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Newcastle United’s arbitration claim should be heard in public, according to a top football journalist.

Liam Kennedy, a reporter for the Shields Gazette, has called on the Premier League to be transparent and allow football fans to discover how the case is dealt with.

Magpies owner Mike Ashley, who has been keen to sell the club for a number of years, remains frustrated with the Premier League’s failure to reach a decision over a proposed takeover by a Saudi Arabia-led consortium, which collapsed last year.

Ashley released an explosive statement last week, asking Newcastle fans, MPs and other high profile figures to urge the Premier League to allow the case to be heard in public, while Amanda Staveley has also accused them over a lack of transparency.

The claim centres on the way the governing body applied its owners’ and directors’ test when assessing a bid to takeover a club.

Newcastle has insisted, in a statement, that the club has “nothing to hide”.

Kennedy admits the Premier League are keen to keep the case out of the public eye as much as possible.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Kennedy said: “The Premier League have not wanted any of this process to be played out in the public domain.

“Arbitrations are often private but I would certainly argue that this arbitration and the anti-competition, which would be public if it gets to run, is of massive public interest because it’s not only about can Newcastle United Football Club be owned by a certain owner? 

“This is about all football clubs in the Premier League, who has influence on what decisions and who is really making the decisions at the top table in the Premier League.”

‘Celtic have knocked back an approach’ from Serie A side Udinese for centre-back Stephen Welsh, according to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph. 

The lowdown

Welsh came through the youth ranks at Celtic and has now played 41 senior games for The Hoops.

He’s featured nine times in the Scottish Premiership this season, including back-to-back starts prior to the winter break, and eight times in European competition (including qualifiers).

The 21-year-old is thought to earn £3,600 per week and is valued at around £1.3million by Transfermarkt.

The latest

‘It’s understood’ that Udinese approached Celtic over taking Welsh on loan with an option to buy, Joseph reports for Sky,

However, ‘Celtic are keen’ to keep hold of him and they’ve rebuffed the interest.

Joseph points out that Welsh signed a new four-year contract as recently as April 2021.

The verdict

It’s no surprise that Celtic are reluctant to potentially lose Welsh. The Scottish Under-21 international could well establish himself as a key player at Parkhead in the coming years if he continues to improve.

He’s performed reasonably well when called upon this season, averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.1/10 and winning just shy of 60 per cent of his duels overall.

The ‘excellent’ Welsh, hailed as such by pundit Paul John Dykes, will hope that he can earn even more frequent starting opportunities from Ange Postecoglou in the second half of the campaign.

In other news, a fresh update has emerged on an attacking target.

Celtic have started negotiations regarding a deal to bring Reo Hatate to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claimed that the Bhoys’ acting chief executive Michael Nicholson has initiated talks regarding a move for the Kawasaki Frontale left-back, who will become a free agent upon the expiry of his current contract with the J-League side on January 31.

A further report by the Daily Record suggested that the 23-year-old’s move to Celtic could all but be confirmed, as the defender appeared to be bidding fans an emotional goodbye during his team’s recent title celebrations in Japan.

He’s what Celtic are missing

While the emergence of 19-year-old Adam Montgomery and the impressive form of right-back Josip Juranovic playing out of position on the left have somewhat covered for Greg Taylor’s long-term injury at left-back, the fact remains that the position is something of a problem area for Ange Postecoglou.

Considering just how impressive Hatate has been for Kawasaki Frontale this season, the 23-year-old would appear to be exactly the type of player Celtic are missing on the left-hand side of their backline.

Indeed, over his 26 J-League appearances this term, the £720k-rated left-back scored four goals, registered two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 1.9 shots and making one key pass per game.

The player who Opta analyst Sacha Pisani claimed “has a rocket of a left foot” also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, averaging 1.4 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 52.3 passes and winning 5.5 duels per match.

As such, with Hatate seemingly a defender equally as adept going forwards as he is solid at the back, he would indeed appear to make a fantastic prospective addition to the Celtic squad this January, particularly on a free transfer.

In other news: Forget Jota & Kyogo: “Quality” Celtic gem who made five key passes ran the show on Thursday

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Glasgow Rangers side head into Sunday’s Premiership clash knowing that they simply must secure all three points if they are to give themselves any chance of retaining their domestic crown this season.

Indeed, with their Glasgow arch-rivals currently leading by nine points in the league, the Light Blues cannot afford any slip-ups if they are to push the table-toppers as far as possible over the remaining five games of the 2021/22 campaign after today’s clash.

As such, while a trip to Stephen Robinson’s 10th-placed St Mirren should not cause the Europa League quarter-finalists too many problems, Van Bronckhorst must nevertheless ensure that he gets his team selection spot-on against the Buddies in order to secure victory.

While it is true Leon Balogun had something of a shocker in the 1-0 defeat to Sporting Braga last time out, it would appear as if Fashion Sakala is the most likely candidate for the chop on Sunday afternoon, as the 25-year-old well and truly fluffed his big chance leading the line for Rangers on Thursday.

Van Bronckhorst must axe Sakala

Indeed, over his 62 minutes on the pitch in Portugal, the centre-forward cost his side dearly through his wastefulness in front of goal and extremely poor hold-up play. The £3.6m-rated striker missed the target with both of his shots at goal – one of which was deemed a big chance – completed just three of his seven attempted passes and enjoyed just 20 touches of the ball.

The £10k-per-week forward also lost all 10 of his duels, committed two fouls, was flagged offside once and lost possession 11 times, meaning he gave the ball away with every 1.8 touches. These returns saw the 25-year-old earn a hugely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.1.

Furthermore, the Daily Record’s Andrew Newport also awarded the Zambia international a five in his own player ratings, stating of the centre-forward’s display: “Given the unenviable task of filling Alfredo Morelos’ boots but missed two huge chances to give Rangers the lead. Hold-up play was hopeless.”

As such, with Rangers needing to ensure that they take their chances on Sunday afternoon, Van Bronckhorst simply must axe Sakala from his starting XI, as the player who Tom Stoltman claimed “doesn’t cut it” could very well end up costing his side their Premiership crown against St Mirren.

AND in other news: Van Bronckhorst can axe £10k-p/w liability as Rangers eye “frightening” £8.4k-p/w “bag of tricks”

Sharing transfer news out of Tottenham Hotspur, journalist Michael Bridge of Sky Sports has dropped an update on the Lilywhites’ pursuit of Sofyan Amrabat.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

Before Tottenham reliably closed in on the signings of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus (Sky Sports), it was believed that transfer chief Fabio Paratici had his eye firmly on Fiorentina’s midfielder.

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Reports even suggested that the Lilywhites had reached an agreement for Amrabat as Antonio Conte set his sights on midfield additions.

Sharing news out of Spurs, Bridge has revealed the latest update involving the Morocco star.

The Latest: Bridge shares Amrabat update…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, revealing what he knows, the Sky Sports reporter believes that the big development on Bentancur and Kulusevski has had an impact on this transfer. Indeed, he says that Amrabat will not join the Lilywhites this January.

When asked if a Spurs move for the Moroccan is now off the cards, he responded: “That’s what I’m told. I think Amrabat was someone who they knew they could get as a Plan B, so that looks like it’s not happening now.”

The Verdict: Big loss?

As Bentancur, who shone at the 2018 World Cup, reportedly makes his way to N17, we believe Amrabat isn’t exactly a big loss despite former Palermo sporting director Rino Foschi calling him a ‘bargain’ player.

As the alternative, Bentancur has averaged an impressive 2.8 tackles per 90 in the Champions League this season, the joint-most out of any Juventus player in the competition (WhoScored), and we think it is clear that the Uruguay international is a more than adequate choice for Conte’s midfield.

In other news: Spurs now prepared to pay £49.8m release clause for 54-cap star! Find out more here.

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers face off against Hearts at Ibrox today in a huge clash at the top of the Premiership table.

A win for the home side would see them move four points clear at the top, whilst a defeat would see them drop down to second with the Jam Tarts overtaking them.

The Gers beat third-placed Hibernian 2-1 prior to the international break, as Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos’ second half goals secured the three points.

How many changes will Gerrard make to the team from that victory? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes to the side from the win over Hibs, with Jon McLaughlin, James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe all returning.

Firstly, we believe that McLaughlin will line up between the sticks. We published an article explaining why veteran shot-stopper Allan McGregor must be axed by Gerrard for this clash, and the former Liverpool captain could heed that advice and go with the 34-year-old today.

At right-back, captain Tavernier could return in place of Nathan Patterson. The teenage defender provided an assist against Hibernian and recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.6, which is why this is a difficult call to make. However, the experience (more than 300 appearances for Rangers) and leadership of Tavernier in a crunch game like this could be crucial for the Gers.

In midfield, Joe Aribo, Glen Kamara and John Lundstram could retain their places in the middle of the park. We published a piece detailing Steven Davis’ woes for Northern Ireland on international duty, which is why he could be watching on from the bench for today’s clash.

Finally, Roofe could come in for Scott Wright to line up on the left of the front three, with Morelos through the middle and Ianis Hagi out on the right. The former Leeds striker came off the bench and scored against Hibernian and we previously discussed why he deserves to start.

Wright and Hagi both caught the eye against Hibs and it is not an easy call on who to drop out of the pair. However, the latter created five chances in comparison to Wright’s four and that gives him the edge for this match, with the Romanian keeping his place in the side.

AND in other news, Wilson must avoid Rangers nightmare over “unique” beast compared to Yaya Toure…

Morgan Rogers is reportedly one of the names that Manchester City could look to sell this summer as they try and fund a move for Harry Kane, which could prove to be a huge mistake in the future given his obvious potential.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, City are pushing ahead in their efforts to sign the Tottenham Hotspur striker this summer and believe that they can raise more than £50m through the sales of fringe players, with Rogers named as one of those who could depart.

The 19-year-old was signed from West Brom in a deal reportedly worth £4m when he was just 16 but is yet to make a first team appearance for the Citizens.

In 25 appearances for the under-23s, the versatile forward contributed an impressive six goals and four assists, before joining Lincoln City on loan in League One for the second half of last season.

He established himself as a regular in Michael Appleton’s side, managing six goals and four assists in 28 appearances and helping the Imps to the play-off final, where they ultimately lost out against Blackpool in their bid to earn promotion to the Championship.

Will Man City regret selling him?

After his excellent performances in the third tier, it is no surprise that he has attracted interest from the Championship and Premier League this summer, with Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace among those reportedly interest in signing him.

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It seems from ESPN’s report that Man City are aiming to make a quick profit on Rogers this summer in order to raise funds, but that is poor long-term planning by the club, as the 19-year-old seems to have a huge future and hasn’t ever been given an opportunity in City’s first team.

Lincoln City reporter Ben Robinson sang the teenager’s praises during his loan spell at Sincil Bank last season, saying: “His goals against Ipswich Town and Crewe Alexandra show the threat he carries at such a young age.

“His vision on the ball is outstanding too, and him and Brennan were up there as the best wide players on their day last season.”

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It is worrying that City are willing to sacrifice some of their top young talents in order to afford a move for Kane, as it is a decision which could definitely come back to bite them in the future.

In other news… Guardiola can unleash Man City’s next Sane in “incredible” academy gem

Newcastle United finally got their first win of the Premier League season with a 1-0 victory at home to Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

Callum Wilson pounced on some spillage from goalkeeper Nick Pope to calmly slot the ball into the back of the net and give his team all three points at St. James’ Park.

There were some spirited performances from Eddie Howe’s side on the day, but some may have been disappointed with their own individual displays.

As such, The Transfer Tavern have used statistical experts SofaScore to analyse who the three worst players (to have played at least 45 minutes) for the Magpies were:

Fabian Schar

Schar may count himself unlucky to have been ranked third given that he got the assist for Wilson’s goal, but nonetheless SofaScore decided to give him a 6.6 overall rating.

The central defender lost out on 11 of his duels in total, the third-most out of any of his teammates, as he also failed to record a single interception or tackle in the game.

Schar was also guilty of giving the ball away on no fewer than on 20 separate occasions in the match, the most out of any Toon player.

Joe Willock

Willock was also given a 6.6 rating by SofaScore, but ranks in second here courtesy of Schar’s assist.

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The former Arsenal man lost five duels, and also never managed a shot on target, interception or tackle, while he lost possession a total of 11 times.

Allan Saint-Maximin

So often the bright spark in the North East, Saint-Maximin was lively as usual, but nothing really came off for him. As such, SofaScore decided to give him just a 6.1 rating.

The winger lost out on nine duels, and failed with three of his shots on goal, while he also failed to put in an accurate cross or long ball.

Saint-Maximin also gave the ball away on 18 different occasions, the joint-third most out of any of his teammates.

In other news, find out which Gazza-like technician NUFC now have ‘the opportunity’ to sign here!

Celtic face off against Aberdeen at Parkhead today as they return to Premiership action following their loss to Bayer Leverkusen three days ago.

Ange Postecoglou’s side were left frustrated as they lost 3-2 to the German outfit in the Europa League on Thursday night, with Moussa Diaby scoring a late winner for the hosts. Goals from Josip Juranovic and Jota had put Celtic 2-1 heading into the last half an hour, but Robert Andrich and Diaby struck late for Leverkusen.

How many changes will Ange make to the Hoops team for today? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes from Thursday, with Liel Abada, Mikey Johnston and James McCarthy coming in.

Celtic are facing a busy period of games heading into December and they could benefit from utilising their squad depth in the coming weeks. This means that Postecoglou may need to rotate his side and make changes irrespective of individuals’ form to hand some players opportunities to impress and others a chance to have a rest and avoid burnout.

The Australian may be forced into one change, though, as Nir Bitton could miss out through injury. He said after the loss to Leverkusen: “I was a bit disappointed to see Nir come off. In terms of how he is going to be, I’m not really sure. We will assess him, but he has been pretty influential for us and did well to help set up our second goal in Germany.”

We published an article explaining why McCarthy should start, with the Irishman potentially lining up at the base of the midfield.

We also predict that Abada will line up on the right of midfield ahead of James Forrest. The 20-year-old should be handed a start, due to his ability to be a game-changer for the Hoops, with seven goals and five assists this season. He could come in and provide a spark out wide after a disappointing display from the £19k-per-week Forrest on Thursday night – as he recorded a SofaScore rating of 6.2.

Finally, Johnston could start ahead of David Turnbull in midfield. The latter might be offered a rest ahead of the busy December schedule, whilst the former could have an opportunity to show his manager that he deserves more minutes in the team. Johnston has only started once in the Premiership this season, but came off the bench against Leverkusen and created one chance in 18 minutes, showing a glimpse of what he is capable of producing when afforded the opportunity.

AND in other news, Forget Bitton: Ange must unleash “top-class” £14k-p/w Celtic maestro vs Aberdeen…

Celtic are interested in Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster, according to Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Foster’s love for Parkhead

Foster, who has been with Watford since 2018, has less than 12 months left on his Vicarage Road deal.

The 38-year-old, on £33,000-a-week in London, recently shared his love for Parkhead.

He described Celtic Park as ‘the best atmosphere I’ve ever played in my life’, with Foster featuring for Manchester United in a 1-1 draw back in 2008.

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The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports, cited by Football Daily, shared an update live on TV on Thursday regarding potential Tottenham outgoings.

They mentioned Celtic’s interest in Joe Hart before saying the Hoops ‘also have an interest’ in Foster.

It appears as if it’ll be one of the other out of Hart and Foster, with Ange Postecoglou already having Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain, Conor Hazard and Ross Doohan on the books.

The Verdict: Foster or Hart?

Foster and Hart hardly featured for their respective clubs in 2021 but both have over 300 games of Premier League experience under their belt.

Hart is four years Foster’s junior, so perhaps favouring a deal for the Spurs man would be a shrewd option.

It seems as if Celtic don’t want to pay a fee for Hart, though, so Foster could be an alternative target if those negotiations fall through.

Either way, it is clear Postecoglou is desperate for an old head in between the sticks – it has certainly served arch-rivals Rangers well with Allan McGregor.

In other news: ‘Celtic are finally closing in’ – Devlin’s transfer post on ace with ‘excellent final ball’.