Jose Mourinho to Manchester United is edging ever closer, with rumours of a deal having been agreed and Louis van Gaal sacked.

Mourinho will demand control at Manchester United and he will desperately crave a squad overhaul. LVG’s FA Cup win will not be enough to keep him in a job and, despite some success stories, the squad needs a huge amount of improvement for it to reach the standards that Mourinho has become accustomed to.

Some of the younger players will be, rightly so, fearing for their futures, whilst every player must be wary of the arrival of Jose Mourinho. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ will still believe every player in the world wants to play under him and he must be setting the standards pretty high if he is to quieten the disgruntled tones coming out of Old Trafford.

We all know what Mourinho demands, as will the players within one session of working with him. If Manchester United are to genuinely compete at the pinnacle of Europe football once more, Ed Woodward will have to take Mourinho’s word on the transfers.

Here are FIVE that could be perfect…

Arturo Vidal

Vidal has reinvented himself under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola at Bayern. From often functioning as a supporting forward at both Juventus and Chile, he is now a defensive player primarily.

Mourinho would adore the tireless work that Vidal gets through, which perfectly suits the game that Mourinho demands of his players. His versatility would suit United currently, too.

Pepe

Mourinho is no stranger to signing a veteran and Pepe might just be the next one that takes the Portuguese’s fancy.

One of his leading warriors during his time as Real Madrid manager, Pepe’s no-nonsense defending and hot-temper personify Mourinho’s approach in many ways. Chris Smalling might benefit from a long-term defensive partner and Pepe may just be that man.

Sadio Mane

One of the most inconsistent players in the Premier League, Mane has the pace to appeal to a manager like Mourinho. Often priding himself on teams with a rapid transition from defence to attack, Mane my be ideal for the ex-Chelsea boss, as he is one of of the most lethal counter-attacking players in England.

Goals are not always a staple of his game, unfortunately, but, considering the weaknesses in United’s attack, Mane would inject something they have really lacked.

[ad_pod id=’man-united-players’ align=’center’]

Riyad Mahrez

Poor Juan Mata is likely to be shunned by Jose Mourinho again, but it does leave the door open for a new creator in the United side.

With Wayne Rooney dropping deeper and chance creation being an issue, a player of Mahrez’s ingenuity and attacking verve would be welcomed by the club. The tireless running associated with most Mourinho players is not exactly a key part of Mahrez’s game, but Mourinho often allows himself one player who will be relied on to provide the creativity, and Mahrez might just be that man.

[ad_pod id=’man-united-players’ align=’center’]

Radja Nainggolan

One of the great modern footballing terriers, Nainggolan is a true handful in central midfield. AS Roma have used the Belgian in a number of different roles, but he is at his all-action best when he can dominate all areas of the pitch from a box-to-box role.

Schneiderlin could well be looking for a new midfield partner and Nainggolan just has that whiff of Mourinho about him.

[ad_pod id=’man-united-players’ align=’center’]

With Arsenal eventually finishing runners up to champions Leicester, it was once again a case of The Gunners passing up a fantastic opportunity for silverware, mainly due to a post-Christmas collapse.

That collapse has prompted Arsene Wenger to bring in Switzerland’s Granit Xhaka already, while the club have tried, and failed, to lure in Jamie Vardy, showing their desire to get business done.

The need for reinforcements up front is known, but with any signatures made, the club will need to axe players to clear space and funds for wages.

Let’s highlight four players who could be off in the next few weeks…

Theo Walcott

27-year-old Theo Walcott has spent more than a decade under the stewardship of Arsene Wenger, and once one of many great hopes for both club and country it’s fair to say that he has never hit the heights expected. The question now is will he get any better.

He fell out of favour towards the end of the season and that lack of game time, coupled with a dip in form when he did play, meant that he wasn’t selected for England’s EURO 2016 squad by Roy Hodgson. For someone who used to be in the starting XI, that is quite the fall from grace for the former Southampton player.

Walcott isn’t quite angling for a move just yet, but failing to get into the side at the start of the season could see a deadline day transfer away from north London.

[ad_pod id=’1617-transfers’ align=’center’]

Kieran Gibbs

Another long serving Arsenal player, and again one who may have seen his best days at the Emirates. Pushed down the pecking order by Hector Bellerin, manager Arsene Wenger seems to have made his mind up as to his is first choice at left-back and Gibbs could be the odd one out.

Another player who failed to make the England squad due to not being able to hold down a first-team place, if Gibbs does have hopes of resurrecting his international career then perhaps he may be suited with a move away to rejuvenate his hopes.

Still a very useful player on his day and one that could do a job for a number of Premier League clubs.

[ad_pod id=’1617-transfers’ align=’center’]

Mathieu Debuchy

After a first season that was curtailed by injury but still ended up in with FA Cup success, the second season was almost non-existent for Debuchy. So desperate was he for first-team football last season that he nearly signed for Aston Villa on loan!

After only two league appearances last season it seems as if the France international has been frozen and is now arguably the fourth choice right-back at the club. With Carl Jenkinson now back on the books you would imagine once fit, and if he isn’t farmed out on loan again, that he will go above Debuchy in the right-back ranks.

For Debuchy it seems as if a move away will be the only way in which he will get game time next season.

[ad_pod id=’1617-transfers’ align=’center’]

Calum Chambers

Jack of all trades, master of none. That is the problem that Chambers is facing. Yes he can play in many positions, but he isn’t being trusted with the task of playing in any. A good comparison would be over the road at Tottenham and Eric Dier.

Dier was also tarred with that brush, but once he was given a position and then given the game time to settle into it, he and Tottenham have never looked back. The problem that Chambers has is that you can’t see where he would fit in Arsenal’s starting XI.

Granit Xhaka has pushed him down the queue in centre midfield and he is far down the pecking order in terms of defenders. A handy player to have due to his utility perhaps Arsene Wenger may loan him out this season for his own personal development. Regular game time is needed soon for Chambers before all that potential goes to waste.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

Arsene Wenger is doing it again, folks.

The Gunners’ boss is entering into his famed period of wonderful dilly-dallying whilst his Premier League rivals are throwing money at every footballer under the sun in an attempt to compile the most ostentatiously expensive squad in the history of sport.

Wenger, meanwhile, is still banging on about that time he had a chance at signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and that moment that he considered putting a bid in for Gerard Pique when he was still in the womb.

It’s all getting a little tedious for Arsenal fans, we’d imagine. The same old excuses, the same old nonsense and the same old ‘falling just short’ when it comes to May the following year. Such fun.

Could Atletico Madrid oddly be the club to change this Arsene Wenger stubbornness? It would sure be entertaining if they did, if they managed to get Arsenal to spend recklessly on half their squad only to reinvest it better?

Well, these THREE stars could just tempt the Gunners…

Jose Gimenez

Arsenal have been crying out for a true no nonsense defender for about a decade now. Jose Gimenez could be that man.

We hear you saying that Gabriel is that player, but his reckless streak and headless chicken defending is too often a liability and the younger, classier Gimenez could be the real future of Arsenal’s defence.

Having pushed Miranda out of the Atleti team at such a young age, Gimenez clearly has the potential to go on to be one of the very best in the world.

Not to mention the fact that Gimenez would seemingly slot perfectly next to Koscielny.

Antoine Griezmann

As Arsenal’s desperation for a striker reaches concerning levels, there is one player who has been regularly overlooked in discussions; Antoine Griezmann.

Yes, the Frenchman has just signed a new contract with Atleti, but all this really means is that his release clause has taken a jump up.

After winning the Euros golden boot and starring as the main striker for Atleti last season, Griezmann is one of the hottest properties in world football right now. The prospect of his darting runs behind the defence being found by pinpoint Mesut Ozil passes is simply mouthwatering, too.

Griezmann’s arrival might even push Wenger towards a 4-4-2 considering the success that he had playing just off of Olivier Giroud.

Yannick Carrasco

So nearly the hero in the Champions League final, Carrasco still has a way to go if he is to be recognised as one of Europe’s best wingers.

His pace, however, makes him a constant threat and his game has come on leaps and bounds in the last couple of years.

Often used as an impact sub by Simeone, Carrasco would definitely be an upgrade on both Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Championship action just keeps on coming and after most of the sides in the division played last night, Newcastle United host Norwich City in a big clash at the top of the table.

Both sides will have watched on yesterday as Huddersfield went back to the top of the league after beating Rotherham, ousting Norwich from top spot whilst the competitive nature also saw Newcastle slip to ninth place.

If Norwich can win at St James’ Park this evening they’ll go a point clear of the Terriers at the top but it’s the Magpies who can make the most ground as three points will see them jump to third, ahead of Brighton, and a point behind tonight’s opponents.

Rafa Benitez is now all too aware of the battle the Championship offers and he’ll be determined to get things back on track after a draw at Aston Villa at the weekend.

We reckon they’ve got a good chance of doing so, too, especially if they go with this line-up…

Goalkeeper

Karl Darlow has started to feature a bit more but it’s more than likely Matz Sels will start between the sticks tonight.

Defenders

Rafa Benitez has a bit of an issue at right-back with Vurnon Anita suspended and DeAndre Yedlin a fitness doubt.

If the latter cannot play, Chancel Mbemba would be the best option down that side with Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark forming the centre-half partnership.

Paul Dummett started on the left last time out and should play again as he seems to be first choice over Achraf Lazaar right now.

Midfielders

The Magpies’ midfield is looking pretty settled and it shouldn’t really change from the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.

Jack Colback wasn’t in the squad for that game and so Isaac Hayden may get to start once again against the Canaries, with Jonjo Shelvey, Matt Ritchie and Yoan Gouffran supporting him.

Forwards

Mohamed Diame has been exactly what Rafa Benitez wanted with his drive forward so he should start and be the one to link midfield and attack.

Meanwhile, Aleksandar Mitrovic should get the nod. With no Newcastle forward really staking their claim as the main man up top, he should get the chance to do so here.

The Line-Up

http://lineupbuilder.com/350×500/?p=11&a=1&t=&c=000000&1=GK_28%20Sels_28_388_174&2=DL_3%20Dummett_3_317_64&3=DC_2%20Clark_2_329_141&4=DCR_6%20Lascelles_6_327_211&5=DR_18%20Mbemba_18_317_284&6=MLA_20%20Gouffran_20_204_64&7=MCL_12%20Shelvey_12_222_138&8=MCR_14%20Hayden_14_222_211&9=MRA_11%20Ritchie%20_11_204_284&10=FC_45%20Mitrovic_45_75_174&11=AC_15%20Diame_15_146_173&c2=ffffff&c3=ffffff&output=embed

Newcastle have got a pretty settled side now and that will only help with consistency. Rafa Benitez has a good squad at his disposal and for the couple of changes he will makes from the game against Villa, he has plenty of options to pick from.

Roberto Mancini would be the ideal candidate to become the next England manager following the dismissal of Sam Allardyce as manager, just 67 days into his tenure. His style of management may not favour all, but with the English national team in such dire straits, his availability would be welcome at this time.

Sam Allardyce’s resignation as England manager has left a vacancy at the F.A. once again that is required to be filled swiftly.

Roberto Mancin may well be keen on a return to England following his departure from Inter Milan once again, as the San Siro outfit sacked the manager in August over a boardroom dispute.

Why do England need to turn to Mancini? For starters, his career in England was an enormous success as he guided Manchester City to record-breaking heights during his three and a half years at the Etihad Stadium. A Premier League title 2012 and F.A. Cup success in 2011 are fondly remembered by the City faithful as Mancini made history at City.

His familiarity with the English game could only benefit the national team as he made several attempts to sign a number of players whilst also managing others during his time in Manchester. Joe Hart and James Milner played under Mancini at City, whilst the Italian made attempts to sign players such as Ross Barkley and Wayne Rooney prior to his exit at the club in 2013.

Mancini is no stranger to the style of play in England and could easily adopt to his new surroundings instantly if required. His position of finding players suitable to his style of play would be a joy for Mancini as his commitment at City could never be doubted. Unlike Hodgson, Capello and Eriksson before him, Mancini could instantly make a connection between his players and fans and finally instill some much-desired pride in the national team’s shirt.

With Mancini there come problems. He has a reputation for not granting much time to fools and players who do not share his dedication and commitment – unless your name is Mario Balotelli. At both Manchester City and Inter Milan, Mancini made decisions that stunned the fans and owners of each side but he was rarely proven wrong as he went in search of a winning formula. In the England national side, a number of players continuously remain within squad selection and starting line-ups because of who they are and not what they are doing on a regular basis.

Take Wayne Rooney’s form for example, Mancini would not allow England’s captain to continue to perform at such an average level when someone else could take his place in the squad. Under Mancini, players such as Troy Deeney and Michail Antonio would regularly be considered for squad selections and a place in the team if they were worthy of such. Alarm bells were ringing this summer when Roy Hodgson astonishingly picked Jack Wilshere for his Euro 2016 squad when Danny Drinkwater was the best English central midfielder last season in the Premier League.

Ask yourself the question, would Germany, France, Spain or Italy make such decisions? The answer is no they wouldn’t have and all four teams have been in major tournament finals since 2012 and continue to achieve greater things than England.

The biggest downside to Mancini would be his man-management style and poor communication, but it cannot be any worse than previously seen under former regimes. Mancini may upset a number of players, but he will instil a winning mentality into a group of players who are clearly lacking such confidence. At Manchester City he had a squad of talented players at his disposal but by the time he arrived at Eastlands, a lack of belief in their great potential was ever-present.

The Italian quickly identified that key players needed to be added to instil confidence and that’s what Mancini did in a matter of months. In his first full season in charge, City ended their 35-year trophy drought, and the following campaign saw City win their first league title since 1968. Money may have played a major factor at the club, but like England, City had a roster full of talent at the ready waiting to be utilized to their potential. In comparison, would England have been unsuccessful at the 2006 World Cup had they had a manager who could instil belief and confidence? Surely not with that squad.

Another superb asset Mancini can bring to the table is his ability to handle the media. Mancini became a great friend of the English press during his time in Manchester and is no stranger to scrutiny. The English media are quick to judge and slam the national team, but with Mancini at the helm that could easily be controlled in a manner Jose Mourinho brings wherever he goes.

Take a risk on Mancini because the benefits could be astonishing. Should the FA see the Italian as a short-term solution then they should still go away and approach the interested Italian. With Mancini at the helm, it allows the FA to nurture a younger coach like Eddie Howe to one day become the national team manager, however for the time being, Roberto Mancini is the best solution England have available and could capitalise on it to not make the same mistakes once again.

According to reports from Mirror Football, Manchester United have been scouting Benfica’s highly-rated winger Goncalo Guedes.

What’s the word?

Last Sunday, scouts from a number of major clubs – including the Red Devils – attended Benfica’s 4-0 win over Feirense to take a closer look at the Portuguese outfit’s young talent. Benfica have a particularly strong record when it comes to developing players destined for more illustrious top flights, with David Luiz, Nicolas Gaitan, Nemanja Matic, Nolito and Renato Sanches some of their more recent products.

Originally, it was claimed United had been running the rule over left-back Alex Grimaldo, who netted a curling free kick in stoppage time. But the Portuguese press took a slightly different angle, with Record reporting on the Red Devils’ interest in Guedes – albeit citing the British media, as discussed by Sport Witness.

And Mirror Football have now run with the story, claiming the Red Devils were in attendance on Sunday to ‘keep tabs’ on the 19-year-old, while dubbing him ‘the new Cristiano Ronaldo’ – a moniker that’s consistently accompanied Guedes in transfer rumour columns over the last year or so.

Another curious detail – Guedes’ agent is Jose Mourinho’s old pal Jorge Mendes, who also represents goalkeeper David de Gea.

The New Ronaldo?

High praise indeed for a teenager who’s embarking upon his first full campaign at first-team level. But Guedes is certainly of the winger-forward mould that Ronaldo’s made a career out of and he’s clearly highly-rated within the Portugal set-up – he’s featured for every age group between the U16s and U23s and has already picked up three caps for the senior side.

But more than similarity in style or ability, it’s the fact Guedes has emerged as Portuguese football’s most exciting young attacking talent that’s warranted comparisons with Ronaldo – the standard bearer of his generation, if not the history of the Portugal national team.

The youngster’s scoring record isn’t exactly astounding (and miles away from Ronaldo territory) but it’s telling that two of his five Benfica goals have come against heavyweight European opponents in the form of Atletico Madrid and Napoli. That suggests he’s got the right temperament to produce the goods on the big occasion.

Here’s a look at Guedes in action:

Lionel Messi has rejected a new contract at Barcelona, reports Marca, as he intends to see out the remainder of his deal, which expires in the summer of 2018.

What’s the story?

The Madrid-based Spanish daily has sent shockwaves today by claiming that five-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi has opted against penning a fresh deal with Barcelona.

The Argentina international has around a year and a half left on his current contract, and it has emerged that in July the 29-year-old informed the Catalan club of his intention not to renew.

This does not necessarily mean that he wants to leave the Camp Nou, but the report in Spain has stated that his recent dispute with the tax authorities is a reason behind delaying contract talks.

Messi was hit with a 21-month prison sentence in July after being found guilty of tax evasion following allegations that he and his father Jorge Messi hid £3.1m in earnings.

The footballer will not spend any time in jail, but rumours suggest that the legal issues have caused him to resist committing his future to the Spanish giants.

Would Messi move to the Premier League?

It is probably a long shot, despite today’s reports, mainly because there are very few teams who could afford him.

The prolific attacker, widely regarded as the best footballer in the world, is believed to be earning upwards of £300,000-per-week, and while Messi reportedly has intentions of winding down his contract, Barcelona will in no way want the current €250m release clause to be wasted.

In terms of financial clout, only Manchester City and Manchester United are going to be able to compete in a bidding war in the Premier League should one come about.

Messi already has ties to City given that he played under their manager Pep Guardiola for four years at the Camp Nou, winning 14 trophies in the process.

Guardiola himself suggested that Messi may want to test himself on English shores. In October, he told reporters: “Eventually, one day, the kid may decide to play elsewhere. Maybe because he wants his sons to learn English, or to live a new experience, like it has happened to many of us in the past. That is a possibility.”

Considering that the forward has scored 469 goals in 545 games in all competitions for Barcelona, there’s not many clubs that wouldn’t be interested, but there would only be a few that could realistically sign him.

As well as the Manchester clubs mentioned, Paris Saint-Germain could throw their hat in the ring should Messi opt out of Barcelona, while the wealthy pockets of clubs in China and Abu Dhabi could also ponder a move.

Rest assured, though, that Barcelona will do everything in their power to keep hold of their talisman.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Southampton travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.

Saints will be hoping to advance to the last four of the competition as they look to win the League Cup for the first time in their history.

Claude Puel’s men bounced back from a run of disappointing results by beating Ronald Koeman’s Everton side 1-0 on the Dutchman’s return to St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday, with 19-year-old debutant Josh Sims impressing and setting up Charlie Austin for the decisive goal as the south coast outfit moved back into the top half of the league table.

The Frenchman has rotated his squad on numerous occasions between the Premier League, Europa League and EFL Cup this season and he could make more changes when his team travel to north London to face Arsene Wenger’s troops, in what is a big game for the club and their supporters.

Here are THREE reasons why winning the League Cup should be a priority for Southampton this season…

Winning a trophy

While finishing sixth and qualifying for the Europa League as an end result may have been like winning a trophy for Southampton last season, there is nothing quite like actually lifting some silverware.

The Saints haven’t done that in a major competition since 1976 – 40 years ago – and with one of Manchester United and West Ham also heading out at this stage, if they can overcome Arsenal then they would certainly fancy their chances of going all the way.

Qualification for Europe

As we mentioned previously, the Saints qualified for the Europa League by finishing sixth in the Premier League last season.

However, with Chelsea and Liverpool – who both finished below the south coast outfit last term – already taking their places in the top four, it seems like something that is unlikely to be repeated this term.

Aside from winning the Europa League, the club’s best chance of reaching Europe again next season would be to win the League Cup or FA Cup, which would guarantee them a place in the competition next term and another chance for the club and its supporters to come up against the likes of Inter Milan.

Stars could stay

Players love to win trophies and if the Saints were to lift the League Cup this season, it could be a statement to persuade stars like Virgil van Dijk, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the club, that Southampton is a team worth staying with.

While it is inevitable that the Dutchman will move on to pastures new at some point – as is the model the club prides itself on – it could mean that players stick around a little longer than they have before, knowing they are part of a side that can compete for silverware.

As reported by The Daily Mirror, Ronald Koeman is set to make the coming January transfer window Everton’s biggest yet with moves for 5 players that could change the look of the Toffees’ team.

What’s the word?

Everton are struggling to keep up with the top 6 sides in the Premier League this season and need a big January transfer window if they’re going to push on and bag a European qualification place.

The Mirror reckon they’re working hard to that end and could spend big next month as Koeman continues his efforts to bring the Goodison Park club to the next level.

They say Koeman is interested in bringing five players to the club when the window opens. Ademola Lookman, Morgan Schneiderlin, Virgil van Dijk, Memphis Depay and another central midfielder.

The final bill could go north of £45m, according to the paper.

Squad overhaul

Bringing in five first team players would be a massive statement from Koeman about his happiness with the current squad at the Toffees.

Two of Koeman’s summer signings have made a fantastic impact on the Everton side, Idrissa Gueye and Yannick Bolasie, so fans will have faith any he brings in January will be the right fit.

Everton were stung by a long-term injury to Bolasie last month so a move for a wingers such as Depay or Lookman make sense. Although it’s unclear whether Lookman could make the step up to Premier League football without a transition period.

Virgil van Dijk is obviously a player familiar to Koeman, it was the Dutch manager who signed the defender from Celtic in 2015. Would he go to Everton though? Although a bigger club, it may be a sidewards move for him in terms of ambition from fellow mid-table regulars Southampton.

Is such a large squad overhaul needed though? And are these the type of players than could see Everton pushing for a top 4 position?

Time will tell on that but what’s sure is that the Everton hierarchy are set to back Koeman massively next month and that’s significant in itself with some fans already showing reservations about his ability to lead the Toffees forward.

[ad_pod id=’Shoot-Xmas-Survey’ align=’centre’][ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Manchester City haven’t quite had things go the way they would have hoped under Pep Guardiola, with the Citizens sitting third in the Premier League and a fair way off current leaders Chelsea.

Whilst the Catalan boss has been praised for getting the best out of particular players at the Etihad Stadium, with Raheem Sterling amongst those to benefit from the guidance of the world-class coach, Michael Owen believes there has been negative impacts elsewhere.

Speaking on BT Sport, Owen argued that Kelechi Iheanacho has regressed since Guardiola came in and looks void of any confidence.

“Iheanacho isn’t the same player he was once. His confidence has taken a hit, I think he plays with lot of pressure as he is unsure what could happen next unlike when Pellegrini was in charge.”

“He is surrounded by players he knows have the trust of the manager unlike during Pellegrini’s reign where he has the trust of the manager and knows it. He has regressed under Guardiola. He is under pressure.”

Scoring four goals in 14 appearances this season, Iheanacho has completed ninety minutes in the Premier League just once this season and has had to accept being a bit-part of Guardiola’s plans.

The FA Cup this weekend could hand Iheanacho a rare start, and the opportunity for push for more regular first-team football, but the pressure upon the young Nigerian has definitely left it’s mark.

[ad_pod id=’Shoot-Xmas-Survey’ align=’centre’]

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]