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An update has emerged regarding transfer interest from abroad in Newcastle defender Jamal Lewis.

What’s the talk?

According to Turkish outlet Fotosport, Trabzonspor are keen on a deal to sign the Northern Ireland international in the January transfer window.

The report claims that it could take some convincing from the European club to convince Lewis to make the move, whilst Newcastle’s stance remains to be seen.

Fans would be livid

PIF must avoid making their first blunder on Tyneside following this report of interest in the defender. They must not allow him to leave in the January transfer window, as he still has the potential to be a key part of the club’s future and fans would likely be livid with his departure.

He has only played six minutes of Premier League football after being cast aside by Steve Bruce, but he could get a new lease of life following the 60-year-old’s exit earlier this month. If the Saudi Arabian consortium can find a head coach with attacking intent and a willingness to allow his full-backs to bomb forward, Lewis could become a useful asset for the club.

Commenting on Newcastle’s deal for the defender last season, Darren Bent hailed him as underrated and backed him to become one of the best left-backs in the division.

He told Football Insider: “Jamal Lewis, when you think about it, defensively I think he’s a little bit better than Max Aarons. I think going forward and defensively he’s very good, and underrated as well.

“I’m telling you, if he keeps progressing at Newcastle, he might be a dark horse. He could turn out to be one of the best left-backs in the country this season.”

He was unable to fulfil his potential in the short-term as he averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.34 across 24 appearances in the top flight in his first season on Tyneside. However, the talented full-back was used to playing in an attack-minded Norwich side prior to his switch to St James’ Park and Bruce failed to make the most of his ability to progress the ball from left-back.

Lewis completed 1.2 dribbles and made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League for Norwich in the 2019/20 campaign. These statistics dropped to 0.5 and two respectively in his first season at Newcastle, showing that he regressed under Bruce, having shown promise for the Canaries.

This is why the Northern Irishman must be given the chance to show what he can do under a different manager with the Magpies. PIF cashing in on him before he is given that opportunity would be a blunder as it would be a waste of his talents and they would be giving up on him far too early. Therefore, fans would likely be frustrated by his sale as, at this moment in time, he has not yet had a fair crack of the whip under an attacking manager at Newcastle.

AND in other news, PIF must ruthlessly sell shocking £75k-p/w liability, he’s holding Newcastle back…

West Ham United are back in action tonight with their second-leg quarter-final clash against Olympique Lyon in the Europa League.

The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium as Tanguy Ndombele scored an equaliser for the Ligue 1 side after Jarrod Bowen put the hosts ahead.

Heading into this clash, the Hammers took a blow over the weekend as they fell to a 2-0 defeat against Brentford in the Premier League.

 On the chalkboard

One player who featured against Brentford and should also be in the team on this occasion is Vladimir Coufal, who made his return to action at the weekend after being out with an injury for the past few weeks.

Despite the poor result, the Czechia international still managed to show what he’s capable of delivering for his team on the pitch.

On the ball, the 29-year-old completed 59 passes in total, with one key pass, one cross and one long ball, along with completing both dribbles that he attempted. From a defensive point of view, the full-back made four clearances and three tackles, won five of his six ground duels and wasn’t dribbled past once.

This display earned Coufal an overall match rating of 7.1/10 from SofaScore, making him the Irons’ second-highest rated outfield player on the day behind Declan Rice. This is particularly impressive given how long he’d been out of action as a result of his injury, showing that it didn’t take him long to get back into the swing of things.

To highlight how solid he is at the back for the Hammers, no other defender in David Moyes’ squad has racked up a higher total of tackles and interceptions combined (69) in the Premier League this season than the £27k-per-week machine.

Labelled a “hardworking” player and a “warrior” by his former Slovan Liberec teammate Radoslav Kovac, Coufal could be a terrifying prospect for Lyon to come up against tonight.

If the £10.8m-rated defender is fit enough to play tonight, then Moyes should definitely have him in the West Ham starting XI.

In other news: Moyes can form “dangerous” duo as GSB plot bid for £25m gem who could “explode” at West Ham

Many Everton fans have been left fuming over some transfer news on Vitaliy Mykolenko.

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Ukraine international is currently now undergoing his medical at Goodison Park ahead of a move from Dynamo Kyiv.

The final price is between €21-23m (£17.8-19.5m), and personal terms have already been agreed with the player.

The fee itself certainly seems hefty given the Merseyside club’s problems with Financial Fair Play (FFP), and some Toffees supporters are now worried that there will not be money elsewhere to spend on other priority positions, as they already have Lucas Digne at left-back.

While club captain Seamus Coleman has been a faithful servant, he is 33 years of age now, and so needs replacing soon, while deputy right-back Jonjoe Kenny has only played in a mere four games in total over all competitions so far this season, with that area in particular one that certainly needs strengthening.

Everton fans on Mykolenko transfer news

These Blues fumed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that they were ‘concerned’:

“Everton with no money and gaping holes in the squad on the right side, spending €20m+ on a left back. WHY?”

Credit: @0ptimumvelocity

“We’ve replaced our replacement for Baines before replacing Coleman”

Credit: @Ofearns7

“How’s he worth £18m yet no one’s heard of him… that’s a stupid amount to pay.”

Credit: @Evertxn

“Took us 2 weeks to find a replacement LB but 4 years after Coleman broke his leg we still have no RB”

Credit: @J_Reck90

“Madness that this is a priority when we have Nkounkou out on loan too, priority has to be to replace Seamus Coleman surely”

Credit: @gally1878

“Seriously concerned.”

Credit: @The_Penny_Blue

In other news, find out who is now a candidate to potentially replace Rafa Benitez here!

Taking to Twitter, Sportitalia TV reporter Gianluigi Longari has broken some Tottenham Hotspur transfer news in the race to sign Fiorentina star striker Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Vlahovic move…

As per numerous reports, the Lilywhites and transfer chief Fabio Paratici have been eyeing a move for the Serbia international over these last few months as manager Antonio Conte seeks an attacking alternative to Harry Kane.

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Vlahovic has been in scintillating form for his club over 2021/2022, catching Spurs’ attention as they reportedly hold pre-January transfer meetings with La Viola chiefs over a transfer (La Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness).

Sources closer to home also back Tottenham’s interest in the 21-year-old, with The Telegraph claiming that he has been a Paratici target since the summer window.

Breaking some news on social media, Longari now has the latest on Spurs’ links to Vlahovic.

The Latest: Longari breaks Vlahovic news…

Taking to Twitter, the Italian reporter has claimed that Tottenham are now ‘working strongly’ to sign the striker for summer but are ‘also trying’ a difficult move for January.

“They are working strongly for Vlahovic for the summer and are also trying a difficult attempt for January,” he explained.

“Fiorentina want to keep him until summer.”

The Verdict: Pull out all the stops?

Amid Conte’s goal to secure Tottenham qualification the Europa League or Champions League at the end of this season, news that they are unlikely to sign him this month could come as a slight blow.

However, as they attempt to sway Fiorentina into a winter agreement, you could make the argument that every club has their price and we believe Paratici should be pulling out all the stops for Vlahovic as a priority target.

Scoring 18 goals and assisting four others in 21 appearances across all competitions (Transfermarkt), Vlahovic has been lavished with praise given he is one of the most in-form forwards in Europe right now.

Spurs insider John Wenham recently called him ‘unbelievable’ and a would-be ‘phenomenal signing’ for Conte and the club, with Vlahovic’s numbers certainly backing those claims.

Paratici would have to break Tottenham’s transfer record to sign Fiorentina’s man according to some reports as Gazzetta (via AS) claim the club have set an eye-watering €100million (£85m) price tag.

However, given Vlahovic’s age, sell-on potential, incredible form and obvious ability – he genuinely could be worth such a fee.

In other news: Tottenham prepare £16.7m offer for ‘sensational’ player, club have no choice but to accept…find out more here.

Everton have been interviewing candidates to replace recently sacked Rafa Benitez at Everton over the last week, with no official offers being made so far and now there has been a further development for the next candidate to enter talks with the owner and the board at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

Everton insider, Alan Myers, has revealed on Twitter that Frank Lampard will hold talks with Everton this week to see if the position is something he would be interested in and whether he would be the right man for the job.

Myers tweeted on Tuesday afternoon “Lampard to discuss role this week.”

There are several key pieces of information in the tweet Myers has posted, with it confirming that Pereira will continue talks with the club as well and no contact had yet been made with fan favourite Wayne Rooney.

Fans will be delighted

Lampard is a manager that has been thrown into the mix several times this season when positions have become available at Premier League clubs, with the Chelsea legend reportedly close to taking the Norwich job back in November before Dean Smith was appointed at Carrow Road, and Everton fans have already taken to social media to share their delight in Lampard’s potential for taking the job in Merseyside.

One fan tweeted: “Moshiri and Everton should give the fans Lampard, if it doesn’t work it will be on us. But he must give him the best environment to be successful.”

There is no doubt that the 43-year-old Premier League legend would add something different to the Everton job with his success as a player and winning mentality representing something that would be a huge positive influence in a dressing room that lacks confidence after a series of poor performances from the Toffees this season so far.

He would also attract quality players to the team due to his connections at Chelsea, which could help get the deal for Malang Sarr over the line in time for Deadline Day next week, a player that Everton have been linked with over the last week.

In terms of Lampard’s managerial career, he definitely has what it takes to put up a fight, with Derby County knocking Manchester United out of the Carabao Cup on penalties during his tenure and leading the Championship side to the play-off finals against Aston Villa, but was unfortunately unable to get the club promoted.

He then moved onto Chelsea during their transfer ban season, developing young players like Mason Mount into the regular starter and England star he has become today.

Overall, the former midfielder would not necessarily be the worst choice that Moshiri could make in hiring a new manager, he can offer a fresh perspective on the current problems at Everton, something that could potentially inspire a U-turn in the Toffees campaign by developing a positive mindset in the players that could help them win games and climb back into safety in the Premier League.

In other news: Insider reveals update on Duncan Ferguson’s position

Manchester United have certainly had a season of two halves this year.

Looking like the laughing stock of the league before Christmas with players seemingly falling out with then manager Jose Mourinho and the club falling further behind the top 4, it looked as though the fans were in for a dismal season.

However, since the change of guard and newly united under the stewardship of Old Trafford legend Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, they are unbeaten in the league since his arrival and have only suffered one defeat in all competitions.

Still, it’s not as if everyone has been magically reworked by the Norwegian, though that may not be his fault.

Indeed, with all the change a couple of players have still struggled to perform under the Norwegian, here we will have a look at them.

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez arrived at United with such high expectations, however, since he arrived he has brought nothing to the table for United and is a shadow of his former Arsenal self.

Even under the new manager, the Chilean has failed to impress and has only managed to provide 1 assist in the Premier League since Solkjaer’s arrival.

Such poor performances have led to fans wanting the 30-year-old to step up or get out of the way for talented youth to find their place in the side.

At this point, the player will surely be feeling that a move away from the Manchester club may help his confidence and redeem the reputation he had earlier on in his career.

Fred

The big money signing from Shaktar moved to Old Trafford and brought a huge expectation with him. The Brazilian playmaker was bought in by Jose Mourinho and was meant to be the man that would unlock the creativity that was lacking in the midfield.

However, even under Mourinho, the midfielder struggled to make an impact, only scoring one goal and providing no assists in the Premier League this season.

Fred most recently played in United’s 1-3 away win against Crystal Palace, but it’s not hard to feel that, had United had all of their players fit, the 25-year-old would have found himself on the bench again.

If the midfielders season is to continue in the same fashion and have game after game on the bench, he will surely be looking for a move away from the Premier League and build his way back up to good form elsewhere.

According to Irons insider Claret & Hugh, there has been a promising West Ham United transfer update involving long-time David Moyes target Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Moyes attempts move…

Over the past two windows, a reoccurring theme of West Ham’s transfer activity has been their determination to sign Man United playmaker Lingard on a permanent deal.

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West Ham attempted to seal an agreement both last summer and in the most recent winter window but those attempts at a breakthrough eventually failed to come to fruition.

As Lingard runs down his contract, which is set to expire in June this year, the 29-year-old could now join the Hammers on a Bosman – with Red Devils boss Ralf Rangnick green-lighting the player’s exit.

It is believed that the attacker has had it ‘made clear’ that an Old Trafford extension is unlikely due to a ‘plan set in place’ by Rangnick.

The Latest: Lingard has preference…

According to C&H, as Lingard weighs his next move, it is believed the Englishman is ‘set to turn his back on Newcastle for West Ham’ due to his belief that Moyes is more likely to play him regularly than Magpies boss Eddie Howe.

The forward is apparently still a serious option for West Ham and their manager ahead of this summer window with their interest very much maintained.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Valued at around £18 million by Transfermarkt, West Ham could bypass this fee completely and seal an established Premier League creative force for nothing.

Taking this into account, a move for Lingard on the eve of his contract expiry should at the very least be considered, especially going by the player’s personal stance.

The Three Lions ace will be looking to work his way back into Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of the World Cup in Qatar later this year and a move to West Ham could well be his best option.

One of Lingard’s best seasons in the English top flight came on loan at the London Stadium last year and it isn’t inconceivable to believe he could re-discover that form for 2022/2023.

In other news: West Ham surprise on the cards with GSB in mix to sign ‘big name’ once valued at £100m, find out more here.

Newcastle go in search of their first Premier League win of the season as they host Brentford at St James’ Park on Saturday.

Eddie Howe will be in the dugout for the first time since being named as the permanent successor to Steve Bruce and he will be looking for a reaction from the players on the pitch.

The Magpies were held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton last time out in the top flight, with Graeme Jones in charge that evening, and the former Bournemouth boss could look to stamp his personality on the side following that result.

How many changes will Howe make to the team? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alternations to the team which started at Brighton, with Jamal Lewis, Fabian Schar and Joe Willock all coming in today.

Along with the change in personnel, Howe could deploy a 4-3-3 formation. Jones lined up with a 5-4-1 against Brighton and looked to set up defensively. However, the ex-Cherries boss may want his side to be on the front foot and trying to attack the opposition, which is why 4-3-3 could be implemented from the start.

With this formation, a change in defence will be required. We published an article explaining why Fabian Schar must be unleashed against the Bees and this means that two of the centre-backs who started against Brighton need to be dropped – Ciaran Clark and Emil Krafth, neither of whom has been especially convincing of late. This leaves Schar and captain Jamaal Lascelles as the two centre-backs to start Howe’s reign at St James’ Park.

At left-back, Jamal Lewis could come in for his first start of the season in place of Matt Ritchie. The Scottish defender played under Howe at Bournemouth but he has been in patchy form of late – with SofaScore ratings of 6.4 and 6.3 against Tottenham and Chelsea respectively – and it could be time for Lewis to get a chance to shine.

The former Norwich man has only made one appearance in the league this season, which came off the bench, and Howe’s arrival has provided a clean slate for him. He could be given an opportunity to come in and show that he can perform to a higher level than Ritchie of late, with the £44k-per-week dud set to be axed from the starting XI.

Finally, Joe Willock could return to bolster the midfield, coming in to replace Krafth and facilitate the change in formation. The ex-Arsenal man scored eight Premier League goals during his loan spell on Tyneside in the second half of last season and could provide a goalscoring threat from midfield to improve Newcastle’s chances of finding the net, which is why he could be selected in the team today.

AND in other news, Sissoko 2.0: Howe could solve major NUFC problem in gem “inspired” by Yaya Toure…

Kevin Phillips has dropped a claim on the future of West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

What’s been said?

In a recent interview with West Brom News, the Sky Sports pundit stated his belief that, should the Baggies receive a sizeable offer for the 28-year-old this month, they will more than likely cash in on the England international as a result of his contract situation, with his current deal due to expire at the end of the season.

However, the former Premier League centre-forward went on to suggest that, if Albion were to lose the services of the former Manchester United ‘keeper – who has been linked with Tottenham, West Ham, Newcastle and Rangers this month – it would come as a huge blow to Valerien Ismael’s chances of automatic promotion from the Championship.

Speaking about Johnstone’s future, Phillips said: “It’s always a difficult one. You can look at it from two points of view – the club’s point of view and then about getting the club back to the Premier League.

“From a business point of view, if a big offer comes in, it wouldn’t surprise me if the club took it because he could walk away for free in the summer. I would like to see the club wanting him to stay, but it’s business. I’d like to see the player himself help get the club back to the Premier League. If he was to leave, it would be a huge blow.”

“Huge blow”

Considering how impressive Johnstone has been for West Brom since his £6.5m move to The Hawthorns in 2018, the loss of the goalkeeper this month would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Albion’s chances of securing a top-two finish in the current campaign, as Phillips has said.

Indeed, over his 24 Championship appearances this season, the £7.2m-rated stopper has kept 11 clean sheets, in addition to making 1.4 saves and 1.7 successful runs out per match. These returns have seen the 28-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.82, ranking him as Ismael’s 14th-best player in the league.

However, it was undoubtedly over his 37 Premier League outings last term that the England international solidified his reputation as a top-class option between the sticks, with the £32.5k-per-week ace keeping six clean sheets and making 4.5 saves per match – the most of any ‘keeper in the league.

These metrics saw Johnstone earn an astonishing seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as the Baggies’ second-best player in the division – a quite remarkable feat considering the club’s ultimate relegation from the top flight.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the loss of the 28-year-old would come as a significant blow to West Brom’s chances of securing a return to the Premier League this year. That leads us to believe that it would be worth keeping Johnstone around until the end of the season, before waving goodbye to him on a free transfer this summer.

In other news: West Brom finally receive positive injury news, fans will be buzzing

Tottenham Hotspur could land themselves a new Jan Vertonghen-like colossus this January after Antonio Conte’s transfer demands emerged this week…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the 52-year-old boss has requested defensive reinforcements, with two key targets in mind in Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt and his former Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni.

Conte managed the latter during his Serie A title-winning campaign last season but it remains to be seen how much it would command to bring him to north London.

Transfermarkt currently value him at £54m.

Shades of Vertonghen

Bastoni played 33 times for the Italian in the league last season, featuring alongside Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij in his famed three-at-the-back system.

The trio contributed towards Inter recording the best defensive record in the division, so it’s no surprise that Conte would be keen to have him in his squad once again.

Unlike much of his current options at Spurs, Bastoni is a natural left-footer, so he would be of huge use in 2022, especially as the manager has had to turn to left-back Ben Davies to fill that left-sided role due to the lack of options.

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Interestingly, the 22-year-old defender started life out as a full-back but as his career has gone on, he has developed into a solid central option, with his ball-playing ability and control two major strengths to his game.

This could, therefore, draw some similarities to Vertonghen, who was a crucial and influential defender in N17 for many, many years. He too was a ball-playing left-footer that could be deployed in the middle or out wide.

“He controls the opponent, space and with a refinement that has rarely been seen, reminds me of a young [Leonardo] Bonucci,” once claimed Italian journalist Mario Sconcerti.

The praise for Bastoni doesn’t just stop there, though.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once lauded him as a “complete, dominant and elegant” centre-back, as well as being “Conte’s talisman” at the San Siro, whilst tactical analysts Top Bins Talk dubbed him a “Rolls-Royce defender”.

In Bastoni, Paratici could well discover Spurs’ new Vertonghen and he’s the sort of player that Conte could really do with right now on the left side of defence.

AND in other news, Spurs reportedly make “the biggest offer” to sign £31.5m-rated “animal”…