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Newcastle United are riding high under Eddie Howe at present, with the Englishman having steered the club into the mix for Champions League qualification following what has been a truly remarkable campaign thus far for the Magpies.

After years of fearing for their safety at the foot of the table, the Tynesiders are now beginning to enjoy what looks set to be a brighter future under the PIF regime, with the ambitious ownership no doubt harbouring hopes of turning the club into title contenders in the years to come.

For all the positivity surrounding St James' Park, Howe and co will no doubt be aware that further quality will be needed if the club are to kick on moving forward, with the midfield ranks seemingly one area in which the club do look rather light.

The upcoming summer window should seemingly see the northeast side address that issue, although the top-four hopefuls no doubt wish they had a figure of the past to call upon to bolster their ranks, with it a mouthwatering prospect to imagine the impact that Gini Wijnaldum could have made in this current Newcastle side, having been a shining light during a rather drab time at the club back in the 2015/16 season.

How good was Wijnaldum at Newcastle?

Not to suggest that sporting director Dan Ashworth should necessarily go out and buy the present-day version of the dynamic Dutchman, yet one can only imagine just how crucial the former PSV Eindhoven star could have been had he been able to complement the current crop of players under Howe's watch.

Now 32, the experienced ace was originally brought to England by Steve McClaren back in 2015, with the one-time FC Twente boss utilising his Eredivisie connections to bring Wijnaldum to the club on a £14.5m deal.

Hailed by McClaren as a real "leader" and a "statement" signing for the Magpies upon his capture, the Rotterdam native would instantly mark himself as something of a cult figure in his new home, having been the real star attraction in an otherwise forgettable season at St James' Park.

Despite the historic club ultimately suffering relegation at the end of that 2015/16 campaign – the playmaker's solitary season in the black and white jersey – Wijnaldum made a truly strong impression, contributing a stunning haul of 11 goals and five assists in 38 Premier League appearances.

That eye-catching tally is far superior to what the current midfield group have been able to manage, with Bruno Guimaraes leading the way with just three goals and three assists in the league, while Joelinton has just two goals and only two assists.

The latter man currently operates in a more advanced midfield berth – as Wijnaldum did during his time at the club – although is far from a truly creative presence, as he has averaged just 0.9 key passes per game this season, while the Netherlands international averaged 1.3 for that same metric in 2015/16.

Equally, while Joelinton has won just 46% of his ground duels this season despite his physical stature, Wijnaldum won 51% of his ground duels during his solitary season at the club, proving himself an effective, ball-playing winning asset, as well as delivering the goods in the final third.

That all-round quality would surely have made the former Feyenoord ace a shoo-in to be a central part of Howe's side in the present day, with the Magpies likely ruing that their time with the 5 foot 9 menace was so brief, as he went on to enjoy a glittering, trophy-laden spell at Liverpool.

Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Italy sensation Mateo Retegui this summer and his potential arrival at Elland Road could see Patrick Bamford finally leave.

Could Leeds sign Mateo Retegui?

According to Italian news outlet Area Napoli, Leeds are one of the sides showing an interest in the 23-year-old ahead of the summer transfer window but could face competition from both Milan clubs and Eintracht Frankfurt for his signature.

The Argentine-born striker, who qualifies for Italy through his maternal grandfather, has enjoyed an impressive campaign at club level, contributing seven goals in just nine league appearances for Tigre, having joined them on loan from Boca Juniors for the season.

This has led to him earning a strong 7.11 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Argentina's top flight, while he has a 7.07 rating in the European Championship after scoring in both of Italy's games in the recent international break, including once in the 2-1 defeat against England.

The forward also spent the 2022 season on loan with Tigre, crashing in 23 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions, so it is easy to see why he earned the call-up to Roberto Mancini's side recently, which has clearly attracted the interest of clubs across Europe.

2006 World Cup-winning manager Marcelo Lippi was full of praise for the Boca Juniors star on Super Deportivo Radio after his performances during the international break, outlining attributes that should come as music to the ears of everyone associated with Leeds.

He said (via FC Inter News): "He’s the classic centre-forward who scores. He has a strong header. I like how he plays in the box, that’s why I think he’s a good striker.”

It does seem that Retegui's future lies away from Argentina and if Leeds do sign him this summer, it would surely see one of the strikers at Elland Road leave, with Bamford a prime candidate given he has just two goals in the Premier League so far this term.

How has Bamford played this season?

This campaign has been an extremely underwhelming one for Bamford, with the former Chelsea man once again failing to live up to the performances he showed under Marcelo Bielsa in the top-flight, when he managed 17 goals.

Not only has the 29-year-old only bagged twice in 2022/23, but he has massively underperformed his xG by nearly five, and that could be the difference between safety and relegation in what is an extremely tight battle to avoid the drop.

Considering Bamford is ranked as the 22nd-best performer in Javi Gracia's squad with a 6.34 average rating according to WhoScored, it seems clear that he cannot be considered a reliable long-term option at Elland Road.

Retegui has also averaged more shots (3.9 vs 1.7), key passes (0.6 vs 0.5) and dribbles (0.4 vs 0.2) per game than Bamford, outlining him as a better all-rounder in attack.

As such, it is evident that the Italy star could be a big upgrade on the struggling Leeds star this summer.

Tottenham are reportedly monitoring the progress of Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse ahead of a potential summer move.

The Lowdown: Ward-Prowse on the move?

The Englishman has possibly been Saints’ standout player in a season full of struggles, with the south coast side currently sitting 19th in the Premier League.

Ward-Prowse has eight goal contributions (six goals and two assists) in the league in 2022/23 to date, showcasing his world-renowned free-kick-taking ability with a winner at Chelsea last month.

With Saints potentially getting relegated this season, the 28-year-old could be looking for a fresh challenge and he has been linked with a move away recently.

The Latest: Spurs eyeing up move

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Daniel Levy and Co are ‘monitoring’ Ward Prowse’s situation at Saints currently, with a possible summer switch on the cards.

Southampton are resigned to losing their skipper if they are relegated, and Spurs have recently been hit hard by injuries in their midfield department.

The Verdict: Could be a top signing

Ward-Prowse, who actually has an impressive eight direct goal involvements against Spurs, is a top-quality footballer who has arguably been playing at a lower level than his talent merits for some time now, considering he is an 11-cap England international.

The £100,000-a-week midfielder has shown great loyalty to Saints, but at 28, now feels like the time to test himself elsewhere and Tottenham could be ideal for him.

Ward-Prowse would come straight in as a key man, having racked up 330 Premier League appearances and been called ‘phenomenal’ by former teammate Charlie Austin.

His technical ability is nicely complemented by a tenacious edge – he averages 1.7 tackles per game in the league this season – and he could help Spurs’ midfield look more formidable moving forward.

West Ham United are under serious threat of being relegated from the Premier League if they don’t improve their form, with David Moyes struggling to get a tune out of his current squad at the minute.

The Hammers have won just twice in the league since Christmas and their recent 4-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion could be the final straw for the club’s hierarchy, with Moyes now under severe pressure.

Several names have already been linked with the club, with Steve Cooper and Mauricio Pochettino the ones named, yet it is a former Premier League and Champions League winning manager who was reported to be on standby according to the Daily Mail should Moyes have been sacked at the end of last month – Rafa Benitez.

Could Rafa Benitez replace David Moyes at West Ham United?

The Spaniard has plenty of Premier League experience, having managed Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Everton throughout his career.

His most recent stint came at the Toffees, who he managed between June 2021 and January 2022, suffering a disastrous spell, winning only seven out of 22 games and having points per game rate of just 1.14.

Although this certainly looks woeful on paper, there were mitigating circumstances at the club, and his career has been an excellent one besides that abject stint.

Indeed, he guided Liverpool to Champions League glory while winning the UEFA Cup and two La Liga titles with Valencia while he also achieved promotion with Newcastle and kept them in the top flight despite the club being caught up in the business of Mike Ashley.

His time at St James’ was hugely admired with skipper Jamal Lascelles suggesting he was a “special” coach at the time.

Having managed 359 matches in the English top flight, averaging 1.69 points per game, and with his teams scoring 543 times, he could certainly be an upgrade on Moyes with the Spaniard already showing he can guide a team through the rigours of a relegation dog fight,

An additional plus point is that the 62-year-old is not attached to any club at the moment and is consequently free to take over as soon as possible.

The Athletic’s Nick Miller claimed that Benitez has “been everywhere recently” and that the former Liverpool boss “wants a job” with that now potentially serving as music to the ears of the West Ham board.

Moyes has done well at the club, especially leading them to a major European semi-final last season, however, his methods haven’t quite got the team firing this term and with Premier League safety paramount for any club battling the drop, never mind a team the size of West Ham, a change could be imminent with Benitez looking a ‘special’ successor lying in wait.

Manchester United are believed to be plotting a summer move for Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong.

The Lowdown: Summer speculation

The Red Devils were busy last summer ahead of Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge at Old Trafford, although they didn’t bolster their right-back ranks.

Frimpong appeared to be a player of interest in 2022, with Sky Sports Germany claiming that a move had at one stage been ‘becoming more and more apparent’. As we know, a transfer ultimately failed to materialise, but it looks as if United still want to sign the Netherlands international.

The Latest: Frimpong impresses Man United scouts

Football Insider shared an update regarding Frimpong on Saturday, revealing that United are plotting a move for the 22-year-old.

Old Trafford scouts have been raving about the player, and there is a belief that a deal can be done for a fee between £30m and £35m, despite Leverkusen valuing him in the £40m-£50m bracket.

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The Verdict: Top performer

Hailed as a ‘special player’ by his manager Xabi Alonso and valued at a career-high €25m (£22.1m) by Transfermarkt, Frimpong has been in fine form this season, contributing to a career-best eight league goals already this season, and 12 in all competitions.

He has been Leverkusen’s second-best player with an average match rating of 7.10/10, as per WhoScored metics, which is better than United’s current two right-backs Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Frimpong has more assists than the Red Devils duo combined and can also play further forward if required, so a move could be a shrewd one by United. By the looks of it, they may go back in for the former Manchester City youngster, similar to how they brought Jadon Sancho back to England from Germany after an earlier spell in the Etihad Stadium academy.

Tottenham Hotspur had a relatively quiet January transfer window as their only signings were Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro on loan from Villarreal and Sporting Lisbon respectively.

However, Football Insider have claimed that Spurs attempted to snap up young left-back Thierry Small from Premier League rivals Southampton on the final day of the window

The report claims that the north London club believe the youngster has the potential to make the breakthrough at first-team level in the top flight in the future, but pulled out of a deal after their offer fell short of the Saints’ asking price.

Fabio Paratici must now forget about a swoop for the 18-year-old, though, as Antonio Conte could save his compatriot millions by bringing Destiny Udogie back into the fold next season.

Speaking to Tottenham’s website, Paratici hailed the gem’s talent by saying: “He is a wing-back, he has a really, really, really good left foot, offensive phases are really good, he creates a lot of opportunities to score, make assists so he’s a complete player.”

The young left-back is currently out on loan after joining Spurs on a permanent deal last summer, and his form in 2022/23 so far suggests that he could be an excellent option for Conte next term.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed the dynamo as being “on fire” earlier this season, and the 20-year-old’s statistics in Serie A for Udinese back that up.

The Italian full-back has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 across 16 appearances and chipped in with two goals and two assists, whilst creating 1.4 chances per game for his team-mates, which would place him in the top five creators at Tottenham.

Along with his attacking contributions, Udogie has also made a whopping 3.8 tackles and interceptions per match – 1.2 more per outing than any Spurs full-back has managed in the Premier League this season.

This is not a flash in the pan for the youngster, either, as he scored five goals and set up four in 29 Serie A starts for Udinese last term. This shows that the gem has proven himself to be an attacking talent from a full-back position, suiting Conte’s wing-back system.

He still has the next four months or so to continue playing in Italy, but his current statistics suggest that Conte should be looking forward to welcoming him back to Spurs next season.

If the head coach can bring Udogie back to N17 and get him performing to those levels in the Premier League, then there would be no need for another young player in that position to come in, which would save Paratici from needing to spend millions on a new signing such as Small.

Manchester United just keep on churning out results at the moment, sinking opponents with regularity after hitting a golden vein of form, and all this despite an established centre-forward to lead the line.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils are homing in on Burnley forward Wout Weghorst, who is catching the eye on loan at Turkish outfit Besiktas. 

Taking to Twitter, he said: “Manchester United have reached full, verbal agreement to sign Wout Weghorst! Understand deal will cost around €3m to Besiktas — Weghorst will join on loan from Burnley.

“Final step needed: Besiktas will only approve the deal if they find the right replacement.”

With moves being made to finalise a deal for the combative talisman, the prospective transfer signals an end to the search for a fresh presence in the centre to provide some respite for Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who have been filling in the void following Cristiano Ronaldo’s shock departure from the club. 

The Netherlands international brings a wealth of experience and a newfound talismanic presence that could provide the cutting-edge United need in their exploits this season.

Ibra 2.0

While initial thoughts on the deal to sign a £12m striker, as he was valued when joining Burnley, that managed two goals in 20 appearances with the relegated Clarets last season might have been met with concern, Weghorst boasts a consistent goalscoring pedigree that signifies a shrewd deal bound to result in a short-term fix for the striking conundrum at Old Trafford.

This season, in the Turkish Süper Lig, the 30-year-old has extended his club career tally to 172 strikes after plundering an impressive eight goals and four assists from 16 appearances, starring as the established centre-forward for the outfit as they look to cement a title challenge, ten points off table-topper Galatasaray but with a game in hand.

And in Germany with VfL Wolfsburg, the nomadic ace tallied a stellar total of 70 goals and 22 assists from 144 appearances, including an emphatic 2020/21 campaign where he clinched 25 goals and nine assists from 41 total fixtures.

Once hailed for his “tireless” work rate by Bruno Labaddia, and indeed exhibiting tenacity and guile in abundance every time he takes to the pitch, the formidable forward could be the Red Devils’ next Zlatan Ibrahimovic, when considering the impact he could make at the Theatre of Dreams.

Both towering, physical athletes, standing at 6 foot 6, and the Swedish legend 6 foot 5, Weghorst could grasp the baton and continue the prolific brilliance of one of the modern age of football’s most prominent forwards.

With Weghorst winning a career average of 2.8 aerials per match, and the 41-year-old Ibrahimovic recording 2.5, there are discernible similarities between the two juggernauts.

For the Red Devils, Ibrahimovic netted 29 goals and served ten assists across 52 appearances, hampered by a serious knee injury during his stay but exuding excellence nonetheless.

The “pressing monster” Weghorst – as dubbed by United personality Mark Goldbridge – would do well to emulate this, and he could prove to be a striking sensation in Manchester, much like Ibrahimovic, endeared by the United faithful to this day.

Nottingham Forest signed 22 new players during the summer, with Evangelos Marinakis clearly putting in an ambitious effort to give the newly-promoted club their best chance at retaining their Premier League status.

However, despite spending £150m on a new army of players for Steve Cooper to mould into top-flight competitors, it hasn’t worked out as well as the owner would have hoped, with Forest spending the majority of their season so far in the relegation zone.

Marinakis did not rest on his laurels when addressing his recruitment team’s unsuccessful transfer window, sacking the head of recruitment and the head scout following a review of their summer business.

As a result, Cooper will head into the January transfer window with a new recruitment team to work with, and although the club will want to leave the disappointing transfer window in the past, there could be an opportunity to revisit some of the players on whom they missed out.

One player who was linked with a move to the City Ground and has continued to show just how talented he is in front of goal is Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos, who could be a great asset to the team if Forest are willing to rekindle their interest in him.

Across 11 Liga Portugal appearances this season, the 21-year-old has scored nine goals, delivered one assist and created one big chance, along with averaging one clearance, 1.5 shots on target and 3.7 successful duels per game, and his output this season is not just down to a good run of form.

The £25.9m-valued centre-forward – who was dubbed “prolific” by Jacek Kulig – has scored 55 goals and registered 19 assists throughout his career so far, with a goal contribution every 109 minutes, which is a consistent and reliable output.

Indeed, Forest have already signed a striker, with Taiwo Awoniyi joining the Tricky Trees in the summer, although it seems clear that Ramos would offer a better threat in front of goal compared to the ex-Union Berlin forward, who has only scored three goals this season so far.

With that in mind, signing Ramos would be a great piece of business for Nottingham Forest if they can pull it off this time; and if they could convince the player to join up with them in January, it could make a huge difference in their fight for Premier League survival in the second half of the season.

Aston Villa’s potential move for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans is unlikely to happen, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Tielemans linked with Villa

The Belgian is arguably one of the best midfielders outside of the Premier League’s heavyweight clubs, performing consistently for Leicester in recent years.

Tielemans famously scored a stunning winner in the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea and has been described as ‘outstanding’ by his manager Brendan Rodgers.

The 25-year-old has been loosely linked with a move to Villa in recent times as new manager Unai Emery looks to make some significant signings.

The Latest: Jones plays down Tielemans interest

Speaking to GiveMeSport, however, Jones admitted that Tielemans would likely want to join a more successful club than Villa at the moment.

The journalist outlined:

“I just don’t think Tielemans would be open to Aston Villa. I mean, he would probably see it as a sideways step rather than a forward step.

“The big driving point from leaving Leicester is to play Champions League football and there’s just no sign of that happening at Aston Villa any time soon.”

The Verdict: Would be a great signing

Tielemans is a formidable midfielder who could make a huge difference to this Villa side, having scored 27 goals and registered 25 assists for Leicester.

At 25, he is likely coming into the best years of his career, but unfortunately it is difficult to envisage him joining the Villans, considering that he is no doubt eyeing up European football, which he has had at the King Power Stadium in the past two full seasons.

That is something that Villa can’t currently offer, and while the lure of playing under a Europa League-winning manager in Emery could aid their chances of signing him, a move to a Champions League club might be more on the cards.

Rangers could look to use some of their recent revenue to strengthen their squad in the upcoming January and summer transfer windows according to Pete O’Rourke. 

The Lowdown: Rangers’ club-record revenue

Last month it was reported that the Ibrox club are set to announce club-record revenues of over £80m in their next set of financial results, which has since been officially confirmed by Rangers themselves.

This was apparently down to the prize money from having made it to the Europa League final last season, in addition to the supplementary commercial and match-day cash hikes.

Now though, it appears that O’Rourke has shared his thoughts on what this could mean for the club and their plans for the upcoming transfer windows.

The Latest: Financial boost for Rangers

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, O’Rourke had this to say when asked about Rangers’ reported financial boost and what it could mean for them going forward in the transfer market. He said:

“That’s obviously good news for Rangers that the figures are in such a healthy state and their finances are looking good.

“So, obviously, Rangers fans will be hoping that those financial records will enable the club to go out there and spend a bit of money in the January transfer window and also the summer transfer window as well, because it seems like they have fallen behind Celtic right now in the title race, so it’s going to be hard for them to get back into that one right now.”

The Verdict: A positive factor for Rangers

The previous summer transfer window saw the Gers be rather active in terms of the deals they managed to complete, with numerous players joining Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad on permanent, loan and free transfer deals.

This should fill a lot of Rangers fans with confidence that the club will seemingly still be able to strengthen again in January, especially if they have extra financial backing to do so.

Bearing in mind how there are five clubs in the SPFL this season that have racked up a higher percentage of shots on target than Van Bronckhorst’s side this season (31.2%), perhaps signing a player in January that can be a bit more clinical in front of goal could be the best way for the Gers to have a chance of securing the league title.