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Saudi Arabian consortium PIF have not been shy about splashing the cash for Newcastle United in the transfer market since they completed their takeover.

They have brought in the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, and Alexander Isak in their two windows in charge of the club so far.

One of the signings they made in the recent summer window has been a roaring success so far and that is goalkeeper Nick Pope, who was snapped up from Burnley.

The England international has kept four clean sheets in ten Premier League matches and saved an impressive 79% of the shots on his goal so far.

He is well on course to become yet another great goalkeeper that the St. James’ Park crowd has been able to enjoy over the years, joining the likes of Shay Given, Tim Krul and Martin Dubravka.

Given, in particular, was an icon between the sticks for the Magpies as he enjoyed a sublime career on Tyneside. Kenny Dalglish brought him in from Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £2m in the summer of 1997 and the Liverpool legend ended up playing a masterclass by signing the shot-stopper for Newcastle.

Whilst Dalglish left the club in 1998, the Irish goalkeeper ended up playing for the Toon Army for a whopping 12 years as he established himself as the number one for over a decade.

The 134-capped Republic of Ireland international racked up 463 competitive appearances for the club in that time and kept 132 clean sheets, playing in the UEFA Cup and the Champions League in that time.

Shields Gazette editor Richard Mennear previously described him as a “legend” for the Magpies, whilst The Chronicle has also given him that same status in the past.

This illustrates his contributions on the pitch for the Toon over the years as he played almost 500 matches and kept over a century of shutouts, earning him iconic status.

He eventually moved on from Newcastle in 2009 as he completed a £6m move to fellow top-flight side Manchester City. This means that the club raked in a £4m profit on the initial £2m they paid for him, whilst also getting 12 years of superb service out of him.

Therefore, Dalglish played a masterclass by signing him from Blackburn in 1997 as the shot-stopper ended up being a huge success from a financial and footballing perspective during his time at the club.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been rejected in talks with QPR boss Michael Beale, leaving talkSPORT’s Alex Crook stunned.

The Lowdown: Beale is off

Fosun and Jeff Shi have been on the hunt to find Bruno Lage’s successor following his sacking earlier this month and had initially identified Julen Lopetegui as their number one target, though he turned down a move to the Premier League for personal reasons.

The Old Gold then switched their attention towards the 42-year-old QPR boss, who was their new first-choice option, with reports even suggesting that an agreement between the two parties has already been reached.

However, Matt Law of The Telegraph revealed on Thursday morning that the Hoops boss has turned down the chance to come to Molineux, leaving Crook stunned.

The Latest: Crook reacts

Taking to Twitter, talkSPORT’s top transfer guru couldn’t hide his surprise over Beale’s decision, saying: “Didn’t see this coming and nor did Wolves.”

Crook revealed earlier in the week that the alternative options after Beale are Peter Bosz and Nuno Espirito Santo, so it will be interesting to see where Fosun turn next.

The Verdict: Huge blow

Wolves being rejected by Beale to stay at a club in the second tier will come as a huge blow to the Old Gold given his impressive record, not to mention having already been turned down by Lopetegui.

The Hoops boss has won eight and drawn three of his 16 games in charge at Loftus Road and currently averages 1.69 points per match, form which he sees his side sitting at the top of the Championship table (Transfermarkt).

The Bromley-born coach is also widely known for playing with an attacking 4-3-3 formation, and this positive outlook is exactly what Wanderers fans want to see.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans ahead of the upcoming January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Calcio Mercato, Dan Ashworth is interested in snapping up wide attacker Arnaut Danjuma from Villarreal for the club in 2023.

The report claims that Italian giants AC Milan and fellow Premier League side Chelsea are both eyeing up a swoop for the former Bournemouth gem.

It is stated that the Spanish outfit are willing to part ways with him for a fee in the region of €40m (£35m), although it remains to be seen how much the Magpies are willing to pay for his services.

Upgrade on Jacob Murphy

Allan Saint-Maximin’s injury has left Eddie Howe with Murphy starting out wide on the left of the front three, next to Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron.

The former Norwich winger has played 10 times in the Premier League this season, starting four of those matches, and has produced one goal and zero assists, whilst creating 0.5 chances per game. This comes after he managed one goal and two assists in 33 top-flight appearances last term, creating 0.6 chances per match.

These statistics show that he does not provide enough quality in the final third on a consistent basis. He has struggled to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch and Danjuma could come in as a major upgrade on the left flank.

The Dutch international has scored three goals in five starts across the UEFA Europa Conference League and La Liga so far this term, after catching the eye with an impressive 2021/22 campaign.

In his debut season for Villarreal, Danjuma scored 10 goals and provided three assists in 17 starts in the Spanish top-flight. He also plundered six goals and one assist in 10 Champions League starts, which shows that he has the ability to deliver at the very top level of club football.

The winger, who was once dubbed an “exceptional talent” by Clinton Morrison, could also slot straight into the team as he worked with Howe at Bournemouth and previously claimed that the head coach’s style of play suited him as he is an attack-minded player.

Therefore, Ashworth could land a major upgrade on Murphy by signing the ex-Cherries man as his statistics since the start of last season suggest that he would offer a far greater goal threat than the Englishman.

He is also two years younger than the current Magpies man, at 25, and has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and improve his ability, making him an asset for the here and now and for the future.

Leeds United head into Saturday night’s Premier League meeting against Liverpool in a disastrous run of form, with Jesse Marsch’s side last picking up three points in the division back in August, having since lost six of their eight top-flight fixtures.

However, with the 48-year-old revealing in his pre-match press conference that he has a number of injury concerns ahead of the trip to Anfield. Joe Gelhardt, Rodrigo, Luis Sinisterra, Leo Fuhr Hjelde, Tyler Adams and Liam Cooper are all doubts, while Adam Forshaw and Stuart Dallas remain sidelined, so getting a result against the Reds would not appear overly likely.

However, considering the Whites’ poor results in recent months, coupled with an away day against last season’s Champions League runners-up being something of a free hit, perhaps these fitness concerns could afford Marsch the opportunity to hand some valuable first-team minutes to a number of his more exciting youth prospects at Thorp Arch.

One such talent who is yet to make a senior appearance for Leeds – despite the club shelling out £5m in order to bring him to Elland Road this summer – is 18-year-old forward Wilfried Gnonto.

Initially, it had appeared that the Italy international had quickly jumped ahead of Gelhardt in Marsch’s attacking pecking order, with the teenager being named on the bench in the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa at the start of October – a game in which the former Wigan Athletic starlet was left out of the American’s squad altogether.

However, despite making a further wonderkid” – in the words of Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig – regularly catching the eye in Michael Skubala’s under-21 side, the 48-year-old is yet to afford the youngster his first senior minutes for the Whites.

With both Rodrigo and Gelhardt now unlikely to be fit to feature against the Reds tonight, though, Italy’s youngest-ever goalscorer – who Roberto Mancini claimed is “like few others” – could finally be handed his chance to shine in the first-team at Anfield.

Considering the hype surrounding the six-cap international’s ability, coupled with his impressive showings for the under-21s, it would indeed appear wise for Marsch to let the £9m-rated talent loose against Liverpool.

Indeed, Gnonto’s “lively” presence in the Whites’ attack could well cause a Reds defence which has already shipped 13 league goals all manner of problems tonight.

Glasgow Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst is safe in his job for now but the next two games will be vital, according to The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell.

The Lowdown: Van Bronckhorst under huge pressure

The Gers fell to a putrid 2-1 defeat on Sunday afternoon as their Premiership title hopes took a massive hit, with the Light Blues now seven points off the summit.

That result against St Johnstone has further cranked up the pressure on Van Bronckhorst, with many supporters calling for his dismissal and some journalists stating that his sacking could be imminent.

The Dutchman remains in the job for now, and a telling claim has emerged surrounding his future at Ibrox.

The Latest: Safe for now

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for The Athletic, Campbell stated that Van Bronckhorst won’t be fired yet but essentially has two games before the World Cup to stay in the job.

The journalist tweeted:

“Business as usual for Rangers & Van Bronckhorst ahead of Hearts. No ultimatums been made over his position despite falling 7pts behind. Various factors will be considered if and when it’s decided he is to go, but focus on two big games before the break.”

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The Verdict: Only a matter of time?

Van Bronckhorst can perhaps count himself lucky to still be in charge of Rangers, with results and performances tailing off for a sustained period now.

It will hurt that they ended their European campaign with the worst group stage record of any team in Champions League history, while they already have a lot of ground to make up on arch-rivals Celtic in the Premiership.

While it is refreshing to see the club show some loyalty, there is no doubt that the Dutchman is now hanging by a thread and cannot afford any more poor results.

It appears that only back-to-back wins at home to Hearts and away to St Mirren in the league before the World Cup break will do, or else the Gers will surely have a new manager after the tournament in Qatar.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in signing Enzo Le Fee ahead of the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies are one of a number of clubs eyeing up the central midfielder as they consider potential options to bolster their squad at the start of 2023.

The report claims that fellow Premier League side Leicester City are looking at a possible swoop for the gem to replace outbound Youri Tielemans, who is set to leave on a free transfer next summer.

It is stated that Lorient want to tie Le Fee down to a new contract as his current deal is due to expire in the summer of 2024, but West Ham, the Foxes, and Newcastle are all hoping to convince him to make the switch to England instead.

Joe Willock upgrade

Dan Ashworth could land Eddie Howe an upgrade on the former Arsenal central midfielder by securing a deal to sign the French maestro in January.

Willock has enjoyed a solid season in the Premier League so far. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.82 across 13 appearances in the top-flight but Le Fee has been more than solid as he has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.31 in 13 Ligue 1 outings.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously named him as one of Lorient’s “golden” midfielders and once likened him to Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho, while listing his strengths as; pace, passing, vision, technique, ball control, work rate.

He has been more impressive than the Newcastle man from a defensive perspective. Le Fee has made 4.6 tackles and interceptions, whilst winning 51% of his duels, per game this season, whilst Willock has made 1.5 tackles and interceptions and won 42% of his battles.

On the ball, the 22-year-old French machine has created six ‘big chances’ for his teammates and provided 2.9 key passes per game for Lorient – chipping in with two goals along the way.

Willock, meanwhile, has averaged 1.0 key passes and created four ‘big chances’ for Newcastle, whilst failing to score a single goal in 13 appearances.

These statistics suggest that Le Fee, who is one year younger than the Englishman, would be a big upgrade on the 23-year-old for the Magpies. He could offer far more than the ex-Gunner both in terms of the quality he can provide at the top end of the pitch and out of possession, creating opportunities for his teammates and winning the ball back consistently.

Manchester United are confident they will secure a ‘huge’ new deal for Alejandro Garnacho, according to Graeme Bailey.

The Lowdown: Fulham winner

The Red Devils gem has enjoyed a fine month at Old Trafford, which began by scoring the winner against Real Sociedad in the Europa League. The 18-year-old then registered two assists against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup before netting a dramatic stoppage time winner against Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

He has been a hot topic of conversation in Manchester in recent weeks as a result of his fine form, and it looks as if a new contract could be on the horizon.

The Latest: Garnacho contract update

Bailey took to Twitter on Monday morning to share an update involving Garnacho.

The 90min reporter said that the Red Devils have offered the teenager a ‘huge new deal, amid interest from across Europe’. Bailey added that ‘United are calm and believe that he will sign very soon’.

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The Verdict: Exciting news

Garnacho appears to be a future star and is already showing his ability to change a game under Erik ten Hag.

Therefore, a fresh long-term contract would be exciting news for all involved, especially after recent links of a move to Barcelona.

Hopefully a deal can be finalised prior to the New Year, which will allow the young forward to focus entirely on becoming a regular in Ten Hag’s first-choice XI in 2023.

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has overseen a real revival at St James’ Park since his appointment just over a year ago, having taken the Magpies from fearing for their safety at the foot of the table to now being well-placed for Champions League football.

While many will point to the club’s investment in that time under the new ownership as the recent factor behind that success – having notably spent over £100m in the summer window – that has potentially done a disservice to the Englishman’s coaching credentials, with the 44-year-old having seemingly rejuvenated a number of players already at the club in recent times.

The likes of Joelinton and Miguel Almiron – who has netted eight league goals this season – have been the obvious names to have flourished since the former Bournemouth boss walked in the door, although that duo are not the only figures to have enjoyed a real resurgence of late.

Another to have blossomed at St James’ Park in the last 12 months or so is centre-back, Fabian Schar, with the Switzerland international – who is set to feature for his country at the World Cup – having been a bedrock of the Tynesiders’ success this season.

The 30-year-old has formed a rock-solid partnership alongside summer signing Sven Botman so far this term, with the pair helping to form part of a backline that has shipped just 11 league goals this season – the joint-best record in the division to date.

The 73-cap sensation had initially joined the club on a £3m deal back in the summer of 2018, although was unable to truly impress during his time under former boss Steve Bruce, with journalist John Gibson suggesting that the experienced ace had been a “walking mistake” at times in the past.

As Gibson also pointed out, however, that has since been “eliminated from his game” during Howe’s tenure, with the player himself admitting to having benefitted from working under the Amersham-born visionary, having previously come close to joining his manager at the Cherries in the past.

The Newcastle boss himself has also been pleased by what he has seen from the £40k-per-week colossus, suggesting that the club were able to pull off an “incredible piece of business” with their initial, bargain capture of the centre-back.

The astute nature of that swoop has been laid bare by the fact that Schar is now believed to be worth around £8.7m, according to CIES Football Observatory, with that a 190% rise from his initial cost.

That illustrates just how the Magpies truly did strike gold by bringing the 6 foot 2 ace to England from La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna just over four years ago.

Glasgow Rangers insider The 4th Official has revealed that Michael Beale is the ‘front-runner’ for the vacant managerial position.

The Lowdown: Van Bronckhorst departs

The Ibrox outfit confirmed on Monday morning that they had parted ways with Giovanni van Bronckhorst, following a poor run of results that has seen the Dutchman win just two of his last seven games in total over all competitions.

Several names have already been put forward to replace him, including Steven Gerrard’s former assistant Beale, Kjetil Knutsen and Sean Dyche.

The Latest: Beale ‘front-runner’

Taking to Twitter, The 4th Official has since revealed that Beale is the ‘front-runner’ for the manager’s job, having spoken to ‘a couple of sources close to the Rangers board’:

“Having spoken with a couple of sources close to the Rangers board, there is no doubt that Michael Beale is the frontrunner for the Rangers managerial position.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

The break for the FIFA World Cup is the perfect time for the Gers to get a new manager in, as they can work with the players not at the tournament, and on their preferred tactics ahead of the league season resuming.

Lauded as ‘special‘ on the training pitch by Van Bronckhorst’s predecessor Gerrard, Beale knows the club inside and out having worked as his assistant, and was a key figure in the Light Blues winning the Scottish Premiership title in the 2020/21 campaign, stopping bitter rivals Celtic from winning 10 in a row.

Coming in midway through the season, the now QPR boss would be a safe pair of hands to try and get the Teddy Bears back on track, as they trail their noisy neighbours by a hefty nine points in the title race this time around.

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is reportedly being eyed for a transfer by Barcelona manager Xavi. 

The Lowdown: Gundogan’s contract situation

As things stand, the German’s contract at the Etihad Stadium is set to expire at the end of the current season.

Across 273 appearances for the Premier League champions, the 32-year-old – who represented his country during their group stage exit from the World Cup in Qatar – has scored 51 goals, provided 35 assists and won numerous domestic trophies.

Now that the midfielder will be turning his attention back to club football in the coming weeks, it appears that he has found himself on the radar of one of Europe’s most successful clubs.

The Latest: Xavi eyeing Gundogan for Barcelona

According to recent reports from Spanish media outlet Sport (via Sport Witness), Barcelona manager Xavi sees Gundogan as his number one choice to replace Sergio Busquets once the latter’s contract at the La Liga club expires in the summer.

The report adds that Pep Guardiola wants to keep hold of the Germany midfielder and see the club offer him a new one-year deal, but would not stand in Gundogan’s way if he wants to leave City at the end of the season.

The Verdict: Man City must offer Gundogan a new deal

This season has seen the £140k-per-week midfielder score two goals, provide two assists and show why he is such an important player for City across his 12 Premier League appearances.

Specifically, only Kevin De Bruyne (45) has made more key passes than Gundogan (23), who also only has three City players above him with a higher combined total of tackles and interceptions (19).

With an overall performance rating of 7.1/10 from WhoScored, only six City players score higher, further highlighting how impressive the 32-year-old – who has been hailed as a “beautiful” player in the past by Gary Lineker – has been for the English champions.

Taking all of that into account, we feel that City should definitely offer Gundogan a new deal and do all that they can to try and convince him to continue his journey with the club.