Manchester United are planning to sell flop goalkeeper Andre Onana this summer.
Onana was loaned out to Trabzonspor in September after United endured a horror show in the humiliating EFL Cup defeat at League Two Grimsby.
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However, with the Turkish side unlikely to try to keep him permanently, The Pitch Prospect understands Man United have no plans to reintegrate the Cameroon international into the first team.
Those in charge at Old Trafford know they have to accept the almost £50 million they paid Inter Milan for Onana in the summer of 2023 at the behest of Erik ten Hag.
United are expected to bring in a replacement for Onana, particularly with veteran Tom Heaton’s contract expiring and doubts over Altay Bayindir’s future.
However, Senne Lammens quickly established himself as number one after a series of outstanding performances.
Boss in demand who should stay?
Bournemouth are becoming increasingly optimistic about convincing coach Andoni Iraola to commit his future to the club.
Iraola is out of contract at the end of the season and has suitors both in the Premier League and abroad.
However, Cherries officials hope the signing of four players in the January transfer window, including Brazilian teenage sensation Rayan, will convince the Spaniard to extend his stay on the south coast.
Bournemouth have also put themselves in an excellent position to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history after moving up to eighth in the Premier League table.
Sources close to Iraola told The Pitch Prospect that his hesitation in signing a new contract should not be taken as a sign that he is definitely leaving, as he prefers to work on a short-term basis.
He was interviewed by Tottenham before they hired Thomas Frank last summer.
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Toon stands firm against the red-hot Gordon
According to The Pitch Prospect, Newcastle have no plans to cash in on in-form Anthony Gordon.
Gordon’s outstanding performance of seven goals in his last 12 games has put clubs higher up the table on alert, while the England international was on the verge of joining Liverpool two years ago.
There are still links with a possible move to Liverpool. Despite graduating from Everton’s academy, Gordon began his youth career in the red half of Merseyside and has been a Liverpool fan since childhood.
Crucially for Newcastle, months after that Anfield move fell through, Gordon signed a new contract that kept him at St. James Park until the summer of 2028.
This deal is not believed to contain an exit clause.
Retaining Gordon will be a big sign for the Magpies, with clubs also in play for players such as Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento, as reported in last week’s Notebook.
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Wednesday in agony waiting for a rescuer
There are still doubts about the planned takeover of the crisis club Sheffield Wednesday.
The Owls, who suffered two point deductions this season, became the earliest team in English Football League history to be relegated at the weekend.
And they had the indignity of seeing their relegation to League One confirmed by a 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Sheffield United.
With the club desperate to get back on stable financial footing, a three-man consortium led by James Bord and including German AI guru Felix Roemer and Middle Eastern businessman Alsharif Faisal Bin Jamil have agreed a fee of £30m to release Wednesday from administration.
However, two months later, the group has yet to be approved by the EFL.
With football’s new independent regulator also conducting its own investigation, sources familiar with the sale process have told The Pitch Prospect that the situation could drag on for many more weeks.
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A potential problem at a time when the government is trying to crack down on gambling sponsorship in sport is Bord’s background as a professional gambler.
Meanwhile, former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is still waiting in the wings should the deal fall through, but his offer is well below administrator Begbies Traynor’s valuation.