All posts by h716a5.icu

It is no secret that West Brom have every intention of taking advantage of the upcoming January transfer window, but there is now one reported target that the Baggies have been speculated to sign who could be off the cards, after Dwight Gayle’s new manager Eddie Howe spoke out about the player this week.

What’s the story?

The Newcastle United striker has been said to have “an important role” at the club according to Howe, which will likely flatten the chances of Valerien Ismael being able to tempt the 32-year-old away from Tyneside.

The Magpies boss spoke to Chronicle Live about Gayle’s future with the club, saying: “What I have seen is someone who can certainly score goals, is a brilliant finisher. So Dwight will have an important role.

“He’s very well respected by the group and a well-liked member of the team. I’m going to enjoy working with him, for sure.”

These kind of numbers are exactly what West Brom are looking to add to their side as they head into the second half of the season, as they have struggled to score and finish their many chances over the last few months in the Championship, leading to a seven-point gap from table toppers Fulham currently.

These comments from Howe come after Albion continue to be heavily linked with securing the signature of the £40k-p/w striker, who proved to be a prolific scorer in the Championship during the 2016/17 season, when he scored 23 goals and claimed four assists in just 34 appearances for Newcastle.

What are WBA’s chances of getting Gayle?

West Brom fans could be gutted to hear that Dwight Gayle may not make a return to the club, as many have taken to social media to discuss the highly-speculated move.

When The Baggies Podcast asked on Twitter if fans would like to see Gayle back at The Hawthorns, the response was unanimously positive. One fan replied; “Yep, don’t even have to think about it! Natural poacher who can’t get a game at Newcastle. Bring him home!!”

However, with Howe’s comments suggesting that he still sees the striker as an integral part of the squad on Tyneside, those Baggies fans wanting Gayle back in the Midlands could be left gutted as their hopes of a reunion appear dashed.

Despite the Magpies manager’s verdict on the 32-year-old, though, there is every chance that Newcastle could sign another striker in the January transfer window, thanks to their mega-money takeover.

Gayle doesn’t get much game-time for the Magpies, as Callum Wilson continues to thrive in the centre-forward role for the club, meaning that the temptation to get regular first team football with West Brom could actually be a way for Ismael to secure the 32-year-old’s signature in January.

Either way, the Baggies must find a reliable striker in the upcoming transfer window if Albion want to catch up with Bournemouth and Fulham to secure automatic promotion back into the Premier League next season.

In other news: Valerien Ismael drops transfer window hints

After Steven Gerrard’s appointment as Aston Villa manager was confirmed, attention has turned to potential signings from his former club Rangers.

The Birmingham Mail’s Richard Cusack has been considering the possibility of a swoop for Ryan Kent. On Friday, Daily Record journalist Scott Burns reported that the winger and Glen Kamara would be ‘at the top of Gerrard’s list’ if the 41-year-old were to launch a raid on Ibrox.

Ryan Kent profiled

Kent joined Rangers in September 2019 in a £6.48m move off the back of a loan spell in Glasgow the previous season. He has made 139 appearances for the Gers, scoring 28 times and notching 33 assists. Six of those goal contributions – one goal and five assists – have come in his 11 outings so far this season.

The 25-year-old’s contract is up at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and he is valued at £12.6m by Transfermarkt.

Twitter account @AVFC_News asked supporters if they would like Kent to move to Villa, and here’s how these fans responded negatively, believing that the winger wouldn’t be an upgrade on their current abundance of options out wide.

Liverpool gave him just one senior appearance before loaning him out several times prior to his permanent move to Rangers, something which may also discourage some Villa supporters.

These Villa fans unimpressed by Kent

“No Rangers players are better than what’s there”

Credit: @mickmcg81

“Surely we can do better?”

Credit: @kinglandranger3

“Not really. No better than what we have. That’s not where he should be looking, far from it.”

Credit: @AVFCAL79

“Don’t want Rangers players, he’s plenty of money to get better quality players”

Credit: @waynipoos1

“Not for me. Better value in U23 and around Europe”

Credit: @SpeakReason

“We have plenty of wingers though”

Credit: @BernardKeavy

In other news, many Villa fans react to this Neil Cutler update

A round-up of the tenth round of matches in Tier A of Sri Lanka’s Premier League Tournament

Sa'adi Thawfeeq16-Dec-2009Tier AMahela Udawatte has long been touted as Sanath Jayasuriya’s successor•AFPLeft-arm spinners figured quite prominently last week in the Premier League tournament which is interesting poised with only weeks to go. Chilaw Marians CC are well on course to win their first Premier League title after recording their fourth victory of the season and their third in a row. As on the previous two weekends, it was the left-arm spin of Dinuka Hettiarachchi which set up their nine-wicket win over Badureliya CC and enabled them to maintain a nine-point lead over title rivals Nondescripts CC. Hettiarachchi took his third successive ten-wicket match haul as Badureliya was dismissed for 69 in the first innings at Katunayake. Although Badureliya put up a better batting performance in the second to score 416, Chilaw Marians were left with only 127 to get in the fourth innings, a figure they achieved off 19.2 overs. Hettiarachchi with a match bag of 13 wickets (6/25 & 7/201) became the leading wicket-taker for the season taking his tally to 59 wickets from 10 matches.Two other left-arm spinners Sohan Boralessa and Sachith Pathirana lifted Colombo CC from the bottom of the table to two places above by bowling their club to their first win of the season following seven draws and two defeats. This left only Ragama CC and Moors SC (who now occupy the bottom slot) without a single win. Boralessa passed the 50-wicket mark for the season with a haul of seven wickets in the match against Ragama CC at Maitland Place, which Colombo CC won by 31 runs. Pathirana formed a perfect foil taking nine wickets in the match as the two bowlers ran through the strong Ragama batting for 190 and 158. Colombo CC captain Jehan Mubarak held the batting together in the second innings, making 110 out of 201.The fourth left-arm spinner to bowl his team to victory was Chanaka Komasaru whose match figures of 8 for 133 gave Nondescripts CC a much-needed seven-wicket victory over Bloomfield at Reid Avenue to remain in the title hunt. Apart from Komasaru the other bowler who played a match-winning role was right-arm fast-medium bowler Kosala Kulasekara who also ended up with eight wickets in the match. It was not an easy game for NCC who barely managed to gain a first-innings lead of 17 runs and it was Bloomfield’s collapse in the second innings for 127, despite a fighting knock of 72 by Suraj Randiv, that left them with a comfortable target of 111 to chase in the fourth innings.NCC coach Hemantha Devapriya was optimistic of the club’s chances of winning the title. “We had a good start in the season but with or without luck we are still fighting for the top spot. It will be good to be No. 1 but anything that comes has to be accepted with good spirit.” NCC will be handicapped in their final match for the season against Saracens starting on Friday as they will be without Lasith Malinga and Upul Tharanga, who are with the national side in India, and allrounder Farveez Maharoof who is unlikely to be available because of injury. “We will use our maximum resources to record a win. Much will depend on our in-form bowlers Kosala Kulasekara and Chanaka Komasaru and the top order batters,” Devapriya said.If NCC fail to get an outright win, Chilaw Marians who have a game in hand but are free this weekend, will win the title. Even if NCC win and obtain maximum points, Chilaw Marians still have a chance of emerging champions if they take first-innings points from their final match of the season against Moors SC starting on December 26.Colombo Colts moved to third spot with their fourth win of the season beating Moors SC by five wickets at Havelock Park. Two former Under-19 World Cup players from the same school (St Joseph’s College, Colombo) Thissara Perera (113 not out and 5/69) and Roshen Silva (97) starred in Colts’ victory.Saracens offspinner Dilshan Wimaladarma’s third ten-wicket match haul for the season failed to stop Tamil Union from grabbing first-innings points in their drawn match at the P Sara Oval. Wimaladarma took eight wickets in an innings for the second time in Tamil Union’s first innings of 319 and followed it up with a further five in the second. But Saracens’ batting failed to live up to their bowling and fell short by 63 runs. Tamil Union made use of the remaining time to pile up batting points by scoring 349-6. Sachithra Serasinghe with a career-best 126 and Kanchana Gunawardene with 130 shone for Tamil Union.Tier BLankan CC have virtually crowned themselves as Premier Tier B champions having completed the season with four wins from nine matches. They have a total of 102.18 points, which is a 17 point lead over their nearest rivals Seeduwa-Raddoluwa CC who play their final game against Singha SC starting on Friday. Seeduwa-Raddoluwa have a tall task ahead of them to overhaul Lankan CC as the maximum points obtained by any team in the competition for this season is 16.5 which is insufficient to displace Lankan CC from the top of the table.Cricketer of the Week: Mahela UdawatteTouted as the successor to Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, 23 has yet to fulfill that role. Although he bats like the master blaster and has powerful shots, in nine one-day internationals and five Twenty20 internationals Udawatte has yet to convince the selectors that he is the player to fill the great man’s shoes. Joining Chilaw Marians CC straight from school, Udawatte became an instant hit when he reeled off three hundreds in five matches in the Under-23 tournament in 2004-05. He was rewarded with a place in the Development Squad and then the Sri Lanka A team. A powerful and attacking batsman who likes to take on the quick bowlers he is rated highly by former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene.While Udawatte keeps fighting to earn a permanent slot in the national side, he is at the moment on the verge of leading Chilaw Marians to their maiden Premier League title. Appointed captain for the on-going season Udawatte has shown maturity beyond his years to lead his club well. “We are almost 95% there it all depends on how NCC perform this weekend,” Udawatte said. “Our success is due to the unity in the team where the senior and junior members mingle with each other freely. We have one or two senior players like Dinuka Hettiarachchi and Gayan Wijekoon the rest are all talented youngsters. The key is to utilise their talents properly. I think we have done that.”We have a squad of 15 players and everyone has got a game. There are no outstanding performers in the team but success is due to the contribution of everyone. Dinuka has been our main strike bowler and he has captured the most wickets by any bowler this season,” Udawatte said.Tier A points table

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Chilaw Marians Cricket Club 10 4 0 06 0 96.45 Nondescripts Cricket Club 104 0 0 6 0 87.065 Colts Cricket Club 10 4 1 05 0 79.345 Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club 102 2 0 6 0 69.5 Sinhalese Sports Club 10 1 0 09 0 67.12 Badureliya Sports Club 92 3 0 4 0 65.01 Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club 10 1 2 07 0 64.986 Ragama Cricket Club 100 3 0 7 0 60.565 Saracens Sports Club 9 2 2 05 0 58.075 Colombo Cricket Club 101 2 0 7 0 46.5 Sri Lanka Army Sports Club 10 1 4 05 0 37.975 Moors Sports Club 100 3 0 7 0 36.41 Tier B points table

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Lankan Cricket Club 9 4 0 05 0 102.18 Seeduwa Raddoluwa Cricket Club 83 0 0 5 0 85.005 Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club 9 2 2 05 0 78.51 Panadura Sports Club 92 1 0 6 0 72.015 Burgher Recreation Club 9 1 2 06 0 66.62 Police Sports Club 91 1 0 7 0 62.36 Singha Sports Club 8 3 2 03 0 60.295 Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club 91 3 0 5 0 47.505 Moratuwa Sports Club 9 0 1 08 0 39.73 Sebastianites Cricket and Athletic Club 90 5 0 4 0 33.735

Yorkshire have earned the right, almost at the last minute, to remain in the first division of the championship in 2010, and that was their main objective of this match

The Bulletin by John Ward at Headingley24-Sep-2009
ScorecardYorkshire have earned the right, almost at the last minute, to remain in the first division of the championship in 2010, and that was their main objective of this match. Four wickets by Ajmal Shahzad helped to remove Hampshire soon after lunch, and then an excellent opening partnership of 162 between Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers gave Yorkshire a good platform for a possible victory.The second day began with the match evenly balanced, with Hampshire on 227 for 4, Michael Lumb 72 not out. Lumb never settled down again and his overnight partner Nic Pothas made most of the 16 runs scored in five overs before the second new ball was taken. Matthew Hoggard, who took it, had two confident lbw shouts against Lumb in his first over, and soon afterwards the batsman jabbed at a ball from Shahzad that moved away from him and was caught at second slip for 81.Shahzad, who at the lunch interval received the award for Yorkshire’s Young Cricketer of the Year, was the best of Yorkshire’s bowlers, working up a good pace and having the batsmen frequently groping at the ball. Dimitri Mascarenhas was most uncomfortable, eventually falling for 8 when he flashed at a ball from Hoggard and Anthony McGrath brought off his third fine catch of the innings at second slip.Hampshire suffered another blow when Pothas, who had begun his innings fluently, became bogged down and eventually edged Dion Kruis to the keeper. Kruis initially lost his direction, but then settled down to bowl a good testing spell. Dominic Cork applied himself thoroughly to building an innings, and at lunch Hampshire had reached 321 for 7.Cork and James Tomlinson accumulated runs steadily for a while until Shahzad removed the latter with a fast yorker, and the last two batsmen were soon snuffed out. The last three wickets fell for six runs, the team finishing with 351, which is just about par for the course in county cricket these days. Cork, who did not try to shield his last two partners, was unbeaten with 42.Yorkshire began their innings amid various assumptions, the chief of them being that if they reached 300 they would be secure in the top division for another season, no matter what Sussex did in their match with Nottinghamshire. Rudolph began as if he planned to get them all before tea, lashing the first ball of the innings backward of point to the boundary, and driving the third through the covers for four. At the other end Joe Sayers assumed the mantle of Geoffrey Boycott and took 25 balls to get off the mark.The Hampshire bowlers settled, though, and for a while both batsmen became seriously bogged down by their accuracy, backed by tight fielding, Mascarenhas turning in an opening spell of 6-3-4-0, mostly to Sayers. But the batsmen did not lose their nerve or patience, and worked through their difficult period until just before tea, when Rudolph broke free again with 12 in an over off Tomlinson.The score at the interval was 49, and the imminent landmark was reached immediately afterwards, as Sayers cut the first ball, from Tomlinson, to the boundary. Runs then began to flow, helped by a disastrous spell from Sean Ervine, who went for 35 runs in four overs, liberally sprayed with a wide and four no-balls. Sayers hit both his first two deliveries to the boundary and almost caught Rudolph, although taking most of the bowling. Rudolph reached his 50 off 99 balls, and three deliveries later Sayers joined him, off 123.Just before five o’clock, the news came through that Sussex had been dismissed for 243, and Yorkshire’s bacon had been saved for another season; this was the third year out of four that they had earned a last-minute reprieve from Death Row. The opening stand went on to record 162 runs, at which point Rudolph fell for 68 (Sayers then 69) when he mistimed a drive to mid-on off Danny Briggs. David Wainwright saw out the day, leaving Yorkshire in provisionally the better position overnight.

Former Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama is hoping to make a Parkhead return, Football Scotland report.

The Lowdown: Wanyama since Celtic exit…

Wanyama, who was a colossus for Celtic, made 91 appearances in green and white during his two-year stay.

The Hoops made a £12m profit on the Kenyan after Southampton paid over £13m for his services in 2013.

Since then, the midfielder has made 154 appearances in the Premier League with the Saints and Tottenham, where he was hailed by Mauricio Pochettino and called ‘fantastic’ by Christian Eriksen.

He is now plying his trade with MLS side Montreal, with the 30-year-old under contract with Montreal for another 12 months, but it seems as if he has his eye on a return to Scotland.

The Latest: Open to return

Wanyama, talking to Football Scotland, admitted he would ‘love’ to play for the Hoops again and opened up on a ‘loan approach’ during Neil Lennon’s time in charge.

“I had a contract at Tottenham and they were very difficult to let me go, the demands were very hard.

“Celtic was a club that I would love to play for again and again. It’s more than a club. I enjoyed my time there.

“I honestly want to come back and give it a last go because I love the club, the people there, the fans, just everything there was great. They give the players everything to go on the pitch and perform. Everything was just on top.

“There was a loan approach but I don’t know what happened. I didn’t follow it up that much.

“I spoke to Neil as well and he said to me ‘it’s difficult with the demands’ and at that time they didn’t have the money to make it happen.

“But it is what it is. As I say, I still love that club, it’s in my heart.”

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The Verdict: Midfielders needed:

Wanyama is seemingly extremely keen on a return to Celtic, and the Hoops could do with midfield reinforcements.

Ange Postecoglou has relied heavily on Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic and David Turnbull this season, with Nir Bitton filling in for Rogic in recent weeks.

On that basis, a move for Wanyama could be a smart one, especially with his wealth of experience and previous Hoops connections, however, the club might be cautious following James McCarthy’s form since joining on a four-year deal.

McCarthy, the same age as Wanyama, has started just three times this season and appears to be struggling to break into Postecoglou’s side, so they could be better off bringing in a younger midfielder with one eye on the future instead of possibly having another McCarthy on their hands.

In other news: Celtic now hoping to sign 11-goal international in January. 

West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards has been included in a provisional squad for the Champions Trophy

Cricinfo staff21-Jul-2009West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards, who suffered a back injury before the Bangladesh Test series, has been included in a provisional squad for the Champions Trophy.Daren Powell, the fast bowler who reportedly turned down the chance to be part of the West Indies side after Chris Gayle and Co. decided to strike, has also been included in the 30-man pool. Other players with international experience in the squad who weren’t part of the Bangladesh series include opener Devon Smith and upcoming youngster Andre Fletcher.However, Cricinfo has learned that some of the players who boycotted the Bangladesh series have allowed their names to be included in the squad on the understanding they will only play if the dispute is resolved.Most of the squad were part of a second-string West Indian side which sank to a 2-0 Test series defeat to Bangladesh, including captain Floyd Reifer.The West Indies board was forced to name a weakened side due to its ongoing dispute with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), with neither willing to back down despite widespread criticism of both sides. The impasse, mainly over players’ contracts, has continued for more than two weeks and WIPA has asked the respective national governments to step in.The board’s naming of a squad without most of the leading players for the Champions Trophy in September is another indication that there might not be an early resolution to the dispute.West Indies squad
1 Ryan Austin, 2 Christopher Barnwell, 3 David Bernard, 4 Tino Best, 5 Royston Crandon, 6 Romel Currency, 7 Travis Dowlin, 8 Fidel Edwards, 9 Rayad Emrit, 10 Andre Fletcher, 11 Ryan Hinds, 12 Leon Johnson, 13 Anthony Martin, 14 Kevin McClean, 15 Nikita Miller, 16 Nelon Pascal, 17 Brenton Parchment, 18 Omar Phillips, 19 Daren Powell, 20 Kieran Powell, 21 Floyd Reifer, 22 Dale Richards, 23 Kemar Roach, 24 Darren Sammy, 25 Shane Shillingford, 26 Devon Smith, 27 Kevin Stoute, 28 Devon Thomas, 29 Gavin Tonge, 30 Chadwick Walton

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Aston Villa star Matty Cash will now be able to play for Poland instead of England.

What’s the story?

With the full-back not having earned a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad, speculation had been growing in recent months that Cash could instead opt to play for Poland – the country where his mother was born.

Now, Romano has delivered an update on that situation on Twitter, confirming that Cash had indeed received his Polish passport and would be eligible to play for them during next month’s international break.

He said: “Official and confirmed. Aston Villa right-back Matty Cash received the Polish passport and he’ll now be able to play for Poland instead of England.”

Great news for Cash

With significant competition for places at right-back for England – the likes of Trent Alexander Arnold, Kyle Walker and Reece James to name but a few – things were always going to be difficult for Cash to break into Southgate’s squad.

It’s a position that’s well-stocked for the Three Lions boss so while the Villa man has enjoyed an impressive time in the Premier League following his move from Championship side Nottingham Forest back in the summer of 2020, it’s not been too much of a shock that Cash has been overlooked.

But now, with him able to represent Poland, the right-back could well be competing on the biggest international stage, playing in the likes of the World Cup and European Championships.

Villa fans should rightly be delighted with the potential of seeing Cash finally earn some international honours given how well he has performed over these past 18 months for the club.

Meanwhile, Villa should be targeting this Serie A midfielder…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left erupting as some comments emerged from Steven Gerrard.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match at home to Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon, the English manager has now claimed that the club need to ‘spend big money’ in transfer windows in order to be able to compete, citing that in the last two windows they ‘haven’t spent a penny’.

This comes after the Light Blues lost 1-0 away at Sparta Prague in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night, after losing their opening game 2-0 at home to Lyon in the competition (BBC Sport).

They have also drawn and lost a match in the SPFL already as well, and so question marks have been raised over their performances this season compared to last.

Nonetheless, several Light Blues seemed to be taken back by his subtle dig at the board.

Rangers fans on Gerrard comments

These Gers supporters erupted as the comments were shared on Twitter:

“That’s a statement and a half”

Credit: @TobyJamieson4

“First time we’ve heard him express his disappointment at the transfer business we have done. Sounded like a wee dig at the board.”

Credit: @FacelessRanger

“Is that a dig at the board for us not spending any money?”

Credit: @CarrieCummings4

“The board won’t be too happy with that last comment, but he’s correct.”

Credit: @Motor_Ted

“Steven Gerrard making it clear to EVERYONE you need to spend money to improve and challenge in European competitions. Money he hasn’t been given in the last 2 transfer windows so why should we expect this team to keep doing it, year after year?”

Credit: @CF3Loyal

“2 poor transfer windows. Not spent a penny. Manager having a dig at the board here?”

Credit: @TheFamousRFC

In other news, find out whose display against Prague left RFC fans fuming here!

On-loan Leeds United winger Helder Costa’s performances for Valencia have been criticised, following his summer move to the La Liga side.

The Lowdown: Costa unwanted at Leeds

Costa was deemed surplus to requirements by Marcelo Bielsa during the summer, with the likes of Raphinha, Jack Harrison and Dan James all ahead of him in the pecking order.

The Portugal international opted to join Valencia on loan instead, in the hope of enjoying more regular playing time and kickstarting his career again.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Winger struggling in Spain

It hasn’t panned out that way so far, though, with Costa playing just 11 minutes of league action in Spain.

It has led to the 27-year-old receiving plenty of criticism, with Deporte Valenciano [via Sport Witness] claiming he ‘has to wake up, get his act together and start giving the performance all expect’.

The report also states that ‘he hasn’t done particularly well’ overall, as his struggles to catch the eye continue.

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The Verdict: No future at Elland Road

Costa is undoubtedly a talented footballer – he has been described as “immense” by his former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo – but there is no future for him at Leeds.

The Whites have moved on without him, despite his contract not expiring until the summer of 2024, and the sooner they can receive a fee him, the better.

In other news, one Leeds player is expected to return to face Watford. Find out who it is here.

Newcastle United could sign former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer in the January window amid speculation linking him with a move in the summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested that the Magpies had made an enquiry for the Wales international as they looked to revamp their midfield, with Steve Bruce having sounded out Ramsey’s availability for a move away from Juventus.

Now, Alan Nixon has claimed that the Bianconeri are ready to let the midfielder go on a free transfer in the January window, with Newcastle, West Ham and Everton all keen on signing him.

Fans would love him

After reports initially emerged of Newcastle’s interest in Ramsey, Dean Windass threw his backing behind a potential move for the 30-year-old. Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “Newcastle would suit him. Why wouldn’t he go there? It all changes, the supporters coming back, get your career back on track. He will play in that attacking midfield role.”

Arsene Wenger raved about the Welshman’s ability to get into the box and find himself on the end of moves, saying: “In my head, Ramsey was going to be a player between 10 and 15 goals a year. He is a Frank Lampard type. He is (about) getting in the box and he has a huge capacity to run. Physically, he has a combination of stamina, power and his capacity to repeat high intensity is certainly the best in the league.”

Described as an “outstanding technician”, Ramsey would offer that same knack of getting into the box at the right times and scoring those poacher-type goals.

In fact, Lampard himself wrote in a column for The Evening Standard about the 74-goal star: “It will probably come as no surprise to people that I like Ramsey. Like me, he makes late runs in the penalty area and he showed that with aplomb for the second goal at AC Milan last week.”

If Ramsey could complete a shock switch to St James’ Park, then as Steve Howey says, “fans would absolutely love him”. That ability and knack of arriving late in the box to score some goals would ease the burden on the likes of Joe Willock and Allan Saint-Maximin, and give them another attacking threat.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing this Championship star…