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Shields Gazette journalist Liam Kennedy has predicted that Newcastle United will loan out Matty Longstaff next season, while colleague Jordan Cronin admits he ‘just can’t see’ the midfielder having a future under Steve Bruce.

The lowdown

The younger Longstaff brother was limited to just 377 Premier League minutes across five outings in 2020/21. His final league appearance of the season came on 18 January in the 3-0 defeat away to Arsenal.

The 21-year-old, who is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, is about to enter the last year of his contract at St James’ Park.

The latest

In a fan Q&A for the Shields Gazette, Kennedy stressed about Longstaff’s future: “This is a tough one. If I had to predict, I’d say a loan deal for next season and a possible short contract extension. But it really is impossible to know.”

However, Cronin thinks it will be bad news for the 21-year-old if Joe Willock joins permanently or a similar player is recruited. His prospects are said to be looking somewhat bleak while Bruce is in charge and he added that “things seem very complicated” after his minimal involvement in 2020/21.

The verdict

It was worrying to see Longstaff feature so little in recent months. He actually played fewer games than he did in 2019/20 when he first broke into the side.

Bruce seems to rate Jonjo Shelvey more highly despite his underwhelming performances and strong fan criticism, and so you certainly couldn’t blame Longstaff for seeking a way out.

As Cronin has said, a return to Tyneside for Willock would probably keep the 21-year-old well down the pecking order at St James’ Park, which may lead to Kennedy’s prediction of a possible loan move being fulfilled.

In other news, Mark Douglas has offered the latest on another midfielder who struggled to get a look-in. 

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Michy Batshuayi to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claim that, with the centre-forward’s current contract at Stamford Bridge set to expire in June of 2023, Chelsea have now greenlit the 28-year-old’s departure this summer, in order for Thomas Tuchel’s side to recoup some of the £33m fee they paid for the Belgium international back in 2016.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-marsch-raphinha-dest-philhay” title=”Read the latest Leeds news!”]

The report goes on to state that this has caught the attention of the likes of Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion, as well as unnamed teams in Germany, Italy and Spain, who are all said to be plotting moves for the striker at the end of the current campaign.

“Loves scoring goals”

While it is true that, since Batshuayi’s 2016 move to west London, the centre-forward has failed to ever hold down a place as Chelsea’s first-choice number nine – making just 77 appearances over his five and a half year stay at Stamford Bridge – it is undeniable that, when given the opportunity, the 28-year-old is very much a player who knows how to find the back of the net.

This is something he has proven over his 28 Super Lig outings on loan at Besiktas this season, with the £9m-rated forward scoring 14 goals, registering five assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.3 shots – the second-most in the league – and making one key pass per game.

The £87k-per-week hitman dubbed a “beast” was also in devastating form over 14 fixtures in a temporary spell with Borussia Dortmund back in 2017/18, bagging nine goals and providing one assist for BVB – a record of a direct goal involvement every 117 minutes of football played.

Indeed, it is clear to see that Batshuayi is a player who loves finding the onion bag, something which the centre-forward’s former manager, Frank Lampard, confirmed back in November of 2019:

“He has been very good for us so far, and that positive spirit when you’re not playing regularly is not just important for him, cause that’s tough sometimes, but it’s important for the group. He deserves extra praise for that.

“He’s positive, hard-working, loves scoring goals. That might sound simple for a striker but I’ve seen some who don’t love it quite as much. He loves scoring in training, he always stays out to do extra practice. I’m thankful to have him in the squad.”

Furthermore, upon Leeds’ links with a move for the Belgian back in 2021, the former Leeds midfielder, David Norris, also stated his belief that the Chelsea striker would make an excellent addition to the Whites’ options up top:

“He’s big, strong, powerful and can score goals but also, anyone coming in is going to have to fit in with the way they play and the dressing room because that seems really close, but I think he’d be a great signing.”

And, with Jesse Marsch known to favour a formation that features two centre-forwards, the prospect of Batshuayi linking up with Patrick Bamford at Elland Road will certainly be a mouthwatering one for Leeds supporters.

Indeed, Victor Orta’s signing of the 28-year-old could easily be the formation of a deadly duo in the Leeds attack, one that could very well fire the Whites back to the top half of the Premier League standings next season.

AND in other news: Marsch could unearth Leeds’ next £60m talent in “wonderful” £1.8m-rated sensation

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Derby County manager Paul Jewell believes the whole Super League situation was nonsense and if Jurgen Klopp had left Liverpool his options would’ve been limited.

Liverpool were one of the six English clubs that signed up to be part of the newly proposed European Super League, however, those plans came tumbling down within 48 hours due to fan unrest and uproar.

All of the Premier League clubs eventually withdrew from the competition, with Chelsea and Manchester City leading the way.

Speaking on how nobody wanted the idea to go ahead and how Klopp’s potential suitors would’ve been limited if he did leave Liverpool, Jewell told FFC:

“The problems would’ve been if the Super League went ahead, Klopp could probably only go to PSG or Bayern Munich. So, yeah, it’s been a bit of a nonsensical situation.

“People were pulling out left, right and centre, like rats leaving a sinking ship and I’ve still not heard anyone say something good about the Super League.”

In 2019, Klopp made it clear he would not and could never support the idea of a European Super League, which made the decision for Liverpool to join the league even more bizarre.

Klopp has been linked with the German national team job since Joachim Low announced that he would be leaving the role after this summer’s European Championships.

Alex Crook has now dropped some Newcastle United transfer news involving Eddie Nketiah.

The Lowdown: Closing in?

Reliable journalist Luke Edwards reported for The Daily Telegraph earlier this week that the St. James’ Park faithful were closing in on the signing of Nketiah before the January transfer window shuts.

However, there then seemed to have been no further movement on that potential deal, and instead reports emerged of Crystal Palace having bids rejected for the Arsenal attacker.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium are running out of time if they want to bring in another striker after signing Chris Wood from Burnley, and Crook has delivered some bad news on the Nketiah front.

The Latest: Unlikely

As per talkSPORT journalist Crook, a deal to bring Nketiah to the North East before the deadline is now ‘unlikely’:

“Believe Nketiah is unlikely as well.

“Always felt odd AFC letting him go with their lack of numbers up front.”

The Verdict: Shame

It would be a shame for the Tyneside outfit to lose out on Nketiah, as he would offer Eddie Howe another solid attacking option for their relegation battle.

He is a player that the former AFC Bournemouth manager is known to like, and so there is no doubt that the boss would be eager to work with him and help him fulfil his true potential.

Described as someone who has an ‘incredible work-rate’, ‘pace’ and a ‘smell for goals’ by his coach Mikel Arteta (Sportskeeda), Nketiah possesses not just the quality but the hunger needed to keep the Magpies up, and with just six months remaining on his current contract at the Emirates Stadium, they could have potentially got him for cheap.

Nonetheless, it seems as if the Toon will now have to focus on other targets if they want to bring in another forward before the deadline.

In other news, find out who talks are ongoing for NUFC to sign here!

Everton now have just a week and a half to prepare their squad for the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign.

The Toffees have been left behind by their rivals in the transfer window, completing deals at cut-price, rather than spending wildly.

What’s the word?

Everton look set to continue their pursuit of some cheaper options in the open market.

According to Football Insider, they have set their sights on Mexican defender Jorge Sanchez.

The 23-year-old has been playing for his country at the Olympics and is now viewed by the Toffees and Tottenham as a potential signing.

He is currently valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt.

Tough-tackling monster

Sanchez is by no means a household name but his performances for Mexico this summer have been fantastic.

Combine those displays with his form for Club America in his native country and you have a mighty fine player on your hands.

The full-back is capable of playing at left-back or right-back but it’s the former where he’s traditionally played in the last few years.

He is adept at going forward, completing 1.9 dribbles per game this season. With that in mind, he looks every bit the modern defender.

However, Sanchez also possesses all of the attributes you’d associate with a classic defender from days gone by.

His tough-tackling nature is hugely comparable to a player of Phil Neville’s calibre, a man who was never afraid to show his true colours by launching himself into a crunching tackle. Just ask a certain Cristiano Ronaldo what they think of his tackling ability.

Sanchez might not be a nasty player by definition but he is phenomenal when it comes to winning the ball.

The defender has won a whopping 2.5 tackles per match for Club America this term, a tally he’s come close to replicating at Tokyo 2020 with 2.3 successful challenges per game.

Neville wasn’t liked initially at Goodison Park for being a ‘Manc’ but that quickly changed after a famous tackle on Ronaldo.

Sanchez wouldn’t have a label attached to him upon arrival but he’d quickly win over supporters with his favouritism to get stuck into his opponents.

AND in other news, Everton can find a new Rodriguez by signing “magical” 37-goal gem once valued at £119m…

Xisco Munoz’s reported Watford transfer target Mbaye Diagne has dropped a big hint on a potential summer move.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with the Turkish media, as cited by aspor, the Watford-linked West Bromwich Albion loanee confirmed that, if he is to leave Galatasaray this summer, he would like to stay in the Premier League, rather than drop down to the Championship with the Baggies.

When questioned about his future at West Brom, Diagne said: “In this case, I do not think I will stay with the team. Whether my adventure with the club will end or not will be determined at the end of the season. I don’t plan to play in the Championship, but I want to stay in the Premier League.”

Giaretta will be buzzing

The news that the 29-year-old would like to stay in the Premier League beyond the end of his loan spell at The Hawthorns will be music to the ears of Watford’s sporting director Cristiano Giaretta, who will undoubtedly be buzzing at the increased chances of landing his £2.7m-rated target this summer.

This is unsurprising, as, over his 15 top-flight appearances for Sam Allardyce’s side, Diagne has so far scored three goals and provided two assists, in addition to averaging 2.2 shots and 0.5 key passes per game, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 6.72 – ranking him as West Brom’s joint sixth-best player in the Premier League.

As such, it would very much appear that, despite playing for a side with the joint third-worst offensive record in the league, the £39,000-per-week Senegal international is more than capable of finding the back of the net, as well as creating goals, in a side hanging around the wrong end of the table – something that, with the greatest of respect to Watford, could very much make all the difference in the Hornets’ survival hopes next season.

Having said that, with both Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace also believed to hold an interest in the 29-year-old, Giaretta will still have his work cut out in convincing Diagne – whom Joe Masi dubbed a “dangerous” player – of a move to Vicarage Road, albeit with Albion now appearing to be out of the picture.

In other news: Giaretta confirms huge Watford transfer news that will surely have Xisco buzzing – opinion

Stoke City have confirmed the departure of Moritz Bauer from the bet365 Stadium.

What’s the latest?

In a brief statement posted on the Stoke City website, Michael O’Neill’s side revealed that the 29-year-old has sealed a move to the Russian Premier Liga side FK Ufa on a permanent basis, having spent the back end of last season on loan at the club.

However, the statement does not mention whether the Potters received a transfer fee for the sale of the right-back, who it is reported had two years remaining on his deal with the Championship side.

Fans should be buzzing

With O’Neill appearing to be having something of a summer clear-out at the bet365 Stadium, the fact that the Northern Irishman has managed to get Bauer off of the club’s books should have both the 51-year-old manager as well as fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, having arrived at Stoke from Rubin Kazan in what was a £5.58m deal back in January of 2019, it would seem a fair claim to make that the 29-year-old did not quite live up to expectations for the Potters.

In total, the Austria international made just 26 appearances for the club, with his most recent showing coming in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United in May of 2019.

A reason for this lack of game time is probably down to the defender’s level of performance when on the pitch, with Bauer earning an average WhoScored match rating of just 6.63 over his 15 Premier League appearances for the club back in 2017/18, as well as an average match rating of 6.45 over his eight Championship appearances in 2018/19.

As such, considering the right-back was taking home a whopping £19k-per-week on his contract at Stoke, the fact that the player Eddie Niedzwiecki once dubbed “sensational” has finally moved onto permanent pastures new this summer appears to be fantastic news for all involved with the club.

In other news: Forget Clucas: O’Neill must sanction Stoke summer swoop for “undroppable” 21 y/o beast

After managing to secure their first Premier League win of the season in their previous match against Leeds United where they won 1-0 thanks to a goal from on-loan striker Armando Broja, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side face another opportunity to pick up all three points with Burnley set to travel to St. Mary’s at the weekend for their latest league clash.

In preparation for the arrival of Sean Dyche’s side, Southampton have been handed a big injury boost ahead of the match.

What’s the news?

After missing the Leeds match as a result of an injury he picked up whilst away with Scotland during the recent international break, Che Adams has returned to first-team training prior to their game with Burnley, which should be pleasing for the fans and huge for the match at the weekend.

Since joining Southampton from Championship club Birmingham City back in the 2019 summer transfer window for a reported fee of £15m, the 25-year-old, who is currently valued at £18m according to Transfermarkt, has made 83 appearances for Hasenhuttl’s side in which he has managed to score 13 goals and provide ten assists along the way across all competitions, proving himself as a useful attacking outlet for the team.

Even though Adams has yet to score a goal in the Premier League so far this season, the striker has still managed to rack up an average of 1.4 shots per game, showing he has been a threat for the team going forward.

Hasenhuttl’s headache

If Adams is fit enough to be included in Southampton’s squad this weekend, we feel that the manager will have a big decision to make as to who he picks to start up front against Dyche’s side.

Given how Broja managed to score the winning goal against Leeds in his first league start for the Saints, we feel that he has definitely put himself in the running to start on Saturday.

However, given how Adams has a lot more experience of playing in the Premier League with 71 matches under his belt, perhaps this could sway Hasenhuttl into putting him back into the side if he’s deemed fit. After all, that added expertise of the top-flight could give Southampton the best chance of beating Burnley, who are still looking for their first league win of the campaign.

Moving forward, whether Hasenhuttl chooses to start Adams or not, we feel that this match against the Clarets is a great opportunity for the Saints to pick up another win and put their poor start to the campaign behind them, especially given how their opponents have managed to concede 13 goals so far this season.

In other news: 3 assists: “Exciting” Saints gem thriving on loan, he could cause Ralph a big dilemma – opinion

West Ham United have been told exactly how much it’ll cost to sign Haris Seferovic this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Hammers are among the clubs interested in the Benfica colossus, who has returned to pre-season training this week after his success at Euro 2020.

It’s thought that the Primeira Liga giants are demanding in the region of €25m (£22m) to let him leave before next month’s transfer deadline.

The Irons are facing competition from Premier League rivals Everton, whilst Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with the 29-year-old striker.

Perfect for Moyes

It is no secret that David Moyes needs a new centre-forward to provide competition for Michail Antonio next season. After all, he’s the only senior option at the Scotsman’s disposal in that position.

That has to be a worrying prospect heading into a potential 50-plus game campaign, especially as, in six years at the club, the 31-year-old has only once started more than 24 league matches in a season due to persistent injury problems.

Seferovic would offer the Irond a new presence up top as, at 6 foot 2, he is more of a target man than an explosive forward like Antonio.

The Benfica star found the net 22 times in 31 league appearances last season and won an average of 2.1 aerial duels per game, via WhoScored.

This ability in the air was reinforced during Euro 2020 as Seferovic stunned France in their round of 16 clash. He scored twice with his head as Switzerland knocked the World Cup holders out of the competition.

One of the goals had ITV commentator Ally McCoist in awe, deeming him “superb” for his ability to cause damage to some big-name defenders like Raphael Varane and Presnel Kimpembe.

Seferovic is said to model his game on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, which should come as no surprise given his aforementioned attributes.

“Seferovic is a full-blooded centre-forward who moves very well. He also has the physique to compete against robust opponents,” once claimed former Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

Capped 79 times at international level, with a vastly experienced CV, it could be a wise decision from Moyes to sanction a £22m swoop for the Benfica talisman this summer.

AND in other news, Moyes could secure his next Antonio if West Ham sign “unplayable” £26m-rated “machine”…

Everton’s negotiations with FC Porto for winger Luis Diaz have stalled, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Diaz links

Rumours regarding a Merseyside switch for Diaz appeared to be positive on Friday.

Taylor claimed that discussions over a deal for the 24-year-old were on the right track, however, the involvement of James Rodriguez in a potential transfer has now complicated things on deadline day.

It now seems as if Rafa Benitez will miss out on the Colombian altogether on deadline day.

The Latest: Taylor’s twist

Taylor took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to provide four pieces of Toffees-related transfer news, one of which was on Diaz.

He claimed that negotiations have stalled and a move would have to be revisited down the line.

“Everton transfer update… #EFC – Salomón Rondón deal reportedly close, chasing confirmation. – Ainsley Maitland-Niles staying at #Arsenal. – Luis Díaz negotiations stalled. Could be revisited in future. – Niels Nkounkou undergone Standard Liege medical, straight loan.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

It’s clear that Diaz was a player Everton wanted to bring in this summer, so missing out on him isn’t exactly ideal, with little depth on the wings for Benitez now.

Salomon Rondon could well be the club’s only late addition, which would take the total tally of signings to five, and take some pressure of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Toffees haven’t spent much at all this summer though and a move for Diaz could have been useful alongside Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend, but it seems as if that now won’t be happening.

Is the addition of Rondon as some depth up front enough to satisfy the Goodison Park faithful?

Find out how James Rodriguez’s involvement has complicated things with Diaz here…