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Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has offered transfer advice to Newcastle’s new owners…

What’s the talk?

The ex-England international believes that the Magpies should swoop for Norwich City right-back Max Aarons to bolster their defensive options.

Ferdinand has urged PIF to target talented English youngsters, naming Aarons and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher as examples.

Speaking on Vibe with Five, via the Gazette, he said:

“I’d be going mad for young, English talent. The best young, English talent.

“Max Aarons, the right-back at Norwich, Under-21 player. Conor Gallagher, straight in there. Get him in there. They’re two names, straight away, young kids who I’d say they’re coming into Newcastle. I want young, English talent.”

Long-standing problem

PIF could solve a long-standing problem at St. James’ Park by taking Ferdinand’s advice and snapping up the £19.8m-rated Aarons up from Carrow Road in January.

Newcastle have struggled in the right-back position for a number of years now, with the likes of Javier Manquillo and Emil Krafth failing to impress under Steve Bruce.

Manquillo has played in four full Premier League seasons for the Magpies and never averaged a WhoScored rating higher than 6.59, which shows how uninspiring the Spaniard’s time at the club has been.

Krafth, meanwhile, averaged a rating of 6.47 last season after managing 6.30 in his debut campaign for the club, as he has managed to perform to a lower standard than Manquillo. The last time a Newcastle right-back achieved a higher score than 6.59 over the course of a season was DeAndre Yedlin all the way back in the 2017/18 campaign, as he hit a rating of 6.75.

Yedlin earned a 7.05 during the 2016/17 campaign but that was back in the Championship, hardly a fair barometer. As for Daryl Janmaat, he earned a 6.85 in 2015/16 which has to be considered fairly average.

Therefore, bringing in Aarons could help to fix that problem. The England U21 international has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.70 in the top-flight this season, despite his side still searching for their first win. However, most importantly, he has the potential to improve at the age of 21, which could make him a better option than both Manquillo and Krafth.

Last season, Canaries boss Daniel Farke hailed that Aarons whilst acknowledging that he is performing in the present at the same time. The review typified why he could become their most eye-catching right-back for the best part of six years. He said: 

“In my eyes he is not the young Max Aarons, he is just a special player and he has an unbelievable future. I know he has been labelled as one of the best young players in this league. Well I told him we can reject this label now because he is no longer one of the best young players, he is one of the best players.

“When you are close to 100 appearances you are already an experienced lad. He is so young and he has to improve, and he will, but what he has done in the past two years is amazing. I cannot praise him enough.”

This suggests that his average performance rating of 6.70 could rise significantly in the future if he is able to fulfil the potential his current manager believes he has. Therefore, he could end up being Newcastle’s first-choice right-back for a number of years, given his young age and scope for development, and solve their issue in that area of the pitch.

It is now down to PIF to listen to Ferdinand’s advice and make a move for the gem in the January window or next summer.

AND in other news, Deal offered: PIF making moves to seal first NUFC transfer, fans must be buzzing…

Wolves are looking to sign a new striker before the end of the January transfer window, according to reliable journalist Sami Mokbel.

The Lowdown: Wolves continue impressive form

Wanderers picked up yet another impressive Premier League win on Saturday afternoon, battling their way to a 2-1 victory away to Brentford. Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves were the goalscoring heroes for Wolves, who have now won four games in a row in all competitions.

Despite Bruno Lage’s side excelling at the moment, there could still be a need to bring in new players, ensuring that they keep improving the squad and move in the right direction.

The Latest: Journalist talks up striker move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Mokbel claimed Wolves are after a striker this month in order to add more firepower in the final third.

He said: “A striker for them, I’m sure, would be at the forefront of Bruno Lage’s mind. Jimenez is back, but they certainly want more goals and more of a different kind of threat than he would offer, as good as a player he is.”

The Verdict: Makes complete sense

While Wolves have been increasingly strong as the season has progressed, they certainly haven’t been renowned for their goalscoring prowess.

They have only scored 19 times in 21 league games – 19th-placed Watford have four more – and both Hwang Hee-chan and Raul Jimenez lead the way with just four goals apiece, highlighting the need for more ammunition in attack.

With Adama Traore seeming likely to join Tottenham, the money should hopefully be there to spend on a striker in January if that deal goes through during the week, hopefully making Wolves even more potent in the process.

In other news, some Wolves fans love footage that has emerged from the win over Brentford. Read more here.

Alan Hutton has given his reaction as Glasgow Rangers managed to keep hold of their best players in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Players linked with moves

A number of players were linked with moves away from the Light Blues during the window.

The Daily Mail had reported that Everton had made a late £8m bid to try and sign Nathan Patterson, while Marcelo Bielsa wanted to sign Ryan Kent for Leeds United and Alfredo Morelos apparently agreed personal terms with Porto at one point.

The Latest: Hutton on transfers

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton, who is now a pundit after playing as a right-back for the Gers, has been left applauding Steven Gerrard’s team for managing to keep their best players at Ibrox after the window shut:

“I am surprised.

“I think Steven Gerrard will sleep a lot easier tonight knowing he’s kept hold of all his big-name players.

“If you sell two or three of those players to balance the books for the Champions League situation, you’re making it more difficult to retain the title. You’re getting rid of your big stars.

“As we sat here today and he’s kept them all, it’s absolutely brilliant. All Rangers fans will be breathing a sigh of relief after that.

“It’s good to see they’re heading in the right direction of the people. The people they have brought in have done well, along with the people that are already there which is excellent.

“The one main thing I’m happy about is Nathan Patterson staying.

“When that was really ramping up and the bids were coming in, I thought it might be enough for Rangers to sell.

“I’m glad to see him stay and hopefully he can kick on now.”

The Verdict: Great news

It is certainly great news that the Gers were able to keep hold of the likes of Patterson and Kent among a number of their best players.

When clubs from the Premier League come calling especially, it can be difficult for Scottish Premiership sides to turn down their advances, as Celtic have found out recently by selling Odsonne Edouard to Crystal Palace.

However, Gerrard will now have the best possible chance to win the title once more with the current squad, and also have a good crack at the UEFA Europa League, potentially increasing the values of the aforementioned players if they do eventually move on.

In other news, find out whose wages were a problem in him not leaving Rangers here!

Former Leeds midfielder David Norris has exclusively told Football FanCast that pinning down Illan Meslier to a long-term contract is great business for the club.

Since breaking into the team during the back end of the Championship season two years ago, the Frenchman has not only established himself as Marcelo Bielsa’s number one, but as one of the finest young goalkeepers around.

Meslier started all but three Premier League games last season, keeping 11 clean sheets to help Leeds finish ninth on their return to the topflight.

Such was the 21-year-old’s fine form, he quickly attracted interest from PSG, although Leeds rejected any approach from the French giants, who eventually signed Euro 2020 hero Gianluigi Donnarumma instead.

And on the eve of the new Premier League season, Meslier put any doubts over his future to bed when he penned a new deal to keep him at Elland Road for several years to come.

Asked how important tying Meslier down was, Norris told FFC:

“It appeases the fans. For someone they like, and they see him sign long-term, it’s good for the club, it’s good for morale.

“He was linked with PSG, so for Leeds to get him signed down on a longer-term deal, good keeper, great shotstopper, I think that’s a great signing.”

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Everton failed to improve on a poor run of results as they slumped to a 3-1 loss at the hands of Wolves and, while nobody kitted in blue covered themselves in glory, there was one man in particular who is surely disappointed by what he offered to the game, especially considering the influence he usually has on proceedings.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s are tough to beat – they are organised in defence, dangerous on the break and their consistency has seen them rise to seventh in the standings – however, considering their expenditure in recent years, the Toffees should really be giving them a game and, had their star man been at the races, they may have.

Richarlison followed Marco Silva to Everton from Watford in the summer as the Portuguese brought his 2017 signing to Goodison Park and the forward got off to a flying start, netting twice against none other than Wolves on the opening day as the Toffees held the newly-promoted side to a 2-2 draw.

The absence of a goalscoring striker has often seen the Brazilian deployed up front – he is naturally a winger – and he usually puts in a decent shift, as five goals from 12 appearances at centre-stage will tell you. The 21-year-old was surely hoping he would be able to have the kind of impact he had at Molineux as Everton hosted the return fixture on Saturday, but it wasn’t to be.

Richardson’s silky, South-American close control was absent as he uncharacteristically struggled to get a foot on the ball and drive at the defence – the number 30 took 6 unsuccessful touches, as Wolves hunted him down effectively and bullied him out of the game.

Blessed with pace, the forward can usually be relied upon to get in behind the opposition and cause problems with his trickery, but he completed zero dribbles and thus gave the Wolves back four little to worry about all game.

Being deployed as a central striker, the Everton ace showed his instinct as a wide man to drift out to the wing and whip in a cross – he did this twice, but neither were accurate – and, while his new role offers him more opportunities to have a pop at goal, he took zero shots and so failed to trouble Rui Patricio.

Offering little to his team on the front foot, the attacker did still work his socks off as he chased down every ball and made four tackles – the most in his side.

The pressure is rising on Silva to start delivering results more consistently – the Merseyside outfit sit ninth in the table but have lost five of their last eight in all competitions.

There is no doubt that the winger is far more effective on, well, the wing, and Director of Football Marcel Brands’ failure to bring in a competent striker to relieve him of his centre-forward duties is really starting to cost both Richarlison and Silva.

Who is West Ham’s worst ever signing? Check out the video below for a pretty strong candidate for the dubious honour…

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed the country’s government met with Glasgow Rangers officials and a host of other clubs north of the border after what happened with vaccine checks this past weekend.

The Lowdown: Vaccine passports question

It has previously been suggested that vaccine passports would be required for all games in Scotland from October 1st (Rangers News).

However, it now appears the passports will be required from October 21st for Rangers’ clash with Brondby, with checks taking place this past weekend to a much lesser degree.

The Latest: Sturgeon confirms talks

Speaking on Tuesday, Sturgeon discussed the the meeting with Rangers and other Scottish clubs, following Ibrox officials’ efforts to check about 20 per cent of fans on Sunday against Hibernian. She said (via The Scottish Sun):

“In relation to football fixtures over the weekend just past, while they had agreed that no fan would be turned away if they were unable to provide evidence of their vaccination status, both Hearts and Rangers tested their certification arrangements and managed to check around 20 per cent of their crowds.

“Scottish Government officials met yesterday with those clubs, together with Aberdeen, Celtic, Hibs and the managers of Hampden, to consider and learn any lessons from the weekend experiences.”

The Verdict: Controversial

These new plans are unlikely to please Gers supporters. Not only is Sturgeon not particularly popular amongst the supporters, the vaccine passports have been widely panned across Scotland (via The Scotsman). While it is a boost that the plans have been delayed, it is likely to be implemented at some point.

Rangers were at least able to check whether 20 per cent of the fans were doubly vaccinated. But they will need to increase that number quickly to comply with the country’s laws. Supporters getting on board will only help the process.

In other news, this Premier League striker reveals he almost moved to Rangers.

With Leeds United in the midst of a disappointing run of results in the Premier League with three defeats in their last three games, the upcoming January transfer window could well provide the Yorkshire club with the opportunity to strengthen and freshen up their squad to end the season on a high note.

With the window set to open in a matter of days, it seems as though Leeds have their eye on signing a player from one of Europe’s top clubs to help boost their midfield.

What’s the news?

According to a report from The Sun by journalist Alan Nixon, Leeds are interested in signing Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, who is reportedly available for around £20m.

Juventus originally signed McKennie on a loan deal from German club Schalke back in September last year before securing him on a permanent deal in the previous summer transfer window.

Overall, the 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £22.5m according to Transfermarkt, has made 63 appearances for the Serie A giants across all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in the process.

Labelled as an “exuberant” player by former Juventus director Fabio Paratici, McKennie has proved himself to be a useful midfield option for the Italian club this season by racking up an average of 1.2 tackles per game, 1.1 interceptions per game and 0.9 clearances per game in Serie A.

To put those numbers into perspective, current Leeds midfielder Mateusz Klich has managed to rack up an average of 1.1 tackles per game, 0.2 interceptions per game and 0.5 clearances per game, showing that Juventus man has what it takes to deliver the sort of performances that Marcelo Bielsa would be looking for, especially from a defensive point of view.

With the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Jamie Shackleton out injured, McKennie could be a great option for Victor Orta to start January off with a bang and add the midfielder to Bielsa’s squad, especially if he can make Leeds a bit stronger defensively, which is what they need at the moment given how they’ve conceded 14 goals in their three previous league games.

Consider how he was once dubbed a “rock” by Andrea Pirlo, and the American very much appears to be a perfect acquisition for Leeds.

In other news: Leeds United rocked by yet another injury issue that’ll surely have fans fuming – opinion

Newcastle United haven’t always found goalscoring particularly easy at times this season, with the Magpies going through 31 Premier League games with just 34 scored.

One player in Newcastle’s squad who has had a particularly dry season in front of goal is Miguel Almiron.

With 25 appearances to his name across all competitions, the 28-year-old – who has been described as a “popular” figure at the club by Don Goodman – has failed to score a goal or provide an assist for his team.

In addition to his lack of goal contributions, the Paraguayan’s overall performances have been rather lacklustre, with WhoScored giving him a season rating of 6.34/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players currently in Eddie Howe’s squad.

With the summer transfer window on the horizon once the current season ends, it seems as though the Toon could be looking at signing one man who could perhaps be a replacement for the misfiring Almiron.

According to UOL (via Sport Witness) Newcastle are interested in signing Everton attacker Richarlison during the upcoming transfer window.

They also claimed that the Toffees would be looking to recoup a transfer fee of €80m (£67m) for their Brazilian star.

In 145 appearances for the Merseyside club across all competitions, the 24-year-old has scored 49 goals and provided 13 assists along the way, showing how deadly he can be in front of goal.

This is backed up by what former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti had to say about the attacker when he claimed that Richarlison “rarely misses a chance” and is a “complete” player.

With the Brazilian having made three times as many key passes as the Newcastle dud in this campaign, also creating more chances and making more passes into the final third, the Toffees maestro has proved himself to be a much more creative player than Almiron.

To have a player of the Everton star’s attacking quality and calibre in their squad would surely give the Magpies some much-needed creative and attacking strength on the pitch.

If the club decides to call an end to Almiron’s time at St James’ Park in the summer, then launching a move to sign the Everton attacker should very much be in their thinking if they want to land an upgrade.

In other news – Possession lost 20 times: “Huge” Newcastle flop was Howe’s glaring liability against Wolves

With Liverpool wingers Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah scoring 16 out of the 31 Premier League goals that the Reds have managed to score so far this season – more than any other side in the division – it’s safe to say the duo are two of Jurgen Klopp’s most important attacking players.

Although, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eye on adding another winger to their squad that could well provide some competition to the deadly duo and their place in the team.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by El Nacional that the Reds are willing to tempt Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele to join the Merseyside club in the summer, when his current contract expires, on a free transfer with a €20m (£18m) signing bonus and an increase to his current wages.

Before he made the move to Barcelona, the 24-year-old, who is currently valued at £45m according to Transfermarkt scored 10 goals and provided 22 assists across 50 appearances for Klopp’s former side, Borussia Dortmund before securing his move to the La Liga giants in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £135.5m.

During his time at Barcelona, the French international has managed to score 30 goals and provide 21 assists in 119 appearances across all competitions.

Regarding a potential move to Liverpool in the summer, this could be a dream transfer move for Klopp, who is reportedly a big fan of Dembele, given the winger’s relatively young age and the experience he has under his belt playing in the Bundesliga, La Liga and the Champions League.

Also, with former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman previously saying that Dembele offers “something different” to some of his former attacking options at the club, the winger could well have the same sort of effect at Anfield alongside the likes of Salah and Mane.

However, with Dembele having a very unfortunate injury record and the fact that he is currently earning a weekly wage of £287k-per-week, as per Salary Sport, which Liverpool are reportedly willing to increase according to this latest report, these are factors that should definitely be taken into consideration over a potential move for the winger in the summer.

In other news: FSG could seal perfect Salah heir at Liverpool with “unpredictable” £63m-rated machine – opinion

Flocking to Twitter, a number of West Ham United fans have reacted to a fresh transfer claim involving Aston Villa forward Anwar El Ghazi.

David Moyes has had a forward on his Irons transfer agenda for some time, with his search dating back to all the way last year.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, after the club sold their record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax 12 months ago, the West Ham manager confirmed that his side were indeed on the look out and bids had been made.

That quest for new attacking additions has continued into 2022, with Football Insider now sharing the latest on Moyes’ and West Ham’s transfer plans for the winter window.

According to their information, the Irons – and by extension their manager – are plotting a move for El Ghazi this month, with the Hammers boss apparently seeing him as someone who can spearhead his attack through the middle.

This comes as Villa have put the player up for sale and are willing to negotiate either a temporary transfer or preferably a permanent one.

West Ham fans react…

Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham fans have reacted with their takes, with some certainly open to the idea of his signing while others have more mixed opinions.

Having scored 10 goals last season, you can see why some Irons supporters believe the “skilful” El Ghazi would be a shrewd capture, but others suggest that the club should set their sights higher this month.

Check out some of their verdicts below:

“Skilful player and decent shot on him, but we need Schick”

Credit: @DangeMcTowel

“Wouldn’t be totally against that”

Credit: @FinchieRiley

“I wanted him for us when he was at Ajax. Always been a quality footballer and might go up a level under Moyes”

Credit: @rockywhu

“An option for Benramha cover while at the African Nations Cup and beyond, I’d say more effective than Yarmo and Bowen having to swap wings. Smart addition if at the right price. Loves a penalty as well.”

Credit: @WHUFCpubtalk

“No way”

Credit: @isafitzzz

“I can see this happening and oddly working well”

Credit: @ChrisTheHammers

In other news: West Ham could now table bid to sign ‘unbelievable’ £31.5 million-valued star for Moyes, find out more here.