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Manchester United look close to announcing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager, and he could be set to make his first signing sooner rather than later at Old Trafford.

Man Utd closing in on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appointment

The Red Devils’ decision to sack Ruben Amorim after drawing at Leeds United will feel justified in the eyes of many supporters, mainly due to the division his tenure caused and his overall inconsistent record when it came to claiming results.

Darren Fletcher is on board to steady the ship for now and fans will welcome the return of a familiar face. Nevertheless, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s emergence as the favourite to take over as Manchester United caretaker has put the cat among the pigeons.

The 52-year-old is immensely popular both within the walls of Old Trafford and in the media circuit, and the enjoyable nature of his first tenure in charge is bound to provide a lift to a squad who were stifled somewhat by Amorim’s complex system.

Now, the challenge will be trying to finish in the Champions League slots, something that won’t be easy as the Red Devils compete with rivals for players in the transfer market to strengthen their bid for European qualification.

Notoriously, January isn’t an easy time to do business, especially with INEOS keen to pursue responsible financial decisions to ensure Manchester United have a fighting chance of continuing their rebuild under a full-time boss in the summer.

Either way, Solskjaer will be given resources to work with, and he looks to be in the hunt for his first signing of the window once he has his feet under the Old Trafford table.

Man Utd set to submit loan bid for El-Chadaille Bitshiabu

According to L’Equipe, Manchester United could submit a loan-to-buy offer for RB Leipzig defender El-Chadaille Bitshiabu, while he is also on the radar of Bayer Leverkusen and AS Monaco, though the Ligue 1 side would only consider a straight loan swoop.

Suffering hamstring problems this season, the 20-year-old has been restricted to just five appearances across all competitions and may now be set for a move to gain regular minutes over the second half of the campaign.

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Harry Maguire has just returned to selection for Manchester United. However, there is every chance the Red Devils will need cover and competition with Matthijs De Ligt still on the sidelines due to a back issue.

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Loaning in Bitshiabu may be the ideal scenario, representing a try-before-you-buy arrangement that can be made permanent should all parties be happy with the outcome of a move upon the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign.

Celtic have now reportedly launched a £2m bid to sign an attacking star who could become the second signing of Wilfried Nancy’s tenure.

Nancy understands Celtic fume after Old Firm

The last thing that Nancy needed was a defeat against Rangers in the Old Firm derby at Celtic Park. It’s only ignited the flames of his tenure even further in Scotland and left many questioning when the final straw will arrive.

The Frenchman understood the anger of the fans at full-time, but insisted that Celtic are “really close” to turning things around: “It’s the results. Results. So this is the reality for the moment.

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“But when I say this is the reality, it doesn’t mean that I am a defeatist guy. No. What I mean is we are really close, really, really close, to turn things around. And again, I repeat myself, but I can understand this situation.

“I think that they (fans) were behind us the first half, they pushed us in a good way. And after that… I can understand why they’re disappointed regarding the fact that we had many possibilities to win the game.

“I know that I repeat myself, but it happened in the past also regarding many games. And I think that they really enjoyed the first half. They saw a team, players that they were giving everything with the ball and without the ball.”

His words haven’t stopped rumours from arriving, however, and recent headlines have claimed that Martin O’Neill is ready to make his second return of the season. The veteran manager enjoyed an excellent interim spell and could now get the chance to pick up where he left off in Scotland.

However, that may not be the change that the Bhoys make. Instead, having already signed Julian Araujo on loan from Bournemouth, Celtic have reportedly turned towards another reinforcement for the manager.

Celtic submit £2m bid to sign Jocelin Ta Bi

As reported by Sky Sports Scotland, Celtic have submitted a £2m bid to sign Jocelin Ta Bi from Maccabi Netanya. The winger is currently on loan at another Israeli side, Hapoel Petah Tikva, but they are expecting him to be on the move this month.

Nancy needs attacking reinforcements and Bi would offer him exactly that. Whether the 20-year-old would hit the ground running is another question, though.

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Bi has scored just twice all season in Israel and is showing no sign of the quality needed to step into a Scottish Premiership title race. On paper, he’s very much an unexpected target for Celtic. For £2m, they’ll be hoping to unlock the peak of his powers, however.

Nancy, meanwhile, should be hoping that a number of other targets also emerge this month.

It’s a new year, but Mikel Arteta will be hoping for a continuation of last year’s form as Arsenal march toward the Premier League title, four points clear of second-place Manchester City at the season’s midpoint.

Ending the annual year with an emphatic win over Aston Villa, Arsenal dispelled any fears (or rival hopes) that there had been an erosion of fluency and sharpness in recent weeks, with the Londoners labouring to some of their wins in recent weeks.

But they were wins, and that is a clear marker of a great side. Now, the Gunners have entered the January window with a spring in their step, eyes fixed on titles to crown an intense and exhilarating chapter under Arteta’s wing.

With Manchester City closing in on Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, Arsenal have changed their stance: they are ready to spend this month, with a wide forward on the agenda.

Arsenal plan to sign forward

Gabriel Magalhaes’ goalscoring return against Villa has eased the concerns around defensive depth, with many Arsenal defenders out injured at the moment.

More important is the need for goals. Leandro Trossard is Arsenal’s top scorer in the Premier League with five goals. Erling Haaland, by comparison, has 19.

With this in mind, the Emirates side are ready to pounce on any opportunities that come their way, and while Semenyo will not ply his trade for his boyhood club, Arsenal’s interest has been confirmed by The Athletic, thus suggesting that a wide forward may still be on the agenda.

This is further corroborated by emerging news concerning Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, who is unsettled at the Santiago Bernabeu, according to Friday’s edition of Spanish paper Sport, via Sport Witness.

The 24-year-old has long been on the Londoners’ radar, and now they are understood to be in pole position alongside Manchester City, both clubs in advanced talks.

With a base market value of £75m, Rodrygo wouldn’t come cheap, but he would certainly be worth it, and with Semenyo creeping toward the Etihad, Arsenal might just spy an opening.

What Rodrygo would bring to Arsenal

Rodrygo has been a mainstay at Real Madrid for some time, but he’s been dwarfed by Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in recent years, and at Arsenal, he would find a golden chance to become a superstar on the left flank, especially given that Trossard has entered his thirties.

Arsenal could do a lot worse than sign such a versatile forward, who has posted 70 goals and 55 assists for one of La Liga’s pre-eminent superpowers.

He is, after all, something of a master when it comes to scoring on the biggest stages.

But given his struggles with Real Madrid over the past year, snapping a 32-game scoreless run in December, there’s a sense that Rodrygo needs a change of scenery to remind everyone of his “world-class” ability, as has been stressed in the past by old teammate Luka Modric.

Arsenal have hit the jackpot when striking a similar deal with Los Blancos in the past. Indeed, Mesut Ozil was a special, special playmaker, a cut above his creative rivals in the Premier League when at his best in the Premier League.

The retired German star completed a club-record £42.5m move to the Emirates Stadium in 2013, and he played 254 matches for Arsenal, producing so many assists and winning the FA Cup four times.

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Ozil was stylish and silky on the ball, a genius. He was also a strong and industrious player when on his A-game, hailed by Arsene Wenger as the “complete athlete”, something shared with Rodrygo, whose skill as “probably the talented and most gifted player” in the Spanish capital, according to teammate Jude Bellingham, is supported by strength and a willingness to outwork those around and against him.

It is for this reason that Arsenal must sign the Brazilian. Arteta’s side burst with quality, but they also work hard and selflessly. Rodrygo, who will play in any role designated for him and do so with staunch commitment, could be the perfect addition in this regard.

Rodrygo – Career Stats by Position

Position

Apps

Goals

Assists

Right winger

151

36

33

Left winger

94

23

18

Centre-forward

85

22

8

Attacking midfield

4

–

1

Data via Transfermarkt

For sure, this is a player who has fallen below his level for a while, but he is also one of the most exciting wingers in the world, instrumental in the latest trophy-laden spell in Real Madrid’s long and successful history.

He has established this in Spain, but, as Ozil did, it might take a move to London to help him realise the full scale of his potential and become something talismanic for a team who can still compete for the biggest prizes each and every year.

Given his potential as a 24-year-old, Rodrygo would be a punt worth taking, even at a staggering sum. He’s proven, and he has so much more to give, as Ozil did when making the move way back when.

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