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Newcastle United may reportedly be offered a shock swap deal involving Bruno Guimaraes and Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Contract talks

Newcastle reportedly want to tie Bruno down to a new longer-term contract, with his current deal at St. James’ Park set to expire in 2026.

However, while a new contract has not been signed, the midfielder is sure to attract plenty of interest from some big clubs in the summer, as he has been a standout performer in the Premier League for a Magpies side looking to chase a UEFA Champions League spot for next season.

If they fail to qualify for Europe’s elite competition, then Bruno’s head could well be turned by a club playing in it.

The Latest: Swap with Phillips?

As per The Sunday Mirror (19/03, page 78) via HITC, Man City are interested in signing Bruno this summer, and could offer England international Phillips as part of a shock swap deal.

The deal would be in a part-exchange, as City would also offer £80m up front, while Real Madrid are also thought to be interested in his signature.

The Verdict: Forget it!

Of course, City are offering a lot of money for Bruno as well as a player in exchange, which would equate to the North East club’s biggest sale by far.

However, the Brazil international has shown just how important of a player he is to Eddie Howe’s side, and if the Tynesiders have any ambitions of catching up to City in terms of success with trophies in their long-term project, then giving them Bruno is simply a no-go.

On the other side, Phillips is certainly a quality midfielder, as journalist Paul Brown has previously hailed him as a ‘Rolls Royce’. However, he has shown himself to be injury-prone over the last couple of seasons, dating back to his time at Leeds United as well as at the Etihad Stadium.

Nonetheless, Bruno is also a couple of years younger than the 27-year-old at 25, and so has a higher ceiling to reach, and being under contract until 2026, the Toon should be under little pressure to sell him right now.

Overall, the prospect of losing Bruno outweighs the potential of bringing in a large cash sum as well as Phillips, and so the Tynesiders should be looking to walk away from this deal, should it be proposed to them by their rivals City in the summer.

Leeds United's illustrious history stretches back afar, and despite their 16-year hiatus from the Premier League, they have still boasted some incredible talent the likes of which many other clubs would have loved to have.

There is a reason why they were such a feared outfit in the late 90s and early 2000s, with George Graham and later David O'Leary crafting a squad laden with quality which would propel them to the Champions League semi-finals.

However, this burst of success actually marked the beginning of the end for the Whites, who quickly found themselves in deep financial trouble which brought the period crashing down.

Despite this, and the subsequent exit of most of their top assets, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had left years earlier due to a dispute with the aforementioned O'Leary as he sought to make some quick cash.

He was quick to offload their prized player, who had starred ever since signing for the former boss in 1997. Leaving acrimoniously could have seen him fade into obscurity in the Leeds history books, but he remains an ever-present figure in best teams of the past few decades due to his undeniable talent. Were he at Elland Road now in his prime, relegation certainly would not be a threat.

How long was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink at Leeds?

Although the Dutchman only spent two short years in Yorkshire, his impact was swift and spectacular.

A struggling first-half season quickly turned into a blistering second half, and he would score 16 times before turning that into 18 Premier League goals the campaign following.

With an electric burst of pace to partner with his powerful physique, his two-footedness made him a constant danger in front of goal for the opposition. The way in which he would score goals with such ease marks him out as a far cry from the struggling Georginio Rutter, who was brought in to uphold their survival bid.

The Frenchman is only 20 but boasts huge potential, despite only showing glimpses of the player he might become if he can find consistency.

Before moving he had just two goals to his name in this campaign for Hoffenheim, yet a club-record fee was unloaded to tempt him to leave.

Whilst he might one day be a success, Leeds needed tangible quality immediately to steer them to safety. The kind of quality that Hasselbaink had in spades, as he adapted to England with ease.

Despite their disagreements, O'Leary did praise the character of the forward by lauding him and Mark Viduka as "wonderful lads" as they returned to face their old club.

With a misfiring strike force that could see them fall further, Javi Gracia would surely be dreaming of a player like the legendary marksman who lit up the Premier League to come and have a similar impact on his side.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly ‘highly unlikely’ to bring one Scotland international to Ibrox this summer.

The Lowdown: Long-term interest

Rangers’ interest in Lyndon Dykes dates back to 2020, but he ended up moving to the English Championship instead.

Ibrox legend Ally McCoist urged his former club to sign the now-QPR attacker from Livingston, hailing him as a ‘strong’, ‘aggressive’ and ‘quick’ striker who offers ‘something different’.

The Light Blues were also reportedly ‘keen’ on signing Dykes, who played under Michael Beale at Loftus Road, in this January’s transfer window.

The Latest: ‘Highly unlikely’

As per Football Insider, the Teddy Bears are ‘highly unlikely’ to sign the 27-year-old this summer because they would be priced out of a move.

They are keen to sign another striker given the uncertainty over Alfredo Morelos’ future, but QPR want to keep hold of Dykes, even though the Scotland striker would be interested in a move to Ibrox.

The Verdict: Pay the money!

Whatever transfer fee it would take to sign Dykes, Rangers should be inclined to pay it.

The 26-cap Scotland international is not the most prolific, with just six goals in the Championship so far this season, but he offers so much more to the team with his 6 foot 2 stature.

Former QPR boss Mark Warburton has previously hailed Dykes’ ‘outstanding’ work ethic, while Beale hailed him as ‘fantastic’ in a match earlier this season where he did not score but still bullied opposition defenders.

Indeed, the 27-year-old ranks in the 94th percentile for aerial duels won among all forwards outside of Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, and he would offer Rangers a great plan-B option next season.

Furthermore, Beale has already worked with Dykes before, so the Rangers boss would know how to get the best out of him.

The Athletic’s James Maw has proposed the possibility that Hugo Lloris may have played his last game for Tottenham Hotspur following his recent injury.

The Lowdown: Injury blow

Lloris has been ruled out for ‘at least’ six to eight weeks following sustained ligament damage in their Premier League clash against Manchester City last weekend.

The injury leaves Antonio Conte with three keepers available in his squad, Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman and Brandon Austin are all eligible to play.

Since the start of 2023, the French stopper has hit a run of low confidence, making a number of mistakes in recent times.

The Latest: Lloris’ last game?

Should the injury to the Tottenham number one take longer than the estimated timescale, Maw believes he might have played his last game for the club when talking to The View From The Lane Podcast.

He stated (2:48), “When this first broke, that was my first thought [has Lloris played his last game], that it’s not inconceivable that that is the case.

“It’s such a shame that this has come at this moment because it kind of felt like Spurs had got over the hump of a very difficult winter.

“They get two new players in, three wins on the bounce, three clean sheets and it comes suddenly feels like there’s real momentum again and we’re looking ahead to the rest of the season with such optimism.

“And then your captain, your most experienced player, a World Cup winner is out of the team, for let’s say at least half of the rest of the season, probably it’s a bit of a nightmare isn’t it?”

The Verdict: Far from over

We believe that even if Lloris were to miss the remainder of the season, he won’t have played his last game in a Spurs shirt.

The 36-year-old’s deal runs out in the summer of 2024, which would give him until the end of next season before his stint with Tottenham ends.

Spurs have been linked with David Raya of Brentford last month as a potential replacement for Lloris.

If the club were to land a new keeper in the summer, our view is it would be good to keep the Frenchman around as he could help a future number one learn and develop by offering tips with his enormous experience.

He may have hit a bit of a rough patch but he’s been a long-standing servant for Tottenham and would be a great figure to keep around the dressing room in our view.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has described ongoing issues for Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw as a ‘big red flag’, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Injury history

Forshaw has been out for large parts of the last four seasons, with his most notable absence coming back in 2019 with a hip problem. The Leeds man was sidelined for 560 days and has since had knee issues.

He has played just 237 minutes of senior action this season, with Jesse Marsch admitting last month that a ‘step back’ is needed to give Forshaw time to return to full fitness after a hernia problem.

The Latest: Dinnery’s comments

Talking to FI, injury expert Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, labelled it as ‘a very difficult situation’ for club and player and said the ongoing problems for Forshaw should come as ‘a big red flag for Leeds’.

“It’s a very difficult situation for Leeds and Forshaw.

“The surgery that he had back in 2019 kept him on the sidelines for the best part of 18 months and it was highly disappointing.

“He’s had his fair share of injuries since that problem too and whenever he seems to be able to establish himself in that starting lineup he picks up an injury.

“His latest issue was described as a minor surgical procedure, a bit of a tidy-up to help manage the pain.

“But he hasn’t responded well to that at all which is a big red flag for Leeds.

“The concern comes from not being able to identify the underlying cause – Leeds can’t address the issue if medical staff are confused about what is causing it.”

The Verdict: Time up?

Football never stands still and Leeds have added to their midfield ranks significantly over the last six months with moves for Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and most recently Weston McKennie.

Forshaw, now 31, just can’t seem to remain fully fit, and with his contract up at the end of the season, his time at Elland Road could be coming to an end.

We saw that with Mateusz Klich last month after he failed to get the minutes he wanted, so Forshaw could be the next to leave over the coming months, but before then, hopefully he’ll be able to return to fitness and build up some much-needed minutes for the U21s.

Broadcaster Kweku Afari has admitted live on Sky Sports that Aston Villa target Arnaut Danjuma could be the goalscorer they need this season.

The Lowdown: Emery looking for a reunion

It has been reported that Danjuma has been in England as he looks to hold talks with Premier League clubs about a January move, while Villa are said to be interested in the winger – who worked under Emery at Villarreal.

However, they certainly aren’t alone, with the likes of Bournemouth, Everton and Newcastle United also said to be keen on the attacker.

Journalist Patrick Boyland believes the winger would be a ‘gamechanger’ for the Toffees, so Villa will be very aware of his talent and how highly he’s regarded within the Premier League.

If Villa were to sign Danjuma, it would almost certainly be a signing pushed by Emery given the existing relationship with Danjuma, as he was the person that got him firing on all cylinders in the Champions League last season.

The Latest: Villa need more goals

Afari has spoken live on Sky Sports about how Danjuma could be Villa’s answer to scoring more goals given they’re set to lose Danny Ings, while both Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey haven’t been prolific in front of goal since joining the club.

He said: “In terms of a goalscorer, someone to put the ball in the back of the net on a consistent basis, I don’t think they’ve got that.

“Ollie Watkins provides so much for a team, but scoring goals is not necessarily his forte at this level, and Leon Bailey is a winger who’s now operating down the middle.

“We know Unai Emery likes to operate with different formations that are quite unique in terms of how he sets his team up, but I do think they will need somebody to score – and Danjuma could be that answer.”

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The Verdict: Danjuma is the man for Emery

It’s very clear that Emery brings the best out of Danjuma, as last season, he managed to register 20 goal involvements, whereas this season, the Dutchman only has nine to his name – a run which has coincided with Emery leaving Spain.

Therefore, if Danjuma has a choice of which club to go to, the one being managed by his former boss will likely be the most appealing one, especially when he’d be able to link up with other exciting talents such as Jacob Ramsey, Bailey and Emiliano Buendia.

Despite the interest from other Premier League clubs, Villa should have faith in Emery’s decision-making as well as the trust he has in Danjuma to get this deal done quickly if they want him to come in and hit the ground running.

Journalist Ross Gregory has claimed that it could make sense for Newcastle United to try and pull off a swap deal involving Martin Dubravka.

What’s the word?

At the start of the season, the goalkeeper was loaned out to Manchester United but has returned to the club and is now being linked with a move to Leicester City.

Incidentally, the Magpies have been tipped to make a possible for Foxes midfielder Youri Tielemans this winter. On top of that, James Maddison is another name frequently linked with Newcastle.

With that in mind, it could make sense for the two clubs to try and possibly arrange some kind of swap deal involving Dubravka which could, in theory, leave all parties happy this January.

While talking on NUFC Matters, Gregory proposed the ideas, saying: “If Dubravka is going to go there, or is somebody that they’re interested in and looking to sign, and if Newcastle are keen on a couple of Leicester players, then it would make sense to try and negotiate some sort of deal there.”

He did add, however: “Swap deals and deals involving other players very, very rarely come off in the Premier League.”

Swap deal

At times this season, current Leicester number one Danny Ward has come under criticism and so it wouldn’t be a shock if the Foxes genuinely were in the market for a new goalkeeper.

Over at Newcastle, Nick Pope is the undisputed first-choice pick for Eddie Howe but that doesn’t mean Dubravka is a poor player. After all, he does have 37 clean sheets in 127 Premier League games. So he could be an attractive option for Brendan Rodgers.

And with those rumours linking the Magpies with the likes of Tielemans and Maddison, an opportunity could arise here allowing them to land a target for a cut price with their unwanted goalkeeper heading off in the other direction.

It certainly makes sense on paper but it remains to be seen if such a deal would even be considered.

Everton are desperately scrambling to put the cogs in place to mount a charge up the Premier League table across the second half of the 22/23 campaign, with the club currently languishing in 17th place, just one point above the drop-zone.

Indeed, Frank Lampard’s Toffees are in a dire situation, with three successive losses in the English top-flight – the latest of which was a 2-1 home defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were bottom of the table prior to their victory at Goodison Park.

According to The Sun, the Toffees have a vested interest in Chicago Fire’s Columbian starlet Jhon Duran – who is reported to be valued at around £10m – and may swoop for the ace with swift conviction.

There may still be light at the end of the tunnel, and one signing that could rectify the wrongs comes in the form of Duran, with journalist Simon Phillips detailing his thoughts on a move to GIVEMESPORT.

He said: “There’s a few names they’ve been looking at. The only one that really stands out and I have had solid information on lately is Jhon Duran.

“Everton are there and are one of the clubs that are looking at him. But there are other names and Lampard is pushing hard now to bring a new striker in during January.”

Lukaku 2.0

After finishing 16th last year, staving off an unthinkable relegation due to an impressive burst of form in the closing weeks, the Everton faithful’s optimism was turned up a notch following a promising summer transfer window that saw the club spend approximately £69.7m on summer signings.

They have not had the desired effect, and while the defence has been bolstered, the offensive vigour and fluidity across the pitch is steeply lacking.

The 19-year-old Duran, who has eight goals and five assists from terminated with the Toffees earlier this month.

A far more vibrant replacement possessing bundles of pace and imposing physicality could go a long way towards turning Everton’s fortunes around, and it bears semblance to a former juggernaut at the club’s disposal.

Romelu Lukaku signed for the Merseyside-based club from Chelsea in 2014 for a then-club-record fee of £28m, and the striker went on to wreak havoc upon the Premier League and Europe with his club, scoring 87 goals across 166 appearances.

In his most prolific season, he netted 25 goals and six assists from 37 league appearances with the Toffees, and Duran – hailed as a “wonderkid” by Tom Bogert – could go a long way in emulating the powerhouse.

Whether Everton succeed in their pursuit will remain to be seen, but with the front of the ship failing to steady the turbulence, someone of his ilk is certainly needed, and quickly.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Josko Gvardiol to the Premier League.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Calciomercato.it, who claim both Antonio Conte’s side and top-flight rivals Chelsea are big admirers of the RB Leipzig centre-back, while Serie A duo Inter Milan and Juventus are also believed to be keen on a move for the 20-year-old defender.

However, the Croatia international’s agent, Marjan Sisic, revealed in an interview with the same outlet that Gvardiol is in no rush to leave the Bundesliga side, despite his claim that interested parties are calling him regarding a potential move for the £80m-valued starlet almost constantly.

Regarding the defender’s future, Sisic said:

“At the moment, we are very happy with Leipzig – it was the ideal choice for him after his years at Dinamo Zagreb.

“After the World Cup, I know that Josko will be completely concentrated on the Bundesliga, the national Cup and the Champions League. We are taking one step at a time and carefully building his career, always talking and deciding the next step together.

“My phone rings all the time, it’s not a secret. But that’s how it is ever since he stepped onto an important stage, playing for the Dinamo Zagreb first team. But I repeat, we are in no hurry.”

The next Ramos

Considering the remarkable rise to stardom Gvardiol has enjoyed over the last few years, it is not hard to comprehend why the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, Inter and Juventus are reported to be interested in the 20-year-old – as the defender very much looks to be something of a generational talent.

Indeed, despite his tender age, the £103m-rated stopper has already proven himself to be one of the world’s best defenders, with FBref ranking the youngster in the top 25% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for interceptions per 90, as well as the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 1% for dribbles completed over the last 365 days.

These metrics highlight not only Gvardiol’s exceptional reading of the game, but also the Leipzig sensation’s remarkable ability to both carry and play the ball out from the back – something that makes it easy to see that the Croatian bases his game on Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Sergio Ramos, a player who shares all three of the aforementioned characteristics.

Again, similar to the Spaniard, the £19k-per-week gem also poses a significant threat in the opposition third, with FBref ranking Gvardiol in the top 18% of European centre-backs for non-penalty goals per 90, as well as the top 10% for non-penalty xG, the top 23% for shots and the top 12% for shot-creating actions over the past 12 months.

Rather unsurprisingly, these metrics see the analytical database list Ramos as one of the 20-year-old’s most comparable players, something that would suggest the 14-cap international could well go on to make a similar impact on the game to that of the legend who made 671 appearances and won almost every club trophy possible during his time at Real Madrid.

As such, it is plain to see why Conte would be keen on a move to bring the left-footed star to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as the player who Ryan Taylor dubbed both a “man mountain” and “exceptional” would not only represent an excellent addition to the Italian’s current options at the back, but he could also become Spurs’ own Ramos-esque leader in north London.

West Ham United could be set to dip into the market for another forward this January…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to the Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb, which states that Atalanta will listen to offers for Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel in an effort to revolutionise their attack.

This news will be of particular interest to David Sullivan, as the Hammers failed in a late bid to sign the former Colombian back in January.

Having agreed to terms and submitted a deal sheet, they simply ran out of time as the window slammed shut. Now, a year on, they could reignite their interest in the man who was reportedly valued at €55m (£48m) in the summer.

He’s the perfect Antonio heir

Standing at 6 foot 1 and boasting a huge physical frame, it is easy to draw comparisons between Zapata and Michail Antonio.

The Jamaican international has excelled in east London since his 2015 move, having played everywhere on the pitch before settling up front.

There, he has managed to score 66 times and assist a further 41, wreaking havoc against Premier League defences with his continued pressing and unrelenting physicality.

With Gianluca Scamacca somewhat faltering since his summer transfer, perhaps adding a more experienced forward who can provide a steady stream of goals might be a smart move for David Moyes.

Although he has underperformed somewhat this season, Zapata too has been a consistent goalscorer during his time in Italy.

Just last season he scored 13 times and assisted seven, and during his career for the Bergamo-based club has scored 80 times.

Any reservations regarding his ability to translate his proficiency to the Premier League are somewhat alleviated through his Champions League display against Manchester United at the start of last campaign, where he bullied their defence on his way to scoring and assisting in a 2-2 draw.

The notion from his old teammate Papu Gomez only acts to further liken him to Antonio, as the Argentine had the following to say about the 31-year-old: “Zapata’s shorts look like underwear, he is so big. Sometimes I don’t even want to get close to him in a match because he’s a beast and it hurts. 

“When he is feeling good he’s like a train – you throw the ball forward and ‘ciao!’”

With one physical animal seemingly coming to the end of his career at the London Stadium, perhaps Moyes could look to bring in another who can take his place whilst Scamacca continues to acclimatise.