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Fulham could be set to receive a major financial boost regarding the sale of Andre-Frank Anguissa.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Tutto Mercato Web, who claimed that, after joining Napoli on an initial season-long loan deal, Anguissa has already impressed the powers that be at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, with the Serie A club looking to make the 25-year-old’s temporary switch a permanent move.

The report claims that Napoli have an option to sign the Cameroon international for €15m (£12.8m) at the end of his loan deal, although it is suggested that Aurelio De Laurentiis may look to sit down with Fulham to discuss the possibility of signing the midfielder at an earlier date, and for a reduced price.

Silva will be buzzing

While losing a player of Anguissa’s undoubted ability will have come as a blow to Marco Silva and Fulham earlier this summer, reports that Napoli are already hoping to make the midfielder’s switch a permanent move is undeniably good news for the Championship side, as the early sale of the 25-year-old would provide the club with a significant cash injection which could be used in the January transfer window.

Indeed, while Fulham currently sit second in the table, with their promotion chances looking relatively strong, the Championship season is an extremely long and arduous campaign, with a couple of injuries to key players being enough to completely derail a title charge.

As such, January recruits could well prove to be the difference between an immediate return to the Premier League and a second season in the Championship for Silva. The windfall of cash that the early sale of the £70k-per-week Anguissa would generate could provide the 44-year-old with a sizeable budget to make any additions he may require in the winter market, something which would undoubtedly leave the Portuguese boss buzzing.

In other news: Signed for £1.49m, now worth £10.8m: Khan struck gold with “exceptional” Fulham dynamo

Danny Cowley has provided an update on Portsmouth’s transfer business regarding the possibility of free agent signings.

What’s the talk?

The Pompey manager has confirmed that the club will not be dipping into the free agent market following the end of the summer transfer window.

The f0rmer Huddersfield boss reportedly failed in his efforts to land a striker and centre-back cover before the window slammed shut, but he has revealed that there is no money left to make any further additions.

He told The News: “There is nothing left in the budget, so they’ll be no free agents.

“We are where we are. We’re coming out of a pandemic, we’ve bought the training ground and spent all that money on Fratton Park. We’ve got good owners, haven’t we. Come on.” Frustration

This update from Cowley will frustrate supporters for a number of reasons, despite it being an understandable situation for the club. First and foremost, it is difficult for anyone to be angry at the owners as they should not be risking the financial future of the club to bolster the team.

They are operating within a budget and have purchased the training ground, whilst also improving Fratton Park, which then has an impact on the transfer business as it takes money away to other sectors. In that sense, supporters should be delighted that their club is being run responsibly as they know better than most what can happen when football teams are mismanaged financially.

However, that might not allay the frustration from fans over the squad now being short in a couple of positions. Portsmouth only have three natural senior centre-backs, which has left Cowley with limited options in his back four. They are also now vulnerable if injuries hit Clark Robertson and Sean Raggett, as it could leave a youth team player being chucked in or someone else coming in out of position, which could then impact their League One form.

In terms of strikers, Cowley has John Marquis, Ellis Harrison and George Hirst as his over-21 options. The News revealed that he wanted to bring in a new centre-forward to improve the quality of the squad –  Marquis has scored once in five League One matches, with none of the other strikers at the club on the scoresheet as of yet.

This could be why the head coach wanted another number nine, with the team seemingly lacking an in-form goalscorer. Therefore, Pompey fans may well be frustrated that he was unable to bring in the striker Cowley wanted, as the lack of a consistent frontman could dampen their chances of pushing up the League One table and chasing promotion – goals win games!

Former Leeds United star David Norris believes that the club could well suffer from second-season syndrome this term.

The Whites enjoyed an excellent season last term, securing a comfortable top-10 finish under manager Marcelo Bielsa after their promotion from the Championship.

Leeds have opened their campaign, however, in roundly terrible form.

Bielsa’s side have only taken two points from their opening three games, losing 5-1 to Manchester United in a thumping opening day defeat, while they have also drawn 2-2 with Everton and 1-1 with Burnley.

Leeds are back in action this weekend after the international break and face Liverpool on Sunday as they look to record their first win of the campaign.

Of course, Sheffield United are something of a warning for Leeds, given their appalling fall from grace.

The Blades finished ninth in the 2019/20 campaign and seemed poised for a big season in 2020/21 under the management of Chris Wilder.

However, they finished rock-bottom and were relegated to the Championship, taking just 23 points from 38 games.

And Norris is concerned about the prospect of Leeds following in their footsteps this season, as expectations have naturally risen at the club.

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, Norris said: “It would have been a worry for me even before those games, second season syndrome is a thing because it happens. You ride the crest of a wave with promotion, when you’re first promoted, teams don’t know too much about you, you’re an underdog, you’ve got nothing to lose.

“And when you stay up, then teams know a bit more about you. The expectation rises from within the camp, the fans, people have been talking about Leeds being in the top six, seven, eight, pushing on those doors after just one season, so the expectation rises, and it becomes a lot more difficult.”

Lee Bowyer has seen his Birmingham City side get off to something of a mixed start to their 2021/22 Championship campaign, with the Blues winning one, drawing one and losing one of their opening three fixtures of the season.

Indeed, after a highly impressive 1-0 away victory at Sheffield United in their league opener and a solid 0-0 draw with Stoke City, things appeared to be looking on the up at Birmingham.

However, Bowyer’s side were brought back down to earth with a bump by AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday evening, as Scott Parker’s side rather comfortably secured a 2-0 win at St. Andrew’s, with the Cherries enjoying 65% of possession, creating two big chances and completing 272 more passes than their hosts.

And, while defeat to a Bournemouth side who will more than likely be there or thereabouts regarding promotion come the end of the season is no reason for Bowyer to panic, there were nevertheless a couple of players who particularly disappointed in the fixture, one of whom was Jeremie Bela.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £2.25m-rated left-winger completed just two of his eight attempted crosses, managed no shots on target, made a grand total of nine passes and completed just one of his five dribbles.

The 28-year-old also gave away possession of the ball on 18 separate occasions, won just four of his 12 duels, conceded two fouls and touched the ball 40 times – an amount fewer than Matija Sarkic’s number of touches between the Birmingham sticks.

These returns saw the £15k-per-week forward earn a disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.4, ranking him as Bowyer’s second-worst player to feature in the match, with only Gary Gardner receiving a lower rating than Bela.

As such, with Birmingham undoubtedly hoping they can get back to winning ways in their clash with Luton Town this weekend, if Bowyer’s side are to have any chance of doing so, the Angola international will certainly have to up his level of performance against the Hatters.

In other news: “Outstanding” £5k-p/w gem drops transfer hint which will leave Birmingham fans gutted

Tottenham Hotspur are still interested in Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic [The Telegraph].

The Lowdown: Tottenham Hotspur gear up for 2021/22

With 2021/22 fast approaching in north London, Spurs gaffer Nuno Espirito Santo will be looking to fine tune his squad in order to both challenge for a top-four place and get the side playing his style of football.

Already signalling his intent to supply the squad with quality additions, he has brought in Atalanta goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini alongside Sevilla winger Bryan Gil [Transfermarkt].

Could the Lilywhites now be set for another transfer tussle following recent developments?

The Latest: Vlahovic also wanted by Liverpool

Seeking support for talisman Harry Kane in attack, Spurs are still eying a move for Serie A beast Vlahovic [The Telegraph], with whom they have been linked constantly this summer.

Southampton striker Danny Ings and Crotone forward Simy are also mentioned as possible targets.

Liverpool have also been known to be monitoring the 6 foot 3 Vlahovic in recent times [Liverpool Echo].

The Serbia international would seemingly represent a smart piece of business for any Premier League side hunting a physical front man with room to develop.

The Verdict: Vlahovic would be an excellent signing for Spurs

Renowned for his intelligent runs and finishing ability, the towering Serbian would add some unpredictability to the Spurs attack.

In 2020/21, he excelled for his current employers, registering 23 goal contributions in 40 appearances; 21 goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

Wreaking havoc amongst opposition backlines, the 21-year-old managed to record 2.3 shots per 90 minutes across the campaign, showing his intent and fearlessness in front of goal [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘incredible’ by Serie A expert Conor Clancy, he could be a player who could have a significant impact for Tottenham should they secure his services [This is Futbol], and they should be pulling out all the stops to beat Jurgen Klopp and co to his signature.

In other news, an ex-Tottenham man has tipped the Lilywhites to sign a PL goalscorer.

Liverpool are still interested in a deal to sign West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen, according to The Mirror’s David Maddock. 

Bowen has been with the Hammers since 2020, and has gone on to make 53 appearances for them in total since signing from Hull City.

He chipped in with eight goals and six assists for David Moyes’ side last term, as they finished sixth in the Premier League table, qualifying for European competitions in the process.

It appears as though some of Bowen’s strong performances haven’t gone unnoticed though, with it being claimed by The Mirror that there is a ‘chance’ that Liverpool could sign the 24-year-old.

Liverpool finished third in the Premier League table last term, in what was a frustrating league campaign for Jurgen Klopp’s side, who had to deal with a number of injury problems throughout the season.

Klopp is clearly keen to strengthen his attacking options this summer, with the new season set to get underway next weekend and both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane expected to miss time in January due to AFCON.

Plenty of Liverpool supporters were quick to take to social media to react to the club’s rumoured interest in signing Bowen, and you can take a look at the best of the reaction from the LFC Transfer Room Twitter account…

Reds fans erupt

“Please no. Nightmare.”

Credit: @jasonmac58

“Honestly this is just embarrassing right now.”

Credit: @E79Norman

“Lol…. This reminds me of Roy’s reign….”

Credit: @Elaino09

“Awful, simply awful, we aren’t winning anything this season bruh.”

Credit: @Marigold0204

“City signing Grealish and this is our level.”

Credit: @sisenor_9

“When we said sign someone we didn’t mean this.”

Credit: @oIivia66

“Rather sign no one than sign Bowen.”

Credit: @TalkingRed23

Celtic have agreed on terms with VVV-Venlo for striker Georgios Giakoumakis, according to journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos.

The Lowdown: No Henry move

Celtic have been linked with two strikers abroad in recent weeks, the first of which was Thomas Henry.

The Hoops were thought to be on the brink of winning the race for the French forward, however, he signed for Italian side Venezia on Tuesday.

Giakoumakis, described as ‘special’ in the Netherlands, was the second striker Celtic showed an interest in, and after Werder Bremen struggled to finance a deal for the Greece international, it appears as if a move to Parkhead is gathering pace.

The Latest: Chorianopoulos post

Chorianopoulos, who reports for Sportime.gr, took to Twitter on Tuesday lunchtime to share an update on Giakoumakis.

He revealed that a deal has seemingly been struck with the Dutch side for the forward, however, personal terms are yet to be reached.

“Giakoumakis transfer as we speak: Celtic have agreed terms in principle with Venlo but not with the player. Werder’s offer is more close to Giakoumakis demands but German club have not agreed terms with Venlo.”

Chorianopoulos doesn’t specify how much an agreement is worth, however, Anthony Joseph previously stated that VVV-Venlo wanted £3m.

The Verdict: Final hurdle

It seems as if Dominic McKay has taken a big step in bringing a new forward to Celtic Park.

Hopefully personal terms can be struck soon, especially as the 26-year-old is on just £2,200-a-week – less than Conor Hazard and Ewan Henderson.

On that basis, you’d like to think Celtic would be willing to increase the forward’s wage considerably after just coming off the back of his best season in front of goal.

With six days to go, Celtic should look to tie up a deal for Giakoumakis as soon as possible and then possibly look at cashing in on Odsonne Edouard.

In other news: ‘Great chance’ – 34 y/o feels £988k-p/y ace will be a Celtic player on Sep 1 after Romano claim. 

Leeds Live’s Beren Cross has revealed that Marcelo Bielsa’s side could look to target Manchester United’s Dan James this summer.

What’s the story?

He said: “If Bielsa liked Dan James in 2019, he’s likely to still rate him now. It’s a similar dynamic with Ryan Kent. Bielsa won’t stop liking players just because they move elsewhere. Whether he’s someone Leeds will pursue in this window, I can’t be sure.

“There is chatter about wanting a winger and I am sure his name would be in the conversation, but Man Utd would want to make a profit on him and, as we have seen with Raphinha, Orta loves a bargain on the continent.”

Bielsa needs him

Leeds fans will know all about James after initially looking like the Welshman would be making the move to Elland Road a couple of years ago, before a move broke down at the final hour.

Since then, the winger has emerged as a key part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team squad at Old Trafford, and while he hasn’t been a regular starter, has shown real signs of his promise – he had five goals and two assists last season in very limited game-time, including netting in United’s run to the Europa League final.

CIES now value him at the £60m mark, while Andreas Pereira lauded the 23-year-old ace “explosive and so fast” in an interview to the club’s official website last season.

That extra pace and ability to be a real threat in the opposition box – he has managed 13 goals and assists in 48 Premier League games – could add another dimension to Leeds’ attack, particularly off the bench if Raphinha and Jack Harrison continue as the two starting wingers.

The Whites lack real strength in depth in the wide areas, especially in terms of quality, with both Ian Poveda and Helder Costa both flattering to deceive last season in the Premier League when given the chance to do so – the duo combined for just three goals in 39 games between them.

James’ sheer speed would be a real game-changer for Bielsa, while the fact it’s been claimed the Leeds boss will “forever” be interested in him, suggests that he’s very keen on bringing him to Elland Road.

This summer could be the perfect chance to do so especially if he’s keen on addressing

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped an exciting Leeds United transfer update…

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson believes that at least one of Jack Grealish or John McGinn will exit Aston Villa this summer as a result of their pursuit of Arsenal starlet Emile Smith Rowe [Football Insider].

The Lowdown: Aston Villa gear up for 2021/22

Moving into 2021/22, Villa fans up and down the country will be intrigued to see how Dean Smith’s men go about improving on their impressive 11th-placed finish last term.

Making inroads in the transfer market, the club have sanctioned deals for Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Young [Transfermarkt].

Furthermore, Villa have possessed an interest in 20-year-old Smith Rowe and are said to be ready to submit a third bid for his services in the near future upon seeing their first two offers rejected by the Gunners [Birmingham Live].

The Latest: Robinson believes one of Grealish or McGinn could leave

Interestingly, former England goalkeeper Robinson reckons that this renewed pursuit of Smith Rowe could be a smokescreen for one of Grealish or McGinn to depart from Villa Park.

In an interview with Football Insider, the 41-year-old did not hold back in his assessment of the duo’s futures at Villa Park, stating: “There is talk about Grealish and McGinn going and if Smith Rowe comes in, it tells me that at least one of them is going.

“I know Villa have lots of money but if they’re after Smith Rowe at least one of Grealish and McGinn will be flying the nest.”

The Verdict: Villa fans will be praying both stay put

Grealish and McGinn have been two of Villa’s star men for a considerable period of time. In 2020/21, the former notched an excellent 19 goal contributions from 27 appearances, with seven goals and 12 assists [Transfermarkt].

The Scotland international registered nine goal contributions from 36 outings for Aston Villa last term, with three goals and six assists to his name [Transfermarkt]. Both players were in the top five in the squad for both goals and assists during 2020/21 [Transfermarkt], highlighting their importance to Smith’s side.

With speculation regularly linking McGinn to Liverpool accompanied by mooting Grealish with a switch to Manchester City, the Villa Park faithful will sincerely hope that neither scenario materialises within the foreseeable future, even if their persistence with Smith Rowe pays off.

In other news, these Aston Villa fans react to a reported update on a transfer target.

According to Football Insider, talks between West Ham and Rennes are ongoing regarding defender Nayef Aguerd – with the Ligue 1 side now telling GSB and co just how much he could cost.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defender hunt…

Bolstering the centre-half position is said to be a main priority for manager David Moyes this summer, something which could be made even more important by Fabian Balbuena’s departure from the club.

West Ham enter the Europa League group stages next season in what will be a more demanding campaign overall and the Hammers arguably need to start making moves.

The Latest: West Ham talks ongoing…

In what could be a positive update, Football Insider claim that West Ham talks are ongoing as they look to sign 6 foot 2 defender Aguerd from Rennes this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-3/” title=”West Ham latest!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

An Irons source has explained to Football Insider that David Sullivan is personally spearheading the club’s pursuit for Aguerd after he was identified as a top target.

West Ham are prepared to invest significantly in signing a new centre-back this summer and GSB have now been told it will cost up to £16 million to sign the Moroccan.

The Verdict: Bargain?

Aguerd is a name that has only recently emerged as West Ham target new defenders.

The centre-half was a mainstay for Rennes over 2020/2021 and one of their key players, starting 35 matches whilst averaging an impressive 90.4% pass accuracy out from the back (WhoScored).

A colossal presence, he also made the second-most clearances per game (2.9) out of their entire squad whilst racking up more blocks in that time than any Rennes player with over 10 appearances (WhoScored).

At £16m, the 25-year-old could be an answer to West Ham’s defensive conundrum.

In other news: ‘We understand’…Sky Sports drop live TV claim as West Ham eye ‘powerful’ striker, find out more here.