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Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has been speaking about his summer plans, regarding Tottenham midfielder Harvey White.

What’s the talk?

Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has admitted that he would love to bring Harvey White back to the club for a second spell. White spent the second-half of the League One campaign on loan to the club from Premier League side Tottenham.

Cowley has said that he would like to sign the “great” player on a permanent basis, but concedes that Portsmouth do not have the finances to facilitate such a move and that he would be open to another loan. He told The News:

“Harvey, we love Harvey. He’s a great player and a great kid. We loved working with him. He’s on an upward curve and will get better and better.

“If Tottenham were prepared to let me take him on a permanent we’d be delighted. But I’ve got a feeling, and we’re very respectful of Tottenham who we have a good relationship with, I’ve got a feeling they have big plans for Harvey.“So I don’t anticipate having the finance to do that, unfortunately. We’d be absolutely open-minded to taking him temporarily again, though.”Get it donePortsmouth owner Michael Eisner must now sanction a deal to bring White back to Portsmouth.As Cowley has said, a permanent move for White is unlikely and Eisner should not risk the financial stability of the club to fund a swoop for the midfielder. However, the owner should be looking to negotiate an agreement with Daniel Levy to bring White in for a second season on loan in League One with Portsmouth to aid his development and bolster Cowley’s squad.Cowley has made it clear how highly he rates White and is adamant that he would like him back at Fratton Park for the 2021/22 campaign. This is why Portsmouth should be working hard to complete a deal for the youngster to show Cowley that they have faith in him and are willing to provide him with the tools he needs to be successful.If the manager can get the players he wants in the door this summer, it will hopefully give the club are greater chance of securing promotion next term.The £2.2k-per-week midfielder did not have a major impact at Fratton Park in the season just gone. He played 21 games in League One, with five starts, and scored one goal from midfield.Although, it must be stressed that it was the 19-year-old’s first forage into senior football and the past few months could have been a great experience for him to make sure that he is ready to kick on next term.Cowley clearly saw enough of him in training to believe that he can return in pre-season and progress into a valuable member of his team.Improving all the time, he’d be another solid addition to their ranks next term.AND in other news, Time’s up: Cowley must ruthlessly axe £4.3k-p/w Pompey dud after major transfer update…

Jordan Campbell has been left buzzing over some Glasgow Rangers news which has now emerged involving James Tavernier.

The Lowdown: Players’ POTY

The Ibrox club announced on Sunday night that Tavernier has won the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year Award (POTY).

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The right-back has been dubbed the team’s best performer in both the Premiership and the Europa League, scoring an astounding 13 goals and supplying a further 15 assists in both competitions combined (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Campbell reacts

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist Campbell buzzed over the update as it was announced, claiming that Tavernier was the ‘clear choice’ alongside Calvin Bassey as Young Player as he stated:

“The clear choice this season, along with Bassey as young player.

“I think this is the best football Tavernier has played of his career as his overall game has been brilliant under Van Bronckhorst.

“He looks more emboldened than ever.”

The Verdict: Deserved

The reward for Tavernier is so well-deserved, and as Campbell suggests, the right-back really seems to have stepped up his game under new manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Under Steven Gerrard earlier this season, the Englishman had managed three goals in total over all competitions. Since Van Bronckhorst’s arrival, he has added another nine, including six crucial strikes in the Europa League to help them all the way to the semi-finals (Transfermarkt).

The captain has certainly led by example, especially in Europe, and while they slack behind Celtic in the Premiership, this could still be a quite remarkable season if they manage to go all the way in the Europa League.

In other news, find out who the Gers are now targeting this summer

Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie has dropped an enticing transfer claim about where he thought his future was during the January window, with the summer transfer period now not too far away.

The Lowdown: Ritchie’s future was uncertain

Ritchie’s future at the St. James’ Park faithful was uncertain when the January transfer window came along.

The Scotland international was strongly linked with a Deadline Day exit back to his old club in AFC Bournemouth, but that move never came into fruition.

Of course, those rumours were joined a month later by the story of a bust-up in training between the Scot and manager Steve Bruce.

The Latest: Ritchie thought he was leaving

Ritchie has since spoken to Sky Sports about how close he was to leaving the North East just a few months ago, to which he claimed: “If I’m honest, yes, I thought my Newcastle career was over”.

The former Portsmouth man, who currently earns £45,000-per-week, still remains at the Tyneside club, and it has ended up being a good decision not to let him go.

The Verdict: Ritchie still important to Newcastle

Ritchie is still an important player for the Magpies, as shown by him starting in their last five games in the Premier League in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

The 31-year-old still has a lot to offer both off of the pitch with his experience and leadership, as well as on it, as former Cherries boss Jason Tindall saw when he described him as a ‘fantastic’ player back in January – when his side were linked with the versatile man.

Nonetheless, in case there is any revived interest in the summer to sign Ritchie, the Toon should look to keep hold of the winger at all costs.

In other news, find out what transfer boost NUFC have received here!

Lee Ryder has claimed that Newcastle United could sign Tom Davies in a potential swap deal with Sean Longstaff before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Davies linked before

The St. James’ Park faithful were reportedly linked with a move for Davies in last summer’s window, before he ended up staying at Everton.

It seems as if they could revisit their previous interest this summer, as the new 2021/22 Premier League season draws ever closer.

The Latest: Swap deal?

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Tyneside journalist Ryder has claimed that Longstaff could be used in a swap deal to bring Davies to the North East.

The move has been played down at this moment in time, but it has not been ruled out.

The Verdict: Avoid

It seems a bit unnecessary for the Tyneside club to swap Longstaff for Davies, as they are both very similar players.

They both managed no goals and just one assist in the top flight last term, and while Davies, lauded as an ‘excellent’ player by pundit Paddy Kenny back in June, averaged more interceptions, clearances, blocks, dribbles and passes per game, Longstaff averaged more tackles, shots, key passes, crosses and long balls (Whoscored).

Put simply, they are both tenacious midfielders with an eye for a pass, but little potency going forward and plenty of room to develop their games further.

Longstaff is also a local boy and so the Toon Army would not be pleased in letting one of their own go, unless a much better replacement was brought in.

Thus, the Magpies should only look to add Davies to their squad if Longstaff was not included as part of a deal.

In other news, find out which Premier League NUFC are ‘desperate’ to sign here!

Newcastle United may now reportedly lose Sean Longstaff to a rival club in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Davies swap?

It has previously been reported that Longstaff could be used in a potential swap deal to lure Tom Davies away from Everton to St. James’ Park.

However, whether that deal comes into fruition is another question, given that the new 2021/22 season kicks off on Friday night and the end of the summer transfer window is edging closer.

The Latest: Longstaff eyed

As per The Liverpool Echo, Rafa Benitez is considering a move to bring Longstaff to Goodison Park, as he has entered the final year of his current contract in the North East.

He is being discussed by the Toffees as a potential target in this window, and so the Tyneside club risk losing him before the deadline hits.

The Verdict: Keep

Steve Bruce needs as big of a squad as possible if the Magpies are going to kick on in the new campaign, and that would mean keeping hold of players like Longstaff.

Once called ‘faultless’ by Alan Shearer after an impressive performance against Manchester City back in 2019, Longstaff is a local lad, and one that the Toon Army would love to see thriving.

Of course he has had his dips in form like any young player, but it’s not hard to imagine the midfield maestro returning to his best when stadiums are packed full of passionate fans.

He does not take up much space on the wage bill either, as he currently earns just £22,500-per-week at NUFC, one of the lowest earners in the entire squad, and if they ever do consider selling him, it should not be to a fellow rival in the top flight.

In other news, find out what ‘great bit of business’ Newcastle have done here!

Former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey believes that Steven Gerrard is a contender to become the next Wolves manager.

The Midlands outfit were set for a fifth season under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo until last week’s shock announcement.

Just over 48 hours before Wolves rounded off their third campaign in the Premier League against Manchester United, Santo confirmed that he’ll be leaving after four years in charge at Molineux.

Former Benfica boss Bruno Lage has quickly emerged as the favourite to replace Santo, but Howey believes that Rangers manager Gerrard would consider the vacant position at Wolves.

Gerrard has just led the Glasgow giants to their first Scottish Premiership title for a decade, whilst also reaching 100 points and going the entire league campaign unbeaten – he currently has a 66% win record north of the border.

The 40-year-old will no doubt have one eye on the Liverpool job, although with Jurgen Klopp unlikely to end his five-and-a-half year stay at Anfield any time soon, another Premier League position could appeal to the Reds legend.

Howey told The Transfer Tavern:

“He’s done a magnificent job at Rangers. They’ve gone a full season unbeaten, won the league by a country mile.

“The last game against Celtic they blew them away. It’s a possibility, it’s a nice club, it’s always been a lovely club, nice ground. Would it appeal to him? Possibly.”

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson believes that at least one of Jack Grealish or John McGinn will exit Aston Villa this summer as a result of their pursuit of Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Aston Villa gear up for 2021/22

Moving into 2021/22, Villa fans up and down the country will be intrigued to see how Dean Smith’s men go about improving on their impressive 11th-placed finish last term.

Making inroads in the transfer market, the club have sanctioned deals for Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, Villa have possessed an interest in 20-year-old Smith Rowe and are said to be ready to submit a third bid for his services in the near future upon seeing their first two offers rejected by the Gunners [Birmingham Live].

The Latest: Robinson believes one of Grealish or McGinn could leave

Interestingly, former England goalkeeper Robinson reckons that this renewed pursuit of Smith Rowe could be a smokescreen for one of Grealish or McGinn to depart from Villa Park.

In an interview with Football Insider, the 41-year-old did not hold back in his assessment of the duo’s futures at Villa Park, stating: “There is talk about Grealish and McGinn going and if Smith Rowe comes in, it tells me that at least one of them is going.

“I know Villa have lots of money but if they’re after Smith Rowe at least one of Grealish and McGinn will be flying the nest.”

The Verdict: Villa fans will be praying both stay put

Grealish and McGinn have been two of Villa’s star men for a considerable period of time. In 2020/21, the former notched an excellent 19 goal contributions from 27 appearances, with seven goals and 12 assists [Transfermarkt].

The Scotland international registered nine goal contributions from 36 outings for Aston Villa last term, with three goals and six assists to his name [Transfermarkt]. Both players were in the top five in the squad for both goals and assists during 2020/21 [Transfermarkt], highlighting their importance to Smith’s side.

With speculation regularly linking McGinn to Liverpool accompanied by mooting Grealish with a switch to Manchester City, the Villa Park faithful will sincerely hope that neither scenario materialises within the foreseeable future, even if their persistence with Smith Rowe pays off.

In other news, these Aston Villa fans react to a reported update on a transfer target.

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…

Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer has successfully completed his medical at Brentford, ahead of a £13.5 million transfer [Daily Mail].

The Lowdown: Celtic face outgoings as 2021/22 gets underway

Finally kicking off the competitive 2021/22 season with a 1-1 draw against FC Midtjylland in the UEFA Champions League, new Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou will be acutely aware of the sizeable rebuild needed at Parkhead this summer.

Outgoings are expected to be a key part of the procedure, with Ryan Christie and Olivier Ntcham two of a number of players who have been linked with a departure away from Scotland this window.

One man who looks set to imminently move on to pastures new is 23-year-old Ajer following recent reports.

The Latest: Ajer completes Brentford medical, announcement due shortly

Keen to bring in a centre-back before the start of the Premier League campaign, the Bees have been in talks with the Norway international over the last week [Daily Mail].

Now, it is said that an agreement has been thrashed out for his signature, with an announcement expected in due course.

Despite Celtic previously throwing out a £10 million bid for Ajer from Norwich City earlier in the window, he has now got the go ahead to formalise his move to Brentford after passing health examinations in a move worth £13.5 million plus add-ons.

The Verdict: Cashing in on Ajer is the correct move by Celtic

Facing a dilemma at the start of the transfer period, the Celts look to have made the correct decision by cashing in on one of their top assets before his value takes a nose dive.

Looking at the possibility of losing him for dirt cheap in January or even nothing upon the expiration of his contract in summer 2022, Celtic are now set to inherit a handsome profit on the man they paid £500,000 for in 2016 [The Celtic Star].

In 2020/21, the 6ft 6in giant was in excellent form, registering two goals and four assists in 46 appearances [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, he impressed with his awareness to danger in the defensive third, making 3.4 clearances per fixture across the year [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘fantastic’ by fellow Bhoys defender Stephen Welsh, the Norway international certainly has the potential to establish himself in England’s top-flight [Daily Mail].

Moving forward, Celtic must now look to use Ajer’s sizeable prospective fee to bring in a suitable replacement.

In other news, Celtic face a blow in a transfer pursuit.

Leicester City have received a quadruple selection boost ahead of their Premier League clash with champions Manchester City on Saturday.

What’s the word?

The Foxes will be hoping to make it consecutive victories when they welcome Pep Guardiola’s charges to the King Power Stadium this afternoon, and their chances of doing just that have significantly increased given the team news which emerged recently.

That’s because the defensive quartet of Jonny Evans, Ricardo Pereira, Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand have all returned to training and should be available for selection against the Cityzens.

“We have most of our players back available now, although some are still short of fitness,” manager Brendan Rodgers said at his press conference on Thursday. “The likes of JJ (James Justin) and Wesley Fofana are the only two out at the moment.

“Ryan Bertrand will be back and available. Jonny Evans and Jannik Vestergaard are progressing very well. We’ve had a good international break with players increasing their fitness levels. Hopefully, all those players should be fit and available.

“(Ricardo) trained today. He was out on the pitches yesterday and came through a session today, and looked very good.

On Evans and Vestergaard, he added: “That’s what we have to assess in this final 24 hours (if they can play v Man City). We had a training game last week that both of them played in here at the training ground. They came through that.”

Brendan Rodgers will be delighted

Rodgers will surely be delighted at the return to action of so many of his defensive stalwarts following injury and illness, especially with such a big game on the horizon.

Centre-back Caglar Soyuncu has endured a nightmare start to the new season for both club and country, making Evans’ and Vestergaard’s availability even more important.

It remains to be seen whether this multiple selection boost is enough for Leicester to see off Manchester City this afternoon, but Rodgers and the club’s supporters will surely be looking forward to seeing some of the Foxes’ key defenders getting back out on the pitch.

And, in other news…Get it done: Leicester make contact over £30m wizard, he’s a “great talent”