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Newcastle and Arsenal have joined the race to sign Torino’s Gleison Bremer.

The Lowdown: Bremer profiled

Bremer is a Brazilian centre-back who has been with the Italian side since 2018. He has made 107 appearances for the club, scoring 13 times and registering five assists. Bremer, labelled as an ’emerging superstar’ by Serie A journalist Rajath Kumar, has even captained Torino on several occasions this season and has two years remaining on his deal.

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The 25-year-old shares the same agent as January signings Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, and it looks as if the Magpies have joined the race for the defender’s services.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

Sports Witness relayed an update from Gazzetta dello Sport regarding Bremer on Saturday.

They claimed that both Newcastle and Arsenal are the latest sides to show an interest in the defender who ‘everyone wants’, with his valuation now rising dramatically.

The Verdict: Shrewd signing?

Eddie Howe has five senior centre-backs to choose from at this moment in time, one of which is Fabian Schar, who is out of contract in the summer.

Bremer appears to be the type of player Newcastle could attract to the club, with Torino not in or challenging for any European competition.

However, it does look as if several clubs who are keen will be able to offer that luxury over the summer, possibly making it difficult for Amanda Staveley and co to get a deal over the line.

Staveley would have already spoken to Bremer’s agency in 2022 following deals for Trippier and Wood, so if an agreement can be reached with Torino, personal terms could be fairly straightforward.

In other news, find out what worrying Allan Saint-Maximin update has now been dropped here!

This has been a difficult campaign for Celtic despite them hiring the exciting Ange Postecoglou.

The Hoops were knocked out of the Champions League and after losing last weekend, Celtic have endured their worst start to a season for 23 years.

From a defensive point of view, the Bhoys are still a mess but their attacking football surely eclipses what we saw last season.

Under Neil Lennon, it’s highly unlikely that they’d have scored three away from home against Real Betis.

Postecoglou needs to learn quickly but what hasn’t helped is a number of injury blows in recent weeks.

Kyogo Furuhashi is set to miss the next six games after an injury sustained on international duty with Japan while Callum McGregor has missed the last two outings with a minor knock.

He is set to return to the fold on Thursday against Raith Rovers but Celtic have suffered a further setback.

Greg Taylor was due to undergo shoulder surgery this week and although the operation has proven successful, the Hoops have been rocked by the news that he could now miss the next 12 matches.

This is a seismic blow to Postecoglou, particularly as the left-back region is where they lack depth the most.

Adam Montgomery has deputised at times this season while such few options have led to Boli Bolingoli making an unexpected return to the side.

His appearance against Livingston last Sunday was a huge surprise. His pandemic related mishap at the beginning of last season made it look as though he’d never play for the club again.

Indeed, after being left out of their Europa League squad list, his chances of match action looked incredibly slim.

Bolingoli’s performance against Livi left a lot to be desired while Montgomery’s lack of experience might also be an issue to the manager too.

Taylor isn’t the most comfortable of full-backs from a defensive point of view but he is undoubtedly their number one choice in an important area of the pitch.

This is now a huge opportunity for others at the club to stand up and be noticed; they have to stake their claims to Postecoglou.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Kyogo: Celtic must swoop for “high quality” £2.7m-rated magician…

Manchester City are not interested in signing Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic this summer, with their sole focus up front being Tottenham Hotspur and England forward Harry Kane [The Athletic].

Enjoying a fantastic 2020/21 campaign, the Serbian forward registered 23 goal contributions in 40 appearances for his current employers; 21 goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

In the last few days, reports had suggested that the Citizens had made an approach for Vlahovic for around €80 million [City Xtra].

However, the forward won’t be pitching up at the Etihad this summer.

Vlahovic is not a target for Pep Guardiola’s men, with 28-year-old Kane their main priority as the window nears a close in less than two weeks [The Athletic].

In light of this news, no wonder loads of Manchester City diehards took to social media to share their observations on the latest situation, with one supporter calling it a ‘big mistake’.

Manchester City FC fans react:

Replying to popular Manchester City fan outlet City Xtra on Twitter, here is what some fans had to say about the Vlahovic update, with many seemingly upset they are not at least attempting to bring the colossal young forward to England:

“Pain”

Credit: @MCFCnish”big mistake”Credit: @jxantrd”That hurts. We should go for him if we aren’t able to sign Kane.”Credit: @milanmahat”I hate my football club”Credit: @amanatszn”Were not a serious club, Jesus and Torres will be our strikers this season. We are finished.”Credit: @PricelessMahrez”Signing a guy we could realistically get? No! Let’s keep trying to low ball Daniel Levy up until deadline day!”Credit: @VlahovicAviIn other news, Manchester City fans want one of the world’s best players. Find out who here.

Former Manchester City player Steve Howey has exclusively told Football FanCast that Gabriel Jesus has been devastating as a winger.

Following the Tottenham Hotspur match on the opening day of the Premier League campaign, Gabriel Jesus has moved to play as a right winger in the games against Norwich City and Arsenal.

Normally a centre-forward, Jesus has found some real form out wide as he has one goal and three assists to his name in the two games having featured there for Pep Guardiola’s team, with former Cityzen Howey described him as ‘devastating’.

He told FFC: “Yeah, I mean he was devastating really with the runs he was making in behind, I mean he terrorised the lad. He’s played there and even sometimes when he’s upfront, he drops right back, I mean, I can remember I think last season he gave away a penalty – this was in general play, so that’s how deep he sometimes drops. 

“We know what Pep’s like, he’ll switch around Mahrez and Sterling and Gundogan, and then Foden and then obviously Jesus but they don’t really play with a main striker. Sterling might go up there but then he will drop, he’ll go left, he’ll go right and so will Mahrez, they’ll just interchange.”

Pep Guardiola has played Ferran Torres as the centre-forward for the Cityzens in their opening four matches of the season (three Premier League and the Community Shield) and he has got two goals and one assist so far this season.

City looked to bring a central striker into the football club this summer with Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo linked with moves to the Etihad Stadium, but after back- to-back 5-0 wins and both Jesus and Torres hitting form in new positions, has Pep Guardiola found the perfect formula for City to defend their Premier League crown?

Leeds United picked up their first win of the Premier League season as they beat Watford 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday.

Diego Llorente’s first half strike was enough to secure the three points for the Whites as they worked hard to earn a win against the Hornets. The result takes Leeds up to 16th as it stands and three points off the top half of the table in this early stage of the season.

Despite the positives to come from winning the game, one player for Marcelo Bielsa’s team struggled to perform. Summer signing Dan James put in a worryingly ineffective display out wide, which will surely have left his manager feeling let down.

The 23-year-old has now played four Premier League games for Leeds and is yet to record a SofaScore rating of higher than 6.6 for the club. His rating against Watford on Saturday was a measly 6.2 as he failed to show what he can do in general play and in the final third.

In terms of his general play, James was a lightweight. As per SofaScore, he lost six of his 10 duels and made zero tackles in the game. He also gave the ball away 18 times and only completed 64% of his attempted passes, having 35 touches overall throughout the 90 minutes.

This suggests that he was too weak to deal with the strength of the Watford defenders, who eased him out of the way most of the time. Bielsa could be worried by this when Leeds come up against other teams who use their physical attributes to impose themselves on the Whites, as James may not be suited to such opponents based on this performance.

The Wales international did not redeem himself in the final third, either. As per SofaScore, James had a dribble success rate of 0% from four attempts and completed none of his attempted crosses. This led to him providing zero key passes in the match, whilst his only two shots were blocked by Watford defenders before they could reach Ben Foster’s goal.

Bielsa will surely have been feeling let down by James’ overall performance. The winger struggled both in his build-up play and in his execution of skill in key moments, leading to an all-round disappointing performance from the winger. Hopefully he will be able to repay Bielsa’s faith by coming back after the international break and improving the standard of his displays.

In other news: Leeds take major step as Thorp Arch news emerges, fans will be buzzing

Leeds United are still reportedly keen on signing Denmark international Mikkel Damsgaard this summer, with Marcelo Bielsa an admirer of the player.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Damsgaard move

The 21-year-old enjoyed a hugely impressive Euro 2020 campaign with Denmark, standing tall in the absence of Christian Eriksen and scoring a superb free-kick in the semi-final against England.

Leeds have been previously linked with a summer move for Damsgaard, as Bielsa looks to add to his squad in the final weeks of the transfer window.

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The Latest: Rumour refuses to go away

Another rumour has now emerged regarding Leeds’ potential pursuit of the Sampdoria attacking midfielder, with La Repubblica [via Sport Witness] reporting that the Whites are willing to rival Tottenham for the Dane’s signature.

It is claimed that Bielsa himself is ‘pushing hard’ to snap up Damsgaard, who is valued at £18million by Transfermarkt, but would likely cost more than that due to his stunning showings in the summer.

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The Verdict: Superb potential addition

Damsgaard showed what a talented young player he is at the Euros, scoring twice and assisting once, and he could provide some extra guile for Leeds in the final third.

There were times when central areas arguably needed an extra bit of creativity last season – Mateusz Klich and Kalvin Phillips only scored five Premier League goals between them – and the Sampdoria man could help solve that issue.

With Phillips protecting the defence and Damsgaard supplying the attack, Bielsa would have two up and coming stars in the heart of his midfield with proven quality and room to grow even further.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming after an update on one Reds player’s future. Read more here.

Leeds United could sign a big upgrade on Adam Forshaw in Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez amid suggestions that the club could reignite their move for the midfielder.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer window had claimed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were eyeing up a swoop for the 26-year-old, with Italian publication La Nuova Sardegna even suggesting that the Whites were ready to pay the €36m (£31m) release clause in order to bring him to Elland Road.

Ciclo Deportivo have now claimed (via FC Inter News) that the Whites could return to the table for Nandez, although it’s suggested that it could well be a ploy to get Serie A giants Inter to bid themselves.

Upgrade on Forshaw

With Kalvin Phillips out injured, it’s been up to Forshaw to bring some calm and experience to the Leeds midfield this season; and while the 30-year-old has tried to hold things down, Nandez would represent a real upgrade on him.

Speaking to This Is Futbol, Serie A football expert Conor Clancy said of the Uruguayan: “Anywhere Bielsa wants to play him, he’d do a job. I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

As per SofaScore, he averaged 1.8 tackles and won 6.1 duels per game in Serie A last term, which favours quite well when you compare him to Phillips – the Whites powerhouse averaged 2.6 tackles and won 5.3 duels per match in the Premier League.

Nandez’s performances for Cagliari even led journalist Mina Rzouki to say: “Cagliari’s Nandez is one of the most underrated players. God he’s been so amazing, especially in Cagliari’s last 3 games. He scored the equaliser against Napoli. Man of the match in the win against Udinese. Against Roma – just wow. Unstoppable.”

The £18m-rated Nandez appears to be the ideal solution to Bielsa’s lack of real midfield cover at Elland Road right now, with his combination of work rate and technique making him a perfect fit for the notoriously demanding Leeds manager.

This season, the Uruguayan has averaged far more duels won per game than Forshaw, while also offering a more consistent goal threat too, averaging more shots per match.

At four years his junior, and with plenty of experience in the Italian top flight, Nandez could seamlessly replace Forshaw in the starting line-up at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta must ensure that he does this one crucial thing…

With things appearing to be improving for Ange Postecoglou on a near-daily basis at Celtic in recent weeks, as the Bhoys’ form on the pitch has been drastically improving, as well as the club beginning to welcome back a number of their long-term absentees, there are plenty of positives at Parkhead at present.

However, one player who remains on the sidelines is 18-year-old Karamoko Dembele, with the winger revealing that he is set to remain out of action until the turn of the year due to recently undergoing surgery on an ankle fracture.

Despite this fact, when the teenager does eventually regain match fitness, it would appear extremely wise for the 56-year-old manager to place his trust in the teenager, as the forward is undoubtedly a player who could help revolutionise Celtic’s attack.

Indeed, despite having made a grand total of just eight first-team appearances for the club, there has nevertheless been a great deal of fanfare about the forward’s potential, with Ruud Gullit stating his belief that the England U18 international “looks pretty special”.

Meanwhile, French publication L’Equipe included Dembele in a 2019 list of wonderkids that also included Barcelona’s Ansu Fati and Inter Milan’s Sebastiano Esposito, dubbing the youngster an “extraordinary” talent.

It is easy to see why, as, having featured for Celtic U20s while just 13 years of age, the winger is a clearly player who possesses an incredible amount of ability, having already scored his first senior goal in a Celtic shirt in a 4-0 win over St Johnstone last season, as well as bagging the opener in a 2-1 win over Charlton Athletic in a pre-season friendly this summer.

As such, upon his return from injury, it would appear highly advisable for Postecoglou to start unleashing the £800-per-week 18-year-old in his starting XI on a regular basis. Not only would this be fantastic for the youngster’s development, but it would also undoubtedly aid Celtic’s creativity in the final third – something that has been lacking at times this season.

In other news: 61 game-changing actions prove Ange is finally living up to his biggest Celtic promise

According to Football Insider, some promising transfer news has come out of Tottenham Hotspur and it involves promising Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites eye lower league talent?

Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have been no strangers to lower league talent, according to reports in recent months.

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The likes of Djed Spence, currently shining on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough, has been at the centre of Tottenham’s interest alongside Posh defender Benjamin Mensah.

Tottenham have also apparently turned their attention to the signing of Oxford United defender Luke McNally in recent months with one bid of £2 million having already been put on the table (Football Insider).

Now, as per FI, news has emerged on another.

The Latest: Spurs prepare Edwards bid…

According to their information, Tottenham are preparing an offer for the centre-back as they line up a move.

Peterborough, it is believed, are braced for bids from the Lilywhites and other clubs with the north London side now stepping up their interest.

This comes after Spurs started making regular checks on Edwards ‘in recent weeks’.

The Verdict: Make a move?

The England Under-19 international is apparently very highly rated and has already been impressing in England’s second tier.

Edwards, still only a teenager, has played very regularly in the Championship under both ex-boss Duncan Ferguson and new manager Grant McCann.

In that time, he has stood out as a brilliant performer, averaging one of the highest pass accuracy percentages out of Peterborough’s squad whilst also a noteworthy amount of clearances per 90 (WhoScored).

Described as an ‘incredible talent’ by his former gaffer Ferguson, Edwards now attracting Spurs’ interest is hardly a surprise given some of his exceptional 2021/2022 performances.

In other news: Tottenham eye imminent agreement as they also make offer for exciting midfielder! Find out more here.

Newcastle United have offered Atalanta €30million (£25.1million) for striker Duvan Zapata, according to Duncan Castles for The Daily Record. 

The lowdown

Newcastle have already signed one striker this month in the form of Chris Wood. They activated the £25million release clause in the New Zealand frontman’s Burnley contract.

But it seems that Eddie Howe wants even more firepower at his disposal, with Zapata in the club’s sights as he enters the final 18 months of his contract in Bergamo.

Of course, Callum Wilson is out for the foreseeable future with a calf injury, and the Magpies will need all the help they can get in front of goal, having scored just 20 times in 20 top flight matches this term.

The latest

The report states that, while Atalanta are willing to sell, they want another €15million (or £12.5million) on top of Newcastle’s original offer.

Encouragingly though, Zapata is thought to be ‘open’ to joining Newcastle if a fee can be agreed.

Newcastle’s top target for the striker position is SL Benfica’s Darwin Nunez, but the Primeira Liga outfit are demanding just over £50million. ‘Sources close to the negotiations’ say Zapata is being lined up as an alternative.

He’s one of a number of ‘high-value’ targets Newcastle are working on.

The verdict

Zapata’s record is excellent. In 152 appearances for Atalanta, he’s been directly involved in 116 goals (scoring 78 and setting up 38). He’s on 12 goals and seven assists for the 21/22 season so far.

His ‘quite incredible’ performances under Gian Piero Gasperini have, in the words of football journalist Maxi Angelo, made him ‘one of the most notorious strikers in Europe’, and at 6 foot 2 with tremendous physical strength it’s not hard to see him adjusting to life in the Premier League.

If he’s willing to trade Europa League football and a Serie A top-four battle for a relegation scrap, it suggests he’s certainly up for the fight.

But there is a question mark – do Newcastle really another striker approaching their twilight years? They’ve paid a sizeable fee for Wood, and Wilson is 29, while Wood and Zapata are both 30. From that point of view, you could also ask whether this is sensible squad-building.

In other news, Luke Edwards breaks some ‘difficult’ transfer news.