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According to The Telegraph, Brentford are demanding around £28m for rumoured West Ham target Ollie Watkins.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the Hammers remain interested in the striker, but it appears they are set to face significant competition for his signature.

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Aside from revealing how much it could potentially cost for any side to sign Watkins in this transfer window, The Telegraph also claims that talks between Aston Villa and Brentford are ongoing as they look to thrash out a deal.

Unless West Ham act swiftly, the 24-year-old could be plying his trade at Villa Park instead of the London Stadium next season.

Make or break for David Moyes

After the truly stellar season Watkins enjoyed with Brentford in the Championship, it’s no surprise to see a number of Premier League sides look to secure his services.

He racked up an impressive 26 goals in 50 games, with former Hammers ace Trevor Sinclair raving about him after a goal-scoring display in a 1-0 win over Preston.

With The Telegraph claiming that Villa are in negotiations with Brentford over Watkins, it’s really make-or-break time for David Moyes on whether the Hammers can lure him to the London Stadium.

After the struggles Sebastien Haller endured in his debut season in English football, West Ham could desperately do with a finisher who can handle the pace and intensity – boxes that Watkins ticks.

If the Hammers are genuinely interested in signing the 24-year-old, then it’s time for GSB to put their money where their mouth is, or risk seeing him come back to haunt them next season.

The Daily Record has suggested that Glasgow Rangers and Steven Gerrard should look at bringing in Stewart Downing this summer.

The 35-year-old currently plays for Blackburn, and his contract is set to run out at the end of this current campaign. Downing is actually a former teammate of Gerrard’s, with him playing with the Gers boss following his £20m move to Anfield in 2011.

Now, as a free agent this summer, he could be available for a move to Ibrox, and there is no doubt that he would add a potentially massive edge to Gerrard’s squad. There are few players who are as experienced in English football as the 35-time England international – he has made 408 appearances in the Premier League and 171 in the second tier as well during a career that has taken him from his home town of Middlesbrough to Sunderland, the Reds, Aston Villa, the Rovers and West Ham United.

He has been a creative force no matter where he has been, regularly averaging over 1.5 key passes per match, and he has regularly contributed with a number of goals and assists.

At his age, and with the likes of Ryan Kent for Gerrard to choose from, it is unlikely Downing would be a guaranteed starter, but his experience could be a huge boost to the Gers’ chances of winning a first major trophy since 2011. It may be a deal worth looking at for the 54-time Scottish champions.

Let us know what you think below!

The proposed takeover of Newcastle United would be a game changer for the Premier League as new figures from The State of Football Finance project (via ChronicleLive) analysed the respective turnovers of the clubs in the top flight over the last four seasons.

As per the outlet, the so-called ‘big six’, consisting of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, had a combined turnover of £2.998 billion in the 2018/19 campaign, compared to £2.145 billion for all of the other teams in England’s highest division in the same year.

Income is counted as money from game days, broadcast, and commercial deals, and Man Utd led the way with an overall income of £627.10 million, with £275.09 million of that coming commercially.

The Magpies had an overall turnover of £176.45 million, less than what the Red Devils received in commercial revenue, £24.85 million from match days and £123.94 million from broadcast.

The fact that the overall turnover of the Tyneside club was less than what MUFC made just commercially suggests that if the prospective takeover does eventually go through at St. James’ Park, then these figures could all change, hence it would be a ‘game changer’.

The would-be owners could be set to sit on a big pile of wealth, given that the buying side consists of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabain (KSA) crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) and his country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), businesswoman and head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley and the billionaire Reuben brothers who are originally based in India but are now based in London.

The rather huge sum of money that could be available to NUFC if the £300 million deal with Mike Ashley is approved could potentially see them break the trend of the ‘big six’, but the bid has to be approved by the Premier League first.

Geordies, would the Toon’s turnover break the ‘big six’ after the takeover? Comment below!

Newcastle United’s takeover is still not complete, but as ever, it nears completion.

And it appears as if former Magpies boss Rafa Benitez has caught wind of the situation and is said to be interested in an emotional return to St James’ Park.

The Telegraph claim that the Spaniard, who is now in charge of Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Yifang, is keen on returning to the northeast side under new Saudi Arabian-backed ownership and already has an idea of the sort of players he could sign.

Premier League duo Ross Barkley and John Stones are two signings mentioned as United will have a new wealth of riches at their disposal.

Chelsea’s Barkley is valued at just £19.35m by Transfermarkt and has featured just 20 times this campaign, providing three goals and four assists.

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Whilst Man City’s Stones is worth approximately £32.4m and has also been restricted in his game time, playing in just 12 Premier League games this term.

The Telegraph also state that Steve Bruce is likely to be given a chance to stay on as Newcastle boss, so Benitez may need to be patient if he truly wants to swap China for a return to Tyneside.

WHILE in other news, Lee Ryder delivers promising verdict on Mike Ashley at Newcastle…

Having joined from Scottish giants Celtic last summer, it hasn’t been the most enjoyable of debut campaigns for Kieran Tierney at Arsenal.

The Scotland international has struggled with injury problems all season, and it has meant that he has only featured 11 times across all competitions for the first-team at the Emirates.

Reports in recent months had even suggested fellow Premier League side Leicester were interested in signing him, but judging from his latest comments, it appears he has his heart fully set on staying with the Gunners.

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When asked about what his favourite thing about living in London was during an Ask Me Anything session, Tierney replied: “Playing for Arsenal. I didn’t move to Arsenal to live in London. I came here to London so I could play for Arsenal.”

Naturally, once Gunners supporters had heard of his answer, they took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the left-back.

A couple of fans even called for him to be given the captain’s armband – an honour currently held by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Some simply praised the kind of attitude he showed with his words, with one fan in particular saying it’s exactly the kind of personality an Arsenal player should have.

If he can stay clear of injuries for next season, then the £22.5m-rated Tierney could form a tantalising full-back partnership with Hector Bellerin on the right-flank.

The Gunners have been blessed with a couple of Premier League greats in that position in Nigel Winterburn and Ashley Cole. Tierney will no doubt be hoping he can follow in those footsteps too.

Meanwhile, Arsenal can land their new Santi Cazorla with this ace.

Tottenham Hotspur are keen to sign Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan, according to La Voix du Nord via @TranSPURS.Â

The French outlet reports Tottenham are the front-runners to land the 24-year-old, as he is close with his old goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos, who left the Stade Pierre Mauroy to link up with Jose Mourinho in North London.

Premier League rivals Chelsea are also reportedly interested in making a move for the Frenchman, but it appears Mourinho has the upper hand over Frank Lampard in the transfer market.

Ever since he joined the Mastiffs from Paris Saint-Germain, Maignan has emerged as one of Europe’s hottest talents, playing in 28 games in Ligue 1 for Christophe Galtier’s side, conceding 1 goal per game, keeping 12 clean sheets, and making 2.1 saves on average. He has earned himself an average statistical rating of 6.81 per SofaScore.

His current market value is priced at £15.75m and Lille have made preparations for his eventual departure by signing Leo Jardim in anticipation.

Naturally, loads of Spurs fans reacted to the club’s link to Maignan, with one supporter branding him “dreadful,” and another tweeting he looks “flappy.”

Take a look at some of the mixed reactions down below…

Spurs fans, what are your thoughts on this potential transfer?

Celtic youngster Tsoanelo Letsosa is attracting interest from all over Europe, leaving the club in a battle to keep him, according to Football Insider.

Letsosa is one of a number of young talents currently turning heads at Celtic Park, with Karamoko Dembele also on the books at the club.

He was one of the key players for the Scotland under-16 team in the Victory Shield as they eventually ran out joint winners. On the day in the final, Letsosa was named man of the match.

Football Insider reports that scouts from over 60 clubs attending the event were impressed by his ability and potential.

Letsosa joined Celtic in 2017 and has risen through the age ranks, but he is yet to make a senior appearance.

The report states that some of the elite clubs from across Europe, including in the Premier League, are now looking to sign Celtic’s latest prospect.

The Scottish champions will be looking to keep hold of their top talent as they prepare to battle Rangers for domination over the coming years.

Steven Gerrard has brought Celtic’s great rivals back into contention; they’re now only trailing them in the title race on goal difference.

With big Premier League clubs said to be sniffing around, it would surely not be a surprise to see Letsosa leave Scotland for England.

After all, this would not be the first time a top Premier League outfit managed to lure one of the most promising talents in Scotland to England.

Back in May 2017, Chelsea managed to snatch Billy Gilmour away from Rangers in a £500,000 deal. Based on the above, it seems Letsosa could be next.

Celtic fans, can the club keep hold of Letsosa? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!

Lots of Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting on social media to reports by The Times, claiming that Mauricio Pochettino has informed the North London outfit that he wants six players signed in the January transfer window.

Pochettino has stressed concerns that he may not be given a chance to build “version 6.0” of his side after taking one league win in nearly two months, but conversations are likely set to be held behind the scenes over whether Spurs splash out in the winter market.

Lucas Moura is the only first-team player Tottenham have acquired in the January window in the past six seasons, when he arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in 2018.

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But Pochettino hopes this season brings about a change to how Tottenham deal with the mid-season market, and has requested that at least three defenders, a holding midfielder and two forward options – including a striker – are added to his squad in January.

It would not be expected that any incomings come in tandem with key players leaving North London, where the transfer budget and potential transfer targets would be vastly different if Pochettino is unable to secure another season of Champions League football.

Tottenham currently find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League standings, 11 points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City and just two wins above the relegation zone.

Here are some of the reactions shared to The Times’ claiming Pochettino wants six players signed in January…

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

Charlton welcome high-flying Preston to The Valley this weekend, in a game that should make for an exciting affair given the fortunes of these two sides so far this season.

The Addicks have made an impressive return to Championship life, winning six of their 14 games as they sit just five points off the top of the table – they also have three players with five league goals under their belt in Conor Gallagher, Macauley Bonne and Lyle Taylor.

Having said that, Preston are doing even better.

Alex Neil’s side are sitting pretty in 2nd – just two points off the top of the table – and have scored the most goals in the Championship so far this term with 27 in 14 games.

So, who are the Preston danger-men Lee Bowyer must mention in his pre-match team talk?

Daniel Johnson

The Jamaican forward is having a truly outstanding season.

In just 13 league appearances, the 27-year-old has netted eight goals as well as registering four assists – on average, he is involved in nearly a goal every game.

His prolific nature in front of goal is only emphasised by the fact that he takes just 1.6 shots per game, whilst he also record 1.5 key passes per 90 mins in the Championship.

Johnson is also an impressive contributor from a defensive aspect, as he records 1.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per league game.

Tom Barkhuizen 

Like Johnson, the 25-year-old is also enjoying an eye-catching campaign.

Across both the Championship and the Carabao Cup, Barkhuizen has scored seven goals and got an assist in 15 appearances.

The Englishman has even less shots per 90 than Johnson in the Championship, taking 1.1 attempts at goal on average – his five league strikes in 12 appearances show that he too is a fairly efficient finisher.

He is also a versatile forward, having played all across the frontline this season – this trait may make him just that bit more unpredictable for the south Londoners.

Special mention

Playoff hero Patrick Bauer returns to The Valley this weekend, after scoring the goal that sent Charlton into the Championship with his last ever kick for the club.

The German’s efforts this term have him as Preston’s second-highest rated player on WhoScored behind Johnson, with a 7.07 rating – Bauer has started every Championship game this season, scoring one goal and winning a whopping 5.2 aerial duels per game.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Evening Standard, Crystal Palace have struck a deal with Australian bank Macquarie that will see their £22.5m instalment from Manchester United arrive now, rather than in nine months time.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Eagles have decided to do business with Macquarie in order to get an advance on some of the money earned through the £50m sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United.

United paid part of the fee upfront, and are due to pay another £22.5m on July 1st 2020 – that money has now been paid to Palace by Macquarie, and the Australian bank will simply take the payment from the Red Devils nine months from now.

The Evening Standard also report that the money will help Eagles chief Steve Parish make progress in his three-year plan for the club, involving the £100m redevelopment of the main stand at Selhurst Park.

The report continues that the stadium and the academy will take precedence, and it is ‘unlikely’ that the funds will be used to help Roy Hodgson in the January transfer window.

Parish is making a mistake

With the south Londoners so desperate for a goalscorer, it does feel as if Parish is making a mistake with his intentions for the Wan-Bissaka money – especially given the reported valuations of two Palace transfer targets.

Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi – who scored five goals in nine Premier League starts while on loan with the Eagles last season – is wanted by Palace permanently, and The Express report that the Blues want £22m for the Belgian.

Additionally, Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos, another reported target for the club, has been scouted by Sporting Director Dougie Freedman with a view to a £20m move.

Palace have been handed a £22.5m cash injection thanks to their deal with Macquarie. All but £2.5m of that could potentially be spent on Morelos – a man who scored 30 goals last season – whilst all but £500,000 of it could be spent on a proven goalscorer in Batshuayi.

The Eagles have scored just eight goals in nine league games this season, the second-least in the Premier League.

One can’t help but think Parish should be investing the cash in one of these two proven goalscorers to help ease his side’s main problem.

After all, why speed up the process of getting the funds just to dedicate them to a long-term issue over a short-term one?