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Newcastle United are showing interest in former Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen, according to The Times (via The Chronicle).

The lowdown

The 29-year-old hasn’t played since he suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener against Finland last June.

In December, Inter Milan terminated his contract by mutual consent, in the knowledge that Eriksen would not be able to play in Serie A because he has an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator fitted. However, he can feature in another league where the rules are different.

The midfielder racked up 226 Premier League appearances during his seven-year stint at Spurs from 2013 to 2020.

The latest

According to The Times, Newcastle are said to be among three Premier League clubs keen on signing Eriksen, alongside Brentford and Leicester City.

Brentford’s interest is the most advanced, with the Bees offering the Dane a contract until the end of the season. Therefore, Newcastle may quickly have to present a rival offer to ensure that they don’t lose out.

The verdict

Eriksen was excellent for Spurs, recording 159 direct goal contributions (69 goals, 90 assists) in his 305 appearances.

His overall career tallies stand at an impressive 114 goals and 158 assists, and his individual accolades include a PFA Team of the Year nod, the Premier League Goal of the Month for April 2018 and a FIFPro World XI nomination. Newcastle fans may also remember that he netted a direct free-kick against them in a 3-1 win for Spurs in 2015.

Given that he hasn’t played in so long and is coming back from such a serious medical episode, this would have to be have regarded as a risky move. On the other hand, he would be arriving on a free transfer and, if Newcastle match Brentford’s proposal, on a short-term contract.

Perhaps it’s worth a go.

In other news, Newcastle are plotting an £18m raid on this Premier League club.

Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas will leave Parkhead in the January window, according to journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos.

The Lowdown: Barkas’ Hoops career

It’s safe to say that Barkas hasn’t lived up to expectations in Scotland after joining from AEK Athens for £4.5m in 2020.

The 27-year-old was in and out of the side last season under Neil Lennon, making just 13 Premiership appearances. He hasn’t managed to turn things around this season under Ange Postecoglou, with his only appearance coming against FC Midtjylland.

He hasn’t featured following his blunder at Celtic Park in the Champions League qualifier, and it now seems as if he will leave over the coming months.

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The Latest: Chorianopoulos’ post

Chorianopoulos, a Greek reporter, had his say on the shot-stopper on Wednesday night, revealing that a loan or a permanent exit are both options at this moment in time.

He tweeted: “Vasilis Barkas is about to leave from Celtic on January. On loan or permanent.”

The Verdict: The correct decision…

Celtic brought in Joe Hart over the summer and also have Scott Bain and Conor Hazard sitting around, so shipping out one of the three who aren’t playing is a shrewd call.

Barkas is on £9,000-a-week in Scotland, while Bain and Hazard are on £10,000-a-week combined, so it makes sense to move on the big earner.

Things haven’t worked out in Scotland for the Greek goalie, and the Hoops may face a battle to recoup the £4.5m they paid for his services, especially with his Transfermarkt valuation plummeting since moving to Lennoxtown.

In other news: Nicholson now looking at signing ‘strong’ beast for Ange who ‘would suit playing for Celtic’

West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is attracting a significant amount of interest ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that sources have revealed that Tottenham Hotspur sent scouts to watch the 28-year-old in action for West Brom against Preston North End earlier this month.

The report continues to state that Spurs are compiling a dossier on the England international ahead of a potential move for the shot-stopper, as the Premier League side are beginning to up their search to replace Hugo Lloris, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Ismael will be gutted

Considering just how important a part of Valerien Ismael’s side Johnstone is, in addition to the fact that Albion are currently attempting to convince the goalkeeper to extend his stay at The Hawthorns beyond the end of his current deal – which expires next summer – the news of Tottenham’s interest is sure to have left the Frenchman gutted.

Indeed, while the £7.2m-rated man has not exactly been in the best form of his career over his nine Championship appearances so far this season, the ‘keeper has nevertheless been a steady hand between the Baggies sticks, keeping four clean sheets, as well as conceding just 0.7 goals and making 1.3 saves per game.

These returns have seen the ‘keeper who Ismael claimed is “committed” to the West Brom cause earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.80, ranking him as the club’s joint 12th-best performer in the second tier this term.

As such, losing the £28k-per-week goalkeeper, either in January or next summer, would undoubtedly come as a major blow to Valerien Ismael and his side, as Johnstone clearly has the ability to play a huge role in Albion’s promotion push this season, as well as helping them retain their place in the Premier League next season – should the club indeed go on to secure a return to the top flight in the current campaign.

In other news: Ismael may be set for disaster over “powerful” West Brom beast, fans would be fuming

An update has emerged on Colorado Rapids forward Dantouma Toure, regarding interest from Ibrox giants Rangers.

What’s the talk?

US-based journalist Brian Sciaretta has claimed that the youngster was recently training with the Gers and is now on trial with Premier League side Arsenal.

He Tweeted: “I heard Colorado Rapids homegrown winger Dantouma Toure, 17, is doing offseason training with a bunch of European teams. Was recently at Rangers, now training with Arsenal. Born in Guinea, Toure has played for USYNT’s in the past.”

Exciting

This update will surely excite Rangers fans as it suggests that the club could be considering a swoop for the promising young forward.

The 17-year-old, who has picked up the nickname “Yaya Toure”, has shown great promise in his career so far, playing professionally in the USL Championship last year for New York Red Bulls II. He also made his MLS debut earlier this year for the Rapids, showing how much trust they have in him despite his age.

Colorado’s general manager Padraig Smith lauded the forward as a ‘difference-maker’ upon his arrival at the club as a 16-year-old. He said:

“Yaya is an exciting talent who has already shown tremendous potential through his performances in the USL Championship as a 16-year-old.

“He’s powerful and explosive on the ball and has an ability to take on defenders that allows him to be a difference-maker. We believe he has all the qualities necessary to develop into an elite player and are excited to see what the future holds for him.”

This, along with the experience he already has under his belt, highlights how exciting he is as a young forward and why Rangers fans should be delighted with the prospect of him joining the academy. He is already making strides at senior level despite being almost three years away from hitting the age of 20 and he could be a promising long-term addition to the team.

Of course, he is currently training with Arsenal and the Gers would need to convince the teenage wiz to make the switch instead of making a move elsewhere. Gio van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson must work hard to tempt him into making a full-time switch to Ibrox if possible, as he could be a fantastic signing for the academy given the potential he has shown.

AND in other news, 64x possession lost: GVB must work his magic on £5.6k-p/w Rangers dud with 0 assists…

Many Aston Villa fans are reacting to the performance of attacker Trezeguet in the match against Wolves on Saturday night.

The winger has now played 17 times this season, and has grabbed one assist, but he is yet to score this term and this will definitely be a worry for a side struggling to find goals without Jack Grealish.

The Egypt star has not shown enough attacking intent in recent months as he has only managed 1.5 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.8 successful dribbles per game (WhoScored, pre-Wolves).

Trezeguet came in for the Midlands derby as a replacement for Anwar El-Ghazi, who was also unavailable for the match due to a toe injury he picked up against Sheffield United. Clearly El-Ghazi was missed, with one fan calling Trezeguet ‘wasteful’, whilst another said they doubt the winger has a brain.

Valued at £9 million, he is contracted until June 2023 (Transfermarkt), but if he doesn’t start improving, then it would be quite likely that the club will see him as surplus to requirements and look to sell him on sooner rather than later.

Here is how Villa fans reacted to his performance:

“Trez is having a mare. How many times has he given the ball away already?”

Credit: @AvfcSims

“Elmo and Trez shouldn’t be anywhere near this first team”

Credit: @villarichie

“Trezeguet mentally kills me, so wasteful”

Credit: @TommmBrownnn

“If we want to progress next season, definitely going to have to upgrade on Trezeguet & El Ghazi. Both far too inconsistent”

Credit: @GreggMac11

“Not sure trezeguet has a brain”

Credit: @CurtHaycock

“Moronic from Trezeguet there”

Credit: @Paul_725

In other Villa news, fans have been piling praise on one star at the club following his latest comments. Have a read who it is here!

With Raphinha one of the big shining lights for Leeds this season in the Premier League, one thing Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be searching for is how he could make him even better and even more influential for the Whites.

One way he could do that is by bringing in Ivan Toney.

Reports in recent days have suggested that Leeds are eyeing a move for the Brentford striker in the summer transfer window, although they could face competition for his signature from fellow Premier League side Arsenal.

At Brentford, the striker has been in prolific form all season for the Championship side, already racking up an impressive 25 goals in all competitions.

Speaking earlier last year, Peterborough’s director of football, Barry Fry, said: “He’s turned into a tremendous all-round footballer. It’s important to remember Ivan is not just an exceptional goal-scoring forward, he’s also an outstanding defender.”

One of the key successes behind his goal-scoring record, is his relationship with the Bees’ right-winger, Bryan Mbeumo.

As per Transfermarkt, despite playing only 32 games together, they have already combined for seven goals between each other – Toney’s relationship with the Frenchman is only bettered in terms of goal contributions with former Peterborough teammate Marcus Maddison, although their tally of 14 came in 70 matches.

Mbeumo’s ability to beat players one-on-one but also have the end product at the end of it to actually pick his striker out, or go it alone, is very much reminiscent of Leeds’ own right-winger Raphinha.

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman said just last year: “There are so many talented, skilful players that can dribble and beat players but they play with their head down and they don’t see the big picture. I think he really excels at picking the right time to cross the ball and picking players out.”

At Leeds, the £9m-rated Toney could play with another similar player in Raphinha, and it’s a partnership that could potentially wreak havoc in the Premier League.

Both Mbeumo and Raphinha are predominantly left-footed players who play off the right, usually cutting in with great effect. Toney’s relationship with the former at Brentford suggests he works very well with someone who’s not your typical wide-man who is used to getting to the by-line and crossing it in, instead, he likes those playrs coming off the touch-line and linking up with him.

With Raphinha, in fact, averaging even more key passes per game this season than Mbeumo (two to 1.2), Toney would surely get even more opportunities to score than he already does at Brentford. Just imagine the kind of partnership the duo could build under Bielsa’s guidence at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man is surely facing an uncertain future after Bielsa’s decision…

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘interested’ in signing Taiwo Awoniyi in the summer.

The Lowdown: Standout season

Awoniyi is enjoying a standout season for Union Berlin, where he has scored 18 goals and made a further four assists in 39 games in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt).

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He became a record-breaker earlier this week when he became the first Union Berlin player to score 13 times in a single Bundesliga campaign, and football journalist Kevin Hatchard even went as far as to call him ‘outstanding’ after recently netting against Frankfurt.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per transfer expert Christian Falk, the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘interested’ in bringing Awoniyi to the North East, but face competition from fellow Premier League rivals West Ham United and Southampton for his signature.

The striker has a release clause of €20m (£16.7m), which if activated means that the Tynesiders can then talk about a potential move.

The Verdict: Do it

Awoniyi’s market value is on the rise, and so being able to sign him for a mere £16.7m would seem to be a real bargain.

The Nigeria international is just 24 years of age, and so will only get better as he enters his prime.

Nonetheless, given the season that he has had, the competition for his signature is likely to increase in the summer, and so the Magpies need to act fast if they are to bring him to the Toon.

In other news, find out which ‘phenomenal’ speedster NUFC are now eyeing here!

According to La Nazione (via Sport Witness), Leeds are very much interested in signing Fiorentina midfielder Erick Pulgar.

Orta’s second chance

Reports over the summer suggested that the Whites were keen on bringing the Chile international to Elland Road, especially with Udinese’s Rodrigo de Paul staying put.

Now, Italian publication La Nazione have delivered a huge update on Leeds’ interest in Pulgar ahead of the January transfer window, saying that things are “concrete”.

It’s suggested that Fiorentina are waiting for Marcelo Bielsa’s side to make their move, and will consider offers put on the table. January could represent Victor Orta’s second chance to land Pulgar.

Imagine him and Kalvin Phillips

After failing to get a deal over the line back in the summer, Leeds surely have to make sure Pulgar comes in before the end of January.

The Chilean has the kind of profile that would give Bielsa some much-needed quality and strength in depth to go alongside Kalvin Phillips, or even replace him when he’s out injured.

A look at his playing style from World Football Index revealed: “Pulgar can only be truly appreciated by watching his positional sense and his ability to anticipate danger especially in transitions.

“He provides great coverage of the pitch whether he is utilised as the man sitting just in front of a back three or slightly higher on the right side as part of a flat midfield four or five.”

The £11.25m-rated ace covers the ground very well, and is a physical beast when it comes to the 50/50s. As per Sofascore, he wins 56% of his duels on the ground, and a whopping 71% in the air, and seems like he could be the perfect compliment to share the defensive burden with Phillips in the engine room.

Orta has to seize this great chance to fix his summer transfer blunder.

Leeds United will look to loan out midfielder Alfie McCalmont at a higher level next season.

That’s according to a report from Football Insider, who have been informed by a Whites source of Marcelo Bielsa’s plans for the 21-year-old.

The report claims that Bielsa has made up his mind regarding McCalmont and wants the youngster to join a League One outfit to further his development.

McCalmont, a Northern Ireland international, has spent the current campaign out on loan with League Two side Oldham Athletic.

He’s made 38 appearances and has scored an impressive 10 times, while also chipping in with four assists, per Transfermarkt.

The midfielder’s winner against Exeter City back in March came in for praise from former England striker Michael Owen on social media, and it seems as if McCalmont will depart Elland Road again over the coming months.

Transfer Tavern take

To us, this is the correct decision from the Whites in order to get the best out of McCalmont in the long run.

He’s excelled in the fourth-tier, so the logical next step would be to see how he fares at a higher level.

The Whites don’t need to worry about losing McCalmont for nothing either, as his deal in Yorkshire still has over three years left to run.

Who knows, another impressive loan spell away from Elland Road next season could result in McCalmont putting himself in Bielsa’s thoughts for the 2022/23 campaign to challenge the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich and co.

In other news: Pundit discusses Jean-Kevin Augustin situation, find out more here. 

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge this summer look to have been handed a boost after reports suggested that he sees his future away from Bramall Lane and that his release clause has also dropped to £35m, which should surely put Pep Guardiola and his staff on high alert as they consider transfer options ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Norway international was linked with a move to City recently, with Voetbal24 claiming that the 23-year-old is top of Guardiola’s list to replace Fernandinho at the Etihad this summer, with the Brazilian’s future in doubt as his contract is set to expire at the end of the season.

Berge was only signed by the Blades in January 2020 and established himself as a key fixture at Bramall Lane as the South Yorkshire side enjoyed a superb campaign back in the top-flight following their promotion.

However, things have not gone to plan for United or Berge this season, as long-standing manager Chris Wilder was sacked earlier this year with the Blades bottom of the league, and they have since been relegated back to the Championship.

Injuries have certainly played their part in Sheffield United’s demise, with Berge missing a significant portion of the season after requiring surgery, which saw him sidelined between December and March.

As a result, he has managed just 15 appearances in the Premier League, averaging a less than impressive 6.43 rating, which is a stark contrast to the solid 6.81 rating he managed in the second half of the 2019/20 campaign.

This suggests that when he’s fully fit, and perhaps playing in a better team, Berge can still be an excellent player in the Premier League, and given that he is only 23, he still has plenty of time to develop.

Former manager Wilder has previously tipped the youngster for a move to a Champions League club, and was full of praise for him earlier in the season, saying:

“He’s a positive boy with a brilliant attitude, I love him to bits and would love him to stay regardless of what happens.”

Therefore, following the news about Berge’s release clause and the reports suggesting that he wants to leave Sheffield United, City sporting director Txiki Begiristain should definitely work hard on bringing him to the Etihad this summer, as he could prove to be an excellent addition to Guardiola’s squad.

And, in other news… Guardiola could be set for huge boost over “very special” Man City star after major development