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FC Porto midfielder Sergio Oliveira is on the transfer radar of Wolverhampton Wanderers, according to Portuguese outlet Jornal de Noticias [via Molineux News]. 

The lowdown

The 29-year-old scored 13 league goals and provided five assists from his midfield berth last season. He averaged 1.7 tackles, 1.5 key passes and 3.1 accurate long balls per 90 minutes (via WhoScored).

His most memorable goal came in the Champions League. With five minutes remaining in extra time of the round 16 tie against Juventus, Oliveira netted a long-range free-kick to send FC Porto through on away goals.

He was called up to the Portugal squad for the European Championship, making two substitute appearances as the defending champions bowed out in the first knockout round against Belgium.

Oliveira signed a contract extension at the Estadio Dragao as recently as last December, with his new deal running until June 2025 (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

The report from Jornal de Noticias [via Molineux News] stated that Wolves manager Bruno Lage wants to sign an experienced midfielder in the remaining weeks of the window, and he ha’s identified Oliveira as a potential candidate.

Wolves are apparently willing to shell out €20m (£17m) on the Portugal midfielder.

The verdict

This would be some signing for Wolves. Oliveira is bang in his prime and genuinely seems to have a complete skillset for a central midfielder. As evidenced by his statistics from 2020/21, he carries a mightily impressive goal threat, creates opportunities for others and can also thwart opposition attacks.

A valuation of £17m seems fair for a player who could certainly help lift Wolves back into the top half of the Premier League if he were to replicate his FC Porto form in the Old Gold.

In other news, Wolves have also held talks over this midfielder. 

Newcastle United are now reportedly keen on signing Amadou Diawara before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Diawara impresses

Diawara has come off the back of an impressive individual 2020/21 season with AS Roma, helping them finish in seventh spot in the Serie A table.

The Guinea international was particularly impressive in their UEFA Europa League campaign, winning no fewer than 3.1 of his duels per game in the competition, as well as averaging 2.3 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.3 clearances per match (Sofascore).

The Latest: Newcastle keen

As per Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘interested’ in a potential move for Diawara, who needs to be sold by Roma to make room for a new central midfield player.

Wolves are also reportedly keen on his signature, but he has turned down the option of joining the Midlands club.

The Verdict: Sign

The North East club could certainly do with some more bodies in the middle of the park ahead of the new 2021/22 Premier League season, and Diawara would fit the bill.

Once dubbed a ‘phenomenon’ by Italian agent and scout Robert Visan back in 2018, the 24-year-old still has a lot of potential, and has already shown that he is more than capable of playing at a high level with his performances in European competition.

Currently rated at just £12.6m by Transfermarkt, Diawara could turn out to be an absolute bargain, should the Tyneside club be able to sign him of course.

In other news, find out which ‘exciting’ international NUFC have made an offer for here!

Ipswich manager Paul Cook has revealed that summer signing George Edmundson will make his debut for Ipswich ‘very soon’ after missing the clash with MK Dons due to injury.

The centre-back has joined the club on a four-year deal from Rangers and Cook has promised Ipswich fans that they do not have long to wait to see him in action. He told the EADT:

“I don’t think George is far away now.”

“I don’t think he’ll make Saturday, unfortunately, but I think he’ll be very, very soon after that.

“He’s working very, very hard now and is in the latter stages of his rehabilitation. I think we’ll be seeing George Edmundson very soon in an Ipswich shirt, which will be great.”

Fans will be buzzing

Ipswich fans will surely be buzzing by this update from Cook as it suggests that Edmundson is close to being fit enough to make his debut for the club. The Blues host AFC Wimbledon at Portman Road next weekend and the ex-Wigan boss could be eyeing that game to throw the defender in for his Tractor Boys’ bow.

It has been a difficult start to the season for the club as new signings are still attempting to gel and learn how to play together. Two points after four league matches and being knocked out in the first round of the League Cup is not the ideal opening month of the campaign, but fans still have positives they can extract and reasons to be hopeful heading into the remainder of the campaign.

Edmundson’s arrival and upcoming debut is one of those. Ipswich have conceded two goals in each of their four league matches this season, conceding eight in total, which suggests that they are in need of a defender to come in and improve the backline.

The gem, who Cook has lauded as “strong”, played 10 matches in the Championship for Derby last term, on loan from Rangers, and put in some impressive displays. He averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.78 as he won 61% of his duels, making 1.4 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game in the second tier.

This suggests that he has the quality to be a dependable option in the Championship, which likely makes him a great player to have in League One. He has shown that he can play at a higher level, hopefully meaning that he will thrive in the third tier and be the defensive anchor that Ipswich have been sorely missing so far this season.

Fans will be delighted that his debut is not too far away, as the impact he could have on the defence could be massive.

AND in other news, “He’ll be great to have around” – Exclusive: David Norris reacts to confirmed Ipswich news…

The Harry Kane saga may be rolling on but Tottenham Hotspur were keen to show that there is life after their key striker. A 1-0 win over champions Manchester City on the opening day of the new campaign proves that this Spurs side can beat anyone in the league, irrespective of whether Kane is involved.

It’s also thought that the club is keen to sign another centre forward before the end of the window, either as a partner for Kane or a direct replacement. The media is naturally fascinated but there is a young striker in reserve who seems to have a big future ahead of him.

Spurs Turn to Scarlett

Many young strikers have come and gone at Spurs: For every Harry Kane there is a John Obika and a Cameron Lancaster to balance things out. That’s why the fans are being cautiously optimistic over Dane Scarlett and the potential for the 17 year old to have a big future.

He’s already featured in the first team and, while he’s yet to score, Scarlett has looked sharp in his brief substitute appearances to date. He was prolific at Under 23 level for the club and, when called up for the England Under 16s in 2019, he scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Denmark.

It’s early days but Spurs have rewarded the young striker with a two-year contract and there is genuine optimism among the supporters.

Realistic Aims

2020/21 was a disappointing season for Spurs fans as their club finished outside of the Champions League places. Having finished in seventh, Tottenham will now compete in the new Europa Conference League which is little consolation for the likes of Harry Kane.

With or without Kane, it would be unrealistic to expect Spurs to win the title this season. A more realistic aim for the club under Nuno Espirito Santo would be to finish inside the top four and claim a Champions League place.

Having beaten Manchester City in their first game of 2020/21, Tottenham have shortened to fifth favourites for that top four finish. Sports betting sites affiliated with sbo.net list Manchester City as the favourites, followed by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Those figures will continue to change throughout this 2021/22 Premier League season and the markets will remain open until such time as the final places are decided. Sbo.net’s recommend sportsbooks will react to results and update the figures accordingly.

Readers of the website will also be able to take in news items and opinion pieces relating to the world of football. Those articles may well help make decisions and, if it’s time to place a bet, there is a panel of recommended sportsbooks listed, many of whom have generous welcome promotions.

Once on board, there is a range of funding options available together with some effective customer service. It’s a useful website for the betting community but anyone looking to stake on Spurs will want to see the club solve their striker issues.

Falling out of Favour

Talking up a young player before they are ready is a dangerous business and another striker on the Spurs staff is proving that theory. Before Irish teenager Troy Parrott had made his senior debut, he was being referred to as the next Robbie Keane.

Keane had been one of Tottenham’s most prolific and popular performers of recent years and he was known for his impressive scoring return from a young age. Parrott duly made his Spurs debut as a 17 year old but he’s subsequently been loaned out to Millwall and Ipswich Town. In 32 combined games for those lower league clubs, he scored just twice.

There are many more examples of young players failing to live up to their hype but there is genuine hope that Dane Scarlett will be different. The fact that he’s yet to be loaned out suggests that Spurs will offer him a genuine chance in the first team although that situation could change before the close of the summer window.

If he remains in North London, the teenage striker could get an opportunity to shine in the EFL Cup and the Europa Conference League. Good performances in those competitions could well prove the belief that Tottenham have a true star on their hands.

With the transfer window set to shut on Tuesday night, it is looking increasingly likely that Manchester City won’t sign a striker, but Joleon Lescott has tipped them to sign Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.

What’s the word?

Pep Guardiola’s side have already missed out on their top target to replace Sergio Aguero after Harry Kane confirmed he would remain at Tottenham Hotspur, whilst they were also pipped to the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Manchester United last week.

However, they have also been linked with Lewandowski earlier in the transfer window and whilst it would be remarkable if they were to match Bayern’s asking price of over £100m for the forward, who suggested he wanted a new challenge, he would certainly add immense quality to Guardiola’s attack at the Etihad.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Lescott, who played for City 160 times in his career, has suggested that his old side make a late move for the Poland international.

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He told BT Sport (via Manchester Evening News):

“In terms of City, they’ve got a stronger squad than they had last year. They’ve acquired Jack Grealish, who, for me, is proven at this level and is an exciting talent. When they lost out on Kane and Ronaldo, Pep said there are three players who can choose where they want to play.

“One of them being Messi and one being Ronaldo and there was another. For me, that can only be Lewandowski.

“He’s spoken about wanting to leave and having another challenge, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he came through the door.”

Could Man City sign Lewandowski?

With reports suggesting that the Bundesliga side want as much as £100m for the 33-year-old forward, it is difficult to see City completing a deal for Lewandowski before the window shuts.

However, it does seem risky for Guardiola to go until January without a natural striker in his squad, despite Ferran Torres’ impressive start to the season as a central forward, scoring two in three appearances.

If the Spanish manager were to be reunited with Lewandowski then it would certainly boost their hopes of retaining the Premier League title this season, considering he contributed an incredible 41 goals and seven assists in 29 Bundesliga appearances last season.

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Joachim Low dubbed Lewandowski “outstanding” after that impressive season, which saw him break Gerd Muller’s record and with those extraordinary goalscoring antics in mind, Txiki Begiristain should definitely at least test Bayern’s resolve with a bid.

It is difficult to justify spending so much on a 33-year-old but with very few natural forward in their ranks, they should risk it.

And, in other news… Forget Rodri: Man City can sign their ideal Fernandinho heir in PL beast

Joe Aribo travelled to join up with the Nigeria squad recently and his manager has dropped a worrying claim about his future at Rangers.

The Super Eagles manager Gernot Rohr claimed that the Rangers midfielder was involved in transfer talks at the end of the window, which was his reason for being late for international duty.

He said:

“We are ready, we are still missing two players or three (Aribo, Onuachu, Awaziem), they will arrive tonight or tomorrow.

“These players were concerned by transfer problems so they could not be here with us since yesterday (Tuesday).”

Although the former Charlton Athletic man obviously didn’t leave Ibrox before Tuesday’s transfer deadline, Rangers fans may well be concerned to hear that he was involved in transfer negotiations.

Since joining on a free transfer from the Addicks in 2019, the midfielder has established himself as a key player in Steven Gerrard’s side, making 99 appearances, in which he has contributed 18 goals and 16 assists.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

At just 25, the £5.85m-rated man still has plenty of time to improve his game and his attributes suggest that he could certainly make it in the Premier League, so it is no surprise to see him attracting interest from abroad.

However, Gerrard was clearly keen to keep hold of his best players in the transfer window as the Teddy Bears look to retain their Premiership title, and if Rangers did have any negotiations regarding Aribo, they clearly didn’t amount to much.

The 41-year-old manager is certainly a big fan of the Nigeria international, as he sang his praises last season, saying:

“He was fantastic today, not just the goal but his running power, his quick feet and the way he outplays people. He is a fantastic kid, you can’t get him off the training pitch, he’s always working on his game.”

Therefore, whilst Rangers were able to keep him in this transfer window, fans may well be worried about the prospect of him leaving in January after Rohr’s transfer claim.

And, in other news… £3.15m-rated Rangers ace may have played his last Ibrox game

Liverpool are making progress in their attempts to tie talismanic forward Mohamed Salah down to a new contract.

What’s the story?

Although the Reds had a quiet summer transfer window in terms of incomings, the club’s hierarchy managed to tie down a number of key first-team players to new long-term contracts.

The likes of Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold put pen to paper on fresh terms, keeping them with the rest of Jurgen Klopp’s charges for many years to come.

And it was revealed by The Athletic several weeks ago that Salah had followed suit and entered negotiations over a new deal following his incredible exploits since joining the Anfield outfit back in 2017.

An update has now been provided by The Liverpool ECHO’s chief football writer Ian Doyle, though, who states that while talks are ongoing, the amount the 28-year-old is asking for is not in the region of the £500,000-a-week that was being suggested in other recent reports.

Liverpool fans will be absolutely buzzing

recently provided an update on the discussions, saying: “We’re all adults, we’re all professionals, there are talks, and when there is a decision we will tell you. Until then, it is only important how the parties work together on these things.”

Since returning to English shores four years ago, Salah’s incredible consistency has seen him score a quite outrageous 127 goals in 206 appearances for the Anfield outfit.

The Egyptian ace has also racked up 49 assists for Liverpool, showcasing his ability to be both the provider and finisher, and he h helped to as fire Klopp’s men to a Premier League title and a Champions League crown during his time at the club.

Therefore, the club’s supporters will surely be buzzing to learn this latest revelation. Although Salah is yet to commit his future to the Merseysiders, the fact that negotiations are ongoing and are reportedly positive will be a big relief, as will the dismissal of the rumours about the Egyptian wanting £500,000-a-week.

Despite Liverpool’s struggles last season, the former AS Roma ace continued to shine, firing Klopp’s stuttering men to a respectable third-place finish, something which looked impossible for several months of the campaign.

And, in other news…Journalist reveals disappointing Liverpool update which could leave Klopp gutted 

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left in awe of new signing Nikola Vlasic following his international outing for Croatia on Tuesday night.

Vlasic, who signed for the Irons on summer transfer deadline day, hasn’t yet featured under manager David Moyes due to the timing of his switch but could make his debut for the club this weekend.

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The exciting 23-year-old put pen to paper on a five-year contract as West Ham paid an initial £26.8m, with an extra £7.7m in potential add-ons, to sign him from CSKA Moscow (BBC).

The Croatia international comes to east London with plenty of promise following his fantastic 2020/21 season in the Russian Premier League, where he averaged a four shots per game whilst bagging 11 goals and five assists (WhoScored).

After his outing for his nation against Slovenia on Tuesday evening, a match where he got on the scoresheet, had three attempts on goal and made three key passes (WhoScored), many West Ham fans have been raving about their “clever” new talent on Twitter, with one likening him to former Irons player Marko Arnautovic.

Check out some of their verdicts below.

West Ham fans rave over Vlasic

“Vlasic build and the way he runs at players reminds me of Marko Arnautovic.”

Credit: @westhamonline5

“Nikola Vlašić’s goal for Croatia highlights his intelligent final third movement that makes him very capable of operating as a false nine when required. He’s a creator, dribbler and drifts into goalscoring positions often. Such a smart signing for West Ham”

Credit: @danwoff98

“Vlasic is so good”

Credit: @central_louis

“Vlasic looks a player. Finds space well and can spot a pass. Work rate is good and tracking back”

Credit: @Pfinch215

“He’s gonna ball out in the Europa League”

Credit: @Kieranwhufc

“Vlasic did well to hold his run last night because on his first run he was Ignored.

Vlasic had to improvise & then he got a good cross for his goal.

Clever player

At West Ham I’m hoping his movement is noticed earlier, also the clever runs between defenders must be noticed.”

Credit: @RockyWhu

In other news: Agent lifts lid on West Ham interest in 63-goal forward, makes deadline day claim…find out more here.

Leeds United added a ‘significant’ sell-on clause in Niall Huggins’ contract when he moved to Sunderland, according to recent reports.

The Lowdown: Huggins joins Sunderland

The 20-year-old moved to the Stadium of Light during the summer transfer window, bringing an end to his time as a Whites player.

Huggins couldn’t see a path into the first team at Elland Road, deciding that a switch elsewhere would benefit him moving forward, and he started his Black Cats career off with an entertaining 3-2 win at Blackpool.

The Latest: Leeds included sell-on clause

According to Elland Road sources at Football Insider, despite not earning an initial fee from the move, Leeds included a sell-on clause which will allow them to receive a ‘significant’ chunk from Sunderland if he ever moves on from Wearside.

It means the Whites could actually have done some very clever business and end up getting an even larger amount than if they had requested an immediate profit, unless he never leaves the Black Cats of course.

The Verdict: Blow to future profits

Huggins is still waiting for his Sunderland career to fully ignite – he has only made one League One appearance to date – but he is an exciting signing with lots of potential.

The right-back has one Premier League appearance to his name from his Leeds days and has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by former Whites hero Ian Harte.

The hope is that he stays at Sunderland for many years to come, but based on that praise and the fact he managed to force his way into a top flight side even briefly, one would have to assume the Black Cats may be looking to cash in for profit at some point in the future.

News of such a ‘significant’ portion of that profit going to Yorkshire is certainly a blow.

In other news, Lee Johnson has set an appearance target for one Sunderland player. Find out who it is here.

A number of West Brom supporters have been praising Adam Reach’s performance in the 2-1 win over QPR, claiming he has proved them wrong.

The Baggies were in Championship action on Friday night, looking to put an end to three successive draws in the competition.

A disastrous start saw QPR take the lead through Andre Gray with just 43 seconds on the clock, but Valerien Ismael’s side produced a spirited comeback.

Karlan Grant equalised with the help of some poor goalkeeping by Seny Dieng in the second half, before the striker clinched all three points with a late strike.

Someone who played well for West Brom was Reach, who beforehand had failed to get going in a Baggies shirt and received some criticism from fans, having joined from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.

West Brom fans react to Reach display

These West Brom fans took to Twitter to heap praise on the 28-year-old, following his improved showing.

“Reach was class today”

Credit: @Hayden_K_R

“Yeah 100%. Reach ain’t as bad as I first thought”

Credit: @WBADyl

“Reach is a handy player to have, good business by us. I don’t think he’s brilliant or even above average. But he does what’s required”

Credit: @LiamCooper_20

“I rate Adam Reach. Liked him at Sheffield Wednesday he can put a good ball in the box”

Credit: @JamesDu42894776

“I think Reach has done well overall. Poor at Preston but he wasn’t alone in that, but decent against Derby and again yesterday. Yes, Townsend probably regains the spot when the centre-backs are fit but Reach has done a handy job”

Credit: @SteveMadeley78

“Really smart play from Reach here. Pulls his marker inside, frees Townsend and gives him time to receive. Also giving Grant and Townsend a 2v1. Drifts into pocket of space between the lines. Good layoff first time. Acts as a blocker to give Grant more time to shoot”

Credit: @AnalyticsWba

In other news, one pundit has highlighted a key ‘problem’ that West Brom face currently. Read more here.