When Manchester United played Manchester City at Old Trafford a few weeks ago, seven of the starting XI were players who were at the club under Alex Ferguson, including all of the back four and goalkeeper.

This week, it has emerged that Manchester United could be one of the teams interested in taking Jonny Evans back to the club from West Brom, after speculation in the summer that he could join Manchester City.

United clearly do need new options this season, having seen their form slump dramatically because of injury – something that shouldn’t happen to such an extent. But going in for Evans again does seem to throw open one pertinent question: do United owe Alex Ferguson one big apology?

When the former United boss retired in 2013, he was clearly given the send-off of a legend and his unparallelled achievements were properly lauded and respected. But there was one criticism that’s been levelled at him ever since he retired: did he leave United in the lurch with a team which wasn’t fit for purpose, at least in the long term?

The argument has been advanced for the last four and a half years: Ferguson, in buying the likes of Robin van Persie, was looking for a short-term hit in order to allow his team to return to the top when he retired. In doing so, they say, he left his side woefully short of players who would be at the top of their game in the long term. But if it’s true that United are considering returning for Jonny Evans, it would appear as though Ferguson wasn’t to blame after all.

Or is it that United’s recruitment is simply continuing to fall short of the standards expected of such a big club?

It wasn’t just a widely-held belief that United’s squad was filled with deadwood when Ferguson left, it was the truth. It wasn’t an easy squad to sort out, but since getting rid of David Moyes, United have spent hundreds of millions of pounds to make it right.

Some signings have worked – Paul Pogba is now clearly of vital importance to his side, whilst Romelu Lukaku and Eric Bailly may well turn out to be top players for the club in the long term. But the majority of the signings since the departures of both Scots over the last few years have been wide of the mark.

And whilst it’s probably true that Ferguson left the club in a mess, it wasn’t unfixable. And it also wasn’t Ferguson’s fault that it wasn’t fixed: clearly United’s recruitment has been an even bigger mess for the last few years, and bringing in Jonny Evans would seem to be more than just a canny January signing – it would be yet another admission that United’s transfer policy has been wrong for four years.

So where does that leave the failings of Moyes and Louis van Gaal? Where does it leave the perception that Ferguson was partly to blame for the club’s decline? And where does it leave Ed Woodward and the United board who are the constants at the club’s executive level in the period between Ferguson’s departure and now?

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United’s position in the league table probably isn’t as bad as it could be. They have clearly made progress from where they have been over the last few seasons, and in other Premier League seasons they may well have been in the title hunt.

It was already clear that United’s recruitment since the end of the Ferguson era hasn’t been good enough. And in bringing up the possibility of going back for Evans, United probably owe Ferguson a big apology for the perception that it was partly his fault at all.

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According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United have had a £5m bid turned down for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter.

The Sun says that Cherries manager Eddie Howe has had to sit the Republic of Ireland international down and explain the decision to him, with the 27-year-old not being a regular in the south coast outfit’s midfield this season.

Irons boss David Moyes is keen to bring Arter to the London Stadium to bring some bite in the centre of the park, but The Sun says they will have to pay more than twice their initial offer to sign the Irishman, who only penned a new four-year contract at the Vitality Stadium during the summer.

One of the main factors in the midfielder finding himself in and out of the team has been down to the emergence in the starting line-up and the performances of teammate Lewis Cook, who is rated at £5.4m according to Transfermarkt and is now establishing himself as a key first-team player for the Premier League strugglers having joined them in July 2016.

Moyes and the Hammers could choose to look elsewhere having seen their initial bid for Arter rejected, and bringing Cook to the club could prove to be a shrewd move.

Here are three reasons West Ham must forget the 27-year-old and sign his Bournemouth teammate instead…

His statistics

Having made 111 appearances in all competition for Leeds United and Bournemouth despite only being 20 years of age, it is clear to see that Cook is highly-rated and has plenty of qualities in his locker.

According to WhoScored.com, his main strength is his dribbling ability and he has successfully completed 20 of the 26 take-ons he has attempted in 14 Premier League matches this season.

He has also won 22 tackles and made 14 interceptions from a defensive point of view, while he has made 12 key passes to help his team in the final third.

He loves a battle

He may be young and less experienced than many of the players he comes up against in the Premier League, but like Arter there is no doubt that Cook loves a battle, and we have seen that on many occasions in his 14 top flight appearances this season.

The 20-year-old isn’t afraid to get around the pitch, get stuck in and put his foot in when needed, and those are the sort of qualities David Moyes might be looking for to add some more steel to his midfield and start to find a long-term replacement for captain Mark Noble, who is getting no younger.

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Potential for the future

While Moyes may feel that Arter can make a difference for West Ham now, he will also surely be concerned that the 27-year-old hasn’t been a regular fixture in the Bournemouth side this season.

In that regard the Republic of Ireland international may not be the long-term answer the Irons need in the middle of the park, and the Scot would perhaps be better off trying to bring Cook to the London Stadium instead given he is impressing for the Cherries and has plenty of time to improve and develop, and would likely be worth more and have a larger resale value in the future.

Do you agree, Hammers fans? Let us know below.

Southampton completed the club-record signing of Monaco striker Guido Carrillo on Thursday and continue to be linked with a move for Spartak Moscow forward Quincy Promes, and Saints fans are optimistic of their chances in the coming months if they do get the 26-year-old.

The south coast outfit currently lie in the relegation zone and one point from safety following a disappointing campaign under Mauricio Pellegrino, but they did pick up a valuable point against Tottenham Hotspur at St Mary’s on Sunday.

The arrival of Carrillo will boost the team, while Sky Sports reported on Thursday that they are still chasing a deal for Promes, who has scored 58 goals in 115 appearances in all competitions for the Russian Premier League outfit.

Southampton supporters have been quick to have their say on the potential addition of the Dutchman before the transfer window slams shut via social media, and while one said “if we can bring in Quincy Promes then we are in business and will finish top 10”, another said “let’s get Promes, win some games and go up that table”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is hopeful that Marouane Fellaini will soon sign a new contract with the 20-time English champions.

Fellaini will see his current deal at Old Trafford expire at the end of the season.

The 30-year-old is believed to have rejected at least one offer from United, and he has been strongly linked with a move to Turkish football.

Fellaini is a favourite of Mourinho, however, with the Belgium international offering a physical presence in both penalty boxes.

The United boss has paid tribute to Fellaini on a number of occasions in recent months, and the Portuguese is hopeful that the former Everton midfielder will soon pen a fresh contract with the team that are currently second in the Premier League table.

Mourinho told reporters:

“He’s a very important player for me and a great professional who is giving everything to help the team.

“There’s a desire from myself, the board and the player to stay together and that’s our objective. Are we going to agree? I don’t know. But what I know is myself, the board and the player we would like to have a happy end.”

“He knows that I want him and the club wants him. I think this is also important for him. But you only sign a paper when you are happy with what is written in the paper.”

Fellaini, who is valued at £10.8m by transfermarkt.co.uk, is expected to be in the United squad that travels to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

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According to Aksam, Arsenal have offered a contract to their former player Oguzhan Ozyakup, who will see his Besiktas deal expire at the end of the season.

What’s the story?

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has spent heavily in the last two transfer windows, with Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both arriving for huge fees.

It remains to be seen whether the Gunners spend big again this summer, but there is no question that the capital club are still in need of players to boost their squad.

According to Aksam, Arsenal have offered their former player Ozyakup, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, the chance to return to the club.

The 25-year-old will see his current deal with Besiktas expire at the end of the season, and it is understood that the two parties are currently struggling to come to an agreement.

What is his history at Arsenal?

Ozyakup spent four years with Arsenal between 2008 and 2012, but the Turk only made two first-team appearances for the Gunners before moving on to Besiktas.

The midfielder signed schoolboy forms with Arsenal in September 2008, and was a regular in their youth set-up before appearing in two League Cup matches during the 2011-12 campaign.

Ozyakup was actually on the bench when Arsenal lost 8-2 at Manchester United in the Premier League in August 2011, but he never made a league appearance for the Gunners.

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The 30-time Turkey international has developed into a key midfielder for Besiktas – making more than 200 appearances for the club in all competitions.

He scored 10 times for the Turkish giants during the 2015-16 season, whilst he has impressed during his 27 first-team appearances this term.

It seems strange that Besiktas have allowed Ozyakup to enter the final months of his contract, but that could see Arsenal profit as they look to re-sign a player that has developed into an impressive performer since he left the Gunners in 2012.

Have Manchester City been under any real pressure this season?

In individual games, for sure. Last minute winners were a common theme of the City of the autumn time, who were on such a hot streak that they just found a way to win somehow. There’s immense pressure in those final few minutes, and Guardiola’s side showed their mettle and held their nerve.

But there has only been, perhaps, one time all season in which the Blues have come into the game itself under pressure.

It wasn’t the Manchester derby in December. A win at Old Trafford was always going to be a bonus, and even a defeat was only going to cut their lead to five points – hardly win or bust. Every game since then, no matter how big, has been tempered by the knowledge that the league title is all but secured and even their Carabao Cup semi-final was played against a team City knew they could beat if they focused well enough.

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Instead, you probably have to go all the way back to the very end of September for the last time City came into the game itself under pressure. That was an away trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea back when the Manchester clubs were neck and neck at the top of the Premier League table. That day, City bossed the game and came away with a 1-0 victory which seemed to prove just how good they were – that this wasn’t a fairweather team who would crumble when the going got tough.

And so there’s no suggestion that City will crumble now, either.

But the fact remains that only one trophy – from this vantage point, with the Premier League already won – would be a failure. Given how dominant this team have been, and how their football they’ve played has been historic, and will go down as some of the best in history, to only win the league would be disappointing. In effect, they won it before Christmas. If nothing else, lifting only one cup would mean having a failure of a second half of the season. But far from attempting to pile on the pressure, I believe this only shows how high this see-it-to-believe-it team have set the bar.

Out of the FA Cup now, there are only two more chances of silverware left for Guardiola’s side. The Champions League which is the holy grail, and given the level of teams in the competition there’s no shame in not winning it. And the Carabao Cup, in which the manager has done his job and brought his team to the final – now they have to perform on the day.

But that’s just the problem: City are coming into their first game in quite a long time aware of the pressure of what’s at stake. They have been almost too far ahead in the league for so long, with little pressure on each game. In the Champions League, the failure of Napoli to beat Shakhtar Donetsk meant that City never really had a challenge for progression and their reward was Basel, duly dispatched with ease.

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Now, suddenly, after defeat to Wigan, there’s pressure on City. Whereas they could have had a quadruple at the start of the week, they could be staring down the barrel of having to win the Champions League to lift a second trophy this year, and that’s no guarantee.

In some ways, defeats to Liverpool and Wigan could be something of a blessing in disguise, showing City they aren’t invincible in a way they Premier League table simply doesn’t. But it will also tell us a lot about this team like nothing else has so far.

On Sunday against Arsenal, we’ll see the real Manchester City: the one who will continue to dominate, or the one who will run out of steam before the trophies are handed out.

According to reports in The Express, West Ham United are ready to reignite their interest in Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter this summer with a £10m offer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Express says that David Moyes had two bids – the last of which was £8m – for the Republic of Ireland international during the January transfer window.

The Express says that the 28-year-old remains a major target for the Scottish boss though, who intends a significant shake-up of the Hammers squad if he manages to keep the club in the Premier League this season.

The report adds that Moyes is confident that he can prise the energetic midfielder away from the Cherries and bring him to the London Stadium.

How has Arter done this season?

It has been a strange campaign for the 28-year-old.

He had been a key player for Bournemouth up until this term, and while he was a regular in the opening weeks of the 2017/18 season he was largely in and out of the team up to 2018, while he has only played 71 minutes of Premier League football since the New Year after falling out of favour under Eddie Howe.

Would he be a good signing for West Ham?

It’s difficult to say.

The fact that the 28-year-old hasn’t been a regular for Bournemouth in recent weeks would certainly be a worry for the Irons supporters, but Moyes obviously feels that he can add something in the midfield area.

Perhaps the fact that he was linked with a move to the east London outfit has affected his focus, and that must be taken into consideration.

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The fact that Arter has a never-say-die attitude and always puts in 100% will mean that he gets the London Stadium faithful on side quickly with his performances on the pitch, and in that way he seems similar to Irons captain Mark Noble which could perhaps throw his future with the club into doubt.

Will they get him?

Considering Moyes is clearly a big fan of Arter and he has fallen out of favour at Bournemouth, it seems that a move is on the cards – especially if West Ham cough up £10m for him in the summer.

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Tottenham Hotspur extended their unbeaten run in the English Premier League to 12 matches on Sunday with a thumping 4-1 win away to Bournemouth.

Going behind in the match, Spurs had to dig deep to secure the vital three points but found joy with goals from Dele Alli, Son Heung-min and Serge Aurier.

The win means they have moved up into third spot in the top-flight table at the end of the weekend’s action, after Liverpool lost to Manchester United on Saturday.

Fans were delighted with the win and overall satisfied by the performance, but did take issue with the display of one player – Danny Rose.

The left-back was starting his first match since February and looked off the pace throughout, struggling to find a consistent productive contribution in the final third despite getting into good positions.

Eventually subbed off in the 81st minute, fans were left wanting more from a player who showed such good form just last season.

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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has spoken to the media about his transfer plans for the club, reports Goal.com.

What’s the word?

The Merseyside outfit made some big changes to the team in the January window, even though the club recruited just one first-team player.

Virgil van Dijk joined from Southampton for a reported £75m fee  after a lengthy transfer saga that began last summer.

The Dutchman was bought to improve the Reds’ shaky defence, while there was also a major change to the attack as Philippe Coutinho was sold to Barcelona.

Klopp did not replace the Brazilian before the transfer window slammed shut, which suggests that he may do so when business resumes at the end of the season.

Ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Manchester United – which the Merseyside outfit lost 2-1 – Klopp spoke to reporters about potential transfer plans.

According to Goal.com, the German coach said:

“It still needs to be the mix of bringing in the new player and letting the group grow. That’s how it is. If you always change four or five positions it’s wrong. You don’t make the team better. You can make it better in the long term but in the long term nobody is waiting for it. It’s all about timing, doing the right thing at the right moment. If it’s not the right player, it’s not the value of the player.”

What should Liverpool’s transfer strategy be?

The club have very few problems up front due to the free-flowing trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.

Coutinho added to the strength of the pack, and a replacement should be on the list of priorities come the summer, but it is not an area that needs immediate attention.

The goalkeeping situation is an interesting one as it is an area where Liverpool have struggled for some time.

Loris Karius replaced Simon Mignolet as number one at the start of the year, and even though he has put in some impressive performances of late, there is still a sense that the Reds need a world-class stopped to compete for titles.

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Elsewhere on the pitch, Liverpool’s defence has improved with the arrival of Van Dijk, but Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip have not convinced everyone this season.

Perhaps another centre-back should be added to Klopp’s shopping list.

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Celtic fans are hoping to see more of Chelsea loanee Charly Musonda in the closing stages of the season after another disappointing result in the Scottish Premiership.

The Hoops drew their eighth game of the season away to 10-man Motherwell on Sunday, failing to find the cutting edge in a 0-0 result against Stephen Robinson’s men.

For many it was a match that was calling out for the introduction of Musonda from the substitutes’ bench, with Rodgers preferring to bring on the likes of Stuart Armstrong and Scott Sinclair ahead of him.

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The attacking midfielder hasn’t started for the club for over a month and has just two starts in league action since joining from Chelsea in January.

Fans have been impressed with his some of his performance so far and they’re now calling on Rodgers to play him more in the closing stages of the season, ahead of the out-of-form Sinclair.

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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the situation…