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Newcastle United could sign a perfect alternative to Arsenal star Joe Willock with a move for Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare.

What’s the story?

After another difficult season in the Premier League this year, the Magpies will be keen to turn their attentions towards the summer transfer window and how best to strengthen the squad ahead of the new season.

And, according to The Daily Mail, Steve Bruce’s side will have their work cut out to sign the £21m-rated Soumare, with Leicester now having opened talks to sign the young French starlet.

The report adds that Newcastle have long held an interest in the Lille ace, with Bruce confirming earlier this year that the Magpies even had a big-money bid rejected for him. Now, it seems that the Foxes, and the likes of Everton and Leeds have all entered the race too.

Alternative to Joe Willock

While trying to sign Willock on a permanent deal will surely be one of Bruce’s transfer priorities this summer – the Magpies boss has repeatedly said he wants to start negotiations with the Gunners to that effect – as a young, talented English midfielder, he will surely come at a premium, even in this deflated market.

In Soumare, Bruce could land a potentially cheaper alternative, given the financial struggles being endured by French sides this season. And, the 22-year-old isn’t a mug on the pitch either.

Lille president Gerard Lopez has previously raved about about the Frenchman, saying: “He’s one of the very best at his job. He’s technical, with incredible physical power and wins a great deal of possession. He’s a modern No.6 or 8. We’ll see him in the France team very soon. He’s a clear vision of where he wants to go and he’s working very hard to get there.”

And, his teammate at Lille, Renato Sanches, said: “He’s a great player. He’s so young and a great talent – a happy and humble guy. I don’t know when he’s going. It’s not my business. But he will be a good player in the future. Even better than now. He’s athletic. He’s fast. He’s strong. He has technique. He’s prepared for the Premier League.”

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If Willock does prove to be too expensive and out of reach for the Magpies, then Newcastle must absolutely look to tie up a deal for Soumare, especially after reports they were in for him before too.

Meanwhile, Bruce must avoid an unforgivable Newcastle howler this summer…

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Paul Robinson, regular pundit for Sky Sports, has been left thrilled by some transfer news out of Tottenham involving Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye de Vrij move…

The centre-back was a mainstay under new Spurs boss Antonio Conte at Inter Milan last season, starting 30 league matches and proving to be one of his undroppables.

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Commonly realised as a key figure under the 52-year-old as Inter ended Juventus’ dominance over Serie A, it is little surprise to see de Vrij linked as one of the many big names from Italy.

While Fichajes claim that the Netherlands international is ‘closer and ‘closer’ to Tottenham, Football Insider recently dropped an equally promising update on Fabio Paratici’s hunt to sign him.

Indeed, they claim that the defender is open to joining Conte at Spurs and wants to know more information – telling friends he is ‘keen’ on the idea.

The Latest: Robinson reacts…

Reacting to this news out of Spurs, Robinson has been left thrilled, believing de Vrij is exactly what the Lilywhites need.

“He’s going to play a back three. If you sign a centre-half that’s used to playing in a back three, you’re winning already,” the former England international explained.

“De Vrij is somebody who worked with the manager last season and had success with him. He’s obviously somebody the manager likes and the manager wants.

“Centre-half is an area where Spurs need to strengthen. Romero, for me, is the only world-class centre-half that they’ve got. If they’re going to play three at the back, they need three of them.

“Dier, for me, is not a world-class centre-half. Romero needs players alongside him. De Vrij is world class and would be an absolutely perfect fit.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Averaging a higher pass accuracy (93.8%) than any Spurs player last season, de Vrij’s composure and comfort on the ball is just one incentive to make a move and take advantage of his alleged interest.

His contract expires in 2023, potentially putting a little bit of pressure on Inter to sell him while they still can – with the Serie A giants having around three transfer windows in total to make a profit as the clock winds down.

He is currently valued at around £40 million according to reports, a pretty steep figure when compared factoring in the fact he is 29 and entering his twilight phase.

If Spurs can somehow negotiate that price tag down, de Vrij would be an immense signing for Conte and one who has already thrived under him.

In other news: ‘Understand’, ‘In recent weeks’…Alasdair Gold shares exciting development out of Hotspur Way, find out more here.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has provided injury updates on Ryan Jack and Ryan Kent ahead of Sunday’s clash with St Mirren.

What’s the latest?

The 41-year-old has revealed that Jack has returned to first team training after recovering from his long-term injury, whilst Kent is expected to be back within the next week.

Gerrard told Rangers’ official Twitter channel: “It’s a big day for Ryan Jack as he is back with the team in training for the first time in months. Ryan Kent, we are hoping to have available in and around the Aberdeen game or just slightly after.”

Gers fans will be buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that two key players are set to return from notable injuries. Kent’s last appearance came against Lyon in the Europa League on 16 September, whilst Jack has not played a single minute of football since February.

The Ibrox faithful will be delighted to see Kent return as he has shown his quality at Premiership level in recent years. Last season, he scored 10 goals and provided nine assists in 37 appearances as he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.23. The fans will be looking forward to seeing him back in action as he can clearly make a difference in the final third for Gerrard’s side.

Former Gers marksman Kris Boyd once lauded the ex-Liverpool winger’s ability with the ball at his feet, hailing him as a player who gets fans off their seats. 

He said: “There’s Ryan Kent who is phenomenal – he gets you off your seat. His numbers have increased season after season. Even if the team are not at the level we saw at the start of the campaign, he is still a threat. He is so comfortable with the ball – it is like has superglue in his boots!”

Meanwhile, Jack was also impressive in the league last season. He averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 in 19 appearances prior to his calf injury, creating one chance per game and winning 56% of his duels as he completed 90% of his attempted passes.

This shows why Gers fans must be happy to see him back in the fold after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. He has proven that he can be a quality central midfield option in the Premiership and his return gives Gerrard another option to utilise as Rangers go in search of back-to-back league titles.

AND in other news, Gerrard could unearth McGregor 2.0 in Rangers gem who has shown “excellent progress”…

Rangers defender Connor Goldson ‘seems galvanised’ by the arrival of Giovanni van Bronckhorst at Ibrox amid the uncertainty over his future, according to sports journalist Andrew Dickson. 

The lowdown

The Daily Record’s Keith Jackson wrote at the end of October that it was ‘getting hard to see’ Goldson, who has ‘been a rock for Rangers’, remaining at Ibrox amid a ‘contractual stand-off’. The defender’s £27,000-per-week deal is due to expire at the end of this season.

Football Insider reported earlier this month that the Englishman, who has been selected for all but one Premiership game so far this term, was intent upon returning to the English Premier League.

The latest

Dickson took to Twitter to admit that, after the Scottish League Cup semi-final defeat to Hibernian last month, he thought it was clear that Goldson was clamouring for an exit, but he has hailed the 28-year-old’s resurgence since the arrival of Van Bronckforst at Ibrox.

The journalist tweeted: “Six games into the Gio reign, where is everyone sitting now on Goldson? I thought after the Hibs semi that he was almost certainly wanting out… but his response to the new manager has been excellent and I feel he’s looked much more like himself. Seems galvanised by the manager.”

The verdict

It’s understandable that Dickson feels there has been a marked improvement in Goldson’s form since Van Bronckhorst came to the club last month. Since the Dutchman’s first Premiership game in charge against Livingston, the ex-Brighton defender has posted markedly better performance ratings from renowned website WhoScored.

The departure of a figure like Steven Gerrard, a Champions League winner and former Premier League player of the year, might have had Rangers fans fearing the worst, but could Van Bronckhorst inspire a change of heart from Goldson?

It’s not out of the question, and prolonging their European campaign by finishing second in their Europa League group should only have helped their case as the January transfer window looms.

But what if rumoured suitors West Ham United come knocking? They’ve been hit with two serious injuries in the heart of defence, and an offer from the Londoners may be too good for Goldson to turn down, if indeed he is still clamouring to return to England when the window opens.

In other news, many Rangers fans bemoaned this injury update

When asked about the latest Tottenham Hotspur team news, manager Jose Mourinho confirmed the latest to football.london – with Spurs star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg set to miss the Europa League clash tonight against Dinamo Zagreb through suspension.

The Dane, who will not feature tonight, joins the likes of Son Heung-min (injury) and Joe Rodon (ineligible) on the list of players unable to take part this afternoon.

Jose Mourinho confirms Tottenham team news

Hojbjerg, who signed for Tottenham in the summer, has debatably been one of their best signings of that window alongside Sergio Reguilon – and he could be a miss.

Mourinho is predicted by reliable Lilywhites correspondent Alasdair Gold to play both Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks in midfield as a replacement for the Dane while Erik Lamela, Dele Alli and Steven Bergwijn play further in front of him.

Tottenham hold a solid 2-0 advantage over the Croatian giants heading into tonight’s second leg, courtesy of a brace from Harry Kane in north London, and Mourinho has also confirmed that the Englishman is set to start this afternoon.

Giovani Lo Celso, who has been sidelined for months, is also ‘back to the squad’ according to Mourinho.

As Hojbjerg is set to miss the Zagreb clash, with Mourinho previously hailing him as a ‘phenomenal player’, it remains to be seen how Tottenham line up in midfield.

In other news: Daniel Levy will be offered this ‘extraordinary’ star, find out more here.

Glasgow Rangers may be Scottish champions, but that didn’t stop plenty of their fans from hammering the performance of Joe Aribo this afternoon.

After crashing out of the Europa League to Slavia Prague on Thursday, the Gers travelled to Parkhead to face their fierce city rivals Celtic and, although they went behind to an effort from Mohamed Elyounoussi, Alfredo Morelos was on hard to score his first goal in this fixture (Transfermarkt).

However, Aribo was far from at his best for the newly-crowned champions. He spent much of the game on the periphery, failing to influence matters in the final third, and was unable to have a telling impact on the match. Steven Gerrard will have been hoping for more in what is always a big game despite the league title already being won.

These fans were quick to share their displeasure with Aribo’s display – one even dubbed him a ‘waste of a jersey’ – and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Aribo below

“Aribo definitely been a passenger, and not for the first time in this fixture. Questions will begin to get asked if he is up for it.”

Credit: @kennyfergie1984

“I would consider taking Aribo off as he’s been woeful again”

Credit: @WATPDUNC

“Joe Aribo is so frustrating”

Credit: @GilmertonLoyal

“Aribo is very poor today. Arfield on”

Credit: @runawayrfc

“Aribo and Hagi. Miles off it”

Credit: @ShankillBear

“If I was Hagi I’d be asking why Aribo is allowed to stay on. Aribo has been horrendous, a waste of a jersey.”

Credit: @MitzisLapdog

In other news, some Rangers fans slam this BBC pundit’s comments.

Newcastle United all but ensured safety in the Premier League for another season with a 1-0 win at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

A fine goal from Miguel Almiron in the first half sealed the points at St. James’ Park, but it was not always plain-sailing for Eddie Howe’s team, who gave up the majority of the possession to the visitors, and also faced ten shots at their goal (SofaScore) as the hosts retreated in the second half.

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The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to now analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the hosts on the night, perhaps now looking over their shoulders regarding their long-term futures in Howe’s first choice XI…

Jonjo Shelvey

Given a 6.7 overall rating, Shelvey ranked as the North East club’s third-worst player.

The central midfielder lost out on two of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on goal, dribble, clearance, interception or key pass, making one foul and giving the ball away nine times in total.

Joelinton

Admittedly tied with Chris Wood in terms of rating (6.5), Joelinton ranks in second here having helped keep the clean sheet as a midfielder.

However, the Brazilian lost a total of six individual duels, and was off target with all three of his shots, while he also never managed a tackle, committed two fouls and lost possession on nine separate occasions.

Chris Wood

With a 6.5 rating, Wood ranked as the Tyneside outfit’s worst performer.

The striker was unsuccessful in seven duels, and never managed a shot, successful dribble or key pass, amassing just 34 touches of the ball in total and giving it away with 15 of those.

He also missed a huge chance in the first-half only to be spared by the offside flag.

In other news, find out which ‘outstanding’ target NUFC are now set to ‘miss out’ on here!

Callum Wilson badly let Steve Bruce down as Newcastle United lost 2-0 at Aston Villa by producing an invisible performance on Saturday night.

The Toon have now lost five on the bounce as part of a 10-game winless run across all competitions, as they slipped ever closer to the relegation zone with seven points all that separates the St. James’ Park natives and 18th-placed Fulham, who have a game in hand.

Newcastle have further failed to score in their last four fixtures, thanks partly to Wilson continuing his personal five-game drought, to help deal further pressure on Bruce’s position at the helm.

The Magpies never looked likely to take a result at Villa Park with United passive when out of possession, sloppy when on the ball, showing no desire to drag themselves out of their slump and with no clear vision of how things will, or can, turn themselves around.

Wilson, for his part, will claim his torrid night in Birmingham was down to a lack of service, with Newcastle’s top-scorer often unable to get on the ball. But even when he had possession, the £20m summer signing never instilled confidence that a goal was coming.

That was the clear view of former Sunderland striker Darren Bent, who claimed during his punditry duties that Wilson lacked the grit and desire seen from his Villans counterpart, Ollie Watkins.

“He works really hard and carries a goal threat,” Bent told Sky Sports. “If you look at Callum Wilson, he never looked like getting a goal today. But Watkins never stopped working. I thought his performance was very, very good.”

Watkins had gone into Saturday night’s Premier League affair without a goal in his last 10 appearances across all competitions, but broke the deadlock in the 11th minute when he reacted quickly to Fabian Schar’s sliced clearance and headed past Karl Darlow.

Even with Schar’s involvement in Villa taking the lead, Wilson was the one who truly let Bruce down on his latest return to the Birmingham-based outfit.

Wilson frequently drifted wide in search of possession yet could not spot the runs being made, and went a while in the middle of the match without being sighted as Newcastle supposedly sought a route back into the game.

That route certainly never seemed likely to come from their £46,000-per-week marksman, who ended the night without a single shot or key pass to his name and only took one touch inside Emiliano Martinez’s penalty area, per WhoScored.

Even Jeff Hendrick, who Chronicle Live claimed was anonymous, took a shot on goal and created a chance for United to score, while recording vastly more touches (56) than Wilson (28), who took the second-least by a player who started for either side. Only Andy Carroll (26) took fewer, having been hauled off with 19 minutes still to play.

Bruce may not have expected Wilson to see much more of the ball than he did, having only averaged 28 touches per league game this season but the clear lack of quality shown by Wilson when he was in possession hurt Newcastle, with the former Bournemouth striker usually taking 1.6 shots a game and converting one in three of his efforts, per SofaScore.

If Newcastle are to get out of their slump, they are going to need Wilson to recover some of his wavering form promptly, as Bruce cannot afford to be let down like this again from the man he chose to sign over Aston Villa’s £33m Watkins having looked into both.

AND in other news, Newcastle face a fight to sign a £7m-rated target who “destroys” danger.

Chris Hughton has confirmed that a number of Nottingham Forest’s long-term players will be leaving the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that the likes of Yuri Ribeiro, Michael Dawson, Sammy Ameobi, Samba Sow and Glenn Murray have been informed that they will not be kept on following the expiry of their contracts at Forest.

The report also claims that Gaetan Bong, Carl Jenkinson, Harry Arter and Fouad Bachirou have been told to find new clubs this summer, while Cyrus Christie, Anthony Knockaert, Luke Freeman, James Garner and Filip Krovinovic will return to their parent clubs following their loan spells in Nottingham.

Fans will be gutted

While it is undeniable that Forest’s bloated squad needed trimming in the upcoming transfer window, just how cut-throat Hughton appears to be with his current players does come as a surprise.

Indeed, left-back Ribeiro had become something of a fan favourite since his arrival at the club back in the summer of 2019, with a number of the City Ground faithful venting their frustrations at Hughton’s decision to axe the 24-year-old defender.

Meanwhile, central midfielder Sow had also been an important part of the Forest team after joining from Dynamo Moscow two years ago, with fans stating their beliefs at various points throughout his time at the club that the 32-year-old is a crucial part of their midfield.

Ameobi, too, flourished under former coach Sabri Lamouchi, with the winger scoring five goals and registering nine assists over his 45 Championship appearances in the club’s 2019/20 campaign – in which they narrowly missed out on a top-six finish.

Finally, although a bit-part player for a number of years now, waving goodbye to Nottingham Forest academy product Dawson is sure to break a few Forest fans’ hearts this summer.

So, while in the long run the vast majority of these departures could well benefit the club, there will undoubtedly be a number of fans gutted to see some of their favourites leaving the City Ground for the last time in the coming months, as well as hopes that the Reds do not come to regret releasing some of the players with plenty still to give.

In other news: Taylor 2.0: Hughton must avoid summer swoop for “dangerous” NFFC-linked £27k-p/w flop – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are still yet to appoint a new manager after parting ways with Jose Mourinho in April but Paul Stewart, who was signed by Spurs as a striker but later reverted to a holding midfielder, has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Spurs should look to someone other than Antonio Conte.

Conte has recently just won the Serie A title with Inter Milan, the club’s first league title in 11 years and during his two years in England, he managed to guide Chelsea to a Premier League crown title as well as an FA Cup victory despite the club finishing 10th the season before he took over.

The Italian has been linked with a sensational return to England with Chelsea’s rivals, Spurs, as Daniel Levy continues to whittle down his shortlist of candidates until he finds what he believes to be the perfect manager – reports suggest Levy has been in talks with Conte for the last month.

Despite his links to Chelsea, that would not prove to be a barrier if he did come to Spurs but they should be looking for someone else, that’s according to Stewart, who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“Something wasn’t quite right between him and the players at Chelsea despite winning trophies, but for me, I’d probably look elsewhere and try to rebuild the club.

“They’ve got to bring a manager in that they trust will be able to build over a few years, because Spurs need to look at a different way in which they employ managers because it has to be about bringing players through for the long term.”

Spurs lost the chance to have their Europa League destiny in their own hands following their surprise 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa earlier this week, which saw Sergio Reguilon score a stunning own goal.

Ryan Mason’s side did guarantee a spot in the European Conference League following their 4-2 win against Leicester City on Sunday.