When Louis Van Gaal took over as manager of Manchester United, he soon weeded out the players he no longer felt were needed at the club, or who would not fit into his plans. Part of this big clear out was Luis Nani, the 28 year old Portuguese winger. Nani was included as part of a deal with Sporting Lisbon to sign Marcos Rojo – a player who has thrived at Manchester United. Nani himself is certainly on form himself on loan, but should Louis van Gaal consider keeping the player when his loan is finished at the end of the season?

As with many last season under David Moyes, Nani did not have a successful campaign. Despite signing a contract extension, he just could not find his form under the new manager. In Manchester United’s 2-0 away defeat to Everton, it was increasingly obvious that Nani was struggling – it was, arguably, his poorest performance of the season.

A loan move to Sporting Lisbon appears to have rejuvenated Nani, who looks like a new player back in Portugal. He has already bagged himself nine goals this season, in both the Portuguese league Primeira Liga, and the Champions League. Clearly being left out of Louis Van Gaal’s plans have not affected Nani and he is showing his former side what he is missing.

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Should Man United consider bringing him back at the end of the loan? There are a few things that stand in Nani’s way. Firstly, his shirt number has been taken. Dutchman Daley Blind is now the number 17 at Manchester United, a player who features heavily in Louis Van Gaal’s starting line ups. Blind’s first season in England has been formidable itself, despite a short absence through an injury picked up whilst on international duty for the Netherlands.

If Nani is going to be played on the left – which he has done before – he will have to make it ahead of the Premier League’s most expensive player. This will prove difficult for him, as Louis Van Gaal clearly rates Angel di Maria highly and starts him more often than not.

Louis Van Gaal is seeking to add to his midfield, and if he plans on playing Nani elsewhere, this could work for both parties. But, considering the performances Nani had put in prior to going on loan, it doesn’t seem like a likely move. Although Nani has mentioned the fact he would like to return to Manchester United when his loan finishes, do not be surprised if he is sold in the summer. Nani has said that he has had no contact from Louis Van Gaal, and little contact from his Manchester United colleagues. It looks like the end of the road for him at Old Trafford.

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Gareth Bale has endured a difficult season at Real Madrid. Boos, white hankies and a mauling by the Spanish press are not what the Welshman would have expected after helping Madrid to win their 10th Champions League trophy last year not to mentioning keeping them in contention this season to challenge for domestic glory.

But it hasn’t been enough.

Bale was hugely successful in his maiden season with the club and now that he is having a dip in form supporters are turning their back on him. He is not alone in receiving harsh criticism as both Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have suffered the same fate.

Things have gotten so bad that reports have surfaced that he’ll be making a sensational move to Manchester United this summer in what is expected to cost the club around £75m.

After spending £6m for Radamel Falcao to warm the bench for a season it is obvious that the English giants have enough cash to make it happen. But should he go?

Well United have added many new faces to their squad this season with some working out better than others though they are currently achieving their top four goal so perhaps they don’t need any big adjustments. The introduction of Bale would certainly be a big change as a talent like his would lead the manager to forget about the gains made this season and it’d all be about working around the Welshman. Also fans would expect the 25 year old to start every match whether the manager wanted him to or not.

Anyway United already have many attacking options. What they really need is a strike partner for Wayne Rooney to replace aging Robin van Persie. Falcao will not have his contract taken up so a prolific goal scorer must be top of Louis van Gaal’s summer wish list.

I’m sure Bale would flourish at Manchester United. Both are big clubs but United have much more loyal fans and realistic expectations.

But to quit Real Madrid in this manner after just two seasons would make his move seem a failure. All the good he did in his first season would be forgotten and he would be remembered as the player who came back to England with his tail between his legs.

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If Bale wants to stay then he shouldn’t let the spoilt Madrid fans push him out. He is still starting games and as soon as his form picks up then the Bernabeu faithful will go back to adoring him. They are a very fickle bunch and he can win them back around.

Alternatively he could always push for a return to Tottenham where he can live out the rest of his years safe in the knowledge that everyone values and respects him whether he scores every game or not. Though fighting for his place amongst some of the worlds best on the biggest of stages is too good an opportunity to give up. Bale is class and next season he’ll remind Real Madrid exactly why they fought so hard and spent so much to pry him from the comfort of the Premier League.

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If Spurs still had Champions League aspirations before the weekend, they were well and truly extinguished at Turf Moor on Sunday.

They managed only a bore 0-0 draw at the home of Burnley, themselves fighting fiercely against the drop, and now their season’s only objective is trying to make sure of their place in next season’s Europa League. The also-rans, Spurs, Liverpool and Southampton are chasing two spots, depending on who wins the FA Cup of course.

But the draw on Sunday highlighted some severe problems that Spurs currently have, and that they’ll need to rectify over the final few games, and also over the course of the summer.

The good thing for Tottenham this weekend was the fact that both Southampton and Liverpool lost their games – so Spurs made ground on them. They will still fancy their chances of a European finish, but that’s hardly progress from last year.

The other bright spot of this season has obviously been the form of Harry Kane. 19 goals and 21 Premier League starts – 26 Premier League apps in all – this season says it all for someone just bursting on to the scene. But his burst onto the scene may be one of the reasons that Spurs have struggled to gain momentum this season.

On Sunday the Lilywhites were pretty dire, to be honest. They didn’t play fluidly, they never got to grips with the physicality and directness of Burnley, and they made the kinds of individual errors you only see from the large hungover gentleman playing centre back for the local Sunday league team. Certainly they did not look like a top Premier League team. One who feel they should be at home in the upper echelons of European football.

No, they stuttered on Sunday, and they’ve stuttered their way through the season. They’ve looked good at times. Really good. And then at times they’ve looked bad, flattering to deceive.

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A run of three Premier League wins in a row and 6 league games unbeaten in December coincided with the period when everyone started talking about Harry Kane. It also threw them into contention for the Capital One Cup.

But then the stutter came again. The good form faded – they just about made it into the final of the League Cup, needing a late goal to beat League One outfit Sheffield United, then lost in the final to Chelsea and haven’t been able to find wonderful form since. They haven’t been losing game after game, but they haven’t really gone on a winning run since December – and if you want to challenge the big boys, now is the time you have to put the run together. United, Arsenal and even Liverpool have been doing it. But Spurs haven’t.

In fact, even the wins they’ve managed haven’t been wholly convincing. They haven’t won by more than a one-goal margin since January when they beat West Brom 3-0 at the Hawthorns.

That’s harsh on Spurs, of course. It doesn’t always matter how you win, and even the late goals that Spurs seem to specialise in this season can be enough to convince – you can spin it as superior fitness, team spirit, fighting to the death.

But they’ve still managed wins by only the odd goal for months, and if it weren’t for Harry Kane, perhaps they wouldn’t be winning at all.

Tottenham aren’t exactly a one-man team. At least on paper they have some very good players, and their coach does seem to have created a young, fit team capable of playing good football. But relying on Kane alone to score goals isn’t a good thing for the club. Christian Eriksen has scored 9 league goals and Nacer Chadli 8, but Eriksen has managed only 2 since the turn of the year, and Chadli 3. Only 5 goals and 3 assists between the 2 most creative players in the side since January 1st is just not good enough for Spurs. Erik Lamela has one goal all season, and only one assist since New Year’s Day. It’s only Harry Kane who’s chipping in with any great regularity.

In fact, take away his goals since New Year’s Day, and Spurs would be 12 points worse off. Of course, this is simplistic, and someone else may have come up with the important goals (at least some of them), but it does show his importance to this team. Would Roberto Soldado have scored them? He’s managed a solitary league goal this season.

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And so Kane was made captain at the weekend. The best player in a struggling team, perhaps given the dubious honor of being the captain of a sinking ship.

It was so promising for Spurs in December, and now all they have to point to in the way of success this season is defeat in a Capital One Cup final at the hands of London rivals Chelsea, and their new found hero – one of their own – Harry Kane.

Relying on captain Kane too much has scuppered the Spurs ship in their search for the Champions League. His team mates better start pulling their weight soon, though, or else it may be Pochettino for the chop before next season is out.

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When a young Carl Jenkinson first started making a name for himself at the Emirates back in 2011, many saw the quick-footed right-back as nothing more than a bang average English defender.

He may have been a willing runner who gave tons of effort for his place in the first team, but when it came down to actual technical ability, the former Charlton Athletic man simply didn’t compare with most of his Arsenal teammates.

It therefore didn’t come as much of a surprise when Arsene Wenger decided to loan out the 23-year-old to West Ham United for the entire 2014/15 campaign. As the season played out however, Jenkinson nevertheless found himself impressing the Upton Park faithful almost on a week-to-week basis – subsequently raising speculation over his future with the Gunners.

Having said that though, in a somewhat unforeseen turn of events towards the tail end of the season, Arsene Wenger has reportedly revealed his desire to keep his marauding right-back at the Emirates. The famed Arsenal boss will supposedly only allow the Englishman to go out on loan again for 2015/16, instead of advocating a permanent move.

So then, whilst many expected the Essex-born defender to cut his ties with his parent side at some point during the coming transfer window – do Arsenal still need their trusty no. 25 back in the fold next season, or can Arsene Wenger’s side ultimately afford to part ways with Carl Jenkinson this summer?

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For those among the Emirates faithful who had grown somewhat tired of the 23-year-old whilst he was playing for Arsenal, 2014/15 certainly offered a glimpse of Jenkinson’s full potential when given the responsibility of becoming a first team regular at West Ham.

Several Hammers fans may have also shared the same grumbles when their side first signed the full-back on loan last summer – but as he became one of Sam Allardyce’s most trusted servants throughout the course of the past season – such grievances have all but evaporated and disappeared for now.

Alongside Aaron Cresswell, another new name in the full-back department for West Ham last season – Carl Jenkinson proved himself to be a truly reliable asset, as well as someone who contributed effectively to both the attacking and defensive side of the game.

When it came to aiding his midfielders in the offensive positions, running the line tirelessly for the whole 90 minutes, and of course supplying Allardyce’s strikers with a series of frequent crosses from the flanks – the current Arsenal loanee certainly didn’t disappoint this term. Jenkinson even provided several assists for the likes of Enner Valencia and Andy Carroll when given free rein to get forward.

Much of West Ham’s early success this season was in-fact founded upon Big Sam’s full-backs being able to defend from the front and keep the pressure on their opponent’s back-line at all times. Carl Jenkinson therefore deserves great credit from the Hammers fans this season.

Such impressive form throughout 2014/15 has therefore not gone unnoticed by Arsene Wenger. Although such tactics could be aimed purely at driving up his transfer fee in the approaching summer months, the long-term Arsenal boss seems reluctant to wave a permanent good-bye to the former Charlton youngster with 2015/16 soon on its way.

As understandable as his stance is however, such a notion doesn’t really make a great deal of sense with all things considered.

Yes, the Hammers no. 18 has certainly progressed a great deal this season – but does that mean he has all of a sudden become Arsenal quality? The fair answer could well be, no. Even with his improved defensive game and unquestionable effort shown across last season, Jenkinson still isn’t the technically gifted right-back Arsenal require if they are going to become serious title challengers in the not too distant future.

Making a permanent switch to West Ham – where the English defender has settled in almost immediately and successfully made the right-back spot his own – would also make sense from the player’s own individual perspective. Wenger already has Hector Bellerin to provide the Emirates faithful with a promising young right-back for the foreseeable future, as well as being able to call on both Mathieu Debuchy and even Calum Chambers to fill the role if necessary.

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Although such a selection hardly represents the ideal set of choices for Arsenal, adding Carl Jenkinson to that mix simply wouldn’t make a great deal of difference in the cold light of day.

For that reason alone, Arsenal can afford to let the 23-year-old permanently part ways with the Emirates this summer, paving the way for a solid permanent move to West Ham ahead of the 2015/16 campaign. The decision however, ultimately lies with Arsene Wenger…

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Even though we’ve seemingly seen the last of the Raheem Sterling transfer saga, there’s still one episode dragging away, threatening to flatline the football world’s collective pulse with its sheer tedium… David de Gea to Real Madrid. As it stands, the move appears to be a ‘when’ rather than an ‘if’, but the fact remains that the Spaniard is still a United player and with both clubs looking to get the deal that most appeals to them, it could well push through July and into August.

When De Gea does leave (come on, it’s gonna happen) United will be left with a massive gap in their ranks. The glovesman was their best player last season, and replacing a goalkeeper isn’t always the easiest of tasks, as the Red Devils know from past quests to do just that. Experienced winter arrival Victor Valdes appears to be the man in the frame to step in – his agent has even played down recent transfer links – but is the 33-year-old 20-cap Spain international actually good enough? We at FFC Towers have our doubts, and we believe that Louis van Gaal should be looking rather seriously at the transfer market as a result of the following FIVE reasons.

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Fitness issues

When he arrived at United over the winter, Valdes had been a free agent for over six months. A serious knee injury saw him sit out the final period of his Barcelona contract, before a proposed switch to big spending Ligue 1 giants Monaco fell through due to those fitness concerns.

It would be silly to suggest that United didn’t do their homework when snapping up Valdes – after all, he trained with them for some time before penning a contract – but can he be relied upon to maintain 100% fitness for a whole season? Perhaps not. Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries are bad news for footballers of any position. The demands on the knee joint are massive within the game, and although goalkeepers are rarely sprinting and/or twisting, a weakening of the fibres is far from ideal, and ACL problems have a nasty habit of recurring.

At 32, the age he was when he suffered the set-back in a 3-0 win against Celta Vigo, Valdes’ powers of recovery were not as powerful as, for example, a 25-year-old, so there are question marks surrounding what long-term impact the tear will have.

Hasn’t played with any regularity for well over a year

With his ACL tear occurring in March 2014, Valdes was forced to wait over a year for his next competitive outing – and only then was he drafted in due to a De Gea injury. He promptly conceded a bizarre deflected cross goal, but was kept in for the final game of the season against Hull, in which he impressed with his shot-stopping, even if his command of his area for crosses was suspect.

There is no telling how much of an impact in terms of his mentality the spell away from the action will have had, and maybe Valdes will have lost his edge. Although a proven winner in the past, can Louis van Gaal really afford to gamble?

Longevity of his career

By the halfway point of the season Valdes will be 34. Although goalkeepers can, and have, played on into their late 30s, is Valdes a truly long-term option? He is a good, experienced player to have in reserve, but surely United should be looking at a stopper in his early/mid 20s to build around, as they will once again be facing the prospect of a finding a new No.1 in just a few years’ time. Right now the project and money on offer at Old Trafford may make the club more appealing than ever.

Is he actually that good?

Well, is he? Much of Valdes’ career has been spent playing for, arguably, the best club team on the planet. Barca weren’t utterly convincing in the early 2000s when he made his breakthrough, but the Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi eras have made opposing teams so frightened of their powers in attack that they rarely look to take them on in a blow-for-blow game.

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As a result, much of the close of Valdes’ Barca career was spent playing behind a rarely troubled backline, pulling off occasional saves. At United, though, the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are unlikely to form an impenetrable wall, and the 33-year-old, as De Gea was, will be forced to face a barrage of shots, crosses and one-on-ones. Will he be able to come close to filling his young compatriot’s gloves? Doubtful.

Rivals all have better options

Chelsea: Thibaut Courtois. Arsenal: Petr Cech. Manchester City: Joe Hart. The big boys in the title race all have goalkeepers of undoubted superior quality, with Jose Mourinho’s Blues even possessing a back-up in the shape of Asmir Begovic with much more Premier League experience and, arguably, quality than Valdes.

Even top four rivals such as Liverpool, perhaps, have a better stopper in Simon Mignolet – whose performances over the latter half of the 2014/15 season were among the best of any goalie in England – while Spurs possess Hugo Lloris.

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has insisted that in-demand attacker Wilfried Zaha will not be sold during the January transfer window.

Chelsea and Manchester City have both been linked with a move for Zaha, who has scored four Premier League goals for Palace since returning from a knee problem.

It had been thought that the Eagles would consider any offers that might arrive when the winter transfer window opens for business.

Hodgson, however, has claimed that the 25-year-old ‘is going nowhere’ next month as Palace look to continue their push away from the Premier League relegation zone.

Hodgson told Palace’s official website:

“I have assurances from the club owners and chairman, Steve Parish, that [Zaha leaving] is not going to happen.

“We want to keep all the players we have got and ideally want to add to the squad in the January transfer window to strengthen even more.

“We are not too concerned about any rumours which might circulate because he is going nowhere.”

Zaha’s early potential saw him earn a move to Manchester United in 2013, but the attacker struggled to settle at Old Trafford, and ultimately ended up back at Palace.

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Chelsea and Man City both reportedly view Zaha as a cheaper option than a number of foreign wingers that may become available during the January transfer window.

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Anderlecht are known for producing top talent, especially in the last few years when Belgian football has seen something of a renaissance.

Just last year, another came off the conveyor belt as Monaco signed Youri Tielemans as a replacement for some of the big names they lost last summer, and quite directly for Tiemoue Bakayoko who moved to Chelsea.

This year, there could be another name to add to the list, as there’s speculation that 22-year-old midfield player Leander Dendoncker might leave the Belgian club this January.

It might only be a matter of time before the Belgian youngster moves somewhere such is the pedigree of his club and the fact his name is out there already. But this January, it seems as though Anderlecht are playing hardball, perhaps either hoping to play an inflated market, or attempting to keep hold of an asset until the end of the campaign.

This month, it was reported that Manchester United were told that they’d have to pay £27m if they wanted the Belgian’s services. But with Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba already seemingly a starting two in the midfield behind a number 10, it doesn’t seem as though Dendoncker would have too much of a chance at game time, even with the numerous competitions Jose Mourinho’s side will be fighting in for the remainder of the season.

But another interested party is said to be West Ham United. And for the Belgian’s career, that could be the most viable option.

Not only do the Hammers have a squad to overhaul, they also failed to land a midfielder in the summer, and that’s one of the problem positions in an unbalanced squad.

On paper, their attack is a good one, despite the fact that David Moyes doesn’t seem to think it’s as good as Slaven Bilic clearly did in the summer. But with a firing Marko Arnautovic, and the pedigree of Andre Ayew and Javier Hernandez, the Hammers should have a formidable front three. It’s the bit which covers their back four that seems light on quality.

Dendoncker, despite Anderlecht’s supposed demands, is valued at €18m by Transfermarkt.com, and at that price would fit the bill enormously.

The young Belgian showed his ability to both sit deep as needed as well as assist going forward when Anderlecht played Manchester United in the Europa League last season. Although United came out on top in that tie, they were pushed all the way by an impressive Anderlecht side who can legimately feel as though they might have won had the ball bounced their way a little more often.

In the first leg, it was Dendoncker who rescued his side a draw at home with a late equaliser, arriving late in the box and beating Marcos Rojo impressively in the air. In the second game another draw took the tie to extra time, where Marcus Rashford managed to pop up with the winner. In both legs Dendoncker looked classy – perhaps precipitating the links with Jose Mourinho’s side.

The summer before last, Havard Nordtveit was one of the exciting signings to come through the doors at West Ham, and although things didn’t work out for him, it wasn’t just his pedigree – a good performer for a Borussia Monchengladbach side which was becoming a regular fixture in the Champions League – which stood out when the signing was initially greeted with cautious optimism, it was also his versatility.

With the ability to play in midfield or at centre-back Nordtveit was considered a good utility player, especially if the Hammers wanted play with a back three. And whilst Hammers fans would naturally hope that Dendoncker is a few steps up in ability, the fact that he is of the same level of versatility is clearly a bonus.

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Nominally, he would be asked to sit in front of a back four at the London Stadium – the Belgian’s natural position. And with the legs of Pedro Obiang or Cheikhou Kouyate alongside him, that would theoretically make the side a lot more rounded than it has been for much of the season.

It looks as though the Hammers – and indeed Manchester United – may be priced out of a move this January for a young player who hasn’t proven himself in any of Europe’s biggest leagues just yet as Anderlecht look to get a few more months out of one of their best players.

But if they could manage it, West Ham would be getting a player of wonderful potential in a position they’ve desperately need to fill since the start of the summer. And one who has announced himself at least a little bit to an English audience already.

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According to the reliable @ExWHUemployee on the latest episode of the West Ham Way radio show, if West Ham United striker Andy Carroll was to become a target for Premier League rivals Chelsea this month, the Irons would look to sign Michy Batshuayi as part of any deal.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun reported earlier this month that the 28-year-old centre-forward is on Blues boss Antonio Conte’s shortlist of attackers that he is keen to bring to Stamford Bridge this month, although @ExWHUemployee said on Episode 70 of the West Ham Way radio show that there has been no bid from the Premier League holders as of yet.

The reliable Hammers informant says that David Moyes would look to get Batshuayi as part of any deal that saw the former Liverpool and Newcastle man move across the capital though, with the Belgian pretty much out of favour under Conte ever since he signed for the club in the summer of 2016.

How has Batshuayi done this season?

The Belgium international may have thought that he was going to be given more first-team opportunities this season following the sale of Diego Costa to Atletico Madrid during the summer, but it hasn’t proven to be the case.

Alvaro Morata arrived as first-choice striker with Batshuayi often relying on making an impact from the substitutes’ bench – something he has done with seven goals in 20 first-team appearances in all competitions.

Despite the 24-year-old averaging a goal every 132 minutes in the Premier League and every 61 minutes in the Champions League, he still wasn’t chosen to start by Conte when Morata was absent last month, with Eden Hazard instead picked in a false nine role in the clearest sign yet that he has no long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

Would he be a good signing for West Ham?

He certainly could be, yes.

While Batshuayi has failed to impress Conte, he has still scored 16 goals in 48 games for Chelsea – not bad seeing as the majority of those came as a substitute.

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With 33 goals in 78 matches for Marseille previously, the Belgian striker has shown that he can score goals if he is given a consistent run in a team, and that could well be the case if he joined the Irons.

Southampton failed to win for the 11th consecutive match in the English Premier League on Sunday, this time earning a point against Tottenham Hotspur at St Mary’s.

While it will be seen as an important point against Mauricio Pochettino’s men, Saints are at serious risk of relegation, finding themselves in the bottom three with just 14 games remaining before the end of the season.

They got their goal in Sunday’s 1-1 draw through Davinson Sanchez, who diverted Ryan Bertrand’s cross into his own net. Spurs rallied immediately, Harry Kane equalising just minutes later.

Fans were happy to take positives from the 90 minutes but did have some frustrations with their attacking intentions again, with many criticising Manolo Gabbiadini in particular.

The Italian, who signed for a reported £14m last January, has scored just three goals in 23 appearances so far this season and fans are hoping for more from him in the months to come.

A variety of solutions have been suggested including playing him alongside Shane Long, insisting he works harder when given opportunities or even selling him as soon as possible.

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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

The Manchester United fans here in the Transfer Tavern don’t really know how to take the latest rumour flying around about Marcus Rashford.

Much has been made of the conversation between the United manager, Jose Mourinho and Ajax young gun Justin Kluivert at the end of the Europa League final last season. With that in mind, there’s no surprise that the latest reports are breaking over a move for the talented winger this summer.

However, if that was to happen, our regulars are wondering what would happen to United prodigy Rashford. The England international has seen himself drop down the pecking order slightly in recent months due to the form of Anthony Martial and the arrival of Alexis Sanchez.

Mourinho could opt to move Rashford into the position he originally made his name in as a striker, but he would play second fiddle to Romelu Lukaku. It may be Rashford, not United that could push a move away from Old Trafford in search of regular football, although United may consider selling the youngster this season after the World Cup when his stock would surely be at his highest…

Post World Cup Prices

After any World Cup, especially a successful one, many of the player’s prices are driven up. United after a fair few windows of spending should be looking at balancing the books a little.

If England use Rashford and he lights up the tournament like many of the punters in the bar believe he can, United could capitalise on the situation. Considering the ridiculous premium put on English players most of the time, imagine how much money they could get after a promising World Cup.

Balancing the books

The Red Devils know that if they were to put Rashford up for sale, there would be a line of suitors ready to take the talented youngster on board. A bidding war could commence and with today’s prices alongside Rashfords potential, United could recoup some of the money they have laced out over the seasons following Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

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Many clubs are more interested in balancing the books within their business nowadays than team success, and United are no different.