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What a turbulent week it has been for Chelsea Football Club. Their poor form in December resulted in the sacking, perhaps surprisingly, of manager Enzo Maresca.

The Blues only won twice in the final month of 2025, and one of those wins came against League One Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup.

The club, as is the done thing when a manager is sacked, released a statement on the official website.

It made for an interesting read, with one line explaining the club “believe a change gives the team the best chance of getting the season back on track.”

There are already links regarding the new manager at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea turning to Premier League manager

There is one option Chelsea have when it comes to their new manager, who might be seen as an easy pick. Liam Rosenior, head coach of RC Strasbourg, is certainly attainable given the French side are sister clubs with Chelsea under the BlueCo ownership.

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However, the West London club might look within the Premier League for their new boss.

According to a recent report from Football Insider, the Blues have ‘sounded out’ Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe, who is said to be ‘firmly on Chelsea‘s radar’ as they hunt for a new boss.

At this stage, it is not clear whether this deal would get over the line or not.

The report confirms that ‘it remains to be seen if he would leave Newcastle mid-season’ to switch to the Bridge, when they are so trigger-happy with sacking their manager.

Why Howe would be a good appointment for Chelsea

There is no doubt that Howe has built up a great reputation within top-flight football across England. Even though this season has been tough for Newcastle, he has guided them to top finishes and silverware.

It is not for nothing that Pep Guardiola once called Howe a “top-class” manager.

He has now taken charge of an impressive 201 matches at St James’ Park, which in itself is a huge milestone. In that time, he’s won 104 games with a win rate of 51.74%.

Howe record at Newcastle

Stat

Number

Matches

201

Wins

104

Win rate

51.74%

Draws

39

Losses

58

Goals for/against

359/250

PL average points per game

1.66

Stats from Transfermarkt

The best season under his tutelage for the Magpies came last term. Not only did they finish in a Champions League qualification spot, but they lifted the Carabao Cup to end the club’s trophy drought of almost six decades.

It was an achievement of monumentous proportions for the Englishman.

Indeed, Howe will be going up against countryman Rosenior for the Chelsea post, it seems. The ex-Hull City boss has also performed well in his role with Strasbourg, helping them reach the Conference League last term.

In total, he’s tasted victory 32 times in 62 games as the manager of the Ligue 1 outfit.

With that being said, there is certainly a case to be made that Howe has the edge over Rosenior when it comes to who should be appointed as Chelsea manager.

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During his time in France, the London-born manager has shown he is a good motivator and tactician, but he is arguably lacking in comparison to the Magpies boss.

There are two main factors that might make Howe more appealing. One of those is the fact that he’s won silverware as recently as last season.

The former Bournemouth manager will be expected to challenge for trophies at Stamford Bridge, and the fact that he has experience doing so may stand him in better stead.

Of course, English top-flight experience is the other factor. Rosenior has managed in France’s premier division and the Championship over in England, but Howe is something of a seasoned veteran when it comes to managing in the Premier League.

With that in mind, it is easy to see why Chelsea might lean towards appointing Howe. Although it would be a less easy deal to do than that of Rosenior, his experience in the Premier League and of winning trophies might be more appealing.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called a Hoops transfer target “brilliant” ahead of their Champions League qualifier with Kairat Almaty.

Rodgers addresses Celtic transfers before Champions League qualifier

So far in the 2025 summer transfer window, those at Parkhead have signed seven new players and still have time for further incomings and outgoings ahead of the September 1 deadline.

It has been two weeks since their most recent arrival, 19-year-old Manchester City loan defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, and Rodgers is focused on getting past the Kazakh opposition with familiar players.

Celtic’s summer signings so far

From

Fee

Benjamin Nygren

FC Nordsjaelland

£2m

Shin Yamada

Kawasaki Frontale

£1.5m

Hayato Inamura

Albirex Niigata

£250,000

Kieran Tierney

Arsenal

Free

Ross Doohan

Aberdeen

Free

Callum Osmand

Fulham

Undisclosed

Jahmai Simpson-Pusey

Man City

Loan

Rodgers was asked if he would get the signings he was looking for when the board discover whether they have Champions League income.

“I’m not going to get into a situation where I look frustrated or am frustrated because that transfers on to the players that I have, and those guys have been brilliant.

“If we get somebody in, great. If not, then we’ll go with what we’ve got. We’ll do everything we can to try and ensure all the details are right for the game and see if we can take Celtic back into the Champions League again.

“I’ve had no injuries and I believe that the quality of our game and the intensity that we want to work at can hopefully be enough to see us through. But these games will always be tough games.”

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Posts 1 ByDan Emery Rodgers responds to Vardy joining Celtic rumours

One player who has been linked with Celtic is free agent Jamie Vardy. The forward has his heart set on a move to Celtic Park after leaving Leicester City, and Rodgers called the forward “brilliant” when quizzed on a potential move.

Rodgers also wanted to ensure uncertainty over potential outgoing transfers also does not affect players.

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“I mentioned this a few weeks ago to the players, I think it’s important to just set the narrative for them because there’s so much noise, especially as it ramps up towards the end.

“I’ve been in enough changing rooms to know how stability can be lost in this moment because some players will be thinking are they staying, are they going, but in the midst of that you’ve got really important games.

“So I’ve already mentioned this to players about respecting and acknowledging that it is a difficult part of the season, however, the money will be in your bank every month and it’ll be from Celtic and whilst it is, you need to perform. And in fairness to the players, they’ve been brilliant with that. You see it in their attitude in the game, the energy in the games.”

As the Premier League season enters the final stage, Manchester City are already starting to prepare for the summer transfer window and are now willing to make a £60 million offer to sign a “magician” for Pep Guardiola, according to a recent report.

Man City eye new midfielder to possibly replace Bernardo Silva

Given how busy the Blues were during the January transfer window, it is expected to be even busier at the Etihad this summer, as the club looks to potentially move players on and bring in new, young, and hungrier replacements.

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Over the weekend it was reported that Portuguese giants Benfica are interested in a move to sign Bernardo Silva from City. It is claimed that Silva is willing to take a pay cut on his current wage to secure a move to his homeland and to return to his boyhood club. His exit could be granted by Guardiola and the City chiefs, as his contract expires at the end of next season, and the Blues seemingly have their eyes on both a future successor and an immediate replacement.

According to The Star, City have seen an offer rejected for Sheffield Wednesday’s Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri. The attacker is only 15 years old, but the Blues see him as a player who has a bright future in the game, and the Premier League champions are willing to spend a seven-figure deal on him to secure a transfer. He may not be ready-made for the Premier League, but he could be seen as a long-term replacement for Silva.

Man City prepared to offer £60m to sign “magician”

If Silva does leave the Etihad, the Blues have their eyes on finding a more ready-made replacement as well. According to a report from Spain, Man City have made Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison one of their transfer targets ahead of this summer.

The report states that the Blues are looking ahead to the future, and Maddison’s excellent campaign for Spurs hasn’t gone unnoticed by Guardiola. So much so, that City are now willing to offer £60 million to secure the Englishman’s signature. Maddison isn’t seen as a player who can just become a squad player; in fact, they see him as the perfect replacement for Kevin De Bruyne, who is leaving City at the end of the campaign.

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Maddison, who has been dubbed a “magician” by Statman Dave in the past, is seen as the perfect player for Guardiola’s system, and the City boss hasn’t hidden his admiration for the player, calling him “quality” this season.

James Maddison’s Premier League stats

Apps

221

Goals

56

Assists

48

Maddison has netted nine goals and recorded six assists in 30 league games this season, and that has been achieved in an underperforming Tottenham side. The 28-year-old is a key player for Spurs and Ange Postecoglou and is under contract until 2028, but they will consider a possible sale should they receive an offer of £60 million.

After yet more inconsistency on the pitch, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their attention towards a future star who has attracted plenty of attention from a number of European sides.

Newcastle transfer news

It’s been one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle as of late, having impressed in a dramatic 3-3 draw against Liverpool in midweek, only to suffer a frustrating 4-2 defeat at the hands of Brentford this weekend.

This all follows a frustrating summer, in which Paul Mitchell failed to make an impact in his first transfer window as sporting director.

With the January transfer window approaching, those at St James’ Park could yet make up for lost time and hand Eddie Howe some much-needed reinforcements. On that front, names such as Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo have already been mentioned in two deals that would instantly sharpen Newcastle’s frontline alongside Alexander Isak.

Whether or not those moves take place as early as the January transfer window remains to be seen, but the Newcastle squad certainly needs the addition of attacking reinforcements. But it’s not just those who are already established that the Magpies have turned their attention towards, with one future star now also reportedly on their radar.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Newcastle are now interested in signing Nimfasha Berchimas ahead of Manchester United from MLS side Charlotte. The 16-year-old sensation has attracted plenty of attention, having trained with Bayern Munich in 2022 and now set to train with the Red Devils, who appear to be a step ahead of Newcastle in the race for his signature.

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With RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid also interested in the teenager, it would be some move by Newcastle if they managed to swoop in and secure the arrival in Berchimas.

"Huge talent" Berchimas is one to watch

Whilst Berchimas is not able to move to Europe until 2026 when he will be 18 years old, he remains one to watch, having been described as a “huge talent” by MLS insider Tom Bogert.

At such a young age, it’s incredibly impressive that Berchimas is already making his mark on Charlotte’s first team with three appearances to his name. Meanwhile, he’s also impressed for their youth side, scoring 6 goals in 21 games in the MLS Next Pro.

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If Newcastle are looking to sign a future upgrade on Miguel Almiron – who also arrived from MLS – signing a young player of Berchimas’ calibre is certainly an intelligent route to take.

However, with plenty of competition for his signature, the Magpies will have to move quickly to secure a deal before the likes of Manchester United can swoop in.

Russell Martin is going about his business this summer as Southampton manager attempting to construct the best possible team he can to help his side stay put in the Premier League, hoping to go against the grain of newly promoted sides choking under the severe pressure of the top-flight.

All three sides that were promoted last campaign instantly fell back down to the Championship, with the Saints boss attempting to blend new quality in through the door with reliable heads he knows already from his successful time to date in the St. Mary's dug-out.

The latter bracket saw Flynn Downes return on a permanent basis, after starring out on loan with the South Coast outfit from West Ham United, and the Southampton manager also wants Ryan Fraser to return for good after he also played his part in the club's promotion success story.

That move could be trickier to pull off, with a new left wing target now on the mind of the 38-year-old boss as a result.

Southampton interested in move for Serie A attacker

As per a report by Football Insider, the newly promoted side have registered their interest in trying to tempt Sassuolo winger Armande Lauriente to the South Coast this summer.

The now Serie B club are resigned to losing their star Frenchman owing to relegation, according to the report, with the likes of Italian top-flight outfit Lazio also reportedly keen on the agile 25-year-old away from Southampton just watching on.

The Sassuolo number 45 will, no doubt, be weighing up his options as we speak, therefore, with the potential for him to dazzle Premier League defences if he chooses the Saints as his new destination.

What Lauriente can offer Southampton

Lauriente joining would make the situation surrounding Fraser not yet returning to the South Coast easier to swallow too from Martin and Co's perspective, with the exciting attacker in question even possessing shades of Marcus Rashford's game, according to FBref.

Scoring sublime strikes like this free-kick above on a regular basis for his current employers, Lauriente could catch Premier League defences off-guard with his trickery, if he does sign on the dotted line to relocate to England shortly.

Last campaign, even whilst the collective team struggled in the midst of a relegation battle, the in-demand 25-year-old would amass five goals and six assists from 37 league clashes. In total, Lauriente's goal and assist haul playing in Serie A comes in at an impressive 24 goal contributions from 68 appearances.

Lauriente's FBref numbers (23/24) compared to Rashford's (23/24)

Stat – per 90 mins

Lauriente

Rashford

Games played

37

33

Goals scored

5

7

Assists

6

2

Shots on target

0.93

0.75

Attempted passes

28.1

29.4

Pass completion %

69.2%

75.3%

Shot-creating actions

3.40

3.45

Progressive carries

3.87

3.77

Progressive passes

3.07

2.58

Progressive passes received

8.30

7.30

Stats by FBref

Southampton could even win their very own Rashford if a move gets off the ground this transfer window, with their respective numbers very similar in certain areas of their attacking game, with Lauriente even bettering his Manchester United counterpart when it comes to progressive carries venturing forward last season.

The Frenchman also betters Fraser's numbers in certain areas too, when you cast an eye over the current Magpies winger's last top-flight season, with the ageing attacker only managing 2.30 shot creation actions per 90 minutes, alongside other illuminating statistics, when placed up against Lauriente and Rashford.

Lauriente will hope he can arrive into the Premier League and become an established performer at the level like the Red Devils man over time, therefore, who now has 402 first-team appearances for Erik Ten Hag's men in his back pocket.

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He will further pray that he can help his new employers stave off the drop if he does sign, so he can avoid another relegation staining his CV, like his recent woes with Sassuolo.

As data analyst Ben Mattinson noted, "in the right system he’d explode", with the hope being that Martin can provide the outlet for Lauriente to dazzle at St Mary's.

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Tottenham chiefs are said to be very interested in signing a 24-year-old, viewed by those within the game as a potential "bargain" this summer.

Spurs transfer plans for this summer

Spurs and technical director Johan Lange are already making transfer plans ahead of the next transfer window, and there is a variety of positions which manager Ange Postecoglou wants to strengthen ahead of this summer.

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He’s absolutely vital for his club.

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The key one is now at centre-back, with Postecoglou publicly admitting he wants another central defensive ace at Spurs despite already bringing in Radu Dragusin for £25 million from Genoa in the January window.

“If you’re saying, ‘Is it an area we can strengthen?’, yes it’s an area we will probably look at”, said Postecoglou on Tottenham's summer transfer plans last week.

“With all these things, it’s about trying to strengthen the group as much as anything else. If you think about when I first arrived, we had maybe six or seven centre-backs at the club. So it’s not just numbers. It’s more about the ability of those players to play the football we want and to fit in to what we’re trying to build here.

“I think it is an area of the park we will look to strengthen, but I think we’ll look to strengthen all areas of the park come the end of the season. That is planning that’s already underway, and other people are in charge of it at the moment.”

Spurs could also look to sign a new full-back, midfielder and striker later in the year, according to various rumours in the past few weeks. For the midfield, a name who refuses to go away is Chelsea star Conor Gallagher.

Conor Gallagher's best league games for Chelsea this season

Average match rating (via WhoScored)

Crystal Palace 1-3 Chelsea

8.78

Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea

8.22

Tottenham 3-0 Luton Town

7.90

Tottenham 2-0 Sheffield United

7.80

Burnley 1-4 Tottenham

7.72

The 24-year-old's contract expires next year as things stand, and reports suggest this has heightened interest from north London, with Spurs apparently keen to do a deal for Gallagher at around £30 million.

Whether or not this is doable remains to be seen, as Chelsea are believed to value the Englishman at around £50 million regardless of his contract situation.

Tottenham really want Gallagher, viewed as a potential "bargain"

Nevertheless, the midfielder's dwindling current deal could put Chelsea under pressure to sell for much less.

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That is according to Football Insider, who also claim that clubs across England and Europe view Gallagher as a potential "bargain signing" this summer. Gallagher is of "significant interest" to Tottenham heading into the transfer window, as per FI, with their London rivals braced for "cheeky" bids after Tottenham also held talks in January but to no avail.

Chelsea are said to be under "major pressure" to sell players before 30 June, after their 2022-23 accounts shared that they made losses of around £90.1million last year. You therefore cannot rule out Gallagher's potential sale, and Spurs could well benefit.

Glasgow Rangers have reached the League Cup final and stand a good chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the Europa League under Philippe Clement.

While they may be eight points behind Celtic in the Premiership title (albeit with a game in hand), the Belgian has turned around their fortunes following a dismal start to the current season.

Although the previous 18 months have seen the club go trophyless while struggling to keep up with their Old Firm rivals in the league, it isn’t nearly as bad as the spell between 2016 and 2018.

The Ibrox side even finished third during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons, behind both Celtic and Aberdeen and the club were in a crisis.

Mark Warburton left after just eight months into his first top-flight season, and he was replaced by Pedro Caixinha, who must go down as one of the worst managers in the club’s history.

He made several woeful signings during his brief stint in charge of the club, wasting vast sums of money in the process, while he even failed to defeat minnows Progres Niederkorn in Europe.

There was a signing he made who didn’t quite showcase his true potential at the club, yet has gone on to prove everyone at Ibrox wrong about his recent career trajectory – Fabio Cardoso.

How much Rangers signed Fabio Cardoso for

During the summer of 2017, Caixinha was aiming to build a squad which could challenge Celtic for the league title and looking back, it looked like an impossible task.

New arrivals included the likes of Carlos Pena, Dalcio, Eduardo Herrera and Declan John, hardly a list of players who were about to challenge for trophies.

Cardoso was one of the more exciting signings, joining from Vitoria Setubal for a fee in the region of £1.5m and considering Caixinha’s Portuguese heritage, it looked as though the Gers may have picked up a hidden gem.

Indeed, Caixinha certainly thought so, expressing his delight at signing the player, saying: "He is a player who everyone describes as having big potential to be one of the centre-halves of the future with the Portuguese national team.

"We believe in him and he can perform on the right or on the left which is good in a centre-half."

What could possibly go wrong?

Fabio Cardoso’s statistics at Rangers

The centre-back was often paired alongside his compatriot Bruno Alves, and it looked like it could potentially blossom into a decent pairing.

Despite a consistent start to his Gers career starting the first 13 matches of the season, his fortunes changed during the League Cup semi-final in October 2017 against Motherwell.

Not only did the Light Blues slump to a woeful 2-0 defeat at Hampden, but Cardoso was on the receiving end of an elbow from Ryan Bowman which broke his nose and forced him off the field with just 20 minutes left in the match.

He was never quite the same after that injury, playing just another four games for the club as interim manager Graeme Murty didn’t fancy him and what could have been the start of a promising career at the club, ended rather shoddily.

The club finished third that term and Steven Gerrard was announced as the new manager in May 2018 as a new era began, one without Cardoso.

What Fabio Cardoso did after leaving Rangers

The former Liverpool captain underwent a major summer revolution upon his arrival in Glasgow, shipping out players who were not going to play a part in his future plans.

Cardoso was one who didn’t quite make the cut, as the Light Blues tore up his contract after just a year in Scotland, and he ended up joining Santa Clara in Portugal.

His three years at the club produced 97 appearances – scoring 11 goals and grabbing five assists in the process – and this led to Porto making a move for the former Gers centre-back, and he joined the club at the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

From failing to make the bench at Rangers to playing for one of the biggest clubs in Portugal within three and a half years was a remarkable turnaround, and he is certainly making the most of his chance at the elite level.

Fabio Cardoso's career statistics

Games

Goals

Santa Clara

97

11

Porto

60

3

Pacos Ferreira

43

1

Rangers

18

0

Vitoria Setubal

27

1

Stats via Transfermarkt.

His spell in Porto has allowed Cardoso to claim three trophies while also being able to showcase his abilities in the Champions League on a regular basis.

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Indeed, across four matches in Europe’s premier club competition last term, the 29-year-old held a pass success rate of 89% along with keeping three clean sheets during those four matches and losing possession on average 6.3 times per game.

The defender also ranked third across the squad for tackles per game (1.8) while ranking second for clearances per game (3.8) and fourth for accurate long passes per game (2.5), clearly suggesting that he was at ease in the Champions League.

Did Rangers get rid of Cardoso too hastily? The recent statistics indicate that, if given time, he could have made a solid impression under Gerrard and developed into a robust and combative centre-back who could have shined in Scotland.

According to Football Transfers, the 29-year-old is currently valued at €3m (£2.6m) and the club certainly had a nightmare by allowing him to leave by mutual consent rather than selling him for a fee.

The Light Blues have made their fair share of mistakes in the transfer window since returning to the top flight back in 2016, yet Cardoso might just go down as one of their biggest.

Not for how he performed on the pitch, but the way his departure was handled. At a time when the club needed to be spending money wisely, Gerrard wasted a significant amount by sending Cardoso on his way after ripping up his contract and had they not secured group-stage European football that term, it might have proven more costly than it did.

Clement will have paid attention to what his predecessors have done to avoid repeating the same mistakes and the onus is for the Gers to now build a player trading model which will allow them to sell players for the highest available figure.

Newcastle United's Premier League campaign kicks off later this month as they host Aston Villa at St. James' Park and the home faithful could have a few new faces to see in action.

Who have Newcastle United signed this summer?

Eddie Howe has been able to bring in two new first-team signings so far during the summer transfer window as Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes have come in to bolster his options in midfield and out wide.

Talented youngster Yankuba Minteh has also been brought in but the 19-year-old winger was instantly sent back out on loan to Feyenoord in the Netherlands.

The Northern Echo have claimed that the head coach would like to make two further additions to the side before the deadline passes; a full-back and a central defender.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

Newcastle and top-flight rivals Everton are both reportedly eyeing a swoop for Red Bull Salzburg centre-back Oumar Solet, although it remains to be seen how much it would take for the Austrian giants to cash in on him.

Who is Oumar Solet?

The 23-year-old colossus stands at 6 foot 4 and could form a monstrous partnership with current Magpies titan Sven Botman at the back if the club are able to snap him up before the end of the window.

Solet, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once described as "marauding", enjoyed a terrific 2022/23 campaign with Salzburg and could be a terrific signing for Howe if the French giant is able to translate his form over to English football.

He averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.42 across 25 Bundesliga outings, which shows that the talented youngster produced consistently brilliant performances and rarely allowed his level to dip.

Solet also made a whopping 4.5 tackles and interceptions per game for Salzburg, which is more than any Toon player in any position managed last term.

To put those numbers into context, only Kieran Trippier (7.61) averaged a higher Sofascore rating for Newcastle in the Premier League and Fabian Schar, who Solet could replace on the right side of the defence, averaged a score of 7.13.

The Switzerland international has entered the final year of his contract on Tyneside and turns 32 later this year, which could result in the Salzburg star and Botman, 23, being the long-term pairing for Howe at the back.

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Solet and the Dutchman both stand at 6 foot 4 and have the ability to consistently dominate opposition attackers, which could make them a fearsome central defensive partnership for teams to break down this season.

The towering Frenchman won 63% of his Bundesliga duels last term and caught the eye with a stunning 83% aerial contest success rate across four Champions League outings. Meanwhile, Botman won 67% of his battles – 66% of them in the air – throughout his debut Premier League campaign for Newcastle.

This shows that they are both physically strong and imposing defenders who will not be bullied, which could give Howe's side a solid base from which to build.

Therefore, Dan Ashworth and the English tactician could unearth a terrific long-term partnership in defence for the Magpies by signing Solet to replace Botman as Schar's heir this summer.

Newcastle United have not been short of memorable performances this Premier League season and Eddie Howe will surely be thrilled with the quick progression his team has made over the last 12 months.

The Magpies are currently third in the top-flight table with the chances of Champions League football next season becoming a real possibility should they keep up their phenomenal form after going unbeaten in their last five outings following the victory over Brenford this weekend.

It was by no means an easy battle won at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon and for the first 45 minutes it looked like Newcastle could be in trouble, as many players looked exhausted and their successful system looked to be disjointed – giving two penalties away before half-time.

However, the Newcastle boss displayed exactly why he has comfortably led his squad to bigger things this season, with his impeccable in-game management paying off massively in the second half.

Howe decided to take drastic action during the break, replacing Sean Longstaff and Jacob Murphy with Anthony Gordon and Callum Wilson, slightly tweaking the formation by moving Isak into a shadow striker role behind the England international, as the Swede has often displayed his ability to drop deeper.

To say it paid off is an understatement as it was a game-changing move that ultimately helped the Geordies become much more offensive and energetic, which led to a well-fought 2-1 victory.

Should Howe play Wilson and Isak together more often?

There is no doubt that Howe has a headache worth having when it comes to selecting his starting striker, as both Wilson and Isak have been massively influential in the position over the season so far.

The £46k-per-week goal machine has scored ten goals and delivered four assists in 27 appearances, with his form in front of goal earning him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the end of last year.

Wilson's £120k-per-week competitor for the striker role, Isak, was a monumental signing for the Magpies last summer, making the move to Tyneside for a club-record fee of £63m and has been a joy to watch ever since – scoring nine goals and registering one assist in 13 appearances.

The two goal-scorers boast different qualities, with Wilson an incredible finisher who thrives as a fox in the box, whilst Isak plays his best football when he is given the freedom to drop deeper and drifts into wider positions to receive the ball from midfield, often utilising his impeccable dribbling skills to trouble his opponents in the final third.

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The St James' Park faithful welcomed the partnership when Howe made the change yesterday, with The Chronicle's Ciaran Kelly heaping praise on the pair for the build-up to Isak's winning goal:

"Callum Wilson lays it off on the edge of the area and Alexander Isak arrows it into the top corner first time. Unreal. They can play together, all right."

With that being said, Howe could have the perfect attacking formula for the rest of the season to unlock Champions League football for the North East club, as it is clear that Isak and Wilson can not only deliver apart but shine together too.

An update has emerged on Everton and who they would like to take over from Frank Lampard at Goodison Park…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol has revealed that the Toffees do have an interest, from some members of the club, in bringing a current Premier League head coach to Merseyside.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, the reporter said: “Another name that has been mentioned to me is Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager. I’ve been told that there are people at Everton who are big admirers of Thomas Frank.

“Again, I’m being told that people at the club are not sure whether he would leave Brentford (or) whether he would be happy to go and work at Everton.”

Dream Lampard replacement

The Toffees could land a dream replacement for Lampard if they are able to convince Frank to part ways with Brentford to join the club in the coming days.

He put pen to paper on a new contract with the Bees at the end of December 2022 and this suggests that the 49-year-old is committed to his current team, which means that it could be a difficult task for Farhad Moshiri to bring him to Merseyside.

However, if the Everton chief can pull it off then Frank has the potential to be a superb appointment, as the Danish tactician has proven his quality as a manager at Premier League level.

The former assistant manager to Dean Smith at Brentford led his team to 13th in the English top-flight in their first season in the division, after taking them up via the play-offs in the previous campaign.

This season, the Bees are currently sitting eighth in the table – a whopping 15 points clear of Everton – and have scored 32 goals in the Premier League – 17 more than the Toffees.

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His achievements with Brentford show that the 49-year-old knows how to manage a team in the English top-flight and that he could play a big role in getting the club out of the relegation zone, given that the coach has prevented Brentford from being near the drop over the last 18 months.

Frank is also an engaging character who could galvanise the fanbase and the players. Jurgen Klopp previously hailed his “entertaining” press conferences and claimed that the football he deploys is “incredible”, which suggests that the Dane could get Goodison rocking with his personality and his style of play.

Therefore, the Brentford tactician could be a dream replacement for Frank and Everton must do everything in their power to convince him to make the switch, however unlikely it may seem at the moment.