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Eddie Howe is reportedly lining up Tyrese Campbell as his first signing for Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Up and running again

After a serious knee injury which kept him out at the start of the season, the 21-year-old is now up and running again for Stoke City, with his latest goal in their 2-0 win at QPR in midweek adding to his other strike against Peterborough United last month (Transfermarkt).

After his cameo against the Posh, his manager Michael O’Neill praised the youngster’s ‘brilliant’ work in the build-up and claimed that it was the first time that the Potters saw the ‘Tyrese of old’ (VAVEL).

Indeed, O’Neill cited how Campbell was ‘flying, scoring and assisting goals and terrorising defences’ last season before his injury, as he netted seven goals and provided a further eight assists in 19 games across all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, it looks as if the Stoke centre-forward is now a player in demand as the January transfer window draws nearer.

The Latest: Campbell lined up

As per The Sun, Howe is now lining up Campbell to be his and Newcastle’s first signing of the new Saudi era.

The former Burnley and Bournemouth manager is ‘ready’ to offer a fee of £20m to secure his signature in January, and has tracked him ever since his time with the Cherries.

Campbell, who is the son of former Everton and Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell, caught the eye of Howe because of his ‘pace and eye for goal’, and it looks as if the 44-year-old can finally get his man if the price is right.

The Verdict: Worth the risk?

Of course, with very little lengthy injury, it would certainly be a risk bringing Campbell to St. James’ Park. However, he has already shown that he can frighten defenders, and at just 21 years of age, he should only get better.

Given Howe’s long-term admiration for him, the Newcastle boss would also enjoy working with the striker and trying to get the best out of him, and Campbell have the added benefit of learning from Callum Wilson, the Magpies’ top scorer so far this season with six goals.

Nonetheless, given that they are in a relegation battle, they need to take risks, and Campbell is a calculated one which could well pay off.

In other news, NUFC have been dealt a ‘massive blow’ off the pitch

Injury expert Ben Dinnery believes Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi could be out for four weeks with his current muscle problem, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Ange’s comments

Furuhashi injured his hamstring in the final game before the winter break against St Johnstone and missed Celtic’s first game back against Hibernian on Monday evening due to injury alongside Albian Ajeti, Christopher Jullien, Karamoko Dembele and David Turnbull.

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The 26-year-old, who has contributed to 21 goals in 26 games as a Hoops player, is expected to be out for at least a couple more weeks, Ange Postecoglou confirmed.

That means he is at risk of missing the Glasgow derby against Rangers on February 2, in what could be a crucial fixture at Celtic Park with Postecoglou’s side currently four points adrift at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The Latest: Dinnery reacts

Dinnery was talking to Football Insider regarding Furuhashi’s injury. This is what he had to say in reply, believing the Japan international could ultimately miss four weeks of action and urged Celtic to be cautious when it comes to a return.

“There are high re-injury and recurrence rates with these injuries.

“That first month is where we see the highest recurrence rates, so we need to be very careful.

“When you suffer a setback, typically you are looking at how long you’ve spent on the sidelines previously and then adding to that.

“He was injured in the Boxing Day fixtures and he’s just returned, so we’re talking a couple of weeks there.

“If he’s been back on the training pitches for around 10 to 14 days, the assumption is it’s a fairly low-grade tear.

“It’s really unfortunate but maybe we’re looking at that two to four week period that he might miss.

“It’s one of those injuries where it makes sense to take a little bit more time with it. The longer you take, the more likely you are to stay fit afterwards.

“Around 40 per cent of all muscle injuries are hamstring injuries. Around the winter months, we see very high prevalence because of the schedule.

“There is likely fatigue involvement, so with Kyogo, we’re looking at maybe early February before he returns.”

The Verdict: Maeda set for first Glasgow derby?

Should Dinnery’s prediction prove accurate and Furuhashi’s absence stretch to four weeks, he will miss the meeting with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side.

That could mean that new signing Daizen Maeda will get a first Glasgow derby start, and he proved against Hibernian he is more than up to the task when it comes to leading the line.

It took the 24-year-old just four minutes to score his first Celtic goal, and if he can continue his positive start, you’d expect him to feature ahead of Giorgos Giakoumakis and the injured Furuhashi and Ajeti against Rangers.

In other news: Transfer request submitted – Celtic handed boost as news emerges on possible 5th winter recruit. 

Rangers’ decision to sign Borna Barisic from NK Osijek in the summer of 2018 certainly looks to have been a masterclass from Steven Gerrard and former sporting director Mark Allen, as the left-back’s value has skyrocketed since making the move to Ibrox.

The Croatian international was signed after impressing against Rangers in the Europa League qualifying stages and has gone on to become a regular during his time at Ibrox.

The defender has now made 109 appearances for the Light Blues, in which he has contributed a superb seven goals and 31 assists from left-back.

His performances in the Scottish Premiership this season have been phenomenal, as he has contributed one goal and five assists in 30 league appearances, which has seen him average a superb 7.35 rating.

This is enough to see him ranked as Gerrard’s fifth-best performer in the top-flight so far this season, with only Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo, Connor Goldson and James Tavernier rated higher, so it is clear to see just how important he has become for the Light Blues over the past few seasons.

His impressive performances on the pitch have been reflected in his market value according to Transfermarkt, which has significantly increased during his time in Scotland.

The 28-year-old’s current value of £4.95m is the highest it has ever been, and it also represents a 275% increase from his value at the point of his signing, when the website suggested he was valued at just £1.8m.

Barisic was linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur last year and it was suggested then that the North London club would have to pay £22m if they wanted to sign him, so whilst Gerrard will be keen to keep him at Ibrox for the long term, he can be safe in the knowledge that the club will receive a significant profit should he depart.

Following those rumours, former Rangers midfielder Alex Rae was full of praise for Barisic, saying:

“He performs at good level week-in, week-out and has terrific quality in the final third of the park.”

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Therefore, Allen and Gerrard both deserve a lot of credit for bringing Barisic to Ibrox, as it has proven to be an excellent decision from both a footballing and a financial point of view.

And, in other news… Gerrard has a huge Rangers decision to make on “terrific” gem after rampant Old Firm display

A big update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their interest in Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson.

What’s the talk?

According to The Independent, the Magpies are scheduled to hold talks with the player’s representatives ahead of the summer, along with Leicester and Villarreal.

Brentford and Everton are also interested in the gem and are hoping to snap him up for a fee in the region of £20m-£25m. He has one year left on his contract with the Championship club and his agency – including his father – wants him to make the step up to the Premier League next season.

Johnson can get St James’ Park rocking

PIF can get St James’ Park rocking with a deal for Johnson, as he would be an exciting addition to the Newcastle squad in the short- and long-term.

He has been in phenomenal form for Forest in the Championship this season and has shown that he has the potential to make the step up to the Premier League next term.

Ex-Forest striker Glenn Murray showered the youngster with praise earlier this season, saying: “For me, Brennan, he just looks special. He just looks a cut above and he’s destined for the top.

“Yes, he’s not getting everything right at the moment but he looks at the top-level easily. I expect a really big future from him.”

In the current Championship campaign, Johnson has produced 15 goals and 10 assists for Steve Cooper’s team. This shows that he has been able to make a big impact in the final third as he has consistently delivered with the ball at his feet, scoring and setting up goals on a regular basis.

At the age of 20, he is still in the infancy of his professional career. He is just getting started and should have plenty of scope left to grow and develop as a player. This means that he would be a sublime long-term signing for the Magpies, as they would be able to watch his improvement over time and benefit from it on the pitch as he hones his skills.

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with the club’s efforts to bring such a talented and promising young player to the club. St James’ Park would be rocking with excitement if PIF can get a deal over the line for the 20-year-old, and that is why the Magpies hierarchy must work hard to snap him up in the coming months.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bruno: PIF must finally launch NUFC move for “outrageous” £50m dynamo…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer heaped praise on Jesse Lingard for the level of influence he has had at West Ham since joining the club.

The 28-year-old arrived at the London Stadium from Manchester United on loan during the January transfer window and has not disappointed.

Lingard has managed to score four goals and provide one assist in just six appearances. One of those goals came against London rivals Tottenham in a 2-1 win, while his sole assist was conjured up versus Manchester City, showing the high level that he has been playing at.

For Palmer, it is no surprise that Lingard has been performing in the manner that he has been, with the retired England international convinced that he is a good player overall.

In an exclusive interview with FFC, Palmer said:

“I think Jesse’s a good player and I think he is suited to West Ham’s style of play. I think the balance of the Man Utd side, the way it was, didn’t suit Jesse in the end. I mean, you know, Jesse was playing for his country and he was playing very, very well. I think he’s a talented player. 

“I think going to West Ham, he’s a big fish there. At Man Utd, he’s a small fish in a big pond, whereas at West Ham, they’ll have been delighted that he went there. He’s given the whole place a lift and he can play, he can definitely play and in the position he’s playing, which is his favourite position, it can cause a lot of problems and he’s scored a lot of goals.”

If £75,000-a-week man Lingard maintains this current level of form, you would expect West Ham to try and make his loan deal a permanent one.

Alongside the likes of Michail Antonio and Pablo Fornals, Lingard has helped the Hammers to form an attack that is currently aiding a push for Champions League football.

Lawrie Sanchez has told The Transfer Tavern that he doesn’t think Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool connections would stop him from becoming Everton manager, amid reports the club are closing in on the appointment of Nuno Santo.

Benitez, who’s been out of work since leaving Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Professional, spent six years at Anfield between 2004 and 2010, leading the Reds to both FA Cup and Champions League glory in consecutive seasons before leaving for Inter Milan.

But the Spaniard is being seriously considered by the Toffees hierarchy which could see him make a stunning return to Merseyside, but this time across Stanley Park.

Benitez was managing in the Premier League as recently as 2019 with Newcastle but left his post at St James’ Park following constant disagreements with owner Mike Ashley.

He then enjoyed a brief spell in the Far East, but wasn’t able to add to impressive list of trophies, and is now looking to return to management after more almost six months out of a job.

And Sanchez exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that moving closer to home will be one of Benitez’s priorities were he to make the shock move to Goodison Park:

“As I understand, his family still live in the Wirral. Where he has been, his family have remained in the Wirral.

“It’s ok being paid millions, but if you’re separated and living in a hotel room, it’s no fun. So, if you can get the same sort of quality of pay close to your family, it doubles the value of it, so on that basis, I wouldn’t rule him out.

“Much as he was manager of Liverpool, I hate to say it, but we are mercenaries us managers. If the job is right for us, we will take the job.”

Michael Ball said that Duncan Ferguson’s spell as caretaker manager prior to Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment got Everton “bouncing again”, amid recent reports that he turned down joining the Italian at Real Madrid as he wants to manage the Toffees.

Following Marco Silva’s sacking early in December of 2019, the legendary Toffees striker was placed in temporary charge with Everton sitting in the relegation zone following a 5-2 Merseyside derby loss.

And despite a dauting run of Premier League fixtures on the horizon, Ferguson relished the big occasion and laid the foundations for incoming manager Ancelotti.

Two Dominic Calvert-Lewis goals inspired Everton to beat Chelsea in Ferguson’s first game in charge before backing up that result by earning a point at Old Trafford, although that afternoon was more remembered for the Scotsman showing his brutal side when he famously substituted a substitute in Moise Kean.

Everton were then knocked out of the EFL Cup by Leicester three days later, but Ferguson rounded off his cameo in the dugout by holding Arsenal to a goalless draw to ensure he remained unbeaten in the Premier League.

And Ball told The Transfer Tavern that Ferguson’s brief spell in charge of the team got Everton back on track:

“The last time I went to Goodison Park and really enjoyed going again and watching Everton being Everton under Duncan Ferguson, it was only for four games, but he’s the one that got the club bouncing again against Manchester United and Chelsea.

“And that’s what Carlo came in and witnessed, he saw Goodison full, the performance that Duncan got and that atmosphere.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Bull, who scored 306 goals for Wolves during his career, believes Rayan Ait-Nouri is out of his depth in the Premier League and has bemoaned his lack of strength.

Ait-Nouri has made 13 Premier League appearances for Wolves this season, and managed to score his first senior goal of his career on his Premier League debut in a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace.

The 19-year old has started just eight league games this term though despite regular left-back Jonny being injured for a lot of this season, which has seen him average a 6.43 WhoScored rating as Wolves continue to think about signing him permanently.

Speaking on if the 19-year-old has been a good addition for Wolves and what he is lacking to succeed in the Premier League, Bull told FFC:

“In my eyes, he just looks a bit out of his depth.

“I’ve watched him a few times and he does get up and down the wing a bit, but he just looks a bit lightweight to me and I don’t think he’s getting a lot of chances so his confidence is low.

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“Whether they keep him or not beyond the end of the season I don’t know because he just looks young and a bit immature.

“In a team, you need someone who is a like-for-like replacement when somebody else drops out the side like and he just looks a bit lightweight to me.”

Ait-Nouri had only played 23 senior games of footballer before his loan to move to Wolves this season and they may think there are better options than the £36k-p/w full-back.

In total, the French defender has made 16 appearances this season but has failed to offer a consistent attacking threat as he’s returned to just one goal and assist.

Willie Miller has applauded Celtic midfielder David Turnbull for shining under ‘enormous scrutiny’ at Parkhead this season.

The Aberdeen legend, who is a member of the Scottish Football Hall of Fame, was speaking to The Sunday Post about the 21-year-old.

The lowdown

After a knee problem scuppered the move in 2019, Celtic returned to seal a £2.7m deal with Motherwell for Turnbull last summer.

He has gone on to make 31 Premiership appearances this season, featuring in every game since the start of December. The 21-year-old has scored seven goals and provided five assists in the top flight.

Turnbull has averaged 2.7 key passes, 1.7 accurate crosses and 1.2 accurate long balls per 90 minutes (via WhoScored). No player in the Celtic squad is creating more chances per game.

Turnbull was nominated for the Scottish Football Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year Award, but was edged by Hibernian left-back Josh Doig, who has been on the Hoops’ transfer radar.

The latest

Miller pointed out that Turnbull has arrived at Celtic in hugely challenging circumstances. The Hoops have endured a dismal season, their run of nine titles in a row ended by a dominant Rangers and their Europa League campaign over before Christmas.

There has also been a change of manager, of course, with Neil Lennon making way for John Kennedy at the end of February, but Turnbull has ‘kept his head up’ throughout it all, in the words of Miller.

He told The Sunday Post: “If you talk about a player joining Celtic during the last decade, you are looking at slotting them into a winning side, one that is picking up trophies while performing with lots of confidence.

“In the case of David, though, he has gone in at a time of turmoil when things are going and anyone involved is coming under enormous scrutiny.

“To go into a new club under those circumstances – and to keep your head up and prove not only that you belong at the level, but that you can shine there – says a lot about him.”

The verdict

In a season of very few positives for Celtic, Turnbull’s excellent campaign definitely stands out, and Miller’s point about him coming to the club during a chaotic season is a pertinent one.

If there is to be a rebuild at Parkhead this summer under new management, he is one of the players around whom the new-look side should be assembled.

In other news, what did Doig have to say about his links to Celtic?

Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts insists that the club may be stuck with Serge Aurier, as no club is likely to buy him this summer.

The right-back has not made a single appearance for the club this season and was largely absent from pre-season, until the friendly against Chelsea.

Aurier has yet to be included in a competitive squad by Nuno Espirito Santo, with Japhet Tanganga seemingly the first-choice right-back in the squad after his impressive performances against Manchester City and Wolves.

Matt Doherty is his back-up in the squad, and Aurier had confirmed earlier this summer that he had reached an agreement to leave Spurs, with PSG seemingly interested in taking him back to France.

However, they have since signed Achraf Hakimi from Inter Milan, seemingly ending any chance of Aurier returning to the French capital.

And Roberts believes he may just run down his contract at the club, which runs until 2022.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “But who’s going to buy him? The problem you’ve got is Paris Saint-Germain were going to buy Aurier, so they kept saying.

“Well, they’re nowhere near him. What football club is going to buy him? I think we’re going to be stuck with him and we’re just going to have to see his contract out.”