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Newcastle United could make a late offer for Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Berge attracting interest

Berge has been the subject of interest from numerous Premier League clubs, with Newcastle, Arsenal, Liverpool and Fulham all listed as potential suitors, although the latter club were at one stage said to be the most serious.

There have been conflicting reports about the Magpies’ interest in the midfielder, with Keith Downie claiming that they have made a loan-with-obligation offer, while Fabrizio Romano has suggested that it is ‘not advanced’.

The Latest: Gettable for Newcastle

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jones claimed that the Norwegian being linked to so many clubs is an indication that a move to Newcastle could be possible before the deadline.

The journalist said:“The only real area, right now, that I would expect any movement at Newcastle is in central midfield.

“There could still be new options put on the table. Sander Berge, for example, has been touted around everywhere.

“It makes you think he is gettable and it wouldn’t surprise me if a late option like that was to come on the table and they might take it.”

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Hailed as a ‘Rolls-Royce’ by Sheffield United teammate Chris Basham, the 24-year-old has weighed in with a solid return from central midfield in the Championship this season, picking up four goals and three assists in 19 appearances.

The maestro has an international pedigree, making 32 caps for national side Norway, and he excels in a number of different areas, with an average of 0.23 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year ranking him in the 96th percentile compared to other midfielders, while 1.54 dribbles places him in the 96th.

Given that Jonjo Shelvey has arrived at the City Ground to complete a move to Nottingham Forest, Eddie Howe needs another option in the engine room, and Berge has shown that he is ready for the step up to the Premier League.

Fabrizio Romano has insisted that Chelsea tried to sign Sofyan Amrabat on loan in January.

The Lowdown: Todd Boehly not holding back

Chelsea were indeed the most active and lavish spenders during the January transfer window bringing in six players including Enzo Fernandez who cost them a British transfer record fee.

Graham Potter has only been in the job a few months but has seemingly got the trust of Chelsea’s new owners as they wouldn’t have handed him so much money to spend on players if they didn’t see him as the long-term answer to their woes.

The Blues moved in the market for high-profile players such as Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix but that seemingly wasn’t enough as they also wanted Morocco’s World Cup star Amrabat.

The Latest: Amrabat was of interest

As the deadline loomed large on Tuesday evening, Chelsea enquired about a loan bid and even held discussions with Fiorentina over Amrabat as Romano revealed on his YouTube channel.

He said: (3:15) “We know Enzo was the big deal of deadline day but Chelsea also had a discussion with Fiorentina for Sofyan Amrabat. Yes, there was an exchange of information because Chelsea never made an official bid for Amrabat but they were asking Fiorentina for a potential loan deal for Sofyan Amrabat.”

The Verdict: Chelsea not here to mess about

When Todd Boehly took over from Roman Abramovich, many may well have questioned if Chelsea would be the same heavy spending side as they had been under the Russian owner, well those questions have been answered and then some.

Boehly has already splashed out over £500 million on transfers alone since he bought the club last year and with that amount of spending comes pressure on the manager, so Potter will know he can’t have Chelsea languishing in mid-table for much longer.

Despite having a squad littered with international calibre players, Chelsea have left themselves an uphill battle to finish in the top four as they’re chasing both Manchester United and Newcastle United who are 10 points ahead of them with just 18 games left to play in the league and if they don’t finish in the top four, some may ask if Amrabat was the missing piece Potter needed.

Glasgow Rangers starlet Robbie Ure reportedly wants to quit Ibrox after being offered a new deal on less money.

The Lowdown: Ure’s contract expiring

Ure’s contract expires in the summer, meaning that he can leave Rangers as a free agent.

The 18-year-old has made two senior appearances for the Light Blues, scoring once, and has been very impressive at youth level this season, netting 19 times and supplying a further eight assists so far (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Ure wants to quit Rangers

As per Football Insider, Ure wants to quit the Premiership club after they offered him a new contract, but on less money. He rejected their first contract offer in January and now has his sights set on a move in summer.

Clubs did not want to match his asking price last month, so Ure could instead leave on a free transfer come the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Verdict: Big blow for Rangers

It would be a big blow for the Gers to lose Ure on a free transfer this summer.

Hailed by journalist Josh Bunting as a player with ‘quality’, he has also shown his pedigree at international level, scoring twice in five matches for Scotland’s under-19s.

With Alfredo Morelos’ contract expiring in the summer as well, the teeange striker could have a clearer path into the first team in 2023/24, but now it looks like the Light Blues will have to prepare without him.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte is expected to return to London ahead of their upcoming fixture in the Premier League against Leicester City.

What’s the latest?

The Italian was not on the sidelines during the impressive win on the weekend against Manchester City as he remained at his Italian home recovering from his recent illness.

Indeed, the 53-year-old was advised to take it easy and stay at home for the game on Sunday after undergoing surgery which saw his gallbladder removed last week.

But speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Alasdair Gold has admitted it was a close call as to whether Conte would have been able to return for the game on Sunday.

And with this in mind, Gold believes the Italian will return at some stage this week for the game on Saturday against the Foxes but he may choose to avoid the pre-game press conference at Hotspur Way:

(24:00) “We don’t know when he’ll return from Italy now. You’d think he’ll be back for the Leicester game. You would think that [given] it was a close enough call, I think for yesterday’s [Sunday’s] game, I think it was on a Saturday night quite late, the decision was made that he wasn’t going to come.

“So you’d think that that would put in place for him to be back for the Leicester game. I don’t know whether we’ll get him for the press conference on Thursday.”

Set to return

It has certainly been a difficult season for the Italian off the field having lost a number of close friends – including Tottenham’s Gian Piero Ventrone.

And now he has been hit by illness himself which has seen him forced out of action at Hotspur Way and resting back in his home in Italy.

However, the Lilywhites more than faired without the 53-year-old on the sideline over the weekend after Cristian Stellini guided them to an impressive victory over Manchester City.

But his absence may have been a big factor in the decision not to give the club’s deadline day signing, Pedro Porro, his debut against his former side.

Since making the move to north London, the Spanish right wing-back has not taken part in a training session led by Conte after his illness was announced the day after Porro signed.

So it may have been decided the safer option was to play Emerson Royal until Conte can have his first look at Porro with plenty of games coming up in the next few weeks for Spurs.

Although Stellini and the other coaching staff have clearly done an excellent job leading up to the game against City, it will likely be a huge boost to have Conte back at Hotspur Way.

The victory on the weekend has narrowed the gap to the top four and they have a massive Champions League trip to face AC Milan to consider next week so his experience could prove vital over the coming days.

ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United defender Nayef Aguerd after he was withdrawn in the draw against Chelsea.

What happened to Aguerd?

The Morocco international was withdrawn late on in West Ham’s tie with Chelsea with a suspected groin injury, and it remains to be seen how severe the injury could be.

With Kurt Zouma also injured, losing Aguerd again would be a huge blow to David Moyes, as he aims to fight off the threat of relegation.

Speaking on The West Ham Way Podcast, ExWHUemployee outlined the next steps for the club as they nervously wait on further news about their defender.

“Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd, who has only just returned from injury, was replaced on the 80th minute by Ben Johnson after he went down holding his groin,” he stated.

“The likely course of action is to have a scan back at the club on Monday when training resumes to determine the extent of the injuries.”

Crucial performer

Aguerd missed most of the first half of the season with injury since joining the club in the summer, but was outstanding for Morocco in the World Cup and has performed well for his club side since.

He recently earned praise from Martin Keown, who described the 26-year-old as a “revelation,” and he has been a crucial figure at the back as West Ham remained unbeaten in their last three games.

If he and Zouma are both injured going forward, then Moyes will have a tough time on his hands with both first-choice centre-backs absent during a relegation battle.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante is in advanced talks over a new contract to extend his stay at the club.

What’s going on with Kante at Chelsea?

The midfielder has been absent for most of the season with injury while his team has suffered a poor run of form, putting manager Graham Potter under increased pressure.

Enzo Fernandez arrived for a British-record fee in the January transfer window, but the departure of fellow midfielder Jorginho means that there should be room for Kante in the side when he makes his return.

The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season, but it now seems that he could sign fresh terms to remain at the club beyond the summer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that he is in advanced talks with the club, and it seems much more likely he will stay than in previous months.

He said: “What we can say is that the negotiations between N’Golo Kante and Chelsea over a new contract are progressing very well. It is not a done deal yet, but the negotiations are very advanced.

“So we can say that Chelsea and N’Golo Kante are closer now. In November, December, the new deal was really unlikely because the first meetings were not that positive between Kante and Chelsea.

“Then the player had a crucial role in the negotiation, because he loves London, he loves the club, he loves Chelsea, and so he really wants to continue there. N’Golo Kante’s giving top priority to Chelsea, so now it is about the length of the contract they are discussing, and then this is going to be a crucial point to understand the future of N’Golo Kante.

“If in November or December, it was maybe 30-40% for N’Golo Kante to stay. Now we are close to 60-70% for Kante to continue at Chelsea, but let’s see how the negotiation will continue to the final stages, and it’s really important for Kante to return as soon as possible.”

Will Kante be the same player as before?

At 31, Kante’s best years may be beyond him, and his lengthy injury spells may mean that he struggles upon his return to the side.

However, given Chelsea’s high turnover of players in the last two transfer windows, an experienced player like Kante, who has won nearly every trophy on offer in his time at Stamford Bridge, could be useful to help younger players such as Fernandez settle at the club.

Even if he has to settle for a rotational role, Kante may still have a big part to play at Chelsea, and given his admiration for the club and his popularity amongst the players, a contract extension could be a good move for all parties as the club await his return to action.

Therefore, this seems like a positive breakthrough for all concerned.

Gabby Agbonlahor says that Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio would be a ‘perfect’ signing for Arsenal this summer.

The Lowdown: Arsenal ‘in contact’ over Asensio

It was reported earlier this week that the Premier League leaders have been ‘in contact’ over potentially signing the 27-year-old as a free agent this summer, as his contract at the Bernabeu expires at the end of the season.

However, both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are also thought to be interested in his signature, should he not sign a contract extension in Madrid.

The Latest: Asensio move talked up

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor thinks that Asensio would be a ‘perfect’ signing at the Emirates Stadium.

The talkSPORT pundit said of Arsenal’s links with the Spaniard: “It’s exactly the sort of signing they need. Asensio isn’t playing as much as he’d like right now.

“But he’s done so many good things for a long time at Real Madrid. He gets into tight spaces, he’s a flair player.

“They are the characteristics that Arsenal will be searching for this summer. And you look at their bench sometimes and just feel like they could do with a few extra top-quality signings.

“For me, he’s perfect. If Arsenal want to stay in that title fight every year, they’ve got to add to this squad.”

The Verdict: Get it done

If a player of Asensio’s quality is available on a free transfer, Arsenal simply need to pounce on it.

Lauded as a ‘spectacular’ player by his former agent Horacio Gaggioli, the Spaniard has had such a decorated career at the age of just 27, winning no fewer than three Champions League titles with Real Madrid, along with a host of other major accolades.

He has not been a regular starter this season but has still managed to score six goals and supply a further five assists in 31 appearances, and he played in the Madrid derby against Atletico in La Liga on Saturday, which ended 1-1 (Transfermarkt).

Asensio would offer serious competition to Bukayo Saka on the right wing at the Emirates and could even help the 21-year-old’s development with his experience of operating at an elite level in Madrid.

Leeds United are a side struggling, desperately hoping that they can steer themselves away from yet another narrow escape from the drop.

The squad has seen something of an overhaul in the last year or so, with Jesse Marsch having been overwhelmingly backed following their survival last season.

He was allowed to bring in a host of new faces to Elland Road, yet was dismissed just last month only for Javi Gracia to replace him. The Spaniard now must rally his troops, none of which were brought in on his request, and help return the Whites to previous winning ways. 

It was under Marcelo Bielsa that they last tasted consistent success, as their return campaign in the Premier League merited widespread praise with a squad that was not laden with quality but certainly fought for the badge.

This side was underpinned by the impressive qualities of Stuart Dallas, with his leadership and steely resolve proving instrumental. It is something which they have lacked in his absence but could gain with the promotion of young midfielder Charlie Allen.

Who is Charlie Allen?

The 19-year-old bears plenty of similarities with the northern Irishman, most notably his ability to feature in numerous positions. Across his 267 appearances for the club (and counting, hopefully), the 31-year-old has been known to feature at both full-back positions, on the wing and central midfield. 

With the latter being his favoured role, where his tireless nature is highlighted, Allen could be ready to soon step in as his potential predecessor is yet to recover from his broken leg.

Sharing the same nationality as Dallas, the teenage sensation has starred for the U21s this season in the engine room, boasting two goals and two assists in just 14 league appearances.

Across these games, Transfermarkt suggests that he too has featured on both flanks, in a defensive and offensive central midfield role and even as a right winger.

He even drew praise from Jim Magilton, his international elite performance director, who claimed:

“Charlie is one of those kids you can play anywhere and he’ll probably still be the best player on the pitch. He can play right back, central midfield, on either wing, at no. 10 or at centre forward.”

If this doesn’t liken him to Dallas, then the suggestion made by journalist Patrick Van Dort that he is “a dream to coach” only serves to exacerbate this link.

The ageing talisman’s former boss Stephen Baxter even issued a similar quote about the versatile stalwart, claiming that “he’s every manager’s dream.”

A utility man with an eye for goal, the future is remarkably bright for Allen, who will likely seek to emulate his compatriot in how he has endeared himself to the Leeds fans.

A number of Leeds United supporters have expressed their frustration with Brenden Aaronson and Georginio Rutter’s performances against Chelsea.

The Lowdown: Leeds lose at Chelsea

The Whites faced a tough Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon, visiting a Chelsea side that may be in poor form but have some hugely talented players.

Javi Gracia’s side battled for long periods at Stamford Bridge, but ultimately, they returned north having lost 1-0, courtesy of Wesley Fofana’s solitary goal.

Once the weekend action had come to a close, Leeds founds themselves sitting 17th in the table and only clear of the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference.

The Latest: Fans criticise Whites duo

Aaronson and Rutter both disappointed on the day, having no shots on target between them and also losing possession 32 times combined, according to Sofascore.

These Leeds fans took to Twitter to reveal their frustration at the duo’s efforts in west London:

“Was a lot better after they came on. Rutter and Aaronson were poor.” – @bigmack1“How poor are Harrison Aaronson and Rutter today” – @John14Malone“I thought that was a dreadful performances against a bang average Chelsea team. McKennie, Aaronson, Harrison, Summerville and Rutter all terrible. Utterly lacking in quality” – @CraigWalker1983“How Aaronson and Rutter get in this team is a joke. Both offer nothing.” – @fletcheyben“Rutter has 12 goals in 75 games Aaronson 22 in 175 See the issue?” – @AmusingName0“McKennie, Greenwood, Aaronson, Summerville, Rutter all atrocious” – @simonw1991 The Verdict: Much more needed

A massive few months now lie ahead for the Whites and they need as many players as possible performing at their highest level, which wasn’t the case at Chelsea.

Aaronson made a lively start to life at Elland Road, looking like an exciting signing, but his form has clearly tailed off, with only one league goal to his name in 24 appearances this season.

Meanwhile, it is still early days with Rutter, but he is still awaiting his first goal contribution of any kind after eight outings, which isn’t the most promising of starts.

The pair simply must find an extra gear and provide more firepower in the remaining months of the season – the return of ten-goal leading scorer Rodrigo is vital, too – or Leeds could find themselves in big trouble.

Newcastle United have reportedly made an inquiry over the possibility of signing Robin Koch from Leeds United this summer.

The Lowdown: Standout performer

In what has proven to be a difficult season for Leeds so far, with the sacking of Jesse Marsch coupled up with them being just outside of the relegation zone in the Premier League, Koch has been one of their standout performers.

No other player in the Leeds side is averaging more clearances per game in the division than he is, while he also ranks highly among his team-mates for a number of other metrics (WhoScored).

The Latest: Newcastle inquiry

As per German news outlet Sport1, Newcastle ‘above all’ are ‘interested’ in signing Koch this summer, but he has also received ‘inquiries’ from the Bundesliga.

His contract at Elland Road is up in 2024, putting Leeds under pressure to cash in at the risk of him leaving as a free agent at the end of next season.

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The Verdict: Shrewd addition

Koch would certainly be a shrewd addition at St. James’ Park, given that he already boasts plenty of Premier League experience.

The six-foot-three colossus is also capable of playing in a number of defensive and even midfield positions, and so his extra versatility would be very useful in the squad.

At 26 years of age, the Magpies would be signing a player about to enter his prime, and so this seems like a smart deal to do if Eddie Howe really fancies the player.