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Manchester City are reportedly in pole position to sign RB Leipzig and Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, leading Premier League rivals Liverpool in the race to sign the 21-year-old.

Manchester City transfer news – Josko Gvardiol

The highly-rated defender is high of the watchlist of a number of big European clubs, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has tipped Manchester City as the most likely to secure the signing.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano hinted that the champions of England and Europe are best placed to sign the central defender who starred at the World Cup for Croatia.

"Leipzig are not even accepting €80 million as a price tag for Gvardiol, so I think it will be around €100 million [£85m] instead and I see Man City being in a better position to sign him, but only if they are willing to spend that money, otherwise the player could stay in Leipzig for one more season," he said.

Josko Gvardiol could be City's next Vincent Kompany

City have a wealth of quality at the back, and signing Gvardiol would improve their elite defence even more.

Pep Guardiola tweaked City’s system this season, opting for an unusual 3-2-4-1 formation instead of their traditional 4-3-3 formation in which full-backs were constantly overlapping.

In the defensive three were three ball-playing centre-backs.

Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias were typically the trio, while John Stones was turned into a transitional midfielder in a hybrid holding role.

Although Dias would be considered the premier defender in this side, City have yet to match the quality of club legend and former captain, Vincent Kompany.

Gvardiol could be that very replacement, and at just 21 years-old, he could become a pivotal part of the Manchester City team for years to come.

The Croatian "monster" – as hailed by Romano back in December – is the glue of the RB Leipzig defence.

The Bundesliga outfit have won 32 of the 59 games the centre-back has played.

Similar to the no-nonsense Kompany, Gvardiol loves a tackle, registering 219 of them in the 2022/23 Bundesliga season and winning 60 aerial duels.

Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra both put the Leipzig defender in their World Cup 2022 team of the tournament, with Ferdinand proclaiming that the City target was his favourite centre back at the tournament.

“He’s young, he’s 21 years old, so to come and perform the way he did, so mature, so calm.

“He is really good on the ball, in the early stages coming out with the ball a lot. Against Messi and Argentina he got turned quite a few times, but this is Messi, so I would put that to one side. In general, I thought he was [a] stand-out for me. I think he has got a chance to go on and become one of the best defenders in the world, if he can continue improving like this.”

Kompany was of the world’s best defenders in his time at City, and Gvardiol could become the second coming of the Belgian international for the blue half of Manchester.

He, at 22, made a similar switch from the Bundesliga, signing for the Manchester giants from Hamburger SV back in 2008.

Good teams don’t wait until the team becomes stale to begin rebuilding, they continually look to improve whether results are good or bad.

Guardiola, fresh from the treble, could send out a major statement signing one of Europe’s hottest young prospects to add to his already stout defence.

South Africa’s coach Russell Domingo wanted his newer Test players to cement their places during the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. With only two additions to the squad that toured Australia – in reserve batsman Theunis de Bruyn and left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell – changes to South Africa’s XI from the Adelaide Test were unlikely.”We’ve only decided to pick 13 for this series. It gives us a few less selection problems and gives the incumbents a sense of security and they can focus really hard on their preparation and not worry too much about selection. It just makes it a lot clearer and a lot more simplistic,” Domingo said. “The young players have really come in and stepped up. They are all new players that, a year and a half ago, were playing debut Test matches and now they’ve become established in the side. That’s very pleasing to see.”The current squad included four men who made their debuts in the last two years and Domingo made special mentions of all of them. “Keshav Maharaj has really stepped up, Stephen [Cook] has got two hundreds in six Tests and Kagiso Rabada and Temba Bavuma have won Test matches for us,” he said.Given the uncertainty surrounding South Africa’s depth earlier this year, to have the younger crop coming through was a sign the team was evolving. In addition, good personal performances, Domingo explained, brought with them a strong sense of belief.”Players will always feel part of the team once they start producing the goods. They will feel as though they are a valued member and worthy of playing for their county once they produce the goods,” he said. “Once they perform, they sense, ‘I can do this and I belong in this team,’ and that takes a lot of pressure off them and allows them to free up and put on those performances.”A slightly older example of this is Quinton de Kock, whose first Test was in Port Elizabeth almost three years ago. Then, de Kock was an emergency replacement for an ill Alviro Petersen but since, he has become a player South Africa cannot imagine taking the field without.This year, de Kock scored his maiden Test hundred and enjoyed a streak of five scores of fifty or more. He was also South Africa’s leading run-scorer in ODIs in 2016 and was named the ICC’s ODI cricketer of the year today to cap off his best year as an international to date.”Everyone is very proud of him. He has had an outstanding 12 months. About a year and a half ago, he was left out of the Test side when we were in Bangladesh and he has showed some real good character to come back. He is in phenomenal form at the moment and everyone is really pleased for him,” Domingo said.A season before de Kock’s maiden appearance, three other current players, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar and Kyle Abbott, were capped for the first time which meant eight out of South Africa’s squad of 13 have only played Test cricket for four summers. As much as that may complete the so-called transition phase, Domingo reminded that there was still room for some old hands, specifically one man who remains sidelined with injury.AB de Villiers was absent for a third successive Test series – remarkable because he played his first 98 matches without missing one – but Domingo was confident he would slot straight back in when he recovered from his elbow injury. “Everybody wants to stay in the team but naturally they know that AB is one of the best batsmen in the world, and when he is fit and after he has played a few matches and proved his fitness, naturally he will come back into the team,” Domingo said. “That’s just the way it is – someone has to make space for him because he’s an outstanding player.”

Leeds United look set for a return to the Championship this summer following a disastrous 2023 which has seen two manager exits and one director of football parting ways.

Victor Orta was removed from his position on the Leeds board alongside Javi Gracia following the 4-1 defeat against Bournemouth in the Premier League, amid a number of disappointing signings from the Spaniard during his time at Elland Road.

Jean-Kevin Augustin and Georginio Rutter will stand out as the worst for obvious reasons, with Sam Allardyce failing to even recognise the club-record signing as a realistic striking option from the bench in last weekend's 3-1 defeat to West Ham United.

With Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo potentially both sidelined through injury for this weekend's crunch game against Tottenham Hotspur – when their fate will be confirmed – the experienced Englishman will perhaps be wishing that he could have called upon one of Leeds' brightest talents in Joe Gelhardt.

Should Leeds have loaned out Gelhardt?

Following the £35m signing of Rutter in January, it seemed clear that the former Wigan Athletic youngster wouldn't get into the side with three more senior options ahead of him at Elland Road.

However, Rodrigo's injury issues, Bamford's poor form in front of goal and Rutter's lack of minutes suggest that the West Yorkshire outfit may well have been better off keeping him at the club.

Since joining from Wigan in 2020, the young striker has gone on to make 41 appearances for the first team, contributing two goals and seven assists, while he also has 20 goals and six assists in just 31 games for the U21s.

Therefore, he clearly knows where the back of the net is and has already shown that he can have a positive impact in the Premier League, showcasing his impressive talent when winning a penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2021.

Adrian Durham praised Gelhardt on talkSPORT at the time (via MOT Leeds News), saying: "Joe Gelhardt for Leeds, was astonishing at the weekend. What a player this kid is going to be.

"Joe Gelhardt rescued Leeds and Bielsa, he was brilliant. By the way, he should be involved in far more games."

Unfortunately, Durham's thoughts on the 21-year-old wouldn't come to fruition, as he mustered just 201 minutes of Premier League action under Jesse Marsch before being sent on loan to Sunderland in the Championship.

There, he contributed three goals and three assists in 20 appearances, with a solid 6.72 rating from WhoScored – which is better than everyone bar Jack Harrison and Tyler Adams in the current Leeds squad.

Bamford, meanwhile, has managed just four goals in the top flight with a woeful 6.36 average rating, which is perhaps no surprise when you consider his recent misses in big games against Leicester City and Newcastle United.

The Englishman has proven himself to be extremely unreliable in front of goal, and had Orta kept Gelhardt at the club, it could have been him on the end of those chances instead of Bamford.

Given the attacking woes that Allardyce will have to deal with on the final day, he will surely be wishing that Gelhardt was still available for selection at Elland Road.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester City have yet to open talks with Alexis Mac Allister over a potential switch to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Who is signing Alexis Mac Allister this summer?

The Argentina international has impressed in the Premier League this season with Brighton & Hove Albion, helping drag his team into the European spots. With the Seagulls currently sat in sixth, they can put some of their success down to the form of their playmaker. With 33 top-flight outings to his name so far, the player has produced ten goals and two assists – the best rate of his career to date.

Now, he has caught the eye of some of their Premier League rivals. Liverpool have been the most heavily linked with Mac Allister, with several reports suggesting talks have been ongoing over a potential transfer for the player.

However, City had also seemingly entered the race for his signature in recent days, with the club looking to add more talent to their squad this summer. Pep Guardiola already knows that he could face losing Ilkay Gundogan this summer, meaning there could be room for a central incoming.

However, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, that may not be the case. He reports that whilst Jurgen Klopp's side are edging closer to an agreement, the opposite is the case with the Etihad Stadium outfit. They have yet to make any contact and are actually "not in the race" for his signature "at this stage".

Should Alexis Mac Allister leave Brighton?

The Argentina man has showcased his ability to compete on the big stage plenty of times this campaign, leading to a WhoScored rating of 7.08 for his performances in the top flight – only Solly March has recorded a higher average.

Even for his country, he emerged as one of their standout first-team options, increasing his WhoScored rating to 7.11 when lining up for the South American side during the World Cup, only placing behind Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria in the process.

In addition, those in the media have heaped praise on the playmaker. Football journalist Josh Bunting called Mac Allister "outstanding" and "ridiculous". It shows how highly thought of he has become, especially in the Premier League, and suggests that a big move beckons for the midfielder.

But it seems as though that big move won't be to Man City unless Pep Guardiola decides to change the state of play and make an official offer for him.

Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann highlighted a few areas as key battlegrounds, as the touring team moved out of their initial Colombo base to prepare for the first Test match in Kandy

Daniel Brettig21-Jul-2016Twin spin, batting big and being wary of how a deteriorating pitch can dictate the pace of play. Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann highlighted these areas as key battlegrounds in the series against Sri Lanka, as the touring team moved out of their initial Colombo base to prepare for the first Test match in Kandy.Steve O’Keefe’s 10-wicket haul opposite Nathan Lyon has more than likely vaulted him back into the Test XI after he missed the tour of New Zealand, particularly as Lehmann and the selection chairman Rod Marsh are expecting a sparsely grassed surface when the series begins on July 26. They also expect pitches that will start out flat before deteriorating rapidly at the back end of each match, and can foresee Sri Lanka trying to test the patience of an aggressive batting line-up by blocking the boundaries. To lose patience is to lose the battle.”You play the conditions on each game, so for us it did start to turn a lot [at P Sara Oval], which is pleasing, our spinners exploited that very well, so the conditions they’re learning to bowl in is pretty important as the Test matches wear on here in Sri Lanka,” Lehmann said. “They’re pretty good wickets to start with, and that’s the challenge for us, going big and making big runs.”We know that Sri Lanka will defend a lot once batters are in, so it’s going to take a lot longer to get your runs if that makes sense. We’ve spoken about the need to bat long periods of time is going to be key, which we’ve done pretty well to be fair over the last little while, but the challenge is to do it here.Australia’s likely XI for first Test

David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith (capt), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill (wk), Steve O’Keefe, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

“Knowing the game is going to speed up as the wickets deteriorate, that’s going to be important to be ahead of the game in the Test series, but really happy with where everyone’s at. Our batters have a big role to play and our bowlers were probably a little bit rusty in the first innings but pleased we got through, there’s no injury concerns and away we go.”Lehmann spoke warmly of O’Keefe and also Lyon, who was recovering from illness over the course of the tour match, and is set to play a central role in the same country he made a memorable Test debut back in 2011. Significantly, Lehmann pointed to the use of tandem spin, turning the ball in opposite directions, as something that would be vital not only in Sri Lanka, but also India next year.”He’s been excellent for NSW, had a lot of success in Shield cricket, his 200th first-class wicket today so pleased for him,” Lehmann said of O’Keefe. “He’s worked really hard, he’s a really lively, buzzy character for us and played exactly the role we want him to play over here in this game. Bats really well, fields really well and complements Nathan really well, spinning the other way.”We think that [twin spin] is the way to go. India do it there with Jadeja and Ashwin and most teams have a spinner going both ways, so for us that’s important.”A conclusion drawn by Lehmann and the team performance manager Pat Howard from unsuccessful recent tours to India and the UAE to play Pakistan was that touring sides needed to spend as much time as possible in unfamiliar climes before walking out on day one of the series proper. To that end, the Australians have followed an internal practice fixture with the match in Colombo, and will now have five days in Kandy before Angelo Mathews tosses the coin next week.”We’ve come over here a little bit earlier than we normally would, we think that’s a helpful thing in future, we haven’t done that in the past,” Lehmann said. “So to come a little bit earlier here and go a bit earlier to India to get acclimatised for an extra few days and hopefully an extra game in most places.”Having entered the final week of their preparation, all Lehmann is looking for now is the announcement of Sri Lanka’s tour squad, the better to plan individual opponents. “I wouldn’t mind the side at some stage,” he said. “That’s the challenge, I don’t think anyone knows what squad they’ve got. Once they name their squad we’ll work through that. We know a bit about them. They’ll be a lot better side at home, and that’s going to be a challenge for us, but end of the day we just worry about what we’re doing. Once we get their squad away we go.”The only Australian player under any sort of fitness cloud is David Warner, in the latter stages of recovery from a broken thumb, but Lehmann gave no hint of thinking the vice-captain might be in any doubt to open the innings with Joe Burns: “We’re preparing for him to play.”

ربطت تقارير صحفية بريطانية النجم الفرنسي المخضرم كريم بنزيما بالرحيل عن صفوف الاتحاد السعودي في فترة الانتقالات الشتوية في يناير الجاري.

وتسعى الأندية الانجليزية لاستغلال الخلافات في الفترة الماضية بين بنزيما ومدربه الأرجنتيني مارسيلو جاياردو.

ولم يتدرب بنزيما يوم السبت الماضي مع زملائه في الفريق وبأمر من المدير الفني مارسيلو جاياردو اتخذ النادي قرارًا باستبعاده من معسكر الاتحاد في دبي بعد غيابه عن التدريبات.

وتقول المصادر نفسها إن بنزيما غاب بالفعل عن ثلاث حصص تدريبية قبل نهاية العام في جدة، قبل العطلة الرسمية التي حصل عليها اللاعبون في الأسابيع الأخيرة في الدوري السعودي.

اقرأ أيضًا | ساها يوجه نصيحة إلى مانشستر يونايتد بشأن كريم بنزيما

وتشير صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية وفقًا للمصادر السعودية إلى أن بنزيما ليس ضمن القائمة الرسمية لاتحاد جدة للموسم التحضيري في دبي. سباق لندني على ضم بنزيما

بحسب شبكة “تاك سبورتس” البريطانية فإن آرسنال يدرس الدخول في الصراع مع جاره تشيلسي من أجل التعاقد مع بنزيما في الشتاء الحالي في صفقة لمدة 6 أشهر على سبيل الإعارة حتى نهاية الموسم الجاري.

ويأمل ميكيل آرتيتا مدرب آرسنال في ضم بنزيما بعد معاناة كل من جابرييل جيسوس وإدي نكيتيا من الجانب التهديفي في الموسم الحالي.

ويعد خيار الإعارة فكرة جيدة لآرسنال من أجل تجنب انفاق الكثير من الأموال لاسيما مع ارتفاع راتب اللاعب الفرنسي في صفوف ناديه الحالي إتحاد جدة.

من جانبها صحيفة “ميرور” البريطانية، أكدت أن مانشستر يونايتد، استبعد التعاقد مع كريم بنزيما، ولا يرى بأن المهاجم الفرنسي مناسب لأسلوب لعب المدرب الهولندي إريك تين هاج.

ويمتلك مانشستر يونايتد في هجومه راسموس هويلاند وأنتوني مارسيال، وماركوس راشفورد، لكن النادي الإنجليزي يعاني من تسجيل الأهداف هذا الموسم.

وأصبح بنزيما موضع انتقادات لمعظم الجماهير، خاصة بعد خسارة اتحاد جدة في مباراته الأخيرة أمام النصر بقيادة كريستيانو رونالدو، وهو الأمر الذي لم يحدث منذ خمس مواسم.

وتسببت الانتقادات التي تعرض لها بنزيما مؤخرًا في قيام اللاعب بحذف حسابه من موقع إنستجرام.

وبحسب ما نشرته وسائل الإعلام، بنزيما سبق وغادر جدة نهاية العام عشية المباراة التي كان من المقرر أن يلعبها فريقه أمام الطائي.

Aston Villa have certainly enjoyed a huge uplift in form under Unai Emery, who took them from relegation candidates to comfortably mid-table.

From 12th and below in the Premier League it seems like anyone could go down at this stage, yet the Midlands outfit act as the buffer just above with a comfy 35 points already attained. It is a far cry from where they might have been had they held on to Steven Gerrard in the dugout.

Whilst the 42-year-old did struggle during his reign at Villa Park, he did offer fans some moments of enjoyment alongside his initial period of good form. Having been backed in the summer, where he added a few of his own players, although few performed for him they remained quality assets who could now benefit the impressive Spanish coach.

One such name is Boubacar Kamara, who has endured a campaign somewhat marred with injuries. The Frenchman currently finds himself out of action again at the moment alongside Philippe Coutinho; two big absentees for the Villans.

However, there is cause to believe that this new ailment is not as bad as first feared and that his earlier return could mark him out as a secret weapon alongside the Brazilian wizard for Emery to unleash on their next unsuspecting victim.

When will Boubacar Kamara be fit for Aston Villa?

Having limped off against their win over Crystal Palace earlier this month, it was suggested by The Athletic that the £150k-per-week general would be out for at least a month as he recovered from his ankle injury.

However, chatting to the media just days later, Emery revealed that Kamara would not be available against West Ham United but that "next week, we'll have a look" before proclaiming "he's doing OK".

With that subsequent clash with AFC Bournemouth fast approaching, and a much-needed international break to follow, it marks a fine opportunity to get their midfield titan back up to speed so that he can return to his best.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign in England when fit, with his defensive actions imperative in their domination of the midfield. He is averaging 2.5 tackles and 1.1 clearances per 90, alongside an 85% pass accuracy, via Sofascore.

This led writer and podcaster Ty Bracey to write on Twitter: "Boubacar Kamara is a monster. Very impressed."

Whilst Gerrard offered few positives whilst at the club, his acquisition of this outstanding individual could prove imperative in the future success of the club's engine room. His return from injury will be welcomed by Villa, and likely feared by the rest of the league.

West Bromwich Albion return to action tonight as they face yet another wholly winnable Championship game to continue their sensational turnaround under Carlos Corberan. 

Travelling to bottom-half Birmingham City, the Blues are coming off the back of a remarkable 4-3 victory over Swansea City in which they scored two turnaround goals at the death. 

It leaves John Eustace’s team in good spirits as they host the high-flying Baggies, who have won six of their last sevenleague games.

With ongoing injury issues plaguing Corberan’s squad, and some poor performances last time out, there could be a change in some personnel to ensure that fatigue does not set in.

With that in mind, here’s the West Brom XI that we at Football FanCast are predicting for tonight’s clash.

The Spaniard is expected to make three changesfrom the side which scraped past Coventry City last time out.

With Alex Palmer set for a lengthy spell out through injury, David Button will hold down the starting spot in goal for the foreseeable future.

He is likely to sit behind a defence in which only one change is made, where Erik Pieters drops out in favour of a more domineering natural centre-back. Whilst Kyle Bartley could return, Semi Ajayi will replace the Dutchman to pair with Dara O’Shea.

Once dubbed a “big, powerful centre half”, his height and physicality will surely come in handy to help neutralise the hosts. The centre-back duo will be flanked by Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend in defence.

Nathaniel Chalobah will be handed his full Albion debut from the start, partnering Okay Yokuslu in the midfield engine room, whilst Jed Wallace will continue in a central role just in front of that duo. Chalobah’s entrance will likely see Jayson Molumby dropped from the starting XI.

That leaves Marc Albrighton to retain his place after last week’s Baggies debut, with match-winner Grady Diangana hoping to kick on after a tough season so far, his goal against Coventry only his fourth on his 31st appearance of the campaign.

They will supplement the returning Karlan Grant, who has admittedly struggled this term. With just three league goals to his name, he saw his potential Hawthorns exitfall through on deadline day.

However, following the tepid displays of both Daryl Dike and Brandon Thomas-Asante against the Sky Blues, the ex-Huddersfield marksman could be handed one more chance to prove his worth to Corberan tonight.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Mario Lemina was lauded by Liam Keen following the 3-0 win against Liverpool.

The Lowdown: Wolves Victory

Following a frustrating FA Cup encounter between the two sides last month that saw Julen Lopetegui end up on the losing side, Wolves delivered revenge in unerring style as they demolished the Reds.

The Old Gold were put under pressure heading into the clash following Everton’s 1-0 win over Arsenal which temporarily lifted them above Wolves in the Premier League table.

But Lopetegui’s men reacted fantastically, with an own goal from Joel Matip just five minutes it was swiftly followed by Craig Dawson’s first goal for the club on his debut, before Ruben Neves wrapped it up in the second half.

The Latest: Keen’s praise

Despite a brilliant all-round team performance, during the post-match reaction on Express & Star, Keen singled out Lemina’s performance in the engine room, saying:

(1:05) “Mario Lemina, he was absolutely top, top draw, his energy, his enthusiasm, his aggression, he covered every blade of grass.

“There was a moment at the end of the first half when Trent Alexander-Arnold pulled out of a tackle with him because they were absolutely terrified of him, he was bullying them, dominating them.”

“He was superb.”

The Verdict: Incredible display

Lemina has proved something of a catalyst to Wolves’ change of fortunes since he arrived in the January window on loan from Nice.

The 29-year-old made just his third appearance in an Old Gold shirt and his second win since joining the club after the previous 1-0 victory against West Ham United, picking up six points from a possible nine to pull them out of the relegation zone.

Lemina featured 83 minutes before he was replaced by Daniel Podence due to injury after leaving everything out on the Molineux turf, despite only having 48 touches (via Sofascore) given Liverpool’s dominance in possession, limiting Wolves to just 42% of the ball, Lemina completed 25 out of 32 passes including two long balls to release the pressure on the backline.

Making four clearances and a blocked shot, he was vital in Lopetegui’s side holding onto their first-half lead before the clinching moment came as the Gabonese’s holding role allowed Neves to steam forward to score the third.

Newcastle United have reportedly made a move to sign Flamengo sensation, Matheus Franca, with the Magpies looking to win the race for the Brazilian’s signature.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Tynesiders have lodged a bid of around €16m (£14m) in order to prise the 18-year-old from his homeland, albeit with Ligue 1 side Lyon and La Liga giants Real Madrid also said to be monitoring the teenager.

Writing on Twitter about that developing story, the transfer guru stated: “Excl: Newcastle have submitted a new proposal for Brazilian talent Matheus França, offering €16m package to Flamengo.

“Understand Matheus França is also in Olympique Lyon list — Real Madrid have sent scouts to monitor him in Brazil as well.”

This follows a recent report from 90min that revealed the northeast side were in talks regarding a move for the promising forward, with Eddie Howe and co said to be ‘growing in confidence’ that a deal can be struck.

Big Wood upgrade

A new attacking recruit has become something of a priority for the top-four hopefuls this month, with the impending loan exit of striker Chris Wood to Nottingham Forest having only further laid bare the need for an extra body to bolster the forward line.

The New Zealand international has seemingly been allowed to depart after enduring an underwhelming stint at St James’ Park over the last 12 months, after initially signing on a £25m deal from Burnley midway through the previous campaign.

The 31-year-old brute has since gone on to score just five goals in 39 appearances for Newcastle in that time, having seemingly failed to warrant his rather hefty price tag.

With that “strange” move – as described at the time by talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor – having perhaps panned out as expected, Howe could well land a big upgrade on the experienced marksman bringing the youthful Franca into the fold.

The “exciting” asset – as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig – is only in the infancy of his senior career, although he has already scored seven goals in just 28 first-team appearances thus far.

The versatile ace can seemingly “play almost everywhere” according to Kulig, although the 6 foot dynamo has typically thrived in a centre-forward berth of late.

Not just a clinical presence in front of goal, the Rio-born menace also offers a real creative spark in attack as he averages 3.33 progressive passes and 2.18 dribbles completed per game, with the aforementioned Wood only averaging 0.86 and 0.16 in those same two metrics, respectively.

Equally, the sparkling youngster also offers far more defensively as he averages 2.05 tackles and 0.38 interceptions per game over the past year, while the outgoing Magpies dud averages only 0.37 tackles and 0.16 interceptions per 90.

That should further indicate that Newcastle would be securing a real upgrade if they can strike a deal for Franca in the coming weeks, with the misfiring Wood seemingly set to be swiftly replaced.