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Newcastle United now reportedly want to sign Ross Barkley when the January transfer window opens.

The Lowdown: Free to go

As per 90min, Barkley is free to leave Chelsea in January, and was even expected to go in the summer.

West Ham United were exploring a loan move for the central midfield player at one stage, while Burnley entered the race at the end of the window.

The Latest: Talks already ongoing

According to 90min, the St. James’ Park faithful are one of three clubs in the Premier League who now want to sign Barkley in January, along with both Leeds United and Burnley.

They are keen to do a deal for the Englishman, and intermediaries have actually already initiated talks with the North East club to offer his services.

Barkley is on the shortlist of the new owners, along with Blues teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

The Verdict: Sign

Barkley may have fallen off from the early hype he got while playing for Everton, but he is still a player who can add to the current Magpies squad.

Dubbed an ‘unbelievable’ and ‘unreal’ player by none other than Callum Wilson  – and one who he would like to play with –  on The Super 6 podcast (via The Chronicle), he may cherish linking up with a deadly striker in Wilson, who showed how much of a threat he is when given the right service with a goal at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

It is amazing that he is still just 27 years of age, as it feels as if he has been around forever, and given that Chelsea seemingly want to get rid, Barkley could be available for a price Newcastle’s new owners can comfortably afford.

In other news, find out which ‘outstanding’ manager is now in the frame for the NUFC job here!

Manchester United have been dealt another huge injury blow to the team following the defeat at Anfield last night.

What’s the word?

Ralf Rangnick has revealed the extent of Paul Pogba’s calf muscle injury sustained in the first half of the club’s away defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday evening.

The German coach told MUTV in his post-match conference:

“He pulled his calf muscle and, as it seems right now, this will not be an injury like the one Fred has which will be gone in one week.

“I fear he will not be available for Arsenal or Chelsea.”

Huge setback in the season

Pogba joins a long list of first-team players that have sustained injuries over the last few weeks with Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane, Fred and Edinson Cavani all not fit to play in last night’s game and Cristiano Ronaldo on compassionate leave.

This amount of injuries and absence from first-team players could ultimately be a huge setback and season-ending for Manchester United in terms of their pursuit for a spot inside the top four to secure Champions League football next season.

The squad and the midfield, in particular, will be weakened further ahead of the difficult Chelsea and Arsenal fixtures if Rangnick’s assessment is right on the Frenchman’s recovery time however, Scott McTominay was on the bench at Anfield so is likely to be fit for the games ahead following a foot injury.

Pogba is set to leave Old Trafford this summer with the £49.5m-rated midfielder unable to reach an agreement with the club to extend his stay. The “machine” will be out of contract so if his injury is more serious it could have been the last time we see the 29-year-old in a Man United shirt last night, with just five games left to go.

The Red Devils remain sixth in the Premier League matching Arsenal for 54 points however, the Gunners have two games in hand on their top-four competitor, whilst fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur have one game on Man United, so Rangnick will have to hope that both London clubs drop points to stay in with a chance of a fourth-place finish.

AND in other news: Get rid: Ten Hag must brutally axe “terrible” MUFC flop who made just 11 passes v LFC

Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips wouldn’t turn down the chance to join Manchester United, according to former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future unclear

The 26-year-old is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury but that doesn’t stop talk surrounding his future from doing the rounds.

Phillips’ current Leeds deal expires in the summer of 2024 but there has been little hint of him extending his stay at the club he has been at since 2010.

Instead, the England midfielder has been linked with a move away from Elland Road a number of times, suggesting his future could lie elsewhere.

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The Latest: Pundit says Man United move could happen

Phillips has been tipped to join Leeds’ rivals in a controversial move, and speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor said he believes a deal could happen:

“Phillips will go wherever is good for him and wherever is good for his career. Those rivalries are silly. I know Leeds and Man United have history but it’s not like it’s Leeds and Bradford or Aston Villa and Birmingham City.

“It’s not enough to stop him from playing Champions League football and playing at a big club like Manchester United.

“I’m 100 per cent sure he would still make that move if an offer is accepted. It’s not a rivalry that I think should stop a player from making the move. Eric Cantona did it, so I don’t think it will stop a player from moving.”

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The Verdict: Would be controversial

Phillips is adored by Whites supporters and it would take a lot to change that, even if he did decide that a move away next summer makes sense.

Moving to Old Trafford would test fans’ resolve, however, given the rivalry between the two clubs, so the hope is that the midfielder would realise that and go elsewhere.

Alan Smith traded Leeds for the Red Devils back in 2004, though, having been loved in a similar way to Phillips, so it would be naive to rule out the same thing happening again.

The ideal scenario is that Phillips stays put for many years but it would be hard to begrudge him a transfer to a Champions League-playing club, considering he is England’s current Player of the Year.

In other news, a journalist has backed Leeds to make a move for one Premier League player. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle United are reportedly now in talks to sign Benoit Badiashile in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Carlos closer?

News broke out on Tuesday evening that Diego Carlos has now handed in an official transfer request to Sevilla to try and force a move through to St. James’ Park.

However, a transfer fee has not been agreed between the two clubs yet, meaning that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium may still be looking at other targets in the centre-back position given their desperation in that area.

One of those could well be Badiashile, of whom they have been strongly linked to this month.

The Latest: Badiashile talks

As per L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), talks between the North East side and AS Monaco have continued ‘in recent hours’, and the former have already made an offer worth €40m (£33.3m), which has since been rejected.

Monaco have ‘no intention’ of letting Badiashile leave in this window, unless the Tyneside outfit can come up with a much improved offer.

He is also injured and expected to be out for ‘three to four weeks’, which may complicate the deal further.

The Verdict: Pay the money!

Whatever sum of money it would take to bring in Badiashile this window, the Magpies should simply pay it.

They currently have the second-worst defensive record in the Premier League, and the Frenchman would certainly help improve that.

Dubbed as a ‘tenacious‘, ‘strong‘ and ‘fast‘ player by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Badiashile has everything that a modern central defender needs in the top flight, and at just 20 years of age, has so much potential.

He would be a great alternative to Carlos should that deal fall through, as he actually averages more tackles and interceptions than him in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored), and so this is one that the new owners should not be sleeping on.

In other news, find out which former Prem star NUFC are now interested in here!

Donny van de Beek is undergoing a medical at Everton ahead of his loan move from Manchester United, Sky Sports News have revealed.

The lowdown

It emerged on Sunday that Van de Beek had opted to join The Toffees for the remainder of the 2021/22 season.

Crystal Palace were also interested in the Dutchman, but he’ll instead take up the opportunity to work under Frank Lampard on Merseyside.

Everton have agreed to foot the entirety of his £120,000-per-week salary for the duration of the loan period.

The £22.5million-rated midfielder has only played 380 minutes in all competitions this season and is yet to start a Premier League game.

The latest

Referring to Sky Sports’ ‘State of Play’ transfer tacker, presenter Tom White said Van de Beek’s move was now a step closer to completion.

“Everton are close to signing him on loan after agreeing a deal with Manchester United,” he said.

“It [the transfer tacker] says ‘in talks’. In the last few seconds, that has changed because [he’s having a] medical now.

“That has just come into us in the last few seconds, a fresh update to us.”

The verdict

Completing the signing of Van de Beek would make it a very solid January for Everton.

They’ve found a long-term successor for Seamus Coleman in the form of Nathan Patterson, and also moved quickly to replace Lucas Digne with the signing of another youngster, Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Anwar El-Ghazi, on loan from Aston Villa, adds depth to the squad, and Van de Beek, billed ‘close to perfect’ by BT Sport’s Owen Hargreaves, should inject real quality.

In other news, fans were buzzing over this news on a defender. 

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Everton play their first game in over two weeks on Tuesday when they travel to Cardiff, and Marco Silva should attempt to replicate his former club’s performance against the Bluebirds.

When Silva swapped Vicarage Road for Goodison Park, Everton fans were certain he had made the right decision, but the manager has come under intense scrutiny recently.

The Toffees have lost five of their last six games in all competitions, and the only win in that period was a 1-0 victory over last-placed Huddersfield.

A trip to the Cardiff City stadium to take on the Bluebirds represents a chance to get back on track though after Watford pummelled the Welsh outfit 5-1 on Friday night, and Silva should take a page out of Javi Gracia’s book and deploy a 4-2-2-2 formation on Tuesday night.

On the chalkboard

Watford set up with a pretty traditional back four on Friday night, but Gracia switched things up in midfield, pushing his wide players further forward and more central.

By doing this, the Hornets were able to create situations where the attacking players outnumbered Cardiff’s back three, something Troy Deeney and ex-Toffee Gerard Deulofeu took full advantage of, scoring all five goals between them.

Silva and Everton have the players to replicate this strategy if Cardiff continue with a back three, and the pace, skill and guile of both Ademola Lookman and Bernard make them perfect for those advanced positions in midfield.

At the base of midfield, a combination of any two of Andre Gomes, Idrissa Gueye and Tom Davies should be more than capable of fulfilling the roles that Etienne Capoue and Abdoulaye Doucoure carried out on Friday night.

Boost for Richarlison

The biggest beneficiary of this system could be Richarlison, who has lost his way a little bit during the Toffees’ poor run of form.

The 21 year-old has bagged ten Premier League goals this season, but has cut an increasingly isolated and frustrated figure recently, particularly when deployed up front on his own.

Putting him in the Deulofeu role, with a traditional target man like Cenk Tosun carrying out Deeney’s duties, would allow him much more space to get on the ball and work his magic.

It may hurt Silva’s pride, but the man who replaced him at Vicarage Road dropped a master-class in Wales on Friday night and he would be a fool not to try and emulate it.

Taking to Twitter, reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has backed some news out of Tottenham Hotspur involving certain players and new manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Conte arrives…

After the dismal Nuno Espirito Santo era which ended after just four months, Tottenham have now officially commenced a brand new reign as serial winner Conte takes to the Lilywhites helm.

The four-time Serie A champion, Premier League winner and former Chelsea boss is set to usher in a new spell at the club as chairman Daniel Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici seek to bring success back to Spurs.

Over two years since they reached the Champions League final under Mauricio Pochettino, they have not been able to replicate that same form – going through a plethora of managers whilst attempting to rebuild.

The appointment of Conte could go a long way in this regard and his managerial star power has already seen Spurs become linked with a host of Serie A stars.

In terms of the mood around the Spurs camp, it is believed that players are excited by the prospect of working with the Italian – as reported by Fabrizio Romano.

The Latest: Gold backs reports involving Conte…

Taking to social media, backing Romano’s claim, reporter Gold insists that players in the Spurs squad, including superstar striker Harry Kane, are ‘really excited’ about Conte’s arrival.

“Not the most startling news you’ll ever hear but I understand Harry Kane, among others in the Spurs squad, is really excited about working with Antonio Conte and is impressed with the ambition of the appointment and what the future holds,” he explained on Twitter.

The Verdict: Exciting times…

Under both Nuno and Jose Mourinho, there has been a common theme of unhappy players at N17 so this news of Spurs player optimism could come as a welcome change and breath of fresh air.

If Conte is indeed going to get the very best out of Tottenham’s squad and guide them to a respectable finish this season, and maybe a Champions League qualification place, he will need the very best of his assets firing on all cylinders.

News of Kane’s excitement is particularly good news for Spurs’ new boss and supporters alike, especially considering his well-known desire to leave the club over last summer.

Last year’s Golden Boot winner and PFA Team of the Year member, who bagged 23 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League alone over 2020/2021, may well be rejuvenated by this new era at Spurs and there could be exciting times ahead.

In other news: Spurs now in very advanced talks to sign ‘extraordinary’ player, Conte personally involved…find out more here.

According to a report from Italian outlet MilanLive.it (via Sport Witness), Liverpool remain interested in signing Watford winger Ismaila Sarr. 

The lowdown: Reds slayer

Initial interest in Sarr materialised shortly after the Senegalese ace had put Jurgen Klopp’s side to the sword at Vicarage Road in February 2020.

The 24-year-old forward was in unstoppable form on the night, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory as Watford ended Liverpool’s hopes of going through the Premier League season unbeaten.

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The Anfield club instead opted to sign Portuguese ace Diogo Jota, whose productivity has been off the charts since arriving on Merseyside.

However, as the summer transfer window looms, a reignited move for the ex-Rennes speedster remains a possibility…

The latest: On the radar

As per MilanLive.it, translated by SW, it’s stated that Liverpool ‘seem to have plans to get serious’ in pursuit of Sarr this summer.

The report claims that AC Milan view the Reds and new sporting director Julian Ward as a ‘dangerous competitor’ in the race to sign the 39-cap star.

This comes after reports last month revealed Klopp is personally a huge fan of the player, marking him out as his number one target to reinforce the attack.

The verdict: An inevitable departure?

So far this season Sarr has scored five times and provided one assist in 17 top-flight outings for relegation-threatened Watford, taking the Africa Cup of Nations winner to 41 direct goal contritions for the Hertfordshire club.

Named player of the season in 2020/21, having dropped down to the Championship only to fire Watford straight back up, should the Hornets indeed be relegated for a second time during his stay then a move away seems inevitable.

Predominantly operating from a right-wing role, Sarr would provide adequate cover for Mohamed Salah, a position of relative understrength in comparison to the abundance of natural left-wing options in Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz and Jota himself.

Lauded as a ‘freak’ by teammate Ben Foster, adding the £24.3million valued man to the already frightening Liverpool attacking ranks would be a worthwhile venture at the right price.

In other news, manager admits desire to sign Liverpool cult hero. Find out more here.

Tomas Soucek and Kurt Zouma are both in contention for West Ham’s clash against Manchester United on Saturday, according to a report by football.london.

The Lowdown: Soucek and Zouma were big losses

Czech Republic captain Soucek was absent for the Hammers’ last two fixtures, in which they beat Norwich City 2-0 and lost 3-2 to Leeds United. The midfielder was unavailable after testing positive for Covid-19, which dealt David Moyes a huge blow.

So far this season, Soucek has ranked second out of the entire West Ham squad for numerous statistics occurring in the Premier League; these include tackles, interceptions, and even fouls – a debatably necessary trait for a defensive midfielder.

Zouma was another player who missed games out due to a positive test. Following his six-week absence after sustaining a hamstring injury, the Frenchman was only just back in training before that setback, rendering him unavailable for the Irons’ upcoming matches.

Before suffering his injury, Zouma was a crucial element of Moyes’ back-line, having led the team in clearances made per game, maintaining a level of stability for the East-London side.

The Latest: Soucek and Zouma in contention for Man United fixture

According to a report by football.london, Moyes has confirmed that Soucek’s isolation period is set to end this week and that he will return to training, ahead of the Irons’ clash against Manchester United. When questioned about Soucek, Moyes responded:

“He could be in contention but everybody coming back from Covid you are not sure of their ability, how they are feeling what their symptoms are. So those things make it very difficult to make a judgement.”

Furthermore, after an extra week of training following his positive test, Moyes confirmed that Zouma will be nearing a return.

The Verdict: Moyes relieved by their return

With Zouma once being labelled the ‘ultimate defender’, it is easy to see why Moyes will be relieved that the centre-back will soon be available for selection. The Hammers have suffered with a lack of depth this season, with Moyes keen on bringing in an extra centre-half in Angelo Ogbonna’s and Zouma’s absences.

Manuel Lanzini was tasked to stand-in for Soucek for the two games the Czech was unavailable: a tough task, given the praise hailing the midfielder as ‘incredible’ in his position.

The Argentine performed admirably in the Iron’s victory over Norwich but he struggled against Leeds, clearly suffocated by their ferocious press. As a result, fans will be glad to see Soucek’s return, as it will allow Lanzini to be utilised in his preferred position.

Taking to Twitter, Sport 1 reporter Florian Plettenberg has shared a promising development as West Ham eye Hertha Berlin defender Niklas Stark.

The Lowdown: West Ham target new defender…

Angelo Ogbonna’s anterior cruciate ligament injury has been at the centre of discussion in recent weeks as manager David Moyes reportedly eyes an emergency reinforcement.

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The Italian sustained the serious knock in West Ham’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool just before the international break and their manager has since confirmed he will require surgery (The Athletic).

Moyes also believes he could be out for the remainder of 2021/2022 in what is a big blow for West Ham, prompting rumours of a possible centre-back signing in January.

The Hammers could now back him to sign a new defender as links emerge to Burnley star James Tarkowski and Bundesliga ace Stark (The Daily Mail), with a German source now sharing an update on Twitter.

The Latest: Journalist shares Stark update…

Taking to social media, Plettenberg of Sport 1 has made a promising claim – going on to say that talks between West Ham and Hertha have now taken place.

He also says that Stark himself is ‘interested’ in the prospect of an east London move as Moyes personally eyes a move.

“West Ham is highly interested. First talks have taken place,” he explained.

“WHU need to replace Ogbonna. Moyes wants him. Player is also interested but he also feels comfortable at Hertha.

“The club wants to make the deal in winter. He is a free agent 2022.”

The Verdict: Ideal?

Out of Tarkowski and the Hertha defender, West Ham could secure either man for a bargain fee as both their contracts expire at the end of this season as things stand.

Football Insider say Burnley have reduced their asking price for the former to £20 million heading into January, while it is currently unclear how much Hertha could demand for Stark.

In terms of quality, Tarkowski reigns supreme with tackles and interceptions per 90 averaged this season according to WhoScored, while Stark has managed a higher rate of clearances in that time.

Standing at a colossal 6 foot 3, Hertha’s mainstay still hasn’t equaled Tarkowski’s rate of aerial duels won over 2021/2022 – with the Englishman winning four per match on average compared to Stark’s 2.2 (WhoScored).

The Clarets star’s experience in the Premier League could also make him a more favourable signing and we believe £20m could be a fair price to pay for the international.

As talks take place for Stark, we believe a swoop for Tarkowski may actually make more sense.

In other news: West Ham join race to sign ‘amazing’ 19-goal striker who’s been likened to Cavani and a lion, find out more here.