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A worrying update has emerged on Newcastle’s pursuit of Marc Overmars, regarding the sporting director role at St. James’ Park.

What’s the talk?

According to Duncan Castles of The Times, the Dutchman will not be taking the job and the Magpies will now be looking at other candidates, although it remains unclear as to whether he rejected an offer or was not given the choice.

This comes after The Mirror reported last week that PIF had opened talks with the former Arsenal man over a deal to join the club.

Gutting

This update from Castles will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling gutted. Overmars has enjoyed success in a behind-the-scenes role at Ajax since becoming their director of football in 2012, having previously been a technical coach in the academy after retiring as a player – representing the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal.

CIES Football Observatory recently named Ajax as the top training club in Europe in 2021, having trained the most footballers playing in 31 top divisions across the continent. 81 players are currently playing professional football in Europe after coming through the academy at the Dutch giants, showing the incredible work being done by the Amsterdam club.

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Overmars, along with manager Erik ten Hag, has created an environment where young players have a pathway to the first team and the right conditions to thrive when they get there. This has resulted in the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt coming through the ranks before sealing £75m+ transfers to Barcelona and Juventus respectively in recent years.

The Dutch director, therefore, could have joined Newcastle and installed a similar philosophy in an attempt to unearth the next Alan Shearer or Paul Gascoigne. Magpies supporters would have no doubt enjoyed this as it would mean more homegrown players potentially coming through their ranks to play in the first team. Mix that with some new, experienced, signings and there would have been reasons to get excited.

This is why the update from Castles will be gutting for the Toon Army to read, as Overmars could have been an excellent appointment for the club given his impressive track record of developing youth with Ajax. It will be interesting to see where PIF go now in their pursuit of a figure to work alongside whoever the new head coach ends up being.

AND in other news, “Sources telling”: Journo drops major NUFC manager update that’ll leave fans ecstatic…

Rangers chief Ross Wilson could face a difficult decision in the January transfer window over the future of Alfredo Morelos.

Last month, the Colombian admitted that he is eyeing up an exit from Ibrox after he failed to secure a transfer in the summer window, despite interest from Porto.

He said: “I am calm and I am a young player, I hope that soon the opportunity to leave will be given.

“Here at Rangers I have already been champion, I have made history and we hope that it will happen; the opportunity to come out in the best way.”

This suggests that Rangers could need to go into the market to find a replacement for Morelos in forthcoming transfer windows, potentially in January, if a club comes in with a serious offer for him. His comments intimate that he will be desperate to explore an opportunity to leave if one arises, and that could result in Wilson needing to cash in on him rather than keeping a potentially disruptive influence in the dressing room.

The Colombia international has enjoyed a terrific spell with the Scottish giants and proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer. To date, he has 99 goals and 45 assists in 196 competitive matches for Rangers, which means that he has been directly involved in a goal for the club in every 1.36 games.

Steven Gerrard could make a key decision which could save Wilson from splashing out millions in the transfer market. He could unearth Morelos 2.0 by unleashing 19-year-old academy striker Juan Alegria, who joined from FC Honka in the summer.

Former Gers defender Alan Hutton claimed that Rangers see Alegria as a ‘big talent’ and has put his faith in the club’s scouting system.

He said: “I think we all know that the scouting system has worked well at Rangers so they obviously see a promising, big talent and he’s only 18 so it’s going to be one to bring in and develop within the squad.

“He sounds a decent prospect and I trust the Rangers scouting team because they’ve done so well in the past. It’s not been bad so far so we’ll have to back them.”

The teenager scored seven goals in 28 matches for Honka’s senior and youth teams, with 24 of his appearances coming in the senior squad. He is also a Colombian youth international, which also highlights his potential as a player, while he has followed in the footsteps of compatriot Morelos by swapping Finland for Ibrox.

Therefore, Gerrard could potentially save millions in the transfer market by replacing the 25-year-old with his fellow countryman. He could unleash Alegria in the first team and develop him into a natural replacement for Morelos, which would mean that Rangers do not need to invest a sizeable fee in bring in a new signing to take the latter’s place.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterclass: “Special” Rangers beast has seen his value soar 1,233% since 2019…

Lee Ryder has revealed why a late move for Elliot Anderson was blocked by Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Anderson chance?

Anderson has already played in two first-team games for the St. James’ Park faithful at just 18 years of age, but will not be heading out on loan to add to his tally of appearances at senior level.

With Transfer Deadline Day passed now, he will be hoping that he can get more chances in the first team under Steve Bruce.

The Latest: Move blocked

Writing in a piece for The Chronicle, Ryder revealed that the North East club told Luton Town of the EFL Championship that they were ‘unwilling’ to let Anderson leave on loan before the summer window shut.

The Hatters enquired about his availability ahead of Deadline Day, but they were told that Anderson is still trying to get over a hip injury and they ‘want to keep a close eye’ on him over the next couple of months.

The Verdict: Blessing in disguise

It is certainly a blessing in disguise that Anderson’s potential move was blocked by the Tyneside outfit as he could become a key member of the first-team squad.

Described as a ‘talented’ player by Ryder in his article, he will want to prove that he belongs once he recovers from his injury.

Also, given that the Magpies only managed to bring in Joe Willock from Arsenal on a permanent deal, the squad has not changed much in terms of incomings, and so Anderson should be able to get more opportunities.

In other news, find out who NUFC were in talks to sign on Deadline Day here!

Frank McAvennie has been left worried by some Glasgow Rangers injury news that has emerged on Ryan Jack.

The Lowdown: Jack update

Speaking ahead of his team’s game away at Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon, Steven Gerrard has now revealed that Jack is due back on the training pitch ‘any day now’, but may have to wait another ‘couple of weeks’ before he can be integrated back into the group.

The central midfielder has not played for the Ibrox faithful since February, and will no doubt be desperate to get back onto the pitch as soon as possible.

The Latest: McAvennie on Jack

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie, who is now a pundit after playing as a striker for the likes of Celtic and West Ham United, still thinks that it is a ‘big concern’ that Jack is not available at the moment:

“It’s a big concern.

“It’s a big concern for Scotland as well. I genuinely think on his day he is the best player at Ibrox.

“Luckily, Rangers have plenty of options in midfield and they aren’t missing him too much.

“But he’s a quality player so you will always miss him at some level.

“Hopefully the return isn’t that far away because on his day he can really be a leader for that side.”

The Verdict: Patience needed

After a player comes back from a long-term injury, there is always patience needed to ensure that he comes back in the right shape and frame of mind.

There is no doubt that Jack is still a key man for the Light Blues, playing in 19 of their matches in the Scottish Premiership on their way to the title last season, scoring two goals and making one assist (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, with some Gers not happy with Joe Aribo’s performance in the Scottish League Cup on Wednesday night, it may be time for the Gers to bring in some fresh legs in midfield.

In other news, find out what RFC news has fans buzzing here!

West Ham United moved into the top four in the Premier League with a win over local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.

Irons striker Michail Antonio’s sixth goal of the season was enough for the home side to seal all three points at the London Stadium. The 31-year-old talisman tapped home from close range after a pinpoint corner from Aaron Cresswell.

Both the goalscorer and provider were candidates for the ‘Man of the Match’ award, as were David Moyes’ resolute backline who kept their second clean sheet of the week.

But it was England midfielder Declan Rice who absolutely ran the show in east London.

With the captain’s armband on, the 22-year-old powerhouse led by example as he was graded a 7.5 by SofaScore – better than the goalscorer and both central defenders.

He led the game for passing accuracy, making 93% of his 40 attempts, ranked third in the Hammers’ squad for touches (58), so as ever, a lot of things ran through him.

But instead of bombing on and contributing in the final third as he has done recently, he was back to his anchorman duties, registering a game-high eight tackles – three more than the next best and two fewer than Spurs’ whole backline combined.

Rice also put in two interceptions and won a total of ten duels from 16 (62.5%) midfield battles, as per SofaScore.

The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser waxed lyrical about his performance in his post-match column, claiming the academy graduate ‘oozed class’ in the win.

‘With Soucek off the pace Rice stepped up and dominated midfield almost on his own. First to almost everything and always looking to drive the Hammers forward,’ he wrote.

It’s no wonder new teammate Nikola Vlasic dubbed the £60k-per-week England interantional as “unbelievable” in a recent interview.

For the umpteenth time this season, Rice absolutely dominated another Premier League side. That will only cause interest in his services to increase heading into 2022, so the London Stadium faithful better enjoy it whilst they still can.

AND in other news, Moyes could unearth West Ham’s next Joe Cole in 19 y/o gem “similar to Jack Grealish”…

French side Bordeaux are showing late interest in Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, according to Alan Nixon.

The Lowdown: Edouard’s summer

Reports back in April suggested that Edouard wanted to leave Celtic Park this summer, regardless of who came in as Neil Lennon’s replacement.

Ange Postecoglou was that man, and the 23-year-old has been a regular this season after his move to Leicester City fell through in July.

Edouard, into the final 12 months of his contract, is still working on a Scotland exit, with Nice thought to be preparing a bid recently.

The striker reportedly wants £85,000-a-week at his next club, and it seems as if another Ligue 1 side could be in for his services late in the window.

The Latest: Nixon’s post

Nixon, who writes for The Sun, took to Twitter on Friday morning to share an update on the French forward.

He claimed that the Hoops’ price has dropped slightly, however, the player’s demands are still big.

“French side Bordeaux taking a late and big interest in Odsonne Edouard at Celtic. Price dropped a bit, wage demands still big.”

Nixon then shared another update on Friday, claiming Rubin Kazan have come in with a €18m bid for Edouard that could tempt the Hoops.

The Verdict: Good decision

This summer could be the last chance the Hoops have to receive a respectable fee for Edouard, described as ‘superb’ by Darryl Broadfoot, so it’s good to see they have lowered their asking price with days remaining in the window.

Should his situation remain the same, he could leave for nothing over the next 12 months, not ideal for a player who Celtic wanted £40m for last summer.

A fee close to or just under his Transfermarkt valuation of £15.3m could still be good business all things considered, and that should put Dominic McKay in profit in his first summer as CEO.

In other news: Celtic medical: McKay on verge of ‘brilliant’ 9th signing for Ange as development confirmed. 

Lots of Everton fans have been left buzzing over some injury news that has emerged ahead of their game away at Norwich City in the Premier League.

As per The Athletic journalist Patrick Boyland, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Yerry Mina are all now back in training for the Goodison Park faithful, meaning that they could all feature against the Canaries if deemed fit enough.

All three of them rank among the Merseyside club’s ten best players so far this season, according to WhoScored, with Calvert-Lewin number one.

The striker has scored three goals in the four matches that he has played in the Premier League this term, and having him back with Richarlison will certainly give Rafa Benitez’s team more of a goal threat, while Mina provides another solid option defensively.

Everton fans on injury news

These Toffees buzzed as the injury news was shared on Twitter, with one Blues supporter even going as far as to claim that it was a ‘huge boost’:

“Good news Boyland at the back post!!!”

Credit: @EFCMatt1

“Huge boost for weekend hopefully”

Credit: @GraemeMcV

“Yesssssss”

Credit: @Foxy0580

“Cracking news this”

Credit: @Byrdsman75

“Brilliant. Start all 3 on Saturday imo”

Credit: @CBobblers1878

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @JGreenway8

In other news, find out which EFC ace’s claim has fans speculating here!

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a major blow in the race for a top-four finish as the Lilywhites lost 1-0 at home to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, with Leandro Trossard bagging a last-minute winner.

Antonio Conte’s men were lacklustre in front of goal, managing just five shots all game, none of which were on target, whilst Brighton managed to get five of their 12 shots on target.

Despite staying in fourth, the defeat will provide an opportunity for Spurs’ rivals in the top four race to make up ground as we enter the final weeks of the season.

No player in a Tottenham shirt can hold their head up high after the defeat, with Emerson Royal, Heung-min Son, Eric Dier all being well below-par.

However, it was undoubtedly left wing-back Sergio Reguilon who was the worst of the bunch against Brighton.

According to SofaScore, the Spaniard enjoyed just 46 touches all afternoon, as well as lost possession on 12 separate occasions – meaning he gave away the ball with every 3.8 touches.

Moreover, the 25-year-old failed to complete a single dribble, attempting just one.

Furthermore, there was also little defensive prowess from the wing-back, who failed to make a single interception, clearance or block, in addition to making just one tackle all afternoon.

Most of all though, Reguilon’s passing was well below par, with the Spaniard’s 62% accuracy – completing just 17 of his 28 attempted passes – being the worst out of Spurs’ starting lineup.

The left wing-back has had a decent season – for the most part – this term, averaging a 6.92 SofaScore match rating. However, against Brighton, the 25-year-old mustered a 6.6.

Against the Seagulls, Reguilon made his sixth appearance in Spurs’s last seven in the league – having missed the 5-1 win over Newcastle with a knock – and had certainly been earning his place in the side back after falling down the pecking order.

Following Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat to Southampton in early February, the wing-back who John Wenham claimed is the “worst of the bunch” and Tom Young labelled “pathetic” went a month without game time in the league before being reintroduced against Everton last month as the Lilywhites won 5-0, with Reguilon scoring.

What is for certain is that lacklustre displays as Tottenham pick up poor results won’t pass the grade for Conte, and Reguilon will certainly have to produce better performances over the remaining weeks of the season to ensure that his place in the side is a certainty going into next season.

AND in other news: Source: Insider drops major Spurs claim on £30m maestro, it’s great news for Conte

Following on from their narrow 1-0 win over Wolves in their latest Premier League outing, Liverpool are back in Champions League action this evening with their away group clash against AC Milan.

On the chalkboard

With Liverpool having already qualified to the next stage of the tournament after their 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid back in early November, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has the opportunity to rest and rotate some of his players on this occasion as he did by playing the likes of Neco Williams and Tyler Morton in their previous Champions League match against FC Porto.

On this occasion, one player that had a short but rather important cameo appearance in the recent win at Molineux that should be in the starting XI in midweek is Divock Origi.

With 22 minutes of the clash left to play against Bruno Lage’s side at the weekend, Klopp rolled the dice and put the Belgian on who then managed to fully repay the faith put in him by Klopp by scoring the winner.

The Belgian has previously shown his knack for bagging from the bench when he netted a consolation goal in their 3-2 defeat against West Ham United earlier in the season.

With this in mind, it would be a nice move by Klopp to give Origi the chance to shine from the start of the match against their Italian opponents tonight ahead of Diogo Jota, who should be rested ahead of Liverpool’s next league game against Aston Villa at the weekend.

Labelled as an “outstanding player” with “incredible” finishing abilities by Klopp after the Wolves game, the 26-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £82k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has scored 39 goals and provided 16 assists in 166 appearances across all competitions.

Looking ahead to the match in Milan, this match could be a great opportunity for Origi to show that he is more than just an impact player from the substitutes bench and has what it takes to put in a solid performance from the start.

If he does start this evening and manages to deliver an impressive display, there’s every chance that he could give himself a shot of starting their game against Villa as well.

In other news: Edwards must seal LFC swoop for £43m gem who Klopp dubbed “one of the biggest talents” – opinion

A lesser-known fact surrounding the EPL is that there have only ever been a few teams that circulate at the top.

Of course, this is something that doesn’t tend to get a lot of media attention, and if this truth was more well-known, it could lead to a potential decrease in anticipation for certain games (something which would be a nightmare for event organisers).

Despite this, it is true; there are a select few teams in the EPL that tend to dominate all competition.

In this article, we will be taking a look at the top three teams that have won the most games in the EPL, as well as also touching upon a few of the points why this phenomenon tends to take place.

 1. Manchester United

As many of you may have already expected, Manchester United takes the number one spot on this list.

However, even though most people tend to know about United’s notorious reputation, few actually understand the true depths that their talents go to.

As a whole, Manchester United has won an impressive 697 wins.

Even without giving any explanation at all, this is already somewhat mind-blowing.

Although, when you factor in the fact that the trailing Manchester has 100 fewer wins under their belt, this only becomes all the more awe-inspiring.

There are a ton of reasons why people love Manchester United, and United fans are known for being some of the most devout followers out there.

Their impressive win rate is just one of the factors that embolden their fans to such an extent, and out of any of the teams in the EPL, they have the right to call themselves the best club overall.

Moreover, most people who know a thing or two about football know this is the case.

Just try EPL betting at 10bet or your preferred booking hub of choice and you will see for yourself that despite the fact no one likes to admit it, everyone knows Manchester United is king.

2. Arsenal

Taking the number two spot, albeit with a huge margin between the first, is Arsenal.

More so than most other teams, Arsenal is known for being phenomenal at away games, and this is just one of the reasons why they have such a high win percentage.

If Manchester United was to be crowned the best EPL team overall, Arsenal would also have to be titled as the best performer at away games, and it is certainly their redeeming factor.

That’s not to say they are in any way bad when playing from home. On the contrary, they are an amazing side, and they have some of the best football players in the world amongst their ranks.

However, if they are considered a good side while at home, they should be known as being an exceptional team whenever away, and there are few teams out there that are able to perform as well under pressure as Arsenal.

 3. Chelsea

Coming in at number three, we have Chelsea.

It is important to note that number two and number three are pretty much identical in overall wins, with both Chelsea and Arsenal being interchangeable.

Chelsea is an all-around solid team, and they excel in almost every area.

Chelsea truly has it all; world-class players, an insane work ethic, intelligent strategies – they really are an incredibly well-rounded side.

Once again, if you happen to bet on EPL then you will already be accustomed to their high favorability in almost all situations, and it is not very often that Chelsea comes up against a team that is able to deal with them easily.

Chelsea and Arsenal truly are head-to-head in terms of overall wins, with them both sitting at 597. Only time will tell which one of them will pull ahead in the long term.

Either way, they are both incredible teams, and both deserve their impressive reputations.

 If you are an avid fan of football, then you may have already guessed one or two of the entries on our list.

Few people know just how dominant certain teams are within the premier league, and in reality, the teams we listed in this article are leaps and bounds above most of the others.

The EPL is one of the most competitive events there is in sports, and for just a select few teams to push so far ahead of everyone else, it only goes to show the skill and talent they each possess.

Image from: Old Trafford Manchester United – Free photo on Pixabay