Alex Crook believes that Manchester United could finally hand Erik ten Hag the midfielder he craves in Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: Man United will look to improve

United were very interested and keen to sign De Jong last summer as Ten Hag tried to bolster his midfield options but instead, they decided to recruit Casemiro and many may believe they actually got a better deal with the Brazilian given his performances.

However, Man United are still being linked with De Jong despite his persistence against joining the Red Devils last summer as Ten Hag looks to build upon what has been a very solid season of progress and rebuild.

The Red Devils will have been buoyed recently by the news that Barcelona are set to be hit with a transfer ban this summer, which could indeed force them into a sort of fire sale, including De Jong.

The Latest: De Jong could move to Old Trafford

Crook has admitted on TalkSPORT that despite their failed attempts to land De Jong last summer, Ten Hag may finally be reunited with the former Ajax player this upcoming transfer window.

He said: (0:30) “Of course, De Jong got a bit of a taste of the feel-good factor that’s certainly reverberating around Old Trafford when Barcelona were dumped out of the Europa League at United last week.

“I think this is one that could happen and I think Manchester United fans should be excited, Casemiro alongside De Jong in midfield that is top quality.”

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The Verdict: Ten Hag could assemble monster midfield

It will be mouthwatering for Man United fans to imagine a midfield duo of Casemiro and De Jong, players who’ve played at the very top level of the game and the latter has been hailed as the ‘best player on the ball’ after his El Classico display on Thursday night.

De Jong may well have got a taste for moving to Old Trafford after experiencing the atmosphere last week during Barcelona’s Europa League defeat, however, given that the Catalonian giants are thriving in the league, it will be a tough choice for him to make.

If Ten Hag was to be handed De Jong this summer as well as a proven goalscorer then there would be no reason why the Red Devils couldn’t become serious title contenders next season based on their form as of late.

HLTCO presenter Dan Cook has praised Steve Cooper amid talk that he could end up replacing Roy Hodgson as Crystal Palace manager.

What's the latest on Steve Cooper to Palace?

Earlier this month, the Eagles made the bold call to sack Patrick Vieira with the club in poor form and edging closer and closer to the relegation zone.

It's now been announced that former coach Hodgson will take charge until the end of the campaign, tasked simply with keeping Palace in the Premier League with 11 games left to play.

In the summer, however, they will likely be on the hunt for a new manager regardless of whether they stay up or not – and it seems as though Nottingham Forest boss Cooper is a primary candidate.

Indeed, as per the Daily Mail, the 43-year-old is someone the club will hope to target at the end of the season.

While talking about all this on HLTCO, Cook offered his opinion on the matter, saying: "You look at Steve Cooper, a man at Nottingham Forest who is seemingly on the verge.

"I mean, I've heard different reports about Nottingham Forest being prepared to part ways with Steve Cooper. I'm not sure how solid those rumours are.

"But of course, he was a manager that was previously linked with Crystal Palace prior to our decision to go with Patrick Vieira.

"And he knows Marc Guehi very, very well from their time together with the England under-17s setup.

"He is, for my money, a fantastic coach and someone that I wouldn't necessarily be against getting in as the new Palace boss for a long-term process."

Would Cooper be a good fit as Crystal Palace manager?

As Cook alludes to, Cooper could soon be leaving Forest. However, it's not necessarily because he's done a poor job there but more because he's a wanted man.

The Daily Mail claims a number of Premier League clubs have been impressed by the work he's done at the City Ground and so he is "currently under consideration" for at least two unnamed sides in the top flight.

With that in mind, it might not be easy for Palace to land him even if they want but perhaps his past relationship with key man Guehi could help in convincing Cooper to join – after all, the 22-year-old centre-back has played 59 times for his former England youth coach already in his career.

This certainly looks like one rumour to keep an eye on.

Tottenham Hotspur right-back Emerson Royal missed the game on Saturday against Nottingham Forest after struggling with a knee injury.

Why didn't Emerson Royal play against Forest?

Since the arrival of Pedro Porro in January, the Brazilian right-back has impressed massively for the Lilywhites and has kept ahold of the starting spot for the majority of the games since.

However, he was not included in the game on the weekend as Spurs took all three points against Forest as Porro starting at right wing-back.

Emerson did play 70 minutes on Wednesday night as AC Milan knocked the Londoners out of the Champions League with their 1-0 aggregate victory.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has claimed the Brazilian's injury issue is to do with his knee and is something which continues to flare up:

(52:20) "Emerson's got a little, he's got this problem in his knee that kind of keeps flaring up at the moment, occasionally, so obviously Porro got his chance again."

What does this mean for Porro's game time?

As aforementioned, since arriving in north London, Porro has not exactly had a smooth transition into life in the Premier League as he shared the minutes with Emerson.

But he has started the last two Premier League games now for Spurs and his performances have continued to develop after he made an impression coming on against Milan.

And he did so again on the weekend as he grabbed his first assist for the club with a superb cross which Harry Kane was able to head home.

Gold awarded the Spaniard with an 8/10 rating for his display in the game on Saturday as he played a role in all three of the goals for the hosts.

With Emerson struggling with an ongoing issue, this feels like the perfect opportunity for Porro to nail down some consistent displays for Spurs in the starting XI.

Because Emerson's displays have been so impressive recently it has felt perhaps a little unfair to dislodge him from the team just because of Porro's arrival.

But at the end of the day, Porro is a big-money signing for Spurs and fans will want to see him on the pitch as well as Antonio Conte who will have likely been crying out for a natural right wing-back in January.

There is definitely room for improvement in his game having lost possession 22 times and been dribbled past on five occasions (via SofaScore).

However, it does seem as if he could be set to be handed some back-to-back starts in the league if Emerson's issue is something Spurs want to treat with caution.

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe could be set to raid former club Bournemouth this summer, amid reports that the Magpies are interested in signing defender Jordan Zemura from the Vitality Stadium.

What's the latest on Zemura to Newcastle?

According to 90min, the Tynesiders are among a number of Premier League clubs who are said to be 'admirers' of the 23-year-old, with the Zimbabwe international facing an uncertain future with his current side with just a matter of months remaining on his existing deal.

As per the report, the 5 foot 8 gem was recently dropped by manager Gary O'Neil due to his ongoing contract dispute, with that situation having seemingly alerted clubs across the division to his potential availability.

The St James' Park hierarchy – including sporting director Dan Ashworth – may have a battle on their hands if they are to make a concrete approach any time soon, however, with West Ham United said to be currently leading the race for the player's signature.

Would Zemura be a good signing for Newcastle?

There will likely be a sense of Deja vu among Newcastle supporters regarding this potential interest in Zemura, with the northeast side having previously snapped up Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth on a free transfer back in the summer of 2020.

Much like Zemura, the Scotland international had endured a turbulent and somewhat toxic end to his time on the south coast having decided against signing a brief, short-term extension on his deal in order to continue playing in that Covid-impacted 2019/20 campaign, with Howe – who was in charge at the time – taking the decision not to call upon the diminutive speedster for the remainder of that season.

That "disgraceful" exit – as per Dorset Live's Daniel Davis – undoubtedly left a bad taste in the mouth among those of a Cherries persuasion, with Fraser having since been dealt a dose of Karma after struggling to make his mark at St James' Park, scoring just three goals and providing only six assists in 59 games in all competitions.

Those woes have been compounded by the fact that the 29-year-old has now been banished from the first-team squad by Howe, with it looking as if a summer exit is now an inevitability – bringing to an end a rather failed deal for all concerned.

With Newcastle still paying the price for that signing, there may be concern among Ashworth and co in enduring a repeat scenario by snapping up another contract rebel in the form of Zemura, particularly with the London-born ace rather inexperienced at the top level.

The one-time Charlton Athletic academy graduate has made 19 top-flight appearances so far this season and has averaged 2.1 tackles per game in that time, albeit while contributing just a solitary assist and recording an average match rating of only 6.57, as per Sofascore – the 18th worst rating among his teammates.

The promising talent did enjoy a positive campaign in the Championship last term – with former boss Scott Parker stating that he has a "lovely forward drive about him" – after scoring three goals and providing one assist, although has since racked up just a solitary goal involvement this time around.

Considering that the highly-coveted asset has hardly pulled up any trees this season – and bearing in mind the comparison to the Fraser deal – Newcastle may well be wise to refrain from pursuing a summer swoop.

Chelsea are thinking about including Christian Pulisic in negotiations in order to win the race for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Clubs battling for Osimhen

The race to secure Osimhen’s signature this summer is heating up, with it recently being reported that Manchester City have made an enquiry, despite the fact they already have both Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez to choose from in attack.

The Blues have also been linked with a move for the striker, and reliable journalist Florian Plettenberg has recently confirmed they remain in the race, with the likes of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain also plotting a move.

In what could be a real boost for the Premier League clubs battling to sign the Nigerian, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that it is the player’s ‘dream’ to play in England one day, having already competed in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

The Latest: Chelsea ready to make offer

According to a report from CalcioMercatoWeb (via SportWitness), Todd Boehly is ‘ready’ to make a move for the Napoli star, who is valued at €150m (£133m) by his current club, however money may not be the only thing on offer.

In light of the huge fee the Serie A club are demanding, Chelsea are thinking of including Pulisic in the negotiations, amid interest in the American from the likes of AC Milan and Juventus.

While Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti is said to greatly appreciate the 24-year-old, a major sticking point could be the player’s huge wages, which they may not be able to afford.

The Verdict: Make it happen

Regardless of whether Pulisic is included in the negotiations or not, Chelsea simply have to bring in a top-quality striker this summer, given their woes in front of goal, scoring on 29 occasions, just the 13th-highest total in the top flight.

Hailed as ‘devastating’ by former Chelsea man Gianfranco Zola, the 24-year-old has been in inspired form for Napoli this season, scoring 23 goals in 28 games, also picking up five assists prior to this weekend’s trip to Torino.

The marksman’s fine goal-scoring record this season means he has now reached double figures in each of his last five league seasons, also enjoying successful spells with RSC Charleroi and Lille.

Osimhen has proven that he is ready to take the next step in his career, and he would be an excellent addition to Graham Potter’s squad, especially considering their struggles in the attacking third so far this season.

Chelsea look to have uncovered another wonderkid from their academy, as Lewis Hall's market value continues to soar at Stamford Bridge.

Hall would make his debut under Thomas Tuchel last season and has made another seven senior appearances for the Blues so far this campaign, with the 18-year-old no doubt viewed as a long-term option in Graham Potter's squad.

The versatile left-back, who can also play in midfield, has also shone in the Premier League 2 so far this campaign and looks more than ready for the step-up to men's football, as he boasts three goals and four assists in just 15 appearances so far this term.

Hall was tipped for big things as soon as he made his Chelsea debut in the 5-1 win over Chesterfield in January last year, with teammate Callum Hudson-Odoi dubbing him "amazing" following the game.

The Englishman's emergence as a first-team prospect at Stamford Bridge was recognised by Goal in their yearly NXGN top 50, which emphasises his growing reputation in European football, and certainly suggests that he is a talent that Chelsea need to nurture, rather than letting him join the long list of failed wonderkids.

Goal suggested in that report that the 18-year-old is most comfortable in midfield, which suggests that his long-term future at Chelsea could lie there, but it is his positional versatility – as he can play wing-back too – which could see him established as a top talent at Stamford Bridge.

How much is Lewis Hall worth?

Unsurprisingly, Hall's fairly regular appearances under Potter this season have seen his transfer value shoot up, as FootballTransfers suggested that he was valued at just €1m (£880k) back in April 2022, but they now value him at €8.2m (£7.2m), which represents an incredible 718% increase in less than a year.

After making just his second appearance as a Chelsea player in their 2-0 defeat against Manchester City earlier in the season, the teenager earned a lot of praise from Potter for his performance.

He said:

“I really enjoyed his performance. He took responsibility, took the ball in tight areas, attacked the box, and could’ve scored a couple of goals on another day.

“So it was a really nice performance, a mature performance, I thought. He is a quiet lad but goes about his work. I’ve been really impressed with him.”

Although Chelsea have spent big money on both left-backs and central midfielders in recent years, with Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez two recent examples, Hall is a homegrown talent that looks to have both the ability and attitude required to make it at the top.

If he can continue to impress Potter at Stamford Bridge, his market value and reputation will only continue to grow further.

Manchester United are set to return to Premier League action away to top-four rivals Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's men gearing up for what will be yet another relentless run of fixtures over the coming weeks.

With the former Ajax boss set to see his squad depth tested to the extreme, the Dutchman will likely be anxious to see teenage sensation, Alejandro Garnacho return to the fold sooner rather than later, with the 18-year-old having sustained ankle ligament damage during the draw with Southampton in the club's last league game.

The expectation is that the Madrid-born speedster will be available for selection before the end of the campaign, although in the meantime, Ten Hag will have to make do without a player who has become something of a "game-changer" for the Red Devils, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

Despite his relative youth, the Argentine international has already contributed nine goal involvements in all competitions so far this term, having looked "unstoppable" at times prior to his recent injury setback, according to pundit Darren Bent.

Such has been the youngster's impact at senior level to date, it would appear that the Old Trafford outfit are already intent on handing out a new, bumper new deal to the former Atletico Madrid asset, with another La Liga giant, Real Madrid, having been circling in recent times.

A long-term extension would seemingly be just reward for a player who has truly exploded onto the scene this season, with United left to feel that they truly hit the jackpot with the signing of the wing wizard, following what has been a remarkable, meteoric rise.

How much is Alejandro Garnacho worth now?

While it is still early days in Garnacho's Red Devils career, it already looks as if the Premier League side pulled off a true bargain deal when bringing the teen starlet to England back in 2020, having prised the 5 foot 11 man from the Spanish capital for a fee of just £420k.

It is clear to see that the exciting showman is already a far more valuable asset, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing him at around £18m, with that roughly 42 times more (4,185%) than what United initially paid for his services.

Not that Ten Hag will be contemplating a sale any time soon, with Garnacho having quickly cemented his status as a vital part of the 53-year-old's squad, notably netting at Elland Road last month, while also providing an assist for Marcus Rashford's winner in the Manchester derby back in January.

Those two moments, in particular, have illustrated that the emerging superstar is a truly fearless and confident individual, having shown no sign of nerves despite the often pressurised nature of competing in the senior set-up.

While there have been concerns over his attitude at times this season, Garnacho has swiftly earned the adulation of those at the Theatre of Dreams due to his direct and dynamic nature, possessing the ability to get the crowd off their feet with a moment of trickery or a penetrating run in behind.

There are, of course, still issues to iron out – with Ten Hag stating earlier this month that the forward needs to begin making more of an "impact as a starter" – yet last season's FA Youth Cup final hero is fast becoming a cult figure among the United support.

Aston Villa have endured a tumultuous campaign thus far, but new boss Unai Emery's instant impact has led them to finally attaining some degree of comfort as they enter the run-in.

Swanning into a club in crisis, the Spaniard kept a cool head and comfortably guided the Midlands outfit to safety, with an 11-point gap separating them from the rest of the league battling it out for survival.

They too were once firmly entrenched in that relegation scrap, with Steven Gerrard's struggling side seemingly destined for a season of peril.

Whilst the short tenure of the Liverpool legend was largely disappointing, there were admittedly particular facets of his reign that could be deemed a success, particularly in the transfer window where he did add some talent to the squad.

However, last summer it was actually his work in retaining one of his prized assets that was most important, as he fought off numerous advances to retain Douglas Luiz.

Did Douglas Luiz nearly leave Aston Villa?

The Brazilian boasted many suitors throughout a summer of vast change at Villa Park, as Gerrard was backed wholeheartedly to lead the club into a brighter future.

It was clear that Luiz was to play a huge role in any future success though, yet Liverpool, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid all showed interest.

However, it was on deadline day that they endured the toughest battle, rejecting no less than three bids from Arsenal who sought to take the former Manchester City man to the Emirates. With just 12 months left on his contract at the time, this refusal to sell marked a huge show of faith, which the 24-year-old would repay by signing a new long-term deal, estimated at £75k-per-week, in October.

It arguably marked Gerrard's most impressive feat, and whilst he ultimately failed in his task to return Villa to the top he did lay the foundation for future success by retaining one of their most impressive performers.

He has since gone on to feature in all but one of their Premier League games this season, most recently opening the scoring in their 3-0 rout of AFC Bournemouth, and maintaining an average Sofascore rating of 7.05.

This campaign has already marked a creative best for Luiz too, as his three goals and five assists have surpassed any of his previous tallies in the league.

It seems that the midfielder is building upon his good form from around this time last year, where Gabby Agbonlahor praised his attacking impetus: "He’s flying forward and getting into the box. He’s been outstanding and transformed."

Emery has been quick to praise him too, as he recently hailed the silky enforcer: "I am very happy with Douglas Luiz. His skill, characteristic in the squad is very important. He’s important in terms of taking our time with our centre-backs and midfielders and his characteristic is necessary in this team.

“Saturday was the match, I think, overall, his performance was the best with us since I arrived here.”

It is clear that he is now a favourite of the new regime too, with his role playing a huge part in their new way of playing. Should their new boss seek to continue their blistering form and thrive in the future, he will hope to have this midfield magician at the core of it.

Tamim Iqbal creamed the Oman bowlers to score Bangladesh’s maiden T20 international century and secure his team’s berth in the main draw of the tournament

The Report by Mohammad Isam13-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTamim Iqbal made history and took Bangladesh into the next round of the World T20 with his hundred•ICC/Getty Images

Tamim Iqbal creamed the Oman bowlers to score Bangladesh’s maiden T20 international century and secure his team’s berth in the main draw of the tournament. His hundred set up a total of 180 for 2, which Shakib Al Hasan defended by razing the middle order on a rainy night in Dharamsala. Oman, who were flying high after a victory against Ireland, were shackled to 65 for 9 in 12 overs.The match was interrupted twice by rain and Oman’s target was revised to 120 in 12 overs. They effectively needed 75 off 22 balls after the second break. Oman then lost a spate of wickets and were never going to get close, bringing to an end a frustrating week in Dharamsala, where bad weather affected four of the first-round matches.Tamim lit up a damp night, though, with five sixes in his 63-ball innings – four on the leg side and one between mid-off and cover. He rotated strike too, scoring nearly a third of his runs in ones and twos. Tamim’s 97-run stand with Sabbir Rahman for the second wicket put Bangladesh in command and he stayed the course to give the innings a flourish at the finish.It would be accurate to state that this hundred is Bangladesh’s best T20I innings to date. The manner in which Tamim began indicated what was to come for Oman: Amir Ali had to pull his hand out of the way of a straight drive that was hit so hard it might have caused injury.At the other end, however, Soumya Sarkar struggled to get the ball out of the 30-yard circle. He struck two fours in his 12 off 22 balls and in the seventh over Ajay Lalcheta put him out of his misery. Tamim had hit the same bowler for fours to square-leg and third-man and for a well-timed six over long-on.Soumya’s dismissal seemed to do Bangladesh a favour because the effervescent Sabbir rotated strike from the first ball he faced. He got his first four with a reverse sweep that Bilal Khan nearly caught at short third-man, though, and he also could have been caught at long-on off Munis Ansari in the ninth over but it was a tough chance for Mehran Khan running to his left.Bangladesh reached 70 for 1 in ten overs and Tamim and Sabbir looked set for a big total. They picked up 14 off the next over bowled by Ansari, Oman’s best bowler. Tamim reached 52 off 35 balls in the 13th over before he and Sabbir struck a six each over long-off and long-on in the next six balls – the blow from Sabbir off Khawar Ali travelled 96 metres and landed in the second tier.Khawar was struck for a 94-metre six by Tamim too in the 16th over, but the bowler had his revenge when he had Sabbir bowled around his legs for 44 off 26 balls. With four overs remaining, Shakib Al Hasan was promoted to No 4 and made 17 off nine balls.Tamim’s hundred came in the 19th over, when after a brief lull he blasted Bilal through cover to score his tenth four – all of them along the ground. Bilal, however, was the only one to have bowled well at the top and towards the end, giving away just 16 runs in four wicketless overs.Oman had pulled off a shock chase against Ireland but it went wrong right from the start against Bangladesh. Their openers Zeeshan Maqsood and Khawar Ali skied catches in the first and fourth overs, top edging to third man and to mid-on respectively. Jatinder Singh and Adnan Ilyas played attractive shots but Ilyas was run out after the first rain break. Aamir Kaleem was caught off his glove in the ninth over, just before the second rain break.Shakib’s 4 for 15 were his best figures in T20Is, and the smile on his face was good news for Bangladesh. As much as the team had enjoyed Tamim’s batting form, they needed their best player to find his all-round form ahead of the main draw.

Just when it looked as though Graham Potter had turned a corner with Chelsea following a month when the club remained unbeaten and qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals, a defeat against Aston Villa firmly piles all the pressure back onto him again.

The back three couldn’t counteract the threat Villa striker Ollie Watkins posed, and he duly scored a delightful lob over Kepa Arrizabalaga in the first half, continuing his recent fine form in front of goal and Potter found his team 1-0 down at the break.

John McGinn added a screamer in the second half and the game finished 2-0, with Chelsea clinging on to tenth position in the league.

There were many terrible performances, with Mykhaylo Mudryk underperforming once again. He received a Sofascore rating of just 5.8/10 which saw him miss a glorious chance in the first half, taking just 21 touches and winning only one duel.

Much more is expected from the January signing, especially with the vast sum spent on him, however he wasn’t the only one to let Potter down last night.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was another player who majorly disappointed and will have the manager scratching his head.

How did Ruben Loftus-Cheek perform against Aston Villa?

Statistically speaking, he was the second-worst Chelsea player after the aforementioned Mudryk as his performance was only worthy of a 6.2/10 rating via Sofascore.

The Englishman didn’t even last the full game, being substituted on the 57th minute and despite completing 93% (41/44) of his passes and taking 61 touches, there wasn’t much else to be pleased about.

He failed to deliver an accurate cross, had zero shots, won just one duel and lost possession a staggering 14 times in under an hour, proving he was off the pace severely, and it certainly cost Chelsea the chance of securing something from the game.

The £13m-rated man's performance was heavily criticised by Spencer Millman, who said: “He is playing loftus cheek who shouldn’t be anywhere near this team.”

This clearly suggests the player isn’t strong enough to be considered for the starting XI, and it appeared so today, with the 27-year-old being bossed around the park by a Villa side who were evidently up for the challenge more so than the Stamford Bridge outfit.

It looks as though European football next season is slipping away from them, and with the money Potter has spent in January, that extra revenue will be essential.