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Wolves are seemingly the frontrunners to sign Matheus Cunha in January, and the Brazilian could form an excellent partnership with Adama Traore in Julen Lopetegui’s side.

Fabrizio Romano has suggested that the Atletico Madrid striker is being targeted by the Old Gold ahead of next month’s transfer window, as Lopetegui looks to overhaul a Wolves attack which has struggled immensely in recent campaigns.

So far this term, Wolves have managed just eight goals in 15 games in the Premier League, so it is no surprise that they are propping up the table ahead of the return of top-flight football just after Christmas.

Cunha has struggled for goals in recent years with RB Leipzig and Atletico, but he showed in previous spells with Hertha Berlin and Swiss outfit Sion that he can provide a consistent goal threat, hitting 23 goals and 18 assists in 72 combined appearances for those clubs.

At 23, he still has a lot of potential, and there seems no reason why he can’t live up to his former Sion boss Paolo Tramezzani’s tag as an “extraordinary” player with a fresh start at Molineux.

According to WhoScored, Cunha’s main strength lies in his dribbling, which suggests that he could cause nightmares for Premier League defenders in a similar way to Traore, should he make the move to the Black Country in January.

The Spain international was once seen as an “unstoppable” player by Darren Bent because of his pace and power but has struggled for consistency in recent seasons under Bruno Lage.

However, it seems as if Traore could become a regular once again under Loptegeui’s management, with the new boss hoping that the 26-year-old will extend his contract at Molineux, and his counterattacking threat could prove crucial in improving the Old Gold’s woeful recent form.

Wolves’ central midfield options boast just two assists between them so far this term, which suggests that Lopetegui might have to rely on wide options to be his main source of creativity at Molineux.

The prospect of Cunha and Traore running at defenders on either flank and causing problems with their pace and dribbling is surely an exciting one for the 56-year-old, so he should definitely look to bring the Atletico Madrid man to Molineux next month.

Everton’s proposed move to the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium is ‘happening quite soon’, according to pundit John Wenham.

The Lowdown: Bramley-Moore Dock latest

The Premier League side are set to move into their new home for the 2024/25 season which will have an increased capacity of 52,888, compared to Goodison Park’s 39,572.

Owner Farhad Moshiri has been told that the Toffees could face a fine in the millions should they not be able to cover all the costs to fund the project, so the 67-year-old is now seeking external investment to prevent this from happening.

The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham was blown away by the progress already made on Bramley-Moore Dock, but insisted that Everton need to avoid relegation whilst it’s in the process of being built. He said:

“The move to Bramley-Moore Docks is actually happening quite soon in the grand scheme of things.

“By the way, the progress being made on that is phenomenal, absolutely incredible. It looks really good already and the work they are doing, they must be working on it literally all of the time because it is flying up.

“They have to make sure they are a Premier League side when they move into it because that ground should not be in the Championship.

“But, as I say, it looks good and certainly looks to be an upgrade on Goodison Park.”

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The Verdict: Start of a new era

Everton must avoid dropping down to the Championship between now and the stadium’s completion date or else they will suffer financially, which could play a significant role in whether they receive that dreaded fine.

Frank Lampard’s side find themselves just one point above the relegation zone after securing three wins in 15 this season, form which is vital they turn around upon the return of domestic action.

Goodison Park has been the home of the Toffees ever since 1892, but Bramley Moore-Dock will signal the start of a new era on Merseyside.

Sunderland return to the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon as they take on Cardiff City in the Championship.

Tony Mowbray’s side got back to winning ways in midweek as they earned an impressive 2-0 victory at Huddersfield, and the former Blackburn Rovers manager will want to continue that momentum against the Bluebirds this weekend, in what is the Wearsiders’ final home game before the World Cup break.

Three points could see the Black Cats move into the top 10, whereas a defeat could see them slip closer towards the relegation zone, in what is a tightly-contested division.

Here is how Football FanCast expects Sunderland to line up on Saturday, with three changes from the side which started at the John Smith’s Stadium on Wednesday.

Anthony Patterson has started every game in the Championship for the Black Cats this season and he looks unlikely to lose his place after a sixth clean sheet of the season in midweek.

Similarly, it would be strange to see Mowbray deviate from the defence which won Sunderland the game on Wednesday, so Luke O’Nien, Bailey Wright, Danny Batth and Dennis Cirkin should all start.

Despite scoring the opening goal in midweek, Alex Pritchard could drop out of the side in favour of Jack Clarke, who is available again after suspension, with the 21-year-old the second-best performer in Mowbray’s side this season according to WhoScored.

The Black Cats can afford to be more adventurous at home, so Corry Evans drops out of the side in favour of the more attack-minded Dan Neil. The “young Paul Gascoigne” partners Elliot Embleton in the middle of the park, with Patrick Roberts keeping his place on the flank.

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Finally, in attack, Ellis Simms gets the nod to start up front alongside Amad Diallo, after the two combined for Sunderland’s second goal in midweek, with Leon Dajaku dropping out following a tepid display on Wednesday which saw him dubbed the team’s lowest-rated performer by Sofascore.

Everton could be plotting a move to bolster their forward ranks, with reports earlier this month suggesting that Borussia Monchengladbach marksman, Marcus Thuram, may be in line for a move.

Although the club underwent a summer of rebuilding that saw eight major deals completed, one area that still appears somewhat depleted is upfront.

Despite the acquisition of Neal Maupay appearing to have satisfied his desire for another striker, Frank Lampard still seems unhappy with the quality of his options. 

Journalist Dean Jones had made it clear in the summer just how imperative it was for the Toffees, as he claimed: “Lampard specifically wants to know a fair bit about whichever striker he ends up signing because he wants to have somebody that he knows he can get the best out of pretty early on.”

As per journalist Graeme Bailey, the Blues are now among plenty of Premier League sides who seem keen on the free-scoring Frenchman.

He was quoted as saying on the Talking Transfers podcast: “Yeah, Palace, Leicester, Everton, Fulham and Wolves. He’s doing very well this season and he’s a player that a lot of Premier League clubs have kept a close eye on, but he’s doing a good job in the Bundesliga now. He’s available on a Bosman in January, he’s 25, he’d just be a very useful signing for a lot of teams.”

It is thought that despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s recent return to fitness, the club cannot yet rely on him to be available for a whole season. Perhaps this added quality recruit might be the final piece in Lampard’s attacking puzzle.

He would certainly thrive with the likes of Demarai Gray, who has had cause for frustration in recent weeks as his creative exploits have gone unappreciated.

As aforementioned, the Monchengladbach man has a deal that is set to expire at the conclusion of this season, leaving him available for cheap in January or free in the summer.

The other suitors mentioned are all at a similar standing to Everton, so the Merseyside outfit will feel a certain level of confidence that should they want him, they could land the “phenomenal” figure in the near future, as described by former teammate Denis Zakaria.

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse has more than shown his quality in Germany of late, proving himself one of the better strikers in the division.

A return of eight goals with two assists in just 12 Bundesliga games is indicative of this. However, his exploits have only taken his side to 11th in the table.

His record far outperforms both of Everton’s current strikers from this season, with Maupay and Calvert-Lewin having scored just one each.

Thuram also has earned praise for his impressively quick feet to partner his hulking physique, highlighted by the fact that he ranks in the top 7% of positionally similar players across Europe’s top five leagues for dribbles completed.

He might benefit even more from the deliveries that some of the Toffees’ wingers would produce, as in their game over the weekend against Fulham, Gray was a shining light throughout an otherwise dull display.

The English wide man made three key passes and created two big chances, yet his team did not manage to score all game. 

Were Everton to tempt Thuram to Goodison Park, not only would it mark a huge coup and a success over half of the Premier League that want him too, but they would be getting a striker in red-hot form who would seldom squander the chances that Gray would provide.

For a team that has scored just 12 goals this term, they are crying out for someone to relieve the burden from Calvert-Lewin, who also possesses more quality than Maupay.

Any reservations regarding his ability to step up to a seemingly higher level in England can be put to bed with his brace against Real Madrid the season before last, where they actually would go on to reach the semi-finals of that Champions League campaign.

While there may well be fierce competition for his signature, the Toffees would be hard-pressed to find a better deal in Europe at the moment when it comes to reliable goal scorers.

Leeds United right-back Cody Drameh suffered an injury scare for the U21s against Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday evening.

The Lowdown: 5-3 win

Michael Skubala’s U21s began their EFL Trophy campaign with an entertaining 5-3 victory over League Two side Tranmere Rovers.

The Whites named an attacking side that included Sam Greenwood, Joe Gelhardt, Wilfried Gnonto, Sonny Perkins and Mateo Joseph. Gelhardt netted twice, and goals from Perkins, Joseph and Drameh sealed an impressive victory.

However, it may have come at a cost, with Drameh, who started against Brentford in the Premier League last month, suffering an injury scare.

The Latest: Tranmere ‘knock’

Leeds journalist Joe Donnohue was at Prenton Park for the game on Tuesday evening and shared news of a ‘knock’ for Drameh.

He relayed comments from Skubala, who stated that the 20-year-old was due to be assessed on Wednesday, but there is no word yet on the severity.

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The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Drameh has missed just one of Jesse Marsch’s Premier League squads this season, with the Leeds boss heaping praise on the full-back back in August.

He seems to be in the mix alongside Rasmus Kristensen and Luke Ayling at Elland Road, so it would be a shame if his injury proves to be serious, harming his long-term development and the manager’s depth.

Donnohue labelled Drameh as a ‘level above’ on Tuesday, while former Cardiff City manager Steve Morison described the defender as ‘excellent’ during his loan spell last season, so fingers crossed he can be back playing and pushing his way into the first-team once more relatively soon.

A Tottenham Hotspur career blighted by injury, Erik Lamela was always a divisive player amongst the fanbase in N17.

The final signing of the ‘magnificent seven’ bought as a result of the Gareth Bale money, the Argentinian winger failed to deliver as an attacking option throughout his eight seasons at the club.

It was a total of just 37 goals and 47 assists across a whopping 257 appearances, averaging only an 0.39 G/A per game in the Premier League, though he did tend to show up for a ‘big’ game – such as that spectacular rabona goal against arch-rivals Arsenal or the game-winning penalty he won in front of the Kop.

At the time, he arrived as the Lilywhites’ – and chairman Daniel Levy’s – biggest-ever signing at around £30m from Serie A outfit AS Roma, but he never lived up to the hype, largely due to the fact that he was always on the treatment table.

As per Transfermarkt, Lamela missed a total of 133 matches, which works out to be around 16-and-a-half games per season. Not what you want from your club-record arrival or someone brought in to fill the void left behind by Bale.

Whilst some of his questionable antics often drew criticism. One bizarre incident involving Manchester United’s Anthony Martial, which saw the winger play-acting to get the Frenchman sent off and led to Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness to slam him as “pathetic.”

It’s perhaps no wonder that one of the first bits of business sporting director Fabio Paratici did was find a new home for him as he included the 30-year-old in a swap deal for Sevilla’s Bryan Gil.

Tottenham would pay £21.6m alongside Lamela, who was earning an eye-watering £85k-per-week at Hotspur Way, but swapping an injury-prone flop for a potential star of the future just made the world of sense.

And things haven’t really improved for the 25-time Argentina international as he’s only been able to muster up 30 appearances for the LaLiga side, where he has delivered a measly nine goal contributions – one every three games in the Spanish top-flight.

Such form and obvious question marks over his age – entering the wrong side of 30 – has seen his value plummet to a disappointing €7m (£6m), as per CIES Football Observatory, who assess the transfer value of professional footballers on a scientific basis.

Therefore, despite being capable of producing moments of the spectacular, it appears that Paratici was more than right to offload him and did so at the right time. He’d have only been part of the exiled group of flops under Antonio Conte this summer and that would’ve dented the appeal in signing him.

AND in other news, Left for £0, once worth £89m: Harry Redknapp had a mare at Spurs with 383-app machine…

Sunderland are reportedly fighting a number of their rivals in the Championship to sign Sean Clare.

The Lowdown: Great start

Clare has had a great start to the season at Charlton Athletic, helping his team to two wins and two draws in their opening five games in League One, while also qualifying for the third round of the Carabao Cup (Transfermarkt).

Hailed as someone who ‘plays out of his skin every week’ by talkSPORT’s Tash Everitt, it is no surprise to see clubs showing interest in him.

The Latest: Sunderland interest

As per Football League World, Alex Neil’s side are among a number of clubs interested in Clare, with fellow Championship rivals Huddersfield Town and Norwich City also battling it out for his signature.

However, Charlton are keen to tie him down to a new contract, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

The Verdict: Get it done

With both Norwich and Huddersfield also sniffing around for Clare, this is a deal that the Black Cats need to get done as soon as possible.

If he does not sign a new contract at Charlton, then the Addicks may be tempted to cash in on him before the transfer window closes, at the risk of losing him for free next year.

This could give SAFC a potentially bargain price to pay for a player who can play in several different positions across the pitch.

Nonetheless, Clare is 25 years of age, and so will be hitting his prime over the next few years, with versatility and talent for Neil to tap into long-term.

Motherwell have reached an agreement with Leeds United to sign Stuart McKinstry on a season-long loan, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: McKinstry’s Leeds career

The 19-year-old joined Leeds in 2020 from the Scottish club and has been a regular in the Whites’ academy, making a combined 50 appearances for the under-18s and under-23s.

The teenager made two senior appearances under Marcelo Bielsa last season, with the club’s former manager describing the Scot as having ‘great character’.

The midfielder is now into the final 12 months of his Elland Road deal, though, and it looks as if a return to Scotland is on the cards.

The Latest: McKinstry transfer update

Football Insider provided an update on McKinstry after being informed by sources on Tuesday.

They claimed that Motherwell have agreed to re-sign the player on loan after a breakthrough in talks, with the youngster set to undergo a medical and finalise a move to Scotland in the next days.

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The Verdict: Make-or-break loan move?

Should McKinstry spend the entirety of the 2022/23 campaign at Fir Park, he will be approaching the end of his contract at Leeds by the time he returns.

Therefore, it could be make-or-break for the midfielder back in Scotland, where some impressive displays may well earn him a new deal with the Whites.

It didn’t take long for McKinstry to impress after joining in 2020 as he was training with the first team before the year was out, but he has failed to make a genuine breakthrough like Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood have, so a loan spell away from Elland Road could be exactly what he needs.

Santi Aouna has dropped an update on the future of reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target  Nicolo Zaniolo.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Foot Mercato journalist revealed that, following a number of reports linking Fabio Paratici with a move for the AS Roma midfielder this summer, the Italian sporting director is set to enter into fresh negotiations with the Serie A side over a deal for the 23-year-old this week.

In his tweet, Aouna said: “Info: New discussions planned this week between Roma and Tottenham for Zaniolo.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering just how exciting an addition Zaniolo would undoubtedly make to Antonio Conte’s options in the middle of the park next season, Aouna’s update concerning Paratici’s talks with the Giallorossi regarding a deal for the Italy international is sure to have left supporters buzzing.

Despite having already suffered two serious cruciate ligament injuries in his career, the £33.5m-rated talent more than proved last season that he is back on track to become one of the most talented Italian midfielders currently playing the game.

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Indeed, over his ten appearances in Roma’s Europa Conference League campaign last time out, the £76k-per-week centrocampista highly impressed, scoring five goals, providing four assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.0 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the former Inter Milan starlet – who is also more than comfortable operating from attacking midfield, as well as on either wing – average a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.11, ranking him as Jose Mourinho’s sixth-best player in the Giallorossi’s European triumph. With that in mind, it’s clear to see why he’d be such an exciting signing to Conte’s ranks this summer.

Furthermore, although his returns were not quite as spectacular domestically, the 23-year-old still impressed over his four big chances for his teammates – playing a key role in his side securing a sixth-place finish in the Italian top flight.

As such, with it being reported that Conte would still like to add a new attacking midfielder to his Tottenham ranks prior to kick-off against Southampton on Saturday afternoon, Zaniolo would very much appear something of a perfect fit for the 52-year-old and his Spurs side – leading us to believe that Paratici must do everything he can to get a €50m (£42m) deal over the line for the nine-cap international in the coming days.

Aston Villa are plotting a bid for Espanyol centre-forward Raul de Tomas.

What’s the word?

That’s according a report from Spain (via TheHardTackle), who claim that Villa are one of four Premier League teams vying for the Spaniard’s signature this summer.

Espanyol are willing to listen to offers for their star man in a bid to gather funds for the manager to spend. The club are hoping for a fee in the region of €35m (£30m).

Other than Steven Gerrard’s side, Everton, West Ham United and Newcastle United are all linked with a move.

 Could spell the end of Danny Ings

Aston Villa have been somewhat cursed over the past couple of years with strikers, as none have managed to set the world alight despite their performances prior to joining.

Perhaps Gerrard could finally get it right with this unflappable Spaniard with an eye for goal, entering the prime of his career.

Last season the 27-year-old notched up 17 league goals as Espanyol faltered to a 14th-place finish. His performances for a lacklustre side have allowed him to become the standout candidate for an upgrade, and he could provide the perfect marriage with Villa.

However, the forward does not bring just goals. The 5-foot-9 striker’s link-up play is also phenomenal, whilst he possesses an incredible desire to do the dirty work. Perhaps this combination is what led to James Dodd labelling the attacker “emphatic”.

De Tomas sits in the 99th percentile for pass completion rate per 90 amongst strikers in Europe’s big five leagues, while he is also in the 94th percentile for clearances over the past 12 months. His passing is close to perfect, but he obviously can provide a fluidity that could work well with Villa’s many attacking options.

It should come as no surprise therefore to see his average SofaScore rating at an impressive 7.09, outlining him as Espanyol’s best performer of those who played over three matches last season.

His introduction could spell the end for Danny Ings, who was only recruited last summer for £25m. Just seven league goals last year was wholly disappointing for a man who clearly has such an eye for goal, and it could suggest the decline of his poacher’s instinct.

He recently admitted that his debut season for the Villains had been “underwhelming” and perhaps now is the best time for Gerrard to cash in on the forward and replace him with a wildcard in De Tomas who could light up the Premier League.

AND in other news: Reliable journo now reveals huge transfer development, Villa supporters will be gutted