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How Harry Kane could help Man Utd sign 66-goal demon who’s ‘scoring for fun’

Liverpool make enquiry for €25m-rated utility man who dreams of Real Madrid move

Man United a serious option for two-time Premier League winner, Arsenal linked as well

Who will replace Gary Lineker as the host of Match of the Day?

Whoever follows Lineker has the host of Match of the Day as big shoes to fill as that person could define the show over the next decade.

According to the Daily Mail, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan are viewed as the favourites to replace the former England striker, with the former receiving a glowing endorsement from Henry Winter.

“Mark Chapman is the best successor to Gary Lineker as MOTD host imho. Good journalist and presenter + rapport with pundits,” the journalist said.

The 51-year-old already hosts Match of the Day 2 following the Premier League’s Sunday matches and it seems like a natural step for the presenter to be promoted to the main show on a Saturday night. Although Logan presents tough competition having been given the role of hosting the BBC’s new Champions League highlights programme.

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Ruben Amorim targeting £70m England star as first signing, Man United have already had offers rejected

Darren Looney — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 16:36:17 +0000

Man United remain interested in Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and continue to monitor the England talent ahead of the January transfer window.

The Manchester club identified the 22-year-old as one of their top centre-back targets during the summer but could not agree a deal with the Toffees, seeing a second bid worth £45m plus £5m in add-ons rejected.

Everton are believed to want in the region of £70m for Branthwaite but that was a price the Red Devils were unwilling to pay during the latest transfer window.

Man United would instead go on to sign Leny Yoro from Lille as part of a €70m deal, however, it is being reported by the Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel that the Premier League giants remain interested in Everton’s Branthwaite, with a move on the cards for January or next summer – although there is some doubt over a mid-season switch.

The 22-year-old is out of contract at Goodison Park in 2027, which means the Toffees could be more open to a sale during the 2025 windows.

Man United remain interested in Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

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Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite perfect for the new system at Man United

Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim is set to take over as manager of Man United during the international break and it is expected that the Portuguese coach will apply his 3-4-3 system to the current Red Devils squad.

That will require three top centre-back’s and that is something United lack at present.

The England star could form a deadly trio alongside Yoro and Lisandro Martinez, and given their ages, it is a partnership that Amorim could have in place at Old Trafford for a very long time.

It remains to be seen if Man United make an official move for Branthwaite in 2025 as a deal for the England star will not be cheap. Amorim may want to focus on other areas once he sees his squad and a bid for the centre-back may come down to what funds are left over.

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West Ham ace’s stupidity hands Lopetegui major problem ahead of Everton test

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:54:59 +0000

Julen Lopetegui’s future at West Ham is hanging by a thread, and thanks to one player’s stupidity, he has a major problem ahead of the Everton game.

The Times (subscription required) note that if the Hammers poor form continues, the Spaniard is at risk of the sack, and with Sean Dyche’s Everton side renowned for scrapping for every point, this Saturday’s game at the London Stadium could be pivotal for Lopetegui.

Lopetegui on the verge at West Ham

A former Chelsea coach is already being tipped to take over, though the Hammers have been warned about a potential hire of one ex-Premier League coach.

Ahead of the game against Everton, West Ham find themselves in 14th position with just 11 points. Were they to be beaten by the Toffees, Dyche’s side will leapfrog the Hammers.

A huge Champions League-winning manager is being linked with the West Ham job. Find out who here!

That will surely be enough to see David Sullivan wield the axe.

Lopetegui needs all of his players at his disposal, but Mo Kudus’ stupidity against Tottenham has ensured that he won’t be available.

BREAKING: West Ham's Mohammed Kudus has his three match ban extended to five matches by the FA after being sent off against Tottenham last month ? pic.twitter.com/newppgRsOu

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 6, 2024

Worse than that, the Ghanaian’s initial three-match ban for violent conduct has been increased to five. By the time he’s available again it might already be too late for Lopetegui.

The Spaniard’s reputation has taken a battering since being installed in East London, after he’d repaired it at Sevilla.

Prior to his stint with the Andalusians, he’d endured an horrendous time at Real Madrid, who sacked him at roughly the same state of the season in 2018 as we’re at just now.

Even his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers did little to endear him to the Hammers faithful after he appeared to walk out on the Midlands-based club because of broken promises.

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Failed Chelsea coach in line to replace Premier League manager set for sack this weekend

Darren Looney — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 21:11:32 +0000

The start to the 2024/25 campaign has been abysmal for West Ham and should the Hammers lose to Everton on Saturday, Julen Lopetegui is unlikely to remain in the role once the Premier League resumes after the international break.

The London club brought the Spanish coach in during the summer to replace David Moyes, who was criticised by some factions of the West Ham fanbase due to his style of play.

The grass has not been greener on the other side as the Irons currently sit 14th in the Premier League table with three wins from 10 and were also dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool at the start of the season.

The opening phase of the current campaign has been very underwhelming, especially when there was a lot of excitement around the London Stadium heading into this term. West Ham spent more than £100m on signings during the summer transfer window but are yet to see a return on their investment.

The Hammers were demolished last time out against Nottingham Forest losing 3-0 to Nuno Espirito Santo’s team, and should the London outfit fall to defeat against Everton on Saturday, Lopetegui could be sacked.

Julen Lopetegui is under pressure at West Ham. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Failed Chelsea boss could replace Julen Lopetegui at West Ham

West Ham will review Lopetegui’s position if they lose at home to Everton on Saturday, reports The Guardian. The club’s board hope that their manager will turn their situation around, but another defeat is likely to be it for the Spanish coach.

Should the Hammers sack Lopetegui, the London outfit could move for former Chelsea boss Graham Potter during the international break.

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The English coach has been out of work since leaving Stamford Bridge in April 2023 and West Ham may be the challenge he is looking for. The 49-year-old did exceptional work at Brighton but could not handle the mess at Chelsea.

Potter failed at Stamford Bridge but so have many others, and his appointment could be a big one for the Irons, with other clubs having looked at the Englishman in recent months.

The report has also linked former Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic to the role, but all this is irrelevant if Lopetegui can start producing results at the London Stadium.

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True cost of being found guilty of 115 charges will shock Man City as EPL opponents seek compensation

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:10:02 +0000

Manchester City remain innocent until proven guilty of any of the 115 charges being levied against them, however, their Premier League opponents will sue them if they are, ultimately, found guilty.

The fall out from the case which is currently ongoing could change the face of English football as we know it.

Man City could be sued for many millions by EPL clubs

An unprecedented punishment against the Cityzens has already been mooted, with other potential avenues for taking the serial champions down a peg or two also being discussed.

Arguably, any and all discussions are irrelevant at this stage given that City haven’t yet been found guilty of a single charge.

Man City could be sued by their EPL opponents over the 115 charges against them. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

Given the severity of the charges, it will take some time before any decision is reached in any event, and were the outcome to be unfavourable to City, there’s some certainty to the club launching an appeal, delaying the outcome even further.

According to The Times (subscription required), a number of Premier League clubs are reserving the right to seek compensation for lost earnings were City to be found guilty.

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Essentially, some clubs will have been denied the right to finances that a title win would’ve seen them achieve, and/or the prize money involved in qualifying for the latter stages of European competitions.

There is a need for those clubs to protect their positions now given that its understood they could be time barred from doing so if they wait until the end of the trial and/or a subsequent appeal.

Any potentially successful cases against City would cost the club many millions of pounds, though the loss of prestige would be far more humbling for the club.

Such scenarios may not even come to pass if City’s legal team manage to ensure that the club’s name, and that of their directors emerge successfully from the case.

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Manchester United preparing third attempt to sign 22-year-old “monster”

Mark Brus — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 07:59:26 +0000

Manchester United are reportedly ready to try for a third time to sign Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

The Red Devils made two efforts to sign the talented 22-year-old in the summer, but had two bids turned down by Everton, though it seems their interest has not gone away, according to talkSPORT.

Man Utd ended up strengthening with two other centre-backs, however, as Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt joined the club, though Yoro has been unable to make an impact so far due to injury.

Meanwhile, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are out of favour and will both be out of contract at the end of the season, so there is surely room for someone like Branthwaite to come in as well.

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It seems Ruben Amorim’s imminent arrival as United manager is also key to the pursuit of Branthwaite, as talkSPORT claim that Dan Ashworth thinks the England international will be a good fit for the Portuguese tactician and his preferred tactic of playing three at the back.

Do Manchester United really need another defender?

Jarrad Branthwaite in action for Everton (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Branthwaite is a quality player and it will be important for MUFC to have depth at the back after Yoro’s injury problems, while Lisandro Martinez has also had fitness problems for a large chunk of his time at Old Trafford.

Ian Wright previously described the Toffees defender as a “monster” and one imagines if United don’t get him, he’ll surely end up at another top club.

Still, there is arguably a more pressing issue for United right now, and that’s in attack, with Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho all performing well below what they’re capable of.

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Rashford and Garnacho have gone backwards and aren’t providing enough quality from out wide, while Hojlund and Zirkzee just don’t seem to have it in them to be prolific scorers in the middle.

Given that Branthwaite would surely be expensive after Everton’s previous efforts to keep hold of the player, this could end up being a fruitless pursuit that eats into United’s resources, leaving them without enough to really bring in a quality game-changer at the other end of the pitch.

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Richard Keys explains why he has no sympathy for West Ham as he names ideal Julen Lopetegui replacement

Mark Brus — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 11:09:10 +0000

Richard Keys has weighed in on the problems at West Ham United this season as their struggles continue under Julen Lopetegui.

The Spanish tactician took over in the summer and looked at first like he could be a promising appointment for the club as they looked to move on from David Moyes, but it’s not worked out for them at all.

Keys says he has no sympathy for West Ham, presumably as he was unimpressed with how they dealt with Moyes, and he has also suggested former Hammers star Frank Lampard as a potential replacement for Lopetegui.

Lampard hasn’t had the most inspiring coaching career so far, having struggled in two spells in charge of Chelsea, while he also didn’t do too well during his time at Everton.

Frank Lampard during his time as Chelsea manager (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Still, the former England midfielder did well at Derby County a few years ago, so might still have something to offer in the game, even if West Ham looks like quite a big challenge for him right now.

Frank Lampard to replace Julen Lopetegui at West Ham?

Discussing the West Ham situation on his blog, Keys said: “West Ham’s problems are all of their own making and I don’t have an ounce of sympathy for them. It’ll get worse there before it gets better.

“They’re certainly going in another direction since forcing David Moyes out. It’s just not the one they wanted to go in. Frank Lampard?”

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West Ham surely won’t put up with Lopetegui for too much longer unless things improve quickly, and it will be interesting to see who could be in contention for the job.

Lampard seems like a gamble, even if he does have a connection with West Ham from his playing days.

Having said that, it’s not like his relationship with the east Londoners is great after he left them for Chelsea in 2001.

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Revealed: Aston Villa & Everton eyeing La Liga wonderkid, huge transfer fee required

Mark Brus — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 06:51:36 +0000

Aston Villa and Everton are among the clubs showing a strong interest in the potential transfer of Sevilla wonderkid Stanis Idumbo, sources have told CaughtOffside.

The talented 19-year-old attacking midfielder is starting to make a real impression in La Liga, with CaughtOffside informed that scouts from the likes of Villa, Everton and Brighton have watched his recent games against the likes of Barcelona and been hugely impressed with what they saw.

Idumbo has only recently become a first-team regular with Sevilla, but has long been regarded as an exciting prospect from his days in the Ajax academy and with the likes of Gent and Club Brugge in his native Belgium.

CaughtOffside understands Sevilla are not keen to sell Idumbo, so it could take big money from the likes of Villa and Everton to persuade the Spanish club to let him go.

Other big names from abroad are also understood to be keen on the Belgium Under-19 international, such as Borussia Dortmund and Benfica.

Stanis Idumbo in action for Sevilla (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Stanis Idumbo transfer: Will the Sevilla youngster move to Aston Villa?

It seems clear that Idumbo has a big future in the game, and it would most likely be smart business by whichever club manages to win the race for his signature.

Sevilla won’t want to make this easy for anyone, but at the same time they are a club that have historically cashed in on players when there’s been an opportunity to make a big profit.

Clubs like Brighton, Dortmund and Benfica have also done well with similar strategies, so Idumbo looks very much like a signing who’d fit those clubs.

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