It is no surprise that Newcastle United are on the hunt for a striker this summer.

The Magpies only netted 39 times in the Premier League last season, with forwards Dwight Gayle and Joselu only scoring ten goals between them.

It had been previously rumoured that prolific Dutch striker Bas Dost could be on his way to St. James’ Park, but reports suggest he has elected to join Fenerbahce instead.

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Sampdoria striker Duvan Zapata is one of the latest strikers linked with a move to Newcastle following an impressive season in which he scored 11 goals and assisted four in Serie A.

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We asked Newcastle fans in our poll if they wanted to sign the 27-year-old, valued at £18million on Transfermarkt, and it appears the Toon Army are rather fond of the Colombian striker.

73 per cent of those polled said they do want Newcastle to sign Zapata, with 27 per cent clearly reluctant to fork out their precious cash on one player.

The 6ft2 powerhouse can dominate defenders and would be ideally suited for the physical battle of the Premier League, and Newcastle fans seem to agree.

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds United could step away from a deal for Derby County’s Matej Vydra after balking at the striker’s wage demands.

What’s the story?

It is not exactly a secret that Leeds want to sign Vydra this summer, with new head coach Marcelo Bielsa desperate to improve his forward line ahead of the new campaign.

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Leeds are said to be prepared to meet Derby’s £11m valuation, and it had been suggested that a deal was close to going through.

However, according to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Vydra’s increased wage demands could make it difficult for Leeds to complete a deal in this summer’s transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites are prepared to pay Vydra in excess of £30,000 a week, but the 26-year-old has now increased his wage demands.

As a result, Bielsa’s team could now walk away from a deal which had seemed very close to completion over the weekend.

Should Leeds pay Vydra what he wants?

There is nothing wrong with Vydra rating himself, especially considering that the forward has scored 65 times in 187 Championship appearances during his career.

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The 20-time Czech Republic international scored 21 times in 40 league appearances for Derby last term, meanwhile, and there is no question that he would improve Leeds.

There is a fine line between rating yourself and being greedy, however, and Vydra needs to be careful that he does not fall into the latter category.

After all, Leeds are offering him the chance to spearhead an exciting promotion challenge next term.

The Whites have thus far been frustrated in their pursuit of a number of strikers this summer, and both parties should do all they can to ensure that this one gets over the line.

Liverpool are looking to build on last season’s successful season, which despite ended in misery in the Champions League final, was a huge step forward for manager Jurgen Klopp and his team.

The Reds are already packed to the rafters with top talent, and Klopp will be confident of challenging next season given he has already signed the likes of Naby Keita and Fabinho, with French winger Nabil Fekir also remaining on the radar.

Last season saw the club splash the cash on key defensive lynch-pin Virgil Van Dijk, and despite the impressive form of Dejan Lovren in the World Cup this summer, there is a feeling more is needed at centre half if the club are to really challenge.

One player who is hot on the lips of everyone lately is England defender Harry Maguire, and we at the Tavern think he should be the number one target for Liverpool for the rest of the summer.

The £22.5m-rated defender was simply superb for the Three Lions over in Russia, and he leaves with his reputation enhanced and surely a chance at getting a move to one of the so called big boys.

With Van Dijk already firmly in place at Anfield, the thought of Maguire being paired with him is something Liverpool fans would be delighted with.

Classy on the ball, dominant in the air, Maguire would be a superb addition for the Reds and would surely help lead them to their first Premier League title.

Liverpool fans, what do you think? How good would Maguire be? Let us know in the comments!

Tottenham are still yet to sign anyone this transfer window which really shows a lack of ambition from the club ahead of the new campaign. 

With a well-documented move to their new stadium on the horizon, hype surrounding transfers has been non-existent. The club can’t expect that a stadium move will be the solution to everything, the players on the pitch are the decisive factor ultimately. With the future of top defender Toby Alderweireld still uncertain, Spurs could find a good replacement for the Belgian international in Newcastle’s Jamaal Lascelles, who is valued at £13.5 million on Transfermarkt.

The Magpies skipper played in 33 Premier League games last season, helping his team to a strong 10th place finish even if at points their survival didn’t seem certain. The 24-year-old is a strong enforcer that isn’t ever afraid of putting his foot in, something that deems him more a traditional centre-back and one that Tottenham could benefit from.

Having been in the Premier League for a few seasons now, Lascelles knows the league and won’t need to adapt in order to become a rock at the back for Spurs. Although Lascelles isn’t a massive name in terms of defenders, the job he does for the team is brilliant and his leadership qualities can help cement a tight-knit Tottenham defence even more.

He still has years ahead of him along with a number of other Tottenham players and with the purchase of the Englishman, Spurs can once more look to the future dreaming of imminent success.

Do you agree… Let us know!

Wolves continue to shock football fans across the world with the talent they’re bringing into their squad, which leaves them with a great chance to prosper in the Premier League. 

They have really given themselves the best chance of succeeding in the top flight with the ambition they’ve shown in the transfer market and if that continues, the sky is truly the limit for Wolves. To improve their defence further, something that will need to be improved because of the high level of quality forwards in the Premier League, Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne should be an option worth considering at £18 million (via Transfermarkt).

The 27-year-old was ruled out by injury for the majority of last season, only able to make 3 appearances due to injury. Nevertheless, his ability is well known by Liverpool and others around the Premier League which is why it would be such an impressive coup for Wolves to bag his signature.

With an endless amount of money floating around the club, Wolves should make sure it’s spent wisely on a position that could be improved and although Matt Doherty is a decent player on the right-side, Clyne is a significant upgrade that could lead Wolves to bigger and greater things this season.

His time at Liverpool could well be limited due to the meteoric rise of Trent Alexander-Arnold and a move to another Premier League team where regular football would be guaranteed maybe appealing for the Englishman. He is just reaching his peak years in football and that could be spent going from strength to strength with Wolves, with their new stars on their journey to brilliance in the top flight.

Do you agree… Let us know!

Free-spending Wolves have not been put off by the dislocated shoulder suffered by transfer target Adama Traore in a pre-season outing for Middlesbrough, according to the Express and Star.

What’s the latest, then?

The report claims that the shoulder problem suffered in Boro’s abandoned friendly against local rivals Sunderland on Friday has not stopped Wolves making a bid for the rapid wideman.

However, the bid has reportedly been rejected and it does not match Traore’s £18m release clause as Wolves feel that is not a fair valuation.

The report also says that Wolves are not the only club in the hunt and face Premier League competition in the shape of Huddersfield Town for Traore’s signature.

Ditch Traore, land Chadli

Traore would make an incredible impact on the Premier League if fit, but coming off the back of a pre-season injury and tasked with adjusting to a new club, style, league and team-mates, it is likely he would struggle.

It is tough to see why Wolves are haggling over £18m – a very reasonable fee in the current market – for Traore but what that does show is they don’t view him as essential to their hopes of making a top flight splash.

Therefore, they should wait until January or next summer to buy him, or move onto Nacer Chadli of bitter rivals West Bromwich Albion.

The gifted midfielder gave the world a timely reminder of his quality for Belgium out in Russia this summer but must know his international hopes will fade if he spends a season in the Championship.

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Aston Villa having recently confirmed that Steve Bruce will stay on as manager and is hoping to complete some significant transfer business with the window quickly drawing to a close. 

With all the talk about players leaving like Jack Grealish, rather than those coming into the club, Villa fans are becoming worried about just what will happen to the team who lost in the play-off final last year, was that their only chance to get back to the big time or will they prove the doubters wrong?

That for anyone to say is unknown right now but in a bid to improve their side, Villa should look at bringing in Nathan Dyer of fellow Championship side Swansea.

Having made 15 starts in the Premier League last season, even at the age of 30, Dyer has shown that he can still be an asset to any team willing to take a gamble on the Englishman. He still has that great burst of speed and energy, helpful to any team looking to cause damage to their opponents.

Jack Grealish is a top quality player that is good enough for the top flight and with little chance of persuading him to stay, Nathan Dyer is a decent replacement.

The Villans are yet to bring in a single player and with the transfer closing in just over a weeks time, Steve Bruce and his team best get a move on. Nathan Dyer may not exactly be a glamorous signing but one that could work out well for both parties as the winger still has so much pace and energy to offer a team like Aston Villa.

Do you agree… Let us know!

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror’s Live Blog (09/08, 05:31), Rangers are interested in a loan move for striker Dominic Solanke. The 20-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League giants Liverpool and has done so since making the move from Chelsea 12 months ago, although the forward unsurprisingly found it difficult to dispose the likes of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah in Jurgen Klopp’s team last season. 

And while the English transfer window shut at 5pm on Thursday, the Scottish one remains open, and as such Rangers are reportedly keen on luring the £9 million-rated striker (as per Transfermarkt) to Ibrox, in a move which would complete the club’s best summer in many a year.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Gers have been in a state of disarray for a number of years now under the stewardship of Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha, and while Graeme Murty somewhat steadied the ship in the second half of last season, he was never likely to be the long-term option.

And while Gerrard’s appointment over the summer was met with huge enthusiasm, several Rangers fans knew that he needed backing to become a success north of the border, and thus for that optimism to bear fruit.

And it has so far been an outstanding summer at Ibrox with no fewer than 11 faces through the door, ranging from the experienced Allan McGregor and Scott Arfield to the exciting Ovie Ejaria and Ryan Kent – the Light Blues have performed remarkably well.

Add in the fact that they kept hold of right back James Tavernier beyond the English deadline amid interest from West Brom, and Rangers have enjoyed an excellent summer – the possible arrival of Solanke would make it their best in many a year.

The 20-year-old made the move to Liverpool last summer after struggling for regular football at Chelsea, yet he has experienced the same difficulties at Anfield in mustering just 27 appearances for the Reds, of which only six have been starts.

In fact, it took Solanke until the final day of last season to register his first goal for Klopp’s side, but those struggles shouldn’t detract from a player with immense potential to become a quality forward.

The one-time England international is strong and has a big presence aerially, at the same time showing a quick turn of pace for someone six foot two – and with seven goals on loan at Vitesse in the 2015/16 season, he knows where the back of the net is as well.

And making the move to the Scottish Premiership could be exactly what he needs to kick-start his career, at the same he could be exactly what Gerrard needs to add further quality to his strike force, and thus take the weight off of Alfredo Morelos, one of just two men (the other being Josh Windass who left on Thursday) who reached double figures last season.

As such, with Rangers reportedly keen on the Liverpool striker, adding him to their squad before the August 31 deadline would round off the Gers’ best summer in many a year.

Rangers fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Leeds spent a measly £10.17 million in the transfer window over the summer, only bringing in five new players.

Arguably one of the best buys of the summer, the Yorkshire club brought in Barry Douglas from Wolves for £3.06 million and then splashed out on Patrick Bamford to provide cover up front should Kemar Roofe get injured.

At the back however, the club didn’t bring in any new recruits, instead deciding to stick with fan favourite Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper as the starting pair.

Bielsa does have Pontus Jansson and Conor Shaughnessy at the back too but as it stands, there are only three out and out defenders on the books and Leeds could do with dipping into the loan market to bring in some added depth.

With that in mind, Football.London via Todo Mercado Web s reporting that Leeds are interested in bringing in Tottenham Hotspur defender Juan Foyth.

The Breakdown

In what could prove to be a wise move, Leeds decided not to overspend on a defender on deadline day.

A loan deal at this stage seems like it could be an astute piece of business and with Mauricio Pochettino’s links to Marcelo Bielsa, it could well happen.

Highly rated when he made his £8 million move to Spurs last year from Estudiantes, Foyth made five appearances in the FA Cup, one in the Champions League and two in the League Cup.

With Vertonghen, Sanchez, Alderweireld and Dier ahead of him in the pecking order, a loan move to Leeds could prove vital for Foyth.

What do you think about this Leeds fans?

According to the BBC, Championship side Swansea are close to securing a loan deal for Tottenham defender Cameron Carter-Vickers. 

This was a player that was unlikely to feature much under Mauricio Pochettino this season, so has wisely chosen to ply his trade elsewhere. Playing for promotion hopefuls Swansea is a great move for the 20-year-old.

This will be the third loan spell for Carter-Vickers (valued at 900k on Transfermarkt.co.uk), after spending last season at Ipswich and Sheffield United. But the question will begin to arise about the defender of whether he will ever break into the first team in north London.

This has happened to a number of promising players for The Lilywhites over the past few years. This happened to Tom Carroll and Alex Pritchard to name two; players that never made the grade, were loaned out continuously before being sold eventually. To a lesser extent this happened to the likes of Andros Townsend and Steven Caulker; players that featured a bit but didn’t make the cut in the end.

This is in no way saying that Carter-Vickers is going the same way as those players, he may still have a bright future at Tottenham. But for now it appears that he will continue to be loaned out. The fact that Pochettino has decided to keep hold of fellow 20-year-old Juan Foyth suggests the young Argentinian is held in higher regard than the American international.

So it seems like Carter-Vickers is in a state of limbo, where it is unclear whether he will make the grade at Tottenham. Although he is young, Dávinson Sánchez was almost the same age as him when he started playing regular football for The Lilywhites last year, Dele Alli was even younger.

Ultimately, there isn’t much point in loaning Carter-Vickers to about four different Championship clubs for the next four years. It’s a case of Pochettino making a decision about his player’s future as soon as possible, for the sake of his career.