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Newcastle United club captain Fabricio Coloccini is the subject of a shock bid from Argentinian club San Lorenzo as reported by the Daily Mirror.

The 30 year old enjoyed 19 games on loan at the club from AC Milan in the 2000/2001 season and San Lorenzo hope that Coloccini being a fan of the club could lure him back to South America.

The curly haired centre half has been a rock at the back for Newcastle in recent seasons and is currently the highest played player at St James’ Park, a factor that could work against San Lorenzo.

It would be a shock if Newcastle let their captain go, especially considering that their central defence is considered their weakest area.

Despite admitting that the deal will be difficult to pull off, the Argentinian club are refusing to rule out the possibility of Coloccini joining the club in the January transfer window.

“We know he is a fan and wants to return, so there could be a possibility,” said club President Matías Lammens on Radio La Red.

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“It’s not impossible but of course the only thing that can accelerate the situation is Fabricio’s intentions.

“It could be difficult but that doesn’t mean it’s fallen through.”

Newcastle United took a big step towards their English Premier League survival on Saturday after a strong 3-0 win over Southampton at St James’ Park.

Knowing that defeat would be a massive blow at this stage of the season, Rafa Benitez’s team had to deliver and did just that thanks to goals from Kenedy and Matt Ritchie.

While those two stole the headlines, Magpies supporters can’t stop talking about another midfield star – Mohamed Diame.

The former Senegal international dictated everything in the midfield area, allowing their more creative players to shine and inspiring the victory.

His form over the last couple of months has been huge for Newcastle’s fortunes and fans are hopeful he can carry that into the final eight games of the season and help his team avoid dropping back into the Championship.

Is there a more important player in Benitez’s starting eleven right now?

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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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In the space of four days, Swansea City have twice fallen foul to a costly refereeing mistake on Merseyside. As if the harsh dismissal of Federico Fernandez against Liverpool in the Capital One Cup last Tuesday was bad enough – the Reds went on to score the winning goal from the resulting free-kick – the blatant, yet unpunished handball by Everton’s Antolin Alcaraz in the penalty area during Saturday’s Premier League fixture at Goodison Park denied the Swans the opportunity to record a famous away victory. Jonjo Shelvey, whose shot was so clearly blocked by Alcaraz’s arm, was later sent off in the game for a second bookable offence, and replays suggest that the man who once called Liverpool his home could also be forgiven for feeling hard done by.

Swansea City manager Garry Monk clearly feels that these are no mere isolated incidents. He first raised his concerns at what he felt were costly decisions going against his team in the aftermath of the defeat to Stoke City in October. Victor Moses’s shameless dive to earn Stoke a penalty, Monk argued, was further evidence of his side being the victims of a footballing miscarriage of justice, and in his post-match press conference the Swansea boss was critical of the fact that his grievances were falling on deaf ears.

“I’ve sent a DVD off, with a letter, but I’ve had no contact from [referees’ chief] Mike Riley,” he said.

“I think that’s very poor leadership from him. He is clearly not listening and I have to go above him, and hopefully we will get the answers.

“We just want to know why there is no consistency in the big decisions that have changed games for us.”

The events on Merseyside last week will have served only to strengthen Monk’s convictions. However, the 35-year-old must be careful not to stray into conspiracy theorist territory. His side have indeed suffered some pretty shoddy refereeing decisions of late, but to intimate that there is some kind of hidden agenda to sabotage the South Wales club’s campaign would be puerile. They are not the first team to endure a prolonged period of misfortune at the hands of the officials, and certainly won’t be the last.

However, what is refreshing about Monk’s approach is that whilst many managers would hesitate to criticise a referee for fear of punishment, he is not afraid to voice his opinions. Those officiating matches should certainly be held accountable for the decisions they make, and Monk has every right to criticise. This is by no means an advocation of slander – Brendan Rodgers’ claim that his Liverpool side were at a disadvantage in a league tie with Manchester City last season due to the fact that the referee came from Greater Manchester was particularly foolish, and his subsequent fine justified – but the way in which managers are threatened with punishment for the slightest criticism is harmful to the game. If referees are completely sheltered from blame, the standards of officiating cannot improve, and the animosity directed towards them will only persist.

On the other hand, by encouraging greater transparency and leniency with regard to what coaches can say about the officials – and perhaps even conducting post-match interviews with the referees themselves so that they can explain their actions – there is room for a greater improvement in the way games are officiated, a greater understanding of why a certain judgement has been made, and a greater possibility for the expression of empathy towards the referee, who is human after all. This can only be of benefit to the game in the long run.

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Got any questions? Follow me on Twitter @GruffuddOwen

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Sam Allardyce has warned his players that they will need to improve their game if West Ham are to bounce back from their disappointing recent form against Norwich on New Year’s Day.

The Hammers were beaten by relegation-battlers Reading on Saturday and have now won just one of their last eight Premier League fixtures.

And Allardyce admits his side have lacked quality in recent matches, after finding the net just three times in their last four league fixtures since defeating Chelsea 3-1 in early December.

“We need to bounce back,” Allardyce told ITV Sport.

“We’ve got to make sure we become better at creating and taking our chances, otherwise it’s going to be tough.

“The balls into the box haven’t been given enough quality to open up a defence as everybody starts tightening up at this stage of the season.”

West Ham will look to return to winning ways in front of their home supporters against a Norwich side who have lost their last three matches since an impressive 10-match unbeaten run.

Despite the Norfolk-club’s recent form, Allardyce is wary of the threat posed by Canaries counter-attacks, and is expecting a tense atmosphere at Upton Park.

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“I think it is going to be a big test for our nerve for the first time this season,” he said.

“Norwich have been very good defensively, particularly away from home and I think that they make life very difficult for you to break them down and play very well on the counter-attack if you leave too many spaces.”

On Saturday, one of the star performers at the World CupÂwas France star Kylian Mbappe.The attacker, who will cost Paris Saint-Germain more than £100m to sign permanently this summer following his initial loan move from Monaco, helped his nation reach the quarter-finals of the tournament in Russia.At just 19 years of age, Mbappe looked comfortable on the global stage as he scored twice in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Argentina in their last-16 clash.[ad_pod ]The attacker was always considered a sensational talent following his positive season for PSG in which he scored 21 goals and produced 16 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions.Now, his stock has risen even further, and it will continue to rise if he keeps performing at this level.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”256266″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Three reasons we love to hate… Spain”]After witnessing Mbappe’s heroics, Liverpool fans made some cheeky suggestions on Twitter, urging the club to sign the PSG star.It is hugely unlikely that the forward will be heading to Anfield any time soon, but some supporters couldn’t help but wonder.

Hector Bellerin is keen for a fresh challenge after seeing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain thrive elsewhere after leaving Arsenal, reports The Guardian.

What’s the word?

The right-back appeared to signal his commitment to the Gunners by signing a new six-year contract in 2016.

However, the Spaniard’s form has dipped this season and the club is currently at a low point, with many questioning manager Arsene Wenger.

The Guardian reports that Bellerin is conscious of how his former teammates, including Oxlade-Chamberlain who now plays for Liverpool, have benefitted from leaving the North London outfit.

The report adds that Juventus will revive their interest in the right-back when the transfer window reopens in the summer.

It is believed that Arsenal’s head of player negotiations Raul Sanllehi is aware that Bellerin wants a new challenge.

How bad could this get?

Arsenal are certainly not the happiest of Premier League clubs at the moment, despite the fact that life looked optimistic when the club recruited Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang following Alexis Sanchez’s January exit.

Recent results have piled pressure onto Wenger, particularly last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

As it stands, the club will miss out on Champions League football for the second year running as they are 10 points adrift of the top four positions in the top flight.

If Bellerin is feeling envious of former teammates that have moved on, it proves that the club are not in a position to hold on to their star players through ambition alone.

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The Spaniard may not be the only one who feels that it is time for a new challenge.

At the end of the season, wholesale changes need to be made, and that is including management, in order for Arsenal to get back on track.

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Achieving 100 caps or more for your country is a rarity and is something only most players can dream of.

In fact, some of them can only dream of gaining one cap. In a time where England is going through a difficult stage, the Three Lions can always look back and see the amount of quality players that have made 100 caps in the famous white shirt.

Ever since Billy Wright became the first player to achieve this incredible milestone, the likes of Steven Gerrard, David Beckham, Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore have all gone on to become England centurions.

As the England squad prepare for their Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia – and the mouth-watering fixture against the ‘Auld Enemy’ in Scotland –one player that has arguably been the Three Lions’ best players over the past five years is set to earn his 100th cap.

Wayne Rooney has served the England national team with great distinction, and without him, English football would be in a much worse place. He is still only 29 years old, so reaching 100 caps is quite frankly astonishing, even by Rooney’s high standards. The question is, can he go on to surpass England’s record cap holder Peter Shilton?

We first saw what the Three Lions and Red Devils captain could produce in 2002, beating then England number one David Seaman with a sublime goal while in his Everton days. The forward was then the youngest ever player to make his full international debut at the tender age of 17.

However, Rooney’s debut was not quite a day to remember for England, as Sven Goran Erickson’s side lost 3-1 to Australia at Upton Park. You know it was a bad day when Darius Vassell, Wes Brown and Paul Konchesky all played a significant parts and England’s only goal came from the one and only Francis Jeffers.

Despite being one of the best strikers on the planet, Rooney has been regularly criticised for his international performances in major tournaments. In the summer’s group stage loss to Uruguay, Rooney notched his first World Cup goal.

For a striker of Rooney’s calibre, this is simply not good enough- but the stats don’t lie. It’s hard not to conclude that Rooney has underachieved at a competitive level for his country. Euro 2008 was probably his best tournament, especially in the game against Croatia where he was simply unplayable, but this isn’t the kind of peak we would have expected from Rooney when he made his debut all those years ago.

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Considering that Shilton played in between the sticks for his country 125 times, and there are around 10 games at international level a year outside of major tournaments, Rooney should easily outstrip his compatriot.

However, whether this makes the Manchester United striker an ‘England great’ is still up for debate.

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Liverpool target Cristian Tello is set to pen a new deal with Spanish giants Barcelona, which will effectively end the Reds pursuit of the player, ESPN reports.

Tello who’s current deal is due to run out in June 2013, has made 16 appearances for Barcelona’s first team scoring three goals, despite still having a youth team contract.

It was believed that Liverpool could attempt to sign the soon to be out of contract forward for a cut-price fee with Milan also reported to be interested, but it now seems the 21-year-old will extend his stay at the Nou Camp.

A statement on Barcelona’s website confirmed that negotiations with Tello’s agent Josep Maria Orobitg, had been resolved.

“FC Barcelona wishes to communicate that an agreement has been reached with the player Cristian Tello to extend his contract until June 30 2016,” the statement said. “His release clause has been fixed at €10 million.

“The contract will be signed by the player on Monday December 17 at the FC Barcelona offices.”

Liverpool will now likely end their pursuit of the player and look at other alternatives as manager Brendan Rodgers aims to add new faces to his squad.

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After suffering a difficult start to the campaign, the Reds have began to turn the corner and young players such as 18-year-old Raheem Sterling have been heavily relied upon throughout the season.

Rodgers will hope to ease the pressure on some of his inexperienced players by bringing in reinforcements in January, with Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea and Thomas Ince from Blackpool both looking likely to happen.

According to FC Inter News, Tottenham Hotspur lead West Ham United in the race to sign Barcelona midfielder Rafinha in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Rafinha ended the 2017-18 campaign on loan at Inter, having joined the Italian club on a short-term deal from Barcelona in the January transfer window.

Inter reportedly had the option to sign the midfielder on a permanent deal this summer, but according to FC Inter News, the Italian giants have pulled out of a move.

Both Tottenham and West Ham are believed to be interested in bringing the Brazilian to the Premier League, but FC Inter News have claimed that Spurs lead the race.

It would be a real coup if West Ham managed to bring Rafinha to the London Stadium, especially considering that Manuel Lanzini will miss a chunk of next season.

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The Hammers are certainly making moves in the transfer market this summer, but appear to be behind their bitter rivals Tottenham when it comes to this particular deal.

Would Rafinha fit in at Tottenham?

Rafinha might be surplus to requirements at Barcelona, but this is a player who has scored 11 times in 79 appearances for one of the best club teams in world football.

The midfielder will not turn 26 until next February, meanwhile, and there is absolutely no question that he has the qualities to be a success in the Premier League.

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The two-time Brazil international, who is valued at £25.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, only managed two goals in 17 Serie A appearances for Inter in the second half of last season.

He is still working his way back to fitness following a long-term knee injury, however, and would be a fine addition to any Premier League club this summer.

Tottenham will not be able to match the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United on the spending front this summer, but they seemingly have the chance to secure the services of Rafinha for a very reasonable price.

Romelu Lukaku has told Sky Sports that he believes the reason he is seldom dropped or rested for Manchester United is because he is manager Jose Mourinho’s “sergeant on the pitch”.

What’s the story?

In an interview with Sky Sports pundit and his Belgian coach Thierry Henry, Manchester United striker Lukaku has said that he believes he is Mourinho’s “sergeant” when he plays and that he has a “soldier mentality”.

That is the reason he believes he has featured so heavily this season following his big-money switch to Old Trafford from Everton.

He said: “I think the manager… thinks that I’m like his sergeant on the pitch. He knows I have that soldier mentality. I will always put the team first.”

Lukaku has got it wrong

Yes, Lukaku – who is valued at £76.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk – has featured heavily this season but his comments about his attitude so not bear scrutiny.

The reason the Belgian plays so often is that Mourinho likes having that physical presence up front. It was the same with Zlatan Ibrahimovic last season.

Essentially, United still aren’t good enough on the ball to work the ball up the pitch often enough. That means they need the out ball that a taller, stronger striker like Lukaku is meant to offer.

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial do not fit the bill in the same way. They like running in behind but United’s play isn’t good or intricate to make the most of that on a regular basis.

Lukaku’s commitment to the cause has improved in recent weeks and he openly showed great commitment in his celebrations following the comeback wins over London pair Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

To point to his strong mentality and refer to himself as “soldier” misses the point, however. He is frequently out-muscled and beaten in the air without offering enough of a challenge.

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Earlier in the season, he only seemed to come to life to put the gloss on thrashings but did not offer anywhere enough while the game was in the balance.

Further, his meek surrenders in away matches against Liverpool and Chelsea – among others – do not hint at such an attitude. In contrast, Marcus Rashford was ill for last season’s FA Cup quarter-final against Chelsea but still played and worked tirelessly as a lone striker in a team that had ten men for over half the game.

Lukaku has grossly overstated his importance to the United team.