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The shift in momentum at Manchester United since Erik ten Hag assumed the managerial position last summer has been extraordinary, and gilt-edged success is emerging as a genuine possibility.

Last week’s monumental derby day triumph over Manchester City, winning 2-1 at Old Trafford courtesy of strikes from Bruno Fernandes and the resurgent Marcus Rashford, the Red Devils have now closed the gap on their imperious neighbours to a single point in the Premier League.

With nine successive victories across and the club indeed firing across all cylinders, still active in every competition available, there is an embedded sense of optimism that overflows from the brim at the Theatre of Dreams.

But now with a pivotal away clash in the league against Crystal Palace, Ten Hag must ensure cohesion remains gelled and energy levels stay relentless, preventing a lackadaisical display that will hamper the monumental strides taken across recent months.  

With reports that Anthony Martial faces a race to find fitness following his withdrawal against City at the weekend, the talismanic door swings wide open to offer a platform for Wout Weghorst to make his debut for the club.

Signed from Burnley on a six-month loan deal – cutting his previous spell with Besiktas short – the 30-year-old Weghorst has been signed to provide the ambitious outfit with an imposing figure to lead the line following the mutual agreement to terminate Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract with the club in November.

The £35k-per-week Weghorst offers a formidable 6 foot 6 presence to lead the line, and ranks within the top 16% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for aerials won over the past year.

And if he can continue his golden touch on the offensive front, United will flourish. This season, for Besiktas, the “pressing monster”, as lauded by Mark Goldbridge, has scored nine goals and registered four assists, with his hold-up play an enticing prospect for United’s pacy flankers as they look to use his stature to weave in behind backlines.

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Palace have lost all three matches since the new year, and might see a continuation of the current woes that plague manager Patrick Vieira’s January, with United’s high-octane and fluid system more than capable of bypassing a defence that only kept one clean sheet in the league since October.

Victory on home soil against the Eagles on Wednesday night would cement the club’s stature firmly within the title race, and with United indeed searching for a tenth successive win, Weghorst could be vital in adding the dimension the attack so craves, and with the wealth of creativity and attacking prowess surrounding his centre-forward position, his debut might just bear fruit.

West Ham United’s recent defeat to Crystal Palace saw summer signing Thilo Kehrer deputise at right-back, with Vladamir Coufal forced to watch on from the bench.

The German, clearly playing out of position, was handed the worst SofaScore rating of anyone on the pitch (5.9) yet still managed the full 90 minutes.

Whether Moyes has an issue with the Czech Republic international, or just wanted added defensive solidity up against the Eagles’ fluid front three, he blundered massively with this tactical decision.

If he is so keen on leaving Coufal out of the side, perhaps he could turn to the academy to unearth a success story similar to the one Ben Johnson has enjoyed in recent years.

Another fine right back in the making is young Harrison Ashby, who will be hoping to build on his seven senior appearances for the Hammers.

Upon first making his debut for the first team back in 2020, journalists Sam Delaney and Roshane Thomas spent time on the U Irons Podcast to praise his talents (via This Is Futbol).

Labelling him “one to watch”, the former was particularly vocal in his praise, stating: “He’s big as well. He’s like a big unit. He’s only young, but he’s like a giant.

“Usually, you’re used to seeing smaller players in those wing-back positions, but he looked big, strong, he was very fearless, decent on the ball.”

The powerful 20-year-old full-back has endured a tumultuous year, struggling for consistency given his constant swap between the youth and senior team. This has resulted in a lack of goal contributions, of which he recorded nine last season.

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What was a previously crowded position at right wing-back seems to be thinning out with each season, and soon Ashby could announce himself as the outstanding candidate for the position for the foreseeable future.

With Moyes clearly keen on handing youngsters a chance to show what they are capable of, outlined in the four academy graduates that started in their midweek win over FCSB, there is a huge possibility that soon this bombing Scotsman could be ready to set the Premier League alight.

It has already proven a busy summer for Scottish champions Celtic with seven major deals having been wrapped up thus far, although the indication is that more incomings could be on their way, with manager Ange Postecoglou having even hinted as much at the weekend.

One name that has emerged as a surprise target of late is Marseille starlet Bamba Dieng, with the Parkhead outfit believed to be one of a number of clubs who are keen on signing the 22-year-old in the coming weeks.

The Senegal international is courting a great deal of attention due to his uncertain future at the Stade Velodrome, having been given the cold shoulder by new boss Igor Tudor despite enjoying a breakthrough season last term.

The suggestion is that the 5 foot 10 menace could be available for a fee of around £15m with a departure seemingly inevitable, ensuring that the Hoops would have to potentially pull off a club record deal to secure his signature.

That sizeable asking price may appear hefty for a player who has made just 42 senior appearances for his current side thus far, although on the basis of his recent form it would surely prove a worthwhile investment.

Last season saw the “serious talent” – as described by journalist Graeme Bailey – score eight goals and provide three assists in all competitions for the Ligue 1 outfit, proving himself a real livewire under former boss Jorge Sampaoli.

Capable of featuring anywhere across the front line, the youngster’s versatility would no doubt suit the often fluid attacking approach that Postecoglou favours, with the 56-year-old also likely to be demanding even further attacking depth with the start of their Champions League voyage to come in the near future.

The hope will be that the “explosive” asset – as dubbed by Sampaoli – can replicate the success of another striker who arrived in Glasgow from France in Odsonne Edouard, with the current Crystal Palace marksman having thrived in Scottish football.

After joining the Hoops – initially on loan – in 2017 from Paris Saint-Germain, the 24-year-old went on to score a remarkable haul of 86 goals and provide a further 39 assists in 179 games in all competitions, winning a plethora of major honours in that time.

Much like Dieng, the Frenchman had limited senior experience prior to his move to Scotland, having scored just once in 17 games while on loan at Toulouse, after failing to ever make a first-team outing at the Parc des Princes.

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That lack of experience mattered little, however, as he became a key figure for the club over the next four years, before joining the Eagles on a £14m deal last summer – with Celtic making a profit on their £9m investment.

Although Postecoglou won’t be thinking about losing Dieng before he’s even signed, there will be a consideration as to how they could potentially recoup a greater fee later down the line, while hoping to reap the benefits of his impressive displays in the short-term.

As the club saw with the case of Edouard, the French market can be particularly fruitful.

According to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is finished with left-back Sergio Reguilon after the arrival of Ivan Perisic.

The Lowdown: Reguilon out of favour

The 25-year-old swapped the Bernabeu for the Premier League when he joined the Lilywhites on a five-year deal from Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2020, where he has made a total of 67 senior appearances during his two years at the club to date.

The appointment of Conte as Spurs manager in November of last year doesn’t appear to have helped the Spaniard, who has fallen down the pecking order under the Italian since his entrance at N17.

Following the recent announcement confirming the signing of Inter Milan’s Perisic, The Times have claimed that this has now moved the full-back even closer to the exit door than originally thought, with the report stating that the £25.2m-rated star could return to Real as a result of their buyback clause.

The Latest: Reguil-gone

Taylor says the Croatian’s arrival in the capital will have a huge impact on the future of Reguilon. He told GiveMeSport: “I think Sergio Reguilon will be moved on now.

“Sessegnon is still very much a part of Conte’s plans and it’ll just be a balancing act between them two for the Premier League and Champions League.”

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The Verdict: Perisic a better option

Ever since Conte replaced former manager Nuno Espirito Santo in the Tottenham dugout, the six-cap Spain international has only made 20 outings under the Italian and hasn’t been a hugely regular feature of his starting XI.

As per FBRef, Perisic has a much better defensive record than Reguilon, and considering the World Cup finalist also managed 15 goal involvements in Serie A this season, you could comfortably say he’s better on both sides of the ball.

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Despite still having three years remaining on his current contract in north London, Reguilon’s time at Spurs looks like it could well be coming to an end, but whether he’s sent back to Madrid or gets another move remains to be seen.

In other news… Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that there has been a ‘deal agreed’ for Spurs’ next signing.

Manchester United will travel to Spain to take on a huge clash against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side in the Champions League round of 16 first leg today, and Ralf Rangnick will be hoping his side can get off to a good start away from home ahead of the knockout game at Old Trafford in a few weeks.

The team have had players return from injury and illness in recent weeks with Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Raphael Varane all returning to full fitness, meaning the German coach will have the pick of his best players for the challenging game.

With that being said, this is how Football FanCast expects Rangnick to set up his side against Atletico on Wednesday evening…

We expect to see three changes from the team that beat Leeds United 4-2 at Elland Road at the weekend, with the manager combining Champions League experience with young talent.

The first change we predict is Raphael Varane coming into the side for Victor Lindelof, which would be a no brainer at this stage of the European competition, with the defender one of the most successful player’s in the history of the Champions League, winning four titles, so his experience will be hugely influential in the defensive line.

The second change we expect to see is Diego Dalot in the side over Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Rangnick has been able to rely on Dalot during the time that his positional competitor has been injured, and despite being dropped from the starting line-up against Leeds United, it would be surprising if the Red Devils manager didn’t show his loyalty to the reliable right-back by giving him the starting position in the Champions League clash.

Last but not least, youngster Anthony Elanga could be given a golden opportunity to start against Atletico after coming on in the 65th minute against Leeds United to replace a struggling Jesse Lingard.

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He had a much better impact on the game, as the player hailed a “nightmare” by Gary Neville bagged the fourth goal in the victory and we think that Rangnick may reward the young forward’s hard work by axing Lingard, and starting the £3.6m-rated gem in Madrid tonight.

In other news: Rangnick must unleash Varane against Atletico Madrid

Despite losing their previous Premier League game 3-2 against West Ham United going into the latest international break, Liverpool have had a fairly good start to their 2021/22 season, with 22 points on the board in the league and remaining unbeaten in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

One man who has played a big part in Liverpool’s campaign and deserves a lot of credit is Diogo Jota. With 14 appearances under his belt for the Reds this season across all competitions, the 24-year-old has scored five goals and provided two assists in the process.

As well as his goals and assists, the winger – who is currently valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt – has averaged 2.2 shots and 1.6 key passes in the league, showing how much of a danger he can pose to opponents.

The Portuguese forward has also showed his worth to Jurgen Klopp in the Champions League this season by either providing an assist or scoring a goal in Liverpool’s group games against his former club Atletico Madrid.

With this in mind, it seems as though Jota is having a similar sort of season to last year after joining the Reds from fellow Premier League side Wolves in a deal worth a reported fee of £41m, with 13 goals in 30 appearances in the 2020/21 campaign.

Even though fellow Reds wingers Sadio Mane (eight) and Mohamed Salah (15) have scored more than Jota at this point in the season, the former Wolves man – who has been described as “incredible” by fellow Reds teammate Adrian – has certainly proven himself to be an unsung hero for Klopp who can step up to the plate whenever he’s called upon.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, with Salah and Mane set to spend a period of time away from Anfield in January to take part in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, it’s safe to say that Klopp will be relying on Jota to fill in for the duo when that time comes.

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Thankfully, the 24-year-old has proven during his time on Merseyside  that he is capable of doing just that, and he could help the team push closer to the top of the table in the forthcoming absence of Salah and Mane.

In other news: Liverpool handed huge injury boost ahead of Arsenal clash, Klopp will be buzzing

An update has emerged on Sunderland target Daniel Jebbison…

What’s the talk?

According to the Sheffield Star, Sunderland have been put off by Sheffield United’s loan fee demands for the 18-year-old striker.

The report claims that the Black Cats have held talks over a swoop for the forward, but they are baulking at the Championship’s side £1m loan fee that they want in exchange to send him out on loan.

Fans will be livid

Sunderland fans will be livid with this news as it seems to all but rule out a deal for Jebbison before the end of the window, unless Sheffield United decide to lower their demands.

A £1m loan fee for a player with four senior league appearances for his name is steep, as there is no solid evidence to suggest that he will be a star player in League One.

Transfermarkt value him at a little less, around £900k, for example.

That is not to say he does not have the potential to be, but Sunderland would surely want a degree of certainty about what they are getting if they are shelling out seven figures to have a player for less than a year.

Therefore, the club’s stance on this move is understandable. It has the possibility of being a waste of money, which may be why they are not interested in meeting United’s demands for the player.

This will not stop fans from being gutted that Jebbison may not be coming to the Stadium of Light, though, as he is a talented young player.

Ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards hailed Jebbison as the shining light in Sheffield United’s squad as they were relegated from the Premier League. He told Sky Sports (via the Examiner):

“I really like the look of him. He just gets in the right areas, and they needed that with all the negativity that’s gone on at the club.

“You want to bounce back straight away, and you want to go to the end of the season with positivity.

“They’re playing for pride, and he’s the shining light.”

He scored one goal in four Premier League appearances for Sheffield United at the backend of last season, winning 1.3 aerial battles and 1.5 tackles per game.

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This is an impressive return for an 18-year-old striker and suggests that he could have the quality to make an impact in League One, which is why fans would be excited to see him come through the door.

However, you have to consider the financial element that comes along with it and – as it stands – the deal would be too much of a gamble for it to make sense for Kristjaan Speakman and Lee Johnson to pull the trigger.

So, the fans will be livid but it looks to be the correct decision on paper.

AND in other news, Forget Stewart: £3.6k-p/w SAFC beast who won 87% of duels stole the show vs MK Dons…

Wolves legend Steve Bull insists that the next Wolves manager has plenty to live up to following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The 47-year-old departed the Molineux club following the final game of the season, bringing to an end a four-year spell with the Midlands club.

In that time, Santo took Wolves from the Championship into the Premier League and kept them there, establishing the side as a genuine force in the top-flight.

This season, though, Wolves have struggled somewhat and limped to a 13th-placed finish in the Premier League.

Nuno was forced to blood the youngster Fabio Silva up front after the horrific head injury sustained by Raul Jimenez and Bull believes that the season actually ended in a reasonable manner because of the sheer amount of bad luck Wolves suffered through.

As a result, he feels that Nuno’s replacement faces a mighty job as he looks to fill the Portuguese’s shoes.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Whoever comes in, I just think the club have got to get behind them.

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“We’ve got a bunch of youngsters at the moment learning their trade, and whoever comes in, they’ve got a job and a half to do, because of the transformation this year.

“Nuno had players going out, young players coming in, injuries, and I don’t think we’ve had a bad season overall with what we’ve gone through.”

When it comes to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ summer transfer plans, they are focused solely on improving their attack.

You can hardly blame Jeff Shi’s thought process. With Raul Jimenez missing since November, the Old Gold have looked a shadow of their former selves.

The Mexican has been out with a fractured skull, which has left Wolves to fall into the bottom half of the Premier League.

New signing Willian Jose is yet to score since penning terms in January while Fabio Silva’s £35.6m price tag has not been worth it; he has netted only twice since arriving.

The likes of Goncalo Guedes and Trincao have been linked but it’s Lucas Ocampos who stands proud as one of their most attractive targets.

Boasting a release clause of £62m, he presumably won’t come cheap, but judging by his previous accomplishments, he’d be an excellent pickup for Wolves.

The Argentine has scored seven times in 2020/21, providing four assists in the process. It’s hardly a surprise that Shi and Nuno Santo are interested in prising him away from Sevilla, however.

That’s because Ocampos demonstrated firsthand what he can do when the Spanish outfit defeated Wolves in Europe last season. Sevilla ultimately knocked the Old Gold out of the Europa League and it was largely thanks to the flying Argentine.

Playing on the left-hand side at the MSV-Arena in Duisburg, Ocampos tore Wolves to shreds and gave Matt Doherty a particularly tough evening.

The 26-year-old scored the goal which separated the two sides, while he was a constant menace with the ball at his feet.

Ocampos completed an eye-catching five dribbles during the contest, a number which happened to usurp Adama Traore’s tally on the night. That is certainly no easy achievement.

On top of that, Ocampos provided two crosses and managed four shots during his time on the field. Doherty had a night to forget as he was constantly pressured by the Wolves target.

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The Irishman completed only 55% of his passes and failed to block a single shot from the boot of Ocampos. He did manage four successful tackles but that was indicative of what the Sevilla winger was doing to him.

Based on that night back in August, the 26-year-old would be a wonderful acquisition for Wolves.

AND in other news, Wolves could find big Adama upgrade in “unpredictable” gem with a £427m release clause…

Lee Charnley must secure a January loan move for Newcastle United midfielder Matty Longstaff amid claims several Championship clubs are keen to secure a deal.

What’s the word?

According to the Chronicle, second-tier sides are lining up at Longstaff’s door eager to acquire the 20-year-old should the Toon decide to let him leave St. James’ Park this winter.

Injuries have thwarted the academy graduate’s bid to establish himself in Steve Bruce’s first-team fold this term, with a thigh issue keeping Longstaff on the sidelines until his season debut in the Magpies’ 2-0 loss at Southampton last month.

A 29-minute cameo outing at St. Mary’s has been Longstaff’s only taste of senior action thus far this term, but he returned to the bench for Newcastle’s last two Premier League matches.

United now face a decision over whether or not to allow the Rotherham-born prospect to leave on loan in the mid-season market with Nottingham Forest ready to rival Derby County for his signature.

As many as seven other Championship clubs are believed to be paying attention to Longstaff’s situation, too, just over a year on from the £4.5m-rated talent making his senior debut with a game-winning strike at home to Manchester United.

Unfulfilled promises

With Longstaff struggling to elbow his way back into Bruce’s plans, Charnley must open negotiations with one or more of the second-tier sides believed to be keen on securing a mid-season deal.

Longstaff has become the victim of unfulfilled promises at St. James’ Park since penning an £18,462-per-week contract in the summer, which he only agreed to after Bruce laid out a vision for the 20-year-old to progress his career on Tyneside.

Bruce again argued that Longstaff could add energy in midfield after his return from injury at the end of October, but Toon fans are yet to see the Magpies product feature frequently.

It’s a situation that only serves to hammer home Neil Warnock’s comments from the summer even more, when the Middlesbrough boss suggested Newcastle take Longstaff for granted amid his contract stand-off.

“Newcastle probably do take him for granted a little bit; most clubs do with the players that come through the system,” he told talkSPORT.

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“He’ll be offered more money elsewhere, and Newcastle are pulling on his heartstrings a little bit because he must love it there. When you’re a Newcastle lad, what could be better than playing in front of those fans? They’re amazing.”

But Longstaff must overlook the potential of playing in front of the Toon fanbase and put his career first by leaving on loan this winter, as only then will he be given the freedom to develop on the pitch and not the training ground.

AND in other news: “Typical Newcastle” – Exclusive: Rob Lee drops fresh £300m takeover claim.