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Everton trio Seamus Coleman, Lucas Digne and Alex Iwobi could all potentially return to face West Ham this weekend, according to Rafa Benitez.

The Lowdown: Hammers head to Everton

The Premier League is back after the latest international break and the Hammers have an intriguing game to look forward to.

David Moyes’ men make the trip to Goodison Park to face his old side, who are impressing under Benitez, sitting fifth in the table currently and level on points with both Manchester City and Manchester United.

The Latest: Benitez provides key update

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Thursday [via Everton’s official website], Benitez confirmed that Coleman, Digne and Iwobi are all in contention to face West Ham after recovering from injuries:

“The international break is an opportunity to bring back players.

“Alex Iwobi was training and [so were] Digne and Coleman – that is good news for us – they have started training with the team.”

The Verdict: Big test for Moyes’ men

Sunday’s match is an extremely difficult one to predict, with two good sides locking horns and the pair both holding European aspirations this season.

Moyes and Benitez didn’t always see eye-to-eye during their Everton and Liverpool days, so they will be desperate to get one over on each other.

Coleman and Digne being back would be a huge boost for the hosts and make life tougher for the Hammers – the pair have a huge amount of experience at full-back – while Iwobi can be an unpredictable threat in attacking areas.

Moyes would have certainly liked to pair the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma up against lower quality defenders, but it looks like the Irons’ task just got that much tougher.

In other news, a journalist has made a key claim regarding a potential West Ham transfer. Read more here.

Steve Bruce has now dealt a triple injury blow to Newcastle United ahead of their game at home to Leeds United in the Premier League on Friday night.

The Lowdown: Pressure mounts

There is now significant pressure on Bruce to get a result against Marcelo Bielsa’s team at St. James’ Park.

The North East club currently sit in 19th place in the Premier League table on just one point, with the Whites sat just above them in 17th (Premier League).

The Latest: Team news

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against the Whites, Bruce has now revealed that it will come ‘too soon’ for Callum Wilson, Jonjo Shelvey and Paul Dummett.

It means that he will now have to try and find a way to get a result without three of his first-team players.

The Verdict: Body blow

It certainly is a blow for the Tyneside outfit to be without all three players against the Elland Road faithful, especially the firing power that Wilson possesses.

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The striker has already managed to score two goals in three matches in total so far this term (Transfermarkt), and could well have made the difference at the top end of the pitch, with Leeds missing three centre-backs through injury or suspension.

Nonetheless, other players in the squad will have to step up now in what looks to be a vital fixture already in the race to avoid being relegated down to the EFL Championship.

In other news, find out which Magpies have trained ahead of the clash here!

Celtic returned to winning ways on Thursday evening and it was probably just as well.

The atmosphere surrounding Parkhead was starting to become toxic again after back-to-back defeats over the last seven days, but the Hoops now look in a better place after reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Ange Postecoglou’s men beat Raith Rovers 3-0 in a display which was significantly better from an offensive and defensive point of view.

Sadly, Celtic are struggling to escape the negatives at the moment. They had already come into the match without the services of Kyogo Furuhashi, Greg Taylor and Callum McGregor through injury.

Summer signing Giorgos Giakoumakis was initially named in the matchday squad for the first time since his arrival from VVV-Venlo.

Unfortunately, the Greek forward never took to the field after sustaining a calf injury in the warm-up which now requires a scan.

Giakoumakis hadn’t been named in a single squad yet while he built up his fitness in training at Lennoxtown. The news that he could now be set for an increased spell on the sidelines, therefore, has hardly come at an ideal time.

Lamenting the club’s unbelievable misfortune when it comes to injury problems, the manager groaned at full-time: “I don’t know what it is mate, I’ve definitely walked under a ladder.”

With Kyogo currently out too, it would have been the ideal time for Giakoumakis to gain some important minutes under his belt and start finding the net regularly.

It’s a seismic blow that the 26-year-old is not available because he scored as many as 29 goals in all competitions last term. Clearly, that kind of record would have improved Celtic enormously.

Frustratingly, Albian Ajeti is also starting to look more rugged in front of goal.

He returned to the team with a bang in the 3-0 win over Ross County by netting twice. He beat the goalkeeper against Betis in the Europa League as well but his performances have dwindled since.

The Swiss was extremely isolated against Livingston and once again failed to find the net against Raith Rovers before being dragged off just after the hour mark.

With Giakoumakis now sweating over his fitness even more, Ajeti will need to step up to the plate.

This news won’t just upset the manager but it will also leave supporters asking questions of the club’s recruitment this summer. A plethora of their new signings have picked up injury problems or haven’t been ready from a fitness perspective.

Giakoumakis ticks both of those boxes.

AND in other news, Celtic may discover their new Ralston in rarely-seen 21 y/o with “excellent pedigree”…

Manchester United have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 18-year-old throughout the summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his engine room options.

And now, the well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Camavinga’s situation, claiming a move away from his boyhood club could still occur before the transfer window closes.

He tweeted: “There are chances for Eduardo Camavinga to leave Rennes in the final 8 days of the transfers market. He’ll not sign a new long-term deal with Rennes, so they’re open to sell Camavinga for €35m fee. #transfers It depends on the offers in the next few days. Open race.”

Solskjaer will love him

The talented teenager has established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most promising young players since making his first-team debut back in 2019, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 86 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir.

Famed for his tackling skills, his ability to drive upfield with the ball and his tactical discipline, Camavinga would be a valuable addition to any top-level squad and Solskjaer would surely love to bring one of the sports most exciting prospects to Old Trafford.

With Paul Pogba’s long-term future at United still up in the air, the chance to bring in a ready-made replacement for just £30m is surely something the club’s hierarchy must be considering.

Although Camavinga is a different player with a different set of attributes to his compatriot, his ability and potential mean he could be the ideal heir to the World Cup-winning dynamo, should he seek pastures new next summer.

Therefore, Solskjaer and United supporters alike will love this news and will surely be hoping that football director John Murtough can pull off a third masterclass of the current window to bring the youngster to the red half of Manchester.

The 20-time English champions are attempting to win their first top-flight title since 2013 this season, and the arrival of Camavinga would be a substantial boost to their chances of doing just that.

And, in other news…Fewer touches than De Gea: £40.5m-rated MUFC dud who lost 60% duels cost Ole vs Saints 

Speaking to Football Insider, talkSPORT pundit Danny Mills has praised chairman Daniel Levy amid the ‘absolute mess’ at Tottenham Hotspur surrounding the Harry Kane transfer saga fall out.

The Lowdown: Kane fails to secure move away…

Since the beginning of the summer, Spurs star Kane was heavily linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester City and their manager Pep Guardiola even confirmed interest in him.

The 28-year-old reiterated his desire to leave Tottenham in May as he presumably contemplated the prime of his career and the clock ticking away when it comes to shots at winning silverware.

However, after an exit failed to materialise, Kane then announced he was staying in north London as pundit Mills drops a claim on the fall out of this transfer saga.

The Latest: Mills praises Levy…

Following the end of Kane’s exit links which seemed to drone on for months, Mills has now praised chairman Levy for sticking to his guns and refusing to budge on asking price.

Meanwhile, he has also criticised the Tottenham star’s PR team and their handling of the rumoured gentleman’s agreement.

“The relationship is going to be a little bit strained,” he told Football Insider when asked about Kane’s situation.

“Fair play to Daniel Levy, he’s stuck to his guns and said – ‘Unless we get a ridiculous fee, you’re staying’.

“We’ve had all this speculation about a gentleman’s agreement, about coming back from training on time, and more.

“None of this has come from Levy. It’s all been started by Harry Kane and the interview with Gary Neville.

“Tottenham just kept their powder dry, the way it has been dealt with by Kane and his PR team is an absolute shambles.

“Why not come out and reveal this gentleman’s agreement? Harry Kane has not come out looking good in this, it’s an absolute mess.”

The Verdict: Interesting times ahead…

Over these next few months, it will certainly be interesting to see how the England international restores his reputation with supporters after his attempt to engineer an N17 exit.

You could argue, with Kane slowly approaching the twilight phase of his career, that his desire to win silverware is natural but fans will also be overjoyed that their most crucial player looks to to be with them for the foreseeable future.

Nuno Espirito Santo can now build his team around the forward who clinched a sensational 2020/2021 Golden Boot last season.

In other news: Spurs chiefs left seething over N17 exit gaffe as Gold drops behind the scenes reveal, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur’s chances of sealing a move for Lautaro Martinez this month seem rather slim after a major update emerged that won’t please many Spurs supporters…

What’s the word?

Over the weekend, reports surfaced suggesting that the North London outfit had agreed a £60m fee for the Inter Milan striker, with Spurs targeting him as a potential partner for Harry Kane, rather than a replacement.

However, according to Fabrizio Romano, this was before they sold Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea, so it seems unlikely that they would offload both of their first-choice forwards in the same window.

Speaking on Sky Sports News (as relayed by Football Daily), the renowned Italian transfer expert said:

“The interest is genuine because it’s true that Tottenham want Lautaro Martinez. They’ve been in talks with his agent, with Inter about Lautaro Martinez, so it’s true that there is a strong interest from Tottenham but it’s something that they wanted to do before Inter sold Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea.

“It was about last week, that’s why the situation now is not easy.

“Inter state that they want to keep Lautaro Martinez at the club. They are convinced that Lautaro will be staying because they sold Lukaku, and they sold Achraf Hakimi to Paris Saint-Germain, so they don’t need money right now. And that’s why I think that this deal with Tottenham will be complicated.”

Bad news

This development will come as a blow to many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Nuno Santo is thought to be eager to deploy a two-man attack system, in which another frontman is needed to partner Kane. But they have missed out on Danny Ings, who has joined Aston Villa, and now appear to have been ruled out of the Martinez race.

It means that the Portuguese cannot play the formation he desires just yet as the England international is his only senior striker – and he’s only just returned from holiday.

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Furthermore, Romano’s claim is sure to upset much of the Lilywhites faithful who were desperate to see the Argentina talisman join this month.

When The Times’ Gary Jacob first revealed their interest over the weekend, many supporters erupted at the news – some pondered whether it was a dream, whilst others lauded sporting director Fabio Paratici.

“Would love this to be true,” said one fan, whilst another added: “If this is true Paratici needs a statue built outside the stadium,” as relayed by This is Futbol.

Martinez provided 19 goals and 11 assists as the Italian giants ended their decade-long Serie A hoodoo last season, so it’s no wonder there were plenty of Spurs supporters keen to see him signed.

They’ll now be fuming at this latest claim as it looks like their club acted too late.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Kane: £40.5m-rated “nightmare” is “on Tottenham’s radar”, Nuno would love him…

According to a report by Il Resto del Carlino (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur managing director Fabio Paratici held ‘new contacts’ with Bologna on Monday over defender target Takehiro Tomiyasu.

The Lowdown: Spurs and Tomiyasu, the never-ending saga?

Tottenham have been in talks for the Japan international since the very start of July, with Sky Sports claiming Bologna rejected a £12.9 million (€15m) bid from Spurs, which included an extra £2.6 million (€3m) in add-ons.

Despite The Athletic’s claim soon afterwards that the Lilywhites were ‘closing in’ on his signing, nothing came of the report once the young defender jetted off to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.

Alasdair Gold, after speaking with sources close to Tomiyasu, was confident his signing would happen but reports of a breakthrough have since died down.

The Latest: Paratici makes ‘new contacts’ for Tomiyasu…

As per Il Resto del Carlino (via Sport Witness), releasing an update on Tuesday, Paratici and Spurs held ‘new contacts’ with Bologna on Monday over the signing of Tomiyasu.

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It is believed that the Serie A side are willing to do a deal for ‘around €25m (£21.2m)’ but could even settle for less if the offer includes ‘performance bonuses’ – which is expected to raise the overall price up.

In another twist, Il Resto del Carlino explain that Bologna have been made to rethink their transfer plans from now until the end of this transfer window after a shock defeat to Ternana in the Coppa Italia.

Boss Walter Sabatini even admitted that they would reflect and listen to ‘really important offers’ should they arrive.

The Verdict: Time to move on?

Despite being lauded as a ‘giant’ player by the Italian press and averaging the joint-most clearances per 90 for Bologna last season (3.3), it feels like this saga is really dragging on and Paratici should perhaps abandon his drawn out pursuit of Tomiyasu.

The stunning performance of Japhet Tanganga against Manchester City last weekend highlighted an arguably better option for Nuno Espirito Santo and one which won’t cost chairman Daniel Levy a penny.

Tanganga can also play at both right-back and centre-half on demand, and given Spurs’ hunt for a new central midfielder and striker, Paratici’s funds are arguably better saved for bigger priority positions.

In other news: ‘Omg’, ‘Yessss’, ‘I beg’…Many Tottenham fans erupt as ‘perfect’ news emerges, find out more here.

Atletico Madrid star Saul Niguez is a wanted man this summer with a number of clubs including Manchester City interested in his signature, and Spanish football expert Euan McTear has dropped his verdict on the situation.

Niguez has reportedly been offered to the Premier League champions in exchange for Bernardo Silva, and has five years left on his contract at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium. Because of the length left on his contract, it could see Atletico demand a large fee for him.

The Spain international’s minutes in the red and white of Atletico diminished towards the end of last season, with Niguez not completing 90 minutes in La Liga since Atletico’s 5-0 thumping of SD Eibar in April.

With this in mind, McTear said: “It makes a lot more sense [a move to City]. He’s not the starter he was in previous years and I think Atletico know he’s one of those players who they can move on”.

Niguez has played in a number of different positions throughout his career, including both centrally and off the wing, and could be an ideal fit for Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola, who once labelled Saul as a “fantastic player”.

The champions look set to bolster their squad this summer as they go in search of back-to-back Premier League titles, and with Bernardo Silva possibly wanting to leave the club according to The Athletic, Niguez could be the perfect replacement for him.

Competition is hotting up for the signing of Niguez, with Euan McTear saying: “He’s been linked with almost everywhere.

“He’s been linked with teams in Italy, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and now City”.

So, if the Cityzens want to capture his signature they may have to move quickly and beat off the competition.

Aston Villa must sell Conor Hourihane this summer amid a recent transfer update on his future at the club.

What’s the story?

The Republic of Ireland international struggled to get much game-time at Villa Park in the first half of the 2020/21 season, playing just 228 minutes of Premier League football before his departure for Swansea on loan in January.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans recently reported that Championship clubs are interested in signing him, although former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has suggested that he will want to fight for his place.

The 34-year-old said: “Knowing Conor, he’s going to want to play at the highest level so he’s going to want to stay in the Premier League.

“I think he’s going to want to stay and fight for his position, put in some good performances in pre-season. Then he can see where he stands at the beginning of the season.”

Time’s up for Hourihane

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of a game against West Ham last season, Villa manager Dean Smith was quick to acknowledge that it was difficult for Hourihane, saying: “Conversations can be difficult but if you’re just speaking to the players with honesty then you usually find a way through that.

“We’d played two, won two and Conor had come off in both games. We signed Ross (Barkley) and I felt we needed to go a different way against Liverpool given who we were playing against. I explained that to Conor and, yes, he was disappointed because he had been involved in the first two games but we felt we’d brought in a real, high-calibre, different type of player.”

That Smith felt perfectly happy to allow the £40k-a-week Hourihane to leave the club on loan for the second half of the season paints a telling picture of just how far down the pecking order he is at Villa Park.

It would be the best move for all parties for him to leave on a permanent transfer this summer, especially with the club also having brought in Morgan Sanson in the January transfer window and looking to sign James Ward-Prowse as well. The Irishman’s time at Villa Park appears to be up.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have agreed personal terms with this star…

Newcastle United duo Callum Wilson and Jamaal Lascelles will step up their injury recoveries this week, according to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder.

The lowdown

Wilson missed Newcastle’s final three matches of the season after sustaining an injury in the 4-2 win at Leicester City. The Englishman had opened the scoring for Steve Bruce’s side in the first half that night, taking his overall tally for the season to 12.

He finished four clear of January loan signing Joe Willock at the top of the club’s scoring charts and also contributed the most assists with five (via BBC Sport).

Meanwhile, club captain Lascelles was absent for the last nine games with a foot injury he picked up in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in April. He started 19 games in total for the Toon last season as they wound up finishing 12th in the Premier League.

The latest

Both Wilson and Lascelles have been active on the training pitches behind the scenes at Darsley Park in the past week and they’re expected to take the next step toward match fitness at the club’s training camp in York.

“Newcastle United’s pre-season preparations have started with a boost,” was Ryder’s verdict for Chronicle Live in response to the duo’s progress.

Most importantly for the Magpies, it’s ‘hoped’ that both players will be ready for the season-opener against West Ham United next month.

The verdict

Newcastle will hope that both players can get 90 friendly minutes under their belt at the very least prior to their meeting with the Hammers to ensure they at least have some rhythm.

Wilson was without doubt the most important player in the side last season. It was in the period following his hamstring injury at the start of February that Newcastle looked most vulnerable, with relegation appearing a very real possibility.

Keep him fit, and they should be able to avoid trouble this time around. Lascelles too will be key, as he’s arguably the best central defender on Newcastle’s books and his leadership at the back is invaluable.

In other news, intriguing details emerge from talks with Amanda Staveley.