Manchester United are “front runners” in the race for Barcelona’s Pedro, according to European football expert Andy Brassell.

The Spaniard only signed a new contract at the Nou Camp a few months ago, but it has emerged in recent weeks that he could leave the club if an interested party offers a release clause-triggering £22m.

This has led to links with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, but United have entered the battle of late with Louis van Gaal eager to add proven quality to his Red Devils squad.

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And Brassell has told talkSPORT that the North West club are leading the race for the 27-year-old attacker, who has won just about every prize on offer to him at club and international level, including La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup:

“Manchester United are the front runners to sign Pedro,

“He would move for around £22m. Pedro signed a new contract which substantially brought down his release clause. It was around €150m before.”

Brassell also believes that the deal makes a great deal of sense for the player and the club, with United not necessarily in need of an orthodox centre-forward given their current options and system:

“It makes a lot of sense for him to move to Manchester United with the sort of football Louis van Gaal wants to play.

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“You could have Pedro on the right and Memphis Depay on the left.

“United have been linked with a lot of strikers but, given that Rooney is going to start and Hernandez is on the bench, there is not a lot of point buying another striker.

“They don’t need someone to play with Rooney because that’s not how Van Gaal plays. They need people to play in a 4-3-3 formation.”

There’s nothing you can say about Arsenal that hasn’t already been said, and nothing you can prescribe that hasn’t already been prescribed.

Arsene Wenger has played to the same formula for years, and when it comes to the Gunners’ performance, where they fall short can be traced back to the same old areas as before.

This season, though a new dimension looks to have been added to the Gunners’ woes, their startlingly bad away form is really just another manifestation of an old lack of fight and robustness. It’s something we see season after season in other forms, but this year, it’s surfaced in away games and left Arsene Wenger’s side in fifth again.

All is not lost, of course. Arsenal are through to an EFL Cup semi-final as well as the knockout stages of the Europa League, and winning both competitions could serve as a springboard for future success in the same way that Manchester United’s capture of both trophies last season seemed to herald a new dawn for Jose Mourinho’s side before the Portuguese manager’s negative tactics seemed to blow that chance.

For the Gunners, though, rather than a milestone in the fight back to the top of the premium competitions, where they’ve belonged for so many years, these second tier trophies instead feel like yet another low watermark on the way down. Whereas settling for a top four place was the problem of the decade before this one, will the new year bring confirmation that Arsenal are now the fifth-placed Premier League club who will spend the next few years competing in trophies Arsene Wenger always thought were beneath him?

There is still a chance at the United style fightback, and two shiny new trophies don’t look unobtainable. When you get to the semi-final of a competition you’ve never won before in over 20 years of management in England, you’d like to think that Wenger will finally be up for the League Cup. And when you’re in the second tier competition which yields not just a medal, but an automatic place in the Champions League group stage for next season, you’d also like to think that it means something to the Gunners.

But with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil seemingly heading closer and closer to the exit door – perhaps as soon as next month – and with little chance of replacing players of that quality in the January window at least, you get the feeling that this season is the latest in a long line of write-offs at the Emirates, where Arsenal’s season may well have a different feel, but the same old outcomes.

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That means 2018 will probably not be a year in which Arsene Wenger can sign off as Arsenal manager on the back of a grand old victory to live on through the ages. He may never be able to do that at all, in fact. But instead, he must allow his job to become one of instilling a sense of positivity at the club for the first time in years, and leave Arsenal at some point soon with some genuine hope that the future is bright. The Gunners will likely start 2018 still looking feeling like they’re in decline. They must end it by feeling back where they belong.

According to reports in The Telegraph, Manchester United face competition from Premier League rivals West Ham United in the race to sign Inter Milan midfielder Joao Mario, who The Sun reported in December they want to bring in to replace Henrikh Mkhitaryan if the 28-year-old leaves this month.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Telegraph reports that the Irons are keen to sign the Portugal international on a loan deal until the end of the season, and having come to an agreement with the Serie A giants they must now convince the player to come to the London Stadium.

That could be easier said than done though considering The Sun reported last month that United were keen to bring him to Old Trafford in a £40m deal if Henrikh Mkhitaryan went the other way, although the Armenian now looks set for Arsenal instead.

However, The Telegraph adds that Inter don’t want to sell him on a permanent basis this month, and it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils would be willing to accept a loan deal.

How has Joao Mario done this season?

Despite costing €45m (£39.8m) when he joined Inter from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2016, the 24-year-old has struggled to hold down a place in the first team.

This term, he has found himself behind Marcelo Brozovic in the pecking order and has made just 15 appearances in all competitions, with more than half of his 14 Serie A outings coming from the substitutes’ bench.

According to WhoScored.com, the Portugal international’s main strengths are his dribbling and his ability to make key passes, and he has successfully completed 10 of the 14 take-ons he has attempted in the league during the current campaign, while he has made 17 key passes and has an overall passing accuracy of 89.4%.

Would he be a good signing for United?

He certainly could be.

The 24-year-old has largely played in a central attacking midfield role for Inter this season, but he can play in a deep-lying position too.

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Jose Mourinho will know his Portuguese compatriot well, and he could be tempted by a loan move for him considering the money the club looks set to spend on a deal for Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez.

United certainly won’t worry about West Ham’s interest if they do want the player, knowing that they could offer him Champions League football.

Leeds United suffered one of the weekend’s big FA Cup upsets on Sunday, falling to a 2-1 defeat against League Two outfit Newport County at Rodney Parade.

It was a fully deserved win for the home side, with Leeds failing to build upon their 9th minute opener scored by Gaetano Berardi.

A Conor Shaugnessy own goal gave the lower league side an equaliser before substitute Shawn McCoulsky sent the home fans into dreamland with a bullet header just a minute from time.

Leeds fans were left fuming at the performance and the result, reserving plenty of criticism for striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga, who looked off the pace all afternoon.

The German forward started his Leeds career well on loan from Hamburg, but missed a number of matches through illness in November and December and hasn’t scored in his last six games.

Supporters are now calling for his loan to be cancelled, believing he doesn’t have what it takes to be a success at Elland Road.

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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his Sunday performance…

Many football fans would have had a chuckle at Leeds United’s expense on Wednesday when the club unveiled a new design for the badge.

The Championship outfit revealed the crest on Twitter, claiming that they consulted with 10,000 fans before deciding on a fresh look.

The badge, though, was widely mocked and criticised, with many likening the image to that used by video game Pro Evolution Soccer.

The overwhelming negative response has prompted Leeds to have a re-think and allow fans to have more of a say.

Via their official website, the Whites released a statement insisting that they will “extend the consultation” with supporters in order to come up with a design that is approved by the fanbase.

As expected, the club’s following reacted much more positively when they heard that the powers that be were ready to consider a new crest.

Meanwhile on the pitch, Leeds are 10th in the table following a winless run of four games.

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Dundee FC today confirmed that they have pulled off a signing coup by bringing defender Steven Caulker to the club.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool man joins on an 18 month deal and will help the Dees in their fight to avoid relegation to the Scottish Championship.

Caulker had previously been linked with a move to Celtic after the player opened up publicly on the personal problems plaguing his career, but it appears any road to Celtic Park will travel through Dens first.

It’s certainly an intriguing deal and with over 100 Premier League appearances, his experience and quality will undoubtedly be a benefit to Dundee.

It’s also one which is capturing the imagination of Celtic fans, with some believing he’s a better signing than last month’s capture of former Dundee man Jack Hendry and others predicting that joining Dundee will only last until end of the season, simply a dress rehearsal for a move to the Hoops this summer.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

It is not difficult to understand why Christian Pulisic is attracting attention from the football world.

The USA international has starred at Borussia Dortmund over the past couple of seasons, despite only being 19 years of age.

The teenager has made 29 appearances in all competitions, contributing with four goals and three assists.

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are one club interested in securing the attacking midfielder’s signature in the summer transfer window.

The publication adds that both Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Liverpool are keeping tabs on the talented teenager.

Steve Nicol, though, thinks that none of the suitors will get their way and that Pulisic will remain at Dortmund.

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According to the Liverpool Echo, the former Reds full-back, who works as a pundit for ESPN, suggested that the German club will hold firm.

“I don’t think he is going to join Chelsea. I don’t think he is going anywhere. Any of the top sides in the world would want Pulisic right now, in their squad if not the starting XI. I think he has made it very clear that, for now, he knows Dortmund is the place for him. That is the place he will progress the best. I don’t see him going anywhere.”

Pulisic made his debut for Dortmund in 2016 after spending a term in the club’s youth system following his switch from the United States.

The pressure on Arsene Wenger has never been greater after four straight Arsenal defeats, culminating in Sunday’s reverse against Brighton and Hove Albion.

The ‘Wenger Out’ debate has raged on for the last few seasons but the calls for him to step aside are now as loud as they have ever been.

Many Arsenal fans want their board to take the bull by the horns and dismiss Wenger – or at the very least reveal that he will be moved aside at the end of the season to allow him the sendoff that he deserves between now and May.

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Any Gunners supporters hoping that Wenger will resign with dignity look set to be disappointed as the Times report that he has privately admitted to staff that he plans to stay on for the next campaign.

The report adds that Wenger still believes he is the right man to take the club forward and if the club wants to sever their ties with him, they will have to sack him.

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With the inertia at board level, the Frenchman’s stubbornness might well see him stay on as there is no force behind him pushing him to leave.

As reported by The Sun, Arsenal have recently sent scouts to track the progress of Benfica attacking midfielder Andrija Zivkovic, amidst interest from English Premier League rivals Manchester United.

What’s the story?

Arsenal are in something of a slump right now and fans are already dreaming of the summer transfer window where they hope that the club can get rid of faltering talent and bring in some new blood that can help them compete at the top end of the league table.

One potential signing could be Andrija Zivkovic, who The Sun report was recently scouted by the Gunners during Benfica’s clash with Maritimo.

Rated at £6.2m by Transfermarkt, the paper say that both Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in signing him this summer, leading to a potential bidding war between the two.

Could he be a success at Arsenal?

Still just 21 years of age, Zivkovic is still not the finished article and hasn’t yet managed to find the consistency that would make him a guaranteed hit in the English Premier League.

With three goals and five assists this season, he is showing glimpses of quality at a decent level though and surrounded by better players could find a way to forge a career at a club like Arsenal.

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Any buying club would be shelling out for potential, rather than immediate impact, but with pace, excellent dribbling skills and a strong work ethic, Arsenal could do a lot worse this summer if they’re looking for young talent.

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Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson is carrying a knock going into the Reds’ crunch clash with Manchester United so we asked you whether or not Jurgen Klopp should risk him from the start at Old Trafford.

The obvious alternative would be Alberto Moreno, who has shown his defensive frailties on more than one occasion in the past, but James Milner also deputised ably last season and would be a steady bet.

The arrival of Alexis Sanchez has left Jose Mourinho scrambling around to try and find the ideal attacking formula so it is tough to predict who will line up on the right for United as they seek to extend their advantage over Liverpool in the table.

Sanchez, Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard or Anthony Martial – if fit – could get the nod to link up with Antonio Valencia down that flank.

No matter who he faces though, Liverpool fans were pretty unequivocal in expressing that it is the Scotsman – valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk – they want on the left of their defence, with 89% of fans saying Klopp should take a gamble and field him from the off.

Take a look at the full poll results below…

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