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Manchester United have made an enquiry for a PSG forward as Erik ten Hag looks for a way to solve his goalscoring woes.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Get French Football News, who claim that Manchester United have made an informal enquiry regarding the availability of striker Mauro Icardi.

New PSG manager Christophe Galtier has confirmed that Icardi is currently on the transfer list and the 29-year-old appears to be interested in a move across the channel.

The French champions signed the player for €50m (£45m) back in June 2020 but Ten Hag may be able to sign the player for a much lower fee.

Icardi may fix their problems

Man United have scored only one goal in their opening two Premier League matches so far and it’s clear Ten Hag needs to bring someone in who can inject a spark into the frontline.

The Old Trafford side were far too reliant on Cristiano Ronaldo last season, he scored 24 goals in all competitions when no one else scored more than ten.

With talk of the Portuguese talisman having limited time left in Manchester, a move for Icardi makes perfect sense.

Former player Jan Aage Fjortoft dubbed the Argentinian as “one of the best goal getters around” and it’s this sort of quality that United needs now.

The controversial forward has scored 156 goals in his club career so far. Despite his previous two campaigns falling short of his high standards, with just 11 league goals, he could still add another dimension to the Manchester United attack.

During his most productive season, in 2017/2018 for Inter Milan, the forward ran amok in Serie A. he scored 29 goals in 34 matches, which worked out nearly a goal a game while also missing 16 big chances, meaning he could have had over 40 goals had he been more clinical.

The last few seasons have seen the player lose his way slightly in the superstar culture at the capital club and a move to the Premier League could be the catalyst for him to repeat his Serie A form.

If Ten Hag can bring him to Old Trafford and he does indeed manage to replicate his form from a few years ago, he could breathe new light into a toxic and rotting side.

Although they were clearly abject at the back in their 4-0 defeat to Brentford, they were hardly awe-inspiring going forward either, rarely threatening David Raya’s goal. Icardi could help fix that lack of threat considerably.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has provided an update regarding Everton’s reported interest in Burnley forward Maxwel Cornet.

What’s the word?

Writing on Twitter about the 25-year-old’s future, the transfer insider revealed that the Toffees – along with fellow Premier League side West Ham United – are in discussions to sign the Ivorian this summer, with it looking increasingly likely that he will depart Turf Moor this summer.

Sheth stated: “West Ham United have held initial talks with Burnley over the signing of Burnley winger Maxwel Cornet. West Ham thought to favour a loan. Everton have been in talks about signing him. It is understood Cornet has a £17.5m release clause.”

As the journalist stated above, the former Lyon man is believed to have a £17.5m release clause in his existing deal with the Clarets, albeit with the Goodison Park club having reportedly opted for a loan approach which was subsequently rebuffed by the Championship outfit.

Imagine him and McNeil

The Merseysiders have already raided Vincent Kompany’s side to secure the signings of experienced centre-back James Tarkowski and highly-rated youngster Dwight McNeil, with the latter having only recently joined on a £20m deal.

While the 22-year-old failed to score a top-flight goal last term, he has already endeared himself to his new club after netting twice in the recent pre-season friendly victory over Dynamo Kyiv, with that impressive brace hopefully a sign of things to come for the Englishman as the new campaign gets underway.

Adding Cornet into the mix will bolster Frank Lampard’s attacking options even further, with the £13.5m-rated man having blossomed in his debut campaign in English football last term, having only joined the Clarets on a £12.9m deal last summer.

The £44k-per-week machine scored nine goals in what proved to be a sparkling season on an individual note despite the collective disappointment of relegation, notably registering a goal and an assist in the survival scrap between the two teams in April.

That display showcased just what the “electric” ace – as described by journalist Andy Jones – is all about, with the 5 foot 10 speedster also offering invaluable versatility to feature at full-back, in a wide midfield role or even in a centre-forward berth.

McNeil also has the flexibility to slot in anywhere across the forward line, with the pair’s unpredictability and adaptability potentially set to prove a huge bonus for Lampard and co, with a lack of quality forward options having been a real concern last term. With the notable exception of Richarlison, who of course is now at Tottenham, goals were hard to come by from the Toffees’ attackers.

With both players proving that they can make an impact in the final third, the one-time Burnely team-mates could well wreak havoc in tandem for Everton this season if they are reunited at Goodison Park.

Manchester United are reportedly among the clubs interested in signing free agent defender Dan-Axel Zagadou, according to French outlet Media Foot Marseille (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Career so far

Signed from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 having come through the youth system in the French capital, Zagadou made 91 appearances for Borussia Dortmund before leaving the club as a free agent last month.

The 23-year-old former France youth international played a part in the side that lifted the German Cup and the German Super Cup during his time in Germany, as well as making 14 UEFA Champions League outings for the Black and Yellows.

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Now seeking a new club, a fresh claim has emerged suggesting that Old Trafford could be a potential landing spot for Zagadou…

The latest: ‘Very interested’

As per Media Foot Marseille, translated by SW, Manchester United are believed to be ‘very interested’ in the six-cap France Under 21 ace.

It’s claimed that Inter Milan are also attempting to sign Zagadou as a replacement for the potentially PSG-bound Milan Skriniar but will need to ‘watch out’ for the competition from the Red Devils.

The report also states that the Ligue 1 club ‘hope that Manchester United will not’ move for the man described as a ‘great talent’ by German football writer Adam Khan to avoid complications in their ongoing move.

The verdict: No brainer

Still holding a market value of £8.1million (Transfermarkt), without the need for a transfer fee, signing Zagadou represents a wholly viable opportunity for Erik ten Hag to strengthen the defensive depth and leave money in the coffers to further bolster other positions.

Last season, the 6 foot 4 Frenchman made 22 appearances across all competitions for Dortmund, earning a 6.71 average Sofascore rating whilst winning 3.9 duels, making 2.5 clearances and completing 53.1 accurate passes on average per Bundesliga outing – highlighting strong defensive qualities as well as ball playing ability that would suit Ten Hag’s preferred style of play.

Sharing similar stylistic traits with Liverpool phenomenon Ibrahima Konate, Leicester City giant Caglar Soyuncu and Barcelona star Eric Garcia (Fbref), Zagadou would be a shrewd addition to the United squad to supplement the capture of Lisandro Martinez, particularly as the club are reportedly willing to allow central defensive trio Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly leave the club.

The summer transfer window is officially open and the only first-team deal that Rangers have completed at Ibrox so far is the signing of John Souttar. 

Ross Wilson snapped up the centre-back on a pre-contract agreement in January, with the player arriving on a free transfer from Hearts ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

It now remains to be seen what other business the Light Blues will look to execute as Gio van Bronckhorst attempts to build on his first season in Glasgow as a manager.

Former Gers defender Craig Moore recently tipped the club to be one of the interested parties in a deal to sign former Hibernian star Martin Boyle, and the forward could be a player who joins Souttar as a fresh arrival at Ibrox.

The 46-year-old said: “Celtic, no, Rangers, definitely could be a possibility. I think Rangers are in a situation where they might be looking at a right winger in terms of strengthening the squad.

“Hagi is still injured, I know Wright and Sakala have played there but there are not natural winger types. Someone like Martin Boyle, who has proven himself, that for me would be very interesting and I’m sure Rangers will be monitoring the situation.”

The winger joined Al-Faisaly for £3m in January but his future is now said to be in doubt after the club’s relegation last season.

Big Scott Wright upgrade

Van Bronckhorst must now push for Rangers to sign Boyle, as he would come in as a big upgrade on current right winger Scott Wright.

Former Hibs boss Neil Lennon once dubbed the Australian an “outstanding” talent, and his statistics in Scotland back up that comment. In the first half of the 2021/22 Premiership season, the 29-year-old scored seven goals and created six ‘big chances’, along with recording three assists, in 20 games. 

He also scored a hat-trick against Rangers in the semi-final of the League Cup last November as he gave the Light Blues a first-hand display of what he would be capable of doing for them.

This came after he plundered 12 goals and six assists in 36 Scottish top-flight matches in the previous campaign, showing that he has the quality to make a huge impact in the final third at that level.

Meanwhile, Wright scored four goals and provided one assist in 19 league games for Rangers, after a haul of three goals and one assist in 26 games in 2020/21.

He has been unable to prove that he can be a regular source for goals and assists, and that is why the Gers can land a big upgrade on him by signing Boyle, who has proven his ability in front of goal in the Premiership.

The former Aberdeen man can still be a useful squad member and pacey option from the bench, but the statistics suggest that the Australian forward would improve Van Bronckhorst’s starting XI.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Morelos: Rangers can form dream duo with bid for “delicious” 98 G/A gem…

A big summer transfer exit update has emerged regarding Liverpool defender Neco Williams.

What’s the news?

According to The Telegraph, Nottingham Forest are in talks with the Merseyside club over the possibility of signing the Welsh youngster, whose club want £15m for him.

A battle could be about to commence for the 21-year-old, as Fulham and Southampton are also credited with an interest in the Wales international.

Klopp will be delighted

Williams played a big part in Fulham’s Championship-winning side last season, spending the second half of the campaign on loan at Craven Cottage as Marco Silva’s team sealed a return to the Premier League.

He played 15 times for Fulham, scoring twice and registering two assists, and it appears that Klopp doesn’t want the academy graduate to go out on another loan but to instead sell him.

Williams has played 32 times for Liverpool and won the Premier League in 2020, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold holding down the right-back spot for the previous few years and the signing of Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen recently, its time for a move for the Welshman.

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With Nottingham Forest about to embark on their first top-flight campaign for 23 years, they will be looking for additions who can bring Premier League quality to the team and ensure that they avoid relegation.

With 21 caps for Wales and featuring in the World Cup play-off win against Ukraine, it’s likely that Williams will increase that tally and play on the grandest stage of all.

After spending close to £100m on signing Fabio Carvalho, Darwin Nunez, and Ramsay, there will need to be some player sales from Liverpool in order to balance the books.

Selling Williams for £15m would represent a good piece of business by Klopp. With first-team opportunities set to be limited for the Welshman, it makes sense if he gets a move to another club, and it could benefit all parties in the long run.

AND in other news, Klopp can finally axe £125k-p/w dud in LFC deal to sign “top class” £77.2m metronome

Newcastle United are reportedly set to abandon their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby this summer, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Newcastle interest in Diaby

The French forward has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence in Germany after moving from boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, directly contributing to 72 goals in 124 outings for the Bundesliga outfit.

Following a spectacular 2021/22 campaign for the 22-year-old, the Magpies have been heavily linked with a move for him in recent weeks, and it had appeared as though an offer would be forthcoming.

However, it now seems as though the Tyneside club might have been priced out of a move at this stage…

The latest: Newcastle now back away from Diaby

As per a ‘recruitment source’ for Football Insider, Newcastle will back away from the six-cap France international, having learned of a lofty price tag for him.

The report claimed that the Premier League club have been ‘put off’ by a £60m demand from Leverkusen and will now be ‘prioritising other attacking options’ in the market.

It’s stated that Newcastle manager Eddie Howe wants to add an attacker who can make an ‘instant first-team impact’ on the squad at St James’ Park, but that now seemingly won’t be Diaby, who was described as ‘electric’ by journalist Eduardo Hagn owing to his phenomenal pace.

The verdict: Worth the money

Walking away from this deal at £60m would be an interesting stance from the Tyneside club as a nod towards their spending powers, willingness to invest or indeed the limits to which they are restricted due to Financial Fair Play regulations this summer.

At just 22, under contract until 2025 and of the back of a season in which he racked up 17 goals and 14 assists, signing Diaby for the mooted fee would still be a sensational piece of business from Newcastle.

Equally comfortable on either wing, the Frenchman averaged a 7.07 rating in the Bundesliga this term, taking 1.7 shots, completing 1.8 dribbles and making 1.9 key passes per game in the process (Sofascore), highlighting gis all-around talent.

Sharing close stylistic traits with Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah and Manchester City duo Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden (FBRef), PIF should perhaps reconsider their reported view on Diaby.

In other news: Newcastle now in the mix to sign ‘clinical’ international, read more here

Leeds United’s time under Andrea Radrizzani has been plagued by mistakes in the transfer market, largely through a lack of spending or rueing that one that got away.

Of course, there have been numerous examples of success stories, namely the likes of Raphinha, Illan Meslier and Patrick Bamford.

But with every Raphinha, there’s a Laurens de Bock, Vurnon Anita or Jay-Rot Grot – a trio of weird signings that made only a total of 51 appearances combined.

Back in 2017, though, the Yorkshire giants missed out on one of Europe’s most frightening strikers and in a time where Leeds have missed last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford and are staring down the barrel of relegation, they must be reeling.

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That man is Erling Haaland, who this week was announced as a Manchester City player.

The defending Premier League champions have signed the Borussia Dortmund forward in a €60m (£51m) deal, activating the 21-year-old’s release clause ahead of the summer transfer window, as per the BBC.

For a little over £50m, that has to be considered an absolute steal considering he’s valued at a whopping £135m by Transfermarkt.

But it could have been a different story for both Leeds and the Norway international.

Speaking on The Athletic’s ‘The Phil Hay Show’, football agent Hayden Evans revealed:

“He was at Molde, around about 17 [years old], and he was ripping it up but also fervently following Leeds United.

“We spoke to Victor [Orta, Leeds’ sporting director] and said, ‘Look, I can bring Erling to Leeds and the rest will be over to you,” before later adding:

“It went quite well, we went back, but the bottom line was that [Molde] wanted around four million pounds. Leeds were not in the stable [financial] position they are in now and he was not going to play, even the talent he was, he was not going to play first-team football at that age.”

After that move fell through, a young Haaland would go on to sign for RB Salzburg for around £7m in August 2018, where he quickly made a name for himself before completing a move to Borussia Dortmund, where he has consistently banged them in.

The Norwegian sensation netted a whopping 29 goals in 27 games in Austria and over the last two-and-a-half seasons for Der BVB, he’s bagged 85 goals in 88 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Such form and consistency has seen the 6 foot 4 talisman lauded as “a goal scoring cyborg” by journalist Alex Truica and a “one-man wrecking ball” by Gregor Robertson in The Times.

There’s no doubt that the 21-year-old is one of the most promising and lethal marksmen across the continent and Andrea Radrizzani’s failure to sign him for just £4m will be forever remembered as a catastrophic mistake.

AND in other news, Jesse Marsch drops Raphinha injury update ahead of Brighton…

Newcastle United’s winless run in the Premier League was extended to six matches as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth last weekend.

The Magpies have not won in the top flight since the opening day of the season against Nottingham Forest and Eddie Howe picked out the lack of service to Alexander Isak as one of the reasons behind their latest draw.

He said: “Again, there were flashes from him, but I don’t think, as a team, we did well enough to get him into goalscoring positions. We didn’t feed him the ball early enough. He was a little bit isolated.”

Newcastle struggled to find him in the right areas as their build-up lacked pace and direction, which is a problem the manager will need to solve ahead of their clash with Fulham.

One way in which he can help to unlock the Sweden international, who was described as a “unicorn” by Radio presenter Kev Lawson, is by unleashing Sven Botman from the start.

The £18k-per-week enforcer was left on the bench against the Cherries as Dan Burn started ahead of him. Explaining the decision after the game, Howe said:

“We managed their load in the week where we had three games (against Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers), so today was bringing Dan back. I just feel his leadership skills and his experience, we need that in our team at the moment.

“Sven’s going to be an outstanding player, and will play many, many games for this club. We love him to bits, but Dan just gets the nod at the moment.”

Playing the ex-Brighton man ahead of Botman weakens Newcastle’s play in possession of the ball as the Dutchman is more adept at playing out from the back.

Botman, who Josh Bunting has described as “dominant” and “powerful”, ranks in a higher percentile than Burn in pass accuracy, progressive carries, progressive passes, total passing distance, xG assisted, and progressive passing distance per 90 among centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 365 days.

This shows that the former Lille defender is more forward-thinking and accomplished in his passing, as he progresses his team up the pitch more effectively than the Englishman.

A good example of his ability on the ball came in the recent 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace as Botman’s play out from the back helped Isak to get involved in the game. His composed pass between the lines (2:30) to the striker found him in space in the second half and he was unlucky not to register an assist as Joe Willock’s shot was brilliantly saved by Vincente Guaita.

Isak was afforded two ‘big chances’ in the match and, whilst he did not score, this highlights how the team’s build-up gave him more opportunities going forward.

Botman’s passing between the lines and progressive carries can get players into good positions in midfield, whether that is the former Real Sociedad man or a midfielder who can then play a killer ball to the striker. This is why unleashing him from the start ahead of Burn could help to unlock Isak’s full potential at St. James’ Park.

Current and former players tweeted their praise after Virat Kohli brought up his first Test hundred in England

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2018Current and former players tweeted their praise after Virat Kohli brought up his first Test hundred in England.

Virat is The King!

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) August 3, 2018

Don’t think after this knock @imVkohli needs to prove anything to anyone on his journey to greatness

— yuvraj singh (@YUVSTRONG12) August 3, 2018

A lot of heat on Kohli and produces a 100 in his first innings. #class

— Usman Khawaja (@Uz_Khawaja) August 2, 2018

A masterclass from Virat Kohli, leading from the front. A display of tremendous character determination and grit #ENGIND

— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) August 2, 2018

That’s an incredible knock @imVkohli !!! 1 man battle against the moving ball ….. #ENGvIND

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 2, 2018

@imVkohli is just #differentgravy now all people can about him getting runs in England #runmachine

— Alex Tudor (@alextudorcoach) August 2, 2018

Thoroughly enjoyed watching that battle. Test cricket at it's best. Triumph over adversity and a joy to watch Virat Kohli craft, construct and conquer his surroundings on to his 22nd test century.

— ian bishop (@irbishi) August 2, 2018

A very important knock by @ImVkohli. Lovely way to set up the Test series. Congrats on your Test hundred. #ENGvIND

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 2, 2018

Virat Kohli doing what all true champions do, making you pay for error. That aside you’ll do well to see a better test , pure grit and a bucketload of skill. #fiercecompetitor #ENGvIND

— Tom Moody (@TomMoodyCricket) August 3, 2018

WHAT A CHAMPION 100 captain leading from the front.. much needed…absolutely brilliant @imVkohli welldone @ImIshant @y_umesh too #ENDvIND @BCCI pic.twitter.com/kNuDCbqqOx

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) August 2, 2018

For one of the best stroke players in the world, this Virat 100 was about ‘not’ playing strokes.
Left 40 balls alone. 26 against Anderson. That’s more than 4 overs of Anderson left alone!

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) August 2, 2018

Congratulations to @imVkohli for a fantastic,great knock! A captain leading from the front, a delight to watch. #ENGVIND

— Azhar Mahmood (@AzharMahmood11) August 2, 2018

This man proves himself again and again with such crucial knocks. A hundred and that too playing with the tail which is not an easy task at all. Required a lot of patience and determination. What a player! @imVkohli #ENDvIND

— R P Singh (@rpsingh) August 2, 2018

Take a bow @imVkohli. Brilliant ton when the team needed it the most. All the 2014 talk has been laid to rest by this special batsman. pic.twitter.com/Tpr1Vi9Fsb

— MANOJ TIWARY (@tiwarymanoj) August 2, 2018

What a player what a knock #Kohli

— Mason Crane (@masoncrane32) August 2, 2018

UNBELIEVABLE!! One of THE best knocks from what little test cricket I have seen!! #ENGvIND #kohli

— Shan Masood (@shani_official) August 2, 2018

Forced modelling and hideous addictions crowd our Twitter round-up

Alex Bowden10-Jun-2016If you’re going to be a pedant, be an entertaining pedant.

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What’s the alternative? Sharing wisdom with your followers? Seems like Shaun Pollock’s back to doing what he does best. Brace yourselves for some cod philosophy.

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Perhaps a lack of simplicity is why Graham Onions has been looking so tired these last few weeks.

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Our mistake.Maybe perk yourself up with a coffee. Is Kevin Pietersen still addicted?

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Guess so.

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Oh great, he’s made it a hashtag. That’s Twitter code for “this inconsequential little habit has now become a key part of my identity”.Surely there’s more to the man than that?

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See. He’s into intermittently checking the calendar as well. That’s an interest, right?Maybe he should take some tips from Umar Akmal. There’s a man who knows how to enjoy himself.

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Visibly living the dream.Umar Akmal’s photographic output underlines how you can really learn a lot about a player from what they post to social media (and check out his profile pic for an even clearer sense of what we mean by that).As another example, here’s Ahmed Shehzad in a playground.

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And here’s Shane Warne.

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And here’s the kind of thing Younis Khan posts.

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What a poser.But who are we to judge? We’ve never had to keep tens if not hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers hooked to our every update.

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Perhaps the need to experience things for himself was what drove Graeme Swann to seek out a branch of Nando’s. For so long the favoured restaurant of cricketers the world over, is the dream starting to turn sour?

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Swann says he went for a burger instead, so perhaps he still hasn’t had the edible part of this particular experience. Nando’s surely had some sort of excuse for the misunderstanding, though.

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Oh, give it a rest, Shaun.Finally, another recurring feature, and does Virat Kohli read this column or something? He’s been delivering in-flight selfies for us as regular as clockwork.Here’s the latest, which also boasts just the faintest whiff of “cricketer complaining about air travel” as a bonus.

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