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Former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino is adamant that Donny van de Beek is not good enough for Manchester United as his Old Trafford nightmare continues.

The Lowdown: Van de Beek’s struggles

The Netherlands international moved to United last summer from Ajax after making 175 appearances for the Dutch champions.

However, he has had to mostly settle for a substitute role under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and has only appeared once in the Premier League so far this term, with that one appearance being for a mere six minutes.

With Fred and Scott McTominay ahead of him in the midfield pecking order and minutes hard to come by, the move from his boyhood club to Old Trafford seems to have been a failure.

The Latest: Cascarino slams Van de Beek

Speaking on talkSPORT, Cascarino has slammed Van de Beek and has questioned the £40m price tag paid for his services over a year ago.

The ex-Chelsea striker said: “I was lucky enough to see him as a younger player, he’s not good enough for Manchester United.

“I actually said that when he joined. I said he’s not the level of what people expect of a £40m player. I think they wanted a very good footballing type goalscoring midfielder, he’s pleasant.”

Cascarino continued: “There have been great centre forwards like Ruud van Nistelrooy but generally midfielders you’re getting I find it hard to imagine them in the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Harsh but facts

Whilst the statement from Cascarino seems slightly harsh, opportunities for Van de Beek have been hard to come by and it does seem like Solskjaer isn’t the £100,000-per-week Dutchman’s biggest fan. However, the midfielder has seemingly failed to seize upon any rare starts he is given, being whipped off at half-time in the Champions League loss to Young Boys, for instance.

After seeing a proposed switch to Everton fall through in the summer and his minutes limited yet again this season, a move away from Old Trafford does seem the likeliest move in the career of the £27m-rated ace.

Labelled ‘perfect’ by former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, Van de Beek’s quality shouldn’t be slept on, as he proved for Ajax, so a move to another Premier League club and a chance to prove his worth could provide a chance for him to prove Cascarino wrong.

In other news, these United fans have slammed one defender for his performance in the weekend draw with Everton. Find out more here.

An injury prevention expert has slammed Leeds United’s professionalism after Diego Llorente picked up a fitness issue in the defeat to Liverpool over the weekend.

The Lowdown: Llorente out injured again

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were beaten 3-0 by the Reds on Sunday afternoon as their disappointing start to the Premier League season continues.

To compound the result, Llorente hobbled off with a hamstring problem in the first half after being unable to continue, in what is the latest injury setback for the Spanish defender, who has now gone off injured three times in his last 17 Premier League appearances.

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The Latest: Expert slams Whites

Speaking to Football Insider, an unnamed source who has worked with Premier League clubs in the past lambasted Leeds, claiming there are issues with the club’s conditioning of players. They said:

“That does not reflect well on Leeds or their staff. The job of the staff – the fitness, conditioning, sports science guys – is to get the players fit to play and keep them out there.

“There are some injuries you can’t legislate for, like the Harvey Elliott one today, but top athletes should not be breaking down with muscle injuries in the first half of matches.

“It means they are being overloaded in training, over-worked or not warming up and preparing properly. Something has gone wrong somewhere and Leeds will be embarrassed it has happened again to Llorente.

“Everyone will look from the outside and think he is ‘injury prone’ but it is more complex than that.

“Ultimately it is the manager’s decision on whether he thinks players are fit to play, and once they’re selected they should not be pulling hamstrings in the first half.”

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The Verdict: Slightly harsh?

It is hard to be critical of Leeds’ professionalism when you look at the incredible fitness levels Bielsa has his players reaching.

Granted, it is a high level of intensity which could potentially increase the risk of injury, but it may simply be the case that Llorente is an injury-prone player. After all, he endured multiple absences during his time in La Liga as well.

The hope is that 28-year-old makes a speedy recovery given his importance to the team, but these injury problems are starting to become a worry and Bielsa may have doubts about the defender’s long-term worth if such fitness woes persist.

In other news, a journalist has named three Leeds players who could move on in January. Read more here.

Newcastle United could now be in danger of losing Graeme Jones if Roberto Martinez becomes the new manager of FC Barcelona, claims Lee Ryder.

The Lowdown: Bust-up

It has been reported recently that Jones has been involved in a bust-up with Dwight Gayle on the training ground, in which Jamal Lascelles had to step in to try to break up.

However, the assistant coach to Steve Bruce has generally made a positive impact since arriving at St. James’ Park, as Callum Wilson praised him upon his arrival.

The Latest: Ryder on Jones

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder has now claimed that Jones could leave the North East, if Martinez replaces Ronald Koeman at Barcelona.

There has been a rumour that the Belgium international manager could succeed the under-pressure Dutchman, and Jones has worked with him before with Belgium as well as at Everton and Wigan Athletic.

The Verdict: Keep

The Tyneside club need to keep hold of Jones if Martinez ends up at Barcelona, so that he can continue to assist Bruce on the touchline.

There is simply no need to get rid of him, and even though the chance to work at one of the most prestigious clubs in world football may be a tempting offer, Jones should stay put for now – look at how the results improved when he arrived last season.

Nonetheless, this is all speculation at the moment, and only time will tell whether any moves materialise.

In other news, find out which NUFC loanee has been likened to Nolberto Solano here!

Michael Ball insists Everton fans should not be underwhelmed by the club’s transfer business ahead of the new Premier League season.

The Toffees have entered a new era, with Carlo Ancelotti leaving Goodison Park in favour of a return to Spanish giants Real Madrid and Rafa Benitez being named as the Italian’s successor.

New boss Benitez has welcomed three fresh faces to Merseyside, with the trio all arriving within a 24-hour period last month.

Andros Townsend, who worked under Benitez during their time at Newcastle United, has penned a two-year deal after seeing his Crystal Palace contract expire at the end of June.

Experienced goalkeeper Asmir Begovic is set to provide competition for first choice shot-stopper Jordan Pickford having made 51 appearances for Championship side Bournemouth last term.

Ex-Leicester City winger Demarai Gray has returned to his homeland thanks to a £1.7million switch from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

While Everton have failed to clinch the signing of Napoli central defender Kalidou Koulibaly, who is Benitez’s top target, Ball believes there is no reason for Toffees fans to be concerned.

The former Everton left-back exclusively told Football FanCast: “I think there was an inkling of Everton fans seeing the signings as pretty underwhelming.

“We have been spoilt in the past with big names but it’s not just about one player. You need to be compact as a team and have ability all around the squad.

“Rafa has come in, seen where we are pretty weak and where he wants to improve.”

Rangers were able to secure their spot in the Europa League group stages on Thursday afternoon as they drew 0-0 with Armenian side Alashkert in Yerevan, one week after Steven Gerrard’s team triumphed 1-0 at Ibrox in the first leg.

The Gers were able to hold on to but not build on their slender lead in Armenia, despite the hosts going down to ten men in the first half.

Rangers were without their manager and a number of first-team players after a Covid outbreak at the club earlier this week but Gary McAllister was able to steer a much-changed squad through to the group stages, with the draw set to take place on Friday afternoon.

Although Rangers fans will be relieved that they were able to scrape through the qualifying game, they should be disappointed that they failed to score against Alashkert in the 90 minutes, particularly once they went down to 10 men.

One man who disappointed in the draw was left-back Borna Barisic, who has endured a poor start to the new season despite being one of the most consistent performers in Gerrard’s side last season, scoring five times and registering 14 assists.

The Croatian, who wasn’t utilised by his country at the European Championships this summer due to injury, has returned to Ibrox looking like a shadow of his former self.

Barisic disappointed in previous defeats against Dundee United and Malmo, subsequently losing his starting spot to Calvin Bassey after the youngster’s impressive displays.

However, with the former Leicester City man left at home after testing positive, Rangers were forced to select Barisic from the start in Yerevan and he once again emphasised his lack of match fitness and quality.

Following the game, the Glasgow Times were critical of Barisic’s performance, writing:

“Still doesn’t look up to speed and didn’t have his best night.”

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Therefore, Gerrard will no doubt be fuming with the way the £5.4m-rated defender has started the season and may be concerned that he could struggle again this weekend as the Gers prepare for the Old Firm derby at Ibrox.

And, in other news… Gerrard could be set for huge transfer blow with outstanding Rangers gem

Celtic haven’t had much fortune in the early stages of the season.

In fact, it’s been a wretched start to Ange Postecoglou’s reign as Hoops manager at Parkhead. They were beaten in their first league clash and will head to the Czech Republic on Thursday afternoon licking their wounds.

That said, this has been a productive week for Celtic. They have signed James McCarthy who was a free agent while they’ve also welcomed Joe Hart through the door.

The former has been left behind in Glasgow but Postecoglou has received a massive boost with Hart among the travelling party.

It has been hinted that he could make his debut in their Europa League qualifier just days after putting pen to paper.

The boss commented: “He’s been training well with his club and he was also really keen to come in straight away.

“I gave him a little bit of an option that he could stay back in Glasgow. But Joe made it pretty clear he wanted to come across and join in training immediately.

“I’ll assess him in training and we’ll take it from there.”

If Hart does indeed start against Jablonec, then it will be huge for their chances in the match.

After all, the current goalkeeper situation at Paradise is far from fruitful. Vasilis Barkas made a huge error against Midtjylland, failing to save a free-kick that went through his hands and then found the net.

Scott Bain has also been lacking confidence. Despite becoming the club’s number 1 option between the sticks last season, he isn’t a reliable figure.

The Scot proved as much when Celtic took on Hearts last weekend. A late free-kick was hoisted into the penalty area which Bain started to move towards his back post in order to stop.

However, John Souttar rose above Bitton and headed the ball past the goalkeeper who was standing in no man’s land.

With the pair already making costly mistakes this season, Postecoglou must look to Hart from the get-go in order to hand his side the best chance of qualifying for the Europa League group stages.

The former England international is a seasoned pro with plenty of continental experience under his belt. He will know exactly what it means on Thursday evening. The manager will be elated to have him available.

AND in other news, Celtic could sign their new Henrik Larsson in “outstanding” 24-cap “animal”…

Everton goalkeeper Joao Virginia is close to joining Sporting Lisbon on an initial loan deal with an option to buy, according to Portuguese media outlet Record (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

The Liverpool Echo reported last week that the Toffees had sanctioned a loan move for the 21-year-old, who has been attracting interest from the Championship and from abroad.

Virginia played three games for Everton last season, making his Premier League debut against Burnley in March when Jordan Pickford was forced off with an injury. He kept his place for the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City and helped the Blues keep the eventual Premier League champions at bay for 84 minutes.

Everton under-23 boss David Unsworth has lavished the ‘keeper with praise, describing him as ‘unbelievable’.

The latest

Record claimed (via Sport Witness) that negotiations between Everton and defending Primeira Liga champions Sporting are now ‘very advanced’ and that an agreement should be reached this week.

The Lisbon club will then be able to decide whether they want to sign Virginia permanently at the end of his loan spell.

The verdict

Virginia remains well down the pecking order at Goodison Park. He may have sensed an opportunity when Robin Olsen returned to Roma following his Merseyside loan spell, but the signing of Asmir Begovic means that the youngster’s first team prospects are very limited.

If there is an option to buy, what kind of fee should Everton propose? Virginia is only 21 years old and will still have two years left on his contract come the end of the season, so somewhere around the £2m mark would probably be reasonable.

In other news, many Everton fans ripped into this player during the Southampton game. 

Celtic are reportedly showing an interest in signing Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster this summer, but it would be a strange decision by Ralph Hasenhuttl to let him leave St Mary’s.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Celtic are interested in taking the 33-year-old back on loan next season and have entered talks with the Saints over a potential deal.

One sticking point in any potential loan deal is the issue of Forster’s wages, with the report from Nixon claiming that he earns £130,000 per week at Southampton, with Celtic only willing to pay around a third of that.

Southampton transfer disaster?

Hasenhuttl suggested earlier in the year that he would once again use Alex McCarthy and Forster as his first team goalkeepers for the 2021/22 campaign, with the two shot-stoppers likely to alternate in between the sticks based on form, as they did last season.

It seemed as if the Austrian preferred McCarthy at first because of his ability with the ball at his feet, but the former QPR man lost confidence after the 9-0 hammering against Manchester United, and with Forster impressing in the FA Cup, he was given a run in the first team.

The former England international impressed at times and emphasised that he still has the ability to play for Southampton in the top flight, so it would be baffling if he were allowed to rejoin the Hoops on loan, especially with third-choice ‘keeper Angus Gunn having already completed a permanent move to Norwich City.

Given that the season kicks off in less than a month, Southampton could be heading for disaster if they allow Forster to depart without bringing in a replacement, as it would leave just Harry Lewis as competition in the first team, which would not please Southampton fans given their less than impressive defensive record last season.

It is no surprise that Celtic are keen on Forster given his “outstanding” performances for the Scottish Premiership side in the past, but unless they can convince Ange Postecoglou’s side to pay a significant portion of his wages, as well as having a replacement lined up, Southampton should not let Forster leave on loan this summer.

In other news… Bye-bye Vestergaard: Southampton linked with “monster” loved by Mourinho

Arsenal are eyeing up a fresh transfer move for Real Madrid’s Martin Odegaard as they look to bolster their creative options this summer.

What’s the story?

The Norway international joined Mikel Arteta’s side on loan back in the January transfer window, but it had since been claimed in recent weeks that he would not be returning to the Emirates Stadium, instead looking to fight for his place at the Bernabeu.

However, Football.London have now claimed that the Gunners haven’t given up on making a late move for Odegaard, with a belief that Madrid would be open to offers for him.

Arsenal’s new Ozil

Described as a “phenomenon” by Norwegian football writer Lars Sivertsen, Odegaard is the kind of creative playmaker who appears to be tailor-made to come in and finally replace Mesut Ozil – another creator who came to the club from Real Madrid – at the Emirates.

Spanish football journalist Alvaro Montero said: “He’s very similar to Mesut Ozil, he’s left-footed, he plays extremely well between the lines and between the striker and the midfielders. Maybe he even has more goal threat than Mesut Ozil, but he travels a little less. He’s an amazing player and I think he’ll be an amazing player for Arsenal and for Mikel Arteta.”

Having seen him impress during his loan spell at the Emirates, Arteta himself lauded Odegaard’s ability and leadership, saying: “Well, he’s showing that I think from week one. The way he steps on the pitch, he always wants the ball, the way he commands the pressing. He’s been really influential.

“I think we’ve all been a bit surprised because he looks really shy and humble, but when he steps on that pitch he’s a real character and he loves to play football.”

While the Norwegian didn’t exactly set the world alight in his first few months with the Gunners, he showed more than enough, both with his creativity and off-the-ball work, to suggest that he could become a real star over a longer period.

As per WhoScored, Odegaard averaged 1.4 key passes per game in the Premier League, which was the joint-highest of any Arsenal player last season along with Emile Smith Rowe. His 0.9 dribbles per match put him in the top five, while his impressive 90.9% pass accuracy was good enough to place him second in the Gunners’ entire squad.

The £36m-rated star could finally arrive on a permanent deal and banish any lingering thoughts about Ozil at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, Arsenal could sign their new Vieira in this star…

Queens Park Rangers have confirmed that Liam Kelly has left the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on a permanent basis.

What’s the latest?

In a short statement posted on the QPR website, the club confirmed that the 25-year-old goalkeeper has joined Graham Alexander’s Motherwell side on a permanent basis, following his loan spell at the Scottish club at the back end of last season.

The shot-stopper had looked set to join the Scottish Premiership side for a number of months, with Alexander revealing back in May that he and his side were in talks with the Championship club regarding the transfer of the Scot.

And, following the completion of the deal, QPR thanked the former Scotland U21 international for his service to the club, before wishing him well for the future.

Warburton will be buzzing

Having joined QPR from Livingston back in the summer of 2019, it would appear a fair statement to make that Kelly did not quite live up to expectations during his time south of the border.

Indeed, in his first season at the club, the 25-year-old featured in 19 Championship games for Mark Warburton’s side, keeping three clean sheets and conceding 29 goals, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.79.

These appearances would turn out to be the only league games the £360k-rated ‘keeper would feature in for QPR, with Kelly falling behind both Joe Lumley and Seny Dieng last term, before being loaned out to Motherwell in January.

And, considering the fact that the man Alexander dubbed a “fantastic” shot-stopper was earning a hefty £7k-per-week in west London, as well as giving a rather frank interview regarding his desire to leave the club earlier this summer, the fact that Warburton has been able to secure the ‘keeper a move away from the Rs is sure to have left the 58-year-old buzzing as he looks to build a squad capable of pushing for promotion next season.

In other news: QPR make approach for “excellent” £4.1k-p/w beast, Warburton will be buzzing