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Manchester United have reportedly ended their interest in Eduardo Camavinga, Saul Niguez and Ruben Neves, with Paul Pogba now set to remain at the club, but it could be another midfielder who has the biggest impact at Old Trafford in the years to come.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Mail, French giants Paris Saint-Germain can no longer afford to sign Pogba this summer following their shock move for six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

However, the report claims that the highly-rated 28-year-old is expected to depart United as a free agent for the second time in 12 months’ time, meaning current understudy Donny van de Beek should have an ideal opportunity to shine.

The Netherlands international arrived in Manchester for £40 million prior to the 2020/21 campaign following two standout seasons with boyhood club Ajax, yet he struggled to settle on English shores, limiting him to just four Premier League starts.

Now though, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must place his faith in the technically gifted maestro, potentially saving the club millions when it comes to finding Pogba’s successor.

Fans would love to see him flourish

After scoring 41 goals and providing 34 assists in 175 games for Ajax, as well as winning a domestic double in 2018/19 as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, Van de Beek arrived at Old Trafford with high expectations.

Nevertheless, the new environment and physical, fast-paced nature of the Premier League often looked a bit too much for the midfielder to take in last term, although he did show his true potential on occasions.

One such time was against Istanbul Basaksehir while on European duty, and his impressive showing drew praise from former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

“I thought Van de Beek was close to perfect. He is so unselfish, he can just fit in and play the right balls everywhere,” said the BT Sports pundit.

The technically gifted midfielder has embarked on physical transformation over the summer months after injury meant he had to pull out of Hollands Euro 2020 squad, improving his strength, balance and agility.

“He’s put on a bit of muscle,” Solskjaer said of the Van de Beek “He’d had last season to learn about English football, and he’s used the summer well.

“You never know how players from abroad come in. Some players need a year. You see Fred’s development, but there are other players that just come in and take to it straight away. It depends.”

And now it’s time for Solsjaer to reward Van de Beek’s dedication with a string of regular starts, allowing him to showcase his true, top-class quality on a consistent basis.

With Marcus Rashford sidelined until October through injury and Jesse Lingard unavailable after testing positive for Covid, Pogba could take up residency on the left-wing for the first few weeks of the new campaign, allowing the Dutchman a chance to prove that he can be the World Cup-winning star’s natural heir.

Every club’s fans love a comeback story, but no side is more associated with them than United, and the fanbase would surely love to witness Van de Beek begin his this season.

And, in other news…Journalist drops intriguing Man Utd transfer update, fans will be delighted

A recent report has suggested that Rangers are battling with Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur to sign Caleb Chukwuemeka this summer, and the teenage forward could be an excellent long-term addition to Steven Gerrard’s squad at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to The Daily Record, Rangers are one of several sides to show a keen interest in the Northampton Town forward this summer, although he is currently being driven by a potential move to the Premier League.

He could well join his brother, Carney, at Aston Villa, whilst Spurs recent decision to send Kion Etete on loan to the Cobblers may well have sweetened the deal in their favour, which suggests that Rangers are currently playing catch up in the race to sign him.

Would Chukwuemeka be a good signing?

Although Chukwuemeka has made just 28 senior appearances in his career thus far, scoring two goals, he certainly seems to be highly regarded by a lot of teams higher up in the footballing pyramid.

Whilst the 19-year-old probably wouldn’t be challenging for a place in Gerrard’s first-team straight away, considering the plethora of options the 41-year-old manager has available to him in attack, he could be an excellent option for the future if he can realise his obvious potential at Ibrox.

Former Northampton boss Keith Curle was full of praise for the teenage forward last season, saying:

“He showed good understanding and good composure. I don’t think he struck the ball as cleanly as he wanted to but that’s Caleb because he has a little bit of magic.

“Every outfield player has a job when we’re out of possession and it comes more naturally to some players than others. Caleb is a forward-thinking player and it’s not as natural. Give him a ball to chase when he might get a goal out of it, the lad finds a yard. We need to find that yard when he’s going the other way and he’s got to track a runner.“It’s all part and parcel of the game and when he understands that and it becomes second nature, he’ll be a very good player.”[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]Chukwuemeka’s contract at Northampton is set to expire at the end of this season, so he could be a very cheap, low-risk transfer for Ross Wilson to complete this summer, so he should definitely try and bring him to Ibrox.And, in other news… Wilson heading for huge Rangers mistake with “warrior”, fans will be gutted

Despite kicking off the new Premier League season with a 3-1 defeat against Everton on Saturday, it seems as if Southampton are planning on making just one more signing this summer after Ralph Hasenhuttl shared the club’s transfer plans.

What’s the word?

According to Hampshire Live, Hasenhuttl is planning for just one more new addition to his squad before the transfer window shuts – a centre-back to replace Jannik Vestergaard, after his move to Leicester City earlier this month.

Journalist Tom Leach wrote in a recent piece for Hampshire Live, that:

“Southampton have just one piece on transfer business to do between now and the end of the month, with a central defender who can play as a number six (defensive midfield) considered to be the ideal target.”

Do Southampton need more signings?

Southampton have signed six players so far this window, with Theo Walcott, Romain Perraud, Dynel Simeu, Tino Livramento and Adam Armstrong joining on permanent deals, whilst Armando Broja has arrived on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

Of those, only Walcott is over the age of 24, which suggests that Hasenhuttl is sticking to his transfer plans of signing younger players, although you could argue that the Saints now have a very inexperienced squad, especially when considering the departures of Ryan Bertrand and Vestergaard.

Last season saw the Saints struggle immensely due to injury problems and a serious lack of squad depth and you worry that could be the case once again this season, especially when considering the options Hasenhuttl has in defence.

Only new signing Perraud is a natural left-back, with Moussa Djenepo featuring there regularly in pre-season, which seems a very risky move by the Austrian, and Saints fans would be less than happy if the Malian was forced to play there in the Premier League should the Frenchman be missing.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Although signing a quality centre-back, who can also play defensive-midfield, would undoubtedly improve the squad, you feel that Southampton need more than one new addition to the squad if they are to comfortably avoid relegation this season.

And, in other news… Semmens should seal Southampton swoop for centre-back tipped to “explode”

Luke Hatfield, from the Express and Star, has all but confirmed that Aston Villa have accepted defeat in their pursuit of highly-rated Arsenal youngster Emile Smith-Rowe.

Dean Smith has been chasing the 20-year-old attacking midfielder all summer, but has seen two offers rejected by the Gunners, who are desperate to keep one of their most promising talents.

Having seen a bid knocked back in the region of £30m for Smith-Rowe, the Villa Park outfit were set to launch another to try and test Arsenal’s patience.

However, Mikel Arteta recently confirmed that Smith-Rowe will “100 percent” be staying in north London this summer despite strong interest from Villa.

Smith-Rowe, who doesn’t turn 21 until later this month, caught the eye following several outstanding performances for Arsenal since breaking into the Gunners first-team on Boxing Day.

He scored twice and chipped in with four assists in just 18 Premier League starts during his breakthrough season with his boyhood club, where he looks set to stay following recent contract talks.

Asked whether the deal is now dead in the water, Hatfield told The Transfer Tavern:

“It does represent a significant blow.

“Until it’s signed and sealed then Villa will think there will be a way to work their way into it, but with the confidence that Arteta has come out and said he’s 100 percent staying, it does make you think the new deal is pretty much agreed now, and they’re waiting to announce.”

Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez has become the first Argentine goalkeeper to win the Copa America Golden Glove award [BenchWarmers].

Enjoying a spectacular 2020/21 season, the former Arsenal stopper managed to keep 15 clean sheets in 38 appearances for the Villans [Transfermarkt].

Now taking his career to new heights at international level, the 28-year-old played a major role in the Argentina international team winning the Copa America for the first time since 1993 [The Sun].

Winning in style, Martinez has also come in for personal adulation upon achieving the prestigious award, conceding just two goals in six fixtures [Transfermarkt].

In light of this award, many Villa supporters took to Twitter to express their delight upon discovering that he doubled up Argentina’s overall triumph with this individual award.

Aston Villa fans react:

Replying to Aston Villa’s official Twitter channel, here is how some supporters responded to the “phenomenal” Martinez getting the Golden Glove:

“Congratulations to Emi Martinez. He’s been phenomenal since moving to Villa. One hidden gem in the league who’s shone thus far.”

Credit: @brass263″BEST IN THE WORLDDD”Credit: @tiwari0216″Admin stayed up til this time to tweet Emi propaganda?? Needs a raise imo”Credit: @_JackAvfc”The King of keepers”Credit: @MerseMagic”He’s a ‘keeper’ that’s for sure! So chuffed for Emi and his family. He made a huge decision to leave Arsenal, move his family and join Villa, and I couldn’t be happier for him. I’m one very proud Villa fan! UTV”Credit: @SquigsTheBeef”Thank you for your gracious reply, Villa fan here and we are so happy to have Emi with us..”Credit: @bensherman72In other news, many Aston Villa fans react to a tweet concerning Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings.

كشف هاني أمان رئيس نادي إيسترن كومباني، عن موقف ناديه من تأجيل مباراة فريقه أمام الأهلي في الدوري المصري.

وقال أمان في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر فضائية “إي تي سي”: “إيسترن كومباني ليس لديه أي مانع في تأجيل مباراة الأهلي المقبلة، ونلتزم بقرارات رابطة الأندية”.

وتابع: “الرابطة  ترى بأن جدول الدوري مضغوط، ليس لدينا اعتراض على تأجيل مباراة الأهلي”.

وأضاف: “نحترم وجهة نظر الأهلي أيضا لأنه يمثل مصر في بطولة قارية، وكذلك نحترم قرار الرابطة التي ترى أن الجدول مضغوط في حالة وصول الطرفين لاتفاق سننفذ هذا الاتفاق”.

طالع أيضًا.. خاص | استياء في الأهلي بعد رفض رابطة الأندية تأجيل مباراة إيسترن كومباني

وأردف: “تأجيل مباراة الأهلي لن يؤثر على وصول رونالدينيو لمصر، لدينا أهداف آخرى من وصوله لجذب السياحة المصرية، ورونالدينيو لديه متابعين بشكل كبير على السوشيال ميديا”.

وأكمل: “وجوده في مصر بهذه الفترة سيخدم السياحة المصرية بشكل كبير جدًا، رونالدينيو أسطورة وقمنا بدعوته لجذب السياحة لمدة يومين وثلاثة”.

واختتم: “نرتب أن يلعب رونالدينيو ضربة البداية في المباراة أمام الأهلي، ما زلنا نرتب الخطة السياحية له لتحقيق أقصى استفادة ترويجية من شعبيته”.

Aston Villa have been handed an encouraging transfer update regarding their pursuit of England midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Dean Smith is lining up a summer swoop for the Southampton captain, who registered nine goals and eight assists last term, and Football Insider have now dropped an update on the situation

They reported: “A recruitment source has told Football Insider that Villa are very much keen on Ward-Prowse and are readying a bid once other parts of their summer transfer jigsaw fall in place.

“Tellingly, the Midlands giants have been given third-party indications that Ward-Prowse is keen on a move to Villa. He is believed to have been struck by the club’s ambition and regards them as an upgrade on Southampton.

“The Saints are very much aware of Villa’s interest and that a potentially vast offer could be sanctioned by billionaire owners Wes Edens and Naseef Sawiris.”

Fans will be excited

Speaking after news emerged of Villa’s interest in Ward-Prowse in this summer’s transfer window, Noel Whelan threw his support behind a potential move, saying that the Midlands club’s aggressive intent when it comes to new signings is “exciting” for the club’s fans.

He said: “I’m not surprised he wants to move. Villa are showing real intent early on. I think the move will materialise, it’s happening. They have already got Buendia through the door so it really is exciting times for Aston Villa fans.

“If they can get James Ward-Prowse as well, another international, they could really reach that next level. He was very unlucky not to be in the England squad for the Euros. He would add serious competition for places. It would be a very exciting midfield if he was in there with Grealish, Buendia and McGinn.”

Given that Ward-Prowse has reportedly been swayed by NSWE’s ambition at Villa, fans will surely be excited at the prospect of him arriving at Villa Park this summer, not least because of the set piece threat he poses – something with which the Midlands faithful will be patently familiar.

Meanwhile, Villa are closing in on this big-money signing…

Despite the inclement weather the 2002 Corner Cricket competition eventually took place, and though not a full programme was possible at least some cricket was played.County Youth Development Officer Pete Sanderson told me: "As a result of the Corner Cricket competition a number of young cricketers have emerged, and we have been able to have a further look at them in a longer game situation. Some of them have certainly made their mark in the longer game and they will be followed up."The main competition was hampered severely by the weather with only 6 matches out of the 30 being played. There was a rearrangement of the various age groups to play shorten matches which were either 20 or 25 overs in length with hope for good weather! In all but the under 12s these were completed.The South West appeared to dominant proceedings winning four age groups but in 3 cases this was only on points difference, with wins being level. The North West went unbeaten in the under 15s to make sure the South West did not complete a monopoly.UNDER 11This was kindly hosted by Timsbury CC and saw a victory in a thrilling climax for the South West area. They required victory in their last match over the North East, this was achieved by only 5 runs after they set a target of 82 in 20 overs to win, thanks mainly to 45 not out by Chris Skidmore. Henry Thomas’s 49 was in vain as they fell 5 runs short. Other notable performances came from Ross Jenkins with a match winning 34 not out, helped by Luke Wilkinson 20, Josh Beal contributed 34 all for the South East. Chris Dent made the only telling performance for the North West with 38 in their only victory. Following this day Henry Thomas, Daniel Tompkins, Chris Skidmore, Luke Wilkinson and Jack Waller have been given the chance to represent the county. The final table read as:

TEAM P W L C PTSSOUTH WEST 3 2 1 0 6NORTH EAST 3 2 1 0 6SOUTH EAST 3 1 2 0 3NORTH WEST 3 1 2 0 3

** South West won by beating the North EastUNDER 12This age group was hit hardest by the weather with the rearranged 25 over matches being washed out, this meant they only played 1 match each. This saw victories for the North East and South West, the notable performances came from John Mould 23 not out when chasing 98. In the total of 174 the main contributions came from Chris Small, Daniel Lazaredis and James Brice to give them victory by 88 runs. This margin of victory gave the South West the title. Jason Strong, Chris Small, Matthew Green, Daniel Lazardries, Alex Field and Matthew Horsley have been given county opportunities. The table was:

TEAM P W L C PTSSOUTH WEST 1 1 0 2 15NORTH EAST 1 1 0 2 14NORTH WEST 1 0 1 2 5SOUTH EAST 1 0 1 2 3

UNDER 13The under 13 completed their competition in two forms, one original match each and then two 25 over matches each. Three teams managed to win 2 game apiece which meant that bonus points were essential. The South West were the eventual winners with the most notable contributions with coming from Jack Cooper 75 not out, Hugh Kelly 55 & 51, Tom Monaghan 44. In the bowling department Alex Watson and Mitch Windsor got 3 and 4 wicket hauls in the 50 over match. For the other areas Patrick Ost top scored for the North East with 69, as well as Alex Field making 49 not out. For the South East Bradley Middleton made 42 & 38, as well as Kevin Salt striking 47 and Harry Moores 36. The North West’s best effort came from Garth Tiley who took 3 for 48, other players taking 3 wickets were Sam Gotley (NE), Alistair Barrowman (SE), Tom Stokes (SE) and Iain Miles (NW). Following these games a corner select side visited Gwent to give 11 players another opportunity. The table was as follows:

TEAM P W L C PTSSOUTH WEST 3 2 1 0 36NORTH EAST 3 2 1 0 29SOUTH EAST 3 2 1 0 28NORTH WEST 3 0 3 0 16

UNDER 14The South West took the title with three wins, again this was a mixture of 45 and 25 over matches. They had many players make significant contributions, which added to the team effort, the main ones were Charles Ridout 55 & 44, Fraser Campbell-Wilson 47 and Tom Pantlin 39, bowling wise there were 3 wicket hauls for Patrick Thomas, John Osmond and Matthew Councell. For the other areas there were two hundreds Steve Depledge 114 and Tom Bryan 100 for the North East. Tom Main 50 (NW), Joel Tratt 60 (SE) and Ted Roe 45 (NE) made good contributions with the bat. From a bowling prospective Matthew Thomas got a 5 wickets (NE), Ben Main 4 (NW), Peter Auld 4 (NE) and Craig Mawford 3 (NW). The following players will be given an opportunity at county level; Fraser Campbell-Wilson, Ashley Doyle, Nat Pepperall, Tom Main, Stephen Depledge and Charles Ridout. The table was as follows:

TEAM P W L C PTSSOUTH WEST 3 3 0 0 45NORTH EAST 3 2 1 0 38SOUTH EAST 3 1 2 0 23NORTH WEST 3 0 3 0 19

UNDER 15The under 15s played a round robin contest of 20 over cricket. The North West came out on top with 3 wins. There were major contributions from Shamil Ahmed 79 & 66 both not out, as well as Daniel Hawkes 46. Other batting efforts came from Richard Catchpole 63 (SW), James Snell 49 (SW), Rob Dickens 52 & 46 (SW), Jon Auld 51 (NE), Tim Lamb 53 not out (SE), Jeremy Hare 47 (NE) and Matthew Grimstead 37 (SE). As they were 20 overs matches the wicket hauls were not significant. There will be county chances for Shamil Ahmed, Jason Lane, Harold Booth and Robert Dickens. The table is as follows:

TEAM P W L C PTSNORTH WEST 3 3 0 0 40SOUTH WEST 3 2 1 0 33NORTH EAST 3 1 2 0 25SOUTH EAST 3 0 3 0 16

Firstly I would like to thank Pete Sanderson for all his efforts, from setting up the initial trial process through to the arduous task of rearranging the competition.All the coaches in all the areas for the indoor coaching and being with the teams on match days and particularly the area coordinators, Dan Hodges, Brian Hoyle, Justin Burke and Gregg Brown.All the venues used which were; Kings College, Taunton, Wells Cathedral School, Kingswood School, Nailsea CC, King Edwards School, Weston Super Mare CC, Timsbury CC and Downes School.Ian Cowley for arranging all the umpires that attended matches.The support given by the Somerset Cricket Board, in particular Andrew Moulding.Colin Johnson from Active Sports, for providing the caps for each area at every age group.

According to Sky Germany (via fotbolltransfers.com), Southampton are interested in signing Thomas Delaney from Borussia Dortmund this summer.

The Lowdown: Saints preparing for new season

The Saints went through a mixed campaign last term, finishing in 15th place in the Premier League table but also reaching an F.A Cup semi-final.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be demanding a lot more from his players next term, and he will no doubt want to bring in some fresh faces as well.

The Latest: Saints eye Delaney

Now, it is being reported that the Saints are keen on Dortmund midfielder Delaney.

Norwich City and Crystal Palace are two of the other sides also interested in his services.

The Verdict: Top quality

Signing Delaney would be a statement of intent from Hasenhuttl and co. In three seasons with Die Schwarzgelben, he has 86 appearances, with 15 of them coming at the highest level – the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

He also has 58 caps for Denmark, and he has appeared in every game at Euro 2020 for his country – he was hailed as “very important” by former Dortmund boss Edin Terzic earlier this year (bvbbuzz.com).

Valued at £13.5m (Transfermarkt), it is unclear exactly how much he would set the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit back, but he would no doubt be a top signing for Southampton. It remains to be seen whether they can win the race to sign him.

In other news, Southampton also want this former Manchester United man.

Watford are reportedly close to completing the signing of Sporting Lisbon winger Jovane Cabral, who could prove to be a superb addition to Xisco Munoz’s side ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato Web (via Sport Witness), the Cape Verde international is very close to sealing a switch to Vicarage Road following the Hornets’ promotion back to the top-flight.

Whilst no fee is mentioned in the report, the 23-year-old is currently valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt and has two years left on his contract with the recently-crowned Portuguese champions, which suggests that he won’t have come cheap.

Will he be a good signing?

Cabral was something of a bit-part player at Sporting Lisbon last season but he was very impressive when he was given opportunities to feature in the Portuguese top-flight, as he managed five goals and four assists in 24 appearances, of which just six were starts for Rúben Amorim’s side.

This helped him average a solid 6.72 rating from WhoScored for his performances, although he emphasised his quality in the final game of the campaign on a rare start, as he contributed two assists in a 5-1 thrashing of Maritimo, which helped him earn a superb 8.81 rating from WhoScored.

Given that Munoz is relatively short of options on the wing in his squad other than star man Ismaila Sarr and newly-signed teenager Kwadwo Baah ahead of next season, you could definitely argue that this is a position where the Spaniard needs to strengthen ahead of the Premier League’s kick-off in August, so Cabral could prove to be an excellent addition.

WhoScored suggests that the young winger excels at through balls, dribbling and finishing, so he may well excel in the counter-attacking football Munoz may be forced to deploy next season should the Hornets avoid immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Therefore, Watford fans will surely be delighted with the reported news that Cabral is close to joining, as he looks to be a very exciting prospect and at 23, he still has plenty of time to improve and establish himself as a threat in the Premier League.

And, in other news… Munoz can seal serious Watford upgrade with swoop for 25 y/o “Rolls Royce”