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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe may well be looking to strengthen his midfield ranks this summer, with recent reports having claimed that the Magpies are showing an interest in Sporting Lisbon starlet Manuel Ugarte.

According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sport Witness), the Tynesiders are believed to have made contact regarding a possible move for the 21-year-old, with the Uruguayan said to be on the club’s ‘summer menu’.

The report added that, while the youngster would be open to signing a new contract with the Lisbon outfit – after arriving from Famalicao just 18 months ago – he is not said to be keen on an increase to his current €60m (£54m) release clause.

That could well allow the chance for the Tynesiders to pounce ahead of next season, with the “midfield machine” – as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – having caught the eye as a result of his standout displays both in Europe and domestically of late.

The hope would be that the six-cap maestro could look to emulate the impact of his former Sporting team-mate and fellow defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha in the Premier League, with the latter currently thriving following his £17m move to Fulham last summer.

The towering 27-year-old leads the way in the English top flight for tackles made (98) so far this season, having been described as a “bargain” by NBC journalist Joe Prince-Wright and “one of the signings of the season” by Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir.

As Fulham manager Marco Silva put it, the 6 foot 3 ace has been a simply “gigantic” addition for the west London outfit so far, having been an integral part of a team which is firmly in the mix for European qualification.

That success seemingly bodes well as far as Newcastle’s pursuit of Ugarte is concerned, with the Uruguayan also something of a “warrior” in the middle of the park, according to Kulig.

Like his former Sporting colleague, the 21-year-old is a true master at winning back possession, averaging 3.5 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game from his 18 league outings this season, while Palhinha has averaged 4.7 and 1.3 for those same two metrics respectively.

The two players are also commanding and dominant figures in the air, as the Portuguese maestro has won 62% of his aerial duels in the current campaign, while Ugarte has won 63% of his for Ruben Amorim’s side.

The latter’s quality has also been evident in the Champions League this term as he has averaged 4.8 tackles per game from his six group stage appearances, the best record of any player in the competition so far.

With Newcastle seemingly crying out for a midfield destroyer alongside Bruno Guimaraes, turning to the Sporting ace could well be a transformational signing, much like Palhinha has been at Craven Cottage.

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up West Brom manager Carlos Corberan as a replacement for increasingly under-fire boss Jesse Marsch.

The Lowdown: Marsch sacked

The Whites suffered another disappointing Premier League result on Sunday afternoon, losing 1-0 away to Nottingham Forest.

It is a defeat that leaves Leeds sitting 17th in the table and hovering ominously above the relegation zone, with a statement on Monday confirming Marsch has now been sacked.

It is perhaps unsurprising – across the last ten games, the Whites have picked up just two league wins, suggesting that a managerial change is absolutely required if they are to escape another last-gasp battle with the drop.

The Latest: Corberan a candidate

According to The Daily Mail, Corberan is seen as a ‘candidate’ to replace Marsch in the Elland Road hot seat for Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Group.

The 39-year-old has shone since replacing Steve Bruce as Baggies manager, guiding them into the playoff places after inheriting a struggling team.

The Verdict: Looks like a strong candidate

Marsch would have hoped he had just enough credit in the bank after his side’s dramatic survival last season, but results and performances simply haven’t been improving.

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Corberan meanwhile looks like an extremely impressive replacement, winning 11 out of his 16 total matches in charge of the Baggies (69%), turning what was a relegation candidate under Bruce into genuine play-off challengers.

Whether or not he would be willing to leave West Brom remains to be seen, though – he could prefer to stay put and attempt to steer them back into the Premier League – but he looks to have a big future in the game and has been hailed as ‘incredible’ by journalist Daniel Hewitt.

Liverpool have struggled to retain their dominance in the Premier League this season and Jurgen Klopp will be desperately searching for solutions to improve the performances on the pitch with the business end of the campaign fast approaching.

The Reds are currently 10th in the league table after a run of inconsistent and poor displays has left them now 12 points adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots in top four and even more worrying, they are only 11 points ahead of Everton in the relegation zone.

Indeed, many of the successful players at Anfield are coming to the latter stages of their careers with several of the most important cogs in Klopp’s system well into their 30s at this point.

Who are Liverpool’s oldest players?

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara, James Milner, Virgil van Dijk, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip are just some of the players who are well into their 30s at this point and with the way Klopp’s side are performing at present it may be time to start thinking about developing and reinvesting in the next generation of talent at Anfield.

The Merseysiders have been heavily linked with moves for a number of upcoming and young talent over the last six months with Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Jude Bellingham the top priority for the club in the summer, despite his hefty £130m price tag.

However, Klopp could look closer to home when identifying the future of his Liverpool side and could save millions by unearthing the incredible talent already developing right under his nose in the youth academy.

With Firmino – as it stands – out of contract in the summer, the German coach could unearth the Brazilian’s natural heir in U21 striker Oakley Cannonier.

Who is Liverpool youngster Oakley Cannonier?

It has been reported that Liverpool are working on a new contract for Firmino to extend his stay at Anfield, however, nothing has materialised as of yet with only a few months left to come to an agreement.

As a result, it may be an opportunity for Klopp to move on and bring through the next goal-scorer that can help him get Liverpool back on track and add quality depth to the attacking threat.

Cannonier has been plying his trade and developing his skills in the youth set-up since he joined the U12s from his hometown club Leeds United and has been a consistent and reliable threat in front of goal as he has risen through the ranks.

The 18-year-old – who was hailed a “goal machine” by GOAL journalist Neil Jones – has scored 44 goals and registered five assists over 57 appearances so far with a goal contribution every 70 minutes, which is an incredibly impressive output and seemingly makes him a perfect successor, should Firmino depart.

In August last year, the talented teenager was rewarded with a brand new long-term professional contract after finishing the 2021/22 season as the academy’s top goal-scorer with 28 goals tallied up in U18 Premier League North.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Cannonier and if he continues to thrive in the academy it surely won’t be long before he catches the eye of Klopp to get his breakthrough into the first team.

Newcastle United are reportedly leading the race to sign striker Marcus Thuram as a free agent this summer.

The Lowdown: Contact made

Newcastle have reportedly already spoken to Thuram’s agent over a potential move once his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach expires, along with fellow Premier League rivals Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona and Inter Milan are also thought to be interested in his signature, with no signs that he will renew his current deal as of yet.

The Latest: Newcastle leading race

As per Italian news outlet Calciomercato, the St. James’ Park outfit are ‘in the lead’ in the race to sign Thuram.

They are able to offer a bigger salary than what he has currently being offered elsewhere, and so will be confident that they can secure his signature once he becomes a free agent.

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The Verdict: No-brainer

It is surely a no-brainer for the North East club to sign a player of Thuram’s quality for free.

Lauded as ‘world class’ by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schafer, and an ‘absolute beast‘ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the six-foot-four colossus has scored an impressive 41 times and supplied a further 26 assists in 122 matches in total for Gladbach, with 17 of those goal contributions coming so far this term (Transfermarkt).

With Chris Wood set to join Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal, the Magpies will have space for a striker in their squad, and they should be looking no further than Thuram in order to give fierce competition to both Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson.

Aston Villa have encountered their first unwanted run of form under new head coach Unai Emery as the club have lost all three of their last three matches in the Premier League.

The Villans have lost to Leicester, Manchester City, and Arsenal, conceding a whopping 11 goals in the process, and are now 11th in the table as it stands.

In spite of their horrible defensive record and run of defeats, central defender Ezri Konsa has been one of the team’s standout performers of late.

The titan won 11 of his 17 individual duels and completed at least 93% of his attempted passes in the three losses and this indicates that the centre-back did his part in being dominant defensively and composed in possession, but was let down by his teammates.

How much is Ezri Konsa worth now?

In the summer of 2019, ex-Villa boss Dean Smith swooped to sign the central defender from his former club Brentford in a deal worth £12m.

The English head coach worked with the enforcer during their time together with the Bees and believed that he could make the step up to the Premier League.

Smith ended up striking gold for the club with his decision to reunite with the defender as Konsa has been a reliable performer in the top flight for a number of seasons with his market value consequently soaring.

At the time of his move to Villa Park, Football Transfers expected his transfer value to sit at €14m (£12m) and it has since risen to an eye-catching €40.1m (£36m) in the subsequent three-and-a-half years.

This means that his xTV has soared by a whopping 188% since joining the Villans, which that certainly a reflection of the form he has produced in the Premier League.

Konsa, who Reach editor Mat Kendrick once hailed as being “composed” and “unflappable”, has racked up 123 appearances for the club in all competitions to date and has been dominant in the top flight this season.

The 25-year-old has played 23 times for Villa in the league this term and has won an outstanding 73% of his individual duels, including 84% of his battles on the ground, whilst Mings has won 56% of his 50/50s in total and only 46% on the deck.

These statistics show that the former England U21 international has been able to dominate opposition attackers throughout the season so far, whilst his centre-back partner has struggled in that respect, and his 87% pass completion suggests that the gem is also reliable with the ball at his feet.

Konsa is an excellent performer for Villa and has proven himself to be a fine Premier League centre-back since arriving at the club in 2019 and that, along with his rising market value and scope to improve further at the age of 25, is why Smith hit the jackpot by signing him from Brentford.

Tottenham Hotspur are the main contenders to sign Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret, according to Rai journalist Ciro Venerato.

The Lowdown: Spurs look for Lloris replacement…

Spurs are reliably believed to be on the look out for an heir to long-serving shot-stopper Hugo Lloris with the France international currently injured and suffering a decline in form this season.

Antonio Conte’s side are currently relying on Fraser Forster as their number one in Lloris’ absence, and as the 36-year-old’s contract runs down, Fabio Paratici and co are thinking about the future.

The Premier League top-four hopefuls have been linked with many names heading into the summer window and Meret is said to be one of them.

The Latest: Tottenham main contenders for Meret…

According to Venerato, speaking on live radio to ‘1 Football Club’ (via Calcio Napoli 24), Tottenham have ‘above all’ expressed their interest in signing the 25-year-old.

He explained:

“Napoli would like to continue with Meret, and in this sense we will have to sit down at the negotiating table and await developments.

“There are some Premier League clubs that have however registered an interest in the Frulian, Tottenham above all.”

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Meret’s current deal at Napoli expires in the summer of 2024, and if he doesn’t put pen to paper on fresh terms, he could represent both a quality and financially attainable target for Spurs.

The Italian, capped three times by his national team, has been a mainstay for the Serie A league leaders this season – playing more top flight minutes than anyone in Luciano Spalletti’s squad (WhoScored).

One admirer of the 6 foot 3 keeper in past seasons has been none other than Spurs boss Conte, with agent Federico Pastorello revealing back in 2017 that he was ‘really impressed’ with Meret after scouting him out.

Meret has also been revered by members of the press for his performances in between Napoli’s sticks, with reporter Roberto Rojas calling him a ‘stellar goalkeeper’.

Paratici and co will be watching his contract situation closely as a real candidate to succeed Lloris could soon become available.

Crystal Palace’s lack of a ‘clinical’ forward is ‘a huge problem’, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: 21 goals

The Eagles have struggled in front of goal in the Premier League this season, with Patrick Vieira’s side netting 21 times in 24 games, less than 19th-placed Bournemouth and 17th-placed Leeds United.

They are still without a win in 2023 and are just six points clear of the bottom three, potentially in danger of finding themselves in a relegation battle over the coming months if things don’t improve.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Jones was talking to GiveMeSport regarding Palace and was asked if Vieira’s job could be under threat. The reporter believes the Eagles will assess ‘everything’ in the summer but believes not having a ‘clinical goalscorer’ is ‘a huge problem’.

“I think they’ll try to see out this season and then really assess everything across the summer.

“Palace are probably just about far enough up the table that they’ll be okay, but like Southampton, they haven’t got a clinical goalscorer, and that’s a huge problem.”

The Verdict: Spot on

Winger Wilfried Zaha is the club’s top scorer this season with six goals, with Odsonne Edouard netting five times. Eberechi Eze has four goals to his name and Michael Olise two, with no one else in the squad scoring more than one goal.

They are averaging less than a goal a game which could be a worry heading into the latter stages of the season. Zaha is also out of contract in the summer, so as Jones says, the club may need to ‘assess everything’ in the summer, with multiple attacking additions surely high up on the club’s agenda.

There have been plenty of plus points during Mikel Arteta’s reign at Arsenal but undoubtedly the biggest has been the success of the club’s Hale End academy.Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe may well have been given their debuts before the Spaniard arrived but it’s the former Manchester City assistant who has helped take their games to the next level.Both are now capped by England and possess two of the most famous shirts the club has to offer, the number seven and number ten jerseys.There is, of course, Eddie Nketiah as well, who has taken on Thierry Henry’s shirt number this term and delivered the goods in the absence of Gabriel Jesus.There is a great deal of hype surrounding the next batch coming through the academy with Folarin Balogun exploding into life out on loan while the likes of Reuell Walters, Bradley Ibrahim, Khayon Edwards and Ethan Nwaneri have all been seen with the first team squad in the last eight months or so.The latter is undoubtedly the most exciting talent at the age of just 16, but there is another promising young talent in the same age group that is beginning to make waves within Hale End.

Who is Arsenal starlet Ayden Heaven?

There is a great deal of hype surrounding 16-year-old Ayden Heaven at the moment with Arsenal youth expert, Scouting Indoors, suggesting that fans are “very excited” about his future.

A mere few weeks ago not many had heard of him but several clips have gone viral of the teenager in action for the academy.

Capable of playing as a central defender or as a midfielder, the teen is over 6-foot and uses that immense height to simply bully the opposition to one side.

At his age level, you can only imagine how he towers over his teammates and indeed those he comes up against.

As such, it would not be a surprise if the aptly named Heaven is destined for bigger and better things in the future.

Comparisons have already been made among the fanbase towards former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba and it’s easy to see why.

The youngster is capable of dribbling forward and moving past a player, using brute force to gallop beyond those who stand in his way with relative ease.

As such, he could well be the club’s next Thomas Partey. 30 in a few months, the Ghanaian won’t be around forever and by the time he is perhaps phased out of the XI, Heaven will be in a place to hopefully take up the mantle, playing as the 6 in Arteta’s system.

Indeed, the academy starlet is incredibly similar, combining brutal physicality with poise and elegance on the ball.

Partey is sublime at breaking up attacks but then using his large frame and tremendous manoeuvrability to progress the ball forward. Based on early glimpses, it would appear as though the Gunners teen is cut from a similar cloth.

A further string to Heaven’s bow is the fact that he’s left-footed. That would certainly suit Arteta’s style of play at present too, with Arsenal possessing an abundance of players of that ilk with Fabio Vieira, Martin Odegaard and of course, Granit Xhaka occupying central zones on the pitch.

It is important supporters don’t get carried away with Heaven’s potential, but the future is certainly bright for him.

Tottenham Hotspur have become predictable and one-dimensional under the stewardship of under-fire Antonio Conte but the north London outfit have long suffered from negative and dull defensive football.

The tactical approach at the club went from a progressive and exciting style under Mauricio Pochettino to more dogmatic systems under the likes of Nuno Espirito Santo, Jose Mourinho and now Conte.

Spurs look for counter-attacks at every opportunity under the Italian, yet it’s not paying off as they rank among the bottom three for counter-attacks per 90 in the whole of the Premier League.

One major problem, aside from their predictability in the transition, is the lack of creativity in midfield, where there is no presence of a no.10 with players like Dele Alli and Tanguy Ndombele things of the past.

Meanwhile, you could only dream of having a player like Christian Eriksen among the squad right now – someone that chairman Daniel Levy let go far too easily, and cheaply.

What is Christian Eriksen worth?

The Denmark maestro was sold to Conte’s Inter Milan for £17m in January 2020, just six months away from his contract expiring and initially, it had looked to be a decent bit of business, given his desire for a new challenge.

However, several years later it certainly seems as if Spurs gave up one of their most gifted talents for a little pittance. The truth is, Eriksen’s time at the club was always ‘on the clock’ given he knew how the club operated behind the scenes and their lack of financial backing in the transfer market.

At one time, Transfermarkt valued the former Ajax star at a whopping €100m (£90m) and just two months before his departure, this still stood at €90m (£80m), meaning the Lilywhites may well have missed out on £63m, which is some 370% more than what they actually received.

Of course, Eriksen had shoehorned Levy into making such a decision but it was the Spurs supremo’s past dealings in and around the club that clearly put the playmaker – who was once hailed as a “magician” by analyst Statman Dave – from tying his long-term future to north London.

Even today, now plying his trade for Premier League rivals Manchester United, the 31-year-old remains more valuable than that £17m fee, with Transfermarkt estimating his worth to be €25m (£22m) – that’s with a substantial lack of game time since leaving Spurs and considering his age too.

It only compounds the mistakes that Levy has made in recent times, especially because the side could really do with a player of his creative quality.

The 120-cap Danish “wizard” – as once lauded by Matchroom’s Josh Wright – scored 69 goals and laid on 90 assists across 305 appearances for the Lilywhites, having also averaged at least 2.1 key passes per top-flight outing too.

No Spurs player has bettered that since his exit.

Conte’s side are struggling to convert their counter-attacks into any sort of success, so you could only imagine what a player of Eriksen’s calibre could do for this team; hitting teams on the break with the Dane feeding in the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

Alas, it’s evident that both Levy and Spurs were robbed by Inter back in early 2020.

AND in other news, A mix of Pep and Klopp: Spurs could forget Poch by hiring 52 y/o who’s loved by Messi…

Leeds United may have invested heavily over the last two transfer windows, yet it still feels like they have regressed given how they currently sit in the relegation zone.

Perhaps overlooking the talent already within the squad, or even further down into the youth setups, Jesse Marsch opted to purchase who he thought might be the catalysts to take them away from a battle to avoid the drop, which has clearly not worked.

It is fair to say that the acquisition of Weston McKennie has been one of the more disappointing ones, with the American initially expected to make an instant impact in the engine room alongside compatriot Tyler Adams.

With Javi Gracia now at the helm, having been brought in after the January window, this squad is now made up of a jumble of individuals none of whom he has selected.

Perhaps in an effort to stamp his own mark on the side, he could now dip into that wealth of youth talent to drop some of the mainstays, allowing someone like Sam Greenwood to offer some offensive firepower beside the ever-present American signed in the summer.

How has Weston McKennie played for Leeds?

Having moved on loan, the possibility that McKennie could be obligated to sign in the summer for £30m remains unknown. But given his poor start to life at Elland Road, fans will be questioning whether that would mark a smart move for a club having already made a bagful of errors in the market of late.

Boasting an average rating of 6.64 across his seven appearances, an 81% pass accuracy and 0.6 key passes per game (via Sofascore) have outlined him as far from the creative presence he was billed as one upon his switch from Juventus.

The 24-year-old is being carried by Adams, whose 3.7 tackles per game serves to further emphasise this.

If the Whites are to persist with an offensive midfielder to partner the former RB Leipzig man, then it begs the question as to why Greenwood has not been handed his chance.

Across his 15 appearances, of which he averages just 24 minutes per game, the 21-year-old still manages a 6.78 average rating that is underpinned by his one goal, two assists and 0.9 key passes per game (via Sofascore). He is a true creative threat from deep, boasting the maturity to not leave his partner completely alone in the engine room.

Having been lauded by journalist Alisa Cowen as part of a "bright" generation for Leeds, it causes further confusion as to why he cannot join the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Crysencio Summerville as first-team regulars.

He already seems to be outperforming McKennie despite having less game time and could save them a fortune in the summer by usurping him as Adams' true perfect partner.