All posts by h716a5.icu

Whatever you think of Jorge Mendes and his methods, you can’t help but laud the things he’s done for Wolves.

Since Fosun became involved with the Midlands outfit, they have established a friendly relationship with one of the most powerful football agents in the game.

The club’s manager, Nuno Santo is a client of Mendes’ Gestifute agency while several of their playing staff are also on his books. To name a few, he leads negotiations for the likes of Pedro Neto, Nelson Semedo, Ruben Neves and Fabio Silva.

Ties to Mendes have even led to incredible links regarding a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. His arrival at Molineux is far-fetched but one that shouldn’t have been a few years ago was Bruno Fernandes.

The Manchester United star is one of the super agent’s biggest clients and managed to pave the way for one of the most game-changing transfers the Premier League has seen in recent years.

He was signed for a considerable £47m from Sporting Lisbon but if Mendes had noticed his talent quicker, a move to Wolves could have occurred.

That’s the word of club legend Steve Bull anyway. Speaking exclusively to FFC’s sister site, Transfer Tavern, he said: “I think he went under the radar for [Jorge] Mendes otherwise, I think he would have definitely been on our scale and we definitely would have had him all day long.”

He would have been enthralling capture for Wolves, and Fosun must be cursing Mendes after missing out.

Fernandes is now valued at £81m by Transfermarkt and has become one of the most impressive attacking midfielders in world football.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-wolves-transfer-news-and-views-ocampos-ronaldo-trincao-fabio-silva” title=”Latest Wolves transfer news and views!”]

Speaking about him recently, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel commented: “The impact he has since he arrived in Man United is indescribable. Unbelievable.”

The Portugal international has scored a mighty 23 goals this term, providing a further 14 assists in 46 outings. That adds to his tally of eight goals and seven assists in 14 Premier League matches last season after moving in January 2020.

Evidently, he could have been a real star in this Wolves team. That’s not just because of his antics in terms of creativity and goals, but because of his mentality and leadership.

“Bruno Fernandes is not really a tackler, but he leads by example because he works really hard and he’s brilliant on the ball,” Bryan Robson admitted this week.

“But I always see him talking and shouting to players and he is always either trying to encourage or having a bit of a go at players if they are not in the right position,” the Man United legend added.

Fernandes has very quickly become a star of European football and besides Ronaldo, he is Mendes’ diamond.

AND in other news, Shi will regret awful call on “intelligent” £75k-p/w ace, Wolves could have signed him…

Alex McLeish has urged Everton to start playing Josh King more following his move from AFC Bournemouth in the January transfer window.

The Merseyside club’s next game is against Manchester City at Goodison Park in the FA Cup on Saturday evening, but King will not be able to play as he is cup-tied having already featured in the competition for the Cherries earlier on in the 2020/21 term.

Nonetheless, McLeish has claimed that now is the time for the former Manchester United man to show what he can do for Carlo Ancelotti’s team:

“If there’s problems for Everton and he hasn’t quite got into the rhythm of the Everton way, now’s the time.

“When he signed, I thought he was a good signing. He knows his way around the Premier League, Premier League defences and the opposition boxes.

“This is the time for Josh to make the mark.

“It’s quite simple, there’s no need to elaborate on it. He should be at the peak of his powers now.

“There are sliding doors for people in every walk of life. It could be that he ignites with Everton if he gets this opportunity to be a first-team pick.”

King barely used by Everton

King, who is currently valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, has barely been used by the Toffees since his move, with just eight matches played in total over all competitions so far, and no starts (Transfermarkt).

The Norway international clearly has ability, with his former manager Jason Tindall describing him as a ‘real handful’ back in January, but has perhaps been the victim of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s fine form up top.

However, given the latest injury to James Rodriguez, maybe there is a place for him to get a run in the side in the front line for the Blues, an opportunity that the 29-year-old striker would surely be looking to relish.

In other news, find out what potential injury boost EFC have received before Manchester City here!

It’s easy to see why Nigel Adkins took the Charlton Athletic job.

The vastly-experienced 56-year-old has a proven track record in the lower leagues of English football and would’ve leapt at the opportunity to save them from their freefall.

He arguably made his name at Southampton, where he led the south coast outfit to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, handing them a shot at the big time after a seven-year absence.

There are plenty of similarities between that Saints side and the Addicks now; former top-flight teams dwindling in the third tier, foreign owners prepared to stump up the cash to save the club, and a fanbase to fit a 27,000-seater stadium.

But could Adkins take inspiration from a side that won promotion a decade ago? He’s certainly well-equipped to…

On the Chalkboard

In Preston loanee Jayden Stockley, the Charlton manager could find his next Rickie Lambert – a powerful striker fit to lead the line at this level.

The 27-year-old talisman has very much had a comparable career to that of the Saints legend, prior to their arrivals at their respective clubs, both were well-travelled.

Lambert jumped from club to club in the lower leagues, playing for the likes of Blackpool, Macclesfield Town, Stockport County and Bristol Rovers before finding his feet at St Mary’s.

Stockley has played for 14 different clubs, thanks largely to boyhood club AFC Bournemouth shipping him out on loan every year.

Both stand at 6 foot 2, and are known for their target man ability. Indeed, WhoScored list the £810k-rated forward as a threat from set-pieces whilst a whopping 6.3 aerial duels won across League One and the Championship only reinforces that thinking.

No other Addicks star is managing to win as many battles in the air as Stockley (9.4). Speaking about his strength, former teammate Sean Maguire once said: “He’s a fantastic player. The guy can hold up a house. He’s strong and his hold-up play is one of the best I’ve played with.”

This sort of ability should see Stockley fit in a range of systems and tactics – two-up top? one-man? He should be able to do it all. Just like Lambert at the Saints.

Adkins could be onto a winner if he draws inspiration from his old side, and the five-goal loan star must be at the centre of it all up top.

AND in other news, Forget Famewo: Charlton ace who lost possession 21x vs AFCW has already badly let Adkins down…

It seemed like the future of Ezgjan Alioski would be sorted out in the near future and he would sign an extension at Leeds United. However, the latest reports suggest the fiery left-back could be on the move soon.

The latest on Alioski

The North Macedonian’s contract is due to expire at the end of the campaign and according to Football Insider, he has told his agent to start looking for a new club ahead of the summer. This is due to the current negotiations between the player and Leeds not reaching an agreement.

This is a big blow for Leeds

The 28 year-old, who is valued at £3.60m, has played 158 times for the club (Transfermarkt) and was key in the side getting promoted to England’s top flight with five goals and five assists last campaign. He has also featured 25 times this season (23 in the Premier League), and scored two goals so far. His amount of game time highlights that he is still integral in Bielsa’s squad.

He has received a lot of praise this season, with Kevin Phillips impressed over his ‘brilliant work rate’, whilst also mentioning how ‘he is a player who can unlock the door’ (Football Insider).

Alioski possibly departing on a free transfer would be a huge blow for the club as he is clearly a very key asset and the praise he has received from pundits for his performances this season emphasise that he is a solid player at this level. Therefore the club should try and do everything possible to keep him, or at least extend his deal in the short-term so they can make a profit when he eventually leaves.

In other news, Phil Hay has made an exciting Leeds transfer claim!

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans are discussing Aden Flint after Dom Howson gave his opinion on the club’s decision to let him go.

The journalist tweeted: “It’s easy to say with hindsight but #SWFC made a big mistake in cutting short Aden Flint’s loan deal in January. He’s a big character and leader.”

Much-maligned owner Dejphon Chansiri brought the defender to the club on loan in October but he only made four appearances before being sent back to parent club Cardiff City.

Since returning to south Wales, the 31 year-old has played 11 times and has averd 1.4 interceptions and a thoroughly impressive 5.4 clearances per game (WhoScored). During those 11 matches, the Bluebirds have flown up the Championship table and are only three points away from the play-offs (SofaScore).

A no-nonsense centre-back like Flint is exactly what the Owls need right now, not defenders needlessly getting sent off and frustrating most of the fan base like Julian Borner did at the weekend.

It is crazy how fortunes can turn. Flint probably thought he was in for a relegation battle when he was brought in on loan to Wednesday, but now he is fighting for promotion and it looks like another player who has got away from the Owls is enjoying success, whilst the ones they keep at Hillsborough continue to struggle.

These Wednesday fans weren’t pleased with the club’s failure to retain the 31-year-old for longer:

Here is how fans reacted to the news:

“I said this straight away exactly type of player we needed another poor decision from the club”

Credit: @johnada75157425

“He is certainly missed but our defence is not the biggest problem. We are very poor and slow attacking and create very little. Every ball comes straight back. Our midfield puts unnecessary pressure on our defence especially when they bottle tackles and don’t chase back.”

Credit: @WawawaDave

“Too many poor decisions by those running the club… and not just this season. Maybe Flint didn’t like what he was seeing / experiencing? Almost as frightening as it is sad.”

Credit: @Worstedjumper

“Dooms here again. More Doom more problems”

Credit: @Awillshaw1867

“Some of us said it at the time. Still gutted we didn’t keep him. Him and Morrison have been fantastic for Cardiff since Mick went in there. What you could have won eh?”

Credit: @TomTB1995

“A club run by clowns”

Credit: @jpowls

In other news, these Owls fans discussed one Dom Howson update. 

Rangers confirmed they had signed a pre-contract deal for Jack Simpson on Thursday, with the Scottish Premiership league leaders due to get their man to Glasgow in the summer.

The former England U21 international was the subject of interest from Steven Gerrard’s side several years ago.

With Connor Goldson’s future uncertain and Rangers short of options at the back following Nikola Katic’s injury, Gerrard will have been delighted to snap up Simpson by way of a Bosman move from Bournemouth.

After coming through the ranks at Dean Court, Simpson is fast approaching the prime of his career and fans will be hoping he can hit the ground running and play a crucial part in what could be their first title defence for many years next season, whilst he still has room to improve at the age of 24.

A quick look at the statistics suggest that while the Englishman has put in a solid shift at the back over the last few seasons, it is his ball distribution that could be of most benefit to his new employers.

Filip Helander and Leon Balogun have done a decent enough job at the back since the start of this season, but his range of passing could be a game-changer for Gerrard’s Gers.

At Bournemouth, Simpson has been averaging 39 passes per 90 minutes, which is a decent enough return, especially when you consider the fact that half of his appearances have come off the bench. Now, this is still some way off the likes of Helander (56.9) and Balogun (53.2), although it’s hard to draw direct comparisons as they are playing in different leagues with different levels of opposition.

However, Gerrard should be encouraged by Simpson’s highly competent range of passing, which should help to paint the full picture. Simpson has an average of 2.8 long balls per game this season, implying that he isn’t afraid to play long-range passes either in the air or on the ground to split defences and create opportunities for strikers to score goals in one-on-one situations with goalkeepers. For context, both Helander and Balogun have managed just 2.4 and 2.2 long balls in the Premiership respectively.

His former Cherries coach Carl Fletcher also believes he has the diversity to adapt to the rigorous demands of playing in the Scottish Premiership. He told BBC Sportsound: “He’s a very down to earth lad. He’s a really good lad and a good character, so I think whenever you have stepped outside of something you have always know there is always a degree of excitement and stepping out of your comfort zone, but I think it’s something he will adapt to no worries, going to Rangers and the size of the club.

“Players going into that environment there is always a transition period but I think Jack will take it in his stride and want to hit the ground running.”

Not only will Simpson, who was dubbed a “natural-born leader” by his former coach Tim Davis, be able to provide cover and competition for Goldson, Helander and Balogun, but he’ll also be able to offer an alternative threat from the back as well.

AND in other news, Rangers can sign perfect Brandon Barker replacement in Rochdale’s Kwadwo Baah…

By signing Harry Maguire from Leicester City in 2019, Manchester United have taken a gigantic leap towards transforming their defence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

It’s taken some time for him to make the necessary adjustments to life at Old Trafford but the England international has assumed the mantle as one of the senior figures in the squad, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praising his “strong character” and resilience following a tough start to the season.

Reports in recent times have suggested that Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane finds himself on the Red Devils’ radar, and his latest performance against SD Huesca on Saturday was nothing short of a masterpiece.

In the absence of several first-team regulars, the French World Cup winner put on a clinic as Madrid came from behind to claim a much-needed 2-1 away win at bottom of the table Huesca. He made a game-high of six clearances at the Estadio El Alcoraz – that being better than his season’s average of 3.7 per game – stepping in front of the likes of Rafa Mir and Shinji Okazaki on multiple occasions to clear the danger for Zinedine Zidane’s men –

Varane, who earns around £172,000-per-week at the Bernabeu, wasn’t just a colossal at the back, however, as he also demonstrated an attacking prowess by bagging a brace to give the Galacticos the lead.

The 27-year-old also boasted two shots on target which was comfortably better than any player on the pitch by some margin as he found the winner after scoring from close range following a direct free kick with six minutes left on the clock.

Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard previously raved about his teammate’s abilities, saying: “Karim Benzema is very friendly and down-to-earth. He’s here to score goals and win matches. I think he’s shown once again this year that he’s quite simply the best.

“Then you have Raphael Varane. I’ve come across some fantastic defenders during my career, such as John Terry and Vincent Kompany.

“I think that although [Varane] is still young, he’s already one of the best centre-backs of all time. His partnership with Sergio Ramos is wonderful.”

There’s no doubting the fact that his heroics will have helped to spare Zidane’s blushes and surely would have impressed the likes of Solskjaer and Ed Woodward had they been watching.

He is equally capable of playing the role of the marauding centre-back in Solskjaer’s defensive pairing, with Maguire doing the dirty work of providing protection for David de Gea in front of goal, or vice versa.

Both comfortable at the back and confident on the ball, he could provide some much-needed stability to their backline after the Red Devils threw away a two-goal lead to draw with Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday night.

AND in other news, Man Utd can find perfect Harry Maguire partner in Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane…

Many Manchester United fans have flocked to Twitter to slate Donny van de Beek over his performance in the Red Devils’ 2-0 EFL Cup quarter-final win over Everton on Wednesday evening. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has come in for some criticism for his sporadic use of the Dutchman, who moved to Old Trafford from Ajax for £35m in the summer transfer window, but he handed him a start in Wednesday’s EFL Cup quarter-final clash. 

You could argue that he didn’t make the most of that chance to impress, however, as Van de Beek was hooked after 67 minutes, with WhoScored giving him the lowest match rating of any Red Devils player to have started this game (6.38).

So, what did these Manchester United fans have to say about Van de Beek’s performance versus Everton?

It would certainly seem as though the summer signing failed to impress many fans of his club via Wednesday’s performance, judging by the criticism he’s been receiving from some Red Devils fans on Twitter.

“Donny van de beek has been bad . Only united player who has been bad”

Credit: @nad_man89

“Van De Beek is poor player…

Just flicks and nicks…

No understanding with Bruno Pogba….”

Credit: @drpalashagrawal

“van de beek is terrible off the ball, frustrating”

Credit: @realistian10

“Why the hell have bought van de beek,total rubbish”

Credit: @cathearn14

“Van De Beek is useless get lingard on”

Credit: @tomdolan__

“Van De beek was awful. Just another passion and work rate merchant. Did we sign that guy because he’s better or will give us similar energy like Grealish or was it just because he’s CHEAP.”

Credit: @Edehpeter17

“Like why did we buy him when we could have saved the money, put it towards the 90m we did offer for Sancho and had him instead? Yeah. He’d a good player, but a weird fit, not seemingly loved by the manager, and is a rotation option.”

Credit: @Real_Matt_Dubya

In other news, some Manchester United fans were critical of Solskjaer’s decision to start Dan James in their recent clash with Leeds United.

Former Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton has been praising Anwar El Ghazi for his recent performances at the Midlands club through the December period.

What Hutton had to say about El Ghazi

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton said: “I’ve played with him and played against him. In training, he can be unstoppable. In games, I’m watching him thinking, do that, take them on, go forward. You’re urging him to do it because you know he can do it.

There’s been question marks hanging over him for a while now, he’s been getting a bit of stick from fans. But I think he showed what kind of character he is in the Wolves game when he stepped up for the penalty. That’s where it’s turned for him. He’s definitely a confidence player. He’s the type of guy that sometimes needs the arm around him, and that’s just his personality, that’s the way he is.

In his recent form, he’s been absolutely outstanding. I hope he keeps with it because there’s no reason he can’t. He’s got five in five, he’s playing in a strong team, they’re attacking, they’re going forward, and they are playing to his strengths. So I think he can keep it up as long as he wants to.”

The winger has turned things around at Villa

It has been a remarkable turnaround for El Ghazi, who has scored five goals in his eight Premier League appearances so far this season (Transfermarkt). These goals have come in his last six games and before the first of these in December, the attacker hadn’t scored in the division since January 12th 2020.

El Ghazi has been a great attacking threat and has been a handful for defences as he has managed an average of three shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles per game (WhoScored).

It truly is magnificent to see how much a goal can help a player’s form and confidence, and it is understandable to see why Hutton praises El Ghazi’s play so much following his recent run of form.

In other news, two defenders could leave Aston Villa in 2021, find out more here!

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has heaped praise on Amad Diallo after he made his Champions League debut earlier this week.

What’s the word?

Diallo dazzled during Atalanta’s draw with FC Midtjylland on Tuesday. Primarily a right winger, the 18-year-old earned his European debut on the left flank of Gian Piero Gasperini’s side, as Liverpool’s win at home to Ajax boosted the Black and Blues’ chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to West Ham, as quoted by UnitedInFocus, Solskjaer was full of praise for the young winger.

He said: “Amad [Diallo] has come on a few times for Atalanta and is a very exciting talent.

“Hopefully we’ll get the work permit and he’ll be with us in January. He’s a very, very exciting boy as well.”

Reports in recent times revealed that the Red Devils have not yet finalised a work permit for Diallo, who was born in the Ivory Coast.

However, Solskjaer is hopeful the situation will be resolved soon, which will no doubt give Daniel James and Juan Mata some cause for concern.

Juan Mata’s ready-made replacement

With Diallo still yet to start a professional game, it’s highly unlikely he will be thrown in at the deep end at Old Trafford, but his rapid progress hasn’t gone unnoticed by Solskjaer, who was effusive in his praise for the teenager.

The Ivorian didn’t feature at all for Gasperini’s side last season, yet has shown enough in training with his current club to convince the Atalanta boss to hand the starlet his first-team debut against Verona, before a brief cameo in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The praise hasn’t stopped there for the starlet, either, as his current captain Papu Gomez has claimed that Diallo “plays like Messi”, whilst former Italian goalkeeper Giovanni Galli believes his quality is “incredible”, which is high praise indeed.

His development is something that Solskjaer will no doubt continue to monitor, too, as he is averaging 3 shots and 1 key pass per game in the Champions League so far this season, via WhoScored.

If he can continue to impress, it may not be too long before he replaces Mata or James in the first team in the not too distant future, with the latter linked to Leeds United, whilst the 32-year-old is arguably entering the twilight of his career.

AND in other news, Forget Fred: Manchester United magnifico Bruno Fernandes seriously let Solskjaer down vs PSG…