Transfer notebook: Manchester United revive bid, Premier League boss set for new contract, Newcastle star in line for England call-up
Manchester United are planning a new move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite next summer.
United had two offers for centre-back Branthwaite worth up to £50m refused before the start of this season, but the 22-year-old remains at the top of his wish list.
United sporting director Dan Ashworth believes the cultured Branthwaite would suit new boss Ruben Amorim's playing style and his preferred 3-4-3 system.
Sources close to Branthwaite say he has ambitions to play for a top Premier League club.
United could face competition from bitter rivals Liverpool, who are also fans of the England international.
Branthwaite has not started a game this season due to injury, and his omission from the starting line-up in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to relegation rivals Southampton despite returning to full fitness was a shock to the Toffees dressing room.
hall pass
Newcastle defender Lewis Hall has put himself in the running for a first senior England call-up to resolve the Three Lions' left-back crisis.
The 20-year-old under-21 international has been one of Newcastle's standout players this season, including an impressive performance chaining down Bukayo Saka during Saturday's match. 1-0 victory over Arsenal in St James's Park.
talkSPORT understands interim England boss Lee Carsley has been monitoring Hall's progress ahead of next week's decisive Nations League double-header with Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
England really need to win in Athens to avoid finishing second in the group and entering an unwanted play-off round in March.
Carsley has been criticized for not naming a left-back in his first two teams and with Luke Shaw still sidelined, Hall, who was handed his Chelsea debut by incoming England manager Thomas Tuchel, has been put on pole position to answer the call.
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That's the spirit
Nuno Espirito Santo will be rewarded for Nottingham Forest's incredible start to the season with a bumper new contract.
Espirito Santo has propelled Forest into the top three of the Premier League for the first time in 26 years, after losing just one of their first ten games.
Notoriously demanding owner Evangelos Marinakis has been so impressed that he wants to extend the former Wolves and Tottenham manager's contract.
Espirito Santo is currently under contract at the City Ground until the summer of 2026.
This notebook too previously reported that in-form Forest striker Chris Wood is set to sign a new contract.
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Port of call
Rubén Amorim is not the only Portuguese coach on the radar of Premier League clubs.
With Amorim destined for Manchester United, his former training partner and former Porto manager Sergio Conceicao is also on the radar of several teams who could be contemplating a manager change in the near future.
West Ham are believed to have had Conceicao on their list of possible options when they replaced David Moyes with Julen Lopetegui in the summer.
Lopetegui is now already under pressure after a poor start to the season and talkSPORT has been told that several senior Hammers stars are not entirely on board with the Spaniard.
Everton manager Sean Dyche is also under scrutiny by incoming new owner Dan Friedkin and the unemployed Conceicao, who led Porto to three league titles among 11 major honours, would be seen as a progressive appointment.
