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Danny Mills has dropped a quite big relegation claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Leeds United and Manchester City defender thinks that any potential deal between Mike Ashley and the KSA consortium would “without a shadow of a doubt” rely on the St. James’ Park faithful staying in the Premier League:

“I would say so, yes. Without a shadow of a doubt.

“It’s a completely different proposition buying a club in the Championship than it is in the Premier League.

“The whole money situation changes beyond belief. Literally at the blow of a whistle. When that final whistle goes at the end of the season, if Newcastle go down it changes everything, absolutely everything for potential investors.”

Newcastle survival is paramount

Steve Bruce’s team must prioritise avoiding being relegated from the top flight down to the EFL Championship before any sort of takeover talk can even be considered at the end of the 2020/21 term.

If the worst were to happen in the North East, then it is very unlikely that the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) would still be interested in a takeover, simply because of the money involved as Mills suggests.

Ashley would also be able to demand nowhere near the kind of money that he would have originally hoped for if the Tyneside club were to find themselves relegated, meaning that the chief executive of Sports Direct may suddenly be reluctant to sell.

Nonetheless, everything is all speculation at the moment until the fate of the Magpies is sealed come the end of the season, and then the picture will surely become a lot clearer.

In other news, find out what takeover claim from consortium sources has been dropped by Mark Douglas here!

Reliable journalist Pete O’Rourke has confirmed that three clubs are ‘eyeing’ up a potential move to sign Jacob Murphy from Newcastle United.

As per a tweet from O’Rourke, who is oftenÂa reliable source for transfer news, those three teams are Rangers, Southampton and Watford.

Newcastle must keep Murphy

The St. James’ Park faithful must look to keep hold of Murphy at all costs in the summer window, and should especially not be considering selling him to a direct rival in the Premier League.

The 26-year-old is coming in to a nice bit of form in the North East, as he scored a fine goal against Burnley recently to put Steve Bruce’s side on track for a crucial three points at Turf Moor.

Alan Shearer thought that he was ‘excellent’ in the 2-2 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, and his performances of late have certainly warranted him a regular place in the starting eleven.

The fact that the Englishman can play as a wing-back as well as a winger is also a great asset to have for the Tyneside club, and could be very useful in the future.

Nonetheless, the Magpies have to try and do all that they can to keep Murphy and thus fend off any interest from elsewhere.

In other news, find out what emails have shown a Premier League U-turn on a takeover decision here!

An industry expert has dropped a claim on the demise of the European Super League (ESL) and what it means for the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

All six clubs in the Premier League who had already signed up to the proposal have since withdrawn from the league after heavy backlash from football people all around the country.

In a meeting between the other 14 top-fight teams before the collapse, it was discussed to bind a commitment to the principles of English football into the division’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test (ODT).

As per The Chronicle, an industry expert has since had their say on the ESL collapse and what it may mean for the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group:

“It’s still very fresh. The dust will settle on this and the ramifications could be huge for football in the country.

“The feeling is that the basis of the case – the separation of PIF from the state – is unchanged but the sands have shifted around it now. While it may not directly impact arbitration, the pressure for transparency will be there and you could argue lobbying from the ‘big six’ might not be quite as readily heard.

“On the other hand, will there be pressure to keep out another foreign owner with deep pockets who might look to do something similar?

“In the short-term, Nick de Marco and his team will have to prove the same things they were looking to prove before. But if the arbitration doesn’t win, this probably opens up other avenues.

“I’m sure the lawyers will be examining everything that’s happened in the last few days very keenly.”

Newcastle takeover can learn from ESL demise

The proposed new owners of the St. James’ Park faithful could certainly learn from the demise of the ESL.

They will now more than ever have to show that they are fit and proper people to be running the Tyneside club in the North East, as per the ODT.

On top of that, it could also offer them hope that they can negotiate their way through this, with the expert claiming the whole ordeal ‘probably opens up other avenues‘.

Nonetheless, the pending arbitration case between the Magpies and the PL should answer a lot of questions in terms of whether the potential takeover can still be revived under the proposed new owners.

In other news, find out which speedster NUFC have made contact to sign here!

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has tipped Pablo Hernandez to leave Leeds United at the end of the season following a great career at Elland Road.

The Spaniard joined the Whites back in January 2017 following an initial loan spell and has arguably become a modern-day legend at the club, with journalist Phil Hay once describing him as ‘unreal’.

Hernandez has made 172 appearances for Leeds to date, scoring 36 goals and registering 41 assists, not to mention helping Marcelo Bielsa’s side get back into the Premier League. Now 36, however, he has only made two league starts this season, and it appears as though his time at Elland Road is reaching its conclusion.

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Phillips expects Hernandez to leave Leeds

That’s certainly the opinion of one-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Phillips, who told Football Insider that he expects Hernandez to depart once the season ends:

“I think Hernandez will leave in the summer. From the players point of view, he is not getting any younger. He will want to go somewhere and play.

“He’s a brilliant player but there is too many players ahead of him in the pecking order at Leeds. I think he will want to play football and if he is not guaranteed that at Leeds, which he is not, I think he will look to go and play somewhere else.

“He could be a great signing for a team looking to get out of the Championship or a team dropping down to the Championship this season.

“He’s very talented on the ball so he could turn out to be a good signing. I will be interested to see where he ends up this summer.”

Transfer Tavern take

Considering that Hernandez’s current deal expires in 2022, this is the last chance for Leeds to earn a fee for his services, so allowing him to leave makes sense.

They could simply let his contract run down, but the midfielder may not be happy with less playing time next season and the club would lose out on transfer funds this summer.

What Hernandez has achieved at Leeds should never be forgotten, but as is the case with any player, there comes a point when you have to part ways, for the good of all parties.

In other news, there has been a fresh update regarding Leeds potentially signing a Premier League attacker this summer. Read more here.

Leeds United’s Director of Football Victor Orta has held talks with the agent of Rubin Kazan winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia about a possible summer transfer.

Leeds, having performed so well in their first season back in the top-flight, are already looking ahead to the next campaign and Kvaratskhelia is certainly one of the players who they have an interest in.

The 20-year-old hit the headlines late last month as he scored the opening goal for Georgia against Spain in a 2022 World Cup qualifier, although Luis Enrique’s side did manage to come back to win that game 2-1 in Tbilisi.

Kvaratskhelia joined Rubin Kazan in 2019, signing a five-year deal with the Russian side, but Leeds have now shown an interest in taking him from the Russian Premier League to the Premier League.

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The winger has also recently been linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich but we can confirm that his agent has held talks with Orta about the possibility of his client making a summer move to Elland Road.

However, whilst we can confirm that these talks between the representative and Orta have taken place, there is still no indication that a transfer deal is close at this point, whilst doubts remain about whether the Georgian international would be able to secure a work permit in order to make the switch to join up with Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.

There are still a few obstacles in the way of any potential transfer for the 20-year-old and we’ll see in the near future if Orta decides to push ahead to try to get a deal over the line or if he turns his attention elsewhere.

In other Leeds news… Orta could sign their own Andy Robertson as interest grows in teen defender

Daniel Pinder, the editor-in-chief of Get German Football News, has exclusively told Football FanCast that Lucien Favre would be a better fit for Celtic than Jesse Marsch, who will replace Julian Nagelsmann at Leipzig following his move to Bayern Munich.

The Hoops are approaching the three-month mark since they sacked Neil Lennon, although they don’t appear any closer to naming a replacement.

Eddie Howe remains Celtic’s number one target, but ex-Borussia Dortmund manager Favre and Salzburg boss Marsch were both in the running, before the latter’s latest move was confirmed.

The former has been out of management since his departure in December, with Dortmund sitting fifth in the Bundesliga, whilst Marsch is on the verge of leading Salzburg to their second consecutive Austrian league title.

Despite the sorry end to his spell at the Westfalenstadion, Pinder believes that Favre is going to be a man in demand this summer, and would fit the bill at Parkhead.

He told Football FanCast:

“I actually think he’d be more suited to Celtic than Marsch would. But I do think there will be a lot of teams after him in the summer despite his performances for Borussia Dortmund towards the end of his sacking.

“He started his tenure at Dortmund very well but towards the end he was criticised for not knowing what his best XI was and best formation – whether it was 3-5-2 or 4-2-3-1, there wasn’t really any thought behind it.

“Speaking to fans, there wasn’t really any style of play, there wasn’t any plan B.”

Newcastle must make a ruthless call on Yoshinori Muto this summer amid Lee Ryder’s transfer update.

What’s the story?

The Japan international currently finds himself on loan at Spanish side SD Eibar, and it appears the Magpies have got the perfect chance to get rid this summer.

According to The Chronicle’s Ryder, Muto has suggested he is open to staying at the La Liga club for next season, and given that his contract at St James’ Park expires in the summer of 2022, this could be the Magpies’ final opportunity to get some money in for him.

Mike Ashley must get rid

Muto scored just once in 17 Premier League appearances during his first season at St James’ Park, and it just didn’t get any better for him after that – in fact, his total record for Newcastle since his arrival is 28 games played, and just two goals scored.

And it was a move that talkSPORT pundit Darren Gough certainly wasn’t a big fan of, saying: “He (Benitez) went and got Muto. I’m no football expert but at the start of the season I thought ‘that could probably turn out to be the worst signing of the season’.

“He’s scored one goal for them, not really settled in well, has he? £9.5m you spend on just someone. Did he bring him in to start or to just come off the bench?”

The £54k-a-week earning Muto has just been a complete and utter disaster for the Magpies, and this summer should see Mike Ashley make a ruthless call and get rid of the Japanese ace.

The striker’s desire to stay at Eibar has given the Tyneside club a chance to sell him and make some money before he is able to leave on a free transfer next year.

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Any kind of money, however little, would still come as a boost for Steve Bruce’s summer transfer plans.

Meanwhile, this Newcastle signing has been an absolute disaster…

Ahead of their Premier League clash against Manchester City on Friday night, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce might consider making a ruthless decision and dropping Miguel Almiron from his starting line-up.

With the season now winding down, and the Magpies’ safety secured for another year after both Fulham and West Brom saw their relegation back to the Championship confirmed in recent days, there’s a real chance for Bruce to just experiment a little and bring some fresh energy into the side.

And one way he can do that, is by axing Almiron.

The Paraguay international has endured another difficult season on Tyneside, with just four Premier League goals to his name all year – in fact, he’s been on a shocking run of form that has seen him fail to find the back of the net, or and provided just a single assist, since February 6.

A run of three months without a single goal contribution just isn’t good enough, even in the slightly more withdrawn role that he’s been used in lately.

And, last week’s performance against Arsenal was particularly disappointing, coming up against a Gunners side who had just been humiliated in the Europa League by Villareal and there for the taking.

As per Sofascore, the £75k-a-week earning ace’s 31 touches and 19 passes were even lower than goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, and was involved in barely anything of note.

He had absolutely no attempts on goal, and didn’t even managing a single dribble either. That’s not to mention the fact he also provided no key passes either, and it was no surprise Bruce eventually saw enough and took him for Joelinton mid-way through the second half.

After the game, The Chronicle’s Lee Ryder simply called it “one of his poorest displays of the season”, while Bruce himself admitted Almiron had a difficult outing, saying: “I think he’s played very well of late playing in that midfield area. But like us all (against Arsenal), we’ve found it a bit of a struggle. With what we’ve got at the top end of the pitch, I believe he’s still a very, very decent midfield player and can add goals and a bit of flair from it (midfield) like he has done.”

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Almiron’s work-rate and attitude is second-to-none, and there’s a lot to like about the way the Paraguayan goes about things. But sadly, the quality just hasn’t been there, and it’s holding the Magpies back. It’s time for him to be dropped from the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, Steve Bruce is eyeing this Premier League starlet…

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce is heading for a major howler as some eye-opening news emerges from Darsley Park.

What’s the story?

In what has been another difficult Premier League season for the Magpies, one of the big eyebrow raisers of Bruce’s tenure has been the real lack of first-team minutes given to some of the club’s brightest young academy talents.

Barring the Longstaff brothers – even Matty has fallen out of favour this season after his breakthrough Manchester United performance – the Tyneside club haven’t really seen anyone else come through, with Elliot Anderson surely deserving of more opportunities.

And now, some more bad news on the academy front has emerged.

According to Football Insider, fellow Premier League side Spurs have been offered the chance to sign the 16-year-old Bobby Clark, son of former Magpies hero Lee.

The report adds that a Spurs source has revealed “they have been offered the chance in recent weeks via intermediaries to take Clark to London”, and that “the Premier League giants are expected to run the rule over the teenager before making a decision”.

Newcastle fans would be fuming

Called up to the club’s U18s side when he was just 14, Clark has long been touted as one of Newcastle’s best academy players, so news that he’s been offered to Spurs is particularly damaging.

What makes it even worse is the claim that the teenager’s “progress has seemingly stalled”, and that the “youngster has struggled for game time this season after being handed a scholarship deal by the north-east giants”.

While Bruce may not be running the club’s academy, he should have a keen eye over what’s going on, and really should have been on top of something like this, well before these suggestions that a promising young player could just leave.

Magpies fans have already made it clear before, when Clark was linked with Spurs a couple of years ago, that they would want him to stay, so fresh news that he could be set for an exit would surely have them fuming at seeing one of their most highly-rated starlets leave.

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It would be a real howler from Bruce and the Magpies to see the 16-year-old go without first having seen him make an impression on the first-team at St James’ Park.

Meanwhile, this Newcastle man was Bruce’s unsung hero vs Leicester…

Liam Kennedy has criticised the performance of Federico Fernandez as Newcastle United lost 4-3 to Manchester City in the Premier League on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Newcastle inspired

Steve Bruce’s team put in an inspired display against the newly-crowned champions at St James’ Park, but goals from Emil Krafth, Joelinton and Joe Willock were not enough as Pep Guardiola’s men took all three points away from Tyneside.

One player who did not have the best of games was Fernandez, and Kennedy was particularly critical of the Argentine’s performance.

The Latest: Kennedy criticises Fernandez

Writing in his latest player ratings piece for Shields Gazette, Kennedy claimed that Fernandez ‘looked a yard off the pace’ and was ‘second to every ball’, gibing him a mere 5/10 overall rating, the lowest out of any player to have started the game for the Magpies.

The former Swansea City man endured a torrid time, particularly against Ferran Torres, who ended up scoring a hat-trick.

The Verdict: Fernandez must do better

Fernandez simply has to do better if he is to stay in the team for Newcastle’s remaining fixtures of the campaign.

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The Argentina international failed to block any shots or record any interceptions or tackles against Pep Guardiola’s side and only managed 18 touches of the ball in total, fewer than his own goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and any other outfield player to have started the match (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, it was against the newly-crowned champions and Champions League finalists, and so the 32-year-old defender will be hoping that there are easier assignments to come after a less than stellar display last night.

In other news, find out what big Mike Ashley claim has been dropped after a takeover statement was released.