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Most of Newcastle United’s players are ‘baffled by what is going on takeover-wise’, Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder reports. 

The lowdown

A Saudi Arabian-backed consortium had agreed a £300million deal to buy Newcastle in April 2020, only to pull out at the end of June (via BBC Sport).

They were said to have lost patience as the Premier League conducted its owners’ and directors’ test.

The prospects of reviving the deal are in the hands of an arbitration panel which will assess the validity of the league’s concerns.

Meanwhile, Mike Ashley has also launched an anti-competition claim at the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Newcastle and their would-be owners are in the midst of a ‘series of attacks’ on the top flight as they demand that arbitration be held in public, rather than privately.

The latest

‘Sources close to some of the players’ have relayed the feeling of confusion within the squad following the return to training.

Manager Steve Bruce is said to have a challenge on his hands as he looks to shift focus away from the external noise and onto their preparations for the new season.

Meanwhile, staff have been told little beyond the fact that the club’s anti-competition claim is ongoing and that there remains no date for arbitration proceedings.

The verdict

It would be naive to think that Newcastle could separate this dogged off-field battle from footballing matters.

A club needs stability to truly thrive on the pitch, and the lack of it at Newcastle leaves Bruce with a limited transfer budget to elevate his squad anywhere beyond mediocrity.

This is an institution in limbo with a potentially seismic takeover still on the table, and the drawn-0ut process will have become just as exhausting for some of the players as it surely has for many supporters.

In other news, this journalist reveals what takeover sources have said about arbitration.  

Some Manchester City fans have slammed the news that Newcastle United will make a formal complaint about refereeing standards.

The Telegraph are reporting that Newcastle are set to submit a formal complaint questioning the quality of refereeing from their last three games.

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Eddie Howe’s side will ask for clarity over controversial decisions that the Magpies suffered in their recent defeats to Leicester, Liverpool and the Sky Blues.

Howe has become increasingly frustrated by these decisions and has asked staff at the club to package together a set of clips to illustrate how these controversies have contributed to their recent defeats.

However, one single controversial decision, namely when Ederson clattered into Ryan Fraser in the penalty area at 2-0, would not have greatly affected the result on Sunday as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Newcastle 4-0 away from home, after the stellar performances of goalscorers Rúben Dias, Joāo Cancelo, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling lit up St James’ Park.

These Man City fans react to Newcastle’s complaint

Twitter fan feed City Xtra relayed the news of the complaint on social media. Lots of City fans met this with disdain, while others responded with sarcastic comments and one called it “weird behaviour” from the Magpies.

Here’s what these fans had to say regarding Newcastle’s intentions to make a formal complaint over refereeing:

“Richest club in the world complaining”

Credit: @SxrgioSZN

“4-1 loss wouldn’t have made any difference in their standing lol”

Credit: @kunsologist

“I’ve always found it a bit weird when all managers talk about in their post match interview after a 0-4 thrashing is a penalty that they should have got. If Pep did that I’d be absolutely furious. There’s a time and a place, you need to apologise for your own performance first”

Credit: @mcfcIeo_

“City should make these types of complaints almost every game. We just trying to be as perfect as we can be, not to give the referees much to do us over.”

Credit: @jgedeon1717

“Maybe they should make a formal complaint to their defence about the standard of defending in their last three games vs Leicester, Liverpool and Man City.”

Credit: @RCorless33

“Weird behaviour”

Credit: @Kafkaesque_10

In other news: Man City lead race for ‘outstanding’ predator; Guardiola is ‘in love’ with him

Celtic have the chance to add some more points to their tally for the season and take a step closer to the Premiership title this afternoon. 

Their latest league outing sees them take on St Johnstone at Parkhead after securing a 2-1 victory in the Old Firm derby last weekend. 

However, it seems as though Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou will have to do without one of his main attacking options today.

What’s the news?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday (via 67 Hail Hail), the 56-year-old revealed that James Forrest is the only player not available to him for selection this afternoon. 

Having missed Celtic’s two previous league games as a result of a knock he picked up during the club’s Scottish Cup win against Dundee United last month, it will be a huge blow for Postecoglou to still have the winger sidelined. 

A product of the Parkhead club’s youth academy, Forrest has made 440 senior appearances in a Celtic shirt across all competitions. In that time, the 30-year-old has scored 97 goals and provided 97 assists, showing how significant figure a he has been across such a long period. 

Postecoglou will be fuming

Even though the Hoops are in a good position in the league following on from their victory over Rangers last week, Postecoglou will still surely be furious that Forrest hasn’t yet managed to recover from this latest injury, despite playing it down at the time.

An even bigger worry for the winger, the manager and the Celtic fans is that he has a reputation for picking up injuries and missing a lot of games over the years.

With Postecoglou saying that the Scotland international should be a week away from making a recovery, the Celtic manager will undoubtedly be hoping that this will indeed be the case and that he can have Forrest fit and available to see out the remainder of the season and hopefully drive his team to the title.

For the time being, it seems as though the Hoops boss will have to rely on the likes of Jota, Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada to provide an adequate attacking force for the team while Forrest is out.

Having scored a combined total of 20 league goals between them, at least it’s safe to say that the trio have what it takes to be a suitable threat for the Bhoys in the 30-year-old’s continued absence.

In other news: Ange must unleash “phenomenal” £5.85m-rated Celtic ace, he could fire them to glory

An update has emerged on Newcastle forward Ryan Fraser, regarding his place in the Scotland national team squad.

What’s the latest?

According to The Chronicle, the Magpies winger has been forced to withdraw from the squad due to an injury picked up over the weekend.

The report claims that the extent of the injury remains unclear at this moment in time, with the only update being that he will be absent for Scotland’s matches.

Gutted

This news will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling gutted due to the awful timing of the knock. Eddie Howe has been confirmed as the club’s new manager this week and supporters should be excited by the prospect of the pair reuniting after their spell together at Bournemouth in the Premier League earlier in his career.

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The ex-Cherries coach has only just been appointed but this could represent his first big blow as manager and provide an insight into what he could be dealing with in the coming months; adversity. Newcastle are 19th in the Premier League and are yet to win a match, which means that his first few matches could be a slog that they need to grind through in order to pull themselves closer to safety.

Fraser has started two of the club’s last three games and the arrival of Howe could signal an upturn in form for the winger. In his final two seasons for Bournemouth under the 43-year-old, he managed eight goals and a whopping 18 assists in the Premier League as he showed that he can provide end product at the top level. Reaching those sort of figures again would surely delight Newcastle supporters who are yet see him bag a league goal for Newcastle since joining the club in 2020.

News of an injury, therefore, is not only a blow to Howe but it’s also gutting for supporters as it could hinder his progress in the coming weeks as he tries to rediscover himself under his former manager.

Hopefully, a positive update emerges ahead of the clash with Brentford on the other side of the break and Howe can get to work on improving Fraser and getting him back to his best.

AND in other news, PIF must avoid 1st Newcastle howler with deal for rarely-seen £36k-p/w liability…

Newcastle United have reportedly now made an ‘indispensable proposal’ to sign Axel Witsel in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Work behind the scenes

Newcastle World journalist Liam Kennedy recently revealed that the St. James’ Park faithful are already working to strengthen the squad ‘behind the scenes’, and Witsel is a player who has been talked about.

They are understood to be ‘weighing up a move’ for the Borussia Dortmund midfield player in the January transfer window, and he could be made available by the Bundesliga club.

The Latest: Proposal

As per Tutto Juve, the North East club have now made an ‘indispensable proposal’ to Witsel in order to try and persuade him to sign in January, despite the fact that he can leave on a free transfer in the summer.

They have offered the Belgium international a deal worth almost €10m (£8.4m) a season, much more than the €7m (£5.9m) a campaign that he currently earns, which would price Juventus out of a potential move.

The Verdict: Get it done

Given that he is 32 years of age, and seemingly unwanted by Dortmund, Witsel should not cost too much money, meaning that the Tyneside outfit could get themselves a potential bargain in January.

Lauded as a ‘top professional’ by footballing legend Fabio Cannavaro, he can lead by example both off of the pitch as well as on it, given the glittering career that he has had.

Nonetheless, he would be an upgrade to Eddie Howe’s current options in the middle of the park, averaging more interceptions, clearances and passes at a higher success rate than Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Sean Longstaff in their respective domestic leagues so far this term (WhoScored).

Given his previous work as assistant manager at Belgium, Graeme Jones will also have a good understanding with the player, and so he can aid Howe in helping to get the best out of him on the field, providing that he signs of course.

In other news, find out which three January signings PIF are plotting here!

Reported Everton target Luis Diaz pulled off an ‘outrageous’ piece of skill during Colombia’s World Cup qualifying clash with Brazil on Sunday.

Diaz was under challenge from Marquinhos and Fred and shuffled the ball from his right foot onto his left, which he used to dink it between the two players.

The game would end up finishing 0-0, with FC Porto’s Diaz playing the full 90 minutes.

He was otherwise marshalled pretty effectively, winning only two of his nine ground duels (via SofaScore).

Diaz could have been a Blue

Everton tried to sign Diaz in the final knockings of the transfer window as part of a deal that would have seen James Rodriguez go the other way. Ultimately, James’ salary was an insurmountable hurdle (via Carlos Aleman).

It remains to be seen whether the Blues revisit their interest in subsequent windows. Manager Rafael Benitez ‘clearly wanted more options out wide’.

Portuguese football feed Proxima Jornada posted the footage, and here’s what Everton supporters had to say.

Everton fans flock to Diaz clip

“If only James hadn’t got greedy, Diaz would be at Everton now!”

Credit: @MaxyMj3669

“I’m on my knees Brands”

Credit: @Adam_1878

“Get him in, he’d have Trent all over the gaff in the derby.”

Credit: @Joel_1878

“Get him signed up @Everton ASAP”

Credit: @gflan02

“Get to r’s x”

Credit: @MainManMina

“Feel sick”

Credit: @lucas1878_

In other news, Everton fans will be encouraged by what Greg O’Keeffe said about January.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have begun talks with AS Roma over a potential loan move for Amadou Diawara, according to Ekrem Konur. 

The lowdown

Diawara actually made more starts in the Europa League (ten) than he did in Serie A (seven) last season. Admittedly Roma made it all the way to the semi-finals of the continental tournament, with the defensive midfielder averaging 2.3 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.3 clearances per game (via WhoScored).

The 24-year-old has previously been heralded as a ‘phenomenon’ and likened to France legend Marcel Desailly.

Wolves have already done business with Jose Mourinho’s Roma in this summer’s transfer window, agreeing to sell goalkeeper Rui Patricio to the Giallorossi for £9.8m.

The latest

Konur tweeted that Wolves had opened discussions over a loan move for Diawara ‘at the request of Bruno Lage’.

The Midlands outfit are said to ‘have offered’ to take the Guinea international on a ‘one-year loan’, but it’s not clear if that arrangement would include an option or obligation to buy.

The verdict

It doesn’t look like Paulo Fonseca’s departure will open the first team door for Diawara, who’s competing with the likes of Bryan Cristante, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Nicolo Zaniolo for a place in Roma’s starting XI.

On the other hand, Lage is clearly a fan of the Guinean and might see his signing as a means of putting his own stamp on the Wolves midfield. That’s one area where they have not made any additions so far this summer – indeed, it’s worth noting that Lage is also said to be keen on FC Porto’s Sergio Oliveira.

A one-year loan move for Diawara could be well worth pursuing, giving Wolves a robust midfield option without the big commitment of a permanent signing if the temporary spell doesn’t work out.

In other news, this Wolves star could leave Molineux before the window is out.

It is no secret that West Brom have every intention of taking advantage of the upcoming January transfer window, but there is now one reported target that the Baggies have been speculated to sign who could be off the cards, after Dwight Gayle’s new manager Eddie Howe spoke out about the player this week.

What’s the story?

The Newcastle United striker has been said to have “an important role” at the club according to Howe, which will likely flatten the chances of Valerien Ismael being able to tempt the 32-year-old away from Tyneside.

The Magpies boss spoke to Chronicle Live about Gayle’s future with the club, saying: “What I have seen is someone who can certainly score goals, is a brilliant finisher. So Dwight will have an important role.

“He’s very well respected by the group and a well-liked member of the team. I’m going to enjoy working with him, for sure.”

These kind of numbers are exactly what West Brom are looking to add to their side as they head into the second half of the season, as they have struggled to score and finish their many chances over the last few months in the Championship, leading to a seven-point gap from table toppers Fulham currently.

These comments from Howe come after Albion continue to be heavily linked with securing the signature of the £40k-p/w striker, who proved to be a prolific scorer in the Championship during the 2016/17 season, when he scored 23 goals and claimed four assists in just 34 appearances for Newcastle.

What are WBA’s chances of getting Gayle?

West Brom fans could be gutted to hear that Dwight Gayle may not make a return to the club, as many have taken to social media to discuss the highly-speculated move.

When The Baggies Podcast asked on Twitter if fans would like to see Gayle back at The Hawthorns, the response was unanimously positive. One fan replied; “Yep, don’t even have to think about it! Natural poacher who can’t get a game at Newcastle. Bring him home!!”

However, with Howe’s comments suggesting that he still sees the striker as an integral part of the squad on Tyneside, those Baggies fans wanting Gayle back in the Midlands could be left gutted as their hopes of a reunion appear dashed.

Despite the Magpies manager’s verdict on the 32-year-old, though, there is every chance that Newcastle could sign another striker in the January transfer window, thanks to their mega-money takeover.

Gayle doesn’t get much game-time for the Magpies, as Callum Wilson continues to thrive in the centre-forward role for the club, meaning that the temptation to get regular first team football with West Brom could actually be a way for Ismael to secure the 32-year-old’s signature in January.

Either way, the Baggies must find a reliable striker in the upcoming transfer window if Albion want to catch up with Bournemouth and Fulham to secure automatic promotion back into the Premier League next season.

In other news: Valerien Ismael drops transfer window hints

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will believe his squad is relatively light on numbers as the January transfer window approaches, according to Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge.

What’s the story?

The 45-year-old oversaw an extensive squad rebuild over the summer, with several young, exciting acquisitions replacing multiple experienced campaigners.

However, Bridge stated in a recent interview that Vieira is likely to want further reinforcements over the coming months despite their strong start to the season.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “How much they do in January, I don’t know. I think Palace look pretty settled at the moment, but if Patrick Vieira was on this call, he’d say he was probably a bit light.”

Crystal Palace fans will be intrigued

Although it’s unlikely that the Eagles will add extensively in January, Bridge’s latest revelation will be an intriguing one for the club’s supporters.

Gaps at right-wing, central midfield and right-back are evident throughout Vieira’s first-team squad, especially with Conor Gallagher expected to return to parent club Chelsea at the end of the campaign and age to finally catch up with the likes of Joel Ward and James McArthur.

Therefore, the capital club’s fanbase are likely to be eager for additional acquisitions over the next couple of transfer windows as they look to continue their recent progression.

Although Palace have only won three of their 12 Premier League fixtures to date, their performances have been extremely promising, and famous victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City have illustrated their potential.

Securing the signatures of two or three more talented stars would have the potential to propel Vieira’s charges even further up the top-flight table and provide hope of a top-half finish for the first time since 2014/15.

It remains to be seen whether chairman Steve Parish can find enough room in Palace’s budget to dip back into the transfer market over the winter, but the fanbase will be eagerly anticipating their next move. The club’s chairman and Vieira simply have to act to propel them to the next level.

And, in other news…Forget Kouyate: Palace’s “clever” £6.3m-rated maestro must be unleashed amid big blow

An update has emerged on reported Leeds United transfer target Matheus Cunha regarding Hertha Berlin’s valuation of the Brazilian.

What’s the talk?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, via Sport Witness, Leeds have a concrete interest in Hertha Berlin attacking midfielder Matheus Cunha heading into the final few weeks of the window.

The report claimed that £21m (€25m) would be enough to tempt the Bundesliga club to part ways with the Brazilian, with AS Monaco and Zenit St Petersburg also hot on his trail.

Get it done

Victor Orta must sanction a deal to bring Cunha to Elland Road before the end of the transfer window. The midfield maestro could be a terrific addition to the squad and significantly strengthen Marcelo Bielsa’s attacking options.

Firstly, his versatility could be a useful asset to the Argentine coach. He played in a plethora of positions for Hertha in the Bundesliga last season, filling in six separate roles – including on the wing, through the middle as a striker, in the number 10 position and as a central midfielder. This means that Bielsa could use him in a variety of ways and would not be limited in what he could do with him in the Premier League.

Secondly, Cunha has proven that he has the quality to make an impact in the final third at the top level. The forward provided seven goals and four assists in 25 league starts last term, having managed five goals and nine starts in the previous campaign. This suggests that he could arrive in England and be a reliable option for Bielsa in attack.

Only three Leeds players scored more goals than him in the 2020/21 campaign, whilst no-one from the Whites was able to match Cunha’s sublime average WhoScored rating of 7.33. Therefore, he could improve their current squad and add some extra quality in the wide and central attacking roles.

He also comes highly recommended. Last year, former Hertha head coach Bruno Labbadia lauded the attacker and claimed that he is capable of “individual brilliance”. He said: “Matheus has something special. He can always produce something with a moment of individual brilliance.”

At the age of 22, the midfielder also has plenty of growth left in him. He could be a player who Bielsa is able to develop on the training ground to increase his value, which is why picking him up now for £21m could be a shrewd piece of business from the financial side over the long run whilst also improving the playing squad immediately.

AND in other news, Orta must avoid £45m Leeds blunder over “unplayable” beast, fans would be livid…