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The Sun have claimed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United are interested in signing Norwich City youngster Ben Godfrey, who is rated at just £10 million.

What’s the word then?

The 21-year-old is being watched closely by the Red Devils’ scouts but is also the interest of other clubs in the Premier League, per the original report.

Godfrey has been a key component for the Canaries this year as they’ve continued their push towards the Sky Bet Championship title, playing every minute since mid-February as the club possess a four-point lead at the top of the table with just eight matches remaining.

The starlet’s recent form under Daniel Farke has helped him break into the England under-20s squad and there is much excitement about him around the football world, with comparisons even being drawn between the 6 ft centre-back and current United defender Chris Smalling according to The Sun.

The price is right and United shouldn’t miss out

The main thing that will make Godfrey such an attractive prospect at Old Trafford is his reported price of £10 million, which would be an absolute bargain in the realm of modern football.

What other hot young English prospect, and at the mature age of 21, can be secured for such a low fee? Man United shouldn’t miss out on this and need to move quickly to make sure they pip rivals to his signature.

Looking at the team’s current first-team centre-back crop, there is a clear lack of youth in the ranks, with the youngest being Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly (24).

This problem can easily be solved by Godfrey, slotting in to provide some freshness in the position and perhaps allowing Solskjaer to get rid of some dead wood if he ends up staying beyond the summer.

The greatest part of a cheap move for the York City academy graduate for the Red Devils, should Norwich accept £10 million, is the low risk, if it doesn’t work out only a small amount has been wasted.

There is, of course, the possibility of it being difficult to prise Godfrey away from Norfolk if his current side get promoted, but if United throw everything behind the move then there aren’t many young players who can afford to turn down a move to “The Theatre of Dreams”.

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Arsenal are considering selling Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer, per the Daily Mirror.

The Gunners need to raise funds for the summer and are weighing up the possibility of cashing in on the Armenia international.

What’s the word?

Mkhitaryan, who joined the club from Manchester United in a part-exchange deal that saw Alexis Sanchez move to Old Trafford, is one of the highest earners at the club.

Per the aforementioned report, the 30-year-old currently earns a wage of £180,000-per-week, with his contract set to expire in 2021.

Manager Unai Emery is said to believe that the money could be better used elsewhere, with the club’s wage bill causing problems.

Arsenal, of course, did not make a permanent signing in the January transfer window, instead signing Denis Suarez on loan from Barcelona.

Emery, it is said, could be given a transfer budget of just £45million in the summer before sales are taken into account and both Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil, who earns £350,000-per-week, being moved on would have a positive effect on the club’s finances.

Mkhitaryan has made 18 Premier League appearances this season, scoring six goals and providing four assists.

A dismal new reality

Having put Arsenal on course for a top four finish, Emery should be rewarded with considerable backing in the summer, but the gaffer is paying the price for years of financial mismanagement at the Emirates.

Mkhitaryan and Ozil swallow up over half a million pounds in wages per week and yet neither of them are all that important to the way Arsenal currently play.

It is little wonder, then, that Arsenal’s budget is so tight.

If the club are to move forward and become genuine Premier League title challengers, something which Emery appears capable of guiding them towards, they have to spend to keep up with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool.

As it is, they are also-rans in the title race, being forced to settle for qualification for the Champions League as a crowning achievement yet again.

We have, of course, been here before, and Emery will have been aware of the club’s history before his appointment.

Now, though, his potential is being capped by the club’s finances. As it stands, don’t expect much improvement next season, even if Emery has proved himself a shrewd operator thus far.

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With just one win in their last six Premier League matches, could cracks be starting to appear in a Wolves team who can seemingly do no wrong?

Nuno Santo’s side have been impressive this term, there’s no doubting that, but it’s a long season and their lack of depth is now catching up on them. It’s an aspect that was particularly evident against Burnley last weekend as they lost 2-0.

No one to replace Jimenez

There’s been a considerable amount of attention surrounding Raul Jimenez lately. The Mexican has been superb for the Midlands club in 2018/19 after arriving on loan from Benfica and as such, they’re close to agreeing his permanent stay.

But a combination of more important matches to come and the fact Jimenez had clocked up plenty of air miles over the international break meant he was left out of the starting XI at Turf Moor last Saturday.

Eyebrows would have immediately been raised by Santo’s decision and with the forward having to be introduced in the second half anyway, the decision wasn’t vindicated.

Without him, there was a lack of hold up play, whilst Diogo Jota’s influence on the game was also reduced. Jimenez’s impact on this Wolves side has been significant, but it wasn’t until this weekend that we got a real glimpse of how poor they can be without him.

Depth lacking

Wolves’ form on the road hasn’t been particularly amazing this season anyway, but without Jimenez in the side at Burnley, it proved that real investment is still needed.

Ivan Cavaleiro was Jimenez’s deputy in attack on Saturday but his performance wasn’t one that will enthral fans, having just one shot in the time he was on the pitch. Helder Costa, another option in forward areas, has struggled to be the creative hub he so often was in the Championship too.

We’ve found Raul Jimenez’s No. 1 fan and… it’s a little scary. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

Andre Silva has attracted the interest of Wolves and he would certainly go a long way to bolstering their depth but they’ll need more than that.

With a potential Europa League campaign on the horizon, it’s an issue that will desperately need to be solved over the summer.

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Spurs face a tough task of playing Manchester City over two legs in the Champions League this month. If Tottenham are to have any success they need to look at what Liverpool did last season when they eliminated the Premier League champions from Europe’s top competition.

The Reds have been the only team to beat Pep Guardiola’s side on a regular basis since the Spaniard took charge and that can partly be attributed to the role of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s role

Deployed in central midfield, the England international never stopped running against City and was constantly harrying their back line, in turn creating chances for his team by forcing the opposition to give away possession in dangerous areas.

This was never more evident than in Liverpool’s win in the first leg; the Ox pressed their midfield and backline intently, forcing them into mistakes and misplaced passes which allowed his team to race into a 3-0 lead, the second goal coming courtesy of Chamberlain himself.

Check out the latest hilarious video by 442oons in the video below…

Sissoko’s duties

Moussa Sissoko needs to have studied this performance in preparation for the upcoming games in the Champions League. The Frenchman possesses the speed, physical presence and stamina to complete this role to a high standard and that is exactly what Spurs need to win on Tuesday night.

Sissoko must press high and run for the full 90 minutes in the same way his Liverpool counterpart did 12 months ago. He has to be a nuisance for City as they try to play out of the back, and find positive passes whenever he wins the ball.

It is easier said than done as the reigning Premier League champions are likely to have learnt from their mistakes last year and will have planned for this very scenario as soon as the draw was made.

As of this match though the only team who have found a way to beat Guardiola’s City on a consistent basis is Klopp’s outfit, and the role that Oxlade-Chamberlain played in those wins was vital.

Pochettino would be a fool not to attempt duplicating that role with Sissoko for these fixtures. The Frenchman has all the attributes required to shut down City in the same way the Liverpool star did this time last year and it would be a waste to not deploy him in the same manner.

Spurs are looking like they are set to make their new home a fortress to be reckoned with based on their performances there so far.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been putting on some displays for their home fans, and are on the brink of a place in the Champions League semi-finals if they can ensure they do the business in the return leg against Manchester City.

However, the summer looks set to once again be a big one for the club, with a host of their top stars being eyed up by some of Europe’s biggest and best clubs.

One man who could be on his way out if Manchester United get their way is midfielder Christian Eriksen, who could be set to be offered triple his wages if the Old Trafford club can convince Spurs to agree to the sale of the Denmark star.

We here in the Tavern though feel that Spurs need to be meeting any approaches for Eriksen with a resounding no if they are to continue to build and grow as a serious force in the Premier League.

Eriksen has been in superb form ever since he made the move into the English game, and he has really developed his craft to become one of the finest attacking midfield players in all of Europe.

If he was to move on to United, there is little doubt he would settle in nicely and improve things for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, but it would be Spurs who would be left counting the cost of seeing one of their brightest and best talents being lost to a rival.

Some players are simply irreplaceable, and Eriksen falls right into this mould for Spurs given everything he offers to the cause.

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Lille president Gerard Lopez has revealed that Nicolas Pepe looks likely to leave the French club in this summer’s transfer window.

The 23-year-old is enjoying a fine season, managing 20 goals and 14 assists in 35 appearances for his Ligue 1 side in all competitions. There will likely be widespread interest in the attacker this summer.

The Liverpool fans have been on social media commenting on the Ivory Coast international.

And a number have called on the club to bring 6 ft Pepe to Anfield ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign.

The Reds would surely face competition from a number of clubs if they decided to make a bid, especially when considering that Pepe has had an outrageously good season for Lille.

The other key question is where Pepe would fit in at Anfield, facing competition for a role in the front three from Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

But Liverpool fans are certainly keen on a summer swoop – a selection of the Twitter reaction from Reds supporters can be seen below:

It seems almost too obvious to say that time is running out for Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United.

However, if his somewhat impressive cameo in a sombre return to Camp Nou proved anything, there still might be a bit of fuel remaining in his career at Old Trafford.

After recovering from another injury, the Chilean returned with a different look to himself. Now he sports a fancy moustache making him look like someone from the ’80s. However, what he aims to do is roll back the years to prove why United were right in throwing so much resource to him.

Granted that Sanchez hasn’t had the most prolific season with United. He’s scored two goals in all competitions, frustrating fans with his shocking inefficiency in the final third, considering his quite frankly obscene weekly wage. However, a different incarnation of Sanchez was on show after receiving big applause on his return to his former hunting ground.

The Chilean looked much more agile and much fitter than before, moving around the final third like a bee. Just a stupidly paid one. Indeed, he created one decent chance with a clever lobbed ball which was eventually determined offside and almost scored a consolation when Diogo Dalot’s cross was briskly headed onto goal, only for Marc Andre ter-Stegen to expertly save Barcelona’s clean-sheet.

However, his overall contribution was quite impressive, as he looked to have more urgency to score than multiple inefficient teammates on the day.

Baby steps, of course, but Sanchez needs to gain confidence from his bright showing and quickly get his scoring boots on to make a big impact in the remaining games and redeem his failures at United.

United fans, do you think Sanchez can redeem his failures now? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Southampton are on the brink of securing their Premier League status for next season after a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night, a result that saw them go within three points of the 40-point target.

The result continued an impressive run for the Saints that has seen them win four of their last nine games, including wins against Tottenham and Wolves, and an impressive showing against Manchester United and Liverpool as well.

Despite their resurgence under Ralph Hasenhüttl, one player has come under particular criticism from the Saints’ faithful.

25 year-old Jack Stephens has been subject to much online criticism throughout Southampton’s bid for survival, but has remained involved under the Austrian manager despite some difficult individual performances.

These fans weren’t afraid to show how they feel about Stephens…

Southampton fans have enjoyed a plethora of talent in the centre-back position, with World Cup finalist Dejan Lovren, Southampton legend Jose Fonte and Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk all wearing the red and white stripes in recent years.

Despite the quality that fans have had the pleasure of enjoying in that position, there are many who continue to support Stephens amongst all the criticism, and have taken to Twitter to defend the centre-back, who’s been at the club since 2011.

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Tottenham Hotspur were offered the chance to sign Youri Tielemans from Monaco in January, per HLN journalist Kristof Terreur.

What’s the word?

Tielemans joined Leicester City on loan at the turn of the year, with the Foxes sending Andre Silva the other way.

The Belgium international has enjoyed an exceptional start to his Leicester career, playing 11 times in the Premier League.

He has scored three goals and laid on five assists, emerging as a genuinely classy operator at the King Power Stadium.

Tottenham were linked with a late swoop for Tielemans in January by the Daily Telegraph and Terreur has now confirmed that there is likely to be even more interest in the 21-year-old this summer.

Both Spurs and Manchester United are listed as potential suitors, with Tielemans a long-term target of both clubs.

May have missed the chance

Spurs may have waited too long to do this deal.

One thing is for certain; he would have boosted the club during their current injury crisis.

Following Mousa Dembele’s departure, the likes of Harry Winks, Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama and Dele Alli have all struggled for fitness.

Against Ajax in the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this week, Spurs were overrun and eventually had to task Danny Rose with playing in midfield.

In that game, Alli was clearly half-fit, failing to impact the game in the final third or in defence, as he drifted between attacking and central midfield.

Tielemans would have alleviated the pressure that is currently being placed on the England international – he probably would have started the game instead of him had he been on Spurs’ books – and could also have prevented Pochettino’s men being outmanoeuvred in midfield.

He may not have taken Spurs to victory but he would surely have helped, adding an extra dimension and looking to cut Ajax open with his incisive passing and swift dribbling. Instead, Tottenham conceded an away goal to the Dutch side and have left themselves a huge challenge to overcome in the second leg.

Under Pochettino, he could have become a star, but now, his value is soaring. Spurs, as said, may have waited too long.

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This week Aston Villa, Derby, Leeds and West Brom all do battle to determine who enjoys a memorable day at Wembley and gain access to the Premier League’s executive washroom.

Only one can ultimately make it of course, courtesy of the Play-Offs, which means not only will three sides who have contributed significantly to an enthralling Championship season miss out but also too several of their brightest young stars will face another campaign away from the spotlights.

Football Fancast picks out three brilliant talents who deserve top flight football under those spotlights next August whether it’s with their present employer or elsewhere.

Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)

The nimble-footed 23-year-old may have Villa in his bones but surely must be preparing for an emotional departure this summer should Dean Smith’s side fail to cap an impressive season with promotion.

Having played his way through a prolonged decline in form Grealish’s development has taken a quantum leap forward in 2018/19, gaining the captain’s armband and becoming an inspirational figure at Villa Park; a go-to player for creativity and drive. The extent of which is hugely impressive as noted by Sky Sports recently who pointed out that the Villans win ratio dropped from 54.8% to 20% when the midfielder was absent while his six goals and six assists have been crucial.

Grealish has rightfully been included in every Championship Team of the Year going and his remarkable displays have reportedly resurrected serious interest from Tottenham among others.

He is far too good for the second tier. It’s as simple as that.

Jack Clarke (Leeds United)

The York-born winger may have only played a cameo role in Leeds’ soap operatic season but there is a straightforward reason for that – he is still only 18, callow and learning all the time,

That takes nothing away from the impact he has made however in his 22 Championship appearances, 21 of which have come from the bench. His care-free, ambitious wing-play has lit up Elland Road, displaying devilish footwork and balanced movement while his gleeful propensity to take on defenders presumably has those who can recall the days of Waddle and Barnes regarding him as ‘a breath of fresh air’.

So highly is the teen rated that in January TalkSport reported that he is being tracked by both Tottenham and Manchester City though this week former Leeds star Danny Mills espoused caution on behalf of the player saying: “I think Jack Clarke should stay. When I look at players who have left Leeds United too early in the past, it’s very, very difficult not to.”

Should those words be heeded let us hope that Bielsa’s side go up so we can all better enjoy the lad’s unquestionable ability.

Harry Wilson (Derby County)

With his successful season-long loan spell at Pride Park set to end this summer the 22-year-old right winger arrives at an important crossroads in his career. Does he return to his parent club Liverpool? Does he move on? Does he accept another temporary stint elsewhere in a bid to prove he has what it takes to excel at the highest level?

We can safely rule out the last option as Wilson has undoubtedly now shown he has the attacking chops to flourish in the Premier League. A weighty 17 goals and three assists in the Championship will have plenty of potential suitors knocking on Anfield’s front door and perhaps a move is the best decision as there is a risk of regressing should he go back there. As Noel Whelan suggested recently the Welsh flyer will struggle to get game-time ahead of Firmino, Salah and Mane yet he is clearly ready to make his mark at the top. A transfer then it is, only to where?