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Newcastle United have been handed a major boost regarding the fitness of Karl Darlow ahead of their upcoming Premier League fixture.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a report by the Mirror (via The Shields Gazette), who claim that, following a long battle with illness, the Magpies goalkeeper looks set to return to Steve Bruce’s starting XI for the visit of Leeds United on Friday evening.

The report continues to state that the 30-year-old returned to training over the September international break, and looks set to take the place of Freddie Woodman between the Newcastle United sticks.

Bruce will be buzzing

Considering just how poor Woodman has been for Newcastle so far this season, the fact that Darlow looks set to finally make a return to Steve Bruce’s starting XI is sure to have the 60-year-old manager buzzing.

Indeed, over his four Premier League appearances this term, the 24-year-old Woodman has shipped 12 goals – an average of three a game – made one error leading to a goal and has averaged 2.5 saves per match.

These returns have seen the £9m-rated shot-stopper average a highly disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.03, ranking him as the Magpies’ second-worst performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, the return of a player who earned a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.92 over his 25 Premier League appearances last season in the shape of Darlow is sure to provide Bruce’s chances of securing a positive result against Marcelo Bielsa’s side on Friday evening with a significant boost, as well as being something that is sure to delight the St. James’ Park faithful.

In other news: Sold for peanuts, now worth £16.2m: Ashley had a ‘mare on “special” £17k-p/w NUFC ace

Ricky Ponting is resigned to a rebuilding period that could last years after Australia lost their first home Test series for 16 seasons. South Africa will overtake Australia to become the No. 1-ranked Test team if they complete a clean sweep in Sydney, ha

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG30-Dec-2008
Ricky Ponting rued throwing away winning positions in both Tests © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting is resigned to a rebuilding period that could last years after Australia lost their first home Test series for 16 seasons. South Africa will overtake Australia to become the No.1 Test team if they complete a clean sweep in Sydney, having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead with their nine-wicket triumph at the MCG.”We’ve had an amazing run as a team,” Ponting said. “We have dominated world cricket for a long period of time. I’m still very positive and very sure that with some of these younger guys coming on that in a few years’ time we can get back up there and be dominating world cricketonce again.”It’s going to take a little while, there’s no doubt about that. You can’t expect young guys to come in and have sustained success. The younger guys are generally the ones that lack the consistency.”However, Ponting was full of praise for Peter Siddle who, in his third Test, picked up four wickets and bowled one fabulous spell on the second day, and Nathan Hauritz, who kept things tight and also collected four victims. The pair will be part of an inexperienced attack in Sydney, with Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger jostling for debuts along with the uncapped allrounder Andrew McDonald.Ponting has repeatedly asked his senior men to stand up and he led the way in Melbourne with 101 and 99, but the other old heads including Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey struggled again, as did Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee, who will miss the SCG match through injury.Their below-par efforts contributed to a series loss that Ponting said was frustrating but no worse than previous failures.”It’s disappointing when you lose any series,” he said. “This one I think is probably no different. The only fact that’s different is that we’ve probably been in very strong winning positions in both of the Test matches and when we’ve needed to put the last couple of nails in the coffin we haven’t been able to do that.”In fact we’ve been a long way from being able to do that. What’s happened in this series is generally what Australia have done to teams in the past, where a big moment has come up and we’ve grabbed it with both hands, turned a negative into very much a positive and then beenable to go on and win games.”Australia have now been defeated in two of their past three Test series, failing against India and South Africa. They are the second and third-ranked teams and Ponting said Australia needed to improve their consistency to avoid slipping behind.”The gap between our best cricket and our worst cricket has been too big,” he said. “We have to make that smaller if we want to win the next Test and if we want to stay in the top group of Test-playing nations.”

Kevin Phillips has offered his thoughts on Everton’s interest in Newcastle dud Sean Longstaff.

What’s the talk?

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has questioned why Everton are, reportedly, looking to sign Sean Longstaff from Newcastle. The retired forward does not believe that the Toffees need him in their squad this season.

He told Football Insider:

“Do I think Everton need him? Possibly not.

“Longstaff hasn’t played loads of Premier League games but he does have that experience.

“From Newcastle’s point of view, he doesn’t play that often and it could be great business to move him on. It would free up a wage for Bruce to get someone with a bit more experience.

“I’m surprised Benitez is in for him but he obviously likes him and Longstaff played well under him. It’s a surprising one, I’m not sure Everton need him.”

No better than Davies

Marcel Brands must avoid a howler with Longstaff this month. Put simply, Everton should not be looking at a deal for the Newcastle outcast at all. He is not an upgrade on their starting XI and he is not an improvement on the back-up options Rafa Benitez already has.

Last season, Tom Davies made 25 appearances in the Premier League – 17 starts – as a rotation player for Carlo Ancelotti. He averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.46 whilst making 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game in midfield.

Longstaff, meanwhile, played 23 matches for Newcastle in the league. The Toon academy product averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.36, making 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game.

Given they both played a similar role for their respective clubs in the same position in the Premier League, it seems fair to directly compare them. Davies, on paper, appears to be the better option out of the pair and that means that Longstaff would not come in and make Benitez’s squad better.

Last year, the midfielder said that criticism over his performances baffled him, saying: “At times, it’s probably been a bit surprising. It’s something you have to take in your stride and enjoy.

“I hold myself to those high standards, so I’ve got no problem with everyone else doing that as well. I’ve still got people around me helping me, trying to get me to where I want to be.

“I’m still enjoying it, and it’s just about staying at an even keel and I know that, ultimately, I’ll get to where I want to be.”

This suggests that the £18k-per-week dud is not willing to accept that his performances were below par, given that he found criticism surprising and his statistics for the Magpies were unimpressive. Therefore, given he does not appear to be an upgrade on Davies, Everton must avoid bringing him in this summer.

AND in other news, Everton make contact for “tremendous” 6 ft 3 machine, Benitez would love him…

Leeds United are looking increasingly unlikely to sign Rangers winger Ryan Kent this summer, according to an update from journalist Alan Nixon.

The Lowdown: Kent a key man for Rangers

The Gers have enjoyed a great period under Steven Gerrard and Kent has been one of his team’s star players, helping them win the Scottish Premiership title last season.

The 25-year-old has scored 27 goals in 132 appearances for the Scottish giants, wreaking havoc with his pace and trickery out wide.

Leeds have been linked with a move for Kent in the past, but a fresh update has now been provided on the situation.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Journalist provides update

In response to a follower’s query about Kent on Twitter, Nixon replied that Leeds would need to fork out around £15m to sign the attacker, adding the five-word verdict of “I doubt that just now” on the chances of the transfer happening.

It appears unlikely that the Whites will be willing to pay that amount juding by the journalist’s update, so a different wide attacking target may be sought in the final two weeks of the transfer window.

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The Verdict: Slightly overpriced

Kent is a very talented player who Gerrard has described as “sensational”, but £15m is a lot of money for someone who doesn’t have a single Premier League appearance to his name.

It’s one thing to stand out in Scotland, but the English top flight is a much higher level, and Leeds need to be sure they sign someone who is up to the challenge when investing that much money.

Kent could be capable of making the transition, but spending that much on him could be deemed a big gamble, so it’s understandable why the Whites have their doubts about committing to a deal for him.

In other news, Leeds are still reportedly trying to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

A further twist has emerged in Matheus Pereira’s potential move away from West Bromwich Albion.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Ekrem Konur, with the journalist revealing on Twitter that the winger is now very close to joining West Ham United ahead of the new season. In his tweet, Konur said: “As of now, Matheus Pereira is very close to West Ham.”

Earlier reports had claimed that David Moyes’ side had made an offer of a season-long loan deal WHICH included an option to buy, although Albion informed the Premier League club that they wish to sell the Brazilian in order to raise funds for their own transfer business.

As a result, it was said that the Irons were considering returning to the negotiating table in order to submit a £15m cash bid for the 25-year-old, which could well have happened if Konur is to be believed.

Fans will be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the West Brom side Pereira has been in recent seasons, as well as it previously being reported that Albion were demanding a fee of £24m in order to part with the winger this summer, Baggies fans will undoubtedly be fuming if the club have indeed accepted an offer of just £15m.

Indeed, over his 33 Premier League appearances last season, the £13.5m-rated wizard bagged 11 goals, provided six assists and created 11 big chances for his teammates, along with averaging two shots and 1.8 key passes per match.

These returns saw the £30k-per-week forward dubbed a “genius” by his former coach Nate Weiss earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.18, ranking him as Albion’s best player in the 2020/21 Premier League.

As such, while retaining the services of Pereira this summer would limit the Baggies’ transfer budget, it would also provide Valerien Ismael with a huge boost to his chances of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, something which is almost certainly a requirement for the Frenchman.

With it being reported that £15m may have been enough for Albion to sanction the sale of the Brazilian, the argument could easily be made that the club would have been better off keeping hold of the 25-year-old for one more year in order to give them the greatest chance of securing a return to the top flight, and the subsequent windfall that promotion would bring with it.

In other news: West Brom dealt major transfer blow over “athletic” 5ft 8 dynamo, fans will be fuming

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Lee Buchanan to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Nottingham Forest’s move for the Derby County left-back is thought to have stalled.

It was reported that Chris Hughton’s side had made two offers for the defender, with the first bid rejected due to it being below the Rams’ asking price, while a second improved offer was knocked back due to Derby’s unwillingness to sell to their local rivals.

This appears to have been a knockout blow for Forest, as, in response to a fan asking for an update on the situation of Buchanan, Nixon said: “Don’t think Forest anymore. So that one has stalled.”

Murphy will be fuming

Considering the fact that Derby are in the midst of quite a severe financial crisis, the fact that the Rams have held firm on their stance regarding the sale of the highly-rated defender is sure to have left CEO Dane Murphy fuming.

Indeed, with Forest currently lacking depth at left-back, as Hughton has informed Gaetan Bong that he is free to leave the club this summer after already allowing Yuri Ribeiro to leave on a free transfer, a signing in the position would appear to be a priority for the Reds ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign.

Considering how much potential the £2.25m-rated Buchanan seems to possess, having provided three assists and created four big chances over his 35 Championship appearances last season – as well as Wayne Rooney claiming that the 20-year-old is “one of the best young left-backs in the country” – missing out on his signing is undoubtedly a major blow for the club.

However, with it appearing as if the Garibaldi’s pursuit of the England under-21 international has reached a dead end, Murphy will now have to turn his attention in the summer transfer market elsewhere.

In other news: Nixon reveals fresh twist on “unbelievable” £2.5k-p/w dynamo, NFFC fans will be gutted

Although Michael Vaughan’s three quick bowlers secured an innings victory against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, he is eager to have Andrew Flintoff at his disposal for the greater challenge of South Africa.Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson and Stuart Broad took all 20 New Zealand wickets between then in the third Test – with Anderson claiming career-best innings and match figures – but bowling out South Africa will be a much tougher job.The decision that Vaughan and the selectors will have to come to before the Test squad meets up again in July is the balance of the team. England have won four of their last five Tests with a four-man attack and it will be very difficult to drop any of the quicks. That raises the option of Flintoff returning at the expense of a batsman, with Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood both needing runs in the forthcoming one-dayers.”I hope he [Flintoff] will get his side right in the next few weeks, get enough cricket and be confident in himself and in his form that he can take on South Africa,” Vaughan said. “You would love five [bowlers]. But I am also happy with four. The balance of the team is very important when you play a good team like South Africa.”However, Flintoff is still not ready to return to action for Lancashire after the side strain which ruled him of the New Zealand series. With the Twenty20 beginning on Wednesday he will have just one first-class match, against Sussex starting on June 29, to really test out his body ahead of the South Africa series that starts on July 10.”It will probably be Freddie who will have to make the call,” Vaughan added. “If he is confident enough in his own form and his body whether he plays against South Africa. Everyone knows that, if he is fit, I would love to have him in the team.”

Wolves could be forced to sell Ruben Neves this summer as they look to bring in new players, journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

Since joining Wolves from Porto back in 2017, Neves has gone on to become a key figure for the Midlands club.

He made over 40 Championship appearances in the season they won promotion and has continued to be a regular in the Premier League.

However, the Portugal international is now being linked with a move to Arsenal, with Goal reporting that they see him as a potential replacement for Granit Xhaka, who could be off to AS Roma.

And Hatfield believes, while nothing is a forgone conclusion, Neves is one player Wolves could be willing to let go in order to generate funds.

“For Wolves to sign players, do they need to sell?” the Express & Star reporter said. “That’s the report we’ve kind of heard from some, that there needs to be a few sales to fund those big moves that they maybe want to make.

“Maybe Neves is seen as someone who is not completely disposable but would be an acceptable departure to fund other moves. That could be the case.”

According to The Athletic, Wolves do need to sell if they are to bring in reinforcements.

Valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, Neves probably has the potential to capture a good fee. So while he has been an important player for this Wolves team, you can see some logic behind selling him this summer.

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a potential blow in their bid to bring James Garner back to The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Jonathan Shrager, with the journalist revealing on Twitter that a number of clubs are interested in taking the Manchester United central midfielder on loan next season, with both Swansea City and Nottingham Forest being named as two clubs that are extremely keen on a deal for the 20-year-old.

However, Shrager goes on to claim that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will wait until all of the United players are back in training before deciding whether or not he would be willing to let the youngster leave the club once again this summer. The Norwegian is also thought to be eager to tie the England U20 international down to a new contract at Old Trafford.

Potential blow for Forest

It seems unlikely that Garner will be a key part of Solskjaer’s first-team plans next season with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek and Fred all appearing ahead of the 20-year-old as viable options in the middle of the park.

However, the fact that the 48-year-old is unsure as to whether he will be allowing the youngster to leave this summer could be a blow to Forest’s hopes of signing the midfielder this summer.

Considering Swansea are also thought to be in the race for the man Fred dubbed an “incredible” player, it should come as a further flow.

Steve Cooper has earned a reputation of being a fantastic coach when it comes to developing younger players, with clubs proposing loan deals to the Swans, rather than visa-versa. Thus, United may think that the £3.6m-rated gem would progress at a faster rate in Wales, rather than at the City Ground.

However, for now, there is nothing more that Chris Hughton and his side can do but wait to see exactly what plans Solskjaer has for Garner next season.

In other news: Imagine him & Grabban: Murphy must seal Forest swoop for £36k-p/w “leader” this summer

Steve Howey exclusively told Football FanCast that Joe Willock returning to Newcastle on loan next season remains a possibility.

Willock spent the second half of the season on loan from Arsenal and enjoyed an inspired spell at St James’ Park – scoring eight times in 11 starts, and in doing so became the youngest player in Premier League history to score in seven consecutive matches.

Despite the Magpies faithful watching from afar for the majority of the 21-year-old’s loan spell, his form saw him quickly become a fans’ favourite.

And according to the Chronicle, Steve Bruce is trying desperately to re-sign Willock again next season, although Newcastle’s transfer budget might prevent a deal from materialising.

Willock still has several years remaining on his deal at Arsenal but was down the pecking order at the Emirates last term and thoroughly enjoyed his first taste of regular Premier League football with Newcastle.

And when speaking to Football FanCast, Howey refused to rule out the young midfielder being back at St James’ Park in 2021-2022:

“Other teams have been impressed by his performances for Newcastle. He loved it up here, he got on well with the rest of the lads, that is a possibility.

“But again, it’s what suits the clubs. Arteta might want to bring some money in, so it’s what suits all parties.”