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Manchester United are expected to offer their young prospect Facundo Pellistri a new contract before looking at a potential loan move for him in the summer.

How long does Facundo Pellistri have left on his contract?

The 21-year-old winger now has just over two years remaining on his deal with the Red Devils having returned from his loan move to Spain last summer.

Despite having spent a season and a half away from Old Trafford on loan with Alaves, Erik ten Hag decided to keep the Uruguayan around for his first campaign at the helm.

However, it seems as if he could be set to leave the club on a season-long loan over the summer in search of some more regular football.

But before he leaves, Fabrizio Romano has suggested the youngster could be rewarded with a new deal to extend his stay at Od Trafford beyond 2025:

"The idea is to send the player on loan. It's a concrete possibility. But at the moment, it's still not decided the next step because Man United's decision will be in the next weeks on the contract.

"I'm told there is a serious possibility that Manchester United will offer Facundo Pellistri a new deal before sending him on loan, probably in the summer, but this is something to be discussed internally in the next month, so there will be conversations."

Should Facundo Pellistri be sent out on loan?

Despite being kept at the club for the 2022/23 campaign, it is only recently that Pellistri has become a part of Ten Hag's side in the Premier League.

The 21-year-old has been included in numerous matchday squads, however, it is only recently where he has made an appearance from the bench.

United's recent draw against Leeds United saw the winger make his league debut for the Red Devils in front of the Old Trafford crowd.

Since, Pellistri has made another appearance in the Premier League against Southampton and came off the bench in the Europa League against Real Betis.

What is interesting to see, though, is that the 21-year-old has played significantly less than the 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho this season.

And like Pellistri, Garnacho is expected to be handed a new deal, however, unlike the Uruguayan, Garnacho is not expected to be sent on loan for next season.

So it does leave an interesting question as to where Pellistri fits into United's plans for the future and whether this new deal offers the youngster any hope or whether it is just a tool for United to cover their asset's value.

Arsenal are plotting a move for attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta and they are willing to meet West Ham United’s huge asking price, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Arsenal eyeing midfielder

The Gunners are on the lookout for a new midfielder this summer, with Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio emerging as an option in recent days, a signing that Gabby Agbonlahor believes would be ‘perfect’.

Celta Vigo starlet Gabri Veiga is another potential signing for Mikel Arteta, should he choose to make a move for a youngster, and the Gunners are also said to be leading the race for Declan Rice.

The Latest: Paqueta targeted

Now, according to Spanish sources (via West Ham Zone), Arsenal are plotting a move for Paqueta, despite him only moving to West Ham last summer.

The Hammers are set to demand €70m (£62m) to part with the Brazilian, an amount that both the Gunners and Newcastle United would be willing to go close to this summer.

The Verdict: Get it done?

It is clear that the 25-year-old has bags of talent, judging by his last season in Ligue 1 with Lyon, in which he amassed nine goals and six assists in 35 appearances, however he has not got off to a flying start in the Premier League.

The playmaker has picked up just two goals and two assists in the top flight this term, although in fairness his season has been blighted by injury troubles, having had to deal with a serious shoulder problem.

Although there is every chance that Paqueta could kick on and become a top player, having been hailed as ‘phenomenal’ by sections of the media, £62m is too much for someone yet to prove themselves in England, and Arsenal should prioritise other targets.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano says that any deal for Arsenal to sign Brighton and Hove Albion central midfielder Moises Caicedo is now ‘completely off’.

The Lowdown: Jorginho in…

Romano reported this afternoon that Chelsea midfielder Jorginho has signed for Arsenal until 2024, with the option of a further year, and has even been pictured with his agent in a Gunners home shirt.

This comes after it was reported that another one of their targets Caicedo was ‘in London’ today ahead of a potential move to the Emirates Stadium.

The Latest: Caicedo ‘completely off’

Taking to Twitter, Romano says that any deal to take Caicedo to North London is now ‘completely off’ after two bids were rejected, with Mikel Arteta’s team set to announce the arrival of Jorginho instead ‘soon’:

“Understand Moises Caicedo deal with Arsenal is now completely off. No further talks will follow. Brighton never changed their stance: no intention to accept £60m or £70m proposals. Plan has always been to keep Caicedo. Arsenal will announce Jorginho soon.”

The Verdict: Midfielder was needed

Following Arsenal’s statement earlier today that Mohamed Elneny has suffered a ‘significant’ knee injury, and has been ruled out for an ‘extended period’, Arsenal needed to bring in a midfielder before the deadline.

Albert Sambi Lokonga is also closing in on a loan move to Crystal Palace, leaving Arteta short in terms of options in the middle of the park.

Jorginho may be overlooked by some supporters given the fact that he is 31 and coming from a London rival in Chelsea, but former Gunner Paul Merson has given a glowing assessment of the Italian, claiming that it is ‘outstanding’ business given his experience and what he has won in the game, and called his reported £12m fee a ‘cup of tea’.

It is a shame to miss out on Caicedo, who has been described as a ‘terrific athlete‘ by South American football expert Tim Vickery, but at least the Gunners look to have got a body through the door, and Jorginho will be motivated to impress given that they are going for the Premier League title.

Ben Jacobs has revealed that Newcastle United have taken a look at Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The Lowdown: PIF set to go big in the summer

Newcastle decided to bolster their attacking options in January after letting Chris Wood go on loan, despite heading into the window with their priority being a new midfielder, which was surely only increased when Jonjo Shelvey departed.

Eddie Howe had spoken to the media about how the club wouldn’t spend lavishly in January and handcuff themselves in future transfer windows, so the arrival of just two new players won’t be a surprise to many.

While Newcastle were seemingly very keen on Anthony Gordon from the summer all the way up until January, that didn’t stop reports suggesting they were still looking at other targets such as Kvaratskhelia, who was said to be their number-one target heading into the window.

The Latest: Kvaratskhelia will be difficult to sign

Newcastle may well retain an interest in Kvaratskhelia as Jacobs spoke about on his latest Twitter Space, but luring him from runaway Serie A leaders Napoli could be a difficult task.

He said: “Other wide players for Newcastle that I think are worth keeping an eye on; ‘Kvaradona’ as he’s known, like Maradona, a player at Napoli often compared to Georgi Kinkladze – they share the same nationality as well. Manchester City have looked, Newcastle have looked.

“Really difficult to get anyone away from Napoli, though, because they’re flying at the moment, but who knows, the summer might be a different situation.”

The Verdict: Newcastle could flex their financial muscles

If Newcastle were able to land the Georgian winger, who has a reported £50m price tag on his head, it would be a sensational piece of business as he’s been tearing up Serie A this season with 17 goal involvements and combined impressively with Victor Osimhen last weekend for one of the goals of the season.

Kvaratskhelia was signed by Napoli for a reported £10m last summer and he’s already helped them to edge ever closer to a first Serie A title in decades, so he’s arguably already paid back the club and the fans for having faith in him.

The winger is certainly starting to catch the eye of people outside of Italy and Naples, with editor Bill DiFilippo claiming he is ‘different gravy’ – so he could seemingly be a player who can take Newcastle to that next level, especially if they manage to secure Champions League football.

Tottenham Hotspur will find it ‘difficult’ to complete a deal for Sporting Lisbon right-wing back Pedro Porro in January, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Tottenham chasing Porro

At the start of the transfer window, Tottenham were said to be close to completing a deal for the 23-year-old which would have amounted to £35m, but negotiations were not as quick as initially anticipated.

Spurs cooled their interest in the Spaniard upon learning that Sporting were demanding his £40m release clause to be paid, and the move has seemingly now been thrown into jeopardy.

The Latest: Could be difficult

According to Romano, Porro is Tottenham’s main transfer priority this month, but Sporting are reluctant to sell him if the clause in his contract is not met.

The Italian tweeted: “Understand Pedro Porro is top of the list for Tottenham as new right back. Spurs will try to sign Porro as player would be keen on the move.

“It’s difficult deal in January as Sporting have been very clear: €45m release clause or no way. Stance could change in June.”

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The Verdict: Keep pushing

Considering that Tottenham were believed to be close to securing a deal amounting to £35m, paying an extra £5m for a player with Porro’s ability doesn’t seem excessive, and Daniel Levy should pay the full amount before another club does.

The defender has been lauded as a ‘special talent’ by journalist Zach Lowy, and he would be a perfect signing for Antonio Conte in an attacking sense. He has averaged 4.61 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes over the past year, placing in the 99th percentile compared to his positional peers in Europe’s major leagues.

Pundit Noel Whelan has recently called the right wing-back position Tottenham’s ‘most fragile area’, owing largely to the disappointing form from Emerson Royal, who was labelled ‘dreadful’ by journalist Josh Bunting earlier this season, so it is clear that an upgrade is needed at the earliest availability.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has enjoyed a rather impressive hit rate with regard to recruitment during his Parkhead tenure thus far, with the 57-year-old having typically proven an astute operator in the transfer market.

Despite that near-on “perfect” record in terms of incomings, as per pundit Alan Hutton, one addition that has failed to work out is the signing of Danish midfielder, Oliver Abildgaard, with the 26-year-old having become something of a forgotten figure in Glasgow of late.

Having signed on a season-long loan deal from Russian outfit Rubin Kazan on deadline day during the summer, the towering asset has since gone on to play a peripheral role for the Scottish champions thus far, having featured just nine times in all competitions this season – totalling just 156 minutes.

That lack of action has seen the one-cap international fail to start a single games across all fronts this term, with even the injury absence of captain Callum McGregor prior to the World Cup break having not led to a more prominent role in the side at the base of the midfield.

According to pundit Frank McAvennie, something is simply “not right” regarding the 6 foot 4 dud’s situation with the Hoops, with that coming amid reports that Postecoglou and co will look to terminate his temporary deal this month.

The Scottish Premiership outfit appear to have identified an ideal replacement who can help hasten Abildgaard’s departure from the club, following speculation that the Bhoys are interested in signing Korean midfielder, Kwon Hyeok-kyu.

According to reports in his homeland – via journalist Barry Anderson – Celtic are believed to have “made an offer” to sign the 6 foot 3 colossus from K-League side Busan IPark, with the 21-year-old named as one of his nation’s “bright prospects”.

The towering youngster would clearly be able to mirror the physical attributes of Abildgaard as a result of his height, while also offering the benefits of his “high-tempo play, technique and physique”, in the words of Anderson.

The South Korea U23 international illustrated his defensive prowess in the recent K-League campaign after averaging 1.6 interceptions and 1.0 tackles per game, with those numbers a superior record to that of Abildgaard who has averaged just 0.2 and 0.5 for the same two metrics, respectively.

With the latter man something of a spare part under Postecoglou at present, it could well make sense to replace the Dane with an up-and-coming asset such as Kwon, whom the title-winning coach can help to nurture and develop.

Tottenham Hotspur will unlikely be able to sign Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie in January, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Tottenham target Kessie

Spurs recently emerged as the most likely party to sign Kessie if his current club decide to sell him this winter, although there are several offers on the table, as per Spanish sources.

However, a fresh claim has come to light which indicates that the 25-year-old could be set to remain with the La Liga club, at least for the remainder of this campaign.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones played down the rumours linking the Ivorian with a Premier League move.

The journalist said in relation to Spurs’ recent transfer links with the player: “I think a cheeky bid for Kessie in January would probably be a waste of time to be honest.

“He’s basically chasing a dream here. And I think he’ll give it the rest of the season before he even contemplates going anywhere else.”

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The Verdict: Blow for Tottenham

Once lauded as ‘fantastic’ by Serie A analyst Matteo Bonetti, the £69k-per-week earner would provide depth for Antonio Conte in Tottenham’s midfield engine room, providing a more defensive option to compete for a starting berth with the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

His acumen in cutting out opposition attacks is highlighted by an average of 1.62 blocks per game over the past year, placing him in the 86th percentile compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

He is not limited to defensive contributions either, as indicated by his match average of 2.85 touches in the attacking penalty area (95th percentile), so he appears to offer a well-rounded package.

While it seems that the Ivorian enforcer currently wants to make a name for himself at Barcelona, Spurs should continue to monitor him over the winter, as his multi-faceted attributes would surely be of great use to the north London club in their push for Champions League football.

Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Villarreal defender Pau Torres and the Spaniard could be Julen Lopetegui’s own version of Antonio Rudiger at Molineux.

According to 90min, the Old Gold, along with Aston Villa, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen on the Spain international, who looks set to star for Luis Enrique’s side in Qatar at the World Cup.

The 25-year-old has been a mainstay in Villarreal’s impressive sides in recent seasons, helping the Spanish side to the Champions League semi-final last season, after winning the Europa League in the 2020/21 campaign.

This term has seen the centre-back make 13 appearances in La Liga, in which he has averaged a solid 6.64 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which ranks him ahead of both Max Kilman and Nathan Collins in Wolves’ squad, while his experience of playing in Europe’s elite competition suggests that he could be an upgrade to the Old Gold’s backline.

Football content creator Ryan Haber suggested that Torres could be part of a “dream” transfer window for Manchester United in the summer transfer window and indeed he could be exactly that at Wolves should he sign.

Owen Hargreaves was also full of praise for the defender on BT Sport last season.

He said: “He’s a fantastic player. I’m quite surprised he’s still at Villarreal. English teams were looking at him.

“I think everyone was talking about Man United and even Real Madrid, I think his potential is literally that high.

“He’s got a fabulous left foot, he’s great in possession. A fantastic player so I don’t think he’ll be at Villarreal very long.”

Therefore, Torres is clearly a highly-rated defender and it is easy to see why Lopetegui might want to bring him to Molineux, but when you compare him with Real Madrid stalwart Antonio Rudiger, there is little to suggest that the Spaniard – who is set to feature for Spain at the World Cup – wouldn’t improve Wolves’ ailing backline.

FBRef suggests that the former Chelsea defender is the tenth-most similar player to Torres when compared to other centre-backs in Europe’s top leagues.

Last season saw the two defenders register similar statistics with regard to expected assists (both 1.5), blocked passes (both nine) and aerial duels won (58 vs 56).

WhoScored also suggests that both Rudiger and Torres’ main strengths are passing and concentration, so they are clearly similar defenders.

Given Rudiger’s impressive form at Chelsea before his move to Los Blancos, Lopetegui would surely be foolish to turn down a player similar to the German at Molineux.

One of the key additions for Leeds United in the summer was Rasmus Kristensen, who was seen as the natural replacement for the disappointing Luke Ayling. It was a position renowned across Yorkshire for being in desperate need of a revamp.

The former Red Bull Salzburg man marked the first of two occasions where Jesse Marsch had returned to his old club for additions, with the six-foot-one stalwart impressing in his start to life in the Premier League.

He has battled well to cope with the demands of English football, earning himself a position in Kasper Hjulmand’s Denmark squad for the upcoming World Cup.

For all the £17.5m-rated man’s defensive quality – notably averaging 2.9 tackles and 2.4 clearances per game from his 12 top-flight appearances this season – it remains to be seen whether he boasts the offensive qualities to truly be a long-term fit for the spot.

The 25-year-old has only recorded one goal contribution all season in the league, with his lack of attacking impetus outlined in his 0.6 key passes per game.

That fact could be the reason behind the Whites’ reported interest in another right-back, with his long-term replacement sounded out in the form of Borussia Mönchengladbach youngster Joe Scally.

Due to Jesse Marsch’s well-reported interest in finding a new left-back, scouts were present in the clash between the German outfit and Borussia Dortmund, thought to be viewing the progress of Raphael Guerreiro.

However, in a report made by 90min, they claim that the strong American contingent at Elland Road could make Scally someone who may also be on their radar.

The 19-year-old is currently also valued at £17.5m by CIES Football Observatory and is also set to travel with the USA as part of the forthcoming World Cup, highlighting his pedigree despite his youth.

A player who is “one of the most talented right-backs in his age group in the world” – according to NFCYC sporting director Claudio Reyna – Scally racked up three goal contributions across last season in what was his debut season in Germany.

This season has seen him once again impress, as, despite not recording a goal contribution, he has created three big chances and averaged 0.5 key passes per game.

He clearly has an incredibly high ceiling, and with a sensational breakout World Cup in the works, to invest in him now might be a stroke of genius.

Whilst it may seem harsh to ditch the latter man from the side in January, the potential Scally brings is undeniable. He already has the defensive qualities Kristensen boasts of and has nothing but time to slowly improve his creativity to make him the perfect modern full-back.

Tottenham Hotspur have ‘been in contact’ to sign Inter Milan star Milan Skriniar in recent weeks, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Paratici plans emerge…

The Lilywhites, after securing a previously unlikely Premier League top-four finish last campaign, gave manager Antonio Conte their backing in the summer transfer market.

Club owners ENIC green-lit a £150 million equity increase to bolster Conte’s squad with Spurs completing eight major new signings – including a permanent deal for Cristian Romero.

Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie all put pen to paper on moves to north London with the latter of the seven remaining on loan at Udinese for this campaign.

However, a great opportunity has emerged to make another potential signing next year as Nerazzurri colossus Skriniar runs down his current Inter deal.

The Latest: Spurs make Skriniar contact…

Indeed, the north Londoners are now one of a host of clubs taking real interest in the 27-year-old who could leave Inter for nothing next summer.

Sharing the news for 90min and on Twitter, journalist Graeme Bailey calls Skriniar ‘one of Europe’s top central defenders’ and reveals Tottenham’s admiration for the player.

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He claims that Conte’s side have ‘been in contact’ with the player’s entourage ‘in recent weeks’ as Paratici seemingly eyes a real coup for free.

The Verdict: Make the move…

Valued at around £57 million by Transfermarkt, landing him for nothing in 2023 would come as, arguably, Paratici’s best move since being appointed chief director.

Former West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop is certainly in agreement that Skriniar would be an upgrade on Conte’s current defensive crop, calling him a player who would make ‘absolutely perfect’ sense from the Italian’s perspective.

Spurs need world-class additions for their back three if they’re going to reach the levels of a side like Man City and Skriniar seems to fit the bill.