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One of the first in the current crop of academy prospects to make his senior debut for Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Tahith Chong hasn’t kicked on as he may have hoped.

The 19-year-old was handed his chance to shine in the Red Devils’ 2-0 win over Reading in the FA Cup earlier this year, but has since struggled to genuinely break through into the United first-team.

This season, the Dutchman has made just two appearances in the Premier League, equating to 24 minutes of football in total. And with his contract running out at the end of the season, The Daily Mail claim Serie A giants Juventus are now keeping a close eye on developments ahead of a potential free transfer.

To further add to the situation, Chong’s agent Erkan Alkan has revealed to Dutch publication Voetbal International that he and his client are “waiting to see what United will come up with”.

In response, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their academy graduate potentially leaving come the end of the current campaign.

Many supporters of the Manchester side appeared to be nonplussed about the Dutchman’s possible departure, with some insisting that he just isn’t good enough to make the grade at Old Trafford.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Wolves defender Jesus Vallejo has revealed why he chose the club over a long list of other clubs.

The young Spaniard is on a season-long loan from Spanish giants Real Madrid but has yet to get a foothold in the squad, only starting one Premier League match – a 5-2 loss to Chelsea.

However, despite the rocky start he still claims to be very happy at the club, and even revealed that Spanish teammates Adama Traore and Jonny Castro Otto convinced him to join rather than a selection of other clubs.

He said to Spanish newspaper AS (via Wolvesbite): “It was a bit of everything… I wanted to live this experience. I talked to Jonny and Adama, and Real Madrid strongly recommended me to come here.

“They told me that I would continue to progress and I wanted to go hand in hand with the club.

“And of course Wolves influenced. Nuno (Espirito Santo, head coach) called me and told me about the project. It was the club that bet more on me.

“Very well, since the first day I have been treated phenomenally,” Vallejo told Spanish newspaper AS.

“I am very comfortable with the team, the coach and the way we play. I had many offers on the table.

“Real Madrid recommended the Premier League because it is a very competitive league with very good teams.”

It hasn’t been the easiest of starts for Vallejo. So far, he has played five games in all competitions, with one coming in the Premier League, once in the EFL Cup and then three times in the Europa League qualifiers – but no games in the Europa League (Transfermarkt).

While his words are very positive, it won’t have been how he wanted to kick off his career on these shores. With Wolves playing three at the back, you imagine chances will arise, however, Ryan Bennett, Willy Boly and Connor Coady look quite comfortable at the back at the current time.

In fact, Willy Boly leads the average rating for the squad according to WhoScored, with a big 7.45/10 rating, while Ryan Bennett is the fifth-highest with 6.75/10, and then Conor Coady, with the lowest rating of 6.53/10, is the club captain, so is perhaps much less likely to be dropped for him.

The jury will still be out on Vallejo as Wolves have a very small pool of data to decide whether he is very good at this level.

Still, it was a difficult start to the campaign for the whole club after qualifying for the Europa League and, with things looking to have picked up following recent results, perhaps it will be easier to bed in for the Real Madrid loanee.

Have you been impressed with the Spaniard thus far? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Manuel Lanzini is struggling for form and his manager may need to drop him in order to get the best out of him in the long-term.

On the chalkboard

The Argentine was left out by Manuel Pellegrini for the trip to Bournemouth, but leaving him on the bench for a run of games could serve as a warning side to the midfielder that he needs to step his game up.

He has faced a difficult time of late with several injuries hindering his game time, but his return of zero goals and two assists in eight appearances this term is simply not good enough if West Ham are to challenge for the European qualification places.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

With Pablo Fornals also struggling to adjust, the Chilean may have a difficult decision to make, but one player he could call upon is Jack Wilshere, and his return to the first-team is what some fans have called for.

Some fans have been frustrated with the 25-year-old’s decline and therefore a change in personnel would be welcome, particularly as Lanzini often struggles against well-organised teams like Sheffield United – with no key passes against Crystal Palace a few weeks ago.

Sending a message

Felipe Anderson is another who has struggled for form of late, and if Pellegrini shows a ruthlessness by dropping Lanzini it would show others in the squad that they need to up their game if they want to play.

Wilshere, who has 175 minutes of top flight under his belt this term, is starting to prove his fitness at the London Stadium, and he deserves a chance to show what he can do without the responsibility of covering in defence – as he can play in front of Declan Rice and Mark Noble.

He averaged a pass accuracy of 90% in the eight games he played last year, and has averaged 4.2 passes to the final third from the four matches he has started this campaign, which indicates that he can help to put the Hammers on the front foot.

In a more advanced role he is likely to improve on those stats, and if he can provide better support for Sebastien Haller than his teammate has managed, West Ham should begin to move in the right direction once again.

If managed right, Lanzini’s exclusion should reinvigorate his determination to impress, and lead to better performances when he does return, which can only help to serve the club well.

There are plenty of points to talk about in this team.

Leicester are once again well represented after beating Shearer’s beloved Newcastle 5-0, as Jamie Vardy and Ricardo Perreira both make the squad.

VAR couldn’t stop Josh King from making the team after he was awarded a goal that was originally chalked off.

However, perhaps the most interesting point is the fact that Aaron Cresswell slots in at left-back for the second week in a row.

The defender continued his goalscoring form by netting the equaliser against Bournemouth on Saturday, just one week after scoring against Man United.

Shearer is a man who knows all about goals, and he was seemingly impressed by Cresswell’s strike as he put him in his team once again.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Making his Premier League predictions for Sky Sports, Charlie Nicholas has tipped Newcastle to beat Manchester United at St James’ Park on Sunday.

What did he say?

The Magpies find themselves in the bottom three heading into the weekend clash, having gained just five points from their opening seven league games.

However, the visitors have hardly set the world alight themselves, and arrive at St James’ Park on the back of an underwhelming goalless draw away at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Now, Nicholas has suggested Newcastle could spring a surprise and walk away with all three points from their Premier League encounter.

Predicting a 2-1 victory for the hosts, the former Arsenal man remarked: “Steve Bruce goes up against his old team – it is an intriguing one. The last time Newcastle were at home, they were dreadful. You have to give the fans something at home, they are an amazing bunch of supporters.

“Manchester United are sitting in 10th with two wins in seven, scrambling for points at home. There is a lot of demands in place but (Ole Gunnar) Solskjaer has his plan for the youth and the club. His vision will take time.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

“One week, Newcastle will surprise everybody, and this may be this week. If they hit them and are aggressive, they can shock Manchester United.”

No better time

Amidst the Red Devils’ struggles, there perhaps will be no greater time than on Sunday for Newcastle to pull off a shock win. Solskjaer’s side have struggled to find the back of the net this season, and have failed to score more than one goal in a league game since their 4-0 drubbing of Chelsea in the opening fixture.

And, after suffering a 5-0 humiliation at Leicester last weekend, a goal-shy opponent is exactly the kind of team the Magpies will want to face. Bruce’s men will surely want to make amends for their horror show, and so it is perfectly set up for them to give the Toon Army something to cheer about with a victory at home over United.

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Liverpool moved back into top spot in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon following their 0-0 draw against Manchester United, but there weren’t too many positives to draw from the game for Jurgen Klopp.

What’s the word?

The Reds once again struggled to discover their electric touch at the weekend. A meek attacking performance from a typically devastating front three ensured a quiet afternoon for David De Gea, but Alisson had to stay fully alert to keep his side level.

United also struggled to create clear cut opportunities throughout the game, but a clever through ball from Romelu Lukaku appeared to have opened the door for Jesse Lingard to break the deadlock in the first-half.

However, just as the England international looked set to round Liverpool’s stopper and tap into an empty net, Alisson stretched out his arm to intercept the ball and save what looked a certain goal.

It was a game-defining moment which enabled the visitors to clinch a point, and BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks was eager to pay tribute to the Brazilian for his save in his team of the week column.

‘The save by Alisson as Jesse Lingard tried to take the ball around the Brazil international was a game-changer at Old Trafford.’

Crooks went on to add: ‘Liverpool went top of the table on Sunday all because of Alisson’s moment of sheer brilliance.’

Alisson could match Premier League’s best

Liverpool’s number one has been in inspired form since he arrived at Anfield from Roma in the summer and his latest showing will only serve to enhance his growing reputation amongst the supporters.

In tightly-contested fixtures it’s imperative that goalkeepers remain alert during spells when their services are effectively redundant, and Alisson proved that he possesses an elite level of concentration by anticipating Lingard’s attempt to dribble past him.

It was a moment of pure genius which is typically reserved for the top players in world football and, if he continues to showcase that level of quality between the sticks, there is no doubt he can establish himself on a level with David De Gea and Ederson in the coming years.

Many Leeds United supporters have been reacting on social media, after Leeds Live claimed that Mateusz Klich and Luke Ayling are set to sign new contracts at the Elland Road outfit imminently.

The Whites have recently tied Kalvin Phillips down to a new five-year contract, and agreed terms with Liam Cooper and Stuart Dallas to pen new five and four-year deals respectively.

Klich is expected to follow his teammates in putting pen to paper in the coming days, and commit his long-term future to the Championship outfit currently topping the second-tier table on goal difference over Swansea City.

Poland international Klich has featured in all of the eight league games played so far this term (WhoScored), and has contributed one goal while assisting the opener at home to Nottingham Forest before Sabri Lamouchi’s men later equalised.

He had a chance to double his personal goal tally for the term from the penalty spot on Saturday when Phillip Cocu’s Derby County travelled to Elland Road, but rolled the ball the wrong side of Kelle Roos’ post before the Rams pulled level in stoppage-time.

Leeds are keen to cement Klich’s place in Marcelo Bielsa’s plans with a new deal, as his current terms are due to expire in the summer of 2020, and doubt remains over an alleged 12-month option to extend.

The West Yorkshire outfit are also said to be in talks with Ayling over a new contract, and an announcement of his continued future should follow that of Klich’s, as negotiations are believed to be progressing positively.

Ayling is yet to feature for the Leeds first-team so far this season as a result of his ankle surgery carried over the summer break, but continued to step up his rehabilitation process in the Under 23s last week as he completed 70 minutes for Carlos Corberan’s junior side against Hull City (Yorkshire Evening Post).

The London-born 28-year-old made 42 appearances for Leeds across all competitions last season (TransferMarkt), scoring twice and assisting six goals all in the regular Championship campaign.

Here are a few of the reactions shared to news that Ayling and Klich are in line to sign new, long-term contracts….

Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic has been ruled out of tonight’s Glasgow Derby with Rangers, Jo Hendry reports.

The Lowdown: Rogic in race against time

Rogic, who Ange Postecoglou labelled as ‘special’, has made 31 appearances this season, contributing to 12 goals.

The Aussie has been away representing his country and featured against Vietnam last Thursday and Oman on Tuesday in World Cup qualifiers.

Postecoglou recently held out hope of having the playmaker available in green and white this evening, but his participation against Oman yesterday has seemingly ruled him out of featuring tonight.

The Latest: Hendry’s post

Hendry took to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon following Postecoglou’s pre-match press conference.

She relayed confirmation from Postecoglou that Rogic is ruled out of the Celtic Park clash and once again stated that Kyogo Furuhashi is weeks away from a return.

The Verdict: Postecoglou now has options

If this game took place when it was initially scheduled for, then Postecoglou could have been in a bit of bother without Rogic.

However, he brought in three midfield additions in the New Year, with Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley catching the eye in their early displays.

Therefore, with Hatate and O’Riley and Callum McGregor also having a chance of featuring, Postecoglou has more than enough in midfield at his disposal to get a first win over Rangers and take the Hoops back to the top of the Scottish Premiership.

In other news: ‘I can tell you…’ – BBC Radio 5 Live man shares key on-air info on ‘unbelievable’ Celtic ace. 

Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves is being targeted by a number of top European clubs ahead of a potential summer transfer, including La Liga giants Barcelona.

The club haven’t yet been linked with too many potential replacements for the Portuguese star, and that could be good news for some of the younger midfielders in the club’s academy, including 19-year-old Joe Hodge.

A youth international from the Republic of Ireland, the defensive midfielder arrived at the club at the start of the season from Manchester City, but wasn’t able to make his debut for the U23 team until recently, after suffering a serious back injury over a year ago.

Since returning to fitness, he has earned the praise of Wolves U23 Head Coach James Collins, who has been blown away by the impact Hodge has already had on the team.

Collins said: “He’s had such a tough run with injuries, so we all had our fingers crossed that he would get back and then we had our fingers crossed that we hope he’d get through the first few training sessions and first few minutes unscathed.

“He’s been a really good addition to the group, a good addition to the team and he’s the right type of character for us.

“He’s a top guy, he shows exceptional leadership skills on and off the pitch and works his socks off on the training pitch and he’s taken that into the games. I’m looking forward to seeing more of him.”

Having already scored one goal in just three Premier League 2 appearances, Hodge will be hoping that pre-season gives him a proper chance to impress Wolves manager Bruno Lage, particularly if he loses Neves.

Now with the Ireland U20 squad going into the international break, he has an opportunity to gain some valuable international experience at youth level to take back to the club, going into the final few months of the season.

In other news: Contact made: Wolves place enquiry to sign “extraordinary” £25m wizard, Lage needs him

Wolves manager Bruno Lage has revealed the latest on injured defender Willy Boly’s status, with the Ivory Coast international having made just one appearance under the Portuguese this season.

What’s the latest?

Boly endured an injury-stricken 2021, playing just 11 games in all competitions across the calendar year and is yet to appear in the Premier League this season, having made just one appearance in the EFL Cup.

The 30-year-old most recently made the squad for Wolves’ 1-0 win at Brighton in mid-December, although another setback has ruled the defender out of action for the Golden Boys as well as for his native Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations.

Speaking to the media about Boly’s situation, Lage said: “He has some muscular problems and sometimes doesn’t feel comfortable with it. That’s why sometimes he is ready to play, then he starts training and feels a little pain.

“It’s important when you are in that position you feel ready and confident.

“This situation is not good for Boly, it’s not good for me and it’s not good for the club,” the 45-year-old added. “Every time he comes, he goes. He needs time to work, to prepare himself, because he was important in the past and can help the team to be better.

“He has a contract with us, and he’s a top player, and he stayed with us instead of going to the national team – it means something. He preferred to stay with us and recover. This is a good signal.”

Wolves fans will be gutted

The Ivorian is certainly a popular figure amongst the Molineux faithful, having played a major part in getting the West Midlands club back to the Premier League in the 2017/18 campaign, in which he made 36 Championship appearances.

Moreover, the 30-year-old was vital in Wolves’ first campaign back in the top-flight as he missed just two of their 38 league matches.

However, it now appears as though there is little room for the centre-back in the starting line up, that is with everyone available.

The regular trio of Conor Coady, Max Kilman and Romain Saiss has been a revelation this campaign, with Wolves the Premier League’s second-best defenders behind league leaders Manchester City, having conceded just 15 goals in 20 matches.

Boly will have to find a solution to his reoccurring issues, if not, it may prove to be the end of his tenure in the West Midlands. Considering his popularity among the fanbase, this is an eventuality that would leave the Molineux faithful gutted.

In other news – £33k-p/w Wolves gem, who created two big chances, stars in victory over Southampton