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Manchester United are reportedly set to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Tom Heaton on a free transfer in the coming weeks, meaning mass changes could occur at Old Trafford this summer.

What’s the story?

According to well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 35-year-old shot-stopper is set to re-join his boyhood club after a disappointing spell at Villa Park.

Romano claims that Heaton is scheduled to undergo a medical with the Old Trafford outfit before signing a contract until 2023 with the option of a one-year extension.

De Gea needs to watch out

United’s goalkeeping conundrum has rumbled on for several seasons now, with David de Gea’s steady decline since the 2018 World Cup causing several major talking points.

The Spain international has made multiple high-profile mistakes between the sticks for the 20-time English champions over the last few campaigns, and the emergence of Dean Henderson has only served to add more cause for debate.

De Gea returned to his homeland for personal reasons midway through 2020/21, meaning the young keeper had a chance to impress between in the starting XI week in week out.

However, Henderson failed to take his chance, making a string of errors, including a horrendous performance against United’s bitter rivals Liverpool.

With the Red Devils looking to regain their spot at the summit of the Premier League, addressing their goalkeeping problem is expected to be high up on Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s priority list this summer, and the potential arrival of Heaton could spell bad news for their current crop of keepers.

The Villa man is highly unlikely to come in and be United’s No.1, given he spent the entire 2020/21 campaign playing understudy to Emiliano Martinez, but his addition will leave Solksjaer with four shot-stoppers to choose from.

Sergio Romero is set to depart, while the £19.8 million rated De Gea (as per Transfermarkt) and England international Henderson will either fight it out to be first-choice, or both face the axe, leaving to door open for a new, top-quality goalkeeper to make his mark at Old Trafford.

It could bring an end to De Gea’s ten-year stay at United, where he’s won one Premier League title, one FA Cup, one League Cup and a Europa League crown, and mark a new chapter in the club’s eventful goalkeeping history.

By bringing in Heaton, United now have an adequate backup goalkeeper to Henderson if they do decide to move on from De Gea, and after his recent performances, that would not come as a shock at all.

And, in other news…Unleash him Ole: Man Utd already have their Juan Mata heir in rarely-seen 18 y/o gem 

Manchester United appear to be leading the likes of Tottenham in the race to sign Benfica forward Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Man Utd interest in Nunez

Described as an ‘absolute beast’ earlier this month during a podcast discussing his display against Liverpool, the Uruguayan appears to be a man in demand this summer following his starring campaign in Portugal.

The 22-year-old has scored a whopping 33 goals in 39 games, impressing as a centre-forward, second striker and left winger.

The Uruguay international was linked with a big-money move to Manchester last week, and a fresh update has now emerged in their pursuit of a possible club-record deal.

The Latest: United leading the way for Nunez

Sport Witness relayed an update from Spanish outlet AS regarding Nunez on Tuesday. They claimed that 22-year-old could link up with super-agent Jorge Mendes, who is set to meet with ‘several English clubs’ regarding the Benfica forward.

United are thought to be ‘in the lead’ following an ‘express request’ from new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Verdict: Huge

Cristiano Ronaldo looks likely to be the only senior centre-forward available to Ten Hag when he arrives, with Edinson Cavani set to depart Old Trafford over the coming months.

Therefore, bringing in an exciting young attacker who has been prolific this season in numerous positions seems to be a smart move going forward.

Benfica want €130m for Nunez, which equates to around £109m and would make him the most expensive United signing of all time ahead of Paul Pogba, but it could prove to be the perfect one for Ten Hag in what the Red Devils are hoping will be a new era for the club.

In other news: Ten Hag now wants Man Utd chiefs to sign ‘superstar’ attacker for free

According to Vital Rangers, Ryan Gauld would be interested in a move to Glasgow Rangers from Portuguese outfit Farense.

Gauld would consider Rangers move

Gauld currently plays in the Portuguese top tier with Farense, who he joined from previous outfit Sporting Lisbon in 2019.

Now, it is being reported that the £3.15m-valued 25-year-old (Transfermarkt) would be interested in moving to Ibrox. He is out of contract at the end of the campaign, Vital Rangers also add.

Potential bargain

Gauld was once lauded as the next star in Scottish football. He started out at Dundee United as a teenager before moving to Lisbon, and was even likened to world superstar Lionel Messi (The Guardian). Initially, though, he struggled to match any of his huge potential.

However, his latest move has coincided with huge improvements to his game. Last term, he netted nine goals and provided five assists in 24 games, while this term he has eight and five respectively in 28 outings (Transfermarkt). Finally, he is showing in parts why so many expected big things from him.

Of course, Rangers would represent a step up in terms of the size of club, but the Portuguese league is superior in technical quality than the Premiership. Signing him on a free transfer would be a potential bargain.

In other news, this Gers star says he wants to stay at Ibrox.

Arsenal are seemingly targeting a major addition this month if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the north London outfit are seeking a new option to bolster Mikel Arteta’s engine room before the deadline on January 31st and they have as many as three names on their shortlist.

“Arsenal are working to sign a new midfielder. Bruno Guimarães appreciated but currently not discussed as January target – deal too complicated, €45m fee,” he tweeted.

“Arthur Melo on loan has been discussed days ago – but still no talks/contacts with Juve. Three names in the list.”

Exciting news

This will come as exciting news to those around the Emirates Stadium as it is no secret that the Gunners desperately need reinforcements in the heart of midfield.

The north Londoners will be without Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny for the rest of the month as both players are competing at the Africa Cup of Nations, whilst Ainsley Maitland-Niles has completed a loan move to Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma, so that leaves Arteta even more light on options.

“We are very, very short at the moment. We are going to move and look for options because we are very short there,” the 39-year-old revealed to reporters this week.

Indeed, he now only has Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga to call upon for that deeper role, with Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe capable of playing further forward.

An injury to any of these names could quickly curtail Arsenal’s progress this campaign as they find themselves firmly in the race for a top-four finish.

There is only a four-point gap to seventh place, so the Gunners cannot afford a slip-up and that’s why the club’s hierarchy must push ahead with plans to land a new midfielder this month.

It is certainly encouraging to see them being proactive – as Romano states, they are working to sign someone – so that should leave supporters absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, David Ornstein: Arsenal now lead race for “complete” goal machine…

Several departures are expected at Tottenham this summer, but Paul Stewart exclusively told Football FanCast that he doesn’t believe Giovani Lo Celso should be on that list.

Following two disappointing league finishes in the last two seasons, Nuno Espirito Santo, along with director of football Fabio Paratici, are currently dealing with the “painful rebuild” that Mauricio Pochettino said was necessary in 2019.

Juan Foyth was the first through the exit door and has been joined by Erik Lamela going to Sevilla, with Toby Alderweireld are expected to leave for Qatari outfit Al-Duhail.

However, those three won’t be the last to be moved on, with plenty of interest in Santo’s squad.

One of those is Argentine Lo Celso, who’s on Barcelona’s radar having failed to settle in north London since signing from Real Betis on loan and then permanently four months later.

Lo Celso has shown glimpses, but his role at Tottenham has never quite been apparent despite making 65 appearances since moving from Spain.

However, Stewart has seen enough to suggest that Lo Celso could still make the grade in N17.

He told Football FanCast:

“I’d keep him because I think he could come good. It takes time to settle sometimes.

“He’s shown enough when I’ve seen him on the pitch to suggest he could become a really good player for Spurs, so I would be looking at keeping him for at least another season.”

Newcastle United have reportedly made an approach to sign Gael Kakuta in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Kakuta a forgotten man

Some members of the St. James’ Park faithful may be familiar with the name Kakuta given that he was a youngster on the books with Chelsea, and even managed to win a Premier League title and FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge (Transfermarkt).

Kakuta, now 29 years of age, has progressed a lot since then, and is currently doing very well in Ligue 1 for RC Lens, with no fewer than 11 goals and a further five assists in 33 games in total so far over the course of the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Newcastle make Kakuta approach

As per Foot Mercato, the Tyneside club have made an approach to bring the DR Congo international to the North East.

This deal would be done in the summer, once his time in Lens ends after a loan spell at the French side from Amiens SC.

The Verdict: Newcastle should be wary over Kakuta

The Magpies should not be looking to jump the gun in order to sign Kakuta, despite his impressive record in France this season – Steve Bruce’s team should be wary over how it did not quite work out in English football for him as a young prospect in London.

That’s not to say they should completely rule out a transfer, depending on the fee being demanded, Kakuta could be a shrewd addition to his squad, and may be someone to keep an eye on when the market officially opens.

However, we feel there are better options out there, perhaps at a younger age with more room to grow.

In other news, find out what big claim has been dropped on the potential takeover here!

Liverpool are no longer interested in signing Schalke defender Ozan Kabak, despite his impressive six-month spell at Anfield last season.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old joined the Reds on a short-term loan deal back in January as Jurgen Klopp sort defensive cover following an injury crisis.

Liverpool had the option to make Kabak’s stay on Merseyside permanent in an £18 million deal but chose to sign Ibrahima Konate instead.

However, the possibility of Klopp returning for the Turkey international was not completely off the cards, although that is no longer an option, according to well-respected journalist James Pearce.

Fans should be gutted

Responding to a tweet asking if Liverpool would be looking to bring Kabak back to Anfield this summer, Pearce replied: “No. That ship has sailed.”

The youngster helped the 19-time English champions recover from a terrible start to the 2020/21 campaign, keeping three clean sheets in his nine league appearances as they finished third in the Premier League standings.

Kabak’s impressive performances alongside Nat Phillips in the heart of the Liverpool defence earned several plaudits, including Klopp himself.

“Ozan and Nat do really well. Hopefully, it can stay like this, so they can play a lot of games. They have started seven games together, that is good. I’m really happy for them,” said the German tactician.

“Ozan came in at 20 from Germany, was a big prospect but wasn’t lucky with the last two teams he played for; one went down (Stuttgart), and the other will probably go down (Schalke). But nobody really doubted his quality.

“We were convinced (of his quality), but in the end, you never know, and he really proved that point.”

While Klopp’s decision to bring in Konate over Kabak is understandable, news that the Schalke man definitely won’t be returning to the club should leave their supporters feeling gutted.

Virgil van Dijk will be returning from a potentially career-changing injury next season, while the trio of Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Konate have all had extensive fitness concerns of their own throughout their careers.

With reports linking Phillips with a move away as well, the addition of Kabak would be a very welcome addition to Klopp’s charges as they attempt to regain their Premier League crown next term as there are no guarantees that Van Dijk, Gomez and Matip will be able to pick up where they left off after such long injury lay-offs.

And, in other news…James Pearce drops an exciting Liverpool transfer update, fans should be buzzing 

A loan move may be ‘the next step’ for Celtic defender Dane Murray, according to The Daily Record’s Mark Pirie. 

The lowdown

Murray came on at half time in the first leg of Celtic’s Champions League qualifier against FC Midtjylland in July after Nir Bitton was sent off, and he kept his place for the second leg.

Celtic were ultimately knocked out after extra time, and Murray hasn’t featured for Ange Postecoglou’s senior side since. His only action has come at reserve level.

Team-mate Stephen Welsh had been impressed with the 18-year-old against the Danes, hailing him as ‘fantastic, both on the ball and defensively’.

Murray could now join fellow Hoops youngsters Luca Connell, Jonathan Afolabi, Kerry McInroy and Ross Doohan out on loan.

The latest

Pirie writes that Murray will be ‘desperate’ for a first-team recall, but his chances look slim, with Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers seemingly the ‘current first-choice defensive pairing’.

‘A loan stint away from Glasgow’s east end’ may be the logical next move, he adds.

The verdict

While Murray wasn’t entirely convincing in the second leg against Midtjylland, it is a little surprising that he’s not even featured in the matchday squad for a league game.

He might be finding it a little dispiriting after a debut which seemed to herald a breakthrough season.

Still, a loan move that will allow to build his experience of top-flight football seems smart, particularly as Christopher Jullien’s return will only push him further down the pecking order.

In other news, Celtic tried to sign this left-back last summer. 

Leeds United transfer target Harrison Reed could solve a major problem for Marcelo Bielsa amid David Norris’ transfer claim.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have linked them with a move for Cagliari dynamo Nahitan Nandez, before The Daily Mail claimed that that the Whites tracked Fulham’s Reed last season with a view to a summer swoop.

It was suggested that with the Cottagers’ relegation from the Premier League, Leeds see the midfielder as an “excellent addition”, and now Norris has thrown his backing behind a potential move.

Speaking exclusively to This is Futbol, the former Leeds man said: “The key things with the players that Leeds want to bring in is that they have to suit their high tempo style of play and the manager has to trust them.

“Looking at Reed from the outside looking in, he fits the bill, is busy, looks like he can graft, he is a team player and he’s got a bit of quality as well.”

Solves Bielsa’s problem

A regular presence for the Cottagers last season, the £9m-rated Reed made 31 appearances in the top-flight, often playing alongside Andre Zambo Anguissa in the heart of midfield.

As per Sofascore, Reed won four duels per game in the Premier League last season, as well as making an impressive two tackles and 1.6 interceptions per match while also winning back possession 0.6 times.

To put that into context, Chelsea star and recent Champions League winner N’Golo Kante averaged 3.7 duels won and made 2.6 tackles and two interceptions per game. He also won back possession just as often as Reed at 0.6 times per match.

It’s no surprise that the 26-year-old’s former boss Tony Mowbray has waxed lyrical about the kind of engine Reed possesses, and also the kind of attitude he has – all shades of Chelsea’s midfield dynamo.

The Blackburn manager said: “

Immense! He’s been fantastic playing in a wide position, working like a trojan, running forward, blocking off the wide play, helping his full-back, in to out, in to out, and yet playing centre-mid today, it shows you where his true position really is on the pitch.

“He’s a fantastic player, but beyond his playing ability, his personality fits in amazingly well with our group.”

One of the big issues last season was having someone who could fill Kalvin Phillips’ shoes when he was missing from action, with the Whites actually winning just twice in the nine Premier League games that he was unavailable for.

In the tough-tackling Reed, Leeds could have someone who would be more than capable of stepping into the breach when required to be the anchorman in front of the back-four, and given his tigerish work-rate and personality, seems a perfect fit for Bielsa’s demands.

Meanwhile, Beren Cross has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

Robin Koch has been ruled out of Leeds United’s Premier League clash with Burnley this weekend, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds face Burnley meeting

The Whites have made an up-and-down start to their 2021/22 season, with a heavy defeat away to Manchester United followed up by an exciting 2-2 draw at home to Everton.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side then dispatched of Crewe Alexandra in the EFL Cup in midweek, prior to Sunday’s trip to Burnley in the league.

Leeds will be hoping for a repeat of last season’s 4-0 win at Turf Moor, in which Rodrigo scored a brace for the visitors.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Koch out of clash

One player who won’t be available for the game because of injury is Koch, however, with The Athletic‘s Hay delivering a 10-word verdict on Twitter on Friday:

“No Robin Koch again this weekend, still recovering from injury.”

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The Verdict: Manageable

In truth, Koch has struggled to find his best form so far this season, so his absence may not be considered the end of the world for Leeds.

The 25-year-old was off the pace in midfield in the aforementioned 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Red Devils and he may not have been included in Sunday’s starting lineup anyway.

The hope is that Koch returns refreshed when he overcomes his injury, though, with the German undoubtedly a key squad member with his absence a hit to Bielsa’s squad depth.

In other news, Leeds have been tipped to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.