West Bromwich Albion are now eyeing up a potential bargain deal to strengthen their ranks in January, it has been claimed, as they look to bolster their frontline before the second half of the season.

West Brom struggling for wins in the Championship

Carlos Corberan’s side are struggling somewhat in the early stages of the Championship season, with the Baggies unable to stop drawing games.

The Baggies have lost the fewest games in the division, having been beaten just twice, but their 10 draws are also a league-high, one more than relegation threatened Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers.

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As a result, they sit just outside the playoff spots in the Championship and are already 10 points adrift of early leaders Sheffield United, with another stint in the playoffs their most likely route to potential success this season at this stage.

One of their biggest problems has been finding the back of the net regularly, with their 19 goals scored the fewest in the top half of the Championship, though they do boast the third-best defensive record too.

Of those 19 goals, star striker Josh Maja has 10, while only two other players have managed more than a single goal for the Baggies this season across all competitions, and only five players have even managed to make it onto the scoresheet.

West Brom’s top goalscorers 2024-25

Josh Maja

10

Karlan Grant

4

Alex Mowatt

3

Jayson Molumby

1

Mason Holgate

1

Now, West Brom could be set to address this issue in January, with reports linking them with a surprise swoop.

West Brom monitoring Sevilla forward

That comes as reports from Spain claim that West Brom are one of two Championship sides monitoring former Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho ahead of a potential winter move.

Iheanacho only arrived in Seville over the summer but has endured a tough start to life in the south of Spain, starting just four La Liga games, though he has scored three times in the Copa del Rey.

An FA Cup winner during his time at Leicester City, the 28-year-old has already reportedly been deemed surplus to requirements in Andalusia, with his high wages not deemed value for money given his lack of game time.

Appearances

219

Goals

47

Assists

26

Minutes per goal/assist

120

Now, a fresh report has suggested that both the Baggies and Championship rivals Watford are “closely monitoring the situation” and they are both keen “to sign him in the winter, either on loan or as a free agent.”

Dubbed “very talented” by Brendan Rodgers during the pair’s time together at Leicester, Iheanacho’s career has taken a dip since, with the Nigerian forward scoring just six times for the Foxes last season before moving to Spain.

He found the net against the Baggies in both the 2017/18 season and the 2020/21 campaign, helping them on their way to relegation from the Premier League on both occasions, but now could find himself trying to push them back towards the Premier League should he arrive at the club in January. Could he be the man to help Corberan’s side back to winning ways?

Birmingham City’s summer transfer window before the new League One season kicked off couldn’t have really gone any better, as plenty of deadwood was shifted on and a whole host of exciting gems were snapped up.

In total, there were a mammoth 17 incomings for Chris Davies to contend with, which included the dramatic return of Jay Stansfield to St. Andrew’s, alongside bold additions in the form of Tomoki Iwata and Willum Thor Willumsson.

All of those signings named have made the transition to the third tier look easy for the most part – with Stansfield bagging ten goals from 13 league clashes – but the Blues haven’t always been blessed with amazing luck when it comes to striking gold in the transfer department.

Birmingham's biggest transfer howlers

Every club up and down England is going to fall foul of some blunders when a window swings open, with Birmingham no exception to that rule whatsoever.

After all, Blues fans will still be haunted by the fact their club splashed out £2m on Sam Cosgrove back in 2021, only for the ex-Aberdeen man to flounder horrifically in his new location with zero goals tallied up from 17 dire appearances.

That isn’t the only time Birmingham have signed a striker who would then never live up to their hype, with Scott Hogan once a £12m buy for Aston Villa before joining their arch rivals, only for him now to be playing in League Two after bagging a lacklustre 36 strikes from 158 clashes.

There are no doubt more flops that have gone on to notably struggle at St. Andrew’s away from just these two strikers, with this player in question one that did shine in spurts in the West Midlands, but would again never feel worthy of his excessive fee.

Sunjic's time at Birmingham

Whilst not as extortionate as the mentioned Hogan deal, Ivan Sunjic would still cost a whopping £6.3m to obtain in the summer of 2019, with plenty then expected of the midfielder on his flashy arrival.

He would end up amassing 176 appearances in England, as his first season saw him score three times from 40 league games whilst his new employers just about survived in the Championship, which included this beauty of a strike being hammered home versus Derby County.

Yet, Birmingham fans would have been left wanting more from the Bosnia and Herzegovina international as his stay dragged on at the club, as Sunjic would end up accumulating just three more goals and six assists across the following three campaigns.

Labelled as “superb” by then Birmingham manager Pep Clotet during his first few months at the club, there will have been a disappointment in the air when the 28-year-old was just allowed to depart for nothing in the summer.

But, it did feel unlikely that Davies would want to keep the former £6.3m buy around, especially as he went about freshening up the camp for the more combative challenge of League One football.

He has since made the switch to Cyprus to line up for Pafos FC, who actually play in the Europa Conference League, with Sunjic showing off signs of his class for his new employers so far in league action.

Stat – per 90 mins*

Sunjic

Games played

13

Games started

12

Goals scored

2

Assists

1

Accurate passes*

31.4 (87%)

Interceptions*

2.6

Ball recoveries*

6.8

Total duels won*

4.1

Stats by Sofascore

Whilst Sunjic aims to build on a promising start to life out in Cyprus, Davies will just be content with the options he has back in England in the midfield positions, feeling little to no regret that he can’t call upon the ex-Blues number 34.

Birmingham did used to fail in the market very frequently when it came to high-profile signings underwhelming, but in the here and now with Stansfield and many others, that narrative is changing.

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Aston Villa’s 2-1 win over Manchester City will have given Unai Emery plenty of confidence heading into the festive season, but the Spaniard won’t want his team resting on their laurels.

They face Newcastle United in the Premier League on Boxing Day afternoon, and it will be another tough challenge.

The Magpies have won their previous three games in all competitions, scoring 11 times in the process while conceding just once.

Emery will have to be wary of Alexander Isak, who impressed against Ipswich Town last weekend…

Why Aston Villa need to stop Alexander Isak

The Swedish striker enjoyed himself against the Tractor Boys, scoring a brilliant hat-trick to take his tally to 11 goals for the season.

This was the fourth Premier League game in a row he had found the back of the net and Emery will be hoping his defence can keep the former Real Sociedad striker quiet at St James’ Park this afternoon.

When compared to his positional peers in the top flight this term, Isak ranks in the top 2% for shot-creating actions (3.6), the top 2% for successful take-ons (1.43) and in the top 10% for non-penalty goals (0.75) per 90.

If given time and space, Isak will punish Villa today, no doubt about it. With confidence flowing among the team, however, can Emery unleash his very own version of the Newcastle striker?

Aston Villa's very own Alexander Isak

Ollie Watkins will be desperate to add to his goal tally in the Northeast today and just as Isak is Newcastle’s talisman, Watkins has proven to be the main threat in front of goal for Villa in recent seasons.

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, the Englishman has netted 34 goals in all competitions along with providing 18 assists in the process.

Goals

10

7

Assists

4

3

Total shots per game

3.1

2.6

Big chances created

7

3

Key passes per game

1.6

0.7

Total duels won per game

2.8

2.9

Hailed as a “nightmare” to play against by English defender Conor Coady, Watkins has the potential to cause plenty of chaos to the Newcastle defence this afternoon. That’s a certainty.

Aside from his goal contributions, the centre-forward has created three big chances, averages 0.7 key passes and averages 2.6 shots per game in the top flight.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League this season, Watkins not only ranks in the top 2% for touches in the opposition penalty area (6.97) per 90, but he also ranks in the top 13% for total shots (3.4) and assists (0.24) per 90 in the top flight.

These statistics prove that he is among the finest strikers in the league by these metrics, which will certainly have Eddie Howe worried.

Jhon Duran has certainly stolen some of the limelight of late, but if Watkins is unleashed in the starting XI today, then he could make the supporters forget all about the Colombian’s exploits of late.

Another win would allow Villa to continue their ascent up the Premier League table towards the coveted Champions League spot.

The Toon will be tough to stop, especially Isak, but in Watkins, Emery has his own version of the Swedish sensation.

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As Leeds United look to return to winning ways against Oxford United, they could be forced to do so without one of Daniel Farke’s key men in another blow for those at Elland Road.

Leeds injury news

Already without Ilia Gruev and Junior Firpo ahead of Oxford this weekend, injury setbacks are threatening to control the narrative of Leeds’ season once again following blows to the likes of Ethan Ampadu earlier in the campaign. Given that Farke’s side were left to mount a late Championship comeback against Preston North End to rescue a 1-1 draw last time out too, the last thing that they need is more bad news on the injury front.

With the chance to flip the narrative from a disappointing point into four games without defeat this weekend up against an Oxford side who have just shown manager Des Buckingham the door, a fresh injury blow is exactly what Leeds may have been dealt.

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As confirmed by Farke and relayed by Adam Pope, Leeds could now be without Pascal Struijk against Oxford in a fresh injury blow, whilst it also remains to be seen whether Max Wober will make the game.

Among those in the leadership group, Struijk remains a key figure within Farke’s squad and particularly his backline as Leeds look to avoid yet more promotion heartbreak following last season’s Wembley failure. In pursuit of a return to the top flight, keeping players of Struijk’s calibre fit will play a large part.

"Crucial" Struijk is key for Leeds

Starting in all 21 Championship games for Leeds so far this season, it cannot be overstated enough just how important Struijk has become at Elland Road. If the Yorkshire club are to earn promotion in the current campaign, then there’s no doubt that he will be at the centre of it. And Farke is well aware of his quality too, taking time to praise his defender at the end of October.

Farke told reporters via The Leeds Press: “He adapted well to my demands and he’s played a crucial part. We don’t have to talk about his skills with the ball. I’m very pleased with his development.”

If the 25-year-old does miss this weekend’s meeting with Oxford, then the return of Wober would certainly be a welcomed one. The defender can play as both a centre-back and as a left-back, perhaps handing the Whites an instant solution.

That said, up against a struggling side, Leeds should have no excuses. These are the types of games that they should arguably be easing past if they want to secure an automatic promotion spot and avoid the playoffs altogether come the end of the current campaign.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi will invite Prince William and Tom Hanks to the Parc des Princes for Aston Villa's Champions League tie.

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Prince William is a lifelong Aston Villa fanWill be invited along with Hanks by PSGTwo sides to clash in UCL next monthFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Prince William's affinity towards Aston Villa is well-known. The future King was spotted at the Villa Park earlier this month as the Villans welcomed Club Brugge in the second leg of the round of 16. The hosts secured a comfortable 3-1 victory, prompting the Prince of Wales to tell journalists, "See you in Paris," as he got into his car after the match, per the Daily Mail.

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It appears Prince William is ready to keep his promise to fellow Villa fans. According to , PSG president Al-Khelaifi is set to invite Prince William and Hollywood legend Hanks to the first leg of Villa's Champions League quarter-final at the Parc des Princes next month. The invitation comes as Al-Khelaifi marks a milestone, becoming PSG's longest-serving president with 13 years, four months, and 23 days in charge as of Wednesday. The Qatari surpasses Francis Borelli, who held the role from 1978 to 1991.

DID YOU KNOW?

Prince William is a regular at football matches with his son, Prince George, and has even confessed to losing his voice from cheering for Aston Villa. In January, he surprised Villa fans by buying a round of drinks at a Wetherspoons near Birmingham New Street Station ahead of their Premier League clash with Everton. The Prince treated eight fans to a round of beers while enjoying a pint of Bulmers cider, staying for about half an hour before catching a train back to London.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ASTON VILLA?

Although Villa are currently in ninth position in the Premier League table, they are just four points adrift of the top four. Indeed, they could yet end the season with a Champions League spot as Chelsea, in fourth, have bagged just 49 points. Their upcoming next game is an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Preston on Sunday, March 30, followed by a league encounter with in-form Brighton next Wednesday, April 2.

“We weren’t good enough to make the semi-finals [playoffs],” head coach Stephen Fleming says

Deivarayan Muthu20-May-2022

Despite Chennai Super Kings suffering an early exit and being on the brink of finishing at the bottom in IPL 2022, their captain MS Dhoni drew confidence from the performances of youngsters who are finding their feet in the set-up.After Super Kings fell out of the race for the playoffs, they tinkered with their line-up in the last two games, roping in 19-year-old Sri Lankan quick Matheesha Pathirana, whose slingy action resembles that of Lasith Malinga, and uncapped Indians Prashant Solanki and N Jagadeesan.After returning 2 for 24 against Gujarat Titans on his IPL debut, Pathirana fronted up to bowl the middle and death overs against Rajasthan Royals. He went wicketless but Dhoni sees him and left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary playing bigger roles for Super Kings in the future.”I think whatever games that they’ve got, they’ve learnt a lot out of it,” Dhoni, speaking to Star Sports at the post-match presentation, said of the youngsters. “One of the biggest examples is Mukesh, he has played all [13] games, but what is impressive is to see how he has improved from the first game to the last game and how he can bowl at the death. Still, he will go back and learn out of the outings that he has got and that’s what we really want from players.”Once they’ve got that experience, what is important is next year once they turn up for the IPL, they shouldn’t start from scratch again. So, it is important to remember in their mind what has really happened in the IPL, what strengths they develop and thinking under pressure. I feel that’s what is needed from youngsters. Most of them have made the most of whatever chances they have got.”Pathirana, in particular, had been on Super Kings’ radar for a while. Ahead of IPL 2021, both Pathirana and fellow Sri Lankan Maheesh Theekshana were invited by Super Kings to bowl at their nets. However, it is understood that Sri Lanka Cricket didn’t release them then as the IPL gig clashed with their domestic tournament and a Bangladesh tour. Once Adam Milne was sidelined from IPL 2022, Pathirana was called into the main squad, joining hands with Theekshana, who was picked at the auction for INR 70 lakh (approx. USD 93,000).”Malinga! Our Malinga is really good,” Dhoni said. “It’s difficult to pick him and I feel he will definitely contribute next [year] for us in a big way.”I think we have done well in patches and what is important is to keep doing well as a team. One of the ways is one of the individuals keeps doing well in every game and others contribute, but I feel the crucial thing whenever you get an opportunity, once you’re in, make sure you make the most out of it, whether you’re a batter or a bowler. Keep learning because it’s not a one-year tournament – you keep coming back year after year. Once you keep learning and once you’ve matured, that’s when you want to capitalise and be a big IPL player for the next ten years or 12 years. That’s what is really needed from the youngsters.”Super Kings’ head coach Stephen Fleming also delivered a glowing appraisal of Choudhary, who is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker in the powerplay this season, with 11 strikes. Delhi seamer Simarjeet Singh also bowled some eye-catching spells with the new ball in the injury-enforced absence of Deepak Chahar.”He [Choudhary] was excellent,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference. “He had a nervous start, but we stuck with him and reaped the rewards towards the end. He just got better and better. Simarjeet as well. Halfway through he only had a handful of games and he has responded [well] to the pressure also. So those two boys were definitely a positive.”Fleming conceded that veering away from Super Kings’ original template, that values experience, and blooding youngsters has been a challenge for the team management.”It’s a balance, isn’t it? It certainly didn’t go our way, but the reality of it is when you start a new cycle and when you have a number of new players and a new dynamic in the team, it can be testing. We suffered from catastrophic success, so just trying to play the same way and continue on from our last four years, which was very successful, is a real challenge. So, dropping back and understanding what new players can do takes a little bit of time.”Fleming rued the mishmash of an effort from the senior players this season, but said it would drive them to step up next season.”What we didn’t have is a couple of form players that got us through the early days. You get a couple of wins and a little bit of evidence that the team is on the right track, and then young players get confidence from the senior players doing well. So, that’s the cycle. We had a slow start and we weren’t able to string enough games together. We had opportunities – there’s no doubt we had opportunities – to do better than what we did, but the reality is we weren’t good enough to make the semi-finals [playoffs] this year. And that’s always a catalyst for next year.”

Well, that wasn’t exactly a classic, but Arsenal made it four wins on the bounce last night and four wins in a row against Manchester United to boot.

Mikel Arteta’s side were far from their scintillating best in attack and actually looked quite blunt in the first half, but two set-piece goals in the second 45 secured all three points and kept them in the Premier League title race.

Moreover, while some of the forward players left much to be desired on the night, there were still several brilliant displays elsewhere, notably from William Saliba.

Saliba's performance vs Man Utd

Despite being without centre-back partner Gabriel Magalhaes due to injury, Saliba put in yet another monster performance, proving that he’s one of the very best defenders in the world, let alone England.

The French international was everywhere in defence, putting his body in the way and making it impossible for Rasmus Hojlund to hold up play, and then, to top it all off, he also scored the team’s second goal to all but guarantee that the three points would be staying in North London.

Unsurprisingly, the watching press were just as impressed by the former Saint-Étienne ace as we were, with the Standard’s Simon Collings awarding him an 8/10 match rating at full-time and writing that he was ‘so composed on the ball’ and utterly ‘dominant’ throughout.

While undoubtedly high praise, Collings’ appraisal is more than backed up by the stats.

In his 94 minutes on the pitch, the Bondy-born titan scored a goal, made two clearances, two interceptions and one tackle, won two of three ground duels, took 78 touches, completed 67 of 71 passes, was accurate in 100% of his long balls and took one shot on target.

Minutes

94

Goals

1

Clearances

2

Interceptions

2

Tackles

1

Ground Duels (Won)

3 (2)

Touches

78

Passing Accuracy

67/71 (94%)

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (2)

Shots on Target

1

Overall, it was a practically perfect display from Saliba, yet one of his teammates was arguably just as good.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

The Arsenal star who was as good as Saliba vs Man Utd

So, there are a number of players who could potentially fit the bill, from centre-back partner Jakub Kiwior to right-back Jurrien Timber, but in reality, it’s the club’s £105m man, Declan Rice.

Yes, the former West Ham United captain has finally started to look back to his incredible best in recent games, and while he was a tad slow in the first half, he was sublime in the second, or as journalist Sam Dean said, a “different beast.”

It was the Englishman’s corner that was so perfectly placed for Timber to open the scoring, and then after that, it felt like he was here, there and everywhere.

One moment, he was snuffing out any counter-attacks threatening to develop, and the next, he was playing brilliant, accurate passes to help the Gunners maintain their stranglehold on the game.

The 25-year-old left Collings suitably impressed, as the journalist also awarded him an 8/10 match rating on the night, writing that he ‘gave Arsenal the injection of energy they needed.’

Like his French teammate, the 6 foot 2 wall’s statistics from the night back up all the praise.

In 94 minutes, he produced an expected assists figure of 0.41, provided an assist, took 56 touches, played three key passes, completed 100% of his long balls, created one big chance, blocked two shots, won five of six duels, and made one clearance, one interception and one tackle.

Minutes

94

Expected Assists

0.41

Assists

1

Touches

56

Key Passes

3

Long Balls (Completed)

2 (2)

Big Chances Created

1

Blocked Shots

2

Duels (Won)

6 (5)

Clearances

1

Interceptions

1

Tackles

1

Ultimately, while Timber and Saliba will understandably grab the headlines for their goalscoring exploits, Rice should receive just as much praise as he was simply sensational for Arsenal.

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Dinesh Chandimal and Niroshan Dickwella dug deep with the Chattogram surface staying true to its nature of being a batting paradise as the first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ended in a draw. Things, however, could have been different if not for the pair’s dogged 99-run stand for the seventh wicket on the final day.Having started the morning on a brisk note, Sri Lanka lost two wickets each on either side of the lunch interval to stumble to 161 for 6. At that stage, their lead was only 93. But both Chandimal and Dickwella showed grit and determination and kept the Bangladesh bowlers at bay for 203 deliveries to eke out a draw. Dickwella, more adventurous with his shot-making, brought up his 20th Test half-century and finished with an unbeaten 61 off 96 balls. Chandimal, on the other hand, was more measured during his 135-ball 39 not out. The two teams shook hands as soon as the Test entered the final hour, with Sri Lanka on 260 for 6, leading by 192.Related

• Dhananjaya de Silva says Sri Lanka knew Chattogram Test would end in a draw from the first day

• Shoriful ruled out of Test series, likely to miss first West Indies Test as well

The Bangladesh bowlers, particularly Taijul Islam and Shakib Al Hasan, stuck to their lines but were unable to break the seventh-wicket stand. Taijul was the pick of the bowlers, returning 4 for 82.Sri Lanka resumed the day on 39 for 2, still trailing by 29, but it took them only 24 balls in the first session to wipe off that margin with Kusal Mendis taking the attack to Bangladesh. He was the aggressor while Dimuth Karunaratne focused mainly on rotating the strike.Kusal started the day by clattering Taijul for two fours in the first over before slamming Khaled Ahmed for a hat-trick of fours on either side of the wicket as Sri Lanka scored 59 runs in the first nine overs of the first session. It did not help that Bangladesh were a bowler short with Shoriful Islam ruled out of the series after fracturing his right hand, courtesy a Kasun Rajitha bouncer late on the fourth day.Shakib and Taijul then restored some parity, with the latter striking twice. He first removed Kusal, for a 43-ball 48, with a delivery that pitched on the middle stump before spinning away to hit the off bail. Then he sent back Angelo Mathews for a duck with a stunning return catch. Having not opened his account despite facing 14 balls, Mathews was visibly frustrated and tried to go over the bowler’s head. But Taijul got both hands to it and completed the catch.At lunch, Sri Lanka were ahead by 60. After the break, they collected 14 runs from the first two overs. Karunaratne reached his 28th half-century with a thick outside edge off Shakib. However, his joy was short-lived as he fell soon after to Taijul. Taking the aggressive route, Karunaratne skipped down the track but his mistimed flick could only travel as far as Mominul Haque at midwicket, who completed the catch diving to his right.Dhananjaya de Silva continued playing his shots and he did succeed to an extent, reaching 33, before pulling a rank long hop from Shakib straight to Mushfiqur Rahim at midwicket. Shakib could have had another wicket the very next ball but Dickwella’s sweep just evaded a leaping Taijul at backward square leg.Sri Lanka were staring down the barrel at that stage but Chandimal and Dickwella dug in to rescue the visitors.Mathews, who scored 199 in Sri Lanka’s first innings, was named Player of the Match.

Manchester United are among the teams interested in signing a £20 million midfielder next month, according to a new report. The January transfer window opens in just a couple of weeks time, and the Red Devils will hope the sudden departure of Dan Ashworth will not affect their plans.

"Strong" Man Utd target keen on Premier League move; contact already made

He’s having an excellent season.

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 9, 2024

Man Utd transfer news

January could be a pivotal month for United, as INEOS may look to do some transfer business in the hope that it helps Ruben Amorim turn the club’s fortunes around. Ahead of what is normally a quiet transfer window for the Premier League side, they have already been linked with a few potential arrivals.

A new report has stated that United are looking to submit an offer to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace in 2025. The centre-back’s contract at Selhurst Park expires in 2026, and United could look to use this to their advantage, as they plan to make a £33 million offer, which is below his £50 million price tag.

Another player the Red Devils are interested in signing from the Premier League is Heung-min Son. The Tottenham Hotspur attacker is someone United know very well and are reportedly interested in making a move for him in 2025, as his future continues to look uncertain with the London side.

But these are not the only players who are on United’s radar, as they also have a midfielder under consideration, and he could be a long-term replacement for an individual already at Old Trafford.

Man Utd plotting move to sign £20m starlet

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are interested in a deal to sign Martin Baturina from Dinamo Zagreb. The 21-year-old is highly rated in the game, especially in his homeland of Croatia, with the report labelling him an “elite prospect”.

Baturina has become an important figure for his club and country in recent times, and his performances are now catching the attention of European heavyweights. This report states that Paris Saint-Germain are working on a deal for Baturina and have been for a while. They are keen to get a deal done for around 25 million euros, which is roughly £20 million, as soon as possible. However, United are also keen on the Croatian international, along with many other Premier League teams.

Teams such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and Barcelona are also interested, but while United are longer term admirers, Zagreb are adamant that he isn’t for sale.

Baturina’s arrival at Old Trafford could spell the end for Mason Mount, as the Englishman has struggled since joining the Red Devils and could be one that is let go by Amorim if his performances don’t improve.

Chelsea look set to rival Real Madrid for the signing of Bournemouth centre back Dean Huijsen in the summer transfer window.

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• Huijsen made his Spain debut this week
• He is a Los Blancos fan
• Reports Chelsea are pursuing the youngster's signature

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The youngster has impressed on the south coast this season. Huijsen made his debut for Spain in their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands on Thursday after his fine form for the Cherries. It is believed Real Madrid have been keeping tabs on the player, and intend to make a bid in the summer. Huijsen is a fan of Los Blancos.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  However MARCA are reporting that Chelsea are keen on the young Spaniard too. The Blues have invested heavily in future stars over the past couple of seasons, and the 19-year-old would represent a continuation of that policy. However, MARCA believes Huijsen will only consider a move to the Bernabeu this summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Huijsen may have chosen to represent the Spanish national team, but he was born to Dutch parents in Amsterdam. He officially became a Spanish citizen in 2024, and made his full international debut against the country of his birth.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DEAN HUIJSEN?

  Huijsen is in line to start the second leg of Spain's UEFA Nations League quarter fianl against the Netherlands on Sunday. The youngster made his debut following a first half injury to Pau Cubarsí.