Newcastle United are reportedly interested in making a move for Barcelona winger, Raphinha, this summer, with the Brazilian’s future at Camp Nou currently somewhat uncertain.

What’s the latest on Raphinha to Newcastle?

According to Spanish outlet Sport, the Magpies – as well as Premier League rivals Chelsea – are said to be closely monitoring the 26-year-old’s situation in Catalonia, with the former Leeds United man one player whom the cash-strapped La Liga giants could be open to selling ahead of next season.

The report suggests that the Tynesiders have already made contact with the player’s representatives regarding a possible summer swoop, with that exit talk coming despite the 16-cap dynamo having only signed for the club back in July.

There had been claims made at the time that Eddie Howe’s side were in talks to sign the one-time Sporting CP sensation, prior to the forward ultimately joining La Blaugrana on a £55m deal.

How would Raphinha fit in at Newcastle?

It is no doubt somewhat bizarre that Xavi Hernandez and co could even be considering parting ways with Raphinha this summer, with the £62m-rated man having been in sparkling form in recent times.

Previously described as “unplayable” by journalist Josh Bunting during his time at Elland Road, the 5 foot 9 wizard has proven just that of late, having now bagged nine goals and contributed nine assists in 37 games in all competitions this season.

That follows what was a rather stellar stint in Yorkshire for the wide man as he contributed 29 goal involvements in just 67 games in all competitions, having emerged as something of a talisman during his time with the Whites.

To be able to secure the services of such a dynamic gem would certainly be a real masterstroke for Howe and co, with Newcastle having the chance to fashion a formidable attacking partnership involving Raphinha and the club’s emerging hero, Alexander Isak.

While the latter man has seen his impact limited so far this season due to injury, the towering striker still boasts a respectable tally of four goals in nine Premier League games thus far, notably nodding home in the recent win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

That perfectly guided header came amid what was a stellar all-round display from the 23-year-old, with The Athletic’s Steve Madeley writing that the marksman was looking “like Marco van Basten” after causing the away defence “all sorts of problems”.

With the club-record signing now back fit and firing, the aim will be to provide him with regular, quality service, something which that man Raphinha could certainly offer from the flanks having created 11 big chances in the Spanish top-flight this season – a far superior record to that of Miguel Almiron, for instance (two).

If Howe is to truly get the best out of Isak then having that creative spark in the side is a necessity, with Raphinha’s forward-thinking approach also illustrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 9% among his European peers for progressive passes received.

The prospect of having that duo wreaking havoc in attack is truly mouthwatering indeed, with such a deal set to be another statement of intent from PIF – as the £63m signing of Isak also was.

Feyenoord boss Arne Slot could be a contender to replace Antonio Conte at Tottenham, according to Voetbal International editor Pieter Zwart.

Who could replace Conte at Spurs?

The Premier League top four chasers finally announced the departure of Conte earlier this week, coming after a week of speculation over the Italian's immediate future. Conte was expected to depart Spurs even before his infamous post-Southampton rant, as his contract was set to expire at the end of the season, but both the manager and club mutually agreed to call time prematurely.

A plethora of big name managers and more left-field options have been linked with the post, including former Tottenham manager and fan favourite Mauricio Pochettino. Other notable names include the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, who's just left Bayern Munich, and another free agent in ex-Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.

Even the likes of Roberto De Zerbi and Thomas Frank, who've both been performing brilliantly at their respective top flight clubs, have been tipped as possible contenders for the Spurs job. Abroad, Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner is a name consistently linked and Slot, who is currently chasing a title with Feyenoord, has been a name mentioned by reliable outlets like The Times.

Now, analyst and editor-in-chief Zwart has weighed in on Tottenham's links to the 44-year-old – claiming to Voetbal Primeur (via Sport Witness) that he could seriously appeal to chairman Daniel Levy. He says that Slot's work on a shoe-string budget at both Feyenoord and Ajax puts him in real contention to succeed Conte in the summer.

Zwart explained:

“Daniel Levy has the image of a miser. He wants to achieve a lot with little money. That is, of course, what Arne Slot has done. First at AZ, where he competed for the title, and now he is doing the same at Feyenoord with a low budget. I can imagine that he would come into the picture.”

Is Slot the ideal Spurs manager candidate?

Slot has arguably overachieved with Feyenoord this season, having led the Dutch title-chasers to the Eredivisie summit, losing just one game all season. They're currently on a real hot streak, winning their last six league games and boasting the second-best defensive record in the division behind FC Twente.

Their Dutch head coach is seemingly working wonders at Feynoord with members of the media holding Slot in seriously high esteem. Netherlands football expert Marcel van der Kraan, speaking to talkSPORT recently, even called him the "most exciting head coach" he's seen in the last 10 years – going on to claim he utilises a "more" attacking style than Man City boss Pep Guardiola.

Going by his team's sublime form and steadily rising reputation, he could certainly appeal to Spurs.

Greg O’Keeffe has name-dropped last summer’s target Mohammed Kudus as the type of player Everton need to be signing.

The Lowdown: More goals are needed at Everton

Everton are the league’s joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League this season, which may not be a surprise given that the Toffees have been without star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the majority of this campaign.

The Everton board clearly knew they needed more firepower in the final third because of Calvert-Lewin’s shocking injury record and that they’d sold Richarlison by targeting Ajax star Mohammed Kudus.

While it was reported that Kudus was keen on leaving Ajax for Everton in the summer, his form this season has shown why he was indeed right to stay in the Eredivisie as he will have bigger clubs pushing for his signature.

The Latest: Kudus-like player is what Everton need

Despite his scintillating form for Ajax this season, O’Keeffe name-dropped Kudus on the All Together Now podcast as the player Everton could target and if not him, then someone of a similar mould, despite Ellis Simms’ latest heroics.

He said: (19:00) “It’s dead interesting because I think he’s [Ellis Simms] not the kind of striker if we all, well I can’t speak for everyone, but if I had my choice, I’d want Everton to be in the market for like Mohammed Kudus. I know he’s not a striker but I’m sure he could [play there], a Richarlison or those sorts of players.”

The Verdict: Everton are desperate for a proven goal scorer

While O’Keeffe and many other Evertonians would likely love to have someone such as Kudus in their squad, after his stunning season for Ajax, coupled with the fact he starred for Ghana out in Qatar last winter, he will probably have loftier ambitions having proven himself to be a ‘goal threat’.

Last summer was the chance for Everton to go all out, back Frank Lampard and land a proven goal scorer, but they decided to save their cash and instead brought in Neal Maupay who’s netted just once in the league this term.

Everton managed to get £60 million for last season’s hero Richarlison from Tottenham Hotspur over the summer and at no point did they replace him or even bring in a player similar to him and the qualities he brought to the side, which is simply negligent on Everton’s behalf.

A number of fans on Twitter have been left singing the praises of Manchester United man Scott McTominay after his heroics for Scotland.

What did Scott McTominay do for Scotland?

It’s been a pretty profitable international break for the midfielder and his country during the most recent qualifying matches for Euro 2024.

At the weekend, the 26-year-old came off the bench in the 67th minute to score twice and help seal a 3-0 win over Cyprus. He then followed that up with a start against Spain where he truly stole the show.

Indeed, coming up against the likes of Premier League rivals Rodri, Pedro Porro, and Kepa Arrizabalaga, the Man United star came out on top as he scored two well-taken goals to give Scotland a famous 2-0 win.

As a result, McTominay and co now sit top of Group A with six points from a possible six after their opening two games, having given their qualifying hopes the perfect start.

Incredibly, this also means only Denmark’s Rasmus Hojlund (with five) has more goals so far in the competition than the Red Devil, who sits level on four with the prolific Cristiano Ronaldo.

After the game, he told Viaplay (via UtdPlug): “As a kid, I was an attacking midfielder, I got too tall. I like to get in the box and help my teammates. I can add more goals and assist.”

And it’s safe to say after these fixtures, a selection of fans were wondering if the £60,000-a-week star could perhaps have a long-term future at Man Utd in a more attacking role.

Here are some of the best reactions…

Some pretty outlandish comparisons were made…

Indeed, many supporters even went as far as suggesting he should play up front for United during the remainder of the season.

Manchester United may be forced to rely on Harry Kane to force an exit from Tottenham Hotspur if they are to sign him in the summer.

Do Tottenham want to sell Harry Kane?

The England captain's future is being questioned heavily at the moment with just one year remaining on his current deal with the north London club.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, the reliable Fabrizio Romano has admitted the Lilywhites are completely against the idea of allowing Kane to leave in the summer.

This comes amid interest from the Red Devils with Erik ten Hag believed to be pushing for the 29-year-old striker ahead of the summer transfer window.

But the Italian journalist has insisted if a move is to happen it may need Kane to force his way out of N17 to open Spurs up to discussions with United.

He said: "On Manchester United's side, I can say that he's really appreciated by Manchester United; he is also appreciated by Erik ten Hag. So they really like the player – not just Man United, also other clubs around Europe.

"But the reality is that, from what I understand, Man United also know that Tottenham, at this stage, don't want to negotiate [over] Harry Kane. So the only way to see Harry Kane leaving Tottenham and joining Man United or any other club is for Harry Kane to decide and for Tottenham to tell Man United 'okay, we want to negotiate'."

What striker should Man United sign in the summer?

It is apparent the Red Devils will be going into the summer transfer window with a striker at the very top of their list on the back of Cristiano Ronaldo's exit last year.

In place of the Portuguese superstar, Wout Weghorst has stepped in and has been given a consistent run of games for United in which he has returned just two goals (via Transfermarkt).

And this has only emphasised the need for a reliable goalscoring option up top with Marcus Rashford carrying the weight of the responsibility in front of goal this season.

However, Kane is not the only striker who United have been linked with ahead of the summer.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen is another name which is believed to be on their radar and the 24-year-old could certainly provide Ten Hag with a much younger option that could serve as a long-term option in the United side.

The Nigerian is enjoying a stunning campaign in Italy this season with the striker having already provided the league leaders with 19 goals in his 22 appearances (via Transfermarkt).

But Osimhen would still come with some risk having never played in the Premier League before and that is the certainty that signing Kane would likely provide United.

Osimhen is still young and will continue to develop, but Kane has demonstrated his all-round game which the Nigerian is not quite able to match at the moment.

Kane has racked up almost double the number of passes per 90 and provided a higher amount of shot-creating actions per game (via FBref).

Putting Kane into a side with the likes of Rashford who can run on in behind the defence is surely a mouthwatering prospect for Ten Hag.

Newcastle United's transformation under Eddie Howe's tutelage has been nothing short of emphatic, and an outfit so resigned to incessant misfortune now look toward the tantalising prospect of sustained silverware on Tyneside.

Following his appointment in November 2021, Howe said: "This is a wonderful opportunity, but there is also a lot of work ahead of us and I am eager to get onto the training ground to start working with the players."

Club co-owner Amanda Staveley said of the former Bournemouth boss: "As well as his obvious achievements with AFC Bournemouth, where he had a transformational impact, he is a passionate and dynamic coach who has clear ideas about taking this team and club forward."

Howe's impact has unequivocally exceeded expectations; last term, the Magpies swiftly took flight and ascended from the Premier League rubble to steer clear of the relegation zone and impressively finish 11th with 49 points.

And this season, the Magpies perch in fifth place in the top-flight after 26 matches with 47 points, only two points away from last season's tally already and just two points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place – despite holding two games in hand.

The progress on the pitch has been emphatic, but it is the diligent work on the transfer front that has paved a steely foundation, and no transfer has been more resounding nor astute than the £10m summer acquisition of goalkeeper Nick Pope from relegated Burnley.

How much is Nick Pope worth now?

Since arriving at St. James's Park, Pope has been an absolute revelation and has already seen his value skyrocket to £26m, as per Football Transfers, at an increase of 160%.

His rise in market value has been laudable, but it is the feats forged on the pitch that have been the most arresting, with the ten-cap Englishman having played 26 matches in the Premier League and kept a league-high 12 clean sheets, level with Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale.

The Toon have also conceded the Premier League's fewest goals this season, shipping just 19 times thus far, and while some claims that the defence play the defining role could be made, Pope's ranking among the top 5% of goalkeepers in Europe for save percentage, as per FBref, his "world-class" aura – as hailed by Carl Kinsella, is aptly illustrated.

The £60k-per-week star has been one of the shrewder acquisitions on the shot-stopping front for Champions League-chasing outfits in English football over the past several years, with Manchester City signing Ederson for £35m, Liverpool clinching Alisson for £67m and Chelsea signing Kepa Arrizabalaga for a world-record £71.6m.

With the 30-year-old sure to maintain his role between the sticks over the coming years, his value will only continue to grow, and Howe can rest easy knowing he has pulled off one of the most remarkable and shrewdest coups in Newcastle's recent history.

Fans could not contain their laughter as France thrashed the Netherlands in their European Championships qualifier, with Memphis Depay summing up his side’s performance with an astonishingly bad penalty miss.The forward joined Atletico Madrid from Barcelona in the January transfer window, and has caused anger amongst Blaugrana fans for comments made about the club and former coach Ronald Koeman since departing.

However, Barcelona have seemingly had the last laugh, as Koeman’s return to the Netherlands job saw his side lose in humiliating fashion, with Depay dropping a disasterclass by missing a late penalty in what was a night to forget for the 28-year-old.

His poor penalty was initially saved by Mike Maignan, before the rebound fell to the £150k-per-week attacker, who could not generate enough power to grab a consolation, and fans were quick to highlight how poor his attempt was.

Depay also made an error leading to one of France’s goals, and will want to quickly put this performance behind him, but fans may not be so quick to forget. The best of the reaction can be seen below.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has been offered an apology on talkSPORT from Simon Jordan who had previously doubted the 45-year-old.

Are Newcastle shocking the league?

The arrival of new owners on Tyneside promised a new dawn for the Toon Army, however, the speed in which Newcastle have been able to close the gap on the 'big six' has been staggering.

Granted, they have been helped in some sense by the hugely underwhelming campaigns for Chelsea and Liverpool which has them both well below their expected levels.

But Newcastle have been there to capitalise on the errors of others and that can be seen in recent weeks having leapfrogged the likes of Tottenham Hotspur who are enduring their own issues.

There can be no doubting the levels of the three sides aforementioned have been below par over the course of the 2022/23 campaign, but that is not Newcastle's issue.

Howe has his Newcastle side well-drilled and has been able to extract the best out of the players he has got as well as recruiting players who are proving to be instant hits on Tyneside.

As Newcastle sit in third and open a gap on fifth-spot, Jordan has issued the 45-year-old an apology on Thursday's talkSPORT show for previously doubting him:

"With all due respect to him, I was wrong about his appointment. Because he's gone in there, he's caught this wave, and he's ridden it. And more than ridden it. He's directed it.

"And he's now coming out as a far better manager than I envisaged he was. Now that's great when you're in ascendancy, and we haven't yet seen any kinks or any bumps in the road, but there's nothing to indicate that we're going to right now.

"It's been a direction of travel that's been upward since he's walked through the door. But he's been responsible for that."

How good has the appointment of Howe been?

The Newcastle boss was selected by PIF having previously left his role at Bournemouth after he was unable to keep them afloat in the Premier League.

So it would only be natural to think the 45-year-old's appointment could have been viewed as a short-term option to steady the ship from Steve Bruce's reign.

However, there was an almost instant improvement on Tyneside after Howe's appointment after he took Newcastle from 19th in the table – without a league win – and see them finish in 11th spot last season.

And this season has seen the Magpies continue from where they left off last season and go on to hold the league's best defensive record.

The Toon conceded 62 goals last season, however, this season – with 10 games left – they have allowed in fewer than a third of that total with just 20 goals conceded.

There have been a number of additions to Newcastle's side under PIF's reign, but there has to be a lot of credit given to Howe for the development of some of the players he inherited.

The likes of Miguel Almiron and Joelinton have both been transformed under Howe to become regular starters who have had a huge impact on Howe's Newcastle side.

Newcastle have by no means secured their spot in the top four just yet, but they are certainly heading in that direction and Howe is rightfully getting a lot of the credit for their impressive campaign.

Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Ruben Neves is ready to leave the Premier League club this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Open to offers?

The Portuguese international is currently the Old Gold’s overall best-performing player under Julen Lopetegui, but having now entered the final 18 months of his contract at Molineux he’s been attracting interest ahead of the upcoming window.

English top-flight rivals Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham have all asked to be kept informed of the 26-year-old’s situation, alongside Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Pete O’Rourke recently claimed that Fosun may have to consider offers should they receive any at the end of the season. He said:

“Losing Neves would be a huge blow for Wolves. He’s been a key player for them over the last few years.

“Coming into the final year of his contract, if no new deal can be agreed, I think Wolves will reluctantly have to consider offers for the Portuguese midfielder.”

The Latest: Neves preparing for exit

According to Football Insider, Neves is ‘ready to quit’ Wolves in the summer regardless of whether they are successfully able to avoid relegation or not.

The Midlands star’s chances of leaving are now ‘becoming more and more likely’ as a result of him wanting to begin a ‘new challenge at the highest level possible’.

Lopetegui and the hierarchy have reportedly held ‘recent contract talks’ regarding a new deal, but with negotiations having failed to progress, he is ‘expected’ to move elsewhere.

The Verdict: Fantastic servant

Neves has been dubbed the side’s ‘orchestrator’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig, but whilst he’s been an outstanding servant for the club over the years, Wolves should sanction his sale.

The Nike-sponsored star has clocked up 41 goal contributions during his time in England and will be an attractive prospect to plenty of potential suitors with the leadership qualities that he brings to the centre of the field.

The Old Gold skipper is also strong in the defensive aspect of his game, where he currently ranks in the 98th percentile for most clearances and the 85th percentile for most blocks made per game, which will only increase his valuation (FBRef).

Wanderers will know how much of an integral member of the squad Neves is but there’s not much they can do if his heart is longer in it so the best thing would be to cash in and use his sale fee to generate transfer funds for a much-needed squad overhaul ahead of the 2023/24 term.

Manchester United are set to return to Premier League action away to top-four rivals Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's men gearing up for what will be yet another relentless run of fixtures over the coming weeks.

With the former Ajax boss set to see his squad depth tested to the extreme, the Dutchman will likely be anxious to see teenage sensation, Alejandro Garnacho return to the fold sooner rather than later, with the 18-year-old having sustained ankle ligament damage during the draw with Southampton in the club's last league game.

The expectation is that the Madrid-born speedster will be available for selection before the end of the campaign, although in the meantime, Ten Hag will have to make do without a player who has become something of a "game-changer" for the Red Devils, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

Despite his relative youth, the Argentine international has already contributed nine goal involvements in all competitions so far this term, having looked "unstoppable" at times prior to his recent injury setback, according to pundit Darren Bent.

Such has been the youngster's impact at senior level to date, it would appear that the Old Trafford outfit are already intent on handing out a new, bumper new deal to the former Atletico Madrid asset, with another La Liga giant, Real Madrid, having been circling in recent times.

A long-term extension would seemingly be just reward for a player who has truly exploded onto the scene this season, with United left to feel that they truly hit the jackpot with the signing of the wing wizard, following what has been a remarkable, meteoric rise.

How much is Alejandro Garnacho worth now?

While it is still early days in Garnacho's Red Devils career, it already looks as if the Premier League side pulled off a true bargain deal when bringing the teen starlet to England back in 2020, having prised the 5 foot 11 man from the Spanish capital for a fee of just £420k.

It is clear to see that the exciting showman is already a far more valuable asset, with CIES Football Observatory now valuing him at around £18m, with that roughly 42 times more (4,185%) than what United initially paid for his services.

Not that Ten Hag will be contemplating a sale any time soon, with Garnacho having quickly cemented his status as a vital part of the 53-year-old's squad, notably netting at Elland Road last month, while also providing an assist for Marcus Rashford's winner in the Manchester derby back in January.

Those two moments, in particular, have illustrated that the emerging superstar is a truly fearless and confident individual, having shown no sign of nerves despite the often pressurised nature of competing in the senior set-up.

While there have been concerns over his attitude at times this season, Garnacho has swiftly earned the adulation of those at the Theatre of Dreams due to his direct and dynamic nature, possessing the ability to get the crowd off their feet with a moment of trickery or a penetrating run in behind.

There are, of course, still issues to iron out – with Ten Hag stating earlier this month that the forward needs to begin making more of an "impact as a starter" – yet last season's FA Youth Cup final hero is fast becoming a cult figure among the United support.