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Newcastle United have now completed their seasonal odyssey for Champions League qualification and must now fix their attention on making astute movements in the transfer market to effectively bolster the squad ahead of the new campaign.

The Magpies ended years of turmoil under the ownership of the loathed Mike Ashley when a Saudi-led consortium completed a £300m takeover in October 2021, swiftly ascending from relegation trouble to a comfortable mid-table finish last year before exceeding expectations this term.

Indeed, Newcastle have secured a top-four place with a game to spare, but the foundations have barely been laid when considering the club's grand stratagems, and reliable reports suggest first-rate quality is being targeted across the offensive flanks, central defence and midfield this summer.

The midfield, in particular, is attracting a lot of attention, and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze is one of the latest to find themselves whirling around the rumour mill, with Spanish outlet AS stating that the mercurial midfielder has been earmarked.

Eze has been in stellar form of late and has attracted the attention of other Premier League outfits including Tottenham Hotspur, and with an affordable fee of €30m (£26m) touted, United must act with conviction to ensnare their man.

What is Eze's style of play?

Having flourished in the Championship with QPR, Eze completed a £20m transfer to Crystal Palace in 2020 and has since been an exciting component to a steady top-flight outfit, hailed as "magic" by former Eagles teammate Christian Benteke.

This term, Eze has enjoyed his most prolific season to date, scoring ten goals and providing four assists from 37 divisional outings as he continues to blossom in the latter phases of the campaign – netting six times from his past eight games.

His progress had previously been hampered by a severe Achilles tendon injury suffered in May 2021, which confined him to just six starts across the entirety of the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Nevertheless, he's back with a resounding bang this term, and his talismanic presence over the past several weeks has been imperative to steering Palace away from the pit of the Premier League table – before Roy Hodgson assumed the reins once again in March to expunge the threat of relegation altogether.

The £30k-per-week star ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals over the past year, as well as the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, illustrating the threat that he imposes on the opposition as a box-surging, destructive central force – almost a mezzala for his efficacy in drifting to the offensive right flank.

He would offer a different, but perhaps just as propitious, threat to James Maddison, who has also been linked with a move to St James' Park this summer after United's technical director Dan Ashworth failed in his bid to acquire the dynamic midfielder from Leicester City last season, unsuccessfully mounting a £50m bid.

Maddison is facing relegation from the Premier League with Leicester City, who are inside the bottom three with just one match to play and two points behind Everton, but the 26-year-old has maintained an attacking prowess throughout his team's tumultuous year, scoring ten goals and providing nine assists from 29 matches.

The two-cap England international, who can play across a range of positions, both centrally and out wide, ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and the top 13% for progressive passes, and it may come down to whether Ashworth and co decide that Eze's blistering approach or Maddison's more nuanced and dynamic skill set is preferred.

Should 24-year-old Eze be the man picked for the job, he could even blossom into every bit the star Maddison currently is, perhaps even eclipsing the Foxes phenom.

Liverpool are expected to complete the appointment of Jorg Schmadtke as the Premier League club's new sporting director "in the next days", according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Jorg Schmadtke?

Schmadtke is a German former professional manager turned sporting director and has vast experience off the field, having previously carried out spells with Alemannia Aachen, Hannover 96, FC Koln and most recently Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, and since Julian Ward announced back in November that he would be departing at the end of the season, FSG appear to have identified the 59-year-old as a potential ideal successor.

As quoted by The Telegraph, Jurgen Klopp confirmed during a public interview that he holds an existing relationship with his compatriot, but insisted that any kind of move being completed would not simply be as a result of their friendship, and now, the behind-the-scenes figure is set to put pen to paper on a short-term deal.

Are Liverpool appointing Schmadtke?

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Liverpool are closing in on a deal for Schmadtke, with the appointment likely to be finalised imminently over the course of the next week. The Italian reporter wrote:

"Jorg Schmadtke will be in England in the next days in order to sign the contract as new Liverpool director, as expected. Former Wolfsburg director will work with Jurgen Klopp on strategy and signings — the manager will remain crucial figure to make decisions."

Schmadtke only announced his retirement five months ago, so the fact that he’s willing to come out of it so soon must mean that he believes he can help Liverpool progress over the summer – and there is plenty of work for him to be getting underway with, especially in strengthening the midfield area, which has been highlighted as a priority position.

The Dusseldorf native has a good track record of identifying stars in the making, having signed Wout Weghorst at Wolfsburg, who had a fantastic spell at the club posting 92 goal contributions in 144 appearances, while he is now, of course, playing in the top flight with Manchester United.

Football Insider has already reported that FSG will give the sporting director the opportunity to extend his stay should he impress during his work in the coming months, and a longer-term contract would be fully deserved should he manage to secure the club's top targets alongside Klopp ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:24

Manjrekar: WI decision to bat first not pragmatic

Batting isn’t easy at Sabina Park. In 20 years, no ground has been quite as stingy in giving up Test match runs. Ask the local boy Marlon Samuels, who had to wait nearly 10 overs to get off the mark. Or the five Indian bowlers, who excelled after they were gifted first use of a pitch with live grass and considerable moisture. West Indies chose to bat and crumbled to 196 all out. Side note, R Ashwin secured his 18th five-wicket haul in 34 Tests.Batting is not impossible at Sabina Park. It is the venue that gave cricket the number 365, with a little help from Sir Garry Sobers. It was where Brian Lara proved he wasn’t just the Prince of Trinidad but King of the World. West Indies do not have players of that calibre willing to play Tests at the moment, but with a little more conviction, they could have been batting when the conditions were at their best for it. Instead, they were all out in 52.3 overs and the final-session bounty went to KL Rahul, who was unbeaten on a brisk 75 off 114 balls. A fine knock from India’s back-up opener, marking his return to Test cricket after nearly a year.The West Indian quicks pitched too full or too short or too wide. Their legspinner Devendra Bishoo began with three long hops. If there was a plan, its last step possibly read “execute at your own peril”. It didn’t help that when they did fool the batsman, luck wasn’t with them. Dhawan drove lazily outside off stump, twice, but neither carried to the fielders. Rahul, anxious to get the four runs he needed for a fifty, hit offspinner Roston Chase against the turn and was dropped by Darren Bravo at short midwicket. That both batsmen felt no need to temper themselves was perhaps an indication of what they thought of the opposition’s ability to pose a threat even on a helpful pitch.Virat Kohli had said it had been “damp” at the toss. The ball swung and seamed. It came to the batsman at a pace he couldn’t trust; it bounced inappropriately. All of that was the result of the moisture not entirely out of place in the first session of a Test match, especially at a ground where batsmen have only averaged 25-odd since 1996.The drive had to be stowed away in such conditions, but Ashwin, Ishant and Shami constantly put the ball at a fullish length on middle and off stump. Kohli had an even spread of close catchers – three for the outside edge and three for the inside edge. And West Indies were asked to play shots they knew could get them out.So Jermaine Blackwood began by leaving his second ball; it only barely bounced over off stump. Later, he lunged forward to defend Ashwin, but couldn’t reach it on the half-volley and was struck on the chest. Samuels was tempted into driving on the up by Ishant on 0, and was nearly done in when the ball leapt up at him. Shane Dowrich was caught behind trying to leave the ball. It seemed like West Indies were in a dark, cramped tunnel and even the light at the end of it was India celebrating around a bonfire.Ashwin was having fun once more. While his first wicket may have come in fortunate circumstances – an lbw against Blackwood shown by HawkEye to only graze the outside of leg stump – the next one exemplified the confidence he has in himself. Samuels had just torched a six straight down the ground. He was invited to do so again, this one tossed up even higher. When the ball was halfway down its path, however, Samuels realised he would never get close enough to its pitch. Ashwin’s dip had taken care of that. A hastily executed flick resulted in an inside edge that was safely caught at short leg. Ashwin had Dowrich caught behind, while Holder and Bishoo were beaten in flight; the five-for was rather academic.India had to grit their teeth through a few stages: the 62 balls that Blackwood batted for his half-century, the two balls that Bishoo nicked to the keeper and was not given by umpire Ian Gould, the 38 balls that debutant Miguel Cummins – playing in place of Carlos Brathwaite – and Shannon Gabriel swung around for, and the one that consumed Shikhar Dhawan to give Chase his first Test wicket with less than an hour to stumps.Everything else, however, went their way. Kraigg Brathwaite, stout of defence and temperament, fell to a simple trap. Two men were put under helmets at forward and backward short leg. Ishant bowled a short ball angled towards the batsman’s ribs – predictable considering the field placing – and Brathwaite promptly fended to Pujara in front of square.Darren Bravo fell to a simple trap too, but through no fault of his own. Ishant went around the stumps to make sure the left-hander would feel he has to play more than he could leave. India were aiming at his weakness outside off stump, with a bowler known for straightening the ball off the pitch. Ishant pitched it full on fifth stump, drew Bravo into a block, claimed the edge that was caught by second slip. Shami had Rajendra Chandrika nicking off to gully.Blackwood walked out with the score at 7 for 3. West Indies hadn’t seen such dire times against India since the Port-of-Spain Test in 1983. Blackwood was in the middle of dire times himself, having bagged a second pair in five Tests, and was a prime candidate to be dropped to accommodate an extra bowler. The selectors kept faith in him, however, and his counter-attacking half-century was the only high point for West Indies.

Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has been left concerned by Michael Beale's decision to let a number of experienced first-team players leave the club this summer.

Which players are leaving Rangers this summer?

The Gers will need to bring in a number of new players in the upcoming window, as several players are set to be shown the exit door, with Beale recently confirming Morelos is "going to be moving on" at the end of the season.

Turkish outlet Fanatik have recently reported that Ryan Kent has made the decision to leave at the end of the season, upon the expiration of his contract, while a number of other experienced players are out of contract.

Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Allan McGregor are all free to leave in the upcoming market, and Hutton is concerned that Beale plans to replace the old guard with some relatively inexperienced players.

In an interview with Football Insider, the pundit said: “That is my one fear.

“That the players that it looks like are leaving are experienced players, they have experienced European finals, winning leagues, winning trophies. I think it could be a mistake to let them all go.

“If you look at the likes of Arfield, Jack, Davis, McGregor, Morelos, Kent, I think you have to keep some for their experience, I am all for that.

“Especially if you look at the type of players they are wanting to bring in, the likes of [Morgan] Whittaker, Dowell, [Todd] Cantwell and [Nicolas] Raskin are already there, these are young guys.

“If you are bringing in seven or eight young players who are inexperienced, you need older heads round about them to guide them.“

Is a summer rebuild really needed?

Of course, Beale will be desperate to bridge the gap between Rangers and bitter rivals Celtic next season, currently trailing the Hoops by 13 points in the Scottish Premiership, but it is a questionable decision to let so many key players leave.

It is particularly concerning that Morelos and Kent are set to depart, given that both played a major part in the title-winning 2020-21 campaign, amassing a combined 32 goal contributions in the Scottish Premiership.

Scott Arfield has become a bit-part player, mainly being utilised as a substitute this season, but the decision to let Jack go is a little concerning, considering he has been a first-team regular whenever he has been fit.

Former Rangers man Lee McCulloch has previously spoken about how "influential" McGregor is in the dressing room, so the 41-year-old's departure could also pose problems for Beale, and the manager is playing a risky game by allowing so many players to leave.

تعرف على مواعيد مباريات اليوم الجمعة 12-1-2024 والقنوات الناقلة

يفتتح اليوم الجمعة الموافق 12-1-2024، منافسات بطولة كأس أمم آسيا 2023 المقرر إقامتها في قطر، خلال الفترة الحالية.

وتستضيف قطر بطولة كأس آسيا، بداية من اليوم الجمعة وحتي يوم 10 من شهر فبراير المقبل بمشاركة 24 منتخباً.

وتنطلق البطولة، بمباراة صاحبة الأرض قطر أمام منتخب لبنان في الجولة الأولى من مواجهات المجموعة الأولى التي تضم أيضاً كل من الصين وطاجيستان.

طالع | مجموعات كأس أمم آسيا بالكامل. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الجمعة 12-1-2024 والقنوات الناقلةمباريات كأس آسيا اليوم

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بورتيمونينسي ضد فيرنسي، تقام المباراة في تمام الساعة 10:15 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 11:15 بتوقيت السعودية.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Tottenham Hotspur owners ENIC will look to sign James Maddison in the summer, regardless of who they appoint as manager at the end of the season, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

Will Tottenham win the race for James Maddison?

With Maddison's contract set to expire at the end of next season, this summer will be the last opportunity Leicester City have to cash in on their star player, and there is growing interest in his signature, from a whole host of Premier League clubs.

Tottenham are said to have leapfrogged Newcastle United into pole position, although Liverpool are also interested in the midfielder, while Manchester City have been linked, so a bidding war could be on the cards in the summer.

Given that the Englishman is likely to have a number of top clubs to choose from, it could be vital for Spurs to finish in the top four, so they can offer him Champions League football next season, but they are currently sitting three points behind Manchester United and Newcastle.

As per a report from Football Insider, the Tottenham board are dead-set on signing the 26-year-old this summer, and they will not wait for the new manager's approval before sanctioning a deal.

The Lilywhites are among the favourites to sign the £50m-rated Leicester star, and they're not going to slow their pursuit while they are without a manager, as they do not want to risk losing their lead in the race for his signature.

A new creative midfielder was identified as a priority signing while Antonio Conte was at the club, and Spurs believe he could go on to be a superstar in the Premier League.

Should Tottenham sign James Maddison?

Tottenham are very keen on a new creative force in the midfielder, and the two-time England international ticks plenty of boxes, ranking in the 89th percentile for assists per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers, averaging 0.35.

Having also averaged 0.46 non-penalty goals per 90, there is clear evidence that the maestro would be a real attacking threat for Spurs, particularly considering he has managed to perform at that level in a struggling Leicester side.

Hailed as "sensational" by members of the media earlier this season, Maddison would be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, and they must now focus on securing Champions League football, in order to make sure they win the race for his signature.

Arsenal have enjoyed a stellar campaign so far, in the Premier League anyway. The Gunners have lost just three league matches all season and are currently eight points clear at the summit, albeit with a game in hand over the chasing pack.

All looks rosy at the Emirates under Mikel Arteta, who has had to battle his way to get to this point, but the patience shown by the Arsenal board seems to be paying off. He has developed a wonderful group of players and there have been some fine performances this term.

None more so than Ben White, who has excelled at right-back, notably registering an assist in ther recent win over Crystal Palace.

His form has been even more impressive considering centre-back is his natural position, while Takehiro Tomiyasu has been drafted in as cover when required, although not always impressing.

The Japanese right-back has been on the periphery this term, with White obtaining the starting slot on the right side of the defence. Tomiyasu has played 21 league matches in total, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.68/10, ranking him as the third worst player in the squad judging by overall rating.

Arteta is always looking ahead to the future and there could be a teenage starlet ready to replace Tomiyasu sooner rather than later – Reuell Walters.

The 18-year-old featured in the club's pre-season tour before the campaign got underway and with mounting injuries, was included in the matchday squad when Palace visited the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.

The full-back is clearly well thought of in north London but he could well face competition from Michal Rosiak, another budding Hale End talent.

Who is Michal Rosiak?

The 17-year-old right-back has been with Arsenal since 2016 and signed a scholarship last summer as he begins to make name for himself in the U18 side.

Indeed, this season he has played seven matches in the U18 Premier League, scoring twice and registering five assists, showing his attack-minded nature, something that could be a big bonus for the Spaniard, who loves his full-backs to be able to attack with menace.

He also has three goals in just four FA Youth Cup appearances, meaning he has ten goal contributions in just 12 matches so far in 2022/2023, a quite remarkable number for someone so young.

Reporter Theo Mwangi even praised the Polish starlet last month, saying: “Michal Rosiak is a very good player when inverting and going forward, needs to work on his defensive attributes though.”

That 'inverting' nature is vital to any full-back in Arteta's system with White and Oleksandr Zinchenko having become masters of that role throughout 2022/23.

Indeed, there will be plenty of time to work on that and the defensive side of his game in the coming months for Rosiak, especially with players such as White to look up to and learn from.

Tomiyasu hasn’t made the impression many thought he would have following his arrival in 2021 and with Rosiak developing well in the Hale End academy, he will have to be on his toes.

Leeds United’s recruitment has received decidedly mixed reviews, as there have been not only some high-profile blunders but some remarkable coups too.

Particularly their ability to locate and acquire youth talent is commendable, as highlighted through their summer signing of Wilfried Gnonto for just £5m. Already they are reaping the rewards of such a shrewd addition.

But in 2020 they seemed to strike gold with a similar feat when they parted with £1.5m to snatch Sam Greenwood from the Arsenal academy.

The youngster came with rave reviews, as a striker that could not stop scoring at youth level. Given how Leeds have just one goal in their last five games in all competitions, they could use someone with such scoring prowess now.

Although he is yet to truly cement a spot in the first team, the 5 foot 11 maestro has remained a dependable asset for various managers to call upon, making great strides in his development. This is best outlined through the steady growth of his valuation.

How much is Leeds starlet Sam Greenwood worth now?

Although he signed for an initial fee of £1.5m, the 21-year-old was seemingly only worth €200k (£178k) as of 2021 due to his lack of senior experience.

21 goal contributions in 39 games for the Gunners’ U18s was impressive, but hardly meriting a much higher value.

But now that the Sunderland-born forward has 29 senior appearances for the Whites under his belt, including a first goal and a handful of assists, that value has grown to an impressive €4m (£3.5m).

This marks an outstanding 1,866% increase in value in just one year of football; a figure that seems only set to grow as he establishes himself as more of a regular for Javi Gracia’s team.

Listed as part of a “bright” future at the Yorkshire outfit by journalist Alisa Cowen, his performances for his U21 side certainly suggest he is ready for increased action at the top level.

During the 2020/21 season, he would score 12 goals in 18 appearances, only to turn provider more often the season following as he notched 13 goal contributions in just 17 games.

With a soaring valuation and the quality in front of goal that Leeds have been lacking, Greenwood could soon be the answer to all their problems should he be handed some consistent game time under the new boss.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale could have a busy summer ahead of him with a number of changes potentially on the way during the summer transfer window.

A number of first-team players are out of contract at the end of the current campaign and could need to be replaced heading into the 2023/24 season.

One player who is set to be a free agent later this year is Colombian marksman Alfredo Morelos.

The Ibrox star is reportedly attracting interest from teams in Spain, Italy, and Turkey and is said to be in a ‘stand-off’ with the club over a new deal, which has led to a summer transfer being described as ‘more likely than not’.

Will Rangers need to replace Alfredo Morelos?

Morelos has been a key player yet again for the club this season and has been the first-choice at the top end of the pitch under Beale so far – racking up nine goals and four assists in 23 appearances in the Premiership so far.

The 26-year-old has provided quality in the final third on a regular basis, both in terms of scoring and creating goals, and the Light Blues will need to bring another option in to replace his output if the gem departs this summer.

One player the club are reportedly keen on signing is Montenegro international Nikola Krstovic, who was valued at a staggering £45m by Dunajska Streda in an attempt to ward off interest from teams in the January window.

However, it remains to be seen how open they will be to cashing in on him in the summer and the Gers could look to snap him up as the heir to the current striker’s throne at Ibrox, albeit at a much cheaper price.

Krstovic, who was dubbed a “goal machine” and of a “similar mould” to Morelos by a Football Insider journalist, would come in as a player with the potential to be a dream long-term successor to the Colombia international at the age of 22.

He could be a terrific signing in the immediate term as well for the future, with his room and time to grow and develop, as his form this season in Serbia has been extraordinary.

The prolific youngster has plundered nine goals and six assists in 17 league starts last term.

These statistics show that the marksman, who scored 41 goals in 96 appearances for Zeta Golubovac at the start of his career, is a regular goalscorer who can also create chances for his teammates.

Therefore, Krstovic could be the ideal heir to Morelos at Rangers, if the Colombian striker departs this summer, as he could replace the goalscoring and creative output in the final third if the Montenegro international can adjust to Scottish football.

Glasgow Rangers reporter for The Athletic, Jordan Campbell, says that Alex Lowry could still leave Ibrox on loan before the transfer deadline.

The Lowdown: Raskin in

Rangers have already completed their major business of Transfer Deadline Day, confirming the signing of midfielder Nicolas Raskin from Standard Liege on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.

That is not to say that they are completely finished ahead of tonight’s deadline though, and they could look to offload one or two players after the arrivals of Raskin and Todd Cantwell.

The Latest: Lowry out?

Taking to Twitter, Campbell says that Lowry could still leave on loan before the deadline, but it would depend on the right manager and the right style of football:

“Lowry could still go out on loan but was told it was dependent on the right manager and right style of football.”

The Verdict: Keep him!

It is true that Lowry has not had much senior football so far this season, with only three games played in all competitions.

However, the 19-year-old should be playing more matches, having impressed with the Gers at youth level with 12 goals and two assists in 20 appearances (Transfermarkt).

His former academy coach Graeme Murty has even gone as far as to claim that Lowry is ‘unlike anyone else’ at the club, hailing his ‘technical ability’, ‘range of passing’ and ‘remarkable self-confidence’.

Nonetheless, Michael Beale will need all of the help that he can get in order to catch Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, and Lowry would be an extra weapon in his armoury should he keep him.