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Journalist Dean Jones has rubbished the idea that Newcastle United have any chance of landing Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia amid recent transfer links.

What are the latest rumours on Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia?

The Magpies have impressed many this term and look as though they could be playing Champions League football next term.

Indeed, with just eight Premier League games left to play, they currently sit fourth on the table, three points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur despite having played one game fewer.

With that being the case, if they can finish inside the top four, Eddie Howe and his team will feel confident of landing some big names this summer when the market reopens.

Already, plenty of targets are already being touted. For instance, as per a recent report in The Telegraph Napoli pair Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia are "admired” by the Magpies.

However, while talking on a recent episode of the Chasing Green Arrows podcast, insider Jones slammed the idea of either playing joining.

He explained (14:21): "There is absolutely no chance.

"Like, even if Newcastle are abandoning their careful spending, there is not enough money in the world to convince those two to go to Newcastle at the moment.

"I'm sorry, you are not there."

How much would Osimhen or Kvaratskhelia cost Newcastle?

Both players have had exceptional seasons as they look destined to win Serie A with Napoli, who are also currently still in with a shot at winning the Champions League.

Indeed, Osimhen has scored 25 goals in 30 games this term in total, while also claiming five assists – meaning he averages one direct goal contribution every time he plays.

Kvaratskhelia is operating on a similar level, with 14 goals and 16 assists in 34 outings in his debut season in Italy.

With that in mind, Newcastle won't be the only ones interested in the pair this summer. For example, Chelsea have recently been tipped to make a £100m bid for Osimhen.

On top of that, Kvaratskhelia’s agent, Christian Emile, has told Fabrizio Romano (via Goal): "He’s come to Napoli, he’s been brilliant, and people are talking about €100m (£88m).

"For me, if he continues to perform like this until the end of the season and next season, because there’s a 0% chance they sell him [in January]. He will reach €100m for sure.”

Thanks to their wealthy owners and possible European football next term, the Magpies might have the finances to splash that kind of cash next summer.

However, that doesn't necessarily mean these two would want to join Newcastle and Jones certainly doesn't think either one of the duo would trade Naples for Tyneside any time soon.

Southampton have been handed a huge boost after transfer target Bojan Miovski admitted that it’s his goal to move to the Premier League.

What's the latest on Miovski to Southampton?

The Aberdeen striker’s contract at the Pittodrie Stadium isn’t set to expire until 2026, but being Barry Robson’s top-performing offensive player, has caught the eye of Ruben Selles at the St. Mary’s Stadium. The Scottish Sun previously credited the south coast outfit with an interest in the 23-year-old whilst also revealing that the Saints hierarchy have already sent scouts to watch him in action as they weigh up whether to make an approach at the end of the season.

The North Macedonia international has recently been operating for his country for their Euro 2024 qualifier against Malta, followed by a friendly vs the Faroe Islands where he was on hand to score the winner, and during the time he had off the field, made an ambitious claim that Saints supporters will be excited to hear.

Speaking to Macedonian publication Popup (as quoted by HampshireLive), Miovski lifted the lid on what he hopes to achieve in the future and name-checked the top-flight as his dream destination. He said:

"My goal is to continue in a club from the best five (England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France) leagues in Europe, and if I could choose one, it would definitely be the English Premier League. Every player's goal is to reach the highest level in football, and the English Premier League attracts me due to the fact that it is the most attractive and watched league in the world."

Would Miovski be a good signing for Southampton?

According to Aberdeen’s former manager Jim Goodwin, Miovski is “athletic”, has a “decent turn of pace” and “ticks all the boxes” in terms of the profile of striker you’d want, so he would definitely be the perfect fit for a Southampton side lacking in the final third.

The £4.5-p/w talisman is extremely prolific having scored 17 goals and provided one assist in 34 appearances north of the border, where he’s currently averaging 2.33 shots per game. The Dons attacker is also the ideal target man standing at 6 foot 2, which is just what the Saints are missing when it comes to getting on the end of long balls and set pieces.

Finally, Miovski is a versatile operator having played in four different positions outside of his natural centre-forward role, including on both wings, making this a match made in heaven for both parties.

Ivan Cavaleiro was once a fan favourite at Wolverhampton Wanderers but his career since leaving Molineux suggests that the Old Gold did brilliantly to sell him for as much as they did.

How did Cavaleiro perform at Wolves?

Wolves would sign the Portuguese winger from AS Monaco in 2016 for what was a club-record fee at the time, and he would play a significant role in their eventual promotion to the Premier League.

He would hit five goals and five assists in his first season with the Old Gold, which included a memorable late winner in a 2-1 triumph away at Brentford.

Paul Lambert sang his praises after the game, saying to the Express & Star (via HITC):

“He’s a threat, Cav. If he can find consistency in his game he’s a massive player. You saw when he came on…I changed his position and I thought he was absolutely fantastic.”

The wide man was able to find that consistency the following season as he was comfortably one of the top performers in Nuno Espirito Santo's side as they won the Championship title and secured a return to the top flight.

Across 42 league appearances, Cavaleiro would contribute a hugely impressive nine goals and 12 assists, a tally which he was sadly never able to achieve in the Premier League for the Midlands club.

Despite Wolves' impressive performances in their first season back in the top division, the former Portugal international would manage just three goals and one assist in 23 appearances, which led to him joining Fulham on loan in the Championship again the following season.

How has Cavaleiro done since leaving Wolves?

The second tier appeared to be his level as he once again earned promotion, with six goals and seven assists under his belt, and the Craven Cottage outfit opted to pay £15m to sign him permanently that summer, which now looks to have been a brilliant deal for Fosun and the Old Gold.

Although he was a regular for the Cottagers in the Premier League the following season, he would manage just three goals in 36 appearances as they were relegated, and that certainly seemed to knock his confidence, as he then notched just two goals in the Championship last season, despite Marco Silva's side running away with the title.

It was no surprise therefore that he was loaned out by Fulham, with the 29-year-old joining Alanyaspor in Turkey, where he boasts a modest return of four goals and three assists in 18 appearances this season.

Unsurprisingly, Cavaleiro's move away from England and lack of goal contributions in recent years have seen his market value plummet since his Wolves exit, with FootballTransfers now suggesting that he is worth just €2.7m (£2.4m), which represents an 84% decrease on the fee Wolves received just three years ago.

Newcastle United right-back Kieran Trippier taking free-kicks on the left could be exploited by Manchester United on Sunday, according to Stan Collymore.

The Lowdown: Huge game for Newcastle

The Magpies take on Man United in the final of the Carabao Cup final this weekend, with Eddie Howe looking to secure the first piece of silverware under PIF ownership, but their preparation has been far from ideal.

Nick Pope was shown a red card in the 2-0 home defeat against Liverpool at the weekend and is duly suspended for Sunday, while Martin Dubravka is cup-tied, meaning that Loris Karius is in line to make his first appearance for the club in the Wembley showpiece.

The Latest: Collymore reacts

It is not just the absence of Pope (who has the most clean sheets of any top-flight ‘keeper this season) which will likely be felt by Newcastle, as Collymore has identified another frailty in Howe’s team that the Red Devils could look to exploit.

The pundit told CaughtOffside: “Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier is a great set-piece taker, we all know that, but for him to be taking free kicks, especially deep ones, on the left flank makes little sense to me,” 

“With an EFL Cup final coming up, I wonder if Man United have picked up on that and highlighted it as an area of potential weakness because if Trippier finds himself out on the left taking a free kick and United pinch it back quickly, they’ve got someone in Marcus Rashford who they could look to play in quickly and it could be devastating for Newcastle.”

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The Verdict: Major concern?

It is true that Howe will have to be cautious about Erik ten Hag’s side threatening on the counterattack, especially considering that Rashford is in exceptional form at the moment, scoring ten goals in his last ten Premier League games.

However, Newcastle have by far and away the best defensive record in the top flight for a reason, and they managed to keep Man United at bay earlier in the campaign, limiting them to just two shots on target in a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in October.

As such, Pope being suspended is likely to be a far bigger concern for Howe than the potential problem that Collymore identified, and Newcastle will be hoping that Karius can step up to the plate on the big occasion.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed the idea that Steven Gerrard could replace Jesse Marsch as Leeds United manager claiming they are too similar.

What’s the latest on Gerrard to Leeds?

With the Whites still on the lookout for an appointment, The Mirror reports that a number of rejections may have led them to the former Aston Villa boss.

Indeed, the story claims that Gerrard could be the man they turn to after attempts to bring in West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan, Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola and Feyenoord manager Arne Slot have all failed.

The Premier League side lost on the weekend to Manchester United and with the threat of relegation looming, they won’t want to delay much longer before appointing a permanent manager.

However, while speaking about it all on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan insisted that Gerrard would be no different to Marsch.

He explained: “Gerrard did well at Rangers, he did. He had decent backing, he did well at Rangers.

“Got given a bigger job when he came to Aston Villa, then the players didn’t know what they were doing. He’d come out, he’d publicly go at players, say that he wanted lots more from them here, there and everywhere.

“It’s a mirror of Marsch. It’s a mirror. I think Gerrard actually needs to step down to the Championship to build himself up again. How can he be handed a massive job like Leeds United after being sacked by Aston Villa? The expectations need to grow.”

What could appointing Gerrard mean for Leeds?

Marsch joined Leeds last February having built up his reputation as a coach outside of England. Similarly, Gerrard joined Villa having never managed at senior level in England, impressing at Rangers instead.

Marsch lasted just 37 games as boss with the Whites, averaging 1.16 points per game. Once more comparably, Gerrard oversaw just three more games (40) while with the Villans, picking up only 1.18 points per game.

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the comparison has been made and why there would be plenty of doubts about just how much better Gerrard would be if given the job.

Still, with plenty of options rejecting Leeds already, options are dwindling and the former Liverpool man does at least have a connection with Elland Road favourite Gary McAllister – with the pair working together at Villa and Rangers.

And so perhaps this will be enough to tempt the Whites into making the appointment.

Leeds United have their eyes on the West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan, but the Championship side are unlikely to be willing to allow him to leave.

What’s the latest?

On Monday afternoon, the Yorkshire club confirmed they had relieved Jesse Marsch of his duties at Elland Road as the club found themselves on the brink of the relegation zone.

This came after the Whites’ disappointing 1-0 defeat away to Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon and saw Steve Cooper’s side pull six points clear of Leeds in the process.

One name who is now being heavily linked as the next potential man in the dugout at Elland Road is Corberan who is currently plying his trade in the Championship.

However, speaking on Sky Sports News, reporter Kaveh Solhekol has claimed it may prove incredibly difficult to prise Corberan away from The Hawthorns:

“‘So I think he would be the favourite for the job at the moment. But of course, as far as West Bromwich Albion are concerned, he has a contract with them and there’s no way that they want to lose him at such an important point of their season as well.”

Time to go

Marsch’s departure from Leeds was beginning to feel inevitable with the Whites on a really poor run of form which has them sitting just above the drop zone on goal difference.

The Yorkshire club are now without a win in the Premier League since early November and have two monstrous games coming up against the high-flying Manchester United.

With this in mind, Leeds could very easily find themselves in the bottom three in the coming days which may be why the Leeds board have pulled the trigger.

Marsch’s time at Leeds has conjured up just over one point per game in just under 12 months at the helm of the Yorkshire club.

However, in Coberan, Leeds could potentially be acquiring a manager who is all too familiar with what is expected by the fans at Elland Road having worked under Marcelo Bielsa during his time in Yorkshire.

But Solhekol’s point certainly rings true with Corberan doing a tremendous job at The Hawthorns having taken Albion from the relegation zone up to the play-off spots.

With this in mind, you’d imagine the Baggies would be doing everything they could to keep ahold of Corberan for at least the remaining months of the campaign.

But you also have to question whether he would be willing to walk away from what he is building in the Midlands for a struggling Leeds side facing the serious threat of relegation.

Arsenal secured a vital three points with a North London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, but Mikel Arteta will still feel aggrieved that Chelsea swooped in and snatched Ukrainian winger Mykhailo Mudryk from right under their noses, having been the only club to meet his asking price.

It will be a blow for Arteta, but with just two weeks left of the transfer window, the Spaniard will be keen to move on and pursue other targets.

The Gunners have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund sensation Youssoufa Moukoko according to 90min, although they face competition from Chelsea (who else), Liverpool, and Manchester United for the 18-year-old, who has been making waves on the continent.

His current contract expires in the summer, and with player and club struggling to agree on a new long-term deal, he could leave for free at the end of the campaign. Arteta may well secure a bargain this month by launching a move for the player, and the Gunners could duly repeat their Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang masterclass from 2018.

The now 33-year-old moved to the Premier League after scoring 141 goals in a five-and-a-half year spell at Dortmund, and Arsene Wenger made a big statement of intent luring him to England.

The Gabon marksman arrived at the Emirates Stadium to much fanfare and was expected to significantly improve Arsenal’s attack. During his first two-and-a-half seasons at the club, he justified his £60m fee by scoring 70 goals.

However, his final 18 months generated only 22 goals and he eventually signed for Barcelona just under a year ago, with Arteta terminating his contract in north London due to several disciplinary issues.

Moukoko has just turned 18 but is already proving his worth at Dortmund like Aubameyang before him, managing to find the net six times across 14 Bundesliga appearances this season, and it’s no wonder that a plethora of clubs are chasing his signature.

He is fast becoming one of the most promising strikers on the continent, with FBref ranking him in the top 25% for non-penalty goals, total shots, assists, pass completion rate and tackles among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months.

His rapid rise has prompted comparisons to former Dortmund striker Erling Haaland, who praised the youngster back in 2020 by saying: “I think he’s the biggest talent in the world right now. 16 years and 1 day, that’s quite amazing. He has a big career ahead of him.”

Moukoko could even surpass Aubameyang’s goals and achievements at Arsenal if Arteta manages to lure him to the club, and he could be a focal point of the Gunners’ attack for years to come if he pitches up at the Emirates.

Arsenal have joined the race to bring Pedro Porro to the Premier League in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Portuguese publication O Jogo (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite Tottenham Hotspur having been heavily linked with a move for the Sporting Lisbon right-back this month, both Arsenal and Chelsea have now joined the pursuit to sign the 23-year-old defender – who possesses a €45m (£40m) release clause.

The report goes on to state that Mikel Arteta ‘likes his characteristics’ as his playing style matches up with the Spaniard’s tactical setup at The Emirates, while it is also suggested that, despite Spurs’ strong links with a move for the Spain international, with Sporting demanding his release clause is met, all three clubs have an equal chance of landing Porro.

“Perfect”

Considering just how attack-minded a right-back Porro has very much proven himself to be in recent seasons, coupled with the extraordinary form the 23-year-old has demonstrated in Portugal, it is not difficult to understand why Arteta would be interested in a move for the Sporting star in January.

Indeed, over his 23 Liga Portugal appearances in 2021/22, the £22m-rated talent was in fantastic form going forwards, scoring four goals, registering four assists and creating 11 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots, making 2.0 key passes and completing 1.4 dribbles per game.

The full-back also impressed in metrics more typical of his position last time out, making an average of 1.8 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, one clearance and winning 5.3 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per match.

These returns saw the Spaniard average a quite breathtaking Sofascore match rating of 7.28, not only ranking him as Ruben Amorim’s second-best performer in the league but also as the 12th-best player in the top flight of Portuguese football as a whole.

Porro has been in similarly fine attacking form over his 12 league outings so far this season, with the £10k-per-week defender having already scored one goal, provided five assists and created six big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.6 shots, making 2.2 key passes and completing one dribble per fixture.

At the back, the 23-year-old has also made an average of 1.6 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 0.8 clearances and has won 4.5 duels – at a success rate of 50% – per outing.

These metrics have seen the right-back who Fabrizio Romano dubbed “perfect” and Zach Lowy labelled “special” average an equally impressive Sofascore match rating of 7.20, currently ranking him as Sporting’s fourth-best performer in the league and the joint 20th-best player in Liga Portugal as a whole.

As such, with Porro quite clearly being a player who is as free-flowing in both an attacking and creative capacity as he is solid in defence, it is indeed easy to see why Arteta would be interested in a deal to bring the one-cap international to The Emirates this winter – as it is undeniable that he would fit seamlessly into the manager’s free-flowing and fluid system.

Glasgow Rangers could face a mass exodus by the end of the season unless Ross Wilson and Michael Beale manage to tie down several first-team players on extended contracts.

No fewer than ten players in the Light Blues’ squad could leave Ibrox for free next summer, most notably Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Jack.

Beale will be looking to secure a new deal for Morelos sooner rather than later. In October, Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson claimed that contract talks were ongoing for both the Colombian and Kent, with the Premiership giants keen to tie down their biggest assets in bumper new deals.

With just a few weeks left until January, no further progress has been made, and Beale might find himself looking at potential heirs to the South American striker.

The 42-year-old might not need to look far, as he could reunite with QPR frontman Lyndon Dykes, especially with journalist Pete O’Rourke suggesting that a raid of Beales’ former club could be a possibility.

The reporter told This Is Futbol: “It’s one that does have obvious links. You’ve got Lyndon Dykes who has played under Michael Beale and scored goals in the Championship for Queens Park Rangers.

“Rangers possibly could be in the market for a new striker and especially if Alfredo Morelos was to leave the club as well so I’m sure Lyndon Dykes is somebody that would definitely be on the radar for Rangers if they do need to bring in a striker.”

Dykes scored six Championship goals this season under the leadership of Beale at Loftus Road, and he could thrive under his former boss in Scotland.

Although not quite an out-and-out striker like Morelos, Dykes could be the perfect foil for Antonio Colak, who could score even more abundantly if he has someone like the 27-year-old creating chances and flicking balls onto him regularly.

That’s not to say that the Scotland international isn’t fond of a goal or two himself. He has scored 64 times during his club career, while also finding the net eight times for Scotland, proving that he can offer a major threat at the highest level.

Dykes’ former manager Mark Warburton heaped praise on the striker, saying: “He has all the physical attributes and an eye for a goal but we have done loads of work on his touch.”

If Beale wants an ideal heir to Morelos, someone who can bully defenders and create chances for others while also getting a few goals too, then Dykes seems to be the perfect option.

Everton are renowned for their transfer disasters over the last few years with many players past and present not living up to the expectations set, and now the Toffees could follow a similar path with their interest in a potential transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to The Guardian journalist Ed Aarons, Everton could be making a mistake with their pursuit of Salernitana striker Boulaye Dia.

Aarons told GIVEMESPORT:

“Dia has been good at coming deep and linking the play a little bit more. He links it up well, he’s pretty strong.

“He’s a bit of a threat in front of goal but he doesn’t score enough goals. In his career he’s not scored enough, that’s one thing he can improve on. But his link-up play has been very impressive.”

Everton can repeat Sandro disaster

It is no secret that Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements in their forward line as the side have scored the second-fewest goals in the Premier League over the campaign so far and Frank Lampard will surely be working hard to identify the right player to make an instant impact on his team.

The January transfer window will open again next month and it will be the Everton manager’s golden opportunity to fix the problems his team are currently experiencing before it’s too late, with the Toffees currently teetering on the edge of the relegation zone.

As a result, the signing of Dia may not be enough to get the team to increase their goal contributions to the level needed to retain the club their Premier League status over the second half of the season.

The Senegalese ace – valued by his club at around £18m – has only scored two goals this season for U.S. Salernitana and netted one for Senegal during their World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Everton could be on course to repeat the same mistake the club made when they signed Spanish forward Sandro Ramirez from Malaga on a four-year deal back in 2017 by signing Dia.

The former Blues striker spent three years on the books at Goodison Park and it’s safe to say the transfer didn’t work out for either the player or the club, with the forward only making 16 appearances, scoring one goal and registering two assists.

Lampard should be focusing on finding a centre-forward who is Premier League proven and guaranteed to deliver the goals that can help the side avoid another difficult relegation battle at the bottom of the table.

With that being said, the powers at Goodison Park should have learnt their lesson from the numerous transfer disasters that have occurred and finding the right striker in January could potentially be the difference between staying in the top flight or falling into the Championship.