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Arsenal are ‘gaining ground’ in the race to sign former Man United star Cristiano Ronaldo and there is the ‘will to make an attempt’, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Gunners transfer plans…

Lead by sporting director Edu, the Gunners are reportedly making plans behind-the-scenes ahead of the looming January window.

The likes of Mykhalo Mudryk are being repeatedly linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium as manager Mikel Arteta aims to win Arsenal their first Premier League title in nearly 20 years.

One big name superstar has also been mentioned as a possible target the north Londoners after his sour exit from Old Trafford.

The Latest: Arsenal ‘gaining ground’ in Ronaldo race…

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, writing for Tribal Football, Arsenal are ‘gaining ground’ for Ronaldo after his untimely exit from the 2022 World Cup with Portugal.

It’s added that there is the ‘will to make an attempt’ for the ex-Juventus and Real Madrid forward and Arsenal would ‘like to join the race’ for his services.

Ronaldo is currently a free agent after his Man United exit with Al Nassr and Inter Miami named as other suitors.

The Verdict: Big call…

There is little doubting the 37-year-old still has quality and is one of the best players ever to grace the beautiful game.

The once-£99 million Ronaldo bagged 18 goals and three assists in the English top flight last season – backing pundit Roy Keane’s view that he is an ‘absolute genius’.

Ronaldo has also admitted to Piers Morgan that he likes Arsenal and manager Arteta, but it could be a concern for the Spaniard that a personality like his could upset the applecart.

As Arsenal top the league, harmony must be considered, and the last thing the Gunners want is disruption in the dressing room.

Aston Villa appointed Unai Emery as their new manager ahead of the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the Spaniard won his first two Premier League matches in charge of the club.

He came in to replace Steven Gerrard at the helm after the board decided that it was time to part ways with the former Rangers head coach.

The ex-Liverpool midfielder was relieved of his duties without completing a full season in the dugout, although he did have two transfer windows to shape his squad and he had a mare in his first one.

In October of last year, Football Insider named Villa as one of the Premier League teams, alongside Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, interested in a swoop to sign central defender Harry Souttar from Stoke City.

Gerrard was in charge of the Villans during the January transfer window that followed that report and opted against swooping to sign the enforcer, who suffered a knee injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season.

His refusal to sign a player who was set to be out of action for several months was an understandable one but Souttar’s form since returning to fitness suggests that he was worth taking a risk on.

The Australian international has been a standout at the World Cup in Qatar and his performances at the tournament could leave Villa supporters wondering what he could be like in a claret and blue shirt.

Against France in his side’s opening game, Souttar won two of his three duels, made five clearances and one interception, and completed 83% of his attempted passes – as per Sofascore.

He then caught the eye with a phenomenal performance against Tunisia in a 1-0 win for his country in the second match. He made six clearances, three blocks, one tackle, and won five of his six individual battles – as per Sofascore.

During BBC’s coverage of the game, commentator Danny Murphy heaped praise on the central defender and claimed that he was “like Superman” during the match.

The centre-back followed that up by winning seven of his nine duels, making nine clearances, one block, two interceptions, and one tackle, in a 1-0 win over Denmark to secure a place in the last 16 of the competition – as per Sofascore.

Souttar also put in a superb showing in his Championship comeback against Luton in November – winning 90% of his duels as he made 16 clearances, two interceptions, and three tackles as Stoke won 2-0.

He still has plenty of time left on his hands, at the age of 24, and Gerrard could have signed him with a view to the future in spite of his injury issue.

The 6-foot-5 machine’s performances at the World Cup suggest that he has the quality to perform well at international level and his display against Luton proves that his injury has not caused him any significant regression.

Therefore, Gerrard had a howler by opting against a deal for the defender in January and should have taken a risk on the Australian, who is now dominating matches in Qatar.

Chelsea now have an agreement to sign RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku ‘in place’, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Contrasting claims

The Frenchman still has four years remaining on his contract at the Red Bull Arena, but recent reports have credited the Blues with an interest in bringing him to the Premier League.

The Bundesliga giants, however, have shut down claims that a move between the two parties is in progress, stating that it’s nothing more than a ‘rumour’, though an update has now emerged contrary to reports.

The Latest: Jacobs’ update

Taking to Twitter, Jacobs revealed that Chelsea and Todd Boehly do in fact have a deal on the table for Nkunku to make the switch to Stamford Bridge in 2023. He wrote:

“Christopher Nkunku update. Although Leipzig call a move to Chelsea a “transfer rumour”, am told there is now a broad club-to-club agreement in place for summer 2023 worth around €70m” (£60m).

The Verdict: Aubameyang alternative?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang hasn’t made the start to life at Chelsea that he would have been hoping for since his arrival, so Nkunku could be the perfect alternative up top.

The Leipzig striker has netted an outstanding 12 goals and clocked up two assists in just 15 league appearances this season and can operate in five different positions (Transfermarkt).

Graham Potter will have no doubt been attracted to this attribute, and if he can get a deal for Nkunku over the line, it may well be a massive coup for the Blues.

One of the Premier League’s major stories this season has been the fall from grace of Leicester City. The King Power Stadium outfit currently sit just two points clear of the daunted drop zone and have conceded the second most goals in the division. Indeed this season has got off to a disastrous start, and manager Brendan Rodgers has been coming under increasing pressure in recent weeks. One man who has shone out, though, is James Maddison. It continues to baffle many fans and pundits as to how the former Norwich City man is continually left out of Gareth Southgate’s England squad. Oddschecker, which compares odds and provides free offers on the World Cup, has made the Three Lions one of the favourites for glory in Qatar, and surely those chances would only increase with Leicester City’s architect supreme.

Since the Midlands club shocked the world back in 2016 – lifting the Premier League trophy as 5000/1 outsiders for the first time in their history – the Foxes have gone from strength to strength. They qualified for European football in back-to-back seasons, even reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals last season, where they were defeated by the eventual winners, Jose Mourinho’s Roma. But this season has been an unmitigated disaster. Back-to-back thumpings away at Brighton and Tottenham in September left the club stranded at the foot of the table, with just one point to their name. In recent weeks they have bounced back somewhat, but it remains to be seen whether they can claw their way back up the table.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, by contrast, are having the season of their lives. The Toon currently sit in fourth place in the table, occupying the final UEFA Champions League qualifying spot. They currently have favourable fixtures on the horizon as well. Aston Villa – who recently appointed four-time UEFA Europa League winner Unai Emery to succeed the sacked Steven Gerrard – visit St. James’ Park next, before the long trip down to St. Mary’s the following week. Their final fixture before the midseason break for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be at home to Chelsea, and will be the chance to make a statement in the battle for the top four.

Is Maddison the man to bring Champions League football back to the North East? 

If, when January rolls around, there is a chance of Newcastle securing a spot in the top four, you have to imagine the club’s mega rich Saudi owners will pull out all the stops in order to make that dream a reality. And the first man on the wish list appears to be Maddison.

The 25-year-old has been the jewel in Leicester City’s crown ever since his £22.5m move from Norwich City four-and-a-half years ago. Prior to this season, he had scored 45 goals and provided 32 assists during his time at the King Power, performances which earned him his first and only England cap back in 2019. But this season, his form has reached a new level. He has six goals and two assists in ten appearances this term, and could you imagine how many more he would have if this Leicester side was performing like the well-oiled machine it has been over the last few years?

Maddison’s ability to step up the plate for Brendan Rodgers now the going has gotten tough is a testament to the player. He could have quite easily hidden away until January and waited for his big-money move. But that’s not the type of player he is, and that is no doubt another reason why he is on Eddie Howe’s radar.

Transfermarkt values the English sensation as being worth £45m, and in the current market, that looks like a bargain. But if The Foxes’ reported financial difficulties are true, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him leave for a cut price. The 52,000 Geordies that attend St. James’ every week will be hoping that Maddison can replicate his form in the North East, and secure Champions League football for the first time since the days of Alan Shearer some 20 years ago.

Photo by Unsplash

Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey will soon finalise a clause in his contract that will add an extra year to his time at St. James’ Park. 

The Lowdown: Shelvey’s return to action

After missing a large chunk of the season with a hamstring injury, Shelvey has recently made a return to action, coming on as a late substitute in Newcastle’s two previous Premier League games.

Having been at the club since January 2016, the midfielder is one of the longest-serving players currently at the Tyneside club.

And it seems as though the Magpies could be set to keep hold of the player for a little while longer.

The Latest: Contract extension

As reported by The Shields Gazette, once Shelvey makes his 200th appearance for Newcastle, which is expected to happen before the World Cup arrives as he is currently on 199, a year-long extension on his deal will be finalised.

As things stand, the midfielder’s deal is set to run out in the summer, however, with the likelihood of him making at least one more appearance for the club imminent, it seems probable that the Englishman will be sticking with the Toon for the foreseeable future.

The Verdict: A good option for Howe

The previous Premier League season saw the 30-year-old, who Eddie Howe has described as being a “huge” player for the club, show how much of a useful midfield option he can be.

For example, across the 24 league games he played in, Shelvey ended up playing more passes into the final third of the pitch (91) than any other player at the club.

Even though Newcastle now have the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock as their midfield options, keeping Shelvey in the squad for this season and beyond will provide Howe with an extra set of legs and real experience in the heart of midfield.

Overall, this news will surely be a great boost for Howe and give the Toon veteran the chance to put to bed any concerns he may have had about his future at the club beyond this season.

Scottish champions Celtic are currently preparing for a crucial Champions League group stage showdown with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, with the Old Firm outfit’s hopes of progression currently hanging by a thread ahead of Tuesday’s meeting at Parkhead.

A key talking point heading into that potentially vital encounter is the form of goalkeeper Joe Hart, with the former England number one having faced scrutiny for his role in the defeat to the German giants a week ago.

The 35-year-old made an uncharacteristic mistake to gift Marco Rose’s side a second goal on the night, with the Hoops having only just gotten themselves level moments earlier through Portuguese gem, Jota.

The Shrewsbury-born stopper had produced an errant pass straight to the feet of Dominik Szoboszlai, with the Hungary international duly teeing up teammate Andre Silva to fire the home side back in front.

Following that blunder, the veteran ace had admitted his “mistake” that was ultimately “punished” by such clincial opposition, with that error having come just days after the former Manchester City man was involved in a mix-up with defender Josip Juranovic during the narrow victory over Motherwell.

A poor week in relation to the lofty standards that the £23.5k-per-week man has set during his time in Glasgow over the past year or so, although calls for the 75-cap gem’s head do appear rather premature, particularly following his impressive form up to now.

Pundit Frank McAvennie was notably critical of the goalkeeper’s performance last week, stating that it was an “embarrassing” error by such an experienced figure, while also teasing a possible starting berth for summer signing Benjamin Siegrist by suggesting that the Bhoys have a “damn good keeper in the wings.”

To drop the £1.53m-rated man – who arrived from Tottenham Hotspur last summer – would seemingly be particularly harsh such has been his crucial role in recent times, with Hart having kept an impressive haul of 31 clean sheets in just 66 games in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership side.

That tally includes five clean sheets from just nine top-flight games so far this term, with the evergreen talent showcasing his resilience to produce a fine stop to deny Stevie May in the recent, dramatic victory over St Johnstone.

On a day in which the 6 foot 5 titan had little to do in Perth – having made just two saves against Callum Davidson’s side – that rare intervention showcased his ability to stay focused when it is his side largely in control, with Postecoglou no doubt in need of such an experienced head to be relied upon in the sticks.

Manchester United ‘would love’ to sign Gavi from FC Barcelona and could be helped if Manchester City sell Bernardo Silva to the La Liga giants, Graeme Bailey of 90Min reports.

The lowdown

Gavi, an 18-year-old central midfielder, verbally agreed to sign a new contract earlier this year.

Barcelona, however, were unable to find the funds for his improved deal during the transfer window.

The Catalan giants are now looking to finalise the agreement, with the player’s current terms due to expire at the end of the season.

The latest

Bailey took to Twitter to share the latest on Gavi, revealing that United have communicated their interest.

But Barcelona are optimistic that they will be able to keep hold of him and see off his suitors.

He wrote: “Barcelona confident Gavi contract agreement is close despite fresh transfer interest.

“Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool would all love to take brilliant Spaniard and have made it known.”

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In the attached story, he adds that Gavi’s representatives ‘were ready to commit to a new deal’ but have grown frustrated with the delays. And they’ve also been left miffed by Barcelona’s pursuit of another midfielder in Man City’s Silva.

United are among the clubs to have held ‘meetings’ about Gavi’s situation as interested parties rekindle their interest.

In Europe, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus are all back on his trail too.

The verdict

It’s no wonder that so many elite sides are trying to sign Gavi.

After all, alongside Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, he’s viewed as a frontrunner for this year’s Golden Boy Award.

That award goes to the player deemed the best under-21 talent in world football, and previous winners include Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Kylian Mbappe.

France manager Didier Deschamps has predicted that Gavi will enjoy a ‘long and beautiful’ career, Spain boss Luis Enrique says he’s a ‘volcano’ who plays football ‘as if he were in a schoolyard’ and Xavi has dubbed him ‘spectacular’.

If United can snap up a generational talent, it would be seen as a huge victory from John Murtough.

Leeds United have begun the first steps of a move for Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, making contact with his representatives this week.

The Lowdown: Chalobah profiled

Chalobah, who Rio Ferdinand called ‘unbelievable’ for his performance in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup, is primarily a centre-back who can also turn out in a defensive midfield role.

The 23-year-old, valued at a career-high £18m by Transfermarkt, has made 30 senior appearances for the Blues, spending time out on loan with Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and FC Lorient.

He watched on at Elland Road on Sunday as an unused substitute in a 3-0 defeat for Thomas Tuchel’s side, and it looks as if Leeds are keen on a potential late move.

The Latest: Leeds contact

90min provided an update regarding Chalobah’s future on Tuesday.

They claim that Chelsea could make the player available for loan if they sign Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana, with Leeds making contact with Chalobah’s representatives.

The report adds that the Whites would indeed be interested in a move, should he ‘hit the market’.

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The Verdict: Look elsewhere?

Jesse Marsch is well-stocked at centre-back with four senior options and in midfield after bringing in Marc Roca and Tyler Adams.

Therefore, bringing in the versatile Chalobah doesn’t seem to be crucial, whereas you could make an argument for a new forward being an absolute necessity.

Yes, Rodrigo has starred so far this season, but he is mainly used in a deeper role, so securing a new number nine to provide competition to Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt would be a smarter move than pursuing a loan deal for Chalobah.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Callum Hudson-Odoi in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Magpies are weighing up a potential swoop to sign the English winger in the coming weeks.

Amanda Staveley was pictured with Chelsea chiefs at Stamford Bridge in their 2-2 draw with Tottenham and the reporter has added that the Toon are looking at two Blues players. 

He Tweeted: “Newcastle’s owners also being hosted by Behdad Egbali. NUFC interested in Conor Gallagher and considering Callum Hudson-Odoi.”

Imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin

By striking a deal to sign the youngster, Eddie Howe could form an exciting wing pairing with Hudson-Odoi and Allan Saint-Maximin this season.

Both players are impressive dribblers with the quality to make things happen in the final third and they could get fans off their seats at St. James’ Park.

In the top-flight last term, Saint-Maximin completed 62% of his dribble attempts and created 1.4 chances per match for the Magpies. Matt Ritchie, who only started 14 matches, was the only player with more key passes (1.6) per game for the club, which shows how important the Frenchman was to the attack as he provided creativity on the wing.

Meanwhile, talent scout Jacek Kulig once claimed that Hudson-Odoi has “huge potential” and his career to date suggests that is a fair comment.

The 21-year-old has already racked up 126 appearances for Chelsea and been capped three times by England, winning the Europa League and the Champions League with his club in that time. He has scored 16 goals and registered 22 assists for their first team, including 12 assists in 72 Premier League outings.

In the 2021/22 top-flight campaign, he created 1.7 chances per game and completed 62% of his attempted dribbles – playing 15 times in total. This shows that he has the ability to skip past defenders more often than not and he has the end product to make something happen at the top end of the pitch when he gets into good positions.

These statistics would have made the £120k-per-week gem the most creative player in the Newcastle team last term and he was on par with Saint-Maximin in terms of the efficiency of his dribbling.

Now, imagine both of them running down the wings and committing defenders with their trickery before creating chances for their teammates with their ability on the ball. It is an exciting prospect and one that the club should look to make a reality as they consider swooping for him.

Respected journalist Ben Jacobs has made a significant transfer claim involving a possible move to Arsenal for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans. 

The lowdown: Arsenal interested in Tielemans

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to north London this summer, while also being an apparent target for Manchester United.

Following the capture of Fabio Vieira from FC Porto, a recent report from Sky Sports claimed that the Gunners were cooling their interest in the Belgium international.

However, having entered the final 12 months of his contract in the Midlands and seemingly no closer to renewal, one informed onlooker has now suggested that Arsenal retain their interest in signing Tielemans during the ongoing transfer window…

The latest: Tielemans ‘wants’ Arsenal move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs has suggested that there remains a distinct possibility that the 52-cap Belgian could move to the Emirates Stadium over the coming weeks.

The CBS reporter said: “Tielemans wants to move to Arsenal, has already agreed terms, and is available at a bargain price of under 35 million. Arsenal haven’t placed a formal bid yet but remain in contact with Tielemans.”

The verdict: Proven performer

Tielemans has already amassed 120 Premier League outings for Leicester since arriving from Monaco, operating for the most part at an extremely high level whilst also scoring the winner in the FA Cup final success over Chelsea in 2021.

That experience in England stands the Belgian in strong stead when it comes to analysing midfield targets for the north Londoners, taking away the need for an adaptation period which would come with signing a target like Lucas Paqueta, who has never plied his trade in the UK.

Last season, the cultured Foxes midfielder – who was dubbed ‘pure class’ by journalist John Percy during a 7.5-rated Sofascore display containing one goal, two successful dribbles and three interceptions in a 5-2 win over Manchester City in September 2020 – scored six times and provided four assists in 32 Premier League appearances.

Sharing a close stylistic match with such renowned names as Ivan Rakitic, Rodrigo De Paul and another heavily-linked Arsenal target in Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (FBRef), Tielemans certainly appears to boast the top-class calibre required to slot straight into Mikel Arteta’s ranks. At a previously reported £35m asking price, he should duly be considered a priority capture for Edu and the Emirates hierarchy.