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A key feature of Newcastle United’s recent rise under Eddie Howe has been the strength of the club’s defensive unit, with the Magpies having appeared almost impenetrable at times this season.

The Tynesiders – who have lost just once in the Premier League this term – currently boast the best defensive record in the division, having conceded just 13 goals in 22 top-flight outings to date.

Even despite that standout record, though, it does appear that the Magpies could be looking to further bolster their backline, amid recent links to Bayer Leverkusen starlet Piero Hincapie.

What’s the latest on Hincapie to Newcastle?

According to a recent report from Football Insider, the St James’ Park outfit – along with Tottenham Hotspur – have been named as potential suitors for the 21-year-old this summer, having reportedly held talks with the Ecuador international last month.

The report suggests that the highly-coveted youngster could now command a fee of around £50m if he is to depart any time soon, having only recently signed a new deal to keep him at the BayArena until 2027.

Could Hincapie be an upgrade on Dan Burn?

Forking out that rather sizeable outlay could well be worth it for Howe and co, with Hincapie having impressed as a result of his form in Germany of late, offering the versatility to feature at both centre-back and left-back.

That flexibility should ensure that the “dominant” asset – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – could prove a potential upgrade on Dan Burn in the Newcastle side, with the towering Englishman also able to line up in either role on the left of the defence.

Although the 6 foot 6 powerhouse has been a leading figure for Newcastle of late – having started 21 league games this season – the 30-year-old may well find himself usurped from the team if the Leverkusen gem is snapped up any time soon.

That difference in quality is laid bare by the fact that Hincapie has averaged 1.6 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game in the German top flight this season, while Burn has averaged only 1.1 and 0.9 for those same two metrics respectively.

Equally, while the latter ranks in just the top 50% for interceptions made among full-backs in Europe’s big five leagues, the Ecuador star – who has been tipped by Kulig to be a “future legend” for his country – ranks in the top 10% in that regard.

Hincapie also seems to provide a greater attacking intent from his defensive berth, as he ranks in the top 14% for attempted passes as a marker of his forward-thinking approach, while the current Magpies rock ranks in just the bottom 17% in that regard.

While the Blyth native has been a key figure in the Newcastle squad since his £13m arrival a year ago – proving to be an “absolute steal” according to pundit Frank McAvennie – signing Hincapie could provide Howe’s defence with that extra sprinkling of quality.

Nick Pope’s red card for Newcastle United this weekend has been slammed by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp as he feels it is too harsh a punishment.

The Lowdown: Nick Pope puts Newcastle down to 10

Newcastle were already 2-0 down when Pope decided to meet a long ball towards his penalty area, but his misjudgement saw him handle the ball, leaving referee Paul Tierney no choice but to send the England man off.

Threatening to put the game out of sight at an emotionally charged St James’ Park, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson sent a long punt downfield towards Mohamed Salah, and while Pope beat the Egyptian to the ball, he illegally denied the Reds winger a goalscoring opportunity in the process.

It means that Pope will now miss the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United next weekend, but there was sympathy for the former Burnley star in the Sky Sports studio.

The Latest: Jamie Redknapp fumes over Pope’s red

Speaking on Sky’s live coverage of the game (18/02/2022; 18.20), Redknapp acknowledged that the referee had no choice but to give Pope his marching orders, though could not hide his disdain for the laws of the game.

He said: “That’s the rule. Do you know what, not because the guy’s going to miss a cup final, I think it’s always been a terrible rule.

“I don’t like it, he’s not meant to do it. The lad is now going to miss a cup final, and you’ve got a player trying to get back on the goalline…

“I think that’s a rule that has to change, unless it’s right outside the box and he does it completely on purpose. I really feel sorry for Newcastle and Nick Pope, there.”

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The Verdict: Big task for Eddie Howe

Going without your goalkeeper is one thing, but missing the player with the most clean sheets in the Premier League this season ahead of the club’s biggest match for over two decades is hugely unfortunate timing for all concerned.

Of course, there is no debate to be had over Tierney’s decision to send Pope for an early bath, as Pope clearly made a mess of his attempted clearance and stopped Salah racing through for a third Liverpool goal.

While the severity of Pope’s transgression perhaps doesn’t warrant such a harsh punishment, he will have known the risks having been so far out of his box, and would have been wiser to either play it safer or hand Salah the chance to extend the visitors’ lead – though that is far easier to say in hindsight and from afar.

So although we agree the punishment may not fit the crime, we are not as sympathetic towards Pope as Redknapp is – particularly with the cup final in mind, as it arguably makes the Magpies’ task next Sunday a taller order than it already was.

Howe is ironically unable to field the cup-tied Martin Dubravka against his former loan side, so No 3 ‘keeper Loris Karius potentially leaves the Toon significantly weaker between the sticks – especially if the German’s big-game previous is anything to go by.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that Danny Ings may start for West Ham United this weekend ahead of Michail Antonio this weekend after training well.

What’s the latest on Ings, his injury and West Ham?

The Irons have a hugely important game in the Premier League today as they take on Nottingham Forest at home. David Moyes’ men can lift themselves out of the bottom three with a win, but a loss could see the manager sacked according to some reports.

Fortunately for the 59-year-old, he should at least have a couple of decent options to choose from with both Ings and Antonio supposedly fit and ready to play.

The striker recently signed from Aston Villa has faced some injury issues since arriving in January and his manager was vague about his chance of starting against Forest in his pre-game press conference.

Indeed, he told football.london: “I think that Danny Ings is getting fit now. He got an injury in his first game after 30 seconds and I really look through our injuries this season, it’s been quite incredible, really.

While adding: “Getting Danny fit now is really important to us. I want Danny to get chances to show exactly why we’ve brought him.”

After this though, in a written post shared on The West Ham Way Patreon page, Ex revealed Ings has been doing well on the training pitch and so may get a start.

He said: “Danny Ings has trained well and is pushing for a start although Antonio has stated that he hopes to get back amongst the goals and keep us up.

“The game is likely to again come too early for Gianluca Scamacca to start and he is expected to continue on the bench.”

Should David Moyes start Ings or Antonio?

It’s certainly big for Moyes if both Ings and Antonio are available to start. While having Scamacca as an option on the bench too will be more than welcome too, even if he’s not quite fit enough to last the full 90.

After all, between Antonio and Scamacca they have 13 goals this season, while Ings also have seven in all competitions – though he is yet to score for West Ham.

As mentioned earlier, this is a huge game for the club amid their relegation concerns and a win would take them within two points of Forest who are currently 13th in the league.

And so, while Moyes may feel on the precipice, a good performance from his strikers could see the club pick up three points and ease all the mounting pressure.

It’ll certainly be interesting to how Ings gets on if he is afforded a first start in West Ham colours. Perhaps he can come in and immediately save his new manager’s job.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has personally targeted RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol as a replacement for Aymeric Laporte.

The Lowdown: Laporte benched…

Part of life as a player under Guardiola is growing accustomed to his ever-rotating starting eleven, with previously untouchable stars not exempt.

Laporte has played a significant role in City title challenges, most recently usurping John Stones as the main partner to Ruben Dias last season.

The Spaniard has been praised for his performances at Eastlands, having made over 170 appearances for the club whilst playing a hand in 11 major trophies (Transfermarkt).

However, this season Guardiola has largely experimented with City’s back four/back three – chopping and changing with the likes of Manuel Akanji seeing plenty of minutes.

The Latest: Man City eye Gvardiol…

As such, Laporte is now believed to be unhappy with his game time and prepared to leave Manchester.

This is according to Foot Mercato, who also claim City have already identified the 28-year-old’s replacement.

It is believed Guardiola has personally targeted RB Leipzig star Gvardiol as Laporte’s heir with City marking him out as a key transfer target.

City even lodged a £96 million-plus-bonuses ‘offer’ to Leipzig in January but no agreement was reached.

Gvardiol, after this failed attempt, remains a summer ‘priority’ for the Blues.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Called a ‘sensational’ defender by members of the press, Gvardiol absolutely dazzled for Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – further raising his stock as one of football’s most promising young central defenders.

City supporters will remember the 21-year-old for his goal against them in the Champions League recently.

Indeed, Gvardiol buried an equalising header in their last 16 tie against Leipzig with the first leg finishing 1-1.

The Croatian is set to face off against Guardiola’s side at the Etihad this month, a match which may well act as another audition for the player.

Gvardiol may certainly be worth the effort to obtain going by his growing reputation, not to mention Guardiola’s alleged fondness.

Manchester United will ‘go all out’ to acquire the services of a big-name striker during the summer transfer window, according to an exciting new update.

The Lowdown: United lacking a top striker

The Red Devils have enjoyed a largely excellent first season under Erik ten Hag, winning the EFL Cup and still pushing for glory in the Europa League and FA Cup.

United have top-quality players all over the pitch, whether it be Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes or Raphael Varane, among others, but they are lacking an elite striker to front that impressive new spine.

Wout Weghorst is a limited player who is yet to score in seven Premier League appearances, while Anthony Martial’s injury problems continue to hold him back.

The Latest: Key update emerges

According to Football Insider, a new striker is United’s ‘top priority’ once the summer window arrives, following ‘talks’ between Ten Hag and the Glazers.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure has only heightened the need for a centre forward to come in and they will ‘go all out’ for one at the end of the season.

The Verdict: Kane or Osimhen?

At this point, it looks as though Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen are the front-runners to be United’s star striker signing, following recent reports regarding the pair.

Either of them would be a potentially game-changing addition to Ten Hag’s attack and he must do all he can to bring one of them in during the summer.

In Kane, United would be signing one of the greatest Premier League strikers ever – someone who has scored a record-breaking 268 goals in 423 appearances for Tottenham – and he could be the perfect foil for Rashford and Antony either side of him.

He does turn 30 this summer, however, which is where 24-year-old Osimhen has the edge, with the Napoli star scoring 19 goals in Serie A this season and being compared to Didier Drogba by Jose Mourinho.

The Sun journalist Daniel Cutts was left fuming after hearing that Arsenal are being investigated by the FA for their celebrations after Reiss Nelson’s goal.

The Lowdown: FA investigation

As per football.london, the FA are investigating Arsenal’s celebrations after Nelson’s dramatic last-minute winner in the 3-2 victory against Bournemouth in the Premier League over the weekend.

The North London club’s coaching staff and substitutes ran onto the pitch to celebrate the goal, and referee Chris Kavanagh has reported those celebrations to the FA.

It is not clear if the Gunners will receive any sanction for them, but they did seemingly go against the IFAB Laws of the Game.

The Latest: Cutts fumes

Taking to Twitter, Cutts fumed after hearing the news, claiming that it is ‘frightening’ how ‘out of touch with fans’ that the officials and law-makers are:

“The FA investigating Arsenal’s celebrations after their 97th minute winner is the most laughable thing I’ve heard in a long time. So out of touch with fans it’s frightening. Useless.”

The Verdict: Common sense needed

In situations like these, officials and law-makers need to show a bit of common sense.

Yes, they need to stick to the rulebook, but they must be more in touch with the emotional side of the game, in what was a potentially season-defining moment for Mikel Arteta’s team.

Nelson’s winner was the last chance of the match, with the hosts securing a dramatic comeback from being 2-0 down.

It was the difference between three points and one, and given what is at stake in terms of the title race, the club and its staff had every right to celebrate that emotional moment accordingly.

Leeds United's board have been slammed by Simon Jordan over issues behind the scenes which could well be having an effect on the pitch.

What did Simon Jordan say about Leeds?

It has been another challenging season for the Whites who find themselves slumped in the bottom three of the Premier League table with just 12 games to go.

It still remains extremely tight around the bottom with two consecutive wins for Leeds potentially able to take them as high as 12th depending on results elsewhere.

However, issues behind the scenes surrounding the potential sale of the club to 49ers Enterprises have been questioned alongside other decisions made by the current owner.

Indeed, speaking on TalkSport, Jordan has questioned the behind-the-scenes running of the club and issues which may well be harming the club on the pitch:

"If you keep, a bit like Icarus, flying close to the sun, you're going to get burned in the end, aren't you? And you're now flying close to the sun again on the second season.

"And they haven't spent enormous amounts of money, but there's so much riding on this, you know, with Andrea [Radrizzani] probably going to leave the club if it stays in the Premier League with an acquisition structure that's in place, not possibly there if it's in the Championship.

"There's so much going on perhaps behind the scenes; you hear things about players that are being sold by one particular part of the football club that the other part of the football club may not want them to sell."

Is the Leeds board harming the club?

We have seen on numerous occasions that the club's sporting director, Victor Orta, has become involved in altercations with certain fans of the clubs at the games.

The Spaniard has, at times, been unable to keep his emotions in check which has seen him caught in the middle of some unprofessional incidents with the fans.

However, as mentioned by Jordan, if the board are selling certain players which others would have wanted to keep at the club, then of course there is the possibility for issues to arise on the pitch.

Leeds brought in a number of players this season but have not spent massively compared to others in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, they did see a lot of money come in through the sales of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips last summer leaving the club with a net spend of just £28m (via Transfermarkt).

And this has been a major issue for the Whites in being able to bring some money back into the club through player sales.

Raphinha and Phillips aside, over the last two seasons, Leeds have brought in less than £1m in player sales and only a few million pounds through loan deals.

Naturally, that will limit any club's ability to spend and that could well be the reason why Leeds are struggling so much again this season with relegation a serious possibility.

And considering the club could potentially be sold if they are able to keep their Premier League status, relegation could have huge ramifications for the West Yorkshire club.

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy could well be looking to line up a potential successor for Fabio Paratici as his off-field issues continue to rumble on in the background.

What is the latest with Fabio Paratici?

The Italian director of football was slapped with a 30-month ban earlier in the year from the Italian court after he was found guilty of false accounting issues from his time at Juventus.

And it is believed the final result of his ban will be heard in the coming weeks as to whether it has a wider effect than Paratici simply being banned from any involvement in Italian football.

If the Italian Olympic Committee find his ban to have been correctly judged, they will then forward it on to UEFA and FIFA to ask for it to be made a worldwide ban from football.

At a time when Spurs are believed to be looking to sack their manager, journalist Alasdair Gold told the Last Word On Spurs that Levy will likely be considering his options to possibly succeed Paratici:

"Well, knowing the way that football club works, there's always someone else. There's always someone being lined up.

"So I have no doubt that if they are deciding they're going to keep pursuing down this route – and as I said earlier, it's a route that Daniel Levy clearly loves – I'd imagine, yes, there will be someone else that comes in."

Should Spurs bring in another director of football?

It is believed Paratici is currently involved in the search for a manager to potentially succeed Antonio Conte – whether that be now or at the end of the season.

Reports would suggest the 50-year-old has already drawn up a shortlist of potential managerial candidates who could be brought in to replace his Italian colleague.

However, it has to be questioned whether Levy will have that much faith in Paratici's advice on a potential successor when his previous hire went so badly wrong.

It is believed Paratici was the one at Tottenham who fronted the pursuit to bring in Nuno Espirito Santo back in 2021 and has to convince Levy to make the appointment.

Who may potentially succeed Conte may also have a huge part to play in whether Spurs were to replace Paratici if he is to leave the club for whatever reason over the coming months.

With the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, it is said that he would not be keen on working under a set-up like Spurs currently have and isn't in favour of having a director of football.

This will likely leave Levy in a catch-22 situation where he has to decide whether the managerial option he wants is worth more than the club's current set-up which involves a director of football.

Journalist Jacques Talbot has claimed that Newcastle United have "no reason" to consider a change in manager despite "god tier" Julian Nagelsmann becoming available.

What's the latest on Julian Nagelsmann and Newcastle?

Last week it was announced that Bayern Munich would be sacking their 35-year-old manager and replacing him with German coach Thomas Tuchel.

As per Bild (via Mirror) Nagelsmann was left 'completely surprised' by the decision but it hasn't taken long to see him linked with a move to the Premier League already.

Indeed, with Tottenham Hotspur sacking Antonio Conte, Spurs are now looking to hire a new manager and the former Bayern boss has been tipped as a main candidate

While talking about Nagelsmann's possible move to England on his YouTube channel, Talbot praised the German but said he wouldn't want him to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle even if he is now on the market.

He said (35:00): “I know Nagelsmann's a better manager, on paper. I totally get it, he's like god tier manager.

"But there's no reason to change, there's no reason change, we have something, a good relationship with Howe. It’d rupture the dressing room and stuff.

"So I might be biased. But I see Eddie Howe at Newcastle for a very long time. A very long time.”

Would Newcastle want to replace Eddie Howe?

To be fair to Talbot, Howe certainly has managed some pretty impressive feats since taking over the Magpies last season. Indeed, he already led them to their first cup final since 1999 (although they lost), and he currently has them pushing for a spot in the Champions League, two points behind fourth-placed Spurs with two games in hand.

What's more, the Englishman has an impressive record of 1.77 points per game. To put that in perspective, his predecessor Steve Bruce managed 1.15.

However, Nagelsmann is one of the most exciting young managers in world football. He leaves Bayern having picked up 2.31 points per game, whilst having also won the league and the super cup – which shows just how brutal the sacking was.

With that in mind, it's easy to see why Nagelsmann is rated so highly by so many but Howe certainly hasn't done anything yet to warrant seeing his position come under pressure.

Still, if Newcastle fail to make the top for and the 35-year-old German remains a free agent in the summer, perhaps the board will be brutal and take the opportunity to hire the "god tier" alternative.

Everton are reportedly one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres during the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Gyokeres flying for Coventry

The 24-year-old is enjoying a superb season for Coventry, proving to be their main talisman as they push for a potential spot in the playoffs.

Gyokeres has scored 18 goals in 36 starts in the Championship in 2022/23 to date, also chipping in with eight assists to further highlight his prowess in the final third.

The Swede is unlikely to be without suitors come the end of the season and he has already been linked with a move to the Premier League in recent months, with Leeds United potentially the front-runners to snap him up.

A new report suggests that they are far from the only club in the mix, however, which is where Everton come into play.

The Latest: Everton eyeing up move

According to 90min, the Blues are one of a host of teams who are ‘monitoring’ Gyokeres’ situation currently, as they weigh up the possibility of a summer move.

Brentford, Crystal Palace, Leeds and Leicester City are also mentioned in the report and it is stated that the clubs who earn promotion from the Championship would likely enter the race, too.

Everton, along with Brentford, Crystal Palace, Leeds and Wolves, all ‘made enquiries’ for Gyokeres in January, and it is clear. that their interest remains.

Gyokeres’ current Coventry deal expires at the end of next season, leaving them in a tricky position, knowing that selling him this summer is the last opportunity to earn a significant fee for his services.

The Verdict: Could be an inspired signing

Gyokeres’ quality speaks for itself this season, with the attacker such a consistently strong performer, with only Middlesbrough’s Chuba Akpom (24) scoring more goals than him in the league, as things stand.

He could be an inspired signing by Everton this summer, with Sean Dyche badly in need of attacking firepower, considering their top scorer in the Premier League is Demarai Gray with just four goals.

Granted, some may feel that Gyokeres could be a gamble, given the step up in standard from the Championship, but he looks to have the tools to be a success in the top flight, having also shown his prowess at international level by netting twice in 12 caps for Sweden.

Slaven Bilic described him as a ‘very strong striker’ earlier in the season, and at 24, he could be coming into the best years of his career and find another level in an Everton shirt, with them hopefully remaining in the Premier League.