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Newcastle United are 'progressing well' in their attempts to bring Leicester City playmaker James Maddison to St James' Park this summer, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

What's the latest transfer news involving James Maddison?

According to Football Insider, Newcastle United are said to be 'frontrunners' in the race to sign Maddison this summer amid stiff competition from other Premier League sides.

The report states that Newcastle United are ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in their pursuit of the £110k-a-week ace, who is set for an exit from Leicester City in the next few months due to their relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.

Sky Sports also broadly state along the same lines that Newcastle United are in pole position to bring in Maddison; however, the outlet detail that Spurs could 'formalise' a bid now that they have appointed a new manager in the form of Ange Postecoglou.

Maddison caught the eye of the Magpies in January, though Leicester City were unwilling to do business mid-season, which is a stance that they look to have changed and it is now believed that they are open to offers for the Coventry-born playmaker.

As per The Guardian, Maddison's teammate Harvey Barnes is also a target for Newcastle United as they plot a double raid of the Foxes' best talents ahead of 2023/24.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti has revealed that talks between Maddison and Newcastle United over a summer transfer are going well.

Galetti said: "The talks between Newcastle and Leicester over James Maddison are progressing well, even if not at a great pace. I’m told Newcastle want to strengthen every role of their squad after the qualification for next season’s Champions League and they are working on multiple deals."

Would James Maddison be a good signing for Newcastle United?

Maddison would be a brilliant addition for Newcastle United who would add some extra flair to their talented midfield at St James' Park looking forward to next term.

In 2022/23, the England international made 32 appearances in all competitions for Leicester City, registering ten goals and nine assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Proving to be an inventive presence in the Foxes' midfield, Maddison also successfully performed 138 shot-creating actions in the Premier League, as tallied by FBRef.

Possessing a keen goal threat, Maddison hit an average of 2.8 shots per game in the English top-flight, demonstrating his penchant to make things happen despite the faltering nature of the team around him this term, as per WhoScored.

Newcastle United are preparing for Champions League football under Eddie Howe and bringing Maddison to Tyneside could help to take the Magpies to the next level.

Christian Pulisic is set to depart Chelsea this summer, and is attracting strong interest from Juventus, journalist Mark Ogden has revealed.

What's the latest on Pulisic and Chelsea?

The USA international has just one year remaining on his contract, and having lost his place in the starting XI, he is ready to depart Stamford Bridge.

The 24-year-old has made 30 appearances across all competitions this season, but has managed just one goal in what has been a hugely disappointing campaign.

Ogden claims Chelsea have offered him out to a number of clubs, and it now seems that Italian giants Juventus are the front-runners for his signature.

Speaking on ESPN FC, Ogden revealed the interest from the Old Lady, and claimed that the £150k-per-week star has been touted around Europe as Chelsea seek to push him out the door.

"I think Pulisic needs to move now, and what I was told is that he's been offered around quite a few clubs," he stated.

"Man United have been contacted, Newcastle, AC Milan, Galatasaray. Napoli. I've been told Juventus are more interested than most, and I think that they can do the deal.

"They're losing [Juan] Cuadrado and [Angel] Di Maria is out of contract this summer. So Pulisic would come in and bolster their attacking line. I think £20m nowadays is not that much of a fee for a player that's got Champions League experience and Premier League experience.

"His wages might be an issue, but I think Pulisic to Juventus is a good move."

Should Chelsea sell Pulisic?

Chelsea have signed Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk in the last two transfer windows, meaning that both wing spots are occupied to the extent that Pulisic will struggle for game-time.

The Blues may need to recover some funds after a year of heavy spending, and receiving £20m for an underperformer who could leave for free at the end of next season could be excellent business.

Pulisic could help Juventus replace Di Maria, and he was described as "fantastic" by Giorgio Chiellini when linked with a move to Turin a year ago.

The American was highly rated when he joined Chelsea for around £57.6m in 2019, but never found consistency beyond a few flashes of quality in that time, and will likely depart having scored 26 times in 145 appearances.

Pulisic's best spell came under Frank Lampard in his first season at the club, scoring 11 and assisting 10 times across all competitions, which included a goal in the FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal, but he has failed to replicate that form since, and a move away could be beneficial for all parties.

Liverpool currently have no interest in bringing Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane back to the Premier League, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

Is Sadio Mane leaving Bayern Munich?

The Senegal international swapped Anfield for Munich last summer after a hugely successful six-year period on Merseyside, as per Transfermarkt, and despite him still having another two years remaining on his contract, there’s a chance that he could be set to seal a permanent move elsewhere during the upcoming window after just one campaign following a behind the scenes bust-up.

The Reds legend was reportedly involved in an altercation with his teammate Leroy Sane, who he punched in the dressing room, which saw him receive a one-match ban and a hefty fine. It then wasn’t long before Football Insider suggested that the German giants were happy to listen to offers for him, with a return to the top-flight a real possibility.

Chelsea have been credited with an interest in the 31-year-old, but rumours were sparked after it was claimed that he would like to reunite with Jurgen Klopp. It would appear that the player's feelings aren’t reciprocated if this fresh update is anything to go by.

Will Mane go back to Liverpool?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool, at this stage, have "no plans" to make another move for Mane ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. The Bayern winger does "not feature" in Thomas Tuchel's long-term project and is therefore expected to depart.

However, the chances of him reconnecting with his former squad members are next to none as it's stated that the recruitment team have "no interest" in bringing him back to Anfield. This is despite Mane telling private friends he misses the club and wants to return.

During his time at Liverpool, Mane was undoubtedly a fan favourite and quickly established himself as one of the heroes of the Klopp era, posting 168 goal contributions (120 goals and 48 assists) in 269 appearances across all competitions, but making the decision not to be tempted into acquiring his services once again is the correct one.

Since his departure, the northwest outfit have signed the likes of Darwin Nunez and most recently Cody Gakpo, so are well-stocked in their attacking department, especially now the likes of Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are both also back to full fitness.

At Bayern, Mane is the highest earner on their books pocketing £367k-per-week, which is more than any current member of the Reds squad, the richest being Mohamed Salah on £350k-per-week, so his wage demands would likely be too high to take on again, therefore meaning that it would be best to avoid a deal, close that previous chapter and start a new one.

Arsenal's desperation to revamp their midfield has been well-documented, with many well aware of their necessity to find long-term replacements for Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey.

Aged 30 and 29 respectively, these engine room stalwarts have arguably reached the apex of their careers in north London this season, proving imperative in a title charge that seems destined to end in failure.

Whilst they might enjoy one or two more years of consistent success from them, Mikel Arteta will know that slowly he will soon have to start integrating their replacements.

Although Declan Rice has seemingly remained the Gunners' top target for some time now, the recent information that he is set to cost £120m must have startled the Spanish tactician.

The West Ham United captain is a top player, but for that kind of money, few on the planet would actually merit such a fee.

Such a discouraging price tag could force them to look elsewhere, and perhaps revisit the failed January venture of Moises Caicedo, which the south coast outfit are anticipating, per 90min.

Expected to be available for £40m cheaper – at an £80m price tag – with three years on the England international and having experience fighting at the top end of the table too, the Ecuador international arguably could mark a bargain alternative to the potential signing of Rice.

How has Moises Caicedo played this season?

Despite recording a 7.21 average rating for the season, just ahead of Caicedo's 7.13, the underlying statistics outline the true importance of each midfield monster to their respective teams; one of which is fighting for European spots, whilst the other has only recently pulled away from a relegation scrap.

For the role Arsenal are seeking, the potential candidate must be just as proficient in progressing the play as they are in breaking it up.

Although the former has maintained an 88% pass accuracy alongside 1.1 key passes and 2.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore, his transfer rival trumps some of these metrics.

Despite his lower average rating, Caicedo instead averages 1.2 key passes and 2.9 tackles per game, with an 89% pass accuracy, also per Sofascore.

Such impressive technical assets give way to the suggestion that he is also a "terrific athlete", as branded by South American expert and journalist Tim Vickery, and thus a relentless presence in the engine room too.

Whilst a more underrated asset, the Brighton and Hove Albion maestro also proved his class and commitment with how he handled himself throughout the January transfer saga.

Having been twice denied his dream move to the Emirates, Caicedo has continued starring under Roberto De Zerbi with minimal fuss and maximum professionalism, helping push the Seagulls to their European dream.

Although on the surface it might not seem the case when delving deeper it quickly becomes clear that signing the 21-year-old could mark far greater business than acquiring Rice for the crazy touted fee.

Legends of Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun have been suspended for one match each on account of their misconduct with the umpires during their Dhaka Premier League match against Kalabagan Krira Chakra in Fatullah on May 30.The incident in question occurred when Alauddin Babu, Rupganj’s No. 8, had completed two runs before Mashrafe Mortaza’s throw escaped for four overthrows. However, the umpires, Asadur Rahman and Rafiqul Islam John, awarded Babu only five runs and asked his partner at the time, Taijul Islam, to take strike.Coach Khaled Mashud, who was seen arguing with umpires at the end of the match, was fined Tk 20,000. So were Mosharraf and Mithun, and a Rupganj team official, Ahmed Rubel. The penalties were handed by Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis.Match referee Samiur Rahman told Bengali daily on Thursday that, “I had given Rupganj the four letters of suspension on the day of the match. But they didn’t receive them. So yesterday, I informed the umpires’ committee, which later asked the CCDM to take necessary action.”Mashud, however, claimed, “We were not given any letter about the suspensions or fines at the end of the game. They sent the letter to our office on Thursday evening. We haven’t been able to communicate with the CCDM today since it is the weekly holiday.”At the end of the game, I showed the match referee the footage of the overthrow after we had disputed the call at the end of the Rupganj innings. There was also a contentious leg-before decision during our innings.”

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has claimed he would be "over the moon" if Manchester United can land defender Kim Min-jae in a summer transfer amid recent links.

What's the latest on Kim Min-jae and MUFC?

It seems as though the Napoli man could be on the Premier League club's shopping list this summer with the Red Devils recently name-dropped in Italian media.

Indeed, journalist Luca Cerchione recently told FootballNews24: "He could play elsewhere already next season: Liverpool and Manchester United are on him."

While speaking on about the possibility of Kim join Man United in the future, Goldridge couldn't hide his excitement as he imagines Erik ten Hag being able to rotate between Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and the current Serie A star who earns around £55k-p/w.

Talking on a recent episode of The United Stand, the YouTuber explained: (28:14): “Come on, if we get Kim Min-jae, I'll be over the moon. Because suddenly, you've got Martinez, Varane and Kim Min-jae and you can only pick two.

"I don't care whether we keep Maguire or Lindelof, or both. If you've got Varane, Kim Min-jae and Martinez suddenly Varane is under pressure. And he's one of the best centre-backs in the world and he's under pressure from Kim Min-jae. That's what I want at United.

"Man City have got it. Man City have got Laporte, Diaz, Stones, Ake, Akanji. They've got five good centre-backs there. We've got two…

"We've got Martinez and we've got Varane and then our third best centre-back is actually a left-back in Luke Shaw. So I would love Kim Min-jae at Manchester United."

Will Kim join Man United?

Not wanting to put a downer on Goldbridge's enthusiasm, but the defender has been on the record recently claiming that is quite happy with Napoli for the time being.

Indeed, he told the press (via Goal): "As you know, those rumours are not true at all. I want to focus on my team. I have many tournaments to play.

"It's been four or years I have had these rumours. It's uncomfortable. I wish you don't spread those stories."

Evidently, his focus is purely on succeeding with Napoli for now but it looks as though he'll end the season as Serie A winner with his side well clear at the top of the table and he may even be able to taste European glory with a Champions League quarterfinal to come against AC Milan this week.

Perhaps if he can win all that in Italy, he'll be up for a new challenge in England. For now, though, Man United fans can only continue to dream.

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a potential move for PSG central midfielder Renato Sanches this summer.

The Lowdown: Previous interest

Newcastle also reportedly held an interest in Sanches dating back to his time at Lille, where he was part of a team that won the Ligue 1 title in the 2020/21 season.

He has always shown plenty of promise as a youngster at Bayern Munich, where his former team-mate Niklas Sule once even claimed that he was often the ‘best player in training’.

The Latest: Still interested

Co-writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey says that the St. James’ Park outfit are among a number of clubs that ‘appreciate’ Sanches, and are being ‘kept informed’ of his situation at PSG.

Aston Villa, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves and AC Milan are also all thought to be keen, as PSG are happy to let him go after just one season.

Indeed, he has only made injuries.

The Verdict: Approach with caution

The Magpies must approach this potential deal with caution, given Sanches’ injury record and the fact that he has Premier League before with Swansea City.

He is also on €174,000-per-week (£154,000-per-week) at the Parc des Princes, which would make him the highest-paid player on Tyneside.

Once dubbed a ‘special’ player by his former Lille team-mate and now Toon central defender Sven Botman, and a ‘powerhouse’ by pundit Kevin Campbell, the 25-year-old would clearly still have a lot to offer, and so the North East club must weigh up whether a deal would be worth pursuing.

Crystal Palace Tyrick Mitchell came in for criticism from reporter Alex Crook during the club’s Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. 

The Lowdown: Still no win

The Eagles travelled to the Emirates with Paddy McCarthy in temporary charge following Patrick Vieira’s dismissal on Friday. He couldn’t manage a first win in 2023, though, with the Gunners running out 4-1 winners.

First-half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka put Mikel Arteta’s men in total control at the interval, with Granit Xhaka and Saka again scoring in the second half.  Jeffrey Schlupp did pull a goal back for the Eagles, who remain just three points clear of the relegation zone.

The Latest: Mitchell criticism

Crook took to Twitter during the first half, saying that Palace ‘might need to untie’ Mitchell at half-time, with Saka ‘twisting and turning him all over the place’.

Shortly after when Saka doubled Arsenal’s lead, Crook then said:

‘Right on cue Saka plays a lovely one-two with Ben White before firing home left-footed’.

The Verdict: Afternoon to forget

It was always going to be a tough afternoon for Palace, especially Mitchell who was coming up against an in-form Saka. The Palace left-back, like his defensive teammates, struggled to contain Arsenal throughout.

As per SofaScore, Mitchell gave possession away on 13 occasions and ended with a match rating of 6.2/10 on the full-time whistle, the lowest score of any Palace defender. He made just two tackles and failed to make an interception or complete any of his attempted crosses or long balls in what was his 28th appearance of the season in all competitions.

You’d expect that Palace officials will now be looking to finalise a managerial appointment relatively quickly, who will have time to work with Mitchell and the squad ahead of a crucial home meeting with Leicester City.

Everton are interested in a summer move for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata, according to a recent report.

The Lowdown: Everton missed out in January

The Toffees were linked with a move for the Colombian in the January transfer window, with Fabrizio Romano confirming that talks were held, but the two clubs could not reach an agreement.

Everton wanted to bring in the striker on an initial loan with an option to buy, but Atalanta insisted that the deal was permanent, so no agreement came to fruition.

The 31-year-old will have just one year left on his contract at the end of the season, and a move to Goodison Park could still be on the cards…

The Latest: Everton still interested in Zapata…

According to reports from Colombia (via Sport Witness), Everton are still in the mix to sign the forward in the summer despite missing out in January, although there is also interest from elsewhere.

The Atalanta player may be tempted to remain in Serie A amid interest from Torino and Fiorentina, but a move to Merseyside is a possibility, should Sean Dyche’s team avoid relegation.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Hailed by commentator Matteo Bonetti as a ‘freight train of a striker’ who is ‘excellent in the air’, the marksman has a very impressive scoring record with his current club, netting 80 times in 179 appearances while also claiming 42 assists.

The 34-cap Colombia international not only excels in aerial situations, he is also very good at crafting opportunities which lead to attempts on goal, as indicated by his ranking in the 93rd percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 in the past year.

That said, the former Napoli man is starting to show his age, scoring just once in Serie A all season, having become more of an impact player rather than a regular starter.

As such, Everton should continue to monitor Zapata for the remainder of the campaign, and if his form improves, there are plenty of signs that he would be an astute signing in the summer, especially given the Toffees’ current lack of a potent finisher.

Arsenal have been busy in the transfer market this season.

No fewer than three new players walked through the door in January, adding to the five additions during the summer.

Gunners sporting director Edu Gaspar has certainly been a busy man and his hard work has certainly looked to have paid off, with the north London outfit chasing down their first Premier League title in nearly a decade.

However, not every signing has gone to plan, or at least yet.

One of the club’s marquee signings, outside of the arrival of title-winning duo Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, was Fabio Vieira, who cost around £34m in a deal from FC Porto.

But for this sizeable outlay, Arsenal are yet to see much of a return and his lack of game time is only damaging his overall worth at the Emirates Stadium.

How is Fabio Vieira doing at Arsenal?

The 22-year-old was always going to have to play second fiddle to skipper Martin Odegaard but for £34m, you’d have perhaps liked to have seen more than his one Premier League start, in which his goal helped steer the Gunners to a 3-0 win over Brentford.

Having made 23 appearances across all competitions, the Portugal U21 international has averaged just 43 minutes per game, yet has contributed towards seven goals, with five of those being assists, via Transfermarkt.

There’s no denying that the attacking midfielder is a top-quality talent capable of offering Arteta an abundance of creativity and threat in the final third but his lack of minutes is hampering his transfer value, so if the north Londoners ever did want to sell him on, they are unlikely to receive anywhere close to what they paid.

How much is Fabio Vieira worth?

Indeed, Vieira – who Arteta hailed as a “special talent” – is currently estimated to be worth around €19.8m (£17m) right now, according to FootballTransfers, who have an AI-powered model that estimates an accurate transfer fee for a given player.

In the space of just eight months, Arsenal have already lost 50% of what they paid the Primeira Liga giants for his signature, which is surely a worrying sign for any young, similarly talented player as they now know that it’ll be a hard task in breaking into Arteta’s side and thus, potentially making them seem less valuable.

Of course, there are many factors as to why Vieira has not seen the pitch as much as Zinchenko or even Leandro Trossard – ranging from their early season top-flight form to Odegaard’s presence but all it is doing is hurting his stock and it’s fair to suggest that it wasn’t something that Edu planned for when agreeing to pay a whopping £34m.

There’s still plenty of time for the Portuguese to transform his fortunes – and his value – around in north London, though we’re yet to see the fruits of that labour anytime soon.

AND in other news, Edu can seal instant Jorginho upgrade in bargain Arsenal swoop for £152k-p/w “monster”…