Newcastle United ‘set sights’ on £26m Arsenal target, Toon and Aston Villa ‘starting to move’ for midfielder

Newcastle United could head into the international break sitting as high as sixth in the Premier League table.

The Magpies are in action this weekend against Bournemouth, with a number of top flight matches set to be postponed.

And with a several sides above them set to miss out on fixtures - and with the gap between Eddie Howe’s men and the top four currently five points - United could be left in a relatively strong position, albeit having played a game more than some of the teams around them.

In the meantime, however, there is plenty of Premier League transfer speculation to work through...

Four Spanish clubs are preparing pre-contract offers for Leeds United and Everton target Ben Brereton Diaz. La Liga quartet Valencia, Villarreal, Celta Vigo and Real Sociedad are lining up moves for the Blackburn Rovers forward ahead of the January window. (Football Insider)

Newcastle United and Aston Villa are “starting to move” for Brazilian prospect Andrey Santos. The Vasco de Gama midfielder is also attracting interest from the likes of Barcelona and PSG. The teenager is valued at around £26 million. (Jeunes Footeux)

Newcastle United have set their sights on signing Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk. Brentford had a £26million bid rejected for the Ukrainian international in the late stages of the transfer window, and he has also been linked with Arsenal in recent times. (Football Insider)

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has claimed that there is “no truth” in rumours linking him with a move to Brighton. He said: “I haven’t really thought about that, there is certainly no truth in it. Everyone who knows me knows what working for Nottingham Forest means to me and how important it is, especially after losing a couple of games. It matters more to me. That is the only thing on my mind, the job I am doing here on a daily basis. It’s consuming enough as it is. It’s the only job on my mind.” (Nottinghamshire Live)

Antonio Conte will not be renewing his contract with Tottenham Hotspur, and “can’t wait” to return to Juventus amid continued speculation about their management situation. The Italian’s current deal in north London is due to expire in June 2023. (Paolo Bargiggia)

Manchester City are “set to join” Chelsea in the race to sign Rafael Leao from AC Milan. The Premier League champions are eyeing up a move for the winger, and their financial firepower has made them one of the frontrunners to sign him. (CalcioMercato)

New Chelsea manager Graham Potter “would love” to be reunited with Brighton midfielder at Stamford Bridge, according to transfer insider Pete O’Rourke. He said:“Chelsea are looking to freshen things up. Caicedo has proven that he has got the qualities to be a top midfield player, and I’m sure Graham Potter would love to be reunited with him. But Brighton, on the other hand, will be hoping to keep hold of the Ecuador international.” (GIVEMESPORT)

PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo can afford to aim higher than a move to Leeds United or Southampton after missing out on a deadline day transfer to the Premier League, former Netherlands international Rene Van de Kerkhof. He said: “This summer, there weren’t really any clubs that suited him. Leeds United and Southampton… I don’t want to disdain those clubs but Gakpo can do more.” (Voetbal International)