Arsenal could reportedly lose Kieran Tierney to Newcastle United as their Premier League rival eye up a potential move for him this summer.

The Lowdown: Tierney out of favour

The Scotland defender has largely been out of favour under Mikel Arteta so far this season, with the Spaniard often preferring to use Oleksandr Zinchenko and even Takehiro Tomiyasu at times at left-back.

The 25-year-old has only started four Premier League games and has played just one minute in the last five matches in the top flight, coming on as an injury-time substitute in the 4-2 win at Aston Villa last Saturday (Transfermarkt).

Therefore, Tierney may look to move on this summer in search of more regular first-team football.

The Latest: Newcastle interested in Tierney

As per Football Insider, Newcastle are ‘closely monitoring’ Tierney’s situation at the Emirates Stadium ahead of a potential move this summer.

The Scotland international is thought to be valued at around £30m as the Magpies chase a new left-back who can slot straight into their starting line-up.

The Verdict: Sell him?

The Gunners have a conundrum on their hands as to whether or not to let go of Tierney this summer.

Lauded by Arsenal legend Ashley Cole as a ‘warrior’ and a ‘leader’, the 25-year-old seemingly gives everything on the pitch when he is fit, and his character has also been lauded on numerous occasions.

However, staying fit has been his problem, having missed 48 games already in his Arsenal career through injury.

At £30m, it would give the north Londoners the chance to make a profit – albeit a small one – on the £25m that they paid for Tierney to sign him from Celtic, and it would also get his £110,000-per-week wages off the club’s books.

Arteta also has Nuno Tavares to welcome back from his loan spell at Marseille, so one of him or Tierney will likely need to be sold this summer.

Manchester United have reportedly submitted a bid for Real Madrid star Federico Valverde as Erik ten Hag plans for next season.

What’s the latest on Valverde to Man United?

According to reports in Spain, United have submitted an offer in the region of €65m (£58m) in order to prise the versatile midfielder away from La Liga, although it is unlikely this figure will be high enough.

Last summer, Liverpool wanted the Madrid player and a fee of €100m (£88m) was put on the table, however, no move materialised as he was seen as a key part of Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

His performances since the World Cup have dipped however and Ten Hag may see this as a chance to secure him for an acceptable transfer fee as he plans ahead for 2023/2024.

Can Ten Hag sign Valverde for Man United?

Before the World Cup, Valverde was in superb form, scoring eight goals and registering four assists across La Liga and the Champions League as he became an integral part of the Madrid side.

Since the season resumed following the hiatus however, he has scored just once, in the Club World Cup tie against El Ahly and Madrid’s performances have dipped, with the champions lying eight points behind a resurgent Barcelona in the table.

If Ten Hag could lure the Uruguayan to Old Trafford, it would be an excellent coup, especially with the midfielder statistically similar to one of the Premier League’s all-time finest players – David Silva.

The former Manchester City sensation is now playing for Real Sociedad as he approaches the final stages of his career, but his decade-long association with City will be steeped in legend.

The Spaniard won every domestic honour in England and scored 77 goals while registering a staggering 140 assists as he occupied either a central or attacking midfield role.

According to FBref, Silva is the sixth-most comparable player to Valverde, and considering his stature in the game and the fact he has won on both the international and club stage, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

Indeed, this season has seen the two register similar statistics with regard to assists (both two), pass completion success rate (87.9% to 83.5%), goal-creating actions (both ten), tackles won (both 11), and crosses (15 to 14), also via FBref.

These stats clearly suggest both are extremely effective attacking threats from either a central midfield berth or occupying a more advanced role and according to WhoScored, both Silva and Valverde have similar styles of play with the fact that they play a lot of short passes and like to do layoffs.

The 24-year-old was dubbed “unbelievable” by ex-Premier League star Joe Cole earlier this season following his blistering run of form so if the Dutchman could land the Madrid dynamo this summer, it would give United another significant boost as they look to end their barren run without a league title.

Journalist Sam Blitz has blasted the Wolves quartet of Daniel Podence, Diego Costa, Raul Jimenez and Joao Gomes for their second-half displays.

The Lowdown: Wolves struggle in the final third again

It looked as though Wolves had turned a corner under Julen Lopetegui in terms of scoring goals – something they’d struggled with under Bruno Lage – having netted five in the previous two matches.

However, yesterday’s slog against Bournemouth certainly brought them back down to earth at Molineux as they managed just four shots on target in the entire game despite having 67% possession (FBRef).

That suggests Wolves were – once again – dominant in their build-up play but were let down by their more attack-minded players with that result seeing them get dragged right back into a relegation scrap.

The Latest: Lopeteguis’ changes fail to make an impact.

Blitz analysed the encounter post-match and between Podence, Costa, Jimenez and Gomes they have just one goal since January 14th so they were unlikely to make an impact and certainly didn’t.

He said: ‘You can also look at the substitutes that Lopetegui brought on this Saturday. Daniel Podence, Diego Costa, Raul Jimenez and Joao Gomes were all brought off the bench – but all of them looked below par and only one of them has scored since January 14.’

The Verdict: Attacking woes persist

Wolves struggling in the final third is nothing unusual as last season they finished in the bottom four for goals scored and this term they have found the back of the net just 17 times which puts them in the bottom two.

However, the fact that three Premier League proven players and a new signing in Gomes couldn’t make an impact against a Bournemouth side who hadn’t kept an away clean sheet all season should set alarm bells ringing.

It’s not just that these Wolves attack-minded players failed to make an impact in the final third and rescue at least a point for the hosts, but they also only managed to record 59 touches between them during their second-half appearances which also shows a lack of willingness to get on the ball and make something happen.

Arsenal are in pole position to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Personal terms agreed

The Belgian will be out of contract at the King Power Stadium at the end of the season, with an exit likely to be on the cards having rejected several new proposals.

The Foxes talisman is a long-term target of Mikel Arteta and has previously even agreed personal terms to join the Premier League giants, though as of yet, a move has failed to materialise.

However, the upcoming window could be about to change that situation if the following fresh update is anything to go by…

The Latest: Arsenal leading the race

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are the ‘current frontrunners’ and ‘well placed’ to sign Tielemans ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Inside sources close to the situation have claimed that it’s ‘unlikely’ he will extend his stay in the Midlands, with the maestro keen to ‘cash in’ on his free agent status.

Newcastle United and Barcelona are also keeping tabs, but it’s the Emirates Stadium outfit who are so far leading the race.

The Verdict: Instead of Rice?

Arsenal are also believed to be in pole position to sign West Ham’s Declan Rice this summer but Tielemans could be the wiser choice.

The Nike-sponsored playmaker has posted 53 goal contributions in 186 matches for Leicester and offers plenty of versatility having operated in six various positions throughout his career.

Rice doesn’t share that same versatility and end product as part of his game, and Arsenal already have plenty of cover in the sitting role thanks to the January addition of Jorginho.

The 25-year-old Belgian is also strong in the defensive aspect of his game, where he averages 2.2 tackles per league game, highlighting the impact he can make at both ends of the pitch.

Tielemans has been dubbed an ‘outrageous talent’ by scout Jacek Kulig and it would be a massive coup for Arteta to finally secure the services of his long-term target.

Tottenham Hotspur may end up having to sell Harry Kane to Man United, believes talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The Lowdown: Kane contract running…

The 29-year-old is approaching the final year of his current Spurs deal which expires in 2024, meaning it’s crunch time for chairman Daniel Levy.

Antonio Conte’s side must now make the decision over whether to push forward with new contract talks or contemplate selling him for a big fee this summer.

The Premier League top four chasers are thought to be unwilling to sell to direct English rivals like United with Bayern Munich and potentially Real Madrid interested from abroad.

The Latest: Agbonlahor makes Kane claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor, a talkSPORT regular, claims Tottenham might not have a choice but to sell Kane to the Red Devils.

The former Aston Villa striker says Kane may wish to stay in England and battle for Alan Shearer’s all-time PL scoring record for another club.

“Harry Kane has got 18 months left.

“In the summer, he’ll either sign a new contract or leave.

“But Spurs might be in a position where Kane says he is only going to an English club – because he’ll want to break Shearer’s record.

“Tottenham might not have a choice in whether they sell him to a Man United.

“It’s a really difficult position for Spurs. As much as they say they won’t let him go to a rival, if he runs into the final year of his contract – they could lose a £70m striker for nothing.

“It’s going to be horrible because without him they are nothing.”

The Verdict: Nightmare scenario…

Kane leaving Spurs for United would be a truly nightmare scenario for Conte and Levy.

We can’t imagine it happening and surely the Lilywhites would want to keep hold of Kane for an extra year and let him for free as an alternative – if he doesn’t sign a new deal.

Those extra 12 months of free-scoring for Spurs would be invaluable and arguably worth more than any transfer fee for Kane this summer.

The England international has once again proved just how vital he is to the club – bagging 17 goals and an assist in 22 league appearances over 2022/2023.

In Tottenham’s most recent encounter against Man City, Kane surpassed the legendary Jimmy Greaves as the club’s all time top scorer and we believe he is destined to clinch Shearer’s record also.

Leeds United are yet to find their successor to Jesse Marsch to lead the side to safety over the remainder of the Premier League season and now a new update has emerged on a potential target.

What’s the latest on the Leeds manager search?

According to 90min, former Aston Villa and Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is interested in the managerial vacancy with Leeds.

As per the report, the West Yorkshire club are considering the ex-Liverpool captain as a contender after showing an interest in the role and an appealing aspect would be the return of former Leeds midfielder Gary McAllister who is part of Gerrard’s entourage.

Radrizzani could be heading for another howler

Indeed, Gerrard had an exceptional start to his managerial career in the Scottish Premiership with Rangers, going invincible and winning the league title for the first time in a decade, ending Celtic’s consecutive nine-year success.

However, the Liverpudlian’s next move to Villa Park in November 2021 may have come too soon in his career despite the instant success in Scotland, with a step up to one of the more challenging jobs in the Premier League reaching a breaking point when the young manager was sacked after just 11 months in charge.

Over his first season in 27 league outings, Gerrard picked up 10 wins, five draws and 12 losses – picking up points in the majority of the fixtures which led to a 14th-place finish.

However, it wasn’t until this season that it really began to unravel for the former Villa boss with the side having a terrible start to their campaign which left them teetering on the edge of the relegation zone.

The 42-year-old manager – dubbed a “disaster in waiting” by reporter Hunter Walker – conceded six defeats in his last 12 games in charge with the final blow coming immediately after losing 3-0 to Fulham in October.

As a result, the appointment of Gerrard at Elland Road could be an extremely risky move from the Leeds hierarchy as he has already proven that under pressure in the Premier League, he hasn’t had a good record and could be detrimental to the instant positive impact needed in the remaining 16 fixtures.

With that being said, Andrea Radrizzani should be looking at managers with much more experience and a clear philosophy to lead Leeds out of danger as hiring the wrong manager could be disastrous for the club at the end of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur were recently credited with an interest in the Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot and there is now a belief that he is looking for a Premier League move.

Do Spurs want to sign Adrien Rabiot?

Reports suggest the French midfielder is a player who the Lilywhites have looked at recently as a potential option to bolster their midfield.

And it is believed the midfielder has even been offered to the north London club by his agent ahead of the 27-year-old’s contract ending in the summer.

Spurs have done business with Juventus recently with the signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur which has established a good relationship between the clubs.

Now, speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Frenchman would like his next transfer to be one that’ll take him to the Premier League:

“What we can say is that Juventus feel it’s going to be really difficult to extend his contract. They would love to keep Rabiot, but they know the conditions of the salary could be really difficult to match for Juventus and this is why there is a possibility for Rabiot to leave and become a free agent.

“Keep an eye on this possibility, and his biggest dream, from what I understand, is to play in the Premier League. So keep an eye on Adrien Rabiot, because Premier League clubs could be on the point and on the verge of starting contacts for Adrien Rabiot.

“So one to watch for the summer because the player dreams of Premier League football.”

Is this the end for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg?

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has played a huge role in Tottenham’s starting XI since making the move from Southampton nearly three years ago.

The Danish midfielder has already racked up 130 appearances for the north London club where he has provided Spurs with 10 goals and 14 assists.

And his importance to the side was highlighted on Sunday evening when the 27-year-old provided a stunning pass to set Ben Davies through before he laid off Emerson Royal to give Spurs the lead.

The 2022/23 campaign has been Hojbjerg’s most prolific in a Spurs shirt with the Dane returning five goals and five assists across all competitions.

In comparison, Rabiot has provided Juventus with a higher number of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes as well as more tackles per game (via Fbref).

Speaking during last year’s World Cup, France manager Didier Deschamps was left in awe of the Juventus midfielder and his development:

“He’s changed a bit, he’s taken something away and today he’s a complete midfielder. He is said to be a balance player, but he is capable of doing as well in defence as in attack. He’s smart, he always knows where he needs to be.”

However, the current Spurs midfielder has returned almost double the number of passes per 90 minutes this season and has offered more than double the number of progressive passing yards.

So if Spurs were to look to bring in the Frenchman on a free this summer, it would be interesting to see what role in the side Rabiot would take on.

After all, Spurs also have Rodrigo Bentancur and the young pairing of Pape Matar Sarr and Oliver Skipp proved more than capable on Tuesday night in the Champions League against AC Milan.

In-form Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is the subject of interest from current Premier League leaders Arsenal, according to journalist Steve Kay.

The Lowdown: Watkins flying for Villa

The 27-year-old finds himself in a rich vein of form at the moment, proving to be one of Villa’s most influential players since Unai Emery took charge.

Watkins has scored eight goals and registered four assists in the league this season and he has found the net in each of his last five appearances.

The Englishman’s form doesn’t appear to be going unnoticed, however, which will be a concern for the Villans.

The Latest: Arsenal eyeing up move

Taking to Twitter, Kay claimed that Arsenal see Watkins as a potential transfer target during the summer transfer window:

“Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is one of the strikers that Arsenal have been keeping a close eye on as a possible summer signing according to sources. Arteta is a massive admirer of the England International, who recently praised the forward in the away win against Villa.”

The Verdict: Could be hard to say no

In truth, it is understandable to see why Watkins’ head would be turned by a potential move to Arsenal this summer, given the quality they are performing with currently.

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Mikel Arteta has built an extremely exciting young squad that is pushing for Premier League glory and the Villa man could be seen as a big upgrade on Eddie Nketiah.

The £75,000-a-week Watkins certainly has the attributes to shine for Arsenal, not only scoring regularly this season but also working hard and pressing from the front, and he has been hailed as a ‘record breaker’ by journalist Gregg Evans for the recent scoring run.

The hope is that he sees his long-term future at Villa, of course – his current deal expires in 2025 – and that he continues to spearhead the Emery era.

Manchester United striker Wout Weghorst has been torn into by TalkSport’s Jason Cundy for his display in their victory over Barcelona.

How did Weghorst play against Barcelona?

The Dutchman started the game for Erik ten Hag’s men, however, he was withdrawn at half-time with the Red Devils trailing by a goal in the break.

Weghorst was replaced by the Brazilian Antony who, ultimately, provided United with the winning goal to secure themselves a spot in the next round of the Europa League.

But it was apparent the Dutchman’s first half was not good enough and it could potentially put his spot in the starting XI at risk ahead of the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

Indeed, speaking on TalkSport, Cundy absolutely ripped into the 30-year-old striker suggesting he was exposed during the game against the Spanish giants:

“Weghorst got exposed tonight unfortunately for him, he got exposed. He’s nowhere near the quality. When you’re at that elite level. That’s level that’s a Champions League game. When you’re at that level, you [Jamie O’Hara] and I were talking and watching him I felt for him. He was like a fish up a tree, wasn’t he?”

What does this mean for Weghorst’s future at United?

Weghorst is technically playing for his future at Old Trafford despite only arriving in the January transfer window having only signed from Burnley on a short-term loan.

He is yet to find his goalscoring form in the Premier League with no goal to his name in his six appearances which has seen him rack up 457 minutes (via Transfermarkt).

However, this may not tell the full story with United having only lost one of their 11 games with Weghorst in the side which came against the league leaders, Arsenal, last month.

And the Dutchman has recently received a lot of praise from the Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville who has hailed Weghorst’s influence off the ball:

“What Weghorst does, he’s very good in transition. He’s very good defending set-pieces. He’s very good when they’re in shape and he’s watching space. He’s doing a vital job for a team that has got a lot of attacking talent,” he said.

But it has to be said his 45-minute appearance on Thursday night against Barcelona left a lot to be desired with United significantly better when he had been replaced.

During his first-half display, the Dutchman only recorded 12 touches in total and he gave the ball away on seven of those occasions (via SofaScore).

And given he failed to provide Ten Hag with any attacking intent, it will be interesting to see whether he is selected for the starting XI at Wembley on Sunday.

Troy Deeney has admitted that he has messaged Javi Gracia and offered to help the Leeds United head coach.

The Lowdown: Perfect start for Gracia

The 52-year-old only received his work permit on Friday after agreeing to take over at Elland Road three days previously. However, the Spaniard managed to take all three points in his first Premier League game in charge of Leeds against Southampton, with a 1-0 win over their relegation rivals.

Junior Firpo was the match-winner in the second half, with the Whites taking themselves out of the drop zone as a result.

The Latest: Deeney’s offer to Gracia

Writing in a column for The Sun prior to Saturday’s win, Deeney said that he has been texting his former manager and has offered to help, ‘even if it is just getting him to understand just how big the club is’.

The ex-Watford striker has backed Gracia to enjoy instant success in Yorkshire and admitted that he has ‘a vested interest’ in Leeds through his family.

The Verdict: Good to see

It seems as if Gracia and Deeney have a good relationship following their mutual time at Vicarage Road, with the striker contributing to 20 goals in 53 games under the Spaniard, most of which came in the Premier League.

Currently the captain at Birmingham City, don’t expect to see the 34-year-old join the coaching team at Elland Road any time soon, but it’s good to see that Deeney is happy to offer any advice to his former boss over the coming months.

Whether or not Gracia will take him up on that offer remains to be seen, with the Leeds manager more than likely already planning for the Whites’ trip to Chelsea next weekend.