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Erik ten Hag faces his biggest test as Manchester United boss when his side travels to the Etihad to take on Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils have won each of their last four games in the Premier League but haven’t played in the Premier League for nearly a month, with a combination of the Queen’s death and the international break bringing an end to United’s momentum.

After suffering back-to-back defeats against Brighton and Brentford in his two opening fixtures, Ten Hag looked doomed to be another failed United manager but his side have bounced back with impressive wins over Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester City and Arsenal.

While Scott McTominay has silenced critics with some eye-catching form in those games, earning above a 7/10 rating from WhoScored in three of his last four Premier League appearances, Manchester City presents a very different challenge for United.

Considering the huge threat posed by City’s creative players, perhaps most notably Kevin de Bruyne, Ten Hag should consider handing Casemiro his first Premier League start.

De Bruyne has six assists in his first six Premier League games of the season, so is clearly on top form at the moment, and must be nullified if United are going to take anything from the game.

The Brazilan joined United from Champions League winners Real Madrid during the summer, having become one of the most decorated players of all time during his time with Los Blancos.

When he joined, Rio Ferdinand was full of praise for the 30-year-old, saying:

“First and foremost, the guy’s a real winner, he knows how to win, he’s been integral in everything positive about Real Madrid in recent years.”

The £300k-per-week midfielder is something of an expert when it comes to winning and has a CV filled with experience in big matches, so he could be the ideal man to stop De Bruyne on Sunday.

Last season saw Casemiro average more tackles, interceptions and blocks than McTominay would in the Premier League, which suggests that he holds the edge when it comes to defending his own goal.

Casemiro started when Real Madrid triumphed over Manchester City in the Champions League last season so he knows what it takes to defeat Pep Guardiola’s side and his immense experience and ability mark him out as the ideal man to stop De Bruyne from running the show at the Etihad this weekend.

Newcastle United are reportedly considering loan offers for Niall Brookwell ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: U21 captain

Brookwell recently captained the U21 side in their 2-0 loss away at League One Barnsley in the Papa John’s Trophy, and was rated as their best performer by SofaScore.

The 20-year-old won six of his duels in total, the joint-most of any of his teammates, while he also recorded a team-high five clearances, two tackles and one interception in a spirited individual display.

The Latest: Offers considered

As per Newcastle World, the St. James’ Park outfit are considering loaning out Brookwell in January, with many EFL, National League and Scottish Championship clubs thought to be lining up offers.

He penned a one-year extension to his initial two-year deal last summer, but will be out of contract at the end of the season, so the North East club now need to decide whether to extend his deal again or let him go.

The Verdict: Loan needed

Brookwell needs to be tested in senior football in order to help the Tynesiders decide whether they should extend his contract.

The Englishman has been a mainstay in the U21 side, and the fact that he captained the team recently shows his character and leadership qualities.

However, at 20 years of age, this is a crucial point in Brookwell’s career in terms of his development, and so the Magpies must decide whether he is good enough to stay in the hope that he will eventually break into the first-team squad, or whether it is time to let him leave for good.

Incidentally, he shares the same agent as Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, who both secured moves to the Toon last January, so this could help him find the right club to go out on loan to, and hopefully impress enough to be called back by Eddie Howe.

Celtic are in the final stages of an agreement for Rubin Kazan winger Sead Haksabanovic, Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Haksabanovic links

On Thursday, a report emerged claiming that the Scottish Premiership giants were in the process of opening talks with the Russian club over a potential deal for the Montenegro international.

At just 23-years-old, the forward player has a wealth of experience – he has amassed 184 senior appearances to date, adding a further 28 national team caps to his name.

Since arriving at Rubin Kazan last summer, Haksabanovic has scored once and assisted four times in 23 appearances for the club.

The Latest: Joseph’s news…

After initially revealing the Hoops as one of the four clubs interested in Haksabanovic, who Kazan are willing to sell, Joseph has shared an update on the potential move.

Taking to Twitter on Friday night, he said:

“UPDATE: Celtic are tonight close to agreeing a deal with Rubin Kazan for winger Sead Haksabanovic.”

The Verdict: Great addition

The arrival of Haksabanovic at Celtic Park would provide manager Ange Postecoglou with an alternative option in the final third, allowing for more regular rotation throughout the side’s busy domestic and continental campaign.

According to Jan Jonsson, the man who gave Haksabanovic his debut aged just 15 when he was at Halmstads in Sweden, the 23-year-old was “a diamond” in their academy system, having risen to prominence following the publicity surrounding his debut.

Jonsson has claimed “Celtic would be the perfect club for him”, as “it’s a big club … [which] would really suit his strengths.”

Having averaged two key passes and 1.5 dribbles per game for his country in World Cup qualifying, the winger would certainly add quality and creativity to Postecoglou’s squad, who will be aiming for the Premiership title again this season.

Manchester City have been linked with signing Borussia Dortmund left-back Raphael Guerreiro recently and the Portugal international could be the next Joao Cancelo in Pep Guardiola’s side.

According to Sky Sports, Guardiola is keen on signing the 28-year-old this summer as he looks to bolster his options at left-back, despite the recent addition of Sergio Gomez from Anderlecht.

Oleksandr Zinchenko was allowed to join Arsenal earlier in the summer, and while Gomez and Josh Wilson-Esbrand represent two excellent young backup options to Cancelo, Guardiola would seemingly prefer a more experienced competitor in that position.

Guerreiro, who reportedly earns £56k per week, has been a mainstay in Dortmund’s side in recent seasons, making 191 appearances in total, in which he has contributed an impressive 34 goals and 37 assists.

His contract at Signal Iduna Park is set to expire at the end of this season, which suggests that he could be an affordable option for City this summer, and given his similarities with Cancelo, he could prove to be a bargain.

Dortmund manager Eden Terzic was full of praise for the defender last year, saying: “[He is] an amazing player. So you see especially against a deep defending side, we want him to get on the ball because he makes things happen.”

Indeed, as per FbRef, Cancelo is the second most similar player to Guerreiro in terms of style of play.

Last season saw the duo register very similar numbers with regards to expected goals per 90 minutes (0.13 vs 0.12), shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.71 vs 2.87) and pass completion rates (85.4% vs 83.9%).

Therefore, it is clear that they are both full-backs who love to get forward and contribute in attack, as they both do on opposite flanks when playing together in the national side.

WhoScored also suggests that both Cancelo and Guerreiro excel at passing, dribbling, concentration, holding onto the ball and playing key passes, so it is clear that they have a lot of similar attributes.

Given the way Cancelo has performed since joining City from Juventus, recently earning a Ballon d’Or nomination, Guardiola would be foolish to turn down a player so similar to the versatile full-back and will be hoping that Guerreiro can be tempted to the Etihad this summer.

Newcastle United hold a ‘serious’ interest in Brazilian youngster Angelo, according to The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

Angelo, 17, plays as a right winger in his homeland for Santos, the club who produced Neymar (now of Paris Saint-Germain) and Rodrygo (now of Real Madrid).

He may not be an adult yet, but he already has a release clause of £52million in his contract.

Angelo has already made 76 appearances for the club, and the majority of those (57) have come at national or even continental level, as opposed to state level.

The latest

Newcastle’s head of recruitment ‘Steve Nickson flew out to Brazil to watch him in action’, and Ryder takes that as ‘a big indication’ that their ‘interest is serious’, per Chronicle Live.

He adds that fending off elite competition for the prodigy would be a ‘big statement’ and ‘a real sign of progress’.

The verdict

The sheer amount of senior football Angelo has played at such a young age bodes incredibly well.

One of his standout achievements is becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Copa Libertadores at the age of 16 years and 105 days. He broke a record that had stood for 59 years. (via Goal).

One of the player’s former coaches even says he’s ‘like Neymar in terms of his dribbling at speed and his change of direction’.

And he could certainly follow in his footsteps by making a big move to Europe. Could this be the player Newcastle build their next generation around?

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth reports that West Ham have had a second bid for Lille midfielder Amadou Onana rejected.

The Lowdown: Opening offer turned down

The 20-year-old still has four years remaining on his contract with the Ligue 1 outfit so certainly won’t be easy to prise away, but has been the subject of plenty of interest from the Premier League.

According to The Athletic, the Irons had an opening £19.4m offer rejected last week, with their efforts being frustrated even more by the news that Arsenal have already held talks over a potential move to the Emirates.

After taking a second bite at the cherry though, the Hammers have been dealt yet another setback in their pursuit.

The Latest: Second West Ham bid rejected

Taking to Twitter, Sheth revealed that yet another West Ham offer for Onana has been turned down, with the club now exploring elsewhere despite their interest. He wrote:

“Had it confirmed West Ham United have had a second bid rejected by Lille for midfielder Amadou Onana. The offer was believed to be around €30m. While West Ham haven’t closed the door on pursuing the player, it is thought they are looking at other options.”

The Verdict: Long-term partnership?

Onana was a significant player in Lille’s starting XI last season, making 32 Ligue 1 appearances and netting one goal during that time, via WhoScored.

His key strength though is in the defensive part of his game, having averaged 1.5 tackles per league 90 minutes, an attribute which David Moyes loves in seeing his players get stuck in.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the Belgian could also add Soucek-esque dimension to the midfield and has the ability to form a great long-term partnership alongside Declan Rice, but only if the Irons up their financial game to secure both Onana’s services and the long-term future of their talisman.

Manchester United have seen numerous players leave the club in recent weeks, many of whom are midfielders.

The likes of Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata have all said goodbye to the Red Devils since the end of the 2021/22 season. However, one midfielder who looks set to continue with the Old Trafford outfit under the management of Erik Ten Hag is Scott McTominay.

A product of United’s youth system, the Scotland international has made 170 senior appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 16 goals and delivering four assists in the process.

With 37 appearances under his belt, the 25-year-old was a prominent figure for his team during the previous campaign.

In terms of potential new recruits at United to try and replace some of their departed midfielders, one figure with whom the club have been linked and who would be a significant upgrade on McTominay is PSV Eindhoven’s Ibrahim Sangare.

Having made 173 combined appearances for PSV and his previous club Toulouse, the 24-year-old has found the net seven times and supplied 11 assists along the way.

Looking at the Ivorian’s 29 league games in the Eredivisie last season in comparison to McTominay’s 30 Premier League appearances, the PSV star proved just how much of an upgrade he would be for the Red Devils.

From a defensive point of view, Sangare won 64 tackles compared to the Scotsman’s 33, while he made 72 interceptions compared to McTominay’s 47. Meanwhile, in an attacking regard, the PSV figure had double the number of shots on target compared to the Old Trafford midfielder, also delivering more crosses.

Labelled a “complete” player by his former coach Alain Casanova, Sangare – who apparently has a £30m release clause – certainly has the talent to be a useful asset for Ten Hag’s side up and down the pitch.

He also has what it takes to potentially put McTominay’s place in the team at risk, given how capable he is with and without the ball.

While the club have been heavily linked with a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, securing a deal for the PSV machine should definitely be on United’s priority list before the 2022/23 campaign gets underway next month.

In other news – After De Jong: United hope to sign “unbelievable” 115-cap gem, he’d be better than Pogba

Everton narrowly avoided Premier League relegation this season as Frank Lampard guided his team to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in their penultimate game to guarantee survival.

This close escape won’t be enough to satiate the Goodison Park faithful, though, and they may be expecting big things next season, especially with the manager getting a full summer transfer window to reshape the playing squad.

One move that they could make is signing defender Adrien Truffert from Rennes, as Farhad Moshiri looks to loosen the purse strings to sign the £10.8m-rated left-back.

He can be their own Theo Hernandez

That’s according to French outlet L’Equipe, who claimed that Everton are keen on the 20-year-old as Lampard aims to boost his porous defence.

Truffert could develop into Everton’s very own Theo Hernandez, the AC Milan and France left-back who has won the Champions League and UEFA Nations League, and the Merseyside club are in need of a defender with his quality.

FBRef’s similar player model compares Truffert with his compatriot and it’s clear to see why. Both are goalscoring full-backs and love to get forward as much as possible. Hernandez scored five goals and registered five assists in 2021/22, while the Rennes youngster notched three goals and three assists in Ligue 1.

Truffert committed fewer fouls than the AC Milan defender (24 to 39), and although Hernandez makes more interceptions (26 to 19) and tackles (40 to 21), there is plenty of time for the former to improve certain areas of his game and, at 20 years of age, he isn’t near the finished product yet.

Hernandez displayed his attacking qualities by delivering almost three times as many crosses (141) as Truffert (47) this season, but a move to the Premier League could see him gain more experience playing at a much more demanding level of football than the French top flight.

The Rennes left-back has been dubbed “incredible” by the French media, and given his performances during the season, it’s clear to see why there has been interest from England. Everton might never sign Hernandez from Milan, but Moshiri could get the next-best thing with a swoop for Truffert.

AND in other news, Lampard must now brutally axe Everton’s £22m “walking red card”, he’s Klaassen 2.0

Celtic could make as many as seven signings during what could be an exciting summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Huge summer awaits for Celtic

The Hoops won the Premiership title earlier this month, with Ange Postecoglou working wonders since taking charge last summer.

This is no time for Celtic to rest on their laurels, though, and they are widely expected to use their imminent Champions League income to bring in new players.

A fresh claim suggests that this could be a particularly busy summer at Parkhead.

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The Latest: Journalist drops exciting transfer claim

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that seven signings could be made altogether by Celtic this summer, including permanent deals for loanees Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota, both of whom the Hoops are intending to retain.

He claimed:

“I think if they could get those two in it would be good business and they’ll probably be looking at, at least another four, maybe five signings for Celtic.

“I think there’s positions in the team that they’ll need to strengthen, especially in midfield with Nir Bitton and Tom Rogic both leaving the club on free transfers, making a couple of midfield spots up for grabs.”

The Verdict: Build a dynasty

Postecoglou’s first year at Celtic has been extremely promising, but it is now important to try and build a dynasty at the club, with plenty more silverware hopefully coming their way in the coming years.

That will clearly depend on the manager signing a new deal – his current rolling contract expires at the end of this month – but if he does stay put, there could be many more great days ahead for the Parkhead faithful.

While seven additions may be a lot to expect, especially after last summer’s mammoth recruitment, strengthening across several areas of the pitch should allow Celtic to keep the balance of the squad ticking over nicely and ensure that there is no shortage of quantity and quality in Postecoglou’s ranks.

In other news, Celtic are eyeing up a summer move for one player. Find out who it is here.

Rangers chief executive Ross Wilson made a number of moves in the January transfer window to bolster Gio van Bronckhorst’s squad at Ibrox.

He brought in the likes of James Sands, Amad Diallo, Aaron Ramsey and Mateusz Zukowski, but none of them have managed to break into the starting XI on a consistent basis, due to selection decisions or injuries.

The lack of impact they have made on the first team may have Wilson thinking about what he could have done differently in the January window. Perhaps there were players he wanted to sign but couldn’t, or possibly some he looked at but decided against and he now regrets his decisions.

There have been many instances when managers and/or sporting directors at Ibrox may have gone through that trail of thought in the past. One such player on whom the club previously missed out was Greek international attacker Georgios Samaras.

In 2008, Walter Smith reportedly agreed a £2.5m deal to sign him from Manchester City to replace Daniel Cousin but was unable to get the move over the line.

After the Gers failed to get the deal done, Celtic managed to sign him on loan from the Premier League side in January of that year before securing a permanent transfer the following summer.

If Rangers did not regret their failure to land the Greece striker at the time, their fans must surely be looking back on it now and wondering what could have been.

Samaras was certainly one that got away as he went on to establish himself as a major player for Celtic in the Scottish top flight over the years. In six years at Parkhead, he scored 71 goals and provided 49 assists (120 goal contributions) in 243 outings in all competitions, including 85 goals and assists in 171 Premiership outings.

This shows that the 37-year-old, who also scored nine goals in 81 caps for Greece, consistently delivered in the final third over the course of many years on the other side of Glasgow. He proved that he was a top-quality player in Scotland, and Rangers missed out on his attacking talents as a result of their failure to get the £2.5m deal over the line.

Therefore, the Gers had a disaster with the Greece international in 2008. An outlay of £2.5m for 120 goal contributions in 243 matches – a return of approximately one every other game – would seem like a huge bargain in hindsight, and it was their biggest rivals benefitted from this instead of the Light Blues.

AND in other news, Forget Ramsey: GvB must land “massive signing” for Rangers, he’d be “world-class”…