All posts by z3u9t.icu

Wolverhampton Wanderers do have a reputation for uncovering a gem in the transfer market with the deal to snap up Matheus Cunha on a permanent basis back in 2022 for £35m looking more and more like a steal by the day.

Indeed, the Brazilian superstar is a hot commodity ahead of the summer transfer window reopening, and for good reason, considering he’s amassed an explosive 15 goals and six assists in Premier League action this campaign.

Likewise, Wolves have seemingly struck gold on new defensive titan Emmanuel Agbadou, with the strong Ivorian picking up four clean sheets in the league to date since a January switch.

Therefore, the powers that be at Molineux will be hoping their gleaming track record in snapping up exciting gems continues on, with the rumour mill already linking the Old Gold to a number of new stars.

Wolves could sign Premier League midfielder

With their Premier League status now thankfully set in stone, Vitor Pereira and Co will want to kick on next season and aim for a top-half finish.

Adding in a few sprinkles of quality here and there will presumably aid this progression, with rumours already surfacing that the revitalised Old Gold are looking at snapping up the services of Atletico Madrid ace Samuel Lino.

Moreover, further speculation has seen Chelsea outcast Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall be tipped to make a switch to Molineux too, but a new, fresh report from GIVEMESPORT suggests their midfield positions could be enhanced by signing Liverpool product Harvey Elliott instead.

The report states that Wolves are likely to make an enquiry regarding the promising 22-year-old if some big-name departures are sanctioned, considering Elliott is priced around the £50m ballpark.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Landing Elliott could see Pereira win his very own Morgan Gibbs-White, with the ex-Wolves youngster never really coming into his own at his boyhood employers, but the Reds target certainly possesses a lot of similar easy-on-the-eye traits in his game when weighed up next to the now £100m-rated gem.

How Elliott can be the next Gibbs-White

Before exploring deeper how Elliott could be Wolves’ next Gibbs-White in the making, it’s only right to look at how much the Stafford-born midfielder’s game has been advanced since stepping away from Molineux.

Amazingly, the 25-year-old would only pick up three goals and one assist from 88 senior appearances in the West Midlands. Now, however, he’s up to a stunning 16 strikes and 27 assists for the Tricky Trees from 115 overall clashes, leading to Manchester City being keen onlookers.

Whilst Elliott hasn’t quite been as front and centre for Arne Slot’s Reds this season as Gibbs-White has been for Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flyers – seen in his 25 games in all competitions next to his counterpart’s 35 – the 22-time England U21 international has still chipped in when needed with four goals and two assists.

Again, much like the Forest number ten, the 22-year-old is also more than capable of playing as a winger away from just lining up centrally.

Indeed, his 144 appearances in the men’s side at Anfield to date – alongside a blistering loan stint with Blackburn Rovers – have seen him take to the pitch in a sizeable six different positions.

RW

103

18

22

AM

67

5

5

CM

36

4

14

LW

14

2

3

CF

3

0

1

SS

1

0

1

Previously lauded as “phenomenal” by journalist David Lynch, it will be up to Wolves to ensure they get the most out of Elliott on his arrival, with the versatile young English talent – as Gibbs-White is – surely itching to be a first-team regular in his new location.

If they do manage to get the best out of the 22-year-old, any lingering agony of losing the Englishman prematurely will be fixed by Elliott’s emergence.

He'd make Larsen unplayable: Wolves targeting move for "sensational" PL ace

Wolves could make a move for a Premier League midfielder this summer

ByRoss Kilvington May 2, 2025

Chelsea have now shortlisted a Barcelona star among their “priority” targets for the summer transfer window, after hearing about the player’s release clause, with BlueCo handed a chance to sign him for £55 million.

Chelsea transfers dependent on Champions League qualification

The tight race for a spot in next season’s Champions League draw will define the success of Enzo Maresca’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge, and it will also play a vital role when it comes to their summer transfer policy.

£195k-per-week Chelsea player holds talks over joining Tottenham via agents

His team are trying to find a new club.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 30, 2025

Chelsea want to sign a new centre-back, winger and striker this summer (Simon Phillips), with rumoured talks already held over a move for Borussia Dortmund starlet Jamie Gittens recently.

However, failure to qualify for the Champions League next season could threaten to alter these plans, by Maresca’s own admission in a recent press conference.

“Football is not five, 10 years ago when the rules were different,” said the head coach.

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

“Today you have to be careful how much you spend. It will be a completely different kind of target if we finish in the Champions League.”

In Chelsea’s pursuit of a central defender, Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen is reliably believed to be a serious target for Maresca’s side, but they face stiff competition from elite Premier League rivals.

Alternatively, perhaps a move for Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo could be on the cards.

The Uruguay international’s contract will include a release clause of around £55 million when it becomes active in July, presenting an opportunity for Chelsea to swoop in and strike a deal for him.

Chelsea prioritising move for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo

That is according to reports in Spain, which state that Chelsea are now prioritising a move for Araujo this summer amid knowledge of the clause.

Araujo signed a new deal earlier this year, committing him to the Camp Nou until 2031, but it appears his agents negotiated this exit clause to give the South American a chance to part company if he wishes.

Injuries have largely diminished the 26-year-old’s playing time under Hansi Flick this term, but Araujo has been entrusted with the captain’s armband when fit and available.

The defender has also been lavished with praise by Barcelona legend Carles Puyol during his time in Catalonia.

“He’s in extraordinary condition,” said Puyol in 2023.

“I’ll stick with what they’ve told me, because I don’t know him personally, but he’s very professional, humble, he always gives his best in training and matches and that’s where his performance is.

“Right now, if he’s not the best central defender in the world, he’s among the top three. He’s young, he still has room for improvement and I think we have a very good central defender at Barcelona for many years to come.”

Liverpool are 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table with just six matches left to play, on the verge of their second-ever title in the division.

The Reds extended their lead at the top after they won 2-1 against West Ham United at Anfield last weekend, thanks to a late header from Virgil van Dijk.

Arne Slot winning the Premier League in his first season in English football, particularly given that Jurgen Klopp only won one in his tenure at Anfield, is set to be an extraordinary achievement by the Dutch head coach.

However, there is still room for improvement for the Reds because they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Plymouth Argyle, knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain, and lost to Newcastle United in the League Cup final.

Their failure to maintain their high standards in the Premier League across all competitions suggests that the depth of the squad is not where it needs to be in order to compete on all fronts.

This is why the Reds could be active in the summer transfer window to bolster their team with new recruits, with Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen one name reportedly on their list.

Why Dean Huijsen could be a good signing

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed earlier this month that Liverpool are one of a number of clubs that are interested in a deal to sign the Cherries central defender ahead of next season.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be keen on the Spain international, as they all look to improve their defensive options.

Ornstein added that they have all made contact with the player’s representatives ahead of a potential move this summer, and revealed that he has a £50m release clause in his contract.

Huijsen could be a good addition to the Liverpool squad as a player who can come into the team when Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate are unavailable, as there is no urgent need to bring in a new regular starter in that position.

The current pairing has helped the Reds to have the second-best defensive record in the division, with 31 conceded in 32 games, and it seems unlikely that Slot would want to break up that pairing, especially amid reports that van Dijk has agreed a new two-year deal at Anfield.

Huijsen, at the age of 20, could come in with the future in mind as a long-term successor to either van Dijk or Konate, whilst being able to provide quality when he does step in as a rotation option, as shown by his form for Bournemouth this season.

Non-penalty goals

0.09

Top 10%

Shot-creating actions

1.64

Top 5%

Progressive passes

4.49

Top 20%

Progressive carries

1.45

Top 8%

Blocks

1.50

Top 25%

Interceptions

2.10

Top 1%

Clearances

6.78

Top 4%

As you can see in the table above, Huijsen can offer progression with his use of the ball whilst also being incredibly active defensively to keep opposition teams at bay.

As good of a signing as the Spanish star would be, due to the strength in depth he would provide, Liverpool could land an even better signing with this latest rumour.

The latest on Liverpool's interest in Premier League star

According to The Boot Room, Liverpool have been closely following West Ham United attacker Mohammed Kudus ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Reds have a ‘credible interest’ in the Ghana international, who could be on his way out of the London Stadium ahead of next season.

It states that West Ham are willing to cash in on the former Ajax star this summer and that a fee in the region of £50m could be enough to secure his services, despite him having a release clause worth £80m.

The Boot Room adds, however, that a transfer to the Saudi Pro League remains a real possibility, which suggests that Liverpool could face some strong competition for his signature.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Slot must, now, push for the club to win the race for Kudus’ signature because he could be an even better signing than Huijsen, which is why he should be made the priority target ahead of the young defender.

Why Kudus would be a better signing than Huijsen

Whilst Huijsen would come in as a back-up option behind Konate and van Dijk in the pecking order, instead of a signing to bolster the starting XI, Kudus could arrive as a frontline star for the Reds.

The left-footed wizard has failed to offer consistent production in the final third this season, with three goals and two assists in the Premier League, but he has been in a struggling West Ham team that are currently 17th in the division.

Last season, under David Moyes, Kudus proved his quality in the top-flight and in the Europa League, which is what Liverpool should base their assessment of his talent on.

The Reds are not a team that is expected to be battling against relegation and playing on the counter with few opportunities to get on the ball in the final third, as has been the case for West Ham this season, which is why the winger could get back to his best at Anfield.

Starts

27

9

xG

5.16

2.66

Goals

8

5

Big chances created

5

3

Assists

6

0

Dribbles completed per game

3.8

2.0

Dribble success rate

62%

45%

As you can see in the table above, Kudus outperformed his xG in both the Premier League and the Europa League – hitting 13 goals – and provided a creative threat in both competitions, with eight ‘big chances’ created.

Meanwhile, Jota, who has been a regular starter up front of late, has only scored six goals from 8.25 xG and only provided three assists in the Premier League this season.

This suggests that the potential is there for Kudus to come in as an upgrade on Jota in the centre-forward position as a versatile attacker who can move and interchange within the front three, due to his ability to play centrally or on the wing.

The £50m-rated star was once described as a “game-changer” by analyst Ben Mattinson, which is exactly what he could be in the final third for Liverpool by offering more of a ruthless edge in front of goal than Jota if Liverpool can get the attacker back to his best.

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Therefore, Kudus could come in as an even better signing than Huijsen as a domestic transfer target because the potential is there for him to come straight into the starting XI, rather than only arriving as a squad option.

Liverpool are on the cusp of winning the Premier League title for the second time in its modern format. Victory will take Anfield’s top-flight triumphs to 20 across the sweep of history, levelling with bitter rivals Manchester United.

It could be settled this week. Should second-place Arsenal, whose eggs lie in the Champions League basket, fall at home against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, Liverpool will win the title. Otherwise, the Merseysiders have the chance to clinch it themselves when they host beleaguered Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

Arne Slot is going to get a taste for silver on English soil, and he’s going to want more. The Dutch tactician, who replaced Jurgen Klopp last year, has already confirmed Liverpool are planning to attack the summer transfer market with a hunger.

Multiple areas require attention, but with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s contracts wrapped up, it’s clear Liverpool are looking to spend a shedload on a brand-new centre-forward.

Why Liverpool want a striker

Klopp’s many players have been effectively subsumed into Slot’s way of life, but Darwin Nunez remains an uncrackable nut.

Liverpool’s head coach gave it his best shot, but the 25-year-old hasn’t reacted all that well to the Dutchman’s tactical nuances, scoring just seven times across all competitions and starting only once in the Premier League since Boxing Day.

He’s set to leave, but sourcing the perfect successor isn’t going to be a walk in the park. On Monday, Fabrizio Romano revealed on GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness show that Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak remains the top target at number nine but won’t be signed unless his exorbitant £150m valuation is slashed.

Strong across all areas and a goalscorer of the highest station, the Sweden international’s the dream, alright, but the report details growing interest in RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro, who has scored 30 goals and laid on ten assists across 70 games for Brighton.

Change is afoot at Anfield, but Nunez isn’t the only member of Slot’s attacking fold who may be in the firing line this summer.

Plenty of speculation has circled around Luis Diaz’s head, but the in-form, multi-positional winger might be better off staying put this term.

However, there’s another who needs to be sold. Believe it or not, this man’s actually been more wasteful in front of goal than Nunez since Slot walked through the door.

Liverpool must cash in on wasteful star

It’s curious that Liverpool should be cruising toward the Premier League title, their first since Jurgen Klopp dominated the 2019/20 campaign, but feel in need of surgery across a range of positions.

Such is the ambition of this team, whose future will surely lie at the forefront of the European game with key players tied down and exciting targets being lined up.

But Liverpool will need to cash in on one or two. They haven’t received bang for their buck with Nunez, but Diogo Jota has been a clinical presence in the final third since he signed for Liverpool from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a £41m fee in 2020.

However, he’s endured a miserable season and may well be heading toward the end of his time on Merseyside.

Only 15 months ago, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher remarked that Jota, from a pure ball-striking standpoint, might be Liverpool’s deadliest goalscorer, saying, “he’s a better finisher than the likes of Suarez, Torres, even Salah.”

Quite the praise, but not true anymore. So many injuries and inconsistencies have taken their toll, and this current version pales in comparison to the sure-firing Jota of old.

Jota’s shooting boots have deserted him. He’s missed 13 big chances in the Premier League having converted six goals, as per Sofascore. Across the past two campaigns, the 28-year-old fired 17 strikes home, missing 13 big chances.

Something’s gone awry. Given that he’s actually been more profligate than Nunez this season, it doesn’t feel like Jota’s toils are backing up Carragher’s lofty words from last year.

Mohamed Salah

33

27

23.84 (+3.16)

21

Luis Diaz

32

11

9.23 (+1.77)

9

Cody Gakpo

30

8

6.22 (+1.78)

6

Diogo Jota

22

6

7.26 (-1.26)

13

Darwin Nunez

25

5

4.88 (+0.12)

6

Federico Chiesa

4

0

0.25 (-0.25)

1

The Uruguay striker, set to leave in the coming months, hasn’t actually been all that wasteful in front of goal this season; rather, he’s lacked composure and a stylistic understanding of Slot’s demands.

Liverpool are going to sign a new centre-forward, to be sure, but why not two? A young, eager-to-please star could fill Jota’s boots, jockey with the young and lively Jayden Danns for a nailed-down place in Slot’s high-performing squad.

Were Salah not in such staggering form this season, Nunez and Jota’s struggles may well have been to the detriment of Liverpool’s title charge, for neither have covered themselves in glory this season.

Alan Shearer even branded Jota “embarrassing” after a half-baked attempt to win a penalty in a victory over Newcastle last season, when ostensibly he could have struck cleanly on goal instead.

The Portugal international has more than paid his due at Anfield over the past five years, but every dog has their day, and this talented forward no longer bears his trademark incisiveness in the final third.

Given that he takes home a pretty penny at £140k per week and is about to enter the penultimate year of his contract, it might be worth cashing in while FSG can still bank a sizeable fee.

Maybe he was once Liverpool’s cleanest finisher, but he’s performing to a lower standard than Nunez and that makes the final comment on Carragher’s claim.

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After defeat against Fulham exposed the problems that Arne Slot must still solve, Liverpool are now reportedly expected to hold talks with one attacking addition over a summer move worth £87m.

Fulham expose Liverpool weaknesses

Whilst on paper the Reds are still just four wins away from Premier League glory, the reality is that they’ve now lost three of their last four games in all competitions having suffered defeat against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United before the international break. All of a sudden, an unstoppable Liverpool side has looked very much stoppable and one with problems to solve.

Slot spoke about his side’s imperfections following their 3-2 defeat at Craven Cottage, telling reporters: “There’s always a lot of attention around Liverpool. That doesn’t start now, that’s been there the whole season.

“Of course, people want to make stories but for me it’s all about playing Fulham. They’re a good team, and if you then make three errors it’s going to be very difficult to win the game against them.

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“In general, we are not making many of these errors, let alone three in one game. Today, we also had (Ibrahima) Konate losing the ball too. The second half was so much better than the first, but it’s hard to win a game of football at this level if you concede three goals like this.”

The Dutchman was happy to defend his side, but there’s no denying their recent woes and that they need a number of fresh faces when the transfer window swings open. Among those particularly guilty against Fulham was Andy Robertson, who made three errors in one to gift Alex Iwobi the Cottagers’ third goal before the break.

As links continue to emerge with the likes of Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, the Scotland captain may well coming to the end of his best years in a Liverpool shirt. Meanwhile, in search of a creative spark not named Mohamed Salah, those at Anfield have reportedly kept their attention on one £100m star.

Liverpool expected to hold talks with Wirtz

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Liverpool are expected to hold talks with Florian Wirtz this summer in an attempt to jump ahead of Manchester City and land his signature for a reported £87m.

As the Citizens go in search of replacing the departing Kevin de Bruyne, the Reds could land their very own version of an undeniable Premier League legend, albeit they may have to drive that price up closer to £100m.

Bailey told The Boot Room: “Whilst Bayern and City have done the most work to this point, I am told not to totally discount others, especially in just making an offer – if you are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or even Real Madrid – who all like him – why wouldn’t you at least have the conversation?”

Appearances

48

39

Goals

16

15

Assists

22

13

An instant positive that stands out when looking at arguably De Bruyne’s best individual season at Manchester City compared to Wirtz in the current campaign is how the German has almost matched the Belgian for goals.

Of course, De Bruyne at the peak of his powers would blow away almost anyone on the assists front but Wirtz hasn’t exactly got a bad record himself and still has time to catch the Premier League icon.

Dubbed “special” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Wirtz would take Liverpool’s attacking play to a whole new level.

Every team with aspirations of winning the league needs a good goalkeeper. Leeds United are testing that theory to the max this season, with No 1 Illan Meslier being guilty of several high-profile errors as the Whites chase promotion from the Championship.

The Frenchman never seems too far away from an unfortunate gaffe, putting Leeds’ dreams of playing in the Premier League next season at great risk.

While he has added plenty to his catalogue of errors this season, Meslier has been no stranger to a dodgy mistake during his time at Leeds. Here, we take a look at his worst moments between the sticks.

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2 ByCharlie Smith Feb 25, 2025 1 Leeds v Newcastle, 2021/22 Meslier lets Shelvey free-kick slip through his hands

It isn’t just in the Championship that Meslier has dropped a clanger or two, and one of his worst moments in the top flight came in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign.

Meslier somehow allowed a Jonjo Shelvey free-kick to slip through his grasp despite standing right behind the ball.

You could argue the bodies in front of him were a distraction, but it was an awful goal for any goalkeeper to concede, and cost Leeds in what was a relegation clash at the time.

2 Arsenal v Leeds, 2021/22 Nketiah pounces on hesitant Meslier to gift Gunners lead

Later that season, Leeds were in huge relegation bother and entered a tie against an in-form Arsenal just two points above the drop.

Therefore, it was a time for calm heads and not letting games get away from themselves. Unfortunately, Meslier didn’t get the memo, as he allowed Gunners striker Eddie Nketiah to steal in when he dawdled on the ball after just five minutes.

In fairness to Meslier, the whole team imploded that day, going down to 10 players in the first half and dooming themselves to defeat before eventually escaping relegation on the final day.

3 Everton v Leeds, 2022/23 Bizarre positioning leads to Seamus Coleman wondergoal

Perhaps the worst of times to make a mistake is during a tense relegation dogfight, but that’s exactly what Meslier did during Leeds’ fateful 2022/23 campaign.

Facing another rival for top-flight safety in Everton back in February 2023, Leeds were outside of the bottom three by a point, knowing that defeat at Goodison Park would plunge them into the drop zone.

Leeds were holding the Toffees at bay until a long ball found Seamus Coleman down the right-hand side, and despite there being nobody in the box for a cross, the Irishman fired in a ball that completely caught Meslier out.

The Frenchman appeared to be set up for a cross, but had left his goal exposed in the process. It was an embarrassing goal to concede, and that’s putting it kindly.

4 Leeds v Portsmouth, 2024/25 Goalkeeper flaps at Sorensen strike to concede cheap equaliser

It appears that Meslier started the 2024/25 campaign as he meant to go on, as the first league goal Leeds conceded this term was a soft one, to say the least.

1-0 up against newly promoted Portsmouth at Elland Road, the promotion favourites will have felt in control until Meslier somehow let a shot from Elias Sorensen go straight through him.

What should have been a routine stop turned into an equaliser, and gave Pompey the confidence to take the lead twice on the day before the Whites salvaged a draw.

5 Sunderland v Leeds, 2024/25 Meslier drops all-time clanger (and two valuable points)

Perhaps the worst mistake on this list is Meslier’s inexplicable clanger right at the end of Leeds’ trip to Sunderland back in October.

With Leeds holding out against their promotion rivals after coming from behind to lead at the Stadium of Light, they had one set piece to defend to secure all the points.

And despite Leeds seemingly dealing with it as a deflection off Junior Firpo had the ball calmly sailing towards Meslier, the Frenchman made an almighty howler by completely misjudging the bouncing ball, handing the Black Cats an unlikely point at the death.

6 Preston v Leeds, 2024/25 Frenchman parries ball into side-netting

Leeds were left to rescue a point against Preston North End just before Christmas after Meslier’s poor attempt at keeping out Brad Potts’ effort threatened to inflict a third away defeat in four games.

Potts turned home a cross from Milutin Osmajic to give the hosts the lead, but the shot was straight at Meslier, and while by no means his worst mistake in Leeds colours, he will have been bitterly disappointed at how weakly he dealt with a rather tame attempt on goal.

Meslier simply pushed the ball into his side-net, with his positioning also to blame.

7 Hull v Leeds, 2024/25 Meslier drops ball from under crossbar to spark Tigers comeback

Leeds had done superbly well to hit back from going a goal down early on against Hull City, and had led by two thanks to Joel Piroe’s fine strike in the 72nd minute.

But another set-piece mistake in the final 10 minutes saw Meslier try to catch a ball likely heading over his crossbar, only to drop it at the feet of a grateful Joao Pedro.

You could argue he was culpable for all of the goals Leeds conceded that day, but the second one was the pivotal moment of the match, and it led to Abu Kamara’s eventual late equaliser.

8 Sheff Utd v Leeds, 2024/25 Goalie scores OG in huge Championship clash

Meslier may have got away with this one, but there’s no getting away from the fact he made a big error in a big game.

Early in their top-of-the-table clash against Sheffield United, the Frenchman ended up making an astounding stop from Callum O’Hare’s close-range effort, only to clumsily knock in a header from Tyrese Campbell that had hit the post.

Goals from Junior Firpo, Ao Tanaka and Joel Piroe got the Whites (and Meslier) out of jail, but the Leeds No 1 almost cost them in their biggest match of the season.

9 Leeds v Swansea, 2024/25 Meslier guilty of multiple errors to dent promotion hopes

Leeds’ form has been up and down as we enter the final month of the league campaign, and Meslier’s poor goalkeeping reared its head once more in the Whites’ recent clash with Swansea City.

Daniel Farke’s side led twice through Brenden Aaronson and Wilfried Gnonto, but Meslier was chiefly responsible for at least one of the visitors’ goals.

He dropped a Swansea corner to gift Harry Darling an equaliser prior to what looked like a Gnonto winner, but then let a rasping drive from Zan Vipotnik through his body as the Swans snatched a point at Elland Road.

Vipotnik’s shot was certainly struck well enough, but it squirmed underneath Meslier into the bottom corner to hand their rivals another leg up in the promotion race.

Meslier’s howlers surely put his Leeds future at risk, regardless of whether they get promotion this year. Having missed out last season and dropped points late on due to his errors alone, it is a problem Farke will have to fix sooner rather than later.

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Any Glasgow Rangers fan who uses social media every day will likely have seen the clip going around of Hamza Igamane’s goal for Lille at the weekend.

The Morocco international, not for the first time this season, provided the Gers with a reminder of what they are missing with a brilliantly worked goal for the French side.

Igamane was sold to Lille for a fee of £10.4m in the summer transfer window, due to a release clause in his contract that existed before Kevin Thelwell’s arrival at Ibrox.

Ranking Rangers’ attempts to replace Hamza Igamane

It is fair to say that, on current evidence, have failed to replace the Moroccan star with the work that they did for Russell Martin heading into the 2025/26 campaign.

Igamane, as shown in the graphic above, provided a big goalscoring presence as a maverick playmaker, who could play out wide on the left or through the middle as a centre-forward, in his one season with the club.

Rangers signed six wingers and strikers in an attempt to replace the mercurial talent in the summer, and Djeidi Gassama, with six goals, is the only one of them to have scored more than two goals so far this season, per Transfermarkt.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Mikey Moore

3

Thelo Aasgaard

4

Youssef Chermiti

5

Oliver Antman

6

Bojan Miovski

Thelo Aasgaard, in theory, should have been the Igamane replacement as he is a number ten with good technical ability and flair, as evidenced by his wonder goal against Dundee United at Ibrox, but he has only scored one goal all season.

In terms of the strikers, Bojan Miovski has scored two, and Youssef Chermiti has scored one, per Sofascore, but the latter is five years younger and could develop into a star in the future.

Meanwhile, we have ranked Mikey Moore in second place for now, but he could rise up to first if Danny Rohl unleashes him in a central position when he is back fit.

The new position Mikey Moore should be unleashed in

The 18-year-old starlet is currently out with a muscle injury, which he is set to return from later this month, so he will not be available for selection against Dundee United on Wednesday night.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, when he is back and available for selection, Rohl should unleash Moore as a number ten in the 4-2-3-1 system, which is the role that Thelo Aasgaard has played, as he has not had an opportunity in that position yet.

Per Transfermarkt, the only two matches that the Englishman has played as an attacking midfielder came against Hibernian and Roma as one of two 10s in a 3-4-2-1 system, which meant that he drifted wide more than being the central pivot of the attack.

Moore, as shown in the clip above, produced his best moment in a Rangers shirt against Dundee when he drifted into a central area from the right wing to spark an attack and score a brilliant goal, in Igamane-esque fashion.

Like the former Rangers playmaker, the teenage whiz has the technical quality, explosive burst of pace, and finishing potential to emerge as a real star for Rohl as a number ten or second striker.

The Spurs loanee, who was described as an “outrageous” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 24 matches for Tottenham’s U19s, per Transfermarkt, which shows that the potential is there for him to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.

However, the vast majority of his appearances for Rangers have come out wide, on the left or the right, and he has only scored one goal and registered two assists in 17 games, which is why Rohl should look to unleash him in a new position.

If Moore thrives in a central role and starts to display the kind of form that he did at U19 level for Spurs, Rangers will have a super talent on their hands and could finally say that they have replaced Igamane’s mercurical quality at the top end of the pitch.

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Wolverhampton Wanderers have made contact to sign a £30m star for Rob Edwards, and the Old Gold feel he “fits the profile perfectly” at Molineux.

Wolves transfer rumours after Edwards appointment

Fosun and Wolves are ready to back Edwards in the January transfer window as they look to climb up the Premier League table and out of the relegation zone in 2026.

However, before the Old Gold can make any new additions, they’ll have to navigate eight top flight fixtures, starting this weekend at home to Crystal Palace.

Wolves’ Premier League fixtures before January

Date

Wolves vs Crystal Palace

November 22nd

Aston Villa vs Wolves

November 30th

Wolves vs Nottingham Forest

December 3rd

Wolves vs Man Utd

December 8th

Arsenal vs Wolves

December 13th

Wolves vs Brentford

December 20th

Liverpool vs Wolves

December 27th

Man Utd vs Wolves

December 30th

By the time the winter market opens, the Premier League season will be 50% complete, and with Wolves currently nine points away from safety, Edwards is facing a tough test.

It looks as if Wolves want to bolster all over the pitch following their poor start to the season as well.

A loan-to-buy bid for Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas is thought to be in the pipeline, whereas an offer is also in for Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia.

Domestically, Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips and Everton winger Dwight McNeil are two more 2026 targets, and another Etihad Stadium first-team player is on the radar at Molineux.

Wolves make contact for James Trafford

According to reports from TEAMtalk, Wolves and Fosun have made their first move to sign Man City goalkeeper James Trafford.

After returning to the club in the summer, Trafford has already dropped down the pecking order following the arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma, arguably the best goalkeeper in world football.

City are open to a loan-with-obligation or permanent exit in January for Trafford, valuing him up to £30m.

Wolves are firmly in the race to sign the Englishman and have even made contact, with one source from Molineux telling TEAMtalk:

However, unfortunately for Wolves and Edwards, Trafford isn’t so keen on a move the Midlands. He appears to prefer a transfer to Newcastle United instead, with the source adding:

“James wants guarantees of game time, but above all he wants to play for a club pushing upwards, not one looking over its shoulder.”

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Wolves are clearly after a new first choice shot-stopper with Sam Johnstone and Jose Sa, who are both 32 years of age, sharing the Premier League load so far. Johnstone has made seven appearances, conceding 14 goals, whereas Sa has turned out four times, letting in 11 goals.

But with Trafford preferring a move to St James’ Park where European football is on offer, perhaps Wolves may go for Mandas.

Wolves now in advanced talks to sign maestro who could be Edwards' first signing

Fresh from his hat-trick to send the Republic of Ireland into the World Cup playoffs, Everton have now reportedly set their sights on signing Troy Parrott from AZ Alkmaar.

The Toffees are reportedly looking to address their striker problem in the January transfer window after Thierno Barry has failed to hit the ground running. The £27m forward, who became one of Everton’s most expensive signings in the summer, is yet to score a goal for the club and initially struggled for starts in the Premier League this season.

Barry’s disappointing form has coincided with Beto’s own struggles. The towering striker has bettered his teammate’s goal tally, but has still scored just twice in 13 games so far this season.

With two goals between their two forwards, Everton have set their sights on the likes of Daizen Maeda ahead of the winter window. The Celtic forward reportedly wants to leave the Scottish club in January and the Toffees are among the clubs eyeing his signature for just £15m.

At his best, Maeda scored 33 goals in all competitions for Celtic last season and although he is yet to reach those levels in the current campaign, a move away could quickly rediscover his golden touch.

However, he’s not the only name on Everton’s shortlist. Those at the Hill Dickinson Stadium have also reportedly set their sights on Napoli’s Scott McTominay, who’d help their goal problem from midfield. The Scotland star recently scored a stunning overhead kick for his country as they secured World Cup qualification in dramatic fashion.

Everton certainly had an eye on the international drama too, given that they’re now also reportedly targeting a move to sign Parrrott.

Everton plotting Troy Parrott move

As reported by TeamTalk, Friedkin are now plotting a move to sign Parrott, who is a boyhood Everton fan. The Irishman has been in scintillating form so far this season, scoring 13 goals in 14 games for AZ Alkmaar and then scoring five goals in two games for Ireland over the November international break.

Three of those five goals came against Hungary as Ireland secured their playoff place at the death, courtesy of their rising star. It’s a performance that will live on in Irish history and one that could help Parrott make his return to the Premier League.

The former Tottenham Hotspur striker was rightly at the centre of praise, with former Ireland star Ray Houghton saying: “I understood it, that Troy was a young lad who came through and was going to be a sensational talent, went to Spurs as a kid, made his debut when he was 17 and had so much ahead of him, but it didn’t quite go the way everyone anticipated.

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“He had to reinvent himself as a player, so to see the joy he had playing for his country and doing what he did, hopefully it will inspire the next generation of players.”

Everton applying "strong pressure" to sign £17m+ star who rejected Wolves

Thomas Frank enjoyed a rip-roaring start to life as manager of Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs looked a great deal more organised, shipping just four goals in their first six Premier League games and keeping five clean sheets in their first seven fixtures across all competitions.

Yet, despite maintaining their clean sheet against Everton a week ago, there is a sense that Frank still hasn’t got the fans on side.

They have kept a clean sheet in only two of their last eight games and have won just two of those encounters too.

While a more trigger-happy Daniel Levy may no longer be chairman, the pressure is still on Frank to improve.

The way in which the Lilywhites lost to Chelsea on Saturday, tasting a 1-0 defeat, was alarming.

The hosts only managed an expected goals tally (xG) of just 0.10, they gave the ball away on countless occasions and were subsequently booed off the pitch at the full-time whistle after making a mess of a late free-kick.

Guglielmo Vicario decided to take it short, much to the dismay of the home support and indeed Jamie Carragher who simply said: “You have been awful today Spurs”.

So, why are things going wrong?

Spurs' biggest underperformers against Chelsea

Despite his bizarre set-piece late in the fray, the only player in white to come away with any credit was that man Vicario.

Without him, the scoreline would have been far worse as he made a whopping eight saves, denying a combined xG of 2.17.

He was made to work hard due to the efforts of the players in front of him, notably the defence.

Both Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven combined in dismal fashion to give the ball away in the build-up to Joao Pedro’s goal.

The likes of Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso did not cover themselves in glory either. Porro notably gave the ball away in the first half which led to a Pedro chance, while Danso was also given a rough time by the Brazilian. It was no surprise to see Cristian Romero come on for him in the 60th minute as the centre-back made his return from injury.

Danso has had a few encouraging displays of late but this was not one of them, notably allowing Chelsea’s main man in attack to get past him easily towards the end of the opening 45 minutes.

In attack Spurs were dry. The defence didn’t do their bit but those in front of them failed to ever relieve the pressure.

They did not create a single big chance and had just 15 touches in the opposition’s box. For context, Enzo Maresca’s men managed 36.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

It was a tale of woe for many of the club’s summer signings. Randal Kolo Muani cut an isolated figure up top but not much of the blame can be handed to the French loanee who was starved of service.

That fell at the door of Mohammed Kudus, who despite completing 96% of his passes, failed to create a goalscoring opportunity and failed with all six of his crosses.

Perhaps the biggest concern, however, was the display of marquee arrival Simons.

Spurs' biggest concern after Chelsea

Frank will have been hoping for a straightforward first transfer window at Spurs but it’s safe to say he did not get that.

With Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison out long-term with injuries, the club’s hierarchy knew they needed to bring in more creativity. They tried extremely hard to do so.

For all the world it looked as though they were going to sign Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest.

A secret release clause was allegedly activated only for Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, to threaten legal action against the north Londoners. Gibbs-White ultimately stayed at the City Ground and signed a new contract in the process.

Spurs moved on to Eberechi Eze but were again fruitless in their efforts. The England playmaker looked set to sign, a deal had been agreed with Crystal Palace only for Arsenal to gazump their rivals at the 11th hour.

An injury to Kai Havertz meant that the Gunners needed more cover in their attack and there was only going to be one ending once Eze’s boyhood club came to the table.

As a consequence, Frank and Co turned their attentions to Simons. Before arriving in England, the 22-year-old was seen as one of the most sparkling jewels on the continent.

Once of La Masia, Barcelona’s famed academy, Simons has long been highly thought of and had made a living off scoring and assisting goals regularly.

In his two seasons with RB Leipzig in Germany, the creative midfielder scored 22 goals and supplied 24 assists in 78 matches. At Spurs, however, that ability to influence games has waned.

Like another Bundesliga import in the shape of Florian Wirtz, he looks lightweight in the Premier League and has really struggled to get going. The Dutchman has a solitary assist and no goals to show for his efforts from 12 contests to date.

Simons’ worst performance to date arguably came in that 1-0 loss to Chelsea, so much so that he was substituted on and back off.

Minutes played

66

Touches

55

Unsuccessful touches

4

Possession lost

14x

Accurate passes

25/29 (86%)

Key passes

0

Accurate crosses

0/2

Shots

0

Successful dribbles

2/3

Tackles

2

Interceptions

0

Duels won

9/17

Dribbled past

3x

The Netherlands international initially wasn’t pencilled in to start but after young Lucas Bergvall suffered a first-half injury on just seven minutes, Spurs’ big-money summer signing was introduced to the action.

His influence on proceedings was near non-existent. Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold handed the midfielder a dismal 3/10 rating post-game, aptly summing up his performance by writing: ‘Other than a couple of nice touches the Dutchman was a passenger against the team he was linked with all summer.’

Simons gave the ball away on several occasions, 14 in total, and never really looked like providing a much-needed spark. He didn’t have a single shot and didn’t provide a key pass either.

His display was summed up abysmally when he was asked to defend. The former Leipzig man sold Van de Ven short in the build-up to the goal and was shown a late yellow for a desperate lunge on Alejandro Garnacho in the second period.

For a player who cost £51.8m in the summer, more is expected. At the moment, he’s heading into the Richarlison and Tanguy Ndombele categories.

Ndombele was another talented midfielder when he joined. The Frenchman had bags of talent but failed to ever extract it.

As the Daily Mail’s Dan Ripley put it in September 2020, he was a signing that should have ‘at the very least cemented Tottenham Hotspur’s place inside the top four for another season.’

It was a signing that, after reaching the Champions League final, really excited Spurs fans.

The parallels with Simons are strikingly scary. Spurs’ big addition after getting to a European final and indeed winning the competition, the Dutchman is here to take Frank’s side up a level, just as Ndombele was supposed to do six years ago.

However, for whatever reason, he’s simply failed to do that. Like Ndombele, he’s enduring a nightmare first campaign in English football and it’s difficult to see him extracting his full potential anytime soon.

He is yet to play a full 90 minutes for his new club and hasn’t lasted past the 78th-minute mark in any game he’s played in.

Frank may well be struggling to get a tune out of the Netherlands star but he’s going to have to if Spurs are to cement themselves as genuine top four contenders.

Sadly at the moment, Simons is becoming another Ndombele. He’s a talented midfield player and was deserving of his price tag at the time. Unfortunately, he is not deserving of it right now.