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Having crumbled to a timid 4-1 defeat to Manchester United last time out in the Premier League, Newcastle United make the trip to in-form Wolves on Sunday afternoon.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have won their last two games by one goal to nil, and have flown up the table to eighth, two points ahead of the Magpies.

All eyes will be on how Steve Bruce sets his team up for the game at Molineux, with the Newcastle boss surely needing to show greater attacking intent than they did against United – that match saw them out-shot at a staggering ratio of four to one (28-7).

With that in mind, below is a look at just how the Magpies might line up when they take on Wolves on Sunday.

After taking a painful-looking knock against United, Karl Darlow’s status for the game is very much uncertain, with Bruce admitting that whilst he’s made a “huge improvement”, it’s very much touch and go to see if he plays. If he doesn’t, then third-choice Mark Gillespie will have to stand in.

In defence, the Newcastle boss is unlikely to make any changes, despite seeing them completely collapse in the final few moments of the game against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

The midfield areas could be an area in which Bruce does look to shuffle his pack, with Jonjo Shelvey someone who has come under criticism from club icon Steve Howey for his performances.

With Miguel Almiron pushing for a recall to the starting line-up, that could be the kind of attacking change that shows the fans Bruce is determined to push for a win.

And having once again come on as a substitute, Ryan Fraser will surely be given the chance to start from the off, thus replacing Joelinton. Up top, Callum Wilson will look to continue his hot streak, having opened up his Newcastle account with four goals in five Premier League games.

Newcastle’s predicted XI: Gillespie; Krafth, Lascelles, Fernandez, Lewis; Hayden, Hendrick; Saint-Maximin, Almiron, Fraser; Wilson.

Liverpool are still no closer to convincing Gini Wijnaldum to sign a new contract and may have to accept that his fate will lie elsewhere next season.

The Netherlands international has been in constant talks with the Merseyside outfit over potential new terms, but nothing has materialised as of yet. There was also strong links to Barcelona after Ronald Koeman identified Wijnaldum as a key summer signing.

Michael Brown believes that the 29-year-old will receive a flurry of offers from other clubs amid Liverpool’s desperate attempts to tie him down.

Potential end to the Wijnaldum era

Wijnaldum signed for Liverpool four years ago and has helped his side win their sixth Champions League trophy as well as their first league title in 30 years. However, despite the emphatic wins and his loyal devotion, the sun could be setting on his time at Anfield.

“They’ll all be interested in him, that’s a given,” Brown told Football Insider. “For what he gives that Liverpool side, that energy, those late runs. I’m sure there are options open.”

Barcelona could certainly reopen their interest in the Dutchman if he becomes a free agent next summer. As it stands, Wijnaldum has just eight months left on his current contract and unless a shock new deal is agreed, he could end his Liverpool career in the same fashion as Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne.

Transfermarkt currently value Wijnaldum at £36million, however due to the current financial climate, it looked unlikely Liverpool would even make £20million through a sale this summer. This would see the Reds take a loss on him after paying £25million for his signature back in 2016.

“You’ve seen the desire he’s played with over the last week. Even though it’s his last year he’ll be given everything,” Brown continued. “Liverpool will want to hold him down for sure.”

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp and Co are eager to see the Dutchman stay and will continue to do what they can to convince him to do so. But his mind may already be made up and he could be setting his sights on pastures new.

In other news, Liverpool must move for new goalkeeper after Aston Villa nightmare…

According to Football Insider, Southampton have opened talks to sign Newcastle defender DeAndre Yedlin on a loan deal before the close of the transfer window on Monday night.

What’s the word?

The USA international has yet to feature for Steve Bruce’s side this season, with Javier Manquillo and Emil Krafth both appearing to be ahead of him in the pecking order.

The 27-year-old has made just two appearances in this new campaign, with both of them coming in the Carabao Cup, whilst he hasn’t even made the match-day squad in three out of the four of Newcastle’s Premier League games.

Now, Football Insider claim Southampton are ready to take him off Steve Bruce’s hands for the season, and that the Tyneside club have given the green light for his loan exit.

Bruce needs to step in

On the face of it, calling for Bruce to jump in and intervene just when a fringe player looks to be heading out of the door, seems far-fetched. But there are two key reasons why the Magpies should really think twice before letting Yedlin make his way down to the south coast.

First, and most importantly, it doesn’t make sense financially – in the long-term at least – to let him leave on loan. Yedlin has just 12 months left on his £30k-a-week contract at St James’ Park, and if he were to move to Southampton for the season, then Newcastle would have to just watch him walk away on a free transfer come the end of the campaign.

Whilst his wages would be off the books, the Magpies will have missed the last true opportunity to actually get in some kind of money for Yedlin, and potentially have it reinvested elsewhere. He may not command big-money, but especially in this current climate, every little does actually help.

Then, there’s the footballing reason. Whilst Southampton and Newcastle aren’t exactly fierce rivals, they have shown early signs this season of being right in the mix for a top-ten finish, being separated by only one point and two places (9th and 11th respectively). Why would the Magpies want to strengthen a team who are competing for similar objectives as them? Letting Yedlin leave at least on loan does have its merits, but Bruce may be wise to just sit back and take stock.

Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping that winning their first game of the Championship season against Cardiff City is a sign of what is to come from their campaign.

They need to have a very good start as they already have a disadvantage after being deducted 12 points by the EFL, so they have to win three more games to be on zero.

Dom Howson tweeted out an article by Andy Hinchcliffe, who is a pundit for Sky Sports, who believes the Owls can make a push for the top-six this season.

It looks to have come as a bit of surprise to some that support Wednesday, and this is understandable for a couple of reasons. The main one being because they have the points deduction to battle and the other is due to the fact that it is only the first game of the campaign so to be making such a judgement before he has seen some consistent form from the season seems like a very early call.

However it does highlight that the Owls were very good against Cardiff last weekend, and if they can continue to play like this, there is no doubt that supporters of the club could be in for a good season.

Here is what fans said following the tweet:

Owls fans, what are your thoughts on these comments? Let us know down below!

Everton’s flying start to the 2020/21 Premier League season continued on Saturday as they continued their 100% winning record, overcoming Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

There were no prizes for guessing the goalscorers for the Toffees, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his incredible start to the season, while his strike partner Richarlison found the net from the penalty spot.

The two forwards were getting into good positions all day, managing to get five shots off between them, finding the net twice, meaning they had a conversion rate of 40%.

With those two in red hot form, it has come as something of a surprise to see the Merseyside club linked with another striker this week, with reports claiming that they’re in the race to sign Arkadiusz Milik from Napoli.

While the Pole would be a handy addition after netting 11 goals in Serie A last season, you can’t help but feel that Marcel Brands would be better off allocating the club’s remaining transfer budget towards other areas in the squad.

Yes, Everton could probably do with a backup to Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin, but it’s hard to imagine a Champions League regular who has his 28 goals in his last two seasons is going to come cheaply, and if the Toffees have one big transfer still up their sleeve, it should be used to plug another area.

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Another centre-back wouldn’t go amiss, and with the club linked with the likes of Fikayo Tomori and Jean-Clair Todibo, it would be silly to go out and spend big money on Milik before that area is adequately covered.

Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin are one of the most deadly duos in England at the moment, and Everton shouldn’t be looking to upset the fine balance that they have struck there.

Aston Villa are on the hunt for a new striker this summer and one name has emerged as an audacious choice…

What’s the word?

According to La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), Dean Smith’s side have made contact with Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain over a potential move to Villa Park.

It’s claimed that the Serie A champions are planning a major squad overhaul under new manager Andrea Pirlo and the Argentine is one of the players on the chopping block.

So much so that they are trying to cancel the 32-year-old’s contract, although Higuain’s unwilling to do so, it could mean he is free to leave without a transfer fee to any interested party.

European pedigree

Whilst the veteran is available for free, the one major stumbling block would be his reported £270k-per-week wages, so it’ll hinge on whether or not Nassef Sawiris wants to fork out that sort of money or not.

He could well be inclined to after the club’s poor recruitment in the attacking department – neither Wesley or Mbwana Samatta have hit the ground running and in Higuain, you’re getting an illustrious career at the very top.

He’s won three La Liga and three Serie A titles as well as the Europa League whilst on loan to Chelsea, where he was a bit of a flop, scoring just five goals in 18 appearances.

Lionel Messi believes he’s “one of the best number nines in the world” whilst teammate Leonardo Bonucci describes the 32-year-old as an “animal in the penalty box” as well as a “phenomenon”.

Higuain delivered 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions this season all amidst the awe of Cristiano Ronaldo. Some may think he’s looking for one final payday in the Premier League, but the Argentine would be a surreal addition to Smith’s frontline.

If you’ve got to choose between him or someone like Divock Origi, then it really should be the former given the careers of both players.

AND in other news, Smith reportedly makes talismanic forward his transfer priority…

Glasgow Rangers continued their impressive form with another victory on Wednesday, this time against St Johnstone.

The ‘Gers beat Aberdeen 1-0 in their first match in the Premiership this term before then hammering St Mirren 3-0. They won by the same scoreline in midweek against the Perth outfit, with Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo and Borna Barisic scoring the goals. As it stands, they are top of the table and are five points ahead of their fierce city rivals Celtic.

However, it wasn’t all good news for Steven Gerrard on Wednesday. Unfortunately, new signing Leon Balogun was forced off at half-time, and it has since emerged that he is a doubt for the match against Livingston this weekend.

Many ‘Gers fans have been reacting to the news and it is fair to say they are far from happy – after all, the £720,000-valued Nigeria international, as per Transfermarkt, has helped to keep clean sheets in both of his first two league matches. Some supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below:

‘Gers fans, how big a blow is it to see Balogun injured? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.

Liverpool’s rich history and recent run of success can often distort what a rollercoaster of a ride it’s been. The positive signings and season-defining moments can make a lot of people forget just how much the Reds have struggled in the past.

Rafa Benitez had just let one of the side’s best players leave in a £30million move to Real Madrid. An influential midfielder who helped Liverpool reach the dizzying heights of their 2005 Champions League win and 2006 FA Cup success. Steven Gerrard and Co needed someone of similar calibre to fill the void in midfield.

It would be a tall ask and, certainly in hindsight, one Benitez would not be able to deliver on.

Alberto Aquilani was welcomed to the club in the summer of 2009, after Liverpool agreed a £20m fee with Roma. The Italian’s stats weren’t spellbinding during his time in the capital, but he had the promise to contribute to the Reds’ engine room. However, nothing could’ve been further from reality.

In the three years he was a Liverpool player, Aquilani made just 28 appearances and spent the rest of his time out on loan. He missed the opening eight matches of the Premier League in the 2009/10 season with an ankle injury sustained in Italy.

The midfielder managed to muster up a measly two goals in his 28 matches played across all competitions for the Reds, with just six assists to top that off (via Transfermarkt). Off the back of his debut season, he was sent out on loan twice before Fiorentina decided to take him off Liverpool’s hands permanently.

Aquilani moved back to Italy in a €7m (£6.3m) transfer to Fiorentina, where he made more of an impact, but didn’t set the league alight.

Ultimately, Liverpool saw a huge 68.5% loss on what they originally forked out for the midfield man. A massive deficit which has no doubt created a sense of wariness for the club as they approach future deals.

How would you describe Alberto Aquilani’s time at Anfield? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Celtic fans have only had good things to say about their defensive lynchpin Nir Bitton on social media after one account posed the question – ‘keep or sell?’

An overwhelming majority were in favour of keeping the 28-year-old in Glasgow for the foreseeable future with many waxing lyrical about his talents.

Bitton originally joined the club in the summer of 2013 and has since gone on to rack up 211 appearances in the green and white hoops, although he has found regular game time hard to come by this campaign.

The Israeli international has played 30 times so far but is merely averaging 57 minutes per game. He’s started only nine times in the SPFL and just once in the Europa League, via Transfermarkt.

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

But many at Celtic Park believe he’s a very good option for Neil Lennon as seen by their reactions on Twitter.

Here’s what has been said…

AND in other news, Celtic fans discuss Oliver Ntcham…

So it appears very likely now that Liverpool fans will not get to bear witness to their side being crowned Premier League winners this season.

With football in England gearing up for a return later next month, trying to work out logistics over where and when matches should be played has been one of the main talking points.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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Now, The Athletic journalist James Pearce has relayed some information on that matter, revealing that aside from clashes against Everton, Manchester City and Newcastle (which are all set to be played at neutral venues), Liverpool will be allowed to be play their remaining home games at Anfield – but with one big caveat however.

Pearce adds that another game at Anfield may have to be moved if if turns out to be a match in which the Reds can clinch the Premier League title.

And after hearing about Pearce’s update, Liverpool fans flooded to Twitter to share their anger and frustration at the news.

One Liverpool fan in particular questioned the fairness of how at every opportunity the Reds will have to win the title at home, the game will be moved to a neutral venue.

A couple of Liverpool supporters seemed to be particularly critical of the Premier League’s decision-making, and suggesting that the people behind making the call didn’t know what they are doing.

Understandably, fans of the Merseyside club don’t seem to be particularly thrilled with this latest idea.

They have waited for so long to see their side lift the trophy, and as some of them have suggested themselves, feel slightly insulted that they would breach government guidelines.

Whatever the case though, Jurgen Klopp’s men are set to lift the title, and that should be incredibly satisfying when it happens.