An expert in football finance has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United involving St James’ Park.
Speaking to Football Insider, Kieran Maguire has suggested that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) may have to sell the stadium in order to avoid breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, if the deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA consortium were to go ahead. He outlined:
“It would be challenging for Newcastle because FFP was designed to prevent another Man City.
“It will act as an anchor to slow down the speed with which Newcastle could compete with the existing elite. That’s the whole rationale behind FFP.
“It will be frustrating but I’d imagine that Newcastle will push things to the limit if the PIF takeover does occur.
“Financial fair play is ultimately linked to profit, profit is revenue minus costs.
“It could be that the PIF decides to sell St. James’ Park and the club makes a large amount of profit on the back of that.”
Should Newcastle sell St James’ Park?
If the bid were to eventually go through, then Newcastle would no doubt have to be very careful when it comes to FFP.
The rules are in place so that they would not be able to splash out insane amount of cash straight away – essentially they can spend what they make, which may not be as much as the prospective new owners would want at first.
Nonetheless, given the history and size of St James’ Park, it would likely not go down well with the Toon Army if the prospective new owners were to sell it, unless there was a better stadium being lined up in its place.
That said, if the Magpies were to find themselves in trouble with FFP for whatever reason, selling St James’ Park would have to be considered an option in order to try to balance the books.
In other news, there has been a promising Saudi insight on the potential takeover!
Rangers have been linked with a move for Hatayspor striker Aaron Boupendza recently and, should he make the move to Ibrox in the summer, he could be the perfect man to replace Jermain Defoe in Steven Gerrard’s side.
According to a report from 90min, a host of clubs including Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester, West Ham, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Southampton and Wolves are all interested in signing him after an impressive debut season in the Turkish top flight.
The report suggests that Russian side Krasnodar saw a move break down despite having a £7m bid accepted, as it is Boupendza’s priority to move to the Premier League, although perhaps the pull of playing in the Champions League could see him move further north to join up with Gerrard’s side.
Rangers look set to lose Defoe in the summer when his contract expires, whilst there is also speculation about Alfredo Morelos’ future at Ibrox, so it is easy to see why Rangers are seemingly in the market for a striker.
In his first season with Hatayspor, Boupendza has seriously caught the eye, having notched 18 goals in 26 appearances in the Süper Lig.
This has seen his Transfermarkt value soar from £405,000 to £6.3m this season alone and it seems likely that the Gabonese international won’t be plying his trade with Hatayspor much longer.
Other than a spell with Pau FC in Ligue 2, Boupendza has never really been able to find the net on a regular basis before his time with Hatayspor, although he was never really given much of an opportunity at other clubs.
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He has shown this season that he can be a serious attacking threat with a regular run in the team, and therefore could be a great addition to Gerrard’s side if he is given a chance to impress with the Ibrox outfit.
Boupendza has also featured as a left winger for Hatayspor at times this season, which suggests that he could fill in for Ryan Kent in Gerrard’s line-up if required.
This season has seen Defoe average 1.3 shots per game in the Premiership, whereas Boupendza averages 2.8 shots per game in Turkey, so he could definitely offer a goal threat should he make the move to Rangers.
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Therefore, Ross Wilson should certainly look at bringing the 24-year-old to Ibrox this summer, as he could prove to be the ideal man to replace Defoe in Gerrard’s squad.
And, in other news… Let down by Roofe: £4.05m-rated Rangers dynamo who played 3 key passes deserved better vs Slavia
After their lack of action in the January transfer window, Leeds United will surely revisit to the market this summer to bolster their squad.
Despite some bumps in the road, their returning Premier League season has been a successful one for the Whites, who are currently 10th in the table.
They have managed to snatch results from the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Leicester. However, injuries have played a huge part in their campaign and have caused issues for key players like Kalvin Phillips and Robin Koch.
For this exact reason – and simply to bring new talent to a very exciting club – the Yorkshire outfit must look to add to their roster. Leeds have been linked to a number of high profile names, but one that stands out from the rest is Boubakary Soumare from Lille.
Should Leeds move for Soumare?
According to Football Insider, the Whites have joined the race for the signing of Soumare from his native country. He is currently into the last 18 months of his current deal with Lille and the Ligue 1 side may be looking to make some money on him before his contract runs out next summer.
It could be a hard deal to get over the line for Victor Orta though. The report claims that Lille had accepted a £35million offer from Newcastle last year, but Soumare himself rejected the move to the Premier League.
The midfielder clearly isn’t afraid to voice what he wants and he won’t move somewhere just for the sake of it. However, Leeds have the pull of being an exciting side in England’s top flight. They are just five points off a top-six spot, which would be a gargantuan achievement for a side that has been away from the Premier League for 16 years.
This kind of thing could excite Soumare and he would operate very well alongside Kalvin Phillips. Marcelo Bielsa is often stubborn when it comes to his choice of formation, but using two defensive midfielders at times would allow his full-backs more freedom to get forwards without exposing the backline.
The Frenchman is a similar player to Phillips in terms of his defensive contributions and his ability on the ball. According to WhoScored, Soumare averages an 86% passing accuracy compared to the Leeds ace’s 85.3%. Whilst Phillips notches more tackles, interceptions and clearances, he could be the ideal mentor to Soumare, who is still only 21-years-old.
Signing a young star with such promise who can either provide cover or feature alongside the club’s best midfielder should be a no brainer for Andrea Radrizzani as Leeds look to improve on an already exciting new Premier League era.
In other news, Raphinha was yet again on form for Leeds vs Southampton…
In recent comments, the agent of Illan Meslier, Xavier Fleury, discussed potential interest in the Leeds United goalkeeper, as well as hinting at the shot-stopper’s future exit from Elland Road.
Since arriving at Leeds on what was originally a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2019 – with the club making Meslier’s signing permanent in a £5.85 million deal last summer – the 21-year-old has so far gone on to feature 36 times for the Whites, conceding 48 goals and keeping 15 clean sheets along the way.
So far this season, despite his tender age, the £10.8 million-rated Frenchman has highly impressed over his 25 Premier League appearances for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, making an average of four saves and per game, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.04 – ranking him as the club’s sixth-best performer in the top flight.
And, speaking recently on the LUFC Fan Zone podcast, as cited by Leeds Live, Fleury claimed that a number of big clubs could be interested in signing the France U21 international, as well opening the door to the ‘keepers potential exit from the club.
He said: “When you are so young, the youngest starting goalkeeper in Europe, for sure, big clubs could be interested, following him. Illan is starting at Leeds. He loves the club. Perhaps in one, two seasons, if you have a club like Real Madrid that knock on the door, who knows?”
Transfer Tavern Take
With Leeds not exactly having great strength in depth in the goalkeeper department – Kiko Casilla being Bielsa’s back up shot-stopper, with the club losing all three games the 34-year-old has featured in this season – keeping Meslier at the club is likely to be a priority for the Whites this summer.
However, with Fleury claiming that the 21-year-old is currently loving life at Elland Road, it would appear as if the Frenchman is in no rush to leave any time soon, which is likely to be very pleasing news for both Bielsa as well as fans of the club.
In other news, Phil Hay shed light on this Leeds star’s contract details – find out more here!
The day Marcelo Bielsa leaves Leeds United will be a strange day.
The Argentine has been at Elland Road for two and a half years now and has taken them back to where they belong; the Premier League.
Not since 2004 have the Whites been in the top-flight and not since 2012 have they had a manager in the job as long as Bielsa.
There is a special bond between the manager and the club. He is the first head coach since Simon Grayson to take charge of over 100 games for Leeds and this is the first time he’s stayed in a job for this many matches.
Clearly, Bielsa loves Leeds. He has transformed the very face of the football club, taking them from mid-table in the Championship to mid-table in the richest league in the world.
The 65-year-old recently admitted that he could see himself at Elland Road for the rest of his life but the fact of the matter is, his time in Yorkshire will come to an end eventually.
Bielsa’s contract expires at the end of the season and although hints have been made that he’s keen to renew, he may well walk out the exit door.
That would be surprising, but contingency plans are in place in case he doesn’t sign on the dotted line for another season.
According to The Times, Leeds have former Juventus boss Max Allegri on their shortlist of potential Bielsa replacements.
This would be an almighty surprise if he was lured to Leeds, but it would be an almighty statement of intent from Andrea Radrizzani.
The Italian has broken Leeds’ transfer record to sign Rodrigo while merely bringing Bielsa in was a huge shock. Though, Allegri is a manager who led Juve to five Serie A titles and to a Champions League final.
This is the type of manager the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool would consider; not a club currently sitting in 12th place in the Premier League.
For that reason alone, it would be a huge surprise if he came to Leeds. Though, it speaks volumes about the type of ambitions the Whites have.
It only feels like yesterday that Radrizzani was talking about extra investment putting the Whites on a par with Man City. Indeed, further funding from the 49ers may well do that in due course.
Though, if they want to achieve parity on the field of play, Allegri would surely bring them close. He is a first-class coach, someone who usually says no to you, rather than the other way round.
If Radrizzani can lure Allegri to Leeds, it could well be his most surprising Leeds call yet, one that will prove that Leeds really are battling to get back into the highest levels of European football.
AND in other news, Forget Gelhardt: Leeds must finally unleash rarely-seen 19 y/o, he’s a “box of tricks”…
Carlo Ancelotti should consider sending Everton defender Niels Nkounkou out on loan in the January transfer window.
Nkounkou joined the Toffees last summer with the intentions of building his reputation in David Unsworth’s Under 23s, yet was swiftly made a first-team player with roles in the Merseyside outfit’s Carabao Cup fixtures.
A Premier League debut soon followed at Newcastle United following an injury for Lucas Digne, yet has only been given 25 minutes of senior action since after being called on as an extra-time substitute in Everton’s FA Cup third round win over Rotherham.
Everton supporters have rarely seen Nkounkou turn out in the youth ranks, either, with Monday’s start in the junior derby with Liverpool only the 20-year-old’s second outing in the Premier League 2 and first appearance since facing Chelsea in November.
Nkounkou is finding himself very much in limbo, midway between being a first-team player and the understudy of Digne to being a youth player looking to cut their teeth with regular football in the U23s.
But the youngster has admitted that he expects the picture to remain as it currently is for the time being, and will have to wait for his chance should he remain at Goodison Park in January.
“Over the next few months, they’ll stay just the same, to keep learning and developing. Looking further ahead, of course I have objectives that I’m aiming to achieve in the future,” he told Everton’s Official Matchday Programme for their FA Cup tie with Rotherham.
“I have to be patient and show the manager in training I’m working even harder and he can count on me to deliver. Once I get the opportunity to play, it will be all about showing him I’m ready to perform whenever a position in the team opens up.”
Nkounkou has also admitted to finding his Premier League debut at Newcastle a more challenging affair than he expected it to be, adding: “I put in some good performances in the Carabao Cup, but the league game against Newcastle was a bit tougher for me.
“But, as we stand right now, I wasn’t expecting all that so soon, so I’m very happy to have already made those initial small steps.”
Monday’s clash with Liverpool in the Premier League 2 did not go entirely to plan, either, as the Liverpool Echo note that his performance was rather laid back and lacked the level of ability shown in his Carabao Cup exploits.
Nkounkou’s shortcomings were also well documented before joining Everton, with French football journalist Jeremy Smith citing a handful of key issues with the defender’s game.
“He’s a potential Benjamin Mendy type — strong, solid, good engine and can cover the whole flank all match,” Smith told The Athletic. “He has a good cross on him too. He’s seen as having lots of potential but his concentration still seems to wander. He needs to work on positioning as well.”
Training with Everton’s first-team and Ancelotti’s coaching staff will no doubt have helped Nkounkou’s development, but the Italian tactician should be open to sending him out on loan this month like the Toffees have done with Jarrad Branthwaite.
The centre-half has already made his Blackburn Rovers debut with an impressive display at the weekend, as he looks to play week-in, week-out after featuring just once in Everton’s first-team all season.
Branthwaite’s progress should only continue now that he is at a club where chances are more regular, and that ought to be the same for Nkounkou with Ancelotti able to rest easy knowing Ben Godfrey can deputise for Digne following his efforts in the role of late.
AND in other news, Everton must end the 14-year club association of a player completely frozen out by Carlo Ancelotti…
When Tom Cairney left Leeds as a 16-year-old back in 2007, few at the Yorkshire club would have expected the midfielder to go on to establish himself as a Premier League captain.
The Scottish midfielder was with Leeds between 1998-2007, when he was released, before joining Hull City (per Transfermarkt).
A move to Blackburn Rovers followed in 2014, where he would spend just one season, before completing a move to Fulham the summer of 2015 for an undisclosed fee.
Since then, he has established himself as a crucial part of the Cottagers’ side, having made 215 appearances for the West London side in his five years with the club, in which he has contributed 37 goals and 28 assists.
He has proved himself to be a creative force in England’s top two divisions since leaving Leeds United, having contributed 51 goals and 55 assists across his time with Hull, Blackburn and Fulham.
The Scotsman was made Fulham captain ahead of the 2017/18 campaign and since then, he has helped the Cottagers to two promotions to the Premier League, scoring in their play-off final win against Aston Villa in 2018 (per Fulham).
Cairney has also made a promising start to the 2020/21 campaign in the Premier League, having averaged a 7.01 rating across his eight appearances in the top-flight so far (per WhoScored).
If he were to replicate that form in the Leeds United squad, it would see him rated as the Whites’ third-best player in the top-flight, ahead of every midfielder in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad, so it could definitely be argued that he would have been a good player to have at Leeds.
Earlier this year, Scott Parker was full of praise for the midfielder after his goal against Bristol City in the Championship, saying:
“Tom Cairney took his goal superbly and was outstanding throughout the game. I thought he was head and shoulder above every other player.
“We all know his quality on the ball, but in the last three games he has showed much more than that and today it was a complete performance.” (per FourFourTwo)
Therefore, it definitely seems as if Leeds made a mistake in letting him go for nothing all the way back in 2007, as although it is impossible to predict whether he would have enjoyed the same success if he had stayed with the Yorkshire club, there is no doubting his talent as a footballer.
And, in other news, Leeds may already have the heir to Kalvin Phillips’ throne in teenage prodigy wanted by PSG…
Steve Bruce is expected to have a handful of first-choice players back available for selection when Liverpool visit St. James’ Park on Wednesday night after injuries and coronavirus tore through the Newcastle United first-team.
The Toon are still awaiting the return of Allan Saint-Maximin with the star forward still a few weeks away after testing positive for Covid-19, while Jamaal Lascelles is edging closer to fitness after returning to training.
Injury will deprive Bruce of Ryan Fraser at home to Jurgen Klopp’s visiting Reds after being ruled out into the New Year with a groin strain, but has better news on Callum Wilson and Jonjo Shelvey with the duo in line to face the champions.
So, with changes on the cards from the side which lost 2-0 to Manchester City on Boxing Day, here’s a potential XI Bruce could favour at home to Liverpool on Wednesday night…
Bruce is unlikely to favour wholesale changes so will be expected to retain Karl Darlow, Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez, Jacob Murphy and Isaac Hayden from the side which faced Pep Guardiola’s Citizens last time out.
DeAndre Yedlin and Matt Ritchie may be replaced at full-back by 26-year-old Javier Manquillo, who Alex Bruce lauds as a “very impressive” defender, pictured back in group training ahead of Liverpool’s visit to Tyneside after returning to the bench at the Etihad.
Manquillo had missed Newcastle’s previous three Premier League fixtures after proving himself as Bruce’s favoured right-back with five starts in six appearances this season, while Jamal Lewis has opened 11 of his 13 top-flight outings at left-back since joining from Norwich City in the summer.
Bruce is aware that over-exerting Fabian Schar could see the Swiss centre-half face a period on the sidelines after his surprise return at Manchester City, having seen the impact coronavirus had on Fernandez, but will likely retain the 29-year-old with Lascelles still out and impressing away to the Sky Blues.
Miguel Almiron struggled to leave a positive impression on proceedings against Manchester City and is at risk of the axe, allowing Bruce to retain Matt Ritchie in the starting line-up for his defensive prowess.
Matty Longstaff, another star of the show at the Etihad, is also likely to miss out with Shelvey returning to partner Hayden in the engine room after overcoming the chronic fatigue suffered due to the on-going effects of his hernia surgery.
Wilson also sat out the Manchester City meeting after sustaining an ankle injury during the Carabao Cup quarter-final defeat to Brentford, but has returned to fitness and should replace the underperforming Joelinton in attack.
AND in other news, an “unplayable” £75k-p/w Newcastle United player is in-demand ahead of the January transfer window.
When Leeds failed to get Kemar Roofe’s contract wrapped up in time, it was a bitter blow for Marcelo Bielsa.
Roofe finished the 2018/19 campaign as the club’s top scorer on 15 goals but then left for pastures new.
He picked up the phone from a certain Vincent Kompany and joined the former Manchester City captain at Anderlecht. His spell ended after just a year, however.
The striker is now at Rangers and in the process of scoring ten strikes, he has put the Gers in a position to usurp Celtic and win the Scottish Premiership.
Arguably, Leeds have never been able to replace what he brought to their attack. They have attempted to do so with both Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Kevin Augustin, but they started a combined two league games for the Whites.
One of Roofe’s key qualities was pace. He used ruthless speed and quick thinking inside the penalty area to fashion goal scoring opportunities. The 28-year-old, unlike Patrick Bamford, could play on the shoulder. He also had eye-catching dribbling skills and close touch control.
It was these aspects that Eddie Gray thought Bielsa’s team would miss when he was injured in February 2019. He said: “It’s a blow for a number of reasons, goalscoring obviously. He’s lead the line well, but he’s got that little bit of pace. It is something we [Leeds] have not got in abundance. Real pace. I’m talking about, like Norwich pace.”
Indeed, despite Raphinha, it’s hard to say Bielsa has much speed in the final third. Of course, they move the ball incredibly quickly but in terms of athletic abilities, there isn’t a great deal in Leeds’ current squad.
That being said, they could finally make moves to finding their new Roofe in the January window.
United have been linked with a move for Montpellier forward Andy Delort, someone who could improve their forward line in a whole host of different ways.
For starters, he is a goal scorer. Delort has found the net on nine occasions this term and has also helped himself to six assists in the process. “He [Delort’s dad] always wanted me to be a striker,” the ten cap Algerian admitted last year.
Delort continued: “I wouldn’t say he forced me, but he pushed me towards that and helped me develop that love of scoring. I used to practice with my Dad and he’d say to me ‘if you miss the target two more times we’re going home’ and that threat ensured I kept hitting the target.”
Certainly this season he is demonstrating that love for beating the goalkeeper. Though, it’s his remarkable pace and dribbling that provide us with the closest similarities to Roofe.
The £27k-per-week earner has performed one dribble per match this season – just 0.3 more than the former Leeds striker’s career average, but crucially he can get beyond a defender. Delort was clocked as the fastest player in Ligue 1 last term, usurping even the likes of Kylian Mbappe.
He is a ruthless striker and life Roofe, would offer Bielsa the ability to run in behind. Having a different option to Bamford as the season goes on cannot be underestimated.
AND in other news, Leeds can fix one of Bielsa’s big problems with swoop for “powerful” £41k-p/w titan…
Wolverhampton Wanderers' recruitment has seen them travel far and wide in recent times, with the club shifting their focus to South American talents over the last couple of transfer windows.
This summer alone, they completed deals for Brazilians Andre and Pedro Lima, aiming to sign talented youngsters at a bargain price, making an impact on the first team before potentially leaving for a hefty profit.
Santiago Bueno is another example, with the Uruguayan centre-back joining the club from Girona last summer after an impressive stint with the Spanish outfit in LaLiga, which saw him make 34 league appearances in 2022/23.
Santiago Bueno
The aforementioned duo will be hoping to make an immediate impact in the Premier League this season, helping Gary O’Neil’s side push for a top half finish during the 2024/25 campaign.
Andre and Lima will be looking to follow in the footsteps of another Brazilian duo in the club’s first team who have hugely impressed after their respective moves to Molineux.
Cunha and Gomes’ stats at Wolves
Forward Matheus Cunha to this day remains the club’s record signing, joining back in 2022 from Atlético Madrid for a reported £44m.
Cunha
The 25-year-old originally moved on loan with an obligation to buy, with Cunha enjoying the best goalscoring campaign of his career last season, registering 14 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions.
He’s often provided that moment of magic in the final third, as demonstrated in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground last season.
As for Joao Gomes, he’s enjoyed a phenomenal start to life in England after his £15m move to the West Midlands, joining from Brazilian outfit Flamengo during the January window in 2023.
The 23-year-old has since featured 48 times in the Premier League, scoring three times, including a double against Tottenham Hotspur during the 2-1 victory in North London last season.
Wolves midfielder Joao Gomes vs Arsenal
His subsequent form has seen him linked with the likes of Spurs and Liverpool – an indication of how impressive he’s been since making the move to Molineux.
However, another big-money move by the club hasn’t worked out anywhere near as well, with boss O’Neil needing to move on one current first-team member at the next opportunity.
How much Cunha and Gomes earn in 2024
Just a couple of years ago, Wolves splashed £27.5m on a deal to sign Portuguese forward Gonçalo Guedes from Spanish side Valencia on a five-year-deal.
Goncalo Guedes
However, he’s failed to prove his worth during his time at Molineux, scoring just one Premier League goal before returning to boyhood club Benfica for the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
He subsequently was sent on two more loans, once again to Benfica, before moving to Villarreal for the remainder of last season, only scoring three goals over the two separate spells.
Guedes scored two goals against Burnley in the Carabao Cup last month, but he’s only managed 15 minutes of league football so far this season.
The 27-year-old currently earns a reported £90k-per-week as per Capology, a figure that is higher than both Cunha and Gomes, who only earn £60k and £30k-per-week respectively.
Goncalo Guedes
£90k-p/w
Pablo Sarabia
£90k-p/w
Nélson Semedo
£80k-p/w
Hwang hee-Chan
£70k-p/w
Matheus Cunha
£60k-p/w
Given his ridiculously high wages and little impact at Molineux, the club desperately need to cash in on Guedes to avoid losing a huge chunk of their investment on the forward, with the hope being that there can be an escape route in one of the few markets still open across the globe.
Their recent need to sell key players such as Pedro Neto and Max Kilman highlights the club’s financial situation, with O’Neil’s side unable to carry players along the way – especially when they’re earning as much as Guedes currently does in the West Midlands.
Wolves must regret selling PL star who's now worth more than Gomes
He’s gone on to tear the Premier League apart in recent times.