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Luke Edwards has dropped a quite worrying claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

The Daily Telegraph journalist tweeted: “I’m told this morning all #nufc takeover conversations have been halted by Justin Barnes and the club is, effectively, no longer for sale. Everything paused until relegation matters decided.”

Worry for potential Newcastle takeover

The fact that conversations to do with the potential takeover of the St. James’ Park faithful by the KSA consortium have been halted for now may be a big worry for some fans in the North East.

As Edwards puts into perspective, the Tyneside club is effectively no longer for sale by Mike Ashley until Steve Bruce’s team know their fate at the end of the 2020/21 season in terms of possible relegation from the Premier League down to the EFL Championship.

The Magpies are currently only a mere three points outside of the drop zone on 26 points after 26 games (BBC Sport), and it is far from a guarantee that they will be safe come the end of the term.

If the Toon were to drop down a division, then the prospect of taking over a side down in the Championship may be a far less attractive one for the potential buyers, and Ashley may well have to drop a lot from his original asking price.

Nonetheless, NUFC will be aiming to stay up at least, which could well put the bid back on track.

In other news, find out what claim a finance guru has dropped on the potential takeover here!

Leeds United had a noticeable name missing from the squad on Monday night in Pascal Struijk, and Phil Hay has revealed why he was not involved against West Ham United.

The latest on Struijk

The Athletic journalist spoke to Whites manager Marcelo Bielsa following the defeat at London Stadium and updated followers on Twitter that “Struijk had a knock”.

This is a worrying update from Bielsa

Struijk brings versatility to the squad and we saw this during a time when Diego Llorente and Robin Koch both suffered injuries (the latter is not back yet), as the young Dutchman provided Leeds with cover and showed he could do a job in the back line. He has also played in defensive midfield when Kalvin Phillips was injured (Transfermarkt).

In his 17 appearances in the Premier League this term, he has been a solid defensive-minded player as he has averaged two successful tackles, two interceptions and 2.7 clearances per game (WhoScored). His averages for the latter two metrics are beaten only by Liam Cooper among his team-mates (WhoScored).

Gerry McNamee from the LS11 podcast piled praise on Struijk a few weeks ago as he said: “I think with [Marcelo] Bielsa, you’ve got to earn your place back and we probably don’t mention him so much because he doesn’t put a foot wrong, his passing, his interceptions everything else in the last two games, he’s been excellent.”

With the Dutch youngster impressing so highly, it is worrying to hear Hay’s update about him having a knock, with no indication of the nature or duration of the injury. Hopefully it does not see him ruled out for a lengthy period.

In other news, one Leeds prospect has seen his good performances receive notable recognition – have a read here!

Graham Spiers has teared into Glasgow Rangers fans for their celebrations after the Gers’ status as Scottish champions was confirmed on Sunday.

Spiers hammers fans

The Gers were crowned champions after Celtic could only manage a 0-0 draw with Dundee United – Steven Gerrard’s side beat St. Mirren 3-0 the day before.

As such, thousands of fans took to the streets of Glasgow to celebrate. Unfortunately, there were reports of vandalised public property and some inappropriate behaviour (Sky News). The Times journalist Spiers was clearly unimpressed, and he took to Twitter to share his thoughts. He said:

“I’ve gone out my way to cut Rangers fans some slack this weekend: years of pent-up anger and bitterness being released following a title win. But these reports of loutish behaviour in Glasgow last night are beyond defending. A thorough embarrassment.”

Rangers fans have had a number of issues with Spiers in the past, and have not been scared to share their frustration with him.

No excuse

While the outpouring of joy and thousands of fans taking to the streets was most likely expected, it is impossible to condone the actions of the supporters in question. There is no reason why they should have to destroy public property – they had every opportunity to celebrate in a respectful way.

However, it is important to remember that the culprits represent a minority of the club’s supporters. All of the fans must not be tarred with the same brush – they do not deserve it. Those who are guilty must face the consequences of their actions, though. That much is certain.

In other news, Rangers fans slam comments from this politician.

Callum Wilson has dropped an injury update after hinting to NUFC TV (via The Chronicle) how long he is set to be out for Newcastle United.

The former AFC Bournemouth ace hinted that at the time of his scan, he was going to be out injured for at least a month, saying:

“I thought it was probably going to be a four-week lay-off.

“The scan revealed it was a little bit worse than that.”

Could Wilson be back after the international break?

Given that Wilson has missed the last five matches for the St. James’ Park faithful in the Premier League with a hamstring injury that he unfortunately picked up in the 3-2 home win against Southampton back in February, there may be some cautious optimism that if he continues his rehab work over the international break, he may well come back fit enough to play in the remaining games of the 2020/21 term.

It is obvious just how important the 29-year-old striker is to the North East club, with no fewer than 10 goals in the top flight so far this season, which is more than double the next highest scorer for Steve Bruce’s team, while his impressive tally of five assists is also the most out of any Toon player (Whoscored).

With the Magpies recently teasing that he will be ‘back soon’ on their official Twitter page, a return to the side for the England international may well be possible after the break.

In other news, find out what inside claim has been dropped on Miguel Almiron’s injury here!

No Premier League player has been a more clinical finisher than Liverpool’s Diogo Jota this season, with one statistic outlining his ruthlessness for the Reds.

The Portuguese joined the Reds from Wolves last September, in a transfer that seemingly came from nowhere.

Jota immediately made himself a hero at Liverpool, though, scoring nine goals before he was struck down with a knee injury in December.

The 24-year-old’s winner at Molineux last week took his tally to 10 for the Reds, with his return acting as a big boost in a season where Jurgen Klopp’s attack has misfired too often.

Jota among Premier League’s most ruthless finishers

Jota’s clinical nature in front of goal has now been highlighted, with the Portugal international scoring once every 0.26 shots he has taken this season, as pointed out by playmakerstats on Twitter [via Empire of the Kop].

He is level at the top with Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan and Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, putting him in some illustrious company.

Transfer Tavern take

This perfectly illustrates not only how good Jota has been for Liverpool, but also how much he has been missed during his long injury absence. During the Wolves match last Monday, Sky Sports (via Twitter) showed that the Reds had scored just twice from their last 70 open-play shots, a conversion rate of just 0.03, meaning the rest of the squad was over eight times worse at finishing in that stretch than Jota when he’s been fit.

His return to the fold can have a huge impact on the rest of the campaign, as they look to seal a top-four finish and clinch Champions League glory.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to an obscure Reds transfer rumour. Read about who it is here.

Some Liverpool fans believe Joel Matip could leave the club this summer, following news of the Reds’ likely signing of Ibrahima Konate.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Reds are closing in on a deal for the RB Leipzig centre-back this summer, with talks believed to be at an advanced stage.

It is a potentially exciting piece of business for Liverpool, with Konate a highly-rated young defender who has impressed for the Bundesliga side.

While the youngster’s increasingly likely arrival at Anfield is good news for many, it may not be too positive for Matip with regards to his future at the club.

The Cameroonian has become something of a cult hero for Liverpool, but despite his popularity, his constant fitness issues are now problematic.

Matip is out for the rest of the season, at a time when Jurgen Klopp desperately needed him to stay fit, and he cannot be trusted to be available on a regular basis.

The addition of Konate, and possible permanent signing of Ozan Kabak, could mean trouble for the 29-year-old, whose contract admittedly doesn’t expire until 2024.

Liverpool fans believe Matip could leave

A number of Liverpool supporters have taken to Twitter to provide their thoughts on Matip’s future following the news on Konate, with several thinking that the Cameroonian’s Anfield days could be nearing an end.

“Could see Matip go”

Credit: @FalseFMatt

“”I reckon it’s Konate for Matip and we still sign Kabak on a permanent”

Credit: @icy7_YNWA

“Selling Matip and having both Kabak and Konate is such a good long-term investment”

Credit: @ABxLFC

“We might actually sell Matip if this Konate deal is happening”

Credit: @LFCSai7

“Bye bye Davies, Matip. Kabak, VVD, Konate, Gomez next season then?”

Credit: @unimpedance

“Matip….. IT’S TIME TO GO”

Credit: @Cameronn8_

In other news, Liverpool have been tipped to complete a double swoop this summer – find out more here.

According to recent reports, Tottenham Hotspur target Mike Maignan will be available for a fee of around €20m (£17m) this summer.

The report by Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness) claims that Spurs have set their sights on the Lille goalkeeper as a potential replacement for Hugo Lloris, who has been heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

However, it is also claimed that, should Spurs indeed make a move for the £24,000-per-week 25-year-old, they may well face competition from AC Milan, as the Serie A side are also keeping tabs on the shot-stopper ahead of a potential summer swoop, largely because they have yet to reach an agreement with Gianluigi Donnarumma regarding a new deal at San Siro.

Finally, it is suggested that Christophe Galtier’s side would demand a fee of around €20m (£17m) in order to part with the France international come the end of the season.

Transfer Tavern Take

With it previously being reported that the Tottenham coaches Joao Sacramento and Nuno Santos are big fans of Maignan, a move by Jose Mourinho for the Lille ‘keeper is not a difficult scenario to imagine, should Lloris indeed leave Spurs this summer.

With the 25-year-old impressing over his 30 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, keeping a remarkable 16 clean sheets and averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.03, it would certainly seem as if the Frenchman is a very suitable candidate to replace his compatriot as Tottenham’s number one.

In other news: Levy is set to battle several PL clubs for the signing of ‘the next Zlatan Ibrahimovic’ – find out more here!

Swansea City have just nine games left of the Championship season and with Steve Cooper’s side just six points behind Watford in second-place, automatic promotion is still a real possibility for the Swans.

The South Wales club enjoyed an excellent start to the Championship season which was built on an impressive defensive record as well as a dangerous partnership of Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe up front.

The Swans looked on track for automatic promotion and a potential title challenge when they produced arguably their best performance of the season in the 2-0 win over table-topping Norwich City in early February, whilst the loan signing of Conor Hourihane in midfield added some real quality in the Swansea midfield.

However, instead of pushing on from this position, Swansea have fallen away in recent weeks, whilst a superb winning run from Norwich has all but sealed their promotion back to the top-flight, as they currently sit eight points clear at the top of the table.

Heavy defeats against Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth have emphasised that teams have seemingly figured out the key to unlocking Swansea’s previously imperious defence, whilst the goals have also dried up, with Lowe in particularly bad form at the moment.

Back-to-back defeats ahead of the international break, including a home defeat against South Wales rivals Cardiff City, have cast serious doubt on Swansea’s promotion hopes but they will be hoping that the international break means they can reset ahead of the remainder of the season.

Ahead of the run in, we’ve predicted the outcome of every Championship game that will be played to generate a predicted final league table:

Cooper’s side have a favourable run-in that sees them take on several relegation candidates including Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday, Wycombe Wanderers and Derby County, so we feel that they will come back into form.

However, they travel to Watford on the final day and with the Hornets in impressive form of late, we predict that the Swans will, unfortunately, suffer a final day heartbreak at Vicarage Road, with Watford finishing second behind Norwich, whilst Swansea end up finishing fourth, meaning they have to settle for a play-off position.

[freshpress-quiz id=“532484″]

Swansea will certainly have to improve their recent form if they want to take it to the final day but considering their fixtures, Cooper’s side could still be in with a chance of automatic promotion this season, but we predict a play-off semi-final clash with the Cherries is what’s in store for the Swans.

And, in other news… Swansea handed huge boost with £3.6m-rated “leader”, Cooper will be relieved

Aston Villa came from a goal down to beat relegation-threatened Fulham 3-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Aleksandar Mitrovic capitalised on a Tyrone Mings error to give Scott Parker’s men the lead, but a quickfire Trezeguet double turned the game around before Ollie Watkins made sure of the points.

The win lifted Villa above Arsenal into ninth place in the Premier League table.

McGinn’s game by the numbers

John McGinn was among the most impressive individual performers for Dean Smith’s side. According to SofaScore, the Scot was successful with five of his six dribble attempts and won 10 duels during the game (nine on the ground, one in the air).

He also won one tackle, made one interception and executed one key pass to earn a rating of 7.0. Among Villa’s starting outfielders, only defensive midfield duo Morgan Sanson and Douglas Luiz were awarded higher ratings.

It’s a continuation of McGinn’s strong form after he scored three goals for Scotland during the international break.

The 26-year-old took to Twitter on Sunday night to hail a ‘good win for the troops’, eliciting plenty of admiration from Villa supporters on social media, one of whom dubbed him a ‘star’.

McGinn display impresses these Villa fans

“I thought you were getting back to the real McGinniesta today. Some really sweet turns and touches. Team performance wasn’t great until 75 mins but Fulham aren’t easy at the moment. Please keep trying the nice stuff, it’s what football’s all about.”

Credit: @Dirk1978

“My man of the match today. You didn’t stop working from the first whistle to the last. Well done Ginny”

Credit: @julieavfc71

“Huge… love seeing you back in a more attacking role”

Credit: @BenWarnock91

“Scotland form coming through”

Credit: @walshcat1

“Absolutely everywhere today”

Credit: @PhilW0404

“Great performance, it looked a hard game out there”

Credit: @dickyavfc1

“Star”

Credit: @AVillan55378820

In other news, these Villa fans weighed in on Dean Smith’s transfer comments.

Crystal Palace took a humbling Premier League defeat on Saturday as Chelsea departed Selhurst Park with a comprehensive 4-1 victory.

It was a poor performance from Roy Hodgson’s Eagles, who have now won just one out of their last six Premier League games.

However, one man was particularly disappointing and that was youngster Eberechi Eze.

The former Queens Park Rangers winger turned in a desperate performance against the Blues as he really struggled to affect proceedings.

Eze, rated at £18m, did not contribute a single goal or a key pass throughout the game according to WhoScored, although that was not an uncommon feature throughout the Palace side.

In fact, the 21-year-old’s only contribution against Chelsea was just a solitary dribble, an extremely poor showing considering his immense potential.

He only had 38 touches of the ball throughout the match, with only Jairo Riedewald of the Palace starters having fewer.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-crystal-palace-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Latest Crystal Palace news, transfer rumours and more… “]

In all, he was handed a poor WhoScored rating of 5.1 which ended up being the lowest of every single player on the pitch.

Whilst he did not affect the game all too much from an attacking standpoint, Eze also had to shoulder the blame as Chelsea took the lead. Having been sloppily robbed by Kai Havertz far into the Palace half of the pitch, he then allowed the former Bayer Leverkusen man to run in behind him and score.

Eze’s dreadful afternoon was eventually brought to an end by Roy Hodgson in the 58th minute as he was replaced by Jeffrey Schlupp who in the end notched an assist for what turned out to be Christian Benteke’s consolation goal.

Having so far displayed his promise in the Premier League this season with three goals and three assists, Eze was bitterly disappointing against Chelsea on Saturday.

He will surely be hoping to get back to his in just over two weeks’ time as the Eagles go up against Leicester City.

AND in more news, take a closer look at another awful Crystal Palace performance against Chelsea…