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An update has emerged on Lille gem Renato Sanches, regarding Wolves’ plans to sign him in 2022…

What’s the talk?

Midlands reporter Luke Hatfield has named the midfielder as a player the club are more likely to pursue ahead of Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek.

He told GIVEMESPORT when asked about a possible move for the Dutchman:

“I still think someone like Renato Sanches is going to be probably higher on the list for Wolves this winter or next summer.

“He offers a little bit more of an all-round game. But, I suppose, if they miss out on him or decide to look elsewhere then van de Beek could be a really good option for them.”

Neves 2.0

Bruno Lage must ensure that he can get a deal over the line for Sanches in January as he could land Ruben Neves 2.0 for the club.

Neves joined Wolves whilst they were in the Championship and immediately helped them to win promotion back to the top-flight, scoring six goals in 42 second-tier appearances. He has since gone on to play 126 times in the Premier League as the side have consolidated their place at the top table.

The Portugal international average a sublime WhoScored rating of 7.20 in the Championship, showing that he was consistently putting in quality performances at that level to push Wolves to the next stage. His ability, therefore, played a major role in the club taking the next step and achieving promotion.

In Sanches, Lage could be repeating that masterclass for Wolves in his own way by improving the midfield to help the team push on again, this time into Europe. The 24-year-old has averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.96 in Ligue 1 for Lille, whilst making 1.7 tackles and interceptions, along with 1.4 key passes and 2.6 dribbles, per game.

The £27m-rated destroyer was previously lauded for his physical strength by former Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac, with the Croatian saying:

“Renato has an exceptionally good technique, very good speed and a great body. It’s true that people fly off him left and right – just like they used to do with Lothar Matthaus. I’m delighted for Renato – I said yesterday that he was excellent in pre-season and it wouldn’t be long before he plays.”

This shows that he has the defensive and physical attributes to adapt well to playing in the Premier League, whilst his dribbling and creative statistics for Lille suggest that he also has an attacking edge that could drive Wolves forward in games.

His 1.4 key passes per game rank him level with Raul Jimenez for the number one spot at Wolves, whilst he is only behind Adama Traore (4.7) in dribbles per match. Therefore, he would be the best midfield at the club in both statistics if he is able to translate his form over to the Molineux, which is why he could elevate the team’s attacking potential without taking away any defensive aspects.

This is why Lage could repeat a Neves masterstroke with the former Bayern man as he could be the signing, just as his compatriot was in 2017, that pushes Wolves on to the next level and gets them challenging for European football.

AND in other news, Lage may already be heading for a major January disaster at Wolves, fans would fume…

According to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic, Ajax were ‘priced out of a potential deal’ by Tottenham for Steven Bergwijn as Antonio Conte considers him ‘an important member of his squad’.

The Lowdown: Bergwijn’s transfer saga

The Dutch winger was at the centre of a fluctuating transfer saga during the January window. One moment he was seemingly off from N17, the next Conte wanted him to stay.

On 9 January, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that Tottenham had ‘decided to sell’ the 24-year-old amid interest from a number of clubs.

Two days later, the Evening Standard reported that Spurs had rejected an opening £15m bid from Ajax. It was said that Daniel Levy was holding out on the deal as he was looking to recoup as much of the £27m that they paid for the player in 2020 as they could.

However, Bergwijn seemingly threw his Spurs future into the air as he fired in two stoppage-time goals in 80 seconds to snatch Conte’s side three points in a thrilling 3-2 win over Leicester City two weeks ago.

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The Latest: Ajax ‘priced out’ of Bergwijn deal

According to Eccleshare on Twitter, the Dutch champions were priced out of a possible deal for Bergwijn, a player who Conte feels is an integral member of the Tottenham squad.

He outlined: “It’s been a busy day for #THFC departures, but Steven Bergwijn is staying put. Ajax priced out of a potential deal for someone Antonio Conte considers an important member of his squad.”

Eccleshare also revealed for The Athletic that Spurs were not actively looking to offload the attacker, but Ajax’s interest had tested their resolve. This ultimately ended as the Dutch giants could not afford to meet Tottenham’s asking price.

The Verdict: Good choice

Bergwijn has not enjoyed an easy period since he arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but in recent weeks, it seems that the Netherlands international’s fortunes may have changed.

With the 24-year-old having secured Spurs that dramatic win against Leicester and with Alasdair Gold hailing him as a ‘rare bright spot’ in the recent defeat at Chelsea, this begged the question as to whether Conte and Fabio Paratici were silly to consider allowing the player to leave.

Considering the failed pursuit for now-Barcelona winger Adama Traore, Tottenham have made the right call to keep hold of the Dutchman, whose ‘quality’ has been hailed by Conte himself.

In other news: Tottenham: Late Ousmane Dembele attempt fails

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed that Raphinha is set to miss the clash against Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the story?

The Brazilian limped off the pitch in the 2-1 over Manchester City last month and has since missed the games against Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.

Ahead of the Yorkshire side’s clash against the Seagulls today, Bielsa delivered a rather worrying update on the winger and the injury that he sustained at the Etihad Stadium.

He said: “More than serious is more difficult to give a diagnostic of and difficult to give return date. A hit which created an internal hematoma and until that hematoma disappears it causes pain and inhibits mobility.

“This can be resolved quickly or take longer. When the hematoma reduces and the player is no longer in pain he will return quickly. The impression is that we are in the final stages until he is finally healed.”

Bielsa surely devastated

Make no mistake about it, Bielsa will be sickened over missing his chief talisman from this season once again. The summer signing has been a breath of fresh air in the Premier League with the way he has adjusted to life in English football, scoring six times and providing a further six assists in the top flight.

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Raphinha’s displays had Leeds teammate Patrick Bamford hailing about him after the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace earlier in the campaign, with the Englishman saying on Sky Sports: “I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

While it is certainly only a small sample size, in the three games in which Raphinha has not featured, Leeds have yet to win, including a 4-1 defeat against Leicester early in the season.

Being without him once again will come as a blow to Bielsa and a setback to his side’s chances of avenging the home defeat by Brighton back in January.

Meanwhile, Leeds can finally bin this “liability”…

Tottenham Hotspur could also sell an ‘important’ player who manager Antonio Conte ‘raves about’, according to journalist Alasdair Gold.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites exodus?

This upcoming Spurs transfer window looks set to be the most interesting one in quite some time.

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Lilywhites transfer chief Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy, tasked with backing Conte ahead of the 2022/2023 Premier League season, are reportedly going to sit down with the Italian as he eyes six major signings (The Telegraph).

However, amid their financial complications off the pitch, with club debt mounting to around £706 million, it is imperative that the club offload surplus players to balance the books and bolster Conte’s transfer kitty.

Their homegrown quota also presents a complication with reliable journalist Matt Law recently claiming that, if Spurs want to sign an overseas forward this summer, one of Steven Bergwijn or Lucas Moura may have to be offloaded.

The Latest: Gold backs possible Bergwijn exit…

Writing for football.london in the last 24 hours, another credible source in Tottenham correspondent Gold has now backed that Bergwijn could also leave north London amid consistent exit links surrounding other players.

This is despite the fact Conte ‘raves about’ his Dutch winger, even calling him an ‘important’ player, with Gold adding that Bergwijn is unlikely to want to stay for 22/23 amid his lack of minutes.

The Verdict: Stick or twist?

The Netherlands international has proven to be a useful option for Conte over this campaign.

His added time brace to clinch a dramatic 3-2 win at Leicester City in late January is evidence of the player’s impact and quality when given an opportunity, and could even be the moment that secures Champions League football come the end of the campaign.

Bergwijn’s versatility as an attacking outlet from the wide positions and further forward is another incentive for Spurs to keep hold of the former PSV Eindhoven star.

Despite his quality, though, a mooted move back to the Eredivisie with footballing giants Ajax could be too enticing to ignore – and if the 24-year-old pushes for a move – Spurs may well need to consider a sale depending on their possible offer.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Gareth Southgate has admitted Jordan Henderson faces a race against time to even be fit for England’s Euro 2020 campaign this summer.

The Liverpool captain has been absent since the 1-0 defeat at home to Everton last month, having limped off with a groin problem, with a return originally expected some time in April (Sky Sports).

Henderson underwent surgery on the issue, but his return to action is still a way off and he isn’t expected to face Real Madrid in either leg of the Reds’ Champions League quarter-final tie.

It means the 30-year-old will likely only return for the final weeks of this season at best, meaning he may not even be match-fit enough to play at the Euros.

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Henderson faces race to be fit for Euro 2020

Speaking to reporters [via the Liverpool Echo], England manager Southgate hinted that Henderson will need to prove his fitness in order to make the squad:

“In terms of promises, we can only say that Hendo himself is very optimistic about how the operation went and the prognosis that the specialist has given him as to what is possible,” Southgate said.

“We are conscious that with any injury of that nature, there is a guide and a time defined – but that anything can happen along the way.

“We know it’s going to be close to the end of the season and we will just have to see how it goes.

“He will give himself every chance of being available. And, of course, we also know he is likely to be a bit short of match minutes in high-level games.

“There are a lot of things to take into consideration but, at the moment, that is a decision that is a few weeks away.”

Transfer Tavern take

Missing the Euros would be an enormous blow for Henderson, who at 30, may not have many more chances to impress at a major tournament.

Given his standing as vice-captain in the current England squad, he will surely start if he is fit, but the next month or so could be crucial, in that respect.

It appears this is yet more bad injury news for Liverpool, given that the original prognosis for the skipper was that he would be back in April (Sky Sports).

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to yet another injury blow for the Reds. Read about it here.

West Bromwich Albion are close to securing a deal to bring Alex Mowatt to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by The Telegraph journalist John Percy, who revealed in a post on Twitter that the out of contract Barnsley central midfielder is scheduled to have a medical at West Brom in the coming days, and, barring any 11th-hour hitches, he will complete a free transfer to the Championship side later this week.

It had previously been reported that Valerien Ismael was extremely keen for a quick reunion with his Barnsley captain at Albion, something that now appears to be have been pulled off by the Frenchman rather efficiently.

Ismael will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Mowatt was under Ismael last season, the fact that the 45-year-old appears to have snapped up the 26-year-old on a free transfer is sure to have left him buzzing.

Indeed, over his 44 Championship appearances for Barnsley last term, the £3.6m-rated midfielder scored eight goals, provided seven assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and making 1.5 key passes per game.

The £6.5k-per-week man also made an average of 0.8 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 1.3 clearances and won 4.9 duels per league fixture, with these metrics seeing former England U20 international earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Ismael’s best performer in the second tier of English football.

His displays played a massive role in helping the Tykes defy their pre-season expectations last time out, with Ismael guiding the highly unfancied side to a rather extraordinary fifth-place finish in the Championship – the club’s highest final league position since their Premier League campaign back in 1997/98.

As such, with West Brom hoping to secure an immediate return to the top flight next season, the addition of a player who very nearly fired Barnsley up last term would appear to provide Albion with a huge boost to their chances of going on to achieve this feat, as well as with a player who Ismael trusts completely.

In other news: Get it done: Ismael must sanction West Brom summer swoop for “fantastic” £12k-p/w gem

Aiden McGeady has signed a one-year contract extension at Sunderland, keeping him at the Stadium of Light for the 2021-22 season [Sunderland AFC Official].

Enjoying a sparkling 2020/21 campaign, the Irishman chipped in with an unbelievable 23 goal contributions from 36 encounters; six goals and 17 assists [Transfermarkt].

Spending a fourth consecutive season in Sky Bet League One, the Black Cats will be hoping to count on his quality and experience as they vie to rise up the pyramid once again.

The embodiment of consistency, across his time in the North East the former Celtic man has been a pivotal fixture; scoring 33 goals and laying on a further 30 for his teammates [Transfermarkt].

In light of this contractual news, no wonder loads of Sunderland diehards took to Twitter to revel in these latest developments.

Sunderland fans react:

Replying to the Sunderland AFC official Twitter account, here is what some ecstatic supporters had to say upon hearing the ‘fantastic news’:

“Absolutely delighted with this news now add some quality to help him”

Credit: @mackem49000″Get us out of this league u beautiful man”Credit: @joe_112233″The last dance”Credit: @CarlDorward”Fantastic news!!”Credit: @bobbyspout”Brilliant news”Credit: @GavinEvs”Good start, hopefully gets the ball rolling #safc”Credit: @ParkersafcIn other news, Sunderland are set to sign a highly-rated defender.

Sunderland fans are delighted after Lee Johnson revealed Bailey Wright is ready to go ahead of the Black Cats’ League One match on Tuesday.

The Stadium of Light outfit suffered a blow to their promotion hopes at the weekend as they lost 2-1 to Charlton Athletic. They are now five points behind Peterborough in second place and, while they do still have a game in hand, they can no longer catch Posh unless results go their way (BBC).

On Tuesday, they face Wigan Athletic, who are currently in the relegation zone. Sunderland will be confident of a win to get back to winning ways, and in a boost to their chances of victory, Johnson has revealed Wright could well be available to face the Latics.

Wright is the club’s highest rated centre-back this term and fourth-highest rated player overall, per Whoscored.

The news was shared on Sunderland’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Wright news below

“Fantastic news”

Credit: @mackem49000

“Great to see Wright is fit. We need him for the run in imo. Also great to see Arby back! Hope he can hit the ground running for us next season!”

Credit: @lewygsafc

“Good news should be in tomorrow”

Credit: @bamgboyeolu

“Get him in”

Credit: @RunGMC16

“Oh yes”

Credit: @SunlunWill

“Straight in the team for me tomorrow then”

Credit: @JStubbs0302

In other news, Sunderland fans want this in-form star to leave the club.

Leeds United are interested in signing midfielder Okay Yokuslu, who spent the latter half of the 2020/21 season on loan at relegated West Bromwich Albion.

That’s according to the print edition of Spanish newspaper Faro de Vigo (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Yokuslu made the temporary move to the Baggies from La Liga outfit Celta Vigo in the winter transfer window and shone even as his team’s bid for survival failed.

The Turkey international made 2.2 interceptions per game, the fifth-highest in the Premier League (via WhoScored) and bettered only by Liam Cooper among Leeds’ squad – Kalvin Phillips, who plays in a similar role, averaged 1.6 interceptions per game. The £31,000-a-week Yokuslu also won 2.6 aerial duels and 2.4 tackles per match, underlining the strength of his defensive game.

West Brom journalist and podcaster Adrian Goldberg hailed the 27-year-old as an ‘excellent footballer’ and marvelled at his ‘forceful’ approach during his spell with the Baggies.

The latest

Faro de Vigo stated (via Sport Witness) that there is a healthy market for Yokuslu in the Premier League on the back of his impressive loan spell at The Hawthorns.

Leeds are named as one of the candidates for the 27-year-old’s signature and, perhaps crucially, Celta Vigo will allow the £6.75m-rated midfielder to leave the La Liga club permanently.

The verdict

Leeds could do with a reliable backup option for Phillips in defensive midfield, as seven of their 15 Premier League losses came in the Englishman’s absence.

Does Yokuslu fit the bill? He can certainly shield a back four, but Phillips also boasts an exceptional passing range, as evidenced by his 4.7 accurate long balls per game last season.

The Turkish midfielder might have to develop that part of his game (he averaged just 1.9 accurate long balls per match), but there’s definite potential for a bargain for Leeds or indeed a Premier League rival.

Whether Yokuslu would accept a backup role to Phillips at Elland Road is another matter, though, as the Englishman has proven too important for Marcelo Bielsa to omit.

In other news, this youngster could be leaving Elland Road on loan.  

Rangers recent stumbles continued on Sunday afternoon as they were unable to get maximum points from thier game at Ibrox.

The champions were unable to break Motherwell down in the Scottish Premiership clash, as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Graham Alexander’s side.

Steven Gerrard’s team came into the game off the back of a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Ligue 1 outfit Lyon in the Europa League last Thursday and were unable to return to winning ways in domestic action.

Fashion Sakala opened the scoring in the first half with his first goal for the club, with a second-half equaliser from Motherwell ensuring the game ended square.

One player, in particular, who struggled in the match and contributed to the Gers failing to pick up all three points was central defender Jack Simpson.

Gerrard dropped experienced, reliable, centre-back Leon Balogun to give Simpson a chance to show that he can perform at this level. Instead, the defender provided the head coach with a reminder of why he is not a first-team regular at the moment as he failed to grasp his opportunity.

Simpson was not at the level required to make a positive impact on the match. For the Motherwell goal, the defender allowed a player to dribble the ball past him in the box with relative ease as the defender stuck a lazy leg out and failed to cut out the danger. The forward failed with his attempt but the rebound then fell to the eventual goalscorer, who was able to prod home.

His all-around defensive play was also poor. Per SofaScore, the lightweight lost 67% of his duels on the pitch, losing six of his nine battles in total. He was also dribbled past three times, one of them being for the goal, and only made two tackles, whilst making zero interceptions. This shows that he was ill-prepared for what Motherwell had to throw at him.

On the ball, he was composed, albeit uninspiring. Per SofaScore, he completed 86% of his passes and gave possession of the ball away seven times in the 90 minutes. He failed to register a shot at goal when coming up for set-pieces and did not create any chances for his teammates or complete any dribbles, showing that he did not step out from defence to push the side up the pitch.

Therefore, Gerrard will be feeling let down by the defender as he put his faith in Simpson to step in for Balogun and perform. Instead, he was partially to blame for the equalising goal and struggled with the physical side of the game against Motherwell.

AND in other news, Wilson must make key decision over 28 y/o Rangers “warrior”, Gerrard needs him…