The arrival of Steve McClaren at St James’ park looks to have ended Newcastle’s association with scouting and signing players from Ligue 1.

Newcastle have managed to tap into this forgotten market in recent years and capitalised on bargains and lower wages. This is displayed most notably with the acquisitions of Cabaye and Sissoko. The former costing just £3.5million before being sold to Paris Saint-Germain for £18 million.

Having already missed a trick in losing out to West Ham United in their pursuit of Dimitri Payet from Marseille, they can’t afford to miss out on anymore gems.

Taking into account the deficiencies in Newcastle’s squad, with McClaren recently quoted as only wanting players ‘who can improve the first team’.

Newcastle should be taking advantage of their well-used contacts to lure players to the North East.

Here are FIVE players they need to look at from Ligue 1…

[interaction id=“none”]

Clement Grenier – Olympique Lyonnais

This is a link that has refused to go away since Newcastle reportedly made a ‘substantial’ bid in January 2014.

Raised within the profitable Lyon youth system, Grenier is an imposing central midfielder who is very comfortable on the ball, sporting an impressive array of passing whilst unafraid to get shots off at goal having scored 12 goals in 93 appearances at Lyon.

Whilst highly rated, Lyon have developed other midfield talents including Jordan Ferri and Gueida Fofana which limited Grenier’s chances last season. Still only 24, Clement will need game time and would settle at Newcastle with his physique and calm demeanour.

With three years left on his current deal, Newcastle will need to shell out at least £7million for his services. But this could prove to be a snip as he looks to build upon his 5 French caps.

Nicolas N’Koulou – Olympique de Marseille

Heavily linked with Monaco’s centre back Abdennour this summer, it is Nicolas N’Koulou that Newcastle should be gunning for. In desperate need of a solid centre back, N’Koulou possesses excellent decision making and a valuable calmness under pressure.

Having showcased these attributes under an erratic Bielsa last term, it is these qualities that Newcastle fans are crying out for after the team was culpable for panicked defending on many occasions last season. With a year remaining on his contract, it is the optimal time to swoop for the 62 capped Cameroonian international.

At 25, Nicolas could be a stalwart for the Magpie’s backline building upon his already impressive 200 top-flight appearances whilst at Monaco and Marseille.

Jordan Ayew – FC Lorient

Thought to be keen to follow his brother Andre to the Premier League, Jordan would relish the fanatic support up at Newcastle.

Everton and Dortmund have registered interest with a deal done with Borussia muted by Lorient officials. Enigmatic, pacey with a flair for the outrageous, he would come with something that’s severely lacking within Newcastle’s current ranks – Fire.

His determination and bite would be fully appreciated at St James’ Park. He could offer options along the front three having scored 12 goals in 26 appearances for Lorient after being given a more central role.

Having a respectable eight goals in 28 caps for Ghana at 23 he could add goals that were glaringly missing for the Toon last season.

Wissam Ben Yedder – Toulouse FC

Here is a must have for Newcastle. Their aforementioned struggle for goals would be a forgotten nightmare if this magician got into his stride.

Having scored 30 goals and assisted a further 10 in his last two league campaigns for provincial club Toulouse, he is as happy creating as he is tapping home from four yards. At just 5”7, he can lead the line effectively but would suit the midfield runs of Colback and newly aquired Wijnaldum down to a tee.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Having been linked with ‘bigger’ clubs over the years, now is the moment to make a bid with just two years left on his contract.

Yoann Gourcuff – Free Agent

Yoann is currently a free agent after being released by Lyon this summer. Likened by many to French legend Zinedine Zidane, pressure was put upon his young shoulders early on.

The weight of expectation has caused an unfortunate injury record with his best spell coming at Bordeaux almost six years ago.

He is looking for another chance to prove himself with more international caps still plausible for the 29 year old stylish attacking midfielder.

With a long line of talented attacking players having strutted their stuff at St James’ Park over the years, it could be a match made in heaven.

Given another chance, he could prove his worth and return to form that gifted Bordeaux 12 goals and 11 assists in 2008/09 Ligue 1 campaign.

According to Diario Gol, Lionel Messi is keen for Barcelona to secure a deal for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli at the end of the current season.

What’s the story?

Suggestions of La Liga interest in Alli is not exactly breaking news, with the Tottenham midfielder believed to be on the wishlist of both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The 21-year-old has struggled to find his best form during stages of this season, but has still managed four goals and seven assists in 19 Premier League appearances.

Alli, who is valued at £54m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has also netted twice and provided three assists in three Champions League appearances this term – demonstrating that he is capable of operating at the top level.

According to Diario Gol, Messi has told Barcelona to bring Alli to Camp Nou at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, and the Spanish league leaders are ready to press ahead with a move.

Can Tottenham realistically keep Alli?

It is worth remembering that Tottenham have been very, very good to Alli.

It was Spurs that handed the midfielder his big break in terms of Premier League football, and they have helped him develop into a key player for the England national team.

Alli is contracted to Tottenham until the summer of 2022, but a move to Barcelona could well see the attacker double his wages.

Alli will also have to decide whether he feels he can win trophies at Tottenham when considering the strength of the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United in the Premier League.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Not many players turn down Barcelona when the Catalan club come calling, and it seems that Alli could end up in Spain sooner rather than later.

West Ham United boss David Moyes has revealed that Reece Oxford is to be recalled from his loan spell at Bundesliga club Borussia Monchengladbach.

The 19-year-old, who is valued at £4.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, joined Gladbach from West Ham during the summer, and recently made his full Bundesliga debut for the German outfit.

Gladbach are said to be keen to sign Oxford on a permanent deal, whilst RB Leipzig are also believed to be interested in signing the teenage midfielder.

West Ham, however, have exercised their option to recall the young Englishman.

Moyes has revealed that he is looking forward to working with Oxford, who is contracted to the Hammers until the summer of 2021.

Moyes told reporters:

“Reece Oxford will come back. We will take a look at him and see how he is.

“I hope we can help improve him – I’ve only just met him, but I know he is well thought of here and we will work with him.”

Oxford, who has linked with Manchester United and Arsenal before signing a new West Ham deal, has made 14 senior appearances for his London club in all competitions.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

West Ham will not return to Premier League action until they welcome West Bromwich Albion to the London Stadium on January 2.

[ad_pod ]

According to Sky Sports News, Watford have joined West Ham United in the race to sign Swansea City centre-back Alfie Mawson during this month’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Swansea have had a difficult 2017-18 campaign to date, with the Welsh outfit bottom of the Premier League table after 22 matches.

The Swans are only four points from safety, but they are one of the favourites to drop into the Championship come the end of the season.

Mawson has arguably been Swansea’s outstanding player this term, and West Ham have been linked with the former England Under-21 international in recent weeks.

The Hammers were believed to be the favourites for the centre-back, but according to Sky Sports News, Watford are also in the hunt.

Swansea are understandably desperate to keep hold of the 23-year-old, but it would not be a surprise if a move to the English capital turned Mawson’s head.

Will West Ham win the race?

With the greatest of respect to Watford, it is not as if a Manchester United, an Arsenal or a Chelsea have joined the race for Mawson.

If West Ham were up against one of those teams, they could be forgiven for thinking that they would be unable to complete a move.

Watford are slipping down the table following a poor run of form, however, and Mawson, who is valued at £10.8m by transfermarkt.co.uk, might well see the Hornets as a sidewards step rather than a big jump.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

West Ham do have funds to sign new players during this month’s transfer window, and David Moyes’ team will fancy their chances of winning any battle that might occur with the Hornets.

One thing is for certain, it is going to be a fascinating watch to see what occurs at the London Stadium for the remainder of the month.

With five completed incoming deals and a number of first team stars exiting the club, Celtic did a fair bit of business during the January transfer window.

The activity continued on deadline day after the club confirmed the signings of Dundee duo Scott Bain and Jack Hendry, who both come in with a view to improving the Hoops’ defence in the long and short term.

Those deals followed the acquisitions of centre-back Marvin Compper, attacking midfielder Charly Musonda on an 18-month loan deal and Scottish prospect Lewis Morgan, who joined the club permanently but was loaned back to high flying St Mirren for the rest of the season.

The most notable players to leave Glasgow were Erik Sviatchenko and Liam Henderson, who moved abroad after failing to force themselves into Brendan Rodgers’ first team plans.

With big European ties to come and trophies to win, there’s a desire for constant improvement at Celtic, regardless of the strength of the current squad in place, and that’s led to a bit of division on how to judge the success of the Hoops’ business last month.

Some are absolutely delighted with what the club managed to do…

Others though are less convinced, believing that either the club have failed to sign quality improvements that can improve the first team or that they haven’t addressed providing cover in some key areas, including the full-back positions…

Of course, it’ll be the rest of the season and beyond that truly determines how well the Hoops did with their business in January.

There are certainly question marks, but as long as Brendan Rodgers keeps delivering domestic success then he and the club will keep the vast majority of fans on board.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With plenty expecting improvement on their European results though, Hoops fans will be hoping for a big summer window, especially if they bank the riches of the UEFA Champions League group stages for a third season in a row.

Tottenham Hotspur will look to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League at Wembley to 13 matches when they host Arsenal in the latest version of the North London derby on Saturday.

Spurs were beaten by Chelsea in their first home league game in their new home back in August, but they have since won eight and drawn four at England’s national stadium, scoring 27 goals and conceding on just seven occasions in 12 fixtures since then.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men followed up an impressive 2-0 win against Manchester United at Wembley last week with a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, with Harry Kane’s last-gasp penalty rescuing a point for his side when it looked as though Mo Salah’s injury-time goal looked to have won it for the hosts.

Pochettino will be well aware of the importance of the encounter against the Gunners on Saturday both in terms of the bragging rights and positions in the table, with Spurs currently one point adrift of the top four and four points above their arch-rivals.

The Argentine saw a couple of his players struggle on Merseyside last time out, and he is asking for trouble if he fails to make a couple of alterations to his XI.

Here are two changes Pochettino must make to his Tottenham team when they host Arsenal…

Toby Alderweireld for Davinson Sanchez

Sanchez has generally been an impressive performer at the back for Tottenham since joining the club from Ajax during the summer, but he really struggled in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield last Sunday.

The Colombia international failed to cope with the intensity and speed provided by the likes of Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane for the Reds, while he was poor in possession and made general errors on the pitch.

Meanwhile, Alderweireld returned to action against Newport County on Wednesday night having been on the sidelines with a hamstring injury since the end of October, and he looks to be closing in on a Premier League return.

The Belgium international has the quality and experience to play a key role against Arsenal on Saturday, especially with the Gunners now boasting the dangerous Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in attack, and Pochettino should select the 28-year-old ahead of Sanchez at Wembley.

Victor Wanyama for Eric Dier

Like Sanchez, Dier endured a bit of a nightmare against Liverpool – especially in the first-half – and it was his under-hit back-pass in the third minute that saw Mo Salah give the hosts an early lead.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The England international was poor on the ball and struggled to deal with the Reds’ attacking players throughout, and with Victor Wanyama now approaching full fitness his place in the team could be under threat for the latest episode of the North London derby on Saturday.

The Kenya international made an instant impact from the substitutes’ bench with a stunning goal, while he reignited the impressive partnership he had with Mousa Dembele previously.

With Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil both likely to be key players for Arsenal at Wembley, Pochettino should bring in Wanyama for Dier to boost his side’s chances of picking up what could prove to be a crucial three points in the long run.

Do you agree, Spurs fans? Let us know below.

Celtic put to bed any question a title race will develop in the Scottish Premiership any time soon after a convincing 2-0 win away to Aberdeen on Sunday.Although the Dons battled hard to compete, Celtic’s class shone through across the 90 minutes, opening the scoring in the first half through a Moussa Dembele header before Kieran Tierney secured the three points with a classy finish towards the end of the match.The win means the Hoops remain 9 points ahead of second-placed Rangers, with Aberdeen now 12 points adrift of the reigning champions.[ad_pod ]After a poor performance on Thursday, fans were delighted to see certain players get stuck into the physical encounter with the likes of Kristoffer Ajer receiving much of the praise.The 19-year-old Norwegian was commanding at the back for the Hoops, even playing through a significant head knock after colliding with teammate Jozo Simunovic.Fans believe he has a massive future ahead and took to Twitter to pay tribute to his Sunday performance…

Speaking to WHUFC.com, West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has revealed the seven Irons teammates he admires the most, and he says they helped him find his best form again following a difficult start to the campaign for the 28-year-old.

The Hammers were struggling down the wrong end of the Premier League table under Slaven Bilic earlier in the season, and the Senegal international was one of those players that wasn’t performing to the best of his ability and was coming under scrutiny from the London Stadium faithful at games and on social media.

Kouyate struggled with ankle and hamstring problems in 2017 but he has since bounced back in 2018 and has put some eye-catching performances in as David Moyes’ side continue to keep out and away from the relegation zone, and he has put the change in fortunes down to his teammates.

Speaking to WHUFC.com, the midfielder said: “I love my teammates.

“Marko [Arnautovic], Arthur Masuaku and Manu [Lanzini] have helped me to get back to my top level. They spoke to me a lot and told me ‘take your confidence, you are the best’. It’s the same message from Adrian and from Jose Fonte. I know that today I am getting back to my best and I have to thank my guys.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Marko is unbelievable, but not only on the pitch but outside the pitch, because we need people like him, like Arthur, Adrian, Manu, Jose, [Pedro] Obiang and the captain.”

West Ham United face a trip to a free-scoring Liverpool side on Sunday, and Kouyate will be hoping to register a 10th consecutive Premier League start to try and help his team pick up some more valuable points.

Juventus used all their experience to from from behind to beat Tottenham 2-1 at Wembley last night and progress to the last eight of the Champions League.

Son Heung-min’s scuffed first half finish left the Old Lady needing two goals to progress but they picked them up in a devastating three-minute period between the 64th and 67th minute.

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri made two quick-fire tactical substitutions just past the hour mark, switching to three at the back, and it unsettled Tottenham just long enough for Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala to strike.

[ad_pod ]

After that, the Italians, marshalled by Gigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini, showed how adept they are at killing a game off and defended their goal manfully to eliminate Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

On the bench for all of this was former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, who became a cult hero among Gunners fans during his time at the club – mainly for how much he hates Spurs.

The Polish goalkeeper couldn’t resist another pop at Arsenal’s North London rivals following Wednesday night’s game, taking aim on Instagram.

/BgCaoX1l1KR/?taken-by=wojciech.szczesny1

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Unsurprisingly, Arsenal fans were loving it and took to Twitter to react in their numbers. We’ve taken a closer look at some of the best of the reaction.

Reported Everton transfer target Steven N’Zonzi impressed in Sevilla’s 2-1 Champions League win against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, and Toffees fans are keen for the club to sign him to replace unpopular Ronald Koeman buy Morgan Schneiderlin.

The Merseyside outfit were heavily linked with a move for the former Stoke City midfielder in January with Sam Allardyce likely to have wanted to partner him with Idrissa Gueye in the middle of the park, but no deal materialised.

Schneiderlin has come under huge criticism from the Goodison Park faithful for his displays this season following a bright start to his Toffees career in the second-half of the 2016/17 campaign, and he has dropped out of the starting XI in recent weeks.

Everton supporters were quick to have their say on N’Zonzi’s latest display via social media, and while one said “for all those Blues doubting that N’Zonzi is the man to replace Schneiderlin, here’s a sample of his work”, another said “N’Zonzi’s a baller”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]