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TalkSPORT’s Jim White has insisted that Declan Rice, who’s been labelled as perfect for Newcastle United, could cost the club around £120m.

The Lowdown: Rice would fit nicely

Rice was certainly the talk of Newcastle on Saturday night as he dominated the midfield and has earned specific praise from both Toon boss Eddie Howe and journalist Aaron Stokes after his impressive display, with the latter labelling Rice as an ‘absolutely perfect’ signing for the Magpies, who have been mentioned as a potential destination come the summer.

While Newcastle were indeed without Bruno Guimaraes, Rice stepped up and showed how good he is despite West Ham’s struggles this season, with the midfielder bossing the game with three interceptions, six progressive passes and registering the most carries into Newcastle’s final third (FBref).

Therefore it’s no surprise that a lot of people, including Stokes, have been speaking about how Rice would be perfect for Newcastle’s midfield as they look to take the next step in their development.

The Latest: Perhaps it’s a signing too far

It has been mooted that Rice wants to join a Champions League club, and while that could be Newcastle in the summer, it remains to be seen whether or not the Magpies would pay his mammoth price tag that White spoke about.

He said “It’s our understanding £120m plus add-ons will get him; £120m plus add-ons would secure you Declan Rice. We understand that Manchester United last summer bid £100m and didn’t get him.”

The Verdict: Perfect signing for Howe

It would be a tremendous signing if Newcastle could lure one of the top midfielders in the Premier League to Tyneside amid interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea, but it does appear to be a pipeline dream as things stand.

While Newcastle are indeed enjoying a marvellous season in the Premier League sitting fourth with just 17 games left to play, they are far from a finished article and may fall off next season when they have to potentially cope with midweek European football.

Therefore, Rice making the switch to somewhere more used to winning silverware over the past few years and also, in London where he’s from, could well be more appealing but it does show how far the Magpies have come in a short period of time that some are even talking about them looking at Rice.

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma ‘could miss rest of the season’ after suffering his stress fracture, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Bissouma sidelined…

The Spurs summer signing has joined goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on the treatment table, requiring an operation on Friday to fix his injury problem.

Bissouma could now be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with Tottenham explaining that a timeframe will be better understood after surgery.

The Mali international has already struggled for Premier League game time this season but it now appears Bissouma could struggle even more following this setback.

The Latest: Bissouma ‘could miss rest of the season’…

According to Football Insider, Bissouma ‘faces a battle to play for Tottenham’ and ‘could miss rest of the season’, with it believed he ‘could struggle’ to feature again this term.

The former Brighton star is facing a potential three-month absence, including rehabilitation and getting up to match fitness, a timeframe which could mean he is unavailable for the remainder of 2022/2023.

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The Verdict: Blow for Conte…

Antonio Conte will be hoping Bissouma does in fact beat this timeline given the sheer volume of competitive games remaining for Tottenham.

The Lilywhites are still competing in both Europe and the FA Cup as things stand, as well as the English top flight.

A player of Bissouma’s quality, even off the bench, would be a real asset to Conte and Spurs as they approach the business end of the season.

The African stood out as one of Brighton’s star players last season but hasn’t been able to showcase his true ability in a Spurs shirt thus far.

As the north Londoners eagerly await the results of his surgery, supporters and Conte will have their fingers crossed that he can make a swift, swift recovery.

Leeds United seemingly have their eye on a potential move for former Wolves and Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Lowdown: Nuno at Al-Ittihad

Nuno has been in charge of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad since July, averaging 2.39 points per game from his 18 matches in charge so far.

The former Wolves and Spurs boss signed Leeds winger Helder Costa on loan shortly after taking over, with the 29-year-old making 12 appearances during the current campaign.

Al-Ittihad are currently level on points with Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab at the top of the table, and it appears as if their manager is a name of possible interest to those at Elland Road.

The Latest: Nuno in the mix at Leeds

The Daily Record shared a story on Thursday morning after Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola reportedly turned down a move to Leeds.

They claimed that Nuno is a name in the mix in Yorkshire, along with Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou and Argentine Marcello Gallardo.

The Verdict: One to watch?

The Whites haven’t had much luck in their hunt for Jesse Marsch’s long-term replacement, with The Daily Mail suggesting that the club could even look at interim options until the end of the season.

Nuno has 124 matches of Premier League experience under his belt, averaging 1.42 points per game, something which could come in handy with Leeds looking to avoid relegation again this year.

He didn’t have much success with Spurs and was sacked after just 10 league games in charge, so the 49-year-old may feel like he has some unfinished business in England, which could make this one to keep an eye on over the coming days.

Chelsea could retain the services of midfielder N’Golo Kante beyond the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Kante nearly out of contract

The Frenchman has been a wonderful servant for the Blues, making 262 appearances and helping them win the Premier League title back in 2016/17.

Kante is out of contract at the end of the season and various recent reports have suggested that he will move on once this season reaches in conclusion, with Barcelona seemingly the likely destination.

However, a fresh update now claims there could be a twist in the tale.

The Latest: New twist…

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips says that Kante could actually end up signing an extension at Stamford Bridge to keep him at the club:

“But you can say Kante’s people have always had their desire to stay, it always has been. It has to be something that they’re happy with, in a sense of the terms as well.

“There’s a lot of optimism on that one. Everyone I’ve asked about that in the last few days, they think that he’s going to sign.”

The Verdict: Should he be moved on?

This is an interesting update regarding Kante’s future and it is a difficult decision to make, in terms of whether or not it is worth retaining his services.

The midfielder is on a whopping £290,000 a week currently, and considering he turns 32 this summer and has become increasingly injury-prone, allowing him to leave could make more sense.

Getting Kante off Chelsea’s wage bill would free up funds for new signings this summer and allow Graham Potter to continue his rebuild in the middle of the park.

There is no doubt that he has been a top-class player and extending his stay would be no disaster – Cesc Fabregas has called him ‘world-class’ – but letting him go still feels like the preferable decision.

Tottenham are ‘battling’ with Man City and Newcastle to sign Leicester City star James Maddison this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Spurs have been repeatedly linked with the Foxes playmaker over the last six months with reports suggesting that he has even been open to joining.

A report by Football Insider claimed at the back end of last year that Maddison was ‘very keen’ to join Antonio Conte in north London and told friends he would jump at the chance to join.

Tottenham have been without an elite and recognised central attacking midfield player since the departure of former star Christian Eriksen and the Leicester star has been billed as a potential heir.

The Latest: Tottenham ‘battling’ for Maddison…

According to another report by Football Insider, sharing an update on the situation, Spurs are apparently in a transfer tussle with both City and Newcastle over his signature.

It’s added that Maddison could cost as much as £70m to prise away from the King Power Stadium with his likely price tag coming between £60m-£70m.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

The England international has been one of the Premier League’s most in-form attacking midfield stars of the last 12 months, potentially leading to serious interest from Spurs and sporting director Fabio Paratici.

Following on from his brilliant campaign at Leicester last season, Maddison has once again proved why he is a man in demand over 2022/2023.

The 26-year-old is Brendan Rodgers’ best player, standing out as their highest-ranked performer by average match rating and top goal scorer in the top flight (WhoScored).

Maddison is Leicester’s biggest threat by some distance – averaging more shots at goal and key passes made per 90 than any of his teammates in the final third (WhoScored).

It’s hardly a surprise pundits like Owen Hargreaves have branded the midfield maestro ‘unplayable’ on his day and we believe it’s a matter of time before he seals a big-money move.

Steven Gerrard’s tenure in charge of Glasgow Rangers will go down fondly with the Ibrox faithful, despite his acrimonious exit.

He led the Ibrox side to the Premiership title in 2020/2021 – their first in a decade – while restoring the club’s status in European competition, reaching the last 16 of the Europa League twice during his reign.

His forays into the transfer market were hit-and-miss, however. despite bringing Connor Goldson, Ryan Kent, and Kemar Roofe to the Light Blues, he also signed Eros Grezda, Umar Sadiq, and Juninho Bacuna.

He also sold players before really giving them a chance, with Matt Polster being a key example and although he may not have gone on to become a star in the team, his displays since leaving Glasgow have proved Gerrard may have made a blunder over the American gem.

Did Rangers sell Matt Polster too early?

Signed from Chicago Fire in January 2019, Polster was expected to deputise for captain James Tavernier at right back, while also able to fill in at defensive midfield if so required.

The form of Tavernier plus his incredible resilience to injury meant Polster was limited to just ten first-team appearances for the Gers, with the club never really seeing his full potential.

Just 18 months after arriving, the player was moving back across the pond, this time to MLS side New England Revolution for £400k and he went on to prove the Englishman wrong during his first few seasons back in America.

83 appearances, four goals, and winning the 2021 MLS Supporters Shield have certainly proven that Polster’s time at the Ibrox side was cut short far too soon and he should have been deployed in midfield more often.

His performances have even led to high praise from the media, with MLS insider Tom Bogert lauding the 29-year-old machine as “one of the league’s best DMs” since moving from Rangers and he has managed to rediscover the form that led to Gerrard bringing him to Glasgow in the first place.

There is obviously no guarantee that he would be a regular fixture in the starting XI for the club had he remained in Scotland for longer, yet just ten appearances were hardly enough to prove his worth.

Meanwhile, over in America, Polster was a top-eight performer for the Revs’ across both 2021 and 2022, via Sofascore, displaying some sort of consistency as they took home the title in the former campaign.

The former Liverpool captain clearly suffered a blunder by moving the American midfielder on too soon.

Who knows, he may have followed in the footsteps of his compatriots Claudio Reyna and Maurice Edu as Americans who enjoyed excellent stints at Rangers.

Manchester United head into Sunday’s Premier League encounter with bitter rivals Liverpool following what has been a potentially season-defining week for Erik ten Hag’s side, with the in-form outfit having enjoyed success in all three cup competitions in the space of just six days.

The most recent triumph over David Moyes’ West Ham United saw the Red Devils overcome a shaky start to produce a stunning late finale at the Theatre of Dreams, with a Nayef Aguerd own goal drawing the hosts level following Said Benrahma’s opener, before late strikes from both Alejandro Garnacho and fellow South American star, Fred clinched progression into the quarter-final stage.

With a mouthwatering meeting at Anfield now on the horizon, United will now be looking to keep pace with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City at the summit, with there still lingering hope that Ten Hag’s men can be in with a shout of clinching the title come May.

One possible concern for the Old Trafford giants will be the doubts surrounding the fitness of defender Luke Shaw, with the England international having sat out the win over the Hammers with what his manager described as a “small injury”.

Despite that potential blow, however, the 27-year-old’s positional rival Tyrell Malacia more than staked his claim for a starting berth on Merseyside following what was a “magnificent performance” on Wednesday evening, in the words of Statman Dave.

Will Malacia play against Liverpool?

The £14.7m summer arrival has largely had to play second fiddle to teammate Shaw in recent months – having started just ten league games all season – although the 23-year-old showcased that he is up for the fight against the Irons, having been a typically tenacious presence at left-back.

The £75k-per-week “pitbull” – as previously lauded by ex-United boss Louis van Gaal – notably won eight of his nine duels on the night from his defensive berth, including recording seven tackles, having also made five interceptions and contributed four clearances as a marker of his defensive prowess.

The 78-touch machine also completed 100% of his total dribbles and committed just one foul, with the diminutive gem having regularly shown great determination to get ahead of his man in order to win back possession cleanly.

There was undoubtedly some erratic moments in an attacking sense from the Dutchman – as he fired an errant cross high and wide late on – although it is hard to ignore his contribution defensively, with the six-cap ace’s committed display seeing him earn a 7.7 match rating, as per Sofascore.

Such doggedness will no doubt be needed up against the likes of Mohamed Salah this weekend, albeit with Malacia having proven in the reverse fixture that he can be more than a match for the Egyptian, as he ‘defended stoutly’ on what was an ‘encouraging full debut’ back in August, as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

That performance – in which the former Feyenoord man won six duels – should provide encouragement that the Rotterdam native can again thrive this time around if he is given the nod against Jurgen Klopp’s men, with Shaw’s injury having provided the 5 foot 7 menace the chance to nail down a regular role moving forward.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs says that Mo Salah remains ‘fully committed’ to Liverpool, after reports linking him with an exit.

The Lowdown: PSG links

Salah has recently been linked with a move to French giants PSG this summer, amid doubts over the future of attacking trio Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Football Insider have also claimed that FSG could be willing to cash in on Salah, who could reap a vast transfer fee for them, and talks have taken place internally over a possible big-name sale.

The Latest: Salah ‘fully committed’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs says that Salah remains ‘fully committed’ to Liverpool and vice versa, and reports of his potential departure are just rumours at this moment in time:

“The links of a Mo Salah departure are basically just rumour at this point, and my understanding is that Salah remains fully committed to Liverpool and Liverpool remain fully committed to Salah.

“He hasn’t hit the same goalscoring feats of seasons gone by, but I think that’s also down to the fact that Salah at his most prolific had a lot of talent creating space and linking up with him.”

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The Verdict: Relief!

It will come as an almighty relief to Reds supporters that Salah and the club remain committed to each other.

The winger may not be having his best season in terms of numbers, with just nine goals in the Premier League before today’s encounter with Manchester United, but his record in terms of goals and assists outside of that is simply phenomenal (Transfermarkt).

The ‘Egyptian King’ as he is nicknamed by supporters in their beloved chant of him has helped win them both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, and create many memorable moments along the way.

Nonetheless, keeping Salah at the club is vital in terms of the Merseysiders kicking on next season.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has received an early Team News boost as he has confirmed that Fabio Vieira is OK to play Sporting after illness.

The Lowdown: Sore throat…

Vieira has been suffering with a sore throat recently, and subsequently was not able to take the planned presser ahead of the game on Wednesday evening.

This comes after Kieran Tierney was ruled out of the squad through illness, sparking fears that Vieira could face the same fate.

The Latest: Vieira OK

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of the UEFA Europa League first leg clash, Arteta has since confirmed that Vieira is ‘OK’ to play after the initial scare:

“Fabio is OK, yes.”

The Verdict: Boost

The news that Vieira is OK after illness will come as a boost to Arteta, considering that he is dealing with a number of first-team absentees in his squad.

Along with Tierney, both Leandro Trossard and Eddie Nketiah have also been ruled out of the game through injury, leaving Arsenal somewhat short in numbers, especially in attacking areas with Gabriel Jesus’ lingering injury on top of that.

When Vieira has stepped in, he has generally done well, with two goals and five assists in 25 appearances in total over all competitions so far this season (hailed him as a ‘tremendous player’ who gives him ‘big headaches’ in terms of team selection.

Moreover, the Spaniard also praised the inside knowledge that Vieira has given him and his team on Sporting from his time playing for FC Porto in Portugal, which could prove useful in gaining an advantage ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Everton's academy has a unique talent for producing a steady stream of undeniable quality, yet it seems like in recent years there has been a reluctance to truly allow all of them to shine on the senior stage.

Whether it be due to their relegation battles or just a lack of faith, various managers have snubbed youngsters who were tearing it up in the youth setup.

Ellis Simms was one such name, who boasted 41 goals in 45 games for the U18s and a further 17 goals in 40 games for the U21s. However, now 22 years old and still yet to be used regularly, it is expected that he might not be at the level required.

However, one name who certainly is still in with a chance is Tom Cannon. The 20-year-old is currently enjoying his first loan spell away from Goodison Park at Preston North End, where he has finally started to find his form.

Both of these youngsters are likely vying for a spot beside Dominic Calvert-Lewin next season in Sean Dyche's more classic 4-4-2, depending on the English forward's fitness. Given how the younger of the two will be enjoying regular football until the end of this season, whilst Simms will likely occupy the bench, there is cause to believe that Cannon will be the favourite to start next season.

Who is Tom Cannon?

Having been at the club since the age of 10, the Republic of Ireland youth international already boasts three senior appearances for the Toffees having scored 22 times for the U21s across 55 appearances.

With sharp movement and a keen eye for a goal, he cuts a far more slender figure to the hulking Simms. This could actually work in his favour despite what many might expect from a Dyche centre forward, as his athleticism to run off Calvert-Lewin's flick-ons could prove imperative in their link-up.

In his short time at Deepdale, he has already captured the attention there too, as Hull City boss Liam Rosenior spoke out about how difficult the youngster was to play against. He noted: "I thought Tom Cannon was outstanding, one of the best we've played against by far."

Should he continue his goalscoring form into the run-in, where he has two in his last three Championship matches, he would return to Merseyside ready to feature next to a hopefully fully fit Calvert-Lewin, thus usurping Simms.