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According to an interview he did with ESPN FC, Manchester United have been boosted in their reported pursuit of Borussia Dortmund winger Christian Pulisic, rated at €100m (£88.6m) by his club according to German media outlet Sport1, after he hinted that he would like to play in the Premier League one day.

What’s the word, then?

Well, German publication Sport Bild revealed last week that Manchester United had joined Liverpool and Bayern Munich in showing an interest in the 19-year-old, who has established himself as a regular starter for Dortmund this season.

Now in an interview with ESPN FC, the USA international has hinted that while he is happy at the Bundesliga club, he would like to play in England in the future.

The attacker told ESPN FC: “Of course, the Premier League is an unbelievable league.  You never know in football what can happen, so right now, I’m focused with Dortmund, and yeah, that’s that.”

How has Pulisic done this season?

The teenager has made 26 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund this term, scoring four goals and providing a further two assists, while he has shown his versatility by playing on both wings and even as a right-back on one occasion.

The 19-year-old is quick and loves to dribble, and according to WhoScored.com he has successfully completed 76 of the 168 dribbles he has completed across 24 outings in the German top flight and the Champions League during the current campaign.

Would he be a good signing for United?

A winger certainly doesn’t seem to be a new addition that is a priority for the Red Devils right now considering they signed Alexis Sanchez in January, and manager Jose Mourinho even admitted as much recently.

While Pulisic is obviously a good player with plenty of potential, it would be difficult to see United making a move for the American in the summer, especially if he is going to cost more than £88m.

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It seems likely that the 19-year-old will play in the Premier League – and potentially sign for the Old Trafford outfit at some point in the future – but it surely won’t happen at the end of the current campaign.

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Following Premier League referee Andre Marriner’s inexplicable confusion between Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kieran Gibbs during the Chelsea vs Arsenal, we felt it was worth a look at some other memorable refereeing cock-ups.

Most people are appreciative of the pressure referees are put under during the heat of the game, but some of these are just inexcusable.

Graham Poll’s triple yellow

Where better to begin than Graham Poll’s moment of stardom in the 2006 World Cup. England’s number one referee (or so according to FIFA) took charge of the Group F tie between Croatia and Australia. An hour in and Poll chose to book Croatian Josep Simunic, following that up in the 90th minute with a second yellow card.

However, Poll failed to implement the rules by forgetting to send the Croatian off for his second bookable offence. Poll did go on to dismiss Simunic, but not until he issued him with a third sanction. Sepp Blatter later confirmed that had Croatia gone on to claim victory, Australia would have had grounds for appeal. Luckily for Poll, the game finished 2-2. The Englishman was sent home from the tournament in shame, and became a laughing stock worldwide.

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“I don’t find you funny, Gazza”

Anyone who says that referees have no sense of humour need only cite this to make their point. Referee Dougie Smith was officiating Rangers’ final home game of the 1994-95 season, and he didn’t take kindly to Paul Gascoigne’s antics. 7-0 up and the England star handed the referee back his cards after dropping them by brandishing the yellow card in the fashion of the official.

As opposed to laughing it off as any self-deprecating person would do, Smith stopped Gazza in his tracks and showed him a yellow card in return. Congrats to Smith for taking the pressure of the Hibs players though.

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Watford vs Reading – ‘Ghost goal’

This Championship tie in 2008 saw one of the most bizarre incidents in the history of English football. 13 minutes into the match and Reading were awarded a goal, courtesy of Watford defender John Eustace. A brief goal-mouth scramble following a Reading corner was eventually cleared out of the box only for referee Stuart Attwell to blow for a goal.

After a consultation with linesman Neil Bannister, the goal was given, seemingly after the first touch from the Watford defender. Despite a lack of acknowledgement from any player on the field, the referee allowed the goal to stand.

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Australia vs Equitorial Guinea – Women’s World Cup

This particular incident is the kind of thing you may see down the park with seven-year-olds when the manager screams ‘pick the ball up’ at his kids. Australia, already 1-0 up, hit the post after a cross.

Instead of taking possession of the ball, or simply clearing it, Equitorial Guinea defender Bruna catches the ball and turns towards the referee before dropping it and running off. You can only assume the ref was as confused as everyone observing the game was and somehow allowed play to resume.

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Crystal Palace vs Bristol City – Freddy Sears disallowed goal

The introduction of goal-line technology means that this type of controversy will likely never occur again in at top-level football. Frank Lampard vs England was bad. Pedro Mendes vs Manchester United was worse.

But Freddy Sears vs Bristol City is quite literally unbelievable. Neil Warnock has never been one to shy away from public criticism of anyone, but he was fully justified in his outrage after his on-loan striker had the ball practically hit the back of the net. In bundling the ball over the line Sears managed to hit the stanchion resulting in the ball rebounding straight back out of the goal.

Crystal Palace players wheeled away in jubilation while Bristol’s defenders trudged away in disappointment, only to find out that the referee, on advice from his linesman, disallowed the goal.

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Liverpool are considering a £7m swoop for Newcastle striker Demba Ba in their attempt to bring a top-class striker to the club in January, reports The Daily Mail.

The Reds were already looking short in the attacking department after letting Andy Carroll join West Ham on-loan for the season but the situation worsened this week with the news that Fabio Borini broke his foot while on international duty with Italy U21’s.

Brendan Rodgers has been following the progress of South Korean youngster Son Heung-min but the Anfield club have been informed by Hamburg that the one of brightest stars in Bundesliga is not for sale causing them to switch attentions to Newcastle’s Ba.

The 27-year-old Senegal international has an £7m buy-out clause that kicks in again January which may result in a move away from the North East especially with Ba in such fine goalscoring form. He has six goals to his name this season and is currently the leading goalscorer in the Premier League ahead of Liverpool’s very own Luis Suarez.

While it appears that Rodgers can pick up the striker for a bargain price, trying to agree reasonable personal terms with Ba may prove more problematic. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has already expressed his disgust at the strikers request for an inflated wage package which he deemed as unrealistic and Liverpool will not want to pay over the odds in wages.

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Rodgers will be especially eager to bring in extra firepower during January after missing out on Clint Dempsey on transfer deadline day and Ba could be a proven solution to the problem.

Leeds United announced earlier this week that Madger Gomes had left the club to join French Ligue 2 side FC Sochaux-Montbeliard on a permanent deal.

Gomes only joined Leeds from Liverpool last summer, but the 21-year-old struggled to force his way into the first-team picture.

Indeed, the midfielder made just two appearances for the Championship club during the 2017-18 campaign, and has now made the move to France on a permanent deal.

Gomes arrived with high hopes, but the move just did not work out for whatever reason.

And the Leeds fans have been reacting to the summer exit on social media.

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There are those supporters who feel that Gomes could have become a first-team player if given a proper chance, although some Leeds fans have admitted that they forgot he even existed.

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It is expected to be a busy summer window for Leeds, with Gomes’ exit the first of many ahead of what is shaping up to be a very interesting 2018-19 campaign.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Celtic forward Moussa Dembele was again an unused substitute on Tuesday night as the Hoops ran out 2-1 winners away to Glasgow rivals Partick Thistle.

The Frenchman has started just three matches since the start of December, with Brendan Rodgers opting to give Odsonne Edouard regular starting opportunities in attack ahead of both Dembele and Leigh Griffiths.

Having been linked with Premier League clubs again this January, the Hoops boss conceded this week that the speculation may have affected the player’s ability to perform at the required level.

Given his ability and importance to Celtic, the situation is far from ideal and it’s something that supporters want to be sorted once and for all, whether he stays or goes.

Fan opinion varies wildly, with some believing he shouldn’t be sold, others criticising the club for perceived poor treatment and many more desperate to cash in before his value in the transfer market potentially plummets.

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There’s been plenty of debate on social media in the wake of another non-appearance…

It should already be accepted that Arsenal don’t have the squad to challenge on three fronts until the end of the season. Arsene Wenger has been down this path on more than one occasion in the recent past, stretching a thin squad to its limits and subsequently facing ultimate defeat.

On the face of it, with Arsenal still in contention for the Premier League title, a loss to Bayern Munich wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen to Wenger’s side. Look to the consistency Liverpool showed during the first half of the season when they weren’t burdened with midweek excursions across the continent.

Brendan Rodgers’ side is also short on quality throughout, but they’ve been able to get where they are now because they’ve been able to properly recuperate between weekend games.

But it isn’t as clear cut as that for Arsenal. The club should be in a position to offer maximum effort in all three competitions they’re still in. Wenger had a month to strengthen the squad properly and chose to stand still, thus increasing the likelihood of burnout.

It also doesn’t set a good mood around the club if supporters are being asked to fork out even more cash in line with the club’s three per cent increase in tickets. What are fans paying for if Arsenal are unable to field strong enough squads throughout the campaign?

A loss to Bayern could be terrible for morale, and that’s what the manager is currently gambling on. Taking away the emotional aspect of it, however, Arsenal would be better suited knowing that the rest of the season is confined to just domestic games; that’s how far this Arsenal squad can exert themselves without falling into that now infamous ‘red zone.’

The key here is mentality and how much a loss to Bayern can take out of the players. It’s nothing new that some supporters may feel liberated from the burden of Champions League football; when the prize is so high domestically, why wouldn’t the focus be on what can be achieved in the Premier League?

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But it’s precisely that knock-on effect that could damage the club’s chances of winning a trophy this season. The gamble is whether defeat in Europe will have a lasting effect on what the team do for the remainder of the campaign.

With such a thin squad, one already weakened by injury, it’s a difficult call for Wenger to make.

There are a select group of Premier League players, that wherever they go, whenever they touch the ball, will be greeted with a chorus of boos and jeers.

Some will experience this at just one particular ground. For example when Fernando Torres goes back to Anfield, you can imagine the reception he receives from the fans who used to idolize him is frosty to say the least.

But some manage to achieve it at every ground in the country.

Luis Suarez has been in England less than two years, but has already carved out a reputation as one of the most hated players in the league, down to his dramatics on the pitch and incidents off it.

John Terry is exactly the same. The former England captain finds himself the pantomime villain at every ground in the country following off field scandals.

A few Premier League players suffer for their actions with their country. Wayne Rooney receives a fair amount of stick for the times he has not produced it for England, while being so often impressive for his club.

Then likes of Lee Cattermole and Joey Barton when he was plying his trade in the division do little to endear themselves to supporters with their dirty play on the pitch. Players such as these, notorious for picking up cards, are never the object of fans affections.

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There are a fair few to pick from, but who do you think is the most hated player in the Premier League?

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According to reports, West Ham may be forced to cool their interest in Jamaal Lascelles, as Newcastle have set their asking price for the defender at £30million.

What’s the story?

Last week, a report from the Mirror claimed Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles is a summer target for West Ham.

The report from the Mirror claimed Manuel Pellegrini will be handed £75m to spend this summer, and that Lascelles and Burnley’s James Tarkowski were his top targets to bolster the defence.

Now, a report from the Sun (27/05, page 65) has suggested the Hammers have gone off signing Lascelles, as they claim the Magpies’ £30m asking price will “scare” the East Londoners off.

If the Hammers’ owners are serious about giving Pellegrini the best chance to succeed though, they must back him with his top targets, and Lascelles could be worth every penny.

Is he worth it?

If the reports about Pellegrini’s £75m war chest are true, then splashing £30m on Lascelles would make a significant dent, but if the 24 year-old could form a long term partnership with Declan Rice then the Hammers should absolutely take the plunge.

Lascelles is undoubtedly a fantastic defender, but he is also a fantastic leader, something the Irons’ defence lacked under David Moyes.

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Rafael Benitez made the young defender his captain because he was the only one in the relegated Newcastle side that fought for every last second, something the fans in East London would absolutely adore.

With Jose Fonte departing to China, James Collins leaving the club this summer and Winston Reid’s future looking increasingly uncertain, a central defender is the top priority for Pellegrini this summer, so why not spend big to fix the problem?

Despite being snubbed by Gareth Southgate’s England, Lascelles has averaged an incredible seven clearances per game this season, and has put in some truly momentous performances.

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In the Magpies’ 3-0 win against Southampton in March, a “six pointer” at the time, the 24 year-old made 13 clearances, a week after showing his pace to catch Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah on a late breakaway.

Lascelles has all the components of a top defender. He’s big, strong, fast, and not afraid to spray the ball around. Most importantly though, he is courageous, he is a leader, and he is the backbone the Hammers have been missing since Winston Reid went off the boil.

So, West Ham fans, do you think Lascelles is worth £30m? Or should you look elsewhere? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

According to Sky Sports, Southampton are interested in signing prolific £30m-rated Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes before the January transfer window slams shut, and Saints fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

Sky Sports reports that the 26-year-old, who has scored 58 goals in 115 appearances for the Russian Premier League outfit, is keen on a move to England, although the south coast outfit will have to smash their current transfer record of £18.1m to bring him to St Mary’s.

Saints are yet to sign any new players this month despite lying just one spot and one point above the Premier League relegation zone, and manager Mauricio Pellegrino will be keen to strengthen his attacking options in particular having missed out on Theo Walcott to Everton.

Southampton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the latest link, and while one described Promes as a “much better option than Walcott”, another said “I’d rather see us spend the money on Batshuayi”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Liverpool have taken the first steps towards offering Luis Suarez a new contract that would see him become the club’s highest paid player of all time, according to the Daily Mail.

Reds managing director Ian Ayre flew to Barcelona yesterday to meet Suarez’s agent, Pere Guardiola – the brother of Bayern Munich boss Pep – to open discussions on a new deal that would see Suarez improve his current wages of £100,000 a week.

Suarez extended his current deal in the summer of 2012, and is set to see it expire in 2016.

The Uruguayan international has proved his worth to the club once again this season, scoring a staggering 17 goals in just 11 league games.

Suarez’s goals have helped fire the Reds to second place in the Premier League table, just two points behind current leaders Arsenal.

The Reds are anxious to reward him with a contract that would see the striker surpass Steven Gerrard in Liverpool’s earning list, and complete a remarkable turnaround.

Suarez spent the summer attempting to engineer a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal, claiming manager Brendan Rodgers had ‘broken promises’ by not allowing him to leave.

Suarez, 26, was made to train on his own by Rodgers while he continued to serve his 10-game ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic last April.

But since returning to the starting line up against Sunderland on September 29, Suarez has not put a foot wrong.

He was named Football Supporters’ Federation Player of the Year on Monday, 24 hours after captaining Liverpool to a 5-0 win at Tottenham, and said: “It’s important that we stay together, we keep going. It’s important for me, but more important for the club.”

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