All posts by h716a5.icu

iNews journalist Mark Douglas reports Newcastle United still ‘retain an interest’ in Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby ahead of the January window.

The Lowdown: Summer interest

The St. James’ Park outfit reportedly held an interest in Diaby in the summer, but a move never materialised despite interest from multiple suitors, and he has stayed at Leverkusen.

In 13 appearances so far this season, the winger has managed two goals and four assists over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: January move?

Writing in his latest piece for iNews, Douglas says that the North East club ‘intend to move again’ for new players in January, after spending over £120m in the summer.

Among the targets that they ‘retain an interest’ in is Diaby, although they are also still looking at Leicester City attacking midfielder James Maddison, with whom they were also linked with a move for in the summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Statement signing

Diaby would certainly be a statement signing if the Tynesiders can pull it off.

Hailed as a player with ‘electrifying pace, good with both feet + fearless on the ball’ by The Chronicle journalist Aaron Stokes, he claims that it would be a ‘remarkable deal’ should Eddie Howe’s side be able to sign him.

Last season, the France international managed a very impressive 17 goals and 14 assists in total across all competitions, mainly playing out wide (Transfermarkt), and at 23 years of age, his ceiling is still so high.

Nonetheless, it would be a real coup if the Magpies were able to sign him and Maddison in 2023.

Aston Villa’s search for a new manager has seemingly taken another setback, with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim likely to remain with the Portuguese side.

After sacking Steven Gerrard in midweek following the 3-0 defeat against Fulham, the Villans have been linked with a host of top managers as they look to get their season back on track.

The potential of the squad was clear to see on Sunday afternoon as Villa demolished Brentford 4-0 at Villa Park but it seems as if it won’t be enough to tempt the top names to the Midlands.

According to The Telegraph, sporting director Johan Lange had begun talks with Amorim to bring him from Sporting CP to Villa Park, with Pochettino unlikely to join as he seeks a top-level club, despite a big money offer from the Villans. 

However, Fabrizio Romano has now provided the latest on Amorim, saying:

“Aston Villa are exploring the managers market, we should have more of an idea about who they go for next week. Personally, I think Amorim was a fantastic idea as he’s a potential top manager for present and future, but Sporting have no intention to let him go.”

It is no surprise that Sporting are keen to keep the 37-year-old, who is quickly emerging as one of the best young managers in European football.

After impressing with Braga, with whom he won ten of just 13 matches in charge, Amorim was given his chance to impress at one of the top clubs in Portugal, and he has grabbed that opportunity with both hands.

The Portuguese coach has thus far taken charge of 121 games for Sporting, winning 85, drawing 16 and losing just 20, which helped him lead Sporting to their first Liga NOS title in 19 years during the 2020/21 campaign.

His side also have the chance to progress through into the Champions League knockout stages this season after a memorable win over Tottenham Hotspur during the group stages, so it is easy to see why he wouldn’t want to leave right now.

[freshpress-quiz id=“659225”]

NSWE will no doubt be gutted to hear that Sporting are desperate to keep Amorim and will be hoping that they can still tempt the 37-year-old to Villa Park as Gerrard’s replacement.

Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is reportedly open to joining Newcastle United next year.

The Lowdown: Newcastle interest

There have been reports of the St. James’ Park outfit’s interest in Mudryk, who is on fire so far this season.

The Ukraine international scored a screamer on Tuesday night as he helped his team draw 1-1 away at Celtic in the UEFA Champions League, ensuring that Shakhtar are in European competition after the FIFA World Cup in Qatar ends.

That is just one of six goals that he has managed in all competitions this term, as he has also bagged himself seven assists, with five of those goal contributions coming in the Champions League alone (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Mudryk ‘open’ to joining

As per Football Insider, Mudryk is ‘open’ to joining the North East club next year, as the Tynesiders sent scouts to watch him in action at Celtic Park.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

He is believed to be ‘keen’ on moving to the Premier League in the January transfer window, but could delay a move until the end of the campaign if Shakhtar manage to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Eddie Howe is thought to have given the green light to pursue a deal in January, should the winger be willing to move.

The Verdict: Get it done

Given how Mudryk has exploded onto the scene this season, with football presenter and pundit Jack Collins hailing him as ‘absolutely unreal’ and ‘undefendable’ in explosive bursts, this is a player that the Magpies should not be thinking twice about signing.

However, he is not going to come cheap, and it is likely that top clubs around Europe will be itching to pounce on his signature.

Nonetheless, the 21-year-old is going to be a star for years to come, and would no doubt be welcomed by the Toon Army.

The two-Test series which is part of the World Test Championship is Bangladesh’s fourth postponement since March

Mohammad Isam23-Jun-2020New Zealand’s two-Test tour of Bangladesh, which was scheduled in August-September as part of the ICC World Test Championship, has been postponed for a later date amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Cricket has been suspended since mid-March in Bangladesh, with the Shere Bangla National Stadium, cricket’s headquarters in the country, well within a virus “red zone”. Bangladesh has crossed the 100,000 mark for total number of coronavirus cases, with over 1,500 deaths attributed to the pandemic so far.BCB’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that the board considered the health and safety of the players when deciding on the postponement.”In the present Covid-19 pandemic scenario, hosting a full cricket series in August 2020 will be a challenge in terms of preparations and we cannot take chances with the safety and health of players, support staff and related stakeholders,” Chowdhury said.”Under these circumstances, the BCB and NZC have felt that the best way forward would be to defer the series. We realise that this will be hugely disappointing for the players and officials of both teams, not to mention the fans of the two nations but I must thank NZC for its understanding and for recognising the rationale behind such a decision.”This is Bangladesh’s fourth postponement since March, following the second Test against Pakistan in Karachi (April), Ireland and UK tour (May) and Australia’s tour of Bangladesh (June). Their tour to Sri Lanka, scheduled for July-August, is still in doubt.New Zealand have also had several deferrals including the cancellation of the Chappell-Hadlee series in March after one ODI. They have postponed their Europe tour (Netherlands, Ireland and Scotland) and a tour to the West Indies.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a potential cut-price move for Naby Keita.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

Keita is out of contract at Liverpool in the summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent, or sign for another club for a cut-price in the January transfer window.

The central midfielder has been limited to just hamstring injury.

The Latest: Newcastle interest

As per Milan Live, the St. James’ Park outfit are eyeing a potential move for Keita, but will face competition from a number of clubs for his signature.

AC Milan, West Ham United and Borussia Dortmund are also thought to be interested in signing him, so there could be a four-way tussle come January or next summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Avoid

Once dubbed ‘world-class’ by Reds team-mate Virgil van Dijk, and ‘one of the best’ midfielders that he has ever seen by manager Jurgen Klopp, Keita has been a good servant to the Anfield outfit, winning both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League with them.

However, his career has been plagued by injury, and judging by this season, his record does not look like it will get any better.

Currently earning £120,000-per-week on Merseyside, it is just not worth the risk for the Magpies, who can already call upon the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton in the middle of the park.

Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams is reportedly wanted by Premier League rivals Manchester United in the near future, according to a recent transfer report.

The Lowdown: Great signing by Leeds

The 23-year-old traded RB Leipzig for the Whites during the summer, in what felt like an exciting piece of business by Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch.

Adams certainly hasn’t disappointed in his first few months in a Leeds shirt, standing out as a key player along with Brenden Aaronson (both are ranked among the club’s top seven performers by WhoScored), while so many others at Elland Road have struggled.

The American’s current deal runs until 2027, but that hasn’t stopped an exit rumour from emerging already.

The Latest: Man Utd eye up Adams move

According to Football Insider, Man United are keeping a close eye on Adams at the moment, seeing him as a player who could make them more formidable in the middle of the park.

Erik ten Hag feels the need to bolster his midfield and the former Leipzig man is someone that the Manchester club have tracked since his days in Germany.

The report adds that the 23-year-old ‘is widely regarded to have been the best’ of the seven summer signings made by Leeds.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-10/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Must keep hold of him

The thought of Leeds losing Adams so early in his time at Elland Road doesn’t even bear thinking about, especially as he has been such a bright spark this season.

The midfielder has averaged 4.1 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game in the league, placing him second and fifth respectively for those metrics among Marsch’s squad, while LUFCDATA have described him as ‘outstanding’ on Twitter.

Sky Sports reporter Tim Thornton has also voiced his admiration for the 23-year-old, who he says has “done brilliantly” during his first few months in Yorkshire.

On the plus side, Man United would surely have to bid huge money if they want to get Adams, considering his contract situation, but the hope is that the lure of Old Trafford isn’t too much for him to turn down, especially having only arrived in England in July.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is personally targeting Inter Milan defender and 2022 World Cup hopeful Denzel Dumfries.

The Lowdown: Spurs make January plans?

Conte has often spoken publicly about Spurs’ need for strength in depth, especially considering his want for the north Londoners to become a major Premier League force.

The Lilywhites boss could arguably be happy with the way his side have started 2022/2023 as Tottenham currently sit third in the table with only Arsenal and league champions Man City winning more games.

However, Conte has also had to cope with his fair share of injury problems, prompting reports of potential January moves for the likes of James Maddison and Ruslan Malinovskyi.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici could be a busy man mid-season as news emerges on Netherlands international ace Dumfries.

The Latest: Conte personally targeting Dumfries…

According to reports out of Italy, it appears Spurs’ head coach has personally set his sights on a new right-wing-back target.

The RWB spot has largely been a point of contention at N17 this season with mainstay Emerson Royal attracting some criticism – and there is a belief they need to strengthen in that position.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-3/” title=”Tottenham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As a result, Calciomercatoweb.it now claim Conte is targeting Dumfries as a possible solution, and the report adds that Inter could ‘request’ Emerson as a possible makeweight. However, a swap deal is viewed as unlikely as things stand.

The Verdict: Make the move?

At 26 years old and valued at around €40 million (£35m), Dumfries could fit the bill going by his plaudits and numbers in a Nerazzurri jersey.

Called a ‘very exciting and effective player’ by Serie A football writer Jerry Mancini, the defender appears dangerous on the overlap, having registered two assists already over 2022/2023.

Dumfries is a mainstay under manager Simone Inzaghi, playing the fourth-most league minutes out of any Inter player whilst also delivering their third-highest rate of crosses per 90 (WhoScored).

It’s hardly shocking that Conte could look to his homeland for a wing-back solution and Dumfries appears to be a credible candidate.

Manchester United have reportedly made a proposal to Barcelona forward Memphis Depay.

The Lowdown: Summer links

Described as a ‘different beast’ by Red Devils journalist Samuel Luckhurst, Depay appeared to be on the Premier League club’s radar over the summer.

The 28-year-old has a whopping €400m (£350m) release clause in his Barcelona contract and was linked with a return to Old Trafford. Fabrizio Romano hinted that a late move for the Netherlands international could have been on the cards, but as we know, the forward remained in Spain.

The Latest: Man United make Depay offer

Journalist Adrian Sanchez provided an update regarding United and Depay on Thursday afternoon.

He said on Twitter that ‘Depay has a proposal’ from Old Trafford ahead of the winter transfer window, amid reports that the 28-year-old has demanded to leave the Nou Camp for free in January.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-updates-9/” title=”Latest Man Utd updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: One to watch

Depay has gone from strength to strength after leaving the Red Devils for Lyon back in 2017 and now has 189 senior goals for club and country.

Capable of playing anywhere across the front three, a potential free transfer could appeal to the Glazers and Old Trafford officials, especially with Cristiano Ronaldo’s future up in the air.

The 37-year-old has been told that he can leave United in January, so if an exit materialises, perhaps a swoop for Depay could be one to keep an eye upon following this update.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa’s owners and their plans for the upcoming January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the club are set to try and acquire multiple signings at the start of 2023 and that they will follow that up by doing the same at the end of the campaign.

Although, the reporter has also suggested that they will find it difficult to land players from Unai Emery’s former club Villarreal in the winter window.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “So, Aston Villa will try for many, many players in the summer and in January. But as of now, there’s still nothing advanced with Villarreal.

“And I think Villarreal will try to protect the players after they lost the manager. They don’t want to lose important players in January.”

Huge boost

This news will come as a huge boost to Emery heading into the January transfer window as it shows that the club are willing to back him with new signings.

NSWE are preparing to bolster the squad ahead of the second half of the season and this will give the new Villa boss the chance to bring in players of his own to shape his team.

He will be able to sign players who suit the way that he wants his side to look moving forward and that is why the predicted transfer movement at the start of 2023 is a significant boost for the Spaniard.

Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu and Barcelona’s Franck Kessie are two, non-Villarreal, players who have been linked with moves to Villa Park in January since Emery arrived at the club.

Both of those midfielders have the potential to be incredible signings and supporters should be hoping that they set the standard for the targets NSWE will attempt to sign in the next window.

Calhanoglu has produced nine goals and 16 assists in the Serie A since the start of last season, whilst Kessie plundered 19 goals and four assists in his final two campaigns in the Italian top-flight for Milan before his move to Barcelona in the summer.

Meanwhile, no Villa player managed more than six assists in the Premier League last term and Jacob Ramsey is the club’s top-scoring midfielder in the last 18 months with eight strikes in the division.

This suggests that both of the aforementioned transfer targets could make a huge impact on the squad by providing goal contributions from midfield to fire Emery’s side up the table.

Therefore, NSWE’s plans to sign ‘many players’ is a seismic boost to the manager, providing they are able to secure deals for quality talents – like Calhanoglu and Kessie – in January.

Glasgow Rangers are set to hold contract talks with Ryan Kent during the World Cup break, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Opening offer rejected

The Premiership giants risk losing the 26-year-old next summer with his deal set to expire at the end of the season, meaning that he will be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with potential suitors from January onwards.

Last month, reports claimed that the winger had turned down fresh terms offered to him by the Ibrox hierarchy in the hope of sealing a dream move to the Premier League.

The Latest: Rangers schedule Kent talks

According to Football Insider, Rangers are ‘making a fresh attempt’ to secure Kent’s services and are planning to use the international hiatus to ‘open new talks’ over his future.

Fulham are believed to be ‘monitoring’ the forward’s situation, and they will ‘weigh up’ whether or not to make an approach in the winter market.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-5/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Tie him down

Whilst Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been under huge pressure of late, Kent has been a standout performer in difficult times, which is why the Light Blues need to tie him down to new terms.

Dubbed a ‘wizard’ by former Gers team-mate Leon Balogun, the attacker has racked up seven goal contributions in 13 appearances and is averaging 2.4 key passes, 2.2 dribbles and 1.9 shots per league game (WhoScored).

He ranks second for the former two metrics in Van Bronckhorst’s squad, so even though his goal output is rather light (just one in the Premiership), he still contributes plenty to Rangers’ attacking game.

Kent is still clearly giving everything despite the uncertainty surrounding his contract situation, and an improved offer which would convince him to stay at Ibrox seems more than deserved.