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Newcastle United are reportedly leading the race to sign striker Marcus Thuram as a free agent this summer.

The Lowdown: Contact made

Newcastle have reportedly already spoken to Thuram’s agent over a potential move once his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach expires, along with fellow Premier League rivals Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona and Inter Milan are also thought to be interested in his signature, with no signs that he will renew his current deal as of yet.

The Latest: Newcastle leading race

As per Italian news outlet Calciomercato, the St. James’ Park outfit are ‘in the lead’ in the race to sign Thuram.

They are able to offer a bigger salary than what he has currently being offered elsewhere, and so will be confident that they can secure his signature once he becomes a free agent.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

It is surely a no-brainer for the North East club to sign a player of Thuram’s quality for free.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer, and an ‘absolute beast‘ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the six-foot-four colossus has scored an impressive 41 times and supplied a further 26 assists in 122 matches in total for Gladbach, with 17 of those goal contributions coming so far this term (Transfermarkt).

With Chris Wood set to join Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal, the Magpies will have space for a striker in their squad, and they should be looking no further than Thuram in order to give fierce competition to both Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson.

Tottenham Hotspur may well still be focused on securing a top-four berth come the end of the season, although the major priority for chairman Daniel Levy will be to find a permanent successor to Antonio Conte in the dugout.

Any new managerial arrival at N17 will likely be keen to put their stamp on things by making notable acquisitions this summer, with recent speculation having suggested that one potential target that the club are already looking at is Sporting CP starlet, Manuel Ugarte.

According to reports in Portugal earlier this month – via Sport Witness – the Lilywhites are reportedly interested in even making an 'official proposal' for the 22-year-old, with the midfielder said to have a release clause of around €60m (£53m) in his existing deal.

A more recent update from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that if the north Londoners are to press on with the signing of the Uruguayan international, it will be "later in the window and not now".

Either way, it does appear that the Montevideo native is of interest to those at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with it set to represent a real coup if the Premier League side can snap up the 6 ft sensation ahead of next season.

Would Ugarte be a good signing for Spurs?

The addition of the former Famalicao ace would certainly provide some extra steel to Tottenham's midfield this season, with Ugarte having been hailed as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig in recent times.

The eight-cap menace has also received notable praise from journalist Dave Hendrick who dubbed him an "absolute monster", while also suggesting that the midfield maestro is a "ball-winning machine".

That has been evidenced by the fact that the promising titan has averaged 3.9 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game from 29 Primeira Liga appearances, while also averaging 4.8 tackles per game during the Champions League group stage – the most of any player in the competition.

As writer Raj Chohan previously noted, the highly-rated ace has served as an in-house "replacement" for ex-teammate Joao Palhinha, with the latter man having since proved "one of the signings of the season" after joining Fulham last summer, as per Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir.

It would certainly be a mouthwatering prospect to have Ugarte lining up alongside current Spurs star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the centre of the park next season, with the latter man also described as a "warrior" by journalist Nubaid Haroon.

The Denmark international has had an "amazing season" thus far – according to ex-England number one, Paul Robinson, having also showcased his ball-winning prowess after averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game from his 30 top-flight appearances.

The 27-year-old also offers a real composed presence on the ball as he has an average pass accuracy rate of 89%, with Ugarte also sharing that quality in possession as has averaged 91% for the same metric in the league this season.

To have such a solid midfield partnership at their disposal next season would certainly bolster Spurs' chance of kicking on under their next long-term manager, with any new appointment set to relish having two 'warriors' to call upon.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag began his rebuild of the club by doing the majority of his transfer business in his home country, luring Lisandro Martinez, Antony and Tyrell Malacia from Ajax and Feyenoord respectively, to mixed success it must be said.

Martinez has been the standout, slotting into the heart of the defence with ease on his way to being dubbed the club's "player of the season" by MEN's Samuel Luckhurst. Therefore, it is no coincidence that United’s latest poor form is due to not having the Argentine available.

Antony has shone in spells, scoring ten goals so far this term but his inconsistency has let him down, spellbinding one match while drifting towards anonymity in the next game, and hopefully, he can improve on this next season.

Malacia, however, has started just 13 Premier League matches for Ten Hag this term, keeping only six clean sheets in those games while winning 50% of his total duels and with Luke Shaw being favoured at left-back throughout the campaign, Malacia could face an interesting summer with regard to his future chances at Old Trafford.

His place may also be under threat due to the emergence of youngster Alvaro Fernandez from the youth academy, who is currently shining out on loan at Preston North End.

Who is Alvaro Fernandez?

The 20-year-old arrived in Manchester from Real Madrid back in 2020, joining alongside Marc Jurado, who left Barcelona for United.

Yet to make a debut for the first team, the Spaniard has been excelling through the academy, especially with the U23 squad, where Nick Cox praised him for being a “standout performer” last year.

The youngster has certainly displayed his attacking qualities during his brief spell in the academy, scoring seven goals and registering 18 assists across 62 matches. Cox even lauded the defender as being an “excellent role model” suggesting that his maturity was one of his key strengths.

He was granted a loan move to Preston for 2022/23, and he hasn’t disappointed. Indeed, Fernandez has continued to display his attacking qualities in the Championship, recording four assists while also contributing 0.9 key passes per game and creating six big chances during his spell at the club.

While clearly excellent going forward, Fernandez has proved to be no slouch defensively either, winning 4.8 duels per game and also averaging 1.1 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 1.1 interceptions each match.

The 20-year-old's ability to be able to provide an attacking outlet at one end of the field but also perform his defensive duties at the other end suggests he could have a fantastic career.

Malacia will need to be on high alert during pre-season, as Fernandez could challenge him ahead of what could be the most important season in his career to date.

Manchester United remain interested in signing AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag appear to be after a new defender this summer, with Harry Maguire’s future up in the air. The England international is attracting interest from Aston Villa, Newcastle and Tottenham, and should he depart, United would be left with just three senior centre-back options.

Napoli’s Kim min-jae appeared to be the top target at Old Trafford, and a deal looked like it was gathering real pace, however, it now seems as if the South Korea will make the move to Bayern Munich.

Should that be the case, a swoop for Disasi could be on the cards, according to Romano. The transfer expert took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share a Red Devils transfer update. He stated that Man United remain interested in the Monaco defender, while Nice’s Jean Clair Todibo is another option.

“Axel Disasi remains concrete name in the list at Manchester United in case Kim Min-jae will end up joining Bayern as expected [next week will be crucial for Kim deal].

“Man Utd also sent their scouts to follow Jean Clair Todibo multiple times — no decision made yet.”

Who is Axel Disasi?

Disasi is primarily a centre-back but can also turn out as a right-back so would bring plenty of versatility to Ten Hag’s side, should a transfer materialise.

The 25-year-old appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation and has been on the books with Monaco since 2020.

During that time, the 6ft 2 France international has made 129 appearances for the Ligue 1 side – 49 of which came during the 2022/23 campaign.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described Disasi back in 2020 as a “complete” and “dominant” centre-back, comparing him to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk. Kulig labelled his pace, tackling, heading, athleticism, tenacity, timing as his main strengths, saying he “would be an amazing signing for any top Premier League club”.

As per WhoScored, Disasi averaged a match rating of 6.83/10 last season, a better score than Man United’s Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Maguire, and on the ball, he looks comfortable, ranking in the 96th percentile for progressive carries and passes into the final third, as per FBref.

Therefore, he could be a shrewd alternative target to someone like Kim, and by the looks of it, an Old Trafford transfer could be one to watch over the coming months.

Arsenal are among the sides willing to pay Fenerbache star Arda Guler's release clause and he wants a transfer away immediately, according to reports.

Who will join Arsenal this summer?

As widely reported, the Gunners have agreed a £105 million total fee for the transfer of West Ham United star Declan Rice, who is now expected to make the move to north London.

Arsenal, though, don't appear to be done there after also sealing a £65 million deal to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Indeed, Southampton's Romeo Lavia is firmly on manager Mikel Arteta's radar this summer, with Ajax defender Jurrien Timber coming as another who Arsenal are currently in talks for.

This could end up being one of Arsenal's busiest transfer windows in recent memory, with reports suggesting they may spend north of £200 million on fresh faces.

New targets are appearing on a consistent basis too, as Emirates transfer chief Edu is credited with an interest in signing Fenerbache's Guler.

The in-demand Turkish wonderkid, who is already capped at international level, has attracted a plethora of suitors both abroad and domestically.

Spanish outlet Diario AS expand on this, claiming Guler is wanted by "half of Europe", with Newcastle United, Manchester United, PSG, Borussia Dortmund, Milan, Sevilla, Barcelona and even Real Madrid chasing his signature.

It is believed that the 18-year-old wants to leave Fenerbache "right away", which is where Arsenal come in, as AS state that the north Londoners are "willing to pay" his €17.5million (£15m) alongside the aforementioned sides.

If Arsenal are to make a move for Guler, they will need to hurry, as both Barca and Real will soon make attempts to convince the player.

Who is Arda Guler?

Branded the "Turkish Messi", Guler is amassing quite the reputation, having stood out as one of Fenerbache's best-performing players per 90 as a teenager last campaign (WhoScored).

The talent racked up seven goal contributions in 20 league appearances over 22/23, all while averaging making more key passes per 90 than any Fenerbache player (WhoScored).

Italian football legend Andrea Pirlo, commenting on Guler recently, even said he has the potential to play anywhere in the world.

"Arda Guler is a very talented player,” Pirlo said.

“He has the potential to play anywhere in the world. He has quality, he can read the game well, and he has great technique. If he keeps developing his game, there is no limit to his potential.”

Liverpool's need for midfield reinforcements in no secret, even after they overcame the odds to defeat Newcastle United at St James' Park and extend their unbeaten run to start the season to three Premier League games.

The Reds were, of course, on their way to a fairly successful transfer window, with the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia threw a spanner in the works.

Since then, they have welcomed Wataru Endo, but it could be argued that a more high-profile name is still needed.

With that said, though, the club have reportedly ruled out signing one particular midfielder.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

As the summer transfer window edges closer and closer to slamming shut, Liverpool are scrambling for the extra reinforcements needed to ensure that Jurgen Klopp has a side capable of returning to the Premier League's top four, after missing out last season.

The name at the forefront of their current list of targets seems to be Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch, who the Bavarians could reportedly soften their stance on in the coming days.

As Gravenberch rises to the top of Liverpool's list, however, it is Sofyan Amrabat who has reportedly been ruled out altogether.

According to Manchester Evening News, who were reporting on Manchester United and Liverpool's interest in Amrabat, the Reds have clarified that they will not be making a move for the Fiorentina man this summer.

This news comes at a time when Amrabat has been frozen out at the Serie A club, with La Viola dropping the Morroco international from both first-team games, and training until his future is resolved, as per Fabrizio Romano.

Should Liverpool sign Sofyan Amrabat?

Liverpool's stance on Amrabat is a surprising one, given their need for midfielders, and Fiorentina's reported price-tag of just €30m (£25.6m) this summer.

Statistically speaking, too, the Moroccan would be an upgrade on the options that Klopp waved goodbye to this summer.

According to FBref, Amrabat outperformed Henderson in some key areas throughout the previous campaign.

Player

Progressive Carries Per 90

Blocks

Pass Completion Rate

Tackles Won

Sofyan Amrabat

1.62

23

88.8%

24

Jordan Henderson

1.61

21

83%

23

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old earned plenty of praise during the 2022 World Cup, as he helped Morroco to reach the semi-final stage, in the surprise of the tournament.

Alan Shearer praised the midfielder, saying on BBC's Match of The Day, via the Liverpool Echo: "He gets it and then he can feed the ball in, and you can see him go back there. He’ll be reluctant to get forward as he wants to protect, he’ll want to do that.

"He really enjoys that and he’s really good at that – ‘get off the ball, I’m having it’ – and he’s setting his team forward. He’s been key. He does that, he protects, he can get out there and help his full-backs, and that’s what he’s in that role to do – to stop, and be a spoiler – he’s excellent at it. Then he drives forward and they’re on their way. He’s been magnificent, he really has."

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Nonetheless, despite the praise and the stats, Liverpool reportedly remain unlikely to push ahead for Amrabat's signature this summer.

Aston Villa are interested in making a big-money move for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, according to a new transfer update.

How has Phillips fared at Man City?

The 27-year-old joined the reigning Premier League champions last summer in what looked like an effective signing. He had starred for Leeds United in the years prior, helping them return to the top flight in 2020 and also became a key man for England alongside Declan Rice in the middle of the park.

Phillips' first season at the Etihad has been something of a disaster, however, with injuries curtailing his progress hugely, limiting him to just 65 minutes of league action spread across six appearances. He may also be finding it tough to adapt to Pep Guardiola's tactical demands, with the manager even calling him out earlier in the campaign, so it is difficult to see him featuring too much between now and the end of the season.

It could even be that the £150k-per-week Englishman is allowed to leave City after just one year at the club – which is where Villa come into play.

Could Villa sign Kalvin Phillips this summer?

According to Football Insider, the Villans are keen on bringing in Phillips over the summer as they look to make a significant midfield addition. It is claimed that Unai Emery "wants to add a top-class signing capable of running the midfield" and believes that the former Leeds star is exactly what he is looking for.

City would demand £45m for Phillips' services, which would surpass the £42m they paid for him last summer.

Granted, this has been a tough year for Phillips, who would have hoped to go up another gear in a City shirt, but he could still be an outstanding signing for Villa this summer. When fit and firing, we believe he possesses the quality to make Emery's side more formidable moving forward, enjoying a 93.3% pass completion rate in the league this season – albeit with a limited amount of playing time.

Meanwhile, as a regular at Leeds last season, he averaged 2.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per Premier League game – both values which would top the rankings among City's current squad (as per WhoScored).

At 27, he is also at a good age to come in and be a key figure at Villa for a number of years, while he has been hailed as "superb" by midfield legend Xavi, which is extremely high praise. Therefore, if City are willing to let him go, we think Villa should jump at the chance to sign him in what could be an inspired piece of transfer business.

Manchester United are set to return to Premier League action away to top-four rivals Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's men gearing up for what will be yet another relentless run of fixtures over the coming weeks.

With the former Ajax boss set to see his squad depth tested to the extreme, the Dutchman will likely be anxious to see teenage sensation, Alejandro Garnacho return to the fold sooner rather than later, with the 18-year-old having sustained ankle ligament damage during the draw with Southampton in the club's last league game.

The expectation is that the Madrid-born speedster will be available for selection before the end of the campaign, although in the meantime, Ten Hag will have to make do without a player who has become something of a "game-changer" for the Red Devils, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

Despite his relative youth, the Argentine international has already contributed nine goal involvements in all competitions so far this term, having looked "unstoppable" at times prior to his recent injury setback, according to pundit Darren Bent.

Such has been the youngster's impact at senior level to date, it would appear that the Old Trafford outfit are already intent on handing out a new, bumper new deal to the former Atletico Madrid asset, with another La Liga giant, Real Madrid, having been circling in recent times.

A long-term extension would seemingly be just reward for a player who has truly exploded onto the scene this season, with United left to feel that they truly hit the jackpot with the signing of the wing wizard, following what has been a remarkable, meteoric rise.

How much is Alejandro Garnacho worth now?

While it is still early days in Garnacho's Red Devils career, it already looks as if the Premier League side pulled off a true bargain deal when bringing the teen starlet to England back in 2020, having prised the 5 foot 11 man from the Spanish capital for a fee of just £420k.

It is clear to see that the exciting showman is already a far more valuable asset, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing him at around £18m, with that roughly 42 times more (4,185%) than what United initially paid for his services.

Not that Ten Hag will be contemplating a sale any time soon, with Garnacho having quickly cemented his status as a vital part of the 53-year-old's squad, notably netting at Elland Road last month, while also providing an assist for Marcus Rashford's winner in the Manchester derby back in January.

Those two moments, in particular, have illustrated that the emerging superstar is a truly fearless and confident individual, having shown no sign of nerves despite the often pressurised nature of competing in the senior set-up.

While there have been concerns over his attitude at times this season, Garnacho has swiftly earned the adulation of those at the Theatre of Dreams due to his direct and dynamic nature, possessing the ability to get the crowd off their feet with a moment of trickery or a penetrating run in behind.

There are, of course, still issues to iron out – with Ten Hag stating earlier this month that the forward needs to begin making more of an "impact as a starter" – yet last season's FA Youth Cup final hero is fast becoming a cult figure among the United support.

Celtic enjoyed a terrific start to their 2023/24 Scottish Premiership term as they beat Ross County 4-2 on the opening day at Parkhead.

Who scored for Celtic against Ross County?

David Turnbull, who scored twice, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Matt O'Riley all got their names on the scoresheet for the Hoops in Brendan Rodgers' first official match of his second spell at the club.

O'Riley has started his campaign with a goal after the Denmark international produced three in 38 appearances throughout the entire 2022/23 season, whilst he also registered an assist on Saturday.

The former Fulham midfielder is an outstanding attacking threat from the middle of the park and Rodgers could find a dream partner for him by completing a swoop for Manchester United's Scott McTominay, who is a reported transfer target for the Bhoys.

How good is Scott McTominay?

Across the 2021/22 campaign, the Scotland international showcased his ability as a defensive midfielder for the Red Devils and could be a fantastic signing for Celtic if he is able to translate that form over to Parkhead.

McTominay only started ten league matches under Erik ten Hag last term, which meant that the United academy graduate did not have many chances to impress, but thrived as a number six across 28 Premier League starts during the previous season.

The £78k-per-week titan averaged an outstanding 3.2 tackles and interceptions combined per game for the English giants and the 6 foot 4 giant displayed his ability in the air as he won 2.3 aerial battles per outing, with a success rate of 67%.

Last season, no Celtic central midfielder with at least one Premiership start managed more than 2.2 tackles and interceptions or 0.7 aerial duels won per clash.

This suggests that McTominay has the quality to be a phenomenal defensive presence at the base of Rodgers' midfield, which could provide O'Riley with even more opportunities to show off his attacking ability at the top end of the pitch.

The ex-MK Dons ace racked up an exceptional 12 assists and created 2.1 chances per game for his teammates in the league last term, which meant that he topped the charts for the club in both statistics.

O'Riley provided 16 'big chances' from midfield and chipped in with three goals as he proved himself to be a consistently impressive performer in possession who can open up the opposition's defence on a regular basis.

McTominay, however, is not an attack-minded midfielder who is likely to bomb forward and leave the defence exposed as he has only scored 19 goals and produced five assists in 209 first-team appearances for United.

The Scottish colossus, who was once lauded as a "monster" by his former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, could sit in midfield and use his defensive instincts to consistently cut out opposition attacks to protect the likes of Maik Nawrocki and Cameron Carter-Vickers.

This could, therefore, free up the likes of Reo Hatate, David Turnbull and O'Riley to go and do what they want to do on the ball without having to worry about the other side of the game as much, as they would have a terrific enforcer there to cover for them if the ball is turned over in midfield.

Chelsea’s heavy spending has always been a source of controversy since the club established itself as one of the Premier League’s elite and naturally, the millions spent have not always produced the best results on the pitch.

However, there are a few examples of players declining to the extent of Hakim Ziyech, with the Moroccan seeing his market value plummet during his time at Stamford Bridge, as a result of his disappointing performances.

How much is Ziyech worth now?

The one-footed winger made the move to Chelsea in the summer of 2020, having agreed to join in February of that year, signing a five-year deal with the club following his £33.3m move from Ajax.

It was easy to see why the Blues were interested in signing the attacker, as he had played a huge part in the Dutch side’s run to the Champions League semi-finals the season prior, while he also notched an incredible 16 goals and 17 assists in the 2018/19 league campaign.

In total, Ziyech would register an impressive 49 goals and 81 assists in 165 appearances for the Eredivisie giants, a tally he has sadly been unable to get anywhere near during his time at Chelsea.

The wide man, who earns £100k-per-week at Stamford Bridge, has made 102 appearances in total, registering just 14 goals and 11 assists, with consistency proving to be the main issue during his spell in England, with one good performance often followed by several poor ones.

So far this term, he has been unable to even show sporadically good form, as he boasts no goals and just one assist in 19 appearances in all competitions. For that, he has been branded “lazy” by various members of the fanbase, including podcaster Ryan Whitney.

Those numbers have helped him earn a shocking 6.47 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Premier League, which remarkably ranks him as the 24th-best performer in Graham Potter’s squad.

It was perhaps no surprise that he wanted to leave in January but he saw a move to PSG fall through on deadline day, which now leaves Chelsea with an unhappy, out-of-form winger, who looks destined to leave Stamford Bridge for a significant loss in the near future.

When Ziyech made the move to Chelsea, Transfermarkt valued him at €45m (£39.8m) but in the three years since his value has dropped to €20m (£17.7m), a huge 55% decrease.

Therefore, considering his performances on the pitch and his current value, Ziyech’s move to Chelsea must go down as a disaster, with the Blues looking increasingly likely to move him on during the summer.