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Newcastle United cannot be discounted in the potential race to sign Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane ahead of the summer window.

How much would Harry Kane cost?

Eddie Howe's side face a big clash on the weekend against the England captain and his north London side with the Lilywhites attempting to close the gap on the top four.

And the future of the 29-year-old remains up for debate ahead of the summer transfer window with a number of clubs believed to be showing an interest.

Spurs are also still keen to tie their all-time record goalscorer down to a new deal with the upcoming summer marking the final year on his current deal.

However, the issues in north London could potentially see the striker seek a move as he did back in 2021 when Manchester City came calling.

With Manchester United believed to be interested in the striker, insider Graeme Bailey has mooted the Toon as a potential landing spot in the summer.

Indeed, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, Bailey noted the owners' long-standing interest in potentially making a huge statement with the possible signing of England's captain:

(31:45) "This is the one player, guys, if you remember going back 18 months to when Eddie Howe was appointed, Harry Kane was the one who Newcastle always highlighted as being their marquee number nine signing.

"He hasn't been linked again but I wouldn't rule [them out]. You see Newcastle starting to have little conversations – we're going to talk about another player coming up – I wouldn't discount them making a little sneaky offer for Harry Kane. I wouldn't discount them"

Would Kane be a good fit for Newcastle?

The £200k-per-week Spurs striker is perhaps the only reason the north London side are going into this weekend's clash on Tyneside with even a glimmer of hope of playing Champions League football next season.

Only Erling Haaland has outscored Kane this season with the 29-year-old having provided an impressive return of 23 goals in the league and has more than doubled the tally of the next-highest scorer at Spurs.

Journalist Alasdair Gold has hailed Kane as a "machine" in the past and that is certainly the case as he chases down Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League goals record.

However, would he fit the current set-up at Newcastle?

Alexander Isak has begun to establish himself as the main man in Howe's attack having netted eight Premier League goals in just 906 minutes (via Transfermarkt).

In that sense, a potential arrival for Kane could cause a huge disruption in Howe's squad with their current record signing likely to be shifted out wide where he has played sporadically in the past.

Goals aside, Kane has provided Tottenham with a real creative outlet over recent years and that can be seen through his return of 3.57 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes – significantly higher than Isak's 2.13 (via FBref).

But with the north London side expected to be looking for in excess of £100m for Kane, could this be money spent better elsewhere when they seemingly already have a promising long-term option up top?

Wolverhampton Wanderers are thought to be one of a number of Premier League clubs keen on signing Sporting CP midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

What’s the latest on Wolves and Ugarte?

Ugarte has made a total of 75 appearances for Sporting after joining back in 2021, 37 of which have come during the current campaign. Primarily a defensive midfielder who can also turn out in a central midfield role, the Uruguay international appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €25m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 21-year-old actually shares the same agency as ten Wolves players and it looks as if a move to the Premier League could be on the cards this summer. MOT Leeds News relayed an update from the print edition of Portuguese newspaper O Jogo in the last 48 hours regarding Ugarte, claiming that Leeds are in the race for the midfielder.

However, the report also added that Wolves, and by extension chairman Jeff Shi and sporting director Matt Hobbs, are keen alongside Aston Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham, AC Milan and AS Roma. Ugarte has a £52.7m release clause in his current deal and is under contract until 2026.

Would Ugarte be a good signing at Molineux?

It looks as if manager Julen Lopetegui could be in need of a new star midfielder this summer, especially with speculation that Ruben Neves is already negotiating a move to Manchester United.

Should an exit materialise for Neves, a move for someone like Ugarte could be viewed as key by those at Molineux, with Neves the top performer for Wolves this season, as per WhoScored. The joint top scorer has averaged a Premier League match rating of 7.00/10, and leads the way for number of passes per 90 and shots per game.

However, Ugarte has actually outperformed the Wolves man this season, averaging a better match rating, while also completing more tackles and interceptions per 90. His displays have resulted in football talent scout Jacek Kulig has labelled Ugarte as a "midfield machine", so he could prove to be a shrewd replacement for Neves, potentially making this one to keep an eye on, providing Wolves remain in the top-flight.

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has been praised for his opening finish during the Premier League game vs Manchester United by journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Victory at Anfield

The Reds were the hosts at Anfield on Sunday afternoon as Jurgen Klopp and his side secured an emphatic 7-0 victory over the Red Devils thanks to goals from Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

The Dutchman’s contribution was obviously the key moment, as he opened their account on 43 minutes after running onto an Andy Robertson through-ball to cut inside Raphael Varane and fire the ball into the far corner past David De Gea.

It had been a tight game with half-chances at both ends up until that point, but the floodgates opened thanks to the January signing’s opener.

The Latest: Pearce stunned

Taking to Twitter, Pearce couldn’t believe the execution of Gakpo’s finish to give Liverpool the lead just before the break. He wrote:

“Wow, what a finish that is from Gakpo. No wonder United wanted to sign him. The Dutchman showing them what they’re missing up top.”

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The Verdict: Standout performer

Liverpool were huge under pressure to get a result coming into this game given United’s recent form, and Gakpo was one of the standout performers in this unbelievable scoreline.

The Reds winger received a match rating of 8.2, the second highest in the whole squad and only behind Salah, who scored the perfect ten for his record-breaking display, becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.

The 6 foot 3 Dutchman won half of his aerial duels and produced a key pass before being substituted in the closing stages of the encounter (SofaScore).

Gakpo will have definitely proven a point to United, who were also chasing him prior to signing for Liverpool, and this reinvention could spark the start of a new era on Merseyside.

Leeds United stalwart Luke Ayling was never planning on leaving Elland Road during the summer transfer window, journalist Dean Jones has claimed.

The Lowdown: Ayling a modern hero

The 31-year-old has been one of the Whites’ most loyal and consistent players in recent years, rising through the divisions and helping return to the Premier League.

Earlier this week, the Englishman signed an automatic extension on his current deal, meaning he should now stay until the end of the 2023/24 season.

The Latest: No summer exit planned

Speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer expert Jones said Ayling never intended to leave Leeds this summer, such is his love for the club:

“He loves this club and he’s never had any intention of leaving. He is one of the leaders and they need players like him in the position that they’re in. Personally, I think it’s the right decision to be moving forward with someone like Ayling right now.

“You need players like that, especially at a time like this when the fans are going to be restless, to kind of be that middleman between the team, the management, the board and the fans.”

The Verdict: Great news for Leeds

Ayling has racked up over 200 appearances for Leeds since arriving from Bristol City in 2016, and while he hasn’t always been first choice right-back this season, he still has plenty of league outings to his name.

While Ayling isn’t necessarily quite the player he once was, considering he turns 32 this year, adding the extra year to his contract makes complete sense.

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The £35,000-a-week defender knows Leeds inside out and continues to provide defensive tenacity and attacking quality, averaging 2.2 tackles per game in the league this season.

Ayling will likely have to accept that he will be a squad player from now on but he is still extremely useful, with journalist Phil Hay saying he has ‘properly found himself’ again in recent weeks.

His experience will be vital in these remaining months of the season, as Leeds battle relegation, and his leadership in the dressing room will be huge.

West Ham United have fallen well below expectations this season after such good work across the previous two years under David Moyes, and they failed to utilise the January transfer window as well as they possibly could have.

Languishing near the bottom of the Premier League table – West Ham have just 18 points from 20 matches this term and are one point above the relegation zone – they are in real danger of scraping for survival as the season enters its latter stages, despite back-to-back European qualifications and signing the likes of Lucas Paqueta (£51m) and Gianluca Scamacca (£35.5m) last summer.

Despite clinching Danny Ings for £15m from Aston Villa, and Brazilian youngster Luizao for an undisclosed fee, last month, there is a sense that the Hammers did not revitalise the squad to the best of their ability. That is especially the case given recent injuries to the aforementioned Ings and Scamacca, with winger Maxwel Cornet also sidelined.

With this in mind, signing former Irons ace Andre Ayew at the end of the January transfer market might have been a prudent move for the club, with 90min stating that the veteran forward arrived in England after the conclusion of deadline day. As a free agent, Ayew was not bound to the constraints of the transfer window and was duly able to discuss a move with several Premier League clubs.

In the end, West Ham were rejected and the 33-year-old chose to join the expansive ranks at Nottingham Forest, with the Reds now bolstered further across their attack after recently hitting a timely purple patch.

During his previous spell with West Ham, after he signed from Swansea City in 2016 for a then-club record £20.5m, the Ghanaian dynamo only managed 12 goals and five assists from 50 appearances. His two years in claret and blue were largely hampered by injuries and he was unable to make the emphatic effect for which he would have been hoping.

However, his versatility and experience could indeed have been invaluable as West Ham attempt to rekindle their cohesion and fluidity, and he could have been the “game changer” – as once heralded by former Irons boss Slaven Bilic – to turn the tide in east London.

Also, given West Ham’s inclusion in the Europa Conference League – in which they return to action in the round of 16 next month after winning their group – adding him as an extra option up front would have been the perfect remedy to continue battling across multiple fronts, perhaps salvaging a slice of prosperity from a hitherto frustrating season at the London Stadium.

While landing a 33-year-old Ayew would not have been the glitziest signing for a team competing in Europe, he is an accomplished and experienced professional with Premier League experience (89 games), and as a former Irons player he might well have taken to life back in east London like a duck to water.

As it is, the 113-cap Ghanaian will instead aid Forest in their own pursuit of maintaining top-flight status, and having dropped the ball on this possible free signing, Moyes will have to make do with the options who were already at his disposal.

The January transfer window was an extremely unsuccessful one for Everton but missing out on Ismaila Sarr was arguably Farhad Moshiri’s biggest mistake.

New manager Sean Dyche was simply not backed with new signings after his arrival and the former Burnley boss now faces a huge task to keep the Toffees in the Premier League this season.

Following the £45m exit of Anthony Gordon, it was widely expected that the Merseyside outfit would bring in a replacement winger, especially following the failed move for Arnaut Danjuma earlier in the window.

Rennes wide man Kamaldeen Sulemena was regularly touted as a potential option for Everton but he would favour a move to relegation rivals Southampton over a Goodison Park switch, which certainly doesn’t bode well for the Toffees’ hopes in the second half of the season.

This saw Moshiri switch his attention to Watford winger Ismaila Sarr but such is the lack of funds available at Goodison Park, he could only muster a £2m loan fee offer for the Senegal international.

Sulemana could have been a great option for the future but he had managed just one goal in 14 Ligue 1 appearances this season, whereas Sarr has a history in the Premier League and has caught the eye in the Championship so far this campaign.

The 24-year-old has contributed seven goals and five assists in the second tier, averaging a strong 6.94 rating from WhoScored for his performances for the Hornets.

He has also averaged more shots (2.2 vs one), key passes (one vs 0.4) and dribbles (1.4 vs 1.1) per game than Sulemana this season, which suggests that he would have been the better option for Dyche and Everton fans should be more disappointed about missing out on him.

Ben Foster was full of praise for the Watford wide man during their time playing together at Vicarage Road, waxing lyrical. “He is a bit of a freak, honestly he is,” the former goalkeeper said:

“I still don’t think people understand quite how quick Ismaila Sarr is. His acceleration off from a standing start is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. And genuinely, I’m being genuine there, I’ve never seen anybody accelerate from a standing start as quick as what he does.”

Sarr’s experience in the Premier League and impressive form this season suggest that he could have been an excellent first addition to the Dyche era and fans will no doubt be frustrated that a deal couldn’t be completed.

West Ham are reportedly keen on Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz this month and his potential arrival at the London Stadium could see David Moyes finally ditch Michail Antonio.

According to The Sun, West Ham, Newcastle United, Everton and Leeds United are all keen on the Chile international but are currently unwilling to pay the Championship club’s current asking price of £15m.

The former Nottingham Forest man is out of contract at Ewood Park at the end of the current season, meaning that foreign clubs are now free to approach the striker on a pre-contract deal.

However, Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side are gunning for promotion from the second tier and are clearly doing all they can to keep their talismanic striker at the club for the second half of the campaign.

So far this season, the 23-year-old has contributed an impressive nine goals and four assists in 26 Championship appearances, averaging a strong 6.79 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Last season saw the striker manage 22 goals in the second tier, so he is clearly showing signs that he could make the step up to the Premier League. Given West Ham’s goalscoring woes so far this campaign, Moyes should seriously consider bringing him to the London Stadium.

Part of West Ham’s problem this term has been the regression in form of Antonio, along with the disappointing performances of Gianluca Scamacca.

The former will rightly be recognised as a club icon after becoming their top Premier League goalscorer but he is no longer good enough to be starting each week, as is emphasised by his two goals in 17 top-flight appearances so far this campaign.

The 32-year-old has averaged a shocking 6.36 rating from WhoScored and scores poorly in comparison to Brereton Diaz, averaging far fewer shots (2.7 vs 1.1), dribbles (0.8 vs 0.5) and key passes (one vs 0.4) per game.

It seems only a matter of time before the “phenomenal” star – as dubbed by scout Ron Dor – makes the move to the Premier League and while £15m might seem expensive given his contract situation, his goals could be the difference this season as Moyes’ side look to avoid relegation and given the form of Antonio, it seems clear that he needs to be ditched in favour of a younger replacement.

Southampton are reportedly interested in Japan striker Daizen Maeda, according to Sky Sports News.

The Lowdown: Looking to back Jones

The Saints are one of the teams that surely have to be busy this transfer window as they sit rock bottom and are yet to win a Premier League under the guidance of Nathan Jones.

Therefore, the fact that have already signed Mislav Orsic, seen a bid knocked back for Terem Moffi and now said to be interested in Celtic ace Maeda should come as no surprise.

Something else that won’t be shocking is that all of those targets are attackers, as the Saints are rather toothless in the final third with just 15 league goals to their name this campaign, so Jones clearly needs more firepower.

The Latest: Maeda is a target

Sky Sports presenter Julian Warren was providing a transfer update while speaking on Sky Sports News in which he mentioned Southampton’s interest in Maeda, who has six goals this season.

He said: “Southampton are looking to bolster their attacking options this month as they look to avoid relegation. Nathan Jones said yesterday he’s looking to bring three or four new players in before the window closes.

“One of those could be the Celtic forward, Daizen Maeda. We understand the Saints are interested in him. The 25-year-old Japan international scored against Croatia in the last 16 of the World Cup and has returned to Celtic in fine form as well; he scored the opener in the 2-2 Old Firm draw at Ibrox last week.”

The Verdict: A risky move from Southampton

While Maeda has been in good form since he joined Celtic back in January 2022, the fact he’s only ever played in the Japanese league and Portuguese top flight as well as the SPFL would suggest he’s still rather untested at the top level.

Southampton can’t afford to take too many more risks this season as they are in a precarious position lying three points from safety, so any striker coming in will have to arrive and hit the ground running.

Celtic paid less than £2m for Maeda when he joined, and with a contract until 2026, it seems as though Southampton would have to pay a premium fee to get him – and even then, the Bhoys may be reluctant to lose the striker given Ange Postecoglou has labelled him ‘immense’ over the last few months.

Leeds United are reportedly one of a huge number of clubs who are interested in signing Standard Liege midfielder Nicolas Raskin after he shared a come and get me plea on social media.

The Lowdown: Raskin impressing for Liege

The 21-year-old is maturing into an influential figure for the Belgian giants, registering four assists in 14 Jupiler Pro League starts so far this season.

Raskin also has five caps to his name for Belgium’s Under-21s, and with their golden generation parting ways, a senior call-up may not be far away.

There appears to be a huge amount of interest in the midfielder and a fresh update suggests that Leeds are right in the mix to acquire his services.

The Latest: Leeds join the race

According to Voetbal Nieuws [via Sport Witness], the Whites are keen on bringing Raskin to Elland Road, with Liege willing to sell him in the January transfer window after he tweeted publicly to dispute reports he would sign a new contract.

Leeds are far from alone in expressing an interest, however, with Club Brugge, Braga, Genoa, Fiorentina, Marseille, Lille and Rangers all mentioned as suitors, too.

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The Verdict: Much-needed midfield depth

Raskin could be exactly what Jesse Marsch is looking for in the middle of the park, with the Belgian an exciting young footballer who could add energy and quality in that area.

Tyler Adams has been a superb midfield signing by Leeds but won’t solve their issues alone, and it is time to bring in a long-term replacement for the likes of Adam Forshaw and Stuart Dallas.

Raskin has been picked out as part of a ‘superb’ next generation of Belgian players by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and he could be a big part of Leeds’ growth under Marsch and beyond.

Glasgow Rangers could be set to appoint Damian Matthew as part of their backroom team after Michael Beale made the move to Ibrox, according to reliable journalist Alan Nixon.

The Lowdown: Beale appointed…

The Scottish Premiership side had been on the hunt to find Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s successor and ended up identifying Beale as their number one target, with the move developing fast.

The 42-year-old held talks with Ross Wilson following an official approach over the weekend and was spotted at the training ground on Monday morning, with a move officially confirmed on Monday evening.

The Latest: Beale wants Matthew

Nixon shared an update on his Patreon page in the last 48 hours, claiming Beale ‘wants to bring’ Matthew to Glasgow to join his backroom staff, with the pair currently working together at Loftus Road.

He states that the duo ‘go way back’ and have ‘known each other for years’ through their history at Chelsea, with a reunion potentially on the cards should they both make the trip north of the border.

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The Verdict: Correct decision

Rangers appointing Matthew could be the right decision given the strong connection he and Beale already have, and there’s no doubt that he will want to keep his right-hand man by his side.

The Light Blues’ managerial prospect brought the 52-year-old to QPR with him over the summer and the pair have had an instant impact, where their team are currently promotion contenders in the Championship.

Gers have been missing this level of consistency too often this season, though Beale and Matthew appear to hold a winning formula which could mark the start of an exciting new chapter.