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Newcastle United have been heavily linked with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, with the Ukrainian sensation currently attracting interest from across Europe.

What’s the word?

Recent reports have claimed that the Magpies are eyeing up a move for the 21-year-old in order to bolster manager Eddie Howe’s attacking options, with the Premier League outfit believed to be readying an offer worth more than £50m.

The fleet-footed forward has, however, been tipped for a move to fellow top-flight side Arsenal in recent months, as well as a number of continental clubs, while Everton are also believed to have made an offer for the youngster’s services over the summer.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT regarding the Tynesiders’ interest, specifically, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has given his backing to the move, suggesting it would be a real coup for the St James’ Park outfit.

The transfer insider stated: “That one really stands out. If they were to bring someone like him in, that would be a real statement.”

Boost Champions League bid

The arrival of such a talent could well help the northeast side in their quest to secure a Champions League berth, with Howe and co currently well-placed to do so having gone into the World Cup break in third place and just two points off champions Manchester City in second.

Such a remarkable start to the season may be somewhat unexpected for even the club’s ambitious ownership, having previously been scrapping for survival a year ago, although PIF may need to capitalise on the current position and further strengthen the squad in January, subsequently boosting the chances of sealing a top-four berth.

A further attacking recruit could well be needed in order to shoulder the current burden on Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron, with the final starting berth in the forward line having yet to be cemented, with the dynamic Allan Saint-Maximin having been hampered by injury this season.

The French wing wizard had also previously been tipped for a departure over the summer amid doubts over his long-term future at the club, while teammate Jacob Murphy – who has also operated off the left this season – has just one goal to his name thus far this term.

Adding Mudryk – who has been dubbed a “baller” by journalist Sacha Pisani – into the mix could well solve that issue on the left flank, with the explosive forward having proven his credentials at the elite level of late, providing five goal involvements in just six Champions League group games, including two stunning efforts against Scottish giants Celtic, both ‘home’ and away.

Equally, on the domestic front, the eight-cap speedster has also sparkled despite the ongoing Russian invasion that has impacted his homeland, scoring five goals and providing five assists in just nine league games.

That has ensured that his total tally for the season thus far stands at 15 goals and assists in just 15 games, while he boasts an overall record for his current side of 26 goal contributions in just 41 matches across all fronts.

While still relatively inexperienced at senior level, Mudryk has already showcased his undoubted talent in recent times, with his arrival potentially the ‘statement’ addition that Newcastle are in need of to go to that next level, with a place in Europe’s premier competition now firmly up for grabs.

Saudi Arabian consortium PIF completed their takeover of Newcastle United in October of last year and have enjoyed just over a year in charge of the club.

The team has been successful on the pitch since they became owners as Eddie Howe led the team to survival in the Premier League after taking over from Steve Bruce last season.

Newcastle are now sitting sixth in the top-flight table after 11 matches in the current campaign and the success could be put down, in part, to PIF’s work in the transfer market.

They have not been afraid of splashing the cash since arriving in England, in either of their two windows in charge so far. Back in January, they brought in Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, and Chris Wood on permanent deals.

Sven Botman, Alexander Isak, Matt Targett, who was on loan earlier in the year, and Nick Pope followed them in the summer to bolster Howe’s squad.

One player PIF have struck gold with is Dutch central defender Botman, who joined from Ligue 1 side Lille ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Newcastle reportedly paid an initial fee of £32m for the gem and Howe hailed his potential at the time of the move, saying:

“I’m delighted Sven is joining us. He is technically very good, physically very good and has a great attitude.

“At 22, he already has solid experience at the top level but he is at a great age to grow with this team.”

Chronicle journalist Charlie Bennett recently claimed that the machine has “scary potential” and his form in the Premier League this season, at the age of just 22, backs that claim up.

Botman has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.10 in the top-flight for the Magpies, winning 73% of his individual duels and completing 87% of his attempted passes. This shows that he has been dominant out of possession and comfortable on the ball, whilst providing consistently impressive performances.

Meanwhile, Harry Maguire, who cost Manchester United an eye-watering £80m, has averaged a rating of 6.91 or lower since the start of the 2021/22 season. His new teammate Lisandro Martinez, who reportedly cost them £57m, has averaged a score of 6.88 in his ten Premier League outings so far.

These statistics suggest that Botman, who Josh Bunting described as “colossal” only this week, has been incredible value for money for Newcastle as he has been outperforming two centre-backs who cost considerably more money than he did.

At the age of 22, he now has many years ahead of him to develop and hone his skills in order to improve his performances on the pitch for the Magpies. Now, imagine how good he can be in a few years if he is able to grow because of Howe’s coaching and his experience in the Premier League.

If Maguire and Martinez are worth £80m and £57m respectively, then Botman could end up being worth far more than £32m, which is why PIF have certainly struck gold by signing him.

West Ham United have been dealt a big injury blow ahead of their Europa Conference League meeting with RSC Anderlecht on Thursday evening.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to ExWHUemployee, who revealed on a recent episode of The West Ham Way podcast that, after being withdrawn in the 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday due to a calf strain, Maxwel Cornet was sent for scans earlier this week to determine how severe the winger’s injury is.

The West Ham insider went on to state that, as a result of his setback, he does not expect the 26-year-old to feature in David Moyes’ squad to face Anderlecht on Thursday, before suggesting that the forward could even remain sidelined for the Hammers’ Premier League meeting with Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

Regarding the condition of the Ivory Coast international, Ex said: “Obviously he went off during the game on Saturday with a calf injury. Now, the club are doing scans on that calf injury today [Monday]. He did return to the bench quite quickly after he went off, so it didn’t appear to be too serious.

“But he’s just being checked out by the medical team with scans [on Monday] to ascertain the extent of that injury. I mean, I’d probably suggest he won’t play on Thursday, but it’ll be interesting to see whether it goes beyond the Fulham game, but we shall see what the scan says.”

Big blow for Moyes

Considering just how impressive Cornet has been for West Ham in Europe so far this season, Ex’s claim that the winger looks unlikely to feature against Anderlecht on Thursday is undoubtedly bad news for Moyes and his side.

Indeed, the £17.5m-rated attacker played a key role in the Irons’ qualification for the Conference League, registering two assists in the club’s 6-1 aggregate victory over Viborg FF in the play-off round prior to the start of the tournament proper.

This is form the 26-year-old has continued over his two outings in the group stage of the competition, registering one further assist, in addition to making an average of 3.0 key passes – the joint seventh-most in the tournament – taking 0.5 shots and completing 0.5 dribbles per game.

The 29-cap international has also contributed for the Hammers in a defensive capacity, making an average of 2.0 tackles, gaining possession of the ball 1.5 times and winning 4.5 duels per fixture, in addition to completing an average of one cross and finding his man with 1.5 long balls per game.

These metrics have seen the player who Moyes claimed has “shown he can get a goal” average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.10, currently ranking him as West Ham’s sixth-best performer in the competition.

As such, it is clear to see that the loss of Cornet’s creativity will come as a big blow to the Irons ahead of the Anderlecht fixture, especially considering the fact that a win against the Belgian side would put Moyes’ men in pole position to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition.

While Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Bruno Lage may well be operating with something of a threadbare squad at present – having lost a host of key figures over the summer – that fact has had a positive outcome with regards to the promotion of young talent.

One young man who has been on the cusp of the first-team of late is defender Hugo Bueno, with the 20-year-old having been named in the matchday squad on a handful of occasions so far this term, albeit with a senior outing having as yet eluded him.

A left-back by trade, the promising Spaniard could well prove hard to ignore for much longer such has been his form at youth level of late, having notably provided two assists in just three Premier League 2 games so far this season.

The attacking full-back appears to have continued the sparkling form that he had showcased last season, scoring four goals and providing seven assists from his left-sided berth in just 17 games across all fronts.

Such a creative touch could well be vital for the Molineux outfit at present, with the Old Gold having so far scored just three goals in their opening seven league games, having previously only scored at a rate of one goal per game last term.

With only three senior full-backs in Lage’s squad – in the form of Jonny, Nelson Semedo and Rayan Ait-Nouri – there is no doubt a need for further competition in the defensive ranks, particularly with Marcal and Ruben Vinagre having both left the club over the summer.

Part of an exciting crop of prospects alongside the likes of Chem Campbell and Lee Harkin, Bueno could well be a real long-term option for the Midlands side, with the club able to save themselves millions on bringing in new recruits by turning to their academy talent.

The youngster has already been on the receiving end of hefty praise from Wolves’ U23’s coach, James Collins, who lauded his work rate following a win over Newcastle United last season, stating:

“You talk about hard work, and that boy works harder than anyone I know. After we finish training he grabs a bag of balls and he’s doing little stepovers and jinks. I actually tease him at times because I tell him that’s not his game, but then he gets in those positions and he produces it and scores.

“Some people think that’s luck or talent, but that’s not talent, that’s him working extremely hard at his craft to become more threatening in the attacking thirds, and he’s got his rewards tonight, which he may well have got earlier on in the season at different times, but he’s been unlucky, so I was delighted for him to get his goals tonight.”

That ringing endorsement should well be a sign to Lage that he can trust the emerging sensation if he is to hand him a first-team debut in the near future, with Bueno having no doubt done more than enough to warrant the promotion.

Real Madrid are reportedly wary of the threat that the ‘wonderful’ Matt O’Riley will pose for Celtic in their much-anticipated Champions League clash.

The Lowdown: Huge night awaits at Parkhead

The Hoops face one of their biggest matches in years on Tuesday night, with European champions Madrid making the trip to Parkhead.

It promises to be a deafening atmosphere and Ange Postecoglou’s side will be dreaming of a huge shock following a superb start to the season.

It will be a night where every Celtic player will need to perform but O’Riley will be a key figure, having already provided five assists in just six Scottish Premiership appearances this season.

The Latest: O’Riley singled out

Madrid newspaper AS [via Sport Witness] write that the 21-year-old is a player for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to worry about, given his ‘wonderful’ quality:

“He is physically very powerful, he is about 1.90 tall, and he has a very fine kick with his left leg. Last Saturday he gave two assists in the resounding victory against the ‘enemy’ Rangers; one of them, for Jota, was wonderful.”

However, they also pinpoint the big weakness for the Bhoys, believing their defence will not be able to stand up to the quality on show from Madrid.

The Verdict: Massive occasion for youngster

This is surely the biggest game of O’Riley’s blossoming career to date – one that represents a wonderful chance for him to showcase his talent on the biggest club stage of them all – and it is exciting to see the mighty Madrid single him out as a threat.

The young midfielder will likely come up against two of the best of their generation in Luka Modric and Toni Kroos, but he should embrace the challenge with open arms.

Postecoglou has urged his team to approach the game in a fearless manner and O’Riley must heed his manager’s words, not being overawed and simply playing the way he has all season to date. It’s easier said than done, but he is more than capable of standing out on a massive night.

Manchester City are expected to receive an approach from Barcelona for Bernardo Silva in the ‘next few days’, according to Spanish newspaper Sport (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

The Athletic reported on Monday that City are standing in firm in a €100million (£84.1million) valuation for fan favourite Bernardo, who has three years left on his contract after penning an extension back in 2019.

Personal terms shouldn’t be an issue if a bid is accepted however, with the Portuguese maestro having already agreed a four-year deal in principle.

The latest

Major Spanish outlet Sport reported on Sunday (via SW) that Pep Guardiola has left Bernardo on the bench for his side’s first two matches because he could be leaving ‘very soon’.

Silva was the last to leave the field after Saturday’s 4-0 victory over Bournemouth, and this has been viewed as him bidding ‘farewell’.

In a further update on Monday, they now claim that Barcelona will ‘initiate contact’ with the reigning Premier League champions imminently, specifically the next 72 hours

They plan to lower their wage bill to create space for Bernardo, and then make their move.

The verdict

Losing such a talented and versatile cog in Pep’s machine would be a big blow to City’s chances of retaining the Premier League title. His collection of individual honours proves that he’s one of their best players.

He made the PFA Team of the Year in 2018/19 and 2021/22 in recognition of his key contribution to City’s title-winning campaigns. And the 28-year-old has also earned a nomination for this year’s Ballon D’Or.

The problem, however, is that he wants to leave the club, and Guardiola may be reluctant to keep a player who is seemingly dreaming of playing elsewhere.

Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Conor Coady is now ‘closing in’ on a move to Premier League rivals Everton, according to reliable journalist Paul Joyce.

The Lowdown: Coady’s career

After joining the west Midlands club in 2015 for £2m, the England international has gone on to become a fantastic servant for the Old Gold.

During his seven-year tenure at the club, the 29-year-old has amassed an incredible 317 appearances for Wolves, with 152 of those coming in the English top flight.

The Liverpudlian led Wolves out for every single Premier League game last season, illustrating his reliability and consistency to perform at the highest level.

The Latest: Joyce’s news

Despite Coady having three years remaining on his current contract at Molineux, Joyce has revealed that the Wolves captain is now set to make the move to Goodison Park.

Taking to Twitter, the reliable journalist claimed: “Everton closing in on deal for Wolves’ captain Conor Coady. Could be loan initially with view to permanent.”

The Verdict: Massive loss

Coady’s statistics alone demonstrate his importance to Wolves’ defence – during the 2021/22 season, the centre-back averaged 3.7 clearances and 1.1 blocks per game (via WhoScored), placing him second and first respectively for those metrics among Bruno Lage’s squad.

In addition, when compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the 29-year-old ranked in the 88th percentile for non-penalty goals and the 85th percentile for pass completion (via FBRef).

Off the pitch, Lage could soon be missing a huge presence in the dressing room, a quality for which he has hailed his captain as ‘one of the best’.

Therefore, the news that the 29-year-old’s departure now looks quite likely will surely come as a big blow to the Molineux faithful.

Crystal Palace have recently been linked with signing Brazilian forward Matheus Nascimento, and the striker could be an excellent prospective long-term addition to Patrick Vieira’s side.

What’s the word?

It was reported recently that Palace had been in talks for the Botafogo man, who has also attracted interest from Champions League holders Real Madrid.

However, the Eagles hold an advantage over the Spanish giants because co-owner John Textor is also a majority shareholder in Botafogo, which is likely to make any potential deal significantly easier to complete.

The report claims that the 18-year-old has been offered the chance to continue his development in the Premier League, having established himself at the Estadio Nilton Santos in recent years with eight goals in his first 45 appearances for the Brazilian outfit.

In a recent interview with FootballFanCast, journalist Pete O’Rourke discussed the potential signing of Nascimento.

He said: “They do have a link here with their co-owner being part-owner of Botafogo as well, so maybe they can use that to try and get a deal done for Nascimento. He’s really highly regarded in Brazil, still only young as well so if they’re able to get this signing done I’m sure it’s a signing that all Crystal Palace fans would look forward to seeing.”

Supporters will love it

Palace do seem to hold the edge over Real Madrid in this particular transfer which will delight fans in itself.

Considering Los Blancos’ record of recruiting from Brazil, with Marcelo, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo some notable recent examples, you would hope that Nascimento has a similarly promising future ahead of him.

While it is unlikely that the 18-year-old would feature in Palace’s first team right away, signing him now would allow him to adjust to English football before making an impact in the future.

The prospect of signing young talents from abroad is always an exciting one for fans, and the Selhurst Park faithful will surely be thrilled to hear that the Eagles could win the race for Nascimento.

AND in other news… Bid made: Crystal Palace in talks for “superb” £13m signing, he’s Gini Wijnaldum 2.0

A big Leeds United update has emerged on their pursuit of Mergim Berisha in the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

Journalist Omer Celikbasli has revealed that the club are in talks with Fenerbahce to sign the centre-forward after making an initial offer that was below their valuation.

He tweeted: “Leeds United have offered €2m for Mergim Berisha. Fenerbahce demanded €5m from Stuttgart and Mainz, as he did. Negotiations are ongoing.”

Fellow reporter Osman Cengiz has added that the Whites will offer him a four-year deal if they agree a fee with the Turkish giants, tweeting:

“Leeds United, who want to transfer Fenerbahce’s striker Mergim Berisha, continue their negotiations with F.Bahce. Fenerbahce, who offered €5m to Leeds, will sign a 4-year contract with Berisha in case of an agreement. Berisha also has offers from Germany.”

Supporters will be delighted

The supporters will be delighted by this news as it shows that the club are making serious moves to improve the attacking options at Jesse Marsch’s disposal.

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Leeds only scored 42 goals in their 38 Premier League matches last term and this suggests that they are in dire need of reinforcements at the top end of the pitch.

In Berisha, Victor Orta could find a cheap – at a potential fee of €5m (£4.3m) – option to come in and add another goal threat to the team. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder/striker scored four goals in 10 league starts for Fenerbahce last season, after making the move from Salzburg in Austria – where he thrived.

He made 87 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga for multiple clubs before moving to Turkey and racked up an impressive 34 goals and 24 assists. During his time with Salzburg, he found the back of the net 22 times and set up 13 goals in 56 outings.

The gem also caught the eye in the Champions League for them as he scored four goals and provided two assists in six matches in the 2020/21 campaign.

These statistics suggest that he has the potential to make a big impact in the final third for Leeds if he is able to adapt to Premier League football. He has shown that he can score and assist goals on a regular basis in Austria and has proven himself at the top level in Europe, whilst he still has room to develop at the age of 24.

Therefore, supporters will be delighted with the club’s attempts to sign the Fenerbahce striker and will now be hoping that Orta can get a deal over the line before the window slams shut at on September 1.

AND in other news: Orta could land Marsch his very own Scamacca in Leeds swoop for 56 G/A “wonderkid”

Nottingham Forest have been named among the clubs who are interested in signing Middlesbrough winger Marcus Tavernier, according to Football League World. 

The lowdown: Career so far

A product of the youth system on Teesside, Tavernier flourished through the ranks at Middlesbrough before spending time on loan at MK Dons in 2018, making eight appearances for the League One club.

Since then, the 23-year-old has established himself as a mainstay in the senior ranks at the Riverside Stadium, amassing 155 outings for the first team and directly contributing to 36 goals in the process.

Having now entered the final 24 months of his ‘Boro contract (Transfermarkt), the former England youth international could be heading for the first permanent transfer of his career…

The latest: Forest considering Tavernier swoop

As per Football League World, the Premier League quartet of Nottingham Forest, Everton, Bournemouth and Leicester City are all ‘weighing up bids’ to sign the former England under-20 starlet  this summer.

It’s claimed that ‘sources’ close to the outlet have suggested that Middlesbrough are ‘braced to lose’ Tavernier during the ongoing transfer window.

The report added that the quartet of suitors are ‘all looking at mounting a bid’ for the versatile midfielder, who was lauded for a ‘sensational’ goal and assist-laden, 8.0 Sofascore-rated display against West Brom by journalist Graeme Bailey in February. However, the Teessiders will hold out for offers in excess of £10m for their man.

The verdict: Worth the gamble

In addition to the six signings already completed at the City Ground this summer, Tavernier – who currently earns a reported £5,900 per week (Salary Sport) – would represent another astute acquisition for the Reds, particularly given the lack of left midfield options currently at Steve Cooper’s disposal, with youngster Alex Mighten currently the only natural in the role.

While the Leeds native is yet to be tested in the Premier League, 135 appearances in the Championship – a league which is widely recognised as being among the toughest examinations for any player in Europe – certainly stands the youngster in good stead for making the move to the top flight.

Capable of playing in a variety of positions, including on either wing and centrally, Tavernier’s strongest attributes lie in his attacking prowess and would therefore be regarded as a marauding, forward-thinking midfielder in Cooper’s ranks, should the Reds fend off the competition and make this deal happen.