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An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their efforts to sign Sevilla enforcer Diego Carlos…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Pete Graves has revealed that the Magpies are now set to abandon their pursuit of the Brazilian defender due to issues with his parent club’s negotiations.

He tweeted: “#nufc ready to walk away from Diego Carlos deal. It’s thought original price quoted was €30m but Sevilla changed (

) numerous times. Tough on player who’s desperate to sign. Newcastle now actively looking elsewhere. They have money, won’t be taken advantage of.”

This comes after his colleague Kaveh Solhekol claimed that the Spanish club were ready to work on a transfer for a set price of £38m.

He told The Transfer Show, via Football Daily: “I sense there is a bit of momentum building today from the few people I’ve spoken to and they seem to be saying if Newcastle offer €45m, £38m, then there is a deal there to be done.

“I think it is a question of money now. Money talks, of course, in the transfer market and Sevilla, historically, always play hardball when it comes to transfers. Why wouldn’t they?”

Gutted

Newcastle fans will surely be left devastated by this news, as it suggests that Carlos will not be lining up for the Magpies this season. 

The supporters will be devasted because the Brazilian could have been a sublime signing for the club. He has been in terrific form for Sevilla this season and could have improved Eddie Howe’s starting XI. The 28-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.13 this term, helping his team to an impressive haul of 10 clean sheets in 21 league matches.

This suggests that he is able to perform consistently to a high level and could have come to England and replicated his displays for the Toon, helping them to keep shutouts in the Premier League. Therefore, he could have been a key player for Newcastle by winning them points with his stout defending.

Spanish football analyst Domagoj Kostanjšak previously compared him to other defenders in Europe and heaped praise on the centre-back, saying: “He’s a really physical player – he’s built like a tank and they don’t call him ‘The Beast’ for no reason. He’s really good in the air and he’s decent on the ball as well – you have to be under Julen Lopetegui.

“He’s been in my top three or four centre-backs in Spain this season, along with Raphael Varane and Inigo Martinez – he’s been a bit of a revelation. He’s playing the best football of his career and he immediately settled in. I would say there is a shade of Kalidou Koulibaly about him – not the same quality, of course, but I would compare him to him.”

This highlights the standard at which Carlos has been playing of late, coupled with his statistics, and this is why Newcastle fans will be gutted that the club are now set to miss out on a deal for him due to Sevilla’s antics.

AND in other news, “I’ve heard” – Keith Downie drops key Newcastle transfer update, Howe surely buzzing…

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is approaching his first transfer window in charge of the Ibrox giants as January is merely days away.

The Dutchman may want to strengthen his Gers squad by making an addition or two to bring some freshness to the side heading into the second half of the campaign.

One player who has been touted with a potential switch to Glasgow is Anderlecht defender Wesley Hoedt, formerly of Premier League club Southampton.

Bye-bye Goldson

The Dutchman could come in as the perfect replacement for Connor Goldson, either in January or in the summer. Van Bronckhorst’s current centre-back is out of contract at the end of the campaign, which means that his time at Ibrox may be up in one of the next two transfer windows, with the Gers either cashing in on him next month or allowing him to run down his deal before leaving on a free.

Football Insider reported this month that, as per Ibrox sources, the former Brighton defender wants another crack at the Premier League, so he may well be coming towards the final few months of his time at Ibrox.

Hoedt has played in a number of top leagues and is currently impressing for Anderlecht in Belgium, which is why he could be a perfect replacement for Goldson. He is in fine form and still has plenty left to give at the age of 27, averaging an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.12 in the Pro League this season.

He has played for Southampton, Lazio and Celta Vigo and been capped by the Netherlands in the past, showing that he has been able to play at the top level in England, Italy, Spain and internationally.

Former Saints chief Les Reed previously heaped praise on the Dutchman, pointing to his potential and experience, saying: “Wesley is one of the most promising young defenders in Europe and represents a significant addition to our squad. Having procured a Champions League finalist from one Italian club we have now added an Italian Supercoppa winner from another.”

Reed continued: “We believe he has all the qualities to play a big part in our future, and we have worked hard to bring him to Southampton, with a number of other high-profile clubs interested in him. Wesley has proven his talent through his performances for Lazio, as well as the Netherlands, and we believe he can develop even further here at Southampton, alongside his international teammate Virgil van Dijk, as well as the likes of Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida, Jan Bednarek and Florin Gardos.”

This highlights some of the qualities that he could bring to Glasgow, and coupled with his form for Anderlecht, it shows that the 6 foot 3 powerhouse could be an excellent signing. He is a strong defender, as shown by his consistent performances in Belgium, and he could slot straight into the team in place of Goldson, which is why Van Bronckhorst must seal a swoop for his services.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could get Ibrox rocking with Rangers swoop for beast who can do “wonderful things”…

With the 2022 January transfer window now open, this could see a number of Premier League clubs jump into action and make some business deals to strengthen their squads for the second half of the current season.

While it could be an exciting time for some teams, it seems as though Leeds United and Marcelo Bielsa could be heading for a major transfer calamity that would surely disappoint a lot of fans at Elland Road.

According to a recent report in The Sun by journalist Alan Nixon, Leeds defender Charlie Cresswell has caught the attention of fellow Premier League clubs Manchester United and Liverpool.

As a product of Leeds’ youth academy, the 19-year-old has made 36 appearances across the club’s U18 and U23 sides, scoring four goals and providing one assist along the way.

Cresswell has also made six senior appearances for Leeds with four of them coming in the Premier League this season, the first of which being in their 2-1 defeat against West Ham United where he completed the full 90 minutes and had his performance described as “one of the finest debuts by a teenager in Leeds white for years” by Leeds Live.

His performance against the East London club was also labelled as “unbelievable” by Leeds YouTuber Joe Wainman, showing how capable he is of playing in the Premier League.

Taking all of this into account, it would be nothing short of a disaster for the club and potentially heartbreaking for the fans if Cresswell were to leave Leeds anytime soon, especially for a move to rival club Manchester United given how young he is and the potential he has to grow and develop into a regular first-team player at Elland Road.

Given how his current contract at Leeds isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2025 and the fact that Bielsa hasn’t been shy in giving Cresswell the chance to prove himself in the team, this should be reassuring for any fans that may be concerned about the teenager’s future in Yorkshire.

Even though he has missed Leeds’ two previous league games against Arsenal and Burnley with a shoulder injury, it would be good to see the centre-back get some regular playing time under his belt before the end of the season when he recovers to show that he can be a regular figure for the team in the future.

If he leaves, however, the club would be staring down the barrel of an early transfer blunder in the January market.

In other news: 10 defensive actions: £53k-p/w Leeds beast who had 70 touches stole the show v Burnley

Illan Meslier, Diego Llorente and Kalvin Phillips struggled in Leeds United’s 2-2 draw at home to Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Whites beat Crystal Palace in the dying seconds in midweek and this time it was a last-gasp equaliser for the Elland Road crowd to enjoy.

Tyler Roberts put Marcelo Bielsa’s side 1-0 up in the first half but goals from Shandon Baptiste and Sergi Canos turned the game on its head.

The returning Patrick Bamford made it 2-2 in stoppage time, though, leafing to scenes of joy inside Elland Road.

Here are Leeds’ three poorest performers according to SofaScore, only including those who played for at least 45 minutes.

Illan Meslier – 6.2

Meslier started between the sticks as usual, becoming the youngest-ever Premier League goalkeeper to make 50 appearances in the competition (21 years, 278 days).

It wasn’t the Frenchman’s best day at the office, however, with none of his intended accurate long balls finding a Leeds teammate.

On top of that, Meslier only delivered 50% of his accurate passes overall – nine out of 18.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

Diego Llorente – 6.6

Llorente was at the heart of Leeds’ defence but he was another who didn’t hit top form, as Leeds conceded twice to Brenford at home, which isn’t an ideal scenario.

The 28-year-old didn’t make a single tackle or interception against the Bees and he lost possession ten times in total, suggesting he was a little sloppy on the ball.

Llorente also failed to win a ground duel, losing his only on-field battle in that area.

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Kalvin Phillips – 6.6

Phillips has arguably been Leeds’ best player of the Bielsa era but he wasn’t at his best on Sunday, leaving the pitch with an injury in the second half.

The England international didn’t manage to play one key pass at Elland Road, losing the ball seven times and not making a single interception.

Phillips’ injury is hopefully nothing too serious but Leeds could do with his current form going up a notch.

In other news, a journalist has made a Leeds transfer claim regarding one player. Find out who it is here.

West Bromwich Albion correspondent Steve Madeley has named Daryl Dike as a potential January transfer target for The Baggies. 

The lowdown

West Brom, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are pushing for promotion at the first opportunity and currently find themselves in the playoff spots.

They did bring in reinforcements during the summer window, but they were all either free transfers or loan signings.

Meanwhile, they banked £18.97million from sales, with £16.2million Matheus Pereira the headline departure. It was the second most lucrative exit in West Brom history, behind Salomon Rondon in 2019.

Dike is a player with whom Ismael is certainly familiar, having been part of the Barnsley squad that reached last season’s playoff semifinals before returning to parent club Orlando in the United States.

The latest

The Athletic’s Madeley ponders whether there is ‘any scope’ to furnish Valerien Ismael with a player he likes in January.

Dike stands out as an ‘obvious target’, particularly with the MLS season now finished.

But the problem is that the deal would involve ‘a hefty loan fee at the very least’.

The verdict

West Brom could perhaps use some more firepower in January. Their tally of 30 goals in 23 matches is the lowest in the division’s top five and, after Karlan Grant, their second top scorer is four-goal Irishman Callum Robinson.

Could Dike provide the answer? Yes, based on his Barnsley tally of nine goals in 19 games, averaging one every 143 minutes.

The £9million-rated 21-year-old has been billed as a ‘powerful lad who knows where the back of the net is’ by PL 100 club member Emile Heskey, while Ismael has hailed his goalscoring exploits as ‘unbelievable’.

In other news, fans slammed this man’s performance at Oakwell.

Southampton have famously produced a vast amount of players from their youth ranks that have gone on to have big careers in the game such as Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier, Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

One other player that came through Southampton’s youth academy to become a well-known name in football is 32-year-old winger Theo Walcott.

With a total of 373 Premier League appearances under his belt, 53 of those have come for Southampton, bagging eight goals and providing three assists in the process.

Taking into account his age, the fact that with his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023 and the fact that Walcott has failed to score a goal or provide an assist in seven appearances across all competitions this term, it would make sense if Ralph Hasenhuttl starting thinking about a potential replacement for the veteran.

With this in mind, we feel that the south-coast club could already have their ideal long-term heir for Walcott in 18-year-old attacker Ramello Mitchell.

Southampton added Mitchell to their U18 side back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Birmingham City’s youth academy for an undisclosed fee.

When he made the move to St. Mary’s, Mitchell was labelled as a player with “huge potential” by former Saints director of football, Ross Wilson.

Since then, the player has gone on to make 26 appearances for Southampton’s U18 side, beating the goalkeeper on three occasions and supplying two assists whilst also making 28 appearances for their B team.

So far this season, Mitchell has played in all of the Southampton B team games so far this season except for their 1-0 win over Reading’s U23 side, showing how important he is to the team.

Additionally, Mitchell has played on the right-wing and as a centre-forward on occasion this season, the two roles that Walcott has played in more than any other position throughout his long career.

However, most vital to this comparison is their tremendous pace. In the Daily Mail’s Secret Scout report last year, they described the teenager as a ‘powerful runner’, something Walcott has always been famed for.

Moving forward, if the experienced speedster does end up leaving the south coast when his deal ends, it could give the aforementioned youngster a pathway to breaking into their senior side, much in the same way Nathan Tella has.

However, given how he has yet to score a goal or provide an assist for Southampton’s B team, we feel Mitchell will have to show that he can be a useful attacking option at that level and prove himself to Hasenhuttl before being given a chance to shine in the first team.

In other news: Get rid: Ralph must let go of £18k-p/w forgotten Saints figure, his time’s running out – opinion

Lots of Everton fans have been left gushing over some transfer news on Salomon Rondon.

As per Fanatik, Sivasspor are now interested in signing the former Newcastle United and West Brom striker, and have been in contact with the Goodison Park faithful over a potential move in the January transfer window.

It has not quite worked out for Rondon since his arrival at Merseyside in the summer, as he is yet to score in eight games in total over all competitions so far this season (raged at his lack of effort up top.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison on Rafa Benitez’s books, as well as young forwards Ellis Simms and Lewis Dobbin, it may be an idea for the Toffees just to cut their losses on the Venezuela international in January, and perhaps invest in another striker.

Everton fans on Rondon transfer news

These Blues supporters were left buzzing as the transfer news involving Rondon was shared by The Toffee Blues on their Twitter page:

“Drive him there myself”

Credit: @keepitreal_82

“I’ll pay for his flight. Has to give Simms or Dobbin a go”

Credit: @mooro50

“Limbs”

Credit: @AJH1878

“INJECT IT IN MY VEINS”

Credit: @OG_GucciGuwop

“Let him go, get him off the wage bill and give Simms/Dobbin a chance”

Credit: @Shakeitupbaine1

“Get it done”

Credit: @Hawko1878

In other news, find out what contract news has Evertonians buzzing here!

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has claimed that Jack Clarke will not make it at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Clarke failing to make an impact

The 20-year-old made the move to Spurs from Leeds United in the summer of 2019 when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge, but he has so far struggled to make an impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

He has made just four appearances for the north Londoners (Transfermarkt), with him leaving the club to move on loan to Queen’s Park Rangers and Stoke City since that 2019 transfer, and even all four of those were as a substitute (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Bridge sees no future for Clarke at Spurs

Although Clarke is still just 20, Bridge believes that he has no future at Spurs. The journalist told Give Me Sport:

“Even Leeds fans found it odd and then when he was loaned back Leeds fans were saying to me, they didn’t want him back.

“He didn’t get back into their team, so that was a season wasted for him. He’s had a lot of problems.

“He looks skinny to me, he hasn’t really bulked, he’s playing in the Under-23s, he’s never on the bench for the first-team.

“There becomes a time when they have to say, well have to sell him, he’s not going to make it at Spurs.”

The Verdict: Big improvement needed soon

With just those four appearances to his name, it could be argued Clarke has not been given a chance to really show his ability at Spurs. There has not been too much indication during his loan spells that he has what it takes to make it at the highest level, even if his former Stoke boss Michael O’Neill said that the 20-year-old has “great quality” (via Stoke Sentinel).

If Clarke is to make a telling contribution at Tottenham, he must do so quickly. At 20, it’s not as if his whole career is over, but you would have hoped for him to have done more than he has so far. The next 18 months could well decide whether it will ever happen for him at Spurs, with none of Pochettino, Jose Mourinho or thus far Nuno Espirito Santo putting much trust in him.

In other news, this man wants to leave Tottenham.

As many as six Leeds United first-team players are struggling badly for form in the early few months of this season, according to journalist Beren Cross.

The Lowdown: Leeds make poor start

After a superb first year back in the Premier League, Leeds have experienced a sobering start to the 2021/22 campaign.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have still only won one of their nine league games so far, drawing and losing four times apiece in the other matches.

It leaves Leeds languishing just above the relegation zone in 17th place ahead of Sunday’s crucial trip to bottom-placed Norwich City.

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The Latest: Cross singles out six players

Speaking in a Q&A for Leeds Live, Cross claimed that Stuart Dallas, Luke Ayling, Patrick Bamford, Rodrigo, Jack Harrison and Mateusz Klich all need to get their act together and find some form:

“Dallas is one of a few who have not been at the same levels as last season. [Luke] Ayling, Bamford (before injury), Rodrigo, [Jack] Harrison and [Mateusz] Klich all seem to have slumped at the same time, which has not helped matters.”

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The Verdict: Time to go up a gear

At the moment, Leeds appear to be suffering the footballing equivalent of a difficult second album, but they need to get over this slump as soon as possible.

The quality is clearly there for that to happen after last season’s ninth-place finish – injuries aren’t helping at the moment, in fairness – and they just need a few wins for things to click again and key figures to show their full worth.

Those aforementioned individuals are ranked 7th, 13th, 10th, 6th, 17th and 8th in the squad based on Whoscored’s match ratings,

If Leeds are to pull away from what is starting to look like a real relegation scrap, the likes of Dallas and Bamford in particular will need to be much higher up that list, considering their effectiveness in last season’s resounding success.

In other news, Phil Hay has made a claim regarding three Leeds players. Read more here.

Rangers came from behind to beat Hibernian 2-1 in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday as they reclaimed their spot at the top of the table.

Hearts had moved ahead of the Gers on Saturday with their 2-0 win over Motherwell, but Steven Gerrard’s side were able to claim the three points against Hibs to return to the summit.

Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos scored in the second-half after an opening goal from Kevin Nisbet had put Hibernian in the lead.

Despite the victory, there were some negatives to take from the match for Rangers. For example, one player who struggled out on the pitch was central midfielder Joe Aribo.

The ex-Charlton man lined up as the most advanced of the three central midfielders and failed to grasp his opportunity to impress in a forward role. He was unable to make much of a positive impact on the match before being substituted by Gerrard in the 79th minute.

On the ball, Aribo failed to showcase his creativity. Per SofaScore, he had zero key passes and gave away possession of the ball 15 times from 54 touches, completing 80% of his attempted passes and failing to complete a single long pass or cross in his time on the pitch.

This is particularly frustrating as he is capable of providing quality in the final third of the pitch. He has averaged 1.8 chances created per game in the Scottish Premiership this season, which shows that he does have the ability to open doors at the top end of the pitch. That is why his failure to do so against Hibernian let Gerrard down.

Against the ball, Aribo left a lot to be desired. Per SofaScore, he lost eight of his 13 duels on the pitch as he made one tackle and no interceptions. This suggests that he was not strong enough to deal with the Hibernian players in 50/50 duels throughout the match.

It is worth noting, however, that Aribo was subject to a red card challenge from Ryan Porteous in the 30th minute. Although the Hibs centre-back did not make full contact with his tackle, Aribo may have been shaken up by the incident and that could have affected his performance in terms of battling for possession.

Overall, though, it was a disappointing display from the midfielder and one that will have left Gerrard feeling let down heading into the international break.

AND in other news, 118 touches: Rangers beast with 95% pass accuracy was Gerrard’s unsung hero vs Hibs…