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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe could complete a marquee swoop for Hungarian machine Dominik Szoboszlai this summer, with the RB Leipzig ace attracting attention after his stellar showings this season.

What's the latest on Dominik Szoboszlai to Newcastle?

The 22-year-old has illuminated the German Bundesliga in coruscating light this season, with Sky Germany now reporting that Szoboszlai is an 'internally discussed destination' for the Magpies.

The report states that United technical director Dan Ashworth has highlighted central defence, the offensive right flank and the centre of midfield as the areas for investment this summer, with Szoboszlai fitting the bill to enhance the ambitious club's prospects.

The ace has a €70m (£61m​)​​​​​​ release clause in his contract, and while Leipzig are accepting of this value, they will rebuff any advances that fall below this sum.

Should Newcastle sign Dominik Szoboszlai?

What an ascension Howe and co have masterminded over the past 18 months, Newcastle rose from the rubble and pushed relegation fears aside last term to now boast a Champions League-contending squad.

It has been nothing short of emphatic and the work has been astute, with the likes of Kieran Trippier (£12m), Dan Burn (£13m) and Nick Pope (£10m) helping form the Premier League's most imperious defence.

Prolific talisman Alexander Isak was signed for a club-record £63m, and it looks like St. James' Park will have to break the bank again to secure a return to the Champions League, but Szoboszlai's skill set is so impressive that it would be ludicrous not to attempt to seal his services.

This season, the "vigorous" gem – as described by analyst Bálint Békési – has scored eight goals and supplied 13 assists from 43 appearances across all competitions, with Marco Rose's outfit on course for a top-four finish this term, behind only Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the scoring charts.

As per FBref, the 30-cap ace ranks among the top 15% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues for rate of assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for passes attempted and the top 14% for progressive passes, illustrating his efficacy as a creative whiz, deployed across the three attacking thirds in the midfield to equally devastating effect.

Manchester United phenom Bruno Fernandes is listed as the £71k-per-week maestro's most comparable player, with the Portuguese himself ranking among the top 3% of positional peers for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for progressive passes, hailed as a "creative monster" by Statman Dave last month.

The £240k-per-week Portuguese has been instrumental to the Red Devils since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon for a potential £68m in 2019, scoring 61 goals and serving 54 assists from 181 outings and helping to end the Theatre of Dreams trophy drought this year, gleaning the Carabao Cup against Howe's Magpies.

Had Szoboszlai been pulling the strings for the Tyneside team on that fateful day, the outcome might have been very different indeed, but alas, Newcastle's ascension hit a bump in the road.

It didn't last, though, and with the high-octane outfit only set to continue to harness their newfound calibre, a signing of Szoboszlai's ilk could nail down flourishing fortunes.

Newcastle United's reported target Neymar could potentially move to the Premier League over the summer with his future at Paris Saint-Germain discussed internally.

Could Newcastle land Neymar?

Champions League football could be a massive boost for the Toon going into the summer with the potential lure of elite European football something that could boost their ability to attract players.

Dan Ashworth and PIF have already landed some great signings with the likes of Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes, however, top-four football could take that level up a notch.

There have been reports suggesting the club's owners are keen to potentially bring in a big name like Neymar this summer, with Manchester United and Chelsea also keen.

The report suggests the possibility of Champions League football is viewed as a massive opportunity for the Saudi-based owners to make a real statement.

And the addition of someone like Neymar would certainly be a marquee signing considering he is believed to be earning in the region of £945k-per-week.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the 31-year-old Brazilian's potential exit has been discussed at the Parc des Princes.

Adding to that, the Italian journalist also mooted a potential move to the Premier League over the summer:

(0:50) "What we can say, in this moment, is that internally at PSG, the potential departure of Neymar Jr has been discussed and it's a possibility. So this summer looks like, for the very first time since he joined PSG, there is a concrete chance for Neymar Jr. to leave the club."

"And also that Premier League could be a solution to watch because for some clubs could be an opportunity to go for Neymar. So let's keep an eye on that one. But again, this is not something advanced yet and it's not advanced at all."

Should Newcastle sign Neymar?

After being taken over in 2021, it quickly became apparent that the Magpies would have the financial power to go toe-to-toe with any other side in world football.

So in that sense, the finances would not necessarily be an issue for PIF given the extreme wealth behind the Tyneside club.

However, the main concerns will likely be surrounding the character of the Brazilian and how he could potentially fit in at Darsley Park.

The 31-year-old has been no stranger to finding his name in the headlines in France having fallen out with some senior figures at PSG.

There are also reports suggesting the relationship between Neymar and Kylian Mbappe also leaves a lot to be desired.

Given the current set-up at Newcastle, it would be an enormous risk to bring in a player who could potentially view himself as bigger than the club.

Gary Neville has recently spoken on the possibility of this transfer happening as he shared his concerns for Eddie Howe if Neymar was to land in the north east:

"That would scare me to death, that sort of signing, not because I mean Neymar's a sensational player. But I think Eddie Howe all of a sudden would sort of have a circus. Eddie Howe doesn't need a circus up here."

Tottenham Hotspur have had little to look forward to in recent years, but the promise of a new manager seeks to change that.

The only worry that remains is that Daniel Levy will be the man heading that search, especially after the resignation of his director of football Fabio Paratici, who lost his appeal and has subsequently had his ban upheld.

This is just one moment in a long line of embarrassing examples for the Lilywhites, who have stalled following years of impressive progression under Mauricio Pochettino.

Antonio Conte failed miserably in his search for silverware in north London, just years after Jose Mourinho had suffered a similar fate. Whoever is chosen as the next to grace their dugout must be fully aware of the tough task that awaits and the tumultuous atmosphere within.

Whilst Cristian Stellini sees out the season before his likely departure too, Levy has some time to start deciding which direction to take Spurs. One thing is for certain: the 61-year-old will want to give his new boss the strongest possible starting lineup with which to tempt a top coach in and keep the top assets around.

Whilst transfers might not be his particular strong suit, he can be safe in the knowledge that at the very least Destiny Udogie will be returning this summer fresh from a fine loan in Italy. Arguably, given their struggles at left wing-back and the veritable strength of the opposite flank, this could prove to be huge for the future and the present of this side.

Who is Destiny Udogie?

Having signed for £15m last summer, Conte saw fit to ship the 20-year-old out on loan to Udinese, safe in the knowledge that Ivan Perisic would fulfil the role until his development had finished.

However, few would have predicted just how defensively culpable the experienced Croatian would be. Brought in with a packed-out trophy cabinet and experience at the top level, his seven league assists perhaps mask the positional deficiencies of the 34-year-old.

Just 1.2 tackles and 1.1 clearance per game marks a disappointing return for someone who has been ever-present in a system that focuses on sitting deep, with football writer Andrew Gaffney even claiming the £180k-per-week man was a "complete liability at the back".

Meanwhile, Udogie too has enjoyed a fine offensive campaign but married it with far more solidity – six goal contributions give way to his 2.3 tackles per game, making him far more well-rounded given the uncertainty of the philosophy the new boss might employ.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has spoken to Football FanCast about the potential of the Italy U21 international, and what Spurs fans have to look forward to upon his return.

He claimed:

"It has been an area that Tottenham have been looking to improve in for a while now and this hopefully will see Udogie being as the answer to those left-wing back issues going forward.

"As I said, he's a very exciting player and somebody that Spurs fans will be looking forward to seeing next season."

With a sparkling future ahead, Udogie's return will surely mark the end of the ageing wide man who has struggled to live up to the immense expectations his name demanded.

A number of fans online have been left shocked after Cristiano Ronaldo was shown making a terrible challenge in his most recent headline-making performance.

What’s the latest Cristiano Ronaldo news?

While the 38-year-old might not quite be the power he once was, he’s somehow retained the ability to keep football fans entertained throughout his career.

Sadly, having left the Premier League and Manchester United shortly before the winter World Cup in Qatar, he’s been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

For instance, earlier on in April, he was slammed by supporters online after throwing a tantrum after the final whistle when his new side Al-Nassr were held to a 0-0 draw away from home against Al Feiha.

Just weeks later, it appears Ronaldo is once again a name trending on Twitter. And while he does have a very respectable 11 Saudi Pro League goals in 11 games (plus two assists), it’s not his goalscoring feats that have everyone talking.

No, during a match against fourth-placed Al-Hilal, the Portuguese international saw his team lose 2-0 – with Odion Ighalo, of all people, netting twice – which leaves CR7 and co three points behind top-of-the-table Al-Ittihad Club, despite having played one more game.

In this meeting, however, Ronaldo was seen making a frankly ridiculous challenge as he wrapped his arms around an opposition player and slammed him to the ground in a move that would be better suited to a wrestling ring as opposed to a football pitch.

With quite some fortune, to be frank, English referee Michael Oliver opted to only book the £3.6m-per-week striker when a red card may well have been a more suitable punishment.

After seeing the footage, it’s safe to say fans were not at all impressed with the former Real Madrid forward. Here are some of the best reactions on Twitter.

Plenty suggested it was a move fit for WrestleMania…

While the inevitable Lionel Messi comparison was made too.

Leeds United fans were no doubt disappointed to see Ross McCormack depart for Fulham in the summer of 2014 after he had crashed in 29 goals the season before.

However, the Scottish forward's shocking career since then, which has left him without a club since 2021, suggests that the Whites did incredibly well to sell him for £11m.

How did McCormack perform at Leeds?

Leeds would sign McCormack for an undisclosed fee of around £350k in the summer of 2010, joining from Cardiff City.

After a slow start to life at Elland Road, which saw him manage just two league goals in his first season at the club, the forward would become the main man under Neil Warnock the following campaign.

The former Rangers man would fire in 18 goals and six assists in just 45 Championship appearances, before adding another eight goals and 14 assists the following campaign.

His best period at Leeds came in the 2013/14 season however, as he notched an incredible 28 goals and ten assists in the second tier, which saw him finish as the top scorer in the division, despite the club enduring a disappointing year which saw them finish 15th in the league.

Therefore, with Leeds fans still dreaming of a return to the top flight, it was a real source of disappointment when McCormack departed for recently relegated Fulham the following year, and he would deliver similar success at Craven Cottage.

How has McCormack done since leaving Leeds?

In 100 appearances for the west London outfit, he would register an impressive 42 goals and 22 assists, yet he was never able to break into the Premier League, joining fellow Champoinship side Aston Vila in the summer of 2016 for a fee of £12m.

It was here that the once-promising striker's career began to go downhill, as he mustered just three goals and one assist in 24 appearances for the Midlands club and was criticised by manager Steve Bruce for failing to turn up to training on a number of occasions, with his infamous broken gate excuse the beginning of the end for McCormack.

Another failed loan stint at Nottingham Forest, where he hit one goal in seven appearances, would follow, before the Scottish striker, who was dubbed "lazy" by talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan, moved to Australia.

Although he was able to briefly rediscover his best form with Melbourne City, finding the back of the net on 14 occasions in just 17 outings, he would then score just once for Central Coast Mariners, before enduring goalless spells at Motherwell and embarrassingly, Aldershot in non-league.

Since leaving the Shots, McCormack has failed to find a new club and at the age of 36, it seems his career is well and truly over. Thus, it's safe to say Leeds actually struck gold when selling him, even if it felt like poor business at the time.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could take a big step towards Premier League safety on Saturday afternoon as they take on Leeds United at Molineux.

Julen Lopetegui's side will be desperate for three points against their relegation rivals and the Spanish manager can give his side the edge by unleashing talented winger Pedro Neto.

Should Pedro Neto start against Leeds?

The former Lazio man has missed much of this season after picking up an ankle injury in October but made his return to action earlier this month, playing 45 minutes against both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

Like several other attackers in Wolves' squad, the 23-year-old has failed to score or assist in any of his 11 Premier League appearances this season but deserves an opportunity to rediscover the form that established himself as one of the brightest prospects in England just a couple of years ago, with Alan Shearer labelling him a "huge talent" after a goal against Southampton.

The 2020/21 campaign saw Neto register an impressive five goals and six assists in 31 Premier League appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a strong 7.11 rating for his performances.

He has struggled immensely with injuries in the two subsequent campaigns but now that he is back to full fitness, he will be hoping to play a big part in Lopetegui's side for the remainder of the season, as the Old Gold look to avoid relegation back to the Championship.

Saturday's game against Leeds represents an ideal opportunity for Neto to make his mark, as the Whites possess one of the poorest defensive records in the division, with only Bournemouth, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Southampton conceding more.

Javi Gracia's side have something of a liability at left-back, with Junior Firpo having struggled at the back since joining the club from Barcelona, with WhoScored awarding him a disappointing 6.59 average rating so far this term.

Paul Robinson didn't hold back in his criticism of Junior Firpo on BBC Radio 5 Live (26/2, 12:52) after Leeds lost against Tottenham Hotspur last season.

He said:

“Kulusevski picked the ball up in the corner, he was one-on-one with Firpo. All the defender had to do was put in a simple tackle. It is terrible, schoolboy defending. Inexcusable.”

Should Lopetegui deploy Neto on the right wing at Molineux, he could cause Firpo all sorts of problems by cutting in on his stronger left foot, as it will force the Spaniard to defend with his weaker right foot.

Wolves have struggled to create and score chances this season but must start on the front foot against a Leeds side low on confidence, and unleashing Neto against a struggling Firpo could be the key to Lopetegui's side earning all three points this weekend.

The Athletic’s George Caulkin has been encouraged by what he’s seen of late from Allan Saint-Maximin heading into Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup clash.

The Lowdown: Big players have to step up

It’s been far from a pleasing season for Saint-Maximin on Tyneside, with the Frenchman having gone from one of the first names on the teamsheet to being used sporadically off the bench in most games by Eddie Howe.

Saint-Maximin has only started seven Premier League games this season and was only handed a run of starts of late following the suspension Bruno Guimaraes picked up – and he has seemingly repaid Howe’s faith in that time.

The Frenchman was the Player of the Match in Newcastle’s last game against Liverpool, which will be encouraging for fans and Howe, as he may now be ready to kick on at Wembley.

The Latest: Saint-Maximin must carry his form into Wembley

Caulkin claimed on Pod on the Tyne that Saint-Maximin’s uptick in form is encouraging for Newcastle’s chances of winning the Carabao Cup on Sunday.

He said: “I thought there were shades of Man City in that performance [against Liverpool], and that is hugely encouraging. In some ways, the circumstances don’t matter too much, because it’s just good, I think, for him and the team for us to see that he can still give that energy and be that effective.

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“I think that’s the real positive to carry into the weekend, that suddenly, you’ve got that threat again. And on that form, he will cause Manchester United problems.”

The Verdict: Huge chance to impress on the big stage

It may not be much of a surprise to see Saint-Maximin stepping up his game, as he is reportedly in talks over a new contract, and there would be no better way to show PIF he deserves a bumper deal than by leading the Magpies to glory on Sunday.

Given that Guimaraes is set to be back and ready to start on Sunday at Wembley, he could well help Saint-Maximin play even better by giving him those progressive passes as he’s done so often this season – he ranks second in the team for that metric (FBref).

Saint-Maximin certainly won’t be providing much cover defensively having won just two tackles in his own final third, but if he can put Manchester United on the back foot and pin back someone such as Aaron Wan-Bissaka, he could well justify a starting spot.

Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen has a 50% chance of returning from injury against Brighton this weekend, according to reporter Rahman Osman.

The Lowdown: Andersen’s absence

Andersen has missed the last three Premier League fixtures with a calf problem. Patrick Vieira’s side have failed to win any of those games and are now without a top-flight victory since New Year’s Eve.

A home fixture with rivals Brighton is next on the agenda for the Eagles, and it looks as if there could be some good news on the injury front.

The Latest: Andersen claim

Osman shared a story for London World in the last 48 hours, looking at Palace’s injury issues and potential return dates.

When it came to Andersen, he said that the centre-back has trained this week and there is a 50% chance he could return against Brighton on Saturday.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

The 26-year-old has been hailed as a ‘massively important’ player by Vieira after making the move to Selhurst Park, and his potential return could be huge as Palace look for a first league win in 2023.

Andersen has actually been the club’s best-performing player this season alongside Wilfried Zaha, making more clearances and passes per game than any of his teammates as per WhoScored.

Zaha may not feature due to his own injury issues, so having Andersen back alongside Marc Guehi would be a welcome boost as the club aim for a sixth league clean sheet of the campaign.

Newcastle United have reportedly made ‘inquiries’ over signing Zenit St. Petersburg winger Malcom this month.

The Lowdown: Gordon alternative?

It has recently been reported that a deal for Newcastle to sign Everton winger Anthony Gordon is now ‘unlikely’, after he returned to Finch Farm this morning after missing the last three days of training.

If the St. James’ Park outfit are unable to get their man, then they could swiftly move on to other targets with just a few days left of the transfer window remaining, and one name has emerged as a potential alternative…

The Latest: Malcom ‘inquiries’

Taking to Twitter, Foot Mercato journalist Dahbia Hattabi says that the North East club have made ‘inquiries’ over the possibility of signing Malcom, although he has been ‘offered’ to Ligue 1 giants PSG:

“Malcom (Zenit) has been offered to PSG as announced in Spain. Newcastle have come to inquiries for the Brazilian this winter.”

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The Verdict: Nice stopgap

Malcom could be a nice stopgap signing for the Tynesiders until the summer, where they could push for Gordon again or perhaps move on to more ambitious targets, with them looking like they can secure UEFA Champions League football at the end of the season given their league position.

Once hailed as ‘hugely talented’ by football writer Ryan Baldi, Malcom was once on the books of FC Barcelona before settling in at Zenit, where he has managed an impressive 31 goals and 22 assists in 98 games, with 22 of those goal contributions coming in this season alone (Transfermarkt).

The Brazilian has also been called up by his country, although is yet to earn a senior cap, but did play six games for Brazil’s Olympic team in 2021 (Transfermarkt), scoring the winner in the final no less as they defended their title.

Nonetheless, at 25 years of age, Malcom still has a lot to offer, and could fit in well at the Magpies alongside fellow Brazilians Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

Liverpool are in a period of transition in terms of their midfield personnel at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp will surely be hoping that FSG will give him an opportunity to rebuild and refresh the centre of the pitch in 2023.

The Reds are currently ninth in the Premier League after a string of inconsistent and uninspiring performances in the top flight this season and are ten points adrift from the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four ahead of the second half of the season.

Indeed, the powers at Anfield did already dip into the transfer market this month with the acquisition of Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo early into the window but it remains to be seen whether Liverpool will further strengthen prior to their challenging pursuit of a top-four place over the coming weeks and months.

There is no doubt that the midfield is the area of concern for the Merseyside giants with a number of players either coming to the end of their contracts at the club this summer or in the latter stages of their careers.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are set for an Anfield exit at the end of the current campaign, whilst Fabinho would be the only experienced midfielder left in the squad who isn’t over the age of 30 with younger players Curtis Jones, Stefan Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott still finding their feet and best positions in the team at the moment.

As a result, a midfield rebuild is becoming a pressing issue for the Reds and whilst they need a youthful injection, finding a player who can offer them experience combined with longevity would also be hugely advantageous.

One player who has been linked with a move to Merseyside is Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves, a player who could not only be the perfect profile in terms of Premier League experience and energy but also a much cheaper alternative to reported target Declan Rice.

Over 18 Premier League appearances this season, the Portuguese ace – who was dubbed a “joy to watch” by Shrewsbury’s Elliott Bennett – has scored four goals and successfully completed 54% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 2.1 shots on goal, 2.6 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 2.4 clearances per game.

Not only that, but according to FBref, Rice has been one of the most similar players over the last 12 months to Neves with the two midfielders sharing many similarities in their output throughout 2022/23 so far including pass completion (82.3% v 88.6%), goal-creating actions (2 v 3), dribbles completed (46.7% v 52.4%), tackles won (22 v 19) and progressive passes (80 v 77).

With that being said, the signing of Neves would be a major coup for the Reds and with a reported £70m transfer fee that appears to be lowering all the time, it would be a steal compared to the £100m that West Ham United will demand for Rice.