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West Brom have reportedly named their price for Newcastle to sign Salomon Rondon permanently this summer, and the Magpies have a couple of tricks up their sleeve that will work in their favour.

What’s the story?

According to The Northern Echo, the Baggies have slapped a £16m price tag on Rondon, who has been on loan at Newcastle since last summer.

The powerful Venezuelan international swapped the Hawthorns for St. James’ Park in a deal that saw Dwight Gayle move the other way.

The deal has worked out well for both parties, with Gayle once again proving his worth in the Championship with 16 goals, while Rondon has been a huge hit on Tyneside with both the fans and the manager.

According to the report, the Baggies will look to sell Rondon and are hoping for a bidding war, but the success of both Gayle and Jacob Murphy on loan at the Midlands outfit might just give the Magpies the upper hand.

Is he worth it?

After an injury delayed his campaign somewhat, Rondon has now scored six league goals and added three assists this season, and he is also winning a whopping 4.7 aerial duels per game.

The 29 year-old is by no means the most technically gifted striker in the league, but he has certainly shown he is far more than just a target man.

In fact, you could even argue that the striker is Newcastle’s most important creator as well as goalscorer given how often he initiates attacks by holding up the ball and finding a positive pass, though that may change when Miguel Almiron gets up to speed.

Rafael Benitez is clearly very fond of the striker, and he should definitely pull the trigger if he gets the go-ahead from Mike Ashley.

Another swap deal?

Of course, getting the green light from Ashley is always the major sticking point on Tyneside, but the club does have two aces up their sleeve in Gayle and Murphy.

If West Brom do not get promoted, the pair’s Championship experience and current form should surely tempt them to negotiate a swap deal for Rondon, which would see the Venezuelan’s fee greatly reduced, if not erased completely.

£16m is a lot of money for a player who will turn 30 at the beginning of next season, but the club can play a blinder by using two players who simply aren’t up to the Premier League standard.

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte could be on his way out of north London at the end of the season.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claimed that, despite having only been appointed at Spurs last November, the 52-year-old could be in line for a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, with the Ligue 1 leaders seemingly set to part ways with current manager Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the campaign.

The report added that, even if the former Inter Milan manager doesn’t go on to join PSG, he could still move on to pastures new prior to the end of his current deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a return to his homeland said to always be on the cards for the Italian.

Partici must avoid Conte disaster

While it is true that life at Tottenham has not exactly got off to the best of starts for Conte, the argument that losing the 52-year-old at the end of the season would be a disaster for Fabio Paratici and Spurs is nevertheless an easy one to make.

Indeed, having won 15, drawn three and lost nine of the 27 games he has managed at Tottenham, the club’s form under the Italian can certainly be improved. It seems to have done in recent weeks, with Spurs having picked up 12 from a possible 15 points in their last five Premier League outings.

The longer that Conte remains in north London, the more accustomed the Tottenham players will become to the tactical instruction of the former Italy manager, which considering his impressive trophy haul can only be good for the club.

Furthermore, Paratici brought in Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski in the January transfer window, both of whom are quite clearly Conte-style signings. Therefore, should the 52-year-old ultimately leave Spurs after just seven months, the club’s next manager would more than likely have his own targets, potentially making Tottenham’s considerable outlay on the former Juventus duo redundant.

As such, it is clear to see that losing the £15m-per-year (£288k-per-week) coach who Pep Guardiola dubbed a “master” would be a devastating blow to everyone involved with Tottenham – and something Paratici must do all he can to avoid.

AND in other news: Conte can unearth his next 243-goal talent in THFC prodigy who “runs over every blade”

Many Sunderland fans have been left gushing over transfer news involving Jack Clarke.

As per the club’s official website, the winger has now joined from Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the rest of the season.

At 21 years of age, Clarke has already shown so much promise throughout his career, starting off at Leeds United, where he won the club’s Young Player of the Year award after bagging two goals and two assists in their 2018/19 Championship season.

He has also played on loan for Stoke City and QPR as well as parent club Spurs, and he racked up six caps for England at under-20 level (Transfermarkt), further showing his credentials at a young age.

Nonetheless, he is a signing which has prompted glee among many of the Stadium of Light faithful.

Sunderland fans on Clarke transfer news

These Sunderland supporters were ecstatic as the transfer news was dropped on Twitter, with a couple claiming that they were ‘buzzing’, while another went as far as to call it an ‘unreal’ signing:

“Another top quality attacking signing. Career has stagnated, but this is chance to remind everyone of his ability and kickstart his career and prove a point in a league lower than his level. A striker, LB and physical CM and that is the perfect window for me.”

Credit: @Ian_Crow3

“Unbelievable signing, buzzing, haway the lads”

Credit: @DanielpSafc

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @paulthomase

“Buzzing with that”

Credit: @AbsGlasper

“What a signing, we are so clear”

Credit: @chleclerc_

“Unreal signing”

Credit: @1999WasHere

In other news, find out what other transfer update has left these Black Cats fans buzzing

With Newcastle United 19th in the Premier League and deep in a relegation dogfight, Eddie Howe will be desperate to acquire as many signings this window as possible with the backing of PIF.

One particular area of weakness for the Magpies is in midfield, which could do with some major reinforcements. Having recently been linked with a potential loan move for Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, the Tyneside club should now swoop for the Dutchman.

What’s the latest?

According to the Manchester Evening News, Van de Beek has been offered to Newcastle as well as Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund for the remainder of the season.

The 24-year-old is still struggling for game time at Old Trafford under interim boss Ralf Rangnick, having made just 14 appearances all season for the Red Devils. Since joining from Dutch giants Ajax in September 2020, Van de Beek has made just 50 appearances for United, despite glimpses of brilliance and potential runs in the team.

After a Champions League win over Istanbul Basaksehir last season, the midfielder received plenty of plaudits, with former United player Owen Hargreaves stating: “I thought Van de Beek was close to perfect. He is so unselfish, he can just fit in and play the right balls everywhere.”

However, as a result of his lack of club game time, the midfielder has also lost his place in the Netherlands setup. Van de Beek has failed to make the last three Oranje squads and, with the World Cup in November, he will be desperate for regular football to regain his place under Louis van Gaal.

Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t seem likely to get it at Manchester United, so a loan move may be the best solution. If he is to become available, then Eddie Howe must swoop for the 24-year-old’s signature.

Howe must swoop for Van de Beek

To say that Newcastle are currently in a predicament is an understatement. The Tyneside club are deep in a relegation battle and kicked off the New Year with a 1-0 home defeat to League One side Cambridge United in the FA Cup, despite fielding a relatively strong team.

The lack of quality midfield options will certainly be a cause for concern for Howe, but also makes it clear for the Englishman where he needs to add players this window.

The likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock have had underwhelming campaigns thus far, with the trio totalling a combined three goal involvements in 40 Premier League appearances. That sort of output from three midfield players needs to be improved.

Back when Van de Beek was playing regularly at Ajax, he recorded 14 or more goal involvements in three successive Eredivisie seasons, also netting five Champions League goals in that time. Those figures suggest that he would be a major upgrade on the likes of Shelvey, Longstaff and Willock.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, a loan move for the Dutch midfielder may be sensible for the short-term. However, should Newcastle survive in the top flight and the Red Devils keep failing to offer him regular game-time, then a permanent move to St James’ Park may prove possible.

AND in other news, Newcastle are also eyeing a move for this player who’s been dubbed the “new Vidic”

A big update has emerged regarding Rangers striker Cedric Itten and his involvement at Ibrox in the forthcoming months…

What’s the latest?

The Gers have announced their squad for the knockout stages of the Europa League and they have decided to leave the Switzerland international off the list.

He has been omitted from the squad to face Borussia Dortmund alongside the likes of Filip Helander, Jack Simpson and Ianis Hagi. They have made this call in order to bring January signings Aaron Ramsey, James Sands and Amad Diallo into the mix, although new right-back Mateusz Zukowski has missed out.

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news, as it means that Itten will be unable to play against the Bundesliga giants later this month. The £12.5k-per-week centre-forward has been a disaster in the Premiership since Giovanni van Bronckhorst opted to recall him from his loan spell with Greuther Furth in Germany.

In two starts against Livingston and Ross County, the attacker left plenty to be desired from his performances. Across the two matches, he lost 10 of his 13 individual duels and had just 51 touches of the ball whilst failing to manage a single goal or assist.

This shows that he has been far from good enough since his return to Ibrox, which is why fans will be buzzing with the fact that he will not be in contention to play in the Europa League this month,

Incidentally, Itten started against Dortmund in a Bundesliga game earlier this season and was dismal. As per SofaScore, he lost three of his four individual battles (75%) and completed just five passes before being substituted at half-time, with his team going on to lose the match 3-0.

This display is in line with what he has been delivering at Rangers since his return and indicates a pattern which suggests he does not deserve to be starting for the club. He is too weak in his duels and does not contribute enough in the final third to make up for the other issues in his game, which is why it is the right decision to exclude him from the squad.

Van Bronckhorst will still be able to call upon him in the Premiership but the attacker will need to show a massive upturn in form to prove that he is worthy of regular game-time in the coming months. As it stands, his performances have been woeful and the supporters will surely be delighted with his omission for the Europa League.

AND in other news, Forget Barisic: Rangers nightmare who lost 70% duels must never start again for Van Bronckhorst…

West Bromwich Albion had a game to forget today against Cardiff City at the Hawthorns, with an explosive ending to the clash when the final whistle prompted chaos from the bench, as Valerien Ismael ran onto the pitch to criticise a decision made on a penalty shout in the last moments.

Ismael’s furious reaction to the referee’s decision not to give a penalty in favour of the home side, ensued chaos on the pitch as both West Brom and Cardiff City players engaged in a brawl, that saw Sam Johnstone and Aden Flint receive red cards.

Newly returned Alex Mowatt was handed a straight red card earlier in the encounter after a challenge on Will Vaulks that put Albion down to ten men in the 76th minute, but the side were able to hold Cardiff City to a 1-1 draw, thanks to an early second half goal from Callum Robinson.

One player who had a shocking performance for the Baggies was 18-year-old, Tom Fellows, who failed to make a positive impact on the team during his time in his attacking position today.

According to SofaScore, Fellows lost 75% of his duels and only touched the ball 15 times during his entire 65 minutes on the pitch which was almost five times less than his attacking partner Karlan Grant.

The young forward would have been attempting to emulate the fantastic impression his fellow youth academy starter Taylor Gardner-Hickman has had during his opportunities in the first team.

However, Fellows failed to get going in the game and failed to cause any kind of attacking threat with 0 shots on or off target, and 0 key passes, clearly failing to impress the manager who took him off the pitch 20 minutes into the second half.

The Baggies have now failed to register a win in their last three games, and are losing traction on their grasp for a promotion spot as they miss yet another opportunity to close the gap with Blackburn Rovers, Fulham and Bournemouth, with Fulham in particular still holding two games in hand after having their fixtures postponed.

Ismael will now be without his goalkeeper and a midfielder for three games thanks to their red cards and will need to take a closer look at the problems this West Brom side seem to be having this season, with the opportunity to look to the transfer window for improvement in their pursuit for promotion.

Tottenham Hotspur have made a move in their bid to bring Dejan Kulusevski to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by SportMediaSet (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has made contact with both Alessandro Lucci – the 21-year-old’s agent – and Juventus regarding a move for the winger in the winter market.

The report goes on to state that, at present, Spurs are looking to secure the Sweden international on loan. However, the Serie A side would prefer to move the forward on permanently, with the Italian giants believed to be commanding around €35m (£30m) for the youngster.

A further report by Calciomercato then revealed that Tottenham sent scouts to watch the former Atalanta man in action on Saturday, as well as suggesting that Paratici’s former relationship with the player – who he signed for Juventus – could prove crucial in Spurs’ negotiations.

Conte could “achieve incredible things” with Kulusevski

While Kulusevski has struggled to cement a place in Juventus’ starting XI since his £31.5m move to the Turin side back in January of 2020 – starting just 38 of his 72 appearances for the club – it is undeniable that the 21-year-old is a player who boasts a serious amount of potential.

Indeed, after being sent on loan to Parma back in 2019/20, the £31.5m-rated man proved over his 36 Serie A appearances just how much of a success he can be when given the opportunity, scoring ten goals, registering nine assists and creating a whopping 13 big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 2.2 key passes per game – the joint seventh-most in the league that season.

These returns saw the £78k-per-week winger – who is also capable of operating in central and attacking midfield, as well as on either flank – earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as Parma’s second-best performer in the top flight of Italian football.

Cristiano Ronaldo is clearly also a very big fan of the Swede, stating of Kulusevski during his time at Juventus: “He is a great talent. He will help us to win and achieve incredible things. I really like to see him, he has great potential, and he’s an excellent player. I hope to play with him and score a lot of goals together.”

As such, considering his undoubted ability and positional versatility, the 21-year-old would very much appear to be a player with whom Conte could mould into a world-class talent, leading us to believe that Paratici must do all he can to secure a deal for Kulusevski this winter.

In other news: 94% pass rate: £25k-p/w THFC beast lived up to Conte’s “important” prediction vs NCFC

Newcastle United would need a complete disaster to unfold in order to suffer relegation this season, as the appointment of Eddie Howe has turned their season around – with the Magpies currently sitting 15th in the Premier League table.

And, the club could now be set for a further boost over their remaining games.

What’s the latest?

Eddie Howe took to his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Leicester City to give an important update on both Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson.

Howe confirmed on Trippier: “Kieran, I think, is very slightly ahead of schedule. He’s beginning to run back on the grass with his boots on, so that’s a great sign for us.”

Adding a further promising update on Wilson: “Callum’s the same. He’s gradually building up to where he wants to be which is great to see.

“Personally, they’re OK because they’re both in a good place. They’re both improving in line with probably what we expected.”

Howe will be buzzingBoth players have made a great impact at St James’ Park during their time at the club, so Howe will be buzzing that they will be back in training and likely back on the pitch before the end of the season.Wilson has struggled with his fitness throughout his time in the North East, but has still bagged 18 goals and registered five assists in 43 appearances so far, with a goal contribution every 147 minutes played – an incredibly impressive feat considering he has spent 257 days on the injury table since joining in 2020.Trippier joined in January and was integral in the four Premier League outings he has made so far, with two goals from left-back in the 318 minutes he has played. Indeed, it was a huge disappointment when the influential 31-year-old broke his left metatarsal against Aston Villa back in February.Whilst it’s highly unlikely that the pair will be back imminently, their respective returns to the squad for training at Darsley Park and picking up some minutes in the last few games of the campaign would be a huge boost to see out the season.However, the Magpies will take on Leicester City without the duo on Sunday afternoon – with Howe certainly hoping that his team can pick up some form to further influence their move away from the relegation zone.Indeed, a win would put them on 37 points, something that could see the Magpies finish the weekend as high as 12th – if results go their way.AND in other news: Newcastle could finally axe shocking £55k-p/w liability with £40.5m-rated “tank”

An update has emerged on Rangers and their plans for centre-back Connor Goldson’s future…

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Sun journalist Derek McGregor, the Gers have decided that keeping the defender until the end of the season and losing him on a free would be more valuable than cash in on him this month.

The report claims that his importance to the squad could be crucial to their success this season, which could earn them £30m if they secure a Champions League spot.

English Championship sides West Brom and Nottingham Forest are both keen on landing him on a free transfer when his contract expires and could seal a pre-contract agreement before the end of the window.

It is also claimed that Hearts defender John Souttar has been earmarked as his successor for the 2022/23 season, as Rangers sealed a move to bring him to Ibrox in the summer earlier this month.

Elation

Gio van Bronckhorst will surely be left feeling elated by this news as it is a shrewd transfer ploy that could work out perfectly for the club. It appears as though Ross Wilson has put all the pieces in place to pull off a masterclass in the summer and the Dutchman will be buzzing by it.

The club were heading into a dangerous situation in January with Goldson out of contract at the end of the season as they may have been forced to cash in on the Englishman. This could have led to van Bronckhorst losing a key player midway through the current campaign, which could have then hampered their chances of winning the Premiership and caused them to miss out on the £30m payday.

Instead, they are set to keep hold of him as they have already managed to secure his replacement come July, with Souttar coming in to take his place.

The Hearts man will then have the entire summer to prepare to hit the ground running, rather than having a player come in and attempt to replace Goldson immediately this month.

In the Premiership this season, the current Gers enforcer has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.15. This shows that he has been consistently delivering quality performances and that is why the head coach will be elated by the prospect of him staying to help the team win the Premiership in the second half of the campaign.

AND in other news, Rangers could finally axe “really poor” lightweight by landing £2.8m-rated playmaker…

Fabrizio Romano says Liverpool are in the hunt for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

What’s the talk?

Zakaria has been linked with a move to Anfield in January with the Bundesliga outfit considering selling him for cash before losing him for free in the summer when his contract expires.

Romano has taken to social media and claimed that Liverpool are involved in the race for the Swiss international, having asked for information from his new agent Hasan Cetinkaya.

In full, he said: “Denis Zakaria has received many approaches in the last weeks, out of contract in 2022. He recently changed his agent – Bayern have joined the race, also Liverpool asked for information since he’s with Hasan Cetinkaya.”

Great signing

Zakaria has been in good form for Gladbach so far this season, making 12 appearances in the Bundesliga and scoring twice, while registering an assist too. According to WhoScored, he is the second-highest-rated player at the club so far this season for players with three or more appearances, with an average rating of 6.99.

The 25-year-old’s high energy style would fit right in at Anfield, with a great passing range and good ability to dribble forward part of his wide skillset too. He has averaged 1.6 successful dribbles so far this season from central midfield, while he boasts a successful pass completion rate of 89.2%. That tally would place him second in the Liverpool squad, only behind Virgil van Dijk for players to start more than four times this term.

With Jordan Henderson and Thiago entering their 30’s and Naby Keita’s consistent fitness issues, central midfield is a position that Klopp could look to strengthen in the upcoming transfer window and the Swiss dynamo seems to fit the bill.

Zakaria being available on a free transfer at the end of the season is certainly attractive to top clubs too, but in order to get an advantage in the race they could look to make a cut-price offer in January for the £24.3m-rated star.

Thus, Reds fans will surely be buzzing by the proposition of his arrival, with some claiming he would be excellent for rotating with Fabinho in the holding role while others also think he could cover for Henderson and Thiago in the more advanced roles.

After all, if signing a player compared to Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini won’t get you excited, nothing will.

AND in other news, Divock Origi’s masterclass against AC Milan.