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Manchester United must axe below-par midfielder Andreas Pereira this summer as Ole Gunnar Solksjaer looks to build a title-winning squad.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Manchester Evening News), the 25-year-old could rejoin Lazio in the upcoming transfer window despite enjoying limited success throughout a season-long loan spell in Rome.

Pereira made just three Serie A starts in 2020/21, but the imminent arrival of Maurizio Sarri at the Stadio Olimpico may offer the Brazilian another chance to impress.

He’s been shocking

The creative talent has failed to establish himself at Old Trafford, making just 75 appearances for the English giants over a six-year period and scoring a paltry four goals.

Pereira has experienced several loan spells away from United with mixed success, but a fruitful 12-month stint with Valencia throughout 2017/18 showed the potential for the South American to make a successful career with the Red Devils.

However, he failed to replicate that form back in the Premier League and he now finds himself unwanted by Solksjaer as the Norwegian aims to return the 20-time English champions to the summit of European football.

Although United made solid progress last season, recording consecutive top-four finishes for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, there is still a lot of work to be done before they can compete for major honours.

A group stage exit from the Champions League, a hugely disappointing defeat in the Europa League final and the 12-point gap to Premier League champions Manchester City all serve to illustrate the progress still to be made.

With resources expected to be limited due to the ongoing pandemic, United may have to raise some funds themselves in order to bring in the required talent needed to help them progress.

High-profile stars such as Jadon Sancho, Harry Kane and Raphael Varane have been linked with big-money moves in recent weeks, and the money generated from Pereira’s potential sale could help get those deals over the line.

The £30,000-per-week flop is currently valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, and adding that amount to the club’s transfer kitty by selling him would be a welcome boost for Solskjaer.

In other news…Man Utd must swoop for £18m-rated beast this summer, he has “outstanding quality” 

West Brom were relegated back to the Championship after a shocking performance at Arsenal on Sunday evening, leaving Sam Allardyce plenty to ponder in the coming weeks.

It’s the 66-year-old’s first relegation and, if he’s to remain in the Albion dugout, some massive decisions will need to be made. This 3-1 defeat in north London may have provided some big clues, too.

The Baggies did not look like a team fighting for survival but rather a side coasting as if their fate had already reached a positive outcome. Indeed, they were completely outclassed, managing only 35% possession and one shot on target throughout the 90 minutes, a pathetic attempt to try and turn their fortunes around.

In the absence of Gunners loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Big Sam had to tinker his midfield and this saw a surprise inclusion for Matty Phillips alongside Conor Gallagher and Okay Yokuslu.

This wasn’t just damning on the likes of skipper Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers, as the former QPR winger’s performance highlighted that he may well be lucky to remain at the club for much longer.

As a central option, the 30-year-old should have frequently been involved in the game, being the link between defence and attack, but just 32 touches in 90 minutes would suggest otherwise.

By comparison, even Baggies goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (39) managed more, which is just not good enough when you absolutely need a result. Furthermore, just 11 accurate passes, or roughly one every nine minutes, is more evidence of the Scotsman being completely under par.

His anonymous showing turned into a weak one, too.

Phillips won just two of six duels (33%), was dribbled past twice and lost possession 11 times, via SofaScore. He effectively lost the ball as many times as he passed it, yet he remained on the pitch for the duration of the match.

The long-serving wide man has been at the club since 2016 but such performances have been a recurring theme, especially in the Premier League. Despite all of West Brom’s struggles, he still ranks amongst their worst performers with an average WhoScored rating of 6.35. That’s the worst average return of anyone to start on Sunday.

Overall, Phillips is just not good enough and it’s time for Allardyce – or whoever is in charge – to be bold and move him on in the summer.

AND in other news, Journo drops worrying claim over West Brom’s “big-game player”, Big Sam will be gutted…

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers are planning to make a bid for Lewis Ferguson after he handed in a transfer request at Aberdeen.

The Lowdown: Ferguson hands in transfer request

Ferguson, who currently plays for the Dons, handed in a transfer request to leave the club (BBC).

Aberdeen have since released a statement in regards to the situation, saying they have received an “insulting” offer for the 21-year-old’s services from a Premier League outfit (afc.co.uk).

The Latest: Gers interest

Following this update, the Gers are said to be interested in making a move for the £2.7m-valued U21 Scotland international (Transfermarkt).

Rangers are confident Ferguson is “desperate” to make the move to Ibrox if a deal can be agreed, Ibrox sources have told Football Insider.

The Verdict: Top talent

Ferguson has enjoyed his most lucrative season to date from a personal perspective. He has scored 10 goals in all competitions for Aberdeen to take his overall career tally to 21, while he also chipped in with five assists (Transfermarkt). It seems only natural that he will move on to bigger and better things.

Given he is the nephew of former Gers player Barry Ferguson and the son of Derek Ferguson, there will be some who are confident Lewis will choose Ibrox as his next step. However, the midfielder’s agent has said it is his dream to play in the Premier League (The Daily Mail via The Scottish Sun), something which Rangers likely can’t compete with. It therefore remains to be seen whether he can be convinced to move to the 55-time Scottish champions.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this article.

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Erik Lamela’s days at Tottenham are numbered.

The Argentine was once Spurs’ record signing, but hasn’t ended up making the impact some thought he might make following his move from Roma eight years ago.

Whilst Lamela appeared a favourite of both Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho, his constant injury problems have never quite allowed him to reach his full potential.

£80,000-a-week man Lamela has missed more than 130 matches through injury, 12 of which came earlier on in the campaign due to a calf problem.

He’s appeared in 14 of Tottenham’s last 15 Premier League fixtures, but he’s about to enter the final 12 months of his deal in north London, meaning Spurs might opt to cash-in to prevent him from leaving for nothing next summer.

And Windass told Football FanCast, that’s what he expects to happen:

“For a winger, he’s a brave winger because he puts his foot in. He’s got all of the quality in the world, you can see that, and Mourinho liked him.

“He played ahead of Gareth Bale, but I think his days will be over now.”

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Marcelo Bielsa would leave the Whites for Tottenham if the opportunity arose.

This comes after ex-Spurs star Jamie O’Hara tipped Bielsa, on talkSPORT, to replace Mourinho at the north London club following the Portuguese coach’s recent sacking.

RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann was reported to be Tottenham’s No.1 choice for the dugout, but the German now has a deal in place to take him to Bayern Munich in the summer.

It leaves Tottenham now needing to look elsewhere and, should their search take them to Bielsa, Palmer thinks the 65-year-old would find it hard to say no to their advances.

Responding to O’Hara’s take, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday player told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“You want to better yourself. You want to get the top jobs, just like players want to go to top clubs, so it’d be a fantastic opportunity for him.

“If Spurs come knocking, that’s a different ball game. That’s a great career opportunity for him. I’d be very surprised if Tottenham came knocking and he wasn’t prepared to go.”

At this moment of time, based on reports, Tottenham seem to be looking at the likes of Ajax manager Erik ten Hag and England boss Gareth Southgate, so Leeds supporters can probably breathe easy.

Southampton have reportedly been scouting Bristol City midfielder Han-Noah Massengo recently and if he were to join The Saints, it could prove to be similar to the deal that saw Morgan Schneiderlin sign for the South Coast club in 2008.

According to the Bristol Post, Southampton scouts have been in attendance at Ashton Gate for recent Bristol City fixtures, and one player who they are said to be looking at is 19-year-old Massengo.

The Robins splashed the cash to bring the teenager to the club from AS Monaco in 2019 and he has since gone on to make 51 appearances for the Championship side.

Like Schneiderlin, Massengo established himself as a regular in Ligue 1 from a young age, before moving to a lower-league English side, with the defensive-midfielder enduring a relegation in his first season with Southampton, before helping the South Coast club to back-to-back promotions.

He would go on to make 257 appearances for the Saints, in which he contributed 15 goals and 11 assists, before completing a £25 million move to Manchester United in 2015, where he would spend just a year and a half before joining Everton.

Massengo can play as a defensive midfielder and has featured for the French U’19 side in the past, although he has struggled to adapt to Bristol City in his time there thus far, having averaged a pretty poor 6.27 rating for his performances this season.

However, he is still just 19-years-old and undoubtedly has some potential, which Southampton could help him realise if he makes the switch to St Mary’s this summer. If he did join, then perhaps it could be a repeat of the masterclass that saw Schneiderlin join from Strasbourg 13 years ago.

If the French midfielder proved to be even half as good as Schneiderlin was during his time on the South Coast, he would be a very good signing indeed, so it will be interesting to see if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side make an official approach for the 19-year-old this summer.

And, in other news… Forget Diallo: Southampton can sign their ideal Romeu heir in 22 y/o gem

Dropping the latest on West Ham United star Declan Rice, club insider Claret & Hugh has shared an injury boost – with the Irons and David Moyes apparently hopeful of an early return date for the Englishman.

Rice was at the centre of breaking news before West Ham came away from Wolves with a vital 3-2 win, as reports emerged that he would miss the game with a knee injury.

Moyes gifted Rice injury boost

As a result, there was even speculation that he could miss the Euros this summer and fears at Rush Green he could possibly need surgery if the self healing process ‘took too long’.

However, C&H report that the ‘early signs’ behind the scenes are he’ll miss five weeks – with the 22-year-old already pictured back in the gym and commencing his rehabilitation.

Indeed, the situation is apparently ‘looking much better’ and it is ‘far more likely’ he will miss just over a month of the season.

Rice could even return for West Ham’s final three matches against Brighton, West Bromwich Albion and Southampton, according to C&H.

Transfer Tavern take

While the insider claims West Ham’s five week estimate is viewed with ‘some optimism’, news there is a good possibility he could return before the end of 2020/2021 is arguably a big boost for Moyes.

The Irons are chasing unprecedented Champions League qualification, and supporters will be holding their breath over his return whilst praying the team can maintain their momentum in his absence.

In other news: West Ham fans erupted at this ‘fantastic news’, find out more here.

West Brom seem a certain candidate to drop straight back down to the Championship.

They sit ten points adrift with only nine games left to play, so barring any surprise comeback, the Baggies ought to be preparing for life in the second division.

That now gives sporting and technical director Luke Dowling plenty to think about – is Sam Allardyce the right man to bring them back up?

Given that is something he hasn’t done since winning the playoffs with West Ham in 2012, you’d have to say there must be better candidates out there. And the Midlands side do have a break clause should they get relegated under the 66-year-old.

If that comes sooner rather than later, then it may be best to put him on gardening leave whilst they sort out who should take them forward – very much like the club did with Alan Pardew last time they faced relegation.

One name that has started to crop up is a man familiar to the Hawthorns, Lincoln City boss Michael Appleton.

According to The Athletic’s Steve Madeley, the 45-year-old is an ‘obvious contender.’ He’s a former colleague of Dowling’s and of course managed Albion’s U23 squad prior to his move to Sincil Bank.

And now those calls have been ramped up even more after former Birmingham Mail journalist Chris Lepkowski spoke about his credentials on the recent The Liquidator podcast.

He said: “I’ve always been really impressed by Michael Appleton. He’s a very progressive coach, he doesn’t rest and he’s not a [Tony] Pulis, he has evolved as a manager and introduced different styles,” before adding: “I know he’s worked with Luke Dowling before, quite harmoniously I believe which certainly helps his credentials in that respect. “I would be quite excited to see what he would offer.”

It’s an interesting case to make.

Appleton’s Imps outfit are in contention for promotion from League One this season. They’re currently sat in fourth place behind some big names in Sunderland and Hull City.

Only two other teams have scored more goals this season (53), whilst their defensive record (37 goals conceded) is amongst the top seven too.

WhoScored list Lincoln’s strengths as being very strong at counter attacks as well as being strong at finishing scoring chances, coming back from losing positions and protecting the lead.

This merely reinforces the view that Appleton is indeed quite a progressive coach, and certainly isn’t one like the defensively-minded and outdated Tony Pulis.

What makes him even more intriguing is the fact that he has worked with so many of the players still at the club, as prior to his appointment as U23 manager, he was first-team coach under caretaker Jimmy Shan.

So not only will youngsters like Dara O’Shea, Kyle Edwards and Rekeem Harper benefit from his appointment, but so should the likes of Conor Townsend, Kyle Bartley, Hal Robson-Kanu, Matty Phillips and Jake Livermore, who have all been here for several seasons now.

Appleton, unlike many other potential candidates, will know exactly what it means to be part of West Brom and should be able to connect with the fanbase – something that only really Slaven Bilic has done in the past few seasons.

He may not have the relevant experience at Championship level, but he’s still young and given everything mentioned above, there surely cannot be a more perfect candidate out there.

Dowling should be all over this in the summer.

AND in other news, Sam Allardyce repeating a big Slaven Bilic mistake at West Brom

Celtic’s season has been full of anguish, despair and anger. No longer does Parkhead play host to the Scottish champions, a title they had for nine straight years.

One of the biggest reasons they’ve been unable to win the league is their defence.

On the chalkboard

To suggest Celtic’s defence this term has been shambolic would be putting it lightly. The Hoops have shipped 14 more goals than Rangers in the SPFL and conceded 19 in their six Europa League games.

That included letting in a combined total of eight in their two games with Sparta Prague. On paper, the two teams are fairly evenly matched but that didn’t seem to matter.

Defensive errors have been rife. Whether it’s Shane Duffy proving to be a defensive calamity, or their goalkeepers making individual mistakes on a regular basis, it has not been a pretty sight.

Duffy was signed on loan from Brighton at the beginning of the season but for the most part, he’s not looked fit to wear the shirt.

He came on as a substitute against Rangers in January but had a disastrous cameo, nearly being sent off for a tackle on Ryan Kent after Nir Bitton had been shown a red card initially.

It got no better for the Irishman against St Mirren, being described as the “worst culprit” by Paul John Dykes after their defeat. He was also particularly abject against Livingston, completing just 73% of his passes and losing the ball on 23 occasions.

The solution

Stephen Welsh has stepped up admirably in recent months but with the fear of Kristoffer Ajer leaving still hovering in the background, they’ll need new recruits.

One of them could well be Liverpool defender Ben Davies. Celtic came close to signing the former Preston centre-back in January but with the Reds desperate for reinforcements, they swooped in under Neil Lennon’s nose and prised him away for just £2m.

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It was a development that left Celtic gutted, but they could reignite their interest in January.

That’s according to Gabby Agbonlahor who responded with the following after being questioned by Football Insider whether the Bhoys should make a bid: “Yes, 100%. It’s a very, very strange transfer and I’m sure he’ll be looking to leave Liverpool in the summer and go somewhere where he can play week in, week out.”

Davies is yet to play for Liverpool since swapping Lancashire for Merseyside but a quick look at the stats tells you he’d be an upgrade on Duffy. He is a consistent individual, one that could potentially cost in the region of £10m this summer.

The Liverpool defender has made 1.2 tackles per game and 1.4 interceptions per match this season, numbers that better Duffy in both departments; he has completed just 0.8 and 1.2 in comparison.

Compared to the Celtic loanee, the £60k-per-week earner also feels far more assured in possession of the ball. According to Smarterscout, a data system that ranks player’s abilities out of 99, Davies’ carry and dribble volume is rated at 79 for a Premier League standard player.

Judging by his previous appraisals, he’d also put his neck on the line.

Talking to The Athletic, his former teammate at York, Calvin Andrew, commented: “He’s robust. He can play. He’s naturally a left-back, I would say. He has that ability on the ball, he can play and see passes. But he’s not afraid of the dirty part of the game and puts his head where it hurts; a really brave and talented young man.”

Davies would clearly add an extra layer of protection to Celtic. They must go back in for him in the summer.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Ajer: Celtic must seal move for 7-cap monster who’s “prepared to get hurt”…

Swansea kept the pressure on the automatic promotion spots with a last gasp win over Stoke City on Wednesday evening.

Steve Cooper’s side went behind early after a mistake from Marc Guehi, with Nick Powell converting to make it 1-0, but goals from Connor Roberts and a late penalty from Andre Ayew earned the Swans all three points.

Although the penalty decision has been met by a lot of controversy, Cooper will be delighted that Ayew was able to keep his composure and seal the win, which leaves Swansea just one point behind second-placed Brentford with two games in hand.

However, it was not all good for the Swans at the Bet 365 stadium, as Jamal Lowe continued his poor recent form with another disappointing display against Michael O’Neill’s side.

As per SofaScore, the former Portsmouth man would complete just 6/10 passes, which was the fewest of any player who started the game and also far fewer than the 16.8 passes per game he has averaged in the Championship this season.

Lowe would earn a poor 6.2/10 rating for his performance, which was the lowest of any Swansea player bar Guehi; after the defender’s mistake that led to Stoke’s goal.

The 26-year-old would attempt just one dribble during his time on the pitch, in which he was unsuccessful, whilst he didn’t register a single shot on target.

Despite having just 23 touches of the ball in the game, the forward would still lose possession on 11 occasions, suggesting that the Stoke defenders had the better of him on Wednesday evening.

It was no surprise, therefore, that Cooper decided to axe Lowe after just 70 minutes and replace him with Connor Hourihane as his side chased a winning goal, as unfortunately, the summer signing has now failed to score in any of his last 10 appearances in all competitions.

It was another anonymous display from the striker, which will surely worry Cooper, as he will drastically need his forward to improve his form if the Swans are to force themselves into the automatic promotion spots this season.