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Luke Edwards has dropped some interesting insight on arbitration and the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

As per a tweet from the Daily Telegraph journalist, the Premier League are ‘extremely confident’ that they will win the pending case against the Tyneisde club, which they believe is ‘watertight’.

He also claimed that it is a ‘hit and hope’ and a ‘long shot’ for Mike Ashley, adding that he has ‘never been confident’ himself that the Magpies can win the legal battle.

Newcastle takeover worry

If the Premier League are as confident as Edwards claims that they are, then it is certainly a worry for Newcastle going into the hearing.

A negative result for the Magpies in this case could well kill the hopes of a potential takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group once and for all, but conversely a positive one may pave a pathway for the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to come back onto the table – if they are willing to do so.

Nonetheless, everything is all speculation up until this point, and Newcastle should now be focusing on making sure that they copper-fasten their Premier League status for next season.

In other news, find out what big claim on the potential takeover Ben Jacobs has been dropped!

Fans of Southampton have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed a report that claimed Saints are interested in a summer swoop for Arnaut Danjuma.

According to a report by Football League World, sources have revealed that both Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton, as well as numerous European clubs, are closely monitoring the AFC Bournemouth forward ahead of the summer transfer window.

So far this season, the £28,000-per-week 24-year-old has highly impressed over his 25 Championship appearances for Jonathan Woodgate’s side, scoring 10 goals and registering four assists, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.13 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the second tier.

And, after Southampton Page relayed this report on Twitter, fans of the Saints flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of their club making a move for Danjuma in the summer transfer window.

So, what exactly did these Southampton fans have to say in reaction to their club’s link with a move for Arnaut Danjuma?

“Dude was their only impressive player in our game against them. He could be a good signing.”

@Zack_Benjy

“Get him in, decent player. Better then Redmond.”

@CallumSFC18

“He was their best player, needs to work on his final product but looks like he could handle himself in the Prem.”

@thesotonsaint

“Bags of potential, hope this is true.”

@CLJH4

“Yes please.”

@sfcliam_

“I BEG.”

@McrCr_

‘Thought he looked dangerous in the early stages against us at the weekend. My question is why do we persist with wingers when we never attack the space in behind the full-backs.”

@oursouthcoast

In other news: these Saints fans were delighted with their club’s link to this “absolute steal” – find out more here!

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are one of the sides eyeing a summer move for Norwich City starlet Max Aarons.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that the Red Devils remain interested in the right-back, although no agreement has been reached with either the player himself or his representatives.

European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Everton have also been mooted with interest in the 21-year-old defender.

Aarons has been directly involved in four goal contributions (one goal and three assists) in 34 matches across all competitions for the Canaries so far this season, per Transfermarkt.

After breaking into the first team from the academy at the start of the 2018-19 season, Romano has now revealed that Norwich are holding out for at least €35m (£30m) for their highly-rated right-back.

Better than Diogo Dalot?

It’s no secret Solskjaer wants to strengthen his defensive reinforcements to shore up his leaky back-line as they have shipped 32 goals in the Premier League this season amid links to a number of high-profile centre-backs including Jules Kounde and Sergio Ramos.

Solskjaer’s side have leaked more goals than the likes of Arsenal (26) and Chelsea (25), who sacked Frank Lampard after a poor run of form.

Aarons could be considered a contender to fill the back-up berth recently vacated by the freshly-departed Diogo Dalot, who has spent the entirety of this campaign on loan at AC Milan until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old has been deemed surplus to requirements by Solskjaer and left Old Trafford for the San Siro in search of regular game time.

It’s fair to say that Aarons, who has played at least 14 more games than the Portuguese this season, would be a major upgrade and should be signed at all costs this summer.

The England U21 international, who is currently rated at £18m via Transfermarkt, has been in sublime form for the Championship league leaders – indeed, according to WhoScored, a match rating of 6.86 sees him ranked ninth out of the entire Norwich squad.

By comparison, Dalot has only averaged a mere 6.61 match rating in the Serie A this season, as he has struggled to impress for the Rossoneri.

By the numbers, Aarons is clearly levels above his Portuguese counterpart in terms of his attacking output, as he is currently averaging more dribbles (1.2) and key passes (1.3) per 90 in the Championship.

The English full-back has also shown a fine sense of positional awareness as he boasts an impressive average of 1.8 clearances per game, via WhoScored, which in turn is better than that of Dalot, who has only managed 1.7 clearances per game.

Solskjaer desperately needs to sign a new right-back to provide competition and cover for first-choice starter Aaron Wan-Bissaka and the Norwich starlet should, therefore, be at the top of his list of transfer targets in the summer.

AND in other news, Man Utd must perform transfer U-turn by snapping up Sevilla star Jules Kounde…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Dean Windass tipped Southampton to avoid relegation this season but has suggested manager Ralph Hasenhuttl could be in trouble if things do not improve.

Prior to their 2-0 win over bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United, the Saints had lost eight of their last nine Premier League fixtures, dragging them down towards the relegation zone.

Windass, though, expects Southampton to stay up. However, the former Premier League footballer believes Hasenhuttl will get the chop if the south coast club go on a similar run next season.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Windass said:

“They’re not going to get relegated. I don’t think they’re going to get relegated, but the one thing about it is, same with the Norwich manager if they get to the Premier League and they lose their first two of three games, Southampton lose the first two or three games, he’ll [Hasenhuttl] be another one that’s out very, very quickly.

“Southampton rely on, you know, financially, Premier League status. Listen, he’s done a great job, but you can’t rest on your laurels in the Premier League.”

Indeed, that run of nine games was truly appalling, with Hasenhuttl’s men only able to pick up a single point from a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

There was also, of course, that humiliating 9-0 defeat to Manchester United along the way, really epitomising the kind of form the team had been in. Southampton’s season has not been a complete disaster, though.

The Saints started the campaign brightly, even topping the Premier League table at one stage, while they also managed to beat champions Liverpool and eliminate holders Arsenal out of the FA Cup.

Hasenhuttl now just needs to find a way to get that Southampton team to appear more often and not the one that manages to take just one point from nine games.

Jannik Vestergaard has enjoyed an excellent season with Southampton and the centre-back continued his impressive form with Denmark at the weekend, as they defeated Moldova 8-0 in a World Cup qualifying game.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach man has been one of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s top performers in the Premier League so far this season, with his 7.09 average rating in the Premier League only second to James Ward-Prowse in the Southampton squad.

As a result of his performances, Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for the 28-year-old recently, and Jose Mourinho may well have had his eye on the defender as he impressed for Denmark at the weekend.

As per SofaScore, Vestergaard would earn an impressive 7.6/10 rating for his display in what proved to be a comfortable win for Kasper Hjulmand’s side.

During the game, the colossal centre-back would have 113 touches of the ball and would complete 101/105 of his passes during the game, resulting in an excellent 96% pass accuracy.

This emphasises that, although he is renowned for his ability in the air, Vestergaard is an excellent passer of the ball and is capable of big switches of play, as eight of his 11 long balls would find a teammate against Moldova.

Although you can argue that the standard of opposition made things easy for the Danish defender, his average pass accuracy rate of 83.9% in the Premier League rates him third of any Saints player who has made more than five top-flight appearances.

The 28-year-old was also his usual imperious self in defence against Moldova, as he won all four of his duels during the game, whilst he also contributed three tackles, one interception and one clearance during the 90 minutes.

Despite his lack of pace, Vestergaard also wasn’t dribbled past once, which demonstrates his excellent defensive ability and shows how he has improved his game during his time at Southampton, especially this season.

Therefore, should Spurs, or any other side, make an official bid for Vestergaard in the summer, they should be wary that if he continues to produce displays similar to this one for both club and country, then his current value of £16.2 million will soon be on the up.

And, in other news… Shades of Schneiderlin: Southampton could repeat transfer masterclass with 19 y/o gem

When Oriol Romeu was ruled out through injury a few weeks ago, there was perhaps concern amongst Southampton fans that the Spanish midfielder would prove nearly impossible to replace.

However, summer signing Ibrahima Diallo has performed brilliantly in recent fixtures alongside James Ward-Prowse in midfield, which will give manager Ralph Hasenhuttl a real selection headache when the former Chelsea man returns from injury.

Romeu has averaged a superb 7.08 rating across his 15 appearances in the top-flight so far this season, which ranks him as Southampton’s fourth-best performer in the Premier League.

The defensive-midfielder has been struggling with a muscle injury and is expected to make his return this month, however, he may struggle to oust Diallo from the first-team based on his current form.

The 21-year-old looked solid on his first start for the South Coast club against Fulham in December, before being a huge part of the Saints keeping out champions Liverpool at St Mary’s earlier this month.

Although Southampton struggled as a collective against Leicester City, they bounced back this weekend with a 1-0 win against Arsenal in the FA Cup, with Diallo once again impressive, with Hampshire Live giving him an 8/10 rating for his performance.

The young midfielder, who joined in a £12.7 million deal in October, has now made 11 appearances for Southampton this season and continues to improve.

When Romeu eventually does make his return, it may be difficult for Hasenhuttl to justify dropping Diallo, considering how defensively solid the Saints have looked in recent fixtures, with five clean sheets in their last six games.

The Austrian manager will be delighted with the way in which the young midfielder has stepped up to the plate in the absence of Romeu and he can feel safe in the knowledge that the summer signing can be relied upon to do a job in this Saints team when needed.

And, in other news… Forget JWP: Saints beast who won more tackles than any other player was Hasenhuttl’s FA Cup star

Celtic enjoyed their first win since facing Motherwell in the Premiership last month. The Hoops produced a spirited performance to fend off European rivals Lille in a thrilling 3-2 win.

It was a bittersweet result for Neil Lennon though. Despite their efforts to bank a victory, their fate was already sealed before they hosted the French outfit at Celtic Park. With this being their only win of the competition, the Bhoys tumble out of the Europa League after a disappointing run overall.

They will now shift attention to the weekend when they prepare to face Kilmarnock, and one man who should make the starting lineup is David Turnbull.

David Turnbull impressed vs Lille

The £1.6million-rated midfielder only joined the Glasgow outfit in the summer after making his move from Motherwell. But despite being a new addition to the squad, he has struggled for consistent game time under Lennon.

His start against Lille was his first since he featured against St Johnstone back in October. Due to his limited first-team minutes, he has just two goals and two assists across all competitions (via Transfermarkt). But although he hasn’t opened up his account in the same style as Mohamed Elyounoussi, he is showing extreme promise to become someone Lennon can rely on.

Turnbull bagged himself a goal and an assist against Lille and made three key passes to cause a lot of bother for their defence (via Sofascore). In just 90 minutes he has shown more creativity than the likes of Scott Brown, who is without a single goalscoring contribution this season despite featuring in more games.

Before the midfielder left Motherwell, he was lauded as a “special talent” by James McFadden and his move to Celtic is looking like one that will benefit both Turnbull and the club.

Lennon must consider putting him down as one of the first names on the team sheet ahead of their weekend clash with Kilmarnock.

In other news, Hammond must bring Gyrano Kerk to Parkhead to fill the puzzle…

Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy must consider handing Harry Kane a new contract with the North London club in the near future, following reports that Manchester City are keen on signing the England captain.

What’s the word?

Recent reports have suggested that Manchester City are plotting a £90 million move for the Englishman as they seek a replacement for Sergio Aguero.

The Spurs talisman’s contract is currently set to run until 2024, with the 27-year-old currently earning £200,000 a week with the Lilywhites, suggesting that Spurs are in a strong position if City do make an official approach.

Should Levy hand Kane a new contract?

Considering the superb way in which Kane has started the season, however, he may feel he is deserving of a new contract with the North London club, having last signed an extension in 2018.

The academy graduate has contributed 10 goals and 11 assists in 16 top-flight appearances so far this season, averaging a superb 7.90 rating, which is enough to rank him as the second-best performer in the Premier League.

Despite contributing 205 goals and 44 assists in 312 appearances for Spurs, Kane is still yet to win a trophy with the club, something he confessed he needed to do in order to stay with the Lilywhites for the long-term.

The appointment of Jose Mourinho was seemingly done with the expectation that the Portuguese manager would deliver trophies and he is now just one match away from ending Spurs’ barren run without a major honour, with the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City set to come in April of this year.

That match could have even more significance, as if Spurs fail to win that game, or any other major trophy this season, then Kane could well be convinced to make the move to the Etihad Stadium, where Pep Guardiola’s side have enjoyed a lot of success in domestic competitions in recent years.

It has been suggested recently that the club are considering handing both Kane and Heung-Min Son new deals after their impressive start to the season and this is something that they should definitely press on with, whilst Fabrizio Romano suggested in a recent interview when speaking to Give Me Sport that:

“They’re working on Son right now, then they will talk to Harry Kane but Tottenham, I feel, are so relaxed about their top stars, they are convinced that these players will stay, in particular Son, he is going to extend this contract in their opinion I feel also, in a positive way, also around the player, not just around the club.

“So they’re negotiating about the salary and every detail, if it will be a five or six-year contract, so they are negotiating about the details but the idea of the player is staying, that the club is obviously keeping him so when you want the same thing, I think they will go for for the new contract because he wants to stay and also because it’s really difficult to negotiate (a move away) with Daniel and it’s the same also for Harry Kane.

“If any club wants these kinds of players, they need to spend a lot of money because Tottenham have their prices, they won’t change their prices so it will be the same also for Harry Kane.”

The Englishman has combined superbly with the South Korean forward at times this season, with former Manchester City man Rodney Marsh dubbing his assist to Son against Leeds as “sensational.”

Therefore, if Kane can be convinced to stay with a new long-term contract, then Levy must do all he can to keep the forward as, on current form, it is clear that he is the key to Mourinho’s side winning their first trophy since 2008.

Click here to see the full 30-minute video of Fabrizio Romano’s interview with Give Me Sport…

And, in other news… Daniel Levy must swoop for £31.5m-rated magician this month

With the transfer deadline on the horizon, West Brom have entered the running to secure a last-gasp loan move for Premier League wonderkid Billy Gilmour.

What’s the word?

According to reports in Spain (via the Mirror), the Baggies are one of several teams eyeing up a late swoop for the Chelsea midfielder, though it won’t be easy given the interest in him.

The likes of arch-rivals Wolves and Aston Villa as well as West Ham and Crystal Palace are all keen on securing him before tonight’s 11pm transfer deadline.

Forget Sawyers

Albion boss Sam Allardyce only has one more domestic loan space available. Given the club’s success with Conor Gallagher this term, he would be wise to pair up his former academy teammate in the middle of midfield.

Gilmour is a unique prospect with the world at his feet, as Roy Keane told Sky Sports last season (via talkSPORT):

“As the game started I literally got out of my seat, which I very rarely do, and I thought, ‘Who is this kid?’ There are certain traits you want from a midfielder, quality on the ball, football intelligence, composure. He had everything. It was one of the best performances I have seen in a long, long time.”

The 19-year-old, valued at £6.75m by Transfermarkt, can play various roles in central midfield. Against Liverpool and Everton, he thrived as an anchorman, but a record of 16 goals and 13 assists across the U23s and U18s suggests he can also contribute further forward.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-west-brom-news-and-transfer-rumours” title=”Read this week’s latest West Brom news, transfer rumours and more…”]

Indeed, the young Scottish starlet has taken inspiration from a plethora of midfield greats, namely Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Busquets.

This sort of Spanish flair is something he’s been able to display in relatively short game time, and you’d struggle to liken that sort of profile to any of Allardyce’s current options.

“He’s so talented on the ball. He looks so comfortable; the minute he moves, he manipulates it,” said Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp. “He’s a big talent for Chelsea and Scotland going forward – and a really well-rounded kid.”

The only deep-lying playmaker in the squad right now is Romaine Sawyers, but he rates out as Albion’s second-worst player per WhoScored ratings (6.13).

He has struggled to have much of an influence at either end of the pitch – on average, he is dribbled past 1.8 times per 90 and only pulls off a successful tackle 50% of the time. The Hawthorns graduate provides the least number of key passes per 90 of all of the Baggies’ midfield options too, via WhoScored.

Gilmour, based on his ten competitive appearances, is only dribbled past 0.8 times per 90 and makes 71.4% of his tackles. Adding to the aforementioned creative aspect, the teenager has delivered two key passes per 90, on average, also via WhoScored.

West Brom sporting director Luke Dowling would be wise to make a move for Gilmour before the end of the day, as evident above, the £10k-per-week dynamo would alleviate some of those midfield struggles.

Allardyce can forget about Sawyers’ struggles by landing Gallagher’s Blues teammate in a last-gasp swoop. It could prove to be beneficial for all those involved.

AND in other news, Exclusive: West Brom backed to seal PL striker before deadline

“I’ve not really been practicing them, just been messing about after training and stuff,” were the words of Cole Palmer after he casually scored four goals against Brighton, including one stunning free-kick.

Oh how good it was. The Chelsea star is a phenomenon and one who seemingly takes no notice of just how good he is.

You don’t practise free-kicks, Cole? Rubbish. That was right out of the top drawer. It was right out of the locker of someone who stays behind after training and sinks free-kick after free-kick right into the top bins.

He’s hilarious really. Palmer gives off this persona that’s actually quite refreshing in the modern day. It’s not robotic, it’s not a load of media trained garbage. It’s just Cole being Cole.

Last season he was only second to Erling Haaland in the Premier League’s scoring charts and he’s attempting to give the Norwegian another run of his money this season.

In six league outings, he already has half a dozen goals and you can bet he’ll score plenty more between now and the end of the campaign.

Cole Palmer's performance vs Brighton in numbers

Seven shots, four goals. That’s all that matters, right? This was a clinic in how to find the net from the Englishman who put in a performance that shocked the rest of the country.

We shouldn’t be surprised by his performance levels anymore but this was ludicrous stuff as the Chelsea star helped Enzo Maresca’s side on their way to another victory.

Slowly but surely, this Blues side are now starting to find their groove and they look like a very difficult team to stop.

Maresca’s men are the division’s top scorers with 15 goals and are now cementing themselves as real contenders to seal a top four berth come the end of the campaign. Given the mess that the Italian inherited, not many had them there at the start of the season.

But, truth be told, they have an amazing squad. They have amazing depth and to be quite frank, they should be one of the highest scorers in the Premier League.

Minutes played

90

Goals

4

Expected goals (xG)

2.41

Touches

46

Accurate passes

17/25 (68%)

Key passes

4

Crosses

1/4

Long balls

6/7

Shots on target

5

Shots off target

2

Duels won

3/5

Tackles

1

With Palmer in tow, they are showing that. The way he took all of his goals was remarkable. The free-kick was the pick of the bunch.

He cooly tucked away his first which was laid on a plate by Nicolas Jackson before firing home a penalty for the second. The third was ridiculous. A free-kick from range had power, it had dip and it had curl to take it away from Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton net.

His fourth was taken excellently too, running onto a Jadon Sancho ball inside the area before firing home at the near post. Is there anything this man cannot do? Seemingly not.

Chelsea have signed plenty of players over the last few years but he is undoubtedly the very best. Scarily, they could have another Palmer on the way.

Chelsea's next Cole Palmer

Does the name Kendry Paez ring any bells? If you’re of a Chelsea persuasion it should do.

Back in June 2023 it was confirmed that the Blues had reached an agreement with Independiente del Valle to sign a 16-year-old Paez for a fee in the region of £17.2m.

He cannot legally move to Stamford Bridge before he turns 18 so it won’t be before 2025 that we see him in Chelsea colours.

That said, he’s already begun to make quite the stir back in his homeland of Ecuador, scoring seven goals and supplying five assists as a teenager throughout the domestic 2024 season to date.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The “insane” talent – as described by content creator Alex Goldberg – has already played for his nation too, earning 15 caps at such a tender age in which he’s found the net twice.

This is a special talent and one who possesses Palmer-like qualities. An attacking midfielder by trade, the 17-year-old can also play on the right-hand side. Crucially, like Chelsea’s current main man, he’s also left footed.

A further look at the numbers will tell you just how good this young kid is. He ranks within the top 1% of positionally similar players in leagues similar to the top-flight of Ecuadorian football for assists per 90 minutes (0.37), as well as sitting in the top 3% for progressive carries per 90 (3.34) and the best 6% for succesful take-ons per 90 (1.48).

If we compare those numbers to Palmer, the England international makes 3.74 progressive carries and completes 1.60 take-ons. So, in that regard they’re pretty similar. When it comes to chance creation, Palmer registers 0.45 assists per 90, so again they’re quite close in that category too.

A dazzling dribbler capable of magical moments, including the goal below, it’s terrifying to think that Chelsea have another Palmer-esque talent on their way to the Bridge.

The Blues have focused their efforts on recruiting the very best young players around and in talents like Paez and Estevao Willian there is no sign of Maresca’s squad getting any worse.

Chelsea's 8/10 star was just as unplayable as Palmer vs Brighton

He completed six dribbles and won 7 duels

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 28, 2024