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CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs says that Moises Caicedo did not have a preference of club when he wanted to leave in January, amid Arsenal’s interest.

The Lowdown: Two bids rejected

It has been reported that Arsenal could go back in for Caicedo in the summer after having two bids rejected by Brighton and Hove Albion in January, the second thought to be worth up to £70m.

They were not the only ones interested in the central midfielder though, with Chelsea also thought to have had a £55m offer rejected.

Caicedo begged Brighton to let him leave late on in the window, after Arsenal’s first offer of £60m was rejected.

The Latest: No preference

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs says that Caicedo did not necessarily have a preference of which club he wanted to join, despite posting on Instagram shortly after Arsenal’s first bid:

“Caicedo, from what I understand, didn’t necessarily have an absolute preference of club. He wanted the move, but he termed it very generically a magnificent opportunity, and that magnificent opportunity started when only Chelsea bid and ended when Arsenal made two bids.

“His head was turned during that whole process, which tells you that it’s more about joining one of the big six than necessarily being overly fixed on a singular club.”

The Verdict: Arsenal should be favourites

Arsenal should be favourites to sign Caicedo over Chelsea in the summer, given that they made the higher bid for the Ecuador international and pursued the ‘terrific athlete’ right up until Transfer Deadline Day.

Chelsea ended up signing midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record fee instead, so they may be unwilling to splash that amount of cash on another midfielder like Caicedo this summer.

The Gunners are also in a better place than the Blues at the moment in terms of the Premier League table, sitting high at the top while their London rivals struggle in ninth.

Nonetheless, if the North Londoners want him, then they should have a clearer path to his signature.

Manchester United’s hectic run of February fixtures continues away to bitter rivals Leeds United later today, with Erik ten Hag’s side hoping for an improved performance following the disappointing 2-2 draw against the managerless Whites at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

That thrilling, end-to-end encounter saw the Red Devils get off to a slow start in either half, having been forced to come from two goals down to secure a point amid what was a frantic finale on the night.

Despite the continued optimism that is surrounding United at present – with the Carabao Cup final looming – the club are enduring something of a mixed run of form in the Premier League at present, having won just one of their last four games in the competition.

With both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur dropping points on Saturday, it has given Ten Hag’s men the ideal chance to strengthen their place in the top four this afternoon, albeit with the former Ajax boss set to be without the suspended Casemiro once again, while Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay and Antony are also not expected to be involved due to injury.

How will Man United line up away to Leeds?

With those absentees in mind, Football FanCast predicts that the Dutchman will make four changes from the side that was held in midweek, with notable alterations potentially set to lie in the attacking ranks…

Despite the importance of today’s meeting in Yorkshire, Ten Hag may also have one eye on Thursday’s pivotal away trip to Barcelona in the Europa League, hence the possibility that the 53-year-old will somewhat shuffle his pack.

One notable alteration could see Aaron Wan-Bissaka return at right-back in place of Diogo Dalot, provided the Englishman has recovered from illness, while club captain Harry Maguire – who scored in this meeting last season – could replace Raphael Varane in the centre of the defence, with the “world-class” asset, as lauded by journalist Samuel Luckhurst, no doubt a figure needing to be managed ahead of the upcoming Camp Nou showdown.

As for the midfield, the lack of alternatives should see Bruno Fernandes, Marcel Sabitzer and Fred form something of a makeshift trio once again, even though the latter man distinctly underwhelmed last time out.

Further tactical tweaks should well be in order in the forward line, with both Alejandro Garnacho and Wout Weghorst set to make way, with the towering Dutchman having looked “out of kilter” with his teammates on Wednesday, as per Luckhurst.

That should see man of the moment Marcus Rashford deployed in a central berth, with the wide roles potentially set to be taken up by Facundo Pellistri and Jadon Sancho, following the latter man’s timely equaliser in midweek.

Having endured a difficult time at the Theatre of Dreams to date – after previously proving a “revelation” at Borussia Dortmund according to ex-United ace Paul Ince – Sancho will be looking to make up for lost time this afternoon.

Predicted Man Utd XI (4-3-3): De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Fred, Sabitzer, Fernandes; Pellistri, Rashford, Sancho.

Journalist Ross Gregory has claimed that Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock may not be fit enough to play in the upcoming Carabao Cup final.

What’s the latest on Joe Willock and his NUFC injury?

The Englishman is currently a doubt for the club’s next Premier League fixture after coming off early last weekend with a hamstring injury.

While it will be bad enough to lose a key member of the Magpies set up for that big league clash against Liverpool, Willock will nervously be looking beyond that with regard to his possible return.

Indeed, Eddie Howe and co take on Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on 26th February, and it now looks as though the midfielder is facing a race against time to get fit.

While speaking about the possible injury disappointment on NUFC Matters, Gregory explained: “Joe Willock, I don’t see being fit [for Liverpool]. I think that’s fairly obvious that his hamstring injury is going to keep them out, and potentially keep him out of the Wembley fixture as well, which would be a real blow for him.

“I think he’s going to be out. That leaves Newcastle really short on options in that centre of the park.” What does the Willock injury mean for Newcastle?

If Willock can’t play against the Red Devils, that will come as a huge blow for the individual who no doubt would be desperate to feature in the club’s first cup final since 1999.

Seeing as he has played in every round of the Carabao Cup so far as well – earning a respectable average of 6.73 match rating per game in the competition, too (via Sofascore) – manager Howe likely won’t want to alter his winning formula at the final hurdle if possible.

In total, Willock has featured in 29 games across all competitions this term for the Magpies, showing just how trusted he is by his manager. If he can’t play at Wembley they may struggle without him.

Crucial details of the San Francisco 49ers Enterprises’ proposed takeover of Leeds United still need to be decided, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: £400m+ option

The 49ers Enterprises have had a deal in place to take over from Andrea Radrizzani since December 2021. The American investors and Radrizzani struck a deal that would see the former of the two take 100 per cent control for a total price in excess of £400 million.

However, they only have until January to exercise that agreement, and it looks as if finer technicalities still need tuning.

The Latest: Takeover news

FI reporter Adam Williams shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Leeds and the 49ers. He stressed that the 49ers are still committed to a deal even if the Whites suffer relegation to the Championship, but he was told by a well-placed mergers and acquisitions source that it is “simply not the case that all there is left to do is execute the deal”.

Williams added that the “precise makeup of the deal – the exact source of the funds and post-takeover board structure among other intricacies – has not yet been decided”.

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The Verdict: Needed

The club have been in a mess this month, with Jesse Marsch sacked almost two weeks ago. His replacement still hasn’t been brought in, with Michael Skubala taking caretaker charge.

Leeds supporters made their feelings known against Everton on Saturday, with chants of sack the board and specific frustrations towards Victor Orta being heard at Goodison Park.

Therefore, you could say that a complete reset at Elland Road under the 49ers would be welcomed, and after they were influential in the club-record transfer of Georginio Rutter, they may well have big plans both on and off the pitch, where Leeds will hopefully remain a Premier League side.

West Ham came close to signing Alex Song on a permanent deal from Barcelona but it seems clear that the Hammers dodged a bullet when he failed his medical, as he is now plying his trade in Djibouti.

What happened with Alex Song at West Ham?

Song was a Cameroonian midfielder who first came to prominence with Arsenal, where he would enjoy comfortably the best spell of his footballing career.

The Gunners would sign him from SC Bastia in 2004 and it didn’t take long for him to become a regular under legendary manager Arsene Wenger, making 204 appearances in total, in which he contributed ten goals and 23 assists.

This attracted the attention of Barcelona in 2012 and he would complete a move to the Catalan club in a deal worth £15m.

However, despite joining one of the best teams in history, it seems as if Song was motivated by money, rather than winning trophies and playing good football at the Nou Camp.

He admitted in a 2022 interview that he didn’t care that he wouldn’t feature in many games for the La Liga giants, suggesting that once he knew he would become a millionaire, the move was a no-brainer.

However, Barcelona decided quickly that Song wasn’t at the required level to play, as he managed just 65 appearances, before joining the Hammers on loan for the 2014/15 campaign.

After making 31 appearances in all competitions, Song had clearly done enough to impress and a deal was agreed for him to join permanently on a free transfer, but he failed his medical and instead re-joined for another year on loan.

However, his game time was severely limited that term, as he made just 12 appearances in the Premier League before returning to Spain the following summer, when he eventually got his move away from the club, joining Rubin Kazan on a free transfer.

The 35-year-old hardly set the world alight during his time in Russia, making just 23 appearances before a move to Switzerland with FC Sion, and later, rather bizarrely to AS Arta/Solar7 in Djibouti.

Considering how quickly his career has declined, as well as his own admission about being money motivated, it seems clear that West Ham dodged a bullet by only signing Song on loan, rather than a permanent transfer back in 2015.

Aston Villa have made a new striker to partner Ollie Watkins their main transfer priority, according to Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Five in five

Unai Emery’s side returned to winning ways in the Premier League over the weekend after three defeats on the spin.

Watkins set Villa on their way against Everton from the penalty spot, making it five goals in as many top-flight games. He has netted nine goals in all competitions in 2022/23, and it looks as if Emery and co want more options in the final third heading into the Spaniard’s first full season in charge.

The Latest: Preece’s comments

Preece shared a Q&A for Birmingham Live on Thursday morning, where he was asked about the club’s transfer plans.

The Villa correspondent replied, saying: “A new No.9 to partner Ollie Watkins is at the top of Villa’s shopping list this summer. The defence will be strengthened as well.”

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The Verdict: Makes sense

Watkins is in a real purple patch at this moment in time, but after selling Danny Ings in January, bringing in a new marquee attacker would be a sensible move. Teenager Jhon Duran arrived in the Midlands during the winter window, with Emery having Watkins and Duran as his only options.

Prior to recent months, Watkins had scored just three goals in 19 league games, which again shows that it would be a wise move to bolster their ranks further.

It will be interesting to see who the club decide to go for, but one man who has been mentioned is Moussa Dembele, with Emery thought to be a ‘big fan’.

TalkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara has praised Manchester City star Phil Foden, claiming he would be worth £200m in this market.

How has Foden performed for Man City?

The England international has found himself on the bench at times this season, with just 16 of his 24 league appearances coming from the start, but opened the scoring in City’s crucial victory over Newcastle.

The 22-year-old has scored 13 and assisted five times in this campaign, as the Champions attempt to keep pace with league leaders Arsenal, and has earned praise for his level of performance.

Speaking on Sky Sports, O’Hara lauded Foden, claiming that he could be worth double what record signing Jack Grealish is to City.

“Whenever I watch him play, he’s just so good,” he stated.

“We talked about Jack Grealish being a £100m player, but he’s been around for a long time. Phil Foden’s really still a kid, and he’s doing things that I’ve never seen before in a young player.

“He’s born and bred through Manchester City’s Academy, and they have got a £200m player in Phil Foden, and every time I watch him play, I’m just mesmerised. I really am. I don’t think we appreciate how good he is.”

Should Foden be starting more games?

The versatile winger has to compete with Grealish and Riyad Mahrez amongst others for a starting position in City’s large squad, and regular rotation means none are guaranteed starters.

The departures of Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus in the summer opened up more potential game time for City’s wingers, but there is a case to be made that Foden should be starting more.

Guardiola has admitted that he is playing Foden less, partially due to the form of Grealish and Mahrez, with the more experienced players performing well.

The Spaniard previously claimed that Foden was “the most talented player” he had ever seen, indicating that he does rate the Englishman highly despite his inconsistent starts, but Foden may have to improve his consistency if he is to become a more regular fixture on the team sheet.

Declan Rice has come in for some criticism from pundits of late but he was arguably the player of the match on Sunday as West Ham drew 1-1 with Aston Villa.

How did Declan Rice perform against Villa?

David Moyes’ side would earn a point against the Villans at the London Stadium to take them outside the relegation spots on goal difference, but they perhaps could and should have scored more.

While the attackers struggled to produce the goods once again, Rice produced the sort of performance that had seen him valued at a mammoth £150m by Moyes last summer.

As per Sofascore, the England international would earn an impressive 7.7/10 rating for his display, which was the best of any player on the pitch other than the two goalscorers, Said Benrahma and Ollie Watkins.

The former, in particular, has enjoyed a fine season in claret and blue, scoring seven goals and supplying five assists in a campaign where very few have been a beacon of hope for the Hammers.

It’s perhaps easy to suggest that he has been the standout man compared to Rice, but the midfielder hit back at his doubters over the weekend.

During the 90 minutes, the 24-year-old would enjoy 63 touches of the ball, completing 41/47 passes with an impressive success rate of 87%.

Rice also played two key passes and created a big chance for the Irons, while he also won 70% of his duels in what was a superb all-round display.

However, it was the defensive side of the game in which the former Chelsea man best excelled, as he contributed a remarkable seven tackles, two interceptions and one clearance at the London Stadium.

Considering he has averaged just 2.2 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the top flight so far this season, it is clear just how impressive he was on Sunday afternoon.

The impressive midfielder, who was lauded for his “incredible potential” by former Hammers star Jose Fonte in 2021, has faced criticism from Roy Keane recently for his role in West Ham’s poor season.

The former Manchester United man said: “He’s got to focus on doing well for West Ham this season. I don’t think he’s been that great this season. He’s not really kicked on for all the talk about him and all the PR coming out of west ham about him… I think he needs to do a lot more.

“He doesn’t score enough goals and he doesn’t get enough assists.”

While Rice wasn’t able to contribute a goal today, the big chance he created suggests he was unfortunate not to register an assist, while he also looked back to his best from a defensive point of view.

More performances like his one on Sunday will surely be vital for the Hammers in their ongoing battle against relegation this season.

Crystal Palace could look at a move for Al-Ittihad manager Nuno Espirito Santo, according to The Daily Express’ Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Vieira sacked

The Eagles officially parted ways with Patrick Vieira on Friday morning after a run of 11 games without a win in 2023. Wednesday’s Premier League defeat to rivals Brighton & Hove Albion proved to be Vieira’s final game in charge, with Steve Parish and co now on the hunt for his long-term replacement.

Palace have a trip to league leaders Arsenal to prepare for on Sunday afternoon, with backroom staff members Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun also leaving the club.

The Latest: Nuno claim

Taylor shared a story for The Daily Express shortly after Vieira was sacked on Friday morning. He looked at five possible options to come in at Selhurst Park, one of which being Nuno. Taylor said:

‘Nuno was previously on the verge of being appointed Palace boss in June 2021 before a deal collapsed at the eleventh hour.

“The former Wolves manager is now working in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad but there is a sense he would be open to returning to the Premier League where he has a point to prove after being sacked by Tottenham in 2021 just months into his tenure.

“The Portuguese coach is renowned for playing a back-three, a system that was so effective as he guided Wolves to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2019/20. Nuno’s contract in the Middle East is thought to contain a release clause though meaning Palace would have to reach for the chequebook if they were to agree terms with the 49-year-old.”

The Verdict: Good option?

Nuno has enjoyed a successful stint in Saudi Arabia so far, winning 11 of his last 12 games in charge of Al-Ittihad. He also has proven Premier League experience and was hailed by Gary Lineker for his “fabulous job” with Wolves, where he took them from the Championship to the Europa League.

The 49-year-old also likes to play a 4-2-3-1 system and has wins over high-flying Premier League managers like Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp on his CV. His record against Palace also stands at four wins from eight games, and you’d expect he would arrive in London full of confidence, should a move go through.

Therefore, he could prove to be a shrewd target by Palace chiefs, who you expect will want Vieira’s replacement brought in relatively quickly to work with the squad during the international break ahead of the run-in.

Celtic are open to offers for forward Liel Abada with an approach already being plotted this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Abada scouted in January

The Hoops winger only made the move to the Scottish Premiership back in 2021 so isn’t out of contract until 2026, but being Ange Postecoglou’s second top-performing offensive player, has been generating interest.

The Athletic report that Southampton have identified the 21-year-old as an ideal target having sent scouts to watch him in January, with a view to making their move at the end of the season.

Maccabi Petah Tikva president Avi Luzon, the player’s former club, recently admitted that he thinks the Israel international will leave Parkhead at the next available opportunity. He said:

“I believe he will be sold in the summer to the Premier League. There were talks already in the last window, but he didn’t want to be sold.

“They offered him a contract extension and I know he didn’t agree, because he wants to be sold. I don’t know the names of teams, but there are offers and I believe at a probability level of over 90% that he will move to the Premier League in the summer.”

The Latest: Saints plotting approach

According to the Daily Mail (via the Southern Daily Echo), Southampton are ‘ready to pounce’ for Abada following a ‘breakdown’ in talks to extend his stay at Celtic.

The St. Mary’s outfit are claimed to be ‘long-term admirers’ of their target and are ‘likely’ to try their luck ahead of the new term.

It’s stated that a fee of £10m would be ‘enough to tempt’ the Bhoys into sanctioning a sale with the boss having already committed to using transfer funds to invest further into his squad.

The Verdict: Don’t let him go

Abada won the Best Young Player award in the Scottish Premiership in 2022 and considering the positive impact he makes, it’s important that Celtic don’t let him leave in the summer.

The Hoops attacker has posted 15 goal contributions in 29 league outings so far this season and he’s currently averaging 3.55 shots per game, form which has seen him receive three man-of-the-match awards.

The Petah Tikva native is also comfortable playing out wide on both the left and right flanks alongside up front, making him an extremely useful option to have in the building.

Abada has been dubbed a ‘dangerous’ player by journalist Josh Bunting and even the thought of losing him is a huge blow.