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Erik ten Haghas made a steady start to life in thePremier League, and the Red Devils have won all four fixtures across all competitions since the conclusion of the 2022World Cup, but there is an undeniable necessity for a new established centre-forward to lead the line.

According to The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell, Manchester United haveMemphis Depay’under consideration’ as a potential candidate to bolster the centre-forward position after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo by mutual consent in November.

Depay was previously on the books at Old Trafford, signing for the cub in a£31mdeal in 2015 from PSV Eindhoven, before departing for Olympique Lyonnais after a lacklustre season, but he has since grown into his skin and could make a marked improvement on the United attack should he arrive once again.

Game-changing for Antony?

Depay only managed toscoretwo Premier League goals and one assist during his season-and-a-half stay in English football, following a tremendous campaign in the Eredivisie where he plundered 22 goals from30outings.

Since his brief stint in Manchester, he has gone on to become one of the most prominent forwards in world football, scoring 76 goals and assisting 55 more from178appearances for Lyon, and since earning a transfer toFC Barcelona.

A dynamic forward with bite from the left flank and the more traditional central striking position, the 29-year-old Depay has usually adopted the role of the former for Barca.

Indeed, his rank inside the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals, the top 2% for touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 1% for progressive passes received across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref, shows he can flourish in either position under Ten Hag.

His presence could help £85m summer signing Antony to finally flourish; despite scoring three goals from his first three league outings for Man United, the 22-year-old Brazilian has since blanked on five occasions, and could use a creative partnership with someone of Depay’s ilk to bring him into the limelight.

With the 43-goal Netherlands international playing so high up the pitch, naturally gliding into pockets of space and searching to unleash his powerful foot, Antony can hover in and around the penalty area, looking to utilise his wand of a left foot to bypass the goalkeeper, offering another dimension to the offence.

The £177k-per-week phenom could rectify the substandard time he spent in England with a return to the Theatre of Dreams, and could add the final ingredient to serve up Ten Hag’s recipe for success.

With United currently situated in fourth place with a game in hand to level-pointed Newcastle United in third, the outfit are clearly already navigating toward the path for greener pastures after a shoddy period that has left the club without silverware since 2017.

However, with the tide seeming to turn, the “magician” in Depay – as lauded by presenter Deji Faremi -could provide that cutting-edge desired to transcend fortunes to the next level, right at the top.

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth says that Manchester United’s option to buy Martin Dubravka becomes an obligation based on appearances.

The Lowdown: Expected to leave

As per ESPN, the Slovakian goalkeeper is expected to leave Old Trafford when his season-long loan from Newcastle United expires in the summer.

The news outlet suggests that Erik ten Hag is looking to draft in fresh goalkeeping options and is working on a deal to sign Borussia Monchengladbach shot-stopper Yann Sommer.

Dubravka reportedly signed on loan from the Magpies for £2m, with the option to make it permanent for a further £6m.

The Latest: Obligation based on appearances

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sheth has shared that United’s option to purchase Dubravka becomes an obligation based on the number of appearances that he makes, and if he does not fulfil that number, then he will be allowed to go back to St James’ Park.

The journalist said: “United have got Dubravka on loan and they have got an option to buy Dubravka in the summer.

“My understanding is that option becomes an obligation depending on the number of appearances that he makes.

“If he doesn’t trigger those number of appearances, he’ll go back to Newcastle United and then Manchester United will be in the market for another goalkeeper.”

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The Verdict: Unlikely to stay

Having only made Premier League, it seems very unlikely that Dubravka will end up staying at Old Trafford permanently.

If he does go back to Tyneside, the Red Devils will need to bring in another goalkeeper to understudy David de Gea and eventually compete with the Spaniard for the number one spot.

Nonetheless, Dubravka has not been given much of a chance to impress at United, so Ten Hag should consider playing him more often in order to fully see if he is worth signing permanently.

Glasgow Rangers and Giovanni van Bronckhorst have reportedly set their sights on signing left-back Ben Jackson in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Left-back conundrum

Van Bronckhorst has a bit of a conundrum in the left-back position, with both Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz fighting for the same spot.

The Croatian has been preferred in the Premiership, although he has been criticised for some of his performances this season.

Meanwhile, Yilmaz has been linked with a loan move away from Ibrox in January, which may suggest that Van Bronckhorst is not entirely happy with his left-back options at the moment.

The Latest: Jackson interest

As per Football Insider, Rangers have ‘set sights’ on signing Huddersfield Town defender Jackson and are ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation at the English Championship outfit, as his contract expires in 2024.

The Light Blues are making ‘regular checks’ on the 21-year-old’s progress and are ‘keen’ on strengthening their options at left-back.

The ‘super-quick’ Jackson is ‘highly regarded’ at the Terriers, so it may not be an easy deal to pull off.

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The Verdict: Problem solved?

Jackson is no doubt a promising talent at 21, and he could potentially solve the Light Blues’ left-back problems for years to come given his abilities and his tender age.

The Englishman is averaging more tackles and clearances per game in the Championship than Barisic and Yilmaz are in the Scottish top flight, even for a Huddersfield team struggling at the bottom of the table.

Jackson would need time to adapt to Scottish football, but he could end up being an astute signing in January if Rangers can lure him to Ibrox.

Celtic are back in action away to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday evening, with the Old Firm outfit looking to maintain their stranglehold on their league title crown, having moved seven points clear at the summit following Saturday’s win over Dundee United.

That dramatic encounter saw the home side leave it late at Parkhead to secure all three points, ensuring that the slip-up against St Mirren back in September remains the Hoops’ only defeat on the domestic front so far this term.

Looking to bounce back from their midweek mauling at the hands of Real Madrid in the Champions League, Ange Postecoglou’s men were forced to rely on a late double from Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada to seal victory at the weekend, having been pegged back by Dylan Levitt’s strike with just minutes to play.

The goal from that man Kyogo was particularly crucial to help nudge the Bhoys ahead, with the Japanese international having served to remind both fans and pundits alike of his undoubted “quality”, in the words of journalist Sean Markus Clifford, with his impact off the bench.

The 27-year-old has endured some difficult spells so far this term in front of goal, with the European stage having perhaps proven too great a step up as the diminutive ace failed to score in any of his six group stage appearances, having again missed a key opening at the Bernabeu after firing straight at Thibaut Courtois.

Even amid those woes on the continent, the former Vissel Kobe man still remains a lethal presence domestically with his “world-class” movement – in the words of Jota – proving a nightmare for opposition defenders, having scored nine goals in just 11 top-flight games, including two in his last two league outings.

The £19k-per-week machine may well be hungry to prove a point having been left out of his nation’s World Cup squad last week, with this upcoming trip to Fir Park likely to offer the chance for the 5 foot 7 ace to further prove any doubters wrong.

The Steelmen may well be fearing coming up against Kyogo with the relentless forward boasting an impressive record against the club to date with four goals in just four meetings, including two goals in two games against Steven Hammell’s side already this season.

The hope for Postecoglou and co will be that the 16-cap sensation can terrorise Well once again tomorrow night…

Newcastle United continued their exceptional run of form in the Premier League as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 away from home on Sunday.

Eddie Howe’s side have now won four of their last five games in the top-flight and are unbeaten in their last seven matches in the competition.

They have overtaken Chelsea to move into the Champions League places in fourth, although the Blues have a game in-hand on the Toon army.

The Magpies took the lead in the first half as Callum Wilson brilliantly capitalised on a mistake from Hugo Lloris. Tottenham’s goalkeeper came rushing out and failed to clear the ball as he collided with the Toon striker and that allowed the forward to turn and beautifully clip a left-footed shot into an empty net.

VAR did take a look at the incident for a potential foul, and then handball by Wilson but there was nothing wrong with the Englishman’s conduct during the play.

Miguel Almiron then made it two shortly after as he superbly beat Clement Lenglet in the box before tucking the ball under Lloris and into the back of the net.

Harry Kane pulled one back at the start of the second half as he stooped to head the ball in at the back post after getting goalside of Kieran Trippier.

Howe’s team were able to see out the rest of the match and picked up all three points, thanks to their incredible defending as a team to stop the likes of Kane and Heung-Min Son from troubling Nick Pope’s goal.

Whilst Almiron scored, what turned out to be, the winning goal for Newcastle, Fabian Schar was the real hero of the day for the head coach as he put in a magnificent performance at centre-back.

The £40k-per-week enforcer was unbeatable as he repelled attack after attack alongside Sven Botman. He also had a part to play in possession as his ball over the top forced Lloris into a mistake for the opening goal, whilst he completed six long passes and 100% (1/1) of his attempted dribbles.

Also per Sofascore, Schar won 100% (4/4) of his individual duels as Spurs found it impossible to get the better of him in the air and on the ground. The machine was also in the right place at the right time to make five clearances and three blocks, preventing Pope from having to make saves on several occasions.

Therefore, he was the real hero for Howe as his defending was crucial to stopping Tottenham from getting back into the match in the second half. The Swiss international stood up strong under pressure from the opposition and his statistics show that he was a brick wall at the back.

West Ham United youngster Harrison Ashby made his return from injury on Saturday for the Irons’ U21 side, according to football.london’s Jonty Colman.

The Lowdown: Ashby’s injury

Having played the full 90 minutes in the first leg of the Hammers’ UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier against Viborg FF, the youngster has not been included in a matchday squad since sitting on the bench for the side’s Premier League clash against Brighton just 72 hours after his continental runout.

The right-back suffered an injury to his groin, forcing him to the sidelines for an extended period; all throughout negotiations for a proposed £2m move to Newcastle United, which later fell through on deadline day.

The Latest: Ashby’s return

Colman has shared an update on Ashby, revealing details of his return from injury. Taking to Twitter, the journalist shared:

“Harrison Ashby made his return from injury on Saturday for the U21s, playing the duration of their defeat to Crystal Palace.”

The 20-year-old was back to full fitness for Mark Robson’s side as he played the full 90 minutes in the Hammers’ 1-0 defeat to the Eagles in the Premier League 2.

West Ham’s U21s are next in action on Tuesday night when they take on League One side Milton Keynes Dons in the Papa John’s Trophy, with the Scotsman hoping to gain more minutes as he eyes a spot in David Moyes’ first-team.

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The Verdict: Big potential

Singled out for his ‘real quality’ by former U21 coach Dmitri Halajko, Ashby’s return to fitness will hand Moyes a big boost amid an injury to another exciting young full-back in Ben Johnson.

Having made his Premier League debut as a substitute last season against Arsenal, the 20-year-old will now be hoping to push on and fight for a spot in the manager’s first-team squad.

However, with new arrival Thilo Kehrer having been utilised as a right-back against Wolves at the weekend, Ashby will be in for some tough competition this season if he is to be given a chance at the London Stadium.

Crystal Palace have been linked with a move for Leicester City midfielder Boubakary Soumare recently, and the Frenchman could be a superb addition to Patrick Vieira’s midfield.

What’s the word?

Recent reports have claimed that both the Eagles and Nottingham Forest could offer the 23-year-old an exit route from the King Power Stadium after a difficult first season at the club.

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke shared his thoughts on Palace’s potential move for Soumare.

He said: “The French connection is there as well, so I think this could deal could work out for everybody. It would work out for Crystal Palace as they would get a top player in while Leicester could bring in some funds to strengthen the squad. It could be a good fit.”

Should Palace sign Soumare?

While Soumare’s first season in England didn’t exactly go to plan, he was highly regarded during his time at Lille, having been considered one of Ligue 1’s ‘breakout talents’ of 2019/20, and he could perhaps rediscover his mojo with regular game-time at Selhurst Park.

Last season saw the 23-year-old make just 19 appearances in the Premier League, scoring no goals and contributing one assist, for which he averaged a disappointing 6.41 rating from WhoScored.

However, the 2020/21 campaign saw him make 32 appearances in Ligue 1 as he helped Lille to win the title, earning an impressive 6.76 rating for his performances.

This would indicate that he can be an influential player when he is trusted by his manager to start regularly, and at just 23, he still has plenty of time to adapt to the Premier League and reach the potential which earned him the aforementioned ‘breakout talent’ billing.

While Palace have already brought in Cheick Doucoure for £21m this summer, the likes of Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur are into the twilight of their careers, so Vieira could do with younger options in the middle of the park.

As O’Rourke suggests, the French connection between Soumare and Vieira could be crucial in any potential deal for the Leicester man. If the Eagles manager can get the young midfielder playing anything like he did at Lille, it would surely be worth Palace spending the £17m reportedly required to bring him to Selhurst Park.

Newcastle United could still be in line to land Chelsea’s Armando Broja this summer, despite suggestions that the striker is set to stay at Stamford Bridge.

What’s the word?

That’s according to journalist Fabrizio Romano – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – who revealed that the Magpies could potentially move for the 20-year-old before the window closes on 1 September, having been linked with the Albania international in recent months.

The transfer insider stated: “Let’s see what happens with Armando Broja because Chelsea turned down the proposals from West Ham and they signed Scamacca. But let’s see if Newcastle will try for him.”

Recent reports have suggested that the 14-cap colossus – who spent last season on loan at Southampton – could be part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans this season, with the Blues believed to have rebuffed a £30m offer from West Ham United.

Solve Howe’s problem

That claim from Romano will spark renewed hope among those at St James’ Park that the 6 foot 3 menace can still join the northeast side, with the current squad seemingly crying out for a new centre-forward addition.

Manager Eddie Howe has recently admitted his frustration at the ongoing failure to bring in an attacking recruit with the new Premier League season just a matter of days away, with all three of the club’s summer arrivals having been defensive-minded.

It has proven something of a saga trying to recruit a new forward in the window thus far, having been forced to walk away from deals for both Moussa Diaby and Alexander Isak due to the hefty transfer fees mooted, while the Tynesiders also saw long-term target Hugo Ekitike join Ligue 1 giants, Paris Saint-Germain.

That fact has left the former Bournemouth boss with the same forward line as last season, leaving the 44-year-old to rely on an injury-prone Callum Wilson and former Burnley man Chris Wood to lead the line – the latter man netting just twice following his £25m arrival from Turf Moor in January.

Providing additional depth in the form of Broja would certainly be a welcome boost for the new season, with the youngster having blossomed during his temporary stint at St Mary’s last term, netting nine goals in all competitions for the Saints.

The £19.8m-rated ace – who scored 11 goals on loan at Vitesse Arnhem the year prior – impressed many with his mature displays in leading the line for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, terrorising defenders with his sheer power and speed.

The departure of Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan has opened the door for increased game time back in west London for the £8.5k-per-week starlet – where he has made just one senior outing thus far – although he could well take on a far more prominent role were he to make the switch to Newcastle this summer.

Should he do so, he could well prove to be the solution that Howe has been quite literally crying out for.

Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon is attracting interest from three European clubs, according to Spanish outlet El Larguero. 

The lowdown: Reguilon out of favour

Signed from Real Madrid for £32m as part of the deal which saw Gareth Bale make a temporary return to the Lilywhites in 2020 (Sky Sports), the 25-year-old initially appeared to be ready-made for life in the Premier League under Jose Mourinho.

However, the Spain international has flattered to deceive in north London so far and has seemingly been deemed surplus to requirements at Hotspur Way following the signing of Ivan Perisic.

After attracting initial interest from his former club Sevilla, where he made 38 appearances whilst on loan from the Bernabeu, there is a growing list of suitors for Reguilon this summer…

The latest: ‘Very strong interest’

As per information from Spanish radio show El Larguero on Twitter], Barcelona, Inter Milan and Sevilla are all in contention to sign the six-cap defender.

It’s claimed that the ‘footballer’s entourage’ has told the outlet that the admiration from Camp Nou is ‘very strong’, whilst Inter and Sevilla are ‘lurking’ in the background at present.

The tweet also states that Reguilon – who was once hailed as a ‘quality’ player by ex-Leeds striker Noel Whelan – is currently in ‘no hurry to close his future’ despite being left out of Spurs’ pre-season tour of Asia by Antonio Conte recently.

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The verdict: Replacement required?

While the arrival of Perisic in addition to existing options Ryan Sessegnon and Ben Davies means that the left wing-back position is relatively well stocked at Hotspur Way, losing Reguilon could still see Fabio Paratici return to the market for further reinforcements.

All three of the aforementioned potential operators can play in alternative roles, and Sessegnon in particular has had his time in N17 plagued by repeated injury issues. Therefore, another addition would be a welcome boost to Conte’s ranks should the marauding out-of-favour Spaniard eventually depart as expected.

Equally adept as a conventional left-back and in an advanced area, Reguilon scored twice and provided three assists in 31 appearances across all competitions last term, proof of an ability to provide a continued output when called upon.

Holding a perceived market value of £22.5m and under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), Spurs can afford to hold out for every penny of a previously mooted £25.7m asking price. As such, his mooted departure could be some way off from being a foregone conclusion just yet, given the widely reported financial woes at Barcelona.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson has delivered his verdict on Liverpool securing the future of Joe Gomez. 

The lowdown: New contract for Gomez

Following increased speculation linking him with a move away from Anfield, the 25-year-old recently opted to sign a new deal which will keep him on Merseyside until at least 2027.

The England international had previously been a mainstay in Jurgen Klopp’s side but slipped down the pecking order with the Reds after the arrival and subsequent impact of Ibrahima Konate, as well as the impressive form of first-choice partnership Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip.

Despite an apparent lack of a clear pathway back into Klopp’s starting plans, Gomez committed his future to the Reds, a decision that one pundit has heralded as somewhat of a masterstroke from the club.

The latest: Robinson praises Gomez

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United stopper Robinson claimed that tying down the 11-cap England defender is a huge feather in Liverpool’s cap, adding that the Reds could demand up to £60m for him further down the line.

The Sky Sports contributor said of Gomez: “I think he’s obviously got a great relationship with Jurgen Klopp. Klopp has promised him that there is some kind of future there, and I think it’s a fantastic signing for Liverpool.

“They’ve secured their asset for the next five years, and they now go into this season with four top-class centre-halves.

“It’s brilliant because if he plays then they have the player they wanted, but if he only plays a bit-part role – his value will only go up. They could have a £50-60million centre-half on their hands.”

The verdict: On the money

Make no mistake, had a player of Gomez’s calibre been on the market this summer, clubs would have been queueing up to take the Englishman from Liverpool for a hefty fee.

Already boasting a trophy cabinet containing the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, the former Charlton academy prospect has played an integral role in much of the Reds’ success in the Klopp era, amassing 142 senior appearances since joining the club.

However, he endured a dramatic reduction in game-time last season, with Gomez only managing 21 appearances across all competitions, completing 90 minutes on just 11 occasions.

That could easily have led to disenchantment for the Londoner, but FSG and Julian Ward have managed to keep their man in situ, having already secured new terms for Mohamed Salah before seemingly moving onto an injury-hit Diogo Jota next.

Potentially fighting on all four fronts once again this coming season, with five substitutes now also in play and a World Cup in the middle of the campaign, Klopp will no doubt have made certain guarantees to the defender – who he once dubbed ‘a sensational footballer’ – regarding forthcoming opportunities to prove his worth once again.