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For many Manchester United fans, Anderson is a classic example of what might have been. An injury blighted career has stalled his progress at Old Trafford, and has effectively rendered him a dead weight.

However, his talent is still well known, and there are many clubs who would happily have the 24 year old in their team. The question is, who should he join?

According to several reports throughout the transfer window, it seems there were several clubs regularly linked with the Brazil international, the most commonly reported being that of; Tottenham Hotspur, Benfica, or AC Milan. All three of these clubs are well known, and are regular challengers for European competition places. The choice now for Anderson, who only made ten appearances last season, is which club would be the best to revitalise his career.

Benfica

Having been spotted in Portugal by Manchester United while plying his trade for Porto, Anderson would quite easily slide back into the Portuguese League style of play. An added benefit to joining Benfica is the ability to regain his grasp of football, without the added pressure of playing in a more competitive league such as La Liga or the EPL.

AC Milan

Sporadically linked with a move for Anderson during the transfer window. AC Milan have been looking for a midfielder who can boss the centre of the park and believe Anderson, who is well known when he does play for his great tackling ability, will provide the answer. Serie A is also known for it’s slower tempo in comparison to the Premier League, which will suit Anderson, and his methodical playing style.

Tottenham Hotspur

The club most regularly associated with signing Anderson during the Summer, the Brazilian would have several decent motives for joining the North London Club.  Scott Parker is their only high class midfield talent who is focused more on winning the ball in the centre of the pitch, rather than immediately pitching it forward. With Parker also getting on in years, Anderson would have the perfect opportunity to stake a first team spot at White Hart Lane. Despite all his injuries, Anderson has now been in England for five years, and by now will be more accommodated to the rigours and style of the Premier League.

This would ensure he beds in a lot quicker at Spurs, then he would do in another league. Whether Manchester United would willingly sell him to a rival of theirs, is yet to be seen.

Who should Anderson join? Leave your comments below

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Tottenham Hotspur could welcome back Oliver Skipp from injury this weekend as a promising update has emerged…

What’s the latest?

The 21-year-old midfielder has missed their last four outings in the Premier League after sustaining a groin problem after their 2-0 defeat at Chelsea.

Skipp was not risked on Wednesday evening with the north Londoners said to be taking a cautious approach over his availability, as per the Evening Standard, who recently claimed that the England U21 international developed an infection during the recovery process.

In that time, Spurs have lost three of those four matches but manager Antonio Conte could be handed a major boost ahead of Saturday’s early encounter with Leeds United.

According to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown, who delivered an encouraging claim to GIVEMESPORT this week.

“I think his injury is taking longer than people thought, definitely,” he said. “But we’re told there’s a chance he could be back this weekend [against Leeds].”

Could be huge

This would be a major boost for the Italian head coach.

Spurs are a much more solid outfit with Skipp in the side, it’s that simple.

After Conte’s arrival, the Lilywhites recorded five clean sheets in his six appearances. In his absence, Spurs have leaked ten goals in five games, owing to the fact that he was not on the pitch for either of the Blues’ two goals at Stamford Bridge.

As per WhoScored, he has averaged 1.8 tackles per game, which is amongst the best in the team.

The Premier League and FA Cup winner is renowned for his defensive nous, so he will be fuming to be leaking an average of two goals per game over the past month or so.

“This player is very young, he has a lot of space for improvement. He played with great passion and heart. It was important. We are talking about an important prospect,” Conte said of the £18m-rated academy graduate back in December.

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His replacement in recent outings, Rodrigo Bentancur, picked up a problem at Turf Moor, making the need for Skipp’s return all that more pressing.

Therefore, he ought to be hugely buzzing by the prospect of having Skipp involved on Saturday, where they have the perfect opportunity to bounce back against a leaky and out-of-form Leeds side at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Forget Romero: “Disappointing” Spurs star who had 0 shots badly let Conte down at Burnley…

Celtic travel to Almondvale on Sunday to face Livingston in a clash that’s proved difficult for the Hoops in recent times.

This time the game holds extra significance though with Ange Postecoglou’s side needing to win in order to open up the gap to them and their fierce rivals in the Premiership to three points.

It has been a difficult few weeks for Celtic who will need to bounce back after scoring just twice in their last three matches in all competitions.

With that in mind, will the manager make any changes for the clash with Livi today? Here’s the starting XI that Football FanCast predicts to see…

We are predicting to see two changes from the squad that beat St Mirren 2-0 last time out.

We anticipate the backline to stay the same which means there is no place for Anthony Ralston with Josip Juranovic and Greg Taylor maintaining their places at full-back.

There is one change in midfield, however, where Matt O’Riley drops out in favour of Tom Rogic.

The winter signing has been in and out of the starting XI since being acquired from MK Dons and we reckon he’ll have to take his place on the bench once more.

Rogic has been inconsistent himself but his cutting edge and drive from midfield could be exactly what the Bhoys need to beat Livingston.

The only other change is at the top of the team where Giorgis Giakoumakis returns to the squad. The Greek forward, who was once dubbed a “phenomenon” by Jeroen Kapteijns missed out last time through illness but has been in a rich vein of form, scoring a hat-trick against Dundee FC just a few games ago.

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He comes in at the expense of £1.3m acquisition Daizen Maeda who in the words of former Scotland international Alan Hutton, has been “struggling” of late.

The Japan international signed just a few months ago but has now failed to score in his last four Premiership outings. As a result, he is axed from the team as Postecoglou aims to secure all three points.

AND in other news, Sold for £2.1m, now worth 224% more: Celtic may rue call on 26-cap “laughing stock”…

Southampton are confident that they will be able to keep in-demand right-back Tino Livramento beyond the summer, journalist Tom Barclay has claimed.

The Lowdown: Livramento transfer interest

Since arriving at St Mary’s last summer in a deal worth £5m, the teenager has gone on to make a fantastic impression in the English top flight. The 19-year-old has made 23 league appearances for the Saints and has shown no sign of being out of his depth, despite failing to get a senior bow for his former club Chelsea.

As a result of his fine form and exciting promise, a number of suitors are reportedly interested in luring the youngster away from the south coast, including the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United.

The urgency in the deal comes as Chelsea have a buyback clause which activates in 2023, when they can re-sign the teenager for a sensational £38m. With the Blues’ current delicate situation, this eventuality is unclear, although it has sparked the beginning of a hectic transfer pursuit.

The Latest: Barclay’s claim on Livramento…

Barclay believes that Southampton are hoping to keep Livramento until at least next summer, adding that the defender is keen on remaining with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side until such time.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “I’m told that Southampton are very keen to at least keep him for another year and I think Livramento thinks that’s a good idea as well.”

The Verdict: Great business

If Southampton are able to keep hold of Livramento until the summer of 2023, this will work out to be an incredible piece of business by the south coast club.

Regardless of their current situation, with Chelsea’s buyback clause waiting, clubs will be frantically trying to negotiate with one of England’s brightest prospects, who has been hailed by Saints teammate Theo Walcott as a “future star”.

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With a minimum return of £33m potentially arising from the buyback clause, an extra season will give Southampton time to find a suitable replacement for the 19-year-old, whose eventual departure will provide Hasenhuttl with plenty of funds to bolster his squad elsewhere.

In other news: These were Southampton’s three worst players against Watford

Alex Neil has been handed a key Sunderland injury boost over wide attacker Nathan Broadhead… 

What’s the latest?

According to The Chronicle, the Black Cats are set to monitor the forward’s fitness ahead of their clash with Lincoln in League One at the weekend.

He has been dealing with a tight hamstring for a number of months and has only made one competitive appearance for the club since the turn of the year – featuring in the 0-0 draw with Charlton on the 5th of this month.

They also quote Neil as saying: “It’s not a massive issue.

“We were disappointed he missed out, because him and Alex [Pritchard] have been very good since I’ve been here and even before that.“It was really pleasing to be able to get the win without them, as well.” Delight

This update will surely delight Neil and supporters as it suggests that the Welshman is closing in on a return from injury and could be in contention to play against the Imps.

His availability would be a major boost to the head coach as he has the quality to be a difference-maker for the club in League One. He has had fitness issues throughout the campaign but has proven his ability to find the back of the net when he has been able to get out on the pitch.

Broadhead, on loan from Everton, has eight goals for the side in all competitions – with five in League One, two in the League Cup and one in the EFL Trophy. His five strikes in the third tier have come from just nine starts and 13 appearances in total, showing that he can score on a regular basis when fit.

The attacker excelled in Everton’s youth side last season prior to his loan at the Stadium of Light. He scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 18 outings in the Premier League 2 and this suggests that his Sunderland form is not a flash in the pan as he has been able to score regularly at youth level as well as in a first-team set-up.

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Broadhead can play through the middle as a centre-forward, as a number 10 and on either flank, which means that he is a brilliant and versatile option for the ex-Preston coach to call upon in the coming weeks and months in the fight to secure a play-off spot. His goalscoring knack has the potential to win valuable points for Sunderland and that is why having him back is a huge boost and Neil will be delighted with this update.

AND in other news, Moyes flop who’s “like Eden Hazard” has seen value rise by £14.4m after leaving SAFC…

Newcastle United are on course to avoid relegation from the Premier League after heavily investing in their squad in January.

PIF sanctioned a number of impressive winter deals as Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett, Dan Burn and Chris Wood all came through the door, leading to the Magpies going on a nine-game unbeaten run to take them nine points clear of the bottom three.

Whilst they will be attempting to improve the first-team squad by bringing in established players to bolster Eddie Howe’s squad in the immediate future over the summer, they should also be looking at financing the academy to create a conveyor belt of prospects to develop over the next few years.

Light up

PIF must look to light up Darsley Park this summer with an influx of young talent to enhance the core of homegrown talent that they already have coming up through the ranks.

It was reported last month that the Magpies are among the clubs keeping tabs on talented teenager Josh Stones, and Football Insider recently claimed that Rangers have now joined the race for his services.

The Guiseley centre-forward can be Newcastle’s first foray into the youth market to develop their academy side with new additions. His form for the National League North outfit has been impressive and he would be an exciting player to add to the Tyneside club.

Stones has found the back of the net 21 times in 13 games for their youth team throughout the 2021/22 campaign and been rewarded with senior appearances in National League North. This suggests that the goalscoring menace has shown enough behind the scenes to warrant playing in the first-team at such a young age.

Therefore, he has the potential to push on further and play at a higher level, as his record at youth level is outstanding and proves that he is a natural goalscorer, marking him out an exciting potential signing. This is why Newcastle must snap him up to come and light up Darsley Park in their academy matches at the training ground, with the view to him making the step-up to Howe’s squad in the future.

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They could either seek to develop him in youth matches for the Magpies or loan him out to a Football League club in order to accelerate his progress.

This way of going about signing players could also save PIF millions down the line, as any academy player who makes the step up could claim a first-team place which may have otherwise been filled by a big-money acquisition.

AND in other news, Howe’s first mistake: NUFC dud who lost possession every 3.1 touches flopped big time…

Sunderland are currently in their fourth successive season of League One football following their relegation from the Championship in 2018.

The Black Cats suffered back-to-back demotions between 2017 and 2018 after being in the top flight for a number of years, having made a number of poor transfer decisions whilst playing in the Premier League leading up to the 2016/17 campaign.

Nightmare

One of those was the signing of Jack Rodwell from Manchester City, who Gus Poyet snapped up for a fee of £10m in 2014.

He had only played 25 times for City after joining them from Everton two years prior, but his move to Wearside ended up being one big nightmare.

In four years at Sunderland, he played 76 times and failed to win any of his first 37 Premier League matches at the club – setting a league record as he started 39 top-flight games in total without picking up a win before a 4-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace in February 2017.

Former Black Cats boss Chris Coleman previously ripped into the player whilst the club were in the Championship, saying: “He trains with the U23’s every morning, in that nice, safe umbrella, he’s not in the spotlight or the firing line with the rest of us, which he chose.

“When I say don’t know where he is I mean physically and mentally, and there’s no interest [from me] because he’s not the answer for us.

“He’s got one more year on his contract and he doesn’t want to play for us, so fine, go and play for somebody else, but the stumbling block is the contract.”

Rodwell eventually left in the summer of 2018 on a free transfer as he signed for Championship side Blackburn Rovers upon Sunderland’s relegation to League One, finally ending his Stadium of Light nightmare.

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This means that the Wearsiders paid £10m for him to go practically an entire Premier League season without picking up a win for the Black Cats, before deciding that he did not want to play in the second tier whilst still being paid each week. They also failed to recoup any money for him as he was allowed to leave on a free transfer.

It was a dreadful piece of business and a nightmare that the club will surely be desperately trying to avoid repeating if they ever make their way back to the top flight…

AND in other news, Left for £0, value soared 14900%: SAFC fumbled gem with a “wand of a left foot”…

Newcastle United will be looking to end their run of two straight defeats in the Premier League as they face Tottenham today.

The Magpies lost 1-0 to both Chelsea and Everton away from home in their last two top-flight outings prior to the international break and now face the prospect of a third successive loss.

They were beaten by an Alex Iwobi goal last time out as they struggled at Goodison Park in a game marred by a pitch invader locking himself to a goal post.

How many changes will Howe make to his team from that clash? Here is our predicted XI…

Martin Dubravka; Javier Manquillo, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Matt Targett; Jonjo Shelvey, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton; Ryan Fraser, Chris Wood, Allan Saint-Maximin (4-3-3)

We are predicting that the head coach will make three alterations to the side, with Shelvey, Manquillo and Saint-Maximin all coming back in.

Starting off in the defence, Emil Krafth may find himself on the bench in favour of his Spanish colleague. The Sweden international has been a lightweight throughout the campaign, losing 53% of his duels and 63% of his aerial battles, and could be exposed against the talent of Heung-Min Son.

Whilst Manquillo has not been sensational in the Premier League, he has won a solid 64% of his overall duels in the top-flight – winning 59% of his aerial battles. This suggests that he is the stronger option, defensively, out of the two and that is why he may start at right-back.

In midfield, Joe Willock could be axed in favour of Shelvey. Matt Ritchie previously dubbed the ex-Liverpool man as “unbelievable” and his form in the Premier League this season for the Magpies has justified his praise. The gem has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.91 throughout the campaign, showing that he has consistently delivered on the pitch.

Willock, who Freddie Ljungberg previously dubbed as “passive”, has averaged an underwhelming score of 6.73. As per SofaScore, the dud was dribbled past twice, failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles and completed 68% of his passes in the 1-0 defeat to Everton, which is why he may now find himself on the bench.

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Finally, we are predicting that French forward Saint-Maximin will take up Miguel Almiron’s place. FFC published an article explaining why he should start and he should come in for the Paraguay international.

The ex-MLS star has been nowhere near good enough for the Toon this season. In 22 Premier League appearances, he has failed to produce a single goal or assist whilst averaging a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.60, which is why he should be dropped to the bench in favour of the former Nice man.

AND in other news, Howe must finally unleash “breathtaking” £93k-p/w Newcastle gem, he’s what they need…

Manchester City have now identified a “stunning” £35m star as a top target, as there is a belief he could be an ideal fit in Pep Guardiola’s system.

Man City send out message with victory at Crystal Palace

Man City have struggled defensively at times this season, recently shipping four goals in the dramatic 5-4 victory against Fulham at Craven Cottage, but they made a statement with their victory against Crystal Palace at the weekend.

Not only were Pep Guardiola’s side solid at the back, keeping their second clean sheet on the spin in the Premier League, but they were also potent going forward, with Erling Haaland bagging a brace, and Phil Foden netting his seventh league goal this term.

However, while there is still a long way to go, the Blues remain two points behind Arsenal as things stand, and a fresh injection of quality in the January transfer window could boost their chances of catching Mikel Arteta’s side.

Man City are keen to improve their attacking options, with it emerging they are now leading contenders to sign AFC Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, and the Ghanaian is not the only Premier League star they have their eye on.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Man City are now preparing to step up their move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who has been identified as a top target, as there is a feeling he could thrive in Guardiola’s system.

Liverpool remain in the race to sign Guehi, having nearly signed the centre-back during the summer, before the move fell through at the last minute, but it may take a relatively large fee to prise him away from the Eagles.

Although the Englishman’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, there have been suggestions that it could take around £35m to get a deal done this winter.

"Stunning" Guehi could be ideal signing for Man City

Nathan Ake is reportedly keen to leave City during the upcoming transfer window, which means it may be important to bring in a new centre-back, and the Palace captain could be the ideal addition to Guardiola’s squad.

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The 25-year-old is vastly experienced at Premier League level, having made 147 appearances in the competition, and he received high praise for a solid display in a 3-0 victory against Aston Villa earlier this season.

The 26-time England international has continued to impress in December, making a number of important contributions in Palace’s 1-0 victory against Burnley, which earned him a SofaScore match rating of 8.8.

Marc Guehi’s key stats vs Burnley

Number completed

Duels (won)

10 (10)

Assists

1

Clearances

10

Signing Guehi could give Man City a real boost in the Premier League title race, and they should definitely make a move in January.

The fact that it took until the 27th of December for a manager to be sacked was a bit of a revelation for the Premier League – this time last year, five managers (25%) had already taken their leave.

But Neil Warnock’s abrupt dismissal has set the unforgiving iron-clad ball in motion. Roberto Martinez, who guided Everton excellently last year, suddenly seems vulnerable after taking one point in 21 while Nigel Pearson and Steve Bruce’s declines at Hull have received significant amounts of attention and scrutiny.

Alan Irvine became the second in the firing line late last night. Given West Brom’s stalling form in recent times, perhaps that was fair. They’ve won once in their last nine. Superficially that may therefore have made sense, but in reality, it really doesn’t.

Irvine’s biggest weakness lay in his pedigree, or lack of it. He was previously the head of Everton’s youth academy and before that he led Sheffield Wednesday through an austerity-dampened relegation battle. Either way, unlike Martinez who won the FA Cup with Wigan and led Everton with merit last season, or Bruce and Pearson who commendably navigated their teams out of the Championship, Irvine has no previous success to vindicate his initial appointment. Inevitably, when the club faced adversity, the doubt surrounding him became significantly more emphatic.

The West Brom board should never have appointed him if they were unwilling to stand by him during any period of genuine difficulty. It’s unfair for him to be a victim of his own lack of success. They appointed him fully aware of the ramifications of his lack of experience. For them to bow down to the myopic-mob-like pressures of fickle football fans and sack him for leading West Brom to roughly where you’d expect them to be is entirely illogical.

Granted, Irvine isn’t blameless. West Brom could be doing better. But considering they only just survived last year, sacking him when they’ve largely performed at a similar level is harsh. The club have hardly faltered under his tenure.

The interesting facet regarding West Brom as opposed to other clubs is their unique managerial structure. Irvine isn’t a manager, he’s a Head Coach, exclusively responsible for training his players, devoid of administrative duties. He works in tandem with their technical director, Terry Burton, Director of Administration, Richard Garlick, and Director of Performance, Mark Gilett,  who all collectively have a part to play in this seemingly more bureaucratic process of management. They should all be liable to West Brom’s fall – it’s vastly unfair for Irvine to act as a magnetic point of criticism for all of their shortcomings.

After 19 games Irvine has led West Brom to 17 points, leaving them in 15th. Pepe Mel, a coveted foreign import who was deemed worth taking a risk on, led them to 18 points in the same position. The year before that, Steve Clarke had them at the dizzy heights of seventh with 33 points.

The over-riding question remains – why appoint an unproven manager, in an unorthodox managerial structure, and then dispose of him when he fails to exceed an unrealistic set of expectations? Sacking him will cost additional compensation, and the opportunity costs associated with replacing him could exacerbate their decline further.

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Ask anybody who’s worked with Irvine about his ability to coach – not manage – and you’ll receive favourable response. If he’s only empowered to coach the team, then that’s the only way in which he should be judged.

Irvine hasn’t set the world on fire, but sacking him has undermined the purpose of his appointment. Loyalty and consistency can pay great dividends in football and Irvine deserved longer.

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