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Newcastle United have been hit with a crushing transfer update regarding Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Freddie Paxon has revealed that the Nigerian would prefer a move to Arsenal over St James’ Park this summer.

The reporter claims that the Gunners are seriously interested in signing the attacker and have taken steps to sign him, although the Serie A club’s valuation of him could be an issue for the north Londoners.

Paxon tweeted: “I’m told Arsenal have been in contact with the agent of Victor Osimhen. The feeling is that the interest is serious, but Napoli will expect €100m+ this summer. Player wants to play in England and has previously been contacted by Newcastle. He is more interested in Arsenal.”

He added: “Personally I’d imagine that if Napoli hold out for that price it would be a big stumbling block for Arsenal, who have other targets who would be available for less. That said, there are clearly big admirers of Osimhen at the Emirates.”

Eddie Howe will be fuming

This update will surely leave Magpies head coach Eddie Howe fuming, as the £85m Osimhen would be a sensational signing for the club, and this latest claim suggests that Newcastle are not winning the race for his signature.

The player is seemingly angling for a move to the Emirates Stadium and it could be difficult for Newcastle to secure a deal for him now.

Arsenal are speaking with his agent and are in the driving seat to land his services, which will potentially leave the Toon considering other targets as they will not want to waste their time on a player who has his heart set on a transfer to another club.

Osimhen has been in phenomenal form for Napoli in Serie A this season. He has scored 12 goals in 20 league starts for the club and averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12, which shows that the overall standard of his performances has been consistently high.

The Nigerian also scored four goals in three Europa League starts earlier in the season to prove himself domestically and in Europe.

At the age of 23, he also has scope to develop his game further and improve as a striker. This means that he would be a fantastic short-term signing given his scoring returns this season, and he would be a player with whom Howe could work over a number of years.

This is why the Newcastle head coach will be fuming with the player’s decision to pursue a transfer to Arsenal instead of wanting to join the Magpies.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bruno: PIF must finally launch NUFC move for “outrageous” £50m dynamo…

An update has emerged on Rangers transfer target Jed Wallace, regarding his contract situation at Championship side Millwall.

What’s the talk?

According to Football League World, Rangers target Jed Wallace is increasingly unlikely to sign a new deal with Millwall as the Championship outfit continue to struggle to agree terms with him.

The report claims that Rangers, Celtic and West Ham are among the teams keen on the winger, who is out of contract at the end of the campaign.

Excitement

Rangers fans will surely be excited after reading this update on Wallace’s future. It appears as though the chances of him signing an extension with Millwall are slim, which means that the Gers would be able to snap him up on a pre-contract deal in January should he be interested in moving to Scotland.

Steven Gerrard could land him on a free transfer next summer and add a quality midfielder to his squad without paying a penny in transfer fees. This is why supporters will be excited, as the club could be inching closer to securing a bargain deal for a talented forward.

Millwall manager Gary Rowett once heaped praise on the ex-Portsmouth winger, saying: “It seems Jed Wallace is instrumental in everything we achieve at the moment. His recent stats are unbelievable.”

His statistics for Millwall in the Championship back up these claims from Rowett. He has three goals and three assists in eight games this term, having managed 11 goals and five assists last season.

Wallace also racked up 10 goals and 13 assists in the 2019/20 second-tier campaign, showing that he has the quality to score and assist goals on a regular basis.

Rangers fans will be buzzing to read that he looks set to leave Millwall on a free transfer, as it opens the door for the Gers to swoop in. If he does make a move up north and goes on to translate his form for the Lions up to Scotland then he could be a valuable asset in the final third for Gerrard.

AND in other news, McAllister drops fresh update on “outstanding” Rangers gem that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Celtic have now been backed to lose Odsonne Edouard before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Edouard out?

As per Football Insider, Nice are lining up a move to sign Edouard, and the Parkhead club would be willing to listen to offers of less than £20m for their star striker.

However, as quoted by Glasgow Live, Ange Postecoglou has admitted that there is a ‘concern’ about cashing in on him, despite only having a year left on his current deal.

The Latest: Campbell on Edouard

Speaking to Football Insider, former Everton and Arsenal striker now pundit Kevin Campbell has backed the Hoops to lose Edouard before the window shuts, even going as far as to claim that it is ‘inevitable’:

“Here’s the thing, Edouard’s been touted everywhere.

“I think it will happen, it’s inevitable. If it doesn’t I think he can help his new strike partner a lot.

“He’s seen it, he’s done it. If you take him away, maybe they are a lot weaker.

“It will be interesting to see how that dynamic works, if he stays and if he goes.

“But I expect him to go before the window closes.”

The Verdict: Sell now

Given that he only has a year left on his contract, and that he has been linked with a move away, there seems to be no desire at all for Edouard to sign a new one, and so the Celts must look to cash in on him now or risk losing him for free next summer.

Of course, he is such a key player for them, scoring no fewer than 85 goals and making a further 39 assists in 176 games in total over all competitions across the last five consecutive seasons (Transfermarkt).

However, considering that he is only valued at £15.3m by Transfermarkt right now, getting close to £20m for him in the next ten days would be great business.

The Bhoys should be looking to sell the Frenchman now, so that they leave themselves enough time to replace him before the window closes.

In other news, find out who has now flown in for a Celtic medical here!

Manchester United will be hoping to pick up where they left off before the international break when Newcastle visit Old Trafford this afternoon.

The Red Devils picked up a healthy seven points from a possible nine in the opening weeks of the new Premier League campaign, and the addition of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo will provide a significant boost to their ambitions this season.

However, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have a difficult decision to make regarding who starts in midfield, with Scott McTominay unavailable for the 20-time English champions today due to injury.

There was also a doubt over Fred due to a dispute involving the Brazilian FA and coronavirus restrictions, but he has now been cleared to play.

The duo normally form either a double pivot alongside each other in United’s engine room, or if Solskjaer is feeling more adventurous, he drops one for a more attacking option.

On this occasion, the Norwegian will be forced to field a different setup in the centre of the park, handing an opportunity to one of the club’s fringe plays.

Against Southampton, 33-year-old Nemanja Matic got the nod to play alongside Fred, but his underwhelming display saw him return to the bench last time out.

The experienced campaigner would perhaps be the safe option for Solskjaer, yet a fixture at Old Trafford against a struggling Newcastle side on Ronaldo’s homecoming is no time to play things safe.

Therefore, he must bring Donny van de Beek into the starting lineup, giving the Netherlands international a perfect opportunity to showcase his true potential and stake a claim for a regular spot in the first XI.

Van de Beek arrived on English shores with a sizeable reputation after scoring 41 goals and providing 34 assists in 175 games for Ajax, as well as winning a domestic double in 2018/19 as they reached the Champions League semi-finals.

Nevertheless, the 24-year-old struggled in his maiden Premier League campaign, making just four top-flight starts last term as he attempted to get to grips with his new surroundings.

He did catch the eye from time to time, though. One such occasion was against Istanbul Basaksehir while on European duty, and his impressive showing drew praise from former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves.

“I thought Van de Beek was close to perfect. He is so unselfish, he can just fit in and play the right balls everywhere,” said the BT Sport pundit.

Van de Beek’s previous exploits for Ajax illustrate that he can be a real game-changer when on top form, and today’s fixture could be the ideal opportunity for him to show that in a United shirt, so Solskjaer must give the 24-year-old the opportunity to rediscover his golden touch.

In other news… Report reveals MUFC make “excellent” £63m-rated gem top priority, Ole will be elated 

Crystal Palace’s summer overhaul appears to have been a considerable success in the opening weeks of the new campaign, with Patrick Vieira’s charges impressing so far.

With Odsonne Edouard scoring a brace on his debut, Conor Gallagher already becoming a fan’s favourite, and the centre-back pairing of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen growing stronger by the game, it’s hard to criticise the south London outfit’s business in the transfer window.

However, while the arrivals at Selhurst Park have settled quickly, proving themselves to be sensible purchases, it’s one of their former stars who was allowed to depart that has raised several eyebrows.

Winger Andros Townsend was amongst several experienced campaigners to be released by the capital club in the previous window, although he revealed back in June that negotiations over a new deal were taking place with Palace’s hierarchy.

“We’re still having brief discussions,” Townsend told talkSPORT (as reported by Football.London). “The club have told all of us that there’s no decisions being made until a manager has been appointed.

“Since then, Christian Benteke has signed a new deal, so… (laughs). So I don’t know. I want to be somewhere on July 1st.

“My agent is in the background now getting as much interest put into an offer, and then I’ll sit down with my agent, and around July 1st (we’ll) see which one is the best for me at this time in my career.”

However, just a month later, the Evening Standard reported that a change in circumstances meant that the former England international would not be returning to Palace, leaving the door open for Everton to swoop.

And now chairman Steve Parish must be regretting his decision to allow the £58,000-per-week gem to depart after watching Townsend flourish at Goodison Park.

In just nine appearances for the Toffees, Townsend has bagged five goals and laid on a further three assists for his teammates, highlighting his ability to still produce at the highest level despite turning 30 in July. He even scored at Old Trafford against Manchester United, mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration in the process.

The flying winger joined Palace in a £13m deal back in 2016, and the club’s chief will surely be gutted that such a talented star walked away for free over the summer, condemning them to their first transfer nightmare of Vieira’s new era.

And, in other news…Crystal Palace could be set for surprise injury boost, Vieira will be delighted 

Aston Villa get their Premier League season underway on Saturday afternoon when they make the trip to face newly-promoted Watford at Vicarage Road.

Dean Smith’s side will play their first competitive game without talisman Jack Grealish, although a number of exciting new signings have certainly given fans a sense of optimism heading into the new campaign.

One man who the Villa boss must certainly start today, is Emi Buendia.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Smith confirmed that the former Norwich star would be available to face the Hornets, saying: “(Buendia) is good to go. He had a slight adductor injury and I didn’t want to risk him in the game on Sunday (vs Salernitana). But he’s trained all week and he’s available for selection.”

The Argentine shone during the time that he was on the pitch in pre-season, especially in a fine performance against Walsall.

On Twitter, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece was left raving about his performance, saying: “Emi Buendia had Villa fans drooling here at Walsall; the two balls in for Watkins were a delight.”

Writing in his post-match player ratings, he added: “Two assists for Villa’s record signing and what a delight they both were. The Argentinian picks up some clever positions inside and, in doing so, he carved Walsall open on both occasions to feed Watkins who scored twice.

“Buendia can pick a pass all right and the prospect of the little magician linking up with Watkins and Jack Grealish this season is a frightening one. Buendia was brilliant and he’s already left fans wanting to see more.”

The 24-year-old was superb last season for Norwich, playing in between the lines to good effect and showing the kind of eye for a pass which saw him finish as the Championship’s leading assists provider with 16 last term.

The £31.5m-rated playmaker has been dubbed a “revelation” by Chris Sutton, and could well be Villa’s game-changer today against Watford in his first competitive game for the club.

Meanwhile, this Villa star could now leave…

Many Everton fans have been bemoaning some early team news ahead of their Premier Leaguematch at home to Brighton and Hove Albion today.

As per journalist Alan Myers, new signing Vitaliy Mykolenko is ‘not eligible’ to play at Goodison Park this afternoon.

The Merseyside club had announced the Ukrainian’s signature on their official website on Saturday morning, but they will not be able to see a first glimpse of him when they take on the Seagulls today.

Of course, there is still speculation surrounding the future of the recently-overlooked Lucas Digne as well, so Rafael Benitez’s team may go into the game without a recognised left-back, which in turn could affect their chances of getting all three points against Graham Potter’s side.

Everton fans on team news

These Everton fans bemoaned the team news as it was shared on Twitter, with one supporter claiming that they were ‘gutted’, while another even went as far as to call it a ‘blow’:

“Boooooo”

Credit: @RhysDavies1878

“Why always us?”

Credit: @HeidiInteriors

“That’s a blow”

Credit: @EvertonAllSorts

“That’s sad”

Credit: @534Nz

“Just let us be happy for 5 minutes please, I beg”

Credit: @maggiejane1985

“Gutted”

Credit: @michmosh85

In other news, find out what transfer news has left these Evertonians fuming

Journalist Joshua Mbu hit out at three West Ham players in the defeat to Brentford on Sunday afternoon. 

The Lowdown:

David Moyes made three changes to the side that drew with Lyon on Thursday evening, with Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Manuel Lanzini coming in for Alphonse Areola, Ryan Fredericks and Said Benrahma.

The Hammers struggled throughout against Thomas Frank’s side, with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney after half-time the difference between the two sides.

The defeat leaves the Hammers six points behind Tottenham in the race for fourth, with both Arsenal and Spurs having games in hand.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-newest-updates/” title=”West Ham newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Mbu’s post

Mbu, a journalist for The Sun, took to Twitter in the first half to hit out at Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen.

He labelled the trio behind Michail Antonio as ‘having an absolute shocker’ – and the stats back that up. As per SofaScore, the trio lost possession on 32 occasions, had no shots on or off goal all afternoon and made just one successful cross combined.

The Verdict: All eyes are on Lyon…

It seemed as if one eye was already on the trip to France for the second leg with Lyon, and it looks as if any chance of finishing in the top four is now over for the Hammers.

Moyes will want to put this result behind him and look towards the showdown with the Ligue 1 side, and he’ll have a number of selection calls to make ahead of the second leg.

Aaron Cresswell is suspended so will certainly miss out, and hopefully, fans will see a much-improved display against the French side, as it now seems to be the most realistic route into Europe’s elite competition next season.

In other news: West Ham make contact to sign ‘one of the top four’ number eights in Europe! Find out more here.

Many Southampton fans have slammed the performance of Jan Bednarek in their 1-0 win away to Watford in the Premier League on Saturday.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men picked up a vital three points thanks to a lovely finish from Che Adams on the 20-minute mark, but a lot of Saints supporters were still unimpressed with the Poland defender’s performance.

The 25-year-old lost out on three of his duels and failed to block any shots, while he also lost possession of the ball on 12 different occasions in the match (SofaScore). In the closing minutes, he was turned all too easily by Ashley Fletcher, whose shot was brilliantly clawed away by Alex McCarthy to preserve victory for Southampton (Sky Sports).

It has led to some fans calling for summer signing Lyanco to come into the starting line-up instead of Bednarek, as they want to see more of their new recruit.

Southampton fans on Bednarek’s display

These Saints fans on Twitter were left slamming the Pole’s performance, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that the defender was a ‘liability’ at Vicarage Road:

“Lyanco surely has to start from now on. Bednarek is becoming a liability at the back, if it wasn’t for the likes of Salisu and Tino mopping up for him.”

Credit: @EthanEvansSJ

“Bednarek is all over the place. No positioning awareness, just ball chasing”

Credit: @LH_SFC

“Bednarek’s form since that 9-0 to Manchester United has been absolutely awful.”

Credit: @andrew2021k

“Such a poor header from Bednarek”

Credit: @great_state

“Good half, Bednarek showing why Lyanco should be playing though. Switching off at vital moments! Top hit from Chele but should be 3 up!”

Credit: @Too_Jazzee

“Maya Yoshida wouldn’t have gotten away with half the errors that Jan Bednarek makes on a weekly basis.”

Credit: @_ScottWinter_

In other news, find out what Ralph Hasenhuttl comments have left these Saints unhappy

Sunderland dug out an injury-time winner through Nathan Broadhead as they beat Shrewsbury Town 3-2 at home in League One on Saturday afternoon.

The Everton loanee ended up grabbing two goals, with Elliot Embleton scoring the other, as Alex Neil’s team were forced to dig their heels in after losing a two-goal lead.

It is safe to say that some of the players were not at their best at the Stadium of Light, and so The Transfer Tavern have now used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for the hosts on the day – could any of these men be looking over their shoulders regarding their place in the first XI?

Lynden Gooch

Given a 6.5 overall rating, Gooch ranked as the Black Cats’ third-worst player.

The 26-year-old lost out on four of his duels, while he was also off target with both of his shots.

Defensively, Gooch did not manage to block any shots or make any interceptions, while he was also dribbled past and lost the ball a total of 21 times, the most out of any of his teammates.

Bailey Wright

Wright ranks in second here as he was given a 6.3 rating.

The captain lost six of his duels, while he also failed to record a single clearance, interception or tackle, giving the ball away on 14 separate occasions.

Anthony Patterson

As he conceded two goals, it is perhaps unsurprising that Patterson ranked as SAFC’s worst performer with a 6.2 rating.

The goalkeeper only managed to make one save in the entire match, while he was also guilty of losing possession six times from his 28 touches of the ball.

In other news, find out what footage from the game left this journalist stunned here!