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The Magpies are well placed to keep progressing and make a strong push for silverware after some more shrewd recruitment

Newcastle were one of the biggest success stories of the 2022-23 campaign, which saw them qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years and reach the Carabao Cup final. Eddie Howe was trusted to lead an ambitious project at St. James Park by the club's Saudi-backed owners, and so far, he has proven to be exactly the right man for the job.

The question is: just how far can Howe take Newcastle? Time will tell, but it's safe to say that they're in a great position after another summer of smart business in the transfer market.

A strong start will be crucial to their chances of success in 2023-24, and the Premier League fixture list has thrown up a real baptism of fire. Newcastle will face Unai Emery's Aston Villa, reigning champions Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton in their first four games – which they should see as an opportunity to lay down a marker.

If the Magpies' points total is in double figures by the end of that testing run, what's to stop them from emerging as dark horses for the title? Juggling Premier League and Champions League commitments will be a new challenge for Howe's side, but they have the depth to make a real impact in both competitions.

Newcastle's strongest starting XI is a match for any team on the continent, and if they can avoid any serious injuries, there is a very real possibility that their agonising 54-year wait for a major trophy will end in 2024…

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  GK: Nick Pope

  Nick Pope enjoyed an outstanding debut season at Newcastle, who snapped him up for just £10 million from Burnley last summer. The Magpies finished the campaign with the second-best defensive record in the Premier League thanks to Pope's commanding displays between the sticks, and at 31, he still has plenty of years at the top level ahead of him.

  Gareth Southgate continues to favour Jordan Pickford ahead of Pope at international level, but for our money, the Newcastle man is currently the best English goalkeeper in the business.

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  RB: Kieran Trippier

  Right-backs don't come more reliable than Kieran Trippier in the modern game, and the 32-year-old seems to be ageing like a fine wine. The Magpies' de facto captain was one of the standout performers in Howe's dynamic, attack-minded side last season, weighing in with seven Premier League assists.

  Trippier is a superb all-round full-back and he remains a master from dead ball-situations – as evidenced by his spectacular free-kick in Newcastle's famous 3-3 draw against Manchester City in August last year – while he should get some rest this season with new signing Tino Livramento drafted in from Southampton to provide high-quality back-up.

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  CB: Fabian Schar

  Fabian Schar's future at Newcastle was very much up in the air prior to Howe's appointment in November 2021, but he has worked hard to turn his career around and was a mainstay in the English manager's line up last term.

  Surprisingly nimble for a big man, Schar excels when bringing the ball out of defence and has a fierce competitive edge that makes him a useful asset at both ends of the pitch.

  The Switzerland international has firmly established himself as one of Newcastle's most important players, and if he can keep up the same level of performance after entering the final year of his contract, he will surely earn an extended stay on Tyneside.

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  CB: Sven Botman

  Newcastle spent £35 million ($45m) to beat AC Milan to the signing of Sven Botman in the summer of 2022, and it has proven to be bargain price. The former Lille centre-half made the transition from Ligue 1 to the Premier League seamlessly, forming a rock-solid partnership with Schar in the process.

  Botman boasts a natural composure on the ball and he's dominant in the air, with few attackers ever managing to get the better of the 23-year-old in one-on-one situations. The scary thing is, Botman still has a lot more potential to unlock, and Howe is the perfect manager to bring it out of him.

Steve Bull has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Wolves must go all out and sign a quick centre-back this summer.

Only the top three and Sheffield United had a better defensive record than Wolves in the Premier League last season – conceding just 40 times in their 38 matches.

Willy Boly, captain Conor Coady and Romain Saiss were regulars in a back three played by Nuno Espirito Santo, but constant injuries to the Frenchman has left the side short at the back this time around.

Boly has played just seven times since Christmas, with Max Kilman and even midfielder Leander Dendoncker forced to help at right centre-back.

And it’s shown in Wolves’ defensive numbers, with Santo’s team already conceding seven more goals than last term with three games still remaining.

Wolves have improved of late, collecting 10 points from a possible 15, but the only defeat during that period was an alarming 4-0 hammering by Burnley, whilst they found themselves 3-0 down at half-time in their previous home game.

With cracks showing, Bull believes that Santo must prioritise signing another centre-back once the window opens:

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“Maybe we need another defender – a quick one because, no disrespect to Kilman, Coady, Boly and Saiss, they’re not the quickest of defenders.

“If you play them in a three, it’s solid, if you play two of them in a four, they will get over the top, so I think we do need another defender in there.”

Xisco Munoz’s Watford are considering a move for Mbaye Diagne this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that the Hornets, as well as Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, have put the Galatasaray centre-forward on their list of potential targets in the upcoming transfer window.

It is also reported that, following West Bromwich Albion’s relegation to the Championship, a permanent move to the club where the 29-year-old has spent the second half of the season on loan now appears to be off the table.

Giaretta must move

Despite having only linked up with the Baggies in January, Diagne has nevertheless had an impact on the club over his 15 Premier League appearances. The £2.7m-rated striker bagging three goals and registering two assists, as well as averaging 2.2 shots and 0.5 key passes per game, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 6.72 – ranking him as West Brom’s seventh-best player in the top flight.

It would appear as if the £39,000-a-week (£2m per year) forward knows how to find the back of the net and provide assists in the Premier League, which is no mean feat when playing for a team with the third-worst attacking record in the division.

However, if the Galatasaray striker were to link up with Watford’s Ismaila Sarr – who has scored 18 goals and registered eight assists over his first two seasons in English football – this summer, it is not difficult to imagine Diagne benefiting from the creativity and clinical nature of the Hornets winger. In turn, that could easily lead to the 29-year-old returning much greater figures at Watford than during his time at West Brom.

As such, Cristiano Giaretta should be doing everything in his power to convince Diagne – who West Brom journalist Joe Masi described as “dangerous” – of a move to Watford this summer, as the 29-year-old would very much appear to be an impressive addition to Xisco’s attacking arsenal at Vicarage Road.

In other news: Watford suffer huge blow in pursuit of “talented” £25k-p/w gem, Giaretta will be livid – opinion

After Kalvin Phillips was ruled out with a minor injury against Brighton, Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa turned to Robin Koch as the man to fill the void in midfield.

A centre-back by trade, the summer signing endured a difficult game in a wholly unfamiliar position, and Leeds Live’s Beren Cross outlined one of the key problems the German faced, saying that “his passing had nothing like the expanse of Phillips’s, nor the accuracy at critical moments as attacks were threatening to build.”

With reports in recent days claiming that Leeds have made signing a new holding midfielder a priority for the upcoming summer transfer window, some much-needed cover for Phillips is set to arrive. However, for the here and now, rather than turning to Koch, Bielsa must surely now unleash academy starlet Nohan Kenneh.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay dubbed the teenager as “supremely gifted”, and he’s capable of playing in holding midfield as well as further back in central defence. Also, at a imposing 6 foot 2, he seems to have the physical attributes to hold his own at Premier League level.

The 18-year-old has already admitted to modelling himself on Phillips, while he also added that he’s a fan of Arsenal Invincible Patrick Vieira too. He said: “Currently I look up to Kalvin Phillips as (we) both play in a similar position, but I occasionally watch videos of Patrick Vieira for his qualities in midfield.”

Describing himself as someone who is “aggressive and hard-working who likes to break down play”, but also likes “getting forward and scoring long-range goals”, Kenneh seems like he could thrive in the anchor man role if given the chance by Bielsa.

This season he has spent all of his time with the club’s academy side, making 11 appearances at Premier League 2 level and helping them clinch the Division 2 title recently.

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The next step for those batch of players who tasted academy success is to make their mark on the first team, and given the injury problems faced by Phillips last weekend and this season as a whole, Kenneh should be the man to whom Bielsa turns sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, a Leeds source has revealed the club’s exciting plans for the summer…

Many Sunderland fans were far from happy with the performance of Bailey Wright during their 3-3 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

The Black Cats were in action as they attempted to consolidate their place in the League One play-offs. They have been in poor form over the past few weeks, losing three and drawing one of their last four (Sky Sports), and they were once again unable to grab victory in a match that twisted and turned.

A Charlie Wyke brace gave Sunderland the lead early on but Colby Bishop halved the deficit after the break. Then, Luke O’Nien put the ball into the back of his own net. Max Power looked to have grabbed the win before Sean McConville popped up to level things up once more (Sky Sports).

However, Wright struggled at the heart of the back four. He lost possession 17 times and was culpable of a number of misplaced passes (SofaScore) – Johnson will be expecting more from him between now and the end of the season.

These supporters were unhappy with they saw from the defender, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on his “awful” performance.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Wright below

“Bailey Wright is abysmal”

Credit: @MKA97FTM

“Bailey Wright is a massive worry for me”

Credit: @DeanoCummings85

“Why does Bailey Wright insist on taking 5 touches on the ball every time, sometimes just get rid man”

Credit: @elliot_d_p

“That goal all stemmed from a dreadful ball from Wright to Scowen.”

Credit: @PlannerMarj

“Watching the partnership between Hume & McGeady, its hard to fathom the manager pondered long & hard before he got a start. Wyke is playing well with his back to goal & 2 great finishes. Bailey Wright & Burge still giving me heart attacks though – even at 2 up!”

Credit: @Hag_SAFC

“Luke O’Nien and Bailey Wright just don’t work together do they… both had awful awful games”

Credit: @MattyCrichton

In other news, many Sunderland fans slam this manager’s comments.

Gareth Southgate is one of the latest names to be linked to the newly-vacant managerial post at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

According to the Guardian’s Dave Hytner, the England boss could emerge as a potential candidate after the European Championships this summer.

It’s claimed that the 50-year-old, who has only managed Middlesbrough briefly at domestic level, would like to return to the club game at some point and is only under contract at the Football Association until 2022.

There is a further suggestion that his involvement with Harry Kane could be a positive factor as the pair are said to have an excellent relationship.

Disaster?

What is most interesting, however, is the claim that Daniel Levy is plotting a move for an attack-minded manager after handing Jose Mourinho his marching orders following a tumultuous and negative few months in north London.

Hytner goes onto state that the Spurs chairman is ‘keen for the replacement to be modern in outlook and have strong credentials in the development of young players.’

Kind of in the mould of Mauricio Pochettino.

Southgate somewhat has the latter attribute on his side, having won the 2016 Toulon tournament with the Three Lions’ U21 side but in terms of attractive football, he doesn’t pass the test whatsoever and that could not only be counter-productive towards his desire to change the culture at Spurs, but too could put many more supporters off.

One game that emphasises the dull, drab football on offer under our country’s leading boss was that dreadful goalless draw with Denmark last year. That kind of epitomised his recent gameplan since World Cup heartache in 2018.

Three central defenders, two holding midfielders yet the team has plenty of attacking talent like Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to accompany Kane.

“Negative and protective system” is how the BBC’s chief football writer Phil McNulty described it after the game, whilst Barney Ronay lambasted it a “tactical flaw and a turn-off for viewers” on the Guardian.

Not much has changed since, with England only just scraping past Poland in their most recent outing at the end of March.

On the above evidence alone, the appointment of Southgate in north London would be more Mourinho than Pochettino, and that should be enough to have Levy searching elsewhere.

If he were to appoint the former Palace and Villa defender, then he deserves every bit of criticism that would undoubtedly come his way.

AND in other news, this latest ESL update could spell trouble for Spurs and Kane…

A number of Liverpool fans have been calling for the Reds to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma following another impressive performance from him.

Jurgen Klopp may be expected to be in the market for new players this summer, adding fresh blood to his squad after a disappointing season. Defensive reinforcements look to be at the top of the agenda, but additions in midfield shouldn’t be ruled out either.

With Gini Wijnaldum’s future still up in the air, not to mention James Milner now being 35 and question marks over Naby Keita’s worth, it could be that Klopp eyes up a new face in that area.

Bissouma has been linked (ESPN) with a move to Liverpool as a Wijnaldum replacement, as he continues to shine in the middle of the park for Brighton this season.

He was excellent in the Seagulls’ 0-0 draw at home to Everton on Monday night, taking home the Man of the Match award in the process and earning praise from Jamie Carragher in the form of being called “a top-quality player”.

Liverpool fans want to sign Bissouma

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to talk up the idea of the 24-year-old heading to Anfield this summer and called for the club’s FSG ownership to try and land the ‘brilliant footballer’.

“How is Bissouma still at Brighton? Brilliant Footballer this lad. Can improve any Top team. Good age. Great injury record. LFC do something”

Credit: @Lunga_WeeeSiba

“Bissouma with a fantastic tackle from behind to stop an Everton counter-attack! Didn’t rate him much when he was initially linked to a move to us but steadily he’s impressing me more and more”

Credit: @Kloppista_LFC

“Wouldn’t mind Bissouma at Liverpool”

Credit: @EntireDesign_

“Come to Liverpool”

Credit: @LFC_Kareem_YNWA

“Bissouma is such a Klopp-type of player, won’t be surprised if he tries to sign him soon”

Credit: @Deji500

“Bissouma please, FSG”

Credit: @JamieHolme

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been buoyed by a Real Madrid injury update. Read more here.

Having previously signed Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, Liverpool could potentially be looking to sign another of the German club’s midfielders in the form of Marcel Sabitzer.

The Austrian has long been linked with a move to Anfield among other clubs in the Premier League, and has now conceded that he could “imagine” a switch to the English top flight at some point in the future.

He could be the perfect addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad on Merseyside.

Since arriving at the Red Bull Arena from Rapid Vienna, Sabitzer has established himself as one of the most consistent midfield operators in the German top flight and indeed Europe.

He has made 137 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 30 goals and providing 26 assists, with seven of those strikes coming during the 2020/21 season alone. As a matter of fact, Sabitzer has not scored fewer than five goals in a single campaign since his breakthrough season with Admira Wacker in 2010/11 – remarkable consistency for a midfielder.

The Austrian has also made a further 21 appearances in the Champions League, again proving to be an extremely accomplished player on the European stage. Rated at £37.8m by Transfermarkt, whichever club elects to move for Sabitzer would certainly be getting a midfielder of supreme quality.

That is where Liverpool could come in. Heading into 2021/22, the Reds could potentially need a midfield player.

Georginio Wijnaldum looks set to depart upon the expiry of his contract in June, whilst the ever-reliable James Milner may not be able to contribute as much at the age of 35.

Sabitzer has also had a huge impact against English clubs in the past, having won three out of six meetings against Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, racking up two goals and an assist in the process.

Having previously signed fellow midfielder Keita from RB Leipzig, the Reds should certainly try to profit from that relationship once again and make a move for Sabitzer as soon as this summer, especially with the Austrian soon to be in the final year of his contract.

AND in more news, Fabrizio Romano has revealed the huge mistake that FSG and Michael Edwards could be making this summer…

Rangers’ decision to sign Alfredo Morelos in 2017 has certainly turned into a masterstroke, with the Colombian having established himself as a top-quality forward during his time working under Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.

The striker was signed from HJK Helsinki in the summer of 2017, with Transfermarkt suggesting that the Ibrox outfit paid just £1.08m for his services, which has obviously turned into an excellent deal from both a financial and a footballing point of view.

In 176 appearances for the Gers, Morelos has contributed an impressive 93 goals and 42 assists, including an impressive 16 goals and 12 assists in all competitions so far this season.

He also became Rangers’ leading scorer in European competitions earlier this season, with his goal against Benfica seeing him overtake Ibrox legend Ally McCoist.

Following that game, Gerrard was full of praise for the 24-year-old, saying: “It’s fantastic for him from a personal point of view. Alfredo’s a top-class player, a top-class goalscorer, and it’s fantastic that he’s still here.”

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His performances in recent seasons have seen his market value go through the roof and, although any Rangers fan would be disappointed to see him leave, they can be safe in the knowledge that the club should make a serious profit on the Colombian international if he does depart.

According to Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old is now valued at £10.8m, which is ten times the fee Rangers reportedly paid for him, emphasising how well the then-sporting director Mark Allen did to sign him for so little.

Should Rangers manage to keep hold of their star striker this summer, then you would imagine that his market value will only continue to rise further, as he will undoubtedly want to continue his impressive record in Europe when Rangers return to the Champions League next season.

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Therefore, Allen deserves an immense amount of credit for bringing him to Ibrox in 2017 as he has been excellent for the club ever since.

In other news… Rangers may already have their McGregor heir in 17 y/o wonderkid training with the first team

A number of Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to an announcement from the club confirming they have met with fans and key influencers ahead of the Old Firm clash this weekend.

The Gers face their local rivals this coming weekend in the Old Firm derby. The match itself does not have much riding on it – the Ibrox outfit have already been confirmed as champions while Celtic are set to finish in a very distant second place. However, after thousands of Gers fans took to the streets to celebrate the title triumph, breaking lockdown regulations in the process and attracting the ire of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, there are worries that such scenes could be repeated.

The Gers appear to be doing all they can to avoid such a situation. On Tuesday, they confirmed that they had met with key supporters groups and influencers to urge them to stay at home around the clash at Parkhead.

The statement was shared on the club’s official Twitter account, and these fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the statement below

“Getting sick of hearing this, we weren’t going down regardless”

Credit: @KyleMc_

“I don’t genuinely think there was a real desire for our support to attend on Sunday but we are right to do everything we can to show we are united on this front.”

Credit: @TheLoudenTavern

“Fortunately it looks like most fans are in agreement: no-one was planning on heading there anyway. That said, I’ll be so very annoyed and frustrated if we see any #RangersFC fans at Parkhead this Sunday.”

Credit: @AliHunter1

“Pretty sad that the club need to tweet such things to prove to the SNP they are doing their bit publicly.”

Credit: @rangersbadge

“Sturgeon is milking this eh, almost as if it’s a nice distraction from her party’s lies and deception that happen on a daily basis…”

Credit: @King1Scott

“I would like to say to our fans and supporters worldwide that We Are The people and it I key that we celebrate the team and it’s accomplishments from the safety of our own homes. The players, management and staff all know the fans are with them in spirit, and rightly so.”

Credit: @MacGerrard_

In other news, many Rangers fans slam this Union Bears statement.