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According to reports in the Northern Echo, Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez is considering making a summer move for West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon, who has a release clause of £16m in his contract following the Baggies’ relegation to the Championship.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Northern Echo says that the Tyneside outfit are determined to add at least one new centre-forward to their goal-shy squad this summer, and a range of players both based in the UK and abroad are on boss Benitez’s list, with Rondon under serious consideration.

The Northern Echo says that the Venezuela international has been told he can leave the Hawthorns this summer after they dropped out of the Premier League, and his reported price tag makes him an attractive option given he has three years experience at this level with the west Midlands club.

The report adds that Benitez, whom fans have urged to sign a £16.2m-rated, speedy Premier League winger, wants a powerful target man, with Islam Slimani’s loan from Leicester City proving to be a disaster and Aleksandar Mitrovic likely to go after an impressive temporary spell with Fulham, who won promotion to the top flight.

How did Rondon do last season?

In what was a difficult campaign for West Brom, he once again did pretty well despite often being starved of service in the opening months.

The 28-year-old scored 10 goals and provided a further four assists in 40 appearances in all competitions – he has 24 in the Premier League altogether since arriving in 2015 – and his work-rate and hold-up play were particularly impressive.

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Would he be a good Newcastle signing?

He certainly would be, and he would be a surprise a lot of people given the quality that he has.

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While he has only scored 28 goals in 120 games for the Baggies, they have rarely been known as a team that creates lots of chances during that time.

Anyhow, there is far more to his game than just goalscoring, and his strength, power and ability to keep the ball would allow his attacking teammates like Ayoze Perez, Matt Ritchie and Jacob Murphy to get up the pitch and support him, which would help ensure that the Magpies score more than the 39 they managed in 38 Premier League matches last season, during the 2018/19 campaign.

Newcastle United are keeping close tabs on Troy Deeney’s situation at Watford, according to The Sun.

What’s the word?

The Magpies have reportedly been hunting for a new attacking player to help boost the team’s goal tally.

So far, Rafael Benitez’s men have scored 22 goals in 24 Premier League matches, with Joselu top scorer on four.

The Sun claims that Watford boss Javi Garcia is keen for Deeney to stay, but Newcastle and West Bromwich Albion are circling.

So far this season, the 29-year-old has scored three goals and created two assists in 17 appearances in all competitions.

Is Deeney a good choice for Newcastle?

The North-East outfit could do with an additional attacking player up front, and the Watford man possesses something that the team is currently lacking – power.

Deeney is strong in the box, and can also provide, but his current form this season suggests that he may not hit the ground running.

Perhaps the forward is lacking focus and could do with a fresh start, but given the relegation battle that Newcastle find themselves in, they need someone who will make an instant impact.

In addition, there are doubts over whether Newcastle will have the funds to seal a permanent transfer.

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Mike Ashley’s sale of the club remains up in the air.

Ravel Morrison’s career could have gone south. By this point, despite only being 20, he could have taken a path that saw him well way from the game.

It says a lot about him that even with all the talent to become one of England’s best in this new wave, Alex Ferguson and Manchester United chose to move him on when they did. Despite the similarities with Paul Pogba’s issue over a new contract at Old Trafford and the events that led to his move to Juventus, both cases are not identical.

The player should, in a way then, feel grateful to West Ham for taking him on. Even though at the time of his arrival at Upton Park the club were in the Championship, it represented a second chance for a youngster who had a string of disciplinary problems.

West Ham are well within their right to report Fulham for what they believe to be “tapping up” in their pursuit of Morrison. West Ham have reportedly rejected a £6 million bid, but they won’t be comforted by word from Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen that he’s known the midfielder for a long time and that he wanted to join up with him at Craven Cottage.

For West Ham, somewhere in the mind there will be an acceptance that one day Morrison will move on. Now that he’s seemingly been put back on course and reapplied himself to the game, his talent is evident, as well as his ability at the highest level. It would only be natural if an offer from a bigger club eventually came in. From the player’s standpoint, he should be mindful that West Ham is the club who gave him the opportunity for his talents to be showcased in the top flight.

But that’s not the case with Fulham. The club will need an extremely strong effort and a bit of luck to avoid relegation this season, and yet according to Meulensteen, Morrison is more than keen to join. It’s a sideways move for the youngster if anything, possibly motivated by the promise of increased wages. Fulham will be doing all they can to prise Morrison away from West Ham, but it would be more than understandable if Sam Allardyce were to be disappointed in the player’s apparent role in this.

What is unfortunate is that West Ham’s complaint will likely fall on deaf ears. They’re not the first club to complain about tapping up, and yet despite it being an act outside the laws of the game, it’s common.

With Allardyce in a battle to keep West Ham in the Premier League, the last thing he needed was the club’s current top scorer to seek a move away. As is being reported, if a bid comes in for £10 million, the Hammers will have to triple Morrison’s wages if they’re to keep him. Therefore, selling for £10 million is said to be what West Ham have settled on – an issue they knew they’d have to face sooner or later.

The disappointment is the manner in which the potential move is taking place. Faith was placed into Morrison in 2012 by West Ham, and during these final few months of the season, they’d have been looking to him to inspire the club permanently out of the relegation zone.

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Manchester City captain Vincent Komapny has dismissed concerns surrounding his form ahead of club’s Champions League tie with Ajax

The Belgian centre-back was a key performer during the Citizen’s Premier League winning campaign last season, but his performances during the new season have been below par.

The former Hamburg man was played his part in James Milner’s sending-off against West Brom at the weekend after his mistake left the England international exposed.

However, the 26-year-old is not concerned by his recent performances:

“I can only say I have a long career ahead of me, anyone who says it won’t happen again would be lying.” He told ITV Football.

“But I feel great. Maybe we are focusing on the wrong topic.

“When it comes to character and spirit and strength to overturn situations – you can only achieve that collectively. There is no such thing as a one-man team.”

After suffering defeat against Real Madrid and drawing with Borussia Dortmund, City’s hopes of advancing from Group D have taken a hit.

But Kompany admitted that the team knew it would be tough and that Ajax will provide another stern test:

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“It’s a very tough group, we always knew that. There are no easy games and this is no different.

“It’s very tight, but it makes it more exciting.”

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The English media have already begun their ritual of being decidedly unhelpful to their country’s national team ahead of a major tournament with their targeting of Raheem Sterling in the past week.

A staggering overreaction to an unfinished and well-explained tattoo led for some ludicrous calls for the man valued at £81m by Transfermarkt to be dropped from Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad altogether.

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After that, Southgate mentioned in passing that confusion over connecting flights led to Sterling reporting for England duty 12 hours late – missing no training sessions as far as it can be perceived – and voluntarily apologising to his team-mates.

Yet, given the opportunity to get out onto the pitch and silence the doubters, the Manchester City flier flourished in his free role behind Harry Kane as England ran out 2-1 winners over Nigeria.

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Sterling is clearly quite central to Southgate’s England, and with four dribbles and three shots, he was able to get on the ball freely, even if his finishing was as wayward as we have sometimes come to expect.

With one key pass, he also showed the selflessness that a number 10 must have and the only blot on his afternoon was a booking when he anticipated contact, going down too early in a way no England fan will mind if it wins a crucial penalty in Russia.

As Liverpool prepare for what will likely be their biggest home test of the season, a visit from the Premier League’s runaway leaders Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp will know his team selection must be perfect for Sunday’s 4pm kickoff.

Anything less than an impeccable performance from the Reds and the chances are that City will march to yet another emphatic win over a Premier League rival.

At this point in the season, most positions in Liverpool’s starting XI pick themselves, but a handful remain contentious – including right-back. In the absence of Nathaniel Clyne, England international Joe Gomez has occupied the No.2 berth on the most part this season, including last time out against Everton, but he’s faced strong competition from academy product Trent Alexander-Arnold who has made a real impression during his outings for the first team.

Gomez is the more natural defender, something that could be of huge importance against the likes of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, but there are two ways of looking at City’s phenomenal attacking cast and Alexander-Arnold’s more adventurous instincts would at least give them something to think about in terms of tracking back.

So, Liverpool fans, who would you start at right-back this weekend? Let us know by voting below…

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Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana is hopeful that he can maintain his spot in Roy Hodgson’s England squad following his debut last week.

The playmaker secured two caps in during the Three Lions’ defeats to Chile and Germany, and was one of the only rays of light in an otherwise disappointing few days for the national team.

Lallana was a surprise call-up by Hodgson, who has been impressed by his start to the season with the high-flying Saints.

Despite being a new name in the squad, rumours that he could make the final 23 for the World Cup next summer have already kicked into gear.

Lallana is desperate to make the trip to South America, and says that he will be doing his utmost to maintain a spot in the England set-up.

“Playing in the two games has given me even more drive to go back and perform week in week out with Southampton because I’m desperate to be in the next squad and get to Brazil,” he told The Mirror.

“Playing at Wembley for England is something I have always dreamed of.

“The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when I walked out in front of a packed crowd. To get two caps at Wembley against tough opposition is a proud moment for me and my family but I don’t want that to be it. I want more.

“It’s a step up in quality, but it’s where I want to be.

“International football is the pinnacle, it’s where the best football is played and this experience makes me hungry for more.”

Lallana’s versatility may work to his advantage when Hodgson comes to select his final squad, with the 25-year-old able to operate on either flank or just behind the main striker in a 4-2-3-1 system.

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Does Adam Lallana have a chance of making the World Cup squad?

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Former England international Chris Waddle has suggested that Liverpool FC midfielder Steven Gerrard is capable of playing in defence for England.

The ESPN pundit who received 62 international caps sees no reason why Gerrard can’t convert to full back or centre back when his legs are not up to being a box to box midfielder anymore.

He pointed to the regular conversion rate that the Germans have of turning midfielders into successful defenders and has also provided support for playing Carrick in the centre back role in England’s next game.

Waddle went onto add that we need to fully utilise our star players right up to retirement .

“We pigeonhole a player in a position, then we say, ‘He hasn’t got the legs now, get rid of him’. Put him in a different position,” he told The Independent.

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England take on San Marino at Wembley this Friday in a 2014 World Cup Qualifier.

Patrick Vieira is widely regarded as a club legend at Arsenal as he helped the club win three Premier League titles and three FA Cup trophies.

Since retiring from the sport, the Frenchman has been honing his coaching skills.

The 41-year-old spent two years working with Manchester City’s reserve team before taking charge of MLS side New York City FC in 2016.

Shortly after Arsene Wenger announced plans to walk away from Arsenal following 22 years as the club’s manager, Vieira swiftly emerged as one of the bookies’ favourites to take over.

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It seems, though, that the former midfielder, who won seven league titles in his playing career, will not be making a sensational return to his former club.

In fact, Vieira could end up going back to his homeland as manager of Nice.

According to France Football, the ex-Arsenal star is in advanced talks to become Lucien Favre’s successor at Nice.

These latest reports give a huge indication that Vieira is out of the running to become the next Arsenal boss.

Fans have been posting their thoughts on the situation.

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It is shaping up to be a very busy January transfer window for Everton.

Toffees boss Sam Allardyce has been extremely open with the fact that he wants to bring at least a couple of players to Goodison Park this month.

One of those currently being linked with a move to Everton is Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, who has made 16 Premier League appearances this season.

There is no doubting that Shelvey is a wonderful passer of the ball – among the best in the Premier League – but it is another question entirely whether the midfielder can be trusted.

The 25-year-old, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has already picked up a couple of red cards this season, and he is really struggling to shake the image that currently surrounds him.

A move to Merseyside could well see Shelvey thrive, but the Everton supporters are not convinced. Indeed, when the transfer rumour was brought to light, there were a large number that said ‘no thanks’ to the deal.