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Newcastle United have received an approach regarding the summer availability of Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui, according to reports.

What's the latest on Mazraoui's future?

The Morocco international first arrived at the Allianz Arena in July 2022 on a free transfer from Ajax, but his debut season in Germany hasn’t gone as well as he would have no doubt hoped upon putting pen to paper.

The Bavarians star has been significantly out of favour having made just six starts in the Bundesliga this season, and has so far only recorded one outing under Thomas Tuchel since he was appointed following the departure of Julian Nagelsmann. Despite his contract not expiring for another three years, he could therefore already be considering a move elsewhere, and should that be the case, he won’t be short of any potential suitors in the Premier League.

The Magpies are long-term admirers of the 25-year-old having been initially linked with him two years ago, but bigger clubs were better placed to sign him at the time. Now though, the northeast outfit have been given the perfect opportunity to take a second bite of the cherry and are in a better position to compete with their rivals…

According to 90min, Newcastle, Manchester United, Wolves, Arsenal, West Ham United and Crystal Palace have all been “alerted” to Mazraoui’s availability by his personal representatives. PIF and Eddie Howe are set to be “kept informed” of the right-back’s transfer situation in the weeks and months ahead, but the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have also been “told” that he could be on the market at the end of the season.

Where would Mazraoui fit in at Newcastle?

Newcastle will eventually need to recruit for life after Kieran Trippier who isn’t getting any younger (32), and as a full-back who “cannot be defended” when flying forward, according to ESPN analyst Arnold Bruggink, Mazraoui would be the ideal long-term successor.

The Leiderdorp native is strong in defence having won 71 per cent of his tackles this season but is also a threat down the flank having posted 48 goal contributions (26 assists and 22 goals) throughout his career to date.

The £132k-per-week ace, who has the flexibility to operate in a remarkable eight different positions across the field, additionally knows what it takes to be successful having got his hands on seven senior titles since bursting onto the scene, so would enhance the winning mentality of the squad already at St. James’ Park.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has been left shocked after Mikel Arteta admitted his Arsenal team were "too comfortable" in their recent draw.

What did Arteta say after the Arsenal match?

It was a hugely disappointing afternoon for the Gunners on Sunday as their hopes of winning the Premier League took a big blow.

Things started to so well for the north London side as they raced to a two-goal lead against West Ham United after just ten minutes.

Indeed, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard fired Arsenal ahead but Arteta's men seemed to lose focus and Said Benrahma netted a penalty to get his side back into the game.

In the second half, Bukayo Saka then missed a penalty only minutes before Jarrod Bowen scored to level the game at 2-2.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, Arteta seemed to admit his team were complacent, saying: "I think so. Too comfortable just playing around them. And when a team is there [for the taking], you have to take that opportunity. We gave them hope.

When talking on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton seemed surprised that the 41-year-old manager would accept that.

Indeed, the pundit explained (1:00): "Last couple of games they've let two-goal leads slip, haven't they? And oh look, It's so disappointing.

"What I thought was interesting. Did you hear the Arteta interview, he said they were too comfortable.

"I cannot believe he said that.”

Have Arsenal bottled the league?

Seeing as the Gunners also were 2-0 up at Anfield last week but were pegged back by Liverpool and saw that game end 2-2 as well, it's been a frustrating period for the club.

Indeed, as per the official Premier League website, it's the first time Arsenal have given up a two-goal lead in consecutive Premier League matches, making them only the fifth side to do so in the competition's history.

As a result, Arteta and co are now only four points ahead of Manchester City, despite having played one game more than their title rivals.

Even so, most fans would have bitten your hand off at the start of the season if they'd been offered the chance to be top of the league with just seven games left to play.

What's more, they've now gone nine league games without losing, winning seven and drawing two – so it's hardly been a collapse.

With that in mind, however, things finish, the season should be considered as a campaign where Arsenal have greatly surpassed expectations.

But if they don't win the title, these last two games may well be viewed as turning points.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez could be sold in the summer with the Colombian defender open to an exit from north London.

Why did Spurs fans boos Sanchez?

It was another disappointing outing from the Lilywhites on the weekend as their push for a spot inside the top four received another blow after Bournemouth came to town.

Despite playing yet another relegation-battling side and yet again taking the lead, Spurs crumbled and the visitors were able to take all three points.

And Gary O'Neil's side did so in dramatic fashion with Dango Ouattara scoring a last-minute goal to seal all three points for the Cherries.

However, amid the disappointment for Spurs, there was one player who had an afternoon even worse than the rest of his teammates and that was Sanchez.

The Colombian replaced the injured Clement Lenglet and was almost immediately involved in the first goal for the visitors.

Having then failed to deal with his man in the second half in the lead up to Bournemouth's second of the afternoon, the home crowd turned and let their frustrations be heard.

Sanchez was booed by his own fans every time he touched the ball and was removed by Cristain Stellini after just 23 minutes of action on the pitch.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has claimed the Colombian has been open to leaving Spurs for a while now with the summer window on the horizon:

(37:20) "Sanchez, from what I understand, for the last few summers especially has been absolutely open to leaving. Because he wants regular game time. He does. But I just think no club has ever offered the sum of money that would get Spurs' interest."

Did Sanchez deserve to be booed by his own fans?

There will be a debate as to whether fans should boo a player on their own them regardless of the situation and there will be divided opinions in this case.

It certainly was an afternoon to forget for Sanchez who was making his 15th league appearance of the campaign (via Transfermarkt).

There is a lot of frustration among the fans in N17 currently and a lot of that is being directed at Daniel Levy with sections of the fanbase letting their anger be known.

And perhaps some of that anger spilt over onto Sanchez in the heat of the moment on the weekend.

After all, this is a player who is now nearly six years deep into life in north London and has proven a significant amount of money invested for a player who has failed to nail down a spot in the starting XI.

Perhaps the biggest frustration surrounding the £65k-per-week defender is his evident struggle to enter a game and provide immediate cover in defence.

It was seen on Saturday and in the game against Everton where his arrival on the pitch caused major concerns for what is already a shaky Spurs defence.

With Everton having been surprisingly inactive in the January transfer window, new boss Sean Dyche has been forced to try and get the best out of those already at the club in order to help steer the Toffees away from danger.

While Premier League survival is still no guarantee, a run of four games without defeat has raised hopes regarding the Merseysiders' ability to avoid relegation, with the former Burnley head coach clearly working his magic in his new home.

Among those to have benefitted from the Englishman's arrival is midfield maestro, Abdoulaye Doucoure, with the 30-year-old having been "reborn" since the change in the dugout, according to writer Peter Guy, after previously falling out of favour under Frank Lampard.

Although the former Watford man did somewhat spoil his recent upturn in fortunes by picking up a needless red card against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, prior to that the Frenchman had provided four goal involvements in just four top-flight games, having played "very well" of late, according to his manager.

The experienced ace is not alone in having enjoyed a real renaissance in recent months, however, with Michael Keane – who worked under Dyche at Turf Moor – having also undergone a "significant glow up" following the appointment of his former boss, according to the Echo's Chris Beesley.

Who has Dyche improved at Everton?

Much like Doucoure, the 30-year-old had also been cast out during Lampard's tenure, having made just a solitary, 22-minute appearance in the league prior to eventually returning to the starting lineup in the defeat to Arsenal last month.

Despite being on the receiving end of a 4-0 thrashing at the Emirates, Keane's return from out in the cold has coincided with Everton's recent unbeaten run, having now started each of the last five top-flight games, alongside ex-Clarets colleague, James Tarkowski.

As the player himself only recently admitted, he had found the lack of game time under Lampard "hard to swallow" having received no real guidance from the Chelsea icon on how to force his way back into the team, with that leading to reports regarding a possible loan exit ahead of the January window.

Thankfully, as far as the Toffees are concerned, that departure never came to pass, with the one-time Manchester United man now looking likely to be a key figure in the end-of-season run-in, having been hailed for being "on fire in training" by Dyche.

That praise had come following the £80k-per-week machine's thunderous late strike to secure a draw at home to Spurs on Monday night, with that surprise stunner having capped an eventful night for the centre-back, after earlier giving away a penalty.

While that error may be of concern to Toffees supporters, the manner in which the Stockport native was able to swiftly atone for his mistake was impressive indeed, with that seemingly an indication of Keane's renewed confidence at Goodison Park.

As the 6 foot 3 man admitted, he has been rather "lucky" to see his former manager walk through the door, although the player himself deserves credit for more than taking his chance to impress.

Everton look to restart their fight for survival tonight, as they play host to a managerless Tottenham Hotspur at a floodlit Goodison Park.

The night is set for a sensational atmosphere on Merseyside, as they seek to follow up on a fine result at Stamford Bridge before the break.

Since Sean Dyche’s arrival at the club, there are only six teams who have accumulated more points than his new side. It is fair to say that the former Burnley man has certainly masterminded a speedy turnaround.

However, with a tough clash away to Manchester United on the horizon, it arguably makes it even more imperative that they get something out of tonight’s fixture.

That draw with Chelsea will likely still be fresh in the mind of the management team, who will make the necessary changes to ensure another fine result can be gained.

How could Everton line up against Spurs?

Pickford (GK); Patterson (RB), Keane (CB), Tarkowski (CB), Mykolenko (LB); McNeil (RM), Onana (CM), Gueye (CM), Doucoure (CM), Gray (LM); Simms (ST).

Football FanCast predicts that Dyche will make three changes from that fine night in west London, retaining that solid 4-5-1 shape that has brought them such success.

Jordan Pickford will remain in between the sticks, fresh from another successful international break where he further solidified himself as England’s number one.

He will sit behind a back four that could see changes on the flanks; one somewhat enforced and one preferential.

With Seamus Coleman’s minor injury sustained on international duty, plus his age, it could be expected that the Irish captain finally drops out for the youthful exuberance of Nathan Patterson.

The £28k-per-week youngster also made his comeback from a long-term injury for Scotland and offers an injection of dynamism that has somewhat been lacking down that right flank. Writer Peter Guy had even suggested that he was an “absolute diamond” earlier in the campaign, as he starred defensively in their home draw with Liverpool.

Vitaliy Mykolenko could also earn a recall after recovering from illness, to retain his preferred role ahead of the stand-in Ben Godfrey.

Michael Keane and James Tarkowski will almost definitely retain their spots.

Also expected to stay unchanged is the midfield three, with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye hoping to dominate the engine room battle.

With his late equaliser against Chelsea, it feels impossible that Ellis Simms does not earn a start today. His introduction would have seen Demarai Gray drop to the bench, had his recent spike in work rate not proven him more than able to deputise in a classic Dyche wide role.

Given Alex Iwobi’s struggles out wide, he could drop out in favour of such a move. Dwight McNeil will start on the opposite flank, hoping to continue his remarkably rich vein of form.

Aston Villa are thought to be interested in signing Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.

What’s the latest transfer news on Oxlade-Chamberlain?

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been on the books at Anfield since 2017, but his days on Merseyside appear to be numbered. The 29-year-old has made 145 appearances for the Reds, however, he has been limited to just 469 minutes of football under Jurgen Klopp this season.

The midfielder has started just four times in the Premier League and is out of contract at the end of the campaign, with Fabrizio Romano stating that he is expected to leave Liverpool as a free agent over the coming months. It looks as if the Midlands could be a potential destination for the player, who has a successful record against Aston Villa, winning 11 of his 13 games against the club.

The Daily Mail provided an update regarding Oxlade-Chamberlain in the last 48 hours, saying that he has interest from Italy. However, there are also clubs in England who are keen on securing his services, one of which is Villa. Brighton and Newcastle are also thought to be interested in his signature, with the former of the two previously looking at a move in January.

Would Oxlade-Chamberlain be a good signing for Villa?

Oxlade-Chamberlain, lauded as 'superb' as a number eight by journalist Raj Chohan, has plenty of experience at the highest level for club and country and can play in a number of different midfield and attacking roles ranging from a central midfielder to a winger.

On that basis, you could say that he could be a shrewd squad addition under Unai Emery, however, in recent years, he has struggled for game time at Anfield. Since the beginning of the 2020/21 season, Oxlade-Chamberlain has played just 38 times in the Premier League, with his last real run of games for Liverpool coming four years ago.

He hasn’t had any luck with injuries either, missing 169 during his club career with Liverpool and Arsenal due to a number of different issues. The Englishman has missed 34 games in recent years with knee and hamstring problems, so there is no guarantee he would be available to Emery all year round.

Therefore, you could say that a move for the player over the coming months could be a gamble by NSWE and Villa despite no transfer fee required, especially as Oxlade-Chamberlain is on a £120,000-a-week salary on Merseyside, the same as star man Emiliano Martinez.

Leeds United and Tottenham are thought to be leading the race to sign Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu.

The Lowdown: Contact already made

The Whites are currently involved in a battle to avoid the drop in the Premier League, with Javi Gracia’s side earning a 4-2 win over Wolves prior to the international break to lift them out of the bottom three.

However, despite their top-flight status not being guaranteed for next season, the club are still looking at potential targets, with Calhanoglu linked with a move to Elland Road last month.

A report from Football Insider even said that ‘Leeds are in contact with Calhanoglu’s agent and have registered their interest in a potential deal if he is made available’. The 29-year-old is under contract until 2024 with the Serie A giants, and a further update has emerged.

The Latest: Transfer update

Turkish Football relayed an update from Il Romanista regarding Calhanoglu over the last 48 hours, where Leeds were once again mentioned.

They claimed that the Whites, along with Spurs, are leading the race for the player, with Inter not in a healthy financial state and in need of trimming the wage bill.

The report, as expected, adds that Leeds would need to remain in the Premier League to stand any chance of securing Calhanoglu’s services.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Calhanoglu has been in fine form this season and is now valued at a career-high €35m by Transfermarkt. He can play anywhere in deeper or attacking midfield roles but is primarily a central midfielder and has contributed to seven Serie A goals in 26 appearances during the current campaign.

Hailed as an ‘exceptional’ player by AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli, Calhanoglu has also made himself known as a free-kick specialist throughout his career.

He has been Inter’s second-best-performing player this season with an average match rating of 7.06/10, as per WhoScored better than any Leeds player in the Premier League. Calhanoglu has made over 300 appearances in total in the Bundesliga and Serie A and also has 74 caps for Turkey, so his experience could come in handy at Elland Road.

Leeds have Marc Roca, Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie as senior central midfield options, with Brenden Aaronson an option further forward, so Calhanoglu could be just what the club needs to take them to the next level. Leeds will have to do their job on the pitch over the coming months to have any chance of a deal, but a possible transfer does sound promising.

Podcaster and football columnist Steven Clifford has claimed that Rangers genuinely did turn down the chance to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia amid recent reports.

What's the latest on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Rangers?

While speaking on the Go Radio Football Show (via Daily Record), former player Craig Moore recently stated that he tried to talk the |brox outfit into signing the winger before he ended up at Napoli this summer.

He explained that he initially tried to get the Georgian a move to the Premier League with Southampton, but when they couldn't sort a deal, he alerted Rangers about a possible loan that could then be made into a permanent transfer.

It seems like quite a remarkable story, but according to Clifford, the story is true and the Scottish Premiership side really did fail to make the most of what turned out to be an incredible opportunity.

Indeed, while speaking on The Rangers Review, he said: "So I know Craig Moore, he's a good lad. And I know this story, unfortunately…

"So this isn't something that he's magically made up just for the sake of being on the radio. I've actually seen things that prove it. So, undoubtedly, Craig Moore offered Rangers the opportunity.

"Were they interested, it would have been a loan to buy. Rangers could have got him for a year-to-18-months loan, then went from there. I think all parties were kind of keen.

"He was set to go to Southampton, that didn't work and it was a wee bit up in the air. So that's what Craig Moore does. He's an agent, obviously, but he brokers things and he walks in between the lines for clubs."

Why is everyone talking about Kvaratskhelia?

Seeing as Kvaratskhelia has since established himself as one of Europe's top players, it's certainly a blow for Rangers to learn how close they were to landing what would have been a brilliant transfer.

After all, he has scored 13 goals and provided 15 assists in 29 games this season as Napoli look set to win Serie A as well as going deep into the Champions League as they next face AC Milan in the quarter-finals.

In fact, such is the quality of the player, he is now tipped to be worth £80-90m by Moore even though he moved to Italy for just £10m in the summer.

It remains unclear as to who exactly turned down the deal at Ibrox, but the individual who made that final call will no doubt be feeling rather silly right now.

Everton have found themselves yet again struggling to retain their Premier League status this season and Sean Dyche will not only be working hard to secure survival over the remainder of the campaign but also looking at the ways he can improve the squad this summer.

The Toffees are currently 15th in the league table, two points clear of the bottom three, with just 11 games remaining to turn things around and there will surely be a huge focus on strengthening the attacking threat this summer considering the side have the second-fewest amount of goals scored (20) so far.

It is no secret that Everton have struggled over the last 18 months in front of goal with Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s ongoing injury issues, Richarlison’s move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer and more recently, Anthony Gordon’s shock exit during the January transfer window, all of which have contributed to the troubles the side have faced.

Indeed, the powerbrokers at Goodison Park did acquire the services of Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil in the summer, however, the attacking duo have failed to make the powerful impact needed to avoid another brush with potential relegation again this season – scoring a combined four goals so far.

As a result, the signing of a clinical and experienced goal-scorer is desperately needed whether the Toffees remain in the top flight or drop into the Championship for the first time ever during the Premier League era and continue to be linked with numerous forwards despite their fate uncertain.

One player who has been touted with a move to the blue side of Merseyside this week is Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom with talkSPORT transfer expert Alex Crook naming Everton as one of the potential suitors.

Who could replace Neal Maupay at Everton?

The 27-year-old could replace Maupay at Goodison Park as the gem has been a sensation in the Championship over the campaign so far and is not only the highest-scoring player in the league (21) this season but also broken club records – becoming the first player to score more than 20 goals for Middlesbrough in 33 years.

Over 29 appearances so far, Akpom – who the Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson claimed “can’t stop scoring” – has scored 22 goals, registered one assist and created one big chance, as well as averaging 2.6 shots on goal, 1.4 shots on target and 5.2 duels won per game, proving that he is in incredible form in front of goal.

The striker has earned consistent huge praise from his current manager over the season so far with Michael Carrick revealing what he believes is the key to the remarkable form that Akpom has found himself in:

“He seems to be bigger, quicker, playing free, you can’t underestimate the power of the mind. It can go the other way when you’re not playing so well, when players seem almost slower and lethargic because the mental state is different. Chuba is in a terrific place at the minute, backed by the whole group.”

If Everton could secure the signing of Akpom this summer and he can continue his outstanding goalscoring next season, there is no doubt that he would be a massively valuable asset to Dyche in his pursuit to improve the attacking threat at Goodison and would be a huge upgrade on current striker Maupay.

Over 20 Premier League performances, the Frenchman has only found the back of the net once, registering no assists and creating zero big chances, as well as only averaging 0.7 shots on target per game, along with five ‘big chances’ missed.

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for the Everton hierarchy to snap up the services of Akpom ahead of next season as they could finally find the key to consistency in front of goal.

Maupay has not been able to provide enough quality in front of goal throughout the seasons so far and the Boro marksman’s form in the Championship indicates that he has the potential to make the step up and offer more at the top end of the pitch.

Reporter Joe Nicholson believes Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts will be involved for Sunderland against their former club this Sunday.

The Lowdown: Looking to get back to winning ways

Sunderland will be hoping they can bounce back and get themselves out of their recent slump in form that has seen them win just twice in the past nine matches, but heading to Carrow Road won’t be easy.

The Black Cats will be coming up against one of the in-form sides in the division on Sunday, with the Canaries having not lost any of their previous five games, scoring 11 goals in the process.

Tony Mowbray will be hopeful of some former Norwich players going back to haunt their old side on Sunday, with both Roberts and Pritchard remembered for their time in Norfolk.

The Latest: Roberts and Pritchard to be involved

While Roberts has indeed been more involved than Pritchard this season in terms of starts, Nicholson has admitted on The Roar podcast he expects both to play some part in the game on Sunday.

He said: “They’re two players that we’d probably expect to be involved. Whether they both start, Pritchard’s coming in and out the side the last couple of weeks, Roberts has been starting pretty consistently, so expect probably him to start as well.”

The Verdict: Sunderland need to put in a good performance

While winning and stopping the rot of three consecutive defeats is hugely important this weekend for Sunderland, their fans will be desperate for their team to put in a good performance and show they still care about this season.

Last weekend, they were torn apart by Stoke City as the Potters hammered Sunderland 5-1 at the Stadium of Light, and now with them seemingly not close enough to the play-offs or the relegation zone to have much going on in the final few weeks of the season, they’re in danger of seeing their season fizzle out.

However, if they can compete against an in-form and expensively assembled Norwich squad, their fans could regain hope that they’re at least heading in the right direction under Mowbray, and with players such as Roberts and Pritchard looking to prove Norwich wrong for letting them go, they could yet be hopeful of a decent display.