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Following Newcastle United’s first league win of the season last weekend against Burnley, Magpies boss Eddie Howe will be keen to have a fresh bill of health as they travel to face a Leicester City side who may be short on confidence on Sunday afternoon.

Newcastle defender Fabian Schär set up Callum Wilson’s winner against the Clarets as well as keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory. However, the 29-year-old required treatment during the game and missed training earlier in the week.

What’s the latest?

When speaking ahead of the trip to the King Power Stadium, Howe stated that there were a “couple of knocks and niggles” in the squad and that Schär “had a rib problem earlier in the week and missed a bit of training” but “hopefully he’ll be ok.”

The Swiss international has started all four of Howe’s games in charge of the Toon Army thus far, having previously not featured since late August, and has already proved to be a key asset for the new manager.

Granted, the defender had a quiet game against Burnley, making three clearances and blocking one shot according to SofaScore. Schär may have had an assist but also posted a passing accuracy of just 42% and lost possession 20 times in what was a mixed performance.

However, having played just six times this season, Schär is still bound to be rusty and could well be a key player for Howe once he reaches his peak form.

United are also set to welcome back Ciaran Clark from suspension after the Irishman was sent off early in the 1-1 draw with Norwich City, further boosting Howe’s defensive arsenal this weekend.

With Jamaal Lascelles also fit after his recent return from suspension, Howe suddenly has the welcome luxury of deciding which centre-back out of the three now available will be dropped, with the formation of a strong defensive partnership key to United’s survival hopes this season.

Either way, the Toon Army will be surely buzzing to hear that Schär could be good to go this weekend, especially given his recent resurgence under the new manager.

In other news – Forget Fraser: Howe must unleash £74k-p/w Newcastle beast whose energy is “infectious”

Napoli are set to offer Victor Osimhen a new contract, with a potential release clause in excess of £100m according to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), after Tottenham registered their interest in signing the Nigeria international.

THE LOWDOWN: SPURS EYEING POTENTIAL HARRY KANE REPLACEMENT

It’s likely to be an interesting summer transfer window ahead for Spurs, with star striker Harry Kane being linked with a summer departure.

If that were to occur, then Tottenham are likely to be in the market for a swift replacement, with Gazzetta dello Sport previously reporting (via Sport Witness) that Osimhen was a potential transfer target for the Premier League side.

The 22-year-old netted ten goals in 30 appearances for the Azzurri in the 2020/21 season, and it appears as though his strong performances in front of goal haven’t gone unnoticed.

THE LATEST: NAPOLI SET TO TAKE ACTION

According to Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Tottenham’s interest in signing Osimhen ‘worries’ Napoli, and that is likely to prompt the Serie A club into swift action.

It is claimed that the Azzurri want to offer the forward a new contract in the near future, which would include a release clause exceeding £100m.

THE VERDICT: THIS COULD PRICE SPURS OUT OF AN AGREEMENT

If this agreement were to be finalised between player and club, then Spurs could potentially be priced out of a move for Osimhen this summer, and it’s no surprise to see Napoli looking to act swiftly in their efforts to tie down the Nigerian to a new deal at the earliest opportunity.

The 1.86m (6 foot 1) striker has impressed in recent seasons, and Spurs could see him as the ideal replacement for Kane if the England international is to depart the club this summer.

Osimhen has shown that he can score goals at a high level in Serie A with Napoli as well as Ligue 1 with Lille, and he could be decent addition to the north London club ahead of the new league campaign if they can lure him to England.

However, if Napoli were to secure a fresh agreement with the forward, you would imagine that Spurs will cool their interest in signing him and look at an alternative option as pre-season ticks ever closer.

In other news, one Tottenham player has been linked with a move to his native country.

Newcastle could acquire a dream upgrade on Fabian Schar by signing Vitesse starlet Danilho Doekhi.

What’s the story?

The Magpies have endured another difficult season in the Premier League defensively, conceding 56 goals in their 34 games thus far – only Southampton, and the bottom two sides West Brom and Sheffield United have let in more.

Now, Dutch publication De Telegraaf claim that Steve Bruce’s side are keen on reinforcing the centre of defence this summer, and are eyeing up a potential move for 22-year-old Doekhi.

The report adds that the centre-back has just one year left on his contract with Vitesse, and that the Eredivisie side will be under pressure to sell him unless he signs an extension at the club.

Upgrade on Fabian Schar

After getting himself sent off after coming on as a substitute against Arsenal, Fabian Schar pretty much underlined the problems the Magpies have faced at the back this season – some poor, reckless individual mistakes, and collectively disorganised too (the fact only three sides have conceded more than them in the Premier League is evidence of that).

But in Doekhi, Bruce could find someone who is as solid as a rock, and has got the defensive discipline that they desperately need at the back.

Vitesse manager Thomas Letsch dubbed him “one of the best defenders” in the league, and waxed lyrical about the kind of progress he has made at the club, saying: “Danilho is a class player, a great player, for us. He already played fantastic last year and this season he has performed every game at the highest level. Danilho makes almost no mistakes and is an absolute team player, a very calm player. Although he can be emotional, but he has developed in that area as well.”

And, when you compare Doekhi’s stats to Schar’s this season, then you can see why the Magpies are very interested in signing him this summer.

As per Whoscored, the 6 foot 3 Dutchman averages far more tackles and interceptions per game than Schar, and commits less fouls and gets dribbled past far few times than the Newcastle man too.

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That’s not to mention the 22-year-old is also superior when it comes to his work on the ball, which has always been lauded as one of Schar’s biggest strengths. Doekhi averages more passes and at a better accuracy compared to the Swiss ace, and appears to be the kind of ball-playing centre-back who should fit in well in the modern game.

Doekhi is just stronger across the board compared to Schar, and given that he “makes almost no mistakes” too, appears like the sort of central defender Newcastle need.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing a summer move for this Championship star…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ridvan Yilmaz to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Turkish media outlet Turkiye Gazetesi (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has submitted an €8m (£6.75m) offer for the Besiktas left-back, with the player himself thought to be extremely keen on a move to the Premier League side.

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The report goes on to state that the 20-year-old has asked his current team not to stand in the way of his proposed switch to Spurs, however, it is believed that the Super Lig outfit are hoping to receive an offer closer to €10m (£8.5m) before sanctioning the Turkey international’s sale this summer.

There’s no one “identical to him”

Considering how impressive Yilmaz has been since breaking into the Besiktas first team as a 17-year-old back in 2019, coupled with the fact that left wing-back has been something of a problem position for Antonio Conte this season, it is easy to see why Spurs would be interested in a move for the defender this summer.

Indeed, over his 25 Super Lig appearances this season, the £4.95m-rated full-back has been a constant threat for Valerien Ismael’s side, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £3k-per-week dynamo has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping Besiktas keep four clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 1.2 clearances and winning 3.9 duels – at a success rate of 56% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player about whom was it was claimed in comments made to Breaking The Lines that “there isn’t really a well-known full-back that’s identical to him” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.89, ranking him as his club’s ninth-best player in the top flight of Turkish football.

And, with recent reports suggesting that Sergio Reguilon could be on his way out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, as well as Ryan Sessegnon continuing to struggle with injuries, the signing of a new left-back could very much be one of Paratici’s priorities ahead of 2022/23.

As such, considering his tender age, undoubted ability and huge potential – not to mention his extremely reasonable asking price – it would indeed appear as if landing Yilmaz this summer would be a fantastic piece of business for the Tottenham sporting director to get over the line – as the 20-year-old’s unique abilities would certainly be put to extremely good use in Conte’s left wing-back role next season.

AND in other news: “From what I understand…”: Gold drops transfer claim that Spurs supporters will love

Glasgow Rangers defender Connor Goldson has revealed he dreams of playing in the Premier League.

Goldson wants Premier League move

Goldson moved to Ibrox from English outfit Brighton, for whom he appeared in the Premier League on three occasions (Transfermarkt). At Rangers, he has had a big hand in helping the club win their 55th Premiership title, being rated as one of the team’s best performers according to WhoScored.

However, speaking to The Times, the £4.95m-valued 28-year-old has shared his desire to again play amongst the elite south of the border. He said:

“My dream was always to play week in, week out in the Premier League. Whether that happens, time will tell but I think for any English player that’s the dream.”

Hammer blow

This revelation will come as a huge blow to Steven Gerrard. Of all the talents to have contributed to the Gers’ success this campaign, few can claim to have had the same influence as Goldson. He has played in every single minute of every single game, regardless of the competition, and has played at the heart of the defence beside both Filip Helander and Leon Balogun.

Rangers have conceded just 10 goals in 33 matches in the league (BBC), while Goldson has even managed to hit the back of the net on eight occasions – he scored twice against Celtic in the first Old Firm derby of the campaign. Were he to depart, a huge hole would be left in the Gers’ defence which could well take some time to fill.

In other news, Danny Mills believes this man could leave Rangers without any Champions League football.

Graham Roberts reckons that Tottenham should get rid of both Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso this summer.

The pair cost around £100m when they were signed in the same transfer window by Mauricio Pochettino in 2019.

However, neither have been able to fulfil their potential, whilst they’ve contributed to just 13 goals in 100 Premier League games combined – with Ndombele chipping in with nine and Lo Celso only four.

Ndombele was a regular under Jose Mourinho last season after failing to settle in his first campaign in England, although Argentine attacking midfielder Lo Celso has started just 26 games in the league having failed to nail down a starting place.

They sit first and third in Tottenham’s record arrivals list, but Roberts exclusively reckons that neither player can cope with the pace of the Premier League.

Asked which players he could see Tottenham selling this summer, the ex-Spurs skipper exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think Lo Celso and Ndombele. They’ve had two seasons, and they’re not scoring goals or assisting, they need to move on. I would look for a creative midfield player.

“I’m not sure what position Ndombele plays, Lo Celso is always injured. The league is too powerful for them, they can’t get to the pace of the league, and if you can’t get to the pace of the league, you’re a waste of time.”

£30m would be a fair price for Wolves’ Adama Traore in this “crazy” market, says former Leeds United midfielder David Norris.

The 25-year-old has been linked with a move to Leeds for a while now, with 90min claiming last December that both manager Marcelo Bielsa and director of football Victor Orta are admirers of the player.

Traore has two years left on his contract and while reports in May suggested that the Spanish winger was close to signing a new one, nothing has yet materialised.

It means Wolves could decide to sell this summer while they still have some leverage, and Norris thinks Leeds may very well end up doing some good business if they can get the Midlands club to accept a £30m offer.

“I think if you can get him at £30m, knowing what he can do, I think that doesn’t seem too crazy,” the ex-Leeds player exclusively told FFC. “It’s crazy, but it doesn’t seem too crazy these days.”

Traore did not have the best of seasons last term. In 37 league appearances, the Spain international managed to score just two goals.

He did, however, manage to average 4.1 dribbles per game, which was more than any other player in the Premier League (via WhoScored), so still carried a threat, even if it did come outside of the box.

Returning to the dugout this evening, Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore will certainly be looking for a strong response to their embarrassing defeat at the weekend.

After an emphatic victory against Cardiff in front of the TV cameras on Easter Monday, the Owls were then thrashed 4-1 by QPR to put their Championship survival hopes hanging by a thread.

The 46-year-old is now left with plenty to consider by way of team selection at Hillsborough tonight, as his side welcome promotion chasers Swansea City, who have the firepower to deal further damage to Wednesday’s plight.

It would be a surprise to see an unchanged lineup, so here’s our predicted XI as well as the latest team and injury news from south Yorkshire…

The nature of their defeat on Saturday will surely signal some alterations and we’re predicting three changes from the QPR defeat.

After a trio of goals in the second half, we could well see Keiren Westwood finally return between the sticks, as his leadership and experience should be crucial in these final six matches. He replaces Joe Wildsmith.

There could be a tweak to the backline, too, as Moore makes the big decision to drop Sam Hutchinson back into defence alongside Tom Lees and Osaze Urhoghide. It means that Julian Borner makes way after a difficult afternoon against the R’s.

Given the lack of wide options, both Adam Reach and Liam Palmer are likely to remain in their wing-back roles, whilst Joey Pelupessy is an obvious candidate to move into midfield to fill the vacancy left by Hutchinson’s redeployment.

The Dutch defensive midfielder could well be needed against a team which is expected to dominate possession. He would free up Barry Bannan and Josh Windass to be the dangermen for the Owls slightly further up the pitch.

Moore could stick with Jordan Rhodes up top as the forward has bagged four times since his arrival from Doncaster, but in a bid to spark a reaction, Andre Green may be handed his second start since joining on a free transfer in January. That’s a move which would see Callum Paterson revert to the bench.

Joost van Aken and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru have both returned from injury, but as they featured for the under-23s earlier this week, they shouldn’t be involved at Hillsborough tonight; whilst the likes of Moses Odubajo, Massimo Luongo and Chey Dunkley are all still on the treatment table.

AND in other news, Forget Wildsmith: Sheff Wed lightweight who lost 89% of duels badly let Moore down on Saturday…

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce is heading for a major Matty Longstaff transfer mistake as fresh news emerges about his situation at the club.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the 21-year-old will tell the Magpies that he wants to leave St James’ Park this summer, and a Newcastle source has told them that “Longstaff is frustrated at how he has been used by the club this season”.

The report adds that while the midfielder won’t put in an official transfer request, “he will ask United to move aside and let him go if an acceptable offer comes in this summer”.

Fans will be fuming

After putting pen to paper on a new deal last summer, things have just gone downhill for Longstaff, playing just five games in the Premier League all season and not featuring at all since mid-January.

It has raised a few eyebrows, to put it mildly, not least from his Newcastle teammates.

In fact, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh revealed: “Steve Bruce, the head coach, has simply opted to exclude the academy graduate, much to the bemusement of team-mates and the player himself.

“There have been some suggestions that his naivety at Premier League level is part of the reason, yet that does not tally with the decision to field Longstaff against three of the very best sides in the division over the Christmas period.

“This season really needed to be one during which Longstaff was given opportunities. The club, Bruce and the player all recognised that. So, if those chances were not going to arrive on Tyneside, then surely a loan deal would have been in the player’s best interests.”

While things haven’t quite kicked on from that goal against Manchester United, there’s no questioning that fans would be furious at seeing one of the club’s brightest young talents in recent years heading out the door because of a lack of first-team opportunities.

It would be a damning statement on Bruce and his management of the club’s academy talents, and would drive another wedge between himself and the fans.

The Magpies were given a glimpse of this exact potential nightmare last year when Serie A side Udinese came in for him, and they managed to convince him that he could have a real future on Tyneside.

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Instead, they’ve wasted an entire year of his career by failing to keep up their end of the bargain, and Bruce will need to take his fair share of the blame.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing a move for this powerhouse…

As Manchester United hosted Newcastle United in the Premier League this afternoon, an occasion dominated by the debut of Cristiano Ronaldo, another player in Nemanja Matic attracted attention for the wrong reasons.

After a busy summer, the Red Devils have started this English top flight campaign in solid form, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer aiming to win United their first league title in nine years.

To do so, they will have to oust current champions and arch-rivals Manchester City, but you could argue that they are certainly equipped to mount a challenge with the signings of Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and England international Jadon Sancho.

However, while the United line-up is now flooded with superstars, there are some players who manage to attract criticism from supporters for their displays on a consistent basis.

Coming in for one of those in Fred, Solskjaer handed a start to Matic against the Magpies this afternoon, but some fans weren’t particularly impressed with his outing. The Serbia midfielder had little involvement bar a couple of shots which failed to trouble Freddie Woodman, while he also lost possession numerous times throughout the game on a rare start for the 33-year-old.

Check out some of the supporters’ verdicts from Twitter below, with one describing the veteran as “awful” and another saying that he “needs to go”.

Man United fans slam Matic…

“Matic is the last remaining relic that needs to go”

Credit: LivingArt83

“Sell Matic”

Credit: @Joorgerv

“Matic is awful”

Credit: @HusuJr

“This Matic is just a composed Fred. Need him out”

Credit: @NwoyePedro

“Matic grates me more than Fred”

Credit: @QuartCase

“Matic stinks, get him off”

Credit: @ShxwAD

“Matic is done”

Credit: @hEctor_MUFC