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An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli…

What’s the talk?

According to the Northern Echo, the Magpies’ chances of landing the England international in January have diminished, with there now being an expectation that he will remain at Spurs until next summer.

The report claims that Newcastle previously viewed him as a realistic transfer target due to his lack of game time, but they could now abort their plans to sign him.

Save NUFC’s season

Nick Hammond has been appointed as a short-term transfer consultant for the club and he must now use his expertise to secure a deal for Alli in January.

He needs to convince Tottenham to part ways with him and then make sure that he is able to offer him a suitable package to go along with whatever pitch Eddie Howe produces to tempt him into making the switch.

The former Reading chief could save Newcastle’s season by doing this, as Alli has previously shown that he has the quality to be a difference-maker at this level.

In 266 games for Spurs, he has produced 67 goals and 61 assists. This includes 51 strikes and 37 assists in 180 Premier League matches. The 25-year-old has proven himself in the top-flight of English football and, therefore, would surely come in and provide a lift to the Magpies.

Ex-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino previously handed him high praise by comparing him to two footballing icons. He said:

“You smell Maradona’s energy, his charisma is amazing.”Ronaldinho at Paris Saint-Germain was similar. And it’s similar with Dele. People love him in this way. When you add the charisma to the talent, that’s what makes a special player. When he was scoring goals, kids loved him like he was Ronaldinho.”Kids feel this charisma, this energy, and with Dele it’s the same; he has this charisma that kids love and follow.”The £100k-per-week dynamo, who was previously dubbed a “freak” of a talent by Darren Anderton, has enjoyed four seasons scoring eight or more goals in the Premier League in his career. Last term, Callum Wilson (12) was the only Newcastle player to find the back of the net more than eight times.Howe’s side are 19th in the table after 18 matches and have only picked up one win all season. This shows how dire the situation is and why Alli’s goals and assists could be crucial for them, as he could come in and pop up with match-winning contributions that win vital points in the battle against relegation.That is why Hammond can save Newcastle’s Premier League season by working hard to complete a deal for Dele, whether that is by getting Spurs or the player himself to push for it to happen.

AND in other news, Sissoko 2.0: Howe could unearth a new beast for NUFC in “extraordinary” 6ft1 machine…

Aston Villa have not been reluctant in bringing new players to the Midlands during the January transfer window, with Lucas Digne, Robin Olsen, Calum Chambers and Philippe Coutinho all making their way to Villa Park in the past few weeks.

However, it appears as though the Villans have put an end to the possibility of one particular deal being struck before the 11pm deadline arrives.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Villa have “decided against pursuing a deal” for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma this month.

Having been linked with the Mali international earlier this month, with a reported bid of £25m rejected by the Seagulls for their midfielder, it seems as though the Midlands club will not be making any further attempts to try and lure him to Villa Park before the end of the transfer window.

Furthermore, with Brighton reportedly wanting a fee in the region of £50m for Bissouma, this could be a factor as to why Villa have seemingly given up their attempts to sign the 25-year-old after already splashing out £25m to bring in Digne from Everton.

NSWE are taking a big risk

Even though it would take a club-record transfer fee from Villa to sign Bissouma this month, it would be a big risk in the short-term for the club owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris not to secure the Brighton maestro given how Marvelous Nakamba is out of action through injury, and after missing out on signing Rodrigo Bentancur this month as well.

Thinking on a long-term basis, with Bissouma being young but experienced in the Premier League and recent reports casting speculation over the futures of Douglas Luiz and Carney Chukwuemeka, adding the Brighton star to their ranks could be a great investment for the Villans for the foreseeable future.

With that in mind, depending on how Villa’s midfield situation looks at the end of the season, they should definitely try and make a move to bring Bissouma to the Midlands during the summer transfer window, if Brighton would be willing to negotiate a suitable deal for him.

In other news: Gregg Evans drops big AVFC deadline day update which will surely leave fans thrilled

According to a report from Turkish outlet Fanatik (via the Liverpool Echo), Liverpool are interested in signing Getafe striker Enes Unal. 

The lowdown: Career so far

The 24-year-old has taken a rather nomadic path to stardom having moved to Manchester City from Bursaspor for £2million in 2015 (Sky Sports).

Since then, Unal has spent time on loan at Genk, NAC Breda and FC Twente before making a permanent switch to Spain. Having initially signed for the Reds’ UEFA Champions League semi-final opponents, Villarreal, the Turkey international was loaned to Real Valladolid ahead of a move to current club Getafe.

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Now, after finally finding some career stability, another move could be forthcoming for the well-travelled star…

The latest: Liverpool interested

As per Fanatik (via the Liverpool Echo), the Anfield club are believed to be keen on signing Unal as Jurgen Klopp prepares for life after popular cult hero, Divock Origi.

It’s claimed that the 26-cap Turkey ace is the ‘most suitable name’ on the list of targets as incoming sporting director Julian Ward attempts to replace the enigmatic Belgian in the Liverpool squad.

Described as ‘very good’ by legendary Brazil frontman and Real Valladolid president Ronaldo, Unal is currently under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt).

The verdict: Worth the risk

This season has been a coming of age campaign for the Turkish ace and Liverpool have certainly developed a knock of plucking out the hottest talents just as they enter their prime, most notably the signing of previous Premier League flop Mohamed Salah.

So far this term, Unal has scored 15 times and provided one assist in 32 La Liga outings whilst also earning an impressive 7.04 average Sofascore rating in the process – the highest out of the entire Getafe squad.

Standing marginally over 6 foot, unsurprisingly Unal possesses strong aerial ability as well as finishing, long-range shooting and defensive contribution (WhoScored), making the Turkish centre-forward an ideal addition to Klopp’s ranks as a direct replacement for super-sub Origi.

In other news, an expert has made a Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Reports by TEAMtalk earlier this week claimed that Crystal Palace are leading the race for Antoine Semenyo, but David Moyes should urge West Ham United to secure the Bristol City star’s signature this summer.

The Hammers are said to be one of several Premier League clubs trailing the Eagles for the forward’s services after being identified by the Selhurst Park natives as the perfect fit for their squad as a potential new Yannick Bolasie type.

Semenyo is seen to have immense potential and has a huge advocate in Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman following a five-goal, seven-assist season after 44 appearances across all competitions so far this term.

A number of top-flight suitors are understood to be carrying out regular checks on the 21-year-old’s progress at Ashton Gate, including West Ham, Palace, Southampton and relegation-threatened trio Newcastle, Brighton and Sheffield United.

Championship high-flyers Norwich and Watford – who both look set to secure an immediate return to the Premier League – are also noted to be keen on the ex-Chelsea target, for whom the Blues bid £1m to sign in 2019 but failed to get a deal over the line.

Any club wishing to sign Semenyo this summer faces paying a large increase on the Stamford Bridge outfit’s offer, with Bristol Post reporting that the Robins are happy to trade on their terms and that a price tag of £10m is possible.

Bristol City are unlikely to stand in his way of a move out of Ashton Gate if Nigel Pearson’s side receive suitable offers, although it is added that no official approaches have so far been made and that no bids were tabled during the winter market.

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Semenyo is under contract at the Championship club through to the summer of 2023 on £3,500-per-week terms, making him one of their lowest earners.

The forward would likely demand a significant pay rise to join a Premier League side in the off-season, yet the suspected asking price being touted should not see West Ham baulk in a bid to strengthen Moyes’ attacking options.

The Irons are expected to work heavily in the summer market clearing out deadwood on the wage bill, including £36m former record signing Felipe Anderson and £115,000-a-week top-earner Andriy Yarmolenko.

Neither are likely to fetch anywhere near the fees paid by the Hammers in 2018, with claims that Anderson could be sold for just £17m and Yarmolenko let go for offers of between £5m and 6m.

Anderson may have spent the season on loan at FC Porto – where he has proven to be a disaster for the Liga NOS giants – and Yarmolenko has only started one Premier League game all term, but the pair are capable of at least providing Moyes with depth out wide.

The Irons boss also has a lack of depth at centre-forward after Sebastien Haller’s winter move to AFC Ajax left Michail Antonio as the sole striker at the London Stadium, but Semenyo could solve both concerns.

Pearson has utilised the 21-year-old at centre-forward and on either wing throughout Bristol City’s season, as the forward – once lauded by Martin Keown as an “exciting prospect” – has proven to be capable of netting and assisting as often when played out wide as he is through the centre.

If West Ham are only expected to make around £20m-25m through the sales of Anderson and Yarmolenko and likely chase a clinical centre-forward to challenge Antonio next term, beating Crystal Palace to Semenyo may be a very wise way to go.

AND in other news, West Ham land boost in £17m race to sign “one of the finest footballers” who was David Moyes’ dream target in 2020…

When Jordan Jones signed for Sunderland on loan in January it was met with excitement and anticipation.

The Mackems had just bolstered their promotion bid by signing a man with European experience to his name. Indeed, when he first penned terms, there were glowing appraisals.

Glasgow Live reporter Mark McDougall told Chronicle Live that the 26-year-old had the abilities to light up the English third tier, saying: “In all honesty, he should stroll League One if his attitude is right when he goes down there.”

McDougall’s assessment couldn’t be truer. Since moving south of the border, Jones has been a revelation for Sunderland, scoring two goals and registering four assists in just five starts.

The Northern Ireland winger has been exceptional and, in his last three games, he’s proven why he was such a shrewd piece of business in January, registering an assist in each game and a solitary goal for his troubles.

The 26-year-old was missed during his recent time on the sidelines. He picked up a muscle injury which first caused him to miss the EFL Trophy final before he sat out a further three matches.

However, on his return to the starting XI against Oxford United, he was a dynamo. It may have been Lynden Gooch, Aiden McGeady and Max Power who popped up with the goals on Friday afternoon but it was Jones who proved to be the standout figure.

The winger was withdrawn on 77 minutes but this was one of his most eye-catching displays yet.

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He picked up another assist with a frightening piece of skill in the first half. He performed two stepovers and then nudged the ball past Jamie Hanson, beating him all ends up.

It was a dazzling moment, a genius piece of play which was arguably one of his finest flashes in the red and white of Sunderland so far.

Jones had the Oxford United left-back on strings throughout the entire contest, completing four dribbles and amassing three shots on goal. The forward also proved adept in the challenge, winning a considerable 13 ground duels from 16 attempted.

With Sunderland’s promotion hopes now well and truly in their own hands, they have unearthed a gem who could well fire them to the Championship.

The arrival of the Rangers attacker has been nothing short of game-changing for Lee Johnson’s team. He will be salivating over the prospect of unleashing him against Peterborough on Monday.

AND in other news, 18x possession lost: Johnson must be fuming with SAFC gem who was “led a merry dance”…

Southampton were rocked by the news earlier this week that Danny Ings has rejected a new contract with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side and therefore, that he could depart St Mary’s this summer, but the Austrian manager may have a ready-made replacement in Nathan Tella.

Ings to leave?

As per The Athletic, Ings rejected the offer of a new four-year contract with Hasenhuttl’s side that would have made him the highest-paid player at the club, as he still holds aspirations of playing for a Premier League side playing in Europe in the near future.

His current contract is set to expire at the end of next season, which suggests that Hasenhuttl may well be forced to cash in on the 28-year-old striker this summer or risk losing him for nothing in 2022.

Can Tella be his replacement?

Tella burst onto the scene at Southampton last season after impressing with David Horseman’s B team and was a regular in Hasenhuttl’s first team in the second half of the campaign, making 23 appearances in total, in which he contributed one goal and two assists.

The former Arsenal youngster dazzled in a late-season win against Fulham, as he came off the bench to play in a striker role, scoring with one of his first touches before setting up Theo Walcott with a deft touch to make it 3-1 late on.

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Following that game, Hasenhuttl was full of praise for Tella, saying:

“He’s the biggest talent we have at the moment. He had a bad injury. I see him performing like he does at the moment, I enjoy watching it. A big praise for the academy.”

As the Austrian manager seems to prefer smaller, pacy strikers in his 4-2-2-2 system at Southampton, Tella’s future may well be as a striker and it seems likely that he will continue to be a regular at St Mary’s again next season, so will be looking to make even more of an impact in terms of goals and assists.

Whilst it would be unrealistic to expect him to replace the goals offered by a seasoned striker like Ings, he only turned 22 recently and has plenty of time to improve and hone his game as a striker in the next few years, so there seems no reason why he couldn’t prove to be the long-term replacement for the England international in Hasenhuttl’s side.

And, in other news… Southampton missed out on “fantastic” Euro 2020 star ideal for Hasenhuttl

Michael Ball has told Football FanCast that this Rangers team will be remembered forever if they manage to end the season unbeaten in the top-flight.

Steven Gerrard’s side moved a step closer to finishing off the season without a defeat over the weekend, as they thrashed closest rivals Celtic 4-1 in a one-sided Old Firm derby.

It leaves the club 23 points of second-place, having dropped points in just six games this season – all of them away from home, and all of them draws.

Rangers do still have two games of the season to go, against sixth-placed Livingston and fourth-placed Aberdeen.

Wins in both would take them to 102 points, and cap a remarkable season for Gerrard and his players.

And Ball believes that the incentive of going down in the history books will see the Gers get over the line, and become the first Rangers team to go a full season unbeaten in the Premiership since the 1800s.

He told FFC: “It’s a great incentive. It’s a very strange situation they find themselves in where the league is done and dusted but there’s still focus on trying to get results and that’s a good incentive for Steven to pass on to his players, that this won’t be forgotten.

“If you go through the whole season unbeaten, it’ll be a fantastic achievement for everybody and then you can go on a beach and celebrate in a better way – if you’re allowed to travel away!”

Peterborough Director of Football Barry Fry has told Football FanCast that he wouldn’t be surprised to see Mauricio Pochettino make a sensational return to Tottenham.

Spurs have been linked with countless managers since Jose Mourinho lost this job last month, but perhaps none more suited than the Argentine.

Despite leading Tottenham to four consecutive top four finishes and the Champions League final, Pochettino was sacked by Daniel Levy following Spurs’ poor start to the Premier League season in 2019-2020.

But with his replacement Mourinho failing to get close to matching Pochettino’s achievements, the Portuguese was sacked just days before the Carabao Cup final.

Strong reports believe that Levy is ‘seriously considering’ reappointing Pochettino, which quickly saw him move to favourite to become the next Spurs manager.

However, it would still take a monumental effort to prize the 49-year-old away from the French capital despite their failure to win the Ligue 1 title last weekend.

But Fry exclusively told Football FanCast that it makes perfect sense:

“Daniel and Poch were not only chairman and manager, but they had a wonderful relationship. They were friends as well.

“It was a hard decision to get rid of him and I’m not sure it was the right decision, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Poch came back to Tottenham.

“The fans loved him, the players loved him, and Daniel loved him, although he was going through a bad spell and like all chairman, they press the button too early sometimes in my opinion.”

West Ham United have been given an encouraging boost in their bid to sign Sam Johnstone this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the West Bromwich Albion shot-stopper has privately told friends that he wants an instant return to the Premier League with the east London outfit following the Baggies’ relegation last month.

A source told the website that the 28-year-old is said to be “very keen” on signing for the Irons in the upcoming transfer window and he remains a firm target for David Moyes.

Just a few weeks ago, The Sun’s Alan Nixon claimed that the Midlands side would command around £20m to let their first-choice goalkeeper depart The Hawthorns, adding that the Scot would be willing to wait until his price tag drops to make a move, even if he’s seen as a long-term replacement for Lukasz Fabianski.

Imagine him and Ogbonna

For the sake of a few million pounds, the club’s owners GSB should probably just pay up to land Moyes his man as they’ll be investing in a key position for several years.

At just 28, Johnstone has several more seasons at the very top of his game, and with injury problems continuing to plague the Poland international, it would be a very wise decision to find a long-term successor sooner rather than later.

That is something they do not currently have amongst the first team set-up, with Darren Randolph (34) and David Martin (35) being fellow veteran options.

Despite being relegated to the Championship with the worst defensive record in the English top flight this season, the Baggies stopper has been one of the few shining lights and perhaps one of the better options between the sticks.

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As per the statistical website FBRef, Johnstone made the most saves in the division (161) by quite some margin and did so at a success rate of 70.6%, which was higher than Fabianski (69.4%) despite the Irons ‘keeper facing 65 fewer shots.

It’s no wonder that he has earned plenty of glowing acclaim from those around him and in the media, too.

Former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce suggested that the 6 foot 4 colossus was “one of the best [in the Premier League]” to talkSPORT back in December, whilst BT Sport pundit Glenn Hoddle claimed he had “been outstanding” every time he’s seen him play this season.

Furthermore, Steve Bruce believes Johnstone is an absolute “diamond” to work with on the training ground, so perhaps he could be the man to truly rival Fabianski for that number one spot next term. That may all boil down to whether or not the club can – or will – splash out that £20m, but they ought to do so.

On the above evidence, he would be a fine addition to Moyes’ current backline, where Angelo Ogbonna has excelled. He and Johnstone could be a rock-solid pairing heading into a Europa League campaign.

As former Irons striker Frank McAvennie recently told Football FanCast exclusively, the Albion star is “right up West Ham’s street,” so GSB must sanction a move for him this summer.

He wants it; Moyes wants it. Get it done, David Sullivan.

AND in other news, 6 foot 4 powerhouse who “will explode” could bolster West Ham’s European claims next season…

Crystal Palace will look to make it back-to-back wins when they take on Liverpool at Anfield this afternoon.

The Eagles shocked Tottenham Hotspur last time out, securing an impressive 3-0 victory following Japhet Tanganga’s petulant red card, and new manager Patrick Vieira will be hoping to build on that result against the Reds.

However, Palace’s chances of doing exactly that suffered a blow when the Frenchman that confirmed Jeffrey Schlupp is ruled out of action through injury.

“Jeffrey Schlupp is getting better but is not going to be involved tomorrow,” Vieira revealed in Friday’s press conference.

“He didn’t have enough training with the squad, so will stay behind and do a session tomorrow, before getting with the team on Monday morning.”

At least the versatile midfielder is currently the only player sidelined through fitness concerns aside from long-term absentees Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson, providing Palace hope of pulling off another surprise result this weekend.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects Vieira to line up at Anfield, with two changes from the side which started against Spurs…

The dependable Vicente Guaita will keep his place between the sticks after a strong start to the season, ensuring that Jack Butland remains on the bench.

In front of the Spanish shot-stopper is set to be a back four which has shown plenty of promise over the last three Premier League fixtures.

Tyrick Mitchell, Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen and Joel Ward have kept two clean sheets in the three games that they’ve started together, showing signs of a potentially formidable defensive unit.

The midfield may see one change made from last weekend’s win, with Luka Milivojevic coming in for the £5.4m-rated Cheikhou Kouyate – who came in for criticism from some fans for his performance against Spurs – completing a hard-working trio including Conor Gallagher and James McArthur.

Completing the starting XI should be talisman Wilfried Zaha, Jordan Ayew and summer signing Odsonne Edouard after the Frenchman bagged a brace against Spurs despite coming on as a late substitute. He should start today in place of former Liverpool marksman Christian Benteke.

In other news… Signed for £26m, released for free: Parish endured a Palace nightmare over 31y/o dud