Mario Götze’s move to Bayern Munich has dampened rumours that Robert Lewandowski will head over to the Bavarian giants. The Polish number 9 endured a quiet start to the season – possibly due to a high-pressure summer with Euro 2012 – but has once again proved his worth with some impressive performances in Europe.

Of course, playing for Dortmund is still an attractive prospect. Their stadium – the Westfalenstadion – is among the continent’s elite, with a brilliant atmosphere conducive of their loyal fan base. And as Dortmund head into their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid tonight, European football is guaranteed for the foreseeable future.

Bayern are unlikely to spend much more money; €37m (£32m) represents a large chunk of their budget on Götze, and considering last night’s exploits, there aren’t many areas left to improve. Apart from central defence, where Van Buyten is showing his age.

With that, and Lewandowski’s desire to leave Dortmund in mind, Tottenham should be moving quickly to tie up the potent forward’s signature. And here’s why.

Adebayor’s performance against Manchester City was indicative of his time in North London since his permanent move. Andres Villas-Boas demands dynamism from his team; it’s not quite the total football displayed so delectably by Barcelona, but his lone striker needs to link up play with Dembele, Sigurdsson, Lennon and, most importantly, Bale. Lewandowski is undoubtedly an upgrade on the increasingly languid Togolese forward.

Furthermore, despite Defoe’s brilliant goal on Sunday, the perennial finisher can’t be expected to do that every weekend. He might be enjoying his best season in a Lillywhites shirt, but if Spurs were to reach their top four goal this season, three strikers would certainly be needed for the next.

Europe’s striking options are thinning. Falcao has priced himself out of a move to all but the richest clubs, as has Cavani, while Fernando Llorente has secured a Bosman transfer to Juventus. Levy could look to Brazil for Leandro Damião, but recent stutters in that move might make a follow up difficult.

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Lewandowski can either leave this summer for £18m – which in today’s climate isn’t hard to justify for a top striker – or go for free next summer, making his wage demands higher. Daniel Levy, who is so often a savvy mover in the transfer market, should take the opportunity to secure one of Europe’s hottest properties now – before it’s too late.

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As doubts surround the future of Roberto Mancini, Ajax boss Frank De Boer has admitted he wants to manage Manchester City.

Mancini could be facing the axe in the summer after falling well behind Manchester United in the race for the Premier League title, while an early exit from the Champions League also did not help matters.

De Boer has been mentioned as one possible successor should City decide to make a change at the end of the season and the Dutchman has admitted a move to City appeals.

“Manchester City are something I want to do, yes. But it is difficult for me to move my family abroad at the moment,” he revealed. “I have to consider others, not just myself.”

Meanwhile, Ajax director Marc Overmars also admits that they could face a battle to keep hold of De Boer with City in the hunt for his signature.

“Am I worried? Not for losing Frank now, but City will be a big competitor for his signature in the near future.” he said.

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Wouldn’t it just be the most appropriate way to enter this summer’s market: Manchester United rounding off the top clubs in the Premier League by landing a Spanish-based midfielder and addressing that problem once and for all; a problem that isn’t really a problem but one that we paint in that respect regardless.

Thiago Alcantara may make the move away from Barcelona this summer, and it won’t be because Manchester United are too big a club to turn down and he’ll be in a team where the trophies will continue pour in; any move in the near future will be completely about the player.

And that’s where clubs like United will benefit. Having played less than 60 per cent of Barcelona’s first-team games this past season, Thiago’s buy-out clause has been reduced to a figure in or around £15 million. I don’t think Barcelona have lost any of their belief that the Spanish U21 international will one day become a leading light among European-based midfielders, but the time for him to take over one of the spots in their midfield on a regular basis just isn’t now.

You also need to look to the idea that maybe Thiago wants to forge a career and a reputation away from Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Maybe he doesn’t want to go his whole career being compared to two players who he has been touted to replace in the future. Thiago plays the game as well as any midfielder in his age group and can become an elite player in a few short years. He can be deployed in the ‘pivot’ role or closer to the striker, obviously meaning that comparisons to either Xavi or Iniesta will never truly go away.

But Manchester United does tick all the right boxes. He’s far too good to not go to a club like United, and he’s far too good not to become their most vital midfield acquisition in many, many years. The ideal replacement for Paul Scholes? Well that just opens up the same problems to what’s currently on the table at Barcelona. No, Thiago will forge his own legacy as the focal point of Manchester United’s dominance over the next few years – provided he makes the switch.

The pieces are already in place for a player of his calibre at Old Trafford. Jurgen Klopp sounded bewildered and disappointed that Shinji Kagawa was reduced to a role on the flank of United’s attack. And who’s going to argue with the Dortmund manager? He brought Kagawa to Europe and allowed him to become with one of the Bundesliga’s finest attackers in those two title-winning seasons. Kagawa was so vital to Dortmund’s success that he kept Mario Goetze out on the right flank while he pulled the strings in the middle. If David Moyes opts to go down a similar path with one striker at United, Thiago and Kagawa could form an irresistible partnership in the midfield.

There is, of course, still some way to go before Thiago is the complete midfield player. As already mentioned, he doesn’t hold an integral role in the Barcelona squad, but has been preferred in the middle over Cesc Fabregas at times. He has plenty of tricks and flicks in his locker, many of which force a smile at the pure audacity. But taking on a lead role in a team like United will force greater discipline and the need to only use elaborate plays when necessary.

Thiago has won titles and he’s done it off the backs of others, with the senior Barcelona players taking him under their wing. That may still be the case even once those players move on through retirement. It shouldn’t simply be a matter a landing titles in his immediate future, rather it’s is about Thiago establishing himself as a full international and a leader in a team that doesn’t persist with recollections of the past, notably one that included him.

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So instead of asking whether Thiago is the ideal signing for Manchester United, it’s better to say that United offers the ideal destination for Thiago.

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Manchester United are certainly champions on the pitch, dominating the Premier League era. There have been plenty of world class names that have graced the famous Old Trafford pitch for 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon to be rewarded with silverware at the end of the season.

Is this where the winning mentality stops? Not quite. When all of us grew up wishing to be professional footballers we wanted all the glitz and glamour that came with it. There are those who like to keep a low profile and carry on about their business away from the media limelight – but you won’t be finding any of that here.

There will be plenty in the United changing rooms past and present who will have a lot more to show for themselves then a collection of medals or engravings on a trophy when their careers come to pass.  Sir Alex Ferguson once complained how the modern footballer has often been far more difficult to handle. This may gave you an insight into why when they have so much to distract them off the field of play too.

Eric Cantona may have retired early to try and find his way on the red carpet in Cannes, but this list will show plenty who have something they can parade in Leicester Square for movie premieres that doesn’t involve acting skills.

To see the illustrious list of Man United beauties click on Gemma Atkinson

A display to warm the hearts of even the most pessimistic Manchester United fans; last night’s 5-0 romp was by far the most emphatic victory of the Moyes tenure. A display that probably emphasised just how far the club have come in recent weeks and suggestive of a United side very much on the up.

It is easy to forget that Leverkusen are a side flying high in the Bundesliga and until yesterday unbeaten at the Bay Arena. It was a result that not only confirms safe passage to the knockouts but one that truly signals the beginning of an exciting new era at the club.

When a side win so convincingly it is often hard to pick out the star performers, for United last evening the whole side deserve some credit. But even so it was the mercurial talents of Wayne Rooney that still managed to dazzle. Rooney has been in scintillating form of late, at the moment anything of worth seems to come through the Englishman in one way or another. Last night typified this trend, Rooney setting up the first four goals before eventually being substituted late on. The ball to pick out Valencia for the first was exquisite, the kind of vision and craft that you only get from world-class players, and for me that is exactly what Wayne Rooney is.

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Last night wasn’t an anomaly; Rooney has been the star man for United these last few weeks. Rooney has scored two of United’s last ten goals and set up a further seven, forget Van Persie this an is the keystone to the clubs Premier League successes.

Rooney’s success under Moyes was never an inevitability. Rumours of a previous rift spilling over and suggestions that Rooney would be no more than a squad player, things didn’t look rosy in August. But the turnaround has been marked, as one of only a few world-class players at the club Moyes has embraced Rooney and he is now starting to enjoy the results of his faith.

United’s gain is England’s as well. If you think United are short on genuine quality, then for England the situation is even more desperate. Granted we now have a crop of rising youngsters, but in Wayne Rooney England have a player that can compete with the best that the world has to offer. With the golden generation on the way out, Rooney is probably England’s last hope of really achieving something special this summer. This isn’t to say the rest aren’t very good, but clearly none come into this illustrious world-class category.

Rooney is the sort of player that can single handedly turn a game, these players are few and far between and that is why such a premium is placed on them. United are seeing these benefits already, Rooney being the man to step up to the plate when others are struggling to make that incisive break through.

Expectations are pretty low for Brazil next summer, we are very much in a transition phase under Hodgson and for that reason we may have to settle for mediocrity, at least short term. With a fit and firing Rooney though, there is a potential to achieve so much more.

United at the moment are a pretty average team, undergoing something of a revival because at their helm they still have a collection of world-class players. For England it is even starker and if Rooney can continue his current form there is no reason why this trend of overachievement can’t extend into the international arena.

Moyes has succeeded in bringing Rooney in from the cold, probably his best bit of management to date. Hungry for goals and firing on all cylinders, Rooney is in destructive form.

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United are reaping the benefits now, but will it be England celebrating a resurgent Rooney come July?

Join the debate below

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Newcastle United and Sunderland seemed to have put their rivalry aside for a moment in order to launch an astonishing attack on Northumbria Police, the force that oversees their Premier League derby encounters.

The force had previously insisted that they had no influence over kick off times for the Northeast derby, and in direct response to this claim the respective clubs released this joint statement: 

“Newcastle United and Sunderland are surprised and disappointed with the statement issued yesterday by Northumbria Police in which the force claims that the police cannot direct changes to kick-off times for the clubs’ fixtures, referring in ­particular to the derby games,” the statement read.

“Over a number of years both clubs have made repeated representations to Northumbria Police to try and reach agreement over kick-off times to enable a traditional 3pm kick-off, or later, to enable broadcasters to give the game consideration in the majority of their time slots for live coverage.

“Police forces up and down the country have been able to police high-profile derby matches for years, including most recently Cardiff v Swansea, at 4pm, Arsenal v Tottenham at 5.15pm, and Manchester City v Manchester United at 4pm.                                                 

“In recent years, Northumbria Police have rejected every request made by the clubs for later kick-off slots, including Saturday 5.30pm, Sunday 4pm and Monday 8pm.

“To issue a statement stating that they do not direct changes to kick-off times is false and absurd. 

“Newcastle and Sunderland will now inform the Premier League that all future fixtures between the clubs will be available for kick-off times to suit the clubs, the League and their broadcast partners, and will expect Northumbria Police to police these games.”

It seems a shame that we have to detract from what is one of the most hotly contested derbies in our game, but after the 111 arrests made following Sunderland’s 3-0 victory last term it would seem the furore is justified.

The statement released seems to some a little strange, and is better read as part as a more general breakdown in relations between the clubs and police in recent seasons. Both clubs cite TV coverage as a reason for pushing kick-offs back, but in reality the lunchtime slot that this tie usually occupies has more often than not seen the game televised anyway, for me this is a much more wide-reaching issue.

Whether fans like it or not the police have a responsibility to enforce the law and ensure the safety of supporters that go to games, they have a right to interfere. Undoubtedly policing could be improved; a degree of understanding and education is probably required to ensure that some of the unnecessarily heavy-handed treatment of supporters isn’t repeated.

For police though the game is a lot more than just turning up and keeping an eye out for troublemakers; the planning that goes in has to be thorough and be in tandem with the respective clubs especially during derbies. In my opinion the stance taken by Sunderland and Newcastle is not only churlish but also wholly irresponsible. To push back the kick off for a game that has too often boiled over into the stands is ridiculous, for some a 5:30pm kick-off would simply mean a few extra hours drinking before the big game and from a policing point of view this just isn’t safe.

Both clubs would argue that policing should take a backward seat when it comes to football, it is their right to decide when games are staged and it is the role of the police to manage them when the time comes. The majority of the time this is fine, because fortunately in our country, in the last few decades at least, we do not have a history of hooliganism and violence. Yet when it comes to a derby as fractious as that of the Tyne-Wear it is in the interests of everyone that the police are able to take a much more controlling role in the event.

Of course Northumbria Police can do a lot better, both clubs are frustrated that they have co-operated in the past only to still see tensions reach a head.

The situation clearly isn’t perfect, but that doesn’t mean that clubs should go it alone. A breakdown in relations between police and clubs just sets a worrying precedent for the future policing of football in this country.

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From a practical point of view, Norwich City’s 4-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend was quite damaging to their season.

The two teams went into the game at Villa Park level on points, and in a season that has been usually tight at the bottom of the table, beating the teams around you will likely prove more important than ever. However, from an emotional point of view, the loss was absolutely devastating.

In recent seasons, the two clubs have sparked up a kind of new-age derby. Unlike rivalries of old, that tended to be solely dictated by the proximity of the teams, Villa and Norwich’s hostilities are founded on boardroom relations. In the money-driven world of the Premier League, it is not surprising that we have come to support of chairmen as much as our players.

It was perhaps fitting then that the man who has most recently found himself as the rag doll between the two clubs would open the scoring. Wes Hoolahan, who has been out of favour at Norwich all season and only found himself on the pitch due to the injury of Leroy Fer, found the net within the first three minutes.

As Norwich streamed forward after taking the lead, the club’s refusal to sell the 31-year-old playmaker may have seemed like a very shrewd move indeed. After all, the Canaries are in a relegation battle with Aston Villa and Hoolahan is the kind of player who can provide the creative spark needed to break teams down – something that  Villa have struggled to do all season. However, in truth, it is more likely that the off-field relations between the clubs provided a bigger obstacle to the Irishman moving in January than any on-field reasons.

The roots of the feud stem back to the final game of the 2011/2012 season. Norwich hosted Aston Villa at Carrow Road, having already secured Premier League survival in their first season back in the top flight. Villa, under Alex McLeish’s stewardship, sat four points below the Canaries and could still potentially be relegated.

In this context, it is perhaps surprising that then Norwich manager Paul Lambert was being strongly linked to leaving the club to join the struggling Villians. However, just over two weeks after beating Villa 2-0, Lambert would hand in his resignation at Norwich City. Three weeks later he would be confirmed as the new manager of Aston Villa.

Norwich, having initially attempted to stop their manager leaving by refusing his offer of resignation, sought damages from the Scot for breach of contract. Lambert issued a counter-suit against his old club for unpaid bonuses. Perhaps the only civil thing in this whole dispute is that the three parties involved managed to come to an agreement before it reached a tribunal.

While some, Lambert in particular, may have hoped that this would signal the end of hostilities between the clubs, this has not been the case. Only months after settling on compensation the two teams would again engage in an off-field battle over youth goalkeeper Jed Steer. However, this time, the new-found enemies could not come to an agreement and Villa were eventually forced to pay Norwich more compensation by tribunal.

The Steer case was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back. By the end of January, Norwich chief executive David McNally reportedly refused to even pick up the phone to Aston Villa in negotiations over Hoolahan. Despite the Irishman only starting six league games and turning 32 before the season ends, the Canaries were apparently unwilling to listen to any offers. One gets the impression that if any other club than Villa had come to the table, Norwich would have talked.

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The pain felt by the Norwich board when they looked at the league table on Monday morning was likely far greater than teams usually experience after losing key battles.  As football continues to become increasingly politicised, don’t be surprised to see more rivalries move from the terraces to the boardroom.

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Real Madrid are plotting a sensational £25million move for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, according to the Daily Star.

26-year-old Hart has been added to the Spanish giants list of summer transfer targets, as they look to shake up their goalkeeping department.

Iker Casillas has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabeu in recent seasons, and knows that his long term future is in serious doubt.

There is even talk that the Real Madrid and Spanish icon could be offered to City in part-exchange for Hart.

Current Real Madrid number one Diego Lopez is yet to convince manager Carlo Ancelotti that he is the long term solution in goal, and is also a reported target for AC Milan.

Hart shares the same representatives as Gareth Bale, who made the switch to Real in a world record breaking deal last summer.

The England goalkeeper has bounced back and is now showing close to his best form again, having been dropped by manager Manuel Pellegrini earlier in the season following a series of high profile errors.

However, Hart revealed over the weekend he has still not gotten over his treatment earlier in the season, with the comments giving Real belief they could tempt him to La Liga this summer.

“I wanted to play, but I wasn’t playing so I had to work hard and wait for my chance again.”It’s tough to say because that’s probably one of the main reasons I’ve not really spoken about it,” Hart said.”I don’t feel it’s a case of that side of things being really solved. I’m still training hard – as I would be whether I was in or out of the team – and I’m always working to improve my game.”I don’t want it to seem as though everything is fine or that it was part of my life that I will forget because I’m still living it and I am trying to live in the moment more recently.

“The past is the past and we don’t know what lies ahead in the future – so it’s better to live day by day.”

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Name: Ricardo Rodriguez

Country: Switzerland

Club: VFL Wolfsburg

Age: 21

International Caps: 23

Position: Left Back

With their pursuit of Sevilla full back Alberto Moreno encountering some difficulties, reports last week have linked Liverpool with a fresh approach for Ricardo Rodriguez. The 21 year old has shone in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg this season and the Swiss defender opened the World Cup with 2 assists in the opening victory over Ecuador. Despite the Swiss humiliation at the hands of the French, Rodriguez is expected to retain his spot in tonight’s decisive fixture with Honduras.

Seemingly an anomaly in modern football, the 21 year old somehow manages to simultaneously offer defensive solidity as well as a potent attacking threat. Rodriguez racked up an impressive 5 goals and 9 assists in the Bundesliga this season, form which has inevitably attracted attention from all around Europe. For the statisticians amongst you, only Max Kruse and Marco Reus created more chances in Germany’s top flight than the left back this term.

But in winning 61% of his total duels in the Bundesliga, including a notable 57% of his tackles, Rodriguez’s offensive capabilities surprisingly do not make the 21 year old a defensive liability. Confident in possession, the Swiss full back likes to use his pace to beat the marker and whip in dangerous deliveries.

However, as to be expected from an individual so inexperienced, Rodriguez has on occasion been guilty of costly lapses in concentration. If Liverpool were to sign the Swiss starlet, there would inevitably be some “teething problems” in his adjustment to the Premier League and the 21 year old would most certainly require time to adapt.

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Although Brendan Rodgers will be frustrated by the hiccups in the Moreno deal, the delays may prove to be a blessing in disguise. Reportedly available for a modest £12 million in comparison to Sevilla’s demands of £20 million for their Spaniard, Liverpool could potentially make an inspired signing at the same time as saving money for further reinforcements.

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Two wins from six games would have been viewed as disastrous at Manchester United through much of the last 20 years. But in this ‘transitional period’ the Red Devils are in a very different place, in which a narrow 2-1 home win of West Ham is actually now viewed with positivity.

All mocking aside, United really do have lots to be cheery about after the weekend’s result, with things beginning to look up after almost 18 months of frustration. Louis van Gaal is now on board which has put the memory of David Moyes to bed, while the squad contains some of the world’s very best attacking players.

So, does the season start here for the club? Here are FIVE reasons it may…

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CLICK ON RADAMEL FALCAO TO REVEAL THE FIVE REASONS

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It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…

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New players gelling

With such a drastic spend and a major overhaul during the summer, the adjustment time at United was always likely to be significant. And, as predicted by many, the Red Devils have been a little off of the pace in the early weeks of the season, with the wealth of attacking and midfield talent at Louis van Gaal’s disposal all vying for places in the XI.

After a few shock results the win against West Ham was much needed, and although it took some huffing and puffing, the Red Devils looked bright for some chunks of the game. Players settling in? Looks like it.

Rooney’s absence could provide balance

Rooney’s moment of madness against the Hammers could actually be of benefit to United in the coming weeks. After a gentle run of fixtures, LVG’s men now face Everton and Chelsea in their coming three games, whom will provide stern tests. With Rooney out of the equation, Van Gaal could opt for a more stable and defensively sound XI, perhaps with a more orthodox midfield player slotting in in the place of the skipper behind Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie.

Van Gaal’s tactics coming across

The Dutchman said at the start of his reign that his methods and ideas would take some time to garner results. Scorelines and narratives at the club have generally been far from positive so far, but with each training session and week the messages will be sinking in.

Van Gaal is no fool either, His spell at Bayern Munich was not dissimilar, but the outspoken manager turned things around and is widely seen as one of the Bavarians’ best ever managers.

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Rivals’ hectic fixtures

While United have only the Premier League to focus on until the FA Cup kicks in in January, their major rivals are all busy balancing the Capital One Cup and Champions League/Europa League as well. Liverpool proved last season that fewer fixtures can be the springboard for impressive results, so United must use the situation to their advantage.

January spend looming

January may be a while away yet, but reports are already suggesting that United may wade into the transfer market once again. LVG oversaw a £150m spend during the summer, but money is still available with defensive additions needed.

Kevin Strootman of Roma is already being mooted as a target, while possible moves of Mats Hummels, Nicolas Otamendi and Angelo Ogbonna have also made the headlines. A few choice additions could sort out United’s obvious deficiencies.