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Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has thrown down the gauntlet to members of the Magpies’ squad, including Andy Carroll, who are set to see their contracts run out at the end of the season.

The Magpies have been busy trying to ensure the long-term futures of some of their most influential performers. Allan Saint-Maximin has joined the likes of Karl Darlow and Isaac Hayden in penning new contracts recently. However, there are still some players whose futures are uncertain.

Bruce lays down challenge to Andy Carroll and others

Bruce has already revealed that the Magpies are working on a new deal for Sean Longstaff, to add to Saint-Maximin’s recent six-year deal. It has now emerged that the Newcastle manager has challenged some players with one year left on their deals to earn a new contract with their performances, as per Chronicle Live.

The likes of Carroll, Dwight Gayle, Federico Fernandez and Ciaran Clark have all entered the final year of their current deals. Neither Clark nor Gayle have featured yet for the Magpies in the Premier League this season as the pair have both been suffered problems with injuries at the start of the campaign.

Carroll is entering the final year of his £75,000-a-week deal, as per Spotrac, and the forward has featured in three of Newcastle’s opening four matches, showing glimpses of his ability during the 2-0 opening day win at West Ham, while Bruce is fully aware of the qualities of Gayle, Fernandez and Clark.

Some players better placed to meet challenge than others

Bruce is right to challenge the four players to earn new deals rather than just handing them out. However, for Gayle in particular, it could be difficult to meet that challenge, given he is out injured at the moment and behind the in-form Callum Wilson in the pecking order. Carroll, who was once labelled as ‘devastating’ by Alan Shearer, has shown his worth at times, but questions remain over his fitness.

Clark also has questions to answer over his fitness, but he is a dependable defender when fully fit. Meanwhile, Fernandez has shown he has a lot to offer the Magpies, so probably is deserving of that new deal. It will be a very difficult decision to determine who should be given fresh terms.

Geordies, should Newcastle tie down these four players? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

Key Information about Ashton Gate Stadium

Ashton Gate Stadium has been the home of Bristol City Football Club since 1900. It was formerly the home of Bedminster FC before their merge with Bristol South End who previously played at St John’s Lane.

The Championship ground has an all-seater capacity of 27,000 and comprises four famous stands, the Lansdown Stand, the Dolman Stand, the Atyeo Stand, and the South Stand, which unlike the other stands it is not named after a figure who had strong ties with the South West England club.

A history of Ashton Gate Stadium

The four stands were redeveloped during different years since Ashton Gate Stadium opened over 100 years ago. The oldest redeveloped stand was the Doman Stand which was built in 1970 which makes it the oldest stand at the ground. At the time of construction, it had a family enclosed zone which stood in front of the stand; however, this was later rebuilt and converted to seating. The original wooden seats in the upper tier of the stand were replaced with modern plastic seats in 2007, and further enhanced during the summer of 2015 as part of a whole stadium redevelopment.

The stand is named after the former club chairman and president Harry Dolman. The Atyeo Stand is the smallest stand at Ashton Gate Stadium with a capacity of just 4,200, though it was built in 1994 to replace an open terrace. It still contains the old dressing rooms and a gym for players to use in training. This stand is named after Bristol City legend and all-time top goalscorer John Atyeo who played well over 600 games for City, scoring an incredible 351 goals. Atyeo sadly passed away a year before the new stand was opened, and it was subsequently named in his honour. Ahead of the 2017-18 season, the Atyeo Stand was made available to away fans, and it is closed for Rugby Union matches played by Bristol Bears who have ground-shared since 2014.

Bristol City commenced major redevelopment of Ashton Gate Stadium in late 2013, with work being carried out the following spring. This included the demolition of the existing Williams and Wedlock stands, to be replaced with new modern stands (south). In addition to this, the extension of the Dolan stand was permitted as well as a new pitch that was laid to enable shared use with Bristol Bears rugby club. The redevelopment was completed ahead of the 2016-17 season.

Tickets to Watch Bristol City at Ashton Gate Stadium

Adult tickets for members of the Bristol City can purchase a single matchday ticket from £20-32 depending on which stand is desired. Seniors and under-25s can go from £17-29, under-22s from £14-26, under-19s from £10-16, and under-12s for just £5. Adult season tickets for next season range from £366-636, and under-12s can go the entire season for just £55.

Related Links

https://www.bcfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Bristol City

https://www.bcfc.co.uk/tickets-memberships/matchday-prices/ – Bristol City Ticket Office

Manchester United face stiff competition from Arsenal in the race to sign Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille, reports claim.Â

Gabriel finds himself on the Red Devils’ radar amid interest from a number of European clubs this summer with Arsenal among them.

According to Goal, Lille still haven’t decided where his future lies, and he is currently considering his options ahead of a potential move.

It is understood that the Ligue 1 club want at least £25m for the highly-rated centre-back.

Recent reports had suggested that the Red Devils were close to completing a deal for the defender but this doesn’t seem to be the case.

While Man United have made contact with his agent, Fabrizio Romano revealed they are not in talks with Lille at the moment.

The Italian transfer expert tweeted that Arsenal are ahead of their fierce rivals as they have started discussions with Les Dogues to sort out a deal, while Napoli remain interested but are waiting to see what will happen with United’s other defensive target, Kalidou Koulibaly.

It is common knowledge that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to sign a centre-back to play alongside Harry Maguire at the back, as Victor Lindelof has struggled for consistency, and Eric Bailly has barely played at all.

The 22-year-old Brazilian is exactly the sort of player he needs to bring to Old Trafford this summer.

Gabriel, who has been described by Lille president Gerard Lopez as an “absolute machine,” has the pick of the crop after putting in a string of impressive performances at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy last term.

United are a more attractive option than Arsenal, as Solskjaer can offer Champions League football, while their top-flight rivals will have to settle for playing in the Europa League next season.

Admittedly, Mikel Arteta’s side may have an advantage, as Raul Sanllehi worked with Lille chief executive Marc Ingla during their time together at Barcelona, which is believed to have worked in their favour while negotiating for Nicolas Pepe.

Ed Woodward will have his work cut out as it seems as though the centre-back has dropped a huge hint on social media. However, there are bound to be plenty of twists and turns as the transfer saga continues to unfold in the coming days.

United fans, do you think Woodward will sign Gabriel this summer? Let us know down below!

Glasgow Rangers and the SPFL have been involved in a bitter war of words over the past few weeks as the ‘Gers sought to keep the Premiership season alive.

The Gers have made it clear they wished to end the season when possible following the coronavirus pandemic but it was decided by the majority of clubs in Scotland’s top four leagues that the season should be brought to a close before all the games had been played.

However, that conclusion was only reached once Dundee’s original vote had been changed after it was initially not registered. This then led to the ‘Gers accusing the governing body of corruption, producing a 200-page dossier in an attempt to prove so and demanding an independent investigation into the authority. At the Emergency General Meeting, though, they were once again on the losing end.

SPFL chief Neil Doncaster has now attempted to draw a line under the saga and has told the Ibrox outfit to prepare for a new season. The new focus is on getting the next campaign started as soon as possible so that the clubs in the Premiership do not miss out on the £125m Sky Sports deal that is set to start from the beginning of the 2020/21 season.

Noel Whelan has told Football Insider just how important it is that everything goes according to plan. He explained:

“Scottish football can’t afford for the new deal not to start on time. They have a fraction of the Premier League broadcasting cash and £125m is astronomical for them, and for all the Scottish clubs.”

Whelan is right – Scottish football needs the money, which is exactly why it was in the Light Blues’ best interest to end the campaign early. Whilst they may want to believe they could have caught Celtic at the top of the division, they were 13 points behind with nine games left – it would have taken a monumental swing for them to end up as champions.

As such, ending the term now means that this campaign will not run into the new season, while that huge Sky Sports deal is still intact. The ‘Gers may not like seeing their fierce Glasgow rivals winning their ninth title in a row but this is the best possible scenario – it gives them extra motivation to get the better of them next term.

‘Gers fans, what did you make of Whelan’s views about the Sky Sports deal? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

The proposed takeover of Newcastle United could have potentially been boosted by the latest activity from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

According to the Financial Times (FT), the country have approached the Bundesliga to see if they can gain the TV rights to show their games in the Middle East in the latest attempt to seek new investments in football.

The governing body that runs Germany’s highest division are currently in exclusive talks with Qatari-based beIN Sports to renew their deal of five years with the company, which equates to $250 million (roughly £200.9 million).

However, this deal runs out when the 2019/20 German season finishes, meaning that the Saudis could be looking to pounce if a new contract cannot be agreed.

This could be a potential sign that the prospective takeover of the Tyneside club will happen, as the KSA are now looking to invest in a different major footballing league to the English Premier League.

Qatar accused Saudi Arabia of running the pirate satellite television channel beoutQ, which illegally broadcasts and streams live games from the top flight, in their own country, hence breaking their own international laws as the Qataris solely hold the rights to show these types of matches in their part of the world.

KSA were found guilty of this by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) following the release of their report, meaning that the country have had to look elsewhere for rights to show the beautiful game.

However, the fact that they now seem to be turning their attentions away from England’s highest division and are now looking to buy footballing TV rights legally may be a sign that the Public Investment Fund (PIF)’s £300 million deal to buy out Mike Ashley may indeed come into fruition from their bid to stamp out piracy in their country.

Geordies, is this a sign that the takeover will happen? Comment below!

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ fantastic season is currently on hold with Nuno Santo’s squad ordered to stay at home during the current situation sweeping the nation.

Football is suspended, training is almost certainly cancelled, so what are players getting up to?

Versatile wing-back Jonny Otto has posted the following video to

/B-XhHZAqTLK/” data-lasso->Instagram, giving the Wolf Pack an update on exactly what he’s been doing to pass the time…

The Spaniard can be seen working out as well as cooking and spending time with his loved ones. Crucially, the 26-year-old is trying to keep fit which bodes well for Wolves’ end to the season.

If the campaign does indeed resume in the near future, then the west Midlands outfit can contend with their Europa League knockout run and have everything to play for in terms of breaking into the top six.

For true Wolves fans only: How much did each of these players cost?

AND in other news, Wolves must win the race for 6 foot 3 GIANT to match ambitions…

A number of Newcastle fans lauded Henry Winter for comments that he made on Sky Sports this morning about the club’s prospective takeover.

In a clip that was shared on Twitter by @stevewraith, the journalist said on The Sunday Supplement: “You can just see how much they were hated, the joylessness of the Mike Ashley era. The things that he stands for is completely antithetical to Newcastle.”

“Newcastle fans are not stupid. They’re not expecting to win the Champions League and they’re not expecting really to win the league but they want a chance. They want some hope that they can actually see pride in the shirt, see attacking football, see the likes of another Ginola or another Shearer.”

As noted by Chronicle Live, the Amanda Staveley-led consortium is on the brink of completing their buyout of the club from  Ashley and the prospective new owners are confident that the Premier League will give them the green light following their Owners and Directors checks in the coming days.

If the takeover goes through, it will end Ashley’s 13-year ownership of Newcastle United, during which they were twice relegated from the Premier League and he faced a barrage of protests from numerous fans of the club. Greg Tomlinson, a board member of Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust, has described the relationship between Ashley and the fans as “broken” (as per Forbes).

These Magpies supporters on Twitter praised Winter for his comments on the projected takeover:

Newcastle fans, do you think Winter’s verdict on the potential takeover is reflective of your view? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

It seems that Granit Xhaka’s relationship with Arsenal has deteriorated beyond repair and the 27-year-old midfielder could be leaving the Emirates pretty soon. The Telegraph have recently come out with a story stating that Newcastle may offer him a loan deal in January, should he want to remain in the Premier League.

But just in case the Toon Army can’t land the Arsenal outcast, we have prepared a list of three players from across Europe Newcastle should look to bring in on loan that would serve as good Xhaka alternatives.

So without further ado, let’s delve into the list:

Manuel Locatelli – Sassuolo

The 21-year-old defensive midfielder has so far only played a total of eight games across all competitions for his current club and seeing how he’s young and needs some minutes to develop, a loan deal to a competitive stage like the Premier League could definitely be of interest to him.

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It’s difficult to actually see Sassuolo part with Locatelli permanently at the moment, at least from Newcastle’s perspective since they could very well put a big price on his head.

But a loan deal sounds like something both parties could use – Newcastle could get a really talented young defensive midfielder who wouldn’t burden their wage bill and the Italians would get decent minutes for their developing youngster.

Win-win.

Jordan Ferri – Montpellier

Ferri is 27, just like Xhaka, and his situation at the club is not really sunshine and rainbows, either.

The midfielder moved from Olympique Lyon last summer in search of more minutes but ended up being put aside at his new home as well, appearing only seven times across all competitions.

Granted, he is injured at the moment but seeing how his move from one French club to another hasn’t really yielded him a bigger chance to express himself, a loan could very well be the answer to his problems.

Previously he played a total of 213 games for Lyon, bagging 12 goals and 18 assists, so the experience and the quality is certainly there and Newcastle could make great use of it.

Taulant Xhaka – FC Basel

A Xhaka for a Xhaka!

FC Basel’s Xhaka, however, might be more easily attainable but offers about the same amount of quality.

The 28-year-old has so far played a total of 21 games across all competitions for his club and has plenty of experience on the international stage as well.

He has also participated in the Europa League and the Nations League, meaning that he brings about that extra pedigree that Newcastle don’t have that much of in their squad.

Seeing how this deal would represent a jump from the Swiss Super League to the Premier League, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it would represent a tempting opportunity for the 28-year-old.

It would also mean that Xhaka comes with a somewhat smaller price tag, even when considering just a loan deal.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Dele Alli could be about to benefit immensely from Jose Mourinho’s appointment as Tottenham Hotspur manager.

The attacking midfielder had been drifting for quite some time under Mauricio Pochettino, scoring just five Premier League goals last season.

But he has the ability to thrive. In 2016/17, he scored 18 times in the top-flight, while also providing nine assists, having scored 10 the season prior.

Pochettino didn’t truly give Alli – who Transfermarkt value at £81m – the opportunity to play as a classic No.10, in that sort of role where he can float between attack and midfield and look to cut defences apart. Instead, he was part of a well-drilled defensive unit and that started in attack, as Pochettino obliged his side to press from the front.

But Mourinho has a history of bringing the best out of No.10s.

At Inter Milan, he transformed Wesley Sneijder into one of the very best players in world football.

As the Italian side won the treble, the ex-Netherlands international scored eight goals in all competitions but also provided 15 assists, including one in the final against Bayern Munich.

He was so good, that Sneijder finished fourth in the voting for the Ballon d’Or, behind Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

At Real Madrid, too, Mourinho brought the best out of Mesut Ozil, a player who has proved to be an enigmatic presence at Arsenal.

In 157 games under the Portuguese’s tutelage, the ex-Germany international registered 80 assists and scored 27 goals. In La Liga alone, in 2010/11 and 2011/12, he laid on no fewer than 38 assists.

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This is a player that, at Arsenal, managed 19 in 15/16 but in the league has managed just 21 in the three seasons since.

Mourinho, though, found a way to unlock his potential and one has to feel that he could do the same for Alli.

Go back even further, and Frank Lampard – albeit more as a late runner from a deeper position – finished up as Chelsea’s top scorer while Mourinho masterminded back-to-back Premier League titles for the Blues.

The England international is in a prime position; Christian Eriksen’s contract situation – his deal expires this summer – could well see him pushed to the peripheries and Alli has the ability to step in and become a hub of goals and assists from midfield.

That may require Mourinho using Alli in more of a 4-4-1-1 system than a 4-2-3-1, allowing him the freedom to play off the shoulder of Kane and at times form almost a flat pairing strike force, as the Spurs star did to great effect while Pochettino employed a 3-4-3 with Alli drifting in from the left.

But fundamentally, the role is the same – one of freedom of movement and the rest of the team being shaped around a single attacking midfielder’s qualities.

If history is anything to go by, Alli will thrive under Mourinho’s direction.

It’s not often that we see Real Madrid fans praising and gushing over Thibaut Courtois.

Generally speaking, the 27-year-old Belgian goalkeeper has been one of the main targets of harsh criticism due to his sub-par performances but if Los Blancos’ last game against Galatasaray, a 1-0 victory, is any indication, that may be about to change.

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After all, it was Courtois who made three crucial saves throughout the night to keep Real from conceding a goal and dropping their lead.

In the end, they took the all-important three points that will keep them afloat in the competition.

At least for now, that is.

And shortly after the clash, loads of Madridistas swarmed social media and Twitter with genuine praise for their man between the sticks, showering him with compliments, applauding his display and generally supporting him.

You can see some of their reactions and replies down in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…