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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Manchester United have been dealt a blow in their attempts to sign £60m-rated AS Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan after the Serie A side’s new sporting director Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo said he is staying with the club.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Mail says the 29-year-old Belgium international has been linked with a number of clubs this summer – including the Red Devils, Chelsea and Inter Milan – but Verdejo has confirmed that the midfielder looks set to stay in the Italian capital.

United manager Jose Mourinho has been keen to sign a new central midfielder all summer, and he looks set to have to find a new transfer target with moves for Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic and Tottenham Hotspur’s Eric Dier looking unlikely, according to the Daily Mail.

However, it doesn’t look as though the answer to his problem will be Nainggolan.

What did Verdejo say?

The Spaniard only took up the role at Roma after leaving Sevilla earlier in the summer, but he was questioned about Nainggolan’s future on Saturday during the unveiling of new signing Maxime Gonalons.

He told asroma.com when questioned about Nainggolan: “Yes [he will stay]. I think we’ve seen the last of the big departures from our club.

“Now it’s time to build a team, which will be supplemented with potential purchases in the transfer market.”

How did Nainggolan do last season?

The 29-year-old was once again an influential figure in the middle of the park for the Serie A giants, and he ended the campaign with 14 goals and seven assists in 53 appearances in all competitions after often being deployed in a more attacking role.

However, while he was a threat going forward the Belgian is also able to do his job defensively too, and as well as making 37 interceptions in 37 Serie A outings, he is tenacious and also loves a tackle.

Would he be a good signing for United?

He certainly would be.

The Belgian is a consistent performer who brings a lot of the quality to the midfield area, and he could also bring a goalscoring and creative threat too – something that the Red Devils were missing at times last season.

Is the deal definitely dead?

Well, Mourinho still needs to sign a midfielder this summer and if he fails to sign any other targets, he could easily switch his attentions to a big-money £60m move for the Belgian.

However, Roma certainly don’t appear to be in any mood to sell.

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Aston Villa are open to selling Ross McCormack as Sunderland make him a top priority, according to the Birmingham Mail.

What’s the story?

The Scottish striker has failed to make an impact at Villa Park since his £12m move from Fulham last summer.

McCormack headed to the Midlands after hitting 23 goals in 49 appearances in all competitions for the Cottagers in the 2015-16 campaign.

However, the forward netted just three times in 20 Championship outings for Villa before he was sent on loan to Nottingham Forest for the remainder of the season.

According to the Birmingham Mail, Sunderland manager Simon Grayson is keen to reunite with McCormack following the pair’s time together at Leeds.

Villa would prefer to sell rather than consider a loan for the forward, who was left out of the club’s pre-season trip to Germany.

What should Villa do?

It is disappointing for all concerned that McCormack did not continue his impressive form at Villa Park.

His time at the club has been a bizarre one as he fell out with manager Steve Bruce and suffered bouts of injury and illness.

Any club would want to get back as much of the £12m paid, but due to his disrupted season, it may be difficult to do so.

Most players are overpriced in this market, but Championship clubs are unlikely to meet high asking prices.

Villa should get what they can in this window rather than risk McCormack’s valuation lowering further.

Sunday’s Community Shield between Arsenal and Chelsea saw an intriguing twist on the penalty shootout, with the introduction of the ABBA system.

Rather than the traditional ABAB format of taking spot kicks, which has often been criticised for giving an inevitable advantage to the team going first (team ‘A’), ABBA sees both teams take two penalties consecutively once the first kick is out of the way.

In theory, that should diminish the importance of going first, which often results in the team going second being under too much pressure to keep the scores level and inevitably failing to do so – that’s England’s excuse, anyway.

But ABBA certainly hasn’t convinced everybody and as we’re starting to discover with another one of football’s latest innovations, the VAR system, new rules often end up creating as many problems as they intend to solve.

Of course, we’re still probably a good few years away from ABBA becoming the default penalty set-up, if it ever does. But as things stand, which shootout system do you prefer? Let us know by voting below…

According to reports in The Telegraph, Chelsea are fighting a losing battle in their attempts to sign Juventus left-back Alex Sandro.

The Blues have been linked with a move for the Brazilian throughout the summer as boss Antonio Conte looks to provide Marcos Alonso with some more competition in the left wing-back spot, but The Telegraph says that Juve are adamant that they won’t be selling the 26-year-old.

With the transfer window due to slam shut at the end of this month, the Premier League holders may now have to start looking at alternatives if they are to add some further depth to their squad on the flanks.

Chelsea supporters were quick to have their say on the latest update via social media, and the majority are bored of the saga and have urged the club to move on to other targets as it seems less and less likely that they will get their man.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

When Liverpool signed Sadio Mane in summer 2016, not everybody was convinced by the then-Southampton forward’s price-tag, including Reds legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher – who described £30million (actually £4million less than the Reds eventually paid) as expensive for the African attacker.

Nobody doubted Mane’s potential – this was, after all, the owner of the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history – but throughout two seasons at Southampton, there was always a worrying inconsistency to his game, something that appeared to be linked with over-ambition and immaturity. Rather tellingly, 17 of his 25 goals for the Saints were netted either during transfer windows, the month prior or the month after.

The logical assumption, therefore, was Mane reserving his best form for when he knew potential suitors would be watching. During the intermittent gaps in between, there were copious examples of the wide forward not showing the comradery expected of Premier League players, as if he felt above his team-mates on the south coast.

But in many walks of life, such dubious behaviour is common when talented people feel they aren’t being challenged enough, when they feel the true extremities of their abilities aren’t being fully recognised. Liverpool provided the perfect platform to address those inadequacies; to be a success at such a historic club, Mane would have to produce his best form week-in-week-out, and rather than hoping at best for Europa League qualification with Southampton, Jurgen Klopp’s side were looking at the Champions League as a bare minimum. Upon arriving at Anfield, Mane knew he’d have to leave any prima-donna tendencies at the door.

Mane’s first goal for Liverpool came during a transfer window too; in fact, it was during his very first competitive game and the very first game of the season, in August 2016. But whereas a goal for Southampton at that time would have only heightened accusations of angling for a move, a superfluous debut strike for Liverpool silenced critics, suggested Mane embracing the new challenges the Reds offered him and even gave a hint of the talismanic status he’d soon go on to enjoy. Not least because, Mane’s first goal for Liverpool was particularly exceptional.

In a rampant goal-fest of a curtain raiser at the start of 2016/17, it was Klopp’s Reds who unexpectedly laid down the gauntlet to the rest of the league at the Emirates Stadium. The scores were one apiece at half-time, but the visitors surged ahead in the second half – scoring three goals in under 20 minutes. The sheer ferociousness and velocity of that glut was captured perfectly by Mane’s goal; a relentless, dazzling dribble through two Arsenal defenders, cutting inside the box, before a left-footed rifle straight into the top corner of the net. Petr Cech, not to mention every other Gunner inside the penalty area, helplessly watched on.

Since that stunning debut goal, which proved to be the winner despite Arsenal’s late comeback, Mane quite simply hasn’t looked back. 29 Premier League appearances for the Reds have seen him produce 16 goals from out wide, five of which have come against top-seven opposition and six of which have been game-winning goals – not least including a 94th minute winner against Everton in the Merseyside derby, the perfect way to announce yourself as the new hero at Anfield.

But even more telling than his goals, the 25-year-old’s absences have highlighted how crucial he’s become to Klopp’s side. Last season, the Reds’ win-rate across all competitions dropped by a staggering 26% when Mane wasn’t in the starting XI and after involvement in the African Cup of Nations followed by a long-term injury, Liverpool didn’t actually win a Premier League fixture without him until April.

Perhaps the most significant evidence of Mane’s importance to Liverpool, however, came on Sunday afternoon, once again Arsenal in a 4-0 romping. The Reds have more than coped without Philippe Coutinho offensively amid the Brazilian’s Barcelona transfer saga and it’s Mane who has taken his spot on the left wing, scoring in all three of his Premier League outings thus far including the second strike against the Gunners.

It was by no means a stand-out individual display from the Senegalese as the Reds produced an exceptional team performance, controlling all departments in a resounding victory. But it’s the sheer ferociousness going forward Mane offers down the left-hand side, especially in conjunction with Mohamed Salah on the opposite flank, that has helped make Liverpool such a relentless scoring threat despite being without Coutinho, who many view as their most talented player.

Considering the vast sum Barcelona are reportedly prepared to offer for Coutinho, that 4-0 battering and Mane’s influence from the left might just convince Liverpool’s powerbrokers the South American is worth more to them in financial than footballing terms. Either way, Mane’s Carragher and his other critics wrong in sensational style.

According to reports on Sky Germany’s Live Transfer blog on September 19 (10:21am), Tottenham Hotspur have joined Premier League rivals Liverpool in making an enquiry for highly-rated Werder Bremen attacking midfielder David Philipp.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Germany says the Premier League duo are reportedly ready to go head-to-head to for the promising 17-year-old, who is regarded as one of the Bundesliga’s brightest young prospects after starring for Werder Bremen’s youth sides.

Even though he is yet to make an appearance for the first team, it seem as though Spurs scouts have been impressed with the teenager and having brought the likes of Dele Alli to the club in the past, they certainly know a young talent when they see one.

Philipp scored 18 goals and provided a further 21 assists for the Under-18 side last season and he has already been promoted to the Under-19s, where he has made an impressive start to the campaign with two goals and four assists, but he is out of contract next summer.

According to The Mirror, Werder Bremen academy director Bjorn Schierenbeck has refused to play down the speculation linking the youngster with a Premier League move.

What did he say?

Schierenbeck said: “I wouldn’t want to rule out the interest in David from the English clubs.

“But I don’t know exactly how firm it is. We would be very eager to continue working together with David.

“We have already held talks with him, and explained what his future career with Werder can look like.”

Would he be a good addition for Spurs?

He certainly would be.

Germany is known for producing brilliant playmakers like Mesut Ozil, Mario Gotze and Marco Reus in recent years, and Philipp could easily be the next off of the conveyor belt.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has already shown with the likes of Alli, Harry Winks, Juan Foyth and Kyle Walker-Peters that he isn’t afraid to give young players a chance either, and the 17-year-old could even feature in the first team next season should he complete a move to the north London outfit during the January transfer window or next summer.

Just in case anybody had forgotten just how crucial Philippe Coutinho could be for Liverpool this season, the Brazil international returned to the starting XI on Saturday and inspired a 3-2 win over Leicester City, assisting the opening goal before netting a stunning free kick for the second.

Indeed, the 25-year-old playmaker, who Transfermarkt value at £40.5million, showed little sign of ring-rust despite missing the start of Liverpool’s season amid a rather arduous transfer saga involving Barcelona.

But that leaves Jurgen Klopp facing a bit of a conundrum ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash with Spartak Moscow; while Coutinho proved a relentless handful for Leicester City on the left wing, Sadio Mane will be desperate to get back on the pitch after sitting out the Reds’ last three Premier League fixtures with suspension.

So, Reds supporters, who do you think should start on the left wing in Russia tonight – the South American playmaker or the 48-cap Senegal international? Let us know by voting below…

Arsenal fans may not be enjoying the delights of the Champions League this season, but they still have European nights to experience.

This evening, Arsene Wenger’s men take on Red Star Belgrade in Serbia in their third group match of the Europa League.

So far, the North London outfit are doing well having not dropped a point yet due to back-to-back wins.

The manager has used the second-tiered competition to allow fringe players, including Jack Wilshere, to get some much-needed minutes on the pitch.

The opening group match started badly when the Gunners went 1-0 down to FC Koln inside the first 10 minutes, but goals from Saed Kolasinac, Alexis Sanchez and Hector Bellerin gave the team a 3-1 victory.

Arsenal conceded twice against BATE Borisov in the following match, but once again they came out on top with a 4-2 triumph.

A win tonight would put the club in a strong position to qualify for the knockout rounds.

The fans have been looking ahead to the match, with many keen to see Wilshere on the pitch.

After last season’s failure to contend for Premier League promotion, the pressure was on Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce to get off to a bright start in the 2017-18 campaign.

The Midlands outfit failed to do that given that they lost two and drew the other in their opening three fixtures, but they swiftly improved.

An unbeaten run of eight league games followed, but they were stopped in their tracks last weekend at Molineux.

Current Championship leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a 2-0 victory, boosting their chances of promotion.

Judging from Villa’s Twitter account, the club are keen to look ahead as they posted a graphic of the team’s next three games.

Bruce’s men will take on Fulham at home, local enemies Birmingham City at St Andrew’s and that will be followed by a trip to Preston.

As expected, most eyes were drawn to the Midlands derby when the fans tweeted their thoughts on how the upcoming games will pan out.

Rangers have again been left with a bit of soul searching to do after another demoralising defeat under Pedro Caixinha. The Light Blues crashed out of the Scottish League Cup at the weekend, leaving supporters question both the future of the Portuguese and thinking about players that could come in and do a job for them in January.

While the Ibrox side have scoured the world for talent this year bringing in players from Portugal, Mexico and elsewhere, there’s plenty of talent right on their doorstep that could make the grade for them.

One such talent is St Mirren’s Lewis Morgan, a player formerly on Rangers’ books as a youth player. Having left the club and made a name for himself in Paisley, the time is right for him to return home and make a big impact in the first team at Ibrox.

Here are three reasons why…

He’s in blistering form

Although he was involved in first team action for the Buddies in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, it was only last year that the young attacking midfielder really rose to prominence at St Mirren.

Incoming manager Jack Ross unlocked his potential and in the second half of last season, the midfielder really hit his stride, scoring four goals and providing four assists in the Scottish Championship, helping the Paisley side make an unlikely escape from what seemed liked certain relegation.

Since then he’s only improved and this terms he’s having his best season yet, already netting eight times in all competitions and providing a further four assists.

Crucially for Rangers, his best position is on the left flank which is an area of the pitch they could do with significant improvement in.

The Scottish Premiership may be a step up from his current level, but he’s shown he can perform consistently in a winning side, in a position Pedro Caixinha needs to strengthen.

He’s affordable, with immense potential

His form has been so good in 2017 that he’s received U21 caps for Scotland and if he continues his current trajectory, he has a great chance of becoming a future full international for his country.

Rangers simply can’t afford to miss out on the best homegrown talent in the country and while options from rival teams are sometimes more costly, in Lewis Morgan’s case, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Morgan’s contract at St Mirren runs out at the end of the season meaning Rangers are free to speak to him about signing a pre-contract in January, which will of course have a massive impact on any potential fee in the upcoming transfer window.

Not only is he the right player for the Ibrox side, but the timing is such that now is the perfect time to make their move.

If they don’t sign him, Celtic will

Celtic have done a great job in recent years of identifying the best Scottish talent available and bringing them to the club to progress as players both at club and domestic level. If Brendan Rodgers’ recent comments are anything to go by, then Lewis Morgan could be the next player on the Bhoys’ list.

The Hoops boss singled Lewis Morgan out for praise recently in the wake of another failed qualification campaign for Scotland, when talking about young players coming through who could shine in the future for the national team. His comments are well worth Rangers taking notice of.

As quoted by The Scottish Sun, Rodgers said of Scottish football: “It’s not the players that’s the problem. You’ve got the players, the players ARE here. The boy Lewis Morgan at St Mirren: quick, dynamic, can press, can run, can get at people. You’ve got the players, it’s how they are coached and how they are asked to play. At the highest possible level you have to be able to play football.”

With Celtic already miles ahead of where Rangers are currently, the Light Blues can’t let them steal a march on another young Scottish talent, especially when you consider he was once on their books at Auchenhowie.

The Light Blues must make their move for the youngster or risk it coming back to bite them.