Category Uncategorized

Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves could join Barcelona on an initial loan spell in the January transfer window, according to a new update that has emerged.

The Lowdown: Neves stays put

The Portuguese had seemingly played his last game for the club at the end of last season after waving goodbye to the supporters after their trip to Liverpool in May.

Neves was continually linked with a move to Barcelona throughout the summer, but against all odds, he ended up staying put at Molineux beyond deadline day.

However, it now looks as though the midfielder’s exit could once again be edging closer.

The Latest: January move instead?

According to Sport (via Sport Witness), a six-month loan move to Barca is in the offing this coming January prior to Neves sealing a permanent switch to the Nou Camp next summer.

It is claimed that ‘everything is very advanced’ regarding the transfer and the fee will be ‘far removed’ from the €50m (£43.6m) Wolves demanded in the summer.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Exit feels inevitable

In truth, it was a massive bonus that Wolves managed to keep hold of Neves this season – Jose Sa has called him ‘amazing’ – considering how nailed-on his exit looked at one point.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

There is almost a feeling of destiny about him ending up at Barca at this point, with the lure of the La Liga giants great for Portuguese players considering past greats such as Luis Figo and Deco played for them.

However, it would be ideal for Wolves to hold on to Neves until the end of the season, with an exit midway through the campaign having the potential to create a huge void in the middle of the park.

Wolves’ injury problems continued on Saturday as they lost Pedro Neto to an ankle problem against West Ham.

The Old Gold dropped into the relegation zone after a 2-0 loss against the Hammers, with the Old once again failing to find the back of the net.

Sasa Kalajdzic, Raul Jimenez and Hwang Hee-Chan are all currently sidelined through injury for the Midlands side and they look set to be joined by Neto for the foreseeable future, which is limiting Wolves’ already sparse attacking options.

The now sacked Bruno Lage suggested that it looked to be a “bad injury” and with games set to come thick and fast before the World Cup, it is undoubtedly a blow for Wolves to lose one of their star attackers.

Indeed, whoever is welcomed to Molineux as Lage’s successor will be severely hamstrung and will have to deal with a tricky set of circumstances with a number of the club’s best players on the treatment table.

There were high hopes for Neto this season after the former Lazio man missed much of the 2021/22 campaign through injury but, like many others in this Wolves squad, he has endured a difficult start to the season.

In eight Premier League appearances, the 22-year-old has failed to score a single goal or assist, averaging a shocking 6.58 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The 2020/21 campaign saw Neto contribute five goals and six assists in the top flight, averaging a superb 7.11 rating from WhoScored for his performances, which only makes his less than impressive start to this season even more disappointing.

After scoring a winner against Southampton that season, Alan Shearer labelled the winger a “huge talent”, while Arsenal were said to be interested in signing him during the summer, with a fee of £50m touted.

In retrospect, Wolves might have taken that sort of money considering his form this term but even on poor form, the Portuguese attacker is one of the most exciting players in Wolves’ side and he will be sorely missed as the Old Gold look to turn their form around in the coming weeks under a new head coach.

Considering the lack of goals and creativity in their side, losing another winger to injury will have a lot of Wolves fans fearing a potential relegation, as it is difficult to see how they rectify their goalscoring issues given the lack of attacking options.

Sky Sports journalist Melissa Reddy has confirmed there has been talk of Leeds United registering their interest in PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo.  

The Lowdown: Gakpo rumours

Gakpo, hailed as a ‘sensational player’ by Football Oranje editor and Dutch football expert Michael Bell, has been linked with the Whites for large parts of the summer.

Rumours cooled in recent weeks, but Dutch outlet FC Update said on Tuesday that Leeds have still been ‘following developments’ on the 23-year-old in recent weeks.

Primarily a winger who can play anywhere across the front three, Gakpo has averaged a goal in the Eredivisie every 55 minutes this season, and it looks as if he could be on the way to England before Thursday’s deadline.

The Latest: Reddy’s update

Reddy provided an on-air update for Sky Sports News (via Sky Sports Transfer Centre) regarding Gakpo in the last 24 hours.

The journalist said that the player’s camp feel like there is a ‘massive possibility’ of a transfer, adding that indeed ‘there’s talk of Leeds registering interest’ in the forward.

Arsenal, Southampton and Newcastle were also name-checked in the update.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-50/” title=”Latest Leeds United news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Forward needed

Another attacking addition is needed at Elland Road prior to Thursday’s deadline, especially following a new injury to Rodrigo on Tuesday evening.

The Spaniard was forced off with a shoulder problem against Everton, leaving Jesse Marsch with Joe Gelhardt and Patrick Bamford as central options.

Gakpo would provide cover in central and wide areas and has enjoyed a brilliant 12 months with PSV, so a move could be a wise one by Leeds officials, however, it could be a tricky one to complete due to time restrictions and Premier League competition.

An update has emerged regarding Glasgow Rangers’ plans for the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Gers reporter Derek Clark has revealed that, contrary to reports, the club are not looking to sign Romania international Darius Olaru.

He tweeted: “Reliably informed there is no Rangers interest in Darius Olaru.”

The Light Blues had been linked with a swoop for the attacking midfielder, although FCSB chief Gigi Becali had stated that the gem was not for sale until Friday (today).

Potential blunder

The apparent lack of interest in Olaru could be a big blunder from Ibrox chief Ross Wilson, as the Romanian has the potential to be an excellent signing for Gio van Bronckhorst’s team and a possible replacement for one of their current players.

Earlier this month, Pete O’Rourke suggested that Fashion Sakala could want out of Ibrox amid speculation over his future, saying: “I think it’s probably maybe more Sakala’s looking for an exit.

“He’s maybe seen his path to the first team at Ibrox blocked with the incomings this summer of Colak and the boy from Germany who’s of Bayern Munich, Tillman. So maybe he’s thinking he might not get many first-team opportunities at the club this year.”

It has been reported that Sakala is now set to stay at the club after English Championship side Burnley ended their interest in him, but O’Rourke’s comments suggest that he may not be happy with his current situation.

This leaves the door ajar to the Gers changing their stance on him later in the window if he decides to push for a move because of his lack of game-time, with zero minutes on the pitch this season so far in all competitions.

If the situation does change in the coming weeks and the Zambian ends up leaving the club, then it could be a big blunder from Wilson to not be interested in signing Olaru.

The 24-year-old enjoyed an eye-catching 2021/22 campaign as he scored six goals and set up 12 in 36 outings for FCSB, whilst he still has plenty of time left ahead of him to improve at that age.

Meanwhile, Sakala produced nine goals and six assists in 41 Premiership and Europa League matches combined last term, which suggests that Olaru offers a similar goalscoring threat whilst being far more creative to help his team-mates score.

Both of them can play virtually anywhere across the attack, which means that the FCSB star could be an ideal replacement for the Zambian forward due to his goal contributions and his versatility.

Olaru could also settle in quickly as he has played with Gers ace Ianis Hagi for Romania at under-21 and senior level, which could help to bridge the language gap whilst also settling him down on the pitch as well.

Therefore, not making a move for the gem to potentially replace Sakala could end up being a big blunder from Wilson, as the Romanian appears to be an exciting prospective signing on paper.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could make a move to Chelsea ‘at the end of the window’, Simon Phillips has told GiveMeSport.

The lowdown

With less a month of the transfer window remaining, Palace have only sold one first-team player – Christian Benteke.

The Belgian striker sealed a move to MLS outfit DC United for an undisclosed fee ahead of Palace’s season opener against Arsenal.

But the departure of Zaha, Palace’s most valuable player according to Transfermarkt, would of course be a far bigger story.

The 29-year-old only has 12 months left on his deal, which leaves the Eagles facing the prospect of losing him on a free next summer.

The latest

Phillips says Chelsea hold a long-standing interest Zaha and now spy an opportunity given his contract situation.

Blues manager Thomas Tuchel is a big fan of the player and could view it as a no-brainer.

“Wilfried Zaha, I’ve been told there’s still interest there,” he said. “Obviously that’s historical interest from Chelsea’s side before the new owners. Something could be done there at the end of the window with Zaha, one year left on his contract, and Chelsea have always admired him.

“And I think Tuchel has the same way of thinking there. So he wouldn’t be an expensive signing to do, and I think he would be the kind of player that Tuchel would really like.”

The verdict

It seems like Palace may be minded to sell Zaha if they receive a suitable offer.

The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam reports that they ‘have no intention’ of allowing him to leave for nothing in 2023.

And with Palace now looking to build around younger players with a high resale value, the wisdom of handing out a big contract to someone who’s about to turn 30 might be questioned internally.

Still, it would no doubt be a pretty mighty challenge to replace Zaha, who top-scored for the club last season with 15 goals in all competitions.

He proved his worth again on Friday night, even as Palace fell to a 2-0 defeat, by completing three dribbles, creating two chances (including one big chance) and making three tackles. If you go by SofaScore metrics, he was his team’s second best player behind Joachim Andersen.

An update has emerged involving Glasgow Rangers and an opportunity to bring a new striker to Ibrox in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Football Scotland reporter Mark Hendry has claimed that the Light Blues have the chance to sign an Italy international ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

He tweeted: “Wolves’ Patrick Cutrone offered to Rangers but new striker hinges on Alfredo Morelos transfer future.”

The accompanying article states that the Gers will only swoop for the Premier League attacker – who was signed for £16m – if they lose their Colombian talisman or decide to part ways with Kemar Roofe.

Imagine him & Rabbi Matondo

Cutrone has struggled since his move to England, and Rangers could offer him the chance to start a fresh chapter of his career and rediscover the form that he showed prior to his spell at Wolves.

He began his career with AC Milan in Italy and caught the eye for their reserve team as he scored a stunning 43 goals in 67 games. The predator then made the breakthrough into the first team as a teenager and went on to score 27 goals and provide eight assists in 90 appearances.

Cutrone also showcased his goalscoring instincts for Italy at youth level. He scored a whopping 40 goals across various age ranges for his country and has been capped once by the senior Azzurri side.

One-time Ibrox icon Gennaro Gattuso managed Cutrone in the past and claimed that he has “venom inside of him”, which is backed up by his form for Milan and Italy at such a young age.

At the age of 24, he still has plenty of time to get his career back on track after three goals in 28 games for Wolves, and playing alongside someone like Rabbi Matondo in the Premiership could help him to do just that.

The Welsh winger offered fans a glimpse of what he is capable of in the recent friendly against West Ham and his assist for Tom Lawrence – racing down the right to cut the ball back to his team-mates – is the kind of play on which Cutrone could thrive.

He produced 11 assists for Manchester City’s youth team and was directly involved in 12 goals on loan at Cercle Brugge last term.

Matondo can use his pace and trickery on the wing to provide the Italian centre-forward with the service that he needs in order to find his feet and regain the goalscoring touch that he showed earlier in his career.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops Rangers “agreement” claim that’ll delight Gio van Bronckhorst…

Leeds United ended their turbulent 2021/22 Premier League season by managing to avoid the drop and keep their place in the top flight.

With 38 games played, the Whites won nine, drew 11 and lost 18, leaving them in 17th place with 38 points on the board, three points above Burnley who were unable to escape the relegation zone.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Another aspect of Leeds’ latest campaign was the number of goals they managed to score compared to their prior season where they finished in ninth place.

Having found the net 62 times in the 2020/21 season, the Yorkshire club only scored 42 goals last time out.

Now with the summer transfer window open, the Whites have already been busy in terms of adding new players to their ranks in the shape of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca.

One other figure that the club have been linked with that could help Jesse Marsch’s side get back to becoming a regular goalscoring side again is Armando Broja.

As a product of Chelsea’s youth system, the striker has scored 41 goals in 126 club appearances across senior and youth levels.

During his recent loan spell with Southampton, the 20-year-old found the net nine times in 38 appearances.

In his 32 Premier League appearances for the Saints, Broja racked up 48 shots at goal, highlighting how dangerous he can be at the top of the pitch.

According to FBref, one other recognisable name that is included on a list of similar players to the Chelsea centre-forward is Richarlison.

Taking into account how the Brazilian has scored 48 goals and delivered 18 assists in 173 Premier League appearances, the possibility of landing his own version of the Everton star in the shape of Broja should be an exciting one for Marsch and Leeds.

Labelled as a “dangerous” player by Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, the Chelsea youngster certainly has what it takes to add a bit of extra firepower to Leeds’ ranks.

With all of this in mind, despite having a rather hefty reported price tag of £58m, securing a move for the striker this summer could be just what the Leeds boss needs to make sure his side aren’t involved in another excruciating relegation battle next time out.

In other news: Victor Orta now plotting Leeds bid for “beautiful” £26m target, he “has everything”

Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba is ‘in talks’ with Lens over a summer move, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has revealed.

The Lowdown: Samba rejects new deal

Steve Cooper’s men secured a return to the Premier League last season, enjoying a memorable campaign that culminated in them beating Huddersfield Town in the Championship playoff final.

Forest had endless heroes throughout the season and Samba was clearly one of them, proving to be the penalty shootout star in the semi-final win over Sheffield United.

Unfortunately, the 28-year-old has since rejected a new deal at the City Ground, suggesting he will move on this summer.

The Latest: Lens move mooted

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Sky Sports reporter Sheth claimed that Samba could join Lens after opening talks, although Forest want to line-up a replacement first:

“Nottingham Forest in talks with Lens over sale of keeper Brice Samba, who wants a return to France. Forest unlikely to finalise move until they have replacement. Talks continue with Manchester United over Dean Henderson.”

The Verdict: Such a big blow

Samba was such an influential presence between the sticks for Forest last season, so there is no denying that this is a massive blow for Cooper ahead of his side’s Premier League return.

The Congolese colossus started 43 league matches in 2021/22, winning three Man of the Match awards from WhoScored, and it is such a shame that he doesn’t want to test himself in arguably the best division in the world.

It is now imperative that Forest sign a perfect replacement, with Manchester United’s Dean Henderson looking the most likely option, in that respect. That could be an ideal move for all concerned as the Englishman seeks more playing time ahead of this year’s World Cup.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a key Forest transfer update. Read more here.

The Athletic’s Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers has provided an update on the possibility of the West Midlands club luring Valencia forward Goncalo Guedes to Molineux this summer.

What’s the story?

Speaking on the Talking Wolves YouTube channel, Spiers explained: “So he’s one, again, given who he is and his agency, he’s just constantly on Wolves’ radar, obviously because they know it’s a deal that they can do.

“So that link will perpetually be there, really. If a forward option came up this summer, he’d be right at the top of the list for them.”

The winger has one year left on his current deal with the La Liga outfit and is a client of Jorge Mendes, who represents numerous members of Wolves’ squad.

Therefore, the Portuguese agent’s association with Guedes could seriously increase the likelihood of the 25-year-old signing for Wolves this summer.

Wolves must sign Guedes

If Wolves are to strengthen any position this summer, you would argue that it would have to be in attack, with Bruno Lage’s side ending the campaign with one of the Premier League’s lowest scoring records.

Despite finishing 10th, the Old Gold scored just 38 goals in as many top-flight matches, with only the three relegated clubs scoring fewer goals.

Moreover, creativity from the flanks has been limited in the league this term, with Daniel Podence being Wolves’ most potent winger with two goals and three assists.

Guedes would undoubtedly improve Wolves’ front line, with the 29-cap Portugal international scoring 11 goals and setting up a further six in La Liga this season as Valencia finished ninth in the Spanish top flight.

This campaign has been a major improvement in front of goal for the winger, who scored just five goals in La Liga last season alongside six assists.

Guedes’ strong pedigree is clear to see, making him an excellent prospective signing for Wolves.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old can be accommodated straight into the team, with Francisco Trincao set to return to Barcelona after an unsuccessful loan spell, whilst Adama Traore could still leave despite Barcelona not taking up the option of making his loan deal permanent.

Wolves supporters will want to see intent from the board this summer, particularly after such a poor end to the campaign. With the prospective signing of Guedes, fans would certainly be appeased.

AND in other news: Wolves now closing in on “special” £23.4m-rated signing, it could be bye-bye Neves

Frank Lampard is reportedly plotting a move for Barcelona star Memphis Depay in order to bolster Everton’s attacking options ahead of next season.

What’s the word?

According to reports from Spanish outlet Sport, the Toffees are among the clubs who are interested in the 28-year-old, with Arsenal and Newcastle United also keen on securing the services of the Dutchman.

His contract expires at the end of next season, and Lampard could be tempted to lure him to Everton as part of a possible summer rebuild.

However, valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt and with a wage of £158k-p/w, Depay won’t come cheap.

Depay would be a great coup for Everton

Everton narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League with a stunning 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace on Thursday, but Lampard won’t want to be in that position again, and his squad could be in need of an overhaul during the summer.

Signing Depay would be a solid piece of business, with his first season in Spain seeing him score 13 goals in 37 appearances despite Barcelona experiencing some considerable struggles during the campaign.

With Richarlison (11) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (five) struggling for goals this season in comparison to 2020/21, it’s clear that a new centre-forward is needed to improve the Toffees’ attack for next term.

Over the course of the 2021/22 season, Depay has generated more shot-creating actions (76) in La Liga than both Richarlison (62) and Calvert-Lewin (26) in the English top flight. The Dutchman is also effective from wide areas, putting in 61 crosses, with the Everton duo only managing 31 between them.

This vast skill set would no doubt please Lampard, and with former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman describing Depay as a “joy to watch”, Everton could do a lot worse than bringing the former Manchester United forward back to the Premier League.

AND in other news, Everton handed huge injury lift as early Arsenal team news emerges