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According to reports in the Sunday Mirror, Manchester United are targeting a summer move for Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Marquinhos, rated at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, but only as back-up option to Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Sunday Mirror says that Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho wants to add some quality in midfield and defence at the end of the season, and he wants the £70m-rated Varane – whom he worked with during his time at the Bernabeu – with PSG’s Marquinhos a back-up option if he can’t bring the Frenchman to Old Trafford.

The Sunday Mirror says that Mourinho could move Paul Pogba on this summer after losing patience with him, and he believes that the Ligue 1 giants could be open to a deal that would see their club-record signing go to the French capital, with Marquinhos and his teammate Marco Verratti – whom the fans have urged the club to sign – coming the other way.

How has Marquinhos done this season?

He has impressed.

The Brazil international played every minute of PSG’s Champions League campaign, while he has been a regular for them in Ligue 1 too as they close in on another title.

According to WhoScored.com, the 24-year-old’s main strengths are his passing, his dribbling and ability to make blocks, and he has an incredible passing accuracy of 93.8% in 28 appearances in France and in Europe this term, while he has successfully completed both of the dribbles he has attempted.

Defensively, he has won 34 out of the 44 tackles he has attempted, while he has made 24 interceptions, 44 blocks and 121 clearances.

Would he be a good signing for United?

He certainly would be.

The 24-year-old is hugely experienced having appeared almost 200 times for PSG in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, winning titles, while he has 24 caps for his country.

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The fact that he is so good on the ball as well as being impressive defensively would certainly impress Mourinho, and he would be a huge upgrade on the options that the Portuguese boss has – the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.

In many ways, Marquinhos would probably be a better and more realistic addition for the Red Devils than Varane, and would help the club become contenders in the Premier League and the Champions League again.

Which England players impressed you the most vs the Netherlands? Let us know below…

Southampton winger Nathan Redmond has spoken out about being booed by some Saints fans earlier this season when he and the team were struggling for form via the Daily Echo, but says he is now ready to bounce back and help the side in their crucial run-in as they look to preserve their Premier League status.

The wide man was a regular in the starting XI in the first-half of the campaign under previous boss Mauricio Pellegrino, but he started to really come under criticism from the St Mary’s faithful towards the end of 2018 for his disappointing displays and lack of goals and assists, before the 24-year-old was dropped from the squad entirely for the FA Cup tie against Watford in January, as well as the top flight fixtures against Brighton and Hove Albion and the Hornets.

However, the England international has started three successive Premier League matches and will now be fighting for his place in the side under new boss Mark Hughes, having impressed the fans with his cameo from the substitutes’ bench in the Welshman’s first match in charge against Wigan Athletic last time out.

Speaking about his difficult period, Redmond told the Daily Echo: “There was a time I remember at Tottenham away getting booed, and a few other times coming on and getting booed.

“I was in a team where we weren’t doing well as a team but I felt that extra bit towards me, whether that’s because I am a player who can do that bit more or should be doing that bit more.

“I am over it now. In terms of motivation I wouldn’t say it has motivated, but it enabled me to sit back and analyse the situation I was in and it was either sink or swim.”

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Southampton face a must-win clash against fellow strugglers West Ham United – who they lie one place and two points adrift of in the standings – at the London Stadium on Saturday as they look to pick up just their second Premier League win since November.

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Newcastle fans are heaping praise on their team and manager after a 27 second clip from the win at Leicester showed exactly how they’ve turned their form around.

Last week, Newcastle fans were baying to get Rafael Benitez nominated for the Premier League manager of the year award, and those shouts will only get louder this week after a 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium.

Newcastle took the lead courtesy of Jonjo Shelvey, and an absolutely sublime chip from Ayoze Perez doubled the visitors’ lead with 15 minutes to go. Jamie Vardy’s late goal wasn’t enough for the hosts, meaning the Magpies have now picked up 13 points in their last six games.

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Rafa Benitez’s side have kept three clean sheets in that six-game run, and a short clip from the win at Leicester showed exactly why, as they put in seven crunching tackles in the space of 27 seconds.

This level of fight and passion is something all relegation threatened clubs should exhibit, but Newcastle fans in particular expect effort as the bare minimum.

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Needless to say, the Toon Army are pretty happy with their players and manager at the moment, and they’ve been discussing the incredible clip on Twitter.

Some of the best reactions can be found below…

Leeds fans are delighted with the progress of Bailey Peacock-Farrell, but there are still a few who have their doubts about the 21 year-old.

There’s no way around it, this season has been abysmal for Leeds.

After a positive start to the season, a run of bad form in the new year convinced the club to look for new leadership, but the arrival of Paul Heckingbottom has only made things worse.

If there’s been one silver lining, it’s the form of Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

The youngster entered the fray against Wolves last month, and despite getting chipped by Benik Afobe on his debut has gone from strength to strength since then.

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The 21 year-old averages three saves per match, the highest number in the Championship since his debut, and also boasts an impressive 95 per cent claim success rate.

All that said, Peacock-Farrell is still waiting for his first clean sheet.

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While much of the blame for this should be placed on the leaky defence, plenty of fans have voiced their concerns about the goalkeeper who was sent back from loan spells with Swedish side Landskrona BoIS and non-league York City.

Fans have been discussing whether the 21 year-old should be the number one next season, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Manchester United and Arsenal’s Premier League clash this Sunday represents the end of an era. Under Arsene Wenger, the Gunners emerged as the Red Devils’ ultimate title rivals during the late 1990s and early 2000s. But having announced he’ll be leaving the club at the end of the season, this could well be the last time the Frenchman faces his oldest foes, not to mention one of his most bitter enemies in United counterpart Jose Mourinho.

So will Sunday’s concluding instalment provide the perfect end to this 22-year Premier League subplot, and can previous encounters tell us anything about what to expect this weekend? Here’s the complete Premier League history of Man United vs Arsenal…

Head-to-Head

Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford in 2002 to clinch the title remains one of the most celebrated occasions in Arsenal’s recent history, but their overall record against Manchester United is actually quite modest considering how competitive their rivalry was throughout the first 15 years of the Premier League. They’ve only won 13 games against United from 51 attempts, and that famous victory on United’s patch was just one of three they’ve managed there out of a possible 25 in the Premier League.

United though, have suffered their own slump in recent years and that’s seen the balance of this fixture largely level out; both teams have won two, lost two and drawn two of the last six meetings, with Arsenal scoring two more goals than the Red Devils during that time.

Top Scorer – Wayne Rooney

Arsenal inadvertently played a key role in announcing Wayne Rooney to the world as a teenager and throughout his career, no club has conceded more goals from the former England captain.

Nine of those 15 came in 24 Premier League appearances for United, making Rooney the all-time top scorer in this fixture. He’s closely followed by Thierry Henry, who notched up eight in 14 top flight appearances against United, failing to net past them during just two of his full Premier League campaigns.

Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck, meanwhile, have represented both sides of the Arsenal-United divide. With the Dutchman on six, a hat-trick for the England international this weekend would see him move just behind Henry in this fixture’s top scorer chart.

The Shared Icon – Robin van Persie

He may have broken a million hearts and earned the moniker Judas when he jumped ship to Old Trafford in 2012, but Robin van Persie was without a doubt Arsenal’s most talented player by a considerable distance at that time. Eight seasons in north London produced 132 goals, three Premier League Goal of the Month awards, a Golden Boot and an FWA Player of the Year award – but just one piece of silverware from 2004/05.

Upon joining the Red Devils, van Persie instantly fired his new employers to the Premier League title, clinching a second consecutive Golden Boot in the process. It provided the parting gift Sir Alex Ferguson deserved, a final title before retiring, but that’s when RVP’s importance to United started to wane. After scoring just 22 league goals in the following two seasons under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, the Dutchman was allowed to leave for Fenerbahce.

The Classic Clash – Man United 0-1 Arsenal

There have been far more entertaining clashes down the years in terms of goals, not least including a succession of heavy hammerings handed out by the Red Devils. But few, if any, have matched the significance of this meeting at Old Trafford in 2002 when Arsenal clinched the Premier League title on their rivals’ patch.

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It was an ugly, bitter-fought game with few clear-cut chances – between a United side in transition and a Gunners outfit starting to evolve into the Invincibles – but Sylvain Wiltord remained a menace all afternoon and it was the Frenchman who eventually proved the difference. His counter-attacking run in the second half lead to a Freddie Ljungberg shot that Fabien Barthez could only manage to parry, leaving an onrushing Wiltord to tuck home the rebound.

United pushed for an equaliser but that only made them more open and Arsenal had the chance to extend their lead. Not that the scoreline truly mattered; this clash was all about the result.

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Newcastle United suffered their second consecutive loss since they guaranteed their status as a Premier League team for another season by surpassing the magic 40-point mark against Arsenal, and it showed that changes need to be made if they are to progress next season.

The Tyneside outfit had been on an outstanding run of four victories in a row – that preserved their top flight status – prior to successive 1-0 defeats against Everton at Goodison Park and then bottom club West Bromwich Albion at St James’ Park on Saturday.

While Rafa Benitez’s men have received plenty of plaudits recently for their impressive performances on the pitch, it is clear that they have let their standards slip since they reached 40 points, and that should be unacceptable despite their great achievement this term.

The Spanish manager would already have been thinking about improving his squad and freshening things up this summer in order to try and make them regular top-half finishers in the Premier League, but to do that he may need to move some players on first.

Here are three Newcastle stars Rafa must sell this summer as the club look to enter a new chapter in their history…

If Newcastle want to push on next season, they need to be bringing in players that are an upgrade on what they already have in the starting XI, and that could mean moving the players on that aren’t doing enough to get in it right now.

One of those is centre-back Ciaran Clark, who despite being a regular in the team under Benitez earlier in the season when Florian Lejeune was injured, has recently found himself back on the substitutes’ bench.

If Benitez is looking for an upgrade on Lejeune to partner captain Jamaal Lascelles this summer, then it should be the Frenchman that acts as competition with Clark heading through the exit door.

If you asked the majority of Newcastle supporters early on in the season if they expected Mo Diame to be at the club next term – or even beyond the January transfer window – they would have said no.

However, the Senegal international has forced his way into the starting XI in 2018 and kept the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and Mikel Merino on the substitutes’ bench at times because of his impressive performances.

Despite that fact, if the Magpies want to progress in the 2018/19 campaign then they should look to find a replacement for the soon-to-be 31-year-old, who certainly isn’t going to be the future of the club.

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With Islam Slimani perhaps not impressing enough to be signed on a permanent basis, Aleksandar Mitrovic likely to go following a fruitful loan spell with Fulham and Joselu struggling in terms of goalscoring, one of Benitez’s priorities this summer is going to be strengthening his frontline.

The Spaniard will likely be looking to bring two new strikers to the club so his team are more dangerous in the final third next season, and that could mean there is no room left at St James’ Park for Dwight Gayle, whom Toon fans on Twitter are quickly losing patience with.

While he has been a great servant for the Magpies and helped them make an instant return to the Premier League, he has shown that he perhaps isn’t at the required standard to be a top player at top flight level, and with no room for sentiment when you want to progress, he should be sold at the end of the campaign.

Do you agree, Magpies fans? Let us know below.

Last week, reports suggested Everton were lining up Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira to replace Sam Allardyce, but would he be the right fit?

Everton fans hated last week’s links to Vieira, but the report from the Metro claimed owner Farhad Moshiri is a “keen admirer” of the Frenchman, and wants to appoint a “young, dynamic coach”.

Vieira of course has no senior managerial experience in Europe, leaving his role as part of the Manchester City youth setup in 2015 to take charge of MLS side New York City FC.

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Moshiri previously held a stake at Arsenal, so it makes sense that he would be interested in the Arsenal legend, but nonetheless a move for such an inexperienced coach would be a big surprise and a huge risk.

Fans are underwhelmed by the links, with 63 per cent saying they would not take Vieira as an Allardyce replacement.

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Big Sam is of course technically still the man in charge at Goodison, but the toxic relationship between the manager and fans will surely mean the end of his reign this summer.

Fans have been unimpressed by Allardyce’s negative brand of football, but it doesn’t seem like they’re too eager to jump into bed with a relatively young manager like Vieira, and you can find the full poll results below…

Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle United have enjoyed an excellent season as the North East club finished 10th in their return to the Premier League.

The Spaniard earned a lot of praise from fans and former players for guiding the Magpies to a mid-table finish while working with a limited budget typical of the Mike Ashley era.

Iconic striker, Les Ferdinand, recently applauded Benitez for the “unbelievable job” he has done at St. James Park but all this hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed by rival clubs.

Reportedly Premier league sides Arsenal and West Ham are both keen to speak to the Champions League winner. Although it is understood that the Newcastle manager would prefer to stay in the North East.

“My priority is to stay in England. I’m only talking to Newcastle right now.”

Benitez is entering his final year of his contract with the Magpies and has asked for assurances over the club’s ambition from owner, Ashley, before agreeing to a new deal.

“The main thing is to be sure we share the same ambition. I want to win games and I want to win trophies and I want to have the tools to be capable of competing…Newcastle is a massive football club and we want it to reach its potential.”

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Newcastle fans are terrified that Ashley won’t be able to match Benitez’s ambition and have taken to Twitter to vent their frustrations. Here is a selection of what’s being said:

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Yaya Toure received a heartfelt farewell from Manchester City fans when he announced his departure from the club.

The Ivory Coast international spent eight years at the North-West outfit, winning six trophies, including three Premier League titles.

However, in the last few seasons, the 35-year-old’s ageing legs were unable to keep up with the pace of Pep Guardiola’s team.

Many supporters are sad to see Toure depart the Etihad Stadium, but it seems that he will not be going too far.

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The midfielder has maintained that he wants to remain in the Premier League, and according to The Telegraph, new West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini might try to take Toure to the London Stadium.

The Hammers have previously taken unwanted City stars, including Pablo Zabaleta and Joe Hart.

Whether a deal comes off remains to be seen, but City fans have given mixed responses to the prospect of Toure switching to another top flight club.

Some have mocked that their club seem to be sending all their older players to the Hammers, while others are just baffled.

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Reports claim Everton are still in the race to sign PSV winger Hirving Lozano this summer, and the Toffees must make sure they win it.

What’s the story?

According to Mundo Deportivo, Everton and Valencia are leading the way to sign Hirving Lozano.

The report from Spain says there are “constant rumours” about a possible move for the Mexican international, but that Everton and Valencia are “the most attentive” teams at the table.

Lozano, who is expected to star at the World Cup for Mexico, grabbed an impressive 19 goals in all competitions for PSV this season, and Everton will be hoping new director of football Marcel Brands can sway the odds in their favour.

The report comes just days after a PSV beat reporter told ESPN Everton would be a good fit for the electric winger.

A super signing for Silva?

There aren’t many 22 year-old wingers with both the versatility and end product of Lozano, which is why Marco Silva must up his interest in the Mexican.

The young winger is extremely direct, and his first instinct is always to isolate his defender and beat him, something the fans at Goodison would love.

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“If I was a manager at a big club in England, I would take Lozano with my eyes closed,” PSV beat reporter Marco Timmer told ESPN. “He’s very good. He has big drive, not something you see often in Holland.”

“I think he’s a player for every team. For him it is good to move to a team that is not at the absolute top. Everton would be a right move. [He will] score 15 goals there.”

Such praise for Lozano will come as no surprise to those who have been tracking the youngster for quite some time, as he earned his move to Holland after scoring 31 times in 120 appearances for Mexican side Pachuca, mostly as a teenager.

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Having played on both wings and even through the middle at times this season, Lozano’s end product sets him apart from other wingers of his ilk, scoring 17 and assisting eight across 27 Eredivisie appearances this season.

If Marco Silva is serious about bringing exciting, attacking football to Goodison Park, then Lozano should be an absolute top priority this summer.

So, Everton fans, do you think Lozano should be a top target this summer? Would he be a good fit at Goodison? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…