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Tottenham striker Harry Kane would have given Manchester City a different dimension, says former Premier League defender Steve Howey.

Kane was the subject of heavy interest from City during the summer transfer window, with Pep Guardiola confirming that the club wanted to sign the 28-year-old.

He was in incredible form last season, scoring an impressive 23 goals and providing 14 assists in 35 league games.

It makes it no surprise that City spent the whole of the last transfer window chasing after the England captain.

For Howey, City adding Kane to their squad would have given the team a completely different dimension. The former Citizens star told TT:

“To have someone like Kane, which is a focal point, I think would’ve given them a different dimension.”

Having won the title last season using the likes of Ferran Torres and Kevin De Bruyne up front instead of a recognised centre-forward, City can survive without Kane.

They still, of course, also have Gabriel Jesus, whose record in front of goal is very good since joining City. That being said, having failed to acquire that world-class No.9 while rivals Chelsea and Manchester United managed to bag incredible forwards in Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo, some at the Etihad may be feeling a little worried.

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.

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…

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.

Fulham have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Matt Grimes to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that Marco Silva’s side have seen a second bid, believed to be in the region of £2.5m, for the Swansea City central midfielder rejected.

The report goes on to state that, at present, it appears unclear whether the Cottagers will return with a third offer for the 26-year-old in the coming days, while also suggesting that Fulham will be aware the Swans are in a difficult position regarding the former England U21 international, as he has just one year remaining on his current contract at the Liberty Stadium.

Silva will be gutted

Following Fabrizio Romano’s claim that Andre Zambo Anguissa looks set to join Napoli in the coming hours, the fact that Fulham have seen their offer rejected for a player who could well be Silva’s replacement for the Cameroon international is sure to have left the Portuguese manager gutted.

It is easy to see why Silva seems to be so keen on the Swansea City captain, as the 26-year-old would very much appear to make a fantastic addition to his Fulham side, something his form from last season illustrates perfectly.

Indeed, over his 45 Championship appearances for the Swans last term, the £6.3m-rated man scored two goals, provided three assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of one shot and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The man Steve Cooper dubbed an “excellent” player also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 1.3 clearances and winning 5.3 duels in each league fixture.

These returns saw the £10k-per-week midfielder earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.04, ranking him as his side’s fifth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, it is clear to see that a deal for Grimes would be a fantastic transfer for Fulham to get over the line this summer, particularly following the news that Anguissa could be on his way out of west London by the end of the day.

However, with Swansea standing firm on their demands for the 26-year-old at present, Silva will have to weigh up whether or not he can afford to go back with an improved offer for the central midfielder in the coming days.

In other news: Get him gone: Silva must ruthlessly axe Fulham’s “valuable” £24k-p/w Jokanovic flop

Rangers could potentially look to sign Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman after Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s arrival, according to journalist Stuart Hodge.

The Lowdown: Van Bronckhorst takes charge

A new era at Ibrox is now in full swing, with Van Bronckhorst replacing Steven Gerrard as Gers manager following the latter’s switch to Aston Villa.

The Dutchman won his first Premiership match in charge on Sunday, with his side picking up a 3-1 victory away to Livingston.

It is a promising start to life as Rangers boss for Van Bronckhorst, who will be hoping to achieve similar success to his playing career at Ibrox, when he won two league titles.

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The Latest: Veerman linked with Rangers move

He will be no doubt be eyeing up a few signings in order to further stamp his blueprint on the team and one player who could move to Rangers is Veerman, who has been linked with the Scottish champions in recent months.

That’s according to Hodge, who told GIVEMESPORT that he could see a transfer materialising. He said: “That one, yeah, potentially. But I think more so, that’s a market that van Bronckhorst will know well, that’s a market that’s affordable for Scottish clubs.”

The Verdict: Strong creative addition

Veerman is a midfielder with great potential, with Dutch coach Robert Molenaar once hailing him for having ‘extremely good’ technical ability.

Still only 23, he has already registered six assists in just 13 Eredivisie starts this season, highlighting the creativity he could bring to Van Bronckhorst’s team. Only James Tavernier (13) has accrued a higher assists tally for the Gers in 2021/22 across all competitions, with Ryan Kent (five) the next closest.

Veerman’s average of 2.4 key passes per game is also only bettered by Tavernier (3.9) at Rangers, so he is someone who could be an exciting and productive signing.

In other news, some Rangers fans have blasted one player after an incident against Livingston. Read more here.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an exciting transfer claim about Arsenal’s pursuit of Real Madrid star Martin Odegaard this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Mikel Arteta’s side haven’t given up hope of signing the Norway international, who of course joined the Gunners on a loan deal back in the January transfer window.

Now, Romano has delivered an update on the situation, and it makes for exciting news for Arsenal fans.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Arsenal always had clear position regarding Martin Ødegaard. He’s always been considered the main target as number 10 – also if ‘complicated’. #AFC …but if Real Madrid decide to let Ødegaard leave, Arsenal will be ready to make a proposal to sign Martin on permanent deal.”

And then, in response to a fan who asked whether Odegaard would want to come to the Emirates if Madrid didn’t want him, Romano simply replied with a “yes”.

Fans will be buzzing

While Odegaard may not have exploded onto the scene at the Emirates, he did show flashes of brilliance –  both with his creativity and off-the-ball work – to suggest that he could become a real star over a longer period for the Gunners.

As per WhoScored, the Norwegian averaged 1.4 key passes per game in the top-flight, which was the joint-highest of any Arsenal player last season along with Emile Smith Rowe.

Add to that, his 0.9 dribbles per match put him in the top five, while his impressive 90.9% pass accuracy was good enough to place him second in the Gunners’ entire squad.

Crucially, Arteta himself hailed the kind of quality Odegaard brought to the table, saying: “Well, he’s showing that I think from week one. The way he steps on the pitch, he always wants the ball, the way he commands the pressing. He’s been really influential.

“I think we’ve all been a bit surprised because he looks really shy and humble, but when he steps on that pitch he’s a real character and he loves to play football.”

With Arsenal having no Champions League or European football to offer whatsoever, news that Odegaard would be interested in making his return to the Emirates, and that the Gunners would look to sign him on a permanent deal however much money that costs, is news that’ll have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have made an approach for this South American star…