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It has been an extremely busy couple of days for Newcastle United who have finally properly dipped their toes into the summer transfer market. And of course, the signing of Ryan Fraser must be the cherry on top for the Magpies.

With AFC Bournemouth getting relegated at the end of the 2019/20 Premier League season, their players, even the biggest stars, have suddenly been put on sale, either willingly or forcefully, and Newcastle are just one of the teams looking to profit from that.

Getting someone of Fraser’s quality into the team is an incredible piece of business and this is indeed looking likely to be a prosperous relationship for the immediate future.

According to Alan Hutton, his old manager Steve Bruce has managed to seal a brilliant deal with Fraser. He was simply gushing over the player when speaking exclusively to Football Insider.

Here’s what he had to say: “Oh, it’s got to be one of the best when you think about it. Was it two seasons ago it was probably his best season? He was brilliant.

“He looked so confident, he was flying, loads of pace, scoring goals, setting up goals, it was great to watch from my point of view for Scotland. He’s a great signing for them.”

Of course, Fraser really is a big reinforcement for Newcastle and it will be interesting to see him perform in the new colours in the coming weeks.

The new season is just around the corner…

Verdict

Last season was a real struggle for Fraser but that’s partly because the team as a whole were struggling as well. But in 2018/19, he scored seven goals and assisted further 14 across 38 Premier League matches.

So the quality is certainly there and it will be up to Bruce to help him rediscover his flame for the new campaign.

According to Foot Mercato, Aston Villa are trying to sign Lyon star Bertrand Traore in this summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

Dean Smith’s side have already made a significant addition to their forward line with the signing of Brentford striker Ollie Watkins, and the Villa boss now appears to have his eye on reinforcing the wide areas.

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Foot Mercato claim that the Premier League outfit have already made a €17m bid for Traore, but that Lyon are demanding a fee of around €25m (£23m).

The report does add that the Burkina Faso international’s desire for first-team football could see this transfer be on the cards.

Upgrade on Trezeguet

After arriving from Turkish side Kasimpasa last summer, Trezeguet showed flashes of his quality in a Villa shirt during the 2019/2020 campaign, finding the back of the net seven times, including that priceless winner against Arsenal in the penultimate game of the season.

But in Traore, Villa could actually land a significant upgrade on the Egypt international. Whilst he may have fallen out of favour at Lyon last season (he played just 23 times in the league), the 25-year-old has proven himself to be a very exciting performer when given the opportunity.

He has an impressive career average of 2.6 shots and 1.7 dribbles per game, and perhaps crucially when compared to Trezeguet, has played some form of European football over the past four seasons – including a quite superb 2016/2017 campaign in the Europa League when he scored four goals and provided four assists in just 13 matches.

Traore has played at the highest level for the likes of Lyon and Ajax, and that level of experience could bring a touch of quality to Villa. The £63k-a-week earning ace is someone who can get fans of the Midlands side off their seat, with his former teammate at Chelsea, Papy Djilobodji, saying: “Technically he is very, very good: with his feints, he is very hard to stop.”

Villa should seriously consider going back in with a bid for the winger.

Leeds United have been linked to many a Serie A midfielder during this transfer window but it appears there is only one name that the club are now focusing on…

What’s the word?

According to La Nazione (via Sport Witness), the Yorkshire giants are monitoring Fiorentina powerhouse Erick Pulgar, who they have already submitted a bid for once this window.

It’s claimed that Leeds offered €12m (£11m) for his services, which was rejected with the Serie A outfit looking at around €15m (£13.5m) to sell.

Pulgar is supposed to be an “unsellable” player in Florence yet evidently the right finances would change things considerably.

De Paul alternative?

At one stage this window, Marcelo Bielsa seemed set on nabbing Udinese’s Rodrigo De Paul but disagreements over the fee there have stopped that deal from happening.

Instead, a move for Pulgar would make more sense especially as he’s available for half the price.

The 26-year-old provided seven goals and six assists, averaging 2.2 key passes, two tackles and 0.9 shots per game, via WhoScored, which suggests he’s an ideal box-to-box type who can fit right in under Bielsa’s system.

This is reinforced by the fact that throughout his career, the Chilean has drawn comparisons to his fellow countryman Arturo Vidal whilst Wyscout describe him like this: “The main stand-out feature of Pulgar’s style is the effectiveness of his long passes. He has an excellent perception to anticipate moves in defensive transitions, which is another point where he stood out in this Copa America.”

The 24-time international also created more chances (81) last season than former Whites target Emi Buendia (80) as well as James Maddison (78), Joao Moutinho (76) and Joshua Kimmich (75).

Very impressive indeed.

For just £13.5m, Victor Orta could land an absolute bargain at Elland Road.

AND in other news, Leeds could land No.1 target before the transfer deadline but only on one condition

Tottenham Hotspur saw no fewer than six new players walk through the front door during this summer’s hectic transfer window but might they reject one of their more substantial moves already?

It was pretty evident early doors that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was pursuing a full-back – as if it wasn’t already clear by his comments to Serge Aurier during their ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries.

Eventually, the north London outfit signed Matt Doherty from league rivals Wolves in a £15m deal but he may well have been a lot further down the shortlist originally.

Reliable sources linked the club to other players prior to the move.

The Telegraph’s Matt Law claimed in August that Spurs were trying to offload Juan Foyth and Aurier to fund a move for Lille’s Zeki Celik whilst Max Aarons was once thought to be the top target to replace the Ivory Coast international after The Athletic made such claims in July.

But perhaps it was another mooted target that Daniel Levy should rue missing out on, and that’s Timothy Castagne, who instead joined one of Spurs’ likely competitors for a spot in Europe next year, Leicester City, despite personally requesting a conversation with Mourinho himself.

The Belgian, who featured versus England last week, cost only £22m and that additional £7m already looks to be the better end of the stick after the opening round of Premier League fixtures.

Not only is Castagne four years younger, but he has also contributed to three goals in just four matches whereas Doherty is yet to do so.

He’s also averaging more tackles (1.5), interceptions (1.5), key passes (one), dribbles (one) and crosses (0.5) per game than the Irishman, via WhoScored. Castagne even has a better passing success rate at 80% having managed more passes (56.3) each match too.

If those workhorse numbers aren’t enough, the 24-year-old is also able to play at left-back, which only makes him seem even more like the better option – at least from the first four matches we’ve seen this season.

Although the early signs are there that Castagne was the one that got away.

AND in other news, Spurs truly missed out on a perfect Eriksen successor in £55m magician…

Liverpool have been dealt a huge blow ahead of the upcoming Merseyside derby on Saturday as Naby Keita is reported to have tested positive for Covid-19.

The claim comes from Foot224.com reporter Amadou Makadji, who has tweeted that the Reds midfielder and four of his international teammates have tested positive for the virus. If confirmed by the club, this will be a massive loss to Liverpool, who are heading to Goodison Park off the back of a 7-2 thrashing.

A green light for Curtis Jones

New signing Thiago Alcantara was in a similar situation, but has recently been snapped walking around the city of Liverpool. The Spaniard is clearly no longer self-isolating and could be available for selection against Everton. However, Keita’s recent impressive form could have been key against the Toffees, who currently top the Premier League table.

The Guinean had really come into his stride towards the end of last season. He was involved in three goalscoring opportunities in five games, which was a refreshing welcome for fans who had grown impatient with his stagnancy. A match against bitter rivals Everton who will know how clinical Liverpool are on the counter-attack would have been perfect for a playmaker like Keita. Now, it’s likely they will be without his influence, but it could pave the way for rising star Curtis Jones.

The teenager has been doing everything right to impress Jurgen Klopp recently and has already proven himself against Everton. Jones bagged the winning goal against a strong Blues side last season in their FA Cup run. He tallied nine reserve league goals and ended the term with 17 goals, seven assists in 31 total appearances (via Transfermarkt).

The 19-year-old also popped up with a brace against Lincoln City at the start of this campaign. Plus, with being a local Liverpudlian, he will be hungry for a result against the club’s neighbours.

Klopp will have a big decision to make but fans could see the Anfield starlet grab his first Premier League start of the season on Saturday.

In other news, Gini Wijnaldum comments on Thiago could mean his Anfield fate is sealed…

Crystal Palace may have struggled to a dull 1-1 draw with Premier League rivals Brighton in the A23 derby, but one player stood out from the rest.

What’s the word?

Roy Hodgson heaped praise upon Gary Cahill following an impressive display after his return from injury at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

He told Palace TV: “First of all he’s a very, very good defender.

“His position is very good, he’s exceptionally good in the air, he’s a strong challenger for the ball and a very good blocker of the ball. These are the defensive qualities we don’t talk about every day… They’re the qualities that get you the clean sheets.

Hodgson has options at the back once again as Cahill, James Tomkins and Patrick van Aanholt have worked their way back from fitness. But the former Chelsea man showed his value as the Eagles secured a point against the Seagulls.

Bargain buy?

It’s safe to say that Cahill has turned out to be one of the club’s best buys in recent memory. The 34-year-old, who previously played for Bolton, Burnley and Everton, made 290 appearances for the Blues, scored 25 goals and supplied 7 assists, whilst he won the Premier League twice, the Champions League, two Europa League trophies and the FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge, via Transfermarkt.

Since then, the former 61-cap England international has played 28 games for Palace, and made 25 appearances in the English top flight last term, whilst he averaged 1 block and 4.4 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

The centre-back, who currently earns wages worth £65,000-per-week, was on the receiving end of a reckless tackle from Brighton defender Lewis Dunk, who was sent off in extra time.

SofaScore gave him a high grade of 7.1 for his efforts – if you look at his heatmap, you can see that he was most active inside the box, which explains why he made four clearances, two blocked shots, two tackles, whilst he only lost possession six times, won 100% of his ground duels, and four out of eight of his aerial duels, which shows that he was a threat in the air as well.

SkySports gave Cahill a 7/10 rating, which is fairly accurate, whilst football.london gave him the same score, claiming he “looked comfortable in the opening stages on his return, marshalling the defence well” but “could have picked up an injury late on due to Dunk’s ferocious tackle.”

Palace had a promising start to the season, before back-to-back defeats culminated in a 4-0 defeat to his former side Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before the international break. Whilst Hodgson’s side once again failed to keep a clean sheet, Cahill seems to have shaken off any concerns, which could bode well for the future.

Once lauded as an “exceptional” professional footballer by Steve Parish, the Palace chairman must secure his future at Selhurst Park, as his current contract is set to expire in 2021. If his performance is anything to by, the £2.25m-rated veteran must start against Fulham at all costs.

AND in other news, Roy Hodgson must unleash Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze against Fulham…

According to a report by Football Insider, Joe Lewis and the ENIC group have approved a new blockbuster contract for Tottenham superstar Son Heung-min – coming just a week after Paul Robinson claimed such a contract offer would be ‘amazing news for Spurs’. 

Son set for new deal

Son, who has been a shining light alongside fellow star man Harry Kane this season, forming a deadly partnership with the Englishman, still doesn’t earn anywhere near as much as his star teammates.

Compared to the likes of Gareth Bale, Kane and even Tanguy Ndombele – Son earns around £140,000-per-week, with the former trio taking home larger amounts, despite making similar contributions under Jose Mourinho.

Now, as per Football Insider, Lewis and the ENIC group have approved of a new blockbuster deal for Son in reward of his incredible contributions so far this season.

Transfer Tavern take

Indeed, this update claims talks are at an advanced stage with an announcement reportedly imminent – and it’s safe to say to this news could be ‘amazing’ for the Lilywhites as Robinson claims.

At 28-years-old, Son is currently in the prime of his career, and there is currently nothing stopping top clubs from weighing up a move for the ‘very underrated’ ace.

If Tottenham wish to keep hold of the winger who is, arguably, one of Mourinho’s most crucial assets, a bumper new deal to sweeten his stay is definitely needed.

Now that ENIC have been given their thumbs up, it could only be a matter of time before Spurs tie down the South Korean star – gifting Mourinho a huge boost in his hunt for silverware.

In other news: After Son, Tottenham look set to offer this star a new deal as well – find out who here. 

Olivier Giroud has sent Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur a message amid reports the Chelsea striker wishes to leave Stamford Bridge this January.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Inter Milan have moved into pole position ahead of clubs like Spurs in the emerging race to lure Giroud away from south west London in the winter market.

Giroud’s future at Stamford Bridge has become increasingly uncertain after the 34-year-old conceded he may have to seek a move away after falling down the pecking order, with the arrival of Timo Werner and form of Tammy Abraham threatening his place in Didier Deschamps’s France squad for next summer’s postponed UEFA European Championship.

Inter were keen to strike a deal with Chelsea this summer after Giroud struggled to establish himself during Frank Lampard’s maiden campaign at the helm, but the attacker ultimately stayed only to enjoy similar struggles with just 178 minutes played across all competitions this term.

Antonio Conte is now considering reviving the Nerazzurri’s advances with his side ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, West Ham and Spurs in the emerging race for Giroud’s signature.

Giroud is concerned by his outcast status at Stamford Bridge and has accepted that he may have to search for a new side when the market opens in the New Year.

“It’s worrying. I thought I still had a role to play at Chelsea, but my playing time is getting reduced a lot. It’s going to have to change or a decision must be made,” Giroud told Telefoot, via Goal.

“I am clear-headed about my situation: I will have to make a decision in January. I hope to make the right one, as I have always done.”

Giroud sent Jose a message

With Tottenham said to be interested in a deal for Giroud this winter, Mourinho and the Spurs hierarchy will have been buoyed to see the Frenchman send them a message during Chelsea’s Champions League victory over Stade Rennais on Tuesday night.

The 105-cap international came off the bench to prove he is still capable of delivering a vital impact in games, despite being restricted to only one start this season, as he netted a 91st-minute winner to seal Chelsea’s progression through to the knockout stages.

Lampard, who has previously lauded Giroud for being a “big character”, was mightily impressed by the striker’s impactful cameo at Rennes, telling reporters after the game how his strike underlines why Chelsea wish to retain him.

“Yes, it does, and I’ve felt it first-hand, last year it was him or Tammy fighting for the number nine spot. Tammy had a great first half of the season, and then Oli in restart was fantastic,” Lampard said, via quotes by talkSPORT.

“And the things behind the scenes, everybody kind of feels from the outside what a great professional he is and how highly-regarded he is by his teammates and myself. He’s getting better with age, if anything, in terms of how he looks after himself.”

But with Giroud uncertain over to what extent he can expect to feature at Chelsea, his performance sent a message to Spurs – and the other clutch of interested sides – that he can still offer value and end product at a time Mourinho has only seen two of his players net more than once in the Premier League this term.

AND in other news, an £80k-p/w Spurs man’s struggles may have re-opened the door for a “perfect” outcast to return.

Marcel Brands could end Everton’s torrid record in the January transfer window by signing Felipe Caicedo after SS Lazio agreed to sell the former Carlo Ancelotti target this winter.

What’s the word?

According to Cittaceleste, Lazio President Claudio Lotito has assured Caicedo that he can leave the Stadio Olimpico in the upcoming transfer market, so long as his Serie A outfit receive offers worth €5million (£4.5m) for the Ecuadorian centre-forward.

Caicedo is adamant that he will leave the mid-table Italian top-flight side this winter, having failed to secure a move away in the summer after reaching an agreement with Al-Gharafa, who refused to match Lazio’s €6m (£5.4m) asking price at the time.

The striker did not take well to his route away from Rome being blocked, feeling that Lazio did not keep to their word after receiving guarantees that he could leave, but he reluctantly accepted the situation and got his head down to support head coach Simone Inzaghi.

Ye,t Caicedo only remains half happy as Inzaghi continues to favour Ciro Immobile, even when the striker excels, leaving the 32-year-old to start just two Serie A matches and one Champions League Group Stage fixture, while earning the remainder of his 394 minutes of game time through eight cameo displays, despite netting four goals.

Caicedo’s situation could be of interest to Everton heading into the January market, having been linked with the 68-cap forward earlier this year. The Toffees ultimately opted against signing a centre-forward, but are again thought to be interested in a deal for Arkadiusz Milik to bolster Ancelotti’s attacking arsenal.

End Everton’s torrid winter record

Everton putting plans in place to bring Caicedo to Goodison Park this winter could see their Director of Football Brands continue his trend of looking to end the Blues’ torrid winter record.

The Merseyside outfit have struggled to sign quality options in the January window in recent years, with the Toffees welcoming the likes of Oumar Niasse, Shani Tarashaj, Morgan Schneiderlin, Ademola Lookman, Cenk Tosun, Theo Walcott, Eliaquim Mangala and Jarrad Branthwaite to the club.

Niasse departed at the end of his £55,000-per-week contract this summer having started just 12 Premier League fixtures for Everton, while Tarashaj saw his contract terminated in October having never played a first-team game in royal blue.

Mangala barely fared any better than Tarashaj during his time on loan, either, with a knee injury restricting the defender to make only two Premier League appearances. Tosun, meanwhile, has been linked with a move away from Goodison Park since January 2019 – just a year on from being signed for £27m.

Brands finally seemed to have turned Everton’s fortunes around last winter with the arrival of Branthwaite, who Ancelotti lauded as a “fantastic” prospect after the teenager’s first-team breakthrough.

Everton’s transfer chief can continue that trend by signing Caicedo in January, as the experienced centre-forward would offer Ancelotti the depth in-behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin that he appears to crave at a supreme level.

Italian icon Christian Vieri is an adamant believer in what Caicedo can offer, even just from the bench, having touted the Lazio star as an ideal back-up option for Inter Milan last month.

“If I were an Inter director, I would immediately go and talk to Caicedo, as he’s perfect for the role of 12th man,” Vieri said, via quotes by Football Italia. “I’d tell him, you are the understudy to Romelu Lukaku, come and join us. He might not accept, but at least try, otherwise what on earth do those directors do all day?!”

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti must get ruthless and end a dud’s 14-year Everton association.

According to Football.London, Emiliano Buendia is one of a number of players who is on Arsenal’s transfer shortlist.

What’s the story?

The Gunners have been crying out for someone with a bit of creativity all season, with Mikel Arteta’s side managing just ten goals in their opening 11 Premier League games.

Now, Football.London have claimed that the north Londoners do appear to be keen on addressing that issue in the upcoming January transfer window, with Buendia among the names being considered.

However, it is added that no contact has been made as of yet, and that any departure from Carrow Road next month will be entirely dependent on the Championship side themselves.

Forget Aouar

Whilst the summer transfer window saw Lyon prodigy Houssem Aouar being linked with a switch to the Emirates, the Gunners could land themselves a very good alternative in Buendia.

The Argentine of course played in the Premier League with Norwich last season, and his total of 86 chances created were only bettered by Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold – not bad company at all.

Given that he is now playing in the division below, Arsenal should surely feel confident in their ability to convince Norwich to allow Buendia to leave.

The £11.7m-rated ace has been dubbed a “revelation”, and the diminutive play-maker could offer the kind of creative spark and genius that the Gunners desperately need to fix their shocking attack.

Meanwhile, the Gunners should also look to target this sensation in the January transfer window.