Manchester United have shown their intent to get back amongst English football’s elite this summer with a host of impressive new signings.

For some of the current Red Devils’ squad the string of new faces to arrive at Old Trafford will inevitably mean little-to-no football next season or a potential exit from the club. One of the aforementioned group facing uncertainty over his role within Louis van Gaal’s ranks is Adnan Januzaj, who in his short career to date has been both United’s new messiah and a fringe figure.

With this in mind, can the Belgium international live up to his potential and become a club legend at Old Trafford or will he just be another young player to not make the grade?

Januzaj is clearly a supremely talented attacker, with his introduction under David Moyes rightly filling Red Devils fans full of excitement and hope that a ‘new Cristiano Ronaldo’ had been unearthed.

With the versatility to play on either flank and the desire to play centrally, the teenager has shown superb skill, an eye for goal and creativity that suggests that he has what it takes to be a first-team regular.

However, last term under Van Gaal, the youngster fell behind the likes of Ashley Young, Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata and others in the pecking order for a starting berth on the flanks.

A return of only seven Premier League starts last season suggests that his role at Old Trafford is one of little importance, not a player that the club can build a team around.

For the young star, a loan move at another Premier League club in 2015/16 could be a more appealing option than spending another campaign on the bench. The indication is that the 20-year-old’s chances of playing regularly have been reduced further this summer, with Memphis Depay joining the club and Matteo Darmian also being able to play on the right wing also.

Pre-season hints, however, that Van Gaal is willing to give Januzaj time to prove himself at the club, with the starlet given an opportunity to play in prestigious fixtures against teams like Barcelona.

With Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie both leaving Old Trafford over the off-season, United are lacking in strikers currently, with Wayne Rooney the only recognised and experienced option.

As such Van Gaal could well have a new formation in mind, or a new role for players such as Januzaj. The former Anderlecht youth player has been operating in a central attacking role in pre-season, which could well give Januzaj more opportunities to feature in the Premier League due to his flexibility.

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It will be interesting to gauge just how much football the Belgian gets in the forthcoming campaign, but there are signs that show positivity for the youngster.

After a disappointing campaign in 2014/15, it is time for Januzaj to prove himself as a potential new Ryan Giggs rather than the next Luke Chadwick.

Celtic moved five points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on Wednesday, comfortably beating Partick Thistle 2-0 at Celtic Park.

Goals from Stuart Armstrong and Kieran Tierney were enough to secure the victory, with the Hoops getting back to winning ways after a shock defeat to Hearts at the weekend.

Brendan Rodgers’ side now head into a huge trio of fixtures against Aberdeen, Dundee and Rangers as they look to open an even bigger gap over the teams chasing them for the league title.

Fans were pleased with the performance, especially from the likes of Kristoffer Ajer, who was getting a rare chance to impress in the heart of the Hoops defence after the Celtic boss made some changes in the wake of the Tynecastle performance.

Rodgers also gave another youngster, Michael Johnston, a chance from the bench too, bringing him on for the last 20 minutes of the match. The teenager didn’t waste time getting involved, attempting dribbles and combining well with his teammates.

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Supporters were impressed enough to want to see more from the 18-year-old and took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his appearance…

The Third Round of the FA Cup can’t get much better than a Merseyside Derby; one of the most prestigious and historic rivalries in English football kicking off one of our country’s greatest sporting traditions.

Indeed, Liverpool and Everton meet at 7.55pm at Anfield this evening to bring in the Third Round and judging by their most recent clash – a 1-1 draw in December – it looks set to be another tight-knit encounter between the two local rivals. This week’s expert, Liverpool-loving Sam McGuire from Football Whispers, shares his thoughts and predictions ahead of the FA Cup edition of the Merseyside derby…

Having not lost in any competition since October, Liverpool have quietly but surely solidified their top-four credentials over the last few months. They now boast a three-point margin over fourth-place Tottenham and are the same distance behind second-place Manchester United.

But pencilled in to host perennial pace-setters Manchester City when the Premier League returns in a week’s time, it’s inevitably a question of priorities for the Merseysiders.

Should Jurgen Klopp focus his resources on the FA Cup or achieving Champions League qualification?

“If this was your normal FA Cup third round clash then it would make sense for Klopp to rest his key players ahead of City’s visit to Anfield. But this isn’t a normal tie. It’s the Merseyside derby and we owe them for the smash-and-grab last month. There’s enough of a gap between the two matches to field a strong XI in both matches.”

While many argue it degrades the integrity of the competition, there are some positives to the Third Round of the FA Cup becoming the primary occasion in which Premier League managers give chances to young players – something that will particularly resonate at Liverpool, a club famed for their academy products, and with Klopp who owes much of his success to developing young talent.

Are there any Liverpool youngsters you’d like to see make their first appearance or start for the club on Friday?

“Rhian Brewster is probably the obvious one. He’s scoring goals for fun in the academy and he impressed for England. Dominic Solanke isn’t having much luck in front of goal so Brewster could be a bit of a wildcard, something you need in a derby match from time to time. I wouldn’t start him but him coming off the bench could be an intriguing prospect.”

The last time these two sides met in December, Liverpool dominated in terms of possession and efforts on goal, but Everton stole a point at Anfield as Wayne Rooney netted a penalty after a rare breakaway from the underdog visitors.

What lessons need to be learned from that game to ensure Liverpool get the win this time around?

“Liverpool dominated the ball but Everton dominated the space. It looked as though we controlled the game but in reality we created very little and needed a moment of magic from Mohamed Salah to break the deadlock. This time around we need to be more aggressive in our approach.

“Everton will no doubt look to sit deep in compact lines. Liverpool need to probe and stretch the Everton backline instead of opting to play an easier pass and playing the game in front of their defensive lines.”

Liverpool have scored twice as many Premier League goals as Everton this season and the Toffees have netted just once in their last four games, but the Reds would be wrong to underestimate the visitors’ attacking threat.

Which Everton player is capable of causing Liverpool the most damage?

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“You’d have to say Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He impressed during the derby in December and he earned the penalty. He’s got bundles of energy and he’s the sort of striker to never give the centre-backs a moment’s peace. While Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan have looked assured over recent weeks there are still question marks over them when they’re up against aggressive attackers. We’ve seen it many times before.”

And finally Sam, let’s hear your score prediction…

“I hate doing predictions. Liverpool are without Philippe Coutinho and Salah so that obviously weakens them in the attacking third.

However, I do think they’ll have enough to win. An early goal opens the game up and Everton will have to attack. I’m going with a 3-0 home win.”

Amid a weekend of rather unspectacular Premier League fixtures, Tottenham’s visit to St. Mary’s stands out.

The Lilywhites and Southampton have been enduring rather different campaigns, the former fighting for a spot in the top four and the latter striving to stave off relegation, but that’s exactly why their meeting in Sunday’s 4pm kickoff could be such a pivotal encounter – Saints desperately need to start picking up some points, especially at home, and they have the quality to do so.

So, can the history of this fixture during the Premier League era give us any hint of an upset? Football FanCast takes a look…

Head-to-Head

The initial signs aren’t encouraging for Saints fans. While both sides have kept a relatively similar number of clean sheets in this fixture, Tottenham have picked up almost double the amount of wins, scored 26 more goals and incurred three less red cards.

Bizarrely, though, Spurs dominance has only really been a persistent trend since Southampton returned to the Premier League in 2012. From that point, Saints have lost nine of eleven versus the Lilywhites, which is the exact deficit between both sides in terms of wins.

Their only respite during that period was on the second-last matchday of the 2015/16 season, when Steven Davis scored twice at White Hart Lane after Spurs had seen their title hopes evaporate to the benefit of Leicester City.

Top scorer – Matt Le Tissier

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier leads the way in terms of goals scored in this fixture, netting seven times from his 15 top flight encounters with Spurs. In fact, only two teams have conceded more Le Tiss goals in the Premier League – Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa with eight apiece.

What will concern Saints fans, though, is the presence of two current Tottenham players in the top five in the form of Harry Kane and Dele, both of whom – barring late injury – will likely start on Sunday. Alli particularly has produced devastating form against Southampton – five goals and four assists in four Premier League encounters.

The shared hero – Gareth Bale

While Gareth Bale only ever featured for Southampton in the Football League, he is unquestionably the biggest talent to play for both clubs during the Premier League era, going on to become Real Madrid’s world-record signing in summer 2013 and lift three Champions League titles with Los Blancos.

Accordingly, it’s easy to forget the Welsh wizard actually started out as a left-back, earning his move to Tottenham in 2007 after netting a succession of free kicks as a teenager during his first full campaign in the Saints first team.

Not everybody was convinced by Bale at White Hart Lane – in fact, he set a club record of making 24 league appearances for Spurs without winning a game. But as it soon became apparent Bale’s technical qualities would be more effective further forward, the 68-cap international quickly transformed into one of the Premier League’s leading entities, eventually netting 26 times in his final season before joining the Galactico ranks at the Bernabeu.

The classic contest – Tottenham 7-2 Southampton

In a match containing nine goals, seven in Tottenham’s favour, Southampton incredibly took the lead twice.

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It was Glenn Hoddle’s return to the club where he’d made his name and would later manage but typically for the former England gaffer, a heavy emphasis on attacking football eventually derailed his side. Indeed, Jo Tessem scored the first goal for Saints only to see it cancelled out moments later by a Dean Richards own goal, while new signing Tahar El Khalej marked his debut by putting the visitors back into the lead.

But by half-time, Tottenham had already swung the tie back in their favour with Chris Armstrong, Darren Anderton and Steffen Iverson cementing a healthy 4-2 lead. From that point, Southampton unravelled; Armstrong completed a brace and Iverson latched onto a David Ginola pass to seal a hat-trick in the 90th minute.

Spurs would finish the campaign in 10th place, while Hoddle would leave Southampton to manage at White Hart Lane almost exactly one year later.

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As reported by The Daily Mail, Rangers are one of a number of teams eyeing a move for West Bromwich Albion talent Tyler Roberts.

What’s the story?

Having already brought many signings to the club this month, Rangers have delighted supporters with their January business, but there’s still time to add one or two more to Graeme Murty’s squad.

One man they’re said to be interested in is West Bromwich Albion teenager Tyler Roberts, who is available to leave the club at the end of the season for a £300,000 compensation fee due to his contract expiring.

That’s according to The Daily Mail, who say the likes of Leeds and AC Milan are also interested in his signature, making the competition clearly fierce.

Who is he?

Still just 18 years of age, Roberts already has over 50 professional appearances to his name after loan spells at League One sides Oxford United, Shrewsbury Town and currently Walsall.

This season he’s scored five goals in 17 league appearances for the Saddlers, also contributing four assists. That’s a fair record for a player so young and a potential that could be further enhanced with regular football at Ibrox.

With Kenny Miller injured, Eduardo Herrera flopping and Josh Windass not a natural striker, the Light Blues are lacking options and landing Roberts could give the squad a big boost.

It would also follow a similar signing model Celtic have employed in recent years, taking players like Moussa Dembele north of the border on compensation deals, only to see value rise to be sold on for a profit later on.

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It’s a model that could prove successful for Rangers too.

It’s been an unusual season for Arsenal signing Sead Kolasniac. Arriving with a reputation for being the best left-back in the Bundesliga during his final campaign at Schalke, the 22-cap Bosnian initially impressed with a strong run in Arsenal’s starting XI.

But the 24-year-old hasn’t actually made a start in any competition since the end of December, first finding himself replaced by prodigious 20-year-old Ainsley Maitland-Niles and then Arsenal’s veteran left-back Nacho Monreal – which all begs the question of who the Gunners’ best option at No.3 actually is.

So, with a huge clash against north London rivals Tottenham due on Saturday, who would you start at Wembley this weekend? Would you opt for Kolasinac’s brutish power, Monreal’s vast experience or Maitland-Niles, who can inject some of that all-important academy product magic into the derby?

Let us know which left-back you think is Arsene Wenger’s best option this weekend by taking part in the poll below…

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Whether beneficial or detrimental to the Scottish champions’ ambitions, Celtic have developed something of a reputation for signing promising young players that eventually develop into top-class entities, the two most obvious examples being Tottenham’s imposing anchorman Victor Wanyama and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk – now the most expensive defender in the history of the beautiful game.

Exposure to European football, especially when coupled with the more rigorous demands of the Scottish top flight, undoubtedly plays a key part in that. Not only does it put such youngsters against high-quality opponents, but it also showcases them to potential suitors. Those who step up their games on the continental stage don’t go unnoticed for very long.

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And for any scouts watching Celtic’s 1-0 win over Zenit in the Europa League on Thursday night, midfielder Olivier Ntcham will have undoubtedly caught their eye. Many tipped him as a smart signing when Brendan Rodgers snapped up the 22-year-old from Manchester City last summer and that’s already proving the case, with five goals from midfield in just 16 Scottish Premiership starts.

Ntcham didn’t get on the scoresheet on Thursday but he was a consistent goal threat, making the most attempts to find the net of any player on the pitch, created opportunities for others with one chance and three accurate crosses, and made key contributions in winning the ball back with two tackles and three interceptions.

It was an incredibly dynamic display from the Frenchman – who Transfermarkt value at just £1.62million – and the power he injected into the midfield highlighted how well-suited he would be to the Premier League game, which implores huge strength and stamina from those in the engine room.

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And considering how Moussa Dembele has performed slightly below expectations this season, scoring nine in 26, after being hotly tipped to move to the Premier League last summer, it does raise an interesting question of which player would be a bigger hit in the English top flight. Let us know by voting below…

Everton are keeping a close eye on Atalanta midfielder Josip Ilicic ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Calciomercato.

What’s the story?

Everton have been very busy in the past two transfer windows; under former manager Ronald Koeman the club spent in excess of £100m on several new faces.

With Sam Allardyce at the helm, the buying continued in January as Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun joined the party, while Eliaquim Mangala arrived from Manchester City on loan.

According to Calciomercato, another player has been added to Everton’s transfer wishlist, in the form of Ilicic from Atalanta.

The midfielder has made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Italian club so far this season, scoring 11 goals and creating eight assists.

Do Everton need another attacking midfielder?

That is one area where the Merseyside outfit are certainly not short!

Even though the 30-year-old’s statistics are impressive, there are more pressing matters that the Toffees should be focusing on.

During the January window, supporters demanded a left-back, but the Merseyside outfit did not deliver.

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Right-footed Cuco Martina has been taking on the role in Leighton Baines’s injury absence.

With the latter turning 34 next year, the club should priorities bringing in another man to fill his boots, rather than an attacking midfielder.

Manchester United recovered from 2-o down to beat Crystal Palace 3-2 last night, thanks to Nemanja Matic’s stoppage time stunner.

It was an abject first half from United, who struggled to cope with Palace’s front two of Christian Benteke and Alexander Sorloth and failed to offer any cohesion in attack.

After Patrick van Aanholt’s strike caught the Red Devils cold early in the second half, there were signs of improvement from many players but one man who still struggled to influence the game was Paul Pogba.

There has been much discussion about Pogba’s best position in recent weeks, with many observers feeling that he was stifled as part of a two-man midfield alongside Matic earlier on in the season.

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Recently, Pogba has been freed up to play on the left of a midfield trio in a 4-3-3 system, where he shone at Juventus but it failed to make any impact last night as the game largely passed him by, even when United launched their fightback.

Pogba posted a message of celebration on Twitter which drew a mixed reaction from fans. Some feel he is showing signs of improvement and giving his all but others are still not impressed and are calling on the French superstar to up his game ahead of Saturday’s crunch clash at home to Liverpool.

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We’ve taken a closer look at some of the reaction from United fans…

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers defender Russell Martin is a major doubt for the visit of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership this Sunday.

What’s the story?

The upcoming derby is Rangers’ biggest match of the season by a distance and coming off the back of six wins in all competitions, there’s a confidence coming from Ibrox that hasn’t been seen for years.

However, it looks as if they’ll have to contend with an injury or two heading into the match, with defender Russell Martin struggling to make it.

That’s according to The Scottish Sun, who say that the 32-year-old was ruled out of training on Thursday with a back injury, instead receiving intensive physiotherapy treatment.

While still clinging on to some hope he could make the fixture, the paper say that Bruno Alves is set to start in his absence.

How big a miss will he be?

Martin has brought experience and quality to Rangers’ defensive line at a key stage of the season and his loan signing from Norwich City has been a definite success so far.

Graeme Murty’s side have lost just once in the matches he has played and alongside David Bates has built an effective partnership for Scottish Premiership level.

Bruno Alves is still getting back to full match fitness after a significant period out and supporters definitely have their doubts about the decorated Portuguese star.

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David Bates coped well at Celtic Park in the last match between the two sides so, alongside Alves, Rangers might not miss Martin too much, but Murty would undoubtedly have preferred the Scotland international to be available.

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