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Lee Ryder has been left buzzing over some comments that have now emerged from Newcastle United left-back Matt Targett in the build-up to the clash against Crystal Palace.

The Lowdown: Permanent deal?

It has been reported that the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘poised’ to make their loan deal for Targett permanent in the summer.

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The whole deal would cost around £15m plus the initial loan fee, which includes a bonus for if the Magpies avoid getting relegated from the Premier League, something that seems inevitable ahead of tonight’s clash with the Eagles.

The Latest: Targett comments

Speaking to The Chronicle, Targett has now admitted that he ‘hopes’ that he can stay in the North East permanently, as he is ‘enjoying’ his time on Tyneside.

The Aston Villa loanee recalled when he first signed, claiming that it was a ‘massive challenge’ to impress new manager Eddie Howe and help get the club out of the relegation zone.

Sharing the article on Twitter, journalist Ryder was buzzing over Targett’s claim, saying that it is a ‘huge positive’ for the Toon Army that he wants to stay.

The Verdict: Big boost

With Targett set to feature tonight when the Magpies play Palace at home in the top flight, another three points would take them onto 40, meaning that they will surely be safe.

Thus, they could then look to sign Targett from Villa this summer for the fee mooted.

The Englishman currently ranks as their fourth-best performer in the Premier League so far this season, and ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, interceptions, clearances, key passes, and crosses per game (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, he has certainly made a good impression in his short time, and so the fact that he wants to stay is a big boost for the club.

In other news, find out whose agent NUFC have now contacted over a potential move here!

George Caulkin doesn’t expect Steve Bruce to be sacked as Newcastle United manager today.

The lowdown

Amanda Staveley is to meet with the 60-year-old and the Newcastle squad face-to-face for the first time on Monday following the completion of the club’s takeover last week.

According to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, Bruce is set to be ‘relieved of his duties’ before next weekend’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle are currently 19th in the Premier League after picking up just three points from a possible  21.In a recent survey carried out by the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust, just under 95% of fans called for Bruce to resign.

The latest

Caulkin, a senior writer at The Athletic, confirmed that the new owners ‘will be back on Tyneside’ today. The players who aren’t on international duty are scheduled to train in the afternoon and ‘the plan is to meet them’.

On Monday morning, he tweeted: “Newcastle’s new owners – a phrase which still takes some getting used to – will be back on Tyneside today. The team are training in the afternoon & the plan is to meet them. As of last night, line was “no decision” on Steve Bruce. I’m sure he’ll go but doubt it will be today.”

The verdict

This is becoming a very poorly-kept secret. It seems pretty clear that Bruce’s time is up, so Newcastle should perhaps have made the change already.

The immediate replacement should be given as much as time as possible to take charge of training and make whatever alterations he can prior to the Spurs game on Sunday.

After all, let’s not forget that Newcastle need to start picking up points soon, for despite their new-found wealth, they currently occupy a place in the Premier League relegation zone and cannot flaunt their riches until the January transfer window.

In other news, this Premier League manager is in the frame to replace Bruce.

When Ange Postecoglou was given the Celtic job a matter of months ago, he knew the size of the task on his hands at Parkhead.

The Hoops witnessed a horrendous season in 2020/21, failing to win a single trophy as protests erupted and Neil Lennon was finally given the boot.

Out went the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Scott Brown, Ryan Christie and Kristoffer Ajer in a big upheaval of the playing staff.

There were more changes behind the scenes too with Dominic McKay replacing Peter Lawwell as CEO.

McKay and Postecoglou had an incredibly busy summer, bringing no fewer than 12 first-team players to Paradise.

Kyogo Furuhashi is the standout name from those to arrive, scoring seven goals in his first nine outings as a Celtic player.

He arrived from the J-League where he is still their top scorer this term. It’s a league that the Bhoys’ manager knows well from his time with Yokohama F. Marinos.

Judging by the success he’s enjoyed with Kyogo, the manager has already admitted that he’d like to target the Japanese top-flight again in January. With the sheer number of gems clearly lying in that part of the world, it’s a cunning and shrewd plan.

One player they may look towards in the future is Kasper Junker. In fact, Celtic should have already brought him to Parkhead.

The Hoops needed a new striker this summer with Edouard eventually heading to Crystal Palace on deadline day and on top of Kyogo, they preferred Greek forward Giorgos Giakoumakis.

The former VVV-Venlo striker found the net on 29 occasions last season but before that, his best tally in a single campaign was just 11.

Now, Junker was initially linked with Celtic back in the winter months when he was playing for Bodo/Glimt in Norway. His goalscoring antics – 27 strikes in 28 games – helped them to a remarkable league title win in 2019/20.

That form earned him a move to the J-League where Postecoglou has been able to gain an early sight of his quality. Junker hasn’t quite replicated his tally from Norway, but he’s still scored 13 goals in the 2021 season.

Eight of those strikes have come in the league where he sits behind Kyogo in the race for the golden boot.

With his Nordic heritage in mind, he’s already been compared to a certain Henrik Larsson on Football FanCast. Though, words from a Norwegian football expert summarise why Celtic should have signed him last winter.

Jonas Giæver told 67hailhail: “He’s a number 9, a fox in the box. I think he’s a lot more as well, he’s very technical, very good with his back to goal. He can set up his teammates and find space in the area. Bodø/Glimt have done it so perfectly, in terms of bringing numbers into the box. He always finds a patch of space and finishes first-time more often than not.

“If you’re looking for an out-and-out striker, who doesn’t need many chances to get a goal, then he’s your guy.”

Of course, Giakoumakis may well be a hit in Glasgow but if he’s not, Postecoglou should revive the club’s interest in Junker and head back to his beloved J-League for more mercurial strikers.

AND in other news, McKay may have just repeated one of Lawwell’s biggest Celtic blunders at Parkhead…

Wolves may now start Hwang Hee-chan at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the third round of the Carabao Cup, says Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Hwang impressing

Hwang is certainly impressing at the Midlands club so far, after he scored on his debut in a short cameo in the 2-0 away win at Watford in the Premier League earlier on this month (Transfermarkt).

He is emerging as a bit of a fans favourite already, and will no doubt want to show the Molineux faithful what else he can do over the next set of fixtures.

The Latest: Start?

Writing in his latest piece for The Express & Star, Keen has now claimed that Hwang may be in line for a start against Spurs, along with Daniel Podence, while the entire defence may be changed from those who started the 2-0 loss at home to Brentford at Saturday lunchtime.

It would be his first start under Bruno Lage, and another impressive performance may see him in contention to start in the league on the weekend.

The Verdict: Start him

While there should be a few changes to the team expected given the need for rotation between the cups and the league, Hee-chan has certainly earned the right to start the match.

A player who Erling Haaland loves from his time playing with him at RB Salzburg, he certainly has a point to prove having been loaned out to WWFC from RB Leipzig.

Nonetheless, the South Korea international should give some good competition to Raul Jimenez and be able to fill in for him when he needs a rest.

In other news, find out what FIFA news has Wanderers raging here!

Aston Villa have confirmed a major injury boost over Leon Bailey ahead of their Premier League encounter with Arsenal on Friday night.

Dean Smith’s side have been without the summer signing for the past three games in the Premier League after being forced off in the second half against Everton back in mid-September.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Mikel Arteta’s side at the Emirates Stadium, the Villa manager said: “Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore have both trained over the last couple of days and both will be available for the squad down at Arsenal.

“But we have to be aware that Bailey’s had a thigh injury for four weeks so we have to assess how much of a risk we take with him. We are building up their fitness, they will be in the squad, but we’ll have to assess where they are. They have both been out injured for a few weeks, so they are lacking minutes.”

The Jamaica international has had an injury-disrupted start to life at Villa Park, playing just 85 minutes of football in the Premier League, but even in that limited amount of game-time, he has shown exactly why Villa fans should be excited about their summer signing.

After coming off the bench to great effect against Watford on the opening day – he marked his Premier League debut for the club by setting up John McGinn’s goal and almost sparking a late comeback – the Jamaican flier showed just what he can bring to the table when he delivered another barnstorming cameo against Everton.

Having come on as a substitute once again, Bailey whipped in the corner which was turned in by Lucas Digne, before firing in a superb goal of his own to seal an impressive 3-0 win for Villa.

Speaking before the Midlands club officially confirmed the deal to sign the winger, Alan Hutton threw his backing behind a move for the Jamaica international.

He said: “I’m so excited to see this one. I’ve heard a lot about him over the past two or three seasons. He’s obviously still very young but he’s electric, he gets people off their seats. That’s what you want in a player.

“But what’s more impressive, 15 goals and 11 assists from wide areas in the German league. That’s unbelievable. It’s the kind of consistency you want from your wingers.”

The fact that he’s now back in the frame to play against Arsenal tonight is sure to have fans absolutely buzzing, especially at a time when Villa have fallen into a bit of a slump.

Meanwhile, Villa must start this £7.2m-rated gem against Arsenal…

Aston Villa get their Carabao Cup campaign underway on Tuesday night when they take on Barrow in the second round.

Dean Smith’s side were, of course, finalists in 2020 where they were beaten by Manchester City, while they were knocked out of the competition in the fourth round last season by Stoke City.

The Villa boss will no doubt ring the changes to his starting line-up for today’s clash, with many of those who started in the 2-0 victory over Newcastle in the Premier League at the weekend unlikely to do so again.

And, with that in mind, below is a look at the kind of line-up Smith might look to put out for Villa’s clash against Barrow.

In goal, Emi Martinez is likely to be given a rest with back-up shot-stopper Jed Steer coming for his first competitive game for Villa since that 1-0 defeat to Stoke last season.

The back-four is also set to see wholesale changes, with Frederic Guilbert making his first Villa appearance since returning from loan last term.

Matt Targett should come straight back in at left-back, while Kortney Hause is likely to be partnered by Axel Tuanzebe, who could make his second debut for the club following his initial loan spell.

Further forward, Smith could be in line to make some exciting changes by starting three of the club’s brightest young academy talents, with Carney Chukwuemeka, Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Jacob Ramsey ready to make their mark.

And up front, with Ollie Watkins still out, Wesley could come in for Danny Ings as he looks to prove why he should remain at the club and be given the chance to impress.

Predicted XI: Steer; Guilbert, Tuanzebe, Hause, Targett; Nakamba, Ramsey; Philogene-Bidace, Chukwuemeka, El Ghazi; Wesley.

Meanwhile, Villa are plotting a late swoop for this star…

An update has emerged regarding the Ibrox future of Rangers dud John Lundstram…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has suggested that the Gers could sell the midfielder this month in order to make a quick profit on him.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “Obviously he was signed by a different manager, in Steven Gerrard.

“So for Rangers, they might decide to cash in on Lundstram right now and they make a bit of money out of it after getting him on a free transfer.”

This comes after The Daily Record claimed that Chris Wilder is interested in signing Lundstram for English Championship side Middlesbrough. The pair worked together at Sheffield United in the Premier League and a reunion could be on the cards in the coming weeks.

Fans will love it

Rangers fans will surely love this update from O’Rourke, as Lundstram has struggled since his move to Glasgow, so selling him for an instant profit could be a great move for the club from a footballing and financial perspective.

In terms of the off-field benefits, it would mean that Ross Wilson managed to bring a player in for nothing before selling him for a profit just six months later, handing him more funds with which to improve Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

On the pitch, it just has not worked out for the English midfielder, and fans could well love to see him being moved on. He has been unable to nail down a regular starting spot and has only started twice since Van Bronckhorst took over from Steven Gerrard, suggesting that the Dutchman is not a fan of his style of play.

Last month, Frank McAvennie has suggested that the end to Lundstram’s Blades career foreshadowed what has happened at Ibrox this season, saying: “He’s dropped off the map. Rangers made a big fuss of signing him in the summer and to me, it seems like he never gets a game.

“I know he’s scored a couple of goals so clearly he can hack it up here. I remember Sheffield United fans being happy he was leaving, that was never a good sign.”

This highlights how much of a disaster the last 12-18 months have been for Lundstram, as he seemingly had a poor end to his spell at Bramall Lane and could now be dumped by Rangers. Hopefully, if he does leave Ibrox, he is able to find his feet and enjoy a good run of form to rejuvenate his career.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst could land the new Prso as Rangers submit offer for “groundbreaking” January transfer…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ronnie Edwards to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Daily Mail, who claim that both Spurs and Crystal Palace are keeping a very close eye on the Peterborough United centre-back ahead of a potential move at the end of the season.

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The report goes on to state that the relegation-threatened Championship side are believed to value the England U19 international at a figure of around £15m, with Posh likely being unable to keep hold of the youngster following their seemingly imminent return to the third tier of English football.

Conte can axe Rodon with Edwards

Considering the sheer amount of potential Edwards quite clearly possesses, in addition to the style of defender the centre-back is, it is easy to see why both Fabio Paratici and Antonio Conte would be interested in a move for the 19-year-old this summer.

Indeed, over his 30 Championship appearances this season, the £270k-rated talent has been imperious in the Peterborough backline, helping his side keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 3.5 clearances and winning 2.8 duels – at a success rate of 54% – per game.

The £2.7k-per-week prodigy has also impressed with the ball at his feet, enjoying an average of 60.2 touches and completing 44.2 passes, 3.7 long balls and 1.5 chipped passes per fixture – with scoutedfootball listing the centre-back’s primary strengths as his composure, his elegant passing and his one-on-one defending.

These returns have seen the youngster who Barry Fry dubbed a “Rolls Royce” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.75, ranking him as Posh’s 11th-best player in the second tier of English football.

Regarding his signing of the teenager back in August 2020, Fry went on to state: “I used to watch a lot of U18s football at Barnet as well as Posh and I told [Darren Ferguson] about him. When we brought him in for a game, Darren watched him for 20 minutes and told me to sign him.

“Spurs were watching him at the time… it’s no secret how highly Ronnie is rated by other clubs and by the England set-up. We had 18 Premier League scouts watching him play for the U23s at our stadium. He’s a certainty to have an outstanding career in the game.

“A couple of good seasons in the Championship would make him worth £10m to £20m. He was outstanding on what was a great day for the club [in the 3-0 win over Birmingham City in September]. He is so calm and composed and his passing is unbelievably accurate.”

As such, considering the fact that Tottenham’s £24k-per-week Joe Rodon – who John Wenham dubbed a “real issue” for Spurs back in April of last year – has reportedly decided to quit the north London club this summer – having featured just three times under the management of Conte – Edwards would certainly appear to be a fantastic replacement for the 24-year-old Wales international in the Italian’s backline.

AND in other news: Talks underway: Paratici in negotiations for £41.5m deal, it’d be a big coup for Spurs

After a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City at the weekend in their latest Premier League outing after the latest international break, Southampton have been dealt a worrying injury issue that could impact their team for the next few weeks.

What’s the news?

Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong was not in the squad for the game at Carrow Road after picking up a calf injury before the game according to Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

This will surely be a big blow for the team and a big disappointment for the fans after the Scottish international had only recently recovered from a calf issue and managed to get some Premier League minutes under his belt before his first start of the season in their 1-0 win over Aston Villa earlier in the month.

Since joining the south coast club back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Celtic in a deal worth a reported fee of £7m, the 29-year-old has made a total of 109 appearances for Southampton across all competitions in which he has managed to score 14 goals and provide 11 assists in the process.

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Given how Armstrong was just getting back into the swing of things for Southampton and played in both of Scotland’s recent World Cup qualifying matches against Moldova and Denmark, this latest calf issue will surely be a big setback for the player.

His latest appearance for his country against Denmark saw Armstrong come off the substitutes bench and provide an assist for his club teammate Che Adams in their 2-0 win.

Hasenhuttl and everyone else at Southampton will undoubtedly be hoping that the forward will be able to recover from this latest setback as soon as possible and not miss too many games for the Saints. As they approach their winter run of fixtures the manager will want as many options in the squad available to him to help keep his side away from the relegation zone.

If Armstrong does end up spending another significant period of time out injured, Hasenhuttl will have to rely on the likes of Theo Walcott, Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Tella to step up to the plate and provide a suitable attacking threat while Armstrong is out recovering. Given their inconsistent nature, this injury blow will certainly leave their Austrian head coach gutted.

In other news: Possession lost x17: Southampton lightweight with 0 key passes let Ralph down vs NCFC – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur are now lining up a sensational return for Christian Eriksen this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Football Insider claim the north London outfit are keeping tabs on their former attacking midfielder, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season after reigniting his career during a short-term stint at Brentford.

Spurs are among the Premier League teams eyeing a move for the 30-year-old. He has impressed since joining the Bees on a six-month deal on January 31st, proving his fitness and health following a cardiac arrest during Euro 2020 last summer.

The 111-time Danish international departed Hotspur Way in January 2020, leaving to join Antonio Conte at Inter Milan and now it appears the Italian is keen on a reunion.

It’s also thought that Eriksen would be open to a move back to his former club. He wouldn’t cost chairman Daniel Levy anything in terms of a transfer fee.

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Playmaking fix

Since his exit from the club, Spurs managers – past and present – have struggled to replace the void he left behind with neither of the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele able to step up in his absence.

Both players were shipped out on loan during the winter and the latter has refound form, though Villarreal would like to keep him permanently and that is a deal the Lilywhites must let happen – it could be sweetened by the return of Eriksen, who can fill that no.10 gap at long last.

Effectively finally replacing himself, the 30-year-old playmaker has proven his ability in the Premier League once again. His one goal came against former rivals Chelsea, whilst he’s also provided two assists from six appearances, playing the full 90 in five of those matches, via Transfermarkt.

Eriksen leads Thomas Frank’s squad in terms of average WhoScored rating, thus suggesting that he has made a major impact in a mere matter of months. He also tops the charts in terms of creativity, managing 1.7 key passes per game.

This would see him rank joint-second behind Heung-min Son (1.9) in Conte’s current squad and the prospect of adding the Dane to a frontline involving the South Korean sensation, January marksman Dejan Kulusevski and the talismanic Harry Kane is very exciting indeed.

The north Londoners know too well about his playmaking talents with the ex-maestro providing 159 direct goal contributions across 305 appearances in a Tottenham Hotspur shirt – that’s around one goal or assist every 152 minutes, via Transfermarkt.

Conte and Spurs could indeed end a 30-month problem by replacing someone like Lo Celso by sealing a return for the £13.5m-rated wizard, who was once dubbed “special” and “unbelievable” by his former boss, Mauricio Pochettino.

AND in other news, Conte could finally axe “terrible” £91k-p/w dud as Spurs plot bid for £58m-rated “leader”…