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Ralf Rangnick has only had a matter of weeks in the Manchester United dugout but his thinking will have to quickly revert from implementing his playstyle to recruitment in the coming weeks.

Fortunately, that’s an area where the German thrives in having had numerous director roles during his career in football.

What’s the word?

Considering Man United boast Cristiano Ronaldo in their squad, it seems ridiculous to suggest that the Red Devils need to strengthen in attack.

However, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that they cannot rely on their Portuguese dynamo.

Bruno Fernandes hails from the same nation and has also had great importance placed on his role in the team. However, he and his compatriot could be given some respite from January.

That’s because United have been linked with securing the services of Joao Felix, another Portugal international who is held in high esteem around the globe.

Speaking recently to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke commented: “I’m sure Manchester United, as well as maybe some other Premier League clubs, will be interested in Joao Felix if Atletico Madrid did decide to cash on him. I’m sure he’d definitely be an attractive option for United.”

Must swoop

Atletico signed the diminutive sensation for a grand total of £113m back in 2019 but his career in the Spanish capital has never truly lived up to expectations.

While climbing the ranks of Benfica, the tricky forward was one of the most impressive young players in the world, scoring 20 goals in 43 senior outings.

After moving to La Liga the 22-year-old has scored the same number of goals, but it’s taken him much longer, making 90 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side.

That said, having been described as “outstanding” by Jurgen Klopp, Felix still has an abundance of talent, even if he does annoy Man United legend, Roy Keane.

Speaking during the European Championships, the Irishman launched a scathing attack on his qualities, saying: “Felix, when he came on, that guy’s an imposter, he’s an imposter. He comes on, your country needs you…hit the target! What was he? £100 million? If I was [Cristiano] Ronaldo I’d certainly be going after him in the dressing room. Shocking.

“Felix and Fernandes were driving me crazy.”

That won’t exactly fill supporters with confidence but he is still a remarkable player with the world at his feet.

He registers a career average of two shots per game, just 0.6 fewer than Fernandes, and has racked up 1.3 dribbles per outing in 2021/22, a statistic that would place him fourth in the United squad.

That’s ahead of the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Fernandes and Ronaldo.

On that evidence, he’d certainly provide United with added spark and when you combine that with his ability to score goals, it makes him a prime candidate for Rangnick to recruit over the winter.

AND in other news, Rangnick must brutally axe “God awful” £180k-p/w MUFC dud who Keane dubbed a “worry”…

An update has emerged on Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield, regarding plans for his future at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

According to the Glasgow Evening Times [29 January, page 47], the Gers are poised to enter contract talks with the Canada international.

His contract is up at the end of the season and the Scottish giants now want to offer him fresh terms in an attempt to keep him at the club moving forward.

GvB needs it

Gio van Bronckhorst will be buzzing with this news as he needs Arfield to put pen to paper on a contract extension before his deal expires in the summer.

The 33-year-old has dipped in and out of form this season and there have been moments where it has looked as if he needs replacing. He has lost 59% of his duels this term and missed a whopping five ‘big chances’ in front of goal, which highlights some of the issues he has had throughout the campaign.

However, just when you may think his time is up at Ibrox he pops up with another moment to show why he needs to stay. He came off the bench against Livingston earlier this week and scored the winning goal with a sublime first-time, improvised, finish into the far corner in a 1-0 win for the Gers, proving that he still has it in him to be a huge player for the club.

Earlier this month, van Bronckhorst admitted that he does not want to see the veteran leave at the end of the campaign, saying: “Scott is an important player to have around. He is definitely someone I want to have longer at Rangers.

“Hopefully we can welcome him next season as well.”

The £16k-per-week beast is still capable of producing moments of magic to win vital points for Rangers and that is why the Dutch head coach needs this key deal to go through. Arfield still has value to offer to the Light Blues and Ross Wilson must ensure that he is able to agree terms with the midfielder over a contract extension in the coming weeks and months.

Hopefully, the ex-Burnley man will continue to provide big goals to help Rangers on their way to another Premiership title and can then celebrate with the trophy and a new contract to head into the 2022/23 campaign.

AND in other news, Rangers could replicate Amad masterclass with swoop for “exceptional” £3.1k-p/w gem…

It has been confirmed that Rangers won’t be signing Amiens loanee Bongani Zungu on a permanent deal this summer, which is the right decision by Steven Gerrard after a less than impressive loan spell at Ibrox from the 28-year-old.

As per Glasgow Live, Amiens manager Oswald Tanchot has confirmed that the South Africa international will be back with the club in Ligue 2 next season. Rangers signed the midfielder on loan during the summer following his parent club’s relegation last term and negotiated an option to buy at the end of his loan spell at Ibrox.

However, he has managed just four starts in all competitions this season, with the majority of his appearances coming from the bench, as he struggled to oust the likes of Steven Davis, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Joe Aribo in Gerrard’s midfield.

Rangers have reportedly been paying Zungu £12,500k per week during his time at Ibrox and he has spent 30 weeks at the club, totalling £375,000 in wages.

This means that they have paid him a remarkable £94,000 per start this season, suggesting that he has unfortunately been a huge waste of money for the Light Blues, and it is no surprise that he won’t be joining permanently.

Although there are numerous players in the current Rangers squad who will go down in history for their roles in the historic 55th title win, it is hard to say the same about Zungu, who will likely be quickly forgotten by most of the Ibrox faithful due to his lack of appearances in this behind-closed-doors season.

He also let the club down by breaking lockdown restrictions to attend a party, earning himself a suspension in the process, which was surely a key factor in costing him a permanent deal at Ibrox.

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Given that Zungu has averaged a lowly 6.25 WhoScored rating across for his performances in the Premiership and the Europa League this season, Gerrard is definitely making the right decision to not sign him permanently.

In other news… Shades of Tavernier: Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for gem with “enormous ability”

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson thinks Mateusz Klich could be left out of Jesse Marsch’s starting line-up against Crystal Palace on Monday.

The Lowdown: Klich a regular

Klich has made 31 appearances in all competitions this season, taking his Leeds tally to 173.

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The 31-year-old has turned out as a defensive, central and attacking midfielder and is yet to miss a game under new boss Jesse Marsch.

He played alongside Robin Koch in the 3-0 win over Watford last time out but made way on the hour mark for Kalvin Phillips.

The Latest: Robinson’s reacts to Phillips image

Talking to MOT Leeds News after seeing an image of Phillips back in full training, Robinson, who contributes for Sky Sports, gave his thoughts on how Leeds’ midfield could shape up at Selhurst Park.

He believes Phillips, who was spotted in full flow at Thorp Arch this week, could make a first start since December alongside Koch, which would mean Klich would drop out.

“For me, Phillips and [Adam] Forshaw both come in if they’re fit and able to play 90 minutes.

“I know they played well at Watford so I don’t think both Phillips and Forshaw will come back in.

“Forshaw’s been out so he’ll probably have to get his game-time off the bench.

“Phillips should come in alongside either Klich or Koch.

“It’ll probably be alongside Koch if Jesse Marsch is going to play that way again.”

The Verdict: Right call?

Bringing back Phillips from the off could be a wise by Marsch move following Leeds’ 16-day break.

Klich also had an afternoon to forget at Vicarage Road last time out. As per SofaScore, he was Leeds’ worst-rated player in the 3-0 victory, losing possession 16 times and failing to complete any of his attempted long balls.

The central midfielder was also second best in nine of his 12 duels, so it could be a wise move to leave him out of the starting XI at Selhurst Park as Leeds look to take a step closer to safety.

In other news: Approach made: 49ers and Radz now in exit talks with club for ‘awful’ Leeds defender. 

Recent reports by Calcio Napoli 24 have claimed that Chelsea will demand €18m (£15.5m) for rumoured West Ham United target Tiemoue Bakayoko this summer, but David Sullivan must prevent David Moyes from reviving any hopes of a deal.

The Irons were heavily linked with interest in the French midfielder last summer before he sealed a last-ditch season-long loan with SSC Napoli, with Transfer20 claiming in June that the London Stadium natives were favourites after pushing hardest for a move.

West Ham ultimately did not strengthen the engine room beyond the permanent arrival of Tomas Soucek, and could again strive to add depth behind the Czech Republic star and Declan Rice this year despite Mark Noble’s recent one-year contract extension.

Bakayoko may emerge as an option for the Hammers once again at the end of the season, as Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis is noted to be opposed to paying Chelsea’s £15.5m asking price to purchase the 26-year-old.

The Serie A side ‘will never accept’ paying the Blues a fee in that region and could return to the negotiating table at some stage, as Bakayoko has started 17 of his 23 league games under Gennaro Gattuso this term and only failed to feature twice in 25 available fixtures.

Bakayoko’s preference would be a return to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium for the 2021/22 campaign if the option presents itself, but is not opposed to taking on a new adventure in hopes of finding a regular role.

He has not featured for Chelsea in a competitive game since his maiden year at Stamford Bridge in 2017/18, having been sent on loan to AC Milan and a temporary return to AS Monaco before joining Napoli in October.

Chelsea paid Monaco £40m to sign Bakayoko in 2017 under Antonio Conte against rival interest from Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, and handed him a £110,000-per-week contract that is due to expire next year.

West Ham could strive to capitalise on Bakayoko entering the final 12-months of his deal in June to add depth to Moyes’ engine room, but Sullivan must block any efforts to revive the east London outfit’s previous interest.

Bakayoko flopped heavily in the Premier League when signed for more than the £30m that Chelsea paid Leicester for their title-winning hero N’Golo Kante, and has now been passed on by four managers with Thomas Tuchel seemingly opposed to offering a second chance.

It took Maurizio Sarri less than a month of seeing Bakayoko in training before he sanctioned a loan with AC Milan, and it was no wonder that the Italian’s successor Frank Lampard chose against bringing the one-time international back.

Before taking the step into management at Derby County, Lampard was highly critical of Bakayoko after seeing the Frenchman struggle in big games for his former side.

“He sleeps,” Lampard said, via quotes by the Independent, after Bakayoko lost sight of Saul Niguez as the Atletico Madrid midfielder scored in a 1-1 Champions League Group Stage draw with Chelsea in December 2017. “His concentration goes and at this level, if you sleep for a second, and it’s an easy goal for Atletico.

“I don’t know with Bakayoko. I think it’s well documented that he hasn’t settled quickly at Chelsea and English football in the Premier League as well, and he has to come to grips with that.”

Days earlier, Rio Ferdinand had also slammed Bakayoko after offering nothing to protect Chelsea’s backline in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool and instead caused problems for the Blues.

“If I was Gary Cahill out there, I would be screaming at Bakayoko,” Ferdinand said, via quotes by the Daily Star. “I think, defensively, he’s been an absolute disgrace today. He’s doing nothing, he’s letting people run off him [and] he’s leaving Gary Cahill isolated.”

With four Chelsea managers now seemingly passing on offering Bakayoko a chance to show himself in a better light than his initial efforts, it is clear that he has not proven he can improve and Sullivan must block West Ham from reviving their interest this summer.

AND in other news, a £70k-p/w dud with “wonderful feet” intends to quit West Ham this summer…

Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio is close to securing a summer move away from Molineux.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claimed that Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma side are close to agreeing a deal of €6m (£5m) plus bonuses with Wolves for the transfer of the 33-year-old.

It is reported that the Premier League club began negotiations for Patricio by demanding a €12m (£10m) fee, which then dropped to €10m (£8.5m) before reportedly settling for half the figure they had originally wanted for the Portugal international.

Lage heading for grave mistake

Having only taken over at Wolves at the beginning of June, if the reports are indeed true that Lage is willing to allow Patricio to leave this summer, particularly for the fee mentioned by Corriere dello Sport, it seems that the former Benfica boss is already on his way to making a grave mistake at the club.

Having joined Wolves from Sporting Lisbon in a £16.2m deal back in 2018, the goalkeeper has been a near ever-present for the Premier League side, missing just two top-flight fixtures since his arrival in the Black Country.

Over these 112 Premier League fixtures, the £9m-rated stopper has kept a total of 31 clean sheets, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.60 in 2018/19, 6.83 in 2019/20 and 6.76 in 2020/21 – ratings which prove just how solid the 33-year-old has been for the club since his arrival.

Furthermore, with only John Ruddy in the Wolves squad who could realistically replace the Portugal number one if he were he to leave Molineux this summer, Lage would more than likely have to bring in a new goalkeeper in the summer transfer window, and it seems unlikely that the 45-year-old could find a stopper as talented as Patricio for the £5m Wolves would receive from his sale.

As such, all of the above would lead us to believe that the sale of the man whom Steve Bull dubbed a “world-class” goalkeeper would be a huge mistake on the part of Lage, as the manager could well find the £100,000-per-week 33-year-old an extremely difficult player to replace.

In other news: Get it done: Lage must sanction £26m Wolves summer swoop for “special” Euro 2020 beast

Tottenham Hotspur defender Toby Alderweireld is hopeful of leaving the club this summer, according to a recent report from The Athletic. 

The lowdown: ‘Phenomenal’ servant

Alderweireld has been with Spurs since 2015, and has gone on to make 236 appearances in total for the club over the years, which includes 35 appearances in the 2020/21 season, as they finished seventh in the Premier League in a frustrating campaign for the club’s supporters

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider back in December 2020, former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan labelled the Belgium international as a ‘phenomenal player’ and the club’s best defender.

“Alderweireld is the best defender at that club. He’s a phenomenal player and it’s great to see him playing so well again.”

Alderweireld’s contract with Spurs is set to expire in the summer of 2023, but it now looks as though he won’t see out that deal.

The latest: Alderweireld makes decision on his Spurs future

The Athletic report that Alderweireld has set his sights on a summer move away from Spurs, and he’s confident that a move can be completed after the European Championships.

It’s also claimed that Tottenham are unlikely to stand in his way over a potential exit either, with a rebuild likely to be in place for newly-appointed manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

Alderweireld is currently on international duty with Belgium though, and there won’t be any move taking place in the immediate future, with Roberto Martinez’s side set to take on Italy on Friday evening in their quarter-final clash at Euro 2020.

The verdict: A frustrating update for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side

He’s likely to leave a sizeable void in the Spurs defence if his departure was confirmed this summer.

Alderweireld has been a fantastic servant to the club over the years, having signed from Atlético Madrid back in 2015, whilst they were under the management of Mauricio Pochettino.

It will be a summer of change at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium though, with newly-appointed Nuno looking to add some his own players who are better suited to his system.

At the age of 32, some Spurs supporters might argue that Alderweireld has still got something to offer them this term though, and his experience playing in a back three with Belgium would certainly suggest he can thrive under Nuno’s preferred system.

Crystal Palace have been dealt with a huge blow relating to the future of one of their first-team stars.

According to Sky Sports, Turkish giants Galatasaray have offered a contract to left-back Patrick van Aanholt as his current Selhurst Park deal continues to tick down at the end of the season.

Should the Dutchman end up departing Palace, he will be a considerable miss.

Ever since arriving from Sunderland in 2017, van Aanholt has been all-but constant in the Crystal Palace team.

He has played 132 times for the Eagles in all competitions, scoring a fantastic 14 goals from left-back.

His reliability can also not be called into question with the 30-year-old having missed just 19 Premier League matches through injury in his four years at Selhurst Park.

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Previously linked with a transfer to Arsenal, current Eagles boss Roy Hodgson suggested that he was ‘good enough’ to play for the Gunners.

So, whilst losing their first-choice left-back would of course be a bitter pill for Palace to swallow, it could also have destructive consequences on not only the current squad but also the club’s future transfer plans.

Much like van Aanholt, fellow left-back Tyrick Mitchell is also out of contract at the end of the season. Should the two of them depart, this would leave the club without a recognised left-sided defender in the squad.

Joel Ward is capable of deputising but it would be thought that they would not want to head into the 2021/22 campaign with such limited options.

This would cause the club to thus dip into the transfer market. Considering van Aanholt is rated at £7.2m, with Mitchell slightly lower at £4.5m, it could be suggested that it would take a fee similar to that of their combined valuations to recruit a Premier League ready left-back unless any arrival is a free transfer.

The potential departure of van Aanholt then is certainly a blow for Crystal Palace.

AND in more news, have a look at how a former Chelsea boss could provide a clue on Palace’s next manager…

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former Premier League defender Steve Howey can imagine both Frank Lampard and Chelsea’s Billy Gilmour at Crystal Palace next season.

Lampard is searching for work following his dismissal from Chelsea at the end of January, while Gilmour may need to leave Stamford Bridge temporarily for more first-team minutes.

According to The Telegraph, both individuals could be options for Palace ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The south London club, of course, need a new manager following Roy Hodgson’s departure and could also do with some fresh faces coming in for the players that they are likely to lose. Currently, they have 15 players who are all out of contract next month.

Asked by TT if he could see Gilmour fitting in at Palace under Lampard, Howey said:

“Absolutely, absolutely. I think the lads that are in there are really good pros, [James] McCarthy, [James] McArthur, [Luka] Milivojevic. For me, you get him, you’ve done well.

“I rate him. I rate him very, very highly. It’s not surprising to me that Steve Clarke’s put him in the squad.”

It was Lampard who gave Gilmour his senior debut last season, with the 19-year-old Scottish midfielder later catching everyone’s attention with an impressive display against Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

He helped inspire Chelsea to a 2-0 win, absolutely destroying Fabinho in an epic battle in the middle of the park.

Southampton host West Ham at St Mary’s on Saturday as they go in search of their first win of the 2021/22 Premier League season.

The Saints lost 3-1 to Everton on the opening day of the campaign before holding Manchester United and Newcastle to draws in their subsequent matches.

They are up against a Hammers side who have scored 10 goals in their three league games and amassed seven points, beating Newcastle and Leicester before drawing with Crystal Palace.

On the Chalkboard

Mohamed Salisu and Jack Stephens have started every game at centre-back so far and Southampton are yet to keep a clean sheet. This means that Ralph Hasenhuttl could be open to a change to the starting XI in that area of the pitch, potentially opening the door for Jan Bednarek to return to the team.

Of the aforementioned pair, Salisu has the higher match rating on SofaScore. He has averaged an impressive score of 7.03, whilst winning 65% of his duels and making two tackles per game. Meanwhile, Stephens has averaged a score of just 6.40, winning 52% of his duels and making one interceptions per game.

This suggests that Stephens’ position in the team could be at risk, as he has not been able to perform to as high of a standard as Salisu so far. The clash with West Ham this weekend presents Hasenhuttl with the opportunity to give £50k-per-week Bednarek an opportunity to show that he can outshine Stephens at the back.

Earlier this year, Hasenhuttl lauded the Poland international as a ‘firefighter’ for the way he defends the Southampton goal on the pitch. The Austrian told the Daily Echo: “He is robust. He is one of the best defensive fighters, I say always he’s a firefighter who really does everything to protect his own goal.

“I think the biggest development he made with the ball, he’s getting better and better with better decision making. Still not always the right one, but it’s getting better and better.”

This shows that Hasenhuttl has faith in the defender to go out and do a job, which is another reason why he must be unleashed against West Ham. If he can improve Southampton’s defence alongside Salisu, he could change the game for the Saints, as it may give his side a better chance of picking up a first league win of the season.

Bednarek averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.81 in the Premier League last term. He helped the Saints keep nine clean sheets as he managed 2.3 interceptions per game, which shows that he is capable of making a difference at the back at this level. Therefore, his presence could help Southampton to keep the Irons at bay, and including him instead of Stephens could prove to be a game-changing decision by Hasenhuttl if he goes for it.

AND in other news, “Now close”: Ralph makes claim on 21 y/o maestro which will leave Southampton fans buzzing…