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Manchester United have had their fair share of transfer mishaps over the years since Sir Alex Ferguson abdicated from his Old Trafford throne in 2013, with numerous players arriving for big transfer fees while failing to hit the required heights expected of them at United.

Angel di Maria, Falcao, Memphis Depay… the list goes on. Not only have they spent vast sums over the previous decade, they have also made colossal losses in selling players who have underperformed way below their valuation to simply move them on and get them off the books.

However, one move which has actually turned out to be a positive one was that of winger Daniel James, who generated a profit for the Red Devils upon his departure to Leeds United in 2021.

It was a surprising move to begin with. The Wales forward joined the Red Devils in 2019 under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for a fee of around £15m, and it looked as if the Norwegian was building for the future as the former Swansea City star was just 21 years old at the time.

Alas, the subsequent two seasons saw the Welshman fail to live up to expectations, registering only 18 goal contributions in 74 appearances. Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in the summer of 2021, James was sold to Leeds for £25m – and it proved to be an excellent decision.

Last season, he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.64/10 for his performances in the Premier League, scoring just four times across 34 appearances and taking 26.3 touches per game while succeeding with only 39% of his dribble attempts, clearly underperforming for the club as they just about fended off relegation.

His 2021/22 season ended with a whimper against Chelsea, when the winger was sent off following a “terrible challenge” – as dubbed by broadcaster Arlo White – on Mateo Kovacic and was given a 4.2 rating from Sofascore.

He joined Fulham on loan ahead of 2022/23, but his displays haven’t really improved, as he currently has a 6.69 Sofascore rating. The 25-year-old has started only five matches so far in the current Premier League campaign, scoring just once, and he is not having much of an impact for Marco Silva’s team.

Selling James in 2021 now appears to be a stroke of genius, especially considering his fall from grace over the previous 18 months; and given that United made a £10m profit on the Welshman, Solskjaer evidently played a blinder with that particular transfer decision.

Tony Mowbray’s Sunderland return to action in the Championship this afternoon as they take on rivals Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats will be hoping to bounce back from their last match in the division as they were beaten 3-1 by Russell Martin’s Swansea on their own turf.

Sunderland were fighting against the odds after 18 minutes against the Swans as central defender Luke O’Nien was shown a straight red card for a horribly mistimed challenge which led to the away side marching on to all three points.

A win for the hosts against Middlesbrough today will send them level on points with ninth-placed West Bromwich Albion and one point behind Norwich in the final play-off place in the table.

Therefore, there is plenty for the Black Cats to play for and Mowbray must now unleash experienced central defender Danny Batth from the start to give his side an improved chance of winning the match.

O’Nien was given his marching orders against Swansea and will now be suspended for this match. The former Wycombe man has not been in the greatest of form throughout the season so far as he has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 across his 25 appearances in the Championship, which places him 16th in the squad.

Batth, meanwhile, has averaged a score of 6.86 in the division and has been the club’s seventh-best performer this season. He was a substitute against the Swans as it was his first game back since the 17th December and Mowbray must unleash him from the start today to replace the suspended O’Nien.

The 6 foot 3 man mountain, whose expected transfer value (xTV) is £526k, came off the bench against Swansea and recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.9 as he assisted Daniel Neil’s goal, won 100% of his ground duels, and made three clearances, two blocks, one tackle, and one interception – as per Sofascore.

Batth, who was once dubbed “outstanding” by journalist Josh Bunting, has been a dominant force on the pitch for Sunderland this season as he has won a whopping 70% of his aerial battles in the Championship, whilst making 4.1 clearances per game for the side.

Whereas, O’Nien has only won 54% of his duels in the air and made 3.1 clearances per match. This indicates, along with their average performance levels, that the 32-year-old veteran would come in as a big upgrade on the versatile defender by starting against Middlesbrough this afternoon, which is why Mowbray must bring him in.

Tottenham Hotspur fell to an extremely disappointing 2-0 defeat in the north London derby on Sunday evening, a result that leaves Antonio Conte’s side five points adrift of fourth place – having played a game more – while it also sees Arsenal move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

As is now something of an unwanted trademark for the Lilywhites, Spurs started the game slowly, with a calamitous Hugo Lloris own goal gifting the Gunners the lead on the 14-minute mark, before a long-range strike from Martin Odegaard nine minutes before the break doubled the visitors’ advantage.

After the interval, Tottenham briefly looked as if they could haul themselves back into the fixture, with Aaron Ramsdale producing three fine saves to keep out Harry Kane and Ryan Sessegnon, although, as the game wore on, Arsenal once again took control, seeing out the 2-0 win with relative ease.

However, while the result will most certainly be a bitter pill for Conte to swallow, the performance of Pape Matar Sarr on his first Premier League start will have undoubtedly been a bright spark for the 53-year-old – as the midfielder well and truly repaid the Italian manager’s “big show of faith” on Sunday.

Indeed, over his 76 minutes on the pitch, the 20-year-old impressed in possession of the ball, enjoying 61 touches – the fifth-most of any Spurs player to feature in the match – completing 41 of his 46 attempted passes – at a success rate of 89% – and finding his man with one key pass – with Matt Kim claiming that Sarr’s forward passes and progression were “amazing” on the day.

The £14.5m signing also caught the eye in more workmanlike metrics, making three tackles, three interceptions and one clearance, as well as being successful in six duels and breaking up Arsenal’s play by committing two fouls.

While the Senegal international’s Sofascore statistical rating of 6.5 saw him fall some way short of the 8.0 received by Kane – the highest received by any Tottenham player – Sarr was awarded a much more favourable six in Alasdair Gold’s own player ratings for football.london.

The journalist wrote: “Making his full Premier League debut in a north London derby and he showed he doesn’t look out of place. It was a tough assignment with Hojbjerg against Arsenal’s midfield three but he worked hard and earned a standing ovation from a number of the fans when he went off.”

While such a lacklustre defeat against their most bitter of rivals is a result that no Spurs supporter will be enjoying today, there should be some confidence taken from the impressive showing by Sarr, as the youngster was very much Tottenham’s brightest spark on an otherwise bleak day.

Leeds United have been handed a boost in their pursuit of a teenage sensation…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Gianluca di Marzio (via Sport Witness), who claims that Jesus Vazquez may have now come available for a permanent transfer rather than the loan deal Valencia earlier touted.

With Torino still in the race, it will not be a comfortable deal, but Whites chief Victor Orta has retained an interest since mid-November.

The Spanish club are reportedly willing to part ways with their 19-year-old defender for a fee of just €5m (£4.3m).

The next Gareth Bale

Boasting one of the most notorious elevations through the game, the start of Gareth Bale’s career is one now well-documented.

Having started out as a left back, Harry Redknapp was struggling to accommodate him alongside the first choice Benoit Assou-Ekotto. As such, he decided that his pace and power could be better suited to a more offensive position, and in doing so created a monster.

In the 2011/12 campaign he would begin his ascent to the top with a ten-goal and 14-assist campaign, a tally he would obliterate the season following as he scored 21 and assisted nine.

More than earning his move to Real Madrid, despite a long-standing feud with fans and some of the hierarchy, he would score 106 goals for Los Blancos on his way to winning five Champions League titles.

Whilst to follow such a career path is a lofty ambition for Vazquez, he has been likened to the Welsh wizard in a report made by Breaking the Lines.

They would write: “In fact, watching him is like watching Gareth Bale from his left-back days at Tottenham. He is over 6 feet tall like Centelles, and carries the ball into advanced positions like Bale used to. He even looks like that early 2010s Bale with the hairstyle. “

Whilst a glowing recommendation, the Spaniard only boasts 22 senior appearances for his club.

Despite this, he has impressed on every occasion, and last season he recorded a 74% dribble success rate alongside his 1.6 tackles per game.

Whilst unlikely to dominate the game in the way Bale did, Vazquez remains the “exciting prospect” that talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him.

And for the cut price he has now become available for, surely this move marks a no-brainer for Orta in January.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in Weston McKennie, with a respected journalist having offered a new update…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Ben Jacobs, who underwent a Q&A on his Twitter account where he offered to answer transfer-related questions.

Asked by a fan if Spurs were in advanced talks with any big names, he namedropped the American by claiming: “McKennie is one to watch.”

Juventus have reportedly slapped a €30m (£26m) price tag upon his head, which could tempt Antonio Conte into action.

Replace Bissouma

Although having only signed in the summer, Yves Bissouma has somewhat struggled following his initial £25m move.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder had established himself as one of the great players outside of the traditional ‘top six’, recording a 7.07 rating in his final season on the south coast.

Billed as a top tackler, he averaged 1.9 interceptions and 2.9 tackles per game, yet his 89% pass accuracy suggested he had the quality to thrive in the transitions, via Sofascore.

However, under the intense pressure of a Conte system, he is yet to make his mark and was even branded “silly” and “naïve” by football writer Andrew Gaffney after the Mali international earned himself an unnecessary yellow card.

Across his 14 games this season he has been handed a miserable 6.64 rating, where his interceptions and tackles have both dropped to just 0.6 per game.

Therefore, the ruthless Italian coach could ditch him in favour of McKennie, who has established himself as a fine performer on the world stage this winter.

This season, the 24-year-old has recorded a 6.84 average rating for a struggling Juventus side.

Less of a ball-winner and more of a playmaker, this switch around would perhaps facilitate Conte moving to a more aggressive and offensive system.

The midfielder in question currently ranks in the top 10% for non-penalty goals, and ranking in the top 8% for progressive passes received could act as a bridge between the midfield and attack.

Having impressed at the World Cup, it seemed he was always destined for big things, with his former sporting director Christian Heidel claiming:

“Weston is a very good footballer, but he also has a lot of traits that are very, very important to Schalke. The fans love the way he plays, and the work he puts in. His body language is extraordinary.”

He could finally capture this potential touted back when he was a youngster by moving to Spurs, and replacing a summer signing that seems to have fallen flat.

Liverpool had arguably one of the finest attacking triumvirates in world football between 2017 and 2022, with Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane striking terror into opposition defences both in the Premier League and Champions League.

Indeed, the trio scored an incredible 338 goals between them during the five full seasons they all played together, while also chipping in with just 139 assists.

With Mane leaving to join Bayern Munich in the summer, and the marching of time ensuring Firmino and Salah may not have long left at their peak, Jurgen Klopp has the challenge of creating a new attacking trio.

Luring Darwin Nunez to Anfield was a major coup, and with winger Diogo Jota shining since joining from Wolves, they just need another star before the German’s future line-up will be complete. They might just find one with a young talent shining on the continent.

According to reports in Spain, the Reds have been linked with a move for winger Nico Williams, who plays for LaLiga side Athletic Bilbao.

The 20-year-old starlet, who has been dubbed “daring” by Marcelinho, has impressed in Spain this season, scoring three goals from 14 appearances, while also chipping in with three assists – proving he is an excellent goal threat from a wide position.

The £42m-valued youngster has also averaged 1.4 key passes per match while also creating two big chances, and with an average of 40.5 touches per game, he constantly demands the ball in order to generate opportunities for teammates and this selflessness will be a huge advantage for Klopp.

His performances have led the winger to be called up to the Spanish side for the World Cup, which could be the perfect platform for the player to shine and demonstrate his talent on a global stage.

If he did join, Klopp would certainly ease him into the side, especially with Salah still performing at his peak, but there is no doubt he could be the ideal replacement for the Egyptian.

Williams could be a breakout sensation in Qatar, and this might drive his transfer fee up to astronomical levels. Therefore, Julian Ward may have to act sooner rather than later and it may be a shrewd investment for the future.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update regarding Kyle Walker-Peters’ current situation at Southampton and his future at the club. 

The Lowdown: Previous interest in Walker-Peters

In August, it was reported that Chelsea had registered their interest in signing the Saints full-back, who has been praised this year by journalist Richard Gibson for his “outstanding” performances for the south coast club.

However, no move took place and the Englishman is still at St Mary’s, although a hamstring injury has kept him out of action since October.

Romano has now shared an update regarding the right-back’s future at Southampton.

The Latest: Romano shares Walker-Peters latest

In a recent column for Caught Offside, the journalist and transfer insider discussed the defender’s current standing at St Mary’s amid the aforementioned Chelsea interest.

He said: “Kyle Walker-Peters was one of the right-backs on Chelsea’s list in the summer, alongside Denzel Dumfries. The Southampton defender is a player they have been following for a long time but there are no negotiations or contacts ongoing, as of now. The situation is really quiet as things stand around Walker-Peters.”

The Verdict: Good news for Southampton

Now that Romano has said that there’s no current movement around the 25-year-old, this should be a positive update for the Saints and their supporters.

Having completed the full 90 minutes in nine of his 11 league games this season, this highlights how important the English right-back is for the team.

From a defensive point of view, Walker-Peters has the joint-second highest average of tackles per game (1.9) in the league this season at Southampton and overall performance rating of 6.69/10 from WhoScored, leaving only four Saints players with higher ratings.

With that in mind and the fact that Nathan Jones’ side have conceded nine goals in the four previous league games that the injured right-back has missed, it’s safe to say that the Saints could do with having him back in the team as soon as possible.

In terms of Romano’s update about Walker-Peters’ future, it seems likely that the Southampton fans will not want to see any other clubs linked with a move for the defender in the near future.

Crystal Palace have several young English prospects in their squad and after fantastic performances over last season, some of Patrick Vieira’s most promising rising stars were given the golden opportunity to play for their country for the first time.

Tyrick Mitchell, Marc Guehi and loan player, at the time, Conor Gallagher were all handed their debuts in Gareth Southgate’s side over the last 12 months for their outstanding contributions with the Eagles, something that has led to a continued conversation about their inclusions in the upcoming World Cup.

The Athletic published an article where the publication’s journalists put together their predicted 26-man England squads and despite a slow start for Palace, some of the club’s players were mentioned.

Senior writer Dominic Fifield named midfielder Eberechi Eze in his predicted squad, a player who has not only been a standout performer for Palace this season but also took an unfortunate blow to his chances of featuring in the Euro 2020 squad last year.

It was reported in May 2021 that Eze was given notice of his selection for Gareth Southgate’s provisional squad for the European tournament, however, a serious Achilles injury sidelined the player in the same month and he spent 162 days in recovery.

Unfortunately, the talented Palace ace hasn’t featured for his country since returning to action from his injury and it will be interesting to see if he will make the cut when Southgate does put together his squad over the coming days and weeks ahead.

However, there was another player named in Fifield’s predicted squad who has had the opportunity to prove himself on the international stage for Southgate, with Guehi named as a potential selection for the World Cup.

The Athletic’s Chelsea reporter Carl Anka also named Guehi in his predicted 25-man squad, and it’s not hard to see why when you consider his consistency in the centre-back position for Palace.

The 22-year-old – who was dubbed an “absolute tank” by Josef Bursik – averages 71.6 touches, 1.1 interceptions, 1.2 tackles and 3.6 clearances per game, as well as winning the majority of his duels (59%) over 12 league appearances.

When you compare Guehi to regular England centre-back Harry Maguire over this season, it is clear that the Palace ace is in much better form in comparison ahead of the international tournament.

The £18m machine has a better pass completion rate (88% v 87.6%), has made more tackles and interceptions (26 v 7) and has won more aerial duels (14 v 7).

Guehi is no stranger to international success either, as he scored one of the goals that led England to victory in the 5-2 defeat over Spain in the U17s World Cup final back in 2017, something the Palace centre-back claimed was the “best moment” of his life.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Guehi should be given the opportunity to travel to Qatar with the England squad next month as he has proven he can offer consistent form and has defensive attributes that could prove invaluable to Southgate during the tournament.

Indeed, with Southgate looking short of quality central defensive options, and Maguire out of form, the Palace defender could be an unexpected answer to his prayers.

Liverpool make the trip to London on Sunday afternoon to take on Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and Jurgen Klopp has delivered some new injury news ahead of the clash.

What’s the latest?

The Reds manager took to his pre-match press conference to reveal that deadline day loan arrival Arthur Melo has sustained an injury and will not be available to feature against Mikel Arteta’s side this weekend.

Klopp told the media (via This Is Anfield): “There’s one new injury – Arthur in the last session before the Rangers game.

“In a normal situation, he just injured a muscle. We have to wait for further assessment to wait for how long it will be.”

Klopp should be frustrated

There is no doubt that Klopp should be frustrated with the latest injury to a midfielder in his squad, especially as the Juventus loanee was meant to come in to add depth to an already depleted position.

Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all suffered from various injury issues over the season so far, and it was the Liverpool captain’s injury blow against Newcastle United at the end of August which prompted the deadline day signing of Arthur.

Liverpool’s ongoing injury issues have been a contributor to the terrible start to the Premier League season we have seen so far from the Reds, with Klopp’s side currently ninth in the table and 11 points adrift of their upcoming opponents at the summit already.

As a result, the new injury blow to Arthur will surely annoy his manager, who still has six fixtures to plan for over the rest of the month, including a league clash against Manchester City on Sunday week and  their Champions League games against Rangers and Ajax.

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Arthur has barely been seen in action since his move to Merseyside in September, featuring for only 13 minutes in the first team against Napoli which ended in one of Liverpool’s heaviest defeats in the Champions League to date, Therefore, if Thiago, Fabinho and Henderson can remain fit and fresh for Sunday, it would likely go unnoticed that the midfielder is absent.

With that being said, Klopp must hope that his current crop of available midfielders can maintain their fitness throughout this congested month of fixtures, as losing another player in that position could be even more detrimental to Liverpool’s stop-start season.

Everton have had success in promoting their legendary players to managerial positions at Goodison Park with Duncan Ferguson enjoying a long career off the pitch in the senior management team, but sometimes the idea of something is better than the reality.

When Rafa Benitez was finally given the boot back in January it wasn’t long before, at the time, Derby County manager Wayne Rooney’s name was thrown into the hat.

There was plenty of speculation surrounding a potential return to his boyhood club but it didn’t ultimately happen.

Although the idea of being led to better things by Rooney would have been a fairytale for the Goodison Park faithful, the reality is that England’s all-time top goal scorer is extremely inexperienced, and has had an unstable managerial career so far with no Premier League experience on his CV.

The 36-year-old who was dubbed a “fool” by talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan for leaving behind Derby County after being relegated from the Championship, has joined his former teammate turned manager Phil Neville over in MLS to continue developing his managerial skills and experience.

Over his career on the sideline so far, Rooney’s record isn’t the greatest with 46.32% of his results ending in defeat and only 28.42% victories since taking on the managerial challenge. He has also picked up just 1.11 points on average from his time at DC United and Derby combined.

On the other hand, current Everton boss Frank Lampard has a much more attractive profile when it comes to churning out results with a 47.06% win rate and only 31.76% of his results have ended in defeat. Furthermore, he’s got plenty of Premier League experience as a manager at Chelsea before taking on the difficult role with the Toffees.

Interestingly, both managers have held the reins at Pride Park early into their managerial careers but Lampard had the role in much brighter circumstances than Rooney, with financial problems plaguing the club throughout the current DC United boss’ tenure.

Indeed, it would not be surprising to see the former Manchester United striker manage the Toffees one day but at the time when the job became available the team was in a very sticky relegation scrap at the bottom of the table and if unsuccessful his reputation could have been in ruins.

With that being said, when you consider Lampard’s improvement this season in the Premier League already with Everton it was likely the right decision to put the club’s fate into slightly more experienced hands at the time. That said, there is no doubt that the idea of Rooney leading the Toffees to victory and trophies one day will be a dream for supporters.