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Newcastle United would be taking a ‘big gamble’ if they do not sign another striker and rely on Callum Wilson’s fitness, says talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: Eddie Howe’s risk

As per the Daily Mail, Eddie Howe is prepared to take a gamble on Wilson’s fitness going into the 2022/23 Premier League season.

The Magpies boss is confident that his number nine can score 15-20 goals in the league and has further backed Chris Wood to add to that tally.

As a result, it is allegedly expected that Newcastle’s remaining transfer budget will go towards bringing in a wide attacker to St James’ Park.

The Latest: Agbonlahor’s claim

Agbonlahor worries whether Wilson will be able to maintain full fitness throughout the campaign. Indeed, he’s been plagued by injuries throughout his career, demonstrated by the fact that he missed 23 games last season alone

Speaking with Football Insider, the former Villa striker said: “I think they should definitely keep him as their number one choice.

“But I still feel it is a big gamble because he’s had his injury problems. Sometimes the injuries he’s been getting have been bad luck, especially with his ankle.

“I think they should bring in another striker, especially if they want to start challenging for the European places.”

The Verdict: Need one more

Wilson has a great record playing in the black and white stripes of Newcastle, having netted 20 goals in 46 appearances for the club.

With Chris Wood having scored just two goals in 16 games for the Toon, it is imperative that Wilson stays fit this season, with the former Cherries man needed to lead the line.

However, since the start of the 2020/21 season, the 30-year-old has missed 35 games due to various injuries.

Wilson cannot guarantee his fitness for the entire campaign, so it is essential that Howe brings in an adequate addition this summer ahead of next season.

Everton manager Frank Lampard wants to bring in three more signings this summer after James Tarkowski’s arrival at Goodison Park, according to reliable journalist Mark Douglas.

The Lowdown: Everton’s transfer window so far

The Toffees have made just one addition to their squad so far this summer, with the former Burnley centre-back joining the Merseyside club on a free transfer.

Everton have been linked with a number of forwards, including Chelsea’s Armando Broja and Burnley’s Maxwel Cornet, but strong progress is yet to be made with any of those pursuits.

As a result, Lampard’s search of the marketplace goes on, with the new Premier League season now less than a fortnight away.

The Latest: Douglas’ update

The i Paper’s northern football correspondent Douglas has shared news of Everton’s latest activity in the transfer market.

As per the i’s report, the Toffees are ready to progress discussions with Chelsea over a move for Broja, the 20-year-old who was given his Premier League debut by Lampard.

Additionally, it is claimed that the 44-year-old wants to make three more signings this summer, with Scotland international Billy Gilmour also a target for Everton’s midfield.

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The Verdict: Everton need signings

Having sold the hugely influential 2021/22 top scorer Richarlison to Tottenham for £60m earlier this summer, Lampard believes that there is a void in Everton’s squad.

As per The Guardian, he claimed: “When you think of where we were last year, we have lost a big player in Richarlison … we wish him well, but our club now continues. We know there is a void in forward areas, we are short in numbers there. Also, through the team there are things I want to strengthen and I can be honest about that, because a club like Everton has to have a competitive squad.”

If the Toffees continue without making any changes to their squad, it would be hard to envisage anything much better than a repeat of last season’s struggle against relegation.

Therefore, the remainder of the transfer window looks set to be pivotal for Lampard, Farhad Moshiri and co.

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Maxwel Cornet to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that, despite West Ham United believed to be progressing in talks to sign the Burnley forward, the likes of Newcastle United, Everton and Nottingham Forest have also made contact with the Clarets concerning a deal for the 25-year-old, while Leeds are another side said to be keeping tabs on the Ivory Coast international.

The report continues to state that Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City are also casting an eye over the former Olympique Lyon winger, who it is believed has a £17.5m release clause written into his current contract at Turf Moor.

“Unbelievable”

Considering just how quickly Cornet took to English football following his €15m (£12.5m) move to Burnley last summer, in addition to the fact that the Ivorian is also capable of operating from left-back – a position it is well documented Victor Orta is looking to strengthen – the argument that the 25-year-old would be an unbelievable signing for £17.5m is an easy one to make.

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Indeed, over his 26 Premier League fixtures for the Clarets last time out, despite his side’s struggles in the top flight, the £13.5m-rated forward still managed to catch the eye, bagging nine goals, providing one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots, making 0.6 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per game.

Compared to those at Leeds, he would have been their third top-scorer behind Jack Harrison and Raphinha, so it’s evident how much he’d give to Marsch’s men if he pens terms in Yorkshire, especially considering the latter has now left.

The above returns saw the £30k-per-week flanker who Maximiliano Bretos dubbed an “unbelievable talent” and Ale Moreno labelled an “explosive player” average an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.84 – a rating that, were he to have played for the Whites last season, would have ranked him as Jesse Marsch’s joint eighth-best performer in the top flight.

As such, while it would appear as if Orta will face fierce competition from a number of Premier League rivals in pursuit of Cornet this summer, the 25-year-old would very much appear to be worth the fight – as the winger’s versatility, ability in the final third and £17.5m release clause would all look to make him something of an unbelievable signing.

Tottenham Hotspur have been given hope of tying Harry Kane down to a new contract…

What’s the word?

In a recent column for the Telegraph, journalist Matt Law claimed that the smart money is ‘very much’ on the 29-year-old extending his current deal after sporting director Fabio Paratici conducted “phenomenal” work to keep him at the club.

Of course, the England international was heavily linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City last summer and even publically stated his desire to leave.

‘Those involved in talks about Kane’s future describe Paratici’s impact as “phenomenal” and with [Erling] Haaland now at City the smart money is very much on the England captain eventually signing a new Tottenham contract,’ he wrote.

Best business yet

Forget Richarlison, forget Cristian Romero, forget the lot. If Spurs can tie Kane down for the foreseeable future, then it would be Paratici’s best business yet.

After a slow start to the season in 2021/22, the Englishman bounced back and became a key cog in manager Antonio Conte’s system. He ended the campaign as their top goalscorer in all competitions on 25 goals, a feat that he has managed in each of the last eight years.

He also topped the charts for assists, too, managing ten, meaning he was the biggest threat for Tottenham in the final third.

Conte has regularly waxed lyrical about his talisman.

“To have a player like this in your team is very important. He can score goals and create chances. I like him as a person,” he told reporters (via the Daily Mail).

“Talented players don’t always want to work hard but from the first day I arrived here, he set an example. You think that’s normal but it’s not. Great players are sometimes lazy and that’s not him. He’s a big example for his teammates. He’s encouraging us to be competitive.”

It echoes his comments from many years ago, where during his stint at Chelsea, he dubbed Kane a “complete striker” and that he was “one of the best strikers in the world.”

Back in April, GOAL lauded the Spurs talisman in a similar nature, so that only goes to show the level of consistency that he has been delivering over a long period of time, despite the lack of silverware in N17.

With Law suggesting that it’s likely Kane signs a new contract, we should expect the prolific marksman to keep up such form over the coming season and beyond.

He and Conte are at the forefront of Spurs’ current transformation and that should leave many concerned with the club absolutely delighted.

AND in other news, Spurs can finally end their Pochettino nightmare as Fabrizio Romano drops exit update…

Leeds United are back in Premier League action today with their first game of the 2022/23 season seeing the Whites take on Wolves at Elland Road.

After ending their pre-season run of fixtures with an exhilarating 6-2 win over Cagliari, the Yorkshire club will undoubtedly be looking to get their new league campaign underway in a similar vein.

Taking into account the number of new signings that Leeds have made during this summer’s transfer window, Jesse Marsch’s starting XI this afternoon could have a rather fresh look to it.

One summer recruit that we feel should be in the team from the beginning to take on Bruno Lage’s side is Brenden Aaronson.

Aaronson must start v Wolves

After scoring 13 goals and providing 15 assists in 66 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg, the American joined Leeds on a five-year deal worth a reported fee of £22.2m.

During the 6-2 win over Cagliari, the 21-year-old provided a trio of assists, one of which saw him play a perfect pinpoint pass from his own half to set up Patrick Bamford as the Englishman fired in Leeds’ third goal of the game.

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To further highlight his attacking talent, with 26 league appearances to his name for Salzburg last season, the 21-year-old – who is currently valued at €33m (£27.8m) according to Football Transfers – had 52 shots at goal in total, leaving only three other players at the Austrian club with more.

Hailed as a “ruthless” player by Jim Curtin, as well as having a “monster mentality” according to another of his former coaches in Matthias Jaissle, Aaronson certainly seems to have what it takes to frighten Wolves and pose problems for the visitors’ defence this afternoon.

Bearing in mind how the Old Gold conceded 36 fewer goals than Leeds last season in the league, having a player like the American could be exactly what the Whites need in order to unlock Wolves’ defence and give them the best possible chance of starting their new campaign with a win in front of their home fans.

With Leeds having the likes of Stuart Dallas and Adam Forshaw out injured, this could allow Marsch to unleash Aaronson and give him his first taste of Premier League action today.

Sunderland defender Dan Ballard has suffered a fractured foot, as journalist James Hunter confirms the news with a message to Black Cats supporters on Twitter.

The Lowdown: Ballard injured against QPR

The Black Cats were frustratingly held to a 2-2 draw at home to QPR on Saturday afternoon, blowing a two-goal lead late in the day and allowing goalkeeper Seny Dieng to net the equaliser in stoppage time.

Aside from the dropped points, Sunderland were also dealt the blow of Ballard leaving the field with just nine minutes on the clock at the Stadium of Light.

It didn’t look good at the time and supporters will have been fearing the worst, with those concerns now coming to fruition.

The Latest: Hunter confirms foot fracture

Taking to Twitter, Hunter reacted to Sunderland’s official confirmation of Ballard’s broken foot, delivering a seven-word verdict:

“Just what you didn’t want to hear.”

The Verdict: Massive blow for Sunderland

This is an undoubted blow for Alex Neil, with Ballard making the summer move to Sunderland from Arsenal and looking impressive in the first few games, averaging two clearances per match.

The 22-year-old’s absence looks set to be a lengthy one, immediately reducing the manager’s squad depth ahead of what is going to be a relentless league season.

It will be interesting to see if Neil is tempted to delve back into the transfer market to make up for the loss of Ballard but it is more likely that he will trust those already at his disposal, with his injured man hopefully returning at some point this year.

Glasgow Rangers have moved to strengthen the quality of their squad in the summer transfer window with a host of new signings.

Ross Wilson has been hard at work to improve Gio van Bronckhorst’s options and has brought in John Souttar, Malik Tillman, Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz, Antonio Colak, Rabbi Matondo and Tom Lawrence.

Tillman has been one of the standout arrivals since he joined on loan from German giants Bayern Munich. The USA international has taken to Glasgow like a duck to water and is fast becoming one of the manager’s key players.

He has scored two goals in his last three matches – including a crucial header to send Rangers through in a Champions League qualifier against Union Saint-Gilloise – and has also caught the eye in the Premiership.

In the Scottish top flight, the American gem has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.37 (fifth-best in the squad) as he has scored one goal in three games and produced nine dribbles and five key passes.

The 20-year-old is a multi-level threat as he has shown that he can score goals, create chances and progress the play by dribbling past opponents.

Wilson could now bring in a player to form an exciting partnership with Tillman in the middle of the park by swooping for Charleroi talent Adem Zorgane.

Rangers reportedly had a bid rejected for the central midfielder, but they must now reignite their interest in the gem, as he could be an excellent addition to the squad.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously lauded the 22-year-old’s talents,tweeting: “Adem Zorgane is an extremely strong and versatile player with some very good technical skills. He can play almost anywhere in midfield – as a deep-lying orchestrator, box-to-box midfielder and even advanced playmaker if needed. One of the most talented players in Algeria.”

His high praise of the maestro is backed up by Zorgane’s statistics in the Jupiler Pro League. Last season, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.11 and racked up eight assists – also creating eight ‘big chances’ – in 33 starts. He has followed that up by registering two assists and creating one ‘big chance’ in three starts this season.

Meanwhile, no current Rangers central midfielder averaged a score higher than 7.01 or created more than three ‘big chances’ in the 2021/22 Premiership campaign.

This suggests that, if he can adapt to Scottish football, Zorgane could add a level of creativity in that position alongside Tillman that Van Bronckhorst currently lacks.

Therefore, the Algerian gem could form an exciting partnership with the American as they both have the potential to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch. At the ages of 22 and 20 respectively, they could also be a long-term pairing for the club, making the former’s prospective signing an investment for the future as well as for the here-and-now.

Manchester City have been known to splash out vast transfer fees to bring new players to the club over recent years.

One player for whom the club once broke their record transfer fee to sign is Rodri, who came in from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2019.

With 155 appearances for the Citizens to his name, the Spaniard has scored 13 goals, provided ten assists and won two Premier League titles.

As the latest summer transfer window draws to a close, the remaining days until Thursday’s deadline could give Pep Guardiola the chance to bring in someone who could be their next version of Rodri.

One man who has been mentioned with a move to the Etihad Stadium recently and who could fit this bill is AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer.

After making 77 appearances for Empoli, in which he scored two goals and provided six assists, the 24-year-old joined his current club in 2019. Since then, the Algerian has played 107 times for the Rossoneri across all competitions, chipping in with four goals and seven assists.

To give an insight into what sort of player Bennacer is and how he operates on the pitch, legendary former Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi had this to say about the midfielder earlier this month: “He’s always ready to press the opponents and shorten the space between the lines. Also, he is good at moving the ball quickly. The speed of touch is fundamental in modern football.”

Having also been described by Giuseppe Bergomias a figure who “dominates in the middle on the pitch due to his personality and technical qualities”, only Sandro Tonali (309) made more midfield pressures for Milan than the Algerian (213) in Serie A last season. 

In comparison, Rodri topped City’s list for the same statistic by making 254 pressures in the midfield third of the pitch.

Both players also came third in their respective squads in terms of the number of passes they played into the final third of the pitch, with Bennacer making 94 passes and the City star making 242.

Overall, as another young midfielder who is currently making a name for himself at one of Europe’s big clubs, a switch to the Etihad this summer for the Milan ace could mirror the Spain international’s 2019 move to City and give the Premier League champions their next version of the 26-year-old.

Everton have been linked with a move for Ben Brereton Diaz in recent days, and as the clock ticks down on Deadline Day, a new update has been revealed from a reliable source.

What’s the latest?

According to Everton insider Alan Myers, the Toffees have not yet made a new bid for the Blackburn Rovers striker.

Myers tweeted: “Ben Brereton Diaz trained with the rest of the squad at Brockhall TG this morning, no new bids at this point.”

Moshiri must act now

There is no doubt that there is still ample room for improvement in the forward line at Goodison Park before the transfer window closes tonight, and the signing of Brereton Diaz would be a major coup, so Farhad Moshiri must act now.

Despite the signing of former Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay last week, there is still work to be done to ensure that Everton can score enough goals to compete comfortably in the Premier League this season.

With Richarlison moving to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin injured for the entirety of the season so far, adding another forward would be hugely advantageous in boosting the firepower in Frank Lampard’s squad.

Brereton Diaz has been impressing in the Championship with Blackburn, scoring 33 goals and delivering 13 assists in 134 appearances, with a goal contribution for every 175 minutes of game-time.

The £20m-valued Chile international has been the recipient of high praise for his contributions at his current club, with former Rovers boss Tony Mowbray hailing Brereton Diaz “extraordinary” following the goal machine’s hat-trick against Cardiff last season.

The signing of the Chile forward could add depth to not just Calvert-Lewin’s role in the team, as the 23-year-old also has experience playing in the wider positions in the final third, with 80 appearances on either the left or right wing.

As a result, Brereton Diaz’s presence in the team will offer Frank Lampard even more options across the entirety of the front line, even when Calvert-Lewin returns from his current injury issues.

The signing of Brereton Diaz would be a great piece of business for the Toffees, but they are now running out of time to secure a deal, so they must get to work swiftly if they are intent on strengthening their attack even further before the transfer market shuts tonight.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has backed West Ham United to make a ‘big statement signing’ before the transfer window closes on Thursday night. 

The lowdown: More to come?

So far this summer, the Hammers have already completed seven permanent signings for David Moyes’ first-team squad, with Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta expected to be the eighth addition.

The 24-year-old is believed to be nearing a club-record arrival and will undergo a medical ahead of a deal worth around £50.8m (Daily Mail).

However, one pundit has suggested that the east Londoners may not be finished there and has tipped the Irons to get at least one more transfer done before the September 1 deadline…

The latest: Kenny expects ‘statement signing’

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United stopper Kenny has suggested that Moyes could still add another player to the London Stadium squad along with Paqueta.

The 44-year-old said: “Moyes is saying they need a few players, I think we all knew that. Listen, West Ham are still a good team, they have just had a few poor results at the start of the season, it happens.

“I just thought we would have seen a bit more activity from them this summer, maybe a big statement signing. There could be a huge statement signing alongside Paqueta, I can see it happening.

“There was fresh investment last year and that hasn’t really seen the light of day yet, it has just been a bit of a surprise. I really do rate that West Ham team, the likes of Bowen and Antonio.

“But they need a bit of help if they are to carry on fighting for those European places. Hopefully something changes before the window shuts.”

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The verdict: Fingers crossed

Should the deal for Paqueta be completed, as seems likely, West Ham’s spending this summer will surpass £175m, with only £16m recouped from the sale of Issa Diop to Fulham.

As such, any further incomings – perhaps in the shape of Club Brugge captain Hans Vanaken or Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher – would likely need to come from GSB and would be a sure sign of the hierarchy fully backing Moyes, and indeed rewarding him for his tremendous work over the past two seasons.

Another central midfielder and a frontline attacker certainly wouldn’t go amiss as the Irons gear up for a hectic campaign, having secured a place in the Europa Conference League group stage last week.