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Some details have emerged of the Premier League’s involvement in the potential takeover of Newcastle United, with the top flight failing to keep their promise to reform the Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT).

The Lowdown: Arbitration soon

The arbitration case between the St. James’ Park faithful and the English top flight over the failing of the deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group is not far away.

Ashley has also launched a separate anti-competition claim against the division over their decision-making process in failing the bid, but that is thought to be in his back pocket in case the arbitration hearing does not go in his favour.

The Latest: Hurst slams Premier League and ODT

Details have emerged over a discussion between the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) and the panel of the fan-led review into football governance over the involvement of the Premier League in the whole takeover saga.

Speaking to The Chronicle, NUST board member Alex Hurst explained that among other things, the top flight’s involvement in the takeover was discussed, in particular the handling of their Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT):

“We touched on the owners and directors test issues. There’s no transparency there from the Premier League either.

“They promised transparency and to reform the ODT after the shambles of last summer but they haven’t. How can we trust the Premier League to regulate Newcastle United when it can’t regulate itself?

“We are in favour of the independent regulator. Very much so.”

The Verdict: ODT may need a revamp

The ODT may certainly need a revamp, given that the Premier League dwelled on the Magpies takeover for far too long, perhaps proving that the entire system is not efficient or transparent enough.

However, one thing that the ODT is clear on with regards to the potential takeover in the North East is that the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) must be considered a separate entity to the Saudi state.

If that separation can be proved, it would certainly be a big plus in terms of trying to push the deal through.

Nonetheless, the arbitration proceedings should give a much clearer picture over the direction of where the bid is heading, but the ODT will still unfortunately play its part.

In other news, find out what NUFC’s reported transfer budget is here!

A number of Liverpool supporters having been hailing Dejan Lovren following a tweet in which he mocked Manchester City’s Champions League final defeat.

The Reds’ season may have ended last weekend, but there was still one huge game to complete the 2020/21 campaign on Saturday night. City took on Chelsea in club football’s biggest match, with the Londoners prevailing 1-0 in Porto thanks to Kai Havertz’s first half goal.

It was yet another European failure for Pep Guardiola and his City side, with Liverpool’s increasingly fierce rivals still yet to win the competition despite spending vast sums of money down the years.

Someone who seemed to take an element of delight in City losing was Lovren, who joked on Twitter that their lack of a Croatian player proved costly. The former Liverpool man pointed out that the last nine Champions League winners have all contained at least one player from his homeland, with Mateo Kovacic the latest example.

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Liverpool fans react to Lovren’s tweet

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to revel in Lovren’s tweet, in which he said that City “should buy some Croatian players” [sic] and added “Congratulations Chelsea!”.

“That is actually a brilliant tweet”

Credit: @GagsTandon

“Would have him back at LFC only for this.”

Credit: @thescousefoodie

“My guyyyy”

Credit: @the_2nd_born

“Hahahahaa I love you man!”

Credit: @Nizamkarmal

“Give Deggs some medal!!!!!”

Credit: @im_your_gent

“Ahahahah, you’re amazing @Dejan06Lovren. YNWA”

Credit: @_lottiemilyy

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly confirmed the valuation of one Reds player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Former Rangers star Graham Roberts insists that Jermain Defoe will stay at the club next season, because he told him he would personally.

The veteran forward has enjoyed something of an Indian summer since moving to the Scottish giants on a permanent basis in the summer following an initial loan spell at the club from Bournemouth.

He has scored seven goals in 20 games in all competitions at the age of 38, and helped the club to a spectacular unbeaten season as they won the Scottish Premiership title.

Defoe signed a one-year contract upon his arrival, but Roberts is confident that the ex-Spurs striker will stick around at Ibrox, having spoken to him personally before the north London side’s clash with Aston Villa.

Indeed, Defoe is said to be in “love” with the club and the country, and is set to extend his stay.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Roberts said: “I was with him on Wednesday. He was at the ground for the Aston Villa game, he was there, and I asked him about Rangers.

“He absolutely loves it up there. And with what he was telling me, I’m sure he’ll be back there.”

Defoe has made a total of 72 appearances for Rangers, scoring 32 goals and laying on 10 assists.

Tottenham Hotspur may be without a permanent manager right now, but it seems full steam ahead of their summer transfer plans…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Spurs are in pole position to sign Joachim Andersen following Fulham’s relegation to the Championship.

The 24-year-old is due to return to his parent club Lyon at the end of the season before he is likely to be sold in the region of £20m, though Daniel Levy is facing stiff competition from arch-rivals Arsenal.

However, Spurs do seem like a plausible destination for the Danish centre-back. Eurosport’s Dean Jones added fuel to the fire with his comments on a recent episode of the ‘Touchline Talk’ podcast.

“To be honest, I think Arsenal face a battle to get him. From what I’ve heard, Tottenham are definitely in pole position to get him,” he said.

“They’ve monitored him for quite a long time. At least three years he’s been on their radar and they’ve been considering a move for him. I think, from what I’ve been told, his performances at Fulham have just convinced them that this is the guy they need to go for.”

Imagine him and Rodgers

It is no secret that Spurs are looking to bolster their backline, irrespective of who takes over from Jose Mourinho.

As per the ever-reliable Alasdair Gold at football.london, the North London side are looking for a new central defensive leader to spearhead their back four after a clear lack of cohesion and leadership throughout the season.

He would also ideally be one of two new specific additions to that role.

Andersen is certainly an interesting candidate but he will need the right manager to help continue his impressive progression in the English top-flight.

Of course, his current manager Scott Parker has huge claims in this regard and according to Football Insider, the 40-year-old will have talks with the club in the coming days.

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However, fellow managerial target Brendan Rodgers, who Spurs have not given up hope of securing just yet, would be absolutely ideal given his proven track record in developing young players.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast in March, Dean Windass claimed the 48-year-old is “unbelievable” for his transformation of zero-to-hero striker Kelechi Iheanacho.

Players like James Maddison, James Justin, Wesley Fofana and Harvey Barnes are several other examples of his fine work in recent times.

Andersen appears to be a more commanding and reliable defender than any of Spurs’ current options, managing more aerial duels won (3.2) and interceptions made (1.4) per game, via WhoScored.

This season, the Cottagers loanee has been lauded as “absolutely sensational” and “magnificent” whilst ‘The 2 Robbies’ podcast gave a glowing verdict over his leadership qualities, especially as he’s still young for a centre-back.

“He’s 24 years of age – he’s a man back there. He can win it, he can play, looks like he’s got a little bit about him to organise those in and around him,” he said,” claimed ex-Wimbledon star Robbie Earle.

Pairing up Rodgers and Andersen this summer would certainly be a massive statement to the rest of the league, and one that would kickstart an exciting new era at the club.

Levy must swoop for both at all costs.

AND in other news, Forget Parker: Levy could win back Spurs fans by hiring 53y/o dubbed a “master” by Pep…

Carlo Ancelotti has dropped news of a double injury blow for Everton as they prepare to play Manchester City in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Everton chasing European qualification

The Goodison Park side go into the final day knowing that they can still qualify for European competition.

They are currently three points behind sixth-placed West Ham United and would need them to lose at home to Southampton and for them to beat Pep Guardiola’s side, while bettering Tottenham’s result against Leicester City and recording a big goal swing, in order to have a chance of qualifying for the Europa League.

That scenario seems highly unlikely, but they have a good chance of qualifying for the Europa Conference League if can they better Spurs, Arsenal and Leeds United’s results.

The Latest: Everton suffer double injury blow

While it is an uphill task to go and beat the newly-crowned champions at the Etihad Stadium at the best of times, it will be made that much harder for Everton as Ancelotti has confirmed that both James Rodriguez and Seamus Coleman have been ruled out of the game through injury.

They are two players who would likely have started for the Merseyside club, but the Toffees will now have to try and get a result without the duo to call upon.

The Verdict: Rodriguez and Coleman key

As the club’s captain, Coleman will be a huge miss for Everton as he offers leadership off the pitch as well as on it. The Republic of Ireland international ranks highly in the squad in terms of average tackles (1.6), average clearances (1.3) and assists (three) per game in the top flight so far this season (Whoscored), and he will be a loss in these key areas.

Rodriguez offers a creative spark for the Blues as, with six goals and four assists in total in the league so far this term (Whoscored), he has also shown composure in front of goal, which is what Everton will need as they could to be limited in terms of chances against a Manchester City side who often dominate possession.

Both players could be a massive miss going into the match against the newly-crowned Premier League champions.

In other news, Everton are vying with Liverpool to sign this ace!

Leicester City reached their first FA Cup since 1969 as Kelechi Iheancho’s goal proved enough against Southampton at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

How did we rate the Foxes’ individual performances in the capital?

Starting XI

Kasper Schmeichel – 6/10: His mark cannot be higher simply because he did not have anything to do. The Dane was not forced into a single save by Southampton throughout the entire match.

Wesley Fofana – 7/10: The Frenchman was very impressive and proved a formidable wall for the Saints to get beyond. His anticipation of danger was key in Leicester reaching the final with his highly impressive five interceptions.

Jonny Evans – 8/10: Arguably Leicester’s man-of-the-match, the Northern-Irishman was a huge presence at the back. He produced a tackle, an interception, three clearances and a block throughout the 90 minutes according to WhoScored, earning his £80k per week wages and more.

Caglar Soyuncu – 6/10: Returning after a two-game absence, the Turkish defender was slightly rash. He was booked early in the second-half for a late challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters and was probably slightly fortunate to get away with a couple of mistimed challenges.

Ricardo Pereira – 5/10: Deployed on the left, the Portuguese did not look totally comfortable. He only completed 56.8% of his passes before he was hauled off on the 60-minute mark.

Wilfred Ndidi – 6/10: Whilst not the usually dominant figure in the centre of the park for the Foxes, having provided just one interception, he was still hugely useful in providing a shield in front of the Leicester backline by keeping James Ward-Prowse quiet.

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Youri Tielemans – 7/10: An ever-present in the Leicester midfield, the Belgian’s display at Wembley was impressive in all facets of the game. He was strong defensively whilst contributing four key passes, more than the rest of the players on the pitch.

Timothy Castagne – 6/10: Not a standout performer by any means but the former Atalanta man was solid without being spectacular. The wing-back contributed three tackles throughout the duration of the game.

Ayoze Perez – 6/10: Another to return to the starting line-up, the Spaniard linked play well and got in behind Walker-Peters on occasion but was somewhat wasteful with his opportunities – highlighted by an overhit cross to Vardy in the first period. He was replaced by Marc Albrighton.

Jamie Vardy – 7/10: Whilst not ending his barren run, the striker was a constant threat to the Saints with his runs down the left-flank. He wasted a fantastic opportunity in the first-half as he attempted to chip Fraser Forster but was key in Leicester’s opening goal having been released down the left, then producing a great cross for Iheanacho.

Kelechi Iheanacho – 7/10: The Nigerian simply cannot stop scoring. Whilst he was fortunate in that the ball came back to him for his strike, he stayed cool to slot home at the second attempt for his 15th goal in all competitions. He also teed Maddison up late on, an opportunity that was wasted.

Substitutes

Marc Albrighton – 6/10: Whilst not quite having had the same impact that he had against West Ham United, he was a useful option in closing out the game.

James Maddison – 6/10: His first appearance since breaking guidelines, the midfielder showed he was a threat after coming off of the bench by having two shots but he could get neither on target.

AND in more news, take a look at a 2020 transfer error from the Foxes…

Steve Bruce must urge Newcastle United to re-sign Jetro Willems at the end of the season after the Eintracht Frankfurt defender was backed for a return to Tyneside.

What’s the word?

While speaking with the Transfer Tavern, Daniel Pinder, the editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, claimed Willems has his heart set on returning to the Premier League with the Magpies.

Willems joined the Toon on loan for the 2019/20 campaign in a deal that carried an €11m (£9.5m) clause to buy the Dutchman, but plans were derailed after he sustained a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament rupture in January.

The left-back had been keen to secure a permanent stay in the North East before the devastating blow, but was denied the chance and moved back to Germany where he is yet to feature since returning to fitness.

Newcastle had explored a potential return for the 27-year-old during the winter market when contact was made with his agent, but opted against pursuing a deal as “Jetro hasn’t played enough” as Bruce would later confirm.

Yet a possible summer switch was not scrubbed from the cards as Willems will be out of contract in June and is refusing to sign a new contract at Deutsche Bank Park, and Pinder believes a deal is entirely possible.

“I think Newcastle is where he wants to be, and I’ve seen him like tweets from Newcastle fans on social media about a return,” he told TT. “He hasn’t really played for Eintracht Frankfurt this season as he’s down the pecking order behind the likes of [Filip] Kostic and Erik Durm.

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“Obviously, his contract is up in the summer as well, so yeah, I think Newcastle will be the club for him.”

Should Newcastle re-sign Frankfurt’s Willems?

There are no guarantees of Newcastle re-signing the same player they saw during Willems’ time at St. James’ Park on loan if the Toon were to explore a summer swoop, but getting a full pre-season under his belt could see the left-back alleviate Bruce’s winter concerns.

Bruce was full of praise for Willems during the Dutchman’s five months in the North East that saw him score twice and offer three assists in 20 games across all competitions, noting via quotes by The Northern Echo:

“He was playing week in, week out and had done very well [before the injury], and his goals against [Manchester] City and Liverpool were there for everybody to see.”

The Shields Gazette’s Liam Kennedy also claimed on NUFC Matters: “He’s a player that really impressed a lot of people at the football club – not only with his performances, but his attitude.”

Bruce should now urge Newcastle to rely on those positive positions in the off-season with the Toon on the search for a new left-back at a time when funds are expected to be almost non-existent – surely making a free move for Willems all the more appealing to Mike Ashley.

The £2.5m-rated beast returned to fitness this January and has been named on the bench for 10 Bundesliga fixtures by Adi Hutter to date, and would likely have been given a chance to feature if it were not for Eintracht Frankfurt’s immense run of form.

After claiming 27 of a possible 51 points while Willems was in the treatment room, Die Adler have since taken 29 of a possible 39 – only runaway leaders Bayern Munich (32/39) have taken more since January 21.

It remains to be seen if he can get back onto the pitch before the season draws to a close next month, but that should not stop Bruce from making Willems a Newcastle player again if the chance arises.

AND in other news, an “absolutely awesome” Newcastle colossus is wanted in a £6m summer switch…

Many Leicester City fans are lauding some early team news ahead of their home game against Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

As per the official website of the East Midlands club, Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that both James Maddison and Ricardo Pereira are now available to play against Pep Guardiola’s men after spells out through injury, while Harvey Barnes is making ‘good progress’, although Cengiz Under will not be available to play.

The Athletic journalist Rob Tanner has also confirmed that James Justin is ‘making good progress’ in what is a big boost for the Foxes going into the weekend’s match.

The fact that both Maddison and Pereira are back and available could be vital if LCFC are to get a result against City, while the fitness update on key players Barnes and Justin is surely the icing on the cake.

Leicester fans on early team news versus Man City

These Leicester fans lauded the early team news on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to say that it was ‘fantastic’:

“Let’s gooo @Madders10”

Credit: @Calcfcz

“Great news”

Credit: @Jr_Madders

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @KoloSZN

“So good to hear positive news on JJ.”

Credit: @94HoustonRocket

“Lovely stuff”

Credit: @MichaelAdamss

“This is fantastic news for the club! #lcfc”Credit: @LCFC_CanadaIn other news, find out what FA Cup update has been slammed by Foxes here!

Roberto Martinez dropped a huge clanger with Everton’s capture of Muhamed Besic, as Reading now line up a potential transfer for the summer free agent.

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph, Reading are weighing up a move for Besic to head to the Madejski Stadium once his Toffees terms expire in June.

It is felt that his impending exit from Goodison Park will help ease negotiations after the Royals failed to conclude a deal during the winter market.

Reading were believed to have explored a deal for the Bosnia and Herzegovina international in the final hours of Deadline Day, as head coach Veljko Paunovic is a fan of the midfielder.

But no official approach was lodged, and Besic – who was keen to work with Veljko – had to remain on Merseyside, where he has been training with Everton’s Under 23s this season.

Besic was frozen out of the senior picture at Goodison Park after boss Carlo Ancelotti chose to omit the 28-year-old from his 25-man Premier League squad, and has remained on the fringes despite being added following the mid-season window.

The 45-cap international has not featured for the Blues since 2017, after which he sealed two loan spells with Middlesbrough in the Championship and joined Sheffield United for the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

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Chris Wilder had appeared keen to retain Besic for a further 12-months following his temporary spell at Bramall Lane, but hinted that a deal was not possible due to his agent chasing a more lucrative contract than the Blades could afford.

A clanger by Martinez

Besic’s future has long appeared to be away from Everton with Ancelotti even opting against offering the midfielder a seat on the bench this term, so will no doubt be hopeful of securing a move to Reading where he is more likely to have the backing of the head coach.

The Berlin-born Bosnian would also bring a heap of Premier League and Championship experience to the Madejski Stadium, where top-flight football for next season cannot yet be ruled out with the Royals only five points outside of the Play-Off places.

But Besic is unlikely to be missed at Goodison Park, having faded massively from the player Martinez considered to be “a phenomenal asset” of his Toffees side having only ever proven to be a regular under the Spaniard.

Injuries ravished his 2015/16 season and kept the £2m-rated midfielder sidelined for almost the entirety of the ‘16/17 term, before being given fleeting appearances under Ronald Koeman and later accepting his first spell away from Merseyside with Middlesbrough.

Everton were at least able to get Boro and Sheffield United to cover his wages, saving the Toffees from having to pay £30,000-per-week to a player they awarded a pay rise to in February 2016 only to rarely see on the field after that.

But the weeks that Besic will have spent in the wilderness this season, the years on Merseyside before joining Middlesbrough and time spent before moving to Sheffield United will have seen Everton pay out a total of £7.6m in wages on a player they spent £4m to sign in 2014.

Little of that £11.6m will have not been wasted when Besic departs Everton at the end of his contract on June 30, which can surely not come soon enough for both the player and the club.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands could hand Carlo Ancelotti his own Dayot Upamecano with £7m Everton transfer…

Over the last few years, Sunderland has been a rotten football club to support. They have suffered relegation twice and promotion feels like a distant dream.

Under the ownership of Stewart Donald, things went pear-shaped. They were spending vast sums of money that the club couldn’t afford and they’d become one of the laughing stocks of the EFL.

However, in 2021, there is a very different feel to the Mackems. They have won their first silverware for 48 years and after defeating Accrington 2-0 on Wednesday evening, they are now third in the table.

Lee Johnson has engineered an incredible run with the Black Cats winning seven of their last eight matches in the league.

It feels like now or never in terms of promotion and they’re building up ahead of steam at just the right time. Their win at Accrington was scrappy but they managed to get the job done as goals from Charlie Wyke and Ross Stewart sealed the points.

After their EFL Trophy final last weekend, Johnson made changes, one of which saw Jack Diamond come into the XI.

He has been one of the real winners of the new manager’s time at the Stadium of Light so far. When he came into the team properly in December, he offered something that Sunderland didn’t have; the ability to stretch opponents and get in behind.

Indeed, we saw that when he was introduced late on at Wembley on Sunday. He got the Black Cats up the pitch with his raw pace and frantic energy.

Unfortunately, he was rather disappointing against Accrington in midweek, being hauled off at half time after a very dismal opening 45 minutes.

The bitty nature of the game didn’t suit Diamond at all, and as a result, he struggled significantly to get into proceedings.

He departed the field having had just 18 touches of the ball, a number that would ultimately fall below goalkeeper Lee Burge’s tally for the evening. From those touches, he conceded possession on nine occasions, leading to a forgetful night for the youngster.

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Strikingly, Diamond made just three passes in the entire time he was on the pitch. That is a shocking tally, one that was easily the worst of any Sunderland player to start the game.

It was telling, therefore, than his substitute scored the opening goal of the game. Diamond was replaced by Stewart at the break and the Scot popped up with a crucial debut goal.

The former has made great strides since breaking into the Mackems’ first-team but with their new signing now back from injury and immediately in the goals, he’ll need to keep a close eye over his shoulder.

Diamond will undoubtedly have better nights than this; he’ll just have to eradicate this one quickly from his mind.

AND in other news, SAFC must seal swoop for 26 y/o gem with “pace to burn”, Phillips says he’s a “threat”…