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The Athletic’s Taylor Payne has slammed pundit and former Toon midfielder Kieron Dyer following his recent comment about Newcastle United strikers.

The Lowdown: Dyer’s comments

Dyer has spoken about the club on a number of occasions, with the ex-Magpies man saying last month that Sven Botman could ‘go onto bigger and better things’ with another club that has ‘pedigree’ despite Newcastle’s fine season.

And during Sky Sports’ live coverage of the Magpies’ clash against Bournemouth (11/02/2023), Dyer took aim at another of Howe’s summer recruits, calling Sweden striker Alexander Isak a ‘dodgy’ signing, while he also labelled Callum Wilson as someone who is not a natural goalscorer.

The Latest: Payne slams Dyer

Payne took to his Twitter account to convey his dismay with what he had heard from the ex-Newcastle ace.

He wrote: “Kieron Dyer hasn’t got a clue, has he?”

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The Verdict: Payne has a point

We think that Dyer’s recent assessment of the Toon’s forwards are rather unwarranted.

The Magpies are a club who are seemingly on the up since their takeover last season, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they become one of the top forces in England’s top flight for years to come.

Newcastle’s season has been fantastic so far and have hardly put a foot wrong on the results front, the club has also reached the final of the League Cup for the first time since 1976.

Wilson has been integral to that, with 14 goal involvements under Howe at Newcastle.

Meanwhile, Isak is a long-term signing, having joined for a club-record £63m in the summer. While his numbers aren’t exactly incredible – he has just three to his name in Toon colours – he has suffered a number of injuries, all while having to adapt to a new league with a heap of pressure on him, plus he has plenty of time on his side to make his spell on Tyneside a success.

Therefore, we think Dyer ought to cut the Newcastle duo some slack.

West Ham United will attempt to claim successive victories in the Premier League for just the second time this season when they make the trip north to face high-flying Newcastle United at St James’ Park this evening.

The Hammers have fallen from their pedestal under David Moyes this season, teetering precariously above the relegation zone by just one point and two places prior to the start of today’s action.

Having qualified for the Europa League and the Europa Conference League across the past two campaigns, the Irons now face a battle to remain in the English top flight for next season.

Moyes did earn some welcome respite by defeating lowly Everton 2-0 in the Premier League last time out, a result which preceded an FA Cup victory over Derby County on Monday night, with the resurgent Jarrod Bowen netting three of the four goals during this period.

A trip to Tyneside represents a far more challenging obstacle for West Ham, though, with Eddie Howe’s high fliers perched in third place in the league and into the final of the Carabao Cup. Therefore, Moyes will need to ensure that his side are at their very best if they are to continue their winning streak.

Here is how Football FanCast expects the Irons manager to deploy his starting line-up for the encounter at St James’ Park, with five changes from Monday’s cup win at Derby…

West Ham predicted starting XI v Newcastle – Fabianski; Kehrer, Ogbonna, Aguerd; Coufal, Paqueta, Rice, Emerson; Bowen, Benrahma; Antonio

Established as first choice and “excellent” – as once heralded by Moyes – Lukasz Fabianski will likely come back into the team between the sticks after being rested in favour of Alphonso Areola on Monday night.

Right wing-back Ben Johnson started against the Rams but will likely be replaced by Vladimir Coufal, who has started the last five league outings in succession, while Emerson will hold his position on the opposite flank.

With the east Londoners short on central defensive options, the triad of Thilo Kehrer, Angelo Ogbonna and Nayef Aguerd which started in the FA Cup will maintain their places against the Magpies.

In midfield, Declan Rice will return alongside £51m summer arrival Lucas Paqueta, with the dynamic duo holding the centre during the recent league win over Everton. That means Flynn Downes will be pushed back to the bench after earning a rare start against Derby, with Tomas Soucek also dropping out.

Bowen will almost certainly maintain his starting berth on the right-hand side of attack after scoring three goals from his past two appearances. On the other side, Said Benrahma’s inclusion in place of Pablo Fornals – who failed to have a single shot last Monday – might just sprinkle a bit of flair against a resilient Newcastle backline, the stingiest in the Premier League with just 11 goals shipped.

With £15m January signing Danny Ings sidelined due to injury, veteran forward Michael Antonio is expected to lead the line again, with his physicality perhaps well suited to posing a threat to a resolute Magpies backline.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the agent of Eduardo Camavinga has denied talk that his client could join Arsenal on loan this January.

What’s the word?

The Real Madrid midfielder has been linked with a move to the Gunners of late, with reports claiming the Premier League club wanted to make the 20-year-old their “surprise” winter ambition.

The Gunners certainly look to be in the market for a new midfielder too, with West Ham United’s Declan Rice said to be a key target in the summer.

And so, in theory, Camavinga could join on loan now to help with the club’s title ambitions before then going back to Madrid, leaving space for Rice to join ahead of the start of next season.

However, while speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano has revealed that a deal doesn’t seem realistic at this stage.

Indeed, the journalist explained (1:26): “The agent Joshua Barnett told me no way for Arsenal loan or Chelsea loan or any other club.

“Because many clubs in Europe, all the top clubs in Europe, want Camavinga but Real Madrid are very happy with him and Camavinga is very happy with Real Madrid. So, no way.”

Too good to be true

Camavinga certainly would be an exciting name to bring to the Emirates before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month. After all, as per Squawka, he has won more duels per 90 than any other player with 360+ minutes in La Liga or the Premier League so far this season.

Still, it sounds as though the Real Madrid ace won’t be allowed to go with Carlo Ancelotti backing up Romano’s reporting, as he recently told the press: “We will not let Camavinga leave, he’s untouchable, like [Luka] Modric and Toni Kroos.”

Saying that though, the Frenchman has started just five league games so far this season. So it’s not as if he’s quite like Modric or Kroos. And if the youngster feels as though he would prefer to move to try and get more minutes, Arsenal could be an attractive proposition.

Still, for now, everything seems to suggest a loan won’t be happening but you can never say never in the world of football.

Everton have made contact to enquire about signing Mislav Orsic according to reports, but a more recent update indicates that they could be unsuccessful in their pursuit of the Dinamo Zagreb forward.

The Lowdown: Orsic profiled

The Croatian has recently returned from the World Cup, where he was a standout performer after scoring the winner in the third-place play-off which secured his nation the bronze medal.

Premier League clubs have duly been attracted to the 30-year-old, and the Toffees had been hoping that he could be on his way to Goodison Park. According to 90min, Everton, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest have all ‘been in contact’ with Dinamo Zagreb regarding Orsic in ‘recent weeks’.

However, news which filtered through this afternoon does not make for good reason for Farhad Moshiri and co.

The Latest: Orsic set for Southampton medical

Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor relayed an update via Twitter from Croatian reporter Ižak Ante Sučić which hinted that Southampton have had an offer accepted for the player, who is on his way to the south coast of England for a medical.

Taylor tweeted: “As reported by @IASucic, Dinamo Zagreb have now accepted an improved offer from Southampton for Mislav Oršić. Deal worth in region of £7m including add-ons (Premier League survival). Told Croatian international winger has already travelled for medical.”

The Verdict: Everton have missed out

Everton now find themselves in the relegation zone and are the Premier League’s third-lowest scorers with just 14 goals. Therefore, the need for attacking reinforcements is clear, and Orsic would have been the perfect candidate to come in and make the significant impact that Frank Lampard craves.

The Croatian has posted an outstanding 21 goal contributions in just 27 appearances across all competitions this season and is a versatile player with the ability to operate at centre-forward, as well as out wide (Transfermarkt).

Orsic has been hailed by Sučić for being able to produce moments of ‘magic’, and that is the profile of player that Everton need if they are to enhance their prospects of preserving their top-flight status.

Alas, it now looks like Lampard and co will need to turn their attention elsewhere in the transfer window in that regard.

Newcastle United could be set to strengthen their squad even further when the January transfer window opens tomorrow, and now a new update has emerged on a potential new transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Hrach Khachatryan, Newcastle are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram.

Khachatryan tweeted:

“Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram is linked with Premier League move. Chelsea, Newcastle, and Liverpool are interested.”

Howe could land his own Valverde

There is no doubt that Eddie Howe will be thrilled with his Tyneside squad after a phenomenal start to their Premier League season, however, the opportunity to continue to strengthen the squad will be a chance surely not missed by the club.

The Magpies are currently third in the top flight after drawing with Leeds United this afternoon – having only suffered one defeat over their first 17 outings so far, which is an extremely impressive feat considering 12 months ago they were battling relegation at the bottom of the table.

Not only that, Newcastle remain in contention to compete for both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, so adding some depth in key positions on the pitch would be advantageous and Thuram – the brother of World Cup finalist Marcus Thuram and son of World Cup winner Lillian Thuram – could be the perfect signing to bolster Howe’s options in the centre of the pitch.

Over 16 Ligue One appearances, the 21-year-old Frenchman – who was dubbed “perfect” by journalist Alex Jaquin – has delivered two assists, created three big chances and completed 68% successful dribbles so far, as well as averaging 1.4 tackles, 34 accurate passes and 2.9 duels won per game.

Howe could even land his very own Federico Valverde as the Real Madrid talent has been named as one of the most comparable players to Thuram over the last 12 months, according to FBref.

The midfield positional peers share many similarities in their output this season so far including assists (two v two), pass completion rate (87.4% v 88%), dribblers tackled percentage (47.4% v 38.5%), blocks (10 v 11) and dribbles completed (65% v 63.2%).

With that being said, the signing of Thuram – who is expected to cost €20m (£17m) – could be a great piece of business for Howe as he attempts to retain Newcastle’s dominance inside the top four and secure Champions League qualification over the second half of the season.

Eddie Howe is reportedly plotting a Newcastle United raid for Birmingham City central midfielder Jobe Bellingham in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Runs in the family

There is plenty of talent in the Bellingham family, with Jobe’s brother Jude now the better known of the two brothers for his incredible exploits with Borussia Dortmund and England.

Jude of course started his career at Birmingham, where Jobe is now, and the latter is now impressing at the Championship club despite being just 17 years of age.

The Latest: Howe plotting raid

As per TEAMtalk, Howe is plotting a raid of Birmingham for Bellingham in January, after Dortmund were previously interested in Jobe following in his brother’s footsteps and moving there.

North East rivals Middlesbrough and Sunderland are also thought to be ‘keen’ on his signature, alongside Glasgow Rangers, Nice and Bayer Leverkusen.

Birmingham may have ‘little choice’ but to listen to offers for Bellingham given takeover uncertainty at the Blues, with manager John Eustace admitting that he has had a ‘fantastic season’ so far.

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The Verdict: Get it done

If Bellingham turns out to be even as half as good as his brother, then the St. James’ Park outfit should not think twice about signing him up.

Hailed as a ‘huge talent’ by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, the teenager has already played 15 times for his club, including 12 appearances so far this season, while he has also represented England 12 times at youth level (Transfermarkt).

With young Australian prospect Garang Kuol already joining the Magpies in January, they would be building quite the talent pool in the North East.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in World Cup-bound attacker Mohammed Kudus and will be watching on in Qatar, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Paratici transfer planning…

Spurs’ sporting director Fabio Paratici could turn to the transfer market in January despite making eight major signings in total over the summer.

The Lilywhites secured moves for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and a permanent deal for Cristian Romero, although new names have entered Paratici’s thinking for the winter.

Ruslan Malinovksyi of Atalanta is one attacker who has been linked with a move to the Premier League club, and it appears that Kudus is another who’s on the agenda in N17.

The Latest: Spurs eyeing Kudus…

It is believed that the 22-year-old, who has been selected for Ghana’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar, will be watched by officials at Spurs during the tournament, which is set to begin on Sunday.

Corriere dello Sport have claimed (via Sport Witness) that Kudus has ‘ended up in the sights’ of various clubs across Europe, including the north Londoners, who appear set to run the rule over the Ajax star.

The Ghanaian has been in somewhat prolific form this season, bagging five goals in 14 league appearances for the Amsterdam giants.

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The Verdict: Worth it?

The starlet can only get better judging by his age, with Kudus already drawing comparisons to Netherlands icon and AC Milan legend Clarence Seedorf.

Hailed as a ‘really exciting’ player by journalist Rahman Osman, a move for the 22-year-old should well be considered by Paratici and Spurs depending on his price and how he performs with Ghana at the World Cup.

Tottenham Hotspur could be handed the chance to bring Milan Skriniar to the Premier League on a free transfer next summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by 90min, who claim that, with the centre-back’s current deal at Inter Milan set to expire at the end of the current campaign, and with the 27-year-old being yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at the San Siro, Fabio Paratici could be given the chance to sign the Slovakia international on a pre-contract in January.

However, the report goes on to state that Inter’s CEO Beppe Marotta is hopeful of agreeing fresh terms with Skriniar prior to the break for the Qatar World Cup this winter. Meanwhile, the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be keeping a very close eye on the centre-back’s situation.

Regarding the future of the defender at the San Siro, Marotta said: “As far as Skriniar, who is absolutely top-class both on and off the pitch, I hope we can agree a new deal very much, and I’m very optimistic that the negotiations can reach a conclusion by November 13. The conditions look to be positive for me to say this.”

Conte’s dream

Considering just how heavily Spurs have been linked with Skriniar since Antonio Conte’s appointment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last November, should Paratici manage to land the centre-back on a free transfer in January, it would undoubtedly be a dream deal for the Italian and the north London club.

Indeed, Skriniar was a rock at the heart of Conte’s title-winning Inter defence in 2020/21, with the £56.5m-rated talent helping his side to keep 12 clean sheets in his 32 Serie A appearances. He also averaged 1.5 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 2.7 clearances and won 3.5 duels (at a success rate of 52%) per game.

The £93k-per-week defender also chipped in for the Nerazzurri going forwards that season, scoring three goals during the campaign in addition to making 62.2 passes, 2.6 long balls and 0.3 key passes per game, demonstrating the 27-year-old’s ability to both play out from the back and launch counterattacks.

These returns saw the 54-cap international – who Tibor Goljan dubbed a “leader”, Siavoush Fallahi labelled a “monster” and Andy Castell tagged as “unreal” – average a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Conte’s seventh-best performer in Inter’s Scudetto-winning campaign.

Furthermore, with FBref ranking Skriniar in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for passes completed per 90 – as well as the top 29% for dribbles completed, the top 25% for shots and the top 28% for shot-creating actions over the last 365 days – the Slovakian would very much appear to possess the forward-thinking mindset that Conte likes his defenders to have.

As such, considering the 53-year-old’s history of success with Skriniar, coupled with the 27-year-old appearing to be a perfect fit for Conte’s tactical set-up in north London, the signing of the player who was valued at €80m (£69.5m) this summer on a free transfer would undoubtedly represent something of a dream deal for the Italian coach.

Leeds United’s fall from grace in the early 2000s is a story that the Elland Road faithful will not need repeating.

Indeed, after finishing fourth in the 2000/01 Premier League campaign, as well as reaching the Champions League semi-final that same season, the Whites were relegated to the second tier of English football just three years later – with the club in huge financial trouble after grossly overspending in the transfer market.

As a result of these financial difficulties, a number of the club’s biggest assets were sold off the following summer, including Alan Smith to Manchester United, Mark Viduka to Middlesbrough and Scott Carson to Liverpool, as well as one 18-year-old James Milner, who left Elland Road in a £5m move to Newcastle United.

Looking back on his departure in an interview with FourFourTwo in 2018, the now-Liverpool midfielder revealed his shock at then-owner Gerald Krasner’s decision to cash in on him, as well as claiming he would have liked to remain at his boyhood club for a little while longer before moving onto pastures new.

Milner said: “It was a very tough time to get relegated and there were a lot of financial things going on – things in the papers, off-field problems… you had to grow up quickly by watching the senior players and how they were dealing with everything.

“As hard as it was, I learned a lot very quickly. Within two years I’d had numerous managers, and highs and lows. By the start of my second season, Peter Reid had come in and I was sent on loan to Swindon. I did quite well there, went back to Leeds and started playing in every game.

“But then, in 2004, I turned up on the first day of pre-season thinking we were going to discuss a new contract, and someone said: ‘You’re going up to Newcastle for your medical tomorrow’. I was like: ‘Am I?’ That was tough. It was disappointing that I didn’t get to play for Leeds for longer, but to do it at all was pretty special.

“What little money the club owed me, I gave up to help them, and they got a transfer fee. So it was portrayed to me that it was in the best interests of the club [for me to leave] due to all of the financial difficulties. I thought I was going the right thing by the club.”

However, while Milner’s sale may have kept the financial wolves from the door for slightly longer, the club would ultimately go into administration once again under Ken Bates in 2007 regardless, resulting in the Whites being relegated to the third tier of English football having failed to secure promotion back to the top flight after dropping down to the second tier in 2004.

As such, with the benefit of hindsight, keeping a player of Milner’s ability at the club rather than cashing in on the teenager for a cut-price deal would have appeared to have been a much wiser move by Krasner, as the midfielder could well have made all the difference in Leeds’ 2005/06 promotion push – a season in which the Whites lost 3-0 to Watford in the play-off final.

Indeed, this loss marked a huge turning point in the history of Leeds, with the club suffering relegation to League One the following season, with it being a total of 16 years until they would return to the top flight of English football.

And, in this time, Milner enjoyed a stellar career at the very top of the professional game, going on to secure moves to clubs such as Aston Villa, Manchester City and his current side Liverpool – winning one Champions League, three Premier Leagues, one FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Supercup, two FA Cups, two League Cups and two Community Shields along the way.

As such, Krasner’s call on the then-18-year-old was very much a shocker by the former Leeds owner, as keeping hold of the £140k-per-week talent – who Darren Bent dubbed “ridiculous” and Jack Wilshere labelled a “legend” – could well have changed the course of Leeds’ history.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are planning a January move for Strasbourg defender Alexander Djiku, according to Ghana Soccernet.

The lowdown

The report claims that the centre-back was close to joining Wolves in the summer, only for the deal to collapse ‘at the eleventh hour’. It also notes that Bruno Lage’s side failed to secure a move for West Ham United defender Craig Dawson as they unsuccessfully sought a last-ditch central defensive addition.

Significantly, the 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season, so Strasbourg may be inclined to sell him on the cheap in the winter.

The latest

As per Ghana Soccernet, Wolves are now lining up ‘another offer’ for the Ghanaian defenfer at the turn of the year.

Lage still views him as the ‘ideal candidate’ and has refused to give up on the transfer. Also, the player is expected to be keen on any such move, having already expressed his desire to play in the Premier League.

The verdict

Wolves could definitely do with another body at centre-half, especially one like Djiku who’s in the peak years of his career. They currently have Nathan Collins, Max Kilman, Yerson Mosquera and Toti Gomes at their disposal, but it’s a group which lacks experience, with their average age coming to just 22.5 years.

From that point of view, offloading Conor Coady (29) and Willy Boly (31) after Romain Saiss (32) had already left on a free transfer looks like a potential mistake.

However, they could remedy it with a move for Djiku, a modern defender who posts very high volumes of progressive passes (95th percentile among centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues) and progressive carries (81st percentile).

He has been dubbed ‘outstanding’ by former Ghana boss Charles Akonnor and has now racked up 18 caps for his country, so he seems like a target who’s well worth a renewed pursuit.