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Keith Downie has dropped a big update on Newcastle United’s arbitration case against the Premier League over the failed takeover.

The Lowdown: Arbitration reportedly in July

There have been various reports that the arbitration hearing between the St. James’ Park faithful and the English top flight over the failed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group is set to take place in July.

The timing is not ideal given that the summer transfer window has officially opened and that the date is close to the start of the new 2021/22 season, but a positive result for the North East club could accelerate a potential revival of the original bid.

The Latest: Arbitration update

Downie, who is a North-East based football journalist for Sky Sports, has since given an update on the date set for the arbitration proceedings, claiming: ‘We expect the independent arbitration to begin at the end of the month’.

Given that previous reports had stated that arbitration was set to take place in July, it now appears it could be brought forward by a week or so to the end of June, news which will boost the club’s transfer plans.

The Verdict: Positive if arbitration pushed forward

It can only be seen as a positive if the arbitration case has been pushed forward from July to June, regardless of how small the change is.

If the results of the hearing go in the way of the Tyneside club, then in theory it could pave a path for the takeover to be quickly completed, as the separate anti-competition claim made against the division would no longer be needed, and the Magpies could then start to work with the PL over a solution.

In a dream scenario, if the takeover were able to be completed shortly after the proceedings are finished, then it would give the new owners more time to work on transfers and thus prepare themselves a lot better for the new campaign.

Nonetheless, the results of arbitration will no doubt be key to see the direction in where the deal is heading, and the sooner it is done the sooner the Magpies can begin their summer transfer activity, rather than be left in limbo.

In other news, find out what big claim Ben Jacobs has dropped on the potential takeover after Premier League news emerged here!

Ashley Preece has corroborated reports of Aston Villa being interested in Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips. 

The lowdown

Jonathan Northcroft of The Times claimed in March that Villa were ‘leading the race’ to sign Phillips.

And transfer insider Dean Jones has since described him as Steven Gerrard’s ‘number one target in that area of the field’.

Phillips is approaching the final two years of his contract with The Whites, the only senior side he’s played for.

Manchester United could compete with Villa with his signature, with the MEN reporting that they’ve already begun working on a move.

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The latest

A supporter asked Preece in a Birmingham Live Q & A whether there is ‘any truth’ in the links.

The journalist replied that ‘Villa’s interest in real’ and that ‘they have been quoted £60million’ by Leeds.

His personal prediction is that Phillips will remain at Elland Road ‘for at least another season’, but it remains to be seen as and when The Villans test the waters with a bid.

The verdict

To emphasise just how a big signing this could be, let’s look at Villa’s existing transfer record.

The most they’ve ever paid to sign a player is £34.6million. That’s what it took to sign Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City last summer.

If Villa cave to Leeds’ demands here, and they might have to given the competition, they could nearly double that benchmark.

It’s clear that Gerrard wants to sign a midfielder this summer, with Preece noting that the likes of Ibrahim Sangare, Boubacar Kamara and Geoffrey Kondogbia have all been considered too. But Phillips, an ‘extraordinary’ talent in the eyes of former England boss Fabio Capello, has the advantage of Premier League experience.

In other news, read this journalist’s reaction to a big Villa transfer update.

Leeds could land a perfect midfield partner for Kalvin Phillips in Udinese’s Rodrigo de Paul.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s wanted to lure the Argentina international to Elland Road, and it was even recently suggested by The Athletic’s Phil Hay that the midfielder wants to join the Premier League club.

Football Insider have now revealed that the Whites are prepared to pay a club-record fee to sign De Paul in the upcoming transfer window and have made him one of their top targets.

Imagine him and Kalvin

The 1.8m-tall (5 foot 11) ace has been described by his former manager Julio Velazquez as someone who “lacks absolutely nothing”, and the £34.2m-rated box-to-box midfielder has backed up those words this season by scoring eight goals and providing a further nine assists in just 33 games.

When you look at the kind of player that he is, you can see why Bielsa is so keen to bring him to Elland Road, and why he could be a perfect partner for Phillips in the engine room.

Speaking to Yorkshire Evening Post, Smarterscout’s Dan Altman said: “There aren’t any central midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues who can match Rodrigo de Paul’s style of play and his pitch coverage.

“He’s most active in the right channel, crossing midfield, but he can pop up almost anywhere. He’s an avid defender, and his attacking contribution is huge at a Premier League standard. He’s Argentine and has enormous output on both sides of the ball, so he seems like a great fit for Bielsa’s Leeds.”

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With that ability to break the lines with his running and movement, De Paul could offer a goalscoring touch from midfield which has eluded Leeds this season in the Premier League – Mateusz Klich is their top-scoring central midfielder with just two goals.

The Argentine would offer Phillips a runner to hit with his fine range of passing, and allow the England international to sit slightly deeper and dictate the play like he usually does.

Described as an “avid defender”, De Paul could join Phillips in making it an absolute nightmare for opposition midfielders to try and get time on the ball to try and play, and the duo could play a huge role in winning it back as quickly as possible if they end up playing together for the Whites.

It’s no surprise that Leeds are once again interested in signing him.

Read more: Leeds must offload this “complete liability” in the summer.

Manchester City are edging closer to the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, but a recent report has suggested that would make any move for Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane very difficult this summer.

What’s the word?

Grealish and Kane have emerged as Pep Guardiola’s two top targets for the Citizens this summer and the former looks close to completing a move to the Etihad in a deal worth around £100m.

However, Manchester Evening News journalist Liam Corless has claimed that the deal for the Villa captain could see City end their interest in Kane, unless they are able to raise a significant amount of money through player sales between now and the end of the window.

As Spurs will likely demand well in excess of £100m for their talismanic striker, with chairman Daniel Levy clearly keen to keep him in North London, it simply isn’t financially viable for Manchester City to bring him in as well as Grealish in the same transfer window without significant sales.

A blow for Guardiola?

It seems baffling that City are seemingly prioritising a move for Grealish over the £108m-rated Kane when you consider the options that Guardiola currently has in their respective positions.

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Whilst the Spanish manager can boast talents such as Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez on the wing, he has just Gabriel Jesus available as a senior striker in his squad following Sergio Aguero’s exit earlier in the summer.

Although the Citizens were sensational at times last season, they lacked a clinical striker on a number of occasions towards the end of the season and were punished by Chelsea in the FA Cup and Champions League, so signing a world-class talent such as Kane should really have been City’s priority ahead of the new season.

The 28-year-old striker is clearly keen on a move , with reports earlier today claiming that he has failed to turn up for training at Tottenham Hotspur but if City do complete a move for Grealish, it seems as if they will have to sell a number of first-team options before even considering a bid for the England captain.

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City fans certainly won’t be happy with this update, as they too will surely have been hoping to sign a clinical striker this summer, and now it seems as if a deal for Kane is going to be very difficult for the Citizens to complete and if they are to sign him, they may need to cash in on another star player.

And, in other news… Imagine him and Foden: Txiki can secure City’s future with swoop for “very strong” 18 y/o

Aston Villa have been handed a potential boost in their chase for Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa this summer amid a major transfer update.

What’s the story?

Following the Cottagers’ relegation from the Premier League last season, it would be no surprise to see a number of their key players look to move on.

According to previous reports from The Daily Mail, Dean Smith’s Villa side are monitoring developments over Anguissa ahead of a potential move, with Fulham braced for offers for many of their key men.

And now, The Athletic have revealed that Anguissa was left out of the squad to face Middlesbrough in the Championship at the weekend due to his desire to leave.

It’s added that “the 25-year-old midfielder is subject to interest from clubs in Italy, Spain and the Premier League and has made it clear that he does not want to play in the Championship.”

Premier League proven

Joachim Andersen, his teammate at Fulham, has raved about about the £22.5m-rated powerhouse, saying: “He’s a top player. He’s a machine in the midfield. He’s winning so many balls and driving forward with it.”

And, when you compare the key stats between Anguissa and Villa’s own Douglas Luiz, it’s the former who comes out on top.

As per Whoscored, he is defensively far stronger than his Brazilian counterpart, averaging more tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League, and also committing far fewer fouls too – something Villa fans will be relieved to know after Luiz’s mindless challenge to give away a penalty against Manchester United at the weekend.

And, as Andersen said, Anguissa is also adept at driving the ball forward, averaging a whopping 2.7 dribbles per game – far higher than Luiz, and actually only slightly below Jack Grealish with 2.8 in the entire Villa squad.

It’s exactly why Villa should now be pouncing on a move for Anguissa, especially with this recent development. Johan Lange must pounce now.

The fact Anguissa was left out and has made it clear he wants to move, has given Villa the perfect chance to swoop.

Meanwhile, Villa could sign a dream Jack Grealish replacement in this star…

Leeds United have confirmed that fan favourite, Gaetano Berardi, will be leaving the club when his contract expires this summer and according to former Leeds midfielder David Norris, it is because he does not have the required quality to perform in the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa paid both Berardi and Pablo Hernandez a tribute as the two players have amassed a total of 330 appearances for the club between them but Sunday will be their last opportunity to pull on the Leeds shirt.

Berardi has been unfortunate as he suffered a cruciate ligament injury at the end of the club’s Championship-winning season which has seen him miss almost the entirety of their Premier League campaign.

The defender was a great servant for the club in the Championship but he just lacks that little bit of extra quality that Bielsa desires, according to Norris, who spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“Bielsa has those expectations of what he wants from each player in their respective position and he knows exactly what he wants from every player and I can imagine they will be quite high standards but Berardi is still a very good player. 

“Berardi has done it in the Championship for Leeds so he’s obviously got some quality, but it might just be that he doesn’t have that little bit of extra quality Bielsa wants in the Premier League.”

The 32-year old fortunately did get a chance to play for Leeds in the Premier League against Southampton when he was brought on to replace Diego Llorente in the second half.

Before making his Premier League debut, Berardi had been named on the bench by Bielsa for 10 of the club’s last 11 league games and many fans would like to see him and Hernandez play one last time at Elland Road on Sunday.

Mehrdad Ghodoussi has accused the Premier League of two things in a strong tweet related to the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Claims background

Mike Ashley has launched two separate claims against the Premier League – the Competition Appeals Tribunal (CAT) lawsuit over the decision-making process in nixing the deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium; and the arbitration case, which is set to take place this month.

Earlier this week, the Tyneside club released a statement on their official website requesting for the upcoming arbitration process to be made public, but this is only possible if the Premier League also agree to it as otherwise it will remain behind closed doors.

They also claimed in the statement that they have ‘nothing to hide’ in terms of the process, and even suggested that the Premier League should have ‘no reason to be afraid of the public spotlight’, providing that they have acted ‘lawfully and properly’.

Liam Kennedy, a football journalist for The Shields Gazette who has been following the latest takeover developments closely, has also claimed that the league’s attempts to have the CAT case thrown out ‘seem to have failed’, while the push for a private hearing, and more delays, ‘goes on’.

The Latest: Ghodoussi tweets

Ghodoussi, who is the husband of Amanda Staveley, the businesswoman and head of PCP Capital Partners part of the takeover consortium, has since accused the Premier League of ‘delay tactics’ and ‘zero transparency’ in a strongly-worded tweet.

He also pleaded that ‘fans deserve better’ and called for MP and former Sports minister Tracey Crouch to look into their actions.

The Verdict: Premier League should follow suit

The Premier League should really be following suit in terms of calling for the forthcoming arbitration process to be made public, as they too should have ‘nothing to hide’.

It certainly seems suspicious why they would not want it to be public if they were so confident of getting a positive result in the hearing, and it just shows the supreme confidence that Ashley has of the proceedings going in his favour.

Ghodoussi is right – it seems as if the Premier League are using delay tactics, and keeping the arbitration process private certainly does not give the transparency that the Toon Army are craving.

The arbitration case is certainly setting up to be an intriguing one, and a positive result for Ashley could well speed up the takeover process.

In other news, find out what big claim has been made after the statement was released here!

Everton’s record in the transfer market has been far from perfect during the reign of owner Farhad Moshiri, and one particular signing may have left him with more regrets than most.

What’s the story?

The Toffees brought former Porto, Monaco and Bayern Munich playmaker James Rodriguez to the club on a free transfer after he was released by Real Madrid, but things didn’t go to plan for the 30-year-old.

It was hoped that Rodriguez’s arrival would add some world-class ability to Carlo Ancelotti’s workmanlike squad, with the highly-decorated duo expected to bring European football back to Goodison Park.

However, despite making a fast start to life on Merseyside, the Colombia international soon faded as Everton finished last season in 10th position, and then quickly followed his former mentor out of the exit door after Ancelotti returned to the Spanish capital.

Moshiri endured Everton nightmare

Rodriguez’s short spell with the Blues arguably sums up their recent fortunes in the transfer market perfectly.

First, there was the big outlay on his yearly salary of £7.2m, then came the hope after a handful of outstanding displays before the inevitable disappointment resulted in false promises and an unglamorous exit.

And now, journalist Paul Brown has had his say on the latest transfer nightmare that Moshiri endured, claiming the South American gem failed to live up to expectations at Everton.

Brown told GIVEMESPORT: “I think Everton shot for the stars hoping James would get them into Europe.

“James signed for Carlo Ancelotti, but then he left, and it quickly became obvious that because he hadn’t really played much towards the end of the season, he was going to be a casualty of the cost control measures.

“It’s a transfer that didn’t work, ultimately, because he was there to get them into Europe.

“They didn’t get into Europe, and he didn’t play enough towards the end of last season, so I don’t think you can say too many great things about the club on it from that point of view,” he concluded.

After scoring three goals and providing a further three assists in his first six Premier League games for Everton, Rodriguez added just a further five goal contributions in his subsequent 17 outings.

He then began Rafa Benitez’s tenure in the worst way possible, not playing and then admitting he didn’t even know who the club’s opponents were.

The £140,000-per-week gem then became the first casualty of Benitez’s new era, marking yet another failed attempt to bridge the gap to the top-flight’s ‘Big Six’.

And, in other news…Brands must sanction EFC swoop for “incredible” £19.8m-rated gem, Benitez needs him 

Reported Everton transfer target Kalidou Koulibaly would be an ‘invaluable’ asset to the Toffees, according to Noel Whelan.

The former Leeds United, Coventry City and Middlesbrough striker was speaking to Football Insider amid claims from Italian transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano that a move to Merseyside ‘is a possibility’ for the 30-year-old.

The lowdown

90Min reported earlier in July that Rafael Benitez had identified the Senegal international as his primary centre-back target. Indeed, the Spaniard was in charge at the Serie A club when Koulibaly joined back in 2014.

Napoli have apparently slashed their asking price to £35m, having once demanded a fee in the region of £100m for the defender (via 90Min).

Koulibaly is a two-time Senegalese Footballer of the Year (via Transfermarkt) and was also named the Serie A Defender of the Year in 2018/19 (via Football Italia).

The latest

Whelan reckons that Koulibaly’s age may actually be a positive rather than a concern and urged the Toffees to make a move for him.

Any deal could be the joint-second-most expensive in the club’s history behind their £44.5m swoop for Gylfi Sigurdsson (via Transfermarkt).

Whelan told Football Insider: “Yes, he is 30 but there is still life in the old dog yet. He would bring so much experience to that backline and the younger players could learn a lot from him. It would be invaluable.

“If they could get that deal done, wow, that would be brilliant addition to their side. He would bring so much.”

The verdict

Everton may instinctively hesitate to commit so much money to signing a player who may theoretically be nearing the end of his peak years.

However, Koulibaly doesn’t have any particularly serious injuries on his record, which suggests that he will be able to cope with the demands of Premier League football for a good few years yet, while he can provide the calming experience of 417 career club appearances.

Also, as Whelan suggests, bringing in a player of his Champions League-operating calibre could elevate Everton’s entire backline. There could be a certain aura surrounding him – daunting for attackers but reassuring for his team-mates.

In other news, many Everton fans were fuming over this image. 

West Ham United ended the summer transfer window with a bang but perhaps it could’ve been even better had they secured that elusive new forward to bolster David Moyes’ frontline.And already, the Irons have caught a glimpse of what could’ve been after mooted target Roman Yaremchuk continued his fine form for Ukraine earlier this week.Back in June, the Express first linked the prolific 6 foot 3 talisman with a move to the London Stadium, following an impressive campaign for Gent in the Belgian top-flight.After bagging 23 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions, via Transfermarkt, Yaremchuk scored two goals at Euro 2020 to put more clubs on high alert.Eventually, it would be Portuguese giants Benfica that took the punt on him and after his wonder-strike against Kazakhstan.Just 90 seconds into the match, the 30-time Ukraine centre-forward received the ball on his chest some 35 yards out from goal, before chesting it down again and unleashing a sublime dipping volley over the goalkeeper and into the net.

You can’t help but feel that the Hammers missed a trick here, especially as he’d offer a vastly different presence to Michail Antonio, who is certainly in need of a rotational option behind him, with a Europa League campaign on the horizon.

Speaking about his form this summer, journalist Zach Lowry said: “Roman Yaremchuk has had a phenomenal tournament so far. Definitely going to get a move to a top 5 league soon.”

And he wasn’t the only one to wax lyrical about the £15.75m-rated forward.

When Yaremchuk faced England in the knockout stages, former Liverpool and Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge described him as a “problem” to Gareth Southgate’s backline.

Moyes now heads into the next few months with only one senior striker, an injury-prone 31-year-old that has not started over 24 league games in any of the previous four seasons.

Yes, he’s undoubtedly one of the best and most lethal attackers in the Premier League right now but it’s still early days and the lack of a true backup should be a major cause for concern.

Seeing Yaremchuk score just an outrageous goal will surely have the Scotsman rueing his big mistake to not sign another frontman this summer.

AND in other news,ÂExWHUemployee drops exciting behind-the-scenes West Ham claim, fans will be buzzing…