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Dean Jones has revealed some big Transfer Deadline Day news involving Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Busy day

It has certainly been a busy day at St James’ Park so far, with both Dan Burn and Matt Targett currently undergoing medicals ahead of moves from Brighton and Aston Villa respectively.

Hugo Ekitike also looked like he was on his way to the northeast, but that deal now looks to be off as things stand.

One other name who has popped up fairly recently is Jesse Lingard, and that would potentially make three new arrivals on Tyneside today.

The Latest: Five deals?!

As per journalist and transfer insider Jones, Newcastle are ‘pushing’ to sign as many as five players today, although he did not confirm who they were.

The reporter tweeted: “Newcastle pushing for 5 players on deadline day should be fun!”

The Verdict: More than expected?

Assuming that Burn and Targett pass their medicals, that would be two new arrivals on deadline day, and Lingard could potentially be a third.

There could still be a dramatic twist with Ekitike in the final few hours, but that still only makes four players. Who the fifth one could be is anyone’s guess, with links to the likes of Yannick Carrasco today as well.

Nonetheless, if Newcastle can bring in five fresh faces before the 11pm deadline, it would certainly be a big statement in terms of increasing their chances of staying in the Premier League.

In other news, find out what Keith Downie has said about NUFC’s pursuit of Jesse Lingard

Manchester United are reportedly one of several sides eyeing up a move for Rennes midfielder Lovro Majer as the January transfer window fast approaches.

What’s the story?

According to French outlet Homme du Match (as relayed by the Daily Mirror), United are keen to secure the 23-year-old’s services over the coming months, although fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur are currently at the front of the queue.

The report states that: “According to our information, the most interested club is Tottenham who have already placed the player at the top of their list of priorities for next season.

“Other clubs are also interested in the image of Manchester United or Bayern Munich, making it difficult to retain the player for many seasons at Rennes.”

Rangnick’s next Sabitzer

If the United hierarchy are able to secure Majer’s signature over the winter, then they could land Rangnick his next Marcel Sabitzer after the pair worked together during their time at Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig.

The Croatia international is in the mould of Sabitzer, now at Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, with the pair both able to unlock opposition defences with dangerous dribbles and perfectly-weighted through balls. The Bayern midfielder is mesmeric, bagging 13 times and supplying 11 in 77 outings under the new United boss.

Despite only arriving at the Roazhon Park last summer, Majer has already established himself as one of the most promising prospects in Ligue 1.

In his 23 appearances for his former and new employers this term, the £11.7m-rated magician has bagged six goals and provided a further six assists for his teammates, playing a pivotal part in their rise to second place in the top-flight table.

Majer’s outstanding exploits for Rennes have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers, including talent scout Jacek Kulig, who dubbed him “phenomenal” after enjoying a stellar run of form throughout November.

With Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba all out of contract next summer, Rangnick could be forced into the transfer market for a new attacking midfielder, and Majer, who has 38 career goals, appears to be an ideal replacement.

Only time will tell if Red Devils are able to secure the youngster’s signature, but it’s a deal that could get the 20-time English champions back on track.

And, in other news…Rangnick can become instant hit at Man Utd by signing “complete” £45m-rated “machine”

Antonio Conte was given a shock over just how much work he still has to do at Tottenham Hotspur after they lost 2-1 away at NS Mura on Thursday evening.

The Slovenians, who are the lowest-ranked team in the Europa Conference League, took an early lead after a fine curling strike from Tomi Horvat, before Ryan Sessegnon found himself sent off after being given two yellow cards by the referee.

Harry Kane levelled the match in the second half with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper, before a Ben Davies slip proved costly as Amadej Marosa raced through in the last minute of the game to put his shot past Pierluigi Gollini in the Tottenham net.

There were some truly abysmal performances from a lot of Spurs players on the night, and The Transfer Tavern has used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who were the three worst to have played at least 45 minutes:

Dele Alli (6.4)

Admittedly tied with second place with the same SofaScore rating (6.4), Alli sneaks into third given that he had less time on the pitch after being substituted off for Son Heung-Min in the 54th minute.

It was yet another frustrating evening for the Englishman, summed up by getting himself booked for having an argument with a Mura player just before he came off.

Alli lost out on five of his duels and failed to record a single shot or key pass, while only managing 29 touches of the ball in total as he struggled to make any real impact.

Japhet Tanganga (6.4)

Tanganga also received a 6.4 rating from SofaScore after being part of a defence which was nothing short of shambolic at times.

The centre-back lost out on three duels and failed to make a clearance or block any shots on his goal, while he was also guilty of losing possession seven times.

Pierluigi Gollini (6.1)

Perhaps inevitably, Gollini was given a bad rating (6.1) by SofaScore after letting in two goals, and with the second he would have especially felt as if he could have done much better.

The goalkeeper resisted from trying to play out from the back on multiple occasions, yielding just 25 touches of the ball, while he made no saves at all in the entire match.

Sessegnon received a 5.1 rating after getting sent off, but of course played less than 45 minutes after getting sent off just after the half-hour mark.

In other news, Spurs are ‘preparing’ a bid for this ‘monster’

A big update has emerged on Rangers wide man Ryan Kent, regarding potential interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s Aston Villa reporter Gregg Evans has ruled out the Premier League side making a move for the Gers forward in January.

A fan sent in a question asking whether or not Steven Gerrard will return to Ibrox to pinch some of his former players, with Gregg giving a snippet on Kent and Glen Kamara.

He replied:

“Kamara has been on Villa’s watch-list in the past, so he’s an interesting one but having just signed a new deal at Rangers, it looks unlikely in January.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see Villa wait until the summer to bring in a new midfielder if they can’t get a top target either, unless there’s another injury to add to Nakamba’s setback, then they will need to increase the numbers.

“I’m pretty sure it’s a no to Kent. Villa already have lots of options in the attacking areas.”

Big boost

Rangers fans will surely be delighted with this update as it suggests that the ex-Liverpool man will not be heading to Villa Park in January.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst will want to keep as many of his best players as possible and a lack of firm interest in Kent will come as a welcome relief. The Kamara update is slightly more worrying heading into next summer, but Evans claiming that a move is ‘unlikely’ in January is another boost for the side.

In the league this season, the Finland international has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.04 across 17 starts. The midfielder has completed 91% of his passes and won 54% of his duels, whilst chipping in with one goal and two assists.

Last term in the Premiership, Kent managed ten goals and nine assists as the Gers won the title. He averaged a terrific SofaScore rating of 7.23, showing that he can perform consistently to a high level in the division. This is why he is a crucial player for the club and why losing him in January would be a major blow.

Therefore, fans will be delighted with this latest update on Aston Villa’s plans for next month and the slim chances of them trying to sign Kent or Kamara to bolster their squad.

AND in other news, GVB could ruin Rangers’ title charge with major January gamble, fans would be livid… 

West Brom are slowly sleepwalking towards an instant return to the Championship as they sit ten points adrift of safety with only nine games left to play.

It would take a major, and surprise, turnaround for Sam Allardyce to save the Baggies from what seems like the inevitable and that leaves the hierarchy at the Hawthorns with some decisions to make.

Especially as a man they have coveted before is now freely available in Chris Wilder.

Indeed, according to The Athletic’s Steve Madeley, Albion are “known admirers” of the 53-year-old and in a recent column for the aforementioned site, Madley claims he is a clear contender to replace Sam Allardyce.

And that’s where the decision now lies for Luke Dowling and co.

For now, the 66-year-old remains in the hot seat as performances have vastly improved. Pre-January, the Baggies were leaking in three, four and sometimes five goals on a weekly basis but now they are picking up hard-earned draws – that, however, is not enough to keep them in the big time.

The Big Sam era looks to be following that of the fateful Alan Pardew reign. The former Newcastle United man was put on gardening leave around this time until his summer break clause could be activated.

There must now be a temptation to do the same with Allardyce as he’s far from the ideal candidate to get a side back up following relegation. The veteran is under contract until 2022, but like Pardew, has a relegation clause within his contract, as per The Athletic.

Failure to keep the Midlands outfit in the Premier League should be enough to see Dowling trigger said clause, though it’ll be done with far less toxicity than that of the Pardew era.

Yes, Allardyce has won promotion from the second division before, but not since 2012 with West Ham. Things are vastly different now and the experience and nous of Wilder, who took the Blades up in 2019 before finishing ninth in their maiden PL campaign could be huge for West Brom.

The recently-sacked manager would surely connect with the fanbase a lot better than a lot of previous contenders – Allardyce certainly sits in the Tony Pulis and Roy Hodgson camp, than one similar to a Slaven Bilic or Darren Moore, who both galvanised the Hawthorns faithful with their style of football.

Wilder is used to a big turnover of players, which is something also facing Albion come the end of the season, whilst his unique tactics have seen just one poor season in two decades.

Given his recent experience in the division, there cannot be many more equipped and readily available than the 53-year-old – Dowling must make him a top priority as soon as possible.

AND in other news, “Phenomenal” titan could save West Brom millions this summer…

Glasgow Rangers supporters group Club 1872 have demanded the sacking of BBC pundit Michael Stewart after his comments regarding the Glen Kamara racism row.

Club 1872 demand Stewart sacking

The Finland international claimed to have been racially abused by Slavia Prague’s Ondrej Kudela during the Gers’ Europa League clash on Thursday.

Speaking on Sportsound in the aftermath, Stewart suggested that Kamara may have misheard Kudela and asked for caution in judging the situation (Daily Record). This has enraged Club 1872, who believe that Stewart is brushing the allegations under the carpet. They released a statement which read, in part:

“Unfortunately we also find ourselves in the position of having to address the behaviour of Michael Stewart in relation to this latest incident of racism directed at a Rangers player. In February 2020, Mr Stewart did his best to use his platform on BBC Scotland to cast doubt on the racist abuse suffered by Alfredo Morelos at Celtic Park, despite someone being charged over the incident. Fast forward one year and he is again refusing to take the personal experience of a black player who has been racially abused at face value.

“We believe Glen Kamara 100%, his account is clear, his and his teammates’ reaction at the time was authentic and it was immediately apparent to anyone with any common sense that something serious had occurred. For racism to be dealt with in football, our default position should be to believe the accounts of those who experience it and seek the corroboration and evidence to allow the authorities to take strong action. For Michael Stewart to take the opposite approach, twice, is a disgrace.

“We are fully aware of Michael Stewart’s desperate quest for attention and we are loath to give him the attention he craves, but this is too serious a matter to allow to pass without comment. BBC Scotland told us last year, following Mr Stewart’s rant at that time, that he had been reminded of his responsibilities. Clearly, that ‘reminder’ has fallen on deaf ears. BBC Scotland’s continuing tolerance of him is further evidence of the institutional decline of the Scottish outpost of the BBC. This latest outburst should be his last and we will watch with interest to see if BBC Scotland now take the action they should have taken over a year ago.”

Strong stance

Stewart’s comments were particularly out of touch. While caution and due process is needed in such a situation, he basically suggested that Kamara may well have got it wrong – given how the scene unfolded at Ibrox, it is hard to believe the Finland international would be making it up. This is not the first time Stewart has had negative things to say about the Gers, either – it is actually something of a regular occurrence.

This is another sad example of racism rearing its ugly head – the last thing we need is for such claims to be dismissed so quickly. As Rio Ferdinand also suggested in the aftermath, Stewart could do well to educate himself on the subject.

In other news, many Rangers fans love this club statement.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Pau Torres to north London in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication La Razon (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite the Villarreal centre-back having rejected a move to Spurs last summer, Fabio Paratici will once again launch an offensive for the 25-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

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The report goes on to state that, now the Spain international has fulfilled his dream of playing in the Champions League with his boyhood club, Unai Emery will agree to part with Torres in the summer transfer window – as long as an offer of around €60m (£50m) is submitted.

Paratici’s next De Ligt

Considering how impressive Torres has been for Villarreal this season, in addition to it being reported that Tottenham will prioritise the signing of a left-sided centre-back this summer, it is easy to see why Antonio Conte and Paratici would be interested in a move for the Spaniard ahead of 2022/23.

Indeed, over his 28 LaLiga appearances in the current campaign, the £58m-rated centre-back has been imperious in the heart of Emery’s defence, helping his side keep ten clean sheets, as well as making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 3.3 clearances and winning 4.1 duels – at a success rate of 65% – per game.

The £126k-per-week defender has also impressed in an attacking and creative capacity, scoring four goals and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to completing 55.2 passes, 4.5 long balls, 3.8 chipped passes, 0.9 dribbles and taking 0.7 shots per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who journalist Simon Collings dubbed “classy” and Javi Calleja labelled an “extraordinary talent” average a fantastic SofaScore match rating of 7.09, ranking him as Villarreal’s third-best player in the Spanish top flight.

The 25-year-old has been equally as impressive over his ten Champions League outings this season, helping his side keep three clean sheets, scoring one goal and creating two big chances, with these metrics seeing the left-footer average a SofaScore match rating of 7.08 – with the centre-back playing a crucial role in the Yellow Submarine’s run to the semi-finals of the competition.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Torres would make an exceptional addition to Conte’s current defensive options at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe Paratici must do all he can to get a deal over the line for the Spaniard this summer – especially if he is available for a figure of around £50m.

And, with the managing director having been the man behind Juventus’ €75m (£67.8m) capture of Matthijs de Ligt back in 2019, Torres could very well prove to be the Italian’s next seismic centre-back signing.

AND in other news: “Tottenham could consider…”: Romano drops huge transfer claim, Conte would love him

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer told us that he thinks The Owls’ current interim manager, Neil Thompson, will stay in charge at the club until the end of the season.

The South Yorkshire outfit are looking for their fifth permanent manager in three years and their third of the season after owner Dejphon Chansiri sacked Tony Pulis after only 45 days in charge at the end of last month.

Thompson has been at the Owls for several years, leading the U23 squad to glory in 2016/17 and was also an assistant to Dave Jones.

Under his temporary leadership so far, they are yet to lose in the Championship whilst Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round exit to Premier League giants Everton was their first defeat in five outings.

However, the 57-year-old – if appointed permanently – would still have a lot of work to do to turn Wednesday’s fortunes around as they remain six points adrift of safety in the Championship.

The Owls have been linked with several managers in the past month, ranging from former Wigan man Paul Cook to two-time promotion winner Slavisa Jokanovic, whilst other linked names include sacked Watford boss Vladimir Ivic, current Doncaster manager Darren Moore and former Bayern Munich midfielder Thorsten Fink.

Palmer believes the most likely outcome is that current caretaker Thompson will get the job until the end of the current campaign, at least…

He told FFC:

“I think that is the likely outcome, that he will get it until the end of the season. That’s what I think.

“As big a job as Sheffield Wednesday is – and it is a big club and a fantastic club – I think because of the history now that Chansiri has shown, and managers speak [to each other], which top manager is going to take that job?”

Thompson’s only other managerial experience has come in lower-league and non-league football, managing the likes of York City, Scarborough and Boston United, all over 15 years ago.

It could certainly be seen as a risk to appoint him for the long-term, even if the results have been hugely positive under his tenure, given his lack of experience, but Palmer thinks that is what is going to happen.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer questions Chansiri’s latest Sheffield Wednesday decision…

Football Insider pundit Danny Mills doesn’t believe that interim Celtic boss John Kennedy will land the manager’s role on a full-time basis.

The Lowdown: Kennedy in the dark

Reports last month hinted that Kennedy was still in the running to take over from Neil Lennon on a long-term basis. The 37-year-old has been in temporary charge following Lennon’s resignation back in February, however, a Celtic source has recently revealed that he is in the dark over his future in Glasgow.

Kennedy is unsure whether he’ll be at the club next season, with the Hoops hierarchy remaining tight-lipped when it comes to their managerial move.

The Latest: Mills makes manager claim

Talking to Football Insider regarding the development on Kennedy, Mills (43) said:

“That means Kennedy’s not getting the job.

“It depends on who comes in and what they want to do. Maybe if it’s a foreign manager they’ll want to keep him on to be that go-between.

“It might not be as a first-team coach but just keep him around to help integrate. We saw how much David Moyes struggled with that when he went to Manchester United even though he knew the league very, very well.

“A new manager may just say ‘I want all my own backroom staff, out you go.’

“It will all depend on who comes in and what they want to do and how much trust and faith that the hierarchy put in the new management team.”

The Verdict: Will the new boss have a say?

We feel that the new Celtic manager should have the final say on his backroom staff, but Mills’ fellow Football Insider pundit Gabby Agbonlahor recently declared that any new boss may have to keep Kennedy around.

The ex-Aston Villa striker has been informed that the club won’t give Lennon’s successor the choice on Kennedy’s future and won’t be able to change the entire coaching staff.

Should the new man in the Parkhead dugout turn out to be Eddie Howe, reports suggested last month that he would be happy to work with Kennedy and Gordon Strachan.

That could work for all parties involved, as long as Howe – who has reportedly agreed to become the club’s new manager – is also allowed to bring some members of staff from Bournemouth with him, as reports have suggested.

In other news: Celtic looking at two targets in possible big-money moves, find out more here. 

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur this summer appear to have been handed a huge boost after he confirmed he wanted to leave the north London club this summer, with the Citizens reportedly now the favourites to sign him.

Pep Guardiola’s side had been heavily linked with the England captain ahead of the summer transfer window but it seemed that they would have to pay an enormous fee to prise him away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, especially considering Daniel Levy’s reputation as a difficult negotiator when it comes to transfer dealings.

However, the 27-year-old has now made it clear that he wants to leave Spurs after a disappointing season which has seen them fail to qualify for the Champions League, suffer an embarrassing exit to Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League, lose a Carabao Cup final and sack manager Jose Mourinho.

The striker spoke about potentially speaking to Levy regarding his potential departure recently, saying: “I think there is definitely a conversation to be had. It’s a moment where I have to reflect and have a conversation with the chairman.”

Therefore, it seems clear that he wants to depart the north London club this summer, and City could be the beneficiaries, with reports also suggesting that the Etihad Stadium is his preferred destination.

Despite Spurs’ disappointing season, Kane has arguably been the best player in the Premier League, scoring 22 goals and assisting 13 in 34 games. That has helped him average a superb 7.76 rating from WhoScored, the best of any player in the top flight, whilst he has 10 goals in other competitions, taking his club tally to the season to 32.

The “special” frontman, as hailed by Mourinho, certainly won’t come cheap regardless of his desire to leave, but it seems clear that Guardiola will want to add a striker to his squad this summer when Sergio Aguero departs, and who better than a player who has hit more than 15 goals in the Premier League in each of the past seven seasons.

Therefore, City sporting director Txiki Begiristain should ensure that Kane joins Guardiola’s side this summer, as he could be a phenomenal addition at the Etihad.

In other news… Pep handed huge boost with “exceptional” beast, City fans will be buzzing