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After joining AC Milan on loan at the beginning of the 2020/21 season, not many Man United fans would probably have expected right-back Diogo Dalot to have enjoyed such a profitable campaign.

The young Portuguese defender has enjoyed an excellent season at the San Siro, racking up 24 appearances in all competitions for the Italian giants.

In that time, he has played a role in seven separate clean sheets, as well as getting himself on the scoresheet twice and providing a further two assists.

It is form that has seen Milan express an interest in signing him permanently, with The Metro reporting that they have submitted an informal offer of £12m.

Whilst it could be tempting for Ed Woodward to sell considering that Dalot is only valued at £9m at the current time, the club should do everything they can to keep hold of him once he returns from his spell in Italy.

Whilst Aaron Wan-Bissaka has consistently been the Red Devils’ starting right-back, United could find themselves in a precarious position should the former Crystal Palace man sustain an injury.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=” Latest Man United transfer rumours and news!”]

Other than him, there is no other natural right-back in the squad at Old Trafford, meaning Dalot could certainly have a vital role to play upon his return.

Meanwhile, whilst the club are blessed with a number of talented left-backs in the form of Luke Shaw, Alex Telles and Brandon Williams, the Portuguese can also deputise on the left-side, again seeing him become an excellent option for squad depth.

At just the age of 22, Dalot also has plenty of time to improve, so he could become even better than his spell in Milan suggests he currently is.

Even United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has laid out his intentions for the right-back to return to Old Trafford, stating he was “looking forward” to reintroducing Dalot to the squad following the Red Devils’ recent clash with AC Milan in the UEFA Europa League.

He will be hugely disappointed then to see Dalot allowed to depart on a permanent basis following his temporary exit and excellent season with Milan.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Luke Shaw’s fantastic England return…

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Sheffield United should stick with Chris Wilder despite their expected relegation.

The Blades have improved since the turn of the year, winning four of their previous 11 Premier League matches, stark contrast from failing to taste victory in their opening 17 fixtures.

But the Bramall Lane outfit are still 12 points from safety with 10 left to play, and would therefore need an astonishing end to the campaign in order to retain their Premier League status.

Wilder has taken Sheffield United from midtable in League One to on the cusp of European football in the space of four seasons, but might now be tasked with taking his boyhood club back up next season.

And Windass thinks that the Blades hierarchy shouldn’t consider sacking him should they get relegated.

He told Football FanCast:

“One million percent you have got to keep him, he’s got Sheffield United in his blood. It’s been a case of second season syndrome as I call it. You’ve got to keep him, he’ll be planning for next season.

“But for sure he’s the right man for the job. You have got to keep him, like Norwich kept Daniel Farke and they’re top of the league and look like they’re going back up.”

It’s impossible to disagree with Windass here. Wilder has done an exceptional job to get Sheffield United into the Premier League, let alone keep them there and push for Europe, so he at least deserves the chance to turn things around.

Aston Villa chief executive Christian Purslow is spearheading a permanent move for on-loan midfielder Ross Barkley, despite Dean Smith not being keen on a deal.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claim that Purslow “likes the profile” of the Chelsea man, with Villa forking out £11m to bring the 27-year-old to the Midlands for the 2020/21 campaign.

Smith not so sure on Barkley?

Barkley has fallen out of favour under manager Smith in recent weeks, despite the absence of star man Jack Grealish.

He hasn’t started any of Villa’s last four Premier League games, with Football Insider claiming Smith is yet to be convinced that Barkley is worth the £35m fee that will be required to land him permanently this summer.

Bizarre

This seems rather bizarre – with Smith seemingly not so keen on keeping hold of Barkley at this moment in time, we feel that Purslow should be holding off for now regarding a possible club-record deal.

Purslow feels it would send out a big message to the English game if Villa were to sign Barkley permanently at the end of the season.

However, with Smith not even playing Barkley, especially with his star creative outlet injured, surely a whopping £35m deal doesn’t make sense.

In other news: Several Villa supporters have been reacting to target’s boyhood Villa fan comments, find out more here. 

Writing on Twitter, reliable journalist David Ornstein of the Athletic has dropped an encouraging six-word West Ham transfer claim in a social media message – going on to say that, while the pursuit for Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri looks all but over, GSB haven’t given up in their quest sign a striker before deadline day.

Hammers boss David Moyes recently confirmed that the club have made numerous enquires for forwards in attempts to get a deal over the line as soon as possible (football.london), but so far, West Ham have had little luck.

Ornstein’s encouraging West Ham claim

Ornstein, dropping an update on social media, has shared words of encouragement for Irons in a message on Twitter – revealing, despite the setbacks, they still ‘aim to sign a striker pre-deadline’.

Numerous reports have cropped up in the past few days alone, with Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard now an option (The Daily Star), as well as GSB allegedly being offered the chance to sign former Premier League striker Edin Dzeko (Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness) and Ornstein reports that the club are still keen to bring in a new forward.

Transfer Tavern take

Until Moyes manages to land a new addition, speculation will continue to arise over who could walk through the doors in east London – but it appears that West Ham have no shortage of attacking candidates.

Ornstein’s message indicates that the chase is still very much on, and Irons supporters will be hoping for a meaningful update very soon in regards to finally signing a striker.

In other news: West Ham fans loved this update from ExWHUemployee, find out more here.

Many Aston Villa fans are over the moon after seeing an image of striker Wesley looking like he is back to full training with the squad.

It was the club who posted the image of the striker on Twitter, supported with the caption ‘Wesley has got that #FridayFeeling!’

Villa have been hopeful that he will return early in 2021 as there is currently a lot of pressure on the shoulders of Ollie Watkins. Fellow striker Keinan Davis has not scored a goal in the top flight and Watkins, at times, has been the only recognised striker currently available for selection.

It has been sad to see the sheer length of time the Brazilian has been out. He has been injured for over a year now and this has meant the player has already missed no less than 49 games (Transfermarkt). Hopefully this image means that the player will be close to a return, and he will add some great depth to the Villa squad and could be a vital asset in making sure the club finish in the top ten this season.

Here is how Villa fans reacted to the news:

“Finally, Wesley back! so good to see again!”

Credit: @HonVictorLeo1

“Can’t wait to see him back on the pitch. Beast! He was starting to look like the real deal when he got injured.”

Credit: @drumonline

“Go on Wes!”

Credit: @DL1992_

“WESSSS”

Credit: @LukeKing_

“Great to see him back.”

Credit: @chrisincov2

“Wow”

Credit: @JoeAVFC

In other news, Villa fans reacted to the latest injury update provided by Gregg Evans!

Glasgow Rangers inflicted the second Old Firm derby blow of the season to move 19 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership as ten-man Celtic were left to rue their missed chances.

Ianis Hagi, making his 26th appearance of the season, has made himself virtually undroppable after his heroics in the second half.

Celtic were the better side for the most part, but now sit far behind their arch-rivals as the title race starts to look like it is all but over.

Steven Gerrard’s side had made their best start to a domestic campaign since 1928 but started the derby game on the back foot. However, everything changed after Hagi replaced Kemar Roofe at half-time, with the Ibrox boss later confirming that Roofe had suffered a knock.

Undroppable

Hagi, 22, started on the bench but his performances over the past couple of weeks have surely made him impossible to drop for Steven Gerrard.

Roofe’s versatility has proven to be an added bonus – since his arrival in the summer, the 27-year-old has made 12 starts out of his 21 appearances across all competitions on the right-wing. There’s no doubt his absence will be a bitter blow for the Ibrox boss, who already faces the prospect of travelling to Premiership rivals Aberdeen without Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack.

On the right, Hagi has looked pretty comfortable on almost every occasion he’s played, slotting into place alongside the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Jermain Defoe and Cedric Itten over the course of the campaign.

There are some similarities between the two players, with both having a penchant for scoring sensational screamers. But there are also some obvious major differences, with the Romania international demonstrating an ability to dictate play and bring others into the game.

He’s already provided ten assists in all competitions this season, ten more than Roofe so far, and has excelled in the Europa League.

Hagi has scored one goal in four games, while he is averaging two shots per game in comparison to the Jamaican’s 2.3. He has also made more key passes per game – 1.7 to 0.7 – while he’s also produced 31 passes on average.

Once hailed as an “outstanding” player by the Ibrox boss, the Romanian has provided seven goals and 12 assists in 39 appearances for the Gers, via Transfermarkt.

Should Roofe be ruled out for an extended period of time, Hagi has shown that he is more than capable of filling his boots.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers dealt huge injury blow after Old Firm clash with Celtic…

For a considerable period of time it looked as though Wolves would fail to bring a striker to Molineux.However, that changed on Wednesday afternoon after news emerged from Spain.

What’s the word?

According to news from Ser Deportivos, relayed by journalist Tim Spiers, Wolves are on the verge of signing Willian Jose from Real Sociedad.

He claims that Wolves have acted quickly after losing their last two games and are now trying to bring the 29-year-old to Molineux on loan.

The deal is set to include an option to buy the striker in the summer but according to Fabrizio Romano, there are still terms to be agreed.

He reveals that the loan fee and option to buy price is to be negotiated over the coming days.

Perfect Jimenez replacement

If you could cherry-pick the best Raul Jimenez replacements from around Europe then it is incredibly likely that Jose would appear high up on the list.

Jimenez, of course, has been missing for a while now after sustaining a fractured skull against Arsenal and since he’s been absent, the club have won just two of their last ten games.

Signing a new forward, especially one who matches the qualities of Jimenez, was absolutely imperative.

Jose is a natural goal scorer and he proved as much just hours after being linked with Wolves on Wednesday. The Brazilian netted two goals in a 2-0 victory over Cordoba in the Copa del Rey, one of which included a lovely crisp strike from the edge of the area.

Spiers describes Jose as a “Giroud-type striker†and it’s clear to see why based on the stats, a set of numbers that make him comparable to Jimenez.

For starters, there is just an inch in height between them, while they win a similar number of aerial duels per game. Wolves’ Mexican sensation has won 1.5 aerial battles a match in the Premier League this term compared to Jose’s tally of 1.1.

Though, he brings further elements of power according to Terry Gibson who said the following a few years ago: “WillianÂJose is the type of striker who could flourish in the Premier League. He’s been linked with Premier League clubs in the past. He’s physical, very fast, is improving season-by-season and is now an accomplished centre forward.”

When signing a striker, supporters will often look towards their goal record and they needn’t fear about the Sociedad forward’s record in that regard.

He has scored 62 in 170 for the Spanish club – six of which have come in 2020/21. It’s not the most eye-catching number this term, but the £34k-per-week earner is a very capable and physical striker.

AND in other news, Time’s up: Wolves must wield the axe on £62.9k-p/w flop, he’s ransacked Shi’s pockets…

Peter Lawwell would be living in a dreamland if the Celtic CEO were to bring Henrik Larsson back to Parkhead to replace Neil Lennon.

What’s the word?

According to the Glasgow Times, Larsson is among the candidates in the running to replace Lennon should Lawwell and majority owner Dermot Desmond call time on the Irishman’s Lennoxtown tenure.

The Hoops sit a mammoth 13 points behind Old Firm rivals Rangers in the Premiership standings as their drab run of results continued with a 1-1 draw at home to St. Johnstone on Sunday, dealing further damage to any lingering hopes of claiming their tenth title in a row.

Lennon was given fresh assurances that his position is secure on Sunday night, despite now boasting just two wins in Celtic’s last 12 games across all competitions, having begged the board for more time after fans again descended on Parkhead to let make sure their voices could be heard.

Desmond also spoke with Lennon last week and vowed the under-pressure gaffer will be given the chance to save Celtic’s season before further crunch talks were held on Sunday.

But managers are being touted left, right and centre to eventually replace Lennon if he cannot stop the rot, with Larsson among those should Lawwell be able to lure the Hoops hero away from FC Barcelona.

Larsson is currently Ronald Koeman’s right-hand man at the Camp Nou following his own ill-fated managerial spells in his native Sweden with Landskrona Bols, Falkenbergs FF and Helsingborgs IF over the years.

Heading for disaster

While Larsson returning to Parkhead – the scene of four Premiership triumphs for the former Barcelona, Manchester United and Celtic striker – would be a romantic notion for supporters to clutch to at a time of crisis, Lawwell would be setting the Hoops up for further disaster by appointing the 49-year-old.

Larsson has not held a managerial role since his second spell in charge of Helsingborgs came to a swift end in August 2019, just two months into his tenure, after guiding the club to a mere two wins in nine games that saw the Olympia natives keep only two clean sheets.

Koeman’s number two did not enjoy even a modicum of success during his first spell with Helsingborgs between 2015 and 2017, either, having been in charge as Di Roe were relegated from the Allsvenskan.

Lawwell appointing Larsson to take charge of Celtic would only serve to see the Hoops’ CEO throw a club legend onto the fire, let alone offer him a baptism of fire, in a similar way to Alan Shearer’s time in charge at Newcastle United in 2009 when his eight-game reign failed to prevent relegation from the Premier League.

Filippo Inzaghi flopped in charge of AC Milan, too, with the Rossoneri’s iconic striker winning just 14 of his 40 games in charge on route to a 10th-placed Serie A finish – their worst in 17 years – and he now resides with Benevento Calcio in the second-tier of Italian football.

A similar future would likely be on the cards for Larsson if he were to return to Parkhead this winter, so if he has any sense at all, he would reject the chance of a Lennoxtown homecoming if Lawwell is naïve enough to offer one.

AND in other news, Peter Lawwell can invoke shades of Scott Sinclair by signing a “phenomenal” £20m wonder for Celtic.

Tottenham Hotspur suffered their first defeat in the Premier League since the opening day as they relinquished their place at the top of the table.

Jose Mourinho’s side were beaten by defending champions Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday evening after Roberto Firmino headed home the match-winner in injury time.

Heung-min Son had cancelled out Mo Salah’s deflected opening strike all before half-time, but Spurs attackers Harry Kane and Steven Bergwijn squandered at least four chances between them whilst the game was still all-square.

The Reds have now gone three points clear of the north Londoners going into the weekend’s fixtures.

Whilst Mourinho will undoubtedly be fuming with his side’s inability to convert chances on the night, he could well be even more embarrassed by the display from Ben Davies at left-back.

It was a mighty call to start the Welshman over usual first-choice Sergio Reguilon, one that we also backed prior to kick-off but it evidently didn’t pay off whatsoever.

The £18m-rated full-back was abysmal with the ball at his feet, making just 32% of his 19 passing attempts whilst also losing possession 14 times and failing to record a single accurate cross or long ball (seven attempts), via SofaScore.

Davies did do his defensive duties somewhat, managing four clearances, two interceptions and one tackle, though he hardly offered Son much respite in the attack, something that perhaps the snubbed Spaniard would’ve done.

The Express graded the 27-year-old a disappointing five out of ten in their post-match ratings, and summed up his performance by saying: “Much like Aurier on the other side, was restricted by the amount of attacking fervour on display from the home side.”

With Leicester City on Sunday, Mourinho may need to think again before selecting the £65k-per-week calamity – the Foxes will be looking to bounce back themselves having lost at home to Everton last night too.

AND in other news, Worse than Bergwijn: £108m-rated Spurs star who won only 33% duels cost Mourinho badly…

There is a lot of change going on within the academy at Crystal Palace after the club were recently granted category one status.

The club are building a new facility for the youngsters and hope to build a future revolved around their academy. However, the latest news suggests that one of the coaches within the development setup could be leaving.

According to Football Insider, and tweeted out by @cpfc_xtra, Crystal Palace development coach Shaun Derry is in contention to become the new Mansfield Town manager.

The former Crystal Palace captain only joined the club as Professional Development Coach within the club’s Academy in September 2019. However, a possible move to the League Two side makes sense as it would be a route for Derry to get back into management.

He currently has a key role with the Eagles as he helps older age-group players ease player progression from development to senior football.

Therefore if he does leave, the South London side should look to find a replacement as soon as possible as player progression from the academy is very important. You can also find some great talents, which Palace have done in the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tyrick Mitchell.

Here is how Palace fans are reacting to this news:

In other Palace news, one senior player shone for the U23’s recently. Have a read who it was here!