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Newcastle are reportedly eyeing a summer move for Hoffenheim striker Joelinton, and it looks like something that the club has been working on for quite some time.

What’s the story?

According to Florian Plettenberg, chief reporter for Sport1, Newcastle are set to land Joelinton this summer for a whopping €60m (around £52m).

He even goes so far as to claim the Magpies have been in negotiations with Hoffenheim for “weeks” and that those talks are close to a conclusion.

The full report also claims that the move depends on Newcastle staying in the top flight, though that is seemingly obvious anyway.

The 22 year-old has scored ten times this season, and if the move comes to fruition then Mike Ashley and the Magpies’ transfer team deserve immense credit.

Rondon upgrade?

West Brom named their price for Salomon Rondon recently, telling the Magpies they must shell out £16m to make his loan move permanent this summer, per The Northern Echo.

The powerful Venezuelan got on the scoresheet again on Saturday in the win over Huddersfield, taking his tally to seven league strikes this campaign, and he is adored by both Rafael Benitez and the Toon Army.

However, he will turn 30 towards the start of next season, and the 22 year-old Joelinton represents a much better investment.

Able to play anywhere across the front three but at his best through the middle, the Brazilian youngster is an excellent dribbler, and will get fans off their seats every time he has the ball.

He has excellent pace, good link-up play and you won’t find many strikers around Europe that press and harass the opposition defence quite so intently.

£52m would blow the record-breaking Miguel Almiron fee out of the water, but if the pair can form a long-term pairing packed with pace, creativity and goals, it would be worth every penny.

Newcastle United have seen numerous players join the club before being sold for significant sums of money over the past few years, such as Yohan Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko, Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic among others.

One player who departed from St. James’ Park in recent years in what can now be seen as a great piece of business from the club during Mike Ashley’s much-maligned tenure at the Toon is Ayoze Perez.

Signed in 2014 from Tenerife for £1.5m, the Spaniard went on to make 195 appearances for the Magpies across all competitions, with 48 goals and 17 assists to his name before joining fellow Premier League side Leicester City in 2019 for £30m, highlighting the massive profit the Toon made on him.

Since making the move to the King Power Stadium, the 28-year-old has made 92 appearances for the Foxes across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing nine assists along the way.

In December 2019, just a few months after leaving Newcastle, Transfermarkt had Perez’s market value listed as £27m, the highest it has been throughout his career. It now stands at just £13.5m, which is 55% lower than the £30m transfer fee the Magpies recouped for him when Leicester came calling.

With just eight appearances under his belt in the current Premier League campaign, the attacker – who is currently picking up £83k-per-week according to Salary Sport – has more red cards than goals, having failed to find the net at all.

In addition to his lack of goals, his overall performances for Brendan Rodgers’ side have been rather disappointing. WhoScored list him as Leicester’s second-lowest rated player (excluding those who haven’t started a league game), with an underwhelming rating of 6.24/10, which would also place him among some of Newcastle’s lowest-rated players for this campaign.

Taking all this into account, it’s safe to say that Newcastle and Ashley pulled an absolute blinder in selling the Spaniard when they did for the amount of money they got for him.

Even though the Magpies have been involved in a relegation scrap for most of the season before reviving their fortunes over the past few weeks, it seems unlikely that many Toon fans will have been missing Perez in the meantime.

In other news: NUFC dealt setback on “sensational” £180k-p/w ace, supporters will be gutted

Newcastle have initiated talks with Tottenham over the possible loan signing of midfielder Dele Alli, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Dele’s decline

At 22 years old, the midfielder was showing world-class potential, with his transfer market valuation highlighting his rapid rise to the top, having skyrocketed to an incredible £90million.

In the 2016/17 Premier League season, the Englishman scored an emphatic 18 goals, ranking him sixth in the entire league, grouped with the likes of Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.

However, Alli’s career has seen a huge decline since he burst onto the scene after arriving as a youngster from MK Dons in 2015, with that valuation now sitting at just £22.5m.

In recent years, the midfielder’s game time at Spurs has continually decreased. This is illustrated by the stark contrast between his career-high 37 Premier League appearances during the 2016/17 campaign and his meagre 2020/21 total, when he amassed just 15 appearances, eight of which came off the bench.

There was a glimmer of hope surrounding manager Antonio Conte’s arrival and what it meant for the 25-year-old’s Tottenham career. However, the situation remains unchanged, and Alli’s two starts under the Italian has confirmed his position at the club.

The Latest: Newcastle open Alli loan talks

In December, The Telegraph reported that Tottenham had given the midfielder the green light to leave Hotspur Way in the January transfer window, sparking rumours with a number of English clubs over potential permanent and loan deals.

According to a fresh report by The Telegraph’s reliable Luke Edwards, Newcastle have opened talks with Tottenham over the possibility of signing Alli on a loan deal.

This succeeds strong rumours linking Manchester United player Jesse Lingard with the Magpies, but it remains to be seen whether the relegation-threatened side will sign both midfielders

Alli would be the second departure under Conte this month after Dilan Markanday joined Blackburn Rovers.

The Verdict: A good opportunity

A transfer to another top-flight club, whether English or further afield, would certainly help Alli in the pursuit of reviving his career, with the hope of making Gareth Southgate’s England squad surely a key motivation in the move.

The midfielder has never lacked technical ability, with Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos previously claiming that he is ‘undoubtedly good enough for Real Madrid’. The issue lies in the player’s hunger to succeed, facing criticism over his work ethic from former boss Jose Mourinho.

If Alli is given the ability to demonstrate a newfound determination elsewhere, then a reprised career in the Premier League would not be surprising in the least, and a move to Newcastle could be the perfect place to do it, with the Magpies themselves desperately in need of some creative spark.

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Boubacar Kamara to the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that both West Ham and Newcastle United are leading the race to sign the Olympique Marseille defensive midfielder on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign, while AS Roma are also credited with an interest in the 22-year-old.

However, the report goes on to state that the France U21 international is extremely well-liked by a number of other Premier League sides due to his positional versatility and ability on the ball, meaning that, despite currently being in pole position, the Hammers and the Magpies will still have a battle on their hands to land Kamara’s signature this summer.

Imagine him and Rice

Considering the sheer amount of potential Kamara quite clearly possesses, it is easy to understand why David Moyes is believed to be interested in a move for the midfielder, as the prospect of the 22-year-old lining up alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the park at the London Stadium will have Premier League central midfielders up and down the country terrified.

Indeed, the £22.5m-rated man has become a mainstay in the Marseille side since 144 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, despite having only turned 22 last November.

However, it is not only the number of the £46k-per-week midfielder’s appearances that is impressive, but also his level of performance in them, with the player who Rolando dubbed a “phenomenon” having averaged a SofaScore match rating of 7.00 or above in each of the last three seasons.

As such, should West Ham be able to secure a deal for the French youth international next summer, especially on a free transfer, it would undoubtedly be a major coup for the Champions League hopefuls, as a midfield duo of Rice and Kamara is certainly a very scary prospect.

In other news: Huge West Ham January development emerges which will delight David Moyes

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a late blow over one of their mooted January transfer window targets this week…

What’s the word?

There were reports suggesting that Spurs had agreed on a deal with AC Milan for midfielder Franck Kessie, who is out of contract in the summer, after sporting director Fabio Paratici tried to sign him immediately instead of waiting until the end of the season.

However, it appears as if he won’t be joining this month – if at all – as according to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, the 25-year-old star has verbally agreed to join LaLiga giants Barcelona in June.

“Verbal agreement between #Kessie and #Barcelona for June when the contract with the midfielder’s #Milan will expire. No signature for the moment but the #Blaugrana aim to get to the definition of the details with the player’s entourage,” he tweeted.

Gutting blow for Conte

This will come as devastating news to Antonio Conte, who has previously been said to have requested Kessie’s signature heading into this month – and it’s easy to see why.

The £25m-rated Ivory Coast powerhouse would be an instant upgrade to the bulk of the Italian’s options, especially as the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso are free to leave before Monday’s deadline.

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Kessie is capable of not only providing a physical presence in the engine room but also goals with his set-piece talents and ability to drive the ball forward into the final third.

Indeed, only Zlatan Ibrahimovic (15 goals) found the net more times than the AC Milan midfielder (13) last season, whilst he also averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

That sort of style has earned comparison to former Premier League star Yaya Toure after Antonio Cassano also dubbed him “devastating” to Bobo TV (via MilanLive).

Elsewhere, Kessie has been described as an “extraordinary player” by his ex-Milan boss Vincenzo Montella.

Therefore, Conte will be truly gutted to have missed out on a player that he’s asked for, one that has been regularly linked with the north Londoners in recent months.

It comes late in the window, so Paratici and co will have their work cut out to find an alternative with just a handful of days remaining.

AND in other news, “In talks”: Sky Sports journo drops huge Spurs transfer update, Conte will be buzzing…

Celtic have been urged to make Cameron Carter-Vickers’ loan deal a permanent switch in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with Football Insider, Frank McAvennie stated his belief that Ange Postecoglou must make the Tottenham Hotspur loanee’s move a permanent deal this winter, following the news that the Bhoys can land the centre-back for just £3m.

Indeed, previous reports had suggested that it would take around £10m in order for Celtic to sign the USA international, however, after Spurs insider John Wenham revealed that the price for the 23-year-old is actually just £3m, the initial reports would appear to be wide of the mark.

Speaking about the defender, McAvennie said: “[Carl] Starfelt wasn’t quite at it against Hibs. For me, he was a bit sloppy. He was letting his man get past him far too easily. You could see that for the goal Hibs scored.

“Carter-Vickers on the other hand was brilliant. I’m starting to really like him. He’s been really solid in recent weeks. For me, he’s been the one who has played a big role in improving that defence.

“Joe Hart also has to take massive credit for that but Carter-Vickers has been playing every game for a reason. If it’s only going to cost £3m I would get that done in January, pay the money. Then he’s ours and we don’t need to worry about it.”

Forget Jullien

Considering just how impressive Carter-Vickers has been since his arrival at Parkhead this summer, it would indeed appear wise for Postecoglou to do all he can to make the centre-back’s temporary switch a permanent move next month, as McAvennie suggests.

Indeed, over his 14 Premiership appearances so far this season, the £1.8m-rated defender has helped his side keep seven clean sheets, scored two goals and registered one assist, as well as making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 0.6 tackles, 82.9 passes and winning 72% of his duels per game.

These returns have seen the £20k-per-week man average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.48, ranking him as the fourth-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football this term.

As such, considering the fact that Christopher Jullien appears to still be some way off making a return to first-team football as a result of his ongoing knee injury, sealing a deal for Carter-Vickers this winter would indeed appear to be a very wise move for Postecoglou, as it would not be surprising if, following his remarkable campaign with Celtic thus far, a number of bigger sides begin plotting a swoop for the 23-year-old next summer.

In other news: Forget Bitton: £15k-p/w Celtic dud who lost 80% duels cost Ange dearly vs St. Mirren

Gio van Bronckhorst is set for his first Scottish Premiership match in charge of Rangers today as the Glasgow giants look to build on their 2-0 win on Thursday in the Europa League.

The Gers beat Sparta Prague in the Dutchman’s first official game as Steven Gerrard’s permanent successor, with Alfredo Morelos scoring both of the goals in the game.

He opened the scoring with a fine, first-timed, finish in the first-half before nodding in a second after a defensive calamity at the back for the Czech outfit.

How many changes will Gio make to the side? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the team, with Juninho Bacuna, Nathan Patterson and Fashion Sakala coming in.

With games now coming thick and fast heading into the festive period, it could be beneficial for Rangers to make use of their squad in the coming matches. Van Bronckhorst has a healthy number of players to choose from, with Kemar Roofe and Leon Balogun the only major absences heading into this clash, which could allow him to make a few changes to freshen up the XI.

The first change we are predicting is Nathan Patterson in for James Tavernier at right-back. Gio could want to take a closer look at the young defender from the start and it would allow the ex-Newcastle man to have a rest, after giving the ball away 27 times against Sparta.

Patterson has started one Premiership match this season and registered one assist. This match against Livingston could potentially provide him with a platform to show that he deserves more minutes on the pitch, but it will be down to him to put the performance in and prove to Gio that he warrants a place in the XI.

In midfield, £14k-per-week gem Joe Aribo could be axed from the XI.

Football FanCast published an article explaining why he should be taken out of the team and we predict that Gio will remove him from the side, with Juninho Bacuna replacing him in the number 10 role. The ex-Huddersfield man managed a goal and an assist in the club’s last Premiership match and could provide an attacking spark in an advanced position.

Finally, we are predicting that Fashion Sakala will replace Ianis Hagi on the right wing. This is not a slight on the Romanian’s performance against Sparta and is simply a case of rotation and keeping players fresh for this grueling set of games in the next month. The Gers coach will need his players in a good condition in case they are needed for an extended period due to injuries, which is why it is worth sharing the minutes in these matches.

AND in other news, Time’s up: Gio must brutally axe “languid” £14k-p/w Rangers gem vs Livingston…

According to reports out of Spain, as shared by Sport Witness, there has been an update on Southampton’s pursuit of Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi.

The Lowdown: Semmens eyeing summer moves…

Ahead of what could be an interesting 2022 summer window, the Saints, and by extension their transfer chief Martin Semmens, have been tipped to bolster Ralph Hasenhuttl’s options.

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It is believed the south coast side are still in contention to sign England goalkeeper Sam Johnstone with links also emerging to some lesser known names like South Korea international Son Jun-ho.

The striker position is another area Southampton could strengthen as news comes to light involving Bundesliga forward Awoniyi.

The Latest: Report makes Awoniyi claim…

As per Spanish sources (via Sport Witness), Semmens and the club have ‘set their sights’ on the striker who could cost around £21 million.

The report also claims Southampton, alongside West Ham and Newcastle, will ‘bid for Awoniyi’ with a summer attempt to sign him on the cards.

The Verdict: Great option…

Members of the media, like journalist Stefan Bienkowski, have praised the Nigeria international for his ‘remarkable’ season in the Bundesliga with the in-form attacker coming as a good option for Hasenhuttl.

Union Berlin have previously heaped praise on their ‘hero’ who has played a major role for them this season, having scored 12 goals in 25 appearances in the German top flight this season.

He comes as a solid alternative to loanee Chelsea striker Armando Broja this summer as Semmens reportedly casts one eye on the 2022/2023 season now his club are clear of relegation for another year.

In other news: ‘It is true’ – Southampton backed by close source as they also eye ‘star’ international, find out more here.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge believes that Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic would be a ‘dream’ signing for Tottenham and Daniel Levy, as per GiveMeSport.

The Lowdown: Spurs links

Spurs appear to be in a battle with north London rivals Arsenal when it comes to a possible move for the 21-year-old.

Reports earlier this week suggested that Fabio Paratici boasts a close relationship with Vlahovic’s representatives and that a summer move could be in the pipeline.

Arsenal are looking into a transfer this month, with Italian agent Beppe Accardi believing that Spurs could be the Serbian’s next destination.

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The Latest: Bridge’s comments

Bridge was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Vlahovic, labelling the 21-year-old as a ‘dream’ signing for Levy due to his sell-on value down the line.

The journalist gushed: “I don’t see one negative about this player. He’s 21, it’s a dream for Daniel Levy in terms of any sell-on value. He likes to buy players with sell-on value, of course he does, who doesn’t?”

The Verdict: Perfect

Vlahovic has bagged 19 goals in just 23 appearances this season and appears to be a future star. Tottenham are in need of an attacking addition to partner Harry Kane, and winning the race for the Serbian hitman could be a big piece of business in both the short- and long-term.

The Daily Mail have claimed that the 21-year-old could cost £58m and demand a £300,000-per-week wage. However, he may prove to be worth every penny, as you’d expect that the youngster will further improve his already impressive game.

Should he continue his fine form, then Spurs may not have to worry about the finances as they could end up making a major profit down the line, but they first need to make sure that they win the race for his services ahead of arch-rivals Arsenal.

In other news: ‘Understand’ – Alasdair Gold drops huge Spurs update as Conte and Paratici now take action

Crystal Palace have received a big injury boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Everton at Selhurst Park this evening.

What’s the word?

In Friday’s press conference, Patrick Vieira revealed that Eberechi Eze has been training well as he continues his recovery from an Achilles problem, with Joachim Andersen and Nathan Ferguson also progressing well.

“The team news is Joachim took some part of training the last couple of days with the team. And Nathan and Eze are doing well,” the manager confirmed.

That wasn’t where the good news ended for the Eagles, though. Vieira provided a positive update on James McArthur, who has been absent in recent weeks with a hamstring issue.

The Frenchman revealed: “James is feeling better as well. He has started doing some individual training on the field, and this morning he took part in the first 15-20 minutes of the training session – but he will not be involved in the Everton game.”

Palace fans will be buzzing

The nwws that Eze is making good progress in his quest to regain full match fitness will have the Palace fans buzzing with excitement given their recent struggles. After a promising run of form during the autumn, the south London outfit are currently enduring a four-game winless run, having lost their last three consecutive fixtures.

Despite having the attacking firepower of Wilfried Zaha, Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise, Vieira’s charges have been unable to carve open opposition defences over the last few weeks, failing to find the back of the net against both Leeds and Manchester United.

Therefore, this latest revelation will surely be warmly welcomed by everyone associated with Palace, not least the supporters. In 2020/21, Eze was the Eagles’ chief creator with six assists, and his absence from the starting XI has been sorely missed in the opening weeks of the current campaign.

The 23-year-old has only been able to make two substitute appearances so far this term, but if he’s fit enough to feature from the off against Everton today, he could be the difference-maker for Palace once again if he can replicate his form from last season.

In other news… Vieira must seal Palace swoop for “crazy” £10.8m-rated beast likened to LeBron James