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Newcastle United are experiencing a phenomenal campaign in the Premier League but could still look to the January transfer window to further strengthen their squad, with a new potential transfer target emerging.

What’s the latest?

According to reports coming out of Spain (via Sport Witness), the Magpies are interested in signing William Carvalho.

As per the report, Newcastle join a host of top-flight clubs in their interest in the midfielder, with Arsenal and Leicester City also named as potential suitors.

Despite being an important part of the rotation in the squad at Real Betis, it is claimed that Carvalho is open to a move away from the club in the winter transfer window.

Howe could land World Cup star

There is no doubt that depth in midfield is something that Eddie Howe is looking to address and was considered an important signing for the manager back in the summer, so the signing of Carvalho could be the perfect opportunity in January.

Indeed, it is unlikely that Carvalho – who will be representing Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar over the next few weeks – will be a guaranteed starter at St James’ Park as Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff, Joelinton and Joe Willock are all in fine form this season.

However, with the club desperate to push on for success in the Premier League but also still competing in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, having good depth in the centre of the pitch by signing a player like Carvalho can reduce fatigue, giving Howe more options to work with as they juggle fixtures over the second half of the season.

Over 13 La Liga appearances this season, the £58k-per-week ace – who was hailed “extraordinary” by Portugal chief Paulo Bento – has scored two goals and successfully completed 75% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 1.2 tackles, 60 touches and winning 4.2 duels per game.

Not only that, Carvalho also ranks in the top 10% of his positional peers in the top five European leagues for progressive passes and dribbles completed and the top 20% for both pass completion and non-penalty goals over the last 365 days.

With that being said, if Newcastle can secure the signing of Carvalho at the right price in January, it would be a great piece of business and the player could be a valuable asset to the team in their pursuit of trophies and success.

Football pundit Frank McAvennie has reacted to recent rumours linking Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan with a move away from the club in the summer. 

The Lowdown: Gundogan linked with summer exit

The German is set to see his contract at the Etihad Stadium expire at the end of the current season. This has seemingly led to recent reports claiming that both Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich are interested in signing the midfielder as a free agent in the summer.

With that in mind, McAvennie has offered his thoughts on the matter, stating what he thinks Gundogan should do.

The Latest: McAvennie speaks out on Gundogan’s future

Speaking to Football Insider, the former West Ham United striker had his say in response to the recent reports linking Atletico and Bayern with the City star.

The 62-year-old said: “That is two good teams with two good managers. [Diego] Simeone is doing a great job. Madrid is like London, it is a big, wonderful footballing city. But so is Munich. I do not think the money would be that different.

“For me, it would be either or because they are both huge clubs. He is a good player, I do not know if Man City will let him go. I think you would want to stay at Man City if you were looking at those three clubs.

“It is great when people want you, it shows you are doing the right thing. It will make him better because it will give him a boost of confidence and he will know he won’t drop down the pecking order if clubs like that are interested in him.”

The Verdict: Offer Gundogan a new contract

Having appeared in all but two of City’s games across all competitions this season, donning the captain’s armband more often than not, this highlights just how important the 32-year-old is for Pep Guardiola.

In addition, the midfielder – who has been praised by journalist Josh Bunting for his “beautiful” ability on the pitch – has shown in this Premier League campaign how useful a figure he is in an attacking and defensive sense.

For example, only Kevin De Bruyne (43) has made more key passes than Gundogan among Guardiola’s squad (23), while only three City players boast a higher combined total of tackles and interceptions than the German (18).

Taking all that into account, we feel that it should be one of City’s top priorities to get the midfielder to sign a new deal and continue his journey with the club.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has shared the latest news surrounding the injury sustained by Liverpool forward Diogo Jota during their 1-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Jota’s injury

Amid the final few minutes of the Reds holding on to their one-goal lead provided by Mohamed Salah, the Portugal winger went down with an injury after putting on a fine display for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Consequently, the 25-year-old left the field on a stretcher, with the Liverpool boss later stating: “If Diogo stays down, it is not good.”

The Latest: Ornstein’s news

Ornstein has now shared an update on Jota’s injury, revealing major worries over the severity of the attacker’s issue.

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning in sharing a corresponding article for The Athletic, the journalist revealed: “Liverpool forward Diogo Jota set for scan today on calf injury suffered in victory over Man City. Fears the issue is serious & may put 25yo’s #QatarWorldCup2022 participation with Portugal in doubt. All parties hoping for better news.”

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The Verdict: Huge blow

With Portugal preparing for their first World Cup clash against Ghana on November 24 and their subsequent group games against Uruguay and South Korea, Jota’s involvement in Qatar has been thrown into huge doubt with this injury.

This will come as a blow for the Portuguese national team, with the 25-year-old’s record of having scored ten goals in 28 appearances sure to be sorely missed.

Focusing on Liverpool, with Luis Diaz having already been ruled out until after the World Cup, Jota’s injury will serve as a major impediment in Klopp’s squad selection. Youngsters like Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott now look set to be handed more responsibility in his absence.

Therefore, with Jota having been dubbed an ‘unbelievable footballer’ by journalist Ryan Taylor and boasting a fine record of 34 goals in 93 Liverpool games, it will be a big ask for the former Fulham duo to step up and fill the void left by their elder team-mate in Klopp’s forward line.

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has relayed an injury update on Stuart Dallas.

The Lowdown: Serious injury

Dallas, labelled as a ‘big character’ for the Whites by Pete O’Rourke, has been sidelined since the end of April after suffering a serious injury against Manchester City.

The Northern Irishman sustained a femoral fracture following a challenge on Jack Grealish which required specialist surgery in London.

The 31-year-old has been working his way back in recent months, with Jesse Marsch providing an update on his situation on Friday.

The Latest: Another operation

Hay relayed comments from Marsch’s pre-match press conference, where he began with an injury update.

He said that ‘Dallas has had a further, small operation this week but is doing really well’, adding that he ‘could be back in a couple of months’.

Hay also shared the update regarding midfielder Adam Forshaw, who has undergone hernia surgery and is out for a month.

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The Verdict: Good to see

Some may have thought that another operation would have put a setback when it comes to Dallas’ return, but it looks as if he is doing well and could play a part in the second half of the season.

He has been a key member of the Leeds squad in recent years, turning out in midfield and left-back under Marcelo Bielsa and Marsch.

A New Year return would give the club a big boost, and for Dallas personally, it would be a significant accomplishment, especially as one pundit believed his career could be over back in May.

Liverpool are one of the most successful clubs in English football as a result of their fantastic recruitment strategies and their development of young talent with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen graduating into the first team.

One of the most recent success stories to rise out of the Liverpool youth team is Trent Alexander-Arnold, but since Jurgen Klopp has arrived his eye for thriving talent combined with the scouting team’s thorough recruitment routine has seen the club turn players signed into superstars.

Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Andy Robertson are just some of the players who didn’t cost a fortune to sign but developed into seasoned professionals who win trophies season after season, with the first ever Premier League title won in 2020 a testimony to the team built by Klopp and the powers at Anfield.

However, there has been a constant at the club over the many years of success and that is talent brewing in the U18s, U21s and U23s on the Red side of Merseyside, and there is one player, in particular, who is capturing the attention of the Liverpool boss.

Ben Doak joined the Liverpool academy only this summer from Celtic and has already been hailed by Klopp when he spoke out on the Scottish champions:

“Celtic are doing really well and the Scottish game is full of talent. We have another Scottish boy in Calvin and another big talent in the under-18s (Doak), so it’s a cool place to scout again.”

The 16-year-old who was hailed “fantastic” by Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou, has been proving himself to be an absolute nuisance for opponents in both the Liverpool U18 and Liverpool U19 teams with four goals and three assists already tallied up in just eight appearances.

More recently the youngster displayed his talents against Rangers in the UEFA Youth League, contributing to the team’s 4-1 thrashing of his former rivals scoring the second goal in the 26th minute of the clash earlier this week.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Doak at Liverpool and he could very easily become one of the next superstars to break through into the senior team if he continues to dominate in his position in the youth teams.

There was natural excitement among Wolverhampton Wanderers fans when their club signed Patrick Cutrone from AC Milan in 2019 but his time at Molineux proved to be a huge disaster.

Cutrone had scored 27 goals in 90 appearances for the Rossoneri, including 18 in the 2017/18 campaign, an impressive return for such a young striker.

Even though he had managed just three goals in 34 Serie A appearances in the 2018/19 season, there were few complaints from Wolves fans when the Old Gold paid £23m to bring him to Molineux in the summer of 2019.

Unfortunately for the 21-year-old, he failed to have anywhere near the impact of fellow 2019 striker signing Raul Jimenez, and struggled for game time under Nuno Espirito Santo.

That season saw the Italian forward make just 24 appearances in all competitions, registering a paltry three goals and four assists.

Few would have predicted that they would be his only goal and assist returns in a Wolves shirt.

The following season saw Cutrone loaned to Fiorentina where he hit five goals, with the forward returning to the Artemio Franchi Stadium again in the 2020/21 campaign, only for him to fail to score in 13 appearances, the majority of which came from the bench.

Four more goalless Wolves appearances came in that season, before he joined Valencia in the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, once again failing to score or assist.

It was never going to be good for Cutrone’s confidence or health for him to be loaned out to so many different clubs and never really break into the first team, especially as a young striker.

During his time at Fiorentina, his agent suggested that the former AC Milan man had gone “into oblivion” with the Serie A side, despite them being keen on his signature.

Cutrone found his feet slightly with Empoli last season, hitting three goals in 31 appearances, after which Wolves decided to cut their losses and allow him to join hometown club Como in Serie B.

His time at Wolves saw him make a total of 28 appearances, and his £63k-per-week wage combined with the transfer fee meant that they would pay nearly £1m for every appearance in an Old Gold shirt, which represents awful business.

The decision to spend such a large fee on a striker who had only enjoyed one good season was a risk that massively backfired for Wolves and it will be a transfer mistake that they are not keen to repeat.

Aston Villa have picked up three points from their first three Premier League games of the season and there is no doubt Steven Gerrard will want to improve upon their current form, with Pete O’Rourke revealing exactly what the club needs in the final week of the transfer window.

What’s the latest?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed the “top player” that Aston Villa should sign to improve their team over the season ahead.

Speaking to Football FanCast, O’Rourke claimed:

“He’s a top player Otavio, he was linked with Liverpool earlier in the window quite strongly as well as Arsenal so he’s got great pedigree, he’s played Champions League, he can score goals and create goals, Villa do need somebody who can do that because they don’t score enough goals.

“They’re too dependent on Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings to get them the goals, so bringing in someone like Otavio could maybe help ease the burden on them as well.”

Gerrard could form a deadly trio

After losing two of their first three Premier League games so far there are certainly many areas of concern for the Villa boss, but the signing of Otavio could certainly improve the quality and goal-scoring opportunities in the forward line.

Villa have had 40 shots on goal, 11 on target but have only managed to convert three, whilst already conceding six, so there is no doubt there is an opportunity there to find a player who can not only offer creativity but better finishing too.

Otavio has scored 24 goals and delivered an impressive 62 assists over 239 appearances for Porto with a goal contribution every 197 minutes played, proving that he could be a very valuable asset in the Villa team and certainly improve their current attacking threat.

When you compare the Portuguese talent, who comes with a £38m price tag, to Emi Buendia, Jacob Ramsey, Philippe Coutinho and Leon Bailey over last season, Otavio comes out on top in many areas of creative play.

Otavio contributed more assists (9) in fact he delivered more than Ramsey, Bailey and Coutinho combined (6), completed more crosses (74) and had more shots in total (44) than everyone other than Coutinho (66), as per FBref.

The versatile talent can effectively play in a number of attacking positions including right midfield, attacking midfield, right or left wing and has even been dubbed the “perfect fit” for Aston Villa by PGR Analytics to suit their narrow style of play in the attacking third.

As a result, Gerrard could form a deadly attacking trio with Otavio delivering the creativity and high-quality goal-scoring opportunities to both Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins if the club can secure a deal before Deadline Day next Thursday.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Atalanta star Ruslan Malinovskyi, according to reports out of Italy.

The Lowdown: Spurs in Malinovskyi hunt…

As per widespread claims, the Premier League club are targeting a move for the Ukraine forward as this summer’s transfer window slowly draws to a close.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici has already backed manager Antonio Conte with seven major signings, sealing summer deals for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie.

Reports have suggested that Spurs are in the market for an attacking midfield player, and according to journalist Andrea Losapio, they may have been gifted a boost as they eye a move for Malinovskyi.

The Latest: Losapio shares Tottenham boost…

Taking to social media, the Italian reporter of TUTTOmercatoWEB claims that a deal between Marseille and Atalanta for the 29-year-old has ‘collapsed’.

He goes on to say that the Ligue 1 giants are ‘particularly annoyed’ and that Malinovskyi has his eyes on a move to the Premier League, and Tottenham in particular.

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Losapio stated on Friday:

“The possible exchange between #Atalanta and Olympique Marseille involving Malinovskyi and Under has already collapsed last night. #OM particularly annoyed.

The Ukrainian wants to move to the Premier League, at #Tottenham”

The Verdict: Swoop in?

While Paratici and co seem yet to make a move going by this update, it appears that the door has just swung open for Spurs to hijack this deal and sign Malinovskyi before the transfer deadline.

There is every chance that the 49-cap international would upgrade Spurs’ options, with the Ukrainian possessing plenty of experience (340 club career appearances) and quality.

Indeed, he stood out as one of Atalanta’s key players last year, ranking in their top five when it comes to attempts at goal, key passes made and successful take-ons per 90 (WhoScored).

Ahead of a long season, with the added workload of Champions League football on top of a congested domestic and World Cup calendar, the more high-quality options that Conte has at his disposal, the better.

Everton could be set to make their biggest signing of the summer yet…

What’s the word?

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees are apparently the favoured destination for reported target, LOSC Lille midfielder Amadou Onana.

Writing on his Twitter, he said: “Amadou Onana wants to join Everton over West Ham as proposal has been submitted to Lille, while Filip Kostic has still not yet accepted West Ham proposal on personal terms.”

A deal that seemed dead in the water for Frank Lampard could now be materialising once more, as he has openly stated his desperation for another midfielder in recent weeks, even if he is to secure a reported deal for Idrissa Gana Gueye.

It’s thought the player could cost in the region of €40m (£33.5m).

Imagine him and Gueye

Finally, It seems like Everton have found the financial freedom to spend a significant chunk of money, with Lampard opting for another midfielder rather than a replacement for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has once again been struck down by injury.

The Merseyside outfit have held a long-term interest in this young Belgian midfielder, but it was thought that due to their battles with FFP no significant outlays would be made this summer.

This could prove a fantastic coup, to snatch the 20-year-old from under the noses of Europa League semi-finalists West Ham United.

One player who he would pair well with at Goodison Park is new signing Gueye, who has earned huge praise for his workmanlike performances in central midfield.

Last season for Lille, Onana managed 41 appearances across the Ligue 1, Champions League and Coupe de France. He has experience far beyond anyone already at Everton, and at such a young age, this “solid” midfield rock can still grow so much.

He also ranked in the top 6% for tackles made per 90, and sitting him alongside Gueye, who is also efficient in the middle of the park could go down a treat.

The Frenchman actually ranked in the top 6% for pressures, top 7% for tackles and top 2% for pass accuracy per 90 minutes across Europe’s big five leagues last term.

If Everton are to insist on playing a two-man midfield for next season, they will struggle to find two midfielders who could still dominate as well as these hard-working dynamos would.

Allowing freedom for the attacking players to express themselves, this transfer could form a fine midfield partnership for many years to come and is indicative of the pulling power this great club still possesses.

AND, in other news: Everton may now sign £8.4m gem “this week”, he could replace their “walking red card”.

Entertainment consists of various mediums, including century-old casino games and gambling. Another prominent medium is betting. The invention of the online platform has made both gambling and betting gain immeasurable popularity and acceptance. With the numerous emergent forms of betting and gambling, many people will likely start using the terms interchangeably. Additionally, gambling and betting involve wagering money on unpredictable events like a race or game. For this reason, it is vital to comprehend the significant differences between the two terminologies. Below are distinct definitions of gambling and betting and their differences.

What exactly is gambling?

Gambling is a long-standing activity that people have been engaging in since time immemorial. It refers to wagering something valuable or money on a game or race with an uncertain outcome. The activity is solely based on the concept of probability. In contrast, permutation and combination, principles of probability, and number theory are necessary for predicting the most accurate outcome of the event in question. The result varies between a ‘Loss’ and a ‘Win.’

It isn’t a secret that gambling can be addictive no matter how many times a person loses. The excitement associated with uncertainty sustains the interest among the parties, and they keep on wagering more and more of their valuables. When looking for a top-rated, legal and safe gambling site, GambleOnline NZ could be a reliable choice. Gambling relies on an unknown or sometimes calculated risk. It can also depend on one’s chance and luck, but the skill hardly comes into play. When someone mentions gambling, you’re likely to think about gaming or sports, but it is much more than that, as it can involve table games, casino games, and slots.

Definition of betting

Betting involves placing a bet on a sport with pre-defined odds or possibilities. This act is a typical agreement between two groups, also known as a wager or bet. In this case, the party that makes an incorrect prediction about an unpredictable event forfeits something valuable to the other. A simple betting scenario is two people betting on the outcome of an election (for instance, who will win the presidential seat between Biden and Trump). Sports betting is the most common form of betting. Most people often place stakes on sporting activities like hockey, football, and basketball matches.

Betting can also entail non-sports events such as reality show contests and political elections. More intriguingly,  sports betting also involves games like underground cockfighting, horse racing, and greyhound racing. Contrary to gambling, betting is somewhat organized and involves a certain skill level when placing a stake. One unique aspect of betting is that the involved parties are aware of the intensity of the condition and the external forces that may influence the final results of the wager.

Critical differences between betting and gambling

One notable difference between gambling and betting is that the former entirely relies on luck while the latter depends on skill, strategy, and luck. This fact implies that the gambling parties do not influence the final result. Interestingly, you can access data online stipulating how much a gambler is expected to lose while playing different casino games. Sports betting, on the other hand, allows the parties to lay unique strategies, conduct extensive research and utilize the information to place them in a better position to win the bet. Although luck is a factor, one can hardly consider it the deciding factor in the long run. This difference may seem negligible, but in practice, it is massive. Another way of looking at it is that the gambling players are sure to lose their valuables and that their only chance of multiplying their money is hoping for a big score and quitting gambling. Sports betting, however, allows the parties to multiply their money in the long run. The chances may be slim, with 3% of sports bettors profiting in the long run, but it is still something compared to gambling. Over time gambling has become more popular than sports betting in the online arena. Even though sports betting is available online, people still prefer placing their bets at live betting shops. Some countries have rules and regulations treating luck and skill games differently, meaning that the residents are allowed to engage in skill games but forbidden to play luck games. This rule implies that betting is allowed while gambling is illegal in those countries.

Both betting and gambling involve wagering a valuable item or money on the outcome of unpredictable events. Many people use these terminologies interchangeably, but after comprehending the differences, which may seem insignificant at first, you’ll never confuse them again. The primary difference between betting and gambling is that betting can be professional or amateur (depending on the skills and strategies), while gambling is usually professional. Betting also allows a certain percentage chance of winning in the long run, while gambling does not.

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