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Manchester United could reportedly turn their towards Napoli playmaker Eljif Elmas before the end of the window, amid what is set to be a hectic week or so for the Premier League side.

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet TUTTOmercatoWEB, the Red Devils are believed to be keen on the North Macedonia international, with the 22-year-old attracting interest from ‘several European clubs’ at present.

The report suggests that while United are currently in discussions regarding a move for Ajax winger, Antony, the club could also reach out to the Serie A side in order to try and land the 39-cap sensation.

Previous reports have suggested that the former Fenerbache man – who still has three years remaining on his existing deal in Naples – could cost in the region of €40m (£34m).

Ditch Van de Beek

The 6-foot playmaker has seemingly warranted that interest following his sparkling form in Italy of late, having notably chipped in with an impressive haul of seven goals and six assists in 46 games in all competitions last term.

Dubbed a “jewel” by his agent George Gardi, Elmas has particularly impressed due to his quality in possession, as he ranks in the top 3% for pass completion among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues.

Despite the recent capture of Real Madrid star Casemiro, further midfield additions are seemingly needed following the departures of the likes of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Nemanja Matic at the end of last season, while both Fred and Scott McTominay have been deemed “not good enough” by pundit Roy Keane.

The £21.6m-rated man’s arrival at the Theatre of Dreams could also, however, hasten the departure of a figure who has endured a torrid time of it in English football thus far in Donny van de Beek, with the once-promising Dutchman now a simply forgotten figure in Manchester.

Plucked from Ajax on a £35m deal back in the summer of 2020, the 24-year-old has never appeared the right fit for United since then, with commentator Gareth Wheeler suggesting that he appears “uncomfortable” whenever he plays and “looks half the player he was” during his time in Amsterdam.

In truth, the £120k-per-week dud – who spent the second half of last season on loan at Everton – appears surplus to requirements at Old Trafford at present, with even the arrival of his former boss Erik ten Hag yet to inspire a change of fortunes.

In his two-year spell at the club thus far, the £22.5m-rated man has been restricted to just 52 appearances – only 19 of which have come from the start – while producing a measly tally of just two goals and two assists in that time.

Although the likes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick must shoulder some of the blame for failing to hand him a regular role in the side, Van de Beek himself has hardly made much of an impact when he has featured, notably being dubbed “anonymous” by journalist James Ducker following the pre-season draw with Aston Villa back in July.

That word seemingly epitomises his time at the club, with it seemingly best for all parties if he is moved on in the near future, despite still seemingly retaining the backing of supporters.

The exit can be made all the easier by bringing in Elmas in his place, with the Macedonian gem offering a potentially more confident and also versatile option, such is his ability to feature both in a central midfield role, an attacking midfield berth or on the flanks.

In truth, if Van de Beek isn’t going to even get a look in under compatriot Ten Hag, then his race truly is run at United.

Everton are keen on Brighton and Hove Albion’s Leandro Trossard, according to sports journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The lowdown

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin currently out injured, Salomon Rondon is the only fit centre-forward at Frank Lampard’s disposal.

While he’s predominantly a left winger, Trossard is capable of playing as a striker or an attacking midfielder.

The 27-year-old is into the final year of his contract at the Amex Stadium. However, The Athletic reported in May that Brighton have the option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.

The latest

O’Rourke took to Twitter on Monday afternoon to share the news on Trossard.

“Everton are interested in a move Brighton attacker Leandro Trossard,” he wrote.

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The verdict

Trossard would be a good signing for Everton.

In 107 appearances for Brighton, he’s recorded a highly respectable 30 goal involvements (scoring 19 and assisting 11).

And he’s currently enjoying a strong run of form, with eight goals in his last 15 for club and country.

He was on target again at the weekend, netting Brighton’s second in their 2-0 win at West Ham United.

Trossard, similar in profile to Paulo Dybala and Antoine Griezmann according to FBRef, has been dubbed a ‘complete package’ by Brighton journalist Andy Naylor.

His agent says he will only leave Brighton for ‘a really attractive project’, and so it’s down to Frank Lampard and co. to convince him that Everton is a significant step-up.

Glasgow Rangers have brought through some impressive young talents through their academy set-up over the years and continue to do so.

Charlie McCann started for the Light Blues in central midfield against Dundee United at the weekend as he made his full debut for the club in the Premiership, becoming the latest graduate to make the breakthrough into the first-team – following on from Alex Lowry last term.

Allan McGregor and Steven Naismith are just a couple of the names that stand out when you look at other young players who came through Rangers’ academy, whilst Nathan Patterson is currently playing for Everton in the Premier League.

One academy graduate the club had a howler with, however, was central midfielder Kenny McLean as he has gone on to forge an impressive career since leaving the Gers as a youngster.

Rangers opted to release the young talent, who was in the U17 team, in 2008 and he ended up making his way in the professional game via St Mirren.

He played over 150 games for them before joining Premiership side Aberdeen and played 158 matches there before making his move south of the border to Norwich.

Gary Teale once compared him to Gers legend Barry Ferguson and the former Light Blues man, himself, dubbed McLean a “really good footballer”.

Rangers made a mistake as the now-Canaries midfielder could have been their next Ferguson had they blooded him through to their first-team instead of allowing him to leave for absolutely nothing.

The 44-year-old Light Blues icon played 283 competitive games for the club in all competitions throughout his career and was capped 46 times by Scotland at international level. He scored 42 goals and provided 27 assists during his time at Ibrox as he bossed the midfield and proved that he had the quality to make an impact in the final third.

McLean, like Ferguson, is a central midfielder who can be a difference-maker on the ball and has won 25 caps for Scotland by the age of 30.

Former St Mirren boss Danny Lennon previously hailed him, saying: “Kenny has got a big, bright future in the game. His quality is always there to see.

“He’s a fit lad, he’s got a great engine and a great left foot that could open a tin of beans. He’s got a lot of developing still to do but, for me, he can go the full distance.”

Ex-Norwich head coach Daniel Farke described the Scot as “irreplaceable” for the Canaries in the Premier League because of his well-rounded set of attributes in midfield.

He has scored ten goals and provided 16 assists in 149 games for the Yellows to date, after managing 49 goals and 26 assists with his two previous clubs combined, and this shows that he has the ability to produce at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, the gem – who has been compared to him – could have been Rangers’ next Ferguson had they unearthed his talent on their own. Instead, they have watched him go on to play in the Premier League and for Scotland after receiving £0 for his services back in 2008, which is precisely why they made a blunder by allowing him to leave.

New Tottenham Hotspur arrival Djed Spence will find it ‘tough’ to break into Antonio Conte’s favoured starting XI and may even seek a loan move in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Spence’s move

After a series of protracted negotiations, it was announced in July that Spurs had signed the 22-year-old from Championship side Middlesbrough in a deal worth £20m.

However, since arriving at Hotspur Way, the right-back has failed to make an immediate impression on the Lilywhites boss, with Conte even admitting he wasn’t a signing he wanted.

As a result, he has featured for just one minute thus far in any competition, having also been omitted from Tottenham’s squad entirely for half of their Premier League fixtures this season.

The Latest: Loan required?

Jones believes Spence will find it tough to force his way into Spurs’ starting XI and thus suggests a January loan move could be an option for the youngster.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the transfer insider claimed:

“If Djed Spence is going to break through, he’s got to earn it.

“It might be the Carabao Cup is his platform but, ultimately, I think this season’s going to be a tough one for him to make a name for himself in that Tottenham team.

“It might even be that he has loan enquiries when we get to January.”

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The Verdict: Big potential

After an FA Cup game between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest last season saw the Premier League favourites knocked out of the competition, Gunners legend Ian Wright showered praise on the young full-back, who was spending the campaign on loan with the Tricky Trees.

“If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking Reece James and Trent (Alexander-Arnold),” Wright said.

“But I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.”

At the moment, Conte has stuck by Emerson Royal at right-back with the versatile Matt Doherty in support, but perhaps a domestic cup game can give the Englishman the chance to shine like he did at Forest.

Manchester United have not been renowned for their astute transfer dealings over the last decade or so, having suffered multiple expensive mistakes and missed a number of golden opportunities with regards to incomings.

One such case of what might have been is that of current England star, Raheem Sterling, with the dynamic forward having reportedly been a target for the Red Devils during his time in the youth set-up at Queens Park Rangers.

As the story goes, the Old Trafford outfit had their eye on the then-teenager back in 2010, with academy director Brian McClair having been sent to watch the diminutive gem in action in a U18 game for the Rs.

Despite that interest, however, United were edged out by bitter rivals Liverpool in the race for the youngster’s signature, with the Reds said to have secured a deal for a fee of just £450k – rising to £2m – after having previously cost the Loftus Road outfit just £50 – a fee which went to the scout who spotted him.

Sir Alex Ferguson and co were left to rue that missed opportunity as the Kingston-born starlet quickly went on to establish himself in the senior set-up at Anfield, providing 48 goal contributions in just 129 games during his stint on Merseyside.

Such form subsequently saw the 77-cap menace make a controversial £49m switch to Manchester City in the summer of 2015, albeit with United said to have made an enquiry regarding a shock move prior to that for a player who has since admitted he had been a boyhood fan of the club.

The 5 foot 7 “fighter” – as dubbed by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate – would go on to sparkle under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad, winning a plethora of major honours and registering 227 goal involvements in 339 games over the next seven years.

Having had to witness the 27-year-old star for their Manchester rivals – while also becoming a crucial asset at international level – the Red Devils have only recently seen Sterling make the switch to yet another Premier League rival in Chelsea, joining for a reported fee of around £47.5m.

That figure represents something of a bargain when considering that the £325k-per-week man is said to be worth around £105m, according to CIES Football Observatory, with that valuation a marker of just how far he has come since that initial £450k switch to Liverpool over a decade ago.

Now “one of the best in the world” – according to Blues teammate and international colleague, Mason Mount – Sterling will likely continue to make those at the Theatre of Dreams pay for their inaction all those years ago.

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes was ‘having a go’ at Jadon Sancho at one stage in Sunday’s derby defeat to Manchester City, according to Samuel Luckhurst. 

The Lowdown: Derby drubbing

Erik ten Hag once again named an unchanged Red Devils side, with Marcus Rashford being passed fit to lead the line at the Etihad Stadium.

However, United failed to get going against their neighbours and were on the receiving end of another dominant display from Pep Guardiola’s side, with braces from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland giving the hosts a four-goal advantage at the break.

Antony pulled one back for the visitors before the two Man City scorers completed their hat-tricks in the second half and Anthony Martial registered a late consolation.

The Latest: Luckhurst’s post

Taking to Twitter, Luckhurst said that Fernandes was ‘having a go at Sancho’ following Foden’s opener.

The journalist, who was at the Etihad, added that it was Sancho who lost the ball ‘carelessly’ which led to City’s first goal.

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The Verdict: Painful

Plenty of United supporters would have been going into this afternoon’s meeting with some hope after four successive league victories, but it has proven to be another derby day to forget.

It didn’t take long for frustration to be noticed on the pitch, with Fernandes once again captaining United and failing to hide his emotions when City scored after just eight minutes.

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Sancho, like many others, failed to put in a positive performance. He lost all five of his duels playing on the left and gave away the ball 13 times (as per SofaScore), so he and many of his team-mates could be fighting to retain their place in the side for Thursday’s Europa League match against Omonia Nicosia.

Celtic have reportedly opened talks with manager Ange Postecoglou over a new contract at Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Ange excels at Celtic

The Australian has been an inspirational figure since arriving last year, inspiring his side to Scottish Premiership title glory last season and getting them back into the Champions League.

Not only has Postecoglou got Celtic playing some wonderful football and winning trophies, but he has also carried himself with class and dignity in the role, becoming an almost instant fan favourite.

The 57-year-old’s current deal is set to expire next summer, however, and he has recently been linked with the vacant Wolves job.

The Latest: New deal incoming?

According to Football Insider, Celtic have ‘opened talks’ with Postecoglou over a new contract, with the Hoops ‘mindful’ of interest from Premier League clubs.

The report confirms he is on Premier League radars but says the Bhoys are are ‘planning to increase’ the manager’s wages, with one source stating that a “huge” offer could be coming his way.

They also hope to ‘insert a release clause into any new contract’, effectively meaning interested parties can pay a transfer fee to lure him away in the future.

The Verdict: Massive news for Hoops

Tying down Postecoglou to a new deal is arguably more important than any Celtic player’s future currently, such is the impact he has had during his time at Parkhead.

Losing him at this point would be a crushing blow during what threatens to be a great period in Hoops history, threatening to undo all of the team’s good work over the past year or so.

This is a hugely encouraging update, in that respect, and the idea of Celtic keeping Postecoglou on a longer-term deal is a mouthwatering prospect for supporters.

Liverpool have had many players come and go over the years, and many will be remembered for their outstanding contributions to the team whilst others are recalled for being complete flops.

These days, the Reds rarely get it wrong when it comes to their recruitment strategy and scouting since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp in 2015, which has led them to success in multiple competitions, including a first-ever Premier League title in 2020.

However, it hasn’t always been this way, and Liverpool went through a period of horrendous transfer disasters which left them struggling to enjoy dominance in any competition between 2010 and 2015.

One player who was signed during this era was Christian Poulsen, a Danish defensive midfielder who completed a £4.5m move to Anfield in 2010 whilst Roy Hodgson was manager at the club, and it’s safe to say that he didn’t make a big impact in the team.

Poulsen was coming to the latter stages of his career when he joined Hodgson’s squad at 30 years of age and had seen his most successful days tallying up 162 appearances for Schalke 04 and 60 games for Juventus before moving to Merseyside.

At Liverpool, the 92-cap Denmark international made just 21 appearances, averaging 70 minutes per game. Despite signing a three-year contract to replace Javier Mascherano, he made a swift exit just one year later, joining French side Evian on a free transfer after Hodgson preferred Jay Spearing in the midfield engine room.

As with many players who leave the bright lights and famous European nights at Anfield, Poulsen did not manage to reignite his career following his exit in 2011, going from Evian to Ajax and finally to Copenhagen before hanging up his boots in 2016.

However, the former Liverpool nightmare could now be the secret weapon to success for Denmark in the World Cup this November, as Poulsen has forged a football career beyond his playing days and channelled his experience into coaching.

The 42-year-old was appointed as his national team’s assistant manager in September 2021 after building up a portfolio of experience as a trainee coach at Ajax between 2018 and 2019, later promoted to the Amsterdam club’s assistant manager for two years between 2019 and 2021.

Poulsen was right-hand man for former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag across 93 games in the Netherlands, so he has built up plenty of managerial and coaching experience which could become invaluable to Denmark over the tournament in Qatar next month.

Although the former midfielder’s career at Liverpool on the pitch was rather unsuccessful, is clear that Poulsen now intends to make a name for himself on the sideline, and it will be interesting to see just how well he gets on in the coming weeks and months ahead with his national team.

West Brom are looking for a new manager following the sacking of Steve Bruce at the weekend, and the Baggies can find an ideal replacement in Rob Edwards.

The 39-year-old, like so many others before him, was sacked by Watford recently after an extremely brief spell at the club and is currently a free agent, who will no doubt attract interest from Championship sides.

The Daily Mail suggest that the former Forest Green boss is being considered by the West Brom hierarchy, as they look for their appointment to push the Baggies up the table after a shocking start to the season, which sees them occupy a relegation spot in the second tier.

While Edwards’ time at Watford was ultimately unsuccessful, as he won just three of his 11 games in charge, his previous spell at Forest Green suggests that he could be a big success at the Hawthorns if given time to implement the same sort of ideas that saw the New Lawn outfit win the League Two title last season.

In his first season with the club, Edwards steered Forest Green to their first-ever season in League One, winning 26 and drawing 15 of his 53 games in charge of the club, which helped him to an impressive 1.75 points per game.

Edwards could be the man to amend some of West Brom’s key issues this season, which has been conceding goals and not finishing their chances.

Only three sides in the second tier have conceded more than the 18 that the Baggies have shipped in the opening 13 fixtures, so it is no surprise that they only have one win to their name.

Edwards has shown a preference for an attacking 3-4-1-2 formation during his spells at Watford and Forest Green, with the latter potent going forward and defensively sound for much of the season.

Despite some disappointing form towards the end of last season which saw them nearly miss out on the League Two title, Forest Green conceded just 44 goals in 46 League Two fixtures, while they scored the second-most goals in the division with 75.

Forest Green forward Jamile Matt labelled Edwards as “the best” manager he had worked under with regards to man-management, which suggests that the young coach could be the ideal man to get the best out of West Brom’s underperforming stars.

Playing three centre-backs could help the Baggies be more defensively sound, while wing-backs Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend would be given more license to get forward, as they have just one goal contribution between them in the Championship this season.

Having two strikers could also ease the pressure on the attackers in the Baggies’ side, as the expected goals stats suggest that West Brom should have scored far more this season, something that has proven to be one of their biggest issues this term. Indeed, having another option in attack could help West Brom realise their attacking potential.

Therefore, hiring an up-and-coming manager such as Edwards after he wasn’t given much of a chance at Watford could be the best thing for West Brom right now, as his previous spell at Forest Green emphasises how much potential he has as a manager.

Journalist Gregg Evans was full of praise for Leander Dendoncker in Aston Villa’s win at home to Brentford, hailing him as ‘superb’

The Lowdown: Brilliant win for Villa

Life after Steven Gerrard started in memorable fashion for the Villans on Sunday afternoon, as they hosted the Bees in a Premier League clash.

Villa made a stunning start to the game, leading 3-0 before 15 minutes were even on the clock, with Leon Bailey opening the scoring and Danny Ings scoring twice.

They ended up winning at Villa Park, on what was a memorable day for interim manager Aaron Danks.

The Latest: Dendnocker receives special praise

Taking to Twitter during the game, Evans lauded Dendoncker’s influence, as he earned his first league start in a Villa shirt:

“A side-note: Dendoncker has been superb in these opening 15 minutes. Already making a big difference in midfield, winning challenges, mopping up when required and moving the ball forward efficiently.”

The Verdict: Excellent performance

Dendoncker fully repaid the faith that Danks showed in him against Brentford, putting in a dominant display that played a key role in Villa’s emphatic win.

The Belgian enjoyed a 95% pass completion rate, according to Sofascore, not to mention winning four out of his five ground duels and making three tackles.

On this evidence, Dendoncker deserves to keep his place over the dropped John McGinn and it will be interesting to see if the eventual new manager keeps playing him.