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Newcastle United are said to be leading the race to sign a player with a “magical” left foot, according to an encouraging new transfer claim.

Newcastle transfer news

Magpies supporters will be desperate to see reinforcements come in during the January transfer window, and if business is limited at that point, lots of additions will be needed in the summer instead.

Plenty of players are being linked with moves to St James’ Park, with Felix Nmecha one player who has been mentioned as a target. Borussia Dortmund are thought to be open to offers for the 24-year-old midfielder, with Newcastle one of those in the mix to snap him up.

Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo has arguably emerged as one of Newcastle’s main transfer targets in recent months, as he continues to impress for the Bees, scoring and assisting against Eddie Howe’s side in their 4-2 win in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Chelsea wide man Mykhailo Mudryk has also been mentioned as a loan option for Newcastle in January, as he looks to seal a move away from Stamford Bridge to enjoy more regular football.

Newcastle leading race to sign "magical" ace

According to L’Interista [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are now in “pole position” to sign Boca Juniors attacker Kevin Zenon, in a potential £16.5m deal next summer. The Magpies are far from the only club showing an interest in the 23-year-old, however, with Inter Milan, Tottenham, Brighton and Lyon all mentioned in the report.

This is an exciting update from a Newcastle perspective, considering Zenon is a talented young player with so much potential, hence the level of interest in him. He has been capped once for Argentina at under-23s level, scoring in his solitary appearance for them, and he may think that a move to Europe could improve his chances of featuring for the senior side.

Zenon has five goals and seven assists in 44 appearances for Boca, providing quality out wide, with analyst Ben Mattinson lauding the “magical” left foot at his disposal.

Zenon is primarily a left winger, however, and with Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes already representing strong options there for Newcastle, it could be hard for the Argentine to be a key man. That said, if Paul Mitchell and Howe see him as a potential right-sided option, too, it would make far more sense going for him, as they look for an upgrade on the likes of Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy.

Newcastle now interested in beating Man Utd to sign "huge talent" for Howe

He’s one for the future.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 8, 2024

The fact that Zenon lacks European experience means that he could have to be a work in progress as he adjusts to a different style of play, but his potential means that he is worth taking a punt on.

Manchester City and Bayern Munich could be set for transfer disappointment as Florian Wirtz has reportedly decided on his future.

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• Wirtz could sign an extension at Leverkusen
• His new deal could be valid until 2028
• Man City & Bayern might have to wait longer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Wirtz is expected to make his final decision by early April, and current indications suggest that his preference is to remain at Leverkusen. His family, who also serve as his advisors, believe a move after the 2026 World Cup would be more beneficial for his career.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  If Wirtz commits his future to Leverkusen, the club plans to offer him a contract extension until 2028. The new deal would reportedly include a release clause set at approximately €125 million (£105m/$136m), which would become active in 2026. This clause would allow potential suitors like Bayern, Manchester City, and Real Madrid to trigger a move in the future, but in the short-term, it would ensure that Leverkusen retains control over Wirtz's future. Should Wirtz decide to leave earlier than 2026, Leverkusen would reportedly demand at least €150m (£126m/$164m) for his services.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While Bayern may struggle to meet the financial demands of a potential Wirtz transfer, City remain strong contenders. The Premier League champions are reportedly unbothered by the hefty price tag and could pursue the German international when the time is right. Additionally, Real Madrid are another club closely monitoring the situation. With Luka Modric approaching the twilight of his career, the Spanish giants view Wirtz as a long-term midfield solution. However, with his reported preference to stay in Germany for now, any immediate move seems unlikely.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WIRTZ?

  While Europe's elite clubs will undoubtedly continue to monitor Wirtz’s situation, it seems likely that any move will have to wait until after the 2026 World Cup – unless someone is willing to meet Leverkusen's steep valuation in the summer.

Andy Murray has revealed Lionel Messi's hilarious response after the tennis great asked him if he could "do it on a rainy night in Stoke".

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• Murray and Messi link up in Miami
• Tennis ace asks him classic question
• Reveals Argentine's hilarious response

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Murray and Messi have linked up during the former's visit to watch the Miami Open. Now a retired tennis player, the two-time Wimbledon winner posted a joking Instagram caption claiming that he asked Messi if he could "do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke", as the old adage goes.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi, of course, has never played in the Premier League and his detractors – however few they may be – often like to point out that he never had to deal with the physicality of a side like Stoke City. They are now in the Championship, while Messi has maintained his standards as one of the greatest players of all time. That would perhaps explain his response to Murray.

• WHAT MURRAY SAID

  Murray wrote on Instagram: "I asked him if he could do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke. He responded 'callate la boca' which I think means 'yes' in Spanish".

  Callate la boca translates in English to "Shut your mouth".

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Messi and Murray will likely be watching on when the Miami Open final takes place on Sunday between Novak Djokovic and Jakub Mensik. Messi was previously spotted watching Djokovic play Grigor Dimitrov.

It’s been a surprisingly tough campaign for Arsenal so far this season.

In sharp contrast to the last two seasons, Mikel Arteta’s side have looked somewhat off the pace at points this year, and instead of capitalising on Manchester City’s incredible downfall, they have fallen behind both Chelsea and Liverpool in the Premier League.

A big reason for their struggles earlier in the campaign was the absence of club captain Martin Odegaard, but even with him in the team, they’ve struggled to score goals over the last two weekends.

So, recent reports linking the club with a player compared to Victor Osimhen, who’d help make the Norwegian even more effective, should excite fans.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Insider, Arsenal are “looking at” Juventus star Dušan Vlahović.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Gunners have had scouts watch him in multiple games this season and that he is very highly rated by those at the club.

A potential price is not mentioned in the report, but another story from GIVEMESPORT late last week claimed that the Gunners believe they’ll be able to secure his services for less than the £67m the Old Lady were demanding in the summer.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Vlahović’s ability, comparisons to Osimhen and what he could do for Odegaard, it is worth pursuing.

Vlahović's comparison to Osimhen and why he'd improve Odegaard

Okay, before we look at why Vlahović would help make Odegaard unplayable, it’s worth examining this comparison to Osimhen and where it comes from.

It primarily stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, it’s concluded that the Nigerian is the seventh most similar forward to the Serbian.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely from last season, as few statistics are measured from the Turkish Süper Lig.

The metrics include but are not limited to, non-penalty expected and actual goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots on target, goal and shot-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

With that said, why would the former Fiorentina ace help make the Gunners’ captain unplayable?

Well, it comes down to one simple factor: his output.

During his time with La Viola, the goalscoring “machine”, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, found the back of the net 49 times in 108 appearances while providing eight assists for good measure.

Then, in 120 appearances for the Old Lady so far, the 24-year-old has scored 52 goals and provided 11 assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.90 games.

This clearly demonstrates that the Belgrade-born ace is a supremely dangerous striker and, therefore, would surely help send Odegaard’s assist tally stratospheric.

Ultimately, while he won’t be cheap, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Vlahović next year, as he’d surely fire them back up the table.

Rice repeat: Arsenal chasing £90m signing who'd make Havertz unplayable

The incredible attacker would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 17, 2024

Celtic could now be without a fourth sidelined player for the Boxing Day clash against Motherwell and beyond, manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed.

Celtic prepare for Boxing Day action

The Hoops endured a rare disappointing day at the office in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon, only managing to draw 0-0 away to Dundee United and struggling to ever hit top gear. Rangers’ 1-0 win at home to Dundee means that Celtic’s rivals are now nine points behind in the title race.

On Boxing Day, Rodgers’ side welcome Motherwell to Parkhead for one of the most traditional days in the British footballing calendar, acting as a great chance for the Hoops to get back to winning ways.

That said, Celtic’s upcoming opponents are fourth in the Scottish Premiership table, picking up seven points from their last three matches in the competition, so it could still be a test, on a day when the champions will want to get back to winning ways.

Celtic suffer another injury blow

In quotes provided by The Daily Mail, Rodgers confirmed that Nicolas Kuhn is a major injury doubt for Celtic’s clash with Motherwell, having missed the weekend draw, and he could be out even longer, casting doubt over the upcoming fixtures against St Johnstone and the Gers.

“I don’t know how long Nicolas will be out for. Hopefully it’s not long term. He felt a problem with his knee and then he felt a twinge on Saturday. We hope that it’s not too long but I will find out more on Monday about whether he will be back for Thursday. He’d been running and moving okay but he felt a twinge when he passed the ball and we will need to see.”

Not having Kuhn available for the Boxing Day action would be an undoubted setback for Celtic, especially considering he was not the only player sidelined this past weeked, joining Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty and right-back Alistair Johnston.

The 24-year-old has registered 11 goal contributions in as many appearances in the Scottish Premiership – five goals and six assists – while Rodgers knows all about his quality from out wide, saying: “He is a dynamic player who has an excellent level of quality and all the attributes to fit well into our style of play.

“He has the profile we are looking for, he has a real attacking intent, a player with great pace and ideas, the ability to create and score goals and a player with a great energy and work ethic.”

Celtic showed how much they need Kuhn in the team last weekend, with the German playing no part in the stalemate against Dundee United, and the trip to Ibrox in the New Year certainly becomes more perilous without him.

The winger’s ability to wreak havoc from his right-sided attacking role is such a weapon for the Hoops, not least because of his ability to cut on to his deadly left foot, and having him available for festive fixtures would be huge.

The England winger came back with a bang as his goal confirmed victory for Mikel Arteta's men at the Emirates Stadium

Bukayo Saka made an instant impact on his return from injury as he helped Arsenal to a 2-1 win against Fulham on Tuesday. The 23-year-old came off the bench for his first Premier League appearance since December and had the ball in the net just seven minutes later to secure the points after Mikel Merino gave the Gunners a first-half lead.

Arsenal were dealt an early blow as Gabriel Magalhaes went off injured and Jurrien Timber had a scare not long after, but Mikel Arteta's men were able to shake it off and steal the lead late in the half. Ethan Nwaneri was found down the right wing and the teenager cut back to Merino in the box. The midfielder-turned-striker prodded towards goal and it beat Bernd Leno with the help of a deflection for his sixth league goal of the season.

The Gunners kept up the pressure in the second half, with Gabriel Martinelli running the Fulham defence ragged, but it was Saka who made sure the three points stayed in north London shortly after he came on. Martinelli kicked the attack into life, playing the ball wide to Merino, who carried it forward before lobbing it into the box for the Brazilian to flick on to the substitute for a fine finish.

Fulham should have given Arsenal something to worry about for the last 10 minutes when Adama Traore's excellent cross found Rodrigo Muniz unmarked, but he was left in utter shock as he realised his header had missed the target. The Brazilian redeemed himself in stoppage time when he his shot deflected past David Raya, and the visitors even pushed for an equaliser, but it did not come.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the Emirates Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  David Raya (6/10):

  Fulham had trouble hitting the target, but he dealt with all that came at him until Muniz's late consolation.

  Jurrien Timber (6/10):

  Survived an early injury scare and put in a decent defensive display.

  William Saliba (6/10):

  Won a few headers and had a few troublesome moments.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (N/A):

  Went off injured early on.

  Myles Lewis-Skelly (6/10):

  Very lively down the wing with some promising runs.

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  Midfield

  Martin Odegaard (6/10):

  Got into some good positions and had a couple of shots, but not involved enough.

  Thomas Partey (7/10):

  Made some strong tackles and patrolled the midfield to keep Fulham quiet.

  Declan Rice (6/10):

  Excellent with his passing at times and helped break down Fulham's attacks.

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  Attack

  Ethan Nwaneri (7/10):

  Perfect pass to Merino for the opener in a bright performance down the right.

  Mikel Merino (8/10):

  Showed composure as he opened the scoring with a bit of luck, pressed well and had a few dangerous runs.

  Gabriel Martinelli (8/10):

  Caused a lot of problems for Fulham but lacked an end product to his good work until his wonderful assist for Saka. Thought he had a deserved goal of his own late on, but it was offside.

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  Subs & Manager

  Jakub Kiwior (5/10):

  Lost the ball to Traore in a worrying moment.

  Bukayo Saka (7/10):

  Made his long-awaited return and what an impact he made. Scored quickly and was looking to create more danger.

  Leandro Trossard (6/10):

  On for over 10 minutes but did not get up to much.

  Mikel Arteta (7/10):

  Will be happy with the prodigal son's return and the way his team kept Fulham quiet for much of the game, but that Gabriel injury will have him worried ahead of the Real Madrid clash next week.

Liverpool are believed to be eyeing a prolific international striker as a replacement for Darwin Nunez at the end of the season, according to a fresh update.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are likely to have a quiet January transfer window, with Arne Slot seemingly content with the squad at his disposal, but that hasn’t stopped players from being linked with moves to Anfield.

Finding a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah is going to be an almost impossible job, given the Egyptian’s world-class brilliance, and Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo has been mentioned as an option, as well as Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo. Newcastle United are also thought to be interested in the pair, though.

Liverpool’s midfield may have excelled this season, but they are still reportedly keen on signing Nottingham Forest ace Morgan Gibbs-White, as they look to provide even more competition for the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott in attacking areas.

In terms of players who could leave in the near future, Federico Chiesa has been backed to seal a quickfire Anfield exit, having only arrived from Juventus last summer. Things haven’t worked out for the Italian yet this season, but that said, seeing him depart this month would still be a surprise, weakening the Reds’ squad in the process.

Liverpool keen on signing "magical" striker

According to a report from Spain, Liverpool are eyeing the signing of Lille star Jonathan David this summer, seeing him as a replacement for Nunez.

The current Reds striker is reportedly on AC Milan’s radar ahead of a potential switch at the end of the season, and the Merseysiders seemingly view David as both an upgrade and a “long-term investment”, with Slot a fan of his versatility and goal-scoring ability.

David could be a fantastic signing by Liverpool, considering he is arguably one of Europe’s most potent attacking players currently, shining for both club and country and is on course to be available for free in the summer.

The 24-year-old has scored a highly impressive 31 goals in 59 caps at international level for Canada, while this season, he has netted 11 times in 12 Ligue 1 starts. Not only that, but he has also been lauded for the “magical” campaign he is enjoying by Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic.

With Nunez now in his third season at Liverpool and still flattering to deceive, there are genuine doubts over whether he will ever be good enough for this Reds side under Slot, in terms of his finishing and general all-round game.

In David, they could have a perfect upgrade, with the Canadian potentially keen on testing himself at one of the biggest clubs in the world, so a cheap transfer could be ideal for all parties.

Real Madrid are willing to wait for top target William Saliba's contract to run out in 2027 as they aim to sign the Frenchman for free.

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• Los Blancos have tracked the Arsenal player for years
• Real Madrid have conceded 64 goals this season
• Jonathan Tah, Dean Huijsen also heavily linked

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Los Blancos are believed to be huge fans of Saliba, with reports suggesting the club have tracked the 24-year-old since his days at Saint-Etienne. The player joined Arsenal in 2019, but Madrid have cultivated an ongoing relationship with Saliba's inner circle.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A summer move is highly unlikely. Saliba is under contract until 2027, and Arsenal will probably pursue a renewal before the 25/26 season. It is believed Madrid will make a bid in 2026, or will pursue a free transfer if the centre back doesn't put pen to paper in North London.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Real Madrid have already shipped 64 goals this term, 14 more than they conceded in the entirety of the 23/24 season. Los Blancos have been linked with other options at centre half, including Jonathan Tah, who will leave Leverkusen on a free this summer, and promising youngster Dean Huijsen. The Bournemouth star is a diehard Real Madrid fan.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAM SALIBA?

  Saliba will likely feature for the Gunners home game against Brentford on Saturday, before turning his attention to his potential suitors. Arsenal take a 3-0 lead to the Bernabeu in the second leg of the Champions League quarter finals on Wednesday.

Ange Postecoglou has been warned that the level of the Premier League may be a 'bit too much' after Tottenham fell to another defeat at Wolves.

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• Spurs lost 4-2 to Wolves on Sunday
• 17th Premier League defeat of season
• Leaves Postecoglou on verge of sack

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Another dismal performance on the road has left Spurs languishing in 15th place and on track to record one of their worst Premier League campaigns ever. The 4-2 defeat to Wolves leaves Postecoglou under even more pressure, with Premier League icon Gary Lineker suggesting the step up to the top flight may be too much for the Australian to handle.

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  WHAT LINEKER SAID

  Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the ex-Spurs and Leicester forward said: "Yeah, I’ve obviously stuck up for the football because I enjoy watching Spurs play, but it’s almost like it’s got a bit too much for him.

  "The way things have gone, obviously it’s not easy dealing with defeat after defeat or struggling performances. Even if you do get a bit of bad luck and constantly the world’s against us whining a little bit. I think it’s probably his first time. He’s really had an awful patch as a coach, as a manager everywhere else he’s been.

  "But obviously the Premier League, it’s a sterner test than he’s had before. I think that’s fair to say. But there is still a possibility that he could end up winning a trophy and qualify for the Champions League.

  “But his body language at present almost suggests that he’s downbeat and I think that’s not what you need. As a player, you need your manager to lift you up when things are not going that well. And it’s a shame."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It appears Postecoglou's future will be decided by Tottenham's success in the Europa League. The club remain in the competition but face a tough test against Frankfurt after drawing 1-1 in the quarter-final first leg. Should Spurs be knocked out in Germany on Thursday, reports suggest the former Celtic boss will be given his marching orders.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Should Spurs manage to get past Frankfurt in Europe, they will face either Bodo/Glimt or Lazio in the semi-finals. But after another uninspiring away performance at Molineux on Sunday, fans of the north London club may not be heading into the match with much, if any confidence that they can win.

It’s been a dismal season for Tottenham Hotspur so far this year.

Ange Postecoglou’s side came into the campaign hopeful of building on their fifth-place finish last year but currently find themselves down in 11th place in the Premier League, with more losses than wins to their name.

Now, the North Londoners are the second-highest scorers in the league, so the issue clearly lies in defence, as they have conceded an astounding 28 goals in just 19 games.

So, recent reports linking the club with an exciting up-and-coming centre-back who could be an upgrade on Cristian Romero should come as no surprise.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from the Mail on Sunday via Goodison News, Tottenham are one of several sides keen on Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite.

The report claims that the North Londoners have already held internal talks over potentially signing the Englishman next month as they look for ways to solve their dire injury issues in defence.

Now, while the interest from other sides like Manchester United is far from ideal, the most significant obstacle to the Lilywhites completing this deal is the hefty price tag the Toffees have placed on the centre-back’s head – a cool £80m.

It would certainly require a monumental investment from Spurs to get this deal over the line, but given Branthwaite’s ability and potential, it could prove worth it down the line, especially as he could be an upgrade on Romero.

How Branthwaite compares to Romero

So, if Levy and Co were to sanction such a massive outlay on Branthwaite next month, they wouldn’t do it with the intention of making him a rotation option.

No, the Englishman would come into the club as a starter, and, as such, he’d be up against the likes of Micky van de Ven and Romero for a place in the team, and as the former offers so much with his electrifying pace, it’s likely the latter that would be his primary competition for a starting berth.

With that said, then, how do the pair stack up against one another? Well, given the position they play in for their sides, output is not a hugely relevant metric.

Instead, we’ll take a look under the hood at the pair’s underlying numbers from the start of last season to today, and when doing that, it’s the Toffees star who just about edges things.

For example, while the Argentine is the better passer of the ball and makes more tackles overall, the “colossal” Everton star, as dubbed by Statman Dave, blocks more shots, makes more interceptions and clearances, has a better success rate when tackling dribblers, commits fewer fouls, gives away fewer penalties and is dispossessed less often, all per 90.

Finally, there is one other significant advantage the £35k-per-week titan has over his potential competition: his height.

The 22-year-old “monster,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, comes in at a massive 6 foot 5, while the Argentine is just 6 foot 1.

That is a significant difference for a defender, especially when the Lilywhites have generally been bullied at set-pieces since Postecoglou took charge last year.

Ultimately, Romero is an undeniably talented footballer, but as things stand, Branthwaite’s statistics and physical stature give him a slight edge.

Therefore, signing the Everton gem next year would be a brilliant decision and a real sign of intent.

Offer made: Spurs target dream Maddison rival in £25k-p/w "magician"

The exceptional youngster could have a bright future at Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 30, 2024