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Newcastle United are now targeting Brighton winger Leandro Trossard, according to The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones. 

The lowdown

The Belgium international, who joined Brighton from Genk in the summer of 2019 for £15m, is five games short of a century of appearances in the Premier League.

In his 95 top-flight outings to date, he has scored 15 goals and provide nine assists. He is a regular for Graham Potter’s side, starting 27 of their 31 Premier League matches so far in 2021/22.

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Valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt, the 27-year-old is out of contract in just over 14 months’ time.

The latest

Jones wrote in The Daily Mail that Newcastle are expected to sell Allan Saint-Maximin this summer and reinvest the funds in a replacement winger.

Trossard is one of the players they have identified as a potential successor to the Frenchman, with extensive scouting reports currently being compiled.

Encouragingly for Newcastle, the Belgian is apparently keen to leave the Amex Stadium come the end of the season.

The verdict

Trossard would be a good successor to Saint-Maximin at Newcastle.

His tally of five goals this season may not be spectacular, but it’s worth stressing that Brighton are a low-scoring team. Indeed, only Burnley and Norwich City have netted fewer goals the Seagulls in the Premier League this term.

Furthermore, it matches the tally of Saint-Maximin at St James’ Park.

Newcastle know first-hand how good the 27-year-old can be after his man-of-the-match display in the 1-1 draw between the two teams at the Amex Stadium in November.

In addition to converting a penalty (which he won himself), Trossard created three chances, completed four out of five long passes and drew four fouls, earning him a SofaScore rating of 8.2/10.

He’s also won praise from Newcastle great Alan Shearer, who said that the ‘magnificent’ Albion winger boasts an ‘excellent’ all-round game.

If he’s good enough for Shearer, that’s a fairly strong endorsement in our book.

In other news, Newcastle are also looking at a move for this former Liverpool gem 

Rangers face Czech Republic outfit Sparta Prague in the Europa League tonight as they go in search of their first win in the group stage.

French side Lyon beat the Gers 2-0 in the opening match of the group, with Toto Ekambi and an own goal from James Tavernier doing the damage.

Steven Gerrard’s side come into the game off the back of a 1-0 win over Dundee FC in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend, thanks to Joe Aribo’s superb goal.

How many changes will Gerrard make to his team from that game? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make four changes to his side, with Borna Barisic, Juninho Bacuna, Allan McGregor and Fashion Sakala coming in.

Starting between the sticks, we believe that Allan McGregor will return in place of Jon McLaughlin. This is not down to the latter’s form, but simply because Gerrard has been alternating in goal this season and McLaughlin played in the Premiership against Dundee, suggesting that McGregor will now get his opportunity in the Europa League.

In defence, Borna Barisic could return at left-back in place of Calvin Bassey. Barisic was sublime in the Europa League for Rangers last season, with three goals and three assists in 10 appearances, and his proven quality at this level could make his inclusion an easy decision for Gerrard.

The Croatian averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.19 in the competition, whilst creating 1.8 chances per game from the left-back position. That is why we are predicting that he will be lining up at left-back tonight.

In midfield, John Lundstram should be axed from the XI to make way for Juninho Bacuna. Gerrard recently admitted as much and we published an article explaining why he should be given the start against Sparta. Lundstram has only started three games across the Premiership and Europa League this season, suggesting that he will be the player Gerrard axes to get Bacuna in the side.

Finally, we predict that Sakala will come in for Ianis Hagi with Gerrard changing the shape from a 4-3-1-2 to a 4-3-3, with Morelos and Roofe keeping their places in the team.

We published an article explaining why Sakala should start, with his ability to score goals potentially providing Rangers with the edge they need to win the game.

AND in other news, Wilson must secure Rangers January deal for “natural goalscorer”, fans would love it…

Manchester United have reportedly stepped up their efforts to secure a new central midfielder this summer with the August 31st deadline fast approaching.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils have been linked with several big names such as Saul Niguez and Eduardo Camavinga in recent weeks as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to strengthen the spine of his team.

But now, well-known journalist and transfer expert Duncan Castles has provided an update on the Old Trafford outfit’s search, claiming the club’s hierarchy have made contact with Ligue 1 outfit Monaco over Aurelien Tchouameni.

“They have had contact with Aurelien Tchouameni’s representatives at AS Monaco to find out what it would cost to bring him there,” Castles revealed on a recent installment of the Transfer Window podcast (as relayed by The Express).

Solskjaer would love him

After arriving at the Stade Louis II back in January 2020, Tchouameni has established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most promising young talents, scoring four goals and providing four assists in 52 appearances for the principality club.

However, it’s the 21-year-old’s work off the ball that really catches the eye. As per WhoScored, Tchouameni averaged a whopping 3.5 tackles per league game in 2020/21, by far the highest tally amongst his team.

The France Under-21 international also made 1.7 interceptions, the joint-highest total when compared to his teammates, and he not only dominated proceedings on the ground but in the air as well, winning 67% of his aerial duels.

Tchouameni’s domineering displays have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including current Monaco teammate Cesc Fabregas, who praised the youngster.

“He has the potential to be a complete midfield player,” the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea maestro wrote on Twitter.

Therefore, United manager Solskjaer would surely love to bring the £27m-rated gem to the red half of Manchester over the coming days, adding some steal and bite to his midfield options.

The likes of Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek are more attack-minded options than the protective Tchouameni, while Scott McTominay and Fred specialise in more box-to-box roles.

By bringing Tchouameni to Old Trafford, Solskjaer could finally have the balanced engine room that’s been missing throughout his reign, potentially elevating the 20-time English champions to new heights under the Norwegian.

And, in other news…Man Utd suffer blow in pursuit of £36m-rated “conductor”, Ole will be gutted 

West Ham boss David Moyes must bring Vladimir Coufal back into his starting XI this afternoon as the Irons look to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League to a fifth straight game.

It won’t be an easy task, however, as they welcome Manchester United to the London Stadium and they’ll have plenty of firepower at their disposal, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes.

The Hammers continued their fine form in 2021/22 during the week, defeating Dinamo Zagreb in their own back garden to kickstart their Europa League group stage debut in impressive fashion.

Moyes rung the changes for the encounter, almost utilising a whole new backline, with Ryan Fredericks and Issa Diop coming back in, whilst Kurt Zouma was handed a debut.

But despite the solid outings from many of his fringe players, the Scotsman must turn back to his usual first-choice options, which means we should see a return for the industrious Vladimir Coufal at right-back.

It remains to be seen who could line-up for the Red Devils on the left but considering the options are between Sancho and Mason Greenwood, the east London outfit will know they will be in for a tricky afternoon against either.

The Czech Republic beast has continued his phenomenal form from his debut campaign last term and sits amongst Moyes’ best-performing players once again.

No other player is averaging more tackles per game (3.3) this season than Coufal, whilst he’s also averaged 1.3 interceptions and one key pass per match, via WhoScored.

According to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, the 29-year-old was “one of the signings of the season.”

“We talk about [Tomas] Soucek, but Coufal whether it’s right wing-back or right full-back at different times, he’s just one of those players that’s 7/10 minimum every time you watch him play. He’s the type of player you’d love to play with him. A manager’s dream, never injured, he’s there week in week out,” he said on Monday Night Football (4th May, 22:24pm).

Whilst Coufal’s current teammate, the Irons club captain Mark Noble, dubbed the £18m-rated defender as a “machine” to ‘That Peter Crouch Podcast’ back in May.

If West Ham are to continue their unbeaten run, then Moyes must turn back to Coufal at right-back. He could well hold the keys to a positive result this afternoon.

AND in other news, Fewer passes than Fabianski: £27m-rated West Ham dynamo gives Moyes cause for concern against Zagreb…

When West Bromwich Albion signed Conor Townsend for £750k back in 2018, it would have been safe to assume that the left-back was brought to The Hawthorns as back up to the England international, Kieran Gibbs.

At the time of his arrival, the 28-year-old had just enjoyed a fantastic season with Scunthorpe United, scoring four goals and registering five assists over his 32 appearances in League One, while Gibbs – who had joined Albion from Arsenal in a £6.75m deal a year earlier – was the club’s undisputed number one in the position, having featured 33 times for the Baggies in the Premier League in 2017/18.

This remained the case throughout Townsend’s debut season in West Bromwich, with Gibbs highly impressing over his 38 Championship appearances, scoring four goals and registering four assists, while the newcomer had to make do with just 12 second-tier fixtures.

However, the tide began to turn in the following campaign, with the £14k-per-week Townsend featuring in 27 Championship fixtures, over which he provided one assist and averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.89. In comparison, the £30k-per-week Gibbs was awarded just 14 league appearances, over which he averaged a SofaScore match rating of 6.76.

Townsend’s usurping of the 32-year-old was complete last season, when, despite the Baggies’ ultimate relegation from the top flight, the 28-year-old highly impressed over his 25 Premier League appearances – helping his side keep five clean sheets, registering two assists and earning a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.86. Meanwhile, Gibbs averaged an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.53 over his ten top-flight fixtures – before being released on a free transfer at the end of the season.

This term, the former Scunthorpe man has ensured that his reputation as a first-class left-back has continued to grow, having already helped his side keep five clean sheets, registered two assists and created three big chances over his 12 Championship appearances – with these returns seeing the defender average a SofaScore match rating of 7.01.

Furthermore, the player who Thierry Henry once dubbed “amazing” has also seen his Transfermarkt value rocket from £180k at the time of his signing to £1.8m today – a 10x increase – which, coupled with his ever-improving level of performance, proves that West Brom struck gold when signing the 28-year-old.

In other news: “Confident” West Brom dynamo who lost possession 32x stole the show vs Birmingham

Many Sheffield United fans have been left fuming on Twitter, following an awful performance from goalkeeper Michael Verrips in their 4-0 humbling by West Bromwich Albion [BBC].

In what was evidently a one-sided affair, the 6 foot 5 Dutchman was at fault for at least two of the goals, one of which was a routine corner which he spilled into the path of Dara O’Shea, who duly prodded home.

Furthermore, Verrips disappointed immensely within his distribution, losing the ball on 23 occasions, only completing 30 out of 53 pass attempts during the fixture [SofaScore].

Coming in as a stand-in for number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who looks to be on is way out of Bramall Lane, no wonder loads of Sheffield United diehards took to Twitter to scorn his exploits on Wednesday night.

SUFC fans react:

Posting their disdain on Twitter, here is what some fans had to say about what they witnessed from Verrips:

“Can’t do any worse pal verrips for a big keeper was shocking”

Credit: @markriley0802″Verrips is an absolute car crash an all. Get a number 1 in ASAP.”Credit: @1_Kendall_”Verrips doesn’t put a Blades shirt back on for me”Credit: @S66Quack”Sat here laughing at the fact Verrips is a goalkeeper #sufc”Credit: @sufc03511924″Feel for Verrips. Disastrous for him”Credit: @Berge174″Hope the Olsen rumours are true as Verrips wasn’t very confident. 2 goals very questionable and the 2 disallowed were also questionable. #sufc”Credit: @1984_mjbIn other news, the Transfer Tavern’s EFL spy has recommended a player the Blades should target this summer.

Newcastle United have made an unsuccessful offer for Lyon’s Lucas Paqueta, according to French outlet Foot Mercato. 

The lowdown

The attacking midfielder only joined Lyon in September 2020, making an £18m switch from Serie A giants AC Milan.

His £49,000-per-week contract at the Groupama Stadium runs for another three-and-a-half years, while the 24-year-old has also racked up 28 caps for Brazil, having made his senior debut in September 2018.

The latest

The report from Foot Mercato states that ‘leaders’ at Newcastle have identified Paqueta as a target ahead of the January transfer window. They are ‘ready to splurge’ to bring the Brazilian to Tyneside, offering him a lucrative salary of €860,000 (£734,000) per month, which equates to about £184,000 per week.

However, the player’s camp have rebuffed this proposal, making clear that the player would only be willing to leave Lyon if the suitor was a step-up in quality. He is reportedly content at the club, who have qualified for the Europa League round of 16 after winning their group.

The verdict

Targeting a player of Paqueta’s calibre is an indication of Newcastle’s ambition. He has been directly involved in 11 goals (scoring seven and setting up four) in 21 appearances this season and ranks as Lyon’s highest-performing player according to WhoScored metrics.

BBC Sport’s Raj Chohan thinks he’s good enough to be Roberto Firmino’s successor at Liverpool, while Lyon team-mate Karl Toko-Ekambi hailed him as a ‘soldier’ for his determination.

It doesn’t look like the Magpies will be able to convince him to swap Europa League football for a Premier League relegation battle at this stage, but maybe the situation will change if their prospects improve.

In other news, Noel Whelan reacts to a significant blow for Newcastle

Aston Villa have shown over the past few years that they are not shy when it comes to spending significant amounts of money on new players.

The previous summer and winter transfer windows saw the Midlands club spend money on faces such as Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey, Danny Ings and Lucas Digne to help strengthen their squad and push forward in the Premier League.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Villans could aim to bring in another familiar face to Villa Park for a substantial fee.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mirror, Villa manager Steven Gerrard will try and launch a summer move for Liverpool defender Joe Gomez.

The Villans were linked with the £85k-per-week Englishman during the previous winter window but ended up signing Calum Chambers from Arsenal on a free transfer instead.

Gomez is a rare talent

Since joining the Merseyside club back in the 2015 summer transfer window from Charlton Athletic in a deal worth a reported fee of £3.5m, the centre-back has made 138 appearances for the Reds across all competitions.

In those appearances, the 24-year-old has managed to provide five assists and pick up a Premier League and Champions League title along the way.

Praised for a “mesmerising” assist for Diogo Jota during Liverpool’s recent 2-0 win over Watford in the Premier League, Gomez has also been labelled as a “rare talent” by BBC pundit Garth Crooks.

Having only started two of the six league games he’s appeared in this season, a potential move away from Anfield to a club like Villa where he may get more regular football under the management of Gerrard could be rather tempting for the Liverpool figure.

With a combined total of 195 league minutes to his name in this current campaign, the centre-back has managed to rack up a total of three tackles, four clearances and eight interceptions.

Also, taking into account how Villa have conceded nine goals in their past four league games, perhaps adding a player like Gomez could be just what Gerrard needs to make his side stronger at the back.

With Liverpool reportedly placing a £23m price tag on the defender, making a summer swoop for him should definitely be in Villa’s mind once the season comes to an end.

In other news: Klopp can axe £180k-p/w Liverpool dud with move for “tenacious” £36m-rated “monster”

Celtic and West Ham have been linked with a move for Spartak Moscow forward Jordan Larsson, The Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Larsson profiled…

Larsson, the son of legendary Celtic striker Henrik Larsson, is 24 years of age and can play on the right-hand side or as an attacking midfielder along with his primary centre-forward role.

The left-footed beast has been hailed as ‘strong’ by retired Sweden international Marcus Allback, who also believes he ‘would suit playing for Celtic’.

He still has 18 months left on his contract in Russia, where he has scored 26 times in 76 appearances, but he has now been linked with a move to Parkhead.

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The Latest: Hoops links

The Daily Record shared a story on Tuesday afternoon, citing reports from Aftonbladet who claim that the Hoops and the Hammers are two sides tracking Larsson’s situation.

The report claims that Spartak’s previous asking price was around £13m, but that is now expected to be lower in order to get Larsson off the books.

The Verdict: Other areas a priority?

It would be a great story for the son of one of Celtic’s best-ever players to move to Celtic Park, however, at this moment in time, it seems as if other areas of the pitch need adding to first before a big-money move for Larsson should be explored.

Central midfield appears to be an area where reinforcements are needed, with Ange Postecoglou relying heavily on the likes of Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull this season.

Left-back may also be another position that could do with bolstering, with right-back Josip Juranovic filling in over recent weeks following Greg Taylor’s injury.

In other news: Nicholson may ship out ‘quick’ beast alongside Ajeti in January so Ange can make Celtic signings. 

Manchester United have been in talks to hire Erik ten Hag as their next permanent manager to take on the challenging role as manager at the club this summer, and now there has been a fresh update on the progress of the deal.

What’s the word?

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has revealed more insight to the deal currently being discussed between ten Hag and Manchester United.

Ornstein Tweeted:

“Erik Ten Hag close to making decision on whether to join Man Utd, If agrees in principle, contract must satisfy all demands before he signs.

“MUFC may negotiate exit with Ajax rather than pay clause. No announcement pre KNVB final.”

Supporters surely buzzing

There were reports on Monday from Sky Sports News that RB Leipzig were planning to hijack the deal between the Ajax coach and the Premier League club by making their own approach for his services this summer, so this update from Ornstein will be well received and will surely delight supporters about the progress.

With the KNVB cup final taking place this Saturday, it would suggest that an announcement could be made as early as next week on the appointment of the Ajax boss, and the Manchester United board will likely also be similarly relieved to have the deal done so that they can focus on the massive project ahead of them to get the club back to their best.

Ten Hag is believed to want Robin Van Persie and Steve McClaren involved in his management team at Old Trafford, which would be another huge bonus for the fans as van Persie was a beloved player at the club and his reunion with the Red Devils would surely be welcomed.

The Ajax boss could win two trophies over the next few months, with the potential of winning his third Dutch Cup this weekend and his side are currently four points clear at the top of the table meaning they are in with a great chance to win their third Eredivisie title under the manager.

If the 52-year-old is triumphant in collecting trophies this season it will surely put him in good stead to inject a winning mentality at Old Trafford next term, with United desperately in need of their own silverware after falling into their longest trophy drought in four decades.

Manchester United now have the opportunity to sign a high-quality manager, with winning experience and the desire to have full involvement in the project at the club, so getting the deal over the line must be the top priority for the board over the next few days and weeks.

In other news: Man United eye move for “brutal” £45m-rated monster, he’s miles better than Maguire