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Journalist Graeme Bailey believes that Newcastle United may still sign Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard before Monday’s transfer deadline.

The Lowdown: Move on verge of collapse

The midfielder, who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labelled ‘brilliant’, is into the final six months of his Old Trafford contract and appears to be a key target for Eddie Howe.

Newcastle reportedly offered Man United £10m to take the 29-year-old on loan this month, but a move doesn’t seem likely at this stage. Reliable reporter David Ornstein even went as far to say that a transfer to St James’ Park was on the verge of collapse, with Everton, Tottenham and West Ham also seeing approaches turned down.

The Latest: Bailey’s post

The morning after Ornstein’s post, Bailey took to Twitter to provide some hope to Magpies supporters.

He insisted that although there are a lot of problems over a deal, talks are ‘not completely dead’ at this stage, tweeting: “Lots of issues around Lingard on all sides…but talks not completely dead.”

The Verdict: Race against time?

With Monday’s transfer deadline fast approaching, it seems as if this one could be a deal which goes right down to the wire, with the two clubs still seemingly in talks.

However, bringing in an attacking midfielder should be crucial for Eddie Howe, as he currently has just Joelinton and Miguel Almiron as options in that sense.

Bruno Guimaraes looks set to arrive from Lyon to bolster the club’s holding midfield ranks, and landing Lingard, who shone on loan with West Ham last season, could be just as vital as the club look to avoid Premier League relegation.

In other news: Newcastle have now made a ‘surprise late enquiry’ for another Brighton ace after Burn

Antonio Conte could have a new midfield partnership at Tottenham Hotspur – a pretty formidable one at that, too.

The north London outfit made a double signing on deadline day, bringing in Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus, the latter signing in a permanent deal for an initial £15.9m, per the BBC.

In the other direction, Spurs have let three central options depart with Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso leaving on loan, whilst Dele Alli made a permanent switch to Everton.

“I will give everything I can for the shirt,” the Uruguay international claimed after he was announced as the Lilywhites’ newest player. He should quickly become a favourite for Conte…

Imagine him and Hojbjerg

Bentancur may not be the exciting addition that everyone was craving in N17 but he’s one that will make Spurs an even stronger outfit, especially after a glowing endorsement from The Athletic’s Serie A expert James Horncastle.

“He’ll do a lot of the dirty work that will allow Spurs’ flair players to do their best work, and certainly having a lot of blue-collar players in the Conte team – he’s always valued players like that.”

He’s a reliable and durable option in the heart of the pitch, one capable of protecting the backline efficiently. Indeed, no other player at Juventus has managed more interceptions (73) and tackles (95) combined (168) than Bentancur since the start of the 2020/21 season.

Juve legend Gigi Buffon has also waxed lyrical about the 24-year-old powerhouse in the past, claiming:

“Bentancur has something different to everyone else. He’s reliable tactically, technically and psychologically.”

Meanwhile, Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport have previously described him as an “extraordinary talent” (in quotes sourced by football.london).

Just imagine Spurs’ engine room now with Bentancur partnering the equally-strong Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who has been one of Conte’s star performers so far this season

He averages a whopping 2.2 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game himself, so pairing the two together could make Spurs a real force in the middle of the pitch. They will certainly be a hard proposition to get past.

That’s a solid foundation to build upon, then Conte can work on their attacking problems heading into the summer, where more change is expected.

AND in other news, Bentancur & Doherty in, £18m-rated “nightmare” axed: Is this Spurs’ strongest XI after January?

An injury expert has given his reaction to the latest news on Everton’s Ben Godfrey after what he’s heard from Frank Lampard.

The Lowdown: Godfrey injured

As cited by The Liverpool Echo on Monday afternoon, Lampard claimed that Godfrey would be out for ‘four to five weeks’, after he was forced off with a hamstring injury early in the first half of their 4-1 win at home to Brentford in the FA Cup last weekend.

They clearly missed his presence in the heart of the defence in their 3-1 loss away at Newcastle United in the Premier League in midweek, given that both Mason Holgate and Michael Keane were statistically rated among the Goodison Park faithful’s worst players on the night.

The Latest: Injury expert reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis, has now given his reaction to Lampard’s news, claiming that Godfrey could even be out for longer than he initially expects:

“The caveat is that it was a minimum timeframe.

“We can understand from that timeline that we are looking at a grade two tear.

“It’s always difficult to predict exactly how long he’ll be out. It could even be longer than that five-week period.

“You have to make sure you are mitigating all of the risks because these injuries have got a high recurrence rate.

“Another setback with this injury could potentially end his campaign, so you don’t want to rush him back.

“Godfrey is going to want to impress the new boss. He was given a start in that first game and unfortunately, he has limped out early doors.

“But it is an area where Everton are fairly well stocked. There is no need at this particular point in time to take any unnecessary risks.

“If we’re looking at March, there is an international break there. They would ideally target something before that.

“But if they are erring on the side of caution, they may wait until after that.”

The Verdict: Worrying

It is certainly worrying to hear that Godfrey could potentially be out for longer than the next few weeks, especially given the fact that the Merseyside club are currently in a relegation battle.

He ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, clearances and blocks per game in the Premier League so far this season (WhoScored), and will be needed towards the end of the campaign when the games get even more crucial.

Nonetheless, Lampard will want Godfrey as another option in his squad, should the Toffees keep on shipping goals like the three that they did against the Magpies.

In other news, find out who the Blues are now closing in on as their new Director of Football here!

West Ham United have seen many players sign to the east London club over the past few years under GSB’s ownership.

While not all of the deals that have been completed at the London Stadium can be described as being totally successful, one player that the Hammers certainly hit the jackpot with is defender Vladimir Coufal.

Signed towards the end of the 2020 summer transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £5.4m from Slavia Prague, the right-back has gone on to make 62 appearances for David Moyes’ side across all competitions, providing an impressive number of 11 assists along the way.

His debut season with the Hammers saw the Czech international play in 34 of their 38 league games and immediately show what he’s made of by racking up the joint-highest number of tackles per game (2.1) alongside his club and country teammate Tomas Soucek.

The defender’s overall performances in that campaign earned him a solid season rating of 6.95, making him their fifth-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

This backs up what Kevin Campbell had to say about the full-back, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £27k-per-week according to Salary Sport, when he called him a “revelation” for the Hammers.

Even the club quickly recognised what a standout player they had on their hands by offering him a new deal just a year after he initially arrived.

Despite not being as prominent in the team as he was last season with just 19 league starts to his name, the 29-year-old has still shown how useful he can be for the team up and down the pitch by providing three assists and racking up 1.7 tackles per game.

In July 2020, shortly before he made the move to England, Transfermarkt rated Coufal’s market value listed at £1.8m, whereas it now stands at £10.8m, showing a massive increase of 500%, based on what he’s delivered for the east London club since his arrival.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say out of all the moves that have taken place at West Ham under their current ownership, bringing Coufal to the London Stadium has been one of the more positive and successful ones.

In other news: Moyes can finally replace Haller as WHU plot bid for “fabulous” £40.5m-rated dynamo

According to a report from AS Roma Live (via Sport Witness), the Serie A club remain interested in Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz. 

The lowdown: Luiz is a wanted man

The 23-year-old has previously been indexed with a move to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United (Birmingham Mail).

Despite the speculation, the former Manchester City academy starlet has remained a regular feature for the Villans this season, making 27 appearances across all competitions.

A fresh report from Italy has claimed that there is strong interest on the Brazilian from further afield…

The latest: Jose Mourinho keen on Luiz

As per the report from AS Roma Live, as translated by Sport Witness, Roma’s admiration for Luiz has ‘never completely disappeared’.

It is stated that the five-cap Brazil international is ‘not the happiest’ at Villa Park, having not been rewarded with a new contract.

Indeed, recent comments from Gerrard confirming that talks over a new deal for the Brazilian aren’t forthcoming are believed to have been viewed as a ‘green light’ by Roma.

The verdict: Secure him at all costs

Valued at £31.5m and into the final 18 months of a contract in the Midlands (Transfermarkt), the club would certainly be best served to tie down the midfield general to fresh terms sooner rather than later.

Described as a ‘clever’ operator on the ball by Pep Guardiola, Luiz has formed an impressive partnership alongside John McGinn whilst completing 86% of his passes this season, earning an overall performance rating of 6.93 from Sofascore.

Given the levels of interest in Luiz’s services, without a new deal it’s difficult to envisage a summer without strong renewed interest; and as things stand, Villa may be forced to cash in on the Brazilian, perhaps even to a Premier League rival.

In other news: Source claims Aston Villa outcast will move on this summer. Read more here.

Medical expert Ben Dinnery has dropped a major claim on Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Cavani’s struggles at United

The veteran striker has had a season to forget at Old Trafford following an impressive first year with the Red Devils. The 35-year-old has been limited to just six Premier League starts this term, missing plenty of action due to a number of injuries.

He picked up his latest problem with Uruguay during the recent international break, with Fabrizio Romano labelling it as ‘bad news for Manchester United’. The club have since confirmed that Cavani could be missing for five weeks due to a calf problem.

The Latest: Dinnery’s claim on Cavani

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the United striker. He labelled Cavani’s latest injury as a ‘concern’ and even claimed that ‘he might not play again for United’, detailing:

“It’s possible he might not play again for United.

“This season he just hasn’t been able to maintain that level of fitness. He always seems to be working his way back from something.

“He had that tendon problem at the back end of last year and then another muscular injury in January, a groin problem. Then there were personal issues in February that impacted on his training.

“We know he is meticulous and he looks after himself, but this latest setback is a concern.

“It might even just come down to where United are. You can’t totally rule out a return to the squad.

“But if United are winning and playing well, that will impact on his minutes. Even if he comes back in, say, three weeks, he isn’t going to be sharp.

“The flip side is that, if they aren’t playing well, Cavani could be that last roll of the dice.”

The Verdict: Time to go?

The end of the season is fast approaching, and with the Uruguayan out of contract in the summer, Dinnery’s claim could prove accurate when it comes to the forward not playing for the club again.

A major shake-up at Old Trafford appears to be on the cards this summer, so it could make sense for Cavani and United to go their separate ways.

He has scored just twice in 2021/22 compared to 17 goals last season, and with United looking at a potential reset over the coming months, allowing the £250,000-a-week Cavani to move on would appear to be the right decision for all involved.

In other news: ‘Been told…’ – Fabrizio Romano now drops ‘coaching’ update; one man ‘will not join Man Utd’

Crystal Palace are looking into a deal for Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen, according to 90min.

The Lowdown: Eriksen’s Premier League return

The 30-year-old returned to England during the January transfer window, penning a short-term deal with the Bees until the end of the season.

Eriksen has scored once and provided an assist in his four Premier League starts, with Brentford winning every game in which the attacking midfielder has played 90 minutes.

He is out of contract at the end of June, although it looks as if he won’t be short of offers over the coming months.

The Latest: Palace interest in Eriksen

90min shared a story on Tuesday regarding Eriksen, claiming that Brentford have a huge battle on their hands to keep the Denmark international at the club beyond the summer.

The report added that Palace, along with Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle and West Ham, are looking into offering Eriksen a contract. His former club Tottenham have also been credited with an interest in the midfielder, who wants to remain in England.

The Verdict: Tough ask

Palace could be in need of midfield reinforcements over the summer, with Conor Gallagher set to return to Chelsea following his season-long loan spell.

Eriksen, who Graeme Bailey labelled a ‘superstar’, would be a shrewd signing on a free transfer and isn’t seeking a six-figure wage.

He has contributed to 120 Premier League goals in 231 games, but with plenty of top-flight clubs keen on the player, Eagles boss Patrick Vieira could find it tough to persuade Eriksen over a move to Selhurst Park.

In other news: Vieira now handed another Palace injury worry pre-Chelsea as journalist drops news on ‘popular’ star

Aston Villa now have Marseille centre-back Duje Caleta-Car on their radar ahead of the summer window, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Caleta-Car profiled

Caleta-Car, who shares the same agent as four Villa players, is 25 years of age and has been with the Ligue 1 side since 2018.

The Croatia international has made 123 appearances for Marseille – 32 of which have come during the current campaign.

He’ll be entering the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, and it looks as if he is now wanted in the Midlands in what could be a major summer spending spree ahead of Steven Gerrard’s first full season in charge.

The Latest: Source shares update

FI shared a story regarding Villa and Caleta-Car on Saturday morning after being informed by a Villa source. They claimed that the centre-back is firmly on the club’s radar after Gerrard and Villa ‘hierarchy’ watched Caleta-Car in action during the week.

Neither Tyrone Mings or Ezri Konsa have completely convinced Gerrard since he took over, so it looks as if at least one centre-back will arrive over the coming months.

The Verdict: Gerrard impressed?

Marseille ran out 3-2 winners over Nantes in the week, with Caleta-Car playing the entirety of the victory with Gerrard and Villa chiefs watching on.

Gerrard may have been fairly impressed with what he saw from the defender, who, as per SofaScore, won 100% of his aerial duels and completed 75 of his 80 attempted passes.

Caleta-Car may well be available for a cut-price figure due to his contract situation in France, so a move to Villa Park could be one to keep an eye on ahead of the 2022/23 season.

In other news: Villa and Lange now want to sign ‘monstrous’ 7-trophy ace for Gerrard; talks underway. 

Leeds United have had a rather eventful second season back in the Premier League, seeing Jesse Marsch replace Marcelo Bielsa in the Elland Road dugout, as well as spending most of the campaign trying to avoid the relegation zone.

Now that Marsch will have the upcoming summer transfer window to make some changes to his squad ahead of 2022/23, it seems as though the 48-year-old may have a challenge on his hands keeping hold of one of his key players.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is a big fan of Kalvin Phillips, who is apparently on Fabio Paratici’s list of transfer targets for the north London club ahead of the summer window.

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Marsch would be fuming

As a product of the Yorkshire club’s youth system, the Englishman has gone on to make a total of 228 appearances for the Whites across all competitions. In those appearances, the £38k-per-week midfielder has chipped in with 14 goals and provided 13 assists along the way.

To highlight how important Phillips is to the team, out of the 14 league games that the 26-year-old missed between December and March with a hamstring injury, Leeds ended up losing 10 of them.

On the flip side, out of the 14 league games that Phillips has played in, Leeds have only lost three, showing that they are a better defensive unit when he’s in the side.

Labelled as a “wonderful talent” by Michael Brown, the England international has won 29 tackles this season, with only four other players registering more.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that the Leeds boss would be fuming if the club were to sell the midfield maestro this summer, especially to another Premier League side.

Moving forward, Marsch and the rest of the hierarchy at Elland Road should be doing everything they can behind the scenes to make sure that the Englishman doesn’t end up leaving the club anytime soon.

With next season in mind, it’s hard to imagine that Phillips wouldn’t be a significant figure for the Leeds manager in terms of his team set-up moving forward.

AND in other news: Orta given green light for “superb” £8.5m-rated signing, it’d be a huge coup for Leeds

Barcelona full-back Sergino Dest would be an ‘ambitious’ signing which could happen for Leeds United this summer, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Dest linked with Leeds move

Jesse Marsch will be looking to make his mark in the summer transfer window with some top players potentially coming in, assuming that Premier League safety is secured for the Whites.

Dest is one player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, with the 21-year-old likely to be allowed to leave Barceloa at the end of the current campaign.

The USA international has made 17 La Liga starts so far this season, providing three assists along the way.

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The Latest: Journalist talks up possible Dest swoop

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke talked up the idea of Dest heading to Leeds in the summer, saying that it would be a good fit for him given Marsch’s presence at Elland Road. The reporter said:

“He is definitely an ambitious target, but he is one that you can see makes a bit of sense, obviously, when you’ve got an American coach like Jesse Marsch, who will know all about Sergino Dest.

“Dest hasn’t had the best of times at Barcelona since his arrival from Ajax and he has been linked with a move away from the Nou Camp.”

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The Verdict: Perfect Ayling replacement

There is no denying that Luke Ayling has had far from his best season for the Whites, even though he chipped in with some key contributions along the way. The right-back turns 31 later this year, so Dest could be seen as an ideal long-term replacement for him, possibly even coming in as first-choice immediately.

Barcelona manager Xavi has hailed the American defender as ‘great’ and ‘spectacularly good’, which says a lot about his ability, and his attacking qualities would suit Marsch’s high-octane style of play.

The fact that Dest and Marsch are compatriots may help, too, as the manager looks to fully make his mark at Leeds moving forward.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly stepping up their interest in one player. Read more here.