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Kieran Maguire has dropped a promising claim on Financial Fair Play (FFP) if the proposed takeover of Newcastle United does end up going through.

The Lowdown: Claims launched

Mike Ashley has launched two separate claims against the Premier League over the failed takeover deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

One is the main arbitration case, which is set to take place over the coming months, and the other is an anti-competition lawsuit over the English top flight’s decision-making process over the failed bid.

The Latest: FFP claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire, who is an expert in football finance, has claimed that the St. James’ Park faithful would not be ‘shackled’ by FFP initially if the takeover did go through, and added that they would ‘be able to put their foot on the gas’ in terms of spending:

“I don’t think Newcastle would be shackled (by financial fair play) initially. That’s because, for all his faults, Mike Ashley will leave behind a company that has a lot of wiggle room in terms of FFP.

“If somebody does take over at Newcastle, they will be able to put their foot on the gas in terms of spending.

“They have that flexibility because you’re allowed that loss of £105million under FFP over three years.”

The Verdict: Promising

It is certainly promising to hear that the North East club would not have to worry too much about FFP initially if they were to get taken over by the KSA consortium.

The new owners will want to climb up the table in the Premier League as soon as possible and mix it up with the division’s elite in terms of financial power, and so while it is important for them to keep within FFP, they will still want to flex their muscles in terms of spending.

Nonetheless, a positive result in the arbitration hearing for the Tyneside club could accelerate the takeover process, but due to the timing, it is likely that any changes in financial strength would not be seen until the January transfer window, assuming that a deal could then be completed after proceedings.

In other news, find out why NUFC’s hopes of signing one top-flight target have been boosted here!

When West Brom secured promotion back to the Premier League in 2020, their star player wasn’t up for debate.

Brazilian playmaker Matheus Pereira was on loan from Sporting CP and took to the English game like a duck to water, chipping in with eight goals and 16 assists across the campaign.

The Baggies turned his move permanent as they moved up to the Premier League and once again he was the stand-out player in their squad, scoring 11 goals and registering six assists in England’s top flight. It wasn’t enough to keep the Midlands side in the division though and he eventually made the move to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia to continue his career away from the Hawthorns.

With West Brom back in the Championship this season, they are desperate to get back to the top flight as quickly as possible. They currently sit third in the division, six points behind Bournemouth in the automatic promotion places. Their problem this year has been relatively easy to spot; they aren’t scoring enough goals.

Valerien Ismael’s side have managed just 29 goals in 21 games so far this season, with top scorer Karlan Grant hitting nine of those. Callum Robinson has chipped in with three goals as the main striker, while he leads the assist charts for his club with six this season.

But the lack of quality in the final third is clear for all to see and it shows just how much they are missing Pereira in their side.

During his year in the Championship, Pereira averaged 2.6 shots, 2.8 key passes, 1.5 dribbles and 0.2 through balls per game.

In comparison, this season Grant has averaged 2.5 shots, 1.2 key passes, 1 dribble and zero through balls a match, while fellow attacker Matty Phillips has averaged 1.5 shots, 1 dribble and key passes an outing to go with only 0.1 through balls.

It shows the clear difference in quality and level between West Brom’s current options in the final third compared with Pereira, a player dubbed “incredible” by former coach, Nate Weiss. It makes it clear how much they miss him.

The £13.5m-rated wizard won’t be making a return to the Hawthorns any time soon, so the Baggies must find a way to replace him or regret letting him go in the first place.

AND in other news, West Brom must keep Sam Johnstone beyond January.

Liverpool are interested in a deal to bring Serge Gnabry to Anfield in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Goal, who claim that, with there being no sign of the 26-year-old and Bayern Munich reaching an agreement regarding the extension of the winger’s current contract at the Allianz Arena – with is due to expire in the summer of 2023 – the Germany international is now considering a move away from the Bundesliga side.

The report goes on to state that this has alerted both Liverpool and Real Madrid to the forward’s potential availability this summer, with Jurgen Klopp’s side said to have identified the former Arsenal attacker as a candidate to replace Mohamed Salah – who is himself being linked with a move away from Anfield due to similar contractual issues.

Bye-bye Salah

While it would be an extremely difficult task to find a supporter of Liverpool who would be happy to wave goodbye to Salah at the end of the season, should the £225k-per-week forward go on to secure a move away from the club this summer, Gnabry would very much appear to be a near-perfect replacement for the Egyptian sensation.

Indeed, since making an €8m (£6.5m) move to Bayern back in July of 2017, Gnabry has gone on to establish a reputation as being one of the most deadly wingers currently playing the game – having scored a quite astonishing 61 goals and registered 40 assists over just 163 appearances for Die Roten – averaging 0.62 direct goal contributions per game.

And, while the €70m (£58m) valued German’s record is poorer than Salah’s at Liverpool – with the £90m-rated forward having scored 153 goals and provided 57 assists over his 240 outings for the Reds, averaging 0.89 direct goal contributions per game – it should be pointed out Gnabry’s record is still incredibly impressive, it is just that Salah has been on a different level from almost everyone in world football over the past four years.

Indeed, with the £115k-rated talent who Michael O’Neill dubbed “unplayable” being three years Salah’s junior, it is arguable whether or not the 26-year-old has even entered the prime of his professional career as yet – while the 29-year-old is certainly well into his.

Either way, should the Egypt international move onto pastures new this summer, Klopp could do a great deal worse than signing the Bayern star as his replacement, as Gnabry very much appears to be one of a very select group of players who would be able to soften the blow of losing the Liverpool talisman.

AND in other news: Source: Klopp now wants Liverpool to sign £150m “explosion”, he’s better than Thiago

Renato Sanches may be eyeing up a move to a bigger club than Wolves, which could scupper a switch to Molineux, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with January move

According to recent reports, Bruno Lage is keen on acquiring the signature of the Lille man who shone for Portugal at Euro 2020, averaging a 91.6% pass completion rate.

Sanches’ current Lille contract expires in the summer of 2o23, so next year will likely be their final opportunity to receive a hefty fee for him.

Wolves could eye up a January move for the 24-year-old but a negative update has emerged in that respect.

The Latest: Journalist provides Sanches update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield claimed Sanches may see his future at a club with greater credentials than Wolves, putting paid to a move to Molineux:

“The issue with Sanches is you see his name linked with other clubs, and clubs who are higher up the pecking order in terms of size than Wolves. Would he see them as a more attractive option? That’s a question you’ve got to ask.”

The Verdict: Talented but injury-prone

Sanches is an extremely gifted footballer – he won the 2016 European Golden Boy award, which speaks volumes – but his career has been plagued by injuries.

In fact, the 32-time capped Portugal international has never started more than 16 league games in a season at any club, highlighting his fitness issues. If he were to play just 16 times in a 38-game Premier League campaign, that amounts to only 42 per cent of the season.

For that reason, Wolves may end up seeing not signing Sanches as a blessing in disguise, spending their money on a more trustworthy midfielder who will be available for more than half the campaign.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has given an update on one Wolves target. Find out who it is here.

Mohamed Salah is increasingly close to signing a new deal with Liverpool in a potentially huge boost for the Reds, according to a new update.

The Lowdown: Salah saga continues

The future of Liverpool’s Egyptian superstar has dominated the headlines of late, with it unknown if he will sign a new contract or not.

Salah’s current deal expires at the end of next season and his representatives have struggled to agree with the club’s current offer, leading to an impasse.

Now, a big update has emerged regarding the situation, perhaps a timely boost for the club ahead of Sunday’s game of the season against Manchester City.

The Latest: Massive update emerges

According to Football Insider, a ‘source close to Liverpool’ has informed them that Salah is increasingly likely to extend his stay at Anfield, with talks now ‘close to a breakthrough’.

He is ‘willing to compromise’ on the £500,000-a-week wage demands that have been rumoured, still signing a ‘huge’ deal but earning slightly less than he wants.

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The Verdict: Huge, if true

FSG are stubborn owners, so it was always going to be up to Salah to change his demands and it looks as though that is the case currently, in what a massive positive boost for Liverpool.

Despite a dip in form of late – the 29-year-old hasn’t scored in open play since February – he is arguably still the most important player the Reds have and he has many years left in him at the top, such is his incredible level of fitness, missing just three games through illness or injury in his entire Liverpool career.

For that reason, the idea of him leaving, either this summer or next, doesn’t even bear thinking about and this update suggests he could remain on Merseyside well into his 30s.

In other news, Liverpool are ‘convinced’ they should sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has offered his thoughts on an interesting statistic regarding Rangers veteran Allan McGregor and his form at Ibrox.

What’s the talk?

Former Premier League forward Agbonlahor has admitted that Rangers will need to take the rough with the smooth when it comes to McGregor’s performances this season.

Reacting to the statistic that McGregor has the joint-worst save percentage (50%) in the Scottish Premiership, the pundit said it is to be expected.

He told Football Insider: “That’s going to happen, you’re going to be rotated.

“At McGregor’s age, you’re going to get those moments when you’re in and out of the team. He’s been a great servant to the game, a great servant to Rangers.

“So, I’m sure that he’ll play his fair share of games for Rangers and they’ll still get some good performances out of him.”

Time’s up

The time has come for Steven Gerrard to make a ruthless decision over McGregor’s future. He is out of contract at the end of the season and Rangers need to cut the chord with him to refresh their goalkeeping department for the 2021/22 campaign.

His main competition in the first-team is Jon McLaughlin, who is 34 and also out of contract in 2022. We published an article explaining why he deserves a new contract and should be the number one for Gerrard in all competitions next season, hinting at McGregor’s departure.

The 39-year-old, as Agbonlahor said, has been a sublime player for Rangers throughout his career. He has racked up 401 first-team appearances for the club during two spells, keeping an impressive 186 clean sheets and conceding 313 goals.

McGregor, who is on £13k-per-week, has not been in the best of form this term and his best days could be behind him as he heads towards his 40th birthday. It could be the right time for him to depart from Ibrox and see out his days elsewhere or retire and potentially join the coaching department at the club if Gerrard is willing to take him on to bolster the ranks behind the scenes.

Last season, he saved 85.3% of the shots he faced and looked like he could continue playing for years to come. However, his 50% save rate – the worst in the division – suggests that his time may be up.

He has been beaten by every other shot on target and Gerrard cannot afford to have a liability between the sticks. That’s why he must axe McGregor next summer if the player does not decide to hang up his gloves on his own accord.

AND in other news, Rangers hit the jackpot with “phenomenal” gem whose value has soared 697% in 2 years…

Manchester United have cultivated an enviable reputation for producing a constant stream of talented youngsters in their academy, and striker Anthony Elanga is the latest prodigy to come off their conveyor belt.

The Sweden U21 international departed his homeland back in 2014 in order to chase his dream of becoming a Premier League footballer and burst onto the scene last term, scoring in the Red Devils final-day victory over Wolves on only his second appearance for the club.

Since then, he’s continued to take great strides towards becoming a permanent fixture in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team setup.

After finding the back of the net during a pre-season game over the summer, United’s Norwegian manager was quick to praise Elanga, hinting he could feature more prominently in the senior side throughout 2021/22.

Solskjaer told the club website: “The boy is electric, has energy and enthusiasm, he’s really enjoying himself. He’s done himself the world of good. We know he’s a good player, we know he’s a good lad.

“He works so hard, he’s always smiley, bright, asking what more he needs to do, he’s so hungry to improve and get better. He can play wide left, wide right, upfront, so anywhere along the front line. He’s going to be an asset.”

Elanga’s only minutes in the first-team so far this season have come as an emergency left-back in the 20-time English champions shock 1-0 defeat to West Ham United in the Carabao Cup, though.

However, he’s continued to impress at youth level. He underlined his burgeoning reputation with a match-winning performance for United’s U23s against bitter rivals Liverpool last time out, scoring one and laying on an assist as the academy side earned a 3-0 victory.

And Elanga’s rise to prominence could come at the ideal time for both the player and the club.

With Edinson Cavani’s contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign, Anthony Martial desperately struggling for form and Cristiano Ronaldo deep into the twilight zone of his career, a new forward is believed to be high up on the hierarchy’s wishlist.

The youngster has previously outlined an Arsenal legend as his biggest influence in an interview with The Athletic, saying: “Thierry Henry was my idol, and I tried to match my game with his.

“He was quick. He could play anywhere across the front three – striker, left-wing, right-wing – and that’s how I want to replicate my game.”

But United will be hoping their latest homegrown star can replicate one of their own; Ronaldo.

Just like the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Elanga started his career as a skilful, pacey, goalscoring left-winger, but has already made the leap to becoming a central striker on many occasions.

Of course, it will take some stunning performances to replicate the great Portuguese attacker but his dribbling, goals and creativity certainly show shades of their famous number 7.

Solskjaer and co. will be hoping their Scandinavian starlet carries on his meteoric rise in the weeks and months ahead, providing the Old Trafford outfit with yet another outstanding asset in the final third of the pitch.

And, in other news…Murtough must seal Man Utd move for £70m magician, he’s “destined for great things” 

Former Everton defender Michael Ball believes that Sheffield United player Sander Berge is a player the Toffees would like to bring to Goodison Park. 

The 21-year-old midfielder signed for Sheffield United in January 2020, featuring 16 times for the Blades in all competitions last season.

After Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League, there has been interest in the signature of Berge from Everton, but the Star have reported that Arsenal are interested in a double swoop of the Bramhall Lane outfit, showing interest in Sander Berge and also goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

With possible competition for the 6 ft 5 Berge, Everton will need to act swiftly if they want to land his signature, with Ball telling Transfer Tavern: “I think it’s one Everton would like to bring in, but it’s always going to be a sort of sitting and wait to see who actually moves on going forward and whether they’ve got the cash to actually make that deal happen.”

Prior to Sheffield United’s opening day Championship match against Birmingham City in pre-match press conference manager Slavisa Jokanovic told the Examiner: “There’s a long time in the window ahead of us and I hope the guys will stay with us because they are important players in my squad.”

Berge completed 90 minutes for the Blades in their defeat to Birmingham City over the weekend but with interest from the Premier League it remains to be seen where Berge will be playing his football when the transfer window closes at the end of this month.

Having joined Celtic in what was a £5m deal back in the summer of 2020, with the centre-forward signing a four-year deal on a reported £16k-per-week, the opinion at Parkhead was the Bhoys had secured an excellent addition to their attacking lineup in the shape of Albian Ajeti.

However, over the 24-year-old’s 20 Scottish Premiership appearances during his debut campaign, the £2.88m-rated man scored just six goals, registered one assist and created no big chances for his teammates, as well as hitting the target with an average of just 0.5 shots per game.

These returns saw the Switzerland international who Packie Bonner dubbed a “problem” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.85, ranking him as Celtic’s joint 12th-worst performer in the top flight of Scottish football.

Things have not improved for the striker over his six league appearances this season, with the former West Ham United man averaging an even more disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.72, ranking him as Ange Postecoglou’s eighth-worst performer in the Premiership.

As such, it will perhaps come as no surprise that reports are suggesting the 56-year-old Bhoys manager is looking to move the centre-forward on in the January transfer window, nor why Celtic are being linked with a move for the rather more prolific Yokohama F Marinos striker, Daizen Maeda, as his replacement.

Indeed, over his 34 J League appearances this term, the 24-year-old has scored 21 goals, provided three assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player who Kevin Muscat dubbed a “fantastic” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as his side’s seventh-best performer in the Japanese top flight.

As such, it would indeed appear highly advisable for Postecoglou to finally wash Celtic’s hands of Ajeti this January and bring in a much more promising striker in the shape of the £990k-rated Maeda in his place.

In other news: Ransacked of £5.9m: Celtic had a transfer disasterclass on “horrendous” £20k-p/w flop

Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race to sign Mikkel Damsgaard this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Italian newspaper La Repubblica claim (via Tuttomercatoweb) that the Premier League side have accelerated their interest in the Sampdoria attacking midfielder.

It’s thought that Spurs have now overtaken other suitors, with sporting director Fabio Paratici prepared to offer a bid of €25m (£21.5m).

European giants Barcelona and AC Milan have been mooted with a move for the 21-year-old gem in recent months, as per Goal, but now it appears as if the Lilywhites have nudged one step closer to winning the tussle.

Bye-bye Moura

Nuno Santo has some interesting choices to make in the wing department.

It’s believed that Erik Lamela is closing in on a switch to Sevilla, in which Spurs will receive Bryan Gil in a swap, and the outgoings may not stop there as Lucas Moura is another name that the club are reportedly prepared to offload.

“They have put Lamela on the market and Lucas Moura on the market hoping to receive transfer fees and reduce their wage bill,” claimed journalist Duncan Castles on ‘The Transfer Window’ podcast.

Replacing an injury-prone 29-year-old with one of Spain’s top young prospects, and an inconsistent 28-year-old with a highly-rated 21-year-old, could be very smart business indeed.

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It’s no wonder former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was keen to sign him and it’s no wonder the former Juventus supremo feels the same way. Damsgaard could be a real star of the future and we got a glimpse of that at Euro 2020, as he rifled home a scorching strike against Russia to help Denmark qualify for the knockout stages.

The £18m-rated dynamo can play anywhere behind the striker and offers a mix of electrifying pace and phenomenal work rate, that much was displayed throughout his domestic campaign.

As per WhoScored, Damsgaard delivered two goals and four assists last term, whilst also averaging 1.5 dribbles and 1.2 tackles per game, proving to be quite the threat under former Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri, who dubbed him a “child prodigy” to reporters at one point.

His playing style has been likened to Danish great Michael Laudrup and TV2’s football expert Martin Mikkelsen described him as “magical”.

By comparison, Moura struggled to match such returns, managing only 1.1 dribbles and 1.1 tackles per game in the Premier League last term, via WhoScored.

On the above evidence, Paratici must look to seal a move for the young Sampdoria sensation. He and Gil could be one hell of a duo for years to come, and it’s that sort of forward planning which could get Spurs back on top.

AND in other news, Nuno set for Hotspur Way boost as Alasdair Gold drops exciting claim…