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The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) are set to hold further talks with Jason Wilcox over taking a Director of Football (DoF) role at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: DoF wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful have recently been linked with a number of big names to fill in their new DoF model, including the likes of Luis Campos and Marc Overmars.

It is clearly the direction of where the new owners want to go, following their takeover in the North East.

The Latest: Wilcox frontrunner

As per The Daily Star, Wilcox, currently the Academy Director at Manchester City, is set to hold further talks with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium over potentially taking up their new DoF role.

He is understood to be the frontrunner for the job, and the Tyneside outfit are keen to appoint a DoF before they bring in a new permanent manager to replace the departed Steve Bruce.

The Verdict: Has the credentials

Wilcox certainly has all of the credentials to take up the new role, given the work that he has done with City so far, a club who were in a very similar position to the Magpies when they were first taken over.

The former Blackburn Rovers and England international winger has been praised by none other than Pep Guardiola for the job that he has done with the MCFC Academy, and is even credited with being a key influence on Phil Foden (The Daily Star).

Nonetheless, a DoF role would be a step up for him, and so Wilcox certainly seems attainable for the Toon should the talks go well.

In other news, find out which elite manager Overmars is backed to bring to NUFC if he becomes DoF here!

Rangers have not been shy when it comes to spending money on bringing new players to Ibrox over the past few years to help strengthen their squad.

However, as happens with almost any team, they don’t always secure the signing of every player who gets mentioned with a move to the club.

One example of a player who was publicly named as a potential transfer target for the Ibrox outfit in the past that they will regret not signing is Samuel Eto’o.

Speaking back in 2002, then-Gers boss Alex McLeish named Eto’o as a player he liked after sending his assistant Andy Watson to watch the striker in action in a friendly between Cameroon and Argentina.

After scoring 69 goals in 157 appearances for Real Mallorca, the attacker joined Barcelona in the summer of 2004, where he racked up 130 goals in 199 appearances, winning numerous trophies along the way including two Champions League titles.

With five years at Barcelona under his belt, the Cameroon international then made the move to Italy with Inter Milan, once again winning numerous titles and enforcing his reputation as a deadly goalscorer, finding the back of the net 53 times in 102 appearances.

Following that, Eto’o had spells with numerous clubs across England, Russia, Turkey and Qatar before retiring in 2019 with a grand total of 362 goals to his name in what was undoubtedly a glittering career.

Labelled an “outstanding” character by Pep Guardiola and a “special player” by Jose Mourinho, two of the most successful managers of all time, it’s safe to say that McLeish had a howler by not making sure he secured Eto’o’s signature when he and his assistant were looking at him for Rangers.

Had the 41-year-old joined the Light Blues before he eventually moved to Barcelona, the Gers may have had their hands on what could have become a prolific and iconic goalscorer in the club’s history.

While there would have been no guarantee that Barcelona or any other club would have tried to sign the centre-forward at any point had he joined Rangers in 2002, it still could have been a great sight for the Ibrox faithful to see such a talented attacker in their side.

Either way, McLeish will have to live with his mistake in what will now go down as a classic case of what could have been.

In other news: Rangers had a major disaster on “complete” 243 G/A ace who’s “like Harry Potter”…

Liverpool have bounced back from a hugely underwhelming 2020/21 campaign in impressive fashion so far, picking up seven points from a possible nine in the opening weeks of the new Premier League season.

Victories over newly-promoted Norwich City and Burnley were followed up by a draw against European Champions Chelsea last time out, securing a solid start for Jurgen Klopp’s charges.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Anfield outfit’s game has undoubtedly been their defence, with Kai Havertz’s well-taken header the only goal to have breached Alisson Becker’s net in 270 minutes of top-flight action.

However, it’s an attacker who has been the standout performer for Liverpool so far after Mohamed Salah enjoyed a stellar August for the 19-time English champions.

As per SofaScore, the Eygpt international received a match rating of 7.73 out of 10 following two goals and two assists in three league outings, the second-highest total amongst his teammates.

The 29-year-old created three big chances for his teammates, produced a whopping nine key passes, had six shots on target and pulled off six successful dribbles.

Salah has also recorded a passing accuracy of 84% and won an average of 2.7 duels per game, all of which highlights his incredible influence over this Liverpool side.

With talks over a new contract for the former AS Roma ace ongoing, Klopp will certainly be hoping his talismanic attacker can keep up his current form before putting pen to paper on fresh terms.

The Reds face a tricky task away at Leeds United following the conclusion of the international break, and Salah will be hoping to pick up where he left off on his visit to Elland Road.

And, in other news…Journalist reveals disappointing Liverpool update which could leave Klopp gutted 

Southampton have been handed a double injury boost ahead of their upcoming Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

What’s the latest?

In his latest press conference ahead of the match against the west Londoners, Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed that Stuart Armstrong has returned to first team training but did not confirm whether or not the 29-year-old will be involved in the squad to face Chelsea.

Additionally, the Saints also have Theo Walcott back in training, who returned last week as he looks to get back to full fitness. The 32-year-old shared a post on his official Twitter profile earlier in the week which showed him smiling on the training pitch and accompanied by the caption: “It’s great to be back”.

Hasenhuttl will be thrilled

Given how Southampton have failed to score in any of their three previous league fixtures, Hasenhuttl will undoubtedly be thrilled to have some more attacking options at his disposal to try and switch things up as they seek to revive their goalscoring fortunes.

That is all the more pertinent considering how Armstrong and Walcott chipped in with a combined seven goals and eight assists between them in the Premier League last season.

However, with the Scot having only just returned to training and yet to make an appearance for the Saints so far this season, we feel it would probably be too early for the 29-year-old to be thrown into the mix from the start in the game against Chelsea, who have only conceded two goals in the league so far.

With Walcott, it could perhaps be the better option to restore him to the team given that he has some minutes under his belt this season and has been in training for longer than Armstrong, even though he hasn’t yet managed to score a goal or provide an assist for the Saints this term.

The 32-year-old has played more matches (25) against Chelsea than any other club throughout his career aside from Liverpool and has managed to rack up six goals and provide three assists against the Blues along the way. That could perhaps make him a viable option from the start against Thomas Tuchel’s side, if indeed he is deemed fit enough to play.

In other news, “Now close”: Ralph makes claim on 21y/o maestro that’ll leave Southampton fans buzzing…

After obliterating Manchester United 5-0 last weekend, Liverpool couldn’t get past Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday in a similarly ruthless fashion, ultimately stumbling to a 2-2 draw after being 2-0 up after 24 minutes thanks to goals from club captain Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane.

Despite the disappointing overall result, one player that we feel stood out at the weekend and was yet again another shining light for the Merseyside club, was Mohamed Salah, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £200k-per-week according to Spotrac.

The Egyptian, who started the match at the weekend and played through the full 90 minutes against Graham Potter’s side, managed to assist Henderson’s goal to open the scoring after a delightful cut back from the right-hand side.

Mane was the only one of Liverpool’s offensive trio to beat the goalkeeper but Salah’s offensive display was still excellent. He had one shot on target, completed 100% of the three dribbles he attempted and also completed 22 of 30 passes. Two of those happened to be two key passes while he won all three of the ground duels he was involved in, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 7.4/10, making him the joint-highest rated Liverpool player on the day according to SofaScore.

This shows just how much of an attacking threat he was for the Reds on the day but just couldn’t find himself a goal, something that will presumably be a big disappointment for him as an individual given how he’s managed to net in his seven consecutive Liverpool league appearances prior to the Brighton clash.

Since joining Liverpool back in the 2017 summer transfer window from AS Roma for a reported fee of £34m, the 29-year-old, who is currently valued at £90m according to Transfermarkt, has made 216 appearances for the club across all competitions in which he has managed to rack up an impressive total of 140 goals and 53 assists, comfortably cementing himself as one of Liverpool’s most important attacking players.

Even though he failed to add another goal to his incredible tally for the season against Brighton, Salah and everyone else at the club can be pleased that he still managed to put in a top-quality performance at the weekend. Hopefully, he’ll get back to scoring form either on Wednesday in their next Champions League game against Atletico Madrid or next weekend in their next Premier League outing versus West Ham United.

In other news: Big worry: £58.5m-rated Liverpool ace who lost 75% duels really struggled vs Brighton – opinion

Glasgow Rangers fans are gutted at the news that several of their players will miss their Europa League clash with Alashkert following a coronavirus outbreak at the club.

The Gers have travelled to Armenia for the second leg of their Europa League play-off tie. In the first fixture at Ibrox, the Gers won 1-0 thanks to an Alfredo Morelos goal, even though John Lundstram was sent off in the first half. They will be looking to complete the job this week in Yerevan.

However, in the build-up to the match, the Gers have been hit with a huge blow. They have confirmed that several players have tested positive for coronavirus and will therefore miss the match, while others will have to self-isolate after coming in to close contact with those affected (rangers.co.uk). It has since emerged that Steven Gerrard will also be absent (Sky Sports).

The news was shared on Twitter by Rangers’ official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the news below

“This is no good enough – we need names???”

Credit: @LauraCampbell97

“This week canny get any worse man”

Credit: @Sparky18721

“Could not have happened at a worst time Main thing is though the players are alright”

Credit: @JL_93x

“Tell us who? This week of all weeks”

Credit: @deanog99

“Thanks weeks ruined already and I’ve still to watch you play twice”

Credit: @LY1872

“Put us all out of our misery and tell us who”

Credit: @I_Kelly96

In other news, this pundit is livid at one Rangers Old Firm decision.

Tottenham Hotspur have edged one step closer to signing Adama Traore this month…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Telegraph’s Matt Law, Spurs sporting director Fabio Paratici has opened talks with Wolverhampton Wanderers to bring the 25-year-old to north London.

He delivered an update in a series of tweets.

“Daniel Levy travels to the Bahamas for Joe Lewis meeting that could prove key to Conte’s plans/Paratici opens talks over deal to sign Adama Traore from Wolves,” he said.

Before adding: “I’ve never been that fussed about Adama Traore. But I do look at him and think Conte could make him into a really top player. I’d be quite excited if I was a Spurs fan and they manage to get him, as they hope to do.”

Wolves could let the Spain international leave for as little as £20m.

Wing-back monster

As Law suggests, there is plenty for Spurs fans to be excited about amid this major development.

There will be concerns over Traore’s end product, having failed to contribute a goal or assist from 20 appearances this season. However, his fit for Antonio Conte’s system and the Italian’s proven track record in improving players should provide further encouragement.

The Athletic reported earlier in the week that the Spaniard would be viewed as an attacking right wing-back – a role in which he has played before at Molineux – as he can offer more in the final third than Emerson Royal.

There aren’t many players capable of fulfilling that role, so Traore could be transitioned easier than most. Conte did a similar thing at Chelsea with Victor Moses, converting the winger into a wing-back and then winning the Premier League in 2017 and FA Cup in 2018.

Traore leads the division for dribbles (4.5 per game) and has also averaged one key pass per outing, via WhoScored. By comparison, Emerson only manages 0.8 successful dribbles per match in the English top-flight.

Standing at 5 foot 10, the wide man is built like a brick wall – something Rio Ferdinand once referenced on BT Sport (as relayed by Birmingham Live), saying: “He’s a machine. I was watching him pre-game and he could be a powerlifter or a cruiser-weight boxer – he’s huge.”

The praise doesn’t stop there for the Wolves man. It’s never-ending.

Southampton forward Che Adams dubbed him a “monster”, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp deemed him to be “unplayable”, whilst football.london reporter Alasdair Gold believes he “scares defences with his running and strength.”

The £25.2m-rated powerhouse must be doing something right.

On the above evidence, Traore would surely be a fantastic signing for Spurs to make. He would fit right in with Conte’s system and has plenty of experience in the Premier League.

For just £20m, it is surely a no-brainer.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold issues exciting Spurs transfer update…

Manchester United are targeting River Plate’s “rising star” Enzo Fernández this summer and he could slot straight into the team ahead of Brazilian midfielder Fred.

What’s the story?

United are set for a huge overhaul of their under performing squad before next season and according to The Daily Star, up to four midfielders could leave.

This would leave room for plenty of new additions with one target being Argentinian Fernández.

He currently play’s in South America for River Plate but could be persuaded by the lure of one of Europe’s biggest clubs. However, the Red Devils face competition for him from Real Madrid and local rivals Man City, with the player said to have a £20.6m release clause in his contract.

He’s better than Fred

One of the midfielders he would be competing with, or potentially replacing, at Old Trafford would be Brazilian star Fred. He has had a rollercoaster of a career at United and at 29 years old isn’t getting any younger.

The signing of Fernández could provide the perfect alternative, and if he impresses, the 21-year old could be a mainstay at the Theatre of Dreams for years to come.

He has made 36 appearances for River Plate and in his time at the club has been directly involved in 12 goals from midfield.

When you compare his statistics in the league to that of Fred’s, he excels in most categories. The average number of passes he makes per game is 55.3 compared to the Brazilian’s 48.9.

Fernández is also more of a threat in the air with him winning 1.1 of aerial duels per game compared to Fred’s 0.6.

If United are successful in their bid to sign the Argentinian youngster then it’s likely that he will be one of Erik ten Hag’s first singings as manager at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman is reportedly close to agreeing a deal to take the hot seat at the club and signing Fernández would be the perfect start to his tenure.

He’s known for giving young players a chance having developed some star players during his time at Ajax. It’s a same tradition that is part of the fabric at United and if he was signed it would be a signal of the start of a new era under Erik ten Hag.

IN other news: Manchester United: Anthony Elanga was important in crucial win…

Crystal Palace have been linked with an ambitious move for Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The 31-year-old appeared set for a switch to Manchester United last summer after it became clear he was keen to return to his homeland, but the Old Trafford outfit refused to match his release clause, meaning the player stayed put.

But now, according to 90min, Trippier is attracting the attention of several Premier League clubs once again ahead of the winter window.

“Manchester United are continuing to be kept informed of his situation while we understand that Everton, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are willing make a move too – if Atletico show an appetite to sell,” reads their report.

Previous reports have claimed that Atleti are set to demand £25 million for the versatile full-back over the coming months, with Newcastle United also a potential destination, although there’s no guarantee he’ll depart in January.

Patrick Vieira can continue his revolution

Over the summer, new manager Patrick Vieira began his Palace revolution by overseeing a mass overhaul of the first-team squad, welcoming the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Michael Olise and Marc Guehi to Selhurst Park.

However, one position that was neglected was right-back. Experienced campaigners Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne offer steady if uninspiring options in that position at present.

Trippier’s arrival, though, would change that, providing Vieira with an attacking threat from full-back and adding an established England international to his ranks.

In recent years, the £77,000-per-week gem has claimed the La Liga crown with Atleti and cemented his place in Gareth Southgate’s national team setup, impressing the Three Lions boss with a string of eye-catching performances.

“He (Trippier) is a very underrated player,” claimed Southgate after England’s victory over Croatia at Euro 2020.

“People are still looking at the player from a few years ago and not at the one who is at Atletico Madrid and playing like a warrior in the last few seasons. He is a big part of what we’ve done over the last few years, and he gave a really good performance.”

And it wasn’t the only time that Southgate has lauded Trippier, dubbing him ‘outstanding’ back in 2018: “Kieran has outstanding quality, and that kind of profile in that position is very important,” he said.

With Trippier producing six assists last term, 1.27 key passes per 90 and putting in 2.40 crosses, compared to Ward’s tallies of one, 0.28 and 0.60, respectively, there’s no doubt that his arrival would continue Palace’s progression under Vieira.

And, in other news…Palace must seal move for “phenomenal” £33k-p/w ace who “gets the crowd on their feet”

Leeds United are struggling to find form in the Premier League this season following an excellent 2020/21 campaign which saw the newly-promoted side finish ninth in the top flight.

Bielsa’s team have had to deal with a number of injury issues over the last few months, which is surely one reason for their slow start.

Patrick Bamford and Luke Ayling are still missing without a definitive indication of when they may be back. However, the Whites have seen the return of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha in recent weeks, which will give them a boost in their upcoming fixture against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

One player who hasn’t been able to truly make an impactful presence in the teams so far is August signing Dan James.

Leeds signed the Welshman from Manchester United for £25m late in the summer transfer window, but despite getting an assist against Norwich, he hasn’t been able to unleash his full potential at Elland Road as of yet.

The 24-year-old winger spoke to FIFA.com about his time so far with Leeds, saying: “I’ve not reached my potential yet.

“I’m getting a lot more game time now and I’ve obviously got my own goals. I’ve got so much more I can improve on, so much more to give. Hopefully I’ll show that in the coming years.”

Leeds could really capitalise on the recent return of Raphinha by encouraging an attacking partnership with James going forward in their Premier League campaign.

The Welsh winger now has the opportunity to link up with the Brazil international, so Bielsa should unleash the £16.2m-rated gem to create a potential attacking masterclass, combining both players to enable Leeds to climb the table and secure their future in the Premier League.

James was hailed by former Manchester United team-mate Andreas Pereira, with the Brazilian midfielder saying: “He is so explosive and so fast. When you think about having to run to the ball, he’s very fast to it.”

Bielsa will be looking to add goals and targeting ways to be more direct in creative play, which he could easily unlock with James’ pace and Raphinha’s clinical finishing – the latter has struck five goals in 10 league appearances so far this term.

Leeds take on a tough challenge against Spurs this weekend, and Bielsa will be hoping that he can rely on his forward line to land a blow on Antonio Conte’s team.

In other news: Phil Hay confirms one Leeds injury blow before Spurs trip