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Newcastle United’s takeover announcement could quite literally come out of the blue, according to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie.Earlier in the week, the Magpies faithful were greeted with the frustrating news that there were further delays after new evidence was submitted to the Premier League that raises question marks over the deal.Those at St James’ Park have been waiting for over five weeks now yet the northeast outfit is still owned by Mike Ashley.However, Downie claims that it’s normal for these types of takeovers to go quiet and then for it to all come through from nowhere, he tweeted:

The consortium trying to purchase the club has influence from the Saudi Arabian government whilst PCP’s Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers are also involved in some capacity.

It’s believed that the deal is worth approximately £300m and all that’s remaining is Premier League approval and the transfer of funds.

Has life under Ashley really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, Newcastle fans…

AND in other news,ÂNewcastle fans react to Daily Mail’s Mike Ashley claim

Loads of Celtic fans have been left delighted by some news regarding Damien Duff’s future with the club, as the former winger will remain at Celtic Park despite taking up role with the Republic of Ireland.

Hoops fans may have feared the worst when the Irish FA announced their coaching changes this weekend, as they confirmed on Twitter that Duff would join Keith Andrews and Alan Kelly as new members of Stephen Kenny’s coaching staff.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

However, the 41 year-old will keep his role as first team coach at Celtic, the club confirmed on Sunday, leading to delight amongst fans on Twitter.

Duff joined the club back in January 2019 as a part of the reserves set-up, but was promoted to his current position when Neil Lennon arrived just a month later.

Since then, the pair have won all three of the domestic competitions together, with two still left to fight for this campaign.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where a few fans suspect this “fantastic” development could help the club scout young players from the Ireland set-up…

Celtic fans, did you catch the promising update on Odsonne Edouard?

West Ham United must focus on rebuilding their defence this summer, according to Football.London.

What does the report say?

After a summer of investment, this has been a disappointing season for the Hammers, who sit 16th in the Premier League table with just nine matches to play.

With just a goal difference advantage over the relegation zone, the appointment of David Moyes following Manuel Pellegrini’s sacking has not yet born fruit.

According to Football.London, the club needs to overhaul their defence this summer, with the piece highlighting Ryan Fredericks, Winston Reid, Pablo Zabaleta Arthur Masuaku and Fabian Balbuena as players that could leave.

Meanwhile, it highlighted the emergence of Jeremy Ngakia and Ben Johnson, players with whom they can plan for the future.

 Wholesale change

West Ham have conceded 50 goals in 29 Premier League matches this season and it is clear that change needs to be made.

Balbuena has seen his form depart him after a promising start, while injuries have hampered Fredericks and Reid.

The club have recently been linked with moves for both Matty Cash and Joe Worrall and further names could be put into the frame in the coming weeks.

In Issa Diop, the club have a player around which they can build, but elsewhere it is clear that a significant renewal is needed.

Despite finding himself on loan once again at Sheffield United, it appears Manchester United fans haven’t forgotten about Dean Henderson – certainly not after his very impressive comments.

The 22-year-old has yet to play a game for the Red Devils’ senior side, but only headed out to the Blades for another year after signing a new long-term contract at Old Trafford earlier in the summer.

Now, speaking to The Daily Mirror, the goalkeeper admitted that he still doesn’t believe he is a United player yet, and that he feels as though he has a lot of work to do.

The 6 foot 2 man further insisted that the reason behind his loan moves were for him to seize the initiative and not simply stay in a “comfort zone”.

After hearing Henderson’s words, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts about their loanee.

Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted that the young shot-stopper proved he has an “elite mentality” and that he has an attitude that will take him very far in the game.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

It’s almost impossible to criticise Sadio Mane for anything these days.

The Liverpool attacker has been nothing short of sensational over the past 12 months as he’s won the Premier League Golden Boot and continuously proven to be one of the best players in England.

However, his showing for Senegal on Sunday shows one thing that he must eradicate from his game.

Mane’s showing

Many observers may have been surprised when they saw that the winger was subbed off at half-time during Senegal’s game against Eswatini.

The winger was reportedly hooked at half-time due to the fact that he was on a booking which he received after arguing with the referee over persistent fouling from the opposition.

Needs to stop

The winger needs to get out of this habit as any suspension he picks up could be catastrophic for Liverpool.

The former Southampton man is undoubtedly one of the Reds’ most important players and picking up silly yellow cards is the last thing Jurgen Klopp wants to see from one of his stars.

Mane may not get the decisions that other players would get with the diver tag becoming increasingly attributed to him in recent weeks, and that could slightly influence referees’ leniency when he goes down under a challenge.

If refs are a little harsher on Mane he needs to keep his cool and not argue with them as unnecessary yellow cards could cause issues for the Merseyside outfit.

Leeds United fans on Twitter have made their feelings known after recent reports have linked them with a move for Middlesbrough’s Daniel Ayala.

The United fanbase would like to see the 29-year-old signed as he would provide some much-needed cover at centre-back as well as helping them with their ongoing set-piece problems.

You can understand that as well, Leeds have conceded 44% of their goals from dead-ball scenarios this season, so they could do with a defender with Ayala’s aerial prowess in order to combat those problems as he wins 3.9 aerial duels per game.

Depth is also a little bit of a problem in defence as well. Marcelo Bielsa has just three senior centre-backs in his squad, so the addition of Ayala would help alleviate some pressure there, especially when you consider the number of injuries Liam Cooper has been picking up as of late.

Whether or not the Spaniard ends up playing for the Whites remains to be seen, but the fans have made it clear that they want to see this transfer go through.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

Tottenham Hotspur fans want Japhet Tanganga to play a more prominent role in the first-team after it was reported that the club have offered him a new contract.

Football Insider claims that manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed off on the offer, with the 20-year-old’s current contract set to expire at the end of the season.

The report states that the Spurs boss believes Tanganga has the ability required to establish himself as a first-team player, along other youth hopes Troy Parrott and Oliver Skipp.

An England U20 international, the central defender made his first-team debut earlier this season, playing in the Carabao Cup defeat to Colchester United.

He has not been played since, however, and supporters are keen to see him integrated into the first-team set-up properly, particularly if the club are serious about keeping him in north London.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

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

Carles Alena is currently struggling at Barcelona and according to Mundo Deportivo, Tottenham Hotspur might be looking to take advantage of that fact and sign him on a permanent deal.

Barcelona simply can’t allow that to happen.

What’s the word, then?

Alena, who was once likened to Andres Iniesta, was supposed to be Barca’s next big thing coming from their famous La Masia academy. And for a while, it really did look like he could follow in the footsteps of Blaugrana’s greats.

After all, his successful stint at Barcelona B – during which he scored a total of 18 goals and assisted a further 14 in 89 games – warranted him a promotion to the senior team that was set into motion as the ongoing 2019/20 season started.

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It really did seem like he was flying high as he was immediately given a place in the starting XI in Barcelona’s curtain-raiser against Athletic Bilbao – a game they ended up losing 1-0 – but along with that defeat, Alena also lost much more than just three points.

We’re now past matchday nine and there’s still no sign of the 21-year-old midfielder who has been completely frozen out of the team, still clinging to a single appearance in his breakthrough season.

And now, rumours are circulating of Tottenham’s interest in the La Masia talent.

New reports coming from Mundo Deportivo claim that Mauricio Pochettino is not eyeing a loan deal but rather a permanent transfer that would take Alena away from the Camp Nou for good.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

If true, that would be a huge loss for the Catalans, despite the midfielder’s far from ideal current situation at the club.

But there’s a way to flip the situation on its head.

Buyback clause crucial

Mundo Deportivo also mentions that Barcelona would be looking to add a buy-back option into his contract if Spurs were really adamant in securing his signature in a permanent deal. This would not be a bad thing.

Seeing how he has a €75m (£64.7m) release clause currently in his Barcelona contract, he is definitely highly rated but it’s also unlikely that Tottenham will end up paying that, considering it would represent their club-record fee for a 21-year-old youngster who’s not even a regular in his current squad.

While Barca will likely be loathed to lose him, they could make sure he has a way to safely return when and if the times comes.

So lowering their asking price enough for Spurs to remain interested and then inserting a favourable buy-back clause into his contract would suddenly turn this situation into a win-win scenario for the Catalans.

Not only would Alena theoretically get the minutes he so desperately needs but Barca would also have a way of recalling him in case they deem him good enough to don the Blaugrana once again.

Gaetano Berardi could have a decision to make over his Leeds United future at the end of the season, according to the Mirror.

The Swiss defender’s contract is set to run out in June, and it could be up to him whether he stays at Elland Road or moves on.

Berardi has been at Leeds since 2014 and has played 136 times for the club in that time, scoring two goals.

However, under Marcelo Bielsa, he has seen his game time significantly reduced. Indeed last season he made just 13 Championship appearances after failing to break back into the team following injury (via Transfermarkt).

He has once again struggled to force himself into the starting 11 this term, with Liam Cooper and Ben White starting the campaign as the first-choice pairing at centre-back. He has started just three times in the Championship, and two of those have come recently due to an injury to Cooper.

Despite not being a regular, the Mirror are reporting that Leeds are still prepared to extend the Switzerland international’s contract beyond the summer.

It is thought that he is a popular player in the dressing room, and the club’s hierarchy would like to keep hold of him due to his experience. However, they are believed to be prepared to leave the decision down to Berardi, so he must choose whether to stay or leave on a free transfer.

It will be a tough decision for Berardi, after all, he is currently in his sixth season with Leeds.

But he is not getting much game time at all and is clearly seen as defensive cover by Bielsa who has preferred White and Cooper this term.

It is possible that the Whites will be promoted to the Premier League this term, and if they do then Berardi’s opportunities to play would probably be limited even further as they would surely look to bring in some higher calibre players.

Leeds fans, would you like to see Gaetano Berardi stay at Elland Road? Or has the time come for him to move on at the end of the season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

This week has been a busy one as far as transfer rumours are concerned at Elland Road.

Loan striker Eddie Nketiah has been the subject of a possible recall from Arsenal with Bristol City swooping around the striker once again.

However, some possible incomings are in the pipeline too. Midfielder Billy Gilmour is being targeted over a potential loan deal while the same can be said for Reece James.

Football Insider have suggested that the Whites are keeping tabs on the defender with a view to trying to bring him to west Yorkshire if he fell out of Frank Lampard’s plans at Chelsea.

James spent the opening weeks of the season out through injury and as a result, has made just two appearances in all competitions for the Chelsea first-team this term.

That comes after a stellar campaign with Wigan in the Championship where the 19-year-old played 45 times both at right-back and in defensive midfield.

With the potential for a temporary deal to be done in January, do Football FanCast writers think Leeds should continue their pursuit?

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Charles Jones:

“Of course Leeds should be looking at signing Reece James on loan in January. After all, the right-back made the Championship Team of the Year last term despite playing in a poor Wigan side.

“Luke Ayling has struggled with injuries so far this season, and Jamie Shackleton is more of a midfield player than a full-back.

“James would instantly improve Bielsa’s side, especially with his attacking mantra, playing 1.6 key passes per game last season. Not only that, but he’d also allow Ayling to provide some much-needed cover at centre-half for when Gaetano Berardi inevitably gets sent off again.

“Whether or not they can get him is another question as Frank Lampard seems to be a fan of his and the Chelsea manager’s relationship with the Yorkshire club isn’t the best after Spygate, but if they can pull this one off it’d be a huge coup.”

Thogden ranks all 24 Championship home kits in the video below…

Vijievan Jeevathayalan:

“The Championship can be an unforgivable testing ground for young players, what with its gruelling 46-game season, and bruising physicality. But Reece James’ impressive performances on loan at Wigan last season proved exactly why Marcelo Bielsa must go all in with a January swoop for the 19-year-old.

“The England U20 international cleaned up at the Latics’ annual awards ceremony, and even earned rave reviews from Leeds legend Eddie Gray about his willingness “to take chances and shots on goal”.

“The powerful teenager would give Bielsa’s side an attacking impetus from right-back, having averaged one shot and 1.6 key passes per game for Wigan. At 5 foot 9, and weighing 87kg, James is a marauding tank that could prove to be an unstoppable force from the flanks were Leeds to pull off a major coup in the winter.”

Jon Radcliffe:

“Considering he has already made his Champions League debut this term, it could be seen by many as a step down if Reece James were to move on loan to Leeds. But, realistically, it wouldn’t be the worst move in the world.

“He has plenty of promise, granted, but he has the unfortunate problem of playing in the same position as the club captain at Chelsea. No matter how well he performs, it is unlikely that Frank Lampard will drop his leader too often.

“At Elland Road, though, he would surely play in the majority of matches, especially if he’s going to a club in order to improve a side that already has Dallas and Ayling as options. There are far worse managers to work under than the legendary Marcelo Bielsa too.

“The Whites are fighting for promotion to the Premier League, which therefore means that the 19-year-old would be playing in a competitive atmosphere where every result counts. For the Yorkshire outfit, this would be a coup. James is a quality right-back, as his Player of the Year award at Wigan last year indicates, and he would slot in nicely on that side of the defence. Their promotion push will no doubt be boosted by the arrival of a player who made such an impact in the Championship last term.”

Matt Dawson:

“A move for James would certainly be an interesting one but I’m not so sure it’s the correct call, particularly given the other areas Victor Orta should be looking at strengthening in the winter.

“It’s no secret that Leeds are struggling financially, even Andrea Radrizzani admitted it wasn’t sustainable to keep their wage at the level it’s currently at in an interview with The Times this week. With that in mind, they must be more careful with their resources in January.

“Leeds already have six players on loan and adding any more would simply lead to an even bigger fight for places.

“Considering they have filled their loan quota, it would make sense to target someone in another position, not at right-back where they have able options in Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling. The former has earned rave reviews while the latter played as many as 40 times last season.

“The Whites are struggling to hit the back of the net, amassing the tenth highest goals tally in the division, so perhaps they should look at bringing in a forward on loan instead.”