Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes that Romelu Lukaku will become an even better striker playing at Manchester United.

It seemed for a while that the Belgian was going to return to his former club Chelsea from Everton this summer, but there has been a major plot twist.

The Guardian reports that the 24-year-old was booked in for a medical on Thursday ahead of a £75m switch to Old Trafford.

It has been widely reported that the Red Devils have now dropped their interest in Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata, and intend to wrap up the Lukaku deal before flying to the United States for pre-season this Sunday.

If the deal does go through, Lukaku will arrive at the Premier League giants with a healthy goal tally under his belt.

Last season, the forward netted 25 goals in the top flight, and since moving to England in 2011, he has reached double figures every season bar the 2011-12 campaign when he failed to score in eight outings.

Murphy believes that United have got themselves a prolific striker, who can only improve by playing with top-quality teammates.

He told talkSPORT:

“If he is getting 20 goals at Everton and 18 or whatever it was at West Brom, logic suggests he is going to get more chances at a better team. He is a 20-goal-a-season striker proven in the Premier League and, for me, there is no way he can’t get better playing with better players.

“When you play any level of football, if you jump up a level usually everything becomes a bit easier. You would also think that less of his energy is going to be used defending when they dominate possession in so many games they play.

“There is an argument to suggest he will come up against more packed defences where he doesn’t have the space to run behind. Well, I don’t see that as a problem for him because he loves the ball on the edge of the box, rolling people because of his strength. I think it [Lukaku to United] fits. When you look at what is out there, it fits.”

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In Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths, Celtic are in many ways spoiled in the attacking department. One player is one of the hottest striking prospects in Britain right now and the other is the first man since Henrik Larsson to score 40 goals in a single season for the club.

However, since Brendan Rodgers arrived at the club they’ve both had their fair share of injury problems, either niggling or long-term and it’s left the Hoops caught short in options in the final third on a few occasions now.

The most high profile was on Wednesday night when Rodgers had no recognised senior striker at his disposal against Rosenborg, which resulted in him having to turn to Tom Rogic to lead the line which, as the match showed, he is clearly unsuited for.

While it’s too late to sign a striker for the second leg in Norway, Rodgers must at least explore options for future rounds with Dembele potentially out of action until September and Griffiths an injury doubt himself.

Here are FOUR attackers that could be a viable third man in the Hoops this season…

Ross McCormack

When you talk about potential signings at Celtic, it’s not often that a former Rangers man makes the list but in this case it is well-merited. Yes, it’s true Ross McCormack came through the youth set-up at the Ibrox club and went on to make 14 first-team appearances at the club but that shouldn’t put off the Hoops considering a move for him this summer.

Signing for Aston Villa last summer, that move to Birmingham hasn’t quite worked out for him and he was shipped off to Nottingham Forest on loan in the second half of last season.

A similar loan move to Celtic could be perfect for all parties over the coming season with Aston Villa free to divert wage resources and the Hoops getting a versatile attacker who can perform a number of roles in the side.

With the ability to lead the line and also perform a deeper role both central and on the flank, he could be the perfect cover for Brendan Rodgers. It may be hard to convince a player to come in and be the third wheel behind Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths but if that player is also challenging and covering other positions then he could become an integral part of the team regardless of those two.

Louis Moult

Louis Moult scored 15 goals in the Scottish Premiership last season for Motherwell, three more than Leigh Griffiths and just two less than Moussa Dembele, despite being part of one of the weaker sides in the league.

He may not have the pedigree that Celtic fans expect and is entirely untested in Europe but you can’t argue with that kind of goal threat, especially when you’re talking about a striker that would predominately be used as cover.

The last prolific striker Celtic signed from Motherwell was a certain Scott McDonald and he certainly coped with the step-up to the UEFA Champions League with massive goals against the likes of AC Milan and Manchester United in the group stages of the competition.

While it would be more hope than expectation that Moult could do similar, he could be the competent cover that the Hoops are looking for. He’s certainly been good enough to score against Celtic themselves as the above video shows.

Kenneth Zohore

With 12 goals and five assists for Cardiff City last season, Kenneth Zohore emerged as a real striking prospect in the English Championship and he’s a player the Hoops should definitely be keeping an eye on.

The Danish U21 internationalist won the Welsh side’s young player of the year award and could be the different option and ‘plan B’ that Brendan Rodgers may need in the coming seasons at Celtic Park.

At 6ft 3in tall, he’s a physical presence that would add a different dimension to the Hoops attack off the bench when things aren’t going the team’s way and it’s clear he has the goalscoring chops to fill in when Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths are out of action.

Anthony Stokes

If it’s a cheap option Celtic are looking for in attack, realising they already have two prize assets in Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths, then they should look no further than free agent Anthony Stokes.

He left Blackburn Rovers by mutual consent earlier this month and is looking for a club to regain the form that made him a hero with Celtic supporters.

Stokes was almost always an effective option in his time at the club, scoring 76 goals in 191 appearances, many of which were either from the bench or on the flanks.

That versatility to both play through the middle and on either wing could be a real positive and see that he finds himself with plenty of game time should he re-sign for the Scottish champions.

While things haven’t quite worked out for him at Blackburn Rovers, a return to Glasgow could see him at his best again and under the whip Brendan Rodgers he could buckle up and prove he has what it takes to still play for the Hoops.

Barcelona have sent representatives to London to hold talks over a possible move for Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho, according to Spanish publication Sport.

What’s the word?

Last season, the Brazilian playmaker was linked to Barcelona, but he seemed to put rumours to bed by signing a new long-term contract at Anfield in January.

Now, though, the rumours have returned, and Sport claim that the Spanish giants have ramped up their efforts to sign Coutinho after having a £72m bid rejected.

The Spanish publication claims that the club hope to hold talks with the player and Liverpool regarding a possible deal.

It also suggests that the Reds could be swayed if a bid of £89m is tabled by the European heavyweights.

What is the best outcome?

Coutinho is Liverpool’s best player and talisman, so the club should do everything that they can to keep hold of his signature.

The Reds are in a strong position given that the 25-year-old penned a new deal just six months ago, so there is no need for them to sell.

However, if Coutinho has his heart set on a move to the Camp Nou, then the best that Liverpool can do is squeeze as much money as they can out of his suitor.

What the Reds must avoid, though, is letting the saga drag on until the dying minutes of the window.

They need to make it clear that there is no negotiating when it comes to a fee, and given that Coutinho has publicly spoken of his joy at being a Liverpool player, he may be willing to wait until next summer.

According to the Shields Gazette, Stoke City’s Joselu is closing on a move to Newcastle United as head coach Rafael Benitez looks to boost his forward options.

Newcastle have been linked with Joselu since the start of the month, and it is now being reported that the two Premier League clubs have come to an agreement.

The 27-year-old scored four Premier League goals for Stoke during the 2015-16 season, but spent last term on loan at Deportivo La Coruna – managing six goals in 24 appearances for the Spanish outfit.

It is understood that the forward is not in the plans of Stoke boss Mark Hughes this season, but Benitez sees his fellow Spaniard as a good option in the Premier League.

Newcastle suffered a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League opener on Sunday, and it would be fair to say that the Magpies lacked a cutting edge in the final third of the field.

Joselu has experience of playing at this level of football, although the Newcastle supporters are not overly impressed with their club’s latest piece of reported transfer activity.

Leeds United will look to maintain their unbeaten start in the Championship when they host Burton Albion at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites are looking to recover from the disappointment of missing out on the play-offs last season despite spending the majority of the campaign in the top six, and they have certainly started well under new manager Thomas Christiansen.

They have a 100% record on the road having beaten Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest last time out – conceding just twice in the process – while they have played out goalless draws at home to Preston North End and Fulham.

Although the sale of last season’s top goalscorer Chris Wood to Burnley last month was a blow, the Yorkshire outfit have been busy in the transfer market and fans may well feel their squad is stronger overall than it was this time last year.

However, it certainly won’t be an easy task to pick up three points against Nigel Clough’s men, who have recovered well in recent weeks to a poor start to the campaign.

Here are three reasons Leeds will fail to beat Burton on Saturday…

Elland Road form

The goalless draws against Preston and Fulham this season extended Leeds’ winless run at Elland Road in the Championship to four matches stretching back to the end of last term, and it may well be an early cause for concern for manager Thomas Christiansen.

If they keep up their magnificent form on the road then it won’t be a problem, but the Spanish boss will want to start getting some goals and putting on some positive attacking performances for the passionate home faithful sooner rather than later.

While hosting Burton may look like the perfect opportunity to do that on paper, there is no easy game in the Championship.

Breaking down defences at home

So far it seems that Leeds’ playing style means that they are more effective away from home when their hosts will come out and attack them, with the Yorkshire outfit struggling to find the gaps in defence to break down both Preston and Fulham at Elland Road this season.

The former even had 10 men for the final 30 minutes but the Whites still couldn’t find a breakthrough, despite having a total of 12 efforts on goal, and they must be more incisive in the future.

Burton will probably look at this fixture as one they would love to get a point from, and Leeds will need to find a way past a side that is likely to put the majority of their players behind the ball in order to keep things thight.

Burton are improving

The Brewers looked to be in big trouble this season following three successive defeats at the start of the campaign, but they have bounced back well by picking up four points against two sides – Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday – that will be expecting to be involved in the promotion race.

Nigel Clough’s men are clearly improving and would have taken great confidence in those results, and they will have an extra spring in their step as they look to cause another upset against Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday.

Do you agree, Leeds fans? Let us know below.

Newcastle United will be looking to pick up their third successive Premier League win when they play hosts to Stoke City at St James’ Park on Saturday.

The Magpies recovered from consecutive defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and fellow newly-promoted side Huddersfield Town at the beginning of the campaign by beating West Ham United 3-0 and Swansea City 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium, and they will also be hoping to keep another clean sheet for the visit of the Potters.

Jamaal Lascelles scored the winning goal in south Wales for Rafa Benitez’s side last time out, and the team will certainly be in confident mood, believing that they can record another positive result against Mark Hughes’ men.

It won’t be an easy task though, with this weekend’s visitors reacting to a narrow opening day loss against Everton at Goodison Park with three impressive top flight results.

Here are three reasons Newcastle’s winning run will come to an end against Stoke…

They still aren’t the finished article

While some Newcastle fans may be getting a little excited following the wins against West Ham United and Swansea City in their last two fixtures, it is still clear to see that while the Magpies are improving, they are far from the finished article.

Those supporters must remember that the Irons were low on confidence and put in another dire display on the road, while the Swans have failed to score in three of their opening four Premier League fixtures.

That isn’t taking anything away from Rafa Benitez’s side – who have bounced back well following a disappointing start to the campaign – but they can’t afford to let any sort of complacency creep into their game, starting against Stoke on Saturday.

Three consecutive wins

Newcastle don’t often win three Premier League matches in a row, and in fact the last time they did it was way back in November 2014.

On that occasion, they actually won five on the bounce with the victories coming against Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion and Queens Park Rangers, while they failed to repeat the feat in the season they were relegated.

For those of you thinking that it is a bit of a harsh stat considering the Magpies were in the Championship last term, the last time the Toon Army won three consecutive games before that brilliant run of form was 12 months earlier in November 2013.

Of course records are there to be broken, but history certainly isn’t on Rafa Benitez’s side as they look to pick up another three points against Stoke at St James’ Park this weekend.

Stoke are a tough nut to crack

While the Potters started the season by losing 1-0 to Everton at Goodison Park in what was an even game, they have bounced back brilliantly since and are a tough team to beat.

Mark Hughes’ men recorded a fine win by the same scoreline against Arsenal with new boy Jese Rodriguez scoring the winning goal, before they picked up a creditable 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.

They showed just what a threat they can be last time out too, as they held Manchester United to a 2-2 draw despite the fact Jose Mourinho’s men visited the Potteries with a 100% record and having failed to concede a goal in their opening three Premier League fixtures.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.

As reported by Italian outlet CalcioMercato, Tottenham Hotspur are one of several clubs interested in the signature of Napoli forward Arkadiusz Milik.

What’s the story?

Harry Kane is of course irreplaceable in Mauricio Pochettino’s squad and has started this season again in blistering form, netting another double this weekend away to West Ham United.

However, alternative options are always appealing to fans, especially when they know their team will be competing on multiple fronts at home and abroad across a long season.

One man who could give Pochettino’s squad a boost is Napoli striker Arkdiusz Milik, according to CalcioMercato. The 23-year-old Poland international has found himself playing second fiddle to the likes of Dries Mertens at his current club, alerting potential suitors to his availibility.

Teams like Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund are interested, alongside Spurs themselves, says the report.

What does he offer Spurs?

Despite not quite being able to make himself first choice for the Serie A outfit, he has shown an ability to be a prolific goalscorer at previous clubs. At Ajax he scored 47 goals in 75 appearances, making his name as one of the top players in Eredivisie before his move to Napoli.

He hasn’t completely flopped at the Italian club either, scoring 10 goals in 28 appearances, including a recent effort away to Shakthar Donetsk.

With a tall frame and the ability to link up with teammates around him, he’s less of a born finisher than Harry Kane, but that different option and style of play may not be the worst thing in the world when plan A goes wrong for Spurs, who have had a over-reliance on the English international.

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Leeds United are considering making a move for Osasuna midfielder Fran Merida, who like recent addition Samu Saiz is playing in the second tier of Spanish football, after sending scouts to watch the former Arsenal man in action.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Leeds United may be top of the Championship table on goal difference going into Tuesday night’s fixtures following an impressive start to the campaign, but it hasn’t stopped Thomas Christiansen looking at players that could potentially improve his squad during the January transfer window and beyond.

The Daily Mail says that scouts from the Yorkshire outfit have been trailing the 27-year-old, who is in his second season with Osasuna following their relegation from La Liga last term, with a view to making a move for the Spaniard.

Merida has certainly had an interesting career having been on the books of Barcelona, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid during his career, but he has failed to settle down at any of those or Braga, Hercules, Atletico Paranaense and Huesca prior to joining Osasuna.

How has he done for them?

Ok, but not brilliant.

Merida, who usually operates as a central or defensive midfielder has made 25 appearances in all competitions since joining Osasuna in the summer of 2016, and he sometimes struggled to make the matchday squad on occasions in La Liga last term.

In 15 outings in the Spanish top flight, he did show his ability with the ball at his feet by successfully completing 12 of the 17 take-ons he attempted in what was a disappointing personal campaign for him and the club.

Would he be a good signing for Leeds?

It’s difficult to say.

Saiz has already made a huge impression at Elland Road and while Merida may have struggled to have a huge impact at Osasuna, there is no reason why he couldn’t with Leeds.

Of course he already has some experience of English football too from his time with Arsenal, and that would stand him in good stead if he did join the Championship outfit during the January transfer window or elsewhere in the future.

That said, the Yorkshire outfit look to be well stocked in the middle of the park right now with Kalvin Phillips, Eunan O’Kane, Ronaldo Vieira and Mateusz Klich, and they also have to start thinking about players that could make the jump up to the Premier League because of their promising start.

It’s hard to believe that Merida is good enough to do that, though.

Many people were sceptical about about Pedro Caixinha’s summer transfer policy. He signed eleven players and let another eleven leave the club, raising questions of whether he was doing too much, too soon. So far though you’d have to say that the signs are positive with the majority of his signings fitting into the first team well.

Not all of them have been smash hits of course, both Eduardo Herrera and Dalcio have done little in a Light Blues shirt so far and Carlos Pena still has plenty to prove despite his double against St Johnstone on Friday night.

For the most part, Rangers appear to have recruited very well and along with an up turn in their league form, have a great chance of reaching a national cup final this weekend when they face Motherwell, something they didn’t manage last season.

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Perhaps the most impressive of all the summer arrivals has been Alfredo Morelos, a little known striker from Colombian who didn’t garner too much excitement when he joined in June. With Rangers making headlines signing up established talent like Bruno Alves and Graham Dorrans, it was easy to gloss over his signing before he started getting regular appearances.

Since then, he’s battered in an impressive eight goals in 11 appearances in the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup, which has created a bit of hype about what he can go onto achieve this season. His form has even alerted clubs from the English Championship with Aston Villa reported to have sent scouts to tracks his progress last Friday night, with Rangers expecting bids in the January transfer window.

It’s vitally important though that Rangers resist the temptation to cash in on the 21-year-old and retain his talent, or risk seeing any potential progress this season disappear without trace.

On the rise

The truth is that Alfredo Morelos’ impact on the Rangers team was predictable given his career so far. He’s a young player with significant potential who, after taking the brave step to move from South America to Europe via an non-traditional route, is now on the rise.

He took the unusual step of leaving Colombia for Finland in 2016, joining HJK Helsinki. It’s common for South American players to leave their homes to make a name for themselves in European football, but you usually see them head to Spain or Portugal where the culture and language is closer to home. It’s far less common to see them end up in Scandinavia, but it was a decision that has paid off.

He made an instant impression in Finland, scoring 30 goals in 2016 in all competitions including four in UEFA competition. Proving it wasn’t a fluke, he went on to up his strike rate in 2017, starting the new Finnish season by scoring an incredible 16 goals in just 19 appearances. It was this form that generated the interest from abroad and Rangers wasted no time in securing his signature halfway through Helsinki’s summer season.

His tally combined over the last 18 months then is 54 goals in 75 appearances, a scoring rate that any striker would be envious of, at any level. With another 13 assists in that time, all for Helsinki, it’s clear he’s a player that thrives on seeing the ball hit the back of the net.

If Rangers do receive bids for him in January, then cashing in and giving up that kind of strike rate so soon into his Ibrox career would be criminal.

A winning contribution

Pedro Caixinha has been tasked with taking Rangers to the top of Scottish football, at the expense of the talented Aberdeen and the dominating Celtic. There have been missteps along the way, most notably against Progress Niederkorn, but you’d back Rangers to finish with more points and compete better this season than they did last season. As noted, there’s even the significant chance of reaching a cup final by the turn of the year, which would be a huge boost to Caixinha’s credibility.

If they’re to do this, they simply need Morelos in the team. Even selling him next summer seems foolish, if he can keep up his current form. Selling him mid-season though could deliver a critical blow to any ambitions they have short-term and long-term.

Rangers aren’t exactly blessed with excellent striking alternatives with Eduardo Herrera making just one start since joining the club and Kenny Miller both out of form and out of favour with manager Pedro Caixinha.

Morelos’ contribution is a winning one and while selling him in the future may end up an inevitable outcome if he continues his quick rise, it’s simply too soon to entertain the notion.

Michy Batshuayi was the hero for Chelsea on Saturday as they came from behind at Stamford Bridge to beat Watford in the English Premier League.

Trailing 2-1 well into the second half, Antonio Conte made the bold decision to substitute summer signing Alvaro Morata off the pitch and bring on Batshuayi, who had struggled for form in their last match against Crystal Palace.

The challenge was to show he can be a first team regular at the Blues and the youngster responded with the equalising goal, before finishing off an injury time effort to round off the 4-2 result. It was an exceptional contribution at a critical time for Chelsea, who had lost their previous two league games.

Batshuayi has now scored seven goals in 10 appearances for Conte’s side this season, although many of those appearances have been from off the bench, making him one of the more prolific strikers in the country so far this term.

Has he played his way into a starting position next time out?

Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…

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