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Former BBC pundit Noel Whelan has backed Newcastle United in their pursuit of both James Maddison and Youri Tielemans in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Midfielders wanted

The Daily Mail’s northeast reporter Craig Hope revealed last week that the St James’ Park outfit are set to prioritise the signing of a central midfielder in January, as they search for an ally for Bruno Guimaraes.

They have been linked with moves for both Maddison and Tielemans and could strike a double deal with Leicester City.

The Latest: Newcastle backed for both

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has claimed that Tielemans playing alongside Bruno in Newcastle’s midfield would be ‘outstanding to watch’, while Maddison would also be a ‘fantastic’ signing.

The 47-year-old stated: “Tielemans would be a fantastic addition. Along with Maddison – if they can get the two of them in one move, then I’m not sure they need too much else.

“Tielemans is a player who catches the eye straight away. He would compliment Guimaraes in that midfield area – the two of them as a pair would be outstanding to watch. Both like to get forward and be creative.

“Newcastle, with where they’re sitting right now, have a real opportunity to go out and get a player like him to help them secure that European football.”

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The Verdict: Get both in!

If Newcastle can offer the right prices, then there is no reason that they cannot sign both players from the Foxes in January.

Leicester have a history of selling their key players to Premier League rivals if the price is right, and Tielemans should be very much attainable given that his contract at the King Power Stadium expires in the summer.

Not only would the duo bring plenty of top-flight experience, they have also shown their quality once again in a Leicester team which has struggled at times this season, having notched up eight goals and three assists between them in the league so far, ranking them as the Foxes’ two best performers (WhoScored).

Indeed, taking two quality players from one of their top-flight rivals midway through the campaign would feel extra sweet for the Magpies.

Manchester United looked like they were back on track following a horrendous start to life under new manager Erik ten Hag.

Following two defeats in their opening Premier League matches, United secured four successive victories and Ten Hag won the September manager of the month award in the process.

However, Manchester City thrashed them 6-3 on Sunday to halt any progress that the club had made, and the Dutchman appears to have a lot of work to do before he can think about a title challenge.

With 14 league goals conceded in just seven matches, only four teams have conceded more. Despite signing centre-back Lisandro Martinez from Ajax, Ten Hag should have brought in another defender, as the club missed out on £43m La Liga star Pau Torres in the summer.

Harry Maguire upgrade

The Spaniard is very much a forward-thinking defender. Compared to positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, Torres ranks in the 98th percentile for dribbles completed (0.69 per match), the 93rd percentile for progressive passes (4.76), and the 90th percentile for progressive carries (4.96).

He is the classic modern centre-back and even if defending isn’t his first thought, he would surely have been an upgrade on the much-maligned Harry Maguire.

Comparing these stats to that of the United defender over the same time period clearly shows that Torres would suit Ten Hag’s style of play much better. The Englishman ranks in the 15th percentile for Dribbles completed (0.07), the 66th percentile for progressive passes (2.97), and the 78th percentile for progressive carries (3.47).

Defensively, the 25-year-old holds an advantage too. This season domestically, Torres has made more tackles per match (0.7 to 0.3), has won more defensive duels (54% to 50%), and made over double the number of clearances (4.3 to 2) showing that he would have been a much better option at the heart of the United defence than the 29-year-old Englishman.

Torres was once lauded as an “extraordinary talent” by his former youth coach Javi Calleja and it looks like Ten Hag has missed a massive trick here.

With his current performances, unless United comes back in for the defender soon, he could well have moved on from Villarreal.

It looks like an opportunity missed by the Dutchman, hopefully, it doesn’t come back to haunt him.

Glasgow Rangers have been surprisingly linked with a former Premier League midfielder who has 20 international caps for England…

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claim that Rangers are interested in signing former Everton midfielder Fabian Delph on a free transfer following his summer release from the top-flight club.

There are a host of Championship sides clambering for his signature, amongst them Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, and Sheffield United.

Signing Delph would be a big mistake

Rangers have struggled recently, losing three successive matches in the Premiership and Champions League, shipping 11 goals and scoring zero.

Despite their apparent struggles, all over the pitch not just in the midfield area, manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst would be making a big mistake bringing Delph to Ibrox.

Firstly, he would command a high wage, despite being 32 and this could be invested in someone a lot younger and who could offer much more in the future.

He only made 11 appearances for Everton last season, helping Frank Lampard’s men avoid relegation by the skin of their teeth

The Englishman ranked 12th in the Everton squad last season with a WhoScored rating of just 6.61 and this would have placed him at 21st position in the Rangers squad last season, proving that he wouldn’t justify the high wages he would inevitably demand.

All in all, due to a series of injuries, he has featured just 41 times since making the move from Manchester City in 2019.

Not only would he fail to improve the starting XI at the Ibrox side, but it would also be a big blow in confidence for the academy talents who are seemingly so close to breaking through at the club.

The likes of Alex Lowry and Charlie McCann are incredible talents and with more game time being awarded to them this season, they can significantly improve their development.

Even though sporting director Ross Wilson has had previous failings in the transfer market, a move for Delph will hopefully not materialise in the coming days, otherwise, it could just alienate the fanbase even more.

This surprise move could be the latest in a string of big decisions that the chief has mismeasured in recent times.

Tottenham Hostpur have been dealt a blow in their bid to bring Lucas Paqueta to north London this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Dharmesh Sheth, with the Sky Sports reporter revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, despite both Spurs and Arsenal having been linked with a move for the Olympique Lyonnais attacking midfielder in recent weeks, it is West Ham United who now appear to be leading the race for the 24-year-old.

Indeed, the journalist goes on to claim that David Moyes’ side have submitted a €40m (£34m) offer for the Brazil international, with the player’s agents believed to be in London in order to push through a move prior to September’s transfer deadline.

In his tweet, Sheth said:

“West Ham United have made a bid worth €40m for Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta. The player’s agents are in London and want to conclude a deal with a Premier League club before the end of the window. Talks continuing between the clubs.”

Paratici must act

Considering just how exciting a talent Paqueta undoubtedly is, coupled with attacking midfield being known to be an area of his squad that Conte wants to add greater depth, the argument that Paratici must launch a late bid in an attempt to steal the 24-year-old away from West Ham is an easy one to make.

Indeed, the £59m-rated midfielder is very much an all-rounder in the middle of the park, with Paqueta working extremely hard in a defensive capacity, being more than capable of making things happen with the ball at his feet and posing a real danger when in the final third – traits which are evident in the Brazilian’s metrics over the last 365 days.

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Going forwards, FBref rank the £53k-per-week playmaker in the top 12% of attacking midfielder and wingers in Europe’s big five leagues and European competitions for shots per 90, as well as the top 14% for non-penalty xG, the top 18% for xG assisted – xG which follows a pass that assists a shot – and the top 27% for shot-creating actions over the last year.

In possession of the ball, FBref rank Paqueta in the top 11% for passes attempted per 90, in addition to the top 22% for passes completed, the top 16% for progressive passes, the top 16% for dribbles completed and the top 8% for progressive passes received over the last 12 months.

Finally, in a defensive capacity, FBref rank the 24-year-old in the top 5% for pressures per 90, as well as the top 1% for tackles, the top 11% for clearances, the top 10% for aerials won and the top 38% for blocks over the past 365 days.

Furthermore, with the player who Peter Bosz dubbed “extraordinary” also being able to operate from left, central, right and attacking midfield, as well as at centre-forward, Paqueta quite clearly possesses the versatility required in order to fit into Conte’s tactical setup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As such, while West Ham appear to be leading the race for the 33-cap international, it would seem highly advisable for Paratici to launch a move of his own for the Brazilian in the coming days – as Paqueta would appear to be something of a perfect fit for Conte’s new-look Tottenham side.

Everton have learned the price tag for one of their reported transfer targets… 

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, a move for Southampton’s Che Adams will set the Toffees back roughly £20m.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “I think it would take a bid of £18-20m for Southampton to sell Che Adams, and I just don’t see where Everton are going to get that kind of financial power from so late in a window that’s already been difficult for them.”

Earlier this week, Fabrizio Romano had reported that Frank Lampard’s side were the most likely to sign Adams; and now that the price tag has been revealed, it is up to the Everton boss whether he deems this a viable deal for the club to make.

Lampard needs him

In the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who remains out injured, Lampard has been left incredibly light up front.

Salomon Rondon has played just 83 minutes so far this term despite being Everton’s only other senior striker, with Anthony Gordon deputising in a position previously unfamiliar to him. This has unsurprisingly led to a toothless start to the season for the Toffees, who have netted just once for themselves in their opening three league games.

Adams would come in and be able to do a job for Lampard’s side, leading from the front with his pressing and linking up with the abundance of tricky wingers at Goodison Park.

The Scotland international was labelled “relentless” by Tariq Panta, who claimed that the 26-year-old must be a huge annoyance for defenders who face him.

Adams managed seven goals and a further three assists for Southampton last term, but it is his tally of 30 league appearances which may please Everton fans the most. This regular availability marks him out as a dependable presence up front, something which will be paramount for steering Everton away from another relegation battle.

During the 2021/22 campaign, he averaged 0.9 key passes per game and created six big chances despite only registering three assists. However, if the likes of Gordon, Demarai Gray and Everton’s other wingers are supplying him with quality ball, the 26-year-old could really start to prove his worth.

Lampard is crying out for any striker that he can get, and one with proven Premier League quality and who might be willing to act as an understudy to Calvert-Lewin once the Englishman regain fitness could be the perfect move for all parties involved.

After what proved to be something of a car-crash campaign for Everton last time out, the hope among supporters would have been to see their club make significant investment in the playing squad in order to spark a drastic improvement upon that narrow relegation escape.

At present, though, the Goodison Park faithful are seemingly preparing themselves for another survival scrap next term, having only brought in former Burnley stalwart James Tarkowski on a free transfer so far this summer.

That astute, albeit uninspiring, addition has also been further overshadowed by the departure of talisman Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur, with the Toffees yet to invest any of his reported £60m transfer fee.

Amid that stark lack of transfer action and the dire need for new additions, one name who has emerged as a potential option is that of Ross Barkley, with the 28-year-old having been tipped to make a return back to where it all began for him.

As per The Mirror, Frank Lampard and co have been offered the chance to sign the England international this summer from Chelsea, with the west London outfit seemingly desperate to cut ties with a player who has largely been surplus to requirements during his time at Stamford Bridge.

While once an impressive emerging star for the Merseysiders, a reunion this summer with Barkley may not go down too well with supporters, with journalist Paul Brown suggesting there could be a “massive backlash” if the midfielder is to make a shock homecoming.

The local lad irked his former club due to the nature of his departure in January 2018, as the Toffees lost out on a £35m transfer fee the previous summer as the playmaker reportedly changed his mind over the deal, only to then join Chelsea for just £15m a few months later.

Furthermore, his addition to Lampard’s squad would also be a bizarre move due to his lack of regular game-time in recent years. The 33-cap midfielder had just six top-flight outings last term, only one of which came from the start.

A peripheral figure throughout his time at his current club, the £10.8m-rated man has netted just 12 goals and provided 11 assists in 99 games in all competitions for Chelsea.

His only real regular run in the team came under Maurizio Sarri in the 2018/19 campaign, when he made 48 appearances across all fronts under the Italian. Last season, his 14 appearances in all competitions amounted to a mere 452 minutes.

Previously likened to the great Paul Gascoigne in his youth, it has been an almighty fall from grace for the 6 foot 2 menace – who was once described as “woeful” by journalist Daniel Storey – over the last few years.

The rationale behind a possible move could be to try and rediscover the previous bright form he showcased in his early career – where he provided 55 goal contributions in 179 games for Everton – although Lampard has seemingly already been stung by trying to rekindle the career of another once-exciting prospect in Dele Alli.

The 26-year-old arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in January after falling out of favour in north London, although he went on to make just one league start for Everton in the second half of last season, doing little to warrant his reported £100k-per-week wages.

That dismal stint has been followed by another horror moment in pre-season, with the one-time MK Dons man inexplicably failing to convert a chance with the goal at his mercy in the recent 4-0 defeat to MLS side Minnesota United.

While he did recover to net a brace against Blackpool at the weekend, the indication is that he is already proving a costly mistake, amid reports that the club could already look to cash in on him this summer.

Not only would it make little sense to acquire a player who features in a similar position in the form of Barkley, being lumbered with another former England international who is on the decline is seemingly a recipe for disaster.

Also on a reported £100k-per-week wage at Stamford Bridge, Barkley could well follow his compatriot in being yet another expensive error of the Farhad Moshiri era at Everton.

Lampard must surely look elsewhere…

AND in other news – “We hear..”: Journalist drops major transfer update on £30m Everton target, it’s bad news

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Nicolas Tagliafico to Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Leeds Live, who claimed that, with Junior Firpo looking set to miss the start of the upcoming Premier League campaign due to injury, Victor Orta could now make a late move for the Ajax left-back.

The report added that, with the 29-year-old believed to be eager to secure a move away from the Johan Cruijff ArenA ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and Ajax apparently willing to part with the Argentina international, the Whites’ director of football could seal something of a bargain for the defender.

However, it is also claimed that Leeds will have to fight off a number of top-tier European clubs in order to bring the left-back to Elland Road, with Tagliafico being linked with the likes of Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion and Barcelona in the summer window.

Furthermore, Ligue 1 outfit Lyon are reported to have already reached an agreement in principle with Ajax regarding a €4m (£3.4m) deal for the 40-cap international, although the 29-year-old is thought to be waiting for a more lucrative offer.

“Top signing”

While it is true that Tagliafico had fallen down Erik ten Hag’s left-back pecking order in Amsterdam last season – starting just nine league games in 2021/22 – the defender has more than proven in previous years that, when given the opportunity, he can pose a major threat from full-back.

Indeed, over his 24 Eredivisie appearances in 2019/20, the £9.9m-rated talent highly impressed, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating seven big chances for his team-mates, in addition to taking 1.6 shots, making one key pass and completing 0.4 dribbles per game.

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The full-back also impressed in a defensive capacity in that campaign, helping Ajax to keep eight clean sheets, along with making 2.5 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 2.1 clearances and winning 6.8 duels (at a success rate of 57%) per match.

These returns saw the 29-year-old average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.20, ranking him as the 25th-best player in the Eredivisie that season.

The £44k-per-week Argentine was also in breathtaking form over his six Champions League outings in 2019/20, scoring one goal, providing one assist and creating one big chance for his team-mates. He also made 4.5 tackles, three interceptions and 2.7 clearances and won 9.2 duels (at a success rate of 59%) per match.

These metrics saw the player who Golazo dubbed a “top signing” and previously labelled “fierce” average a quite incredible SofaScore match rating of 7.50, ranking him as the joint 23rd-best performer in Europe’s most prestigious club competition that year.

As such, it is clear to see that, should Tagliafico be able to rediscover this level of form following a potential move to Elland Road for a fee as meagre as £3.4m, the defender would undoubtedly prove to be one of the bargains of the summer.

Therefore, we believe that, after being given the green light by both the player and Ajax, Orta must seal a deal for the 29-year-old this summer.

AND in other news: Orta now plotting Leeds bid for “superb” £15m “playmaker”, he’s the “king of assists”

Sunderland are hoping to land the signature of Leeds United youngster, Charlie Cresswell.

What’s the word?

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk editor James Marshment who claims that the Black Cats have joined the hunt for Cresswell’s temporary signature.

Marshment states that the Leeds United youth product is holding talks over a potential loan move to Millwall, but Sunderland’s late surge of interest means that they too are hoping to land the defender.

Taking to his personal Twitter account to reveal the interest surrounding Cresswell, Marshment said:

“Charlie Cresswell is holding talks over a potential loan move to Millwall – but TEAMtalk understands that Sunderland are also hoping to land the Leeds United defender.”

Alex Neil will love him

The news surrounding Sunderland’s latest endeavour in the transfer market will be like music to Sunderland boss Alex Neil’s ears.

At 19 years of age and already a regular on the Leeds United bench, the England U21 international has a lot of potential and is clearly respected.

However, despite being a regular squad member in the first team, the centre-back has made just 228 minutes of football played is no where near good enough. And despite featuring regularly for the under-23s, he now needs consistent minutes for a competitive senior side.

It’s something that Cresswell’s agent Hayden Evans made clear back in May, as per Leeds That Podcast:

“You get the frustration of certain fans who say ‘if they’re good enough they’re old enough’ and they should be given opportunities, but there is a reasonable understanding about why he’s not getting the minutes when you see who is in front of him.

“But he has to get more football soon. We’ll have the usual conversations in the summer and see where it goes from there,”

A move to Sunderland would benefit both club and player and from the perspective of Neil who will most certainly love his style as a physical yet elegant central defender, it’s a move that has to happen.

AND in other news: “Completing a move..“: Reporter drops huge SAFC transfer update, Neil surely elated 

Leeds United are bracing themselves for the departure of Kalvin Phillips during the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown

Leeds midfielder Phillips is attracting interest from some of the top sides in the country.

Premier League champions Manchester City have reportedly identified him as their primary target to replace the departing Fernandinho. Runners-up Liverpool, meanwhile, are also said to be eyeing the 26-year-old.

And Manchester United are even supposedly ‘working on a deal’ too, having picked out Phillips as a cheaper alternative to West Ham’s Declan Rice.

The Englishman has two years left to run on his contract at Jesse Marsch’s side, but no significant progress has been made towards an extension.

The latest

Writing in a mailbag piece, journalist Laurie Whitwell shared insight from figures close to Leeds – ‘sources say’ Leeds are increasingly resigned to losing Phillips in the next couple of months.

There is, at least, a ‘strong sense’ that a move to ‘bitter rivals’ Man. United is off the table.

Phillips apparently knows that making the switch could effectively ruin his reputation at Elland Road.

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The verdict

This is worrying for Leeds fans given Phillips’ importance to the side.

Last season may have been heavily disrupted by injury, but he started all but five games when he was fit and available.

Marsch says it was clear from the moment he arrived that Phillips has a positive ‘effect on the group’ because of ‘his personality, his quality [and] what he means to being part of Leeds United’.

And the club’s supporters voted him their second-best player of 2021, only behind Raphinha.

The reality is that Phillips, England’s reigning Player of the Year, may want to be playing European football, rather than battling for survival as he did with Leeds last season.

The challenge for Leeds now is to extract the maximum price tag – they apparently want £60million – and to nail the replacement. Work is already underway, with Marc Roca of Bayern Munich identified as a possible successor.

In other news, read this expert’s reaction to two big Leeds transfer developments.

Leeds United midfielder Jamie Shackleton could leave the club on loan this summer, according to The Yorkshire Evening Post.

The Lowdown: Shackleton at Elland Road

Shackleton has been around the first-team squad ever since Marcelo Bielsa handed the academy graduate his debut during the 2018/19 season.

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The central midfielder, who can also play as a right-back, has made 79 appearances for the Whites in all competitions – 14 of which came during the 2021/22 campaign.

However, the 22-year-old only played 22 minutes of action under Jesse Marsch and is entering the final two years of his Elland Road contract.

The Latest: Loan exit?

Leeds journalist Joe Donnohue shared a story on The Yorkshire Evening Post on Saturday morning, looking at the club’s summer plans.

Donnohue stated that Marsch is open to the idea of several youngsters leaving to gain regular game time and said that Shackleton could be a prime candidate to depart on a temporary basis.

The Verdict: Keep?

Leeds are fairly short of midfield and right-back options already, so sending Shackleton out on loan may not be the best idea. Kalvin Phillips has been heavily linked with a summer exit, and should he depart, Marsch would be extremely short in central midfield despite making Brenden Aaronson his first signing as head coach.

Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas are also out injured heading into the 2022/23 season, so it wouldn’t make sense to send Shackleton, who Bielsa called ‘important’, out on loan, especially with Phillips reportedly top of Manchester City’s priorities to replace Fernandinho.

It looks as if that could be the case, though, following his lack of game time in Marsch’s first 12 games in charge, so it could be one to keep an eye on as the American aims to put his stamp on the side with a summer rebuild.

In other news: Orta now working on bizarre transfer for ‘magnificent’ ace; he has history with Leeds supporters.