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Gabby Agbonlahor believes that Bruno Fernandes has "wasted his best years" at Manchester United, amid their struggles under Ruben Amorim.

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• Fernandes joined United in 2020
• Now captain of the club
• Has won two major trophies at Old Trafford

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Speaking on talkSPORT, former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor claimed United midfielder Bruno Fernandes will regret spending the peak years of his career at Old Trafford. Agbonlahor believes the Portuguese midfielder should have held out for a move to a team capable of challenging for bigger honours, as he has won just two trophies at the club – the League Cup and the FA Cup.

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  Fernandes signed for United in January 2020 and has since made 278 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 95 goals and registering 82 assists. While United did win the FA Cup last season, they sit 13th in the Premier League table, and their only hope of qualifying for Europe comes through the Europa League, which they will have to win.

• WHAT AGBONLAHOR SAID

  He said: "He’s 31 in September. And if he retired next season and didn’t win anything this season, he could retire or leave Manchester United with one FA Cup and one Carabao Cup. I think he's actually wasted his best years at Manchester United, even if they win the Europa League."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  United face Manchester City this weekend. They will then play Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final as Ruben Amorim bids to end the season with a trophy.

Kyle Walker has revealed how nervous he was before his AC Milan initiation song, but he “smashed” out a rendition of ‘Valerie’ by Amy Winehouse.

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• Moved to Italy from Manchester City
• Vocal chords needed to be dusted off
• Happy to join in with new boy "banter"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The experienced England international made his way to San Siro during the winter transfer window as he bid farewell to Premier League champions Manchester City. An initial loan agreement has taken him to Italy.

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  Walker had been at the Etihad Stadium since 2017, meaning that some time had passed since he was last required to sing in front of an audience. Rules must, however, be adhered to and the 34-year-old had everybody up dancing – including Rossoneri boss Sergio Conceicao.

• WHAT KYLE WALKER SAID

  On the , the veteran full-back said of endearing himself to new club colleagues: “I did have to sing a song. 'Valerie' by Amy Winehouse. [My] go to. I was a little bit nervous. It's the first time in a long time that I've been nervous.

  “Mike asked me, Magic Mike, Mike Maignan, the goalkeeper, came up and asked me, he kind of, you know, like, he wanted to ask me, but he felt he didn't really want to ask me. But I just said, 'Listen, Mike, I'll do it, no problem.'

  “Jumped up on the chair, smashed it. Got everyone up dancing. The manager even jumped up dancing! So, I thought it was a good ice breaker.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Walker added on having to put on a performance in front of some unfamiliar faces: “It's always, you know, when you're thinking about it? I was thinking about it all day, like, 'Are they actually going to get me to do a song here? Like, really? They can't, can they?' And they did. But, I thought that it was only respectful for me to actually jump on it and, you know, get on the banter.”

Tottenham are looking to get ahead of Barcelona in the race to sign a new target for Ange Postecolgou in the January transfer window, according to a fresh report from Spain.

Tottenham draw 2-2 with Wolves

Spurs failed to record a first Premier League win in three on Sunday, drawing 2-2 at home to Wolves. Tottenham came from behind thanks to goals from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson, however, Jorgen Strand Larsen’s late equaliser made it just one point from nine in the last seven days.

Ange considers cut-price January deal for ex-Man City defender at Tottenham

The Australian has been made aware that he could be available next month.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 28, 2024

The result leaves Tottenham in the bottom half at the halfway stage of the season, with the club miles away from challenging for European football next campaign.

Fortunately, with the January transfer window just around the corner, Tottenham will have the chance to strengthen their squad as they look for a better second half of the campaign, with Postecoglou keen to add new blood to his ranks in the next month.

Ahead of the Nottingham Forest defeat, the Australian coach explained: “Like I said a while ago, we’ve been planning. A lot of it was going to be around where we’re at around this time. [It’s] fair to say we’re still a little bit short in a couple of areas and we need to reinforce.”

A defender and a new forward are reportedly on their wishlist, and now they may have found a new option to bolster their backline.

Tottenham in race for defender who could leave in January

Spurs have been linked with moves for the likes of Ben Godfrey and Abdukodir Khusanov already ahead of the January transfer window, but have now been handed another, more unlikely name.

Now, a report from Spain has claimed that Tottenham are now in the mix with Barcelona and several other clubs around Europe to land Rayo Vallecano defender Andrei Ratiu in January, with the defender “very likely to leave” the La Liga side in January.

Though Ratiu is under contract until 2028, the report claims that the defender is set to leave this winter after a string of impressive performances. An international teammate of current Spurs defender Radu Dragusin, Ratiu has a €25m [£20.7m] release clause in his deal in Spain, which the report suggests could be triggered this winter.

Alongside Barcelona and Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma are all named as potential destinations, with Barcelona reportedly having an advantage due to strong agent relations. However, the Catalan club currently have no money to sign new players in January, already struggling to register summer signing Dani Olmo for the second half of the season, leaving them an unlikely destination for the 26-year-old.

Despite that, a move to Tottenham seems equally far-fetched unless there is an exit from north London, with Ratiu’s 16 appearances this season having all come at right back, where Spurs are already well-stocked with Pedro Porro and Djed Spence, while Archie Gray also spent much of his Leeds career at fullback.

Therefore, though a transfer may be likely for the Romanian defender, it seems unlikely that it will be to north London this January, with a centre-back likely to be far more of a priority for Postecoglou and co given their current situation.

Looking to bridge the gap between themselves and the Premier League’s top four, Aston Villa have reportedly submitted a second offer worth over £15m to sign a Champions League talent this month.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans enjoyed quite the summer transfer window, welcoming names such as Amadou Onana ahead of a number of sides, but that has not seen them repeat last season’s achievements as of yet. Sat ninth in the Premier League and struggling to juggle both European and domestic football for the first time, Unai Emery’s side could still do with some fresh faces this month, as their 2-2 draw against Brighton highlighted last time out.

With that said, names such as Yasin Ozcan have already been mentioned as the January transfer window rolls on. Recent reports even went as far to suggest that those in the Midlands have already agreed a deal to sign the young central defender from Super Lig side Kasimpasa. Whether that deal goes over the line remains to be seen, however.

Duran replacement: Aston Villa chasing exciting Donyell Malan alternative

Villa are targeting a new attacker to add more goals

By
Joe Nuttall

Jan 3, 2025

He’s seemingly not the only target either. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Aston Villa have submitted a second bid worth €18m (£14.9m) + add-ons to sign Donyell Malen after their initial bid was turned down by Borussia Dortmund who want more than €20m (£17m) guaranteed.

The German club are ready to sell their winger, as relayed by Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, but are seemingly in no mood to accept a cut-price. With negotiations ongoing, however, it’s clear that Aston Villa are not giving up in pursuit of securing Malen’s signature.

A player who can play on the right-hand side and lead the line, Malen’s arrival could create instant concern for Leon Bailey, who has struggled to replicate last season’s impressive form.

"Incredible" Malen could complete Aston Villa attack

Bailey’s form should worry those at Villa Park, who will be desperate to see their goals shared around rather than solely rely on Ollie Watkins or Jhon Duran – often from the bench – provide the golden touch. Without a goal all season and with just three assists to his name in 22 appearances in all competitions, the winger is quickly becoming a point of weakness that Malen could arrive to solve instantly.

The stats suggest that, whilst Malen desperately needs a move away from Dortmund this month, he has remained clinical in front of goal – scoring three goals in just six starts. Bailey, meanwhile, has struggled to carve opportunities and struggled to become the attacking spark that Villa benefitted from throughout the last campaign.

Despite where he finds himself at the German club, Malen was at the centre of Sebastian Kehl’s praise in 2023. The sporting director told WAZ as relayed by BVB Buzz: “We’ve known for months that he has incredible potential, and we knew that last year as well.

“He is an incredibly enriching element for this team, that was the idea behind his signing and I’m glad he’s showing that much more often now. The last step was still missing for him and he has taken it now. Donny has gained incredible self-confidence.”

Virgil van Dijk has hinted that he is set to sign a new Liverpool contract as he looks forward to a "big summer" at Anfield.

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• Van Dijk hints at new deal
• Mohamed Salah has put pen to paper
• Looks forward to transfer window

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Van Dijk has looked forward to the summer, insisting that the Reds are good enough to continue challenging for the Premier League title, as they close in on confirming their status as champions. The Dutchman's contract expires in the summer but he has now hinted he is set to commit his future to Anfield, following in the footsteps of Mohamed Salah, who has already put to bed speculation around his future by extending his deal.

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  Van Dijk scored a late winner against West Ham on Sunday as Arne Slot's side sealed a 2-1 win, leaving them 13 points clear of Arsenal in second. The Reds now need a maximum of six points from their final six games, but they could win the league title this weekend, if the Gunners lose to Ipswich and they beat Leicester, and the centre-back has suggested an announcement is coming.

• WHAT VAN DIJK SAID

  He told reporters: "I think Liverpool should be able to challenge for titles in the upcoming years.

  "Whatever happens in terms of players going out, players coming in, I think it should be a big summer. I think they're planning to make it a big summer, so we all have to trust the board, as a Liverpool connected fan, to do the right job."

  On his future, he added: "Let's see how this week goes. I think first, all the focus should be going to the Hillsborough anniversary. I mentioned it already in interviews, I think that's the main thing and then we'll see. The focus will still be on Leicester, but maybe there's some news. I don't know. I know, but I don't know."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Liverpool will hope to go one step closer to glory against Leicester. A 20th league title – which would equal Manchester United's record – awaits.

Ruben Amorim has identified AC Milan's Mike Maignan as Andre Onana's replacement but Man Utd will face competition from Chelsea and Aston Villa.

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• Amorim not pleased with Onana's performances
• Has identified Maignan as an able replacement
• Chelsea and Villa also vying for the Milan goalkeeper

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a transfer exclusive from Caught Offside, Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has identified AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan as the ideal replacement for Andre Onana, who is likely to depart after two unconvincing seasons in goal. However, United could face competition from fellow Premier League sides Chelsea and Aston Villa, who are also interested in the Frenchman.

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  Onana's future at Old Trafford is nearing an inevitable end. Indeed, the Cameroonian was dropped by Amorim from United's squad for last weekend's Premier League fixture against Newcastle United, which the Red Devils ultimately lost 4-1. “We need to improve every position on the field – the goalkeeper is the same. But we can work with Andre [to make him better]," Amorim told reporters ahead of the Europa League return leg against Lyon on Wednesday after Onana was confirmed to start in the second leg.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  That's where Maignan comes into the picture, whose renewal talks with Milan have taken an eternity with no conclusion in sight. The goalkeeper is under contract with the Rossoneri until June 2026, meaning that a summer sale would be the most likely outcome should the contract extension talks collapse. Per the report from Caught Offside, Milan will demand at least €40 million (£34m/$45m).

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Although the Red Devils are safe from the drop, they currently languish in 14th position on the Premier League table and are on course to record their worst-ever finish to a league season in decades. They will take on Lyon in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday, April 17, at Old Trafford, after the first leg ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw.

Manchester City have now made funds available for Pep Guardiola to complete an audacious swoop to land a Real Madrid star ahead of Liverpool, a new report has claimed, as the Premier League champions look to improve their squad in upcoming transfer windows.

Man City ready to splash the cash

Normally quiet in January, Manchester City’s woeful form in recent months has forced them to act in the winter transfer window, and they are on the cusp of completing several deals.

The Cityzens, who have won their last three games but had previously managed just one win in 12, are looking to spend big this month and are closing in on a deal to sign centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens after having a £33.5m bid accepted.

After Marmoush: Man City chase £70m ace who's "very similar to Bellingham"

After Omar Marmoush, Manchester City are looking to further raid Eintracht Frankfurt for a highly-rated midfielder compared to Jude Bellingham.

By
Ben Gray

Jan 10, 2025

As per Fabrizio Romano, the Etihad outfit have “now planned medical, contract signing and formal steps” to sign the 20-year-old Uzbek international, with a deal set to be completed in the coming days for a fee reported to be “€40m fixed fee plus add-ons”.

Meanwhile, the club have also agreed personal terms with Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush, who netted his 14th goal in just 16 Bundesliga appearances over the weekend, while Romano explains that talks over the weekend between the two clubs were “positive” and that a formal bid is imminent, with City looking to seal the deal this week.

Another player who Manchester City are keen to sign is Palmeiras centre-back Vitor Reis, who has already agreed personal terms over a switch to the Etihad, and the clubs are now in direct conversations over a fee.

Now, they are looking to address their biggest problem, and have their eyes on a Galactico.

Man City free up funds for Real Madrid star

Though three signings seem close for Manchester City, they are yet to address their issues in midfield, where Rodri has been sorely missed since suffering a season-ending knee injury against Arsenal.

As per Football Insider, they have identified Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni as the man to replace the Ballon d’Or winner, though they will face competition from Liverpool for his services.

To try and beat them to his signature, it is claimed that Man City “have made funds available for Guardiola” to try and sign the French international, who can also fill in at centre-back.

Still just 24 years old, Tchouameni has made over 100 appearances for Los Blancos, but is not a nailed on starter in midfield in part thanks to his versatility, which has seen him shifted into Carlo Ancelotti’s backline thanks to injuries this season.

As per the report, “the opportunity to become a nailed-on starter in midfield either at City or Liverpool is said to be an appealing option” for the former Monaco man, though given Real Madrid’s ambitions this season it is added that a summer deal is more likely than a move this month.

However, “both Man City and Liverpool believe they could tempt him to make the move to England”, where he could become a key figure in the years ahead for either side.

Having cost Real Madrid £85m when he arrived from Monaco, it could take at least a similar fee to allow him to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the windows ahead given his age and experience, but it seems that Manchester City are willing to loosen the purse strings to land him.

The Brazilian federation are reportedly confident that they can sign Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager this summer.

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• Ancelotti likely to leave Madrid this season
• Brazil confident of signing the Italian as head coach
• CBF delegates travel to Spain to hold talks

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ancelotti's career at Real Madrid is set to reach its end this summer. The Italian coach has struggled to help Los Blancos reach their potential this season, as they are set to go trophyless. As such, the Brazilian football federation (CBF) is keen on bringing the 65-year-old to the national team as they target a strong performance in the 2026 World Cup.

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  Fabrizio Romano has now reported that CBF are confident that they can complete the signing of Ancelotti this summer. Spanish publication Relevo has also revealed that CBF delegates have already travelled to Spain to meet the Italian coach and potentially thrash out a deal.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Reports in Spain had earlier suggested that Ancelotti may part ways with Real Madrid before the end of the season as Los Blancos were headed towards a trophyless campaign, if they failed to win the Copa del Rey. On Saturday, Real Madrid lost 3-2 to Barcelona in the final, and it is still a possibility that the Italian may leave the club this week, although it is unlikely.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ANCELOTTI?

  The Italian coach has continued to claim that he has a contract with Real Madrid until the summer of 2026, and he intends to see out his contract. However, Los Blancos are unlikely to want the same and may part ways with Ancelotti, if he himself doesn't decide to leave the club.

We are heading into the home stretch of the transfer window, and as things stand, Arsenal are yet to make a move.

Mikel Arteta’s side are still just about in the Premier League title race but have been utterly decimated by injuries to key players such as Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri, and now William Saliba, making their lack of business thus far particularly puzzling.

Add to this the fact that former title rivals Manchester City are going all out for signings this month and look set to land the tremendously exciting Omar Marmoush, and it’s easy to understand why some Arsenal fans are beginning to worry.

However, they may not need to for much longer, as recent reports have touted an inform striker for a move to the Emirates this month, a forward who could be their answer to Marmoush.

Arsenal target their own Marmoush

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their strong interest in RB Leipzig star Benjamin Šeško.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

In fact, the report has now revealed that the Gunners have ‘decided to step up’ their pursuit of the Slovenian and are willing to make an offer close to €70m – £59m – to get the deal done this month.

The report claims that this development is down to Arteta pushing the board, but as things stand, it’s unclear whether an offer such as this will be enough to tempt Leipzig into selling.

It could be an expensive and challenging transfer to get over the line this month, but given Šeško’s impressive form over the last year or so and the potential so many believe him to have, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could be Arsenal’s answer to Marmoush.

Why Šeško would be Arsenal's Marmoush

Okay, so there are several reasons why Šeško would be Arsenal’s answer to Manchester City signing Marmoush this month.

The first is the straightforward fact that, like the defending champions, this signing would represent the North Londoners going big in the German transfer market and signing one of the most exciting players from the Bundesliga.

This point of similarity links to the second: this transfer would represent the Gunners’ signing of an incredibly dangerous forward who could be set to come in and immediately impact the first team, akin to the City target.

For example, in just 42 appearances for Leipzig last season, the Radeče-born “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored 18 goals and provided two assists, while this year, he’s racked up 16 goals and assists in 25 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 2.1 games last season, and every 1.56 games this season.

For his part, the Egyptian phenom racked up 23 goals and assists in 41 appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt last year and a whopping 34 in 26 appearances this season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.78 and 0.76 games, respectively.

Now, while the similarities between the two attackers and their potential moves to the Premier League are apparent, there are two key differences between them which could work in the Gunners’ favour, with the first being their ages.

The Kairo-born superstar is set to turn 26 in a couple of weeks, while the former RB Salzburg star won’t be 22 until the end of the season.

While that might not seem like much on paper, it does suggest that the latter will be able to perform at the highest level for far longer and has years to reach his full potential.

For example, according to research carried out by The Athletic a few years ago, the age at which wide players peak is 26, while centre-forwards tend not to reach their peak until 27, and when you take into account how much the Leipzig star has improved season on season, who knows how good he’ll be in five years or so.

Lastly, Arteta has shown a preference for signing physically imposing players in recent years, and at a mammoth 6 foot 5, it is fair to say that Šeško is undoubtedly the more intimidating forward compared to the 6 foot Marmoush, and the mere idea of the Slovenian powerhouse getting on the end of a Nicolas Jover set-piece should terrify the rest of the league.

Ultimately, Arsenal are in desperate need of attacking reinforcements this month, and while it won’t be cheap, the board must do all they can to sign Šeško or risk being left behind by their rivals.

Arsenal struck gold with "future legend" who's worth far more than Sesko

The exceptional attack could smash records for Arsenal.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 21, 2025

Cesc Fabregas pointed out the similarities between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho as the Como coach revealed his relationship with Arsene Wenger.

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• Fabregas opened up on his footballing gurus
• Spoke extensively on Conte, Mourinho & Guardiola
• Labelled Wenger as "the best" he has had

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fabregas, known for orchestrating play in midfield throughout his illustrious playing career, is now carving out his path in management with Italian club Como. Drawing from a deep well of experience under some of football's most iconic managers, the Spaniard has embraced the challenge of leading a team from the dugout with notable maturity and insight.

  Since stepping into the role at Como, Fabregas has managed to stabilise the club in their return season to Italy’s top flight. Sitting comfortably in the mid-table, the club has shown resilience and growth under his leadership, evidence of a promising managerial future.

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  Reflecting on the influences that have shaped his own coaching style, Fabregas spoke openly about his admiration for three of the most successful managers he has worked with: Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, and Antonio Conte. While each has distinct tactical philosophies, Fabregas highlighted the common thread that binds them together – their relentless pursuit of success.

• WHAT FABREGAS SAID

  In an interview with Fabregas said: "Conte is a phenomenon, a phenomenon. I have learned so much from him. From his methodology and, above all, from his constant message, from his idea. Mourinho and Guardiola are different? On the field, perhaps, but off it, they are sick of victory; they have an incredible winning mentality and a notable ability to transfer it to the team. Antonio is made of the same stuff.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Yet, among all the managers who have left their mark on Fabregas, Arsène Wenger holds a special place. Having given Fabregas his big break at Arsenal, the Frenchman continues to have a profound impact on his former player.

  "Wenger is the best I have had," he said. "Especially now, in this, my beginning as a coach, he is an important and very present figure. He always writes to me after every game.”