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The Daily Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards has confirmed that two of Newcastle United’s ‘leading targets’ are Christian Pulisic and Conor Gallagher.

The Lowdown: Chelsea players wanted

As per 90min, the St. James’ Park outfit are thought to hold an interest in signing as many as four players from Chelsea in this transfer window.

As well as Pulisic and Gallagher, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Armando Broja are also thought to be on their radar, as they look to strengthen their attacking options before the deadline, with Hudson-Odoi seemingly the most advanced going by recent rumours.

The Latest: ‘Leading targets’

Taking to Twitter, Edwards has revealed that out of all of the Blues players the North East club are interested in signing on loan, Pulisic and Gallagher are the ‘leading targets’:

“Update on #nufc interest in Chelsea loans. Pulisic & Gallagher are two leading targets but no closer to knowing whether they will get either.”

The Verdict: Sign both?

Pulisic and Gallagher would certainly help strengthen Eddie Howe’s attacking options going into the rest of the season.

Nicknamed ‘Captain America’ due to his starring and leading role in the USA national team, Pulisic already has 50 caps for his country at the tender age of just 23, scoring an impressive 21 goals (Transfermarkt).

Meanwhile, Gallagher is a player who impressed so much while on loan at Crystal Palace last season, winning their Player of the Season (POTS) award and breaking into the England squad under Gareth Southgate.

Of course, both have the experience of playing in the Premier League, and at 23 and 22 years of age respectively, they have the potential to hit new heights in a Magpies shirt.

West Ham United are reportedly plotting a raft of new additions before the September deadline, as manager David Moyes seeks to bolster his squad depth.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Ryan Taylor – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – the Hammers are attempting to conclude deals for three players at present, with Fenerbache’s Attila Szalai, Club Brugge giant Hans Vanaken and Spezia defender Jakub Kiwior all tipped for a move to the London Stadium.

The transfer insider stated: “Yeah definitely, I think Kiwior, Szalai, and Vanaken are ones that West Ham are actively trying to do at the moment. But the kind of situation with West Ham at the moment seems to be they’re not really making any progress on a number of deals.

“We saw the Emerson deal initially collapse, and the Club Brugge lad [Vanaken] seems to be sort of being held in Belgium at the moment, in terms of they don’t want him to go.”

The east Londoners are said to have had a €10m (£8.5m) bid turned down for Vanaken as well as a €12m (£10m) offer rebuffed for Kiwior, while the suggestion is that Szalai could cost in the region of £15m.

Newman masterclass

Managing to snap up around £33.5m worth of talent – plus the possible addition of Chelsea’s Emerson Palmieri – before the window slams shut on 1 September would represent something of a transfer masterclass for head of recruitment Rob Newman, with the Englishman seemingly pulling out all the stops to improve Moyes’ ranks.

The need for new acquisitions has been laid bare by what’s been a tricky start to the new season, with three defeats in as many games in the league thus far leaving the Irons languishing at the foot of the table having yet to score a top-flight goal.

The addition of Vanaken – who has already spoken of his desire to make the move – could well solve that issue, with the Belgian playmaker having scored 102 goals and provided 73 assists in 344 games across all competitions since arriving at his current side back in 2015.

In the case of Kiwior, the Polish centre-back would add further steel to a backline that has been ravaged by injury of late, with the loss of summer signing Nayef Aguerd having proven a particularly cruel blow for the Premier League side.

The 22-year-old could help fill that void having thrived in Italy of late, with the two-cap gem notably averaging 2.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions from his 22 Serie A games last term, with that a far better record than the likes of Craig Dawson – who averaged 0.9 for both metrics – and Kurt Zouma (0.5 tackles and 1.4 interceptions) from the 2021/22 campaign.

Adding Szalai into the mix would also help to further strengthen that failing defensive unit which has shipped five league goals already this season, with the Hungarian colossus also offering the benefit of being able to feature at both centre-back and left-back, as well as on the left of a back three – where he recently lined up for his country in the 4-0 thrashing of England.

Such acquisitions could well prove astute pieces of business for Newman and co, with West Ham able to strengthen in a number of other areas without seemingly having to break the bank.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their pursuit of Edouard Michut in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Black Cats are in discussions over a deal to sign the 19-year-old before next week’s deadline.

He tweeted:

“Sunderland have opened talks with Paris Saint-Germain to sign Édouard Michut. He’s their dream signing for the midfield. #PSG Talks will continue as there are many clubs interested in Michut since June.”

It remains to be seen whether the Championship club are looking to land him on a permanent deal or on loan from the French champions, although he was valued at £2m earlier this summer.

Imagine him & Alex Pritchard

Kristjaan Speakman could land Alex Neil a dream pairing in the middle of the park by signing Michut to play just behind Pritchard this season.

There is a lack of data on his performances for the French giants at youth level but it has been noted that the youngster is a press-resistant midfielder who excels at recycling and progressing the ball from a number eight or 10 position on the pitch.,

This suggests that he could excel whilst playing as an eight behind Pritchard as he would be able to break lines and progress the play to find the Englishman in space in the final third.

The ex-Norwich man has enjoyed a fine start to the campaign in the Championship. He has assisted two goals and created 2.4 chances per match – the second-most in the squad – in five outings in the second tier.

This comes after he managed nine assists and 2.0 key passes per game in 39 League One appearances for the Black Cats on their way to promotion in 2021/22.

These statistics show that he is a player capable of unlocking doors in the final third. Pritchard can create chances for his teammates on a regular basis and that is why Michut’s ability to progress the ball forwards could get the best out of him.

The Frenchman, who scout Jacek Kulig dubbed “extremely interesting”, could give the number 21 more opportunities to work his magic at the top end of the pitch by avoiding the opposition press and playing between the lines.

Michut has also already racked up eight appearances for PSG’s first-team, which is no easy feat with the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar ahead of him. Last season, he played 66 minutes of action in Ligue 1 and registered one assist – his only senior goal contribution to date.

This suggests that he is deemed ready to play at first-team level, despite being 19, and this another reason, along with his potential link-up with Pritchard – why he could be an excellent signing for the Black Cats.

West Bromwich Albion slipped to yet another defeat last night, meaning they have only won one of their last eight in all competitions.

Despite dominating the game on the statistics, boasting 64% possession and 18 shots, a Scott Hogan hat trick was enough to see Birmingham City run out 3-2 winners in this Championship clash.

The Baggies were pegged back early but showed fighting spirit to equalise just seven minutes later through Jed Wallace. A wonderful team goal that slipped the winger through to finish through the legs of the keeper.

However, another two goals meant that Brandon Thomas-Asante’s late penalty, his second goal in as many games, was merely a consolation.

Despite there being a number of poor performers for Steve Bruce, one that stands out is a man they have been so reliant on over the years.

Only three of his teammates received a worse SofaScore rating than Kyle Bartley, with goalkeeper David Button receiving the worst due to not making a single save.

However, Bartley’s 6.3 SofaScore rating is indicative of a man who offered little protection to the man in between the sticks. The 31-year-old made zero tackles throughout the game, outlining his uselessness in defending his goal.

One could expect his experience to shine through for West Brom during this tough period, however, he badly let Bruce down with a defensive disaster class that cost his side.

This performance extended further to the fact that he blocked no shots and made no interceptions either, whilst the 6 foot 1 lightweight also lost possession 13 times from just 59 touches before being hooked in the 77th minute.

He lost Hogan for the first goal which allowed him to cut in and score and not only did he give the ball away initially, but he was beaten once again by the striker for the third goal.

A man who has been renowned across the Hawthorns for his no-nonsense defensive attitude, he will be disappointed by the façade unravelled last night, leaving the Midlands side 20th in the league with just nine points from nine games.

Bruce will certainly be feeling the pressure, as he was brought in to steer the side to a playoff push. Instead, they seem to be slumping towards the wrong end of the table, and performances like Bartley’s will not help him at all in changing their fortunes.

They will now travel to second-placed Norwich City in the hopes they can pull off a miracle and topple one of the favourites for promotion.

Leeds United are not in action in the Premier League this weekend after their clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford was postponed.

This means that Jesse Marsch’s team does not have a competitive match until they face Aston Villa at Elland Road on the 2nd of October, with their last outing against Brentford on the 3rd of September.

The Whites will head into their clash with the Villans after almost a month away from top-flight action and, whilst it could affect the match fitness of players, it gives the manager plenty of time to plot a way out of the current poor run of form.

Leeds have lost two of their last three Premier League matches, drawing the other one, and conceded seven goals in those clashes, against Brighton, Everton, and Brentford.

One player who may or may not be available to feature against Villa is centre-forward Rodrigo after he suffered a shoulder injury at the end of August in the draw with the Toffees.

The Spaniard enjoyed a phenomenal start to the campaign as he scored four goals and provided one assist in five top-flight appearances, prior to being hit with a knock.

After the blow, Marsch provided an update on his situation as he said: “That means that it doesn’t need surgery and that hopefully in three to four weeks it can calm down. Maybe it takes a little bit longer, maybe it’s a little bit shorter.”

If the former Valencia star is unavailable for the meeting with Villa, then Marsch must unleash striker Patrick Bamford, who has 164 goals and assists in his club career, from the start to fill the gap that his teammate would be leaving in the team.

The Englishman has had a rough time over the past year or so as he has struggled with injury issues. He was hit with three separate problems last term as he missed 30 games in all competitions, which restricted him to seven starts in the Premier League – scoring two and assisting two in that time.

Bamford started this season whilst attempting to get back to full fitness and has only started two matches so far. This led to Marsch sending him to the U21s to play in a game against Southampton earlier this week and he caught the eye as he secured a hat-trick in 53 minutes.

His performance could be enough to spark Leeds’ “goal machine” – as he was once dubbed by Sam McGuire – back into life. The forward, who was previously lauded as “exceptional” Jurgen Klopp, has proven in the past that he has the quality to be a lethal striker in the Premier League, scoring 17 goals in 37 starts in the 2020/21 campaign.

Therefore, he could be the man to lead the line in place of Rodrigo after the international break. Marsch must give him the opportunity to prove that his heroics for the U21s can give him a boost in the top-flight and bring out the best of him once again.

Manchester United are already working on a January move for Benfica forward Goncalo Ramos, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Ramos profiled

Ramos, labelled as ‘brilliant in the air’ by North East broadcaster Andy Sixsmith amid summer links to Newcastle, is primarily a centre-forward who can also play as a second striker or attacking midfielder.

The 21-year-old reportedly has a huge €120m (£100m) release clause in his Benfica contract and has scored 22 goals in 71 appearances for his current employers.

He is a product of Benfica’s academy and has already netted four times in six league appearances this season, and it looks as if Ramos is on United’s radar.

The Latest: United contact

The Sun shared a story on Monday regarding United and Ramos, claiming that the Red Devils have now made contact with the player’s representatives.

The report adds that United chiefs are plotting a £25m swoop to bolster Erik ten Hag’s attacking ranks, with Bayern Munich also eyeing Ramos.

The Verdict: Makes sense

United didn’t bring in a new centre-forward over the summer, leaving Ten Hag with limited options to choose from.

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have already suffered injuries this season, whereas Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t appear to be first choice at Old Trafford.

Therefore, bringing in a young talent like Ramos who already has plenty of experience could be an extremely wise move both in the short and long run, so this could be one to monitor ahead of 2023.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has been reacting to an injury to Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers during the international break.

The Lowdown: International break injuries

Carter-Vickers was absent in the Hoops’ 2-0 defeat to St Mirren prior to the international break and was left out of the USA squad due to a ‘minor’ injury. The centre-back is also thought to be a major doubt for this weekend’s clash with Motherwell.

Celtic’s issues went from bad to worse during the international break, with Daizen Maeda, Sead Haksabanovic and Giorgos Giakoumakis all suffering injury scares while representing their countries.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

O’Rourke, talking to The Transfer Tavern, labelled Carter-Vickers a Celtic ‘leader’ and said that the injury is ‘a blow to Ange Postecoglou’s side’.

“He is a bit of a leader in that Celtic team, so to lose him will be a blow to Ange Postecoglou’s side because the replacements are nowhere near as good as Carter-Vickers.”

The Verdict: Postecoglou’s options

Carl Starfelt has been out for almost a month now, last featuring against Rangers on September 3, with Postecoglou hinting that he could ‘potentially’ return after the international break.

Stephen Welsh and Moritz Jenz started against St Mirren, so the Hoops boss may have to call upon the pair once again, should Carter-Vickers and Starfelt miss out.

Welsh especially struggled last time out and was one of the worst performing outfield Celtic players, as per SofaScore, with a match rating of 6.5/10, so Postecoglou will be hoping for an improved display, while also wanting Starfelt and Carter-Vickers back fit as soon as possible.

Sunderland have enjoyed a solid return to life in the Championship this season after spending four seasons in the third tier of English football.

The Black Cats won promotion back to the second division by winning the League One play-offs under Alex Neil in the 2021/22 campaign and currently sit 11th in the table after 13 matches.

One of the club’s key players this season has been the versatile Luke O’Nien, who has been relied upon by Neil and since the Scotsman’s departure to Stoke, Tony Mowbray.

The Englishman has played in 12 of Sunderland’s league games and been called upon at right centre-back, centre-back and central midfield so far, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.00.

O’Nien has offered versatility throughout his career as he has played over 35 matches at centre-back, right-back, central midfield, and defensive midfield to date.

He was previously described as a “revelation” by former manager Jack Ross and Mowbray could unearth the next version of the former Wycombe man by unearthing a player from the academy – Zak Johnson.

The defender made his first-team debut off the bench in the EFL Trophy at the age of 16 last season and this shows that Lee Johnson felt he was ready for first-team exposure, despite still being in his teens.

He was handed a three-year professional contract in the summer and the youngster was described as an “exciting” player to watch out for, as he has “key defensive attributes”, by journalist Josh Bunting.

The youngster has played ten matches as a right-back and 21 as a centre-back for the Black Cats at youth level and this suggests that he has the versatility to fulfil a similar role to O’Nien in that he can play across the defence, as a full-back or centrally in a four or as a wide central defender in a back three – where the ex-Wycombe man has spent a lot of his time this term.

Johnson has made himself a regular in the U21 side, playing 20 Premier League 2 games since the start of last season, before his 18th birthday, which shows how impressive he has been as he has been able to rise up the ranks quickly instead of being stuck in the U18s.

The challenge for him now is to impress Mowbray enough in training to earn himself a league debut for the club in the Championship this season or in forthcoming campaigns. If he can do that and is able to adjust to playing senior football then he could be the next O’Nien for Sunderland – providing quality displays in multiple positions at the back.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a boost ahead of their Premier League meeting with Everton on Saturday evening.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, Frank Lampard revealed that, despite initial hopes that Yerry Mina would be fit for the trip to Spurs this weekend – having not featured since the Toffees’ 1-0 loss to Chelsea on the opening day of the season – the centre-back will now not be available on Saturday after picking up a “small calf injury” in training this week.

Regarding the condition of the 28-year-old, Lampard said: “Yerry has had a little bit of a setback this week and so won’t be available.”

Boost for Conte

While it is true that Everton have been particularly impressive in a defensive capacity even without the services of Mina so far this season – shipping just nine goals over their nine league fixtures, the joint-best record in the division – the absence of the Colombia international will nevertheless still come as a boost to Antonio Conte and his side ahead of the match.

Indeed, the £18m-rated talent has consistently impressed over his four full seasons at Goodison Park, earning seasonal SofaScore match ratings of 6.75 in 2018/19, 6.98 in 2019/20, 7.07 in 2020/21 and 6.84 last time out, ranking him as the Toffees’ 12th-best, fifth-best, fifth-best and 12th-best performer in each respective season.

Furthermore, according to FBref, the £120k-per-week defender ranks in the top 14% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues and European competitions for both blocks and aerial duels won per 90 over the last 365 days, proving just how imposing a presence the 28-year-old is at the back.

As such, it is clear to see the news that the 39-cap international will not be fit to feature against Spurs this weekend will come as a big boost to Conte’s chances of taking all three points back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – a result the 53-year-old will be desperate for in order to keep his side’s top four hopes alive heading into the World Cup break.

Aston Villa youngster Cameron Archer could potentially require surgery on a groin injury, according to an update from reliable journalist Ashley Preece.

The Lowdown: Archer out injured

The 20-year-old has enjoyed some of a breakthrough season at Villa Park, making three appearances in the Premier League, albeit as a late substitute in all of them.

Unfortunately, a groin issue has struck Archer down at just the wrong time, even though the forward will be available for Sunday’s clash with Chelsea.

A worrying update has emerged regarding the Villa man – one that could see him sidelined for an extended period.

The Latest: Groin surgery possible

Taking to Twitter, The Birmingham Mail‘s Preece claimed that Archer could need surgery on his injury:

“Cameron Archer facing possibility of groin surgery, perhaps, but will be available this weekend vs Chelsea as Villa look to iron out his ongoing issue ‘at a later date’.”

The Verdict: Big blow for youngster

This is a potentially cruel setback for Archer, just as he was starting to gradually feature in Steven Gerrard’s plans and earn trust in some important games.

Should surgery be needed, however, the Englishman will likely face a couple of months on the sidelines, meaning he wouldn’t return until after the World Cup.

The hope is that Archer’s issue isn’t as serious as feared, though, and that he is able to continue his positive progress, having scored 17 goals in 36 appearances for Villa’s Under-21s.