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A reliable journalist has dropped some significant claims on Rafa Benitez and the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

Rob Draper, who is the Chief Football Writer for the Mail on Sunday, recently conducted an interview with Benitez for the Daily Mail and claimed that, while the Spaniard hopes that he will work soon in English football, it is ‘unlikely’ to be at St James’ Park, adding that there is ‘no prospect’ of a return at this particular moment in time with Mike Ashley still the owner of the club.

The journalist also claimed that there is ‘no likelihood’ of an imminent takeover in the northeast, which would surely become more unlikely if the Tyneside club were to find themselves relegated from the Premier League at the end of the season.

More misery for Newcastle

Having just been beaten 3-0 at their relegation rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, this is most likely news that Magpies fans – many of whom adore Benitez and despise Ashley – will not want to hear.

Benitez guided Newcastle to promotion back to the top flight and then managed to keep them in the division for two consecutive seasons, boasting 62 wins from 146 matches in total across all competitions (Transfermarkt), a 42.5% win ratio.

With the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) currently off the table in terms of a potential takeover, many Magpies supporters will no doubt be desperate for them to come back as soon as possible, but the situation at the end of the season could well be a lot more complicated than that.

In other news, find out whose display against Brighton was slammed by Lee Ryder.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly added Rangers boss Steven Gerrard to a shortlist of managers to replace Jose Mourinho but the Ibrox side shouldn’t be concerned about him departing.

According to 90min, Gerrard is on a list of potential replacements for the Portuguese manager at the North London club, who is under serious pressure after recent defeats against Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb.

Whilst Brendan Rodgers is the reported number one target for Daniel Levy at Spurs, the Leicester boss would not come cheap, so Gerrard and RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann are also being considered, although Levy is said to be concerned about their lack of managerial experience.

Gerrard has proven himself to be an excellent manager during his time at Rangers, helping transform the club both on and off the pitch and his successes this season will not go unnoticed by teams in the Premier League and in Europe, with former England teammate Wayne Rooney impressed with the “fantastic” job he has done in Scotland.

The 40-year-old delivered title number 55 for Rangers and his side remain unbeaten in the top-flight with just five fixtures remaining of the season, whilst the Ibrox outfit also enjoyed an impressive run in the Europa League, one that saw them reach the quarter-finals before a rare home defeat against Slavia Prague.

In 33 top-flight fixtures so far this season, Rangers have scored 78 goals and conceded just 10, which emphasises that Gerrard has made a hugely positive impact on both their attacking and defensive records during his time in charge.

In the season before Gerrard joined, Rangers finished third, scoring 76 goals but conceding 50 in 38 fixtures, demonstrating how much work he has done to be able to solidify their defence whilst maintaining their threat going forwards.

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Therefore, it is no surprise that we are starting to see interest in Gerrard from down south, however, on this occasion, it feels like Rangers don’t have much to worry about.

Whilst Gerrard would surely appreciate the opportunity to work with world-class players such as Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane, it is difficult to see him returning to the Premier League as a direct rival to his beloved Liverpool.

There is also no guarantee that Spurs will be in the Champions League next season, as they currently sit sixth in the Premier League, whilst they were also knocked out of the Europa League recently, and Gerrard would surely not want to give up the chance to manage Rangers in Europe’s elite competition to move to a side such as Spurs.

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This, combined with Levy’s reported concerns about Gerrard’s lack of experience, will hopefully prove enough to see him stay at Ibrox for another season at least.

And, in other news… No goals or assists in March: £1.8m-rated Rangers ace endured a nightmare month

David Moyes is right to try and sell Andriy Yarmolenko this summer amid claims that West Ham United are in talks with Dynamo Kyiv over such a move.

What’s the word?

According to Pedro Almeida, Dynamo Kyiv are keen to be reunited with the 31-year-old and want to welcome the forward back to the Ukrainian Premier League at the end of the season.

Yarmolenko played 340 games for the Ukrainian club between 2007 and 2017, before joining Borussia Dortmund, where he only lasted one year. West Ham bought him one season after his arrival at Signal Iduna Park for £17.5m and awarded the winger a four-year contract, which is set to enter its final 12 months this June.

The 31-year-old could now make a return to the club where he made a name for himself, with West Ham claimed to be in active negotiations with Dynamo Kyiv over a potential deal. Yarmolenko has seen his future in claret and blue be cast into doubt over recent months, with reports earlier in the year suggesting that bids of between £5m and £6m would be considered.

The Hammers are thought to have accepted that a sizable hit on the fee paid to Borussia Dortmund will need to be taken in order to move Yarmolenko on at the end of the season.

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Should West Ham sell Yarmolenko?

It remains to be seen what terms Dynamo Kyiv are able to offer West Ham for Yarmolenko’s services, but Moyes is absolutely right to make the winger available for a transfer ahead of the Ukraine international entering the final year of his Irons contract.

Yarmolenko has been a consistent injury risk for the Hammers since his arrival in 2018, having missed 57 games and counting across all competitions due to various issues including Achilles, back, abductor and knee ligament damage.

The forward returned to training prior to the March international break but is yet to feature in one of Moyes’ matchday squads since, and he has only started eight first team fixtures – one in the Premier League – over 21 appearances thus far this term.

Those eight starts still account for more than a third of Yarmolenko’s career opening calls in claret and blue, having started just 23 matches in all competitions across his 53 appearances over the past three seasons.

West Ham are paying out a lot of money for Yarmolenko to frequently occupy a seat on the bench when not in the treatment room, with the forward – who Moyes lauds as “a very talented player” – the Irons’ top earner on a £115,000-a-week contract, per Spotrac.

That salary has seen West Ham hand over £16.4m in wages over Yarmolenko’s 143 weeks at the London Stadium thus far, which – added with the £17.5m paid to Dortmund – equates to £1.5m for each start or £640,000 per appearance.

Yarmolenko has simply been stealing a living at West Ham, who need to call time on his spell at the club this summer. It just remains to be seen how much they can recoup from Dynamo Kyiv, or whether another suitor may be willing to show an interest.

AND in other news, David Moyes eyes a summer reunion with £75k-p/w enforcer who looked “like he’s on roller-skates” in 2020…

Reports by football.london earlier this week claimed Brentford are likely to demand around £30m for Ivan Toney, but West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan must take the “gamble” and beat Arsenal to signing the Championship sensation this summer.

The Hammers and Gunners are among an ever-growing kettle of vultures circling the Brentford Community Stadium with an eye on Toney’s situation, with interest continually building in the 24-year-old with each match-winning performance.

Toney is considered to be perhaps the most-scouted player throughout the second tier, such is the level of interest in his services, having scored more goals than any other player in the division so far this term with 25 in 33 games, along with providing nine assists.

Brentford are loath to losing such an important player for a third year in a row after parting with Neal Maupay in 2019 and Ollie Watkins in 2020, but are clear in their model that Toney will be the next to go for a profit so that they remain competitive in the Championship.

Maupay joined Brighton and Hove Albion for £20m after scoring 25 times in 43 second-tier appearances during his sole year under Thomas Frank, while Aston Villa paid a club-record £28m rising to £33m for Watkins after he fired home 25 goals in 46 league outings last term.

Promotion into the Premier League this season would see the Bees’ position altered and only the promise of an obscene amount of money would be enough to sign Toney, who will otherwise be available for close to £30m in the summer.

talkSPORT pundit Danny Murphy has suggested that West Ham going out and spending big in the off-season to land Toney would be a risk he would not take, as the Northampton-born frontman is too unproven after a year with Brentford.

“Toney is unproven. It would be a lot to shell out on a man who hasn’t scored in any top-flight,” Murphy said, via quotes shared by HITC, last month. “I wouldn’t be taking that gamble.

“Watkins is a good example but there are probably lots of examples of players who’ve come from the Championship who haven’t done what Watkins has done.”

Watkins boasts a hat-trick at home to Liverpool and a brace away to Arsenal and is being tipped to contend for a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for this summer’s European Championship.

Toney should be being backed to go on and hit the Premier League with the same gusto as Watkins if promoted with Brentford or if he seals a top-flight transfer this summer, which West Ham co-owner and chairman Sullivan should be doing all he can to seal if the Bees’ push falls short.

While Murphy is reluctant to offer much hype, former Aston Villa and England striker Darren Bent has not been short in coming forward with praise for Toney.

“He’s good in the air and he has two good feet. But where I think he excels to an Ollie Watkins and a Maupay is that I think he’s more clinical. In and around that box with his finishing. I think he’s more cultured to his finishing,” Bent told talkSPORT in January.

“He has got more to his game and there are different types of finishes. Whereas Watkins is a very, very good player and he might say that he’s a little bit better than him all round. But in and around the goal if I give them both an opportunity to score a goal then I fancy Ivan Toney.”

If Toney goes on to be a better Premier League striker than Watkins is proving to be, Sullivan would rue the day he passed up on a deal – even at £30m – in his and David Moyes’ quest to land a replacement for Sebastien Haller this summer.

Haller was a costly failure, having been signed for a club-record £45m but sold in January for just £20.2m after 10 goals in 48 Premier League games, but could be long-forgotten if Toney is firing in goals left, right and centre at the London Stadium next season.

AND in other news, West Ham eye the man responsible for “unbelievable” signings that deliver millions in profit…

Southampton look to have been handed another big injury blow, with Kyle Walker-Peters expected to miss Tuesday’s game with Arsenal after picking up an injury.

The club confirmed earlier this week that the right-back would miss the game against the Gunners after he picked up a muscle injury in training.

It comes as a huge blow to Ralph Hasenhuttl, as the 23-year-old has played every single minute in the Premier League so far this season, having established himself as a key player in the Austrian’s squad following his permanent move from Tottenham Hotspur during the summer.

The young defender has been one of the Saints’ star performers so far this season, having averaged a strong 7.03 rating across his 18 appearances in the top-flight, which is enough to see him ranked as the fifth-best performer in the Premier League.

He has certainly had a big impact on Southampton’s defensive performance since joining, as they have already earned eight clean sheets in the Premier League this season, the third-most in the division, meaning they are just one away from the total they managed in the entirety of the 2019/20 season.

Only Oriol Romeu has averaged more tackles than the right-back this season, whilst he also scores highly on the number of interceptions, blocks and clearances, emphasising how important he has become in this Southampton side.

Walker-Peters was excellent in Southampton’s 1-0 win against Arsenal in the FA Cup on Saturday, providing the assist for the only goal of the game, so it is undoubtedly going to cause Hasenhuttl some frustration that he is unavailable for Tuesday’s Premier League fixture, especially in a time where the Saints are going through an injury crisis.

It looks as if Yan Valery is likely to step up in his place, and considering his lack of game time this season, he could well be exposed by Arsenal’s in-form youngsters Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe on the Southampton right-hand side.

Therefore, Hasenhuttl will be praying that Walker-Peters’ injury is only a minor one and that he will be back in time for the home game against Aston Villa at the weekend.

And, in other news… “What a player” – Exclusive: Pundit claims he is “surprised” Hasenhuttl fave is still at Southampton, and it isn’t Ings…

After his stunning strike in the Europa League in mid-week, Dele Alli is surely pushing for a chance to start when Tottenham take on Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking after the game against Wolfsberger, Jose Mourinho was quick to lavish praise on his star, saying: “The goal I don’t need to speak, because everyone watched it and I believe that all around the world on all these sports TV, people are going to watch it, no need to talk about it.

“But for me the globality of the performance is what matters. He played very well in every aspect of the game, he played very well. In this moment when we are going to play every three days, 10 matches in March, to have Dele back at this level is amazing.”

Then, in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against the Clarets today, Mourinho added that he is “very happy” with the £26m-rated Alli now, and insisted that as he works his way back up to full fitness, he will continue to get better.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Gary Neville laid down the gauntlet to Alli about stepping his game up, saying: “I want a lot more from him. He’s an outstanding player. There’s a reason why his career is doing what it’s doing at the moment. It’s not just Jose Mourinho. Dele has to get hold of that himself.”

Well, his performance on Wednesday night against Wolfsberger certainly showed that the talent is still very much there, and as Mourinho says, it was his all-round performance that really offers signs of encouragement going forward.

With Burnley awaiting the Lilywhites on Sunday afternoon, Alli’s ability to create a bit of magic could be the kind of game-changer that the Spurs boss needs to break down a Clarets defence that have come to be known as one of the most stubborn in the Premier League in recent seasons – even this year with them lying just above the drop zone, only seven other teams have conceded less than them.

Alli’s introduction into the starting line-up is something Mourinho must seriously consider.

Pundit Kevin Campbell has issued criticism for West Bromwich Albion’s creative midfielder Matheus Pereira.

Campbell believes that while Pereira had a great campaign in the Championship last season, he has endured a rather disappointing Premier League campaign, failing to live up to the hype.

Pereira hasn’t stepped up

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell made it clear that he does rate striker Mbaye Diagne, but the striker isn’t getting enough service from the likes of Pereira. Campbell feels that West Brom’s better players should’ve stepped up in the Premier League, but Pereira hasn’t done that.

He said: “I think the football club expected Pereira to have a hell of a season because he took the Championship by storm. They thought they had a match-winner in him because he can score and create goals.

“Let’s be honest though, he has been pretty disappointing. You need your better players to step up, especially at the top end of the pitch and we haven’t seen him do that.

“There has been flashes here and there but the Premier League is different from Championship, it is where you earn you name. He has not stepped up.

“I really like Mbaye Diagne up front but he does not get enough service. He is battling the whole back four but he does not get any service – that is the problem. If you are going to get him in you have to provide for him.”

The 24-year-old Pereira had joined West Brom on loan from Sporting Lisbon originally, but the move was made permanent in the summer of 2020.

Currently valued at £11.70m, Pereira had impressed in the Championship while contributing to 28 goals in all competitions. In the current season though, he has contributed to just eight Premier League goals.

Pereira hasn’t had a bad season

Pereira has picked up a rating of 6.74 in the Premier League this season and only four West Brom players have picked up better ratings than the Brazilian. He is still the club’s highest goalscorer and the highest assister. He has also played the highest number of key passes per game for the side (as per Whoscored).

With all due respect, there are other players in the team who deserve more criticism than the player leading the way in both goal threat and creativity.

In other news, many West Brom fans are angry at a news about a midfielder – read more here.

One query that some Wolves fans could be asking right now is “why they we sufficiently replace Diogo Jota?”.

The now-Liverpool winger departed Molineux in the summer for a fee of £41m and as his successor, they brought in £35.6m striker Fabio Silva. Though, he has scored just once since arriving in the Midlands.

Clearly, up to this stage, he has simply not been good enough and there are no guarantees that he ever will be. Adama Traore has, at least, found form over the last few weeks, though. He scored a beautiful goal against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup but there are still fears that he could leave for Leeds United.

Fortunately, the Old Gold reportedly have a player in mind who could succeed him.

That happens to Middlesbrough winger Marcus Tavernier. Nuno Santo’s men have reportedly registered their interest in the 21-year-old this month, but getting any move over the line could be difficult.

That’s because Tavernier has no interest in even considering leaving Boro until a formal bid is made for his services.

Capable of playing out wide, through the middle or even at left-back he’d add a phenomenal layer of versatility to this Wolves side, but most importantly, he’d give them even more threat in the final third.

Tavernier has contributed to five goals in the Championship this term and you only need to assess his virtuoso display against Brentford in the FA Cup last weekend to understand what kind of a player he is.

Like Traore, Tavernier is a physical unit, exemplified by the eight duels he won in that game. Most impressively, though, he completed a mammoth six key passes.

That means that, in one game, he provided half a dozen goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. For context, that’s more key passes either than Traore or Pedro Neto have managed in a single game this season.

The former has managed a game-high three key passes this term while Neto has registered a match-high of four. It’s clear, therefore, that Tavernier could add even more creativity to Nuno’s team than what Traore currently offers and with Wolves having lost Raul Jimenez through injury, they don’t have the clinical striker they once had. Thus, they need to create more clear cut chances in order to score.

Given the way they struggled to break Everton down in their 2-1 defeat on Monday without Traore and Daniel Podence, Tavernier would be a fantastic addition to the squad.

If he could being his creative spark to Wolves, that would be a huge boost to Nuno and the other forward players at Molineux.

For a further glimpse of how the Boro attacker did on Saturday, he also performed two dribbles. Evidently, he is well-versed when it comes to beating a man. It’s no surprise, based on how he played at the weekend, to hear that Tony Pulis previously described him as “brilliant.”

AND in other news, Fewer passes than Patricio: Wolves flop who lost 87.5% of his duels betrayed Nuno…

According to TEAMtalk, Celtic are interested in signing James McCarthy from Crystal Palace, but the Eagles simply can’t afford to let their midfield diamond go.

What’s the word?

The Bhoys want to bring McCarthy back to his hometown of Glasgow as they apparently see him as the obvious successor to club captain Scott Brown. Neil Lennon’s side have struggled for consistency so far this season, having lost two out of their last three games in all competitions.

However, they may have a tough task trying to prise McCarthy away from Selhurst Park, as a number of Premier League clubs have reportedly taken an interest in the Republic of Ireland international, including Burnley and Aston Villa.

The 30-year-old, who has played for Hamilton Academical in the past, is arguably exactly what Celtic need, although Lennon has previously warned his players that they can’t live off of their former glories, which implies that he doesn’t want to sign players who will be approaching the twilight of their careers.

But from Palace’s point of view, Roy Hodgson simply can’t afford to lose his midfield enforcer.

Keep McCarthy at all costs

Reunited with his old comrade James McArthur at Selhurst Park, McCarthy has turned out to be a shrewd signing since he arrived at the Eagles from Everton for £3m, after six seasons at Goodison Park.

Together, the ex-Hamilton pair have helped Hodgson’s side cement their place in the Premier League

McCarthy has played a combined 261 games in the Premier League for Palace, Everton and Wigan, winning 88 games and losing 104. On average, he produces nearly 42 passes per match, showing he is an important part of the supply chain for the likes of Jordan Ayew, Michy Batshuayi and Wilfried Zaha.

Whilst this might not seem like a lot, only Luka Milivojevic averages more passes per game from the midfield, which shows precisely what Hodgson has to work with.

Not only has McCarthy made 40 appearances for Palace, but he is also averaging 2.3 tackles, 1 interception and 1.2 clearances per game in the top flight this season, via WhoScored.

Valued at £4m via Transfermarkt, it would make little sense to essentially let him leave for a small profit, especially when you consider the fact that these kinds of numbers would be incredibly hard to replace in a winter transfer window that seems more uncertain than ever before, given the current unprecedented circumstances clubs are currently operating in.

Palace’s form has been patchy at best so far, as a promising start to the season – which saw Hodgson’s side stun Manchester United at Old Trafford – has quickly tailed off, with three defeats in their last four fixtures in the league.

It goes without saying that his potential departure would be a total disaster for Parish but a major coup for Celtic.

AND in other news, Wilfried Zaha: Steve Parish can’t afford to gamble on Crystal Palace talisman’s future amid links abroad…

After coming through the youth system at Nottingham Forest, Jamaal Lascelles unsurprisingly became a cornerstone of the club’s first-team just a few years into his career.

The 6 foot 2 centre-back played 65 times for the club, before both he and Karl Darlow completed a double switch to Newcastle in the summer of 2014, with Alan Pardew waxing lyrical about his new signings.

He said: “It is a real coup to have signed two of the finest young talents in English football outside of the Premier League. Jamaal and Karl will be a big part of the future of this club.

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“They have both performed outstandingly in the Championship over the last couple of years and I have no doubt they will be able step up to this level once they return from their loan at Nottingham Forest.”

The move left then Forest boss Stuart Pearce both angry and upset, saying: “We had an offer from Newcastle that I was made aware of last week. The figures that were mentioned – I said I would not do that deal when I was asked the question. I thought I could push their value up and that would be worth more in the long run.

“The first thing I heard today about things was when Jamaal Lascelles came in and told me that he had a medical at Newcastle at 2pm. That disappointed me greatly.”

But whilst Lascelles’ exit from Forest may still leave a bitter taste, there’s no questioning that he’s made a big success of his career since. He’s played over 100 times in the Premier League for Newcastle, and is also the Magpies’ club captain too.

This season he has played in every single Magpies game that he has been available for, helping them earn some big results against the likes of Everton and Tottenham respectively.

After coming through the academy at Forest, leaving the club would no doubt have been a gut-wrenching exit. But his rise since then has been impressive.