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Fabrizio Romano has revealed the latest on Newcastle United’s search for a new manager, including the latest on Paulo Fonseca.

What’s the story?

Having finally come to terms with the removal of Steve Bruce, the Magpies can now firmly turn their attentions towards hiring a new boss, and Romano has indicated that the race is still very much open at the moment.

Writing on Twitter on Wednesday lunch-time, he initially said: “Paulo Fonseca and Lucien Favre are still among ‘options’ on Newcastle list for manager role. No talks with Antonio Conte as things stand now. Fonseca, open to discuss. #NUFC Talks opened few days ago with Fonseca, Favre is waiting too. Nothing agreed yet. Race still open.”

Then, on early Thursday morning, he added: “Newcastle decision on new manager will take some days. Paulo Fonseca would be open to accept and excited for this opportunity after Spurs job chance collapsed at final stages last summer – but Newcastle are in talks with many candidates. #NUFC Race still open for Magpies job.”

A new era at Newcastle United

Perhaps the most exciting thing for Newcastle United fans – aside from the obvious of Bruce being out – is the sheer calibre of managers being linked with the top job at St James’ Park.

Both Fonseca and Lucien Favre have won big trophies at their previous clubs, while Antonio Conte is arguably the biggest of the lot.

He led Inter to the Serie A title last season, and has already of course won the Premier League and FA Cup in his previous stint as manager at Chelsea. His experience of the English game could also be a major drawing point for PIF.

While Amanda Staveley and co will be looking for a rebuild, targeting proven European managers with considerable experience managing in the top leagues and competing in the Champions League too, is something that will surely delight Magpies supporters.

Meanwhile, Craig Hope has delivered his own Newcastle United manager update…

When Everton signed Michael Keane for a total that could rise to £30m back in 2017, eyebrows were raised.

There was a clear recognition that the central defender could become a big part of the Three Lions set up and with that in mind, he was always going to cost a fair whack.

However, it’s difficult to suggest that sum of money has ever been worth it. This assessment comes in light of an extremely difficult window for the Toffees too.

Rafa Benitez hasn’t been able to spend as freely as he would have liked when agreeing to come to Goodison Park and their inability to sign another proven centre-half is coming back to bite them.

With Ben Godfrey on the sidelines, those who have come in to deputise are hardly covering themselves in glory.

Keane has been questionable right throughout the new campaign, form that makes Everton’s decision to hand him a new five-year contract in 2020 a rather baffling one.

The £69k-per-week earner was at fault for Leeds’ opening goal last weekend, turning slowly and allowing Patrick Bamford to get the run on him.

Yet, Keane’s form didn’t improve despite playing against Championship opposition in the Carabao Cup.

Everton were far from their best as they scraped a 2-1 win away at Huddersfield after having Moise Kean sent off for his reaction to a late tackle.

Although that didn’t help proceedings, neither did Keane’s defending for Huddersfield’s goal.

As the ball was swung in from a corner, the former Burnley man completely lost his marker as Tom Lees rose highest to head the ball home.

He was playing next to Jonjoe Kenny, a further defender who looked completely out of his depth. He endured a torrid loan spell with Celtic last term and his first outing for Everton after returning did not go well either.

Kenny was caught out on plenty of occasions and was handed a match rating of just five by the Liverpool Echo.

Yet, his statistics certainly weren’t as bad as Keane’s. He completed just 73% of his passes, the second-worst tally by an outfield player in a Toffees shirt on the night.

Furthermore, he surrendered possession on 17 occasions, a tally that only Asmir Begovic topped in the Everton side.

It’s one thing performing below par against Premier League opposition but the fact he was at fault against a team in the division below says a lot about his early season performances.

Rafa Benitez should be incredibly concerned about the form of his centre-back. He must lust for the return of Godfrey.

AND in other news, Patrick Boyland makes Ndombele to Everton claim, fans should be intrigued…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Michael Bridge of Sky Sports has shared what he knows on the future of Steven Bergwijn at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Bergwijn on the move?

As per The Times, Spurs’ winger is being heavily linked with a north London exit at the moment despite being a key player under ex-boss Nuno Espirito Santo at the very start of the campaign.

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The Times believe that Bergwijn could now be one of the players who may leave in January alongside defender Joe Rodon.

Manager Antonio Conte recently confirmed he was making squad evaluations ahead of the winter window as the Dutchman now becomes the latest player who may well move away amid Ajax’s interest.

The Latest: Bridge makes claim…

Speaking to GMS, this is what Bridge had to say on the matter, sharing what he knows from ‘very good sources’.

“I know he’s maybe going to Ajax in January, I don’t know, has someone said something? Very good sources in Holland are saying that Ajax will look to get him in January or does Conte genuinely see something in him?”

The Verdict: Play him?

Lauded as ‘very talented’ and ‘unique’ by former boss Nuno, Bergwijn also made a big impression when first arriving at Tottenham – particularly against Manchester City on his debut.

The 24-year-old, if not for his consistent injuries, would arguably have made more progress in a Spurs shirt by now – as evident by how well he started this campaign before returning from international duty with a knock.

Despite the January exit rumours, there has been talk of Conte turning to Bergwijn as a makeshift striker as he aims to create an ‘open door’ environment at Tottenham akin to Gareth Southgate’s England (London World).

As his first winter window looms, it will certainly be interesting to see what Conte elects to do with his winger.

In other news: Spurs in pole position to sign ‘perfect’ player as price tag drops by nearly half, find out more here.

Following on from their convincing 5-0 win over Morecambe on Tuesday, Sunderland are back in League One action once again this weekend with another home clash against Plymouth Argyle, who are currently just two points below the Black Cats in the league table, making it a big game for Lee Johnson’s side and their promotion hopes.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Johnson could pick to start on Saturday afternoon, one man who played a big part in the win against Morecambe and should duly keep his place in the starting XI to face Plymouth is Leon Dajaku.

With 90 minutes under his belt against the Shrimpers in the left wing-back position, the youngster showed his manager how capable he is of playing in that role.

During the game, Dajaku had 78 touches of the ball and completed 42 of his 48 passes, with two key passes and one goal to his name. The 20-year-old also recorded five successful dribbles and won five duels, highlighting his energy to attack and win the ball back for his side.

This performance earned the German an overall match rating of 7.6/10 from SofaScore, making him Sunderland’s joint-third highest rated player on the day.

Since joining the Wearside club on a loan deal from Union Berlin back in August, Dajaku – who is currently valued at £1.62m by Transfermarkt – has scored four goals in 11 League One appearances.

With Kevin Phillips saying when the 20-year-old joined Sunderland that he must have “serious ability” having been involved with Bayern Munich’s youth ranks earlier in his career, he certainly seems to have been showing that ability at Sunderland, particularly in front of goal, making it a smart piece of summer business from the Black Cats to get him in.

Looking ahead to the Plymouth game, Johnson should definitely stick with having Dajaku in the starting XI – as well as Lynden Gooch, who also impressed in the win against Morecambe – to give Sunderland some extra attacking power, which they will need if they want to pick up all three points against Argyle and push closer to the top of the League One table.

In other news – Big relief: Sunderland handed major injury boost which will surely have Johnson buzzing 

This has been a summer of unexpected events for an Everton side that appear to be heading towards mediocrity again.

They have lost Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez’s start to life at Goodison Park has hardly been an encouraging one.

What’s the word?

The Toffees have added Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend and Asmir Begovic to their ranks this summer but their latest 4-0 defeat to Manchester United in pre-season tells us they are not in good shape at all.

However, there are still three weeks of the window left for Everton to improve their ranks ahead of an assault on the Premier League’s top six.

Benitez has been striving to improve their defence and after missing out on Ben White, they have turned their attentions to Mario Hermoso.

Reports in Spain claim that Everton dream of signing the Atletico Madrid defender, but they face competition from Aston Villa and Everton.

Hermoso is currently valued at £34m via CIES Football Observatory.

Perfect for Benitez

Hermoso is a well-schooled footballer. Developed in the Real Madrid youth ranks, he now plays his football under one of the most defensively astute managers in the game; Diego Simeone.

Capped five times by Spain, the 26-year-old is a progressive defender capable of breaking the lines and offering a huge degree of balance to a team’s defence.

First and foremost, Hermoso is left-footed, a rare and sought after breed when it comes to centre-backs.

On top of that, he is a ball-playing defender, the type of footballer who can advance up the pitch and then play a delicious pass in behind the opposition’s defence.

After Thomas Partey left Atletico last summer, Hermoso took it upon himself to take up similar areas on the pitch. This may sound bizarre when you consider he was playing in defence, but such was Simeone’s high line that the Spaniard advanced and essentially played as a deep-lying playmaker.

Analysis from Robbie Dunne labels his passing as “dangerous” and it’s clear to see why.

Via FB Ref, the centre-half ranks in the 93rd percentile for passes into the final third and in the 97th percentile for progressive passes across Europe’s top five leagues. Furthermore, Hermoso is in the 98th percentile for low passes, indicating that he prefers to keep possession on the floor.

The Atletico gem is not a classic defender but this is perfect for Benitez who already has more robust players in his armoury.

Even at a hefty price tag, he’d be an excellent acquisition for the Merseyside outfit.

AND in other news, Everton target swoop for £25m “machine”, he’s a huge upgrade on Davies…

Armstrong Oko-Flex has left Celtic and sealed a move to Premier League side West Ham, leading a number of Hoops fans to react to the deal on social media.

The versatile forward made the move to Parkhead back in 2018, with the Hoops delighted at securing his services from Arsenal.

However, things didn’t go to plan for Oko-Flex in Glasgow. He made just two senior appearances for Celtic, both of which came after the Hoops had to rely on a number of their academy players to fulfil Scottish Premiership fixtures following Christopher Jullien’s positive result back in January.

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Oko-Flex featured as a substitute in the draws against Hibernian and Livingston but has now departed after his contract in Glasgow expired.

He has signed a two-year deal with the Hammers, who have the option to extend that for a further 12 months.

Celtic fans react

Celtic confirmed the move on their official Twitter page on Friday evening. This is what these Hoops supporters had to say in reply, with one describing his exit as ‘good’ and another labelling him as a ‘beast’.

“Rotten player. Super deal”Credit: @pajmanio”There’s the first one”Credit: @EddieMcArdle93″Good.”Credit: @RogicSZN”Pointless exercise, like many who have arrived and left”Credit: @COYBIG15″He’s a wee beast anyway”Credit: @kthed0312″He must have some agent”Credit: @gazzarinho1″Goodbye and good riddance”Credit: @Smithybhoy798

In other news: Alan Nixon provides Aaron Hickey to Celtic update, find out more here. 

Celtic have had a mixed start to the new season, with Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops side playing swashbuckling attacking football but looking lackadaisical at the back.

They have also had to contend with a host of injuries in recent weeks with Kyogo Furuhashi, James Forrest, Greg Taylor and Callum McGregor all on the sidelines in midweek.

What’s the word?

One player who has been consistently linked with a move to Celtic this year is Robbie Brady.

The left-sided player became a free agent in the summer after his contract with Burnley expired which means he can now be signed for nothing.

He wasn’t able to find a new club for himself over the last few months but it now appears as though the Bhoys are the frontrunners for his signature.

Glasgow Times suggest (via Burnley Express) that Swansea have ended their interest, leaving Celtic with a free run at signing the 29-year-old.

Forget Taylor

One of Brady’s biggest strengths is undoubtedly his versatility. The Irishman can feature on either wing and is also capable of playing as a wing-back.

With that in mind, he could be the player who finally allows Postecoglou to move on from Taylor.

The Scottish defender is currently out injured and is set to undergo shoulder surgery, which has left an opening for the likes of Josip Juranovic and Adam Montgomery to exploit.

Boli Bolingoli has been left out of Celtic’s Europa League squad but surprisingly appeared against Livingston on Sunday.

Brady. however, could improve on the Belgian as an attacking full-back or wing-back if he joins Celtic in the coming weeks or months.

Although his attacking abilities comfortably outweigh his defensive attributes, the Irishman could be a very useful weapon on the left side of the pitch.

A review from his former teammate Stephen Quinn is particularly telling in this argument, with Brady’s compatriot saying: “He is just an exceptionally talented footballer and I think that left wing-back position suits him because he is coming into plays, he will always attack.”

Possessing a wonderful delivery of the football, Brady feels like an ideal player that Postecoglou will have in his side. The Australian loves an attacking style and the former Burnley winger would undoubtedly improve their ranks.

He’d not only bolster a side of the pitch which is weak at the moment, but he’d also provide the Bhoys with huge experience.

Celtic have already signed one experienced former Premier League talent in James McCarthy; they must now lure Brady to Paradise too. Available on a free transfer, this would be incredibly low risk.

AND in other news, £6k-p/w gem has seen his value rise by 900% after leaving Celtic, he’s “very unique”…

Crystal Palace secured their first victory under new manager Patrick Vieira in emphatic style, seeing off Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at Selhurst Park.

A red card for Spurs defender Japhet Tanganga just before the hour mark swung an evenly-contested game in the Eagles’ favour, with the 22-year-old being dismissed when the match was still goalless.

Tottenham’s day went from bad to worse soon after when Palace were awarded a penalty following a handball, and Wilfried Zaha made no mistake from the spot.

Summer signing Odsonne Edouard stole the show at the end, bagging a well-taken brace in the closing stages after entering the pitch as an 84th-minute substitute to make his debut for the south London outfit.

However, it was Zaha who was really the star of the show throughout, playing a pivotal part in Vieira securing his first league win for Palace at the fourth time of asking.

As per SofaScore, the Ivory Coast international received a match rating of 8.3 out of 10, the highest of any player who started the game after scoring once and providing an assist for Edouard’s first goal.

However, Zaha’s underlying numbers are arguably even more impressive. After being embroiled in a tussle with Spurs full-back Emmerson Royal during the 90 minutes, Palace’s talisman won a whopping 11 duels, made three key passes and completed six successful dribbles.

The former Manchester United gem had struggled in the early stages of the season, failing to make any goal contributions in his first four appearances of 2021/22, but he returned to form in emphatic fashion this afternoon.

Vieira will be hoping to see more of the same from Zaha throughout the campaign, and if the 28-year-old can reproduce his performance from today on a regular basis, then Palace should be in for an exciting few months.

In other news… Journalist reveals exciting Crystal Palace transfer update which will have fans buzzing 

Charlton must act quickly to secure a transfer coup as a major update has emerged, one which could result in the club missing out on a deal.

What’s the talk?

According to The News, League One side Ipswich have joined the race to land Portsmouth goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray this summer. The report claims that Ipswich boss Paul Cook is ready to launch a raid on his former club by pursuing a deal to sign MacGillivray on a free transfer next month.

MacGillivray’s current deal expires at the end of June and Portsmouth have opted against triggering a 12-month extension as they are facing a reduced budget and as such, are unable to afford his wage demands.

Last month, London News Online claimed that Charlton are eyeing up MacGillivray as a possible target. Ben Amos is also out of contract this summer and Charlton have identified MacGillivray as a player they could bring in to replace the shot-stopper.

After he saved a penalty against Accrington Stanley in 2018, Pompey journalist Neil Allen labeled MacGillivray as a “confident” player, who has a strong mentality. He told The News:

“You can talk about his mentality that he gave that away but he made the save.

“So he’s a very strong, mentally, keeper as well and he’s been a really good signing,

“That’s been his only big mistake all season and it still didn’t go in.

“He doesn’t drop anything when he comes for crosses as well, is very confident, and he made a couple of good saves later on as well.”

Fans would be buzzing

Charlton fans would be buzzing if the club could secure a deal to sign McGillivray ahead of Ipswich. If they can act quickly and beat Ipswich to the punch in this race then they could land a fantastic League One shot-stopper and find an adept replacement for Amos, if the former Manchester United man does decide to leave the club at the end of the month.

Ipswich are clearly presenting a challenge to Charlton and Adkins’ side must act now to make sure they do not come out second-best.

Amos enjoyed a fine season with Charlton and kept 17 clean sheets in 46 League One appearances, conceding 56 times. McGillivray, meanwhile, conceded 51 times and kept 15 clean sheets for Portsmouth in League One and was named the club’s Player of the Season for the 2020/21 campaign. This shows how highly the Pompey fans rate MacGillivray and why he could be a terrific replacement for Amos.

The £2.4k-per-week beast between the sticks, MacGillivray, could, therefore, be a superb addition to Nigel Adkins’ squad. He posted similar statistics to Amos in League One and is three years younger than the current Charlton shot-stopper. This means that Charlton could get a few more seasons of service out of MacGillivray in comparison to Amos, which could make him an ideal player to come in, with fans able to potentially being able to enjoy watching MacGillivray for years to come.

AND in other news, Get it done: Charlton must seal deal for £6k-p/w ace who “desperately wants to play”…

Everton are interested in signing £27m-rated Atalanta defender Merih Demiral this summer and he could be the perfect replacement for Michael Keane.

What’s the story?

According to journalist Yakup Cinar (via Goodison News) Everton are among several sides who are “interested” in signing the 24-year-old who’s is currently on loan at Atalanta from Juventus.

They have the option to make the move permanent in the summer for £23.5m, but could potentially sell Demiral on for a profit like they did with Cristian Romero. When interviewed by TuttoJuve.com Cinar said that the interest in the player is high.

He’s miles better than Keane

Everton are battling for survival at the moment and are currently in the relegation zone. Whether or not they stay in the Premier League this summer doesn’t change the fact that they need a squad overhaul.

Many of their current players have underperformed massively this season, and one of those is defender Michael Keane, who Demiral could replace if he is brought to Goodison Park.

Keane has featured several times for the Toffees this season and has been a key part of their troubled defence. They have only managed to keep six clean sheets in the league all campaign, and it has led to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher rightly calling their back four “Championship level”.

Demiral has been described by outlet Goal as a “brick wall” and at 6 foot 2, he is a strong presence in the box. He impressed when facing English side Manchester United in the group stage of the Champions League earlier this season, scoring versus the Red Devils and winning 100% of his duels in a 3-2 defeat, so he has proven himself against Premier League opposition already.

The Turkey international is a force in the air, being ranked in the top 2% when it comes to aerial duals won compared with other centre backs in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year.

When you compare him directly to Keane he’s also better on the ball with a higher pass completion percentage of 87.5% compared to 77.3%. He’s also tackled a higher percentage of dribblers than the Englishman.

If Demiral is available at a decent price in the summer then Frank Lampard should look no further than him to solve their issues at the back. At 24 he can also be a figurehead at the club for years to come.

IN other news: More misery: Alan Myers drops four-word Everton claim that’ll leave supporters fuming…