Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has been reacting to a Manchester United transfer update involving loanee Marcel Sabitzer.

What’s the latest Man United news on Sabitzer?

Erik ten Hag brought Sabitzer in on loan from Bayern Munich late in the January window, with a deal not including an option to make it permanent at the end of the season.

However, a full-time transfer could soon be on the cards, with reports this month claiming that both Sabitzer wants to sign permanently for the Premier League giants and Ten Hag is keen to have him on board.

Talking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor, who contributes to Sky Sports and talkSPORT, feels that Sabitzer has been “poor” for the Red Devils, name-checking his display against Sevilla as a prime example. The pundit believes that United need to go for better backup signings, looking at Manchester City’s options in comparison.

“I don’t think so. I’ve watched him a few times now. The odd game he’s decent, but he has been poor as well – and against Sevilla on Thursday was one of those games.

“Sabitzer is a second-string player, but they need to go for better backups. Look at Man City – they can bring on Mahrez, Bernardo Silva, etc. I just don’t think Sabitzer is good enough for Man United.”

Could be fairly expensive for United…

Agbonlahor clearly thinks United should be looking elsewhere for midfield reinforcements this summer, a position that Ten Hag wants to bolster over the coming months alongside signing a new striker.

You can see why as well after the 29-year-old’s display against Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final second-leg on Thursday. He was United’s worst outfield performer, as per SofaScore, having just 26 touches of the ball, losing possession on 10 occasions and coming off second-best in seven of his 10 ground duels.

It is believed that Bayern Munich have set a £25m asking price to make a transfer permanent for Sabitzer, who is on a £211,000-a-week contract, so a display like that won’t do his chances of a full-time transfer any good. However, it looks as if Ten Hag is keen on a deal, and it looks like it could be a fairly expensive one.

Crystal Palace forward Michael Olise is being monitored by Premier League rivals Arsenal ahead of a potential move to the Emirates Stadium, according to reports.

What's the latest on Olise's future?

The Eagles have secured back-to-back victories in two relegation six-pointers and have bridged a six-point gap between themselves and the drop zone, but should they end up going down to the second tier this season, they may need to cash in on some of their most prized assets.

French youth international Olise arrived at Selhurst Park from Reading back in 2021 and has since gone on to make 63 appearances across all competitions. His contract is not set to expire for another three years, but being his side’s second-best-performing player with a match rating of 6.92 (as per WhoScored), it appears he has caught the eye of Mikel Arteta.

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are “interested” in signing Olise, with the Gunners boss a “big fan” of Palace’s talisman. The Spaniard believes that the 21-year-old “ticks all the boxes” when it comes to his age, cost and resale potential, and views him as the perfect backup to Bukayo Saka.

The Eagles would be looking to receive “at least” £40m to sanction his sale due to his contract situation, and whilst they are under no pressure to let him go, it’s stated that if the “right offer” was put on the table, it would be “hard to turn down”. The SE25 outfit could reduce their asking price to £35m if they get relegated – while they might not be helped by the fact that the winger is a self-proclaimed fan of his reported admirers.

Should Palace keep or sell Olise?

Olise has been dubbed a “baller” at Crystal Palace by journalist Muhammad Butt, and given the significant impact he has on the team, we think the hierarchy need to do everything they can to fend off interest and retain his services beyond the summer.

The Hammersmith-born talent has posted ten goal contributions (eight assists and two goals) in 29 Premier League games this season, which has seen him earn the highest WhoScored match rating on four separate occasions, making him a standout performer at Selhurst Park.

The Nike-sponsored star has also whipped 165 crosses into the box so far this term and recorded 103 shot-creating actions – 4.56 per game – which is higher than any other member of Hodgson’s squad, via FBref, so even the thought of losing him is likely to be a huge blow to the supporters and whoever would be tasked with replacing him over the summer.

Everton's 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace yesterday was largely an impressive result, restricting Roy Hodgson's resurgent outfit to just two shots on target all game.

Selhurst Park was largely silenced, as Sean Dyche once again took all the sting out of a Premier League clash to earn a vital point.

However, with Leicester City's turnaround win over Wolverhampton Wanderers elsewhere, the Toffees have still sunk into the relegation zone with just six games left to play.

It marked a negative afternoon after a positive performance, however, there was one standout villain for the visitors who was terrorised all game.

With Seamus Coleman still injured and Nathan Patterson perhaps too raw for the former Burnley boss to risk at this stage of the season, the 51-year-old instead opted to start Mason Holgate at right-back ahead of Ben Godfrey.

Having featured in that role for a full campaign during his loan at West Bromwich Albion, there should have been no issues with the 26-year-old stepping in against a 31-year-old Jordan Ayew.

However, it was one of many days to forget that the former Barnsley man has endured in a Royal Blue shirt, as he was run ragged.

How did Mason Holgate play vs Crystal Palace?

Having joined under Roberto Martinez as a promising teenager, Holgate slowly grew into a regular member of the first time who has survived the vicious managerial upheaval over the years following.

However, as time has gone on, the £70k-per-week dud has become more and more of a liability for his side, culminating in a 6.65 average Sofascore rating last season.

Yesterday this misery was only exacerbated as the Eagles targeted him all game.

Earning a 6.1 rating, the lowest of anyone on the pitch, the defender was dribbled past three times whilst losing nine of the 15 duels he competed in, via Sofascore.

Having been booked on 37 minutes, many called for his substitution at half time given how unreliable he had been in the past. Holgate's history showcased hot-headed and thoughtlessness, often capable of giving a goal away or a needlessly heavy challenge to give the referee a decision to make.

Journalist Joe Thomas had even outlined it on Twitter, as he wrote: "Holgate is pushing a few yards further forward than the defenders alongside him and it's just creating a few extra yards of space for Palace to target. He and Ayew are engaged in battle down the right and it is where Everton look most vulnerable."

Unsurprisingly, this once again came to fruition, as Ayew breezed past the 6-foot dud only to be brought down. He was given his marching orders and his side were down to ten men, which fortunately did not cost them their point.

When immersed in a relegation battle, managers cannot afford liabilities when the margins are already so small. Whether Dyche manages to keep Everton up or not, he must expunge this Martinez error and get rid of Holgate once and for all.

علق محمد عواد حارس مرمى الزمالك على أزمة أحمد فتوح مع النادي وتجميده في وقت سابق قبل تجديد عقده، موضحًا موقف اللاعبين الكبار بالقلعة البيضاء من الأزمة.

وقال محمد عواد في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “اللاعبون الكبار لم يرفضوا عودة أحمد فتوح، و(محدش يزعل من شيكابالا)، لأنه أسطورة حقيقية في الزمالك، ودوره خارج الملعب أهم من داخله”.

وتابع: “فنيًا لا أحد يختلف على شيكابالا في مصر أو الوطن العربي، دوره الآن أكبر من الدور الفني في ظل الإحلال والتجديد في الفريق، وأيضًا محمد عبد الشافي، أعتز أنني في فريق يمتلك شيكابالا وعبد الشافي”.

وبسؤاله كيف تعاملتم مع أزمة فتوح، أجاب: “لم نعرف التفاصيل، لكن عشنا فترات طويلة جدًا لم يكن بها انضباط في النادي ولا ثواب وعقاب”.

واستطرد: “فما حدث كانت رسالة واضحة من مجلس الإدارة أنه سيكون هناك ثواب وعقاب، وأنا أحب ذلك، أعتقد أن هذا كان سبب بنسبة كبيرة في خسارة الزمالك للبطولات”.

مع أم ضد بيع زيزو؟: “هو لاعب لا يُعوض، أنا أحب أن يكون معي 4 أو 5 مثله في الفريق، هناك مباراة في الدور التمهيدي بالكونفدرالية كنا نريد تسجيل 4 أهداف لكي نتأهل، وكنت أثق أننا سنفوز”.

طالع | محمد عواد يوضح حقيقة تخفيض راتبه في الزمالك.. وموقفه من العرض السعودي

ووصل: “لأن معنا زيزو وشيكابالا والمثلوثي وشلبي وكل اللاعبين، جميعهم كانوا عند المسؤولية، وزيزو يستطيع أن يصنع الفارق في أي وقت”.

ما الذي تغير في فيريرا في الفترة الأخيرة؟: “هو من أقوى المدربين الذين عملت معهم في حياتي، رجل مباشر وفي التدريب يجب أن تعطي 200% لكي تتواجد في التشكيل، كان رجلًا واقعيًا جدًا، يلعب بشكل دفاعي وأنا كنت (ليبرو) وكنت موفقًا في هذا الأمر”.

وأشار: “ممكن الاختلاف عندما رحل وعاد مرة أخرى، هذا أثر عليه، وأنا تواصلت معه بعد مباراة المحلة من أجل جمع اللاعبين والحديث معهم، لكن لم أجده كما كان، لأنه شعر بالإهانة، هو يريد الاحترام وعدم التدخل في عمله”.

رأيك في أوسوريو؟: “الأجواء التي كنا نعيشها لم تكن تساعد أحد على النجاح، هو كان يُحاول تطوير الأداء، وأدينا بشكل جيد، لكن ظروف النادي في هذا التوقيت مع أفكاره غير الواقعية ومشاكل اللاعبين الذين لم يستطيعوا أن يطبقوا أفكاره”.

وأتم: “اللاعبون كان عندهم مشاكل، 7 أشهر لم نحصل على مستحقاتنا، وفي الموسم الماضي لم نحصل على مكافأة واحدة، هذه ظروف لا أحد يتحملها، خاصة وأن الفريق به لاعبين صغار كانوا لا يستطيعون تحمل الضغط”.

Aston Villa picked up another vital win in their quest for European football as they beat Fulham 1-0 at Villa Park last night, but it wasn't all positive for Unai Emery.

The Villans' progression since the dismal 3-0 defeat at Craven Cottage in the reverse fixture, which saw Steven Gerrard lose his job as Villa's manager, has been clear to see in recent months as the Midlands club have a real chance of securing Europa League football at least for next season.

Emery's transformation of John McGinn, Ollie Watkins and Jacob Ramsey has been particularly impressive, but he is yet to work his magic with Emiliano Buendia, who struggled immensely despite the win last night.

How did Buendia perform in Villa's win against Fulham?

As per Sofascore, the former Norwich City man would earn a shocking 5.6/10 rating for his performance, which was comfortably the worst of any player to feature in the game from both sides.

Despite playing 90 minutes on Tuesday night, the 26-year-old would manage just 21 passes and lost the ball on 15 occasions, which is a notable decrease on the 27.2 he has averaged per game in the Premier League this season.

The Argentine midfielder, who earns £75k-per-week, was dubbed a "warrior" by Gerrard but certainly didn't display any warrior-like characteristics against Fulham, as he was consistently bested from a physical point of view.

He would win just five of his 20 duels during the game with a woeful success rate of just 25%, while he was also dribbled past on four occasions, which again is significantly worse than his average of 1.5 times per game in the top flight so far this term.

In a game where Fulham offered very little, with Andreas Pereira's early volley their only effort of the game, you would hope that Villa's attacking midfielder would have been far more involved, but he mustered just one key pass and no shots on target in the 90 minutes.

It was a surprise therefore to see him keep his place while Jacob Ramsey was subbed, with Bertrand Traore coming off the bench, and given the Burkina Faso international's recent goals as a substitute, he could soon be given the nod to start unless Buendia bucks his ideas up.

The attacking midfielder has featured 33 times in the Premier League this season but has just five goals and two assists, as he has perhaps never lived up to the form he was showing with Norwich in the Championship, having contributed 15 goals and 16 assists in his final term with the Canaries.

While injury concerns to the likes of Philippe Coutinho mean that Buendia is almost a guaranteed starter right now, he could well lose his place under Emery next season with the addition of new signings, as his form in 2022/23 hasn't really matched Villa's phenomenal performances under the Spanish manager.

No singular player in Leeds United's side can be blamed entirely for their woeful recent performances in the past couple of weeks, but it seems clear that Javi Gracia must make changes if he wants to avoid another defeat against Fulham this weekend.

The recent home thrashings ensured that Leeds now have the worst defence in the top flight with 60 goals conceded thus far, which has served as a reminder that relegation is a very real possibility for the West Yorkshire outfit.

Gracia has preferred a centre-back partnership of Robin Koch and Pascal Struijk in his time at Elland Road, but we think he must consider dropping the German defender if he wants his side to bounce back at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Should Leeds drop Robin Koch vs Fulham?

Leeds signed the Germany international from Freiburg in a deal worth £11.5m in 2020 but he has arguably failed to live up to his potential in his three years at Elland Road.

The 26-year-old, who earns £40k per week, averaged disappointing 6.59 and 6.35 ratings from WhoScored in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, but has been trusted as a mainstay in the defence under both Jesse Marsch and Gracia so far this term.

In his 30 appearances in the top flight this season, the towering centre-back has struggled immensely, with a woeful 6.53 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which ranks him as the 12th-best performer in Gracia's squad.

Considering Struijk and Max Wober are ranked as the top performers at Elland Road, while captain Liam Cooper is ranked seventh, it seems baffling that Koch has been first-choice in defence this season, only missing one game in the Premier League.

Only Illan Meslier has started more games than the centre-back, but it is surely time for Gracia to try something different as he looks to turn the Whites' defensive fortunes around in west London this afternoon.

Reporter Beren Cross perhaps summed up what Leeds fans could expect to see from Koch when he produced a shocking display in the 5-1 defeat by Manchester United last season.

He said: "Koch and Struijk today, not good enough at all, for me. I think I gave them 3s in the ratings.

"I mean, [Bruno] Fernandes almost retired Robin Koch, it was just horrible to watch, at times, because he just could not get a handle of him."

Given the importance of tomorrow's game in Leeds' ongoing fight against relegation, it seems clear that Gracia has to make changes to his defence, and the out-of-form Koch should surely be one to drop out.

Everton midfielder Dele Alli will struggle to have a future at Goodison Park under manager Sean Dyche, says Daily Express reporter Ryan Taylor.

What's the latest news involving Dele Alli?

As per BBC Sport, Alli sustained a hip injury on loan at Besiktas that cut his deal short and has since returned to his parent club Everton to commence his recovery.

The report alludes to a recent controversy surrounding the 27-year-old, who has had his struggles in recent years across a number of different clubs.

Toffees boss Dyche has spoken about his injury and off-field reports, stating: “He is not here. He has an injury which will keep him out for some time. Some of the stuff reported – they know what they should and shouldn’t be doing.

“As a manager, you cannot control everything in their lives. Should we be following them all day? You can only guide them. He has an injury which will take a while to sort out – it will be a number of weeks.”

During his time in Turkey, the Milton Keynes-born star netted three times in 15 appearances for Besiktas in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

The Daily Mail report that Besiktas president Ahmet Nur Cebi is open to bringing Alli back to the Vodafone Stadium this summer if Everton are willing to let the once-hailed “genius” leave on a free transfer.

Daily Express journalist Taylor has suggested that Alli may not be a suitable fit for Dyche’s tactical framework.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor said: I think it’s unlikely purely because of Dyche. Generally, is Dele a Dyche player? No. Dyche likes runners, he likes hard workers, Dele is a bit of a luxury player.

“That said, I’m not keen to jump in on the pile-on on Dele. Yes, he had the world at his feet, and yes, he should be doing more, he should be delivering, he shouldn’t be getting involved in the antics off the pitch.

“But, ultimately, we don’t truly know what he’s gone through. He may struggle mentally. When you’ve been at the top of the mountain and you fall down, you seem like a failure. I do feel an element of sadness about how his career has dropped off.”

Is there a way back for Dele Alli at Goodison Park?

It’s hard to tell at this point, though Everton could use a creative midfield presence heading into next season, which is something Alli can provide when on form.

Nevertheless, he hasn’t performed at a consistent level anywhere for quite some time now and Dyche may prefer to try and offload him in the summer if a suitable offer comes along for his services.

Media coverage surrounding the midfielder also hasn’t helped his cause; however, it would be best for everyone to focus purely on footballing matters involving Alli as he steps up his recovery from injury.

Come pre-season, we may get a better idea of what the future may hold for the £100k-a-week ace and whether he will still be at Everton or have moved on to new pastures.

However, if the Toffees are to go down, perhaps this offers the out-of-form midfielder an opportunity at getting his career back on track if he was open to playing in the second-tier.

وجه البرتغالي روي فيتوريا مدرب منتخب مصر، رسالة لجماهير الفراعنة قبل ساعات من بداية المشوار في النسخة الحالية من كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

وكتب فيتوريا من خلال حسابه الرسمي عبر “انستجرام”: “تنطلق رحلتنا غدًا في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2024، نحن نحمل فخر وآمال الملايين من المصريين، كان إعدادنا مكثفًا ومركزًا”.

إقرأ أيضًا..تريزيجيه يحذر منافسي مصر في كأس أمم إفريقيا: لدينا هدف واحد

وتابع: “والآن هو الوقت المناسب لتحويل كل هذا العمل الشاق إلى أداء لا ينسى في أرض الميدان، نحن مستعدون لمواجهة هذه المنافسة بشجاعة وتصميم، سنقاتل، مباراة تلو الأخرى، لنجلب الفرح والفخر للشعب المصري”.

وتستضيف كوت ديفوار منافسات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023، في الفترة بين 13 يناير وحتى 11 فبراير.

ومن المقرر أن يستهل منتخب مصر مبارياته في كأس أمم إفريقيا غدًا الأحد أمام موزمبيق.

ولم يفز منتخب مصر ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا منذ عام 2010، وتعرض للهزيمة في النهائي أمام السنغال في النسخة الماضية، بركلات الترجيح.

Glasgow Rangers were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by their Old Firm rivals on Sunday and are now on course to end the campaign without a trophy to show for their efforts.

The Light Blues are 13 points behind their rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership, with five games left to play, and a summer overhaul is on the cards at Ibrox.

Michael Beale is expecting a big "rebuild" in the transfer window and some first-team players could be moved on to make way for fresh recruits.

Borna Barisic, who joined the club for £2.2m in 2018, has been named by the Daily Record as a player who the Gers could cash in on, and he could be replaced by academy full-back Kevin Ciubotaru.

Is it time for Barisic to leave Rangers?

It could be the right time to ditch the Croatian dud after a series of questionable defensive performances in big games for the club in recent seasons.

Ex-Celtic winger Kris Commons criticised the left-back earlier this year, writing: "He nods off like a security guard trying to catch a quick nap on the night shift. It's just not acceptable at a club like Rangers.

"When Celtic do their analysis ahead of next month's final, you can guarantee they will identify Barisic as the weak link in this Rangers defence."

Commons also claimed that Celtic forwards have exposed Barisic as a "poor" defender and, at the age of 30, the battler does not have a lot of time to develop and improve that side of his game.

Who is Kevin Ciubotaru?

The Light Blues have a 19-year-old Romania youth international in their B team who is a natural left-back and has made 12 appearances in the Lowland League this season.

He has been called up by Romania at U15, U16, and U18 level and has been competing with Robbie Fraser for a starting berth in the development squad this season at Ibrox.

Although Fraser has been the first-choice, with 33 league appearances, Ciubotaru is a player with unearthed potential and could be someone who Beale is able to work with to develop into a first-team performer.

Kinetic academy co-founder Harry Hudson previously stated that the Romanian gem has an "exceptionally high ceiling" and described him by saying: "Very attack-minded. Powerful runner, good dribbler, gets forward well and contributes really well in the offensive phases."

The player himself also claimed that his style is like AC Milan star "Theo Hernandez", who has produced three goals and three assists in the Serie A this season from left-back, and these comments highlight the gem's untapped potential and illustrate the kind of player the head coach could unearth by bringing him into the fold.

Beale could place his trust in the quality of his academy options to come up and compete with Ridvan Yilmaz for a place at left-back in the first-team, which would allow him to ditch Barisic on a permanent basis this summer.

Arsenal's surprise pursuit of the Premier League title this season was coincidentally upheld by their rivals, as it almost seemed like Mikel Arteta finished off his team with two Manchester City players.

Bringing in Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus both finished off his system perfectly and added the goalscorer they craved, yet it seems set to not be enough with just four games left for the Gunners to play.

That could explain why attention has already turned to this summer, as Edu has been tasked with bolstering the squad to a level where it can feasibly compete with Pep Guardiola's side for a full campaign.

The rumour mill has therefore kicked into overdrive, as a switch to the Emirates has fast become one of the most attractive propositions in football. Joining up with a youthful, hungry manager who is overseeing the joint-youngest squad in the division, means success is almost guaranteed in the near future. However, Arteta will crave it immediately.

Having come so close and fought for so long, a few key additions could prove to be the difference in taking that final step. Ironically enough, one proposed signing is that of Barcelona's Ferran Torres, who also spent time in Sky Blue as part of the Cityzens' relentless regime.

Is Ferran Torres better than Gabriel Jesus?

What makes this potential deal all the more tantalising for the Gunners is the reported price tag of just €35m (£30m), as the Catalonian giants desperately scramble for funds to re-sign the wantaway Lionel Messi.

Edu could pounce on this opportunity, seeking to welcome the Spaniard who could actually prove to be a better finisher than Jesus.

The Brazilian has come under fire of late for squandering chances in big matches, with his role in their 3-3 draw with Southampton particularly frustrating. The 26-year-old accumulated an expected goals (xG) of 1.14 yet did not find the net, and vital points were dropped.

Although he might have scored ten goals this year, outperforming Torres' seven in all competitions, the former forward has actually underperformed his expected goals for the whole campaign.

The 23-year-old too has suffered from his own expected goals tally, but only by 0.89 compared to his potential competition's 3.35. This suggests that the £265k-per-week finisher should have scored far more than he actually has.

Not only this, but Guardiola himself even suggested that the current-Barcelona talent was a more natural finisher than Jesus, claiming:

"I spoke with Gabriel and he likes to play sometimes more in wider positions than the central one, and Ferran has a big sense for the goal, I would say a little bit higher than Gabriel when he plays in central positions."

Having been further lauded in the past by the legendary Spanish boss for his "exceptional" numbers during his debut campaign, as he notched 13 times in all competitions, perhaps ample time for further development could see him return and turn into the true monster he was expected to be.