Tag Futebol

Liverpool have now picked back up on their summer interest in the now Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes.

What’s the latest?

Reports on Tuesday emerged suggesting Jurgen Klopp’s side could now look to the 24-year-old Portuguese midfielder as a potential option likely to be in the summer.

The Telegraph explained the Reds came close to signing the midfielder during the summer before he made the move to Molineux after a proposed deal fell through.

However, as Liverpool’s need for midfield reinforcement continues to rear its ugly head following their defeat away to Brentford, Sky Sports man Anton Toloui has been speaking about the Reds’ interest in the Wolves midfielder.

He said: “It’s an interesting one this, isn’t it, because Liverpool are interested in Matheus Nunes. Now, he’s a player that came to Wolves only in the summer.

“This deal is more likely to be pursued, if they are going to, in the summer – not now. But obviously, this is an interesting topic considering Liverpool, as we know, their weakness is their midfield.”

Reds regret

Given the Reds were believed to have shown their interest in the midfielder over the summer, it would suggest they feel some regret in not landing Nunes when they had the opportunity.

Instead, the 24-year-old made a club-record move to Molineux in a deal believed to be worth in the region of £42.2m, but it has not been an easy ride for Nunes in the Premier League.

Since making the move, Nunes’ successful passes per 90 minutes has taken a hit with less than 30 in a Wolves shirt compared to 42 for Sporting CP last season (via FBref).

However, he has seen an increase in his tackles per game playing for the Premier League outfit with over two per game on average compared to under 1.5 for Sporting.

And it seems as if that is what could Liverpool need to solidify their midfield which does not seem to be providing much support for the back four.

“People talk about Jude Bellingham but Liverpool don’t have a problem going forward, they need a player to stop the opposition coming right through them,” Jamie Carragher said on Monday after the Brentford defeat.

In a Wolves shirt, Nunes has played only once as a defensive midfielder with the majority of his minutes coming from either central midfield or an attack-minded midfield position (via Transfermarkt).

So there may be some concern that Nunes is still not the type of player Liverpool need when you consider Thiago and Fabinho have both completed more tackles this season than the Portuguese midfielder.

Chelsea are notoriously hit and miss in the transfer market, certainly holding their fair share of failed dealings but utilising their affluence effectively enough over the past few decades.

Indeed, having won scores of major honours since the turn of the millennia, including five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues, there is plenty to remain optimistic about in the life of a Blues supporter.

However, one failure on the transfer front that might haunt Stamford Bridge for years to come is the defeat in the race to sign Achraf Hakimi in 2021, with a heated contest for his signature between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain resulting in the latter emerging victorious in a £60m deal to bring him to the Parc des Princes. 

Since joining PSG, the 24-year-old has made 62 appearances, scoring seven goals and assisting nine, winning the 2021/22 Ligue 1 and the French Super Cup. 

This season, the ace has made 21 showings, scoring three goals and assists apiece as the club search for that coveted maiden Champions League trophy to complement the scores of domestic triumphs. 

Morocco’s monumental push for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was a further indication of Chelsea’s misfortune in failing to lure the player to west London; the African nation were defeated by France in the World Cup semi-finals, ending a historic charge for glory unprecedented on African soil.

As per Sofascore, the former Real Madrid man recorded a rating of 7.0, playing an integral role for his side and flourishing down the right.

Registering one assist and proving to be an incessant thorn in his opponent’s sides, Hakimi averaged 0.7 shots per match and completed 83% of his passes, also winning 55% (7.0 per outing) of his total duels.

And despite earning plaudits for his attacking efforts, it was actually on the defensive side of the spectrum that Hakimi truly shone, like a lurid lamplight in front of his foes, preventing and blinding them from making meaningful progress; he averaged 3.8 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per outing, keeping three clean sheets.

The blow of seeing the “brilliant” phenom, as lauded by Oliver Holt, slip through the Blues’ fingers like sand will indeed have stung, but been somewhat buffered by the knowledge that Reece James continues to ply his trade in Chelsea colours. 

Regardless, owning two of the game’s most talented would have resulted in a force down the right flank that could stake its claim against any throughout Europe.

So, Chelsea will have lamented the failure to bring him to the Bridge last year, and for a player who “made history” – in the words of Kylian Mbappe – at the World Cup, the rueful gaze returns.

Chelsea will move on, as football always does, but fans are now reminded of what could have been. 

Leeds United are reportedly keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund defender, Raphael Guerreiro, with a move in the January transfer window potentially on the cards.

What’s the word?

That’s according to journalist Graeme Bailey, via TEAMtalk, who suggested that the Premier League outfit are keen to strengthen their current left-back options, with sporting director Victor Orta viewing the Portugal international as a top target.

The transfer insider stated:

“As it stands, it appears Guerreiro is not in a hurry to depart Dortmund. Despite no new deal agreed, he knows clubs such as Leeds are watching. Indeed they were in attendance in the last few weeks,

“He is going to get through the World Cup finals and then assess the situation. Dortmund have a host of issues to resolve, like Moukoko and Bellingham, but Guerreiro is another very much towards the top of their agenda.

“Leeds like Guerreiro a lot, and they think he would be an ideal fit. If he was available in January, I believe they would do it – but they are happy to wait for him until the summer.

“However, I would not rule out the possibility of a loan move although Pascal Struijk has been performing well – he is very much a defensive full-back rather than a wing-back and I believe they may look for another option, although the return of Stuart Dallas could get them through until the summer.”

This follows a recent report from 90min that claimed the Elland Road outfit had sent scouts to watch the 28-year-old in action in Germany, with the France-born star facing an uncertain future with the Bundesliga side with his existing deal set to expire in the summer.

‘Amazing’ signing

A new addition on the left of the defence has arguably become something of a necessity as far as Orta and co are concerned, with the Whites having been left distinctly short of options in that role this season as a result of injuries to both Stuart Dallas and Junior Firpo.

That fact has forced the ever-versatile Pascal Struijk – who can also operate in central midfield or at centre-back – to slot into that full-back berth, although the 23-year-old is seemingly not a natural fit in that role, while also offering little in an attacking sense with just one goal and one assist so far this term.

With teenager Leo Hjelde the only other option to take on the left-back vacancy, it has laid bare the need for a quality, senior addition such as Guerreiro to help bolster Jesse Marsch’s ranks in the New Year, with such an acquisition potentially set to prove vital in the battle to stave off the drop.

The 58-cap dynamo – who is currently representing his country at the World Cup in Qatar – has been a truly consistent presence for Dortmund over the years, with the £59k-per-week ace having scored a remarkable 37 goals and registered 39 assists in 206 games to date for the club.

That includes an impressive haul of three goals and three assists in all competitions so far this term, including two goals in just four Champions League appearances, having regularly been producing the goods at a high level on the biggest stage.

As pundit Paddy Kenny suggested, adding such an asset to the Yorkshire side could well prove to be an “amazing January signing” for the club, particularly with the chance to land Guerreiro on a cut-price deal amid his contract uncertainty.

While it may prove hard to tempt the player into leaving Champions League football for a possible relegation scrap at Leeds, Orta must surely do all he can to get a deal over the line.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to begin a new era when the Premier League finally resumes following the break due to the upcoming World Cup.

Julen Lopetegui officially started work as manager of the Old Gold this week and he is set to face a massive challenge to maintain the club’s top-flight status, especially after a disastrous opening 15 matches where they won just twice.

The Spaniard looks like he is aiming to assert his authority onto the team already, with the club being linked with players such as Pau Torres, Mariano Diaz, and Carlos Alcaraz recently, however, it is a young talent who is currently shining in the Championship which Lopetegui should be diverting his attention to…

Wolves eye deal for Isaiah Jones

According to TEAMtalk, Wolves have joined West Ham United in the race for Middlesbrough player Jones, with his recent form attracting attention.

Across 20 Championship matches so far this term, the right midfielder – who has been converted from a wing-back last season – has provided six goal contributions (three goals and three assists) and this is just four shy of last season’s total of ten contributions in 47 matches.

Irons boss David Moyes is aiming to repeat his success with former Championship star Jarrod Bowen, who has become that big a success in the Premier League that West Ham reportedly value him at £75m and there is no reason why Lopetegui could find this level of talent in Jones.

Jones is equally adept at playing in every position on the right-hand side, however, he has come to have great success in a midfield role and the 23-year-old was dubbed “a bit special” by journalist and Football League expert George Elek for his performances last season.

In the Premier League, Bowen has scored 23 goals and registered 21 assists, proving that he made the transition from the second tier extremely well. Jones could follow a similar type of pathway and the 56-year-old will be keen on bringing him to Molineux.

The Englishman won’t just improve the Wolves squad, but he may also generate the club a massive profit in a few years’ time, making it a wise move for a variety of reasons.

Express & Star reporter Liam Keen has shared the news that Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes is ‘being assessed’ ahead of a potential return from injury this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Shoulder injury

The 24-year-old came off with a shoulder injury in the first half of the Old Gold’s 1-1 draw at home to Brentford in the Premier League last weekend.

He tried to carry on when in pain, but in the end he had to come off for Joao Moutinho.

The Latest: Nunes ‘being assessed’

Taking to Twitter, Keen has shared an update on Nunes from Steve Davis’ pre-game press conference ahead of Wolves’ match at home to Brighton and Hove Albion this afternoon.

The Portuguese midfielder is ‘being assessed’ ahead of the match and is ’50/50′ to play, with the Old Gold’s interim boss stating: “Nunes is being assessed. He’s the only one that is 50/50, it could go either way.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Wolves will no doubt be having their fingers crossed that Nunes is fit and available to feature at Molineux today.

He has played in every game this season since signing in August and has already established himself as a key member of Davis’ team.

The 24-year-old ranks highly among his team-mates for average tackles, clearances, shots, key passes and dribbles per match in the top flight (WhoScored), and the Old Gold will surely have a better chance of securing all three points against Brighton with Nunes in their side.

Nonetheless, Wolves supporters will be facing an anxious wait over whether or not he makes the matchday squad this afternoon.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has provided an update on the fitness of his squad ahead of tonight’s Champions League showdown against Shakhtar Donetsk at Parkhead.

What’s the word?

As per Sky Sports, the 57-year-old has confirmed that the encounter with the Ukrainian outfit will come too soon for both defender Carl Starfelt and wing wizard Jota, albeit with Scotland international David Turnbull set to return after his recent absence.

Speaking on Monday regarding those absentees, the Hoops boss stated: “Jota had his last rehab session and is expected to start training with us again after the game and be available again for the weekend,

“Dave Turnbull is alright. Carl’s back in training which is great but it’s too early tomorrow. The idea is to get him back in training in the next few days and see how it goes.”

Starfelt has been out of action since sustaining a knee injury during the Old Firm derby triumph in early September, while Jota has been on the sidelines since coming off at half-time in the win over St Johnstone a couple of weeks ago.

Awful news for Postecoglou

As Postecoglou also went on to suggest, it is a simply “must-win” game for the Old Firm outfit tonight, with the Hoops needing to secure all three points to have any hope of salvaging a Europa League place, having already seen their hopes of progression in the Champions League extinguished.

With four points currently separating the Glasgow side and Shakhtar, a win at Parkhead would ensure that the hosts would still need to secure a positive result away to Real Madrid on the final gameweek, although the aim for now will be to simply pick up a first win in this season’s group stage campaign tonight.

To be without Jota and Starfelt will no doubt be awful news as far as Postecoglou is concerned, with the former Yokohama boss having regularly counted on that duo throughout his tenure at Paradise so far.

In the case of Starfelt, the Sweden international overcame a slow start to forge an “immense” partnership alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers at the heart of the defence last season – as described by ex-Bhoys striker Chris Sutton – with 27-year-old notably keeping 18 clean sheets in 34 league games in that glorious campaign.

His absence this term – which has seen the former Rubin Kazan man make just three Premiership appearances – has allowed Stephen Welsh and Moritz Jenz to vie for a starting berth. However, both have had their shaky moments of late, with the latter notably giving away a penalty in Saturday’s thriller against Hearts.

As such, it would have been a welcome sight to have the £5.4m-rated Swede back in action for such a crucial meeting against Igor Jovicevic’s side, although the Hoops will have to do without the five-cap colossus once again.

The absence of the aforementioned Jota is seemingly an even greater blow for the Scottish champions, with the Portuguese starlet having been in fine form already this season, scoring five goals and laying on five assists in just 12 games across all competitions.

The 23-year-old – who was signed on a permanent deal this summer after a stunning initial loan spell – had previously made 27 goal contributions during the 2021/22 campaign, having been a “revelation” for the club to date according to ex-Scotland manager Alex McLeish.

The only man to score in the Champions League for Celtic this season – with the club’s only other strike coming as an own goal in the reverse meeting with tonight’s opponents in Warsaw – it is no doubt a sizeable blow not to have the dynamic asset in tow here.

Everton are renowned for enduring some transfer misadventures during the Farhad Moshiri era, with the club’s spending of more than £500m on signings amounting to nothing but financial trouble and relegation scraps.

Thankfully, it seems that, with the arrival of Frank Lampard and director of football Kevin Thelwell this year, recruitment strategies are changing and the recklessness over transfer spending could finally be a thing of the past.

However, it doesn’t eliminate the sting of financial draining that some players have committed during their time at Goodison Park, and one of the most notorious culprits for collecting a huge wage which seemed excessive given their contribution to the club is ex-Toffees centre-forward Cenk Tosun.

There is no doubt that the Everton hierarchy would have let out a sigh of relief when the 31-year-old finally parted with the club this summer following the expiry of his contract, making the move back to Turkey after failing to have a positive impact on Merseyside.

The Turkish striker joined Everton in 2018 for £27m whilst Sam Allardyce was manager, and it turned out to be one of the worst transfer decisions both financially and in terms of on-pitch contribution in recent years.

Tosun rapidly became an outcast in the team as his time at the club progressed, making just three appearances in all competitions for Everton last season even though both Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin suffered from multiple injury issues, illustrating that he was a player who Lampard could not wait to jettison.

The 31-year-old scored just 11 goals and delivered six assists over 61 appearances for the club, so when you combine his transfer fee and his salary of £69k-per-week, it makes for an eye-watering sum of £41.3m down the drain over his four-year stint with the Toffees.

This is equal to £3.7m per goal and £677k per appearance, which is an absolutely shocking return. Even worse, the Toffees couldn’t recover any of the money that Tosun cost the club, as he left on a free transfer at the end of his contract in June.

With those figures in mind, the Turkish flop is one of the finest examples to illustrate the transfer calamities that Moshiri has sanctioned over the last six years, and the Goodison Park faithful will be hoping that lessons have been learnt now that the striker has left the club for good.

Journalist Peter Vandenbempt has criticised West Ham United for their conduct in previous attempts to sign Club Brugge star Hans Vanaken.

The Lowdown: Hammers target signs new deal…

The Irons, like in previous seasons, were repeatedly linked with a move for the Belgium international over the course of this year’s summer transfer window.

There were suggestions that Vanaken himself really wanted to join West Ham but it appears both the Premier League side and Brugge were having trouble agreeing a deal.

As a result, all hope faded with the forward then putting pen to paper on a contract extension with the Jupiler Pro League high-flyers.

The Latest: Vandenbempt criticises West Ham…

Now, Dutch reporter Vandenbempt has criticised David Moyes’ side for their attempts at business over Vanaken – specifically for not paying the required transfer fee.

He explained (via voetbal 24):

“West Ham has been courting Vanaken for a few years, but when they have to pay they don’t do it. They don’t want to go further than 10 to 11 million and that is a sign of little respect.”

The Verdict: Regrettable?

Head of recruitment Rob Newman and the club clearly didn’t see enough in Vanaken to pay over the odds, but only time will tell whether that proves to be the correct call.

The 30-year-old stood out as a star player for Brugge last season, finishing 2021/22 as their third top goal scorer domestically with 11 strikes and nine assists to boot (WhoScored).

Overall, Vanaken also ranked in Brugge’s top three best-performing players by average match rating per 90 – so the quality is certainly there.

That being said, at 30, the forward would’ve come with little sell-on value, so perhaps that came into the club’s thinking.

Aston Villa centre-back Diego Carlos could face up to nine months on the sidelines with injury, according to Dr. Rajpal Brar

The lowdown

Carlos, a £27.9million summer signing from Sevilla, was injured on his home debut against Everton on Saturday.

Manager Steven Gerrard said after the game that he was ‘extremely worried’ about the issue.

And now his worst fears might just have been realised, with Villa confirming in a statement on Monday that Carlos had ruptured his Achilles tendon and would require surgery.

The latest

Dr. Brar, a sports scientist, physical therapist and fitness and movement coach, says an Achilles tendon rupture ‘typically’ results in a ‘minimum’ ‘6-9 month’ lay-off ‘in elite football’.

And worryingly, it will take ‘even longer’ for Carlos ‘to return to pre-injury levels’.

The verdict

This looks like a monumental blow for Aston Villa and Carlos, just two games into his career at the club.

At best, he won’t be back till midway February, and at worst, he’ll miss virtually the entirety of the season.

And even when he does return, he’s going to need time to ramp back up to top form, assuming he can get there again.

According to The Athletic, 29-year-old Carlos should be in his peak window at present, so this injury is denying him a huge chunk of his prime years.

Villa have invested a great deal of money – he’s the fourth-most expensive signing in their history, and you have to consider his wages too – but might not be able to see any real return for the best part of a year.

In short, their plan is in tatters, and they’ll likely to recruit another centre-back now as a contingency measure.

Leeds United winger Raphinha is now one step closer to sealing his long-awaited exit from Elland Road…

What’s the word?

It’s believed that a £55m deal has finally been agreed with LaLiga outfit Barcelona for the 25-year-old and that he will now undergo a medical in Spain before finalising the move.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has provided a major update on the situation to supporters on Twitter, where he said:

“Raphinha heading for his medical in Spain today. Deal in place and basically good to go.”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-united-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-more” title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer rumours and more!”]

Time to say goodbye

This update, whilst largely expected, is going to leave many supporters around west Yorkshire absolutely gutted as whatever small hope they had of keeping the Brazil international has now been shattered.

Raphinha has been an electric and exciting talent for the Whites ever since his move from Stade Rennes in 2020. Indeed, much of their attacking fortunes throughout last season hinged on him out on the right flank.

He led Jesse Marsch’s squad for goals scored (11) and in terms of creativity, he also topped the charts, having averaged 1.9 key passes per game, which was a whopping 0.7 more attempts than any other Leeds player, as per WhoScored.

Described as a “magician” and a “storm” by soon-to-be-former teammates Dan James and Illan Meslier, it’s evident that Raphinha will be sorely missed and there is no way of knowing whether new summer singing Luis Sinisterra will step up to the demands of the Premier League so soon.

It comes as another huge blow as Leeds fans have already seen academy graduate Kalvin Phillips swap his boyhood club for the top-flight champions, Manchester City, leaving Marsch without two of last season’s biggest stars.

Some will be glad that this saga is coming towards an end, well in advance of the 2022/23 campaign, but that will not excuse feelings of sadness as Raphinha is arguably one of the most talented players to grace the Elland Road pitch, perhaps since the controversial Eric Cantona.

The 25-year-old, valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, will leave behind a massive void for the American head coach, though it does provide the club with a hefty cash injection.

All in all, Leeds supporters will be gutted by this latest update from Hay but now they can begin to move on and look to the future. It’s bittersweet but the right deal for all parties.

AND in other news, Contact made: Report now reveals big Leeds transfer development…