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Journalist Ben Jacobs has boldly predicted that Sven Botman will score a winner for Newcastle United in their final game of the season.

What's the latest on Newcastle and Sven Botman?

The Magpies face a big test over the coming months if they are to secure a top-four finish and qualify for the Champions League.

As things stand, they sit third in the Premier League, with a three-point lead on fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, while also having played one fewer game than Spurs.

With that in mind, with nine Newcastle games to play, it's in their hands. Even so, it won't be an easy task and it could come down to the narrowest of margins.

While discussing the run-in on NUFC Matters, Jacobs looked ahead to the final day of the season when NUFC play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Not only did he predict a 2-1 away win, he also named the potential match-winner, saying (9:57): “For me, that will be Chelsea one, Newcastle two.

"And I've got a sneaky suspicion –which again is a very bizarre thing to say – that it will have a Sven Botman winner in that game.

"I don't know why, I've just got it in my head."

Has Botman scored for NUFC?

The Dutch defender only joined in the summer, signing a five-year deal for a fee in the region of £35m after arriving from Lille.

Since then, the £90k-p/w star has wasted little time in establishing himself as a key part of Eddie Howe's defensive plans. Indeed, Botman has played in all but two Premier League games, losing just twice in that time.

However, what makes Jacobs' prediction even wilder, is the fact that Botman is yet to score for the club across 35 appearances in all competitions.

Seeing as things are pretty tight right now in the race for a Champions League spot, there is every chance Newcastle could go to Chelsea on the final day of the season needing a win to secure qualification.

And so it certainly would be a fantastic moment for the club if Botman was to pop up with a winner that also happened to be his first goal in black and white.

His manager certainly seems to think highly of the 23-year-old. Indeed, on the club's run to the Carabao Cup final, he called Botman "excellent".

After the win over Bournemouth, he told the press: “Sven Botman was excellent tonight – I thought that was his best game for us aerially. He was dominant against their strikers.

"His use of the ball this season has been excellent but he’s also come on a lot in other areas. It was a good night for him – and us."

Liverpool target Ryan Gravenberch is keen on a move to Anfield after a positive meeting regarding a deal was held, according to reports.

What's the latest on Gravenberch to Liverpool?

The Bayern Munich midfielder’s contract at the Allianz Arena isn’t set to expire for another four years, but having made just one start in the Bundesliga this season, has fallen out of favour and could therefore be looking to secure a move elsewhere this summer, potentially to the Premier League.

Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg has reported that the Netherlands international is on a shortlist of central targets compiled by Jurgen Klopp with 90min having since claimed that the Reds have made contact to ask for regular updates on the 20-year-old’s situation.

Now, according to De Telegraaf (via Voetbal Primeur and Sport Witness), Liverpool recently sent chiefs to hold “talks” with Gravenberch’s representatives to discuss a potential move to Merseyside. The Dutchman’s camp, including his father, “sat down” with the key figures from Anfield to discover what a deal would look like, and the meeting must have gone swimmingly because it’s stated that the midfielder is “interested” in completing the switch.

The German giants’ star is “becoming dejected” about his lack of minutes at his current club which is why a move “appeals to him”, and as for the price tag, the hope is that FSG wouldn’t have to pay “more” than the €18.5m (£16.3m) Bayern initially coughed up for him.

Should Liverpool go for Gravenberch?

Gravenberch admitting that he wants to join Liverpool will be a huge boost for Klopp and something that the board should take advantage of by splashing the cash to secure his services during the upcoming window.

The Adidas-sponsored gem has posted 69 goal contributions (36 goals and 33 assists) in 215 appearances throughout his career, with this impressive return for a midfielder having seen him dubbed “indispensable” by talent scout Jacek Kulig. As per FBRef, the £152k-per-week also ranks in the 95th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 and the 92nd percentile for shots, which shows that even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, he’s constantly looking to try and make the magic happen in the final third.

Finally, Gravenberch knows what it takes to be successful having secured six senior trophies over the course of his time at Bayern and former club Ajax, so will be able to match the winning mentality of the current squad already on Merseyside.

Tottenham Hotspur could use striker Richarlison as a replacement for Harry Kane if the latter is to leave north London in the summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harry Kane?

As per Sky Sports, Manchester United are keen on signing Harry Kane from Tottenham this summer; however, they will not be drawn into a protracted transfer saga as they battle for his signature.

The report states that Spurs have 'growing concern' that Kane won't sign a contract extension at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium due to their turbulent nature on and off the field with just over 12 months left on his deal; however, the Lilywhites are adamant that he is not for sale.

Bayern Munich are also interested in the possibility of acquiring Kane and The Independent have revealed that the Bundesliga giants could test the water by making a 'persuasive offer' to try and entice him to the Allianz Arena.

Kane has been in brilliant form this term, registering 27 goals and five assists in 45 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

In the event that Kane does leave his boyhood club in the forthcoming transfer window, journalist Jones has speculated in his column for GIVEMESPORT that his replacement could already be in the building in the form of Brazilian striker Richarlison.

Jones suggested: "Sources have told GMS that the possibility of him leaving [Kane] is genuine.

"It’s slightly harsh to throw that stat at Richarlison given it has been a stop-start campaign but facts are facts. He came off the bench to score at Liverpool on Sunday, but Spurs fans would be right to hold some concern."

Could Richarlison replace Harry Kane at Tottenham Hotspur?

Richarlison is someone who has shown in his career that he can be a source of goals; however, Jones is right in pointing out that his record hasn't been up to scratch this season, meaning it would probably anger the Tottenham fans if they weren't to enter the transfer market in the scenario that they did decide to sell Kane.

In his defence, Richarlison did register 11 goals and five assists with Everton in 2021/22, as per Transfermarkt, before completing a £60 million move to Spurs last summer.

The 25-year-old also has 20 strikes in 42 matches at international level with his native Brazil, showing that he can lead the line effectively when prioritised as a central figure in attack.

Nevertheless, Spurs should be looking to bring in a new centre-forward if Kane does choose to depart the club in order to show the fans their ambition or hefty criticism would likely come the way of the Tottenham hierarchy.

Everton moved to seven games without a win in the Premier League on Monday night as they were unable to find a winner against Leicester away from home.

Sean Dyche's side were held to a 2-2 draw by Dean Smith's men as goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Alex Iwobi helped them to pick up a point, which has left them one point away from 17th-placed Leeds United.

They were also dealt a huge blow during the game as first-choice right-back Seamus Coleman was stretchered off the pitch after a horrific collision with a Leicester player, with Dyche admitting that it is "probably going to be more serious than not" after the match, which could put the rest of his season in doubt.

Who will replace Seamus Coleman?

Central defender Ben Godfrey has often been deployed at right-back – as well as at left-back – in recent weeks but the Toffees boss must replace the Ireland international by bringing Nathan Patterson in from the start ahead of the ex-Norwich man.

The Scottish defender is a natural right-back and should be the obvious candidate to come in, particularly when you consider how poorly Godfrey has performed.

In 13 Premier League appearances, the Englishman has averaged a dismal Sofascore rating of 6.42 and been dribbled past 1.4 times whilst making 2.1 tackles and interceptions per match.

Patterson, meanwhile, has averaged a score of 6.69 and made 3.4 tackles and interceptions whilst being dribbled past 1.1 times per outing in 16 top-flight games.

The ex-Rangers defender has performed to a higher standard than Godfrey from a defensive perspective this season, as shown by the aforementioned statistics, and with a potential relegation looming, Dyche must side with the player who is less of a liability in their own third.

Patterson, who was once hailed as an "absolute diamond" by writer Peter Guy, also has the potential to make things happen further up the pitch.

Meanwhile, former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy once hailed the way the right-back "bombs forward", with the defender creating three chances and one 'big chance' in two Premiership starts for Rangers last term, and he could provide energy at the top end of the pitch as well as in defence.

Therefore, Dyche must finally unleash the rarely-seen £11.5m talent, who has not started in the Premier League since the 4-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at the start of January, as Coleman's replacement instead of putting Ben Godfrey out of position once again.

With reports surfacing that West Ham are set to demand over £100m for Decan Rice, it casts our minds to a former wonderkid, who catapulted himself into the global limelight with a wondrous performance at the Emirates Stadium in August 2015.

A then 16-year-old Reece Oxford excellently kept tabs on World Cup-winning Mesut Ozil to announce his limitless potential.

However, since this, his career has unravelled into an underwhelming spiral of disappointment as the prodigy remains one of the Premier League’s greatest anti-climaxes.

What did Reece Oxford achieve at West Ham?

The Englishman joined the Hammers academy from city rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 2011 and expertly rose through the ranks.

Whilst he was still a U15 schoolboy, the youngster regularly appeared for the U18 team and made the bench for the senior side for a League Cup encounter in 2014 to underline his monstrous pedigree.

As a result, the coveted talent signed a long-term professional contract with the east London outfit in 2015 and was crowned the Academy Player of the Year later.

Reverberations of his quality were unavoidably permeating through Upton Park and Oxford make his competitive, first-team debut in the summer of 2015, starring in midfield in a 3-0 win against Andorran club Lusitanos in a UEFA Europa League first qualifying round first-leg tie.

On the opening day of the 2015/16 season, the pivot made his infamous Premier League debut in a 2-0 victory over the Gunners to become the second-youngest top-flight starter of all time.

His manager Slaven Bilic was astounded at his introduction but warned that the player must be protected in order to unlock his career, saying: “He’s definitely going to be a big player but the risk is not over. He’s 16 and that is his only disadvantage. He’s going to have ups and downs. We have to manage him now not only on the pitch but off it too.

“The boy has got everything. Everything. Let’s be fair. Ozil, Cazorla, and Ramsey are world-class players. It’s not easy to minimize their game. He’s definitely going to make it if he progresses and keeps his feet on the ground.”

Throughout the rest of that campaign, Oxford would make another six Premier League appearances, and ahead of the next season, he was named in the Daily Telegraph’s list of the best youth prospects in English football.

To solidify his experience, the gem was sent out on loan to Reading and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Max Eberl, the sporting director of the latter, described Oxford as one of England's "best young defensive talents."

However, in four different loan spells, he failed to ever nail down consistent game-time and was released by Manuel Pellegrini, cementing himself as one who never truly made it, permanently transferring to Augsburg in 2019.

This term, he has been limited to just three Bundesliga appearances due to injury and has drifted into mediocrity – light years off where he was predicted to be back in 2015.

Considering that one month separates the ages of Rice and Oxford, and the frightening trajectory that the club captain is currently on, it is an immense shame that the latter hasn't fulfilled expectations.

Indeed, he and Rice could well have been a starring combo, one that would have earned the club a sizable sum had they both met their potential.

Instead, while the latter has gone on to become a fully-fledged England international, the other is struggling to make a name for himself elsewhere in Europe.

Liverpool need to fortify their midfield this summer.

Brighton & Hove Albion fought hard, with fire and with fervour, to ward off advances from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea for Moises Caicedo in the summer.

The south coast club succeeded, despite the Blues lodging a formal bid of £55m for the Ecuadorian ace and Arsenal subsequently attempting to entice the Seagulls with a £60m, and then £70m package for the burgeoning centre-midfielder.

While the London giants' efforts in grinding away at Brighton's resolve failed, Roberto De Zerbi's men are in the midst of a European-challenging season and lost Leandro Trossard to Arsenal for £27m in the winter window; a further dent to the first-team setup could have proved detrimental.

However, with the campaign approaching its culmination and the AMEX side well-placed to secure a maiden season on the continental stage, it appears they are accepting of the 21-year-old's desire to venture off for pastures new.

That's according to 90min, which states that De Zerbi and co will indeed grant the departure of the assiduous midfielder if their £80m valuation is met, with Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool said to be in the mix to push for his signature.

Brighton signed Caicedo from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for a scant £4.5m a little over two years ago, underscoring a meteoric rise to prominence on the Premier League and international scenes.

Should Liverpool sign Moises Caicedo?

One of the primary facets behind Liverpool's success under Klopp's wing has been the robust energy of the midfield. The former Borussia Dortmund boss' philosophy is built upon high intensity and unrelenting pressure; tactical awareness; an unflappable mentality.

Ageing legs and a tactical dissonance in the camp have resulted in a campaign that has left Liverpool struggling for top four and unable to build upon the success of last year in clinching the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, falling at the final hurdle in the Premier League and Champions League.

Signing Caicedo, who has been dubbed a "midfield machine" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, could be the perfect formula to remedy the outfit's woes.

Having forged 38 appearances this season, scoring one goal and assist apiece, Caicedo has emerged as the engine to keep the vibrant Albion machine churning, with his south coast outfit perched in seventh place with five divisional matches to go, two points behind Tottenham Hotspur in sixth and with two games in hand.

As per FBref, the industrious gem ranks among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's big five leagues over the past 365 days for pass completion, the top 11% for rate of tackles and the top 16% for interceptions per 90, highlighting his impact as a defensive whiz and a composed distributor of the ball.

With the aforementioned statistics in mind, the £15k-per-week star could be the optimum replacement for Gini Wijnaldum, who departed Anfield upon the end of his contract in 2021.

Wijnaldum made 237 appearances for Liverpool and was instrumental in Klopp's most impressive success, winning the Premier League and the Champions League and being described as "irreplaceable" by Richard Jolly.

The 88-cap Dutchman embodied the unrelenting might of Klopp's system at its most powerful, never dropping below an 87% pass accuracy in the Premier League for the Reds, with tactical reports illustrating the importance of his often overlooked and tireless work.

Caicedo can indeed emulate his impact, and despite the high fee, Klopp must consider swooping for a player who could rekindle the Merseyside giant's flame and then some.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur will look to sign either Andre Onana or David Raya in the summer but will face competition for Chelsea.

Who will Spurs sign as a goalkeeper?

It's no secret that Spurs are in the market for a new goalkeeper with club captain and World Cup winner Hugo Lloris expected to depart.

Indeed, this was recently reported by The Times which went on to say that Brentford shot-stopper Raya is a prime candidate to arrive in north London.

Inter goalkeeper Onana has also been linked with a move to Spurs but Premier League rivals are said to be in the race for the former Ajax man too.

While discussing the possible transfer situation between these English clubs on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones claimed that if Tottenham ends up signing Onana, then Raya will join the other club and vice versa.

He explained (31:09): “I mean, at the moment the links are Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United.

"I mean, I was speaking to someone today about this and we were trying to figure out both what we'd heard and where we thought he [Raya] might go.

"And we were like, basically what we think is going to happen here is Onana is wanted by all these teams too – mainly to be fair, Tottenham and Chelsea because [David] De Gea will probably end up staying.

“So it's like, whoever gets Onana, Raya ends up going to the other club.”

Will Raya join Tottenham or Chelsea?

It remains to be seen who Spurs will prefer to chase but with Onana keeping a clean sheet in two Champions League semi-final legs against AC Milan to send Inter to the final, it's safe to say he's got a slightly higher profile right now.

However, Raya has proven himself as a pretty impressive goalkeeper in England, keeping an impressive 19 clean sheets from 60 games during Brentford's first-ever two seasons in the Premier League.

Seeing as Tottenham are certain to finish higher in the divisions than Chelsea, they might seem like the most attractive option in some sense.

However, both teams are currently not in great shape and Daniel Levy might struggle to make any major transfer advances while his side fails to have either a manager or a sporting director.

In west London, however, Mauricio Pochettino is set to take charge so the Blues may be able to swoop in and have their pick of Onana or Raya first, leaving the unwanted goalkeeper to arrive at Spurs.

Chelsea were an extremely busy force in the transfer market last summer, bringing in multiple new additions in what seemed to be a new dawn for everyone involved at Stamford Bridge under new ownership.

One of their most high-profile signings was Marc Cucurella, who arrived to much excitement from Blues' supporters for a fee in excess of £60 million, as per Sky Sports.

Nevertheless, he, like many of Chelsea's players have flattered to deceive this campaign, leaving the west London-based outfit sitting 11th in the Premier League table with just three fixtures left to play alongside being dumped out of all cup competitions.

Undoubtedly, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has a lot to answer for this season and the American businessman may live to regret making such an expensive signing with little to show for it in return.

What's the latest news involving Marc Cucurella?

Cucurella has come under fire for his performances at Chelsea this season and was criticised by talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara after the Blues' Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie against Real Madrid, as the pundit said: “Cucurella is a disgrace, absolutely killed Chelsea.”

Daily Mail journalist Kieran Gill also delivered a crushing verdict of the Spaniard in early February and questioned his willingness to try and be progressive on the ball, writing: "Cucurella looks like a footballer devoid of confidence, as if he’s too scared to take the risky option.

One compilation of his ‘highlights’ against West Ham showed a series of moments when, instead of passing to Mykhailo Mudryk on the left wing, he chose safety."

In his time at Stamford Bridge, Cucurella has been an underwhelming presence on the left-hand side of defence, making 33 appearances in all competitions and registering two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored notes that Cucurella has earned an average match rating of 6.55/10 for his exploits on the pitch this term, ranking him 13th out of Chelsea's 32-man squad in terms of the consistency of his displays, demonstrating room for improvement.

Gill's assessment of Cucurella not being brave enough on the ball also stands up to scrutiny, as FBRef details that the 24-year-old ranks in the bottom 10% of full-backs across Europe's top five divisions for successful take-ons completed over the last 365 days, as he has managed just 0.29 per 90 minutes.

Former Chelsea ace Frank Leboeuf even slammed the transfer as he called it a "crazy" decision.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown thinks that Boehly and company may have paid over the odds to sign Cucurella.

Brown told FFC: "I think the only regret that Chelsea should have over Cucurella is the price they paid. I think there's clearly a good player there who still has time to make an impact for the club, but it's clear they just paid a figure that was way above his market value to get him. I mean, I think everyone went a bit wide-eyed at the time when those figures came out."

Of course, Cucurella still has time to turn things round at the Blues and can be an exceptionally effective player when on form. As per The Evening Standard, UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel praised him in the aftermath of Chelsea's 2-0 triumph in the Champions League last-16, stating: “Cucurella was fantastic, claiming numerous turnovers in the first half and reading the game intelligently as well as showing aerial strength and an accuracy of distribution which underpinned the victory for Chelsea.”

Nevertheless, a return to consistency needs to be a priority for the former Seagulls ace heading into next campaign as Chelsea look to wash away their memory of a dismal 2022/23.

Burnley will be looking forward to their return to the Premier League this summer and Vincent Kompany will be preparing for the huge challenge ahead of him.

The former Anderlecht boss has been a revelation at Turf Moor since his arrival less than 12 months ago, but the step-up to top-flight football will be a true test of the up-and-coming manager.

The club has already put the wheels in motion to build a squad fit to compete, with the permanent signings of Jordan Beyer and Michael Obafemi so far, but will need to add more depth across the squad to ensure they have enough quality and depth.

In the forward line, Ashley Barnes is set for a move to Norwich City following the expiration of his contract, whilst top scorer Nathan Tella is – as it stands – returning to Southampton after an incredible 19-goal loan stint at Turf Moor.

As a result, bolstering the attacking options will be a priority for Kompany in the summer transfer window, with a consistent and reliable goal-scorer desperately needed to replace Tella’s goal contributions.

One player who has been linked to a Burnley move this summer is Aris Saloniki star Luis Palma, a talented forward who could form a formidable attacking partnership with Anass Zaroury.

Who is Luis Palma?

The 23-year-old has been plying his trade in the Greek top flight and his impressive performances has attracted the attention of a number of clubs in the process.

Burnley will need to compete with Leeds United, Rangers, Anderlecht and Dynamo Kyiv who are also named as potential suitors for the promising player.

Over 29 Greek Super League appearances, Palma has scored 11 goals, registered four assists and four big chances created, as well as averaging 2.1 shots on goal, 1.4 key passes, one successful dribble and 37.5 touches per game, proving that he is a huge presence in front of goal.

The Honduran forward – praised for his “brilliant” goal contributions by Spanish agent Paulo Hernandez – not only provides consistent goal contributions but offers great versatility with experience on the left wing, striker role and in attacking midfield.

As a result, Palma could be a fantastic asset to Kompany next season in the attacking threat and combining his hunger for goals with Anass Zaroury’s creativity could cause nightmares for opponents in the top flight.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Kompany develops and builds his squad to compete comfortably next season, and the signing of Palma could be a great place to start.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has retired from football in typical fashion after he snapped back at rival fans for booing him in his goodbye speech.

Why is Ibrahimovic retiring?

The AC Milan forward is finally hanging up his boots at the tender age of 41, having scored 511 goals for clubs including Paris St-Germain, Manchester United, Ajax and both Milan teams, while also winning league titles in four different countries.

Ibrahimovic has played only four matches in Serie A this season due to fitness struggles and his injuries are a big reason why he won’t have his contract renewed, with AC Milan confirming as much before this week’s game against Verona (via ESPN).

Despite not being able to feature much this term, he helped bring the Scudetto to San Siro in 2021/22 when he netted eight goals and claimed three assists in 23 games.

Having not been fit enough to play any part in the final game of the Serie A season this weekend, he still was in attendance and took to the pitch after the game to deliver an emotional speech.

However, as caught in footage shared on Twitter, the Verona fans were more than happy to boo him.

In typical Ibra fashion, he quickly quipped back: “Keep booing. This is the biggest moment in your year seeing me”.

As quoted by Sempre Milan, the rest of his speech was pretty emotional as he even shed a tear or two, saying: “I can’t breathe but it’s fine. So many memories and so many emotions here. The first time I arrived at Milan you gave me happiness, the second time you gave me love.”

He also added: “I want to thank the fans. You received me with open arms, you made me feel at home, I will be a Milanista for life. The time has come to say goodbye to football, not to you. See you around if you’re lucky, forza Milan and goodbye.”

After seeing the footage of those brutal comments he made to the Verona crowd, supporters on social media flocked to Twitter to have their say.

Here are some of the best reactions…

The compliments just kept rolling in…