Wolves eye January move for Ramsey

The previous summer transfer window saw Wolves bring in a number of players to Molineux, but one area of the pitch they didn’t strengthen in was midfield.

With Wolves only having a total of four options for the defensive and central-midfield roles in their squad, it appears as though they are now looking to strengthen in that department in the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the news?

It has been reported by Italian media outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Birmingham Live) that Wolves are planning to make a move to sign Juventus and former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey in January.

Since making the move from Arsenal to the Serie A side, Ramsey, who is currently valued at £12.6m according to Transfermarkt, has made 69 appearances for Juventus across all competitions, scoring six goals and providing six assists along the way.

Fixing a hole

Prior to joining Juventus, Ramsey, who was once described as being “world-class” by Wales teammate Joe Allen, made a total of 371 appearances for Arsenal, bagging 65 goals and creating 65 assists in the process.

If Wolves are interested in signing Ramsey in January, they should definitely do so if a move would be financially viable to them.

The Welshman has a lot of Premier League experience under his belt with 262 appearances, which could be very beneficial, especially for some of Wolves’ younger players like Rayan Ait-Nouri, Ki-Jana Hoever and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Ramsey moving to Molineux in January would also be very exciting for the fans. After all, he’s a regular winner of trophies, reigning supreme in domestic cups with Arsenal and winning Serie A with Juve.

Most importantly, however, he’d offer the club more depth in midfield. Wolves failed to sign Renato Sanches during the summer but the 68-cap Wales international is an eye-catching alternative.

With Ruben Neves’ future still up in the air and Joao Moutinho aged 35, there are going to be some glaring gaps in the middle of the park to fill.

After all, other options in Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss have been preferred in defence while Gibbs-White is out on loan.

Consequently, the addition of Ramsey would be an important one, gifting Bruno Lage an experienced and talented midfield option.

In other news: Wolves may already have their long-term Moutinho heir in “outstanding” gem – opinion

Celtic hit the jackpot on Grady Diangana

Back in the summer of 2020, Neil Lennon’s Celtic scouts were reported to have been incredibly impressed by the form of Grady Diangana, who had lit up the Championship during a season-long loan spell with West Bromwich Albion.

Indeed, over his 30 second-tier appearances in 2019/20, the West Ham United winger played an influential role in the Baggies’ promotion back to the Premier League, scoring eight goals, registering six assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the former England U21 international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.06, ranking him as Albion’s third-best player in the league that year.

And, as a result of this form, the likes of Celtic, Ajax, Newcastle United and Everton were all reported to be interested in the 23-year-old, for whom West Ham were demanding a fee in the region of £15m-£20m in order to part with.

However, it would ultimately be West Brom who went on to secure the forward on a permanent basis, with Slaven Bilic’s side coughing up around £18m in order to prise the youngster away from the London Stadium.

Although, while Diangana’s switch to The Hawthorns would undoubtedly have come as a gutting blow to Celtic at the time, nearly two years down the line, it is becoming apparent that the Baggies massively overpaid for the winger.

Indeed, over his 20 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, the £7.2m-rated forward failed to make any real mark on the top flight, scoring one goal, registering no assists and creating no big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of just 0.7 shots and making 0.3 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Lee Hendrie dubbed a “magnificent” talent who’s “easy on the eye” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.47, ranking him as Albion’s joint second-worst player in the division.

Things have not improved much for the £25k-per-week attacker over his 35 Championship outings this season, with the 23-year-old having scored two goals, provided one assist and created three big chances, with these metrics seeing the winger average a SofaScore match rating of 6.67 – ranking him as Steve Bruce’s joint eighth-worst performer in the second tier.

As such, it is clear to see that Celtic hit the jackpot when missing out on the £18m signing of a player who Adrian Goldberg labelled “desperate” and claimed looks “like a youth player playing in a men’s game” back in 2020 – as Diangana’s form has fallen off a cliff since his permanent move to West Brom.

AND in other news: Huge boost: Ange reveals major Lennoxtown development, it’s brilliant news for Celtic

Dobson was Charlton’s unsung hero in August

Charlton have endured a difficult start to the 2021/22 campaign and currently sit 19th in the League One table during the first international break of the season.

Nigel Adkins’ side have only accrued four points from their five league games, with one win, one draw and three defeats as it stands.

They opened the season with a 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday before losing three games on the bounce to Oxford, MK Dons and Wigan, conceding six goals and scoring just two. Their first win of the campaign came in a 2-0 success against Crewe Alexandra in the final league match of the month.

Despite Charlton’s struggles, there were a few shining lights to give fans, and Adkins, some hope heading into the rest of the season. Due to the unflattering results, one player whose performances may have gone under the radar is George Dobson.

The midfielder, who arrived from Sunderland in the summer, was one of only three Charlton players to average a SofaScore rating of 7.00 or higher last month, suggesting that he was one of the club’s best performers. He was an unsung hero in his four starts, as his individual performances were wasted by his team-mates letting him down and ultimately losing, bar the draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Defensively, Dobson worked his socks off for the team and was very active in the midfield. As per SofaScore, he won an eye-catching 17 tackles in four matches, whilst also making five interceptions and two clearances. He won 63% of his duels on the pitch, six per game and 24 overall in his four appearances.

This shows that he was effective at putting his foot in and winning the ball back for Charlton. He was also secure in possession in his own half, completing 95% of his passes inside his own half of the pitch and not making many silly mistakes to gift the ball back to the opposition.

Dobson had 175 touches of the ball in the four matches combined despite Charlton failing to win any of them, showing that he was actively involved in trying to turn the game around for the Addicks. Along with his impressive passing accuracy and defensive awareness, this shows that he was one of the club’s better performers during this poor run, which is why he was their unsung hero during August – not getting the credit he deserved due to the team’s poor results.

Read more: These figures sum up one of Dobson’s best performances so far this season

Blades set to seal Ben Davies deal

Sheffield United look set to complete a deal to bring Ben Davies to Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that the Liverpool centre-back is set to complete a season-long loan switch to the Blades in the coming days, with an agreement being reached between the two clubs on Saturday.

The report continues by stating that Sheffield United wanted to include an option to buy clause in the deal for the defender, however, this was rejected by Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Whilst it is also mentioned that the cost of the former Preston North End man’s loan is undisclosed, although it is believed Liverpool will receive a bonus if United secure promotion this season.

Finally, it is reported that the 26-year-old has been Slavisa Jokanovic’s number one target for the left-hand side of central defence this summer.

Fans will be buzzing

With Sheffield United’s season having got off to something of a slow start, with Jokanovic’s side picking up just one point over their first two Championship fixtures, the addition of Davies is sure to provide the club with quite a considerable boost.

While it is a well-known fact that the centre-back has not made a first-team appearance for Liverpool since his signing back in January, the 26-year-old nevertheless proved during his time at Preston that he is an extremely talented player at Championship level.

Indeed, over his 19 Championship appearances for the Lilywhites last term, the £2.7m-rated defender helped his side keep six clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.4 interceptions, 1.2 tackles, 4.3 clearances and winning 4.9 duels per game.

These metrics saw the player Jurgen Klopp dubbed a “leader” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as Preston’s second-best player in the second tier of English football.

As such, not only does the £60k-per-week man’s arrival help to solve Jokanovic’s lack of depth in the heart of his Sheffield United defence, the argument could also be made that Davies is actually an upgrade on the 52-year-old’s current options in the position, with his signing being one that will undoubtedly have fans of the Blades buzzing.

In other news: Fewer touches than Ramsdale: Sheff Utd dud who lost 100% duels failed Jokanovic vs SCFC

Journalist says Kane doesn’t want to be at Spurs

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has made a claim involving superstar striker Harry Kane after his summer drama at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown: Kane attempts to jump ship…

As widely known, England international Kane informed Spurs of his desire to leave in the summer with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola even confirming his side’s interest in signing him.

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After a move failed to materialise, the 28-year-old released a statement and pledged to continue at Tottenham as well as giving his all for the Lilywhites shirt.

Since then, Kane’s form has taken a while to resurge with Brown now making a claim on how it could impact the Spurs dressing room.

The Latest: Brown makes Kane claim…

Speaking to GMS, reporter Brown believes that the forward still doesn’t actually want to be in north London despite his candid summer statement.

He also believes this could have an impact on the dressing room if manager Nuno Espirito Santo isn’t cautious.

“I think it’s a very unbalanced squad, and there are clearly problems in the dressing room because everyone knows the star player tried to quit in the summer,” the journalist explained.

“And while he’s playing and making all the right noises, putting a shift in, it can’t be easy in the dressing room to see the guy that you all look up to, ultimately, doesn’t really want to be there.

“I don’t think anyone can accuse Harry Kane of downing tools. I don’t think he ever will, and he was one of their better players at the weekend. But, it must put some doubt in the mind of your teammates when you’re thinking: ‘this guy tried his best to get out of the club, and how much is he really committed to us?’”

The Verdict: Nuno needs Kane revival…

Nuno’s tenuous position was perhaps on the line before Spurs narrowly edged past Aston Villa 2-1 last weekend and the Portuguese will need all the help he can get to keep his job.

Kane’s form over these next few months will be a major factor and the 47-year-old will want Tottenham’s 2020/2021 Golden Boot winner back and firing on all cylinders.

Lauded as a still very much ‘underrated’ player by reporter Matt Law, even despite his outstanding campaign last year, Spurs will benefit massively from his possible resurgence.

Alas, only time will tell if his failed summer move does indeed have an impact on the dressing room.

In other news: Levy told to hire ‘world class’ boss over Poch if Nuno is axed, Spurs players love him! Find out more here.

Campbell blown away by Spurs transfer claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has been blown away by a transfer claim involving Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane and Man City midfielder Bernardo Silva.

The Lowdown: City pull out all the stops?

As August 31 approaches with time running out to land one of their top targets in Kane, reports have recently detailed that City could pull out all the stops to finally sign him.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that the Sky Blues are ‘really pushing’ for him while the Daily Mail highlight just how far they are willing to go.

The Mail claim that City could now offer Spurs the chance to sign Bernardo in a swap deal for Kane and it is believed, in terms of cash, they could also go as high as £130 million.

The Latest: Campbell blown away…

Speaking to FI, reacting to this news from the Mail, Campbell has been blown away by the ‘huge’ update and believes signing Bernardo in exchange plus £130m would be a ‘great deal for Spurs’.

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“Wow, now that would be a great deal for Spurs,” explained the former Premier League striker.

“That is for sure because Bernardo Silva is a fantastic player.

“The question is, will Spurs bite? That is the key. I don’t think Daniel Levy is going to make compromises over this one.

“£130million plus Silva is a lot of money plus a top player. Now if that does not get the juices flowing for Spurs, I really do not know what will. Huge.”

The Verdict: Bang on the money…

Landing a player of Bernardo’s calibre whilst receiving a nine-digit fee would be a major offer and one chairman Daniel Levy would be foolish not to consider.

Kane, at 28-years-old, is slowly but surely approaching the twilight phase of his career – with there being an argument that Spurs should cash-in while they still can.

Given the player’s own desire to leave and Tottenham’s need to adopt a sell-to-buy policy, not entertaining a generous offer of that ilk would be questionable to say the least.

In other news: ‘Yes yes yes’, ‘Buzzing’, ‘Game changer’…Tottenham fans erupt as ‘beautiful’ news confirmed, find out more here.

Conte tells Spurs to sell Kane

As per El Nacional, a significant update has come to light on the future of Tottenham Hotspur superstar Harry Kane.

The Lowdown: Levy summer stance clear…

Over the summer window, it was widely reported that Spurs’ prize asset was a major target for English champions Manchester City amid their search for a world-class striker (Fabrizio Romano).

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Daniel Levy, however, was reluctant to let the 28-year-old leave N17 despite an alleged gentleman’s agreement between Tottenham’s chief and Kane – so much so that a £150 million price tag was placed on the player’s head.

Some reports even suggested it was closer to around £200m with Levy standing firm amid City’s summer bids to sign Kane.

Ahead of the January transfer window, with Tottenham apparently willing to entertain offers for Dele Alli (The Athletic), it appears Spurs’ chairman is now open to selling yet another big name in Kane as El Nacional share news.

The Latest: Spurs sale U-turn…

As per their information, Tottenham, and by extension Levy, are open to ‘getting rid’ of the England international and no longer see a transfer with ‘bad eyes’.

Spurs manager Antonio Conte is apparently the ‘first to recommend’ that he be ‘let out’ of north London, providing a worthwhile bid comes in, with Kane also ‘desperate’ to leave.

City apparently still hold an interest but it is believed that the striker now favours a move abroad, specifically to La Liga and Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The Verdict: Big claim…

This claim that the Lilywhites and even Conte are now open to a Kane sale certainly comes as a big one but we believe seeing him leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next month is a tall order regardless.

Depending on Spurs, Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici’s price demand for the superstar, likely to be big, it remains to be seen whether any interested party would be willing to make a seismic bid mid-season.

City, for instance, are arguably coping well without a world-class senior centre-forward given they’re currently top of the Premier League.

Only Liverpool have scored more goals than Guardiola’s side so far this season, while it is debatable that another Kane suitor in Real could afford him given their financial trouble.

The Galacticos posted €300 million (£255m) of lost income for the last fiscal year, placing their ability to lodge a significant offer for Kane into disrepute.

Despite his arguable lack of form this season, Kane’s ability is unquestionable, with the 2020/2021 Golden Boot winner even called ‘magnificent’ by Premier League legend Alan Shearer.

Alas, we believe Spurs fans are unlikely to see him leave in the winter window despite their club’s fresh stance.

In other news: Spurs in pole position transfer as Paratici ready to make powerhouse Conte’s first signing, find out more here.

Southampton eye Johnstone move

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has now shared a Southampton transfer update involving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Southampton eye summer moves…

The Saints and their transfer chief Martin Semmens reportedly have their eyes on the summer transfer window as they seemingly start to outline targets for 2022/23.

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Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been linked lately, with Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl allegedly eyeing a new striker addition. Meanwhile, lesser-known names like South Korea international Son Jun-ho are also on their radar alongside the potential addition of a new goalkeeper.

Taking to social media, Sky Sports reporter Thomas has now updated Saints supporters with some transfer news involving Johnstone.

The Latest: Thomas makes Johnstone claim…

According to the journalist’s sources, Southampton are among the clubs eyeing a move for West Brom’s soon to be out-of-contract ace. However, they will face stern competition from the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham.

Thomas explained on Twitter: “Tottenham continuing to assess Sam Johnstone as an option to strengthen GK dept this summer, via my colleague @RobDorsettSky, Man Utd and Southampton among other clubs interested.”

The Verdict: Make a move…

Winning the race for Johnstone, a three-cap England international, would be a stellar move by the Saints and Semmens, especially on a free transfer.

Former Baggies boss Sam Allardyce was effusive in his praise for the 29-year-old for his Premier League form last year, while the likes of Wolves legend Steve Bull have heralded Johnstone as a ‘world class’ shot stopper.

For zero cost, he could be the ideal man to strengthen Hasenhuttl’s options between the sticks, but the only caveat is arguably all the competition Southampton face for his services.

In other news: ‘It is true’ – Southampton backed by close source as they also eye ‘star’ international for Ralph, find out more here.

Ismael must unleash Gardner-Hickman

With Valerien Ismael’s West Bromwich Albion side heading into Wednesday evening’s Championship clash on the back of a resounding 3-0 defeat last time out, the 46-year-old Albion manager will undoubtedly be hoping for a much-improved result and performance when Hull City visit The Hawthorns in midweek.

However, with Darnell Furlong’s sending off against Fulham meaning that the right-back will miss Wednesday’s game due to suspension, the Frenchman has been left with something of a selection headache on the right-hand side of his defence.

Having said that, when Ismael arrived at West Brom this summer, he came with the promise of being a manager with a reputation for developing a club’s younger talents – something that Furlong’s suspension could allow him to put into practice once again.

Indeed, with the 46-year-old not having another senior right-back in his first-team squad, it would appear to be a choice between playing either a midfielder or attacker out of position at wing-back or handing 19-year-old right-back Taylor Gardner-Hickman his league debut for the club.

And, considering just how impressive the youngster has been in the club’s youth sides, as well as the fact that Ismael is known to rate the versatile defender extremely highly, it would seem an obvious choice for the Frenchman to finally unleash the teenager against a struggling Hull City side on Wednesday.

Over Gardner-Hickman’s 30 appearances for West Brom’s U18 side, the 19-year-old scored three goals and registered four assists, playing a variety of positions along the right-hand side of the youth team.

The youngster has also continued this fine attacking form over his 34 appearances for Albion’s U23 side, bagging six goals and providing four assists for Deon Burton’s outfit.

And, with Joseph Masi revealing that the man who Sam Allardyce suggested could become an “important” player for West Brom was the reason Ismael did not sign a backup right-back this summer, it would only seem natural for the Frenchman to finally give the youngster a shot in the position on Wednesday evening.

In other news: Journo drops fresh West Brom January transfer claim that will devastate Albion fans

Spiers hints at Traore leaving Wolves

Wolves winger Adama Traore could want a new challenge away from Molineux in the January transfer window, according to The Athletic’s Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Traore linked with Wolves exit

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a curious Wolves career in many ways, proving to be a hugely entertaining player but also flattering to deceive too often.

Despite this, Traore doesn’t seem to be short of potential suitors this month, with a number of clubs linked with making a move for him, as reports on Friday believe Tottenham are the latest team to make an approach.

The 5 foot 10 Spaniard’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, meaning Wolves risk losing him on a free transfer if he doesn’t leave by this summer.

The Latest: Spiers further hints at move

Taking to Twitter to respond to a question on Thursday, Spiers suggested that Traore is eyeing up a move elsewhere currently:

“Easy to forget this is his fourth season at the club as well, might want a new challenge, to maybe test himself in the CL etc, which is pretty normal for any ambitious player.”

The Verdict: Time to part ways?

Traore showed what he is capable of on Monday, making a clear impact from the substitutes’ bench against Manchester United and playing a part in Joao Moutinho’s winning goal, but his inconsistency remains his biggest shortcoming.

The winger is still yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League this season and this is why a move away from Wolves could make sense for all parties, despite him being hailed as ‘fantastic’ by pundit Tim Sherwood.

It would allow Traore to test himself at a new club, while Wanderers would earn a hefty sum of money to spend on a strong replacement.

In other news, some Wolves fans are buzzing over an update that has emerged. Read more here.

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