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Reports by The Telegraph earlier this week claimed that Newcastle United are keeping close tabs on Kyle Bartley’s situation at West Bromwich Albion.

However, the Magpies moving to sign Bartley at the end of the season smacks of Mike Ashley planning for relegation to the Championship.

The centre-back will enter the final 12 months of his £13,500-per-week contract in June and could be made available for the right price.

Bartley is expected to be among the players of interest for rival clubs in the off-season should West Brom fail to remain in the Premier League, with the Baggies facing a 10-point deficit to Newcastle in 17th.

The Toon are understood to be in the market for a new central defender this summer and could swoop for Bartley, but may face competition from Burnley. Sean Dyche’s Clarets are also monitoring the 29-year-old as the Turf Moor natives look to bring in cover for James Tarkowski and Ben Mee.

Newcastle currently have four natural centre-backs in the first team fold in Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez – plus the versatile Paul Dummett – but Schar and Fernandez are both set to be free agents this summer.

Steve Bruce revealed last month that talks were “ongoing” with Fernandez over a new deal, while Schar could snub a one-year extension to his £40k-per-week terms.

Newcastle losing one of or both Schar and Fernandez at the end of the season would force the St James’ Park natives to explore signing replacements, but the benefits of a move to land Bartley would be questionable.

Bartley has rarely proven to be a Premier League calibre defender over his six seasons in the division, with the current campaign his only one to feature double-digit appearances.

The £2.5m-rated enforcer has started 19 of his 21 league outings for the Baggies thus far this term, accounting for half of his career haul of 42 top-flight appearances after earning an average of 4.2 a season over five campaigns with Swansea City between 2012 and 2018.

Bartley was a key factor behind West Brom securing promotion from the Championship as runners-up to Leeds United last season, with 37 starts in 38 appearances from a possible 46 in the division, but his performances have often stayed at that level.

While improvements have come since Sam Allardyce was appointed in December, issues have remained in Bartley’s game which could raise alarm bells at Newcastle if Bruce is able to keep the Magpies in the top-flight.

“His weaknesses, I would say, lie in his positioning, which has occasionally been called into question,” Birmingham Live’s Baggies reporter Joseph Chapman told Lancs Live. “Sometimes this season he’s been caught out and, as is often the case at this level, it results in a goal. But even that’s improved since Sam arrived.

“Bartley has another year left on his deal with Albion. He’s not immediately a player you think of attracting top-flight interest when you consider that they have the likes of [Sam] Johnstone and Matheus Pereira, who will almost certainly have suitors.

“I think he is someone who, if you asked the average Albion fan on the street, would be content with him continuing in the starting XI in the Championship, which is highly likely where Albion will be.”

Chapman’s remarks would hardly instil much confidence in Bartley being a worthwhile pickup for Newcastle in the off-season as a Premier League side, but rather a move by Ashley to prepare the Toon for life in the Championship.

AND in other news, Newcastle have landed a huge boost ahead of facing Tottenham…

Tony Cascarino has recently given his opinion about Granit Xhaka and has questioned the midfielder’s long-term future at Arsenal.

Cascarino recently wrote a column for The Times in which he talked about Xhaka’s situation, saying that the Swiss midfielder’s future might well lie away from the Emirates Stadium.

Xhaka has a ‘difficult’ future at Arsenal

In his column, Cascarino said that Xhaka’s error against Burnley was one of the worst in the 2020/21 season and there is ‘no way’ that the former Borussia Monchengladbach man should be demanding for the ball in that position, with three Burnley players around him as he made a fateful error in his own penalty area in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

The former Republic of Ireland striker said that Mikel Arteta had talked about wanting an ‘unprecedented’ level of activity in the transfer market to compete at the top level and he feels that it is ‘difficult’ to see Xhaka being a part of the Spaniard’s plans in the next campaign.

Cascarino wrote: “Granit Xhaka’s error for Burnley’s equaliser against Arsenal is one of the worst you will see this season. Arsenal are trying to play out from the back but there is no way the midfielder, with three Burnley players bearing down on him, should be demanding the ball inside his own box.

“Mikel Arteta said before this game that the club need an ‘unprecedented’ level of transfer activity if they are to compete at the top of the league again. It is difficult to see Xhaka being a part of any long-term plans.”

Back in December last year, it was reported that Xhaka was fighting for his future at Arsenal and it was stated that Arteta was considering a potential sale of the midfielder. That report came after his red card against Burnley earlier in the season (Daily Mail).

Selling Xhaka may be sensible for Arsenal

Since the 2016/17 season, no other outfield player in the Premier League has committed more errors leading to goal than Xhaka, and that number rose to eight against the Clarets.

In the current campaign, the 28-year-old has picked up an average match rating of 6.7 for the Gunners, with 11 players earning better ratings than him (WhoScored).

This suggests that he hasn’t had a great season by any means and his Transfermarkt value has halved since December 2018, currently standing at £22.5m. Between dwindling performances and market value, it may be a wise move from Arsenal to sell Xhaka if a prospective suitor can be found.

In other news, see which Arsenal player came in for stick from numerous fans after the Burnley game on Saturday.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey believes there was nothing wrong or unusual with the reported training ground bust-up last week.

It was reported in the Daily Mail last week that Steve Bruce and Matt Ritchie had a row that included physical contact from the manager.

However, Howey believes there is nothing wrong with it and claims it happens at every club, with no player or former player able to deny they’ve not seen it happen.

Bruce did not take well to the story being reported and how big of a talking point it became as it seemed to take the focus away from an important game against West Brom, which they ended up drawing 0-0.

Howey told FFC that he believes nothing is wrong with a bust-up and that it is a regular occurrence up and down the country.

“The fall out for me is not an issue it happens all the time. If it was supposedly true that Steve was kind of nudging into him that’s not really an issue for me.

“If you get an ex-player or a current player, and you ask them ‘has that ever happened to them?’ If they turn around and say ‘no’, they’re a barefaced liar because it happens constantly.

“They’ll argue with coaches, they’ll argue with managers and come face to face. I’ve seen players fighting but it’s a passionate game.”

A lot was made of the training ground bust-up, however, it may have been blown out of proportion as Howey says t happens all the time.

Newcastle don’t need any more news or press about them except for what is happening on the pitch as they continue to battle against relegation.

Tottenham Hotspur may have just missed out on a perfect opportunity to sign another Mousa Dembele.

The saga surrounding Dele Alli’s future in north London rumbles on and with less than four days remaining in the transfer window, it remains to be seen where the 24-year-old will be.

Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is keen to bring him to Paris Saint-Germain, according to Fabrizio Romano. Even Jose Mourinho is happy to sanction his departure as he’s only utilised him for a total of 472 minutes this campaign.

However, chairman Daniel Levy is against seeing the attacking midfielder leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium permanently. Romano told the ‘Here We Go’ podcast that the tough-negotiator was holding up any exit this month, claiming that “everyone is waiting” for his decision.

But the longer he’s out-of-favour, the quicker his value is going to diminish – it’s already dropped from £81m in December 2019, around the time of Mourinho’s appointment, to £34.2m as of December 2020, per Transfermarkt.

The 37-time England international also hasn’t played for the Three Lions since September 2019 in their Nations League third-place playoff win over Switzerland, and that won’t do his total worth any help either.

Clearly, he’s not doing enough to convince Mourinho and in reality, he may be better off sold as this issue isn’t going to change anytime soon with the Special One at the helm.

Indeed, the decision to reject PSG’s latest offer is a strange one.

According to Le Parisien, the Ligue 1 champions offered a swap deal involving former Everton and Villa powerhouse Idrissa Gueye, who would have brought Dembele-like qualities to north London once again.

He cost PSG £28m only 18 months ago.

But Spurs rejected the move before agreeing to a dry loan – no obligation or option to buy – on the basis they find cover before Monday’s deadline.

Well even though Gueye is a vastly-different option in the middle, he could have been his replacement in this squad, especially given the fact that he’s a box-to-box enforcer – something that Mourinho is said to be after, as per The Sunday Times’ Duncan Castles.

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Spurs legend Tim Sherwood was in charge of Villa when Gueye was at the club, and he dubbed him a “monster.” He said: “You look at him and his stature is very small. But when he’s on the pitch he looks like a monster. He plays like that.”

That season, the 31-year-old brute averaged a whopping 4.1 tackles, four interceptions and two dribbles per game across 35 appearances, via WhoScored, which was the second-most for tackles and interceptions in the division to N’Golo Kante – Dembele was a close fourth (3.6 tackles, 2.6 dribbles).

As seen by those returns alone, Dembele and Gueye were very similar players during their time in the Premier League, and even despite the Senegal international’s advancing years, he’s still putting up impressive numbers.

In 15 appearances, he’s delivered two goals and averaged 2.5 tackles, one interception and 0.7 dribbles per game, via WhoScored. It’s that sort of bustling energy that Mourinho needs alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the engine room.

Something which Alli doesn’t bring. The Spurs boss publically blasted him as “lazy” during the Amazon ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries last year, so it’s no wonder he rarely features anymore.

Swapping the faltering midfielder for Gueye would have been a solid piece of business, especially if they could have gotten a fee in return also.

Perhaps Levy has missed out on a golden chance to improve Spurs here – one foolish mistake from the Spurs chief.

AND in other news, this Spurs star badly let Mourinho down against Liverpool…

Preston North End have confirmed that Glasgow Rangers target Daniel Johnson has signed a contract extension at the club which has put paid to rumours suggesting that he could move north of the border.

What’s the word?

Ever since the summer transfer window, Johnson has had to cope with stories linking him to the 54-time Scottish champions.

Though there may have been some truth to the rumours, and a link-up with the likes of Rangers midfielders Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo under Steven Gerrard could have been fruitful, it seems as though the long-running transfer saga has finally run its course.

The 28-year-old Jamaican international has put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at Deepdale until 2023 after initially rejecting an offer to stay at the club.

“I am relieved, but I am very happy that it is done,” Johnson told the club’s website. “It is put to bed now and for quite a while, it has been what I have focused on, so I can get tunnel vision and focus on my football.

“I have been here quite a while and I am happy to still be here. The goal now is to kick on and start producing what I know I can produce and keep helping the team.

“I have become one of the senior players at this football club and it is about showing that and helping pass on information to the younger boys in the squad.”

Missed opportunity?

There are no two ways of saying this, this news will be a bitter pill to swallow for Gerrard, who has been chasing Johnson for at least half a year.

His decision to extend his current deal has pretty much sounded the death knell for Rangers’ hopes of landing the Jamaican, who has been an integral part of Alex Neil’s side this season thus far, with Ross Wilson missing the opportunity to sign a player who possesses truly game-changing qualities.

Johnson has caught the eye with a series of impressive displays for Neil’s men so far this season, featuring in 22 appearances across all competitions including four goals and three assists to show for his 17 starts.

His fellow Jamaican and former Motherwell ace Chris Humphrey cannot speak highly enough about his countryman having witnessed single-handedly how the live wire has often changed the game with his array of passes and ability to bring the ball forward.

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“I would put DJ up there as one of the best number 10s or attacking midfielders I have played with – and I’ve played with some really good players,” Humphrey told The Daily Record. “He is unbelievable and in that league, he would be unreal. He’d be good for Rangers in Europe as well.

“He is excellent technically, scores goals and has pace. He drives forward with the ball and can play a pass. His all-round game is phenomenal. I’d say he’s probably got the best left foot of any player I’ve played with.”

‘DJ’ has proven to be one of Preston’s most creative players in the Championship this season, with the midfielder producing 32.3 passes per game at a success rate of 79.1% – bettered only by four other players, including Ben Pearson (88.5%) and Scott Sinclair (80.2%).

Of those key passes, he has provided three assists with a combined total of six-goal contributions – only Sinclair (8) has contributed to more goals this season, per WhoScored. For context, that’s more than struggling Bafana-Bafana midfielder Bongani Zungu, who has yet to find the back of the net in 14 appearances for the Gers.

Had Wilson been brave enough, or keen enough, to pull the trigger, who knows what Rangers would have been able to achieve with Johnson in their ranks.

He certainly had the qualities to bring an extra dimension to Gerrard’s side but alas, the Rangers boss will need to focus on other targets if he does want to improve his midfield options.

AND in other news, Rangers should regret missing out on Ben Davies as George Edmundson set for Ibrox exit…

Former Premier League centre-forward Dean Windass has slated sections of the Rangers fan base and claimed that an empty Ibrox may be to thank for the Glasgow club’s incredible start to the 2020/21 campaign. 

Rangers currently sit atop the Premiership table, 16 points clear of their Old Firm rivals, though they have played three games more than the Premiership’s second-placed side. Rangers also finished in first place in their UEFA Europa League group and have impressively suffered just one defeat in all competitions so far this term. 

What did Windass have to say about Rangers fans and the club’s form?

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Windass – an antagonistic figure amongst fans of the Glasgow club, having clashed with Rangers fans on social media over his son, Josh, who previously played for the Gers – had this to say about the impact of Rangers fans being unable to attend games:

“There’s no pressure on the players because they’re not getting pelters from the stands. I’ve witnessed it when Josh was there and they’re getting beat – they are ruthless.

“So when the supporters are allowed in we’ll see how good they are, like when they got beat by St Mirren, they’d have got absolute pelters from the supporters.

“So then they go into the next game with more pressure on the next game because the supporters have put more pressure on them.

“But there’s no supporters to put pressure on them, so they go out there, there’s no screaming and bawling and getting slagged off.

“So yeah, I expect them to win the league.”

Rangers preventing their rivals from making history 

Gers fans can surely see it as a positive that despite his feelings about the way his son Josh was treated, Windass believes that they will win the Premiership this season. With the Gers attempting to prevent Celtic from winning what would be a historic 10th straight Scottish top-flight title in a row this term, perhaps that’s the most important thing of all for fans of the Glasgow club. 

However, the reason behind Windass’ faith in their title charge will still ruffle a few feathers amongst the Ibrox faithful, even if some may agree that the often amazing atmosphere can turn into a cauldron of pressure for the players under the wrong circumstances.

Time will tell if this current crop of stars can indeed cope with the pressure when fans eventually return, but if Windass is right then it could be a blessing in disguise for Steven Gerrard and his side that the famous Ibrox will remain silent for now.

In other news, some Rangers fans have been reacting to their club’s tweet sharing ‘amazing’ Itten footage.

Liverpool could finally land a Philippe Coutinho replacement for Jurgen Klopp amid their reported interested in signing Rodrigo De Paul from Udinese.

It was suggested recently that the Reds are considering a move for the Udinese playmaker, as they look to sign a midfielder to replace Georginio Wijnaldum, who looks likely to join Barcelona when his Reds contract expires in the summer.

Leeds were heavily linked with the 26-year-old during the summer but the recent report suggests that he is more enamoured with Liverpool’s ‘project’, which could give the Reds the advantage in any transfer negotiations.

Whilst De Paul would arrive as a replacement for the outgoing Wijnaldum, he is not as much of an all-rounder as the 30-year-old Dutchman, and a better comparison would be with former Liverpool ace Coutinho.

The Brazilian departed in January 2018 for a club-record £142 million after establishing himself as one of the best creative players in the Premier League during his time with Jurgen Klopp’s side; contributing 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances for the Reds.

Goals from midfield is something that Liverpool have lacked since Coutinho’s departure, with Jordan Henderson and Wijnaldum currently tied on one goal in the Premier League this season, as the top-scoring midfielders in Klopp’s side.

Therefore, adding someone such as De Paul would add a new dynamic to the Reds’ midfield and perhaps take the pressure off the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane to provide the goals, as when they have been disappointing in recent fixtures Liverpool have struggled to score goals as a result.

De Paul contributed seven goals and six assists for Udinese in the Serie A last season, winning eight man-of-the-match awards and averaging a superb 7.25 rating.

In Coutinho’s last full season with the Reds, he would contribute 13 goals and seven assists in the Premier League, also winning eight man-of-the-match awards and averaging a superb 7.56 rating.

Both the Brazilian and the Argentinian’s strengths include key passes, dribbling and long-shots, so it seems clear that they have a similar style of play, and this goal-scoring threat from midfield is certainly something the Reds have arguably lacked since Coutinho joined Barcelona.

De Paul’s former manager Julio Velasquez was full of praise for the 26-year-old, saying:

“He lacks absolutely nothing, he could play in any club in the world. He has also improved on the defensive level and in attack, he improves the team.”

Therefore, with the midfielder reportedly available for £30 million, Michael Edwards must swoop for the Udinese ace, as he could add something completely different to Klopp’s midfield.

And, in other news… Klopp can amend key issue by signing 6 ft 2 monster who’s a beast in the air

Leeds are trying their luck on the transfer market but it isn’t a new player they’re after. Andrea Radrizzani and co have eyed Steven Gerrard as their hot pick to replace Marcelo Bielsa at the hilt of the club.

That’s according to Football Insider, who report that this is now the third time the Whites have had the Rangers boss on their radar. The Scottish outfit are currently leading the way in the Premiership and are ahead of Celtic by nine points. If Gerrard leads Gers to their first title in nine years, he will undoubtedly have a lot of clubs circling him.

The Anfield icon is a very popular man already and league success will only further propel him into the spotlight. Leeds must act fast if they want to be the ones to snap up the 40-year-old.

Would Gerrard be a good fit for Leeds?

As it stands, Bielsa is only contracted at Elland Road for this season and will be free to walk way next summer if he so wishes. The Argentinian has been with the club since 2018 and helped guide them to their long-awaited return to the Premier League. However, his recent short extension paints more of a worry than a boost for Whites fans. Just how long will he stay with the Yorkshire outfit before he makes another of his trademark moves?

Bringing Gerrard in to replace Bielsa would not only add a fresh mentality, but it will raise the status of the club as a whole. Former Rangers player Thomas Buffel believes that the ex-Liverpool midfielder is a “demanding” manager who gets results.

“He’s brought his football knowledge and his experience of a physical game to the team, which is key away from home, and it works,” the Belgian told DH. “I met him a few months ago. He’s a gentleman and a winner. I would have liked him to be my manager… and even more my teammate.”

Gerrard’s popularity in the Premier League will be a beacon for Leeds, especially coming in and facing former rival Frank Lampard in a battle of the English managers. If Bielsa opts not to stay at Elland Road, this would be a very strong avenue to go down.

In other news, Harry Wilson’s Wales performance will have Orta and Bielsa green with envy…

TalkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy has suggested that, at the moment, Glasgow Rangers are the best side in European football.

Cundy makes huge claim

The Gers have been in stunning form so far this campaign – after 26 matches, they are unbeaten in all competitions, are 13 points clear at the top of the Premiership and also won their group ahead of Benfica in the Europa League.

Following their latest 2-0 victory over Lech Poznan, Cundy was discussing the Gers’ form. And he suggested that they are the best team in Europe at the moment. He said:

“Are Rangers, based on games played, the best side in Europe?

“They’re 26 games unbeaten, goals conceded is ridiculously low.

“I’m not comparing them to Bayern but statistically are they the best?”

A tad too far

The Gers have certainly been mightily impressive so far this campaign, and at the moment is hard to guess when they will actually be on the losing end of a game. However, to suggest they are the best side in Europe is a little bit too far.

Bayern may have lost one game this season, for example, but they are still top of the Bundesliga, while they have won five and drawn one of their six Champions League matches this term. Rangers don’t seem to be able to lose at the moment, which can only be a good thing – it is important that Steven Gerrard and co do not get ahead of themselves during what is a huge campaign.

In other news, this Gers transfer move may be in doubt.

After enjoying an incredible opening to the new Premier League campaign, Aston Villa were brought back down to the ground with a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at home to Leeds United on Friday night.

Dean Smith’s side have already pulled off some notable scalps, including a 7-2 thrashing of reigning champions Liverpool, but it was a newly-promoted side in Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds that popped their balloon.

And Villa can’t have too many complaints either. The Whites had more than double the amount of attempts on goal that the home side did (27-12), and but for some profligate finishing, could have given Villa their own mauling.

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But whilst defensively Smith’s men looked shaky, Villa’s usually reliable talisman Jack Grealish had one of those disappointing displays. As per Sofascore, his 5.6 match rating was the worst of any player on the pitch by far, and it was no surprise to see why.

He lost possession 19 times over the course of the game – the most of any outfield player for Villa – whilst his composure and ability to spot things before anyone else also deserted him.

None more so than a particularly damaging moment when he could potentially have played Ollie Watkins in for an easy goal, before seeing Leeds go up the other end and score just a couple of minutes later.

With all the talk about how he’s being snubbed by England boss Gareth Southgate, Grealish has to consistently show he can be the main man for Villa. And to his credit, he’s been doing exactly that for a number of seasons now.

But with the England talk dominating the headlines in recent days and weeks, Friday night’s clash against Leeds gave him the perfect opportunity to prove the doubters wrong.

Instead, things fell flat, and it proved costly for his team.