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In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee believes the club will be regretting the day they sold Adam Armstrong to Blackburn Rovers.

It has been a breakout season for the Newcastle academy graduate as he is the Championship’s third top scorer with 19 goals in 33 games, despite his season being slightly derailed by an injury.

He has been linked with a remarkable return back to Tyneside after proving himself in the Championship for the last three seasons with 55 goals in 153 games with Rovers potentially preferring to sell him back to Newcastle to avoid paying out on the 40% sell-on clause.

Armstrong featured 21 times for the Magpies registering just one assist, however this included just four starts with three of those coming in cup competitions.

Speaking on how he predicted that Newcastle would regret selling Armstrong and what one thing would make him a more in-demand striker, Lee told FFC:

“When he left Newcastle, I said at the time that they’ll regret letting him go because he’s a goalscorer.

“People probably don’t give him the credit that he deserves because of his size and shape, but so what if he’s smaller? I don’t care what size or shape you are, you could be 20 stone as long as you score goals.

“It doesn’t matter what shape you are. I think if he was six-foot-four then he’d be worth £50 million so I don’t understand the logic.”

Armstrong was with his boyhood club from 2006 until Blackburn signed him permanently in 2018 for £1.7 million.

With Newcastle staring relegation in the face, it remains to be seen if Armstrong would still be an option either if they survive or if they go down.

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to the latest reports which have suggested that Eddie Howe is interested in the Eagles job. 

According to Football Insider and tweeted out by @cpfc_xtra, Howe is interested in the vacant Celtic post but is eyeing a Premier League job this summer. The role at Palace is one that especially interests him with the doubts Roy Hodgson’s future intensifying.

The current Palace manager has enjoyed his career at the South London side, but his contract expires in the summer and with no updates regarding his future, it has been suggested that the club might be looking for a new gaffer to replace him.

Howe has good experience in the Premier League from his spell as the AFC Bournemouth manager, and his time there was impressive as he managed to take them from a League One team all the way to the top flight (Transfermarkt).

Despite getting relegated with the Cherries last campaign, his record of 1.43 points-per-game in his time on the south coast is nothing to be sniffed at considering the minimal finances he had to work with, and perhaps it is no surprise to see Palace fans flocking to this news.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the news:

“Get in there quick parish Roy should have gone ages ago”

Credit: @Phil_Sampson46

“Make it happen Steve my boy, I’ve caved in, I want to win 3-2 every other week and lose 4-3 inbetween”

Credit: @MDJones82

“100% yes, top candidate for the job”

Credit: @Jimmylondon07

“Welcome”

Credit: @joe85333207

“Pls”

Credit: @JoelGray_

“Can’t see any other options for us besides Howe and Dyche unless we go to the championship and the likes of Brentford and Norwich”

Credit: @audreysprayer

In other news, fans reacted to this injury update on Wilfried Zaha!

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham side travel to North London rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, where a win will boost Spurs’ chances of securing a top four spot this season, whilst it would all but end the Gunners’ hopes of achieving the same goal.

After some impressive performances of late, including in the 2-0 win against Dinamo Zagreb in midweek, the Portuguese manager should consider unleashing Erik Lamela against the Gunners.

The Argentinian has produced some superb cameo appearances from the bench in recent domestic fixtures and has been excellent in both of his last two starts in the Europa League, earning an 8.28 WhoScored rating for his performance against Wolfsberger and a 7.19 rating in the win against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday.

The former Roma man, who reportedly earns £80,000 per week at Tottenham, played a huge part in Spurs’ opening goal against the Croatian side as he produced an excellent piece of skill on the edge of the box before seeing his outside-of-the-foot shot come back off the post, leaving Harry Kane with a tap-in.

Mourinho is a big fan of Lamela, having praised his willingness to play against Chelsea last season despite carrying a knock, saying: “That’s Lamela. Amazing guy, fantastic player and trying to help the team.”

These are the sorts of attributes which can be vital, particularly in derby games, and Lamela has shown that he loves to get stuck in and win the ball back under Mourinho. He has averaged 1.8 tackles per game in the Europa League for Spurs so far this season, so he could be a game-changer in the Emirates Stadium if he can win the ball back high up the pitch and kickstart a counterattack.

Considering he has just five starts in the Premier League this season, most recently against West Ham last month, it would be something of a risk to start the 29-year-old for such an important game. However, considering Arsenal’s tendency to give the ball away in dangerous positions, having a workhorse such as Lamela in an attacking midfield role could turn the game in Spurs’ favour.

Mourinho also described Lamela as “chaotic” recently and that is perhaps the exact sort of player who could make the difference for Spurs in what is likely going to be a tough match for the Lilywhites at the home of their arch-rivals.

Therefore, the Portuguese manager should take a risk and hand the 29-year-old just his sixth start of the Premier League season in the hope that he can be the game-changer in the derby.

In other news… Bye-bye Sissoko: Levy should seal swoop for £16.2m-rated beast who Klopp loves

As Celtic lurch from one disappointing game to another, Neil Lennon must be desperately searching for ways to get his side back to winning ways.

The Hoops have completely fallen out of the title picture already, finding themselves a whopping 21 points behind arch-rivals and leaders Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Lennon’s side face Livingston tonight looking to regain some much-needed momentum, and Kristoffer Ajer may be the man to come in and bring some stability back.

The 6 foot 6 centre-back has been linked with a move away from Celtic, and has had to miss the last two games in the Scottish Premiership after being forced to quarantine.

Now that its over, Lennon may look to recall the £3.6m-rated man, and instead drop the woeful Shane Duffy. Celtic’s summer signing has been in awful form since arriving from Brighton on a season-long loan, not least a shocking cameo in the Old Firm clash against Rangers earlier this month.

In Ajer, they would get someone who’s been the closest thing to a Virgil van Dijk since the Dutchman made the move south of the border to join Southampton.

Speaking earlier this season, Alex McLeish said: “I go back to that St Johnstone game, you see sometimes when it’s not going for Celtic and the game’s in its dying embers, and then all of a sudden you see Ajer striding up the pitch trying to inspire like Roy of the Rovers.

“Running from defence, augment the attack and then it leads to a goal – these are inspirational moments and he is an inspirational, influential player for Celtic.”

Ajer’s teammate and fellow centre-back partner Christopher Jullien described him as a “unique talent”, and it’s no surprise given his incredible size but elegance on the ball when he brings it out from defence.

A clean sheet against Livingston last time out might leave Lennon feeling he should stick to the same back-four, but Ajer’s return could allow the Hoops to play out from the back instead of someone like Shane Duffy hoofing it into row Z.

Ajer has averaged almost twenty passes more per game than Duffy this season in the Scottish Premiership (69.2 to 50.1), and boasts a far better passing accuracy too at 89% to 83%.

Retaining possession and starting counter-attacks from the back could be key to ensuring they don’t draw another blank against Livingston tonight, and Ajer’s extra composure from the heart of defence could be key.

Meanwhile, Celtic must play this exciting prospect against Livingston…

According to West Ham United outlet WestHamFans.org, deals for RB Leipzig duo Hee-Chan Hwang and Matthew Bondswell are expected to be concluded within the ‘next couple of days’ as manager David Moyes eyes a new striker and a potential star for the future.

Hwang and Bondswell, according to this report, have now emerged as likely signings – with the Irons looking to complete these acquisitions imminently.

West Ham expected to conclude signings

Hwang, a striker, is now being touted as a potentially great partner to Michail Antonio in the forward position, especially with a nickname like ‘The Bull’ – even despite playing just 136 minutes of Bundesliga action with RB Leipzig (WhoScored).

Indeed, according to the report, Hwang is apparently on his way to the London Stadium with an agreement for his signature expected to be concluded in the next few days.

As well as the South Korean, Bondswell is also expected to join – with the former Nottingham Forest left-back seen as a young, hungry player who can fit Moyes’ plans for the future alongside Frederik Alves (WestHamFans.org).

According to this report, once those moves are completed, West Ham’s business for January will be concluded – except for potential outgoings.

Transfer Tavern take

Judging by this inside claim, Irons fans could get excited by this news a striker could imminently be arriving at the London Stadium – but only time will tell if or when the club announce it.

Bondswell’s potential signing also outlines the way Moyes is planning for the future, and with West Ham sitting fourth in the Premier League, that future certainly looks bright.

In other news: West Ham fans praised this ace against Crystal Palace, find out more here.

Aston Villa must seriously consider making a renewed attempt to sign Odsonne Edouard in the January transfer window, after Dean Smith made a huge admission about Wesley.

What’s the story?

Wesley of course has been out of action for almost a year after suffering a serious knee injury, and though he appears to be slowly making his way back to full fitness, there is always going to be that element of doubt of whether he can get back to his best.

And speaking ahead of Villa’s clash against Wolves on Saturday afternoon, Smith admitted that the club will have to take a close look at the Brazilian to see whether they may need to go back into the transfer market for a new striker.

He said: “We need to see where Wesley is in January to have in our mind whether we need to move in the market. We’re very hopeful. He’s working extremely hard with the rehab staff at the moment to work on his aerobic capacity. Once he does that we can get him into group training and we’ll have a better idea of where he is then.

“He was always penned in to be out for a year. He is striking a ball now but it was a significant injury and we always felt it would be a 12-month injury.”

Edouard has to be the priority

Reports over the summer suggested that Villa were one of the clubs keen on making a move for Edouard, but the Frenchman ended up staying at Celtic.

And his start to the new campaign has been prolific to say the least, with nine goals in just 18 games, including bagging a couple in the Europa League group stages against Milan and Slavia Prague.

Hailed as “talismanic” by Neil Lennon, Edouard’s performances up in Scotland have seen him being linked to the likes of Arsenal before, and when you compare him to Ollie Watkins, the Celtic striker looks the better all-round player too.

As per Sofascore, the Frenchman has a better goals per minute ratio and missed half the number of big chances that Watkins has this season, whilst he has also shown off his play-making skills by trebling the amount of big chances the Villa man has created for his teammates.

If Villa want to land a top striker in January, then Edouard is surely the man to go for.

Meanwhile, Villa are set to miss out on one of their key transfer targets.

Jose Mourinho must consider getting rid of Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate Harry Winks in the January transfer window, as the midfielder is now attracting interest from abroad.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish news outlet AS, Valencia are interested in signing the 24-year-old on loan during this month’s transfer window.

The England international is also reportedly open to a move away, as he looks to secure regular playing time ahead of the European Championships in the summer, as he will surely be desperate to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s squad.

Should Mourinho axe Winks?

Winks has struggled for game time in the Premier League this season, with just seven appearances in the top-flight to his name, in which he has averaged a shocking 6.34 rating, which ranks him as Spurs’ fourth-worst performer in the Premier League so far this campaign.

However, he has shown his class in his performances in the Europa League with the Lilywhites, having averaged a 7.16 rating across his five appearances, although this could be the case of the Englishman simply finding his level against inferior opposition.

Although he was solid enough in the 3-0 win against Leeds on Saturday, picking up a 6.8 rating from SofaScore, he was barely involved in Spurs’ attacking play, completing just 14 passes.

From a defensive point of view, he was able to win just three of his eight duels, resulting in a disappointing success rate of 37.5%, which begs the question – what does Winks offer in this Spurs side?

Earlier in the season, pundit Stewart Robson was heavily critical of the midfielder following Spurs’ 1-0 defeat against Royal Antwerp, saying:

“I’m not sure what he gives Spurs.

”I think he’s too square with his passing. He goes backwards. He keeps the ball, but there’s no penetration with his passing and he was one of the major problems with Spurs’ performance today.”

Indeed, it seems that, despite his recent run in the Spurs starting XI, Winks simply doesn’t offer Mourinho enough at the moment and he has better options available.

Therefore, if Valencia’s interest in the midfielder is genuine, then the Portuguese manager should consider loaning, or even selling, the £50k per week midfielder so he could get regular football in Spain, rather than perhaps being a bit-part player with the Lilywhites.

And, in other news… Mourinho has a big decision to make at Spurs following injury update

Everton loanee Moise Kean suffered a step back in his start to life with Paris Saint-Germain against FC Nantes on Saturday, with Thomas Tuchel forced to haul the Italian off at half-time.

Kean joined PSG on a one-year loan this summer that features an agreed €20million (£18m) option to buy at the end of the season, after struggling to establish himself at Goodison Park following Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment.

The striker started just five of his 21 Everton appearances under Ancelotti, with Kean’s compatriot often reluctant to favour the 20-year-old signed from Juventus by Marco Silva in 2019 for £25.1m rising to £27.5m.

Tuchel has been vastly more forthcoming with minutes since Kean’s move to the Parc des Princes, with the German coach starting the Everton outcast in four of his five outings to date.

Kean opened his account for PSG with a brace at home to Dijon FCO last week before netting a double in the Champions League Group Stage away to Istanbul Basaksehir FK, and would have hoped to continue his record at Nantes on Saturday.

Unfortunately, that was not to be the case, as Kean endured a step back in form just a day after Tuchel had called for the eight-cap international to deliver consistent performances, with his up and down displays appearing to be a major flaw in his game.

“The best thing to integrate at a new club and a group for a striker is to score,” Tuchel told PSG’s official website. “The most important thing is that he continues to show the same desire and to put the same intensity on the pitch.

“He has a great physical capacity, [but] he must absolutely continue like this. It’s weighing on the defences, and that’s what we need.”

Tuchel will need Kean to rediscover his form ever more so now, having lost star forward Neymar until after the November internationals to an adductor injury sustained in the Champions League.

Kean endured a torrid evening away to Nantes on Saturday before Tuchel ultimately sought changes at the break, with the 20-year-old failing to register a single shot – on target or otherwise – failed with 50% of his dribbles, misplaced 43% of his mere seven passes, took just 13 touches, lost three of his five duels, turned over possession six times and was caught offside once, per SofaScore.

Tuchel opted to replace Kean with 18-year-old prospect Kays Ruiz-Atil in the hopes it would change PSG’s fortunes at the Stade de la Beaujoire, and while the teenager did not score, the Ligue 1 behemoths eventually secured a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Ander Herrera, Kylian Mbappe and Pablo Sarabia.

AND in other news, an “intelligent” maestro may have played his final game for Everton already after his recent comments.

Manchester City have already secured top spot in Group C ahead of their game against Marseille on Wednesday night and with the Citizens set to face Manchester United on Saturday, this could be the perfect opportunity for Pep Guardiola to rest some of his key players.

Although the Spanish manager suggested in his pre-match conference that he wasn’t going to rotate too much ahead of the derby, he could simply be playing mind games with Marseille boss Andre Villas-Boas, and we expect him to ring the changes in his side.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against Marseille, with nine changes from the side that comfortably beat Fulham last time out…

Zak Steffen makes his Champions League debut for the club by starting in goal for Guardiola’s side, replacing Ederson between the sticks.

There are three changes in the City defence, as Aymeric Laporte and Oleksandr Zinchenko return on the left-hand side, whilst 18-year-old Taylor Harwood-Bellis is rewarded with a Champions League start after signing a new contract with the Citizens earlier this week.

Ilkay Gundogan keeps his place in midfield, with Fernandinho starting in the defensive-midfield role in place of Rodri, whilst Phil Foden starts ahead of Kevin De Bruyne, who is one player who should almost certainly be rested ahead of the Manchester derby.

The Belgian midfielder was heavily praised by Guardiola earlier this year, with the former Barcelona boss saying:

“He doesn’t feel much pressure, he likes to play in the big events, he’s an exceptional player.

“He’s able to see something special and you have the spaces no one else can see but even with that he’s improving and improving.”

Therefore, it may be sensible not to risk the former Chelsea midfielder on Wednesday, although he could perhaps have a place on the bench in case City aren’t performing.

Guardiola should also rotate his attack, with Ferran Torres and Bernardo Silva replacing Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling on the wings, with the Spanish youngster hoping to continue his impressive form in the Champions League so far this season with another strong performance against Les Olympiens.

Finally, Sergio Aguero can pick up some much-needed minutes by starting ahead of Gabriel Jesus in the attack, with the legendary striker having made just four appearances for the Citizens since injuring his knee in June, so hopefully, he can get himself back on the scoresheet against Marseille on Wednesday.

And, in other news… Garcia heir apparent: Guardiola can trust “exceptional” 18 y/o in his first-team 

West Ham United were wise to side with caution this summer having opted against pushing through a potential £26million deal to sign Chelsea full-back Emerson Palmeri.

What’s the word?

The Irons were linked with Chelsea’s out-of-favour defender Emerson this summer by talkSPORT, who claimed the 26-year-old was being considered by manager David Moyes to strengthen the backline in east London.

Emerson was thought to have been one of several players that could depart Stamford Bridge after failing to impress Frank Lampard last season, having been awarded just 15 Premier League appearances and playing infrequent roles in the Blues’ cup efforts.

But the Stamford Bridge natives were not willing to allow Emerson to depart on the cheap, and reports by Goal suggested they would demand £26m for the alleged Inter Milan target as they sought to raise funds to offset Ben Chilwell’s £45m arrival.

Lampard has continued to overlook Emerson this season having opted against naming the defender in any of his league squads to date, much to the Italy international’s disappointment.

“When I arrive here I change my head, I feel important and part of the group,” Emerson is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail while on international duty.

“At Chelsea, things are not going as I wish in this part of the season. I just have to work.”

It is noted that Chelsea will likely look to offload Emerson again in January, with the Santos, Brazil-born full-back behind Marcos Alonso and Chilwell in Lampard’s plans.

Wise to baulk at £26m deal

While Moyes is said to have considered Emerson as a potential option to explore in his search of a new full-back, David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady were right to baulk at any deal for the disheartened 26-year-old if interest reached that level in east London.

Emerson would only have offered a marginal upgrade on current Irons ace Aaron Creswell when their numbers from last season are compared, with Moyes calling on the Liverpool-born 30-year-old to feature 29 times across all competitions at left-back in 2019/20.

Moyes handed Creswell a total of 31 outings in last year’s Premier League campaign, of which all were starting roles and the £5.85m-rated ace managed an average 0.8 key balls, 0.5 shots, 1.4 tackles, 1.9 clearances and 3.7 duels won per match while helping to five clean sheets, per SofaScore.

As for Emerson, the Chelsea outcast started just 13 of his 15 top-flight appearances and managed an average 1.3 key balls, 0.6 shots, 1.5 tackles, 0.9 clearances and 4.5 duels won a game while helping to just one clean sheet.

With Emerson on a £75,000-per-week contract at Stamford Bridge, West Ham would have been making a vast financial commitment for limited gains by signing the Lampard exile.

AND in other news, West Ham can sign a “gifted” long-term target before Friday’s deadline after a Premier League rival turned to alternative options.