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Newcastle United have joined the race to sign Fulham defender Antonee Robinson in January, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Robinson representing USA

The American has recently been in Qatar having been selected to participate at the World Cup, and his performances in the Middle East, alongside in the Premier League, have caught the eye.

The Craven Cottage ace is now entering the final 18 months of his contract in the capital, and with PIF being in the market for a new left-back, have seemingly identified the 25-year-old as someone they want to bring to St. James’ Park.

The Latest: Newcastle eyeing Robinson

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are ‘ready to join the chase’ for Robinson in 2023, and he is a player Eddie Howe has ‘on his list’ of personal targets.

The Magpies, however, are set to face stiff competition for his signature, with Inter Milan also considering a move in the winter market.

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The Verdict: Ideal candidate?

Dan Burn has been operating at left-back for the majority of the season with Matt Targett seemingly out of favour, so the need for a natural full-back is apparent and Robinson could be an ideal candidate.

The Milton Keynes-born talent, dubbed ‘fearless’ by Scott Parker, has provided 12 assists and netted four goals throughout his career, and is an athletic player that loves to beat his opponent and bomb down the flank (Transfermarkt).

Robinson may well become Howe’s first-choice option should he put pen to paper, though with his valuation likely having increased after the tournament, the chiefs have to be willing to cough up.

Leeds United are interested in signing Brazil and Flamengo striker Pedro in the January transfer window, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Pedro in Brazil’s squad

The 25-year-old is currently part of Brazil’s star-studded squad at the 2022 World Cup, in the hope of become a world champion in the next three weeks.

Pedro is yet to play a minute of action in Qatar, though, with the Flamengo marksman finding it tough to jump ahead of the likes of Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus in Tite’s pecking order.

It could be that a move to the Premier League develops in January, which is where Leeds come into play.

The Latest: Leeds keen on Pedro

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs claimed that the Whites could look to make a move for Pedro after the World Cup, with the club’s interest seemingly dating back to when Marcelo Bielsa was in charge.

The reporter stated:

“He’s a player that Leeds have been monitoring, even before Jesse Marsch came in, Bielsa really liked him too. At the point when Bielsa was tracking him, Pedro didn’t want to leave and thought that it was not the right move to go to a Premier League club.

“He wanted consistency where he was at. Now he’s found that form and he’s broken through into the international setup, as well.

“He’s scoring goals with regularity and it’d be interesting to see whether Leeds try and get ahead of the game here and if off the back of a World Cup, where he may or may not feature significantly, they choose to escalate that deal.”

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The Verdict: Could be ideal for Leeds

While Pedro may be struggling to make his mark in Qatar, there is still no doubting his ability, having scored 11 goals in 12 starts in the Brazilian Serie A this season.

Furthermore, he has netted an incredible nine times in only six Copa Libertadores starts, further highlighting what an exciting signing he could be for Leeds if they can land him.

A new marquee striker could be ideal for Jesse Marsch, with Patrick Bamford injury-prone and arguably not quite the player he was back in 2020/21, and Joe Gelhardt still learning his trade at the age of 20.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is interested in signing talented Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze in the near future, according to a new transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Chukwueze impressing in Spain

The 23-year-old has become a key player for the La Liga club in recent years, excelling with his style of play which has seen him compared to Arjen Robben.

Chukwueze has scored 27 goals and registered 24 assists in 177 appearances for Villarreal, although he is yet to find the net in the league this season.

Nonetheless, it looks as though the Nigerian could potentially be off to north London at some point soon.

The Latest: Arsenal keen on Chukwueze

According to reports from Spain [via Sport Witness], Chukwueze’s style has ‘always attracted’ Arsenal, with a transfer again being mooted.

The Gunners are thought to be ‘interested’ in snapping up the attacker, who could provide competition out wide for Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

The Verdict: Great squad option

Chukwueze could be a brilliant signing in terms of both quality and depth, as Arteta continues to build a young, formidable squad at the Emirates Stadium.

The Nigerian’s current contract expires at the end of next season, so Villarreal may be forced to sell him next summer to avoid the risk of losing him on a free transfer in 2024.

The Villarreal man possesses a Robben-esque ability to cut onto his left foot from the right-hand side, and he could be a perfect player for Arteta to bring on when legs are tiring.

At 23, Chukwueze’s best years should still be ahead of him, and there is no reason why he couldn’t blossom into a regular starter, having already won 24 caps for Nigeria.

Journalist Barry Anderson has shared some "fascinating" detail on West Ham United and their move for Austria Klagenfurt midfielder Andy Irving in the last 48 hours.

Who have West Ham signed this summer?

David Moyes had to wait a fair bit for his first signing of the summer transfer window, with Mexico international ace Edson Alvarez coming through the door in early August.

The midfielder, who has started life in the Premier League very brightly, was later joined by England international James Ward-Prowse, former Arsenal defender Konstaninos Mavropanos and Ghana star Mohammed Kudus.

The latter player's signing comes as a particularly major coup for West Ham and Moyes, with Kudus excelling for both Ajax and his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last year.

“I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Mohammed to West Ham United,” said the Irons manager after Kudus' arrival.

“He’s a terrific young talent, who has already shone at the very highest level for Ajax in the Champions League and made well over 150 senior appearances at the age of 23 – so it was no surprise to see so many top clubs chasing his signature this summer.

“The fact we’ve been able to attract a player of his undoubted quality to London Stadium shows the pull West Ham have now – the Board and Tim deserve huge credit for getting this one over the line.”

West Ham also attempted a late move to replace striker Gianluca Scamacca, who joined Atalanta earlier in the window, but ultimately failed with a deadline day push to sign Paris-Saint Germain's Hugo Ekitike.

One transfer that has fell quite under-the-radar, though, is their capture of former Hearts midfielder Irving – who has apparently joined from Austria Klagenfurt.

Club insider ExWHUemployee backs this news, and he said on deadline day that the Scotsman has indeed signed but will return to Klagenfurt as part of an "affiliate arrangement agreed" with Hammers transfer chief Tim Steidten.

National World football writer and journalist Anderson, commenting on the move and sharing further background, says that Irving joins in a "big-money" deal and calls it "fascinating".

"Andy Irving's transfer to West Ham from Austria Klagenfurt is fascinating," said Anderson on X.

"He will become an #EPL player in a big-money deal two years after leaving Hearts thanks to a German data analyst. Good move for a player who worked hard to establish himself abroad."

How good is Andy Irving?

Following a 2-0 win over Morton in late 2020, former Hearts boss Robbie Neilson heaped praise on the midfielder's technical ability.

Irving, according to Neilson, can demonstrate exceptional passing ability in the final third.

“He’s got great passing ability, as you seen with the pass for the goal," said Neilson.

"It’s great to have him in. He’s still learning the game. I was really pleased with him. Obviously coming down here, we knew what the pitch was going to be like, we knew the physicality was going to be like, I thought Andy handled it very well.”

In time, perhaps Irving can showcase enough quality to get Moyes seriously thinking.

Crystal Palace host Leeds United at Selhurst Park this afternoon, and it will be a very important game for Patrick Vieira as the side have had a slow start to their Premier League season.

The Eagles are currently struggling for points, tallying just six from a possible 21 over their first seven outings, and as a result they are in danger of falling into a relegation battle should they not start picking up points more consistently very soon.

As a result, the Palace manager will be searching for solutions to inject some confidence and momentum into his side, and a change of personnel in the line-up could be just what’s needed to start winning some games.

One man who could be a game-changer for Vieira against Jesse Marsch’s side today is Jean Philippe-Mateta, a late substitute against Chelsea last week, and unleashing the striker could pay off massively for Palace.

The Frenchman only had 13 starts in the Premier League last season but was signed on a permanent deal in February to remain at Selhurst Park after joining on loan from Mainz 12 months previously, earning a four-and-a-half-year contract.

Mateta has scored nine goals and delivered one assist over 42 appearances for Palace, but with more consistent opportunities to perform, he could be a real threat for Vieira to deploy over the season ahead.

Steve Parish has heaped praise on the 25-year-old when reflecting on the player’s impact in the team, stating of Mateta: “He is a fantastic story and doesn’t get enough mention.

“Any footballer who wants to watch somebody who has always got a positive mental attitude on the pitch and is encouraging people, spurring people on, keeps running and trying – he is a model professional. He does loads of extra work, is always looking to improve himself.”

Despite only starting twice and averaging 33 minutes per appearance so far this season, Mateta has scored one goal, taken 1.7 shots and won 1.8 duels per game, along with completing 67% of his dribbles, showing how he has made the most of his limited game-time.

With that in mind, Vieira will be desperate for his team to pick up all three points, and the talented 25-year-old striker could terrify Leeds if he is given the nod to start alongside Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha today.

Leeds United and Victor Orta have made a very conscious effort since the club’s return to the Premier League to invest in a number of talents for the future, with the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville, Kristoffer Klaesson, Cody Drameh, Sonny Perkins, Wilfried Gnonto and Darko Gyabi all arriving at Elland Road over the last two years.

And, while a number of these youngsters have already started making inroads into Jesse Marsch’s first-team squad – particularly Gelhardt, Greenwood, Summerville, Drameh and Klaesson – summer signings Perkins, Gnonto and Gyabi are yet to make a senior appearance for the Whites – although, considering their undoubted talent, it would appear only a matter of time before they do.

Indeed, while both Gnonto and Perkins are exceptionally talented young footballers, the £5m addition of Gyabi looks to have been an incredibly smart move by Orta, as the former Manchester City and current England U18 international is a player who has already generated a considerable amount of hype in his short professional career – and it is not difficult to see why.

Despite arriving at Thorp Arch as recently as July, the 18-year-old has already made a real impression within Michael Skubala’s U21 squad, having already scored one goal – a thunderous drive from outside the penalty area in a 5-1 win over Nottingham Forest – and provided his teammates with one assist over his four appearances in the Premier League 2 in the 2022/23 campaign.

These returns have seen the central midfielder come in for a significant amount of praise, with Joe Donnohue claiming in a post on Twitter that Gyabi is a player who “moves through the gears really well, escapes pressure and can pick a forward pass,” while Yaw Ampofo claimed that Gyabi “will be excellent,” before suggesting it is “just a matter of time” before his makes his debut.

Jesse Marsch also appears to be extremely excited about the future of Gyabi, with the 48-year-old manager stating of the playmaker following the Whites’ pre-season victory over Brisbane Roar (via Leeds Live):

“We were excited from the start about the possibility of adding him to the group and now watching him live and seeing his mentality to improve, even more so. I would say with him, with Archie Gray, with Cree Summerville, with Sam Greenwood and with Joffy Gelhardt, we have a core of really young talented players that we think can be a big part of the future.”

As such, Orta’s capture of Gyabi this summer – a move that “sent shockwaves” through the Manchester City academy, according to Simon Bajkowski – very much looks to have been the director of football unearthing a real diamond, as it would appear only a matter of time before the former Millwall starlet who Neil Harris dubbed “exceptional” explodes into the Premier League scene.

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘very keen’ on signing RB Leipzig central midfielder Amadou Haidara alongside the links to Youri Tielemans.

The Lowdown: Midfield cover needed

Given the recent injury scare to Bruno Guimaraes, and the fact that Jonjo Shelvey is still on the treatment table, the St. James’ Park outfit need to bring in some cover in the heart of their midfield.

They have recently been linked with moves for the likes of Tiemoue Bakayoko and Leander Dendoncker, so it is clear that work is going on behind the scenes to try and bring someone in before the deadline.

The Latest: Haidara interest

Speaking to NUFC Blog, journalist Jacque Talbot has revealed that the North East club are ‘very keen’ on Haidara, as well as the more heavily reported Tielemans:

“There’s still a feeling Newcastle would spend good money if the right deal came up in midfield.

“They’re very keen on both Amadou Haidara of RB Leipzig and Leicester’s Youri Tielemans.

“Leipzig are playing hardball with Haidara, but things could open up with the right offer now Laimer is staying. Newcastle hold a long-term interest here.

“As for Tielemans, he wants to leave. Liverpool are admirers and Arsenal may look to him if they decide to act on injuries to Partey and Elneny. But Newcastle are certainly keen and know this could be their chance now he’s entered the final 12 months of his contract at Leicester.

“Don’t rule out another big signing before the window shuts. They might just have another ace up their sleeve.”

The Verdict: Great alternative

If they cannot sign Tielemans, Haidara should be seen as a great alternative for the Tynesiders.

Hailed as an ‘excellent footballer’ with ‘a lot of dynamism’ by former Borussia Dortmund manager Marco Rose, the 24-year-old should be able to provide adequate cover for Bruno and Shelvey while they are out injured.

Despite his age, Haidara is very experienced at the highest level, playing over 100 times across the UEFA Champions League and Bundesliga combined, while he has also been capped 32 times at international level with Mali (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, the Magpies should be given some encouragement that fellow midfielder Konrad Laimer is staying at Leipzig, which could open up an opportunity for Haidara to leave.

Leeds United are ‘definitely’ looking at a move for Philadelphia Union left-back Kai Wagner, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Wagner links

The Whites have been linked with adding to their left-back ranks following Junior Firpo’s injury in pre-season.

Central defender Pascal Struijk has been used at left-back in the opening games of the season, with rumours of a deal for Wagner gathering pace.

Jesse Marsch is thought to be driving a move for the German, who reportedly prefers a move to Elland Road even over Champions League clubs Benfica and Dinamo Zagreb.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Jones, talking to GiveMeSport, confirms that Wagner is ‘definitely’ a player of interest to Leeds officials following Firpo’s injury over the summer.

“It’s definitely one that they’re looking at. We knew that this was a position that they were looking to fill.

“The Junior Firpo situation has probably pushed them into this way of thinking more.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

Wagner, dubbed a ‘fighter’ by team-mate Aurelien Collin, may only cost around $5m (£4.1m), which appears to be a no-brainer for a player who is currently an ‘All-Star’ MLS defender.

The 25-year-old appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation and would also provide an option as a left-midfielder if required.

Even when Firpo returns, Marsch will still be light at left-back, so Wagner could provide fierce competition to the Spaniard throughout the season.

Arsenal aren’t done in the transfer window just yet, and they could make as many as three new signings…

What’s the word?

That’s according to transfer insider Dean Jones, who delivered an exciting update to ‘The Done Deal Show’ this week, where he claimed:

“I think that Arsenal still have a slot to fill in their attacking ranks.

“They feel they’re lacking, not just one more piece, it’s plausible that Arsenal could make three more signings before the window is out but in terms of their attacking threat I think they would like one more to add to their depth.

“There are doubts about [Nicolas] Pepe and his future, but we’ll have to see how that situation is sorted out.”

Huge news for Arsenal fans

This update from the Eurosport journalist will set pulses racing around the Emirates Stadium as it’s evident that the Gunners’ hierarchy aren’t messing around this summer in their quest to bolster Mikel Arteta’s playing squad.

The north London giants narrowly missed out on qualification to the Champions League, with arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur pipping them at the post.

So far this transfer window, Arsenal’s ownership have splashed out around £120m on five new players, including big-money moves for Manchester City duo Gabriel Jesus (£45m) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (£32m), as well as Fabio Vieira (£34m) from FC Porto.

The Gunners also missed out on a move for Raphinha, who had his sights set on a dream transfer to FC Barcelona in LaLiga, although their interest in the former Leeds United man suggests that they were in the market for a new right winger.

Arteta could also probably do with further depth in the engine room and whilst Zinchenko does provide added cover, there’s still little quality behind both Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

Going by Jones’s bombshell, it’s clear that the north Londoners are looking to add at least one more signing, if not two to three more and that should leave supporters absolutely buzzing and excited about the near future.

With less than six weeks to go until deadline day, we should expect further movement in N7.

AND in other news, Arteta could unearth Arsenal’s new Aaron Ramsey in “mazy” 18 y/o Hale End sensation…

West Bromwich Albion are reportedly in talks to sign former loan star Okay Yokuslu this summer.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report by Joe Masi for the Express & Star, the Midlands club have held talks with the player over a potential return to the Hawthorns following the termination of his contract at Celta Vigo.

Masi’s report also adds that the midfielder has “significantly lowered his wage demands in the hope of securing a return” to West Brom.

This news will have surely come as a big surprise given how Baggies boss, Steve Bruce, only a few days ago said that the ship had probably sailed over a potential move for Yokuslu.

Speaking after the Baggies’ recent preseason win over Northampton Town, Bruce had this to say on the situation surrounding the Turkey midfielder.

“I thought the ship had sailed. However, we have got a chance. I don’t want to alert anyone else, but we have got a chance.

“We will see where that takes us over the next couple of days. If we do get him, he’s a quality player, an international footballer, who was very successful when he was here a couple of years ago. I was very impressed with him when I saw him play in the Premier League – the way he went about his work.

“He’s a top pro, people at the club enjoyed working with him. He’s experienced, he will be a very, very, good player if we can get him.”

West Brom fans will be buzzing

During his loan spell with West Brom in the second half of the 2020/21 season, Yokuslu played in 16 league games and provided one assist along the way.

In those appearances, the 28-year-old won 33 tackles and made more interceptions (42) than any other player in the squad at the time.

The midfielder also made 25 blocks, 40 clearances and 89 successful pressures, further highlighting just what he offered the side from a defensive point of view, and what he’d give Bruce’s team now.

Those impressive numbers also make it safe to suggest that many Baggies supporters will be delighted to see the club’s former loan star back in a West Brom shirt.

If Albion can get this deal over the line and bring the Turkey international back to the Midlands, this would surely not only give the squad more strength and depth in midfield but also have plenty at the Hawthorns overjoyed given how they already know what they’ll be getting from the player.

AND in other news: West Brom can secure their next Jay Rodriguez by signing “bullish” 34-goal dynamo