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Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle has committed his future to the club by signing a new contract, The Athletic revealed on Monday.

The Magpies had been facing the possibility of Gayle leaving on a free transfer on the expiry of his current deal in June. Relegation rivals Fulham were said to have held a long-term interest in the striker, while a report in March claimed that Turkish side Galatasaray were also keen.

However, the 30-year-old has put that speculation to bed, accepting reduced terms to extend his stay on Tyneside. He had previously been earning a reported £40,000 per week.

Gayle’s limited involvement at Newcastle

The £4.5m-rated striker has only scored one Premier League goal this season in 11 appearances, but it should be noted that just two of those were starts and he was also missing for the 10 matches of the campaign with a ligament injury.

Gayle was selected – as a winger – for the trip to Chelsea last month and the draw at home to Aston Villa following injuries to Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson, but he was back to a watching brief for the woeful 3-0 defeat against Brighton last time out.

Transfer Tavern verdict

It may be something of a surprise that Newcastle have endeavoured to keep a 30-year-old who  Steve Bruce has rarely deployed in his starting XI despite him praising the ex-Crystal Palace marksman as a “natural goalscorer”.

Perhaps there is a slight element of planning for a possible relegation,as Gayle has been a devastating Championship hitman in the past. In the 2016/17 campaign, he bagged 23 goals for the Toon in the second tier, a feat he repeated with West Bromwich Albion a couple of seasons later (via Transfermarkt).

He may not be enjoying a stellar few months of late, but at least Newcastle have kept hold of one proven marksman for the foreseeable future.

In other news, Newcastle are reportedly preparing a bargain deal for this defender.

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Gers relayed news regarding their upcoming clash at Ibrox.

Following the news that Steven Gerrard’s side will be facing Celtic in the next round of the Scottish Cup, it was subsequently announced that the fixture had been selected for live television coverage on Premier Sports, with the game being scheduled for 16:00 on Saturday 17 April.

With Rangers having already wrapped up the Scottish Premiership title this season, should the Gers overcome their bitter rivals in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, Gerrard’s side will undoubtedly be favourites to go on and win the competition, which would see the club secure a memorable double.

And, after Rangers relayed the news of the fixture’s scheduling on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the kick-off time. Others appeared frustrated that the match will be aired by Premier Sports, while one supporter said the change was simply ‘so unexpected’.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding the Scottish Cup fixture?

“Old Firm? Scottish Cup? On a Saturday? At 4 pm? Absolutely mental!”

@SteveGSmith_

“Pain.”

@Charlie1872_

“Scenes.”

@rossco2586

“This is so unexpected.”

@itwasjas72

“Absolute disgrace that the SFA ever gave the rights to Premier Sports though.”

@JohnBarr92

“Naughty.”

@GaryCurran2

In other news: ‘He wants to extend’ – One pundit dropped a hint on this ‘fantastic’ Gers star’s contract amid PL interest – find out more here!

Leeds United have joined Liverpool in the race to sign Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners in the summer transfer window.

Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping for a productive summer in the market, as he looks to improve his squad further and make them a solidified top flight side.

A top-half finish in the Premier League is looking increasingly likely this season, following Saturday’s 2-1 win at home to Sheffield United, but the key is maintaining that consistency in 2021/22.

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Leeds linked with Koopmeiners move

Midfield could be an area of the pitch that Leeds strengthen in this summer and one exciting player has been linked with a move to Elland Road.

According to Calciomercato, the Whites are eyeing up a deal for Koopmeiners, who has impressed for AZ Alkmaar this season, scoring 15 goals and registering five assists in the Eredivisie.

Liverpool are also believed to be looking at the 23-year-old, however, seeing him as a potential replacement for Gini Wijnaldum.

Transfer Tavern take

Koopmeiners would be a hugely exciting addition for Leeds, with his quality in the final third highlighted this season, showing the quality and guile he possesses.

The youngster has shown that he can excel going forward, but he is also well-known for being a defensive midfielder, and that versatility could appeal to Bielsa.

Per Whoscored, he averages 2.8 tackles per game in the league, which is very exciting considering Leeds star Kalvin Phillips comes in just short of that at 2.5 in the Premier League.

In other news, a Leeds star has been linked with joining two clubs this summer – find out who the player in question is here.

Celtic opened their Scottish Cup campaign last week with a routine 3-0 victory over Falkirk.

It was a nice distraction for the Bhoys as they were able to forget about their horrendous league season for a week and focus on other targets.

The Hoops have lost their grasp on the league title and have one remaining chance of winning some silverware this season. That, however, will be more difficult as they face fierce rivals Rangers in the next round.

This weekend, they are back in league action as they face Livingston at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon. They made a number of changes for their last clash so how will they line up when Livi travel to Glasgow?

We’re tipping Kennedy to make as many as four changes to the side which beat Falkirk a week ago.

That means a return to the line-up for a few of their star men. The £15,000-per-week Leigh Griffiths was handed a rare opportunity to lead the line but Odsonne Edouard is back this week. He’s scored 20 times this term and is their undisputed MVP from a rough-and-tumble campaign.

James Forrest keeps his place on the right flank after scoring his first goal following injury but Ryan Christie is axed from the starting XI. That means Mo Elyounoussi comes back after his impressive display against Rangers before the international break.

The Norwegian scored a wonderful diving header in that clash and deserves another run of starts.

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David Turnbull moves slightly further forward to play behind the striker, while Callum McGregor replaces Tom Rogic in the line-up.

The only remaining change to note is a return for Greg Taylor. Diego Laxalt consequently drops out, with Taylor now having a number of weeks of full training under his belt after injury.

AND in other news, Celtic may sign their best striker since Larsson with move for “powerful” £45k-p/w ace…

Steven Gerrard has been handed a huge potential boost ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm derby at Ibrox, with Rangers captain James Tavernier in contention to feature after recovering from his injury.

The former Newcastle United man has been sidelined since February through injury and whilst the Light Blues were able to secure title number 55 in his absence and maintain the unbeaten run, they will be hoping that his return can see them over the line this season, whilst also hoping that he can have a big part to play in their Scottish Cup run.

Gerrard’s side face the Hoops at Ibrox on Sunday and Tavernier could well make his return, after the 40-year-old manager confirmed earlier in the week that the right-back was now back in full training and was pushing to be involved against Celtic.

Although Nathan Patterson has done a stellar job filling in for Tavernier at right-back, the 19-year-old could easily be overawed by playing in such a big occasion due to his lack of experience, whilst Leon Balogun has struggled when asked to play that position in recent months, so perhaps we will see Tavernier from the start.

The English defender has been instrumental in Rangers’ superb season thus far, having contributed a remarkable 11 goals and nine assists in 29 league appearances, which has helped him average an incredible 7.76 rating for his performances.

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This ranks him not just as Rangers’ best performer this season, but comfortably the best performer in the Scottish Premiership, which emphasises just how important he has been in Gerrard’s side this season.

Earlier in the season, Gerrard was full of praise for his captain, saying:

“I think Tav is someone that, when he goes through the gears, he is unstoppable, and we have seen that, or flashes of that so far this season – I think he is really close to being at his best.”

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This goes to show how much the former Liverpool man values having Tavernier in his squad, and if he is deemed to be fully fit, it would not be a surprise to see him handed a start in the Old Firm derby on Sunday afternoon.

And, in other news… Gerrard suffers Rangers transfer setback over £12m beast with “so much ability”

It appears that Crystal Palace have settled on replacing Roy Hodgson at the end of the campaign.

The 73-year-old’s contract expires in just a couple of month’s time, with replacements already being talked up. Sean Dyche and Valerien Ismael have already been linked with a switch to Selhurst Park, whilst Eddie Howe is also reportedly on the Eagles’ list of potential managers.

The former Bournemouth boss also has suitors at Celtic but Palace have been handed a huge advantage in the race for his signature.

According to Give Me Sport, his representatives have convinced him that he is still able to earn a job in the Premier League,  giving the Eagles a huge boost in their prospects of appointing Howe as Hodgson’s successor, a role he would surely be able to fulfil.

Having got Bournemouth promoted to the Premier League, he led the Cherries to 16th , 9th, 12th and 14th placed finishes before the club eventually suffered relegation back to the Championship.

Despite that demotion, Howe has still been praised. Former Bournemouth striker Brett Pitman labelled him as “special” following his work at the Vitality Stadium.

Whilst Hodgson can boast a better win percentage in recent years, racking up 33% compared to Howe’s 29% in the Premier League, the latter would certainly bring fresh ideas to Selhurst Park with Palace having themselves not managed to finish in the top-half of the table during Hodgson’s tenure.

Another benefit of Palace’s appointment of Howe would also be the ease at which a deal could potentially be done.

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Currently out of work, Steve Parish would not have to fork out any compensation in which to bring him to Selhurst Park. That would certainly not be the case with the aforementioned reported targets Dyche and Ismael, who are still currently employed by Burnley and Barnsely, respectively.

So, with Howe having seemingly been encouraged to wait for a Premier League role, Palace really have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of the former Bournemouth man.

AND in more news, find out which Premier League defender could be the perfect addition for Palace in the summer…

Marcus Rashford is an injury doubt for Manchester United ahead of their Premier League clash with Leeds United this weekend.

The Whites are back in action on Sunday afternoon, welcoming their Mancunian rivals to Elland Road in what has the potential to be an entertaining contest.

Leeds have taken four points off Manchester City and Liverpool in their last two matches and they should be confident heading into the game.

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Rashford a doubt for Leeds-Man United clash

While Marcelo Bielsa will have to make do without attacking duo Raphinha and Rodrigo, their opponents could also be missing a key man.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that Rashford hasn’t trained all week, and while he will return on Saturday, it gives him little time to prove his fitness.

Transfer Tavern take

Rashford being out would undoubtedly act as a boost for Leeds, considering the 23-year-old goal’s threat, invariably from the left-hand side. He has scored 10 goals and registered eight assists in the league so far this season, highlighting his pedigree in the attacking third.

Indeed, he has been hailed as a “role model” by none other than England team-mate Phil Foden, who himself is having a season to remember.

Luke Ayling will be a relieved a man if Rashford doesn’t play, although there is the potential of Paul Pogba playing out on the left instead, giving the Leeds right-back a different kind of challenge.

In other news, Leeds have suffered a double injury blow ahead of the Man United game. Read more here.

Newcastle United held in to salvage a 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday afternoon but Miguel Almiron badly let Steve Bruce down with a wasteful performance from the engine room.

Bruce elected to keep his Paraguayan playmaker in the right-hand slot of a midfield three, having named an unchanged line-up at Anfield from the side that beat West Ham United 3-2 last week.

Having five defenders on the pitch failed to prevent Mohamed Salah from breaking the deadlock in just the third minute, when the Egyptian spun Matt Ritchie at the back post and drilled an unstoppable strike past Martin Dubravka.

Ciaran Clark will have felt he could have done more to prevent the ball from reaching Salah, with the Republic of Ireland international only able to make glancing contact as Sadio Mane’s delivery floated over the six-yard box.

Liverpool kept digging in search of a second and almost found gold through Clark again later in the first half, when the centre-back gifted possession to the Reds only for Diogo Jota to scuff his shot wide.

Clark thought he had equalised for a moment when he headed home from a corner, but he proved to be one of three players in offside positions with one of which Jonjo Shelvey, who blocked Allison’s path to the ball.

Bruce eventually saw enough from Clark, despite a reasonable recovery, to replace the defender with Joe Willock just after the hour mark, in a move that would pay dividends with the Arsenal loanee snatching a 90+4 goal to grab an unlikely draw.

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Clark was an easy choice for Bruce to replace having offered no successful tackles while Paul Dummett had three, make no interceptions while Dummett and Federico Fernandez had one apiece, and win no aerial duels, having lost his only challenge, while Fernandez had one, per WhoScored.

Yet Almiron’s wasteful efforts in the engine room ensured he would let Bruce down to a higher degree on Saturday, and offer the Toon head coach an option to replace with Dwight Gayle nearing stoppage-time while a point remained in reach.

Almiron lost 75% of his duels at Anfield with success in one of one aerial challenges but just one of seven on the ground, per SofaScore.

Only Allan Saint-Maximin (12/24) lost more ground duels for the Toon than Almiron, while Jacob Murphy – behind the £14.5m-rated midfielder Kevin Phillips believes is “top quality” on the pitch – won nine of his 11, up against Jota (2/9), Mane (2/9) and Andrew Robertson (6/7).

Murphy also posed a greater attacking threat for the Magpies than Almiron with one shot attempted to the 27-year-old’s zero, and provided one of his side’s six key passes while the influential midfielder failed to carve out a single goalscoring opportunity for a teammate.

A lack of focus in the final third from Almiron had proven costly for Newcastle in the first half, as well, when a communication breakdown led to the former Atlanta United maestro crossing paths with Joelinton and Saint-Maximin as United sought to break forward.

Almiron is now without a goal in his last eight Premier League appearances and without an assist since the first game of the season, and would not have surprised Bruce to see that record continue with his efforts at Anfield.

AND in other news, Newcastle United hold keen interest in £35m titan who “flung his teammates under the bus”…

Celtic remain very keen on signing Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy this summer.

That’s according to a report from TEAMtalk, who claim that the Hoops were close to a deal for the Irishman in January.

McCarthy, on £50,000-a-week at Selhurst Park, is out of contract in a matter of months so could sign a pre-contract agreement with the Hoops ahead of a potential free transfer.

Newcastle United are also now back in the picture for the 30-year-old’s services ahead of the 2021/22 season, though, with the report suggesting the Hoops won’t make a firm decision on the central midfielder until they have finalised their plans for a new manager.

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Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if Celtic don’t want to give up on the chance of signing January target McCarthy. However, with Newcastle on the chase too, they may have to be quick in regards to their search for a new manager to have any hope of signing the midfielder for nothing.

Should a deal gather pace ahead of the summer, McCarthy could become Dominic McKay’s first signing as Celtic CEO due to the fact he can pen a pre-contract before the window officially opens.

It may well end up being a busy summer for McKay and co in terms of recruitment at Parkhead, so starting by securing a free transfer for a player who has over 250 appearances under his belt in the Premier League and 42 international caps could prove fruitful.

Who knows, McCarthy could fill the boots of club captain Scott Brown, who will leave for Aberdeen this summer.

In other news: John Kennedy linked with surprise new role at Parkhead, find out more here. 

Many Wolves fans have been left to bemoan an update from Tim Spiers on Willy Boly.

As per a tweet from The Athletic journalist, the former FC Porto ace is in a ‘bad way’ as he is suffering from the after-effects of dealing with Covid-19.

Spiers also relayed some comments made by Nuno Espirito Santo on the situation, as the Portuguese boss confirmed that the central defender is in a ‘tough moment’, which is why he was not able to train with the first-team squad.

This will come as yet another blow for the Midlands club given that they have already lost Raul Jimenez and Pedro Neto for large spells, and Boly could well follow them.

The Ivory Coast international ranks highly among his teammates in terms of tackles (1.6), interceptions (1.4), clearances (4.2) and blocks (0.6) averaged in the Premier League so far in the 2020/21 term (Whoscored), and so is clearly an important player for the Wanderers.

Wolves fans on Spiers’ Boly update

These WWFC supporters bemoaned the update on Twitter, with one fan claiming that they were ‘gutted’ while another went as far as to claim that his situation was ‘horrible’:

“Not good, had it in the Autumn and while it cleared up after about 10 days it took weeks before I could start doing proper exercise again, hope he gets well soon, horrible situation for him after the season he’s had”

Credit: @Andyrewjw

“Gutted for him his health is more important than anything, just hope he does recover.”

Credit: @_DazzlingDave

“This is very worrying. Neves has also seemed to really struggle in the last couple of games, seems like both need a long rest to recover!”

Credit: @JoshDale_7

“Can this season get any worse?”

Credit: @Ianph61

“Worried about his long-term prognosis.”

Credit: @ClimerGuido

“Precisely why international friendlies and games shouldn’t of gone ahead. Hope he recovers.”

Credit: @ZHollowayyy

In other news, find out what damning stat has left Wanderers fuming here!