Ex-Newcastle United and Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce makes stunning Manchester City claim

Here, we round-up all the latest stories that have emerged from St James’s Park and beyond:

Sam Allardyce on Manchester City links

Sam Allardcye has revealed that he almost became manager of Manchester City before being appointed as Newcastle boss in 2007. Allardyce became the first managerial appointment during Mike Ashley’s reign at the club but, as he told the William Hill No Tippy Tappy Podcast, things could have turned out very differently.

Allardyce said: "I was going to be the Manchester City manager when Stuart [Pearce] left in 2007.

“That was a deal that was done and dusted which was going to happen with John Wardle and David Makin, the owners of JD Sports. I think that they wanted me to come and help rebuild the club because they’d seen what I had done at Bolton.

“I’d left Bolton and was ready to go into the job and of course the day before it was due there was a phone call from either John or Dave to say ‘I’m very sorry Sam but we’ve sold the club and they want Sven-Goran Eriksson.’

“That was a disappointment but I ended up at Newcastle, so it looked like it was going in the right way at Man City and that changed unfortunately for me when the ownership changed, but Mike Ashley took over from Freddie Shepherd at Newcastle who chose me as manager.”

Allardyce would leave his role as Magpies manager in January 2008 after a disappointing spell on Tyneside and was replaced by a returning Kevin Keegan.

Karl Darlow on his Hull City future

Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow joined Hull City on-loan in January in a bid to find regular first-team football. The 32-year-old has made just one start for the Tigers as he battles Matt Ingram.

Darlow’s loan at the MKM Stadium expires at the end of the season, but he’s revealed he isn’t thinking about his future either at Hull or back at his parent club. As picked up by Hull Daily Mail, Darlow said: “It’s not a discussion for me to put to anyone. I think that will be dealt with behind the scenes in the summer, and what Newcastle thinks.”