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Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Newcastle United may look at Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher in the next transfer window.

Why could Newcastle move for Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher?

The heavy transfer activity over the last two windows at Stamford Bridge has seen an astonishing 16 players arrive in west London amid an outlay of over £500m – and this could reduce opportunities for the likes of the English pair.

The record arrival of Enzo Fernandez at Chelsea in particular could mean that Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher both face a reduction in their game time, and could be open to a transfer to find first-team football.

Both midfielders may be of interest to Newcastle as they look set to return to European football for the first time in over 10 years, and were linked with potential January moves to Tyneside earlier this year.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones claimed that the club may assess their availability for a summer transfer as they fit the current strategy implemented by Eddie Howe at St James’ Park.

He said: “They will look into their situations to see if they’re gettable because they fit what the club are looking for at the moment as they evolve.

“It’d be interesting to see which route they go down, but it doesn’t necessarily mean Newcastle have to spend big money in that position.”

What could RLC and Gallagher bring to Newcastle?

With Jonjo Shelvey joining Nottingham Forest in January, the Magpies are now light in midfield, with Sean Longstaff the main option to cover Joelinton, Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes in Eddie Howe’s preferred midfield three.

Whilst Gallagher and Loftus-Cheek could be very strong options, Gallagher may particularly come at a high price, with Everton reportedly bidding as high as £45m for the 22-year-old in January.

Willock ranks higher than Gallagher in goals, assists, progressive carries and attacking penalty area touches as per FBref, whilst they are level for blocks. If Gallagher was to join, he would not provide the same goal threat as Willock and may not displace him from the starting XI if he was unable to improve upon these on Tyneside.

Loftus-Cheek could provide a more physical option, as he ranks higher than both for progressive carries and aerial duels, and with his contract running out in 2024, he could be available for a lower price and may therefore be a more attractive option than his teammate.

Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur has returned from injury and will be in the squad for the game against Brighton & Hove Albion later today, Patrick Vieira has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Lengthy absence

McArthur has had his fair share of injury issues of late, suffering a groin injury back in June 2022, which was initially only meant to rule him out for the start of the season.

The Scot also had to deal with a hamstring problems during the last campaign, and he was limited to just 21 appearances in the Premier League as a result, but he now appears to have put all of his injury problems behind him…

The Latest: Back in contention

Palace boss Vieira has now confirmed that the central midfielder will be in the squad for the match against rivals Brighton & Hove Albion later today, saying: “Macca is in a really good place, he will be a part of the squad tomorrow,”

“He has been working hard. In every single training session with the team, he was feeling better. Physically, he is in a really good place.”  (via The Athletic)

The Verdict: Great news

It is a real shame that the 35-year-old has picked up so many injuries of late, as when he gets a consistent run in the team, he is a very important player for the Eagles, once being hailed ‘undroppable’ by Dan Cook on the HLTCO podcast. (via This is Futbol)

The 32-time Scotland international has a wealth of experience in the Premier League, proving himself as a vital player over the course of a number of seasons, only missing one top flight game from the start of 2018/19 to the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

Over the past year, McArthur ranks in the 99th percentile for interceptions, and the 99th percentile for assists compared to other midfielders, highlighting his talent at both ends of the pitch, and so it is a real boost for Vieira that he is now back and available for selection.

Napoli striker and reported transfer target Victor Osimhen is reportedly ‘too expensive’ for Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Ronaldo replacement?

Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg reported back in November that Osimhen was one of the ‘top candidates’ to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, who went on to join Saudi side Al Nassar.

However, it was said that Napoli would want not want to let him go in January, and his price may be a stumbling block.

The Latest: Too expensive

Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg has now given an update on Osimhen, saying that he is ‘still on the list’ of United, but he is ‘no longer’ the top transfer target, as he has been deemed ‘too expensive’ at €100m (£88m):

“News #Osimhen: He is still on the list of #MUFC but no longer the top transfer target in summer. Biggest problem: Too expensive! Neapel wants more than €100m. Been told: Man Utd board is not willing to pay that price and is therefore looking for cheaper solutions.”

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The Verdict: Worth the money?

Of course, £88m is a lot to pay for a player in today’s market, but 24-year-old Osimhen may just be worth it.

The Nigeria international is currently the top scorer in the Serie A with 13 goals so far this season, and has played a big part in Napoli being 12 points clear at the top of the table.

He has been a consistent scorer throughout his career, netting double figures for goals in each of his last five league seasons at various clubs, prompting journalist Zach Lowy to label him as an ‘absolutely phenomenal’ centre forward.

With Wout Weghorst only on loan from Burnley for the season, the Red Devils will have a Ronaldo-shaped void to fill in the summer, and Osimhen has all the credentials to become one of the best strikers of his generation, if he is not already.

Everton are the Premier League club showing the ‘most interest’ in Villarreal attacker Arnaut Danjuma, according to a transfer report on Monday.

The Lowdown: Danjuma constantly linked

The Dutchman has been continually linked with a move to Goodison Park in the January transfer window, as Frank Lampard looks to bring in attacking reinforcements and save the Blues from relegation.

Danjuma is having a fairly quiet season for Villarreal, making only six La Liga starts and scoring just twice, and it could be that a move away appeals to him, having reportedly fallen out with his teammates.

A new update further suggests that it could be Everton who snap up the 25-year-old this month, despite the many teams linked.

The Latest: Everton showing ‘most interest’

According to Monday’s copy of El Periodico Mediterraneo [via Sport Witness], Villarreal have given Danjuma permission to talk to English clubs about a potential move.

Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Bournemouth are all mentioned in the report but it is Everton who are thought to be showing the ‘most interest’. A loan move with an option to buy in the summer looks like the most likely scenario.

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The Verdict: Much-needed January quality

This is a story that seems to have real legs to it given Villarreal’s apparent desire to get rid, and Danjuma could be just the type of player Everton need to add goals and assists to a struggling attack.

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A tally of 22 goals in 51 appearances for Villarreal is not far off a one-in-two ratio and the fact that he is effective on the left, right and centrally makes him a tricky customer for defenders.

Jonathan Woodgate once described Danjuma as an ‘exceptional’ player during their time together at Bournemouth and he could be someone who changes Everton’s fortunes for the better.

Leeds United take a welcome break from Premier League action as their FA Cup campaign gets underway with a trip to Wales this afternoon.

The Whites’ record in the competition over recent times is pretty dire, having been knocked out at this very stage in each of the last five seasons, including shock upsets against lower league Crawley Town and Newport County.

Jesse Marsch will be looking to avoid another embarrassing feat against Cardiff City but his side have struggled in the league so far this season as they occupy 14th spot – just two points above the drop zone – following a 2-2 draw with potential relegation rivals West Ham United in midweek.

New signing Maximilian Wober could be in line to make his debut after his £11m move from RB Salzburg last week and as The Athletic’s Phil Hay mentioned in a recent podcast episode, it would “make sense” to unleash him today, “without a doubt.”

Whilst the Austrian can play in central defence, he has likely been brought in as Leeds’ new left-back – a position that has caused the American head coach all sorts of problems since he took the helm following the departure of Marcelo Bielsa.

It’s a rather telling sign that towering 6 foot 3 colossus Pascal Struijk has been preferred there over former FC Barcelona dud Junior Firpo, who was once lambasted as a “liability” to this team by Mirror journalist David Anderson.

The Dutchman is a centre-back by trade, though, and Wober has played 16 of 19 matches there for the Austrian Bundesliga champions this term.

In his 14 league starts prior to his switch to Elland Road, the former Ajax gem provided two assists and created five big chances, whilst also averaging 2.1 clearances, 1.7 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game in five clean sheets for Salzburg, via Sofascore.

Wober, once lauded as a “real leader” and a “really good defender” by sporting director Christoph Freund, could therefore be exactly the solution to Marsch’s left-back woes, so it would certainly make sense to give him some game time this afternoon.

Also dubbed as a “beast” and a “great talent”, the 24-year-old could hand the American and the Whites’ faithful plenty of respite in what would be an exciting first bow for his new club.

Marsch must look to start Wober at the Cardiff City Stadium today.

AND in other news, After Wober: Leeds could now eye “new Patrick Bamford”, it’s exactly what Marsch needs…

Newcastle United will seemingly be prioritising a new central midfield addition heading into the January transfer window, with sporting director Dan Ashworth likely currently scouring the market for a suitable candidate to help improve the current squad.

The Englishman could well be wise to revisit the Magpies’ previous interest in Celtic starlet, Matt O’Riley, with the Premier League outfit having been named as one of the multiple interested parties who were keeping tabs on the Denmark U21 international over the summer.

As per ESPN, the suggestion was that the northeast side – as well as Leicester City – were the most likely to make an offer for the London-born gem before the end of the window, with the playmaker valued at around £15m-£20m by the Old Firm giants.

The player himself even went as far as to publicly reveal that interest from both the Tynesiders and the Foxes, albeit with no such move coming to fruition as the former MK Dons gem stayed put in Glasgow.

Ashworth should well consider making a fresh approach next month with the Hoops star having continued to thrive for Ange Postecoglou’s side this season, racking up seven assists in just 15 Scottish Premiership games.

The 6 foot 2 “magician” – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – boasts an overall tally of four goals and nine assists from 42 games since his £1.5m arrival at Parkhead back in January, having settled in superbly after making the step up from England’s third tier.

Lauded for his “elite mentality” by journalist Chris Doyle after previously turning down a contract extension at Fulham in order to seek out pastures new, O’Riley has particularly impressed of late due to his displays in the Champions League.

The £12k-per-week man was praised by journalist Guillem Balague for his performance at home to Real Madrid earlier this season, with the Spaniard stating: “He did not look out of place at all against Madrid and will reach bigger highs for sure.”

Such glowing praise will likely have piqued the interest of those at St James’ Park, as will the fact that the youngster can even be compared to England star Jude Bellingham, with the pair sharing notable statistical and stylistic similarities, as per FBref.

Both versatile assets who can play in more advanced or deep-plying midfield roles, the two men are also alike with their quality in possession, with O’Riley ranking in the top 4% in Europe for progressive passes received among those in his position, while Bellingham ranks in the top 8% in that regard – albeit while having played more minutes.

Equally, the Borussia Dortmund gem has a real knack for arriving in the box from his midfield berth as he ranks in the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area, while O’Riley ranks in the top 1% for the same metric.

That likeness is a marker of the Celtic maestro’s talent, with Bellingham currently one of the most highly-coveted midfielders in Europe, with Liverpool seemingly leading the race for his signature.

The 19-year-old has 40 goal involvements to his name in 112 games for the Bundesliga side since his arrival just over two years ago, having also recently starred at the World Cup for the Three Lions, scoring once and laying on one assist in his five outings in Qatar.

Dubbed a “superstar” by pundit Roy Keane, the towering, 6 foot 1 machine is certainly a positive figure to be likened to as far as O’Riley is concerned, with that comparison seemingly a good omen if the latter man is to be snapped up by Newcastle in the near future.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe would no doubt love to have a Bellingham-esque talent to be able to work with, hence Ashworth needing to go and prise the Bhoys gem from Paradise.

Chelsea have entered pole position to sign World Cup star and Inter Milan wing-back Denzel Dumfries, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Boehly backs Chelsea…

Owner Todd Boehly invested significantly in the summer window as he made a serious statement of intent when it comes to the transfer market.

Indeed, £241 million was spent on former boss Thomas Tuchel’s squad, but after the German’s sacking, attention turns to new manager Graham Potter and whether he can get the most out of an expensive squad.

In their bid to become a major Premier League force again, we are likely to see numerous reports of Chelsea’s intent and a new claim has surfaced indicating they’re winning the race for Dumfries.

The Latest: Chelsea ‘big favourites’ to sign Dumfries…

The Blues are apparently ‘big favourites’ to sign Inter’s star full-back as his club apparently green-light a 2023 sale.

This information comes from Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim ‘it is certain’ Dumfries ‘will leave’ the Nerazzurri who would prefer to sell him in January and have him back on loan for the rest of the campaign.

The Verdict: Get it done…

€40 million (£35m), the reported cost of Dumfries’ potential transfer, is arguably reasonable considering his status as a key player for Inter and Simone Inzaghi.

The ‘very exciting’ defender, as heralded by members of the Italian media, could be well worth the effort to sign as Potter allegedly chases an alternative to star wing-back Reece James.

Liverpool have not had their best start to a Premier League season and could turn to the January transfer window to fix some of the problems in the team, with a reliable source revealing a new potential transfer target.

Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has revealed that Liverpool have shown “interest” in RB Salzburg sensation Noah Okafor, a player who could cost £35m.

Plettenberg tweeted: “Okafor: Transfer in winter is possible! No negotiations now but there’s is an interest from clubs like MCFC, LFC & AC Milan.

“Been told that United is not in. World Cup very important now. Price tag could be around €35-40m. Top season with Salzburg so far.”

Their next Salah?

There is no doubt that there is room for improvement at Anfield with the side now sixth in the league table and 15 points adrift from Arsenal at the top of the tree, which will surely be extremely frustrating for Jurgen Klopp.

Indeed, the centre of the pitch has been noted as the most crucial area to strengthen in the squad but with several ageing key players it will be important for the powers at the club to start planning for the future of the team otherwise they could find themselves in even worse circumstances over the next two seasons.

Mohammed Salah is undoubtedly been the catalyst to much of the success that has been brought to the red side of Merseyside during the Klopp era, however, the Egyptian goal machine will be 31 years old this time next year and finding his replacement rapidly will be essential to keeping Liverpool in contention for trophies.

As a result, the signing of versatile forward Okafor could be the perfect solution for Liverpool as he has been displaying this season exactly why he could be the Reds’ next Salah.

Over 14 Bundesliga appearances so far, the 22-year-old – who was hailed “magnificent” by Mauro Lustrinelli – has scored seven goals and delivered one assist, as well as averaging 1.3 key passes and 1.9 shots on goal per game, proving that he is a real threat in front of goal.

Just like Salah, Okafor is versatile in his position in the forward line with a wealth of experience on the left wing, right wing and the centre forward role, an attribute that will catch the Liverpool manager’s eye as he values players that can offer flexibility in their roles.

Furthermore, the Swiss sensation is equally devastating with the ball at his feet, carrying with him the ability to operate cleverly in tight areas. He ranks in the top 12% of players in his position throughout Europe’s top five leagues for dribbles attempted per 90 minutes for instance.

Combine that with his ruthless efficiency in front of goal and the 22-year-old certainly has the makings of another Salah.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Klopp and the recruitment team at Liverpool will be keeping a close eye on Okafor when he represents Switzerland at the World Cup this month and if he continues to flourish, they must try and seal a deal in January.

Glasgow Rangers return to action at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership tonight as they take on Hearts in the penultimate match before the World Cup break.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is under pressure after losing his last two games, against Ajax and St. Johnstone, and should be hoping to secure all three points this evening.

The Light Blues were beaten 2-1 by the Saints away from home last weekend and The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell claimed that a section of the supporters were chanting for the manager to lose his job during the game.

Rangers are now seven points behind their bitter rivals Celtic at the top of the Premiership table after that defeat and fans are seemingly unhappy with the growing gap between the two teams.

How many changes will the head coach make to the team from the last time out? Here is Football FanCast’s predicted XI…

We are predicting that the Dutchman will make three alterations to the starting line-up by bringing in McCann, Morelos and Wright for James Sands, Fashion Sakala, and Malik Tillman.

FFC published an article explaining why van Bronckhorst should unleash his two strikers against Hearts and this could result in a formation change to a 4-4-2 to accommodate Colak and his Colombian teammate.

In midfield, Rangers’ 20-year-old academy graduate McCann could come in to provide an added goalscoring threat from the middle of the park.

Sands is a defensive midfielder by trade, with zero goals in his club career, and Tillman has scored once in his last 16 games for the club, as an attacking midfielder.

Meanwhile, the former Manchester United gem has racked up 21 goals and ten assists at youth and senior club level and could improve the Light Blues’ chances of scoring.

Sakala, who was once described as a “firework” by Alan Hutton, will not be available for selection after picking up an injury last weekend and that means that he will miss out tonight, which opens up the door for Scott Wright to come in.

The Scottish winger has made 12 appearances in the Premiership and Champions League so far this season and van Bronckhorst could start him out wide on the right to provide natural width in a 4-4-2 set-up – putting him in positions to cross for Morelos and Colak.

When Newcastle United signed both Matt Targett and Sven Botman during the summer transfer window, it was perhaps expected that Dan Burn could lose his place in Eddie Howe’s side.

The giant centre-back, who joined from Brighton in January last season, was brilliant for the Toon as they turned their 2021/22 season around, going from relegation candidates to finishing just outside of the top half.

Burn would make 16 appearances in the Premier League for Howe’s side, averaging a superb 6.98 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

But, at 30, he looked likely to be displaced by Newcastle’s marquee summer signing in Botman, with the Toon paying £35m to sign the highly-rated Dutchman from Lille.

However, Burn has shown his quality and versatility to keep his place in Howe’s side, despite the former Bournemouth manager opting for a centre-back partnership of Botman and Fabian Schar on most occasions this season.

Former Celtic man Frank McAvennie was full of praise last season for the impact that Burn has had at Newcastle, saying:

“He looks a confident boy, which is great for the boys around the training ground. He’s a player who talks all the way through games. He gives that bit extra as well as a Newcastle fan. They absolutely love him and it’s easy to see why after that ridiculous impact he’s had.”

The six-foot-six defender has been very impressive when featuring as a left-back, averaging a strong 6.83 rating from WhoScored, and Howe must ensure that the experienced defender starts again there on Saturday when Newcastle face Brentford.

A lot of the Bees’ attacking play comes through their talisman Ivan Toney, with the England striker having won the third-most aerial battles in the Premier League this season.

Like any good target man, Toney will drift wide and challenge the full-backs in the air, but Howe can eliminate the left-hand side by starting Burn there again, as only Botman and Schar have won more aerial duels this season.

The former Newcastle man has started the season in inspired form, scoring five goals and assisting twice in the opening eight Premier League games, so he will need shackling if the Toon are going to pick up a result on Saturday.

There is no doubt that Toney poses a real threat to Newcastle’s defence so Howe can give his side the best chance by playing the more dominant Burn over Targett at left-back.