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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Peterborough director of football Barry Fry has backed West Ham to continue challenging for the top six under manager David Moyes if David Gold and David Sullivan back him.

Currently fifth in the Premier League and just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, the Hammers remain in the hunt for Champions League football next season and have a good chance of finishing in the top six.

Much credit has to go to Moyes, who has brought in the likes of Tomas Soucek and Jesse Lingard, with the former taking his goalscoring form this campaign to the international stage after bagging a hat-trick for the Czech Republic in their 6-2 win over Estonia.

Without a doubt, the former Manchester United and Everton manager deserves to have his expiring contract extended. And if that does happen, Fry is adamant West Ham can continue on the upward trajectory that they are on.

In an exclusive interview with FFC, Fry said:

“If I was the two Davids or if I was advising them, I would say get him on a long-term contract. Let him build your club and let him challenge for the top six because both Sullivan and Gold are not afraid to put their money where there mouth is and back their manager, which they have [done] in the past.”

The Hammers will be looking to keep the pressure on Chelsea when they travel to Wolves after the international break.

Ingenious, magical, awe-inspiring. It feels like every superlative in the book has been used for Wolves star Ruben Neves in the last four years.

Signed for a Championship record £15m, the midfielder swapped Champions League football and Porto’s captaincy for the second tier of English football in 2017.

It was a mind-boggling transfer but one which set the tone for Wolves. With the appointment of Nuno Espirito Santo and the arrival of Fosun Group, a relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes was established.

Since Neves’ record move, Wolves have completed several deals of a similar ilk for Mendes’ clients. The likes of Nelson Semedo and Pedro Neto are both on Gestifute’s book, for instance, but the aforementioned midfield wizard is undoubtedly their biggest success story.

Neves has quickly become one of the most impressive and sought-after players in his position in the Premier League.

Links to Manchester City have been discussed but, for the time being, he is still the shining light of Nuno’s midfield.

It’s hard to believe the Portugal international is still only 24 years of age. He plays like somebody who has been at the top for years, conjuring up truly golden moments in front of the Molineux faithful.

When it comes to scoring goals from an improbable range, there are few better in Europe. After scoring his first Premier League goal in August 2018, it marked his 11th senior strike, just one of which had been from inside the penalty box.

[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!”]

Neves is Nuno’s quarterback, the standout and go-to man when Wolves are in a crisis. If he were in high school, he’d be the most popular in the class.

Very rarely does the Portuguese prop up inside the penalty area, something that’s proven to be one of the most eye-catching traits in the top flight. For instance, in August 2019, he racked up a 13th goal for Wolves. That happened to be a tenth from outside the box in Old Gold.

At that moment in time, only Harry Wilson (12) and Christian Eriksen (11) had scored more often from outside the box since Neves’ debut in English football.

It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that he has earned phenomenal reviews down the years. His former teammate Sylvain Deslandes once said: “He is a very, very talented player. We immediately saw it.”

Deslandes continued: “From his very first minutes in the Championship, he blew everybody’s mind with the science behind his ball placement and his aesthetically pleasing way of playing. But especially, we were astounded by his passing skills and his great shot capacity from long range.”

Such is Neves’ tendency to do things from outside the box that, at one point in 2018, he had scored more goals (6) than taken touches inside the area (4).

This season has seen him move slightly further forward. He is making more passes per game in the final third than he has done over the last four seasons. The way he popped up with a rare goal inside the penalty area against Everton in January typifies that.

Neves is now adding another layer to his game, something which is exemplified by his five Premier League goals in 2020/21. Coincidentally, Neves hasn’t scored that many goals in a single season since Wolves’ promotion-winning campaign.

All of this has led to the midfielder’s transfer value increasing exponentially. According to Transfermarkt, he is now worth an eye-catching £45m; an increase of 200% in four years from when he first penned terms in the Midlands.

“He can defend he can attack, he’s so talented,” Jamie Redknapp said in July 2020. “He can do it at Wolves but I think he’s going right to the top of the game, it’s effortless for him,” the Sky Sports pundit added.

Those words analyse Neves perfectly. He is a footballer who makes football look like art, a player who uses the ball like a paintbrush to convey his feelings.

Simply put, Neves is magic.

AND in other news, Shi must wield the axe on £62.9k-p/w Wolves flop, his value has plummeted by 60%…

Lots of Arsenal fans have been slamming the performance of Nicolas Pepe in their 3-0 home loss to Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday night.

Two goals from Diogo Jota either side of a Mo Salah strike were more than enough in the end to give Jurgen Klopp’s team all three points at the Emirates Stadium and thus aid their late Champions League qualification push.

Pepe was left very isolated on the right wing, having recorded fewer touches in the game (35) than his own goalkeeper Bernd Leno (37), as he also lost out on six of his duels and failed to record a single key pass or accurate cross, earning him a measly 6.3 overall rating on Sofascore.

Arsenal fans on Pepe display

These Gooners slammed the 25-year-old’s performance on Twitter, with one Arsenal supporter even going as far as to claim that the former Lille star is a ‘fraud’:

“Get rid of Auba, Laca, Pepe, Bellerin all been poor. Laca and Auba had spells of playing well but way too inconsistent for what we need. Also we need to bring in another 1st choice keeper as Leno is garbage mind made up with him now #afc”

Credit: @harleigh_e

“How many more chances does the guy need to come out of his shell? It’s been 2 years now, but I still don’t know what he brings to the team in spite of all the “Pepe will come good” tweets after one or two decent performances. Time’s up, man. #ARSLIV #AFC”

Credit: @SSaiyanWitcher

“In some matches Auba and Pepe are a waste of space #AFC #ARS #Arsenal”

Credit: @EdgeFarmer

“Pepe is dirt and no one will ever convince me otherwise #AFC”

Credit: @GavinHarries1

“#AFC As long as we keep relying on the likes of Auba, Pepe and Willian for goals, we’ll remain an average, mediocre club. They have absolutely nothing to offer. @Arsenal”

Credit: @9jahoncho

“Pepe is still a fraud of a footballer. Sell him and play Smith-Rowe or Nelson. #AFC”

Credit: @D0C_RAY

In other news, find out whose display was also slammed against Liverpool.

Celtic defender Jack Hendry has confirmed that KV Oostende are trying to activate their clause to make his loan move in Belgium permanent over the summer, dropping an eight-word admission over the deal.

The 25-year-old has impressed in the Jupiler Pro League this season, making 25 appearances in total.

He’s been the club’s fourth-best performer, as per WhoScored, scoring twice and providing one assist.

Hendry confirms exit talks

Celtic and Oostende agreed on an option to make Hendry’s loan permanent at the end of the season, with the fee thought to be set at £1.75m.

Talking to the media, reported by the Daily Record, the Scot addressed his Celtic future.

“I still have a year left on my contract at Celtic but Oostende have first option on me.

“They are trying to activate that just now.”

Transfer Tavern take

Celtic signed Hendry for £1.44m back in 2018 from Dundee, so it seems as if they’ll make just £310,000 profit on the defender this summer.

Reports last month suggested that Hendry is attracting Premier League interest, which could result in Oostende selling for around £5m, resulting in a £3.25m profit.

It’s not ideal news, but Celtic only have themselves to blame after agreeing to a very low option-to-buy clause.

In other news: Celtic source shares club’s Eddie Howe concern, find out more here. 

In a recent interview, Noel Whelan claimed that it is inevitable Harry Kane will leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

According to a report by Football Insider four days ago, Tottenham sources have revealed that Kane has told people close to him that he is “100 per cent thinking of moving on” from Spurs this summer, even if the club go on to win the Carabao Cup at the end of April – which would represent the first trophy of the 27-year-old’s career.

And, in a recent interview with the same website, Whelan stated that he is convinced the England international will leave north London at the end of the season, which would plunge the club further into chaos.

He said: “We know the inevitable is happening and that’s Harry Kane leaving. The players sense that as well, there seems to be a lot of negativity at Tottenham this season. The players don’t look like they’re enjoying it at the moment and it’s only going to get worse when Kane leaves.”

Transfer Tavern Take

While Whelan appears rather certain that Kane will be moving on to pastures new at the end of the season, transfer expert David Ornstein recently stated that it seems “incredibly unlikely” the striker will be able to secure a move away from Tottenham this summer, due to the fact that Daniel Levy will be demanding at least £120 million to “even consider” parting with the 27-year-old.

It would appear as if, whether Kane likes it or not, he could well be staying at Spurs for the foreseeable future, but Whelan is just the latest in a long line of pundits and media outlets seemingly queuing up to claim the talisman will leave.

In other news: ‘It may be’ – Spurs target drops huge hint on transfer; Mourinho fascinated by ‘remarkable’ star – find out more here!

Many Liverpool fans have been left to slam the display of Sadio Mane in their 0-0 draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The former Southampton man did not have the best of games by his usual high standards as Jurgen Klopp’s men were guilty of missing a lot of golden opportunities on the night at Anfield, and in the end went out 3-1 on aggregate to the La Liga giants.

Mane lost out on 11 of his duels, more than any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch, as well as failing to record a single shot on target, while losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 23 separate occasions in the match, the second-most out of any outfield player (Sofascore).

Liverpool fans on Mane display

It’s fair to say Mane has had a poor season by his standards, and these Reds supporters slammed his latest performance on Twitter, with one LFC fan claiming that the Senegal international was ‘ineffective’:

“Sadio Mane has lost his pace, intensity and footballing ability. People said after the Crystal Palace game in December, “a world class player always comes back”. We are still waiting, it’s April. | #LFC”

Credit: @LFCApproved

“Firmino has lost too much of his pace..no idea what happened to Mane but he has been awful this entire season. Didn’t see much of Thiago this season. Only Fab and Hendo can play in that midfield. Summer needs big decisions..#lfc”

Credit: @8558Dhiraj

“The #LFC forward line has to take 75% responsibility for the relative debacle this season. Yesterday Mane was completely ineffective — not for the first game this season Bobby – not sure what he stands for anymore Salah – missed gilt edged chances as he seems to do so often”

Credit: @Manavaggar

“Wondering if there are any #LFC fans out there still defending Mane. Not only has his skill level dropped but his work rate, team work and attitude. Failed to even celebrate Trent’s winner on the weekend”

Credit: @TanneSaul

“The real Sadio Mane has been invisible all season. Not seen him once this year. What on Earth has happened to him? #LFC”

Credit: @DyerThomas

“Sadio Mane not good enough. His form has declined, no more the supermane that we saw in the previous years #LFC”

Credit: @azkizzle

In other news, find out what Liverpool ace Leicester have been linked with signing here!

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson could miss the rest of the season through injury, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce.

The Reds have been plagued by fitness problems throughout 2020/21, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all ruled out for the rest of the campaign.

While some of Liverpool’s injury woes have eased in other areas, Henderson is another key absentee, having picked up a groin problem against Everton back in February.

It has left his involvement at Euro 2020 for England in doubt, but more importantly, he has missed some key matches for the Reds.

[freshpress-quiz id=“350790”]

Pearce delivers Henderson injury update

Pearce has given a bleak update on Henderson’s current situation, claiming a return to the pitch ‘remains some way off’, also adding that it is ‘unclear’ whether or not he will play again this season.

As a more positive aside, though, he added that Curtis Jones is nearing a return from an injury of his own.

Transfer Tavern take

Henderson’s absence has been a huge blow for Liverpool, with the skipper such a major influence in terms of his leadership, energy and quality.

The Reds seem to lack a spark when the 30-year-old isn’t around, and while that doesn’t mean they can’t win without him, they are invariably a better with him involved in the midfield. All of Liverpool’s league defeats this season have come whenever their captain has either been absent or forced to play in defence to plug a gap.

Jurgen Klopp will be ruing not having Henderson for the season’s run-in and it is up to other midfielders to step up to the plate now.

In other news, there has been another key development in the Gini Wijnaldum saga – find out more here.

Manchester City’s hopes of signing Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish have seemingly been handed a huge boost, with Dean Smith’s side reportedly looking to sign Norwich City winger Todd Cantwell as his replacement.

According to the Daily Mail, the Villans are weighing up a move for Cantwell, which could open the door for Grealish to make the switch to the Etihad, with Manchester City expected to bid for the England international.

City have regularly been linked with Grealish in recent months as he continues to dazzle for the Birmingham-based club in the top-flight.

So far this season, the 25-year-old has contributed six goals and 10 assists in 22 Premier League appearances, which has helped him earn a superb 7.73 average rating.

This ranks him ahead of every single Manchester City player this season, with only Harry Kane rated higher of those playing in the Premier League, which emphasises just how impressive Grealish has been for Villa.

The creative winger signed a new five-year deal with Smith’s side ahead of the 2020/21 campaign and was reportedly valued at £100m by the Villa Park outfit, which made a City move for him seem unlikely.

However, the fact that they have begun to look for replacements for the captain suggests that he is keen to depart this summer, with City seemingly in pole position to sign him.

Earlier in the season, with the duo battling for a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England side, Mason Mount was full of praise for Grealish, saying:

“I look at the way he’s been playing this season, he’s been unbelievable.”

Whilst he won’t come cheap, his performances with Villa this season have marked him out as one of the best players in the Premier League, so there is no doubt that he would be a superb addition to Guardiola’s side.

If City don’t pay the fee, then you feel like another top club could be easily convinced to shell out, so after the news that Villa have already begun looking for a replacement, City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain should do everything he can to bring him to the Etihad this summer.

And, in other news… Txiki should seal bargain City swoop for “top-quality” beast, Guardiola needs him

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa looks set to extend his Whites stay and will put pen to paper on an Elland Road extension over the coming weeks.

That’s according to reliable reporter Nicolo Schira, who shared the news hours before Leeds’ 2-0 defeat to Brighton on Saturday.

Schira posted the news on Twitter, claiming that the Argentine will extend his stay in Yorkshire for a further 12 months at the end of the Premier League season.

“Marcelo Bielsa is set to extend his contract with Leeds for another year. At the end of the Premier League he will sign the contract.”

Leeds host West Brom in their final league game of the season on May 23, and it seems as if the 65-year-old will sign a new deal not long after that.

Transfer Tavern take

Whites owner Andrea Radrizzani could love this latest update, as the Italian has made it clear that he wants Bielsa to remain at the club beyond the summer.

Radrizzani once again backed Bielsa in the transfer market following the club’s promotion, forking out £95.2m on six permanent signings, and he may have to do the same again to help Leeds improve on their impressive first season back in the top flight.

Bielsa signed a two-year deal back in 2018 but only extended his stay for a further 12 months last year, and it looks to be the same this time around.

Leeds insider Phil Hay admitted last month that Bielsa has previously wanted to save negotiations until the season is fully completed, but it seems as if the Whites have his word he’ll be around for the 2021/22 campaign.

In other news: Pundit feels Leeds star should receive a “big, big money” contract, find out more here. 

Fashion Sakala has revealed he is set to announce his new club, with Glasgow Rangers expected to capture his signature.

Sakala to make announcement

The Gers have been heavily linked with a move for Sakala, who is out of contract at the end of the this campaign (Transfermarkt).

Now, it seems he is ready to announce his decision. He told Het Nieuwsblad (via Ibrox News):

“I have an agreement with a club, this week everything will be signed. After the game against Standard, I will make my choice known.”

According to Walfoot, that club will be Rangers – he is set to put pen to paper on a four-year deal.

Top capture

This is a statement of intent from the Gers if true. Sakala is enjoying an impressive campaign with Oostende in Belgium, having scored 13 goals and provided three assists so far in the Jupiler League – he now has 38 career goals to his name. On a free transfer, this would be an astute capture from Ross Wilson and co.

The arrival of another striker, though, must surely mean one attacker will be leaving Ibrox this summer. Steven Gerrard already has Kemar Roofe, Cedric Itten, Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe to choose from – another player would surely be too many to keep happy. It remains to be seen which one of those leaves if Sakala arrives.

In other news, Rangers are interested in this defender.