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Newcastle United fans could be worried by the latest news about possible transfers ahead of the new 2020/21 season.

According to the Daily Mail, spending on new players will be kept to a minimum in the summer window, as the Magpies are apparently in the market for loan deals, preferably with a percentage contribution to salary rather than covering the full wage.

The collapse of the proposed takeover at St James’ Park by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group, coupled with the desire of Mike Ashley to sell the Tyneside club, means that the hierarchy have little ambition to spend lavishly.

This may come as a big worry to Newcastle supporters who would like to see new faces coming in to push them forward for next season.

Steve Bruce guided the Magpies to a rather comfortable 13th place in the Premier League table in 2019/20 but they may need to spend some money in order to improve on this position.

However, the reported transfer budget in the northeast is only £35m, which is less than the £39.6m that they spent to bring in club-record signing Joelinton from German side Hoffenheim last summer.

Newcastle may want to look for another striker as the 24-year old Brazilian failed to impress in his debut season in England, scoring a mere four goals in 44 games in all competitions last term, as per Transfermarkt.

Considering that Joelinton cost more than Newcastle’s reported transfer budget, supporters may well be worried that the club simply do not have enough money to spend on key players, not to mention other areas where they may wish to strengthen.

Indeed, it could be a worrying 2020/21 season for Magpies fans unless the club can find some bargains in the transfer market.

Geordies, are you worried by the lack of funds available? Comment below with your views!

According to Sky Sports, Everton are closing in on the signing of Real Madrid star James Rodriguez.

What’s the word?

The Toffees have been linked with a whole host of players this summer, including the likes of Napoli midfielder Allan, and Watford ace Abdoulaye Doucoure.

But according to Sky Sports, it may be Rodriguez who is first to join Carlo Ancelotti’s side this summer, with an offer already being presented to Madrid.

How big of an Everton fan are you? Can you spot Mikel Arteta from Graham Stuart? This quiz will test your knowledge, try it if you’re brave enough…

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The report adds that Everton’s bid is under consideration at the Santiago Bernabeu, and that “it is believed talks between the two clubs are progressing well and an agreement over a deal may be close”. Sky Sports further claim that Rodriguez himself is keen on making the move to Goodison Park, and inclined to put pen to paper on a three-year deal.

Expensive nightmare

The very fact Rodriguez is even being touted with a move to Everton is a testament to the kind of pulling power Ancelotti has brought with him to Goodison Park.

The Toffees don’t have any European football to offer next season, and realistically won’t be challenging for the Premier League title either, so Ancelotti and co will certainly have worked their magic in swaying Rodriguez to join the club.

But whilst on paper it seems like a stunning coup, there are several reasons for Everton to be a bit more cautious about it. Rodriguez is reported to be earning around £200k-a-week at Madrid, which is £80k higher than the Toffees’ two current highest-earners, Bernard and Yerry Mina.

Not only would his wages eat a big chunk out of Everton’s finances, but there’s a real question whether he has the ability to become a success in England. In the measly 14 games he played across all competitions last season, he netted just once and provided only two assists, whilst the campaign before saw him play only 28 times, suffering from knee ligament, calf and adductor problems.

Whilst Ancelotti has gone on record previously to say that he rates him “very highly”, Rodriguez, 29, just may not be the genuine answer for Everton. He may well turn out to be yet another expensive dud that Marcel Brands looks back on with a sense of regret.

According to Foot Mercato, Aston Villa are trying to sign Lyon star Bertrand Traore in this summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

Dean Smith’s side have already made a significant addition to their forward line with the signing of Brentford striker Ollie Watkins, and the Villa boss now appears to have his eye on reinforcing the wide areas.

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Foot Mercato claim that the Premier League outfit have already made a €17m bid for Traore, but that Lyon are demanding a fee of around €25m (£23m).

The report does add that the Burkina Faso international’s desire for first-team football could see this transfer be on the cards.

Upgrade on Trezeguet

After arriving from Turkish side Kasimpasa last summer, Trezeguet showed flashes of his quality in a Villa shirt during the 2019/2020 campaign, finding the back of the net seven times, including that priceless winner against Arsenal in the penultimate game of the season.

But in Traore, Villa could actually land a significant upgrade on the Egypt international. Whilst he may have fallen out of favour at Lyon last season (he played just 23 times in the league), the 25-year-old has proven himself to be a very exciting performer when given the opportunity.

He has an impressive career average of 2.6 shots and 1.7 dribbles per game, and perhaps crucially when compared to Trezeguet, has played some form of European football over the past four seasons – including a quite superb 2016/2017 campaign in the Europa League when he scored four goals and provided four assists in just 13 matches.

Traore has played at the highest level for the likes of Lyon and Ajax, and that level of experience could bring a touch of quality to Villa. The £63k-a-week earning ace is someone who can get fans of the Midlands side off their seat, with his former teammate at Chelsea, Papy Djilobodji, saying: “Technically he is very, very good: with his feints, he is very hard to stop.”

Villa should seriously consider going back in with a bid for the winger.

Liverpool appear to finally be making a breakthrough in the transfer window with talks ongoing for the signing of Thiago but they are still yet to replace Dejan Loven in defence – might that change now?

What’s the word?

According to the ever-reliable James Pearce at The Athletic, the Premier League’s defending champions hold interest in relegated Norwich City colossus Ben Godfrey.

He claims that the Canaries centre-back is a player that the club have watched closely, though he wouldn’t come cheap this summer. Sky Sports claim the Championship outfit would want £50m for his signature.

However, if Jurgen Klopp isn’t convinced that he ‘ticks all the boxes,’ then he’ll press ahead with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez.

Raw talent

This move would very much be shades of Gomez in the sense that the German would be dipping into the lower leagues for a young English talent who is still quite raw, but could thrive under the right guidance.

The 22-year-old played 30 times in the Premier League last term, averaging 4.9 clearances, 2.2 aerials won per game as well as managing a passing accuracy rate of nearly 90% from 55.3 passes each match, via WhoScored.

Many at Anfield may remember playing the Canaries on the opening day last season and Mo Salah devoured the young colossus with one goal, one assist, two dribbles and three key passes per SofaScore.

But he was paired alongside Grant Hanley rather than someone as good as Van Dijk, so don’t let that put you off his prospects whatsoever.

Godfrey has received plenty of praise in the past year for his performances too. His boss Daniel Farke claimed he was “playing without mistakes and that is outstanding” whilst Alex Neil believed “his competitive streak is really, really good, he is strong, aggressive and he can use the ball well so he has a lot to work with,” adding that “he has good scope to improve.”

The young England defender has even drawn comparisons to Rio Ferdinand due to his imposing physique and ball-playing abilities.

Whilst £50m is extortionate, the Reds shouldn’t look further than Godfrey to fill the void left behind by Lovren.

AND in other news, Klopp reportedly renews his interest in young winger…

According to The Telegraph, Newcastle have made an enquiry for Manchester United defender Phil Jones.

What’s the word?

The Magpies had a bit of a centre-back crisis a few months ago, when the likes of Florian Lejeune, Fabian Schar, Jamal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark were all ruled out with injuries, leading Steve Bruce to call the situation “ridiculous”.

Perhaps with that in mind, The Telegraph claim that United ace Jones has been the subject of a transfer enquiry from the Magpies as they look to reinforce their defence before the end of the transfer window.

Transfer disaster for Newcastle

If Newcastle are seriously contemplating making a move for Jones – who himself has had numerous injury problems in recent years and has missed 123 games for United since joining them – then they really need to have a strong, hard look at themselves.

Whilst he may still only be 28, the £75k-a-week earning Jones has been nothing short of a flop at United, especially given the kind of hype that surrounded him when he burst onto the scene at Blackburn Rovers.

The fact he made just eight appearances across all competitions last season for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, tells you everything you need to know about how low his stock has fallen.

If you were to compare his performances to that of Ciaran Clark, who has also fallen out of the starting picture at St James’ Park (he made just 17 appearances last season), then actually, you would see a player who is worse than the Republic of Ireland international.

As per WhoScored, Jones averaged less tackles, less clearances and committed more fouls on average than Clark last season, whilst the Magpies man also chipped in with two goals too.

Bruce and Newcastle would be heading for an unforgivable mistake if they were to sign a Premier League flop who isn’t even better than one of their fringe options.

Tottenham Hotspur have splashed the cash in the hunt to find viable replacements for Kyle Walker and then Kieran Trippier, but perhaps the answer was right under their nose all along.

He just needed a little nurturing.

Since 2017, the north London outfit have spent £23m on Serge Aurier and now £15m on Matt Doherty – a total nearing £40m is a pretty hefty investment and only goes to show how desperately they have missed the aforementioned England duo.

Two years prior to Walker’s mega-money move to Manchester City, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino sold Ryan Fredericks, then aged 22, to Bristol City for around £175,000, the same fee Fulham paid for him less than a month later.

He made just four senior appearances for the club and enjoyed loan spells in the Championship with Millwall and Middlesbrough between 2010 and 2015.

Where is Fredericks now?

Fredericks has since gone onto become a mainstay for local rivals West Ham United in the Premier League, where he has racked up a total of 45 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

His value now stands at £3.6m having hit a career-high £6.3m just a year ago, so it certainly seems like his exit from N17 was a little premature.

The 28-year-old isn’t as classy as a Sergio Reguilon or a Doherty, but he has proven to be a steady operator in the top-flight and prior to injury, looked to have been one of David Moyes’ best defenders.

Per WhoScored, Fredericks has averaged three key passes, 2.7 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and one tackle per game this season.

This puts him above Doherty, who has only managed 0.7 key passes and 2.3 clearances each appearance. They are both the same age, yet one was sold for £175k and the other cost £15m.

Fredericks’ recent form has led to temporary Hammers boss Alan Irvine praising him as “outstanding” and “fantastic”.

You can’t help but feel that if Pochettino brought him through gradually, then Spurs could have saved themselves millions, not just during the summer transfer window but many more, as he could have stepped up to fill the boots of Walker or Trippier – eventually.

AND in other news, Bruno Fernandes: Spurs truly missed out on a perfect Eriksen successor

Three Standard Liege players have tested positive for Covid following their clash against Glasgow Rangers in midweek, it has been confirmed.

Liege hit with health blow

The ‘Gers travelled to Liege for their Europa League clash on Thursday and came away with a well-deserved 2-0 victory. However, the bad news is that three players have since tested positive for the virus.

Maxime Lestienne, Eden Shamir and Abdoul Fessal Tapsoba have been named as the unlucky trio, and the former even played against Steven Gerrard’s side on Thursday. As such, the Ibrox outfit face a nervous wait to find out whether any of their own players have been affected.

Nervous wait for Gerrard

Liege were in action against Club Brugge in the Belgian top flight last weekend and their opponents were also damaged by Covid issues within their squad. It seems that those problems have now been transferred to Liege, and it would not be unthinkable for the 54-time Scottish champions to be affected.

In the long-term this may not be too much of a danger for the players. After all, they are incredibly fit athletes who are not part of the most vulnerable group. However, it does mean that anyone who tests positive would be unavailable for two weeks as they would be forced to quarantine away from the rest of their teammates.

This is why Gerrard and Ross Wilson have put so much effort into building a squad – it is important to have alternative options when players aren’t available. Hopefully, though, this is just a scare rather than something which would become a serious problem at Ibrox.

In other news, this Rangers star has jumped above Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Zlatan Ibrahimovic in a UEFA ranking. Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Wolverhampton Wanderers face their Midlands rivals Leicester City in an interesting clash at the King Power Stadium, both teams cancelled either other out last season and both find themselves in the hunt for Europe this time around.

Nuno Santo has steered his Wolves side to a run of four games without defeat following the embarrassment at West Ham United.

Having leaked just one goal in that unbeaten streak, the Portuguese manager has plenty to consider as the Foxes could take the top spot in the Premier League with a victory.

Here’s the XI we’re prediction for this afternoon’s clash…

Nuno could make just two changes for the short trip to Leicester.

One of his biggest conundrums is in central defence – should he stick or twist with young 23-year-old centre-back Max Kilman? For much of last season, it was Romain Saiss’ spot to lose and perhaps unfairly the Moroccan international has been sat on the bench.

Although, he is likely to keep the back three intact after three clean sheets in four matches. It means the other two places are filled up by skipper Conor Coady and Willy Boly.

However, there is one alteration at left wing-back as Marcal comes back into the starting XI, replacing Rayan Ait-Nouri even though the youngster scored on debut against Palace.

Nuno wasn’t really impressed with his defensive work despite the goal, so the veteran defender, who also arrived this summer, comes back into the fray with Nelson Semedo continuing on the other flank.

There could also be a return for Joao Moutinho in the middle in the only other change as he replaces Ruben Neves, who is now valued at £45m by Transfermarkt. He offers a bit more creativity going forward having averaged two key passes per game last season.

The Midlanders have only scored more than one goal in a match once since the opening day.

He’ll partner Leander Dendoncker.

Whilst the front three of Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and Raul Jimenez remains.

It means there is no place for Adama Traore, Ki-Jana Hoever or Fabio Silva, though they could feature from the bench.

AND in other news, Shi made his biggest Wolves mistake yet over £64m-rated “monster” better than Traore…

Everton enjoyed a boisterous summer rebuilding Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield with the arrivals of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure to partner Andre Gomes at Goodison Park, having decided that Fabian Delph, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Tom Davies were not at the standard required.

Doucoure has since started all seven available Premier League games, as one of just four players alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina in doing so, with Ancelotti making good use of Director of Football Marcel Brands’ £20million capture.

The former Watford enforcer has brought with him all the skill displayed at Vicarage Road that led Marco Silva to covet his potential signing in a £32m deal a year prior, with Doucoure ranking first for interceptions (11), second for successful tackles (13), third for key balls (eight) and fifth for shots (five) and successful dribbles (three) in Royal Blue thus far this term, per WhoScored.

Doucoure’s debut campaign on Merseyside could arguably have not gotten off to a better start, bar his lack of scoring and only one assist, making his summer arrival a true dream outcome for Ancelotti and one that could have redefined Silva’s final months in charge.

Ancelotti may not have to wait too long for another player of Doucoure’s ilk to flourish at Goodison Park, either, as Everton’s Under 23s boss David Unsworth has been waxing lyrical over the skill he’s seen from talented teen Imam Jagne.

Jagne joined the Blues from BK Hacken in October and was instantly installed into Unsworth’s ranks, making his Toffees debut in a goalless Premier League 2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur before featuring in defeat to Manchester United.

The results have not glossed over the efforts Jagne has put in, as Unsworth believes the 17-year-old has all the hallmarks of a player capable of carrying out any midfield task.

“He’s going to be a great athlete,” Unsworth told the Liverpool Echo. “He can handle the ball, he’s a great presser of the ball.

“I’d say, when he develops and matures, he will be more of a box-to-box midfielder. He’s got great energy and you don’t want to bog him down into a holding midfield role.

“I think he can play in all of the midfield roles centrally; in a two, he can hold, and he can play wide of the three. There’s loads and loads of development in there and he’s certainly one for the future.”

Unsworth being afraid of holding Jagne’s development back by nurturing him solely as a defensive midfielder can eventually lead to the Sweden U17 international to evolve into another Doucoure-type, winning possession and creating chances at both ends of the field.

This style of play can aid Jagne’s progress into the first-team, too, as Ancelotti has shown this season that he is keen to utilise a three-man midfield with the system used in all Premier League fixtures but the 2-1 loss to Newcastle, where he was without wide duo Richarlison and Rodriguez.

The future is evidently bright for Jagne and one that could delight Everton fans for years to come.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti’s injury blow comes as a timely boost for an “important” Marco Silva signing’s Everton career.

Moussa Sissoko may have just opened the door for Harry Winks to steal his place in the Tottenham Hotspur midfield after struggling at home to Manchester City on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho has trusted Sissoko with being a key part of his plans in north London this season, but failed to see that faith repaid as the Frenchman boisterously frolicked around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without leaving an authoritative impression.

It was the sort of backs-to-the-wall display against Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues that should have seen Sissoko impose himself more commandingly than he managed, having proven himself as a “big and powerful” unit since joining the Premier League and proving opinions wrong since joining Spurs.

“People look at him and think, ‘Wow he’s big and powerful’ and he looks so serious sometimes – but underneath it, he’s a big softie, really,” Sissoko’s former Newcastle United teammate James Perch told The Athletic.

“I knew he had lots of ability, but I didn’t see a top club buying him. Since he’s gone there, he’s surprised everyone, really.”

Saturday’s 2-0 win over Manchester City was Sissoko’s 12th appearance across all competitions this term, having now started six of Tottenham’s eight Premier League games, featured in two of their three Europa League Group Stage ties and started September’s EFL Cup win over London rivals Chelsea.

Mourinho’s preference to start Sissoko has come at the expense of Spurs product Winks, who has been shunned to the fringes and left feeding off scraps with just 17-minutes of top-flight action to his name since the start of October.

Winks also found himself omitted from Mourinho’s matchday squad for a third time in Tottenham’s last four Premier League fixtures this weekend, just days after telling Sky Sports that he finds it “difficult” being an outcast and reports surfacing that he could request a January transfer.

Spurs, however, will demand £40million should the Premier League title contenders look to sell the midfielder who Mauricio Pochettino once backed to be England’s Andres Iniesta.

“Harry has the profile of the perfect midfield player,” Pochettino said, via quotes by the Evening Standard. “His characteristics are perfect. When we talk about midfielders like [Spain greats] Xavi and Iniesta, he’s like this type of player. He has this capacity.”

Sissoko may have just opened the door for Winks to prove himself to Mourinho, as the £80,000-per-week enforcer could only win two of his four ground duels and one of three aerial contests on route to SofaScore’s lowest match rating for a starting Spurs player at 6.5 out of 10.

He further lost possession eight times, committed one foul, misplaced 30% of his 23 attempted passes, offered no key balls or shots on goal and made just one dribble.

Mourinho saw little defensive impact, either, as Sissoko could only register two clearances, one interception and one successful tackle despite City enjoying 67% of the possession, which they turned into 22 shots.

AND in other news, Daniel Levy risked a mammoth blunder by accepting a low-ball offer for a 63-cap Tottenham man this summer.