Eddie Howe loses first game on Newcastle touchline, Wales and Scotland World Cup draw, Spurs and Chelsea transfer news

November 27, 2021November 27, 2021 Stan

EDDIE HOWE has lost his first game in charge of Newcastle after they suffered ANOTHER defeat with a loss at Arsenal.

The Gunners won 2-0 thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.

Meanwhile, Daniel Kretinsky is in line for a £650million West Ham takeover after signing a deal for an optional buy out.

The Czech tycoon, 46, could push through a full takeover by 2023 with David Sullivan and David Gold agree to the sale.

Kretinsky is already on the board after buying a 27 per cent stake at the board, has an Olympian showjumping girlfriend and has been branded the ‘Czech Sphinx’.

Meanwhile, Wales are potentially on course for a World Cup play-off showdown with Scotland after the pair were drawn in Path A in Friday’s draw.

And Chelsea could be in for £84million Federico Chiesa, with the Juventus star on the Blues’ radar.

Thomas Tuchel’s side qualified for the Champions League last 16 following their win and are in the hat for the draw on December 13.

In other news, Erling Haaland could be given a new contract at Borussia Dortmund, which would double the Norwegian’s wages.

Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid are all interested in signing the goalscoring machine, 21.

And Newcastle have reportedly joined the race to sign £70m Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

Get all the latest football news, updates and transfer gossip below…

BARCA EYE TORRES

Ferran Torres could move to Barcelona in January with the forward keen on the move, according to reports.

Xavi is determined to add to his attacking options in the new year with the club also targeting Torres’ Manchester City team-mate Raheem Sterling.

And after having a loan move for Torres rejected last summer, Barcelona could make another bid.

Sources close to Torres claim the lure of a regular starting place at the Nou Camp is encouraging him to make a move, report The Athletic.

Torres has failed to land a first-team spot since his move to the Etihad last year.

He started four league games out of seven at the start of the season before picking up an injury.

But there could be a fresh start for Torres at Barcelona when the transfer window opens.

The forward has reportedly made the club aware of his intentions, though Torres is yet to inform Pep Guardiola.

Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany and chief executive Ferran Reverter also visited City’s training ground this week.

But if Xavi is to sign Torres he must first raise funds through player sales.

Philippe Coutinho has been heavily linked with an exit with Newcastle also keen on Ousmane Dembele.

Rumours also suggest Frenkie De Jong could be sold but Xavi has dismissed those claims.
PHILLIPS READY TO SNUB MAN UTD

The door may be open for Liverpool to sign Leeds talisman Kalvin Phillips because he is ‘worried about’ joining Manchester United, reports suggest.

The Red Devils and Leeds have a long-standing cross-pennine rivalry, and Phillips doesn’t want to risk upsetting his family by moving to Old Trafford.

The Daily Star report that Red Devils chiefs are keen to launch a £60million move for the 25-year-old, but his connection to Leeds means Phillips remains hesitant.

Another factor is family, including mum Lindsay, all live in the Yorkshire city.

And Phillips is worried they will be subject to abuse from Leeds fans should he join bitter rivals United.

As a result the England star would be reluctant to pull on the colours of United.

He is even said to have ‘made it clear’ to his family and friends that he has no desire to play for the Red Devils.

Phillips joined the Elland Road outfit at 14-years-old and has played 223 times for the club.

The news comes as a blow to Manchester United who are crying out for a central midfielder to replace the heavily criticised Fred.

Old Trafford bigwigs had been plotting a £60million move for Phillips if attempts to sign Declan Rice failed.
RULE THE ROOST

EXCLUSIVE: Idris El Mizouni finally feels at home at Ipswich thanks to Kieron Dyer’s mentorship – and a cheeky Nando’s!, writes ISABELLE BARKER.

The extra-hot Tractor Boys midfielder, 21, has enjoyed a meteoric rise since growing up in a gritty suburb on the outskirts of Paris.

As a kid he lived in a flat with his dad, who emigrated from Tunisia at the age of eight, mum, brother and sister in a bustling, high-rise apartment block.

El Mizouni was scouted for Ipswich at 16 and arrived in Suffolk not speaking a word of English. But now he has become part of the furniture.

In his first interview since recently penning a new deal with the club until 2024, he told SunSport: “Don’t even get me started on the food. To this day, I’m still not used to it.

“France is known for great food and so when I came to England in my first year I was struggling a lot.

“I was living in digs and they made food which was all right but Nando’s was the only thing I really liked. I’d get chicken with peri-tamer sauce and rice. I don’t mind the carbs!

“I missed my mum’s food but thankfully I can cook now and, of course, my signature is chicken and rice!”

RON HIS WAY?

Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United if they fail to finish in the top four, claims Paul Merson.

The Sky Sports pundit labelled United a “shambles”, suggesting they will be thrashed by Chelsea on Sunday.

And he thinks Ronaldo may leave Old Trafford next summer given the lack of organisation at the club.

Merson wrote in his column for the Daily Star: “Manchester United needing an interim manager is a shambles – and Cristiano Ronaldo might decide to walk away in the summer.

“He won’t be hanging around if they don’t finish in the top four because he will want to end his career in the Champions League.

“And that doesn’t look terribly likely right now because United are a mess and will probably get thrashed by Chelsea this weekend.

“It might actually suit all parties if he leaves anyway because if they appoint Mauricio Pochettino and he wants to press from the front, you’re not doing that with Ronaldo.

“But what I really don’t get is why the biggest club in the world needs an INTERIM manager.”
CONTE’S VITAL TRANSFER WINDOW

If Antonio Conte needs some help with his ‘evaluations’ of the Spurs squad, the club’s disgruntled and humiliated supporters would gladly give him a few pointers.

But the Italian will have to put aside all the emotion of the embarrassing defeat by Slovenian minnows NS Mura as he prepares for one of the most important transfer windows in Tottenham’s recent history.

No-one, least of all tight-fisted chairman Daniel Levy, likes spending money in January.

But it is clear that Spurs need to do business, bringing fresh blood in and trying to shift unwanted players out, if Conte is to have a fair crack at turning the season around.

The bitterest pill to swallow – for Levy at least – will be trying to find a buyer for club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele.

The France international is all but unplayable on his day, but his days have not come round nearly often enough since he arrived for Lyon for £55m in the summer of 2019.

But Ndombele looked uninterested against Mura.

If Conte is wedded to the wing-back system that has brought him success elsewhere, Ndombele cannot play in centre midfield and has done little to justify being given a starting berth further forward.

Davinson Sanchez’s costly errors in Slovenia were his first under Conte but the latest in a long list as his Tottenham career has gone well off the boil.

Dele Alli’s performance underlined his own, even more spectacular fall from grace.

HERE’S OUR FULL GUIDE TO CONTE’S TRANSFER WINDOW
MANE MAN FOR TOON?

Newcastle are preparing to splash some of their considerable cash on Barcelona contract rebel Ousmane Dembele, according to reports in Spain, writes JAMES COLASANTI.

The Saudi-owned Toon are gearing up to spend big in January and have put the France winger on their shopping list, says Mundo Deportivo.

The former Man Utd transfer target’s contact with the Spanish giants expires at the end of the season.

Barca have apparently made him an attractive offer to stay but Dembeleand his agent Moussa Sissoko are keeping their options open.

That has opened the door for the Geordies, who have apparently made him ‘an astronomical proposal’.

Mundo Deportivo report the Magpies are willing to offer Dembele £12.6million per season in wages and a chunky commission payment to Sissoko.
‘MUDDY THE WATERS’

Troy Deeney isn’t a fan of Man Utd appointing Ralf Rangnick as interim manager.

He told SunSport: ““An interim appointment just seems to muddy the waters and add to the air of confusion about the place.

“What happens in the January transfer window when you’ve got a manager who won’t be around in the summer?

“And what happens if Rangnick is a great success? What if he reaches a Champions League semi-final, wins the FA Cup and finishes comfortably in the top four, which should still be realistic targets for such a talented squad.

“Does he step up and get the job full-time, as Solskjaer did?”
FOLLOW-RICO

Federico Chiesa has sparked frenzy amongst Chelsea fans by FOLLOWING the club and it’s key players on social media.

This follows reports that Chelsea are considering an £84million move for the Juventus star.

It is unknown when exactly the Man Utd transfer target followed the Blues players but screenshots show he’s keeping tabs on FIVE current members of the squad.

Chiesa, 24, followed Chelsea’s Instagram account – as well as stars Christian Pulisic, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, Saul and ex-Chelsea legend Eden Hazard.

His social media activity has fans wondering about a potential move to West London.
ARSENAL 2-0 NEWCASTLE

65 What a goal, WHAT A GOAL by Arsenal!

The Gunners move the ball nicely down the right flank and Tomiyasu scouts Martinelli’s run.

The full-back flicks it over to the forward, who has broken through Newcastle’s defence and finishes off with an extremely composed finish!

‘NO CONTACT’

PSG chief Leonardo has confirmed there’s ‘no contact’ with Zinedine Zidane, and the Parisians want Mauricio Pochettino to stay despite being linked with a move to Man Utd.

Speaking to French media outlet AFP, Leonardo said: “We don’t want Pochettino to go. He’s never asked to leave and no club has contacted us for him.

“We have a lot of respect for Zinedine Zidane, what he’s done as a player and a manager.

“But I can tell you very clearly that there is no contact and no meeting with him took place.”
ARSENAL 1-0 NEWCASTLE

56. It starts with Saka and ends with Saka!

The Arsenal star gets the ball down the left flank and switches with Tavares, who scouts his run and passes it back to the England international inside the box.

The versatile midfielder fires a shot from a tight angle and sends the ball to Dubravka’s bottom left corner!
MAN ALIVE

Ralf Rangnick boasts an almost identical win percentage with Mauricio Pochettino as Manchester United look to bring the pair to Old Trafford, writes JAKE LAMBOURNE.

The Red Devils are on the lookout for an interim boss until the end of the season following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, before bringing in a permanent manager next year.

Poch is the man United want long-term.
SQUAD VALUE

Man City have the most expensive squad, followed by city neighbours Man Utd.

Watford have the lowest in the Premier League.
HAI THERE

RB Leipzig ace Amadou Haidara could be Ralf Rangnick’s first signing at Man Utd, reports say.

The Mirror are reporting that the Mali international – who has previously been linked with a move to the Premier League – could link up with Rangnick, who signed him at RB Leipzig from sister club Salzburg.

An offer of around £33m could be enough to prise Haidara away from Leipzig in January.
HERE WE GO!

Play is underway at the Emirates where Arsenal are taking on bottom of the Newcastle.

The Gunners are looking to return to winning ways after their ten-game unbeaten streak came to an end at the hands of Liverpool.

Newcastle, on the other hand, are searching for their first league win of the season, and new boss Eddie Howe is in the dugout.

SunSport’s KOSTAS LIANOS will be keeping you up to date with out dedicated live match blog.

⚽ Read our live match blog for Arsenal vs Newcastleto keep up to date with all the pre-match build-up and goals at the Emirates

WHAT A MERE

Tranmere’s main stand roof has been blown off by Storm Arwen causing the postponement of their match against Stevenage, writes KEALAN HUGHES.

A small section of the Prenton Park roof has been destroyed along with guttering and roof signs

Rovers said the postponement is a “disappointment” but wanted to ensure fan safety after the SAG (Safety Advisory Groups) advised it was not safe to host the match.

SAG ordered the postponement until the club was able to carry out a sufficient inspection of the roof.

Tranmere had warned fans at 10am on Twitter that an assessment of the damage was being conducted, advising fans to delay their departure if they were travelling from a distance.
HOWE TO COPE

Alan Pardew says Eddie Howe must quickly adapt to the pressure of ‘managing a big club’ to meet expectations at Newcastle, writes JAMES COLASANTI.

Pardew, 60, was one of ten managers to try and fail to revive the Magpies’ fortunes under controversial former owner Mike Ashley.

Pardew, now technical director for CSKA Sofia, told MailOnline: “Newcastle were ninth when I left but it was the right move because the fans were done with me.

“I might be the only person who knew exactly what Steve Bruce was going through because the same thing happened to me because of Mike.

“Monday to Friday wasn’t a problem, it was a lovely experience, lovely people. Then Saturday comes and you’ve got to win.

“Eddie Howe, with all due respect, hasn’t managed a big club and will find that difficult, particularly because the team look short. He needs personnel and that is difficult in January.

“Newcastle fans have been dreaming of an era when they can compete with the top clubs and under Mike they never had that.

“Now they have it if the new owners are true to their word. Good luck to them.

“With big finance and the support, Eddie has every chance of making the club a success and I really hope he pulls it off.”
10 YEARS ON

Today marks 10 years since the tragic death of Gary Speed, and although his widow Louise has revealed time heals, she admitted losing her husband was like being in the ‘worst nightmare possible’, writes GIACOMO PISA.

Speed took his own life on November 27, 2011, aged just 42.

Brave widow

Louise, 51, has admitted the month of November is always a difficult one to get through, in what is her first interview since his death.

Initially she felt anger towards him, and often questions whether she can forgive Gary for taking his own life.

She told the Daily Mail: “Have I forgiven Gary? I ask myself this often. Can I? Have I? Will I?

“I don’t know. I have witnessed the hurt he has caused to his family and friends, particularly his boys and his mum and dad and myself.

“The void he has left within us all. So I don’t know. I just don’t know if I have forgiven him yet or not. But of course I want to.

“The anger has only just subsided and that is part of it. I was angry with him for a long time but that also kept me strong, if you know what I mean? It’s when I released that anger that I felt a little bit vulnerable.”
THE TEAMSHEETS ARE IN

The teamsheets are in at the Emirates!

ARSENAL XI

32 Ramsdale; 18 Tomiyasu, 4 White, 6 Gabriel, 20 Tavares; 5 Partey, 23 Lokonga; 8 Odegaard, 7 Saka, 10 Smith Rowe; 14 Aubameyang (c).

NEWCASTLE XI

1 dUBRAVKA; 17 Krafth, 5 Schar, 6 Lascelles (c), 11 Ritchie; 28 Willock, 8 Shelvey; 21 Fraser, 7 Joelinton, 10 Saint-Maximin; 9 Wilson.
IT COULD BE OU

Newcastle are preparing to splash some of their considerable cash on Barcelona contract rebel Ousmane Dembele, according to reports in Spain, writes JAMES COLASANTI.

The Saudi-owned Toon are gearing up to spend big in January and have put the France winger on their shopping list, says Mundo Deportivo.

The 24-year-old’s contact with the Spanish giants expires at the end of the season.

Barca have apparently made him an attractive offer to stay but Dembele and his agent Moussa Sissoko are keeping their options open.

That has opened the door for the Geordies, who have apparently made him ‘an astronomical proposal’.

Mundo Deportivo report the Magpies are willing to offer Dembele £12.6million per season in wages and a chunky commission payment to Sissoko.
AND IT’S LIVE

SunSport’s coverage for Newcastle’s visit to Arsenal is LIVE.

KOSTAS LIANOS is your host for this afternoon’s Premier League clash.

⚽ Read our live match blog for Arsenal vs Newcastle to keep up to date with all the pre-match build-up and goals at the Emirates

REMEMBERING GARY SPEED

It has been a decade since Gary Speed sadly passed.

Speed was a pundit for BBC after his playing and managing career, and presenter Dan Walker has shared the last conversation he had with him on Twitter.
IN THE PREM TODAY

The Premier League is back TODAY!

Who is playing who?
- Arsenal vs Newcastle 12.30PM
- Liverpool vs Southampton 3PM
- Norwich vs Wolves 3PM
- Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa 3PM
- Brighton vs Leeds 5.30PM
If you can’t catch the Arsenal game LIVE on the telly, SunSport have you covered!

KOSTAS LIANOS will be covering the game minute-by-minute, with coverage starting from 11AM.
HAMMERS EYE WIND

West Ham are reportedly interested in signing 22-year-old Copenhagen forward Jonas Wind.

According to Ekstra Bladet, the Hammers could pick the Dane up for as little as £10million in January.

Wind scored 17 goals and provided eight assists across all competitions last season.

And he has carried that form into this campaign, finding the net ten times in 25 games.

West Ham desperately NEED a reliable striker who can step in when needed to hand main man Michail Antonio a rest.

And Wind could be a great long-term option to replace Antonio, who is into his 30s now.
BLUE MOON

Manchester City are reportedly keen on a double swoop for Karim Benzema and Pedri, with former Arsenal target Raheem Sterling set to make way, writes GIACOMO PISA.

Pep Guardiola is keen to add an out-and-out striker to his ranks, with Gabriel Jesus his only current option.

Spanish outlet El Nacional report that City have ‘forgotten’ about a transfer for Harry Kane, after the England skipper has scored just once in the Premier League this season.

Instead they have ‘contacted’ Benzema’s representatives, who are ‘very receptive’ to a potential move to the Premier League.

Benzema, 33, has been the main man for Los Blancos since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, but that is set to change in the summer.

Kylian Mbappe is widely expected to seal a move to the Bernabeu, with Erling Haaland also a target.

A move for two of the hottest properties in world football would inevitably see Benzema’s game time plummet, so a move to City who lack a number nine is an attractive prospect for the Frenchman.

Elsewhere Guardiola is preparing for a future without Sterling.