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If there could be any positives to take from another dismal performance, then perhaps those around Tottenham Hotspur can take refuge with the display from Emerson Royal.

The Brazilian right-back was the only shining light as Spurs were defeated 3-0 by Manchester United in their own backyard.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring six minutes before half-time with a sublime far-post volley, having already had one ruled out. He then piled more misery on Nuno Santo and his men as he turned provider, slotting in Edinson Cavani to double the advantage midway through the second half.

Then super-sub Marcus Rashford sent the home crowd into an anger-filled frenzy with a cool and collected finish past Hugo Lloris four minutes from time.

Truth be told, there was nothing encouraging about the performance and for the second game running, the Lilywhites failed to register a single attempt on goal.

However, Emerson was one player that looked like he was trying to make things happen, particularly as he enjoyed more time on the ball than any other player on the pitch. He registered a whopping 119 touches, 20 more than Spurs’ next best and 38 more than United’s best, as per SofaScore.

And with this influence, he certainly made an effort to try and change their fortunes.

The £26m-rated dynamo was successful in all four of his dribbling attempts (100%) along the right flank, whilst he attempted seven crosses and created one key chance.

Elsewhere, the 22-year-old summer signing from Barcelona won a whopping ten of his 12 ground duels (83%), meaning he dealt with the threat of wing-back Luke Shaw to good effect and often had the better of him, whilst he also registered four interceptions and four tackles, leading the match in both regards once again.

Nuno’s right-back also earned the side two free-kicks, so it’s no surprise to see that his opposite number received a yellow card for his troubles too.

According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, the Brazilian defender has left many around the training ground really impressed.

“Those I spoke to in and around Tottenham have said that the feeling they have got about him is that he is athletically superb, his fitness levels are incredible, he’s going to motor up and down that side,” he told his YouTube channel.

On the above evidence, Emerson was quite the defensive beast and nuisance in the attack for Spurs, so he was maybe the one shining light from another shocking performance under Nuno.

AND in other news, Worse than Harry Kane: Shocking Spurs lightweight who lost 80% duels endured a nightmare against United…

Newcastle United are on course to avoid relegation to the Championship as Eddie Howe has guided the club out of the bottom three since taking over from Steve Bruce.

The ex-Bournemouth boss has taken the Magpies nine points clear of the relegation zone and was helped by PIF providing him with a host of new signings in January, with the likes of Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes coming in.

PIF may now look to dip into the transfer market yet again in the summer in an attempt to take the Toon to the next level in the 2022/23 campaign.

Axe him

One position in which the club may look to improve upon is in central midfield.

Bruno Guimaraes arrived in January to bolster that area of the pitch but he only makes up a third of the players in the 4-3-3 set-up, with Sean Longstaff, Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Willock and Joelinton also among the options available to Eddie Howe at present.

The Magpies have been linked with a swoop for Juventus gem Adrien Rabiot, who is said to be available for up to £12.5m (€15m), and this would allow Howe to axe Willock from the starting XI. Since arriving on a permanent deal from Arsenal last summer, he has been unable to find his best form and has often been a liability in the middle of the park.

In 21 Premier League starts, the Englishman has scored two goals – missing three ‘big chances’ – and failed to register an assist whilst creating 0.7 chances per game. He has also been dribbled past 1.5 times and only made 0.8 interceptions per match – averaging an underwhelming SofaScore rating of 6.73 and completing 81% of his passes.

Last season, Rabiot produced four goals and two assists in 34 Serie A outings for Juventus. He completed 91% of his attempted passes and made 1.3 interceptions, along with 2.1 tackles, per game. The Frenchman also won an impressive 59% of his duels, showing that he is strong in one-on-one battles, whilst averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.08.

Bianconeri legend Gianluigi Buffon previously heaped praise on the midfielder, saying: “He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio. He is incredible, extremely strong.”

He has also proven himself in Ligue 1 for PSG. In his final season in France, Rabiot averaged an exceptional SofaScore rating of 7.28 as he made 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game whilst winning 62% of his duels and was only dribbled past 0.2 times per match.

His statistics in Italy and France suggest that he would be a big upgrade on Willock in terms of his consistency, his defensive quality and his ability on the ball. That is why Howe must push for the club to sign the Juventus man in order to axe the current dud next season.

AND in other news, Sold at £108k, now worth £10.8m: NUFC had howler on gem who proved Benitez “all wrong”…

Aston Villa travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening to take on Chelsea in the Premier League.

Thomas Tuchel is sweating on the fitness of Romelu Lukaku, N’Golo Kante and Kai Havertz, which unsurprisingly has had a number of Villa supporters talking on social media.

According to The Daily Express, the Belgium striker is set to undergo a scan on his thigh, the German has been struggling with flu-like symptoms and Kante pulled out of France’s squad for their World Cup qualifiers after suffering an injury against Liverpool a fortnight ago.

Reece James is suspended and Thiago Silva looks set to miss the game as well after a five-day ban was invoked by FIFA, so Villa could well be taking on the Champions League winners without numerous key players this weekend.

Villa fans react

@AVFCFaithful_ shared the news regarding Havertz, Kante and Lukaku on social media on Wednesday.

Here is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one describing the Chelsea trio’s possible absence as ‘fantastic’.

“Who blessed us?”

Credit: @AVFC_Bailey

“6-0 Villa, Ings and Watkins hat tricks”

Credit: @Joe_E_Young

“Fantastic until you realise Kovacic, Pulisic and Ziyech come in”

Credit: @mrthompson81

“Imagine”

Credit: @will_avfc

“Let’s hope so”

Credit: @RoundAboutMagic

“It’s coming home…”

Credit: @jonboy_avfc

In other news: ‘Statue outside VP’ – Many Villa fans ‘love’ star’s ‘brilliant’ international antics.  

Crystal Palace and Aston Villa have seemingly made cash offers for Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, according to Tuttosport, cited by MondoBiancoNero.com.

The Lowdown: Palace after a midfielder

Patrick Vieira has had a tough start to life as Palace boss and is yet to see his side score in three competitive games.

The Eagles board want to bring in two forwards and a midfielder before the deadline, with links to Watford’s Will Hughes gathering pace over the weekend.

However, it now seems as if Palace, along with Villa, could be in for McKennie, hailed as ‘intelligent’ last year by Fabio Paratici, now of Spurs.

The Latest: Wednesday report

According to Tuttosport, cited by MondoBiancoNero.com, Juventus would prefer cash for McKennie, with Tottenham and Paratici looking at swap deals.

The report then claims that cash is an ‘element offered by less famous clubs such as Crystal Palace and Aston Villa’, possibly hinting that the two clubs have actually launched bids for the USA international, although that has not been confirmed by any English sources.

The Verdict: Biggest signing of the summer?

Fabrizio Romano has suggested it would take an “important bid” of more than €25/30m for the 5 foot 8 midfielder, so Palace may need to make the midfielder their most expensive signing of the summer – surpassing the £21m move for Marc Guehi earlier in the window.

It could be worth it though, especially with McKennie at the peak of his powers with a career-high £22.5m Transfermarkt valuation.

He can also play as a central, defensive or right-midfielder, so would bring plenty of versatility to Vieira’s midfield options, adding depth and quality while killing multiple birds with one stone.

However, it seems as if Palace may have to outbid Villa, which could be an issue, especially as Dean Smith’s side have already spent £95m this summer.

In other news: ‘Dougie’s first L’, ‘No thanks’ – Many CPFC fans flock to ’embarrassing’ transfer news. 

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Everton signed Richarlison from Watford last summer in a deal which could eventually rise to £50m, which is hardly small change.

The Brazil international made a very strong start to the 2018-19 season – netting three times in his first two Premier League appearances.

The striker has 10 Premier League goals to his name this term – an impressive record – but his form has certainly been disappointing in recent weeks.

Indeed, the 5 ft 10 ace has now not scored for Everton since the end of January after drawing another blank in his team’s 3-0 win over Cardiff City in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Richarlison was replaced by Bernard just past the hour in Wales and despite the fact that it was a very welcome three points for the Toffees, the performance of the 21-year-old was widely criticised by the Everton fans.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

A selection of the Twitter reaction to the South American’s display against Cardiff can be seen below:

A new name has been put forward in the Newcastle United manager hunt in the form of Rudi Garcia.

The Lowdown: So many names…

As per The Daily Mail, there have been countless names mentioned as potential successors to Steve Bruce after he left his role at St. James’ Park on Wednesday morning.

Unai Emery, Roberto Martinez, Steven Gerrard and Paulo Fonseca have all been linked with the job, according to the publication.

The Latest: Garcia emerges

The Daily Mail has now revealed that Garcia is the newest name to have been put forward for the vacant post, having been out of work since leaving Lyon this summer.

Journalist and transfer insider Pedro Almeida has recently fuelled speculation that a Frenchman is set to be the next manager in the North East, and of course, Garcia would fit that bill.

The Verdict: Wait for someone better

With the kind of names that have been linked with the job on Tyneside in recent days, the Magpies are better off waiting for someone better to become available than Garcia.

He has an impressive overall win rate as a manager at 48.5%, but has only won a mere two major trophies in his managerial career, both of whom came over a decade ago with Lille (Transfermarkt).

The fact that the biggest transfer fee that he has played for a player is £26.37m for Dimitri Payet also suggests that he may be overwhelmed by the abundance of riches that the new owners will likely give their manager to spend, and so Garcia should not be a priority for them as of now.

In other news, find out which Champions League and Premier League winner is keen on the NUFC job here!

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Burnley central defender James Tarkowski…

What’s the talk?

Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards has claimed that the defender is keen on a switch to the club, but there is still a stumbling block in the club’s path.

He Tweeted: “I wouldn’t get Trippier printed on the back of any #nufc shirts just yet but this looks like a goodbye to me. As for Tarkowski, he’a not exactly playing his best games for Burnley at the moment. I’m told he also wants to come to #nufc but Burnley very reluctant to sell.”

Buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this claim from Edwards irrespective of the Clarets’ desire to keep him this month.

The news that he is keen to join the Magpies will get the fans excited as it shows that there is an interest from the player and he is out of contract in the summer, which means that he could join on a free if he does not arrive in the next few weeks for a transfer fee.

They will also be delighted as he could be an excellent signing for the side. In the past four full Premier League seasons, he has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.02 or higher, showing that he has performed to a high standard in the top-flight over a long period of time.

Meanwhile, no Newcastle centre-back has averaged a score higher than 6.42. This suggests that Tarkowski could vastly improve the standard of Eddie Howe’s options in that position.

His teammate Ben Mee previously lauded his professionalism, saying:

“Obviously there was a lot of talk around Tarky. I’ve said to him, ‘I’m glad you’ve stayed.’ He focused really well and he showed that on Saturday.

“He had the attitude of what will be, will be. He never once stepped out of line. You see other players at other clubs, you hear about something and they can go a bit off the rails. He’s stuck to it and trained really well and stuck with the group. He’s fully focused on playing for us.”

This suggests that he is a player who is able to cope with the speculation over his future, which is good news for Newcastle as it means that he could have a seamless transition into playing for the Magpies. He will not allow a big move to get to his head and will be able to come straight in and perform well.

The key question is whether or not he will join now or at the end of the season. Either way, Edwards’ update provides the exciting prospect of him joining the club and fans will be buzzing with it, regardless of when it happens.

AND in other news, Contact made: NUFC can kickstart PIF era with a bang in £20m deal for “phenomenal” gem…

Wolves are building towards an extremely exciting summer transfer window if reports of late are to be believed.

The likes of Lucas Ocampos and Allan Saint-Maximin have both been touted with making a switch to Molineux but will Bruno Lage be able to secure them?

What’s the word?

Unfortunately, it looks as though their hopes of securing a deal for Saint-Maximin may have been quashed.

That comes courtesy of Fabrizio Romano who claimed there is nothing concrete in rumours linking the Frenchman with a move away from Newcastle United.

He said on the Que Golazo YouTube channel: “So at the moment, for Saint-Maximin, still nothing concrete, but let’s see in the coming weeks what happens.”

90min had initially suggested that Wolves and Everton were both interested in securing his services.

Supporters surely gutted

Considering just exciting Saint-Maximin can be, this news is unlikely to please much of the Molineux fanbase.

After all, there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding their forward line ahead of the summer so it is absolutely imperative they have some targets lined up.

Adama Traore could still move to Barcelona while Wolves have a deal in place, should they choose to utilise it, to sign Trincao from the Catalan giants on a permanent basis.

However, judging by the fact that both players have contributed to a combined haul of just two goals in the Premier League this term, neither should be long-term options.

Yet, in Saint-Maximin, they’d find a player capable of not only excelling in areas where Traore thrives – pace and dribbling – but also someone who is capable of providing more end product in the final third.

The 25-year-old livewire has racked up a supremely impressive haul of 4.3 dribbles per match in 2021/22, a number that actually eclipses that of Traore who has managed 4.2 in comparison.

His five goals and three assists are also a better tally than the energetic Spaniard, proving he’d be a superb acquisition this summer.

Sadly, if you believe Romano, a deal now looks unlikely. Wolves supporters will have every right to be gutted as a result.

AND in other news, Jota 2.0: Wolves plot bid to sign “electric” £58m gem who terrorised Doherty in 2020…

Newcastle United are lining up a move for rumoured Wolves transfer target Lorenzo Insigne as they look to make the most of their new-found fortune.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with Insigne

The 30-year-old has been a legendary figure for Napoli, scoring 114 goals in 411 appearances for the Serie A giants and being hailed as ‘crucial’ by former Azzurri manager Rafa Benitez in the past.

Wolves have been linked with an audacious move for Insigne over the autumn, with the Italy international’s current deal expiring at the end of this season. That could allow Bruno Lage to snap him up on a free transfer, either in advance in January or next summer instead.

The Latest: Newcastle emerge as suitors

Wolves have been handed a potential blow in their efforts to sign Insigne, though, with Rai radio claiming [via Sport Witness] that Newcastle are front-runners for his signature.

The Magpies are thought to be ‘ready to shower him with gold’, which suggests that they could blow competitors out of the water by offering him huge wages after their recent takeover.

The Verdict: Seems unlikely

Insigne could be an ideal signing for Wolves with Pedro Neto injured, doubts remaining over Adama Traore’s future and Francisco Trincao only on loan from Barcelona until the end of the season, but it still feels unlikely.

The Italy winger could demand huge weekly wages – something Wolves are unlikely to guarantee, with Joao Moutinho the current highest earner on £100,000 per week, compared to the Italian’s weekly wage of £140,000.

It is far easier to envisage Insigne in a Newcastle shirt than an Old Gold one as the Magpies look to bring in high-profile signings and begin their climb up the Premier League placings over the next few years.

In other news, an in-form midfielder has been linked with a move to Wolves. Find out who it is here.

A number of Liverpool supporters are excited after journalist James Pearce claimed that four key players would be available for the Reds’ next Premier League game.

Jurgen Klopp’s men picked up a victory on Sunday afternoon, battling their way to a 3-1 triumph away to Crystal Palace.

The Merseysiders weren’t always at their best at Selhurst Park but they dug deep and ensured that they made up two points on Manchester City over the weekend. The result leaves them nine points adrift of the leaders, but with one game in hand at home to 15th-placed Leeds.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

Liverpool have done well in the absence of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita in January, winning each of their league games and reaching the Carabao Cup final, and the trio will return for the Reds next month after their involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations.

According to The Athletic’s Pearce [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], all three players – as well as Thiago back from injury – should be available for the next Premier League game at home to Leicester on February 10th, acting as a major boost when the Reds’ top-flight campaign resumes.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-18/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans hail Pearce update

These Liverpool fans reacted to the update in positive fashion on Twitter, which is no surprise given that the quartet have 38 goals between them already this season.

“HERE WE COME”

Credit: @Alex_AMS96

“So glad that at the end of the day, we didn’t miss them for the games we played in their absence. Their return would be a big boost to the team”

Credit: @Drgroundzero17

“City we are coming for you”

Credit: @sean3648

“Liverpool PRIME is back!”

Credit: @fcel17

“Good news”

Credit: @iraguhajackson2

“THEY AIN’T READY FOR THE SMOKE BLUD”

Credit: @shush29344954

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming over one transfer update. Read more here.