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According to The Athletic, Manchester United have pulled out of the race to sign Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig.

What’s the story?

United were heavily linked with a move for Upamecano in the summer, with The Telegraph revealing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted to pair him with Harry Maguire at the heart of the defence ahead of the new season.

The 22-year-old is one of the most sought after talents in Europe after arriving at the Red Bull Arena from sister club Red Bull Salzburg in 2017.

However, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that the Red Devils have cooled their interest in the RB Leipzig defender, who signed a new contract with the club earlier this year, which reportedly contains a release clause which will be active from next summer.

It’s subsequently been claimed that Upamecano is desperate to move to the Premier League, with former Norway striker-turned transfer guru Jan Aage Fjortoft hinting “the ball will start rolling” next summer.

This could just be the club’s feeble attempt to try and play hardball in transfer negotiations, but whatever the case may be, Ed Woodward simply must sign him at all costs or face serious consequences.

United must sign Upamecano at all costs

While the Red Devils remain interested in Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, Woodward should forget about making a move for the England international, and should instead focus his efforts on prising Upamecano away from the Red Bull Arena – it would be an unforgivable error if he doesn’t land the Frenchman.

It’s fair to say that Solskjaer needs to bolster his centre-back options, as Maguire has had his fair share of criticism so far this season, while Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof simply isn’t up to scratch.

United survived a late scare against Sheffield United after David McGoldrick headed home from a corner to give the hosts a small amount of hope before Dean Henderson exorcised his demons by saving a shot from Lys Mousset.

Upamecano is certainly an option the club legend should look to consider as a genuine contender, having made 28 appearances in the Bundesliga last season, whilst he averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 3 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

Valued at £54m via Transfermarkt, in five appearances in the Champions League, Upamecano is averaging 3.2 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game, as per WhoScored.

By comparison, Lindelof hasn’t even managed one tackle on average per game in any competition so far this season.

It goes without saying that he would be a significant upgrade on most if not all of the options currently available to Solskjaer, with Rio Ferdinand hailed him as a “formidable” beast after an outstanding display against Atletico Madrid last season.

AND in other news, Paul Pogba stole the show for Solskjaer as Man Utd edged past Sheffield United…

If an extra-terrestrial was sent down to Earth to study football on Friday evening, their assessment of the beautiful game would conclude that it was anything but pretty.

That would definitely have been the case if they watched Everton and West Ham play each other. The match between the two overachievers this season was a drab affair devoid of quality, penetration and excitement but it did garner one goal.

Unfortunately for the Toffees, it went West Ham’s way as Tomas Soucek was in the right place at the right time yet again to come up with the goods.

It was a performance from Carlo Ancelotti’s side that was completely out of tune with their recent performances. Over the last month or so they have beaten Leicester, Arsenal and Chelsea but this lacked everything we saw in those matches.

It was a slow laboured display and it was typified by the performance of midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson.

The Iceland international scored against Sheffield United last time out but his efforts on this occasion, along with Bernard’s on the right-hand side, weren’t good enough. The Brazilian only won one of the nine duels he contested but Sigurdsson was even worse.

To highlight how bad he was, the attacking midfielder lost 100% of his duels, failing to engineer a performance of any significance. Though, it was his creativity that should have been the biggest concern. Sigurdsson mustered only one key pass and thus, was lamented for it at full-time.

Adam Jones, Everton reporter for the Liverpool Echo, wrote: “Everton needed creativity and energy in the final third and it was unfortunately lacking from Sigurdsson on this occasion.”

With James Rodriguez starting on the bench, Ancelotti really needed his midfielder to stand up and be counted but that simply wasn’t the case. To add to his woes, he didn’t attempt a single shot or dribble.

Everton had plenty of problems against the Hammers, but Sigurdsson was undoubtedly one of the worst. He needs to match the same energy he showed on Boxing Day.

AND in other news, Brands can boost Everton’s UCL push with swoop for “tremendous” £130k-p/w wizard…

Tottenham Hotspur start their FA Cup quest as the competition resumes with the third-round proper this weekend.

Jose Mourinho’s side landed themselves a favourable tie as they will travel to non-league minnows Marine on Sunday afternoon.

The Northern Premier League outfit stunned League Two Colchester United in the second round and will be on the hunt for another giant-killing tomorrow night.

Earlier in the week, Spurs advanced into the Carabao Cup final thanks to a 2-0 victory over Brentford and whilst they have one foot closer to their first piece of silverware in 12 years, they shouldn’t take their opposition for granted.

And Mourinho has plenty to consider in terms of team selection. However, it is unlikely that he tinkers too much after revealing in his pre-game press conference that only one U18 player would be travelling with the senior squad.

One name he must consider axing from his stating XI is Lucas Moura after he dropped a disasterclass in midweek.

Aside from Harry Kane, the Brazilian winger recorded the lowest rating (6.6) of any Spurs player per SofaScore.

He won just four of 11 duels, was dribbled past three times, made only 71% of his passes and could only touch the ball 28 times in 71 minutes of action.

His display even came under fire from former Spurs midfielder and talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara, who tweeted: “Need to see more from Moura, drifts in and out of games and shows no cutting edge this season.”

Indeed, Moura’s poor form this term has seen him slip out-of-favour in the Premier League, starting just one game since October (ten matches).

He’s become somewhat a ‘cup winger’, but here against Marine, no mercy must be shown. He has to be dropped for underperforming once again.

The £36m-rated (€40m) dynamo has even struggled to find the net in the top-flight, managing just one goal since January 2020.

Despite the drastic drop in fortunes, it was only two months ago that teammate Eric Dier claimed Moura was “a nightmare,” he told the Premier League’s official YouTube channel:

“There’s no-one worse to train against than Lucas Moura. He’s a nightmare. He’s so fast, so sharp.”

Mourinho also confirmed that Bale was fit and training again, so it makes the decision to ruthlessly drop him all that easier this weekend.

AND in other news, Mourinho can repeat Ibrahimovic masterstroke with £120k-p/w leader…

Argentine publication El Intransigente reported earlier this week that West Ham United are interested in signing River Plate right-back Gonzalo Montiel, and it could prove to be bad news for Ryan Fredericks.

Claims over the past month have cast a dark shadow over Fredericks’ long-term future at the London Stadium, with David Moyes thought to be open to parting ways with the Manuel Pellegrini signing.

Fredericks has even been touted to be at the top of the Hammers’ shortlist of players they are looking to sell in the January transfer window, having fallen heavily out of favour this season following the £5.5m million arrival of Vladimir Coufal in the summer.

Moyes had started the season with Fredericks firmly his first-choice option at right-back, but has only trusted the 28-year-old to play 91 minutes of Premier League football since limping off early into the second half of September’s 4-0 win over Wolves with a hamstring injury.

Coufal has been without a serious rival for the right-back spot since making his Irons debut, with the 28-year-old playing all but 95 minutes of top-flight action since joining from Slavia Prague, having only sat out last month’s goalless draw with Southampton.

Moyes has even taken to omitting Fredericks from his 18-man matchday squad for five league games and counting, plus Monday night’s FA Cup third round win at Stockport County, and any interest in Montiel would suggest the former Fulham defender has reached the end of the line in east London.

Montiel is said to have many suitors assessing his situation in Argentina, with AS Roma, Bologna, Olympique Lyonnais and West Ham all presenting potential offers of life in Europe to the 24-year-old.

He is a key player at River Plate, where he graduated from the club’s academy to make his senior debut in 2016, starting 11 of their 12 Copa Libertadores ties this season while offering one goal and six assists.

It remains to be seen if Montiel does leave the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti this winter, but his efforts under Marcelo Gallardo would suggest he would be a far superior rival to Coufal than Fredericks has been.

Fredericks has been a creative option during West Ham’s Premier League fixtures when given a chance to show his worth this season, yet has failed to match his offensive contribution of 2.0 key balls and 0.6 accurate crosses a game with the same defensive support, per SofaScore.

The 28-year-old makes just 0.8 successful tackles and wins only 1.8 of his ground duels, to allow Coufal to retain the position with ease through his 3.1 successful tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 4.2 ground duels won, 1.5 accurate crosses and 1.5 key balls.

As for Montiel, the eight-cap Argentina international boasted 1.8 successful tackles, a strong 2.2 interceptions and won 3.2 ground duels a game to help River Plate keep six clean sheets in the Copa Libertadores on route to the semi-finals.

The £7m-rated talent also offered 1.2 accurate crosses, 1.6 key balls, took 0.8 shots and never shied from the ball with 68.8 touches on average.

With Montiel four years younger than both Coufal and Fredericks, he also has longevity over the pair, and should prove a true rival for the right-back role if Moyes is backed in the transfer market.

AND in other news, GSB must back Moyes with WHU move for “devastating” 17-goal star with “explosive pace”…

West Brom have sanctioned the temporary departure of Rekeem Harper this week…

What’s the word?

The out-of-favour midfielder has joined Championship outfit Birmingham City on loan until the end of the season, following in the footsteps of former Baggies attacker Jonathan Leko, who made a permanent switch in the summer.

Harper signed a new three-year deal upon Slaven Bilic’s arrival at the Hawthorns in the summer of 2019 despite reported interest from European giants Liverpool and Juventus among others.

Last chance saloon

The 20-year-old academy graduate has struggled for game time since making his debut in 2017, which was also the year of his first and only other loan spell away from the Midlands club.

Which means for the past two to three seasons, he’s pretty much been restricted to U23s football, even despite being earmarked as a future star by many former Albion manager – if those transfer links weren’t anything to go by above.

Indeed, Harper has only played 42 times for the first-team, of which only 17 have come since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, per Transfermarkt.

This could well be the last chance saloon for the former England U20 international as it’s hard to envisage him breaking into Sam Allardyce’s plans if firstly, he’s not currently in them despite their ongoing struggles and relegation battle, and secondly, if he fails to hit the ground running at St Andrew’s Stadium.

After Tony Pulis first promoted him into the senior fold, then-academy coach Jimmy Shan likened his ability to Premier League great Patrick Vieira, he told reporters:

“He can be a classic box-to-box midfielder like Patrick Vieira, he can play in a two or a three. He can play holding midfield, number 10 or number eight. He really is a talent who has got a lot of potential and the good thing is he’s working hard at his game.”

Similar thoughts were echoed by ex-boss Darren Moore, who said: “He excites the fans, he’s young, energetic, fresh, he’s enjoying his game, fearless – all the components of a really good player,” and then Bilic too: “I never denied that I love him as a player – I love those kind of players, who are powerhouses but can pass the ball, that’s great.”

Evidently, he now needs to prove that talent otherwise it’s going to be another case of unfulfilled potential at West Brom, another Saido Berahino, perhaps.Aside from all the transfer controversy, the former Baggies striker was clearly an impressive prospect as he bagged 14 goals in 38 appearances during the 2014/15 Premier League season.Though, now still only 27, he finds himself trying to salvage his career over in Belgium, playing for Charleroi on loan from Zulte Waregam.If Harper isn’t careful, then he’s in grave danger of becoming the next Berahino. He must deliver at Birmingham in these next six months. Those links to Liverpool and Juventus are a mere memory for the time being.

AND in other news, Dowling must avoid Rickie Lambert 2.0 in “full-blooded” £9m-rated colossus…

When Pablo Hernandez finally departs Leeds, he will leave behind him one of the biggest legacies that has been left at Elland Road in the last decade.

The Spaniard may now be in the twilight of his career and struggling to have a big impact on the pitch, but he is still a magician, a player capable of unlocking even the sternest of defences.

When he signed for the club permanently in January 2017, he became part of a new age for Leeds, one led by Andrea Radrizzani.

Since then, the duo have helped to lead a remarkable charge towards Premier League football. Radrizzani’s investment has been game-changing behind the scenes but on the field, Hernandez has been remarkable.

He has won the club’s Player of the Year award three years in a row and was even named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year for 2018/19. He is a stalwart of Elland Road and during his time in Yorkshire, has contributed 36 goals and 41 assists.

It’s a splendid record and it would take quite something for a fellow Leeds player to replicate those numbers. Who the Whites look to replace him with in the coming years will be interesting to see.

They have a number of young players coming through in attacking areas, from Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood to Jack Jenkins. However, the player we want to focus on is Charlie Allen, someone we believe is already showing shades of Hernandez.

The 17-year-old penned permanent terms over the summer and after playing four times for Linfield’s senior side, he has made steady strides in the Leeds academy.

Like Hernandez, he possesses the ability to play in attacking midfield and also on the right-hand side. He has scored once this term but has provided two assists for his teammates, showing glimpses of vibrant creativity.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-leeds-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Leeds news!”]

Allen is incredibly mature for his age and after becoming Linfield’s youngest ever player at 15 years and five months, he has already been on the scene for a while. Though, he has more than just creativity in his locker.

The teenager was named on The Guardian’s Next Gen list for 2020, where they wrote the following: “[Allen is] two-footed, blessed with adhesive close control, impressive vision, passing range and finishing ability.”

That sounds remarkably similar to Hernandez, someone who glides across the turf and passes opponents with ease.

Importantly, he’s not been told to simplify his game either. Irish FA Elite Performance Director Jim Magilton said, when Allen signed: “He has always had that wonderful ability to go past people which is a dying art. We didn’t want to coach that out of him and it was an insistence of mine to give him the confidence to keep playing that way.”

Having already played multiple times at senior level albeit not at Leeds, he is likely to be further ahead in his development than a fair few players in the Leeds academy.

However, before he earns his chance in the Leeds first team, he will need to prove himself at U23 level. He has made just the two Premier League 2 appearances this term so that will be an area he looks to improve upon in the future.

If he can do that, Marcelo Bielsa may well have a ready-made Hernandez heir right in front of him. After all, the Northern Irishman has very similar qualities.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, Bielsa favourite axed: How Leeds’ XI could look after deadline day…

Glasgow Rangers are expected to rotate their squad once again when they return to Scottish Premiership action against Hamilton on Sunday afternoon.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is set to make a few changes for the Gers’ clash with the Accies this weekend.

Gerrard fielded a largely-unchanged side for the Premiership tie against St Johnstone and he was rewarded with a solid 1-0 win over the struggling Saints.

However, the Ibrox boss is expected to take the opportunity to rest a number of first-team stars on Sunday as he reverts to a starting XI similar to that which triumphed 8-0 against Hamilton last time out.

So, without further ado, here is Football FanCast’s predicted starting line-up, which sees Gerrard ring three changes to the team that beat the Saints.

As is often the case, it’s likely Allan McGregor will start in goal behind a traditional back four once more.

Connor Goldson and James Tavernier will both retain their starting berths but Borna Barisic and Filip Helander are likely to drop out as Calvin Bassey and Leon Balogun return to the starting line-up.

Glen Kamara was rested against the Saints but should return in place of Steven Davis in the midfield, while Gerrard could opt for a slight formation change against the Accies so Joe Aribo and Ryan Jack will keep their places.

Scott Arfield is edging closer to full fitness but is unlikely to feature here, while Alfredo Morelos serves the second of his three-match suspension following his stamp on Ryan Porteous.

Kemar Roofe has been served with a notice of complaint by the SFA after his controversial challenge on St Johnstone’s Murray Davidson so could miss out in favour of Cedric Itten, although Roofe is the more likely pick having started the previous Premiership fixture.

Meanwhile, Ianis Hagi should continue on the right wing with Ryan Kent lining up on the opposite wing if Gerrard sticks with Roofe as his central striker.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard should unleash Rangers defender Calvin Bassey against Hamilton Academical…

Everton have been gifted a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Fulham as Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that James Rodriguez will be fit to feature.

The Colombian maestro was forced to sit out his side’s FA Cup fifth round win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night due to a tight calf.

Rodriguez sustained the issue during last weekend’s 3-3 draw with Manchester United, where the 29-year-old had scored Everton’s second for his fifth goal of the season.

Ancelotti withdrew Rodriguez from the action at Old Trafford midway through the second half as a precaution, having seen the midfielder fail to shake the issue following the break.

Everton had hoped to see the former Real Madrid playmaker feature in midweek, but will now be able to call on Rodriguez when Scott Parker’s Fulham visit Goodison Park.

But the injury picture at Goodison Park is not ideal, with Ancelotti adding that Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jordan Pickford will be missing.

“Both [Calvert-Lewin and Pickford] will not be available for the game on Sunday. We are looking for the next game on Wednesday where we think both of them will be available,” Ancelotti said on Friday.

“We have back Andre Gomes, James, Josh King, and in the next week we think Allan will be back, so the squad is ready for the next games.

“James is fine. He trained yesterday and today and is available for the game on Sunday. No problem.”

Having Rodriguez back available for selection on Sunday will come as a huge boost for Ancelotti, as only top-scorer Calvert-Lewin (18) and Richarlison (8) have scored more often for Everton than the Colombian (5) has across all competitions this season.

Only Gylfi Sigurdsson (7) has provided as many or more assists than Rodriguez (7), too, but may now find himself undeservingly axed from the starting line-up to make way for the 29-year-old’s return.

Sigurdsson more than held his own in the role against Tottenham in midweek, with the £16m-rated Iceland international directly involved in four of the Blues’ five goals.

The ex-Swansea City creator provided the assist for Calvert-Lewin’s initial equaliser before scoring to put Everton 3-1 ahead, and later playing the pass through for Richarlison and Bernard to strike go ahead goals after Spurs mustered a comeback.

But Ancelotti may not feel there is room in the side for both Sigurdsson and Rodriguez, who has only failed to start one of his last eight Premier League appearances in a central role.

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring an “exciting” teen prospect Carlo Ancelotti could sign for free…

Steve Bruce must unleash Paul Dummett after confirming that Newcastle will be without Federico Fernandez against Manchester United on Sunday due to a calf injury.

That’s according to The Northern Echo, who quote the Magpies boss as stating that the Argentine returned to training earlier this week but will not be fit to feature at Old Trafford.

The Toon have been without Fernandez since January’s 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United when Bruce’s men earned the unwanted honour of becoming the first side to lose a Premier League fixture to Chris Wilder’s relegation-threatened Blades this season.

Fernandez has since missed Newcastle’s last seven top-flight fixtures as a result of his calf issue, as well as the FA Cup third-round defeat to Arsenal.

But while the defender will not be considered for a recall against Manchester United, Bruce hopes to award the 31-year-old his 18th appearance of the season across all competitions when the Toon host Wolverhampton Wanderers next Saturday.

“Fede has trained [on Thursday] and the day before, for the first time,” Bruce said. “Unfortunately, Man U will be too quick for him. He’s been [out for] a month with his calf. But we’re hoping, against Wolves, that he might be ready.”

Newcastle will also be without Callum Wilson, Javier Manquillo and Fabian Schar at Old Trafford. And while the trio are long-term absentees, Bruce is most optimistic over Manquillo’s situation.

“They’re going to be [out for] weeks,” Bruce added. “Schar has had his operation, but we’re only talking about a week ago. Callum’s is a muscle injury, so we’ve just got to be patient and wait there.

“The one that looks better than most is Manquillo. He twisted his ankle badly but has responded very, very well to treatment. But with the other two, Fab has had his operation and, with Callum, we know we’ve just [got] to be patient with it and give him as much time as he needs.”

Bruce ruling Fernandez out of Newcastle’s trip to Manchester United on Sunday must now see the Toon boss unleash Dummett for only his third start of the Premier League season, after confirming that the £4m-rated titan is in contention for a rare appearance.

Dummett had to wait until December to earn his first top-flight outing of the term due to the hamstring strain he sustained last January before returning to the treatment room last month due to what Bruce described as fatigue following tendon problems.

The 29-year-old is now back in a state where the Magpies boss believes he can play a role at Old Trafford, where Bruce feels Dummett’s experience could come in handy.

“We’ll need his experience and know-how,” Bruce said, via quotes by Chronicle Live. “We’re also mindful of just throwing him in there. Since Southampton, he’s trained another week and the more sessions he does the better. He’s there or thereabouts.”

Dummett proved his defensive expertise during his last Premier League appearance against the Saints after coming on as a 67th-minute substitute and recording a joint game-high seven clearances to help protect Newcastle’s one-goal advantage while down to nine men.

For comparison, Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo offers the most clearances per game among all players who have featured more than five times in the top-flight this term with 5.8, so Dummett could clearly bring something to the table in Fernandez’s absence if unleashed on Manchester United.

AND in other news, Newcastle weigh up free-agent swoop for striker with two career Premier League goals…

Tottenham Hotspur can still finish in the top four of the Premier League, according to Spurs legend Gary Mabbutt in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

The former captain of the north London club spoke exclusively to Football FanCast earlier this week.

And he believes that the congested and tight nature of the Premier League table means that the club retain every chance of qualifying for the Champions League through their league position.

They have been in relatively poor form in recent weeks, with Jose Mourinho’s side slipping as low as ninth at one point.

Their 4-0 win over Burnley at the weekend, though, moved Spurs eighth, six points behind fourth-placed West Ham United with a game in hand.

And Mabbutt insists that Spurs simply need to string together a run of results in order to be back in contention.

Mourinho’s men play relegation-threatened Fulham on Thursday, before taking on Crystal Palace on Sunday and then playing Arsenal the weekend following. The north London derby comes after a home clash with Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.

And Mabbutt remains confident that the club can end the season strongly.

He said: “So Spurs dropping two or three results or whatever, here and there. We’ve got, in my own opinion, four or five games, coming up, and those games are all winnable.

“If we suddenly get any team in the top 10 that gets three or four wins on the trot, that’d be them back up in the top four. That’s how it is.”

Spurs also have the potential of qualifying for the Champions League via the Europa League, though they would need to win the competition to do so.

Beating Zagreb, of course, would move them into the quarter-finals of the competition.