EFL

MANCHESTER UNITED teen sensation Joe Hugill is in line to sign his first professional Old Trafford contract after wowing the Prem giants, according to reports. 
The former Sunderland starlet is thought to be ready to put pen to paper just three months after joining the Red Devils’ reserves.

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Joe Hugill has impressed Man United’s Under-23s coaches since joining the club’s academyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Hugill, who turned 17 today, made a £300,000 switch from Sunderland to United this summer. 
It is thought Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men beat Arsenal and Tottenham in the race for the teenager’s signature.
And Manchester Evening News claims the starlet’s deal with the Red Devils, who play Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, will run until 2023.

Hugill made an instant impression on coaches with his displays for United’s youth side scoring three times in only two starts. 

The Durham-born youngster has already been promoted to the club’s Under-23s despite being a first-year scholar. 
And the up-and-coming striker was on target for United in their Under-21 side’s  EFL Trophy penalty shootout win against Rochdale.
A dearth of reserve-level forwards is rumoured to have led Neil Wood to add Hugill to his Under-23 squad

Prior to this, the young striker had made his Under-18 debut appearance scoring twice against Blackburn.

And this month Hugill got his first call-up to England’s Under-18 training camp at St George’s Park and could be in contention for United’s FA Youth Cup quest. 
United’s other recent wonderkid additions include France Under-17 skipper Willy Kambwala. 

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Willy Kambwala,16, is another rising star United added to their ranks this month

The former Sochaux centre-back, 16, made a £3.6 million switch this month. 
And the young French player’s move was followed by news of the Old Trafford giants landing Amad Diallo Traore from Atalanta.  
The 18-year-old is expected to join the Red Devils in January subject to completion of his medical, agreement on personal terms and confirmation of his work permit.

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EFL clubs are poised to accept the Premier League’s £50m bail out to keep League One and Two alive.
But the cash will be taken ‘on behalf of the EFL’ and not just the two bottom tiers.

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EFL chairman Rick Parry cause widespread anger for backing Project Big PictureCredit: Rex Features

And EFL chiefs will say they plan to set up an effective £30m hardship fund with the second tranche of Prem money which CAN be used by cash-strapped Championship sides.
The row between the Prem, FA and EFL has intensified by the selective leaking of emails accusing the various slides of double-dealing.
But it seems that the clubs in Leagues One and Two will at least be able to get their hands on the first £20m in survival money that will allow them to continue in business.
SunSport revealed how Championship sides believed they had veto power over whether to take the money, after the Prem deliberately excluded the EFL top tier.

But the clubs were informed at a meeting this morning that, as the money came from the Prem and was effectively ‘solidarity’ cash, it was a Board decision, not one which the Championship had to sign off.
While there was huge anger at the Prem stance, the Championship clubs recognised they would be ‘hung out to dry’ if they rejected the money and jeopardised the very existence of the 48 teams in League One and Two.
That brought the idea, quickly agreed, that the Board should make clear it will accept the cash on behalf of the whole EFL.
At the same time, the clubs in Leagues One and Two were said to have agreed they could not merely take the money for themselves at the expense of the Championship, effectively aligning themselves with the 24 top tier teams.

The plan, which is expected to be ratified this afternoon, will see the EFL confirm it will take the initial £20m for immediate relief but will then take control of the dispersal of the extra £30m which is being forwarded as an interest-free loan.
That will enable EFL chairman Rick Parry and chief executive David Baldwin to decide where the remaining funds are sent, allowing Championship clubs who are genuinely struggling to take advantage.
It is envisaged that the vast majority of the £30m will still go to the smaller clubs but allows for some leeway and opportunity of a Championship clubs finds itself significantly distressed.
Meanwhile emails by Parry and Premier League chairman Gary Hoffman have been leaked which demonstrate the scale of the rising animosity at the top of English football.

According to Parry, the initial talks which led to the drafting of Project Big Picture were instigated by FA chairman Greg Clarke, who lambasted his EFL counterpart during yesterday’s meeting of the 20 top flight clubs.
Parry’s email, said to have been sent to the EFL clubs, alleged Clarke signalled he was in favour of B teams and a regionalisation of the lower divisions, including non-league clubs.
However, a number of EFL clubs insisted they had only received a ‘recall’ notice email and had never actually seen a copy of the original email.
Hoffman’s email to the EFL, which follows his criticisms of Parry in the meeting, accuse the EFL chairman of seeking to ‘create divisions’ by acting as the frontman for the restructure plans which were officially binned by all 20 clubs.

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