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Manchester United youngster Alejandro Garnacho has caught the attention of the potential new owners at Old Trafford in the proposed Qatari bid.

Has Alejandro Garnacho signed a new Man United contract?

The talented 18-year-old is now playing into the final 18 months of his deal with the Red Devils but there is a belief the two parties are nearing a solution.

Recent reports claim the Argentine winger has now agreed to terms on a proposed new deal to extend his stay at Old Trafford beyond 2024.

This comes after an initial offer was reportedly turned down by the 18-year-old who was looking for more lucrative terms to put pen to paper on a deal.

But speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Qatari bidders have identified the 18-year-old as a player who could face a long-term project at United:

“He’s one of the players that, according to what I understand, is really appreciated by this Qatari group. They are convinced that players like Garnacho – very young with a winning mentality and already with a history in the Manchester United academy – they can be the example, the model, the role model for many other talents.

“So this is what they want to develop, and players like Garnacho can be [a] kind of symbol for [the] Manchester United project.”

What are the terms of Garnacho’s reported new deal?

According to ESPN, it seems as if United are expected to tie down the 18-year-old to a further five years at Old Trafford which will see his weekly salary increase dramatically.

There is the belief the winger is currently earning in the region of £7k-per-week at United but this figure is set to increase ‘exponentially’.

However, there does seem to be one final hurdle for the Premier League giants to overcome with the player’s image rights yet to be finalised in this proposed deal.

But as far as potential new owners are concerned, having a player like Garnacho tied down to a new deal can only be a positive with the youngster showing his potential in his minimal game time this season.

Despite only playing 397 minutes of Premier League football this season, Garnacho has been able to return Erik ten Hag with two goals and two assists (via Transfermarkt).

And the same influence can be seen across the various cup competitions with a big goal in their final Europa League group stage against Real Sociedad to seal three points.

But with the return to form of Marcus Rashford and the return to Manchester for Jadon Sancho, it will be interesting to see how Ten Hag uses Sancho over the coming weeks.

Leeds United suffered greatly during their 16-year stint in the Championship (and briefly League One), as this great club wallowed in the lower divisions for far longer than they were expected to after their 2004 relegation.

Whilst the Whites missed out on huge funds from not being in the Premier League, as well as the opportunity to challenge for Champions League spots which they had been competing in just years earlier, it also made the club a far less attractive proposition for current and prospective players.

Moving to Yorkshire to battle for promotion became a far less enticing proposition when top-flight clubs were involved, and over those years they lost a host of top talent due to their league status.

One such prospect who was not keen to stick around at Elland Road was Fabian Delph, who had come through the academy at the club and became a mainstay before his eventual sale.

His talent was too great to keep wallowing in League One, where his side had failed to earn promotion. As such, the youngster completed his £8m move to Aston Villa in 2009. 

Whilst the fee was impressive for a club at that level, it was a true indicator of just how far Leeds had fallen.

What happened to Fabian Delph?

It may have seemed like Simon Grayson had little say in the matter of his departure, but as a boyhood fan of the club there was surely reason to believe the now-33-year-old could have been tempted to stick around for another year or two.

Especially considering how he would go on to thrive at Villa Park, as the gem became a fine creative influence with a steely resolve in the engine room. He was even voted their player of the year in 2014, as his combinations with Christian Benteke became almost-legendary.

The apex of his career in the Midlands was arguably his winning goal over Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final, despite their hammering at the hands of Arsenal in the subsequent final.

His talent had then been recognised by the game’s elite, and his subsequent move to Manchester City gave him the opportunity to win two Premier League titles, three EFL Cups, and an FA Cup.

He truly enjoyed “an amazing career”, as former teammate Gabby Agbonlahor had branded it, but it all began in Leeds. Had he been convinced to give the club an extra year or so, the maestro could have been the catalyst to propel them back into the Premier League way ahead of their eventual 2020 return.

Whites supporters may look back at the situation and wonder what may have been as Delph’s success in the Premier League came too early for the progression of the club as a whole.

However, his immense talent, as backed up by his achievements at Villa and with Manchester City, could have played a role in getting Leeds to the top tier quicker than they did, in 2020, and that is why selling him at that time was a blunder by Grayson.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou leaving the Scottish Premiership is a ‘never say never’ situation, according to BBC pundit Alan Hutton.

The Lowdown: Attracting interest

The Australian will be out of contract at Parkhead at the end of the season and having not yet signed an extension, has been attracting interest from a trio of potential suitors.

Premier League pair Brighton and Leicester City both targeted the 57-year-old last year, whilst Leeds United were the most recent club to add him to their managerial candidate shortlist.

The Hoops boss, however, was quick to shut down any exit rumours in an interview in February, hinting that he could remain in charge for longer than expected.

The Latest: Hutton’s verdict

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton was asked whether he thought Postecoglou could be tempted to depart at the end of the 2022/23 term, to which he replied:

“You can never say never in football.

“You just do not know what is round the corner.

“One thing I would say is that what he has done is remarkable and no wonder there is other teams looking at him.

“The turnaround, the recruitment, the players that he has brought in have been excellent. He is performing at a high level and he comes across as a really genuine guy.

“At the cup final Ange came out the tunnel and walked right over to us and he stood and chatted for ten minutes. He was answering questions, he was talking about me and my career. I was thinking ‘how does he even know me?’.

“It felt strange but it was a touch of class. He did not have to do it. He talks a lot of sense so it does not surprise me that he is a really likeable guy.“

The Verdict: Tie him down

Postecoglou has worked miracles at Celtic since being appointed manager and it’s vital that the club tie him down before suitors start circling again.

The Bhoys coach has won 73, drawn ten and lost just 16 of his 99 games in charge, averaging an outstanding 2.31 points per match (Transfermarkt).

The Greek-born man has also led his side to three trophies, twice taking the Scottish League Cup and once the Premiership trophy.

Celtic are nine points ahead of their rivals at the top of the table so Postecoglou looks set to secure a second consecutive league title at the end of the season, making him the perfect person to remain in charge north of the border.

Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their potential successor for Antonio Conte at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

What's the latest on Conte's future at Spurs?

The Italian finally got Spurs back to winning ways on the weekend with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at home which strengthened their hopes of Champions League football for next season.

However, serious question marks are still looming over the Italian's future in north London with a clear expectation for the 53-year-old to walk away at the end of the season.

And there have been reports suggesting there could be a reunion on the cards with Pochettino a potential candidate to replace Conte if he is to leave.

But speaking to NBC Sports, reliable journalist David Ornstein has played down this suggestion claiming those around the situation are not so convinced a return for Pochettino is likely to happen:

(2:20) "From those you speak to around the situation, they feel it's quite unlikely and that it's going to be an uphill task if he is going to be appointed."

Would Pochettino be a good fit for Tottenham?

The Argentine had a sensational spell in north London which saw him earn Spurs a consistent spot in the top four of the Premier League table.

Unfortunately for the 51-year-old, he was also unable to get Spurs over the line when it comes to the elusive search to end their trophy drought.

However, the Argentine did go a lot closer than what Conte has managed since he took charge with the Italian overseeing some embarrassing exits in the FA Cup as well as their Champions League misery last week.

Pochettino's Spurs were also a lot more exciting to watch than anything which has been on offer in N17 under the three managers since his departure in 2019.

But the big question is whether it is still too soon for Pochettino to return with some of the players who were playing for him at the end of his tenure still at the club.

Although there would be the upside of reuniting with the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, there may be some players which he may not be keen to return to managing.

Granted, there is the summer transfer window on the horizon which would allow him to potentially make some changes to match his plans.

But the prospect of working in Tottenham's current recruitment set-up which has a director of football in play may also prove an off-putting factor for the Argentine.

Aston Villa will traverse toward London to face off against West Ham United in the Premier League this afternoon, with manager Unai Emery hoping to make it three successive victories in the division.

Villa have been impressive under Emery’s wing, casting aside the cobwebs of a poor start under Steven Gerrard and now boasting 34 points from 25 matches, three points off tenth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand.

Defeating Everton and Crystal Palace in the past two top-flight encounters, the Claret & Blue have kept consecutive clean sheets and go into the game against the Hammers knowing they can move within two points of European contention with a win, with West Ham currently languishing in the relegation zone, one point from safety.

Boubacar Kamara, Diego Carlos and Philippe Coutinho are all injured for the visitors, while industrious midfielder Leander Dendoncker is a doubt, leaving Emery sweating over the central partnership to combat the Irons engine.

How will Aston Villa line up against West Ham?

Considering this, here is how Football FanCast expects Aston Villa to line up at the London Stadium, with Emery making as many as three changes from the side that narrowly defeated the struggling Eagles last time out.

(4-4-2) – (GK) Martinez; (RB) Cash, (CB) Konsa, (CB) Mings, (LB) Digne; (RM) McGinn, (CM) Chambers, (CM) Luiz, (LM) Ramsey; (CF) Watkins, (CF) Bailey.

Emiliano Martinez will hold his unwavering position between the sticks, with a back four consisting of regular centre-back pairing Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Wings; on the left, Lucas Digne could reclaim his place in the side after sitting on the bench against Palace.

With the 6-foot “phenomenon” that is Kamara – as praised by former team-mate Rolando – and Dendoncker both injured, Emery might be forced to unleash Calum Chambers in the centre of the park alongside assiduous engine Douglas Luiz, who was subject to a £25m summer bid from Arsenal.

John McGinn might occupy the unconventional position on the right flank, having impressed with a 7.1 match rating last time out, as per Sofascore, while the £70k-per-week Jacob Ramsey will hope to score his first goal since November from the alternating wing.

The previously “dangerous” Emi Buendia – as dubbed by Andy Jones – struggled to make an impact last week with just one key pass, so the 5 foot 8 maestro could drop out.

As such, Leon Bailey returns to the starting fold, hailed as “fantastic” by former boss Gerrard but not quite hitting the blistering heights as expected at Villa Park, with the in-form Ollie Watkins adopting the central talismanic role.

Glasgow Rangers return to Scottish Premiership action in today’s early kick-off, with Motherwell out to end Michael Beale’s unbeaten league record in charge of the Ibrox side.

The Light Blues have dropped just two points from 13 league matches since the start of December in what has been a wonderful start to life at the club for Beale, yet they still find themselves nine points adrift of Celtic.

With their Old Firm rivals not playing until later this afternoon, the Gers have the chance to temporarily reduce the gap to six points and pile some pressure on.

There will likely be a few changes from the side who defeated Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup last weekend, most notably at left-back, with Beale stating that Borna Barisic is likely to miss today’s match, in what would be a big blow to the squad.

He said:

“Borna’s wife is due to give birth, it’s her first child. She's running a couple of days late, but obviously, then he goes well on international duty, so we're running tight on that one.

“But Ridvan’s fit and available and young Adam Devine and you may see a change of formation where we play with somebody else out there as well.”

Will Ridvan Yilmaz start for Rangers against Motherwell?

It's good to see the young Turkish defender back from injury, having missed 29 matches so far since his summer move from Besiktas.

The 21-year-old made his return to first-team action against Raith in the Scottish Cup victory, playing 24 minutes, and he stepped up his recovery by featuring for the B side in the Glasgow Cup match against Celtic and this was ideal for the player trying to shake off any rustiness.

There is no doubt he is an able replacement for Barisic, with Ross Wilson describing him as a player with “high potential and high quality” upon his arrival in Glasgow last summer and his attacking attributes certainly mimic Barisic.

Last season, Yilmaz scored three times in the league for Besiktas, while grabbing four assists, creating five big chances and making 0.7 key passes while succeeding with 50% of his attempted dribbles and Beale will be looking at him to bomb up and down the left flank today if he unleashes the player against the Steelmen.

The game represents an ideal chance for the Turkish international to stake a claim for a first-team spot, especially with Barisic likely to be involved with Croatia during the international break.

If he starts and performs well, it might be the turning point for the youngster in his Rangers career.

TalkSport pundit Carlton Palmer has claimed that he would quit Manchester United if he was Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw was starting ahead of him at centre-back.

What's the latest on Harry Maguire and Manchester United?

It's not been a particularly easy season for the 30-year-old defender, who has fallen down the pecking order behind Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez under Erik ten Hag.

Indeed, Maguire has started just five Premier League games all season. What's more, 27-year-old teammate Shaw has been trusted more as a centre-back of late. Indeed, the full-back has started four of the last 11 league games in that position for the Red Devils.

Maguire was at least trusted to come back in and start for England against Italy, but that ended badly for him as fans took to Twitter to slam his display – while Shaw also got a red card in what was a poor evening for the Man Utd duo.

Regardless of that, while speaking on TalkSport, Palmer claimed that the 30-year-old should threaten to quit if Ten Hag won't play him at centre-back.

The pundit said: "I mean, it would upset me, to be honest with you. Do you know, I'm not playing well, Maguire, but if he's [Shaw] being picked ahead of me at centre-back, I would have gone and knocked on the door and I'd have been away, full stop.

"I'm not bothered about my contract. If you're picking Luke Shaw at centre-back ahead of me, right, I'm gone."

Is Shaw a better centre-back option for Man Utd than Maguire?

To be fair to Ten Hag, Shaw hasn't lost any of those games he's started at centre-back in the league – which includes a derby win over Manchester City.

Maguire, on the other hand, started the first two games of the season in that position and lost on both occasions, so it's easy to see why his manager lost faith early on.

According to reports, the 30-year-old currently earns about £190,000 per week. On top of that, his deal runs until the summer of 2025. With that in mind, it would be a bold move for him to tear up his contract and leave as Palmer suggested.

Even so, it's not hard to see why Maguire might be unhappy with his current role in the team even if he's not gone public with any issues.

Liverpool are well placed to bring RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol to the Premier League this summer, according to reports.

Who's going to sign Gvardiol?

The Croatian's contract at the Red Bull Arena isn't set to expire until 2027, but following his impressive performances for his nation at the World Cup last year, alongside his displays in the Bundesliga, he has caught the eyes of more than just Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds, Manchester City and Chelsea have all been credited with an interest in the 21-year-old, who has made it public knowledge to his admirers that it's his dream to one day complete a move to a club in the English top-flight. According to 90min, the Merseyside outfit have already sent scouts to watch the centre-back in action so that they can regularly monitor his situation ahead of the upcoming window.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg earlier this month claimed that despite there being a genuine admiration, the two clubs haven't yet held any kind of negotations regarding a potential deal, and whilst that may be the case, it sounds like they are confident that an agreement can be reached ahead of their fellow competitors.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are "well placed" and are "in the running" to sign Gvardiol this summer, who has become one of the most "sought-after" defenders on the market right now. The Anfield-based side hold a "concrete interest" in their target but are fully aware of the "strong competition" they face with Manchester United and Real Madrid also in the race for his signature, alongside the two other earlier named potential suitors.

Klopp is believed to view his target as an "ideal partner" for Virgil Van Dijk and is therfore "pushing" the hierarchy to heavily invest in the months ahead, with a £97m release clause set to become active in his contract from 2024.

Is Gvardiol a suitable fit for Liverpool?

Gvardiol has been dubbed "sublime" and a "gladiator" by journalist Ryan Taylor and he would most certainly be the perfect profile of centre-back to put pen to paper at Liverpool in the summer window later in the year.

The left-footed ace is currently averaging 2.4 clearances per league game, showing the rock he can be at the heart of the backline, but he also ranks in the 98th percentile for most successful take-ons, highlighting his desire to drive forward when playing out from the back to push his team as high up the pitch as possible – he also has eight goal contributions during his time at Leipzig.

The Zagreb native also has the versatility to operate at left-back alongside his natural centre-back position, which is a great quality for the boss to have at his disposal given the number of defensive injuries that have occured this season.

It does appear that Everton could be in line for something of a mass exodus this summer, with a host of first-team players currently coming towards the end of their existing deals at Goodison Park.

Among those who could potentially depart on a free transfer is long-serving midfielder, Tom Davies, with the 24-year-old having become something of a peripheral figure at the club of late after initially rising up through the youth ranks.

While there have been claims that the Englishman could be offered an extension, The Athletic's Greg O'Keeffe revealed that the Liverpool-born dud may opt to refuse any potential new deal, having started just four Premier League games this season.

The 5 foot 11 man – who was the subject of interest from Glasgow Rangers back in January – had endured an injury-hit 2021/22 campaign after making just six top-flight appearances, with it perhaps time the £25k-per-week warrior seeks to revive his career elsewhere.

Manager Sean Dyche will still likely need to acquire a replacement for the former England U21 international, however, due to the lack of real depth in the centre of the park, albeit with it yet to be seen what budget the former Burnley boss will have amid the club's financial woes.

With that in mind, the 51-year-old may be better served turning to the academy set-up in order to find a successor to the departing Davies, with 18-year-old Jenson Metcalfe seemingly one such gem who could be a potential midfield star of the future.

Who is Jenson Metcalfe?

The teenager – who signed a new four-year deal with the Merseyside outfit back in September – is undoubtedly one of the most highly-rated assets that the club have on their books, having been hailed as a "good prospect" by journalist Patrick Boyland.

While the "talented" midfielder – as described by Boyland – has been limited to just six appearances at youth level this season after previously sustaining an ACL injury last year, the indication is that the Englishman could truly begin to thrive when back to full fitness.

The Wigan native has been with the Premier League side since joining at the age of five, with the club's official website hailing him as an 'energetic and technically-proficient central midfield player'.

Although the youngster is still waiting for a chance to shine in the first-team, the playmaker has previously scored four times and registered three assists in 31 games at U18 level, as well as making seven appearances for the U21s to date.

The promising gem has been earmarked as a player to keep an eye on in recent years after notably earning a place in the Guardian's Next Generation list in 2021, showcasing the top 20 young talents in the Premier League.

As journalist Andy Hunter noted at the time of that inclusion, the emerging starlet is a 'real competitor with an outstanding passing range', while going on to add that: 'Metcalfe can play off both feet, has impressive technical ability and is a dead-ball specialist. He can also score a variety of goals and intercepts or regains possession with fierce intensity.'

Those traits would likely be appealing to Dyche, with Metcalfe also describing himself as a "tempo-setter" as well as revealing his admiration for Spain and Barcelona icon, Sergio Busquets, due to the latter man being "so relaxed on the ball".

Evidently a player who likes to dictate proceedings but is also not afraid to shirk a challenge and get involved in an attacking sense, the £510-per-week sensation could well make Everton supporters forget all about that man Davies.

Tottenham Hotspur have made an attempt to sound out the Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi but the response was not a positive one.

Would Roberto De Zerbi leave Brighton for Spurs?

The issues in north London were only amplified over the last few days after their dismal display at Goodison Park which – once again – saw them throw away a victory to a relegation-battling side.

Issues on the pitch are glaringly obvious and so are their problems off the pitch with the club currently without a permanent manager and a director of football.

The prospect of Champions League football seems to be fading away despite sitting inside the top four following their draw on Merseyside as a result of the games in hand the teams around them hold over Spurs.

In comparison, De Zerbi has the Seagulls flying high this season and is working at what has been dubbed as the Premier League's "model club".

Brighton sit just four points behind Spurs with two games in hand on the Lilywhites, yet Daniel Levy seems to believe he could prise De Zerbi away from the south coast.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold claimed the north London side have made some initial contact but did not receive the desired response from De Zerbi's camp:

(49:40) "From what I understand, the initial contact Spurs have had with De Zerbi's his camp they are not the most positive indications that he would really be like yeah, alright I'm up for that. That's not what I've kind of heard.

"I don't get the impression, from everything I've heard, that he's particularly desperate to leave what is a very stable project at Brighton, I guess an exciting one, a very well-structured and planned and thought out project that he has at Brighton for let's be honest the utter chaos that is Tottenham Hotspur right now."

Would De Zerbi be a good fit for Spurs?

Since landing at Brighton, the Italian has continued on from what Graham Potter had begun but has taken the Seagulls to the next level as they battle for a spot inside the top four.

Brighton midfielder Adam Lallana has hailed his manager as "really special" and it is clear why when the Seagulls are sitting just four points off third spot.

When Spurs sacked Jose Mourinho in 2021, Levy spoke about the desire to return to a manager who would bring attractive football to north London.

That hasn't happened in the two appointments since Mourinho's departure but a manager like De Zerbi could certainly help Spurs return to playing some exciting football.

Under the Italian, Brighton's average possession has dramatically improved in comparison to what it was under Graham Potter – which was already higher than what Spurs have averaged this season.

Brighton's defensive record has also been considerably better than Spurs with the Seagull having only lost two league games since October.

But rising the Italian away from a project which is evidently going in the right direction to join a project which is seemingly at its beginning feels like a huge ask ahead of the summer.