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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Marcus Bent has ruled out Everton signing Jack Wilshere this summer.

The 29-year-old is looking to get his career back on track having been released by Bournemouth back in May but hasn’t been a regular in the Premier League for five seasons.

Wilshere finally left Arsenal back in 2018 to make the short trip to boyhood club West Ham, but turned out just 19 times across two years before they let him go 12 months ago.

Bournemouth, who he’d spent the 2016-2017 campaign with under Eddie Howe, then offered him a lifeline in January, and despite proving his fitness to make 18 appearances, he wasn’t rewarded with a long-term deal.

Despite remaining injury-free, Wilshere has only managed 30 or more games once in the previous eight seasons following several injury setbacks.

And although Bent previously told FFC that his former side Everton are looking to bring in a central-midfielder this window, he believes there’s better options out there than the ex-Arsenal man.

He told Football FanCast:

“No, he’s 29 now, injury prone having been released by Bournemouth.

“He was a brilliant youngster, did well for Arsenal, but I don’t think Everton want to take the chance on someone like that – I think for the money they can go out and get someone else for younger and as talented as he is.”

As per Eurosport journalist Dean Jones, sharing what he’s heard from club ‘insiders’, a promising update has emerged on West Ham’s pursuit of Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Lingard move…

According to numerous reports, West Ham are very much in contention to sign the Manchester United man who thrived on loan at the London Stadium last season.

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

The Sun recently claimed that the Irons and manager David Moyes could even be boosted by the fact that United could let him go for just £10 million in January as his price tag crumbles by £15 million – with the Red Devils originally demanding around £25 million.

Lingard has even dropped cryptic Instagram posts of him playing for West Ham in a teasing hint surrounding his future, with reporter Jones now sharing what he’s heard.

The Latest: Jones shares Lingard update…

According to Jones’ information, ‘insiders’ around West Ham are being ‘led to believe’ that a swoop for Lingard is now ‘back on’ and they intend to ‘open discussions’ as soon as the January window allows.

While other clubs are watching his situation, it is believed that the 28-year-old ‘likes the set up’ at West Ham and knows he would fit in.

The Verdict: Priority for Moyes…

Lauded as ‘absolutely phenomenal’ and the ‘best player on current form’ in the Premier League at one point last season by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham, there is little doubting Lingard would greatly strengthen Moyes’ options.

Scoring nine goals and assisting four others in 16 league starts over a temporary 2020/2021 West Ham spell last year, Lingard was briefly back in England contention after being left out in the cold at United.

Finding himself in a similar position this year, we believe a swoop for Lingard should still be among the top priorities even despite the need for an emergency centre-half.

In other news: ‘Oh my’, ‘Yes yes yes’…ExWHUemployee’s news on ‘perfect’ striker has these West Ham fans talking, find out more here.

Newcastle are expected to sign a number of players in the summer according to Sky correspondent Keith Downie.

What’s the story?

He said when speaking to This Is Futbol that he expects the Toon to be extremely busy when it comes to adding new faces to the squad ahead of next season.

He said: “I still expect four or five players to arrive, and that’s without me talking about anyone leaving. If players leave then it could lead to even more arriving.”

Despite still not having secured their Premier League status, the Magpies seem confident of their survival and seem to be planning ahead of next season already.

Who’s on their list?

It will be interesting to see who Newcastle are able to attract but it’s likely they will want to target some of Europe’s best players.

They have recently been linked with a move for West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen who has been their top scorer this season and is highly rated at only 25-years old.

A move for him would also see them weaken potential rivals next season when they’ll be looking to finish as high as possible.

Reports in the Daily Mirror also say that the club have already set their list of targets which includes Everton star Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Kalvin Phillips.

With Everton and Leeds both struggling this season, if either of them were to be relegated it would make it far easier for Newcastle to make these signings.

Targeting an English contingent of players may be a strategic move. They may be more willing to move to the North East due to recognising Newcastle’s stature and history perhaps more than players on the continent.

However, if they do go down this route then they will have to be willing to pay more for English talent. History has shown players from home tend to fetch higher transfer fees.

Ever since the takeover, it’s been expected that Newcastle would spend big to try and compete with the best in the league. Time will tell just how much they will spend but if you’re a fan of the Magpies then it should be an exciting summer ahead. This is certainly great news for the Toon Army.

IN other news: NUFC plot bid to sign £31.5m-rated star who’s on “fire”, he could be their own “Salah” – opinion

A fresh twist has emerged in Newcastle’s pursuit of a new manager regarding former Magpies coach Rafael Benitez.

What’s the talk?

According to Football Insider, the Tynesiders are yet to give up hope of being able to lure the Spaniard back to the club to lead them to survival this season in the Premier League.

The report claims that PIF have had him as their first choice to replace Steve Bruce since they completed the takeover and that a deal could still be possible despite him joining fellow English outfit Everton in the summer just gone.

Newcastle fans on cloud nine

Newcastle fans will surely be on cloud nine following this update. Some fans reacted to his switch to Goodison Park in the summer and were gutted after he went there instead of returning to St James’ Park. PIF are now trying to rectify the situation and appease those supporters who want him back at the club, despite it initially seeming unlikely due to his position at Everton.

The 61-year-old enjoyed a terrific spell on Tyneside as he managed the club for three-and-a-half years. He came in at the end of Newcastle’s 2015/16 relegation season, only losing three of the final 10 Premier League matches as the damage had been done prior to his arrival.

A Championship-winning campaign was then followed by 10th and 13th-placed finishes in the top flight, with Benitez leaving on good terms in 2019 to join Chinese Super League side DL Yifang. He ended his time at Newcastle with an average of 1.48 points per game across 146 matches.

Bruce replaced him and averaged just 1.15 points per game in 97 matches in charge, with Newcastle finishing 13th and 12th in the top flight in his two full seasons at the helm. The Magpies are currently 19th in the table after the 60-year-old led them to three draws and five defeats in eight games, culminating in his dismissal.

This is why fans would surely be delighted with a return to the club for the Spaniard. Even if it is on a short-term basis to help keep Newcastle in the Premier League before another manager comes in to take them forward under PIF, it could give the fans another season of Rafa to enjoy. However, the owners must now find a way to prise him away from Everton and relieve Graeme Jones of his caretaking duties in the next few weeks.

AND in other news, Contact made: PIF must seal dream Newcastle deal for £45m-rated “phenomenon”…

Newcastle United put their three-match losing streak to bed with a 1-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League on Friday night.

Eddie Howe’s men lost to Everton, Chelsea and Tottenham in the build-up to this clash at St James’ Park, where Chris Wood’s goal was enough to seal all three points.

The 30-year-old thought he had given the Magpies the lead in the first half as he bundled the ball into the net from close range after clever play from Miguel Almiron and Bruno Guimaraes. VAR then deemed the latter to be offside and the goal was subsequently disallowed.

The New Zealand international’s wait for a St James’ Park goal did not go on much longer, though, as he converted from the penalty spot in the second half. He was brought down in the box by Jose Sa and dusted himself down to score from 12 yards.

Despite the win, there were some worrying performances for the Toon, and one of them came from electric winger Allan Saint-Maximin.

Magpies reporter Ciaran Kelly dubbed it a “tough night” for the attacker and the statistics back that up as the 25-year-old struggled badly throughout the match.

Off the ball, the Frenchman was a liability for Newcastle. As per SofaScore, he lost a whopping 15 individual duels out of 22 contested, which shows that he was physically dominated by the opposition. He was unable to stand up to the Wolves defenders in one-on-ones and was lucky that Bruno Lage’s team did not make him pay for it.

Saint-Maximin also made zero clearances, tackles, interceptions or blocks, whilst being dribbled past twice. This suggests that he did not put in the required effort defensively to win the ball back for Howe’s side.

On the ball, he was also ineffective. As per SofaScore, he had 52 touches and attempted 11 dribbles but did not create a single chance as a result of his involvement in attacks. All three of his attempted crosses failed to find a team-mate and he ceded possession a staggering 23 times in his 95 minutes on the pitch.

Overall, the Frenchman was a passenger last night as he was unable to positively contribute in or out of possession for Howe. He was nowhere near his best and he has now gone eight games without a goal or assist to show for his efforts on the pitch, which highlights his struggles of late.

AND in other news, Signed for free, now worth £9m: Ashley sealed his final NUFC gift in £35k-p/w “dream”…

Manchester United had to rely on a last-minute Cristiano Ronaldo strike to seal a victory against a well-organised Villarreal side in an entertaining Champions League encounter.

The Red Devils were searching for their first points in Group F on Wednesday night after an opening day defeat away at Young Boys, but it was another underwhelming performance from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges.

Alex Telles’ magnificent volley and Ronaldo’s dramatic first-time finish earned a comeback win for the Old Trafford outfit, although it could have been a different story if it wasn’t for their in-form goalkeeper.

A bright start from the visitors forced David de Gea into an early save after Arnaut Danjuma drove his effort towards goal, and the Spanish shot-stopper would be called into action on several occasions in the remainder of the half.

Danjuma again stung the palms of De Gea just 10 minutes later, this time firing across the keeper’s body, but he was able to force the former Bournemouth winger’s strike wide when at full stretch.

Just moments later, United’s No.1 was called into action once more, this time tipping a glancing header from Villarreal striker Paco Alcacer over his crossbar.

The remainder of the first half carried on in a similar fashion, with De Gea repelling the La Liga’s outfit’s advances via some outstanding saves, yet the deadlock was finally broken just eight minutes after the interval.

This time, Alcacer’s effort squeezed between his compatriot’s legs after latching onto another Danjuma cross, although it didn’t take the shine off of what was a classic performance from the 30-year-old gem.

As per SofaScore, De Gea received a match rating of 7.7 out of 10, the highest total awarded to any player on the pitch. And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

The ex-Atletico Madrid ace made a huge six saves on the night, all from within his own penalty box. He also achieved a passing accuracy of 100%, illustrating his ability with the ball at his feet and picked out a teammate with both of his attempted long balls.

It’s been a fabulous return to form for De Gea after several years struggling for consistency between the sticks, and he’ll now be hoping to continue in a similar vein for the remainder of the campaign.

And, in other news…Imagine him and Pogba: Man Utd must complete swoop for £60m beast, he’s a big upgrade 

There was a wobble and an air of uncertainty about Celtic heading into the new season.

Indeed, those concerns were justified when the Hoops were dumped out of Europe’s premier competition at the first time of asking and then beaten in their first league match.

However, Ange Postecoglou hadn’t been backed and there was never going to be an overnight fix to the Bhoys’ lengthy list of problems.

That being said, in Kyogo Furuhashi, Postecoglou has discovered a player capable of turning the tide and injecting positivity into supporters who have waited so long to return to Parkhead.

The Japan international provided paying fans with a treat on Sunday afternoon as a swashbuckling hat-trick sent Celtic on their way to a 6-0 win over Dundee.

This was a perfect performance; one where Ryan Christie returned to his best and Liel Abada ran rampant down the right-hand side.

It was also a superb display in central areas from the likes of David Turnbull and a certain Callum McGregor.

There was slight doubt about the central midfielder’s future in Scotland but after being handed the captaincy following the departure of Scott Brown, he has taken on the extra responsibility fantastically well.

He scored a belter against Midtjylland in the Champions League and kept things ticking over marvellously in a quarter-back position against Dundee on Sunday.

McGregor was described as “outstanding” by Postecoglou for his performances for Scotland at the European Championships and this was a classy showing once more.

The 28-year-old was a pillar of solidity in the middle of the park, taking more touches of the ball (121) than any other player on the pitch.

His 104 passes at a completion rate of 95% were also the second-best number on the pitch behind pass master Carl Starfelt.

Furthermore, the skipper lost possession on just seven occasions and completed two key passes for his troubles. This was a brilliantly composed performance, laying the foundations for Celtic’s attack to run riot at Paradise.

McGregor also won 60% of his ground duels, showing a willingness to get stuck in whenever Dundee looked like coming forward.

It is only a few months into the new season but the Scot has proven exactly why he deserved to be given the armband.

He is relishing life under Postecoglou so far.

AND in other news, Forget Furuhashi: £12k-p/w Celtic gem who made 8 key passes was “astounding” today…

Aston Villa are keen on signing Rangers full-back Nathan Patterson, according to 90min.

And a number of Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts to the rumours on social media.

Gerrard has now officially been in charge of Villa for over a week, and it hasn’t taken long for links to emerge regarding a number of Rangers players potentially joining him in the Midlands.

90min’s story earlier in the week claimed that one of Gerrard’s main targets from Rangers is Patterson.

The 20-year-old has been watched by the likes of Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain this season, so clearly has plenty of potential.

Matty Cash is Villa’s only recognised right-back on the books at this moment in time with Frederic Guilbert out on loan, and it seems as if Patterson is wanted at Villa Park to rival or perhaps serve as an understudy to the new Poland international.

Villa fans react

Total Villa relayed 90min’s claim regarding Patterson on Twitter on Wednesday lunchtime. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many sharing their positive thoughts and one labelling it as ‘silly’.

“Give them whatever they want for him”

Credit: @JordanPirie

“Yes yes yes”

Credit: @MaulReturns76

“Getting a bit silly now linking us with every Rangers player? As for Patterson he has potential but currently second choice behind Tavernier and wouldn’t dislodge Cash.”

Credit: @daveyl41

“Makes a lot of sense this..”

Credit: @d_hicks77

“Patterson and Hickey? Ah go on then.”

Credit: @AgpLittle

“Now this is a Rangers link I can get behind.”

Credit: @Son_Lyme

In other news: Lots of Aston Villa fans flock to Leon Bailey injury news. 

Taking to Twitter, reporter Rafael Lamelas of IDEAL has made a managerial claim involving Leeds United amid a big update on Diego Martinez.

The Lowdown: Martinez impresses…

Bringing Granada from the second division to the Europa League quarter-finals, La Liga’s once youngest manager has been quite the success story.

Indeed, as emphasised by ESPN, the 40-year-old’s Granada side was Spanish football’s ‘great revelation’ as his team defied the odds and turned many heads on a shoe string budget.

Martinez, however, left the Nuevo Estadio de Los Cármenes after three successful years back in May with many now wondering where his next post could lie.

In a big update, reporter Lamelas has shared news on Twitter.

The Latest: Martinez could be eyeing Leeds job…

As per Lamelas, the Spaniard may now be eyeing a Leeds move to potentially replace Marcelo Bielsa if he decides to leave.

This comes as he rejects an offer to stay in La Liga to manage Elche.

He explained:

“Diego says no to another team again. Wait for England (maybe Leeds if Bielsa left at the end of the season) or a ‘main course’.”

The Verdict: Perfect heir?

If the Whites’ current boss decides to leave Yorkshire after guiding Leeds back to the big time and Premier League promotion, you could argue that Victor Orta and co could do no better than Martinez as his replacement.

Possessing a similar passion and hard work to Bielsa judging by his candid interview with ESPN, Granada’s fans and critics could not speak highly enough of Martinez during his reign.

Once called an ‘idol of the fans’ by Spanish reporter Jose Manuel Garcia, La Liga Showdown contributor Heath Chesters spoke last year of how Granada supporters were ‘calling for a statue’ – perfectly summing up his fine job at the club.

A free agent with plenty of credentials, we believe he could be a great candidate for Leeds.

Hamza Choudhury is keen to join Newcastle United on loan in pursuit of game-time, according to The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson. 

The lowdown

Newcastle had hoped to agree a temporary deal for Choudhury in January, only for Brendan Rodgers to stand in the way, and the 23-year-old remains on the Magpies’ shortlist.

He was limited to just four Premier League starts last season, making a further six appearances off the bench (via WhoScored).

Rodgers has hailed Choudhury as ‘one of the best’ at winning the ball back and also described him as a ‘tough’ individual.

The latest

According to Wilson on Twitter, Choudhury is ‘ready to push’ for the move ‘to ensure he plays next season’ and has told his representatives to take the necessary steps.

Newcastle are aware of this development and are prepared to open talks with Leicester, but only once ‘they know where they stand’ with Joe Willock.

As Wilson explains, only two domestic loans are allowed at any one time, and Newcastle are looking to strike a season-long deal with Arsenal. If they’re successful, they would need to decide whether to use their second domestic loan slot on another midfielder.

The verdict

It’s easy to understand why Newcastle are hesitant. Steve Bruce is working within what’s been called a ‘meagre’ transfer budget this summer, so loans will be key to strengthening the squad and staving off the threat of relegation.

Willock has to be to the top target, having proven his value to the Magpies following a hugely successful loan spell earlier this year. That move would halve Newcastle’s domestic loan quota, but they shouldn’t necessarily shy away from Choudhury simply because he too is a midfielder.

Where Willock offers a box-to-box presence and a goalscoring threat, Choudhury is a different kind of player. He is more destructive and excels at protecting a defence, so he could complement the Arsenal man’s skillset nicely if both players end up at St James’ Park for the 2021/22 campaign.

In other news, Mark Douglas says Newcastle have been offered this player.