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Manchester United appear to be prioritising their pursuit of Raphael Varane this summer, but another Madrid-based star could also be on his way to Old Trafford.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet AS (as reported by the Manchester Evening News), Saul Niguez is a wanted man, with rumours of a swap deal between the Atletico Madrid midfielder and Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann continuing to rumble on.

However, the report claims that the swap deal hasn’t progressed much in recent days, leading to Saul’s agent contacting both United and their fierce rivals Liverpool to sound out a potential move to the Premier League.

Atletico are thought to be calm about the situation and are set to demand  €40m (£34.2m) for the highly-rated Spain international.

Solskjaer would love him

With the likes of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Donny van de Beek, Fred and Scott McTominay to call upon, United are well-stocked in the centre of the pitch at this moment in time.

Having said that, speculation over Pogba’s future continues to grow, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be forced into the transfer market to strengthen his engine room over the coming months.

Therefore, a move for Saul may be an extremely appealing prospect for the Norwegian tactician.

The technically gifted dynamo has established himself as a world-class operator in recent years, scoring 43 goals and providing 19 assists in 337 appearances for Atleti, winning one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey and two Europe League crowns along the way.

His impressive performances saw Saul linked with a move to Old Trafford as recently as 12 months ago when he was also outlined as a potential replacement for Pogba.

Former United defender and BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand lauded the Spaniard following the transfer talk, praising his ability on the ball and tactical awareness.

“I don’t want Pogba to go, but if he does go, I’d take Saul Niguez all day long. Not like-for-like but still a top player,” Ferdinand said.

“What a player. I’ve been harping on about Saul Niguez for a few years now. I think he’s a major player. He’s composed, calm, great left foot, lovely conductor, he can score goals, tactically he’s very aware.

“You can see (Diego) Simeone, he gets his teams really well set up, and he’s in the middle orchestrating and dictating things.”

It remains to be seen whether United make a move for Saul this summer, but with only a year remaining on his current contract, he could be a real bargain for whoever takes an interest.

And, in other news…Imagine him & Fernandes: Ole must unleash “perfect” £27m-rated Man Utd star next term 

Aston Villa will be hoping to bolster their attacking options this summer, but Dean Windass exclusively told Football FanCast that he doesn’t think they’ll turn to Josh King.

Villa considered exploring the option of signing the Norwegian striker 12 months ago prior to bringing in Ollie Watkins from Brentford.

But reports say that the 29-year-old is on Dean Smith’s radar once again as Villa look to improve on the 11th-place finish they achieved last season.

King, who ex-Villa striker Stan Collymore once labelled “unplayable”, will become a free agent at the end of this month following his release from Everton after his spell at Goodison Park didn’t go to plan.

He failed to start a single Premier League match since joining from Bournemouth, making just 11 substitute appearances and didn’t score, meaning he went the entire campaign without finding the net in the league.

And Windass believes that after his frustrations at Everton, King will want regular first-team football, something Villa cannot guarantee, with the impressive Ollie Watkins their first-choice striker.

“I don’t think they’ll come in for him. It’s not worked out at Everton, but every footballer has a level,” he told Football FanCast.

“Is the Championship his level? He needs to find somewhere where the manager trusts him. I can’t see him going to Villa, I can’t see him being understudy to Watkins, he’s not going to play, so why would he go if he’s not going to play.”

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting in delighted fashion to the news that Ibrahima Konate has officially become a Reds player.

Jurgen Klopp managed to guide his team to a third-place finish in the Premier League in 2020/21, but it was an extremely difficult season for the German.

The 53-year-old had to overcome a number of obstacles, the most notable of which was having to make do without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for the vast majority of the campaign.

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The trio are all still injured and Liverpool ended up playing unproven duo Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams as a centre-back pairing in the final games.

It has highlighted the need for the Reds to sign a new defender this summer and Konate has always looked set to be that man, having been continually linked with a move to Anfield.

On Friday, Liverpool confirmed that a deal for the RB Leipzig man had been completed, with the 22-year-old arriving on a ‘long-term’ contract.

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Liverpool fans react to Konate update

These Reds supporters have taken to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the positive news.

“Happy Friday Reds”

Credit: @AnythingLFC_

“Things you love to see. Welcome, Ibrahima Konate”

Credit: @LFC_JamieBS

“What a signing. Let’s go, LFC”

Credit: @Akki_SwagMan

“Love this, Liverpool going out and getting exactly the player needed early doors. A player who has all the potential to become one of the best in the world and form a formidable partnership with Van Dijk”

Credit: @DHardayal

“This is exceptional value”

Credit: @lrchandley

“Let’s gooooooooooo”

Credit: @Kea_IsTheName

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been bemoaning an update on one Reds player. Find out who it is here.

Jon Newsome believes that Norwich City target Angus Gunn needs to play regularly if he is moving to the Canaries this summer.

Gunn has been heavily linked with a return to the Canaries after his loan spell at the club in 2017/18.

The Athletic reports that the Southampton goalkeeper is on the verge of a return to Norwich, in a deal that the Saints hope will eventually cost £7m.

Norwich will pay an initial fee of £2.5m and strengthen their ranks in goal, with Gunn set to compete with Tim Krul for the No.1 jersey.

Newsome, though, believes that he needs to play regularly if he is to be a success with the Canaries.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, the former Canaries star said: “Whether he’ll go in there to fight for the No.1 jersey remains to be seen. I would have thought he’s had a bit of a stop-start season with Stoke, he wasn’t a regular all the way through the season, so I think at the age that he is, the most important thing for Angus Gunn at this moment in time would be to play regular football.

“Does Norwich City offer him that? I’m not too sure it does.”

Gunn made a total of 51 appearances for Norwich during his loan spell and spent last season on loan at Stoke City, though he played just 15 times in the Championship throughout 2020/21.

Steve Bull thinks that Wolves youngster Dion Sanderson deserves a chance to impress in the first-team in pre-season.

Sanderson has come through the Academy having been with the club since he was a boy, but has made just the one appearance in the first-team in a Carabao Cup tie at Aston Villa in October 2019.

Since then, the 21-year-old has enjoyed successful loan spells with both Cardiff and Sunderland, although a back problem saw him miss the latter’s play-off campaign.

Despite being absent for Sunderland’s final eight League One fixtures, the promising defender, who’s able to play anywhere across the back four, was still named as the Supporters’ Young Player of the Year for his excellent form prior to that injury.

Sanderson turned out 28 times in all competitions for the Black Cats, and more than played his part in their two-month unbeaten run at one point which left them on course for automatic promotion.

Having proved himself in the lower leagues, following on from his brief stint with Cardiff 12 months earlier, Bull exclusively told Football FanCast that he wants Sanderson to be given an opportunity to impress at his parent club:

“I can’t understand why they don’t bring him back, let’s see what he can do in pre-season!”

As per the Daily Mail, Tottenham are interested in signing Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City as they plan to swiftly replace Harry Kane.

The Lowdown: Kane drops bombshell

On Monday, Kane told Spurs that he wishes to leave the club this summer (Sky Sports), which is a huge blow to Daniel Levy and whichever manager is appointed on a permanent basis to replace Jose Mourinho.

The north London outfit must now look for a replacement if Kane follows through on his wishes to leave.

The Latest: Spurs eye Jesus

One name on Spurs’ shortlist is believed to be Manchester City striker Jesus, as reported by the Daily Mail.

The Brazil international has been targetted as a part-exchange for Kane given that a straight cash deal for the England international will be hard to come by.

The Verdict: Interesting option

Jesus has come in for criticism from portions of the City fanbase this season, but he is a striker who knows how to find the back of the net. In 192 matches for the Citizens, he has 81 goals (Transfermarkt) – an impressive record when you consider he has not always been a guaranteed starter.

Throughout his career for club and country, he has 122 goals in 284 games – there are few forwards who can boast a better strike rate at such a high level. Furthermore, City manager Pep Guardiola called him “incredible” earlier this year (The Independent).

Currently valued at £54m (Transfermarkt), an exchange between Kane and Jesus could work well for all parties. The former would get his wish to move on, while Spurs would be getting a quality, and younger, forward as part of the agreement.

In other news, Levy wants to hire this Champions League winner as Tottenham’s new manager.

An Aston Villa source has dropped a fresh injury blow on Trezeguet before they play Everton away from home in the Premier League on Saturday night.

As per Football Insider, the Midlands club are set to be without the Egypt international for a year after he had to undergo surgery following the knee ligament damage that he suffered in the 2-1 away loss at Liverpool.

An AVFC source has since told the news outlet that he has torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and is likely to be out of action for up to 12 months.

That is the usual timeframe for the most serious of knee ligament injuries, which have regularly ruled out players for around a year before.

Aston Villa will miss Trezeguet

Even though he has never really been a regular starter for Villa, Trezeguet will certainly be missed by Dean Smith’s team.

With Jack Grealish currently out injured as well, Smith’s squad is looking rather thin up top, and at least Trezeguet was a decent option to have even coming off of the bench.

Danny Drinkwater, who is a former teammate of his at Villa, recently described the 26-year-old as a ‘talented’ player after he grabbed a vital brace in their home game against Fulham in the top flight earlier this month.

Nonetheless, Trezeguet potentially being out for a year is a big blow for AVFC.

In other news, find out what Villa teenager has been heaped praise on by fans here!

Southampton were heavily linked with Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman last year and his superb performances in the Netherlands have now attracted the interest of Champions League clubs ahead of the summer, which suggests that Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side seriously missed out on the 22-year-old.

The Saints were seemingly keen on completing a deal for the Dutch midfielder before October’s transfer deadline in 2020 but he ended up staying with the Eredivisie side, where he has continued to demonstrate his quality this season.

In 29 appearances in the Dutch top flight this term, Veerman has contributed seven goals and nine assists, earning an impressive 7.44 average rating from WhoScored.

If he had replicated those performances at Southampton this season, he would have comfortably been rated as their best performer in the Premier League, which emphasises that the St Mary’s hierarchy should have done more to bring him in.

The 22-year-old’s overall goals and assist tally of 18 this season is also more than any Southampton player, despite him featuring as a central-midfielder in the majority of his appearances.

It is no surprise that Veerman is now attracting interest from across Europe ahead of next season, with the likes of Rangers and Atalanta linked with him recently, both of whom look set to be playing in the Champions League next season given their performances in the Premiership and Serie A respectively.

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Veerman earned a lot of praise from former Rangers striker Michael Mols recently, with the Dutchman saying: “He is perfect with the ball and in possession, he’s a really great player. His passing and movement with the ball is really relaxed in a good way.”

He certainly sounds like the sort of player who Hasenhuttl would appreciate having in his midfield, especially this season when a lack of squad depth in the middle of the park has been cruelly exposed following long-term injuries to Oriol Romeu and Will Smallbone.

Certainly, Veerman looks like a fine player who is destined for a bright future away from Heerenveen, but unfortunately it looks as if Southampton have blown their best chance of bringing him to St Mary’s.

In other news… Better than Bednarek: Semmens should seal bargain Saints swoop for £4.5m-rated beast

Aston Villa have been handed a golden chance to sign Werder Bremen winger Milot Rashica this summer.

What’s the story?

It was claimed that, after initially wanting to stay in the Bundesliga, the Kosovan had a change of heart and was open to a move to the Premier League and to Villa, with Dean Smith’s side ready to spend big to get him.

While a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline, it appears that Villa are ready to go back in for the winger. According to Football Insider, the Midlands club are preparing a fresh move for the 24-year-old this summer, adding that he “is on the club’s shortlist of potential wide forward signings going into the next transfer window”.

They have been handed a potentially significant boost in the chase to sign him, with Bremen’s relegation from the Bundesliga confirmed at the weekend after their defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Lange will be buzzing

Given how Johan Lange wanted to sign him last summer, news that Bremen have gone down will surely have Villa’s sporting director grinning from ear to ear over potentially doing a deal for Rashica this time around – and at a potential cut-price fee, too.

Florian Kohfeldt, Rashica’s manager at Bremen, has previously raved about the winger’s ability, saying: “He is a player who can decide Bundesliga games. You don’t find that very often. Milot has incredible skills. In speed, in goal scoring, in passing. These skills also fall on others. Rashica would fit well to England with his pace, but also with his style of play to Spain.”

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Hailed as someone who “makes scoring look easy”, the 24-year-old Rashica can play anywhere just behind the striker as well as at centre-forward, and that kind of versatility will surely be very much appreciated by Smith.

Bremen’s relegation gives Villa the perfect chance to finally snap him up.

Meanwhile, this Villa star just sent a huge message…

After joining the club in January, Andre Green has quickly become a forgotten man at Sheffield Wednesday.

The 22-year-old winger has made only five appearances, including just two starts across the Championship and FA Cup, since arriving at Hillsborough Stadium on a free transfer.

Since the turn of the year, Green has played a total of 22 minutes for the senior side, coming off the bench in their last three league outings for late cameos – not that he can do enough to impress in that time.

But now the former Aston Villa hotshot has delivered his biggest statement to Darren Moore…

On the Chalkboard

Green featured for the U23 squad on Tuesday afternoon, playing a massive role in a 3-0 victory over Hull City with the club’s official website lauding him the ‘star performer.’

He broke the deadlock right on half-time with a sublime strike that capped off a fine solo move – Green cut inside from the left flank and curled home into the far corner. The Owls’ social media team claimed it had been coming as the winger had been “a big threat all game.”

Much of Green’s time in south Yorkshire has been blighted by injury, but now he appears to have certainly sent a message that he’s ready to play a big part in helping keep Wednesday up.

The list of glowing endorsements over the talent of the 22-year-old is ever-growing.

Speaking to The Athletic back in January, former Villa talisman Gabby Agbonlahor dubbed the wide man a “talented kid,” while his former boss, Tim Sherwood, claimed:

“I love Andre and I’m very surprised [that he doesn’t have a club]. He’s got ridiculous pace and goes past people like Ronaldo used to. It’s as if they’re not there. He’s got great ability but has been unfortunate with a few injuries. Hopefully, he can get over them. Players do in the end.”

Moore only really has two out-and-out wingers in his locker – Adam Reach and Kadeem Harris, so Green will undoubtedly be needed in these remaining seven games.

If he can have a similar impact as he did on Tuesday, then their chances of closing that seven-point gap will be made easier.

AND in other news, Forget Reach: THIS Owls sensation absolutely tore Cardiff apart…