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Speculation has been rife regarding the possible transfers Newcastle could pull off in the January window following PIF’s takeover of the club.

The likes of Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Timo Werner are just a few of the many names linked with a switch to St James’ Park after Mike Ashley sold the club to the Saudi Arabian consortium.

However, the focus must now be drawn to the players who could lose their game-time as a result of incoming transfers as it would be beneficial to have some out the door before bringing in new arrivals, due to limitations on the size of the squad and preserving harmony among the group.

One player who should be sold in the January window is midfielder Jonjo Shelvey. The 29-year-old has been a liability for Newcastle in the middle of the park and should be replaced by PIF, or whoever the manager is come the opening of the transfer market, with an upgrade in that position being signed instead.

Whilst Shelvey has the silky skills on the ball and the ability to switch the play with his excellent range of passing, he often lets himself down with a lack of work off the ball and his poor decision-making. Despite playing in central midfield, he has a career average of just 0.9 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game, showing that he does not put the hard graft in defensively.

He has picked up 27 yellow cards and four reds during his time at St James’ Park, with the latest dismissal coming in last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Tottenham. Shelvey was brought off the bench by Bruce to help rescue the game and instead ended up being sent off for two silly challenges, giving his teammates a taller mountain to climb.

In two Premier League appearances this season, racking up 94 minutes of play, the former Liverpool man has completed one tackle, made zero interceptions, blocks or clearances and received three yellows cards, with two of them leading to a red on Sunday. On the ball, he has not been his useful self either, as he failed to complete a single dribble and provided just one key pass.

Tellingly, the 29-year-old has recorded the lowest average WhoScored rating of anyone in the Magpies’ squad this season with a paltry 5.22, being by far the worst player in a team occupying a place in the Premier League relegation zone. That does not paint a pretty picture of his form.

With Steve Bruce reportedly set to be sacked, the £70k-per-week dud’s time at St James’ Park could also be up after his dismal cameo appearance against Spurs. If Newcastle’s next manager was watching that game, he may have already jotted down a mental note to get rid of Shelvey at the first possible opportunity.

He proved himself to be a liability and that is not the sort of character or player you want to have around when trying to rebuild the club to lead them into a future of positivity and success. Therefore, it could be time for the Magpies to ruthlessly axe Shelvey by cashing in on him in the next transfer window, based on both his style of play generally and his disciplinary record, which was highlighted against Tottenham.

AND in other news, “Sources say”: Craig Hope drops major Newcastle claim that’ll delight supporters…

Leeds United are eyeing a late transfer window swoop for Club Brugge starlet Noa Lang.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from The Telegraph, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been been watching the 21-year-old ahead of a potential move this summer, although they are set to face intense competition to try and land him.

And writing recently on Twitter, The Athletic’s Phil Hay said: “They like Lang and that’s a genuine link but they haven’t actually made a concrete move for him.”

Now, Sport/Voetbalmagazine (via Sport Witness) claim that Leeds remain interested in signing Lang before deadline day, but that Brugge are looking for a massive bid to let him leave.

Bielsa will be buzzing

Able to play anywhere across the frontline, Lang showed Jadon Sancho-like abilities in his loan spell at Brugge last season, bagging 17 goals and providing a further 11 assists in just 37 games, including netting in the Champions League.

With that impressive goal-scoring record, and the fact he still remains very young at just 21, a move for Lang would be extremely exciting not just for Bielsa but for the club’s fans too.

Dubbed a “phenomenon” by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbempt, the winger made history when he became the first player in 60 years to mark his debut with a hat-trick for Ajax, while his teammate at Brugge, Cyriel Dessers, has even admitted that Leeds’ interest in the flier is not the least bit surprising.

He said: “He is absolutely ready for the Premier League. He was fantastic last season. Then it is logical that there is a next step.  I would love to see him in the Champions League with Club Brugge, but he has shown that he is one of the best footballers in Belgium.

“He is a graceful footballer, but he also works very hard. I often sat on the bench, so I could keep an eye on him there. But the way he works, I didn’t know he had that in him. He has really taken a step. The interest does not come out of nowhere. I know how Leeds work.”

If the Whites can pull off a late transfer window deal for Lang, then Bielsa will surely be buzzing.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this Premier League record breaker…

After Ange Postegoclou fielded an extremely young and inexperienced Celtic side in the club’s incredibly impressive 3-2 win over Real Betis last week, it would very much appear as if the future at Parkhead is a bright one.

Indeed, the 56-year-old handed Celtic debuts to both 21-year-old Osaze Urhoghide and 20-year-old Liam Shaw in the Europa League fixture, in addition to awarding first-team minutes to exciting prospects Liam Scales, Adam Montgomery and Ewan Henderson.

However, it is not only on the periphery of Postecoglou’s first-team squad where there are a number of promising talents, the club’s B team side also looks to be littered with up and coming gems – none more so than 16-year-old Rocco Vata.

Vata could be the next Moravcik

Son of Celtic cult hero Rudi Vata, Rocco put pen to paper on his first professional deal with the Hoops earlier this summer, and the attacking midfielder has been highly impressing in the Scottish Lowland Football League ever since.

Indeed, following yet another spectacular goal in Celtic B’s 1-0 win over East Stirlingshire on Friday – with the teenager turning on the afterburners in order to latch onto Mackenzie Carse’s defence-splitting through ball, before taking a touch and crashing his shot past the opposition goalkeeper off the crossbar – the reserve side manager, Tommy McIntyre, was rather understandably full of praise for the youngster.

McIntyre said: “We got a great goal. I thought it was a fabulous goal. He was probably the best player on the night so he deserved the goal. He’s got to get a lot of credit himself. He’s just natural. He plays and we coach him but he’s got to perform on the day. He’s certainly taking everything on board we’re trying to get out of him. There’s more to come from him, there’s no doubt, but he’s young. What a fantastic goal tonight.”

However, the midfielder’s special strike last week was by no means his first of the current campaign, as, during a Republic of Ireland U17 fixture against North Macedonia back in October, the teenager also bagged a breathtaking goal – turning a helpless defender before unleashing a thunderous 30-yard drive into the far corner of the opposition net.

And, although the youngster who The Celtic Bhoys dubbed a “star in the making” undeniably has a great deal of developing to do if he is to go onto break into the Ange Postecgolou’s first-team squad, there are undoubtedly shades of the Hoops’ former playmaker Lubomir Moravcik about Vata.

Indeed, in an article that could quite easily be describing the 16-year-old sensation, These Football Times wrote of the Slovakian midfielder: “He was one of those players who seemed to have more time on the ball than those around him. He dribbled superbly… and scored many spectacular goals from distance with both feet – a rare talent indeed.”

As such, should Vata be able to maintain his current level of performance over the next year or two, Postecoglou could well go on to unearth Parkhead’s next Moravcik in the youngster – something that would certainly delight the Celtic faithful.

In other news: Major Celtic transfer development emerges that’ll have Ange buzzing

Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas is wanted by a number of Turkish sides ahead of the January transfer window, according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Barkas’ Scotland struggles

The Hoops forked out £4.5m on the 27-year-old back in July 2020, however, it hasn’t turned out to be an inspired piece of business.

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Barkas has made just 23 appearances in green and white, with just one of those coming under Ange Postecoglou. He hasn’t been seen since his Parkhead blunder against FC Midtjylland in a Champions League qualifier back in July and has only made one Scottish Premiership matchday squad.

And it now seems as if the 6 foot 4 colossus is set to leave Glasgow in 2022.

The Latest: Joseph’s post on Barkas

Joseph was a busy man on Monday afternoon, providing plenty of Celtic-related transfer updates.

He finished with a piece of outgoing news, claiming Barkas, thought to be on £20,000-a-week at Parkhead, is ‘open’ to a departure in 2022, whether that be a permanent or temporary one.

“Finally, a number of Turkish clubs are interested in Celtic goalkeeper Vasilis Barkas, who is believed to be open to a loan or permanent move next month.”

The Verdict: Get rid…

Postecoglou doesn’t need to keep hold of Barkas after signing Joe Hart over the summer and having Scott Bain and Conor Hazard as back-ups. [Transfermarkt]

So, on that basis, getting his hefty wage off the books at Lennoxtown seems to be the best decision, even if it is on loan for the rest of the season.

If Celtic receive a respectable permanent offer, then he should leave for good, but not needing to worry about his £20,000-a-week salary could be priceless, especially with the Hoops looking into deals for Japanese trio Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi.

In other news: ‘Outstanding’ star may miss four games as Celtic issues worsen ahead of Betis clash

Celtic’s transfer window started off in a quiet fashion but now the campaign is underway, they are approaching the market with a sense of ruthlessness.

The Hoops have signed a title-winning goalkeeper in Joe Hart and signed a top-flight’s leading scorer in Kyogo Furuhashi.Now, however, they could welcome the son of a club legend to the club; Jordan Larsson.What’s the word?Speaking to Rekatochklart (via Glasgow Times) this week, former Sweden star Marcus Allback touted Henrik Larsson’s son as the ideal signing for the Hoops in a revealing interview.Jordan currently plays his club football for Spartak Moscow in Russia where he has caught the eye with his goal-scoring antics.Consequently, he earned a place in the Sweden squad for the recent European Championships.Speaking in light of that, Allback commented: “If Jordan Larsson was to sign for Celtic, I know that would be a great signing for both the player and the club.”Allback continued: “Jordan is a great player and has a lot of good qualities that he could bring to the team. He’s not the tallest, but he is strong, his mentality of working hard and always making runs, taking on players and his effort to defend, is something that would suit playing for Celtic.”Better than Henrik?Although the chance of Jordan signing for the Glasgow club has been ruled out in the past, stranger things have certainly happened in football.Valued at £13.5m via Transfermarkt, his price tag would surely be out of the range of Celtic – even if they do sell Odsonne Edouard.However, if the opportunity emerges to sign him, Ange Postecoglou must do everything in his power to lure him to Paradise.After all, this is an offensive player with the world at his feet, an individual capable of dominating defences and taking the opposition to the cleaners.Described as a “great talent” by Allback, he has 25 goals in total for Spartak, 15 of which came during a wonderful 2020/21 campaign in Russia. On top of that, he provided five assists for his teammates while completing two key passes per game.Larsson is yet to score this term but has racked up a jaw-dropping 4.3 key passes per match. In comparison, only Ryan Christie – 4.5 per outing – comes anywhere close to replicating those sorts of numbers this season.What’s most appealing, though, is the idea that he could become better than his father.Henrik will always go down in Celtic history as one of the greats to wear the jersey. The Swedish hero bagged 174 goals in 217 Premiership outings for the club for instance.His son doesn’t find the net with the same regularity but claims have already been made that he’s on the right path to stardom.Speaking in 2016, Henrik Larsson commented: “I have said all along that the only way to deal with people comparing him to me is to become a better player than I was.”“He is already on his way to doing that. Jordan is playing in a higher division than I was at his age and he has already been capped for Sweden – and scored – at under-21 level, again, something that I had not done at his age.”The 24-year-old has since become a prominent player in Europe and is well on his way to becoming a genuine star on the continent.Celtic would be foolish to pass up a transfer as romantic as this if a deal can be arranged.Sadly, that does feel slightly farfetched for now.AND in other news, Alan Nixon issues ten-word Celtic update that’ll surely leave Hoops fans buzzing…

According to the Derby Telegraph, Glasgow Rangers have rejected several for controversial centre-back George Edmundson.

The Lowdown: No real future at Ibrox

Edmundson made just two appearances for the Gers during the first half of last season (Transfermarkt) before a loan move to Derby in January.

He was hit with a seven-match ban while still at Rangers for breaking lockdown regulations (BBC), and as such, it feels he has little future at the club.

The Latest: Bids rejected

However, it appears that the 55-time Scottish champions have rejected several offers for the 23-year-old, according to reports from the Derby Telegraph.

It is unclear whether the Rams are among the clubs interested in the defender’s services on a permanent basis.

The Verdict: Waiting for the right offer

It seems that Steven Gerrard and co are simply waiting for the right offer. The former Oldham man has made just 17 appearances in two years for Rangers, and the Ibrox club already have a number of centre-back options. It therefore seems unlikely that Gerrard will suddenly feel Edmundson should be a part of his plans, even if he did call the player “faultless” back in 2019 (Glasgow Times).

Valued at £450,000 by Transfermarkt, Rangers will likely be hoping for a fee of roughly that amount if they are to let him go this summer. If they get that kind of money, he would probably be allowed to leave with the club’s best wishes.

In other news, Kieran Maguire provides this huge financial update concerning Rangers.

Upon signing for Leeds United, despite boasting a great deal of early career promise, Patrick Bamford looked as if he may be a footballer who would never truly fill his potential – a far cry from the player that the centre-forward has become under Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road.

Indeed, having been on Chelsea’s books from 2012 until 2017, the 28-year-old spent a huge portion of his career being loaned from club to club, with his more notable campaigns coming for MK Dons in the first half of the 2013/14 season (14 goals over 23 League One appearances), Derby County in the second half of 2013/14 (eight goals over 21 Championship fixtures) and Middlesbrough in 2014/15 (17 goals over 38 Championship appearances).

However, there were also a number of unsuccessful spells at clubs such as Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Burnley, with the forward failing to score across 16 Premier League appearances for those three clubs – something which may have cast doubt as to whether Bamford was cut out for top-flight football.

However, following his initial £7m move to Leeds from Middlesbrough back in 2018, this is a reputation that the 28-year-old has massively overcome, with Bielsa turning Bamford into an incredibly prolific striker.

Indeed, over his 22 Championship appearances in the Argentine’s first season at the club, the forward bagged nine goals, registered two assists and created one big chance for his teammates – returns which saw the hitman earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.91.

Bamford continued his upward trajectory the following term, bagging 16 goals, providing two assists and creating six big chances over his 45 Championship fixtures in the Whites’ promotion-winning campaign – figures which saw the striker earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.88.

The £35k-per-week 28-year-old also took the step up to Premier League football comfortably in his stride over his 38 appearances last season, scoring a whopping 17 goals, registering seven assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as earning a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.01.

As such, with Bamford now boasting a Transfermarkt valuation of £19.8m – 5.5 times his £3.6m worth at the time of his move to Leeds –  as well as being the joint-fourth top goalscorer in the 2020/21 Premier League, it is evident that Victor Orta struck gold in 2018 when signing the player who Jurgen Klopp dubbed an “exceptional” talent.

In other news: Orta could be heading for his biggest mistake at Leeds to date, Bielsa would be livid

Tottenham Hotspur look set to reignite their interest in Dusan Vlahovic next year…

What’s the word?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the north London club’s hierarchy have made the Fiorentina striker their top target in 2022 after failing to sign him during the summer transfer window.

Last month, the Express’ Ryan Taylor reported that Spurs were in direct contact with the 21-year-old’s representatives, also claiming that they were expected to table a formal offer before deadline day.

Evidently that did not come to fruition, but it certainly seems as if he remains a main target for Nuno Santo and co.

At the time, La Gazzetta dello Sport suggested (via Football Italia) that La Viola valued their leading talisman at around €60m (£55m), whilst Transfermarkt believe his worth to be in the region of £36m.

Nuno would love him

Harry Kane has committed to the club for the immediate future at the very least, so a new striker may not seem like it should be a priority. However, the England international does not have a senior backup option behind him and it’s believed that the Nuno wanted to deploy a two-man attack system.

By mounting a move for Vlahovic, sporting director Fabio Paratici could kill two birds with one stone.

The Serbian marksman clearly caught the eye in Serie A last season, scoring 21 goals from only 37 appearances, and he has continued that form into 2021/22 by finding the net five times across all competitions already, as per Transfermarkt.

Standing at 6 foot 3 in stature, Vlahovic has earned plenty of glowing endorsements – ranging from comparisons to Zlatan Ibrahimovic to being ‘up there’ with the talents Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Meanwhile, Italian football expert Conor Clancy told This is Futbol: “[He’s] Incredible,” before later adding: “He’s just a complete number nine and I know it’s just off the back of one season, but he’s strong, can link play up, can hold the ball up and most importantly, he’s scoring goals. He’s one of those players that when he looks confident, you almost expect him to score every time he plays.”

Spurs have struggled to score goals this season, managing to win three of their opening four league games by a 1-0 scoreline, so there’s certainly a case to be made on why Nuno may need a new frontman heading into next year.

Vlahovic’s three shots per game are bettered only by Heung-min Son at Tottenham (3.3), whilst no Lilywhites star has found the net more often than the 21-year-old in this campaign.

On the above evidence, Nuno would surely love to see the ten-cap Serbia international arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – the likes of Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy must look to sign him in January, rather than next summer.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops concerning update on Spurs’ £85k-p/w “leader”, Nuno surely worried…

Marcus Bent thinks that David Moyes is the right man to take Everton to the next level and believes the Scot deserves another shot at managing the club.

Moyes spent 11 years at Goodison Park from 2002 to 2013, making the Toffees European regulars, and only left to replace Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

As we all know, his time at Old Trafford was disastrous, and with United miles behind leaders Manchester City, he was sacked before the end of his first campaign.

But the 58-year-old has been around the block since his departure, managing the likes of Real Sociedad and Sunderland before finding a permanent home at West Ham at the second time of asking.

And having got his managerial career firmly back on track by leading the Hammers into the Europa League group stages for the first time ever, Moyes is now being touted as a potential replacement for Carlo Ancelotti after he left for Real Madrid earlier this week.

Former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo has reportedly already held talks with Everton, but Bent exclusively told Football FanCast that Moyes is also in the running:

“I spoke to people behind the scenes – David Moyes is now being targeted again by the chairman and the club.

“He’s done so well at West Ham; he’s done so well. Me personally, I wouldn’t appoint him, but he deserves it, he would be good for the club, the players, the team and take them onto the next level with the new stadium.”

According to a report from the Daily Star, West Ham and by extension club owners GSB are plotting a move for Everton centre-back Michael Keane in the summer transfer window. 

The lowdown: Difficult season

The 29-year-old has endured a turbulent spell at Goodison Park following a then record-equalling £30million switch from Burnley in 2017 (BBC).

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Having amassed 181 appearances for the Merseyside club and earning England recognition in the process, Keane has struggled for any semblance of form this term as Everton battles against relegation from the Premier League.

Despite the issues, Irons’ boss David Moyes could be about to turn to Keane to bolster the defensive department at the London Stadium…

The latest: Daily Star makes claim…

As per the report from the Daily Star, the Hammers and GSB ‘will make a summer swoop’ for the 12-cap England man should Everton be relegated out of the top flight – plotting a bid behind-the-scenes.

It’s claimed that West Ham will ‘make an attempt’ to bring Keane to east London as Moyes looks to strengthen the centre-back ranks with Angelo Ogbonna sidelined through a serious knee injury.

Furthermore, the report states that the Scot is a ‘big admirer’ of the man once tipped to become a ‘top player’ by Rio Ferdinand having worked together at Manchester United.

The verdict: Another career rekindled?

Moyes has developed a penchant for revitalising stalling careers in east London, with the resurgence of Jesse Lingard during a loan spell with the Irons the most poignant example.

Whilst Keane has continued to feature for Everton, making 33 appearances across all competitions this term, a lowly 6.90 average Sofascore rating from 27 league games underlines the problems the Englishman has faced.

Under contract until 2025 (Transfermarkt), he would cost around £20 million, signing Keane wouldn’t be an inexpensive move for the Hammers and perhaps transfer chief Rob Newman would be best served to find an alternative option.

In other news: Agreement reached: ExWHUemployee also has some promising player news for West Ham supporters! Find out more here.