Sunderland have missed out on the chance of signing Charlie Goode after the former Northampton Town defender completed a switch to Championship side Brentford.
Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson will address a number of areas that need improvement in his squad this summer and the 52-year-old coach has already completed the signings of two players in Bailey Wright and Aiden O’Brien.
Following those deals, interest in Goode emerged last month after the defender had an impressive season with Northampton Town.
The former Cobblers captain led his team to promotion from League Two last month via the play-off final and those performances prompted transfer interest from a whole host of Championship and League One clubs.
However, Sunderland boss Parkinson has now missed out on the chance to sign the £1m-valued defender after news emerged about his move to Brentford.
BBC Sport confirm that the 25-year-old defender has completed an undisclosed switch to the Championship outfit.
The defender has agreed a four-year contract with the Bees and the transfer fee is reported to be a club record sale for Northampton.
“He is an aggressive defender and a big aerial threat in both boxes,” head coach Thomas Frank said on Brentford’s official website.
“He has good quality on the ball which we feel we can develop further within our style of play. We are sure he will grow with us over the coming years.”
Sunderland were never going to contend with the likes of Brentford for the signature of Goode, after all the Bees were Championship play-off finalists last season and will be amongst the favourites for promotion to the Premier League in 2020/21.
With the salary cap and financial restraints causing problems on Wearside, it remains to be seen just who Phil Parkinson can lure to the club.
Do you think Goode can become a consistent performer in the Championship? Let us know in the comments section below…
With the new season just around the corner – there has been plenty of action in the transfer market this summer despite the financial difficulties that the world is facing during the Coronavirus outbreak. Clubs up and down the country are gearing up for the start of the Premier League on 12th September, with many teams looking to reinforce their squads ready for a very unique and different look at the game we know and love.
Previous transfer windows have seen mega-money spent by the big clubs in the league, with plenty of Premier League teams breaking world transfer records multiple times over. With that being said, all clubs operate on different budgets, and transfer records can differ greatly between them – but of all the current Premier League clubs, what are all their record signings?
Here, we are going to rank every current Premier League club’s current record signing from lowest to the highest amount spent according to the website Transfermarkt – many of which could even be broken this summer…
20. Burnley – Ben Gibson, £15.21 million
Burnley signed Ben Gibson from Championship side Middlesbrough in the summer of 2018 for £15.21 million – and since then has only played one game for the club.
The 27-year-old had enjoyed a great season at Middlesbrough during 2017/18, but his career at Turf Moor has failed to take off, and Gibson has found himself on the bench for most of it due to the form of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee.
It is unlikely that this record will be broken this summer, with Burnley not linked with any big-money signings.
19. West Bromwich Albion – Salomón Rondón, £15.30 million
The Venezuelan joined the Albion in the summer of 2015 for a fee of £15.30 million – and hit the ground running at the Hawthorns. In his three seasons at the club – the now 30-year-old scored 24 league goals in 108 games, but after the club’s relegation in 2018, he joined Newcastle United.
Since then, Rondon has gone on to play for the Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional FC, where he still plies his trade. West Brom doesn’t look on course to break this record this summer, after the permanent signing of Matheus Pereira for £8.19 million.
18. Brighton & Hove Albion – Adam Webster, £20million
The 25-year-old defender joined Brighton from Championship side Bristol City at the start of last season and has had a great impact on the club since. Webster made 31 league appearances last season – averaging 1 tackle, 1.5 interceptions, 3.5 clearances, and 3.6 aerial duels won per game.
The defender has been a worthy record signing for Brighton, and this form will likely continue – and the club likely won’t break the record anytime soon.
17. Southampton F.C. – Danny Ings, £20 million
Since his move to St Mary’s at the start of the 2018/19 season – Danny Ings has revitalised his career and regained his goalscoring form from his time at Burnley.
The club signed the striker for £20 million from Liverpool F.C. and last season finished the campaign with an impressive 22 goals. Ings’ time at Southampton so far has been a big hit, and he has warranted his club-record signing status for the Saints.
Recently, however, the club has been linked with a move for Schalke 04 midfielder Weston McKennie, in a deal that could exceed £20 million, making the USA international the club’s new record signing.
16. Sheffield United – Sander Berge, £22 million
Norwegian midfielder Sander Berge joined the Blades from Belgian side Genk during the January transfer window this year, for a fee of £22 million – and has since gone on to make 14 league appearances for the side, including a goal and an assist from defensive midfield.
The 22-year-old has a big career ahead of him, and Sheffield is a great club for him to take the next steps in his career in the Premier League. The club has only been linked with a move for Nottingham Forest right-back Matty Cash, but not for a price that would break the club’s record signing.
15. Aston Villa – Wesley, £22.50 million
The Brazilian striker joined the Villans at the start of last season from Belgian side Club Brugge for a fee of £22.50 million and started his career at the club positively.
After his first 8 league games, the striker had scored 4 goals but was injured at the start of January and missed the rest of the season. Despite the setbacks, I believe that Wesley will be an overall success for the club next season, and will be well worth the fee that the club paid for him.
The club has been linked with a move for Brentford striker Ollie Watkins this summer, and if the deal is agreed, it would make him the club’s new record signing with Brentford wanting £25 million for Watkins.
14. Leeds United – Rodrigo Moreno, £27 million
The newest player on the list – Spanish international Rodrigo Moreno recently signed a four-year deal for the striker, for a fee of £27 million, surpassing the previous record signing of Rio Ferdinand for £23.40 million back in 2000.
The striker had a moderate season for Valencia last time out, scoring 4 goals with 7 assists in 27 league games – and realistically has only had one great season back in 2017/18, scoring 16 goals.
His move to England could prove me wrong, however, and Leeds fans will be hoping he will be a hit for the club in their first season back in the Premier League for 16 years.
13. Fulham F.C. – Jean Michael Seri, £27 million
The Ivorian midfielder joined the London club back in 2018 from the French side OGC Nice, for a fee of £27 million. After spending last season on loan at Turkish side Galatasaray, Seri will be joining back up with the Fulham squad after their promotion back to the Premier League.
His first season with the club saw him play 32 league games, scoring 1 goal with 2 assists, but has always been a great passer of the ball, and bring a great influence once again to the squad given the step up from the Championship to Premier League football.
Fulham has been linked with a move that would bring back Ryan Sessegnon to the club, but only on loan, meaning that there record transfer signing won’t be broken this season.
12. Crystal Palace – Christian Benteke, £28.08 million
Soccer Football – Premier League – Crystal Palace v Chelsea – Selhurst Park, London, Britain – July 7, 2020 Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke celebrates scoring their second goal, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS / Peter Cziborra / Pool EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use
The Belgian striker joined Palace from Liverpool back in August 2016, with the London club spending £28.08 million on the player. During his first season for the Eagles, Benteke scored 15 league goals – a stellar first season with the club and seemed well worth the price tag that Palace paid for him.
Since then, however, Benteke has only scored 6 league goals in the past three seasons. The club is close to sealing a deal for QPR’s Eberechi Eze, but only for £19.5 million, nowhere near the record-breaking fee for Benteke.
11. Wolverhampton Wanderers – Raul Jimenez, £34.20 million
The Mexican striker initially joined the club on loan from Benfica in 2018 and left a great impression that the club signed him permanently for £34.20 million at the start of last season.
Since joining Wolves, Jimenez has gone on to score 30 league goals in 76 appearances – more than certainly warranting the record-breaking money that the club signed him for.
It doesn’t look as though the record will be broken by the club this window – with the only definitive transfer so far reportedly being Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Arsenal.
10. Newcastle United – Joelinton, £39.60 million
Last summer, the Magpies broke their transfer record to sign Brazilian forward Joelinton from German club Hoffenheim, for a fee of just under £40 million. Since joining the club, the striker has only managed to score 2 goals with 2 assists from 38 league games.
As of yet, Joelinton has failed to live up to his value, but net season ould prove pivotal for his career at St James’ Park. The club doesn’t look set to break their transfer record this summer, having spent big last summers ahead of the previous season.
9. Leicester City – Youri Tielemans, £40.50 million
The Foxes secured the signature of Youri Tielemans from the French side AS Monaco for a fee of £40.50 million after a successful loan move with the club at the start of 2019. Since making his debut for the club, Tielemans has scored 6 goals with 10 assists for the club and has been a regular starter for Leicester ever since.
At just 23-years-old, the Foxes have found themselves a real gem and a worthy record transfer.
The club may be linked with a move for Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico as a replacement for Chelsea bound Ben Chilwell, but for nowhere near the fee paid for Tielemans.
8. Everton F.C. – Gylfi Sigurdsson, £44.46 million
Everton broke their transfer record for Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson back during the 2017 transfer window for a fee of £44.46 million. His first season at the club was difficult and failed to initially find the form he had showed at Swansea the season before.
The 2018/19 season was his best in an Everton shirt, scoring 13 goals with 6 assists, and was starting to look as though he was worth every penny. Last season was a tough one for Sigurdsson, scoring just twice with 3 assists – and hasn’t really warranted the price that the Toffees paid for him. The club has been linked with a move for Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez – and it is likely that the signing of James would beat the current record set by Sigurdsson.
7. West Ham United – Sebastien Haller, £45 million
The Hammers signed the French striker from German club Eintracht Frankfurt for £45 million – and the forward enjoyed a modest start to his career at West Ham. In his first 32 games for the London club, Haller scored 7 goals with 1 assist.
So far the striker hasn’t lived up to the price that West Ham paid for him – but not all transfer kick-off to the best starts in their careers at new clubs, so there is plenty of time for the player to prove himself. After the impact of COVID-19, the club doesn’t look likely to break this record this summer.
6. Tottenham Hotspur – Tanguy Ndombélé, £54 million
Spurs completed the signing of the French midfielder Tanguy Ndombélé in the summer of 2019 from French side Olympique Lyonnais, for a fee of £54 million – and had started the season with the club relatively well under then-manager Mauricio Pochettino, but after the Argentinian’s sacking and the introduction of Jose Mourinho as the club’s new manager, appearances started to slow down for Ndombélé.
With just 2 goals and 2 assists to his name, the midfielder has been linked with a move away from the club, but Spurs are willing to give the player another chance.
5. Manchester City – Kevin De Bruyne, £68.40 million
Arguably one of the best signings the Premier League has ever seen, let alone just at Manchester City – the Belgian midfielder maestro joined the Citizens from German side Wolfsburg back in August 2015 and has gone on to prove himself as one of the best players in the world since.
Last season just proved how important a player he has been for the club, registering 13 goals and 20 assists, as well as winning the PFA Player of the Year award. De Bruyne has well and truly been worth every penny for the club – and it would be unlikely for the club to break their transfer record this summer.
4. Arsenal F.C. – Nicolas Pépé, £72 million
The Gunners signed Ivorian winger Nicolas Pépé from French club LOSC Lille last summer for £72 million and has proved to be a hit with the Arsenal faithful. In his first season at the club, Pépé scored 5 goals with 6 assists in the Premier League and proved to be an influential player in their starting XI.
It would be unlikely for Arsenal to break this record this summer, but the Gunners have been very active in the transfer market this month, already signing Willian from Chelsea, and close to completing the signing of Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhães from Pépé’s former club Lille.
3. Chelsea F.C. – Kepa Arrizabalaga, £72 million
Chelsea signed Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for a world-record fee of £72 million for a goalkeeper – and the player has had a turbulent career at Stamford Bridge since joining. His first season at the club showed glimpses of the ability that he has and showed great promise for the future – but midway during Frank Lampard’s first season at the club, Kepa was dropped as his No.1 after a poor run of form.
He has since regained his No.1 spot, but the club is reportedly looking for a new goalkeeper in the current market – with reports linking them to Jan Oblak, a move that could see there transfer record and the world record broken once again, with the Slovenian’s current market value at £72 million.
2. Liverpool F.C. – Virgil van Dijk, £76.19 million
Calm as you like. The Reds broke their transfer record in January 2018 and has gone on to become one of the best defenders in the world – the club paid £76.19 million for van Dijk from Southampton, and has since helped Liverpool win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, and Premier League in the past two seasons, ending their 30-year wait for the league title.
Van Dijk has been worth every penny that was paid for him, and will likely see the rest of his career out with the club. It is unlikely the Reds will break this transfer record any time soon, with Liverpool’s usual transfer policy not allowing for such astronomical money to be spent very often.
1. Manchester United – Paul Pogba, £94.50 million
Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester United v Newcastle United – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – December 26, 2019 Manchester United’s Paul Pogba acknowledges fans after the match REUTERS/Phil Noble EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account
The Red Devils had originally sold Pogba to Italian side Juventus for free in 2012 – but signed the midfielder back for a then world-record fee of £94.50 million, after growing to become one of the best players in the world with the Old Lady. Since joining the club, Pogba’s form has been mixed, with difficulties between himself and the managers the club have had in his time there.
Pogba is no doubt one of the best players in the world, and United should do everything in their power to keep hold of him. Pogba is a fine talent, and can easily flourish with the club to help them back to the pinnacle of English football once again.
The club came close to breaking their transfer record after signing Harry Maguire last summer from Leicester for £78.30 million, but look unlikely to break the record this summer given the current financial climate.
The Shay was built and opened as a football stadium in 1921 and now houses National League’s FC Halifax Town. The ground is located on the south side of Halifax, around a quarter of a mile away from the centre, and is also the home of Halifax’s rugby league club.
Its current maximum capacity stands at 10,401, 5,108 of which are seated, and it has a pitch that measures 110 by 76 yards. The surface of the field is covered with grass and there is no running track surrounding it.
The record attendance of 36,885 supporters at the Shay was set on 14 February 1953 when Halifax played Tottenham Hotspur in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
A history of the Shay
Needless to say, the Shay’s history is quite vast and, unsurprisingly, quite convoluted as well. In fact, the very first references to the name Shay can be traced all the way back to the 15th century and the Brodley family. Back then, even though it was far from a football pitch, the Shay was still one of the finest estates in Halifax.
Still, it wouldn’t be until the 1900s that the first talk of possibly converting the area into a football pitch was discussed. On 16 October 1920, the work had officially started as timber was delivered to the Shay and an appeal was made to the public, asking for workers who might be able to help erect the ground.
On 7 December, the grass was laid and the Shay was ready to be officially opened. Halifax Town were formed back in 1911 and before settling at their new home, they had played their football over at Sandhall Lane and then Exley after that but neither of those venues were suitable for them.
In March 1921, with their new stadium erected, Halifax were indeed elected to the Football League, even becoming one of the founding members of the Division Three North. The very first Football League game at the Shay arrived on 3 September when Halifax hosted and beat Darlington 5-0 in front of 10,000 fans.
Speaking of the supporters, on 14 February 1953 Halifax played Tottenham Hotspur at the Shay and recorded the stadium’s highest ever attendance of 36,885 – a figure unlikely to ever be beaten. Back in the early days of the ground, it could actually hold around 40,000 people but that subsequently dwindled due to safety reasons.
The Shay’s future and that of the club was in danger in the 1980s when the club had some serious financial issues. With the Calderdale Council owning the lease to the ground, which they still do to this day, it was up to them to save them from doom. But the Council rejected numerous proposals to sell and even to relocate the club to a different stadium.
In the end, however, they decided to buy back the lease on the 11-acre stadium worth about £150,000, take control of Halifax Town until the start 1987/88 season, sack the board and ultimately save the club. Even with all that trouble, Halifax Town went into liquidation in 2008 and were replaced by FC Halifax Town, albeit three tiers below the original club.
In modern days, the Shay has had numerous redevelopments and is a much more modern facility but also more than just a football ground too. Since 1998, it has housed Halifax’s rugby club as well.
Tickets to watch FC Halifax Town at the Shay
All tickets to watch FC Halifax Town play at the Shay can be found and purchased on the club’s official website. An adult ticket costs £20 while other age groups and concessions can buy theirs for a cheaper price.
FC Halifax Town also offer a season tickets scheme and more information can be found on the aforementioned website.
Related links
https://fchalifaxtown.com/ – Official website of FC Halifax Town
Arsenal look to have found their replacement very quickly for Emiliano Martinez, who departed to pursue more consistent first team football at Aston Villa.
According to Sky Sports, Dijon goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson is having a medical ahead of a move to Arsenal. The personal terms are very close to being finalised and the Gunners want the deal done as soon as possible.
With Martinez gone, Matt Macey is expected to be on the bench for Saturday’s game against West Ham United. Macey is also considering his future at the club and Arsenal are expected to allow him to leave once the Runarsson deal is confirmed.
Icelandic international Runarsson has made five appearances for his country, per Transfermarkt, and at club level he has racked up 116 appearances, keeping 19 clean sheets and conceding 196 goals. He is nothing special but it is a signing that makes sense as the club need cover for Leno and he should come cheap, so Arsenal could use the rest of the Martinez money to spend on a player who will have more of an influence elsewhere on the pitch.
It is good that the club have acted quickly for a replacement, so it doesn’t become a problem if Leno becomes injured again like he did last year, and now Mikel Arteta can focus on bigger targets and ensuring a good start to the season.
Gunners fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Comment below!
This week has started well for Glasgow Rangers as they managed to emphatically beat Dutch side Willem II 4-0 to proceed to the next round of the Europa League qualifiers.
However last weekend, the Gers dropped points in the Scottish Premiership as they drew 2-2 to Hibernian and Steven Gerrard will be hoping that it was only a blip and that they will be picking up the three points this weekend as they face Motherwell in the division.
With a quick turn-a-round due to their European match, some players might be a bit tired, but Gerrard cannot afford to take Motherwell lightly and rest his key men as they are only one point in front of Old Firm rivals Celtic, who have a game in hand on the Gers, per SPFL. Here is the TT predicted XI which sees Gerrard make two changes from the Europa League victory.
Allan McGregor was in between the sticks against Willem, but there is no doubt that Jon McLaughlin is in great form in the division as he has made seven appearances, kept six clean sheets and only conceded two goals, per Transfermarkt, so it is quite probable that he will return against Motherwell.
The only other possible change might not go down too well with supporters of the Scottish side, as Filip Helander, who scored two goals in the Europa League on Thursday, could lose his place to Leon Balogun, who is looking to return to full match fitness.
With the Gers playing in Europe again next week, it would be a good opportunity for Gerrard to give Helander, who is very experienced in the Champions League and Europa League, a break and give Balogun a chance to get some game time. The centre-back has an average rating of 7.47, per SofaScore, this season, which is very respectable and his stats show he has been solid as he has averaged two interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 2.3 clearances per game.
Meanwhile an injury to Joe Aribo seems to still be an issue, with the player not selected in the Nigeria squad for the upcoming international fixtures and Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield will look to dominate the middle of the park.
Despite both Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos being linked with moves away, with Leeds United keen on the former, and Lille wanting the latter, the two are still key players performing well. Kent picked up a goal in Europe this week and Morelos has three goals in the Premiership this season, so they will most likely form an attacking trio with Ianis Hagi this weekend.
Glasgow Rangers fans, what are your thoughts on this starting eleven? Comment below!
Glasgow Rangers were one of the busiest clubs in the summer transfer window, breaking the bank for several high-profile signings that are expected to light up the Scottish Premiership.
Rangers confirmed the signing of Bongani Zungu from Amiens on a season-long loan with two hours left to spare.
The 24-cap South African international joins Ianis Hagi, Leon Balogun, Calvin Bassey, Kemar Roofe, Cedric Itten and Jon McLaughlin at the Ibrox Stadium at the end of the extended window.
And it all seems to be working for Steven Gerrard’s side so far as they are currently top of the table and will compete in the Europa League Group D alongside Benfica, Lech Poznan and Standard Liege.
Here at FootballFanCast we have decided to have try our luck at picking the Gers’ strongest starting XI after the close of play on Monday.
Whilst some may be a little disappointed to see that there’s only one obvious addition to the starting XI, don’t worry Rangers fans, there could be another surprise arriving very shortly as well.
Now then, back to business.
Rangers finally resolved one of the longest-running transfer sagas in recent memory while Gerrard eventually got what he wanted all along which was another midfielder to add to the mix.
Indeed, links to Zungu seemed to have lasted for at least a century, with several reports suggesting that negotiations between the two clubs had broken down, which meant the Gers turned their attentions to exploring other options instead.
Needless to say that didn’t last very long as the South African flew to Glasgow last night to sort out all of the paperwork.
While we probably won’t expect to see him start against Celtic, Rangers fans should be reassured that the £1.44m-valued man will be a regular feature for the rest of the season.
Apart from that, Gerrard may ring several changes here and there, with Cedric Itten and Ryan Jack returning to the fold. However, with star striker Alfredo Morelos staying beyond the deadline that should now mean he is first choice striker, ahead of both Itten and the £4.05m-rated Kemar Roofe who has already netted twice in six appearances for the Ibrox outfit.
And Croatia international Borna Barisic could be displaced by Calvin Bassey at left-back after he impressed in his first start for the club against Motherwell.
Keep an eye out for more outgoings and maybe one more new arrival over the next few days.
AND in other news, Rangers must sign Jack Wilshere on a free transfer…
Morale in the Southampton camp will be through the roof after they caused a major upset to Premier League leaders Everton on Sunday. The Blues were hoping to return to winning ways after drawing against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby, but the Saints had other ideas.
Goals from James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams brushed aside the table-toppers, who were without key players Richarlison and Seamus Coleman. It’ll be back to the drawing board for Carlo Ancelotti, whilst Ralph Hasenhuttl will hope to recreate a similar display against Aston Villa next.
However, one area of concern that the Austrian must address is the progressively weakened performances from Nathan Redmond, described as “important” by his manager back in July. Despite earning Man of the Match by Sky Sports, the England international was definitely more than a little fortunate to get it.
Hasenhuttl must decide what to do with Redmond
The winger found the back of the net eight times in his 2016/17 campaign with the Saints, which was a good return for the club’s eighth place finish. But since then, Redmond has declined and has struggled to contribute from the wing.
This season, the £16.2million-rated forward is still yet to open up his account. He has made five appearances across all competitions so far, but was dropped from the squad completely for Southampton’s game against Spurs and Burnley in the Premier League (via Transfermarkt).
According to Sofascore, Redmond failed to register a single shot on target against Everton and lost 14 of his 24 attempted duels. Additionally, he was dribbled past an alarming six times and committed three fouls. If the 26-year-old is this clumsy in possession when it comes to facing more attacking teams, he could seriously put his side at risk of conceding.
Redmond’s competition in Moussa Djenepo is currently sidelined due to a thigh injury. If the 22-year-old was fit and firing, there would likely be a lot more doubt over which of the two would start in Hasenhuttl’s lineup. On current performances, Redmond will be dropped to the bench and limited to substitute appearances at most.
However, after four years with the club, it could be time for the boss to move him on whilst he is still young enough to make first team football.
In other news, history came back to hurt Everton after Danny Ings masterclass…
Wolves potentially caused one of the shocks of the summer transfer window when they agreed to sell star forward Diogo Jota to defending Premier League champions Liverpool in a £45m deal, when add-ons are included.
He had long been a favourite under Nuno Santo, playing a total of 131 times across three seasons.
The 23-year-old returned 44 goals and 19 assists in that spell, via Transfermarkt, also winning the Championship with the club in 2018.
Jeff Shi’s decision to sell the Portuguese dynamo is looking worse and worse as weeks go by…
Mistake?
Jota has already made an impact at Anfield, scoring seven goals in ten appearances. That number is even more impressive when you learn that he’s only played 500 minutes in all competitions.
That’s one goal every 71 minutes.
By comparison, no other player besides Raul Jimenez has found the net more than once for Wolves this season. Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence have scored one each whilst Adama Traore finds himself yet to get on the scoresheet.
In the Premier League this season, Jota ranks first for shots attempted (4.13 per 90), first for link-up plays completed (9.38 per 90), second for accelerations (4.5 per 90) and second for touches in the opposition box (7.87 per 90), via Twenty3.
It’s no wonder Reds legend and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher lauded him as a “pressing monster.”
They really were the perfect partnership up front, and you’d imagine the Mexican is missing his right-hand man.
Speaking back in March, he said: “Me and Diogo have training sessions and play on the pitch together, him and me are having a good relationship. I assist him and he assists me in so many games, it’s a good part of the team.”
Wrong player?
Interestingly, he wasn’t the only Wolves star mooted with an exit throughout the summer as Traore was also wanted by Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.
According to the Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), the Liverpool boss was keen on signing the wing monster but the Midlands outfit were asking for around €70m (£64m).
The 24-year-old has only started eight of Wolves’ last 16 matches in all competitions and two of those were filling for the recently-departed Matt Doherty at wing-back.
Traore has not started since the 4-0 mauling by West Ham back in September – in that time, Nuno’s side have remained unbeaten. Coincidence?
In comparison to Jota’s aforementioned Premier League figures, the Wolves star is 91st for shots attempted (1.3 per 90), 100th for touches in the opposition box (1.82 per 90) and 62nd for successful link-up plays (2.08 per 90), also via Twenty3.
That makes it ever so clear that Jimenez is lacking the presence of his perfect foil in Jota.
Shi is clearly willing to give up his key players for the right price.
But Traore’s stock is only going to plummet whilst sat on the bench most weeks, which is bad news for making a profit on him in the future.
If he had sold the Spaniard instead of the now €70m-valued (£64m) Jota this summer, then things may have turned out very differently for Wolves, both on and off the pitch.
It has been one unforgivable mistake from the chairman so far.
AND in other news, Wolves starlet with “similar traits to Pogba” has the potential to usurp Ruben Neves…
Glasgow Rangers have suspended Jordan Jones and George Edmundson for breaching Covid regulations, reports say…
What’s the word?
According to the club’s official website, the two Rangers players attended a private gathering at the weekend with others from outside of their household.
Rangers chief Stewart Robertson said that their behaviour was totally “unacceptable”, commenting: “The Chairman Douglas Park, Ross Wilson, Steven Gerrard and I discussed this matter as soon as it was brought to our attention.
“We are completely aligned in our action and the standards that are being set at Rangers.
“We will not tolerate behaviour that does not follow those standards and it is totally unacceptable for any of our players to be involved in anything that puts at risk the excellent protocols that have been put in place at Rangers.”
Edmundson has endured a difficult start to the season so far as the defender has made just two appearances in all competitions at the time of writing. It’s fair to say that the 23-year-old will hardly have done himself any favours at all whatsoever as he arguably already faces an uncertain future at the Ibrox outfit, although this may force Gerrard’s hand when the transfer market re-opens in January.
Nail in the coffin
As a professional footballer, or any person in the public interest for that matter, some may argue that they have a certain level of accountability and responsibility as a result to set the standards on and off the pitch for the rest of the public to follow.
On this occasion, it cuts even deeper than that. Not only has Edmundson let himself down, he has also let his teammates down with his abhorrent behaviour as well.
As Rangers legend Barry Ferguson rightly says: “Trust? They’ve just about broken every rule in the book, not just when it comes to Covid-19 protocols but also in terms of what’s expected from a proper team-mate.”
Edmundson was left out of the squad for the Europa League group stages last month, which cast doubt over his long-term future at the club, having made two appearances against Lincoln Red Imps and Motherwell FC respectively.
Forget about a loan, as far as we are concerned, this could be the final nail in the coffin for Edmundson’s Gers career.
The Manchester-born centre-back received praise from Gerrard for his “faultless” performance after he made his long-awaited league debut but it’s fair to say that his career has somewhat fallen by the wayside.
Connor Goldson has arguably cemented his place in the starting line-up this season, whilst Filip Helander and Leon Balogun have worked their way into contention to start in Nikola Katic’s absence. However, Katic has recently hinted he could make a quick-fire return, which would push Edmundson even further down the pecking order.
At this stage in his career, he needs to be playing regularly, which is something that Gerrard will not be able to provide. So, it’s about time the Light Blues cut their losses before it’s too late. Get him gone, Gers.
AND in other news, Worse than Barker: Glasgow Rangers dodged a bullet in one-time target Isaac Atanga…
Writing on Twitter, journalist Fabrizio Romano updated Spurs supporters with quotes from a DAZN interview, in which Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta dropped a two-word transfer hint in regards to Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen, who has found game time difficult to come by at the San Siro since putting pen to paper on a £16.9 million move, could be on the way out in January after this huge update from the Serie A magnate.
Eriksen transfer hint dropped
Marotta, speaking to DAZN, refused to rule out a January exit for the Dane, dropping the teasing transfer message ‘we’ll see’ – potentially reason for Lilywhites to get excited following this declaration.
For the first time, an Inter Milan executive has come out to update the footballing world on Eriksen’s future in Italy – with the former Spurs fan favourite looking increasingly likely to leave.
Tottenham have also been heavily linked to an Eriksen reunion, with a recent report from Football Insider claiming that Inter have offered Daniel Levy and co a chance to re-sign their ex-star.
Transfer Tavern take
There has been much debate over Spurs’ inability to find a creative outlet in the mould of Eriksen since his departure – but Jose Mourinho has since utilised both Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele in the more forward attacking midfield positions.
Currently sitting top of the Premier League pile, this Lilywhites team appears to be clicking, and while the 28-year would surely add more strength in depth, it’s also clear that Mourinho will not want to disrupt the harmony of this squad.
In other news: Jose Mourinho dropped a subtle message for Pochettino, find out more down below.