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Wembley-bound Nottingham Forest return to Premier League duty on Tuesday night as they welcome Manchester United to the City Ground.

Forest reached their first FA Cup semi-final since 1991 by beating Brighton & Hove Albion in a penalty shootout on Saturday, also booking their first trip to Wembley since the 2022 Championship play-off final.

In a reversal of years gone by, strugglers Man United are clear underdogs as they visit a Forest side expected to secure Champions League football.

They’ll be relying on vibes, momentum and a raucous Bridgford Stand to drag their tired legs through 90 minutes against United, having played 120-plus minutes on the back of an international break.

United were on broken legs before the break, never mind tired ones, but should be much fresher ahead of their midweek jaunt down the River Trent.

The Red Devils made light work of Championship-bound Leicester City last time out, days after thrashing 10-man Real Sociedad, so in the words of the Stretford Paddock, ‘Ruben Amorim has turned this football club around!’

The opportunity to win three games on the spin for the second time this season isn’t to be sniffed at, and we think the visitors may be able to exploit the circumstances.

Nottingham Forest vs Man United prediction:

Forest were mocked for their previously fruitless spending spree upon promotion, yet this famous old club is on the verge of a romantic return to European football.

Unbeaten in 10 at the City Ground and in good form before the international break, it’s brave to suggest Forest could lose to a struggling Manchester United side on Tuesday night.

On the other hand, United have gone to Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal this season and come away with a positive result, and we think they can do the same here.

Forest played 120+ minutes of an emotionally charged FA Cup clash on the weekend, which is bound to have taken a toll physically. It would also be typical for a team to suffer a hangover on the back of such an achievement.

In addition to backing United, we think there will be goals. Tired legs are a factor, as is United’s leaky defence. Both teams to score feels nailed on and the game should open up late on.

Nottingham Forest team news

Chris Wood missed Saturday’s penalty shootout win against Brighton, which saw Morgan Gibbs-White suffer a heavy collision with the goalpost.

Both will be assessed ahead of Tuesday night, with the former expected to miss out and the latter on course to play some part.

Nuno may also have to consider the fact that a handful of international players had already played two games before the 120 minutes at the AMEX Stadium.

Despite that, it looks as if he has a fully fit squad. Mats Sels was a standout performer yet again, so he’ll continue in goal with Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo and Neco Williams in front of him.

Taiwo Awoniyi is the obvious choice to fill Chris Wood’s spot in attack, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga behind him.

Nottingham Forest expected line-up

Sels – Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, N Williams – Dominguez, Anderson – Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi – Awoniyi

Man United team news

United aren’t out of the woods just yet, but they did welcome Altay Bayindir, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Tom Heaton back to training.

Patrick Dorgu will also return, having served a domestic suspension, so he’ll slot in on the left with Diogo Dalot on the right.

However, Ayden Heaven, Amad Diallo, Jonny Evans, Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez are still unavailable.

Bruno Fernandes will continue his starring role in the United midfield and will no doubt need to be the catalyst for a good performance once again.

Alejandro Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee will retain their supporting roles, with Rasmus Hojlund, who finally scored against Leicester, starting up front.

Man United expected line-up

Onana – De Ligt, Maguire, Yoro – Dalot, Fernandes, Ugarte, Dorgu – Garnacho, Hojlund, Zirkzee

Nottingham Forest vs Man United: How to watch and listen

You can watch Nottingham Forest vs Man United on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. There’s also live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.

Nottingham Forest vs Man United stats:

– Forest are chasing their third consecutive home win against Man United and a first league double since 1992 when Brian Clough was in charge.

– Forest are unbeaten in 10 home matches across all competitions, winning seven of those.

– Forest have failed to win there eight times this season, and have failed to win 34 of 55 Premier League home matches since promotion.

– Man Utd are chasing three consecutive wins across all competitions for the second time this season.

– But, the Red Devils have yet to win back-to-back Premier League fixtures.

– Man Utd have avoided defeat in seven of 10 and four of their last five away matches.

Nuno Espirito Santo (Forest) quotes

On Man Utd threat:

“You can see the quality of the players and quality of the squad. They have quality all over the pitch. They have good options and solutions.”

On recovery from Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final:

“It’s very difficult on the players but we see them and they are recovering well. They are always being positive so we are confident we can perform again against a good team. In this short turnaround, it is all about recovering. We’re going to be OK.”

On league position:

“We are delighted. We are delighted that we’re going to play more matches and to have chances to perform, to improve and to grow as a club and a squad.”

On Callum Hudson-Odoi’s form:

“He’s improving. He has had some outstanding performances this season and is getting better and better. You have to have pleasure and enjoy who you work with and Callum is a happy boy playing and working with his team-mates.”

Ruben Amorim (Man United) quotes

On Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo:

“First of all, I am not surprised [by Forest’s strong season]. Because I know the work he did in Portugal, in Spain, I know he did really well here with Wolves. He went to Tottenham, started really well and things happen.

“I know he is a top manager, and you feel it in the team – the environment they have, when you see his team play, you can see the energy. They are so happy, they have mobility. I am not surprised.”

On busy schedule:

“I think it is also really exciting because they are really tough matches, but we already have that kind of schedule in recent weeks with less players.

“So it is really important for us to have all the players to fight and rotate during the matches. Different characteristics give us different opportunities to win matches.

“I know we have at least three matches in Premier League now that are really tough but the team are ready to face those games and the Europa League is also a key focus for us at this stage.”

On targets this season:

“You can say I am really confident. I feel the players are more confident, the energy is different. But I also know that can change with results.

“We are focused on maintaining the energy and we are working on some things we can improve a lot. Even winning the games, we can acknowledge that we have a lot to improve. But we are in a different moment, more confident and we are ready for the final two months of the season.

“I don’t know which place we are going to finish but we are looking up and we want to win games.”

On Rashford form with Aston Villa:

“We have a lot of games to play and I am focused on my team and my players and Rashford is not my player at the moment.

“But every player that performs well on loan is good news for my club so we are happy with that.”

Nottingham Forest vs Man United referee stats:

Jarred Gillett is the man in the middle for Forest’s clash with Man Utd as he takes charge of his 11th Premier League contest this season.

Gillett, who is thought to be a Liverpool fan, has been in charge of VAR for a number of Arsenal fixtures this season.

That’s a little unusual given the PGMOL policy of keeping referees with a conflicting interest away from certain teams or fixtures, though it’s fair to say Gillett is one of the better top-flight referees.

He’s dished out just 44 yellow cards and refrained from using his red card in the Premier League this campaign, which is no surprise given that he’s seen as an excellent communicator.

The Australian native took charge of Man United’s 1-1 draw with Man City in the Community Shield in August while recently watching over Forest’s 4-3 defeat at Newcastle, a game in which he awarded his third penalty kick of the season.

Bruno Fernandes would ideally like to leave Man Utd as a club legend, but while that’s unlikely, glory (and no Roy Keane) awaits him at Real Madrid.

Since Roy Keane insisted “talent is not enough” in one of his – and therefore anyone’s – angriest punditry outbursts, the Manchester United captain scored the only goal in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, got a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Real Sociedad and contributed to every goal in the 3-0 win over Leicester.

Keane was biting back at the suggestion that United would be in a relegation battle without their talisman after Fernandes had played key roles in the draw with Everton and the comeback win over Ipswich ahead of his war of words with Ian Wright on The Overlap.

His suggestion that all Fernandes has is “talent” in the middle of a run of seven games in all competitions in which the Portugal international has either scored or assisted 11 of United’s 15 goals was both ill-timed and clearly a load of b*llocks spouted as a result of his aversion to a footballer he would have handed both barrels on a weekly basis had they shared a dressing room. “What was all that arm-flailing sh*te?” etc. etc.

Fernandes has shown, not only in this recent sparkling run, but time and again for United that he is A Clutch Footballer, a man for the big occasion, a guy who has regularly overcome the challenge of collective mediocrity to drag his side through games and to win trophies. Has Keane forgotten the FA Cup final? Fernandes was the best player on a pitch featuring multiple Premier League and reigning Champions League winners by some distance.

Yes, he’s “talented”, but he’s also A Winner, who may sulk more than he shouts and show (entirely understandable) signs of frustration, but also routinely leads by example by scoring and assisting goals when his side needs him most. It’s that combination of quality and character that draws the interest of Big Clubs like Real Madrid.

Fernandes being ‘eyed as a potential successor to Luka Modric’ makes sense. Real Madrid spending £90m on a 30-year-old does not. If the 15-time Champions League winners do put that on the table, United would be mad not to thank the playmaker for his time and send him packing.

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Even much smaller bids – which are likely this summer either from Madrid or other top European sides preying on Fernandes’ presumed desire to play at the top table and win major trophies – will be tempting for United given their well-documented financial woes.

And hugely intriguing for us punters, who would love to see whether United will indeed, as the majority of us suspect, be entirely f***ed without him, or if – as Keane would surely contend – his departure would be the catalyst for a culture change at the club which may prompt short-term pain for long-term gain.

Barring a very big offer, United should be rejecting bids for their captain. His departure is far more likely to be catastrophic than beneficial. The question is whether Fernandes still believes United can match the ambitions he made clear last summer, or if interest from a European giant may test his loyalty.

“I said to them [Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS]: ‘I don’t need you to promise me that we’re going to win the league,’ because no one can promise that. But at least that we will have a team to compete and be competitive throughout the season, to try to achieve silverware and to compete at the highest levels.”

They’ve failed him. This is the most uncompetitive Manchester United team in Premier League history. And beyond the lure of Champions League football and major trophies, Fernandes – much like Trent Alexander-Arnold – may also be attracted by the prospect of life away from the prying eyes of Keane and other English pundits, who are quick to criticise and whose praise has become increasingly begrudging.

Fernandes could stay at United and leave the club a hero having led them through the tough times and back to the top, but after six largely under-appreciated seasons which have seen him put up the sort of numbers that would ordinarily have seen a footballer already achieve hero status, he should be wary that his continued efforts will more than likely fail to reap the rewards and the acclaim he deserves.

A Manchester United player without a Premier League or Champions League trophy to their name won’t be remembered as a club hero or legend no matter their contribution to the lesser successes they’ve achieved in their time at Old Trafford.

And with Fernandes still considered by some to be A Problem who’s holding the club back despite him so clearly being streets ahead of his teammates, why wouldn’t he want the near-guarantee of glory that moving to Real Madrid brings? He owes Manchester United nothing; he’s probably given them too much already.

The resurgence of Marcus Rashford is excellent if embarrassing news for Manchester United, with Arsenal and Spurs loanees far less likely to join permanently.

The following players were the 10 most valuable Premier League loanees according to Transfermarkt at the time of their move; which should expect the arrangements to be made permanent and who will be back on the market?

10) Jesper Lindstrom
David Moyes has his faults but there is a proud succession of forwards who have thrived under his coaching to suggest he might have some idea what he is doing. It extends to wingers and runs through David Eyres and Iain Anderson at Preston, to Steven Pienaar, Kevin Mirallas, Adnan Januzaj, Carlos Vela, Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen.

“You won’t have longevity if you’re not going to get me assists and goals. They both need to improve greatly on that,” he told current Everton incumbents Lindstrom and Jack Harrison early last month; Lindstrom promptly assisted a Harrison goal two days later.

But it will take far more to convince Everton to make the move permanent for what would be a sizeable portion of their budget. The Dane could hardly argue if it is decided that £19m could be better spent elsewhere.

9) Kalvin Phillips
There is a fundamental sadness about the fall of Phillips, not least in that he is still yet to really establish where he now exists in the football food chain.

While his spell with Ipswich has not been nearly as disastrous as the half-season with West Ham which cost him his England place for Euro 2024, the 29-year-old has still been on the bench more often than not for a side sliding towards the Championship.

He might have cursed his luck at the cruelty of Rodri finally properly breaking down and a space in the Manchester City midfield opening up when he was halfway across the country, but Phillips was at least spared the ignominy of Pep Guardiola coming up with increasingly absurd ways of playing literally anyone else there instead of a £42m signing still depressingly contracted to the Etihad for three more years.

And even in the vanishingly unlikely event Ipswich stay in the Premier League, they will have neither the option nor inclination to make the deal permanent. Phillips might be best served reading up on how to play at right-back while crossing every phalange that Leeds don’t make a complete Leeds of another promotion bid.

8) Lesley Ugochukwu
An incompatibility with Russell Martin did nothing to harm the reputation of Ugochukwu, but before the Frenchman’s rise to a more prominent role under Ivan Juric it would have been no surprise if Chelsea had recalled their asset early; the shock might have been them remembering he was theirs to begin with.

It has been a useful if chastening experience as a semi-regular Premier League starter for Ugochukwu, and the 21-year-old will be able to wash off the stench of a potentially historic relegation easily enough.

But he will not accompany Saints on their drop down a division. It also seems improbable that Chelsea will pretend Ugochukwu has a part to play next season before eventually banishing him to train with the youth team. He might even be promoted to an admin of the loanee WhatsApp group this summer. Strasbourg is meant to be lovely.

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7) Jadon Sancho
While most Chelsea loopholes essentially amount to selling an asset to themselves in some convoluted PSR scheme, the emergence that their obligation to buy loanee Sancho for £25m could be overwritten by a £5m charge was a welcome surprise.

It was long assumed the Blues would solve a considerable Manchester United problem when it became clear they would finish higher than 14th and thus meet the conditions to make the arrangement permanent. It was also understood that Chelsea would be happy with their side of the deal after Sancho scored two goals and assisted three in his first 10 appearances.

But a single assist in 18 games since early December has planted a seed of doubt in the minds of a team generally desperate to sign anyone just to feel alive.

The expectation is that Sancho will join the Chelsea forward stockpile, but he should not be stunned if they plan to immediately sell him.

6) Axel Disasi
Chelsea received £5m in exchange for the temporary services of Disasi, but Aston Villa will start any race to sign the French centre-half in the same summer starting blocks as everyone else.

The Unai Emery effect helped Villa beat Spurs to the front of the queue of clubs wanting to borrow Disasi in January but no option, obligation or even right of first refusal could be negotiated with the Blues, who were reluctant to help a rival for Champions League qualification in the first place.

The outcome of that race will be crucial in determining Disasi’s future. If Villa can make the finances work while still offering elite European football, some mightily persuasive groundwork has already been laid.

5) Mathys Tel
There is sympathy for Tel, who albeit only for a few months has swapped the relative serenity of infrequent Bayern Munich cameos to start pretty much every possible game for a poor Spurs side as their teenaged fan liaison officer.

That has understandably distracted from his other role on the pitch, with a solitary goal to show for his efforts in north London across 487 minutes in four competitions.

Spurs have an option to sign Tel permanently for around £45m at the end of the season but it doesn’t seem like an outcome the club or the player really wants, the experiment having worked for neither party.

4) Jean-Clair Todibo
West Ham should ordinarily want to distance themselves from the era of Tim Steidten as much as possible but littered among the deposed technical director’s many expensive mistakes were a couple of potential gems.

The capture of Todibo from under the noses of Juventus was among them. The defender was not alone in finding things difficult under Julen Lopetegui and an ‘intense spat’ with the manager combined with injuries to limit his early opportunities.

But his renaissance since the appointment of Graham Potter has been clear and West Ham will happily hand over the £35m necessary to make Todibo theirs for good this summer.

3) Raheem Sterling
It was ostensibly a mutually perfect transfer. Arsenal identified a cost-effective and ludicrously experienced option to provide cover in attack, while Sterling was granted a more stable environment in which to work under a familiar coach with whom he had previously enjoyed immense success.

The undoubted anticipation of being able to prove Chelsea wrong was a powerful motivator for both.

Yet it hasn’t quite worked. Even when Sterling produced his finest performance in recent memory against PSV before the international break, it was tinged with a booking which ruled him out of the Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid; the 30-year-old has as many yellow cards as combined goals and assists for the Gunners.

An attacking injury crisis should have been Sterling’s cue to step up but the lack of trust has been stark and he can hardly argue that such chances should have been made more readily available. Mikel Arteta’s faith is yet to be rewarded and an awkward return to Stamford Bridge awaits.

2) Evan Ferguson
“From our perspective that is unfair to be honest,” Graham Potter said of criticism surrounding the slow curve on this Ferguson revival arc. “You have to see the context of where he was in terms of the minutes he’s played previously and how he was on his return from injury.”

Perhaps it was a case of absurdly unfortunate timing for West Ham but supporters who have endured their essentially strikerless recent performances might have been asking questions when Ferguson played 143 minutes over the international break, having managed just over 90 in five substitute appearances for the Hammers.

A well-taken goal for Ireland against Finland must be the catalyst for Ferguson to at least start upon his return to east London. From there, the pressure is on to rebuild what was once a £100m reputation, even if West Ham know the better he does over the next few weeks, the less chance there is they will be the long-term beneficiaries.

1) Marcus Rashford
Fair play to Ruben Amorim, who since January has fielded basically the exact same questions at each increasingly laborious Manchester United press conference. Why is Sir Jim Ratcliffe like this? Why do you appear to have made things considerably worse for little discernible reason? Is Bruno Fernandes actually quite good? And how inherently embarrassing is it that apparently hopeless players improve immediately after leaving?

There are only so many ways Amorim can phrase his response to the last question in particular. And he is basically right each time: the better Antony and in particular Rashford fare on loan, the better it is for Manchester United in terms of making an entirely necessary future sale.

The bridges back to Old Trafford have been burned and that is fine. Amorim had his reasons for ostracising the club’s grossly under-performing highest-paid player and the foundations he hopes to lay are contingent on that sort of brick being painstakingly removed first. A proper judgement should be reserved for how Amorim properly replaces Rashford when the opportunity arises this summer.

But it would be exceptionally funny if Aston Villa are inspired to a Champions League and FA Cup double by a player a historically poor Manchester United felt compelled to force out, and most importantly fundamentally embarrassing even if it earns them £40m.

READ NEXT: Marcus Rashford putting Manchester United misery firmly behind him with Aston Villa revolution

Man Utd are likely ‘to go a shade younger’ than Viktor Gyokeres in their search for a new striker in the summer transfer window, according to reports.

The Red Devils are having a nightmare season in the Premier League with Ruben Amorim’s side 13th in the Premier League as they enter the final nine matches of the season.

It looks unlikely that Man Utd will be competing in Europe next year, although they still have a chance of competing in the Champions League if they can win the Europa League this campaign.

One of the club’s main issues this campaign has been scoring goals with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund coming in for plenty of criticism.

The Man Utd duo have only scored three goals each in the Premier League this season with only six clubs scoring fewer league goals than the Red Devils.

And now they are looking for a top centre-forward to come in and make an impact next season with Sporting CP star Gyokeres heavily linked to Old Trafford.

Gyokeres worked with Amorim at Sporting before the Portuguese head coach left to manage Man Utd but The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell has claimed that talk of a reunion between the pair has ‘been tepid’ at Old Trafford.

Whitwell reports:

‘The link between Gyokeres and United is clear given Ruben Amorim’s position as head coach at Old Trafford. Amorim got Gyokeres firing in Portugal with a system that suits him.

‘But talk of a reunion has been tepid at United because of the cost it would take to get him from Sporting CP and then pay commensurate wages. Gyokeres is 27 in June, and United might look to go a shade younger. Other options, such as Liam Delap, are already being explored.’

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On who Man Utd might go for instead of Gyokeres, Whitwell adds:

‘As mentioned, Delap, who turned 22 in February, holds an appeal for United because of his age and the prospect of recruiting him from Ipswich Town in the event of their relegation. Technical director Jason Wilcox is a fan, having worked with Delap at Manchester City’s academy, and Delap’s record of 10 goals and two assists in the Premier League this season has strengthened his profile.

‘Sesko fits their profile and United have tracked him since 2018. They held talks for him in 2022, but did not feel he was ready for a starring role at Old Trafford, and then tried again last year only for him to sign a new contract.

‘United’s tight budget is a major factor in any options, including Victor Osimhen, whose wages would be an obstacle. Some kind of swap deal might make that deal more financially palatable, with Napoli holding an interest in Alejandro Garnacho.’

READ NEXT: Bruno Fernandes may never be a Man Utd legend but would be a Real Madrid winner

First there’s an ‘astonishingly brutal put-down’ but then we move on to Man Utd matters of Marcus Rashford, Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitike…

The Astonishing Brutalist
The Premier League is returning on Tuesday night (whoop-de-f***ing-do) so what’s the biggest story in football – according to a leading UK website – on Tuesday morning?

‘Revealed: Kyle Walker’s astonishingly brutal seven-word ‘Messi’ put-down to Chelsea flop team-mate Joao Felix on exit from AC Milan’s dressing room’

Oh MailOnline, you really are spoiling is with your football insight. And counting. Except the counting has gone slightly awry as Kyle Walker actually quite clearly said: “Just pass the ball, we are not Messi; no-one here is Messi.”

That’s 12 words. And it’s really not ‘astonishingly brutal’ unless you think that pointing out that a group of footballers who are not Messi are not actually Messi is ‘astonishingly brutal’.

It’s also not ‘a heated exchange’ because Joao Felix says absolutely f*** all in reply.

Surprisingly, the Mirror go even further, describing Walker’s words as a ‘brutal jibe’. Never been married, guys?

Take a hint
Counting words is a very strong vibe in the modern media and the Mirror think they have spotted something in Monday’s Ruben Amorim press conference: ‘Ruben Amorim’s three-word comment as Man Utd boss drops new Marcus Rashford hint.’

Does it matter that Amorim actually said 66 words about Rashford when directly asked for roughly the 427th time? Apparently not, because the Mirror have spotted ‘another swipe’. Is that worse than a ‘jibe’? Is there a scale we can consult?

Amorim said that “everybody knows the talent” of Rashford and described him as a “top player”, none of which sounds like a ‘swipe’. But adding the words – three words, natch – “if he wants”, turns a series of anodyne comments into a ‘swipe’.

As for the ‘new Marcus Rashford hint’…frankly, f*** knows.

But we do get the impression elsewhere on the Mirror – ‘Antony drops clearest hint yet that he has already made decision on Man Utd return’, ‘Real Madrid drop huge hint on Trent Alexander-Arnold transfer but need two things to happen’, ‘Ruben Amorim’s stance on Andre Onana after Man Utd star drops transfer hint’ – that this is a mighty powerful word in the giddy world of clickbait.

As for a hint of a swipe…ker-f***ing-ching.

Bollocks – bridge – bollocks
Talk of Marcus Rashford takes us to the Manchester Evening News and this Frankenstein’s monster of a headline:

‘Manchester United Viktor Gyokeres transfer ‘agreement’ emerges as Marcus Rashford warning sent’

Obviously you are supposed to think that a) a transfer ‘agreement’ has been reached with Viktor Gyokeres, b) somebody has sent a Marcus Rashford warning and c) those two things are somehow linked.

Let’s deal with c) first; of course they’re not. That ‘as’ is just there as a little bridge between shite and shite.

As for b), the ‘Marcus Rashford warning’ is from Aston Villa winger Jacob Ramsey, who said when asked about Rashford’s form: “He’ll be buzzing and hopefully he can keep scoring.”

Quite the ‘warning’. And absolutely relevant to Manchester United fans.

So that leaves us with a), the Viktor Gyokeres transfer ‘agreement’. The first thing to note is that the MEN‘s SSCAW (Senior Sport Central Audience Writer) is quoting absolutely nobody with those quote marks.

The story’s source is transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri, and what he actually writes on Sky Sports Switzerland is this: ‘Although several sources confirm that Gyökeres had given his word to Rúben Amorim to join him at Manchester United this summer, the complex sporting situation of the Red Devils could call into question this friendship pact between the Swede and the Portuguese.’

So two friends agreed that they would quite like to work together at Manchester United, presumably before both realised Ruben Amorim was joining an absolute sh*tshow of a club with no money. Indeed, the club are now said to be as ‘tepid’ as Gyokeres on the deal.

That very clearly does not constitute an ‘agreement’, especially when the source for this so-called ‘agreement’ has described Gyokeres as Arsenal’s ‘Plan A’.

But frankly, nobody at the MEN cares that it’s a right load of old hairy bollocks; the question is only whether we left-clicked on those old hairy bollocks. And we did. So now we need to wash our hands.

This means MORE
Arsenal are being strongly linked with Viktor Gyokeres, but according to The Sun, he is one of five striker targets for the Gunners.

‘Arsenal’s five-man striker shortlist including star who could cost MORE than Isak as Arteta vows ‘big’ transfer window’

Amusingly, they also write that ‘Arsenal have the option of going for a Prem proven ace or gambling overseas’ because in the sweet parochial world of The Sun, all those who come from Abroad are a ‘gamble’.

Anyway, we were intrigued by the idea of Arsenal targeting a striker who could cost MORE than Isak. Are they setting their sights on Erling Haaland? Seems bold.

The Sun go through the options…

‘Splash £100million or more for Newcastle star Alexander Isak, 25?’

Best of luck getting Newcastle United to sell you Isak for £100m, fellas. Surely no Arsenal target will cost more?

‘Even more for 22-year-old Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt?’

Ha. Is that it? Is the logic purely that Ekitike is younger so he will obviously cost more? Is that how it works?

Because there is absolutely nothing else to suggest that 13-goal Bundesliga striker Ekitike will cost more than £100m. And oddly enough, we trust Sky Germany rather more than The Sun on matters of these overseas gambles…

🚨🆕 Eintracht Frankfurt are aware that Manchester United are seriously considering Hugo #Ekitike as a potential transfer target for the upcoming summer. #MUFC

Arsenal (Isak remains the No. 1 target), Liverpool, and Juventus have also registered their interest. #LFC

Eintracht… pic.twitter.com/IEVP6lWegl

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) March 28, 2025

It’s now a ‘matter of time’ before Man Utd sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan to replace Andre Onana, according to reports.

The Red Devils have had a nightmare season in the Premier League so far with Ruben Amorim’s side currently 13th in the Premier League table.

Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November but things have got worse under the Portuguese head coach as the players struggle to adapt to his playing style, philosophy and tactics.

Man Utd still have hope of qualifying for Europe through the Europa League with the Red Devils set to be awarded a place in the Champions League if they can reach the final and win it.

With rumours that the Red Devils could have to sell before they buy players this summer, an unexpected qualification for the Champions League could make a huge difference to their spending plans.

One player they have been heavily linked with is AC Milan goalkeeper Maignan and now Spanish website Fichajes insist that Man Utd have ‘taken a giant step in signing’ the Frenchman.

Maignan has become the Red Devils’ ‘top priority for strengthening’ their goalkeeping department as they work to ‘replace’ Onana.

Onana has found it particularly hard to impress Man Utd boss Amorim with the Cameroon international making a number of mistakes in recent months.

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Previous reports have stated that Amorim wants the Man Utd goalkeeper out of the club in the summer to make way for a new number one.

On the Red Devils’ interest in Maignan, the report in Spain adds:

‘Negotiations between the player and the British club have made significant progress, suggesting that his arrival in the Premier League could be a matter of time. Milan, however, will not make his departure easy, as they consider Maignan a key player in their project. However, if a substantial offer arrives, the Rossoneri could reconsider the deal.

‘Manchester United intends to contact the Italian club soon to find out their financial demands. The figure is being discussed as high, as Milan doesn’t want to part with their first-choice goalkeeper without significant compensation. Maignan’s presence in the English club would represent a leap in quality for the squad and provide security between the posts, something that has been a problem this season.

‘The French goalkeeper’s future is still undecided, but everything points to his name being a key player in the transfer market. With United determined to strengthen their goalkeeping position and talks underway, the outcome of this story will depend on the English club’s ability to convince Milan with an irresistible offer.’