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Arsenal sporting director Edu is leading the race to sign Youri Tielemans.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report from Spain (via Sport Witness), which claims that, despite Barcelona already being in talks with the Leicester City midfielder regarding a move to Camp Nou on a free transfer next summer, it is Arsenal who are currently leading the race to sign the 25-year-old.

The report goes on to state that conversations between Edu and the Belgium international began several months ago and “everything seems to be on track” for the playmaker to join the Gunners, with the north London side even said to be willing to pay a fee to the Foxes in order to close the deal this winter.

Arteta’s biggest issue

Considering just how impressive Tielemans has been ever since his £40m permanent move to Leicester back in the summer of 2019, coupled with central midfield undoubtedly being a problem area of Mikel Arteta’s squad in terms of squad depth, it is easy to see why Edu would be interested in a deal to bring the Belgian to The Emirates this winter.

Indeed, over his 173 appearances for the Foxes, the £44m-rated talent has been a near-continuous source of creativity and goals from the heart of midfield, hitting the back of the net on 27 separate occasions and providing his teammates with a further 25 assists.

And, despite his side’s struggles in the league, the £35k-per-week playmaker has particularly impressed over his 14 appearances this season, scoring three goals, registering one assist and creating five big chances, as well as taking an average of one shot – 0.5 of which have been on target – and making 1.3 key passes per game.

The 54-cap international has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, completing an average of 49.4 passes – at a success rate of 87% – playing 2.6 long balls, winning 2.1 tackles, making 0.8 interceptions and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the 25-year-old who Jack Johnson dubbed “unreal” average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.25, not only ranking him as Leicester’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 24th-best player in the Premier League as a whole in the current campaign.

As such, it is evident that Tielemans would represent something of a perfect addition to the likes of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka – both of whom the Belgian is currently outperforming – in the heart of the Arsenal side, leading us to believe that the midfielder’s signing would not only solve Arteta’s biggest issue this winter, but it might just win them the league.

Everton have been dealt a definitive injury blow ahead of today’s Premier League meeting with AFC Bournemouth, their second game against them in a week.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, manager Frank Lampard confirmed that, after picking up an injury in the Toffees’ 2-0 defeat to Leicester City last week, Dominic Calvert-Lewin will once again be sidelined for their trip to face the Cherries.

Whilst his hamstring once again was the point of contention, he highlighted a dislocated shoulder that the English striker had been playing with as another issue that he would see a specialist over.

The 44-year-old did reveal that neither required surgery, stating:

“No, he won’t be involved… We hope that the break comes at a good time for him and we expect him back for Wolves on Boxing Day.”

A silver lining for Lampard

Whilst the loss of Calvert-Lewin will undoubtedly come as yet another blow for Lampard ahead of their final clash before the World Cup commences, there may be a silver lining in the form of 19-year-old hotshot Tom Cannon, who has been scoring for fun this season in the youth setup.

Handed his debut during the EFL Cup clash in midweek, his brief cameo saw him replace the wholly underwhelming Neal Maupay, who had touched the ball just 33 times and offered little goal threat due to his diminutive stature.

Standing nearly five inches taller than the Frenchman, immediately he would offer more of a physical presence.

Not to mention the fact that the Aintree-born ace is currently in fine form, whereas his competition only has one goal all season.

Meanwhile, the youngster has bagged nine times, assisted three, and even scored a brace to overcome Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

Once labelled as “a goalscorer” who “doesn’t hide” by ex-U18 boss Paul Tait – who is now in charge of the U21s – perhaps he might provide a better option to Maupay, who coincidentally has gone missing in recent games whilst deputising for Calvert-Lewin.

He could hardly do worse than the former Brighton and Hove Albion marksman, who has struggled since making the move to Merseyside.

 Although the injury to their star striker may be unfortunate, it hardly comes as a surprise given his record. At least now it might see a first start for Cannon, whose early-season form has more than merited some increased first-team action.

With a deal to sign Lloyd Kelly reportedly on the cards upon the expiry of his Bournemouth contract this summer, Newcastle United have seemingly turned their attention to a second defensive reinforcement.

Newcastle transfer news

Kelly enjoyed another impressive campaign at the Cherries as they surprised many by finishing as high as 12th in Andoni Iraola's first season in charge at the club. Nonetheless, it was Kelly's last with the defender's contract running out and Newcastle increasingly likely to be his next destination. The centre-back, who can also play as a left-back, will join to provide some much-needed defensive depth for Eddie Howe and his side.

Even after Kelly, however, those at St James' Park are still looking for an extra boost within their backline, with reports mentioning names such as Tosin Adarabioyo, who is also set to be a free agent at the end of his Fulham contract this summer. That said, it looks as though the Magpies also have an eye on the Serie A.

Newcastle eyeing Barnes upgrade who Shearer thinks is a "huge talent"

He’s excelled this season despite his recent injury problems.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 21, 2024

According to Tutto Juve via The Boot Room, PIF and Newcastle are now eyeing a move to sign Riccardo Calafiori this summer after the defender played an important part in Thiago Motta's Bologna side, who shocked Italian football to qualify for the Champions League this season.

The defender reportedly likes the idea of Newcastle, but has also attracted the interest of Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and invincible Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen.

In quite the race for his signature, Newcastle will be hoping to lure Calafiori to St James' Park in arguably one of the coups of the summer.

"Insane" Calafiori can replace Lascelles and more

Still just 22 years old, it's no surprise that Calafiori is attracting plenty of attention, especially after the season that he and Bologna enjoyed in Italy. The centre-back, who can also play left-back in similar fashion to Kelly, would provide Newcastle with quite the defensive boost both instantly and in the long-term if he completed a move in the coming months. He would also provide an instant upgrade on Jamaal Lascelles, whilst competing with Sven Botman and Fabian Schar.

What's most impressive is the number of ball recoveries that Calafiori managed this season. If Newcastle want to become a side who are able to step onto the front foot even against the very best, then a player with that ability should be seen as one of the keys to unlocking such football.

Praised for his "insane performance" in a recent 3-3 draw against Juventus by Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, Calafiori is certainly one to watch this summer.

After previous coaches Taj Malik, Kabir Khan, Andy Moles and Inzamam-ul-Haq steered Afghanistan’s progress so far, Lalchand Rajput could be overseeing the team’s next steps

Mohammad Isam30-Sep-2016Afghanistan’s development from a struggling team to a genuine threat to higher-ranked sides can be traced through the progressive contributions of their last few coaches. Taj Malik laid the foundations before Kabir Khan got them to think like international cricketers. Andy Moles took them to the 2015 World Cup, after which Inzamam-ul-Haq guided them to their maiden ODI and T20I series wins, over Zimbabwe.Now it is Lalchand Rajput, the former India batsman, who is taking Afghanistan further into unchartered territory. On October 1, in the third ODI, they will seek to take their next big step, by clinching their first-ever bilateral series against Bangladesh.Rajput was appointed in June this year after Inzamam left the role to take over as Pakistan’s chief selector. So far, Rajput has been able to consolidate and build on the progress made during Inzamam’s seven months as coach. Afghanistan now seem to be at least on par with Ireland, and a cut above all other Associate nations.A 2-1 series result could lead to their rise up the ODI rankings, which would be a huge confidence boost for the emerging team. Young batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi said that Rajput’s focus has been on the batting, especially on how to bat for the full 50 overs and rotate the strike.”In the last one year, Afghanistan cricket has been improving,” Shahidi said. “Before him [Rajput], Inzamam-ul-Haq did very well as our coach. Now Rajput sir is trying hard with us. He is giving us more confidence. He tells us that we are one of the best sides in the world.”He is asking us to play positive cricket against each and every team. He tells us to take everything positively. He is also working on our batting. He is teaching us how to play 50 overs, play till the end and concentrate on singles.”Shahidi said they are now focused on trying to finish their innings well, which they didn’t do in the first ODI that they lost by seven runs. They nearly repeated their mistake in the second game before managing to scrape through with a two-wicket win.”He [Rajput] told us that those who are set at the wicket should go till the end. This was our mistake in the first game. We had a good partnership but we didn’t finish the game. It will be hard for the new batsmen to come and play like set batsmen. We will try to fill that gap.”We had a good partnership and I scored runs in the first game but I should have finished the game. I will learn from my mistakes from the last two games,” said Shahidi, who made a fifty in the first ODI.He was also confident that their spinners Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan would once again have a major say in the outcome of the game, as they did in the second ODI, tying up the Bangladesh batsmen and then picking up late wickets to derail them completely.”Rashid Khan is a very good young talent. He has been successful in the last six months,” Shahidi said. “We have good spinners in the side like Mohammad Nabi, who bowled really well in the last game. They will, , do very well in the last game for us.”Steady batting and the spinners’ well-planned spells will be Afghanistan’s advantage in the third ODI. If they do end up beating Bangladesh, it would be a major milestone in their cricket history, and Rajput would be lauded for his contribution, much like his predecessors Malik, Khan, Moles and Inzamam.

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.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge injury setback concerning Dejan Kulusevski.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that, after missing Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal due to a hamstring injury the winger picked up on international duty with Sweden, the 22-year-old will now be unavailable for selection for the next two weeks.

Should this be the case, it would mean that the forward would miss Spurs’ crucial Champions League double-header against Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as Premier League fixtures against Brighton & Hove Albion and potentially the visit of Everton on October 15.

Gutting news for Conte

Considering just how impressive Kulusevski has been for Tottenham ever since his January arrival in north London, should the Swede indeed be ruled out for a fortnight, it would undoubtedly be gutting news for Conte and his side.

Indeed, the £70m-rated talent has been in astonishing form over his 25 Premier League appearances for Spurs, having already scored six goals and registered 11 assists – averaging a direct goal involvement every 104 minutes of league football played.

Nice one, Son! Show your love for Heung-min Son with this awesome t-shirt! Click here to buy…

Furthermore, according to FBref, the £110k-per-week forward also ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for assists per 90, as well as the top 8% for passes completed, the top 18% for touches in the opposition penalty area, the top 7% for pressures and the top 4% for interceptions over the past 12 months.

From these metrics, it is clear to see that Kulusevski is not only effective for Tottenham in the final third, but the attacker also contributes massively in a defensive capacity – something that is crucial within Conte’s particular brand of football.

Further still, with Richarlison having not exactly been in incredibly deadly form so far this season – scoring two goals over nine appearances – and Heung-min Son still struggling to replicate his Golden Boot-winning form of last season – scoring three goals over ten fixtures – the loss of such a reliable attacking outlet in Kulusevski is clearly a huge blow for Spurs.

Indeed, with Tottenham requiring six points against Eintracht if they wish to give themselves the best possible chance of qualifying from Group D in the Champions League, as well as the Lilywhites looking to get back on track domestically after a disappointing north London derby defeat at the weekend, Kulusevski’s two-week absence will certainly be a major worry for Conte.

Tony Mowbray could reportedly be given the funds to make two new signings for Sunderland in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Seven summer signings

The Wearsiders made seven new permanent signings in the summer, but also saw a managerial change as Mowbray came in for Alex Neil, who left to join Stoke City late last month.

The new boss now has to work with the squad that he has inherited, and it is safe to say that he is doing a good job so far, winning two and drawing one of his opening four games in the Championship.

The Latest: January funds

As per The Sun, Mowbray could now be given extra funds in the January transfer window to make a couple of new signings.

That is if he manages to keep his team in the fight for promotion to the Premier League, with Sunderland currently fifth in the Championship table on 15 points from their opening 10 matches.

The Verdict: Big boost

It will no doubt be a big boost for the Black Cats if they are to hold more financial power in January.

Mowbray claimed that he missed out on a defensive midfielder and a defender on transfer deadline day, so it could be those positions that he looks to strengthen in the winter.

Nonetheless, Sunderland have a real shot of back-to-back promotions, and a couple of new additions mid-season could help them to achieve that.

Everton have been embroiled in back and forth negotiations to sign Idrissa Gana Gueye this summer, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s next steps in their pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Abdellah Boulma, Everton are set for “new talks” to seal a deal for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Gueye ahead of the transfer window closing on September 1st.

Boulma tweeted:

“New talks are envisaged between PSG and Everton for Idrissa Gueye The dialogue is not broken between the three parties. Other avenues are not to be excluded in the event of failure.”

Lampard needs him badly

Frank Lampard would have been very pleased with his midfield signings after acquiring the services of Amadou Onana in the centre of the pitch, however, now that Abdoulaye Doucoure is injured it does put the Gueye transfer back into the spotlight for the Toffees.

The 29-year-old midfielder picked up a knock during the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park last weekend and the player is set to miss the next three weeks.

Despite the Toffees midfielder only being out for a few weeks, there is no doubt that Lampard will want to strengthen his midfield further instead of having to drop in quality every single time a midfielder picks up an injury, so the signing of Gueye is a transfer the manager needs badly.

Gueye has been a reliable and consistent performer for the Ligue 1 champions since making the move from Merseyside to Paris back in 2019, and last season proved that even at 32 years old he still has what it takes to make an impact in the centre of the pitch.

The £97.2k-per-week earner ranked in the top 10% of positional peers in the top five European leagues for attempted passes, pressures and tackles, while ranking impressively in the top 2% for pass completion over the last 12 months, all attributes that would be valuable in Lampard’s team right now.

Over the first three games, Everton have struggled to dominate possession with just 42.3% of the ball and could improve on their 76.1% pass accuracy. They have lost possession 142.3 times on average per game, which reflects in their current league position of 16th in the Premier League table.

With that being said, the signing of Gueye would be a good idea for the Toffees as he’d add a sense of composure and defensive intelligence to the middle of the park that is quite evidently missing.

Journalist Tom Barclay of The Sun has hinted at a potential exit for Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal despite his uptick in form.

The Lowdown: Royal shines…

The Brazilian, after links with a move away from Spurs, has gone on to become a starter on manager Antonio Conte’s team sheet with a steady stream of consistent performances.

Emerson has received praise by members of the media for showings with pundit Noel Whelan hailing his transformation in north London and a great performance against Southampton on the opening Premier League weekend.

Whelan highlighted the 23-year-old’s brilliant outing in Spurs’ 4-1 victory, particularly how he looked ‘lively’, ‘sharp’ and ‘quick’ at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The South American has been selected to start in each of Tottenham’s two league games so far, averaging a solid 7.14/10 when it comes it match rating (WhoScored).

The Latest: Barclay hints at potential exit…

However, regardless of his resurgence, Barclay has hinted Emerson could still leave Spurs before September 1 if the right offer arrives.

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The journalist told GiveMeSport:

“You’d think if Tottenham get a good bid for Emerson Royal, they might let him go, but there’s no guarantee and for the rest of the team, no.

“They’re all trying to hang onto their first team spots, and I don’t think Spurs will be letting any of them go.”

The Verdict: Don’t do it…

Even if the Lilywhites receive a significant bid for the player’s services, we believe sporting director Fabio Paratici should hold fire for now.

The former Real Betis star is steadily improving his game and the fact Conte is now starting him over the likes of Djed Spence, Matt Doherty and other makeshift options says it all.

Called a ‘perfect’ and ‘relentless’ full-back by former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, Emerson could finally be starting to live up to that tag.

Crystal Palace return to action tonight as they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool in their first away game of the Premier League season.

Patrick Vieira will be hoping to cause an upset under the floodlights against Jurgen Klopp’s men, as they face another tough fixture after last week’s 2-0 defeat against Arsenal.

Fulham did prove that the Merseyside club were not something to be completely afraid of however, holding them to a 2-2 draw. That result will give the Eagles hope.

The French manager will have some big decisions to make going into this game, having claimed that Michael Olise could be in contention to return to the squad.

The £34k-per-week star missed large parts of pre-season after picking up an injury whilst away with France U21s back in early August.

So, will Vieira throw the youngster back in at the deep end, or will he rest him for a more favourable fixture? Here’s how we think Palace could line up against Liverpool…

In goal, Vicente Guaita seems unlikely to be displaced as the club’s undisputed number one stopper.

The back four is also unlikely to change, as James Tomkins and Nathan Ferguson’s injuries continue to rule them out. Nathaniel Clyne will once again return to his former club, with Tyrick Mitchell occupying the left side.

Marc Guehi and Joachim Anderson will continue to be ever-present in central defence.

Cheick Doucoure will be given another chance to show his credentials in one of the harshest atmospheres in the league, likely beside the relentless Jeffrey Schlupp.

Wilfried Zaha is always the first name on the Palace team sheet given his 15 goals last term and will be instrumental up against Trent Alexander-Arnold if Vieira’s side are to walk away with anything from this game.

Eberechi Eze and Jordan Ayew are expected to take up the other attacking positions, with Olise’s return coming just too soon for this particular game.

We also expect Odsonne Edouard, who started last time out against Arsenal, to be preferred to Jean-Philippe Mateta up front to spearhead their free-flowing attack. Once hailed as a “special talent” by former manager Neil Lennon, the ex-Celtic player has the tools to frighten some of the best in the division having scored against Spurs and Arsenal last term.

With an unchanged lineup due to a lack of returned players and no enforced exits, it will take a monumental task to overcome the Reds in their first home match of the season. Hopefully, for Palace this side can spoil the party.