Category Uncategorized

Journalist Damian Spellman believes Newcastle United have to improve their midfield department this summer.

The Lowdown: A lack of depth may be concerning

The Magpies appear to be in something of a slump as they’ve drawn five out of their last six games in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, their sole win in that run came against Fulham, largely thanks to Aleksandar Mitrovic double-kicking his penalty before Alexander Isak headed in an added-time winner.

This run of form has also come at a worrying time for Eddie Howe, as his squad is being stretched, with Bruno Guimaraes out for another game, Jonjo Shelvey having left for Nottingham Forest and Joe Willock going off against Bournemouth with a hamstring injury.

It was reported in January that Newcastle’s main priority during the transfer window was to improve the centre of midfield, but despite losing Shelvey, that didn’t end up happening, which has left the Magpies short in the middle of the pitch.

The Latest: Newcastle will look to improve in the summer

Newcastle will have aspirations of playing European football next season and that would require a deeper squad – something Spellman expects them to address this summer as he spoke on the Everything is Black and White podcast.

He said: “There’s no secret that Eddie Howe didn’t want to let Jonjo Shelvey leave, and I suspect when he did okay it, he thought they might get somebody in – and ultimately they didn’t.

“I think it’s glaringly obvious that that is one of the departments in which they need to strengthen and I think it will be somewhere they’ll invest in the summer – and we all know they’ve looked at people for that position or that area of the pitch.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: PIF to go big next transfer window

While not spending heavily in January will likely put Newcastle in a healthier spot to spend more freely in the summer, if it ends up costing them either the top four or a chance to lift the Carabao Cup, that decision will likely be criticised.

Howe made it very clear during January that Newcastle didn’t want to spend money for the sake of it as they hoped to avoid handcuffing themselves financially for future windows, so it’s a very sensible approach taken by the club’s owners.

However, if Newcastle don’t make the top four, the calibre of players they could attract could drop significantly, so it’s a risky strategy and one that may well come back to bite them if they keep picking up injuries and fail to capitalise on a bizarre season where several of the usual suspects have been left behind in the Champions League race.

Chelsea transfer target Moises Caicedo will cost £90m if the Blues want to sign him, according to The Independent journalist Miguel Delaney.

The Lowdown: Chelsea eyeing up Caicedo move

The Blues continue to look bullish in the transfer market, having already acquired the services of six players (including Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk) this month.

Another player who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge is Caicedo, who has excelled for Brighton this season but is now looking to force an exit from the Amex Stadium.

However, despite the player’s apparent desire to leave and his social media actions enraging club bosses, his current employers won’t simply let him walk away for a song.

The Latest: Brighton want £90m for Caicedo

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Independent, Delaney said that Brighton will only sell Caicedo for an eye-watering amount of money.

He tweeted: “Chelsea and Arsenal would have to go to £90m on Caicedo.”

The Verdict: Is he worth it?

Caicedo does look like an exceptional young midfield talent, having won 2.9 tackles and 1.3 aerial duels per game in the Premier League this season and previously being dubbed a “terrific athlete” by South American football expert Tim Vickery.

No Chelsea player has averaged more tackles per match, barring Mudryk in one appearance, highlighting how much bite the Ecuadorian could add to the Blues’ midfield.

That being said, £90m is a vast sum of money who has only played 26 times in the Premier League, and it could be argued that the £15,000-per-week Caicedo hasn’t proven himself to be worth that sort of fee over a prolonged period of time.

That would make Chelsea signing the 21-year-old for such a figure a clear gamble, even though he has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his former Brighton boss Graham Potter, and the Blues could be wise to hold off for now or consider a cheaper alternative.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly ‘already begun’ talks for Mauricio Pochettino to potentially replace Antonio Conte as manager.

The Lowdown: Conte’s future

As per Italian football journalist Gianluca di Marzio, Conte has asked to put the contract offer from Tottenham on ‘hold’, with his current deal set to expire in June.

Di Marzio adds that there is a ‘feeling’ that Conte will want to return to Italy, so may not take Spurs up on their contract offer.

The Latest: Pochettino ‘talks’

Taking to Twitter, TuttoMercatoWeb journalist Marco Conterio says that ‘talks have already begun’ for Pochettino’s return, and that the North London club are ‘already working’ on life without Conte:

“The #Tottenham is already working on the possible after Antonio Conte and talks have already begun for the return of Mauricio Pochettino to #THFC.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-3/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get Poch back?

There is no doubt that Poch was adored by the Tottenham fans during his time at the Lilywhites, especially for getting them to a UEFA Champions League final.

In contrast, fans seem to be losing faith in Conte by each game, as his style of play has been criticised, and they are now struggling to get results, with just one win in the Premier League since the restart after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and a 2-0 loss at home to their biggest rivals Arsenal.

Sitting six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, Conte looks like he may struggle to get Spurs into the Champions League spots this season, and so a change to Poch could be worthwhile in terms of getting the club back up to the heights of Champions League finals again.

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that Tottenham Hotspur board are doing all they can do back Antonio Conte this winter.

What’s the word?

With the January transfer market now upon us, Spurs are widely tipped to be in the market for some new signings although no deals have been completed yet.

For instance, Sporting Lisbon duo Pedro Porro and Marcus Edwards have both been linked with a move but nothing seems close at this moment in time.

No doubt, manager Conte will be anxious to get a few deals done soon enough and it sounds as though the club fully intend to back him with a new wingback and a forward.

Indeed, when speaking on the Transfer Talk Podcast, Sheth explained: (43:48): “I think Tottenham’s board are doing everything they can to back Antonio Conte and I think they want to be busy in this transfer window.

“I think they want to bring in a couple of players. I think they want to bring in a forward and I think they want to bring in a wingback as well.

“I think Antonio Conte wants to strengthen all over the pitch, but I think in those two particular areas, he sees those two areas as not good enough for them to be able to compete for the top four.”

Patience required?

Spurs are currently just outside the top four – sitting one place and two points behind Manchester United in fourth despite having played one more game – and so it’s easy to see why Conte feels as though a few signings could help bridge the gap.

As mentioned before, Porro and Edwards are two names linked with a possible winter move and they both certainly fit the bill as a wingback and an attacker, which Sheth claims the board are targeting.

For those two players, there are buy-out clauses which can be triggered to get the deals done. And so, if Spurs really are serious about backing their manager, they may have to just bite the bullet and pay the cost.

Of course, though, Daniel Levy and co will be carefully surveying the scene in an attempt to try and scout out the best deal possible this winter and so Conte may well have to be patient.

Manchester United are not considering exercising a contract clause in David de Gea’s Old Trafford deal at this moment in time, according to Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: De Gea under Ten Hag

De Gea has gone past 500 Manchester United appearances this season and has once again been first choice at Old Trafford under Erik ten Hag.

The 32-year-old has featured in every minute of action in both the Premier League and Europa League, keeping nine clean sheets.

The Spaniard is out of contract at the end of the campaign, although the club have the option to extend his stay by a further year.

The Latest: Plettenberg’s post

Plettenberg took to Twitter on Saturday to provide an update on De Gea. The Sky Sports reporter shared what he’s been ‘told’, revealing that the club are not currently considering activating a 12-month contract clause and that Ten Hag is open to signing a new number one.

He tweeted: “News De Gea: We‘ve been told that MUFC – at this stage – is not considering to pull his clause to extend for one more year. Ten Hag is open to get a new No. 1 but the player would like to stay beyond 2023. Current salary between €18-20m/year confirmed.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-8/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Interesting…

Old Trafford officials may have something up their sleeve when it comes to a new goalkeeper, as it does seem surprising at this stage that they don’t want to cover themselves by keeping De Gea until 2024.

Martin Dubravka and Tom Heaton are the backup options available to Ten Hag, although you’d presume that at 33 and 36 respectively they are only viewed as cover, so the Red Devils will need a marquee addition if De Gea departs.

It will be an interesting situation to follow in 2023, but it wouldn’t come as a shock if the club were to eventually exercise the clause in De Gea’s contract.

Manchester United transfer target Cody Gakpo has been likened to eminent Manchester City maestro Kevin De Bruyne, with his ability with the ball and elegance as he plays earning the plaudits.

Writing for The Athletic, Brentford centre-back Ben Mee lauded the 23-year-old Dutch sensation, believing that there is a similarity to Kevin De Bruyne in the way the phenom plays his football.

Mee wrote: “There is something of Kevin De Bruyne about him, and he is developing a similar range and vision in his passing as the Manchester City forward.

“I’ve seen him deliver pinpoint passes with the outside of his boot, clever balls guided round the corner or into space for teammates to collect on the run, and he clearly has a decent cross in him. He hits it like De Bruyne, too, as he showed with his finish — struck so cleanly — for the opening goal against Qatar.”

Ten Hag’s own KDB

While Kevin De Bruyne and Cody Gakpo yield different weaponry when it comes to their respective abilities on the pitch, Ten Hag would very much feel as if he boasts a player of the Belgium star’s mould should a deal be struck with PSV Eindhoven.

Both score goals and assists at a fantastic rate, indeed, Gakpo’s 30 contributions this season and De Bruyne’s rate of 16 contributions in just 19 matches, have meant that the former has raised his stock and attracted a transfer fee of £52m.

While the 97-cap Belgium international occupies a deeper central playmaking role presently, he did previously push into pockets higher up the pitch, sometimes playing out on the right flank and drifting into openings.

Should Gakpo continue to nurture the creative facet of his bow, he might see take the same path as the esteemed 31-year-old.

And if he can indeed take that mantle, a career laden with success and trophies is sure to follow; De Bruyne has registered 89 goals and 134 appearances for the Sky Blues since his £55m move from Wolfsburg.

He has also won four Premier League titles and a further six major honours for the distinguished club, becoming one of the leading figures in global football.

Big boots to don, but Gakpo will feel he can indeed emulate the success of De Bruyne, albeit in a more offensive, direct role, with the confidence he emanates both on and off the pitch, he will be certain that he can craft a career every bit as successful.

And with a fantastic debut World Cup campaign, Gakpo is only increasing the hype that continues to build with each passing match week.

As per Sofascore, the “unreal” dynamo has recorded an average rating of 7.6, scoring in all three of the group matches.

But it is the player’s overall flow that has left him in such good standing, with his 2.3 key passes and 1.5 tackles per match rounding off a complete arsenal that bodes well for his future career.

Gakpo will never be De Bruyne, but that’s okay. He can take shades of the Man City ace and absorb some of the techniques and elements of his game that have allowed him to flourish, but ultimately Gakpo will pave his own path toward an illustrious and prolific career, and Man United should swiftly add him to the ranks, creating their own devastating focal point.

Journalist Ed Aarons believes that Leeds United could be looking at RC Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku.

The Lowdown: Djiku profiled

Djiku is 28 years of age and is primarily a centre-back who can also play as a right-back or in a holding midfield role.

The Ghana international could be set to represent his country at the World Cup later this month after being a regular for Strasbourg in recent years.

He’s made 109 appearances for his current employers and is out of contract at the end of the season, with Aarons believing that a move to the Premier League could be on the cards.

The Latest: Aarons’ comments

Aarons, talking to GiveMeSport regarding Djiku, believes that a club like Leeds could be looking, labelling the defender as a ‘really good player’ and ‘a good solid defender’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-54/” title=”Latest Leeds United news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

“He’s been doing pretty well. He almost went to Hoffenheim in the summer, I think.

“There’s a problem that he might have with an injury, they’re just waiting to see what happened over the weekend, but he’s in the Ghana preliminary squad. Another really good player, a good solid defender who’s a good age as well at 28 now.

“I don’t think he’s ready for sort of the top-level in the Premier League yet, so somebody who is sort of down the lower end will probably be looking at him, maybe Leeds or somebody like that.”

The Verdict: Needed?

The Whites are fairly well-stocked at centre-back, with Jesse Marsch having four senior options to choose from. However, Leeds have kept just two clean sheets in the top flight this season and have been leaking goals in recent weeks.

Therefore, bringing in a new defender could be of interest to the Whites, and someone like Djiku would provide cover in two other areas of the pitch. That could come in handy as the season progresses, so Djiku may well be a player to watch closely in Qatar later this month.

Leeds United have been dealt yet another injury setback, as the problems only continue to mount for Jesse Marsch…

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via Leeds Live), Marsch revealed that Luis Sinisterra is now a doubt for the Whites’ trip to Liverpool tomorrow night.

The 48-year-old went on to suggest that he will monitor the Colombian winger – who was withdrawn in the 3-2 defeat to Fulham last time out after taking a knock to his ankle – over Friday and Saturday to determine whether or not the 23-year-old will be fit to feature under the Anfield lights.

Huge blow

Although Liverpool are definitely beatable nowadays, potentially being without the services of a player as talented as Sinisterra is sure to have come as a huge blow to Marsch.

Arguably, of their terrible winless run, Leeds have been most impressive when facing tougher teams.

Their 1-0 loss to Arsenal was somewhat undeserved given their late penalty miss and disallowed equaliser, and before going eight without a win, they pulverised Chelsea 3-0 at Elland Road.

Whilst likely planning to hit the Reds on the counter, exploiting the space left in behind their full-backs, to be without Sinisterra will be frustrating.

He boasts lightning-quick speed that would have surely troubled Trent Alexander-Arnold down his flank, especially given the crisis of confidence the England international has been suffering of late.

The Colombian has taken to English football well, and with three goals and one assist in his first ten games, he has been a nuisance for every team he has faced.

This is outlined through his 1.1 shots per game, and the fact that he is successful in 50% of his dribbles. To denote such a success rate against the rest of the Premier League suggests that, against the out-of-form full-back, these metrics would likely be improved upon.

It will take an almighty task for Marsch to lead his side to a result this weekend – something that will be made all the more difficult should Sinisterra indeed be ruled out – but with the unpredictable form of Jurgen Klopp’s side, anything is possible.

Everton host Crystal Palace at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and Frank Lampard will be hoping that his team can pick up all three points after three consecutive defeats, ahead of an impending return for one Toffees player.

What’s the latest?

The Everton boss took to his pre-match press conference to deliver an exciting injury update on Nathan Patterson, with the right-back missing from the squad since the international break last month.

Although Saturday’s clash will come too soon for the defender to return, it should not be much longer before he is again striding the Goodison Park turf.

Lampard told the media about the Scottish youngster: “He’s progressing, he’s training with us and will be fit, hopefully, for next week.”

Could be season-changing for Lampard

The talented 21-year-old’s imminent return to action could be season-changing for Lampard when you look at how much the Toffees have dropped off since the right-back has been out recovering from the ankle injury sustained whilst on international duty with Scotland last month.

Everton were on a five-game unbeaten run ahead of Patterson’s injury, with the Scottish gem playing 90 minutes in each. However, without him to call upon in their last four fixtures, they have won just once and lost three on the bounce in the Premier League.

Across seven appearances this season, Patterson has made 1.3 interceptions, four tackles and 2.7 clearances per game, creating one big chance and winning 63% of his duels. He is currently the fourth highest-rated player in the entire squad as per SofaScore, proving to be a solid presence in the Everton team.

As a result, there is no doubt that the return of the right-back will be a huge boost for the Toffees and will delight Lampard, who has made no secret of his admiration for the youngster.

The Everton boss has gushed about Patterson’s contributions in recent weeks, saying: “What a start to the season – he was injured when he was about to make his debut last year, so it has been hard.

“But he has shown character. People say he’s a really good offensive full-back, but his defensive game has been excellent.”

Although the Crystal Palace clash will come too soon for him, Patterson’s return ahead of the World Cup would be great for the Toffees, as they face a number of closely-congested fixtures over the next three weeks.

Newcastle United have reportedly moved ahead of Juventus in the race to sign FC Barcelona striker Memphis Depay.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

Depay is out of contract at the Camp Nou in the summer, meaning that he can leave on a free transfer at the end of this season.

It also means that he can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in the January transfer window, or even be signed for a cut price during the winter window.

The Latest: Newcastle move ahead

As per Tutto Juve, there is a big cost involved for the St. James’ Park outfit to potentially sign Depay in January, as even though they could sign him for a cut price, they would also have to cover his whopping €200,000-per-week (£175,000-per-week) wages.

A move to rival suitors Juventus now seems to be ‘cut off’ due to the salary though, meaning that the North East club have moved ahead in the race for his signature.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Sign on pre-contract?

Given the arrival of Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad, the Tynesiders do not desperately need to bring in another striker this season, with Callum Wilson and Chris Wood also in the squad.

However, if they could secure a pre-contract agreement with Depay in January, thus signing him for free next summer, then it would be a smart piece of business.

Gone are the days when he struggled at Manchester United in his first spell in English football, where he managed just seven goals in two years at Old Trafford.

Hailed as a ‘different beast’ now by Red Devils journalist Samuel Luckhurst, Depay has scored an impressive 189 senior goals in total for club and country combined by the age of 28, and Barca inserted a mammoth €400m (£350m) release clause when they signed him from Lyon, showing how highly they rated him.

Now, with the arrivals of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, the Netherlands international has struggled for game time this season, and so a door could be opened for the Magpies to swoop in for his services.