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Phil Parkinson has confirmed Sunderland forward Benjamin Kimpioka is expected to miss four months through a hamstring injury with surgery planned for next week, per the Sunderland Echo.

The 20-year-old has started the season in sublime fashion with six goals for the Black Cats’ Under 23s, leading to his nomination for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month Award for October.

Kimpioka’s brace helped secure Sunderland their first U23s league win of the season in a 4-0 triumph over rivals Newcastle United, before another double in a 5-3 win over Fulham.

Sunderland’s U23s lead coach Elliott Dickman failed to see Kimpioka turn the ball home against Aston Villa, though the talented youngster provided an assist in the 2-0 victory before needing replacing through injury.

Initial assessments suggested the blow would deny Kimpioka any further involvement before the New Year, but further tests have revealed the need for surgery, ruling the academy product out deeper into 2021.

“Benji is going to have an operation on his hamstring next week,” Parkinson said. “Unfortunately, the specialist feels that it needs surgery.

“It’s a real shame for him because he had been playing well and had got goals in the U23s. As you can imagine, he’s pretty down about it, but we’ve just got to make sure he gets the best possible treatment so that he can come back ready to go again in three to four months.”

The blow will deny Kimpioka the chance of featuring in Tuesday night’s Papa John’s Trophy clash with Fleetwood Town, having been in line for his 15th first-team appearance and first of the current campaign.

“He would certainly have figured,” Parkinson added. “That was in our mind, to give him an opportunity. He’s done really well in the U23s, I watched the game against Aston Villa last week and he showed a good understanding of his role.”

Kimpioka’s form came after the talented Sweden U21 international penned a new one-year deal at the Stadium of Light, with an option of a further 12-months, after his previous terms expired in the summer.

Parkinson had hoped to see the 20-year-old kick on with the transfer sage now in the past, having urged the Black Cats product to put his undivided attention into his football.

“He’s got to start showing that he can be a player,” said Parkinson, via quotes by The Northern Echo. “Maybe the people advising him haven’t quite been giving him the right advice, but he’s a decent lad so let’s see if he can start running about and putting the ball in the back of the net.

“I said to him yesterday, there’s been a lot of talk about him – too much, in my view. I want Benji to let his football do the talking now. If he can push his way into the first-team picture, then great. If not, we’ll look to loan him out and do what we did with Jack Diamond last year, where he got that first-team exposure elsewhere.”

Kimpioka had certainly done enough to earn a look into the first-team, but that chance has now faded away through an injury he and Parkinson will hope does not put a dent in his development.

The major blow will come as a marginal bit of relief for veteran forwards Will Grigg and Danny Graham, though, knowing they have less competition for places after slack starts to the season.

AND in other news, Sunderland botched the chase of an “aggressive” £1.5m gem now winning nine duels a game.

Everton made easy work of coming away with victory against Fleetwood Town last night in the Carabao Cup.

The Toffees emerged with a 5-2 win thanks to goals from Richarlison, Alex Iwobi, Bernard and Moise Kean. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have now won all four of their matches so far this season and will be hoping to continue this fine form in their upcoming game against Crystal Palace.

However, not all of Everton’s players involved in the Fleetwood fixture have received praise. Defender Jonjoe Kenny has come under fire from many supporters on Twitter after his performance last night. Despite putting five past the League One side, the Blues conceded two goals and Kenny in particular has been blamed for some defensive errors.

According to Sofascore, the 23-year-old right-back lost possession of the ball a worrying 15 times and was unsuccessful in any of his attempted dribbles or crosses.

Some Evertionians have slammed Kenny for his seemingly weak performance in the defence. One fan in particular has taken aim at the defender, claiming he is ‘woeful’ and ‘nowhere near good enough’.

Read more replies from the Twitter selection here:

Do you think Jonjoe Kenny has a future with Everton? Have your say in the comments below…

Liverpool are on the verge of cashing in on castaway Anfield talent Harry Wilson after an official bid from Burnley was recently placed on the table.

However, Michael Edwards is sticking to his guns and indeed his £15million price tag set for the 23-year-old. The Clarets offered £3million short of the transfer fee but until they can make up the full amount, there’s a very slim chance they will get their man this window.

Darren Bent has urged Wilson to take a move away from the Merseyside outfit, after several loan stints have left him no closer to a permanent place in Jurgen Klopp’s starting lineup.

Harry Wilson’s future away from Liverpool

Despite Liverpool boasting an impressive number of academy graduate success stories, it seems Wilson is not set to join his youth teammates as part of Klopp’s plans. Edwards has listed the Wales international as part of a £50million planned sale involving fellow fringe players Marko Grujic and Rhian Brewster, who has already made a permanent move to Sheffield United.

Wilson’s first loan move got him noticed after shining for Hull City. He netted seven goals and assisted a further four in just 14 appearances (via Transfermarkt), setting him up for his next short-term move which was as Derby. The Rams welcomed him with open arms and it was there that he really found himself.

After contributing an impressive 18 goals and six assists in 50 appearances, it looked like Klopp would be unable to ignore Wilson once he returned to Anfield. However, yet another loan move later – this time to Bournemouth – and the 23-year-old is no closer to securing regular minutes in the first team.

Wilson should be a starter

As highlighted by 36-year-old pundit Bent, Wilson is now at the age where he should be part of a club’s starting line-up. His talent is too high to simply keep on the bench.

“Listen, Harry Wilson, I’ve watched him for the last few years – when he was at Hull City, he really impressed me, was very, very good,” the former striker told Football Insider. “He went to Derby, was superb at Derby that season. Went to Bournemouth, did okay-ish and then he’s here now and you think it’s got to a point now for Harry Wilson that he’s got to get out.”

With Liverpool signing Diogo Jota and integrating Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott into the first team, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room for Wilson to get himself some senior minutes. He has already proved he can dominate for both club and country and he deserves the chance to continue this form.

“The fact he’s had to bounce around here, there and everywhere, it isn’t good,” Bent continued. “For me, I would like to see him go somewhere, sign permanently, play week, in week out and then we’ll see the best of him.”

In other news, Liverpool have plan for Rhian Brewster’s potential Anfield return…

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be looking to continue their good start to the new campaign by picking up another result this evening.

Nuno Santo’s side welcome Manchester City to Molineux and for the visitors, it’ll be the first match of their season whilst Wolves defeated Sheffield United last week.

The Midlands outfit then lost to Stoke City in the EFL Cup second round but several fringe players featured, so what sort of XI will the Portuguese boss put out later?

Here’s what we are predicting…

Nuno could make as many as six changes as several first-team stars come back into the fold.

John Ruddy is out between the sticks as Rui Patricio returns whilst the back three of Romain Saiss, Willy Boly and skipper Conor Coady keep their starting places.

However, both wing-backs are swapped with Marcal replacing the young Ruben Vinagre and Adama Traore moving back into the role after playing alongside Fabio Silva in midweek. It means academy prospect Oskar Buur drops to the bench.

Leander Dendoncker is another player to keep his spot but this time, he’s paired with Joao Moutinho in Nuno’s engine room. Therefore, there’s no place for Ruben Neves or Vitinha.

Leading the line should, of course, be the prolific Raul Jimenez and following the departure of Diogo Jota to Liverpool over the weekend, both Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence could be granted a start playing slightly off the £36m-rated Mexican talisman.

The £17m winger could now thrive following Jota’s exit, especially as he’s able to play on either side of Jimenez.

It’s unlikely that Ki-Jana Hoever is involved after a £10m switch from Anfield just a few days ago.

AND in other news, Wolves in the race to sign former PL man whose defending is a “madness”…

With Arsenal struggling to pull the finances together to fund a deal for Thomas Partey, they are looking elsewhere and they now know the price they will have to pay if they want to acquire Danilo Pereira from FC Porto.

According to O Jogo (via Daily Mail), the Gunners will have to pay around £27m if they want to buy the 28-year-old. However, this valuation has not gone down well with the north London side, who only want to pay a maximum of £18m for the Portugal international.

Pereira featured 37 times in all competitions last season including in the Champions League and seems to be a solid defensive midfielder as he has managed 1.1 interceptions and 1.2 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

Pereira has experience of major competitions at both club and international level – indeed, he was a Euro 2016 winner with Portugal and has two league titles with Porto – which suggests that Arsenal would  get a very strong calibre of player if they were to sign him.

It is understandable, however, with the current financial struggles at the club that Mikel Arteta does not want to spend nearly £30m on Pereira; and despite his quality and experience, the Gunners might have to look for a cheaper alternative so that they have funds to spend on multiple players this transfer window.

They cannot afford to just splash the cash on one player despite winning the FA Cup, as they finished eighth in the Premier League this year and therefore require greater squad depth and quality if they are to push for a return to the Champions League.

Gunners fans, is Porto’s asking price for Pereira excessive or should Arsenal roll the dice and pay it? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

Tottenham are eager to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic this summer, according to Foot Mercato as per @TalkingTHFC.

It is no secret Jose Mourinho wants to sign a new striker, as Harry Kane has only recently recovered from a hamstring injury that ruled him out of a large chunk of the season.

Football journalist Santi Aouna reports Mourinho is “dreaming” of signing Milinkovic Savic in the summer.

The Serbian has emerged as one of Europe’s hottest talents after establishing himself at Lazio, and a move would surely benefit Spurs in the long run.

Milinkovic-Savic is arguably one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world.

The Serb dominates the midfield with his imposing frame, as he stands at 191cm (6’2 feet) tall, and his physicality sets him apart from some of his more notable contemporaries.

After arriving at the Stadio Olimpico from Genk for £16.2m, the 25-year-old has played 27 games in Serie A this season, scoring 5 goals, creating 4 assists, taking 2 shots per game, averaging 1.2 key passes, and completing 1.2 dribbles.

Meanwhile, Tanguy Ndombele has made the headlines for all of the wrong reasons.

The club’s record signing has been embroiled in an ongoing dispute with Mourinho which has shown no signs of stopping anytime soon.

At the moment, all the evidence points towards Ndombele leaving the club in the near future. Barcelona are keeping a close eye on the situation, while Mourinho has never been one to back down from confrontation.

Indeed, the Portuguese famously banished Bastian Schweinsteiger during his time in charge of Manchester United, as the German midfielder caused disruption by leaving the country for surgery multiple times.

If Ndombele ends up leaving, Milinkovic-Savic would surely be the perfect replacement. In fact, the Serbia international has earned a higher WhoScored rating than his French counterpart for his performances this season.

The Biancocelesti are willing to let him leave, but only if the price is right, and he is currently valued at £57.6m via Transfermarkt.

Whether or not Daniel Levy will splash the cash is another matter entirely.

Tottenham fans, should the board sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic before the start of next season? Join the discussion in the comments section…

A recent update into Newcastle United’s prospective takeover has angered many supporters at St James’ Park this week.

The Independent’s chief football writer, Miguel Delaney, wrote an article claiming that a decision could be made in “mid-June” and that the entire process continues to “unsettle many” involved.

And this hasn’t gone down well with sections of the Magpies faithful with some opting to slam the reliable reporter on social media, calling him a “rat” as well as suggesting that he knows very little himself.

Many believe that Delaney has some sort of agenda against the club after he voiced his concerns over Saudi Arabia’s influence.

Other fans were quick to aim their frustrations more generally, rather than at Delaney, as the length of time this has already taken is clearly starting to grate on some.

It’s been over two months since reports first emerged linking Mike Ashley with the sale of the northeast outfit to a Saudi-backed consortium, and since then, there has been a wrath of claims putting doubt on the situation.

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The most recent of which came from the Guardian, who revealed a report from the World Trade Organisation into pirate TV service beoutQ. They claim that the Saudi state is behind the illegal streaming of sports events, including the Premier League, but the public investment fund, who is behind the Magpies’ takeover bid is a different entity to the government.

It’s all a bit complicated, which is why supporters have simply had enough.

In addition to their annoyance has been anxiety and worry. This latest piece from Delaney hasn’t helped matters at all with a couple of fans believing that the deal could be rejected.

If his claims are accurate though, the United fanbase will soon learn their fate.

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react to neutral venues claim…

According to Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold, Tottenham would consider selling Erik Lamela this summer if a “decent bid” came in for him.

What did he say?

The Argentine has struggled with injuries during his time in north London, whilst he has found himself in and out of the starting line-up in the past few games of the Premier League season – since the end of December, Lamela has completed the full 90 minutes just once in the top-flight.

Now, Gold has claimed that with Spurs well-stocked in the attacking positions, there could be a chance a player could be moved on to help raise finances to spend elsewhere. And the journalist has revealed Lamela could be the man on the chopping block.

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He said: “The prime candidate for such a departure would appear to be Erik Lamela. The Argentine has always served Tottenham well when he’s been fit and has impressed Mourinho this season.

“However, getting him out on the pitch regularly has always been the biggest issue and despite Lamela’s love for Spurs, if Tottenham received a decent bid – with Serie A sides always looking at bringing him back to Italy – then Levy would no doubt consider it for the 28-year-old.”

Priorities

The attacking midfield positions just behind the lone striker is an area in which Spurs have plenty of options to choose from, Lamela included.

But with other areas of concern for Jose Mourinho, namely the likes of a centre-forward, full-back and even in goal if Hugo Lloris leaves, Spurs could do with better refining their squad.

Cashing in on Lamela to help fund a move for a proven back-up to Harry Kane would be the kind of astute business that Daniel Levy must pursue in the summer.

Lamela – valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt – may be one of the more high-profile casualties of the upcoming transfer window as Mourinho looks to rebuild and reshape the Spurs squad in his own image.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans reminisce about this former star’s time in north London.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sheffield Wednesday’s season has ticked like an erratic metronome.

There were majorly positive signs when Garry Monk finally took the reins in September, losing just one game in eight matches, but his tumultuous tenure so far has seen continuous problems arise.

Some in his control, some not.

Maybe the January transfer window will be his saviour, should they go relatively unscathed from the EFL.

At the start, the 40-year-old was faced with his skipper Tom Lees being out injured alongside a lengthy six-game suspension to two-time top scorer Fernando Forestieri.

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Reliance on this season’s goal-getter Steven Fletcher then became the next issue, not that it has even been resolved yet while in the grand scheme of things, the Owls have the oldest squad in the division, so giving youth a runout every now and then can’t exactly hurt, can it?

Now the club have been charged by the EFL for financial misconduct over the sale of Hillsborough to owner Dejphon Chansiri as he tried to offset any debts during the 2017/18 season accounts.

One football finance expert believes that a 12-point deduction will be the minimum punishment dealt by the Football League, which would turn Wednesday’s season from being in with a chance of reaching the playoffs into a relegation dogfight.

As of right now, it would sink them to second-bottom in the division.

Meanwhile, Monk heads into this weekend without two key members of his defence as Liam Palmer, and now Julian Borner, are suspended – failure to pick up all three points against a Charlton Athletic side that will struggle to field a competitive team would be inexcusable.

The former Swansea City legend inherited this squad in its entirety from his predecessor Steve Bruce and then caretaker manager Lee Bullen, and given the circumstances off the field, he should be cut some slack.

January could see him bring in some players of his own, which may allow him to set up his side exactly how he wants, while later this summer, a vast rebuild task could be on his hands as over ten first-team players see their contract expire at the end of the season.

Give Monk time, see how the EFL play things out, and then reassess his impact around this time next year. Perspective.

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In other news, Wednesday fans have slammed one surprise member of the starting line up….

Real Valladolid have only conceded two more goals than league leaders Barcelona so far this season, with the main man to thank for that statistic being defensive wonderkid Mohammed Salisu, but is it worth the effort to bring him to Tyneside? 

According to Pucela Fichajes, a host of top clubs, including Newcastle United, are tracking the 20-year-old with a view to bringing him to the Premier League – but Valladolid have put a £10 million release clause in the way of any interest.

Salisu’s ceiling is clearly high, with the youngster having contributed immensely to Valladolid’s solidarity this season, averaging 4.8 clearances and 1.2 tackles per game whilst also amassing an 82.8% pass success rate in La Liga, as per WhoScored.

One to watch for the future, that may be true, but is he really worth the effort at this point in time? The answer, at least from Newcastle’s perspective, should be a resounding no.

The last position Steve Bruce’s side need any cover in is their resolute backline – with unlikely stars Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez shining in their last two outings for the club and even getting on the scoresheet for Newcastle’s first back-to-back wins this season.

Meanwhile, that’s not even taking into account Jamaal Lascelles’ recent absence, with the Englishman having been ruled out until after the New Year, but once he returns, there will be no room for another addition when you consider the likes of Paul Dummett and Fabian Schar are also viable options.

Of course, one or two injuries could change the narrative entirely, but it’s also highly unlikely the Magpies will be short on defensive cover by January – with it definitely not being a high enough priority to shell out £10m.

From the view of the St. James’ Park board of directors, this could be a fruitless endeavour, with more focus seemingly on the Magpies’ miss-firing forward line.

Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron – for all their effort – have a combined total of one goal since the start of the new season, perhaps highlighting the club’s need to invest in that department.

Next summer, when Newcastle have potentially avoided the drop and are looking at options, Salisu could be a sensible acquisition, but at this point in time, the limitations far outweigh the potential benefits.

Would you back this move? Join the discussion by commenting below…