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After being knocked out of the Carabao Cup for the first time in five years by West Ham United, followed by losing 2-0 at home against Crystal Palace at the weekend in the Premier League, it’s safe to say it has been a disappointing week for Manchester City.

Their next match sees them back in Champions League action on Wednesday evening with a clash against Club Brugge, who City managed to convincingly beat 5-1 in their previous match against the Belgium club last month.

On the chalkboard

One player that did not feature in the defeat against Patrick Vieira’s side at the weekend that we feel should be in the starting XI in midweek to take on Brugge is midfielder Ilkay Gundogan.

Gundogan’s two previous appearances for the Manchester club saw him score a goal and earn himself an impressive overall match rating of 8/10 from SofaScore in their 4-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League as well as being City’s highest-rated player in the Cup defeat at West Ham with a rating of 7.9/10, also from SofaScore.

This shows that the midfielder, who has been described as one of the most “intelligent” players Pep Guardiola has seen throughout his career, can be a vital figure for the Citizens and why we feel he should be in the starting XI to face Brugge. That’s especially given how he should be well-rested for the game after he didn’t play against Palace.

The German international joined City back during the 2016 summer transfer window from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth a reported fee of £20m.

Since then, the 31-year-old, who is currently valued at £36m according to Transfermarkt, has made 220 appearances for the current reigning Premier League champions across all competitions in which he has managed to score 41 goals and provide 28 assists along the way, showing how much of an attacking threat he is from midfield and a real game-changer for the team.

Last season saw Gundogan end City’s Premier League campaign as their top goalscorer with 13 goals under his belt.

Looking ahead to the Brugge match, we feel that the £140k-per-week earner should be in the starting XI so Guardiola can rotate some of his midfield options and rest some that he may want to be fully prepared for their next Premier League match at the weekend against rivals Manchester United.

In other news: Fernandino heir apparent: Pep could save Man City millions with “aggressive” 17 y/o – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to revisit their interest in Nahitan Nandez this January…

What’s the word?

That’s according to CalcioNapoli24 (via Sport Witness), who claim Spurs are in the mix to sign the Cagliari midfielder but they are facing competition from Serie A rivals Napoli and Inter Milan.

It’s thought that the north Londoners are ready to complete a move for Nandez in the winter transfer window, though it remains to be seen how much he would command.

Transfermarkt currently value him the 44-time Uruguay international at £19.8m.

Imagine him and Hojbjerg

Nandez is a player that Spurs boss Nuno Santo would surely love to sign, he could well be the ideal partner to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the base of the engine room.

The diminutive 5 foot 7 dynamo can be a livewire in midfield, having the same sort of skill set as N’Golo Kante at Chelsea.

The 25-year-old enforcer has continued his fine form from last season and has proven his credentials in taking control of matches.

For example, he has averaged 2.6 aerial duels won, 1.6 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per league game this term, showing his defensive capabilities but he has also shown an ability to bring the ball forward to contribute in the opposition’s half, having also averaged two dribbles and one key pass each outing, as per WhoScored.

It’s no wonder he has been called a “machine” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, who told This is Futbol:

“I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

Hojbjerg is regarded as one of the more defensively sound options in the middle, so adding a player like Nandez could be really complimentary.

In some ways, there may be further comparisons to the influence of Joao Moutinho in Nuno’s Wolves system – a similar sort of short but quality presence in midfield.

Nuno would surely love a move for the Uruguay beast this winter, so Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to seal a swoop for him in the upcoming window.

AND in other news, Signed for £22m, now worth 248% more: Daniel Levy struck gold with Spurs’ “revelation”…

Saido Berahino’s Sheffield Wednesday’s deal runs until the end of the season, Yorkshire Live journalist Dom Howson has revealed.

The lowdown

The 28-year-old left Belgian outfit Zulte Waregem to join the Owls on deadline day, but the details of his contract were not disclosed by the League One club (via BBC Sport).

The Burundi international enjoyed the finest season of his career to date back in 2014/15 when he netted 14 goals in 32 Premier League starts for West Bromwich Albion. However, he has since netted only 11 league goals across spells at Stoke City, Sporting Charleroi and Zulte-Waregem, while he has also been found guilty of drink-driving in recent years.

The latest

Howson wrote in a tweet: “Understand Saido Berahino has initially joined #SWFC on a deal until the end of the season.”

Significantly, Wednesday have the option to the extend that contract by a further 12 months if they are satisfied with Berahino’s contribution.

Howson also told his followers that the 28-year-old had agreed to take “a huge pay cut” to make the move to Yorkshire.

The verdict

This appears a high-risk deal given Berahino’s prolonged struggles on and off the pitch, but the terms are rather low-risk. If it doesn’t work out, Wednesday will be able to cut ties come the end of the season.

It’s worth considering what would constitute success. A double-figure goal return is a realistic target for a player of Berahino’s top-flight experience, and meeting that objective would probably be enough to persuade Darren Moore’s side to extend the deal.

In other news, this was some Wednesday fans’ initial reaction to Berahino signing.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma despite intense interest in the player’s services.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Star, the Reds are set to battle it out with fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal for the highly-rated 25-year-old’s signature in January.

The report states that: “Bissouma is one of their top targets, though they will have to fend off competition from Mikel Arteta’s Gunners if they are to bring him to Anfield.”

Bissouma has entered the final two years of his current contract the Amex Stadium, meaning the winter window is likely to be the last chance for Brighton to secure a high price for their prized asset.

Jurgen Klopp needs him

After arriving on English shores back in 2018, the combative dynamo has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the top-flight, racking up 101 appearances for the Seagulls in all competitions.

He featured in all but two of Brighton’s league games last season, highlighting his importance to Graham Potter’s side, and when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

As per WhoScored, Bissouma recorded an average of 2.9 tackles per game, the highest total amongst his teammates who made over three appearances in 2020/21.

The Mali international also outperformed his colleagues when it came to interceptions, making 1.8 per Premier League fixture, but it wasn’t just his off-the-ball work where he excelled.

Bissouma achieved a passing accuracy of 87.4%, the third-highest tally in the whole of the Brighton squad, showcasing his adeptness at kickstarting attacks as well as breaking up the opponent’s play.

They’re all attributes that led to Gary Lineker labelling him an “exceptional footballer” on Twitter and would serve him well should he make the step up and join Liverpool over the coming months, and Reds manager Jurgen Klopp needs further reinforcements in his engine room.

The departure of Gini Wijnaldum has left the Anfield outfit short of options in the middle of the park after no replacement was signed over the meaning, especially after Harvey Elliott suffered a dislocated ankle in the opening weeks of the new campaign.

It remains to be seen whether the teenager’s injury forces Liverpool into the transfer market in January, although the arrival of the £22.5m-rated Bissouma would be a significant boost to their chances of success.

And, in other news…Edwards must secure Liverpool swoop for £28.8m-rated wizard, Klopp would love him 

Leeds United continued their poor start to the Premier League season as they lost 1-0 to Southampton at St. Mary’s, leaving them 17th in the table.

One team enduring a worse campaign, however, is newly-promoted Norwich. The Canaries are rooted to the bottom of the league and held Brighton to a 0-0 draw on Saturday.

Interestingly, though, a Leeds transfer target was involved in a slight controversy, as Todd Cantwell was omitted from the matchday squad despite being available for selection after time out due to personal reasons.

Norwich manager Daniel Farke insisted that his lack of involvement was purely down to Kieran Dowell’s form in training, although the ex-Everton man was then an unused substitute. He said:

“It was not a decision against Todd. It was more about Kieran, who was always available during this period. He trains unbelievably hard and in an outstanding way.

“Todd missed many weeks and was only back in team training at the start of the week. For each and every player who comes back after missing a period of training they have to show consistency in how they train to be picked ahead of a different player.”

With Cantwell’s contract expiring at the end of the season, this potential friction at Carrow Road could allow Leeds to swoop in and secure a deal in the January transfer window. Norwich have the option to extend his terms for another year, which means that it is unlikely Leeds will be able to sign him for nothing, but the next window could represent their best chance to rake in a large fee for the attacker.

If the Canaries wait until next summer to cash in then he will only have 12 months left on his contract and could be forced to sell for a minimal fee. Therefore, Leeds could tempt them into selling him in January for a deal that would suit all parties involved, with the Whites not overpaying for his services and Norwich not losing him for next to nothing.

His former Norwich youth team coach, Gary Cockaday, hailed his talents in an eye-catching way. He told The Athletic: 

“He did things every week that were just special. It was God-given. No one taught it. I always believed if you had someone like that, don’t change them or make them conform.”

Orta must ensure that he can get a deal over the line for the midfielder as he could forge an exciting partnership with current first-team star Raphinha.

The Brazilian loves to get fans off their seats at Elland Road, with nine goals and nine assists in the top-flight since the start of last season. Cantwell was directly involved in 12 goals in the Championship last term and managed six strikes and two assists in the Premier League the year before.

This shows that, like Raphinha, the Englishman has the ability to score and create goals from an attacking midfield position. Therefore, they could form a deadly attack for Leeds by linking up together to open up chances for themselves to score, weaving inside and out of opposition defenders.

Imagine Cantwell and Raphinha playing one-twos on the edge of the box to work room for a shot or to feed the ball to Patrick Bamford for him to score…tantalising!

AND in other news, Concerning injury update emerges on £35k-p/w Leeds powerhouse, fans surely devastated…

Celtic left-back Boli Bolingoli is not considered a viable option by Ange Postecoglou, according to Kieran Devlin.

The Lowdown: Scales deal edges closer

Celtic have already made eight signings this summer, and it seems as if a ninth addition is imminent in Shamrock Rovers’ Liam Scales.

Scales, who can play as a centre-back, left-back and left-midfielder, is set to cost the Hoops around £500,000.

That deal looks like it could push Bolingoli further down the pecking order at Parkhead, according to Devlin.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin, Celtic’s correspondent for The Athletic, shared a story on Wednesday regarding where the Hoops need to strengthen.

Within his report, he admitted that Bolingoli isn’t in Postecoglou’s plans and added that Scales’ arrival is considered crucial due to his versatility.

Devlin was then asked by a fan in the comments for more details on Bolingoli, to which he said:

“Having trouble finding out specifics on the Boli situation but it does seem he’s out of the picture with their pursuit of Scales. Nothing concrete on Boli potentially outgoing yet though.”

The Verdict: Time to sell?

With the 26-year-old, described as ‘strong’ by Alex Bruce, not in the frame in Glasgow, it could be wise to cash in on the Ivorian in the final days of the window.

The left-back still has two years left on his Celtic contract and was linked with a move to Turkish side Altay SK earlier in the window, so the Hoops could recoup some of the £3m they paid for him two years ago.

He hasn’t featured under Postecoglou and has been on the bench on three occasions, so if the club can find a buyer, it might be best to cut ties with the full-back for good.

In other news: Celtic now looking at late swoop for ‘fantastic’ defender alongside Scales move.  

According to ESPN, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is eyeing a major overhaul behind the scenes as he holds private meetings with club chiefs and makes a decision on midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lowdown: Conte ‘evaluations’ made…

The Lilywhites manager, as he candidly admitted to the press, has been making ‘evaluations’ on his Tottenham squad as he decides who stays and who goes this January and beyond.

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Spurs’ head coach recently finished his assessment of the Hotspur Way squad with many players currently linked with a possible move away from north London.

The likes of Matt Doherty, Giovani Lo Celso and Dele Alli are mentioned as possible departures with yet more news emerging on who could leave Spurs.

The Latest: Conte makes Ndombele call…

According to ESPN, club record signing Ndombele is one of six players Conte is now ‘willing’ to part with as he holds ‘private meetings’ with Spurs chiefs.

Chairman Daniel Levy is ‘expected to back’ the Italian’s exit decisions but club hierarchy recognise the difficulty in facilitating these deals mid-season.

As well as Ndombele, other players at risk of being sold are indeed Alli, Doherty, Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn and even Japhet Tanganga.

The Verdict: Right call?

Given his arguable lack of application at N17 despite his obvious ability, with Conte publicly questioning it, perhaps may be the right time to entertain offers for the Frenchman.

As ever in January, the difficulty lies in finding a suitable offer for Ndombele but given the player’s pedigree, you would believe it is a possible a big club could register interest.

Described as ‘unbelievable’ by insider John Wenham, the midfield ace completed more dribbles per 90 last campaign than any Spurs player in the Premier League (WhoScored), with former boss Jose Mourinho hailing his turnaround at one point.

Alas, his bright flashes have come at an inconsistent rate and Conte will want players who can perform at a high level more regularly in his side.

In other news: Tottenham ‘working strongly’ for ‘phenomenal signing’ as reporter drops Twitter claim, find out more here.

Crystal Palace are trying to sign Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards, according to The Daily Mail’s Joe Bernstein. 

The lowdown

Edwards is a 19-year-old centre-back who’s enjoyed a breakthrough season with Peterborough.

Having only made five appearances in 2020/21, he’s now a regular at London Road, with 10 starts in the last 11 league matches.

The Englishman still has more than three years to run on his contract with The Posh and is reportedly valued at £15million.

That would make him Peterborough’s record departure, ahead of the likes of Britt Assombalonga (£6.2million), Ivan Toney (£5million) and Dwight Gayle (£4.8million).

Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen have established themselves as the first-choice centre-back pairing at the club this season following their summer arrivals, playing 36 and 32 games respectively.

The latest

Vieira sees the prospective signing of Edwards as part of the next stage of the rebuild at Selhurst Park.

They envision him as a ‘big part of their future’, along with 21-year-old Guehi and 25-year-old Andersen.

Palace are to set to battle his fellow admirers Tottenham Hotspur, but their hope is that Vieira’s ‘record in giving young players a chance’ appeals to Edwards.

The verdict

Palace remain one of the older sides in the Premier League when it comes to average age. At an average age of 26.9, they rank 15th in the Premier League, some way short of Arsenal’s benchmark (24.3).

However, this is a marked improvement from last season, when they sat at the bottom of this particular table under Roy Hodgson on 28.8.

Vieira, then, looked to reenergise his team with young talent, and if this report is anything to go by, he’ll be continuing those efforts this summer.

Edwards would be another exciting addition. Peterborough chairman Barry Fry has dubbed him a ‘Rolls Royce’ and is certain he’ll enjoy an ‘outstanding’ career, while Sir Alex Ferguson has apparently urged Manchester United to sign him.

In other news, Palace have also been linked with this Brentford star. 

A much-changed Manchester United secured a 1-1 draw with BSC Young Boys at Old Trafford in their final Champions League encounter in Group F.

Ralf Rangnick made a full 11 changes to the side that featured from the off in the victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday, handing first starts of the season to teenagers Anthony Elanga and Amad Diallo.

And it was a fast start from the hosts, with Mason Greenwood finishing in spectacular style within the opening ten minutes following Luke Shaw’s measured cutback.

United continuously won the ball back high up the pitch at the start of proceedings as Rangnick slowly implements his Gegenpressing style, but Diallo and Juan Mata both failed to finish off promising attacking moves.

However, the Red Devils were unable to sustain their pressing game and their Swiss opposition clawed themselves back into the tie on the stroke of half-time.

Fabian Reider won the ball back following some sloppy play on the edge of United’s area before bending in an unstoppable strike, leaving Dean Henderson helpless between the sticks.

An uneventful second half saw Rangnick hand first-team debuts to Tom Heaton, Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal, while Shola Shoretire also made his first appearance of the campaign, but it was perhaps a more experienced head who really took his chance.

Donny van de Beek controlled proceedings in the middle of the park and put his name firmly in the hat for more consistent outings under the new regime.

As per SofaScore, the Netherlands international had a whopping 92 touches throughout the 90 minutes, won nine of his 11 duels (82%) and picked out a teammate with three of his four attempted long balls.

The 24-year-old finished the game with a passing accuracy of 84% and successfully completed both of his dribbles, yet it was defensive contribution that really caught the eye.

Van de Beek made six tackles – at least two more than any of his teammates – pulled off three interceptions, two clearances and one block, highlighting his hugely effective display at both ends of the pitch.

His part in Young Boys’ equaliser was the only blot on the former Ajax ace’s copybook, and he’ll be hoping Rangnick can look past his single error as he bids to become a regular fixture in the starting lineup.

And, in other news…Rangnick lines up move for “unbelievable” £100k-p/w “animal”, he’s what Man Utd need

Manchester United confirmed the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday morning, after over three years in charge at Old Trafford.

In a statement, the Manchester United board thanked Ole and outlined their intentions moving forward;

“Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision.

“Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games, while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.”

The dismissal follows an embarrassing result for the Red Devils that saw them lose 4-1 to Watford on Saturday afternoon, which was seemingly the final nail in the coffin for the Norwegian manager, after an emergency meeting was held in the hours following the game, eventually leading to the club’s announcement.

Many names have been thrown into the mix for the highly speculated Manchester United manager job, and although the initial position to be filled is for an interim manager to take over for the next six months, moves are being made to find the right long term manager to lead them into the 2022/23 season.

One journalist has dropped a huge development on one particular popular candidate for the long term position next summer.

Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth claimed;

“It’s my information that Ajax simply wouldn’t entertain releasing a manager mid-season. However, I’ve been told that Erik ten Hag would 100% be interested in the Manchester United job in the summer. His contract runs out in the summer of 2023.”

Fans will surely be buzzing with this revelation, as Erik Ten Hag is said to be one of the ‘most promising’ managers in world football right now.

The 51-year-old Ajax boss has led the Dutch side to two league titles and to their first Champions League semi-final since 1997 beating Real Madrid and Juventus on their way.

He also has connections to a Manchester United player who, ironically, scored the final goal for the side against Watford.

Ten Hag developed Donny Van De Beek into the player that scored 41 goals and 34 assists for Ajax, before making his move to Manchester United.

The 24-year-old midfielder would clearly welcome Ten Hag with open arms after having a turbulent time so far at Old Trafford with not being able to get into the team and would hope that his presence could boost his game time, and ultimately make him more of a key player in the starting team.

With that in mind, everyone associated with the 20-time English champions would surely be elated to see him arrive at the club next summer.

Manchester United are set to face Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday with Michael Carrick leading the team in their must-win in Spain.

AND in other news, “Sources close to Sir Alex Ferguson say” – MUFC manager update will have fans buzzing…