Initially, it was thought that Newcastle United would be without Mikel Merino for a significant period of time with a back problem.

However, just one month later, the midfielder is expected to return to the pitch.

While speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash against Watford at St James’ Park, manager Rafael Benitez provided an update on Merino’s fitness.

The 21-year-old moved to the North-East outfit in the summer initially on a loan deal from Borussia Dortmund.

Newcastle, though, were so impressed with Merino’s early appearances that they opted to get a permanent five-year deal done on October 13.

Interestingly, the Spaniard’s injury absence has affected results on the pitch, with the team failing to pick up a point since.

Newcastle have lost to Burnley, Bournemouth and Manchester United in the league during that time.

It is safe to say that the fans are pleased to see Merino return to the squad.

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According to reports in Spanish media outlet Diario Gol, Manchester United only face competition from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale, but his €90m (approximately £79.2m right now) price tag could prove to be an issue.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Diario Gol says that Real are willing to let the injury-hit attacker – who has missed 250 days since joining the La Liga giants in 2013 – leave the Bernabeu, but he will only leave for one of Europe’s biggest clubs and not many of those are willing to pay the money that president Florentino Perez wants for the Wales international.

Diario Gol says that Perez wants to €90m (approximately £79.2m) to let the 28-year-old leave, but no one is willing to pay that fee.

The report adds that the only two clubs willing to make offers below that amount are the Red Devils and Spurs, with the former not willing to negotiate until the price is reduced and the latter only willing to pay €60m (approximately £52.8m right now).

How has Bale done this season?

The Welshman’s injury problems have meant that he has been limited to just 10 outings so far this term, in which he has scored three goals and provided a further five assists.

The 29-year-old has already suffered from calf and thigh problems during the current campaign, and despite playing 28 minutes as a substitute and picking up two assists against Fuenlabrada in the cup last month, he suffered recurrence of the calf issue which has kept him on the sidelines since.

Would he be a good signing for United?

He certainly would be, as long as he was fit on a regular basis.

Given his injury record it is no wonder that they aren’t willing to pay around £80m for Bale’s services, but Jose Mourinho will also be well aware of the difference he could make for them in the final third because of his versatility and quality.

The Wales international’s pace, dribbling ability, strength in the air and all-round goal threat would make him a superb addition, but United will be hoping Real lower their demands either during the January transfer window or next summer to make a deal possible.

Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez made it clear last season that he does not see Aleksandar Mitrovic in his plans.

The Spaniard sanctioned a loan move to Fulham for the Serbian international in January after the forward struggled for game time in the first half of the 2017-18 campaign.

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Mitrovic thrived at Craven Cottage, scoring 12 goals in 20 Championship outings and helping the club secure promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs.

It has been widely reported that Fulham are keen to sign Mitrovic on a permanent deal, but it seems that price tag will be the sticking point.

Is this the best World Cup ever? Give us your thoughts here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

The Daily Mail’s North East football correspondent Craig Hope tweeted on Tuesday that the Magpies want in excess of £20m for the 40-cap international’s signature.

The figure seems a little steep for a player who has started just 11 league matches for Newcastle over the past two seasons.

Whether Fulham are willing to meet the Magpies’ asking price remains to be seen, but Newcastle fans have had something to say about it on Twitter.

Manchester City’s 2017/18 campaign was a glittering success due to the manner in which Guardiola’s players successfully implemented his rigorously thought-out philosophy. Of course, the signings of the likes of Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and Ederson certainly aided City’s cause, but the signing of Danilo was not overly beneficial to the squad.

Danilo arrived from Real Madrid with a mixed reputation, and it’s fair to say he left City supporters puzzled at times last season with his level of inconsistency. In City’s Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal it’s fair to say he was immense at left-back whilst deputising for the injured Fabian Delph, despite pre-match doubts over his ability to remain solid in that position.

But his brilliant marauding display on that occasion was rather overshadowed by a whole host of defensive mistakes he made throughout the season. Danilo’s alarming lapses in concentration arrived all too regularly, so Guardiola should at least be considering the possibility of replacing him this summer.

It seems unlikely that City would be able to offload Danilo for a price close to what they paid for him despite the fact that he is a Brazil international and has rich experience in European football. However, if they do manage to find a buyer for the 26-year-old, Guardiola should target CSKA Moscow’s Mario Fernandes to replace him.

Fernandes (valued at £14.4 million by Transfermarkt) was one of Russia’s standout performers in their overachieving World Cup campaign, but he unfortunately played a decisive role in his nation’s exit from the competition. The impressive full-back saved Russia in extra-time with an emphatic header to take their tie against Croatia to penalties, but he eventually fluffed his spot-kick in the shootout.

It was a heartbreaking moment for a player who thoroughly impressed throughout the tournament, but his lack of composure should not deter Man City from showing an interest this summer. At 27-years-old it’s time that Fernandes was given an opportunity to showcase his talent at one of Europe’s top clubs, and his all-action style of play is well-aligned with what Guardiola expects from his full-backs.

On the back of an impressive World Cup performance it’s unlikely that he’ll come cheap, but there’s no doubt City would be acquiring a significant upgrade on Danilo if they were prepared to match CSKA’s asking price.

Man City fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Manchester United fans watched their side finish second in the Premier League last season while bitter rivals Liverpool finished fourth, but reached the final of the Champions League and appeared to have a much more enjoyable campaign.

Jurgen Klopp’s high-tempo style is in stark contrast to Jose Mourinho’s dour approach, which has bored Red Devils fans while the German has been thrilling the Anfield crowd.

It would also appear that the contrast between the clubs has made Liverpool a more attractive destination for potential new recruits and the Reds are certainly splashing the cash to take full advantage.

The latest player Klopp has gone big for is Alisson, the Brazilian international goalkeeper who plays his club football for Roma – who Liverpool overcame in the Champions League semi-finals last season.

Klopp has reportedly had a world-record bid for the stopper accepted but United fans have been keen to remind the manager of their bitterest rivals about how he said he would be different in the transfer market, even if he had the money to spend…

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Crystal Palace have slapped an astronomical price tag on Wilfried Zaha, so West Ham should test their resolve with a player-plus-cash deal offer involving Michail Antonio.

What’s the story?

According to The Evening Standard, Zaha has asked to leave Selhurst Park, rejecting a whopping new contract offer of around £125,000-a-week.

The report claims Palace have whacked a £70m price tag on the dazzling winger though, meaning interested parties like Tottenham are now considering offering a player as part of the deal to bring the price down.

This should be giving West Ham ideas, especially as they already have a player the Eagles are interested in.

Various reports have claimed Antonio could make the switch to Palace this summer, and if the 28 year-old knocked around £20m off the price tag it would be a win for all parties.

Palace would get rid a player who doesn’t want to be there, while bringing in a direct replacement and enough cash to add even more talent. West Ham would get an attack fearsome enough to push them into the top six, and push Marko Arnautovic to an elite level.

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The fearsome foursome?

If Manuel Pellegrini is intent on playing 4-2-3-1 this season, then it’s no surprise he has targeted the likes of Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson in the summer window, meaning there is tons of creativity and pace around Arnautovic.

While it could sacrifice some defensive stability, adding Zaha to that threesome would give the Hammers the best attack outside of the top six, and possibly even the best in the league if they hit the ground running.

In his 16 starts as a central striker last season, Arnautovic grabbed nine goals and five assists, and he bagged twice in a pre-season match against Preston on Saturday.

Now, consider the amount of chances that would fall to him with Zaha, Anderson and Yarmolenko interchanging around him, and the Austrian could well be a front-runner for the golden boot.

Zaha averaged an incredible 4.1 dribbles and 1.8 key passes per game last season, and one has to think he would have had a hell of a lot more than three Premier League assists playing with a more clinical striker than Christian Benteke.

The 25 year-old is rapid, has great link-up play and loves driving defenders back towards their own goal. He also has the intelligence and versatility to play just off Arnautovic, with Yarmolenko and Anderson either side of the pair.

Palace probably wouldn’t want to sell to a London rival, but the Hammers have a major bargaining chip in Antonio, and the owners have already shown they’re finally willing to splash the cash they’ve been saving up all these years.

So, West Ham fans, would you back a huge Antonio-plus-cash deal for Zaha? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

Loads of Everton fans have been having their say in the aftermath of the pre-season defeat to Stade Rennais, and one thing everyone agrees on is that Marco Silva needs to change his captain.

Everton were embarrassed in France on Saturday, as the Toffees fell to a 4-1 defeat to Stade Rennais.

The bright spot of the game was Richarlison, who found the only goal for Silva’s side with a smart run and finish, but the defensive frailties have enraged fans.

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The Toffees are in desperate need of a new signing at centre back, and although it’s only pre-season, the cracks are already starting to show.

That is now two disappointing results in a row for Silva, but fans think they may have found a solution to some of the defensive problems.

As much as fans love Phil Jagielka, he is simply not up to the task anymore, and they’re calling for Seamus Coleman to be the new skipper.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According to a murmuring which appeared on Twitter on Tuesday night, which has since been deleted, Leeds United could be plotting a bid to sign Watford striker Troy Deeney, and Whites fans were quick to deliver their verdict on a potential swoop for the reported £100,000-a-week Premier League man.

The Yorkshire club have suffered a frustrating summer in the transfer market and are in desperate need of signing a new centre-forward having seen Pierre-Michel Lasogga return to Hamburg following a loan spell, Pawel Cibicki and Jay-Roy Grot leave on loan and Marcus Antonsson go on a permanent basis.

Moves for Matej Vydra and Abel Hernandez, who is said to be demanding £100,000-a-week wages, have so far failed to progress, and Deeney would be another expensive capture considering he is reported to be on the same wage Hernandez wants already with the Hornets.

Leeds supporters, some of whom are tipping a Christiansen outcast to thrive under Bielsa after one labelled him as the “best player on the pitch”, took to social media to give their thoughts on a potential swoop for the 30-year-old, and while one said “Troy Deeney and everything is forgiven”, another said “we couldn’t even afford his boots”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to the latest transfer update, as Kevin Mirallas has once again gone out on loan.

Everton have confirmed the departure of Mirallas, who will join Serie A side Fiorentina on a one-year loan deal.

In an ideal world the Belgian would have left on a permanent deal, but getting some of his wages off the books will still be a relief.

Marcel Brands and Marco Silva had an awful lot of work to do clearing out some of the “dead wood” this summer, and they’ve made a good start by shifting Mirallas and Ashley Williams.

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The Toffees are still in desperate need of a couple more signings, particularly in defence, so clearing up some room on the wage bill is a huge boost.

Mirallas was a fan favourite when he first arrived at Goodison, racking up 29 Premier League goals and 150 appearances.

The feisty 30 year-old lost his way a bit though, and his inconsistency became more of an issue as time went on.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are singing Brands’ name over this deal…

Former French international full back Bacary Sagna has signed for Major League Soccer side Montreal Impact in a deal that takes him to the end of the 2018 season, with an option of a further year in 2019.

The ex-Premier League full-back, who played over 350 matches for Arsenal and Manchester City, is setting off on a new adventure to the French-speaking city in a move that represents a major coup for Montreal. Sagna, who was being chased by a plethora of clubs both in the MLS and around Europe, finally opted for the Quebec=based side.

In an exclusive interview given to FootballFanCast.com, Sagna explained his thinking behind the move.

“I am at a stage of my career where it is all about new experiences and challenges for me,” said Sagna. “I have played at the top level in European football, across three great leagues and also on the global stage for my country. Now is the right time for me to make the move to the MLS. I have always kept an eye on the league and have watched a lot of the matches, both in person and on TV.

“It is a league that has grown massively in stature, with some of the biggest names in world football competing against each other every week. The past few years has seen the global TV audience grow season upon season – each year there are new clubs springing up, new world class stadiums being opened and bigger fan bases. You can feel the buzz around the MLS from lots of my fellow pros. I understand the idea is to increase the number of teams in the league and ultimately that can only be a good thing for grass roots soccer in the USA and Canada.

“Yes, there were some great offers elsewhere from some very good clubs in the MLS and Europe and I was flattered to receive many of them but going to Montreal feels right for many reasons. The Impact head coach, Remi Garde, is someone I have a lot of respect for. I spoke at length with him and he made me feel wanted. He explained the project at hand, the way his side sets up and why he would like me in his team.

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“I also talked with a few others about Montreal as a club and only heard great things about the fans, the Club President Joey Saputo, as well as some of the other key people and staff involved there. On top of this, Montreal is one the great cultural cities within the Americas, with its diversity and great lifestyle. It is also a city with huge sporting traditions and I cannot wait to make my own mark here. I hope the knowledge and experience I have gained throughout my career is going to help the club be successful.

“This is going to be a great journey for me and my family. I sincerely hope that I can bring a smile or two to the faces of all the Impact fans. I can’t wait to get started and embrace all that the club and the city has to offer. Exciting times lie ahead for sure.”