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Newcastle United's injury troubles have been well documented in recent months, with Eddie Howe's side suffering from multiple long-term absentees throughout the 2023/24 campaign.

Jamaal Lascelles is the latest player to join the Magpies' extended injury list after suffering an ACL rupture during the sensational 4-3 comeback win over West Ham United just a couple of weeks ago.

He joins the likes of Sven Botman, Nick Pope and Joelinton, who are currently on the sidelines after suffering their own injuries, with the latter two potentially returning towards the end of the campaign.

However, another Magpies first-team player remains sidelined with the club potentially needing to cash in on him given his recent record with injuries.

Callum Wilson's stats in 2023/24

Striker Callum Wilson has often had to settle as Newcastle's second-choice option behind Alexander Isak, understandable given the Swede's record of 19 goals in all competitions so far this campaign.

The former Bournemouth forward has only featured 22 times this season and just twice in 2024, managing to score on eight occasions, in a term that has been plagued with injuries.

Wilson has suffered four separate injuries since 2023/24 commenced back in August, which has seen him miss large parts of the campaign.

He's been sidelined by two different hamstring issues, whilst a calf injury saw him miss a further two months before suffering a chest injury upon his return in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest in February.

Wilson's injuries in 2023/24

Injury

Days missed

Games missed

Chest injury

57

9

Calf injury

37

6

Hamstring injury

31

6

Hamstring injury

13

4

Stats via Transfermarkt

Wilson has a past of suffering with injuries, having twice torn his ACL during his time at Bournemouth, with the now 32-year-old starting to struggle to put a run of games together before picking up another problem.

That, coupled with his huge drop in market value, should see the club look at potentially moving him on when the summer window opens in a couple of months time.

Callum Wilson's transfer value in 2024

Nearly four years on from his £20m move to St James' Park, Wilson has seen his market value plummet by more than half with injuries playing a huge part in the decline.

The striker is now only valued at £8.5m as per Football Observatory, with the Magpies forward now valued at a staggering £77.5m less than man of the hour Bruno Guimaraes, whose market value is £86m.

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The 32-year-old attacker only has one year left on his current deal at the club, with Wilson turning 33 before the end of next season. That being said, the club should look to move him on this summer, just a couple of months after being linked with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.

Howe and the Saudi PIF should look to recruit a new young striker, who can develop and learn from current forward Isak whilst providing tough competition for the former Real Sociedad attacker.

Wilson has been a brilliant addition to the Magpies over the last couple of seasons but unfortunately, his injuries have been getting the better of him in recent times. Newcastle need to cash in to prevent him leaving the club for nothing in 2025.

To say that Aston Villa are flying under Unai Emery this season would be an understatement. The Villans sit as high as third in the Premier League and just four points adrift of league leaders Arsenal, who they play next. By the end of the weekend, the Midlands club could sit just one point away from the top of the league with Christmas fast approaching, summing up just how impressive they've been throughout the current campaign so far.

Their last victory, coming over champions Manchester City, was arguably their best yet under Emery. But it's not all good news for those at Villa Park as the January transfer window approaches, with one particular player potentially on the move when the winter window swings open.

Aston Villa transfer news

When it comes to incomings, Aston Villa got it fairly spot on in the summer. Moussa Diaby's stats, four goals and five assists show just how quickly he's settled in alongside Pau Torres, whilst Youri Tielemans and Nicolo Zaniolo begin to find their feet under Emery. All of that has resulted in new heights for the club in the Premier League as we near the halfway point. Amid their successful summer, however, is one man who is yet to make his mark and could already leave the Midlands club.

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According to Bild, Bayern Munich are interested in Clement Lenglet, who is currently on loan at Aston Villa from Barcelona. The La Liga giants are reportedly open to the move as long as the German side cover the defender's wages in full. Villa, meanwhile, reportedly want to see out their loan move for Lenglet, keeping him until the end of the season as planned.

This comes as a surprise, given Lenglet's game time. The Frenchman has not played a single minute in the Premier League and has been handed all of his opportunities in the Europa Conference League. Despite that though, Villa reportedly want to keep hold of their loanee.

"Quality" Lenglet needs move

When Lenglet secured his return to the Premier League after an impressive loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur last season, he would have been full of hope over his Aston Villa role – but things just haven't worked out. Whether it be Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres or Diego Carlos, Emery has opted for other options ahead of the Barcelona loanee, who may need a move elsewhere if he is to receive regular minutes in the current campaign.

With Bayern Munich reportedly interested too, Lenglet may not get a better chance to secure an end to a stint in the Midlands and a move to a club in the Champions League. It's a surprise that things haven't worked out so far at Villa, with Emery full of praise for Lenglet upon his arrival. Emery said:

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"Lenglet was a very good opportunity on loan for one year. He has experience in Barcelona, Sevilla and Tottenham playing at a high level, playing in Europe. I'm very happy with him because he is joining us with his quality, his experience."

Liverpool will "bid again" for Southampton's exciting young midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer and could do it as soon as "the next few days", according to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Romeo Lavia joining Liverpool this season?

It has been a summer of change for Liverpool this year, especially in the centre of the park.

So far, the club have sold two of the players that have been instrumental in the domestic and European successes of recent seasons, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson making their way to the ludicrously wealthy Saudi Pro League.

Coming the other way have been Alexis Mac Allister, who joined from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth £35m, rising to £55m and Dominik Szoboszlai, who swapped life in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig for Meyseyside in a deal worth £60m.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

And while these additions to the team certainly make Jurgen Klopp's side stronger, they still need to add a new number six into the mix, something they seem well aware of considering their pursuit of Saints star Lavia.

So far, the Merseysiders have made two separate offers for the youngster, one worth in the region of £34m plus £4m in add-ons and a second worth £41m, both of which were rejected by the Southcoast club, per the Liverpool Echo.

Not a club to be deterred, the Reds are now preparing a third offer for the Belgian international and could make it as soon as the "next few days", per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

He explained the situation on the That's Football YouTube channel, saying:

"We have to wait for Liverpool to prepare the third proposal for Romeo Lavia. The first one was £37m rejected, the second was £42m rejected, so it was a very clear way from the club because Southampton want £50m. That's what they want for Romeo Lavia.

"And let me say that [Southampton] have always been strong in negotiations this summer, for example, with Newcastle. When they negotiated for Tino Livromento, many rumours were saying £23m-£24m, Southampton always said £40m package or nothing and in the end, they got £40m for Tino Livromento. So it is almost the same for Romeo Lavia.

"They want £50m, that's going to be the fee, Liverpool know that very well, so I expect them to bid again, I expect them to try again in the next days this week. Lets see if they can reach an agreement, but for sure Romeo Lavia remains the main target for Liverpool in the midfield."

Would Romeo Lavia be a good signing for Liverpool?

To be succinct, Lavia could be an excellent signing for Klopp to make this summer. The move is only made all the more essential following the departure of Fabinho to Saudi Arabia, meaning that the team now have a glaring vacancy in the midfield just ahead of the back line, a vacancy Lavia could make his own.

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In his 26 starts for Southampton last season, the 19-year-old provided one assist maintained a passing accuracy of 86.4% and maintained an average match rating of 6.56, per WhoScored.

His standout statistic, however, is the number of blocks he makes per 90, 1.90, which according to FBref, puts the 5 foot 11 "monster" in the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues.

If Klopp and Co can negotiate a lower price for Lavia, they should certainly be doing all they can to bring him in, and to be honest, they should just pay the £50m if the Saints refuse to budge because, at just 19, the young Belgian could be a genuine superstar in the future.

Tottenham Hotspur should target Brendan Rodgers as their next manager following another setback in their search, former striker Darren Bent has claimed.

What's the latest on Spurs' manager search?

The club were dealt a blow as talks broke down with Feyenoord manager Arne Slot, and there appears to be no easy solution in sight to replace Antonio Conte, who was dismissed over two months ago.

There have now been links with Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou, but former Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has now been mooted for the vacant role in North London.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Bent claimed that Rodgers' experience in the Premier League could make him the ideal manager to help make Spurs competitive.

"For me, he'd be perfect. He plays attacking football, I get that it sometimes goes a bit stale towards the end, which I understand, but look what he did in his pomp at Leicester, back-to-back fifth-place finishes," he stated.

"Yes, maybe he should have got fourth, but fifth with Leicester, winning the FA Cup in the manner in which they did, he nearly won the league at Liverpool, I know it was about the Gerrard slip but it was close.

"He's done great things at Celtic, I really like watching these teams play, so I don't understand why he's not been approached by Tottenham."

Should Spurs move for Rodgers?

Spurs encountered problems negotiating with Feyenoord over Slot, and they may face issues convincing clubs to part ways with their current head coaches.

Rodgers is currently a free agent, having been dismissed from his role at Leicester earlier on this season, and he is reportedly interested in the role.

His experience has seen him manage at both ends of the table, having competed for the title with Liverpool and helped take Leicester to Europe and FA Cup glory.

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He helped nurture attacking talents at his previous clubs, with the likes of Jamie Vardy, James Maddison, Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge thriving under the Northern Irishman.

His time at Celtic saw him establish a period of dominance in Scotland with the Hoops, winning seven domestic trophies in a three-year spell.

He could be a perfect fit for Spurs, and with plenty of issues to contend with, such as the uncertain future of Harry Kane, someone with his pedigree and experience could help iron out the problems at the club.

Newcastle United’s owners have stressed the development of St. James’ Park is a long-term project and not something which will happen soon.

What’s the latest?

Earlier this week, it was reported the Saudi Arabian-based owners had bought back the patch of land known as Strawberry Place opposite the stadium.

The site was initially sold by the previous owner, Mike Ashley, back in 2019 for a sum of money believed to be worth in the region of £9m.

However, the site is now back in possession of the club and it is believed it will be used in the hope of expanding the Gallowgate End in the years to come.

But, speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Craig Hope has stressed the club are making it clear this is not a project which will happen over the coming months:

(3:10) “The word been stressed to me by the club is long-term, you know, we’re not going to buy this land and then all of a sudden, within the next sort of 12-18 months or even two years, turn St. James’ Park into a 60k/65k seater stadium, that just probably isn’t feasible for, for a variety of reasons.

“First and foremost, you know, they’ve got to explore all options from it from a structural point of view, could it be that modern technology means you don’t actually have to go out into Strawberry Place?”

Moving on up

Given the recent success of the club and the fact the previous owner is now well and truly out of the picture, there has naturally been a huge increase in demand for tickets.

It has been reported that over the summer there were around 30,000 fans aiming to snap up a season ticket and the 1,000 which were made available were bought almost instantaneously.

St. James’ Park currently holds just over 52,000 fans but there will be major issues for the club to overcome if they are to expand the stadium.

The stadium backs onto building issues on basically every side of the ground with listed buildings, a conservation area (Leazes Park) and structural headaches all to consider.

And through buying back Strawberry Place, the club will have to navigate various structural issues if they are to expand out the Gallowgate End.

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Below the site runs the local metro system which will likely require an awful lot of money and the best architects around to navigate a way to make this happen.

The club certainly have the financial power to do so, but this just shows how it is not going to be something which happens in the summer or even the summer after that.

This is going to be a huge project for the club and it seems they will be assessing all options of what modern technology can do before deciding to potentially build out onto Strawberry Place.

West Ham United have been dealt a potential injury scare as Alphonse Areola has reportedly missed training ahead of France’s World Cup clash against Tunisia. 

The Lowdown: Areola’s season so far

So far this season, the shot-stopper has made 11 appearances for the Premier League club across all competitions, keeping five clean sheets in the process.

Having been included in France’s World Cup squad, the 29-year-old has been an unused substitute for both of their games against Australia and Denmark so far in Qatar.

With the reigning champions set to take on Tunisia in their final group game of the 2022 tournament, having already secured their place in the last 16, it seems as though the possibility of Areola making his first appearance of the competition has been thrown into question.

The Latest: Areola misses France training

According to a recent report from L’Equipe, Areola missed one of France’s training sessions ahead of their match against Tunisia with a suspected issue in his back.

The report also highlights that France have already been hit with some big injury issues which have seen the likes of Karim Benzema and Lucas Hernandez being forced to withdraw from the tournament.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-5/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: A concern for West Ham

Despite being the second-choice goalkeeper at West Ham behind Lukasz Fabianski, the possibility of seeing Areola out of action would still be a concern for the Irons and David Moyes.

Having played in all six of West Ham’s Europa Conference League games this season, it’s clear that he is still an important squad figure at the club.

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Across those six appearances, the £120k-per-week Frenchman has faced 17 shots on target and saved 13, leaving him with the sixth-highest save percentage (82.4%) out of all goalkeepers to feature in the competition.

Taking all that into account, everyone at the London Stadium will surely have their fingers crossed that the back issue which kept Areola out of France’s training session on Monday will not be anything serious which carries over into the resumption of club action on Boxing Day.

West Ham United have had a solid summer transfer window under David Moyes, with talents such as Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd and Flynn Downes all arriving at the club, and they should make the squad stronger.

They aim to build upon a successful 2021/22 season, and although David Moyes has endured a poor start, the Hammers could click into gear once the new signings begin to gel.

The 59-year-old has stabilised the club and his record in the transfer market is no fluke, although it wasn’t always like this for West Ham, with the east London side having to suffer some marketplace howlers through the years.

One of the biggest blunders came under Manuel Pellegrini when the Irons signed Felipe Anderson for a then club-record fee of £36m from Serie A side Lazio in 2018. The Brazilian was described as a “real coup” by Ryan Baldi upon his arrival in London, but things just didn’t work out for the player.

The right winger scored just 12 goals in 73 appearances for the Hammers during his two-and-a-half-year spell at the club, and what once looked like a promising talent ready to take on the Premier League left with his tail between his legs.

Nine league goals and four assists in his first full season wasn’t a bad return, but Anderson couldn’t maintain the consistency which would have surely endeared him to the West Ham faithful had he improved.

He only scored three more times in a Hammers shirt, meaning that each of his goals cost the club £3m in what was a colossal waste of money. Ben Foster claimed that Anderson could “not cut it” in the Premier League, and judging by the stats and the record fee paid for him, the ex-Watford goalkeeper’s point is justified.

The Brazilian had a loan spell at Porto in the second half of the 2020/21 season before rejoining Lazio for a fee of £4m. This meant that the Irons had lost a staggering £32m on the player, who looked like he could thrive in England following his move from Italy.

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Pellegrini was sacked by West Ham in December 2019 with the club one place above the relegation zone, 18 months after signing Anderson.

Poor results obviously didn’t help the Chilean’s cause, but splashing out large fees on players such as the Brazilian without receiving much in return was also a big contributing factor in the ex-Man City manager’s demise at the London Stadium.

Sheffield Wednesday have been dealt a setback in their pursuit of Hull City forward Mallik Wilks after being warned that they will need to increase their bid if they want a chance at signing him.

The Lowdown: Wilks keen on Owls move

The 23-year-old still has 12 months remaining on his current contract at the MKM Stadium, but has reportedly been told that he is free to leave the club this window.

A move to League One is very much a possibility after it was reported last week that the Tigers had agreed an initial deal with the Owls, with the winger believed to be keen on making the switch to Hillsborough.

Following a fresh update though, it now looks like Darren Moore’s side will need to improve their offer in further negotiations if they want to get a deal done.

The Latest: Kesler’s warning

Speaking to BBC Humberside (as quoted by The Star), Hull’s vice-chairman Tan Kesler provided an update on Wilks’ transfer situation, revealing ‘negotiations’ need to continue as there is no agreement yet.

“They have a genuine interest.

“Mallik has had good days with us, he is out there training properly and is competing and always has a jersey here.

“But with all respect to Sheffield Wednesday, the offer is not enough. The offer for Mallik needs to be higher. If they are seeing him at that sort of price level, I think he better stay here.

“The negotiations are open. You cannot close the door to any player. You need to understand where the players stand in the market anyway, even if you don’t do the deals or conclude the deals.

“That’s the only way you can get the real value of your players.

“So as not to confuse anyone, with Mallik, the offer is not enough. If the offer is improved, we will consider for any of our players.”

The Verdict: A fantastic addition

Ever since Shota Arveladze was appointed manager of Hull in January, Wilks has majorly fallen out of favour, only playing six minutes in just one appearance since the start of the New Year, but he still has bags of potential to give.

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Throughout the 2020/21 campaign, the attacker netted an outstanding 19 goals and provided eight assists in 44 third-tier appearances(Transfermarkt), highlighting his prowess in the final third.

If the Leeds-born talent were to reach an agreement with Wednesday, he would become Darren Moore’s sixth signing of the summer in what is expected to be a very busy few weeks ahead before the start of the new season.

Liam Rosenior will have his work cut out for him to turn around Chelsea’s middling season.

Slumping all the way down to an unsatisfactory eighth spot in the Premier League standings, after losing 2-1 at near neighbors Fulham, it’s fair to say the Blues’ campaign has unravelled, leading to Enzo Maresca being dismissed.

It remains to be seen whether Rosenior is the man to reinvigorate Chelsea out of their slouched state, with the January transfer window no doubt a helpful boost to his chances, as he attempts to stamp his authority on his fresh ranks.

Chelsea handed edge in race for £38m star

Rosenior will surely aim to strengthen the backline at Stamford Bridge this month, with Chelsea’s last clean sheet in all competitions falling all the way back in mid-December, when winning 2-0 versus Everton.

Antonio Rudiger could spectacularly return to West London to fix these defensive concerns, while a Strasbourg reunion with Valentin Barco could also be on the cards for the newly appointed Englishman, as the inconsistent Blues look for more competition with Marc Cucurella.

Rosenior could also be gifted a very promising starlet for the future, a mere month into his new job post, as talkSPORT now reports that the Blues have an edge over Arsenal in the race for Genk gem Konstantinos Karetsas.

The report revealed that Mikel Arteta’s men very nearly sealed a £38m deal for the Greek playmaker in the summer, only for a move to fail to get over the line.

Now, with Rosenior installed in the Chelsea hot-seat, European football expert Andy Brassell has tipped the West Londoners to make a January swoop for the 18-year-old, who would surely jump at the chance of working under the ex-Derby County boss, owing to his ability to develop players at Strasbourg.

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will push for a move for the teenage sensation, but if a deal were to whir into motion, Rosenior could be about to win his very own Estevao, as another exciting midfield talent prepares to take the Premier League by storm.

Why Karetsas can be Rosenior's own Estevao

While the wheels came off the Maresca reign quickly, the Italian should be commended for how much he managed to get out of Estevao, as he hung onto his Chelsea employment.

Indeed, the worry with signing such a highly-regarded youngster is that they could flop on the big stage. But, the Brazilian has managed to live up to his “world-class” billing – as was once handed to him by scout Jacek Kulig – consistently at Stamford Bridge, with his stunning strike against Barcelona the pick of the bunch from his six goal contributions donning Chelsea blue.

It would be deemed rather far-fetched for Karetsas to make similar strides immediately if he were to relocate to England over staying put in Belgium, but in time, he could become Chelsea’s next version of Estevao, under the new spell of Rosenior.

After all, the 18-year-old has already surpassed expectations so early into his fledgling career, with Karetsas capped nine times at a senior level by Greece.

He has been deserving of all these international opportunities, at such a tender young age, too, with the teenage attacker already up to 71 senior appearances for Genk, with a stunning five goals and 15 assists heading his way.

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Subsequently, off the back of such inspired form in the senior ranks, Karetsas has been noted as being “so incredibly special” to watch by the aforementioned Kulig, alongside also being tipped to be a “future legend” of Greek football, as Estevao-levels of hysteria begin to build.

Karetsas vs Estevao (25/26)

Stat

Karetsas

Estevao

Games played

28

24

Minutes played

1821 mins

1005 mins

Goals scored

2

5

Assists

10

1

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Chelsea fans will be hoping they can cheer on another electrifying youngster who can instantly settle in the Premier League, much like Estevao, therefore, with Karetsas’ spellbinding form in the Jupiler Pro League and beyond this season, even seeing him trump the South American’s promising moments at Stamford Bridge.

If a move was to spark into life, Rosenior could soon win his very own Estevao, with the 41-year-old stating – after his reveal – that “I am good at what I do” as a new promising dawn spearheaded by Maresca’s bold successor is hopefully on the horizon.

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Manchester City could make a sensational bid for an “insane” player, who they made contact with earlier this summer, it has been revealed.

Lijnders impacting Guardiola's style at Man City

Jamie Carragher believes former Jurgen Klopp assistant Pep Lijnders is having a real impact on Pep Guardiola’s style of play, with Man City now playing a high defensive line, and scoring goals on the counter-attack against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Carragher said: “I couldn’t believe what I saw, the players were all jumping high up to try and catch the Wolves players offside. This is very Liverpool-like. It made me think how much influence is maybe the new coach having on this team.”

However, the Blues’ defensive frailties were on show in the 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, with James Trafford making an error leading to Joao Palhinha’s goal, while Rico Lewis won just two of the eight duels he contested.

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Consequently, Pep may want to bring in a little more experience at the back, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma emerging as a major target, and there is also interest in a new right-back, who Lijnders knows very well…

Indeed, according to a report from Caught Offside, Man City could make a sensational bid to sign Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in the January transfer window, with the former Liverpool man not exactly making a flying start to life in La Liga.

Dani Carvajal has managed to force his way back into Xabi Alonso’s side, which has led to doubts over Trent’s future, and City are monitoring the situation, having already contacted the right-back over a potential move to the Etihad Stadium earlier this summer.

The 26-year-old, who is reported to earn a base salary of around £276k-a-week at Real Madrid, has only made seven appearances for Real Madrid so far, but City are now in the picture for a shock move, with Guardiola in need of a long-term Kyle Walker replacement.

Trent would be "insane" signing for Man City

Given the recent history between Man City and Liverpool, the full-back linking up with Guardiola doesn’t seem like the most plausible of scenarios, although he has praised the atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium in the past.

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The England international said: “People talk about City’s atmosphere and you know, hand on heart when we play them, the atmosphere is incredible, like we feel it. It’s intense.”

Lauded as “insane” by former footballer George Chomakov, the ex-Liverpool star has established himself as one of the best attacking full-backs in the world, while also impressing from a defensive point of view on occasion over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.22 (87th percentile)

Progressive passes

8.40 (99th percentile)

Tackles

2.64 (87th percentile)

Interceptions

1.23 (82nd percentile)

That said, even though Trent seemingly burned his bridges with Liverpool by leaving in the summer, a move to Man City seems relatively far-fetched, especially considering he is still in the very early stages of his Real Madrid career.