Newcastle would make a ‘huge statement’ to the rest of the Premier League by signing Kalvin Phillips, Pete O’Rourke has told GiveMeSport.
The lowdown
A report from 90min last week revealed that the Magpies were one of the clubs ‘keeping a close eye’ on the midfielder’s situation at Leeds, along with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Leeds apparently held talks with Phillips’ representatives about a new contract in 2021 but failed to agree terms, and conversations have yet to resume.
The England international, who last signed a new deal in 2019, is under contract for another two-and-a-half years, and Transfermarkt value the 26-year-old at £36m.
The latest
O’Rourke has said the credentials that Phillips possesses would make him a blockbuster signing for Newcastle.
The journalist told GiveMeSport: “Signing somebody like a Kalvin Phillips, an England international, a top Premier League player, would be a huge statement from Newcastle.”
The verdict
This would be a doubly significant signing for Eddie Howe’s side. Not only would they fend off competition from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, they would be getting their hands on a top-drawer midfielder in Phillips.
The 26-year-old demonstrated his class at last summer’s European Championship, starting every game as England made it all the way to the final. The Guardian included him in their official team of the tournament alongside Pedri and Jorginho in midfield.
Phillips has been nicknamed ‘The Yorkshire Pirlo’ and the Italian legend himself has described the Leeds player as a ‘rock’ in midfield. That’s quite a reference to have on your CV, and he would be quite a player for Newcastle to add to their squad.
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As O’Rourke says, it would represent a significant statement if the Magpies were to sign such a highly-regarded player from a team who are close to them in the Premier League table.
In other news, Newcastle will soon ‘be calling’ about this potential deal
Having lost their two previous Premier League games 1-0 against Newcastle United and Watford, Aston Villa are back in action again this afternoon for their latest opportunity to put their poor run of form behind them with an away clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.
On the chalkboard
In terms of which players Villa manager Steven Gerrard could pick to be in his starting XI to take on the Seagulls, one figure that started the game against Watford that we feel shouldn’t be in the team on this occasion is Douglas Luiz.
Before being replaced by Ollie Watkins after 58 minutes, the Brazilian had 32 touches of the ball, fewer than Danny Ings, and completed 27 passes but failed to have much of an attacking or defensive impact, making him somewhat of a passenger in the game and an easy option for Gerrard to take off in the second half.
Taking into account how the £31.5m-rated man had played the full 90 minutes in each of Villa’s eight previous league games, this could be a sign that the manager wanted to see how his team would fare without Luiz in it for a change.
With no key passes or clear shots at goal as well as winning just one of the four duels he was involved in while not making a single interception of clearance, the 23-year-old ultimately earned himself a rather indifferent overall match rating of 6.7/10, making him the second-lowest rated player in a Villa shirt that started the game according to SofaScore.
Having said after the Newcastle defeat that changes will need to be made going forward, Gerrard clearly felt the need to stick with Luiz in midfield to take on the Hornets.
However, with his performance in that game in mind, it could now be time for the Villa boss to take the midfielder, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £52k-per-week according to Salary Sport, out of the team this afternoon.
In addition to this, journalist Ashley Preece claimed that the former Manchester City figure was “Villa’s biggest issue” in the defeat at St. James’ Park, which suggests that the team may be better off not having Luiz start in today’s clash.
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Moving forward, if Gerrard were to leave him out of the team today and they end up securing a much-needed victory, this could lead to the midfielder having a challenge on his hands to get back into the team.
In other news: Gerrard can finally axe rarely-seen Villa disaster with “sensational” £22.5m-rated gem – opinion
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side went into Monday’s Premier League clash with Everton in a run of rather inconsistent form, with Spurs having lost four and won two of their last six outings in all competitions – something the Italian manager would have undoubtedly been hoping to put right against the Toffees.
And, with Michael Keane lashing the ball past Jordan Pickford in just the 14th minute of the match, before Son Heung-Min doubled the home side’s advantage just three minutes later, Tottenham could not have hoped for a much better start.
Harry Kane joined in on the act just before half-time, cooly slotting home after latching onto the end of a defence-splitting pass by Matt Doherty, before Sergio Reguilon made it four with his first touch of the game after being introduced at the break.
The rout was complete midway through the second half, when Doherty once again linked up with Kane, with the 28-year-old volleying home the Irish international’s floated cross to make it five and secure all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
However, while it will almost certainly be the England captain who steals the headlines this morning, it will have undoubtedly been the performance of Doherty that most pleased Conte on Monday night, as the right wing-back finally took his big chance under the Italian.
87 touches
After being given the nod ahead of Emerson Royal on the right flank, Doherty shone over his 90 minutes against the Toffees – both in a defensive and an attacking capacity.
Indeed, the £10.8m-rated right-back enjoyed a whopping 87 touches of the ball, completed 52 passes, created two big chances, made four key passes, completed four long balls, was successful with one dribble and ended the match with two assists to his name.
The £74k-per-week defender also won eight of his ten duels – a success rate of 80% – made five tackles, made two interceptions and won one free-kick for his side.
These returns saw the player who was once dubbed a “weak link” of the Tottenham side earn a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 9.3, ranking him as the best performer from either team on the night.
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As such, it would very much appear as if the Republic of Ireland international will now be Conte’s first choice at right wing-back over the remainder of the season, as the 30-year-old finally took his big chance under the Italian on Monday night.
In other news: Conte had a disaster on “phenomenal” £100k-p/w dynamo, it could cost Spurs big time
Former Celtic captain Scott Brown could be offered a return to Parkhead, according to The Scottish Sun’s David Friel.
The Lowdown: Aberdeen exit
The 36-year-old left Parkhead last summer to join Aberdeen on a two-year player-coach deal. He was brought in alongside Stephen Glass, however, Glass was sacked by The Dons last month.
Brown initially stayed at Pittodrie but left the club on Tuesday to ‘focus on his coaching development’, which could take him back to Celtic Park.
The Latest: Late-night news
Friel shared a story on The Scottish Sun late on Tuesday evening, suggesting that Celtic would be willing to create a coaching pathway for Brown in Glasgow.
The midfielder hasn’t ruled out continuing his playing career but Friel has claimed there could be a role in the senior academy and B-team, while Celtic are also on the lookout for a new coach for their Under-18 side.
The Verdict: Interesting
Reports elsewhere have suggested there is potential for Brown to join former Hoops manager Neil Lennon after he recently took up the post at Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus.
However, a return to Glasgow less than 12 months after leaving would certainly be interesting. The ex-captain never worked under Ange Postecoglou, but you’d expect the manager will know all about Brown.
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A move to work within the academy could be a shrewd one, but it seems as if Brown could have multiple playing and coaching offers on the table over the coming weeks.
In other news: ‘Oh my god…’ – Celtic pundit fuming at ‘unbelievable’ news he’s hearing from Parkhead.
West Brom have not been shy when it comes to cashing in on some of their key players over the years in numerous transfer windows, such as Jay Rodriguez, Matheus Pereira, Craig Dawson and Nacer Chadli among others.
One other player for whom the Baggies reaped a significant transfer income is Salomon Rondon after they sold him to Chinese club Dalian Yifang in 2019 for a fee believed to be near his £16.5m release clause.
During his time at The Hawthorns, the Venezuelan racked up 28 goals and 10 assists in 120 appearances across all competitions after they had signed him from Zenit St Petersburg for a then club-record fee of around £12m.
In China, the striker netted 14 goals and provided seven assists in just 28 games but was then moved out on loan to CSKA Moscow in February last year. With 13 games in Russia under his belt, the 32-year-old scored just four goals and delivered two assists before eventually returning to China.
The former Baggies star was on the move again last summer after the Chinese club ended their association with Rondon, which led to the striker returning to England, this time on a free transfer to Everton.
Since then, the well-travelled 32-year-old, who is currently picking up £43k-per-week at Goodison Park according to Salary Sport, has found regular game-time hard to come by, having started just 11 of his 17 appearances across all competitions and scoring only three goals in the process.
At this moment in time, Transfermarkt has the centre-forward’s overall market value listed as £3.6m, which is a significant 78% decrease from the fee that the Midlands club picked up for him back in 2019.
Taking all this into account, it seems as though Luke Dowling made the right call by selling the Venezuelan striker when he did.
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Looking ahead, with the Merseyside club still in danger of being relegated, there’s every possibility that the Baggies could be facing off against their former striker should the Toffees end up failing to avoid the drop to the Championship for next season.
In other news: Bruce could unearth WBA’s next Bartley in 19 y/o prodigy who “leads by example”
Celtic have had plenty of consistent goalscorers in their ranks over the past few years, such as Leigh Griffiths, Kris Commons and Odsonne Edouard among others.
However, it seems as though the Parkhead club could have had another figure in their ranks who may have gone on to become a significant scorer for them but didn’t end up making the move to Celtic Park.
According to an article from Planet Football, back in the 2001 summer transfer window when the Hoops signed winger Momo Sylla from St Johnstone, the Guinean was asked by his former Le Mans team-mate Didier Drogba about a potential move to Celtic the following summer.
Unfortunately for Celtic, Sylla apparently told the striker that he wouldn’t have any chance of making it into the team and should forget about trying to join them.
With a total of 686 club appearances under his belt, the Ivory Coast international ended his career in 2018 with 300 goals to his name and four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League title under his belt among other trophies and individual awards.
Labelled a “remarkable” player by his former Blues boss Jose Mourinho – who knows a good footballer when he sees one having managed the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Frank Lampard and Karim Benzema among many others – Drogba could have been a revelation for Celtic had Sylla not put him off a potential move to Glasgow early in the Ivorian’s lengthy and very successful career.
Whether the Parkhead hierarchy had any knowledge at the time over Drogba’s interest in a potential move to the club is unclear, but it’s safe to say that had they known of it, then they should have moved heaven and earth to get the striker in a Hoops shirt.
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Looking back, there could now be some Celtic fans displeased with what Sylla had to say to the young Drogba about his chances of breaking into the first team at the time, with the club potentially now having nightmares over the situation.
In other news: Ange must brutally axe “horrendous” £20k-p/w Celtic liability, he’s “been a disaster”
Everton have been woeful defensively, with just Leeds, Newcastle, Watford and Norwich conceding more than the Toffees’ total of 47 leaked goals this season in the Premier League.
Their highest performing defender in terms of match rating according to SofaScore, Michael Keane (6.92), has been frequently criticised throughout the year, and calls for him to be dropped are becoming more and more regular.
Having made two errors which have led to goals in the top flight this season, with Ben Godfrey having made an additional one, and neither Mason Holgate or Yerry Mina covering themselves in too much glory either this season, manager Frank Lampard is running short on players at the back that he can consistently trust.
He will also be wishing that the club didn’t sell 6 foot 4 Shane Duffy back in 2014, when he joined Blackburn for just £1.7m after failing to convince then-manager Roberto Martinez – with him now becoming a solid Premier League defender at Brighton where he has averaged an average match rating of 7.13 – higher than every single Everton player.
Since then he has become a “beast” in the words of Celtic legend John Hartson and a “monster” by Billy Reid so surely there will now be an element of regret in letting him depart so easily.
Speaking on Premier Sports TV at the start of the month, former Republic of Ireland players Shay Given and Kenny Cunningham praised their compatriot for reviving his career at the South-Coast club.
“I’ll give him credit, he turned things around at the start of the season in the summer and won over the manager,” said Cunningham.
“He got a run in the team but he’s been out of the team since then, and he had a rough time against Burnley a few weeks ago. But he’s got an opportunity with Webster out of the team.”
Given then added: “He worked hard at the start of the season, but recently his form has dipped slightly, like Brighton’s… But I think on his day in both boxes, he’s a massive part of this team.”
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Duffy ranks in the top 1% among central defenders in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for aerials won per 90 (5.08) and percentage of aerials won per 90 (77.9%), stats that no doubt would be useful in Frank Lampard’s team right now.
With Everton currently in a relegation scrap, Lampard would have loved to have a player like the 51-time Republic of Ireland international at his disposal, and his experience, leadership and dominating presence would have added some crucial stability in the Merseyside club’s backline.
In other news: Frank heading for first transfer disaster at Everton on £25m tank who’s been “immense”
Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is undergoing treatment for angina on international duty.
The lowdown
Dubravka, who was Slovakia’s goalkeeper at last summer’s European Championship, missed his nation’s 2-0 defeat against Norway in Oslo on Friday. Largely due to a lack of availability, he has only played one game for Stefan Tarkovic’s side since that tournament.
The 33-year-old missed the start of the 2021/22 campaign with a foot injury but returned to the Newcastle side in late November and has held down his place ever since.
Ahead of their trip to Tottenham on Sunday, the Magpies are already without the likes of Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier.
The latest
Slovakia head coach Tarkovic told futbalsfz.sk (via Caught Offside) that Dubravka had had to withdraw from the squad due to angina, a potentially serious heart conditions which restricts the flow of blood to the heart muscles.
The 49-year-old stated: “Martin Dubravka suspects angina. Our doctors started antibiotic treatment for him. He is in isolation and will definitely not be part of the team in Norway and Finland.”
The verdict
The £38,000-per-week goalkeeper could be a big miss for Newcastle if he faces a spell on the sidelines.
Without him, data from FBRef suggests that the Magpies would be around four goals worse off this season. That’s the fourth-best shot-stopping record in the Premier League, behind only Alisson, Jose Sa and David de Gea.
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By contrast, deputy option Karl Darlow conceded 3.4 goals more than he ‘should’ have over the course of just eight matches earlier in the season. For context, the three ‘keepers below Darlow – Ben Foster, Emiliano Martinez and Illan Meslier, have played 18, 28 and 30 games respectively.
It therefore seems that the 31-year-old is a far less reliable option than Dubravka, and he might cost Newcastle points if he needs to be called upon in the Slovakian’s potential absence in upcoming fixtures.
In other news, Newcastle have agreed this deal for a rising starlet
Manchester United are a club on the up under Ruben Amorim, but there are still a few issues that continue to plague him in his quest for success at Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old took the reins from Erik ten Hag last November, but it’s taken over 12 months for the players to fully adapt to the demands of his 3-4-2-1 system.
As a result, it required numerous players to take up new roles, but none more so than Amad Diallo, who’s been requested to operate in a deeper wing-back role.
The Red Devils do lack key depth in such an area of the pitch, but such issues look set to worsen as the Ivorian links up with his national team ahead of AFCON.
However, one other part of the field has also been brought into question over recent seasons, which could see added investment made during the upcoming January window.
Man Utd targeting move to sign European superstar
Over the last couple of weeks, rumours have certainly ramped up linking United with a potential club-record deal to land Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson this January.
The England international has been one of the Premier League’s star men in 2025/26 to date, but could cost a pretty penny amid his current £100m asking price.
However, Amorim’s men are not alone in their hunt for the 23-year-old, with local rivals Manchester City also keen to make a move for the youngster next month.
He’s not the only player currently in their sights ahead of the upcoming window, with Stuttgart sensation Angelo Stiller another option currently being considered.
The latest report from TEAMtalk states that the Red Devils are keeping a close eye on the 24-year-old’s progress and are considering making a move in January.
It also states that the German is seen as the most likely candidate to be pursued outside of any Premier League options, but it doesn’t state how much a deal could cost INEOS.
Why Stiller would be the perfect Bruno replacement
Bruno Fernandes has no doubt been United’s shining light over the last couple of years, as seen by his remarkable tallies of goals and assists in the Premier League.
Even in 2025/26, he’s continued his remarkable form in England’s top-flight, subsequently registering 12 goal contributions in his first 16 league outings to date.
However, his career at Old Trafford may now be in doubt, after he came out and claimed that the hierarchy wanted to sell him amid interest from Saudi Arabia in the summer.
It’s unclear how the club feel about his comments in the media, but they could well be tempted to cash in on the 31-year-old in the near future to regain as much of their £47m investment as possible.
Such a move could prove to be a risk given his remarkable tallies in the final third, but it could well be the last chance to make a profit on his services given his age.
The supporters would no doubt be alarmed if he were to depart, but they could well be about to land the perfect replacement in the form of German star Stiller.
When comparing their respective stats from the ongoing campaign, the Stuttgart talent has managed to outperform Bruno in numerous key areas.
How Stiller & Bruno compare in 2025/26
Statistics (per 90)
Stiller
Bruno
Games played
14
16
Goals & assists
4
12
Progressive carries
1.8
1.7
Progressive passes
8.7
8.3
Pass accuracy
86%
78%
Passes into final third
7.6
6.9
Take-on success
62%
36%
Recoveries made
6.1
5.8
Aerials won
45%
40%
Stats via FBref
Stiller has managed to register 8.7 progressive passes, with 7.6 of which being played into the final third per 90 – with both tallies higher than Bruno has managed to date.
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He’s also completed more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst achieving a greater take-on success rate – subsequently showcasing his dominance in possession.
VfB Stuttgart'sAngeloStillercelebrates scoring their first goal
Without the ball, he’s made more recoveries and won more aerial battles than the Portuguese international – leading to one analyst dubbing him the “most underrated midfielder in Europe”.
It’s unclear how much a deal for the German sensation would cost in the upcoming market, but it’s evident that he has all the tools needed to replace Bruno.
No Manchester United fan would want to lose their captain at present, but ultimately the club will certainly do what’s best for them from a financial standpoint.
As for Stiller, he has bags of time to develop further and become an elite talent and help the club achieve a new level of success under Amorim’s guidance.
Amad upgrade: Man Utd in talks "this week" to sign "unplayable" PL talent
Manchester United’s search for new attack-minded wing-backs appears to be stepping up.
Former West Ham United striker Ilan has admitted he would consider a return to the Premier League after his brief spell in England last season.
The Brazilian, who joined the Hammers on loan from French side St Etienne in January, scored four goals in 11 appearances to help ease their relegation fears.
Despite his efforts, the Londoners opted not to renew their interest, but the 29-year-old is confident of landing a contract with Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers thought to be keeping an eye on him.
Speaking to reporters, he said:"I did well in the Premier League and I was hoping to continue where I left off next season, but West Ham had other ideas, that's football.
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