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Transfer insider Dean Jones has dismissed the speculation linking Newcastle United with a move for OGC Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo.

The lowdown: Magpies’ interested

This comes following a recent report from French outlet Foot Mercato claiming that Newcastle were among the suitors for Todibo, who could be available for around €20million (£17million).

The 22-year-old centre-back only arrived in France from Barcelona in 2021 and has suitably impressed in his first full season in Ligue 1 after an initial loan spell, leading to admiration from the North East as well as Manchester United, Napoli and Sevilla.

However, having already secured the capture of Sven Botman for £35million (Sky Sports), one well-informed onlooker has ruled out a move for Todibo as things stand.

The latest: ‘Things could change’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that the five-cap France Under 20 starlet isn’t currently on the radar at St James’ Park, although one key exit could alter that stance.

He said: “I can’t see it as it stands right now. A new centre-half is just not the priority.

“I checked this out and was told that, after signing Botman, they’ve got Schar on a new deal, they love Dan Burn and think he’s transitioned brilliantly into the team, there isn’t really that need to sign another centre-back. Maybe if Lascelles moved on, things could change.”

The verdict: One more needed

After the confirmed loan departure of veteran central defender Ciaran Clark to Sheffield United this week, Eddie Howe currently has Dan Burn, Jamaal Lascelles, Federico Fernandez, Fabian Schar and new arrival Botman at his disposal.

In truth, the likely first choice partnership will be Botman and Burn, with Lascelles, Schar and Fernandez all struggling with injuries and form at various times during their recent careers on Tyneside.

Therefore, in order to furnish Howe with the wealth of players required to compete amongst the upper echelons of the Premier League, regardless of what happens with the 32-year-old club captain moving forwards, signing a player of Todibo’s quality should be regarded as a no-brainer for Dan Ashworth and PIF during the ongoing transfer window.

Valued at £18million and under contract until 2026 (Transfermarkt), Newcastle should waste no time in making an offer at the mooted asking price for the Frenchman described as a ‘unique talent’ by Statman Dave on Twitter during a stellar 7.03 Sofascore-rated stint in the 2019/20 Bundesliga campaign with Schalke.

West Brom have been heavily linked with signing Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury recently and the Englishman could be the Baggies’ next Youssouf Mulumbu in Steve Bruce’s side.

Reports have suggested that the 24-year-old is a loan target for the former Newcastle United boss this summer, although he will have to play a waiting game before signing him, as it will depend on Leicester City’s own transfer business this summer.

Brendan Rodgers isn’t currently short of midfield options at the King Power Stadium although both Youri Tielemans and Boubakary Soumare could leave ahead of next season, which might encourage the former Liverpool boss to keep Choudhury at the club as a back-up.

The Leicester academy graduate has never been able to establish himself as a regular in the Foxes’ first team, making just 83 appearances for the senior side in his career thus far.

Last season saw the midfielder manage just six appearances in the Premier League so it seems unlikely that he will be able to establish himself as a regular with the Foxes next season, and West Brom could be the beneficiaries by signing him on loan.

His contract with Leicester is also set to expire at the end of the season, so the loan could also be with the view to bringing him in on a permanent deal, which could potentially be excellent business for the Baggies.

WhoScored suggests that Choudhury’s main strengths are his interceptions and ability to block the ball, which may remind West Brom fans of fellow defensive-midfielder Mulumbu, who starred for the Baggies between 2009 and 2015.

The DR Congo international would make 211 appearances, contributing 14 goals and 11 assists, in what was undoubtedly the best spell of his career.

Rodgers was full of praise for Choudhury last season after his performance in a FA Cup win against Watford, saying:

“I thought he was sensational in the game. Sometimes it happens like that for a midfield player stepping back. He was defensively quick, making interceptions and blocks, his recovery speed was incredible and that’s why you always have quick players, especially how we play, squeezing the pitch. His passing was excellent in the main as well, so I’m delighted for him.”

If Choudhury can produce performances like that on a regular basis for West Brom next season, then he would surely be a quality addition to Bruce’s side, and he may even be regarded in the same ilk as Mulumbu by Baggies fans.

And, in other news… Bruce can land Matheus Pereira 2.0 as West Brom plot bid for “massive” £12m wizard

West Ham United supporters have been handed a significant update on the club’s pursuit of Villarreal star Arnaut Danjuma.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye Danjuma move…

Irons head coach David Moyes is now seeking to upgrade his attacking options following the arrivals of Nayef Aguerd from Rennes and Alphonse Areola from Paris-Saint Germain on a permanent deal.

The east Londoners are tipped to be ‘very busy’ as Moyes sets his sights on ‘at least’ six new signings before the commencement of the 2022/23 Premier League season (Sky Sports).

As per reliable reports, Danjuma is one forward who has been heavily linked with a move to Rush Green over the last 48 hours.

The Latest: Journalist shares Danjuma update…

After West Ham ‘talks’ and an ‘official approach’ to sign the former Bournemouth star, 90min journalist Toby Cudworth has now dropped a significant update.

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He explained (via Twitter): “Fast moving story but now told #WHUFC backing away from Danjuma. Was offered to the club & an approach was made, pending approval from David Moyes and management – but they have concerns. Deal unlikely as of now.”

The Verdict: Blow for West Ham?

Given the Dutchman’s obvious quality, this could be one that Moyes and co might want to revisit at a later date – provided that another club doesn’t poach Danjuma in the meantime.

As per WhoScored, the 25-year-old finished 2021/22 as Villarreal’s top scorer in La Liga (10) and averaged their most attempts at goal (2.7) per 90, perhaps indicating that he could be a real threat for West Ham.

Danjuma has also been branded a ‘nightmare’ to play against by one-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Kevin Phillips, and the Hammers must weigh up their next move carefully.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set for a disaster if they allow £18m-rated Adama Traore to move to fellow Premier League club Leeds United this summer.

What’s the story?

According to journalist Peter O’Rourke who spoke with GiveMeSport, Leeds director of footballer Victor Orta is a huge fan of Traore and will do all he can to bring him to Elland Road this summer.

O’Rourke explained how Orta has previously worked with Traore when he was at Middlesbrough, and that he has been chasing him for a long time.

The Spaniard spent the second half of last season on loan at FC Barcelona, so perhaps Wolves don’t want him, but selling him to a league rival would be a big mistake.

 Lage needs to keep him

Despite being allowed to leave on loan, we think that Wolves should keep Traore and that Lage needs him to be part of the squad to help the club achieve success.

He moved to Molineux back in 2018 for a then club-record fee of £18m which was a lot for a Championship player at the time. Although he didn’t perform that greatly last season, his transfer has arguably been a success, with him being directly involved in 29 goals since his arrival.

He has also attracted a lot of attention for his ability to dribble past players, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp calling him “unplayable” and Rio Ferdinand dubbing him a “machine” for exactly this reason.

The Wanderers scored just 38 goals last season, so the involvement of Traore over the next campaign could help them improve on that and it wouldn’t come at an additional cost.

What’s most important is that they don’t allow the player to move to a direct rival. Despite only narrowly escaping relegation, Leeds could be more competitive next season and as a result, be in direct competition with Wolves for a high mid-table finish.

Allowing them to sign Traore will only strengthen their chances of achieving that and could leave Lage’s side in trouble themselves. He’s proven to be an asset for the West Midlands club in the past, so there’s no reason he can’t play a big part next season.

AND in other news: Wolves interested in signing “special” £20m gem, he’s the “talent” that Lage needs…

Aston Villa may still bring in another couple of signings this summer, amidst their aggressive and fast start to the current transfer window.

What’s the word?

One of those may well be Luis Suarez, with Dean Jones claiming (via GIVEMESPORT) that Steven Gerrard’s side still “have a decent chance” of signing the former Barcelona and Liverpool striker.

The 35-year-old will officially depart Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid at the end of this month, with his contract set to expire in the Spanish capital.

Speaking on the Suarez case, Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “I think there is still a decent chance that they sign Suarez, and I think that Gerrard will be ideal for him, and I think that works vice versa too.

“It doesn’t mean that Suarez has to start every game, but having him as an option, having him as a game-changer, literally, is like something in your armoury that is amazing for the amount of pressure there’s going to be schedule-wise next season.

“Clubs are really having to consider what they’re going to do in terms of balancing out the amount of games that are coming, particularly after the World Cup.”

Supporters surely buzzing

The latest news surrounding Villa’s chances of bringing Suarez back to the Premier League bodes well for all involved and will surely leave the fan base buzzing.

Jones makes some emphatic points on why the signing would be astute from a Gerrard perspective.

Quite simply, they lack established squad depth options up top; and considering their desire to push up the table, based on their recent transfer business, a winning mentality combined with experience at the top level would do no harm to a progressive Villa squad.

Do not underestimate the effect that an instinctive finisher like Suarez can have on an aspiring squad like Gerrard’s.

He may be 35, but the Uruguayan has just come off the back of an 11-goal campaign in La Liga (the same as Villa’s top league scorer Ollie Watkins) over 35 appearances, proving that he can still make an impact in a major European league.

Gerrard must make this transfer happen if Villa are to give themselves the best chance of achieving their ambitions for next season.

In other news: Lange plotting Villa bid for “exquisite” 34-goal sensation, imagine him and Coutinho 

Tottenham Hotspur are considering a potential swap deal involving Pau Torres and Giovani Lo Celso. 

That’s according to Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, who was speaking to GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

Spurs are known admirers of Spanish centre-back Torres, having tried to sign him last summer. He ‘turned them down’ on that occasion but might now see Spurs as a ‘more attractive destination’ after they returned to the Champions League, with Alasdair Gold naming him as one of four LCB targets recently.

The 25-year-old ‘ticks all the boxes’ for Antonio Conte.

Other players thought to be on their shortlist include Alessandro Bastoni of Inter Milan, RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

Lo Celso spent the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan with The Yellow Submarine, featuring in every La Liga game and starting 11 times.

The latest

Taylor revealed that ‘initial’ talks had been held between the two clubs about the possibility of a mutually beneficial exchange.

“Torres has been the subject of initial swap-deal discussions with Villarreal because obviously, they want to sign Lo Celso on a permanent basis,” he said.

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The verdict

Spurs clearly carry more appeal now than they did 12 months ago.

They had finished down in seventh place in 2020/21 and took until the start of July to appoint Nuno Espirito Santo as their permanent manager following the sacking of Jose Mourinho in April.

Now they have Conte, a five-time league title winner, in charge, and they’re targeting a Premier League title bid.

Would this deal be a straight swap? Well, Transfermarkt value Torres at £45million, much higher than Lo Celso (£19.8million).

You would expect Villarreal, then, to demand plenty of cash in addition to the midfielder.

They know that Torres, in the words of his former coach, ‘has everything’ to succeed at the highest level and can fulfil his ‘enormous potential’.

In other news, this off-field development has a journalist saying ‘wow’. 

Journalist Mark Carlaw, editor of the West Ham Way website used by club insider ExWHUemployee, has been left excited as ‘fantastic news’ comes out if the club.

The Lowdown: Hammers set for busy summer…

Hammers boss David Moyes is seeking to build upon his side’s phenomenal rise up the Premier League over these last few seasons with new faces and upgrades to his squad.

Links have emerged to top attackers and defenders alike, perhaps most notably England international Jesse Lingard and Rennes star Nayef Aguerd.

As the first team remains a priority, Moyes has also been planning for the long-term and eyeing up moves for some of the country’s brightest young talents.

West Ham confirmed on Friday that they’ve signed ‘highly-rated’ starlet Daniel Rigge from Man City, beating nine rival clubs in the process.

The Latest: Carlaw thrilled…

Speaking on Twitter, Carlaw claims the signing of City’s former gem is an ‘unbelievable coup for the club’ – going on to call Rigge ‘one of the brightest young players in English football’.

He also states the England Under-16 international’s arrival is ‘fantastic news’ as GSB secure a real sensation for West Ham.

The Verdict: Great news…

Rigge comes to Rush Green with a glowing reputation and is ‘widely considered’ to be a major emerging prospect.

The 16-year-old’s arrival on a scholarship contract could provide West Ham and Moyes with a possible superstar in years to come going by how in-demand he was across the nation.

Nine clubs cannot be wrong in their pursuit of Rigge and the Irons have done very well to beat them all to his signing.

In other news: Journalist says West Ham are ‘in talks’ to sign an ‘amazing’ forward, find out more here.

Liverpool have rejected Bayern Munich’s opening £21m bid for Sadio Mane, according to reliable journalist Paul Joyce.

The Lowdown: Mane leaving Liverpool?

After six years at Anfield, it looks as though the Senegal forward will be departing before the start of next season as he looks for a fresh challenge.

The 30-year-old has been one of the true modern greats for Liverpool, scoring 120 goals in 269 appearances, along with winning the Champions League and Premier League.

Bayern are the clear favourites to sign Mane this summer, and an official bid has now been tabled from the German champions.

The Latest: Liverpool reject Bayern bid for Mane

Taking to Twitter late on Sunday night, Joyce confirmed that the Bundesliga giants have seen their first bid turned down by the Reds. He revealed:

“Liverpool have turned down Bayern Munich’s opening bid for Sadio Mane. It was for £21m guaranteed, plus £4m in add-ons payable if, for example, Bayern won the Champions League.”

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The Verdict: Ridiculously low offer

Frankly, for Bayern to expect such a low bid for Mane to be accepted is bordering on ludicrous, considering the forward’s current standing in the game.

He has been described as ‘world-class’ by Jurgen Klopp in the past and is still one of the foremost attacking players in Europe, having netted 23 goals in 2021/22.

If Bayern want to get their man, they will have to pay a far bigger amount than £21m, with Liverpool needing to remain stubborn in the coming weeks and demand a fee which is much more indicative of Mane’s phenomenal abilities.

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly ‘ramping up’ their interest in one player. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their plans for the upcoming transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sunday Mirror (5/6, page 69), the Black Cats are considering a swoop to sign out-of-contract shot-stopper John Ruddy in the coming weeks.

The report claims that they are weighing up a move for the Englishman after Premier League side Wolves decided to release the veteran instead of offering him a new deal.

Alex Neil would love him

Kristjaan Speakman is plotting a move for the one-cap England international and must bring the experienced goalkeeper to the Stadium of Light as Neil would love him next season.

Ruddy is vastly experienced in the top two divisions of English football and knows exactly what it takes to win promotion out of the Championship.

He has been promoted to the Premier League as a title-winner (with Wolves) and twice with Norwich as a runner-up and then a play-off winner. This shows that he is no stranger to getting out of the second tier and he can bring invaluable experience to the younger members of the squad.

In his career to date, the 35-year-old has played 163 Championship matches and kept 58 clean sheets. He has also featured in 122 top-flight games and kept 27 shutouts, playing in both divisions for Wolves and the Canaries.

Upon the confirmation of his exit from the Molineux stadium, Wolves reporter Tim Spiers heaped praise on Ruddy as he tweeted: “A model professional, a massive character in the dressing room and an excellent goalkeeper.”

This highlights what he can offer to Sunderland off the pitch as he can be a huge influence on young Anthony Patterson next season. It would be an excellent opportunity for the Black Cats youngster to have a player of Ruddy’s professionalism, experience, and quality in the building as he can learn from him in training.

The 6 foot 3 colossus is also no stranger to Neil as they worked together at Carrow Road. Ruddy played 76 times for the Scot in Norfolk, including in a 2-0 play-off final win over Middlesbrough at Wembley in 2015, and this means that they already have a pre-existing relationship.

Sunderland’s head coach would, therefore, love to have him at the Stadium of Light next season for the reasons stated above and because he already knows what he would be getting from the shot-stopper.

AND in other news, Speakman plotting Sunderland bid for 6 ft 3 “Rolls-Royce”, he can get SoL rocking…

A big update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans for Karl Darlow heading into the summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies are set to offer the shot-stopper to Manchester United in an attempt to land Dean Henderson ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that the Red Devils are in need of an experienced goalkeeper to replace Lee Grant – who has retired – and Darlow could fit the bill for Erik ten Hag.

Huge Eddie Howe masterclass

The Newcastle boss can seal a huge masterclass by negotiating a deal to offload the ex-Nottingham Forest man to Old Trafford whilst also securing a loan/permanent move for Henderson.

Axing Darlow would be an excellent piece of business by the club as he proved, this season, that he is not good enough to provide serious competition to Martin Dubravka.

Toon legend Alan Shearer claimed that the £30k-per-week shot-stopper looked “nervous” between the sticks for the Magpies against Brentford this season and that was a theme throughout the early parts of the Premier League campaign.

He was called upon in eight games under Steve Bruce and struggled badly as he conceded 1.9 goals per match in that time. The 31-year-old averaged a dismal SofaScore rating of 6.47 and made one error directly leading to a goal as well as giving away one penalty as he made himself a liability to the team.

Therefore, selling him to Manchester United – given the season he had – would be an incredible move by Howe and Newcastle, before you factor in the possibility of it helping them land Henderson as part of the deal.

The report claims that the Magpies want the England international in to replace Dubravka and his form in the Premier League in previous years suggests he has the potential to be a superb signing.

In his two top-flight campaigns, Henderson has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.94 or higher and kept 17 clean sheets in 49 games. The Slovakian number one, meanwhile, has averaged a score of 6.88 this term for Newcastle and kept eight clean sheets in 27 outings.

He is eight years older than the Red Devils stopper and this means that the former Sheffield United loanee can come in as a long-term option for Howe between the sticks. This is another reason why this swap deal, in whatever way it materialises, would be a masterclass by the head coach.

AND in other news, PIF could sign Newcastle’s answer to Haaland in “sensational” £60m “monster”…