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Transfer insider Dean Jones has shared the latest on the Manchester United pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. 

The lowdown: Saga rumbles on

The Red Devils have been extensively linked with a move for De Jong throughout the transfer window and are seemingly no nearer to landing the Dutchman.

Premier League rivals Chelsea are now believed to be on the scene to sign the Holland international and it looks like Erik ten Hag could miss out on one of the his Old Trafford targets.

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Now, one well-informed onlooker has shed some further light on the situation surrounding De Jong…

The latest: ‘As long as it takes’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – a journalist for Eurosport – claimed that Man Utd are willing to wait ‘as long as it takes’ to sign the 44-cap star, though they do have alternatives in mind just in case.

He said: “I spoke to someone on this the other day directly, and I was just like, how long will they wait for this transfer. And he said again: ‘as long as it takes.’ He said there are other names that have been talked about.”

The verdict: Midfielder needed

Unfortunately, it was a case of deja vu for the Red Devils last weekend as Ten Hag’s new era got underway with defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Much of the issues from last term came to bear once again, with the midfield pairing of Scott McTominay and Fred struggling to reach the levels required.

Meanwhile, De Jong – who was described as a ‘beast’ by Xavi – enjoyed an impressive 2021/22 campaign, scoring four times and providing five assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.

Overall, the Dutchman earned a 7.08 Sofascore rating whilst winning 4.6 duels, completing 1.6 successful dribbles and providing 1.3 key passes on average per La Liga outing, proof of a well-rounded game that looks ideally suited to making the grade in the Premier League.

While Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has hinted at further incomings at Parkhead in the coming weeks, the title-winning coach will also likely need to consider potential outgoings, with towering Frenchman Christopher Jullien seemingly in need of a fresh start.

The 29-year-old – who signed for the Hoops on a £7m deal three years ago – has fallen drastically down the pecking order since his return from a lengthy injury absence back in February, having made just one appearance at the tail end of last term, totalling 16 minutes.

That lack of action has continued into the new campaign with the 6 foot 5 centre-back yet to even make it onto the bench in the opening weeks of the season, having seen the likes of Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and Moritz Jenz all favoured ahead of him at present.

Having seen a move to Bundesliga side Schalke collapse a few weeks ago, the former Toulouse man now faces an increasingly uncertain future in Glasgow, with reports even suggesting that he could be stuck with the Old Firm giants beyond the September deadline.

That scenario would be far from ideal for both the player himself and also the club, with the Scottish champions likely to be keen to get his reported £20k-per-week salary off the wage bill.

Pushing the former France U20 international out the door would also seemingly allow young Dane Murray to take on a more prominent role in Postecoglou’s side, with the 19-year-old no doubt having the talent to force his way firmly into the first-team reckoning.

Thus far, the teenager has been restricted to just two senior outings for the Scottish Premiership side, with both of those having come against FC Midtjylland in Champions League qualifying last season.

Although he has been unable to earn more game time since then, the Scotsman clearly caught the eye of his manager, with the former Yokohama boss stating that: “Coming on to the pitch, a young guy who was born in 2003. I can remember 2003 very clearly.

“You know how young he is and he is not just coming on the pitch, he is facing a formidable opponent and with 10 men. But you know what? My gut instinct told me he wouldn’t be fazed by it.

“I watched him in training and he is a young kid, not just with football potential, but personality and character that belies his age. I was quite happy to trust him out there and it was an important part of the game, we were down to 10 men and we had to work very hard.”

Having also previously been described as “remarkable” by youth team coach Martin Miller, the highly-regarded prospect no doubt deserves the chance to push for a bigger role in the side moving forward.

A towering 6 foot 4 gem, Murray has the size and stature to be a real commanding presence in Postecoglou’s side, with the likes of teammate Welsh having showcased there is a clear route into the first-team at the Glasgow side from the youth system.

That pathway would be made somewhat clearer, however, if the aforementioned Jullien was to finally move on.

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a significant injury blow with the news that summer signing Moussa Niakhate will be missing for “a few months” of action.

The Lowdown: Niakhate’s impressive start

The 26-year-old became the Reds’ fourth signing of a relentless transfer window earlier this summer, completing a move from Bundesliga outfit Mainz 05.

Niakhate has started two Premier League games already this season, looking a force at the heart of Forest’s defence and winning 11 aerial duels in those appearances.

Unfortunately, the defender’s progress has been halted by a significant injury setback.

The Latest: Niakhate injury timeline

According to The Daily Mail, Niakhate is expected to be sidelined for several months with a thigh problem suffered in the 1-0 win over West Ham last weekend.

Steve Cooper has confirmed that a scan on the injury revealed an undesirable outcome, so Forest will have to make do without the Frenchman for an extended period.

The Reds manager said of the 26-year-old: “He is out for a few months. He had a scan in the week and it didn’t come back too good.”

The Verdict: Sign a replacement

This is a big blow for Forest, considering what a promising start Niakhate has made to life at the City Ground, and the news could arguably make the club consider signing a new centre-back, even with 16 summer arrivals already through the door.

The Reds appear to be in a healthy financial position currently given their vast summer spend, so the funds should be there for Cooper to be allowed to bring in someone to fill the void left by the former Mainz defender.

Once Niakhate recovers from his injury blow, any new signing could find his playing time limited thereafter, but it’s better to have a surplus of centre-back options to call upon rather than not enough, as the likes of Liverpool can testify from recent campaigns.

Arsenal continued their perfect start to the new Premier League season on Saturday afternoon as they came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 at the Emirates.

Gabriel’s mistake allowed Aleksandar Mitrovic to make it 1-0, but Martin Odegaard’s deflected effort quickly saw Mikel Arteta’s side draw level.

The game looked to be heading for a draw until Gabriel atoned for his mistake by scrambling the ball home from a corner with less than five minutes remaining, ensuring that the Gunners would keep their status as the only team in the Premier League with a 100% record.

One man who impressed in the win against Marco Silva’s side was 21-year-old winger Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian has started the new season in fine form, contributing two goals in the first four Premier League fixtures, for which he has averaged a superb 7.36 rating from WhoScored.

Saturday’s match saw Martinelli earn an impressive 8.0/10 rating from SofaScore for his performance, which was the second-best of any player to feature, with only Odegaard ranked higher after his goal.

The exciting young winger was a constant threat to Fulham’s defence throughout the game, registering two shots on target and one shot off target, which hit the woodwork. He also saw four shots blocked by the Fulham defence, so he was perhaps unfortunate not to come away with a goal.

Considering Martinelli averaged just 1.8 shots per game in the top flight last season, it is clear that he was on top form against the Cottagers.

He was also a huge creative threat at the Emirates, contributing a remarkable five key passes, which was comfortably the most of any player on the pitch, and also significantly more than his average of 1.2 from last season.

It was his corner too that caused havoc for the winner, as he whipped in a mean cross to the front post that Bernd Leno was unable to gather.

Indeed, his passing was excellent against Fulham, as he registered an 84% success rate and completed all four of his long ball attempts, which again was an improvement on last season’s 79.7%.

Besides the corner, he also created another big chance during the game, so while he failed to score or directly assist on Saturday, the wonderkid dubbed a “phenomenon” by Brazilian legend Dani Alves was arguably Arteta’s star man.

Aston Villa have a ‘strong interest’ in hiring Brighton manager Graham Potter, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Gerrard under pressure?

The Midlands club have had a poor start to the campaign in what is Steven Gerrard’s first full season in charge at Villa Park.

An opening day Premier League defeat to Bournemouth was followed up by a 2-1 win over Everton, but back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and West Ham have left Villa on just three points from four games.

The next few weeks appear to be crucial in regards to Gerrard’s long-term future at Bodymoor Heath, and it looks as if a list of potential replacements is already being drawn up at boardroom level.

The Latest: Potter interest

Football Insider shared an update regarding Villa and Potter on Monday lunchtime.

They claim that NSWE won’t hesitate to make a managerial change if results don’t improve, adding that the club have a ‘strong interest’ in Potter, who grew up supporting Villa. Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino is thought to be another manager of interest.

The Verdict: How long will Gerrard get?

Gerrard has been backed by NSWE in the transfer market, but he has won 12 of his 33 games in charge and lost 16, earning an average of just 1.24 points per game. [Transfermarkt]

Things don’t get much easier for the Villa boss in the immediate future, with a trip to Arsenal tonight ahead of hosting Manchester City on Saturday.

Should Villa fail to get anything from these next two challenging fixtures, you’d expect that speculation will only increase, particularly if they are beaten heavily, especially as there are now two managers linked with possibly taking over from Gerrard.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Adama Traore is prepared to wait for a move to north London…

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min, who claim that the Wolverhampton Wanderers winger is keen to join Spurs and will wait until his £43k-per-week contract expires at Molineux next summer if the Midlands outfit continues to price him out of a move.

It’s thought that the 26-year-old powerhouse is a long-term target for the Lilywhites. Express journalist Ryan Taylor once revealed to GIVEMESPORT that sporting director Fabio “Paratici is a huge fan,” having tried to sign him at Juventus.

Meanwhile, Football Insider believe that Traore is available for as little as £10m amid interest from Premier League rivals Everton in July.

Damiao 2.0

Traore is a name that continues to be linked with a move to Tottenham as he has done for several windows now, though it’s easy to see why the club would be keen to sign him for Antonio Conte’s squad.

The Spain international is a big threat on any given afternoon and he is capable of playing in multiple positions – such as a winger or as a wing-back – which would fit the Italian’s system to a tee, making him a solid rotational option for the remainder of the campaign.

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Traore, who Southampton striker Che Adams once dubbed a “monster” and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp once lauded as “unplayable”, has bags of experience in the English top-flight, having racked up 162 appearances across stints at Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and now Wolves, where he’s enjoyed his most fruitful spell – managing eight goals and 13 assists in the league, per Transfermarkt.

There are plenty of arguments for and against signing the former Barcelona loanee, particularly as his unique skillset sees him rank within the top 1% of all wingers in Europe for completed dribbles (5.22) and the top 5% for progressive carries (10.15) per 90, via FBref.

That would make him one of the best and most powerful players with the ball at his feet on the continent but clearly, his end product is a little worrying, having managed a direct goal contribution every 343 minutes in the Premier League.

Either way, it’s clear that Spurs really like him as they continue to be linked with a move for him, though if this saga continues to rumble on past deadline day on Thursday into the winter and then next summer for what would be the umpteenth time, then chairman Daniel Levy will surely be feeling as if it’s Leandro Damiao all over again.

The Brazil striker, formerly of Internacional and Santos, was ‘the’ man linked with a transfer to Tottenham in every window but ultimately, it never happened and the 33-year-old veteran now plies his trade in Japan for Kawasaki Frontale.

Traore was even mooted with a switch under Jose Mourinho, yet here we are some three years later and the deal just has never materialised.

At this rate, Traore really could become Damiao 2.0 for Spurs as for just £10m, you’d have expected him to join by now.

AND in other news, Sky Sports: Spurs have “chance” to sign £10m “animal” by D-day, he’s better than James…

Leeds United director of football Victor Orta added some extremely exciting attacking talent to Jesse Marsch’s first team squad over the summer transfer window, with the likes of Luis Sinisterra, Brenden Aaronson, Sonny Perkins and Wilfried Gnonto all sealing a move to Elland Road prior to the September 1 deadline.

The Spaniard also moved a number of the Whites’ current attacking options onto pastures new, with Raphinha joining Barcelona in a £55m move, Tyler Roberts joining Queens Park Rangers on a loan-to-buy deal and Daniel James – a £25m signing in the summer of 2021 – linking up with Fulham on a season-long loan.

And, with the director of football already said to be eyeing a €35m (£31.5m) move for Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic in the not too distant future per reports in Italy (via Leeds Live), James’ time at Elland Road could very well be up come the end of the season, with the USA international very much looking to be a like-for-like replacement for the 24-year-old.

This is an opinion Conor McGilligan clearly agrees with, with the YouTuber stating his belief in a recent video for the One Leeds Fan Channel that the Blues forward would indeed appear to be a direct replacement for the Wales international – before stating that James’ days in LS11 very much already appear to be numbered.

“The interesting part of this is it’s going to be fascinating to see why Leeds would be going in for Pulisic,” McGilligan said. “Is it a direct placement for Dan James? We know his days are numbered at Leeds United.”

And, considering just how poor the winger was for Leeds last time out, coupled with the undoubted ability that Pulisic possesses, it would appear an extremely wise move for Marsch to cut his losses on the Welshman, before replacing him with the former Borussia Dortmund starlet.

Indeed, over James’ 34 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £27m-rated forward endured a disappointing campaign, scoring just four goals – despite often being deployed at centre-forward – and missing eight big chances for the Whites.

These returns saw the £50k-per-week winger average a disastrous SofaScore match rating of just 6.64, ranking him as Marsch’s joint ninth-worst performer in the top flight of English football last time out.

For comparison, despite Pulisic featuring just 22 times – only 13 of which came as starts – in the Premier League last season, the £45m-rated forward scored six goals, registered two assists and created one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots, making 0.7 key passes and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the £150k-per-week talent – who is comfortable operating from attacking midfield, on either wing or even as a centre-forward – average a SofaScore match rating of 6.74 – a rating that would have seen the American rank as the Whites’ joint 12th-best player in the top flight last term.

Furthermore, with the 24-year-old also having the experience of winning the tournament back in 20/21 – this is yet another string to Pulisic’s bow that James lacks – with the Welshman having made just two appearances in the competition.

As such, it is clear to see that, should an opportunity arise for Marsch to cash in on James at some point this season, the Spaniard simply must do so, before reinvesting the funds received into signing the player who Hakim Ziyech dubbed “crazy” – as is it evident that Pulisic would represent a huge upgrade on Leeds’ £25m flop.

Sunderland have been guilty of surrendering plenty of money on decidedly talentless individuals, with plenty of high-profile blunders over the last decade.

However, other than the obvious candidate in Jack Rodwell, one of the most expensive has to be Papy Djilobodji.

Signed for an initial £8m fee in 2016, the Senegalese centre-back was coming in to replace the much beloved Younes Kaboul.

He arrived with a high pedigree and had just helped Werder Bremen escape a similar relegation scrap during a successful loan spell. Hoping to complete a similar feat with the Black Cats, he made the move and signed on for a £35k-per-week deal.

Just 24 appearances and a relegation later, he was swiftly cemented as one of their worst ever signings.

Having featured just 18 times during that ill-fated season, the 33-year-old was dribbled past 0.8 times per game and only kept one clean sheet.

In total, he cost the club £9.5m during his miserable 109 weeks at the club, which ended as sourly as was expected after a loan spell with Dijon in France.

Djilobodji had dropped down the divisions with them and remained on big money, so to see him eventually sacked after reporting back for pre-season late and failing his fitness test was disappointing.

It meant that the Wearside outfit could recoup no fee for the defender who had already cost them so much, and left the owner at the time Ellis Short rather short-changed.

Sunderland journalist James Hunter outlined one of the many examples of his “awful defending” in a tweet, as his side were on the wrong end of a 4-1 drubbing to Burnley.

It was a horrendous acquisition and one that has to go down as one of the worst alongside another defender, Emmanuel Eboue.

The former Arsenal full-back suffered a similarly horrific (and short) spell at the club, signing in March 2016 before having his contract terminated by the time that same month was up.

He was, at least, brought in on a free in this instance, so the fact he did not feature once makes it easier to swallow. Like Djilobodji, he too was sacked, due to a suspension from FIFA.

The former Chelsea man was hands down the worst signing out of the pair of them, however, simply due to his hefty price tag.

He missed plenty of matches, and when he was available his performances were evidently below par. He cost them big money for their status and played a large role in their relegation. Sunderland certainly had a howler with this deal.

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold has relayed and reacted to a ‘hopeful’ injury update before Arsenal involving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

The Lowdown: Huge occasion…

The north London derby is soon upon Lilywhites supporters with kick off just hours away.

Both sides are currently flying high in the Premier League as this mouth-watering, top of the table clash re-commences club football action after a long-winded international break.

Antonio Conte’s side are one of just two teams yet to taste defeat this season with the other being English champions Manchester City.

However, Spurs arguably face their toughest test yet as they travel to face their arch rivals at the Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta’s team sit top of the league and have dropped just three points from their opening seven games, so taking this into account, Conte will need as many star men as possible fit and available.

The Latest: Gold relays ‘hopeful’ Lloris update…

Taking to social media, Spurs reporter Gold has relayed and reacted to an update on mainstay Lloris after he missed France’s UEFA Nations League matches against Austria and Denmark with a thigh injury.

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Sharing the news on Twitter, the reporter shares Conte is ‘sounding hopeful’ over the 35-year-old taking part today after his recent issues.

Sharing quotes from Tottenham’s coach in an article, the Italian does state that Spurs ‘hope’ to see him return between the sticks for their biggest match of the campaign so far.

The Verdict: Good news…

Having Lloris back today will be a major boost for Conte and co.

As per WhoScored, the long-serving mainstay is an ever-present in Spurs’ starting eleven and arguable crucial figurehead in huge occasions like this.

Lloris’ experience, if available, could be invaluable for Spurs as they seek to build upon their brilliant start to the campaign with a victory across London.

Sunderland’s list of notorious transfer mistakes is one which can arguably be blamed for the predicament they currently find themselves in; desperately trying to return to the Premier League after slumping all the way to League One.

With the likes of Jack Rodwell and Didier Ndong sure to steal headlines for their well-publicised misdeeds whilst at the club, someone like Jermaine Lens might go somewhat under the radar as an awful Black Cats deal.

Signed by Dick Advocaat in 2015 for an £8m fee, this represented quite a large outlay for a relatively unproven winger.

He still remains in their top ten most expensive transfers of all time and yet delivered very little during his short stint at the Stadium of Light.

The season prior to his signing he had scored nine and assisted 12 in all competitions, and there was hope that he could be the man to keep Sunderland away from the drop for the foreseeable future.

However, he would spend just one miserable season on Wearside, where he would score three and assist another three in a year that was marred by injuries, amongst other issues.

They managed to evade relegation by just two points that year, but they were not to be so lucky the season following.

By that point, Lens was long gone. A loan move followed by a reported £6m fee for his services, it still marked an insane waste of money for one wholly disappointing season.

Not only was he a letdown on the pitch, but David Moyes came out to blast his conduct as “disgraceful” after the Dutchman stated that it would make his life easier should his parent club be relegated.

It is a testament to his ability that he is now playing his football at a semi-professional level for French side FC Versailles.

To think that Sunderland spent £8m to bring in a player that showed so much promise, only now to see where he has fallen is a testament to how awful their recruitment process was.

It has cost them everything, and they are still paying for it today.