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Newcastle United could now replace Steve Bruce with Chris Wilder, according to journalist Lee Ryder.

The Lowdown: Bruce under pressure

Bruce is certainly under pressure to get some results in the board, as the Magpies currently sit 19th in the Premier League, with no wins and a mere three points from their first seven games (Premier League).

That said, Mike Ashley seems to be sticking by his man for now, and the international break could not come at a better time for the Tyneside club.

The Latest: Bruce replacement?

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder has revealed that Wilder is among a list of names who could replace Bruce should he leave St James’ Park, with both Eddie Howe and Frank Lampard also being mentioned.

Wilder would reportedly ‘love’ to get the Magpies job and would be a contender if the position did become vacant, according to this report.

The Verdict: Wilder in

Given Newcastle’s poor start to the season, and with a lot of fans calling for Bruce to go, the international break seems to present itself with a perfect time to change manager and get prepared for when the squad returns.

In this case, they should look no further than Wilder. Although Sheffield United were relegated in his second top-flight season at Bramall Lane, the 54-year-old guided the Blades to a very impressive ninth-placed finish the previous term, having just been promoted up from the Championship.

Joe Cole has noted the ‘fantastic’ brand of football that Wilder’s teams often play, and given that his preferred formation is to play with three central defenders like Bruce does, the players should not find it too difficult to adapt to his system and tactics.

He is currently out of the job at the moment, so Newcastle should look to get him in before another club beats them to the chase.

In other news, find out what ‘massive boost’ Newcastle have received

Celtic will battle Hibernian in the race to sign Sligo Rovers forward Johnny Kenny, according to Irish Fan TV founder Paul Nealon.

The Lowdown: Kenny profiled

Kenny, described as a ‘really important’ signing by Rovers boss Liam Buckley earlier this year, is 18 years of age and is an out and out centre-forward.

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He’s under contract with his Irish employers until 2024 and scored 11 times in 33 appearances in 2020/21.

The Hoops were linked with Kenny over the summer, and it seems as if they are back in for the teenager heading into the January window.

The Latest: Nealon’s post

Nealon took to Twitter late on Tuesday evening to provide an update on Kenny’s future.

He claimed that the Hoops and Hibs, who will meet in the League Cup final on Sunday, are set to ‘battle it out’ for Kenny ‘over the next few days’.

The Verdict: Fourth January target?

Celtic aren’t hanging around when it comes to putting plans in place for the winter window, and it seems as if Kenny could be the club’s fourth January target.

Ange Postecoglou is looking to bring in Japanese trio Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi, so Kenny could well be the fourth addition of 2022.

Should Celtic pip Hibs in the race for Kenny, they could have a future star on their hands, with the youngster already finding the back of the net in senior football for fun.

Either way, the fact the club are prepared in advance and acting fast for the January window should have fans breathing a sigh of relief after the recent years of tumultuous transfer business under Peter Lawwell and Dominic McKay.

In other news: Celtic set to lose millions on colossus who wants out of Parkhead in January. 

Manchester United are getting close to securing the appointment of Erik ten Hag to take over at Old Trafford this summer, however their transfer targets are proving more difficult to convince joining the club with a new update on one potential move.

What’s the word?

According to The Mirror, Harry Kane is set to snub Manchester United’s advancements this summer to stay at Tottenham Hotspur with Antonio Conte.

The report suggests that ten Hag has made the England captain his ‘top striker target’ to sign upon his arrival when the transfer window opens on June 10th, but Kane would prefer to remain as the main man under his new Italian manager following their huge chance of Champions League football next season.

ten Hag will be disappointed

As mentioned in the report, ten Hag had set Kane as his top target for the Man United forward line this summer, so to already lose the chance of signing the striker will sure be hugely disappointing to the Dutch coach ahead of his arrival at the club.

The £200k-p/w star who was hailed “world class” by Antonio Conte, had a slow start to his season, only scoring and assisting once in his first 13 Premier League games but has been back to his best since his new Italian manager arrived at the club in November.

Under Conte’s guidance, Kane has been phenomenal scoring 15 goals and contributing eight assists, with his link up play being one of his most commendable attributes in the second half of this season delivering five assists in the last three league games.

This attacking output is something that Manchester United are desperate for, and ten Hag clearly values the impact and quality that the Spurs striker could add to his new squad next season, but with Rangnick failing to secure a comfortable position in the top four this snub could be a common theme for the club during the transfer window.

If Man United don’t qualify for Champions League football it could lead to a major set-back in the 52 year old manager’s ability to build the team he wants to lead at Old Trafford, with top players like Kane preferring to play in the prestigious European competition.

In other news: Imagine him & Ten Hag: Man Utd could unearth Pogba 2.0 in “versatile” £100k-p/w dynamo

West Ham United have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, David Moyes revealed that both Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell look set to miss the visit of Southampton on Sunday afternoon, as both players have failed to recover from their respective knocks.

Speaking about the current condition of Antonio – who missed the 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening after testing positive for the ongoing viral pandemic – the 58-year-old manager said: “He has no symptoms and I have to say that he is double vaccinated.

“For all those things hopefully we might have him back, yes. The rules have changed so I think he will have a chance. I never said [he would be back on] Boxing Day though, I said over Christmas. I will find out more a little bit later on and we’ll see.”

Meanwhile, the Scot said of Cresswell’s back injury: “It’s taking longer than we expected. We are missing him. He slid into the post at Manchester City and he’s got a slight, I don’t know if you call it on his rib or vertebrae, but he’s got something that is a problem.”

Moyes will be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the West Ham side both Antonio and Cresswell have been so far this season, the news that both players could once again miss out on Sunday’s fixture is sure to have left Moyes fuming.

Indeed, over Antonio’s 16 Premier League appearances this term, the £10.8m-rated centre-forward has scored six goals, registered four assists and created six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots and making 1.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the Jamacia international average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.17, ranking him as the Hammers’ second-best performer in the top flight of English football.

Meanwhile, over Cresswell’s 13 league outings, the £3.6m-rated left-back has helped his side keep three clean sheets, scored one goal and provided one assist, as well as making an average of 1.7 key passes, 0.9 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and winning 64% of his duels per fixture.

These metrics have seen the 32-year-old defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.15, ranking him as the Irons’ third-best player in the division in the current campaign.

As such, once again being without the stricken duo against Southampton this weekend will undoubtedly reduce Moyes’ chances of picking up all three points in the clash – something which would come as a huge blow to West Ham’s chances of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League come next May.

In other news: Moyes can finally axe “special” £115k-p/w West Ham flop by signing 21 y/o “phenomenon”

Rangers are among the clubs eyeing teenage prodigy Zak Lovelace, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns. 

The lowdown

The youngster, who will turn 16 next week, became the second-youngest player in Millwall’s history when he made an appearance from the bench against Coventry City in December.

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, the striker had to get ‘permission from his parents and his school’ to join up with the Lions squad for the fixture. Lovelace has been called to train with the club’s first team ‘several’ times.

The latest

Rangers have ‘regularly’ scouted Lovelace this season and are hopeful of signing him, as per The Daily Record. They face competition from the Premier League, with Leicester City and Brighton mentioned as prospective suitors.

Millwall are described as ‘desperate’ to keep hold of Lovelace, for whom they have ‘massive hopes’, and they are trying to persuade him to sign a professional contract at The Den.

The verdict

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has waxed lyrical about Lovelace, saying: “Zak is a really good lad. He has come in with a humility and hunger to want to do well – that exuberance of youth. I’d love to see how that develops over the next two or three years because he could be, from what I’ve seen, a top player.”

However, the 47-year-old admitted that the London club might not have full control over the teenager’s next move, so it could come down to who can offer him the clearest or swiftest path to senior football.

Rangers have clearly been impressed on their trips to watch Lovelace if they are interested in signing him, and they may even think that he’s a superstar in the making. After all, journalist Dan Marsh urged fans to ‘remember the name’ when the 15-year-old came on against Coventry.

In other news, Rangers are in a strong position to land this defender

Leeds United have been extremely impressive in the current campaign but they’re still at risk of slipping out of the automatic promotion places if they suffer a dip in form. 

The Whites have already secured the services of Kiko Casilla this month, but there’re a couple of areas that still require improvements at Elland Road, so Andrea Radrizzani has a big job on his hands.

Indeed, Jack Clarke could leave this month amid interest (as per The Sun) from the Premier League and Marcelo Bielsa has already sent Samu Saiz out on loan, so attacking reinforcements are definitely required. And, with Kalvin Phillips filling in at centre-back a lot of the time, it would make sense for the Leeds boss to bring in a defender.

Interestingly, the answer to Leeds United’s winger situation could be Everton’s Yannick Bolasie.

Bolasie is back at Premier League club Everton after activating a break clause in his loan deal with Aston Villa. He was starting to build up ahead of steam under Dean Smith with two goals and five assists to his name, so he would be a great signing for the Whites as he can offer pace and skill, as well as the ability to score and provide.

One of Leeds United’s biggest problems up until this point the current campaign has been finding cover at the heart of the defence, as Liam Cooper and Pontus Jansson have both spent time out the sidelines. Aapo Halme has impressed during his limited appearances, but he lacks the experience required given the Whites’ current position.

So, Radrizzani could play a big part in securing a deal for Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings.

The Englishman hasn’t been able to secure a regular place at the Vitality Stadium in the current campaign, so a loan move makes sense for the defender. He can operate either at left-back or at the heart of the defence, which is one aspect that would help Leeds massively. And, he has previous experience in the Championship from his time at Ipswich Town, as well as all the defensive attributes needed to become a big part of Leeds’ promotion push.

Leeds United fans – thoughts on potential moves for Mings and Bolasie?

An update has emerged on Manchester United midfield Donny van de Beek, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to The Metro, the Magpies are one of three teams tracking his situation at Old Trafford, with Everton and Juventus also keeping tabs on him.

The report claims that the Red Devils are open to letting the £35m midfielder leave in January and are willing to sanction a loan or permanent switch.

Unlock Willock

Newcastle’s owners, PIF, could pull off a masterstroke by signing van de Beek from Manchester United as it could help to unlock the goalscoring talents of Joe Willock.

The club’s only senior addition in the summer was the signing of Willock on a permanent deal from Arsenal for a reported fee of £26.46m. This came after he scored a sensational eight goals in 11 Premier League starts for the Magpies on loan in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign.

Instead of continuing his fine form, the ex-Gunner has failed to score in eight league matches for Newcastle and nine games in all competitions. He has been unable to reach his previous goalscoring heights and that is why the signing of van de Beek could be crucial.

Last season, United legend Rio Ferdinand claimed that he has the ability to help other players shine. He told BT Sport (via Tribal Football):

“I think he is the one player in this squad who is happy playing one-touch, two-touch, keeping it simple… sacrificing parts of his game to help other people flourish.

“In any great team you need players like that and he’s one player who will make other players tick, and make them play better.”

This suggests that signing the £100k-per-week beast could allow Willock to thrive in midfield alongside him and return to his goalscoring best.

Van de Beek recorded 19 assists in his final two seasons for Ajax and his unselfish play in the midfield could unlock the English youngster and end up forming a formidable partnership for the Magpies in the middle of the park.

Therefore, PIF must ensure that they are able to get a deal over the line for the Dutchman in January.

A loan with an option to sign him permanently in the summer could be an ideal move, with Newcastle able to see if he can help Willock flourish whilst also catching the eye himself in the top-flight before committing to a permanent switch.

AND in other news, Bruce’s legacy: “Immense” NUFC dynamo has seen his value plummet £9.9m in two years…

Many Wolves fans have been slamming the performance of Rayan Ait-Nouri in their 0-0 draw at home to Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The left wing-back was pretty solid defensively, helping his team to keep a clean sheet at Molineux, but a number of supporters grew frustrated with his end product in the attacking third of the pitch.

Ait-Nouri made no key passes or accurate long balls and also misplaced eight of his crosses, as he was guilty of losing possession of the ball on 30 separate occasions on the night, by far the most out of any player on both teams (SofaScore).

Based on those numbers, he will need to improve the attacking side of his game if Bruno Lage’s team are to pose more of a threat going forward.

Wolves fans slam Ait-Nouri

These Wolves supporters slammed the 20-year-old’s performance on Twitter, with one going as far as to claim that he was ‘awful’ against the Clarets:

“Ait-Nouri incredibly poor tonight, very frustrating”

Credit: @JasonA87151323

“Terrible performance, Ait-Nouri and Semedo’s final ball is so bad. Raul didn’t move. No urgency whatsoever.”

Credit: @mitchdavis_1

“Ait-Nouri is so overrated, only knows one trick and can’t cross past the first man”

Credit: @lrandall_luke

“Ait-Nouri is awful need a replacement urgently, mind you Semedo was just as awful with his crosses tonight”

Credit: @jongriffin40

“I’ve seen more creativity in my kids’ plays at school than Ait-Nouri and Semedo offer. Had the whole game to do something and didn’t create a single chance”

Credit: @Jordski86

“Ait-Nouri can’t cross a ball. Imagine Jonny causing his brand of chaos down that flank. Miss him.”

Credit: @thesteduck

In other news, find out whose display against Burnley was also slammed by many Wolves fans

Tottenham Hotspur insider John Wenham has claimed that Fabio Paratici could complete a swap deal with Villarreal for Pau Torres, with Giovani Lo Celso going the other way.

The Lowdown: Lo Celso impressing at Villarreal

After joining the La Liga outfit on loan in January, the 26-year-old has gone on to make a great impression with his new side, having been awarded player of the match in Villarreal’s shock 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week.

As a result, a number of rumours have arisen linking the Argentina international with a permanent move to the Spanish club.

This comes amid Spurs’ interest in Torres, after the north London club failed in their pursuit of signing the centre-back last summer.

A recruitment source recently revealed to Football Insider that, once again, the 25-year-old is on Tottenham’s radar ahead of a potential summer swoop.

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The Latest: Wenham’s claim…

Wenham has suggested that Tottenham and Villarreal could come to an agreement over a swap deal for the two players.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “I think Villarreal are likely to agree a deal for Lo Celso. They actually have several players who are of interest to Tottenham.

“There is no clause in that [Lo Celso] deal but Fabio Paratici likes a swap deal so I’m sure we could work something out there.

“There is previous interest in Pau Torres, he is someone who we have looked at before.

“Danjuma is in great form and they have a good young talent in Yeremi. That is definitely an option we could take.”

The Verdict: Could be a great deal for Spurs

Given Torres’ label as the long-term successor for Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid, it is clear that his arrival at Hotspur Way would be an incredible piece of business for Paratici to pull off.

However, a swap deal between the pair seems unlikely given the differences in their respective transfer values. Torres has a current market value of £45m, whereas Lo Celso is worth just £19.8m.

Therefore, unless Spurs are going to cough up a vast sum alongside the midfielder, the proposed swap deal does not appear feasible.

Either way, it appears that Lo Celso will sign a permanent deal with Villarreal ahead of next season, where he appears to be having a better time of things than he did in north London.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Paratici’s scouting mission to see Djed Spence

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold expects the club to allow Pierluigi Gollini to return to Atalanta and delay their pursuit of a successor for Hugo Lloris until 2023. 

The lowdown

Spurs signed Gollini on a season-long loan from Atalanta last summer, when Nuno Espirito Santo was the manager.

Under the agreement, The Lilywhites have the option to buy the 27-year-old at the end of the season.

Gollini has made ten appearances for the club, all of them coming in European competition or the domestic cups.

Even then, Antonio Conte favoured Lloris for the first leg of the EFL Cup semifinal against Chelsea, as well as the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Middlesbrough.

It’s believed that the optional fee is in the region of £13million.

The latest

Asked if Gollini is likely to stay, Gold told Football London readers that he can’t ‘see much sense’ for either party ‘in making the deal permanent’.

‘There’s no real sense,’ he says, that Gollini would be in a position to take over from Lloris in 2022/23.

Parting ways with the Italian could see Spurs bring in a new back-up ‘keeper, but Gold says he’d be ‘surprised’ if anyone gave up ‘regular first team football elsewhere’ to serve as Lloris’ understudy.

As such, a successful move for West Brom’s Sam Johnstone is unlikely.

The journalist’s expectation is that Spurs will look to recruit a long-term heir to the veteran skipper ‘the following summer’.

The verdict

Gollini may have to find a new club this summer regardless.

In preparation for his loan departure, Atalanta shelled out £18million on a new no. 1 in the form of Joan Musso.

The ‘excellent’ Gollini won praise in pre-season from former Spurs man Graham Roberts for his ‘fantastic positioning’ and ‘great distribution’, and team-mate Eric Dier has called him ‘amazing’.

But clearly Spurs haven’t seen enough to think he can genuinely challenge Lloris, who tellingly signed a new contract in January with his old deal set to expire.

In other news, a medical expert has shared his verdict on Ryan Sessegnon.