Chelsea are reportedly expected to ‘come back’ for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho after the Red Devils ‘concretely positioned themselves’ to land a replacement.

Garnacho has been strongly linked with a move away from Old Trafford this month.

The Man Utd forward has attracted interest from Chelsea and Italian giants Napoli.

He was deemed untouchable this time last year but Red Devils co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly willing to listen to offers for all of his players.

Garnacho has been fairly inconsistent this season and only has three goals and one assist in 22 Premier League matches.

Chelsea’s reported interest comes as a bit of a surprise given Enzo Maresca’s depth in wide areas, though left-winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is currently suspended after failing a drugs test.

👉 READ MORE: Man Utd given ‘no chance’ of signing Chelsea star permanently as transfer hinges on ‘big if’

Napoli’s interest comes following the sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain; however, rumours of a move to Serie A have died down.

The Blues are still in the picture for the 20-year-old’s signature and are expected to make a big push over the weekend, with the January transfer window set to close on Monday night.

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Chelsea are refusing to ‘let go of’ Garnacho and are ‘expected to come back in the last days of the window’.

It has previously been reported that the Londoners made an opening bid for the Argentine winger and are ‘willing’ to meet Man Utd’s £60million valuation.

MORE ON MAN UTD FROM F365
👉 The Famous F365 Friday Quiz: January Transfer Deadline Day edition
👉 Erling Haaland to smash Alan Shearer’s legacy? Seven breakable Premier League records
👉 ‘Thick’ Rashford racism theory debunked by Garnacho evidence

They are now likely to make a second offer – or first, depending on who you believe – for Garnacho.

The report claims Man Utd ‘would like to part ways with Marcus Rashford’ and are ‘under attack on Garnacho’ amidst the Blues’ interest.

Napoli’s interest is mentioned but ‘above all’, Chelsea are ‘courting’ him, with the club’s directors ‘planning to return to the charge in the coming hours’ after ‘talking for several days to find a solution’ with the Red Devils.

This report claims Man Utd want closer to a ‘significant’ £80million fee for Garnacho.

Chelsea could be boosted in their pursuit if Christopher Nkunku is sold. The French forward reportedly has interest from Bayern Munich, who are set to part ways with Mathys Tel.

Indeed, Bayern sporting director Max Eberl is ‘hoping for Nkunku’s signature’, although Tel’s departure is currently the priority.

A transfer domino effect is around the corner as Man Utd ‘in particular, has concretely positioned itself’ to sign the 19-year-old.

If Ruben Amorim’s side want to sign Tel permanently, they will have to cash in on Garnacho.

Garnacho could end up at Chelsea, which would allow Man Utd to spend big on Tel, which would prompt Bayern to sign Nkunku. It’s all happening, folks. As the L’Equipe report states: ‘There is a game of musical chairs that could take place’.

👉 READ NOW: Premier League now almost guaranteed FIVE Champions League places

Chelsea have reportedly entered the race to sign Brighton forward Evan Ferguson, while they are also looking a potential goalkeeper signing.

The Blues have set their sights on bringing in another forward before the end of the transfer window with Christopher Nkunku looking for a way out of Stamford Bridge before the deadline.

ESPN Brasil claim that Nkunku is ‘determined to leave Chelsea in the next few days’ and the former Paris Saint-Germain player ‘would be happy to stay in England or go back to Germany’.

And ESPN reporter James Olley insists that Tottenham have a ‘clearer path’ to signing Bayern Munich forward Tel than Chelsea after the Blues ‘made a lot of the early running’.

When asked if Tel could sign for Chelsea or another Premier League club before the deadline, Olley wrote: ‘Yes. Bayern Munich director Max Eberl has confirmed that the 19-year-old Tel wants to leave and said: “I’ve rarely had so many clubs call me about a player before.”

‘But although Chelsea have made a lot of the early running, Tottenham feel they have an opportunity to win the race by offering a clearer path to regular first-team football and had a €60m offer accepted on Thursday night. The player has yet to make a decision though and personal terms have not been reached.

‘Sources said that Manchester United, Aston Villa and Ligue 1 side Marseille are also interested — although United must focus on outgoings first — while it remains unclear if Arsenal pivot away from their pursuit of Villa striker Ollie Watkins. If they do, Tel will be one alternative.’

And now Chelsea could turn to Brighton striker Ferguson with The Guardian claiming that the Blues ‘have joined the race to sign’ the Republic of Ireland international.

Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Bournemouth, Everton Tottenham and West Ham are also interested in Ferguson but the race for the Brighton attacker is described as ‘unpredictable’.

The Guardian adds:

‘Leverkusen were seen as frontrunners for Ferguson only for their plans to be complicated by Al-Nassr pulling out of a deal to sign Victor Boniface. That left West Ham in a strong position but they risk being outmuscled by Chelsea.

‘Enzo Maresca is keen to bring in a striker to compete with Nicolas Jackson, who has gone seven games without scoring in the Premier League, and Ferguson is well known to the Stamford Bridge club’s recruitment team. Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting director, was previously at Brighton.

‘It is unclear if Chelsea, who have recruited heavily from Brighton during the past two-and-a-half years, want a loan or a permanent deal. It is thought Ferguson, who is recovering from an ankle injury, could be available for £40m.

‘The 20-year-old has scored once this season but is seen as one of the best young forwards in England.

‘The race for Ferguson is unpredictable. Arsenal need a striker but do not have any domestic loans left and have targeted Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. Ferguson would be below Richarlison and Dominic Solanke in the pecking order at Spurs.

‘He would have opportunities to play regularly at Bournemouth, however, who have lost Enes Unal and Evanilson to injury, as well as at West Ham.’

MORE CHELSEA COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Neville slammed after criticising Chelsea star Palmer for ‘being played’ by Guardiola after Man City loss
👉 Man Utd ‘considering’ Chelsea transfer hijack after Blues ‘slow down’ Garnacho pursuit
👉 Chelsea ‘target’ three Garnacho alternatives with five exits mooted after Man Utd set deadline

Another position that Chelsea are interested in improving is goalkeeper with Robert Sanchez making a number of mistakes leading to goals this season.

And the Premier League side have identified Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel as a target but they could have to wait until the summer to land the Switzerland international.

The Independent claim:

‘Chelsea are interested in Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, although any move is likelier in the summer.

‘There may also be competition at that point from Manchester United, who have a long-standing interest in the Swiss international. Chelsea have started to consider their goalkeeping situation after some high-profile errors from current No. 1 Robert Sanchez.

‘Despite Enzo Maresca publicly backing the Spanish shot-stopper, the Blues have identified Kobel as a candidate who fits a lot of the criteria they prefer in a goalkeeper.

‘Dortmund are nevertheless resistant to even considering anything for the 27-year-old right now, especially in the midst of a run to the Champions League play-off round, with Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk securing 10th place in the table.’

According to reports, Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has identified two stars he ‘wants out’ before the January transfer window closes.

Amorim was appointed to replace former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag towards the end of 2024 and he’s endured a rough start at Old Trafford.

United’s new head coach inherited a mess and he’s faced difficulties while implementing his preferred 3-4-3 formation.

Under Amorim, Man Utd have only won eight of their last 18 matches in all competitions as they sit 12th in the Premier League table.

It’s clear that a huge overhaul is required at Old Trafford, but Man Utd have stuttered this month and not done as much business as intended when the transfer window opened.

READ: Man Utd ‘forms cock-up’ blamed for ‘bizarre’ medical delay by desperate media

It’s been widely reported that the Red Devils are open to offers for most of their squad and a Spanish outlet have somewhat stated the obvious, claiming Amorim has been ‘unimpressed’ by Marcus Rashford and Casemiro, who ‘will leave’ by the head coach’s ‘decree.

Rashford announced on New Year’s Eve that he is “ready” for a new challenge. Despite this, United are struggling to get rid of their academy product, who is attracting interest from a new Premier League club.

Casemiro meanwhile has slipped in the pecking order following Amorim’s arrival as the veteran midfielder is not part of the head coach’s plans.

The report claims Amorim is ‘clear he wants these two players out’.

‘He does not count on Marcus Rashford or Casemiro for his project.

‘The Portuguese coach has identified both players as expendable and is determined to give the green light to their departures in January.’

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea target Mathys Tel ‘indicates’ transfer ‘wish’ to Spurs in final decision
👉 Five Premier League players lucky to survive the January transfer window
👉 Man Utd ‘have already snapped up’ £50m Amorim favourite but Ornstein makes claim

A report from Manchester Evening News on Friday morning claimed Man Utd are ‘in talks to sell’ Casemiro – who is under contract until 2026 – before the transfer window shuts on Monday night.

‘Manchester United have engaged several agents to try and sell Casemiro before the transfer deadline.

‘United have touched base with a number of intermediaries ahead of Monday’s 11pm transfer deadline to identify a possible buyer for the 32-year-old midfielder.’

Amorim recently explained why he has only used Casemiro sparingly this season.

“He has to have the characteristics and then I have to choose the player with characteristics that I see the game. So it’s just that,” Amorim said.

“I have to make some choices. I want to play a style of game that is sometimes different from other coaches and I have to choose based on that, that’s all.”

A Mailbox that hardly mentions Marcus Rashford; a lot have been trashed. Let’s concentrate on the Man Utd football…

Send your views on Man Utd, the Champions League draw and more to theeditor@football365.com

That 27 minutes from Man Utd…
I know it’s just the Europa League, but that second half before Casemiro came on was probably the best I have seen Man United play in years.

The play was quick and decisive. We played with the swagger of a, dare I say it, top-class football team.

Side note, Kobbie Mainoo is class man. Under no circumstances should the executives consider any offer for this kid.

Lastly, Garnacho is so much more effective when we play at a quicker speed.

I really hope Amorin is backed in the summer. I was energized by that second half.
Manc in SA

But did Ruben change his formation?
Of course Ruben won’t change. Can’t change. Will never change. We’ve seen the dross he’s smeared onto a very average Man United club. 3 at the back. Yesterday. Today. And Always.

Is it just me, but didn’t two centre backs, with two wing backs look a lot like something that wasn’t 3 at the back? And is it just me, or did United finally open up and play with two wingers when Amad and Garnacho came on in the second half? You know, the half when they scored 2 of the 2 goals that they scored yesterday.

Asking for a friend.
Prince MNC, Muskoka, Canada

Europa League a joke though…
Ahhhh, last night’s results perfectly illustrated the issue with the new Europa League format—both Manchester United and Tottenham, despite underwhelming seasons, have managed to reach the final eight after dispatching FC FCSB and Elfsborg with relative ease.

The revamped system seems to reward teams that have underperformed domestically (I see you Rangers), giving them a safety net rather than a real challenge. The competition, which once had a distinct identity, now feels increasingly like a second chance for struggling elite clubs rather than a proving ground for genuine European contenders.

Surely, a tournament designed to showcase merit and competitiveness should not allow big-name clubs to coast through the latter stages. If this is the direction the Europa League is headed, then the integrity of the competition is at risk.

Is this really the best format for the tournament?

PS: Some thoughts before the weekend:

Bournemouth vs. Liverpool – This has to be the game of the weekend! Lord knows I’m not looking forward to the Arsenal vs. Manchester City match and the conspiracy theories that are likely to arise when Arsenal receives a red card and Omar Marmoush scores the winning goal for Manchester City.

Manchester United vs. Crystal Palace – With the manager needing Rashford’s pace (despite his mind and body seemingly in another team), Amorim can only hope Amad’s spark and speed will carry Manchester United through.

Chelsea v. West Ham – Maresca is going to start Sanchez again, isn’t he? What’s that concept called? You know, the one about doing the same thing but expecting different results.
Gaptoothfreak87, Man. Utd., Somewhere on Earth

READ: Europa League reputation takes hit as joke clubs Man Utd, Spurs, Rangers progress

What can we expect from Dorgu?
So as United edge closer to their first signing for Amorim I’ve been having a look at Patrick Dorgu to see what we’re getting. I don’t watch Italian football and even if I did I doubt Lecce would be get much airtime so I’ve resorted to the ever reliable Youtube highlight reels, the professional amateurs analysing said highlights, and a few articles written on him.

Patrick Dorgu is 20 years old and is currently playing his second season in Serie A though last season was more a rotation/bench option and is now starting most games. He’s left footed and predominately a left back but has played at right back as well as decent minutes as a right winger. He has 3 goals and 1 assist in 21 league games this season.

From what I can gather he’s not a particularly good defender, not bad but not notably good. Ok with tackling but doesn’t have the natural instinct for defending. Nor is he a prolific or very accurate passer. There are some club specific causes for that but we shouldn’t be expecting an elite standard of possession or control from the lad.

What he seems to be very good at is running with the ball and threatening the box with runs, dribbling, and crosses. He’s also a big lad, over 6 foot and well built so does well in the air and is physical enough to outmuscle the wingers and full backs he’ll be facing in duels.

As he’s likely to be the left wing back from Amorim he does appear to be far more of an attacking weapon than a defender and I’d expect to see him in the opposition box as much as his own. His height will give the centre backs a long pass option and I imagine Yoro > Dorgu to be a fairly common occurrence. Mostly we’ll see him driving up the left wing with the ball and supporting counter attacks.

At only 20 he’s unsurprisingly still a raw talent with plenty of room and time for development so we shouldn’t expect too much but with his attacking threat and physicality he should certainly be a better option than Dalot at LWB in most games. Carrying the ball through transition seems to be quite important to Amorim’s system so I’m confident he’ll make good use of him at least.

It’s also worth noting that Dorgu represents a transfer which fits a budget rather than an ideal candidate. £25m is fairly low as United transfer fees go but it’s still not cheap. Hopefully we’ll look back on this in a few years time as being very good value but had United been better off financially I’m sure Dorgu would have been the 4th or 5th option for this position.
Dave, Manchester

MEDIAWATCH: Man Utd ‘forms cock-up’ blamed for ‘bizarre’ medical delay by desperate media

Man Utd, meet Chelsea…
When constructing an email with an idea such as this you are struck with the almost certain reality that the people in charge of Prem clubs have infinitely more nous and insight than us mere mortals have. Yet we have seen countless examples of clubs and managers not seeing what is in front of their faces.

ManYoo have a very large problem called Marcus Rashford (amongst others) and Chelsea have the same in a certain Ben Chilwell (remember him and yes amongst others for my club also).

Now ManYoo are in the process of signing the Lecce left back whilst pleading poverty. They are also looking to offload Rashford and his absurd wages whilst the manager tells the media he’d rather pick a pensioner.

Chelsea under Maresca have deemed that last season’s vice captain who started back to back 90 minutes for England no less, just under a year ago is entirely surplus. His crime? He’s a left footed left back. Chelsea continue in the meantime to flutter eyelashes at various inconsistent young wingers. Great stuff.

Both clubs appear in a hopeless situation paying over a combined half a million quid a week for two seasoned England internationals proven in the Prem. Granted, much of Rashford’s problems seem to be of his own making but fit and firing, he’s some player.

Given both clubs are currently destroying the value of their own assets and both are in the market for that exact type of player the other club has, wouldn’t an end of season loan (with an offset say on respective wages) offer both clubs and players a solution?

At worst it goes badly and the players return to their clubs (no change there), or it goes well and they become a far more attractive transfer proposition for potential clubs. The current situation of both players is a criminal waste of money and talent.

It’s good to talk, and to maybe use some common sense.
Steven McBain, Singapore

A lot of words from somebody who seems to think you have been waiting for this update…
As we sit here at the end of January 2025, the Premier League season has delivered plenty of entertainment, surprises, and a healthy dose of chaos. Let’s dissect the state of play because, frankly, some of you need a reality check.

Liverpool: Quietly Dominant under Arne Slot
Liverpool sit six points clear at the top with a game in hand over Arsenal. Arne Slot has picked up where Klopp left off, albeit with fewer hugs and more ruthless efficiency. They aren’t blowing teams away with the flamboyance of yesteryear, but they’re dispatching opponents like a well-oiled machine. It’s almost boring how competent they are, which is surely a devastating insult for a fanbase that feeds on drama.

Arsenal: Close, but Not Quite There (Again)
Speaking of drama, Arsenal fans are still out here celebrating like it’s their year, despite sitting firmly in second place. Sure, Arteta’s boys are “in the race,” but six points behind in January with Liverpool having a game in hand doesn’t scream title charge. Let’s not pretend they haven’t been here before, only to falter when it matters most. Good effort though, lads. Maybe next year?

Nottingham Forest: Party’s Over?
Oh, Nottingham Forest. Sitting pretty in the top four, looking every bit like a team punching above their weight… until they stopped punching entirely. Conceding seven goals and scoring none in your last three halves of football is less “European dream” and more “Championship flashbacks.” They nearly blew a 3-0 halftime lead to Southampton, the literal worst team in the league, before imploding completely in a 5-0 hammering by Bournemouth. A team that’s starting to look like they have one hand on the “most fun underdog” trophy. But hey, the Forest fans should still enjoy the ride while it lasts—it’s not every day you get to be embarrassed in Europe next season.

Bournemouth: The Surprise Surge
Speaking of Bournemouth, hats off to Andoni Iraola. Smashing Newcastle 4-1 and then dismantling Forest 5-0 is no small feat. They’re playing with swagger, and frankly, I’m struggling to make fun of them. Keep it up, lads. You’re the rare feel-good story this season.

Tottenham: Relegation Battle Royale
Now let’s talk about the real comedy club: Tottenham Hotspur. Ange Postecoglou’s honeymoon phase is well and truly over, and Spurs find themselves battling for their Premier League lives. I’ll give Ange credit; he’s got the team playing entertaining football. Unfortunately, that’s mostly entertaining for the opposition.

Imagine this: Spurs relegated but still winning the Europa League. It’s hilarious to think they could be lining up against Real Madrid in the Champions League while taking the coach to Plymouth the following weekend. Someone needs to call UEFA and ask—can a Championship team really play in the Champions League? What a legacy that would be. But honestly, Ange should stay. I get the feeling he will at least win something with Spurs while remaining mediocre in the league.

Chelsea: Spending Big, Doing… Okay?
Chelsea, to their credit, are just one point off fourth. But for a club that’s spent enough to buy a small country, you’d expect more than meh. Their squad is so overstuffed it’s rumoured Todd Boehly is pitching a reality show just to keep track of them all. Working title: Transfer Island. Still, at least they’re not Spurs.

A brief shoutout to Southampton for clinging to the bottom of the table like it’s their birthright. One win all season. One.

The Rest of the Circus
Newcastle’s long winning streak was obliterated by Bournemouth. Villa is chugging along nicely in Europe contention, and Fulham continues to hold their own with surprising resilience, even after selling Mitrović and Palinha. Meanwhile, Manchester United is… wait, I’ve already wasted too much breath on them this month.

As ever, the Premier League never fails to entertain. Whether it’s the title race, the battle for European spots, or the pure comedy of Spurs in a relegation scrap, there’s plenty to keep us all glued to our screens.
Charly Knickham (Rooting for Spurs to win the Europa and get relegated.)

Thumbs up for Champions League format
Count me as someone who thinks the new Champions League format is a significant improvement.

It helps that, without a European club to support, I’ve never taken the Champions League seriously. It’s a competition created by the rich for the rich, with the intent of making the rich richer. And that anthem.

But even though the new format was created to make the rich rich rich even rich rich richer, it’s much better for the lesser teams in the competition. First, there are more places in the knockouts. Second, the lesser teams play roughly the same strength of schedule as the rich guys. They’re no longer hampered by the initial seeding. That’s a big change for the better.

Lastly, the 18-games-at-once final day is brilliant. I followed it watching an app that changes the table in real time. Teams were shuttling back and forth every minute, and it was hilarious. You couldn’t keep track of everything, which made it even better, especially because for many teams it was irrelevant, and for many others just a blind seeding. Chaos for the sake of chaos: the exact antithesis of what the Champions League stands for.

I still don’t take it seriously. But in important ways the competition is fairer, and at the business end it’s much more entertaining. Thumbs up.
Peter G, Pennsylvania, USA (same goes for the Europa League and Conference League)

READ: Champions League play-off draw: Man City get Real Madrid as Celtic face Bayern Munich

From a Toon perspective…
Having watched Newcastle’s first Champions League adventure in years end in failure, I had a few thoughts on this year’s format which Newcastle just missed out on (by timing, not last season’s points obviously).

First off, congratulations to Aston Villa, they came into the competition for the first time in a long time without strong seeding and performed exceptionally well. Emery’s European experience paid great dividends, in comparison to Eddie Howe who was definitely trying to learn on the job, although injuries to key players certainly didn’t help.

The one thing I haven’t heard much of in the debate about the new format is the old Group of Death tm. Newcastle got an absolute stinker of a draw last season having to deal with European heavyweights PSG, Dortmund and AC Milan, as much of a group of death as you could hope for. Replacing PSG with The Spanish Champions would be the only way to make it much worse in terms of pedigree. The new format doesn’t really have the scope for a Group of Death anymore. I read elsewhere that Celtic had theoretically got the easiest group, based on their seeding I assume, but the chances of getting 8 really difficult teams to play compared to getting 3 difficult teams is miniscule.

With that in mind, I am a bit jealous that Newcastle missed out on the new format. With the aforementioned injuries and learning curve I doubt they would have performed nearly as well as Villa, but they certainly would have had a shot at sneaking into that top 24, with the extra 2 ties being seen then as a bonus rather than a curse. 8 or 10 games instead of 6 would have made a big difference to the money earned and experience gained.

I do think it’ll take a couple of seasons to really be able to evaluate the new format as I wouldn’t be surprised if a few big teams were a little complacent about their chances of landing in the top 8. I expect they’ll take things a bit more seriously next time around. I really hope Newcastle are in it to take them on.
Derek from Dundalk

Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel has reportedly made his final transfer decision amid interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

19-year-old Tel progressed through the ranks at Ligue Un outfit Rennes and joined Bayern Munich for around £24m during the 2022 summer transfer window.

The France U21 international – who has 16 goals in 83 appearances – has impressed in flashes for Bayern Munich, but he’s barely featured for the Bundesliga giants this season as he’s behind Harry Kane in the pecking order.

With game time hard to come by at Bayern, a report earlier this week revealed he had ‘decided’ to leave Vincent Kompany’s side this month. 

Several Premier League clubs are in the market for a new striker and have shown interest in Tel, who has attracted a £50m bid from Tottenham Hotspur.

Bayern Munich agreed to sell Tel at this price, but Fabrizio Romano revealed on Friday evening that he’s rejected a move to Spurs. 

READ: Five Premier League players lucky to survive the January transfer window

Romano said: “Mathys Tel’s current decision is to reject Tottenham proposal.

“Despite willingness to sign him for €60m package and face to face talks, Tel has informed Spurs about his decision.

“Barring any surprises, Tel won’t join Spurs… more PL clubs are on it now.”

He added: “Mathys Tel and his agent are in Munich together to assess all options after rejecting Spurs proposal.

“Tottenham will explore other targets while Tel will consider other bids for loan/permanent move. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa all in contact.”

As mentioned, this left four Premier League clubs chasing Tel, but The Athletic’s David Ornstein is reporting that they will miss out on the forward.

PREMIER LEAGUE TRANSFER COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Tottenham ‘advancing in talks’ to sign ex-Chelsea star from Euro giants with asking price revealed
👉 Marcus Rashford: Aston Villa ’emerge’ as ‘main’ suitors with Man Utd-Barcelona talks at ‘standstill’
👉 Man Utd ‘have already snapped up’ £50m Amorim favourite but Ornstein makes claim

Ornstein claims Tel has ‘indicated to Spurs’ that he ‘intends to stay at Bayern Munich’.

‘Mathys Tel indicated to Tottenham Hotspur that he intends to stay at Bayern Munich and reassess his future in the summer, despite agreements being reached for him to join the north London club and interest from a host of others teams.

‘Tottenham had deals in place with Bayern, Tel and his representatives — only for the player to ultimately indicate a wish to remain in Munich.

‘The Athletic reported on January 30 that Spurs were in advanced talks with Bayern over a permanent transfer for the French forward.

‘Manchester United have also been open to a move for Tel if he is made available to leave on loan before the winter transfer window closes.

‘Among multiple other sides to consider Tel are Chelsea, with their admiration long-standing, while Arsenal have also discussed him internally.’

Two of Jose Mourinho’s former sides, FC Porto and AS Roma, will face off in the Europa League play-offs, with Manchester United and Tottenham awaiting one of AZ Alkmaar, Galatasaray, FC Midtjylland and Real Sociedad in the last 16.

The first legs will be played on Thursday, February 13, with the second legs being played a week later on the 20th.

Man Utd and Tottenham avoided the play-offs with wins against FCSB and Elfsborg, respectively, on Thursday evening.

Rangers also snuck through automatically to the last 16 with a nervy 2-1 victory over Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise.

READ MORE: Europa League reputation takes hit as joke clubs Man Utd, Spurs, Rangers progress

All three British clubs do not know exactly who they will face yet, with another draw set to take place after the play-off ties are done and dusted.

They do know four possible opponents, however.

Having finished fourth and fifth, Man Utd and Spurs will play the winners from one of the following ties: AZ Alkmaar vs Galatasaray and FC Midtjylland vs Real Sociedad.

Sociedad and Galatasaray, in particular, could be rather testing matches for the Premier League sides.

Rangers (and Olympiacos), meanwhile, will face one of the teams from FC Twente vs Bodo/Glimt and Fenerbahce vs Anderlecht.

Full draw:

Ferencvaros vs Viktoria Plzen (Lazio or Athletic Club in last 16)

FC Twente vs Bodo/Glimt (Olympiacos or Rangers)

Union Saint-Gilloise vs Ajax (Lyon or Eintracht Frankfurt)

AZ Alkmaar vs Galatasaray (Manchester United or Tottenham)

FC Midtjylland vs Real Sociedad (Manchester United or Tottenham)

PAOK vs FCSB (Lyon or Eintracht Frankfurt)

Fenerbahce vs Anderlecht (Olympiacos or Rangers)

FC Porto vs AS Roma (Lazio or Athletic Club)

READ MORE: Arsenal icon questions Marcus Rashford ‘ambition’ as ‘very interesting’ Gunners signing mooted – exclusive