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Manchester United are in danger of missing out on Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho this summer. 

Man United missed Dortmund’s deadline to sort out a deal by August 10 and the 11-cap England international has rejoined his Bundesliga teammates for their pre-season training camp in Switzerland.

The Red Devils haven’t give up hope of signing Sancho just yet, but Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has dealt Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a bitter blow.

He recently told reporters “we plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season, the decision is final. I think that answers all our questions.”

Now, The Manchester Evening News claims United could turn their attention to Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz instead.

Chelsea have emerged as top contenders to sign the 7-cap German international but United could still hijack the Blues’ bid for him in the summer.

Frank Lampard’s side are reportedly leading the race to sign the £90m-rated attacking midfielder, although it looks like the Red Devils are ready to challenge their Premier League rivals.

However, Solskjaer has insisted that Sancho is his top target, having chased the right winger for some time already.

While Havertz would be a cheaper alternative to the 20-year-old, he will not come cheaply either.

As far as Chelsea are concerned, Leverkusen’s top scorer remains their primary focus before the start of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

Ed Woodward is known for many things but acting quickly is not one of them. The executive vice-chairman missed out on signing Cesc Fabregas and ended up paying over the odds for United flop Marouane Fellaini instead.

Dortmund are notorious for driving a hard bargain and are unwilling to sell Sancho for anything less than £108m in the summer. They famously sold Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona for £135m after rejecting a bid from Barca at the beginning of August 2017.

Both clubs are locked in negotiations but appear to be at loggerheads, while fans will have to wait and see how this poker game will play out, as the game is almost certainly afoot. The bottom line is if United want to sign Sancho then Woodward will have to break the bank.

United fans, will Woodward sign Sancho this summer? Let us know down below!

A reported date has been set for the English Football League’s potential salary cap as per comments made by Portsmouth chief executive officer Mark Catlin.

Pompey missed out on promotion from League One to the Championship via the play-offs this term, being beaten by Oxford United in the semi-finals.

That disappointment is now expected to see boss Kenny Jackett make wholesale changes during the summer transfer window and look to bolster his squad.

However, the potential of a salary cap of £2.5m per season could restrict many moves and Catlin has now revealed a date that EFL clubs are set to vote on the matter.

Catlin told Portsmouth News: “I don’t think there is a certainty that the salary cap will go through.

“There seems to be an ever-growing number of clubs which may vote against it, but I think a lot of those may look at it and, given the financial situation, see it as the best of a bad job.

“It doesn’t tick everyone’s boxes, but, on the whole, it means clubs’ costs are going to be brought down.

“Unfortunately for us, they are going to be brought down to a level which is far too low for Pompey and too high for other clubs.
“I have been speaking to quite a few of the Championship clubs ahead knowing the relegation spaces, so they are up to speed with the situation and must now come to their own decisions.

“Obviously the three relegated Championship clubs all have their own internal issues at the moment financially, so we’ll have to see how they do this.

“I am pretty certain the vote will take place on August 6, so we will find out soon.”
Portsmouth are yet to sign anyone for the 2020/21 season, despite allowing the likes of Christian Burgess and Brandon Haunstrup leave.

Pompey’s whole summer transfer window could be decided by the potential salary cap and that could determine exactly how they will approach the new season.

With little transfer activity happening at the moment at the League One club, players like Burgess and Haunstrup will need to be replaced quickly and efficiently, but as mentioned, the calibre and quality of those potential replacements could be determined by the EFL vote.

It is fair to say that the outcome of the vote could have huge ramifications on Pompey’s 20/21 campaign.

Do you think the salary cap will be introduced? Let us know in the comments section below…

Manchester United are considering a cheaper alternative to Jadon Sancho, according to reports from Italy. 

The Red Devils have been linked to Sancho for a number of months and the winger has reportedly told Borussia Dortmund that he wants to return to England. However, despite reports suggesting that United are the front-runners to sign him, nothing has materialised as of yet.

The board have now apparently turned their attention to AS Roma star Cengiz Under in the event that they cannot sign Sancho in the upcoming window. Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Daily Express, claimed that Roma are looking to make a profit this summer.

Under, who has been capped 20 times by Turkey, has scored three goals in 15 appearances in Serie A this season, taking 1.7 shots per game, averaging 1.6 key passes and completing 1.9 dribbles per game on average (via WhoScored).

Corriere dello Sport claimed that United have spoken to former Tottenham director Franco Baldini, who was involved in Chris Smalling’s loan deal and has offered the attacking midfielder to several Premier League clubs.

The Giallorossi are now willing to sell the 22-year-old for around £26.8m, amid interest from Arsenal and Everton. Turkey’s former manager Mircea Lucescu once compared Under to Liverpool superstar and Roma alumnus Mohamed Salah.

Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out he has received a lower WhoScored rating than Sancho for his performances so far.

Failing to sign Sancho would be a bitter blow for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Indeed, the manager has made it clear that the England international is his top transfer priority, while he missed out on signing high-profile target Erling Braut Haaland last year.

Dortmund currently value their ace at a staggering £115m, which has made Ed Woodward reconsider his options. Although the Englishman remains at the top of the board’s agenda, they are now drafting a list of possible replacements if the Bundesliga club refuse to budge.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sign Cengiz Under over Jadon Sancho? Let us know in the comments below!

Leeds United’s promotion party is ready to begin.

The Whites are a Premier League side once again, and they’re going to cap off their season by lifting the Championship trophy.

Unfortunately, they will be without their star man for the conclusion of the season as it has been confirmed that Kalvin Phillips’ knee injury will keep him out of the remaining games.

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As heart-breaking as it is for the Leeds-born midfielder to potentially miss out on playing in the game prior to United lifting the title, it will allow another man to enjoy that moment, and he is more than deserving of it.

Indeed, playing without Phillips is nothing new for Marcelo Bielsa with the Yorkshire Pirlo missing a handful of games through suspension this term, and when he has been without the 24-year-old his go-to move has been to put Ben White into midfield and bring Gaetano Berardi into the fold.

The sun seems to be setting on Berardi’s Leeds career, his contract is up at the end of the season, and numerous reports throughout the campaign have suggested United aren’t going to be extending his deal.

Aside from academy graduates, nobody in this squad has been at the club for as long as the centre-back, and after sticking with the club for six years, it seems fitting that he’ll get to play out the final few games of United’s title-winning campaign.

The 31-year-old has been loyal to United, and while he hasn’t always been the most reliable player, setting the record for most red cards in the club’s history this season, he’s always played with his heart on his sleeve, and that has earnt him cult hero status amongst supporters.

Unfortunately, his final bow won’t be in front of a packed-out stadium with games going on behind closed doors, but it seems as though Phillips’ injury may open the door to him being able to end his Leeds career on the pitch celebrating the club’s greatest achievement in almost 20 years with his teammates.

Some Aston Villa fans have reacted to the latest claim linking the club with a summer move for Galatasaray defender Christian Luyindama.

Indeed, Turkish newspaper Sozcu (via Sport Witness) are reporting that the Villans are lining up a €15m (£13.5m) move for him, but only if they avoid relegation to the Championship.

The 26-year-old centre-back joined Turkish club Galatasaray in January 2019 on loan before completing a permanent move from Standard Liege last summer.

Despite his early impressions in the Super Lig, the DR Congo international has since found playing time hard to come by, making just 10 appearances during the 2019/2020 season thus far.

With interest now said to be developing from Villa for the defender, who can also operate as a defensive midfielder, the summer could prove to be an interesting one for the player.

Joining Villa with interest are said to be Premier League rivals Everton with Belgian news outlet Voetbalkrant reporting Carlo Ancelotti’s side have shown interest.

Villa currently sit 19th in the Premier League standings and are in desperate need to find a run of form when the 2019/2020 season resumes.

Reacting to the report via Twitter account @villareport, Claret and Blue fans gave their thoughts on the defender’s potential arrival. It seems opinion is split, some liked the fact that the club were planning for life in the Premier League, with one even suggesting they “sell Mings” – who has a WhoScored rating this term of just 6.63 – in favour of Luyindama.

However, others were less keen, with one suggesting they should “bring Tuanzebe home” instead – the Manchester United man enjoyed a positive 31-game loan spell at Villa Park last season.

Do you think Luyindama will be a good signing for Villa? Let us know in the comments section below…

Alex Bruce has said that Harry Kane should consider his future at Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to win trophies, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

Kane has been at Spurs since 2004, emerging through their academy and becoming one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

In 278 Premier League appearances for the club, Kane has managed 181 goals and 30 assists, while he has also scored 20 Champions League goals in just 24 appearances.

However, he is yet to win a trophy with the North London club and when asked what the future holds for Kane, Bruce said that it could be time for him to consider leaving the club.

“If I was Harry I’d be looking at it and thinking: ‘Where am I going to win trophies?’ and that’s the biggest question he’s going to have to face,” he told Football Insider.

“He’s not getting any younger, he wants to go and win a couple of things. Tottenham have got the infrastructure in place, with a great manager, great stadium, based in London, a great history. They just need to build a team now to go and compete with the elite clubs in Europe and obviously the likes of Liverpool and Man City.

“That will take time to get to that level. Has Harry Kane got that time to wait? We’ll have to wait and see what happens but if I was Harry, I’d be asking myself where am I going to win trophies because I’m not getting any younger.

“A player like Harry Kane’s ability, it would be a shame if he went through his career without really winning anything.”

Missed opportunity

With the transfer market likely to dramatically impacted by the global economic situation, Kane may have missed his chance to secure a big-money move away from Spurs.

Injuries have become an increasing source of frustration for the striker and it looks as his best goalscoring form is behind him.

Given the money Spurs are likely to demand for his departure, Kane will likely have to wait for any move and it could be a long period of time before it is possible.

Loads of Sheffield United supporters reacted to a tweet from the club’s official Twitter account sharing a clip of John Fleck’s son demonstrating an unbelievable first touch. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic, many football clubs have resorted to keeping their fans entertained with an array of hilarious clips and iconic montages, and the Blades posted a video of the midfielder’s child practising his skills in the back garden.

After arriving at Bramall Lane from Coventry City on a free transfer in July 2016, Fleck has helped Chris Wilder’s side spring from the lower regions of League One all the way to the upper echelons of the Premier League, scoring 5 goals and providing 2 assists in 25 appearances in the English top fight this season. The 28-year-old has won 2 caps for the Scottish national team so far and he is currently valued at £5.85m via Transfermarkt.

Unsurprisingly, loads of SUFC fans replied to the club’s post, with many urging the board to “sign him up” and offer him a contract, with one fan pleading with Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad to “sign him up.”

Take a look at the rest of the reactions down below…

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Blades discussion going on in the Vital Blades Forum! Click here to get involved!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by the club’s official website, Nicky Butt has delivered his verdict on Manchester United starlet James Garner.

What did he say?

The 18-year-old has made just the three appearances for the senior side this season, with only eight minutes of Premier League football to his name. He has however been in fine form at Premier League 2 level with the U23s, scoring five goals in five games.

Despite seeing him predominantly feature on the fringes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team squad, Butt hailed the teenager’s mentality, and insisted that being patient now will reward him handsomely in the future.

He said: “Jimmy Garner is a good player. He’s very mature for his age, so he can handle all the hype and all that comes with playing in the first team. He’s scored some good goals in the Under-23s and the EFL Trophy, so he’s developing that bit.

“He’s just got to be patient because he’s a very good player who will hopefully have a long career at Manchester United. There’s no rush with him. He’s still growing, still got to build himself up in the gym and naturally grow.”

Patience

It’s the one thing all young players desperately need. Being thrown in at the deep end can be a dangerous approach for those who are trying to break through into the first-team, and it’s very much a toss-up between who sinks and who swims.

In Garner, United have a central midfielder who has shown he has an eye for goal this season in his time with the academy sides. And with the future of Paul Pogba still seemingly uncertain, the Red Devils starlet will surely be getting ample first-team opportunities in the near future. Butt’s profile of the teenager makes for good reading for the club, with mentality often being the difference in making it to the very top of the game.

That maturity of being able to handle all the pressure and the limelight that comes with playing for one of the biggest sides in the world will hold Garner in great stead. And that is exactly why Butt’s verdict on him should be encouraging for those of a United persuasion.

Liverpool are flying high at the top of the Premier League table, and beating Manchester City 3-1 on Sunday clearly left star left-back Andrew Robertson in a positive mood.The Scot took to Twitter shortly after helping Jurgen Klopp’s side pull off a huge win against their title rival to tease one of his teammates, Roberto Firmino, and remind everyone of the dangers of the Brazilian’s flying kick celebration.Firmino had shown off his trademark celebration in response to the action unfolding on Merseyside, as defeating the Sky Blues put a nine-point gap between Liverpool and the reigning champions.

Manchester City now find themselves behind Leicester and Chelsea after goals from Fabinho, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane dealt more damage to Pep Guardiola and his side’s title defence.

A photo of Firmino celebrating Mane’s goal perfectly captured the £72million-rated Brazilian in mid-flight as he flew towards Robertson and the jubilant Senegal winger, which led the Scot to tweet: ‘Never celebrate with Bobby.’

Here’s a look at the full-back’s post…

Arsenal were unable to hold onto their 1-0 lead against Wolves last Saturday as a Raul Jimenez strike denied Unai Emery’s side from earning a vital victory.

However, the club’s decision to highlight a save made by keeper Bernd Leno has led to criticism given the disappointing scoreline.

The Gunners’ shot-stopper kept Matt Doherty at bay with a one-handed save to keep Arsenal in the game.

Although given the current predicament at the club and the increasing calls Emery to depart The Emirates, a social media post highlighting the German keeper’s impressive save has seemingly intensified the ill-feeling from a number of the club’s fanbase towards their manager and the club. 

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With Arsenal sitting fifth in the league table, having won just four of their first 11 league games, domestic results have not been at a satisfactory standard for the club so far in 2019/20.

The Daily Mirror report that Emery has just one month left to save his job – but for these fans that may be too long with this social media post leading to a wave of criticism towards the club.

Here are some of the best reactions following Arsenal’s tweet regarding Leno’s save against Wolves.