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Newcastle United have been linked with a move for Christian Pulisic in the January transfer window, and a new update has emerged regarding the player’s future.

What’s the latest?

The Chelsea and USA forward has spoken out about his future at Stamford Bridge, and his comments may have given the Magpies a boost in their pursuit of the player.

The 24-year-old told the Indirect Podcast on Friday: “I mean, right now I’m absolutely back at Chelsea and focused and ready to finish the season, but you know how things work in football. Things change quickly and anything can happen.

“At the moment I am just pushing myself in training and working at Chelsea because that’s where I am right now.”

It would be a major coup

There is no doubt that Eddie Howe must be thrilled with his current squad at St James Park after an outstanding start to their Premier League campaign.

Newcastle are currently third in the table after tasting defeat just once in their first 15 outings, and the Magpies boss will surely be hoping that his team can continue their phenomenal form over the second half of the season and retain their Champions League qualification place inside the top four.

Despite boasting an incredibly in-form squad at St James’ Park, PIF could definitely capitalise on the opportunity to strengthen even further by making new additions in the transfer window next month.

It was reported last week by 90min that the club are still looking at adding a wide attacker to their prolific forward line in January, so the signing of Pulisic would be a major coup for the Tyneside club.

In 133 appearances for Chelsea, the talented winger has scored 26 goals and delivered 21 assists so far, with a goal contribution every 162 minutes despite only averaging 57 minutes per game for the west London club.

Pulisic was also a standout performer for the USA during their World Cup campaign in Qatar, inspiring his team to the round of 16 in the prestigious tournament.

In four World Cup appearances, the £35m-valued ace – who was dubbed “skilful” by Joao Cancelo – scored one goal, registered two assists and created one big chance. He also averaged 2.3 shots, 2.3 key passes, one successful dribble and 4.8 successful duels per game, proving to be a huge presence for his national team.

If Newcastle are keen to add another forward to their squad ahead of the second half of the season, Pulisic could be a great option to provide them with a player who has ample Premier League and Champions League experience and who can make an instant impact at St James’ Park.

Crystal Palace are reportedly interested in signing Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh in January and the youngster could prove to be the next Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Selhurst Park.

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle United, West Ham United and the Eagles are all keen on signing the 20-year-old, although the report suggests that they all see him as an option for the future rather than a first-team-ready signing.

Jesse Marsch’s side are reportedly keen to tie him down to a new contract at Elland Road but he could depart in search of more regular minutes in the first team, as he is currently behind both Rasmus Kristensen and Luke Ayling in the pecking order at Elland Road.

The defender has managed just seven appearances for the Whites’ senior side in his time with the Yorkshire club, but he did impress in a loan spell with Cardiff City in the Championship last season, contributing three assists in 22 appearances for the Welsh side.

Former manager Steve Morison was full of praise for Drameh’s performance and energy levels during his time with the club last season. He said:

“He has been excellent. He was excellent in his first game, he was excellent at Barnsley, it was a right scrap but there were a few things when he was running back and making last-ditch tackles.

“He had a little bit of a down game, the Bristol City game, but outside of that he has been excellent. Having that break in the Liverpool game when he couldn’t play, letting his body catch up on where it needs to be, now he is like a Duracell Bunny, isn’t he? He just keeps going and going.”

Should he arrive at Selhurst Park in January, he would likely compete with Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne for a starting spot in Patrick Vieira’s side, both of whom have shown themselves to be past their best with their performances this season.

The Eagles duo are ranked as the 10th and 16th-best performers at Palace so far this season, while they are 33 and 31 respectively, so it is easy to see why the Frenchman might be keen on a young, long-term heir such as Drameh.

In that respect, the Eagles have never really replaced Wan-Bissaka, since he completed a move to £50m move to Manchester United in 2019 after producing some superb performances at Selhurst Park.

The Englishman only became a regular for Palace in the 2018/19 season when he was 20, so Drameh could definitely follow a similar path should he arrive at Selhurst Park and impress with his performances.

There would certainly be first-team opportunities for the Leeds youngster in Vieira’s side and if he can take his chance and make himself a regular with the south London side, there seems no reason why he can’t be another big sale for the Eagles in the future.

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 find themselves in a three-way Premier League race to land a transfer deal for FC Midtjylland winger Gustav Isaksen, according to reports in the last 48 hours. 

The Lowdown: West Ham’s transfer race

The east London club had a rather bury previous summer transfer window in terms of the number of new players they brought into the club to help strengthen David Moyes’ squad.

Now though, with the January transfer window approaching, it appears as though the Hammers have already identified one potential target they could look to add to their summer haul.

The Latest: A player in demand

According to a recent report from Calciomercato, West Ham are one of the clubs looking to sign Isaksen alongside the likes of Newcastle United and Arsenal, as well as clubs in Italy such as AC Milan and Fiorentina.

It was reported earlier this month that the east London club had been scouting the 21-year-old in action for Midtjylland.

The Verdict: A top talent

Having made 150 appearances for the Danish club across their senior and youth sides, Isaksen has scored 39 goals and delivered 21 assists, highlighting the attacking talent he has.

Hailed as an “incredible” player by journalist Steven Moore, the winger has also shown this attacking talent on the European stage this season by scoring three goals in five Europa League appearances.

In fact, his performances across those five appearances have earned the youngster a solid rating of 7.24/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated player at the club.

Taking all of this into account, it’s easy to see why so many clubs have Isaksen on their radar.

Moving forward, we feel that the Hammers should do all they can to beat their Premier League rivals to the winger’s signature as he could be a very smart investment for the club to make given his age and clear talent.

Newcastle United could well be eyeing yet another late window move, with the Magpies already currently wrapping up the signing of wantaway Everton starlet, Anthony Gordon on a £45m deal.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Rudy Galetti, the Tynesiders are believed to now be in negotiations regarding a swoop for long-term target, James Maddison, with the 26-year-old’s current side, Leicester City, set to demand around £55m if they are to sanction a sale this month.

Writing on Twitter regarding that interest, the transfer insider revealed: “Newcastle are in talks with Leicester for Maddison. NUFC are ready to make the first offer for the AM of around £45m. LCFC want at least £55m (£40m upfront). In case of no agreement, the player will remain a target in the summer.”

This follows reports during the summer that claimed the St James’ Park outfit had made an offer of around £50m for the England international, with the playmaker yet to commit his future to the Foxes with just 18 months to run on his existing deal.

‘Perfect’ for Howe

After what has been a rather quiet window for the top-four hopefuls thus far, it does appear that sporting director Dan Ashworth and manager Eddie Howe are finally beginning to act with deadline day looming, with both Gordon and Maddison potentially on their way to the northeast.

In the case of the latter man, while it may prove difficult to prise the former Norwich City ace from the King Power Stadium mid-season, if a deal can be agreed upon in the coming days it would no doubt be a major boost in Newcastle’s Champions League qualification bid.

The arrival of the one-cap maestro could well provide Howe and co with the creative, midfield spark that they are currently lacking, with regular starters Joe Willock (two goals, two assists) and Sean Longstaff (one goal and two assists) having been rather underwhelming with regards to goal contributions in all competitions this season.

Turning to Maddison – who can also feature on the flanks – could well prove to be a “perfect” signing for the Magpies, according to pundit Gabby Agbonlahor, with the playmaking gem having thrived for Brendan Rodgers’ side of late.

While injury has inhibited the £110k-per-week man’s influence of late, the one-time Aberdeen loanee still boasts a haul of seven goals and four assists in 14 Premier League games this season, with that tally greater than any player in Howe’s squad in the top flight so far this term.

That follows what had been a particularly impressive 2021/22 campaign for the clinical “monster”, as previously lauded by journalist Josh Bunting, with the Coventry-born sensation registering a staggering 30 goal involvements in 53 games in all competitions.

That remarkable consistency has illustrated that Maddison could well be a player that Howe can count on to deliver the goods if he is to make the switch before Tuesday’s deadline, with it potentially set to prove a ‘perfect’ signing both for the club and for the player himself.

West Bromwich Albion could be set to make an exciting young appointment to fill their current managerial vacancy.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail, the Baggies have Rob Edwards as part of a shortlisted that contains plenty of impressive names.

Steve Bruce was sacked just yesterday morning following a string of poor results that had his side sat in the Championship relegation zone.

Among the other names listed in the report are Carlos Corberan and Chris Wilder. Ron Gourlay will have a task on his hands picking wisely from this list.

His man management could be integral

Edwards might be the most progressive name of those noted, and despite his short and ultimately unsuccessful spell for Watford, he earned huge praise for his performances with Forest Green Rovers.

The 39-year-old was handed just 11 games at Vicarage Road, and as is always the way with the Hornets, you are never far from the sack.

At the Green Army, he managed to take a side that had finished in sixth the season prior to promotion into League One, the first time in the club’s history.

His managerial displays led to him receiving the Manager of the Year award for the division.

He has been lauded for his man-management skills during his short time as a head coach and has an ability to build incredible team spirit and a winning atmosphere aided by the confidence he has in his squad.

One of his former players Jamille Matt even noted: “Man management-wise, he’s the best I’ve worked under.”

With a side in such miserable form, likely heavily oppressed during the Bruce regime, a coach like Edwards could completely revitalise a club that had ambitions of a Premier League return this season.

His Watford sacking will likely not count against him due to the trigger-happy nature of their ownership, but he will be keen to jump straight back into management to maintain the momentum of his Forest Green success.

A move to the Hawthorns could be the perfect match, for a side desperate for an upturn in mood and a manager that specialises in such. He would enter with little pressure following his predecessor’s underperformance and could make something really special happen there.

Journalist Peter Rutzler has hailed an ‘encouraging’ full league debut from defender Issa Diop after Fulham ran out 3-2 victors against Nottingham Forest on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Silva’s side succeed…

The Cottagers, taking on fellow newly-promoted side Forest at the City Ground on Friday, climbed to sixth in the Premier League table with a sensational victory.

Three goals in five second-half minutes sealed their comeback from 1-0 down to eventually run out convincing victors away from home, furthering Marco Silva’s impressive start to their first season back in the big time.

Strikes from Tosin Adarabioyo, Joao Palhinha and Harrison Reed cemented Fulham’s win whilst condemning Forest to their fourth loss on the bounce.

The Latest: Rutzler hails ‘encouraging’ Diop debut…

Taking to social media after the west Londoners bagged a brilliant victory, Fulham correspondent Rutzler of The Athletic hailed summer signing Diop for his ‘encouraging’ full debut alongside Tosin in central defence.

The journalist also goes on to suggest his display probably ‘didn’t stand out as much’ and flew under the radar, but it was ‘very good’ nonetheless.

He explained:

“Probably didn’t standout as much but as well as Willian, I thought Diop had a really good debut alongside Tosin. Composed at the back, tidy on the ball and I also didn’t realise he had the shoulder drop in his locker when stepping out from the back… Encouraging.”

The Verdict: Good news…

Signing from West Ham in a £15 million deal, the Frenchman is still just 25-years-old and is currently tied down to a five-year contract.

If Diop can continue putting in a consistent stream of solid defensive performances, the fact he is still fairly young could make this signing look like a real bargain in the long term.

Past endorsements from trophy-laden bosses like Jose Mourinho indicate he is a player of real potential, and judging by Rutzler’s verdict, it appears he is already starting to turn his career around at Craven Cottage after a lacklustre Hammers spell.

Manchester United have suffered a blow in regard to a transfer target that Erik ten Hag was hoping to sign for the club and bolster their midfield options.

What’s the news?

That’s according to Dharmesh Sheth, who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT about Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

The Sky Sports reporter said: “Moises Caicedo is one that I was told about, that Manchester United were interested in and that they were expected to bid for. But I think the response, even before they got to the bidding stage, from Brighton was that he is simply not for sale. To consider anything you were talking upwards of £70 million.”

The price tag was simply too high for Ten Hag to consider bidding upon and he will have to pursue other targets, although missing out on Caicedo could be a mistake.

Caicedo could have been Ten Hag’s own Kante

The Dutchman got off to an ominous start at Old Trafford, with United suffering dreadful defeats to Brighton and Brentford in their opening two Premier League matches of the campaign.

A morale-boosting victory over Liverpool on Monday will hopefully be the catalyst for better things to come, but there are still improvements to be made, especially in the centre of the pitch.

He scores goals galore! Pay homage to one of his best with this amazing t-shirt! Click here to buy…

Caicedo has been compared to Chelsea stalwart N’Golo Kante, with both being noted as excellent box-to-box players with the ability to control possession in the heart of the midfield.

Renowned South American journalist Tim Vickery spoke to talkSPORT last year about the youngster, saying “A year ago, he was talking about Kante of Chelsea being his role model and he is already more than that.”

He also dubbed the Ecuadorian “wonderful”, and Brighton certainly appear to have signed a gem in the making when they clinched a deal for him in early 2021.

In just eight league appearances for Brighton last term, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.04, scoring once (against United, coincidentally) while also registering one assist.

He won 58% of his total duels, completed 70% of his attempted dribbles and made two tackles per match to justify the Kante comparisons, contributing to his team’s defensive and attacking needs.

Journalist Sam Tabuteau described Caicedo as “top-notch”, and while the 20-year-old’s recent performances have been excellent, it surely is only a flavour of the wonderful things that are set to come from him.

West Bromwich Albion have added a couple of new players to their squad since the end of their previous season in the Championship.

One of the earlier deals that they completed saw the Baggies secure a three-year contract for John Swift, who left fellow Championship club Reading as a free agent.

After making 201 appearances for his previous club in which he netted 34 goals and provided 37 assists, the midfielder hit the ground running with the Baggies as he provided the assist for their goal against Middlesbrough on the opening day of the season.

With the end of the summer transfer window on the horizon, the next few weeks could not only give Albion the chance to strengthen their squad but also potentially unearth the next version of Swift at the same time.

One player who has been mentioned with a move to The Hawthorns who has the criteria to do this is Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.

With 57 appearances under his belt for United’s youth teams, the 19-year-old has scored seven goals and supplied 20 assists, which just goes to show how effective he can be in front of goal – similarly to Swift, who showed during his time at Reading how capable he is of scoring and creating goals.

This also shows why Nicky Butt lavished praise on the Red Devils youngster by saying that the Tunisian has “immense talent” in him.

Another similarity between the two players is their versatility to operate in numerous positions across the pitch.

For example, speaking about Mejbri’s versatility, Tunisian Football Federation sporting director Mohamed Slim Ben Othman had this to say about the youngster: “He can play in a lot of positions: he can be a playmaker, he can be a regista (deep-lying playmaker), he can be a defensive midfielder, he can be a winger… but for me, his best position is central midfield.”

As for Swift, he has played in every midfield position possible throughout his career, which will likely have been a big reason why Albion chose to sign him.

Bearing in mind how the Baggies have not been shy when it comes to signing young players on loan from Premier League clubs in the past, such as Conor Gallagher, Harvey Barnes and Tosin Adarabioyo, adding the Old Trafford prodigy to that list could be very beneficial for all parties involved should a deal take place before the transfer window closes.

Glasgow Rangers got their 2022/23 Premiership campaign off to a solid start on Saturday afternoon, securing a 2-1 away victory in their opening game of the new season.

The Gers found themselves behind with just five minutes on the clock after Joel Nouble opened the scoring for Livingston.

Things were starting to look worrying for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s outfit as they were still without a goal by the 70-minute mark.

However, in the space of two minutes, Rangers got themselves ahead thanks to goals from Scott Arfield – after he replaced Glen Kamara in the second half – followed by a goal from captain James Tavernier, who saved the day for the Light Blues.

Despite the victory, there will have been aspects to the game and his side’s performance that Van Bronckhorst will not have been pleased with.

One example could be the performance of summer signing Antonio Colak, who made his league debut for the club following his £1.8m arrival from PAOK earlier this month.

Having played the full 90 minutes of this afternoon’s clash, the striker only managed to have nine touches of the ball in total, which is 20 touches fewer than goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin had.

In those nine touches, the 28-year-old could only register one shot at goal and complete three of the four passes he attempted.

He also managed to catch himself offside on one occasion and commit a foul that saw him pick up a yellow card.

Even though he’s a centre-forward, the Croatian didn’t make a single tackle, interception, block or clearance for his new side.

This debut display ultimately earned the summer arrival a disappointing overall match rating of 6.4 from SofaScore, making him the joint-lowest Rangers player to step foot on the pitch, alongside John Souttar.

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to say that the striker failed the first test given to him by Van Bronckhorst.

However, with it still being extremely early into the season and his time at the club, Colak has time ahead of him to improve and show the Rangers support why the club chose to sign him in the first place.

Although, if he continues putting in performances like he did today and barely gets a touch of the ball, he could well find himself out of the team.

AND in other news: “New deal..”: Reporter drops transfer claim that’ll leave Rangers supporters gutted