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Newcastle United are reportedly tracking Ben Brereton Diaz ahead of a potential transfer move.

The Lowdown: The Chilean from Stoke

Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Brereton Diaz changed his national allegiance to Chile in June this year after playing for England at youth level, and has since managed to score three goals in nine games for the South American nation across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

The Chilean press have since raved about him after some of his performances in the Copa America and in World Cup qualifying, with journalist Cecilia Lagos claiming that the 22-year-old is a ‘box killer’ who is ‘so eager’, ‘so active’ and ‘fits like a glove’ (BBC).

Brereton Diaz has become such a popular player in the South American country that he is now the face of their Pepsi commercial (BBC), and his aim is now to help Chile qualify for the World Cup in Qatar next year.

The Latest: Newcastle tracking him

As per Football League World, Newcastle are among a number of clubs who are now tracking Brereton Diaz ahead of a potential move.

Leeds United, Burnley, Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton have also been tracking the 22-year-old, who has admirers in Sevilla as well.

The Verdict: Wilson alternative?

With 16 goals in just 19 Championship games so far this season (Transfermarkt), Brereton Diaz has shown that he looks capable of making the step up to the Premier League.

The 6 foot 1 striker could be a very nice alternative to Callum Wilson, who does come with injury scares. Notably, Newcastle failed to win and only managed to score four times in the four-game period that he missed earlier in the campaign (Transfermarkt).

Thus, when Wilson is injured or finds himself out of form, Brereton Diaz would be a valuable understudy to have, and the two could even play alongside one another if he is particularly impressing Eddie Howe.

He might also attract a new Chilean following to Tyneside, and he seems like a player who the Toon Army could easily get behind.

In other news, NUFC are considering a shock return for this midfielder

Arsenal are interested in a deal to bring Luis Sinisterra to the Emirates in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that Richard Garlick has now submitted an offer for the Feyenoord winger in an attempt to secure the signing of the 22-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

However, the report goes on to state that both Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen have also launched an offensive for the Colombia international, for whom the Eredivisie side are believed to be demanding a figure of around €15m (£13m) in order to part with this summer.

Arteta can axe Pepe with Sinisterra

Considering just how impressive Sinisterra has been for Feyenoord this season, in addition to how disappointing Nicolas Pepe has proven to be for Arsenal since his club-record £72m move back in 2019, it is not difficult to see why Mikel Arteta would be interested in a move for the Colombian attacker this summer.

Indeed, over his 24 Eredivisie appearances this term, the £16.2m-rated forward has been in sensational form for Arne Slot’s side, scoring ten goals, registering five assists and creating seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 2.2 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the £10k-per-week forward who Nico Cantor dubbed a “crafty, quick and sneaky” player average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.53, ranking him as the fifth-best player in the top flight of Dutch football.

In comparison, things have gone rather less well for Pepe over his 15 Premier League outings for Arsenal this season, with the £27m-rated Ivory Coast international scoring one goal, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.3 shots and making 0.7 key passes per fixture.

These returns have seen the £140k-per-week flop who The Short Fuse dubbed a “practice dummy” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.67, ranking him as Arteta’s joint seventh-worst player in the top flight.

As such, it is not surprising to learn that the 26-year-old and the Gunners are reportedly open to parting ways this summer, nor is it difficult to see why Garlick is targeting the 22-year-old as the Ivorian’s replacement – as selling Pepe and signing the much more exciting Sinisterra would represent fantastic business for the north London side.

AND in other news: Arteta can unearth the new Haaland as AFC plot bid for “world-class” 23-goal “diamond”

The January transfer window has been a whirlwind affair for Newcastle United but did we expect anything else?

After all, the Magpies are now owned by the oil-rich Saudi Prince Investment Fund and their power in the market has increased significantly.

What’s the word?

Despite Newcastle’s newfound wealth, they haven’t found proceedings straightforward this winter despite securing the additions of Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood.

A move for Sven Botman has collapsed and there have been some concerns over a deal to sign Diego Carlos too.

Last night, Sky Sports revealed that another Premier League team had matched the Magpies’ bid for the central defender and then the Brazilian was subsequently also included in Sevilla’s starting XI for their match with Valencia.

Reports on Thursday morning then indicated that Newcastle could pull the plug and focus elsewhere but Craig Hope has thankfully found some positive news on the deal.

Taking to Twitter, the reporter said: “Sources say they remain very hopeful of Newcastle completing a deal for Sevilla’s Diego Carlos.”

Fans will be elated

Phew, after all the swings and roundabouts, it appears as though a move for the Sevilla defender is still very much on the cards.

It was reported this week that Carlos had even sent in a transfer request to his current employers as the deal looked to move and according to Hope, things are still moving in a positive direction.

This would be a major move for Newcastle if they can complete it, one that leaves supporters elated at their new owners but also a move that provides them with more hope for the back end of the season.

The Magpies are in severe danger of being relegated to the Championship and currently sit in 19th position having won just once all season.

Worryingly, the team at the foot of the table – Burnley – have three games in hand so it’s a real possibility that in a few weeks time Newcastle find themselves dead bottom.

However, the acquisition of Carlos should significantly improve their fortunes.

One of the biggest reasons Eddie Howe’s side are so near the bottom is because of their defensive record, shipping a whopping 43 goals in 20 matches with only Norwich having a worse record in the top-flight.

Therefore, the arrival of a pedigreed international in the 29-year-old centre-back will be a welcome one, particularly after missing out on Botman.

With that saga done and dusted, the Toon Army will be delighted to see that good progress is still being made in their bid to bring Carlos to Tyneside.

AND in other news, “From sources” – Fabrizio Romano drops big NUFC transfer update that’ll delight fans…

Tottenham Hotspur are close to finalising Hugo Lloris’ contract extension…

What’s the word?

That is according to the ever-reliable Alasdair Gold of football.london, who delivered what he described as “a positive update” on the current situation.

‘football.london understands that with talks finally having begun, Lloris’ new contract is expected to be finalised very soon, with the keeper keen to stay and what are believed to be modest demands from him deemed more than reasonable by the club,” he wrote in an accompanying article this week.

The 35-year-old’s £100k-per-week contract was due to expire at the end of the season, so this claim will serve as a major boost to manager Antonio Conte, the squad and the fanbase.

Conte will be delighted

Indeed, the Italian head coach will be loving this news from behind the scenes at Hotspur Way.

Conte’s history with goalkeepers suggests that he likes one solid option between the sticks across all competitions and that’s exactly what he gets with Lloris, who has proven to be a reliable and vastly-experienced choice over the years.

“Hugo today showed that he is at the top and he is always focused and for us, he is very important and I am sure that in the short time they can find a solution in the club because he loves Tottenham and Tottenham loves him,” the 52-year-old told reporters after the win over Watford on New Years Day.

The World Cup winner is on the cusp of joining the 400-club at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – should things go their way, he will reach that feat in February, having played 394 times since arriving in a £12m deal from Lyon in September 2012.

In that time, Lloris has kept 134 clean sheets and whilst on the face of it, that’s not overwhelmingly exciting, he has not had a solid backline in front of him for several seasons now. If anything, his presence has stopped them from leaking even more goals in recent times.

“He is brave, performance, quality he showed he is one of the best in the world, no doubt,” once claimed former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The fact that the club are close to agreeing on fresh terms is indeed positive and that should leave Conte a little less worried heading into the summer. He’ll be delighted to tie his no.1 down for the foreseeable.

AND in other news ,Spurs could sign next De Bruyne in “complete” £24.3m-rated gem, he bullied Pochettino’s PSG…

Leeds United are interested in signing Blackburn Rovers centre-back Darragh Lenihan, according to a fresh transfer rumour which emerged on Thursday.

The Lowdown: Lenihan shines for Blackburn

Tony Mowbray’s side are enjoying an excellent season currently, sitting second in the Championship and looking strong to seal promotion to the Premier League.

Lenihan has been an undisputed key man for Blackburn, starting 26 of 28 league games at the heart of the defence and being hailed as ‘special’ by his manager.

The captain’s performances appear to have alerted a host of clubs, however, with a potential move to the top flight now on the cards.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Leeds in the mix

According to a report from TEAMtalk (27/01/22), Leeds are one of numerous Premier League teams eyeing up a move for Lenihan, with Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Wolves and Everton also mentioned.

The 27-year-old’s current Blackburn deal expires at the end of the season, meaning the Whites could snap him up on a free transfer if he doesn’t extend his stay at Ewood Park.

Promotion could be a determining factor in convincing the Republic of Ireland international to stay put.

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The Verdict: Good squad acquisition

While the step up to the Premier League from the Championship is admittedly great, Lenihan’s performances this season suggest he could be a shrewd signing by Leeds.

The Irishman has won an impressive average of 5.1 aerial duels per match in the league this season, not to mention 4.9 clearances each game too.

To put that into context, Liam Cooper leads the way for the Whites in aerial duels with 3.6, highlighting the Blackburn skipper’s prowess in both boxes, while no Leeds player with more than one appearance boasts more clearances than Lenihan.

The fact that he would be available on a free takes out the financial risk element, too, so there is a little about the move that feels negative.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly considering another bid for one player. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Rangers left-back Borna Barisic, regarding his availability on Boxing Day…

What’s the latest?

The club’s official Twitter account, via RangersNews, posted a gallery of pictures from training this week and the Croatian international was in action whilst wearing festive attire.

He was absent from the matchday squad as the Gers beat Dundee United in the Premiership last weekend. Prior to that clash, Gio Van Bronckhorst revealed that he was carrying an illness, saying:

“He’s okay. He was just not feeling well. He’s not injured.”

The Dutchman did not mention him by name in his pre-match press conference for this game, but admitted that he had no new blows to deal with. He said:

“Leon (Balogun) will join in the session today and we will see if he is fit for Sunday, no fresh injury concerns.”

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as his inclusion in training suggests that he will be available to face St Mirren on Boxing Day. Given that he was not out with a physical injury last weekend, he may be able to come straight back into the team if he is well enough to be training at 100%.

This could be a big boost to the Gers as they were forced to play Nathan Patterson out of position at left-back last weekend. As per SofaScore, the youngster lost five of his nine duels and failed with three of his four attempted dribbles, whilst losing possession of the ball 18 times. This suggests that he was caught out defensively in terms of his physical strength and he was unable to show off his quality with the ball at his feet.

Barisic, meanwhile, has won an impressive 62% of his duels over the course of the campaign, making 2.3 tackles and interceptions per match. He has also completed 67% of his attempted dribbles, whilst creating 1.9 chances per game and averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.26 in the Premiership.

This highlights the consistent quality the defender brings to the Rangers team and why his potential return against St Mirren could be a big boost for van Bronckhorst. Fans will surely be delighted to see him in contention to feature in order to see his talent back out on the pitch, winning tackles and creating chances for his teammates.

AND in other news, GVB could ruin Rangers’ title charge with major January gamble, fans would be livid…

Newcastle United are among the Premier League clubs chasing FC Koln defender Timo Hubers, according to The Daily Mail. 

The lowdown: Hubers profiled

25-year-old Hubers is predominantly a centre-back, though he has played a handful of games as a right-back, left-back and defensive midfielder during his career, showing impressive versatility from a young age.

He made headlines in the UK in March 2020 when he became one of the first professional footballers to test positive for Covid-19.

He’s played 15 Bundesliga matches for Steffen Baumgart’s eighth-place side this season, including 12 of the last 13.

Significantly, his contract at the RheinEnergieStadion is due to expire in just over 14 months’ time, potentially putting pressure on Koln to cash in this summer.

Newcastle did strengthen the heart of their defence in January with the signing of Dan Burn from Brighton and Hove Albion, but clearly Eddie Howe wants further reinforcements.

The latest: Premier League interest

Journalists Chris Wheeler and Olly Allen write that Steve Nickson and Newcastle are ‘understood to be tracking’ Hubers ahead of the summer transfer window.

PL rivals Leeds United, Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Southampton are also in the frame in his signature, with Championship promotion hopefuls Fulham keen too.

He’s apparently likely to cost as little as £6million, in part due to his contract situation.

The verdict: A cheaper Salisu

What kind of defender is Hubers? Well, he looks to be very comfortable in the possession, ranking in the 82nd percentile (among positional peers in the ‘big five’ leagues) for passes attempted and the 95th for dribbles completed.

He also very much defends on the front foot, recording 11.58 pressures per 90 minutes (80th percentile) and reads the game well, as evidenced by his 4.12 interceptions per game (99th).

According to FBRef, he boasts a similar profile to Southampton’s Mohammed Salisu, another player Newcastle are said to admire. Indeed, The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards revealed that Newcastle considered a move for the Ghanaian in January.

But he’s valued at £13.5million by Transfermarkt, and Hubers could be available for only half the price. It may be a no-brainer, then, for Howe and his recruitment team.

In other news, this trio struggled most against Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle United may now have received a big boost in their pursuit of Luis Diaz in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: In the race

A Bola (via Sport Witness) reported last month that the St. James’ Park faithful were one of a number of clubs in the race to sign Diaz in January, along with the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan.

He is a player that is having somewhat of a breakout season at FC Porto, with no fewer than 12 goals scored and three assists made in 21 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Teammate Sergio Oliveira even went as far as to claim that he is ‘extraordinary’ after a match-winning display against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League, and there is no doubt that he has a big future ahead of him.

The Latest: Financial trouble

As per Record (via Sport Witness), the North East club may now have received ‘good news’ in their hopes of signing Diaz, as Porto failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages.

It has made a big impact on their financial situation, and the ‘fastest solution’ is to sell some of their big stars next month, including Diaz.

Porto will now listen to any offers that come in for the Colombia international in January, and their ‘dream scenario’ would be to sell in the winter, but for him not to actually leave until the summer.

The Verdict: Unrealistic

Given the calibre of clubs that seem to be in for Diaz, it may prove too difficult for the Tyneside outfit to persuade him to join them at this moment in time.

Of course, they currently find themselves in a relegation battle, and a player of Diaz’s quality, who has just played in the Champions League, will surely want to move to other teams still in the competition ahead of them.

Still, with the financial backing that they have from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, it will not hurt the Magpies to at least try to sign the 24-year-old, but it may well be an uphill battle.

In other news, find out which ‘warrior’ Eddie Howe is now targeting here!

According to sources close to The Daily Mail, there has been a very promising update as Tottenham Hotspur look to seal the signing of Wolves winger Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs in talks…

As explained by reliable outlets, Tottenham are in discussions to sign the Premier League forward by the end of January 31 with manager Antonio Conte already mapping out a role.

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Indeed, the Spurs boss is apparently after Traore as he aims to re-mould the player into a right-wing back for Tottenham’s back-three system.

This comes as summer signing Emerson Royal fails to impress the Italian with transfer chief Fabio Paratici now tasked to bring Wolves’ ace to north London.

In an update, the Mail have just dropped some very promising news.

The Latest: ‘Strong’ chance of agreement…

As per their sources, chances of a Spurs agreement to sign Traore are now ‘strong’ with the Lilywhites ‘pushing to complete a £20 million deal’.

The Mail also back that Conte is planning to use the player as a right-wing back but also claim that Spain’s international ace could fill one of the two wide-attacking roles in a 3-4-3 formation.

The Verdict: Big update…

As Tottenham are now very likely to sign Traore this winter, we believe he could be a snip at £20m going by his age and plaudits in England’s top flight already.

There is a reason Wolves once valued the 25-year-old at around £50 million and Paratici should certainly take advantage of the attacker’s contract situation to sign him for £30m less.

His current deal is set to expire at the end of next season with no extension in sight, gifting Conte and the club an opportunity to bolster their ranks with a serious threat.

Wolves legend Steve Bull, speaking to FootballFanCast, even called him a ‘world-beater’ on his day and it’s safe to claim Traore would be an exciting first signing of the Conte era.

In other news: ‘This will get Tottenham fans excited…’ – Sky Sports drop major N17 transfer update on live TV, find out more here.

Merry Christmas, Celtic fans!

Ange Postecoglou’s Christmas came early after he won his first piece of silverware as Celtic manager last weekend following a 2-1 win over Hibernian at Hampden Park in the Scottish League Cup final.

Kyogo Furuhashi, their number eight and record signing under Postecoglou, scored twice as the Hoops won for the first time under Postecoglou after conceding first.

We’ve prepared a Celtic-related quiz for you which will give you the chance to break up your day.

Are you good with player numbers? If so, take today’s quiz and try and see if you can get a full house regarding these former Hoops heroes.

We’ve given you four options for each player – all you have to do is select what number they wore during their time at Parkhead.

Some are fairly recent, while others will test your knowledge dating way back. Good luck, and remember to share your score once completed!