Fabrizio Romano has dropped a big Manchester United update concerning a recent transfer target and the news will surely please Erik ten Hag.

What’s the news?

The transfer guru took to Twitter on Sunday to drop an update on Manchester United target Adrien Rabiot, saying:

“Manchester United want to push for Adrien Rabiot as new round of talks will take place soon with his mother and agent Veronique. All parties involved are now really confident to get the deal done.

“Juventus are waiting as €17/18m deal has been already agreed.”

This will be good news to Ten Hag, who will be desperate to bring the midfielder into his squad as soon as possible.

Ten Hag needs him

If the enormity of the challenge facing the Dutchman hit home when he arrived in Manchester, then Saturday’s spineless 4-0 defeat to Brentford will surely have him in a state of disbelief.

It’s clear he needs to add a few new faces and securing the deal for Rabiot as soon as possible will hopefully provide him with that added bite in the midfield that was sorely lacking at the weekend.

Indeed, new signing Christian Eriksen was unusually lapse in possession, albeit he wasn’t given much of a chance by his goalkeeper David De Gea for the second goal.

Meanwhile, Fred was typically out of sorts in the middle, being dragged off at half time after winning just one defensive duel and losing the ball every six touches.

Thus, the addition of a stubborn and battling midfielder like Rabiot would go down well. Former Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo once dubbed Rabiot as a “champion” and having won six Ligue 1 titles and a Serie A crown during his career, Ten Hag could do with a serial winner right now.

The 27-year-old has had his fair share of controversy during his career, but at €18m (£15.2m), he could well be worth the gamble for the Dutchman.

Mainly operating as a defensive midfielder, the Frenchman would certainly add that aforementioned extra bite, ranking in the top 8% of players in Europe’s top five leagues for passes intercepted, and the top 2% for tackles in the defensive third. By comparison, Fred ranks in the worst 68% for passes intercepted and in the top 17% for tackles in the defensive third.

Crucially, Rabiot also has an eye for goal. He has netted 26 times, while also registering 23 assists, and considering Man United’s midfield, with Bruno Fernandes aside, contributed a paltry eight goals during the whole of last season. Therefore, he could add in a few crucial strikes as well as extra defensive solidity.

The Old Trafford support may be disappointed that a move for Frenkie de Jong appears to be slipping away, but bringing in someone of Rabiot’s talent could well be a shrewd move for Ten Hag.

Something needs to change, and swiftly, or the coach that many thought would be the one to bring the glory days back to Manchester United could be on the hunt for another job.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their interest in Jamal Lowe in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Football League World, the Black Cats are one of a number of Championship clubs keen on a deal to sign him on loan this season.

The report claims that Watford, Norwich, and Burnley – who were all relegated from the Premier League this year – are also eyeing him up, with the Hornets leading the race.

It is stated that Bournemouth are willing to sanction a loan departure for the 2022/23 campaign following their promotion to the top flight.

Imagine him & Jack Clarke

The Black Cats must now fight to win the race to sign the Jamaican attacker as he is a proven Championship performer who could form an exciting duo with Jack Clarke on the wings.

Clarke has enjoyed a sublime start to the season after joining on a permanent deal following his loan spell from Tottenham last term.

He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.08 across the five games – ranking fourth in the team – and has chipped in with one goal and one assist whilst playing at left wing-back.

The youngster has created a whopping 2.6 chances per game – the most in the squad – and this shows that he has the quality to consistently create opportunities for his teammates to score.

He regularly provides key passes and has only been rewarded with one assist from the 13 openings he has made, which suggests that adding another goalscorer to the side would benefit the Englishman.

Lowe, meanwhile, has proven that he can score goals whilst playing in a variety of positions across the frontline, including out wide on the right.

The £13k-per-week forward, whose movement was dubbed “top class” by journalist Josh Bunting, scored seven goals and assisted two in 12 Championship starts in 2021/22 as he helped Bournemouth to secure their promotion.

This came after he found the back of the net 14 times in the division in the 2020/21 campaign for Swansea, which shows that he knows how to score goals at this level.

Therefore, he could be the player to come in and finish the chances that Clarke is creating as he is a goalscoring winger who is proven in the second tier and should be in the prime years of his career at the age of 28.

This is why Kristjaan Speakman must now work hard to beat the likes of Norwich, Watford, and Burnley to the attacker’s signature as he has the potential to be a sublime signing for the Black Cats.

Arsenal are eyeing up a swoop for Ukrainian talent Mykhaylo Mudryk as Mikel Arteta aims to add at least another new face to his squad.

That’s according to French outlet Media Foot Marseille which claims that Arsenal are increasingly active in pursuing the winger, although they haven’t tabled an offer as of yet.

His current Shakthar Donetsk contract expires in 2026 and the report states that he wouldn’t leave for anything less than €20m (£17m).

With Arteta looking to add another winger to his squad, Mudryk could be a great option to call upon.

Theo Walcott 2.0?

The Spanish manager has undergone somewhat of a squad overhaul this summer in order to get Arsenal back into the Premier League top four and Champions League qualification.

It appears to be working – so far anyway – with new signings Gabriel Jesus, who has two goals and registered three assists already, and Oleksandr Zinchenko providing the much-needed spark as the Gunners have notched three consecutive victories to begin their campaign.

With reports linking Nicolas Pepe to Nice and a loan move edging closer, it will give Arteta space to add in a winger to the side, with Yeremy Pino and Moussa Diaby linked of late, a move for Mudryk could be a cheaper alternative.

His talents also echo that of former Arsenal wide man Theo Walcott and thus, Arteta could unearth the club’s modern-day version of the flying winger.

Football talent scout, Jacek Kulig, said as far back as 2018 that Mudryk’s pace and acceleration were very strong and Walcott was famed for his speed which enabled him to constantly pass defenders with ease.

Indeed, Fintan O’Reilly of Total Football Analysis once noted the following about the Ukrainian: “One of the big positives to his game from a dribbling perspective, however, is that he retains a lot of his rapid pace while carrying the ball.”

He continued: “Mudryk can dribble at a very fast pace, which makes it difficult for defenders to time challenges on him as he carries the ball towards goal.”

His talents are certainly reminiscent of a young Walcott, despite playing on the opposite wing and Arteta could do with a unique option to call upon in his attack.

Mudryk played 11 times for Shakthar in the league last season, scoring twice and registering seven assists, proving he can not only chip in with a few goals but also create plenty of opportunities for his teammates. Walcott also contributed heavily in that regard, proving to be a creative and goalscoring force during his spell at Arsenal, scoring 108 times and grabbing 80 assists.

With the 21-year-old being dubbed as “unstoppable” by the club’s official social channels following a recent performance against Domzale, Arteta should be acting quickly to seal any potential move as soon as possible.

A claim has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s interest in Ross Barkley in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that the England international is one of a number of players that the Tyneside club have had their eyes upon.

The reporter has stated that the Magpies are willing to do business at the right price if they think a player will improve their squad.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “I think we can expect some progress. Both Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi have been looked at, so have Broja and Barkley, so Newcastle are just open to any good deals that are potentially out there that could boost their push for top seven.”

Potential Willock upgrade

Newcastle could land themselves an upgrade on Joe Willock in the middle of the park by securing a deal to sign Barkley this summer.

Both players are technical central midfielders who like to join in with attacks, with the aim of contributing at the top end of the pitch.

Barkley only played 180 minutes of football in the Premier League for Chelsea last term but registered one goal and created nine chances – a rate of 4.5 per 90 minutes.

The £96k-per-week gem was once lauded by Magpies legend Alan Shearer whilst on loan to Aston Villa, with the retired striker saying: “Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is a match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

Barkley played 1,586 minutes during that spell and created 42 chances – 2.39 per 90 minutes – whilst also chipping in with three goals from midfield.

Willock, on the other hand, played 2,059 minutes for the Magpies in the 2021/22 campaign and provided 17 key passes (1.33 per 90), scoring two goals.

On the defensive side of the game, both players lost more than half of their individual duels in those seasons, which suggests that neither of them particularly excels off the ball, which explains why the quality that they offer while in possession is vital.

Whilst neither player is a defensive machine in midfield, the statistics suggest that Barkley would offer a lot more to Howe’s team in terms of creativity. He and Willock are similar when it comes to scoring goals but the Chelsea man’s chance creation appears to be at a much higher level than the current Magpies ace, and that is why he could be an upgrade on the ex-Arsenal youngster.

Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be interested in signing Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio.

In recent weeks, Italian outlet Calciomercatoweb.it suggested that Spurs had entered the race to sign him before this summer’s transfer window deadline.

They claim that both manager Antonio Conte and sporting director Fabio Paratici are fans of the Serbia international and have begun to make room for him by offloading Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele.

Milinkovic-Savic is expected to cost in the region of €60m (£50m), as per the report.

Shades of Vidal

It’s easy to see why Conte would be so keen to bring the Lazio star to north London as he bears plenty of similarities to one of the Italian’s most used players – Arturo Vidal.

Across spells at both Juventus and more recently, Inter Milan, the Chile veteran delivered 36 goals and 21 assists across 141 appearances for Conte, via Transfermarkt, but did so without compromising his defensive capabilities.

Take the 2013/14 campaign for example – a year that saw him score a career-best of 11 goals – the midfielder averaged a whopping 4.1 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, as per WhoScored.

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Now take Milinkovic-Savic by comparison.

In 296 appearances for the Biancocelesti, the Serb has provided 58 goals and 52 assists, including returns of 11 goals and 12 assists last season alone, via Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, in the last three Serie A campaigns, he has averaged at least 1.6 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game, as per WhoScored.

It’s that sort of presence that Conte is currently lacking in his Spurs engine room as none of his current options of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp or Yves Bissouma hit more than two goals or five assists in 2021/22.

Perhaps it will also come as little surprise to have seen Milinkovic-Savic lauded as the “complete midfielder” by Sky Sports reporter Anton Toloui.

Such form and talent has seen his statistical profile likened to both Leon Goretzka of Bayern Munich and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne by FBref as the Lazio star ranks inside the top 2% of all midfielders in Europe for non-penalty goals and touches in the opposition’s box.

If sporting director Fabio Paratici can secure a move for Milinkovic-Savic in the next week or so, then Conte will surely be delighted as he’d be getting a Vidal-like presence at his disposal once again.

AND in other news, Paratici could end Spurs’ summer with a bang in £50m swoop for “extraordinary talent”…

Celtic are back in Premiership action tomorrow as they look to continue their 100% winning record with viictory over Hearts.

The Hoops’ previous league outing saw them secure a convincing 5-0 win over Kilmarnock, which saw five different players get their names on the scoresheet.

One player who grabbed a goal last weekend despite not being included in the starting XI, and who we feel should be starting on this occasion, is Carl Starfelt.

After replacing Moritz Jenz with 55 minutes on the clock, the defender not only netted Celtic’s fourth goal of the game but also showed how useful he can be defensively by making two clearances and winning five of his seven duels.

This performance ultimately earned the 27-year-old an overall match rating of 7.6/10 from SofaScore, making him the joint-second highest rated Celtic player to feature at Rugby Park.

Postecoglou will not need reminding of what the Sweden international is capable of producing at the back, as Starfelt ended the previous campaign with the second-highest number of interceptions (42) and successful tackles (30) in the squad, along with the second-highest average for clearances per game (3.6).

This explains why the centre-back was described as a “crucial” player for the Hoops in April by football writer Sacha Pisani.

Bearing in mind how Starfelt came on against Kilmarnock after Jenz picked up an injury, this could persuade Postecoglou to give the 27-year-old his first league start of the campaign rather than risk playing the German again.

Taking into account how the Bhoys (27) are the only top-flight team to have more shots on target than Hearts (22) prior to this weekend’s round of fixtures, having a player with Starfelt’s defensive credentials could be crucial in seeing Celtic pick up another win and continuing their charge to retain the league title.

Therefore, it’s safe to say that Celtic need to have the £17k-per-week defender in the team from the start tomorrow afternoon in order to fill in for Jenz and provide a stern challenge for a Hearts team who are far from shot-shy.

With Sunday’s game in mind, it would surely be in the Hoops’ best interest to have the Sweden international in from the start to ideally get a full 90 minutes under his belt and have him up to speed after not featuring in their first two league games of the season prior to last weekend.

West Bromwich Albion had 29 different players make appearances for the Midlands club throughout their previous Championship campaign.

Out of those 29 players, the one that played more minutes than any other figure is Conor Townsend, who has been hailed in the past by Chris Lepkowski as a “superb” player.

In terms of what he offered the team, the full-back topped West Brom’s list for successful tackles (50) and racked up the second-highest number of interceptions (54) and crosses delivered (181).

With the Englishman being the only predominant left-back in the squad, the remaining days left before the summer transfer window closes could give the Baggies and Steve Bruce an ideal opportunity to bring in a new player for that position.

One player that has been mentioned with a move to the Hawthorns that could fit this bill and be a potential upgrade on Townsend is Chelsea full-back Baba Rahman.

Last season saw the 28-year-old complete a loan deal in the Championship with Reading in which he made 29 league appearances for the club.

Despite playing 14 fewer games than Townsend last season, the Ghanaian still managed to end the campaign with an identical rate for shots on target per 90 minutes but an increased percentage for shots on target compared to the Baggies figure (36.8% vs 41.7%).

The Chelsea figure also won more tackles than the Englishman (51 vs 50) and was able to not get flagged offside once whereas Townsend was caught five times in total.

In fact, the Ghana international ended the season with the joint-highest average for tackles per game at Reading (2.9), which would also have put him at the top of the tree for the same statistic at West Brom.

So as well as being more of a goal threat, Rahman has also shown his defensive credentials in the Championship as well, which could make him a real competitor for the left-back spot at the Hawthorns.

Hailed by Rahman Osman as a “brilliant example of resilience and fight”, the full-back certainly has what it takes to be a very capable Championship player in terms of being able to defend and be a goal threat.

Bearing in mind how Bruce’s side have conceded six goals in their five league games so far this season, it would seem that the left-back’s defensive skills could be just what the Baggies need at the moment.

Fulham are reportedly plotting a move for Tottenham Hotspur left-back Sergio Reguilon, and the Spaniard could be a big upgrade in Marco Silva’s squad.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Cottagers and Lazio are both interested in taking the former Real Madrid man on loan this summer after he was made surplus to requirements in Antonio Conte’s side.

The Italian coach left Reguilon out of Spurs’ pre-season trip to South Korea and has altered between Ivan Perisic and Ryan Sessegnon in their Premier League games so far this season, with it seeming clear that Reguilon has no part in Conte’s future plans, so an exit was always on the cards.

A big upgrade for Silva?

While Reguilon clearly isn’t rated by the Spurs boss, he still performed admirably in the Premier League last season, making 25 appearances in the top flight as he contributed two goals and three assists, averaging a solid 6.95 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He has also starred for Sevilla in the past, helping them to win the Europa League in 2020 as he averaged a superb 7.23 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the tournament that season.

This led Football.London’s Alasdair Gold to sing Reguilon’s praises ahead of him joining Spurs later that year, as the journalist said: “You kind of don’t want to overshadow Sergio Reguilon, who I think is going to be one of the best left-backs in Europe – probably almost is.

“With Sevilla, he was phenomenal: had a great season, won the Europa League. He’s got incredible confidence. He’s come straight into the group and everyone loves him.”

Fulham’s current left-back options consist of Antonee Robinson and Joe Bryan, with the latter linked with a loan move away from Craven Cottage so far this summer.

Reguilon has experience of playing at the highest level in England, Spain and Europe, and while Robinson was a trusted left-back for Fulham in the Championship, he could perhaps benefit from added competition.

The Spanish defender, who is valued at £26m by Spurs, also averaged more shots (0.8 v 0.3) and key passes (1.2 v 1.1) than Robinson last season, despite playing in a higher league, which suggests that he would be a better option than the American at left-back for Fulham.

Therefore, bringing Reguilon to Craven Cottage on loan before the transfer window shuts seems like a no-brainer for Silva.

West Ham United have joined the mix to sign Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Moyes keeping busy…

After signing the likes of Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Alphonse Areola, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet and Thilo Kehrer, Irons manager David Moyes is reportedly keeping busy before September 1.

Bids have gone in for new targets such as Flamengo forward Lazaro, while it is believed that the east Londoners are closing in on a deal for Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri.

Other players from Stamford Bridge, like Armando Broja and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, are also of interest to the Hammers, who are also eyeing a raid on another Premier League club in their hunt for McTominay.

The Latest: talkSPORT make McTominay claim…

According to reports, the Scotland international has turned West Ham’s heads amid their search for a midfielder.

talkSPORT claim that the in-demand McTominay is wanted by Moyes, along with Everton, Leicester, Newcastle, who have all ‘registered an interest’ in the 25-year-old.

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The Verdict: Make the move?

With West Ham having failed to sign Amadou Onana from Lille, who eventually joined Everton, McTominay could be an alternative to potentially come in and provide a different option to Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.

The latter has attracted criticism for a few of his performances over 2021/22, potentially motivating Moyes to turn to the transfer market.

The 59-year-old is allegedly a ‘known fan’ of McTominay, with Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone even calling the Scotland midfielder one of ‘the best’ in world football when his team came up against the Red Devils in February.

The 6 foot 3 colossus, whilst being at the centre of recent criticism at Old Trafford himself, could benefit from a move away, and West Ham arguably need another option in front of the back four – could it be a match made in heaven?

Liverpool have been linked with a late summer move for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kouadio Kone.

What’s the news?

In a recent report for Sky Sports from journalist Melissa Reddy, the Frenchman is one of the options under consideration for the Merseyside club to make a late transfer swoop for as the summer window draws to a close.

Monchengladbach signed the 21-year-old from French club Toulouse in January 2021, where he spent the remainder of that season on loan before moving to Germany the following summer.

With 33 appearances for the Bundesliga club under his belt, the Frenchman has chipped in with three goals and one assist.

Klopp’s next Fabinho

Kone’s debut season in the Bundesliga saw the midfielder showcase just what sort of player he is and why he could potentially be seen as Liverpool’s next version of Fabinho.

For example, comparing the two players from their previous domestic campaigns, the duo racked up an almost identical percentage for pass completion, with the Brazilian (88.1%) just edging Kone (88%).

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There was also a meagre difference of three in the number of progressive passes that the two players made, with the Monchengladbach youngster making 110 compared to Fabinho’s 107.

From an attacking point of view, the duo had the same number of shot-creating actions for their respective teams (39), with both making 31 live-ball passes leading to an attempt at goal.

In terms of their defensive contributions, the 21-year-old ended up with a higher combined total of tackles and interceptions (135) than Fabinho (113), which shows just how tough the Frenchman can be without the ball while also being productive in possession.

Hailed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig as a “monstrous box-to-box midfielder”, Kone certainly appears to have what it takes to be a strong prospective addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad and be their ideal heir for Fabinho.

Bearing in mind how the Reds currently have the likes of Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out injured, securing a deal for the Monchengladbach talent would not only be a long-term investment for the club but one which would certainly help them out on a short-term basis as well.

With transfer deadline day looming, the Merseyside club should do all that they can to get the midfield prodigy to come to England.