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Newcastle United are reportedly among the "favourites" to snap up Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby during the summer transfer window.

Is Diaby having a good season?

The 23-year-old is part of a Leverkusen squad currently thriving under Xabi Alonso, proving to be an important figure. This season, he has scored nine goals and registered six assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances, as well as three goal contributions in the Europa League, helping them reach the quarter-finals of the competition.

Diaby's performances have understandably caught the eye of a number of clubs across Europe, with a summer departure potentially on the cards. The Frenchman's current deal expires in the summer of 2025 and it could be that the best chance for Leverkusen to receive big money for his services is at the end of this season.

With Newcastle looking for a memorable summer in the transfer market, more attacking firepower is perhaps required in their squad – particularly with a European campaign next season looking likely – and the Leverkusen star could be just the man to help solve that issue.

Are Newcastle signing Moussa Diaby?

According to SportBILD (via Sport Witness), the Magpies are "among the favourites" to acquire Diaby's signature this summer, seeing him as an exciting option to add more quality in the final third. A number of top clubs are believed to be "getting serious" about signing him, with the player himself also claiming that "it’s fun when many clubs are interested in you".

It is stated that Newcastle were keen on bringing in Diaby during the January transfer window, but a move failed to materialise at that point. Anthony Gordon's struggles are mentioned in the report, having "failed" to make an impression so far – he is yet to get a goal or an assist in seven Premier League appearances, suggesting that Diaby would be considered an upgrade on the former Everton man.

We think Diaby could be a great signing for Newcastle, with his end product speaking for itself this season, while nine caps for a star-studded France team also outlines his pedigree. He has been hailed as "incredibly dangerous" by Freiburg coach Christian Streich, and his overall record of 94 goal contributions (48 goals and 46 assists) in 162 appearances for Leverkusen is highly impressive.

At 23, he also has his best years ahead of him, meaning he could be an immediate key man as well as a future potential superstar at St James' Park.

All things considered, we feel there is every reason for Eddie Howe to splash the cash on the winger this summer.

Everton have found themselves yet again struggling to retain their Premier League status this season and Sean Dyche has been tasked with the challenge of damage control at Goodison Park by securing survival over the remaining fixtures.

The Toffees are currently teetering on the edge of the relegation zone as only goal difference is saving them from being in the bottom three and with just eight games left to play, there is no room for error going forward until the end of the season.

Indeed, if the former Burnley boss can save the Merseysiders this season, there is no doubt that he will be keen to make his own mark on the squad to prompt improvement and resolve the disastrous decisions of those who preceded him.

One player who has been sparking media attention for all the wrong reasons yet again this week is Frank Lampard's signing Dele Alli, with the player banished from his loan club Besiktas this season and now suffering an injury that has left him unavailable to play for the remainder of the campaign.

Will Everton cut ties with Dele Alli?

Despite paying no transfer fee to sign him, there is no doubt that Alli has been one of the worst signings secured on the blue side of Merseyside in a while which is some achievement considering the club is renowned for their transfer disasters over the years.

The former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker made the move to Goodison Park on the same day that Lampard became the new permanent manager, back in January 2022.

After tallying up just 13 appearances over six months and averaging just 27 minutes per game with only three yellow cards to show for it, talkSPORT's Simon Jordan blasted Everton for signing Alli last summer:

"An awful transfer! This was how it was always going to end," he began. “Dele Alli’s career is going one way and I don’t think he can get it back.”

At first, a season-long loan move to Turkey for the troubled £100k-per-week talent looked promising with three goals scored in 17 appearances, however, it wasn't long before the Besiktas boss Senol Gunes became the latest manager to grow frustrated with him and delivered a scathing assessment on the player:

"Dele Alli has had a good career. But he doesn't deserve to play at the moment. The current situation has not met our expectations as a team,

"We expect him to contribute to the team, but we think he cannot contribute at the moment. We will evaluate it with him and the club."

Since then, the England international has seemingly not returned to Turkey after coming back to the UK with a knee injury and it has been reported in the last few days that Everton are considering their options to cut ties with the player once and for all.

With that being said, considering Everton's financial concerns, it would be wise for them to finally end Lampard's transfer disaster by letting go of the 27-year-old as soon as possible, in order to eliminate one of their many problems heading into the summer.

After previously premature suggestions that Manchester United were potential title contenders, the reality is that Erik ten Hag's side are now set for a scrap just to secure a top-four berth, following another abject display on the road against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Goals from Joe Willock and Callum Wilson secured a deserved 2-0 win for the Magpies on the day at St James' Park, with the visitors having now won just three of their last nine Premier League games.

A major concern for United at present will be their shortcomings in attack, with the Carabao Cup winners having now failed to score in each of their last three top-flight games, having also been rather lifeless before Fulham's late implosion in the FA Cup quarter-final clash prior to the international break.

While there will undoubtedly be focus on the woes of January arrival, Wout Weghorst, who has scored just twice in 19 successive starts for the club, the Dutchman was not the only forward player to have distinctly underwhelmed on Tyneside, with teammate Marcus Rashford also proving rather "anonymous" – as per journalist Thomas Hammond.

How did Rashford perform against Newcastle?

Having enjoyed a well-earned rest over the past week or so after pulling out of the England squad through injury, the 25-year-old would likely have been hoping to get back firing again against Eddie Howe's men, although was ultimately something of a spare part in truth yesterday.

The previously prolific marksman – who has 27 goals in all competitions this season at club level – produced a "really bad" display against the Tynesiders, according to journalist Thomas Alencar, with his 6.1 match rating, as per Sofascore, the worst of any United player.

That grim rating was frankly warranted as the £200k-per-week ace lost 100% of his ground duels and squandered possession on ten occasions as a marker of his woes both defensively and offensively, while his tally of 31 touches was even lower than that of teammate David De Gea (42) in the sticks.

Such a surprising lack of impact – which also saw Rashford fail to complete his two dribble attempts nor register a single key pass – was seemingly noted by his manager post-match, with Ten Hag stating that his side offered "nothing" down the left side.

The Englishman's grim outing was epitomised late on as he merely passed the ball straight into the gloves of compatriot Nick Pope after attempting to slide a teammate through on goal, having been merely 'ineffectual' on the right or left flank, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

While Rashford had previously appeared something of an "unstoppable" attacking weapon – as per his manager – on the evidence of recent games the academy graduate has been more of a blunt instrument, having now gone three league games without a goal, while also coming up short against the Cottagers.

The 5 ft 11 gem's last goal came in the Europa League, second-leg win away at Real Betis, although even that stunning effort had come following what was a 'sloppy' individual display, as per Luckhurst, with concern perhaps brewing that the wide man is beginning to lose momentum following what has been a breathtaking individual campaign to date.

Perhaps it is merely a case of injury or the result of simply being overworked, yet Rashford has not looked like his usual self in recent games – albeit with a brief downturn in performances perhaps expected after a relentless run of standout showings over the past few months.

With the Manchester native having largely shouldered the goalscoring burden on his own this season – with Bruno Fernandes the only other player to reach double figures for goals in all competitions – it now appears time for someone else to step up to the plate.

Trying to see just who that might be, however, seems rather difficult at present…

Tottenham Hotspur were in ‘very close’ talks with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel recently, but now there’s a big problem.

The Lowdown: Conte leaving?

Spurs still haven’t officially announced what they intend to do in regards to current head coach Antonio Conte nearly a week after his astonishing post-Southampton rant.

The Italian had already been tipped to leave N17 upon the expiry of his contract, which is set to run down this summer, with sporting director Fabio Paratici having drawn up a shortlist of candidates.

Last week, Sky reported that former Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino is in contention for the post alongside Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Marco Silva, Thomas Frank and Tuchel.

The latter man has been billed as one of the standouts, especially when considering his free agent status and successful experience in the Premier League.

Tuchel’s CV boasts a Champions League winner’s medal and coaching some of world football’s biggest superstars, leaving little wonder pundits have urged Daniel Levy to make a move.

The Latest: Journalist shares recent Tuchel talks…

Writing on social media, reporter Georg Holzner, who works for German news outlet Kicker, has shared an interesting update on Tottenham’s chances of hiring the 49-year-old.

He claims Spurs were in ‘very close talks’ with Tuchel recently, and while he ‘could well imagine’ the project in north London, Bayern Munich have now swooped in after an overnight decision to sack Julian Nagelsmann.

As a result, the former Paris-Saint Germain boss is now expected in Bavaria.

Holzner said on Twitter:

“According @kicker information, Thomas #Tuchel should sign [with Bayern] tomorrow or the day after. Tuchel was recently in very close talks with #Tottenham , he could well imagine the project. But now Bavaria is acting.”

The Verdict: Disappointment for Spurs…

Bar Enrique and Pochettino, who are also illustrious free agent managers currently available for hire, Tuchel was certainly a very good candidate to succeed Conte.

The German is a self-proclaimed childhood Spurs supporter, which could’ve theoretically worked in Levy’s favour, even despite his links to London rivals Chelsea.

Zero fee would’ve been required to appoint Tuchel too, making the would-be proposed move far less hassle than going for an elite manager currently in work.

Of course, with the Bayern job reportedly about to become available, Tuchel has clearly seen an opportunity to manage one of Europe’s most prestigious footballing sides.

The Bundesliga giants are also still fighting for a league title and the Champions League, with a crunch quarter-final encounter against Man City on the horizon.

Sky Sports have provided a major update on the Manchester United takeover saga following Wednesday’s deadline for second bids.

The Lowdown: Jassim and Ratcliffe

Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have appeared to be the front runners to take over from the Glazers in recent weeks, with both parties holding Old Trafford talks last week.

The pair were set to submit second offers for the club this week, with Fabrizio Romano one of many reporters to state that those bids were made ahead of the 9pm deadline. However, it looks as if that was not the case, with Sky Sports sharing an update late on Wednesday evening.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Sky Sports shared some ‘huge’ developments regarding a United takeover after the 9pm deadline on Wednesday. Chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol said that both Jassim and Ratcliffe’s bids were not completed in time and have asked for an extension from the Raine Group in New York, describing it as ‘incredible’.

‘This is incredible what we’re about to talk about now. I’ve seen lots of things but I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this.

‘We’ve been telling you that Sheikh Jassim had made a world record bid for Manchester United. I’m now being told by a very, very senior source that the bid has not been received yet. It needed to be sent to the Raine Group in New York, and I’m being told that bid has not been received yet.

‘I’m also being told that Sheikh Jassim’s delegation have asked Raine for an extension and Raine have agreed to accommodate that request. ‘And what’s more, the same goes for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS. Now my understanding is, from being told by someone very senior that said to me ‘why would we lie to you’, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, the bid has not gone in.’

The Verdict: Crazy

It does seem extremely bizarre that both Jassim and Ratcliffe missed the deadline and have asked for an extension, but it appears as if a takeover involving one of the two isn’t out of the question just yet after their request for an extension was approved – Romano says ‘bids will still go in’.

However, both parties will need to be on the money going forward when it comes to new deadlines, especially as several other groups interested in buying a smaller percentage of United did meet the initial Wednesday deadline.

Jassim and Ratcliffe’s improved offers are set to be world-record bids, worth around £5billion, so it could be an extremely important few days.

Arsenal journalist for football.london Kaya Kaynak says that academy winger Amario Cozier-Duberry is ‘like’ Bukayo Saka.

The Lowdown: Cozier-Duberry profiled

Cozier-Duberry is a 17-year-old right-winger coming through the Arsenal Academy, where he has already played 51 times at youth level in total over all competitions, scoring 15 goals and making a further 11 assists (Transfermarkt).

He has not yet made a competitive senior appearance for the Gunners, but has been named on the Premier League and the UEFA Europa League this season, while he also looked lively during a 2-0 mid-season friendly loss to Juventus at the Emirates Stadium back in December.

Nonetheless, Cozier-Duberry will be hoping to get his chance to impress in the senior team, much like Saka has over the years coming from the Hale End as well.

The Latest: Cozier-Duberry is ‘like Saka’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Kaynak says that Cozier-Duberry is ‘like Saka’ in the way he plays, and also compared his transition from a left-back to a right-winger, much like Saka did in his early Arsenal career:

“He’s a similar player in the sense that he’s left-footed, can drift central, and can play a creative midfield role.

“He generally tends to play on the right-wing but he’s very versatile and can play a lot of different positions.

“Much like Saka did when he first broke into the team. He started off at left-back, now as a right-winger and who knows, Cozier-Duberry is definitely someone who could do that.”

The Verdict: His time will come

As shown with Saka and the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe among others, Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are willing to give youngsters from the academy chances in the first team if they are good enough.

After the path that Saka has taken, where he now currently has 24 times and gone to a FIFA World Cup with England, Cozier-Duberry can have ambitions that he can eventually do the same if he is given the same chance to impress.

An alternative for him would also be to go out on loan next season, much like Charlie Patino and Folarin Balogun have done in this campaign, and try to impress enough to be recalled into the senior squad.

Nonetheless, Cozier-Duberry is certainly another exciting talent that supporters will hope can also come through over the next few years.

Manchester United have welcomed a Qatari delegation representing the Qatar-based takeover bid to tour the club's facilities on Thursday.

What's the latest in Man United's takeover push?

The Red Devils received bids to potentially buy the Premier League club last month but now it seems as if the club are taking the next step in their possible sale.

A bid from Qatar was perhaps the most well-reported bids to land on the table of the Glazer family and on Thursday they were welcomed into the country.

It is believed they have been granted limited access to the club's financial accounts and will be visiting both Old Trafford and Carrington training ground.

Speaking on Sky Sports, reporter Kaveh Solhekol has claimed presentations will also likely take place on Thursday as the club look to narrow down their options:

"It's quite a significant day, actually, because Qatari delegation representing the bid for Manchester United made by Sheikh Jassim is visiting Old Trafford, so they're going to have a look at what they potentially could be buying.

"They've also had some access to United's accounts – but not full access yet – and they will also be visiting the training ground today. I think they will be given some presentations from people like John Murtough.

When could the takeover be completed?

It is worth mentioning the potential sale of the Red Devils is still not a guarantee, with the American firm Elliott Management reportedly still offering the Glazer family funding if they decide to stay put.

However, this is certainly an encouraging sign to see the club welcome the proposed bidders into their facilities to hold further discussions over where the process is at.

It is believed the Qatari group are also falling short of what the Glazers are hoping to generate for the club with their valuation believed to be worth up to £6 billion.

So it will be interesting to see what comes of the visit to Manchester and whether it is something which can help push along the discussions to take over the club.

It does seem as if valuation will be the biggest issue for the Qatar-based bidders, though, and that could be something which has the potential to derail the move for the Premier League side.

There will be hope from the fans that any move for the club could be completed before the summer transfer window and with that now just a handful of months away, it does feel as if these meetings will have to run smoothly to meet that deadline.

Manchester United have made contact with the representatives of Tottenham striker Harry Kane, according to The Sun.

The Lowdown: Striker wanted

The Red Devils are already planning for the summer, with a new striker thought to be a priority. Erik ten Hag currently has just two senior options at this moment in time in Anthony Martial and loanee Wout Weghorst.

Martial has suffered a number of injury issues in recent months, while there is no option to make Weghorst’s move permanent, which appears to have led to United laying the groundwork over a possible move for Kane.

The Latest: Kane update

The Sun shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding United and Kane, revealing the Red Devils are confident of signing the forward, assuming Spurs finish outside the top four – they will be fifth if Liverpool win their game in hand as things stand.

The report adds that those at Old Trafford have even already ‘made contact with Kane’s camp through a third party and have been encouraged by the response’.

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The Verdict: Perfect signing

Kane, hailed as ‘world-class’ by Antonio Conte, has a proven track record in the Premier League, scoring 201 times and registering 49 assists in 308 top-flight appearances.

The 29-year-old has netted ten or more Premier League goals in each of the last nine seasons, so could be the missing piece in Ten Hag’s side. He even embarrassed David de Gea at Old Trafford in a 6-1 win for Spurs back in 2020, scoring twice and registering one assist.

Kane has been Tottenham’s best player this season, as per WhoScored, and has outperformed every Manchester United player, so he could take the Red Devils to the next level over the coming years.

Liverpool have fallen flat this season after many imperious years under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp, and now face a tall order in securing Champions League qualification after pushing for a historic quadruple last term.

Languishing in seventh place in the Premier League this season, nine points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur – though holding two games in hand – the Reds are a mere shade of their former selves and require emphatic reinforcement come the summer.

With the FA Cup fifth round commencing this week, a competition the club have fallen from already, Klopp will be looking to galvanise his squad and set Anfield in rapture with a league victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday evening.

The respective sides have already waged battle on three occasions in 2023: a home draw in the FA Cup third round preceded a narrow Reds victory at Molineux, before Julen Lopetegui’s outfit bulldozed Liverpool into submission with a 3-0 drubbing in the Premier League.

A slip in the road is simply inconceivable, and in order to secure a third victory in four league matches, the Merseyside outfit’s German manager must consider unleashing Roberto Firmino from a starting role against the Old Gold, with the Brazilian stalwart recently returning from injury.

Could Firmino save Liverpool’s season?

Signing from Hoffenheim for £29m in 2015, Firmino’s arrival preceded Klopp’s by a matter of months, and his role as the dynamic centre-forward was paramount to the illustrious success that Liverpool have clinched under their manager’s tutelage.

Scoring 107 goals and supplying 78 assists from 352 outings, the 55-cap gem has been instrumental in winning a plethora of major honours notably including the Champions League and the Premier League.

And this season, having plundered nine goals and four assists from only 16 starts, Firmino has been a shining light amid the drab setting of Liverpool’s campaign.

But having injured himself prior to a Carabao Cup clash against Manchester City in December, the veteran has only just returned to competitive action this month, and the tie against Wolves presents the perfect opportunity for him to return to goalscoring prominence, picking up the baton from where he left off.

As per FBref, the £180k-per-week phenom ranks among the top 9% of forwards for goals, 7% for assists, 2% for progressive passes, 2% for tackles and 1% for interceptions per 90, which highlights the spherical scope of his skill set, capable of producing the whole gamut of skills required for success under Klopp’s wing.

Hailed as a “leader” by Henry Winter, his experience and presence on the pitch have been missed on Merseyside, with the 31-year-old indeed last starting in the top flight against Southampton, where he scored, before the 2022 World Cup.

With Liverpool’s “abject” – as branded by one journalist – season desperate for a sprinkling of its former verve, Firmino’s return to the starting fold could finally get things up and running at the optimum time for Klopp and co.

And given the forward’s purple patch at the start of the season, and the searing requirement for newfound offensive fluidity on Merseyside, cohesion could be revived with Firmino taking centre stage over the business end of the campaign.

Insider ExWHUemployee has revealed that West Ham United youngster Oliver Scarles should be back in just a couple of weeks despite having to wear a protective boot.

What’s the latest on Oliver Scarles and his West Ham injury?

While the Hammers have plenty to worry about immediately as they fight to avoid being truly pulled into a Premier League relegation scrap this season, one eye will always be on the future.

And in Scarles, they have potentially a major talent on their hands. After all, despite still being just 17 years of age, the midfielder has already represented the club in Europe this season.

This is why it may have been concerning to some that Scarles had to come off during the academy’s recent U18 FA Cup win over Ipswich Town.

In an update on the situation, Ex told The West Ham Way podcast, that the teenager has since been in a protective boot but is expected to be back in just a few weeks.

He said (6:11): “Oliver Scarles, people asked me about what his injury situation was because he went off injured in the academy match against Ipswich – which they won in the cup, and I went to it. It was really really good to see some of the academy players, which I’ll talk about a bit later.

“He went off injured in that and he’s been in a protective boot for the last… since that game. But they only think he’ll be out for maybe two weeks. So hopefully he’ll come back soon.”

What does Oliver Scarles’ injury mean for the Irons?

While he’s still only a teenager, much won’t be expected of Scarles in the first team this season. However, he has already impressed with David Moyes’ side in the Europa Conference League earlier on in the campaign.

He was actually just 16 years old when he “starred” in a 3-0 win over FCSB in Bucharest becoming West Ham’s sixth-youngest player to represent the club.

With that in mind, he’ll perhaps be hoping to get fit in time for the club’s next European tie which is against AEK Larnaca on March 9.

Judging by the sounds of it, Scarles could be in with a slight chance of making that game but could be back for the return leg on March 16 which certainly would be good news for the player and his club.