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Lee Ryder has dropped some enticing insight on what Mike Ashley has told those close to the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Arbitration set

The arbitration hearing between the North East club and the Premier League is seemingly not far away at all, as Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has reported that it is expected to begin at the end of June.

Ashley has also launched a separate anti-competition lawsuit against the English top flight over their decision-making process in the failed deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, which he is thought to be keeping in his back pocket in case the results of the arbitration proceedings do not go his way.

The Latest: Ashley insight

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Ryder has shared that Ashley has told those close to the potential deal that he remains ‘furious’ that the sale of the Tyneside club was blocked, and added that his ‘endgame’ is still to get the takeover bid to be pushed through.

Ryder also shared some insight into Ashley’s separate anti-competition claim, as the chief executive of Sports Direct will argue that the Premier League’s delaying of last summer’s takeover process was ‘on purpose’, and top-flight officials and CEO Richard Masters ‘knew’ that it would eventually hinder the sale.

The Verdict: Arbitration key

At the end of the day, Ashley’s feelings towards the Premier League over the failed takeover bid do not matter, so long as the St. James’ Park faithful can win the arbitration case.

If the results are positive for the Magpies, then the separate anti-competition claim would no longer be needed, and so the proposed deal between Ashley and the KSA group could be pushed one step closer to completion.

However, they would still need full cooperation from the top flight, and ideally would want to get any deal done as quick as possible, given that the summer transfer window has already begun and the new 2021/22 season is set to start in August.

With that in mind, Ashley will have to keep a lid on his fury – the last thing the club needs is their infamous owner chastising Masters and co any further.

In other news, find out what Lee Charnley’s stance is on the potential takeover here!

Rangers were dealt a big blow earlier this month when the news dropped that striker Alfredo Morelos will miss the rest of the season through injury.

In the Colombian’s absence, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has had to rely on Kemar Roofe to fill in and lead the line for his side.

Even though the Gers have some important games left to play before the season draws to an end and the summer transfer window opens, it seems as though the club are in the mix to sign one player that could potentially bring an end to Roofe’s time at Ibrox.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Football League World, Rangers are interested in signing Stoke City striker Jacob Brown.

Since joining the Championship club back in September 2020 from Barnsley, the Scotsman has gone on to make 95 appearances for the Potters across all competitions.

Bad news for Roofe

This season has seen the 24-year-old Brown really make a name for himself as a dangerous goalscorer.

In 42 league appearances, the striker has found the back of the net 12 times and provided four assists along the way.

Labelled as a “versatile” player by Michael O’Neill and as a “bright talent” by journalist Alan Biggs, Brown has racked up more shots at goal (80) than any other Stoke player.

Also, no other forward has been able to match the same number of tackles (24) or interceptions (16) that Brown has, showing how he can defend from the front.

This shows just how much of an all-around useful player he is on the pitch for his side, who would surely be gutted to see him leave.

Even though Roofe has only played half the number of SPFL games that the £2.7m-rated Stoke striker has this season in the Championship, it seems rather difficult to get him to do much defensive work.

With 21 league games played, the Jamaican has only made two tackles and four interceptions for the Gers.

Taking this into account and the age difference between Brown and the 29-year-old Rangers figure, Stoke’s sharp-shooter could be an ideal long-term upgrade on Roofe at Ibrox.

Moving forward, if the opportunity to sign the 24-year-old arises during the summer, Van Bronckhorst’s side should be doing everything they can to bring the centre-forward to his home country and give him the chance to win titles with the Gers.

In other news: GvB can unearth Rangers’ next Aribo in rarely-seen 18 y/o who’s “unlike anyone else”

Despite already possessing the scintillating Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Everton’s policy this summer appears to be on strengthening their frontline.

The Toffees forward has 20 goals in all competitions but when did an extra dose of firepower ever hurt anyone?

We’ve seen some eye-catching rumours emerge already with the likes of Sergio Aguero and Andrea Belotti linked with Goodison.

Though, one of the most interesting links is to Leipzig attacker Hwang-hee Chan. He penned terms with the Bundesliga outfit last summer but after a campaign where he’s battled illness, it’s not gone according to plan.

As a result, Leipzig are willing to let him depart in a deal potentially worth £13.5m. That isn’t too much when you consider some of the fees Everton have parted ways with in the last few years.

Hwang would add wonderful depth to this Toffees side but what is his playstyle?

The South Korean is capable of playing out wide while he’s also adept through the middle as an out and out centre forward or as a shadow striker.

With that in mind, he could become Everton’s very own Roberto Firmino. He made a living out of playing as a false 9 for Hoffenheim and since moving to Liverpool, he’s truly made that position his own.

The Toffees won’t like to be reminded of Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League triumphs but Firmino played a major part in that success because of his positioning; a trait that’s not too dissimilar to the way Hwang plays.

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In an article on the official Bundesliga website, they hailed the South Korean’s exploits against the Reds when he played for Salzburg. The forward scored and assisted during a 4-3 defeat at Anfield as he was praised for his “dexterity and flexibility.”

The article wrote: “In that sense, Hwang is not dissimilar to Liverpool’s former Hoffenheim striker Firmino. Happy leading the line as part of either a duo or a front three, Leipzig’s first summer signing likes to get on the ball and has a trick or two up his sleeve to shake off a defender.

“Comfortable with both feet, with the strength to hold off an opponent and the pace to exploit space, he could cause problems for many a Bundesliga defence – just like Brazil international Firmino did before him.”

The 25-year-old would clearly offer a lot to Everton’s forward line, providing not just goals but also creativity in abundance with his “brutal dynamism”, an attribute Former Liefering and Salzburg head coach Peter Zeidler waxed lyrical about.

Last term Hwang created more goals (22) than he scored (16). Considering he was playing as a centre forward for the whole campaign, this provides the biggest indication yet of why he’s so like Firmino.

The Brazilian isn’t the most devastating finisher but his vision and chance creation is first-class. As Liverpool won the league last season, Firmino similarly produced more goals for his teammates than he scored.

It worked for Liverpool having a player like that, so there’s no reason it wouldn’t work with Everton.

After all, combine him with Calvert-Lewin in a two-prong attack and you could have a very menacing duo.

AND in other news, Forget Holgate: Everton must swoop for “tenacious” £26m gem, he’s an “absolute beast”…

Arsenal have been handed a late boost in their bid to sign Yves Bissouma this January transfer window…

What’s the word?

The Gunners were linked with a move for the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder earlier this month by The Sunday Mirror (09/01, p71), whilst they have seemingly held a long-term interest in signing him.

Now, according to The Times, the Seagulls are prepared to let him go before Monday night’s deadline for a fee of £50m.

Arsenal have missed out on some key midfield targets this window, including Arthur Melo, whose potential loan move from Juventus fell through, and Bruno Guimaraes, who is set to join top-flight rivals Newcastle United.

Arteta needs him

A new central midfielder must be among the many priorities around the Emirates Stadium but time is quickly running out, which is why a move for a player already based in the Premier League makes the world of sense.

Brighton have made their willingness to conduct business very clear, so the door has opened for Edu Gaspar and his recruitment staff to strike. It would be unforgivable not to.

The Gunners have offloaded as many as five players this month already, all without making a single signing, leaving Arteta light on options in the engine room.

It doesn’t help that Thomas Partey and Mo Elneny have been away on international duty but even with them around, there’s a serious lack of depth in midfield.

Bissouma has already proven his credentials in England and would be a fine addition indeed.

As per WhoScored, he’s averaging a whopping 3.6 tackles per game, which sees him top the entire division in this regard, whilst also managing 1.9 interceptions and 1.7 dribbles per outing, too.

He’s evidently an absolute beast in the heart of the pitch, one capable of not only winning the ball back but also driving it forward into the final third. Perhaps exactly what Arsenal are missing.

Former Aston Villa star Lee Hendrie once said: “I did a chat with myself and Paul Merson on Soccer Saturday a few weeks ago talking about Bissouma, and we highlighted what he actually does. I mean, his stats are absolutely phenomenal, the way he breaks the game up, his forward play.”

By comparison, the erroneous Granit Xhaka – who plays a similar role in north London – averages a lower 1.7 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 0.4 dribbles per match, via WhoScored.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old Mali international has been described as a “wonderful talent” and likened to Yaya Toure in terms of playing style.

Arteta could really do with Bissouma before tomorrow night’s deadline, so it will certainly be an interesting final 24 hours or so.

AND in other news, “I’m told..”: Reliable journo drops huge transfer claim as Arsenal make Prem star their no.1 target…

According to Turkish journalist Talha Arslan, Glasgow Rangers have made a formal bid for Fenerbahce winger Bright Osayi-Samuel.

The Lowdown: Poor season start for Gers

After a magnificent campaign that saw the Gers win the Premiership for the first time in ten years last time out, the Ibrox outfit have been brought back down to earth with a bang.

A 3-0 opening day victory against Livingston was followed by a 2-1 defeat to Malmo in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round and a 1-0 loss to Dundee United in the Premiership.

Judging by the latest developments, Steven Gerrard, Ross Wilson and co are not resting on their laurels, perhaps spurred into transfer action by those setbacks.

The Latest: Gers make Osayi-Samuel bid

As per Arslan, a trusted reported in Turkey, the 55-time Scottish champions have made an offer for former Queens Park Rangers winger Osayi-Samuel.

It was not established exactly how much that offer was said to be, but the journalist revealed “Glasgow Rangers begin formal bid” two months after first reporting serious interest in the winger from both sides of Glasgow.

The Verdict: Interesting move

Previously called “outstanding” by Mark Warburton (kilburntimes.co.uk), £3.06m-valued Osayi-Samuel has not had the best of times in the Super Liga.

In 19 games in all competitions last time out, he managed just one goal and one assist (Transfermarkt), and 19-time Turkish champions Fener are believed to be open to selling him (Fanatik).

The 23-year-old impressed at QPR, though, scoring five and providing nine assists in the Championship during the 2019/20 campaign. Not only that, he would fill up an important hole for Steven Gerrard – the boss likes to play in a 4-3-3 formation but lacks a natural right winger. This could be an inspired move from Wilson.

In other news, Rangers receive an injury blow.

Wayne Rooney has been dealt a blow to his hopes of keeping Martyn Waghorn at Derby County this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claimed that a recruitment source has revealed that Cardiff City are monitoring the situation of the £1.8m-rated centre-forward ahead of a potential summer swoop.

The report added that Derby are desperate for the 31-year-old to sign a new deal at the club in the coming weeks, with his contract at Pride Park set to expire at the end of June.

Rooney will be gutted

While Waghorn did not have the best of seasons by anybody’s standards in 2020/21, the striker undeniably proved his worth to Rooney’s side in the final round of Championship fixtures.

With Derby needing to match Rotherham United’s result against Cardiff City in their own fixture against Sheffield Wednesday to survive relegation, the £7,900-per-week forward proved the catalyst in getting the Rams over the line at Pride Park, scoring two goals and providing one assist to secure a 3-3 draw with the Owls and subsequently keeping his side in the second tier at their opponents’ expense.

Over the rest of the season, Waghorn only managed a further three goals and three assists, as well as averaging a rather disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.67 – ranking him as Derby’s joint 17th-best performer in the Championship.

However, if the reports are to be believed, Rooney is clearly keen to keep the 31-year-old on the club’s books this summer, and as such, the news concerning Mick McCarthy’s interest in his former Ipswich Town player is likely to come as a huge blow for the 35-year-old Derby boss.

With the Bluebirds finishing in eighth place in the Championship, McCarthy will undoubtedly be hoping to mount a push for a play-off spot next season, something which could be quite appealing to Waghorn as the potential of playing Premier League football with the Welsh club appears to be much greater than if he were to stay at Derby this summer.

Indeed, with time running out on his contract at Pride Park and no sign as yet that he will be putting pen to paper on a new deal, things do not look too promising regarding Rooney’s chances of holding onto the striker – whom Kenny Miller dubbed a “fantastic” player – this summer.

In other news: Rooney must sanction £1.5m Derby County swoop for “fantastic” 22 G/A beast this summer – opinion

Liverpool have rejected a €5million (£4.3million) offer from Anderlecht for striker Taiwo Awoniyi but are nonetheless ‘edging closer’ to offloading him, according to David Lynch.

The lowdown

Awoniyi spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Union Berlin after earlier spells at FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Mouscron, Gent and Mainz.

He’s been unable to play for Liverpool, having only recently secured his UK work permit.

The Nigerian was Union Berlin’s third-highest scorer with five goals, and he also contributed two assists (via BBC Sport).

After the £35million signing of Ibrahima Konate for RB Leipzig, it was reported that further Liverpool additions would be contingent on outgoings, meaning how much Michael Edwards gets for Awoniyi’s sale could be important.

The latest

‘A number of clubs’ are battling to sign Awoniyi, and Anderlecht attempted to move to the front of the queue with their bid.

But it fell short of Liverpool’s £8million asking price and was turned down.

There’s also interest from former clubs Union Berlin and Mainz, who unsuccessfully pursued another loan, as well as Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers are named as a possible destination, but any move depends on the future of incumbent no.9 Alfredo Morelos.

The 23-year-old’s preference is indeed a move to a club based in Germany or the UK.

The verdict

Liverpool and Edwards are right to stand firm on their £8million valuation. Awoniyi is a promising talent and with so much competition for his signature, there shouldn’t be a need to compromise.

This is a sale that could take their transfer earnings close to eight figures, with Liam Millar set to join Basel for £1.3million.

You’d think Liverpool’s next addition will be a squad player rather than a blockbuster name, so £10million could be a decent chunk of the necessary outlay.

In other news, fans were buzzing over links to this Englishman.  

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been dealt an injury blow ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Birmingham Live, Bruno Lage revealed that centre-back Willy Boly has picked up a training ground injury and has subsequently been ruled out of the trip to Leeds United this afternoon.

Speaking about the Ivory Coast international, who picked up an injury in pre-season and has yet to feature in this season’s Premier League, the 45-year-old said: “One guy will be out of the game for sure. Boly has stayed all week out with some problems, so he’s not going to be involved in the game.”

However, in better news for Wolves, Lage went on to reveal that Francisco Trincao will be available for selection this weekend after the winger completed his quarantine period after falling ill while on international duty with Portugal.

On the condition of the Barcelona loanee, the manager said: “Trincao has started with the team, he’s been training all week so that’s good news for us.”

Major blow

While the news of Trincao’s likely return to Wolves’ matchday squad is undoubtedly good for the club, the fact that Boly will be unable to play a part this afternoon will likely have left the Portuguese boss feeling gutted.

Indeed, with summer centre-back signing Yerson Mosquera having been ruled out of action for up to five months after sustaining a hamstring injury in September, Lage had already been left incredibly short of options for his three-man defensive lineup.

Prior to Boly’s injury, the 45-year-old had four players capable of operating in the position, a number which has now been reduced to three after the 30-year-old’s latest knock. Therefore, another injury or a suspension picked up by one of his centre-backs against Leeds will cause Lage a major problem in the heart of his defence, both this weekend and over the coming fixtures.

Also, Boly’s influence is evident from his squad-high match average of 2.7 headers won throughout last season, while only two players bettered his average of 1.5 interceptions per game, figures which showcase how vital a figure he can be at the back.

While Wolves are currently enjoying a fantastic run of form in the league, having picked up 12 points from a possible 15 over their last five fixtures, this could quite quickly come to an end should the worst happen at Elland Road on Saturday.

In other news: Wolves’ £6.3m-rated “breath of fresh air” could cause Lage a major problem next season

Gabriel Agbonlahor has made an interesting claim in regards to Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips… 

What’s the talk?

Former Premier League forward Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed that Liverpool are looking at Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips. The ex-Villa attacker has stated that he will be on everyone’s radar and labelled the England international as “outstanding”. 

He told Football Insider:

“It’s not just Liverpool, I think he’ll be on everybody’s radar.

“He’s an outstanding player and was one of England’s stand-out performers at the Euros. Every team in the Premier League and teams in Europe will be looking at him and will definitely try to sign him.

“It’s going to be a bit of a headache for Leeds to try and keep hold of him because he’s been outstanding.

“I’m sure Liverpool are definitely looking at him. But the price tag will be high to get him out of there.”

Bielsa needs him

Victor Orta must avoid making a huge howler this summer by rejecting any interest in Phillips. He must ensure that the local lad is still at the club come the start of September as he is a crucial player for Marcelo Bielsa and should only be sold if a ridiculous amount of money was thrown at him, which could then allow the Argentine coach to bolster his squad.

Only three outfield players averaged higher WhoScored ratings for Leeds than Phillips last season in the Premier League. Patrick Bamford, Raphinha and Liam Cooper were the only players who could better the midfield’s score of 7.01, whilst Phillips also topped the midfield ranks for tackles and interceptions per game to emphasise his dominance in the middle of the park.

This shows how important he is to Bielsa as he is the best defensive midfielder at the club and has proven that he can perform consistently, to a high level, in the top-flight. He also proved his worth at the European Championships for England, starting seven times on their way to a penalty shoot-out loss to Italy in the final at Wembley. The 25-year-old averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.82, showing that he can compete at the very highest level.

The £35k-per-week beast is, therefore, still needed by Bielsa at Leeds and Orta must work hard to keep him at the club next season. If Leeds harbour any ambitions of pushing on and challenging for Europe they will need to keep hold of their top players and Phillips’ statistics certainly suggest that he falls into that category, meaning that selling him would be a nightmare for the club.

And, given his ties to the club, selling him to a fellow Premier League club would have fans absolutely fuming.

AND in other news, Get rid: Leeds must finally axe £70k-p/w “massive flop” who’s rinsing Radrizzani dry…

Southampton enjoyed a fairly successful transfer window and targeted young players, but they decided to sell Michael Obafemi rather than letting veteran striker Shane Long leave.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side brought in exciting young talents such as Adam Armstrong, Romain Perraud, Valentino Livramento and Thierry Small, whilst fringe players such as Wesley Hoedt and Mario Lemina finally left the club.

However, in a move that seems to conflict with their transfer methods, the Saints decided to sell Obafemi, with the 21-year-old completing a permanent move to Swansea City on deadline day, whilst Long remains at the club.

After the signing of Armstrong, as well as the loan addition of Armando Broja, you could argue that both Irish forwards would have struggled for regular game time in the first team this season, but Hasenhuttl has suggested that he wants a bigger squad than last year.

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Therefore, it seems strange that Martin Semmens was willing to accept as little as £1.5m for the young forward, especially after his impressive performances in pre-season suggested that he could make an impact in the first team this season.

By comparison, Long spent the second half of last season on loan with Bournemouth in the Championship and managed just two goals, whilst his last Premier League goal came in a 3-1 win against Aston Villa in December 2019.

Therefore, it seems baffling that Long is still at St Mary’s, especially when you consider that he reportedly earns £60k per week with the Saints, which makes him one of the highest earners in Hasenhuttl’s side.

The 34-year-old looks way past his best and it seems likely that he will leave at the end of this season when his contract expires, so you feel that Semmens could have done more to sell him this summer and Saints fans will surely be fuming that he was kept instead of a promising youngster such as Obafemi.

If Long remains a bit-part player for the Saints throughout this season before leaving on a free, you could definitely argue that it was a mistake on Semmens’ part to keep him after what has been a very promising window overall.

And, in other news… Sheldon drops Southampton transfer update on “one of the best”