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      How Newcastle could line up with Gordon, Zaniolo and McTominay as they look to seal transfers for top four push

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      NEWCASTLE could have a very different look if they wrap some last-minute January deals.Toon have kept their powder dry this month, choosing to be patient while waiting for the right deal at the right price.
      Newcastle are in talks to sign Anthony GordonCredit: Getty
      Toon had a bid rejected for Nicolo ZanioloCredit: Getty
      Newcastle could upgrade midfield and attack with three January signings
      Toon could freshen up the side with three Chelsea recruits
      But there could be a flurry of activity in the window with Eddie Howe’s side linked to two midfielders and a winger.
      The biggest of those deals could be a move for Everton star Antony Gordon.
      Newcastle have reportedly opened talks with the Toffees over a £40million transfer.
      But Everton, who rejected bids from Newcastle and Chelsea for Gordon last summer, are holding out for £60m.
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      The Magpies are hopeful Everton will lower their demands with Gordon absent from training amid the speculation.
      The 21-year-old could slot onto Newcastle’s left flank and provide competition for Allan Saint-Maximin.
      And he could be supported on the left by the addition of Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo.
      The Italian, 23, has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham but Newcastle attempted to hijack the deal with a £31m bid.
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      That bid was rejected with the Serie A outfit looking for around £35m, but if he does arrive he could add creativity and goals to Howe’s midfield, something Newcastle have lacked.
      Manchester United star Scott McTominay could also bolster Newcastle’s midfield after the club held talks about signing the Scot.
      And the Red Devils are reportedly willing to cash in on McTominay in order to ease financial fair play concerns.
      Newcastle have also been linked with a swoop on Chelsea with three players catching their eye.
      Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are being eyed as midfield upgrades while Hakim Ziyech could boost the Magpies’ forward options. More

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      Brighton eye Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in January transfer – but only if Liverpool let him leave for FREE

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      LIVERPOOL star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could reportedly leave the club before the end of January, but only if he is let go for FREE.The 29-year-old has appeared just 10 times for Liverpool this season, with these boasting a measly 449 minutes of action.
      Brighton are among the club’s interested in signing Alex Oxlade-ChamberlainCredit: AP
      The 29-year-old is out of contract in the summerCredit: Rex
      Despite his lack of minutes, the former Arsenal star’s talents remain desired around the Premier League provided he can stay fit.
      His contract runs outat the end of the season, and clubs are queueing up to try and coax him into a deal to join them.
      High-flying Brighton are among them – following the sale of Leandro Trossard to Arsenal – and are so keen they are even willing to strike a deal this month.
      However, any deal will rest on whether Liverpool will allow “Ox” to leave for free.
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      According to the Daily Mail, the interested clubs are optimistic that Liverpool will let him leave this month without demanding a fee.
      With him on £120,000 per week, Liverpool would be keen to allow him to leave considering his playing time is set to be drastically reduced.
      The Reds have signed Cody Gakpo in the window, and will soon have the likes of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz returning from injury.
      Oxlade-Chamberlain signed for Liverpool from Arsenal in 2017 for £35million.
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      Following a bright start to his career at Anfield, injuries have limited both game time and form.
      This has resulted in him playing just 143 games for the club in all competitions. More

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      Riyad Mahrez now fully awake having overslept at the start of the Dream Team campaign

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      “Maybe Riyad had a problem coming back from the summertime, not the World Cup.”That was Pep Guardiola’s assessment of Riyad Mahrez’s (£5.8m) sluggish start to the campaign and subsequent resurgence.
      The Algerian winger desperately struggled for rhythm in his first nine outings this term, failing to register a goal involvement or even a single Dream Team point.
      However, he broke the shackles at the start of October with a goal and assist in a Star Man showing against Copenhagen in the Champions League and he hasn’t looked back since.
      A man in formCredit: getty
      Mahrez has scored ten goals and provided four assists in his last 15 games, a run that also includes four Star Man awards.
      Having started Game Week 8 with zero points, the four-time Premier League winner is set to end Game Week 19 with 103 to his name.
      Despite giving his peers a massive head start, Mahrez is one of only five midfielders to have celebrated their century at the time of writing, alongside Bukayo Saka (£4.1m), Martin Odegaard (£3.6m), Bruno Fernandes (£5.6m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£7.3m).
      In fact, the 31-year-old is third among assets in his position right now, an extraordinary achievement given he essentially overslept at the start of the season.
      Making up for lost timeCredit: getty
      And it’s probably because of his false start that Dream Team gaffers have been slow to back Mahrez.
      Even now, after 60 points across the last four Game Weeks, he only appears in 7% of teams – he’s less popular than Christian Eriksen (£3.4m), Pascal Gross (£3.4m) and Dejan Kulusevski (£3.8m).
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      Having publicly acknowledged Mahrez’s poor form at the start of the campaign, Guardiola has heaped praise on the winger in recent weeks and while second-guessing the decorated tactician’s starting line-ups is easier said than done, this one seems like a lock for now.
      It’s worth noting that Mahrez has outscored De Bruyne, Dream Team’s leading midfielder, by 24 points since that game against Copenhagen that started his fruitful run.
      Got a transfer or two remaining from January’s allotment? You could do a lot worse than recruiting City’s No26. More

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      Loan moves and the wrong mentality destroyed my form at Man Utd, but I rebuilt my career, says Federico Macheda

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      FEDERICO MACHEDA has admitted that loan moves and the wrong mentality prevented him from becoming a Manchester United star.Few have burst on to the scene like the Italian, who struck two winners in his first two games for the club.
      Federico Macheda struck a stunning winner past Aston Villa on his debutCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Sir Alex Ferguson rang the Italian in 2020 to check up on his progress
      A stunning injury-time effort against Aston Villa in April 2009 was followed up by a sharp finish at Sunderland a week later.
      Alas, the Italian failed to live up to his early promise and has opened up on his rise, fall, and rise again.
      After almost two years in the United set-up, he was sent on loan to Sampdoria for a spell that hammered his confidence.
      Macheda, 31, told the Mail: “Those six months marred my career because they tried to kill me as a footballer.
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      “I started to doubt myself a little bit.
      “We were fighting relegation and being attacked by people.
      “They thought because I was from Manchester United I was going to save them, but I wasn’t ready.
      “I was still a young guy. It wasn’t working and I wasn’t the one to make it work.”
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      The striker spent time at Queens Park Rangers, Stuttgart, Doncaster and Birmingham before leaving for Cardiff in 2014.
      A quiet stint in South Wales was followed by two years back in Italy before finding his feet with Panathinaikos.
      A record of 40 goals in 116 games for the Greek outfit was a very respectable return and Macheda acknowledged how tough it was to hit form again.
      He has since moved to Turkish Süper Lig club Ankaragücü, but is yet to score this season.
      He said: “It hasn’t been as good as I had hoped but I’ve learned a lot.
      “I’ve overcome a lot of things in my career.
      “Of course, I wish it could have gone another way, with the way it started and the way it was going.
      If I could go back, I wouldn’t swap. I wouldn’t change that moment… maybe it came too soonFederico Macheda
      “I was very down and I managed to turn things around and that isn’t easy in football, especially after the path I’ve had.
      “But if I could go back, I wouldn’t swap. I wouldn’t change that moment. Maybe it came too soon, but it’s something that every United fan will remember.”
      Nowadays, the shirt and a photo of his debut winner hang in the family home in Italy and Sir Alex Ferguson even called him up in 2020 to check on his former prodigy.
      Macheda has admitted that he perhaps was not well equipped to deal with the demanding life of a professional footballer.
      That Villa goal came at the tender age of 17 and he would fail to ‘understand’ what was needed when the going got tough.
      He said: “I think I could have done more.
      “I was working in an amazing team and I feel I let myself down. The whole picture, not just one thing.
      “The way of playing, looking after my body, my life.
      “The way of thinking, because when you don’t play you have to fight and I was finding excuses.
      “I had the wrong reaction and I wasn’t working as hard as I should have done.
      “When you’re young, you don’t understand many things. If I had the mentality I have now, things could have been much different for me.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Macheda struck a second winner a week after the Villa win, this time at SunderlandCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      The striker rebuilt his career at Greek club PanathinaikosCredit: Reuters
      However, after four years in Greece, he then moved to the Turkish side Ankaragucu.
      He failed to impress during his time there and was loaned to Cypriot outfit Apoel, the 12th different club in his career. More

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      Tottenham wanted me to GET RID of Harry Kane says ex-manager Tim Sherwood as he reveals star’s best attribute

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      TOTTENHAM wanted to get rid of Harry Kane before he made his Premier League debut, according to former manager Tim Sherwood.The England captain, 29, moved level with Jimmy Greaves as Spurs’ all-time leading scorer on Monday night as he bagged his 266th goal for the club in their 1-0 win over Fulham.
      Harry Kane equalled Jimmy Greaves’ goalscoring record for Spurs on MondayCredit: Getty
      Tim Sherwood claims Spurs wanted to get rid of Kane while he was managerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      He also moved to 199 Premier League goals, nine behind Wayne Rooney and 61 shy of Alan Shearer’s record.
      But before his devastating prowess in front of goal became Tottenham’s most valuable asset, he was struggling out on loan at the likes of Norwich and Leicester.
      And Sherwood, who handed Kane his first Premier League start for Spurs in April 2014, has revealed the club wanted to move him on.
      But he insists he had belief in the striker’s ability and was a driving force in keeping him at White Hart Lane.
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      Speaking in his column for The Mail, he said: “Every manager that took Harry on loan said he wouldn’t make it. There wasn’t one who said he would.
      “If they tell you different, they’re lying. I’m not knocking that. It was their opinion at the time.
      But I never judged Harry when he was away from Tottenham. I thought it was the best for his development – to play competitive football.
      “I’d go watch him. At Millwall in 2012, there was an intense atmosphere. But that was exactly what he needed. For him to keep putting that shirt on when he hadn’t scored, only to end up being named Millwall’s Young Player of the Year, showed the character of the boy.
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      “When Harry came back to Tottenham after a series of loans, I advised him not to accept any more offers and to stick around and fight for his place.
      “The manager previous to me, Andre Villas-Boas, had no intention of putting him in.
      “Franco Baldini was sporting director and he wrote off Harry, saying he wasn’t good enough for the Premier League. Tottenham wanted me to get rid of him.
      “There were clubs who wanted Harry. But I wouldn’t do that. I wasn’t listening. I was saying: ‘The boy is good enough.’
      “I was told I was ‘biased’ towards the younger players. I wasn’t. I just wanted to win and Harry was best equipped to do that for me.”
      Kane scored on his Premier League debut in a 5-1 win over Sunderland and went on to bag two more league goals before the end of the 2013/14 season.
      Since then, he has scored 24 goals or more in all competitions for eight successive campaigns.
      And Sherwood pinpointed Kane’s work rate as his best attribute.
      He added: “I hate ‘natural talent’. There’s no such thing as a ‘natural’ footballer.
      “It takes hard work, and no one typifies that more than this boy. Harry worked hard. He still works hard.”
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      Kane will look to move out on his own as Spurs’ all-time top scorer when they travel to face Preston in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.
      He will also see the competition as an opportunity to win a first major trophy of his career.
      Sherwood handed Kane his first Premier League start in 2014Credit: Corbis More

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      Man Utd legend Paul Scholes launches X-rated cryptic rant over transfers as club struggle to sign players in January

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      PAUL SCHOLES hit out at critics of Manchester United’s recruitment following the club’s struggles this month.United have found it difficult to buy players in January after splashing out big fees on Casemiro, Antony and Lisandro Martinez last summer.
      Paul Scholes says it is wrong to blame United’s failures on transfer activityCredit: PA
      That has limited the club to the loan signings of Wout Weghorst and Jack Butland, leading some to question United’s recruitment.
      United’s lack of depth was highlighted in the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday but Scholes believes the criticism is unfair.
      He took to Instagram writing: “Here we go again, managers and every other f***er blaming failure on recruitment…
      “I don’t see these people complaining when they sign the players, I see nothing but excitement at new players coming through the door.
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      “Just because you like them as players already it doesn’t mean you don’t have to improve them as footballers and people.
      “PS… just covering my a*** if @salfordcityfc don’t have a successful season!! Laters!!”
      The Red Devils look unlikely to make a big transfer splash this month but they are lining up some big names for the summer.
      Tottenham star Harry Kane is reportedly high on their list of targets with the England captain out of contract in 2024.
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      Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is also of interest but could cost a club record fee.
      United are also reported to be after a goalkeeper with Brentford shot-stopper David Raya the latest name linked. More

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      Liverpool now favourites in Jude Bellingham transfer race ahead of Real Madrid and Man City as Dortmund talks hot up

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      LIVERPOOL are reportedly the favourites to sign Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham.The 19-year-old England starlet is one of the most sought-after names on the planet after a stellar World Cup.
      Jude Bellingham is expected to leave Borussia Dortmund in the summerCredit: Getty
      Bellingham has previously been linked with Liverpool, as well as the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City.
      And it’s the Reds who are currently favourites to sign the midfielder, according to Sky in Germany.
      Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp is claimed to be “pushing” to sign Bellingham in the summer.
      The former Birmingham City man is Klopp’s No1 transfer target as he looks to overhaul an ageing midfield.
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      But Sky say Real Madrid and City are also targeting the teenager.
      However, Liverpool are claimed to be leading the race for his signature.
      Klopp is not reported to have spoken to Bellingham personally about joining the club, but the boss has spoken to Anfield transfer chiefs about signing the midfielder.
      SunSport exclusively revealed at the weekend that Bellingham is set to turn down a new Dortmund contract.
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      That will kickstart the auction for the highly sought after England international.
      Sky Germany claim Bellingham does not have a release clause in his Dortmund contract.
      As a result, the German club are set to demand between £88million and £132m for his signature.

      The Bundesliga outfit want to keep hold of their superstar midfielder for another season.
      Bellingham has netted 10 times in 23 games in all competitions for Dortmund this season, including a wondergoal in his first game back after the World Cup. More

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      Liverpool legend Djibril Cisse could come out of retirement at 41 to play for FREE as he’s 4 goals short of milestone

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      FORMER Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse could come out of retirement to reach a goal target.The 41-year-old is believed to have made the admission as he wants to hit 100 goals in Ligue 1.
      Djibril Cisse has offered to play for free so he can score four more goals in Ligue 1Credit: AP:Associated Press
      The Frenchman currently has 96 goals in France’s top league and believes he is capable of getting to the landmark.
      Cisse was once one of the top strikers in England as he scored 32 goals in 110 appearances in the Premier League.
      This includes 13 goals for Liverpool. He also featured for Sunderland and QPR.
      France was where he enjoyed his most prolific form as he starred for Marseille, Auxerre and Bastia.
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      He is now believed to be eyeing a comeback and has offered his services to clubs for free.
      He reportedly said: “Being four goals away from 100 in Ligue 1, it doesn’t suit me.
      “If a club comes and offers me the chance to play, I will go for free.”

      He had come out of retirement before after initially hanging up his boots when he was 34 due to injury.
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      Cisse joined Swiss side Yverdon-Sport FC and scored 24 goals in 29 games for the club.
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      He was last contracted to the American fourth-division side Panathinaikos Chicago in 2021.
      Cisse did play internationally for France during his career, scoring nine goals in 41 appearances. More