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An update has emerged on Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, regarding Newcastle United’s interest in his services…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope and Simon Jones, the Magpies are discussing a potential deal to sign the forward before the end of the current window.

His contract at the Camp Nou expires in the summer and the Toon could snap him up now to hand Barcelona the chance to cash in on him before it is too late.

Shades of Ben Arfa & Ronaldo

Newcastle could find Hatem Ben Arfa 2.0 in Dembele as they are both players who love to dribble with the ball and take defenders out of the game with their fancy footwork and tricks.

The ex-Magpies attacker, who currently plays for Lille, has a career average of 4.1 key passes and dribbles per game and this shows his willingness to cause chaos in the final third with his dribbling and passing.

Dembele, meanwhile, has a career average of 4.0 in the same statistics. This shows that they have a similar play style and both produce moments of magic in matches for the fans to enjoy. Thus, the Newcastle supporters would surely love to see another left-footed Frenchman dribbling past players in the Premier League, even if they already have the right-footed Allan Saint-Maximin to enjoy.

Rennes sporting director Mikael Silvestre once compared him to a young version of a current Premier League attacker. He said: “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo arrive at the same age at Manchester United, and Ousmane has the same characteristics, which remind me of a young Cristiano.”

Barcelona legend and current PSG forward Lionel Messi also previously praised the winger, saying:

“On the pitch (Dembele) is a phenomenon and it depends on him (how good he becomes). He has all the opportunity in the world to do what he wants. He can be one of the best.

“On the other hand, he’s a young guy who is adapting to the city and the club. The less you speak about it, the better. It’s necessary to leave him so he can be calm.”

The £27m-rated gem has 31 goals and 23 assists in 129 matches for Barcelona, showing that he is capable of delivering in the final third at the top level. Couple this with his Ben Arfa and Ronaldo-like ability to create chances and beat opposition defenders with trickery and you have the makings of what could be an excellent signing for Newcastle.

AND in other news, Howe could find his own “Vidic” as NUFC plot move for £32m “extraordinary” colossus…

Glasgow Rangers fans are livid with Castore’s latest mistake, which has been doing the rounds on social media.

The Gers are currently embarking on their second season with Castore as their kit manufacturer. The first campaign was magnificent on the pitch as Rangers won the Premiership title, the 55th in their history, but the Liverpool-based company had their troubles, with there being complaints of damaged kits from Gers supporters who had purchased the shirts (The Scottish Sun).

Now, another mistake appears to have occurred. A fan has shared a photo of a piece of club merchandise which has the sponsor Unibet printed the wrong way round – not exactly what the Gers will have been hoping for when they signed off on the five-year deal with Castore (The Scotsman).

The photo was shared on Twitter by @EmpireFF, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Castore news below

“Castore are genuinely one of the worst football brands out there.”

Credit: @helander55

“Castore need to go”

Credit: @Euan_Sheppard

“Brutal. How long is the contract again?”

Credit: @Jed_Bartlet

“Even the most staunch Castore fan wouldn’t be able to defend that. Overpriced dross.”

Credit: @levi_stubbs

“Clearly we’re mugs”

Credit: @glasgowsportsfa

“We will be rid of them at some point. They were a necessary step in getting out from Ashley. With the sales figures we post there will be plenty of interest from more reliable brands who are happy to deal without all the legal risk that they would have had before.”

Credit: @GrantRfc89

In other news, this man reveals his Rangers regret.

Erkut Sogut, the agent of Everton striker Cenk Tosun, has revealed it will not be long before the forward returns to full training with the Toffees.

The Lowdown: Difficult time

A loan move to Besiktas appeared to be rejuvenating Tosun – he scored three goals in three games for the Turkish outfit last term in the league (Transfermarkt).

However, disaster struck when he ruptured his Patella – that was in April, and he has not played a game of football since.

The Latest: Tosun close to return

However, Sogut has provided a positive update on the 30-year-old. He told Fanatik:

“I hope Cenk Tosun will return to the field even stronger, as soon as possible. For this, he continues to work day and night with his private trainer. He has started running and will start training with the ball at his club, Everton, in a few weeks.

“[Tosun] is also very happy to be joining his friends at Everton again. He has one more year [on his] contract and will do his best on the field. The success of Everton is very important for Cenk.

“He is counting down the days to return to the national team as soon as possible and fight with his friends on the field to participate in the World Cup. Participating in the World Cup in Qatar is very important for both Turkey and Cenk.”

The Verdict: Future at Goodison Park?

For Tosun’s career, this is obviously great news. He will be eager to get back on the pitch as quickly as possible and get back to his best after such a long spell on the sidelines.

However, whether that will come at Goodison Park remains to be seen. After all, he has just 11 strikes in 58 games for the club after making the switch for £27m in 2018 (Sky Sports).

After all, the Toffees do have a few options available following the signing of Salomon Rondon. Tosun does have plenty of ability judging by his displays for his national side, but whether he can force his way into Rafael Benitez’s plans when he does return is a different matter entirely.

In other news, Everton fans were livid with this international break news.

Simon Zekaria has dropped a controversial reveal involving beIN Sports and the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: CAT revelations

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) hearing between the Tyneside club and the Premier League over the stalled takeover deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group finally got underway on Wednesday morning.

As cited by The Daily Telegraph, the St James’ Park club were quite astonishingly threatened with expulsion from the top flight, and their separate arbitration case against the division will now take place on 3 January 2022.

The Latest: Zekaria on beIN

Journalist Zekaria has now revealed that St James Holdings Ltd (SJHL), the company owned by Mike Ashley who bought the CAT claim, have alleged that beIN Sports pressurised the Premier League to block the proposed takeover on Tyneside while discussing a three-year broadcasting rights deal to 2025.

He said: “I have learnt that SJHL’s competition claim alleges that beIN Sports pressurised the PL to block the sale of @NUFC while negotiating a three-year broadcasting rights deal to 2025.”

The Verdict: Controversial

Given that the KSA’s issue with piracy and the illegal streaming of games in the Premier League was reportedly suggested to be key in the delay of the takeover, it is not a surprise to hear that Qatari broadcaster beIN allegedly pressurised the top flight to block the sale.

However, it does not make it any less controversial, as decisions on the takeover should not be influenced by outside parties.

It will no doubt be interesting to see what the arbitration proceedings bring in terms of the direction of where the takeover bid is now heading.

In other news, one Newcastle player’s performance against Wolves has come in for criticism

Some Wolves fans have been left raging as a transfer update emerged on Patrick Cutrone.

As per Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the striker is set to leave the Midlands club on loan again, this time to Empoli.

Cutrone has not had the best of times at Molineux, scoring just three goals in 28 matches in total over all competitions across the last two terms (Transfermarkt), and he has been shipped out on loan to both Fiorentina and Valencia.

However, given the bad head injury that Raul Jimenez picked up last November, which subsequently ruled him out for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign, Bruno Lage may want to think about keeping him if he cannot sell him on a permanent deal to raise funds for other moves, as it would leave his team pretty short up top.

Either way, another loan deal is not really one that suits the Wanderers at this moment in time.

Wolves fans on Cutrone transfer update

These WWFC supporters raged as the exit news was shared on Twitter:

“This transfer window has gone horribly”

Credit: @Edwardtxylor

“Nooooooo”

Credit: @wwfcglover

“Here we go again”

Credit: @Gialadesign

“This window is dreadful Jesus Christ”

Credit: @sabrinajg11

“What?”

Credit: @BVitler

“We were told we have to sell to buy, so we loan someone out when our squad needs new players urgently. Gonna be a long season.”

Credit: @Tombird63

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers fuming here!

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some transfer news on Jack Simpson.

As per The Daily Record, the Ibrox faithful could let him leave on loan once the January transfer window opens, with a number of clubs in the English Championship thought to be interested in his signature.

Simpson has barely featured at all over the past two seasons for the Teddy Bears, with just four games played in total over all competitions so far this term (central defenders that they have at their disposal, it may be a wise idea just to get him off of the wage bill.

Moreover, some of his performances this campaign have been far from flattering, and so an exit could be best for all parties.

Nonetheless, the money gained could then be used to help fund other signings for other priority positions in the winter market.

Rangers fans on Simpson transfer news

These supporters of the Light Blues were left buzzing as the transfer news on Simpson was shared across Twitter:

“I’ll drive him down south myself – Stevie G’s biggest mistake.”

Credit: @BobMacCallum1

“I’ll pay for him to leave”

Credit: @morvenatkinson9

“I’ll lock him in my boot and drive him.”

Credit: @Baldy_Barisic

“Happy Thursday x”

Credit: @paula2561

“Happy New Year”

Credit: @johnnywasajunky

“Start the engine”

Credit: @kennygrfc

In other news, find out what club update has Gers buzzing here!

An encouraging update has emerged on the future of Robin Koch at Leeds United this week…

What’s the word?

Ahead of the winter World Cup later this year, reports have surfaced linking the versatile German defender with a move away from Elland Road as hasn’t been afforded the game time he would’ve liked this season, though that has largely been due to injuries.

Football Insider claim the Yorkshire giants will listen to offers for the 25-year-old in the summer as they plot an overhaul of the squad.

However, according to the ever-reliable Phil Hay of The Athletic, he’s heard nothing to suggest that this could be the case – speaking on a recent episode of his podcast show, he said:

“I’ve always liked Koch’s game, I think that there’s a very, very good player there he’s just a player who hasn’t been fit enough and hasn’t been in the team enough.

“I’ve heard nothing from Leeds to say that they would look at moving him on in the summer, but I did see the reports earlier this week. As with quite a few players, it’s going to be quite interesting, isn’t it this window.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

Marsch boost

Indeed, Koch has been restricted to only 12 league starts throughout 2021/22 but he missed the bulk of the start of the season with a hip injury before picking up an illness and then a concussion.

He did feature from the off during Saturday’s 3-0 win over relegation rivals Watford as he was a surprise inclusion over Adam Forshaw, featuring in defensive midfield with skipper Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente in the backline.

It is clear, however, that Marsch does like the German international as he was selected over the likes of Pascal Struijk, the returning Leo Hjelde, Charlie Cresswell and even Kalvin Phillips down at Vicarage Road.

The 6 foot 4 colossus, who has been likened to Javi Martinez, cost the Whites around £13m in the summer of 2020 and could prove to be a solid option under the American head coach going forward due to his ball-playing ability.

Once dubbed a “warrior” by his former Freiburg coach Christian Streich, the eight-time Germany international made 86.2% of his passes last season, where he enjoyed more minutes on the pitch.

Leeds could well lose several big stars this off-season with the likes of Raphinha, Kalvin Phillips, Illan Meslier and Jack Harrison all linked with exits, so to lose Koch on top of that would certainly be a blow, irrespective of how little he’s played in comparison to that quartet.

Hay’s comments surely put an end to rumours that Leeds could lose out on another key player heading into next season. Marsch needs to keep hold of everyone he can, so this good news will surely provide him with plenty of encouragement ahead of a busy summer.

AND in other news, Hay drops Brenden Aaronson transfer update…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United transfer target Stefan de Vrij, regarding his future at Inter…

What’s the talk?

According to Calcio Mercato, the Italian giants are plotting their future with Alessandro Bastoni and Milan Skriniar, with no final decision made on extending the Dutchman’s contract.

The report claims that he could be sold to make way for younger players to come in, allowing Inter to build for the years to come.

Major issue

Magpies boss Eddie Howe could solve a major issue at the club by securing a deal to sign de Vrij from the Serie A side in January.

After 12 Premier League games, Newcastle have 0 clean sheets and 27 goals conceded – with zero wins to their name as they sit rooted to the bottom of the table. They have conceded 2.3 goals per game on average, highlighting the defensive problems Howe needs to resolve in order to get the club out of trouble before the end of the season.

De Vrij, who was previously hailed as a “monster” by his former teammate Mauricio, could be a terrific addition to help solve this issue due to his experience at the top level. Last season, Inter kept 11 clean sheets in his 30 starts and he averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.03, which came after he averaged a score of 7.05 and helped to keep nine clean sheets the previous campaign.

He was once compared to Juventus and Italy beast Leonardo Bonucci by ex-Inter, and current Spurs, manager Antonio Conte too, who said:

“The growth of this team comes from assimilating certain concepts. Stefan [de Vrij], like Bonucci, becomes an important player because they must inevitably leave him room. Stefan is doing well. My defenders must be the first to rely on, even Godin had made assists against Udinese. We have to try it.”

These comments from Conte and his statistics in the last two seasons highlight the quality he could bring to St. James’ Park as a defender. The £116k-per-week earner has played well over 200 times for Lazio and Inter combined and has shown that he can perform to a high level on a consistent basis, which is why he could come in and lift Newcastle’s defence in the second half of the season.

His presence could lead to clean sheets and points on the board in the Premier League, as he has proven he can help to keep shutouts in the Serie A, and this could go some way to solving a major issue for Howe. It is now down to the ex-Bournemouth boss and PIF to ensure that they can get a deal over the line for the Netherlands international.

AND in other news, Paid £12m, now worth £4.5m: Newcastle had howler with dud accused of trying to “cheat”…

Manchester United correspondent Jamie Jackson has pinned the blame on the ‘ponderous’ Nemanja Matic for Everton’s goal in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat. 

The lowdown

United suffered a shock loss against the relegation-threatened Toffees following Anthony Gordon’s 27th-minute strike.

The result leaves them three points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur, having played a game more than Antonio Conte’s side.

Ralf Rangnick elected to restore Matic to the starting line-up after naming him amongst the substitutes last time out against Leicester City.

The manager paired the 33-year-old Serbian with Fred in his two-man midfield.

But Matic was dispossessed by Everton midfielder Allan in the attacking half, and The Toffees proceeded to launch the attack that led to Gordon’s goal.

The latest

Jackson, who covers United for The Guardian, felt Matic had been punished for dwelling on the ball.

“All from Matic, more ponderous than a pond,” he tweeted after the goal.

The verdict

It was a difficult 65 minutes for Matic at Goodison Park before Juan Mata replaced him.

He lost three of the four ground duels he contested and also conceded possession 14 times overall (via SofaScore).

Of all the United players on the pitch, only Marcus Rashford (seven) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (four) came off second best in more ground duels than the midfielder.

You could argue, however, that he wasn’t solely to blame the goal that Everton scored.

Indeed, The Athletic’s Adam Crafton suggested that Harry Maguire’s attempt to block the shot was ‘really bad’, with the ball cannoning off the Englishman and beyond David de Gea.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped this manager insight.