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Amanda Staveley has dropped some promising insight into what her plans are if the proposed takeover of Newcastle United ends up going through.

The Lowdown: Staveley interviews

Staveley, who is part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium looking to buy the club, has given a number of public interviews ahead of the Magpies’ arbitration hearing against the Premier League later this month.

The businesswoman and head of PCP Capital Partners spoke to Sky Sports referencing a letter that she wrote urging both the UK government and football regulators to ensure that the arbitration process is made public. She also admitted in an interview with ITV journalist Chris Conway that she remains ‘committed’ to the deal between the consortium and Mike Ashley.

The Latest: Staveley plans

Speaking to Tyne Tees (via The Chronicle), Staveley outlined what her and the consortium’s plans are for the St James’ Park club should they be successful in their takeover bid.

She said: “What I do know is we are going to invest heavily into, not only players but the Academy, the grounds, the infrastructure and the surrounding areas.”

The Verdict: Promising

Reports that the consortium is set to invest in many aspects of the club, as well as the players, is certainly a promising sign for the future ahead.

A takeover is not just about being able to buy better players in order to improve the squad; it is also about growing the club by investing in other aspects and climbing up the footballing ladder.

If the consortium is successful in the upcoming arbitration case, then the takeover process could be accelerated, and they can duly start to think about how and whether they want to invest.

Staveley’s plans for the Tyneside club if the takeover goes through should be music to the ears of the Toon Army ahead of the 2021/22 season.

In other news, NUFC are in a Premier League race to sign this defender

A journalist has revealed that there is now interest from Newcastle United in signing Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Too leaky

The St James’ Park outfit have conceded no fewer than 42 goals in the Premier League so far this season, the joint-most along with bottom-placed Norwich City.

A change in goalkeeper could help, as Martin Dubravka has been disappointed with some of his performances when he has had to come in for the Slovakia international.

Nonetheless, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium have the money to go out and buy a new established number one for Eddie Howe, should he wish.

The Latest: Johnstone interest

Speaking on talkSPORT, journalist Alex Crook has revealed that Newcastle are now in a race with a number of other top-flight clubs to sign Johnstone, who is out of contract at West Brom in the summer.

He revealed: “I’m hearing Tottenham are joining the likes of Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham in showing a definite interest in Sam Johnstone.”

The Verdict: Get it done

If the Tyneside outfit can snap up Johnstone on a free, it would be a real bargain. He is currently rated at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, and being an England international, he could easily demand a bigger transfer fee, so getting him for nothing would represent very good business.

Even if he does not join until the summer, at the very worst the Magpies will be in the Championship. Therefore, if the Baggies do not go up, it should be a move that Johnstone would be fine in making.

He is ‘world class’ on his day, as Wolves legend Steve Bull says, and he could be a mainstay in the Newcastle side for years to come if he swaps the Midlands for the Magpies.

In other news, NUFC have now made a proposal for this Serie A beast

Pundit Alex McLeish has urged Celtic to open talks with midfielder Tom Rogic regarding a new contract, Football Insider report.

The lowdown: Ange plays down talks

Despite the 29-year-old fast approaching the final 12 months of a deal at Celtic Park, Ange Postecoglou was calm over his compatriot’s future when speaking back in February.

The Hoops’ boss has continued to rely heavily on the Australian ace though, calling upon the ever-reliable midfielder on 44 occasions across all competitions so far.

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This importance hasn’t gone unnoticed as onlookers begin to speculate as to when Rogic’s future could be resolved.

The verdict: McLeish has his say

A reliable report from The Athletic has claimed that the man signed for £432,000 from Central Coast in 2013 (Transfermarkt) could look to move onto pastures new and head to Asia at the end of the season if Celtic win the league.

Speaking to FI, ex-Scotland boss McLeish is hoping that won’t happen, urging the club to open negotiations with a transformed Rogic in the near future.

“He’s been the bane of everybody recently, but he was invisible for a big period. It’s taken his countryman, Postecoglou, to come in and show the faith in him again.

“And he’s rewarded his gaffer with some incredible performances. I would have thought Celtic would make it a high priority to get Tom on board for a few more seasons.”

The verdict: No brainer

Despite an influx of exciting arrivals at Lennoxtown under the watch of Postecoglou, should all parties be willing to extend, a new deal for the 51-cap Australia star should be a straightforward decision for the club.

So far this season Rogic has scored six times and provided ten assists for Postecoglou’s side and seems certain to play a huge role in the Bhoys’ quest for a domestic treble.

As per Whoscored, the Aussie is one of the most creative players in the squad, with only three players (min. 700 minutes) creating more chances in Premiership action this season – he is simply too good to let walk.

In other news, three Celtic stars shone in Scottish Premiership victory. Find out who here.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will be without one of his standout performers since the 41-year-old’s arrival last month on Sunday as they host Midlands rivals Leicester City.

What’s the latest? 

Speaking in his press conference, Gerrard confirmed that left-back Matt Targett will face a late fitness test before the Villa boss makes a decision on whether or not to include the 26-year-old against Leicester.

The 41-year-old said: “Matty Targett will probably struggle for this game, but we’ll make a late decision on him.”

The defender was taken off in the 67th minute during the Midlanders’ clash with Manchester City on Wednesday night due to a head injury and therefore faces a race against time to be available to face the Foxes.

Leon Bailey is a confirmed absentee for the game, with Gerrard also sweating on the fitness of Danny Ings (Birmingham Live) as Villa face the prospect of being without several valuable players this weekend.

Gerrard will be gutted

Villa have been excellent during Gerrard’s short time at the helm, winning twice and losing narrowly to Manchester City. One of the key factors to the former Liverpool captain’s instant success has been the performances of Targett at left-back, who has been a standout performer in the last couple of games.

The 26-year-old was rated 8.1 by SofaScore in Gerrard’s first game, a 2-0 win over Brighton, and then scored the opener in their 2-1 triumph at Crystal Palace last week.

This is a stark contrast to his start to the campaign under former manager Dean Smith, where the defender’s performances were under par, particularly against Watford on the opening day as he was withdrawn at half-time after a tricky test against Ismalia Sarr.

Villa do have a natural replacement in Ashley Young, but the 36-year-old has started just one Premier League game at left-back this term, also being deployed as a winger and central midfielder on occasion.

However, the £900k-rated veteran has also vastly improved under Gerrard, recording his two assists to date this season against Brighton and Crystal Palace.

It appears that Targett won’t beat the race against time to be fit for the Leicester clash, which is a significant blow to Gerrard, who will be gutted if he has to do without the 26-year-old. Villa fans shouldn’t panic though, as in Young they have a vastly experienced replacement to fill in at left-back.

In other news – Forget McGinn: Gerrard must stick with £52k-p/w Villa beast dubbed “better than Pogba”

Leeds United are now stepping up their chase to sign RB Leipzig centre-back Josko Gvardiol in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to reports, Jesse Marsch’s side have tracked the Croatia international for two years now, and they initially came close to signing him back in the summer of 2020.

It is now suggested that Victor Orta and his recruitment team have continued to keep tabs on the defender and are finally ready to make their move.

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However, while Leeds scouts have been present at some of his recent matches, they are likely to face competition from other Premier League clubs for his signature too.

Perfect signing for Marsch

Valued at a whopping £100m by CIES, a fee which would shatter Leeds’ club-record outlay, Gvardiol is very much emerging as one of European football’s brightest centre-back prospects.

In an analytics-based profile done on the 20-year-old by The Athletic, they noted: “When it comes to defending, Gvardiol looks to be well-trained in the aggressive Leipzig way. He is always active in getting tight to his man (defending intensity 99 out of 99). He is also above average in his frequency of ball recoveries and interceptions (79 out of 99), highlighting how much he likes to step out and read the play.”

Meanwhile, in a piece for BBC Sport earlier last month, journalist Izak Ante Sucic claimed that the defender is “built like a tank” and that those in his homeland liken him to Liverpool powerhouse Virgil van Dijk.

He said: “In Croatia we like to compare him to Virgil van Dijk, because he’s built that way (6 foot 1). He’s one of his role models in football and he’s also mentioned Thiago Silva and Sergio Ramos – Ramos because he’s also one of those players who likes to score as many goals as he can.

“In my opinion, I think he can be as good as Virgil one day. When you see how he behaves on the field and off the field, he’s one of those guys where you’d say ‘he’s going to succeed’.”

The Van Dijk comparisons certainly paint a picture of just how highly-rated Gvardiol is, and given the Whites’ defensive troubles this season – they have conceded 68 goals in the Premier League, the most of any team – he could come in and have a huge impact.

Also, with his ability to play at both centre-back and left-back, the young Croatian offers a versatility which would be invaluable to Marsch, given both the club’s tragic injury record and the unconvincing performances of summer signing Junior Firpo.

It’s a move which would certainly have the Leeds manager delighted.

AND in other news – Signed for £5m, now worth 700% more: Orta struck dream Leeds deal with “quality” 22y/o

Newcastle United have the perfect chance to cut their losses on Miguel Almiron amid a recent transfer update.

What’s the story?

The Paraguay international has endured another difficult Premier League season thus far, scoring no goals and providing no assists whatsoever in the nine games that he has played in all competitions.

Now, ABC journalist Bruno Pont has relayed information from Miguel Angel Caceres that the Magpies ace likes the owners of La Liga side Elche, and that he could be one of the players the Tyneside club lets go next season.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Almirón likes the owners of Elche de España, the 27-year-old Paraguayan footballer has been performing at a high level in the Premier League for several seasons. However, he could be one of Newcastle’s sacrifices for next season.”

Get rid

Speaking last summer, former Premier League goalkeeper Chris Kirkland exclusively told FFC that Almiron’s struggles to adapt to life in England has been one of the main issues behind why the Paraguayan has yet to hit the heights.

He said: “Well he’s struggled. He hasn’t adapted, has he? It’s a risk when you’re buying players from abroad. It is a big risk because they can be very good players but moving abroad, moving away from your family, bringing your family over, the different language, all of it has a massive effect.”

The £75k-a-week earning ace’s appalling record of just 13 goals and five assists in 100 games for Newcastle, is simply not good enough, especially in this new PIF-led era at St James’ Park.

The Magpies will no doubt be embarking on a massive spending spree in the upcoming transfer windows, and getting rid of the deadwood and under-performing players will surely be on the agenda too.

Almiron fits into that category of players at Newcastle, and quite frankly, has become just a passenger and liability at the club given his inability to provide any kind of real end product or consistency.

PIF must make a ruthless call and get rid at the earliest possible opportunity. If the club are serious about taking that next step and moving forwards, then axing below-par players like Almiron is the logical decision to make, and ensure they aren’t being held back.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing a move for this record-breaker…

Everton shared a post-match interview with Rafael Benitez on their official Twitter channel shortly after the 5-2 defeat to Watford on Saturday afternoon.

As to be expected, a number of Toffees fans were quick to interact with the post following the calamitous result.

Benitez made two changes from the defeat to West Ham last time out by bringing in Tom Davies and Anthony Gordon for Abdoulaye Doucoure and Alex Iwobi.

It looked as if the home side were on course for three points when Richarlison restored Everton’s lead after the hour mark, but a crazy final 15 minutes saw the visitors net four times, with former Toffees striker Josh King sealing a hat-trick.

Benitez gave his assessment to the club’s media team after the defeat in a four-minute interview, which is available to view here.

Everton fans react

One of the points which unsettled supporters was when Benitez revealed that Gordon wasn’t fit enough to play the full 90 minutes, with one labelling that as ’embarrassing’.

“An absolute waste of time. Soft ball questions. Why didn’t he bring Gbamin or Holgate on after 2-1? Why bring Gordon off because he doesn’t have 90 mins in his legs but keep Rondon on who doesn’t have any minutes in his legs? Joke interview.”

Credit: @IfYouKnowYourH1

“Good to hear him calling out the lack of character in the squad as it’s stank for decades but saying Gordon hadn’t got 90 mins in him whilst leaving Rondon on… Really ?!?!?!”

Credit: @ianspeny

“Might be harsh but embarrassing interview from @rafabenitezweb imo, talking about match fitness numerous times when he’s gone and signed a slug with no ability and played him for 6 weeks, absolutely deluded he is. Never mind conceding 5 against a poor side”

Credit: @g4j4s4

“‘We know Gordon doesn’t have 90 mins in his legs’ Pretty certain Gordon (20) has more legs in him than Rondon who looks like he’s running on quicksand whenever he plays. Shambles.”

Credit: @FureyEthan

“So Gordon doesn’t have 90 minutes in his legs, but Rondon does?????????”

Credit: @KxtHxrington

“Pointless listening to this. All the man does is fail and he’ll fail here. And I told you that months ago.”

Credit: @easyluckyfree84

In other news: ‘Don’t make me cry’ – Many Everton fans buzzing over ‘great news’

Gabriel Jesus has enjoyed a superb start to the season for Manchester City and is flourishing in a new role in Pep Guardiola’s side.

The Brazilian forward had to endure a summer of hearing that, following Sergio Aguero’s exit, Manchester City didn’t possess a striker in their squad and needed to add someone such as Harry Kane.

He was linked with a move to Juventus as the Citizens looked to raise transfer funds earlier in the summer but he ended up staying at the Etihad Stadium and has certainly proved his worth in recent games.

After starting on the bench in City’s opening Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur, the 24-year-old has started each of the last two matches on the wing and has seriously impressed in the 5-0 wins against Norwich City and Arsenal, contributing one goal and three assists.

According to WhoScored, only Rodri has a higher average rating for the champions so far this season, with Jesus tied with Jack Grealish in second after averaging a superb 7.85 rating in his three appearances thus far.

In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, City have needed a creative outlet in their team and the Brazilian has certainly stepped up, averaging 2.7 key passes per game so far this season, a huge improvement on the 1.1 key passes per game he averaged last term.

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With Ferran Torres likely to feature at centre-forward this season, Jesus has moved out to the wing with great effect and looks set to be a key player in Guardiola’s side, keeping the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling out of the team against Arsenal.

The former Palmeiras man has come under criticism for his finishing in the past but looks much more dangerous in a wide position where he can best showcase his ability on the ball, so it looks like something of a masterstroke by Guardiola to alter his position.

The Spaniard certainly rates Jesus highly and sang his praises last season, dubbing him the “unsung hero” in Manchester City’s side.

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Certainly, after what will have undoubtedly been a tough summer for Jesus, it is good to see him earning due plaudits for his superb performances in the early weeks of the season.

In other news… Pep may already have his next David Silva at Man City in “very intelligent” 18 y/o

Everton have reportedly entered the race to sign Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier as manager Rafa Benitez looks to bolster his depleted backline.

What’s the story?

According to 90min, the Toffees are one of several Premier League clubs who have asked to be kept informed of the 31-year-old’s situation, with Newcastle United, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace also listed as potential suitors.

Previous reports have claimed that Atleti are set to demand £25m for Trippier over the coming months, with the player keen on a move back to his homeland, although there is no guarantee the Atletico Madrid defender will move in the new year.

Forget Seamus Coleman

With current first-choice right-back Seamus Coleman set to turn 34 at the start of next season and understudy Jonjoe Kenny failing to get many minutes, Benitez may prioritise that position in the transfer market over the next couple of windows.

And Trippier could be an ideal candidate. Throughout his career, the England international has showcased his quality for both club and country, catching the eye with several impressive performances.

His national team boss Gareth Southgate has often kept faith with the experienced full-back, selecting him on either side of the defence and labelled him a ‘warrior’ earlier this year.

“He (Trippier) is a very underrated player,” said Southgate. “People are still looking at the player from a few years ago and not at the one who is at Atletico Madrid and playing like a warrior in the last few seasons. He is a big part of what we’ve done over the last few years and he gave a really good performance.”

Southgate has also lauded Trippier’s “outstanding quality” from set-pieces in the past and his underlying numbers illustrate why the Three Lions coach holds him in such high regard.

As per WhoScored, Trippier received a season rating of 7.20 for his 28 La Liga appearances last season – the second-highest in the first-team squad, and it’s easy to understand why.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star averaged 2.2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 1.2 key passes, placing him in the top two compared to his teammates for each metric as Atleti claimed the top-flight title.

Therefore, Trippier could become the ideal heir for Coleman on Merseyside, and the Everton supporters will surely be hoping Benitez can see off the extensive competition for his signature.

And, in other news…Everton could discover their new Rooney by signing “first-class” 20 y/o with “no fear”

Paul Stewart is adamant wantaway Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is set to join Manchester City and a deal could be wrapped up in a matter of days.

England captain Kane has made no secret of the fact he wants to leave Spurs in a bid to win more silverware.

Kane also ramped up speculation he is looking to force his way out of the club after failing to report to Hotspur Way for the start of his pre-season preparations.

Last season’s Premier League Golden Boot winner, after finding the back of the net 23 times in the top flight, is coveted by Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola, the reigning Premier League champions’ boss, confirmed City’s interest in Kane after their Community Shield defeat to Leicester City at the weekend.

It comes after City already broke the British transfer record thanks to the £100million signing of Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish last week.

Stewart, who featured for City and Spurs during his playing career, is certain Kane will follow Grealish to the Etihad Stadium.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “I think he’ll go now. I don’t think there’s any way he can turn back. He will have left by the end of the transfer window.

“I have no doubt he will go to Manchester City and I don’t think he will be at Spurs when the season kicks off.”