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Many Wolves fans were delighted with forward Pedro Neto during their Premier League encounter against Leicester City on Sunday.

The 20-year-old started on the left-hand side of a front three including Adama Traore and new signing Willian Jose – an attractive proposition on paper.

Neto didn’t take long to settle himself into the game and was giving his opposite number Ricardo Pereira all sorts of problems, and had the ability to open doors for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

The Portuguese attacker is not a player that lacks ambition. Neto previously told Sky Sports that he wants to become the best player in the world, and has plenty of time to achieve that

Unsurprisingly, supporters flocked to social media to hail Neto’s performance, with some left open-mouthed by his technical ability and skill.

Fans drool over Neto

“Genuinely how good is Neto! Unbelievable talent”

Credit: @DunnyBets

“Pedro Neto is so good, isn’t he? Like he’s ridiculously good”

Credit: @MrPauloGoodman

“Unreal by Pedro Neto. Tekkers.”

Credit: @WWFCFancast

“Pedro Neto is very, very, very good, isn’t he?”

Credit: @markgeveritt

“Absolutely amazing quality Neto”

Credit: @SpeesrA

“Pedro Neto. That’s it, that’s the tweet.”

Credit: @ellawwfc

In other news, Elite European giants monitoring in-form Wolves loanee for summer move.

Jurgen Klopp looks to have been handed another injury blow ahead of his side’s trip to Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday, with Jordan Henderson reportedly unlikely to feature through injury.

The Liverpool captain was ruled out of the game in midweek against Burnley with a muscle strain and was certainly missed, as the Reds saw their long unbeaten home run come to an end at the hands of Sean Dyche’s side.

Goal have now reported that the 30-year-old is unlikely to feature against Manchester United this weekend, which is undoubtedly a huge blow for Klopp’s side.

The Reds lacked any sort of real fight or leadership against Burnley on Thursday, something you surely feel that Henderson would have provided himself, and would have demanded from his teammates if he were on the pitch.

In the absence of Virgil van Dijk, it could certainly be argued that the Reds are lacking any leaders on the pitch when the former Sunderland man doesn’t play, so not having either at Old Trafford could be a recipe for disaster.

The England international played as a centre-back for the visit of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side earlier this month and impressed against the dangerous front three, but it appears the Reds will be without his experience in midfield for the FA Cup tie.

Fortunately for Klopp, he does now have Joel Matip back fit, so he can partner Fabinho in defence, but the Reds will certainly miss Henderson’s experience in midfield if he cannot feature on Sunday.

The German manager has emphasised the importance of his captain in the past, saying:

If anybody who is with us still doesn’t see the quality of Jordan Henderson, then I cannot help them.

“Is Hendo the perfect football player? No. Do I know anybody who is? No. But is he unbelievably important to us? Yes.”

Therefore, it comes as a huge blow for Liverpool that he is unlikely to feature at Old Trafford on Sunday, as he could have been the catalyst for the Reds turning their disappointing form around with a morale-boosting FA Cup win against their old rivals.

And, in other news… “Of course he would” – Exclusive: Pundit claims PL beast would love to join LFC

Spurs are back in league action this evening as they welcome relegation-threatened Fulham to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for their re-arranged festive clash.

Jose Mourinho’s side were scheduled to face Aston Villa until 48 hours ago when the Premier League’s officials postponed that match due to the number of coronavirus cases in the Villa camp.

The north Londoners were originally supposed to face their local rivals on December 30th but that game was called off at short-notice for similar reasons.

Spurs head into this fixture on the back of a 5-0 whitewash against non-league minnows Marine in the FA Cup third-round, whilst Scott Parker’s men dispatched their old foes, QPR, though they still remain in the bottom three in the top-flight.

On the Chalkboard

Mourinho is left with several interesting calls to make as he rung the changes up against Marine only three days ago – does he stick or twist with the impressive Dele Alli? Will all of the rested players make an instant return to the starting XI?

One decision he must make is axing struggling winger Lucas Moura. He might have scored a sublime free-kick in the 5-0 demolition, but aside from that, he was underwhelming once again.

Per SofaScore, the £36m-rated dynamo lost possession 18 times from just 57 touches in 64 minutes of action, meaning he handed the ball back to Marine once every three-and-a-half minutes.

He also won just four of 11 duels (36%) as he failed to combat their physicality – an all too frequent occurrence.

Indeed, the Brazilian winger has scored just once in the Premier League since December 2019, which is an abysmal return for someone that has played 60 times since Mourinho’s appointment just a month earlier.

Moura’s overall numbers have also substantially regressed from last season. He has gone from averaging 1.6 shots and 2.1 dribbles per game to managing only 0.4 shots and 0.4 dribbles in the top-flight this term, via WhoScored, proving he’s actually been playing below standard for a few months.

Of course, thanks to Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, Spurs haven’t exactly struggled for goals, but they would still like to have the third player in their front line firing on all cylinders.

Perhaps these numbers may come as a surprise to some, given the sort of praise he’s received from those around him in N17 – former centre-back Jan Vertonghen dubbed him a “nightmare to play against” and an “unbelievable player” while Eric Dier has lauded him for being “fast” and “intelligent.”

We’ve not seen any of those qualities in a very long time, so it would be wise for Mourinho to ruthlessly wield his axe on the £110k-per-week flop especially as Steven Bergwijn has been well-rested over the past two weeks.

The Dutchman hasn’t featured since the 3-0 victory over Leeds United on New Year’s Day, where he delivered his fourth assist of the season. As we explained in detail here, he does so much more for Mourinho.

Even though Moura might feel hard done by given that he scored in the FA Cup game at the weekend, Mourinho must see the bigger picture. He must be be ruthless and drop the Brazilian. Simply put, Bergwijn must start over Moura at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening.

AND in other news, Spurs can upgrade faltering star with £36m swoop for “very rare” gem…

When Raul Jimenez was stretchered off against Arsenal with a fractured skull, you didn’t necessarily fear the worst for this Wolves attack.

After all, it’s one that possesses the effervescent figures of Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence, one that can lay claim to the vibrant Adama Traore. In the grand scheme of things, Wolves shouldn’t have problems in the final third.

Add their record signing in Fabio Silva to the equation and things should be rosy at Molineux. Unfortunately, they are not.

Despite beating Arsenal and Chelsea in recent weeks, they have suffered disappointing losses to both Aston Villa and Burnley. It seems that when the Midlanders take on claret and blue, they forget how to play.

Silva notched his first Premier League goal from the penalty spot against Sean Dyche’s men but it spoke volumes that a man signed for £35.6m wasn’t entrusted to start.

Instead, they relied on Owen Otasowie in forward areas, someone who traditionally plays as a holding midfielder. It was a bizarre decision and despite showing promising signs, it clearly didn’t pay off.

Thus, you have to look at the decision making in the summer from both Nuno and Jeff Shi. Evidently, paying such a large sum of money for Silva was not a great idea in the short-term, but in hindsight, they shouldn’t have got rid of Patrick Cutrone.

The Italian, who is now valued at £14m via Transfermarkt, didn’t exactly have the greatest of first seasons at Molineux but he is still a presence in attack, one that had a decent track record in 2019/20.

Last term, Cutrone netted three times for Wolves – more than Silva has – before he lost trust with Nuno and departed for Fiorentina on loan in January. He contributed to six goals in 19 Serie A outings before staying on for the 2020/21 season.

The Italy international is still technically on Wolves’ books and is having another turgid campaign, failing to start for Fiorentina. Therefore, we wonder how much use he could have been to the manager, especially at a time when their only senior striker in Jimenez is out injured.

Yes, the relationship between player and head coach is fragile but he wasn’t a disastrous signing for the Midlanders. After all, Conor Coady rated him highly.

Speaking about Cutrone in December 2019 after a match with West Ham, the skipper said: “His finish was brilliant but it’s not just that – he works so hard for the team. He’s like Raul – he works his socks off and he brings so much to the team, so it’s brilliant that we had him to come on.”

One quote stands out there; “like Raul.” How Wolves could do with someone of that presence now.

AND in other news, Wolves liability who LOST 83.4% of his duels will have Nuno fuming…

Mike Ashley must accept a mammoth transfer loss in the January window and offload Newcastle United outcast defender Achraf Lazaar.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Passione Inter, Lazaar has revealed how he cannot wait to secure a new challenge away from St. James’ Park having struggled for playing time under Steve Bruce.

The Moroccan was omitted from the Toon’s Premier League squad and told to train with the club’s Under 23s upon his return from a loan spell with Serie B side Cosenza Calcio this summer.

Cosenza passed on the chance to purchase Lazaar at the end of his year on loan, leaving Bruce to inform the player and his agent that now is the time he finds a “new home” after just 10 outings for Newcastle since joining from Palermo in 2016 for £2million.

No deal was struck, leaving Lazaar – whose £32,000-per-week is due to expire next summer – to look fondly on a winter move with his Tyneside future as good as over already.

“It’s true, it’s not easy and I’m not finding space with the first-team, but I have many reasons not to give up. I still have one year on my contract and I still have a lot to prove,” he said.

“Italy is my home and I miss my family, I don’t know what will happen in January, if maybe I will go to Italy or elsewhere: the only thing that matters to me is to go to a team that allows me to play with continuity and confidence. My agent [Mohammed Sinouh] is taking care of it.

“I would like to take back everything I have lost in the last few years. I know I have lost something, but I have also gained a lot, I have learned a lesson in life and experience. And I can’t wait to start a new challenge.”

A mammoth loss incoming

If Ashley is to avoid a total loss on the £2m investment he made in 2016 and the £7.1m spent in wages, the Newcastle owner must sanction a January move despite knowing full well that he is set for a mammoth hit with Lazaar now valued by TransferMarkt at just £315,000.

Lazaar’s value is a mere 15.6% of the fee Ashley offered Palermo four years ago, but any hopes of avoiding a loss have been thrown out of the window by the 28-year-old failing to feature regularly at St. James’ Park.

He could not establish himself with Italian second-tier outfit Cosenza, either, with just nine outings to his name across all competitions last season of which Lazaar started only four, ensuring Bruce saw fit to omit the 18-cap Morocco international from his 25-man squad.

Ashley will find it impossible to argue the reasons behind demanding any substantial fee in the winter if he is to avoid losing the flop for free at the end of the campaign, which is the only eventuality guaranteed to happen after limited interest this summer.

AND in other news, Mike Ashley can hand Steve Bruce and Newcastle an ideal upgrade in January with a lethal £2m hitman.

Since leaving Liverpool on a permanent deal to join Rangers in 2019, Ryan Kent has been flourishing under Steven Gerrard for the Scottish Premiership side, to the extent where the Reds may end up regretting selling him.

The winger originally joined the ‘Gers on loan for the 2018/19 season and after impressing there, they made the decision to make his loan stay a permanent one, shelling out £6.48 million for the Englishman (per Transfermarkt).

In 95 appearances for Gerrard’s side, the 24-year-old has contributed an impressive 19 goals and 19 assists in all competitions (per Transfermarkt).

Last season saw the young winger grab eight goals and four assists in all competitions, which was enough to attract the interest of Leeds United in the summer, following their promotion back to the top-flight.

The Yorkshire club were told that they would have to pay £20 million for Kent, as that is the reported release clause in his contract and after their interest seemed to die down, he would end up staying with the Ibrox Stadium outfit.

However, he has impressed again at the start of this season, having contributed four goals and two assists in 14 Scottish Premiership games, which has seen him average a superb 7.57 rating (per WhoScored).

Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see Leeds, or another Premier League side, register an interest in the Englishman in the upcoming January transfer window and if he does end up leaving for £20 million, then Liverpool may regret their decision to let him go for so cheap back in 2019.

During his time with the Reds, he would make just one senior appearance, despite impressing for the U’23s and earning valuable experience in loans with the likes of Coventry City and Barnsley (per Transfermarkt).

You can argue that the youngster was never given much of an opportunity to shine at Liverpool, although when you consider the quality Klopp has on his wings in Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, this was perhaps always likely to be the case.

Gerrard was extremely complimentary of the winger after a win against Willem II last season, saying:

“From an attacking point of view, I think Ryan was the game changer for us tonight.

“He does incredibly well running in behind and he has added that into his game this season. He gets us the penalty for the breakthrough and he is just a constant threat. He is so sharp and he has added a different dimension to his game.” (per The Scotsman)

It will be interesting to see if Kent’s impressive form does earn him a move to the Premier League and if he is able to perform well in the top-flight, then the Reds may well end up feeling that it was a poor decision to let him go.

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Borussia Mönchengladbach striker Marcus Thuram recently and perhaps the Frenchman could be the man to unlock Gabriel Jesus’ potential for the Citizens.

Sport Bild reported earlier this week that Manchester City, along with Barcelona and Juventus, are keen on signing the striker in the near future. The 23-year-old has seriously impressed for the Bundesliga side since signing from EA Guingamp in the summer of 2019, having made 49 appearances in all competitions, in which he has contributed 17 goals and 14 assists (per Transfermarkt).

Thuram, who is the son of French World Cup-winner Lillian Thuram, also scored two goals against Real Madrid recently, demonstrating his credentials in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.

If City were to sign the young forward in January or in the summer transfer window, he could be the man to help unleash Gabriel Jesus for the Citizens. Since joining from Palmeiras in 2017, the Brazilian forward has contributed an impressive 70 goals and 30 assists in 155 appearances (per Transfermarkt).

The 23-year-old has come under criticism at times during his City career, with himself admitting that he was struggling with the weight of expectation at the club, perhaps as he tries to emulate Sergio Aguero, with the Argentinian having netted a remarkable 255 goals and 73 assists in his 373 appearances for the club (per Transfermarkt).

However, with the 32-year-old’s contract set to expire at the end of this season, it could be argued that they are in need of striking reinforcements ahead of next season. Perhaps Thuram could be brought in to take the pressure of Jesus, following Aguero’s seemingly close departure.

Thuram’s teammate Denis Zakaria described the Frenchman as “phenomenal” back in 2019, so he is clearly well thought of at the Bundesliga club.

WhoScored lists one of the Mönchengladbach man’s strengths as aerial duels and he also stands at 6 foot 3, which suggests that he could play in the target man role that is arguably missing in Pep Guardiola’s side. The Citizens have just Aguero and Jesus available as natural strikers in their squad at the moment, neither of whom are particularly tall.

Although City have mainly played with one-striker formations so far this season, perhaps the signing of the £28.8 million-rated man could tempt Guardiola into trying two up-front, with Thuram perhaps paired with Jesus, where he could take some of the expectation of the 23-year-old’s shoulders and allow him to flourish.

Liverpool may have just shifted a new plan into place after finalising a loan move for outcast winger Ben Woodburn. The Wales international joins Blackpool on a short-term deal, joining former youth coach Neil Critchley in League One.

The 21-year-old has spent the last season-and-a-half away from Anfield, representing Sheffield United and Oxford respectively. Woodburn has made five appearances for the Liverpool U23s so far this campaign, bagging himself a goal against Manchester United in the league (via Transfermarkt).

Future plans for Ben Woodburn

After rising through the ranks an impressing Jurgen Klopp alongside close friend Trent Alexander-Arnold, the forward man fell off the map. Unlike his fellow academy graduate, he has been limited to just 11 senior appearances for the Merseyside outfit. Woodburn’s last appearance for the Liverpool first team was in 2018 – a six minute cameo against Brighton in a 4-0 Premier League win.

Since then, his future has looked sure to indicate a permanent move away from Anfield. However, Michael Edwards’ recent negotiations with Blackpool could be part of a much bigger picture.

Critchley left the Liverpool set-up to take charge of the Seasiders back in March, finishing off the 2019/20 season with a 13th place finish. This campaign has seen the club struggle, as they currently sit in the lower reaches of League One. Acquiring a pacy winger like Woodburn could help pull Blackpool out of a rut and see them start to climb the table.

Operating under a manager he knows well could be the making of the Welshman, who made history with Liverpool as their youngest ever goalscorer back in 2016. With attacking options limited this season, Klopp may be hoping to integrate Woodburn into the first team and serve as back-up to the front three.

Indeed, the German waxed lyrical over the youngster just last year, hailing him as an “outstanding talent” (via Liverpool ECHO).

Sadio Mane was recently ruled out of action due to a positive Covid-19 test. Diogo Jota has the left-wing covered but an injury to Mohamed Salah could be detrimental. Klopp and Edwards may be working on a clever ruse to flip Woodburn’s career on its head and see him become a regular senior player.

In other news, Michael Edwards pulled off some of his best work with Liverpool’s Christian Benteke sale…

Tottenham Hotspur are seemingly about to revisit the Serie A in pursuit of their next signing…

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato.it, the north Londoners are one of the teams keeping tabs on the future of Fiorentina colossus Nikola Milenkovic ahead of a potential move.

It’s claimed that the 23-year-old isn’t keen to renew his current contract in Florence with it set to expire in 18 months – with Spurs, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid hot on his heels, he could leave the club sooner rather than later.

London rivals West Ham United were in firm talks to sign the Serbian international during the summer, but David Sullivan baulked at their asking price of £25m plus £10m in add-ons, as per Jim White.

Better than Skriniar?

The Italian top-flight is evidently a hot-bed for defensive talent right now and Spurs have been here before, also during the latest window when they failed to secure a move for Inter’s Milan Skriniar.

Chief scout Steve Hitchen met with the Serie A giants but was unprepared to fork out €60m (£54m) upfront, according to Italian transfer guru Gianluca Di Marzio.

Well, that may have turned out to be a masterstroke as La Viola’s 6 foot 5 man-mountain has been the better performer this season.

In comparison to Skriniar, Milenkovic has averaged more tackles (2.2), interceptions (2.2), blocks (1.5) and aerial duels won (3.5) per game. He has even conceded fewer fouls (1.2) and has both scored and assisted this term, via WhoScored.

The Inter Milan star hasn’t even recorded a tackle in the league this season.

Given his nationality and imposing stature, the colossal defender has been likened to Nemanja Vidic, though journalist Dejan Stankovic believes he’s even more than that.

“Milenkovic is better than Vidic with the ball at his feet, and he is much calmer on the field. He is the most talented centre-back Serbia have had since Vidic, and they definitely have one thing in common – both are fearless.”

His former boss at Partizan, Ivan Tomic, speaks in a very similar nature about Milenkovic too, adding: “Milenkovic has [the] physical characteristics of a beast. He reads the game well, plays the ball, and should have a great career ahead of him.”

He could be available for slightly cheaper than Skirniar and he’s performed much better. This seems like a no-brainer for Daniel Levy to make this January – even after the addition of Joe Rodon.

AND in other news, Mourinho may regret the failure to land £18m brute who’s shades of Drogba…

Former Bari sporting director Stefano Antonelli has claimed that Udinese were keen on selling Rodrigo de Paul to Leeds United during the European transfer window.

Spending just under £100m during the transfer window, Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa was also linked with a move for De Paul but nothing materialised before Monday’s deadline passed.

With interest in the Argentine midfielder emerging over the last month, Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth opened up about the potential of a bid, claiming that such interest had been used as a ‘smokescreen’ by the Elland Road outfit as they looked at other targets.

That being said, Viola News claimed the interest was ‘genuine’ with the Udinese midfielder’s agent reportedly waiting for the nod from the English club.

Udinese happy to sell £27m-valued De Paul to Leeds

De Paul, who netted seven goals and supplied six assists in Serie A last term, is valued at £27m by Transfermarkt. It has now been claimed by Antonelli that Udinese were happy to sell the midfielder to Leeds if the right price was agreed.

Antonelli is quoted as telling Italian outlet Tutto Mercato (via Inside Futbol): “I have been working there for 21 years with continuity and I know the Pozzo family, they have always been a selling club.

“If they had the right offer they would have sold him because they know cycles end.

“They know De Paul’s cycle is over, but an offer never arrived.”

After missing out on a potential deal for De Paul, Bielsa is now reportedly keen to bring in young Norwich midfielder Todd Cantwell with personal terms said to have been agreed prior to next Friday’s closure of the domestic transfer window.

No De Paul, no problem

A move for De Paul would certainly have handed Bielsa an additional attacking threat, but having spent substantially during the transfer window, a big-money move for the Udinese man could have been frivolous.

Indeed, Cantwell may be a better option, considering he performed well at Carrow Road last season despite Norwich’s relegation.

Leeds have been in good form so far this season and Bielsa will not want to change too much at present with things going so well.

Do you think De Paul would have been a good signing for Leeds? Let us know in the comments section below…