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Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe pulled off a masterclass back in January during his first transfer window in charge of the club.

The Magpies were on the lookout for a player to start at left-back in the second half of the season and then-Everton gem Lucas Digne was on their list of targets.

Luke Edwards, of The Telegraph, reported that the Frenchman and Romain Perraud were two of the players being eyed up by Eddie Howe to take Jamal Lewis’ position in the team.

They ultimately avoided a deal for Digne, though, and he ended up signing for their Premier League rivals Aston Villa in a deal worth around £25m.

Ironically, this opened the door for Newcastle to sign Matt Targett on loan from Steven Gerrard’s side on deadline day, as the former Toffees full-back pushed him down in the pecking order.

In the second half of last season, the Englishman averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.99 for the Magpies as he put in consistently strong performances at left-back, making 4.2 tackles and interceptions per match.

Digne, meanwhile, averaged a rating of 6.94 as he made 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game in 16 starts for Gerrard’s men in the top flight.

This led to Newcastle signing Targett on a permanent deal in the summer, with the Magpies paying a reported fee of £12m to snap him up from Villa Park.

He has been solid in his appearances so far this term and is averaging 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game and a WhoScored rating of 6.82 in the Premier League, featuring in five matches to date.

The Villa man, however, has struggled this season. He has averaged a rating of 6.56 and this suggests that the quality of his displays on the pitch have taken a nosedive since 2021/22, whilst the Toon gem has outperformed him considerably.

The Daily Telegraph’s Matt Law recently described Villa’s decision to sell Targett and replace him with Digne as “questionable” and the statistics suggest that it has been a poor piece of business by them.

Newcastle’s left-back has been putting in better performances on the pitch, is two years younger, and cost £13m less than the France international.

Therefore, Howe played a masterclass with that position as he avoided a costly mistake, in Digne, and picked up a bargain by snapping up Targett, albeit initially on loan, from the club that signed the player they wanted at first. From both a financial and footballing perspective, the head coach pulled off a blinder with this series of events.

Aston Villa have received a lift with the news that Lucas Digne’s injury is ‘not as bad as first feared’. 

The lowdown

France manager Didier Deschamps called up the left-back for Les Bleus’ UEFA Nations League fixtures this month, but the 29-year-old was forced to withdraw from the squad with an ankle injury.

Initial tests suggested that the player could be out for up to seven weeks with the fracture he had sustained, but a much more positive outlook has more recently emerged.

The latest

Birmingham Live journalist Patrick Rowe relayed news from French outlet L’Equipe, with the outlook drastically improving for Digne and Villa.

The reporter tweeted: “Lucas Digne’s ankle injury is ‘not as bad as first feared’ as per @lequipe.

“Further examinations have suggested that the player could return to action in mid-October. Big boost for #avfc.”

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The verdict

Villa fans may well be breathing a sigh of relief after hearing this news.

If Digne were ruled out for seven weeks from 20 September, the date that his France withdrawal was confirmed, then he wouldn’t be available for selection again until around 8 November. That would have enabled him to feature in just one match for Villa before the World Cup break.

However, it now sounds like he could be in contention for the home game against Chelsea on 16 October judging by the timeframe communicated by Rowe. That would represent a return to action a full six matches earlier than initially anticipated.

The 29-year-old hasn’t missed a minute of Premier League football so far this season, so he’s clearly a big player for Steven Gerrard’s side.

Arsenal have been handed a potential boost in their bid to bring Leandro Trossard to The Emirates in the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

In a recent interview with BBC’s Monday Night Club (via The Mirror), the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder refused to rule out the possibility of a move away from the AMEX this winter, amid the reported interest of both Arsenal and Chelsea.

Regarding his future on the South Coast, the 27-year-old said: “It’s difficult to say anything about that now, it completely depends on which club would come. If I feel good and things are good on a private level…but I also know how good I am at Brighton, also with new coach Roberto De Zerbi it looks promising.

“I’m a little higher up the pitch now, which gives me more chances to score a goal. And the more chances you get, the more you can score. I think that’s the biggest difference from the last few years.”

Edu must move

Considering just how impressive Trossard has been for Brighton so far this season, should the Belgium international be keen to secure a move away from the Seagulls this winter, it would appear extremely wise for Edu to throw Arsenal’s name in the ring to land the 27-year-old.

Indeed, over his seven Premier League appearances in 2022/23, the £13m-rated talent has been one of the stories of the season, having already scored five goals and registered two assists, as well as taking an average of 2.4 shots – 1.1 of which have hit the target – making 1.7 key passes and completing 0.9 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £42.5k-per-week forward average a simply stunning SofaScore match rating of 7.40, not only ranking him as De Zerbi’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 14th-best performer in the top flight of English football as a whole.

In comparison to the Arsenal squad, the player who Andy Naylor claimed causes “so much damage” and Football Whispers dubbed a “game-changing talent” would rank as their joint top-scorer and fourth-best assist provider, in addition to ranking fourth, fifth and seventh for shots, key passes and dribbles respectively.

As such, while it is true that Arteta is currently blessed with a number of impressive forward-thinking talents, it is nevertheless clear to see that Trossard would make an exceptional addition to the Gunners’ attacking arsenal, leading us to believe that Edu must do all he can to beat Chelsea to the Belgian’s signing this winter.

Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah will be dropped in the coming weeks if his form doesn’t improve, according to former Leeds United striker and BBC Radio pundit Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Salah struggling for form

The Reds are going through an extremely tough spell at the moment, producing performances and results which are a shadow of the team that nearly won a quadruple last season.

Endless individuals are struggling for form at present and Salah is undoubtedly one of them, with the Egyptian not managing to have his usual impact in the final third.

He has only scored twice in seven Premier League outings to date this season, with his last goal in the competition coming at Manchester United in August.

The Latest: Whelan says Mo will be axed

Speaking to Football Insider, former BBC Radio Leeds man Whelan claimed that Salah could be axed from Liverpool’s team by Jurgen Klopp:

“I expect Salah will be dropped soon, and I don’t mean rotated, either. He’s been poor by his high standards this season and he knows that himself deep down.

“Jurgen Klopp has stuck with him up until now, but I think that could be about to change this week.

“Roberto Firmino is scoring goals and playing well, Luis Diaz is pretty much the first name on the team sheet and Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez will be pushing hard to start, as well as Fabio Carvalho.

“Salah will probably benefit from a spell on the bench, to reignite the fire and motivation of last season. Sometimes you need a horrible bit of medicine. He hasn’t been the same brilliant player since the African Cup of Nations.”

The Verdict: Feels highly unlikely

While Salah is undoubtedly not at his best currently, it would still be a huge surprise if he found himself out of the starting lineup for an extended period.

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The 30-year-old still looks one of the Reds’ biggest attacking threats in most games and his work rate is excellent – he just looks short on confidence, like so many of his teammates.

Salah is simply too special a player not to overcome this current slump, however, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he returned to goalscoring ways against Rangers in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has backed Leicester City midfielder James Maddison to fill the creative void that Christian Eriksen left at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Spurs’ interest in Maddison

According to FA Registered Intermediary Paul O Keefe, Spurs were ‘very seriously considering’ making a move for the 25-year-old this summer, with Antonio Conte keen on bringing a new number 10 to Hotspur Way.

However, the Lilywhites were unwilling to match the Foxes’ £70m valuation of the attacking midfielder, so a move failed to materialise.

Despite this, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers has conceded that a number of Premier League clubs – reportedly including Tottenham – will reignite their interest in the playmaker in January.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s claim

O’Rourke thinks that Maddison could fill the creative void left by Eriksen at Hotspur Way after the Dane departed the club in January 2020 in order to join up with Serie A giants Inter Milan.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed of the Foxes star: “His stats and numbers for Leicester this season have been superb…so, I think he could possibly go in and fill those boots of Christian Eriksen that Spurs have lacked since his departure.”

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The Verdict: He’d be perfect

With Conte searching for a new number 10, Maddison’s attacking qualities would certainly encompass what the Italian is looking for in a creative playmaker for Tottenham.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the midfielder ranks in the 96th percentile for non-penalty goals, the 88th percentile for assists and the 86th percentile for shots total.

Hailed for his ‘extraordinary numbers’ in a Leicester shirt by BBC pundit Gary Lineker in reaction to a tweet that, prior to this weekend, only Erling Haaland (17) has produced more goals and assists in the Premier League than the Englishman’s 14 since 11 May, Maddison has proven himself capable of performing at the highest level.

Therefore, if the Foxes were to lower their somewhat steep valuation of the player, he would seem the perfect player for Spurs to target as a throwback to the formidable creative presence that Eriksen once was in N17, where he registered 90 assists in a Lilywhites shirt.

Luka Modric could move to Rangers if his former Real Madrid assistant boss Davide Ancelotti takes charge at Ibrox.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Ancelotti has held talks with Rangers
• Keen to move to Ibrox
• Modric could follow him to Scotland

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the ,Rangers' search for a new manager has taken a significant step forward with Davide Ancelotti emerging as the clear frontrunner. The 35-year-old, who worked as assistant to his father Carlo at Real Madrid, held a key meeting in London with club officials last week. It’s understood that Ancelotti expressed a strong interest in taking the Ibrox job and provided detailed insight into his footballing vision.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While speculation continues about who will take over the managerial reins at Rangers, the potential appointment of Ancelotti has sparked rumours of an audacious transfer involving Modric. The Croatian maestro, who is set to leave Real Madrid this summer at the age of 39, has not yet made a decision on his next destination. Though no move is confirmed, sources close to the dressing room have indicated that Modric did not rule out a switch to Glasgow when asked about the possibility.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite the momentum building around Ancelotti's potential appointment, Rangers’ internal dynamics have added complexity to the situation. A pending ownership change has slowed the pace of decision-making, with both current and incoming figures involved in shaping the club’s future direction.

  Current CEO Patrick Stewart is spearheading the managerial search, but he’s working alongside the expected new ownership group led by American businessman Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers Enterprises Global Football Group. Kevin Thelwell, the new sporting director, is also believed to be playing a role in the process.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RANGERS?

  Time is becoming a crucial factor. Sources suggest that if a final agreement isn’t reached by the end of this week – or no later than the first week of June – Rangers risk losing Ancelotti altogether. The Italian coach is reportedly considering multiple offers, with at least three other clubs expressing firm interest in acquiring his services.

Sport Witness journalist Sean Lunt was left criticising Alex Iwobi for his role in the lead-up to the penalty given against Everton on Saturday evening.

The Lowdown: Game thrown away

The Toffees threw the game away when Jordan Pickford made an error by fumbling the ball, which led to him being adjudged to have taken down Harry Kane in the penalty box, before the England captain tucked away the spot kick to give Tottenham the lead in the second half.

The visitors missed two big chances in the first half through Demarai Gray and Amadou Onana, and ultimately paid the price as Tottenham Hotspur ran out 2-0 winners in the end thanks to a late strike from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Latest: Iwobi criticised

Taking to Twitter, Lunt was highly critical of Iwobi in the build-up to the penalty being given, claiming that the Everton forward made a ‘lack of effort’ to block the original cross coming in and saying that the Nigerian looked ‘completely uninterested’ all evening.

The journalist stated: “Alex Iwobi is completely uninterested in this game. The lack of effort to block the original cross before the penalty decision was shocking.”

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The Verdict: Uncharacteristic

Iwobi did look out of sorts compared to his previous impressive performances this season, during which he has been rewarded with talks over a new and improved contract at Everton.

The Nigeria international lost out on three of his duels against Spurs and also made no clearances or interceptions, giving the ball away unnecessarily on five separate occasions (SofaScore).

The Toffees will be hoping that he can bounce back quickly from this unusual slump ahead of their next match away to Newcastle United in midweek.

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ season shows no signs of improving under interim manager Steve Davis as the Old Gold find themselves in 19th place in the Premier League standings but Fosun could find a solution in Vitor Pereira.

Despite the club confirming that Davis would remain in charge until after the World Cup, links have continued to emerge for the Midlands club, with Portuguese boss Pereira the latest to be linked with a move to Molineux.

Band TV host Neto (via Sport Witness) has claimed that the 54-year-old, who is currently in charge of Corinthians, could leave Brazil when the season ends in November and that he could end up at either Wolves or Aston Villa.

Considering that Villa have now appointed Unai Emery, that opens the door for a move to Wolves, and he is a name that the Old Gold should seriously consider if they want to steer clear of relegation this season, as, unfortunately for Davis, his side only looks like heading in one direction.

Although the former Crewe Alexandra boss oversaw an important 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, he has also seen his side comprehensively beaten by both Chelsea and Leicester City, with another defeat against Crystal Palace thrown into the mix.

Wolves’ goalscoring woes have barely improved under the Englishman and if the Old Gold want to remain in the Premier League, that is a key issue they must fix.

Indeed, it is clear that the Portuguese coach knows how to get his teams firing in attack, with Porto scoring 139 goals over the 52-year-old’s two league campaigns in charge at the Estadio do Dragao, as well as his Fenerbahce side sitting hitting the back of the net on 60 occasions in the 2015/16 Super Lig campaign and his Shanghai SIPG outfit bagging 77 league goals in 2018.

Furthermore, considering Pereira has won four titles in his managerial career – two with Porto and one each with Olympiacos and Shanghai SIPG – he could bring a winning mentality with him to Molineux and restore some confidence in the squad.

Pereira has averaged above 1.5 points per game in all of his jobs aside from his time at 1860 Munich, which shows that he knows how to get the best out of squads, whereas Davis and Lage have both averaged just 0.75 points per game in the Premier League with Wolves this season.

Therefore, it is clear that the Portuguese boss would be a big upgrade on Davis and should Fosun wish to give their side the best chance of retaining their top-flight status come the end of the season, they should look to bring the 54-year-old manager to Molineux as soon as possible.

Glasgow Rangers turn their attention back to Premiership action this weekend as they host Aberdeen at Ibrox on Saturday.

The Light Blues are without a win in their last two matches in all competitions and should be looking to return to winning ways on their own turf.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men head into the game off the back of a 3-0 defeat in Italy to Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

It was a rough night in Naples for the Gers and the Dutch head coach may look to make some changes to his starting XI in order to come away with all three points against Aberdeen.

One player he must bring back into the XI after leaving him on the bench in Europe is right winger Rabbi Matondo. The Welsh international should be unleashed this weekend ahead of Scottish forward Scott Wright.

Van Bronckhorst selected Wright against Napoli and then substituted him at half-time after the attacker lost half of his individual duels and ceded possession six times from 20 touches in the first half.

In the Premiership, the former Aberdeen man produced one assist and failed to score a single goal in seven appearances for Rangers this season, whilst also failing to create a single big chance.

The 25-year-old has not been able to provide a consistent threat from out wide in the Scottish top flight. Whereas, Matondo has proven that he can regularly deliver quality service into the box from the right wing.

Former Wales boss Ryan Giggs once described the gem as “electrifying” and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola previously dubbed him “incredibly fast”, which provides an insight into the threat he can offer in the wide areas by using his pace to go past players.

The £12k-per-week forward has racked up three assists in five Premiership starts this season. He has also created three big chances and averaged 1.1 key passes per game, which shows that he is creating a high volume of quality opportunities for his teammates when he is getting on the pitch,

Matondo, who scored nine goals and created four big chances in 23 starts for Cercle Brugge in the Belgian top-flight in 2021/22, has the quality to be a difference-maker at the top end for the Gers. He has shown that he has more to offer out wide than Wright does and that is why van Bronckhorst should unleash him from the start against Aberdeen.

Sunderland return to the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon as they take on Cardiff City in the Championship.

Tony Mowbray’s side got back to winning ways in midweek as they earned an impressive 2-0 victory at Huddersfield, and the former Blackburn Rovers manager will want to continue that momentum against the Bluebirds this weekend, in what is the Wearsiders’ final home game before the World Cup break.

Three points could see the Black Cats move into the top 10, whereas a defeat could see them slip closer towards the relegation zone, in what is a tightly-contested division.

Here is how Football FanCast expects Sunderland to line up on Saturday, with three changes from the side which started at the John Smith’s Stadium on Wednesday.

Anthony Patterson has started every game in the Championship for the Black Cats this season and he looks unlikely to lose his place after a sixth clean sheet of the season in midweek.

Similarly, it would be strange to see Mowbray deviate from the defence which won Sunderland the game on Wednesday, so Luke O’Nien, Bailey Wright, Danny Batth and Dennis Cirkin should all start.

Despite scoring the opening goal in midweek, Alex Pritchard could drop out of the side in favour of Jack Clarke, who is available again after suspension, with the 21-year-old the second-best performer in Mowbray’s side this season according to WhoScored.

The Black Cats can afford to be more adventurous at home, so Corry Evans drops out of the side in favour of the more attack-minded Dan Neil. The “young Paul Gascoigne” partners Elliot Embleton in the middle of the park, with Patrick Roberts keeping his place on the flank.

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Finally, in attack, Ellis Simms gets the nod to start up front alongside Amad Diallo, after the two combined for Sunderland’s second goal in midweek, with Leon Dajaku dropping out following a tepid display on Wednesday which saw him dubbed the team’s lowest-rated performer by Sofascore.