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Jim Pallotta namechecking Newcastle United as a Premier League club he could look to buy in the future may be music to the ears of Matty Longstaff.

The former owner of Serie A outfit AS Roma mentioned the Magpies to The Athletic recently while discussing his ambitions to one day explore purchasing an English club.

Pallotta has previously been linked with a potential takeover at St James’ Park, with it even claimed that a viability study into buying Mike Ashley out was conducted last year.

The American businessman, who had a net worth of $1bn (£723m) in 2019, has also raised further capital following the €591m (£505m) sale of Roma in August 2020 by cashing in his 8% stake in NBA team Boston Celtics.

Pallotta now appears to be itching for a return to football ownership, joking: “I was hiding for a while but since I put an offer in for Newcastle…”

He added: “I do think that if there’s a place that makes sense for me, it’s the Premier League. I think there are interesting teams in the Premier League that have great history and it would be nice to see them getting back to it.

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“The Newcastles of the world. Great, great fanbase. Those are the kind of things I think would be interesting to be a part of with a good group [of investors] and there’s more rationality there [at league level] in many ways.”

Ashley is said to value Newcastle at £300m but the figure is expected to be under serious threat if United are relegated from the Premier League this season, per Chronicle Live.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has previously suggested that Ashley may have to lower his demands by as much as £100m if Newcastle become a Championship club, while overseas buyers have already been linked with discounted approaches based on relegation.

It would remain to be seen where Ashley values the Magpies as a second-tier outfit and just how open investors truly are to financing a takeover, but Pallotta’s comments may come as music to the ears of those currently on the fringes of the first team.

A new owner may look to remove Steve Bruce from his position and hire their own head coach, a decision Ashley is currently reluctant to make due to the 60-year-old’s loyalty to the Sports Direct tycoon and his passion for the club, per Sky Sports.

Longstaff would likely be one player eager for a fresh start under a new manager, having seen his game-time fall off a cliff under Bruce this term, with Sunday’s draw with Tottenham Hotspur his first inclusion in a matchday squad in six matches.

The 21-year-old has not featured at any stage over Newcastle’s last 12 Premier League fixtures, either, having been cast into the wilderness after a run of four starts from a possible five post-Christmas.

Bruce’s position is perplexing to the player and his teammates, as he is and has been fully fit throughout his time out of the starting XI, per The Athletic, while Chronicle Live’s Ciaran Kelly quoted the Toon boss last month as claiming the midfielder’s time would come.

“He’s not in the side but let’s not forget he’s got a huge future – there’s no question about that,” Bruce said. “He had a big rise last year and finds himself not in the team at the moment, so he’s just got to stick with it. His time will come again, that’s for sure.”

It remains to be seen whether Sunday’s recall to the matchday squad was a sign of Longstaff making his way back into contention, or if he will have to wait for someone like Pallotta to arrive and dispatch Bruce for his next chance at becoming a regular in black and white.

AND in other news, Newcastle are keen to sign a £14.5m-rated star who gives Steve Bruce “something completely different”…

A Liverpool source has dropped a big claim on the future of Jurgen Klopp after some more insight was given into the European Super League (ESL) fiasco.

As per Football Insider, the German manager’s future at the Anfield faithful is ‘far from secure’ after his relationship with Fenway Sports Group (FSG) suffered as a result of their disagreements over the Reds’ participation in the ESL.

His bosses now reportedly face a ‘huge task’ to get Klopp back on board in fear that he may walk away, as he was ‘devastated’ at not being consulted about the plan to join the breakaway league and felt that FSG left him ‘hanging out to dry’.

Klopp condemned the project in public before and after his team’s 1-1 away draw at Leeds United in the Premier League on Monday night, which certainly put a strain on his relationship with his employers, who were ‘unhappy’ that he was so negative about it.

Liverpool must keep Klopp

If anything, the Merseyside club should be looking to keep Klopp and for FSG to leave their post if possible, rather than the other way around.

The ESL was purely the latter’s idea and so Klopp should not be punished or feel as if he should need to punish himself for their proposed involvement, especially after John Henry admitted the blame lies on FSG, not the staff or players.

Now, the former Mainz and Borussia Dortmund coach should be fully concentrated on getting LFC back into the UEFA Champions League for the 2021/22 term, which would be an impressive feat given the somewhat disastrous season the Reds have suffered thus far.

In other news, find out what James Pearce update on John Henry Reds have flocked to here!

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills is unconvinced about the Whites potentially signing Michael Olise, instead wanting players who will improve the first team.

Marcelo Bielsa will be keeping an eye out for possible summer reinforcements in the coming months as he looks to freshen up his squad ahead of next season.

The Argentine has built a strong group of players at Elland Road – one which is sitting healthily in mid-table in the Premier League – but it is important that Leeds don’t rest on their laurels.

Olise is a player who has been linked with a move to the Whites following an exceptional season in the Championship with Reading. The 19-year-old has five goals and 10 assists in the league to date, with only Emiliano Buendia (12) picking up more of the latter in the division 2020/21.

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Mills not convinced over Olise move

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills admitted he wants to see players like Raphinha come in, though – individuals who are guaranteed to make the team stronger. He said:

“Does he add more quality to what Leeds have already? That would be my only question. You’ve got Rodrigo, you’ve got Kalvin Phillips, you’ve got Raphinha.

“Maybe it adds a little bit of strength in depth. But when you’re looking at the second season in the Premier League you’ve got to look to improve the first XI.

“You’re better off being a bit more patient and spending more money by improving the first XI. If you can do that at the right price it’s worth doing.

“But just bringing in squad players is not always the right route.”

Transfer Tavern take

Mills certainly has a point regarding bringing in top-class established talent in the summer, but it is possible to do that and also sign young players with lots of potential.

Olise falls into the second of those categories, but he has shown this season that he looks capable of becoming a formidable footballer in the coming years, so Leeds certainly shouldn’t disregard him.

In other news, Kevin Phillips has been discussing one Leeds player’s recent setback – read about it here.

Spurs will be looking to build on their impressive performance in the Europa League in midweek with a win against Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Jose Mourinho’s side have been poor form in the Premier League of late and have dropped to 9th into the top-flight as a result, which has led to some speculation about the Portuguese manager’s future with the North London club.

However, he can ease those fears with a win against Sean Dyche’s side on Sunday, and having beaten the same opposition 5-0 at home last season, he will be confident that his players can earn the three points.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Mourinho to line his side up on Sunday, with eight changes from the team that beat Wolfsberger 4-0 on Wednesday…

Hugo Lloris is likely to come back in for Joe Hart in between the sticks, although the Frenchman has been suspect on a few occasions this season.

There are two changes in defence, as Davinson Sanchez replaces Eric Dier to partner Toby Alderweireld at centre-back, whilst Sergio Reguilon provides more of an attacking threat than Ben Davies at left-back.

Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are both likely to return to the side in midfield, meaning Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks drop to the bench.

Dele Alli deserves to keep his place after his excellent performance in midweek, whilst Gareth Bale also earns a start after some promising recent displays.

Unsurprisingly, Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son start against the Clarets, although Carlos Vinicius is perhaps unlucky to be dropped after his brace on Wednesday.

And, in other news… Spurs can sign ideal Ndombele partner in Nicolo Barella

After a hugely disappointing defeat to the Premier League’s bottom side in midweek, there are big questions that Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will have to answer before his side take on Wolves on Saturday evening.

Villa were consigned to a damaging loss by Sheffield United thanks to a goal from David McGoldrick, and in truth they never looked like hurting the Blades – they managed just four shots on target in the entire match.

While Bertrand Traore was hardly the biggest culprit in Villa’s defeat, and did come up with a couple of promising moments including a weaving run, the Burkina Faso international has just looked short of form in recent weeks.

From mid-December to mid-January, the summer signing from Lyon went on a run of four goals and one assist in just six Premier League games, but it has since been downhill from there.

The next eight games have resulted in just one goal and one assist, and with Trezeguet really pushing for a recall to the starting line-up after making his full return to fitness from injury, surely enough is enough when it comes to Traore.

The tricky right winger just hasn’t delivered the goods over the past couple of months in terms of end product, and there’s only so many flashes of brilliance that Smith can accept.

An eye-catching run here and there isn’t enough to keep your place in a side and, coming after a dismal defeat to Sheffield United, the time has surely come for Smith to make a ruthless call on his big-money signing from last summer and drop him from the team.

The £17.5m-rated man could potentially do with just being taken out of the firing line for now, especially with Villa’s form in recent weeks being topsy-turvy to say the least – while they may have beaten Arsenal in their past six games, they’ve only picked up two wins in that run and have lost three times.

Traore could well be the fall guy for today.

Meanwhile, Villa could find a perfect strike partner for Ollie Watkins in this star…

Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham looks set to return to the club this summer following his loan spell with Marseille.

That’s according to La Provence, cited by the Daily Record, who claimed that the Ligue 1 side will not take up their option of making Ntcham’s deal permanent at the end of the season.

Marseille could have forked out around £4.5m to sign the Frenchman on a full-time basis, but it seems as if that won’t be the case.

Ntcham’s woeful form

Ntcham hasn’t exactly had the most memorable of loan spells in his native country.

He sealed a move back to France on deadline day, but he has made just three starts for the club, being replaced at half-time in every one of those matches.

Transfer Tavern take

The news may come as a blow to the Hoops, who could also receive cash due to former striker Moussa Dembele this summer. They may have been hoping to receive £4.5m for Ntcham as well ahead of a Parkhead rebuild.

Ntcham is valued at £3.15m by Transfermarkt and will have just 12 months remaining on his Parkhead deal in the summer.

Celtic may then have a big decision on their hands ahead of the 2021/22 campaign – do they look to offload Ntcham in a cut-price deal, or include him in their plans for the new season?

In other news: Celtic defender unlikely to be at Parkhead next season, find out more here. 

It has been reported recently that Jose Mourinho wanted to sign Wesley Fofana from St Etienne and considering how well he has performed with Leicester City this season, it looks as if the North London club made a big mistake in not signing him.

According to ESPN, the Portuguese manager was keen to bring the centre-back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the summer but the Foxes were able to fend off the interest from Spurs in order to sign the defender for £36.5 million.

In the absence of Caglar Soyuncu, Fofana has stepped up to the plate brilliantly for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season, forming an excellent partnership in central defence with Jonny Evans.

In 14 appearances in the Premier League this season, the 20-year-old defender has averaged a superb 7.17 rating, whilst also helping his side to six clean sheets.

This is better than any of Spurs’ current centre-back options have managed, with Toby Alderweireld’s 6.97 average rating the best of the bunch.

The Belgian will also turn 32 this year and Fofana could have perhaps proved to be his long-term replacement with the North London club had they managed to sign him from St Etienne during the summer.

Eric Dier has been Mourinho’s go-to man for much of the season in defence, having started 17 games in the top-flight, but Fofana has outscored him in almost every aspect.

The French defender has averaged 1.8 tackles, 2.6 interceptions and 4.6 clearances per game in the Premier League this season, compared to Dier’s 0.4 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 2.8 clearances.

Whilst Fofana averages fewer passes per game than Dier, his pass success rate is higher, suggesting he would have been a good fit in Mourinho’s side.

The young defender’s value will only continue to rise as he improves in Rodgers’ side, suggesting that he would have been well worth the £36.5 million fee Leicester paid.

Jamie Redknapp was full of praise for the youngster earlier this season, saying:

“This young man is going to be the best in a few years, the best in Europe. He’s so assured, so confident, so commanding. I’m a massive fan.”

Therefore, it can definitely be argued that Daniel Levy should have pushed harder to bring Fofana in during the summer, as he could’ve been a great addition to Mourinho’s side.

Leeds are amongst the many high level English clubs who are keeping tabs on rising talent Dean Henderson. The goalkeeper enjoyed a success loan stint with Sheffield United, helping them achieve promotion into the Premier League and contributed to their impressive finish last season.

His strong performances for the Blades won Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over and he has featured five times for Manchester United since his return. He was deployed in their last two matches against Southampton and West Ham, which both ended in victory. However, with Spain international David de Gea still at the club, it’s unlikely Henderson will be able to overthrow the club icon just yet.

The Englishman would benefit from another loan move in January, before he considers his options for his future. He’s certainly not short of offers, receiving recent praise from the likes of former teammate Sander Berge who labelled him an “insane” player.

Leeds United are a club who are interested in his services, but signing him could be more of a curse than a blessing.

Why Leeds should avoid Dean Henderson

Snapping up the shot-stopper would be a huge move for the Whites and he would undoubtedly improve their defence. But in signing such a big talent comes the risk of him stunting the growth of Illan Meslier.

The 20-year-old was brought to the club during the summer for a fee in the region of £5million, after a superb loan spell in which he achieved promotion under Marcelo Bielsa. Whilst the step up to Premier League football has been tough on the whole team, Meslier has done well to adapt.

The Frenchman has already usurped Kiko Casilla as the Leeds No.1, so bringing another young goalkeeper to the club would only get in the way of Meslier’s progress. He has already proven to be a solid signing made by Victor Orta and he needs to keep his confidence high if he is going to be a success at Leeds.

In other news, Radrizzani must not waste money on signing Gyrano Kerk…

Marcel Brands faces a huge battle to sell Josh Bowler during the January transfer window with the forgotten Everton flop looking to secure a permanent exit this month.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, Bowler is keen to sever his ties with the Goodison Park natives during the mid-season market, rather than wait until the summer when he would become a free agent.

The winger is in the final six-months of his £3,000-per-week contract but has failed to break through into Carlo Ancelotti’s first-team squad after a season on loan with Hull City, while hip surgery in October has kept the 21-year-old sidelined.

Bowler, who won the Premier League 2 title under David Unsworth in 2018/19, is believed to be nearing a return to fitness and hopes to feature against Liverpool later this month when Everton’s Under 23s host their inner-city rivals.

He had scored twice in three PL2 appearances before going under the knife to take his U23s tally to five goals and one assist in 38 appearances, after netting once and creating a goal in 31 outings with the Tigers across all competitions last term.

Hull held a £5m option to purchase Bowler at the end of his temporary spell at the KCOM Stadium but chose against activating the clause following their relegation to League One.

Time to go

Brands must do all he can to facilitate a permanent exit for Bowler in the January transfer window and grant the forgotten 21-year-old his wish, as there is little expectation of the forward suddenly emerging in Ancelotti’s plans and earning his senior Everton debut.

The Toffees agreed a deal worth £1.5m rising to £4.25m with Queens Park Rangers to sign Bowler in 2017 but the decision has not paid off, even though Unsworth once lauded the Chertsey-born forward as being capable of producing magic.

“Josh Bowler was terrific. We need to get the ball to his feet in the final third and that’s where you see his magic,” he told Everton’s club website, via The Boot Room, following a 2-1 win over Sheffield United in February 2019.

Bowler was highly-rated when signed by Everton but often failed to produce any magic for Hull last term, with the forward offering just 0.2 key passes and 0.5 shots a game, making 0.9 successful dribbles and delivering just 0.1 accurate crosses, per SofaScore.

It was no wonder the Tigers passed up on paying big for the youngster following their relegation, which would have solved Everton’s problems well before Brands was left with a huge battle to find a potential suitor and avoid Bowler proving a total financial loss.

AND in other news, Everton can reach a new level by signing a “complete” £31.5m-rated maestro in January…

Marcel Brands will rue failing to offload Muhamed Besic to Reading on Deadline Day after they declared their late interest in the Everton midfielder.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Madejski Stadium natives eyed a late swoop for Besic after turning attentions to Goodison Park in the final hours of the winter transfer window.

Royals coach Veljko Paunovic is said to be a fan of the 28-year-old, while Besic would have been keen to secure a move to the Championship side.

Reading’s interest emerged with less than four hours remaining of the mid-season market but it led to another failed exit for the Bosnia and Herzegovina international, after a move to Rangers in October failed to materialise.

Besic has played no part in Everton’s 2020/21 campaign after being omitted from Carlo Ancelotti’s 25-man Premier League squad.

And while he spent parts of pre-season training with the Toffees first-team, he has since been working with the Under 23s to maintain his fitness.

The £2m-rated enforcer only has six-months remaining on his £30,000-per-week contract and he is likely to now leave Everton as a free agent at the end of the season.

A missed opportunity

Reading’s interest in Besic will represent a missed opportunity for Everton, and specifically, their Director of Football Brands, who would no doubt have wanted to get the Roberto Martinez signing’s salary off the wage bill.

Everton are currently paying Besic to not play, with the 28-year-old not even turning out for David Unsworth’s junior side, having been omitted from each of the U23s’ Premier League 2 fixtures this term.

The Blues managed to offload Cenk Tosun and Jonjoe Kenny’s wages for the time being with the duo departing on temporary deals with Besiktas and Celtic, respectively, while Yannick Bolasie sealed a loan move to Middlesbrough that will run until his Everton contract expires in the summer.

Despite Reading’s interest coming so late, Brands should have moved heaven and earth to see that Besic moved to the Madejski Stadium.

Yet Besic remains on Merseyside to train, stay fit and look ahead to pastures new, knowing he can now reach pre-contract agreements all the while offering nothing to Ancelotti or Everton, despite picking up £30,000-a-week.

AND in other news, the exit of a £28k-p/w dud is great news for a “gifted” Everton outcast…