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Newcastle United have now made contact with Arsenal for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of a potential move in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, the Magpies are “trying” for the Gabon international, and that “contact” has already been made with the Gunners for the maverick striker.

It’s added that a “possible loan is being discussed”, and that crucially, Aubameyang himself “would like the destination”.

Fans will be buzzing

While Aubameyang may not have covered himself in glory this season either on the pitch or off it – he’s netted just four goals in the Premier League and was recently stripped of the Arsenal captaincy by Mikel Arteta – he still remains a class player who could provide Newcastle with genuine quality up front.

It was only a couple of seasons ago that Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville was waxing lyrical about the striker, and how good he is compared to the rest of the Premier League’s elite forwards.

He said: “Including me, we have stopped short of announcing Aubameyang as world class. We’re happy to go with (Sergio) Aguero, we’re happy to go with (Sadio) Mane and (Mohamed) Salah, (Roberto) Firmino, (Harry) Kane… all these players who have graced the Premier League in the last two or three seasons.

“I feel that Aubameyang doesn’t get that same credit and maybe it’s something that comes from when he first entered into English football. I think he’s been absolutely sensational, and I think now’s the time for us all to start recognising the quality and the brilliance of this player. He fights for the team, he’s always there, and for me, he’s everything you would want in a football player.”

The man with 294 career goals to his name could be the perfect replacement for the injured Wilson for the remainder of this Premier League season.

Galetti’s update that the Magpies have now made contact for him, and that Aubameyang himself is interested in a move to St James’ Park is sure to have fans absolutely buzzing.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United have held talks with this director of football candidate…

With Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore previously sharing his hopes at being able to bring some new players to the club before the end of the current January transfer window, it seems as though there could be a decision to be made on the future of one of their current players.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from Wednesday journalist Dom Howson, Lewis Wing’s future at the Yorkshire club has been thrown into question after being left out of the last two matchday squads by Moore.

Howson also said in his post that it “remains unclear” whether the midfielder will still be a Wednesday player by the end of the month.

The Owls signed Wing on a season-long loan deal from Championship club Middlesbrough back in the previous summer transfer window.

Since then, the 26-year-old has been a fairly regular figure in the team for the Yorkshire club with a total of 24 appearances under his belt across all competitions, chipping in with one goal and two assists in the process.

Fans will be worried

Despite being picked on a regular basis by Moore, apart from their two previous league games, Wing has not exactly been a top performer for Wednesday.

After all, Howson said in his post that the midfielder “has been a big disappointment this season,” which is back up by WhoScored listing him as Wednesday’s 11th-highest rated player with an overall performance rating of 6.73/10.

With that in mind, while it could be an option to keep the Englishman out of the team for a while based on his lacklustre performances, Wednesday fans would surely rather keep him in the squad as a viable option for Moore to have rather than see him leave the club early and have to worry about whether or not the club will be able to bring in a suitable replacement before the deadline.

If Moore continues to keep the midfielder out of the squad, then this could force Middlesbrough to bring him back to the club and look for another loan move for him, in a similar fashion to what happened with Theo Corbeanu earlier this month.

Either way, it would be in everyone’s best interest if a decision is made on Wing’s future to put to bed any speculation on the matter that could distract Wednesday from potentially strengthening their squad with some new incoming transfers before the end of the month.

Considering how their January has played out so far, yet more uncertainty is surely a worry for supporters.

In other news: “I have been told:” – Moore delivers SWFC transfer update that’ll have fans concerned – opinion

Former Celtic man Frank McAvennie believes Eddie Howe no longer wants the Parkhead vacancy.

The former Bournemouth boss verbally agreed to become Neil Lennon’s long-term successor, however, the Englishman made a swift U-turn on a proposed Hoops move.

Howe’s been one of the main targets linked with Celtic, however, he’s also spoken to Crystal Palace and is of interest to fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

It seems as if Howe, who has been out of work since August, is now a man in demand, but ex-Celtic striker McAvennie doesn’t think he’ll be moving north anytime soon.

McAvennie, taking to Football Insider, was asked if he’s given up hope of the 43-year-old moving to Glasgow.

“I have but I’m hoping he’s not given up because he’d be great.

“I know he’s not won trophies but he has a chance to do that and raise his profile up here.

“He did so well at Bournemouth, taking them from the fourth division right through to the Premier League.

“I don’t know what’s going on but in my opinion, he doesn’t want it any more. If he did then he’d be here.

“Which is a shame because I wanted to see a bit of fight from him because it’s all just kind of died out.”

Transfer Tavern take

It does seem as if the links to Howe have died down following a statement from his representative, who revealed he doesn’t plan to return to the dugout until the summer at the earliest.

In our view, that leaves the Hoops in a tricky situation. Should they put all their eggs in Howe’s basket ahead of the summer only to miss out on his services, it could leave them in a race against time to bring in a new boss for the 2021/22 season.

Howe reportedly had second thoughts on a move to Glasgow, so, to us, that development should spark the Hoops into life in regards to alternative targets.

With a possible rebuild on the cards under new CEO Dominic McKay and a newly created Director of Football role as well, the club cannot afford for the manager saga to drag long into the summer and affect their transfer business.

In other news: Alan Nixon shares Rafael Benitez to Celtic update, find out more here. 

West Ham are set for a huge boost ahead of their final five matches of the Premier League season…

What’s the latest?

According to the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser, Irons midfielder Declan Rice has returned to training this week and there is even optimism that he could be involved for their trip to Burnley on Monday evening.

The 22-year-old was also pictured back on the grass, which was shared by popular fan account WestHamViews, though it remains to be seen to what extent he was involved.

Rice, now capped 15 times by England, had picked up a worrying knee injury during the last international break, and it was even thought that it was going to put his place at this summer’s European Championships at risk, as a result.

Huge boost

The Hammers’ impressive and surprising season has taken a turn for the worst in the absence of Rice, having suffered back-to-back defeats against Newcastle United and Chelsea.

David Moyes’ side now sit in fifth, three points behind their aforementioned London rivals, whilst the likes of defending champions Liverpool and Spurs are hot on their tail.

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By the time West Ham kick-off at Turf Moor in under a week’s time, they could’ve sunk to seventh place, results dependent, and that would be a massive blow to their lofty European ambitions.

However, having Rice back will be a monumental boost, as he’s not only been one of West Ham’s best players but one of the best in the Premier League this season, too.

Just this week, former top-flight striker Marcus Bent told Football FanCast exclusively that the 22-year-old “will be one of the world’s best” soon, whilst only three other Irons stars have bettered his average WhoScored rating of 7.02.

The £54m-rated star is also the best at reading the game in Moyes’ squad, having averaged two interceptions per game, on top of 1.9 tackles and 0.7 key passes, via WhoScored.

Rice, who is now thought to earn around £60k-per-week at the London Stadium, has also been hailed as “exceptional” by Keith Gillespie and “outstanding” by Moyes, so clearly having him back around will benefit their season tenfold.

The 58-year-old Glaswegian will undoubtedly be buzzing to see his “special talent” back in training this week.

AND in other news, GSB could deal Moyes another big blow with West Ham swoop for “special” £18m-rated gem…

Aston Villa are interested in signing Rangers defender Filip Helander in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Helander’s season over

The 28-year-old is currently sidelined with a foot injury picked up earlier this month and he is not expected to play again for the Gers this season.

It has been an injury-plagued campaign for Helander, who has been limited to just six Scottish Premiership starts, failing to play much of a part in proceedings.

Now, a new report is claiming that the Swede may have played his last game for Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

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The Latest: Villa keen on move

According to Football Insider, a Villa source claims that Steven Gerrard is a big admirer of Helander and wants to sign him, having worked with him at Ibrox.

The former Rangers manager is thought to be ‘closely monitoring his situation’, with the player’s current deal expiring at the end of next season.

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The Verdict: Hard to say no

Helander would be a big loss for Rangers, having averaged a colossal 4.3 aerial duel wins per game in last year’s title-winning season, not to mention three per match in 2021/22.

The lure of linking up with Gerrard again and also playing in the Premier League could be too good to turn down, however, in what are the peak years of his career, especially if the Gers miss out on Champions League football.

The hope is that Helander recovers from his injury problems and remains at Ibrox but it is easy to envisage a situation where he is in a Villa shirt next season, where Gerrard is expected to replace Tyrone Mings.

In other news, another Premier League are also eyeing up a Rangers player. Read more here.

Celtic have been heavily linked with a move for former Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder since his Bramall Lane exit.

Reports claimed that the delay to the 53-year-old’s recent departure in Yorkshire was actually down to interest from the Hoops, but a potential move to Glasgow is yet to gather any real pace.

No Wilder approach from Celtic

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are yet to make contact with Wilder, but an approach would reportedly prove hard to turn down.

The report claims that Wilder would miss out on a huge chunk of his United payoff if he made a swift return to management, with the Englishman still being paid by the club for the next six months.

Transfer Tavern take

Wilder is already looking around for vacancies, so it seems as if he isn’t too worried about losing a chunk of change from his former employers.

Bringing him in to replace Neil Lennon could be a smart move, as he has previous experience of rebuilding a side successfully. He took Sheffield United from League One to the Premier League after moving to the club in 2016, finishing in ninth position in the club’s first campaign back in the top flight.

A Parkhead rebuild appears to be on the cards both on and off the pitch this summer, and Wilder may be tempted to replicate his achievements with the Blades at Celtic Park.

In other news: Major Celtic appointment reportedly ‘90% done’ – find out more here. 

Lots of Wolves fans have been left to fume as a transfer update emerged on Dion Sanderson.

As per the Daily Mail, the Midlands club have rejected an opening bid worth £1m from Sunderland for the central defender.

They are looking to hold out for fee closer to £2m, as Cardiff City, Birmingham City, Stoke City, Luton Town and Millwall are all credited with an interest in his signature, and are closely monitoring any developments.

Both Sheffield United and Newcastle United are also said to eyeing up a potential transfer for Sanderson, who is set to be in high-demand.

The Englishman played a big part in the Black Cats reaching the EFL League One play-offs, playing in no fewer than 26 games in total in the division (Transfermarkt), and at just 21 years of age, he still has a lot of potential.

Thus, it is understandable why so many members of the Molineux faithful feel aggrieved by the opening offer.

Wolves fans on Sanderson transfer update

These WWFC supporters fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that the offer was ‘insulting’:

“£1m is insulting”

Credit: @haydenbd_

“I should damn well think so that’s nowhere near enough.”

Credit: @TheAdmiral2153e

“£1 mil what !!!”

Credit: @itsmebrody44

“That is pathetic”

Credit: @ethanprogames

“What an insult. I don’t think we should even be selling him.”

Credit: @cpj93070

“I know they’re third-tier, but that’s embarrassing. £4m absolute minimum and I’d be VERY hesitant in selling at that much.”

Credit: @TonyWilde99

In other news, find out which transfer update has Wanderers buzzing here!

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League striker Dean Windass has questioned why Sean Dyche would want to leave Burnley for Crystal Palace.

After watching moves for Nuno Espirito Santo and Lucien Favre fall to pieces, Palace once again find themselves on the search for a manager to replace Roy Hodgson.

According to The Athletic, Dyche is someone admired by Palace chairman Steve Parish and could be the next logical option the south London club turn to, though there are barriers, such as Burnley putting a new contract on the table for the 50-year-old.

From Windass’ point of view, though, he cannot see why Dyche would want to swap Turf Moor for Selhurst Park anyway.

“Is he interested in the job? Why would he be interested in the job? No disrespect to Palace,” the ex-Hull City forward said. “Why would Sean Dyche want to leave Burnley?

“I just don’t get why you’d want to leave Burnley, to be fair. Does he need the money? I don’t think so.”

It is a well-known fact that Burnley do not operate on the largest of transfer budgets, so that could always be one reason for why Dyche would want to move clubs.

However, given that Palace’s transfer budget was supposedly a concern for Favre when he was in the frame for the job, perhaps going there really does not make sense for Dyche after all.

David Moyes has refused to rule out the idea of West Ham selling Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek this summer, admitting that the club could listen to offers for the duo.

The Hammers have enjoyed a season to remember in the Premier League, finding themselves right in the Champions League battle. Victory away to Wolves on Monday evening would see Moyes’ side go fourth in the table, leapfrogging Chelsea after their shock 5-2 defeat at home to West Brom on Saturday.

Rice and Soucek have undoubtedly been two of West Ham’s key men this season, with the £90m-rated pair (per Transfermarkt) excelling in the middle of the park.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, their form has led to concerns over other clubs tabling bids for them at the end of the campaign.

Moyes provides update on Rice and Soucek

Speaking to reporters [via The Mirror], Moyes admitted that West Ham may be willing to hear offers for the duo, should they arrive, but stressed that they wouldn’t be leaving on the cheap:

“Yes, any club can make offers for players but we’ve not had any big offers. I hope we don’t get any but if we do, like any other club, we would consider them.

“I don’t know where the Bank of England is for Tomas Soucek but I’ve said with Declan, it would take the Bank of England and the Royal Bank of Scotland to get him.

“It will have to be the Bank of Czech as well for Tomas!”

Transfer Tavern take

Rice and Soucek have both been integral to West Ham’s success, so they should do all they can to keep hold of them this summer.

The Czech international is their top Premier League scorer this term despite playing in a defensive midfield role, while the Englishman’s tackling and interception averages are among the highest in the Irons’ squad (WhoScored).

Both of their contracts run until 2024, which should at least the Hammers in a strong negotiating position with only huge bids likely to be accepted, as Moyes has hinted.

In other news, David Moyes has dropped another big transfer hint ahead of this summer. Read more about it here.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge believes West Ham United could make a deadline day move to sign Jesse Lingard.

The Manchester United creative midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan with the Hammers and rediscovered his best form, scoring nine goals and grabbing five assists in just 16 appearances.

Lingard returned to Old Trafford following the expiry of his temporary move to the London Stadium but has been granted just four minutes of action so far this term.

The 28-year-old has entered the final year of his £75,000-per-week contract and is set to see his first-team opportunities limited further thanks to the impending return of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

Reports suggest United would be willing to sell England international Lingard for £25million.

Bridge believes West Ham, along with a number of other Premier League clubs, could look to seal a late deal if the Red Devils confirm Lingard is for sale.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “The understanding I have is they’ve left it in his hands.

“Lingard had such a brilliant loan and I think if Manchester United do make him available, you’d get a lot of Premier League clubs after him.

“I think he did his reputation the world of good at West Ham.”