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Sky Sports have dropped a live TV update on new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

The Lowdown: Official announcement

The Red Devils first spoke to the Dutchman last month and have now confirmed the 52-year-old as their new manager.

Ten Hag will replace Ralf Rangnick in the summer and has penned a deal through to June 2025 at Old Trafford, with United having the option to extend that by a further 12 months.

The club pointed out that a move is subject to work visa requirements, and Sky Sports have been speaking to ‘people close to Ten Hag’ following the announcement.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol was speaking live on Wednesday, relayed by Football Daily, after talking to those close to Ten Hag ‘in the past few minutes’.

Solhekol revealed that Ten Hag has been told the first things he needs to do by United – ‘stop the rot’ and to ‘get Manchester United to play the way United are supposed to play’.

The Verdict: Summer rebuild required

Ten Hag is going to have an extremely busy first summer at Old Trafford, both on and off the training pitch looking for immediate results.

Up to 12 players could reportedly leave over the coming months and the new boss may have £200m to spend on new players, with Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Neves four targets for Ten Hag.

He’ll be looking to get key incomings and outgoings finalised as soon as possible, which will allow him to work with a fresh squad for pre-season, looking for instant results when it comes to a playing style at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign.

In other news: ‘Revolution begins’: Fabrizio Romano now shares key Man Utd exit news emerging from Old Trafford. 

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to clinch their first trophy in 13 years when they face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup later this evening and interim boss Ryan Mason has plenty to ponder ahead of kick-off.

Aside from the uncertainty surrounding Harry Kane’s involvement at Wembley Stadium – he is being monitored “hour by hour” – the 29-year-old caretaker is facing a huge task as the Premier League leaders have won this very competition each of the last three seasons, and five of the last seven, too.

Mason took over from the sacked Jose Mourinho on Monday and won his first game in charge at Southampton, coming from behind to clinch all three points. It wasn’t the greatest performance by any means, though he can be forgiven as he had less than 48 hours with this squad.

Now, having had a little bit more time with the team, Mason should be able to implement his ideas and that now leaves him with a big decision to make.

Against Southampton in midweek, Spurs’ midfield was overrun and outplayed – the trio of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso just did not work, with the Dane sitting a little deeper behind the two big-money 2019 summer signings.

It was the latter, Lo Celso, who was arguably the poorest of the lot. It’s no wonder he was hooked by the 79th minute and given the lowest rating (6.3) by SofaScore.

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The £36m-rated dynamo has frequently been lauded behind the scenes since his move from Real Betis last season but a combination of injuries and poor performances should certainly put his place in the line-up at risk.

“He is a technically gifted player. But he is not afraid to get stuck in when he needs to as well,” claimed Harry Winks to the Guardian, whilst Mourinho once dubbed him “phenomenal.”

But the fact of the matter is, Lo Celso has delivered just one goal and one assist in the Premier League all season and sits amongst their worst performers, with an average WhoScored rating of 6.55.

By comparison, even Matt Doherty (6.71) and Serge Aurier (6.97) have managed better and that’s a telling story in itself as the pair are often the target of criticism from the fanbase.

On Wednesday night, Lo Celso proved to be weak – losing 82% of his midfield battles – and completely wasteful – losing possession 14 times, as per SofaScore.

That merely continues a recurring trend with the £100k-per-week star, as he hasn’t been rated above a 7/10 since November in the top-flight. Indeed, he’s been rather shocking for weeks now.

Mason must show no mercy and ruthlessly axe the Argentine from his starting XI this evening. A bold, but necessary, call.

AND in other news, Levy could revolutionise Spurs by securing landmark double swoop…

A number of Aston Villa supporters have been heaping praise on teenage midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka following his impressive FA Youth Cup display on Tuesday evening.

The 17-year-old, who signed a professional deal at Villa Park back in October, scored three times in the club’s 6-1 win over Newcastle United.

Chukwuemeka netted his second and third goals in the space of three minutes in the second half to ensure Villa would advance to the semi-finals, where they will face local rivals West Brom.

The Englishman, capable of playing as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder, was the star of the show at St James’ Park, and his performance caught the eyes of hundreds of Villa supporters on social media.

Villa fans react

The club kept fans up to date during the quarter-final on their official Twitter page.

As to be expected, the news of Chukwuemeka’s hat-trick had a number of supporters talking, with one labelling the youngster’s potential as ‘insane’.

“I’ve seen enough play him on Saturday”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

“Silly”

Credit: @AVFCharvey04

“This lad is gonna be insane”

Credit: @TomLiversage

“Send Barkley back to Chelsea and start this man, baller”

Credit: @PearsallHarry

“It’s a joke. Please get him in the team”

Credit: @_Whittall

“Omg man this guy is unstoppable.”

Credit: @LukeKing_

In other news: Aston Villa outcast a shock target for European giants, find out more here. 

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford didn’t miss the Whites’ 3-2 win over West Ham through injury, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Famous win for Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side picked up an enormous three points on Sunday afternoon, battling their way to a fantastic victory at the London Stadium. Jack Harrison stole the show with a well-taken hat-trick but it was a superb team effort overall from Leeds, who dug deep in the absence of numerous key players.

One man who didn’t feature against the Hammers was Bamford, with the 28-year-old playing only once since the middle of September because of injury problems.

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The Latest: Hay gives positive Bamford update

Taking to Twitter after the West Ham game, Hay confirmed that Bamford didn’t miss out with an injury, with Bielsa instead exercising caution on his use of the striker given how much of the season he has missed.

The journalist revealed: “Bamford isn’t injured but in the end, Bielsa thought it would have been ‘premature’ to use him.”

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The Verdict: Season-changing return?

If Bamford is not injured, as Hay claims, then he should soon be set to return to action for Leeds for the first time since the clash against Brentford in early December. That could be huge for the Whites, considering how influential he had been last season, scoring 17 times and registering seven assists in the Premier League.

His end product should certainly make the team more potent but it is his all-round game which has also been greatly missed, from his link-up play to his work ethic.

Getting Bamford back on the pitch will give Leeds a very different look, and his 2020/21 return suggests that he can be the man to ensure that they pull away from any potential relegation scrap in the coming months.

In other news, Leeds have been given hope in their quest to sign one midfielder this month. Find out who it is here.

‘The reality’ is that Freddie Woodman will leave Newcastle on loan once again next season, according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

The goalkeeper spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Swansea City, where he kept a league-high 21 clean sheets for Steve Cooper’s promotion chasers. The Swans reached the Championship play-off final, but it was heartbreak for Woodman and his team-mates as they were beaten 2-0 by Brentford at Wembley.

Nonetheless, Woodman was included in The Athletic’s Championship team of the season in recognition of his starring role. Despite his ‘hugely impressive’ performances, though, the door to the Newcastle first team is seemingly shut given that the incumbent Martin Dubravka signed a six-year contract as recently as the 2019/20 season.

The latest

Ryder says that both Swansea and the player himself are ‘keen’ on a return next season, although Woodman – who is ‘attracting so much attention’ – may have his head turned.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton and Scottish giants Celtic are now said to be ‘in the mix’ for the 24-year-old. Ryder noted that the Hoops first expressed an interest in Woodman back in 2018.

His colleague Mark Douglas had urged the club to sanction a sale for a fee of £15m, provided the deal included ‘smart clauses’ such as first refusal on future transfers or a ‘hefty sell-on’. However, it seems a seventh temporary departure (after earlier spells at Hartlepool, Crawley, Kilmarnock and Aberdeen) is in the offing instead.

The verdict

The likelihood of another loan for Woodman probably speaks to the weakness of the market right now, and it underlines the difficulties Newcastle may have in raising funds to boost a transfer budget which could be as meagre as £12m.

Still, a successful stint at Southampton or Celtic should only boost his price tag in time for next summer, while he remains fairly young and therefore could still attract a sizeable fee.

In other news, Newcastle are in pole position to land this forward.

A number of clubs are reconsidering a move for Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claimed that Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Napoli are all concerned about the midfielder’s injury history ahead of a potential move for the 23-year-old in the summer transfer window.

It is reported that, with the Blades’ demanding a fee of £35m in order to part with the Norway international, the interested parties hold some reservations about spending such a large sum on a player who suffered a significant injury last season.

Fans should be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Berge has been since joining Sheffield United from KRC Genk back in January 2020, reports that the clubs interested in signing the midfielder are having doubts about making a move this summer should be music to the ears of Sheffield United fans.

With Slavisa Jokanovic hoping to secure an immediate return to the Premier League with the Blades next year, keeping hold of the £16.2m-rated gem would seem to significantly increase the Serbian’s chances of going on to achieve this feat, as it is not hard to imagine Berge thriving for United in the Championship.

Indeed, while last season saw the 23-year-old spend long spells on the sidelines due to his aforementioned injury, the £38,000-per-week Norwegian proved in his first few months at the club just how impressive a footballer he is.

The defensive midfielder made 14 Premier League appearances in the club’s 2019/20 campaign, in which he scored one goal, registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates.

The former Genk man also averaged 0.7 interceptions and 1.6 tackles and won 5.5 duels per game that season, with his metrics culminating to earn him a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.90, ranking him as United’s seventh-best performer in the top flight.

As such, it is an easy argument to make that, all being well with his fitness, Berge should easily better these already impressive statistics after dropping down a division with Sheffield United, with the player whom Chris Wilder dubbed a “complete midfielder” very much having the potential to be a key man in a hopeful promotion push for the Blades next season.

In other news: Get it done: Jokanovic must sanction Sheff Utd swoop for 21 y/o with a “huge future”

Leeds United will have to pay around £4m if they want to sign Hibernian defender Josh Doig this summer, according to journalist Ross Pilcher.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Doig move

The Whites have been linked with a move for the 19-year-old, who has impressed for Hibs, making 24 appearances with a goal and three assists in the Scottish Premiership last term.

Doig could potentially move on this summer, with a number of clubs keen on snapping him up, including Leeds and Brighton, as a move to England beckons.

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The Latest: Journalist provides update on Doig

Speaking to Sussex Live, the Daily Record’s Pilcher gave an important update on the young defender’s future, quoting the amount that Leeds would need to pay to prise him away from Easter Road. He reported:

“From what I understand, Cochrane was one they were aware of seeing as they have Josh Doig and Lewis Stevenson for left-back already, wasn’t really an issue.

“The big one will be at left-back if Doig goes and at and center-back if they sell [Ryan] Porteous, although they might look to add there anyway.

“I imagine they’ll [Hibernian] look to see if they can fill gaps with decent youngsters from Brighton rather than target any specifically for starting spots.

“My best guess would be someone comes the other way on loan if Brighton sign Doig, or they need a backup striker (which they do). Kevin Nisbet is their main man and top scorer so is going to play.

“I know they’ve been keeping tabs although only Watford have made a bid so far which has been knocked back. Hibs will be looking for about £4million.”

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The Verdict: Huge long-term potential

While it is important that Marcelo Bielsa signs readymade players for Leeds this summer, it is also vital that they plan for the future, ensuring that their current momentum continues for years to come.

Doig would be a signing who represents the long-term future at Elland Road – Hibs manager Jack Ross has described him as ‘excellent’ in the past – possessing the potential to be an exciting addition and possibly even fill in from time to time in the first team.

Left-back is an area which needs addressing, with Ezgjan Alioski likely to move on from Yorkshire, and the Scot could be a handy backup for someone like Junior Firpo, who could join imminently.

In other news, Leeds are believed to have made contact with one summer target – find out who it is here.

With Southampton having only managed to create five big chances in the Premier League so far this season, the joint-second lowest out of any team in the top flight, it’s safe to say Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have struggled to create goalscoring opportunities in the league.

However, it seems as though the club have their eye on signing a player who could help them in that regard.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Spanish media outlet Fichajes that Southampton, alongside fellow Premier League clubs Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion are interested in signing Real Betis attacking-midfielder Rodri Sanchez.

Sanchez joined Betis’ youth academy from Deportivo’s youth academy back in the 2016 summer transfer window.

Since then, the 21-year-old, who is currently valued at £1.35m according to Transfermarkt, has worked his way through Betis’ youth levels before eventually making his senior debut in  November last year in a 5-2 defeat against Barcelona in La Liga.

Overall, Sanchez has made a total of 26 appearances for Manuel Pellegrini’s side across all competitions in which he has managed to score two goals and provide two assists along the way, showing just how creative he can be on the pitch.

The missing piece

In terms of a potential move to Southampton, given the attacking talent Sanchez has shown for Betis in front of goal, he could well be an important player for the Saints. That’s judging by how they’ve only managed to score five goals in their opening seven league games of the season.

With his young age, there’s every possibility that Sanchez could well be Southampton’s next James Ward-Prowse given they occupy similar positions in the final third. Both can play out wide, while their awareness allows them to dictate play from central areas as well.

Speaking about his talent last term after he found the net, La Liga and Spanish football writer Andrew Miller said: “One of the real bright spots this season has been the emergence of Rodri in the Betis first team. Such a gifted young player and caps off an incredible effort with his first senior goal. Always brings a real injection of energy into the team.”

That final line is incredibly similar to Ward-Prowse, somebody who charges around the engine room with his imperious fitness.

However, it’s that lack of a creative spark that really makes Rodri such an attractive proposition. He makes 45.4 progressive carries of the ball per 90, meaning he’d get Southampton up the pitch quicker. That stat also ranks him second among those already at St Mary’s.

Furthermore, he has produced 3.47 shot-creating actions per 90, a statistic that outranks everyone at Hasenhuttl’s disposal.

Looking ahead to the upcoming January transfer window, the Saints should definitely consider making a move for Sanchez to see if he can turn their season around from its current state. At the moment, they are devoid of creativity but that could change with the Betis star in their team.

However, with both Everton and Brighton supposedly interested in signing Sanchez as well, the Saints could have a fight on their hands to get him as both clubs are currently above Southampton in the league table.

In other news: Hasenhuttl could save Saints from relegation by signing “important” £7.2m-rated beast – opinion

Leeds United are now keen on making an offer for FC Midtjylland midfielder Jens Cajuste this summer.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from Swedish publication Expressen, the likes of Leeds, Wolves, Newcastle and Crystal Palace were all said to be in talks to sign Cajuste.

And now, The Sun (July 27, p49) have claimed that Bielsa has made the Swedish powerhouse his number one target to reinforce his midfield options, with the Whites now said to be happy with paying the £13m fee demanded by Midtjylland.

Bielsa will be delighted

A profile done by Leeds Live, said of him: “Cajuste is an all-action midfielder whose attributes look ready-made for Premier League football. Tough tackling, close control and accurate passing are seen as his main strengths but he offers everything you would want in a player of his position.

“Standing at 6 foot 2, he is dominant both in the air and on the surface which would provide vital stability in the middle of the park for Leeds. The 21-year-old also enjoys exhibiting his flair with a number of fancy but effective touches and passes being a particular stand-out feature of his overall game.”

In fact, as per Sofascore, Cajuste actually won more duels per game last season than Leeds talisman Kalvin Phillips (5.6 to 5.3), while he also had a marginally better success rate in those 50/50s too, winning 56% compared to the England star’s 52%.

The fact Andrea Radrizzani is happy to sanction a £13m move for Cajuste is yet more evidence of the kind of understandable faith that the club have in Bielsa and his eye for players.

The Leeds boss will be thrilled that he could be set to get the man that he wants. The relationship between the likes of Bielsa, Victor Orta and Radrizzani is key to ensuring everything runs smoothly, and this latest development suggests that is the case.

Meanwhile, Leeds are plotting a record-breaking move for this star…

Evening Standard reporter Jack Rosser believes Nuno Espirito Santo would get the best out of Adama Traore if Tottenham Hotspur complete a late swoop for the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger.

Nuno, who was appointed as Spurs’ head coach following a lengthy managerial search in June, is keen to be reunited with Traore having bossed the Spain international before leaving Wolves at the end of last season.

With the transfer deadline looming, reports suggest Nuno is looking to negotiate a deal which would see Traore, who according to reports in Spain last week is keen to link up again with his former boss, head to north London on loan until the end of the season with a view to making the move permanent for £40million.

Despite links with a move away from Molineux, Traore has started all three of Wolves’ Premier League fixtures so far this season. However, he has been unable to stop his current employers falling to three consecutive defeats in the top flight.

Rosser thinks Nuno would be capable of taking Traore’s game to another level if the late move is completed.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “You’d back Nuno to get a good tune out of him even though you always worry about his end product.

“Nuno knows what he would be getting and is not going to waste money on a player he spent that much time with before. He’ll know he would add something to the group. Spurs do have quite a lot of players in those positions but there are question marks over a lot of them as well.

“Traore has just got into the Spain squad, which is good experience for him, but there is no other manager you would rather have looking after him if they get that deal over the line.”