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Wolves are plotting a bid for Vitoria Guimaraes midfielder Andre Almeida ahead of a crucial summer transfer window for Bruno Lage.

What’s the word?

Portuguese news outlet Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness) claim that Wolves are discussing a deal for Almeida as Lage plans a major summer rebuild for next season.

The player could cost £6.8m and at only 21 years old, would represent a shrewd investment.

With his contract due to expire at the end of next season, Wolves may take advantage and try to secure a bargain deal.

Dream Moutinho heir

Lage has had a very solid first season in charge of Wolves, leading the club to a top-half finish despite a poor final few weeks of the campaign derailing some momentum.

He faces a big summer ahead, with the futures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho uncertain, fresh faces will be guaranteed.

In Almeida, Wolves could have the perfect heir to the 35-year-old maestro. Almeida plays slightly further forward in an attacking midfield role and despite not scoring any goals this campaign, an 86% passing accuracy stat is solid.

The midfielder can also contribute defensively, making on average 1.4 tackles per game and winning 56% of his total duels.

These are extremely similar to Moutinho’s, who has a slightly better pass accuracy (87%) and wins 2.1 tackles per match, although his dominance in duels isn’t as good as Almeida’s (43%).

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With that in mind, it’s easy to see why he’d make such a good replacement for the Portuguese veteran with his easy on the eye and accurate passing a key attribute when assessing the heir to his midfield throne.

For the aforementioned fee, Lage should be going all out to secure the youngster’s services, with Zach Lowy lauding him as “intriguing”, then it could certainly be worth the money.

AND in other news, Wolves can save millions by unearthing 22-year-old “diamond”, Lage will be ecstatic

The Rangers academy showcased its potential last weekend as Giovanni van Bronckhorst fielded a host of young players in their final Premiership match of the campaign.

Alex Lowry stole the show for the Ibrox side with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win, whilst the likes of Leon King, Charlie McCann and Cole McKinnon, among others, also featured in the first-team match.

Van Bronckhorst has shown that he is not afraid to give young players a chance at Rangers, and Lowry’s emergence is proof of that.

Rangers have not always had the best of luck when it comes to bringing players through their academy in recent years. Of those currently playing professional football, the 10 most valuable Gers academy products – via Transfermarkt – are all playing for other clubs, albeit that one of them (Nathan Patterson) left the club earlier this year in a record deal.

One player with whom the Gers had a big howler in 2018 was goalkeeper Liam Kelly, who was sold to Livingston for an undisclosed fee. Transfermarkt valued him at £90k at the time of the move, having failed to make a first-team appearance at Ibrox.

Since making the switch four years ago, he has played for Livingston and English Championship side QPR, and he is now back in the Premiership with Motherwell as their number one.

He played 22 times in his season in west London in 2019/20 and duly sealed a transfer to Fir Park, where he has impressed with his performances.

In the Premiership this term, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.79 and committed zero errors leading to shots or goals. This comes after he averaged a sublime score of 6.97 last term for Motherwell, making zero errors in total.

His current manager Graham Alexander hailed him as a  “fantastic” goalkeeper and tipped him to be on Steve Clarke’s radar for the Scotland squad, highlighting how impressive the 26-year-old has been.

Meanwhile, Allan McGregor has averaged a score of 6.76 in the top flight this term and made four errors directly leading to shots or goals. This suggests that Rangers had a big howler in letting Kelly go in 2018, as his current performances suggest that he has been more reliable than the 40-year-old in the Premiership throughout 2021/22.

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At the time of writing (17/05/22), Transfermarkt value the former QPR tank at £405k. This is a whopping 350% increase from his valuation at the end of his Rangers career, which shows that he has come on leaps and bounds since departing from his hometown.

Instead of benefitting from his value on and off the pitch, the Gers let him go before giving him a chance at senior level, and they will surely be regretting that decision now…

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must finally unleash “powerful” 19 y/o Rangers gem who “took his chance” in 2022…

Steven Gerrard’s time at Aston Villa has been a puzzling period so far.

The England great arrived in the Midlands with a healthy reputation following his career in Scotland and after the first few weeks, you could see why there was such a buzz about his management skills.

However, sadly the Villans have slipped by the wayside and to coin an old phrase, they’ve been on the beach in the final few months of the season.

Villa may well find it difficult now to finish in the Premier League’s top 10 after a run of form that’s been rather topsy-turvy, but back to back wins prior to their defeat at Liverpool showed there is still quality in the squad.

Philippe Coutinho looks set to sign for the club permanently but it wasn’t the former Red that Klopp waxed lyrical over at full time.

As the Merseysiders came away with a 2-1 victory at Villa Park, Klopp sunk his teeth into the display of the host’s forward line.

He said in his post-match press conference: “There were one or two moments where we had to defend with the centre-halves in the six-yard box because of the quality of Villa. Ingsy unbelievable, Watkins and these kind of things that’s tricky, but we did it.”

It’s hardly a surprise that Klopp was so effusive in his praise of Ings considering the pair worked together when he played at Anfield but it’s a promising sign for the Villa Park faithful.

There may only be two games of the campaign left but if the former Southampton man really is looking “unbelievable” now, it should delight the supporters at Villa.

After all, this is a player who Dean Smith paid £25m for last summer following the sale of Jack Grealish.

To suggest he’s been good business so far would be lying. The 29-year-old has been rather inconsistent since signing, scoring just seven goals for Villa.

That means that at the moment he’s cost the club a whopping £3.5m per goal.

If Villa are to make this move a worthwhile investment then they’ll need Ings at the top of his game heading into next term – a position Klopp clearly believes he’s getting to again.

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The German is no stranger to praising opposition players, with the Anfield chief hailing the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Adama Traore and Gabriel Martinelli relentlessly in the past.

Klopp knows an exciting talent when he sees one, so those at Villa should be extremely excited about what the future holds for the forward under Gerrard’s tutelage beyond the current campaign.

A summer of rest and recuperation should do the England international the world of good, and then hopefully we’ll see the very best from the “unbelievable” Ings next season.

AND in other news, AVFC can save millions by unleashing “outstanding” 18 y/o who’s a “young Michael Owen”…

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of AC Milan forward Rafael Leao…

What’s the talk?

Italian journalist Giovanni Capuano has relayed a report from Repubblica that names the Magpies as one of the teams plotting a bid to sign the Portuguese international, with PIF looking to snap him up.

Ligue 1 giants PSG are also said to be keen on the attacker, who is said to be being courted by ‘half of Europe’ heading into the summer window.

Eddie Howe needs him badly

Milan reportedly want €70m (£59m) for the 22-year-old this summer and the Toon must pay it as the Magpies’ head coach needs him badly.

The gem is a versatile, quality, young player who would solve a big problem for Howe next season. Newcastle lack players with the ability to put the ball in the back of the net on a consistent basis and Leao has proven that he can do exactly that.

In the Premier League this season, Callum Wilson (six) and Allan Saint-Maximin (five) are the only players with more than four goals to their name. This shows that the club need more goalscorers to bolster their attack in order to push up the table next term.

Meanwhile, Leao, who can play out wide on the left and through the middle, has scored ten goals and provided four assists in the Serie A for Milan. This comes after he produced 12 strikes and assists in 22 starts in 2020/21, showing that he can deliver quality in the final third on a regular basis at the top level.

The attacker’s former coach at Sporting, Tiago Fernandes, previously showered him with praise as he compared him to a former Brazil star. He said:

“Rafael is a No 9, he’s almost always played as one. I’d say that he reminds me of ‘Fenomeno’ Ronaldo for his pace, technique and the quality of his finishing.

“Perhaps he still has to improve in the air, but I want to tell the Rossoneri fans that Leao is a champion who can decide a game by himself.

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“He certainly has the talent to play for Real Madrid, Barcelona and all the best clubs in Europe.”

These quotes highlight his potential as a player and this means that Howe can work with him on the training pitch to develop him into an even better performer for Newcastle. His statistics for Milan suggest that he would already be an upgrade on what the Toon currently have in the final third, with his scope for development adding another reason why the ex-Cherries coach needs him at St. James’ Park.

AND in other news, Insider: PIF “aiming” to make major Newcastle signing that’ll leave supporters elated…

Sunderland are facing a huge game in their bid to land a place in the League One play-offs this weekend as a win against Morecambe will secure their top-six spot.

The Black Cats are vying for promotion up to the Championship under Alex Neil, after sacking Lee Johnson earlier this year, and it will be intriguing to see what happens in the summer if they do go up.

Kristjaan Speakman will have his first chance to sign players for the ex-Norwich and Preston coach and one player the Scot must look to secure a deal for is a gem who is already at the club – youngster Jack Clarke.

Football.London recently reported that Spurs will be looking to either sell the attacker on a permanent deal or loan him out again for another season and the Black Cats must look to snap him up for a second time.

Whether or not a permanent move is viable, given that Tottenham paid £9m to sign him, remains to be seen but another campaign on loan would surely get the Stadium of Light rocking.

He is an exciting young player who would be an asset to the club in the Championship or League One next term, having built up a strong reputation in his short career to date.

Former Premier League forward Noel Whelan previously heaped praise on the youngster, saying:

“He has got a great ability to glide past players. I don’t think I’ve seen a winger really as talented as that, where it looks effortless, just to take somebody on and he really does get you on the edge of your seat, he’s one of those exciting players.”

Lee Johnson, before his exit, also praised Clarke as he claimed that the attacker has the potential to be an “influential” player for the club.

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That is exactly what he has been since arriving on loan from Spurs in January. He has averaged an impressive SofaScore rating of 7.02 across 16 appearances in League One as he has created 1.6 chances per game and four ‘big chances’ in total – showing that he has the quality to deliver openings to his teammates on a regular basis.

At the age of 21, he has the scope to develop further and Neil may enjoy working with him on the training pitch to help him to fulfil his potential. He is already showing off his exciting skills out wide with his chance creation numbers and fans would surely love to see him signed on another deal for next season because of his potential and current ability.

AND in other news, Big boost: Neil “hopeful” of huge Sunderland lift that’ll have supporters buzzing…

Jurgen Klopp signing a new deal is ‘huge’ news regarding the Liverpool futures of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, according to Noel Whelan.

The Lowdown: Klopp signs new deal at Liverpool

The Reds are flying on the pitch at the moment, going for an unprecedented quadruple, but some massive off-field news emerged earlier in the week.

Klopp has extended his stay at Anfield by a further two years, meaning he will remain as Liverpool manager until the end of the 2025/26 season.

It is an enormous boost for anyone of a Reds persuasion, given the German’s influence and success on Merseyside, and the hope now is that star players also commit their futures to the club.

Liverpool are reportedly nearing a breakthrough in talks with Salah, while FSG also intend to offer a new contract to Mane.

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The Latest: Whelan makes exciting claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan claimed that Klopp’s new deal could spark a domino effect, leading to Salah and Mane also extending their Liverpool careers. The former Premier League striker said:

“This is huge. He’s key to players staying at the club as well. You see the reputation that he has with the players, that relationship, that one-on-one, that bonding.

“I think it’s great for the players to know that he’s there for another two years. That’s vitally important. There’s a lot of hard work that needs to be done in contract talks with Mane and Salah. But it’s important Klopp’s doing the contract talks.

“It also makes it very easy for the manager to know what he wants as well. It works both ways. I think the fans would choose manager over players because of what he’s done and how important and how key to their success he has been.

“He’s building something and he’s got plans in mind. Whether some of these players will be there with the plans in mind remains to be seen.”

The Verdict: Surely they stay at Liverpool

Given Liverpool’s current status as one of the world’s best teams, and with an iconic manager in Klopp staying put for another few years, it would be a big surprise if Salah and Mane – who have been hailed as “unbelievable” in the past by former team-mate Emre Can – didn’t sign new contracts.

In the past, one of Europe’s powerhouses such as Barcelona and Real Madrid may have had a greater appeal than the Reds, but things are very different now.

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Someone like Gini Wijnaldum is perfect proof that leaving Liverpool could be viewed as a downward step these days, and that should act as a warning to both Salah and Mane if they see their futures elsewhere.

In other news, a journalist has made a key Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Everton completed the ultimate smash and grab by winning a point from their game at Goodison Park park last night against Leicester City, with another point tallied up in their battle for safety from relegation this season.

Frank Lampard will be delighted that his team have managed to build a four-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone with just seven games left to go and the belief in the dressing room will hopefully push the team on to put in a performance in the Merseyside derby this weekend.

Despite only having 36% possession, fewer shots on goal and no big chances created throughout the game, the hosts refused to let the game pass them by to ultimately take a point away from the difficult game against the Foxes yesterday evening.

Leicester opened the scoring early when Harvey Barnes found the back of the net in the fifth minute of the first half, and from that moment it looked like it was going to be a tale of ill-fate for the Toffees, a situation we’ve seen the side find themselves in numerous times this season.

However, Lampard’s side remained resilient and held off the visitors from taking their further chances over the rest of the game, and Richarlison took the opportunity to find a last-minute winner scoring to undo Leicester’s work in the 92nd minute, sealing a point in the process.

One player who will go under the radar for his huge influence in the centre of the pitch with a performance that kept Everton in with a chance was Fabian Delph, someone who is currently enjoining a renaissance period at Goodison Park.

According to SofaScore, the 32-year-old midfielder won 100% of his five aerial and ground duels combined, made five blocks, two interceptions, one key pass and two tackles.

Furthermore, he only lost possession nine times in his 53 touches of the ball in an all-round impressive display that made him the real hero in the team.

The Toffees boss will surely be absolutely delighted that Delph has come back into the team to make such an influential impact on the side following a long-term injury.

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The former Manchester City star also played a huge part in the victory over Manchester United, and Lampard will surely be hoping that his inclusion in the team will continue to inspire further positive results.

AND in other news: EFC plotting £25m bid for “dangerous” £152k-p/w ace, it could be bye-bye Richarlison

Sunderland are no stranger to a transfer mistake, as they have made a number of blunders over the years in the market.

Some of them were out there for all to see as the Netflix documentary illustrated their deal for Will Grigg – which flopped badly – in all of its glory.

However, they have all had howlers in the sense that they have not been able to land a player who has subsequently gone on to shine elsewhere.

One such player was left-back Marcos Alonso in 2014. He spent the second half of the 2013/14 campaign on loan at the club from Fiorentina and enjoyed his spell on Wearside, playing 20 matches, including a League Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

Speaking about his time at Sunderland, Alonso said in 2020: “I had six very happy months at Sunderland.

“When I went there we were bottom of the table but we ended up safe from relegation and there was also the League Cup final. That was special even if we could not win. That day at Wembley will always be good memories for me.

“The fans they enjoyed that day so much. I think even more so than we did. We lost in the end, but their support was amazing – much better than the City fans – and for me, that was very special.”

Despite the success of the loan move, the Black Cats were unable to strike a permanent deal for the defender, who was valued at £1.8m by Transfermarkt at the time.

He stayed with the Italian outfit for two more seasons before sealing a transfer to Chelsea in 2016, and that is where his career took off.

The Spaniard caught the eye in his first two campaigns at Stamford Bridge as he racked up 13 goals and five assists in two Premier League seasons for the Blues, winning the title in 2016/17 under Antonio Conte.

In 2018, then-Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri lavished the full-back with praise as he said: “Alonso, at the moment, this position at left-back is maybe the best in Europe. Physical qualities at a top level, I think. He’s doing very well in the offensive phase.”

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His market value backs up Sarri’s comments, as Transfermarkt valued him at a whopping £40m in 2018. This is a staggering increase from the £1.8m at which he was valued in 2014 and shows that he fulfilled his potential as a player, having been able to kick on after his loan spell at the Stadium of Light.

Therefore, the club made a big howler that year, as they would have benefitted from his immense talent over the years had they been able to sign him on a permanent basis.

AND in other news, Speakman must avoid embarrassing Sunderland error over “sublime” gem who “can change a game”…

Manchester United are still yet to announce their new manager to take over at Old Trafford this summer, but with Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino strong favourites, a new name has been thrown into the mix as the club steps up their recruitment.

What’s the word?

According to Portuguese news outlet UOL, the Man United board are considering a third candidate in Carlo Ancelotti, with the club reportedly making an approach for the Real Madrid manager.

Ancelotti is said to be ‘seen with good eyes’ behind the scenes at the Premier League club and although they may pursue the Italian, they will have a challenge to take him away from La Liga with Real Madrid in a good position in both the league and Champions League.

Ronaldo will love it

There have been numerous reports about Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford, with rumours that the Portuguese goal machine could leave if the club does not qualify for Champions League football at the end of the season, however his relationship with Ancelotti could save the Red Devils from losing their star.

Ronaldo has a very close relationship with the 62-year-old manager after they worked together at Real Madrid from 2013 to 2015, and once said that he does “miss” his former gaffer in an interview with ESPN:

“He’s an unbelievable person. I just wish every player could have an opportunity to work with him because he’s a fantastic guy, a fantastic coach, and I miss him a lot because we won many trophies together.”

Ancelotti has a large number of major achievements under his belt with three Champions Leagues, a Premier League title, a Ligue 1 title, a Serie A triumph and two FIFA Club World Cup trophies to name a few, and a serial winner to lead the dressing room is something Manchester United are desperate for.

The Red Devils have not won a trophy since 2017, leaving them in their longest drought without a trophy in 40 years so it would be no surprise if the powers at Old Trafford are keen on signing up the Italian manager to fill up the trophy cabinet once again and inspire a winning ethos in the squad.

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There is no doubt that appointing Ancelotti this summer would boost the chances of Ronaldo staying at the club next season, and would also put the side in with a great chance of winning trophies. However, it would take something very special to tear him away from Real Madrid.

In other news: MUFC manager update from sources close to the players will leave fans livid

Leeds United fans have been handed an update on their pursuit of Rangers star Ryan Kent ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window…

What’s the story?

Last year, Leeds had a number of offered rejected by the Ibrox outfit, but it appears their interest in the winger has not ended, with journalist Pete O’Rourke claiming that he has some big admirers behind-the-scenes at Thorp Arch.

He said: “I think Marcelo Bielsa was a big fan of him, as is Victor Orta, so that one does seem to have some credence to it.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

After enjoying a superb season last year – he scored 13 goals and set up another 15 – Kent has continued his good form into the new campaign, managing an impressive 16 assists in just 36 games across all competitions.

The £20k-a-week earning ace was hailed by team-mate Conor Goldson as “magnificent”, while the defender also added: “He has got a lot of ability. (He is) 24-years-old, two-footed. It is not nice when he runs at you, I can tell you that personally from training. He has got everything.”

The praise does not stop there however, with Neil Dewsnip, his former coach at England U17 level, saying: “He seems to relish the atmosphere, so I think he’s in the bracket of players who think ‘the bigger, the better’. Ryan is very exciting so, when he’s good he’s devastatingly good.

“But that’s a trait of a lot of wide players. The challenge is to be consistent and I’m sure that’s what Steven and his staff will be working to achieve.”

The interest in Kent is certainly understandable especially when you consider the uncertainty surrounding the future of Raphinha.

The big talking point this summer will of course be whether the Brazilian stays put at Elland Road, and while Premier League survival would certainly help the Whites’ chances of keeping hold of him, news of Barcelona’s interest is sure to have the club sweating.

Letting Raphinha go in the transfer window would be a massive blow for Leeds given his performances for them – even this season he has managed nine goals in 28 Premier League games, and done his level-best to preserve the Whites’ top-flight status.

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But while the Brazilian’s exit would hurt, bringing in Kent would provide that same level of excitement and end product that Raphinha has brought to the table.

The man with 34 senior goals to his name could be the arrival that offsets any potential Raphinha departure this summer.

AND in other news – Leeds must finally offload £15k-p/w outcast who last played at Elland Road in 2018