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At the start of the season, Mason Greenwood was no doubt the talk of the town when it to came to Manchester United’s academy products.

After all, the teenage sensation had enjoyed a very fruitful pre-season with the club, scoring against the likes of Inter and Leeds, and even seeing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claim that he would have no hesitation in throwing him against Chelsea on the opening day of the Premier League season.

But whilst Greenwood may have been the name on everybody’s lips last summer, Brandon Williams has arguably enjoyed just as much as a breakthrough campaign as his fellow academy graduate.

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The defender has had to battle with the likes of Luke Shaw and Ashley Young (until his departure to Inter), but has been a consistent part of the first-team squad at Old Trafford.

All in all, as per Transfermarkt, he has made 26 appearances for the senior side this season, and he has shown his versatility by playing as both an orthodox left-back, and also as a more adventurous wing-back too.

Even despite being right-footed and playing on the left a la Denis Irwin, Williams has seemingly convinced Solskjaer that he is the future for United in that position.

According to a report from The Sun, the Manchester side have called off their search for a new left-back because of what Williams has done this campaign, and that is a real testament to the hard work the young starlet has put in.

Had Solskjaer not shown the 19-year-old any faith, and even stuck with Young, then United may well have been staring at the prospect of spending big-money this summer and ignoring a future prospect.

As it is, the Old Trafford side’s boss stuck to his guns, and seen his gamble on the £10.8m-rated ace pay off big-time.

Meanwhile, Man Utd fans react to the potential fee involved to sign Jack Grealish.

In an episode of The Football Show, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness discussed Liverpool’s current stance and what needs to be done in order to ensure they maintain winning ways.

The pair were in agreement that the Reds must strengthen their current squad if they are to continue to dominate. Former Liverpool player and manager Souness has identified Jurgen Klopp’s front three as the area that needs to be bolstered.

The 66-year-old reflected on his playing days with the club and revealed some tactics instilled by Anfield hero Bob Paisley. “When I became Liverpool manager I asked Ronnie Moran whether Bob Paisley was ever happy with his lot,” Souness explained. “And he said: ‘No. He would stand there after you’ve won the league or European Cup, and when you jogged past, he [Paisley] would say: “We’ve got to keep an eye on him, his legs have gone.

“I think it’s time for a change and we can do better in this position.”‘ So even when we were being super successful, he was still looking to replace players, and that is the way big clubs operate.”

Although potentially a harsh approach to take, the general idea of the way Paisley worked is something Klopp should consider in his side. The notion of replacing Liverpool’s world class players every year is ludicrous, however the German should be constantly monitoring and assessing who can be brought in to provide depth or replace those not performing to standard.

Liverpool’s front three for example only have one tried-and-tested back up option in the form of Divock Origi. Youngsters like Curtis Jones and Rhian Brewster aren’t ready to be thrown into the mix of a must-win Premier League or European clash. It takes just one lengthy injury to one of Liverpool’s forwards to land the team in very hot water.

The addition of Timo Werner – who is reportedly ready to join Anfield (via Sky Sports) – could ultimately transform Klopp’s attack. Whether he opts to play all four together or alternate between the 24-year-old and Roberto Firmino, Werner will help alleviate the huge pressure when it comes to goalscoring expectations.

Even bringing in more rotational players such as Marcus Thuram (linked by Express.de via Bleacher Report) and Milot Rashica (Bild via Liverpool ECHO) will strengthen this Liverpool side massively.

After securing their sixth European title and as they look to lift their first ever Premier League trophy, the Reds will want to keep pushing forward. Another league win will be a focal point and to ensure they have the best chance of doing so, Liverpool must provide their front three with as much support as possible and not allow their starting XI to become stagnant.

Whilst big-money signings are all well and good after a takeover, making major improvements to the club’s stadium and training facilities can be equally as important, and it appears the Saudi consortium looking to buy Newcastle have got exactly that in mind.

According to journalist Paul Smith, they have drawn up a blueprint for a “major makeover” of the club, and have already drawn up plans to demolish the Magpies’ existing training ground and invest a mammoth £25m in order to bring it up to par with their Premier League rivals.

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And after seeing Smith’s update, Newcastle fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the matter.

A couple of Newcastle fans revealed their satisfaction at seeing the club focus on the “stuff that matters”.

Unsurprisingly, many Newcastle supporters are thrilled with the idea that the Saudi consortium are looking to make major investments not just in terms of new players, but also off the pitch too.

Manchester City’s owners in particular have done a great job of ensuring the club’s training and youth facilities are amongst the best in the world, and they are already beginning to reap the rewards of that with multiple Premier League titles over the past decade.

And it looks like Newcastle’s potential new owners are looking to follow suit.

Wolverhampton Wanderers plan to extend the stands at Molineux in a long-term vision for the stadium which would see a 50,000-seat capacity and could potentially help them conquer the West Midlands.

According to the Express and Star, the proposed plan will see them extend and improve the existing stands rather than demolishing and rebuilding them completely.

It is believed the Midlands club are focusing on making gradual improvements to the ground as they aim to retain its unique character.

Wolves have just had planning permission granted by Wolverhampton Council for a new temporary stand, between the Sir Jack Hayward and Steve Bull stands.

It will be made up of 500 seats and boost the overall capacity above 32,000.

However, if WWFC are able to eventually increase the seats to 50,000, then this could possibly help them conquer their surrounding area.

Take Premier League rivals Aston Villa, in addition to EFL Championship teams Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion. Villa Park can hold the largest number of fans in the West Midlands at the moment with an overall stadium capacity of 42,785, as per The Stadium Guide. Birmingham’s St. Andrews currently holds 30,009, and West Brom’s The Hawthorns can fit 26,287 in.

Wanderers’ 50,000-seater would top the lot, and could help them claim bragging rights in their surrounding area not just on the pitch but off it as well. It would mean they can fit more punters in, possibly increasing their fanbase further.

Indeed, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men are still currently in the UEFA Europa League, where Spbobet has them among the favourites, and sit in sixth place in the top flight table on 43 points, just five off of a Champions League spot with nine games still left to play, as per the BBC.

With their position in the league in addition to their success in Europe, a 50,000 Molineux capacity could help Wolves conquer the West Midlands, leaving the likes of Villa, Birmingham and WBA playing catch-up.

Wanderers, what do you make of the plans? Comment below!

It seems Philippe Coutinho is after a move back to Merseyside as he continues to be linked with Premier League clubs amid his inevitable Barcelona departure. 

According to Sunday World’s Kevin Palmer (relayed via @LFCTransferRoom), the Brazilian has personally spoken with Jurgen Klopp about facilitating a move back to Liverpool. The playmaker is also reportedly willing to take a pay cut in order to make the transfer happen.

A number of teams are chasing Coutinho’s signature, including heavily linked Newcastle and Chelsea. It seems the former Red star has options in abundance, but his heart looks set on a return to Anfield to pick up where he left off.

Coutinho left the club in 2018 and has hit a slump ever since. A move to the Premier League winners-elect could turn his career completely on its head. As it stands, he boasts 95 career goals and 71 assists, but that could climb much higher in a winning side like Liverpool (via Transfermarkt).

Liverpools fans are just as in favour of bringing the Brazilian home as he reportedly is. One supporter has commented ‘I’m on my knees’ whilst another has said ‘Klopp please, I want to see him back home’.

Their feelings are understandable, given he scored 54 goals and provided 45 assists in his original spell at Anfield…

Would you like to see Philippe Coutinho rejoin the Liverpool ranks, Reds fans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Newcastle United have been offered the chance to sign Hirving Lozano on loan for free next term if the proposed takeover in the North East is eventually approved by the Premier League, according to Arena Napoli.

As per the outlet, the 24-year old has not exactly impressed since his big money move from PSV in Holland, as he has scored just four goals and made a mere two assists in 25 games in all competitions so far in the 2019/20 season for Napoli, according to Transfermarkt.

The Italian club’s president Aurelio De Laurentiis and their sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli would apparently not reject the idea of ​​a free loan for Lozano for the next campaign, with Everton and West Ham United having also been offered the chance to sign him in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The option to buy the Mexican international on a permanent basis is reportedly set at between 35 and 40 million euros, which equates to roughly between £31.6 million and £36.1 million.

Napoli have apparently received offers of around 20 million euros for Lozano from the Premier League as well as teams in La Liga, but it is not thought that this sum is enough to lure him away from Italy so soon after arriving.

Despite the winger’s arguable downfall so far this season, he did show why so much money was spent on him in the last campaign, as he netted a relatively impressive 21 times and provided 12 assists in 40 matches in all competitions in the Netherlands (via Transfermarkt).

To get a player with those kinds of stats for free, even for one campaign, may be a valuable piece of business for the Toon if the prospective takeover is completed.

Geordies, would Lozano be a good signing? Comment below!

Just days after reports had suggested Tottenham had made serious enquiries about Beijing Guoan’s Kim-Min jae, it appears things aren’t as straightforward as it seemed.

Sky Sports now claim that the centre-back has been told to stay at the Chinese Super League side, and that they have insisted they “do not want to sanction a sale”.

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The report further adds that “it will take a big offer for Guoan to consider a sale later this summer”, with the South Korea international said to be frustrated at his side’s stance.

And after hearing about the update on their move for Kim, Spurs fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of Spurs supporters questioned how quickly things have changed, with earlier reports even suggesting that Kim was flying into London in order to agree personal terms.

Understandably, some Spurs fans don’t seem to think Daniel Levy will be splashing the cash this summer.

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With this being Jose Mourinho’s first summer transfer window in charge, the Portuguese man will no doubt be impressing upon the Spurs chairman just how important new signings will be for the future of the club.

Getting a deal for Kim over the line would be a statement that they are heading in the right direction.

Ryan Fraser’s last couple of seasons have been a true rollercoaster ride. After an incredible 2018/19 campaign, scoring seven Premier League goals and assisting a stellar 14, the 26-year-old was in high demand with both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal leading the way for his signature.

Back then, life was great for him and everything pointed towards a lucrative transfer away from Bournemouth in the near future. However, the following season everything fell apart and with only one goal throughout the whole campaign, Fraser was nothing but a shadow of his former self. The worst thing, however, is that he decided not to renew his contract with the Cherries, making him a free agent this summer for anyone who’s willing to give him a chance.

But according to The Sun, neither Spurs nor Arsenal are interested anymore and the 26-year-old’s only options could very well be either West Ham United or Crystal Palace. Neither, however, would be capable of giving him a pay raise should he decide to join them. This is the harsh reality most clubs had to face ever since the pandemic hit and Fraser couldn’t have known that beforehand.

The same outlet says Bournemouth were willing to offer him around £67,000-a-week while Palace, for example, are closer to £50,000-a-week, which means there’s every chance the winger will actually earn less at his next club.

Of course, he was expecting a bombastic transfer with either Spurs or Arsenal leading the way but if The Sun are to be believed, that is highly unlikely to happen now.

Potential transfer blow for Fraser

It does seem like Fraser’s excellent 2018/19 season was just a one-time thing and it would make sense for both Jose Mourinho and Mikel Arteta to cool their interest. Offering him high wages in times like this is not exactly ideal and from the looks of it, the 26-year-old wouldn’t be able to give enough back on the pitch.

But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a decent reinforcement for either West Ham or Palace, both of whom seem to be on the market for a boost in the forward line.

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

The Daniel Levy era at Tottenham Hotspur has been dogged by some dreadful decisions in the transfer window. Harry Kane has saved the club on multiple occasions, which is more than can be said for some of Spurs’ most expensive flops like Roberto Soldado and Vincent Janssen.

When you have the talents of a world-class striker like Kane at your disposal, finding a forward who is willing to play second fiddle is a whole lot harder than it first seems.

After Soldado and Emmanuel Adebayor failed to fill Kane’s boots, Mauricio Pochettino convinced Daniel Levy to sign Janssen from AZ Alkmaar for £17m on a four-year-deal. Pochettino made up his mind having watched him play during the Netherlands’ draw in Dublin in May 2016.

The England international injured his right ankle in September 2016, which ruled him out for several weeks, and the Argentine urged Janssen to seize the opportunity to stake his claim for a place in the starting lineup.

Pochettino famously claimed the Dutchman “ticked all the boxes we need” and this horrendously backfired in his face as things went downhill almost right from the start.

At the time, Janssen, 22, had scored 27 goals in the Dutch top flight the season beforehand and netted on his international debut against England in March of the same year.

The future looked bright for the Dutch international, whose performances in his debut season in the Eredivisie earned him the Johan Cruyff Trophy, which was awarded to the best young player of the year in the league. He bagged a goal and an assist in a pre-season friendly against Inter Milan and made his Premier League debut in a draw with Everton at Goodison Park in the opening game of the season.

Janssen scored his first goal for Spurs in the 5-0 thrashing of Gillingham in the third round of the EFL Cup, converting from the penalty spot, which was a sign of things to come.

Indeed, he picked up another penalty against Leicester City to mark his first goal in the English top flight, and scored merely two goals from open play by the end of the season, with only one of those efforts occurring in the league.

It soon became clear that the striker was not up to the right standard, as he only managed two goals in 27 appearances in the Premier League for Pochettino’s side during the 2016/17 campaign.

His north London nightmare was mercifully cut short as he spent the following season on loan at Turkish side Fenerbahce.

After such a promising start, Janssen’s slump in form is illustrated by his market value, which dropped from £12.6m when he first moved to White Hart Lane to £10.8m by the time he left the club in 2017.

The Lilywhites last won the League Cup in 2008, which remains the club’s latest piece of silverware to this day, and the closest they have come since was finishing as Champions League runners-up last year. He bears a fair share of the blame, as the fact he failed to reach double figures in two consecutive campaigns in the English top flight hardly helped the cause.

Having spent time with the reserves as Pochettino decided he was no longer part of his plans, Janssen was put out of his misery altogether and left Tottenham to join Mexican side Monterrey for £6.3m, which was a £10.7m loss.

Signing Janssen is perhaps Pochettino’s biggest transfer mistake until now, as he failed to live up to expectations, scoring just six times in 42 games for Spurs in total, and was promptly sold after just three seasons in north London.

Tottenham fans, do you think Janssen is the worst signing in the club’s history? Let us know down below!

Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth wants to remain in north London to fight for a place in the first team, according to The Athletic as per @HotspurRelated. 

Tottenham correspondent Charlie Eccleshare revealed Foyth has not held talks with the club over his future. despite reported interest from Leeds United.

The 22-year-old Argentine defender was once considered a prodigy of former boss Mauricio Pochettino, but has fallen out of favour with his successor Jose Mourinho, having featured just twice for the first team since the Portuguese took over from Pochettino back in November.

Foyth failed to register a single goal or assist in the Premier League last term, playing four games in the top flight, making 1.8 tackles and completing less than one clearance on average per game (via WhoScored).

However, Mourinho heaped plenty of praise on the 10-cap Argentina international after he made the most of a rare start with an impressive performance in the Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

Speaking to The Evening Standard at the time, the Portuguese said “he was very stable, very solid, very calm. He played very very well.”

While there is no doubt he has bags of talent, his Spurs career has been littered with errors so far.

As it stands, it seems as though Foyth has no way forward if he stays where he is, as he has found chances hard to come by under Mourinho.

Although he might not like to admit it, a loan or permanent transfer may be best for everyone involved at this stage of his career. It is ultimately up to Daniel Levy to decide his next move, but the Spurs chairman could be forced to sell him this summer anyway to comply with UEFA squad rules.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should sell Foyth? Let us know your views in the comments below!