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Manchester United are stuck in limbo right now when it comes to their managerial saga.

It’s quite apparent that interim head coach Ralf Rangnick will be leaving his post in the summer and moving upstairs, but who will replace him at Old Trafford is anyone’s guess.

What’s the word?

Mauricio Pochettino is still believed to be among the favourites for the job but the man everyone appears to be talking about right now is Erik ten Hag.

The current Ajax boss has reportedly been interviewed by the club but now their pursuit of the Dutchman seems to be going up a notch.

That’s according to Sky Sports who claim that groundwork is being done in order to smooth over an announcement should everything be negotiated sufficiently.

A report on Wednesday reads: “Sources close to Ten Hag and the Dutch club have suggested that dialogue has taken place over the financial element as well as how to handle a possible announcement – should the process progress that way – in terms of timing and presentation, given Ajax are in a tight title race.”

Great news for Man UnitedAlthough this doesn’t officially confirm whether ten Hag is on his way to the Theatre of Dreams, it does hint that the Ajax manager is considerably high up on their list of managerial targets.If they are already discussing the intricate details as listed above then it can only bode well for their pursuit of the 52-year-old.But why is it good news that they’re targeting him? Well, he’s one of the brightest coaches in the game right now, completing some quite wonderful achievements over the last few years.Possessing a clear winning mentality, ten Hag knows what it takes to win a major trophy, securing the Eredivisie title twice and taking home the nation’s domestic cup competition on two occasions too.Furthermore, he ranked fourth in a list of the best managers in world football for 2019, further demonstrating his enormous potential at the elite level.However, it is in the Champions League where he has arguably caught the eye the most, steering Ajax to the semi-finals in 2018/19 as serious underdogs.They almost made it to the final as well, but for Lucas Moura’s goal in the dying embers of the second leg.Also capable of taking talent to the next level, namely the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Dusan Tadic, Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt, everything would appear to bode well for a potential move to Man United.AND in other news, “Man Utd will sign..” – Romano drops huge transfer update, supporters surely buzzing…

West Ham have had a lot of injury problems this season, especially in the run up to the new year.

Things, however, are looking a bit better with Manuel Lanzini returning to training ahead of the Hammers’ London derby versus Fulham at the London Stadium tomorrow.

“For this game, we have the squad which was playing most of the games and for this week I think we will have the squad list [on Thursday] and maybe Lanzini and Nasri can be included on the squad list,” Manuel Pellegrini told reporters in his pre-match press conference (via West Ham’s official club website).

Lanzini has yet to play a game for the Hammers this season following the knee injury he picked up last summer while on international duty with Argentina meaning some rustiness can be expected.

But the 26-year-old remains a player with a lot of technical ability and the type Pellegrini loves to build his team around.

Lanzini is a small, agile No.10 with great dribbling skill and movement in between the lines.

Under Pellegrini, he could develop into something special as he approaches the peak years of his career.

For now, though, the Argentina international will be focusing on returning to full fitness before trying to play a big role in a season where West Ham could end up finishing as high as seventh place.

According to a report by Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte may have been handed a boost as the club pursue Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Tottenham make contact over Nunez…

The Lilywhites are allegedly in contention to sign the Uruguay marksman this summer alongside a plethora of other Premier League clubs.

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Sharing news last week, 90min claimed Tottenham have already made contact with the striker’s entourage alongside the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester United.

It is also believed that West Ham are showing an interest, backing Fabrizio Romano’s previous point that Nunez could be one of the ‘big name’ transfers of the summer window.

However, according to a fresh update, it appears that Conte may now have an ‘advantage’ over Spurs’ competitors.

The Latest: Record share Spurs update…

According to Portuguese news oulet Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham do indeed have a ‘small advantage’ in the race for Nunez, with teams who are closer to Champions League qualification apparently having a better chance of signing him.

This propels Spurs above the likes of West Ham and Newcastle in the pecking order, but it is claimed that Manchester United are currently head of the queue as it stands.

The Verdict: Boost for Conte?

In a potential boost for Conte, Record’s update also exemplifies the sheer importance of European qualification for Spurs as the 52-year-old looks toward a vital run of fixtures leading to the end of 2021/22.

Tottenham’s finish could gift them either a stronger or weaker footing in the summer transfer market as Fabio Paratici aims to attract the cream of the crop.

Nunez, who has scored an incredible 28 goals in all competitions this season, would certainly boost Conte’s sparse centre-forward options at N17, with Breaking The Lines scout writer Maxi Angelo raving over the ‘incredible talent’.

Valued at around €80m (£67m), Benfica are willing to sell for much less than his €150m (£125.2m) release clause, but a move would still require significant investment on Tottenham’s part.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder! Find out more here.

Wolves fans could be in for a nerve-racking summer, with a number of their key players being targeted by some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The likes of Ruben Neves, Max Kilman and Morgan Gibbs-White have all been linked with permanent moves away from Molineux, while Romain Saiss, Joao Moutinho, John Ruddy and Fernando Marcal all have their contracts expiring at the end of the season.

They may also be without loan forward Francisco Trincao – who is being targeted by clubs in Portugal who hope to land him before Wolves can sign him permanently – and to make matters worse, their other left-footed right winger Pedro Neto is now also wanted.

What’s the news?

According to The Daily Mail, French giants PSG are “keeping tabs” on the Portuguese forward, as well as Leeds’ star Raphinha and Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele – who reportedly could be the key as to whether or not the Spanish giants permanently sign Adama Traore.

Despite having signed a new contract until 2027 earlier this month, Neto could be prized away by one of the richest clubs in the world, who are looking to re-shape their team ahead of next season, with star duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe both being linked with moves away.

Potential calamity for Wolves

Should the £31.5m-rated 22-year-old leave Molineux this summer, the already underwhelming Wolves attack will be significantly weakened, as the winger made the most goal contributions last season by four (11), and after suffering a significant fractured kneecap injury, the club scored just 21 Premier League goals before his return last month.

Claimed to have the potential to become “absolutely unreal” by Wolves journalist Nathan Judah, Neto will most likely be a key part of manager Bruno Lage’s plans next season, with fans hoping that they can return to European football.

Last season before his injury, the former Braga and Lazio prospect ranked in the top 5% among wingers and attacking midfielders in the Premier League for progressive carries per 90 (9.64), top 2% for crosses per 90 (4.48) and top 10% for dribbles completed per 90 (2.61).

Still young, he has plenty of time to return to that kind of form and continue his encouraging development – and Wolves fans will be praying that he will be doing that in the West Midlands with them.

In other news: Lage could unearth Wolves’ next Moutinho in ”brilliant” 20 y/o, he’s a “young Paul Gascoigne”

Celtic find themselves in a solid position in terms of their hopes for securing the SPFL title.

In his first season in charge of the Hoops, Ange Postecoglou has taken Celtic to the top of the league table with 33 games played.

With a six-point gap over their Old Firm rivals Rangers in second place, the Bhoys have won 26 games, drawn four and lost three throughout the season.

However, one player that hasn’t contributed that much to Celtic’s campaign is midfielder Ismaila Soro.

With 19 appearances to his name across all competitions, the 23-year-old has only started six of them, highlighting just how far down the pecking order he is.

Even when the £10.5k-per-week midfielder has been able to get on the pitch, he hasn’t been particularly impressive, earning himself a rather uninspiring overall rating of 6.46/10 from WhoScored for his league performances.

This makes him the third-lowest rated player to start at least one league game for the Bhoys this season.

Having been linked with a transfer move away from the Parkhead club during the previous January transfer window, the upcoming summer window could now be the right time for the Hoops to move him on.

Should this finally happen, one figure that Celtic have been mentioned with that could be an ideal replacement for Soro is Coventry City midfielder, Gustavo Hamer.

Back in March, it was reported that the Bhoys are interested in signing the midfielder, who has found the back of the net three times this season and provided 10 assists this season prior to Coventry’s match against AFC Bournemouth.

Described as being like a “terrier” on the pitch that has “a lot of technique and skill on the ball” by Dutch football expert Michael Bell, Hamer has shown that technique by racking up a total of 162 crosses in the Championship this season.

Having also made a total of 42 tackles and the second-highest number of interceptions out of anyone in Coventry’s squad, the 24-year-old could be an ideal all-round replacement for Soro.

Labelled as an “unbelievable” player by Marko Marosi, Hamer is reportedly valued at £5m by his current club, which, in our view, is a fee that the Hoops should definitely consider coughing up to sign the midfield machine this summer, especially if they manage to get rid of Soro.

In other news: Big blow: Insider drops major behind-the-scenes Celtic claim, Ange will be fuming

Craig Hope has revealed some fresh Newcastle United transfer news involving Dean Henderson.

The Lowdown: Burn on his way?

As per Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie, the St. James’ Park faithful have now agreed a £13m fee with Brighton and Hove Albion to sign Dan Burn, adding that he is travelling up to the North East in order to undergo a medical.

He looks set to join Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and the imminent Bruno Guimaraes on Tyneside, meaning that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium can now focus on other targets before the deadline hits.

It seems as though the priority is still on improving the defensive record even after the move for Burn, judging by the latest news from Hope.

The Latest: Attention on Henderson

According to The Daily Mail journalist, talks have begun this weekend to bring Manchester United’s Henderson to Tyneside on loan:

“Talks have taken place in past 24 hours.”

However, after previously reporting that there was a ‘strong chance’ of a deal, Hope is no longer so positive.

“Never say never, but I’m told Henderson/NUFC now looks unlikely.”

The Verdict: Not a priority

Henderson is undeniably talented – during his incredible spell on loan with Sheffield United, when he kept 35 clean sheets in 86 appearances, his Blades teammate, Sander Berge, hailed him as ‘insane’ and ‘exceptional’.

However, the Toon are already stacked in the goalkeeping department with Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Freddie Woodman, and so they should not be prioritising bringing in a new one – even if Woodman leaves, Eddie Howe will still have two senior shot-stoppers at his disposal.

Furthermore, Henderson currently earns a whopping £120,000-per-week at Old Trafford, and while money is not an object to the new owners, they would probably be expected to pay a large chunk of that on top of a potential loan fee.

Nonetheless, they should focus on other positions, with another striker mooted with Callum Wilson’s injury, and the likes of Alvaro Morata and Dominic Calvert-Lewin still reportedly seen as options.

In other news, find out who NUFC have made enquiries over here!

Wolverhampton Wanderers will face a Burnley side without Ashley Westwood in their Premier League clash this afternoon.

What’s the story?

The Clarets midfielder was forced off on a stretcher in their 1-1 draw against West Ham last weekend and has since had to have surgery on his ankle, after fracturing and dislocating it.

Caretaker boss Mike Jackson said to the media, as quoted by Birmingham Live: “It is a fracture and a dislocation. The operation went really well.”

Although, Jackson did provide a positive update on left-back Erik Pieters, saying: “Erik Pieters is doing a lot of running on the grass and is where he needs to be.”

However, after surgery, the 32-year-old now faces a long period on the sidelines and will certainly be absent for Wolves’ meeting with the Lancashire outfit at Turf Moor this afternoon.

A boost for Wolves

It goes without saying that we wish Westwood the very best in his recovery from a serious injury but given his importance to the Clarets, it will be a boost to Wolves that he is missing for this encounter.

The significance of today’s match for both sides is of serious magnitude with both fighting at different ends of the table.

Burnley boosted their survival hopes on Thursday evening with a 2-0 win at home to Southampton but still find themselves one point off safety with 17th-place Everton having a game in hand.

As for Bruno Lage’s men, European qualification is still very possible but will require a strong run of form to close out the season, with the West Midlands outfit currently eighth but five points behind sixth-place Manchester United with two games in hand.

Wanderers are also battling with West Ham, who currently occupy seventh, for a European place with the Hammers three points ahead, although Wolves do have a game in hand.

Lage’s men are in a good position, however, they are slightly reliant on results elsewhere going their way whilst also needing to win their own matches.

At 32, Westwood boasts plenty of experience whilst making 27 appearances in the top-flight for the Lancashire outfit this term, making him a key fixture in their plans.

Therefore, the knowledge that Burnley will be without one of their regular players in Westwood for a crucial match will be a major boost for Lage and co.

AND in other news: Wolves now plot bid to sign “unique” £31.5m-rated livewire, just imagine him & Jimenez

Wolves’ woes in front of goal have continued on from Nuno Santo’s reign, as just five teams in the Premier League have failed to score more than Bruno Lage’s side, with Leeds as far down as 16th having put the ball in the back of the net more times this campaign.

Strikers Raul Jimenez and Hwang-Hee Chan have netted a disappointing total of 11 goals between them, while £36m signing Fabio Silva has managed just one goal all season – which came for the U23s team in the Premier League 2.

They could have wasted even more money last summer though, as they targeted Sheffield United striker Oliver McBurnie in a potential £15m deal, according to The Sun.

The Telegraph also reported on transfer deadline day back in August that the club attempted to complete a deal near the closure of the window, but they had just run out of time – which perhaps was a blessing in disguise.

Having made just six starts in the Championship and appearing a further 19 times from the bench, he has failed to score all campaign and has set up just two goals, in what has been a very unsuccessful season for the £6.3m-rated Scotland international.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that pundit Tam McManus described the attacker as “desperate” for his efforts in the final third.

After having a number of run-ins with the law in recent years, he has also become somewhat of a controversial figure in football, and fans and pundits have regularly criticised his attitude on and off the pitch.

Former Blades striker Carl Asaba is just one of the people who have leapt to his defence recently though, saying in an interview with The Star: “I watch McBurnie arrive at the ground, he’s smiling and happy, he warms up not looking like a man who is tense, or desperate to find a goal as I used to.

“He’s happy and jokey when a substitute and wishes his team mates good luck before kick off.

“He gets onto the pitch and he retains possession, ambles into the box when I’m screaming from commentary box that he needs to break his neck to get across the near post or that he should have taken a shot as you don’t shoot you don’t score.”

With that being said, McBurnie clearly wasn’t the answer for Wolves if he is struggling for goals in the Championship – and the West Midlands club don’t need another forward to ‘retain possession’ or be ‘happy and jokey’ with teammates.

Instead, they need a proven goal-getter who can fire them into European qualification, and the 17-time Scotland international, who hasn’t yet scored for his national side either, isn’t that man.

In other news: Insider drops big Wolves claim involving Ruben Neves, it’ll devastate supporters

A worrying claim has emerged on the future of Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

The Italian head coach was said to be pretty happy with their business during the January transfer window, where Spurs brought in two players from Juventus in Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, whilst letting go of no fewer than four first-team players.

However, according to Eurosport transfer insider Dean Jones, it “wouldn’t be a surprise” to see him walk before the end of his contract, which expires in the summer of 2023.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Conte does think about walking away, but it won’t be right now.”

Worrying news

This would suggest that for the time being, the Italian head coach is prepared to wait and see if he can truly transform the fortunes of the north London outfit.

It’s going to take several windows to achieve but Conte will need to be backed financially if he’s to turn Spurs into contenders once again. If he’s not going to get that support, then it’s quite easy to see why he would just give up on the club.

After all, he asked for four signings – he got two. He wanted a right wing-back, a left-sided centre-back, a central midfielder and a striker. He got one.

There’s clearly a whole lot more that Conte would like to do to this squad, you’d imagine and the summer will be a great time to see whether or not Daniel Levy and the ownership will back him.

Spurs failed to land one of their top targets in the winter window. Their long pursuit of Adama Traore, who was also linked in the off-season, ended up with the player rejecting the club due to concerns over the right wing-back role and instead joining his former side, Barcelona.

They also missed out on Luis Diaz, who went to top-flight rivals, Liverpool.

The 52-year-old spent around £234.5m in his second season at Chelsea and around £172m in his first campaign at Inter Milan on new signings, as per the Express, but it clearly paid off as he won the Premier League and Serie A title.

It is therefore plausible to see him walk should he not get the backing he needs to have Spurs contending at the top of the table and back in the Champions League.

This latest claim from Jones should leave many fans worried about the summer and beyond.

AND in other news, Bentancur in, Skipp and Moura out: Is this Spurs’ strongest XI after January?… 

Transfer insider Dean Jones has made a claim on Leeds United potentially looking to sign Watford forward Emmanuel Dennis.

The Lowdown: Productive first season

Dennis, who can play anywhere in attack, made the move to England last summer and has enjoyed a productive first season in the Premier League.

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The Nigeria international has scored ten league goals in a struggling Watford side while also registering five assists.

He’s been fairly quiet in 2022, though, scoring just twice, and with the Hornets looking likely to suffer relegation back to the Championship, Jones feels like the Whites could target someone like Dennis.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Leeds could well be in the market for a new forward this summer following Patrick Bamford’s injury struggles.

Talking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that the club could ‘sound out’ Dennis, labelling him as the ‘level of player that they’re looking at’.

“From what I understand, they would much prefer to have somebody who has had a taste of life in England, scoring goals at the top level, so Dennis might be a player they sound out.

“I don’t think it’s one that’s been mooted yet but, absolutely, that is the level of player that they’re looking at.”

The Verdict: Orta may not have been impressed

Described as a ‘menace’ by Gary Lineker back in 2019, the 24-year-old has been a standout player for Watford, so a summer swoop could be a shrewd move.

However, Dennis didn’t exactly impress against Leeds earlier this month, with Victor Orta spotted with Whites supporters ahead of the game. The Leeds chief would have been watching on from the stands as Dennis came on as a first-half substitute in the 3-0 win for Jesse Marsch’s side.

As per SofaScore, Dennis gave possession away 20 times in his 51-minute display, lost 13 duels and failed to have a single shot or complete a cross, so Orta may have reservations over a potential summer move.

In other news: Orta’s first-team signing now set for ‘trial’ away from Leeds ‘this week’.