According to FCInterNews, Newcastle United are prepared to offer Napoli forward Dries Mertens a lucrative contract with his current deal set to expire at the Serie A giants.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that the Magpies’ prospective new owners would pay the Italian frontman €7m-per-year (£6.14m) across two seasons, but they will have to compete with Napoli offering him an extension as well as Inter Milan’s proposal.

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Premier League rivals Chelsea are also keen on landing the 32-year-old with his contract set to finish at the end of the current campaign.

Newcastle’s offer is believed to eclipse both Italian teams whilst there is no word on what Frank Lampard’s Blues would hand Mertens.

Just the start

If Amanda Staveley’s consortium were able to clinch the veteran forward, then it would be the perfect start to the new Saudi era at St James’ Park.

Despite his age, Mertens has found the net 12 times this campaign and has also provided six assists, meaning he has contributed to 18 goals in just 29 appearances, via Transfermarkt. But this has been the pattern throughout the duration of his Gil Azzurri career – scoring 121 goals as well as racking up 73 assists from 331 matches.

Mike Ashley wasted an abhorrent £40m on the one-goal Joelinton, so swooping for Mertens would certainly ease their attacking problems substantially, going by the above record.

Mertens’ experience in Europe would also help the club transition from midtable straddlers under Steve Bruce into genuine contenders for glory, which will surely be the aim under the lucrative new ownership.

The Belgian is described as a hard-working frontman who possesses good technique and dribbling, so it won’t take long for the Magpies faithful to fall in love with him either.

Mertens should be high on their priorities this summer.

AND in other news, Phillips claims money may tempt unemployed manager to join Newcastle…

ScorecardDarren Stevens took five wickets for 35 runs against his former club as Kent kept their promotion hopes alive with a resounding 147-run victory over Leicestershire. Kent set Leicestershire a target of 283 in 68 overs, but 36-year-old Stevens sent the Foxes tumbling to defeat in a devastating 14-over spell.Mark Davies claimed three wickets and Charlie Shreck two as Kent closed the gap on leaders Derbyshire to stay in contention for promotion with two games to play. Kent, who picked up 21 points from the win, are at home to Derbyshire next week and then away to Glamorgan in the final fixture of the season.There was a bizarre start to the day with the Leicestershire batsmen Matt Boyce and Josh Cobb facing just one ball before skipper Matthew Hoggard declared still 179 runs behind. It was clear an agreement had been reached on a runs chase, and Kent responded by closing their second innings at 103 for 2 off 22 overs – setting Leicestershire a target of 283 in 68 overs.On a pitch still giving some assistance to the bowlers it looked a tough challenge for the hosts, and they could not have made a worse start. Davies had Michael Thornely caught behind in the third over and Shreck removed Will Jones in similar fashion in the next, leaving the hosts at 7 for 2.A grim situation did not improve when Ned Eckersley was brilliantly caught at cover by Matt Coles off Davies with the total 17. But if Leicestershire thought things could not get any worse they were wrong. Stevens was brought into the attack and his naggingly accurate medium-paced seamers ripped through the hosts’ middle order.In a nine-over spell before tea he picked up four wickets for 27 runs. Stevens trapped Cobb lbw with a delivery that nipped back, had Shiv Thakor caught low down at slip, uprooted Wayne White’s off stump and then ended some stubborn resistance from Boyce, who made 23 off 80 balls before being caught at midwicket.Stevens struck again in the first over after tea with Rob Taylor becoming another lbw victim. Jigar Naik provided some late resistance, top scoring with 33 before falling leg before wicket to Davies and Shreck clinched victory by having Alex Wyatt caught at short leg.

James Anderson, the England fast bowler, has asked his team-mates to watch against admiring Sachin Tendulkar too much because that can sometimes “dull the competitive edge”. “There is no question in my mind that he has been one of the best batsmen — if not the best — for 20-odd years,” Anderson wrote in his column in . “But we have to make sure we do not treat him with too much respect in the middle.”Anderson is no rookie when it comes to bowling to Tendulkar. He has squared up against Tendulkar in 19 Test innings and has dismissed him seven times for 207 runs. In his column, he wrote about an Andrew Flintoff anecdote, which according to him sums up the feeling when competing against Tendulkar. “I heard an interesting quote from Freddie Flintoff recently about what it felt like to bowl against Sachin,” he wrote. “He said: ‘I wanted to get him out, for sure. But I wanted to earn his respect as well. I wanted to impress him.’ It almost sounded like Freddie was looking for the Tendulkar seal of approval.”Anderson wrote he had never personally felt that way, but didn’t rule out that possibility for others. “I cannot relate directly to what Freddie said, but I know what he is getting at,” he wrote. “I do know that people have said they love watching him bat, and maybe too much of that kind of admiration could dull your competitive edge.”I’ve never been aware of succumbing to that myself but maybe subconsciously, because you respect him for what he has done in the game — 100 international centuries is some achievement — and the way he has conducted himself, you want to get him to respect you back.”The Sachin factor is quite something to experience. I’ve played in games here in which the Indian supporters seem more interested in his batting than how their team are doing, when Sachin getting out is the signal for a mass exodus.”Anderson won’t mind bowling in front of empty stands if that’s what it takes. “I will be seeking to make myself pretty unpopular with the locals in the weeks ahead,” he wrote. “The bottom line is that we treat everyone with the same respect, whether they’ve played one Test or 100 — and that goes for trying to earn their respect, too.”

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He missed their best chance to score in the Mestalla but tonight Kris Ajer came of age as a

Celtic player.

After 62 minutes he rose perfectly to meet a Ryan Christie free kick from the right but got too much on his header when simply glancing it would have opened the tie right up.

Eight minutes later Kevin Gameiro scored the only goal of the game but when the final whistle blew there wasn’t a failure in the Celtic side.

The travelling support witnessed tame performances away to RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig in the group phase but against overwhelming odds, increased by the 37th minute sending off of Jeremy Toljan, the Bhoys stood up to be counted.

The 6 foot 5 youngster started off on the right of a back three and played the role with great discipline. When Toljan walked he had to go out to right-back and barely gave the Spanish side a look in.

The 20-year-old was disciplined and determined as Valencia tried to flood the flanks to find a way to goal. Ajer was well backed by his defensive team-mates as Celtic stood their ground until they were cut open for Gameiro’s goal.

His header just past the hour mark will obviously be remembered but in one of the toughest venues in the Europa League Brendan Rodgers got a glimpse of a future central defence without Filip Benkovic and Dedryck Boyata.

Here’s what Celtic fans have been saying on Twitter…

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Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to laud Max Meyer, after the midfielder put in a stunning performance against Tottenham Hotspur in their FA Cup fourth round tie on Sunday when the hosts ran out 2-0 winners to advance.

The Germany international, who is still struggling for consistent starts having arrived on a free transfer in the summer, excelled in a central midfield role against Spurs alongside Cheikhou Kouyate and Jeffrey Schlupp, as the south London outfit beat their neighbours from the capital relatively comfortably.

Meyer kept things nice and tidy whilst Kouyate did the dirty work defensively, and Schlupp ventured forward on frequent occasions.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

The 23-year-old has featured all over the place under Roy Hodgson so far this season, having been deployed on the left of midfield, in an attacking midfield role as well as a central midfield role, but if his showing against Mauricio Pochettino’s side is anything to go by, the latter is his best position.

Many Eagles supporters would agree with that statement if their reactions on Twitter are anything to go by…

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Two months ago there was some serious debate about Scott Brown being detrimental to Celtic’s performances. Wiser, older heads suggested keeping those thoughts private.

It is true that Celtic’s best form of the season came in November when the club captain was out injured but those two facts were unrelated.

Ryan Christie’s emergence made the difference to Celtic’s season – on Wednesday night the former Inverness man enjoyed the backing and support of his skipper alongside the brilliance of Callum McGregor.

Fortunately Brown wasn’t cast aside. Brendan Rodgers could have chosen that option in 2016 but felt that the washed out midfielder of the Ronny Deila days still had something to offer. Seven trophies suggest that the Irishman called that one correctly.

Against Hibs in midweek, Brown was in his element. Dominating and bullying opponents, many of them 10 years his junior and unable to get close to Celtic’s captain.

Ryan Gauld has been hailed as the bright young thing of Scottish football, but up against Brown he barely got a sniff of the ball with the Celtic midfielder hoovering up everything in the middle of the park.

There were a few second half wobbles in the Celtic performance but Brown quickly put things right, reassuring team-mates and exposing opponents. His presence brings out the best in others with McGregor and Christie highly influential as three more points were secured in the title countdown.

Last season, without Brown, Celtic were a shadow of their real self. This term other players have stepped up to show that the Hoops are equally as effective without their captain.

With a two-year contract secured Brown could afford to relax and coast it but that approach isn’t in his DNA.

If Celtic go on to win the title there won’t be many players to have contributed more than the 33-year-old – just ask Gauld and his Hibs team-mates.

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According to renowned journalist Alan Nixon on his official Twitter account, reported Southampton target Che Adams is available before the deadline, as long as a club is willing to pay £12m for his services.

What’s the word, then?

Well, a report in The Mirror at the weekend said that Saints are keen to bring the Birmingham City attacker to St Mary’s before the transfer window slams shut on Thursday night, and have already tabled an £8m bid for the 22-year-old.

However, The Mirror also reported that the Blues had rebuffed the approach, but were expecting the Premier League club to try again for the impressive attacker, who has scored 15 league goals for the Championship outfit this season, as per Transfermarkt.

The latest of those came in the 3-3 draw with Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday night, when he cut in from the left on his right foot before bending an effort into the far corner of the goal from outside the box.

Will Saints pay £12m?

It seems a lot depends on whether they can sell Charlie Austin, whom they are said to be demanding £10m for, also according to Nixon on Twitter, before the deadline.

For the second game running the former QPR striker missed out on the 18-man squad when Saints hosted Crystal Palace at St Mary’s on Wednesday night, and it appears as though his future lies away from the south coast outfit if a deal is right for all parties.

They may well be trying to raise the funds to buy Adams by offloading the 29-year-old, but there has been no progress on that to date with just hours of the window remaining.

Given the pace and strength the Birmingham man has in his locker – as well as the fact he can play out wide or through the middle – he appears to be a perfect fit to succeed under Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

هنأ مختار مختار المدير الفني لنادي الإنتاج الحربي منافسه الأهلي اليوم على تتويجه بلقب بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز خلال الموسم الحالي.

واستطاع الأهلي أن يحسم لقب الدوري للمرة 42 في تاريخه منذ انطلاق المسابقة في عام 1948.

وقال مختار مختار خلال لقاء معه عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس 2”: “الأهلي يستحق لقب الدوري، هو وضع نفسه في مكانة وباقي الأندية في مكانة أخرى، هذا واضح بالنسبة لفارق النقاط، أبارك له على التتويج بالبطولة”.

وأضاف: “البطولة أنتهت، والدوري بطولة عادية للأهلي فهو فاز باللقب 42 مرة، ولكن دوري أبطال إفريقيا لم نحققه منذ فترة طويلة وهذه هي البطولة الأهم، والطبيعي أن الأهلي لا يغيب عن التتويج بالبطولة الإفريقية بهذا الشكل”.

وبسؤاله عن أهم لاعبي الأهلي في الموسم الحالي أجاب: “محمد الشناوي هذا الموسم يؤدي أداء جيدا جدًا وهائلًا”.

وتحدث مدرب الإنتاج عن فوز فريقه على الجونة بنتيجة 2-1 في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات الجولة 28 من الدوري.

وقال مختار في هذا السياق: “المباراة كانت صعبة جدًا علينا، ولاعبو الإنتاج الحربي مشدودون لأبعد الحدود وأعذرهم بسبب الموقف العصيب الذي وضعنا أنفسنا فيه”.

وتابع: “مباراة اليوم أمام الجونة رغم أننا فائزين والفريق المنافس مطرود منهم لاعبًا ولكن أعذر اللاعبين بعض الشىء لأن كثيرًا منهم ينقصه الخبرات والموقف صعب عليهم، والثلاث نقاط ستفرق معنا جدًا”.

وعن إنذاره من الحم محمود بسيوني في المباراة اختتم مدرب الإنتاج تصريحاته: “أنا المخطيء مهما كنت معترضًا على الحكم ومتحفظًا على قراره، لكن لا يصح أن أنفعل بهذا الشكل الكبير، وبالتأكيد هو لديه حق في أن يعطينا إنذار”.

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Rafa Benitez’s ultimatum paid dividends in January as Mike Ashley financed moves for Antonio Barreca and Miguel Almiron, with the latter arriving for a club record fee, and both have looked promising so far.

The former provides some much needed defensive depth that will allow Benitez to continue fielding the 5-4-1 formation that has proved effective in recent weeks and was the key to the Magpies’ shock win over Manchester City last month.

As Christian Atsu has admitted during the squad’s warm weather Spain training camp this week, the new arrivals bring pace and creativity to the Newcastle ranks, both of which are commodities essential to their success.

Despite Almiron being the more high-profile of the two acquisitions, Barreca may prove more important over the remainder of the season as his arrival allows another player, who had been deputising on the left of defence, to move further afield.

Matt Ritchie’s passion and work-rate has made him a firm fan favourite at St James’ Park this season and his diligence playing in an unfamiliar role should be commended.

Now likely to return to his favoured midfield role, the former Bournemouth man can influence the attack far more frequently and make more effective use of his penchant to get balls in the box.

Salomon Rondon thrives in a physical battle and relishes opportunities to bully his marker, get his head on the ball and efforts on target – the Venezuelan is the Magpies’ biggest goalscoring threat by far and whatever they can do to get the best out of him, they should.

Ritchie has shown the most intent of any Newcastle player to make things happen and his crossing attempt numbers are up there with the highest in the league – the 29-year-old has swung 169 balls into the box this season.

Unfortunately, they were unable to deal with such a situation themselves as Wolves’ Willy Boly capitalised on a Martin Dubravka error to head his side level in the dying minutes of last week’s clash, breaking Magpies hearts and causing Ritchie to slump to his knees.

This far from rare exhibition of passion is just one reason why the Toon Army love him, but can the number 11 further his career on Tyneside? He clearly has what it takes to steal the captaincy from Jamaal Lascelles next season, particularly while the Newcastle captain continues to deliver bull-in-a-china-shop performances.

If not for Benitez’s 5-4-1, the 25-year-old would surely not even be close to a part of the first team picture – Federico Fernandez, Fabian Schar and Florian Lejeune have all been far more consistent than the Englishman this season.

Ritchie has chalked up four league assists this season – a number that will surely only improve as he is ushered back into his comfort zone – and, particularly if Newcastle avoid the drop, he will be up there in the voting for their player of the season.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Speaking to The Chronicle, the wide-man said: “We approach every game with the mentality we can get three points. If we don’t get three we want one.”

It is vital that each and every Magpies player adopts this mentality if they are to secure Premier League football for another season, although it’s clear that Ritchie knows exactly what is required of him going forward. Captain material? He’s certainly making a strong case for it.

Arsenal will have their sights set on securing a top four spot in the current campaign, but they’ll need to finish the season strongly if they are to do so as Chelsea and Man United are also in the race.

The one thing that supporters will want to see next season is Champions League football, after failing to hit the heights that many thought they would in recent years.

However, it appears as if Unai Emery looking to strengthen, as according to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), the Gunners could make another offer for Cengiz Under after having a €30m (£26m) offer turned down last summer, with Spurs and Arsenal possibly battling for his signature.

Indeed, getting the better of Spurs in the race for the winger would be great for supporters, but it may not be so exciting for a number of players already at the club.

Therefore, here are the potential consequences of Arsenal signing Cengiz Under in the summer…

UNAI EMERY SECURES FUTURE STAR

Cengiz Under is arguably one of the most promising attackers in Europe at this moment in time as he continues to impress over in Italy, with six goals and nine assists to his name.

He has already established himself as one of the standout performers at current club AS Roma, and he still has plenty of potential waiting to be unlocked with his whole career ahead of him at the age of 21.

Therefore, Emery can secure Arsenal a future star if he manages to sign Under as he has all the ingredients to become one of the world’s best attackers, as well as the pace and skill to excite supporters.

HENRIKH MKHITARYAN UNHAPPY

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has struggled to secure a regular starting place under Emery as the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alex Iwobi and Alexandre Lacazette have been preferred.

Indeed, the Armenian international has operated on the right-side of the Gunners’ attack at times, which is the position that Under takes up at Roma, so it’s safe to say that Mkhitaryan would be slightly unhappy with his potential arrival as it could push him further down the pecking order.