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Manchester United will consider appealing Casemiro’s red card against Crystal Palace, according to Samuel Luckhurst for Manchester Evening News.

The Lowdown: Three-game ban

The Red Devils picked up another three points in the Premier League on Saturday, but the 30-year-old’s dismissal spoiled what otherwise was a positive afternoon for Erik ten Hag’s side.

The Brazilian was shown his marching orders for violent conduct after an altercation with Will Hughes was watched back by referee Andre Mariner through VAR. Casemiro now looks set to miss back-to-back league games against Leeds United, along with the home clash against Leicester City.

The Latest: Appeal could be considered

Chief Manchester United reporter Luckhurst shared a story for Manchester Evening News after hearing from Ten Hag following the win on Saturday.

When it came to Casemiro, the United manager admitted that the club will “have to think about” an appeal, although he did add that the midfielder crossed the line when images are frozen.

The Verdict: Unlikely to succeed

You’d expect that United may launch an appeal due to the impact that Casemiro has made at Old Trafford, and also due to their lack of available midfield options considering a multitude of injuries.

The 30-year-old has been the club’s second-best performer in the Premier League this season, making more tackles per 90 (3.3) than any United player, as per WhoScored.

However, with VAR advising Mariner to take a closer look and the referee showing the player a red card, it seems unlikely that any appeal from the Old Trafford club would prove successful.

Should that be the case, Ten Hag will have Fred, Marcel Sabitzer and Bruno Fernandes as his only senior midfielders available, not an ideal scenario with the games coming thick and fast this month.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Declan Rice over the last few months and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s pursuit of the player in 2023.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing the West Ham United midfielder.

Solhekol claimed, via Sky Sports Transfer Centre:

“Lots of clubs are interested in signing him, for instance, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool as well.

“So, there could well be a bidding war for him if West Ham do decide to sell him.

“We know a lot of clubs are looking for a central midfielder. He’s young, he’s the captain of West Ham and a regular starter for England as well. There will be a lot of clubs interested in him.

“He brings a lot to the table but the price is going to be at least £80m, £90m or £100m. I think West Ham would be looking for something like £100m for Rice.”

Klopp needs him

There is no doubt that Liverpool are in desperate need of a refresh in the centre of the pitch with a number of players either coming to the end of their contracts or reaching the latter stages of their career.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all set for an Anfield exit at the end of the season, whilst captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both well into their 30s and will likely start to be phased out to make way for the future at the club next season.

As a result, the signing of Declan Rice could be a hugely worthwhile investment despite his expensive price tag as the 24-year-old England international is proving to be one of the hottest young midfield prospects in the Premier League and could offer Liverpool many years of quality in the centre of the pitch.

Over 19 Premier League appearances, Rice has scored one goal, registered two assists and tallied up an incredibly impressive 90% pass completion rate.

He is a well-rounded football, averaging 1.5 interceptions, 2.4 tackles, 1.2 clearances and playing 1.3 key passes per game, displaying that he is not only defensively solid but also a progressive presence that can make an impact in the final third too.

The Reds have been struggling to dominate their opponents in the middle third over their first 18 top-flight outings this season so far with lacklustre and tired displays from the midfield personnel which has seen the team outrun in many of their clashes, with the Premier League reporting that Liverpool were the sixth worst for distance covered in km (1537.6) ahead of the World Cup break.

The Hammers star – who was hailed a “force of nature” by journalist Rob Blanchette – could improve this significantly if the club can secure his signature as Rice recorded the second-best distance covered in the entire Premier League over the same period of time.

With that being said, it is clear that Jurgen Klopp needs a player like Rice to come in and bring the Liverpool midfield back to life, so it will be interesting if the powers at Anfield are willing to meet the transfer valuation West Ham are demanding as the situation is getting desperate at the club in terms of the need for change.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has questioned the treatment of Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence after he didn’t start in the club’s most recent game amid loan rumours.

What’s the word?

In the third round of the FA Cup, Spurs managed to squeeze past League One visitors Portsmouth thanks to a single goal from key man Harry Kane.

The cup tie afforded Antonio Conte the opportunity to mix things up with his starting team with Fraser Forster starting in goal for Hugo Lloris for instance.

However, Spence still wasn’t trusted to start this game and was only afforded a brief 13-minute cameo off the bench in what was just his sixth appearance of the season.

In an article written for football.london after the match, Gold seemed to question Conte’s treatment of the wing-back.

Indeed, he wrote: “Conte sees Spence week in, week out on the training pitches of Hotspur Way, but when his system relies so heavily on having wing-backs exactly in the mould of the England U21 international it’s difficult to see the football reason as to why he would not give him more opportunities.”

He later added: “For Spence, it’s now all about playing the waiting game for a decision as potential chances for his first start come and go.

“If he’s not going to play for Tottenham then he needs to play elsewhere. The young wide man was sold a dream move that has been anything but so far, caught between head coach and club and just wanting to play football.” Time to go already?

The 22-year-old arrived in north London this summer for a fee in the region of £20m but is yet to start even once for Spurs in any competition.

This may not actually be a huge surprise when you remember that Conte very publicly made it clear that the club had wanted to sign Spence and he was not a personal target of his, bluntly telling the press: “The club decided to buy him.”

Interestingly enough, reports from The Mirror (via HITC) now suggest that Brentford, Southampton and Wolves are all keen on taking the defender on loan for the remainder of the season.

Surely if Conte has only found the time to play Spence for 41 minutes so far this term, he would be better off joining someone else for a spell.

Whatever happens, it’s safe to say things have not gone to plan for the Englishman since his big summer move.

Leeds United are already moving to sign Angers midfielder Azzedine Ounahi following his impressive 2022 World Cup campaign for Morocco.

The Lowdown: Ounahi shines in Qatar

The North African side were the surprise package in Qatar, reaching the semi-finals and playing some eye-catching football along the way.

Many players stood out for Morocco and Ounahi was undoubtedly one of them, producing a string of energetic and influential performances in the middle of the park and earning a place of Sky Sports’ team of the tournament.

He started six of his country’s matches in total, only failing to be in the starting lineup for the third-place playoff defeat to Croatia, averaging 1.3 tackles and 1.4 dribbles per game.

The Latest: Leeds make their move

According to ASRomaLive.it [via Sport Witness], Leeds are ‘moving rather eagerly’ to sign Ounahi.

Roma believe they will be able to pip the Whites to the signing of another target – Sasa Lukic from Torino – due to the Elland Road hierarchy’s attention turning to the Moroccan.

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The Verdict: Could be a great addition

Granted, a World Cup isn’t always the perfect way to gauge a player, considering its short and sharp nature, but Ounahi was superb and looks to have the tools to be a great signing for Leeds.

At just 22, the central midfielder is at a great age to come in and provide a long-term option, especially with Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw both ageing and injury-stricken.

Ounahi can provide both relentless pressing off the ball and quality on it – he enjoyed an 83.3% pass completion rate in Qatar – having been hailed as ‘absolutely incredible’ by Jose Mourinho during the tournament.

Wolverhampton Wanderers would majorly benefit from the acquisition of Chivas de Guadalajara and Mexico star Alexis Vega, according to transfer reporter Dean Jones. 

The Lowdown: Goalscoring woes

As if being rock bottom of the Premier League table wasn’t bad enough, Wolves cannot find the back of the net, having managed just eight goals across the first half of the season. 

They have struggled to even generate any meaningful chances, with no signs of improvement to their faltering total of 15 big chances created anywhere to be seen.

This is where Mexico World Cup star Vega could come in to proceedings. The 25-year-old created more chances last term (with 44) than two of Wolves’ greatest chance creators combined this season in Daniel Podence (23) and Joao Moutinho (20). 

The Latest: Wolves’ spark 

According to transfer expert Jones, who previously told GMS Vega is on Fosun’s radar, the attacker would bring a much needed spark to Molineux, with new boss Julen Lopetegui bound to be grateful for a creative addition. 

Asked whether £23k-per-week Vega would represent a good signing for Wolves, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “I do think he would bring a spark.

“I think that is something they’re crying out for once the second half of the season gets underway.”

The Verdict: Sign him up!

With Mexico star Vega about to enter the final 18 months of his contract with Chivas, Wolves may be able to snap him up for a cut-price fee. 

In doing so, they would be signing a star who would comfortably sit as the most creative asset in the side. 

Ultimately, it is their lack of ability to create opportunities that is costing the side goals and, ergo, valuable points, so it is vital that the issue is fixed across the January window.

Wolves should take a gamble on Vega with a view to bringing in a couple of other forward thinking assets across this winter window, possibly including an out and out number nine as well.

Everton could have already found their replacement for Frank Lampard, should they call time on his tumultuous reign at Goodison Park…

What’s the latest?

As per Alan Nixon, speaking on his Patreon, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is being lined up for the role after concerns have mounted regarding the Toffees’ recent form.

The hierarchy at the club are thought to already be keen on the Australian due to his “straight-talking” nature and the “fast and attractive football” for which he is renowned.

With the 57-year-old also sharing an agent with Lampard, there is already a small link between the manager and the club. Perhaps they could soon act on it to make a swift managerial swap and welcome in the serial winner.

He’s a Lampard upgrade

Although the Chelsea legend still has credit in the bank with the Merseyside club following his heroics last season, recent results have seen fans somewhat question his credibility and ability to lead them back to where they will feel they belong.

Despite a summer of extensive recruitment, where eight major deals were completed, it seems yet to have the desired effect on their league position.

With a far more well-rounded squad than the one last season, Lampard’s current failures are only exacerbated.

This has culminated in their three-game losing streak in all competitions, of which they twice travelled to Bournemouth only to lose by three-goal margins on both occasions.

Meanwhile, Postecoglou once again has his team comfortably atop the Scottish Premiership table, with just one loss and 14 wins so far this campaign.

This aforementioned attractive football has also resulted in an astounding 50 goals scored in just 15 games.

He also earned praise for his work in wrestling back the league title from Rangers as he completed the league and cup double during the 2021/22 season.

Having earned impressive success in Australia previously, in Scotland he has restored the stranglehold Celtic previously had on the division with sensational football and an intelligent recruitment style.

It led Arvind Hickman to label his work at Celtic Park an “incredible job”, lauding the “brilliant decision” made by the club to appoint him.

Boasting far more experience and a clear exciting style of play to be implemented, perhaps Farhad Moshiri could make that same brilliant decision to snatch him for the Merseyside outfit and gain a seismic upgrade on Lampard in the process.

When Wolverhampton Wanderers signed Matheus Nunes during the summer transfer window, they looked to be getting one of the hottest young prospects in European football, but sadly the Portuguese midfielder has endured a torrid start to life at Molineux.

Nunes signed for the Old Gold from Sporting Lisbon for a club-record £38m fee and was expected to complement Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves in an exciting all-Portuguese midfield.

However, the 24-year-old has been one of many disappointing performers for Wolves so far this season, as the Midlands outfit currently sit in 19th place in the Premier League and interim manager Steve Davis must consider dropping him until his form improves.

Last season saw Nunes contribute three goals and two assists for Sporting in the Portuguese Liga, averaging a superb 7.08 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

However, he has clearly struggled to adapt to the Premier League in his 10 appearances thus far, contributing no goals and just one assist, with a shocking 6.54 average rating from WhoScored which ranks him as the 11th-best performer at Molineux so far this season – far worse than you would expect from a record signing.

During his time with Sporting, Nunes earned a huge amount of praise from former teammate Goncalo Santos, who said:

“It’s unbelievable when he has the ball at his feet. Nobody can catch him; it’s impossible because he’s too fast.”

Sadly, this is yet to translate to the Premier League, as Nunes has completed on average one dribble per game in the Premier League, compared to the 2.5 dribbles he was averaging with Sporting Lisbon last season.

Nunes is also averaging fewer passes (29.5 vs 42.4) per game in the English top flight, which suggests that he is struggling to stamp his authority on the game as he was able to do so often in Portugal, which led Pep Guardiola to label Nunes as one of the best players in the world.

Unfortunately for Wolves supporters, Nunes is yet to live up to the hype and if Davis wants to turn the Old Gold’s fortunes around then he should start selecting his team on merit rather than on how much they cost the club, as the club-record signing needs to do a lot better if he wants to be starting week in week out.

Tottenham Hotspur remain interested in a deal to bring Josko Gvardiol to north London.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent report by Football Insider, who claim that, after being heavily linked with a move for the Red Bull Salzburg centre-back this summer, Fabio Paratici has once again sent scouts to watch the 20-year-old in action this season, ahead of launching a potential move for the Croatia international either this winter or at the end of the current campaign.

The report goes on to state that Chelsea are also keeping a close eye on the situation of the defender – who is reported to possess a minimum fee release clause in the region of £44m.

Extraordinary deal

Considering the undoubted potential Gvardiol clearly possesses, should Paratici manage to seal a £44m deal for the centre-back in either the January or summer transfer window, it would most certainly represent an extraordinary signing by the Spurs’ sporting director.

Indeed, over his 29 Bundesliga appearances last season, the £95m-rated talent was in sensational defensive form, helping his side keep seven clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.8 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.9 clearances and winning 5.9 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

The £21k-per-week defender also impressed going forwards, scoring two goals, providing two assists and creating four big chances, as well as completing an average of 59.3 passes, 3.4 long balls, 1.3 dribbles and taking 0.8 shots per fixture.

These returns saw the player who Ivica Olic dubbed “extraordinary” average a simply astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Leipzig’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of German football last time out.

The 20-year-old has also caught the eye over his two appearances in the Champions League in the current campaign, helping his side keep one clean sheet, in addition to making an average of 2.0 tackles, one interception, 5.0 clearances and winning 3.5 duels – at a success rate of 70% – per fame.

These metrics have seen the left-footer who Stefan Bienkowski claimed is “thriving” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.10, currently ranking him as Leipzig’s third-best performer in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

As such, considering his remarkable returns at such a young age, his ability to play at left centre-back in a back three or four, as well as the fact his release clause is a whopping £51m lower than his current market valuation, it is clear to see that, should Paratici manage to get a £44m deal over the line for the 20-year-old, it would undoubtedly represent an extraordinary signing for the Italian and the north London side.

Sheffield Wednesday fell to a late defeat against league leaders Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night to drop further away from the automatic promotion spots.

The Pilgrims, who have won all of their league games at home this season, took an early lead through Ryan Hardie, but Darren Moore’s side quickly found an equaliser through Liam Palmer.

The hosts were well on top in the latter stages, with only some superb saves from David Stockdale and Michael Cooper keeping the score at 1-1, before Sam Cosgrove scored a stoppage-time winner to keep Steven Schumacher’s side top of the league.

Ipswich Town’s comprehensive win over Cambridge also kept them second, with the Owls now four points behind the Tractor Boys in third.

One man who disappointed in the defeat at Home Park was Ben Heneghan.

The former AFC Wimbledon man, who was so dominant in Saturday’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Port Vale, winning a whopping 11 aerial duels, struggled throughout against Plymouth on Tuesday night.

As per SofaScore, the 29-year-old centre-back would earn a poor 6.6/10 rating for his display, which was the joint second-worst of any player to start the game.

The experienced defender would remarkably lose 80% of his duels on Tuesday night, with the Plymouth attackers regularly getting the better of him.

Heneghan would also lose the ball on 13 occasions, as his passing was far from good enough, completing just 19 of his 32 attempted passes, resulting in a less than impressive 59% success rate.

For comparison, the defender has averaged 43.3 passes per game this season with an average success rate of 69.3%, which emphasises just how poor he was against Plymouth.

His defensive returns were also under-par, as he contributed just two clearances, two blocks, one interception and no tackles, compared to his season average of 4.7 clearances, 1.1 blocks, 1.9 interceptions and 0.4 tackles per game.

Therefore, when Moore needed the centre-back to perform against tough opposition, he sadly failed his test, as a win could have sent the Owls above Plymouth and into the automatic promotion spots.

Newcastle United enjoyed an impressive summer of recruitment with four major deals having been wrapped in recent months, although one addition the Magpies were unable to secure was that of Leicester City playmaker, James Maddison.

The Tynesiders had seemingly set their sights on landing the 25-year-old to help bolster Eddie Howe’s midfield ranks, albeit notably saw an offer of around £50m rejected by the Foxes early last month.

With the Midlands outfit – and their manager Brendan Rodgers – refusing to budge, the Magpies were unable to get the deal over the line, ensuring they missed out on a player who had registered 12 goals and eight assists in the Premier League last term.

Although something of a blow for Howe and co, it could well prove a blessing in disguise should it enable young Elliot Anderson to enjoy a leading role in the side, with the 19-year-old set to be the major beneficiary of the failed Maddison approach.

Much like his compatriot, the teenager also operates as that dynamic link between midfield and attack, with such creative talent having even seen him likened to club legend Peter Beardsley in the recent past.

That quality was also evident during his stunning spell on loan at Bristol Rovers last term in League Two, as the Scotland U21 international scored eight goals and provide five assists in just 21 games for Joey Barton’s side.

Arguably his most telling contribution in that temporary six-month stint saw the Whitley Bay-born starlet net the seventh goal in a final-day rout of Scunthorpe United, with that late strike ultimately steering the lower league outfit to promotion.

Having since returned to his parent club, the £180k-rated sensation has also showcased flickerings of his quality for the St James’ Park outfit so far this term, having featured off the bench in the club’s last three league games.

Howe has subsequently insisted that the highly rated prospect could well be “integral” for the Magpies moving forward this season, although it will no doubt require more than just brief cameos for his talent to truly develop.

Talk of a possible contract extension is no doubt a marker of just how well regarded Anderson is by those at Newcastle, although now is seemingly the chance to hand him a more prominent role, particularly with Jonjo Shelvey currently sidelined and with the club having failed to snap up Maddison.

Not only could the 5-foot-10 menace potentially save his club millions were he catch fire this season – ending the need to splash the cash on the Leicester man – but it would also no doubt be hugely exciting for supporters to see an academy product become a first-team regular.

As pundit Paddy Kenny recently suggested, he could well be like a “new signing” for the club.