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It’s all change at Man Utd. From managers to players, it’s been a transformative six months for the Red Devils, and further change is expected this summer.

Indeed, according to the Evening Standard, Man Utd are already making plans for their summer, with a host of targets being looked at. That, naturally, could mean that the first team looks different when next season rolls around, with the manager clearly in need of further talent.

But how could the Man Utd first team line-up come August? Will there be a new forward? A new midfielder? What about the defence? And what of David De Gea’s poor form?

Let’s take a look at what Man Utd’s team could look like next season, given the recent rumours that have surrounded the club…

Between the sticks, it’s still hard to look past David De Gea. Sure, he hasn’t signed a new deal yet, and of course, his form hasn’t been great recently – but he’s still one of Europe’s best. Man Utd would struggle to find anyone that can get even close to the Spaniard, and when he finally does regather his form, he’ll be a fantastic option for the Red Devils. They can’t afford to lose him.

The defence needs an overhaul, that much is clear. Luke Shaw has turned his form around in recent months, and though he still needs to improve, the future does, at last, look bright for the Englishman. On the other flank, Ashley Young hasn’t been good enough, so maybe Diogo Dalot needs to be given a chance. He’s had a mixed season, but he clearly has a lot of talent. Maybe a few weeks in the first team could help transform his career. In the middle, Victor Lindelof has had a good season, to be fair to him, and he’s finally showing the promise that made Man Utd sign him in the first place. Eric Bailly seems like a logical partner, but he hasn’t been great all season long, and his injury issues are a concern. So, for that reason, he’s one player that could be replaced (as the * shows). Man Utd need someone proven in this role, so maybe they look could elsewhere in the Premier League for a solution.

In the midfield, Paul Pogba still seems like an obvious choice. He’s so frustrating, but on his day there’s nobody better, and if Man Utd were to sell him, they’d be worse off as a result. Nemanja Matic has been up and down this term, but Man Utd need a player like him to help anchor the midfield.  As a result, though he could be improved upon, unless Man Utd sign a replacement, he’s likely to stay. Spearing the midfield would be Bruno Fernandes, who has been linked with Man Utd by the Evening Standard. He’s bagged 16 goals and 12 assists this season, which highlights just how impressive he’s been going forward over in Portugal, and he’d add some much-needed goals to the Man Utd midfield.

In the attack, leading the line may end up being Joao Felix, who has also been linked via the Evening Standard. At just 19-years-old, with a great return of 13 goals this term, he’s got an incredibly bright future – and Man Utd has often been the home of Europe’s best and brightest talents. His arrival, though, could force Marcus Rashford out wide again, though he’s solid in that role, so there won’t be many complaints there. Man Utd don’t have an obvious rightwinger, and so that’s a role that would seemingly make sense to improve this summer, but there’s no news on that at present. If not, Jesse Lingard, perhaps, would be the best choice.

This is a strong team, but it’s fair to say that improvements are needed. Will they come? Only time will tell.

Man Utd fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Note: * dictates that there could be some movement or changes in this position. 

Regardless of what division Leeds United find themselves in next season, it is overwhelmingly clear that they need to find a sufficient replacement for Samuel Saiz.

Despite starting the 2018/19 campaign very much part of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans, a number of underwhelming performances by the Spaniard led to him being dropped from the Whites’ side. Having missed five consecutive games for the Yorkshire-based outfit, Saiz moved to Getafe on loan in the January transfer window where he has failed to impress for the La Liga side.

Although the Azulones do have the option to purchase the 28-year-old for £6m (via the Yorkshire Evening Post), it is very unlikely that they will be willing to extend his stay. Yet when you consider that Saiz almost certainly doesn’t have a future at Elland Road under Bielsa, Leeds will be looking to strengthen in his position in the summer.

Having been linked with Luke Freeman earlier this season (via talkSPORT), the Whites should consider re-igniting their interest in the Queens Park Rangers star.

A mainstay in the Hoops’ starting eleven since joining the club in 2017 from Bristol City, the midfielder has had an outstanding year for his side as his eight goals and six assists helped John Eustace’s side secured a nineteenth-place finish in the Championship.

Arguably the Rs’ best player, without Freeman’s domineering presence, the London-based outfit may have been preparing for their first season in the third tier of English football since 2003.

A tricky customer who has the ability to change a game in an instant, the 27-year-old would thrive in Bielsa’s possession-based system if he is convinced to make the switch when the transfer window opens in July.

The attacking midfielder unlocked Kiko Casilla at Loftus Road back in February as his cheeky flick secured all three points for Queens Park Rangers.

However, any deal may rely on the willingness of the R’s to let him leave Loftus Road. Speaking to football.London about Freeman’s future, Eustace admitted that: “Luke’s a top player at this level so it’s only a good thing that there’s clubs watching him.

“It’s good for the club but hopefully he’ll be at the club next season because we need all of our top players.”

If the former Stevenage ace does become available for transfer, Bielsa must not hesitate in his efforts to bring him to Elland Road as he has all the ingredients needed to provide Leeds with a much-needed spark next season.

What do you think Whites fans? Should Bielsa re-ignite his interest in Freeman? Is he a sufficient replacement for Saiz? Let us know below.

It’s almost crazy to think that Liverpool lost just one game all season, finished with the third highest points total in Premier League history, and still ended up in second place.

Jurgen Klopp’s side did all they could to win their first league title since 1990, but in the end, Manchester City, yet again, proved to be the difference, but only just.

And looking ahead to next season the Liverpool transfer committee will already be constructing a list of players to get the Reds over the line for good, and one player should really be on that list.

Matthijs de Ligt has been linked with a move to Liverpool for some time, and now according to Mundo Deportivo via the Mirror, Barcelona, who have been the favourites to sign the teenager, are now worried the Reds are ready to hijack a move for the Dutch international.

The Ajax centre-back is one of the biggest prospects in world football and is likely to break the record for the biggest transfer fee ever for a defender if he moves from his boyhood club this summer, and de Ligt at Liverpool would be the final piece of the puzzle for the club in their goal to finally win the Premier League.

A centre-back partnership of de Ligt, who has been compared to Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, and Virgil van Dijk would not only be one of the sturdiest and toughest partnerships in the Premier League but arguably the best in all of Europe.

Liverpool came inches away from securing the league title this season, but the signature of de Ligt would take the club into pole position to claim their long-sought-after prize next campaign.

Liverpool fans, is de Ligt the missing piece to the Reds winning the league? Let us know!

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Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has expressed that he believes Pontus Jansson will be leaving Elland Road this summer.

The BBC pundit has said that he expects the Swede to join a Premier League club this summer, but he thinks he will struggle with the step up to the top-flight.

What’s been said then?

Whelan has said that he expects the defender to command around a £10 million fee, and he thinks a Premier League club will be in for him.

“I think Jansson will leave and possibly for around the £10million mark,” he told Football Insider. “I’m sure some Premier League clubs might take a chance on him, some of the lower ones or the teams that have just gone up (Norwich and Sheffield United).

“Personally, I don’t think he is Premier League quality. Yes, he plays for Sweden. But too many Premier League forwards will pick at his weaknesses.

“He will struggle in the Premier League. I’m sure he will get an opportunity to move and I definitely think he will be leaving the club.”

This isn’t the first time the former striker has cast doubts over the centre-back’s future, following the Whites’ loss to Derby he said:

“Pontus Jansson is certain to go. From what I saw after the game on Wednesday – looking across the pitch for ages and sat in the dugout – all these little things and other things you hear, I don’t think he will be here next season.”

Overestimating his value

Although Whelan may be right about Jansson not being at Elland Road next term, he is being very ambitious when speaking about his transfer fee.

£10 million is too much for a player who he said himself would struggle in the top flight. At times this season, the centre-back has looked unreliable at the back for the Whites, and there is an argument to be made that his stock has actually fallen in the last 12 months despite Leeds’ best campaign in years.

Jansson hasn’t looked at his best since Bielsa came to the club, and Whelan’s comments about his weaknesses show that Leeds fans perhaps don’t rate him as highly as they used to.

The Yorkshire club’s interest in Yoann Barbet may be a sign that the 28-year-old is headed out the door this summer, but if Whelan can confidently say that he isn’t Premier League quality then why would any top-flight side splash £10 million on him?

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According to Italian media outlet Tuttomercatoweb, Arsenal have made an enquiry about signing AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The Gunners are set to lose Petr Cech this summer when his contract expires next month, meaning they either need to find a back-up for current number one Bernd Leno or a new first choice for Unai Emery.

Tuttomercatoweb report that the Spanish manager isn’t completely convinced by the 2018 arrival, and is interested in the Italy international who would cost around €70m (£61.8m) to prise away from the San Siro.

Leno certainly improved as the 2018/19 campaign went on, but one of his consistent weaknesses appeared to be his struggle to command his area from set pieces.

If Emery is looking for an upgrade on the German in those terms, the AC stopper looks to be the perfect candidate.

Check out an Arsenal fan vow to “move to another planet” if Spurs win the UCL in the video below…

The 20-year-old has been photographed on a number of occasions in recent months both punching and catching the ball from set-piece situations, including against giant Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.

There is no doubt that Arsenal need to strengthen in the next few months if they want to push on and progress in the Premier League and the Champions League – winning the Europa League permitting – and bringing Donnarumma to the Emirates would certainly be a good start.

However, his reported price tag will surely scare the north London outfit off permanently given they need to boost other areas of their team as well.

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The importance of Nathan Redmond to Southampton’s success in 2019 highlighted the need for another winger at St Mary’s Stadium – should the former Norwich man get injured, the Saints lack pace and skill going forward.

Now it would seem that Ralph Hasenhuttl and co are keen to act on that lack of depth this summer, with Sky Sports reporting that  the south coast outfit have set their sights on Liverpool’s Harry Wilson, who is valued at £25m.

The forward has chalked up 18 goals and six assists while on loan at Derby across all competitions in 2018/19 and has a knack for scoring beauties – the left-footer has netted five direct free-kicks for the Rams, including one against Manchester United’s David de Gea at Old Trafford.

Southampton fans may love Ralph Hasenhuttl but do the owners? Check out the video below…

The Saints will have to contend with Newcastle, Brighton and possibly Crystal Palace for the 22-year-old’s signature but the opportunity to work under Ralph Hasenhuttl, who is renowned for his development of young players, could swing negotiations Southampton’s way.

Here’s what the St Mary’s Stadium faithful had to say about the interest on Twitter…

Sell up Mike Ashley: Newcastle fans are in dreamland as the club is lined up for sensational £350m takeover by Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Well, it’s happening (apparently) the Sheikhs are back with a taste for Premier League football and this time it could be Newcastle United who are set to benefit, according to The Sun.

If the rumours are true (the report also states that the new regime would want the Spaniard to stick around), what a moment this will be for the club and manager Rafael Benitez, who have long since suffered the reign of their current department store tycoon.

Since making his arrival in March 2016, the Newcastle boss has understandably grown more and more frustrated with Mike Ashley’s blatant lack of ambition and investment. It says it all that only recently have they broken their transfer record, which – by the way – was set by Michael Owen all the way back in 2005.

It’s a glorious time for all those involved, it really is. Benitez has long since waited for the moment his shackles would be lifted and it seems like that day is finally on the horizon. And best news of all, he will apparently remain in charge under the potential new owner for the foreseeable.

Indeed, contract negotiations had been stalling between Benitez and the club until the news had emerged that Ashley was willing to sell up for a sizeable £350million. Now, with the prospect of some real investment and financial clout in the transfer market, there is every chance that he will extend his tenure, so he can continue his quest in the long-term.

This will come as promising news to the Magpie faithful, we’re sure.

During what will surely be a rapid and turbulent period of transition, we’d argue that it will benefit the club to no end having a manager who appreciates the culture and history surrounding Newcastle United and the plight of its fans, as opposed to some mercenary who’s hired because of their botched history with “big” European teams.

Newcastle fans, are you happy with the idea that Benitez would stay? How likely do you think the takeover is? Let us know in the comments below…

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Christian Eriksen has confirmed that he wants to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer, per Ekstra Bladet.

What’s the word?

The playmaker has long been linked with Real Madrid and, following the Lilywhites’ Champions League final defeat to Liverpool, he has finally admitted that he would be open to a move away from north London in the transfer window.

Eriksen played a key role in Spurs’ season, making 51 appearances in all competitions, but his contract expires next summer and he has shown no desire to commit to fresh terms.

He said: “I feel that I am at a stage of my career where I would like to try something new.

“I have the deepest respect for everything that is happening at Tottenham and it would not be something negative to stay. But I have also said that I would like to try something new.

“I hope that something will be decided this summer. That is the plan. In football, you never know when there could be a decision like that. It could be at any point. The best thing is always for it to happen quickly but in football things take time.”

Eriksen has also touted the idea of a move to Real Madrid, though he does not know if the Spanish club have expressed their interest.

He added: “Real Madrid is a step up but then it would take Real Madrid picking up the phone and making contact with Tottenham and say that they want Christian. And they haven’t done as far as I know.

“It all depends on Daniel Levy and there has to be another club too. Or I will sit down myself at the table and negotiate a new contract. You can’t set a date yourself. There aren’t many boxes that Tottenham don’t tick so if I have to move away, it would have to be a step up.”

The Guardian report that Eriksen could cost Real Madrid in the region of £130m should they attempt to extricate him from north London.

Can splash the cash

Spurs are set for a busy summer, by all accounts.

They have been linked with midfielders Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele along with Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon, by the London Evening Standard, along with Celta Vigo’s Maxi Gomez.

To secure all four would cost in excess of £150m – Lo Celso has an £88m release clause while the deal for Ndombele has been touted as costing over £70m – and the money has to come from somewhere.

Pocketing over £100m for Eriksen would go a long way to kick-starting their business.

He may have done the club a favour, then, by fluttering his eyelashes at Zinedine Zidane’s men, as chairman Daniel Levy now has no excuse not to get his chequebook out.

The Spurs squad that took on Liverpool and lost was almost identical to the one that was pipped to the title by Leicester in 2016, and Eriksen’s desire to leave may force the club to finally shake things up.

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It is time for Christian Eriksen to leave Tottenham Hotspur.

He has said as much himself, admitting that he hopes to leave for a new challenge. Speaking to Ekstra Bladet, he said: “I feel that I am at a stage of my career where I would like to try something new.

“I have the deepest respect for everything that is happening at Tottenham and it would not be something negative to stay. But I have also said that I would like to try something new.

“I hope that something will be decided this summer. That is the plan. In football, you never know when there could be a decision like that. It could be at any point. The best thing is always for it to happen quickly but in football things take time.”

Eriksen’s comments are all well and good but, really, Tottenham should have decided his career at the club was over the moment the Champions League final finished.

This was a game that was absolutely set up for Eriksen to turn in a match-winning display and, in the Madrid sun, he wilted.

Eriksen has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer but, following the defeat, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy should have offered to drive him to the Santiago Bernabeu himself.

Yes, Spurs fell behind early to Mohamed Salah’s harshly awarded penalty. Yes, the conditions were far from ideal; the players visibly struggled with the humidity in Madrid.

But after the Reds scored, they retreated to the edge of their penalty box, almost daring Spurs to break them down.

Eriksen is the creator-in-chief, the player who is charged with picking the lock, with playing the pass, or with scoring from range. He did none of the three.

In fact, so poor was he that it appeared that he simply abdicated his every responsibility, shirking the ball and making the wrong decision when he did have it.

Earlier in the season, after Eriksen showed that he can change games by scoring a late, long-range winner against Brighton & Hove Albion at the new Spurs stadium, Sky Sports pundit Liam Rosenior lavished praise on him on The Debate, insisting that he is “world-class”.

He said, via Football.London: “It’s a world-class goal from a world-class player. It’s an incredible strike, it’s his left foot, his supposed weaker foot.

“When you’re Brighton and you’re tired, you’re going deeper and deeper, you’re going to give up shots from outside the box but that’s an absolute arrow into the bottom corner.

“Since he’s come to this new stadium he’s flourished in this environment. He’s a world-class player and you need that when you’re playing against a team that has defended as well as Brighton had in this game.”

And yet he may as well have not been on the field against Liverpool and it is the latest in a long line of disappointments.

It is perhaps why Mauricio Pochettino is courting Giovani Lo Celso, the Real Betis playmaker who scored 16 goals in all competitions in 2018-19. The Argentine has a fearsome track record and would surely improve on whatever Eriksen is purporting to offer.

Indeed, last season he failed to score against a top-six side in the Premier League. His goals came against Everton – twice – Brighton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Cardiff City, AFC Bournemouth and Burnley.

This is not a clutch player, he is not integral to the way Spurs play and his performance in Madrid only seals it. It is perhaps why Real manager Zinedine Zidane is said to be having second thoughts over a possible move.

Per WhoScored, he had just one shot on target, made just one key pass – two fewer than left-back Danny Rose – and did not complete a dribble, nor did he make a tackle. He was also dispossessed once and failed to complete a single accurate corner.

This is a player who has been rated at £100m.

It remains to be seen if he will actually move this summer now, with Real seemingly heeding Zidane’s advice and turning to Paul Pogba of Manchester United.

But Eriksen does want out.

After the Champions League final and his disgrace of a performance, Spurs should want him out too.

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Sead Kolasinac has finally tied the knot. Arsenal’s 25-year-old left-back and his wife said the ever-lasting “yes” reportedly last Saturday, but the Bosnian ace took a while before posting anything to social media.

Still, his latest

/By3bNt3huGs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap confirms it and many of his friends were quick to join the crowd, wishing the newlyweds all the best in the future and congratulating them on this huge occasion.

Danny Welbeck was among the first to respond as he just posted a series of emojis showing his support for his soon to be ex-teammate. Welbeck is on the list of players who are being dismissed on 30 June.

Alexandre Lacazette was one of the other Gunners joining the celebration on Instagram but was not the only one as soon other players were also seen doing the same.

Kolasinac joined Arsenal on a free transfer in July 2017 and has been a big part of the squad ever since.