Manchester United: Red Devils ‘frustrated’ by Borussia Dortmund’s demands for Jadon Sancho

Manchester United are growing “frustrated” by Borussia Dortmund’s demands for Jadon Sancho, reports say. 

Man United are not giving up on signing Sancho this summer, despite Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insisting the deal is dead.

According to ESPN, the Red Devils are fed up with the fact negotiations are taking so long, while United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and chief transfer negotiator Matt Judge are annoyed they have to work through third-party agent Marco Lichtsteiner.

Dortmund wanted to reach an agreement by August 10 to give them plenty of time to find a replacement but United failed to meet their deadline.

Sources also told ESPN that club bosses at Old Trafford are concerned by the quoted agent fees and wage demands from the player’s representatives.

Sancho, 20, was the club’s top scorer last term, finishing the season with a tally of 20 goals and 18 assists to his name (via WhoScored).

The Bundesliga giants have slapped a €120m (£100m) price tag on his head after his impressive performances, but the Red Devils are trying to drive down a deal in the summer.

Both clubs remain poles apart on their valuations for the 11-cap England international right winger, who reunited with his teammates in time for their pre-season training camp in Switzerland this week.

It seems as though nothing much has changed as they still have to agree a transfer fee, agent fees and personal terms with Sancho, although personal terms will not be a problem, according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

While it would be far easier if United could talk to Dortmund directly, rather than being forced to work with intermediaries, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has very little choice if he wants to sign his top target in the summer, unless he would really rather sign Barcelona flop Ousmane Dembele instead.

Contrary to some reports, talks are still ongoing between the two clubs, and the Red Devils are confident they can reach an amicable agreement.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Mateusz Klich has proven he is Premier League quality

Leeds United will be a Premier League side next season.

The Whites have been crowned Champions in England’s second-tier, and after a 16-year hiatus they’re finally set to return to the promised land.

As with most promoted sides, United will need to strengthen upon their ascension to the top-flight, and they’ve already been linked to some new additions with names such as Yan Couto and Branimir Kalaica already being floated around.

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However, with Bielsa making few changes to the side since his appointment in 2018, he may want to persevere with the players that have proved successful so far.

One man who has been a lynchpin in Bielsa’s side since day one is Mateusz Klich, with the Pole starting every single league game bar one since the Argentine’s arrival, and despite being out of favour under Paul Heckingbottom, he already looks like Premier League material.

Luckily, United have had a bit of experience playing against quality opposition, putting up a very impressive performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup that earnt them plenty of praise from pundits and supporters alike.

Klich took to playing against a team of the Gunners’ calibre like a duck to water, easily keeping up with the pace of the game, making three tackles and two interceptions, while also playing four key passes, showing that despite having less time on the ball when playing against top-flight opposition, he can still be a creative force.

United may be tempted to spend big upon promotion, especially if the long-rumoured QSI takeover finally comes to fruition, but even if they do bring in some big names, Klich should certainly have a spot in the squad, even if his streak of league starts has to come to an end.

Manchester United: Fans wax lyrical over Fabrizio Romano’s Jadon Sancho transfer update

Manchester United have entered an ‘advanced stage’ in negotiations to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund this summer, reports say. 

According to Fabrizio Romano, as per @utdreport, both clubs are yet to reach an agreement for Sancho but talks are still ongoing.

Personal terms will reportedly not be a problem and he will be offered a contract which will expire in 2025.

Recent reports revealed the Red Devils are increasingly confident of completing a deal for the 11-cap England international and progress seems to have been made.

Sancho, 20, was the Bundesliga club’s top scorer last season, having scored 20 goals and supplied 18 assists (via WhoScored).

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made it clear that the right winger is the signing he needs to rebuild the Red Devils midfield before the start of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

As it stands, Man United have not made an official bid for the attacking playmaker, but the Englishman is willing to wait and see if the two sides can sort out a deal.

The Old Trafford club have been chasing Sancho for several years now but they seem to be one step closer to finally bringing him back to his homeland in the summer.

Unsurprisingly, many United fans waxed lyrical over Romano’s “fantastic” update on social media, with one supporter dubbing the club “gargantuan.”

Scroll through some of the glowing reactions so far…

United fans, do you think Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!

Sunderland: Gwion Edwards emerges as transfer target

Sunderland have joined Oxford United with interest in Ipswich Town winger Gwion Edwards, according to a report by Football Insider.

Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson will face a tricky summer transfer window as he embarks on a mission to build a squad capable of gaining promotion from League One to the Championship next season.

Sunderland missed out on promotion for the second year in a row after the League One season ended via a points-per-game system which saw the Wearsiders drop to eighth in the league standings.

Player exits and arrivals are now expected at the Stadium of Light and Football Insider has reported that Parkinson is keen to bring in Ipswich winger Edwards.

The 27-year-old Welsh winger had only a moderate 2019/20 campaign with Paul Lambert’s side, appearing 27 times in which he scored twice and assisted one goal.

He recently signed a new contract at the Suffolk club in May 2020 which commits him to Ipswich until the summer of 2021. Edwards’ transfer status is unknown, with Transfermarkt giving him a current market value of £720k.

Whilst Sunderland have emerged with interest, it is also claimed that Oxford United are in the hunt for the winger, although they will have their attention firmly on the play-off semi-final encounter with Portsmouth.

Edwards’ statistics are hardly mouth-watering and the fact that he has played for Ipswich, another League One club who suffered such bad form towards the end of the season, may raise further eyebrows as to Sunderland’s reported interest in him.

Parkinson needs to ensure that every player he signs is going to impress, not only for a short while but over a prolonged period.

Do you think Edwards would make a good signing for Sunderland this summer? Let us know in the comments section below…

Everton: Fans are eager to bring in Hwang Hee-chan who was ‘superb against Liverpool’

Everton are reportedly linked with a move for Red Bull Salzburg’s Hwang Hee-chan this summer. 

According to the Liverpool ECHO (posted via @TheGwladysSt), the club are interested in the forward as they make their plans for the upcoming transfer window.

The report states Carlo Ancelotti is prioritising ‘quality over quantity’ and doesn’t expect to land any ‘big money deals’.

Hee-chan has had a terrific season with Salzburg after returning from a loan spell at Hamburg last summer. The 24-year-old has accumulated 13 goals and 16 assists this term, including the goal and assist he bagged against Liverpool in the Champions League (via Transfermarkt).

According to Transfermarkt, Hee-chan is valued at £9 million, indicating a fair asking price should Everton opt to pursue a move for the South Korean international.

Blues fans seem to already be sold on the idea of adding the striker to their ranks. One supporter thinks he would be an ‘absolutely unreal signing’ whilst another remembers his performance against the Reds and has commented ‘looked superb against Liverpool’.

Meanwhile, one fan even compared him to former Toffee Andrey Kanchelskis. They were perhaps referring to the fact that he too was a goalscorer, netting 20 times in 52 appearances for Everton, and that he is a similar stature to Hee-chan with a height of 1.78m compared to the South Korean’s 1.77m.

Read more of the eager Toffees’ fans replies below:

Do you think Everton should sign Hee-chan this summer, Blues? Have your say in the comments below!

[Quiz] Call out to all Nottingham Forest fans…if you know your history?

The Nottingham Forest supporters love a quiz and those punters at the Transfer Tavern are certainly no different.

So do you remember which club Stuart Pearce was signed from; how much did Forest pay for Peter Shilton and who scored the last goal under the Brian Clough era?

We have compiled a collection of questions that I believe will test even the most knowledgeable of Forest fans and how well they actually know their football club.

The image of Fabinho vs Napoli no Liverpool fan wanted to see

Liverpool failed to seal their spot in the knockout stages of the Champions League as they were held to a 1-1 draw in their penultimate group match against Napoli at Anfield on Wednesday night, but that may not be their biggest issue.

The Reds are at the top of Group E but lie three points above third-placed Red Bull Salzburg, who they face in Austria in their final fixture next month knowing that a point will be enough to see them progress.

One player it remains to be seen whether they will be with or without for their crucial clash is midfielder Fabinho,  who went down injured and was replaced in the 19th minute of the match by Georginio Wijnaldum.

The look of anguish in his face on the ground, as seen below, was hardly great, as well as the fact that he wasn’t able to carry on.

The Daily Mail has since reported that he was spotted with Deco post-match with a protective boot on, suggesting the injury is more than just a knock.

Given how much of a key player he has been for Liverpool this season – 2.5 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.1 key passes per game in the Premier League according to WhoScored is testament to that.

The Merseyside outfit don’t really have another specialist defensive midfielder like the Brazilian, so it would be a blow to lose him ahead of what looks to be a tough December when it comes to fixture congestion.

With Liverpool currently flying high in the Premier League, both the fans and Jurgen Klopp will be praying for some good news once the scans arrive.

In other Liverpool news, the Reds are interested in signing a pacey attacker who would be perfect for Klopp…

Wolves loanee Jesus Vallejo may have to suffer on the bench because of early season progress

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Wolves’ Premier League season didn’t start in the best possible way last weekend as they were subjected to one of the first controversial VAR calls of the season.

Leander Dendoncker looked to have given Nuno Santo’s side the lead, only for the goal to be ruled out because of a new handball rule.

As a result, the game was drawn 0-0 as both teams held firm in defence.

The black and gold were excellent on the counter-attack last term, particularly against some of the best sides, achieving 16 points against top-six opposition.

However, it was their defence that stood out most as the new term started.

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On the chalkboard

As a result of their defensive display against the Foxes, Wolves may have to continue to leave Jesus Vallejo out.

Against Leicester he wasn’t included in the squad but it surely won’t be too long before the Real Madrid man features in the Premier League.

Arriving on loan from La Liga over the summer, it wouldn’t have been a great surprise to see him slot straight into the defence.

Ryan Bennett looked the most likely to drop out given Conor Coady is the skipper and Willy Boly’s resolute nature. Yet, the former was superb against Leicester which means Vallejo may have to suffer on the sidelines for a little longer.

There is no doubting the Spaniard’s pedigree. After all, he was one of the players win the European U21 Championships this summer.

However, the dogged and perhaps rather surprising performance of Bennett and the rest of the defence on week one of the Premier League makes it difficult to see how Vallejo starts against Manchester United on Monday evening.

If you don’t know the words to the Joao Moutinho chant in the video below, are you even a real Wolves fan?…

Bennett won two aerial duels last weekend whilst also making an impressive four interceptions. The central defender showed his no-nonsense approach with three clearances too.

It was a resilient performance against a Leicester team boasting numerous creative outlets and it showed he does indeed have the ability to step up.

On evidence this season, it could be a hard task for Vallejo to make an instant impact.

The positive for him, however, will be the fact that he’s far more likely to get game time as a result of Nuno’s preferred three-man defensive unit.

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Newcastle keen on Cedric Soares

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares…

What’s the talk?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Magpies are one of the clubs plotting a deal to snap up the Portuguese defender this summer.

The report claims that Porto are also in the running to land his signature and have submitted a bid of €5m (£4.2m) as they look to tempt the Gunners into cashing in on the 30-year-old.

A move to St James’ Park has not been completely ruled out but the player is said to prefer a stay at the Emirates Stadium over a transfer away from the north London club.

He’d be brilliant for Eddie Howe

The Telegraph’s Sam Dean dubbed Cedric’s crossing “brilliant” earlier this season, and that perfectly describes what he would be for the Magpies next season as he is an experienced and versatile gem of a player. 

Cedric has been playing in England since 2015, for Southampton and Arsenal, and he knows what it takes to perform at this level. He has racked up 151 Premier League appearances to date, scoring twice and setting up 12 top-flight goals from full-back.

In that time, he has played in a number of positions – left-back, right-back, right midfield and left midfield. This shows that he is capable of adapting to a multitude of roles for Howe in the Newcastle team, which would make him a valuable asset to have when dealing with injuries and suspensions throughout a campaign.

The 30-year-old has been a solid option for Mikel Arteta to call upon this term. Last month, Alan Hutton heaped praise on the defender’s role with the Gunners as he said: “[Cedric Soares] has done really well, but he’s gone under the radar because of Tomiyasu.

“When you are going for the European spots and trying to challenge, you need competition for places. He knows the style of play, he knows what Arteta wants. He’s a good deputy for Tomiyasu.”

In the Premier League this season, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.79 across 16 appearances. This shows that he has been dependable for Arsenal, as he has put in respectable displays when he has been needed at either left-back or right-back, and this is why he would be brilliant for Howe.

Matt Targett is out? Cedric comes in. Kieran Trippier is out? Cedric comes in. It would be a superb deal for Newcastle if they can get a player of his quality, versatility and experience for a meagre fee of £4.2m, so PIF must ensure that they can convince the Gunners to part ways with the defender.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Insider reveals deal NUFC are set to complete, supporters will be buzzing…

Journalist backs potential Max Kilman exit

There are likely to be a number of clubs who eye up a move for Wolves centre-back Max Kilman this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Kilman a key figure at Wolves

The 24-year-old is enjoying an exceptional season for Wanderers, standing out as one of the first names on Bruno Lage’s team sheet at Molineux.

Kilman has shone on the right-hand side of a back-three, making 27 Premier League appearances , playing 90 minutes in all but one game and finding himself tipped to be named in Gareth Southgate’s next England squad.

The defender’s form could alert some of the country’s leading sides, however, so perhaps after all the attention on Ruben Neves’ future – reports believe talks are underway with Barcelona and the midfielder is ‘likely’ to depart – the Portuguese superstar may not be the only high-profile exit from Molineux this summer.

The Latest: Journalist talks up exit

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that Kilman won’t be without suitors, as Wolves desperately look to stave off any interest in their emerging star:

“Everything’s going well for Max Kilman at the minute, but Wolves will be desperate to keep hold of him.

“But I’m sure there will be a few clubs looking in the summer, ready to test their resolve.”

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The Verdict: Got to stay

While Kilman is sure to be in the headlines this summer, as the rumour mills back him to move away, it would be a surprise if he left at this point in his career.

His current deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2026 and he is still very much maturing as a player, with 24 no age for a top centre-back in the slightest.

Granted, it may be that Kilman feels he needs to take a step up in his career in the future, but for now, Wolves is the best place for him to continue developing and playing week in, week out, having averaged two aerial duel wins and 3.4 clearances per game in the league this season.

In other news, the exit of another Wolves player has also been talked up. Find out who it is here.

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