With the Premier League taking a fortnight-long break, the spotlight right now on the so-called greatest league of them all is the January transfer window.
And believe me, while potential incomings at Spurs and potential outgoings at Manchester United are creating plenty of headlines, it’s in the North East where the majority of focus remains.
Ever since the controversial takeover of Newcastle United in October, the footballing world has waited to see how new billionaire investors would react in the market at the first possible opportunity.
That has been enhanced by the Magpies’ struggles this term, though the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds back them to survive, as do most neutral betting fans – especially when they can, at a stroke, prise the best players from those around them (just as they did by capturing Burnley frontman Chris Wood last week).
England international Kieran Trippier has already arrived from Atletico Madrid and, at the time of writing, it looks as if Bruno Guimarães will be swapping Lyon for Toon after the defensive midfielder agreed to the move and the French club accepted a £33.5 million bid.
Not that they are getting their own way with everything.
It’s reported the Magpies had a bid for the Brighton defender Dan Burn rejected shortly after Newcastle turned to Burn because Sevilla remain adamant they will not sell Diego Carlos. An earlier attempt to sign Sven Botman from Lille was also unsuccessful.
However fruitful their forays into the market are between now and Monday’s deadline, it is hard to see Newcastle finishing in the bottom three given the parlous state of some of the sides around them.
Indeed, if the Tynesiders were to go down, it must rank as one of the most expensively assembled sides ever to lose their top flight status.
So, what of the news elsewhere? What players may be creating Premier League highlights during the second half of the campaign.
Well one man who won’t be is Anthony Martial who, no sooner had he helped Manchester United to a last-gasp win over West Ham last Saturday, has joined La Liga club Sevilla on loan for the remainder of the season.
If agreement can be met over wages and fees, Jesse Lingard (also strongly linked with Newcastle) could be joining him on the way out of the Old Trafford door.
Despite registering only 89 minutes of league action this season, Lingard has scored twice.
Callum Wilson (six) and Allan Saint-Maximin (five) are the only Newcastle players to have scored more often than Lingard and, with manager Eddie Howe scrambling to bring in new faces, Lingard is high on his list of priorities as he tries to add more goals from midfield.
The 29 year-old certainly proved how effective he can be when given his chance on loan at West Ham last term.
If that move does not materialise, Dele Alli may head to the north-east with the out-of-favour Spurs midfielder expected to be granted the opportunity to depart.
The north Londoners will want to strengthen for sure though, regardless of Alli’s movements.
Sofyan Amrabat may not be the most glamorous midfielder linked with a move to Tottenham, but the Moroccan could be a sensible option until the end of the season. Spurs have been linked with moves for Franck Kessié and Weston McKennie but, in a difficult January window where options are limited, a loan move for Amrabat is a low-risk deal for the club.
Other potential moves between now and Monday night could see Adama Traoré swap Wolves for Spurs; Christian Eriksen emerge at Brentford – just seven months after his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 – and Rodrigo Bentancur leave Italian giants Juventus for Aston Villa.
Of course, for all the seemingly genuine moves and approaches, there will always be gossip.
For example, Bayern Munich and Germany forward Thomas Muller has attracted interest from Newcastle United and Everton as the 32 year-old approaches the final year of his contract with the Bundesliga champions.
As one of the best players in the game for the past 15 years, I am sure he has! But don’t believe a word. Muller is going nowhere.
Meanwhile, Barcelona may well be ‘working on a plan’ to raise £83.5 million to fund the signing of Borussia Dortmund and Norway goal machine Erling Braut Haaland this summer.
While not strictly Premier League related – although he has been linked to a host of top Premier League clubs – that again will just not happen given the Catalans’ financial woes. What I am sayingis, while we may be in for a hectic few days in the market, going right up to Monday night’s deadline, don’t expect the unexpected this time – it simply won’t happen!
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