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Kevin Phillips has given his reaction to some Newcastle United injury news involving Callum Wilson.

The Lowdown: Back training

Speaking in his pre-game press conference before the Magpies lost 2-1 at Wolves on Saturday, Steve Bruce revealed that the 29-year-old is due to start training ‘in the next couple of days’, and hinted that he could make a return to the squad after the upcoming international break.

The former Bournemouth striker has not played since he scored in the 2-2 draw at home to Southampton in the Premier League in late August.

The Latest: Phillips reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League Golden Boot winner Phillips has claimed that Wilson being back in training is a big boost for Newcastle. He said:

“That’s a massive boost. They’ve missed him hugely. When he plays, he guarantees you goals, guarantees you a threat.

“That’s what Newcastle have lacked. It’s great news for him to be back in training.

“I’m sure they can’t wait for him to get out there and get going again.”

The Verdict: Huge

It certainly is huge that Wilson is back in training, as he could be back in a black-and-white-striped shirt after the international break has finished.

There is no doubt that Newcastle have missed him, having not being able to win any of the last four Premier League games without him, only managing to score four goals in that time (two in three matches prior to his injury.

He is such a key player for Bruce’s team and gives them a focal point up top from which the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Joe Willock can thrive.

In other news, find out what controversial beIN reveal has been dropped on the potential takeover

Wolves have a number of wingers in their squad, and with all of them competing to be a starter in the side, there is little room for obvious error when the opportunity arises for a starting position in the team.

Bruno Lage decided it was Francisco Trincao’s time to shine in the line up against Brighton away from home last night in their midweek Premier League fixture, that saw the side take their first three-pointer in five games, securing a 1-0 win at the AMEX.

Despite the win, Lage took to his post-match conference to make an honest statement following Trincao’s mistake in front of the dugout in the final third which led to Wolves conceding a corner, and spoke briefly about the 21-year-old’s time with Wolves so far:

“Sometimes he needs to understand the game better,” Lage said. “That’s the big experience for him and what he can learn.

“If you look at the first 15, 20 minutes, every time he tried to link the game, they counter-press and we lost the ball.

“After that he tried to link the game the way we wanted. In the Premier League there is always a good tempo and a good rhythm, and when you come from outside (England) you need to adapt.”

The Portuguese winger has had inconsistencies in his performances so far, with just one goal and not a single assist in his 14 appearances for Wolves so far this season compared to his position competitor, Daniel Podence, who has offered two goals and two assists for the side in fewer appearances.

He struggled to make an impact on his side last night against Brighton, losing the ball every 2.8 times he touched it which only continues to add to Wolves lower possession record away from home. That sits at an average of 44.1% in the Premier League, compared to 53.2% when the side plays at Molineux.

With that first statistic in mind, it’s clear to see why Tim Spiers described him as “sloppy” in possession earlier this term.

As a result of these poor performances, Lage must make the decision to axe the consistency that Trincao lacks into the team in the attacking third, especially during the congested fixtures coming up over Christmas and New Year, where Wolves can pick up a lot of points and will need to have trustworthy players to elevate their chances to get more comfortable in the top half of the table.

Wolves have an option to buy Trincao for £25m when his season long loan from Barcelona ends in the Summer of 2022, but the forward will have a lot of convincing to do for the club to feel that they should secure a permanent move for him, and prove that he can make a positive impact on the side’s efforts to secure European football next season.

Lage will have to now assess how he is going to move forward with his attacking options, as Wolves have been hit with a devastating blow to their starting side with Hwang Hee-Chan getting injured during the game last night, which could give Trincao the chance to redeem himself.

For now, however, he definitely deserves to be axed; his performances have not been good enough.

In other news: Adama Traore attracting January transfer interest

West Ham United have been dealt a setback ahead of their upcoming Premier League meeting with Burnley on Sunday.

What’s the latest?

According to BBC Sport, David Moyes are likely to face Burnley defender Erik Pieters tomorrow afternoon, as the Lancashire outfit are now set to welcome the Dutchman back after his recovery from a knee issue.

However, this hasn’t been the biggest bit of news coming out of Turf Moor this week, as, after ten years of service, manager Sean Dyche was relieved of his duties on Friday – with Burnley 18th and four points from safety with eight games remaining.

Therefore, U23s boss Michael Jackson will be in the opposing dugout at the London Stadium as he takes up temporary charge of the visitors, whilst defender Ben Mee will also be a part of the coaching set-up.

However, amid the surprise regarding Dyche’s dismissal, West Ham must continue to prepare to take on a side desperate for points and who will be stronger with the return of Pieters.

Pieters’ return is bad news for West Ham

Prior to suffering his injury in February, Pieters had been playing well with Burnely in decent form.

The left-back played every minute of the Clarets’ seven Premier League matches between late January and late February before being withdrawn away at Crystal Palace after an hour.

From those seven matches, Dyche’s side lost just once, winning twice and drawing the other four matches which gave their survival hopes a boost.

Prior to that run in the side, the 33-year-old had struggled for minutes in claret and blue, making just four league appearances before the turn of the year.

Since Pieters has been out of action, Burnley have been in dire form, winning just one of their last six in the top flight, losing the other five.

However, that victory was a crucial one as the Lancashire outfit overcame relegation rivals Everton 3-2 at Turf Moor before embarrassingly losing 2-0 at bottom side Norwich City, the final nail in the coffin for Dyche.

The Hammers will certainly smell blood as they look to consolidate their place in the top six, which is currently hanging on a thread.

Although, Burnley supporters will be expecting a reaction after a rollercoaster week at Turf Moor and the boost of Pieters’ return could prove awkward for David Moyes to deal with.

AND in other news: West Ham plot bid for £21.6m-rated “leader”, Moyes can now axe “shocking” £61k-p/w dud

Rumoured Wolves transfer target Donny van de Beek is in talks with Crystal Palace over a January move, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Wolves keen on Van de Beek

The Dutchman has had a disastrous spell at Manchester United, featuring over just 69 minutes of Premier League action this season.

Van de Beek has been linked with a move to Wolves, as Bruno Lage eyes up quality additions, but nothing has come to fruition in the January transfer window.

It now looks as though the final nail in the coffin may have been delivered, in terms of him moving to Molineux.

The Latest: Romano delivers blow

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Romano confirmed that Palace were in talks with the midfielder over an imminent move:

“Talks ongoing again today between Manchester United and Crystal Palace for Donny van de Beek. Patrick Vieira is pushing to have Donny soon.

“Discussions on salary coverage and loan fee between the two clubs. No buy option clause included.”

The Verdict: One that got away

It is hard to put your finger on what has gone wrong for Van de Beek at United but he showed his ability at Ajax, enjoying 75 goal involvements (41 goals, 34 assists) in 175 appearances.

For that reason, Wolves missing out on him is a blow, even if it was only on loan, with his arrival having the potential to give the midfield an added dimension between now and May.

It looks as though Wanderers will have to make do with what they have, but with Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves in superb form, and no European commitments, the squad should hopefully have enough quality to continue its current excellence.

In other news, some Wolves fans have gushed over a transfer update. Read more here.

Everton have already been linked with signing a number of players in the January transfer window, and Rafael Benitez will be hoping to add quality to his struggling side over the next few weeks, with another name being put into the conversation to join the squad at Goodison Park in 2022.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano took to his Twitter replies to make the bold claim that the club are interested in signing Phillipe Coutinho during the transfer window.

Replying to a tweet, the transfer insider confirmed that the Toffees are in among many other clubs considering a move for the Barcelona player, claiming: “Everton are among clubs considering Coutinho. Not the only one. I think he plans to stay in Europe as priority. We’ll see.”

The £16.2m-rated star has been a hot topic of transfer speculation, as he has failed to make an impact at Camp Nou since joining the La Liga giants in 2018, scoring just two goals so far this season, which is a far cry from the expectations when the club signed him for £142m. However, he did show glimpses of talent at Bayern Munich, where he played his part in winning the Champions League on loan in 2019/20.

Despite the rumours of interest from Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham, it has since been reported by Mundo Deportivo that the 29-year-old could go back to Brazil amid interest from both Atlético Mineiro and Palmeiras, which the reports suggest could benefit Coutinho’s chances of getting into the national squad for the World Cup at the end of 2022.

Would it be the right move for Everton?

There is no doubt that Coutinho has talent, with Brazil team-mate Roberto Firmino gushing: “You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician. He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

However, Everton have a habit of overspending in the wrong places, and the fans will be fuming if the transfer budget is blown on a player like Coutinho, instead of investing in a number of younger prospects who can elevate the team for the future, with Demarai Gray a perfect example of the type of signings the Merseyside club need to be making.

One Everton fan took to Twitter to react to the potential signing of Coutinho, venting: “Moshiri actually cannot help himself. It’s an insane addiction he has to overpriced washed players than are nothing more than short-term solutions that don’t help us in the long run.”

Gray was signed for £1.7m in the summer and has since become Everton’s joint-top scorer this season, making an impact far beyond his market value when he joined the Blues. That has set the bar for the kind of signings Benitez needs to be making, instead of buying a player coming to the end of his peak with wage demands of £383k-p/w, a sum could easily spread across multiple other signings.

Were they to splurge on Coutinho rather than investing a similar amount across several new signings, Everton fans would surely be raging at the club, much like the example above.

In other news: This transfer target could solve one big issue for Benitez

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Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter after they were linked with a move for Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans, as reported by Belgian journalist Kristof Terreur.

The Belgian international joined the Ligue 1 side back in May 2017 for a fee of around £20m, and was part of the side that finished third at the World Cup last summer.

Monaco, who sit 19th in France’s top flight and are in real danger of relegation, are open to selling the 21-year-old for the same price they bought him for (as per the Telegraph), or shipping him out on loan.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

With Thursday’s 11pm deadline fast approaching, Newcastle are running out of time to get players through the door that would aid their hopes of Premier League survival.

Newcastle fans, though, aren’t too positive about the chances of signing Tielemans if their reactions on Twitter are anything to go by. Here’s a look at what they’ve been saying…

Frank McAvennie has now claimed that James McCarthy is ‘not fit enough’, and so that makes him a ‘big problem’ for Celtic.

The Lowdown: Injury problems

McCarthy has had a history of injury problems dating back to his days of playing in the Premier League with the likes of Wigan Athletic, Everton and Crystal Palace.

He has only managed to play in a mere eight games at Parkhead so far this season, and has not yet been able to complete the full 90 minutes (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Available

As cited by The Scotsman, Ange Postecoglou has claimed that McCarthy will be available for the visit of St. Johnstone on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Hoops striker now pundit McAvennie has given his reaction to the news, suggesting that he needs to stay fit so that he can be a mainstay in the side:

“He’s a big problem.

“He is the one Celtic wanted to come in and sit in the middle. That’s an important part of that side.

“It’s not happening because he’s not fit enough. He’s getting more injuries because he’s not fit enough when he does play.

“I don’t know what the situation is, I like him. Turnbull and Rogic are great going forward.

“So we need someone to sit in the midfield and win tackles. That’s what he’s for and he is a good player.

“I don’t think there is anyone else at Celtic who can do that, so we need to be careful with him.”

The Verdict: Don’t rush him

The Celts already have a plethora of options in the middle of the park, and so they do not need to rush McCarthy back just yet.

At 30 years of age now, he is clearly not going to be as fit as he was a few years ago, and with his injury history, he may struggle playing in back-to-back matches.

However, McCarthy’s experience above all is vital to the team, and so he should at least make the bench for the weekend.

In other news, find out which ‘heart-throb’ who ‘the ladies love’ McAvennie wants the Bhoys to sign here!

Newcastle United reportedly now have ‘the opportunity’ to sign AS Roma star Nicolo Zaniolo.

The Lowdown: Newcastle’s new Gascoigne?

Back in 2019, the player’s agent Claudio Vigorelli claimed that his client ‘resembles’ former Magpies midfielder Paul Gascoigne for his ‘physical qualities’ and can be ‘devastating’ like Gazza with his ‘technique and quality’ (The Daily Mail).

The former England international was a cult hero at St James’ Park, being their Player of the Year in the 1987/88 season, and scored 20 goals in 94 games in total for them across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Zaniolo is still only 22 years of age, and given the comparisons to Gazza, he seems to have a big future ahead of him.

The Latest: Opportunity comes around

As per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Newcastle now have ‘the opportunity’ to sign Zaniolo for ‘significant amounts’ of money, with Tottenham Hotspur also an option for the Italy international.

However, they will not be able to sign him in the January transfer window, but a deal may be possible next summer.

The Verdict: Makes sense

With the Magpies currently in a relegation battle, it would make a lot of sense for them to wait until the summer before they can assess whether they can sign Zaniolo.

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Currently rated at £36m by 16 goals and provided a further nine assists in 87 matches for Roma, showing that he has an eye for a goal and an assist.

At 22, he has so much potential, and if Newcastle can avoid relegation, he would certainly be an astute signing to target.

In other news, NUFC are in ‘advanced talks’ with this DoF candidate

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Dean Jones of Eurosport has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Hlozek…

As widely reported in recent months, the Czech Republic international is a striker West Ham and manager David Moyes have been keeping tabs on as the January transfer window opens for business.

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Indeed, Football Insider claimed just before the new year that the Irons, and by extension recruitment chief Rob Newman, made an early approach for Hlozek to find out what it would take to win the race for his signature.

They believe that Sparta could demand around £16-20 million for West Ham to sign him mid-season with The Daily Mail reporting since then that Hlozek is still firmly on the club’s radar.

Sharing an update, Jones has made a claim to GiveMeSport as he backs their interest further.

The Latest: Jones makes Hlozek claim…

Speaking to GMS, he says that West Ham are ‘definitely’ eyeing a move for the 19-year-old sensation who they like a lot.

However, he also claims his valuation could well be reason why they haven’t made their move yet.

“He is definitely somebody that’s on their radar and they like him a lot,” Jones explained.

“I can’t remember what his value is right now but I think that’s part of the concern of signing him at the moment.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

As West Ham remain in the market for a player who can back up striker Michail Antonio, a move for Hlozek in January comes with both ups and downs.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by his agent Pavel Paska (90min), the teenage hot shot has certainly impressed since the beginning of 2020/2021 – racking up 21 goals and 24 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt).

These numbers at such a young age highlight his magnificent potential, but one red herring may well be that this comes in a far inferior division to the Premier League.

It remains a point of contention whether he could eventually replicate those numbers in England and there is an argument to be made he is more one for the future than the here and now.

West Ham shareholder Daniel Kretinsky’s ties as co-owner of Sparta, however, could gift the club an advantage in the race for his signature.

We believe a swoop for Hlozek is certainly worth considering even despite the slight drawbacks.

In other news: ‘Tears in my eyes’, ‘Finally’…Many West Ham fans flock to ‘very exciting’ transfer development, find out more here.

Pundit Frank McAvennie has been reacting to updates on Newcastle duo Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Trippier and Wilson updates

The Magpies have headed to Dubai during the international break for a warm-weather training camp.

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Wilson has been out since December with a calf problem, while Trippier has been sidelined since February following a metatarsal fracture, although both players made the trip to Dubai along with another long-term injury victim Federico Fernandez.

Eddie Howe is hopeful that both Wilson and Trippier will return to action before the end of the season after making returns to training.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie labelled the pair’s return to training as ‘incredible’, adding that it is an ‘exciting time’ for both players. The 62-year-old said:

“Newcastle have done so well to keep winning without those players.

“Tripper was so, so good before his injury and we all know how good Wilson is on his day.

“He’s still their top scorer. It’s incredible to see them both working to be back and Newcastle have a decent end to the season.

“I think they just need one or two more wins to really secure their safety.

“Then you are looking at how high they can finish, getting into the top 10 is not out of the question for me.

“It’s an exciting time for them and I’m sure the fans can’t wait to see those guys back.”

The Verdict: Almost safe for another year

Newcastle have enjoyed a fine start to 2022, picking up 20 points from a possible 30 to leave them nine points clear of the bottom three with nine games remaining.

They have coped without Wilson, but having him back to challenge Chris Wood in attack will be a huge boost. Trippier’s return will also be a welcome one given his impressive early impact, but Howe will need to be cautious with the pair in the final weeks of the season given how long they have been sidelined.

Hopefully the Magpies will be all but safe before the two players make full recoveries, but only time will tell whether or not that proves to be the case.

In other news – Deal agreed: Lee Ryder now drops big Newcastle update during international break on ‘hard-working’ gem