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A worrying update has emerged for Newcastle ahead of the upcoming January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has claimed that there are talks of Premier League teams being ready to refuse offers from the Magpies for their players in the January transfer window.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

“There’s a lot of talk going around with the Premier League board that they’re not going to entertain anything from Newcastle this January because they’re so against the Saudi takeover.

“We’ll have to wait and see on that. Let’s wait and see if that actually happens.”

Worry

This claim from Bridge will surely leave Newcastle fans worried about what it is to come in the next few months.

It is an early indication that they are going to face a significant pushback from fellow top-flight teams because of their takeover and that could cause tension between fanbases and clubs, which may impact transfer negotiations and potentially also the atmospheres at matches.

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Supporters may also be worried by this as it could mean the Magpies have to go out into the foreign market to pick up players instead. Consequently, they’d have to acquire players without Premier League experience and know-how, which is important as they attempt to stave off relegation back down to the Championship.

As Bridge says, though, it remains to be seen whether or not the clubs will stick to their plans when push comes to shove. In reality, will they reject big-money offers from Newcastle for a player they don’t want to keep if there are no other, similar, bids on the table? In a time when the pandemic is hitting clubs financially, it could be difficult for teams to turn down the big money that PIF has brought to the northeast.

With the January window roughly six weeks away, it could now be an anxious wait for Newcastle fans to find out whether or not the other 19 teams are willing to stick by their guns.

Until the situation is resolved, supporters can be excused for being concerned about what is to come as this claim could see them miss out on talented players For example, Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek is an example of someone who has been linked with a switch to St. James’ Park.

AND in other news, “My future…”: NUFC transfer target makes big statement that’ll leave fans gutted…

Celtic are thought to be closing in on a move for Yokohama F. Marinos forward Daizen Maeda, according to reports in Japan, as relayed by Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Maeda profiled

The 24-year-old is under contract with his current employers until 2024, as per Transfermarkt, and has just come off the back of his best goalscoring year.

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Capable of playing as a centre-forward, second striker or as a left winger, the Japan international netted 23 times and registered five assists in 36 J1 League appearances.

He has previously worked under Ange Postecoglou, and it seems as if he could reunite with the 56-year-old, as well as international teammate Kyogo Furuhashi, at Parkhead.

The Latest: ‘Final stages’

The Daily Record cited reports from Japan in a story on Tuesday afternoon, claiming that a move for the 24-year-old is in the ‘final stages’.

The report claimed that Maeda, labelled a ‘tireless worker’ by Kieran Devlin, could join on a permanent deal or a loan-to-buy move.

The Verdict: Ange not hanging around…

Postecoglou will know just what Maeda could bring to Celtic’s attacking ranks, and it seems as if a winter move to Scotland is edging ever closer for the 24-year-old.

Like Furuhashi, the forward will be able to occupy a central role or ply his trade from the left, and his energetic attributes should see him fit right in at Parkhead.

Giorgos Giakoumakis has struggled to get going in Glasgow, whereas Albian Ajeti could be on the way out, so adding another attacker seems to be a shrewd move.

It seems that the Hoops manager isn’t hanging around when it comes to January signings, and Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi could also be jetting over from Japan along with Maeda by the looks of it.

In other news: Sky Sports share more Celtic news with £20k-p/w colossus now ‘open’ to Parkhead exit

West Ham United progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon as they beat fellow Premier League outfit Leeds United 2-0 at the London Stadium.

Manuel Lanzini gave the Hammers, who host the Yorkshire club again next Sunday, the lead just after the half-an-hour mark before Jarrod Bowen secured the East London club’s place in the next round in added time.

However, despite Lanzini and Bowen being the players on the score sheet, another attacking midfielder impressed for David Moyes’ side: Nikola Vlasic.

According to SofaScore, the Croatian enjoyed a 91% passing accuracy against Marcelo Bielsa’s side as well as making three key passes.

Furthermore, the 24-year-old completed 80% of his dribbles and only lost possession on seven occasions whilst making 56 touches.

The attacking midfielder has endured mixed fortunes since returning to the Premier League from CSKA Moscow, having been at Everton previously.

Vlasic has only managed nine Premier League appearances this term, starting two games in the top-flight.

However, the Croatian has been of great use in other competitions, with the Hammers new to balancing four competitions, making a combined nine appearances in the Europa League, EFL Cup and FA Cup.

Moreover, the attacking midfielder is starting to find form in East London, scoring his first goal for the Hammers against Watford at the end of December as well as impressing in West Ham’s cup success over the Whites.

With fellow attacking midfielder Said Benrahma set to be absent over the coming weeks whilst with his native Algeria side at the Africa Cup of Nations, Vlasic has the opportunity to impress Moyes and put together a run of games in the top-flight.

Prior to the Leeds game, the Scotsman said to West Ham’s official website: “Niksi [Vlasic] will have opportunities and we’re trying to break him in.

“He’s beginning to show some good signs so let’s hope he can step up when he gets the opportunity. I do see opportunities for him with Saïd away.”

Furthermore, the £25m signing was labelled as “versatile” upon him signing for West Ham in September by former Hammers assistant Nikola Jurcevic and could start to justify that transfer fee in the coming weeks.

In other news: West Ham interested in promising forward

Many Everton fans have been left raging over yet another transfer update that has emerged on Lucas Digne.

Toffees fans were furious earlier this week when it emerged Chelsea are eyeing a move due to Ben Chilwell’s injury.

Now, as per L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), the Londoners are prioritising a loan deal for the left-back in the January transfer window, and report also states that the Goodison Park faithful currently value him at £25m.

Considering that he is currently standing at £27m according to Transfermarkt, and he has been valued even higher during his time at the Merseyside club, £25m does seem too low of a price to sell Digne, especially if it is to a rival in the Premier League.

Nonetheless, it would be very difficult to find a suitable replacement for the France international midway through the season with that kind of budget, and as he is the only senior left-back in the squad, one should question whether the Toffees should sell him anyway.

Everton fans on Digne transfer news

These Blues supporters were left raging over the transfer claim as it was shared on Twitter:

“25m? Do they want just his right foot??”

Credit: @KingDemarai

“He is worth more than £25m but we have managed the situation so badly we have teams trying to loan him. Terrible work from Benitez and the board”

Credit: @WiseAlaundo

“What a joke of a football club we’ve become”

Credit: @_owen1878

“£25m?!?!?!?!”

Credit: @_luke1878_

“If this goes ahead on any level I will be FUMING!”

Credit: @anna1efc

“How can #everton sell a quality left-back for £25m yet Man U pay £80m for an average CB? If it’s to sell then make it £50m or there abouts.”

Credit: @Lewinyoeverton

In other news, find out what ‘ridiculous’ club update has Evertonians erupting here!

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has revealed the latest on the respective recoveries of injured duo Leon Bailey and Marvelous Nakamba ahead of the Villans’ home clash with Manchester United.

What’s the latest?

Speaking to the media ahead of Villa’s second meeting with United this week, Gerrard said: “Leon Bailey and Marvelous Nakamba are still out. They’re progressing well in their rehabs.”

The Villa boss also added that young winger Jaden Philogene-Bidace will miss out whilst midfielder John McGinn is serving a one-match suspension for picking up his fifth yellow card of the season.

Villa fans will be buzzing

Although they’re not available, Villa fans will be pleased to know that Bailey and Nakamba are both progressing well and will be excited at the prospect that they could return earlier than planned.

Bailey has been absent for over a month since picking up a thigh injury in the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in early December. The 24-year-old’s start to life in the Premier League has certainly been frustrating, having made the squad for just nine league games whilst only starting four of them.

There was plenty of excitement from Villa fans after their capture of the Jamaican from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen for around £25m. However, his career in the West Midlands is still yet to fully get up and running.

As for Nakamba, the midfielder had been one of Steven Gerrard’s top performers in the 41-year-old’s first weeks at Villa Park but now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury sustained in the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool last month.

Alongside John McGinn and Douglas Luiz, the 27-year-old was part of a solid midfield trio that proved to be a major contributor to the West Midlands club’s impressive early form under the Englishman as Gerrard oversaw three wins from his first four games in the Villa dugout.

What Villa fans won’t be pleased about though is that, according to Premier Injuries, the Zimbabwean still may not be available until early April.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops major Villa transfer update that’ll have fans buzzing

A number of Manchester City fans have been left fuming after FIFA announced their 23 nominees for the Men’s FIFPRO World XI.

FIFAPRO and FIFA asked professional footballers across the globe to vote for the World 11, basing their votes on the 2020/21 season. They requested that three players were picked for each position, choosing from a selection of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. FIFAPRO then trimmed the shortlist from 55 to 23 players in attempt to reflect a real-life squad.

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The 23-man squad consists of three goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders, and eight forwards, plus a further two outfield players who received the most votes. The squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Edouard Mendy

Defenders: David Alaba, Jordi Alba, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Alves, Leonardo Bonucci, Ruben Dias

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Frenkie de Jong, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante

Forwards: Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski, Romelu Lukaku, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar

These Man City fans are fuming

City Xtra shared the squad on Twitter, informing supporters that Manchester City duo Ruben Dias and Kevin De Bruyne had made the final 23.

However many fans were fuming due to some quite notable omissions from Pep Guardiola’s squad, despite them romping to the Premier League title.

João Cancelo was frequently mentioned due to his electric Premier League form this season, as he currently leads the City squad in interceptions averaging 2.1 per game. Ederson was also left out, even though he kept 19 top-flight clean sheets last term, more than both Mendy and Alisson (premierleague.com).

Here’s how these City fans responded to the “disgusting” selection:

“Surely Walker/Cancelo deserve to be in this”

Credit: @FatherRuben3

“This is a disgusting joke”

Credit: @FinallyManfred

“Trent but no Cancelo ? Alisson but no Ederson ? Busquets but no Gundo ? What are they on”

Credit: @BabaBooeyMCFC

“Dani Alves over Cancelo”Credit: @mcfc_hf”Win the toughest league in the world, Carabao, CL final, FA Cup semis = only 2 nominations”Credit: @Kai_Traceys”How is Allison there over Ederson from last season?”Credit: @FodenFanatic47In other news: ‘Good lordddddd’, ‘This is even better’ – Some Man City fans erupt as club shares ‘quality’ development

Celtic have been involved in a number of significant deals over recent years where players have either joined or left the club for substantial amounts of money.

One that immediately springs to mind came back during the 2019 summer transfer window when the Hoops sold full-back, Kieran Tierney, to Premier League club Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £25m.

As a product of the Parkhead club’s youth system, the left-back made 170 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions before making the move to north London, scoring eight goals and providing 37 assists along the way.

Prior to joining the Gunners, it was claimed by Barry Ferguson that a transfer fee of £50m for the Scotland international would have been cheap, highlighting just how highly rated he was at the club.

Now that some time has passed since the 24-year-old waved goodbye to Celtic Park, the current Hoops boss, Ange Postecoglou, has the chance to unearth his own version of Tierney.

Signed from Shamrock Rovers back in August last year, Irish defender Liam Scales has made just 13 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions.

Despite predominantly being a centre-back, the 23-year-old has been deployed in the left-back and left-midfield positions, as Tierney was during his time there.

In those 13 appearances, Scales has been able to score two goals and provide two assists, showing that he has an eye for goal as the current Arsenal full-back did.

When discussing the defender on the RTE Soccer Podcast, Ex-League of Ireland star Graham Gartland had this to say about him.

“I think he can go places. He’s a good height, he’s athletically very good, he doesn’t get done for pace too much, he’s quick without being lightning. He’s aggressive. He’s only going to get better the more experience he gets and the more he gains from playing against and with better players.”

In comparison to Tierney, he was reportedly told to tone down his aggressive intensity during training sessions after he joined Mikel Arteta’s side, once again highlighting the similarities between the two players.

Taking all of this into account, it certainly feels that Scales could go on to become a regular first-team player under Postecoglou if he manages to make the most out of any opportunities he gets to play.

In other news: Ange must finally unleash “outstanding” £18k-p/w “menace” after huge Celtic setback

According to a report by Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham manager Antonio Conte may have been handed a boost as the club pursue Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Tottenham make contact over Nunez…

The Lilywhites are allegedly in contention to sign the Uruguay marksman this summer alongside a plethora of other Premier League clubs.

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Sharing news last week, 90min claimed Tottenham have already made contact with the striker’s entourage alongside the likes of Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Manchester United.

It is also believed that West Ham are showing an interest, backing Fabrizio Romano’s previous point that Nunez could be one of the ‘big name’ transfers of the summer window.

However, according to a fresh update, it appears that Conte may now have an ‘advantage’ over Spurs’ competitors.

The Latest: Record share Spurs update…

According to Portuguese news oulet Record, via Sport Witness, Tottenham do indeed have a ‘small advantage’ in the race for Nunez, with teams who are closer to Champions League qualification apparently having a better chance of signing him.

This propels Spurs above the likes of West Ham and Newcastle in the pecking order, but it is claimed that Manchester United are currently head of the queue as it stands.

The Verdict: Boost for Conte?

In a potential boost for Conte, Record’s update also exemplifies the sheer importance of European qualification for Spurs as the 52-year-old looks toward a vital run of fixtures leading to the end of 2021/22.

Tottenham’s finish could gift them either a stronger or weaker footing in the summer transfer market as Fabio Paratici aims to attract the cream of the crop.

Nunez, who has scored an incredible 28 goals in all competitions this season, would certainly boost Conte’s sparse centre-forward options at N17, with Breaking The Lines scout writer Maxi Angelo raving over the ‘incredible talent’.

Valued at around €80m (£67m), Benfica are willing to sell for much less than his €150m (£125.2m) release clause, but a move would still require significant investment on Tottenham’s part.

In other news: Tottenham eye agreement ‘in the coming weeks’ as they make offer for exciting midfielder! Find out more here.

Everton could replace Rafael Benitez with Kasper Hjulmand, according to Calciomercato. 

The lowdown

The Toffees are in the midst of a wretched run of form under the Spaniard, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti in the summer. They have picked up only one point from their past five matches, which leaves them bottom of the Premier League form table.

Former Leeds United forward Noel Whelan has claimed that Benitez is now under “massive pressure” to “pull something out of the hat” and potentially save his job (via Football Insider).

The latest

The report from Calciomercato stated that Everton are considering whether to sack Benitez, who could pay the price for his team’s woes, with Fichajes hinting that the 61-year-old’s job at Goodison Park may be at risk.

According to the Italian outlet, the Toffees already have an eye on a potential successor in the form of Denmark boss Hjulmand.

The verdict

Hjulmand boasts an impressive CV. Last summer, he led the Danes to the semi-finals of the European Championship, taking England all the way to extra time at Wembley less than a month after he and his team had to endure the extreme difficulty of dealing with Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest.

Denmark’s strong form continued in World Cup qualifying as they finished with 27 points from a possible 30 to breeze into the final in Qatar next year, so it’s no wonder that he featured on Aston Villa’s shortlist after they parted company with Dean Smith earlier this month.

The 49-year-old has been described as a ‘tactical geek’, ‘a football idealist’ and above all, a ‘world-class coach’. He took unfashionable Danish club FC Nordsjaelland into the Champions League in 2012 and has won 17 of his 25 matches in charge of the country’s national team.

If Benitez can’t turn things around at Everton and is given the chop, Hjulmand looks like he’d be a worth a shot.

In other news, this Everton trio struggled against Brentford

Andreas Skov Olsen could join Rangers during the January transfer window, according to Bologna Sport News (via Ibrox News).

The lowdown

The 22-year-old, who is predominantly a right winger but can also play on the left, is currently with Serie A club Bologna.

The Denmark international is valued at £5.85m by Transfermarkt and Kasper Hjulmand called him up for last summer’s European Championship, substituting him on in their first two group matches. The Danes went on to reach the semi-finals, where they were beaten by England at Wembley.

The latest

The report from Bologna Sport News stated that Skov Olsen is ‘destined to leave’ the Italian club on loan this month, and Rangers are said to be competing with Serie A outfit Sampdoria for his signature.

The player will apparently decide ‘in the coming days’ where he wants to be playing his football during the second half of the campaign.

The verdict

Skov Olsen’s record for his former club FC Nordsjaelland was outstanding. He scored 27 goals and provided seven assists in 51 matches for the Danish outfit.

However, it’s fair to say that his career at Bologna has failed to ignite up to this point. In 69 appearances for the Rossoblu, he has only managed three goals and five assists, which probably explains why he’s available for a mid-season transfer.

Rangers will probably be more encouraged by his form for his country, with talent scout Jacek Kulig describing his performances in a Denmark shirt (11 goal contributions in 15 caps) as ‘simply amazing’. That sounds like a player who is worth pursuing.

In other news, many Rangers fans flocked to this poignant correspondence from the club