Marcus Rashford has been named the Premier League player of the month for February, equalling Mohamed Salah's record for the most awards in a season.

The England forward had a near-perfect month for Manchester United, scoring five goals in four league matches, as Erik ten Hag's side took 10 points from a possible 12.

Rashford scored in victories against Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Leicester City, while also netting in a 2-2 draw against Leeds.

His Premier League tally for the season stands at 14 goals, behind only Ivan Toney (15), Harry Kane (18) and Erling Haaland (27) in the scoring charts.

Rashford also clinched the monthly awards for January and September, meaning he has matched Salah, who won three in 2017-18, for the most wins in a single campaign.

The award was Rashford's fourth overall in his career, leaving him three adrift of the record tally that Kane and Sergio Aguero share.

Rashford's goals have helped United consolidate their position in the hunt for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification, sitting third, seven clear of fifth-placed Liverpool despite losing 7-0 to the Reds last weekend.

Harry Kane would be a perfect fit for Bayern Munich and is approaching his "last chance" to join a true European giant, according to Dietmar Hamann.

Tottenham's latest European exit has turned the focus towards head coach Antonio Conte and striker Kane, both of whom face uncertain futures.

Unlike Conte, Kane has a contract with Spurs that runs beyond the end of this season, and that could complicate his prospects of a move away from London.

Manchester United are reported to have Kane on their shopping list, while Bayern are known to be long-time admirers of the England captain.

Hamann, who played in the Premier League for Newcastle United, Liverpool and Manchester City, sees why Bayern, another of his former clubs, would be keen if there was a chance of taking Kane.

The former Germany midfielder said Kane, who this season has become Tottenham's all-time record scorer, "would fit wonderfully into the Bayern team".

"Bayern have many fast wide players who can give them many chances," Hamann told German broadcaster Sky Sport.

He recommended Kane's "good eye for his team-mates and very good technique".

"That's why he could be very interesting for Bayern," Hamann said. "I would like to see him play for a team that can win the Champions League

"He's turning 30 and it would probably be his last chance this summer or next to do anything else."

Kane helped Tottenham reach the 2019 Champions League final, where they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool.

Spurs have not threatened to repeat such a run, and they bowed out tamely to Milan at the last-16 stage this week after a goalless draw at home saw them lose 1-0 on aggregate.

Bayern, by contrast, won the 2020 edition and have backed that up with three consecutive quarter-final runs, getting past star-studded Paris Saint-Germain this week to reach the last eight.

"If you want to win the Champions League, there are few addresses that are better than FC Bayern," Hamann said. "They are there every year and have a great squad."

Kane this week said Tottenham should be challenging for silverware and that a push for a top-four finish in the Premier League was insufficient.

And if there is a nagging doubt about Kane in Hamann's mind, it is that the man who is England's 53-goal joint-record scorer, alongside Wayne Rooney, has not already won big in his career, notably at international level.

"He's scored in important games for the national team, but the English haven't won a trophy either," Hamann said.

Roberto De Zerbi is content at Brighton and Hove Albion and is focused on helping the Seagulls make history this season, amid speculation linking him with Tottenham. 

De Zerbi has enjoyed a tremendous impact at Brighton since succeeding Graham Potter in September, leading the Seagulls into contention for European qualification. 

Brighton are seven points adrift of fourth-placed Spurs in the Premier League table with three games in hand, while their tally of 43 goals this season is already their best in the competition.

With De Zerbi's side flying, he – along with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank and Steve Cooper – has been touted as a possible successor to Antonio Conte, who appears destined to leave Spurs by the end of the campaign.

Asked about those links at a press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Leeds United, De Zerbi said: "I have a long contract with Brighton and I'm happy to work here.

"I'm enjoying working with these players, I'm delighted with my players for their performance and I can't ask for more, it's a good moment in my life."

Ahead of the trip to Elland Road, Brighton are unbeaten in their last five Premier League away games (W3 D2), the joint-longest current run in the competition, alongside Brentford.

Brighton have also failed to score just once in 11 away league games this term (0-2 at Brentford in October) – no Premier League side have drawn a blank on fewer road trips (Arsenal also one).

With Brighton earning plaudits for their enterprising style and with the race for European qualification wide open, De Zerbi is aware of the potential their campaign holds.

"People are speaking about our quality of play, and for that I am proud. But we have to be focused only on the next games. We have a clear target," he said.

"We have a dream. We know we can write a new history for the club. This is a nice challenge. 

"It will be difficult. We know what we can expect, but now we are able to win. I think now we have a complete squad with many young players, we are stronger.

"We want to arrive in Europe but we have to push and take it game by game. Tomorrow starts a difficult period with three games in a week, but we are ready to fight for our targets."

Pierluigi Collina has urged referees to add the correct amount of stoppage time at the end of games regardless of the circumstances.

​FIFA's head of refereeing discussed Sunday's clash between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield, in which only three minutes were added at the end of the hosts' 7-0 win despite six goals having been scored in a second half that also saw 10 substitutions and a VAR delay.

The World Cup in Qatar had games elongated by added time that was supposed to be more reflective of actual time lost during the 90 minutes, but this trend has mostly not carried on into club football.

"Last weekend in the Premier League, there were 10 matches," Collina told reporters. "Four had additional time of 10 minutes or more [across the first half and second half], and two should have been higher but weren't only because they had scores of 7-0 and 4-0.

"In the game at Liverpool, there was four minutes added, one in the first half and three in the second. But there were six goals in the second half.

"Maybe at some point in the future we will have a rule which says: if the difference between the two sides is big, the additional time is not to be given. But this would be in the laws of the game.

"Now it is common sense, but it is [only] common sense when it doesn't affect someone.

"I can understand that showing the right amount of time when it is 7-0 is difficult to understand. But in some competitions, the goal difference in the entire competition may be decisive at the end for the ranking.

"So, even one goal scored or not scored could make the difference."

Former referee Collina believes adding on as much time as necessary would eventually stamp out time-wasting, much like the introduction of VAR appeared to reduce the amount of simulation in the game. 

"It's time to compensate time that was not played during the match," he said. "We are not considering to go from 70 to 75. No, we want to avoid just playing 43 minutes.

"The effective time at Aston Villa vs Brentford [earlier this season] was 43 minutes. I don't think someone wants to pay to watch a match that lasts 43 minutes.

"We have seen implementing VAR has reduced simulation. How many cards are now given for simulation? Very little because the players know it is meaningless to try.

"I am convinced time-wasting will be reduced when players know it is meaningless to waste time because that time is compensated."

Mauricio Pochettino would be making a mistake by going back to Tottenham as Jamie Carragher believes a second Spurs stint would be akin to Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United return.

Pressure is building on Tottenham coach Antonio Conte after a desperate run that has ended their hopes of winning silverware this season.

After back-to-back Premier League victories lifted Spurs into the top four, they crashed out of the FA Cup at Sheffield United, lost at Wolves in the league and then exited the Champions League following a dismal goalless draw against Milan.

With Conte's contract up at the end of the season, it appears likely the former Juventus, Chelsea and Inter boss will soon be departing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Pochettino, who spent five years at the club, would be a popular appointment for many fans, and he remains out of work after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

But Liverpool legend Carragher sees concerning parallels with Keegan's 2008 homecoming at Newcastle, where he soon left following a dispute with owner Mike Ashley.

"Never go back. That is what they say in football," Carragher wrote in The Telegraph.

"Mauricio Pochettino would be wise to remember that if he is tempted to return to Tottenham Hotspur.

"Don't do it, Poch. All parties need to move on. Comebacks are usually more romantic than logical.

"Pochettino may see Spurs as the best chance to return to the Premier League. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy could curry favour with the supporters by re-appointing a popular ex-manager.

"They must know how rarely old magic is recreated in football."

While noting Carlo Ancelotti has enjoyed a successful second spell at Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho won the title after rejoining Chelsea, Carragher added: "Pochettino returning to Spurs would be like Kevin Keegan going back to Newcastle United.

"Like Keegan's Newcastle in the mid-90s, Pochettino's Tottenham charmed neutrals without winning trophies.

"Keegan's re-appointment in 2008 was greeted like the second coming, but he walked into different conditions and was gone eight months later."

Tottenham finished second under Pochettino in 2016-17, their best performance since the 1960s, and also came third twice.

He was unable to end their wait for silverware, however, losing in the Champions League final in 2019 and EFL Cup final in 2015.

Andy Cole does not understand criticism of 27-goal Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as he prepares for his Premier League record to be broken.

Haaland needs just seven more goals to match the 34 netted by Cole for Newcastle United in 1993-94 and Alan Shearer for Blackburn Rovers in 1994-95.

The City superstar has played only 25 league games so far this season, averaging a goal every 75 minutes.

Cole averaged a goal every 106 minutes across 40 matches, while Shearer scored every 111 minutes over 42 games.

Barring injury, it appears inevitable Haaland will beat two of the Premier League's greatest goalscorers, yet Cole is not bitter.

"Records are there to be broken, it's that simple," he told Stats Perform. "When people have mentioned it to me, it's not as if I'm going home and crying and saying: 'Oh no!'

"I've said to people it doesn't bother me in the slightest, I don't care. If someone deserved to break that record, go ahead and do it.

"I'm not going to sit here rocking myself to sleep in the hallway hoping he doesn't do it; it doesn't bother me because I'm not so conceited. I'm really not.

"I don't care if he does it. I'll be the first one to congratulate him. Records are there to be broken."

Haaland has been "absolutely phenomenal" for City, according to Cole, although he "will want to improve in getting involved in the play a little bit more".

Cole does not doubt he will be able to do that, adding: "He's still a baby and is still learning the game."

But with City trailing Arsenal in the Premier League title race, it has been suggested they have suffered for having Haaland up front.

Cole said: "People say he shouldn't have signed for Man City because he doesn't fit in.

"But if I've got 27 goals by February, and everyone's telling me that I've made the wrong move... what's the right move, then?

"You've got 27 goals by the end of February, and you've got the chance to get to 40 goals. I'm not sure what everyone expects for him."

The former Newcastle, Manchester United and City striker added: "I don’t think there's anything to actually think about.

"Because when people say he's made the wrong move or he's gone to the wrong club, what is he supposed to do? He's gone to clubs, scored goals, is far beyond anyone else in the Premier League for scoring goals.

"He's made the wrong move? He doesn't fit? How does he not fit? If he's got 27 goals so far, by the end of February, but he doesn't fit and doesn't get involved in the play, we don't need to have that conversation.

"We don’t need to have that conversation and to talk about getting involved and doing other things. It's as simple as that. Now, it's a crazy [conversation]."

Harry Maguire's future at Manchester United is unclear, having fallen down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag.

The United club captain is contracted until 2025 and his deal includes £200,000 per week wages.

Maguire has only started one of United's last eight Premier League games and did not play in Thursday's Europa League win over Real Betis.

TOP STORY – PSG SET FOR SHOCK MAGUIRE MOVE

Paris Saint-Germain are set for a shock £50million (€56m) move for Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, according to The Sun.

It has been claimed that Maguire is among a list of players that United are willing to sell in the off-season with Newcastle United and West Ham reportedly interested.

According to The Sun's report, PSG tabled a deal for Maguire in January, but time ran out to finalise it and the French champions will move again for him.

ROUND-UP

– The Independent reports Real Madrid are plotting an overhaul to bring in a new generation of young stars, with Manchester City's Erling Haaland top of the list along with Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.

– The Guardian reports Manchester United will enter the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, with interest also from Liverpool and Newcastle United. Mount and Chelsea are currently in the middle of a contract dispute, potentially making him available, with United viewing him as a cheaper alternative to Bellingham.

–  Barcelona are in the market to sign Manchester City's Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo if Bayern Munich do not make permanent his loan spell, claims Sport.

– Newcastle are circling to sign Southampton free-kick specialist James Ward-Prowse, according to Football Insider. Newcastle are one of numerous Premier League clubs interested in him.

– Gazzetta dello Sport reports Inter have tabled a two-year contract offer to Edin Dzeko amid interest from West Ham.

– L'Equipe claims PSG are ramping up their bid to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva in the off-season.

Mohamed Salah delivered for Liverpool in the sensational 7-0 win over Manchester United last weekend – and doubtless he had many fantasy bosses celebrating too.

Two goals and two assists in the Anfield rout showed the Egyptian is getting back to somewhere near his very best for Jurgen Klopp.

Salah has Bournemouth in his sights on Saturday, and our four fantasy team selections for the weekend are players heading out on the road.

Kaoru Mitoma has been in eye-catching form for Brighton and Hove Albion, who head to Leeds United on Saturday, while World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez has four clean sheets already in 2023 for Aston Villa, who visit West Ham on Sunday.

Chelsea's Ben Chilwell returns to an old stomping ground on Saturday as the Blues travel to his former club, Leicester City.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform has looked at why these four could help you bring in useful points this weekend.

Mohamed Salah (Bournemouth v Liverpool)

It was pretty clear Salah needed a rest amid a hectic schedule, and he got it during the World Cup after Egypt failed to qualify. Since games resumed after Qatar 2022, last season's joint-top scorer has been slowly building up to the sort of display that left United in tatters last Sunday. He has totted up nine goal involvements (5 goals, 4 assists) since the World Cup, with only Erling Haaland and Marcus Rashford (11) having more in that time.

Five of Salah's eight Premier League goals against Bournemouth have come at the Vitality Stadium, netting in every appearance in the Premier League there, so he will be looking for more of the same. If he wasn't in your team last week, can you really resist him this time around?

Emiliano Martinez (West Ham v Aston Villa)

There's no denying Villa went through a rocky spell recently, shipping 11 goals in three games, but two clean sheets have followed as Unai Emery looks for resilience.

Only Liverpool (6) and Tottenham (5) have kept more Premier League clean sheets in 2023 than Villa (4). Since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, Martinez is one of only six goalkeepers to have kept over 30 clean sheets in the top flight. This weekend he will try to complete three in a row for the first time since March 2022. West Ham have failed to score in 11 games this season, in case that heightens the temptation to pick Martinez.

Kaoru Mitoma (Leeds United v Brighton and Hove Albion)

Brighton's 4-0 demolition of West Ham last weekend included a goal from the twinkle-toed Japanese forward Mitoma. He has been involved in 11 goals across all competitions for Brighton this season (8 goals, 3 assists) with only Pascal Gross (12) having more involvements.

Seven of those involvements from Mitoma have come on league duty, with six goals and one assist, and it's especially good going when you consider he only made his first start in the competition at the end of October.

Leeds will need to be careful. Among all Premier League players, no one has had more take-ons in the box than Mitoma (17) in this season's competition, while only team-mate Solly March (6) has had more chance-creating take-ons than his five.

Ben Chilwell (Leicester City v Chelsea)

Chelsea could make it three wins in a row at Leicester. Successive clean sheets against Leeds and Borussia Dortmund count in Chilwell's favour, as does his attacking prowess.

Among defenders with at least 500 minutes played in the Premier League this season, only Liverpool's Konstantinos Tsimikas (133) has a better minutes-per-goal-involvement rate this season than Chilwell (237).

Granted, he has had only three such involvements so far, but having missed a large chunk of the season through injury, Chilwell is out to make up for lost time. His former club will be on guard, aware of his talent.

Erik ten Hag has given his Manchester United players the chance to make amends for Sunday's annihilation at Liverpool by naming an unchanged XI for the visit of Real Betis.

United suffered the joint-worst competitive defeat in their history at Anfield, losing 7-0 as they found themselves on the end of a second-half blitz.

Ten Hag's men had arguably been the more threatening side in the first half, but after going into the interval a goal down, they capitulated in spectacular fashion and Liverpool ran riot.

Thursday's Europa League last-16 first leg provides United with the opportunity respond to that embarrassment, and Ten Hag surprisingly resisted the urge the drop any of those involved in Sunday's debacle.

David de Gea, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Luke Shaw were the targets of particularly stinging criticism for their performances against the Reds, though they all kept their places.

Wout Weghorst also attracted the wrath of supporters after it emerged he touched the 'This Is Anfield' sign in the tunnel before kick-off, a gesture generally associated with Liverpool players rather than their opponents.

The Dutchman claimed he was trying to wind up international colleague Virgil van Dijk by preventing him from touching the sign. Weghorst also retained his place.

Betis – coached by former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini – will be hoping to pile the misery on for United.

The Andalusians have had injury problems of late, however, with the talismanic figures of Nabil Fekir and Sergio Canales both absent.

Ex-City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was named between the posts, while Ayoze Perez – on loan from Leicester City – was selected in attack alongside Betis' 41-year-old captain Joaquin.

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has dismissed links with Tottenham amid growing pressure on Antonio Conte.

Spurs' Champions League exit at the hands of AC Milan, along with poor Premier League form and bowing out of the FA Cup against Sheffield United, has led to speculation over Conte's future.

On Thursday, the Athletic reported chairman Daniel Levy has tasked director of football Fabio Paratici to produce a list of suitable replacements for the Italian.

Cooper has been linked with a potential vacancy, reportedly having admirers within the Spurs hierarchy, but he outlined his focus on Forest ahead of Saturday's trip to north London.

"The only thing that it is, is irrelevant. I said what I said last week, I don't want or need to say it again," he said at a press conference.

"The most important thing for me is the game, the guys I am working with every single day and I am trying to be at my best and do a good day's work and try and get them to do the same.

"Then we give ourselves a chance of trying to be a better team. We are embracing that challenge, we have had a lot of hurdles we have had to overcome this season, I am loving this journey with the players.

"It is a challenging one but one I am enjoying. But anything outside that bubble is irrelevant.

"The moment I am not thinking about Nottingham Forest or the players or the staff or how I can be at my best is the moment I am not getting it right, that's not what I want to be, I want to be all-in, that's what I am and I am not looking further than going to Tottenham on Saturday."

Cooper was not the only Premier League boss to dismiss questions about a move to Tottenham, with Brentford head coach Thomas Frank outlining his happiness with the Bees.

"First, they have a manager which is a manager I have studied for years and I admire massively. I think he has achieved some fantastic results so I hope he will do well and I hope Spurs do well," he said ahead of the game against Everton.

"Secondly, I am very, very happy here at Brentford."

Harry Kane says a top-four Premier League finish will not make Tottenham's season a success, admitting Spurs are "lacking something" as speculation over Antonio Conte's future grows. 

Spurs have seen their hopes of avoiding another trophyless season evaporate within the space of a week, following up an FA Cup loss at Sheffield United with a Champions League exit against Milan.

Tottenham suffered a dire Premier League defeat at Wolves between those two eliminations, and they have now failed to score in three successive games for the first time since a three-match losing run in April and May 2019.

With Spurs now facing a battle for a top-four berth, Kane says a 15th consecutive campaign without silverware is unacceptable.

"Where we're at as a club, we should be winning trophies," Kane told reporters. "The top four [being Spurs' only target] is a consequence of not playing as well as we want to play. 

"For sure, it's not enough for this club. I totally understand the fans' frustrations. Top four is not good enough for anyone at this club, especially the fans. They have the right to voice their opinion.

"The last week especially just hasn't been good enough. Before the Sheffield United game, the season could have been a whole lot different. 

"You go through there, you take that momentum into the league game and this game [against Milan]. 

"But I feel like that loss last week put a dagger in our hearts and as you can see, we haven't really recovered from that."

Spurs' expected goals over two legs in a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Milan was only 0.91, and they have failed to win any of their past five Champions League knockout games (D1 L4) since beating Ajax 3-2 at the semi-final stage in 2019.

It has been suggested their latest failure could spell the end of head coach Conte's tenure at the club, with the Italian accepting Spurs may sack him before his contract expires at the end of the season.

Asked for his thoughts on Conte's future, Kane said: "It's his decision, he's going to be the one that makes that choice. 

"All we can do as players is try to perform for him, work as hard as we can. That's what we're doing. You can't fault the effort of the players. We're just lacking something. 

"We've talked about mentality before and that ruthless hunger to be better, to be the best, to be one of the best teams in Europe. We just haven't quite found that yet."

Son Heung-min has been backed to rediscover his best form by incoming South Korea coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who believes a difficult situation at Tottenham has hampered the attacker.

Son has endured a poor season with Spurs, scoring just five Premier League goals after sharing the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah last term, and his troubles have carried onto the international stage.

The forward wore a protective mask at last year's World Cup after suffering a fractured eye socket ahead of the tournament, where he failed to net in four appearances.

Son produced another ineffective performance as Spurs exited the Champions League against Milan on Wednesday, leaving the future of boss Antonio Conte in serious doubt.

His new international coach, however, retains faith in Son's ability to bounce back, saying: "I'm a big fan of Sonny. There's no doubt. He had a very difficult World Cup because he was not 100 per cent healthy.

"Obviously I saw all the games and I felt for him, but I think this is a normal period and every player goes through little up and downs. Also, the situation at Tottenham is sometimes not so easy. 

"I hope that I'm going to see him in two weeks and he comes with a smile and is hungry for the national team."

Klinsmann was named as Paulo Bento's successor last month, with the Portuguese coach stepping down after a 4-1 defeat to Brazil in the last 16 at the World Cup.

Asked how he would approach the role at his unveiling on Thursday, the former Germany international said: "Obviously, my personal background was a striker, so I always love to attack, and that means I’d rather win a game 4-3 than 1-0. 

"But at the end of the day, I think a coach always has to adapt his approach and his philosophy to the people around him, mainly the players. 

"So based on who you have as players and what capabilities your team has, you need to adapt that philosophy to your approach."

South Korea will face South American opposition in their first two outings under Klinsmann, with Colombia and Uruguay their opponents for friendlies later this month.