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An update has emerged regarding Crystal Palace’s interest in Newcastle transfer target Andre Ayew.

What’s the talk?

According to 90Min, the Eagles have opened talks with the striker over a potential switch to Selhurst Park this summer as Patrick Vieira shapes his squad following his arrival in south London earlier in the month.

Earlier this summer, Newcastle were touted with an interest in the Ghanaian international, who left Swansea at the end of last season and is currently a free agent.

He won’t cost a penny

Newcastle must act swiftly to secure a deal for Ayew and beat Palace to his signature. The Eagles are clearly determined to sign the 31-year-old and are now closing in on a deal for the forward as they are in talks to sign him, with no discussions needed with Swansea. Ayew is free to speak with any clubs who are interested in bringing him in after leaving the Swans and will not cost a penny in transfer fees.

He could be a terrific addition to Steve Bruce’s squad as he is a player with a proven track record of scoring goals in England. Ayew has 21 goals in 89 Premier League appearances and 31 in 87 Championship games throughout his career across his time with Swansea and West Ham, whilst also providing 23 assists across both divisions. In the 2020/21 campaign, he plundered an impressive 17 goals for the Swans and averaged a superb WhoScored rating of 7.10.

Back when Ayew was playing for West Ham, his manager Slaven Bilic hailed him as a great player and claimed that he was a “game-changer” for the club.

The Croatian told BBC Sport: “I rate Andre very highly. He’s a great player. He was the game-changer.

“He’s got that (knack) for goals. He’s always in a good position at the right time.

“I told him I want him to continue like this – not only scoring, but his game overall. It’s a big boost and I hope it’s going to continue.”

The £83,000-per-week striker has been described as a “born leader” and his goals and assists could improve Newcastle’s chances of avoiding a relegation battle. His aforementioned record in England shows that he can perform at Premier League level and he would come as a low-risk addition on a free transfer, which makes this a no-brainer for the Tyneside club.

Therefore, they must swoop for the attacker and ensure that they can beat Palace to his signature, or else face watching one of their top-flight rivals strengthening their squad ahead of next season.

AND in other news, “Would be unbelievable” – Exclusive: Howey drops verdict on potential next Newcastle owners…

The Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee has recently shared an update on the club’s interest in Jack Grealish which will surely delight their fans.

What’s the word?

When asked by a Man City supporter on Twitter if a deal for the Aston Villa captain could happen, Lee replied by saying: “I think Grealish could happen quite quickly as long as there are no hiccups.”

City have been heavily linked with the 25-year-old throughout the summer after an exceptional season for club and country, and from what Lee suggests, the playmaker could well be joining up with Pep Guardiola’s squad in time for the new season.

Would he be a good addition to Guardiola’s side?

Last season saw the England international contribute six goals and 10 assists in just 26 Premier League appearances, averaging a superb 7.56 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Despite making just one start for Gareth Southgate’s side at the European Championship this summer, he was still able to show his quality as he registered assists against the Czech Republic and Germany.

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After an excellent tournament of his own, Raheem Sterling will be looking to reclaim his regular starting spot in Guardiola’s side next season, whilst Grealish will also have to compete with the likes of Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva if he is to sign for City and play out wide.

Therefore, unless one of those leaves the Etihad this summer, it is difficult to argue that they need to sign the “outstanding” Grealish, despite his undeniable quality.

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However, his performances last season certainly suggest that he could be an upgrade on some of the options already in Guardiola’s squad, and given the nationwide clamour for him to start at the Euros this summer, City fans must surely be delighted with Lee’s update.

In other news… Guardiola should axe City’s “unsung hero” this summer, he’s not consistent enough

With news Tottenham Hotspur fans were waiting for arriving this week now they have a manager with Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm, and someone who could operate in his favoured three at the back formation is Ben Davies – Graham Roberts admits he certainly won’t be a player to leave this summer.

Davies has often played as a left-back during his time at Tottenham but when he has been away on international duty, the Welshman has found himself playing as a left-sided centre back which could appeal to Nuno who played with three centre backs at Wolves.

With the signing of Sergio Reguilon last summer, Davies saw starts in the Premier League severely limited with just 14 coming his way and that has led to Napoli being linked with a move for him, but only for an eye-watering price of £30 million.

With Reguilon’s great attacking ability and energy to get up and down the pitch, he could thrive as a wing-back under Nuno thus pushing Davies even further out of the picture, but he won’t be leaving the club, according to Roberts who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“I don’t think he will be going, trust me. Especially not for £30 million and I do like Ben, he’s a nice lad and will be great to have around the squad.”

Davies was signed from Swansea City in 2014 and still just 28-years old, he won’t want to spend another season on the bench not achieving anything.

With Nuno coming to the club every player will be on a clean slate and the ability to earn a starting spot for the season coming even if they weren’t fancied last campaign.

With Australia having confirmed their place in the semi-finals from Pool 1, the winners of ICC KnockOut 2000, New Zealand, already find themselves out of this edition of the Champions Trophy

Santhosh S22-Sep-2002With Australia having confirmed their place in the semi-finals from Pool 1, the winners of ICC KnockOut 2000, New Zealand, already find themselves out of this edition of the Champions Trophy. But with a match against Bangladesh at the SSC Ground in Colombo on Monday ahead of them, Stephen Fleming’s men are hoping to at least bow out on a winning note.The New Zealand team had a practice session at the SSC Ground on Sunday afternoon in extremely hot and humid conditions. At the end of it, Fleming told CricInfo that his side are taking tomorrow’s game very seriously.”We respect Bangladesh’s ability. So we have trained real hard over the past few days. We would like to stamp some authority on the game and leave the tournament with a good result,” Fleming observed.The New Zealand skipper admitted that he was disappointed with his team’s performance in their opening game against Australia, observing that in his opinion the bowlers gave away far too many runs while the batsmen did not show enough fighting spirit. He, however, added that “all facets of the game has been thoroughly looked after, during our week of rest”, and that New Zealand were now prepared to get down to business against the Bangladeshi team.Talking about the squad for tomorrow’s game, Fleming said, “Paul Hitchcock seems to be on the mend, so he’ll probably play tomorrow. He comes into contention.”He also confirmed that young Andre Adams is still recovering from a stress fracture to his back and could only be expected to return by Christmas time.After the game, the New Zealanders will enjoy a few months’ rest, before they take on India in a series at home in December. This makes the New Zealand side all the more determined to “finish this tournament on a better note than we started”, Fleming observed.Bangladesh, meanwhile, are not nourishing any high hopes; they are looking at the tournament as a part of their learning process. Mohsin Kamal, the Bangladesh coach, was not unduly worried about his side’s comprehensive defeat by Australia last Thursday.”Losing is a part of the game,” said Kamal, rather philosophically, before adding quickly, “If you are not going to play against big teams, you are not going to improve.””You have to deal with the pressure, be mentally strong, and believe in your ability, when playing against the big teams,” he observed.Talking about the upcoming encounter against New Zealand, Kamal said, “To prove and improve is the part of the game plan. The boys are keenly looking forward to the game. We have a tough tour of South Africa coming up, and it will be a good practice for us.”He said that he also will be expecting more commitment from his top players in his side’s final game of the tournament. “They have the ability; sometime they don’t show it on the field. They have to learn to play positive consistently,” Kamal observed.New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming (Captain), Nathan Astle, Shane Bond, Chris Harris, Paul Hitchcock, Kyle Mills, Chris Nevin, Jacob Oram, Matthew Sinclair, Scott Styris, Glenn Sulzberger, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, Lou Vincent.Bangladesh (from): Khaled Mashud (Captain), Al-Sahariar, Alok Kapali, Fahim Muntasir, Habibul Bashar, Javed Omar, Khaled Mahmud, Manjural Islam, Mazharul Haque, Mohammad Ashraful, Mohammad Rafique, Talha Jubair, Tapash Baisya. Tushar Imran.

Pundit Noel Whelan has suggested that Steve Bruce will be on the phone to Arsenal immediately to try and sign Joe Willock, following Alan Nixon’s £50 million war-chest update [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Newcastle prepare for the 2021/22 Premier League season

As Newcastle United look to improve on their 12th placed Premier League finish last time out [BBC], Bruce hasn’t dipped his toes into the transfer market water just yet.

The Toon have been linked with moves for the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Matt Grimes respectively [Shields Gazette], but Whelan reckons that the Magpies hierarchy will be focusing their attentions on an alternative reported target.

The Latest: Whelan tips Newcastle United to pull off stunning signing

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider, the former Leeds United striker indicated that the Toon will be pulling out all the stops to acquire Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock, after journalist Alan Nixon indicated the North East side would have around £50 million to spend this summer [Sportslens].

Discussing that claim, the pundit said: “If that’s accurate, that’s Bruce’s first phone call.

“They need fresh faces and hungry players. He’s definitely one of them. He’s shown that appetite to go out from Arsenal.

“He’s shown Arsenal what they are missing and showing Newcastle what they could have.

“He’s got energy, he can get goals, he’s always positive. But they need more than that.”

The Verdict: Willock would be a quality addition to the Newcastle United fold

Of course, Newcastle United fans already have a flavour of the 21-year-old’s quality after his major impact on loan at the club during 2020/21 [SB Nation].

Becoming a star man in his temporary stint, the midfielder notched an impressive eight goals from 14 fixtures for Bruce’s men [Transfermarkt].

Unbelievably, this goal barrage led him to finish as second-top goal-scorer for the Magpies behind only Callum Wilson [WhoScored]. Clearly supremely talented, he would be a coup for the club if they were to secure his services on a permanent deal.

Already reported to have been courted by Newcastle United who are ‘increasingly confident’ about acquiring him ahead of 2021/22 [Chronicle], the St James’ Park faithful will be desperate to get a deal done, just as Whelan suggests.

In other news, Newcastle United are interested in a Premier League defender.

Former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has refused to rule Ajax boss Erik ten Hag out of the Tottenham job despite his recent contract extension.

Soon after Jose Mourinho was sacked, the Dutchman emerged as one of the favourites to replace him in north London, with Football London’s Alasdair Gold claiming recently that Spurs and Daniel Levy see him as being “similar to Pochettino”.

However, ten Hag appeared to end Spurs’ hopes of appointing him after committing his future to the Eredivisie champions by penning a new long-term contract.

Almost two months later, and Tottenham are still looking to find a replacement for Mourinho having missed out on all their top targets – with Antonio Conte and ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino the latest two.

After following a breakdown in talks with Conte, ten Hag’s name has once again resurfaced despite having that fresh deal in place.

And Sanchez exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that the 51-year-old, who’s won five domestic trophies in less than four years in Amsterdam, could still end up as Spurs manager:

“The fact he signed a new contract I thought he was ruled out, but it’s only a negotiating ploy.

“The club will say that ‘look, you’ve signed a new contract, if anyone comes in for you, they’ve got to offer you more money, so you have benefitted us because you strengthened our hand if we want to get more for you and you don’t lose anything because you’re only going to get more money.’ “

Leeds United are interested in signing Wales international Neco Williams from Liverpool this summer.

What’s the story?

As per The Athletic’s Liverpool correspondent James Pearce, the Reds “expect Neco Williams to push for a move after Euro 2020 with the club set to demand at least £10 million for the Wales full-back”.

The report added: “The Premier League quartet of Leeds, Southampton, Aston Villa and Burnley have all expressed genuine interest in Williams over the past 12 months. Villa are no longer interested in signing a full-back after bringing in Ashley Young, who can cover on either side.”

Bielsa will be happy

While Trent Alexander-Arnold may be the undisputed right-back for Jurgen Klopp’s side at Anfield, the England international has been quick to rave about his teammate and the potential that he has.

He said: “Neco is an amazing talent, he is someone who we all look to as being someone who can play for the club for a long amount of time and will have a bright future no matter what.

“I think he is on the right path, for sure. Mentally, he’s ahead of people his age, he’s getting the right experience in training; playing against the best players in the world can only improve you.”

Ryan Giggs meanwhile hailed the £25k-a-week earning flier as an “outstanding” player and, after impressing for Wales, he was left raving about the starlet, saying: “He is a fantastic player, still young and still learning, but the energy and quality he has shown when he has stepped up into the first team has been really good, so it’s exciting.”

At just 20, Williams has all the time in the world to develop into a real top-class right-back, and with first-choice Luke Ayling set to turn 30 later this summer, the Welshman would represent a much younger, and exciting option for the future.

And when you look at his performances at EURO 2020 thus far, Williams has shown the kind of potential that he has. As per Whoscored, he’s averaged two dribbles and 1.5 key passes per game, which is more dribbles than Raphinha managed per match in the Premier League last season, and third on the list among Leeds’ squad for key passes.

There’s no doubt that a swoop for Williams would surely have Bielsa happy about reinforcing his right-back options for both now and for the future.

Meanwhile, Leeds United are eyeing a move for this star…

Celtic have reportedly won the race for Scunthorpe United youngster Joey Dawson.

The Lowdown: Dawson’s record-breaking past

Dawson, who appears to be on his way to Parkhead, became the youngest player in Scunthorpe’s history back in 2019.

He was just 16 years, 75 days old when he played in the Carabao Cup for the Iron.

Dawson, who can play as an attacking midfielder or a striker, is also the nephew to Tottenham Hotspur hero Michael Dawson, who made 325 appearances for Spurs between 2005 and 2014.

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The Latest: Dawson passes Celtic medical

According to Iron Bru, Dawson has rejected a long-term deal at Scunthorpe.

He was attracting interest from a number of Championship clubs but has now reportedly passed a medical ahead of a proposed move to Scotland.

The Hoops will have to pay a fee for Dawson, but he appears to be a player who fits the club transfer strategy of being a UK-based prospect available for a nominal fee.

The Verdict: Howe’s first signing?

Reports have suggested that Eddie Howe has agreed to become the new Celtic manager, with an official announcement possibly spilling into next week.

With Howe agreeing on a Celtic Park deal, you’d expect he would be fully aware of a move for Dawson.

So, it appears as if the teenager could become Howe’s first signing as Hoops boss, should the 43-year-old be announced prior to Dawson.

Celtic have already secured the services of Sheffield Wednesday’s Liam Shaw on a pre-contract, and with the pending arrival of Dawson, it appears as if the Hoops are looking at building for the future.

In other news: Olivier Ntcham contract speculation refuted, find out more here. 

Andy Carroll will learn his Newcastle fate on Thursday, according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

The 32-year-old is approaching the end of his contract at St James’ Park, having rejoined the Magpies ahead of the 2019/20 season after being released by West Ham.

Carroll has made 22 appearances in all competitions this season, with his only goal coming in a 2-1 defeat to Leicester in March.

The striker is one of a number of Toon players out of contract in June. The group also includes wingers Jacob Murphy and Christian Atsu, centre-back Federico Fernandez and midfielder Henri Saivet.

The latest

Carroll was an unused substitute as Newcastle beat Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage on the final day of the Premier League season, and Ryder speculated that his ‘thumbs up towards the stands’ may have been a goodbye.

The Chronicle Live reporter added that the former Liverpool striker will be told whether he is being released later this week, with Mike Ashley possibly having the ‘final word’.

The verdict

Carroll’s time at Newcastle would appear to be up. He hasn’t made enough of a contribution since he returned to Tyneside two years ago, scoring just once in 43 appearances in that time.

Given that he’s now 32, it’s probably in his interests to be playing regular football in a division such as the Championship rather than occupying a bit-part role at Newcastle.

The priority for Ashley should be to extend the contract of Murphy, whose impressive run of form was instrumental in steering Newcastle to safety.

In other news, Newcastle have reportedly held talks with this Championship defender. 

England have admitted that they are worried by an injury to key all-rounder Craig White prior to Thursday’s Lord’s Test against Pakistan

CricInfo14-May-2001England have admitted that they are worried by an injury to key all-rounder Craig White prior to Thursday’s Lord’s Test against Pakistan.White was forced to sit out part of the England team’s training session with a stiff back.”We’ll be monitoring it overnight and see how he is in the morning,” confirmed physiotherapist Dean Conway. “It’s something that has bothered him for the last few days and he struggled a bit to get through his bowling.”Certainly the loss of White would be a big blow to the England team. His all-round skills provide crucial balance to the side and he is expected to play a prominent role throughout the summer.Alex Tudor is a possible replacement if White is deemed unfit tomorrow, though with Dominic Cork already included in the squad as an all-rounder, England may decide to play both new call-ups: Ian Ward and Ryan Sidebottom.