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Newcastle United will be desperate to climb even further away from the relegation zone, with consistency being the main focus from here on in until the end of the season.

Indeed, one thing that has been playing on fans’ minds in recent times is the lack of support that Salomon Rondon has received at the pinnacle of the attack, as he has had to fend for himself.

However, it appears as if the the Magpies have their sights set on a possible summer swoop as they’ve reportedly (as per Teamtalk) scouted Che Adams in recent times, and Birmingham City want £20 million for his services, while Newcastle will have to put together a package worth £16 million if they want to sign Rondon permanently.

So, Mike Ashley should set his sights on securing a double summer swoop that involves bringing Rondon to the club on a permanent deal and Che Adams as well for a potential combined £36 million.

Che Adams has established himself as one of the most dangerous forwards in the Championship this season, having scored an impressive 21 goals already. And, he has plenty of potential and bags of pace, which has been missing at the pinnacle of the attack for the Magpies in the current campaign.

Meanwhile, Rondon has been the standout performer at St James’ Park this season, with seven goals and three assists to his name up until this point, so he’s done more than enough to warrant a permanent switch.

Of course, Mike Ashley hasn’t really been known to splash too much cash over the years at St James’ Park, but it’s safe to say that this potential double raid is definitely needed as they’d be lost without Rondon and Che Adams’ pace and constant goal threat would work wonders.

What do you think Newcastle United fans?

Leeds have recently been linked with Nottingham Forest loanee James Garner, and his performance against Coventry City on Wednesday evening will certainly have caught Victor Orta’s eye.

This forms part of our Transfer Watch series, where we react to a performance from a current transfer target.

The Lowdown: Leeds links

Garner, who is on loan at the City Ground from Manchester United, has been linked with a move to Elland Road in recent weeks.

Leeds, and therefore Victor Orta, are thought to be monitoring the 21-year-old closely ahead of a possible summer swoop.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-41/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Manchester United may consider a permanent sale over the coming months, with Jesse Marsch looking to bolster his midfield options ahead of his first full season in charge.

The Latest: Stunning display

Forest recorded a fourth successive Championship win on Wednesday to consolidate their place in the playoffs, defeating Coventry City 2-0. Garner was man of the match, as per SofaScore, recording a rating of 8.4/10.

The central midfielder scored Forest’s second on the hour mark and also registered five key passes (the most in the match), made four interceptions (second-most) and three tackles (third-most).

The Verdict: Sign

You’d expect that Garner’s display will have caught the eye of Orta given the recent transfer links, and should Forest fail in their push for promotion, a move for the Manchester United man over the summer could be a shrewd call.

Of course, the Red Devils will need to be willing to part ways with Garner on a permanent basis, and if they are, a move to Elland Road looks to make sense for all parties, banking the parent club a profit on a player far down the pecking order and granting the player first-team football in the top flight.

Marsch meanwhile has just four senior midfield options at this moment in time, with Garner able to turn out as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder.

He could be the perfect partner for Kalvin Phillips in a double pivot next season, with also Garner showing an impressive eye for goal with his goal contributions now up to nine in a Forest shirt.

In other news: ‘Leeds fans won’t be happy…’ – Sky Sports man reacts to major update emerging from Elland Road

Newcastle United have been handed a key relief over Paraguay international Miguel Almiron this week…

What’s the latest?

Magpies boss Eddie Howe has allayed fears that the attacking midfielder has suffered an injury, with the 28-year-old missing the 5-1 defeat to Tottenham due to an illness.

The former Atlanta United star was absent from the matchday squad and his omission may have left fans wondering whether or not he suffered a blow in training during the week.

Lee Ryder Tweeted: “Eddie Howe confirms that Almiron was ill today.”

Delight

This news will surely leave the Toon head coach delighted as it means that the midfielder has not been hit with a knock that will keep him out of action for a number of weeks/months. Instead, he is dealing with an illness and will, hopefully, be able to overcome it sooner rather than later.

It is a big boost for the head coach as he is not blessed with options at the top end of the pitch. In terms of wide players, Ryan Fraser, Allan Saint-Maximin, Jacob Murphy and Almiron are the only natural candidates to play in those areas, although Joelinton and Matt Ritchie are capable of playing there if desperately needed.

Whilst the winger has been unproductive in front of goal this term, with zero goals in 22 appearances, he always works his socks off for the team.

He is a reliable player for Howe in terms of the defensive output he gets from him on the wing, with an impressive 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game as a forward. Almiron has won 3.3 duels per game and completed 80% of his attempted passes, which further goes to show that he is a steady player who will put in a solid shift for the side.

This is why Howe will be delighted that he has not suffered a nasty injury blow, as he will want to be able to call upon the midfielder to do a job when needed between now and the end of the season.

The supporters may see it differently, though, as he lacks the quality to make things happen in the final third. He has zero goals and zero assists in the top-flight and has only created 0.6 chances per game – creating one ‘big chance’ in his 22 outings.

However, Howe does not have much in the way of alternatives and his defensive nous makes him a valuable asset in games where they are expected to be under pressure and defending for the majority of the game.

AND in other news, Less touches than Dubravka: “Struggling” NUFC flop with 6 passes was useless yesterday…

Newcastle United remain interested in a deal to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos this summer…

What’s the story?

Reports during the January transfer window revealed that the Magpies saw a couple of bids for the Brazil international turned down by the La Liga side, with Eddie Howe then turning his attentions towards Brighton’s Dan Burn to bolster his defence.

However, according to The Chronicle, Carlos is still of interest to the Tyneside club, who could head back to the negotiating table this summer in order to finally lure him to St James’ Park.

Could be bye-bye Lascelles

With Fabian Schar and Burn the preferred centre-back partnership in recent weeks, club captain Jamaal Lascelles has found himself sidelined, and that’s no surprise given his general performances this season.

Some Newcastle fans took to Twitter to criticise the defender for his display against Watford, when he lost his battle in the air to allow Joao Pedro to score the equaliser.

That followed on from a particularly disastrous game against Arsenal, and his role in allowing Bukayo Saka to score the opening goal, with Magpies legend Alan Shearer venting: “He has got to realise that Saka is the problem, he has got to engage, he has got to come over a second earlier and do that rather than stand there and do nothing with his hands in the air. It’s terrible defending.”

Indeed, with an average WhoScored match rating of just 6.49, Lascelles is Newcastle’s second-worst performing centre-back to have started more than ten games this season, with only Ciaran Clark behind him.

In Carlos, the Magpies would get the chance to bring in a man of real quality and European pedigree from his time in Spain.

The 29-year-old would give the Magpies a monstrous defensive presence were he to join, boasting an impressive 4.1 duels won per game at a success rate of 62%. to put that into context, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk has won 4.4 duels per match in the Premier League with a 73% success rate.

In addition, Spanish football expert Domagoj Kostanjšak said of Carlos: “He’s a really physical player – he’s built like a tank and they don’t call him ‘The Beast’ for no reason. He’s really good in the air and he’s decent on the ball as well – you have to be under Julen Lopetegui. He’s been a bit of a revelation.”

Valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, Carlos could allow Newcastle to move on from the £55k-a-week earning Lascelles.

AND in other news – Sold for just £100k, now a two-time title winner: NUFC flop has delivered huge payback

Rangers got back to winning ways after two straight defeats in all competitions as they won away from Ibrox at the weekend.

The Gers smashed St. Mirren 4-0 in the Premiership as Kemar Roofe scored a hat-trick and Joe Aribo got in on the act with a stunning finish from distance.

It was a fantastic result for Gio van Bronckhorst’s side and one player who may have enjoyed it more than most was centre-back Leon King.

The academy defender came on to replace Filip Helander in the 45th minute for what was only his second Premiership appearance for Rangers and his first of the 2021/22 campaign.

As per SofaScore, he completed 87% of his attempted passes, including six of his ten long passes, and made three clearances as he helped the side to a clean sheet. It was a solid showing from the 18-year-old and one that may give van Bronckhorst plenty of food for thought heading into the summer.

Just imagine him & Souttar

With Connor Goldson’s contract expiring at the end of the season, King could be the natural heir to his centre-back throne.

John Souttar is set to join on a free transfer from Hearts later this year and the 25-year-old can be the perfect partner for the young Scot at Ibrox. In the Scottish top-flight this season, he has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.33 across 26 appearances.

He has consistently delivered on the pitch as he has won a whopping 71% of his duels whilst making four clearances per game. These statistics prove that he is a defensively dominant tank who can get the better of his opponent more often than not in matches, which makes him the perfect player to pair with a youngster making his way through.

Souttar’s dominance can carry King through matches to aid his development, allowing the teenager to settle into a first-team role before shouldering more responsibility.

After the St. Mirren clash, van Bronckhorst hailed the defender’s potential as he said: “He has so much quality but also a lot of room to improve.

“But that’s because he’s a young player and I’m happy he’s making the progress now.”

This highlights the scope for development King has and why he should be partnered with Souttar to learn from him, as the Hearts man has proven that he can excel in the Premiership.

The 18-year-old can save Ross Wilson millions by replacing Goldson and stepping up to the mark next season, just as he did in his 45 minutes on Sunday.

AND in other news, Big blow: Rangers dealt worrying injury setback that’ll leave Van Bronckhorst gutted…

Manchester United have now turned down an enquiry from Tottenham for midfielder Jesse Lingard, ESPN report.

And, as to be expected, a number of United fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Lingard is out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the season, with his immediate future seemingly up in the air after starting just two games in all competitions this season.

The midfielder, who Rio Ferdinand labelled as ‘amazing’, is in Dubai with some of his United teammates, with Newcastle reportedly offering £10m to take Lingard on loan until the end of the season.

According to ESPN’s Rob Dawson, both Spurs and West Ham have also made enquiries to sign Lingard this month, but they were turned down as United don’t want to ‘strengthen clubs also competing for a place in the top four.’

United fans react

@utdreport relayed Dawson’s claim regarding Lingard on Twitter. This is what these United supporters had to say in reply, with many not exactly thrilled at United’s reasoning.

“Nonsense surely?! The mighty Spurs and West Ham”

Credit: @Niall_UTD

“This club @ManUtd might actually be finished because what is this??”

Credit: @Doye_A_Doyen

“This is embarrassing beyond belief, how low we’ve fallen.”

Credit: @AdamManred

“Total madness”

Credit: @JohnK4nM

“Are we that finished? Wow”

Credit: @UtdJuice

“This tweet sums up the downfall of Manchester United”

Credit: @UTDFrankie

In other news: ‘Wow’ – Lots of Man United fans erupt as ‘ridiculous’ transfer news emerges

Eddie Howe has been handed a huge behind-the-scenes boost over Newcastle full-back Kieran Trippier’s recovery from injury…

What’s the latest?

The Toon defender has been out of action since February and is now taking steps forward towards making his return to the first-team squad before the end of the season.

Journalist Miles Starford Tweeted: “Kieran Trippier close to injury ‘handover’.”

This Tweet was in relation to Howe’s comments on the defender’s current situation. Speaking about Callum Wilson and Trippier, the head coach said: “They’ll definitely be stepping it up.

“I don’t think they’ll be with us at all, so they won’t train with the group. There will be a handover period for Kieran, I think, where he’ll go with our sports science guys.”That might happen at some stage soon. It’s not happened yet. Both players are still with physiotherapists.” Howe will be buzzing

Howe will surely be buzzing with Trippier’s recovery and the pace at which he is going through it. These comments suggest that he is making good progress and stepping up the work that he is doing at Darsley Park to get himself back in contention to play in the Premier League.

The Toon boss will be keen to see him back out on the pitch in the coming weeks to make sure that he heads into the summer with a good base of fitness under his belt.

If he fails to play any minutes before the end of the campaign then that will mean that he will have gone around six months without competitive minutes by the start of 2022/23 and that is not an ideal way to start a season. Therefore, getting him back in for the last few matches would be a big boost ahead of the summer.

Howe will also be delighted with his return to action because of the quality he has on the pitch. In the top-flight this term, he has scored two goals in four matches and made a whopping 6.0 tackles and interceptions per game from right-back since joining from Atletico Madrid.

The England international has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.67 for the Magpies so far and this is why the head coach will be keen to have him back in the squad. He is a joy to watch with his sublime performances in defence, as he was able to showcase his attacking and defensive quality prior to his injury against Villa.

AND in other news, NUFC could finally axe shocking £80k-p/w flop with “insane” £40m “star in the making”…

Aston Villa are reportedly now in serious danger of losing Matty Cash in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Standout right-back

Cash has no doubt been one of the standout right-backs in the Premier League so far this season. He is ranked as the third-best player to have played in 15 or more games in the position, per WhoScored, just behind Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Described as ‘one of the best’ full-backs in the top flight by Kevin Phillips, Cash also averages the most tackles (2.9) and interceptions (1.8) per game (WhoScored), and so Villa may face a battle to keep hold of him for next season.

The Latest: Atletico Madrid have ‘serious’ interest

Taking to Twitter, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Villa are now in serious danger of losing Cash to La Liga and UEFA Champions League giants Atletico Madrid come the summer:

“Atletico Madrid are seriously interested in signing Matty Cash for next season.

“Direct contacts started in January and he’s still in Atleti list as potential new right-back for Diego Simeone, highly appreciated.

“Cash will be in Atletico list again for sure.”

The Verdict: Potential huge blow

Even though Villa are an established Premier League side, and the owners clearly have big ambitions of their own after the captures of Phillipe Coutinho and Lucas Digne last month, it seems sadly inevitable that heads will be turned by mega clubs, such is the quality in Steven Gerrard’s squad.

Indeed, Atletico regularly compete for the Champions League and won La Liga last season – no matter how much Cash loves his life in the Midlands, it would be hard to begrudge him such a move.

He would no doubt be a huge loss, given his importance to the team, as he is currently ranked as their fifth-best player this term.

Nonetheless, at 24 years of age, the Poland international still has so much potential, and it would be very difficult to find a like-for-like replacement.

In other news, find out which clubs have been named as the ones who potentially bid for Douglas Luiz here!

An update has emerged on Rangers and their attempts to bring a new forward to Ibrox on deadline day…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s Manchester City reporter Sam Lee has confirmed that James McAtee has turned down the chance to sign for the Scottish giants, among other clubs, this month.

He Tweeted: “No loan move for James McAtee today: he’s rejected offers from Rangers, Swansea, Bournemouth, QPR, Huddersfield, Dutch clubs, Belgian clubs, Spanish clubs. City now very hopeful he will sign a new long-term contract.”

Livid

Rangers chief Ross Wilson will surely be livid with this update as it suggests that he was unable convince the player that a move to Glasgow was right for him.

Lee’s report does not state that the Premier League champions blocked a loan deal for McAtee, with the player himself taking control of the situation to refuse an offer from the Gers. Instead of coming to Ibrox and playing regular football in the Premiership, he has seemingly decided to remain at The Etihad to attempt to force his way into Pep Guardiola’s side.

Wilson will also be fuming as it means that the club will not be able to enjoy the forward’s talents in the second-half of the campaign. He has 19 goals and five assists in all competitions for Man City this season, playing for the U23’s and the first team, whilst featuring for the first team in the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup and the Premier League.

City academy coach Brian Barry-Murphy once dubbed the magician a “very intelligent player” and his statistics back that up. He has shown great promise at a young age and could have been an exciting signing for the Gers, which is why the club’s sporting director will be livid that he has failed in his attempts to seal a deal.

It could be a case of McAtee not being willing to join any club regardless of what they offered or said to him, but Wilson may always wonder if he did enough to make the transfer happen.

AND in other news, Wilson heading for last-gasp Rangers blunder as Jordan Campbell drops big D-Day update…

West Bromwich Albion appear to have been dealt a setback in their bid to bring Vedat Muriqi to The Hawthorns in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the transfer insider relaying the quotes of Lazio director Igli Tare on Twitter, who seemed to suggest that the 27-year-old centre-forward will not be leaving the Serie A side in the current market.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Vedat Muriqi won’t join CSKA Moscow, Lazio director Igli Tare says: “It was fake news. He’s not joining CSKA Moscow.”

Aside from CSKA Moscow, previous reports had also suggested that Valerien Ismael’s Albion side were interested in a move for the Kosovo international this month, while both Leeds United and Hull City have also been credited with an interest in Muriqi.

However, with Tare stating quite intently that news of the club’s striker potentially leaving Rome is ‘fake’, a move elsewhere could now also be off the cards, including to the Hawthorns.

Fans will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Muriqi’s return of goals during his seven and a half year spell in Turkey was impressive, considering how poor the striker has been since making a big-money move to Lazio back in the summer of 2020, the news that the Kosovan looks unlikely to be leaving Italy this month is sure to have left Baggies fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 246 appearances for the likes of Giresunspor, Genclerbirligi Ankara, Caykur Rizespor, Fenerbahce, KF Teuta and KS Besa Kavaje, the £12.5m-rated man scored 81 goals and registered 23 assists – not far off making a direct goal contribution every other game.

However, since his £17.93m move to Lazio, the £52k-per-week striker has failed to hit anywhere near these heights, having bagged just two goals and provided two assists over his 49 appearances in all competitions for I Biancocelesti.

As such, when taking into account Muriqi’s extremely hefty weekly wage, in addition to the fact that the 27-year-old has proven he does not have what it takes to make it in one of Europe’s big five leagues, the news that the Kosovan will not be leaving Italy for The Hawthorns this winter is undoubtedly fantastic news for everyone involved with the Baggies.

In other news: Sky Sports pundit drops worrying WBA January claim, it’d be a “huge blow” for Ismael