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An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of landing Maxwel Cornet in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Chronicle reporter Lee Ryder has revealed that the Magpies have been given the green light to snap up a deal for the Ivorian attacker.

He Tweeted: “Maxwel Cornet on list of players offered to #nufc – and shares same agent as many Newcastle clients.”

The Athletic’s David Ornstein previously claimed that the Burnley magician has a £17.5m relegation clause in his contract that will be available for clubs to activate before the end of August.

Imagine him and Allan Saint-Maximin

Now, just imagine how exciting it would be to have Cornet and Saint-Maximin on the wings for the Toon next season.

Both players are dynamic, skilful, players who are capable of making things happen in the final third with their ability on the ball.

The Newcastle winger produced five goals and five assists in 31 Premier League starts for the club as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.94. He created seven ‘big chances’ in total and made 1.4 key passes per game as he showed off his ability to score and create goals.

Cornet, meanwhile, caught the eye for Burnley as he played in a multitude of positions; left-back, left-midfield, and striker. The gem, who was dubbed a “fabulous finisher” by Owen Hargreaves, scored an impressive nine goals in 21 top-flight starts, proving that he has the quality to score goals on a consistent basis.

He can offer a huge goalscoring threat out wide and that is something Eddie Howe’s side lacked in the Premier League last term. No winger scored more than five goals and Callum Wilson was the top scorer overall with eight strikes, which means that the Ivorian would have been the standout goalscorer for the Toon.

Imagine Saint-Maximin running down one wing to deliver a cross and Cornet arriving at the far post to finish it off with a volley. They have the potential to terrorise opposition defences and that is why PIF must pounce on this opportunity to snap the Burnley man up in the coming weeks.

Howe must push the board to make this deal happen as they have been given the green light to do so and they can secure a superb, exciting, wing duo in doing so.

AND in other news, Ashworth can land huge ASM upgrade as NUFC plot bid to sign £180k-p/w “joy to watch”…

A claim has emerged on Tottenham target Youri Tielemans and what he wants to do in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Spurs target, who they are not seriously pursuing at the moment, wants to sign for their bitter rivals ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He Tweeted: “Youri Tielemans update. Still no formal offers made. Tielemans wants to join Arsenal and Edu still in touch with his agent. Arsenal have agreed terms, and worked on the deal for a year, but have never placed an official bid.”

The reporter then added: “Tottenham and Real Madrid (other clubs sometimes linked) to date aren’t serious suitors. Nothing advanced. Right now, Leicester are planning for Tielemans to stay and not totally ruling out a new deal, which could still come if offers don’t materialise.”

Supporters will be gutted

This update will surely leave supporters at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium feeling gutted for multiple reasons.

Firstly, they will be frustrated that the club are not seriously considering a swoop for the gem this summer. He would be an excellent signing for Antonio Conte as he would add a much-needed goal threat from the middle of the park.

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No Tottenham central midfielder managed more than two goals in the Premier League last season and this suggests that they do not have much goalscoring quality in that position.

The likes of Harry Winks, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ollie Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur did not offer a great deal in front of goal, in terms of scoring, and new signing Yves Bissouma scored once for Brighton in 2021/22.

Tielemans, meanwhile, scored six times – at least three times as many as any Spurs midfielder – and has 12 strikes and eight assists in the last two top-flight campaigns combined for Leicester.

These statistics suggest that he has the quality to make a big impact in the final third from midfield and that is why he would be a fantastic addition to the squad, as he would offer something different to Conte’s current options.

Because of this, the fans will also be gutted by the prospect of him signing for their bitter rivals. It would be frustrating for the fans to watch Tielemans performing well week-in-week-out for Arsenal and improving their team – wondering what he would have been like in a Spurs shirt.

Therefore, the supporters will be fuming with this latest claim and will now be hoping that the Gunners fail to get a deal over the line in the coming weeks. It could just make a big difference in the race for top four next term.

AND in other news, Conte approves move for “incredible” £9m signing, he’d give Spurs an “extra dimension”…

Adama Traore would be a ‘great signing’ for Leeds United, journalist Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Football Insider reported last week that the Whites have approached Wolves over a potential deal for the 26-year-old, as they want to sign a ‘pacey forward capable of carrying the ball forward long distances’.

Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta is said to be a ‘big admirer’ of the Spain winger, having negotiated a deal to take him from Aston Villa to Middlesbrough in 2016. Traore only has a year remaining on his contract at Molineux and talks over an extension have broken down, so Wolves are willing to sell if they receive an offer in the region of £18m.

The Spaniard spent the second half of last season on loan at La Liga giants Barcelona, but they have decided against a permanent deal.

The latest

O’Rourke suspects that Leeds supporters would be thrilled by a deal for Traore, a player who ‘gets fans off their seats’, adding that the Whites may have a ‘world beater’ on their hands if Jesse Marsch can extract the 26-year-old’s best form.

The journalist told GiveMeSport: “I think the fans will be really excited about Traore. We all know he’s a bit inconsistent, Traore, but on his day he can be a world-beater.

“He gets fans off their seats with his direct style, and his fast, attacking style of football that he does play. I think if Leeds can get the best out of Traore, he could be a great signing.”

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The verdict

Traore certainly ticks plenty of boxes for Leeds. He ranked joint-second in last season’s Premier League (along with Mohamed Salah) for highest top speed recorded, clocking 36.6 km/h.

He also came in at 11th among players with at least three top-flight starts for progressive carrying distance per 90 minutes (via FBRef). Meanwhile, only Allan Saint-Maximin (4.3) averaged more successful dribbles per 90 minutes than Traore (4.2), so the Spaniard truly can be an electrifying player to watch.

While he may not have entirely convinced Barcelona, he did register assists in two of the four La Liga games that he started.

Leeds may need a replacement for exit-linked Raphinha, and Traore could be a reasonably-priced candidate to fill that void.

Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong could now be ‘leaning towards’ a move to Old Trafford, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: De Jong links

De Jong was first linked with the Red Devils at the end of April after Erik ten Hag was announced as United’s new manager. However, almost two months on, a transfer is yet to gather any real momentum, even though well-placed sources believe a move will eventually happen.

Sheth stated earlier this week on Sky Sports that there has been no official offer made to Barcelona, and he has now shared more news after ‘noises’ he’s heard regarding a transfer.

The Latest: Sheth’s comments

Sheth, talking to GiveMeSport, said that there is a ‘willingness’ from all involved for a deal to go through and believes the midfielder is ‘leaning towards’ an Old Trafford move.

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“As far as de Jong is concerned, publicly, I’m sure the noises will be that he’s happy at Barcelona. There’s no reason not to say that because if the move doesn’t work out, and he said he wanted to leave, it doesn’t leave him in a very good position.

“But, I think, the noises we’re hearing is that there’s a willingness from all parties to do a deal. The fact that Erik ten Hag is at Manchester United, he’s their new manager and they’ve worked very closely together, and arguably he’s had the best form of his career under that manager. I think there is maybe a leaning towards ‘yes’ – he would be open to making that move to Old Trafford.”

The Verdict: Needed

United have seemingly been working on a move for months now, so it would be a nightmare if they failed to get a deal over the line. De Jong could well prove to be the marquee midfield addition that is required to provide some much-needed depth to Ten Hag’s ranks.

The United boss mainly used De Jong as a only real senior defensive midfielder on the books at Old Trafford, a move is needed. It looks as if it could well materialise after all, so hopefully, we’ll hear further positive updates over the coming days ahead of United’s return for pre-season on June 27.

In other news: ‘They’ve looked at him’ – talkSPORT man drops huge Man Utd transfer claim involving ‘lethal’ ace. 

The Athletic journalist Adam Crafton has now made an exciting Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving star winger Raphinha.

The Lowdown: Conte set for busy summer…

Both Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster have arrived at Spurs on Bosman deals with the Premier League giants already confirming two new signings.

The summer window has been open for just one week and the north Londoners are certainly making their intent known, potentially appeasing manager Antonio Conte who holds no shortage of ambition.

The Italian is said to be plotting a major N17 overhaul as more new additions become heavily linked, a list which now includes Leeds’ big name Brazilian.

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The Latest: Spurs set for Raphinha ‘tussle’…

According to Crafton and The Athletic, Spurs could be set for ‘one of the big tussles this summer’ as they eye a move for Brazil’s ace alongside north London rivals Arsenal.

The 25-year-old dazzled at Elland Road over 2021/2022, attracting interest from Conte and the Lilywhites.

Crafton explained:

“Arsenal & Tottenham both hold genuine interest in Leeds’ Raphinha in what may be one of the big tussles this summer.”

The Verdict: Exciting…

As a north London battle to sign the South American star becomes possible, it’s safe to say Tottenham winning the race would come as another boost for Conte before his first full season in charge.

Raphinha stood out as Leeds’ star man last season, averaging the most shots at goal, key passes made and successful take-ons per 90 out of anyone in their squad (WhoScored).

The international also finished as their top goal scorer and best-performing regular by average match-rating (WhoScored) with members of the media calling him a ‘stand-out player’ (Noel Whelan, Football Insider).

Depending on the price tag, Raphinha could be a potentially shrewd addition.

In other news: Significant talks…Tottenham emerge as ‘likelier destination’ for ‘superstar’…find out more here.

Former Premier League manager and Sky Sports pundit Alex McLeish has given his reaction to some takeover news that he has now heard from Everton.

The Lowdown: Talks

As per The Daily Telegraph, a group fronted by former Manchester United and Chelsea CEO Peter Kenyon are in the early stages of talks to buy the Goodison Park outfit from Farhad Moshiri.

He values the Merseyside club at over £500m, once their debt is taken into account, which is far more than the £300m it took for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium to take over at Newcastle United back in October.

The Latest: McLeish reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish has now given his reaction after hearing the news, claiming that the Toffees are an ‘enormous’ club and £500m is an ‘amazing’ price to get:

“It’s interesting. Obviously there’s a big stadium shift, isn’t there, onto the Mersey.

“It’s a really amazing price when you think of the Newcastle takeover. They’re an enormous club.

“I don’t know the ins and outs of these situations. I’m sure whoever takes over is going to make sure they’re competing in the top half of the table.”

The Verdict: Sell up

Given the concerns held over the Blues’ recent financial losses, and the cost of building the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, now would provide the optimum time for Moshiri to sell up.

They need a fresh start after being dragged into a relegation battle that they really should not be involved in, and the business side of the club has been disastrous under the 67 year-old.

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Indeed, a lot of the failures have been down to poor recruitment in from Moshiri, who was responsible for funding big-money flops like Davy Klaassen and Cenk Tosun, among others.

Nonetheless, it is time for him to hand over the club to someone else to hopefully push to look forward rather than behind them.

In other news, find out who EFC now hold an advantage over signing here!

The summer transfer window is officially underway and Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst may be looking to add to his squad in the coming months.

John Souttar has already arrived on a free transfer and he could be the first of many arriving at Ibrox as Ross Wilson and the Dutch head coach plot moves to improve the team.

Gers legend Ally McCoist has had his say on who he wants the Premiership outfit to sign as he has tipped the Light Blues to pursue a player who was once the most expensive signing in history.

He recently urged the club to go and make a move for out-of-contract winger Gareth Bale, saying: “If I was Rangers, I’d go offer him something as well.

“Listen, he’s at a stage in his life he wants to enjoy himself. We all know he’s a big golf fan, we’ve got the best golf courses. I’d bring him up here and say: ‘Look, have a year up here’. The fans will love him, absolutely love him.”

“I know the argument would be there was disappointment with Aaron Ramsey, he wasn’t 100 per cent fit, I get that.”

Paul Gascoigne 2.0

In completing a deal to sign Bale, Rangers can land their new Gascoigne at Ibrox as he is a player who has proven himself at the very top level and can now enjoy a spell playing in Glasgow as he heads towards the end of his career.

After playing in the English top-flight for Tottenham and Newcastle, Gascoigne signed for the Gers in 1995 and scored 30 goals in 64 league starts as he impressed for the Light Blues.

Rangers can now get Ibrox rocking by signing Bale as he can come in and have a similar impact to the former England international.

He has enjoyed a stellar career at the top level with 221 senior goals for club and country throughout his time playing for Southampton, Tottenham, Real Madrid and Wales. The attacker left Real Madrid after scoring 106  times in 258 appearances, winning the Champions League on four occassions.

Bale has been labelled as an “unstoppable” player by journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke and his career statistics back that up as he has been able to plunder goals for one of the biggest teams in Europe – Real – on a regular basis. 

Therefore, he can get the ground rocking with his ability to make a significant impact in the final third, much like Gascoigne did during his time in Scotland. This is why Rangers must take McCoist’s advice and swoop for the Wales international.

AND in other news, “Was told..”: Journo makes big Rangers transfer claim that’ll leave supporters excited…

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Tottenham Hotspur are now ‘going after’ Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni after being highlighted as the ‘one they would want’ in defence heading into the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Top of Conte’s wish list

It has been claimed that bringing in a new left-sided central defender is a priority for the Lilywhites this summer, and the 23-year-old was one of just several names who had been linked with a move to the Premier League giants last month.

However, as reported by the Evening Standard earlier this week, Spurs appear to have suffered a huge blow in the race for the Italian, who is seemingly be keen to remain at the San Siro. This hasn’t shut down any interest from N17, though, with the defender believed to be at the very top of Antonio Conte’s wish list.

The north London club aren’t the only ones wanting to secure Bastoni’s signature, with top-flight rivals Manchester United also considering a move for the centre-back, despite him still having two years remaining on his current contract with Inter.

The Latest: Jones confirms Spurs’ Bastoni interest

Jones has now claimed that Tottenham are completely focused on completing a deal for Bastoni in the coming weeks.

He told GiveMeSport: “Bastoni is clearly the one they’re going after at Tottenham at the moment.

“It’s hard to look beyond that and it’s clearly a prime position that they’re looking to fix quickly. Bastoni is the one they would want.”

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The Verdict: Reunion on the cards?

It comes as no surprise to see that Conte is targeting a move for the 13-cap Italy international given that they worked alongside each other in Serie A, where Bastoni made 74 appearances under the 52-year-old during his Inter reign.

This season, Ben Davies has typically been the man to regularly feature as Spurs’ left-sided centre-back following Conte’s arrival in N17 last November, but you could argue that the £122k-per-week Inter starlet is viewed as an upgrade on the starting XI.

In their respective 2021/22 league campaigns, the Italian won more tackles, made more pressures and put in more crosses than the Wales defender (via FBRef).

Bastoni, who was once dubbed a “tenacious” tackler by talent scout Jacek Kulig, might well be tempted into reuniting with his former boss. Also, considering that Spurs will be playing Champions League football next season, this could be a huge factor when it comes down to the 23-year-old deciding where his next destination will be.

In other news… a Sky Sports pundit has reacted to this transfer update on one Spurs player

Financial expert Kieran Maguire believes Leeds United are worth ‘upwards of £250m’ after they avoided relegation from the Premier League on the final day.

The Lowdown: 49ers option

Jesse Marsch successfully guided the club to a third season of Premier League football following a 2-1 win at Brentford last weekend.

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The Whites have already rewarded the head coach by bringing in Brenden Aaronson from FC Salzburg in a deal worth £25m, and survival could also have a knock-on effect in the boardroom.

The 49ers Enterprises currently hold a 44% stake in the club which remains majority-owned by Andrea Radrizzani. The NFL franchise have an option until January 2024 to take full control for a total price worth more than £400m, with recent reports suggesting they will try and do just that over the summer.

The Latest: Maguire’s comments

Maguire, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the Whites and the 49ers possibly taking full control.

He said that Leeds supporters ‘will be delighted’ following their dramatic survival and believes that the club is now worth ‘upwards of £250m’.

“All Leeds fans will be delighted the club has maintained its Premier League position.

“If we use Newcastle as a benchmark, Leeds is probably not that far behind. I would expect upwards of £250m in terms of their valuation.

“It’s a one-club city and there is scope for future growth, certainly in terms of the stadium.

“The challenge for Leeds is breaking into the elite. That is becoming more and more expensive to achieve. You have to spend upfront before you get the return on that investment.”

The Verdict: Busy summer required

Leeds now need to act over the coming months after their close shave with relegation. Improvements to the squad are a must over the summer to ensure the club aren’t in the same position next season.

As Maguire mentions, stadium improvements are also an area where Leeds chiefs can look to make their mark off the pitch, something which could be first on the 49ers Enterprises’ agenda.

Hopefully, it will be a busy few months in the boardroom, and it’s good to see that director of football Victor Orta has made a start by landing long-term Aaronson.

In other news: Phillips partner: Leeds now want ‘extraordinary’ int’l for free; Orta’s already spoke with agent

Wolves are plotting a bid for Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Andre Almeida ahead of a crucial summer transfer window for Bruno Lage.

What’s the word?

Portuguese news outlet Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness) claim that Wolves are discussing a deal for Almeida as Lage plans a major summer rebuild for next season.

The player could cost £6.8m and at only 21 years old, would represent a shrewd investment.

With his contract due to expire at the end of next season, Wolves may take advantage and try to secure a bargain deal.

Dream Moutinho heir

Lage has had a very solid first season in charge of Wolves, leading the club to a top-half finish despite a poor final few weeks of the campaign derailing some momentum.

He faces a big summer ahead, with the futures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho uncertain, fresh faces will be guaranteed.

In Almeida, Wolves could have the perfect heir to the 35-year-old maestro. Almeida plays slightly further forward in an attacking midfield role and despite not scoring any goals this campaign, an 86% passing accuracy stat is solid.

The midfielder can also contribute defensively, making on average 1.4 tackles per game and winning 56% of his total duels.

These are extremely similar to Moutinho’s, who has a slightly better pass accuracy (87%) and wins 2.1 tackles per match, although his dominance in duels isn’t as good as Almeida’s (43%).

With that in mind, it’s easy to see why he’d make such a good replacement for the Portuguese veteran with his easy on the eye and accurate passing a key attribute when assessing the heir to his midfield throne.

For the aforementioned fee, Lage should be going all out to secure the youngster’s services, with Zach Lowy lauding him as “intriguing”, then it could certainly be worth the money.

AND in other news, Wolves can save millions by unearthing 22-year-old “diamond”, Lage will be ecstatic