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A source has shared what Lee Charnley’s stance is on the Premier League and how they have dealt with the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Arbitration looms

The arbitration case between the St. James’ Park faithful and the English top flight is seemingly not far away at all, as Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has reported that it is expected to start at the end of June.

Mike Ashley has also launched a separate anti-competition claim against the division over their decision-making process in the failed deal between him and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group, which he is keeping in his back pocket in case the results of the arbitration hearing do not go in his favour.

The Latest: Charnley’s stance

As per The Athletic, a source has shared that since the takeover bid has stalled, Charnley’s tone during meetings has sometimes been ‘negative’, adding that he ‘isn’t happy’ with how the PL behaved when they decided to fail the bid.

The source also claimed with regards to the failed deal that ‘that’s led to Newcastle almost protest-voting against things’, hence the two separate claims that they have launched against the Premier League.

The Verdict: Not surprising

It is not surprising at all to hear that Charnley is not happy with how the top flight have behaved with regards to the whole takeover saga.

He, like Ashley, is keen for the Tyneside club to be sold to the KSA consortium, but the decision-making of the top flight has left both them and the fans in limbo.

Nonetheless, he will be hoping for a positive result for the Magpies in the arbitration proceedings coming up, which should paint a much better picture over the direction the takeover is heading.

If the results are negative for the Toon, then at least they have the separate anti-competition lawsuit to fall back on, but Charnley will be hoping that this is not needed, and fans will be hoping to see the back of him too.

In other news, find out what damning claim Luke Edwards has dropped on the latest EPL news here!

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 280 Premier League appearances, has praised Stuart Dallas for his consistent performances this season and claims he has been one of their best players.

Leeds United are reportedly set to have talks with Dallas about offering him a new contract after an impressive debut season in the Premier League, which has seen him score seven goals and register two assists.

The Northern Ireland international has been a great player for Marcelo Bielsa with his versatility proving key, especially during games, as he can easily slot into left-back or centre midfield.

Speaking on how he has been a consistent performer this season and how he has gone under a lot of people’s radars, Lee exclusively told FFC:

“He’s been brilliant and he’s not one of their big-name players so he goes under the radar but every time I watch him play, he’s either Man of the Match or not far off it.

“He’s been different class and he has been scoring goals as well, so a new contract is the least he deserves.”

The £8,000 per week midfielder has been with the club since 2015 when he signed from Brentford and has gone on to make 226 appearances for the club.

Leeds have their sights firmly set on a top-half finish this season after a run of just one defeat in their last seven league games.

Writing on Twitter, journalist Bruno Salomon, Paris-Saint Germain correspondent for Radio France, has shared what he has been told ‘internally’ regarding the rumours of Tottenham Hotspur talks for Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lowdown: Tottenham in talks for Pochettino…?

This morning, huge news emerged regarding the future of Pochettino and Tottenham’s hunt for a new manager.

Indeed, The Athletic first reported that Spurs and their former favourite are locked in talks over a sensational return to the club and Pochettino is attracted by the idea of a return to north London.

However, it will be very difficult to pull off given the 49-year-old still has one year left on his PSG deal and the Ligue 1 giants do not want the upheaval of another manager change.

The Latest: PSG journalist drops behind-scenes update

Writing on Twitter, Salomon, PSG correspondent for Radio France, has claimed he has been told ‘internally’ that the Pochettino to Spurs rumours are in fact ‘false’.

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“On this rumour of Pochettino who could not stay at PSG (because of the desire for a return to Tottenham or the freshness of relations with Leonardo or even departure at the request of Doha), I am clearly told internally that it is false,” he explained (translated via Twitter).

The Verdict: Blow for Tottenham…?

Given the noise surrounding Pochettino’s possible return to Spurs, information from this reporter could be a slight dampener on the mood in north London.

However, he is just one source and the managerial landscape can change very quickly – with Lilywhites supporters possibly hoping that the Argentine’s return to north London is indeed on the cards.

It has been said that Spurs want a manager in the image of Pochettino, so who better than the man himself?

If he can secure a sensational reunion with the Lilywhites, it’s safe to say the appointment would be big, but don’t get your hopes up just yet Tottenham fans.

In other news: Spurs now want to sign this ‘nearly unplayable’ ace, find out more here.

Newcastle are interested in signing Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina this summer amid speculation that he could leave St Mary’s on a permanent basis.

What’s the story?

Magpies boss Steve Bruce has already confirmed that the club will be looking to sign Joe Willock on a permanent deal from Arsenal in the summer, but it now appears that they have their sights set on another central midfielder in Lemina.

The Guardian claimed that the Gabon international, currently on loan at fellow Premier League side Fulham, is understood to be available for around £7m and that he is not a part of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s plans.

Worse than Shelvey

Ever since Garth Crooks raved about the £65,000-a-week earning Lemina in his early spell in English football, things have gone downhill for the midfielder.

The BBC Sport pundit said: “My goodness, this lad looks a powerhouse. I suppose when you’ve played for one of the biggest clubs in the world in Juventus, you should have all the tools to survive in any league.

“The former Juve man was composed on the ball and timely in the tackle – and for a holding midfielder, he was very capable of hurting the opposition. Lemina is a top-four player in my opinion.”

Lemina is now a player for a team looking set to go back down to the Championship at the first time of asking, and his performances for the Cottagers this season have been nothing short of disappointing.

As per WhoScored, the box-to-box midfielder has averaged just 0.6 shots, 0.5 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in the Premier League, scoring just once and providing no assists whatsoever.

In fact, if you compare that to Jonjo Shelvey – who has come under fire from some Newcastle supporters before – it’s actually far worse. The Magpies ace has three goal contributions to his name while averaging 1.4 shots and 1.3 key passes per game, and his dribbling average of 0.7 per match is only slightly inferior to the 27-year-old.

What Newcastle desperately need this summer is proven quality or someone with real potential like Willock, for example. What they don’t need at all is a player like Lemina who appears to have just coasted through the season and is yet to show anything like the kind of ability which prompted Crooks to call him a “top-four player”.

Meanwhile, Newcastle can finally wave goodbye to this liability…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Daniel Pinder, who is editor-in-chief at Get German Football News, has claimed that Emmanuel Dennis would offer a different way to attack if Leeds United signed the striker.

Dennis had previously been linked with a move to Leeds when he was at Club Brugge but since his loan move to FC Koln in January, the striker has played 10 games scoring just one goal in the DFB Pokal.

Leeds have relied on Patrick Bamford this season for goals and thankfully for Marcelo Bielsa, the striker has not missed a game this season through injury or suspension and his 14 goals have helped the Lilywhites to a solid debut Premier League campaign.

Speaking on what Dennis would bring to Leeds that Bamford doesn’t do and how he would fit into a Bielsa side, Pinder exclusively told FFC:

“He definitely offers something different to Bamford as he plays on the shoulder of defenders, and if the defence is playing a high line then he’ll happily make runs in behind them.

“Bielsa likes his strikers to press from the front and Dennis does this well and he’s shown some good finishes during his time with Club Brugge, so I think Leeds could be a decent fit for him.”

Bielsa has established a front three of Bamford, Raphinha and Jack Harrison at Leeds this season, a trio set to play Premier League football again next term.

It appears unlikely that FC Koln will make the 23-year old’s loan deal a permanent one considering he is yet to get off the mark in the Bundesliga.

Steve Bruce will hope he can guide Newcastle United back to winning ways and forget the dismal defeat to Brighton when Tottenham Hotspur visit St James’ Park on Sunday.

However, the Toon are set to be without Callum Wilson as their 10-goal top scorer continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, but Allan Saint-Maximin could be available after a three-game lay-off with a groin issue.

Newcastle have failed to win any of the six games that Wilson has missed since being forced off during the 3-2 win over Southampton in February to now sit just two points above the drop zone.

With that in mind, here’s a potential line-up that Bruce may field against Jose Mourinho’s Spurs, who will be striving to make ground in the race for Champions League qualification, and we anticipate two changes from the team which was thumped 3-0 at Brighton last time out.

Bruce entered the weekend with a number of minor injury concerns following the international break, but was dealt a huge blow before the pause in domestic fixtures with Isaac Hayden ruled out for the rest of the season with a significant knee injury.

Jeff Hendrick will hope he can capitalise on the Englishman’s misfortune, having replaced Hayden against Brighton to make his 19th league appearance of the campaign, but should be overlooked in favour of a recall for Matty Longstaff.

The academy graduate was omitted from the matchday squad at the Amex Stadium for the sixth time in Newcastle’s last seven games and has not played since January’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal.

Bruce’s decision to overlook Longstaff has caught some of his Newcastle teammates by surprise given that the 21-year-old is fully fit, and he should look to change perceptions with a recall as the midfielder can hold his own against the best and rarely shies away from a challenge.

Bruce will be expected to recall Saint-Maximin to the starting line-up for the first time since drawing 1-1 with Wolverhampton Wanderers in February, at the likely expense of Ryan Fraser despite the Scotland winger earning his nation a vital point against Israel recently with a neat finish.

“He [Saint-Maximin] could be, yeah,” Bruce said on Friday. “We’ve still got two days to train, today and tomorrow, but he came through a big training session 48 hours ago, so we hope he’s a bit more advanced than Callum is. We hope he can play some part.”

Bruce has previously lauded Saint-Maximin for what he brings to the United line-up, as the Toon “looked a threat” when playing on the counter-attack thanks to the Frenchman’s “blistering pace”.

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Newcastle being without Wilson will likely see Joelinton retain his place alongside Saint-Maximin in the split-striker system Bruce currently favours, given the manager’s glowing endorsement of the Brazilian’s recent efforts.

“I thought Joelinton, arguably, had his best game in a Newcastle shirt. I thought he was terrific on the night,” Bruce said, via quotes by Chronicle Live, in relation to the striker’s performance against Aston Villa last month.

“But, of course, a striker has to top it off by scoring a goal. He understands that, but his overall performance was very, very good. I thought he led the line very, very well.”

Newcastle also have concerns in goal with Martin Dubravka returning from international duty having missed two of Slovakia’s three World Cup qualifiers through illness, although Bruce doubts that the 32-year-old will miss Sunday’s clash with Spurs.

“Martin hasn’t been very well, but we expect him to be OK,” Bruce noted on Friday. “We expect him in for training today and we’ll have a chat with him to see how he feels, but we think he’ll be OK.”

Bruce will be expected to name an unchanged defence of Paul Dummett, Ciaran Clark, Jamaal Lascelles and Javier Manquillo against Mourinho’s north London natives, with Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Willock and Miguel Almiron joining whoever replaces Hayden in midfield.

AND in other news, Newcastle could save at least £8.5m by unleashing a £38k-p/w “life-saver” next season…

Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League campaign came to an end on Wednesday evening at the hands of Real Madrid.

The Reds were not able to overturn their 3-1 deficit from the first-leg, eventually earning a stalemate against Los Blancos at Anfield.

We take a look at how Jurgen Klopp’s men rated:

Starting XI

Alisson – 7/10: Whilst not forced into too many saves by Zinedine Zidane’s men, the Brazilian performed at exactly the right time for Liverpool by denying both Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema in quick succession in the second-half.

Andrew Robertson  – 6/10: It was a solid if unspectacular night from the left-back. He coped well with the threats of Ferland Mendy and Marco Asensio down the Real Madrid right but his final product ended up disappointing on one too many occasions.

Ozan Kabak – 6/10: The Turk did not do all too much wrong having kept Los Blancos quiet in his time on the pitch. He was replaced somewhat out of consequence with Liverpool pushing for a couple of goals after a steady hour.

Nathaniel Phillips – 7/10: The 24-year-old produced what was arguably one of his most impressive performances in a Reds’ shirt by keeping the likes of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio and Vincius Jr. quiet. He was evaded late on by the French striker but in the end was not punished for that. Phillips eventually produced a team-high four interceptions.

Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8/10: By far the best of Liverpool’s defence, the Reds’ academy graduate was hugely impressive going forwards and in defence. According to WhoScored, he produced two tackles and three interceptions, whilst also contributing a huge six key passes. Alexander-Arnold will certainly have felt unfortunate to have not at least notched a couple of assists.

Fabinho – 6/10: Whilst the former Monaco man was an ever-solid presence in the Liverpool midfield, he did not stand out too much. His defensive awareness was probably not what the Reds needed.

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James Milner – 5/10: Retaining his spot in place of Thiago Alcantara, the veteran midfielder did not contribute all too much but for a booming effort from range that was well tipped over from range. He was the victim of a crunching challenge from Casemiro in the first-half and did not appear to regain his footing, eventually being replaced by Thiago.

Georginio Wijnaldum – 6/10: Having previously starred against another Spanish club in the form of Barcelona a few seasons ago, the Dutchman could not replicate that performance against Real. Wijnaldum was tidy on the ball with his 87.9% pass accuracy but simply did not threaten enough going forwards.

Sadio Mane – 5/10: Another hugely quiet evening for the Senegalese as his inconsistent run in front of goal continues. Mane certainly looked off-colour again versus Real having had just one shot and lost the ball on five occasions with poor touches. The £90m-rated star was eventually replaced late on after his shocker.

Mo Salah – 6/10: His impressive Champions League record has finally come to an end. Having scored in each of his last four games in the competition, he looked the most likely to find the net having had three shots but he was not accurate enough. His evening was summed up with a second-half left-footed effort that drifted harmlessly over.

Roberto Firmino – 6/10: Another of the Liverpool attack to have an under-par evening, Firmino also did not seem to have his shooting boots on. He really should have scored midway through the second-half but was replaced by Xherdan Shaqiri.

Substitutes

Thiago Alcantara – 5/10: As has been seen in the past, the Spaniard really did not affect the game all too much against Real Madrid. He played some nice cross-field passes but that was the limit of his contribution after he replaced Milner.

Diogo Jota – 6/10: Initially looked a threat after his introduction with his pace and was somewhat unfortunate to maybe not have scored but faded towards the closing stages.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 6/10: Despite not being on the pitch for long enough to really get a fair rating, the former Arsenal man turned one of his typical performances, being full of effort and endeavour.

Xherdan Shaqiri – 5/10: Did not have enough time on the pitch to have a contribution.

AND in more news, Liverpool made the wrong choice in signing Kostas Tsimikas last summer…

Leeds United have suffered a major blow over Mateusz Klich whilst on international duty, with Marcelo Bielsa surely concerned.

What’s the story?

The £13m-rated midfielder was called up by Poland for their World Cup qualifiers this month, with one of those games of course coming against England at Wembley Stadium.

However, Klich is now unlikely to take part in that game or any of the other two fixtures either, with it being confirmed that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

Bielsa will be worried

Despite seemingly falling out of favour for Bielsa in recent weeks – he’s completed the full 90 minutes just twice in Leeds’ last 11 Premier League games – there’s no questioning an in-form and on song Klich can be a real dynamic presence.

In his first 16 top-flight games, the Polish ace bagged himself two goals and picked up five assists, and it was no surprise that former Leeds man Danny Mills waxed lyrical about him.

He said: “I think Mateusz Klich has done very, very well because when Bielsa first came in he was almost surplus to requirements, he wasn’t being used an awful lot before he came in and could have been on his way.

“He’s got talent, he’s a clever midfield player, he’s very fit and he’s reliable. Undoubtedly he’s got quality. Maybe it’s a little bit of a stretch to say he could play in any team in the world. He’s just trying to say ‘I rely on this player, he’s been fantastic for me’ and he has, he’s been absolutely superb.”

If everything gets confirmed about Klich after a second test is done, then the 30-year-old will of course have to isolate and potentially missing training which will leave Bielsa frustrated.

The midfielder hasn’t missed a single league game all season, while there’s also no real telling about how contracting it can have a short-term or long-term impact on a player – you only have to look at how Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin has seemingly struggled all season with it.

Bielsa will surely be concerned over the news surrounding Klich.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man has proven to be an absolutely awful signing…

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has dropped a hugely encouraging update over the future of Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

A lot has been made about the 28-year-old’s future in north London ahead of the summer window, with a lot of the noise and speculation suggesting that he needs to leave Spurs to add trophies to his goal-laden career.

Speaking during the international break, Kane remained coy, he told Sky Sports: “I’m fully focused on doing the job on the pitch from now until the end of the summer, and then we’ll see where we go from there.”

That comes one year on from a similar interview that saw the England skipper claim he’d be willing to leave Spurs if they weren’t progressing.

The likes of Roy Keane, Jermain Defoe and Michael Owen have all urged Kane to move on in recent months.

But according to Romano, it’s “difficult to see that happening. In an exclusive interview with GiveMeSport this week, he said:

“I think it’s difficult to see Harry Kane out of Tottenham. I know what he said in the last interviews and obviously, we are in March so at the moment there is nothing advanced, but what I’m told is that Tottenham are planning with Harry Kane as part of the team.

“They want to discuss about this contract in the coming months and let’s see when they will decide to do it but they’re planning with him so at the moment there is nothing advanced with other clubs and they’re happy with Harry Kane so let’s see what he will decide.”

Mourinho will be buzzing

This news should come as a relief to everyone at Spurs but not at least manager Jose Mourinho, given his increasing reliance on the £108m-rated talisman.

The Englishman, a product of the Hotspur Way academy system, has bagged a whopping 27 goals in all competitions and has even broken a Premier League record this season.

Spurs have scored a total of 49 times in the top-flight this campaign, in which Kane has scored or assisted 30 of them, meaning he has accounted for 61.2% of their goals.

It’s no wonder Heung-min Son has lauded his Lilywhites teammate a “monster” in the past.

Without him, Mourinho would clearly be at a massive loss, especially given his doubts over Benfica loanee Carlos Vinicius.

“Vinicius is a player with an incredible spirit but his understanding of how to press is something he’s still not comfortable with,” explained the Portuguese boss to BT Sport (via Goal) after snubbing the Brazilian forward against Chelsea in February, with Kane out injured.

Even last season, with the leading striker absent, Spurs crashed out of the FA Cup, Champions League and at one stage looked to be missing out on Europe until his sudden return.

If Romano’s words ring true this summer, then Mourinho can start planning an assault on ending that barren run without silverware, with Kane at the forefront of that quest.

At the same time, he could silence those who believe the 6 foot 2 beast is better off elsewhere.

Click here to see the full GiveMeSport interview with Fabrizio Romano

AND in other news, Imagine him & Kane: Why Spurs must swoop for this “remarkable” Bundesliga sensation…

Raul Jimenez’s absence from the Wolves team while he recovers from a fractured skull has been all too clear.

Since he’s been out injured, Fabio Silva has scored just twice while Adama Traore and Willian Jose are yet to find the net all term in Wolves colours. Thus, new recruits are needed in the summer.

What’s the word?

Wolves tried their best to replace the goals of Jimenez in January but Jose clearly hasn’t done that very well.

Whether they enter the market for another striker remains to be seen but they are targeting a wide player if you believe reports.

Football Insider claimed over the weekend that the Midlands outfit have set their sights on signing Goncalo Guedes from Valencia.

It’s understood that the Spanish side are likely to sell him in the summer after they had funding withdrawn by owner Peter Lim.

West Ham are also reportedly interested in the player who is currently rated at £13.5m by Transfermarkt. The Portugal international may have to significantly reduce his salary in order to complete a move though. The Jorge Mendes client currently earns £101k-per-week in La Liga.

Pedro Neto 2.0

A young Portuguese player on the books of Mendes appears to tick all the boxes when playing Wolves transfer bingo.

Some players are often wide of the mark but Guedes has the potential to be a real star at Molineux. His style of play suits the Old Gold and he’d fit into a side who like to operate with crafty playmakers and dazzling dribbles.

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Guedes certainly fits that mantra and if you combine his qualities and the positions he plays in, he has Pedro Neto written all over him.

The Valencia attacker has the ability to play on both flanks while he’s also incredibly capable of starring in a number 10 role.

He has predominantly played off the left flank in 2020/21 but only has four goals to his name in all competitions. That being said, his contributions have arguably merited more.

Guedes has managed 1.5 shots per game this term, a tally only bettered by Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez and indeed Neto at Wolves. Meanwhile, his 1.9 dribbles per match is just 0.3 fewer than Neto’s tally.

Wolves’ Portuguese sensation has had a stellar campaign but they need more numbers in attack if Nuno is to ever take this team to the next level. He has tried and failed to do that by switching the club’s normal formation so perhaps new recruits could change their fortunes instead.

Speaking about the winger, Luis Figo once said: “Guedes is a fast, irreverent and unpredictable player, who himself builds actions for his teammates and is also able to finish well.”

Possessing eye-catching levels of pace, he has the abilities to stretch defences just as Neto does. This would be a smart move from Wolves providing they can afford the finances.

A glowing review from Figo tells you all you need to know.

AND in other news, Wolves must wield the axe on £22k-p/w flop who “defied the laws of physics” yesterday…