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So four games into the Premier League’s restart, and Newcastle are well and truly heading in the right direction.

The Magpies bounced back in style from their disappointing FA Cup exit to Manchester City, putting Bournemouth to the sword on Wednesday night.

Allan Saint-Maximin may have stolen the show with a scintillating performance that saw him get a hat-trick of assists, but in the middle of the park, Nabil Bentaleb helped run the show for Newcastle.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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The Algerian arrived on loan from Bundesliga side Schalke back in the January transfer window, and after playing the full 90 minutes in three consecutive Premier League games, found himself on the bench for the Magpies’ last two Premier League games before football was postponed.

Wednesday evening saw Bentaleb make his first start for the Tyneside club since the restart, and he delivered the kind of performance that would have left Steve Bruce nodding his head in approval.

Lining up alongside Jonjo Shelvey in the engine room, the 25-year-old acted as the destroyer, breaking up attacks and then feeding balls into his more advanced teammates.

And it was an approach that brought rich rewards. As per Sofascore, he made a team-high five tackles (two more than Emil Krafth in second), whilst his two interceptions was joint-second amongst the rest of the Newcastle players.

Bentaleb was aggressive and in the faces of the Bournemouth midfield, hunting them down and putting himself into the 50/50 challenges – in total, he contested 17 total duels over the course of the 90 minutes, winning nine of them.

With Matty Longstaff’s future uncertain amid speculation linking him with a move away from the club, players like Bentaleb need to step up and do more. Reports back in January suggested that Newcastle have the option to make the deal permanent, but based on his performances for the club before Wednesday, it seemed unlikely they would have taken that up.

But the display against the Cherries offered some promise about how he could still make the grade at St James’ Park, and Bruce will be hoping it can help him kick-start his career.

Middlesbrough are resigned to losing Tottenham target Djed Spence in the summer.

According to ESPN, Spence is set to leave the Riverside Stadium amid interest from several Premier League clubs including Brighton and West Ham.

The 19-year-old has impressed for Middlesbrough this season but the Championship club fear that they face an uphill struggle to keep him this summer, even though he signed an extension in February.

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho admires the teenager, as he has heard first-hand rave reviews from his son Jose Mourinho Jr, who played with Spence in the Fulham academy. As a result, Spurs have been tracking Spence for some time, as Mourinho is keen to make improvements to the right-back position.

The Lilywhites have leaked goals for fun all season long, conceding more often than any other club in the top nine of the Premier League apart from Chelsea.

While Serge Aurier has become Mourinho’s first-choice at right-back, his conduct has been scrutinised by the club, and Kyle Walker-Peters will be allowed to leave if he wishes once his loan at Southampton comes to an end.

Spence, who has been compared to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Aaron Wan-Bissaka by new ‘Boro boss Neil Warnock, has played 20 games in the Championship, scoring one goal, creating three big chances, winning 1.2 tackles per game and completing 1.3 clearances per game on average (via SofaScore).

Middlesbrough would like him to stay for one more season but the pull of the Premier League may be too tempting for him to ignore. However, ‘Boro could ask for as much as £10m, although this won’t dissuade his suitors, with Burnley, Sheffield United and Southampton also closely monitoring the situation.

It seems as though Mourinho has identified Spence as Walker-Peters’ replacement. The inexperienced youngster could be the perfect understudy for Aurier, working on the proviso that Tottenham cannot get rid of the Ivorian.

The 19-year-old Middlesbrough man is still largely untested at the top levels of the game but clearly has bags of potential judging by the level of interest in him, and he may turn out to be a shrewd investment for the future.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Djed Spence? Let us know in the comments below!

Sheffield United are showing interest in Reading midfielder John Swift but face stiff competition from Aston Villa and Leeds United.

With Chris Wilder seemingly keen to push on from his side’s impressive ninth-placed finish in the Premier League this term, the transfer window could offer much in terms of adding improvements to his squad.

One player linked with a move to Bramall Lane is Swift, who has been performing well for Reading over the last 12 months, netting six goals and supplying 10 assists in 41 Championship appearances during the 2019/20 season.

Swift, who is valued at £3.6m by Transfermarkt, has also gained interest from the Blades’ Premier League rivals Aston Villa, who could see Jack Grealish leave this summer.

Joining both Sheffield United and Villa with reported interest are newly-promoted Premier League side Leeds United, with head coach Marcelo Bielsa having revealed his admiration for the midfielder in the past.

With interest developing in Swift, no deal is expected to push forward until the midfielder returns from his holiday in Spain, as reported by Yorkshire Live.

Swift fully deserves a chance to show his ability in the Premier League after impressing for Reading in the Championship.

Where he would best be suited is up for debate, and while the chance to potentially replace Grealish at Villa or get on board Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United experience could be very tempting, Wilder should be able to push the enormous potential of a Sheffield United side who are now among the Premier League’s top 10.

Do you think a summer move for Swift would be a good one for Sheffield United? Let us know in the comments section below…

Leeds United have a big job on their hands as they make their return to the Premier League.

As impressive as United were on their way to winning the Championship this term, their squad does need bolstering as it contains a number of players that were part of the team that finished 13th before Marcelo Bielsa reinvigorated the squad.

One area that Victor Orta seemingly had earmarked for improvement was at left-back, with Phil Hay reporting that Leeds were very interested in Joe Bryan from Fulham, but it seems as though their chances of landing him may have taken a big hit.

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The playoff final will go down in history as Bryan’s final, scoring twice including a 40-yard stunner from a free-kick, and it has to be said that his stock has never been higher than it is right now.

United will probably have to pay a pretty penny for the full-back after his playoff heroics, but what is more poignant is that Fulham now have no reason to sell him.

The Cottagers are no longer bound by the financial constraints of the Championship, they’ve just won a game worth a reported £135m to them, and Shahid Khan wrote off a lot of their debt only a couple of weeks ago.

Fulham simply have more financial might than Leeds at the moment, and unless Andrea Radrizzani submits an eye-opening offer for Bryan, it’ll be tough to land their man.

The fact of the matter is that United may be back to square one in their pursuit of a new left-back and Orta may have to draw up a new shortlist of full-back targets to look into as a deal for the 26-year-old looks like it could now be tough to negotiate.

Bundesliga side Werder Bremen have urged Milot Rashica to make a decision over his future after being linked with a move to Aston Villa.

With the summer transfer window open, Villa boss Dean Smith could look to improve his squad options, in particular in attack where the likes of Keinan Davis, Mbwana Samatta and Wesley have all struggled to find consistent form.

With transfer gossip flooding the internet, Brentford striker Ollie Watkins has emerged as a potential arrival, whilst a link to Rashica has been heavily maintained.

The 24-year-old netted eight goals and supplied seven assists in 28 Bundesliga games for Bremen last season and has a current Transfermarkt value of £19.8m.

With interest reported from Villa, Bremen boss Kohfeldt provided an update on the attacker’s future and the German club have now urged the attacker to make a decision on his future.

Reacting to the news which was shared by Twitter account @AVFC_News, some Villa fans gave their opinion on the ongoing rumour surrounding the attacker. Whilst some want him to sign, given his impressive stats from last term, others aren’t as keen as they think he is holding out for a potentially bigger move, suggesting he doesn’t really want to join the Villans.

Do you think Rashica would be a good signing for Villa? Let us know in the comments section below…

Brighton announced on Tuesday that defender Ben White has signed a new contract with the club, committing his future to the Seagulls until 2024.

That duly brings an end to weeks of speculation over his future, with Leeds making three unsuccessful bids to sign the centre-back following his loan spell at Elland Road last season and each of the Premier League’s top six in 2019/20 also believed to have been interested in him.

Brighton also shared the confirmation of White’s long-term deal on their Instagram channel

/CEmSG2KIZ9R/”>@officialbhafc, encouraging fans to like the post by saying: “This news deserves a double tap from you all”. With almost 14,000 likes on the post as of this morning, many have answered the call to action from the club’s social media team.

However, some Seagulls fans also took the opportunity to taunt Leeds over their failed attempts to sign the defender permanently, with several tagging the Yorkshire club’s official Instagram profile in an apparent attempt to troll the newly-promoted Premier League side. Another supporter jubilantly commented “Leeds fans weeping into their pillows” accompanied by crying-with-laughter emojis.

White’s reputation soared after an excellent 2019/20 campaign on loan at Elland Road, playing every minute of their Championship-winning season and prompting his parent club to slap a £50m price tag on his head.

The 22-year-old has so far played just twice for Brighton, both times in the EFL Cup in 2016, so he still has it all to prove at the Amex Stadium despite his prosperous spell with Leeds.

Judging by the huge show of faith from the Sussex club in giving him a four-year deal, however, White looks well-placed to prove why he is so highly-rated by his current employers, while he will have the chance to show Leeds what they are missing when Graham Potter’s side visit Elland Road in January.

Brighton fans, how delighted were you with the announcement of White’s new contract? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!

Aston Villa could secure Dean Smith one of his old Brentford favourites before October’s transfer deadline, according to latest reports…

What’s the word?

No, it’s not Said Benrahma but rather Rico Henry.

The Sun claim the Midlands outfit are tracking the 23-year-old left-back ahead of a potential switch to Villa Park. It would be yet another raid on the manager’s former club after signing Ollie Watkins earlier this month.

However, several Premier League teams also hold interest in the 5 foot 7 speedster, including West Ham United.

The next Cole?

Henry has emerged as one of the Championship’s best defenders in recent seasons and is, of course, a player that Smith knows more than anyone else.

He brought him to the Bees a year after leaving Walsall in 2015 and paid just £1.5m for his signature. It remains to be seen how much a move this summer would command as last summer their asking price was £7m. That’ll have risen substantially since.

Per WhoScored, the English full-back averaged 1.9 clearances, 1.5 tackles and 1.1 interceptions from 49 appearances last season. He featured in every single one of Brentford’s matches.

Smith clearly is a huge fan and John Terry would be too, going by previous remarks. The Villa boss likened him to fellow Chelsea legend Ashley Cole.

Henry is also “fearless” and has a “good engine and pace,” according to the 49-year-old, so he could fit right in at Villa along that left flank.

Current first-choice Matt Targett only managed to contribute to three goals all season and could probably do with the competition to push him onto the next level.

Nor is he particularly known for his rapid speed, so Henry would certainly add a different dimension – one that could allow Jack Grealish to cut inside more.

AND in other news, Villans may have missed out on their next Gareth Barry…

Chelsea are ready to travel across London to face Tottenham Hotspur in their latest Carabao Cup clash tonight.

After a disappointing 3-3 draw at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League, Frank Lampard and his men will be looking to get back to winning ways against Spurs.

The north Londoners were given a bye through to the round of 16 after scheduled opponents Leyton Orient were forced to forfeit due to several positive virus tests.

Jose Mourinho’s side may have had more time to prepare but the Blues will be hoping to do enough to see themselves into the quarter-finals.

Transfer Tavern has predicted how Chelsea might line-up to face their London rivals…

Aside from the penalty he won against Brighton, Timo Werner hasn’t done much to impress at his new clubsince arriving this transfer window. In order to maximise his team’s chances of grabbing some goals, Lampard may bench the German in favour of Tammy Abraham, who bagged a goal in Chelsea’s comeback against West Brom on Saturday.

Kai Havertz should, and most likely will, feature in the role for which he is best known. After finally deploying him in the attacking midfield position, Lampard saw the 21-year-old score a hat-trick in their previous Carabao Cup match against Barnsley. Joining him could be Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi to maximise chance creation in the final third.

Chelsea’s holding midfielders haven’t done a lot to warrant much praise recently, with six league goals conceded already, so another shift in personnel could be on the cards. With N’Golo Kante linked with a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge, Ross Barkley could make a return to the starting line-up.

In defence, Spurs could be looking at facing Ben Chilwell, who could be set for his first start for his new club. Despite a disappointing display against the Baggies, it’s unlikely that Thiago Silva will be dropped. However, to help him at the heart of the backline, club veteran Cesar Azpilicueta would be a wise option to start.

Additionally, Willy Caballero could keep his spot in the team sheet, with Lampard potentially wanting to save new signing Edouard Mendy for the league game against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

How do you think Chelsea will line up against Spurs? Have your say in the comments below!

Glasgow Rangers have completed the signing of Aaron Cervantes from Orange County SC.

Cervantes joins the Rangers academy

The Ibrox outfit have a partnership with the American side and they have made use of it with this signing. The 18-year-old goalkeeper, who has already represented the United States in their squad for the Under-17 World Cup last year, will join the Glasgow club’s youth set-up.

Speaking about the deal, ‘Gers academy head Craig Mulholland said:

“We are delighted to welcome Aaron to Rangers and have enjoyed watching his excellent progress with our partners at Orange County.

“He has been exposed at an early age to first team football and will now continue this with a loan in Europe as part of this creative agreement.”

European loan to continue Cervantes’ development

Despite his young age, Cervantes has already experienced first team football. He has made 18 appearances for Orange County whilst he also played in the the Four Nations Tournament and the Sportchain Cup as part of the USA’s under-17 side, both in 2018 (as per rangers.co.uk).

Between the sticks, Steven Gerrard already has plenty of choice. Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin are the first-choice options, with Andy Firth as a further back-up. That is not even including Robby McCrorie, who is currently on loan at Livingston.

As such, a short-team spell away from Ibrox would be the best thing for Cervantes. Hopefully, he can prove Ross Wilson and everyone at Rangers were right to take him to Scotland.

‘Gers fans, do you see Cervantes as a long-term successor to McGregor in nets for the first team? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

Crystal Palace defender Gary Cahill was at the end of a very dangerous tackle from Brighton defender Lewis Dunk last weekend.

Dunk was rightfully sent off, but due to this tackle, the Eagles centre-back will be missing for the upcoming fixture against Fulham.

Roy Hodgson was speaking in his press conference before the weekend fixture and said:”Gary won’t be able to play tomorrow. We’re still assessing it but it’s too soon after the kick he took for him to play tomorrow.”

This is very frustrating and a lot of Palace fans are fuming, as the game against Brighton was his first game since he suffered a hamstring injury at the end of last season.

Hodgson knows the importance of Cahill, as in the past he said, “He’s also brought us leadership qualities, he’s been very good leadership-wise. He’s the best type of leader; he’s the quiet leader people don’t see from Row Z in the stand.”

For now they don’t know the severity of the injury, and it will be very frustrating for Hodgson as the injury definitely could have been avoided.

Here is how Palace fans are reacting to Cahill’s injury:

Have a read of Crystal Palace fans praising one player in the 1-1 draw to Brighton here!