Newcastle United is a potential club which could intrigue the midfield duo of Youri Tielemans and Ruben Neves ahead of the summer transfer window.
What’s the latest on Newcastle’s summer targets?
Over the course of the January transfer window, there was a belief that Eddie Howe was looking to bring in a new midfielder which did not come to fruition.
Instead, the Magpies saw Jonjo Shelvey leave the club in a deal which took him to fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest.
Looking ahead to the summer transfer window, it is believed Newcastle will look to bolster their options in the middle of the park.
And speaking to Football FanCast, insider Dean Jones has mooted it could be a possible landing spot which would interest Tielemans and Neves:
“And I think for both players, it would be a really good environment for them to step into and will probably intrigue them,” Jones said.
Could Neves or Tielemans replace Guimaraes?
Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival on Tyneside has proven nothing short of a masterstroke from the Magpies with the Brazilian proving to be a seriously impressive signing.
This season alone has seen the 25-year-old provide the Toon with a return of three goals and three assists in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).
However, this success has seen some reports suggest he has attracted attention from the likes of Real Madrid with his new deal on Tyneside yet to be finalised.
Neves, who could be available for around £53 million, is now playing into the final 18 months of his deal with Wolverhampton Wanderers meaning this summer could provide him with an opportunity to move on.
And Tielemans will have his choice of clubs with the Belgian’s deal with Leicester City set to expire at the end of the current campaign.
And in comparison to the Brazilian in the middle of Newcastle’s side, the Premier League duo have both offered their respective clubs more passes per 90 minutes (via Fbref).
However, only Tielemans (3.28) has been able to return a higher shot-creating action figure than Guimaraes (2.96) but Neves has – as well as the Belgian – provided slightly more tackles per 90 minutes.
Newcastle fans will be hoping they are set to see Guimaraes play at St. James’ Park for years to come with a new contract believed to be in the works.
And with this in mind, the stats returned by both Premier League players would suggest they could offer Newcastle with a serious midfield partner to play along with Guimaraes.
Leeds United have looked at managers with Premier League experience but still haven’t managed to identify Jesse Marsch’s long-term successor, according to Beren Cross.
The Lowdown: Skubala to continue
Michael Skubala, Chris Armas and Paco Gallardo have been in caretaker charge at Elland Road, with the trio taking both fixtures against Manchester United last week.
The club have confirmed that Skubala and co will continue to lead the first team for the club’s upcoming fixtures, starting this weekend with a trip to Everton. Leeds’ search for a new manager is into its 10th day and there still hasn’t been a breakthrough.
The Latest: Cross’ comments
Cross ran a Q&A for LeedsLive on Wednesday, where he was asked why are no Premier League experienced managers being considered for the job. The Leeds reporter replied, saying some actually have been identified, but he named a number of reasons why such a move hasn’t materialised.
“I am led to believe managers with experience of the league have been under consideration, they just evidently either aren’t available, don’t play with the right tactics, are asking for too much money or the wrong kind of contract, or simply don’t want to come.”
Reports have suggested that Raul, Carlos Corberan, Andoni Iraola, Arne Slot and Marcelo Gallardo have all turned Leeds down, so knowing that Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises have also looked at Premier League experienced managers without any luck isn’t ideal.
The likes of Steven Gerrard and Nuno Espirito Santo have both been linked, and it seems as if the club’s search for a manager is going from bad to worse, which could explain the reason for their confirmation on Skubala.
Should results not go to plan against Everton or Southampton under Skubala, though, Leeds may have to force through a move for an experienced interim coach, as the club’s Premier League status could be hanging by a thread.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery enjoyed his first transfer window in charge of the club last month after replacing Steven Gerrard in the dugout.
The Spanish head coach, whilst working alongside Johan Lange, made two additions to his first-team squad by snapping up striker Jhon Duran and left-back Alex Moreno to bolster his side.
He also made a big call by allowing centre-forward Danny Ings to sign for Premier League rivals West Ham United, which left Ollie Watkins as the club’s only senior option in that position.
How did Danny Ings perform at Aston Villa?
It was the end of an underwhelming spell for the former England international at Villa Park following his move to the club from Southampton in the summer of 2021.
Ex-manager Dean Smith brought him in on a three-year contract in a deal reportedly worth £25m, after the gem had scored 34 top-flight goals for the Saints in 2020/21 and 2019/20 combined, but it turned out to be a blunder by the English coach.
At the time of the move, the then-Villans boss said: “Danny is an outstanding Premier League footballer who has scored goals wherever he has played.”
The forward, who was once described as “dangerous” by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, came in as a prolific scorer in the division for Southampton and arrived for a significant fee.
However, the 30-year-old found goals hard to come by at times in his first season with Villa and ended the campaign with seven strikes in 30 Premier League appearances – starting 22 of those matches.
The attacker’s form did perk up slightly in the current campaign, however, as Ings scored six times in 18 games for the club prior to departing in January, although that was not enough to convince Emery that the dud had a long-term future in his squad.
13 goals in 48 matches is unlikely to be what Smith, or the club, expected the Englishman to produce after his terrific form for Southampton in the division, which is why the marksman was underwhelming, despite having a decent record in front of goal, for the Villans.
Villa reportedly raked in a fee of just £12m, potentially rising to £15m, from West Ham United last month, meaning that the striker’s value plummeted by at least £10m, and at most £13m, in just 18 months of league football.
The striker’s zero goals or assists in four Premier League appearances for the Hammers since making the move also suggests that Emery, as it stands, made the right call by cashing in on him.
Overall, Smith’s decision to bring him in for £25m was a big howler for the club as Ings struggled to replicate his Southampton form for Villa and left for a considerably lower fee less than two years later.
A lot of players can go under the radar at Manchester City. Simply put, Pep Guardiola’s system isn’t designed for individual standouts. It is designed for every player to play their role to perfection, both on and off the ball. And this naturally leads to a number of underrated, yet important figures emerging.
Such is the genius of Guardiola, some may believe that the former Bayern Munich manager could hand pick a number of players for each role in his starting 11. But, this isn’t the case; certain players deserve credit for the job they do; jobs that not many others could take on with such success.
With that said, we’ve ranked Manchester City’s most underrated player of the Premier League era.
10) Oleksandr Zinchenko
Oleksandr Zinchenko is one of the biggest victims of Manchester City’s constant spending on improvement. The left-back has always performed well in his role, but has still seen that same role taken by other players as soon as they walk through the door.
As a result, he left for Arsenal in the summer, and they’re now top of the Premier League table; coincidence? We think not.
Indeed, Zinchenko never made more than 20 appearances in one Premier League season during his time at City.
That feels like a ridiculous stat when you think about it, but it just shows the riches City have at their disposal.
9) Samir Nasri
An increasingly controversial character as his career went on, Samir Nasri often went under the radar at Manchester City.
The silky Frenchman played an important role in City’s first ever Premier League title win in 2012, recording 14 goal involvements in the league.
Nasri totalled 176 appearances for City during his time at the club and one has to say that the club had the best version of him.
After leaving, Nasri endured a nomadic period, playing in Turkey, as well as featuring for West Ham and Anderlecht.
He’s not remembered as he should be.
8) Mario Balotelli
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Speaking of controversial, not many have a bigger track record of that exact trait than Mario Balotelli. And that’s perhaps why his time at Manchester City went under the radar.
Whether he was putting the ball in on the goal-line with his shoulder, or scoring against Manchester United and unveiling the famous ‘why always me’ shirt, the Italian was superb at times. To this day, he remains the only Italian to win the Premier League title.
Balotelli may have seen his legacy somewhat dimmed by the fact that he never recaptured the City form anywhere else.
But he’s one of the most mercurial players we’ve ever seen at City.
7) Pablo Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta was unfortunate enough to feature in an era when full-backs were not quite as appreciated as they are today.
The Argentine right-back was as good going forward as he was defensively, and was a huge part of Manchester City’s Premier League title wins in 2011/12 and 2013/14.
He made over 300 appearances, and often wore the captain’s armband.
He left City with two Premier League titles under his belt, as well as two League Cups and one FA Cup.
6) Edin Dzeko
When it comes to underrated forwards in Premier League history, Edin Dzeko is right near the top.
He was a key part of City’s title-winning sides in 2011/12 and 2013/14, and, by the time he left city, he had scored an impressive 72 goals in 189 appearances.
Many seem to forget, too, that it was his goal that put City level with Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 11/12 season.
It took a long time for City to find another striker who was as selfless and brilliant as the Bosnia and Herzegovina international.
5) Ilkay Gundogan
The Ilkay Gundogan fan club may have increased in numbers recently, but he still goes far too much under the radar for our liking.
The final day of last season epitomised the German as a player, with his brace helping to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Aston Villa to win the game 3-2 and seal the Premier League title.
Where there is an important moment, there seems to be a Gundogan goal.
He’s played over 280 times for the club and if he does leave soon enough, he will be sorely missed.
4) Aleksandar Kolarov
Like Zabaleta, Aleksandar Kolarov was unlucky to enjoy his best years in an era outside of the full-back popularity that we so often see today.
That does not take away just how good he was, however, with his rocket of a left foot making the difference on more than one occasion at The Etihad, clocking up 247 appearances.
He was a regular during the time that City were becoming a truly immense force in English football.
Defensively brilliant and an attacking threat too, Kolarov was a truly world-class left-back.
3) Raheem Sterling
A player with 131 goals and 95 assists shouldn’t be able to warrant a place on this list. But, the fact is, Raheem Sterling is nowhere near appreciated enough at Manchester City and in the Premier League as a whole.
In total, he won four Premier League titles at the Etihad Stadium, along with five League Cups and one FA Cup.
He has left an immense hole in the City squad after moving to Chelsea, and it remains to be seen if the club can find a way to properly replace him.
Their form this season suggests they are struggling to do so.
2) Joe Hart
The arrival and subsequent performances of Ederson can make people forget about just how good Joe Hart was at Manchester City.
Of course, he didn’t suit the change of style under Pep Guardiola, but, prior to that, he was head and shoulders (pun fully intended) above many Premier League shot-stoppers. He remains a key figure in City’s recent history.
One of the best goalkeepers in Europe at his peak, Hart was also England’s No.1 at a variety of major tournaments.
At his best, there were few better in the world.
1) Fernandinho
Fernandinho was always going to have his place on this list.
He is one of the most underrated players in Premier League history. And, in a way, that’s exactly what you want from your defensive midfielder. If they’re in the spotlight then, chances are, they’ve made a mistake.
Fernandinho has successfully been the foundation of City’s success over the years, whilst rarely being exposed on the main stage.
He made 383 appearances in total, playing a key role in every season from 2013/14 right up until last season.
With the way that Pep Guardiola sets up his side, it would come as no surprise if more players went under the radar in the next few years. As a collective, Manchester City are the best team in the Premier League, and arguably the world. Meanwhile, if you shoved the majority of their players into the spotlight and forced them to play in a system which requires individual carrying jobs, they’d fit straight in.
It speaks volumes of the trust that the players have in Guardiola, that they have remained so disciplined over the years and stuck to their roles, whether that be in or out of the spotlight.
Tottenham Hotspur have made huge strides under Antonio Conte’s leadership, yet remain painfully stuck in the past with certain pieces of their game.
Having beaten Manchester City, they outlined their ability to live up to the big occasion and topple one of the giants of English football. However, they remain equally as susceptible to losing to a team fighting relegation, which makes any potential title push in the coming years obsolete.
It is an impossible feat unless you can start defeating the smaller teams and breaking down stubborn defences who are happy to sit and pray for a point.
With Conte’s system, the bulk of the width and attacking impetus in those areas comes from the wing-backs. Pedro Porro’s big money January signing was indicative of this, as the Italian is willing to fork out a total of £44m come the summer.
Whilst Emerson Royal has upped his game of late, it is expected the Spaniard will be the long-term star down the right. That means they need someone of equal quality down the left to ensure teams don’t just shift their defensive focus solely onto the new man.
Therefore, Conte could look to really ramp up the necessity for Ryan Sessegnon to fulfil that role.
Can Ryan Sessegnon be Spurs’ own Hakimi?
Having signed from Fulham in 2019, an initial £25m deal made this a particularly large outlay for a Championship star. That being said, he had just scored 15 and assisted six as the Cottagers earned promotion whilst also outlining his defensive capabilities.
The English youngster had all the qualities that suggested he would be the perfect modern-day wing-back, however, he struggled initially to adapt to life at a top club.
That said, he had recently endeared himself to the manager before injury cut his playtime short. Conte even took to the media to claim: “We are talking about now a young player but a reliable player who I can count on for games in the Premier League or Champions League, for every game.”
He continued: “In that role I am OK because I have (Ivan) Perisic and Sessegnon, two important players”.
Should the 5 foot 10 speedster continue growing in that role of left wing-back, the 53-year-old could nurture him in the image of Achraf Hakimi, who now plies his trade at Paris Saint-Germain.
The Moroccan earned fame for his displays at Inter Milan in their title-winning campaign, as he scored seven and assisted ten. It outlines just how crucial that role is for this particular system, and should buoy Sessegnon – who has been the club’s “surprise of the season” – in the words of Seb Jenkins – to try and reach that level.
With just two goals to his name this season the “huge talent” – as dubbed by former Fulham teammate Stefan Johansen – is far from where he needs to be, but ranking in the top 3% for touches in the opposition penalty area when compared to other full-backs across Europe bodes well for the threat he could pose.
The 22-year-old clearly boasts the attacking know-how, and should he add some quality and cutting edge to his play he could truly be Conte’s next Hakimi for the left flank.
An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their interest in signing Kieran Tierney in the upcoming summer transfer window…
What’s the latest on Kieran Tierney to Aston Villa?
According to Football Insider, the Villans have now joined the race to land the Arsenal left-back’s signature at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
The report claims that the Gunners may be open to cashing in on the Scotland international in order to raise funds for their own signings in the summer.
It is stated that fellow Premier League side Newcastle United are also keen on a deal for the gem, who is said to be valued at around £30m by Mikel Arteta’s side.
Could Lucas Digne be sold?
It has been claimed that Villa could cash in on Lucas Digne this summer and Unai Emery must now ditch the Frenchman this summer by swooping to sign Tierney ahead of the Magpies.
The Villans signed the ex-Barcelona left-back for a whopping £25m package in January of last year but the 29-year-old has struggled badly this season.
A Sofascore rating of 6.67 across 19 Premier League appearances, which places him 15th in the squad, shows that the defender has consistently delivered subpar performances for the club in 2022/23, whilst the full-back has also only won 52% of his ground duels.
Tierney has only started four times in the division for Arsenal this season but did show promise in his 22 starts in the top flight in the 2021/22 campaign – averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.93 and winning 61% of his ground duels.
These statistics suggest that the ex-Celtic star has the potential to perform to a much higher standard week-in-week-out than Digne, who has failed to impress this term.
Over the last 365 days, the Scotsman has averaged an impressive 9.81 progressive passes and carries combined per 90 in the Premier League and European competitions. Digne, meanwhile, has only made 5.33 per 90 with that suggesting the Gunners ace would offer far more to the team in terms of his quality in build-up play.
The 25-year-old – lauded as “exciting” by Ray Parlour – ranks in the top 9% of left-backs in both progressive passes and carries over the last 365 days in Europe’s top five leagues, a sign that the gem is one of the best in his position at progressing the ball.
Tierney, who was once hailed as a “machine” by journalist Simon Collings, could, therefore, be a significant upgrade on Digne in terms of both his average performance level and the quality that the dynamo can offer in possession.
This is why Emery must ditch the £25m flop by signing the Arsenal talent.
Everton reporter for PA Media Carl Markham says that Idrissa Gueye is ‘a mistake waiting to happen’ after holding onto the ball for too long against Brentford.
The Lowdown: Vital win
Everton picked up a vital win at the bottom of the Premier League table with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against high-flying Brentford.
Dwight McNeil scored in the very first minute of the game, and that ended up being enough to give them all three points at Goodison Park.
The Latest: Gueye criticism
Despite the victory, Markham was unimpressed with Gueye, claiming that he looks like ‘a mistake waiting to happen’:
“Everton’s midfield have done a pretty good job so far but Idrissa Gana Gueye looks like a mistake waiting to happen. Just holding onto the ball far too long when there are options around him.”
The Verdict: Not the first time…
This is not the first time that Gueye has received criticism this season, and Markham’s statement was justified by the shocking mistake that he made in Arsenal’s 4-0 win over the Toffees earlier this month.
This afternoon, the £80,000-per-week central midfielder was dribbled past twice, the joint-most in the home team, and only managed to make two tackles, while he also gave possession away nine times (SofaScore).
Gueye also had more touches than any of his team-mates with 53, which suggests that he was holding onto the ball for too long, as Markham suggests.
Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see whether he keeps his starting place, with the likes of James Garner and Tom Davies as other options on the bench.
Tottenham Hotspur will head to the south coast this afternoon for their Premier League clash with Southampton and Antonio Conte will be hoping that the winning confidence shown against Nottingham Forest can shine through away from home.
The Lilywhites are currently fourth in the top flight table with Newcastle United just one point behind following their victory over Forest last night, so another three points collected today will be crucial to keep good distance between themselves and their rivals for the last Champions League qualification spot.
Southampton have only won two of their 10 Premier League home games against Spurs since they were promoted to the top flight and haven't beaten the side at Sy Mary's since January 2020, so today's meeting should put the visitors in a good position to chalk up another win.
Conte will still be without a number of his key players going into the game with Hugo Lloris, Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur and Ryan Sessegnon still unavailable for selection due to various ongoing injury issues.
However, the Spurs boss has been given a boost with Emerson Royal returning to training earlier this week following a knee injury and he could be the secret weapon needed to snatch another victory.
Will Emerson Royal start vs Southampton?
There is no doubt that Emerson has struggled to hit the high expectations set since joining the club back in 2021 from Barcelona and the arrival of Pedro Porro on loan in January has provided tight competition for the right-back position in north London this season.
However, the Brazilian 24-year-old has had a few moments of magic over the campaign so far scoring twice in his last seven league outings with a goal against Manchester City and more recently in the victory over West Ham United.
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Over 21 league appearances, the £40k-per-week ace – hailed “important” by assistant manager Cristian Stellini – has scored two goals, registered one assist and successfully completed 68% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 51.9 touches, two tackles, 2.3 clearances and 4.7 duels won per game.
In fact, Emerson’s only assist this season came in the opening game of the season at home in a 4-1 victory over the Saints – so there’s no reason why Emerson can’t terrify his opponents again this afternoon.
With that being said, the opportunity to either start or bring Emerson on from the bench will be a big boost for Spurs and will give Conte more depth to the attacking threat inflicted on Ruben Selles’ side.
A number of Tottenham Hotspur fans have made it clear online that they are unhappy amid talk that Thomas Tuchel could become the club’s next manager.
What’s the latest on Thomas Tuchel and Spurs?
While Antonio Conte is still in charge, it feels as though the inevitable departure will happen sooner rather than later. Indeed, as per Sky Sports, a decision will be made on Wednesday night on whether or not he will see out the rest of the season.
Even if Daniel Levy opts against sacking the Italian for now, it seems almost guaranteed that Tottenham will be on the hunt for a new manager immediately as Conte’s contract expires in the summer anyway.
And after the current man’s incredible outburst following the recent draw with Southampton – where he brutally took aim at the “selfish” players and the club ownership – it’s likely he lost the majority of support from his own fanbase.
Damningly, The Guardian report that the squad also feel as though Conte is either “going or gone” already, so the only remaining question is, who will come in next?
Even before all this recent chaos, both Mauricio Pochettino and Tuchel were tipped as the two main candidates to be considered for the job, seeing as both are currently out of work.
However, if the German was to be appointed, it sounds as though plenty of supporters would have their reservations.
Much like Conte and Jose Mourinho before him, Tuchel enjoyed great success at Chelsea – winning the Champions League and the Club World Cup before being sacked at the start of this season.
Seeing as the path from West London to Spurs after that initial time with the Blues didn’t work out well for those past two managers, it’s easy to understand why fans might not be so keen to see history repeat itself.
With that in mind, here are some of the best reactions on Twitter…
While Everton boss Sean Dyche will be primarily focused on steering his new side away from danger over the coming weeks, the Englishman will also need to have one eye on potential additions that could be made this summer.
With the Toffees currently on a run of three league games without defeat, there is likely to be renewed optimism that relegation can be avoided, with the former Burnley boss hoping to spark a resurgence on Merseyside ahead of next season.
Any hopes of a major squad overhaul at the end of the current campaign do appear rather slim, however, with the club's financial woes likely to mean that there will be limited funds to spend in the transfer window.
As such, that could make the free agent market particularly appealing to those at Goodison Park, with recent reports suggesting that the struggling outfit are among a raft of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach star, Marcus Thuram.
The France international is attracting admiring glances with just a matter of months left to run on his existing deal, with Dyche and co likely hoping that the 25-year-old can be a solution to their centre-forward woes.
Should Everton sign Marcus Thuram?
As the joint-lowest scorers in the division this season, Everton are certainly in need of a reliable goalscoring presence to help spearhead the attack, with current number nine Dominic Calvert-Lewin having become something of a frustrating figure at the club due to his persistent injury woes.
After previously scoring 29 league goals across the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns, the England international has since scored just six top-flight goals since the start of last season, including netting just once in only 11 outings this term.
As Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer recently noted, the Toffees are simply "so poor in forward positions", with the record of Calvert-Lewin – and teammate Neal Maupay – having become rather "embarrassing" in truth.
Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin
The former Sheffield United man is no longer an asset to be relied upon, with Dyche likely to have to look to academy graduate Ellis Simms to deliver the goods until the end of the season, with the 22-year-old recently netting his first Premier League goal in fine fashion against Chelsea.
To put faith in the latter man as the club's leading centre-forward option beyond the end of this season would appear too much of a gamble, in truth, with the Oldham native having only made a handful of appearances in England's top tier to date.
As such, the signing of 6 foot 4 hotshot, Thuram could be just the man that is needed to replace Calvert-Lewin as Everton's go-to marksman, with the Parma-born menace having been in sparkling form so far this term, scoring 15 goals and laying on four assists in just 26 games across all fronts.
That includes a haul of 12 goals in 24 Bundesliga games to date, with the ten-cap sensation having made an effective transition to life as a central striker, after largely featuring in a wide berth in recent years.
The "phenomenal" talent – as hailed by ex-Gladbach teammate Denis Zakaria – is not only a towering presence in attack, but also showcases impressive mobility for a man of his size, as the £54k-per-week man ranks in the top 8% among his European peers for successful take-ons, as well as in the top 9% for progressive carries.
Calvert-Lewin, by contrast, ranks in just the bottom 46% and the bottom 22% in those same two metrics respectively, hence illustrating that Thuram could provide a greater, all-round package to Dyche next season.
It would, of course, take a great deal of persuading to be able to tempt the former Guingamp and Sochaux man to make the move to Merseyside, although it is clear to see just why there is such interest in his services.