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Newcastle United will need to fork out €120m (£105m) if they want to sign Benfica's Goncalo Ramos this summer, with the striker's value tripling in value since the start of the season, according to a report.

Which clubs are interested in signing Goncalo Ramos?

Newcastle emerged as potential suitors for Ramos back in August, at which point the club were desperate to bring in a new striker, however he pledged his loyalty to Benfica, the club he has played for since the age of 12. The Magpies are not the only Premier League club eyeing the forward, with Portuguese outlet Record reporting Manchester United could make a move, amid reports he has grown weary of waiting for a pay rise at Benfica. (via Football365)

Chelsea are also said to be considering a move for the Portugal international, however he is under contract until 2026, meaning his current club are under no obligation to sell him for lower than his release clause any time soon. That release clause could scupper Newcastle's chances of signing the 21-year-old this summer, as Jornal de Noticias are now reporting Benfica are set to demand the full €120m (£105m) (via Sport Witness).

The new price is a huge increase from earlier on in the season, when the Olhao-born marksman was valued at just €40m (£35m), but the Portuguese club feel they can now demand far more, given his impressive form for club and country this season. It is detailed that Newcastle, Man United, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are the clubs most linked to the starlet, but it remains to be seen whether any of them will be willing to match the figure Benfica have in mind.

Should Newcastle make a move for Goncalo Ramos?

The Benfica youth product impressed out in Qatar at the World Cup, with Gary Lineker hailing him as "remarkable" for being able to handle the pressure of replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring a hat-trick against Switzerland in the round of 16.

At club level, the youngster has been formidable in front of goal, netting on 16 occasions in the Primeira Liga, averaging 0.88 goals per 90 in the process, the joint-highest figure of any player with at least five goals.

That said, spending £105m on a player unproven outside of Portugal would be a real risk for Newcastle, and they should look to negotiate a lower transfer fee, which they may be able to do, given that he is growing unsettled about having to wait for a pay rise.

Considering the level of interest in Ramos, the Magpies will still need to spend big to secure his signature in the summer, but he would be an excellent addition to the frontline, judging by his goal return, and his proven ability to perform under pressure.

Among the plethora of positives that have come out of the season so far for Manchester United under manager Erik ten Hag, one of the more notable success stories has been the emergence of teenage sensation, Alejandro Garnacho, with the 18-year-old having established himself as a vital member of the squad since the World Cup, in particular.The promising “game changer” – as hailed by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – has registered nine goal involvements in all competitions in what has been a breakout campaign thus far, memorably scoring away at Elland Road and providing an assist for Marcus Rashford in the Manchester derby in what were two of his more notable contributions.The rapid and meteoric rise of the Madrid-born speedster – who had been included in Argentina’s senior squad prior to his recent injury blow – is yet another marker of the benefits of having such a star-studded youth set-up, with United undoubtedly masters at continually churning out potential gems of the future.For all the warranted hype surrounding Garnacho, however, the beauty of football is that there is always another youngster who can emerge as the next poster boy, with 15-year-old Shea Lacey seemingly the player who is sparking “lots of excitement” among those at the club, according to journalist Tom Maston.

Who is Shea Lacey?

Although both club and supporters will no doubt be wary of talking up the teen ace too greatly – with the case of Ravel Morrison still firmly in the minds of those at the Theatre of Dreams – it is hard to ignore the buzz that is surrounding the fleet-footed maestro.

While the precocious talent – who has been likened to Manchester City sensation, Phil Foden – may have to bide his time for a first-team berth due to his tender age, it does appear that United are keen to elevate him up the age groups, with the playmaker having already featured for the club’s U18 side this season, scoring once and registering two assists in just six league outings.

That is an indication of just how highly rated Lacey is by the Premier League giants, with that excitement beginning to bubble among those outside of the club, with the forward having set tongues wagging after producing a scintillating, solo goal for the U16’s earlier this month.

The manner in which the Liverpool-born menace weaved his way through a sea of bodies with breathtaking skill and trickery ensured that it is easy to see why the comparisons to Foden have come about, with Lacey truly having a “left foot made of gold” – according to talent scout, Jacek Kulig.

Football Transfers reporter Jacque Talbot even when as far as to suggest that the Old Trafford outfit may have stumbled across the “next [Lionel} Messi” in the form of the teen starlet, with the club’s current first team figures likely to be running scared at the prospect of losing their place in the side in the coming years.

Summer signing Antony, in particular, could well be fearing for his starting berth more than most, with Lacey potentially set to prove a direct rival to the Brazilian’s position on the right flank, with the duo both able to wreak havoc by cutting in onto their stronger left foot.

In the case of the former Ajax man, the 23-year-old has endured a mixed start to life in England, in truth, since his £86m arrival, having registered just eight goal involvements in all competitions thus far, including only three goals and no assists in the league.

It is no stretch to stay that Antony has not received a wholly warm welcome to the Premier League, with club legend Paul Scholes branding him a “clown” after the 15-cap enigma produced his trademark spin in the Europa League win over FC Sheriff, while talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor also labelled him a “bluffer”.

Although it is that individualistic nature that has seemingly led the one-time Sao Paolo man to become a favourite of Ten Hag, the £200k-per-week wizard will need to begin proving himself more reliable in the final third or find himself ousted from the side.

If the 5 foot 9 ace is not careful, he could well be displaced by young Lacey not too far down the line…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has provided an update on the future of Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira.

The Lowdown: No win in 2023

The Eagles have endured an extremely frustrating start to 2023 and are without a Premier League win in their last nine games.

That form has seen Vieira’s side fall into a potential relegation battle despite being in 12th place. Palace are just five points off the drop zone and face Manchester City, Brighton and Arsenal in their next three fixtures.

The Latest: Jones’ update

Jones shared a story for GiveMeSport in the last 48 hours regarding Vieira. He said that the Palace boss is starting to come under scrutiny and ‘will need a turn of form soon to avoid serious doubts being raised over his position’.

The reporter adds that ‘sources insist the club are hopeful he can turn the situation around and want to remain patient, yet fans are beginning to become vocal about their worrying direction’.

The Verdict: Worrying…

Palace have drawn five and lost four of their nine Premier League games in 2023, failing to score more than one goal in any of those fixtures.

The form is certainly a cause for concern, and if Vieira can’t turn things around relatively quickly, Palace may see themselves sliding down the league table.

Everyone at Selhurst Park are hoping that the Frenchman can get back to winning ways as soon as possible, but if he can’t, it may leave the club with a serious decision to make heading into the run-in.

Conor McGilligan believes the possibility of Leeds United being relegated will put Rafael Benitez off the managerial role.

The Lowdown: A permanent manager is needed

After back-to-back solid performances against Manchester United which resulted in one point being picked up, some Leeds fans and people on the board may have seen Michael Skubala as a fine option moving forward until the end of the season.

However, they failed to get anything from their relegation six-pointer away to Everton yesterday and what’s even more damning is that they didn’t lay a glove on the Toffees registering zero shots on target.

Therefore, it appears clear the new coach bounce has already evaded Skubala and a new permanent manager with experience being a first team manager has to be put in place before the Southampton game this weekend.

The Latest: Benitez being linked

Benitez was a pundit on Sky Sports yesterday and insisted that he’s happy in England and wants a return to Premier League management, which is what could well see Leeds miss out on the Spaniard given their perilous position as McGilligan discussed on his YouTube channel.

He said: (17:38) “Obviously he’s worked at [Real] Madrid, he’s worked at Chelsea but I don’t think Rafa would come. He wants to stay in the Premier League, he wants a project. Are Leeds going to stay in the Premier League? Is he really going to take over a team that is where we are?

“I don’t think he’s ever taken control of a team that is in the position that Leeds are in.”

The Verdict: Leeds must go all out for Benitez

It’s safe to say that a permanent manager that can get a grip on this rather talented Leeds squad and ensure they maintain their top-flight status in any way possible is very much required as soon as possible.

Even if Leeds were to go down under the stewardship of someone such as Benitez then they can still look forward to a season in the Championship as he does have experience of getting promoted at the first time of asking as he won the title with Newcastle United back in 2017.

While Benitez certainly wouldn’t guarantee survival – he did relegate Newcastle – but with 173 Premier League wins under his belt he would be far more experienced at handling the pressure of the top flight than Skubala so Victor Orta should be working tirelessly to convince his fellow countrymen to join the Whites.

West Ham United had a quiet transfer window in which Danny Ings remained their main acquisition throughout the month.

The Premier League-proven marksman was expected to come in and offer an instant source of reliable goals, given how he had provided that to plenty of clubs across England.

However, a knee problem sustained in his first game could be a sign of things to come, with the injury-prone striker having struggled for fitness many times in his career.

It, therefore, has sparked the question as to whether 30-year-old was the answer to their goalscoring issues, of which they have scored just 18 times in 21 games.

Another option that they flirted with in January was Sheraldo Becker, who has been starring for Union Berlin of late in their unlikely push for the Bundesliga title.

Having reportedly enquired about the attacker just before deadline day, it was a move that never truly materialised despite only a €15m (£13m) reported valuation; just £2m shy of what they paid for Ings.

However, according to journalist Christian Falk, via CaughtOffside, both Mark Noble and Everton will reignite their interest in the summer, should the Hammers remain in the division.

By then, the 27-year-old could have added to his already impressive tally of seven goals and four assists in the league. What might also interest David Moyes is the fact that he somewhat translated this form into European matches, of which he has become accustomed to in recent seasons.

It could be a move that finally reignites Jarrod Bowen, who has admittedly disappointed this season.

Severely lacking a firing forward at the London Stadium, he has struggled to shoulder all of the offensive burden. As such, he only has four goals and one assist to his name this league campaign, a far cry from his 24 goal contributions the term prior.

Adding Becker to the fold would not only give him a lethal forward to aim at, but the Bundesliga star also has the creative qualities to provide for him too.

As such, when compared to other strikers across Europe, he ranks in the top 8% for assists. Journalist Josh Bunting served to supplement this by claiming: “Sheraldo Becker in this team just fits perfectly, not just clinical but he’s also creative.”

This comes across in his 7.16 average Sofascore rating, which is greatly aided by his 1.4 key passes completed per 90.

Finally, Bowen could recapture that long-forgotten form with this summer addition. He just has the small task of ensuring they remain in the Premier League to make the deal a possibility at all.

Leeds United could look at signing Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie on loan with an obligation to buy, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: First offer

The Whites appear to be interested in signing the American midfielder before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that personal terms have already been agreed.

An opening bid worth €28m (£24.6m) has reportedly been made by Elland Road officials, with Juventus looking to receive a fee closer to €35m (£30.8m).

The Latest: Hay’s claim

Writing for The Athletic on Thursday, Hay said that the Whites are willing to do a deal for McKennie at the right price, with the club first looking at him during his time at Schalke 04.

However, the reporter added that ‘a loan with an obligation to make the transfer permanent when the season ends would be one way of making the move more affordable’.

The Leeds correspondent also added that Victor Orta is confident of signing teenage defender Diogo Monteiro from Servette in Switzerland.

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The Verdict: Versatile…

McKennie would offer plenty of versatility to Jesse Marsch’s side, should a move to Elland Road go through, with the 24-year-old playing in eight different positions during his career so far.

With a 6.73 WhoScored rating, he comfortably outperformed the majority of Leeds’ midfielders during the 2021/22 campaign, including Kalvin Phillips.

The player also has experience of lining out alongside Tyler Adams at international level, with the pair featuring together at the World Cup, so it could be a wise move, especially after Mateusz Klich’s exit earlier this month.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action this evening as they make the trip to the Etihad Stadium to face second-place Manchester City.

Lilywhites boss Antonio Conte is tasked with sparking a reaction from his side after they put in a woeful display against arch-rivals Arsenal at the weekend, a game in which they were outfought and outplayed for the most part.

It also poses a big decision on whether to stick or twist with his starting lineup as mistakes against the defending champions will almost certainly be punished.

Several of his key players have returned from injury and Spurs do hold a very impressive record against the Citizens in recent times, so it’ll be interesting to see what sort of XI he deploys.

Here’s what we are predicting…

There could be as many as four changes to the side that tasted defeat to the Gunners, starting with the long-awaited return of Rodrigo Bentancur.

Missing since his World Cup exploits, the Uruguayan’s absence has been a frustrating one for the team but Conte revealed in his pre-game press conference that he would be available for selection at long last. Given the importance of a result, he should start alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Despite an error that gifted Arsenal their opener, skipper Hugo Lloris will remain between the sticks but we could see the “reliable” Ben Davies return to the back three, replacing Clement Lenglet on the left-hand side. Meanwhile, out wide, there could be a further two changes with Emerson Royal and Ivan Perisic returning to the starting XI.

They’ll replace Ryan Sessegnon, after the £25m “big talent” – as once dubbed by former teammate Stefan Johansen – was handed a torrid afternoon on Sunday, and Matt Doherty.

Further up the pitch, Conte is likely to keep the faith with Heung-min Son despite his ongoing form struggles, along with Harry Kane, who must improve in front of goal if he’s to find the net against Pep Guardiola’s men.

Dejan Kulusevski should also retain his place after returning from injury last time out, though Bryan Gil is pushing for another start after impressive in what little opportunity he had in the Swede’s absence.

AND in other news, Levy could repeat his big Bruno Fernandes blunder at Spurs with £40m “special talent”…

Agent Jorge Mendes has reportedly held talks with Wolves over a potential move for his client and Sporting CP defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

The Lowdown: Nunes to Liverpool?

As per The Daily Telegraph‘s reliable journalist Sam Wallace and John Percy, Liverpool had a secret ‘agreement’ behind the scenes in the summer that they would attempt to sign Matheus Nunes further down the line.

The Reds are now ‘exploring’ the deal to bring in the Old Gold central midfielder, and while ‘this month’ is mentioned in the report, it is noted that they likely would not bring him in until the end of the season.

The Latest: Ugarte talks

According to Media Foot, Mendes has ‘accentuated his discussions’ with both the Wanderers and Atletico Madrid over the potential signing of his client Ugarte from Sporting.

However, they may also face competition from Ligue 1 giants PSG for his signature.

The Verdict: Get it done?

With Nunes looking like he could potentially move to Anfield over the next two transfer windows, and Joao Moutinho now 36 years of age, Julen Lopetegui’s side look like they will need to sign a new midfielder sooner rather than later.

Hailed as a ‘midfield machine’ by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig after notching up some impressive statistics in the UEFA Champions League this season, he is currently averaging more tackles per 90 minutes (5.6) than any other player in the tournament.

In fact, he ranks in the 99th percentile for average tackles and pass completion rate per game out of all positional peers in Europe’s top eight leagues over the past year (FBRef).and at 21 years of age, has the potential to become one of the best midfielders in world football over the next few years.

Nonetheless, Ugarte will be one to watch for the Molineux faithful for the rest of the window.

Newcastle United will need Champions League football to lure James Maddison to Tyneside after a report on Financial Fair Play limitations emerged, according to pundit Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Magic Maddison

A haul of 12 goals and eight assists from 35 Premier League appearances for Leicester last season somehow went unnoticed for the most part by Gareth Southgate, but a follow-up return of seven goals and four assists from 13 league games this term proved too good to overlook, with Maddison rightly included in England’s World Cup squad.

His failure to make an appearance for England in Qatar now seems cruel, though it will surely fire the Leicester City man up an extra notch or two going into the resumption of the Premier League.

And with the focus now back on his domestic future, reports have claimed the Foxes have slapped an enormous £60m price tag on their star man amidst interest from the Magpies.

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The Latest: McAvennie reacts

Following the emergence of that whopping Leicester demand, The Daily Mail revealed that FFP will limit Newcastle’s spending in January, making a move for Maddison ‘extremely unlikely’.

And whilst the England international is out of contract in the summer of 2024, former West Ham striker McAvennie believe the Magpies have no chance without proper European aspirations.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “He was sought after by a lot of clubs, he is that good a player.

“He is in the England squad, he has been having a great season. Wherever he goes it will be a top club.

“He would do a job at Newcastle but I do not think it is the right time to go there. He will be looking to win Champions Leagues, I do not think that is there at Newcastle and will not be there for the next few years.

“I think Maddison will be at one of the top clubs, I think he is that good. If Newcastle were challenging for the Champions League spots then maybe. But they are not there as yet. “

The Verdict: Why not?

While Maddison is certainly capable of plying his trade for a top European outfit, he still seems to still fly under the radar.

We saw it in the ongoing World Cup tournament, in which the 26-year-old failed to play a single minute – a sign of where the Leicester talisman sits in the eyes of the English footballing hierarchy.

A move to an awaking giant in Newcastle United, with the home comforts of a coach similar in tactical style to Brendan Rodgers in Howe, may just appeal to the star that bit more – especially if the side are to remain on track in securing Champions League qualification.

Fulham have previously been dubbed the “ultimate yo-yo club” by pundits and football fans alike.

They are supposedly a team too good for the Championship, but wholly unprepared for the step up in quality in the Premier League. They’re stuck in purgatory between leagues. So how, then, are Fulham in the top-half of the Premier League after 15 games?

Have they spent £100m again? No, according to The Athletic, Fulham’s net spend was £53m.

Instead of shopping in foreign markets where players often take longer to adjust to the league, Fulham spent most of their money on Premier League proven players, with nine of the twelve signings having played in the English top flight before. This meant that most of the players only had to learn Marco Silva’s systems and tactical plans rather than a whole new league and country.

Fulham had been burned in the past by spending big on highly-rated European talent. For example, neither Jean Michaël Seri nor André-Frank Zambo Anguissa thrived during their times Craven Cottage.

Instead, Marco Silva worked with Director of Football (and club owner’s son), Tony Khan, to identify players who fit roles within Silva’s tactical style. In the past, there was a feeling that signings were made based purely on ability rather than how they suit Fulham’s system, with the aforementioned signings from Ligue 1 both being defensive midfielders who were better at progressing the ball in high possession teams, rather than winning it back for an underdog.

Silva’s influence on new arrivals was seen with the capture of Andreas Pereira, who he had been talking to a year before he eventually arrived.

“I actually had a conversation with Andreas last season when I joined Fulham,” said Marco Silva about the Manchester United man, who has started in every game this season and has been Fulham’s chief creator from set-pieces.

Silva also wanted a change in profile at the base of Fulham’s midfield. He wanted a destroyer, a defensive midfielder better suited to a league in which Fulham would rarely be the team in control.

Silva informed Seri of this change in tactic. “He understood clearly what I wanted from a player in that position. But in some moments, we knew what this season would be like, so we changed the profile of the player,” Silva admitted.

Enter João Palhinha, a £17m signing from Sporting Lisbon, who BBC broadcaster Reece Parkinson called “signing of the season, surely.” FBRef shows that Palhinha has the most successful tackles of any player in Europe’s top five leagues, averaging 4.4 per game.

Palhinha’s combative spirit and tough tackling have helped Fulham become more secure defensively whilst maintaining an attacking threat, as seen by Fulham’s significantly better goal difference this season compared to the last two survival attempts (-2 after 15 games this season compared to -21 at the same stage in 2018-19).

To improve defensively, Fulham attempt to defend from the front, settling into a 4-4-2 formation without the ball. Andreas Pereira frequently joins the front line, with Aleksandar Mitrovic there to press opposition defenders into mistakes.

Fulham’s wingers double-up with the full-backs to defend against crosses, whilst the midfield two of Palhinha and Harrison Reed pressure and disrupt the opponent’s chief creators.

Finally, the defence, martialled by 35-year-old Tim Ream – who was recalled to the US men’s national team due to excellent performances for Fulham – regularly steps out of the back line to intercept passes into the strikers before danger arises, leading to Fulham having the most interceptions in the league so far.

However, Fulham’s defence is not perfect, showcased by Silva’s recent switch between Tosin Adarabioyo and Issa Diop alongside Ream, not knowing who his best pair is due to bad positioning, which leaves space behind for teams to exploit.

When teams do get through the defence they still have to get past German international and former Arsenal number 1, Bernd Leno, who WhoScored considers the best-performing goalkeeper in the Premier League this season.

However, perhaps the part of Fulham’s game that has changed the least between the Premier League and the Championship is their attack. Whilst build-up play has had to speed up, often countering teams quickly rather than slowly building up, the final third objective has stayed the same. Full-backs overlap, wingers invert, and get the ball to Mitrovic by any necessary.