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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly wants five of his first team stars to be offered new contracts over the coming months.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun, the Norwegian is keen to tie down Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba to fresh terms as he continues to search for his first piece of silverware as United boss.

The report stated that Solskjaer wants the Old Trafford dressing room to be harmonious and believes that it is unfair if some players undeservedly earn more than others.

Star midfielder Pogba has been heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain in recent weeks – who are also thought to be preparing a bumper contract offer for Frenchman – after he entered the final year of his current deal in Manchester.

However, Solskjaer remains confident that the 28-year-old commit his future to the Red Devils and wants Pogba’s high-performing teammates to be rewarded for their impressive displays last season.

Manchester United fans will be buzzing

The Sun’s report stated: “Fernandes has five years to run on his contract but is on £100,000-a-week and is already in talks for a new deal which could be worth between £250,000 and £300,000.

“Englishmen Rashford, Maguire and Shaw all earn between £180,000 and £200,000-a-week and will also be offered similar terms to Fernandes.”

Spain international goalkeeper David de Gea is the club’s highest earner on £375,000 per week, ahead of Pogba, who takes home £290,000 weekly, meaning that the English trio and Fernandes would become some of the top earners at Old Trafford.

News that the United hierarchy are planning to offer fresh terms to a significant number of the club’s most important players will surely have the supporters buzzing with excitement.

The 20-time English champions have made great strides under Solskjaer during his two-and-a-half-year tenure, recording consecutive top-four finishes for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired back in 2013.

However, a major trophy has so far eluded the man formerly nicknamed the Baby-Faced Assassin, and he’ll be hopeful that the five aforementioned stars put pen to paper, helping him bring the good times back to the red half of Manchester.

In other news…Miguel Delaney reveals worrying Man Utd update, Ole will be absolutely fuming 

Rumoured Leeds United target Matheus Cunha could join Atletico Madrid imminently, acting as a potential blow for Marcelo Bielsa.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on Cunha

The Whites have been linked with a string of players throughout the summer as they look to kick on and possible improve on last season’s ninth-place finish in the Premier League.

Cunha is one player who Leeds have reportedly been trying to sign, following some influential performances for Hertha Berlin, with seven goals and four assists registered in the Bundesliga in 2020/21.

A tactical analysis of his game from The Analyst described him as “a special player that has the ability to change a match in the blink of an eye”, also hailing him as “extremely skilful with the ball under his spell”.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Brazilian could join Atletico

Despite Leeds’ interest, it looks as though Cunha could be set to sign for Atletico, with Bild [via Sport Witness] reporting as such.

It is claimed that a bid may have been made for the 22-year-old, who didn’t take part in Hertha’s 2-1 defeat at home to Wolfsburg on Saturday.

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The Verdict: Another transfer blow

This looks like a case of another one getting away from Leeds, as is the case with long-term target Nahitan Nandez, who could join Atalanta in a swap deal.

It has been a frustrating summer at Elland Road in that respect, with Junior Firpo the only notable addition aside from Jack Harrison signing permanently from Manchester City.

The hope is that the Whites still have the squad to at least match last season’s performance, but it would be nice to see a top-quality player come in between now and the end of the transfer window, especially after a slow start to the campaign.

In other news, Leeds’ hopes of signing one player have been thwarted. Find out who it is here.

Middlesbrough have reportedly opened talks with Sheffield United winger Oliver Burke over a summer move to the club.

The Lowdown: Burke struggles at Blades

The Scotland international has struggled to make an impression at Bramall Lane, scoring and assisting just once apiece in the Premier League last season.

The Blades are thought to be willing to listen to offers for Burke this summer and he may not be without suitors.

The Latest: Middlesbrough move for winger

According to Football Insider’s Boro source, ‘discussions are underway’ between Middlesbrough and United over a move to the fellow Championship club.

Nottingham Forest, West Brom, Celtic and RB Leipzig are also thought to be interested in signing the 24-year-old, who has won 13 caps for his country.

The Verdict: Time to move on

Burke is a talented attacking player but he has been a disappointing signing for the Blades, so it makes sense for him to move on this summer.

The Scot still has two years remaining on his current deal, meaning United could receive a hefty fee for his services, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £5.4million.

Admittedly, selling Burke to another Championship team could help strengthen a rival, but Slavisa Jokanovic doesn’t appear to see a future for him at Bramall Lane, so there is little point keeping hold of a depreciating asset.

In other news, another Sheffield United player is set for an exit this summer. Find out who it is here.

Fulham have completed deals to bring both Nathaniel Chalobah and Domingos Quina to Craven Cottage.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the Fulham website in the early hours of Wednesday morning, the club confirmed that Quina had signed for the Cottagers, with the Watford forward joining on a season-long loan deal and the west London side holding an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

Shortly after this announcement, the club revealed in a second statement on their website that Chalobah would be following Quina from Watford to Fulham, with the defensive midfielder joining Marco Silva’s side on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.

Silva will be buzzing

With Andre-Frank Anguissa joining Napoli on a season-long loan deal on Tuesday, and the Serie A side having an option to purchase the midfielder for €15m (£12.9m) at the end of the current campaign, it appeared clear that Fulham were in need of a replacement for the Cameroon international.

And, following the last-minute swoop for Chalobah, it would appear as if Silva has his man, with the 26-year-old looking to be a very solid replacement for the departed defensive midfielder.

Indeed, over his 38 Championship appearances for Watford last season, the £4.5m-rated man made an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.4 clearances and won 5.2 duels per game.

He also chipped in for his side in an attacking capacity, scoring three goals, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.3 key passes per game.

These returns saw the England international earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.85, with the midfielder playing a key role in the club securing automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Meanwhile, the signing of Quina brings further depth in both the central and attacking midfield positions within Silva’s squad, with his addition appearing to be a sensible signing when taking into account the fact that Tom Cairney does not look likely to recover from his knee injury any time soon.

As such, the last-minute signings are sure to have left the Portuguese manager buzzing, as both Chalobah and Quina look to be players who strengthen what seems to already be a very strong Fulham side, who will undoubtedly be one of the favourites for the league title following their summer transfer business and impressive start to the campaign.

In other news: Journo drops Fulham transfer claim on “excellent” £6.3m-rated ace, fans surely buzzing

Former Premier League goalkeeper Mark Crossley believes that Phil Jones would bring experience to Fulham.

90min reported that the Cottagers are one of a number of Championship clubs interested in the Manchester United outcast with a loan move the most likely scenario.

The 29-year-old didn’t feature at all last season for the Red Devils due to injury, but he did return to make his first appearance for United in 18 months in a behind closed doors friendly against Burnley earlier this month.

With the Red Devils bringing in Raphael Varane this summer, you would imagine that drops Jones down the pecking order to fifth choice centre-back at Old Trafford and so a temporary move away could be a good option for him in order to get some much needed game time.

Crossley believes that Jones would bring experience to Fulham, telling Football FanCast: “I like Phil Jones, I think he’s a good player. But it just worries me about how injury prone he is but he’s obviously a top, top player.

“You don’t get signed by Manchester United if you’re not a top player. So, again you do need experience around the squad and maybe Phil Jones is that one just to give that extra little bit of experience.”

Fulham have made a brilliant start to life back in the Championship under Marco Silva, picking up 13 points from a possible 15 so far and sit top of the table, conceding just three goals in the process.

Celtic journalist Anthony Haggerty believes that Albian Ajeti will be a ‘bit-part’ player at the Hoops in 2021/22 despite the exit of Odsonne Edouard, as per an interview with This Is Futbol.

The Lowdown: Ajeti has endured a frustrating spell at Parkhead so far

Enduring an injury-plagued time at the Hoops so far since joining in 2020, the 24-year-old has made 36 appearances for the Hoops, scoring just six times [Transfermarkt].

Celtic lost their talisman Edouard to Crystal Palace for an initial £14m [BBC] on transfer deadline day but Haggerty does not believe that more opportunities will present themselves to the Switzerland international at Parkhead in the coming months.

The Latest: Haggerty believes Ajeti will be a ‘bit-part’ player this term

Speaking in an exclusive interview with This Is Futbol, Haggerty dropped his verdict on Ajeti’s situation at Celtic, claiming:

“I think he has got ability but has maybe kept it well hidden up until now.

“For £5million, which was Celtic’s outlay on him, I think they were looking for a lot more.

“The fans would say persevere with him this season but I think he’s going to be a bit-part player.”

The Verdict: Ajeti will hope to fight his way into the Parkhead picture

Costing the relatively expensive sum of £5m to bring to Glasgow from West Ham United, Celtic may need to stick with Ajeti for the time being as he looks to become a first-team regular under Ange Postecoglou.

In spite of being very much on the periphery at Parkhead, Haggerty excellently illustrates that there is a player in the 24-year-old who can provide quality to the Celtic attack.

He enjoyed his most productive spell in professional football at Basel, where he registered 64 goal contributions in 96 fixtures with 43 goals and 21 assists [Transfermarkt], showing an instinctive ability to finish clinically.

With fellow striker Leigh Griffiths leaving a void to fill after joining Dundee on a loan deal for the rest of 2021/22, Ajeti will be hoping that he can reproduce his earlier career form as the season progresses.

In other news, a Celtic legend has dropped his opinion on a new signing. Find out more here.

Steve Bruce was bound to find himself working in a hostile atmosphere at Newcastle United, a ‘well-placed source’ has told The Athletic. 

The lowdown

Newcastle have picked up just a single point from their first four Premier League matches, leaving them 19th in the Premier League table.

After shipping four goals away to Manchester United at the weekend, they’ve also conceded more often than anybody else. There were also chants of ‘We want Brucie out’ from some of the Newcastle contingent at Old Trafford.

Furthermore, relations between the manager and those above him are said to have frayed after the failure to strengthen the squad on transfer deadline day.

The latest

As per The Athletic, the source said that it seemed “inevitable” before the season had even started that Bruce would come under mounting pressure at St James’ Park.

The manager previously had the backing of the club’s hierarchy but now that support is ‘beginning to wane’, while his ‘few remaining allies appear to be deserting him’.

However, Newcastle may be reluctant to sack the 60-year-old, as then he would be entitled to a ‘multimillion-pound’ payout.

The verdict

You got the sense that Bruce’s relationship with those above him at the club was secure. They stood by him at the bleakest point of last season, the 3-0 defeat at Brighton in March.

However, if the fans are demanding that he be sacked, and influential figures are starting to turn against him, his time at St James’ Park may well be running out.

Could it be significant that former Swansea City boss Steve Cooper was present at Old Trafford on Saturday?

In other news, this Newcastle ace came under fire for his display at Old Trafford.

Former Celtic man and Football Insider pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to the news that Hoops fans won’t be in attendance against Real Betis on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Betis U-turn

It was revealed earlier this month that UEFA has lifted a ban on away fans attending Champions League, Europa League and Conference League fixtures.

The Hoops’ first Europa League group game is against the La Liga side in Spain, with Betis at first allowing Celtic supporters to attend.

However, Celtic then learned that away fans will not be permitted for the opener, with the Hoops confirming the U-turn on Friday.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts

McAvennie was talking to Football Insider in a story on Tuesday evening regarding the development with away supporters.

He described it as ‘gutting’ and wrong of Betis to mess Celtic around regarding details for visiting fans.

“It’s gutting for the Celtic fans.

“But that’s the world we live in at the moment I suppose. Things can change so quickly.

“It’s just awful for the fans who have been looking forward to going. It sounds like Betis changed their minds really quickly which is far from ideal.

“It’s wrong to mess the club around like that.

“It won’t matter though. I’m sure plenty of fans will still travel and make a noise outside the ground.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Betis’ U-turn with less than a week before the game isn’t exactly ideal, but it is the home team’s responsibility in regards to away fans in UEFA competitions.

Celtic will have the chance to block Betis supporters travelling to Scotland for the return fixture in December, so it will be interesting to see what they decide to do.

Hopefully, not having any Celtic supporters present on Thursday won’t be a huge blow for Ange Postecoglou’s side, but one thing guaranteed is the atmosphere will be electric at Parkhead for the three home group games.

In other news: ‘Could be huge’ – McAvennie ecstatic at what he’s ‘heard’ from ‘a few Celtic people’. 

Liverpool are reportedly weighing up a move for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi as manager Jurgen Klopp’s looks to improve his attacking options.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, the Reds are said to be “looking carefully” at the 20-year-old after failing to replace the departed Xherdan Shaqiri in the previous transfer window.

The report states that a January move could be on the cards for Hudson-Odoi, who was heavily linked with a loan move to Borussia Dortmund over the summer, although Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was reluctant to let him leave.

Jurgen Klopp would love him

Hudson-Odoi has made 100 appearances for his boyhood club since making his debut back in 2018, although more than half those outings have come via cameo appearances off the bench.

Nevertheless, the skilful forward has still managed to bag 13 goals and provide a further 16 assists for the Blues, highlighting his truly top-class potential.

He struggled to hold down a regular spot in the first XI following Tuchel’s arrival at Stamford Bridge last season, though, starting just 10 Premier League games all campaign as the capital club finished fourth.

The youngster’s lack of game time led to Dortmund enquiring about his services a few months back, but their approach was rebuffed by the Chelsea hierarchy.

Since then, Tuchel has openly praised the England international for his attitude, claiming the level of competition is a large reason why Hudson-Odoi has spent so little time on the field under his tutelage.

“From the first day in pre-season I saw him on a different level, but struggling a bit to produce the same performances on the pitch,” said Tuchel. “To be absolutely fair, I have to say that sometimes we use him as a wing-back on the right side, which is for me not the very best position for him.

“He waits. This is far enough. He waits for a regular chance on the half-left position, but he fights against Mason Mount, against Kai Havertz, against Hakim Ziyech, against Christian Pulisic.

“When the door opens a little bit, we demand he puts his feet in between it and makes his mark. This can happen any time. He is not happy with his situation, and he will find that he gets frustrated at times, but he never ever brings his frustration to work – not one single day.

“He is a super nice guy in the dressing room and an absolutely positive guy. He is struggling on the sporting side because there is a lot of competition in his positions, but he never puts it on us or his teammates,” the former Paris Saint-Germain manager concluded.

However, Hudson-Odoi has only received 82 minutes of league action so far this season, remaining on the bench for four of Chelsea’s five top-flight encounters to date, potentially opening the door for director of football Michael Edw.

The £28.8m-rated wing wizard still has three years remaining on his current contract at Stamford Bridge, but his growing frustration could lead to an imminent exit, and Klopp would surely love to be able to call upon his services at Liverpool, as he can’t overplay the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota or he risks them breaking down.

The Reds boss has shown that he has the faith to play youngsters and for Hudson-Odoi, there looks to be more chance of game time at Liverpool, who don’t quite have the strength in depth in wide areas as Chelsea.

This looks like a good deal for the player and for Liverpool, Michael Edwards must do all he can to try to make it happen.

And, in other news…Signed for £34m, now worth £90m: Edwards struck gold with “exceptional” Liverpool gem 

Arsenal welcome Premier League rivals Spurs to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the first north London derby of the season.

Mikel Arteta’s side have bounced back to winning ways after a tricky start to the campaign saw them lose their first three games in a row.

The Gunners boss will no doubt have some big decisions to make, and one player who the Spaniard should seriously consider starting is Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian has been on the fringes of things for the north Londoners so far this season, but he did make the starting line-up against AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup in midweek, drawing the foul for Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty.

He showed the kind of speed and directness which could really cause Spurs’ defence problems, and his teammate Pablo Mari is a big fan of his ability and potential.

The 28-year-old said: “He has exploded on to the scene and is showing that he’s a great player with a lot of talent. Martinelli has shown he is a bit different to any other player in terms of his ability. He has great vision and there’s real talent there in terms of his dribbling and his ability to choose the right play.

“His decision-making is improving all the time. Martinelli still has a lot more to show but he has incredible talent and I think gradually he’ll keep developing and become a top player.”

After watching him score a decisive goal in Arsenal’s victory over Crystal Palace at the end of last season, former Gunners boss Freddie Ljungberg said: “He’s very special and he’s a lovely boy as well. You hear how he speaks, of course he’s disappointed he’s not starting, it’s been a while.

“He does so well and all he is saying is that he is always ready when he (Arteta) wants me and it’s a dream for a manager to have.”

His work-rate and desire to hunt the ball down relentlessly would be appreciated in a derby clash, and having him in a front three alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka could leave Nuno Espirito Santo’s defence quaking in their boots.

The £26m-rated starlet could terrify Spurs with his pace and skill this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are eyeing Aubameyang’s successor in this La Liga star…