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An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Watford winger Ismaila Sarr.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies are eyeing the forward as a potential January signing as they look to bolster their squad following the club’s takeover earlier this month.

The report claims that Watford will fight hard to keep hold of their star player as they believe he can be as good as Manchester City winger Jack Grealish.

Saint-Maximin 2.0

PIF must secure a deal to sign Sarr in the January transfer window as they could unearth Allan Saint-Maximin 2.0 for the club. The Hornets forward is similar to the Frenchman in his playing style and could operate on the opposite wing, which is why the Toon Army faithful could love him.

Both players excel at dribbling with the ball and creating chances for their teammates, whilst also possessing the ability to score themselves. Sarr has averaged 3.4 dribbles and key passes per game in the Premier League this season, compared to Saint-Maximin’s 6.3.

This suggests that the Watford maestro is on his way to reaching the former Nice man’s standards, whilst he has already shown he may be a step above when it comes to goalscoring. He has found the back of the net nine times in 31 top-flight starts for Watford, whilst the Magpies wizard has scored eight goals in 51 starts. This is why Newcastle fans would love Sarr at St James’ Park, as he has the end product to match his exciting play.

Former Manchester United defender and current Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville once lauded the winger’s talents and praised his movement in behind. He said: “He’s a big, big talent, honestly he really is. I always think, particularly as a wide player, what would I have not wanted to have played against? The first thing is pace.

“And then you’ve got to think about, can he use his pace? Well, yes, he can, because he makes really good quality runs: the spin in behind, straight, but also the run inside in between full-back and centre-back – which I always think is the most difficult to mark.”

Neville’s comments suggest that Sarr also has the pace that Saint-Maximin possesses, with both players able to run with the ball at speed and take players on. Along with their similarity in playing style, this is why PIF could find their next wing wizard in the 23-year-old and must work hard to strike a deal for his services in the January window. The fans would surely love to see another talented winger in the ranks to get them off their seats during games and the Watford man’s statistics suggest that he could do just that.

AND in other news, PIF must ruthlessly sell shocking £75k-p/w liability, he’s holding Newcastle back…

Aston Villa are monitoring Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba ahead of a possible free transfer, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Pogba’s situation

Pogba’s days at Old Trafford appear to be numbered, with his current contract set to expire at the end of June.

It seems as if there is a real chance that United could lose their most expensive signing ever for nothing over the coming months.

The 29-year-old has contributed to 10 goals in 16 Premier League games this season, missing 13 top-flight matches through suspension and injury.

The Latest: Villa monitoring developments

The Sun dropped an update regarding the central midfielder on Thursday morning, claiming that Villa and Newcastle are monitoring his situation.

Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are thought to be favourites to secure his services and can do so right now in a pre-contract agreement, whereas the English sides in the race will have to wait until the summer.

The Verdict: Pogba and Phillips?

NSWE look like they are willing to back Steven Gerrard ahead of his first full season in charge at Villa Park, with the club allegedly readying a £60m swoop for Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips.

It now seems like they want Pogba to partner Phillips in midfield, with Gerrard having just six midfield options at this moment in time, two of which are youngsters Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka.

A move for Pogba, on £290,000-a-week, could prove to be out of their reach, but it’s good to see that Villa at the very least see themselves as a possible destination for a player labelled as ‘world-class’ by Gary Neville.

In other news: Worrying international break news emerges on ‘fantastic’ Villa gem as he pulls out of squad. 

Watford continue their 2021/22 Carabao Cup campaign with a clash against Championship side Stoke City at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night.

The Hornets head into the game high on confidence after beating Norwich 3-1 away from home in the Premier League at the weekend.

Xisco Munoz’s side defeated Crystal Palace 1-0 in the second round of the competition last month, with Watford now hoping to overcome Michael O’Neill’s Potters side.

With it being a break from the Premier League, Munoz could decide to make some changes to his team to offer fringe players an opportunity to impress him. One player he must unleash against Stoke is centre-forward and summer signing Ashley Fletcher.

Josh King has started three of Watford’s five Premier League matches and is yet to score his first goal for the club, despite leading the line against the Canaries at the weekend. It could be time to hand him a rest and offer Fletcher a chance to show that the 25-year-old can do a better job as the number nine for the Hornets in the top flight.

He has played just one game for Watford since arriving on a free transfer in the summer and scored the winning goal as Munoz’s side beat Palace in the previous round of this competition. This shows that he has the quality to be a match-winner for the Hornets, just as he proved it against the Eagles last month.

He also previously scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in the 2019/20 Championship campaign for Middlesbrough, showing that he knows how to be involved in the action in the final third.

Fletcher’s former Sunderland boss Chris Coleman has hailed the forward’s demenaour, saying: “He has a super attitude. If you are playing as a striker for Sunderland and you’re struggling and his performances haven’t been great, you are going to come under scrutiny and pressure, which he has.”

This shows that the £13k-per-week beast will give his all on the pitch and put in a shift for Munoz, whilst also having the ability required to potentially win the game. Therefore, Fletcher must be unleashed against Stoke City to give him the chance to showcase his quality and prove that he can score goals consistently.If he can come in and produce a strong performance, it could boost his chances of being included in a Premier League match for Watford for the first time. However, it is up to him to win over his manager first.In other news: 14 duels won – Watford beast with 57 touches was an unsung hero for Xisco against Norwich

According to Football Insider, a Tottenham Hotspur source has made a transfer deadline day revelation involving 8-cap USA international Cameron Carter-Vickers and Torino.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers secures last gasp move…

Carter-Vickers did in fact manage to secure a move north of the border to Celtic in the final hours of deadline day.

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Indeed, the 23-year-old joins former Spurs goalkeeper Joe Hart in Ange Postecoglou’s quest to restore the Parkhead side’s dominance of Scottish football from arch rivals Rangers.

However, before the centre-back agreed to an SPFL switch, a Spurs source has explained that another side tried to get in there first.

The Latest: Carter-Vickers rejects Torino move…

As per Football Insider’s Lilywhites source, Carter-Vickers rejected a last minute move to Torino before his agreement to join Celtic.

Chairman Daniel Levy even personally signed off on the transfer and accepted a loan bid from the Serie A side.

However, Carter-Vickers himself said no as he preferred to stay in the United Kingdom – later revealing to Celtic TV that Hart played a major hand in convincing him to join the Bhoys.

The Verdict: In for a ride…

Choosing Celtic over the Italians certainly comes as the right move if he wants to part of an interesting campaign.

All eyes are on the Hoops and Postecoglou’s full debut season in charge of the club, especially after Rangers dominated the Scottish top flight last season.

For Carter-Vickers, if he can impress, this loan move could be the start of a promising career.

In other news: ‘Finished article’…Sky pundit in awe of Spurs starlet who’s an ‘improved version of Ndombele’, find out more here.

Leeds United must finally sell Tyler Roberts amid his latest disaster-class against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

What’s the story?

The Wales international has endured a nightmare start to the campaign thus far, scoring no goals and providing no assists, and following his performance in mid-week, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross revealed what he saw from that night.

He said: “Roberts remains a divisive figure among fans, but Bielsa evidently likes him and plays him because he sees a lot of potential in the Wales international. The only way Roberts improves is by playing more and developing as a player on the pitch. That’s the way Bielsa will see it.

“It was interesting to see the flashpoint which convinced Bielsa to go for Gelhardt last night, though. Roberts received the ball in a promising position last night with Arsenal out of shape and rather than look to turn Maitland-Niles, as he had the time to do, he waited and looked for contact from behind to go down. The referee waved played on and the hosts took the ball away. Bielsa was furious and barked immediately for Gelhardt to come on.”

Time for Roberts to go

Here on FFC, Roberts’ performance on Tuesday against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup was heavily scrutinised, and with the January transfer window looming, it’s perhaps high time that the Wales international finally heads for the exit door.

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan insisted that the £12.6m-rated forward hasn’t shown enough in the Premier League to “convince” Bielsa – he managed just one goal in 27 top-flight appearances all of last season, and even that came in the penultimate game against Southampton.

The 46-year-old said: “With Leeds this season, he’s been given a long spell of games to convince Bielsa he’s worth keeping. In my opinion, I’m still undecided. I don’t think he affected the game during his time on the field.”

Whelan added: “Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t. I would love him to go out there and prove me wrong because I want everyone to succeed. I need him to show me more. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that.”

The quite shambolic goal-scoring record that Roberts has at Elland Road, even for someone who’s relatively young at 22, should surely be the end of the straw for him under Bielsa.

The Whites desperately need greater end product from someone occupying that attacking midfield role just behind the striker, and Roberts simply hasn’t cut it.

Meanwhile, this Leeds United star is now attracting big interest…

West Ham are finally closing in on their second signing of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to renowned Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Irons are on the verge of signing Chelsea centre-back Kurt Zouma in a €30m (£25.5m) deal.

“West Ham are closing on Kurt Zouma deal with Chelsea for €30m, the agreement is now at final stages also on player side,” he tweeted. “Last details to be completed then done deal.

“Chelsea are working to submit new official bid for Jules Koundé once Zouma will join West Ham.”

It’s no secret that the centre-back position has been the top priority for manager David Moyes before next week’s deadline and now it appears that he has got his man, at long last.

Several weeks ago, reports emerged suggesting that the 26-year-old defender had actually rejected a move to the London Stadium, though that does not seem to be the case anymore.

Finally another signing?

This latest update from Romano will leave many in east London absolutely delighted, especially the fanbase as they have been crying out for more additions before August 31st.

Up until now, the Hammers had only signed one senior player, a new backup goalkeeper in the form of Paris Saint-Germain’s Alphonse Areola, who is yet to feature since joining on loan.

After the departure of Fabian Balbuena at the end of last season, a spot has opened up in the backline and Zouma is certainly going to be a perfect fit.

The France international, who made Didier Deschamps’ Euro 2020 squad this summer, has racked up over 200 appearances across the Premier League and both of UEFA’s top two European competitions, which could prove vital in West Ham’s Europa League quest this season.

Similarly, none of Moyes’ current options can rival his aerial presence (3.6 duels won per game in 2020/21), whilst only three other centre-backs were better at playing the ball out from the back after he averaged a 90.6% passing accuracy, as per WhoScored.

It’s no wonder many fans want to see the Chelsea star signed – as relayed by The Transfer Tavern, one member of the Hammers faithful claimed it would be a “good signing”, whilst another urged the club to pay up what’s required.

Now with the Irons moving ever so much closer to securing his signature, they will surely be even more delighted heading into the final week of the transfer window.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops PAI Capital claim…

Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on the future of Tanguy Ndombele, and Tottenham Hotspur supporters will want to hear it…

What’s the word?

Following their FA Cup win over Morecambe on Sunday afternoon, the Italian transfer guru issued the following claim on Twitter:

“Tottenham are looking for a solution to sell or loan out Tanguy Ndombele in January. Rumours about AS Roma but no talks so far as [the] Italian side are working to sign Sergio Oliveira,” he said.

“Spurs are also open to discuss swap deals including Ndombele as part of the negotiation.”

Finally the end?

It’s hard to imagine any way back for the French midfielder, who was signed for a club-record £55m back in the summer of 2020, after the weekend’s antics at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 25-year-old star trudged off when substituted by Antonio Conte in the 69th-minute to a chorus of boos, and the raucous atmosphere only made him walk slower, despite Harry Kane’s attempts and visible frustration as the Lilywhites were losing 1-0 at the time.

Once he reached the side of the pitch, he did not go and sit in the dugout but instead, he went straight down the tunnel. “It’s hard to think of a worse way to endear yourself to the fans,” claimed The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke following the match.

Meanwhile, Football Insider pundit Noel Whelan slammed his attitude and form at the club.

“The fans are voicing their disapproval, and rightly so. His attitude and performances are woeful,” he said.

“He’s their record signing, let’s not forget. That’s four managers now who have had the chance to get the best out of him and improve him.

“He’s shown disrespect to the fans, the club, and the manager by walking straight down the tunnel. Quite frankly, I don’t think there’s any way back from that. I think his time’s up.”

Now valued at £34.2m by Transfermarkt, the former Lyon man has managed only ten goals and nine assists across 91 appearances – that’s a direct contribution of just once nearly every five games. A shocking return for an attack-minded player.

On the above evidence, the frustrated Lilywhites faithful will surely be delighted by Romano’s latest update. It seems as if Ndombele’s time at Spurs is finally coming towards an end.

Whether or not the north Londoners find a viable solution remains to be seen, but at the very least, the intent is there to get him out of the club.

AND in other news, Sky Sports reporter drops huge Spurs transfer claim live on air, fans will be buzzing…

Celtic have been hit with a fresh injury setback over defender Josip Juranovic after the Old Firm clash on Sunday…

What’s the latest?

The Hoops full-back was forced off in the 67th minute of the game as he hobbled off with what appeared to be a hamstring strain and was replaced by Anthony Ralston.

Bhoys boss Ange Postecoglou did not comment on his situation after the match and Celtic now face a nervous wait to find out the severity of the injury in the coming days.

Supporters will be gutted

This news will surely leave Celtic supporters gutted as it will be a big blow to lose him for any period of time between now and the end of the season. Depending on how bad of a strain it is, he could be out for days, weeks, or months and that is why the supporters will be anxious to hear more about him.

After he came off, Ralston struggled against Ryan Kent for the rest off the game. Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell noted that the Gers were “getting joy” against the Scot and this highlights Juranovic’s importance to the team and the impact his loss will have in the coming weeks if he is missing.

The difference between Celtic when he was off and on the pitch in the Scottish Cup semi-final clash was obvious, as illustrated by Campbell’s comment. They struggled defensively after he went off as Ralston was unable to cope with the Gers and this suggests that it would be a disaster if the Croatian is now absent for a number of games.

In the Premiership this season, he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.21 across 27 appearances. He has helped the Hoops to keep 11 clean sheets in the league, making 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game whilst winning 56% of his duels.

This shows that he has been strong defensively and a key part of Postecoglou’s resilient back line in the division throughout the campaign. However, he has also caught the eye going the other way with 1.4 key passes per game and three goals, showing that he can find the back of the net himself and create openings for his teammates to score from.

Therefore, he has been crucial for the Hoops this season with his flying play down the flank. He has been able to impress in attack whilst remaining consistent and reliable at the back and the fans will be gutted by this injury blow.

AND in other news, AND in other news, Signed for 7 figures, left for peanuts: Celtic had a mare on “unplayable” £15k-p/w dud…

A crushing injury update has been delivered on Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack…

What’s the latest?

Gers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst has revealed that the 29-year-old is waiting on a diagnosis after suffering an injury in training prior to the 1-1 draw with Lyon in the Europa League, although he is unsure as to the extent of the blow.

Football Scotland quote the Dutchman as saying: “I don’t know. We will have to wait and see, he’s getting the diagnosis in the next few days. We have to wait and I can’t say anything about his injury yet, but I hope we will be able to do so.”

Frustration

This news will come as a body blow to Rangers and leave supporters frustrated given the timing of the knock. Jack has only played three competitive matches since his return from a long-term injury, coming off the bench in games against Hibernian, Dundee and Ross County.

His last appearance prior to that little spell came all the way back in February against Dundee United, with more than eight months separating his time in the team due to injury. This highlights how long he has had to wait to be given a chance to get back out on the pitch and that is why this knock will be a particularly frustrating one for him and the fans to deal with.

Supporters surely want to see him back out on the pitch as he has shown in the past that he can be a top performer at this level. Last season, he averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.14 in the Premiership as he made 19 appearances on the way to the Gers’ title triumph. He completed an impressive 90% of his passes and made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, whilst chipping in with two goals and one assist.

This shows the quality that Jack can provide on the pitch, which is why it is a crushing blow for the Gers that he has suffered such a quick setback in his recovery. Although it remains to be seen how bad this fresh knock will be, fans may be praying that it is only a minor injury from which he will be able to recover quickly before getting back into the team in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than McLaughlin: Rangers dud with 56% pass accuracy let GvB down badly…

Tottenham Hotspur are plotting an ‘ambitious’ bid to sign Serge Gnabry, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Daily Star claim Spurs are keen on landing the Bayern Munich contract rebel as he enters the final year of his current contract at the Allianz Arena, where he is thought to be holding out for a salary of around £13m-per-year.

The Bundesliga champions won’t be held ransom by his demands, so that has alerted many teams around Europe, including the Lilywhites and Real Madrid, though it remains to be seen how much the German side would sell him for – if at all, given their track-record in letting players leave for nothing.

CIES Football Observatory currently value him in the region of £60m.

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Major coup

Whilst an ex-Arsenal player, Gnabry would be something of a coup for Spurs, should they manage to secure his signature in the coming months.

The German international struggled to make much of an impact during his time in England, eventually being sold to Werder Bremen for just £5m in 2016 but he has since emerged as one of the best wingers in Europe.

Across 168 appearances for the Bavarian giants, Gnabry has provided 63 goals and 40 assists, averaging a direct contribution once every 104 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

Spurs know too well of his ability after he absolutely tore Mauricio Pochettino’s side apart with four goals in Bayern’s 7-2 win in the Champions League back in October 2019.

His form has led to quite the praise indeed, including a particularly glowing endorsement from BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand, who claimed last season:

“His stats are phenomenal. He’s sitting in the top-level, world-class. He’s come to Germany and set the place on fire, he was absolutely stunning tonight. His decision making has been extraordinary.

“I’ll go as far as to say he’s one of the most improved players in football at the moment. I don’t think anyone’s upwards trajectory is as sharp as his.”

Also lauded as a “real weapon” by his former manager Niko Kovac to Bundesliga.com, Gnabry would certainly add a new dimension to Conte’s attack and given his links to the Gunners and exploits for Bayern, he’d be quite the stunning signing for the north Londoners.

If sporting director Fabio Paratici can pull this off, it would certainly be another one of his masterclass-like swoops.

AND in other news, Contact made: Spurs in talks for “phenomenal” £33m signing, he’s better than Bremer…