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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino vetoed a move for AS Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans, per Belgian media outlet Het Belang van Limburg, via Sport Witness.

According to The Telegraph’s Midlands football reporter John Percy on Twitter, the midfielder is now reportedly poised to move to Leicester City in a loan deal that will see Adrien Silva go the other way, also on loan.

However, the aforementioned report, via Sport Witness, claims that Spurs’ hierarchy were keen on a move for Tielemans, with a purchase option included in any loan deal.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Pochettino, however, is said to have nixed the potential deal, as he was unconvinced by the qualities offered by the Belgian.

Tielemans has won 19 caps for his country, per Transfermarkt, and has been a key member of Monaco’s squad this season, starting a total of 30 games in all competitions and chipping in with five goals.

And it’s fair to say that the news that Pochettino was not keen on the midfielder has not gone down too well on Twitter.

An update has emerged on Newcastle’s transfer plans, regarding Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are eyeing up a potential swoop for the USA international as Eddie Howe plots his targets ahead of the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Italian giants are open to allowing him to leave on loan, which could allow Newcastle to snap him up for the second half of the season.

New Lewis Cook

Howe managed a number of talented players at Bournemouth and one of them was midfielder Lewis Cook, who was previously named in one of Gareth Southgate’s England squads under the 43-year-old’s management.

In McKennie, he could find his new Cook at the base of his midfield. The 23-year-old has played ten games in the Serie A this season, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.74, showing the experience that he already has under his belt at the top level. Howe could look to unlock his full potential, given his young age, and mould him into his new midfield sensation.

Former Schalke coach David Wagner lauded the gem’s ability to play in the number six or eight roles in the midfield. He said:

“He’s an outstanding talent. In the No.6 or No.8 position he has the mentality, a real working mentality that you need. And he’s brave on the ball as well.

“He’s also very good in the air and he’s young, so there is a lot more to come but we’re very happy to have him in our team.”

Wagner mentioned McKennie’s hard-working attitude and Howe once lauded Cook’s work rate for the Cherries. He said:

“He was hugely impressive. He’s missed a lot of football but he has done everything right in his recovery. He has put the yards in. I’ve never seen a player run as much as he has.”

This shows how similar the £37k-per-week Juventus beast is to Howe’s midfield protege at the Vitality Stadium, with their ability to play in the deep-lying anchor role whilst working their socks off for their respective sides.

That is why Howe would love to have McKennie in his squad for the second half of the campaign, which is why PIF must now ensure that they can get a deal over the line for him.

AND in other news, Howe could land dream NUFC signing in £91k-p/w dynamo who “dominates the game”…

After the departure of Dean Smith at Aston Villa, the club’s new manager Steven Gerrard has had the perfect start by winning his first two games in charge.

Despite it still being the early days of his reign at Villa Park, it seems as though they has already identified a new player that they would like to add to Gerrard’s squad.

What’s the word?

In a recent report from Ole (via Sport Witness) Villa have shown their interest in signing River Plate attacker Julian Alvarez after it was previously reported by the same publication that the Argentine club’s vice-president Jorge Brito revealed that the 21-year-old’s representatives recently travelled to England for discussions.

As a product of River Plate’s youth system, Alvarez – who is currently valued at £18m by Transfermarkt – has made a total of 92 appearances for the club across all competitions, scoring 33 goals and providing 23 assists in the process, which is presumably why Villa have such an interest in the attacker.

So far this season, the 21-year-old – who has been likened to former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez in terms of being “hungry” out on the pitch by Sebastian Abreu – has racked up 17 goals and six assists in 18 league appearances.

This hunger can be seen by the fact that Alvarez has averaged 3.3 shots and 2.1 key passes per game in the league, higher for both metrics than what current Villa striker Ollie Watkins has produced in the Premier League this season.

Taking this impressive goalscoring record and his age into account, the Argentine youngster could be a perfect signing for Gerrard as a young goalscorer with immense potential and attitude.

Moving forward, with Villa CEO Christian Purslow recently suggesting that some deals could be made in the upcoming January transfer window as Gerrard looks to make his mark on the team, this could pave a way for the club to make a swoop for Alvarez and keep him out of the clutches of Real Madrid, Inter, AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus and Ajax, who all reportedly have an eye on the Argentine as well.

 In other news: Gerrard could be heading for his first AVFC disaster over £31.5m-rated “absolute joy” 

A report has now revealed that Newcastle United attempted to sign Cole Palmer on loan ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Big future

Coming through the ranks at Manchester City, there is no doubt that Palmer has a big future ahead of him.

He has scored goals for fun at youth level, and has since earned call-ups to the senior team, despite being just 19 years of age.

He is a player that Pep Guardiola is especially fond of, having dubbed him ‘exceptional’ and a ‘talent’ with ‘special quality’ when he gets in front of the net (talkSPORT).

However, with the array of talent that City have at their disposal, a loan move away could suit Palmer as he aims to develop quicker by playing more regular football.

The Latest: Attempt rejected

The Athletic have now revealed that the Sky Blues have ‘knocked back’ an attempt from the St. James’ Park faithful to take Palmer on loan for the rest of the season.

Representatives of the North East club ‘suggested’ the idea of a loan deal, but were told that the striker is in Guardiola’s plans for the next few months.

The Verdict: Shame

It is certainly a shame that the Tyneside outfit now look set to miss out on bringing Palmer in, given the circumstances that they currently find themselves in.

A loan move would have suited them, as if the worst case scenario happened and they were to find themselves relegated from the Premier League down to the Championship at the end of the term, then Palmer could have just been sent back to the Etihad Stadium.

Callum Wilson is by far their top scorer this campaign with six goals, and has not really been helped by his fellow strikers.

Nonetheless, Palmer has shown that he knows where the back of the net is, and could have aided Wilson in that sense to get as many goals as needed to stay up.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ ace NUFC are now ‘most likely’ to sign here!

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side will be looking to return to winning ways as they head into Scottish Cup action on Friday night.

They were held to a 1-1 draw by Aberdeen in the Premiership earlier this week and now come up against League Two outfit Stirling Albion.

This match could be an opportunity for a number of fringe players to get welcome minutes and for others to find their confidence following the frustrating draw with the Dons.

How many changes will Van Bronckhorst make from Tuesday night? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make seven alterations to the side from the draw at Pittodrie, with Jon McLaughlin, Leon Balogun, Jack Simpson, Cedric Itten, Fashion Sakala, Alex Lowry and John Lundstram all coming in.

Starting off between the sticks, McLaughlin could get the nod to enjoy some minutes after a lengthy spell out of the team. He has not played a competitive game for Rangers since 9 December against Lyon, and this is the perfect chance to bring him back in for a match.

Van Bronckhorst could also swap out his two first-choice centre-backs, Connor Goldson and Calvin Bassey, to start Balogun and Simpson for the same reason. The aforementioned duo have started every game under the Dutchman and could be rested for this cup clash.

The Scotsman have reported that Lowry will be given his first-team bow in this game and we are predicting that it will come from the start. The 18-year-old could be handed the opportunity to show what he can do over the course of 90 minutes at senior level, which could be an audition for his chance to play in the Premiership between now and the end of the season.

Lundstram could then come in alongside him in place of Glen Kamara, with James Sands keeping his spot in the XI. The American, who joined from New York City FC this month, could need additional minutes to build relationships with his new team-mates, which is why he could start tonight.

In the frontline, Sakala and Itten could both be played from the start in order to help them find some form in front of goal. They both came off the bench in the draw at Aberdeen, and Van Bronckhorst could axe Alfredo Morelos and Scott Wright from the team.

The Colombian endured a difficult night against the Dons and could be axed from the XI as a result. The £33k-per-week gem was not at his best, so handing him a rest here could be a shrewd call by the head coach.

AND in other news, “He is the one”: Journalist delivers big Rangers transfer claim which will get fans excited…

Everton should sack Rafael Benitez and replace him with Wayne Rooney, according to ex-talkSPORT broadcaster and independent Toffees shareholder Mike Parry. 

The lowdown

The  Merseysiders were beaten 3-1 by Crystal Palace on Sunday, their eighth loss in 12 matches. Since beating Burnley 3-1 in mid-September, they have the worst record of any team in the Premier League.

Reports have suggested that the Toffees are lining up potential successors, with Spanish outlet Fichajes claiming in late November that Denmark boss Kasper Hjumland is on their radar.

Current Derby County manager Rooney made his Premier League breakthrough as a player at Everton and bagged 28 goals in 117 appearances across two spells for the club either side of a 13-year stint at Manchester United.

The Rams appear destined for relegation to League One after being hit with a combined 21-point deduction due to financial problems. With nearly half of the season gone, they find themselves a full 17 points from safety.

The latest

Parry took to Twitter to address supporters after the defeat at Selhurst Park, writing: “I hate it where we are.”

“If I make a representation to the board that we should exit Rafa Benitez and APPOINT WAYNE ROONEY as our new manager with Dunc [assistant Duncan Ferguson] already in place, would you support me?”

The verdict

Does Rooney have the credentials to take the reins at Goodison Park? He has been Derby’s permanent manager for 48 matches now, winning only 13 (27%), drawing 14 and losing 21.

However, it’s important to acknowledge that he has been steering the club through stormy waters. They entered administration in September and there’s even a risk they might go out of business as they continue to search for a buyer (via BBC Sport).

Former QPR and Crystal Palace midfielder Shaun Derry says it’s testament to Rooney’s ‘incredible character’ that he has stuck around at Pride Park despite the hugely challenging circumstances.

Elsewhere, former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson has described the 36-year-old as a ‘big gun’ who ‘has everything to become a big manager’, and Ben Olsen, his one-time coach at DC United, has noted that the ex-Toffees striker enjoys the ‘chess’ aspect of the game.

Those are some pretty glowing endorsements, so perhaps there is credence to Parry’s recommendation of him to replace the under-fire Benitez.

In other news, many Everton fans slammed this man’s display against Palace

Lots of West Ham United fans have been left flocking to an official update from the club.

As per the Irons’ official website, Dmitri Halajko has now left his role as Academy of Football’s U23s Lead Coach to take up a youth and coaching development role at the Premier League.

It means that former Hammers midfielder Mark Robson will now take up the vacant position within the London Stadium.

The club thanked Halajko for his ‘excellent’ work since joining them in 2019, which has seen them finish an impressive sixth in the Premier League last season and currently third place in the 2021/22 campaign (Transfermarkt).

He has also helped with the emergence of Declan Rice and Ben Johnson from the academy, two players who have been regulars in the first team this seasom.

West Ham fans on Halajko news

These Irons supporters flocked to the news as it was shared on Twitter, expressing how gutted they were that Halajko was leaving:

“Great to see Robson back but have to feel like Dmitri is a big loss”

Credit: @LeePeryer

“What happened to Dmitri? Thought he was very good.”

Credit: @whuden

“Congratulations to Mark, I wish him the best of luck. He’s inherited a very good team. Dmitri is going to be a massive miss. He’s made the Academy Of Football something it’s not been for 15-20 years.”

Credit: @AranNicol1994

“Shame, Halajko always seemed to do a very good job”

Credit: @riobeare

“Best wishes Dmitri, Academy really improved again under him, gonna be a big miss”

Credit: @rickwhufc

“Gonna miss Dmitri”

Credit: @whujoe

In other news, find out what transfer news has had these West Ham fans talking

An update has emerged on an Ibrox transfer target, with a club from a top European league joining Rangers in the race for his services in the January window…

What’s the talk?

According to TuttoAtalanta, Serie A side Atalanta are now showing an interest in Gers target Danilho Doekhi and want to sign him when his contract with Vitesse expires in the summer.

The report claims that they have been in contact with the player over a potential pre-contract agreement this month to take him to Italy ahead of next season.

Livid

Gio van Bronckhorst could be headed for a disaster with this news as Rangers fans will be livid with the club if they end up missing out on a deal for Doekhi because they have not moved quickly enough.

The Gers are reportedly keen on tying him down to a pre-contract, which would alleviate any need to pay a transfer fee or negotiate with Vitesse for his services, but it remains to be seen how far advanced they are in their efforts to do so and this update could put them behind in the race.

Rangers must now react to Atalanta’s interest by intensifying their efforts to sign the Dutch beast as he could be an excellent signing.

Doekhi has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.01 in the Eredivisie this season and Thomas Letsch, manager of his current club, once lavished praise on the 22-year-old, saying: “Danilho is extremely important. He is one of the best centre-backs of the Eredivisie.

“Of course there is more talk about Oussama Tannane, Riechedly Bazoer and the attacking players. But it is very important for the team that you are stable and prevent goals. Everyone is responsible for that, but Doekhi, Jacob Rasmussen and also Tomas Hajek do a super job.

“He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed at the highest level in every game. Danilho makes almost no mistakes and is an absolute team player, a very calm player. flat developed. He coaches other players very well. He is calmer than other players and perhaps that makes him less noticeable, but he is the reserve captain for a reason.”

This highlights his impressive form in the Netherlands and illustrates why fans will be gutted if the club are unable to secure a deal for his services. A defender who ‘makes almost no mistakes’ sounds like a player the supporters would love to see at Ibrox as it suggests that he is a reliable player who van Bronckhorst could trust to do a job week-in-week-out, which is why Atalanta landing him could be a disaster.

AND in other news, “Decision” imminent: Journo drops big Rangers transfer claim that’ll excite Ibrox fans…

Celtic may have romped to a 7-0 defeat last weekend but it wasn’t a victory without negatives for Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops.

That’s because both David Turnbull and Giorgos Giakoumakis came away from the clash with injuries.

What’s the word?

With Celtic six points ahead of Rangers in the race for the Premiership title, ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a big blow.

However, the two sides now meet again in the Scottish Cup semi-finals on Sunday, meaning that missing either of them could prove significant.

Fortunately, there is slim hope over Giakoumakis being fit enough to play with Postecoglou teasing that the problem didn’t look too bad.

He said: “Nothing concrete yet. Again, we’re still waiting for the final scans on it.

“Hopefully, it’s not too bad. He feels like it’s not too bad, but until we get the information we won’t know.”

A boost for the Hoops?

Although the severity of the problem is uncertain, it’s a relief to Celtic supporters and indeed the manager that he hasn’t been ruled out entirely.

After all, the Greek has been superb since establishing himself as a key cog in the wheel of their side during 2022.

Giakoumakis already has two hat-tricks this calendar year, bagging 13 goals in all competitions.

It has been an injury-hit spell for the forward since moving to Glasgow last summer but he has proven his fitness of late and terrorised Premiership defences in the process.

With Kyogo Furuhashi only just returning from his own period on the sidelines, it will be vital to have a fit and firing Giakoumakis in the side.

Of course, the comeback of Kyogo would soften the blow of losing another forward but it’s hardly ideal for the manager if he can’t call upon someone who has been so impressive of late.

Celtic have already won one domestic honour this term and a win on Sunday would boost their chances of winning the treble. Therefore, it’s crucial that their powerful Greek can play a part.

AND in other news, Ange is starting to unearth Celtic’s new Stuart Armstrong in “silky” £405k-rated gem…

Manchester United have had a difficult season so far and now face a challenge to qualify for the Champions League next season, but they may have just had another setback to their season as Fabrizio Romano delivers some bad news from the World Cup qualifiers.

What’s the word?

The popular transfer insider revealed that Man United striker Edinson Cavani has picked up an injury during international duty for Uruguay.

Romano tweeted: “Bad news for Manchester United as Edinson Cavani leaves the pitch with an injury during Uruguay game.”

Worrying for United

Despite lacking in game time for Manchester United this season due to the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ralf Rangnick will surely be worried that the attacker won’t be able to provide depth as an option for the team in the front line ahead of their desperate chase for a top four spot this season.

The 35-year-old has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, but has also been on the receiving end of numerous injury issues this term which has led to reduced game time, but there is no doubt that when he has been available for selection that he has been a reliable attacking threat in the team.

Cavani has scored 19 goals and delivered seven assists for his Man United team-mates in 56 appearances over the last two campaigns, with a goal involvement every 113 minutes. The majority of his contributions at the club led them to a second place finish last season under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, scoring ten Premier League goals.

With that being said, in the moments where Rangnick’s side may be in need of a late goal, having Cavani as an option off the bench to come on and deliver would have been advantageous to the Man United boss over the remaining Premier League fixtures.

They cannot afford to drop points in their pursuit of top four with Arsenal and Spurs bringing tight competition to the Red Devils.

According to Manchester Evening News, the extent of the injury is currently unknown, however it seems unlikely Cavani will feature against Leicester at Old Trafford this weekend.

In other news: Rangnick must wield the axe on “embarrassing” £180k-p/w MUFC dud this summer – opinion