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Bruno Lage has made it clear that Wolves are open to making changes if needed in the upcoming transfer window, with players already being linked with moves away from Molineux and plenty of incoming transfers rumoured to be making a mid-season arrival to Lage’s side.

One player that has been heavily touted with a move to the club is Renato Sanches, who was set to join the side in the summer on a loan deal from Lille, but the talks hit a bump and Wolves were unable to secure the deal in time.

Since then, Sanches has now been linked with other Premier League clubs including Arsenal, which could really ramp up the competition for securing the Portuguese star’s signature.

Instead, Bruno Lage could revisit the potential signing of another player Wolves reportedly came close to signing in the summer, Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara.

He could be a potentially inspiration signing, especially when assessing the words of former teammate, Rolando, in an interview with RMC Sport:

“This kid is a phenomenon,” he began.

“He is full of qualities and, above all, he works, he listens. It is out of the ordinary.”

When comparing the pair from the French Ligue 1, Sanches and Kamara, despite playing in different roles, have very similar statistics this season, with Sanches offering an assist ahead of Kamara. However, with a more defensive role, the Marseille midfielder matches Sanches on goals and has better a better pass success percentage than his Lille counterpart.

When it comes to what Lage will be looking to improve, possession is a key issue for this current Wolves team, who have an average of 53.2% possession in the Premier League, and 9.1% less possession away from the Molineux this season.

Adding a player like Kamara, who has an impressive record on the ball, winning 15 aerial duels and 35 tackles as well as having an 89.8% pass completion record in 22 appearances for Marseille this season, who currently sit second in Ligue 1, could be a great asset for the Wolves team.

Lage will need to swoop quickly for the £25.2m-rated youngster, as he has now been linked with moves to European super clubs like Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona too, so it will be important to identify what he can do to ensure they can secure the signing and him Molineux in January before he becomes a free agent next summer.

In other news: Lage must axe Trincao after poor performances

Writing on Twitter, journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke of the Athletic has shared big news coming of Tottenham Hotspur involving Son Heung-min’s mooted new deal.

The Lowdown: Son committing?

Tottenham have long been touted to extend Son’s stay in north London with reports as far back as October last year detailing a bumper contract offer was on the table (Football Insider).

However, amid the coronavirus pandemic and all the financial complications which accompany the crisis, Spurs put new deal talks with the 28-year-old on hold until they were in a more stable position (Evening Standard).

The Latest: Athletic reporter shares big update…

Writing on Twitter, Pitt-Brooke has now shared a big update on the situation after an off-field financial development.

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Indeed, Spurs have paid back their £175 million loan from the Bank of England through a private placement scheme organised by Bank of America (The Athletic).

Tottenham have raised £250 million through BOA, effectively ‘converting short term debt into long term refinancing’, and Pitt-Brooke believes that has now put the club ‘in position’ to confirm Son’s new deal.

“Tottenham repay £175million Bank of England loan, putting them in position to confirm new Son Heung-min contract.” he explained on social media.

The Verdict: Big news for Spurs…

Tying down superstar Son to a fresh contract is, arguably, the most crucial thing on Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici’s to-do list apart from finding a new manager.

The South Korea forward enjoyed the season of his life at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over 2020/2021 and was only second to Harry Kane in terms of importance.

As per WhoScored, he tallied a very impressive 17 goals and 10 assists for Spurs in the Premier League alone whilst averaging the most key passes per 90 (2) out of any Lilywhites player.

His fine form was rewarded with a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year ahead of some very stiff competition, beating the likes of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish.

Securing his future is certainly a non-negotiable and this update provides real encouragement.

In other news: Spurs will now swoop for £31.5m-valued ‘leader’ with Paratici calling, find out more here.

Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that he expects Everton striker Cenk Tosun to be sold this summer.

Tosun arrived in a £27million deal more than three years ago, and was initially signed as Romelu Lukaku’s replacement.

But he’s never quite been first-choice at Goodison Park, although his time on Merseyside has been overshadowed by an ACL injury sustained whilst on loan at Crystal Palace which saw him spend eight months on the sidelines.

The £60,000-a-week striker is currently on loan back in his native Turkey with Galatasaray, and has scored three times and added one assist in less than 200 minutes of Super Lig action since his move in January.

However, with just 14 months remaining on his current deal, Bent expects his former side to cash-in on the Turkish international.

He told Football FanCast:

“He picked up an injury, and he keeps picking up injuries, so he’s another one they probably want to get out the door.

“For the future of the club and the future of the player they probably come to a decision where they probably know they’re going to move now and are probably talking to their agents, the board and the club.”

Callum Wilson may not be a ‘main player’ at Newcastle United going forward, insider Dean Jones has told GiveMeSport. 

The lowdown

Wilson hasn’t featured for Newcastle in 2022, having sustained a calf injury in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United at the end of December.

Prior to that, he’d started every game for which he was available in the early months of the campaign.

Despite his lengthy absence, Wilson remains the Magpies’ top scorer with six goals, and he also led the way last season with 12.

The Englishman said recently that he hoped to be back in action by the end of this month, or the beginning of May.

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The latest

Jones says that Newcastle are keen to get Wilson back in the side, but raised doubts about his longevity at St James’ Park.

“They obviously want him back, but I don’t think Callum Wilson is going to be a main player in this team next season, to be honest,” he said.

The verdict

This comes as something of a surprise given Wilson’s goalscoring exploits.

Graeme Jones, who took charge of Newcastle in the brief period between Steve Bruce’s sacking and Eddie Howe’s arrival, has labelled the ‘fantastic’ no. 9 ‘the best matchday finisher’ he’s coached.

What’s more, his £25million replacement Chris Wood has struggled, scoring only one non-penalty goal across his first 14 appearances.

However, the Magpies seem to have their eyes on recruiting younger talent in the position.

They’ve been linked with 19-year-old Reims striker Hugo Ekitike and 22-year-old Benfica hitman Darwin Nunez, and these may be the kind of forwards they want to build around.

In other news, Chris Waugh has a key update on Matt Targett.

The day Marcelo Bielsa leaves Leeds United will be a strange day.

The Argentine has been at Elland Road for two and a half years now and has taken them back to where they belong; the Premier League.

Not since 2004 have the Whites been in the top-flight and not since 2012 have they had a manager in the job as long as Bielsa.

There is a special bond between the manager and the club. He is the first head coach since Simon Grayson to take charge of over 100 games for Leeds and this is the first time he’s stayed in a job for this many matches.

Clearly, Bielsa loves Leeds. He has transformed the very face of the football club, taking them from mid-table in the Championship to mid-table in the richest league in the world.

The 65-year-old recently admitted that he could see himself at Elland Road for the rest of his life but the fact of the matter is, his time in Yorkshire will come to an end eventually.

Bielsa’s contract expires at the end of the season and although hints have been made that he’s keen to renew, he may well walk out the exit door.

That would be surprising, but contingency plans are in place in case he doesn’t sign on the dotted line for another season.

According to The Times, Leeds have former Juventus boss Max Allegri on their shortlist of potential Bielsa replacements.

This would be an almighty surprise if he was lured to Leeds, but it would be an almighty statement of intent from Andrea Radrizzani.

The Italian has broken Leeds’ transfer record to sign Rodrigo while merely bringing Bielsa in was a huge shock. Though, Allegri is a manager who led Juve to five Serie A titles and to a Champions League final.

This is the type of manager the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool would consider; not a club currently sitting in 12th place in the Premier League.

For that reason alone, it would be a huge surprise if he came to Leeds. Though, it speaks volumes about the type of ambitions the Whites have.

It only feels like yesterday that Radrizzani was talking about extra investment putting the Whites on a par with Man City. Indeed, further funding from the 49ers may well do that in due course.

Though, if they want to achieve parity on the field of play, Allegri would surely bring them close. He is a first-class coach, someone who usually says no to you, rather than the other way round.

If Radrizzani can lure Allegri to Leeds, it could well be his most surprising Leeds call yet, one that will prove that Leeds really are battling to get back into the highest levels of European football.

AND in other news, Forget Gelhardt: Leeds must finally unleash rarely-seen 19 y/o, he’s a “box of tricks”…

Leeds United have opened talks for Celtic central-defender Leo Hjelde, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Celtic face mini-exodus ahead of 2021/22

As 2021/22 rolls around the corner in Glasgow, the Hoops face the prospect of multiple senior exits as they re-shuffle the pack ahead of next campaign.

Odsonne Edouard has been heavily linked with moves to Leicester and West Ham United respectively, whilst Kristoffer Ajer has been targeted by Newcastle United and RB Leipzig [Chronicle Live].

However, another talented young star could be the first casualty of Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic reign as recent rumours come to light.

The Latest: Leeds United open talks with the talented Norwegian

After links earlier in the month, Hjelde’s exit is edging closer as the Yorkshire giants are now ‘negotiating’ a deal as they look to recruit more talent to their youth sides, according to a Leeds United source [Football Insider].

His contract at Parkhead is due to expire in 12-months, whilst the chances of Celtic being able to keep him are diminishing rapidly.

Leeds United are confident of landing Hjelde on a lucrative contract, citing his ‘enormous’ potential and room to develop as a player under Bielsa as cornerstone factors of his pursuit [Football Insider], with the Whites’ scouts apparently ‘blown away’ by his abilities at such a young age.

The Verdict: Losing ‘the next Van Dijk’ would come as a bitter blow for Celtic

Undoubtedly, losing a premium talent such as the Norwegian Under-18 international would not go down well with the Celtic support.

Enjoying a commendable debut introduction to senior football in 2020/21, Hjelde spent the second half of the season on loan at Ross County making 12 appearances; scoring once [Transfermarkt].

Eventually helping the Staggies to Scottish Premiership survival [BBC], then manager John Hughes was so enthralled by his contribution that he labelled the defender ‘the next Virgil van Dijk’ when talking about his potential upward trajectory at the Hoops [Daily Record].

With his best years well ahead of him, Celtic should aim to offer Hjelde a first-team pathway to entice him to extend his stay at Parkhead.

Despite this, advances from a Premier League side like Leeds United may be too tempting for the starlet to turn down, so it may already be too late for Celtic to keep Hjelde in Glasgow.

In other news, Celtic have offered a shock lifeline to a forgotten ace.

Everton are reportedly eyeing up a potential swap deal involving Rafael Leao and James Rodriguez in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Calvert-Lewin back-up needed

The Goodison Park faithful certainly need to sign a reliable back-up striker to Dominic Calvert-Lewin if they have any ambition of qualifying for European competition for next season.

The former Sheffield United ace was the the Merseyside club’s top scorer over all competitions in the 2020/21 term with 21, and while Richarlison scored 13 (Transfermarkt), the Brazil international often plays on the wing to accommodate Calvert-Lewin.

Given that the futures of both Cenk Tosun and Moise Kean are uncertain as well, as they were both sent out on loan over the past year, the Blues really do need to think about signing a brand new centre-forward.

The Latest: Leao and Rodriguez swap?

As per Calciomercato, Jorge Mendes, who is the agent of both Leao and Rodriguez, is exploring the possibility of the two players swapping clubs, so that the former would come to the Toffees as the latter would go and join AC Milan.

Leao also likes the idea of moving to EFC, while Rodriguez has reportedly been linked with a move away.

The Verdict: Swap

While Rodriguez has had his fair share of good moments in an Everton shirt, he was constantly disrupted by various injury problems.

The 29-year-old has also caused controversy among fans and media, as he has not exactly been enthusiastic about staying at Goodison Park since the departure of Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid.

On the other hand, given Leao likes the idea of moving to the Merseyside club, it would be much better for them to keep happy players there.

The striker would also be a shrewd addition, as his added pace and willingness to run in behind would certainly offer the Toffees a different dimension in attack to that with Calvert-Lewin playing up top.

Leao has even been previously likened to both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe in the past, which is high praise indeed, and a deal to see him arrive at the Blues and Rodriguez heading in the other direction would certainly make sense.

In other news, find out what transfer claim ahs been slammed by EFC supporters here!

Manchester City will be looking to continue their hopes of winning the quadruple this season as they take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night.

Pep Guardiola’s side take on the Bundesliga outfit in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday and will be confident of a positive result ahead of the return fixture next week.

Erin Tedzic’s side have slipped to fifth place in the Bundesliga in recent weeks after a poor run of form, and will seemingly be without Jadon Sancho for the game against the Premier League leaders.

The Citizens have won five games in a row following their surprise 2-0 defeat in the Manchester derby last month and look to have a fully fit squad to choose from for this Champions League clash.

Here’s how we think Guardiola will line his team up on Tuesday, with four changes from the side which started in the 2-0 win against Leicester at the weekend…

Ederson retains his place in goal after keeping another clean sheet in the dominant 2-0 win against Leicester last time out.

There are two changes in defence, as John Stones returns in place of Aymeric Laporte to continue his partnership with Ruben Dias in central defence, whilst the “amazing” Joao Cancelo seems likely to start after being rested against Leicester, and he replaces Benjamin Mendy at left-back.

In midfield, Ilkay Gundogan comes back in to partner Rodri, with Fernandinho dropping out despite his impressive performances of late, with the German international also sitting out the win at the King Power Stadium.

Finally, after a worryingly poor display at Leicester, Sergio Aguero is benched by Guardiola, with Gabriel Jesus replacing him up front after featuring on the wing against Brendan Rodgers’ team. That allows Bernardo Silva to come back in on the left-hand side, with Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez completing the attack.

In other news… Man City handed huge boost ahead of tonight’s clash as “perfect” Dortmund star is ruled out

A source has claimed that Newcastle United are eyeing a move for Tyler Roberts in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Roberts ever-present in Leeds success

Roberts has been a regular presence in a Leeds United team currently in the top half of the Premier League table in their first season following promotion from the Championship.

Having played in 25 league games for Marcelo Bielsa’s side so far this term (Transfermarkt), the Wales international has certainly played his part in their fine campaign.

The Latest: Newcastle eye Roberts

As per Football Insider, Newcastle are closely monitoring Roberts ahead of a potential transfer in the summer.

He is out of contract in 2022 and is yet to agree an extension, so the Whites may view it as an ideal opportunity to cash in on him now in order to gain some value.

A source has told Football Insider that the Tyneside club are keeping close tabs on his situation at Elland Road and are weighing up a possible move for him. Leeds currently value Roberts at £10m, which should be an affordable price for Steve Bruce’s side.

The Verdict: Newcastle should keep a watchful eye

Roberts certainly seems like a player who would enhance Newcastle’s squad, and with that added experience of playing in the Premier League, he would not have to adapt to the top flight.

Also, at just 22 years of age, he will likely get even better over the next few years, with his former manager Tony Pulis labelling him a ‘very talented’ player back in March.

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His Transfermarkt) is something which could be of big concern.

The Magpies should be keeping a watchful eye on him for now, but at just £10m, he may be worth a gamble if nothing better presents itself in the market.

In other news, find out what big PIF claim has been dropped after a takeover power play.

The work that Rafa Benitez completed in the summer transfer market was hardly going to get many Everton fans excited.

They signed five players throughout the window with an accumulative spend of just £1.7m. Finances were evidently restricted but what hasn’t helped is some diabolical expenditure over the last five or six years at Goodison Park.

During the course of the 2017/18 campaign, the Toffees spent a jaw-dropping sum of £182.88m. They followed that up in 2018/19 by thrashing out £89.82m on new players, and then in 2019/20, they took their spending to just shy of £110m.

2020/21 was a little more reserved at £67.38m but it was still a sizeable outlay, especially when you consider how little they had in their reserves over the last few months.

They had to look towards free transfers for the most part, but fortunately the only player on whom they spent any money has hit the ground running.

Demarai Gray has two goals in his first three outings and has looked in fine form with some exciting performances, but the same can’t be said for a lot of their more expensive signings.

Take Alex Iwobi, for instance, a man who cost the club around £34m when he signed from Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

The Nigerian was an inconsistent player for the Gunners but had plenty of potential and was an experienced Premier League player despite his tender age.

However, the winger has been a costly mistake for the Merseyside club. Iwobi isn’t even a regular starter at Goodison Park, and due to his shoddy performances, his value has fallen by £14.2m in two years. As per Transfermarkt, he’s now rated at just £19.8m.

Marcel Brands is a keen negotiator but he will have every right to be fuming with the attacker for being such an expensive error.

Since signing for the club, the £100k-per-week earner has provided just five goals and five assists in 69 outings. That means that Iwobi has cost the club £6.8m per goal.

On that evidence, it’s hardly a surprise to see that he was described as “embarrassing” by the Liverpool Echo’s David Prentice last season.

The winger has looked a little more promising in the early weeks of 2021/22, registering an assist against Southampton, but he has still done little to prove that he deserves a regular berth in the team.

Brands should be particularly concerned with how this investment has played out over the last few years.

AND in other news, Benitez must axe £15k-p/w “horror show”, he should never play for Everton again…