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Newcastle United have a truly excellent striker in their ranks.

Elias Sorensen is just 19 and has been in quite brilliant form for the club’s youth teams. This season alone, he has scored 12 goals in 14 Premier League 2 games and has also netted four in five in the EFL Trophy, all of which came against senior sides – Doncaster Rovers, Notts County, Grimsby Town and Macclesfield.

His step up from the Under-18s to the Under-23s has been seamless. After netting 15 goals in 33 outings for the U18s, including six assists, Sorensen found a ruthless streak upon his age jump.

The same is true of his international career. Sorensen played for the Under-17s and the Under-18s for Denmark but did not score. But he has two in two for the Under-21s.

The Shields Gazette quote senior manager Rafael Benitez from November, when the Spaniard claimed that the teenager was knocking on the door of the first-team after training with them.

He said: “We’re lucky to have some young players coming sometimes to help the first team. He did well. He has energy and movement.

“We’re just talking about a couple of training sessions, but you could see the lad has the effort and desire to play in the first team.

“It depends on him. The players have to knock on the door by what they do on the pitch.”

His latest test came in January. Fresh from signing a new contract with the Magpies, he was loaned to Blackpool, in League One. He has made one appearance so far, managing just 32 minutes.

Chronicle Live report that Sorensen spoke to Sean Longstaff about his move, with the midfielder having played for the Seasiders before making his breakthrough at Newcastle. He has made six Premier League appearances this season.

He said: “You see Sean getting a few games in the Premier League now and he went away to Blackpool and Kilmarnock, so a few loan spells for him worked very well.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

“I spoke to him about it and he liked it when he was here. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me as well.

“I’m excited to see what it brings. Hopefully, I can get a few games in League One and show what I’m capable of.”

If his record in the youth teams is anything to go by, Sorensen will take the third-tier by storm.

Newcastle fans should keep an eye on him. If he can reach his potential, he could well be the club’s next great No.9.

Aston Villa could have Marvelous Nakamba back in a matchday squad for the first time since December today, with the Zimbabwe midfielder back from a knee injury which has ruled him out for nearly four months.

The Villans host Tottenham Hotspur in the late kick-off and will look to return to the top half of the table with a victory.

Villa manager Steven Gerrard confirmed that the 28-year-old is in contention to feature today after playing for the under-23s last Friday, saying: “He has played for the under-23s. So you couldn’t rule out the possibility of him making the matchday squad soon. If not for the Tottenham game, then he’s certainly going to be available for that Leicester fixture.

“But he has an outside chance of being involved in the matchday squad this weekend, although it wouldn’t be a start.”

Although there are doubts regarding Nakamba’s fitness, Gerrard should definitely consider reintroducing the Zimbabwean back into his team if possible.

On the chalkboard

It’s fair to say that the Villans have endured an inconsistent campaign in 2021/22, although a top-half finish is still very achievable.

Therefore, the final eight Premier League games of the season should be taken seriously, with this stage of a campaign sometimes seen by players as an opportunity to take their foot off the gas when there seems little to play for other than pride.

Having as many players fit and available as possible will certainly be vital to ensure a strong conclusion to the season, and Nakamba’s return will be incredibly welcome.

In the 28-year-old’s absence, the regular midfield trio of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey has borne fruit on occasion, but there is a lack of competition in the middle of the park.

After Nakamba and those three, Morgan Sanson is the only other senior central midfielder in the squad, with 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka being slowly integrated into the first team. The Frenchman has disappointed this term and could well depart in the summer, with Nantes reportedly interested in him.

Moreover, Luiz was poor against Wolves last week, with SofaScore handing the Brazilian a 6.4/10 match rating.

Although the Zimbabwean – who has previously been described as “outstanding” by former Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor – may not start every game until the end of the season, his presence should certainly encourage the other midfielders to remain consistent in order to avoid losing their place in the team.

Prior to his injury, Nakamba had started all of Gerrard’s first five games in charge and certainly has an admirer in the 41-year-old, who was a world-class midfielder as a player.

His is a timely return, even if it is to be from the bench this evening as the manager has hinted, and Aston Villa should certainly benefit from having the £34k-per-week midfielder back in action as they look to secure a first top-half Premier League finish in 11 years.

In other news: Aston Villa’s “crazy” £22.5m-rated talent could now leave, fans will surely be fuming

Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks would be interested in a move to Southampton this summer, transfer insider Dean Jones has claimed.

The Lowdown: Winks’ playing time

Since the arrival of Rodrigo Bentancur at the end of January, the former England international’s playing time with Spurs has decreased significantly. In the Lilywhites’ last five Premier League games, the 26-year-old has played just 17 minutes of football.

As a result, reports have claimed that both Crystal Palace and Southampton are keen on signing the midfielder in the summer transfer window.

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The Latest: Jones’ claim on Winks

Jones believes that a move to St Mary’s would be the best option for Winks, who could jump at the chance to join the Saints.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the journalist claimed: “If everything comes together for them, I think he would be interested in it, so I think Southampton are on the right path.”

The Verdict: Lack of midfield options

Southampton have a limited number of options in the midfield department. Whilst James Ward-Prowse and Oriol Romeu have been leading the charge, the only other senior option in the engine room is youngster Ibrahima Diallo.

Therefore, a player with Winks’ experience in the top flight (124 Premier League appearances) would surely be of great use to this Saints side, as it would allow for more frequent rotation.

Having described a number of the 26-year-old’s performances as “amazing”, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino once compared the player to the likes of Andres Iniesta and Xavi in the midfield, illustrating his calm presence on the ball.

Therefore, with limited game-time expected under Antonio Conte, a move to Southampton could be the best option for Winks’ career, and Jones seems to think it is very much viable.

In other news: Dan Sheldon has criticised one Saints player during the 1-1 draw at Leeds

Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side have been handed a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final clash, with bad news emerging from the opposition camp.

What’s the latest?

In his pre-match press conference prior to Rangers’ Europa League quarter-final clash against Sporting Braga this evening, Giovanni van Bronckhorst revealed that, following his withdrawal at half-time in the 4-0 win over St Mirren last weekend, Filip Helander now looks set to miss the remainder of the season due to injury.

Regarding the centre-back’s knock, the Dutchman said: “Filip Helander’s injury is not good, we won’t have him for the remainder of the season.”

Postecoglou will be buzzing

Considering that the key Rangers duo of Alfredo Morelos and Ianis Hagi have also been ruled out for the rest of the club’s 2021/22 campaign, the news that the Light Blues have suffered yet another injury setback is sure to have left Postecoglou buzzing.

While it is true that Helander had not been a regular in Van Bronckhorst’s starting XI this season – with the 28-year-old making just six Premiership appearances due to a long-term knee injury – the Sweden international has nevertheless proven just how important a player he can be for the Gers.

Indeed, over his 22 league outings in 2020/21, the £3.15m-rated defender played a key role in Rangers’ title-winning campaign, helping his side to keep 13 clean sheets, along with making 0.7 interceptions, 1.7 tackles and 2.2 clearances and winning seven duels (at a success rate of 68%) per game.

These returns saw the £14.5k-per-week centre-back average a very impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Gers’ 12th-best player in the Scottish top flight.

As such, the fact that Helander will not only miss the Scottish Cup semi-final clash with the Hoops this Sunday but also the Old Firm meeting in the league on May 1, plus Rangers’ remaining four Premiership fixtures this season, will undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Postecoglou and his Celtic side.

AND in other news: Sold at £6m, now worth £25m: Celtic will be having nightmares over £35k-p/w “unicorn”

Crystal Palace are eyeing up a move for Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Aribo a success at Rangers

The Nigerian has proven to be an excellent signing by the Gers after arriving in 2019, registering 25 goals and assists apiece in 141 appearances.

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Aribo has continued to be a key figure for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side this season, chipping in with eight goals and five assists in the Scottish Premiership.

A worrying update has now emerged from a Rangers perspective, however, with a possible summer exit on the cards.

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The Latest: Palace keen on move

According to Football Insider, Palace are interested in signing Aribo at the end of the season, with a recruitment source claiming they are ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation. Eagles club officials have even gone to scout him at Ibrox recently, further highlighting the level of keenness on show.

The 25-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, at which point Rangers could lose him on a free transfer if he hasn’t extended his stay.

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The Verdict: Potential big loss

Aribo has grown into an influential figure at Ibrox, as shown by his aforementioned statistics, so losing him would be a big blow for Van Bronckhorst.

The idea of joining the Patrick Vieira revolution at Palace could be too good to turn down for the midfielder, with the Frenchman already getting strong performances out of vibrant players such as Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

The hope is that Aribo stays at Rangers, of course – Ezri Konsa has hailed him as ‘unique’ – but it is easy to envisage a scenario where his head is turned by a move to Selhurst Park.

In other news, Rangers are reportedly eyeing up a stunning move for one player. Read more here.

West Ham United have launched as many as five offers for players on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by ExWHUemployee, who revealed in a recent post on The West Ham Way that the Irons have as many as five active deals on the table on the final day of the January transfer window.

In his post, the West Ham insider said: “We have five offers currently in for players and as we hear things we will let you know.”

Moyes is finally acting

Despite it being clear to everyone involved with West Ham, David Moyes included, that the Hammers were in desperate need of both a new centre-back and centre-forward this January, as the clock ticked over to 00:01 on Monday morning, the 58-year-old had yet to make a single signing over the 30 previous days of the month.

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It is undeniably good news that Moyes is finally acting in the transfer market, but if the Scot is unable to secure any of the five live deals he is working on today, West Ham’s apparent reluctance to move for any of their targets prior to the final day of the window could very easily come back to haunt the 58-year-old and his transfer team.

However, with the majority of the day still ahead, and the Hammers being linked with some very exciting players in the form of Duje Caleta-Car and Hugo Ekitike, Moyes could still have enough time to bring a number of fresh faces into the London Stadium who could improve the Irons’ first-team squad – although Monday will nevertheless be a very nervy day for West Ham fans.

In other news: ExWHUemployee drops gutting deadline day update, it’s not “what the fans want to hear”

Sunderland have dropped out of their position in sixth following a draw with Plymouth Argyle on Monday night, with the League One play-off battle extremely tight, the Black Cats can’t afford to drop any more points.

Following the loss to their play-off position rivals, the top six has changed yet again with Wycombe Wanderers matching the Mackems for points on 77 with one more game played in sixth, whilst Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth take place in fourth and fifth matched for 79 points.

With that in mind, Alex Neil must consider the changes needed in his squad and the impact needed to ensure that his team can secure a chance at promotion to the Championship at the end of this season with just three games remaining.

After the defeat to Argyle, the Black Cats manager came out to respond to concerns over Ross Stewart’s lack of goals in the last eight games:

“We’ve flogged Ross Stewart in particular into the ground this year.

“To expect a lad to come to this level and churn that out repeatedly for that amount of time, having done what he has done for us already, you are asking a lot of anybody.”

The £2.7k-per-week striker who has been claimed to be “fatigued” by Echo journalist Phil Smith, is the club’s top goal-scorer so far with 22 goals, starting every single league game only being subbed off four times in the second half over the entire season, so it is no wonder that there are concerns about the Scotsman being tired.

It would be a huge risk and a bold call to drop their star man, but if Neil does decide to axe Stewart from the starting line-up for the next game against 12th place Cambridge United on Saturday afternoon, it could ultimately pay off in the closing stages of the season.

Should Sunderland find themselves successful in finishing in the top six, there will be three huge additional games on top of the last three league games to secure promotion, so surely resting the striker against Cambridge United could be Neil’s last opportunity to allow Stewart to revive his goal-scoring form.

AND in other news: Speakman howler: SAFC may now be on the verge of repeating brutal Hugill disasterclass

Tottenham Hotspur journalist Alasdair Gold expects the club to allow Pierluigi Gollini to return to Atalanta and delay their pursuit of a successor for Hugo Lloris until 2023. 

The lowdown

Spurs signed Gollini on a season-long loan from Atalanta last summer, when Nuno Espirito Santo was the manager.

Under the agreement, The Lilywhites have the option to buy the 27-year-old at the end of the season.

Gollini has made ten appearances for the club, all of them coming in European competition or the domestic cups.

Even then, Antonio Conte favoured Lloris for the first leg of the EFL Cup semifinal against Chelsea, as well as the FA Cup fifth-round tie at Middlesbrough.

It’s believed that the optional fee is in the region of £13million.

The latest

Asked if Gollini is likely to stay, Gold told Football London readers that he can’t ‘see much sense’ for either party ‘in making the deal permanent’.

‘There’s no real sense,’ he says, that Gollini would be in a position to take over from Lloris in 2022/23.

Parting ways with the Italian could see Spurs bring in a new back-up ‘keeper, but Gold says he’d be ‘surprised’ if anyone gave up ‘regular first team football elsewhere’ to serve as Lloris’ understudy.

As such, a successful move for West Brom’s Sam Johnstone is unlikely.

The journalist’s expectation is that Spurs will look to recruit a long-term heir to the veteran skipper ‘the following summer’.

The verdict

Gollini may have to find a new club this summer regardless.

In preparation for his loan departure, Atalanta shelled out £18million on a new no. 1 in the form of Joan Musso.

The ‘excellent’ Gollini won praise in pre-season from former Spurs man Graham Roberts for his ‘fantastic positioning’ and ‘great distribution’, and team-mate Eric Dier has called him ‘amazing’.

But clearly Spurs haven’t seen enough to think he can genuinely challenge Lloris, who tellingly signed a new contract in January with his old deal set to expire.

In other news, a medical expert has shared his verdict on Ryan Sessegnon.

Leeds United turned down approaches for exciting youngster Crysencio Summerville at the end of the January transfer window, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Summerville stays put

The 20-year-old is one of the most exciting youngsters at Elland Road, making eight first team appearances for the Whites so far this season.

Summerville was strongly linked with a loan move away from Leeds recently, with 2.Bundesliga side Hamburg interested in acquiring his signature, but the winger ended up staying put beyond the January transfer window.

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The Latest: Approaches turned down

According to Hamburger Morgenpost [via Sport Witness], Leeds ‘stayed firm’ in terms of not allowing Summerville to leave.

The youngster was the ‘desired solution’ for Hamburg in January, who made ‘intensive attempts’ to sign him, but they ended up missing out on his signature.

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The Verdict: Chance to prove his worth

In many ways, this is a huge show of faith in Summerville from Leeds, suggesting that they believe he can make a positive impact between now and May.

Admittedly, it is unlikely that the Dutchman will get many starts – he has none to his name in the Premier League this season – but he has been hailed as a ‘runaway train’ by journalist Beren Cross and represents an exciting option for Marcelo Bielsa.

Summerville may also spend some time in the under-23s, in order to retain match sharpness, but it would be great to see him affecting top-flight games from the substitutes’ bench over the coming months.

In other news, a key Leeds update has emerged regarding an influential Whites star. Find out who it is here.

Everton’s transfer window has been put on hold amid the ongoing drama with the search for the next manager becoming the priority for the club, however, with the latest injury update coming out of Finch Farm, signing a player could become an urgent priority for Farhad Moshiri and Duncan Ferguson.

What’s the word?

Everton released a statement last night about Abdoulaye Doucoure sustaining an injury during the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend.

The statement reads:

‘Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure sustained a groin injury in Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Aston Villa and will begin treatment under the care of the Club’s medical staff at USM Finch Farm.’

There has been no update on how long the midfielder will be out for, which leaves the question as to whether he will be available or not for Everton’s important FA Cup fourth-round tie on the 5th February against Brentford.

Time to sign Dele Alli

Everton have been linked to signing Tottenham Hotspur outcast, Dele Alli, and his lack of presence at the clash with Chelsea on Sunday evening seemingly only further suggests that the player is not in the future plans of Antonio Conte, which means a swoop for the £100k-per-week star could be an option for the Toffees.

With Doucoure injured and no clarity on his return as of yet, Moshiri should be seizing the opportunity to sign the 25-year-old who was once hailed a “machine” by Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand.

Alli has made 269 appearances for Spurs, scoring 67 goals and bagging 61 assists, with a goal involvement every 149 minutes he has played for the London club, a consistent output that Everton are desperate for right now, with the side scoring 11 fewer goals than they have conceded this term.

Even without the injury problems that Everton have faced this season, adding a player who can be a fresh attacking threat for the side could be exactly what they need to turn their season around and start picking up results to climb the table to escape a relegation battle in the final months of the season.

Moshiri is interviewing another manager today with Vitor Pereira reportedly flying into Merseyside to discuss the potential of becoming the new Everton manager, so with that priority soon to be resolved, the board must remain conscious that there is only a week left to go to sign players in the January transfer window to see out the rest of the Premier League season.

Either way, if Ferguson remains in charge for the foreseeable future, the Toffees hierarchy will need to hand him a better squad and in Dele, the interim boss could find his perfect man.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals new update in manager search