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Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly identified a potential successor to Bruno Lage in the form of ex-Olympiacos boss Pedro Martins, with the Midlands side seemingly contemplating a move for the 52-year-old at present.

What’s the word?

According to the Express and Star, the Portuguese coach is under consideration by the club’s ownership group, Fosun, having relieved Lage of his duties at Molineux following the recent defeat to West Ham United.

The report suggests that Martins could provide the added benefit of having worked with a number of the Old Gold stars in the past – including both Daniel Podence and Jose Sa at his former club – while a move should prove ‘relatively straightforward’ as he has links to Jorge Mendes’ agency Gestifute, who have a strong affiliation with the Premier League side.

The piece goes on to add that the highly-rated coach – who is currently out of work after being turfed out of his recent post earlier this season – is ‘interested’ in the switch, having rejected the advances of Championship outfit, Hull City.

Immense success

While there may be concern in appointing a coach who has only recently faced the sack – after suffering a shambolic 4-0 defeat to Maccabi Haifa in Champions League qualifying in the summer – that was a rare blip in what was an otherwise stunning spell in Greece.

The former Vitoria Guimaraes coach had enjoyed “immense success” – in the words of journalist Kostas Lianos – after arriving at his former club back in 2018, going on to win three league titles in his final three full seasons at the club, while also enjoying notable high points in Europe.

Martins had seen his side only narrowly defeated on aggregate following a tight Europa League clash with his potential future employers back in August 2020, having seen off Arsenal with a dramatic late victory at the Emirates Stadium in the previous round.

The one-time Maritimo boss – who is a friend and former teammate of Nuno Espirito Santo – again got the better of Mikel Arteta the following season as his side clinched another victory in north London, albeit with the Gunners ultimately progressing on aggregate.

Martins has also previously earned glowing praise from former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino, with the Argentine saying of his counterpart ahead of a Champions League meeting back in September 2019: “Pedro Martins, likes to play football, to play from the back, moving the ball quickly. We know each other well.”

While likely an unfamiliar name to most Wolves supporters, the evidence suggests that he could well be the man to reverse their current slump – having slipped into the relegation zone at present – having already proven himself against elite, English opposition in recent years.

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Should he be given the right tools and the time to make his mark, there’s no reason why he could not bring success to Molineux in the years to come.

Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in a six-club scrap for out-of-favour Barcelona forward Memphis Depay, according to Spanish publication AS (via JFC News).

The lowdown

It was only last summer that Barcelona signed Depay after he reached the end of his Lyon contract, labelled a ‘phenomenal’ signing by BBC writer Premier League Panel, but already he’s been deemed surplus to requirements.

That’s after the Catalan giants added Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha to their ranks and renewed the contract of Ousmane Dembele.

Spurs have already made an attacking addition themselves this summer, spending £52.5million on Richarlison, but it seems Antonio Conte wants even more depth at his disposal.

The latest

AS report that Juventus are the latest club to join a race that also includes Spurs, Napoli, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Depay’s former club Lyon.

They also reveal that Xavi has held frank discussions with the forward during Barcelona’s pre-season tour of the United States, telling him that he will effectively spend the ‘whole season’ on the bench if he stays at the Nou Camp and urging him to find a new club.

Depay, dubbed ‘incredible’ by La Liga writer Rafael Hernandez, is apparently available for a fee of €20million, which equates to about £16.9million.

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The verdict

Intriguingly, the report mentions that Depay’s departure would help Barcelona in their efforts to trim their wage bill. As per SalarySport, he’s one of the club’s top earners on £158,000 per week.

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If it’s public knowledge that the Blaugrana need to get salaries off their books, then that certainly puts them in a weak negotiating position. On that basis, Fabio Paratici can attempt to sign the Dutchman for even less than the quoted £16.9m fee.

That would be a bargain for a player who netted 13 goals in 37 appearances last season, averaging one every 190 minutes, and has scored 42 goals in 79 caps for the Netherlands.

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”…

David Sullivan’s insistence to insert a one-year extension clause in the deals of West Ham’s most important players could pay off, earning the club “10s of millions”, according to football finance guru Kieran Maguire (as per Football Insider).

The Lowdown

A number of Irons players have received heavy transfer interest in recent weeks and months following their superb form in the Premier League and Europa League this season.

During the summer transfer window, reliable reporter James Pearce revealed that Liverpool were interested in signing Jarrod Bowen as they sought to bolster their attacking options, with Reds manager Jurgen Klopp a keen admirer of the West Ham forward.

More recently, vice-captain Declan Rice has been linked with a multitude of elite Premier League and European clubs, with statistics indicating that he has been the Hammers’ best player this season.

As per the Daily Mail, David Moyes and the east London club are confident of earning north of £100m for Rice due to his extension clause. The 23-year-old’s contract is set to run until the summer of 2024, but the club have the option of extending his deal for a further year.

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The Latest

Maguire has praised the West Ham co-owner for his shrewd business move regarding the extension clause. Speaking to Football Insider‘s Adam Williams, he said:

“As a general policy, it’s very forward-thinking.

“It could be worth extra 10s of millions and it helps West Ham protect the value of their assets. At the same time, it de-risks things if they go wrong.

“There is always a danger if you sign a player on a very long contract and he doesn’t perform. You have that commitment there to pay the wages.

“Once you have identified which players are your most valuable, you can trigger the extension and that means you can’t lose that player on a Bosman.

“Normally when a player gets into the last 12 months of their contract, their value starts to taper.

“Normally, the player’s value declines by about 25 per cent. By the time it gets to January, you’re trying to get a fire sale price rather than nothing at all.”

The Verdict

With the Hammers currently fourth in the Premier League table, insiders are unsure as to where Rice’s future lies. If the east London club secures Champions League football, it is likely that the England international will stay put.

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However, if West Ham miss out on European football altogether, it is probable that the midfielder will move on in order to play at the highest continental level.

Therefore, if this does materialise, Sullivan’s move to put an extension in the England international’s contract will prove to be a tremendous strategic piece of business from the club.

In other news: This West Ham colossus is being eyed by European giants

After enjoying a superb debut campaign in the Premier League last year, Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins would have fancied his chances of kicking on again for the new season.

Instead, the man who was dubbed a “machine” by The Athletic’s Gregg Evans simply hasn’t been at the races this term, and it’s quite incredible to think that after seven appearances in the top flight in 2021/22, he has managed just the one goal and hasn’t provided a single assist either.

A number of Villa fans were critical of Watkins’ ineffective performance against Arsenal last time out in the Premier League when Dean Smith’s men fell to a dismal 3-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

During a discussion for the Birmingham Mail before that game against the Gunners, Ashley Preece delivered his verdict on why the striker appears to be struggling this season, saying: “The injury he picked up in pre-season hasn’t helped, nor has Dean Smith’s decision to flip the script and play him with Danny Ings in a two-man attack. The pair appear to be on different wavelengths at the minute.

“Watkins, for me, is still adjusting to Smith’s new system. I think his confidence has taken a hit while it can’t be too nice seeing new signing Ings banging them in already, as opposed to Watkins, last season’s main man. You would have hoped his strike at Spurs would have given Watkins a new lease of life but, against Wolves, he struggled once again.”

If Smith opts to revert back to a four-man defence with two wingers, then Watkins dropping out would allow Danny Ings to operate as the lone striker and the likes of Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia to be utilised in their more natural positions.

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The £34m-rated Watkins could even do with being dropped just to light a fire under him, too.

Meanwhile, Villa must give this academy starlet a chance in the Premier League…

Everton’s transfer window hasn’t exactly been fireworks and excitement.

They’ve recruited smartly to land the likes of Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend but supporters will be hoping for some marquee additions at Goodison Park in the weeks to come.

What’s the word?

Everton were interested in Leon Bailey this summer but the Jamaican has now signed for Aston Villa, handing the Toffees a crushing blow.

However, they could make up for that shortfall by signing Lazio’s Joaquin Correa instead.

The attacker has caught the eye of the Toffees in recent months and according to recent reports from Tutto Mercato Web (via Sport Witness), they are now leading the race to acquire his signature.

It’s thought that Everton are at the front of the queue to sign Correa but will have to stump up a fee of between €30m-€35m (£25.5m-£30m).

Fans would love him

If you assess the qualities and dazzling ability of Correa then he has the potential to really light up Goodison Park and catch the imagination of supporters.

He can play in a multitude of positions, mainly out wide or through the middle as a number 10, but it’s his capability to score goals and assist teammates that stands out most.

The Argentine has scored 30 times during his Lazio career, 11 of which came during the 2020/21 season.

On top of that, the 26-year-old assisted six strikes, proving he can be a solid supply line for those around him.

Described as a “menace” in an analysis piece by Breaking the Lines, he is an incredibly tricky individual, something that would go down well with fans.

Last season, he produced 1.3 dribbles per game and was fouled on 1.9 occasions per match. For context, only Richarlison, Alex Iwobi and James Rodriguez were more successful when it came to take-ons.

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In terms of the second statistic, Correa would have been the second most fouled player in the entire Everton squad.

Now in the prime of his career, this would be an eye-catching swoop from the Toffees, one that would significantly improve their attacking ranks.

AND in other news, Benitez could discover his new Fernando Torres if Everton land 58-goal “nightmare”…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting with glee to footage of Jordan Henderson continuing his injury recovery.

The Reds have had a disastrous season in the injury department, with the centre-back situation particularly dire. Jurgen Klopp has had to make do without Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip for many months, which has played a big part in their struggles during the campaign.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

Henderson has also been a noticeable absentee, with the captain not featuring since the 2-0 defeat at home to Everton back in February. The 30-year-old has been a huge loss, both in terms of quality and leadership, and he faces a race against time to be fit for Euro 2020 this summer.

However, footage has emerged of Henderson stepping up his recovery from his groin problem [via Watch LFC], working in the gym and returning to the training pitch.

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Liverpool fans love Henderson video

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the video, with much positivity in the air at seeing the captain step up his recovery.

“Missed this earlier! So excited to see Hendo again!!!”

Credit: @lfccxt

“Ahhhhh yeahhhhh”

Credit: @LFCSai7

“Captain fantastic”

Credit: @satriafaisal

“My idol”

Credit: @Cellextine72

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“Nice to see the Cap on the road to recovery”

Credit: @red_klopp

“My captain”

Credit: @OJITRIPUOJI

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for a world-renowned player with endless trophies. Find out who it is here.

Glasgow Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has suffered a fresh blow ahead of their crucial Europa League tie this evening…

What’s the latest?

Speaking ahead of kick-off, Gerrard confirmed that midfield favourite Ryan Jack would not be involved as the Scottish Premiership champions host Slavia Prague, even though he is seemingly close to a return to action. Jack missed the first-leg tie, but Gerrard said at the time that he could have played but that the Rangers staff chose not to risk him.

Scotland were keen to have Jack as part of their squad, which Steven Gerrard has spoken to Steve Clarke about, which suggests he is close to a return, but tonight’s game, unfortunately, comes too soon for Jack to feature in, suggesting he’s had a bit of a setback, given that he was seemingly fit to play last week.

Gerrard said, via the Daily Record:

“I had a chat with Steve Clarke and obviously that will remain private.

“We’ve been in touch over Ryan and a few other players for some time now but I’m not going to divulge what gets said in the conversation. I don’t think that’s fair or respectful.

“We will make a decision on the weekend when we need to but he is ruled out for tomorrow’s game.”

The 29-year-old missed last week’s 1-1 draw in the Czech Republic and is now a major doubt for the Old Firm derby this weekend.

Bad news for Gerrard

Even though they’ve secured their first title in ten years, this update will come as a major setback for Gerrard and Rangers.

Jack has emerged as a regular starter when fit, with 16 of his 19 league appearances coming from the off, whilst he also started the big group games against Standard Liege and Benfica.

In terms of central midfield options this season, the Scottish powerhouse tops the charts for average WhoScored rating (7.03) ahead of veteran Steven Davis (7.01), Glen Kamara (6.93), Scott Arfield (6.67) and Bongani Zungu (6.26), so evidently, he’s Gerrard’s best man when available.

Speaking about the situation last week, the 40-year-old revealed he was “upset” by the injury and reinforced Jack’s influence to the side. He added: “He’s so important to us.”

Admittedly, he’s vital to Rangers’ fortunes – for creativity in the middle, there’s no one better as he’s managed one key pass per game, which is more than the aforementioned quartet of alternative options, whilst 1.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match suggest he’s just as prominent defensively – only Davis betters such returns, via WhoScored.

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It is this ability to read the game and snuff out any danger which could prove to be a big miss on the night, especially in such a huge fixture.

Ex-Gers star Thomas Buffel recently compared him to Barry Ferguson, which is high praise indeed. He told The Sun: “His consistency levels are incredible and he is the one player the manager can always rely on. He really reminds me of Barry — and that is the highest compliment I can pay him.”

If Gerrard’s side loses tonight, then their European dream is over for another season and their chances of finding a way past the Czech champions will be all that more harder without the industrious Jack pulling the strings in the engine room.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Kent: Rangers must swoop for magical 18-goal gem, he’s made 109 dribbles…

There is plenty of doom and gloom to go around at West Ham United at the moment.

Understandably so, though, as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side were diabolically poor at home to Brentford on Monday night and are currently 19th in the Premier League.

However, all hope is not yet lost, as it is still early in the season, and while the performances have been poor, there are still some talented players in this squad, such as Jarrod Bowen and the exciting Crysencio Summerville.

Yet, to get the most out of the team and the Flying Dutchman, Nuno needs to make some quick changes.

Changes Nuno needs to make

Unfortunately, there is quite a lot that needs to be done to make West Ham a seriously dangerous team again, but there are a few ways in which Nuno could stop the rot.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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One of the big ones is to reintroduce some pace and power back into the midfield, as it was practically non-existent against Brentford.

The best way to do this would be to bring Soungoutou Magassa back into the starting lineup, as while he is still quite raw, he is, in the words of respected analyst Ben Mattinson, blessed with “pure athleticism.”

Moreover, he’d be able to better cover the backline, as, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for blocks, the top 3% for tackles plus interceptions and the top 4% for recoveries, all per 90.

Another seemingly obvious action the manager could take for the Leeds game is to play Callum Wilson up top.

Yes, the former Newcastle United star is not the player he once was, nor a long-term solution, but he is an out-and-out number nine who would add a real focal point to the team.

Furthermore, he has already scored a goal for the club this season, and Lucas Paqueta looked utterly lost in the game on Monday.

With all that said, there is another change Nuno should be making for the game on Friday, one that could help get even more out of the dynamic Summerville.

The West Ham star who could supercharge Summerville

While the change up top and in the midfield should help Summerville in the game against his former side, unleashing El Hadji Malick Diouf at left-back would be far more consequential.

The former Slavia Prague gem was on the bench for the game against Brentford, and while the defensive side of his game certainly needs some work, the team missed his attacking qualities.

These qualities were last on show in the draw away to Everton, when he was hurtling up and down the touchline, sometimes beating his opposite number and often firing in brilliant crosses into the penalty area.

In fact, while he didn’t pick up an assist on Merseyside, it was a ball from him that led to Bowen’s equalising strike.

Fortunately, the 20-year-old monster is already doing rather well on the assists front this season, already providing three in eight league appearances, which lends some credence to Sky Sports’ Joe Thomlinson’s claim that he has been “one of the finds of the season.”

With that said, why would he be able to get more out of Summerville, then?

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Well, one of the most important ways would be through the space he’d create.

For example, because he possesses such “explosive acceleration,” according to one analyst, opposition defenders wouldn’t be able to leave him alone and could end up being dragged all over the pitch.

Moreover, should the Dutchman run into the penalty area, he can rely on the Senegalese international to find him with a pinpoint accurate cross.

Ultimately, bringing Diouf back into the team would improve West Ham’s overall attack, but it could have an even greater impact on Summerville.

Related Nuno gets January promise from West Ham board as Sullivan eyes ambitious move

The east Londoners need reinforcements.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini

Manchester United are in the market to sign a new centre-forward to lead the line for Ruben Amorim in the 2025/26 campaign, and that could spell trouble for Rasmus Hojlund at Old Trafford.

The latest on Rasmus Hojlund's future at Man Utd

According to the print edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by FCInterNews, Italian giants Inter want to sign the Denmark international to replace Mehdi Taremi this summer.

The Serie A side, who finished second in the league and were finalists in the Champions League, have ‘accelerated’ a move to snap up the former Atalanta attacker from the Red Devils.

La Gazzetta dello Sport adds that Hojlund has made it clear that he likes the idea of playing for Inter next season, but it remains to be seen whether or not he will really push for the transfer.

The outlet claims that Inter are pushing to sign him on loan with an obligation to make it permanent next summer, whilst Manchester United would prefer an instant sale to boost their coffers.

Hojlund is said to be valued at around £38m by the Premier League giants, which is more than Inter are willing to spend on a new striker at this time, and the two clubs are in talks over a deal that would work for all parties.

His exit from Old Trafford would pave the way for a new centre-forward to arrive in Manchester, though, and the club are already reportedly eyeing his replacement.

Man Utd in positive talks to sign Bundesliga striker

According to Foot Mercato, Manchester United are interested in a deal to sign former France U21 international Hugo Ekitike from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.

The report claims that the Red Devils are progressing in positive talks to bring the former PSG marksman over to England during the summer transfer window, as they look to improve their options at the top end of the pitch.

It states that the Premier League side are accelerating a deal for the 22-year-old centre-forward, after making positive contact with his representatives to discuss a move to Old Trafford.

Foot Mercato adds that United have also contacted Frankfurt to discuss a potential fee for Ekitike, who scored 22 goals in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, and that all parties are feeling positive at this moment in time.

The outlet, however, also reveals that Liverpool and Chelsea are also interested in signing the French attacker and could provide competition for his signature.

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This may be why the Red Devils are ‘accelerating’ a swoop for the young marksman, amid talks with the player and Frankfurt, as they look to win the race for his services.

Analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “one of the best strikers out there” in March, and his statistics in the 2024/25 campaign suggest that he would be a big upgrade on what United currently have at their disposal.

24/25 season

Rasmus Hojlund (Premier League)

Hugo Ekitike (Bundesliga)

Appearances

32

33

Shots on target per game

0.4

1.5

Goals

4

15

Goals per game

0.1

0.5

Big chances created

4

12

Assists

0

8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Ekitike vastly outperformed Hojlund at league level as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the number nine position, producing 27 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined, in comparison to the Dane’s eight.

This is why this fresh report detailing United’s pursuit of the Frankfurt star should come as good news to Amorim, who could have a huge upgrade for his attack if the transfer goes through this summer.

Related Man Utd set to prioritise deal for £65m star if Tottenham sign Mbeumo

The Red Devils have a backup plan.

Posts 1 ByTom Cunningham