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Leicester have completed the signing of Youri Tielemans from Monaco, with the midfielder joining on a loan deal until the end of the season as reported by the club’s official Twitter account.

What’s the word, then?

The Belgian international arrives at the King Power Stadium, with the out-of-favour Adrien Silva moving to Ligue 1 as part of the deal. Tielemans has scored five goals in 20 Ligue 1 appearances for 19th-placed Monaco this season, proving to be one of the few bright lights in what has been an otherwise uninspiring season for the French club.

The 21-year-old was very highly-rated at Anderlecht, so his arrival at the King Power Stadium could be viewed as somewhat of a coup for Claude Puel and Leicester, and he should offer a lot more than Silva ever did for the club.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Tielemans was also linked with Arsenal, Newcastle and West Ham, so the Midlands-based club have done well to fight off the competition to get him into a Blue shirt.

Who could be under threat from his arrival?

Well, the young Belgian can play in a centre-attacking midfield role, or slightly deeper as a centre-midfielder, so he could realistically threaten any of the Foxes’ current midfield options.

James Maddison and Demarai Gray have started the last couple of games on the wing,  with Marc Albrighton also in the attacking trio behind Jamie Vardy. One would assume that Albrighton would be the one to drop out, given the significance of having Maddison and Gray in the side behind Vardy.

Tielemans has an impressive long-shot and a fantastic eye for goal, so it would be wise of Puel to drop the slightly limited Albrighton in favour of a more exciting option that would keep defenders on their toes.

The Belgian international, sat behind Vardy, with the aforementioned duo of Maddison and Gray either side of them would arguably be one of the best quartets outside the top six.

Leeds United left-back Junior Firpo could be available against Watford this weekend, according to medical expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Knee ligament damage

The Spaniard, who has been hailed as ‘strong’ in the past by Kevin Campbell, started Jesse Marsch’s first two games in charge at Elland Road but hasn’t been seen since being stretchered off against Aston Villa.

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Firpo suffered knee ligament damage after colliding with Emiliano Buendia and has watched on over the last three games as the Whites collected seven points from nine.

Marsch gave Firpo a timescale of three to five weeks over a possible return prior to the win at Wolves in mid-March, and it seems as if the 25-year-old could now return for the trip to Vicarage Road.

The Latest: Firpo return imminent?

MOT Leeds News relayed an update from Dinnery’s injury tracker, which shows that a possible return date Firpo is this Saturday.

Leo Hjelde, who has also been sidelined with a knee problem, also has the same date with regards to a possible return.

The Verdict: Boost for Leeds

Stuart Dallas has had to fill in at left-back for Firpo in recent weeks, but it would be good news if the Spaniards is able to travel with the squad for the crucial meeting with Roy Hodgson’s side.

A win against the Hornets would be a major step towards safety for Leeds, so even having the 25-year-old back on the bench would provide some much-needed strength in depth at left-back.

Marsch had limited full-back options last time out against Southampton, making Firpo’s return even more important.

In other news: ‘Bad news from Elland Road…’ – Big Leeds injury update emerges on Joe Gelhardt

Wolves could head into next season without veteran midfielder Joao Moutinho, with the 35-year-old’s contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign.However, they could keep his compatriot and midfield partner Ruben Neves, which would provide a huge boost to manager Bruno Lage’s plans for next term and indeed to the Molineux faithful.What’s the news?Wolves’ technical director Scott Sellars has revealed that the club are in talks with the 25-year-old over a new contract, after it was reported by the Daily Mail that Barcelona were interested in signing him this summer.Sellars said in an interview with the Express & Star: “Ruben is having a fantastic season and everybody should take a pat on the back in terms of how well he is playing.”We’re obviously talking to him and we all know how much he loves playing for the club. We know how much he has settled here, but he is also an ambitious young man.”As with all players, you try and have an open dialogue with them and their representatives to come to the best scenario for the club and the player.”Rightly so, elite clubs all over Europe will have Ruben on their radar, but we have an excellent relationship with him and will do things properly, and collaboratively, when the time is right.”Wolves’ most important playerThe 25-year-old has averaged a 7.20 Sofascore match rating in the Premier League this season, the best of any outfield player at the club, with only goalkeeper Jose Sa bettering him with an average match rating of 7.22.Having provided six goal contributions in 28 games, only centre-forward Raul Jimenez has had more than Neves, who has as many as fellow midfielders Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker combined (WhoScored).An accomplished passer of the ball, he ranks in the top 1% among midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for long passes completed per 90 (14.92), top 6% for passes into the final third (7.16) and top 3% for switches per 90 (4.49).Keeping hold of Neves would nearly feel like a new signing to Lage given the recent transfer speculation, and having him around for next season could help Wolves to make another push for European qualification in 2023.In other news: Wolves must avoid disaster on “instrumental” £8.1m-rated gem, he’s “brilliant to have”

Newcastle United must prepare for the departure of star man Allan Saint-Maximin this summer – and may need to take a risk on his replacement.

What’s the word?

According to a report by the Daily Mail, Newcastle’s star forward is expected to be sold this summer, with the fee received expected to be pumped back into Eddie Howe’s squad.

Among the Frenchman’s mooted replacements are Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson and Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, while Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe has also been linked with a switch to St. James’ Park this season.

However, in a recent interview with Football Insider, Ex Leeds United forward Noel Whelan claimed that a move for the Gunners attacker would be something of a risk.

Speaking about the Magpies’ potential interest in the 26-year-old, Whelan said: “A loan move may be something that Newcastle might fancy. These are the sort of players they will be targeting. He could turn his career around and end up being that big-ticket player. But right now, it’s a gamble.”

Bye-bye Saint-Maximin

Saint-Maximin has yet again proved his importance this season in more ways than one.

His five goals and three assists have been imperative in Newcastle’s bid to secure Premier League survival, though it’s his dribbling and ball carrying ability that have been the biggest positive for the Magpies.

It comes as no surprise that the 25-year-old ranks top of the Newcastle squad for successful dribbles per match with 4.3. Quite simply, his ability on the ball is often the catalyst for his side’s counterattacks, with the £28.8m-rated forward by far and away being the most efficient carrier of the ball.

However, while losing a player of Saint-Maximin’s calibre would certainly come as a huge blow to the Magpies, they could employ a like-for-like replacement in Nicolas Pepe – the Arsenal winger who has struggled to live up to his enormous transfer fee since signing from Lille in 2019.

Although he has faced scrutiny, he has not exactly been a flop in England thus far. The potential has always been there, with his end product on display for all to see just last season – when he bagged an impressive 10 goals over just 29 appearances for the Gunners.

Indeed, his £72m fee has arguably been his biggest enemy during his time in England, but a move to Newcastle for a rumoured fee of £25m could release the reins for the 26-year-old Ivory Coast international.

Pepe is a technical player, just like Saint-Maximin, who thrives in possession, more specifically within the attacking third. With around 35 touches in the attacking third per 90, he ranks in the 93rd percentile amongst positionally similar players within Europe’s top 5 leagues over the past 365 days.

For context, Saint-Maximin is ranked within the 81st percentile with around 23 touches in the attacking third per 90.

In this aspect, the £140k-per-week Pepe who Joe Cole claimed “makes things happen” would serve as an upgrade for his composure in the final third.

He may be a risk to some, but the underlying stats suggest that the Arsenal winger has everything it takes to replace Allan Saint-Maximin at Newcastle United – leading us to believe that PIF must take a chance on Pepe this summer.

In other news: Fee agreed: NUFC now already set to seal 1st summer signing, Howe surely over the moon

Mark Douglas has now revealed some big Everton news involving both Farhad Moshiri and James Tarkowski.

The Lowdown: Centre-back wanted

The Goodison Park faithful have been linked with moves for the likes of Levi Colwill, Kim Min-Jae and Gleison Bremer in the summer, suggesting that they are after a new central defender.

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They have one of the worst defensive records in the Premier League, and Jamie Carragher has even went as far as to claim that they have a ‘Championship back four’ during the embarrassing defeat at Tottenham.

Nonetheless, it is one area that the Merseyside club will surely look to strengthen.

The Latest: Tarkowski eyed

Writing in his latest piece for iNews, journalist Douglas has revealed that Tarkowski has now ’emerged’ as a potential target this summer.

Senior sources at the Toffees have claimed that there is ‘no way’ that Moshiri is going to sell the club, despite Russian links with Alisher Usmanov, and Frank Lampard can ‘expect to be backed’ in the market.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Given the fact that Tarkowski is out of contract at Burnley in the summer, he will be able to leave as a free agent, and so it would be a no-brainer for the Blues to sign him up.

Described as a ‘real leader’ by pundit Noel Whelan, the 29-year-old could be the organiser at the back that Lampard’s team need in order to be more solid and ship fewer goals.

Of course, he has plenty of experience of playing in the top flight, and so should be able to settle in fairly quickly.

In other news, find out which EFC star Manchester United have now ‘discussed’ signing here!

According to a report by TuttoMercatoWeb (as relayed by Sport Witness), Atletico Madrid could be set to battle West Ham for the signing of Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Milenkovic important for Fiorentina

The 24-year-old was frequently linked with a move to the Hammers last summer, with David Moyes keen on bolstering his centre-back options.

While this was put on the backburner when the Serbia international penned a new deal with Fiorentina, unusually the renewal only came to the summer of 2023, making the move a possibility in this year’s summer transfer window.

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Milenkovic has played an essential part in his team’s strong opening half to the Serie A campaign, having made 18 league appearances for sixth-placed Fiorentina as they remain on track for for European football. The defender leads the Viola squad for tackles, interceptions and clearances made per game, illustrating his importance to Fiorentina’s backline.

The Latest: Atletico Madrid could challenge Irons for Milenkovic

According to a report by TuttoMercatoWeb, Atletico could be interested in a summer move for Milenkovic and could be set to battle it out with the likes of West Ham, who are also said to be interested in the player.

Sport Witness claimed that “Milenkovic was ‘very close’ to signing for the Hammers in the summer, so the assumption is David Moyes’ side would be keen again, depending on what happens with their own defensive options.”

While TuttoMercatoWeb’s report stated that ‘some Premier League clubs’ are ‘following him with particular interest’, the Irons were the only English side to be explicitly mentioned in the article, which may suggest that they are the likeliest to bring him to England’s top flight.

The Verdict: A tough battle for the Hammers

If Moyes does decide to pursue Milenkovic again in the summer, Atletico will not prove to be an easy competitor to overcome, with Champions League qualification a near-annual occurrence for the La Liga title holders.

However, due to the deal having been ‘very close’ before, it would not be a surprise if the 24-year-old were to reignite talks with the Hammers.

Former Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic said that he saw a “new Vidic” in the defender, who has already made 32 appearances for his country.

With interest also coming from Inter and AC Milan, West Ham can expect to face tough competition in their pursuit of the 24-year-old if they go all-in for him this summer.

In other news: ExWHUemployee claims West Ham could make January move for 63-goal ‘monster’ loved by Irons chiefs

According to a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are in contention to sign Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio. 

The lowdown: Asensio profiled

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a stellar career to date and has been part of a Los Blancos side that has lifted no few than 12 major honours including two La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League successes.

Despite the trophy-laden time at the Bernabeu, Asensio has struggled to cement a place under Carlo Ancelotti this season and could be on the move this summer as a deal in the Spanish capital fast approaches its final 12 months (Transfermarkt).

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A fresh update regarding the former Mallorca man has emerged from Italy, suggesting that Spurs could well be taking a closer look at the versatile star…

The latest: Tottenham ‘appear’

As per the report from Calciomercato, translated by SW, Conte could provide a ‘new path’ for the 26-cap Spain international.

It’s claimed that Asensio’s switch to ‘super agent’ Jorge Mendes could open up a move the Lilywhites as the N17 club ‘appear’ in the frame for the signing.

The report cites interest from AC Milan and Arsenal but it’s stated that Mendes would like to take the ace once hailed as ‘world class’ by ex-Spain boss Vicente del Bosque to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The verdict: No brainer

Albeit Asensio has only completed 90 minutes on five occasions this season, the classy Spaniard has racked up 230 club appearances in seven years at Real Madrid and clearly possesses plenty of quality, actually trending closely with current Spurs’ favourite Son Heung-min in terms of style of play (Fbref).

Predominantly operating as a left-winger, the £36million valued star can play anywhere across the frontline as well as in more conventional midfield positions and would therefore offer all-important versatility to Conte’s options.

Boasting an impressive 7.06 average Sofascore rating from 28 league outings this term – only bettered by eight members of a star-studded Madrid squad – Fabio Paratici would be wise to remain attentive to the possibility of adding Asensio to the ranks in north London as the long term future of Steven Bergwijn remains unclear.

In other news: ‘That’s for sure’ – Sky Sports reporter now backs big transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Manchester United are yet to make any incoming moves in the transfer window so far, but after rumours of a dressing room fallout which resulted in 17 players reportedly wanting to leave the club, many players have been linked with moves away from Old Trafford.

However, there is one forgotten man who the Red Devils are unwilling to let go easily.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN Brazil (via Sport Witness), United have rejected an offer of €10m (£8.35m) from Flamengo to sign Andreas Pereira permanently following his loan spell in Brazil.

The report claims that the Red Devils don’t even consider that offer to be close to what they want, so negotiations are set to continue, with Flamengo already having an option to buy the 26-year-old for €20m (£16.7m) in the summer.

ESPN Brazil added that the Manchester club are making Pereira’s sale a ‘priority’ and are not interested in loaning him out any further when his loan spell with Flamengo ends in June.

Fans will be furious

Pereira has a fractured relationship with some United supporters after he engaged in a feud with fans on social media, so they may well be furious that an offer to get rid of the player has been rejected by the club.

Some fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on the potential sale of Pereira and it’s safe to say that there would be no love lost, For instance, one fan tweeted: “Andreas Pereira should be sold and stop with the drawn out negotiations. This is why you have players that will leave #MUFC at end of the season for nothing because of incidents like this. Sell him for £8m and invest in Zakaria or another midfielder. No need to dance around.”

The club is reportedly in talks with defensive midfielder Denis Zakaria, and the prospective sale of the £7.2m-rated Pereira could unlock the funds to purchase and sign the 25-year-old Switzerland midfielder from Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Ralf Rangnick could be under pressure to make some changes in the squad and utilise the January transfer window to improve after another performance which saw them drop points after going 2-0 up against Aston Villa.

The rejection of Flamengo’s £8.35m offer to sign Pereira, who had never really held down a fixed place in United’s midfield, will probably do little to quell fan frustration after the team’s poor start to 2022.

In other news: Alex Crook gives an update on this potential Old Trafford signing

According to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook on Twitter, West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph is set to move to Aston Villa on loan in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Randolph now third-choice at West Ham

The veteran has been well down the Hammers’ pecking order this season, as Lukasz Fabianski and Alphonse Areola have been battling it out for the berth between the sticks. The 34-year-old has not yet featured in a West Ham shirt this season, having last done so against West Brom towards the end of last term.

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Indeed, Randolph has not even been included in any of Moyes’ Premier League squads this season. This could threaten his spot in the Republic of Ireland national team, having been capped 50 times by his country.

The Latest: Randolph set to join Villa on loan

According to Crook, Randolph is set to join Aston Villa on a loan deal, as Steven Gerrard seeks a backup for first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the Midlands

The talkSPORT journalist tweeted: “Another pending arrival at #AVFC who I understand are set to sign #WHUFC goalkeeper Darren Randolph on loan as back-up for Emi Martinez”

It has previously been reported by Claret and Hugh that the Irons would have accepted any offer which would see the Irishman leave the club, and it now looks likely that a loan exit to Villa will materialise.

The Verdict: Could be just what Randolph needs

With Fabianski and Areola going toe-to-toe with one another for the starting spot at West Ham, it seems silly to keep Randolph at the club. A move to Villa could reinvigorate the 34-year-old, who through no fault of his own has been left kicking his heels on matchdays since the start of the campaign.

Former Middlesbrough teammate Ryan Shotton has previously described the Irishman as ‘brilliant’, exclaiming that ‘some of his saves are just unbelievable’.

The move to Villa could provide him with the opportunity to play whenever Martinez is rested or unavailable, and it may just enable him to return to east London sharper and more motivated to force his way back into David Moyes’ plans.

In other news: ‘Yesssss’, ‘Absolutely insane’ – Many West Ham fans erupt over ‘huge’ boost for Irons beast

The ongoing feud between Everton left back Lucas Digne, and manager Rafa Benitez has been a hot topic of conversation, that has now lead to the player being linked away from the club and even included in a rumoured offer made to Newcastle United, but it looks like Digne is not about to do his current manager any favours.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano has taken to his Twitter account to let his million followers know about the potential move of Lucas Digne to Newcastle, which is said to be in conjunction with a deal to bring Sean Longstaff to Merseyside, and it’s not good news.

Romano tweeted:

“Lucas Digne will decide his next club soon. He’ll leave Everton with Premier League move likely – but he’s not going to Newcastle despite rumours. Not even an option. No way.”

The transfer insider went on to add further claims of a move to Chelsea:

“Chelsea are interested since weeks but no official talks opened with Everton yet.”

The potential move stems from an alleged argument that took place in training, where the defender disagreed with the Spanish manager’s tactics, and has not been seen in the starting side since the Merseyside Derby at the beginning of December last year, but did return to the bench in the defeat to Brighton at Goodison Park last weekend.

A nightmare for Benitez

There are a number of reasons why the French defender’s apparent rejection of a move to Newcastle United could become a nightmare for Benitez and his plans moving forward.

Sky Sports journalist, Keith Downie, reported that the club could receive Sean Longstaff in a deal that included Digne, but with the Everton player apparently refusing the move, it could put off Eddie Howe and the board in the North East who are looking to bolster their defence over the January transfer window, as they won’t be getting what they need from the move.

It would also stop the Merseyside outfit from signing a player that their manager clearly loves.

Another reason why the 28-year-old’s rumoured snub of the move could cause problems for Benitez is that he wants to sell the player, not loan him out, which is the alleged premise and conditions of the Chelsea deal that Romano has suggested Digne prefers.

According to ESPN in a report this week, Everton are not interested in loan deals for the £110k-per-week star, and have valuated the player at around £25m, with the intention to boost transfer funds by selling the out of favour full-back.

It looks like Digne has no interest in doing his manager any favours when it comes to cooperating with the transfer plans the Everton board have outlined for the Frenchman’s future, and it will be interesting to see if he will get his own way on a Chelsea loan move.

Until he leaves permanently, however, this whole ordeal will continue to terrorise the mind of Benitez for this situation is nothing short of a disaster for the Toffees.

In other news: Rafa can axe Seamus Coleman after securing new signing