A manager who Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already spoken with is reportedly now being lined up to replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.

Man Utd manager rumours

The Red Devils haven’t had a successful season so far, sitting sixth in the Premier League, being knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage and failing to defend the EFL Cup.

However, United and Ten Hag are still competing in the FA Cup and are preparing to take on Coventry City in the semi-final at Wembley.

There is still something to play to salvage the season, but there has been plenty of speculation over who could possibly take over from Ten Hag ahead of Ratcliffe’s first full season as co-owner.

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Recent claims have suggested Ten Hag’s future is a 50/50 call at this moment in time, with initial talks already held with Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi. England boss Gareth Southgate has also been linked as a candidate alongside Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou who is another mooted option. Surprisingly, Brentford’s Thomas Frank has been named as another top target.

However, it is a boss who Ratcliffe has been linked with previously who has been making waves in the media once again.

Graham Potter in line for Man Utd job with Ten Hag resigned to sack

According to The Sun’s Neil Custis, a number of Man Utd players believe that Ten Hag has resigned himself to the sack at the end of the season. It is believed that the Dutchman has changed in recent weeks, with Ratcliffe failing to give him the vote of confidence in public.

Another manager to be linked with a move to Old Trafford over the last six months has been Graham Potter. The former Chelsea boss has already spoken with Ratcliffe and recently turned down the job at Ajax, with Custis now again saying Potter is in line to take over.

The 48-year-old has now been out of work for over a year after parting ways at Stamford Bridge. He did come in for praise at the start of his Chelsea tenure from Darren Bent, who said: "What Graham Potter is doing there with the Chelsea players and the English contingent is fantastic and it bodes well for England.

“All he can do is get the players playing well, playing to his system and I still think there’s more to come. If you watch the game against Villa you have to say that they didn’t look at their best. It was two goalkeeping mistakes but they still got a result."

It was Potter’s work at Brighton that caught the eye of Chelsea, playing an attractive style of football, and you’d expect the 3-4-2-1 manager has been hard at work over the last 12 months ahead of a return to the dugout.

It looks as if a move to Old Trafford for Potter is one to keep an eye on once more, with Ratcliffe a huge fan.

Wet patches on the pitch caused the umpires to call off the game shortly before 10pm

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jan-2020

India won the toss and chose to bowl first, but that’s as far as the weather allowed the first T20I to progress in Guwahati. Rain had fallen through much of the afternoon, and arrived again soon after the toss to delay the start. Although the showers lasted less than an hour, they caused too much damage to the ground – only the square and the bowlers’ run-ups were protected by covers.Once the rain stopped, groundstaff worked for almost two hours on the field. Super Soppers worked non-stop, and even steam irons and hairdryers were used on the pitch. The umpires also made repeated inspections, but all this eventually came to nothing. The match was abandoned shortly before 10pm.

Derby County have been blessed with some potent goalscorers up top this season in their time of need, with James Collins bagging 13 league goals as the main source of goals in attack.

Free agent signing Dwight Gayle had also helped himself to three goals from six League One games, before injury disaster struck.

Paul Warne will hope Collins, who is back in the first-team fold after injury issues of his own, and the rest of his Derby teammates can get over the line as the Rams try and seal automatic promotion in the matches to come to return to the Championship.

The East Midlands outfit will stray on the side of caution splashing the cash if they do jump back up to the second tier, knowing that they could be suspectible to falling victim to another transfer blunder like this one back in 2007.

Robert Earnshaw's time at Derby

A lot was expected of Robert Earnshaw on his arrival to Pride Park, having netted 17 times from just 50 appearances for West Bromwich Albion before moving to Derbyshire.

Bagging an impressive 27 goals from just 47 Norwich City appearances too before joining the Baggies, it must have been a foregone conclusion in Derby's head that the prolific Welsh attacker would become an instant Rams hero.

The reality would be far more bleak unfortunately, with the £4.6m statement signing – as per TotallyFootball's Transfer Index – going on to score just two times for the Rams before departing for arch-rivals Nottingham Forest.

To add further insult to injury, Earnshaw would go on to be a star for Derby's main nemesis and come back to haunt his former employers with many a goal in matches that followed between the bitter neighbours.

When looking over this disastrous deal in the here and now, taking into account inflation courtesy of TotallyMoney's Transfer Index, the transfer mishap is exposed as being even more of a costly misfire.

Robert Earnshaw's transfer value in 2024

If the same ill-fated switch was to happen today, the Welshman would demand a far more substantial £11.9m fee to win his services – as per Totally Money.

Looking at Derby's record arrivals, that would see the Rams dud surge to the very top of the list – beating Matej Vydra to the golden medal spot in the process, who is far more well-liked by those in Derbyshire to this day for notching up 27 goals from 80 appearances.

1. Matej Vydra

€9.4m (£8m)

2. Krystian Bielik

€8.2m (£7m)

3. Bradley Johnson

€8.1m (£6.9m)

4. Tom Ince

€6.7m (£5.7m)

5. Martyn Waghorn

€5.6m (£4.8m)

Earnshaw flopping at Pride Park likely wasn't helped by Derby finishing rock bottom of the Premier League during his only season there in truth, rooted to the foot of the table with a still record low points haul of 11.

Describing his Rams ordeal as a "difficult" time in his career during a tell-all interview with DerbyshireLive journalist Chris Watson in 2018, the now-retired striker will take some solace in the fact he managed to bounce back with Forest even if that makes the failure from a Rams perspective even harder to stomach.

No doubt, Derby failing to win promotion up to the Championship this campaign would be even more sickening with Warne keeping his fingers crossed that Collins and Co can continue firing on all cylinders.

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Derby County supporters will have forgotten about this dire flop’s existence.

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Rangers are bracing themselves for a busy summer of ins and outs and one journalist has now delivered the latest news on the future of James Tavernier.

Tavernier closing in on Gers records

Now 32 years old, James Tavernier's exploits in the Scottish Premiership have written him firmly into the Rangers history books and means that he has already acquired legendary status at Ibrox.

Signed in 2015 from Wigan Athletic for a measly £250k, the rampaging right-back has made a name for himself at Ibrox as one of the most deadly defenders on the planet when it comes to producing goals and assists.

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Set to surpass 450 appearances for the Glasgow giants this season, the Englishman has scored a massive 122 goals and grabbed an equally impressive 127 assists in that time, meaning that he is contributing a goal or an assist every other game on average. From right back, that is an immense return.

Though unlikely to ever catch Ronald Koeman at the top of the goalscoring defender charts, Tavernier has a strong chance of finishing his career just behind the iconic Dutchman should he continue his impressive returns. With 14 Scottish Premiership goals so far this season, he is showing no signs of slowing down. But are pastures new beckoning?

Tavernier's future in doubt after latest update

According to a report from transfer journalist Pete O'Rourke, Rangers are bracing themselves for interest from Saudi Arabia in Tavernier, and sources claim that the club would be 'powerless to resist' if the right offer were to come in.

A series of PIF clubs, led by Steven Gerrard's side Al-Ettifaq, are keen on adding the veteran defender to their ranks this summer, and while Rangers are 'not ready to allow Tavernier to leave the club', it is added that a 'well-placed source' at Ibrox has told the outlet “money talks”.

The full-back is under contract at Ibrox until 2028 as things stand, and is a key cog in Philippe Clement's side, but there is a possibility that 'a huge fee' could change that, though it is likely to have to be a record sale (which currently stands at the £20m received for Calvin Bassey). Speaking on his future earlier in the week, Tavernier admitted he doesn't know what is next.

“I love it every single day. When I wake up, I’m doing something that I love to do. I’ve always wanted to be a footballer and I’m still a kid at heart when it comes to playing this game.

"But when pressed further, he added that it 'is obviously down to Rangers. There are plenty of moving parts but I’m enjoying my football here, I’m loving been here and so do my family. I still feel young at heart. I still feel 21 but I’ll keep moving forward and keep working hard.”

In an ideal world, it seems as though all parties would like to continue at Ibrox. However, PIF may make an offer that just can't be refused.

It's been a rough couple of years for Chelsea Football Club, a couple of years that have seen them stuck in midtable mediocrity despite spending absurd amounts of money on promising young players.

That said, Todd Boehly and Co have also recouped a reasonably sizeable sum of money through player sales in that time, although one Frank Lampard signing has yet to be sold.

The star's value has plunged in recent years and is now worth even less than Trevoh Chalobah.

Hakim Ziyech's time at Chelsea

Yes, the flop in question is Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech, who agreed to join Lampard's Blues in a £33m deal in February 2020 before moving to the club a few months later.

There was a lot of excitement around the deal, as the Dronten-born ace had been scintillating for Ajax in the years prior. For example, in the 2019/20 campaign, he scored nine goals and provided 20 assists in 35 appearances.

However, his brilliant form didn't carry over to England, and in his first season in Blue, he returned just six goals and four assists in 39 appearances and missed 14 games through injury.

While his second season at Stamford Bridge was not bad, it was just as underwhelming as his first. In 44 games, the 5 foot 11 wideman scored eight goals and provided six assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 3.1 games.

Unfortunately for all involved, it wasn't third time lucky, as the 2022/23 campaign saw the left-footed ace lose his place in the first team and return his worst haul yet: just three assists in 24 appearances.

Season

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

Appearances

39

44

24

Goals

6

8

0

Assists

4

6

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.25

0.31

0.12

At this point, it was crystal clear that the former Ajax star had no future with the Pensioners.

After a permanent move away from the team failed to materialise in the summer, he was sent to Galatasaray on loan, where it would be fair to say things have gone from bad to worse.

Hakim Ziyech's valuation this season

It really has been a disaster of a season for the 31-year-old this year.

A succession of injuries has seen him miss a whopping 26 games for club and country, and when he has played, he has once again been underwhelming.

Appearances

17

Goals

4

Assists

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.41

The tricky winger has made 17 appearances for the Turkish giants so far, in which he has scored four goals and provided three assists, a return that has done little for his valuation.

In fact, the player who once cost the Blues £33m is now valued at just €9.5m by Transfermarkt, which converts to around £8m, or a £25m loss.

The 60-capped international is now worth even less than the injury-prone Chalobah, who has made just eight first-team appearances under Pochettino this season. Transfermarkt values the defender at €13m, which is around £11m, or £3m more than the once dynamic winger.

Ultimately, with just a year left on Ziyech's Chelsea contract at the end of this season, the club simply must sell him this summer and get what they can for a player who has been a flop in west London.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo finalizou a preparação para encarar o Atlético-GO, no sábado (5), ás 19h, em Goiânia, pela segunda rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Após o treinamento, a equipe viajou para a capital goiana.

Welington renovou: veja até quando vão os contratos dos jovens revelados no São Paulo

Com relação a escalação, o Tricolor deve ter novidades, principalmente no ataque. Com a volta dos titulares, que foram poupados na derrota para o 4 de Julho-Pi, pela Copa do Brasil, Luciano deverá ser escalado junto com Pablo. Na zaga, Bruno Alves continua, já que Arboleda está na seleção do Equador.

Começou o Brasileirão! Baixe o aplicativo do LANCE!

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Entre os desfalques, Luan, Daniel Alves e Benítez, ambos lesionados, não jogam. Liziero, na seleção olímpica, também não estará à disposição.

Sendo assim, um provável time tem: Volpi, Bruno Alves, Miranda e Léo; Igor Vinicius, Shaylon (William), Nestor, Gabriel Sara e Reinaldo; Luciano e Pablo.

Vale destacar que o São Paulo será comandado diante do Dragão, pelo auxiliar Juan Branda, já que Crespo, gripado, foi afastado. Ele fez exames de Covid-19 mas os resultados deram negativo. O treinador continuará sendo monitorado pelo departamento médico do clube.

No duelo contra o Atlético-GO, o time será comandado pelo auxiliar técnico Juan Branda.#VamosSãoPaulo 🇾🇪

📸 Erico Leonan / saopaulofc pic.twitter.com/oyEjokg4Be

— São Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) June 4, 2021

O São Paulo se prepara para a segunda rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, quando enfrenta o Atlético-GO, às 19h, no próximo sábado. O Tricolor está sem vencer há duas partidas, com um empate sem gols contra o Fluminense, e uma derrota para o 4 de Julho-PI, por 3 a 2.

Bayern Munich are closing in on the signing of Desire Doue from Rennes despite rival interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Doue wanted by various clubs
• Has exploded at Rennes
• Bayern closing in on signing

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per , Bayern have the edge over PSG in the race to sign the sought-after Doue. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham have also been linked with the 19-year-old, who has developed into one of the most exciting wingers in European football.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Doue scored four goals and registerd five assists last season in 31 Ligue 1 games at the age of just 19. He is a France Under-23 international and is currently representing his country at the Olympics, and 's report claims he is hoping to make a move to Germany. He would cost around €60 million (£51m/$65m).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Doue has scored once at the Olympics, showing his mettle at the U23 tournament. It remains to be seen if Bayern can strike a deal with Rennes given the sheer amount of rival interest.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Formal bids are likely to follow before the transfer deadline, given that several of Europe's top clubs appear to be employing a watching brief on Doue's progress.

Newcastle United's torrid luck with injuries so far this season has taken another turn for the worse after defender Sven Botman was ruled out for up to nine months.

The 24-year-old originally injured his knee in the game against Brentford back in September, with the Dutchman and the club deciding against surgery with the defender sitting out until mid-December in the hope the injury would heal itself.

However, it was unsuccessful, with his latest scan confirming he'd torn his ACL, and it would require surgery, with the former Lille defender potentially missing the remainder of 2024.

His injury leaves Eddie Howe's side light in the centre-back department, with Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Jamaal Lascelles the only three senior central defenders at his disposal.

The extent of the injury means the Magpies may have to look for reinforcements in the summer window, with the club needing to target one player to fill the void left by Botman.

The man Newcastle need to sign this summer

Despite the club's huge investment of over £450m in the last couple of years, the club have always struggled for depth at centre-back.

Howe and the hierarchy should look to combat this by signing Juventus' Brazilian centre-back Gleison Bremer. The 27-year-old has excelled in Italy since his move from fellow Serie A side Torino back in 2022 and has been linked with a move to the Toon in recent days via reports in Italy.

He initially joined Juve for £35m, with his performances for the Old Lady catching the eye of multiple sides all over Europe, with the likes of Manchester United and Inter Milan previously interested in signing him.

Bremer has been brilliant at the heart of Massimiliano Allegri's defence, with the Brazilian featuring for 90 minutes in every game he's been available for – barring one game where he was suspended.

His good form in Italy this season has seen the former Torino defender receive a call-up to the Brazilian national setup for the friendlies against England and Spain over the next couple of weeks.

He certainly wouldn't be a cheap addition, with the "incredible" defender, as dubbed by Italian football expert Conor Clancy, potentially set to cost in the region of £43m. That said, he would certainly improve the Magpies' defence tenfold.

Botman v Bremer this season

When comparing the stats between the two central defenders during the 2023/24 campaign, it's clear that Bremer is a great talent and one that Newcastle should go all out for in the summer.

The Brazilian is dominant in all areas, with the 27-year-old's tally of 2.9 aerials won per game clear of that of Botman, who can only manage 2.2.

Defensively, the Juventus defender is much more well-rounded than the Dutchman, with Bremer averaging more tackles than the Magpies' number four.

Aerials won

2.2

2.9

Tackles

1.3

1.8

Interceptions

0.6

1.3

Successful take-ons

0

0.3

Progressive passes

2.3

3.2

Given the stats in the table, it's clear that the Brazilian is able to read the game more, with his tally of 1.3 interceptions per game more than double Botman's, with the 24-year-old trailing with only 0.6.

Despite averaging a better pass percentage, Bremer's tally of 3.2 progressive passes reflects that the Juve centre-back likes to play forward more than Botman, with the Magpies defender unable to get close to his tally.

Bremer certainly possesses a lot of qualities that would be of use to Newcastle boss Howe, with the 46-year-old needing to make the 27-year-old his top target this summer to cover for Botman and eventually partner the Dutchman when he returns from his long-term injury layoff.

Tottenham Hotspur failed to build on their 2-1 home victory against Luton Town at the weekend, following what was a frustrating display last night.

Ange Postecoglou’s side travelled to the London Stadium, where they were held to a 1-1 draw by stubborn West Ham United.

It was an evening where both defences got the better of the attackers despite both teams conceding, as shown by the Hammers’ 1.16 xG and Spurs’ 0.96.

Nevertheless, Spurs took the lead early on, but they were back to square one just fifteen minutes later, with Kurt Zouma converting from a corner before the 20th minute.

The rest of the tie saw the Lilywhites dominate the ball, and Brennan Johnson prove to be a handful once again, but there was one individual who was even better than the forward.

Brennan Johnson’s performance in numbers

Welsh star Johnson proved to be the difference-maker in the Spurs attack once again after essentially setting up both goals against the Hatters at the weekend, which earned him a place in the starting lineup.

Clearly, the 22-year-old didn’t disappoint, scoring the opener within five minutes, drifting inside from the right to tap home a Timo Werner low cross into an open net.

Johnson was a threat throughout, having two shots, completing two dribbles, and making one key pass, while also producing some dangerous crosses that a true centre forward would have taken advantage of.

The Evening Standard handed Johnson a 7/10 rating for his 89-minute performance, stating that he 'continued his hot streak' but despite all the above, he wasn’t the most influential on the field.

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Destiny Udogie’s statistics against West Ham

Destiny Udogie made his 26th Premier League appearance of the season last night against David Moyes’ side, where he played a key role in nullifying the hosts' attack.

It was yet another complete showing by the Italian left-back who was tasked with keeping Jarrod Bowen quiet, which he did rather successfully based on the fact that the winger only won three of his ten duels.

Just like the number 22, The Evening Standard also gave Udogie a 7/10 rating, which was the joint-second-best score in the entire team.

However, as you can see from the table below, it could be argued that Udogie was worthy of the Player of the Match award, with his complete skillset on display.

The number 38 provided defensive security on the left flank from the first minute to the last, making four clearances and three tackles, but what was most impressive was the fact that he wasn’t dribbled past once, unlike Pedro Porro, who was dribbled past three times.

Furthermore, the 21-year-old won eight duels, including seven of his ten ground duels, which proves that he won his individual battles frequently and dealt with the physicality of West Ham.

Udogie was also technically secure, taking 82 touches and making 47 passes with an accuracy of 89%. The former Udinese ace also won three fouls and completed one dribble, with his ability to get out of tight spaces helping the side maintain control.

Overall, it was nearly the perfect night for Udogie, with only a win missing from a very complete performance, which has just become the norm for the youngster.