Wolves can solve big issue with Wan-Bissaka

Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Manchester United full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka and the 25-year-old could solve a big issue in Julen Lopetegui’s side.

It has been widely reported in recent days that the Old Gold are keen on signing the former Crystal Palace man when the transfer window reopens in January, with a loan deal seemingly on the cards.

Wan-Bissaka looks almost certain to leave Old Trafford in January after making just one substitute appearance under new manager Erik ten Hag in the first half of the season, and Wolves could be the ones to benefit.

Since making his £50m switch to Old Trafford in 2019, the right-back, who earns £90k per week, has gone on to make 127 appearances for the Red Devils, contributing two goals and ten assists in that time.

While he has come under criticism for his lack of attacking output during his time with the club, he has always been considered a very tough player to beat one-on-one, and it is his strong defensive abilities that could make him so valuable to Lopetegui.

In 2019, the young defender was labelled “unstoppable” by journalist Dave O’Grady, while Jamie Carragher dubbed him “the best one-on-one full-back in the world,” which emphasises what he could add at Molineux.

Right-back has been a problem area for the Midlands club since Matt Doherty’s exit in 2020, with Nelson Semedo and Jonny both struggling there so far this season, emphasised by WhoScored ranking them as the eighth and 18th-best performers at Molineux.

If the Old Gold are to get out of trouble this season, they need to rediscover the defensive form they showed in the first half of the last campaign, which had them challenging for a European spot despite their lack of attacking prowess.

It is telling that Wolves’ two wins this season have both come via 1-0 triumphs at Molineux against Southampton and Nottingham Forest respectively, so keeping clean sheets has to be the aim for Lopetegui when Premier League fixtures resume.

Wan-Bissaka’s form last season at United, when he ranked top for tackles and interceptions per game in the Red Devils’ squad, suggests that he can be key to solving Wolves’ defensive woes in the second half of the campaign.

Therefore, Lopetegui should definitely bring the 25-year-old defender to Molineux in next month’s transfer window.

Liverpool: Klopp interested in Musiala

Liverpool are interested in a deal to bring Jamal Musiala to Anfield at the end of the current campaign.

What’s the talk?


That’s according to a report by The Mirror, who claim that, should Jurgen Klopp miss out on the signing of Borussia Dortmund starlet Jude Bellingham next summer, the German manager will consider launching a bid for the Bayern Munich midfielder as an alternative to the England international.

The report goes on to state that the 19-year-old’s form in the Bundesliga, as well as his impressive displays for Germany at the Qatar World Cup, have caught the eye of the Premier League side, however, the forward-thinking talent is believed to be happy at the Allianz Arena.

“Unreal” Bellingham substitute

While it is undeniable that a player as exciting as Bellingham would represent an unbelievable signing for the Reds, should Klopp fail in his bid to bring the 19-year-old to Anfield next summer, the argument that Musiala would be an unreal substitute for the England sensation is an incredibly easy one to make.

Indeed, over his 14 Bundesliga appearances this season, the £138m-rated talent has been in breathtaking form for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, having already hit the back of the net nine times, provided six assists and created five big chances, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots – 1.2 of which have been on target, making 1.8 key passes and completing 1.6 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £83k-per-week sensation average a simply sensational Sofascore match rating of 7.26, not only ranking him as Bayern’s sixth-best performer in the league but also as the joint 17th-best player in the top flight of German football as a whole.

However, it has not only been at club level that Musiala has impressed, as the player who Ryan Haber dubbed “unreal” and claimed is “up there with Mbappe & Haaland” also turned in a show-stopping performance in Germany’s 1-1 draw with Spain at the Qatar World Cup on Saturday evening.

Indeed, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the teenager made three key passes – the most of any player from either side – completed five dribbles – once again, the most from any player to feature in the match – created one big chance – with Leroy Sane and Jordi Alba the only other players to do so – and provided the assist for Niclas Füllkrug’s 83rd-minute equaliser.

Rather understandably, this display earned the “wonderkid” a huge amount of praise from journalists and ex-pros, with Ives Galarcep stating his belief that “Musiala is a baller”, Alan Shearer claiming that Musiala was “Germany’s best player” who had “given them something different” and Sahil Bakshi stating that “Spain just don’t know how to deal with Musiala”.

As such, it is easy to see why Klopp would be interested in a move for Musiala should he fail to land Bellingham next summer, as the German sensation is very much up there with the Dortmund star as one of the most exciting prospects in world football at present.

New Rangers manager must revive Yilmaz

The new manager of Glasgow Rangers faces an arduous task ahead of him during the second half of the season.

The Ibrox side are currently nine points adrift of Celtic in the Premiership title race with the team devoid of confidence and ideas, it will be a brave man who fancies the challenge of winning title number 56 this season.

Ross Wilson has earmarked former Rangers first-team coach Mick Beale as the primary target and this would be a wise move, considering he knows the club and the majority of the players rather well.

The 42-year-old will have to work his magic in order to get a tune out of Alfredo Morelos – scorer of just three goals this season – and Ryan Kent, who has largely disappointed.

Beale must put his main focus on reviving the fortunes of Ridvan Yilmaz however, as the young Turkish left-back faltered under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The £12k-per-week player was signed for £5m from Besiktas in the summer and there were high hopes he would displace Borna Barisic and become a mainstay in the starting XI. It hasn’t quite worked out like that so far.

Wilson was full of praise for the youngster, dubbing him “high quality” but he has yet to show this during his brief spell in Glasgow.

Under the Dutchman, Yilmaz made just seven appearances in all competitions, a grand total of 376 minutes and although he has shown a few glimpses of his talent, the lack of game time has held back his progress.

Beale of course knows Barisic well from his previous spell at Rangers, and while the Croatian offers an excellent attacking threat, defensively, he can be very hit or miss and this could play on his mind when deciding who will be the starting left-back going forward.

Yilmaz has been linked with a January move away from Ibrox, however, he has every intention of remaining at the club for the long term, saying: “I want to play in the top leagues in Europe until the age of 28 or 29 at least and prove myself. So I have no intention of returning to Turkish football right now.”

A new manager might just give the Turkish international a boost and he could certainly thrive under Beale if he were appointed.

Tottenham: Journalist piles pressure on Richarlison

Tottenham Hotspur’s £60million forward Richarlison has not lived up to the hype that was expected of him surrounding his summer move, according to journalist Paul Brown.

THE LOWDOWN: A TOUGH START

Mustering his way into a Spurs side with a front three of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski was always going to be a tough ask for the Brazilian.

Add in the likes of increased competition in the form of Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil and the task is made that bit more difficult, with Tottenham possessing some deadly attacking options that have seen them assert themselves as the third-highest goalscoring team in the league from their first 12 Premier League games.

Whilst signs have been there in the nine league games we have seen him feature in, Richarlison has ultimately failed to score in the 369 minutes he has played in England’s top flight this season – though he has mustered up two assists.

THE LATEST: A UNIQUE ASSET 

According to journalist Brown, Richarlison has not been “the kind of electric signing” that Spurs were hoping for, but does indeed offer Antonio Conte something different in attack.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown said: “I don’t think he’s been the kind of electric signing they were hoping for. He hasn’t scored the sort of goals that they thought he might, but I think he still does give them something a little bit different.

“He gives them a spikiness and he goes into areas that I think perhaps Kane and Son don’t always, so I just think he’s an option that’s been really important for Spurs at times and they will miss him while he’s out.”

THE VERDICT: UNIQUE & UNDERRATED?

In the case of 25-year-old Richarlison, his offering to Spurs is unique, with his hard-working ability both in and out of possession an aspect that will be greatly appreciated by Conte.

The Brazil international’s efforts off the ball up top are incredible and see him average 21.56 pressures per 90 (as per FBref).

It could be argued that Richarlison has a major influence on his team’s pressing play, with an incredible 18.07 pressures asserted across the attacking and middle third combined over the past year.

Interestingly, an average of 3.49 of these pressures occur in the defensive third, despite his identity as a forward, which is a testament to his work rate for the team.

Having struck double figures in three of his five full Premier League seasons, we know there are goals in his game, and this has been underlined by the two Champions League goals he has scored thus far.

But it’s his consistency in his work off the ball that makes him such a vital threat in the forward positions, so Spurs could well miss him as he spends time out with injury.

Van Bronckhorst under pressure at Rangers

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst currently finds himself under undoubted pressure in the job at Ibrox, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Rangers performing poorly

The Gers are undoubtedly on a disappointing run of form at the moment, struggling to impress both domestically and in Europe.

The 7-1 defeat at home to Liverpool in the Champions League was a particularly low point, while Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Livingston hampered their Scottish Premiership title hopes.

It has left Van Bronckhorst under big pressure, with some supporters turning on the Dutchman.

The Latest: Van Bronckhorst under pressure

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones hinted that a change of manager at Rangers may not be too far away:

“It’s a test of patience now with the fanbase and the ownership and for Van Bronckhorst. It’s a real test of his ability to get more out of this team, I guess.”

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The Verdict: Big job on his hands

There is certainly a swell of negativity at Rangers right now and Van Bronckhorst has a massive job on his hands when it comes to putting a stop to that.

A noticeable improvement in performances and results simply has to happen sooner rather than later, or the former Gers defender will find himself out of a job.

Granted, not much should be expected from Wednesday’s daunting trip to in-form Napoli, but only a convincing win will do at home to Aberdeen on Saturday if the Dutchman is to avoid the board’s patience running out.

Liverpool missed a trick on Bennacer

Liverpool’s quest for a midfielder in the summer had the club linked with players such as Aurelian Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, and Marco Ascensio, but nothing materialised for any of them and Jurgen Klopp reluctantly gave up the chase.

The German eventually resorted to a deadline day move for Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo on a season-long loan deal, however, it wasn’t exactly a move that excited the Anfield faithful.

The club were also looking at another midfielder during the summer window, and with his current performances, it looks like Klopp has missed a trick.

Liverpool should have signed Bennacer

As the window was coming to an end in late August, La Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Paisley Gates) stated that Liverpool had been interested in Bennacer for quite some time.

The AC Milan midfielder has a £42m release clause in his contract, however, a move didn’t happen and Klopp might regret this.

In fact, according to CIES Football Observatory, Bennacer is actually outperforming Bellingham, especially over the previous six months.

This is an incredible feat considering the English midfielder has been valued at a whopping £131.6m in recent weeks.

The Algerian ranks in 87th position with a score of 82.5, while the Englishman was way down in 264th place with a score of 77.9, proving just how underrated AC Milan’s attacking midfielder is.

Stefano Pioli, his current manager, hailed him as “complete” as he helped lead the club to Serie A glory last season while journalist Khaireddine Rouba labelled him a “warrior” for his displays with the national team.

The Algerian ranks in the top 1% of his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for dribbles completed (2.05 per 90) and in the top 5% for shot-creating actions (3.55) and these are qualities that Klopp is crying out for in his Liverpool midfield.

In comparison, Bellingham ranks behind the Milan midfielder for dribbles completed per 90 on 1.74, while he produces 3.11 shot-creating actions. Those numbers are still incredibly impressive but Bennacer still manages to eclipse him in those two departments.

With Real Madrid currently in the hunt for Bellingham, it appears the Anfield side have a battle on their hands to lure the 19-year-old to England.

The performances of Bennacer, however, suggest that there are cheaper, and potentially better, options available.

The next few months could be crucial for Klopp and his side, with stuttering league form, they might be out of a title race before too long, especially with Manchester City looking so dominant.

They had a nightmare over the Algerian star and the decision might just be coming back to haunt them.

Forest must secure Houssem Aouar transfer

Nottingham Forest have seen a significant number of new players coming to the club during this summer’s transfer window.

However, they still haven’t been able to sign every player that they have reportedly been chasing.

One recent example of this is Lucas Paqueta, who after being linked with a move to the City Ground ended up joining fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United from Lyon for a club-record fee of £51m.

With less than 48 hours left until the transfer window closes, one other player who has also been linked with a move to Forest and who could be their dream alternative to the Brazilian is another Lyon star in the shape of Houssem Aouar.

In 243 appearances for the French club across their senior and youth teams, the 24-year-old has found the net 47 times and supplied 36 assists along the way.

To highlight the attacking attributes that both he and Paqueta have, last season saw the £17m-valued player top Lyon’s list for successful dribbles (75) alongside the new West Ham recruit. In fact, Paqueta (117) was the only player at the Groupama Stadium to record more shot-creating actions than the Frenchman (102) last term.

However, Aouar made more carries into the final third of the pitch (77) than any of his team-mates, showing the attacking threat that he has in and what he’d be able to offer Steve Cooper’s side.

He also attempted more dribbles (136) than any other Lyon player in the league last season, which shows just how keen he is to get on the ball and take on his opponents to get his team up the pitch.

Taking all this into account, having obviously missed out on signing the Brazil international, the next best thing could be bringing his former Lyon team-mate to England instead.

Hailed as a “technically outstanding” player by journalist Adam White, Aouar would undoubtedly help Cooper’s side to create goalscoring opportunities, which is something that Forest could do with as they currently have the joint-lowest number of goal-creating actions (two) in the Premier League so far this season.

With time running out before the transfer deadline hits, if Forest want to end their staggering summer period of business on a high note, securing the Lyon gem’s signature would not only give them a new talent for Cooper to use in his team, but also help them to forget about missing out on Paqueta.

Wolves: Bruno Lage pursuing Goncalo Ramos

Wolverhampton Wanderers are believed to be firmly in the mix to sign Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos, with manager Bruno Lage seemingly on the hunt for a centre-forward addition.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Pedro Sepulveda – via Sky Sports – the Midlands club ‘made an offer’ for the 21-year-old earlier this summer as they look to tempt him into a move to Molineux, albeit with fellow Premier League side Southampton also monitoring the Portuguese starlet closely.

The transfer insider stated: “I can tell you Southampton were in Denmark when Benfica played against Midtjylland in the Champions League [earlier this month] and Southampton had a meeting with Benfica president Rui Costa to know the price of the player and find out Benfica’s conditions to make this deal.

“Wolves want the player too and some weeks ago they made an offer to Benfica and that offer was a loan, worth €5m with an obligation to buy around €30m.

“I can also reveal that Wolves boss Bruno Lage has already made the call to Ramos to know if he wants to join Wolves because they’ve already worked together and Lage has told Ramos he wants him at Wolves.”

Ditch Pedro Neto

This news comes amid reports that current Wolves star Pedro Neto is attracting interest from other top-flight clubs, with the 22-year-old potentially set to depart before the close of the transfer window if the Old Gold receive the right offer.

The former Braga man – who came to the Black Country in 2019 – had only recently signed a new five-year deal in March, and it seems a surprise that he could potentially be heading for the Molineux exit.

As talented as Neto is, though, Lage and co can forget about the three-cap gem by turning to his compatriot Ramos, with the menacing striker set to be yet another Portuguese arrival at the club after a litany of such moves in recent years.

While Neto is a “huge talent”, in the words of Alan Shearer, the club are currently well stocked for wide options, with the most urgent area of need seemingly that of centre-forward following Raul Jimenez’s recent injury.

Should ditching the one-time Lazio loanee lead to the signing of the Benfica starlet, then there would likely be few complaints among the club’s fan base, with Ramos potentially the man to solve their goalscoring woes, with the team managing only 38 in as many Premier League games last season.

Although his career is still in its infancy, the £12.6m-rated marksman has posted some “outrageous numbers” in his career thus far, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig, having notably scored four goals and provided three assists in just four games so far this season.

Prior to that, the highly-rated 6 foot 1 marksman had scored eight goals and registered four assists for the Primeira Liga side last term in all competitions, in what proved to be a real breakthrough campaign for the Benfica academy graduate.

With 14 goals in just 18 appearances to his name for Portugal at under-21 level, he clearly possesses a real killer instinct in front of goal, with such finishing prowess no doubt needed at a club where nobody scored more than six goals in all competitions last term.

Ending the transfer window without a new striker coming through the door could be catastrophic for Wolves, and it’s arguably worth letting Neto depart if it can lead to Ramos’ arrival at Molineux.

Leeds: Orta closing in on Sarr deal

Leeds United are eyeing a deal to bring Ismaila Sarr to Elland Road as their ninth signing of the summer.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Santi Aouna, with the Foot Mercato journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that Victor Orta may well be close to reaching a verbal agreement with Watford regarding the transfer of the 24-year-old, while contract negotiations between the forward and the Whites are also believed to be progressing well.

However, the reporter went on to state that the Senegal international’s arrival at Elland Road is dependent on the departure of a current player in their first-team squad, although it is not stated who this potential outgoing could be.

In his tweet, Aouna said: “Leeds and Watford are close to a verbal agreement for Ismaila Sarr. Contract negotiations between the former Rennais and Leeds are also progressing. But his arrival in Leeds remains conditional on the departure of a player.”

Imagine him & Sinisterra

With Orta having already added one tricky winger to Jesse Marsch’s attacking arsenal this summer in the shape of £21m forward Luis Sinisterra, the prospect of the Colombia international lining up alongside Sarr at Elland Road this season is sure to be an incredibly tantalising one for supporters and the 48-year-old manager alike.

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Indeed, both players are exceptionally talented with the ball at their feet, with Sarr completing an average of 1.5 dribbles per game over his 30 Premier League appearances last season, while Sinisterra completed an average of a whopping 3.6 carries per 90 over his 30 outings in the Eredivisie last time out – demonstrating how much of a nightmare the duo would be to defend against for opposition full-backs.

Furthermore, both wingers are also incredibly efficient in the final third, with the £24.3m-rated Sarr scoring five goals, registering two assists and creating five big chances in 2021/22, while the £22.5m-rated Sinisterra bagged 12 goals, provided seven assists and created nine big chances last term – with the pair’s potential link up at Elland Road sure to bring with it a gluttony of goals and assists.

Further still, with Sadio Mane dubbing the £71k-per-week Watford winger “rapid” – as well as stating his belief that “defenders will struggle” against the 23-year-old – while Joe Donnohue labelled Sinisterra both “explosive” and “quick,” it would very much appear as if the two attackers would be a pair of speed demons on the flanks – yet another string to their incredibly dangerous bow.

As such, should Orta manage to get a deal over the line for Sarr in the coming days, it would seem as if the Spaniard will have formed an exceptionally deadly attacking duo between the Watford sensation and Sinisterra – a thought that is sure to delight everyone involved with the Whites.

Leeds want at least four more summer signings

Leeds United still want to sign another midfielder, left-back and experienced goalkeeper on top of a new striker, according to The Daily Mail.

The Lowdown: Six in so far…

Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta have acted quickly in the transfer window ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge, with six signings made so far at a cost of £95m.

Leeds have sold Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City for £45m and also look set to lose Raphinha, who hasn’t travelled to Australia with the first-team squad as he looks to resolve his future.

Luis Sinisterra is the latest player to arrive in Yorkshire and looks set to take the Brazilian’s place in attack, and it seems as if there could be more arrivals over the coming weeks.

The Latest: Transfer update

The Daily Mail’s Simon Jones provided an update regarding Leeds’ pursuit of Charles De Ketelaere, with AC Milan advancing in talks.

However, Jones added that, as well as the Club Brugge youngster, ‘Leeds also want to sign another midfielder, a left-back and an experienced goalkeeper’.

Free agent Ben Foster, who Paul Robinson said would be an ‘outstanding signing’, is thought to be under consideration at Elland Road.

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The Verdict: Left-back makes sense

Out of the three positions identified, a left-back seems to be the one which could do with bolstering the most.

An experienced goalkeeper could come in handy, whereas four of the six signings so far have come in midfield with Brenden Aaronson, Marc Roca, Darko Gyabi and Tyler Adams.

However, Leeds have the much-maligned Junior Firpo as their only senior left-back, with youngster Leif Davis wanted at Ipswich Town and the versatile Stuart Dallas sidelined through injury.

Firpo hasn’t travelled to Australia due to an injury of his own, which shows that Marsch will be struggling in that area if the Spaniard isn’t fit, so bringing in a new left-back could be a very wise move.

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