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Premier League: Five essential picks for your fantasy team

The new Premier League season is underway but the transfer window looks to be the main attraction for many with Manchester United likely to dominate the headlines over the last few weeks after their loss to Brighton leaving Erik ten Hag desperate for reinforcements. Realistic targets include Adrien Rabiot and Marko Arnautovic, while Guido Rodriguez, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Cody Gakpo continue to be linked with moves to Old Trafford.

Then there is the saga surrounding Frenkie de Jong and his future at the Camp Nou, which rumbles on, and Manchester United and Chelsea remain strongly linked to the Barcelona midfielder. The Spaniards want to bring in Bernardo Silva as a replacement for him if a deal is arranged with Man City, while Marcos Alonso could move from Stamford Bridge to Catalunya.

Elsewhere, Thomas Tuchel has hinted at the need for more players despite a win at Everton, with Wesley Fofana linked to the Blues. Fofana’s exit could provide Leicester with ammunition to sign players, as the only club in Europe’s top five leagues without one incoming player, the Foxes have already lost goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and midfielder James Maddison is wanted by Newcastle, meaning Brendan Rodgers could be busy after watching his side cough up a 2-0 lead against Brentford to open up the season.

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Manchester United chase Sergej Milinkovic-Savic after Adrien Rabiot deal

Juventus have reportedly agreed to sell Adrien Rabiot to Manchester United for an initial £15million. The Guardian says the discussions over personal terms for the 27-year-old France midfielder are still at an early stage with approval still needed from his agent and mother. The paper notes he has achieved success with five Ligue 1 titles at Paris St Germain as well as another in Serie A, but he also has a uneven discipline record including fines for lateness.

The Red Devils are also said to be interested in Lazio’s Serbia midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who they have been linked with for a number of years. But the Telegraph reports intermediaries believe a deal can actually be done for the 27-year-old.

Michael Jones9 August 2022 20:00

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Frenkie de Jong’s deferred wages explained: Why Barcelona stand-off is part of growing trend

If the long and protracted Frenkie de Jong transfer saga has not already been messy enough, there is one way of making it a whole lot messier.

“De Jong should consider legal action v Barcelona and all players should be behind him,” Gary Neville tweeted last week. “A club spending fortunes on new players whilst not paying the ones they have under contract their full money is immoral and a breach. @FIFPRO should be all over bullying like this and stop it.”

Predictably, Neville’s tweet did not go down well among Barcelona’s support – with some even going as far as to pretend his infamous spell in charge of Valencia went even worse than it actually did – but you do not have to be a former Manchester United right-back to sympathise with the sentiment behind it.

For a financially-challenged club like Barça to push a player out so that they can fund a summer of extravagant spending is one thing. To do so while refusing to pay him wages that he is owed is another entirely.

Michael Jones9 August 2022 19:00

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Brilliant Brighton show there will be plenty of life after Marc Cucurella and Yves Bissouma

If there is a blueprint for winning at Old Trafford, it probably doesn’t involve selling your two best players. If the theory was that Brighton will emerge from the summer around £90million richer but poorer on the pitch without Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella, they conjured what – on paper, anyway – ranks as one of the best results in their history.

Although, perhaps, not even their finest against Manchester United since the start of May. A maiden win against Old Trafford was a second against United in swift succession; for 7 May, read 7 August. After a 4-0 victory at home, with the soon-to-be £90million pair, came a 2-1 victory away. United’s decline has to be factored into any evaluation but even February’s 2-0 defeat, when Brighton were the superior side for an hour, offered evidence that now they are a better team than United: not necessarily individually but definitely collectively.

Michael Jones9 August 2022 18:30