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Alex Crook has admitted on TalkSPORT Erik ten Hag will be looking to recruit a new central midfielder and striker at Manchester United this summer.

The Lowdown: Players will now be keen to join

It was only last summer when United were finding it incredibly difficult to attract someone such as Frenkie de Jong to Old Trafford because of the season they’d just had and a lack of Champions League football on offer.

Now though, thanks to the work Ten Hag has been able to do in such a short period of time, Man United are looking certain for the top four, potentially in a title race and in the conversation for a quadruple.

Therefore, Man United and Old Trafford could now become an attractive club to join once again if they can offer trophies, Champions League football and a manager who has a clear plan in place for his team.

The Latest: Midfielder and a striker top of the list

Ten Hag brought in a stop-gap striker in January in the form of Wout Weghorst but Crook believes another number nine and central midfielder is the two key positions Man United will be looking to recruit in.

He said: (0:00) “I think a number nine and another midfield player are Ten hag’s two big targets this summer.

“We know how desperate he was to sign Frenkie de Jong at the start of this season, it didn’t happen, mainly down to the dispute between Barcelona and De Jogn about some wages that had been deferred during the pandemic.

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“Obviously, at that stage, Manchester United weren’t a Champions League club but touchwood they will be next season either via the Premier League or maybe winning the Europa League, so I think they’ll become a much more attractive proposition.”

The Verdict: Ten Hag must be backed once again

There shouldn’t even be a conversation within Man United about backing Ten Hag or not because the board have seen first-hand what his signings have been able to do this season with the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Antony all making big impacts on the side.

If Man United can just hand Ten Hag a starting midfielder and proven goalscorer then that would certainly be enough to see them become serious title contenders because as much work as Weghorst does off the ball, he has one goal since joining the club in January.

Also, Man United have struggled for results and performances a lot more compared to when Casemiro plays and he doesn’t, so bringing in a midfielder of his calibre could be exactly what they need to iron out those deficiencies and become a serious contender.

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw is expected to leave Elland Road this summer, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Leeds career

Forshaw was actually the club’s most expensive signing since the 2001/02 season when he arrived in Yorkshire from Middlesbrough at a cost of €5.1m (£4.5m) in 2018.

Since then, the 31-year-old has made 84 appearances for the club but has missed far more of the action with a number of injury issues.

He has featured in just 157 minutes of Premier League action this season, with his last appearance coming on New Year’s Eve against Newcastle.

The Latest: Forshaw’s future

FI reporter Wayne Veysey shared an update on Forshaw, who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

He said that the Whites have the option to extend that by a further 12 months, however, that looks unlikely and the club are expected to let the player go.

The Verdict: Right call?

Forshaw has had a frustrating few years with injuries, whereas Leeds have bolstered their midfield ranks over the last 12 months by signing Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie.

They also have Darko Gyabi coming through the ranks at Thorp Arch, so parting ways with Forshaw appears to be the right decision.

Whether or not Leeds will be a Premier League side in the summer remains to be seen, but hopefully, Forshaw, who shares the same agency as McKennie and Brenden Aaronson, will have no trouble in finding a new club with a number of Championship sides keen on his services towards the end of 2022.

Manchester United are one of several clubs potentially interested in signing Barcelona and France winger Ousmane Dembele, according to a new transfer update.

The Lowdown: Dembele on the move?

The 25-year-old is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue that has kept him out of action since the end of January, curtailing what was a strong season until that point.

Dembele’s pace and directness have been key for Barca in 2022/23 and he has registered 10 goal contributions (five goals and five assists) in 18 La Liga appearances, as well three (one goal and two assists) in the Champions League.

The £199,000-per-week star’s future is up in the air at the moment, however, with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2024 and no new extension agreed at this point.

Dembele’s persistent injury problems may be a possible reason for this – he has never started more than 22 league games in a single season in his career – and Barca could feel that this summer is a good time to cash in on him.

He has been linked with a move to the Premier League and now a fresh claim suggests that England could be his next destination once this campaign comes to an end.

The Latest: United in the mix

According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Dembele is seen as an ‘attractive’ option for United, as they look to bring in significant attacking reinforcements.

They are not alone in being mentioned in the report, however, with Newcastle United and Chelsea also in the conversation, while Inter Milan and Barcelona may be unable to pay his €50million (£44.2m) release clause.

The Verdict: Top player but potential risk

Dembele is clearly a top-level footballer who has been rated extremely highly for some time now, having been signed by Barca for a whopping £135.5million back in 2017, at the age of just 20.

The four-goal France international has been compared to Neymar by Xavi, such is his quality, and he has scored 40 goals and registered 41 assists for his current club.

Dembele could be a more devastating wide option for United than Antony, who has flattered to deceive this season, assisting just twice in all competitions, and his pedigree is undeniable, having started the 2022 World Cup final.

The one risk would be both his injury record and rumoured questionable attitude, but if Erik ten Hag believes he can sort those issues, he could be a very exciting summer arrival at Old Trafford.

Manchester United are expected to receive a new bid from Qatar on Wednesday after holding positive talks with the club last week in England.

Do the Glazers want to sell?

The Premier League giants hosted representatives of the Qatari-based bid last week in Manchester and provided them with a tour of Old Trafford as well as the Carrington training ground.

And on the back of the visit to Manchester, there is a belief that the Qatari group are expected to increase their offer having been impressed with what they saw.

There is also now a belief that the Glazers are looking to fully cut ties with the club as the Qatar bid would see them take control of the entire club.

Indeed, speaking on Sky Sports, reporter Kaveh Solhekol has shared the latest information he has received from the US on the state of play in regard to the potential sale of United:

"The latest is that Qatar's Sheikh Jassim will make his second bid for Manchester United on Wednesday. Sources in the US are telling us that the talks that Sheikh Jassim's delegation had at Old Trafford and Carrington with United executives on Thursday were extremely positive.

"Sheikh Jassim's advisors have been working over the weekend and are working today [Monday] and tomorrow on putting this new bid together.

"And it's expected that the bid will be submitted before the close of play on Wednesday evening. There is also some growing confidence among bidders that the Glazer family do actually want to sell."

Will the Qatar group take over at Man United?

This update would certainly suggest the possibility of the Qatari group taking over at Old Trafford is taking the right steps forward on the back of last week's meetings.

And what is interesting is to see the shift in stance from those in Qatar after reports from Solhekol had originally suggested they were standing pretty firm in their valuation of the club.

Whereas now, it seems they would be looking to strengthen their bid for the club on the back of their visit last week.

But whether it will be enough to see the Glazers sell is another matter given they are believed to have a high figure set of selling their shares of the club.

And given the belief is the Glazers are keen to step away from the club, it could well put the Qatari group in a prime position to take over as their bid is to take over the entire club.

In comparison, the bid of Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to only cover the 69% that the Glazers own.

With a bid expected to land on the table by the end of play on Wednesday, it will be interesting to see how far the Qatari bidders are willing to take their interest.

Journalist Ross Gregory has claimed that Newcastle United "rate" Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott ahead of a possible summer transfer.

What's the latest on Alex Scott to Newcastle?

With the Magpies making the League Cup final this season and pushing for a spot in the Premier League top four, their growth under the new ownership has been swift.

No doubt, though, they'll want to keep on this upward trajectory and will likely aim to do so with some big spending in the summer – just like they did last time when players like Alexander Isak were signed for notable transfer fees.

With that in mind, you can expect a number of players to be linked with a move to St James' Park over the coming months. And Bristol City's Scott is one name that could come in and add some depth to the Newcastle United midfield if the latest rumours are to be believed.

Indeed, while talking about the player on NUFC Matters, Gregory explained: "I suppose that Newcastle will be looking for, like we said, some midfield reinforcements in an attacking sense – whether that's a James Maddison or whoever it may be. Alex Scott at Bristol City is another one that they rate."

How much will Alex Scott cost for Newcastle?

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has already helped drum up the hype for the 19-year-old midfielder as he called him "an unbelievable player” after his team beat Bristol City 3-0 in the FA Cup.

On top of that, it sounds as though Newcastle won't find it easy to land Scott as a number of other top English teams are likely to be in the race for his signature too.

Indeed, as per Fabrizio Romano, there is "big interest" from Premier League sides and the Robins will be asking for "at least" £20m-£25m for their key man.

With all that in mind, it's not hard to see why Eddie Howe and co may well rate the teenager, but they certainly aren't alone in that. Consequently, this could be a rather interesting saga to watch develop when the summer market opens.

However, last summer the Magpies saw a bid in the region of £50m reportedly turned down for long-term target James Madison. And if the Leicester City ace is unreachable once more, perhaps Scott could be a cheaper alternative even if they do have to outbid other interested parties.

Tottenham Hotspur's search for a manager continues to rumble on, showing little signs of coming to a conclusion anytime soon. As such, it allows the rumour mill to spin into overdrive.

The Lilywhites have seen themselves linked with a host of top coaches, all of whom would certainly improve their struggling outfit; yet it seems like fans may have to wait until the summer before a new face is welcomed.

Especially if the plan is to snatch an in-form boss from another club, given the expected reluctance from those who are flying high to jump ship.

Brighton and Hove Albion are one such club whom they have monitored, but another exceptional side that could be of interest to Daniel Levy is Fulham; namely Marco Silva.

The Portuguese boss has shrugged off his failed spell at Everton to return to England emphatically, leading his west London outfit on a charge for European spots.

He could now compound his return to prominence by clinching the Spurs job, having reportedly been one of the frontrunners to replace Antonio Conte in recent weeks.

Would Marco Silva be a good fit at Spurs?

Whilst questions might be raised about the supposed overperformance of his current team, the way in which he has them playing is worth praise alone.

With a quality far below Spurs' squad, the Cottagers play exciting, fast-paced football that is sure to thrill all who watch it. Whilst it can occasionally backfire spectacularly, as shown in their poor showing against Arsenal, thus far it has them sat just three points from sixth-place Liverpool and averaging 1.75 points per game.

The former Watford head coach also nearly led his side to Wembley recently too, if not for a spectacular late collapse from him and his players at Old Trafford.

It seems that his sabbatical from the Premier League has seen him return with a far better grasp on his own tactics, which were admittedly flawed during his time in the Goodison Park dugout. Despite that, he maintained a desire to play a brand of football that his fans could be proud of; the complete antithesis to the turgid football of Conte.

His director of football with the Toffees, Marcel Brands, spoke highly of the 45-year-old: "One of the most important things is that he’s a guy who wants to play attractive, attacking football."

This is a philosophy that has only been bolstered since then.

It may take some time to shift the culture within the club, but having already done so at Craven Cottage there is a belief he could repeat this with a higher calibre of players now. Finally, beautiful football could return in order to revive the white half of north London.

Javi Gracia has given Leeds United a new lease of life since his arrival at Elland Road, with the Spaniard overseeing vital wins against Southampton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Nottingham Forest.

The Yorkshire outfit now look to be in a better position than most in the Premier League relegation battle but it is so tight that a poor run of form could easily see Leeds drop back down the table.

Gracia's instant impact on results has been impressive but his transformation of key attackers has also been vital to the upturn in form, with Luis Sinisterra arguably enjoying his best game since joining the club on Tuesday night when he scored the winner against Forest.

However, it has arguably been the form of Jack Harrison since Gracia's appointment that has been the most eye-catching change under the former Watford boss at Elland Road.

How has Jack Harrison improved under Gracia?

Although it was a strong start to the season from the former Manchester City man, as he notched three assists and one goal in the opening three fixtures, he would then endure a barren run of form that saw him fail to register a single goal contribution in any game for the rest of 2022.

While the 26-year-old winger did manage a goal and assist in the 3-1 win over Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup, he had a woeful record of no goals and just one assist in 15 Premier League games ahead of Marsch's sacking in February.

Gracia was appointed on February 21st and Harrison, who earns £50k-per-week at Elland Road, has been a key player for the new manager ever since then, kick-starting his and Leeds' revival with an assist in the 1-0 win over Southampton.

Other than in tough away defeats against Chelsea and Arsenal, Harrison has been a constant threat to Premier League defences recently, hitting three goals and an assist in games against Brighton, Wolves and Nottingham Forest.

Leeds were very close to losing the English wide man in January when Leicester City came calling, but Marsch handed the Yorkshire outfit a parting gift by ensuring that Harrison remained at Elland Road, until the end of the season at least.

Marsch said: “Listen, all I’ll say is, I really like Jack first as a person. He’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever coached.

“We like him here. We want to keep him. He’s performing really well. I think getting him fit and healthy has been a big key. He’s got flexibility in the way he plays.”

Harrison has certainly lived up to that praise following the American's departure and if he can maintain this impressive form, then he could be a key player for Leeds in their bid for survival.

Leeds United have overtaken Premier League rivals Everton in the race to sign Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Gyokeres to Leeds?

The Sky Blues forward will be out of contract at the Building Society Arena at the end of next season and being Mark Robins’ best-performing offensive player, not to mention that he’s also the current second-highest goalscorer in the Championship, has caught the eye of Javi Gracia at Elland Road.

Back in November, Football League World reported that Coventry were set to attempt to offer the 24-year-old a new long-term deal to fend off interest but 90min have since revealed that they are now resigned to losing him – therefore setting a price tag of £20m.

Football Insider recently credited the Whites with an interest in the Swedish international but noted that they were set to face competition for his services from the likes of West Ham, Everton, Palace, Brentford and Fulham, though they appear to be in a strong position heading into the upcoming window.

According to Football Insider once again, Leeds now “lead” Everton in the hunt for Gyokeres, with the Yorkshire outfit having “registered” their admiration for the forward and are keen for him to play under Gracia. The Toffees are “huge admirers” of their target and “would love” to make an offer for him but are aware of their financial limitations. Coventry are indeed “working hard” to get him to put pen to paper on an extension, though at this stage, a move elsewhere is the “more likely outcome”.

Should Leeds splash the cash on Gyokeres?

If Leeds are to successfully avoid relegation and be handed a budget to go out and revamp their squad in the summer then Gyokeres should definitely be one of the first targets on the list.

The 6 foot 2 colossus has posted a remarkable 26 goal contributions (18 goals and eight assists) in 40 second-tier appearances this season, form which has seen him bag eight man-of-the-match awards and most recently the Championship Player of the Month accolade for March.

Coventry’s “unplayable” attacker, as lauded by his teammate Maxime Biamou, also ranks in the 99th percentile for progressive carries and the 98th for shot-creating actions and touches in the attacking penalty area, as per FBRef, showing that he’s always looking to make the magic happen even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, making this a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

أعلن مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية، اليوم الثلاثاء، في اجتماعه الطارئ، إيقاف هشام حطب رئيس اللجنة لحين انتهاء التحقيق معه بعد قرار وزارة الشباب والرياضة.

وكانت وزارة الشباب والرياضة أصدرت اليوم، قراراً بإيقاف مجلس اتحاد الفروسية برئاسة هشام حطب والذي يترأس اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية أيضاً

طالع.. رسمياً | وزارة الرياضة تُعلن إيقاف مجلس هشام حطب للفروسية

وكان “بطولات” قد أوضح أن مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية سيعقد اجتماعًا عاجلاً مساء اليوم لمناقشة إيقاف هشام حطب.

وجاء قرار اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية بعد اجتماعها، هو إيقاف المهندس هشام حطب رئيس اللجنة الأوليمبية المصرية لحين انتهاء النيابة العامة من تحقيقاتها أو انتهاء الدورة الأوليمبية. 

كما قررت تكليف نائب الرئيس المهندس ياسر إدريس بأعمال رئيس اللجنة. بيان اللجنة الأولمبية بشأن إيقاف هشام حطب من قبل وزارة الرياضة.

فى ضوء قرار وزارة الشباب والرياضة والمتضمن إيقاف مجلس إدارة الاتحاد المصري للفروسية برئاسة المهندس/ هشام حطب، وإعمالاً للائحة اللجنة الأوليمبية المصرية وقانون الرياضة المصري رقم 71 لسنة 2017، اجتمع مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية في جلستها الطارئة التى عقدت اليوم الثلاثاء الموافق 26 ديسمبر 2023 بحضور أغلبية الأعضاء ومن ضمنهم رئيس مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية في البداية، وبدأت الجلسة بعد خروجه لمناقشه ما يخصه. قرارات اللجنة الأولمبية بشأن إيقاف هشام حطب

– قرر مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية إيقاف المهندس هشام حطب رئيس اللجنة الأوليمبية المصرية لحين انتهاء النيابة العامة من تحقيقاتها أو انتهاء الدورة الأولمبية.

– كما تقرر تكليف نائب الرئيس المهندس ياسر إدريس بأعمال رئيس اللجنة.

وأكد مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية أن جميع القرارات تمت بحضور تسع أعضاء حضورياً وثلاثة أعضاء أون لاين، بمجموع 12 عضوا من أصل 14 عضوا.

وتمت اتخاذ القرارات بموافقه جميع الأعضاء الحاضرين عدد ١٢ عضوًا.

Arsenal have made few blunders under Mikel Arteta, who has endured plenty of trials during his short spell as a head coach. Dealing with various issues born of previous regimes, the Spaniard was calm and calculated in his decision-making, which culminated in the success they hope to achieve.

However, no manager can get every decision right.

Whether it be a tactical blunder to lose a game, or the wrong substitution to surrender control, arguably few mistakes are as frustrating and long-lasting as selling a player and watching them go on to thrive.

That has certainly been the case with Matteo Guendouzi, who admittedly struggled to outline himself as a star central midfielder for the new boss. It seemed like the 24-year-old remained rash and often thoughtless in his displays, which led to his eventual exclusion from the team.

Former Gunners player Jeremie Aliadiere had suggested that his compatriot hadn't "grown and matured" enough to stake his claim. As was the case with Mesut Ozil and Piere-Emerick Aubameyang, if they did not fit the system, Arteta would let them go.

So, for a fee of just £9m, the Frenchman departed – after being banished from the squad by Arteta.

How much is Matteo Guendouzi worth now?

Having featured 82 times for the North London outfit, his 21 yellow cards during that period certainly support the earlier suggestion of a rash play style.

However, as a youngster joining, Guendouzi came with a big reputation and was expected to be the future of the club's midfield. When he made the final shortlist for the Golden Boy award, this was only further cemented.

Featuring heavily in his first full season, the £41k-per-week stopper acted as a steady presence at the base of midfield. This culminated in an unspectacular 6.79 rating, which would improve just slightly the year following to 6.84. Either way, it marked progression.

However, the eventual sale of such a promising talent was deemed a must to continue progressing as a club, even if journalist Aaron West had suggested there was "something special" about the young destroyer.

Since moving to Marseille, as performances have improved, so too has the valuation of the 6 foot 1 star. Boasting a 7.00 rating last campaign, in which the French international seemed to finally be growing into his potential, CIES Football Observatory clearly took note.

They suggested that Guendouzi's value had rocketed, and from that £9m initial sale the midfielder was now worth €35m (£31m).

At the tender age of just 24 too, this is a figure set to only increase with each passing year of improvement.

As aforementioned, Arteta has not made many errors during his reign. But this decision to offload their former star youngster might well be turning into a mistake.