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Looking ahead to 2025 and the chance to welcome the reinforcements needed to ensure their Premier League safety once and for all, Crystal Palace now reportedly want to use their John Textor link to complete a stunning triple swoop.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles have at least stopped the rot in recent weeks, defeating Ipswich Town 1-0 before compiling Manchester City’s misery even further with a well-earned 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park. Now, just as their form turns a corner, Oliver Glasner will have the chance to hand Palace fans an early Christmas present in the form of victory over rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.

Still just four points ahead of the relegation zone, however, Palace’s job is far from done and January reinforcements are a must. On that front, the rumours have already started too. The likes of Romaine Esse has already been linked with a winter switch to Selhurst Park in what would see the young attacking midfielder swap Millwall and the Championship for Crystal Palace and the Premier League.

The Eagles haven’t just set their sights on the Championship though. According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Crystal Palace now want to use their Textor link to sign Rayan Cherki, Ernest Nuamah and Sael Kumbedi from Lyon in 2025. Eyeing a triple swoop, any deals should be made easier by the fact that Textor has a stake in both clubs, with Lyon in desperate need of funds.

Crystal Palace plotting January swoop for £15m gem who plays like Madueke

Crystal Palace are among multiple Premier League teams interested in signing the young winger.

ByBrett Worthington Dec 11, 2024

In fact, things are so bad that the French giants will reportedly be relegated into Ligue 2 if they fail to pay off their debts at the end of the season. And as Lyon’s scramble for funds commences, it could be Crystal Palace who take full advantage.

"Quality" Cherki can finally replace Olise

Replacing Michael Olise following his departure to Bayern Munich was never going to be an easy task for Palace in the summer and it was one that they, ultimately, failed. When the January transfer window swings open, however, they have the chance to make up for that failure by signing Cherki and adding that much-needed piece of quality to their frontline.

The attacking midfielder, who can also play on both wings, recently found himself at the centre of praise from Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, who described the Lyon star as “pure quality”.

Alongside Eagles star Eberechi Eze, Cherki could form the partnership that Palace have lacked since Olise’s departure. Given Lyon’s financial difficulties too, it wouldn’t be absurd to suggest that Palace may be in position to land a bargain deal when the January transfer window swings open in just under a month.

Manchester City are now chasing a defender who would help fix their defence and bring the best out of Josko Gvardiol at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola backs Gvardiol

It was almost a perfect first season for Gvardiol at Manchester City as the Croatian appeared 28 times on the way to helping his side to their fourth consecutive Premier League title.

However, this season has been less impressive, with the 22-year-old looking out of place at left-back and producing some uncharacteristic errors to go alongside his increasingly characteristic eye for goal.

Man City keeping tabs on "spectacular" next Ballack who may replace Rodri

Guardiola desperately needs reinforcements.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 29, 2024

A centre-back by trade, he has been asked to play at full-back by Pep Guardiola – something that he has taken to well during his time at the Etihad, though there is still the feeling that his long-term position is in the heart of defence.

The Manchester City boss defended his poor form after a series of errors saw his side thrashed 4-0 by Tottenham, explaining: “He’s so young, he will learn. It will be a good experience.

“Of the players that played, he was the best player on the pitch.

“He is so young, he will learn. He’s a fantastic player, a fantastic boy, and now more than ever he must be helped.”

Now, the Citizens have been linked with a new defender who may allow Gvardiol to revert to his more natural position.

Manchester City eye "special" defender

Reports in Spain claim that the Citizens are keeping a close eye on Atalanta defender Matteo Ruggeri after a series of fine performances.

The Italian full-back, who plays as a wing-back in Gian Piero Gasperini’s high-flying Atalanta side, scored a “special” goal to help his team reach the final of the Europa League last season – a tournament that they ultimately went on to win.

This season, he has continued his strong form, starting 10 games in Serie A as his side push for the first title in their history, with the Bergamo outfit currently a point behind reigning champions Inter.

Matteo Ruggeri in 24/25
Appearances	11
Goals	0
Assists	2
Yellow Cards	1

Ruggeri still has almost four years left to run on his £15k-a-week deal with Atalanta, but that has not stopped clubs circling for his signature ahead of the summer transfer window, with the report adding that Liverpool and Manchester United are also keeping tabs on the 22-year-old as they look to bolster their own ranks.

His arrival at the Etihad could allow Guardiola to return to a more natural back four, while his overlapping runs may well allow more freedom for the likes of Savinho and Jack Grealish further up the pitch, with both players yet to find form this season.

And at 6 foot 1, his addition wouldn’t see the Citizens lose any of their physicality in defence, while adding another dimension in attack.

Joins owners of Mumbai Indians and Manchester United FC in owning teams in the upcoming tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2022GMR Group, part-owners of the Delhi Capitals franchise in the IPL, have become the third group to acquire a team at the upcoming UAE T20 League, expected to start later this year, after Lancer Capital, the owners of Manchester United Football Club, and Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, the owners of Mumbai Indians.”Our team has 14-seasons’ experience in managing the franchise process, through our Delhi Capital team’s involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and we will integrate the same elements of these processes into UAE T20 League and help establish it as a premier and an integral part of the global cricket ecosystem,” GM Rao, group chairman of the GMR Group, said in a statement on Wednesday.Kiran Kumar Grandhi, the corporate chairman of the group, said, “UAE has a world-class niche of cross-cultural individuals with a big cricket fan following and excellent cricket infrastructure. We, at GMR Group, based on our years of experience in the IPL will harness to create a thriving cricket environment to budding players which will infinitely excite cricket aficionados.Related

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“From our solid supportive management, we will bring best practices, processes, top-notch coaches, players, and support staff to have an unparalleled professional team.”The six-team league has been sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), and the plan originally was to host the first edition by the end of March this year. Though that isn’t likely at this stage, the ECB said in the statement that it “remains well on track to be played in 2022 where senior committee members are encouraged by the enormous interest shown from a number of high-profile individuals and well-established corporates from across the world”.Khalid Al Zarooni, the ECB vice-chairman, said, “The standing of this League, across the cricketing world, is vitally important to us, and we have aligned ourselves with partners that share the same values toward the game; holding its spirit, integrity and longevity to the highest regard.”The ECB is also hoping that the league, once it takes flight, helps improve the playing standards within the UAE as well. “At its heart, the UAE T20 League will provide this opportunity for players within the Associate structure to play alongside world-class internationals and be provided with a much-needed opportunity to showcase their skills to a wider audience,” ECB general secretary Mubashshir Usmani said.While the owners of Manchester United FC and Mumbai Indians are already team owners in the league, the owners of the Knight Riders franchise (Kolkata and Trinbago teams) are also understood to be interested in taking over one of the teams. The statement said that the “remaining franchise partnerships” would be announced shortly.

Cycling legend Bradley Wiggins has taken a cheeky dig at former boss Dave Brailsford for his role in Manchester United's terrible season.

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Former cyclist criticises Man Utd directorRidicules plans to win 21st league title'No time for him', says WigginsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 2012 Olympic road cycling champion and Tour de France winner did not wish to hide his feelings about his former boss at British Cycling and Team Sky, who has been working at United since Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased a 28 percent stake in the Red Devils. Brailsford has been working on 'Mission 21', the plan to deliver United's 21st league title by 2028. But the plan is not exactly on track as United are on course for their worst league finish since being relegated in 1974. The club is also in disarray off the pitch amid the decision to make a further 200 staff redundant. Wiggins ridiculed his handling of the club while speaking at an event on Friday.

AdvertisementWHAT WIGGINS SAID

"I’m not a fan of Dave Brailsford. I couldn’t even sit here and say, ‘I don’t like him, but I respect what he has done.’ I really haven’t got a lot of time for him, to be honest," Wiggins said, via . "Mission 21? More like Mission Championship."

Getty THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wiggins fell out with Brailsford in the aftermath of the 'jiffy bag' scandal which tarnished his and Team Sky's achievements, as well as the revelation that Wiggins had gained therapeutic use exemptions to take a banned substance. In 2017 Wiggins dismissed Brailsford's 'marginal gains' theory, which he put forward as the secret to his success in cycling, as 'a load of rubbish'.

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DID YOU KNOW?

United players were reported to be unimpressed when they met Brailsford. According to , Brailsford told the players that he lived on the most exclusive street in Monte Carlo, but that he was coming to Manchester because he was going to help make United better.
 The players left the room rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

After a pretty miserable month that may well have derailed their Premier League title hopes, Arsenal claimed their second victory in as many games last night.

Mikel Arteta’s side dominated Sporting CP in Lisbon and, in the process, have massively increased their chances of making it into the next round of the Champions League without having to enter the playoffs.

It wasn’t just the win that was satisfying, though; it was the nature of it, as the North Londoners found themselves 3-0 by half-time and 5-1 up at full-time.

Sporting CP (A)

5-1 (W)

Nottingham Forest (H)

3-0 (W)

Chelsea (A)

1-1 (D)

Inter Milan (A)

1-0 (L)

Newcastle United (A)

1-0 (L)

However, while there were no poor performances on the pitch, the result might have just signalled the end of the line for one of the club’s highest-paid players.

Arsenal's star performers

Now, before we get onto the star whose time as an Arsenal player is likely up, let’s look at the positives from last night and some of the team’s best performers, starting with the best of the lot, Bukayo Saka.

The Hale Ender was awarded the Man of the Match award at full-time, and it was more than deserved as he was a constant threat throughout his 92 minutes of action, providing an assist in the first half and then scoring a goal himself in the second.

However, Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber also played a significant role in making the right-hand side so dangerous, with the former pulling the strings just behind the Englishman.

At the same time, the latter helped out William Saliba in defence while also bombing forward with every opportunity he got.

On the opposite flank, Gabriel Martinelli found himself in the right place at the right time to open the scoring for the North Londoners, while Riccardo Calafiori once again showed the fans that he could be the answer to the club’s left-back problems.

Lastly, both Gabriel Magalhaes and Kai Havertz deserve plenty of praise as well, the former for his immense defensive work and brilliant header, and the latter for his goal and all-round build-up play, although him being so effective again is bad news for another of the club’s star attackers.

Arsenal's biggest loser after Sporting

It feels unfair to label any Arsenal player a loser after last night’s sensational result, but in a sense, Gabriel Jesus is just that.

The reason is that, after the last week, it seems incredibly unlikely that the Brazilian forward will ever be the team’s starting number nine again, and the chance of his starting out wide seems even smaller.

Now, that might sound harsh, but it’s probably true as Arteta gave the former Manchester City ace a chance to reassert himself in the role against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but despite the team’s brilliant performance that day, the £265k-per-week star flattered to deceive.

The £45m signing was awarded just a 6/10 match rating from the Standard’s Simon Collings at full-time, and considering the fact he failed to take a single shot on target in 95 minutes of action, despite his team winning 3-0, that’s quite a generous rating.

In contrast, the journalist awarded Havertz a 7/10 last night, which actually feels a bit harsh considering the former Chelsea ace scored a vital goal, produced an expected goals figure of 1.08 and was able to occupy defenders throughout the 92 minutes of action.

That said, it’s not just the last week of action that suggests the Sao Paulo-born dynamo’s time in North London could be coming to a close either, as he’s been quite disappointing all season.

For example, despite making 16 appearances, the “frustrating” striker, as dubbed by Micah Richards, has scored once and provided one assist, which works out to a goal involvement every eight games.

Appearances

33

36

16

Goals

11

8

1

Assists

7

8

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.54

0.44

0.12

Moreover, even when you account that those appearances have only amounted to 579 minutes, the 27-year-old still has a disappointing average of a goal involvement every 289.5 minutes.

Ultimately, while Jesus is an undeniably talented player, he’s no longer a significant part of this Arsenal team, and with wages as high as his, it feels more like a matter of when and not if the club decide to move him on.

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كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية عن موقف لاعب منتخب إسبانيا وفريق برشلونة، باو كوبارسي، من المشاركة في لقاء أوساسونا في منافسات الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم “لاليجا”.

باو كوبارسي تعرض لإصابة على مستوى الكاحل خلال مباراة إسبانيا وهولندا في ربع نهائي دوري الأمم الأوروبية، ليغادر اللقاء والمعسكر ليعود إلى برشلونة.

اقرأ ايضاً.. برشلونة يصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن إصابة كوبارسي

وأعلن نادي برشلونة في بيان رسمي تشخيص إصابة كوبارسي، حيث أكد النادي أنه بعد إجراء الفحوصات الطبية على اللاعب، تبين إصابته بتمزق في الرباط الظنبوبي الشظوي الأمامي لكاحله الأيمن.

وأوضح البيان أنه سيتم إعادة تقييم حالة اللاعب الإسباني خلال 24 ساعة لحسم مدى قوة الإصابة.

وأفادت صحيفة آس الإسبانية بأن كوبارسي قد يكون متاحاً للمشاركة مع برشلونة أمام أوساسونا يوم الخميس المقبل، لكنها ليست مؤكدة.

ويواجه برشلونة نظيره أوساسونا في لقاء مؤجل عن منافسات الجولة السابعة والعشرين من الدوري الإسباني، الخميس المقبل.

ويحتل برشلونة صدارة ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 60 نقطة وأمامه فرصة لتوسيع فارق النقاط إلى ثلاثة مع ملاحقه ريال مدريد، بينما يحل أوساسونا في المركز الرابع عشر برصيد 33 نقطة.

Still looking to add to their midfield, Liverpool are now reportedly keeping tabs on the progress of one transfer target who Michael Edwards could steal in to hijack ahead of Bayern Munich.

Liverpool transfer news

Whilst the Reds sit top of the Premier League even without a summer full of investment, they’ll be well aware of how unsustainable their position at the top is without the added depth they could welcome in 2025.

Of course, it wasn’t for the want of trying that a midfielder failed to complete a move to Anfield in the summer, with Martin Zubimendi simply changing his mind and rejecting Liverpool, but that’s not to say alternatives weren’t available.

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He’s one for the future…

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Their summer failure has at least made the 2025 task clear as day, however. A defensive midfielder to compete or sit alongside the recently-emerged Ryan Gravenberch must be the priority, even if the Reds find themselves flying under new boss Arne Slot.

With that said, those at Anfield have reportedly turned their attention towards a man in demand. According to The Boot Room, Edwards is now keeping tabs on Adam Wharton ahead of a potential move that would see Liverpool hijack a deal and jump ahead of Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich as well as Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Wharton impressed against Liverpool last season, as Crystal Palace shocked the Reds to secure a rare Anfield victory. Since then, he has gone on to make his England debut and steal further headlines, before struggling alongside the rest of Oliver Glasner’s side in an early period to forget in the current campaign.

If the former Blackburn Rovers man swiftly returns to his best though, then there’s no doubt that the rumours over his Selhurst Park future will continue to arrive, with FSG, Edwards and Richard Hughes now firmly in the race.

"Incredible" Wharton could complete Liverpool midfield

At just 20 years old, Wharton’s first struggle for form was always going to arrive at one stage, but once he reaches the other side of his current blip, big things could once again await. He more than proved himself in his Anfield audition last season, winning eight out of 10 duels and making six tackles in a dominant display in the middle of the park. Now, as Liverpool look to add to their midfield, Wharton could emerge to become Slot’s missing piece.

Unsurprisingly, the Palace star has earned plenty of praise during his time at Selhurst Park, including from teammate Eberechi Eze, who said via BBC Sport: “Playing with him at Palace, I’ve got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He’s very calm, composed, and a joy to play with.

“For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you speak to him, it feels like you’re speaking to someone older than you, that’s the type of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”

Alas, amid such impressive interest, those in South London may need to appreciate their midfielder whilst they still can, with Anfield potentially awaiting Wharton in 2025 despite Palace’s valuation of £100m.

West Ham United could move to sign an alternative to Niclas Fullkrug who scored 23 goals in all competitions last season, as manager Julen Lopetegui pressures the Hammers hierarchy with a transfer demand ahead of January.

Lopetegui facing West Ham pressure after poor start

Despite a recent 4-1 win over Ipswich Town, which eased the pressure on Lopetegui somewhat, the Spaniard’s future in east London is back into question following a dismal defeat at the hands of rivals Tottenham last weekend.

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West Ham took the lead against Spurs courtesy of star winger Mohammed Kudus, but Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma, an Alphonse Areola own-goal and a Son Heung-min effort cancelled out their opener and cast more doubt on Lopetegui amid a lacklustre start to the Premier League campaign.

The result makes it four losses for them already, winning just two of eight games in total, despite technical director Tim Steidten’s near-£120 million investment in new signings during the summer transfer window.

West Ham summer signings

From

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Maximilian Kilman

Wolves

€47.5m

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds United

€29.3m

Niclas Fullkrug

Borussia Dortmund

€27m

Luis Guilherme

Palmeiras

€23m

Mohamadou Kante

Paris FC

Undisclosed

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Man Utd

€18m

Wes Foderingham

Sheffield United

Free transfer

Guido Rodriguez

Real Betis

Free transfer

Jean-Clair Todibo

Nice

Loan transfer

Carlos Soler

PSG

Loan transfer

West Ham summer departures

To

Fee (Transfermarkt)

Flynn Downes

Southampton

€17.85m

James Ward-Prowse

Nottingham Forest

Loan

Maxwel Cornet

Southampton

Loan

Nayef Aguerd

Real Sociedad

Loan

Kurt Zouma

Al-Shabab

Loan

Said Benrahma

Lyon

€14.4m

Angelo Ogbonna

Watford

Free transfer

Thilo Kehrer

Monaco

€11m

Nathan Trott

FC Copenhagen

€1.5m

Ben Johnson

Ipswich Town

Free transfer

Joseph Anang

St Patrick’s Athletic

Free transfer

It is even believed that West Ham are considering Edin Terzić as a replacement for Lopetegui already, if they do indeed sack the former Real Madrid and Spain head coach.

No decision has been made yet, though, and there is still time for the 58-year-old to turn things around. Lopetegui hasn’t been helped by Fullkrug’s persistent Achilles tendon injury, with the new striker missing their last five league matches after picking up the problem on international duty.

The German scored 16 goals in all competitions for ex-club Borussia Dortmund last term, but Fullkrug is yet to get off the mark for West Ham and has been unable to contribute, leading to their reliance on the ageing Michail Antonio and previously out of favour Danny Ings.

West Ham are targeting a new striker in January as a result, with both Ings and Antonio also out of contract next summer. Greece international Vangelis Pavlidis is a potential target for West Ham, among others, and he isn’t the only Greek on their radar.

West Ham could move for Fotis Ioannidis

According to talkSPORT this week, it is believed West Ham could move for Panathinaikos striker Fotis Ioannidis, as Lopetegui personally puts pressure on the club’s hierarchy to invest in the squad again this coming January.

Fullkrug’s injury woes have apparently prompted West Ham to consider bringing in a new number nine, backing other similar reports, and Ioannidis is a player they were targeting in the summer window as well.

The 24-year-old scored 23 goals in all competitions for his current club last term, with Football Analyst Ben Mattinson also branding the forward a “dangerous” asset in the penalty area.

“Fotis Ioannidis has good instincts in the box as he can improvise a variety of finishes to good accuracy with little time to think,” wrote Mattinson.

“He has good finishing ability off both feet which makes him dangerous in the box as he’s effective on either side.”

Reliable journalist Chris Jack has provided a significant update regarding Philippe Clement’s future as Rangers manager, with a twist emerging versus reports in recent days.

Clement under pressure at Rangers

After missing out narrowly on a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double last season, the hope was that the Gers would find another gear this time around, especially after adding nine new players to their squad.

Things haven’t yet panned out that way, however, with an opening weekend draw away to Hearts immediately allowing Celtic to gain an early advantage in the title race. A 3-0 defeat at Parkhead made the situation even worse, and Rangers were also dumped out of the Champions League before the group stage even got underway, having lost to Dynamo Kyiv over two legs.

For that reason, Clement has found himself under plenty of pressure of late, with one report even claiming that the Belgian is “fighting for his job” and could be sacked within a matter of weeks, highlighting the need for big improvements on the pitch.

Sunday’s 1-0 victory away to Dundee United was a vital result for the manager, even though it wasn’t necessarily convincing for the full 90 minutes, and now a new update has emerged over his future at Ibrox.

Journalist drops new Clement update at Rangers

According to the reliable Jack for the Rangers Review, Rangers have no plans to sack Clement currently, a sharp U-turn from the reports since the defeat to Celtic. He states that the Scottish giants remain “fully committed” to the 50-year-old, even though the Gers’ start to the season hasn’t been as impressive as many hoped it would be.

This is a refreshing stance for Rangers to take, in truth, during an era where managers are sacked far too easily and quickly, with patience very much a thing of the past. There is no question that aspects of the Gers’ current performances are not good enough, which falls on the manager, but this isn’t a time to overreact, considering his side are still only five points adrift of Celtic in the title battle.

That’s not to say that Clement shouldn’t be under pressure, however, with high standards expected at a club of Rangers’ stature, but alarm bells should only truly ring if more negative results happen in the coming weeks.

Pundit Michael Stewart is worried about the future of Gers boss, saying “I fear for the manager” and that “there is a real pressure that is building”, and while that opinion is arguably fair, it would be wrong to relieve him of his duties at this point, considering he only took charge last October.

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In that time, Clement has won the Scottish League Cup and pushed Celtic close to two major trophies, and the key now is for Rangers to hit a sustained period of good form, in order to ease the pressure on him.

Perhaps hoping to form an unstoppable strike partnership, Paul Mitchell has reportedly made contact with the agent of one particular forward who he wants Newcastle United to sign in 2025.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies are gearing up for a busy 2025 on the transfer front following such a poor summer transfer window, which ended with free agent Lloyd Kelly as the standout arrival. Since then, Mitchell has taken a fair share of criticism, but was quick to come out and speak on the failure of those at St James’ Park during the transfer window.

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He said via The Athletic: “There are things we got wrong in our strategy, for sure. If we could have signed a player that we actively felt could make a really good squad better, would we?

“Of course we would have done. My learning is that coming in, in a pre-arranged strategy, is hard,” he said. “You ultimately then find yourself supporting, more than driving elements.”

Looking to redeem themselves in 2025, the Magpies have already been linked with moves for the likes of Richard King in a move to bolster their defensive options for years to come, but it could be a star striker who steals the headlines.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Mitchell is in contact with the agent of Jonathan David as he wants Newcastle to sign the Lille forward in the summer of 2025.

He’s not the only one who’s made an enquiry, however, with West Ham United and Chelsea among other sides to have asked about the forward who is set to leave France as a free agent next summer.

Still just 24 years old, signing David ahead of the likes of Chelsea would be quite the statement of redemption for Mitchell and Newcastle as they look to get back on track.

"Fantastic" David would be lethal alongside Isak

Isak, alone, is talented enough to carry the Newcastle attack forward for several years, but add David next to him and Eddie Howe’s side may well find themselves back on course for Champions League football sooner than anyone thinks. The Canada international has already enjoyed a fine start to the current campaign too, scoring twice in five Ligue 1 games and four times in all competitions to accompany two assists.

It’s a rise to stardom that Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig saw coming, having dubbed David’s off-ball movement “superb” when he was initially stealing the headlines in France.

What’s more, Callum Wilson’s likely departure as a free agent next summer should free up plenty of room in Newcastle’s striker department for David to emerge and take the spotlight. In a deal that would redeem Mitchell, Newcastle could land an early coup in 2025.