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New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum has said he nearly turned his back on his country to commit to an entire season of the IPL, before he changed his mind while on holiday in Fiji. McCullum made the revelations in his book , co-authored by journalist Dylan Cleaver, in which he talks about the impact of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.”I felt I had unfinished business from IPL II. The fact that the tournament did not pan out the way I envisaged had not sat well with me. I desperately wanted to turn it around,” McCullum wrote. “I must admit I came bloody close to not signing with New Zealand Cricket. I took a plane to Fiji with my wife, Elissa, for a holiday and to think about what cricket meant to me.”I had started to question how important cricket was to me … This issue of signing, or not signing, my NZC contract brought it to a head. I needed to give something up to understand it and in the end what I did not want to give up was my full and utter commitment to New Zealand.”McCullum was one of several star picks of the Kolkata Knight Riders and he set the tournament alight in 2008 with a blazing 158 in Bangalore. The team underperformed under Sourav Ganguly in that season, and McCullum was handed the captaincy in 2009 after coach John Buchanan introduced the controversial multiple-captain theory. It was a rather forgettable season in charge for McCullum as the team finished at the bottom of the table and was the butt of jokes through a popular blog written by an unidentified ‘Fake IPL blogger’, claiming to be an insider in the team. Kolkata won just three out of 14 games and Ganguly took back the captaincy for the 2010 season.McCullum, who has a New Zealand record of 208 consecutive ODI appearances, said he began to change his mind after people questioned his commitment to New Zealand cricket. “I get a bit disappointed when I read that I don’t give a rat’s a*** about playing for my country. The only reason the inference disappoints me is that I know the sacrifice I made to play for New Zealand,” he wrote.”In what other industry would you be expected to take options that cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars?”The criticism wasn’t just directed at him. He also writes about the negative press he and four other New Zealand players received after missing the first ten days of the tour of England in 2008 due to IPL commitments. “Doing something new is not always popular, is it?” he wrote.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Duje Caleta-Car to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to David Ornstein’s recent report for The Athletic, in which the journalist claimed that David Moyes and his West Ham transfer team are weighing up a move for the Olympique de Marseille centre-back in the closing stages of the winter market.

Ornstein goes on to state that, while the Hammers are more inclined to sign the 25-year-old on a loan deal, the Ligue 1 side would prefer to part with the Croatia international on a permanent basis, in order to raise funds for their own transfer business this month.

Finally, the journalist reports that both Liverpool and Newcastle United are also interested in a move for the centre-back, whose current deal at The Stade Velodrome is set to expire in the summer of 2023.

Fans will be buzzing

While the early return of Kurt Zouma from a hamstring injury has somewhat lessened West Ham’s need to sign a new central defender this winter, considering just how impressive Caleta-Car has been for Marseille this season, in addition to the fact that Moyes could still do with greater depth in the heart of his defence, Ornstein’s claim will undoubtedly have left the London Stadium faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 11 Ligue 1 appearances in the current campaign, the £14.4m-rated man has been in astonishing form for Jorge Sampaoli’s outfit, helping his side keep five clean sheets and scoring one goal, as well as making an average of 0.7 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 1.9 clearances, 68.2 passes and winning 74% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £47k-per-week defender average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as Marseille’s fourth-best performer in the top flight of French football.

As such, with Angelo Ogbonna out until the summer with a knee injury, it would indeed appear a wise move for Moyes to bring in an upgrade on both Issa Diop and Craig Dawson this month – with Caleta-Car looking to be an extremely strong candidate to fulfil this role.

In other news: GSB must sanction West Ham swoop for “unplayable” £5m gem, he’s Lanzini’s perfect heir

ScorecardHalf centuries from Moeen Ali, Daryl Mitchell and Gareth Andrew helped Worcestershire edge the honours on the first day of their County Championship game against Leicestershire at Grace Road.Moeen and Mitchell shared a third-wicket stand of 145 to lead the fightback after Worcestershire slumped to 15 for 2 and some late order resistance saw them through to a total of 308. Leicestershire captain Matthew Hoggard claimed 3 for 69 and 19-year-old Nathan Buck 3 for 64 and the home side then survived two awkward overs to reach stumps on 9 without loss.There was a degree of surprise when Worcestershire captain Vikram Solanki batted first on a green-looking pitch after winning the toss. And when two wickets fell – including Solanki’s – for 15 runs in the first six overs the decision was looking even more questionable.But Solanki, who popped an easy catch off Hoggard, was able to breath much easier after the partnership between Mitchell and Moeen had launched the recovery. The third wicket pair rode their luck at times but also profited from some erratic bowling from the home attack who failed to make the most of the conditions.Moeen was severe on anything loose and raced to 50 by hitting left-arm spinner Claude Henderson for 18 off one over. He struck a six and three fours to reach a half century from 60 balls. Mitchell was more circumspect but he too reached 50 off 93 balls shortly after lunch.But the partnership was broken by Hoggard who trapped Moeen lbw as he tried to work the ball on the leg side after making 80 off 127 balls. His departure triggered a middle-order collapse as Leicestershire regained the initiative. Hoggard snapped up his third wicket by trapping Mitchell lbw, Ben Smith was out in the same fashion to Henderson and Ben Scott edged Andrew McDonald to wicketkeeper Tom New.It meant four wickets had fallen for 39 runs with Hoggard taking 2 for 16 in an impressive nine-over spell. But a fluctuating day swung back in Worcestershire’s favour as Alexei Kervezee and Andrew led another recovery with a stand of 51.It needed a magnificent one-handed slip catch by Will Jefferson to removeKervezee off the bowling of McDonald with the total at 250. Andrew, however, reached his half century with a six off Hoggard before carvinga catch to point. Last man Jack Shantry ended a run of four consecutive ducks with a boundary off Hoggard but then fell lbw to Wayne White at 308.

Wolves could sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha as a potential Ruben Neves replacement, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Palhinha impressing for Sporting

The 26-year-old has been an influential figure at the heart of Sporting’s midfield this season, with 16 Primeira Liga appearances to his name, not to mention three goals.

Palhinha has been linked with a move to Wolves in recent days, as Bruno Lage continues to eye up squad reinforcements moving forward.

It could be that the Portuguese is viewed as a long-term successor to compatriot Neves, who has been tipped to move to Arsenal at the end of the season.

The Latest: Journalist talks up move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that Palhinha could be the ideal man to come in and fill the possible void left by Neves this summer:

“In the summer, if Ruben Neves wants to leave, Palhinha might be a ready-made replacement.”

The Verdict: Ideal Neves replacement

The hope is that Neves stays put at Wolves for many years, given his quality, but there is always the risk that his head could be turned by a big move elsewhere.

Should that happen, Palhinha looks tailor-made to come in as a replacement, having been described as a ‘special player’ by Sporting manager Ruben Amorim.

The midfielder has enjoyed an 86.7% pass completion rate in the league this season, as well as averaging a hugely impressive 3.4 tackles.

In comparison, Neves has 82.6% passing and 2.2 challenges per game, showing that the Sporting star could even prove to be an upgrade if he transitions well into English football.

In other news, some Wolves fans have gushed over a key transfer update. Read more here.

Australia 2 for 142 (Warner 67, Watson 62*) beat West Indies 7 for 138 (Deonarine 36*, Harris 2-27) by eight wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDavid Warner’s 18-ball half-century set up Australia’s victory•Getty Images

David Warner hammered the second-fastest Twenty20 international half-century to hand Australia an eight-wicket win over West Indies and complete their dreams of an unbeaten summer. Warner raced to fifty from 18 deliveries, beating his own 19-ball effort from last season, as Australia reeled in the target of 139 with a ridiculous 50 deliveries to spare.West Indies’ total looked semi-competitive until the first over of the chase when Warner and Shane Watson took 26 off Kemar Roach, who bowled too short and allowed Warner to swing through midwicket. There were three sixes in the over – as many as the visitors hit in their entire innings – and the contest was all but decided.By the time Warner had cleared the boundary off Darren Sammy in the second over, he had 33 from eight deliveries and Yuvraj Singh’s 12-ball half-century record was conceivably in danger. He struck seven sixes in total, all in the midwicket to long-on region and including at least one off each of the six bowlers he faced, before he holed out for 67 from 29.At the other end, Watson was so good that he too entered the list of quickest fifties, when he reached the mark from 26 balls, but he was utterly cast into the shadows while Warner was at the crease. Watson finished with an unbeaten 62 from 33 and after Brad Haddin fell with one run needed, the debutant Daniel Christian struck a four to complete the triumph.The win ended the summer on a high for Australia, who since the introduction of ODIs in the 1970s had only had one other summer – 2000-01 – when they didn’t lose a match. Warner and Watson blazed home but the result was really set up by an outstanding effort in the field as they again caused problems for West Indies’ top order.The debutants Ryan Harris and Christian grabbed two early wickets each and Steven Smith was everywhere in the field, producing one of the most memorable catches of the summer. The trouble started when Chris Gayle tried to flick Harris over square leg and top-edged to Smith at third man for 12.Harris followed two balls later with Runako Morton, who edged to Cameron White at second slip for a golden duck. White’s catch was sharp but there was far better to come from Smith, who had impressed in the first game on Sunday with two athletic takes on the boundary.He eclipsed those efforts with a leaping catch at deep midwicket to give Christian his maiden international wicket when Travis Dowlin’s heave off middle stump looked to be sailing for six. Dowlin was the man who appeared most likely to guide a West Indies recovery and he made an admirable 31 from 32 balls without ever truly finding perfect touch.Dowlin needed more assistance from the middle order but Morton, Kieron Pollard, Wavell Hinds and Dwayne Smith at Nos. 3 to 6 all failed to reach double figures. Hinds fell victim to Australia’s slick fielding when he tried to get off the mark with a perilous single only to see White at point throw to Smith at the bowler’s end where the batsman was short.There was a late recovery from Narsingh Deonarine (36 not out) and Sammy, who hit 26 from 11, but the inadequacy of their total was shown by Warner and Watson. It was a memorable way to end a summer of Australian dominance.

As per Football Insider, Dele Alli could leave Tottenham within days of the winter transfer window opening after David Ornstein revealed that the 25-year-old will be allowed to leave in January.

The Lowdown: Alli’s decline

After losing his place in the starting XI under former manager José Mourinho, Alli is yet to rediscover his previous form and continues to look a shadow of his former self.

The 25-year-old has featured in eight Premier League games this season, contributing just one goal. However, he has been on the periphery under current boss Antonio Conte, who has given him just two minutes of league action since arriving.

The England international was in fantastic form in 2018, with his market value reflecting this peak with an enormous £90m valuation. This figure has since seen a rapid decline, having been slashed to a current value of £27m.

The Latest: Alli lined up for January exit

According to reports by John Wenham from Lilywhite Rose (via Football Insider), Alli could leave Tottenham within days of the January transfer window opening.

The Athletic’s Ornstein has previously reported that the midfielder will be allowed to leave in January, and Wenham has predicted that a loan deal could be agreed in the next few weeks.

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham said: “The Telegraph have clearly been briefed by the club that Alli is available in January.

“That is really good timing. We have three weeks to go so hopefully he can go within days of the window opening.

“A deal could be lined up over the next few weeks and he could be gone, which is best for everyone right now.

“There is the potential to have a Lingard-like resurgence, whether that will happen or not is a different matter.

“But if you get the best of Alli, you get a player who can score 10 goals from midfield. That could be enough to save you from relegation. I think a loan move to a Premier League side is more realistic.

“I said this weeks ago. No one will pay what we want for Alli. So a loan with the option to buy makes a lot of sense.”

The Verdict: Alli’s exit seems inevitable

It will be disappointing for Spurs fans to see Alli leave, after earlier glimpses of brilliance indicated that he could become a world-class player. In a statement which now seems like a lifetime ago, Mourinho once claimed that “(Alli’s) too good to not be one of the best players in the world”.

However, the current AS Roma manager also stated that the 25-year-old can be ‘lazy’. With the disciplinarian Conte now in charge, this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated at Hotspur Way, so an imminent exit is likely for Alli.

Judging by his scant game-time under the Italian and his drastic loss of form in recent years, the writing appears to be on the wall.

In other news: One former Premier League manager had hinted that Conte could jettison this Spurs beast who Mourinho called ‘magnificent’

Match facts

Thursday, December 24
Start time 14:30 (09:00 GMT)The absence of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni gives the injury-hit visitors a chance to draw level in Kolkata•AFP

Big Picture

The 2-1 scoreline is not unexpected given the way India have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink in all but one game – a Twenty20 – played in the limited-overs leg of the tour. But now, with the home team missing two match-winners, a hurting Sri Lanka have a realistic chance of leveling the series.This will be the first time since MS Dhoni’s debut in 2004 that India play an ODI without him and Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni has often said that missing Yuvraj is a big blow, so how India cope with the loss of their captain and best batsman in ODIs in addition to Yuvraj will be crucial.The tour has seen so many players succumbing to injuries it’s a surprise the rest have managed to get so far. Sri Lanka have lost the services of Thilan Thushara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando and Angelo Mathews. Nuwan Kulasekara missed the Tests but returned for the shorter versions. Yuvraj had a recurrence of his finger injury and has been indefinitely ruled out. Sreesanth is yet to feature after getting the flu, while Lasith Malinga overcame it in time for the last game. Thankfully, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Virender Sehwag overcame minor scares.But there is always fear – especially among bowlers – of another injury around the corner. Three of them have shouldered the burden of carrying their respective attacks: for the hosts, the experienced duo of Harbhajan Singh (187.2 overs bowled so far) and comeback man Zaheer Khan (131) are in need of breaks. On the other hand, Sri Lanka thrust the rookie Chanaka Welegedara (126 overs) into the forefront on his first major series and he will be longing for a breather at the business end of a testing tour. This is the start of another busy season for India and there isn’t much time to think ahead. Wrapping up the series in Kolkata will allow India to rest weary players ahead of the Bangladesh tour starting January 4. Sri Lanka also feature in the tri-series that kicks off that tour but, needing to win both their remaining matches in India, cannot afford the luxury of rotation.The pitch, one that’s expected to play slow and low in the latter half, will favour India’s spinners who found rhythm and confidence in Cuttack. Chilly temperatures, the dew factor and a slow-paced track mean that the bowlers will need to produce another special performance. With bitter cold and early morning fog expected to have a telling impact in Delhi, the venue for the fifth match, India will be keen to wrap up the series here.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India – WLWLL
Sri Lanka – LWLLL

Watch out for…

Tillakaratne Dilshan v Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja: Sri Lanka’s strength lies, keeping with tradition, at the top of the order. In Tillakaratne Dilshan they have a batsman at the height of his powers, equally adept at firing in the first over and taking charge of the slog overs. A converted opener, Dilshan has acquitted himself superbly this year and his centuries in Rajkot and Cuttack kept India sweating all the way. His ability to play unconventional shots on either side of the stumps makes it critical for the spinners to plot their modus operandi against him with care. In the first match of the series, Dilshan collected 36 runs from 23 deliveries faced against Ravindra Jadeja but was more sedate against Harbhajan Singh, who allowed just 17 from 26 balls before he bowled Dilshan for 160. In the second ODI, Dilshan took 33 runs from 27 balls faced from Harbhajan, but just 18 from the 33 Jadeja bowled at him. Dilshan didn’t last long enough to face spin in Cuttack, and if the pair comes up against him tomorrow, the margin for error will be miniscule.Lasith Malinga v Virender Sehwag: Lasith Malinga’s ability to sling out top-order batsmen hasn’t been evident recently on the international stage, owing largely to the injuries that have restricted him to just 10 ODIs in 2009. In the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka’s most experienced bowler has to deliver early if Sri Lanka want to keep Virender Sehwag quiet. Fast bowlers have accounted for Sehwag in his last nine innings, and getting him out early in every game was crucial to Australia’s recent series win in India. On his comeback in Cuttack, Malinga’s first over cost 16 with Sehwag blasting three fours. Sehwag was dismissed by Chanaka Welegedara and didn’t get a chance to face Malinga further, but sparks could fly if they face off in Kolkata.

Team news

Virat Kohli will step in for Yuvraj and hope to build on his impressive 54 last week.India: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashish Nehra.Sri Lanka don’t have any new fitness worries but they need to address their middle-order problems. Chamara Kapugedera struggled for fluency in Cuttack before a loose shot sent him back, and Sri Lanka should really reconsider Sanath Jayasuriya over Thilan Samaraweera not least because of the left-arm spinning option he creates.Sri Lanka: 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Sanath Jayasuriya/Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7 Nuwan Kulasekara, 8 Suraj Randiv, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Chanaka Welegedara.

Pitch and conditions

Kolkata’s Eden Gardens is set to host an ODI after nearly three years. It last hosted an ODI in February 2007, when Sri Lanka toured India for a short series before the World Cup. The dew factor is expected to play a large role and with a 2.30pm start, and the sun setting fairly early, the teams could have some slippery conditions while fielding under lights.

Stats and trivia

• The highest ODI total at the Eden Gardens is Sri Lanka’s 309 in 49.4 overs against Pakistan in 1997.
• Head-to-head in Kolkata, India and Sri Lanka have each won and lost a game, with the third being ruined by February rain.
• The largest margin of victory in an ODI at this venue is India’s 102-run win over West Indies in in 1993.

Quotes

“We have to get back to scoring runs so that we can put pressure on the opposition. It does not matter what team you are. If you are under pressure, you will lose wickets. Good sides make their own luck.”

MS Dhoni has said India are missing a bowling and fielding coach

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai01-Jan-2010Indian captain MS Dhoni has admitted that the absence of a specialist bowling coach is hurting the team’s performance. Dhoni said it was “tough” for the bowlers and especially head coach Gary Kirsten to perform at optimum levels, and that ideally he would like the vacancy to be filled soon.”To some extent it does hurt not having a bowling coach. If you have a specialist coach he is always interacting with the bowlers and trying to get the best out of them,” Dhoni said on the eve of the Indian team’s departure to Bangladesh.Though India ended 2009 at the top of the ICC’s Test rankings, they have struggled to make a consistent progress in ODIs. After the early exit at the ICC World Twenty20, they were knocked out of the Champions Trophy in South Africa even before the tournament reached the second week. In a desperate move, the Indian board sacked Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh, the bowling and fielding coaches respectively. No explanation was given with the assumption being both coaches had been under the scanner after the World Twenty20 debacle.Dhoni said that decision had only increased the burden on Kirsten, who he felt was submerged under extra duties. “He [Kirsten] has to look after everything: he has to sit and talk to the batsmen, bowlers, fielders, build strategies and look after team building,” he said, adding that the BCCI could reduce the pressure simply by naming replacements who could closely work with the bowlers and fielders.The inconsistency in the fast bowling department has remained a concern for India right from the World Twenty20. In England, Zaheer Khan had aggravated the shoulder injury he picked during the IPL in South Africa. His inability to go full throttle exposed the younger lot like Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar, and though Ashish Nehra was around he was just finding his own feet, having made a return after a long time. Things did not improve during the Champions Trophy, and India’s problems were exacerbated during the home ODI series against Australia, which they lost 4-2. But things have started to improve after Zaheer’s return.Zaheer will lead the fast bowling department in Bangladesh which comprises Nehra, Sreesanth, and the rookie Sudeep Tyagi. During the recently concluded Sri Lanka series the Indian fast bowlers were lukewarm even if they improved on their death bowling. A good example could be the difference in their performances in Rajkot and Kolkata, for the second and fourth matches. In the first instance, after Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara’s blistering innings, India recovered admirably to clamp down the batsmen in the final ten overs. But in Kolkata, abetted by some shoddy fielding, the bowlers got distracted and allowed Upul Tharanga and Sangakkara to build a solid platform.Dhoni’s reaction to Mohammad Yousuf’s statement on Twenty20 hurting Pakistan

It is quite similar to the review system [UDRS]. If the decisions are in your favour you are OK with it but when they go against you don’t really feel it is working. It is the same case with Twenty20 format. I don’t think it would be great to blame the format. It is a mental approach that needs to change. The change of mindset is important. The basics remain the same.

Though Dhoni felt that a bowling coach would be able to discuss with the youngsters and build their confidence, he put faith in his squad. “It is a matter of time before they return to form. In Rajkot we bowled really well,” he said, “but we haven’t bowled consistently well in the death overs. It is a bit of a worry. But if we can do it in patches I don’t see why we can’t do it consistently.”A twin headache has been the fielding. Embarrassingly in the two Twenty20s and the first ODI of the Sri Lanka series, India dropped 12 catches. In the second ODI in Nagpur, when the match was still hanging in the balance, in the penultimate over Zaheer’s misfield cost them the match. By the time they reached Kolkata their ground fielding improved a lot but they still dropped Tharanga and Sangakkara when the batsmen were yet to get off the blocks. The pair built a valuable partnership of 171 runs. In the abandoned final game another simple catch went down.Dhoni was blunt in his appraisal once again. “We need to improve our fielding because in a close game avoiding the fielding errors can save us at least 15 runs,” he said. “We have a mix of safe fielders with some brilliant ones like Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.”He also praised Mike Young, the former Australian fielding coach, who spent time with the Indian team as a consultant during the limited-overs series. Though Young didn’t rush in with some innovative stuff, Dhoni said it had been “interesting” to spend time in his company. “He didn’t come with lots of ideas. He just wanted to see what was happening and where we are positioned. He worked really slow and came up with few basic techniques. It is important to take that forward.”Young will not travel with the squad to Bangladesh.

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans are buzzing over a transfer update involving former Liverpool star and Paris-Saint Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

It’s only been a matter of months since the Netherlands international swapped Anfield for the French capital as former Premier League boss Mauricio Pochettino brought him to PSG on a free deal.

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However, a lack of game time under the Argentine has already seen him being linked with a move away from Ligue 1 and back to the English top flight.

In a shock update, West Ham are among the clubs who could actually sign the £165,000-per-week star as 90min share a transfer update out of the London Stadium.

According to their sources, manager David Moyes and the Hammers have now been offered Wijnaldum through intermediaries as his agents work on a January move for the player.

In terms of West Ham’s stance after these representatives made an approach, it is believed that the club haven’t ruled out the possibility of negotiating a loan deal in the winter window.

West Ham fans buzz…

As this transfer update emerges, it’s safe to say this Wijnaldum story has many Irons supporters buzzing on Twitter.

Despite Pochettino’s lack of consistent starts for the 31-year-old, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s praise for the player over 2020/2021 speaks volumes for his quality.

The German lauded Wijnaldum as a ‘legend’ and ‘sensational’ last season and it’s not hard to see why going by his impressive stats.

Indeed, he actually averaged a higher pass accuracy (92.7%) than any Reds player last season and was a mainstay in their midfield – playing in every single Premier League game (WhoScored).

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder West Ham fans are raving as they are offered the chance to sign him – find all of their best reactions down below:

“If true I’d take him in a heartbeat, imagine the energy of a midfield of Gini, Rice and Soucek, we saw how good he can be in an attacking sense at the Euros, he could cause havoc in that 10 role”

Credit: @TomQuirkeJourno

“I’m on my knees”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

“Please Happen!!!”

Credit: @X3Number1

“Wages must be crazy but what a signing he’d be. A whole new dimension with a 4-3-3 and is well versed at covering for marauding DMs/ full backs, which would allow Rice and Cresswell to utilise their attacking abilities mix”

Credit: @leondepreli_

“quality signing this would be, bloke’s world-class”

Credit: @stephenlott

“Pleeeeeease”

Credit: @VammandeSammarN

“I would cry.”

Credit: @CostiaAHN

In other news: Approach already made: West Ham now willing to pay asking price for colossal 47-goal striker, find out more here.

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…