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Wolves’ first season back in the Premier League last year was an impressive one. Following some astute signings over the last couple of campaigns, the Midlands side finished in seventh place to qualify for the Europa League, whilst also making the F.A Cup semi-final. In order to take his team to the next level, Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking to add some new recruits before the transfer window shuts in August. Here’s a look at the latest rumours involving the Black Country outfit…

Marseille midfielder available

According to Sky Sports, Wolves have been offered the chance to sign Marseille’s Morgan Sanson. After failing to qualify for the Champions League, the French club are willing to listen to bids in the region of €35m (£31.16m) for the 24-year-old. Newcastle and West Ham are also reported to be interested.

Wolves ready for offers for wing duo

Wolves are ready to listen for offers for both Helder Costa and Ivan Cavaleiro, according to the Express and Star. Cavaliero was signed from Monaco for £7m in 2016, whilst Costa was signed for £13m from Benfica on a permanent basis in 2017 after a six-month loan spell. There is interest in both players, so departures look likely.

Hot prospect on radar

The Molineux outfit are also looking at future star Liam McCarron according to the Daily Mail. The Carlisle winger is just 18 years old but has also attracted the attention of Derby County, Sheffield United and Leeds. He is valued at £250,000 by the League Two side.

Matteo Guendouzi is a player that continues to divide opinion amongst the Arsenal fans.

It has become rather difficult to know what the young Frenchman offers the side at times as his performances can often blow hot and cold.

At times, he has looked an inspired signing and one that has looked good enough to be considered one for the future, however, there have been performances that will have left fans scratching their heads in the same way that they did when Arsenal first signed him. We had no idea who he was back then either.

He can be a rather mediocre talent at times and can appear to struggle with the ball at his feet as he is guilty of losing possession on a number of occasions. He might wear his heart on his sleeve and has plenty of potential, but Guendouzi is not quite the player that the Gunners can rely on just yet, especially if one of their reported targets is available for a bargain fee.

According to Il Mattino (via Sport Witness), Amadou Diawara is thought to be available for a fee of just €20million (£17.6m) and Arsenal are said to be interested in the player – as are fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Guinea international has struggled for game-time at Napoli this season and it seems Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to allow the 21-year-old to leave the Serie A outfit for the low transfer fee.

Diawara might be around the same age as Guendouzi, however, he has plenty of pace and also has the physicality to make him a success in the Premier League.

He is very much in the midfield destroyer mould, but has a truly impressive passing ability and rarely gets dispossessed in midfield. Diawara is the kind of player who loves to break lines and is very strong, whilst his positional awareness is rather incredible given his age. He is extremely adept at linking the defence to the attack but does more of the unheralded grunt work in midfield.

Teaming him up alongside the likes of Lucas Torreira could work wonders for Emery’s side and could leave Guendouzi’s place in the team in serious doubt if he were to arrive at the Emirates Stadium.

However, if he is available for just £17.6m, then Arsenal should seriously think about capturing his signature this summer.

Arsenal fans, do you think the club should look to sign Diawara this summer? Would he be an upgrade on Guendouzi? Let us know your thoughts below!

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Aston Villa scraped through to the play-off final by the skin of their teeth after a penalty shoot-out victory over West Brom on Tuesday evening.

Despite winning, the game revealed a major fault in Dean Smith’s team. Their wingers simply weren’t good enough, with Andre Green turning in an average display and Anwar El Ghazi also failing to impress.

As such, Villa fans have been debating who should start on the flanks at Wembley and they’ve all been saying the same thing.

The one name on everyone’s lips is Jonathan Kodjia who supporters want to see start from the off after appearing from the bench at the Hawthorns.

One fan called him the obvious option whilst another claimed that the final could be the stage for the Ivorian.

Which wing he would play on was also debated with some individuals determining that he should play from the left with El Ghazi on the right.

Kodjia has been in good form of late, scoring three goals in his last six outings. It’s been timely for the forward who had found himself behind Tammy Abraham in the pecking order.

In total this term, the 6 ft 2 striker has found the net on nine occasions.

Here’s the best of the discussion.

It has been a roller-coaster of a year to be a Sheffield Wednesday supporter hasn’t it?

After experiencing a truly awful start to the season, the Hillsborough faithful must have been fearing a possible relegation battle in the Championship.

Yet following Dejphon Chansiri’s decision to replace Jos Luhukay with Steve Bruce in January, Wednesday’s fortunes where completely transformed as they embarked on a 12 game unbeaten run in the second tier that had fans dreaming of an appearance in the play-offs.

Although the club would eventually finish 12th in the standings, it is clear that the former Aston Villa boss has brought an air of positivity with him to South Yorkshire and so there is no reason why the Owls cannot launch a sustained push for promotion next season.

However, in order to create the foundations needed to succeed over the coming years, Bruce will need to bolster his squad this summer in a number of positions.

According to Football Insider, one of the players who the 58-year-old is reportedly interested in signing when the transfer window opens in July is Moses Odubajo. Available on a free transfer after being released by Brentford earlier this month, the right-back would undoubtedly be an upgrade on Liam Palmer who experienced an inconsistent 2018/19 campaign at Hillsborough.

Having previously experienced promotion under Bruce three years ago at Hull City, Odubajo could benefit from a reunion with his former boss as by joining Wednesday, he could provide the club with an attacking threat from defence that would work in tandem with Dominic Iorfa.

If the £900k-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) can build a fruitful partnership with the former Wolverhampton Wanderers player, they could take the Championship by storm next year.

What do you think Owls fans? Should Bruce make a swoop for Odubajo in the summer? Or is there another full-back that you want your club to try and bring in? Let us know below.

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It’s been a talking point among the Claret & Blue Army for a couple of seasons now; when will Mark Noble be stepping aside to allow a younger player to take up a first-choice role in central midfield?

The Academy of Football product is 31 now and not many central midfielders make it into their 30s without taking up more of a squad position.

Noble is the skipper at London Stadium although that’s not the reason he’s still a regular, it’s more down to him losing very little of his ability, quality and stamina over the years.

It was thought that the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini, a manager that would perhaps prefer more dynamic options in the centre of the park, last summer would be the beginning of the end for Noble.

However, not only was he able to keep his place in the starting Xl when fit, the former England under-21 international was offered a contract extension during the 2018/2019 season.

But was there anything in that campaign to suggest that Noble will finally lose his place next campaign? Today we look at the statistics in order to answer that question.

As you can see from the above infographic containing stats from WhoScored, Noble impressively only missed seven league matches last term.

The 31-year-old, known for both his defensive and attacking capabilities, managed an eye-catching five goals and five assists during 2018/2019 enjoying playing with some new expensive attacking players and certainly flexing his so-called old muscles going forward.

The number 16 also weighed in with an average of 85.3% pass success playing mostly alongside Declan Rice in the centre of the pitch, precision as ever from the club captain.

One little bit of evidence that an aspect of Noble’s game is starting to fade ever so slightly can be found in his 0.7 key passes per game, suggesting that he’s not quite as creative as he used to be on a regular basis – he made 1.4 per appearance in the 2015/16 campaign, for example.

However, the boyhood Hammer comes roaring back with a superb average of 1.5 tackles per encounter, displaying that he hasn’t lost his bite in protecting the defence.

Overall, these figures tell us that Noble is far from ready to give up playing every weekend and that the Irons must wait to introduce a long-term partner for Rice, for the time being.

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Tottenham Hotspur striker Fernando Llorente has been linked with a shock move to Barcelona, per Mundo Deportivo.

The 34-year-old has played a key role in Spurs’ Champions League campaign this season, scoring the decisive goal in the clash with Manchester City in the quarter-finals, before making a stunning impact in the semi-final win over Ajax.

The report claims that Llorente could be secured as a back-up option to superstar forward Luis Suarez.

Indeed, he is likely to be available on a free transfer, with his current contract set to expire following the Champions League final against Liverpool.

But has he done enough to deserve such a major move? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below!

Matt Dawson

“The short answer is absolutely not. If Fernando Llorente is attracting the interest of Barcelona then the world’s gone mad. The Spaniard is not good enough for Tottenham, let alone one of the most reputable teams on the planet. Barcelona’s ability to crumble in the latter stages of the Champions League dictates they could do with someone who gives them a plan B but he isn’t near the type of quality they need. He definitely hasn’t done enough to warrant a move of that magnitude.”

James Beavis

“He clearly hasn’t done enough this season to warrant the move. However, if he is going to Barcelona to be a second or third-choice striker, then he would be a smart addition for nothing for the La Liga champions. The Spaniard knows what it takes to be an effective striker in the Spanish top flight, and can get some minutes in the league when Champions League matches are on the horizon and Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez can’t play full games. All of that said, the 34-year-old will be counting his lucky stars that this move could be on the cards.”

Billy Meyers

“Has he done enough this season? Probably not. Can I understand why Barcelona want to sign him? Absolutely. The Spaniard bossed it in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao for years and would be a very good backup for the Spanish champions, as he is able to offer a vastly different plan B to what Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi offer. We saw against Ajax how Llorente can change a game, and perhaps that is what Barcelona were missing in Europe this year.”

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According to CalcioNapoli24, via Sports Witness, Newcastle United attacker Ayoze Perez is ‘one step away’ from joining Tottenham Hotspur.

The report claims that Spurs have offered £25m for a player who scored 12 Premier League goals during the 2018-19 campaign.

And it would be fair to say that the Newcastle fans are not best pleased.

Losing the Spaniard would be far from the end of the world but the club’s supporters feel that the price is little on the short side.

Perez had periods of inconsistency during the 2018-19 season, although he deserves credit for his form in the latter stages of the campaign.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Earlier this month, a number of Newcastle fans begged Perez to reject summer interest to stay with the club.

However, recent comments from the attacker suggest that he is looking to seek pastures new ahead of the new season, which will seemingly upset the fanbase.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Tottenham Hotspur hold a financial advantage in their bid to sign Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez this summer, per AS.

What’s the word?

The forward, who was linked with West Ham United in January, is also reported to be attracting interest from Valencia.

However, the aforementioned report claims that Spurs have an advantage in their pursuit, given the obvious riches afforded by the Premier League.

Gomez is said to have been identified by the club as the ideal replacement to veteran forward Fernando Llorente.

The Spanish World Cup winner is poised to depart north London once his contract expires, despite playing a key role in the club’s run to the Champions League final.

Gomez scored 13 goals for Celta in La Liga this season, while laying on five assists. He has won 11 caps for Uruguay.

Don’t splash out just because you can

Despite their self-imposed transfer ban – they haven’t signed a player since January 2018, when Lucas Moura arrived from PSG – Spurs have the ability to blow most European clubs out of the water when it comes to transfer fees.

They could potentially secure Gomez’s signature should they so wish, leaving West Ham and Valencia with no hope of competing in a bidding war.

Per a separate Marca report, he has a €50m (£44.3m) release clause but, at the end of the day, how often is he going to play?

Harry Kane is indisputably Spurs’ best striker, with Llorente included in the starting XI in the Premier League just six times in 2018-19. He started in the Champions League just once.

Paying over £40m for a player who is mostly going to sit on the bench simply doesn’t make sense and is out of whack with the club’s transfer strategy, where they pride resale value and opportunity for growth.

Spurs, then, would be better off bowing out and allowing Valencia the chance to land their man.

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Former Arsenal star and Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has issued his verdict on what the club should do this summer, and he said centre-back Shkodran Mustafi “must be released”.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Gunners would have been confident they were getting a good player when they signed the impressive Germany international from Valencia in 2016, but it hasn’t proved to be the case.

The 27-year-old has repeatedly made errors and generally just doesn’t look comfortable at the heart of the north London outfit’s backline.

His disappointing displays haven’t gone unnoticed by Nicholas, who believes that Unai Emery needs to get rid this summer even if the player still has two years remaining on his contract at the Emirates.

He told Sky Sports: “Shkodran Mustafi must be released in my opinion.”

Check out an Arsenal fan vow to “move to another planet” if Spurs win the UCL in the video below…

Is he right?

If Arsenal want to boost their chances of finishing in the top four in the Premier League next season, there is no doubt that they need to strengthen at centre-back.

While Sokratis has done a solid enough job, Laurent Koscielny is too old now, Nacho Monreal isn’t a natural central defender, and Konstantinos Mavropanos and Rob Holding are still young players who are yet to prove themselves on a consistent basis.

The Gunners need some stability and a calm head during the 2019/20 campaign, and Mustafi is so far away from being that.

He appears to strike fear into the crowd and his teammates with some of his decision-making and poor positioning, and that simply isn’t good enough for a club of Arsenal’s stature.

As Nicholas hints at, the north London outfit should be looking to move the 27-year-old during the summer transfer window, but they will surely struggle to get anywhere near the in excess of £35m fee they paid for him three years ago.

تحدث فاروق جعفر المستشار الفني لفريق نادي الزمالك، عن انتقاده للمدير الفني للفارس الأبيض جايمي باتشيكو، عقب الخروج من بطولة كأس مصر، رغم أنه من رشحه للأبيض.

وكان باتشيكو قاد الزمالك للخسارة الثانية على التوالي أمام طلائع الجيش في نصف نهائي كأس مصر بثلاثية مقابل هدف، بعد خسارة مباراة نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا على يد الأهلي بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وقال فاروق جعفر في تصريحات لـ”بطولات”: “لم أوجه الانتقادات للمدرب جايمي باتشيكو، ولم أقلل من قدراته الفنية بعد مباراة طلائع الجيش”.

وأضاف: “طبيعي أن أبدي رؤيتي الفنية لكيفية إدارة باتشيكو المباراة، ولكن الانتقادات كانت غير منطقية ضدي، ويقولون إنني من جئت بباتشيكو فكيف أنتقده”.

طالع.. خاص | جلسة لتجديد عقد ساسي في الزمالك.. وحسم مستقبل بن شرقي

وتابع: “أعتقد أنه شيء يحسب لي إنني أقول رؤيتي عن المدرب حتى لو كنت اخترته”.

وواصل: “لعبت أكثر من ١٢٠ مباراة وقدت أكثر من ٥٠٠ مباراة كمدرب، فطبيعي أن أتحدث فنيًا دون أي مجاملة، ونادي الزمالك بيتي وسأقول ما في صالح النادي دون أي اعتبارات أخرى”.

واستكمل: “ما قلته أن باتشيكو لا يعرف طريقة طلائع الجيش ولم يقرأ المباراة جيدًا لأنه لا يعلم فريق الجيش عكس طارق العشري الذي يعرف طريقة الزمالك”.

وأتم: “كما أنه كان هناك أكثر من ملاحظة حول استبدال محمود عبد الرازق شيكابالا، رغم أنه كان جيدًا ومشاركة محمد أشرف روقة رغم أنه كان بعيدًا عن المشاركة منذ فترة طويلة”.