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Mark Douglas has revealed what changes Eddie Howe has made on the training ground at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Brutal regime

As per Craig Hope, the 43-year-old sent a lot of brutal messages to his players in first training session since taking over from the departed Steve Bruce.

Some of the messages included: ‘we train as we play’, ‘match sharp’, ‘no jogging’ and ‘if you think you’re maxed out, you’re not’, before then watching the under-11 side train.

It is clear that he is putting a stamp on his authority at St James’ Park straight away as he aims to help the Magpies fight off relegation from the Premier League.

The Latest: Changes

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Douglas has revealed that sources from the training ground have said that Howe has had a ‘transformational’ impact in the international week, with the intensity and overall mood having ‘lifted’ in the space of just a few days.

The former Bournemouth boss has been getting to know his players and staff, and one of his beliefs is that everyone at the training ground should be ‘adding value’, as he has also been talking to staff about their roles and how it fits into football operations.

The Verdict: Promising

Given the situation in which Bruce left Newcastle, 19th in the Premier League with just five points and no wins after their first 11 games (Premier League), it is promising to see Howe stamp his authority so early on in his tenure.

First and foremost, the aim for the 43-year-old will be to make sure that his team stays up before he can really sink his teeth into the long-term project. If he succeeds, there is no reason not to give him a chance of improving his squad with a big transfer budget, and then he can implement his methods on better quality players.

Judging by Douglas’ insight, Howe certainly seems like a coach who the current crop of players do not want to cross.

In other news: One former EPL goalkeeper had his say on some potentially ‘big’ transfer news for NUFC

Tottenham are reportedly ‘interested’ in signing Wolves winger Adama Traore this summer, with the Spaniard not expected to stay on at Barcelona.

The Lowdown: Traore out of favour at Barcelona

The 25-year-old joined the La Liga giants on loan in the January transfer window, having slowly fallen out of favour under Bruno Lage at Molineux despite being hailed as ‘devastating’ by Andy Townsend earlier this year.

After a bright start for the Blaugrana, which saw Traore provide an assist in each of his first two appearances, playing time has become increasingly hard to come by for the Spain international.

For that reason, he is unlikely to be kept on at Camp Nou, instead returning to England at the end of the season.

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The Latest: Spurs keen on summer move for Traore

According to Sport [via Sport Witness], Spurs are ‘interested’ in signing Traore from Wolves this summer and have been ‘behind him for some time’, having been linked with a move for the winger in January.

The north London club are ‘waiting’ to see how his situation at Barcelona develops before making any move for him.

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The Verdict: Chance to receive big money

It seems unlikely that Lage will want to persist with Traore next season, especially with him not making tracks on loan at Barcelona, so receiving a hefty fee for his services makes complete sense for Wolves, generating funds for new signings.

His current Molineux deal expires in the summer of 2023, so selling the £25.2m-rated winger this year would seem a no-brainer, rather than losing an unwanted player on a free transfer 12 months down the line.

Spurs could be ideal for all parties, with Traore potentially relieving the attacking burden on Son Heung-min and Harry Kane in N17, while Wolves would be free of his £46,000-a-week wages.

In other news, a journalist has hinted at one Wolves player leaving this future. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa could complete their perfect January transfer window with the signing of Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have claimed that the West Midlands club are very much interested in the Seagulls ace, and that a deal could well be done if the Premier League side table a sizeable bid.

The perfect January transfer window

With the signings of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne, it’s safe to say Villa have enjoyed a quite superb start to the window thus far.

But, clinching the signature of Bissouma would certainly be the icing on the cake.

And, it’s a move that has previously been backed by former Villa man Lee Hendrie, who said: “I did a chat with myself and Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday a few weeks ago talking about Bissouma, and we highlighted what he actually does. I mean, his stats are absolutely phenomenal, the way he breaks the game up, his forward play.

“He’s got a good football brain. Like I said, when you’ve got someone who breaks the game up so well and can go join in and play, I’m inviting players like that to the football club.”

Meanwhile, his former teammate at Brighton, Dale Stephens, said: “He’s got the ability of perhaps a winger playing in central midfield with the way he can go past players. His feet are incredible and I’m sure he’s going to get better and better. He’s got everything you need to be a top player.”

As per Whoscored, the Mali international averages a whopping 3.6 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, while he also makes 1.9 interceptions too – compare that to those in the Villa squad, and he’s simply far better, with absolutely no-one matching him in either category.

In fact, he’s among the top-flight’s best, with only Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi able to match his tackles per match, while he ranks inside the top ten for interceptions.

The arrival of the £22.5m-rated star would seal a perfect January transfer window for Gerrard’s side at Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Villa could sign a new Jack Grealish in this star…

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming over some news on their game away to Manchester United in the Premier League on Monday evening.

As confirmed by the official website of the top flight, Mike Dean will now referee the match at Old Trafford, with Andre Marriner on VAR duty.

Incidentally, the 53-year-old has given far more penalty kicks to the Red Devils (21) than any other team over the course of his career, while he also gave them a controversial goal at Molineux earlier on this season to give them a 1-0 win, and that has not been the first time his decisions against the Midlands club have been questioned.

Nonetheless, it is not a surprise at all to see so many WWFC supporters raging over the decision to appoint him for their upcoming fixture.

Wolves fans on Dean appointment

These Wanderers fumed as the news of Dean’s appointment was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was a ‘joke’:

“Here we go again”

Credit: @moor_george

“You are kidding???”

Credit: @AlisonW91221347

“Hope it gets called off..”

Credit: @LondonishWolves

“May as well give them the points now”

Credit: @TheDowg

“God help us.”

Credit: @JohnGill27

“This has to be some joke!!!”

Credit: @ezzalodge

In other news, find out which ‘standout’ Wanderer has now been backed to join a Premier League club here!

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has avoided serious injury…

What’s the latest?

In an update relayed by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, it appears as if the central midfielder is in line to be available for the Yorkshiremen’s clash with Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

“Good news from Forshaw on the hamstring front. Looks to have avoided a bad one,” the reliable journalist said on Twitter.

The 30-year-old star was withdrawn after just 22 minutes during Sunday’s impressive 3-2 victory over West Ham United, dealing manager Marcelo Bielsa his umpteenth injury blow of the season.

However, that does not appear to be the case, so the Argentine has just been handed a major boost heading into the weekend.

Significant boost for Bielsa

Indeed, Leeds have suffered from more than their fair share of injury problems throughout the 2021/22 season.

As many as 11 players were missing for their clash against Arsenal last month and their bench down at the London Stadium contained just one senior pro in Rodrigo, who was making his own return from injury.

The rest were some of the club’s most promising academy talent, including 15-year-old midfielder Archie Gray.

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Bielsa has already been missing Kalvin Phillips at the base of his engine room – a position that Forshaw has stepped up to deputise in with aplomb, and so much so that he’s been rewarded with a new one-year contract extension.

“I am still very much liking the effort levels from Forshaw, the amount of ground he’s able to cover. I don’t think in any way that the system worked for him or for anybody else against City or against Arsenal, but again, it’s pleasing to see that his body is holding up to this,” Hay claimed of Forshaw to his podcast last month.

In Phillips’ absence, the 5 foot 9 dynamo has excelled, averaging 2.3 tackles and one interception per outing, which is hugely impressive in terms of defensive output but it’s his 2.3 long balls per game, via WhoScored, that suggests he’s slotted in seamlessly.

As such, it will come as a significant boost to Bielsa that his injury isn’t as bad as first feared. If he’s available to face the Magpies, then the 66-year-old will surely be buzzing ahead of kickoff when the time comes to name his starting XI.

Forshaw is a crucial player to Leeds, more so now than ever.

AND in other news, Deal agreed: Leeds eye bargain swoop for £4.5m-rated “pitbull”…

New Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has been settling into life at Old Trafford and will have been spending his time trying to find solutions to the problems which have been ongoing at the club over the last few years.

United currently sit sixth in the league, with only two wins from their last five in the division, a rate which will need to be improved upon if they want to be in contention for a Champions League spot at the end of the season.

Rangnick has already displayed heavy rotation during his two games in charge so far, which will give the German a fair idea of which areas need work and where he can add quality in the upcoming transfer window.

One area of the United team which has been constantly criticised and heavily reported upon is the midfield.

The lack of a trustworthy defensive midfielder has been a constant theme in this Red Devils side, but it’s a problem to which Rangnick may already have the solution with a player he has coached in the past.

Tyler Adams, who currently plays for RB Leipzig, has been speculated to be in for a move to Old Trafford in January to help the 63-year-old establish a good start in his interim reign as Manchester United manager.

Rangnick, who worked with Adams at Leipzig when he was doubling up duties as first team coach and sporting director, called the 22-year-old “unbelievable” and compared him to Joshua Kimmich.

“Like Joshua, Tyler has an unbelievable will to win. He wants to win every match and every training game. He wants to improve and listens. He’s never satisfied. The sky is the limit,” the United boss told Bundesliga.com.

The Red Devils’ hunt for a new defensive midfielder has been long-awaited and it was thought that this would’ve happened in the summer under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer. For whatever reason, the position was not strengthened, but now Rangnick could bring in the perfect man for the job with the £18m-rated American gem.

It may just be the missing piece which could take Manchester United back to where they belong, inside the top four, especially when combining Adams experience in defensive midfield with Bruno Fernandes’ creative flair. Together they could be quite the force and build a working partnership which glues together the defence and the forward line perfectly.

Out of holding midfielder, which means he could offer United a lot of experience in the role. Also, after working with Rangnick, he should not struggle to understand the German’s vision and ways of working, comfortably integrating into the team.

Rangnick should work fast to secure the signing of the 20-year-old, ensuring that the Red Devils can go into the second half of the season full of confidence, with strong options in every position.

In other news: This Man Utd player has been linked with a move to Spain

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has reacted to a claim made by Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou regarding loan stars Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota. 

The lowdown: What’s been said…

The Hoops boss recently suggested that neither the 24-year-old defender on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, nor the 23-year-old attacker spending the season in Glasgow from Benfica, were concerned over their futures.

Both players are set to head back to their parent clubs at the end of the current campaign unless Celtic trigger the options to make their deals permanent.

Despite Postecoglou playing down the urgent need to address the situation, Hutton has suggested that the club need to act swiftly…

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The latest: Resolution required

Speaking to Football Insider, the 37-year-old claimed that both Jota and Carter-Vickers would be considering what happens next in private.

Hutton stated: “You have to say the right things when you’re talking to the press and that sort of thing.

“Carter-Vickers and Jota will be saying the same things: ‘I love being here. I’ve loved my time here. I’m just concentrating on the next game.’

“That’s all footballers are programmed to say, the same stuff in interviews. That’s how it goes, but they’ll want their futures tied up as soon as possible. Whether it be Celtic or whether it be somebody else, somewhere else.

“They’ve had amazing seasons. Carter-Vickers has come up and made such a big difference, as has Jota. There’ll be other suitors watching from afar, I would have thought.

“But they’ll want a future sorted as soon as possible. Whether that be towards the end of the season, we’ll find out. Any player wants that security of having a contract.”

The verdict: Get it done

Whilst all parties would appear to be relaxed about the situation, there is nothing quite like having that assurance of a done deal.

That’s especially the case in this instance, as interest in Carter-Vickers from the Premier League has recently surfaced.

At a reported £6m fee for both Jota and the eight-cap USA international, Celtic should be desperate to secure the duo as permanent Hoops players beyond this season, particularly in light of a financial windfall following potential automatic qualification for the Champions League group stage.

Therefore, Hutton is right to call for urgency on Celtic’s part to get this particular matter resolved.

In other news, financial expert discusses Celtic plan. Find out who it is here.

Taking to Twitter, Italian reporter Niccolo Ceccarini has leaked a possible transfer boost for Tottenham Hotspur as he drops a big update regarding Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Conte eyeing move…

Over the last fortnight, links have emerged to the Sweden international amid his continued lack of chances under new boss Massimiliano Allegri in Turin.

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The 21-year-old has only started a handful of Serie A matches this season with the majority of his minutes coming off the bench, and this has lead to unrest over his future.

Tuttosport believe (via Sport Witness) that Tottenham are ‘in first place’ for his signing with serious competition expected, but Fabio Paratici and co will need to significantly invest given that Juventus value Kulusevski at around €40m (£33.9m).

The Latest: Spurs gifted Kulusevski transfer boost…

In an update, reporter Ceccarini has made a big claim on Twitter in what comes as a possible boost for Tottenham.

He said that Juventus are now ‘ready to sell’ the player ‘as early as January’, mainly to bolster their own transfer kitty as they prepare a swoop for Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

The Verdict: Priority target?

While Kulusevski isn’t a priority target for Spurs, he should at the very least come as an outside contender for Paratici and Conte’s shopping list ahead of Janaury, especially considering that they both apparently believe he’s a ‘gem’.

The attacker himself also allegedly wants a ‘change of scenery’, potentially handing Spurs another boost in their pursuit of the player.

Lauded as ‘explosive’ by former Sweden striker Marcus Allback and hailed as a ‘great talent’ by none other than former Juventus team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, the 21-year-old certainly has bags of potential.

The only red herring to this possible move may be his lofty asking price after Tottenham announced an £80.2m pre-tax loss for the most recent financial year.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’…Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with ‘biggest offer’ on the table, find out more here.

Celtic are preparing to open talks with Benfica over a permanent transfer for Jota, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns. 

The lowdown

The Hoops have already sealed three January deals, recruiting Daizen Maeda, Yosuke Ideguchi and Reo Hatate from Japan’s J1 League. According to Burns, it’s full steam ahead as they negotiate the terms of a long-term deal for Spurs loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Like the American defender, Jota completed a season-long loan move to Celtic on the final day of the 2021 summer transfer window. Under their agreement with Benfica, the Hoops have the option to buy the 22-year-old winger for £6.5m.

The latest

According to The Daily Record, Celtic intend to buy Jota and ‘are looking’ to initiate discussions with Benfica about the specifics of the deal.

Burns claimed that talks are likely to centre on the fee, the payment period and the possibility of add-ons. He also noted that Ange Postecoglou would like to complete ‘the bulk’ of his January transfer agenda quickly.

The verdict

This could be huge for Celtic. Jota has been excellent this season, scoring eight goals and providing six assists. Only Kyogo Furuhasi (15) can better his tally of 14 goal involvements, and Jota has played four fewer games (via BBC Sport).

Indeed, European football expert and journalist Alex Barker has gone as far as to describe him as ‘Celtic’s wonder talent’.

What’s more, even if Celtic fans don’t want to think about this right now, he’s a player who could net a huge transfer fee further down the line. For instance, Pedro Almeida reported that they could sell him on for as much as £25.5m.

In a footballing and financial sense, a permanent deal for the 22-year-old makes so much sense and would be foolish to disregard.

In other news, Kieran Devlin has provided an insider update on this Celtic defender

As per Pianeta Genoa, as shared by Sport Witness, West Ham winger Andriy Yarmolenko has been linked with a move to Italian side Genoa, following the appointment of manager Andriy Shevchenko.

THE LOWDOWN: YARMOLENKO STRUGGLING FOR PLAYING TIME

The Ukrainian attacker has made just eight appearances in the Premier League this season, with all of his minutes having come as a substitute.

Yarmolenko, an experienced Ukraine international with 106 caps, has struggled for playing time under manager David Moyes due to a combination of Manuel Lanzini, Jarrod Bowen, Saïd Benrahma and Pablo Fornals all being preferred options on the wing.

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This has severely limited the number of opportunities the 32-year-old has had this campaign, pushing him out of the Hammers’ plans as more and more exit links pop up.

THE LATEST: YARMOLENKO EXIT CLAIM

As per Pianeta Genoa (via Sport Witness), Serie A club Genoa have opened talks regarding the possible transfer of Yarmolenko. The winger’s contract is due to expire in the summer, so this may mean West Ham are forced into selling him in the January transfer window for a small fee.

Pianeta Genoa claim that the talks are progressing well, although it is unclear whether Genoa are in talks with the player’s agents or with West Ham directly.

THE VERDICT: TIME TO LEAVE?

Following the arrival of Shevchenko at Genoa, it is evident from these talks that the manager was impressed with Yarmolenko whilst he was in charge of the Ukrainian national side.

This would indicate a good level of playing time for the West Ham player, who, at 32-years-old, would surely relish the chance of regular first-team minutes as he nears the end of his career.

When on top form, Yarmolenko can put in dazzling performances in the attacking third – just look at the quality he produced at Euro 2020. Fan favourite Declan Rice even labelled the Ukrainian international as ‘special’ (per Hammers. News), and raved about his technical ability.

Yarmolenko could prove to be an asset for Genoa if the Hammers choose to let him go in January, and this feels like a win win for all parties if the Irons can indeed bank a fee and let an unwanted fringe player move on.