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Dwight Gayle has hinted his future could be away from Newcastle United by revealing he’s enjoying life in the Midlands with West Brom, according to The Express and Star.

The 29-year-old striker is on a season-long-loan from the Magpies, in a deal which saw Salomon Rondon go the other way – both men have excelled for their respective clubs.

What did he say?

Asked if he saw his future at the Hawthorns, Gayle replied: “Yes of course. I’ve really enjoyed the season and the fans have taken to me and showed great support. I’m going to see what happens in the summer, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here.”

These quotes could give Newcastle a big boost in their pursuit of Rondon. With Gayle hinting he sees his future at the Hawthorns, maybe a swap deal can be done rather than the Toon paying the reported £16.5million release clause for Rondon, which would rise to £20million if the Baggies are promoted.

Championship is Gayle’s level

Gayle has played 99 Premier League games scoring 21 goals over a period of four seasons with both Newcastle and Crystal Palace.

His Championship record meanwhile is 95 appearances and 54 goals while he also has assisted 15 – this comes from three seasons in the Championship with Newcastle, Peterborough and West Brom.

The stats clearly show that Gayle is more suited to the Championship than the Premier League in every way, he simply scores twice as many.

Gayle played a key part in the Newcastle side that was promoted as champions from the Championship, scoring 23 goals in 32 appearances. However, once they were promoted Gayle only missed three games all season and managed to only score six goals. He also had less shots per game, going down from 2.8 to 1.6.

This could be down to the fact defending is better in the Premier League, but it also seems likely that Gayle has less confidence than he does in the Championship.

The ex-Peterborough man will be remembered fondly by Newcastle fans for helping secure promotion but he is better in the Championship and the Toon have upgraded with Rondon, who has scored nine goals and registered five assists in the Premier League.

Gayle’s quotes are likely to help Newcastle in their pursuit of the Venezuelan, or at the very least push himself a little closer to the exit door. Clearly not at the required standard, his comments have done the Magpies a welcome favour.

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Rangers fans had the opportunity to put their questions to midfielder Ryan Kent on Monday evening and not all of them were sensible ones.

The 22-year-old is currently on loan at Ibrox from Liverpool and it’s clear that a large portion of the fan base want him to make his move permanent at the end of the season.

And why not too? Kent has made an impressive 37 appearances in all competitions in his debut campaign in Scottish football, scoring six so far and providing an eye-catching nine assists.

When told that the loanee would be the next to appear in Rangers’ #OnTheSpot series, where supporters get to put questions to first-team players, the bulk of them revolved around the former England youth international’s future.

However, the others ranged from the weird to the wonderful and weren’t short of their fair share of creativity, that’s for sure.

One member of the Gers army comically asked if Kent had let Celtic defender Mikael Lustig out of his back pocket yet, while another asked how he likes his tea and one more went down a more musical route – “If you were a hip hop recording artist what would your rap name be?”

Check out our list of the best questions below…

أشاد الجنوب إفريقي كافين جونسون المدرب المساعد الجديد بالنادي الأهلي، بقدرات الأوروجوياني جاستون سيرينو لاعب صن داونز، مشيرًا إلى أنه يتحلى بالكثير من مهارات لاعبي أمريكا اللاتينية.

وكان الأهلي يسعى لضم سيرينو من صن داونز خلال شهر يناير الماضي، لكن اللاعب جدد عقده مع الفريق الجنوب إفريقي.

وقال كافين جونسون خلال مقابلة معه ببرنامج “جمهور التالتة” المذاع على قناة “أون تايم سبورتس 2”: “سيرينو لاعب جيد جدًا ويتطابق مع مهارات لاعبي أمريكا الجنوبية، والأهلي لم يتعاقد مع لاعبين من أمريكا الجنوبية في وقت سابق”.

واختتم: “الأهلي لديه رؤيته الخاصة إذا كان سيفيده أم لا، وموسيماني سيأخذ موقفًا بشأن ضمه، ولكن هذه سيكون بعد فترة”.

ومن المقرر أن ينضم جونسون للجهاز المعاون للمدير الفني الجديد للنادي الأهلي بيتسو موسيماني خلال الأيام القليلة المقبلة.

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Tottenham Hotspur are no strangers to missing out on key transfer targets, but there is one setback from their past which leaves a bitter taste: Chelsea’s hijacking of the proposed Willian deal.

Missed opportunity

In August 2013, the rivalry between Spurs and Chelsea took on a new dimension. In light of Gareth Bales’ departure, Andre Villas Boas turned to the transfer market for a replacement and identified Willian, then of Anzhi Makhachkala, as the man he wanted to bring in.

The Brazilian completed a Spurs medical and seemed set to sign for the club, but their fierce London-rivals hijacked the deal at the last minute, leaving Daniel Levy incandescent and Jose Mourinho in a typically smug mood as he suggested the Lilywhites had merely paid the price for not concluding the medical in secret, as per The Guardian.

But Spurs were not to be deprived of a new signing and the highly-regarded Erik Lamela eventually completed a move from AS Roma.

Erik Lamela’s progress proves it was a blessing in disguise

The manner in which the Argentine has developed under Pochettino suggests that the failed Willian bid was actually a blessing in disguise.

Chelsea’s hard-working winger has commanded huge levels of praise from time to time during his career in English football, but he has never managed to totally convince the Blues faithful and that is telling about his overall quality.

Lamela, valued at £18 million per Transfermarkt, has endured problems of his own, predominantly injury related. Those problems have persisted this season and limited his involvement of late, but he proved how far he has developed at the beginning of the campaign with a series of glowing performances, prompting Alasdair Gold to label him as the clubs ‘most lethal player’ in October 2018, per football.london.

Gold’s admission represented a true indicator of how far Lamela has come under his compatriot’s tutelage, with his determination to return stronger after every injury setback proving that he has the mental resilience to match his attacking prowess.

And, considering Lamela is four years younger than his South American counterpart, it’s fair to say that the Willian debacle can be considered as a blessing in disguise.

Ruben Neves was linked with a move to Manchester City in the summer and now the Express are reporting Manchester United are keen on signing the Wolves midfielder. Still, if he has the option, he should snub Old Trafford for the Etihad.

Ten years ago, nobody would have even thought about which team to sign for if both Manchester clubs were chasing your signature unless you were a City fan, of course. Manchester City have been in United’s shadow ever since the inception of the Premier League, but now things are changing.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, United have lacked the vision and success they once had and that’s the same vision and success City have established over the past eight years. Their hierarchy have a consolidated a style of football, invested in one of the finest training complexes in the world, and they now have the man who most argue to be the best manager in the world.

Alexis Sanchez had the choice between City and United last January and he chose United. Since then, he’s looked a shadow of the player he was at Arsenal and watched City go on to win the Premier League in emphatic fashion. It’s not hard to imagine that Sanchez might regret his decision.

It’s true the Manchester United that drained all creativity from Sanchez is no longer present because Jose Mourinho’s out of the door and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is playing more attacking football. But how can a player reject the chance to develop himself under Pep Guardiola especially considering the way their players seem to enjoy their football, and their trophies, so much.

Nevez is only 21-year-old and that means he’s entering a crucial stage of his career. These are the years that managers have the most impact because they can mould players into the footballers they will become for the rest of their career, and who better to take Neves to the next level than Guardiola?

The recent history and global reach of Manchester United is attractive, of course, but is that more important than being developed by one of the greatest coaches the game has ever seen at a club that is only going to win more and more trophies as they grow?

Neves must choose to join the Manchester City project if given the chance.

Who do you think Ruben Nevez should sign for?

During the January transfer window, Football Insider reported that Southampton have been keeping a close eye on QPR forward Bright Osayi-Samuel and have been making regular checks on the attacker.

Football Insider also stated that scouting reports on the R’s man have been ‘positive’ and have also showed that he is capable of making the step-up to the Premier League.

However, on the basis of his last outing against Huddersfield, Osayi-Samuel doesn’t appear to be ready to play in England’s top-flight just yet.

The 22-year-old could not help his side avoid defeat to the Terriers, as QPR succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Danny Cowley’s men at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Specifically, the soon-to-be out-of-contract QPR No.20 was extremely poor in terms of his own performance.

Osayi-Samuel failed to add to his four goals and four assists in the Championship on Saturday, registering a grand total of zero shots on target.

He also drew a blank in the ‘key passes’ department and also failed to embark on a single dribble on a day where he was very, very quiet.

The former Blackpool attacker also had five unsuccessful touches – only Elias Kachunga had more with six – while he was also dispossessed on three occasions. No player was robbed of the ball more than Osayi-Samuel.

He also failed to attempt a single cross before being substituted in the 87th minute.

If anything, this performance proved that the Okija-born forward simply isn’t ready for a move to the Premier League yet, let alone a switch to St Mary’s where he would be competing with the likes of Nathan Redmond, Stuart Armstrong, Sofiane Boufal and Moussa Djenepo for a place out wide.

Who on earth is that?!?! Can you name all of these obscure January signings?

At 22 years of age, Osayi-Samuel is still young and has plenty of time on his side to develop his game.

However, as things stand, he clearly isn’t ready for the Premier League based on his display against the Terriers.

In other news, this January Southampton target showed why the Saints should reignite their interest in him this summer…

Raheem Sterling, a player who swapped Loftus Road for Anfield as a 15-year-old, was one of the most precocious talents to emerge at Liverpool in recent memory. 

Sterling began his career in London, but after catching the eye during his early teenage years with QPR he moved to Liverpool to enhance his budding career. It was a switch which ultimately enabled him to reach the immense level he has discovered under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, and his example may yet convince another wonderkid to make the switch from QPR to Liverpool.

Indeed, according to report published by the London Evening Standard in 2018, Liverpool – along with a whole host of fellow Premier League sides including Manchester City and Tottenham – have sent scouts to watch Eberechi Eze in action this season.

The electric number ten only established himself as a first-team regular this season, but he is already beginning to capture the attention of some of England’s top clubs and it’s easy to see why.

At just 20-years-of-age, Eze possesses a rare level of flair which instantly raises anticipation amongst onlooking supporters, with his tight ball control and desire to drive beyond the opponent particularly catching the eye.

Those who have seen Eze in action this season will be firmly aware of his quality in possession of the ball, but recent quotes from journalist George Elek, who delivered a gushing verdict on the rising star while speaking on Sky Sports’ Transfer Talk podcast, are particularly telling about how highly he is regarded.

“Marc Bircham [first team coach at QPR], who has worked with him at QPR, said that he goes past players easier than Raheem Sterling did when he was at the club. His work rate is also very good and not normally one that you would associate with a flair player – he’s not afraid to get stuck in.”

Naturally, Bircham’s comments need to be taken with a pinch of salt considering Eze joined as an 18-year-old and Sterling left before turning 16, but the comparison certainly hints that, within the right environment, he could blossom into a top Premier League talent in the years to come.

Elek went on to add: “The ball also has a tendency to stick to his feet and he is creating opportunities for his team-mates – at 20 he is a raw talent and is undoubtedly a player that will be playing in the Premier League in the next year or so.”

Could Eze be the next player to successfully make the switch from QPR to Liverpool? Well, Elek’s analysis and Bircham’s admission certainly hint that he possesses the natural ability to make the step up in class.

His return of four goals and three assists from 28 Championship appearances this season is decent without being in the realm of groundbreaking, but it must be considered that QPR are 14th in the table and far from one of the strongest sides in the division; if Eze was playing in a stronger starting eleven there is no doubt he would be boasting a superior record at this stage.

There is also much more to consider beyond raw numerical data, particularly with aspiring young talents, and the fact Eze has been praised for his exemplary work rate suggests that his mentality fits the profile of a future top-flight star.

It seems unlikely that Eze will be on Liverpool’s radar this month, but by the time the summer window reopens for business Jurgen Klopp should strongly consider making a bid for a player who could yet be on a similar career path to Sterling.

Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Pep Guardiola is surely expected to target a new centre midfielder in January after failing to sign Jorginho in the summer.

The Citizens targeted the Italian after he impressed for Napoli during last season’s title challenge. However, the midfielder instead followed Maurizio Sarri to Chelsea following Antonio Conte’s departure. With Fernandinho approaching the end of his career, Guardiola would be wise to target a long-term replacement for the Brazilian.

The Brazil international has been an integral part of Guardiola’s system with the Citizens, covering plenty of ground to allow Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and David Silva to flourish ahead of him. Replacing him will not be easy but signing Atletico Madrid’s Rodri could turn out to be a masterstroke by the former Barcelona manager.

Valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old was a part of Atletico’s youth system before being released by the club after not being deemed good enough. Rodri joined Villarreal and progressed to their first-team before becoming a key player. In May, Atletico decided to bring him back to the club, and he has been brilliant under Diego Simeone thus far.

The Spaniard has made seven appearances in La Liga and earned a call-up to the Spain senior side as a result of his impressive showings. Rodri is an excellent defensive midfielder who loves protecting the defence – he has averaged an incredible 3.6 tackles per game. He is also a fantastic passer meaning he would slot seamlessly into Guardiola’s tiki-taka system – Rodri has completed 93% of his passes so far this season (WhoScored).

The youngster is quickly developing into one of the world’s finest holding midfielders, and Guardiola must do all he can to lure him to England.

Manchester City fans, thoughts?

Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to a hugely important transfer development, as Ademola Lookman is set to stay on Merseyside this season.

With all the fantastic business Everton did on deadline day, it seems to have flown slightly under the radar that Lookman is set to stay with the club.

Red Bull Leipzig’s interest in the youngster has been one of the on-going sagas of the Toffees’ summer, and keeping the youngster is a big boost to Marco Silva’s attacking options.

According to Alan Myers of Sky Sports, Lookman will absolutely not leave this summer, despite the European window continuing past yesterday’s deadline.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”275398″ player=”12034″ title=”4 Potential Replacements For Jordan Pickford At Everton”]

The 20 year-old, who excelled on loan with Leipzig last season, could re-join the Bundesliga outfit even after yesterday’s deadline, as the rest of Europe did not follow the Premier League in bringing the window forward.

Fans are all relieved to hear that the youngster will stay put though, as his directness, skill and speed is what fans pay to see.

The capture of Bernard adds even more attacking impetus, and Silva suddenly has a whole host of options up front.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

It’s been a long time since Leeds United had a representative in the England national team, but in the context of this discussion, that gives Whites supporters a distinct advantage.

While Premier League fans are inevitably biased towards England selections – ever-insisting the English players employed by their clubs should always be making the cut – Leeds followers can offer a far more objective, clearer perspective – not clouded by top flight allegiances.

Gareth Southgate announced his latest squad last week, with World Cup qualifiers against Malta (Friday) and Slovakia (Monday) on the horizon.

So, Leeds fans, we want to hear your opinions on Southgate’s squad, whether you think the Three Lions gaffer has made the right calls, overlooked some of England’s best talents or got it completely wrong.

Let us know who’d make your England squad by taking part in the poll below and giving each of our suggestions a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down.