Adama Traore has really hit the ground running at Barcelona, creating four goals in all competitions since joining the Catalan giants on-loan – leaving Wolves fans wishing he could have replicated that quality of end product during his time at Molineux.
However, manager Bruno Lage might have already found his natural replacement should the Spanish forward complete a permanent transfer at the end of the season to the La Liga club, in the shape of 22-year-old forward Chiquinho.
After signing from Liga NOS club Estoril for £3m in January, many supporters were understandably sceptical about what a relatively unheard of player from a low-reputation club in Portugal could offer to their first team. But, after impressing at the weekend during a 15-minute cameo against Crystal Palace, the excitement surrounding him is beginning to build.
The Portuguese attacker was deployed on the right-hand side to try and help his team get something out of the game, and he almost scored but for a good save from Palace keeper Vicente Guaita after Daniel Podence slipped his compatriot in through on goal.
Lage, who believes the new signing who possesses “explosiveness” needs time to settle, said last week: “Chiquinho is a good player and the club followed him a long time ago, around one year ago.”He is a player for the present and a player for the future. These are the kind of players the club should look at.”We also need some good players for now to build that team we want. The main point is to continue the way we are working and to help the team to improve.”
Last week for the U23’s team, Chiquinho also gave a good audition on why he could replace Traore, demonstrating his lightning pace late on against Reading with a run from the edge of his own box which saw him take on a number of players, before being bundled over in the box.
With the kind of pace and powerful running Adama was known for, should Chiquinho be given more of an opportunity at Wolves, he could represent great value for money, and replace the Spaniard comfortably.In other news: Wolves may unearth the “next Iniesta” as Lage plots bid for £8.1m-rated Moutinho heir
He has had multiple setbacks in Glasgow already and is still awaiting his senior Hoops debut, although he did score on his Celtic B debut earlier this month and is currently away with Ireland’s under-19s.
Unfortunately, the teenage striker had to be stretched off, holding his knee against England on Wednesday with what looked to be a knee problem.
The Latest: Goalscoring return for Kenny
Irish broadcaster RTE shared a match report from the Ireland under-19s’ 4-1 defeat to Portugal on Saturday evening.
They shared details of Kenny opening the scoring in the first half, making a swift return to action from what appeared to be a nasty injury.
The Verdict: Good news
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou already has concerns over both Tom Rogic and Daizen Maeda during the international break, and news of Kenny being stretched off during the week wasn’t ideal. However, it is positive to know that his issue wasn’t serious and that he could return to action within a few days.
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Hopefully the 18-year-old will continue to find the net with regularity for Celtic’s B team over the coming months, which could lead to a breakthrough into Postecoglou’s senior squad next season.
In other news: Sources close to Celtic drop positive Karamoko Dembele update as contract deadline looms
As per Spanish news outlet Sport, via Sport Witness, there has been an update on Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer plans involving AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.
The Lowdown: Spurs to back Conte?
Following the arrivals of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus last month, that double coup seemingly wasn’t enough to halt Spurs’ poor run of form.
Losing four out of their last five Premier League matches, the latest being a regrettable 1-0 defeat to Burnley, Spurs manager Antonio Conte was at the centre of a public outburst which raised question marks around his future.
Seemingly running out of patience, if the 52-year-old remains until the end of the season, chairman Daniel Levy and co simply must back him in the transfer market – and it appears that they have taken steps to do so.
The Latest: Kessie handling ‘offer’ from Spurs…
According to reports from Sport, via Sport Witness, Milan midfielder Kessie is handling ‘offers’ from the likes of Spurs, Juventus and Inter Milan.
It is also believed that, alongside the two Serie A giants, Tottenham are already ‘bidding’ to sign the 25-year-old.
The Verdict: Get it done…
The 52-cap Ivory Coast star, called ‘extraordinary’ by ESPN pundit Nicky Bandini, would undoubtedly inject some-much needed quality into Conte’s side.
Kessie has been re-invented by Milan boss Stefano Pioli as more of an advanced midfielder rather than his natural defensive role, a switch which has resulted in him scoring 20 goals in all competitions since the start of 2020/21.
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He has also registered seven assists in that time, while his 90.1% passing success rate is tied with Spurs’ leader in that regard (Oliver Skipp), so it’s safe to say that he would be snip on a possible free transfer.
In other news: Tottenham gem who Conte called ‘important’ could now pack his bags and quit, find out more here
Spurs’ summer transfer window, as a result, could prove a crucial factor in convincing the Italian to remain in north London and not to activate his alleged contract clause which would allow him to leave this season.
A forward is said to be on Conte’s agenda with a pretty big update coming to light on their links to Depay.
The Latest: French news source makes big claim…
According to Foot Mercato, sharing an update on Spurs’ pursuit of the former Man United winger, the Lilywhites have indeed submitted a pre-summer offer to sign Depay.
They expand on this, though, with Barca now ‘tempted to accept’ the bid from Levy and co – mainly because the Catalans’ payroll is ‘already in the red’ and the Camp Nou giants simply have to sell this summer.
They even describe Tottenham’s offer for Depay as ‘good news’ with president Joan Laporta seemingly looking for any means of profit.
The Verdict: Big claim…
The £168,000-per-week star has continued his fine form since leaving Lyon as a free agent last summer.
Depay, racking up ten goals and two assists in just 15 La Liga starts so far over 2021/2022, ranks among Barca’s top three domestic performers this season based off average match rating (WhoScored).
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Xavi’s most potent threat, the 28-year-old’s record of goals and assists combined is more than double that of Barcelona’s second-best duo Luuk de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in that regard (both on 5G, 0A).
Lauded as a ‘phenomenal all-round forward’ by tactical analyst and BBC Sport writer Premier League Panel (Twitter), Depay would certainly upgrade Conte’s options at Spurs.
In other news: £50m release clause: Tottenham also make contact to sign ‘one of the best players in the world’, find out more here.
It was an evening to forget for Tottenham and Thomas Frank, who ended their defeat to Liverpool with nine men as Spurs continue their poor run of form.
The match remained goalless through a tense opening period before Xavi Simons first saw red after catching Virgil van Dijk on the back of the calf with a reckless challenge.
The Dutchman’s dismissal left Spurs to battle with 10 men for over an hour as Liverpool seized control of proceedings.
Alexander Isak broke the deadlock in the 56th minute after winning the ball inside the Spurs half and setting the move off, feeding off Cristian Romero’s failed pass up field.
Hugo Ekitiké then picked out Florian Wirtz’s run, and the German midfielder’s pass was rolled perfectly into Isak’s path for the striker to slot past Guglielmo Vicario and put the Reds ahead.
Tottenham ready to make January target their highest-paid star to shatter wage structure
Spurs are pulling out all the stops.
ByEmilio Galantini
Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 66th minute when Ekitike won a header inside the box and steered the ball into the back of the net, appearing to put the result beyond all doubt for Arne Slot’s side, who were enjoying complete dominance against the depleted hosts.
Romero pleaded for a foul against him, but Ekitike was simply more powerful and rose above the 27-year-old for Liverpool’s second of the game.
Spurs showed greater resilience than expected though and substitute Richarlison made an immediate impact in the 83rd minute.
The Brazilian jabbed home after Liverpool made a complete mess of clearing a corner to give the home crowd renewed hope late on.
The drama intensified in stoppage time when Romero won a free kick in a dangerous area after being fouled by Ibrahima Konate but then completely lost his composure.
Romero threw a fit after the decision and earned himself a second yellow card to leave Spurs down to nine men for the closing stages.
Liverpool held on despite the late pressure to claim all three points and make it back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since September.
Gary Neville slams Cristian Romero in Tottenham defeat to Liverpool
Speaking on commentary duty, pundit Gary Neville took aim at Romero for his role in the defeat.
Before his calamitious sending off, the Argentine’s botched clearance led to Isak’s opener for Liverpool after Spurs initially mopped up the danger, which set the wheels in motion for a damning defeat.
Watching the replay back on Sky Sports mid-match, Neville blasted the ‘really poor’ moment from Spurs’ captain, claiming that Romero ‘exposed the whole team’ with his careless attempt at a punt up field.
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What turned out to be a close one in the end and an admirable attempt at a fightback was also another nightmare result for Frank, who faces mounting pressure as Tottenham’s terrible run continues.
The Lilywhites have now won just twice in their last nine matches across all competitions, dropping to 13th in the table and seven points off a European place.
Romero and Simons are also now suspended, adding to insult to injury and further depleting Frank’s already stretched resources.
January cannot come soon enough for Spurs, with the club believed to be holding talks with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo over a mid-season move to London.
Scouts urging Tottenham to sign £40m star who's impressed PSG instead of Semenyo
Wolves are still keen on Sporting CP’s Joao Palhinha, though they will face a challenge to bring him to Molineux going by the latest reports.
What’s the latest?
Filipe Dias via Football Daily, revealed that Wolves are “interested” in Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha last summer.
And whilst they were aware of Spurs’ reported interest in the holding midfielder, they may face further difficulties in acquiring their target, with the latest reports from Portugal revealing that Manchester United have been scouting the 26-year-old.
Bruno Lage has been upfront about his star man Ruben Neves’ future at the West Midlands side, claiming that he is unsure as to where the future lies for the 25-year-old. A move for Palhinha could provide a more than viable replacement option for the Old Gold side.
Palhinha could fill Neves-shaped hole
With star midfielder Ruben Neves linked with the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal to name a few, a move for Palhinha would surely be welcomed by Bruno Lage.
A move for the midfielder dubbed “all-round” by Squawka would be an astute deal for Wolves with the fee to prise him away from Sporting CP said to be as low as 30m euros (£25m), which in this market for that calibre of player is an absolute snip.
Despite the links to fellow Premier League outfits, Manchester United and Spurs, Wolves would surely hold an advantage given their Portuguese transfer philosophy, Portuguese manager and links with super-agent Jorge Mendes, having worked closely with his Gestifute agency over the last few years.
Whilst he has been described as one of the “most complete ever” by Copa 90, Palhinha shines brightest defensively speaking, having put himself within the 99th percentile for pressures and successful pressures, showing his best work within the midfield and defensive thirds of the pitch.
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Should Neves depart the Old Gold side in the summer, a move for Joao Palhinha could fill the void for a fraction of the potential fee that they will receive.
In other news –Forget Otto: 12-pass Wolves gem proved he’s fulfilling his “enormous potential” v AVFC – opinion
Heracles’ excellent recent form continued with a 4-2 defeat of Heerenveen in the Eredivisie on Saturday.The club are now unbeaten in five matches, including four wins, and have moved into the top half of the table on the back of Saturday’s victory that once again highlighted the strength in Heracles’ attack.They scored four goals for the third match in succession and have netted 18 in their last four matches, making them a dangerous proposition for the remainder of the Eredivisie season.Everton kicked off the scoring with his 19th-minute strike and although Mika Vayrynen hit back for Heerenveen, Samuel Armenteros restored the hosts’ lead on the stroke of half-time.Further goals to Antoine van der Linden and Darl Douglas inside the first 15 minutes of the second half sealed the victory.Philip Haglund grabbed a late consolation for the visitors.In other matches, Groningen climbed to fifth with a 1-0 away win at NAC Breda.Andreas Granqvist’s strike on 72 minutes gave Groningen victory that broke their four-match losing streak.Leroy George’s goal after just two minutes gave NEC Nijmegen a 1-0 win over De Graafschap while the other match on Saturday saw the league’s bottom two clubs, VVV Venlo and Willem II, play out a goalless draw.
“I don’t believe that what he [Sherwood] said is true and I told him that,” Benteke said.
“I spoke with him and I explained the situation. I said football has changed and the football now is modern and I can adapt.
“It is not just about crossing, I can score normal goals too. I told him I am not afraid about it. If Liverpool bought me then they know how to use me.
“That’s why I came here – I’ll show I can play with my feet too.”
Christian Benteke has come out fighting in response to comments made by his old Aston Villa boss while his transfer saga was rumbling on over the summer. Tim Sherwood may have had good intentions when attempting to dissuade his 24-year-old hit-man from leaving Villa Park, but his “no point going to a club where they don’t cross the ball” quote, even at the time, seemed a little disrespectful to the Belgium international.
Benteke himself appears to have been riled by the judgement of his talent, which bodes well for Liverpool as they embark on a ‘do or die’ season following serious investment. A top four finish in the aim, and anything less may cost Brendan Rodgers his job and lead to serious questioning of the £32.5m fee paid for Benteke.
However we at Football FanCast believe that the burly striker will be a hit at the club, and here are FIVE reasons we think he’ll prove Sherwood, and any other doubters, wrong…
Quality around him
The major difference between Benteke at Villa and Benteke at Liverpool is that he’ll have better players around him. No disrespect to the Villans, but the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana will be able to provide a greater quality of service than Jack Grealish and Charles N’Zogbia. As a result, Benteke is sure to get more chances, even if they’re not the ‘swing the ball into the box’-type that Sherwood has talked up.
On a similar note, Liverpool play a more progressive brand of football than Benteke has been a part of at Villa. Sherwood’s side may be a bit more ‘up and at ‘em’, but Paul Lambert’s pragmatic claret and blues were joyless to watch.
His impressive goalscoring record
49 goals in 101 outings is mightily impressive. To be a top-quality marksman a one-in-two ratio is needed, and although Benteke has fallen marginally short, it must be remembered that the Villa side he’s played in has been pretty dreadful for his three years. Benteke’s record proves that he knows what he’s doing in the Premier League, and that sort of know-how will not disappear overnight.
Building on from the last point, the added quality around him is sure to help, with more chances of greater quality sure to yield more goals from a composed finisher.
Rodgers’ main man
The massive £32.5m fee paid and the summer-long pursuit shows that Rodgers has faith in Benteke. Although the Northern Irishman has been criticised and ridiculed by many, he shows faith in the players he rates, which bodes well for the 24-year-old even if his competitive Reds career gets off to a slow start.
The vast fee paid suggests that Benteke will get a significant amount of game time, too. After all, why would the Reds make him their second most expensive player ever to ration his minutes on the pitch?
Has negotiated the tricky debut…
https://vine.co/v/eHMqIBDM0zH/embed/simple
Okay, it was only a pre-season match against League One opposition, but Benteke shone in sunny Wiltshire against Swindon Town and netted a fantastic debut goal. Getting off the mark early is always the aim for any striker, so the fact the big money signing has already removed the anvil of ‘that first goal’ is a real positive.
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Then there’s the quality of the strike, too. Benteke didn’t bundle it home or play up to the stereotype with a towering header, he instead took the ball neatly on his chest and volleyed home from the edge of the area. It was very mid-2000s Didier Drogba
Not worried about price-tag
“I don’t think about the transfer fee. I knew if I joined a big club I would have some pressure so I am ready for this challenge. I will work hard and not worry about things.
“I think the pressure will bring the best out of me. The money is high, but even if it was less when you join a big club there is pressure so I just have to deal with it.”
Many big name players have wilted under the glare of massive transfer fees. Fernando Torres, Andriy Shevchenko, Andy Carroll and many more have suffered with the attention that comes with significant portions of money moving between clubs, and although we cannot be truly sure about how Benteke feels, he does seem bullish.
If he can keep the fee out of his mind and make a positive start to his spell at Anfield, there is no reason he cannot cement himself among the very best strikers to have played for the Reds.
Aston Villa correspondent Ashley Preece has claimed that the club are monitoring Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.
The Lowdown: Phillips a doubt for Thursday
Phillips, who Gareth Southgate labelled ‘excellent’, has been missing for the Whites since December due to a hamstring problem.
The 26-year-old appears to be closing in on a return, though, with Villa set to travel to Elland Road on Thursday for their rearranged Premier League clash.
It seems as if Phillips may just miss out on featuring under Jesse Marsch that night, with Leeds only two points clear of the relegation zone with 11 games left to play.
The Latest: Phillips links with Villa
Preece shared a story on Birmingham Live on Monday, looking at a number of Villa-related topics.
When it came to the search for a new defensive midfielder, the reporter claimed that Villa are now monitoring Phillips with a view to a possible swoop due to Leeds’ precarious Premier League position.
The Verdict: Villa can pile the pressure on
It seems as if Villa may only stand a chance of signing Phillips if the Whites suffer relegation, so Steven Gerrard’s side can put the pressure on by taking three points from Yorkshire.
You’d expect that the 26-year-old could be available for a cut-price fee if Leeds drop down to the Championship, and it looks as if he’ll have to watch on from afar once again on Thursday.
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He may already be aware of Villa’s continued interest, and with Gerrard seeking a new defensive midfielder, the England Player of the Year for 2021 could be the perfect fit for the 41-year-old.
In other news: Villa now set to share details of ‘devastating’ injury to ‘brilliant’ player; Gregg Evans gutted
Leeds United could face the prospect of a transfer embargo as a result of the Whites’ ongoing court battle with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig over the transfer of striker Jean-Kevin Augustin.
What’s the story?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Peter O’Rourke shared his fears that Leeds could face a transfer embargo, saying: “If things don’t go right for them at this Court of Arbitration hearing over the Augustin thing, it could really bite into their transfer budget for next season or there could even be a transfer embargo, which would be a disaster for Leeds United.”
Augustin made the move to Elland Road on loan from RB Leipzig in January 2020, two months before the pandemic forced a lockdown. It is understood that the agreement included an £18m obligation to buy if the Yorkshire club were to be promoted from the Championship, which they eventually were.
However, the Frenchman played just 48 minutes for the Whites before returning to Germany when the pandemic hit, before Leeds sealed promotion to the Premier League.
Although Augustin didn’t play during the restart, Leipzig still demanded that they were owed the £18m transfer fee given United’s promotion, which FIFA ruled in the German club’s favour. However, Leeds appealed and now have to wait for a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Sky Germany have reported that Leeds may be forced to pay five per cent interest on each of their three payments should their appeal prove unsuccessful with O’Rourke suggesting that they could face a transfer embargo as well.
Disaster for Leeds
With Transfermarkt valuing the now FC Nantes striker at just £1.35m, an £18m payment for the Frenchman’s services at an average of £375k per minute in a Leeds shirt, would be a catastrophe for the Leeds hierarchy and would certainly prove to be a colossal dent in their transfer budget for the summer.
The Whites have recently dismissed Marcelo Bielsa of his duties, replacing the Argentinian with, ironically, former RB Leipzig manager Jesse Marsch.
Despite two consecutive victories, the American’s side still have plenty of work to do to ensure survival when they return from the international break.
With Leeds sat in 16th, they boast a four-point advantage over 17th placed Everton. However, the Toffees have three games in hand as do 19th placed Burnley who are eight points behind.
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Assuming the Whites do survive, the Yorkshire club will want to ensure that they don’t experience being in a relegation battle again next campaign and will be keen to invest. However, the prospect of paying £18m as part of this court case could prove seriously damaging.
That said, it is surely better than a complete embargo, something that could damage Leeds’ hopes over multiple seasons.
In other news: Source drops huge behind-scenes Leeds update that will have supporters over the moon