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Leeds United could sign an ideal Kalvin Phillips alternative in Spurs’ Harry Winks amid David Norris’ recent transfer claim.

What’s the story?

The Athletic’s Phil Hay had recently revealed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side rejected the opportunity to bring the England international to Elland Road on loan this season, but Norris believes that the midfielder would have been a success with the Whites.

The former Leeds midfield exclusively told Football FanCast: “I think so yeah, he’s a quality player and we’ve said before that Leeds need a little bit more back-up in that area and with what he’s done at Spurs I would have thought that would have been a good fit, a good move.”

Kalvin Phillips alternative

The £18m-rated ace has previously drawn rave reviews from his former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino about his style of play, with the Argentine even comparing him to a couple of Spanish icons.

The current Paris Saint-Germain coach said: “Harry has the profile of the perfect midfield player. His characteristics are perfect. When we talk about midfielders like Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta, he’s like this type of player. He has this capacity but he needs to take my words in a very positive way — he needs a lot of work.”

While that Xavi comparison certainly seems far-fetched given how the Spurs midfielder’s career has stalled, Winks still hasn’t lost his calmness in possession and has averaged a superb career passing accuracy of 89.4% – better than any Leeds player who featured for more than 90 minutes last season aside from the rarely-used Jamie Shackleton.

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has previously suggested that Winks could be a superb alternative to Phillips.

He said: “One player I would love to see at Leeds in the Kalvin Phillips role is Harry Winks. He’s not been given his opportunity at Spurs, I think he is a fantastic player. Not only can he do the Phillips role, he can play in midfield as well,

“Someone with Winks’ quality would really add something to that Leeds side. He is able to play more advanced but can do the Phillips role when he’s not available. I would love to see Winks at Elland Road next season.”

Dean Windass has also previously thrown his weight behind a potential Leeds move for Winks, saying that Bielsa’s coaching ability could be exactly what Winks needs.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I think if Bielsa does stay and brings in his own players, they will be a top four or top six side, and Harry Winks could get into any of them teams. He’s Bielsa’s sort of player.”

If there’s an opportunity for the Whites go back in for him in January, then they should certainly do so.

Meanwhile, this Leeds ace has seen his market value decrease dramatically…

Not too many issues have emerged since Rafa Benitez took charge of Everton but if we really want to criticise an aspect of their play, you don’t need to look too much further than their defence.

They have kept just one clean sheet in the league so far and even conceded to Championship opposition in dismal fashion during a Carabao Cup game.

On the chalkboard

With plenty of defensive injuries, you can hardly blame a few indifferent performances at the back.

Yet, a pairing of Mason Holgate and Michael Keane was never going to go down too well.

The former made a horrendous mistake against Aston Villa towards the back end of last season when he was caught in possession after turning back towards his own goal which allowed Ollie Watkins to find the net.

A similar error occurred with Keane this term as well. Too slow to turn just beyond the halfway line, Patrick Bamford stole in and then supplied Mateusz Klich’s strike in the clash with Leeds.

They didn’t concede against Brighton but with an encounter against Burnley to come on Monday evening, they need some stronger players physically.

This is where Yerry Mina comes in. The Colombian missed the game with the Seagulls a fortnight ago and hasn’t been a pillar of solidity himself this term.

He endured a pitiful clash with Bamford in that draw with Leeds where he was ultimately described as an “embarrassment” by Jeff Stelling and “pathetic” by Michael Dawson on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday.

Yet, his profile will be extremely important against a team that play in the way Burnley do. Standing at 6 foot 5, the centre-back is a colossal presence and can consequently use that to his advantage.

Last term, the £135k-per-week earner won 2.8 aerial duels per game which was the second-highest value of any central defender at Goodison Park.

So far this season, no other team has played more balls above shoulder height in the Premier League per 90 minutes than Burnley. Despite playing one fewer game than everybody else barring their Monday opponents, the Clarets have registered 118 high balls per 90.

They have also won more aerial duels per 90 (26.7) than every other team in the Premier League. For context, Everton have only been victorious in 15.7 over the same metric.

With that in mind, Mina simply has to start on Monday night. Using the height he possesses, he could be the difference in preventing Burnley’s long-ball game.

AND in other news, Forget Keane: Everton must unleash “powerful” £68k-p/w beast, he’s Rafa’s game-changer…

David Hussey wants his brother Michael to relax as he attempts to emerge from a troubling batting slump in South Africa

Cricinfo staff29-Mar-2009David Hussey wants his brother Michael to relax as he attempts to emerge from a troubling batting slump in South Africa. While David’s form is on the rise after his 88 in the opening Twenty20 on Friday, Michael’s struggles continued with a first-ball duck – although his sibling had a huge say in the dismissal.Michael was run out when David, who is two years younger, wanted a quick single that was too tight. “It’s very disappointing for Mike,” David told AAP. “He’s not going through the easiest time with the bat.”There have been brief rallies from Michael this season, but he has not gone close to matching his heroics of the previous couple of years. However, his younger brother has some advice.”Mike’s unbelievable,” he said. “He trains probably too hard at times. I keep telling him to relax a little bit. But he just loves cricket, loves playing, loves doing well and helping Australia win games. Hopefully that can continue for him because he has had a great start to his career.”David’s strong finish to the southern hemisphere summer has increased his chances of being part of Australia’s Ashes tour. He has more time to impress in the second Twenty20 in Centurion on Sunday and will receive opportunities during the five-game ODI series starting on Friday.”If you perform in any game and hopefully help Australia win that game, it will definitely help in the longer run,” he said. “I desperately want to play Test cricket. My avenue in is through Twenty20 and one-day performances.”I averaged about 15 before Friday night’s innings so I really needed to do something. Hopefully I can make a few runs and take a few wickets and field well and put my name up in front of selectors.”If he doesn’t get on the England trip he will spend time at home in Melbourne. “I’d love to be that spare batsman [on the Ashes tour],” he said. “You’ve got to be ready and you’ve got to be adaptable. When you get that opportunity, you must take it with both hands.”

“We need to break the hoodoo,” was how Graeme Smith went into this match with both teams 1-1 in the five-game series

The Bulletin by Jamie Alter09-Apr-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Callum Ferguson tried to retrieve a lost cause but the pressure had already told on Australia•Associated Press”We need to break the hoodoo,” was how Graeme Smith went into this match with both teams 1-1 in the five-game series. After losing every toss against Ricky Ponting over the summer, Smith finally won one and South Africa piled up 289 on a track that wasn’t always conducive to batting. Then the bowlers and fielders struck early in the piece and despite a spirited rear-guard effort took a one-game lead. Even a floodlight failure couldn’t dim South Africa.Two days ago Ponting blamed himself for Australia’s batting predicament, saying it was about time he scored another century. That didn’t happen and for the third game running the top order wobbled, putting immense pressure on an inexperienced middle. Chasing a stiff target of 290, Australia slumped to 114 for 5 before Callum Ferguson and James Hopes tried to make a match of it. But in the end, the target was beyond Australia’s lower order.Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell gave away little with the new ball, keeping it just a fraction short and denying the batsmen the length and width to free their arms. They were backed by some sharp fielding, with JP Duminy and Herschelle Gibbs – 11 years separating their ages – vying for top honours. Brad Haddin’s dismissal was down to the pressure built up – an anxious Michael Clarke tapped the ball toward cover and set off but Duminy scored a direct hit to beat Haddin by an inch.Ponting survived a drop and a missed run-out but those didn’t turn out to be costly misses because he chipped a catch back to Johan Botha for 20. Clarke’s painful innings came to end with an ugly heave against Roelef van der Merwe’s left-arm spin. Then in the same over South Africa were handed a slice of luck when Rudi Koertzen failed to spot an inside edge off Michael Hussey’s bat and adjudged him lbw. David Hussey chipped Duminy to long-on.Ferguson again demonstrated a cool head, refusing to indulge in the sort of sloppy batting that undid his experienced team-mates. He used his crease expertly against Morkel and Parnell, who both returned to serve up some four-balls, and scrapped 63 from 68 balls. The asking rate kept mounting and Ferguson and Hopes were always up against it, though they played some classy shots. They began with harried singles and doubles and, as their confidence grew, hit a healthy dose of boundaries.At the end of the 43rd over, Australia’s innings was halted for 25 minutes due to floodlight failure. When play resumed, van der Merwe had Ferguson caught in the deep to end a 97-run stand in 88 balls. Duminy nailed another throw to get Mitchell Johnson, Hopes raised a brisk half-century and South Africa won emphatically.The rest of the batsmen might have done well to pick a few tips from Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers, who batted wonderfully in the early stages of the game when the Australian attack was on top on a demanding track. Smith was uncomfortable batting on this pitch – with the ball not coming on easily – and nicked Johnson behind while irritation got the better of Gibbs after hard-handed drives and paddles failed, as he picked out deep midwicket for a 47-ball 26. Those dismissals gave Australia hope but that was quickly shut out by a 114-run stand.Jacques Kallis played an invaluable hand in the top order•Getty ImagesKallis came out looking to dominate on the ground where he learnt his cricket. He adopted a twitchy approach, shuffling back and forward to try and keep the bowlers guessing. It worked well, as evident by numerous steers past third man and two forceful boundaries, one on-driven with a venture across the stumps and the other punched past point on the rise after he made room. Kallis used his wrists to steer the ball into the gaps with impressive placement.de Villiers decided he would walk right across and try and score runs to the leg side, but also square-drove flashily when offered room. Once the ball lost its hardness and Hopes and David came on, de Villiers used his feet with confidence. Flicking smoothly and finding the gaps in the field, de Villiers went about rebuilding with a bit of flair. From hunting singles, the pair were soon pilfering the odd boundary and converting ones into twos.Kallis had raised his strike-rate until he was caught at short midwicket pulling a short ball from Brett Geeves. South Africa opted for the batting Powerplay four overs later and it began with de Villiers spooning Johnson to mid-off. Duminy also fell in the Powerplay – which only went for 33 runs – but that brought in the man for the moment in Mark Boucher, who had a blast with the bat.He crashed 28 from 15 balls, including two whistling sixes, and added 53 in five overs with Morkel, who hit 29 from 25 before he became Johnson’s fourth wicket. The hosts added 93 in the last ten overs and that proved to be crucial.Until tonight Australia’s tour had been a mirror image of when South Africa visited. Smith was determined to break the pattern and win the series. He is one game away from sealing it.

Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has confirmed a major injury blow before tonight’s Premier League game against Leeds United at St James’ Park.

What’s the story?

The Magpies find themselves inside the relegation zone heading into tonight’s game against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, and Steve Bruce will be desperately hoping for a bit of respite.

However, they will have to do so once again without their main man up front, with the Newcastle boss confirming that while Callum Wilson has made good progress on his injury, he’s not quite ready to make an appearance just yet.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Bruce said of the 29-year-old: “We’re not going to put a time on it. He’s making good progress. Unfortunately, he’s not made it.”

Fans will be gutted

The former Bournemouth striker has been a rare shining light for Newcastle over the past year or so and marked his debut campaign for the Magpies last season with 12 goals in just 26 Premier League games despite struggling for consistent action through injury.

This season has also seen him start off well, netting twice in the opening three fixtures, and it’s no surprise that he’s the man on whom Newcastle rely to lead the line and score their goals. In fact, Joe Willock was the only other player in their squad to score more than four times in last season’s Premier League.

The £19.8m-rated Wilson has earned rave reviews in his time playing in the Premier League, with Eddie Howe, his former manager at Bournemouth, particularly fulsome in his praise of the centre-forward.

The ex-Cherries boss said: “He is an outstanding player with unique attributes for us. He has that ability to run in behind and he’s got the work ethic off the ball and, of course, he knows where the goal is.”

The fact that Wilson will once again be missing from action tonight is a body blow and big setback to Newcastle, and Magpies fans will surely be gutted at seeing him missing a game from which they desperately need a win to get their season going.

Meanwhile, Bruce must drop this player tonight…

Rangers travel to Dundee in the Premiership this afternoon as they attempt to return to winning ways in the league.

The Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Motherwell in their last Premiership outing, but they did beat Livingston 2-0 in the League Cup on Wednesday. Steven Gerrard will now be hoping that his side can use that positive momentum to beat Dundee and get their pursuit of another league title back on track.

However, one change that he could make to the team which came out on top against Livingston is bringing Steven Davis back into the starting XI.

The 36-year-old is a key figure in Rangers’ side and Gerrard must unleash him for this match after leaving him on the bench against Livingston. Davis has started all six of the club’s Premiership games this season and deserves a return to the team after being handed a much-needed rest in midweek.

He has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.03, making one key pass and 1.7 tackles per game from midfield whilst also completing 88% of his passes. This shows that he has been a consistent performer in the middle of the park this term and is a reliable option for the manager to call upon.

Earlier this year, Gerrard lauded the midfielder’s influence and explained why he is a role model to his teammates. The 41-year-old said: “Steven embodies professionalism and continues to set the standards required to be a Rangers player. He has been instrumental this year, playing a key role in our league success.

“Ross (Wilson) and I have enjoyed open dialogue with him, and acknowledge how he has handled this contract extension. Steven is low-maintenance and has much more to give our team, not only for the rest of this season but beyond.

“He is a role model to his team mates and continues to strive to be a better version of himself. I am very pleased to have a player with Premier League and international experience on board as we look towards next season.”

The £18k-per-week beast can change a game with the way he links the play and uses the ball in pockets of space. His high passing accuracy shows that he is effective in possession and does not gift the ball back to the opposition on a regular basis, which allows him to dictate games and control the tempo.

Therefore, Gerrard must bring him back into the XI for today’s clash at Dundee as his quality and experience could be valuable on the pitch. The ability to change games by dictating the flow of the match could be vital for Rangers, as he can slow the play down when holding on for a win or speed it up if they are searching for a crucial goal.

AND in other news,  Wilson must avoid Rangers nightmare over “unique” gem, Gerrard would be fuming…

Talk about pulling one from out of the hat. Defending a small total Kings XI Punjab’s three-pronged pace attack bowled canny spells to rock Mumbai Indians’ chase, and despite a composed half-century from JP Duminy, Punjab hung on to complete a nerve-wrack

The Bulletin by Jamie Alter29-Apr-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Yusuf Abdullah helped Punjab seal the tightest win of the tournament.•AFPTalk about pulling one from out of the hat. Defending a small total Kings XI Punjab’s three-pronged pace attack bowled canny spells to rock Mumbai Indians’ chase, and despite a composed half-century from JP Duminy, Punjab hung on to complete a nerve-wracking three-run victory. Mumbai hardly set a wrong foot forward from the time they lost the toss, striking early through spin and keeping their hands on the jugular through Lasith Malinga’s late strikes, but failed to chase 120. Kumar Sangakkara had kept the innings alive with an important unbeaten 45 with scant support and it proved decisive in the end. Having struck early in the piece the task of bowling the last over, and defend 12 runs, came to Yusuf Abdulla. And what an over it turned out to be.Duminy, who was on 55, swung two down the ground, missed a clever slower ball, left a wide be, heaved two more, and then swung the fourth ball straight to deep midwicket. Abdulla was perspiring insanely in the Kingsmead cauldron as he left his giddy team-mates and went back to his mark. But this is a left-arm fast bowler adept at the Twenty20 format, and he only allowed three off the next two balls, aided by a superb dive at cover by the portly Ramesh Powar off the last ball to save a couple, to spark incredible scenes.This major upset was put into motion early in Mumbai’s chase. Mumbai are very reliant on their veteran openers, so striking early was one massive way at winning. Irfan Pathan gave Punjab exactly what they wanted, getting Sanath Jayasuriya to nick one to slip in the first over. Then Sachin Tendulkar, for once, failed. After a thick edge past backward point and crude hoick he drove Vikramjeet Malik straight to point. The situation was particularly dubious when a struggling Shikhar Dhawan missed a middle-stump yorker from Abdulla.That left Duminy and Dwayne Bravo to steer a faltering chase, and Duminy set about it with consecutive boundaries in Malik’s second over. Bravo a pulled four and lofted six in Piyush Chawla’s opening over only to repeat the big shot in the next and hole out to long-on. Mumbai went into the tactical break on 47 for 4, still 73 adrift.Duminy has proved a master of such situations and milked the bowling in a 49-run stand with Abhishek Nayar. Livewires alike, they pinched singles and kept runs ticking over. Harried singles from clever paddles and rubber-wrist dabs also did the trick. A few fumbles in the deep told as Punjab started to slack; a couple fortuitous inside edges and a missed run out and stumping compounded their frustration.As the target got closer Duminy raised his fifty off 55 balls, the slowest of the IPL. Irfan came back to clean up Nayar first ball of the 18th over, with Mumbai needing 26, and Harbhajan Singh fell in the penultimate over with 19 left. Seven runs were scampered in the next five balls. Then Abdullah came into the picture to seal Punjab the tightest win of the tournament.It was a disappointing loss for Mumbai after a glossy display in the field. For the second game running at Kingsmead spin had its say over proceedings early on. Mumbai’s slow bowlers came on well inside the first ten overs and quickly dented Punjab. Malinga and Zaheer Khan were frugal with the new ball, but it was Harbhajan’s entry in the fourth over brought the wicket of Goel, stumped easily. That brought about another change, Bravo coming in and immediately accounting for Ravi Bopara with an away-swinger. The Powerplay yielded two wickets for Mumbai and just 26 runs for Punjab, which included one six and a four.Attempting to up the tempo Yuvraj was well held on the long-on boundary by Zaheer off Duminy – who came in the seventh over – and Mumbai were hooting and screaming. At the ten-over break Punjab were 50 for 3. Throughout the tournament the first over after the tactical break has proved jittery for sides batting first and the pattern continued. Enter Jayasuriya and third ball Mahela Jayawardene chipped a low full toss to long-on.Batting wasn’t easy with the slow bowlers purchasing grip from a track on which spin accounted for eight wickets in the afternoon’s game. Sangakkara curbed himself in and knocked the ball around. The sweep was a shot he played regularly in between chopping the ball into the arc between cover and point. After Irfan fell in the 15th over Punjab needed a big over, but it never came. Malinga came back for two overs and nobody was able to get him away; Wilkin Mota and Chawla were yorked in the space of three balls. In the last ten overs Mumbai conceded just two boundaries off the bat, Sangakkara and Powar clubbing Bravo twice in the final over.Ultimately Sangakkara’s vigil and Abdulla’s calm came up trumps for Punjab. For Mumbai, it was a rude wake-up call, and they will now seriously have to address a batting order too reliant on the openers.

Shane Watson, Nathan Bracken and James Hopes will not contest Cricket Australia’s move to stand them down from the IPL, despite being left disappointed and out of pocket by the decision

Alex Brown08-May-2009Shane Watson, Nathan Bracken and James Hopes will not contest Cricket Australia’s move to stand them down from the IPL, despite being left disappointed and out of pocket by the decision. The trio had hoped to join Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab respectively from this weekend, only to be ruled out after undergoing medical examinations by Australian team doctor, Trefor James.Bracken and Hopes were in line to earn in excess of $100,000 in pro-rata payments for a fortnight’s work, having signed deals worth $325,000 and $300,000 with their IPL franchises. Both were hopeful of receiving medical clearance to join their teams in South Africa, but were informed prior to Australia’s Twenty20 match against Pakistan – a game in which they both batted and bowled – that minor knee injuries would rule them out.”He was keen as mustard to play with Bangalore,” Rob Horton, Bracken’s agent, said. “He was prepared to go and get the release from Cricket Australia, but he was not granted medical clearance so couldn’t go. He’s disappointed, but he can also see the bigger picture here. While he did have a knee injury last year, and it has since come good and not given him much trouble, there is also a heavy schedule coming up. He understands their reasoning. Apart from the dollars at stake, he had signed an IPL contract and wanted to fulfil it.”There is no point trying to appeal the decision. Cricket Australia has the final say. I was talking to [Bracken] last night, and he knows there is a busy schedule coming up, which also includes the Twenty20 Champions League, because NSW qualified. He understands the reasoning behind it. Moves like this can help provide longevity for his career. He’s not a young chicken anymore. At the top level of the game, he probably has another four good years and he wants to get the maximum out of it.”Hopes, a regular in Australia’s limited-overs squads in recent seasons, was similarly resigned to forgoing IPL earnings to ensure his fitness for the World Twenty 20. “He’s certainly disappointed, because he was looking forward to playing in the IPL,” Peter Rogers, Hopes’ agent, said. “He’s disappointed in terms of not being able to play, but he is comfortable with [Cricket Australia’s] decision. He has tendonitis in his right knee and he’s been playing a fair bit recently, so he knows the rest will do him good. There comes a time when the body says it needs a break.”Watson had expressed his desire to join Rajasthan, with whom he has a $125,000 contract, after Australia’s limited-overs series against Pakistan, and apparently passed an initial fitness assessment. But the allrounder injured his groin while compiling 33 from 14 balls in the series finale in Dubai, and was subsequently stood down from the final stages of the IPL; a tournament he dominated in 2008.Watson’s injury is not expected to restrict his involvement in the World Twenty20, but is nonetheless unwelcome in a year that has already seen him miss successive series against South Africa on account of stress fractures of the back. He has yet to return to competitive bowling – the IPL, he felt, would have been the ideal platform – and could now head to the Centre of Excellence to continue his rehabilitation.”I spoke to him briefly before he got on the plane from Dubai, and he was pretty philosophical about it,” Dave Flaskas, Watson’s agent, said. “His view was that that he would have liked to play, but now a decision has been made and he wants to make the best of it. Obviously there is a commercial downside to it. But he is running into some pretty good form now, and there are obviously some big series coming up, so he pretty pragmatic about it all. He wants to start bowling and make sure he’s 100 percent fit and healthy with the Ashes coming up. There is obviously a downside in terms of the cash, but I think he realises there is more at stake here.”

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly eyeing up a potential move to sign Nicolo Zaniolo.

The Lowdown: Spurs have tried before

It has been reported that Spurs tried to sign Zaniolo back in 2019 under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, but in the end they brought in the manager’s countryman, Giovani Lo Celso, instead.

Lo Celso has of course been affected by injuries during his time with the club, as one insider noted recently that his inability to complete 90 minutes is a big problem for Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Latest: Enquiry

As per Calciomercato, the North London club have ‘taken information’ about Zaniolo in recent weeks, despite the fact he looks set to sign a new deal at Roma.

He wants more money that he is currently being offered by the Serie A side, meaning that Nuno’s team could still take advantage of the situation if there is a breakdown in talks.

The Verdict: Sign

Once likened to England legend and former Lilywhites player Paul Gascoigne by his agent Claudio Vigorelli, Zaniolo is the creative spark in midfield that THFC need.

He has scored 15 goals and made a further six assists during his time at Roma, and has also scored two goals for Italy (Transfermarkt).

At 22 years of age, the £36m-rated maestro has a lot of potential, and with former Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho currently managing Roma, Spurs may be able to strike a deal.

In other news, find out which Beckham-like star was close to joining THFC here!

West Ham are set to reignite interest in summer transfer target Youssef En-Nesyri this winter…

What’s the word?

According to reports in Spain, the Irons will return for the Sevilla frontman during the January transfer window as David Moyes and co finally look to find that elusive new forward.

It’s claimed that West Ham failed in their attempts to secure him before the start of the 2021/22 campaign but they could soon launch another attempt to sign him.

It remains to be seen how much the 24-year-old would command and if the La Liga side are even open to a sale halfway through the season, though Transfermarkt currently value him at £36m.

Newman masterclass

With the Hammers in desperate need for alternatives up top, a move for the 35-time Morocco international would make the world of sense in 2022.

The Sevilla talisman bagged 24 goals in all competitions last season, in which six came in eight Champions League appearances, via Transfermarkt – a good sign considering they are the heights that the east Londoners are aspiring to reach in the near future.

He has since continued that fine form into the new season, finding the net another three times in six league games, even despite coveted interest throughout the summer.

Moyes is merely one injury away from a complete nightmare at the London Stadium. His only senior striker is Michail Antonio, 31, who has suffered from persistent injury problems throughout his career. He has not started more than 24 top-flight games in any of the last four seasons.

This is exactly the problem that new head of recruitment Rob Newman needs to fix, and given his experience and reputation from Manchester City, he could be the man to deliver such a transfer masterclass.

The former Norwich City defender, now a talent-spotter, played a big part in the Premier League champions signing Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao back in 2018, so that connection to the Spanish top-flight could pay dividends once again.

Once dubbed a “world-beater” by Sky Sports commentator Terry Gibson, En-Nesyri would be quite the coup for the Irons in January. Gibson later added: “He’s quick, he’s strong, great attitude, his finishing has improved, his first touch has improved, his movement has improved – all those things you expect players to improve on, he is doing.”

There’s surely not a better signing to kickstart Newman’s reign at the club. He would be instantly solving one of the biggest problems in the squad right now.

AND in other news, Newman can end West Ham striker hunt with £18m-rated “goal king” scoring every 83 mins…