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Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba appears to be edging closer towards signing a new contract with the club following months of negotiations.

What’s the story?

The World Cup winner’s current deal expires in the summer of 2022, meaning he would be free to negotiate with foreign clubs as early as January.

French giants Paris Saint-Germain were heavily linked with the 28-year-old in the previous window before their shock move for Lionel Messi meant Pogba’s arrival was no longer a financial possibility.

It’s believed that the Ligue 1 outfit, Juventus and Real Madrid are still interested in the creative talents signature, but according to L’Équipe (as relayed by Get French Football News), he is now set to put pen to paper on fresh terms with United.

The report states that: “L’Équipe report today that France midfielder Paul Pogba is now telling those around him that he sees himself extending his contract with Manchester United.

“His entourage is said to have a clear goal in mind, which is to make the former Juventus man the highest, or at least one of the highest-paid players in Premier League history.”

Fans will be absolutely delighted

News that Pogba reportedly sees his long-term future at Old Trafford will leave United supporters feeling absolutely delighted, given his importance to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges.

It’s been a frustrating five years for the France international since he returned to his boyhood club in a then world-record £89m deal back in 2016, with only a League Cup and Europa League to show for his efforts.

However, since last December, Pogba has begun to show the sort of form on a consistent basis that convinced United to spend such a hefty fee on the engine room operator.

Since the beginning of 2020/21, the 6 foot 2 dynamo has bagged six goals and an impressive 18 assists in his 51 appearances for the 20-time English champions, illustrating his truly world-class form of late.

If Pogba does eventually agree to fresh terms at the club, then it will be a huge boost to Solskjaer’s ambitions as he attempts to return United to the Premier League summit, and fans will be hoping he puts pen to paper sooner rather than later.

And, in other news…Man Utd could strike gold by signing £9m-rated beast, Ole would love him 

Jamie O’Hara has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur should have made Graham Potter their new head coach, not Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Lowdown: Two-way battle

Following the sacking of Jose Mourinho and the decision not to keep Ryan Mason on a permanent basis, Spurs appointed former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo after being linked with the likes of Antonio Conte and Brendan Rodgers.

It was reported that the decision eventually became a two-horse race between Nuno and Brighton & Hove Albion boss Potter, with the latter remaining at Brighton and currently sitting fourth in the Premier League.

The Latest: O’Hara wanted Potter

Speaking on talkSPORT, former Spurs midfielder O’Hara has stated that Potter would have been a better appointment for the N17 club.

He said: “I think it was at the start of the last season, I was a bit like, ‘No, he still needs to do more and show us more what he’s about with his Brighton side.”

O’Hara continued: “When I interviewed him, I completely changed my mind with him.

“You know when someone has an aura when you’re with them and they have that sort of philosophy of how they want to play. When I interviewed him, I was like, ‘Wow, this guy is the real deal’.

“He’s shown that this season and I think Spurs have missed out in not trying to go for him.”

The Verdict: Too early to call

O’Hara’s comments on Potter are truly justified and deserved given how well he has done with Brighton – especially this season with four wins already this campaign.

However, it remains early doors for Nuno at Spurs and whilst they have been disappointing in their two recent games, they did win their first three competitive outings with their new boss.

Time will tell whether O’Hara is right, but Potter is due a move to a top-six side some time in his future after such an impressive rise up the coaching ranks.

In other news, Gary Neville has claimed this Spurs midfielder ‘doesn’t fit’ the Premier League. Find out more here.

An update has emerged regarding Liverpool’s interest in Sampdoria winger Mikkel Damsgaard.

What’s the talk?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, the Reds have made an initial enquiry over a deal to sign the 21-year-old from the Serie A outfit ahead of tonight’s transfer deadline.

The report claims that Jurgen Klopp’s side could come in with an offer for the Denmark international, but the Genoa-based club want to keep him.

Parting gift

Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards is reportedly due to leave the club at the end of the season and he must ensure that he seals a deal for Damsgaard as his parting gift to Klopp.

Edwards has been the architect of the Reds’ excellent transfer business in recent years, with the likes of Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah coming in under his stewardship, and Damsgaard could be his final masterstroke.

He would still have the January transfer window to complete deals before leaving in the summer of 2022, but if he can bring the Danish starlet to Anfield on deadline day, that could alleviate the need for any business in the winter and make this his final move. The mastermind must now reach an agreement with Sampdoria to tempt them into changing their minds.

Xherdan Shaqiri left the club earlier this month and Edwards could replace him by landing the Sampdoria winger in the final few hours of the window. The 21-year-old Dane has caught the eye for his country this year, with four goals and three assists in his last six starts for Denmark.

Earlier this year, Danish football expert Martin Mikkelsen hailed Damsgaard as being ‘magical’ and outlined some of the forward’s best assets.

He told TV2 Sport: “It’s the season’s assist. Isn’t that where we are? He’s magical – what a speed! It is fantastic improvisation, and he just finds Balde in the field, as they both know what is going to happen.

“It is a free space he has, as he is not so locked. He is dynamic and can go both ways. He is creative but also so mature in his decisions. Was it something we dreamed of? It’s awesome.”

In five European Championship appearances, Damsgaard scored two goals and set up one goal for his teammates as he averaged an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.28. This shows that he has the quality to step up and perform on one of the biggest stages, which suggests that he could have the potential to join Liverpool and be a success.

At the age of 21, he also has plenty of time left to develop as a player. He could improve under Klopp’s coaching and be a project on whom the German can work over the course of a number of years.

This is why he could be the perfect parting gift from Edwards to the manager, as he would be leaving Klopp with a promising player with the scope to go on and achieve great things.

In other news: Liverpool must secure 2022 agreement for “special” £36m-rated gem, fans would love him

Leicester City have had a successful transfer window so far, bringing in several astute acquisitions, but now they must focus their attention on offloading their fringe players.

What’s the story?

The likes of Dennis Praet and Ayoze Perez have been linked with moves away from the King Power Stadium throughout the summer to no avail, yet one man is still reportedly attracting strong interest from a potential suitor.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United remain keen on securing Hamza Choudhury on a loan deal before the August 31 deadline and are pushing to get the deal over the line.

Choudhury was first identified as a target by the Magpies in January, and manager Steve Bruce is determined to finally secure his transfer target over the coming weeks.

He’s not good enough

After making his first-team debut for the Midlands outfit back in 2017, the £6.3m-rated youngster was tipped to have a very successful career by many impressed onlookers.

The former England Under-21 international has gone on to make 72 appearances for his boyhood club in the subsequent four years, although he’s never made more than ten Premier League starts in a single campaign.

He was criticised by former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder and TalkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara for a heavy challenge in the Young Lions’ European Under-21 Championships opener with France in 2019.

“It’s a silly tackle in his own box. It’s a red anywhere on the pitch. They’re going to struggle now to fill that role while he’s banned,” O’Hara said, and his progress has been stunted ever since.

The likes of Wilfried Ndidi and Youri Tielemans have kept Choudhury on the bench for large spells over the last couple of campaigns, limiting him to just 22 outings in all competitions throughout 2020/21, and the arrival of Boubakary Soumare is expected to force him further down the pecking order.

With Brendan Rodgers’ charges achieving consecutive fifth-place finishes and a maiden FA Cup crown under the Northern Irish tactician’s tutelage, it’s easy to understand why the Leicester manager has been so reluctant to give Choudhury more game time.

A hugely disappointing 6.19 WhoScored rating last term showcases he’s not currently good enough to force his way into the starting XI at the King Power Stadium, meaning a temporary move away could be the best solution for all parties.

And, in other news, Leicester handed a blow in pursuit of “magical” £18m-rated gem, Rodgers will be gutted…

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly fighting a number of clubs in the UEFA Champions League to sign Ryan Gravenberch.

The Lowdown: Emerging talent

Gravenberch is certainly one of the biggest emerging talents in world football at just 19 years of age, having played in ten games in total over all competitions so far this season for Ajax already, scoring one goal and making one assist (Transfermarkt).

Former Spurs star and fellow countryman Rafael van der Vaart has recently been singing the praises of the Netherlands international, claiming that he is ‘big’, ‘strong’ and ‘calm on the ball’ (Ziggo Sport Voetbal).

The Latest: Plenty of interest

As per Fichajes, there is now plenty of interest in Gravenberch from a number of top teams in Europe.

As well as the Lilywhites, UEFA Champions League sides Chelsea, FC Barcelona and Juventus all reportedly have the central midfield player in their sights, while north London rivals Arsenal are also following his situation.

However, Ajax currently value him at a whopping €75m (£64.2m), as his current deal at the Dutch giants does not end until 2024.

The Verdict: Break the bank

It is not often that Daniel Levy decided to break the bank on a signing, but if he gets the green light, he must go out and sign Gravenberch at all costs.

It is scary just how much potential he is at 19, and the number of top European clubs courting him should tell its own story.

Nonetheless, if THFC can raise some money through the sales of a few of their fringe players, then that cash should not be spent anywhere else.

In other news, find out who now wants to leave Tottenham here!

Aston Villa have been handed a potential boost in their chase for Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa this summer amid a major transfer update.

What’s the story?

Following the Cottagers’ relegation from the Premier League last season, it would be no surprise to see a number of their key players look to move on.

According to previous reports from The Daily Mail, Dean Smith’s Villa side are monitoring developments over Anguissa ahead of a potential move, with Fulham braced for offers for many of their key men.

And now, The Athletic have revealed that Anguissa was left out of the squad to face Middlesbrough in the Championship at the weekend due to his desire to leave.

It’s added that “the 25-year-old midfielder is subject to interest from clubs in Italy, Spain and the Premier League and has made it clear that he does not want to play in the Championship.”

Premier League proven

Joachim Andersen, his teammate at Fulham, has raved about about the £22.5m-rated powerhouse, saying: “He’s a top player. He’s a machine in the midfield. He’s winning so many balls and driving forward with it.”

And, when you compare the key stats between Anguissa and Villa’s own Douglas Luiz, it’s the former who comes out on top.

As per Whoscored, he is defensively far stronger than his Brazilian counterpart, averaging more tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League, and also committing far fewer fouls too – something Villa fans will be relieved to know after Luiz’s mindless challenge to give away a penalty against Manchester United at the weekend.

And, as Andersen said, Anguissa is also adept at driving the ball forward, averaging a whopping 2.7 dribbles per game – far higher than Luiz, and actually only slightly below Jack Grealish with 2.8 in the entire Villa squad.

It’s exactly why Villa should now be pouncing on a move for Anguissa, especially with this recent development. Johan Lange must pounce now.

The fact Anguissa was left out and has made it clear he wants to move, has given Villa the perfect chance to swoop.

Meanwhile, Villa could sign a dream Jack Grealish replacement in this star…

Celtic midfielder David Turnbull is the latest player to suffer a muscular injury, with Ange Postecoglou believing that it is down to the number of games the Hoops are playing, as per Football Scotland.

The Lowdown: Ange’s first trophy

Postecoglou won his first trophy as Celtic boss on Sunday after an entertaining 2-1 win over Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup final. Kyogo Furuhashi made a return from injury and was the hero for the Hoops, scoring both goals after Paul Hanlon opened the scoring for Hibs.

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Celtic were without the likes of Albian Ajeti, Karamoko Dembele, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Jota and Christopher Jullien for the final due to injury, and it now seems as if Turnbull could join them in the treatment room.

The Latest: Hamstring injury

Celtic have had a number of their attacking players sidelined in recent weeks, especially due to hamstring problems, with Turnbull even occupying a centre-forward role against Motherwell earlier this month.

He hobbled off with a hamstring problem in the first half at Hampden Park and was replaced by Nir Bitton, with Football Scotland sharing Postecoglou’s comments regarding Turnbull after the game.

The Hoops manager fumed: “David suffered from the amount of games we are playing at the moment. We are suffering because of that.

“We have not been able to rotate the squad a lot and that is hurting us at the moment, picking up these injuries. We will just see how he is.”

The Verdict: Doubt for St Mirren…

You’d expect that Turnbull, who Postecoglou has called ‘outstanding’, will now be a doubt for Celtic’s trip to St Mirren tomorrow night and could miss his first game of the season.

They won’t want to take any risks on the attacking midfielder as he has been so influential this season, contributing to 16 goals and playing in a variety of different positions.

The Hoops have had just 72 hours to prepare for the St Mirren clash, so it could be a wise decision to leave Turnbull out for that game and look to use him for the three remaining fixtures before the winter break, should his injury not prove to be too serious.

In other news: Nicholson makes Celtic move on the day of Hampden Park final to sign speedster with ‘great feet’.  

Celtic have been involved in a number of significant deals over recent years where players have either joined or left the club for substantial amounts of money.

One that immediately springs to mind came back during the 2019 summer transfer window when the Hoops sold full-back, Kieran Tierney, to Premier League club Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £25m.

As a product of the Parkhead club’s youth system, the left-back made 170 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions before making the move to north London, scoring eight goals and providing 37 assists along the way.

Prior to joining the Gunners, it was claimed by Barry Ferguson that a transfer fee of £50m for the Scotland international would have been cheap, highlighting just how highly rated he was at the club.

Now that some time has passed since the 24-year-old waved goodbye to Celtic Park, the current Hoops boss, Ange Postecoglou, has the chance to unearth his own version of Tierney.

Signed from Shamrock Rovers back in August last year, Irish defender Liam Scales has made just 13 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions.

Despite predominantly being a centre-back, the 23-year-old has been deployed in the left-back and left-midfield positions, as Tierney was during his time there.

In those 13 appearances, Scales has been able to score two goals and provide two assists, showing that he has an eye for goal as the current Arsenal full-back did.

When discussing the defender on the RTE Soccer Podcast, Ex-League of Ireland star Graham Gartland had this to say about him.

“I think he can go places. He’s a good height, he’s athletically very good, he doesn’t get done for pace too much, he’s quick without being lightning. He’s aggressive. He’s only going to get better the more experience he gets and the more he gains from playing against and with better players.”

In comparison to Tierney, he was reportedly told to tone down his aggressive intensity during training sessions after he joined Mikel Arteta’s side, once again highlighting the similarities between the two players.

Taking all of this into account, it certainly feels that Scales could go on to become a regular first-team player under Postecoglou if he manages to make the most out of any opportunities he gets to play.

In other news: Ange must finally unleash “outstanding” £18k-p/w “menace” after huge Celtic setback

After taking over from Dean Smith during the international break, new Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will take charge of his first game when Brighton come to town on Saturday afternoon.

The 41-year-old will have some big calls to make in terms of naming his first starting line-up, and one man who must surely be dropped is Anwar El Ghazi.

The Dutchman was recalled to the first-team fold against Southampton in Smith’s last game in charge of the club just before the international break, but delivered a woeful performance which was rather summed up by his awful attempt to try and win a penalty.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave him a measly two, saying: “Should have had an early bath after his 11th-minute booking before another clear foul and then a dive. Livramento wouldn’t have had an easier game this season.

“El Ghazi kept losing the ball while he spurned a golden chance after Livramento slipped before firing high and wide. El Ghazi struck a powerful one which was tipped over by McCarthy after the break as Villa initially went to a 4-4-2. Poor on his return to the starting XI.”

He has played just six times in the Premier League this season and hasn’t completed the full 90 minutes since the 1-1 draw against Brentford in late August, which has been an indication of how far he’s fallen down the pecking order at Villa Park.

Before he was brought on against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in mid-October, he was an unused substitute for the previous five top-flight games, even with the injuries to both Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore.

With reports in recent weeks and months already indicating that Villa would be open to selling the winger, the £8.5m-rated Dutchman simply must be taken out of the line-up for the clash against Brighton.

His performance against Southampton was the latest in a series of disappointing displays this term, with just the one top-flight goal to his name.

Gerrard must make a ruthless call and drop him from the team to take on Brighton on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Villa must finally sign this long-term transfer target…

West Ham United’s top-six hopes were dealt a big blow this afternoon as the Hammers were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Burnley.

The managerless Clarets, who parted company with Sean Dyche on Friday after ten years in charge, took the lead through Wout Weghorst in the 33rd minute and could’ve had a two-goal lead at half-time when awarded a penalty. However, the spot-kick was missed by Maxwell Cornet.

Irons midfielder Tomas Soucek was able to equalise with 16 minutes to go for the hosts to ensure they took something from the match, although after Thursday’s 3-0 win in Lyon, the result will certainly be a disappointment.

Depsite the result, there were some shining lights for David Moyes’s side with attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini particularly impressive.

According to SofaScore, the Argentinian was the Hammers’ joint-second best player, picking up a 7.4/10 rating alongside right-back Ben Johnson with goalscorer Soucek the highest-ranked with a score of 7.5.

The Czech Republic international’s goal was assisted by the 29-year-old, his fourth of the campaign, who also managed to impressively complete 93% of his passes whilst making 65 touches in a lively 79 minutes.

With three key passes and a 100% dribble success rate, the playmaker was a handful to deal with for Burnley. Moreover, Lanzini also won half of his duels.

Eyelids certainly wouldn’t have been batted outside the London Stadium when team news was announced if the Argentinian wasn’t starting having played from the off three days prior in Lyon.

Furthermore, the attacking midfielder was recently involved in a serious car crash that left him with a knock.

However, once again being deployed in the middle of an attacking midfield trio, the 29-year-old, who was labelled as a “special, special player” by captain Declan Rice earlier this season, impressed.

There’s plenty of competition for places in West Ham’s attacking midfield with the likes of Said Benrahma, Nikola Vlasic, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen all able to play behind the striker.

The Argentinian is easily the longest-serving of them all though and is certainly a fan favourite after seven seasons at the East London club.

Although, his time as a Hammer may soon come to an end with the maestro’s contract set to expire next summer with few signs suggesting an extension will be signed.

For now, though, Lanzini must continue performing well to maintain a starting spot in both the Premier League and Europa League as the Hammers look to push for European qualification for next season.

AND in other news: West Ham plot bid for £21.6m-rated “leader”, Moyes can now axe “shocking” £61k-p/w dud