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Reliable journalist Craig Hope has shared a Newcastle United transfer update involving Everton winger Anthony Gordon.

The Lowdown: Magpies prepare offer…

According to recent claims, the Magpies, in their quest to back manager Eddie Howe, have been compiling reports on the Premier League forward.

Indeed, reports suggest that Newcastle, as a result of being impressed, are even preparing an offer for Gordon with the St. James’ Park side well in a hunt for Champions League qualification.

It appears they believe the Toffees attacker could boost their chances with reliable journalist Hope sharing his own update on Twitter.

The Latest: Newcastle ‘now in formal talks’ to sign Gordon…

Taking to Twitter, the reporter claims ‘formal’ negotiations have now started for the 21-year-old who Everton value at around £60 million.

However, in a boost for Newcastle supporters, there is optimism within the club that they could reach a compromise with the Goodison Park outfit ‘open to a sale’.

He explained:

“Newcastle now in formal talks with Everton over deal for Anthony Gordon but are also speaking to several European clubs over attacking targets. Everton said to be asking £60m for Gordon but compromise could be reached with club open to sale”

The Verdict: Make the move?

If Howe and PIF can whittle down the £60m on Gordon’s head, there is little denying the Englishman could boost their bid for Europe.

As per WhoScored, he stands out in a struggling Everton team as their joint-top goalscorer and has registered their second-highest rate of attempts at goal per 90 in the league.

Gordon has also been praised for some of his performances this season with teammate James Tarkowski telling BBC Sport that he is ‘different class’ at the start of the campaign.

Homegrown and able to fill Newcastle’s quota in that regard, the fact Everton are open to selling could further boost Howe in his aim to add more attacking talent.

Winger Allan Saint-Maximin could also leave the north east before January 31, potentially making these talks for Gordon more significant as Newcastle may need a possible replacement for the fan favourite.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-min put in another disappointing display during the FA Cup win over Portsmouth.

The Lowdown: FA Cup victory

Spurs kicked off their FA Cup journey as an improved second-half performance was enough to see them over the line against their League One opponents in the third round.

The tie was decided by a Harry Kane classic as he whipped home a strike from the edge of the 18-yard box in typically unerring fashion.

Spurs certainly didn’t pick up from where they left off following a rampant second-half display at Crystal Palace in the 4-0 win just days before, but nonetheless, the Premier League side got the job done.

The Latest: Son’s performance panned

Despite bagging in the win over Palace to break his domestic duck, having last scored in September, Son’s chase to grab more goals and get on a good run of form was wasted against Pompey.

London World’s Rahman Osman gave the player ratings from the FA Cup clash and expressed his dismay in his review of the South Korean, handing him a 5/10 rating.

He wrote: “Still not just himself in a season that has been so frustrating for one of Tottenham’s best players.

The Verdict: Struggling season

Son has been miles off the level he was at last season when he bagged joint-top goalscorer with Mohamed Salah.

The Eagles clash marked only the third game in 23 that he’d scored in all season, showing just how significant of a drop-off he’s had this campaign.

According to Sofascore, the South Korean failed to complete any of his three attempted dribbles, alongside only five out of 13 successful crosses, with his wastefulness summed up in losing possession 20 times – the second-highest of any Spurs player.

Therefore, Osman’s low rating for Son appears to be more than fair.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter ‘might prefer’ to sign Moises Caicedo, rather than Declan Rice, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Chelsea’s interest in Rice

It is no secret that the Blues hold an interest in Rice, their former youth player, with the Daily Mail detailing that they have previously made attempts to bring him back to Stamford Bridge.

However, with the West Ham United captain contracted until at least 2024, any deal would be an expensive one, with his manager David Moyes claiming earlier this year that £100m would be ‘cheap’ for the 23-year-old.

As such, Potter could turn his attention elsewhere, with his former Brighton protégé Caicedo now emerging as another option.

The Latest: Caicedo instead?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones claimed that the Chelsea manager’s history of working with the 21-year-old may tempt him into opting for the Ecuadorian instead of Rice.

The journalist said: “Potter might prefer Caicedo, having worked with him. I can’t really account for what the manager himself has in his head but, you know, Graham Potter’s position by the end of the season might be in doubt.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Caicedo clearly has bags of talent, as he has routinely displayed with Brighton since breaking into the first team. He has registered an average of 2.72 tackles per 90 over the past year, placing him in the 84th percentile compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

That said, Potter shouldn’t let his previous relationship with the player hold sway when it comes to his decision about who to sign, as he does not need to have worked with Rice to see his evident quality, with the Englishman ranking in the 95th percentile among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022 for his 90.3% pass completion rate.

Despite only being 23, Rice has already made 185 appearances in the Premier League and therefore is far more experienced than Caicedo, who has just 24 to his name. That would appear to make the West Ham star the better prospective signing for Chelsea, even if he does cost more than the minimum £60m fee associated with Brighton’s ‘baller’, as Caicedo was dubbed by BT Sport’s Jules Breach.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou won’t be happy with his side conceding four goals against Rennes, according to former Scottish Premiership professional Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Seven-goal thriller

The Hoops have been out in Portugal for their mid-season training camp during the break but recently suffered a 4-3 defeat at the hands of Bruno Genesio’s team.

The Ligue 1 outfit had a 4-1 lead in what was a total defensive meltdown from the Hoops, before the Glasgow giants pulled it back to 4-3 thanks to goals from Matt O’Riley and Kyogo.

The Latest: McManus’ comments

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus, however, claimed that Celtic were exposed at the back and suggested that they have to be careful of the same not happening moving forward.

“If you watch the way Celtic play, there is always a danger of that [conceding multiple goals].

“Rennes are a good side, I think Celtic played them not that long ago in the Europa League actually. These games are all about getting minutes into the players.

“That being said, I don’t think Ange will be happy with that. They were 4-1 down at one point and that was a pretty strong Celtic side.

“They fought back and got it to 4-3 at half time. That’s what a high press will give you, lots of goals. The big issue was when they come up against quality sides who know how to unpick a press, they will concede a lot of chances.

“They are going to get exposed. The only team up here who might be able to do that is possibly Rangers, so it doesn’t happen too often.”

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The Verdict: No need to panic

Celtic obviously won’t want to let in four goals on a consistent basis against anyone, but the fact that Rennes are a better opposition than they normally face, there’s no need to panic.

Postecoglou’s squad are already nine points clear of their rivals at the top of the table and it would take a huge dip in form and results to stop them from securing their second consecutive title come the end of the season.

The Bhoys return to action this weekend when they visit Aberdeen, and the boss will be hoping his side can continue where they left off before the break.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers central midfielder Glen Kamara and interest in his services ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Tutto Salernitana, the player is in the sights of Serie A sides Salernitana and Monza, along with unnamed French and Spanish outfits.

The report adds that Kamara has submitted a transfer request in to the Light Blues as he attempts to force a way out of Ibrox in the coming weeks.

However, it remains to be seen how open the Gers are to selling the Finland international and how much they would demand for his services if they were to part ways with the 27-year-old.

Ditch him

New Rangers boss Michael Beale must make a huge call early on in his career in the dugout by brutally ditching Kamara during the upcoming January window.

The English coach will not want any negativity in the dressing room or players who are not fully committed to the cause as he attempts to build something special at Ibrox and that is why Kamara must be binned.

If the Finnish midfielder does not see his future with the Light Blues then the manager must sanction his exit, alongside Ross Wilson, and work to bring in a player who is willing to buy into the long-term project in order to take the club forward.

The £21k-per-week dud was branded “disrespectful” to the Gers in October, by pundit Noel Whelan, after telling Helsingin Sanomat that he dreams of playing in a ‘top-five league’, with the Premier League being mentioned as a potential destination.

However, his performances this season have not been outstanding and it is hard to envisage a big-money exit to England for the midfielder, which means that he could have to settle for an Italian side, like Monza or Salernitana, in January.

Kamara has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.57 across seven outings in the Premiership and a score of 5.9 in four Champions League appearances. He is currently ranked 20th in the squad in the former and 22nd in the latter, which illustrates how much he has struggled this term.

Therefore, Beale can afford to cut ties with the former Arsenal man at the start of 2023 as his current form indicates that selling him would not be a major blow to the team.

The manager must brutally ditch the midfielder because of his desire to leave and the dud’s disappointing displays on the pitch before replacing him with a new signing in January.

Liverpool will head to north London this weekend for their Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur, and Jurgen Klopp has been handed a huge boost ahead of the clash as a new injury update emerges.

What’s the latest?

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed (via Sky Sports) that Son Heung-min will be unavailable for selection against Liverpool this weekend due to a head injury sustained in the side’s Champions League victory over Marseille earlier this week.

Son has sustained a fracture around his left eye and will now need to undergo surgery to stabilise the injury, which leaves his chances of going to the World Cup next month hanging in the balance.

It’s a huge boost for Klopp

There is no denying that losing Son will be a blow for Spurs, but the £43m-rated forward’s absence has eliminated a huge attacking threat that could have caused major problems to Liverpool’s inconsistent defensive set up, something that represents a huge boost for Klopp.

The South Korean goal machine, who has been dubbed “electrifying” by reporter Dan Kilpatrick, has scored five goals and delivered two assists so far this season and has tallied up four Premier League goals against Liverpool over his 13 meetings with the side since he arrived in London.

On top of that, Son ended last term as the Premier League’s golden boot winner, an award he shared with none other than Mohamed Salah.

The Reds conceded the first goal for the 12th time in their last 16 league games when they lost 2-1 to Leeds United last weekend, so there is no doubt there are some concerns surrounding their defender’s confidence and form right now.

Indeed, Liverpool did manage to steal a victory from Napoli in the Champions League earlier this week but Klopp hasn’t managed to find the recipe for translating the European form his team have shown into their domestic fixtures, which has led to the side falling into ninth in the Premier League table.

The Merseysiders will have some injury boosts when they return to action in the top flight this weekend as Ibrahima Konate proved he was back to his best in the centre-back partnership with Van Dijk against Napoli, whilst Naby Keita could finally make his return to the matchday squad as he is back in first-team training.

With all considered, it will be a relief to the Liverpool manager that Son won’t be causing chaos for his defenders when the two sides meet on Sunday and he will be hoping a weakened Spurs team can inspire their first three-pointer in three games.

Manchester City intend to ‘robustly’ defend themselves against the Premier League charges for breaking financial fair play rules, according to reliable reporter Mike Keegan.

The Lowdown: Man City charged

The Premier League has charged Manchester City with numerous breaches of its financial rules after a four-year investigation into alleged wrongdoings, which are said to have taken place between 2009 and 2018.

City have been accused of not co-operating with the investigation, and the Premier League have now referred the club to an independent commission, which can impose punishments ranging from fines to points deductions and even expulsion from the top flight.

The Latest: Man City to defend charges

Taking to Twitter in the wake of the news, Keegan provided an update on what the club’s next course of action could be following this morning’s bombshell.

The Daily Mail reporter said: “Will not come as a surprise but I’m told that City intend to ‘robustly’ defend themselves against PL charges which dropped this morning.”

The Verdict: Serious concern

Considering the severity of the potential punishments, the charges will be a serious concern for the Sky Blues, who will be hoping that this huge off-field news does not affect performances on the pitch, with the club still competing for the Champions League and Premier League.

Man City have previously encountered problems with UEFA in relation to alleged financial wrongdoings, but they managed to avoid the most major punishments after the Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted a two-year Champions League ban and reduced a €30m (£26.8m) fine to just €10m (£8.9m).

The club will no doubt be hoping for a similar outcome this time around, but BBC Sport’s Simon Stone has detailed that it will be an expensive case which will drag on for a long time, with all manner of punishments possible if City lose the legal battle.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to keep up their hot streak of form when they return to Premier League action later this evening.

Antonio Conte’s side bounced back to winning ways last weekend as they defeated Brighton and Hove Albion on their own patch before defeating Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Now, the north Londoners welcome a much-improved Everton side to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Former midfield foe Frank Lampard has somewhat turned things around in Merseyside as the Toffees find themselves in midtable, rather than in the relegation dogfight – for now.

Meanwhile, Spurs will be looking to cement their top-four ambitions with another result but the latest setbacks to both Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski make that a tad more difficult.

Although the Italian head coach could turn to Yves Bissouma after his second start of the Premier League campaign last weekend.

There were understandable signs of rust in the 70 minutes he was on the pitch but it’s evident that he could well become the third wheel of the dynamic midfield duo of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the engine room.

The Mali international aided his side with his powerful presence, having won over 66% of his duels, which was more than the unrelenting Uruguayan (42%) and the great Dane (16.6%), via SofaScore.

He should be fresher than most too after he was dropped to the bench in midweek and given Everton’s upturn in form, largely thanks to their new spine providing defensive stability across the pitch, Bissouma’s enforcer-like nature could be vital in helping Spurs beat Lampard’s rigid XI.

At the Seagulls last term, the 26-year-old – who cost £25m in the summer – averaged 2.9 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per league outing, via WhoScored, and that is currently better than everyone in the Spurs squad this term.

It’s exactly why journalist Aaron Stokes previously lauded Bissouma as an “absolute monster,” so in a bid to forget about these worrying injury blows, Conte must look to unleash the box-to-box machine later today.

Now valued at £18m by CIES Football Observatory, it’s got the be time to see Bissouma in action more in the Lilywhites strip going forward. He could do some serious damage to the Toffees if handed the keys to do so.

AND in other news, Conte drops Lucas Moura update…

West Ham defender Craig Dawson still wants to leave the London Stadium for Wolves in the January transfer window, after a deal collapsed on deadline day earlier this month.

The Lowdown: Dawson’s contract running out

The Englishman has been an impressive servant for the Hammers, rarely making the headlines but proving to be a hugely consistent performer especially during times of injury crisis at the back.

Dawson is now into the final year of his current contract, however, meaning he can leave on a free transfer next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension.

He was on the verge of joining Wolves on deadline day and it now looks as though the 32-year-old will not last until the end of the season, following a fresh update.

The Latest: Wolves move imminent?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Pete O’Rourke reports that Dawson could be off to Molineux in January, confirming the veteran still wants the move to go through as soon as possible:

“I think there’s real potential this move could be rekindled in the January window. The reason that Dawson wanted to leave was for family and personal reasons because he wanted to move closer to his family home.

“It’s something that’s still going to be on his mind and he wants to secure that move back to the Midlands. Obviously, that gives Wolves a huge advantage because they can offer Dawson that.”

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The Verdict: Still a loss for Hammers

At 32, Dawson’s very best years are now likely behind him and he has been struggling with injury of late, not playing a minute of Premier League action so far this season.

That being said, he would be a loss for West Ham midway through the season, having been described as ‘unbelievable’ by teammate Michail Antonio for his efforts last term as he started ten times in the Europa League campaign.

When fit, he is a reliable presence, ranking as one of the club’s best players during that European run (Whoscored).

Keeping him around to provide depth in this year’s continental exertions seems the preferable option, especially when the likely fee in January would be so small due to his age and contract.

Leeds United could still complete the signing of FC Zurich youngster Wilfried Gnonto despite the rumours going quiet in the last week.

The Lowdown: Gnonto rumours

The 18-year-old is making a name for himself at his current club, already registering 22 goal contributions (12 goals and ten assists) in 73 appearances, despite his tender years.

Gnonto has been described as a player who ‘can do everything’ by Italy manager Roberto Mancini, having also scored once in four caps for the Azzurri.

The teenager attacker looks set to outgrow Zurich in no time and it could be that a move to the Premier League is on the horizon, as strong links to Leeds popped up earlier this month.

There were even claims Victor Orta had agreed personal terms with the player, but all went quiet over the last week.

The Latest: Leeds backed to seal deal

Speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer insider Dean Jones believes a deal will still happen, with Leeds seeing the Italy starlet as a long-term project:

“I can see it happening. I don’t know that this necessarily changes the dynamic of their starting XI or anything like that. I think this is more of a development signing.”

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The Verdict: Hugely exciting long-term addition

This would be a potentially superb piece of transfer business by Leeds, acquiring the signature of a hugely gifted young prospect with a high ceiling.

Gnonto has already shown what a force he can be at just 18 years of age and Jesse Marsch may feel he could turn the Italian into a future hero at Elland Road.

Eventually, Patrick Bamford is going to be replaced at Leeds and the Zurich man could battle with similarly exciting young prodigy Joe Gelhardt into the future, or even forge a devastating partnership with him.