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Newcastle United have now been dealt an injury blow on Jamal Lewis before they play Norwich City away from home in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Long-term injuries

The long-term injuries seem to be piling up for the St. James’ Park faithful, as more players join Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson on the sidelines.

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Eddie Howe recently admitted to the media in his pre-game press conference that he is unsure whether Ryan Fraser will be able to play again this season, while he is hopeful that Isaac Hayden will finally return to full training soon.

The Latest: Lewis operation

In his pre-Norwich press conference, Howe also revealed that Lewis has had another operation recently, and is hopeful that he will return in pre-season:

“He’s had a few operations and recently had another one. We hope this one has fixed his long standing groin problem. It’s been frustrating for him because he’s not felt 100%. I’d love to see him back in pre-season and show us the player he can be.”

The Verdict: Blow

Given that it is not guaranteed that the North East club will sign Matt Targett on a permanent deal from Aston Villa, Lewis may still have a place on Tyneside, and so losing him to a potentially long-term injury is certainly a blow.

It works the other way as well, as if Targett is signed permanently, the Magpies will surely want to find a buyer for Lewis, but they may not receive any offers for the left-back if he is out on the sidelines.

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Either way, the fact that he continuously has to have operations is not ideal, and the Toon will just be hoping that his latest setback is not serious.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ magician is now a serious option for NUFC here!

Pete Graves has now dropped a Newcastle United transfer claim from the new owners.

The Lowdown: Wood confirmed

The St. James’ Park faithful confirmed the signing of Chris Wood from Burnley for an undisclosed fee on Thursday morning, and he has signed a two-and-a-half year deal.

He has been registered in time for their crucial game at home against Watford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and joins Kieran Trippier to be their second signing in the January transfer window so far.

Nonetheless, there promises to be more on the way, with the likes of Marcos Senesi and Benoit Badiashile recently being linked with a move to the North East and a desperate need for additions in the heart of defence – the Magpies have the second-most goals conceded in the league.

The Latest: Transfer claim from owners

As per Graves, the new owners feel as if Premier League experience will be ‘key’ in their battle to avoid relegation down to the Championship, and so following the signing of Wood, they may go down that route again for their other targets:

“There’s a feeling amongst key members of the ownership that Premier League experience will be key in survival battle.”

The Verdict: Ideal, but not vital

Of course, signing players that have past experience in the top flight is ideal, as they know what to expect and some, like Wood, may have even faced a relegation battle before.

However, you can find unknown gems from outside of the division, and they would often come cheaper, given that you would not be buying directly from one of your rivals – Feyenoord’s Senesi is a prime example, valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt.

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Nonetheless, whatever strategy the new owners use, it has to be perfect if they are to give Eddie Howe a chance of keeping them up, and signing Trippier and Wood, who both have experience in the top flight, is certainly a good start.

In other news, find out who NUFC are in ‘advanced talks’ to sign here!

At the moment, Liverpool are not shy of options for the central-midfield position.

However, we feel that with the likes of James Milner and Jordan Henderson now over the age of 30 and Thiago Alcantara having hit that landmark back in April, they will need to add some young blood into their squad at some point.

What’s the latest?

Earlier last week, football pundit Don Hutchinson said that Liverpool could be one of the Premier League clubs that would be interested in signing Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips in the next summer transfer window from the Yorkshire club.

He said: “Everything about him told me that he’s not going to be at Leeds for much longer. There is going to be Liverpool and Man United, all the big clubs are going to want him in the summer.”

Should Liverpool make a move for Phillips?

As a product of Leeds’ youth academy, Phillips made his senior debut for the Whites back in April 2015 in a 4-3 defeat against Wolves in the Championship.

Since then, the midfielder, who was labelled as “magnificent” by BBC pundit Alan Shearer as a result of his work alongside West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice during England’s Euro 2020 campaign over the summer, has made a total of 219 appearances for Leeds across all competitions.

During that time, he has managed to score 14 goals and provide 12 assists along the way.

Looking ahead to a possible summer transfer move for Phillips from Liverpool, we feel that even if the Reds were interested in signing the player, it could prove to be quite costly for the Merseyside club, especially with the midfielder apparently keen to sign a new and improved deal at Leeds even though his current contract isn’t set to expire until 2024. Transfermarkt currently values him at £36m, after all.

Also, with Henderson himself having recently put pen to paper on a new four-year deal that will see him stay at the club until 2025, it could be argued that the Reds still has some time before they consider bringing in a potential new midfield player to replace him.

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That being said, the two England internationals are vastly similar. They have both completed just north of 85% of their passes and they are both strong in the tackle. Phillips won 2.3 tackles per game last term for instance while Henderson won 2.1 when Liverpool won the league in 2019/20.

In our view, for the time being, it feels as though Liverpool will be set to continue with the plethora of midfield options they currently have at their disposal. However, with the summer transfer window still months away, anything could change between now and then that could make signing a new midfielder such as Phillips a priority for the Merseyside club.

In other news: £7.5k-p/w Liverpool gem has seen his value soar by £25.2m in 2 years, he’s exceptional – opinion

Many Southampton fans are delighted after it was suggested that the Saints could offer Michael Obafemi as part-exchange in a deal for Adam Armstrong.

The south coast outfit were rocked by the news earlier this summer that Danny Ings had turned down a four-year contract at the club (Sky Sports). That has left Ralph Hasenhuttl and co looking for a new striker, and they are said to be close to signing Armstrong from Blackburn Rovers.

According to The Sun, the Saints could offer Republic of Ireland international Obafemi as part of the deal to sign Armstrong. With just five goals in 38 games for Southampton (Transfermarkt), the 21-year-old is hardly prolific, while £16.2m-valued Armstrong netted 29 times in all competitions last season.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra and it attracted plenty of attention from Southampton supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the potential swap deal between Obafemi and Armstrong.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the possible Armstrong/Obafemi swap

“Armstrong is much better than Obafemi”

Credit: @ollie60848715

“I think that’s pretty good for both teams? if Blackburn are already consigned to losing Armstrong.”

Credit: @PeckingOrder03

“Snap their hands off for it! Obafemi might be alright at Championship/League one? Not a PL striker sadly, so a good deal all round.”

Credit: @Deardenpad

“Get rid of him, lower league player if that”

Credit: @kevinro290560

“I’d be happy with that”

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Credit: @4netix1

“Done.”

Credit: @87_amg

In other news, Southampton want this Premier League midfielder.

According to a report by club insiders Claret & Hugh, West Ham United have already held talks with representatives over potentially signing star Brentford striker Ivan Toney – with many Hammers fans flocking to give their verdicts on the big claim.

Before today’s action, Toney netted an incredible 29 goals and 10 assists in 42 Championship starts for the Bees and has marked himself out as a revelation over 2020/2021.

As a result, he has entered the West Ham fray as a striking target and the club have even reached out to the player’s agents in discussion over a possible summer move.

The 25-year-old, dubbed ‘unplayable’ by ESPN journalist David Cartlidge on Twitter for his stunning form, is now at the centre of debate from supporters on social media in response to this big C&H claim.

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While some supporters are simply excited over the thought of signing Toney, others believe that this report is too good to be true.

Find their best verdicts from Twitter down below.

West Ham fans flock to big Toney claim

“YESSSS”

Credit: @SaidMuv

“Please”

Credit: @conyard_adam

“I would absolutely love this! Class striker him proper 9 oi oi”

Credit: @bobbycrush6

“really hope this one happens”

Credit: @boleynbridges

“Lingard, Toney and Abraham would be great.”

Credit: @usukgoose

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“This is bonkers! We’re gonna have a full team of strikers with all the names we’re paired with! Get a grip!! But Toney’s great and I wouldn’t say no!”

Credit: @CraigardH

“Please be true”

Credit: @whukyle

In other news: West Ham also ‘dreaming’ of this signing, find out more here.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension Daniel Levy, have no plans to offer Bournemouth loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers a new deal in the summer – with the door ‘set to close’ on his career in north London at the end of the season. 

Indeed, as per this report, the USA international’s contract expires at the end of this season – and Levy is set to green light his exit with or without a transfer offer.

Levy set to green light Tottenham exit

There is apparently no new deal on the table for Carter-Vickers despite a resurgence at Bournemouth in the Championship, coming as his sixth loan spell in England’s second tier.

Regardless of how he finishes this season, Tottenham are reportedly set to let him go and put an end to his 12-year stay at the club.

Carter-Vickers made his senior debut for Spurs half a decade ago at 18-years-old but now looks set to part company with Tottenham – but whether this is as a free agent or in a permanent transfer remains to be seen.

Transfer Tavern take

Spurs supporters may be wondering what might have been with the defender who displayed early signs of promise.

Former club fan favourite Jan Vertonghen once heralded his fellow centre-back in an interview with ESPN, calling Carter-Vickers an ‘absolute beast’ and a ‘real defender’ in 2016.

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What awaits for him after Spurs is yet to be determined, but according to this report, Levy will green light his summer departure.

In other news: Tottenham transfer admission lifts lid on failed Levy coup with Pochettino, find out more here.

Plenty of West Ham fans have been reacting to the club’s reported interest in Swansea defender Joe Rodon.

Football journalist Pete O’Rourke tweeted (via @SportsPeteO) that the Hammers are preparing a bid for the 22-year-old, with Football Insider reporting that the Irons could offer £15m for his services.

With less than a week remaining in the transfer window, West Ham are still on the lookout for centre-back reinforcements, having ended their interest in Burnley’s James Tarkowski after three failed bids.

Rodon, who has been capped four times by Wales, has amassed 53 appearances for Swansea and has impressed in the early weeks of the season, winning 5.3 headers per game for the Championship outfit. By way of comparison, midfielder Tomas Soucek is the only player in David Moyes’ squad to have won more than three aerial duels per game so far this term (as per WhoScored).

These West Ham fans on Twitter believe that the 22-year-old would be an ideal signing in what has so far been a worryingly quiet transfer window for the Londoners:

However, some Irons supporters have their reservations about a potential move for Rodon, who has been blighted by a couple of lengthy injuries in his career:

West Ham fans, should the club pay £15m for Rodon to shore up their defence or is his injury record a concern? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

Football in England has come to an absolute standstill with no games set to be played before at least April 3rd.

The powers that be have suspended all games for the foreseeable future, and with the peak of the current pandemic predicted to be 10-14 weeks away, it could be quite a while before we see any more football in this country.

While the action on the pitch may have been halted, that doesn’t mean that work behind the scenes is on hold, and where Sheffield Wednesday are concerned that could spell trouble.

The Owls’ FFP case for breaking financial rules after selling their stadium is still ongoing and if they are sanctioned they could see a huge points deduction headed their way.

For one reason or another, there has been delay after delay in this case, with no verdict returning despite the charge coming six months ago.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The EFL were reportedly worried that the charge would spill into the close-season, but after this delay and the seemingly impending further issues, that may no longer be the case.

The governing body will now potentially have a lot more time before the end of the season to investigate the Owls, and the chances of the Yorkshire club’s 2019/20 campaign being impacted by the impending sanction look to have increased.

It’s quite simply now a race against the clock and with every further suspension past April 3rd, the Owls’ chances of avoiding punishment this season reduce.

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Garry Monk’s team’s performance on the pitch hasn’t helped matters, but it’s Dejphon Chansiri’s financial misconduct that could see the Owls scrapping for their lives in the Championship before the season is up.

Fingers crossed, the season can conclude before the punishment is dished out because if the EFL act sooner rather than later it could be an absolute disaster for the Yorkshire club.

In other news, Wednesday look to have made a big mistake in the summer.

Jack Grealish impressed as he returned to playing in a central role for Aston Villa during their 1-0 win against Norwich City.

On the chalkboard

The 24-year-old is a talismanic figure at Villa Park, having helped to get his boyhood club promoted to the Premier League through the play-offs, then following that up with impressive performances in the top flight.

He even excelled after being moved out onto the left-wing by Dean Smith, despite the manager’s decision being an unpopular one.

However, following John McGinn’s ankle fracture, he was moved back into a central role against the Canaries, with Douglas Luiz and Marvelous Nakamba starting behind him.

While the circumstances that led to the move will still be disappointing for those at Villa, solace can be taken from Grealish’s performance in the midfield.

Back in the centre

He was an integral part of the game’s biggest moment, taking the ball past Alexander Tettey with a nice piece of skill, before playing a perfectly-weighted ball for Conor Hourihane to hit first-time, sending it past Tim Krul.

There was also a lot of creativity shown on the ball outside of that moment, as he made two key passes, completed all four of his attempted dribbles and got two shots off.

Can you score at least 80% on this Ultimate Premier League Quiz? Test your knowledge now…

The 24-year-old showed an efficiency that is quite impressive considering how progressive he is in his play, completing 83% of the passes that he attempted.

His statistics also show that the Villa man was dominant in his battles, as he was successful in his solitary tackle attempt and won three of his four aerial duels throughout the match.

He was even awarded Man of the Match by WhoScored, with a rating of 8.3, which was 0.2 ahead of his closest competitor Kortney Hause.

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Overall, it was a big performance from a player Villa have come to rely upon in what was a massive game for the club, taking them within a point of getting out of the relegation zone.

With McGinn out, Villa will need more of the same from Grealish in the coming months.

In other news, a Villa midfielder was hailed for their match-winning contribution against Norwich.

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

As told by Football Insider, Everton attacker Bernard is fearful he may be frozen out of the team if Marco Silva departs and David Moyes takes his spot.

What’s the word?

Bernard was signed by Silva on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer and joined the club on a four-year deal after winning three league titles in five years in Ukraine.

The Brazilian is reportedly worried that should Moyes make a sensational return to Goodison Park, he will be pushed out the team. Bernard fears the Scot’s tough-tackling and defensive approach as a manager would subsequently mean a lack of game time under a Moyes rule.

The 54-year-old, who spent 11 years on Merseyside before moving to Manchester United, was reported by The Mirror to be interested in a return to the club should Silva face the axe.

During his tenure at Everton, the Blues were renowned for their aggressive nature and during his final year at the club, Moyes boasted the fourth-best defensive league record, conceding three fewer than champions Manchester United.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A right to be fearful

Bernard was signed for The Toffees because of his speed and ability up top, rather than his ability in defence, as his 5 foot 5 stature is hardly a concern for opposing players.

During his time in Ukraine, the 27-year-old registered 28 goals and 35 assists in 128 appearances and has bagged three goals and four assists so far for the Blues.

In Moyes’ final few seasons on Merseyside, the former Sunderland boss put faith in the likes of Steven Pienaar, Marouane Fellaini, and Nikica Jelavic, players who are known and put in the team for the tenacious, aggressive nature.

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The likes of Fellaini would be a thorn in almost any side with his physical abilities, and attackers like Victor Anichebe would be a worry for almost any defender with his strength and stature up top. Unfortunately, despite his blistering pace, these are all attributes that Bernard lacks.

From a defensive standpoint, the South American has actually made 1.3 tackles per game this season. However, at the same time, he has averaged a foul per match and just 0.2 interceptions.

Regardless of his creativity, should Moyes retake the helm, the forward should be very fearful of being frozen out of the side and he may need to add this to his game for future managers to look at.