[ad_pod ]Sheffield Wednesday are set to secure the first three signings of the Steve Bruce era, but are they panic signings or shrewd additions?

What’s the story?

Well, according to Dom Howson of The Sheffield Star, the Owls are working on a double swoop to sign Newcastle outcasts Achraf Lazaar and Rolando Aarons on loan.

Left-back Lazaar has made no senior appearances on Tyneside this season (per Transfermarkt) while Aarons has played 13 times on loan with Slovan Liberec (per Transfermarkt).

Howson also reports that the Owls will sign Dominic Iorfa on a permanent deal, as the promising 23 year-old has found playing time difficult to come by at Wolves this season.

Two Tyneside flops?

Newcastle fans will be happy to see the back of Lazaar, who if truth be told has been doing nothing more than collecting a wage packet for quite some time now.

The 17-cap Morocco international full back’s last Newcastle outing came in a League Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest back in August 2017, and he has made just ten senior appearances in two-and-a-half years on Tyneside.

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Aarons meanwhile has also taken stick from the Toon Army, as the 23 year-old winger is brimming with potential but has never shown the focus or desire needed to reach the next level.

The speedy youngster may well find his home in the Championship, but with just four goals and three assists in 27 Newcastle games he needs to improve his end product.

Versatility is king

In many ways, Iorfa looks to be the most promising capture of the three, as Bruce is certain to begin his Hillsborough revolution with a defensive overhaul.

Iorfa rose through the youth ranks at Wolves and has racked up 93 appearances for his club, per Transfermarkt, as well as a successful loan spell at Ipswich last season.

The 23 year-old is capable of playing any defensive position or even in midfield, but at 6 ft 4 in tall it may surprise fans to learn he is best at right-back, rather than in the centre.

Regardless of where he uses the Wolves ace, signing a versatile, powerful and athletic youngster with his first permanent move is a stroke of genius from Bruce.

So, Sheffield Wednesday fans, would you be happy with this triple move? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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Loads of Everton fans have been reflecting on the week’s action, and they’re delighted with the emergence of Jonjoe Kenny.

Everton were quite comfortably beaten by Manchester City on Wednesday night, but that doesn’t mean it was all plain sailing for the champions.

Marco Silva’s side were very well organised in the first half and looked quite threatening themselves, but an Aymeric Laporte header on the brink of half time knocked the life out of the Toffees.

It wasn’t until the closing stages of second half stoppage time that Gabriel Jesus grabbed his sixth Premier League goal of the season to seal the three points, and Silva will take a lot of positives out of the match, perhaps most notably the performance of Kenny.

The 21 year-old has been in and out of the team over the last 18 months as the club takes its time deciding if he is good enough to replace Seamus Coleman long-term, and the signs on Wednesday were very positive.

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He touched the ball 81 times, completed 76 per cent of his passes, made two tackles and cleared the ball six times, all while keeping the electrifying Leroy Sane to a very quiet evening.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Jonjo Shelvey has returned to Newcastle training ahead of a very winnable fixture at home to Huddersfield, and Rafael Benitez should switch things up to accommodate both the English pass-master and new signing Miguel Almiron.

Shelvey is officially back in Newcastle training, Sky Sports reports.

The 26 year-old England international has been missing since the beginning of January with a thigh injury, but has re-joined the first team at their warm-weather training camp in Spain.

The Magpies have no fixture this weekend due to their exit from the FA Cup, but the following weekend brings Huddersfield to St. James’ Park, and the struggling Terriers will be there for the taking, so Benitez should go for the throat.

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Miguel, meet Jonjo

Benitez and Newcastle have found success with a 5-4-1 system recently, a formation which requires Matt Ritchie to play out of position as a left-wing-back.

By switching to a 4-3-3, Benitez would be taking a risk by benching one of his centre backs, who have performed mostly excellently all season.

However, there is simply no place for Almiron in the 5-4-1 setup, and a switch to 4-3-3 also makes room for Shelvey.

Salomon Rondon is un-droppable and Almiron would no doubt take a place in the front three, leaving the last spot for Ritchie, Christian Atsu and Kenedy to fight over.

Shelvey could then move into midfield alongside Mo Diame and the ever-improving Sean Longstaff, a midfield trio packed with athleticism, composure and most importantly for Almiron – Shelvey’s ability to ping balls behind the opponent’s defence.

The little Paraguayan international looked absolutely electric in his short cameo against Wolves, and his pace will terrorise the Huddersfield defence if Rafa finds a way to fit Shelvey in the team.

So, Newcastle fans, would you change the system to accommodate the star duo? Or keep the 5-4-1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Sky Sports, Charlton striker Lyle Taylor is attracting interest from Championship rivals with the January transfer window coming up.

What’s the word?

The 29-year-old has missed a large part of the current campaign, but has still managed to score five goals in just nine league games. And last season, the striker was a key part of the reason behind why the Addicks earned promotion to the Championship, scoring an incredible 25 times across all competitions.

But his contract with the club comes to an end next summer, and so he could potentially leave in a cut-price deal in January, or even make his exit on a free transfer when the campaign finishes.

And according to Sky Sports, the likes of Swansea, West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday are “interested in acquiring his services”, with Scottish giants Rangers also “keeping a close eye on the situation”.

Regret

One of the heroes of last season’s promotion triumph, losing Taylor would be a major blow to Charlton. As a focal point, he is second-to-none for Lee Bowyer’s men, offering a presence up top with a clinical edge to his game too. As per Whoscored, he has won an impressive 1.4 aerial duels per game, and has taken 1.9 shots on average in the Championship this season.

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And his presence in the squad is hugely appreciated by Bowyer himself, with the Addicks boss declaring back in August that he is “massive”, and that “he’s been outstanding for me from the minute that he came in through the door and nothing changes, not just his goals but his work rate.”

Players who are proven goal-scorers at any level are like gold-dust, and as Charlton saw last season, can be the difference between achieving success or not. Losing Taylor either in January or in the summer, would rob them of a talent who has served them consistently well in the time that he has been there.

Meanwhile, Ian Holloway has given his verdict on what Charlton need in the transfer window. 

Charlton Athletic U18s found themselves 3-2 down against West Ham United in the FA Youth Cup with just moments left in the game.

That is before Jeremy Santos provided what has to be described as a wonderful effort to bring the scores back level.

Having cut inside from the right, he passed the ball to a teammate before getting it back, pirouetting past one West Ham defender, nipping in ahead of another to retrieve the ball and stick it in the top corner.

Many Charlton fans were impressed by the skill involved in getting the equaliser, with one calling it “goal of the season”.

The goal wasn’t only aesthetically pleasing though, as the score stayed at 3-3, taking the game to extra time and then a penalty shootout.

Santos scored the first of Charlton’s spot-kicks in the shootout off the post, setting the Addicks on their way to winning it 5-4.

This has led to some fans suggesting he could end up being involved with the first-team soon due to the quality that was on show.

The stance comes with 19-year-old James Vennings having occupied Lee Bowyer’s bench against Hull City, while also getting onto the pitch against Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town.

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One fan has even suggested he should be included in the squad to face Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

In other news, one Charlton man reminded Lee Bowyer of his worth against Hull.

Arsenal are definitely in for some major changes in the not so distant future now that Mikel Arteta has officially taken over from interim manager Freddie Ljungberg.

This is his first real stint as a head coach but he’s been plying his trade under Pep Guardiola’s watchful eye for a number of years now and should be ready to take the step forward.

Bearing in mind the state of this current Arsenal squad that went into Boxing Day in 11th place in the Premier League table, he will have a lot of work to do. Some changes are obviously necessary and that’s true for almost all of the major areas in the team.

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After all, their defence is in shambles having conceded a total of 27 goals in the first 18 matches played in the domestic league. And with 24 goals scored in that period, their forward line is also suffering and is probably too reliant on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who has netted 11 of those himself.

But how can the Gunners, having lost some of their renowned pedigree and reputation with this fall from grace, expect to have enough pulling power to secure reliable reinforcements come January or even beyond?

This is even more reinforced by the fact that their most important player, Aubameyang, is reportedly eager to move on due to the club’s stagnation.

Arsenal will need to dip their toes into the transfer market but can they really expect to land world-class players in any position?It seems rather unlikely.

And Arteta, for all his possible knowledge and tactical prowess that he might have inherited from Guardiola himself, won’t really offer much in that regard either.

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After all, he has no reputation to back him up in those scenarios while he’s not the most connected figure either, which all adds up to a lack of pulling power.

For that very reason, Arsenal’s appointment of the young gaffer is still very much a shot in the dark and with the team needing a major rebuild, this issue could turn out to be a pretty enormous one for the Gunners.

Improved results and the idea that the club is moving in the right direction would certainly help. But can Arteta actually do that without adequate reinforcements?

It could end up being a vicious cycle for the new Arsenal boss.

In other news, there are two things Arteta will absolutely have to iron out come the January transfer window…

In enjoying an impressive season in the Premier League this year, Jack Grealish has well and truly entered the conversation for one of the most in-form midfielders in the top-flight so far. The Aston Villa star has been one of the highlights of the Midlands club’s fight to stave off relegation, scoring six goals and providing a further five assists in the division.

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Understandably, it appears other sides around the country have taken notice, and according to The Evening Standard, Manchester United are monitoring Grealish ahead of potentially signing him within the next two transfer windows.

Quickfire Quiz: How much do you know about Man Utd’s history in the January transfer window?

After hearing about their links to the 24-year-old, fans of the Manchester side flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the Villa man.

A few fans made connections between their interest in Grealish and how former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was previously keen on taking him to north London – the Argentine of course a man who has been linked with replacing Solskjaer.

A couple of supporters of the Manchester side suggested that they would rather they signed Bayer Leverkusen starlet Kai Havertz instead.

Captain of a Premier League side at such an early age, Grealish would bring both youth and leadership to Old Trafford were he to arrive at the club. The play-maker’s performances this season in the Premier League have been nothing short of inspirational for Smith’s side, and that mentality of rising to the occasion and embracing the responsibility of leading their fight against relegation proves he could handle the pressure of playing for United. It’s a move that certainly makes a lot of sense.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans are stunned over transfer reports involving Jesse Lingard and this Premier League star.

Bruno Fernandes is still very much the hub of everything that’s currently happening at Sporting.

The Portuguese superstar has already surpassed double figures for goals and assists in all-competitions this season and is looking likely to continue the trend as the season progresses.

But it still remains to be seen whether he’ll be doing that at Sporting or somewhere else, as Goal have reported that Manchester United are set to revive their interest in the attacking midfielder.

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Of course, the 25-year-old midfielder has recently penned a new contract, bumping his release clause to €100 million (£85m), as the same source states, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s troops would not find it difficult to match that figure if needed.

Still, in order to find out how good Fernandes truly is, we sought the opinions of those who seemingly know him best.

Here’s what they had to say on the player himself…

Sergio Pires, football writer for Maisfutebol

Pires is a sports journalist working for a Portuguese publication that’s been following Fernandes rather closely.

Needless to say, he knows a thing or two about the 25-year-old midfielder and has insight on his player profile.

When speaking to BBC, Pires heaped praise on Man United’s target, comparing him to Frank Lampard in the process.

Here’s what he said in full, as quoted by BBC:

“He has killer instinct for a midfielder.

“Fernandes is most like Lampard, quite similar to him in some aspects, but not as strong yet. He is intelligent, the team plays around him, he is their centre of gravity.

“This season he is blowing every record – now he has to make the next step.”

Frederico Varandas, Sporting president

If someone knows Fernandes then it’s Varandas, Sporting’s current president.

And he definitely knows how valuable the player is for the club as he confirmed it himself not that long ago when Sporting had to fend off the approaches of other European clubs.

Quickfire Quiz: How much do you know about Man Utd’s history in the January transfer window?

Speaking for their official website, as quoted by Goal, Varandas said the following:

“Bruno Fernandes proved to be not only a great player but a great professional and captain. The dignity and responsibility that he has always shown is exemplary.

“The day I turned down Tottenham’s proposal, I came to the training ground and spoke to him. I told him why I declined the offer and why he would stay here beyond the end of the market and he understood perfectly.

“Many European clubs want him and we know this is something we will always have to deal with.”

Jose Mourinho, Tottenham Hotspur manager

We all know the great mind behind Spurs’ current gaffer and Mourinho appears to be a huge fan of his compatriot.

During the summer, the Special One heaped praise on Fernandes, claiming that the midfielder has it all and highlighted some of his best qualities in the process.

Here’s what he told Eleven Sports (via Mirror):

“I was surprised by the season of Bruno Fernandes.

“It was easy to predict quality, he is a very good player, but scored a very high number of goals for a midfield player. It shows that you need to have instinct and qualities to score and he has it all.

“He strikes the ball well, heads well, cool when he is one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He finds space in the penalty area. It’s all there.”

Verdict

It seems that Fernandes is a player of the highest calibre and someone Man United would be wise to chase in the near future.

Both his skills and his mentality have been praised by some big names on the footballing stage and the Red Devils could definitely use a talent of his ilk in their squad.

Pedro Neto played well despite Wolves’ draw with Newcastle United on Saturday.

On the chalkboard

Leander Dendoncker’s goal earned Nuno Espirito Santo’s side a point after Miguel Almiron had opened the scoring early in the first half.

While their front three drew a blank, Wolves can take heart from Neto’s performance against Steve Bruce’s men.

Per WhoScored, the 19-year-old had 53 touches of the ball, more than both Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore.

He had a passing accuracy of 85% from 33 total passes and completed three dribbles, a number only bettered by Traore for Santo’s side.

Neto also won one aerial duel and took two corners, with both being accurate.

This was a performance from the teenager that saw him attempt to get on the ball and make things happen prior to his 85th-minute substitution.

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Hitting his stride

Neto has taken some time to adjust to life at Molineux.

He was signed in August from Lazio but he did not complete the full 90 minutes in the Premier League until December, in the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.

He has also started just four games in the top-flight but one feels that he is finally reaching a point where he is making the left flank his own in the absence of the injured Diogo Jota.

Neto scored against Watford last time out, his first league goal for the club, and was again an exciting, ebullient presence on Saturday.

If he can continue in this vein, adding consistency and regular goals to his game, he will be a star in the Midlands.

Meanwhile, one Wolves man holds their top-six push in his hands!

Jose Mourinho has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur missed a “goalscorer†against Watford as they drew 0-0 at Vicarage Road.Spurs struggled to break Nigel Pearson’s side down in the absence of Harry Kane.The England captain has been out of action for the north Londoners since picking up an injury against Southampton, with Mourinho admitting he doesn’t have an exact time-frame for when his talisman would return.The big fat Tottenham quiz of 2019 – how much do you remember about the last year at Spurs? As a result, Mourinho played a front three of Lucas Moura, Son Heung-Min and Erik Lamela, but Spurs could only manage a single shot on target in the second half.And Mourinho, per Jonathan Veal of PA Sport, gave his verdict on the reason for Spurs’ inability to turn one point into three.

Per FFC sources, Spurs have been offered a number of strikers, including AC Milan’s Krzysztof Piatek, Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke and ex-Spurs man Fernando Llorente.

After drawing another blank – their third successive failure to score in the Premier League – one imagines that Spurs will have to dip into the market sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, Mourinho has issued a major update on Giovani Lo Celso.ÂÂ