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Newcastle United showed during the January transfer window that they are not shy when it comes to bringing in new players to the club.

They also showed how capable they can be when it comes to signing players from fellow Premier League clubs such as Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Dan Burn.

Now that the summer transfer window has opened for business, it would be hard to see the Magpies not dipping into the market again to strengthen their squad ahead of the upcoming season.

With that in mind, another Premier League player with whom the Toon have been linked recently and who could be a big upgrade on one of their current players is Christian Eriksen.

After making 304 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur, in which he scored 69 goals and delivered 90 assists, the midfielder moved to Inter Milan in January 2020, where he was collecting a rather hefty wage of £228k-per-week in his second season.

The 30-year-old left the San Siro in December by mutual consent after suffering a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 this time last year. He then joined Brentford a few weeks later, where he eventually went on to score one goal and deliver four assists in 11 appearances.

Having since proven how capable he still is of playing in the Premier League, it’s easy to see why the Toon have been linked with a move for the midfielder despite his advanced age.

Should Eddie Howe’s side manage to secure his signature, they would definitely be getting themselves a big upgrade on current Magpies midfielder Sean Longstaff.

Despite playing 13 fewer league games than the 24-year-old last season, Eriksen still racked up more shots, crosses and shot-creating actions than Longstaff. This highlights how much of an improvement the Dane would be on the current St James’ Park ace in an attacking sense.

Labelled a “wizard” in the past by journalist Josh Wright, Eriksen would certainly bring a lot of experience with him to Tyneside in the same way that Wood and Burn did in January.

Also, with his ability to create goals and provide a consistent attacking threat, he could be a great asset for Howe and Newcastle moving forward.

In other news: Newcastle eyeing move for “outstanding” £69m tank, imagine him & Burn

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has now dropped a West Ham United transfer claim involving Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse.

The Lowdown: Ward-Prowse rumours swirl

Back in January, the Spanish media reported that Premier League clubs Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham were all interested in signing the Saints midfielder in the summer.

More recently, the Daily Mail have claimed that Fabio Paratici is interested in a deal to sign the 27-year-old for Spurs, whilst ExWHUemployee has claimed that West Ham are now expected to make an offer for the England international.

The Latest: Romano’s news

Romano has now shared his own update on Ward-Prowse’s transfer interest, amongst a number of rumours suggesting various potential destinations.

Taking to an interview on YouTube with Chris Cowlin, Romano claimed (via a transcript on Twitter):

“No update on him (joining Spurs). West Ham are tracking him though.”

The Hammers are widely expected to wrap up a deal for Rennes defender Nayef Aguerd in the coming days, so perhaps Ward-Prowse could be their second major target this summer.

The Verdict: Would be a great signing

The Saints skipper’s set-piece abilities have always been lavished with high praise, and his numerous fantastic free-kicks this season have now pushed him towards David Beckham’s Premier League record.

With 11 goals in all competitions, the midfielder was Southampton’s top scorer for the 2021/22 campaign, earning plaudits from football analyst Statman Dave as having had a ‘memorable season’.

However, according to former teammate Charlie Austin, it is “the nuts and bolts of his game: running hard, winning the ball back, and leading his team, [which] are phenomenal”.

Austin’s comments suggest Ward-Prowse could be a great acquisition for many top-half sides, including the likes of West Ham, who could do with signing another midfielder following the retirement of club legend Mark Noble.

In other news: Irons will look into signing Emmanuel Dennis

Manchester City have scored a lot of goals throughout their previous Premier League campaigns under the management of Pep Guardiola.

Since the Spaniard took charge of the club ahead of the 2016/17 season, the Citizens have scored a total of 565 top-flight goals. Their latest title-winning campaign saw Guardiola’s side score 99 goals, more than any other team in the top flight.

One man in their squad who played a big part in the team’s goal haul this season is Riyad Mahrez.

In 47 appearances across all competitions, the Algeria winger found the net 24 times and delivered nine assists in the process.

Now that Guardiola has ended his sixth season in charge of the Citizens with a fourth Premier League title, his focus can now switch to the upcoming summer transfer window and getting his squad in the best shape for the next campaign.

In terms of potential incoming transfers, one player with whom City have been linked and who could give the 51-year-old the chance to form a deadly duo with Mahrez on the right-hand side of the pitch is Chelsea full-back Reece James.

Having played in 26 league games with the west London club this season, the defender netted five goals and delivered nine assists in the process.

To further highlight the Englishman’s attacking talent, no other Chelsea player could equal the number of crosses (82) that James made throughout the season.

Labelled an “outstanding” player by Roy Keane, the 22-year-old is reportedly valued at around £50m.

His overall performances in the league earned the England international a season rating of 7.24/10, making him the highest-rated player in Thomas Tuchel’s squad to start more than six league games according to WhoScored.

Taking all this into account, the prospect of having both Mahrez and James on the right-hand side of the pitch, both of whom are most capable of providing a constant attacking threat, is a mouth-watering one.

Should the Premier League champions end up bringing the Chelsea star to the Etihad Stadium this summer, it would be hard to see this move doing anything other than making what already is a formidable attacking side even deadlier, which wouldn’t be good news for any other team in the league.

In other news: Sam Lee drops behind-the-scenes Man City transfer claim, it’s worrying news for Pep

The Daily Mail have now shared an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving Wolverhampton Wanderers forward and current Barcelona loanee Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye January move…

The Spaniard was a serious Premier League transfer target for Spurs in the winter window, as backed by reliable sources like The Athletic, who revealed that manager Antonio Conte was eyeing him as a makeshift right-wing-back option.

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GiveMeSport even shared news that a move was very close at one point with both the Lilywhites and Traore’s representatives shaking hands on personal terms and agreeing to make him the club’s fourth-highest earner.

However, when the Catalans swooped in late-on, Tottenham’s plans were scuppered and Conte was left without a new-and-improved wing-back signing.

The Latest: Mail share interesting update…

The Mail, sharing news after Conte held crunch transfer talks with sporting director Fabio Paratici in Italy on Friday, now say that Traore has re-emerged as a target for Spurs.

Indeed, according to reliable reporter Mokbel, writing for the outlet, Tottenham’s boss has seemingly set his sights on a former flame.

The Verdict: Move on?

We believe, with some serious work, Traore could still be an asset for Conte as a makeshift attacking option on the right side of his defence – particularly considering he averaged a phenomenal 4.2 dribbles per 90 for Wolves before joining Barca (WhoScored).

It’s clear, when at his very best, the 26-year-old can be an extreme threat from out wide and members of the media seem to agree having watched him in England regularly.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke, commenting on the links to Spurs in January, raved over the ‘absolute world-beater’ who ‘nobody can stop’ with his pace and power.

Depending on Wolves’ asking price, it could well be a move Conte should consider.

In other news: Conte could see ‘one of the best in the world’ join Spurs after behind-scenes demand! Find out more here.

Liverpool have been handed a double injury boost ahead of tonight’s Champions League final showdown against Real Madrid in Paris.

What’s the news?

According to Reds manager Jurgen Klopp, the midfield duo of Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara will be available to play in tonight’s big match against the Spanish champions after previous injury concerns.

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Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Klopp said: “It looks good for both Thiago and Fabinho. Thiago trained yesterday with the team, trained today and we’ll go from there.”

The Spaniard had been struggling with an Achilles injury leading up to tonight’s final, whereas Fabinho suffered a muscle problem against Aston Villa earlier this month.

Liverpool’s Greatest European Nights! Click here to OWN yours now!

Klopp will be buzzing

Given the magnitude of tonight’s showdown against Carlo Ancelotti’s side, it will undeniably be a boost for Liverpool to have the midfield duo available for selection, and it will also surely have Klopp buzzing.

Taking into account how the pair has made a combined 105 tackles between them in the Premier League this season, the two best performers in Liverpool’s squad in this regard, it’s safe to say that their presence will be huge for the Reds against Real Madrid if they are fit enough to start.

Also, the fact that the Brazilian has made more blocks (51) throughout the league campaign than any other Liverpool player further highlights how crucial he could be tonight.

Focusing on his efforts in the Champions League, no other Reds player has equalled the average of tackles per game (2.3) that the 28-year-old has averaged throughout the tournament so far.

With Real Madrid scoring 80 goals in La Liga this season, the most in the Spanish top flight, and 28 goals in the Champions League (including a few against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain), having Thiago and Fabinho available will surely give the Reds a better chance of overcoming Ancelotti’s formidable outfit.

If the duo are 100% fit enough to start tonight, then they should definitely be in the starting XI to take on Los Blancos. That could be a crucial factor in Liverpool potentially winning their seventh European Cup in a few hours’ time.

In other news: Liverpool eyeing move for “tenacious” £100m “predator”, Klopp would love him

West Ham United manager David Moyes has been dealt an injury setback ahead of their final Premier League game of the season away to Brighton this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Race for Europa League…

The Irons have already gained a pathway to European football for next season, with at least a place in the Europa Conference League play-off round already guaranteed. However, depending on results elsewhere, Moyes’ side could sneak back into the Europa League for 2022/23 after their unprecedented run to the semi-finals this season.

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If West Ham can beat Brighton at the Amex Stadium and Manchester United fail to gain all three points against Crystal Palace, the east Londoners would secure Europa League qualification for the second season running.

As the final match of the season looms for Moyes, there is still plenty of play for, but it looks like he will be without one man for West Ham’s clash with the Seagulls.

The Latest: Diop setback…

Giving an injury update, whilst attacker Said Benrahma looks set to return, the Hammers boss couldn’t say the same for defender Issa Diop he looks unlikely to recover in time.

Moyes explained (via whufc.com):  “Saïd Benrahma should be fit for the game. Issa Diop, we still don’t think his ankle is quite right yet, but we expect Benrahma will be fit and available.”

The Verdict: Big miss?

According to WhoScored, the Frenchman ranks in West Ham’s top three for clearances (3.2) and successful blocks (one) per game, coming in just behind first-choice centre-back pair Craig Dawson and Kurt Zouma in those regards.

Diop comes with certain strengths, with pundit and former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believing that the 25-year-old is a ‘quality player’, and it could be a slight setback for Moyes not to have him as an option for Brighton.

Qualification for the Europa League is still within reach depending on developments at Selhurst Park today, but West Ham will first need to get their own job done against Graham Potter’s side.

In other news: ‘Close…’ – Sky Sports journalist shares major West Ham development from the last 72 hours! Find out more here.

Leeds United’s time under Andrea Radrizzani has been plagued by mistakes in the transfer market, largely through a lack of spending or rueing that one that got away.

Of course, there have been numerous examples of success stories, namely the likes of Raphinha, Illan Meslier and Patrick Bamford.

But with every Raphinha, there’s a Laurens de Bock, Vurnon Anita or Jay-Rot Grot – a trio of weird signings that made only a total of 51 appearances combined.

Back in 2017, though, the Yorkshire giants missed out on one of Europe’s most frightening strikers and in a time where Leeds have missed last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford and are staring down the barrel of relegation, they must be reeling.

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That man is Erling Haaland, who this week was announced as a Manchester City player.

The defending Premier League champions have signed the Borussia Dortmund forward in a €60m (£51m) deal, activating the 21-year-old’s release clause ahead of the summer transfer window, as per the BBC.

For a little over £50m, that has to be considered an absolute steal considering he’s valued at a whopping £135m by Transfermarkt.

But it could have been a different story for both Leeds and the Norway international.

Speaking on The Athletic’s ‘The Phil Hay Show’, football agent Hayden Evans revealed:

“He was at Molde, around about 17 [years old], and he was ripping it up but also fervently following Leeds United.

“We spoke to Victor [Orta, Leeds’ sporting director] and said, ‘Look, I can bring Erling to Leeds and the rest will be over to you,” before later adding:

“It went quite well, we went back, but the bottom line was that [Molde] wanted around four million pounds. Leeds were not in the stable [financial] position they are in now and he was not going to play, even the talent he was, he was not going to play first-team football at that age.”

After that move fell through, a young Haaland would go on to sign for RB Salzburg for around £7m in August 2018, where he quickly made a name for himself before completing a move to Borussia Dortmund, where he has consistently banged them in.

The Norwegian sensation netted a whopping 29 goals in 27 games in Austria and over the last two-and-a-half seasons for Der BVB, he’s bagged 85 goals in 88 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Such form and consistency has seen the 6 foot 4 talisman lauded as “a goal scoring cyborg” by journalist Alex Truica and a “one-man wrecking ball” by Gregor Robertson in The Times.

There’s no doubt that the 21-year-old is one of the most promising and lethal marksmen across the continent and Andrea Radrizzani’s failure to sign him for just £4m will be forever remembered as a catastrophic mistake.

AND in other news, Jesse Marsch drops Raphinha injury update ahead of Brighton…

Wolves could be heading for a major disaster over Ruben Neves, as the midfielder appeared to make a tearful goodbye to the supporters following yesterday’s 1-1 draw against Norwich.

The club have excelled since achieving promotion from the Championship in 2018, with Nuno Espirito Santo leading them to consecutive seventh-place finishes before a disappointing 13th place spot last year.

Nuno joined Tottenham Hotspur last season and Bruno Lage has responded well, securing a top-half Premier League spot with a match left to play.

Next season could see the manager having to undertake a rebuild of sorts. Replacing Neves will be key if the Portuguese midfielder does leave.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a move away from the Molineux, with Barcelona being one of the teams to state their interest in the player ahead of the summer transfer window.

Journalist Dean Jones explained to GIVEMESPORT: “I think £70million is unrealistic for Ruben Neves and Wolves will know that, but I can see it settling out at £40million to £50million.”

That’s a vast sum of money and a fee that could allow Lage to invest in signing another top-class midfielder to replace him.

Having had “sensational” praise lavished on him in the past by Tim Spiers and Lage won’t want to see one of his finest players leave the club, but if a big-money bid comes in, he would be hard-pressed to turn it down.

With a WhoScored rating of 6.86, Neves currently ranks fifth out of the Wolves squad this season, showing his importance to the team. He has also chipped in with four goals and two assists in the Premier League this season.

That tally of goal involvements is only bettered by Raul Jimenez this term so losing such a high percentage of their creativity and goal-scoring ability would be disastrous.

Neves has clearly been influential in the club’s resurgence into a top-flight mainstay over the previous four years and his departure would almost signal the end of an era.

Whatever happens, the player has made his mark on the club and hopefully, Lage can persuade him to stay for another season. If he can’t, then he will understandably be rather upset.

AND in other news, Mendes links: Wolves now plot bid for “exciting” 20y/o wonderkid, Lage will love him

Southampton are reportedly eyeing up a swoop for Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Tavernier during the upcoming transfer window, according to Football League World sources.

The Lowdown: Tavernier profiled

The 23-year-old spent the majority of his youth career with Newcastle United before making the move to Teesside to join the Championship outfit at U14s level, where he has since progressed through the ranks to become a regular feature of Chris Wilder’s starting XI.

Boro recently missed out on securing a place in the play-offs following a 4-1 defeat to Preston on the final day of the season, which means that they have to be resigned to the fact that they could face losing some of their better players this summer.

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Tavernier has just one year remaining on his current contract at the Riverside Stadium, so he is one of the Middlesbrough stars to have been in the headlines over the last few days, and it looks like there could be some interest from the top-flight.

The Latest: Southampton considering a move

In a new article by Football League World, sources have told the publication that the Saints are ‘taking a look’ at the possibility of a move for the midfield maestro, whose contract situation means he will not be a costly acquisition.

However, they  are set to face competition from fellow Premier League rivals Brighton and Wolves, alongside newly-promoted Bournemouth, which could start ‘a war’ in the race for his signature.

The Verdict: ‘Manager’s dream’

With Middlesbrough now confirmed to be playing in the second-tier of English football for at least another season, it would be no surprise to see the £3.15m-rated ace looking elsewhere in the coming months if he has ambitions of playing at the highest level.

Tavernier has been hailed a “special” player and a “manager’s dream” by his former Boro boss Neil Warnock, so Ralph Hasenhuttl would instantly be a big fan of the versatile hard-worker.

He has made 155 senior appearances for the club to date, making a total of 36 goal contributions during that time, via Transfermarkt.

If Southampton are able to complete a deal for the Leeds-born talent, there’s no doubt that he would be a great addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad and could go on to strike up a new partnership with James Ward-Prowse in the middle of the park.

In other news… a Saints veteran could be tempted into signing a new contract at St. Mary’s this summer.

Sunderland have finished fifth in League One this season, earning themselves a playoff spot in the semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening.

Alex Neil will be hoping that his team can give one final push for promotion to the Championship after a successful run in League One since he joined the club to replace Lee Johnson in February, although injury issues have started to plague the team as the season draws to a close.

Dennis Cirkin, Carl Winchester and Nathan Broadhead are all in doubt to be available for the first leg of the semi-final tie at the Stadium of Light on Friday, however, the Black Cats’ boss has had an injury boost in the squad that could make a huge difference in the upcoming games.

Aiden McGeady has not featured in the team since November following a knee ligament injury but has been back in training of late and was on the bench for the final League One fixture of the season against Morecambe.

Neil has since revealed a further update on the £13k-per-week player to the ChronicleLive:

“He’s made good progress, he’s been on the grass and he has trained with the lads. We’ll take a view [on his fitness].”

With that being said, the 36-year-old who was hailed “gifted” and labelled as having “special quality” by Jack Ross, has been a talisman in an attacking midfield and winger role for Sunderland during his time at the club could have his final hurrah by helping his team gain promotion, as his contract will be up this summer.

McGeady has scored 36 goals and contributed 34 assists in his 149 appearances, with a goal contribution every 156 minutes of game-time for the Mackems, with three of those goals and four assists coming from 14 league appearances this season prior to his injury problems, proving that he can still offer consistency and an attacking threat.

Although the former Republic of Ireland international may not start games with Neil likely to be cautious after his prolonged amount of time off the pitch, he will surely be a great option for the manager to unleash in important stages of the upcoming playoff games and could offer a fresh perspective in the team to inspire Sunderland to secure the final at Wembley.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Six-word SAFC injury update emerges that’ll leave supporters worried…