Newcastle United have made an approach to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, according to reports.
The Lowdown: Pope alternative
The Magpies signed Nick Pope over the summer and he was immediately thrown in as the first-choice shot-stopper following Martin Dubravka’s exit.
Eddie Howe landed Loris Karius as a replacement for the Slovakian, though this was only on a short-term contract until January with the option to extend until the end of the season.
Now, it appears that the boss has identified exactly who he wants to bring to the Premier League as more serious competition for Pope.
The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Maignan
According to Italian outlet Calcio Style (via Sport Witness), Newcastle, alongside Brentford and Crystal Palace, are all ‘evaluating ambitious moves’ for Maignan.
It’s stated that his agent, Bruno Satin, ‘collects the proposals’ from England, where the 27-year-old is ‘liked’ by his trio of potential suitors.
The Milan keeper currently wants to ‘honour’ his contract at the San Siro until 2026, though is aware that the ‘sirens’ from the top flight are becoming ‘increasingly insistent’.
Pope is already 30 so the Magpies need to be thinking about signing a long-term replacement, and Maignan would provide an excellent choice between the sticks.
The Frenchman, dubbed ‘top class’ by sports journalist Josh Bunting, has kept 88 clean sheets throughout his career, with 21 of those coming in just 48 appearances for Milan (Transfermarkt).
Maignan also has three senior trophies to his name, so completing a deal if the price was right should be a no-brainer for PIF.
Kevin Thelwell is reportedly plotting a raid on Wolves to sign Daniel Podence for Everton.
The Lowdown: Wolves struggles
It is no secret that the Old Gold have struggled to score goals this season, with just five in the Premier League so far, the fewest of all 20 clubs.
Podence has perhaps been the standout player in an otherwise tame attack, with two of those goals his, while he is also ranking highly among his team-mates for average shots and key passes per game (WhoScored).
The Latest: Everton interest
According to Football Insider, Thelwell is eyeing a move to take Podence to Goodison Park.
The Merseyside club want to sign versatile attackers who are proven in the top flight, and the 27-year-old fits the bill.
His agent Jorge Mendes is looking to find him a new club over the next few months, with his current contract at Molineux expiring in 2024.
While Podence may not be the most prolific, with just 12 goals for Wolves over the last four seasons, he is playing in a team that gives him very few chances.
Frank Lampard’s side could get the best out of him, and he does not necessarily have to be a starter with the likes of Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray and Dwight McNeil in the squad.
Podence has actually won all three games that he has played against the Toffees, so taking him from a rival would be an added bonus.
Soumya Sarkar and 17-year-old offspinner Nayeem Hasan were the other inclusions in the Bangladesh Test squad that was trimmed to 13 players
Mohammad Isam17-Nov-2018
Shakib Al Hasan had a productive third morning•AFP
Shakib Al Hasan will lead Bangladesh in the first Test against West Indies, ending speculation about his finger injury. Shakib returned to training earlier this week after a month-long rehabilitation programme, following complications with the injury that he sustained in January this year.
IN: Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Nayeem Hasan
OUT: Liton Das, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Abu Jayed, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Islam
Shakib, Soumya Sarkar and 17-year-old offspinner Nayeem Hasan were the inclusions in the Bangladesh Test squad that was trimmed to 13 players from the 15-man squad that had been named against Zimbabwe. Liton Das, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Abu Jayed, Shafiul Islam and Nazmul Islam were all dropped.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that Shakib was fit but needed game time under his belt, while Soumya was picked to resolve Bangladesh’s Test opening conundrum, with Tamim Iqbal still recovering from a side strain.”He has no physical problems currently, but he is short of match fitness. But since he is a senior player, we think that he is ready,” Minhajul said. “Soumya has done well in the NCL. Our openers have failed in Tests, so we want to give him a chance. Soumya plays fast bowling quite well.”Soumya effectively replaces Liton who showed glimpses of form in ODIs but has struggled in Test cricket this year. Shanto, Jayed, Shafiul and Nazmul have all been dropped, according to Minhajul, because the selectors wanted a smaller Test squad. These players will be playing in the Bangladesh Cricket League, the first-class tournament which is scheduled to begin next week.It is, however, particularly chastening for Jayed, who was Bangladesh’s standout bowler July in the West Indies, but is suddenly behind Khaled Ahmed in the selectors’ pecking order.”[Abu Jayed] Rahi is not really dropped. We may go with one seam bowler, so there’s no point keeping him around the squad. The same goes for [Najmul Hossain] Shanto, Shafiul [Islam] and [Nazmul Islam] Apu,” Minhajul said.Nayeem, who was a surprise choice in the Bangladesh Test squad last January, has been picked this time for topping the wicket-takers’ charts in the NCL, the first-class tournament that concluded last week. Soumya meanwhile last played Tests more than a year ago.Squad: Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Ariful Haque, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Syed Khaled Ahmed, Naeem Hasan
Chelsea have been on a poor run of form in recent weeks, securing just six points from a possible 21 points across their last seven games. This run has included losses to the likes of Ipswich Town, Fulham and Manchester City, as well as draws against Everton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth.
This bad run of results has coincided with the loss of two key central defenders in December, with Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile both going down injured.
Levi Colwill had been partnered by Fofana for much of the season leading into the festive break, which saw the Blues sitting second in the Premier League.
But Enzo Maresca’s side have struggled after losing Fofana and Badiashile, who appeared to be the next in line to partner Colwill.
This could have the Blues directors on red alert, as this big drop in form has derailed their season, and a defensive solution will be high on their list, whether that comes this month or in the summer.
Chelsea looking at Premier League defender
According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen is understood to have a release clause in his contract, which will become valid from the summer of 2025.
It’s further revealed that Chelsea are said to “really appreciate” Huijsen, and he is high on their list of potential targets at the back.
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Bayern Munich have also asked to be informed on the 19-year-old, who could face plenty of competition for the Spanish central defender come the summer, after his excellent start to life in the Premier League with Bournemouth.
Huijsen has made 19 appearances since joining the Cherries this summer, scoring two goals, contributing to five clean sheets and totalling 1,330 minutes played.
How Huijsen compares to Fofana
Fofana has made 12 appearances so far this season for the Blues, before going down with his latest hamstring injury, contributing to three clean sheets and totalling 1,017 minutes played.
Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen
The Frenchman was often tasked with being aggressive on the opposition team’s best player, looking to win duels and make things uncomfortable for them, knowing if he was beaten, he had the recovery pace to still catch his man.
Dean Huijsen vs Wesley Fofana comparison
Stats (per 90 mins)
Huijsen
Fofana
Passes Attempted
54.7
60.8
Passes Completed
46.5
54.9
Passing Accuracy %
85.1%
90.25%
Forward Passes
22.4
18.5
Tackles
1.7
1.2
Interceptions
2.2
1.1
Blocks
1.5
0.8
Aerial Duels Won
2.7
2.1
Ground Duels Won
4.7
5.2
Stats taken from Squawka
When comparing the two defenders’ metrics from this season, you can see Huijsen is already outperforming Fofana from a defensive actions standpoint, which is a huge positive when you take into account the Frenchman’s role of marking the opposition’s best attacker.
The passing metrics favour Fofana, but you can assume much of that is due to play style, as Huijsen is often tasked to go more direct, as seen from his forward passing numbers.
Huijsen was labelled as “one of the most talented teenage CBs in Europe” by scout Jacek Kulig and further described as a “monster in the air” by Sky Sports’ Joe Tomlinson, showing maturity far beyond his years this season for Bournemouth.
Furthermore, the 6 foot 5 central defender has the frame to contest in a variety of duels, whilst also having the composure and footballing IQ beyond his years to read the game and arrive in the right place at the right time.
Wesley Fofana for Chelsea
The 19-year-old already has all the foundations of a brilliant centre-back and given time to develop, and bulk his upper body slightly to aid him in 1v1 duels against physical strikers, he is sure to improve even further, which could make him the perfect partner for Colwill going forwards, a partnership that could grow together and complement each other in a possession-based system.
Better than Garnacho: Chelsea could sign "one of the best LWs in Europe"
Chelsea can make better signing than Garnacho by going for this “high energy attacker”
Mikel Arteta has done some wonderful business in the transfer market during his time as Arsenal manager.
The Spaniard has signed the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus over the previous two summer transfer windows, and they have significantly improved the starting XI, all ranking highly in WhoScored’s performance metrics.
Despite the numerous positives, though, there have been a couple of howlers from the 40-year-old, with a former Chelsea player arguably leading the charge to be Arteta’s worst signing for the Gunners.
Willian rinsed Arsenal for 54 weeks
Willian joined Arsenal on a free transfer in 2020 following a stellar spell at Chelsea which saw him register 125 goal contributions (63 goals and 62 assists) while winning two Premier League titles and the Europa League.
Despite the Brazilian winger just turning 32, attracting a player of his quality was seen as solid business from Arteta, but the move didn’t exactly set the Emirates Stadium alight.
Scoring just once in 37 appearances wasn’t the impact that the manager would’ve expected from the player, and despite having a dribble success rate of 72% and making 1.3 key passes per game, the Brazilian couldn’t replicate his performances from his time at Chelsea.
Over the course of his 54-week spell at Arsenal, Willian rinsed the club of £7.4m as he was earning £138k-per-week. For just 37 appearances and a solitary goal, it wasn’t money well spent.
The 34-year-old was dubbed “woeful” by Jack Goff and the whole experiment obviously didn’t work out for either party.
A move to Corinthians followed before moving back to the Premier League, this time with Fulham, at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign.
Arteta has learned from this mistake and he appears to be diverting his attention to signing either youthful talents, or players at their peak, in order to improve his team going forward.
With the Gunners currently sitting pretty at the top of the league table, his methods seem to be working.
Aston Villa recently announced the appointment of Spanish manager Unai Emery as Steven Gerrard’s replacement and the boss enjoyed a terrific first game in charge as he beat Manchester United 3-1 in the Premier League.
The former Villarreal head coach only has one more top-flight match left before the World Cup in Qatar and two games prior to the opening of the January transfer window.
He may be active in the market to bolster his squad and the gaffer should be hoping to avoid any howlers, which is something recent Villa managers have failed to do.
Dean Smith enjoyed a largely successful spell in the Midlands, earning promotion out of the Championship and securing survival in the top flight, but he was no stranger to signing a flop.
One player he had a nightmare with was the arrival of striker Mbwana Samatta, who joined the Villans in an £8.5m deal from Genk in January 2020.
The English boss hailed the signing at the time, saying: “I’m really pleased we have managed to bring Mbwana to the club.
“He has scored goals throughout his career and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Samatta once claimed that Didier Drogba used to be his favourite player in the Premier League and that he tried to copy the former Chelsea forward’s movement and running style to improve his own performances.
Samatta may have copied the Ivorian legend’s style but the Villa flop was unable to replicate his goalscoring prowess. Drogba scored 104 goals and provided 64 assists in 254 Premier League games for the Blues, as he proved himself to be a prolific scorer in England over the course of a number of years.
However, the Villa striker struggled to make a positive impression in the English top flight as he scored once in 14 Premier League matches in the second half of the 2019/20 campaign.
He missed three ‘big chances’ and lost 59% of his individual duels in that time as he failed to find his best form in front of goal and was not able to dominate opposition defenders from a physical perspective.
This led to him being sent out on loan to Fenerbahce for the 2020/21 season and he mustered up six goals in 33 appearances in all competitions for the Turkish side, which led to a permanent move for an initial £5.5m.
Despite signing him permanently, Fener opted to instantly send him out on loan to Royal Antwerp in Belgium and his nine goals in 39 games there were not enough to convince his parent club to give him another chance as they loaned him out to Genk for 2022/23.
Samatta has scored once in 11 appearances and failed to provide a single assist in the Pro League this season, averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.65, as he has struggled to kickstart his career since flopping at Villa.
Smith had a mare by snapping him up in 2020, as the striker failed to make the grade in England, and the 29-year-old’s struggling form in Belgium this term does not suggest that the striker is going to turn his fortunes around any time soon.
Officials of the 49ers Enterprises have held January transfer talks with Leeds United board members, according to Beren Cross.
The Lowdown: Takeover rumours
Reports this week have suggested that there has been some movement in regards to a full takeover from the 49ers Enterprises.
Martyn Ziegler of The Times took to Twitter on Wednesday evening to say that the 49ers are gearing up for a full Leeds takeover, with investment now in place after movement in recent weeks.
It seems as if plans are now focused on the winter transfer window, with the Whites hoping to avoid another Premier League relegation battle.
The Latest: Transfer talks
Cross shared a story for Leeds Live on Thursday morning regarding the 49ers. He said that 49ers chiefs Jed York and Paraag Marathe were at Elland Road last weekend for ‘focused talks on January transfer plans, rather than anything particularly decisive on pulling the takeover trigger’.
The journalist added that Leeds are well aware that the upcoming transfer window is an ‘important month for the club’.
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The Verdict: Exciting times
It appears that Leeds are willing to bolster their squad at the earliest opportunity in 2023, which can only be considered exciting news for their supporters.
Jesse Marsch’s side could potentially do with a new forward, with Patrick Bamford – who is without a first-team goal in 2022 – struggling for form and fitness.
Centre-back Pascal Struijk has transformed into a left-back due to Junior Firpo’s absence as well, so perhaps these could be two areas in which the 49ers would be willing to invest come January.
An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Mykhaylo Mudryk ahead of the January transfer window…
What’s the talk?
According to Football Insider, PIF have given the green light for the club to splash the cash on a marquee signing at the start of 2023.
Although they are not set to sign as many as five players as they did in January 2022 with Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, and Matt Targett.
The report claims that the Magpies are ‘laying the groundwork’ for a possible swoop for the Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder, with the Ukraine international said to be one of the club’s top targets.
It is stated that Newcastle are in the market for a winger who can provide a threat in the final third and they have identified the 21-year-old, who transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently claimed is being valued at a fee in the region of £65m, as a potential signing.
Imagine him & Callum Wilson
Mudryk would be an exciting addition to Eddie Howe’s squad in the second half of the campaign as he is a winger who has shown that he has the potential to score and assist goals on a regular basis.
He could form a lethal partnership with current Toon striker Callum Wilson in the Premier League after the England international’s fantastic start to the season.
The former Bournemouth centre-forward has been on fire in the top-flight and has plundered six goals and two assists in 10 matches to date – just shy of a goal involvement every game.
Wilson, who scored eight goals in 16 Premier League outings last term, is a proven goalscorer at this level and could thrive off the service Mudryk could provide from out wide.
The Shakhtar winger has produced five goals and five assists in nine appearances in the Ukrainian top-flight this season and he has caught the eye in the Champions League, scoring three and assisting two in six matches.
RankFC podcaster Jack Collins once described him as “Bernardo-esque” and this is high praise for the 21-year-old as the Portuguese international is a four-time Premier League winner, who has racked up 106 goal contributions across 272 games for reigning champions Manchester City.
Mudryk has scored 10 goals and assisted 16 in 41 senior clashes for Shakhtar and has shown that he has the quality to score and assist goals.
His displays in Europe also indicate that he has the ability to play at the top level and this bodes well for his chances of adapting to life in the Premier League.
Therefore, he could form an exciting partnership with Wilson at the top end of the pitch as both players have showcased their immense talent at the top end of the pitch and they could punish teams by combining for goals at St. James’ Park.
Arsenal are interested in a deal to bring Pepê to The Emirates in the January transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication Record (via Sport Witness), who claim that both Arsenal and Chelsea are ‘attentively following’ the FC Porto flanker’s evolution in Liga Portugal ahead of launching a potential move for the 25-year-old this winter.
However, the report goes on to state that, with the Brazilian having recently put pen to paper on a contract extension at the Estádio do Dragão – a deal which includes a €75m (£65m) release clause – the Premier League sides will be aware that Porto can afford to be tough in negotiations for the winger.
Milner 2.0
Considering just how impressive Pepê has been in Portugal so far this season, coupled with the winger boasting extremely impressive positional versatility, it is not difficult to see why Mikel Arteta and Edu would be keen on a deal to bring the 25-year-old to north London in January.
Indeed, over his 13 Liga Portugal appearances so far in 2022/23, the £17m-rated talent has been in sensational form, scoring two goals, registering four assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.8 dribbles per game.
The £35k-per-week flanker has also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 1.8 interceptions and 1.3 tackles, as well as successfully regaining possession 1.2 times and winning 5.6 duels – at a success rate of 52% – per game.
These returns have seen the player who Fernando Campos dubbed “important” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.21, not only ranking him as Sérgio Conceição’s sixth-best performer in the league but also as the joint 22nd-best player in the top-flight of Portuguese football as a whole.
Furthermore, with Pepê having also featured in no fewer than five different positions over the course of the season – including left-wing, left wing-back, attacking midfield, right-wing and right-back – it is clear to see that the former Brazil U23 international’s positional versatility is a huge plus for a manager.
And, considering the success Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have enjoyed with their own utility man in James Milner – the 36-year-old midfielder who has been deployed in practically every position on the pitch aside from in goal – it is clear to see that a player in this mould can be incredibly useful in a title charge.
As such, while £65m is undoubtedly a great deal of money to spend in the winter window, should Edu go on to land Pepê in January and the winger develops into Arsenal’s own Milner at The Emirates, the Brazilian could well prove the difference between the Gunners winning the league or not come the end of the season.
Brighton would only sell rumoured Manchester United transfer target Robert Sanchez for a sizeable amount of money, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: Sanchez linked with United move
The 25-year-old is currently at the 2022 World Cup with Spain, being rewarded for his consistently strong performances for the Seagulls in the Premier League.
Sanchez has started all 14 league games so far this season, being described as a ‘monster’ of player by former Brighton manager Graham Potter.
The Spaniard has been linked with a move to United in recent weeks, as they potentially eye up a long-term replacement for David De Gea.
The Latest: Key update emerges
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones admitted that the Red Devils will likely only be able to get Sanchez if they are willing to spend big:
“It’s an interesting one. I mean, you’ve got to consider that Sanchez is going to cost a lot of money if there’s going to be a transfer involving him. Brighton aren’t going to let him go on the cheap.”
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The Verdict: Ideal De Gea replacement?
De Gea remains a top-quality goalkeeper with a number of years ahead of him at the top, but there are question marks over him being the perfect option for Erik ten Hag.
He isn’t the most comfortable with the ball at his feet – something the manager wants in all of his players at United – and he ranked the lowest in that area in the Premier League earlier this year. Sanchez could, therefore, be an upgrade in that respect.
At 25, the Brighton man is still young, too, particularly in goalkeeping terms, so he could come in and provide competition for De Gea, eventually replacing him as first-choice between the sticks.