All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Wolves fans have been left reacting to a transfer update involving Ruben Neves, which emerged this week.

Speaking on his Twitch channel, Italian football journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed (via Talking Wolves) that a development will come on his future in the next few days, and added that it could be with regards to a potential move to either Manchester United or Arsenal.

The Portugal international has been such a key player at Molineux, averaging more tackles (2.4), interceptions (1.8), shots (1.9), passes (54.9) and long balls (5.3) a match in the Premier League than both Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho in the 2020/21 term (WhoScored).

Thus, it would be such a shame to see him go, especially to another team in the top flight.

Wolves fans on Neves transfer update

These supporters of the Midlands club gave their reactions as the transfer update on Neves was shared on Twitter, and it is safe to say that they do not want to see him leave:

“Pain”

Credit: @wwfcjoe_

“Whyyyyyyyyyyy?”

Credit: @LukasWard12

“Will not begrudge Neves leaving to a top side, he’s good enough to do it. But if he goes to Arsenal then I will do. He’s better than that.”

Credit: @ahyden95

“Yuk!”

Credit: @ACrowe87

“Son’s crying”

Credit: @Harry_Mansell

“If Wolves have any real AMBITION then you keep Neves. The new so called style will rely on a ‘Neves’ to defend deep and spray passes. Let’s see what we get if he goes….”

Credit: @shewardjon1

In other news, find out what training footage has Wanderers gushing here!

Marcus Bent insists that Gary Cahill cannot be allowed to leave Crystal Palace this summer.

The central defender is poised to depart the club upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the month.

The 35-year-old moved to in 2019 and made a total of 47 appearances for the Eagles following his free transfer from Stamford Bridge.

Even last season, Cahill played 20 times in the Premier League, scoring once, and Bent believes that the ex-England international should be retained by the club.

Indeed, he cited the example of former Leicester City defender Matty Elliott, who played for the club until the age of 36.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I find it harsh that he went from Chelsea at that time because they made him captain. I found it harsh but Jose decided to bring in other players. Gary lives down the road, he’s still fit, he looks fit, he’s 30, will he drop down the leagues?

“I’d like to think not because he’s still got a lot of quality to bring to the Premier League, and he’s got a lot of quality to bring to Crystal Palace.

“I think if anything, I think Palace need to bring in someone that needs to play around him because his brain, his legs, his body are still working really well, he reads the game well, his experience, you need a centre-half.

“I played with the likes of Matty Elliot, he played until he was 36 at Leicester, being the captain, as long as you’ve got players around him and that experience around them and that quality around them, I think they can give everything back, doesn’t mean they’re going to start every game or play every game throughout the season but you still need to have that within the dressing room, still need to have that within the squad.

“To let him go would be a disaster for me.”

Cahill has enjoyed a long and storied career and is a seasoned winner, lifting two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, two Europa Leagues, the Champions League and the League Cup.

He also won 61 caps for England, playing at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.

Chelsea have identified Wolves’ winger Adama Traore as a transfer target ahead of the summer transfer window, according to a report from The Telegraph.

The newly-crowned European champions apparently believe that the Spaniard would bolster their depth in both the wing-back and attacking departments.

He finished the 2020/21 season with six direct goal contributions (three goals, three assists) across 41 appearances in all competitions. More impressively, he topped everyone in the Premier League for successful dribbles per game with 4.1 (WhoScored).

Traore is about to enter the final two years of his contract at Molineux and is valued at £27m by Transfermarkt. He’s currently preparing to feature for Spain at the European Championship after being selected for Luis Enrique’s 24-man squad.

Traore isn’t the only big name who could leave Wolves this summer, with The Athletic reporting that the club are planning to sell Ruben Neves in order to raise funds, adding that Rui Patricio is of interest to Roma.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed The Telegraph’s claim, and here’s how some fans reacted to the potential departure of the flying winger.

Wolves fans fret as Chelsea interest in Adama revealed

“Is there anyone we aren’t selling? *sobs*”

Credit: @slugelise

“Selling one of our best players. Hope this isn’t true”

Credit: @chrisbag12

“NO !!”

Credit: @leaoinwolves

“No thanks”

Credit: @Harley_V12

“No, don’t do this”

Credit: @coolguy231332

“What happened to all Fosun’s money, we are seeing so many articles about us having to sell Neves or Traore or Patricio in order to raise funds for a summer rebuild, we shouldn’t have to sell players of quality just to rebuild surely”

Credit: @WolvesFan20

In other news, Wolves want this man hired as Nuno’s successor.

A major update has emerged on AFC Wimbledon centre-back Terell Thomas, and it could lead to a huge gaffe from Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Sunderland are one of the clubs monitoring the centre-back’s situation. The defender is out of contract at the end of the month and the Black Cats are weighing up a swoop for the former Arsenal man.

Thomas is said to be attracting interest from the Championship, with Bristol City and Barnsley keen, but he has been out of action since January. He has not played a competitive game for AFC Wimbledon for five months after unfortunately contracting pneumonia.

Fans would be devastated

Sunderland fans would surely be devastated if the club opted to sign Thomas from Wimbledon instead of going all-out for Wolves defender Dion Sanderson. According to Football Insider, the Black Cats target is set to leave Wolves on a permanent basis this summer and the Premier League club want a fee in the region of £2m for the centre-back, who spent last season on loan to Sunderland.

The Wearsiders are said to be preparing a bid as they attempt to bring him back to the Stadium of Light, but Thomas could be viewed as an alternative option.

Sanderson caught the eye with a series of impressive displays at centre-back for Sunderland last term. He averaged an impressive WhoScored rating of 6.88 in 17 starts at centre-back and still has plenty of scope to improve at the age of 21.

Thomas, meanwhile, was struggling badly prior to his spell out through illness. The former Arsenal man managed only one WhoScored rating higher than 6.75 in his last 10 League One appearances for AFC Wimbledon, and in seven of those games, he scored 6.53 or lower as he failed to impress at the back.

Therefore, Speakman could be heading for a major gaffe over the £600-per-week defender. Not only is he severely lacking in match practice due to his recent ailment, he was not putting in good performances at League One level in the months leading up to his absence, which suggests that he may not be able to hit the ground running at Sunderland next season.

Sanderson, on the other hand, played as recently as March and posted WhoScored ratings of 7.02 or higher in five of his last seven League One games. He is also already accustomed to what Lee Johnson wants from his Sunderland players and could settle in quicker than Thomas, which is another reason as to why Sunderland fans could be devastated if the club goes for the AFC Wimbledon man instead this summer.

AND in other news, Speakman facing disaster with “direct” £2.4k-p/w ace, Sunderland fans will be livid…

Lots of Wolves fans have been left to flock to a transfer update involving Rui Patricio.

As per Fantacalcio, AS Roma have now made a U-turn over their proposed deal for the Portugal international, as the Midlands club want a fee in the region of €12m (£10.3m), but the Serie A team are only willing to pay up to €7m (£6m) for his signature.

Patricio only missed one game in the Premier League in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), showing how much of a key player he is at Molineux, and at 33 years of age, his experience is vital in helping the younger players like Fabio Silva fit in, while new manager Bruno Lage would also appreciate him in and around the dressing room.

Wolves fans on Patricio transfer update

These WWFC supporters flocked to the transfer update as it was shared on Twitter, with one claiming that it was ‘fantastic news’ while another even went as far as to claim that Patricio is an ‘excellent’ goalkeeper:

“Happy to keep him!”

Credit: @ACrowe87

“Great news honestly”

Credit: @PortuWolves

“Fantastic news if true!”

Credit: @Julian_Cassell

“Oh I hope this is true”

Credit: @AdamWWFC_

“Get in lads!”

Credit: @reece_shore

“I just hope that we can keep him he’s been excellent for Wolves I for one would be sorry to see him go”

Credit: @grahamwhittake8

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers fuming here!

Journalist Stuart Hodge has said that a report claiming that Eddie Howe could be announced as Celtic’s new manager this week ‘sounds bang on’.

The lowdown

The Hoops have been without a permanent manager since they parted company with Neil Lennon at the end of February.

It was reported at the start of April that they were close to an agreement with former Bournemouth boss Howe, having held talks in London, and an official announcement could finally arrive this week.

Howe led Bournemouth from League Two to the Premier League, where they remained for five seasons before dropping back to the Championship last year (Transfermarkt).

The Scottish transfer window is set to open on 9 June, with Celtic looking to assemble a squad capable of overturning a 25-gap to 2020/21 champions Rangers.

The latest

Hodge corroborated the timeline outlined by the Daily Record, saying that he too was told the appointment would be made official this week.

He tweeted: “This timeline sounds bang on. Was told it’d be before the end of next week, but stock exchange needs to know first.”

The verdict

The lengthy wait for the appointment to be confirmed means that many Celtic fans may be relieved rather than excited when Howe is finally presented, but they’re getting a coach responsible for one of the most impressive achievements in recent British footballing history.

You’d like to think that he has already been privately identifying potential transfer targets, or at least areas which need upgrading, in recent weeks.

He has time to begin implementing his vision before Celtic get their campaign underway in late July, and Hodge’s remarks appear to offer an even stronger hint that Howe will already be in the job for nearly two months by then.

In other news, Danny Mills thinks a Premier League club may swoop for this Celtic star before Euro 2020.  

Newcastle United are reportedly in a race with other clubs in the Premier League to sign Tammy Abraham, according to ESPN.

As per the news outlet, West Ham United and Aston Villa are also interested in signing the Chelsea striker, with Thomas Tuchel’s team prepared to offload him in the summer transfer window.

Abraham will only have two years remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are willing to sell him in order to maximise his value.

Chelsea could be prepared to sell the England international for £40m, but there is apparently confidence among those interested that a deal could well be done for a lower sum.

Newcastle must capitalise on Abraham opportunity

There will not be many opportunities that come around for the St. James’ Park faithful to sign a player of the quality of Abraham.

Described as ‘phenomenal’ by former top-flight boss Alex McLeish back in March, it is hard to disagree when you look at his record in front of goal.

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For a man that has not always started for Chelsea in the 2020/21 term, Abraham has still managed a total of 18 goal contributions in 31 games over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt), which is certainly not to be sniffed at.

Given that he is English and still only 23 years of age, £40m or less could turn out to be a bargain for the striker in the near future.

In other news, find out what arbitration insight Mark Douglas has dropped from takeover sources here!

Andre Villas-Boas has revealed his time at Tottenham ended badly because Daniel Levy was hell-bent on selling him to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Lowdown: Villas-Boas’ spell at Tottenham

The Portuguese boss lasted 18 months at Spurs after being hired in the summer of 2012. He had a 56.25% win percentage in north London, pretty good for anyone using a LeoVegas Bonus at the time and only bettered by Mauricio Pochettino and Tim Sherwood at Tottenham in the Premier League era.

He has since gone on to manage Zenit St Petersburg, Shanghai SIPG and Marseille.

The Latest: AVB makes Levy claim

Speaking on the Key and Gray Podcast this weekend, published in the Sunday Mirror on May 9th (via Give Me Sport), Villas-Boas revealed Levy wanted him to go to PSG as they would have had to pay a considerable fee. He explained:

“Tottenham in the first year was very good.

“It was not easy with Daniel, I’m not the simplest of guys to work with but we had our ups and downs.

“We had a lot of fun in that first season and we reached the end of that season and I was expecting to renew with Tottenham after having refused to go to Paris Saint-Germain.

“But what I think is that Daniel was willing to sell me to Paris Saint-Germain rather than renewing me because my clause was £50m. 

“So we started the second in bad animosity, Either way, we were very, very close to the top, we had more points when I reached an agreement to leave Tottenham than we had the season when we beat the record points. 

“But the environment was not there anymore, the connection with me and Daniel and [then technical director] Franco Baldini, so it was also time to go. 

“It all has to do with this extravagant leadership to take control of the clubs.”

The Verdict: Unsurprising

Villas-Boas failed to set the world alight at Tottenham, but his win percentage illustrated he actually did a decent job at the club. Given more time in a better atmosphere, he may well have been able to produce better results, but in the end it clearly wasn’t meant to be.

To hear that Levy wanted to push him out of the door so he could bring in a fee of £50m is unsurprising – the Spurs chairman is known as a hard negotiator who has an eye for a profit, recently leading to fan protests outside the stadium over his and ENIC’s running of the club.

Perhaps his decision on AVB came as a detriment to the chances of bringing silverware to north London, and it is certainly worrying to hear from someone who has been on the inside just how much the club value cash over success.

In other news, Glenn Hoddle has slammed this Levy decision.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Leicester City striker Brian Deane has hailed the East Midlands club’s recruitment.

In the last summer transfer window, Leicester signed defenders Wesley Fofana and Timothy Castagne from Saint-Etienne and Atalanta respectively, with both players going on to help the Foxes win their first FA Cup.

Fofana arrived to strengthen the team’s central defence, while the versatile Castagne joined as a replacement for left-back Ben Chilwell, who departed the King Power for Chelsea in a £50m deal.

The duo have undoubtedly been successes for the club this season, featuring regularly for their side, and Deane has since praised Brendan Rodgers and his recruitment team for signing the two defenders and their overall work in recent transfer windows.

The ex-Leicester player, who feels his old side are setting the right example in the transfer market, told FFC:

“It [Leicester’s success] comes down to good recruitment. If Leicester can do it, then you think to yourself, ‘Why do clubs always look at paying the premium for players? Are they waiting to see how they do at a club and then go in for them?’

“That costs more money. You know, why not be more proactive? But you have to say, Leicester have got their recruitment spot on again.”

As well as Fofana and Castagne, Rodgers has also brought in the likes of James Justin, Ayoze Perez and Youri Tielemans permanently – the latter winning the FA Cup for his side and arguably epitomising Leicester’s recruitment success.

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that adding another striker should be David Moyes’ priority this summer.

The Hammers are currently sitting fifth in the Premier League table following an impressive campaign under the Scot, but desperately need to bolster their strike department, especially with the prospect of European football at the London Stadium next season.

Moyes doesn’t currently have a senior recognised striker at his disposal after club-record signing Sebastien Haller wasn’t replaced after leaving for Ajax in January.

The versatile Michail Antonio had started 12 of West Ham’s previous 14 Premier League matches up front, but has suffered from different muscle injuries over previous seasons, including one that kept him out of the win against Leicester City at the London Stadium on Sunday.

Teenager Ademipo Odubeko started West Ham’s FA Cup fifth-round tie against Manchester United, but is too inexperienced to be Antonio’s understudy.

And whilst McAvennie recognises that Moyes generally has a settled squad, he’s urged his Scottish counterpart to sign a forward once the window opens.

He told Football FanCast:

“I think they need a couple of players in. They need cover for the striker, I definitely think they need cover. I do think they have enough defenders, but a striker and signing Lingard, those are the two signings I would want.”