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Manchester United have been handed a huge injury boost ahead of their opening Premier League fixture of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion this Sunday.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that, after being ruled out of the Atletico Madrid friendly due to sickness last Saturday, Jadon Sancho is expected to be available for the visit of the Seagulls this weekend after making a quick recovery from his illness.

However, in less positive news for Erik ten Hag, Anthony Martial has now been ruled out of the Brighton fixture as a result of a hamstring injury picked up in the pre-season meeting against Diego Simeone’s side.

Ten Hag will be delighted

While Martial’s unavailability will undoubtedly be a blow for the United manager ahead of the club’s 2022/23 curtain raiser, the Frenchman’s injury amplifies how much of a boost the return of Sancho will provide for the 52-year-old Dutchman.

Indeed, prior to falling ill, the 22-year-old had been a crucial part of Ten Hag’s XI throughout pre-season, with the £67.5m-rated winger demonstrating the form which convinced United to part with £73m to secure his services last summer, scoring three goals in four pre-season fixtures.

These returns have led to claims that the England international could become an incredibly important part of the United team in their 2022/23 campaign, with Fan Nation stating their belief that the forward may well prove to be the club’s best asset next term.

Although the £350k-per-week attacker did get off to something of a slow start upon his return to England – failing to score or register an assist over his first 11 outings in the league.

As such, the news that Sancho will be available for the visit of Brighton is sure to have delighted Ten Hag, who will undoubtedly be hoping to get his Manchester United tenure off to the perfect start with a win against Graham Potter’s side this Sunday.

Steven Gerrard could be willing to part ways with one of his star forwards, according to transfer insider Dean Jones…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he issued the following update on the future of Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa:

“It’s an interesting story and one thing that has become clear to people close to Aston Villa over the course of this year is that Gerrard has some reservations about Watkins, so it would not be a surprise to see him replaced.”

With three years left on his £75k-per-week contract, he could mark a coup for whoever might snap up the unwanted England international. He could become their eighth departure of the summer.

Watkins is replaceable

Although he promised much after his club-record £28m transfer to Villa under ex-manager Dean Smith, Watkins has struggled to grow into the player many thought he would.

Having scored an astounding 25 Championship goals during the 2019/20 season, and seemingly taken to the Premier League in his debut year scoring 14, reports of a bust-up with his manager could see him exit Villa Park.

With one source claiming the pair “do not see eye to eye”, perhaps Gerrard will look to cash in whilst Watkins is still young and scoring a fair amount of goals.

This however does not make the forward irreplaceable, as despite his 11 league goals last season he still missed a further ten big chances.

He lives up to the notion that he is often a “blunt & disappointing” striker, as Mark Donne labelled him.

Gerrard has often opted for a lone striker backed up by three creative players just behind him, meaning that if Watkins was to leave, he would need only find a direct replacement to battle with Danny Ings for the spot.

Ings himself even managed seven goals and six assists last season, actually equalling the 13 goal contributions of Watkins.

The 26-year-old also does not boast any particular strengths that would make him irreplaceable, ranking in the 54th percentile for dribbles completed, the 42nd percentile for shot-creating actions, and the 76th percentile for pressures.

It would not be tough to replace these stats whilst also improving upon his goalscoring numbers.

Watkins is a solid all-around striker, but perhaps with more of a pure finisher up front, Gerrard could get more out of the likes of Phillipe Coutinho and Emi Buendia’s creativity.

He is far from irreplaceable, and as an English player entering his prime years, Villa would surely be able to earn a substantial fee to fund his successor.

Liverpool have held a long-term interest in Jude Bellingham, and now there has been an update on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones, Liverpool are expecting to complete the signing of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham next year.

As per Jones’ report for the publication, the club are not willing to part ways with Naby Keita this summer despite speculation that he is unhappy at the club, and hope to retain the midfielder’s services ahead of their pursuit to secure the signing of Bellingham in the summer of 2023, when Keita will be out of contract.

Klopp’s missing puzzle piece

It is no secret that Liverpool have been interested in signing Bellingham for a long time, and Klopp has even addressed the speculation surrounding a move for the player, ruling out his move to Merseyside this summer.

Klopp told the press when asked about the signing of the Borussia Dortmund wonderkid:

“He’s not on the market, so that’s the first problem with that player. Well, the only problem with that player!

“Of course [I value the youngsters highly].”

The £103m-valued sensation whose technical ability was hailed as “scary” by Jack Grealish would be a great addition to the Liverpool squad and judging by their long-term admiration of the player, it could be Klopp’s dream signing, especially with many changes to the midfield likely to unfold over the next 12 months.

Indeed, the central areas at Anfield feel like the final missing piece of the jigsaw right now when it comes to challenging champions Man City.

Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will all be out of contract in June 2023, and with Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson well into their 30s there is certainly an opportunity for Klopp and the powers at Anfield to start considering the future of the midfield three.

Bellingham has gone from strength to strength since joining his current Bundesliga club, and has even broken into the England team with 15 caps so far, meaning he will likely feature in this year’s World Cup when Gareth Southgate names his squad in a few months’ time.

Compared to his positional peers in the top five European leagues over the last 365 days, the 19-year-old sensation has ranked in the top 10% for shot creating actions, dribbles completed, overall touches, progressive passes received and assists, proving that he is capable of offering high quality in a high pressing system.

Very much a well-rounded midfielder who could slot into Liverpool’s squad for the next ten years, this would be a marvellous addition, one Klopp would be delighted to secure as he aims to add the last piece of the jigsaw to his team.

The signing of Bellingham won’t be easy for Liverpool with many other clubs also interested in acquiring the young talent’s services next summer including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea, but if they can get a deal done it could be quite the coup.

Nottingham Forest are interested in making a move for Tottenham full-back Sergio Reguilon this summer, according to reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The Lowdown: Reguilon out of favour

The 25-year-old has fallen out of favour under Antonio Conte at Spurs, with Ryan Sessegnon increasingly looking like their first-choice left-back option.

Reguilon only started 22 of his side’s 38 Premier League matches last season and became more of a peripheral figure as the campaign went on. While injury has prevented him from featuring so far this term, the summer signing of Ivan Perisic appears to have nudged him further down the pecking order in N17.

For that reason, the Spaniard could be allowed to leave Spurs in the summer transfer window, even though his current deal doesn’t expire until 2025.

The Latest: Forest eye up Reguilon move

According to Ornstein for The Athletic, Forest are interested in signing Reguilon on loan for the rest of the 2022/23 campaign, with talks believed to have taken place between the two clubs over the past few weeks.

With Omar Richards ruled out for the foreseeable future through injury, the Spain defender is seen as someone who can provide stiff competition for Harry Toffolo, who has started every game so far this season for the Garibaldi.

The Verdict: Great left-back option

While Reguilon may not be considered an important figure at Spurs, he could be a fantastic loan signing for Forest, enhancing their squad depth greatly.

He has been described as ‘phenomenal’ by journalist Alasdair Gold and has registered nine assists in 67 appearances for Spurs, highlighting the attacking quality to could bring to the Reds’ team.

He would also bring the allure of winning a major European trophy, having helped Sevilla to win the Europa League this time two years ago during a loan spell from Real Madrid.

Having multiple players fighting for minutes in every position can only be a good thing for Forest as they come up against top teams consistently at Premier League level, and Reguilon could be the perfect man to make up for the loss of Richards.

Deadline day may be just around the corner but Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action this evening as they travel across the capital to face West Ham United.

This London derby is usually one full of goals and drama, so we could be in for an exciting night at the London Stadium, where Spurs manager Antonio Conte will be looking for his side to continue their unbeaten run.

Whilst for Irons boss David Moyes will want to build from their first win of the new campaign at the weekend.

Tottenham were victorious in their clash against newcomers Nottingham Forest on Sunday but only just and it has led to question marks from some sections of the Lilywhites faithful.

And with this being just the second game in a hefty seven-match run over the next few weeks, we could see some rotation from the Italian.

Heung-min Son has looked off the boil so far in 2022/23, failing to replicate his attacking exploits from last term. He’s made only one assist from his four appearances and is already four goals behind his frontline partner Harry Kane, who also leads him for average shots and key passes per game too.

It could be time to make the bold call of dropping him for this encounter, something that Conte can now easily do thanks to the £60m summer arrival of Richarlison, who came off the bench to deliver a beautiful outside-of-the-boot cross for Kane’s winner only a few days ago.

We’re yet to see much of the Brazil international but that was to be expected, with Kane, Son and Dejan Kulusevski the favoured and in-form front three, though the South Korean’s recent struggles will have surely opened up a spot heading into kickoff.

Richarlison has long been the talisman for Premier League rivals Everton, where he scored 11 times and laid on five assists last season to take his total for the club to 68 goal contributions in 152 appearances.

The 25-year-old dynamo was once described as the “complete striker” by his former manager Carlo Ancelotti, a multi-Champions League winner.

“Richarlison was a fantastic talent before me [Ancelotti’s arrival last month] and will be a fantastic talent after me. He has skills and ability… power and strength and speed.”

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This surely makes the £135k-per-week star a more than viable candidate to step up in Son’s absence, to even potentially stake a claim at a regular starting spot.

He’ll be hungry to deliver exactly that, which is why Conte must look to start Richarlison this evening.

The former Watford man also has a very impressive record against the Hammers, winning five of the eight head-to-heads, in which he’s bagged two goal and assisted two more, including one last campaign.

Conte could well haunt Moyes by unleashing the Brazilian maverick, who seems to be a real thorn in his side.

AND in other news, Spurs eyeing late double swoop before deadline day…

Liverpool are one of the clubs keeping an eye on Barcelona star Gavi’s contract situation.

The Lowdown: Gavi contract situation ongoing

The 18-year-old is one of the hottest properties in world football at the moment, bursting onto the scene at Barca and being described as ‘spectacular’ by none other than Camp Nou boss Xavi.

Gavi has already made 51 appearances for his current club, highlighting how special he is, and Liverpool have been linked with a move for him in the past.

The midfielder’s current Barca deal expires at the end of this season, and as of yet, he hasn’t extended his stay in Catalonia.

The Latest: Liverpool eyeing up superstar

According to 90min sources ‘with knowledge of the situation’, Liverpool are one of the clubs to have rekindled their interest in Gavi, holding meetings in recent weeks to keep track of his situation.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are also name-checked, along with European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

However, Barcelona are ‘confident’ he will pen new terms in La Liga.

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The Verdict: New deal feels nailed on

Gavi could be a sensational signing for Liverpool, considering he stands out as one of the best talents of his generation – a Reds midfield that includes him and Jude Bellingham could be something special for years to come.

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That being said, the teenager still feels far more likely to stay on at Barca, considering he has been there since childhood and could want to emulate the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in being a legendary midfielder there.

It is encouraging to hear that Liverpool are showing an interest in Gavi’s situation, however, and they should pounce at any sign of indecisiveness from the youngster.

Leeds United have had a mixed start to the 2022/23 Premier League campaign with Jesse Marsch entering his first full season in charge of the club.

The Whites have won two, drawn two, and lost two in their opening six matches as they continue to work out what the team will look like this season after a summer of change.

Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Dan James all departed and Victor Orta brought a host of new players in, including the likes of Brenden Aaronson, Marc Roca and Tyler Adams.

One player the club did manage to keep a hold of from last season, however, was wide midfielder Jack Harrison. He was the subject of interest from fellow Premier League side Newcastle United in the summer but Leeds stood strong and refused to cash in on the Englishman.

His contract is up in 2024 and the Whites are reportedly hoping to tie him down to a new contract to ensure his long-term future at Elland Road.

They have reaped the benefits of keeping him in Yorkshire so far this season as he has scored once and provided three assists in six Premier League outings so far, creating four ‘big chances’ and 3.0 chances per match – as per SofaScore.

He racked up 16 goals and nine assists in his first two top-flight campaigns for Leeds and has proven that he can make a big impact at this level from a wide position.

If they are unable to convince him to put pen to paper on fresh terms then they may have to start thinking about what life would be like after his departure, whether that comes next year, in 2024, or in a future year.

Marsch may already have the heir to Harrison’s position on the left wing sitting in the academy set-up in youngster Crysencio Summerville, who has already been exposed to first-team football.

The 20-year-old Dutchman has made eight substitute appearances in the Premier League and could take over that role out wide in the future if he is able to develop and make the step up to playing regular first-team football.

He has been on fire for Leeds at U21 level since joining the club in 2020. In 30 appearances for the youth side, he has produced 14 goals and 12 assists.

Summerville recently caught the eye in a 6-2 win against Southampton in a Premier League 2 clash – scoring three assists.

After that game, Patrick Bamford claimed that the attacker finds football “too easy” and admitted that the players notice his quality in training.

Jamie Shackleton also hailed the winger in the past, saying: “Cry Summerville is a nightmare to mark. He’s really sharp. For his size he’s very, very strong. I do my best to keep up with him and the other wingers. We’ve got some very sharp wingers at the club.”

His teammates clearly think highly of him and he has the statistics, at youth level, to back up the hype around him. It is now down to the youngster to prove that he can do it in the senior team as he continues to develop and hone his skills.

If he can replicate his goals and assists in the Premier League then he could have the quality to be the heir to Harrison’s throne on the left wing.

Reliable journalist Mike McGrath has now revealed a worrying transfer update at Everton involving Jordan Pickford.

The Lowdown: Thigh injury

Pickford unfortunately picked up a thigh injury after his heroics in the Goodison Park outfit’s 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool in the Premier League earlier this month.

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of their 1-0 win at home to West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, Frank Lampard confirmed that his number one goalkeeper was not set to return until after the international break, where they are targeting matches against Southampton and Manchester United for his comeback.

The Latest: Man Utd interest

Writing in his latest piece for The Daily Telegraph, McGrath has now revealed that Pickford is one of a number of goalkeepers in the frame to replace David de Gea at Man Utd, should he not receive a contract extension.

The Spaniard only has nine months left on his current deal at Old Trafford, and the Red Devils are thought to be weighing up a one-year extension, but if they do not take up that option, then they could turn to Pickford to replace him.

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The Verdict: Worrying

It will certainly come as worrying to Toffees supporters that Pickford is being considered as a transfer option for United.

One of the most prestigious clubs in the game, and a team that could offer him European football, it would surely be difficult for the England international to turn them down should they make an approach.

Nonetheless, Pickford has been excellent again this season, receiving a lot of praise for some of his performances, and so he would not be an easy player to replace.

While Wolves have endured a difficult start to the new campaign that has left some fans questioning the tactics of Bruno Lage, things could have been far worse for the Old Gold had they appointed Frank Lampard in 2021.

Following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo in that very year, Lage was much the favourite to take over at Molineux but there were reports that Lampard was interested following his sacking by Chelsea.

Alex Crook revealed on talkSPORT that the former England midfielder was under consideration by Wolves despite them having already met with Lage.

The Midlands club would obviously go with Lage and the former Benfica man enjoyed a promising start to life in the Midlands, with a top eight finish looking well on the cards early last season, with defensive performances in particular impressive as they shipped only 43 times – the fifth-best record in the division.

However, they drastically fell away after a shocking end to the campaign that saw them earn just two points from the final seven games of the season, and that form has sadly continued into the new campaign.

Goals have been hard to come by for the Old Gold, with just three in the Premier League to their name, and that has seen them manage only six points from the opening seven games.

While this has put Lage under pressure, there is little to suggest that Lampard would have done a better job had he been appointed at Molineux.

The current Everton boss boasts a points-per-game average of just 1.24 from his time at Goodison Park, whereas Lage has averaged 1.34 points-per-game at Wolves, having taken charge of 21 more fixtures.

His 2.17 points-per-game average at Benfica is also far better than Lampard managed at either Derby County (1.63) or Chelsea (1.75), which suggests that he has far more pedigree working with top players, while he also has the advantage of being Portuguese, so can communicate effectively with Wolves’ Lusitanic contingent.

Lampard’s success at Derby County was largely built upon his connections at Chelsea, as both Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount starred at Pride Park on loan from the Blues, while he was quickly exposed for being out of his depth when handed the reins at Stamford Bridge.

The 44-year-old has already come under a lot of criticism for the way he called out Everton players last season as they came very close to relegation from the Premier League, with Chris Sutton labelling his approach “damaging”.

While they boast similar records in the Premier League this season, Wolves definitely dodged a bullet in not appointing Lampard in 2021.

Arsenal are confident in tying down Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli to new contracts, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Contract situations

Top of the Premier League table after seven games, the Gunners have turned their attention to sorting out fresh deals for some of their most important players.

Both Saka and Saliba are contracted until the summer of 2024, so they theoretically have 21 months remaining at the Emirates Stadium. Martinelli’s deal also runs until that time, but the club have the option to extend this by a further year.

The Latest: Sheth’s claim

Sheth believes that Arsenal are confident in getting the star trio to sign new long-term deals with the club.

Speaking with GiveMeSport about the futures of those three players, the Sky Sports reporter claimed: “I think that would be a big priority. I think that they’re pretty confident of being able to do those deals for those players.”

The Verdict: Huge news

All three of Saka, Saliba and Martinelli have started each of Arsenal’s first seven Premier League games in 2022/23, of which Mikel Arteta’s side have won six, so they can all feel that they have contributes plenty to the team’s early-season success.

The Gunners have scored the third-most goals in the English top flight, and defensively they also come in at joint-third for the least number of goals conceded.

With a combined Transfermarkt valuation of £135m, it is essential for the north London outfit to tie down those three regulars (all of whom are still only 21) to long-term deals as a means of ensuring their long-term future with the club.

Otherwise, Arsenal may be forced into selling them for reduced prices next season when their contracts are dwindling, a situation that Arteta will surely be keen to avoid.