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A development has emerged regarding Newcastle’s pursuit of Villarreal manager Unai Emery.

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, the Magpies are attempting to bring in the Spaniard ahead of the clash with Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday, claiming that there is a feeling the 49-year-old has unfinished business in England.

He wrote: “Unai Emery is under serious consideration for the Newcastle United vacancy. There is a feeling the 49-year-old has unfinished business in the Premier League since being sacked by Arsenal in 2019. Newcastle hoping to have a new boss in place by Brighton match on Saturday #NUFC”

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted with this news as it appears as though the club are finally closing in on a replacement for Steve Bruce. Graeme Jones has been the caretaker manager for two Premier League games and it has left the team in limbo as they await their new head coach.

Bringing in Emery will put an end to the constant speculation regarding the vacant position and will allow fans to start concentrating on what is happening on the pitch rather than worrying about who is in the dugout. It may also provide some clarity off the field, which could lead to more cohesive performances on it as the manager imparts his wisdom on the players and organises them in the way that he wants.

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Appointing him ahead of the Brighton match could also add to the supporters’ delight as it means that they will not have to endure the two-week international break before seeing a fresh head coach in the dugout. It puts the building blocks in place ahead of the January transfer window, with the club now able to identify targets with the help of Emery.

Fans will also be delighted as he is a coach with an excellent pedigree. He finished fifth and led Arsenal to the Europa League final in his first season in England, before being sacked after 13 league matches of the following campaign. Emery has won the Europa League four times in his career, three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, and Newcastle supporters could love to see a trophy-winning coach arrive at St. James’ Park, where major silverware has been conspicuous by its absence since 1969.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Wilson: PIF could form dream NUFC partnership with £100k-p/w “fighter”…

Sunderland fans were delighted with Leon Dajaku’s comments after the Black Cats’ 4-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday evening.

Lee Johnson’s side are currently flying this term as they aim to earn promotion to the Championship. As it stands, they are second in the League One table, one point behind Plymouth Argyle with two games in hand (BBC). They are also still in the League Cup after they progressed to the fourth round of the competition.

Dajaku was on the scoresheet as the north-east side eased to victory, and he spoke to the club’s media team after the clash. He looked delighted to be at the Stadium of Light, and he shared his pleasure with how both he and the side are performing.

The interview was shared on Sunderland’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters as the 20 year-old hailed the goal, clean sheet and result. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“Love this guy, class player has the tools to do damage, he loves the club the fans, get that man tied down ASAP”

Credit: @mark_j_cummins

“Man I love the enthusiasm and confidence of these kids, it is just so refreshing.”

Credit: @PeterBeuster

“How likeable is this kid, the smile on his face tells it all, cracking signing”

Credit: @44stu

“It’s honestly class how he’s enjoying it so much “yes we will play Charlton and em win””

Credit: @safcreportt

“This is what it’s all about. Was if he was talking to us all individually. What a smashing charismatic lad who is already rightly a fan favourite. And that strike tonight with his left foot was awesome. Can’t wait to see more.”

Credit: @ColdwellAnn

“It’s mad how genuinely chuffed Dajaku and Hoffman come across. It’s like they feel lucky to be playing for us it’s mental. Over time a bet that feeling becomes infectious for other players at the club.”

Credit: @matt723289

In other news, Sunderland fans applauded this man against Crewe.

Michael Ball insists Salomon Rondon will not be reuniting with Rafa Benitez by joining Everton.

Benitez was appointed as the Toffees’ new boss in June and has since welcomed Andros Townsend, Asmir Begovic and Demarai Gray to Goodison Park.

The Spaniard is hoping to bolster his squad further before the transfer deadline at the end of the month and Rondon, who worked with Benitez at Newcastle United and Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional, has been mentioned as a potential target.

Rondon remains on the books of Dalian Professional, but reports suggest the 31-year-old could be released from his contract as they look to cut costs.

Benitez took Rondon to China after being appointed as Dalian Professional’s boss and he has remained prolific for his current employers, scoring 14 goals and laying on seven assists in 28 appearances.

But former Everton left-back Ball would be surprised to see Rondon switch to Everton before the transfer window shuts.

He exclusively told The Transfer Tavern: “I don’t think Rondon’s going to be the right suit for the football club at his age, even though he is scoring goals.

“I think buying an experienced striker to help and develop Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be an option, but I don’t think Rondon is the one.”

A big claim has been made over Rangers centre-back Filip Helander, regarding when he could play his next game for the Ibrox club.

What’s the latest?

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has predicted that the Gers beast will make a return to first-team action early in 2022 as he recovers from his knee surgery.

The Sweden international has been out since September and has missed all of Gio van Bronckhorst’s games in Glasgow to date. Dinnery has now outlined what he is expecting Helander to go through in the coming weeks.

He told Football Insider:

“He will start off in some bounce games, maybe some behind-closed-doors friendlies.

“Once he has come through those games, you want to build up his load and then introduce him into the first team. That’s the ideal scenario. But there are always things that will influence those decisions. It could be injuries to key players, important fixtures, setbacks etcetera.

“Sometimes it doesn’t go to plan. We are talking about a time-pressured environment with pressure from stakeholders. There’s also pressure to get results, pressure in terms of the new manager being there too.

“But if all goes to plan, early 2022 is realistic. That’s great news for him after a few months on the sidelines.”

Fans surely buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing after this positive update on Helander, with an expert outlining his possible schedule ahead of his return. The supporters will want to see the big defender back in action as quickly as possible as his fitness will be a huge boost to van Bronckhorst’s side.

Last season, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.10 in the Scottish Premiership. He won a whopping 68% of his duels over the course of the campaign, showing off his defensive quality and consistently as he played 22 matches for the club.

Former Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard previously praised the gem for his leadership skills. The retired midfielder said: “I think he has shown great leadership. He had a little bit of an ankle issue before the international break and never played for Sweden.

“I decided to go with Katic at Hearts for the real physicality of Ikpeazu and then use Fil’s experience and leadership away to Porto, which I knew was going to be more of a technical game. One that needed experience.”

Earlier this year, the current Aston Villa boss also lauded his positioning as “outstanding” to further emphasise how highly he rated the defender and how well the Swedish-born defender performed last term.

This is why supporters will love this update on his fitness and the prospect of him returning early in 2022. They will be buzzing to see him back out on the pitch and putting in excellent performances again, showing that he can be a crucial player going forward in spite of this injury.

Gaining a player like that could also be a seismic advantage in their bid to win the Premiership crown so supporters should be beaming from ear to ear that a key man will soon return.

AND in other news, “A target…” – Journo delivers big Rangers transfer update that’ll scare fans…

Crystal Palace have reportedly entered the race to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong this summer.

What’s the story?

According to LancsLive, the Eagles are the latest Premier League side interested in signing the highly-rated 24-year-old, with Southampton and Norwich City also credited with an interest.

The report states that Rovers have placed a £20 million price tag on their prized asset, but with less than one year remaining on his current contract, the Championship outfit have so far struggled to find a buyer willing to meet their valuation.

Patrick Vieira would love him

Armstrong enjoyed a fabulous 2020/21 campaign, bagging 29 goals and providing five assists in 43 appearances for Tony Mowbray’s charges.

His outstanding displays earned several plaudits from impressed onlookers last season, including his manager at Ewood Park.

“Adam does (make a difference) as he has done all season. I think Adam has matured, and he’s only 23,” Mowbray told FourFourTwo last term.

“He’s a boy really, but his explosive pace at the top end of the pitch allows you to play both ways, to not be overly concerned if you’re pinned back around the edge of your box because one pass releases pressure to someone like (Harvey) Elliott to play the pass that he can hit just leaving it in the space for the speed and dynamic movement of Armstrong – it’s a devastating effect for the team.”

After failing to break into the first-team setup at boyhood club Newcastle United, Armstrong has revitalised his career in the second tier of English football.

The former England U21-international has proven himself to be a devastating finisher blessed with electric pace, and new Palace boss Patrick Vieira would surely love to be able to call upon his services next season.

Vieira currently has the likes of Christian Benteke and Jean-Philippe Mateta to call upon at the top end of the pitch, but Armstrong would offer something different to the current options available at Selhurst Park.

His profile and style certainly fit in with the other recent additions for the capital club, meaning chairman Steve Parish must swoop for the Blackburn ace, adding another impressive acquisition to Palace’s ranks.

And, in other news…Vieira provides an exciting Crystal Palace update that’ll have fans absolutely delighted 

Writing on Twitter, 7 Gold Sport reporter and Italian journalist Marcello Chirico has dropped a big claim involving Tottenham Hotspur, managing director Fabio Paratici and Euro 2020 star Manuel Locatelli.

The Lowdown: Locatelli shining for Azzurri…

The Sassuolo midfielder has been dazzling at Euro 2020 so far, carrying his club form on to the international stage and leaving little wonder why Champions League finalists Manchester City and Chelsea have been heavily linked.

Indeed, Azzurri boss Roberto Mancini kept Locatelli in the team for Switzerland after starting him during Italy’s opening win over Turkey – with the 23-year-old going on to repay that faith ten times over.

He bagged a sensational brace against the Swiss and put on a commanding display in the middle, earning an 8/10 match rating on WhoScored, completing 90% of his passes and scoring 100% of his attempts on goal.

The Latest: Paratici makes move…

Now, as per Chirico on social media, Tottenham director Paratici wants a slice of the action.

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So much so, the 48-year-old transfer guru has ‘already contacted’ Sassuolo chairman and friend Giovanni Carnevali to try and bring him to north London.

“Beware of Paratici : for 2 years at Juventus tried to buy Locatelli (his passion), now he has already contacted his friend Carnevali to try to bring him to Spurs,” explained the verified reporter on Twitter.

“The player gives precedence to Juve , however, it must close quickly with Sassuolo.”

The Verdict: Big claim…

While Locatelli would prefer Juve, this arguably comes as a big development and highlights Paratici’s ambition in the transfer market this summer.

The midfield maestro is debatably one of the most promising ball-playing midfield men in world football and also robust in the challenge.

According to WhoScored, only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (2.6) and Serge Aurier (2.9) in the Spurs squad averaged more tackles per 90 domestically last year than Locatelli (2.4) – while defender Joe Rodon (1.8) is the only Spurs man to beat him for most interceptions (1.5).

Sassuolo are believed to be demanding around £34 million for his signature this summer, and judging by his start to the Euros, his value could possibly soar even higher.

Spurs face a fight on their hands if they do wish to sign Locatelli, but it would be a truly brilliant coup.

In other news: ‘Here we go again’ – The Athletic journalist shares ‘another dramatic’ Spurs managerial twist…find out more here.

Flocking to Twitter, many Everton fans have erupted over news on Colombia international James Rodriguez amid unrest surrounding his future on Merseyside.

The 2020 signing, whose contract expires at the end of this season, has been left in the wilderness recently.

Indeed, James was allegedly told by new Everton boss Rafael Benitez that he is surplus to requirements at Goodison Park and was even pictured yachting abroad just a few days ago (The Mirror).

The 30-year-old started 21 Premier League matches under former Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti last season, averaging more key passes per game in the final third (1.7) than any Everton player (WhoScored).

News has now emerged on James, with Colombian reporter Pipe Sierra claiming on social media that the player has rejected a last-minute switch to Istanbul Başakşehir (Twitter).

The Turkish transfer window is now closed, as Sierra added that this rejected move means the 30-year-old will remain at Everton for the time being.

Flocking to Twitter in reaction to what one Toffees supporter called ‘brilliant news’, it seems that there are a large section of fans overjoyed that the ‘world class’ James is still an option for Benitez.

Check out some of their verdicts on the news below.

Everton fans erupt over James news…

“Get him on the pitch”

Credit: @CXDexterHaveNot

“Yes lad”

Credit: @efc_1878__

“LET’S GO”

Credit: @Ctorres2144

“On his day our best player so this is brilliant news. Simple as that.”

Credit: @KBURKE1878

“Thank God”

Credit: @Stefairfield67

“I’m excited to see him play. Hopefully he’s fit enough to get on the pitch on Monday”

Credit: @Schmubb

“Great news! Use him, even for 30-40 minutes a game as a second half sub to start out! He’s trying to get back on Colombia’s national team so he will be playing with a point to prove! He’s a world class talent who should be extremely motivated.”

Credit: @SteveL399

In other news: ‘Yesss’, ‘We are massive’…Many Everton fans flock to Paul Joyce’s update, find out more here.

Leeds United have been handed a blow in their chase to sign Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were unable sign the 22-year-old in the summer, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay reporting that the Whites simply did not want to pay the money that the Terriers were demanding – reported to be a fee in the region of around £8m.

And now, according to The Yorkshire Live, O’Brien is in talks with the Terriers over extending his contract at the club, amid speculation over that move to Elland Road in the summer.

The report added: “O’Brien signed his current deal in summer 2019 just before his emergence into the first team, and that deal is set to expire next summer – albeit the club hold the option to extend it by another year.

“Both parties would now like to ensure O’Brien’s deal is reflective of his value to Carlos Corberan’s side, which in turn would help protect his valuation in the transfer market should Leeds or any other club return with a renewed bid in future.”

Bielsa will be fuming

While Leeds managed to bring in a new first-team left-back in Junior Firpo, and a winger to challenge the likes of Jack Harrison and Raphinha in Dan James, one area of real concern on which they failed to deliver was a new central midfielder.

The decision to not match Huddersfield’s demands for O’Brien shines an even bigger light on the limited options Bielsa currently has, and the Leeds manager will be hoping and praying that the likes of Kalvin Phillips can stay injury-free.

This latest news that O’Brien is in talks over a new contract, in order to protect his value, is likely to ensure that the Terriers can demand a similar sort of fee that they were looking for in the summer, or even something much higher should they give him a much longer-term deal.

Bielsa has already shown that he is someone who will only sign players who fit his principles, and is quite willing to simply avoid players who he doesn’t fancy – Hay even recently suggested that while Victor Orta recommended Noa Lang, Bielsa wanted James, while the Leeds boss has also been understood to have turned down moves for the likes of Glenn Murray and Billy Sharp back in the Championship even when they needed a striker.

The fact that they were very interested in O’Brien means Bielsa is very keen on him, and thinks he would be a good fit at Elland Road. But, given the Whites opted against paying the fee needed to sign him in the summer, this latest update of a new contract is just another body blow and even bigger setback to their chances of signing him.

Bielsa will be fuming if O’Brien doesn’t end up at Leeds now.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign an ideal Kalvin Phillips alternative in this star…

According to Fabrizio Romano, as shared by City Xtra, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ‘wants to keep’ winger Raheem Sterling at the Etihad Stadium – prompting many Sky Blues supporters to buzz over this development. 

Sterling, who finished the 2019/2020 season as City’s top goalscorer in all competitions (31), didn’t manage to replicate those impressive numbers over the Sky Blues’ domestic double-winning campaign this past year.

Indeed, the 26-year-old instead managed just below half of that total (14) whilst receiving some criticism for his performances.

However, since joining City, he has really impressed overall – playing a key role for both the Centurions in 2017/2018 and for City’s domestic quadruple winners the season after.

Romano, sharing news on Sterling’s future at the Etihad, has been told that Guardiola does not want to sell him this summer – with the club currently speaking to his representatives over a possible new deal.

Even though there is no agreement yet, news of Guardiola’s stance on the Englishman has prompted excitement from many City supporters.

One fan even called it ‘perfect’, and it’s hard to argue given his overall contribution since signing for the Sky Blues.

Find a flavour of their best verdicts on the development down below.

Man City fans flock to Sterling development

“Best news I’ve heard all day”

Credit: @RodneySmithMCFC

“Get in we are massive”

Credit: @Oilfc96

“This is great news. On his day he’s still quality… there’s no doubt he’ll bounce back next season”

Credit: @RealTalkMCFC

“YESSSS”

Credit: @SofiCitizens

“Perfect”

Credit: @YKMCFC

“Love to see it”

Credit: @NettyCiteh

“Best decision yet.”

Credit: @thelordkeepyou

“Geeetttttt innnnnn”

Credit: @TheGismyName

In other news: Manchester City fans are desperate for this player to stay, find out more here.

Journalist Julian Laurens has been reacting to an Aston Villa transfer ‘reveal’ involving Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

The Lowdown: Gerrard, Lange and Purslow in attendance

Steven Gerrard appears to be making a head start when it comes to summer signings, with midfield seemingly a key area he wants to bolster.

Geoffrey Kondogbia and Ibrahim Sangare have both been recently scouted, while Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips is also on their radar.

Kamara is the latest player Villa have now watched, with Gerrard, Johan Lange and Christian Purslow in attendance to look at the Marseille star in action against Nantes on Wednesday.

The Latest: Laurens reacts

Laurens took to Twitter to react to the update involving Villa and Kamara. He labelled the 22-year-old as a ‘fantastic player’ and appeared to be excited for Villa, should they land his services on a free transfer.

“RMC reveal that Steven Gerrard was at Marseille – Nantes at the Stade Velodrome tonight to watch Boubacar Kamara. He is out of contract in the summer. What a signing he would be for Aston Villa. Fantastic player.”

The Verdict: Would’ve left impressed…

Kamara is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt and can also turn out as a centre-back, so a free transfer could be an extremely shrewd move by Villa.

Kamara’s display would have left Gerrard, Lange and Purslow impressed in the 3-2 win for Marseille. As per SofaScore, Kamara was the third-best player on the pitch with a match rating of 7.8/10. Turning out in a three-man midfield, the Frenchman completed a whopping 105 of his 112 attempted passes, won six of his nine duels and even won a penalty.

Villa may now look to step up their interest following his display, with the club able to make contact over a pre-contract agreement right now due to his contract situation in France.

In other news: Source: Villa and Lange now working on another new deal for star Gerrard says has ‘got the lot’.