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Graham Potter is reportedly in the frame to take over from Steve Bruce at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Jones to take charge against Tottenham?

As per The Daily Mirror, the 60-year-old is reportedly going to be sacked this week following the takeover at St James’ Park by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

Graeme Jones would then be placed in caretaker charge for their match at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League next Sunday until the new owners bring in a new permanent manager.

The Latest: Potter in the frame

According to The Sun, Potter is now in the frame to replace Bruce at Newcastle as he is on the wanted list of the new owners.

However, whether he would be interested in leaving Brighton and Hove Albion for Tyneside is another question, with the Seagulls currently 13 places higher than the Magpies in the Premier League table.

The Verdict: Inspired appointment

Potter would certainly be an inspired appointment by the new owners at St James’ Park should they be able to persuade him to leave their Premier League rivals.

Described as a ‘fantastic’ manager by Alan Hutton for what he has done for Brighton, the 46-year-old could have a similar transformation at Newcastle.

Potter plays an attacking brand of football which is similar to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City (Brighton & Hove Independent), a sheer contrast to the negative tactics that Bruce has often been accused of playing.

With a potential squad full of star names at his disposal, it is mouth-watering to think what Potter could achieve with them if he becomes Bruce’s successor at St James’ Park.

In other news, find out which £31.5m-rated ace Newcastle are targeting

With the end of the 2022 January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though a clue has been dropped on a player that has previously been linked with a move to Wolves that could lead Bruno Lage to making a late transfer move.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had this to say on the possibility of Wolves making a move to sign Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig, who has been mentioned with a move to Molineux in the past.

He said: “Riqui Puig is a talented young player at Barcelona and I’m sure Wolves would love to have him at Molineux if he is available.”

After working his way through Barcelona’s youth ranks, in the same way that legendary football figures such as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta among many others have done, Puig has gone on to make a total of 51 appearances for the first team across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists from central midfield.

Lage would be buzzing

Considering the young midfielder’s immense potential and Wolves’ lack of depth in a central area, Lage would surely be delighted if the club could land a deal for Puig this month.

Having only started two of the 12 appearances he’s made for Xavi’s side across all competitions so far this season, it suggests that the £13m-rated talent is not a particularly crucial player for Barca and could be better off moving elsewhere if he’d be guaranteed regular playing time to help his development.

Therefore, Wolves could be the perfect place to go and earn more minutes if a deal can be struck.

Given the fact that they have previous experience of negotiating with Barcelona in a loan deal for Francisco Trincao in the previous summer window and with Nelson Semedo, they could use those players to sell Wolves as an attractive place for young players to come and play football.

Those prior Barca connections should also make negotiations easier, meaning the Midlands outfit should test the waters for a potential deal for Puig either before the current January window closes or in the summer if his situation in Spain isn’t likely to change in terms of his first-team chances.

Labelled as a “spectacular” player by Gennaro Gattuso, Puig could learn a lot at Molineux under Lage’s tutelage as well as having the likes of Ruben Neves and the experienced Joao Moutinho to seek guidance from in their midfield roles as well as get to grips with playing in the Premier League.

The question now would be whether or not the Spanish giants would be happy to let Puig leave this month or in the summer when he enters the final year of his current contract at the club.

If they do sanction a swoop, the manager at Wolves would surely be delighted. After all, he is clearly a player who could become a very able deputy to Neves and Moutinho.

In other news: “I’m sure..” – Journalist drops exciting Wolves transfer claim, fans surely buzzing – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have made an approach for Cagliari midfielder Natihan Nandez, as per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on Twitter.

The Lowdown: Spurs look to strengthen as 2021/22 gets underway

Looking to build a Spurs side capable of challenging on European and domestic fronts in 2021/22, Nuno Espirito Santo will no doubt consult all avenues in order to increase competition and depth within his squad.

Recruiting intelligently ahead of the transfer window closure in two weeks time, the Portuguese coach has made three additions so far in the form of Bryan Gil, Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero [Transfermarkt].

Now, the North London outfit look set to make progress in another pursuit following recent developments.

The Latest: Tottenham make Nandez approach as Romano reveals all

Speaking to his 4.3 million followers on Twitter, the well-respected journalist claims that ‘Tottenham have approached’ Cagliari for the Uruguayan enforcer.

Nandez is on a formalised ‘list’ of potential targets for the Lilywhites, however no official bid has come to fruition as of yet.

Spurs will decide soon on whether to sign the 25-year-old or not, with a fee of around €25-30 million rumoured to be enough to secure his services.

The Verdict: Nandez would be an exciting signing for Tottenham Hotspur

Needing to fill the void left by the departed Erik Lamela in midfield, we feel Nandez would be an astute addition who would excite the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and perhaps take a similar cult hero status to the departed winger.

Performing admirably in the 2020/21 campaign, he registered five goal contributions in 34 appearances for his current employers; two goals and three assists [Transfermarkt].

His feistiness in the heart of midfield is always on show, racking up 16 yellow cards in his last 63 Serie A starts, and while he is a more defensive minded player and not a like-for-like swap with Lamela, he could bring that extra bit of bite to the side.

Furthermore, his ability to control the flow of the game in the middle of the park stood out last term, claiming five man of the match awards [WhoScored].

Once labelled as a ‘great player’ by his agent Pablo Bentacur, Spurs should look to firm up their interest with an official offer for his signature [Football Fancast].

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a Premier League talisman. Read all about it here.

Chelsea are waiting to discover the extent of an injury to striker Romelu Lukaku ahead of their clash with Aston Villa this weekend, the Evening Standard reports.

The lowdown

£97.5million signing Lukaku has started Chelsea’s last two matches following his move from Inter Milan.

The Belgian was labelled ‘unplayable’ and ‘incredible’ by Arsenal great Sol Campbell after scoring in a man-of-the-match performance against the Gunners on his second Chelsea debut.

Villa, for their part, will head to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening without Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia, who have been playing international football in ‘red list’ countries and so can’t yet return to the United Kingdom (via Birmingham Mail).

However, they may be boosted by the return of Bertrand Traore and summer signing Leon Bailey, with Dean Smith suggesting last month they would be back in contention after the break (via Premier Injuries).

The latest

Lukaku is suspended for Belgium’s World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Wednesday, clearing him to make him an early return to Chelsea.

However, he will first undergo a scan on what he calls a ‘minor’ thigh issue with which he’s been ‘struggling’ for ‘a while’.

This could rule him out of this weekend’s visit from the Villans, in what is surely a boost for Smith and co given the striker’s potency in recent years, scoring 24 and assisting 11 in Serie A last term.

The verdict

Villa fans might have had little hope of getting anything away against the European champions, particularly with no prospect of any Martinez heroics or creative flair from Buendia.

But there’s no denying that it would be a big blow to Chelsea if Lukaku was sidelined. He’s their deadly finisher and he can single-handedly dominate defences due to his physicality.

If Smith doesn’t have the Belgium star to worry about it may be easier to plot a way to stifle the hosts and launch counter attacks through the likes of Danny Ings, Traore and Bailey.

In other news, Kevin Phillips issues his verdict on a prospective Villa signing.

Celtic were undone by individual errors as their poor form in Europe continued at Parkhead on Thursday night.

Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops now sit bottom of Europa League Group G after they fell to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen.

David Turnbull’s slip allowed Piero Hincapie to capitalise after just 25 minutes before Florian Wirtz chipped over Bhoys goalkeeper Joe Hart just ten minutes later.

The Premiership outfit then struggled to get going in the second half and were stopped in their tracks once again as the ruthless visitors found a third from the penalty spot, with Lucas Hilario slotting home, and that was before substitute Amine Adli fired in a fourth with the last kick of the game.

Anthony Ralston at right-back was one particularly error-prone individual at Celtic Park, but truth be told, there were plenty of other players who struggled against the German giants, including Tom Rogic.

Deployed in the no.10 role, the 28-year-old midfielder failed to have any sort of influence on the game and that much was seen by the fact that Hoops ‘keeper Hart recorded more touches (57) than the man deployed in the playmaking role (45), as per SofaScore.

From that tally, he provided only 22 passes, which was the joint-lowest of any Celtic starter, and again the last thing you want from someone in an advanced role. The Australian could not create a key chance from those attempts either.

In addition, Rogic lost possession a whopping 15 times, which was pretty much with almost every one of his passes. That was wasteful and merely gave Leverkusen scope to further dominate the game.

He also committed two fouls, handing the Germans a perfect opportunity to get the ball back into the box.

You could argue that this sort of sloppiness invited pressure on Postecoglou’s backline and enforced young and inexperienced players like Ralston into making such errors, and at this level, those are certainly punished.

It’s no wonder Rogic lasted just 66 minutes before being hooked. He was appalling and will do well to feature in the starting XI again anytime soon.

AND in other news, Forget Brady: Celtic must swoop for £5.4m-rated machine who can “sprint like Mbappe”…

West Ham United have reportedly agreed a deal with Martin Braithwaite…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Spanish outlet Sport, who claim the Barcelona striker has ‘a preliminary agreement’ with the Irons over a potential switch to the London Stadium this month, though it’s suggested that he’s holding out for local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The 56-cap Denmark international has only received a firm offer from David Moyes’ side, whilst he’s a very expendable option for the La Liga giants, especially in their bid to reduce their financial problems.

It’s thought that Barcelona would like to shift him on sooner rather than later but it remains to be seen exactly how much for. CIES Football Observatory currently value him at €20m (£18m), whilst he’s reportedly earning £105k-per-week at the Nou Camp.

Not the answer!

The fact that the Hammers are said to already have an agreement with Braithwaite is a major cause for concern.

Of course, it’s no secret that West Ham are absolutely desperate to sign a new striker before the end of the month as they cannot simply rely on the services of just Michail Antonio when they are soon to be competing in the Europa League.

But the 30-year-old flop is far from the answer. It would be a pretty reckless and disastrous move from Moyes and co, if these reports are to be believed.

In 53 appearances for Barcelona, Braithwaite has only found the net eight times, which is pretty disappointing when you had the likes of Lionel Messi, Pedri, Jordi Alba and many more providing you with creativity.

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Furthermore, his last stint in England failed to garner much success and it actually ended on quite the sour note.

Eight goals in 36 Championship matches is hardly outstanding, especially when you consider that one of the Irons’ former mooted targets Adam Armstrong bagged 28 goals in just one season, earning a move to league rivals Southampton this week.

Braithwaite kicked up a fuss to try and force an exit during his time at Middlesbrough under Tony Pulis and the Welshman lambasted his actions to the press back in March 2019. He said, via GazzetteLive:

“The biggest disappointment for me is he’s the highest-paid player I’ve ever worked with in the Championship,” before adding: “To show the disrespect he’s shown to this club by saying he’s not coming back, to Steve Gibson, who’s made him a multi-millionaire, let’s make no bones about it, the wages and what he’s earning are astonishing. I’ve dealt with players all my life, some can make your hair curl – not mine. But for him to come out and say that, it just puts him up there as such an ungrateful person.”

There are just too many red flags to warrant or justify the Hammers’ interest in Braithwaite, so Moyes must be risking an absolute transfer nightmare if he has truly agreed on terms with the Barcelona dud.

The Scotsman must turn his attention elsewhere before it’s too late. Braithwaite would be one desperate mistake in East London.

AND in other news, David Moyes dealt gutting transfer blow over top West Ham target…

West Brom trio Jake Livermore, Karlan Grant and Jordan Hugill all struggled for the Baggies in their 0-0 draw away to Barnsley on Friday evening.

Valerien Ismael returned to his former club but failed to pick up all three points, on a forgettable night at Oakwell.

The draw leaves West Brom two points adrift of second-placed Bournemouth in the Championship, having played one game more than their promotion rivals before their lunch-time clash with Middlesbrough .

Using statistical experts Sofascore, here’s a look at the three players who struggled most for the Baggies, of those who were on the pitch for at least 45 minutes.

Jake Livermore – 6.4

Livermore is now a hugely experienced footballer but he didn’t enjoy a good night against Barnsley, struggling to impose himself in midfield and deservedly drawing criticism from fans.

The 32-year-old managed no key passes at Oakwell, playing a part in the visitors failing to break down their stubborn opponents.

Not only that but Livermore won zero per cent of his four aerial and ground duels and was guilty of losing possession a total of nine times.

Karlan Grant  6.4

Grant was another who was far from his best against the Tykes.

The forward was almost twice as wasteful at Livermore, giving the ball away a sizeable 17 times, and only one out of six crosses were deemed to be accurate.

Grant missed one big chance, too, proving costly as West Brom failed to find the net, while he also won just three of eight total duels.

Jordan Hugill – 6.5

Hugill was the third player who struggled most on Friday night, leading the line unsuccessfully for Ismael’s men while losing the ball six times.

Like Grant, the 29-year-old was guilty of missing a big chance during the game and only enjoyed 29 touches in the entire match – 12 fewer than his own goalkeeper, Sam Johnstone.

Hugill also played no key passes and won only 7 of his 18 duels, taking the disappointing average of the trio’s contests with opposing players to a 33 per cent success rate (10/30).

None of the three players mentioned even managed to make a single tackle between them, summing up a below-par evening for West Brom.

In other news, some West Brom fans have hailed one exciting young player. Find out who it is here.

According to Calciomercato, there has been an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update as they eye a permanent deal for loanee attacker Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Decky shines at Spurs…

The winger, who is nicknamed ‘Decky’, has shone for Spurs since joining the club on an 18 month loan-to-buy deal from Juventus in January.

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Indeed, Kulusevski has gone on to bag three goals and six assists in 11 Premier League appearances, becoming a key part of Antonio Conte’s front three alongside Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

Following his brilliant run of form, reports have since emerged of Spurs moving to make his deal permanent already, with Calciomercato now sharing the latest out of N17.

The Latest: Conte pushes for permanent Kulusevski deal…

As per their sources, Conte personally ‘pushes’ behind the scenes at Tottenham to make Kulusevski’s deal a permanent one, with the club – and by extension Spurs chiefs – ‘considering’ the move which would cost €35m (£29m).

The Lilywhites are apparently ‘very happy’ with the Swedish gem, and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy may well back Conte by making Kulusevski an indefinite Tottenham player.

The Verdict: Get it done…

For just £29m, transfer chief Fabio Paratici could back Conte with one of the most promising starlets in European football, going by Kulusevski’s start to life at Spurs.

His goals and assists tally since arriving in the English capital provide a glimpse as to how he could evolve into a capable Premier League star for years to come.

Still only 21 years old, the Sweden international has already dazzled fans with some brilliant performances, prompting Conte to lavish praise on Kulusevski to the media.

A match made in heaven so far, this moves surely seems like a no-brainer, with ex-Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson also claiming a permanent deal for Kulusevski looks like a ‘real bargain’.

In other news: Conte unhappy with ‘perfect’ Spurs player behind-the-scenes, he’s now set to leave! Find out more here.

Antonio Conte will be looking for his opening Premier League victory in charge of Spurs when he takes the dugout for the very first time at home this afternoon.

Spurs welcome Leeds United to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Sunday’s late kick-off for their return to action following the international break.

The Italian narrowly defeated Vitesse in the Europa Conference League but could only seal a point against Everton at Goodison Park before several members of his first-team squad departed for national team duty.

He now faces an out-of-sorts Yorkshire outfit but there will be a number of dilemmas ringing around his head heading into the encounter.

The Lilywhites’ creative problems are no secret – despite sitting in tenth place before the game, they are amongst the very worst in the division in the final third.

Only Norwich City (10) have averaged fewer shots per game than Spurs (10.1) and similarly, the Canaries (9.32) are the one team to have managed a lower expected goals ratio than the north Londoners (11.43).

Furthermore, under Conte, Spurs’ worrying run without a goal or shot on target continued. It’s now five hours since they last found the net – when Heung-min Son bagged the third at Newcastle United – and it’s nearly four hours since Harry Kane’s header was on target against West Ham.

On that evidence, something has got to change.

It has been quietly mooted that the 52-year-old could alter his system at the club, going from a 3-4-3 of sorts, which utilises Son and Lucas Moura as inside-forwards behind Kane, to a 3-4-1-2, which would deploy a no.10 in the hole.

If this turns out to be the case, then it’s time for Conte to turn to Tanguy Ndombele as the Frenchman is arguably the club’s most technically gifted talent, on his day.

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Indeed, ex-goalkeeper Joe Hart once waxed lyrical about his ability to BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand.

“This kid is a world-beater, he can do anything.’ He just turned around during the game and said ‘this kid is unplayable’,” claimed the former shot-stopper during Spurs’ FA Cup clash with Wycombe Wanderers (via football.london).

The 24-year-old dynamo, who is valued at £34m by CIES Football Observatory, was always meant to be the creative heartbeat of Spurs’ midfield following the departure of Christian Eriksen but he has not quite lived up to expectations.

Perhaps it will be Conte who gets the best out of him but he’ll have to start him for the very first time against Leeds to find out.

Back in 2018, French football journalist Julien Laurens lauded Ndombele for his attributes in the final third, telling the BBC:

“Everything he does is forward – there aren’t many sideways passes. The first thing on his mind is going forward, with a pass that can break a line or beat two or three players with a dribble because he’s so good carrying the ball.”

At Lyon, the 5 foot 11 midfielder averaged at least 1.5 key passes per 90 minutes in every top-flight campaign prior to his move to Spurs. That would see him rank third in the current squad and season.

With Oliver Skipp also out through suspension, it would be wise for Conte to unleash Ndombele against Leeds this afternoon. It could be a game-changing decision come full-time.

AND in other news, Paratici can resolve two major Conte problems by signing “faultless” £26m-rated colossus…

West Ham United are still interested in signing Burnley defender James Tarkowski, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

The Lowdown: West Ham’s previous interest

The Hammers have a long-standing interest in the 29-year-old. According to The Guardian, West Ham had multiple bids rejected by Burnley for the defender in summer 2020. It is reported that the east London club’s final offer amounted to a staggering £30m.

However, the centre-back’s contract is now set to expire in a couple of months. As a result, Tarkwoski has been linked with a number of moves away from Turf Moor.

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The Latest: Brown’s claim on Tarkowski…

Brown believes that there is a ‘huge possibility’ that the defender could join David Moyes’ squad on a free transfer in the summer.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed: “I don’t think the Tarkowski interest [from West Ham] has gone away. Obviously, they could be in another division and forced to sell in the summer. I think there’s a huge possibility that that deal could still happen.”

The Verdict: Good prospective signing

Once labelled by his Burnley boss Sean Dyche as “outstanding”, Tarkowski would certainly appear to be a great addition to Moyes’ West Ham squad, given the club’s struggles with availability in the centre-back position over the course of this season.

According to FBRef, the 29-year-old ranks in the 99th percentile for blocks, clearances and aerial duels won among defenders in Europe’s top five leagues, illustrating his no-nonsense nature as a defender.

Therefore, with this phenomenal quality available on a free transfer, GSB securing Tarkowski could prove to be an amazing piece of business for the Hammers if it gets done.

In other news: ExWHUemployee drops triple transfer claim