Manchester United are reportedly one of a host of top Premier League clubs interested in signing Croatia and RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol in the summer transfer window.

What's the situation with Gvardiol?

There were many players who shone at the 2022 World Cup but few enhanced their reputations more the 21-year-old. Gvardiol featured in all seven of Croatia's matches in Qatar, standing out as one of the best defenders at the tournament and helping his country finish third overall, with his performances labelled "sensational" by journalist Zach Lowy.

It is no surprise to see that the youngster is one of Europe's most wanted young players currently, with numerous clubs linked with making a move for him at the end of the season.

United are one of those clubs who are believed to be in the mix, as Erik ten Hag looks to bolster this squad options during the upcoming transfer window. Gvardiol has a widely known £97m release clause which becomes active in 2024, so he will not come cheap either this summer or next.

Will he join Manchester United?

According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, United are 'showing interest' in acquiring Gvardiol's signature, should Leipzig allow him to leave this summer. The Red Devils are far from alone in expressing an eagerness to sign the defender, however, with Tottenham, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Liverpool all mentioned in the report, too.

Gvardiol's current Leipzig deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2027, putting them in an extremely strong bargaining position and allowing them demand a huge fee for one of their most prized assets, or simply to refer suitors to the £97m clause.

There is no denying Gvardiol's talent as a player – he has been described as someone with "limitless" potential by pundit Alex Scott – and he has all the assets to be one of the standout centre-backs of his generation. At the World Cup, he averaged an incredible 5.3 clearances per game, while in this season's Champions League for Leipzig, he has an 89% pass completion rate.

He could be outstanding for United, but the one drawback is the fact that Ten Hag already has Lisandro Martinez in that left-sided centre-back role, and at 25, he is likely to remain a key figure for many years, meaning it would hard to fit both into the team.

Give the money that Gvardiol would likely cost, United could be wiser to use those funds in areas of the pitch that look weaker, such as in attack, where someone like Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen is needed as a world-class addition to lead the line.

Fabrizio Romano has insisted that Chelsea are not holding any discussions to sign Neymar this summer.

The Lowdown: Neymar not looking for a move

Reports have surfaced over the last few weeks about Chelsea holding talks over a potential blockbuster summer transfer that would see Neymar wind up in the Premier League for the first time in his career.

However, given the Brazilian’s age, likely wage demands and the fact he is out injured, any move may seem unlikely from the outset, although given Todd Boehly’s lavish spending, nothing could be ruled out.

Neymar would indeed be a huge name on paper to sign and would likely attract a lot of international interest given his pedigree within the game, but his signing would go against what Chelsea have done recently by signing young players.

The Latest: Chelsea not holding talks with PSG to sign Neymar

Romano has confirmed on his YouTube channel that despite talks between Chelsea and PSG, none of those conversations have involved a potential transfer of Neymar.

He said: “We had reports about Chelsea, but from what I understand, at the moment, Chelsea are not speaking to PSG at the moment about Neymar Jr.

“They had contacts to clarify what happened with the Hakim Ziyech deal in the final hours of the January transfer window, it was a disappointing situation, so this is why Chelsea and PSG spoke in the last weeks, but at the moment, there is no concrete negotiation for Neymar to Chelsea at this stage.

“Of course, it’s still March, but at this stage, there is no negotiation – also, Neymar is focused on coming back from his injury.”

The Verdict: Boehly must avoid Neymar transfer

Chelsea made a conscious effort during January to recruit young players for the present and the future, with the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix all arriving at Stamford Bridge earlier this year.

Therefore, to then go for someone in the twilight years of his career with a poor injury record in the form of Neymar would be a poor move from Boehly as his likely main purpose the Brazilian would serve would be to promote the club off the pitch and sell shirts given his stature.

Also, it would be yet another unnecessary headache for Graham Potter to deal with as it would be a huge ego in the dressing room, which is something that Chelsea arguably don’t need given the high calibre of players already in the squad.

Newcastle United's Swedish striker Alexander Isak has revealed club legend Alan Shearer contacted him after joining the Toon to tell him what it meant to play for the Magpies.

What did Shearer say to Isak?

The Swede arrived in the summer from Real Sociedad on the back of a club-record transfer which is believed to be worth in the area of £63m.

So pressure will have been high on the young striker, who has since come of age in the Premier League having battled his injury issues.

But it seems as if he has had the league's all-time record goalscorer there to help him along the way since making the move to Tyneside last summer.

Indeed, speaking to the media, the 23-year-old has revealed the contact he has had with Shearer as a Newcastle player and the advice he has been provided:

“He is very, very involved. Shearer is really passionate about the club and you can see it. Before the cup final, Alan was down and talked to us. Gave tips and of course, it helps us. Especially for me as a striker," he said.

“Even when I signed for the club, he told me what Newcastle means and what it means to be a striker for that club.”

Should Isak start ahead of Wilson?

Over the last number of weeks, the Swede has begun to establish himself as the starting striker in Eddie Howe's XI ahead of Callum Wilson.

The Englishman has also had his struggles this season and injuries haven't really been a huge concern but his form certainly has been.

In the Premier League, Wilson has only been able to provide a return of seven goals with only one of them coming since October last year (via Transfermarkt).

In comparison, injuries have been a major issue for Isak this season. His fitness problems have seen the 23-year-old miss a large chunk of the season.

However, in his limited game time, the striker has seriously impressed having bagged six league goals in just over 600 minutes of action (via Transfermarkt).

The goals have seen him establish himself in Howe's side and his goals-per-minute ratio has only been bettered by that of Manchester City's Erling Haaland this season.

Newcastle's £120k-per-week man was described as "frightening" by Kieran Trippier following his brace last week, but it is not just his goals which have impressed.

Isak also helped out defensively with four clearances which will certainly go down well with the Newcastle faithful and Shearer who hailed his display as "magnificent".

With Manchester United's slim title hopes having been well and truly extinguished in recent months, the Red Devils are set to see their decade-long wait for Premier League glory extended by another year, with the club's post-Sir Alex Ferguson woes having continued.

While hope has been somewhat renewed following Erik ten Hag's arrival in the dugout, the former Ajax boss will have to go a long way to getting anywhere close to emulating the success of the legendary Scotsman, with the serial-winning coach having won 13 league titles in a trophy-laden spell at Old Trafford.

A truly seismic figure in the history of United, Ferguson will forever be a name etched in club folklore due to his glittering 26-year stint in charge, with subsequent managers having unsurprisingly found it difficult to live up to such a gargantuan figure of the past.

For all the success that the 81-year-old endured during his lengthy reign at the Theatre of Dreams, however, that's not to say that the one-time Aberdeen boss didn't drop the odd clanger or two on occasion, with the man himself admitting his mistake in notably allowing Jaap Stam to depart in 2001, calling it a "bad decision."

The Dutch colossus wasn't the only centre-back whom Ferguson perhaps moved on prematurely, though, with the Govan-born icon having also endured something of a howler with the sale of Gerard Pique in 2008.

Why did Man United sell Pique?

The Red Devils had initially snapped up Pique from La Liga giants Barcelona back in 2004, with the towering centre-back going on to feature sporadically over the next few years, racking up just 23 appearances across all competitions, scoring twice.

Despite showings signs of promise, one game, in particular, appeared to serve as a real setback in the Spaniard's hopes of securing a regular first-team berth, with the player himself admitting that the defeat to Bolton Wanderers in November 2007 seemingly proved fatal for his United career.

That was also the assessment of teammate Wayne Rooney, with the former England skipper stating that the loss away to Bolton 'more or less finished' the defender's career at the club, as he was simply 'bullied' by the opposition forward line.

That seemingly sparked doubts among Ferguson and co as to the 6 foot 4 man's suitability to life in the Premier League, while Pique also outlined his own concern about dislodging the starting duo of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, stating in 2015:

"The centre-backs, Rio Ferdinand, Vidic. I was really unlucky. They never got injured. Then I left and then they started to get injuries! This is football but I’m not really worried.

"It’s true that I was happy in Manchester even though I didn’t play as much as I wanted to."

As it happened, Pique's old friends at Camp Nou came calling as he ultimately sealed a return to Catalonia after four years in England, with La Blaugrana managing to secure a deal for what proved to be a bargain price of just £5m.

United were almost immediately left to rue that sale as the exciting talent went on thwart them in the Champions League final at the end of the 2008/09 season, before again coming out on top when the two sides met in the European showpiece in 2011.

That was merely just the start of what proved to be a truly remarkable spell at Barca for Pique, with the 102-cap titan having simply "won everything" in the game prior to recently calling it quits, according to former boss Pep Guardiola, having claimed three Champions League triumphs in total with the La Liga outfit, as well as eight Spanish league titles.

On the international scene, the now-retired ace was also part of La Roja's World Cup and European Championship success in 2010 and 2012, respectively, having been hailed as the "best central defender in the world" in the recent past by compatriot, Carles Puyol.

While perhaps Pique simply needed to return home in order to truly flourish, to have allowed such a stellar individual to slip through their fingers will still sting as far as both Ferguson and United are concerned, with such talents rather unique, indeed.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney didn't go down the tunnel for treatment amid injury concerns following the recent Scotland match.

What's the latest injury news for Kieran Tierney and Arsenal?

It was a brilliant outing for the 25-year-old on Tuesday night as his country stunned Spain with a 2-0 victory, with the defender playing a key role in the second goal – charging forward 70 yards before his cross eventually fell to Scott McTominay to score.

However, before full-time, the left-back was forced off with a possible calf injury, which has led to reports stating he could miss the Premier League clash against Leeds United this weekend.

While talking about the issue on his YouTube channel, Watts noted that some fans believed that Tierney actually went down the tunnel for treatment, but denied these rumours.

Indeed, he explained: "He did go off with about 15 minutes to go, again after a challenge with – who else – Rodri.

"Fingers crossed, it's nothing. It doesn't look too bad. I don't know. I can't tell you now what the issue is with Kieran Tierney, if there is an issue or not.

"But he didn't go down the tunnel. I saw people saying he went down the tunnel; he didn't.

"He sat down on the bench. He was out on the pitch celebrating afterwards. It doesn't look anything too bad. He might have just come off because he was knackered."

Has Rodri been trying to injure Arsenal players?

Incidentally, it was Rodri who also launched into a nasty tackle with captain Martin Odegaard in Spain's clash with Norway just days before.

Perhaps the Manchester City man is on a one-man mission to curtail Arsenal's season, with Pep Guardiola and co eight points behind the Gunners in the league.

However, Tierney – who earns £110,000 a week – at least got one over on Rodri with a Scotland win on this occasion, and it seems as though the Spaniard found this hard to accept.

After the game – much to the derision of fans online – he moaned about the opposition, saying: "It's the way they play… for me, it's a bit rubbish. Because it's always wasting time. They provoke you. They always fall. For me, this is not football."

It remains to be seen if Tierney will miss the Leeds clash this weekend, but at least it doesn't sound as though it's the most serious injury in the world.

Everton's financial difficulties have seemingly boiled over of late, with the club having now been referred to an independent commission to investigate their alleged breaches.

Whilst the result of that and the subsequent penalty is yet to be decided, it is clear that the Toffees have made huge efforts to try and cut down on their spending in recent years whilst offloading some of their top talents.

Anthony Gordon made his exit in January for £45m, nearly six months after Richarlison had left for £60m in the summer, yet despite the playing squad being overhauled somewhat, it was only really Amadou Onana who ended up costing a significant fee.

Arguably of all the managers who was most hamstrung by this lack of investment was Rafa Benitez, who was forced to operate on a stringent budget during his one summer in charge.

Although not being able to spend is inherently a disadvantage, it does almost force clubs to work a little harder on their recruitment. As such, it can bear fruit.

With the acquisition of Demarai Gray, that was certainly the case.

How much is Demarai Gray worth?

Unsurprisingly, the former Bayer Leverkusen wide man has seen his value skyrocket since his initial move back to England. That was hardly a difficult task, as somehow the German outfit were tempted to part ways with him for just £1.7m.

Just three goal contributions in ten Bundesliga games was hardly sparkling, but it remained a sensational coup for a player already boasting Premier League experience with Leicester City too.

He has since gone on to play 68 times for the Merseyside outfit, contributing with 12 goals and six assists, including his curling free-kick against Crystal Palace that was met by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, to secure their place in the division last season.

When on his day the forward is truly unstoppable, with his speed and quick feet leaving full-backs with no chance. Journalist Scott Saunders even noted that he was "absolutely electric" earlier this year.

Gray remains the club's top scorer in all competitions too, further outlining his ever-growing importance to the various managers who have held the manager's position at Goodison Park.

Therefore, from that initial fee, his value has shot up in just a short period. Transfermarkt already rates him at €20m (£17.6m), marking a 935% rise in just two years.

These financial implications are far from a positive thing for the club, but they have forced them to finally be a bit more intelligent with their spending. Should it continue for the next year or two, whilst hardly exciting, it could spell a few more bargains in the offing akin to this one.

People behind Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani’s bid to take control at Manchester United expect no issues from the UK government, according to Mike Keegan.

What’s the latest on Jassim and a Man United takeover?

Jassim made a second Old Trafford bid towards the end of March after initially missing the deadline for revised offers alongside Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

He was thought to be confident of sealing a takeover from the Glazers and was even looking at bolstering Erik ten Hag’s side by planning a move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.

However, things have gone quiet over a takeover since the second offer were submitted, with speculation suggesting there could be an issue with the Government and Jassim taking charge in Manchester. The Sun shared reservations related to a £1.4m fine handed out to Qatari Investment Bank’s UK unit by the Bank of England in 2016 for violating capital financial rules, but it looks as if this isn’t a cause for concern for Jassim’s delegation.

Keegan, reporter for The Daily Mail, took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share a positive update he’s heard from those behind Jassim’s bid following the reports of potential problems. He stated:

“Manchester United sale update: Those behind Sheikh Jassim bid confident of no issues with government should they win. Groups still to hear back following second bids. Hopeful of responses before Easter.”

The reporter adds in his story that the Qatari group ‘feel that they have support from the government and would not face any obstacles should they emerge successful from the ongoing bidding process’.

How much could Man United sell for?

It looks as if it could be a significant few weeks or months at Old Trafford both on and off the pitch, with the ball currently in the Glazers’ court after offers worth around £5bn were tabled.

However, all involved need to be on board with a potential full sale, with reports in the last 24 hours claiming that Kevin, Edward, Bryan and Darcie Glazer are all eager to sell at the right price, with Joel and Avram Glazer more reluctant. The Old Trafford asking price has always been set around £6bn, but if the Glazers can’t come to an agreement, there is every chance a partial stake would be sold, with minority and hare offers also made alongside the likes of Jassim and Ratcliffe.

It will certainly be a situation to keep an eye on, and we may know more following the Easter weekend.

Journalist Dean Jones says that Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is ‘unplayable’ on his day.

The Lowdown: On form

Isak is a man on form at the moment, with two goals in his last outing away at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Friday night, which came after a goal at home to Wolves in the previous matchday.

He was subsequently named in Magpies striking legend Alan Shearer’s recent Team of the Week as a result, as the club-record £63m signing continues to show the Toon Army what he is made of.

The Latest: ‘Unplayable’ on his day

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that Isak is ‘unplayable’ on his day, but still needs to prove himself further after missing a large chunk of the season with injury:

“On his day, Isak is unplayable. He just has to show it more often. Now that he’s fit again, let’s see the real deal. Let’s see what we’ve got for the rest of the season because he’s got to prove himself.”

The Verdict: Must keep starting

Isak has already shown not just in his recent run of form, but in his streak before his injury at the start of the season where he scored two in his first three appearances, including on his debut at Anfield against Liverpool, that he is deserving of more starts.

On the contrary, Callum Wilson has only scored history.

Aside from his goals, the £120,000-per-week gem’s overall game is dangerous, as he ranks in the top 11% for a number of key metrics for forwards in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, including progressive carries, successful take-ons, touches and progressive passes received.

As such, Isak is being linked with a shock move to Juventus in a swap deal that would see Dusan Vlahovic move the other way, which the Tynesiders should not even look to entertain.

Nonetheless, if the Magpies want to give themselves the best chance of finishing in the top four come the end of the campaign, then they must keep starting Isak.

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes a Manchester United takeover could make a summer move for Jude Bellingham ‘more possible’.

What’s Jones had to say on Man United and Bellingham?

The Red Devils are set for a busy few months both on and off the pitch, with Erik ten Hag’s side pushing for a top-four finish and more silverware in the FA Cup and Europa League after lifting the Carabao Cup earlier in the season.

An Old Trafford takeover also appears to be a possibility, with Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe submitting revised offers last month to take control from the Glazers. Jassim previously wanted 'things done quickly' so he could help Ten Hag in the transfer market, with reports last month suggesting he is a ‘huge fan’ of Bellingham and is plotting a stunning United move.

Talking to GiveMeSport, Jones feels that a takeover at Old Trafford could help them in a potential move for Bellingham, however, he also cited the time Bellingham turned down a move to Manchester in favour of heading to Germany.

"I think a takeover would make it more possible and they could come back into the Bellingham conversation a bit stronger. But the fact is Bellingham already had the chance to join Man United once, and he didn't take it? Maybe he feels more ready for that now, certainly could be that.”

Do Man United have a chance to sign Bellingham?

Fabrizio Romano stated last month that United's current board weren’t actively working on signing Bellingham this summer, so a takeover may have to go through relatively quickly in order for the Red Devils to have a chance of a potential deal.

That’s because there is plenty of competition for the 19-year-old’s services, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid all feeling they have put compelling cases forward for Bellingham to join them. Dortmund will also reportedly only consider selling for a club-record fee in excess of €144m (£126m), which would smash the current transfer record at Old Trafford.

Bellingham has been hailed as a "superstar" by former United captain Roy Keane, and with Ten Hag after a midfielder and forward this summer, securing a move for Bellingham would surely make Jassim a popular man in Manchester straightaway. A lot needs to happen, though, but it appears as if there may be a chance to sign the England international, providing Jassim manages to strike a deal with the Glazers over the coming months.

Celtic have reportedly registered their interest in signing Manchester City teenager Freddie Anderson and are plotting an offer, according to Football Insider.

What’s the latest on Celtic and Anderson?

The Hoops appear to be in for a busy summer, with Ange Postecoglou hoping to make three headline signings. The Celtic manager is thought to be plotting moves for a new centre-back, central midfielder and striker, whereas the club are understood to be readying a new ‘huge’ contract to keep Postecoglou at Parkhead following speculation of interest from several Premier League sides.

However, there could also be further additions when it comes to the academy, with Anderson seemingly a target. Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke shared a story regarding Anderson and Celtic in the last 48 hours. He revealed that the teenage defender is set to leave the Premier League champions this summer, with Scotland a potential destination.

The Hoops, and by extension head of recruitment Mark Lawwell, have registered their interest in the 16-year-old and are plotting a move for his services alongside Championship clubs Stoke City and Watford.

Could Celtic find another Frimpong in Anderson?

Anderson is the son of former England international Viv Anderson and is primarily a centre-back who can also feature as a right-back if required.

He appears to be a potential future star and is in demand heading into the summer, so Celtic could be looking to repeat their success of bringing a teenage Manchester City defender to Scotland.

The Hoops signed Jeremie Frimpong from Manchester City’s U23s when the right-back was just 19, with the player making an impact in Glasgow before being sold to Bayer Leverkusen in an €11m deal 2021.

You’d expect that Anderson would initially ply his trade in Celtic’s B team due to his age, should he make the move north, looking to impress and earn a professional contract.

Celtic also haven’t had much joy when it comes to keeping hold of their academy players, with Aidan Borland potentially the next to leave for Aston Villa in a transfer that could be worth £1.2m, so it would be nice if the Hoops were able to add to their ranks by signing Anderson.