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A top football journalist has warned the Premier League could have a “silver bullet” waiting for Newcastle United in their arbitration case.

Liam Kennedy, a reporter for the Shields Gazette, has followed the trials and tribulations of the Magpies’ proposed Saudi Arabian-backed takeover which fell through last year.

The case is expected to be heard later this month, although reports suggest Newcastle have yet to be given a date by the Premier League.

Magpies owner Mike Ashley revealed his frustrations in an explosive statement last week, where he asked Newcastle fans, MPs and other high profile figures to urge the Premier League to allow the case to be heard in public.

The proposed takeover, led by Amanda Staveley, was not completed after the consortium rejected the Premier League’s offer of arbitration to determine who would own the club.

Kennedy admits it is difficult to determine whether the case will go in the Magpies’ favour because there are more questions than answers.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “There’s a lot of water to go under the bridge. Predicting which way this deal will go is absolutely impossible.

“Will the arbitration fall in Newcastle’s favour and will it be green-lighted? That would be the ideal scenario because we’re kind of at that point now.

“Will the arbitration go against Newcastle? Will the cap case go against Newcastle and how long will that take? Will we then see disclosure and it played out in a public courtroom? Could it then go through? Will the Premier League fold?

“Will all of this evidence that Newcastle United have suddenly be blown out of the water by some kind of silver bullet sitting there with the Premier League? We just don’t know.”

The January transfer window is just around the corner and Newcastle United have been tipped to be busy throughout the month in terms of making signings.

Eddie Howe looks set to strengthen his Magpies squad, with Ousmane Dembele, Joe Rodon, Lucas Paqueta and Dusan Vlahovic just a few of the names linked with a switch to St. James’ Park.

However, the answer to every problem may not lie within the transfer market as Howe could look to bringing through a young gem instead of making a new signing in a certain position.

Save millions

One player who could be brought through into the academy to save PIF spending millions is forward Dylan Stephenson, who has been impressing this season.

Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope once said “he certainly knows where the net is” and his record for the youth team this season backs up that claim. He has scored 11 goals in 16 games for the under-23 side, with 10 in 13 in the league and one in three in the EFL Trophy.

Earlier this year, Magpies youth coach Neil Winskill heaped praise on the young attacker. He told the club’s official website:

“I’m thrilled for Dylan because he is such an honest, hard-working lad. He’s the type of player any team would like to have in their XI, who’s going to really put a shift in for you.

“Every game and training session, the physical stats come through and he’s always top of the charts but we had a chat during the week about the need for him to be consistent with his quality, and he spoke to me about how he thinks people will judge him on goals.”

This shows that Stephenson, who has also been dubbed as “adaptable” by coach Elliott Dickman, is willing to put the hard yards in on the pitch, which could be crucial in a relegation battle setting. It proves that he will not down tools if things are not going his way and he will continue to battle to the death and that could be something that the fans appreciate seeing.

Therefore, the 11-goal predator could be a promising player to bring through as he has the goal record to suggest that he has the potential to make an impact at first-team level and the work rate to earn the support of the fans. This is why Howe must unleash him in the senior side and offer him a chance to show what he can do.

If he can impress and score goals in the Premier League then it could save PIF from needing to spend millions of pounds on a new striker in January.

AND in other news, Downie shares NUFC update after speaking “to the consortium”, fans will be thrilled…

Wolves have been pretty busy during the previous summer and winter transfer windows with players leaving the club and new ones coming in.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer window, it seems as though this could once again be the case for the Old Gold in their latest attempt at strengthening their squad.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from journalist David Ornstein in The Athletic, Wolves are eyeing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Matheus Nunes as a potential replacement for Joao Moutinho, whose £100k-per-week contract at Molineux is set to expire in the summer.

In 125 combined appearances for Sporting’s senior and U23 sides, the midfielder has scored nine goals and provided 11 assists along the way.

Moutinho heir at Wolves

This current campaign has seen the Brazilian-born midfielder make 28 league appearances for his club and even have his first taste of Champions League football with six appearances to his name.

To highlight how much of a well-rounded midfield option he is for his side, the 23-year-old has racked up a total of 23 tackles, 26 interceptions and 23 crosses in the Portuguese league this season, putting him in the top ten for each statistic in Sporting’s squad.

His overall performances have earned the Portuguese international a season rating of 7.08 from WhoScored, making him Sporting’s sixth-highest rated player for this campaign.

This rating would make him the highest-rated Wolves player by the same metric, showing what an impressive player the £27m-rated gem is at a fairly young age.

Labelled as an “unbelievable” player by Goncalo Santos as well as being “one of the best players in the world today” according to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Nunes certainly has a lot of hype around him, which could make him an exciting recruit for Bruno Lage’s side.

With Wolves’ track record of signing players from Portuguese clubs, Nunes, who has a better technical rating than Moutinho at this stage of his career according to SofaScore, could be an ideal long-term figure for the Midlands club and follow in the footsteps of the other players that have joined the Old Gold from Portugal such as Ruben Neves, Fabio Silva and Chiquinho among others.

In other news: Wolves plot swoop for “special” £33m Mendes client, he’s better than Trincao…

Rangers return to Premiership action on Sunday as Giovanni van Bronckhorst awaits his domestic bow as manager of the Glasgow giants.

The Dutchman made his dugout debut against Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday night, with the Gers winning 2-0 thanks to two goals from Alfredo Morelos.

They now travel to face Livingston in the Premiership as they look to potentially build on their four-point lead at the top of the table.

Time’s up

One change that the 46-year-old could make to the team is removing Joe Aribo from the starting line-up. He started against the Czech outfit but struggled to catch the eye in a positive way, which could to him being axed from the side this weekend.

The Nigeria international received a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.4 for his performance as he struggled at both sides of the game. His end product was lacking and he did not stand up to the physical questions which were asked of him.

As per SofaScore, he lost five of his nine duels and missed two ‘big chances’, whilst also hitting the crossbar with one effort. Along with that, he only completed 72% of his attempted passes and gave possession away 12 times, being dribbled past as often (once) as he completed a tackle.

He has just one goal and one assist in his last 10 competitive matches for Rangers, with both coming in a 4-2 win over Ross County earlier this month, and his time in the starting XI could now be up.

This is a disappointing run of form, given what Gers fans know the £14k-per-week gem is capable of producing. His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa previously praised him despite having a ‘languid’ style, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

Last season, Aribo averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.13 as he produced seven goals and four assists in 27 starts in the Premiership. This shows that he is capable of consistently delivering top performances and goal contributions, which is why his current inconsistency could be frustrating for supporters.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst must brutally axe him from the starting XI this weekend. A spell on the sidelines could do the Nigerian the world of good in terms of his motivation to earn his place in the team and get back to his best again.

AND in other news, 64% duels lost: Rangers gem who causes “real problems” let his manager down on Thursday…

Rangers are one of the clubs eyeing in-demand Scottish youngster Luke Graham, according to The Courier’s George Cran. 

The lowdown

The 18-year-old centre-back is yet to make a first-team appearance for Mark McGhee’s first team at Dundee, but his ‘stature’ and ‘ability on the ball’ have apparently caught the eye of academy recruitment staff.

Graham is currently in the midst of a week-long trial at English Championship outfit Sheffield United, who may choose to offer him a deal if they like what they see.

The latest

Sharing his article via Twitter, Cran said that Rangers are one of the ‘big clubs having a look’ at Graham, with ‘more interest’ emerging.

The Gers had scouts watching him in action on Saturday, as did their arch-rivals Celtic and Premier League giants Arsenal.

Cran wrote that Dundee ‘have a fight on their hands’ to retain Graham before he has even played for their senior team.

The verdict

If Rangers win the intensifying race for his signature, then Graham will probably slot into their B team at first, but the signing would very much be regarded as one for the future.

The Gers themselves are struggling to keep hold of one of their brightest prospects in Rory Wilson, who has resisted a lucrative deal and advances from Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson as he eyes a move to a Premier League club (via Football Insider).

They are now looking to prise away a coveted young starlet from Dundee, who sit bottom of the Premiership and on course to be relegated, in what is perhaps a further illustration of the footballing food chain.

In other news, Ally McCoist fumes at an ‘inexcusable’ error from one Rangers star

West Ham have been handed a double injury boost ahead of their Europa League clash this week…

What’s the latest?

According to Claret and Hugh, an Irons source has confirmed that both club captain Mark Noble and right-back Ryan Fredericks are back in full training and are set to be available for selection heading into Thursday.

The retiring midfielder missed the win over Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, whilst the latter has been out since his early withdrawal against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup last month.

The Hammers could go one step closer to qualifying for the knockout stages with a win over Belgian outfit Genk, so having further players available at David Moyes’ disposable is certainly a benefit.

Double boost

Whilst neither is a regular starter in the Scotsman’s starting XI, particularly in the Premier League, both are more likely to be handed opportunities in competitions like this one.

Fredericks provides valuable cover for Vladimir Coufal, who has been injured in recent weeks too, whilst Noble could be crucial this week with Alex Kral unavailable.

His presence could hand a rest to either Tomas Soucek or Declan Rice, who won’t be able to keep up this consistent rate of matches into 2022.

The report also states that West Ham are in line to receive around £670k if they manage to clinch a victory at the London Stadium, taking their overall earnings beyond £2m, which is a welcome financial boost.

Their chances of clinching a result, whilst keeping the squad fresh, have certainly been bolstered thanks to this latest development.

Moyes’ men currently sit top of Group H with a three-point cushion over Dinamo Zagreb in second place, and a victory over Genk could see that lead double should Rapid Wien defeat the Croatian side.

The Irons also have the small matter of a London derby this weekend as they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium, so the 58-year-old may well have that game in mind heading into Thursday’s clash.

That’s why Noble and Fredericks’ potential involvement is so significant this week and exactly why Moyes will be delighted ahead of kick-off.

AND in other news, Newman can seal West Ham bargain in 6 ft 4 “diamond” who was once “very keen” to join…

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips believes Raphinha will want to leave Leeds United now that he has made his debut for Brazil.

The Lowdown: Raphinha makes Brazil debut

£28.8m-valued Raphinha (Transfermarkt) was included in Brazil’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers this past week against Venezuela and Colombia.

He made his debut from the bench against the former and produced an impressive display, providing two assists as La Selecao won 3-1. He also featured in the 0-0 draw with Colombia (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Phillips questions Raphinha future

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips believes Raphinha may now be looking to depart Elland Road if the Whites cannot invest heavily to push for European football. He said:

“I think it’s going to be very hard.

“Leeds need more investment in their squad, they need to start buying players that can keep them fighting even further up the table.

“Over the next year, year and a half, people like Raphinha will leave, his head will get turned by other clubs.

“Raphinha is getting into Brazil squads, he’s playing for Brazil now. He’s not going to want to play for Leeds, he’s going to want to move and play for a bigger club that’s playing in the Champions League. Someone of Raphinha’s quality should be playing in the Champions League.

“It’s just the reality of football. If Leeds can’t invest and get a better squad that’s challenging to get into Europe he will want to leave. That’s just normal.”

The Verdict: Top quality

Since making the move to Yorkshire from Rennes in France, the winger has slowly but surely evolved into one of Leeds’ most important players. Last term, he found the back of the net six times and provided nine assists in 30 Premier League games, and has already scored three times in seven outings in this term’s competition.

Now he has embarked on an international career, and with Leeds not in or looking close to European competition, it will unfortunately be difficult to hold on to Raphinha in the long term.

While he is still 24 and has plenty of time ahead of him, it may not be long before he gets restless, but the silver lining is that Victor Orta and co will be in line to scoop a massive profit when he does.

In other news, Noel Whelan is excited by these Leeds plans.

Sheffield United look set to receive a significant financial boost following the summer sale of Aaron Ramsdale.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alan Nixon’s report for The Sun on Sunday (via The 72), with the journalist claiming that Slavisa Jokanovic’s side could be set to receive some of the add-ons from the goalkeeper’s initial £24m move to Arsenal in the very near future.

Nixon went on to state that the 23-year-old has revealed to friends that he expects to start in the Gunners’ fixture against Norwich City next weekend, and that United will be due some of the remaining £6m of the potential £30m transfer fee after the England international has played a handful of games for the bottom of the table Premier League side.

Jokanovic will be buzzing

While losing the services of a goalkeeper as talented as Ramsdale will undoubtedly have come as a blow to Jokanovic, it is undeniable that receiving a £24m transfer fee while in the second tier of English football is an extremely big boost for the Blades, something that would only be made better should the club indeed be due to get paid some of the potential £6m in add-ons in the near future.

While the closure of the summer transfer window means that the 53-year-old will have to wait until January to bring in further additions to his side, the extra injection of cash will nevertheless leave the Serbian manager buzzing, as it is abundantly clear that the Blades are in need of greater depth in their first-team squad.

Indeed, things could hardly have started worse for the recently relegated side in their 2021/22 Championship campaign, with one of the pre-season promotion favourites having picked up a mere two points over their opening five fixtures of the season, results which have left Jokanovic’s side sitting in 23rd place in the second tier table.

As such, an extra £6m added to the Sheffield United January transfer kitty would certainly be a welcome boost for Jokanovic, who looks as if he will be facing a fight to avoid dropping out of the Championship at present, rather than securing promotion from it.

In other news: Report sheds light on SUFC deadline day disaster, Jokanovic will have been gutted

Dele Alli is among three players who could leave Tottenham Hotspur in January, according to Alasdair Gold for Football London. 

The lowdown

Spurs generated just £29.43m from sales during the summer against their £60.21m spend (via Transfermarkt), so in theory, offloading more players in January could generate funds for new manager Antonio Conte to put his stamp on the squad through recruitment.

Dele started Spurs’ first six matches of the new season under Nuno Espirito Santo but hasn’t been named in a Premier League XI since.

The latest

In a Football London Q&A on Monday, Gold namechecked £27m-rated midfielder Dele as he identified players who could be transferred out in the New Year. Harry Winks (valued at £18m by Transfermarkt) and Joe Rodon (£9m) were also tipped for potential mid-season exits, although Gold added that the Wales defender could leave on loan rathe than permanently.

In response to a question on potential January outgoings, the journalist replied: “It depends what the situation is in a month’s time for certain players.

“For instance, if the current situation does not change and there are no injuries in the centre of the park, I’d be surprised if Harry Winks does not want to leave for regular football. The same goes for Joe Rodon, who is not getting the minutes at centre-back in the Premier League.

“There is also the Dele Alli situation and whether Conte sees him as part of his plans going forward and exactly where he fits. He was seven minutes away from making it a hat-trick of half-time substitutions under the past three Spurs head coaches.”

The verdict

Spurs have to beat Group G leaders Rennes in the final round of fixtures to guarantee progression in the Europa Conference League. If they go out of that competition, then there’ll be fewer opportunities, and a reduced need, for the players mentioned by Gold.

Conte is said to have some pretty ambitious plans for January, with one report even mooting a double swoop for Matthijs de Ligt and Stefan de Vrij, and Spurs may need to be ruthless with their squad players for his vision to be realised.

In other news, Spurs are in the frame for this Premier League defender

Kevin Campbell is worried about Alfredo Morelos’ future at Glasgow Rangers but, whether the Colombian leaves or not, the former Premier League striker believes it will be resolved quickly.

The Lowdown: Morelos in demand

The £10.8m-valued Morelos (Transfermarkt), who spent the summer on international duty with Colombia at the Copa America, has been heavily linked with a move to Porto in recent months (Antena 1).

Nothing concrete has occurred yet, but he is not yet available to Steven Gerrard either as he remains in quarantine after returning to Scotland following a short break (The Daily Record).

The Latest: Campbell worries

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell believes that the rumours are not good but, no matter what happens, he thinks the situation will be resolved quickly. He said:

“None of this sounds good but this type of thing has happened with Morelos previously and nothing has happened.

“Steven Gerrard is just playing it a bit tongue and cheek. It sounds like Morelos agent is talking a lot, or at least one of his representatives is.

“But at the end of the day he is a Rangers player and he is contracted to the club until 2023.

“Obviously he was out at the Copa America so there will be a little delay on him coming back but when he is back I am sure they will resolve things quickly.”

The Verdict: Concentration

It was reported earlier during this transfer window that Morelos had agreed personal terms with Porto ahead of a move (Antena 1), but that is not really different from what emerged last year. If you remember, the 25-year-old was said to have come to an agreement with Lille (via Mohamed Bouhafsi), but that transfer never materialised.

Morelos is an important player for the Gers, as his record of 94 goals in 182 games shows (Transfermarkt). If he is concentrated on the job at hand at Ibrox, he can be a real danger, but that may not be the case if his future remains in doubt. The situation does need to be resolved as soon as possible, even if that means he is sold.

In other news, this Rangers ace is on the verge of a move away from Ibrox.