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Ben Jacobs has reacted to some latest findings from CNN and what they could mean in context of the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

As per the news outlet, the two private jets used by a Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) squad who assassinated journalist Jamal Khashoggi were owned by a company that a few months prior had been seized by Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).

The KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is chaired by MBS, and the documents establishing the link between the planes and the prince were filed by a group of Saudi-state owned companies.

Evidence that ownership of the group of private planes had been moved into PIF has not been yet been reported and gives a link between Khashoggi’s death and MBS.

Jacobs has since given his thoughts on the findings, tweeting: “In the context of the takeover, it is still very difficult for the EPL to take a moral stance (prior to any conviction). But any evidence of MBS using PIF for his own ends (in this case a murder) do show a lack of separation regardless of what legal classifications say.”

Problem for the potential Newcastle takeover?

One of the main arguments presented in the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT) was whether PIF is a separate entity from the KSA government, but as Jacobs has claimed, this new evidence could be found to show a lack of separation, which may well turn out to be problematic for the potential revival of the takeover at St. James’ Park by the KSA consortium.

Nonetheless, whether this evidence will have a direct impact on the possibility of the deal is another question for now, but it may certainly worry some members of the Toon Army.

In other news, find out which ‘exceptional’ ace is to be axed versus Wolves here!

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ young star Max Kilman has recently been linked with a move away from Molineux.

Kilman out?

Football Insider recently revealed that the Black Country club were strongly considering offloading the 23-year-old next season, whether it be a permanent transfer or loan move.

This comes after Kilman put pen to paper on a new five-year deal back in October with his contract not due to expire until 2025.

Kilman is adored by his teammates at the club, particularly by skipper Conor Coady who told the club’s official website that he was “outstanding” who is “brilliant to have around.”

Responding to a fan on Twitter, Spiers revealed that manager Nuno Espirito Santo was exploring the option of a possible season-long loan spell at the start of the season, but added it could be too late for such a move now.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

The jury is still out as far as Kilman is concerned, even though the 2020/21 campaign is the most first-team football he has played so far in one season.

The Englishman is yet to score a goal for Wolves but has provided one assist, averaged 1.3 tackles and 2.2 clearances (Whoscored).

Whether his performances will force the Wolves hierarchy to reconsider keeping him at the club, remains to be seen. Nevertheless, Kilman’s future seems to be out of his hands at this point.

In other news, Wolves star who is ‘hard to stop’ on brink of setback amid exit rumours – Report.

Lots of Everton fans have flocked to the latest tweet from the club that recently emerged on social media.

The Toffees’ Twitter account posted an injury update involving Abdoulaye Doucoure, with the tweet stating the fact that the midfielder sustained an injury before Everton faced Chelsea and Carlo Ancelotti said that the former Watford man will miss ‘some games’ in the next few weeks.

Ancelotti made it clear that he wasn’t completely sure about the injury that the midfielder has suffered, but he will certainly be out until after the international break.

The Italian did back his side to thrive without their box-to-box machine. He said that when Lucas Digne was out, they managed to replace him on a temporary basis and they did the same when Allan was out of action. He is hopeful that the Blues will deal with Doucoure’s absence too.

The 28-year-old Doucoure has been a regular for Everton in the current campaign, making 25 Premier League appearances. He has scored two goals, also picking up three assists for the Toffees. In the FA Cup, he has scored once for Ancelotti’s side (as per Transfermarkt).

The tweet sharing Doucoure’s update drew the attention of the Everton faithful, who made their views clear about him.

What did Everton fans make of the update about Doucoure?

“That’s a real shame. We will miss the lad’s energy in our midfield. Hope his injury isn’t too long.”

Credit: @PeterPapadopo11

“Gutted. He’s the engine of this side.”

Credit: @ferninho

“Huge loss.”

Credit: @Houndog6105

“Such a loss.”

Credit: @ollietramineee

“Nice one, sons crying.”

Credit: @_____h23

“Ah mate that’s the final straw, am off ahaha.”

Credit: @1878Lee

In other news, Everton could be set to a lose a midfielder in the summer – read more here.

This has been a torrid old season for Wolves. They’ve been missing Raul Jimenez since November and any dream of securing European football is long gone.

Therefore, this is a critical summer for the Old Gold.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Wolves are considering a phenomenal return for Matt Doherty.

The Irishman only left last summer but, after a difficult campaign with Tottenham, he could return to the Midlands.

Doherty has started just 12 of 29 Premier League matches this term and thus may be searching for an escape route.

Sources have told Football Insider that Wolves are keen to re-sign him for a fee lower than the one Spurs paid last summer. The Lilywhites initially dished out £16m for his services, paying him a wage of £74,000 per week.

Nuno’s dream

Wolves have recruited poorly over the past 12 months, something evident in what they did last summer.

Jeff Shi replaced Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota, 25% of Wolves’ goals last term, with Nelson Semedo and Fabio Silva.

Wolves paid out £27.61m for Semedo while Silva set them back £35.6m. It’s safe to say that neither of them have been worth the money.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-news-on-wolves-from-molineux” title=” Check out the latest news on Wolves from Molineux!”]

The former has been a defensive calamity while the latter has scored just twice since arriving, so Doherty would be a welcome addition. The wing-back has played 302 times for Wolves, displaying immense consistency throughout his time at Molineux.

The defender very quickly became a dream for Nuno Espirito Santo, someone capable of fitting into Wolves’ desired system and style of play perfectly.

Speaking about him when he left for north London, the manager said: “Such a nice person, it was a pleasure to work with Matt. He had to adjust and adapt to so many things and the way he grew as a player was amazing. I wish him all the best. I will miss him. It’s up to us to find solutions (to replace him).”

Unfortunately, Wolves haven’t been able to replace him sufficiently. Semedo has been criticised for his role in the defensive, being beaten all too easily on numerous occasions. Recall his performance against Arsenal and you’ll envisage the torment that Nicolas Pepe gave him.

Doherty, on the other hand, was a loyal servant to Wolves, being described by journalist Tim Spiers as “superb” during his time at the club.

He wasn’t just defensively astute, but he was adept in offensive areas too. During his two seasons in the Premier League with Wolves, he scored eight goals and claimed the same number of assists.

It goes without saying that he should be a tremendous addition if they can bring him back.

AND in other news, Better than Jose: Wolves must swoop for “special” £30m beast with 27 goals this term…

Marcel Brands must block any attempts by Atletico Madrid to sign star left-back Lucas Digne this summer, after the publication of a report suggesting that The Blues could cash in on the defender in order to fund a transfer of their own.

What’s the word?

According to Gol Digital, La Liga leaders Atletico are keen on signing Digne in the summer transfer window as boss Diego Simeone strives to improve his options at left-back.

Digne is considered to be a player who meets Simeone’s checklist as the Frenchman is fast, strong and plays with an offensive threat that can make the 27-year-old an extra forward.

Everton are expected to value the former FC Barcelona defender at no less than €30m (£25.5m) after Digne penned a new £119,000-per-week contract last month, keeping him tied down at Goodison Park through to June 2025.

But despite his new deal, Carlo Ancelotti is said to be open to parting ways with the full-back, as the Italian would like to sign Tottenham’s Sergio Reguilon just a year after he left Real Madrid in a deal that could reach £32m.

Digne would also be expected to have admirers from clubs in the Serie A and Bundesliga if his time on Merseyside is set to end this season, while Atletico would need to find new homes for Kieran Trippier, Santiago Arias and Sime Vrsaljko to fund their pursuit.

Should Everton replace Digne with Reguilon?

It certainly seems questionable that Ancelotti would be looking to replace Digne just weeks after he signed a deal to extend his spell at Everton for a further two seasons from the five-year terms agreed upon his £18m arrival in 2018.

But, if true, Everton’s Director of Football Marcel Brands – who Ancelotti claims he enjoys a “beautiful relationship” with – must step in and block the Italian coach from a potentially huge blunder of trying to move Digne on and replacing him with Reguilon.

Everton would be taking a step backwards by parting with Digne, who has six assists in 20 Premier League games this season, for Reguilon, who has offered three assists in 17 top-flight matches since joining Tottenham last year.

Reguilon has talent, no doubt, with Jamie Redknapp claiming the five-cap Spain international was “fantastic” for Spurs before being sidelined with a muscle injury in his right leg at the end of January.

“When he was playing, he was fantastic. He had great energy, was crossing the ball, good in one-on-one situations – he had it all. It’s no surprise that their performances have not been as good since he has not been playing. He offers so much to this team,” the Sky Sports pundit said, via quotes by The Boot Room.

But Reguilon would not be an upgrade on Digne, who averages 1.6 key passes and 1.6 accurate crosses (22%) a game in the Premier League this season to the Tottenham man’s 0.6 chances created and 0.5 accurate crosses (24%), per SofaScore.

Signing Reguilon would also see Ancelotti acquire an inferior aerial presence at left-back with the £48,000-per-week 24-year-old offering 1.0 duels won (40%) a game to Digne’s 3.1 (67%). Although the pair are evenly matched for defensive contributions, with two and 2.2 successful tackles, 2.2 and 2.3 clearances plus 1.2 and 1.0 interceptions respectively.

Though it is in Digne’s offensive contributions that Ancelotti relies on the Frenchman the most, with only James Rodriguez offering a higher volume of key passes (1.7) than the full-back who offers the highest number of accurate crosses per league game at Everton, per WhoScored.

Tottenham would be expected to strive to acquire a substantial figure for Reguilon, as well, so there would not be a financial benefit to replacing Digne with him, making it even more puzzling why Ancelotti would be considering making this change in the summer.

AND in other news, a £15k-p/w Everton dud who gives “absolutely nothing” has been tipped to seal a summer transfer…

For all of West Brom’s failings in the transfer market under sporting and technical director Luke Dowling, the Hawthorns faithful can be rather grateful that he secured the services of Semi Ajayi for just £1.5m.

The likes of Kenneth Zohore, Karlan Grant and Kamil Grosicki are just a few examples of when it goes wrong for the former Watford chief but in the 27-year-old former Arsenal graduate, they have something quite special.

Ajayi was, of course, Slaven Bilic’s first-choice centre-back on Albion’s way to promotion last season and with the Midlands outfit looking rather likely to make an instant return to the Championship, the Nigerian international could well be key, if they keep hold of him.

The 6 foot 4 colossus is now valued at a whopping £13.5m by CIES Football Observatory – that’s a cool £12m increase on what they paid for him. And the Baggies have certainly landed a bargain, seeing as he’s gone onto feature 70 times and has scored eight goals too, via Transfermarkt.

As a nine-time international since his arrival, Ajayi has been a rare success for Dowling.

Now the key figure looks set to repeat such a masterstroke as West Brom have won the race to sign fellow countryman Kevin Joshua from local non-league outfit Solihull Moors.

The similarities are astonishing.

According to AllNigeriaSoccer earlier this month, Albion ‘pulled off a transfer coup’ by beating their top-flight rivals to the 19-year-old’s signing.

It’s claimed that Joshua impressed during a four-week trial and will remain at the Hawthorns until the end of the 2021/22 campaign. The lower league gem is eligible for both Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland at international level.

At 6 foot 6 inches in height, the young powerhouse is certainly in a similar mould to Ajayi whilst the glowing endorsement from his agent, Arfan Rehman, only reinforces this comparison.

After securing his client his first professional deal, he took to Twitter and said: “Congratulations to our client @Kevin__Joshua on signing his first professional contract with @WBA after a successful week trial, standing 6ft6 tall, the left-footed centre-back is aggressive, quick and excellent on the ball. Watch this space.”

Indeed, these are all characteristics of the current Baggies first-team star – the tough-tackling Ajayi has picked up 11 yellow cards and one red since joining West Brom, showing that aggressive side whilst he had the second-best passing accuracy (81.6%) of any central defender at the club last season.

If Joshua can start making waves in the academy set-up, then there’s a good chance he can one day succeed Ajayi. Perhaps Dowling has stumbled onto another winner here.

AND in other news, THIS appointment could save Rekeem Harper’s faltering West Brom career…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting to Fabrizio Romano’s update on the Reds potentially signing Aaron Ramsey this summer.

The next transfer window could be a lively one at Anfield, as Jurgen Klopp looks to make additions to his squad.

In truth, not too many tweaks are required, despite Liverpool’s struggles this season, but certain areas of the pitch need reinforcements.

The Reds’ midfield is arguably their most well-stocked position, however, with Klopp having a plethora of options to call upon in the middle of the park.

[freshpress-quiz id=“313155″]

The likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum, Thiago, Naby Keita, James Milner and Curtis Jones are all strong players, so there doesn’t appear to be a great need for additions there.

Wijnaldum could move on, however, and Ramsey has recently been linked with a move to Liverpool, having only made 12 Serie A starts for Juventus this season.

Romano has downplayed those claims, though, taking to Twitter on Friday to confirm that no talks have taken place over a move.

Liverpool fans react to Ramsey update

These Liverpool fans have been giving their thoughts on the update on Twitter, with one supporter claiming the Wales international is ‘horrendous’.

“Phew hope not”

Credit: @KashLfc

“Keep it that way…..”

Credit: @EthanDavies_99

“We’ve enough crocks in the squad”

Credit: @LesF80

“No LFC fan in their right mind would believe there was. His wages, then his age followed by his appalling injury record means it was just paper talk”

Credit: @Olakunle73

“Thank Lord”

Credit: @Road2MerseySide

“Thank God man he’s horrendous these days”

Credit: @F9Txrres

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a shock transfer report. Read more about it here.

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Leeds are fully intent on extending Marcelo Bielsa’s time at the club.

What’s the story?

The Argentine has come to signing one-year rolling contracts at Elland Road, and inevitably that always raises questions towards the end as to whether he will put pen to paper on a new deal.

Reports in recent days and weeks have even thrown former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri’s name into the equation, but Romano has insisted that the Italian is not on Leeds’ radar, and that Bielsa is the man they want in charge for the foreseeable future.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano said: “I’m told that they are planning with him and that they are doing their best to keep him. They want to go on with him and are doing their best to convince Bielsa. What I’m told is that there is nothing with Allegri, and that he’s looking for something different.

“All respect to Leeds, but Allegri is looking to win titles and was one of the best managers in Serie A, and is looking for top, top clubs. Leeds is an amazing project but they are happy with Marcelo Bielsa. I think, yes, they will go on with him and are planning with him. It’s up to Bielsa, we know he’s a particular as a person and not just as a manager. But let’s see what happens in the coming weeks.”

Radrizzani must act now

Make no mistake about it, if there’s one priority for Andrea Radrizzani when it comes to this summer, then tying down Bielsa to a new deal at Elland Road simply has to be it.

The Argentine has been the catalyst for Leeds’ revival over these past few years, leading them to the Premier League after so many years away and already establishing them as a force with which to be reckoned within it.

Bielsa has very much built himself as the face of the Yorkshire club, and it’s incredibly difficult to imagine a time without him sitting down on his chair in the dugout and barking out instructions constantly.

Making sure he signs a new contract would send a hugely important message about Leeds’ plans for the future, and act as a welcome boost to the playing squad too, most of whom have been on that long journey from the Championship to the top flight.

Meanwhile, Leeds must surely regret selling this star…

Former Newcastle midfielder Keith Gillespie has exclusively told Football FanCast that Adam Armstrong would be an excellent signing for West Ham.

The Hammers are enjoying a brilliant campaign under the guidance of David Moyes, but are struggling upfront having failed to replace Sebastien Haller, whilst Michail Antonio has missed parts of the season with different muscle injuries.

Since Haller joined Ajax in January, Antonio has missed just one Premier League match – with Jarrod Bowen playing as a false-nine in their victory over Sheffield United in February.

But with the prospect of European football at the London Stadium next season, Moyes is likely to add to his strike department in the summer, with Blackburn’s Armstrong reportedly on former Manchester United manager’s wish list, with The Sun reporting he’d cost £25m.

Armstrong has struck 19 times in the Championship for Blackburn this season, but the striker failed to score in 11 previous Premier League appearances at Newcastle.

But Gillespie believes that Armstrong would be a success should be move to the London Stadium. He told Football FanCast:

“No doubt. I think in terms of West Ham, if Antonio is not fit, who is a ready-made striker to lead the line?

“They got rid of Haller, and are going to want to strengthen there. Antonio has had injury problems at times over the last few seasons where he doesn’t play every week.

“I think he’s a great asset to them, but Armstrong has that pace as well where he can run in behind and he can finish. You could see him coming into that West Ham side. And the way they play with somebody in behind Antonio, can Armstrong play up alongside the likes of Antonio?”

Armstrong wasn’t given a fair crack at Newcastle, but since leaving St James’ Park in 2018 has worked his way up through the EFL to prepare himself to make the step back to the Premier League.

Everton are reportedly eyeing up a potential move to try and sign Adam Armstrong in the summer transfer window, according to Football Insider.

As per the news outlet, the Goodison Park faithful are tracking the Blackburn Rovers striker ahead of the summer.

A recruitment source has told the publication that scouts from the Merseyside club watched him in action against AFC Bournemouth in the EFL Championship on Easter Monday as they are in the market for a new number nine.

Armstrong will enter the final year of his current deal at Ewood Park in June, meaning that he may be available at a cheaper price should the Lancashire club be unable to tie him down to a longer deal.

Everton should sign Armstrong

Carlo Ancelotti’s team should look no further than signing Armstrong in the summer if they want to ease the goal scoring burden off of Dominic Calvert-Lewin up top.

The 24-year-old has scored no fewer than 20 goals and made a further three assists in 37 games in total over all competitions so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), showing that he clearly knows where the back of the net is.

He also has the added weapon of ‘explosive pace’ as his manager Tony Mowbray pointed out in a media interview back in November, and could therefore complement Calvert-Lewin’s hold-up play if they were deployed together.

Currently valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt, the Englishman could well turn out to be a bargain for the Toffees due to his contract situation.

In other news, find out what Theo Walcott update has got Blues talking here!