All posts by z3u9t.icu

A number of Wolves supporters were unhappy with Daniel Podence’s performance against Southampton, even though they won the game.

Bruno Lage’s side faced an important Premier League match on Sunday afternoon, having only won once in five outings in the competition before kickoff.

It may not have been the most entertaining game, but Raul Jimenez’s superb solo effort clinched a vital 1-0 victory at St Mary’s, taking Wolves into 14th place in the table.

There were a number of strong performers on the day for the visitors, but one player who never seemed at his best was Podence, who lost possession nine times overall.

The 25-year-old is still looking for his first league goal or assist of the season and Wolves could do with him going up a gear.

Wolves fans unhappy with Podence display

These fans took to Twitter to criticise Podence’s performance after the game.

“Podence. Did he make a successful pass?”

Credit: @Pep30692329

“Imagine my surprise when Podence contributed nothing today”

Credit: @RK13REF

“Great support, fabulous for Raul to score just a shame that Podence and Marcal couldn’t find an away shirt to pass to. Adama and Ayt Nouri please Bruno”

Credit: @andrewhos

“Though we were overall very poor, wing-backs both dreadful, midfield missing, Podence terrible. Hwang meh, didn’t even think the centre-halves were particularly good, some bad positioning at times & gave up passing from back. Bit of magic saved us, but Jimenez poor up to that point”

Credit: @jamiewalters23

“Thought we were by far the better team 1st half but picked wrong option time and time again. Podence had a nightmare, Raul edge of box chose not to shoot. After we scored I thought we were horrific”

Credit: @Thesilencedjuan

“Hwang finding his feet in the league maybe but Podence believes his own hype and Marcel thinks Wolves are his Pension. Totally inept performance from the last two”

Credit: @DingleBal

In other news, one Wolves player’s first-half performance at Southampton was also criticised. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

According to Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards, Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury is closing in on a loan move to Newcastle on deadline day.

It was reported by John Percy on Monday that the holding midfielder is expected to depart from the King Power on a temporary deal, with Newcastle now poised to sign him.

Delight

Leicester fans will be delighted by this news as it means that Choudhury will finally be sealing his exit from the club. The Englishman wanted to leave in the winter window during the 2020/21 campaign, before ultimately staying and fulfilling his role as a squad option for Brendan Rodgers.

Earlier this year, Rodgers admitted that the player wanted to leave the club in January. He claimed that Leicester were prepared to let him leave if they signed a replacement, although that failed to materialise and he remained in the Midlands. Rodgers said:

“I said earlier in the window that he wasn’t a player that we wanted to lose. He’s a very important player for our squad, but of course, all players want to play.

“We were going to grant him that possibility if we could get someone in.

“I said to him on the Monday after training and framed it for him: ‘You may not get out, and if you don’t, you’re playing on Wednesday night, and that shows you how important you are to us, you’re going to play in our next Premier League game.”

This shows that Choudhury has had an exit on his mind for a while and the fans will not want to see a player in the squad who does not want to be there.

It is in the best interests of everyone involved to get him out of the door, albeit only on a loan deal at this point, as there is no point in keeping an unsettled player at the club as it could lead to issues in the dressing room.

Last season, the 23-year-old only played 10 games in the Premier League and averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.19. The previous campaign was only slightly better for Choudhury, as he averaged a score of 6.35 in 20 league matches for the Foxes. This shows that he has not been able to perform to a high enough standard when given the chance, which is another reason why Leicester fans will be delighted that he is being shipped out on loan.

If he fails to catch the eye on loan at Newcastle then there could be a decision to make for Leicester next summer in terms of his long-term future at the club. A permanent exit could be the ideal move for all parties if he does not have a realistic chance of breaking into Rodgers’ XI.

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UPDATE: As per Luke Edwards, this deal for Choudhury may not be signing. He tweeted at 11:11am: “Someone now appears to be briefing that Choudhury is not signing and business is done in this window. That would mean Bruce has been denied a loan he thought he could have. Whatever you think of him, this is scandalous. Leicester thought this was happening. So did player #nufc”

And in other news, Leicester agree a Deadline Day deal for star forward… 

Chelsea are waiting to discover the extent of an injury to striker Romelu Lukaku ahead of their clash with Aston Villa this weekend, the Evening Standard reports.

The lowdown

£97.5million signing Lukaku has started Chelsea’s last two matches following his move from Inter Milan.

The Belgian was labelled ‘unplayable’ and ‘incredible’ by Arsenal great Sol Campbell after scoring in a man-of-the-match performance against the Gunners on his second Chelsea debut.

Villa, for their part, will head to Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening without Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia, who have been playing international football in ‘red list’ countries and so can’t yet return to the United Kingdom (via Birmingham Mail).

However, they may be boosted by the return of Bertrand Traore and summer signing Leon Bailey, with Dean Smith suggesting last month they would be back in contention after the break (via Premier Injuries).

The latest

Lukaku is suspended for Belgium’s World Cup qualifier against Belarus on Wednesday, clearing him to make him an early return to Chelsea.

However, he will first undergo a scan on what he calls a ‘minor’ thigh issue with which he’s been ‘struggling’ for ‘a while’.

This could rule him out of this weekend’s visit from the Villans, in what is surely a boost for Smith and co given the striker’s potency in recent years, scoring 24 and assisting 11 in Serie A last term.

The verdict

Villa fans might have had little hope of getting anything away against the European champions, particularly with no prospect of any Martinez heroics or creative flair from Buendia.

But there’s no denying that it would be a big blow to Chelsea if Lukaku was sidelined. He’s their deadly finisher and he can single-handedly dominate defences due to his physicality.

If Smith doesn’t have the Belgium star to worry about it may be easier to plot a way to stifle the hosts and launch counter attacks through the likes of Danny Ings, Traore and Bailey.

In other news, Kevin Phillips issues his verdict on a prospective Villa signing.

Martin Braithwaite is a player that keeps getting mentioned with a move to West Ham, according to Football.london writer Sam Inkersole. 

Braithwaite was a bit of a shock signing for Barcelona when he completed a £16m move from Leganes in February 2020. Barca got permission from La Liga to make an emergency signing outside of the transfer window due to long-term injuries to both Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele [talkSPORT].

Braithwaite has had a previous spell in England when he played for Middlesbrough and a return to this country could be on the cards, as SPORT reported at the end of July that the Denmark international was in advanced talks with West Ham United over a €15m (£13m) move to the London Stadium.

The links won’t come as any surprise to West Ham fans nor Inkersole, who told Transfer Tavern: “Braithwaite I think is a player that has been mentioned for the last couple to three years. He was certainly linked with West Ham before he made that bonkers move to Barcelona.”

Braithwaite featured ten of Barca’s matches last season.

Newcastle United are among the clubs interested in signing Matthew Hoppe from Schalke 04, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown

Back in January, he netted a hat-trick on just his third Bundesliga start against Hoffenheim. The 20-year-old striker would then go on to score three more for the team who finished bottom of the table with a mere 16 points.

He already has five United States senior caps under his belt, bagging his first goal for his country in a Gold Cup win over Jamaica in July.

Valued at £4.05m by Transfermarkt, Hoppe isn’t the only Schalke player with whom Newcastle have been linked this summer. Former Liverpool loanee Ozan Kabak was also on their list, but he has seemingly been deemed too expensive (via The Athletic).

The latest

Newcastle, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford are all said to have lodged enquiries about Hoppe, according to Football Insider.

A recruitment source has told the publication that Hoppe’s representatives are due to fly to the UK for talks with ‘a number of clubs’. There will also be further discussions with teams ‘across Europe’.

Hoppe is expected to leave a ‘financially stricken’ Schalke, who seemingly have little choice but to sell one of their ‘premier talents’ this summer following their relegation from the Bundesliga.

The verdict

Newcastle would be wise to capitalise on Schalke’s financial difficulties and sign a special talent like Hoppe for a cut-price fee. To stand out as a reliable goalscorer for a team who struggled so dismally is no mean feat.

Callum Wilson may have the starting centre-forward spot essentially tied down at St James’ Park, but he is nine years Hoppe’s senior. The American should be viewed as a long-term investment and also a potential upgrade on their existing back-ups Joelinton and Dwight Gayle, who managed just five league goals between them in 2020/21 – one fewer than Hoppe on his own.

Wilson is injury-prone, and Newcastle need to do what they can to guard against the very real risk of the 29-year-old being ruled out of action over the coming months. The best way to alleviate that risk is to go and get their American target.

In other news, Newcastle have been applauded after securing this financial boost.

Everton are reportedly battling a club in the UEFA Champions League to sign Stefan De Vrij in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Successful season

It was certainly a successful 2020/21 season for De Vrij, as he helped Inter Milan win the Serie A title, playing in 32 games in total and scoring one goal (Transfermarkt).

He also played in every single match for The Netherlands in their Euro 2020 campaign as they cruised through the group stage, before they were knocked out by Czech Republic in the last 16.

The Latest: De Vrij wanted

As per Calciomercato, the Goodison Park outfit, as well as Atletico Madrid, have ‘set their sights’ on signing De Vrij, but he will not come cheap.

A price is not mentioned by the news outlet, but Transfermarkt currently value him at £45m.

The Verdict: Avoid

While De Vrij is clearly a good defender – his former manager Antonio Conte likened him to Euro 2020 winner Leonardo Bonucci back in October – he may cost a lot of money for someone who plays in a position that the Merseyside club are already very wealthy in at the moment.

Ben Godfrey, Mason Holgate, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina all remain in Rafa Benitez’s squad, and so to potentially spend a large transfer fee on another central defender would seem like a bit of a waste.

If Benitez is to sign another central defender, it should surely be a young player to come in and learn from the likes of Keane and Godfrey, who thrived last season.

In other news, find out what club update has Toffees buzzing here!

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Lee Buchanan to the City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Nottingham Forest’s move for the Derby County left-back is thought to have stalled.

It was reported that Chris Hughton’s side had made two offers for the defender, with the first bid rejected due to it being below the Rams’ asking price, while a second improved offer was knocked back due to Derby’s unwillingness to sell to their local rivals.

This appears to have been a knockout blow for Forest, as, in response to a fan asking for an update on the situation of Buchanan, Nixon said: “Don’t think Forest anymore. So that one has stalled.”

Murphy will be fuming

Considering the fact that Derby are in the midst of quite a severe financial crisis, the fact that the Rams have held firm on their stance regarding the sale of the highly-rated defender is sure to have left CEO Dane Murphy fuming.

Indeed, with Forest currently lacking depth at left-back, as Hughton has informed Gaetan Bong that he is free to leave the club this summer after already allowing Yuri Ribeiro to leave on a free transfer, a signing in the position would appear to be a priority for the Reds ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign.

Considering how much potential the £2.25m-rated Buchanan seems to possess, having provided three assists and created four big chances over his 35 Championship appearances last season – as well as Wayne Rooney claiming that the 20-year-old is “one of the best young left-backs in the country” – missing out on his signing is undoubtedly a major blow for the club.

However, with it appearing as if the Garibaldi’s pursuit of the England under-21 international has reached a dead end, Murphy will now have to turn his attention in the summer transfer market elsewhere.

In other news: Nixon reveals fresh twist on “unbelievable” £2.5k-p/w dynamo, NFFC fans will be gutted

Lots of Wolves fans have been flocking to a transfer update on Adama Traore.

As per Football Insider, Liverpool have made an enquiry over the possibility of signing the Spain international in the summer transfer window as they look to increase their attacking options.

Although Traore had a disappointing 2020/21 campaign by his high standards, with just six goal contributions in 41 matches across all competitions, he was absolutely electric in the previous term, notching six goals and a further 12 assists (Transfermarkt).

Furthermore, the Molineux club would be selling yet another player to a rival in the Premier League, after Diogo Jota joined the Reds and Matt Doherty signed for Tottenham Hotspur last summer.

Therefore, it is understandable to see why so many of their supporters would like to keep hold of Traore, who is renowned for his searing pace.

Wolves fans on Traore transfer update

These Wolves supporters bemoaned the exit rumour as it was shared on Twitter by Talking Wolves:

“IMO would be a big loss”

Credit: @ma316hdi

“Nooo”

Credit: @AriKonra

“Don’t strengthen our rivals”

Credit: @Adam11520205

“We should defo keep him if Adama wants to stay, you don’t sell your best players”

Credit: @satsomboon

“@LFC still owe @Wolves money for Jota!!! #wwfc”Credit: @gjp12775″Yawn, yawn! Yes and if they want him they will get him!”Credit: @TewNickIn other news, find out what transfer update has left these Wolves fans gushing

Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has dropped a hint on Ravel Morrison’s potential move to Pride Park this summer.

What’s been said?

Speaking ahead of Derby’s 2-1 pre-season friendly defeat against Manchester United on Sunday, Rooney revealed just how impressed he had been with Morrison following the central midfielder’s arrival on trial at the club last week.

And, despite the Rams currently being unable to sign players in the summer transfer window as a result of their transfer embargo, the 35-year-old suggested that, as soon as it is feasibly possible, he will be looking to add the 28-year-old to his side ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign.

As cited by Metro Sport, Rooney said: “He’s been with us the last week, Ravel, and it’s the same… some of the things he’s doing is incredible – so that’s on me to manage him right.

“There are six players in who, at the moment, I can’t sign – so the quicker I’m able to do that the better. It’d make my job easier.”

Fans surely buzzing

Considering just how much potential Morrison once appeared to possess – something that Rooney will be well aware of having played with the midfielder during his time at Manchester United – the fact that the 28-year-old is said to be impressing in training with Derby is sure to leave fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, with Rooney himself once claiming that the former United starlet was “a country mile better” than Paul Pogba when both players came through the club’s youth system, should the 35-year-old finally be the man to get the best out of the £450k-rated midfielder, he could well prove something of a secret weapon in the Rams’ upcoming Championship campaign.

However, the fact that the Jamacia international has bounced from club to club over the course of his professional footballing career would appear to suggest that there are still issues surrounding Morrison, be that with his temperament or simply his ability to remain in form.

Considering the history between the pair, the 28-year-old will struggle to find a manager more understanding of his personal circumstances than Rooney, meaning that if it ever is going to work out for him in England, Derby looks very likely to be the club where it happens.

In other news: Rooney heading for grave Derby County transfer mistake over “selfless” £18k-p/w flop

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa is now eyeing a move for Barcelona star Junior Firpo in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, the Whites are named among a number of clubs interested in signing the Spanish full-back this summer, with fellow Premier League sides West Ham and Southampton also said to be in contention.

The report added that Barcelona have made Firpo aware of Leeds’ interest in him, with the defender not averse to the idea of joining them from the Catalan giants.

Tipped for big things

While Firpo may not have had much game-time at Barcelona last season – he played just 18 times in all competitions – there’s no questioning that he remains a fine talent at only 24 years of age.

He was once tipped for big things by French defender Eric Abidal, who told Diario Sport (via Tribuna): “He’s a player with a lot of potential. He could be one of the best left-backs in the world. I always tell him that he must work hard and be aware of the (style of) play. He’s going to get better, for sure. It’s always difficult to get started at Barca.”

A profile done by Sky Sports in December 2018 revealed: “Standing six feet tall, Firpo has a rangy stride that he uses to power himself down the flank and make infield incursions. He is also no stranger to yellow cards, having picked up four in 13 matches this season.

“Spanish publication Marca describes him as ‘effervescent’, and he perfectly fits Betis coach Quique Setien’s attacking philosophy. He also possesses the versatility to step into a back three on the left.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

Playing week-in and week-out could be the key to unlocking the potential that Abidal mentioned, and Firpo could do exactly that at Leeds under Bielsa. The Whites could strike gold with a move for the £17m-rated beast.

Meanwhile, Bielsa can wave goodbye to this flop…