester City are only one ahead of Liverpool is a bonus, but improvements are needed if they are to go all the way this season.

The summer transfer window was all about the midfield rebuild at Anfield, with four new players signed in that area of the pitch, and five going the other way, including Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.

Now, it may be time to start focusing on the defence, considering both Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip are in their 30s, while Andy Robertson hits that milestone next year. Signing a centre-back who is also capable of playing at left-back could be seen as ideal, and a new update could give Liverpool fans some confidence about it happening.

Piero Hincapie transfer update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, The Redmen TV presenter Paul Machin backed the Reds to complete the signing of highly-rated Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie in January or next summer:

"I think Liverpool would have moved for one in the summer if there'd been a little bit more time and they'd been able to get the midfield targets sorted sooner. I think it's a very, very high priority.

"The other one probably on top of that shortlist is Hincapie from Leverkusen. He will be right at the top of that shortlist. He’s young, talented and can fulfil two roles. That's the profile of defender Liverpool will need moving into January and next summer."

Hincapie has been linked with Liverpool a number of times in the past, and although a summer move failed to materialise, it does feel as though they see him as an ideal signing in the near future. In truth, it is hard to find many negatives against the Reds bringing him in, with the 21-year-old already a key figure for Leverkusen – Hincapie's potential been described as "incredible" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past.

Last season, the Ecuadorian averaged 2.5 clearances and two aerial duel wins per game in the Bundesliga (Whoscored – Hincapie statistics), and his ability to shine at both centre-back and left-back could appeal so much to Klopp, as well as his long-term ceiling.

There is an argument to say that both Van Dijk and Robertson are not quite the players they used to be – the latter was at fault for Lewis Dunk's late equalier in the 2-2 draw with Brighton – and Hincapie could be seen as someone who can challenge both for minutes straight away.

Celtic may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of one reported January target after recent developments emerged detailing that his agent is trying to facilitate a move elsewhere for the man in question come the New Year.

Celtic latest news…

Brendan Rodgers has made an impressive impact upon returning to Celtic Park in the summer and has guided his side to claim a seven-point lead over arch-rivals Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership table. In the Champions League, the Hoops have fallen short so far against the likes of Feyenoord and Lazio; however, his side have competed in parts of both of their opening games in the competition and will hope to claim a major scalp when Atletico Madrid rock up in Glasgow's east end on Wednesday night.

Winning meaningful fixtures in Europe's premier competition is something that has eluded Celtic in the last decade, with their last home victory in the Champions League coming more than ten years ago against Ajax in a 2-1 victory in the 2013/14 edition of the tournament. Away from home, Celtic have fared slightly better, though you have to go back to Rodgers' first spell in Glasgow to uncover their last victory on the road in the Champions League, which came in a 3-0 triumph at Anderlecht in 2017/18.

So what is the reason for this? In truth, the financial gulf between Scottish sides and the European elite appears to have vastly widened; nevertheless, most Hoops fans will agree that their side could do with one or two established names plucked from the continent to help bolster their chances of progression.

One man who could certainly help that cause is Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who was reported last week to be a Celtic transfer target and someone viewed as an ideal successor to Joe Hart between the sticks at Parkhead.

Celtic's last five results – all competitions

Competition

Opponent and result

Venue

Scottish Premiership

Heart of Midlothian 1-4 Celtic

Tynecastle

Scottish Premiership

Celtic 3-1 Kilmarnock

Celtic Park

Champions League

Celtic 1-2 Lazio

Celtic Park

Scottish Premiership

Motherwell 1-2 Celtic

Fir Park

Scottish Premiership

Livingston 0-3 Celtic

Tony Macaroni Arena

Celtic transfer update – Andriy Lunin

According to an Andriy Lunin transfer update from a report in Spain, Celtic and Rodgers have received a boost in their pursuit of the Ukraine international after it emerged that his entourage have started to encourage the 24-year-old to secure a move away from the La Liga giants in January.

Lunin could be available on a free transfer midway through 2024 when his Real Madrid contract expires and the outlet claim that there are no signs that he will commit to a contract extension at the Santiago Bernabeu. The former Zorya Luhansk stopper is also believed to be aggrieved at his position in the pecking order under Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Labelled a "top goalkeeper" by Los Blancos manager Ancelotti, Lunin has made 19 appearances in all competitions since arriving in the Spanish capital, keeping five clean sheets in the process (Lunin statistics – Transfermarkt).

The Hoops are known to be in the market for a goalkeeper, so they could land themselves a potential bargain if Lunin were to complete a move to Parkhead.

Former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta can look back on his spell at Elland Road with plenty of pride as he enjoyed plenty of success in Yorkshire.

Whilst his time at the club ended on a low, with relegation back down to the Championship, the Spaniard did oversee some fantastic football under Marcelo Bielsa that led to a second-tier title and a ninth-placed Premier League finish.

The 44-year-old Sevilla chief had mixed success in the transfer market with a number of flops and successes throughout his tenure with the Whites.

However, he may also look back at some of the players who almost joined the club and wonder what could have happened if things had gone differently.

One target who was reportedly on the verge of a transfer to Elland Road before it eventually fell through and caused Orta looked elsewhere was Michael Cuisance ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.

Were Leeds interested in Michael Cuisance?

The Daily Mail reported in September 2020 that Leeds were closing in on a deal to sign the versatile midfielder in an £18m deal from Bayern Munich.

It was claimed that the club were discussing a five-year contract with the French gem and that the player was looking for a move in search of regular game time after failing to become a regular with the German giants.

However, the move did not go ahead as planned and Sky Sports then reported that the talented youngster had failed a medical in Yorkshire, although there were no specifics given as to why that was the case.

Cuisance has played the majority of his football as a central or attacking midfielder but Orta did not opt to sign an alternative with directly similar qualities as winger Raphinha was brought in for a reported £17m after they failed to sign the Bayern prospect.

However, the £18m target is a left-footed ace who can play out wide on the right and the plan may have been to utilise him out wide, which is where the Brazil international went on to thrive after his move from Rennes.

Why did Leeds want Cuisance?

Orta and Bielsa eyed up a deal for Cuisance after he had made his first-team breakthrough for Bayern during the 2019/20 campaign, following on from his move from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2019.

The France U20 international made ten appearances in all competitions and contributed with one goal and one assist from a midfield position, which both came in his nine Bundesliga outings.

That came after the central midfielder had played 39 senior matches in two seasons with Gladbach and chipped in with zero goals and three assists.

He started ten top-flight games in those two campaigns and this shows that the young Frenchman was set to arrive at Leeds with limited first-team experience under his belt.

Cuisance had yet to prove himself to be a reliable performer in a major European league, due to his sporadic appearances for Gladbach and Bayern, and had not contributed much at the top end of the pitch in the way of goals and assists.

Raphinha joined Leeds after the French midfielder's move to Elland Road collapsed.

How many goals did Raphinha score for Leeds?

If the two deals were linked, it turned out to be a blessing as the exciting winger scored 17 goals in 67 games for the club.

The Brazilian forward enjoyed two fantastic years in Yorkshire as he proved himself to be a reliable performer at Premier League level with his ability to score goals and create chances on a regular basis in the final third.

He contributed with six goals and nine assists in 30 top-flight appearances during his debut campaign to help Bielsa's side finish in the top-half of the table. In that time, the left-footed magician created 12 'big chances' in total and produced 2.1 key passes per game for his teammates.

Raphinha followed that up with 11 goals and three assists in 35 Premier League games throughout the 2021/22 season, as Leeds retained their status at the top level under Jesse Marsch, before his £55m move to Barcelona in the summer of 2022.

Where is Cuisance now?

Cuisance, meanwhile, has failed to kick on in his career and is currently with VfL Osnabrück on loan in the second tier of Austrian football.

The 24-year-old talent joined Marseille on loan from Bayern after his switch to Leeds fell through and scored twice in 30 appearances for the French side.

He eventually completed a permanent exit from the German giants to join Venezia in Italy during the January transfer window in 2022 and has only scored twice in 26 outings for the club to date.

How much is Cuisance worth now?

The former Leeds target, who was once described as a "rotten egg" by ex-Bayern player Markus Babbel, is currently valued at €3.6m (£3.1m) by FootballTransfers.

This means that Cuisance's value has plummeted by a staggering 83% from the £18m that Leeds were seemingly willing to splash on his services in 2020.

The midfielder, three years on from that transfer saga, is still yet to prove himself to be a consistent performer at the top level and now finds himself playing second-division football in Germany.

Whereas, Raphinha joined Leeds and instantly became a star for Bielsa on the right flank, cutting inside onto his stronger left foot to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.

The Brazil international joined for £17m and was sold for £55m and this means that Orta and the Whites made a significant 224% profit on him within a two-year period, to go along with his exceptional displays in the Premier League.

Therefore, the former Leeds chief avoided a huge blunder with Cuisance as his career trajectory since that summer suggests that he would have been a huge flop and cost the club a fortune, due to his lack of quality on the pitch and his decreasing market value.

He should now look back on the collapsed deal for the France U20 international as a blessing in disguise at the time as, in hindsight, it saved the Whites millions.

Having beaten Chelsea in their last outing, Nottingham Forest will be desperate to get back amongst it in the Premier League following an international break.

Anthony Elanga, who joined Forest from Manchester United in the summer, scored the only goal of the game at Stamford Bridge.

Burnley meanwhile fell at home to Tottenham Hotspur despite taking an early lead. The Clarets were ahead thanks to South African international Lyle Foster after just 4 minutes but a Heung-min Son hat-trick made all the difference in a 5-2 win for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

That win for Nottingham Forest takes them into the top half whilst Burnley remain at the foot of the table as one of only two teams, along with Luton Town, yet to pick up a point this term.

Next time out, the pair will face off at the City Ground and we at Football FanCast have peeled the curtain back on the history of this fixture, so you don’t have to.

Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Who has the better head-to-head record (competitive games only)?

This year’s form doesn’t in any way reflect how these two teams have fared against each other in the past with Burnley having the slight edge. These games have been fairly well spread out between top-tier football and life in the second division too.

Nottingham Forest wins 37 Draws 28 Burnley wins 43 Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Who has more wins at the City Ground?

Home form prevails for Nottingham Forest with their 55% win rate in this fixture at the City Ground being very respectable indeed.

Forest bounced around a few different stadiums in the area before arriving at The City Ground in 1898, where they’ve been ever since.

Nottingham Forest wins 29 Draws 13 Burnley wins 11 Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Who has more wins at Turf Moor?

Unlike Nottingham Forest, Burnley have never known anything different than Turf Moor. Similarly though, they have won more often than not on their own patch, at a rate of 58%, slightly higher than that of their upcoming opponents.

The club became one of the first professional teams in all the land in 1883 and they have that one ground since then.

Nottingham Forest wins 08 Draws 15 Burnley wins 32 Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Who has the better cup record?

Cup meetings between Nottingham Forest and Burnley have been few and far between with the two crossing paths just eight times since their first ever meeting in 1906.

Twice in the FA Cup these two teams have played but both of these outings came in the 1934/1935 season with the first attempt being drawn 0-0, before Burnley won the replayed game 3-0.

Nottingham Forest wins 02 Draws 01 Burnley wins 05 Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: How have the last 5 meetings played out?

Burnley’s recent stints in the Premier League have not coincided with that of Nottingham Forest until now, meaning that this will be the first meeting of the pair since the competition was created three decades ago.

30th August 2023- Nottingham Forest 0-1 Burnley:

Whilst it isn't a league meeting, these two teams will be familiar with each other after they were drawn together in the second round of the League Cup, which was played just a couple of weeks ago.

Some key players were rested but others remained in the XIs for the respective managers and so Steve Cooper wouldn’t have been particularly impressed to be eliminated so early. It was a stalemate for the majority of the game until Swiss substitute Zeki Amdouni sent the away fans into raptures at the City Ground in the 90th minute.

23rd February 2016- Burnley 1-0 Nottingham Forest:

We now travel back several years to the last league matchup between Nottingham Forest and Burnley.

The latter won the title that year in emphatic fashion but this dominance wasn’t necessarily reflected when crossing paths with Forest. Once again, it was decided by a single goal and the scorer this time was Sam Vokes.

20th October 2015- Nottingham Forest 1-1 Burnley:

In the reverse fixture, with Nottingham Forest’s season not yet having been derailed, they were able to hold Sean Dyche’s side to draw in a dreaded EFL midweek game.

The drama came in the last fifteen minutes with Forest shooting themselves in the foot just moments after taking the lead. Eric Lichaj found the back of the net only for Henri Lansbury to be sent off a couple of minutes later. An experienced and versatile Matthew Taylor was on hand to equalize in the dying embers.

22nd February 2014- Burnley 3-1 Nottingham Forest:

We’re again talking about a season that saw Burnley promoted to the Premier League and again, they came out on top against Nottingham Forest at Turf Moor.

Burnley stormed into a 3-0 lead before half-time thanks to a Scott Arfield strike and a Vokes brace. Djamel Abdoun missed from the penalty spot and then proceeded to convert the rebound but it was nothing more than a consolation.

23rd November 2013- Nottingham Forest 1-1 Burnley:

Sam Vokes continued his streak of bothering the Forest backline with his goal in their 1-1 draw in Nottingham coming from twelve yards out.

Who has played for both Nottingham Forest and Burnley?

Chris Wood (Burnley 2017-2022; Nottingham Forest 2023-current)

The first of three players to have played for both Nottingham Forest and Burnley is still currently active for the former.

Chris Wood performed well for Leicester City and Leeds United but he truly made his name as a Burnley player. He enjoyed both Premier League and Championship football with the Clarets before moving on to Newcastle United last summer. That transfer didn’t really work and after being loaned to Forest for the second-half of last season, he has now joined Cooper’s ranks on a permanent basis.

George Boyd (Nottingham Forest 2010; Burnley 2014-2017)

George Boyd is another player who enjoyed the highs of promotion and lows of relegation with Burnley and played some of his best football for them.

His spell with Nottingham Forest was a brief one, joining on loan from Peterborough United before he eventually established himself as a key player with the Posh. The Scottish international most recently played for Salford City before announcing his retirement in late 2021.

Tendayi Darikwa (Burnley 2015-2017; Nottingham Forest 2017-2021)

All three of these players incidentally played for Burnley in 2017 but Tendayi Darikwa is more closely associated with Nottingham Forest and may even be a sort of cult hero in and around the Trent.

The Zimbabwe international was actually born in Nottingham and yet it was Chesterfield where he played as a youngster. He eventually gravitated towards the City Ground where he played under the likes of Aitor Karanka and Sabri Lamouchi. Darikwa is currently plying his trade in Cyprus having left Wigan Athletic earlier this year.

What is Nottingham Forest’s biggest victory over Burnley?

18th September 1957: Nottingham Forest 7-0 Burnley

Nottingham Forest’s biggest win over Burnley saw them score seven unanswered goals nearly 70 years ago. Stewart Imlach and Tommy Wilson were amongst the scorers as they got two-a-piece.

They finished second in the second division the year prior and so were promoted to the top flight where this 7-0 pasting took place. At the end of the 1957/58 season, Forest ended up, very respectably, in tenth.

What is Burnley’s biggest victory over Nottingham Forest?

21st November 1959: Burnley 8-0 Nottingham Forest

It didn’t take long for Burnley to get their own back and they went one step further in fact.

Their 8-0 drubbing of Forest took place in the 1959/60 season and saw Jimmy Robson notch five goals. Also on the score sheet were Brian Pilkington and Ray Pointer (2).

Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Key stats This will be the 1st ever league meeting between the two clubs in the Premier League era Burnley haven’t lost to Nottingham Forest in their last 8 meetings Neither team have drawn a single game so far this season Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Famous fixtures

22nd February 2014- Burnley 3-1 Nottingham Forest:

The first of two famous meetings between these clubs has already been talked about with Burnley’s eventual promotion being the headline.

Sean Dyche’s side enjoyed automatic promotion alongside champions Leicester City whilst Nottingham Forest only ended up six points away from the playoff spots. Had this game gone differently then maybe we would be discussing a very different story.

23rd October 1976- Nottingham Forest 5-2 Burnley:

Our other famous fixture instead favours Nottingham Forest and it took place nearly 50 years ago. They beat Burnley 5-2 at the City Ground on their way to a promotion of their own. It was just the third game of the season and so this victory propelled Brian Clough’s team onto greatness.

The game becomes all the more significant when you consider that after this season, the pair wouldn’t cross paths in a league fixture for another 23 years or so as promotions and relegations continued to keep them apart. All the leagues game that followed were in the Championship because, as previously mentioned, these two teams haven’t clashed in the Premier League (until this weekend).

Haaland is a name making headlines near enough every week at the moment, but it isn’t Alfie that is doing so.

Alfie Haaland is a retired footballer who played in a couple of different countries and is now best known for the exploits of his son.

FootballFanCast have decided to answer all of the questions that the internet are asking about Erling Haaland’s father Alfie.

Who is Alfie Haaland?

As has been mentioned before, Alfie Haaland is the dad of Manchester City’s star striker Erling Haaland.

Haaland senior had his days in the sun though, playing football professionally from 1989 to 2003 as well as playing with a couple of smaller teams in 2011 and 2012.

What nationality is Alfie Haaland?

Alfie Haaland is from Norway. He was born in Stavanger which is the fourth-largest city in the Nordic country and then raised in the nearby Bryne.

The latter is where he first made a name for himself on the football pitch.

What is Alfie Haaland's height?

Alfie Haaland stands at 1.86cm, which is roughly 6 foot 1. So, his son certainly has the edge on him there at 6 foot 4.

What is Alfie Haaland's age?

Alfie Haaland is now 50 years old, having retired from club football over a decade ago now and last playing at the highest level 20 years ago.

Where Alfie Haaland now?

Haaland has been a proud and vocal supporter of his son in his pursuit of greatness, from Norway to Austria, from Germany and now to England.

He has done some punditry work with various outlets and has also regularly been spotted at Manchester City games.

Earlier this year he got into hot water after some back-and-forth with Real Madrid fans. Haaland was escorted from his seat in the Bernabeu for riling up the Los Blancos faithful via a number of different gestures and it was even “suggested he threw food at the supporters.”

What is Alfie Haaland’s net worth?

Alfie Haaland’s net worth is reported to be in the ballpark of $5 Million Dollars, which equates to roughly £4 million.

Although, no one really knows apart from him, so it's only speculation and guessing.

Who did Alfie Haaland play for?

As previously mentioned, Haaland plied his trade in a couple of countries, these being Norway and England.

He first played for Bryne FK, where he grew up, joining as a young child and then going on to make his first-team debut at just 17.

After a few years there, he earned his first major move with the second division as his destination. He was pursued by Nottingham Forest under their management of Brian Clough but when he arrived at the City Ground, Frank Clark had since taken over and come his first full season there, they were back in the Premier League.

He enjoyed a few years of PL football in Nottingham and then went on to do the same with Leeds United, scoring 7 league goals in his first season which was his best-ever return.

George Graham was the man in charge when he arrived at Elland Road and he also got the chance to play under David O’Leary. With Leeds, Haaland played a part in their journey to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, known now as the Europa League, and helped them qualify for the Champions League as well.

His last taste of football in England came in Manchester, and more specifically, on the blue half of the city. He joined for a fee of £2.5m and it was here that the feud with Roy Keane became such a prevalent force in the Premier League.

Alongside his time playing for these aforementioned clubs, Haaland made 34 caps for the Norwegian national team between 1994 and 2001 including the 1994 FIFA World Cup that took place in the United States of America.

What happened between Alfie Haaland and Roy Keane?

Sadly, the name Alfie Haaland is most closely associated with that of Roy Keane for one treacherous tackle and various other incidents, as opposed to people focusing on his individual exploits.

As a Leeds player Haaland was chasing down a ball alongside the Irishman and the latter sustained an Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a year. The matter wasn’t helped by the fact that the former wasn’t particularly impressed with Keane and instead believed he was faking it all.

A total of an eight-game ban and £155,000 fine ensued for Keane years later when he deliberately tried to injure the Norwegian. At first the punishment wasn’t all that severe, but the Manchester United man had the bravery to admit to it all being pre-meditated in his autobiography.

It was said that this horror tackle from Keane on Haaland ended the Man City man’s career but that actually turned out to not be the case. Problems with his other knee were instead the reason for his premature retirement.

Manchester City considered legal action against Keane but Haaland, to his credit, set the record straight and so nothing came of it in the courts.

Alfie Haaland stats, how many Premier League goals did he score?

As previously mentioned, the 7 goals in 32 Premier League appearances for Leeds in the 1997/98 season was the best attacking return from the versatile defender-come-midfielder.

In total, he managed 18 goals in the English top flight, 7 for Nottingham Forest, 8 for Leeds and then 3 for Man City.

He made the most PL appearances for Forest on 75, coming just one ahead of the 74 he made for Leeds. Many associated him most with the Citizens but he only amassed 38 league outings for them.

Despite Glasgow Rangers conceding a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven in their Champions League playoff qualifying round match in midweek, Michael Beale will surely take confidence from the performance.

A positive result in Eindhoven will secure a spot in the lucrative group stages of Europe’s elite competition for the second year in succession, yet Beale will be focusing on the tie against Ross County this afternoon.

A trip to Dingwall is never easy, but the Ibrox side know that three points is a must, even this early in the season in order to stay in touch with Celtic.

What is the Rangers team news vs Ross County?

With the Gers already playing six competitive matches before the end of August, Beale may make a few changes to his starting XI against County.

The 42-year-old did have some positive news regarding injuries however as he spoke to the press.

He said:

"Ridvan returned to training but won't make the squad for the weekend.

"Tom Lawrence and Roofe will both travel with the squad.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

"Lawrence and Roofe back in the squad is a big boost and both hopefully feature tomorrow."

This certainly gives the club plenty of options, especially from an attacking viewpoint and although the supporters may only see fleeting glimpses of both Lawrence and Roofe today, it’s a step in the right direction.

One player who must be given a start however is winger Rabbi Matondo, as he is showcasing the abilities which led Giovanni van Bronckhorst to shell out £2.5m for his services last summer.

How has Rabbi Matondo performed recently?

The Welsh winger didn’t quite light up Ibrox like many though he would last season, starting just 11 matches across all competitions for the Gers while registering just five assists in the process, and it looked as though Beale would ship him out during his summer rebuild.

The 22-year-old has worked hard over the summer however and following a 20-minute cameo where he grabbed an assist against Livingston, he was given a rare start against Greenock Morton in the League Cup.

He was arguably the finest player on the pitch, terrorising the defence with his pace and trickery while delivering quite a few dangerous balls into the box.

His performance led Rangers Review journalist Euan Robertson to laud him as a “bright spark” and more was to come against PSV.

Emerging from the bench with just over 20 minutes to go, Matondo finally began to demonstrate his vast talents as he got on the end of a stunning pass by Cyriel Dessers to put the Light Blues 2-1 ahead in the tie.

The former Schalke gem also succeeded with four of his five dribble attempts and won four of his six ground duels, showing that he was more than up for the challenge against the Dutch side and eager to impress.

Meanwhile, journalist Joshua Barrie even claimed that “Matondo continues his redemption arc” following his display, so Beale should have absolutely no worries about deploying him in the starting XI against County this afternoon.

Manchester United are "interested" in a summer swoop for Brentford striker Ivan Toney, but a reliable journalist has revealed that there are also two other clubs pursuing him in the Premier League.

Why wasn't Ivan Toney playing?

Back in May, Toney received an eight-month ban from all football-related activity from the FA after admitting to 232 breaches of betting rules so won’t be able to return to the field until January 2024, but regardless, that hasn’t stopped clubs from circling for his signature.

Despite still having another two years remaining on his contract with the Bees, the 27-year-old firmly established himself as Thomas Frank’s overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.25 last season, form which has seemingly caught the eye of Erik ten Hag.

Football Insider previously claimed that the Red Devils were plotting a move but were concerned about tabling a bid due to the uncertainty surrounding his off-field situation, though with chiefs having held conversations with the centre-forward during pre-season, a deal could come to fruition in the final week of the window.

Are Man United signing Ivan Toney?

Taking to X, The Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel name-checked Man United as one of three top-flight clubs hoping to secure the services of Toney, who has changed his representative in order to force a move to a more high-profile team this summer. He wrote:

"Ivan Toney signs with CAA Stellar – led by leading agent Jonathan Barnett – to provide clear indication of his intention to leave Brentford. Man Utd, Chelsea and Tottenham among clubs interested."

Expanding in his column for the newspaper, the reporter claimed that the admiration in the attacker is "concrete" and that he has had an £80m price tag placed on his head at the Community Stadium.

How many goals has Ivan Toney scored?

In the Premier League last season, Toney racked up a remarkable 24 contributions (20 goals and four assists) in 33 appearances, form which has previously seen him described as having the “mindset of a lion” by his manager Frank, so it would be a massive coup if the striker was to join Man United this summer.

The England international also recorded a total of 87 shots over the course of the campaign which was more than any other of his fellow teammates, via FBRef, and his outstanding level of performance saw him receive five man-of-the-match awards from WhoScored.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

The Northampton-born talent furthermore has the ability to operate out wide on the right wing and even as a second striker alongside leading the line, so he would provide the boss with some welcome versatility, potentially making him a great option to have in the building from 2024.

Finally, Toney joining CAA Stellar means that he now shares the same agent as Luke Shaw, Dean Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo and Facundo Pellistri, so this existing connection that his new representatives already have to the club could help, should they fully pursue a deal before September 1st, and it looks as if a deal could be one to watch.

تعرض فريق مانشستر يونايتد لهزيمة مذلة خارج ملعبه، مساء يوم الإثنين، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي وذلك ضد كريستال بالاس.

واستضاف ملعب “سيلهرست بارك” مباراة الفريقين في ختام منافسات الجولة السادسة والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث خسر مانشستر يونايتد بأربعة أهداف دون رد.

واحتاج كريستال بالاس 12 دقيقة فقط من أجل تسجيل هدفه الأول في شباك أندريه أونانا، عن طريق اللاعب مايكل أوليس.

وفي الدقيقة 40 تمكن كريستال بالاس من مضاعفة النتيجة بعدما سجل جون فيليب ماتيتا الهدف الثاني، لينتهي الشوط الأول بتقدم أصحاب الأرض بثنائية نظيفة.

وتمكن كاسيميرو من تسجيل هدف لصالح مانشستر يونايتد، في الدقيقة 53، ولكن تم إلغائه بداعِ وجود حالة تسلل على البرازيلي.

وواصل كريستال بالاس صحوته وعزز تفوقه بتسجيل هدف ثالث عن طريق تيريك ميتشل، في الدقيقة 58.

وعاد مايكل أوليس لزيارة شباك أونانا من جديد بعدما استخلص الكرة من كاسيميرو، ونفذ تسديدة قوية أعلن من خلالها عن هدف ثانِ له ورابع لفريقه في الدقيقة 68.

بتلك النتيجة، تجمد رصيد مانشستر يونايتد عند 54 نقطة في المركز الثامن، بينما ارتفع رصيد كريستال بالاس إلى 43 نقطة في المركز الرابع عشر.

Leeds United fans will have started to 'worry' about their prospects this term due to their decision to take Sam Byram on trial at Elland Road, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Sam Byram returning to Leeds United?

According to Football Insider, Byram has returned to Elland Road on trial in a bid to try and win himself a deal at Leeds United to work under his old boss Daniel Farke.

The Whites are mooted to see the 29-year-old as an inexpensive option to help with depth at left-back, even though he is predominantly a right-back by trade and his arrival may free up expenditure to put to good use elsewhere. As per The Guardian, Thurrock-born Byram started his senior career at Leeds United before joining West Ham United in 2016.

Byram is known well by Leeds United boss Farke and left Norwich City upon the expiration of his £30,000 per week contract at Carrow Road at the end of last season alongside Kieran Dowell and Michael McGovern, who have since headed north of the border to join Rangers and Hearts, respectively.

Following their capture of Ethan Ampadu, who joined from Chelsea in a £7 million transfer earlier this week, 90min report that Leeds United are 'set to reunite' with Byram, which could mean the Englishman is in line to join on a permanent basis.

Last term, Byram made 16 appearances in all competitions for Norwich City and managed to get himself on the scoresheet on one occasion, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones thinks Leeds United fans will worry about the type of recruitment the club may be willing to conduct in light of their decision to take Byram on trial.

Jones told FFC: "What I like about a lot of them [Leeds United's summer targets] is they've got a point to prove. I think that's what Leeds need to do now because Leeds have a point to prove next season and they need to bounce back quickly. You would expect them to be in that promotion hunt next term, but when you're seeing the likes of Sam Byram going back to the club on trial, you're going to start to worry as a Leeds fan because that's absolutely not where you thought the club would be heading straight on the back of relegation, you thought they could set their sights a bit higher than that."

Who else has been linked with Leeds United this window?

According to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Leeds United are keen to bring in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Edouard Michut, as he stated on the social media platform: "Excl: Leeds United are among several clubs interested in Edouard Michut from Paris Saint-Germain. Deal will depend on conditions decided by PSG in the coming days."

Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is reported to have 'agreed terms with the club leadership at Elland Road' ahead of a proposed move to Leed United, as per Last Word On Sports.

Football Insider claim that Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis will be allowed to leave the City Ground this summer amid interest from Leeds United in offering him a chance to ply his trade at Elland Road in 2023/24.

All things considered, Leeds United fans could be in for an intriguing few weeks as Farke starts to shape his squad ahead of their return to Sky Bet Championship action for the first time since 2020.