Manchester United are very, very interested in Barcelona centre-back Samuel Umtiti as a backup to Harry Maguire, according to Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness).

It is being reported by the French publication that the Old Trafford giants would be willing to put down a bid just short of the Catalan club’s valuation of the France international.

However, Manchester United aren’t the only club in the north-west interested in Umtiti, with rivals Manchester City also said to have made an enquiry for the 25-year-old.

The interest in Umtiti comes after a hold up in negotiations with Leicester City for Maguire, which is said to have the player feeling furious.

With the holdup in negotiations with Leicester City, having a contingency plan is beneficial for the club. It seems the former Olympique Lyonnais man forms part of a centre-back target list. Just last week the club were said to have made a bid for Benfica centre-half Ruben Dias, as well as having been linked with moves for West Ham United’s Issa Diop and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.

Given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer side’s poor defensive record last season, reinforcements are a must. However, the Frenchman comes with one big red flag and that is his recent injury history. In the last two seasons, Umtiti has missed 40 games, 28 last season and 12 in the 2017/2018 season.

While Manchester United definitely need reinforcements in defence, Umtiti is ultimately not the man for them. Maguire, Koulibaly, and Dias all have far better injury records and would provide less hassle than the 25-year-old in that sense.

As well as Umtiti’s injury record, he doesn’t fit the mould of what Solskjaer is seemingly attempting to build at the club: buying homegrown players. Someone like Maguire fits that mould and should be chased instead.

Manchester United fans, would Umtiti be a good alternative to Maguire? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

سجل حسين الشحات لاعب الأهلي هدف فريقه الأول أمام الدحيل، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما الآن في كأس العالم للأندية.

وتُقام الآن مباراة الأهلي والدحيل القطري في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، في المباراة المُقامة على ستاد المدينة التعليمية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موعد مباراة الأهلي وبايرن ميونخ القادمة في قبل نهائي كأس العالم للأندية

أحرز حسين الشحات هدف الأهلي الأول في الدقيقة 30 من زمن المباراة، عن طريق تمريرة من والتر بواليا، سددها الشحات على يمين صلاح زكريا حارس مرمى الدحيل. هدف الأهلي الأول أمام الدحيل عن طريق حسين الشحات

ويسعى الأهلي للفوز في مباراته أمام الدحيل اليوم، لمواجهة بايرن ميونخ الألماني في نصف نهائي مونديال الأندية، الذي تستضيفه قطر في الفترة الجارية.

[ad_pod ]This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…A good old fashioned pre-season friendly is always a good way for a young star to catch the manager’s eye, whilst the majority of the senior stars make their way back to action in drips and drabs after international commitments and what not.On that note, Everton youngster Joe Williams took his chance with both hands in the Toffees’ friendly against Kariobangi Sharks.On a day where Marco Silva’s side somewhat embarrassed themselves against the Kenyan Premier League side, Williams made sure he was noticed.Thogden challenged himself to DM 100 footballers on Instagram. Find out who replied in the video below…A humiliating moment saw the Merseysiders go a goal down, but Williams’ excellent low free-kick under the wall caught the keeper off guard as it nestled into the net.

You can see why some clubs have been lodging bids for the 22-year-old.

The 5 foot 10 midfielder has just 12 months remaining on his contract at Goodison Park, with unnamed Bundesliga sides and Championship outfits bidding for his services.

Silva was keen to take a look at Williams and wanted to take him on the pre-season training camp in Austria last summer, but a knee injury meant that the former captain of the Under-23s was sidelined instead.

Williams has been with Everton since the age of seven, and at the age of 22 you would feel that he is running out of time to impress. To add some context, Richarlison is also 22 years of age, and look where he’s at.

However, his excellent display in the 4-3 loss to Kariobangi Sharks on penalties should mean that he is a player to keep an eye on for Silva and for the Everton supporters.

He clearly has something about him given the amount of interest in his talents this summer.

Perhaps after seeing how Borussia Dortmund have made another young English star in Jadon Sancho a £90m-rated England international, the Toffees would be wise to stick a buy-back clause in any deal they agree to for Williams.

Just in case.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the signing of Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid, per AS.

What’s the word?

Football FanCast understands that Spurs are attempting to sign the Spain international on loan, with an option to buy him for £45m next summer.

And the AS report now claims that Ceballos is now edging towards a move to Spurs amid rival interest from AC Milan.

Indeed, Pochettino is said to have discussed a move with the midfielder, who is keen to play as many as 40 games next season.

The report claims that the Spurs boss has been “dazzled” by the talent of Ceballos, and believes he would have an important role in his team next season.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A win-win situation

If this becomes a loan deal, Ceballos and Spurs can both win.

He wants to play regularly and could do just that under Pochettino, particularly if he has been “dazzled” by him.

Spurs, also, wouldn’t have to pay a huge transfer fee for a player who has just won the European Under-21 Championships with Spain and was crowned the best player at the tournament in 2017.

Reports suggest that Zinedine Zidane is unconvinced by his ability to fit into his project at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Spurs have a prime opportunity to swoop.

They have already signed Tanguy Ndombele from Lyon in a major statement of intent, breaking their transfer record to do so; bringing in Ceballos should be their next priority.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Reports from The Sun have stated that Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce will be approached for the Newcastle United job after Rafa Benitez left the club.

The former Manchester United player is currently in charge of the Owls, and his departure could ruin their hopes for the upcoming campaign.

Bruce’s start

To understand how Bruce’s departure could derail the Steel City outfit’s season, you must first look at the impact the 58-year-old had when he arrived at Hillsborough.

The former Villa boss took charge of his first game with Owls in February and the results Wednesday picked up from his appointment to the end of the season had them in sixth place in the form table.

Ultimately, the Yorkshire club fell 10 points short of a play-off spot, but there were signs that they were ready to challenge for promotion under him.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

If he goes

It’s a very real possibility that Wednesday will be managerless in the coming days as Bruce looks increasingly likely to become the next Newcastle manager, with Sky Sports’ Keith Downie suggesting on Twitter that he is the Toon’s number one target.

Of course, the club’s first task if they lose their boss would be to replace him. Ideally, they would be able to get somebody better, but at this level, there may be no such manager.

Nobody has overseen more promotions to the Premier League than the 58-year-old, and he would be incredibly hard to replace.

Find out which stadiums fans have nominated for the worst atmosphere in football in the video below…

Wednesday’s squad isn’t good enough to flourish without the right man in charge as shown by their unremarkable league performances under Jos Luhukay previously.

Indeed, their squad is full of experienced Championship players such as Steven Fletcher and Barry Bannan and they are probably too good to go down, but if Bruce leaves they will more than likely be in for another season of mid-table mediocrity rather than a top six challenge.

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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…

Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has stated that Kemar Roofe is worth £10m rather than the £5m that Rangers want him for.

It was confirmed earlier in the week by Adam Pope that the striker’s move to Scotland has legs, and Whelan believes Leeds could lose their top scorer, but that they should hold out for a higher fee.

What’s been said then?

The 43-year-old has given his view on the rumours surrounding the 26-year-old.

Whelan told Football Insider: “Leeds are vulnerable to losing Kemar.

“They are not in a good position and they are there because they failed to give him a new contract last season, when they should have.

“You cannot allow your top goalscorer to come to the final year of his contract. It’s not the way to go about keeping players. Now we could lose one of our best players because the club haven’t done their job right.

“I’ve read Rangers want to get Kemar for £5million. He’s worth double that, around £10million. Easily. It appears the player’s head has been turned with a huge contract offer from Rangers.”

Could fall on deaf ears

Unfortunately for Leeds United, Whelan’s words could fall on deaf ears. Earlier in the summer, the former striker stated that the Whites should sell Pontus Jansson for £10m, and he’s just departed for an initial £4m.

A striker who scored 15 goals in the Championship last term should probably be worth more than £5m, as we have seen the likes of Britt Assombalonga and Jordan Hugill move for more despite scoring just 14 and 12 respectively the season prior to their exits.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Whelan says that Roofe should go for around £10m and he’s right, but that doesn’t mean that he will as Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani have already shown that they aren’t the best negotiators. Roofe could very easily go for less than what he is worth, especially if he has had his head turned as the pundit suggests.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Having brought four new wingers to the club this summer, Steven Gerrard faces a mightily tough task figuring out who should lead his new-look attack this season.

On the chalkboard

Gerrard has signed Sheyi Ojo, Jordan Jones, Jake Hastie and Greg Stewart to compete with Scott Arfield and the returning Jamie Murphy for his two wide berths.

Playing a 4-3-3 for the majority of last season, the roles of the two wingers are vital for Rangers, as they’re tasked with supporting the lone striker, predominantly Alfredo Morelos, as well as chipping in with the odd goal themselves.

Ryan Kent played the role of wide-man at Ibrox expertly last season, particularly in the final few months of the campaign. His six goals and nine assists were important in his 43 outings and he formed a nice relationship with Morelos, often drifting inside to support his forward partner.

Yet, Kent’s return looks unlikely, so that leaves the current crop to fight it out for the chance to become Gerrard’s new favourite.

Who will step up?

The one player who, so far, looks to be forcing the issue is Ojo. The Liverpool loanee has impressed as a right-winger in the early stages of this season and looks to be establishing himself in the role. His direct running style and penchant for striking at goal are some of the qualities possessed by Kent and he looks to have one of the roles nailed down already.

With the right-hand side being the 22-year-old’s to lose, that leaves the rest to battle it out on the left. One who did well in this role last season was Arfield, who brought goals to the position – he scored three times in his three starts on the left flank.

The Canadian could be pivotal this season, with his tactical flexibility opening the door for a change of shape under Gerrard. His ability to play deeper in the midfield might count against him though, as the Rangers boss is still trying to figure out who his preferred options are in that area too.

Looking at the other contenders it could well be Jones who steps up alongside Ojo given his use so far this season in the role. Yet, in Stewart, Hastie and Murphy, you have three players who would be ready to take their chance should they be afforded one.

It could be a while until we see who comes out on top, but Gerrard would be wise to decide quickly on his first-choice for that left flank. Letting the season get four or five games in without a settled front three could see crucial points dropped in the charge to topple Celtic.

With the Gers expecting to close the gap on their rivals this season, a few missed points here or there could effectively decide the fate of the domestic campaign.

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After impressing on loan last season with Rangers, Ryan Kent’s long-term future has been the subject of intense transfer speculation this summer.

The Liverpool winger struck six times in 43 appearances whilst at Ibrox and reports in recent weeks had claimed that Rangers manager Steven Gerrard was keen to re-sign the 22-year-old again.

However, in an update from The Daily Mirror, Jurgen Klopp reportedly wants to hang on to Kent due to the absence of his first-choice front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

The report claims Klopp intends to use Kent in pre-season and has therefore rejected offers from both Rangers and Leeds.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

After hearing that the winger could be remaining at Anfield, Liverpool fans took to Twitter to reveal their thoughts on the latest update.

Many backed Klopp’s decision to block a potential move away for Kent and pointed to the side’s missing players in attacking areas as a major reason for why they could understand it.

Others however felt the Reds would have been better off by simply selling the academy product, and insisted that he wasn’t good enough to really make an impact on the Liverpool first-team anyway.

Check out some of the mixed reaction of Liverpool fans below:

يرى أولي جونار سولشاير مدرب مانشستر يونايتد، أنهم كانوا يستحقون الفوز في مباراة الأمس أمام إيفرتون، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتعادل الفريقان بثلاثة أهداف لمثلهم في الجولة الثالثة والعشرين، على ملعب الأولد ترافورد. أهداف مباراة مانشستر يونايتد وإيفرتون

كادت المباراة أن تنتهي لصالح الشياطين، قبل أن يسجل إيفرتون التعادل في الدقيقة 95.

وقال سولشاير في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “لقد استحقينا الفوز بالمباراة، ولكن هذه هي كرة القدم، عليك اغتنام فرصك ولا تتنازل عن أي فرص للخصم”.

وأضاف: “في الشوط الأول لم أشعر أننا لعبنا بشكل جيد ولكن سجلنا هدفين رائعين، لقد دخلنا الشوط الثاني متقدمين بهدفين، ولكن شعرنا بأننا لم نصل إلى ما يمكننا القيام به”.

وواصل: “بعد التعادل 2-2 لعبنا بشكل جيد حقًا، ثم جاءت آخر تسديدة للخصم لنعود إلى منازلنا بخيبة أمل”.

واستكمل: “علينا التركيز على التحسين كفريق واحد، لقد سجلنا أهدافًا وصنعنا فرصًا، كان يجب أن نفوز بتلك المباراة”.

وأردف: “يمكن للجماهير أن ترى أننا فريق نحاول تحقيق ذلك، حتى عندما تقدمنا بالهدف الثالث أردنا تسجيل الرابع، هكذا كان الأمر”.

وعن إصابة بول بوجبا وخروجه في الدقيقة 37، أوضح النرويجي: “لم يستطع الاستمرار، لقد أصيب في عضلات الفخذ، وسيخضع لفحص في الصباح ليرى كيف سيتعافى”.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Sun, Kalvin Phillips is willing to force himself out of Leeds in a bid to get a move to Aston Villa.

What’s the word?

Phillips’ potential move away from Leeds has been one of the sagas of the summer from their perspective.

Back in June, The Telegraph reported that Villa were planning a £14m swoop for the midfielder before it was claimed by The Sun that the Yorkshire club wanted £30m for their 5 foot 10 general.

Whether he’ll stay has been uncertain for a while after Wolves and Bournemouth were also credited with interest back at the start of July.

However, it’s now been suggested that Phillips could be willing to force his way out of the club. The same report claims he could sit it out at Elland Road in 2018/19 before reviewing his future in a year.

Leeds must cash in

Losing Phillips would be a bitter blow to the Whites and the very fact they were demanding £30m for him earlier in the summer tells the story of how important he is to the side.

Under Marcelo Bielsa last term, he featured in defensive midfield, as well at centre back as he proved to be a crucial part of the team.

Interest from the Premier League is evidence of just how much he impressed.

But the fact is that if Phillips will again consider his future next summer when he’ll only have a year left on his contract, Leeds could be in great danger of receiving far less for his services.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Paul Bell hinted that Pontus Jansson was moved on due to financial fair play and if this is an issue, the club are surely better off moving him on now, than they would be for a cut-price deal.

The Sun suggests Villa won’t go over £15m in their pursuit for Phillips and as such, they’ll have to reconsider their £30m valuation.

After all, he’ll be worth far less if he continues to stall over signing a new contract.

If he has desires of leaving, this might just be a player Leeds have to bite the bullet on.

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