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

What’s the talk?

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

He told GIVEMESPORT:

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

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

Worry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Antonio Conte must consider offloading one of Tottenham Hotspur’s struggling stars this January as he looks to change their fortunes in north London…

January approaching

The winter transfer window will be the first true sign of what the ‘Conte era’ could look like at Spurs as he’ll be able to make some additions of his own and perhaps shift on those that he does not want at the club.

Currently, his 3-4-3 system only accommodates a certain number of players, so some may find themselves frozen out as an unfortunate consequence of the Italian’s tactics.

Furthermore, the north London outfit have to be somewhat realistic, meaning they may well have to sell before they buy, at least if the 52-year-old and sporting director Fabio Paratici are looking at multiple additions.

Someone who could fit the bill as a potential money-spinner is Giovani Lo Celso, who has failed to set the ground alight in over two years at the club.

Lo Celso’s struggles

Indeed, the Argentina international cost a joint-club-record £55m in August 2019, arriving from LaLiga outfit Real Betis and with Christian Eriksen’s contract situation rumbling on in the background, there was huge hope that he would be the natural heir to his playmaking throne.

But that has not been the case, despite glimpses of promise.

Across 79 appearances for Spurs, the £25m-rated attacking midfielder has only provided eight goals and five assists, averaging a direct goal contribution once every 338.5 minutes – or once every six games, as per Transfermarkt.

When your supposed creative influence isn’t delivering in a shorter space of time than every six games, especially when leading the squad for key passes per 90 (2.1) this term, then it’s a problem and it suggests that the player isn’t performing to a good enough standard.

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For comparison, Eriksen managed a goal or assist every 151.6 minutes across six-and-a-half years in N17.

The 25-year-0ld has been a passenger at times, coasting through matches without any sort of involvement, and elements of his game have been woefully poor, such as at set-pieces. It’s been so disappointing that even a social media account highlighting his mistakes has emerged in recent months.

When you consider the amount chairman Daniel Levy paid for him over two years ago and his reported £100k-per-week wages, then the Argentine has cost the club around £850k per appearance, around £5.2m per contribution, and around £8.3m per goal.

It’s hard to argue against him being one of the biggest flops of recent times.

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For instance, Dele Alli often cops a lot of flak and is even thought to be one player that is available for transfer in January, per The Athletic, but he should not be sold over someone like Lo Celso, based on the above evidence.

Even more so as Conte has publicly revealed his admiration for the Englishman, who was frozen out by both Jose Mourinho and Nuno Santo, whilst another former manager, Tim Sherwood, has backed Alli to become the main no.10 under the Italian.

At just 25, Lo Celso could offer some sort of value if there are any interested parties this January and as such, he must be ruthlessly axed by Conte.

AND in other news, Spurs eye “explosive” £34m-rated gem likened to Lampard, he’s way better than Lo Celso…

As per 90min, Aston Villa sporting director Johan Lange appears to be eyeing a fresh transfer pursuit ahead of January as he aims to bolster Steven Gerrard’s options.

The Lowdown: Gerrard era begins…

The sacking of Dean Smith brought forward a new era at Villa Park with Premier League big name and SPFL title-winning boss Gerrard taking to the helm.

As Liverpool’s club legend takes on his first ever first team managerial role in the English top flight, he has been linked with possible raids in the winter window in an effort to reshape the squad.

Indeed, the forward positions in particular appear to be taking priority going by recent claims, with Spanish outlet Fichajes claiming Gerrard has personally requested Rangers star Ianis Hagi.

Meanwhile, Villa and Lange have also been tipped with a move for South American striker Julian Alvarez as the Argentine sensation dazzles with impressive form.

The Latest: Lange now eyeing Barbosa move…

As per 90min and transfer ‘insider’ Graeme Bailey, Aston Villa, and by extension sporting director Lange who is known for the club’s transfer activity, are weighing a move for Flamengo star Gabriel Barbosa.

The former Inter Milan striker is said to be attracting Villa’s interest with Gerrard’s side now among a plethora of Premier League teams ‘considering a bid’.

As Barbosa actively seeks a move away in January, with this report claiming he is ready to push for a move, it is also believed that the player’s agents are ‘actively looking at his options’ behind the scenes.

The Verdict: Ideal option?

If Villa want to add more forward depth for Gerrard, they couldn’t do much better than the 25-year-old in terms of electric form.

Indeed, Barbosa has bagged a prolific 29 goals across 2021 for Flamengo in all competitions, certainly demonstrating his killer instinct in front of goal after a spell to forget at Inter.

As he eyes a move back to Europe, the player may have emerged as a solid option for Lange and Villa ahead of January and it is believed Barbosa could depart his current club for a fee ‘in excess of £30 million’.

Bailey, explaining in the piece, says that clubs in the race for him consider that price tag worth it – citing the fact it’s unusual for a ‘top class’ striker to be available and seeking a move mid-season.

Taking this into account, we believe he could certainly come as an astute purchase for Villa and Gerrard.

In other news, whose fitness update is attracting interest from Villa fans? Find out here!

West Brom are struggling to take three points from a game right now, with just one win in their last five games putting them further adrift from an automatic promotion spot currently fulfilled by Fulham and Bournemouth.

Valerien Ismael’s side are struggling to score and two of their midfielders are now out on red card suspensions after both Jake Livermore and Jayson Molumby were red-carded in the space of less than a week.

With a lack of goals and diminishing depth in the squad thanks to injury and suspensions, there has been no better time for the transfer window to come along, and Ismael will be wanting to boost his chances to get the very best players in to cover key areas and get Albion back into the conversation for automatic promotion.

One player that Ismael seems prepared to get off the books to boost his transfer funds is 34-year-old midfielder, Robert Snodgrass.

According to Express & Star West Brom have made Snodgrass available for transfer in the upcoming window, and will be hoping that somebody will come in to sign him so that Ismael can focus on the future of the team.

The £24k-per-week midfielder was missing again from the side on Friday night, and Ismael was asked why he wasn’t included, not even on the bench;

“I picked the squad, as usual. I take the decision, the final decision, and this is the situation at the minute.” He responded.

“There is nothing more to say about the situation.”

Snodgrass has been with the Baggies less than a year after joining from West Ham United for an undisclosed fee under Sam Allardyce but has failed to secure a starting position in the team, and since a change in hands of management, Snodgrass has fallen out of favour to even get on the bench currently under Ismael.

Former Hull City manager, Steve Bruce, once said hailed Snodgrass for the “sparkle” he adds to the team but we’ve clearly not seen that at the Hawthorns. Since his arrival in the Midlands, the scot has failed to score or assist a single goal.

It is not known what Snodgrass would be valued at and what West Brom would be willing to accept as an offer for him but it is clear he is no longer in the plans of the manager and thus, he should be axed over the winter.

In other news: Johnstone tipped to stay at West Brom until summer

Following on from their narrow 1-0 win over Wolves in their latest Premier League outing, Liverpool are back in Champions League action this evening with their away group clash against AC Milan.

On the chalkboard

With Liverpool having already qualified to the next stage of the tournament after their 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid back in early November, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has the opportunity to rest and rotate some of his players on this occasion as he did by playing the likes of Neco Williams and Tyler Morton in their previous Champions League match against FC Porto.

On this occasion, one player that had a short but rather important cameo appearance in the recent win at Molineux that should be in the starting XI in midweek is Divock Origi.

With 22 minutes of the clash left to play against Bruno Lage’s side at the weekend, Klopp rolled the dice and put the Belgian on who then managed to fully repay the faith put in him by Klopp by scoring the winner.

The Belgian has previously shown his knack for bagging from the bench when he netted a consolation goal in their 3-2 defeat against West Ham United earlier in the season.

With this in mind, it would be a nice move by Klopp to give Origi the chance to shine from the start of the match against their Italian opponents tonight ahead of Diogo Jota, who should be rested ahead of Liverpool’s next league game against Aston Villa at the weekend.

Labelled as an “outstanding player” with “incredible” finishing abilities by Klopp after the Wolves game, the 26-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £82k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has scored 39 goals and provided 16 assists in 166 appearances across all competitions.

Looking ahead to the match in Milan, this match could be a great opportunity for Origi to show that he is more than just an impact player from the substitutes bench and has what it takes to put in a solid performance from the start.

If he does start this evening and manages to deliver an impressive display, there’s every chance that he could give himself a shot of starting their game against Villa as well.

In other news: Edwards must seal LFC swoop for £43m gem who Klopp dubbed “one of the biggest talents” – opinion

When Antonio Conte was handed the keys to the Tottenham Hotspur manager’s job, he knew he had a massive task on his hands.

Indeed, after a defeat to minnow NS Mura in Europe, he saw just how big a job was going to be required in order to turn around their fortunes.

Under Nuno Santo, the club’s style of play was boring and some damning attacking numbers were being lodged.

So far this term, they’ve registered the third-fewest shots per game (10.9) of any team in the Premier League, while they have scored just 16 times all campaign.

That’s a tally fewer than 19th placed Newcastle and also less than 15th placed Leeds.

Yet, their woes are now mounting. Tottenham have now had two games postponed due to confirmed cases of the pandemic rampaging through the Hotspur Way training ground.

Conte was able to hold a training session on Sunday but more bad news emerged on Monday morning as it was revealed that yet another first-team player, along with several members of the U23 squad had tested positive for the virus.

As a result, the club’s game this week with Leicester is now in doubt too.

This whole saga will come as a source of major anger for the Spurs manager as his ability to implement his style of play and get points on the board is being seriously hampered.

The festive period is an extremely important one for any club and with fixtures having to be postponed, it would only lead to another pile-up of games later in the season.

What’s worse is the potential impact it will have on fitness and stamina among the players. Not only will they be lacking in training but match fitness will also deteriorate.

The long-term impacts of the pandemic are well-known at this stage but you only need to look at the assessment from Everton defender Ben Godfrey to realise how some players could be affected.

He said earlier this year while struggling to recover: “I’d be blowing in the first few minutes — it was mad… you can’t describe it unless you’ve experienced it.

“It was like you had someone else’s body. I’d make a sprint and it’d feel like I’d played 88 minutes, even though it was five minutes into a game.”

Of course, the impacts are different for everybody but if a number of Tottenham’s players return in that state, it could be disastrous for their campaign long-term.

Based on that and the significant disruption that’s being caused, this is another big setback for the Lilywhites. Conte has every right to be rather angry right now.

AND in other news, “Tottenham are..” – Fabrizio Romano issues exciting transfer claim, fans surely elated…

After finishing in the top half of the table in their first season back in the Premier League after a 16-year absence, Leeds United’s current season has not been as smooth as most would have hoped for at the Yorkshire club.

With 18 games played, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have managed to win just three games whilst drawing seven and losing eight.

One big issue that Leeds have had to deal with this season is the fact that they have managed to concede 36 goals in those 18 games, leaving only Norwich City and Newcastle United, prior to their match against Manchester United, having conceded more.

Now that the January transfer window is set to open in a matter of days, this could give Bielsa the chance to fix some of the issues in his squad, particularly at the back, which the Whites are apparently looking to do.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Leeds are monitoring the situation of Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon who the north London club are likely to allow to leave.

The claim states he could leave “on a short-term deal” in order  “to get game time as he has struggled for minutes this season.”

Fixing an issue

Since joining Tottenham back in October last year from Championship club Swansea City, the 24-year-old has only made 13 appearances in the Premier League with 12 of them being from last season.

Leeds currently have defender Liam Cooper out through injury, meaning this could be a smart move from the Yorkshire club to bring in a capable centre-back such as the £24k-per-week Rodon, who has some experience of playing in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho once labelled the centre-back as a “perfect” player which considering he’s coached defenders such as Sergio Ramos and John Terry among many others during his managerial career, is quite the statement.

Rodon could prove to be a better option for Leeds than current centre-back Robin Koch who struggled in his first game back for Leeds in their 4-1 defeat against Arsenal after recovering from injury.

He was completely dreadful vs the Gunners, earning a woeful SofaScore rating of 5.9 and completing an uncharacteristic and measly 77% of his passes.

Keep in mind that journalist Ian Mitchelmore once dubbed him as “flawless” and it’s clear to see why he’d bring a greater degree of solidity to Bielsa’s backline.

Even though the report suggests that Newcastle United are in the lead to secure Rodon’s signature next month, Victor Orta should do all he can to sign the defender to see if he can help fix Bielsa’s issue of seeing his side concede too many goals.

In other news: Orta heading for unforgivable Leeds transfer disaster on “relentless” £36m-rated star – opinion

Flocking to Twitter, a number of West Ham United fans have reacted to a fresh transfer claim involving Aston Villa forward Anwar El Ghazi.

David Moyes has had a forward on his Irons transfer agenda for some time, with his search dating back to all the way last year.

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Indeed, after the club sold their record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax 12 months ago, the West Ham manager confirmed that his side were indeed on the look out and bids had been made.

That quest for new attacking additions has continued into 2022, with Football Insider now sharing the latest on Moyes’ and West Ham’s transfer plans for the winter window.

According to their information, the Irons – and by extension their manager – are plotting a move for El Ghazi this month, with the Hammers boss apparently seeing him as someone who can spearhead his attack through the middle.

This comes as Villa have put the player up for sale and are willing to negotiate either a temporary transfer or preferably a permanent one.

West Ham fans react…

Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham fans have reacted with their takes, with some certainly open to the idea of his signing while others have more mixed opinions.

Having scored 10 goals last season, you can see why some Irons supporters believe the “skilful” El Ghazi would be a shrewd capture, but others suggest that the club should set their sights higher this month.

Check out some of their verdicts below:

“Skilful player and decent shot on him, but we need Schick”

Credit: @DangeMcTowel

“Wouldn’t be totally against that”

Credit: @FinchieRiley

“I wanted him for us when he was at Ajax. Always been a quality footballer and might go up a level under Moyes”

Credit: @rockywhu

“An option for Benramha cover while at the African Nations Cup and beyond, I’d say more effective than Yarmo and Bowen having to swap wings. Smart addition if at the right price. Loves a penalty as well.”

Credit: @WHUFCpubtalk

“No way”

Credit: @isafitzzz

“I can see this happening and oddly working well”

Credit: @ChrisTheHammers

In other news: West Ham could now table bid to sign ‘unbelievable’ £31.5 million-valued star for Moyes, find out more here.

Taking to Twitter, Calciomercato journalist Alessio Lento has shared the latest on Tottenham Hotspur’s outgoings as he makes a claim involving Giovani Lo Celso.

The Lowdown: Conte makes ‘evaluations’…

Speaking before the January transfer window opened, Spurs manager Antonio Conte declared that he was making player ‘evaluations’ as he weighed up who should stay or leave the club this winter.

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The likes of Dele Alli and Matt Doherty have already been linked with a move away from north London as the club reportedly set their sights on bolstering key areas of the squad, such as right-wing back (Evening Standard).

Amid his current lack of game time at N17, Lo Celso is another player who could leave Spurs this month, as Lento takes to social media with his information.

The Latest: Lo Celso ‘ready to accept’ loan transfer…

According to the Italian reporter, the Argentina midfielder is ‘ready to accept’ a loan transfer away from Tottenham in January, with Serie A giants Juventus having already made the ‘first approaches’.

“First approaches between Lo Celso and Juventus,” Lento explained on Twitter.

“The player of Tottenham is very fond of option and would be ready to accept a loan as well. The Bianconeri, however, are not the only ones on the trail of the Argentinian midfielder.”

The Verdict: Green light?

Depending on the variation of Conte’s three-at-the back formations, with attacking midfielders consistently deployed in his system (BBC), we believe Lo Celso could still be an asset at Spurs if the Italian can nurture his best form.

Slammed for being a ‘passenger’ in some matches this season, as explained by club insider John Wenham (Football Insider), his form for Argentina is at the other end of the spectrum. National team boss Lionel Scaloni even hailed the 25-year-old as ‘one of the best in the world’ in his position, with the 36-cap ace consistently favoured by his country (Transfermarkt).

If Lo Celso can transfer his international form to club level with Spurs, Conte may yet unearth a fine attacking alternative as he aims to guide the Lilywhites to a top-four finish.

In other news: ‘Absolute no-brainer’…Sky Sports pundit thrilled by ‘exciting’ transfer news out of Spurs, find out more here.

Manchester United have been linked to many different players rumoured to make a move to Old Trafford during the transfer window, however, there are also many players who are touted with a move away from the club, despite Ralf Rangnick being brought in over the last few months to change the direction the side were heading in.

What’s the word?

Popular transfer insider, Fabrizio Romano, was interviewed by fan YouTube channel, The United Stand, on Tuesday to answer some questions on the most pressing topics surrounding Manchester United’s transfer window.

Romano spoke on Dean Henderson’s current situation at the club and stance on his place in the squad, saying:

“He’s going to push for a move, because he wants to go, he wants to play, he needs to play and Man United are open to do it.”

“But it’s not easy, it’s definitely not easy, because for goalkeepers everything is still quiet around Europe.”

The 24-year-old has been linked to Ajax and Spurs over the last few weeks, for a move during this transfer window, but there has been no official interest in the keeper as of yet.

Fans will be gutted

Henderson showed so much potential last season, playing 26 games for Manchester United in all competitions, with 13 clean sheets, picking up points from an impressive 19 of the 26 games he featured in goal for the club.

As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise if plenty of the Old Trafford faithful were left gutted by his departure from the club. One fan even questioned the lack of selection for the Red Devils player on social media, Tweeting;

“I would love to know why Dean Henderson never gets a chance at United. All those players in the squad who consistently show they are not good enough for United keep getting a chance … again and again.”

Indeed, it’s clear to see they’d be left rather sad and disappointed at his exit, especially at this stage of the season.

With the number of competitions the club is still involved over the next few months with the squad competing in the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup, with many important games coming up, it would not be ideal to lose any players that can add quality depth to the side, given the large number of fixtures Manchester United face should they thrive in the tournaments.

Additionally, they’d be losing one of their best homegrown prospects, somebody who could don the gloves for United over a multitude of years.

In other news: Rangnick could axe Martial by signing Dembele