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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Manchester City have not quite been at their record-breaking best this year. Over the past two seasons, Pep Guardiola’s men have registered 100 points and 98 points, which is the most ever recorded by a top-flight team.

However, with three league defeats so far, the champions are struggling to defend their title, with large parts of this because of the defence.

Not much can be done about the unfortunate injuries to the likes of Aymeric Laporte and Oleksandr Zinchenko, but a recent report suggests that City may have shot themselves in the foot before the season even started. The Athletic’s Sam Lee states how the club were set to secure the signature of Ben Chilwell from Leicester City, but it fell through.

Lee said: “Up until late April, City had everything in place to sign Chilwell, but then they informed him with two games of the Premier League campaign left that they would not be following through.

“For whatever reason, City had come to the realisation they would not be able to sell Benjamin Mendy, given his injury history. They resolved to keep him and see how he progressed in the coming six months, even keeping a January move for a left-back, possibly Chilwell (although that is now unlikely), at the back of their minds.”

The left-back spot has been something of patchwork job for Guardiola over the best two seasons. Zinchenko and Fabian Delph – both midfielders by trade – have had to step into the position. Then there has been the recurring injuries of Benjamin Mendy.

The French full-back’s early promise at City was captivating. His lung-bursting forays down the left channel offered the club a devastating out ball and it was seen as a crushing blow when he collected his first major injury setback.

But he hasn’t returned in the same vein of form he was in during the formative stages of his City career, and his absence has created a long-term problem that is seemingly yet to be resolved.

Angelino re-signed for the Citizens in the summer and he may well keep Zinchenko out of the side when the Ukraine international returns, but it’s difficult to escape the feeling that Chilwell would have been a better fit.

Now a regular international with England, Chilwell is still only 22 and has proved to be one of the league’s best left-backs of late. He already has three assists this season and has more or less been an ever-present in Brendan Rodgers’ starting XI.

It seems City almost resolved their recurring left-back issue early this year and they may live to regret the fact they couldn’t conclude a deal for the Leicester academy product. As a homegrown talent with proven Premier League experience, he fits the profile of player City have been targeting in recent years, with the signings of Kyle Walker, John Stones and Raheem Sterling attesting to that policy.

Chilwell looks like one that got away.

When Sunday’s starting XI was announced, one name drew copious ire from the Manchester United faithful – Andreas Pereira.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has shown an elevated loyalty to the Belgium-born Brazil international this season; despite entering the weekend with just a solitary assist to his name, the 23-year-old midfielder had featured in all but one of United’s 11 Premier League games by that point, more significantly starting 10 of them.

Perhaps understandably then, some supporters questioned why he was being selected ahead of Juan Mata, a well-established No.10 with 41 Spain caps and 110 Premier League goal involvements on his CV, with one fan even describing Solskjaer’s selection decision as a ‘sucker punch’.

Others, meanwhile, simply fumed at the fact Pereira had been selected for the top flight clash against Brighton as United looked to bounce back from defeat away at Bournemouth. One fan declared that he ‘brings absolutely nothing to the team’.

But it was the 5 foot 10 creator who ended up having the last laugh, silencing his critics by opening the scoring for United. He peeled into space on the edge of the box and applied a finish to Anthony Martial’s delivery that hit an incoming Brighton defender before ballooning past a helpless Mat Ryan into the back of the net.

Perhaps there was a slice of fortune about Pereira’s first goal of the season but it proved to be just one aspect of a productive and busy performance. The one-time PSV youngster created the second-most chances of any United player after Martial with three, completed one dribble and landed the joint-most shots on target of any United player alongside Marcus Rashford – three again.

Whether this proves to be something of a turning point for Pereira remains to be seen – an advanced midfielder for a club of United’s quality should have more than just two goal involvements to his name at this point in the Premier League campaign.

But Pereira certainly hushed the starting XI critics on Sunday, vindicating Solskjaer’s decision to give him the nod over the seemingly more popular Mata.

Stewart Donald spoke on BBC Radio Newcastle on Wednesday evening and discussed a variety of topics, but one comment he made has caused a little angst amongst supporters.

The chairman claimed that the club will clearly need extra investment in January, despite receiving a £10m loan from American investors Sunderland FPP, which was granted just a few weeks ago.

His revelation suggests he does not have the financial muscle to cover costs and strengthen the playing squad significantly, acknowledging that stadium roof repairs will cost £500,000 alone.

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It would be surprising if no money was spent in January, though, since Sunderland are on a poor run of form and Donald admitted that Jack Ross was sacked due to concerns that he wouldn’t win promotion.

That aim looks like fading away given the current circumstances, and that means funds will be necessary, but several fans doubt the chances of a productive and successful window, as animosity towards Donald begins to grow.

Here are some of the reactions to his latest comments.

Three seasons, 42 league goals and, to some, the club’s best striker since 2010. Christian Benteke’s time in B6 saw the forward announce himself in the English top-flight, and these fans have been giving their thoughts on the idea of the striker returning to the West Midlands outfit.

Benteke, 28, departed the club for Liverpool in a reported £32.5m deal in 2015, but the Belgian left Anfield for Palace just one year later, where he has struggled to reignite his career and reach the heights of his stint with Villa, scoring just four league goals across the last three seasons. 

The issues of depth in Dean Smith’s strike force owing to the potential exit of Jonathan Kodjia to Beskitas hints that Villa could be looking for a striker to sign in January, and Benteke has admitted to La Derniere Heure that he may reconsider his Palace future when the transfer window reopens.

Following a tweet suggesting Benteke has essentially told Palace he could leave in January based on The Sun’s report covering his comments while on international duty, a number of Villa fans were quick to react – with many keen to see him make a return to B6. 

Take a look at some of the best responses below…

Danny Rose played the full 90 minutes as Tottenham Hotspur recorded a 4-2 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Spurs actually trailed 2-0 in the opening 19 minutes as the visitors made a very quick and indeed very impressive start to the European affair.

Dele Alli, Harry Kane (2) and Serge Aurier all responded with goals, though, to ensure that Jose Mourinho’s side would book their spot in the next round of the competition.

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All things considered, it was another positive night for Spurs.

However, it would be fair to say that a number of the club’s supporters were unhappy with the performance of Danny Rose.

According to WhoScored, the left-back only made one successful tackle during his 90 minutes on the field, and the Spurs fans were not very impressed at all.

Rose was strongly linked with a move away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the summer but ultimately remained at the club.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Meanwhile, the Tottenham fans have recently had their say on reports linking their club with a move for a Netherlands international.

Brandon Barker signed for Rangers last summer from Manchester City, and it is fair to say that he has failed to make much of an impact since then.

So far, he has made just 11 appearances in all competitions for the Gers, scoring only once during that time. It seems that Steven Gerrard does not see him as a big part of the squad, and there was even a report that said the boss was eager to get him off the wage bill at the start of this year – he is said to be earning more than £10,000 a week.

He has done himself any favours in the eyes of the supporters recently either. During an interview, he was asked on what day Rangers fans support their team – as per the famous chant Every Saturday We Follow – and instead of choosing the eponymous, and obvious option, he instead said Friday.

The club’s supporters have absolutely torn into him on social media platform Twitter – one fan even called him a “complete waster” – and you can see some of the best comments below.

What do you make of his answer? Let us know below!

Everton supporters have been left drooling over the prospect of signing a new midfielder after reports emerged linking them with a previous target.

According to the Express, the Toffees are eyeing up a cut-price swoop for Toulouse powerhouse Ibrahim Sangare following their relegation from Ligue 1.

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It’s claimed that Les Violets were set to stick to their £22m asking price for the 22-year-old, but these circumstances leave them with little option over his future at the club.

There’s also a belief that Everton, as well as Newcastle, have been tracking Sangare for the past 18 months, so now is the perfect time to strike, especially as the Merseyside outfit are yet to properly replace Idrissa Gueye.

The Ivory Coast international has been in fine form despite his club sitting rock bottom of the French top-flight by quite some margin. He has averaged 3.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.2 dribbles and 1.1 shots per game – registering just one assist via WhoScored.

Yet many at Goodison Park would love to see him join the club this summer.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Alex Bruce reacts to Everton in interest in SUPERSTAR…

Tottenham Hotspur have been frequently linked with a move for Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer and now fresh reports have emerged from Italy.

According to Calciomercato, Spurs have entered the race to land the 25-year-old midfielder with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United also mooted as well as Serie A Juventus and Inter Milan.

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Savic appears to be an ideal target considering his comparisons to both Zinedine Zidane and Yaya Toure whilst he has also been described as a “delightful footballer” who has a bit of “Catalan flair” in the past, too.

This season, the Serb has featured in 31 matches in all competitions, scoring five goals and providing seven assists, via Transfermarkt. He’s even averaging 2.1 shots, 1.6 tackles, 1.3 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game (WhoScored).

It’s thought that Savic could be available for £80m according to the Daily Mail, but Sky Sports Italia via talkSPORT, have previously quoted a monstrous £131m fee.

Much of the Spurs faithful have been reacting to the reports on Twitter, here’s what has been said in response…

AND in other news, Spurs fans react to rival interest in Tanguy Ndombele…

Tottenham Hotspur have not had the season that they would have hoped for after reaching the 2019 Champions League final.

After a poor start to the Premier League season in which they managed just three wins between August and the end of November.

As a result, Mauricio Pochettino was replaced by Jose Mourinho and while results have picked up under the Portuguese manager, they remain sat eighth in the Premier League table.

With a number of key players entering the last few months of their contracts and key players leaving the club, there is plenty of work to do as Mourinho goes about rebuilding the squad left behind by Pochettino.

Key men such as Jan Vertonghen and the recently departed Christian Eriksen need to be replaced, while he will want to build around a new core including Steven Bergwijn, Giovani Lo Celso and Gedson Fernandes.

Here, we look at five players Spurs should look to target this summer…

Axel Disasi

With Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth potentially on their way out this summer, the Stade Reims centre-back would prove a sensible addition.

As has been the case for much of this year Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld will likely continue as the first choice pairing, but the 22-year-old Disasi could offer plenty as a back-up option.

Disasi’s Reims side finished fifth in Ligue 1 last season, with the defender averaging 3.6 clearances, 1.2 tackles and 4 long balls a match from his 27 league appearances.

Valued at around £13m, he would also offer good value in what is likely to be a market heavily impacted by the global economic situation.

Timothy Castagne

Linked with a move to Spurs in recent weeks, Atalanta defender Timothy Castagne could offer a good option for the club this summer.

The 24-year-old right-back has played a bit-part role for the over-achieving Italians this season, making 14 league appearances in their Serie A campaign that has seen them climb up into fourth in the table, but remains a prospect that is being monitored by Spurs and Paris Saint-Germain.

With Serge Aurier the current first choice right-back the North London side should be looking to add more depth to the position, with youngster Japhet Tanganga forced to fill in on the right side of the defence so far this season.

Reports suggest that chairman Daniel Levy is also keen on Castagne, with the club to be keen on investing in young players that have some resale value.

Gerson

A player that Spurs could be set to battle local rivals Arsenal for is Gerson, with the player’s father claiming that both clubs are keen on the 22-year-old.

Flamengo dominated the Brazilian Serie A last season and Gerson was a key part of their success, scoring two goals and providing three assists from his central midfield position.

Averaging 48.2 passes per match at an 88.6% accuracy, he could add an additional option alongside Lo Celso, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele.

Of that group, Sissoko is now 30 and with Ndombele failing to reach his best form in North London, Gerson should add to a talented and youthful midfield group.

Serhou Guirassy

With the Amiens president confirming the club will let him leave this summer, Guirassy offers the ideal back-up option for an increasingly injury-prone Kane.

After managing seven goals for a relegated Amiens this season, the 24-year-old impressed and even managed a brace against champions PSG in February.

Valued at around £15m, Guirassy is a young player with re-sale value and also provides a different option to that of Kane, due to his height and aerial ability.

Dean Henderson

Given the price tag that Manchester United are likely to place on this young player it could be a difficult move to complete, but in the current climate it may be possible.

Henderson has started all but one of Sheffield United’s league fixtures this season, conceding just 22 goals.

Called up to the England senior squad for the first team this season as a result of his form, he may look to move on due to the presence of David De Gea at Old Trafford and with Hugo Lloris ageing, Spurs is the ideal destination.

Without a doubt, Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish is having the best footballing season of his career and his efforts could help the Midlands based club fight off relegation when football returns on June 17.

The English play maker has been excellent during the 2019/2020 campaign, despite his side’s low league standing of 19th in the Premier League.

With a game in hand over their relegation rivals, Villa will be keen to find some form when the league season resumes and Grealish will have pressure on his shoulders to further perform.

But, whilst we wait, why don’t you see how well you know Villa’s number ten….