An errant decade or so of transfer dealings has seen Manchester United regularly splash the cash on expensive, high-profile names, while also overlooking possible bargain, astute deals for future superstars.

In that latter category, there are almost too many missed opportunities to count, having failed to heed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s advice regarding a £4m-rated teenager named Erling Haaland, while also rejecting the chance to sign Benjamin Sesko for just £2.5m back in 2019.

With regard to midfielders, journalist Andy Mitten has revealed that United also snubbed the opportunity to sign Adam Wharton, prior to his £20m switch to Crystal Palace in January 2024, while the Red Devils had previously backed away from a bargain deal for a little-known Ecuadorian teenager named Moises Caicedo.

The consequence? The new INEOS and Ruben Amorim regime remains in desperate need of midfield solutions, with it likely to prove far more costly to solve those problems this month.

Man Utd targeting Carlos Baleba alternatives

After those ‘what if’ scenarios with regard to Wharton and Caicedo in recent years, United now enter 2026 looking likely to have to pay a premium for a genuine midfield upgrade, namely Carlos Baleba.

As reported by Sky Sports, INEOS have been exploring the conditions of a potential deal for Bryan Mbeumo’s Cameroon teammate, albeit with no move set to take place this month.

Brighton and Hove Albion appear unwilling to let their 21-year-old sensation leave mid-season, having also reportedly slapped a £100m plus price tag on his head over the summer.

That same Sky Sports report does indicate that other more left-field midfield targets are being considered, however, with United said to be keeping tabs on Lille starlet, Ayyoubd Bouaddi.

The 18-year-old is one of the ‘younger prospects’ that the Old Trafford side have in mind, should they opt against moving for the likes of Baleba, Wharton and Elliot Anderson, who are deemed to be the ‘top targets’.

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No price tag is given with regard to the teenage Bouaddi, although recent speculation suggested he could still command a fee of around £52m.

Why Bouaddi could be an ideal Baleba alternative

For so long, as already explained, United’s model has appeared to be to almost wait and see how promising players fare at other Premier League clubs, rather than seeking to nurture that talent themselves.

That, evidently, has been the case with the likes of Wharton and Caicedo, while the club were also said to have been scouting Baleba in 2023, prior to joining Brighton for around £23m that summer.

While a deal for another Lille sensation, Bouaddi, may require greater investment, it could see United skip out the middle man on this occasion, rather than allowing a club like the Seagulls to steal a march instead.

Signing such a young talent, at a time when Amorim is in desperate need of a midfield upgrade, is a risk, although the Baleba-style potential is already there, with Bouaddi lauded as a “world-class talent” by scout Jacek Kulig.

The teenage Frenchman doesn’t turn 19 until October, yet he has already made 74 senior appearances for the Ligue 1 side, registering four assists in that time from his central midfield berth.

Potentially set to follow in Leny Yoro’s footsteps by trading Lille for Manchester, the France U21 international has made 20 appearances in all competitions this season, 14 of which have come in the league, ranking highly across a string of metrics in comparison to his Ligue 1 peers.

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Indeed, as per FBref, Bouaddi ranks in the top 8% for successful take-ons and the top 16% for touches in the attacking penalty area, while also ranking in the top 1% for blocks per 90, highlighting that all-round quality to his game.

Most valuable U18s in Europe

Player

Club

Value

Lamine Yamal

Barcelona

£174m

Estevao

Chelsea

£70m

Pau Cubarsi

Barcelona

£70m

Lennart Karl

Bayern

£52m

Franco Mastantuono

Real Madrid

£44m

Geovany Quenda

Sporting

£39m

Ayyoud Bouaddi

Lille

£35m

Rodrigo Mora

Porto

£35m

Luka Vuskovic

Spurs (Hamburg)

£35m

Ethan Nwanier

Arsenal

£35m

via Transfermarkt

More broadly, among those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues, the £52m diamond ranks in the top 6% for successful take-ons, showcasing his innate ball-carrying prowess from deep.

It may appear too soon for a Premier League switch, although Baleba actually made the move to the Amex after just 23 senior games at Lille, with the then-19-year-old now arguably “one of the best midfielders in the league”, in the view of Como scout Ben Mattinson.

There is a pathway there for Bouaddi to follow, although rather than watching the teenager potentially thrive elsewhere, INEOS should be brave enough to strike now, instead of being left to regret it later down the line.

Related Watch out Yoro & Heaven: Man Utd now targeting "monster" £35m signing

This Man Utd target could add more competition for places

Posts ByJoe Nuttall

Cape Cobras made a strong start to the season by completing a commanding 10-wicket win over Lions in their domestic season opener in Potchefstroom. Cobras racked up a mammoth 543 in the first innings the foundation of which was laid by a 188-run opening stand between Andrew Puttick and Alistair Gray. Puttick went to score 194 making sure that a good start wasn’t wasted. An unbeaten 97 by wicketkeeper Dane Vilas then took the Cobras past 500. Imran Tahir, with 5 for 176, was the most successful bowler for Lions.In reply, Lions made a good start to put up 125 for 1, but the batsmen failed to build on the starts and Lions were forced to follow on as the innings collapsed on 210. In Lions’ second innings, Quinton de Kock matched the effort of Cobras top-scorer with 194 runs and received some support from Neil McKenzie, who scored 51. But de Kock fell to the offspin for Dale Piedt, who went on to pick up his fifth five-wicket haul. Lions’ second innings folded on 339, giving Cobras a target of seven runs which they achieved without any loss.Knights and Titans played out a draw at the De Beers Diamond Oval in Kimberley, but Knights picked up more points after gaining a substantial first-innings lead. After choosing to bat, Knights recovered from a precarious position at 59 for 4 to post a formidable 455. This was made possible by a 259-run fifth-wicket stand between Ryan Bailey, who achieved a career-best of 220, and captain Morne van Wyk, who made 133. Seamer Ethy Mbhalati picked up 6 for 98, his best first-class figures.In their response, Titans conceded a lead of 155. Three of their batsmen – Jacques Rudolph, Heino Kuhn and Roelof van der Merwe – scored half-centuries but none was able to push on. The innings wickets were shared by seamers Ryan McLaren and Quinton Friend, both bagging a five-for.The Knights pushed the lead past 400 in their second innings, opener Reeza Hendricks making 53 and Obus Pienaar top-scoring with 80. The innings folded for 246, with Mbhalati picking five more to finish with 11 in the match. Titans were given in excess of 40 overs to battle in the fourth innings. They played out 46, finishing with 159 for 4 and settling for the draw.

Rangers chief Ross Wilson committed a huge Ibrox howler for Gio van Bronckhorst during the January transfer window.

The Glasgow giants chief endured a disaster as he missed out on a deal to sign Siriki Dembele from Peterborough. The Gers were reportedly interested in landing the winger on a permanent deal and he ended up joining English Championship side Bournemouth instead.

Rangers went for Amad Diallo on loan from Manchester United to bolster their wide options in the wake of Ianis Hagi’s season-ending injury and the youngster has endured a terrible spell with the club so far.

Since scoring five minutes into his debut against Ross County, the Ivorian international has been poor for Rangers and is currently struggling to get minutes on the pitch. He has been an unused substitute in three of the club’s last four matches in the Premiership and Europa League, coming off the bench against Dundee United.

In four league outings for van Bronckhorst’s side, he has missed one ‘big chance’, created just two chances and lost a whopping 71% of his duels. This shows that he has been far from good enough since his move from Old Trafford and Dembele would have been a far better option.

Not only would the Scotsman have been a long-term addition to the squad rather than just a loan, but he would also have had more of an impact in the here and now as he has proven his quality at Championship level.

Peterborough chief Barry Fry previously hailed the forward’s talents, telling Football FanCast: “Siriki can get the ball in his own half and with dazzling dribbling ability, he can beat four or five players and score a wonder goal or cross it for somebody else to score.

“He’s very, very exciting. He’s got the best stats outside the [English] Premier League, I think. We’ll try to keep hold of him if we go up, and we’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse! So watch this space.”

He produced 11 goals and 14 assists in League One last term for Peterborough and made a huge impact on his full debut for Bournemouth earlier this month. As per SofaScore, he won eight of his 13 duels, created an impressive five chances for his teammates and scored a goal against Blackpool in the Championship.

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Throughout the entire campaign with the Posh and now the Cherries, he has six goals and has averaged 1.1 key passes per game whilst also winning 49% of his duels – as per SofaScore. This suggests that the gem would have been far better than Amad as he has shown that he can provide the goods at first-team level whilst holding his own in physical battles, whereas the United youngster has not done enough on or off the ball.

Therefore, Wilson had a howler by signing Diallo ahead of Dembele in January, both in terms of the short and long-term implications of the respective deals.

AND in other news, Forget Tavernier: £6.4k-p/w Rangers tank with 75% duels won was real star of the show…

Martin Skrtel’s agent has revealed that his client would consider a summer switch from Liverpool to Napoli.

The Slovakian international’s future at Anfield is far from certain, after manager Brendan Rodgers elected to drop him in favour of Jamie Carragher after some shaky displays last season.

This has led to rumours that the no-nonsense defender could walk away from Merseyside this summer, particularly with the Reds courting targets that would rival him for a starting berth.

Skrtel was voted Liverpool’s player of the season after the 2011/12 Premier League campaign, but his agent, Karol Csonto, has admitted that a move to Napoli – where he would link up with former boss Rafael Benitez – could tempt his client.

“Between Martin Skrtel and Rafa Benitez is a professional relationship that has gone on from the years they spent together at Liverpool,” he is quoted by talkSPORT via Radio Crc.

“[Napoli midfielder] Marek Hamsik and Skrtel are very good friends and they met last week. The midfielder requested information from Martin about Benitez, while Skrtel has asked questions about Napoli.

“But I think that if Napoli want to take Skrtel, they should first talk to Liverpool.”

Rodgers is said to see Skrtel as more of a squad player than a regular starter, and could sacrifice him in order to raise funds for summer additions.

The Northern Irishman is keen on Schalke’s Kyriakos Papadopoulos and Tiago Ilori of Sporting Lisbon, both of whom operate as centre-backs.

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Liverpool fans, should Brendan Rodgers let Martin Skrtel leave?

Voice your thoughts below!

[cat_link cat=”liverpool” type=”grid”]

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has claimed it is a possibility that Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi has suffered a setback, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Furuhashi’s absence

The 27-year-old was enjoying a brilliant first season at Celtic Park following his £4.86m move in the summer, contributing to 21 goals in just 27 appearances in green and white.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t featured since the end of December due to a reoccurrence of a hamstring problem he picked up against St Johnstone prior to the winter break.

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Ange Postecoglou has admitted recently that the forward is still nowhere near a return to action, with the Hoops currently three points clear at the top of the Premiership.

The Latest: Dinnery’s comments

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Furuhashi after Postecoglou’s comments, claiming it is possible that Furuhashi may have suffered a setback.

“The club are suggesting it’s likely to be after the international break.

“The Japan manager is hopeful that he might be able to play some part in the upcoming World Cup qualifying games.

“But he’d be getting a player who has played very little football and won’t be that sharp.

“But if he is in and around that squad, that might work for Celtic. It is an opportunity for him to get a few minutes in his legs.

“But with these types of injuries, there are no guarantees. They have high recurrence rates, particularly when someone has been out long-term.

“Postecoglou has almost backtracked on his initial comments where he said he was nearing a return.

“Has he suffered a setback? Is there another problem? It’s possible. Or is it the same issue niggling away?

“It’s not until you’re reintegrated into the squad that they’ll know the full picture.”

The Verdict: A worry…

Postecoglou is still without David Turnbull as well due to a hamstring problem, so Dinnery’s comments regarding Furuhashi won’t exactly fill supporters with confidence.

Hopefully, he hasn’t suffered a setback and will be back to contribute to Celtic’s title push over the coming months, but if he has, it is a major worry for the Hoops.

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It seems as if it could be touch and go for the Glasgow Derby against Rangers next month, a game that could be crucial in the race for the title.

In other news: BBC journalist reveals Celtic defender now out for ‘lengthy period’ as hamstring issues continue.

As per Mundo Deportivo, West Ham United are gearing up for the summer transfer window as news emerges on Udinese star Gerard Deulofeu and the Irons’ own winger Jarrod Bowen.

The Lowdown: Bowen shines for West Ham…

Before his recent injury, West Ham’s star attacker and contender for their 2021/22 player of the season was seriously turning heads with an array of brilliant performances.

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Called ‘really important’ by David Moyes, the 25-year-old ranks among the best attacking players in the Premier League, with calls also made for him to be given an England nod.

Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate will be handed food for thought by Bowen’s form over 2021/22 as clubs also circle for his signature.

Sharing an update on both the winger and West Ham transfer target Deulofeu, Mundo Deportivo share some interesting news.

The Latest: Moyes green-lights transfer target Deulofeu…

According to the Spanish news site, Hammers boss David Moyes has personally set his sights on the ex-Watford and Everton forward as a possible replacement for Bowen.

Indeed, the report stated that ‘everything points’ toward the latter’s summer exit as West Ham draw up a list of candidates to succeed him.

Deulofeu, who has been brilliant for Udinese this year, is now on that shortlist, having been given Moyes’ seal of approval.

The Verdict: Right man?

Once called ‘unstoppable’ for his form at Goodison Park by former Everton left-back Michael Ball (Twitter), we believe that Deulofeu could be an astute heir to Bowen if the West Ham star does exit east London this year.

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As per WhoScored, before Udinese’s clash with Roma today, the 28-year-old has averaged a similar, sometimes better, rate of shots at goal, key passes and completed dribbles per 90 when compared to Bowen.

West Ham are further boosted by reports that they could sign Deulofeu for just €20m (£17m), a fairly affordable fee for someone in their prime and in fine form.

In other news: West Ham could make great offer to sign £45m-rated star as another big exit claim emerges, find out more here.

West Ham United are reportedly among the clubs interested in signing Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, who will have a release clause briefly come into play this summer.

What’s the latest?

According to Football League World, the 24-year-old had a £10m release clause in his contract with the Cottagers last summer after their relegation from the Premier League which has since expired, with the defender still plying his trade at Craven Cottage.

However, it has now been revealed that a new release clause will come into play for a very brief period at the start of the summer transfer window.

The west London outfit look set for an instant return to the top flight as Championship winners after a stellar 2021/22 season, with Adarabioyo a major contributor to that feat.

However, despite looking likely to re-establish his credentials as a Premier League player with Fulham, the defender has been subject to plenty of interest from current top-flight clubs, with the Hammers among those who have taken a shine to the centre-back.

With the possibility of being able to sign the former Manchester City player for a cut-price fee, West Ham must stay alert, with the 24-year-old certainly a bright prospect.

West Ham must sign Adarabioyo

Amid injuries, suspensions and prosecution from the RSPCA, this season has seen David Moyes forced to tinker with the Irons’ defence, particularly whilst juggling the demands of four different competitions.

Kurt Zouma has established himself as the Scotsman’s first-choice centre-back, despite the 28-year-old being prosecuted by the RSPCA after a video of him kicking his cat emerged online.

However, the identity of Zouma’s partner has been a talking point throughout the campaign, with Craig Dawson the current favourite ahead of Issa Diop while Angelo Ogbonna recovers from an ACL injury. However, at 31 years of age and with just over a year left on his current contract, the Englishman isn’t a long-term solution.

With the Hammers currently sixth in the league, there is still a strong chance of them securing European football for a second consecutive season, with the east London club also in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will take on Ligue 1 side Lyon.

If they are to achieve that feat once again, GSB will need to invest in adding depth to Moyes’ squad, particularly at centre-back, with Adarabioyo a strong candidate.

The 24-year-old has helped Fulham to keep 10 clean sheets in his 33 appearances this term, averaging 3.7 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and 0.9 tackles per game whilst also enjoying an 87% passing accuracy. Moreover, at 6 foot 5, the Englishman is a towering presence at the back, winning 72% of his aerial duels.

Having come through the ranks at Manchester City, the £17k-per-week defender is of good pedigree and will surely be keen to prove himself once again in the top flight, having been relegated with Fulham last season.

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Furthermore, at 24, the centre-back is blessed with bags of potential whilst also possibly being available for a cut-price fee due to the aforementioned release clause.

Whilst at Blackburn Rovers, Adarabioyo’s then-teammate Darragh Lenihan was full of praise for the defender, saying: “He’s brilliant. His distribution is excellent, he’s quick, he’s big, he has all the attributes. I’ve said to him that he has all the attributes to play for Manchester City in my opinion.”

After such a strong campaign in the Championship, it’s hardly surprising that Premier League clubs are sniffing around for the Fulham defender, who would certainly seem a shrewd signing for the Hammers.

In other news: West Ham must swoop for “spectacular” £16k-p/w “pure talent” with shades of Payet

Celtic have seen many players come through their youth academy and go on to become important first-team figures for the Hoops such as Calum McGregor, James Forrest and Anthony Ralston among others.

However, it seems as though the Parkhead club could be in danger of letting one future star slip through their hands in the coming months.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist and transfer insider Pete O’Rourke had this to say about the possibility of Hoops youngster Ben Doak leaving the club in the near future after being linked with a move to Premier League club Liverpool in recent weeks.

He said: “To see him possibly leave for a move down to Liverpool would come as a blow because I think Celtic did have high hopes for him in the future that he could become a regular in the first team.

“That’s why they were offering some minutes this season as well.”

Not good news for the Hoops

As O’Rourke mentioned, the teenager has played in two SPFL games for Ange Postecoglou’s side in this campaign, the first of which came back in January where he played 22 minutes against Dundee United which was then followed by a brief three-minute cameo in the Hoops’ 3-0 win over Rangers.

According to Bhoys Analytics on Twitter, Doak is a name that “Celtic fans should get familiar with” before naming him a “generational talent”, highlighting the buzz and excitement around the teenager.

Taking all of this into account, it seems as though the Parkhead club are very much in danger of seeing their young prospect follow in the footsteps of previous Celtic players to make the move to the Premier League. For instance, the likes of Victor Wanyama, Virgil van Dijk, Stuart Armstrong, Fraser Forster, Kieran Tierney, Kristoffer Ajer and Odsonne Edouard have all departed.

Although Ange Postecolgou’s side are doing pretty well in the SPFL at the moment sitting at the top of the league table with 76 points on the board from 31 games played, losing Doak will definitely be a blow for them in the long term.

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Should the youngster end up moving and making a name for himself on the big stage at Liverpool, it would not only dishearten a lot of Hoops supporters but would surely leave them gutted at the same time.

In other news: Daily Record drop big 11-word Celtic claim, unforgivable error could be inbound

West Ham could be searching for a new left-back this summer, with Aaron Cresswell turning 33 before the end of the year and Arthur Masuaku failing to earn David Moyes’ trust, having started just five Premier League games so far this season.

In the 28-year-old’s last appearance, he managed a lowly 6.1 match rating against London rivals Tottenham, lasting just 56 minutes before being substituted as Dejan Kulusevski and Matt Doherty gave him a very tough time on the Irons’ left flank.

With Cresswell also transitioning into a wide centre-back in a defensive three, the likelihood that Moyes will begin searching for a new left-back seems to be growing, and Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa has become the latest player to be touted as a possible Hammers transfer target for the summer.

What’s the news?

According to Total Football Analysis, it is “highly likely” that West Ham are monitoring the availability of the left-back, with a view to make a move over the coming months for the £18m-rated star.

However, the east London club will face competition from the likes of Tottenham, particularly with the Croatian defender set to leave Stuttgart should they get relegated, according to Sportske Novosti. His current side have just one point more than 17th-placed Arminia Bielefeld in the Bundesliga, so it appears a real possibility that they could go down by the season’s end.

West Ham must land him

Stuttgart’s shining light in a bleak season, Sosa is their top performer in terms of average match rating according to SofaScore, with an impressive 7.25, with only Freiburg’s Nico Schlotterbeck and Hoffenheim’s David Raum bettering his total out of Bundesliga defenders.

It also makes him statistically the 16th-best performer in the entire league so far this season, having scored one goal and set up a further seven in just 22 appearances.

He has also made 2.1 key passes per game, earning comparisons to a certain England legend from Stuttgart’s sporting director Sven Mislintat, who said: “Borna’s said himself that David Beckham is his role model, and I think he has the same qualities.

“He puts in crosses from every angle: sometimes chipped, sometimes drilled, sometimes flat, sometimes in behind, sometimes to the front post, other times to the back post. His left foot is a real weapon.”

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Ranking in the top 2% among full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for both shot-creating actions per 90 (3.67) and crosses per 90 (5.37) as per FBRef, the “dangerous” left-back could be a lethal weapon for Moyes’ team.

The likes of Michail Antonio, Pablo Fornals and Tomas Soucek could really benefit from Sosa’s crossing ability, with those three plundering plenty of goals from central positions as it is.

In other news: West Ham endured a disaster as 27 y/o “artist” who Moyes has wanted over the past year has his price tag doubled

Everton’s financial situation has been stabilised by a cash injection of £100m from chairman Farhad Moshiri, meaning they will not be hit by FFP sanctions and that they are now “stable” again.

However, that doesn’t mean they are completely out of danger just yet, with the team dangling just above the relegating zone in the Premier League, while the new stadium costs could limit spending over the next few seasons – and sales will need to be made in order to facilitate a rebuild under new manager Frank Lampard.

This could see not just a number of the club’s fringe players depart, but also a number of their star men and fan-favourites, which could ensure that supporters will endure a nightmare summer.

What’s been said?

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Dean Jones has claimed that the club could sell star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin in order to raise much-needed funds.

Jones said: “I don’t think Everton want to sell Calvert-Lewin but I think they’re looking at their situation and realising like, what are our [the club’s] assets? Who would people be interested in?

“[Everton might be thinking] how could we change the direction of this club, and they might have to become open to offers for Calvert-Lewin and then deal with the fallout of it from there.”

According to The Daily Mail, West Ham are among the clubs wanting to take him off the Toffees’ hands, and a fee of around £60m will be enough to acquire his signature.

Lampard surely gutted

If Everton can attract such a hefty fee for the £37.8m-rated striker, it might not be such a bad scenario, as they would definitely be able to replace him with an equally clinical forward for less – with Luka Jovic, who scored an impressive 27 times for Bundesliga side Frankfurt in the 18/19 season, valued at just £16.2m.

Having scored just three goals and setting up one more in ten appearances for the Toffees, in what has been an injury-stricken season, he has at times been poor since his return, and his consistency has been something that has been highlighted in campaigns before.

Former manager Carlo Ancelotti also suggested criticism of the the Englishman was fair, while in charge last season, saying: “We tried to improve the situation, we have worked on this, but to be criticised is absolutely normal and sometimes it is also fair.

“After the game I said Dominic Calvert‑Lewin and Richarlison could do better in these situations and they know this, absolutely.”

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That said, if Everton does sell Calvert-Lewin, it will surely leave Lampard gutted. He is still a top striker in the Premier League, having bagged 21 times last term, and there is no guarantee that his replacement would do such a stellar job.

This is a tricky situation for the Merseyside club and on they’ll have to weigh up carefully.

In other news: Lampard can unearth Everton’s new DCL in “clinical” 16 y/o with 40 goals this season