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Manchester United are predicted to make huge changes this summer, including the appointment of a new manager and now Fabrizio Romano has made a huge claim on the transfer plans at Old Trafford.

What’s the word?

According to popular transfer insider and journalist Romano, Manchester United are already making plans to sign their next striker, with Richarlison and Darwin Nunez named as two players the club are interested in.

The Italian took to his YouTube channel to make the claim:

“Erik ten Hag knows how important it is to decide who is the perfect striker for Manchester United as soon as possible.

“For example, Darwin Nunez, and Richarlison are already players they have discussed internally.

“The perfect striker will be discussed with ten Hag before jumping into negotiations. Man United will 100% sign a new striker regardless of what happens with Ronaldo.”

Supporters will be excited

Following the shocking 4-0 defeat at Anfield on Tuesday evening, supporters will surely be excited that the wheels are in motion to start making changes and improving the squad with Richarlison and Nunez named as potential candidates.

Richarlison is currently embroiled in a relegation battle at Everton, however, at just 24 years old could be a great signing for Man United to improve the quality in the front three.

The Brazilian striker usually plays on the left wing to accommodate his partnership with Dominic Calvert-Lewin who plays in the centre-forward role at Goodison Park but has proven he can also be effective in his team-mate’s role too following his absence this season through injury.

The Toffees attacker has scored 49 goals in 145 appearances for his current club, but with the right service and guidance could have the potential to become a much more consistent goal threat and would be a good prospect for replacing Marcus Rashford if he was to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, as per reports.

Nunez is a hugely hot prospect for many Premier League clubs with Liverpool and Arsenal also speculated to be interested in securing his signature this summer following a fantastic season so far from the Benfica striker.

The 22-year-old has scored an impressive 33 goals in 38 appearances for his Portuguese club and has caught the eye of several clubs following his Champions League performances scoring six goals in the competition against Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Ajax.

With that being said, if ten Hag does join the club he will have a challenge on his hands to identify the right players to make an instant impact on the struggling Man United side to ensure next season they have the opportunity to compete for trophies, and signing a new strike force is clearly a promising priority.

AND in other news: Ten Hag must brutally axe “terrible” MUFC flop who made just 11 passes v LFC

Many West Ham United fans have been reacting to footage from Lukasz Fabianski’s final appearance for Poland as he retired from international football.

The 36-year-old has been involved in the Polish setup for no less than 15 years, making his debut in 2006 in a friendly against Saudi Arabia. He has had plenty of competition for the number one spot, with the likes of Artur Boruc and Wojciech Szczesny also representing the nation, but he has still managed to pick up 57 caps, while the Hammers shot-stopper has also appeared at the European Championship.

On Saturday, he brought his international career to a close as Poland beat San Marino 5-0. He came off in the 57th minute of the match and was clearly upset, and many West Ham fans have been moved by his show of emotion.

A video of him leaving the pitch was shared on Twitter by @whujoe, and it attracted plenty of attention from Irons supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the emotional footage.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Fabianski

“I absolutely love this man. I don’t care how good Areola is. I want Fab to start forever”

Credit: @ChrisConnor93

“This is heartbreaking”

Credit: @Wilko17

“The feels”

Credit: @CooperfectUTB

“Things like this just wanna make you cry with him”

Credit: @SfcDanny

“I’m not crying, you are”

Credit: @ryryboltwrap

“quite sad actually”

Credit: @franknoble_

In other news, Kieran Maguire makes this GSB claim.

Gabriel Agbonlahor thinks Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos staying at Glasgow Rangers makes the Gers favourites to win the Premiership again this campaign.

The Lowdown: Kent and Morelos linked with exits

Both Kent and Morelos were linked with exits away from the Rangers during the transfer window.

Leeds United were said to be after the former (Football Insider), while the latter was even reported to have agreed personal terms with Porto (Antena 1).

The Latest: Agbonlahor confident for Gers

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor believes the Gers are now big favourites to the win the title after keeping the duo. He said:

“They had to keep hold of them.

“If they didn’t hold onto Morelos and Kent then the title probably changes hands from Rangers to Celtic. Keeping them makes Rangers favourites.

“That Rangers team is a good team but when you start to lose one or two of those star players, it’s not a great team. They need those players in there.

“For me, Steven Gerrard will be quite happy with his squad at the moment and will be thankful that nobody went before the window closed.”

The Verdict: Important

Of course, Kent and Morelos are two important players for the Gers. With 30 goals and 28 assists between them last season (Transfermarkt), they were instrumental in the Gers winning the league for the first time in ten years. If Steven Gerrard’s side are to be as successful this time out, they will need them at the top of their game.

There will have been temptation to cash in on the two assets during the summer – after all, they have a combined value of £23.4m – but, for now, they remain with the 55-time Scottish champions. Backing up last term’s success is now clearly the goal.

In other news, Rangers fans reacted to this man’s departure from the club.

Nigel Jemson insists that he fears for Nottingham Forest if they are relegated to League One this season.

The club have endured a horrific start to the season and have taken just four points from their opening eight games, prior to the appointment of Steve Cooper this week.

They came in a draw with Derby County, their fierce rivals, losing six of their other seven games under former manager Chris Hughton before they beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 away at the weekend.

Those defeats came against Coventry City, AFC Bournemouth, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Cardiff City and, most recently, Middlesbrough, which convinced Forest to axe Hughton.

And Jemson is hopeful that is how things pan out, as he believes that the club could genuinely struggle if they are relegated, fearing owner Evangelos Marinakis could well look to leave at the first opportunity if the worst happens.

Indeed, he has drawn a comparison with Sunderland, who have languished in League One for some time.

He said: “Sunderland, it’s been very hard for them to get back to where they should be or where people think they should be and that’s certainly the Championship, at the bare minimum.

“I don’t want to think about Nottingham Forest being in League One because I fear for them if that happens. I fear for them in the fact that the owner, Marinakis, may not stay there long.”

Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run to three games in the Premier League after securing a draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Monday night.

It could have been even better for the Eagles, though, as Patrick Vieira’s charges were just moments away from securing all three points before Alexandre Lacazette struck deep into injury time.

The Gunners started the game brightly and dominated the opening 20 minutes, deservedly taking the lead after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reacted quickest to a Vicente Guaita save following Nicolas Pepe’s curling effort.

But Palace improved after a slow start and began to dominate possession against their north London rivals, although they struggled to create any real chances in the first half. 

However, that soon changed following the interval. Christian Benteke continued his good record in games against Arsenal with a well-taken equaliser, smashing the ball into the corner of Aaron Ramsdale’s net after Jordan Ayew robbed Thomas Partey of possession. 

The visitors once again stole the ball off their hosts to take the lead, with Conor Gallagher dispossessing Albert Sambi Lokonga in his own half before executed a perfect counter-attack, resulting in Odsonne Edouard hammering in a shot via the underside of the bar.

It was an impressive performance from Vieira’s charges despite Lacazette’s late equaliser, and there was a surprise star of the show leading the line for the capital club.

As per SofaScore, Benteke was awarded a match rating of 7.6 out of 10 for his efforts, the highest total received by any player on the pitch. And when taking a closer look at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

The Belgium international struck the target with both of his shots during the 90 minutes, successfully completed both of his dribbles and won eight of his ten duels (80%), highlighting his effective and efficient performance at the top end of the pitch.

He bullied the Arsenal defence with his monstrous presence and not for the first time, beat the goalkeeper at the Emirates Stadium.

Benteke hadn’t found the back of the net all season until Monday night, but his expertly taken strike will fill him with confidence in the weeks ahead and provide Vieira with another viable source of goals.

And, in other news…Parish must seal Palace move for “phenomenal” £5.85m-rated gem, fans will be buzzing 

Former Tottenham captain Graham Roberts has told Nuno Espirito Santo to play Harry Kane or let him go.

Kane made his long-awaited return to competitive action at Wolves on Sunday – replacing Heung-min Son off the bench for the final 18 minutes at Molineux.

His late cameo appearance came just days after the striker was overlooked for the victory against Manchester City and UEFA Conference League tie against Pacos de Ferreira four days later.

But Santo ignored the ongoing links with Pep Guardiola’s side and cited Kane’s lack of match fitness as the reason for his absence for the opening two games of the season.

It’s unclear whether Kane will start the second leg tie on Thursday evening or the Premier League clash with Watford on Sunday. He has, however, stated that his intention is now to stay at Tottenham.

Santo may not want to change a winning team against the Hornets, but Roberts exclusively told Football FanCast that Kane must return to the starting XI as quickly as possible:

“Harry Kane is a Tottenham player so he should play him. If we’re not going to pick him, then you might as well let him go. He’s the best striker in the world, so play him.

“Don’t keep putting him on the bench, saying he’s unfit, he isn’t going to get fit coming on for 10 minutes.”

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United’s efforts to land a director of football…

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s Brighton reporter Andy Naylor, the Magpies have held talks with Brighton’s technical director Dan Ashworth over a move to St. James’ Park.

The report claims that a decision is not believed to be imminent on his future, whilst mentioning that the Seagulls gave permission to Newcastle to speak with him.

Buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that they are inching closer to landing a director of football. Whilst it may not be happening in the immediate future, it shows that the wheels have been set in motion and PIF are looking to the future in terms of where they want to go with the club.

Ashworth could be the man to come in and sculpt the side moving forward with decisions on matters on and off the pitch, whilst working alongside Howe to create a successful team. That is why this is such an important move for the new owners and why supporters will be delighted that they are making progress in their efforts to bring the Brighton man in.

Seagulls reporter Aden-Jay Wood previously Tweeted: “If Dan Ashworth goes (which I think he will), it will be a huge shame. Ashworth has almost singlehandedly changed Brighton’s approach both on and off the field and would be very, very difficult to replace.”

This suggests that he is the right man for PIF to appoint as he has managed to achieve success in turning a club around with Brighton, and that is yet a further reason why the Toon Army will be pleased with this news.

Nick Hammond has already been appointed to oversee the January window, which means that there is no rush for a deal to be completed for Ashworth. The ex-Reading chief has arrived on a short-term basis to assist the manager this month as the Magpies attempt to bolster their squad and he has got off to the best possible start.

Kieran Trippier is poised to sign on a permanent transfer from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, six months after starring for England as they reached the final of the European Championships. The former Tottenham full-back averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.20 and provided six assists in the league last term for the Spanish side, showing the quality he possesses as a right-back.

This shows that Hammond is doing a fine job, so far, and Newcastle don’t need to rush Ashworth’s appointment and can, therefore, bide their time with him. Whether this means that he remains on the south coast until the end of the campaign or joins the Toon at the end of the window remains to be seen, but the fact that there have already been talks between the two parties will surely excite the supporters.

AND in other news, “Under discussion..”: Luke Edwards drops big NUFC transfer claim that’ll excite fans…

As per Fanatik, an update has come to light on Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans involving Fenerbache defender Kim Min-jae.

The Lowdown: Tottenham target centre-half…

The Athletic recently revealed that Spurs and manager Antonio Conte have a new central defender in their sights this summer with a number of key targets already shortlisted.

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According to their information, Joško Gvardiol, Alessandro Bastoni, Sven Botman and Nico Schlotterbeck have all been identified for possible attempts this summer as club chief Fabio Paratici gets to work on the 2022/2023 campaign.

Now, with news emerging on another defensive candidate out of Turkey, it appears Conte has personally approved a move for Kim.

The Latest: Conte green-lights move…

According to Fanatik, Tottenham and Everton have ‘taken action’ over Kim with Lilywhites officials scouting the player and recommending him to Conte.

Subsequently, the Italian has now personally approved a move for the South Korea international defender by giving the ‘green-light’.

The Verdict: Right call?

The 52-year-old wants to see new additions at N17 over the summer as he seeks to improve Tottenham further over his first full season in charge next year.

Kim, who could cost around €23 million (£19m), certainly comes as an affordable alternative to fellow targets on the list with the defender also being called a ‘monster’ in his homeland.

The 6 foot 3 powerhouse, branded one of the stars of the transfer window this summer by Fanatik, may well be one to watch out for if Spurs can’t offload players like Tanguy Ndombele for a profit.

In other news: Tottenham official dispatched as Conte identifies ’emerging superstar’ signing, find out more here.

Celtic are hopeful of offloading goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas in January, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin. 

The lowdown: Record breaker

Celtic signed Barkas as recently as July 2020, parting with £4.5million to recruit him from AEK Athens.

That actually made him the most expensive goalkeeper in the Hoops’ history.

But after clocking up 22 appearances in his debut season, he’s only featured once this term (in the first leg of the Champions League qualifier against Midtjylland back in July).

The 27-year-old still has three years to run on his contract at Parkhead, but his Transfermarkt value has fallen to £2.52million.

The latest: Time to cash in

A source in Greece has revealed (via The Athletic) Celtic want to sell Barkas in the mid-season window and if that fails, they’ll look to secure a loan move.

Should he leave, Tobi Oluwayemi would likely be promoted to third choice behind Joe Hart and Scott Bain.

The verdict: Forgettable

It’s no surprise that Celtic want to cash in on Barkas, who’s of little use to them at the moment and on a frankly ridiculous £13,500-a-week.

However, they’ll surely struggle to get much of a return on their 2020 investment after he has slipped so far down the pecking order.

Ultimately, the record move has to be regarded a failure for the previous Celtic scouting department, one that Michael Nicholson and co will have to learn from the next time they look to recruit a true no.1.

In other news, Celtic have received a boost ahead of the League Cup semifinal.

Noel Whelan has been left fuming at what he has now heard from an Everton source involving Richarlison in the build-up to the clash with Leicester City.

The Lowdown: Agent talk

Speaking to Football Insider, a source from the Goodison Park faithful has revealed that Richarlison has now told his agent to find him a new club in the summer as another crucial fixture looms this evening, when the Toffees welcome Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes to Goodison Park.

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The Brazil international still has over two years left of his contract remaining on Merseyside, but given how the season has gone, it looks as if he wants to bail out now.

The Latest: Whelan fumes

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan, who regularly used to feature as a pundit for the BBC, fumed when he heard the news, claiming that ‘it’s not right’ that Richarlison is ‘plotting’ a way out of the Toffees when they are struggling near the bottom of the Premier League:

“That doesn’t surprise me at all.

“I’ve said all along that I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with him, and that just proves my point.

“You just knew all along, once Everton got into this struggle, he would be sitting at home and plotting his way out.

“That’s not commitment to me. That’s not fighting for the cause. It’s not right.

“Will he get the move? Of course he will. He’s Brazil’s number nine, and he had Barcelona at his door only a couple of years ago.

“I’m sure he’ll get the move he wants, but it won’t be cheap. Everton will hold on for what they think he’s worth – provided they’re still in the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Sell

Richarlison has often been criticised for having problems with his attitude, and this seems no different as he reportedly looks to force his way out of the club.

He has not exactly been on top form either this season so far, with just six goals to his name in the top flight, and at 24 years of age, Frank Lampard’s team could demand a sizeable fee for him this summer.

Nonetheless, the Blues could then use that money to strengthen in other key areas of the pitch, so letting a player go who is seemingly unhappy would not be the worst thing.

In other news, find out which ‘fantastic specimen’ EFC are now eyeing here!