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Wolverhampton Wanderers and Jorge Mendes. It’s often been a fruitful partnership, but the latest client to be mooted to Molineux is better off being swerved at all costs…

What’s the word?

According to La Repubblica (via Sport Witness), mooted Wolves target Faouzi Ghoulam is on the chopping block at Napoli as they are keen to balance the books following the mega-money arrival of Victor Osimhen.

It’s also been claimed that the Algerian left-back dreams of a move to the Premier League and specifically the Midlands outfit.

The same report details a story from Corriere dello Sport, who state that his agent Jorge Mendes was working on a deal to bring him to Molineux.

Mendes has been trying to get his contract terminated at the San Paolo Stadium, which is thought to cost around €12m (£11m) plus bonuses.

Meddling Mendes

Without the Portuguese super-agent, Wolves may not have been able to sign the likes of Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Diogo Jota, Rui Patricio and even manager Nuno Santo but this move is a step too far in terms of reliance.

Ghoulam, on the face of it, would help an emerging issue at the club with Jonny Castro out injured but the 29-year-old has barely featured himself over the last few years.

This season, he started just three matches whilst he hasn’t managed to feature from the off more than 12 times in the last three campaigns.

A combination of knee and muscular problems have kept him out of action, which is hardly much encouragement when Wolves need a regular starter – even more so after the departure of Matt Doherty.

It just seems like Mendes is trying to sort his client out with a decent move rather than the club itself, so Nuno Santo must reject the chance to sign another one of his players this time around.

Former Napoli fitness coach Corrado Saccone believes Ghoulam “is a world-class player” who deserves to play for one of Europe’s elite and has also claimed that he has “extraordinary resistance” – referencing his physical attributes.

But evidently, this just hasn’t been the case for several years now. Wolves must avoid him at all costs.

AND in other news, Jeff Shi would be making a mistake with reported Wolves long-term target…

Liverpool are set to take on Lincoln City in their upcoming Carabao Cup fixture this evening. 

The Reds will be looking to continue their winning form against the League Two side, who will also be hoping for a positive result.

After Pep Lijnders took the role of press conference duty instead of Jurgen Klopp, the English champions could field a team of mainly fringe players.

One man who could therefore make his debut for Liverpool is Kostas Tsimikas. The left-back joined the Merseyside outfit back in August, becoming their first senior signing of the transfer window.

Klopp will undoubtedly hope that his side can hold onto their Premier League crown. They have won both fixtures so far and he could opt to rest some of his key players ahead of Monday’s match against Arsenal. Andy Robertson may be one of the players to take a backseat.

If the Scotsman is absent, it will open the door for Tsimikas to show his worth for the Reds. Whilst he may not be in contention for first choice, he can still impress as Robertson’s deputy.

The Greece international’s last match was for former club Olympiakos against Wolves. Despite the Premier League side coming away with a win in their Europa League clash, Tsimikas put in a solid performance.

The 24-year-old completed a very impressive six total tackles and also made two interceptions and one clearance (via Sofascore).

Whilst Liverpool may have the better team on paper, they mustn’t underestimate Lincoln who will want to utilise their run in the Carabao Cup. Tsimikas will need to be alert for any dangerous runs from the Imps’ winger Harry Anderson.

How do you think the Liverpool v Lincoln match will play out? Have your say in the comments below!

Former Tottenham defender Ramon Vega believes that the club could be tempted to sell Harry Kane if an eye-watering transfer offer for him is submitted.

The former Switzerland international, who now works in asset management, feels that the England captain may be looking towards an exit from north London if Spurs fail to challenge for major silverware or return to the Champions League in the near future.

Speaking to Stats Perform News [via The World Game] about Kane’s future at Tottenham, Vega said: “Temptation is always there. When a guy is in demand and someone is prepared to pay that top dollar, then to be frank, it’s business.

“Then with that kind of money you might have three or four players you can buy. I think Harry Kane would command top dollars and with that money you can bring in maybe a few top players. It’s also a question of does Harry Kane want to go or not? From my point of view, he’s a Spurs boy, he came through the ranks.

“But at the same time he wants to win some trophies, you don’t want to go for 20 years playing for Spurs and not winning anything. You come to a stage where you think ‘I need to go and win some trophies and I can always come back afterwards’.

“A lack of Champions League football will also undoubtedly be a factor for Kane. I think this will be one of the crucial parts of next season; if he sees the club are not challenging for the title or even top four, he might think he’ll have to leave, possibly halfway through the season if he thinks they are not going anywhere.”

Kane, who is valued at £108m by TransferMarkt, has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City, having again proven his importance to Tottenham as their top scorer last season with 24 goals in all competitions, taking him to 188 in total for the club.

Son Heung-min was the only other Spurs player to hit double figures in 2019/20, with no other out-and-out centre-forward managing to get on the scoresheet (as per TransferMarkt), so the 27-year-old’s departure would leave an enormous goal-scoring burden to fill for any prospective successors, even if the windfall from his sale should enable Jose Mourinho to sign at least one high-level replacement.

Vega’s point about Kane’s lack of tangible success is a pertinent one, though. While his scoring return is indisputably excellent, the England captain is now 27 and has yet to win a trophy of any kind in his career. He will also be without Champions League football for the first time since 2015 after Tottenham could only finish sixth in last season’s Premier League, a whopping 40 points behind champions Liverpool.

The Kane situation is a delicate one for Spurs. He would surely earn the club a huge transfer windfall which could be reinvested in one or more quality centre-forwards, while the temptation to cash in may increase if the striker pines for a move elsewhere.

However, with Mourinho so heavily reliant on him for goals, selling him at any price would be a risk, even if an immediate successor was primed to come in.

Tottenham fans, do you agree with Vega’s assessment of Kane’s situation? Comment below with your views!

Manchester United target Jadon Sancho will still be a Borussia Dortmund player next season, according to the club’s sporting director Michael Zorc.

The 11-cap England international right winger has rejoined his Bundesliga teammates for their pre-season training camp in Switzerland, reports say.

Dortmund had issued an ultimatum insisting a deal should be sorted out by August 10 to avoid any interruption to their camp and to give them time to find a replacement.

As it stands, the German club’s deadline has now passed, and Zorc seemed to suggest that Sancho will be staying at the Signal Iduna Park for the 2020/21 Bundesliga season, telling reporters on Monday “we plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season, the decision is final. I think that answers all our questions.”

He went on to add “last summer, we adjusted Jadon’s salary to match the development of his performances. So in context, we had already extended his contract until 2023 back then.”

However, Fabrizio Romano revealed that, while there is “no agreement reached” between the two clubs, talks are ongoing, and personal terms are not expected to be a problem.

The Italian transfer guru added this is a “normal” situation while both clubs remain embroiled in a “poker game” that has shown no signs of ending anytime soon.

It is worth remembering Dortmund have been here before. Zorc came unstuck after saying the same thing about Ousmane Dembele, as the French international ended up leaving the club after just one season for Barcelona.

There was always bound to be plenty of plotting, scheming and double-bluffing on both sides because there’s an awful lot of money involved.

Lucien Favre’s side are looking for at least £108m for the club’s top scorer last season, but the United board believe this is unrealistic, given the current circumstances.

Transfers of this size and scale are no easy task and it can take a great deal of time to reach an amenable resolution as a result.

Dortmund have drawn a line in the sand which means it is up to Ed Woodward to sort out a deal that is satisfactory by all accounts.

While some will be concerned it seems as though the ongoing transfer saga has taken a turn for the worse, it appears they are still locked in negotiations. Man United must meet their demands if they want to prise Sancho away from the Westfalenstadion this summer.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward will sign Sancho this summer? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Sunderland are yet to hear back from defender Tom Flanagan after offering him a new contract after his current deal expired on June 30.

The Black Cats could need to make wholesale changes this summer after what proved to be another promotion-less season, failing to gain a route back to the Championship from League One for the second consecutive season.

Manager Phil Parkinson is expected to be extremely busy over the next few weeks as a number of first team regulars have now left the club.

Flanagan, who is one of those players, has been offered a new deal by the Wearsiders, but the versatile defender is yet to respond to that offer.

With Flanagan’s future now hanging in the balance at the Stadium of Light, it is also understood that Birmingham City and Coventry City are among a group of interested teams in for the defender.

One of those interested sides, Coventry, who gained automatic promotion from League One are seemingly keen to sign the defender with a latest report by Coventry LIVE looking into how Flanagan would fit in Mark Robins’ side if a deal was completed.

The report also goes on to add that the Sky Blues have told Flanagan’s agency Red6 Sports Management their intentions to make a move for the £225,000-valued man.

It does look likely that Flanagan will not be returning to Sunderland now, especially with reported interest from clubs in the Championship.

His spell at the Stadium of Light is now best in the past and he would be foolish not to take a step up to England’s second tier, but of course, he could want to attempt a promotion push with the club next term.

The guarantee of achieving promotion, however, is simply non-existent…

Where do you think Tom Flanagan will play his football next season? Let us know in the comments section below…

An update on Liverpool’s link to Timo Werner claims it was ‘genuine’, but current events meant the club couldn’t capitalise. 

According to a report from Paul Joyce, (relayed via @AnfieldEdition), the Reds were unable to bring the RB Leipzig star to Anfield due to financial worries as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Whilst the Merseyside outfit were forced to pull the plug, Chelsea have swooped in and Werner could be joining the Blues next season (via Sky Sports).

Joyce writes that Jurgen Klopp is now instead planning to call upon Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Neco Williams, who have all stood out this campaign.

Liverpool local Jones has been head and shoulders above the majority of young Reds this season. The 19-year-old made four FA Cup appearances and scored two goals, including the winner against bitter rivals Everton in January (via Transfermarkt).

However, fans aren’t impressed with this revelation and are slamming the club for not succeeding in signing Werner. One supporter has tweeted Liverpool’s attitude is ’embarrassing’ whilst another thinks Klopp has ‘lost the plot’. This is something of an overreaction, given the Reds are currently 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of the restart (BBC Sport).

However, it hasn’t stopped these fans from airing their grievances about the Werner affair and the fact that instead of signing the German, Klopp will play some youngsters…

What do you make of Joyce’s update, Reds? Join the conversation in the comments below…

According to Le10 Sport, Manchester United are interested in signing Wolves winger Adama Traore this summer.

What’s the word?

The Spaniard has enjoyed a superb campaign at Molineux this season, helping to ensure Nuno Espirito Santo’s side remain in touching distance of a surprising place in the Champions League – they lie just five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Traore has managed six goals and ten assists across all competitions, and French publication Le10 Sport claim that his performances have drawn admiring glances from the likes of United, Liverpool and Manchester City, amongst others.

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The report further claims that Bayern Munich could also enter the race to sign him should Wolves be open to discussions, and that even despite having three years left on his deal, that may not stop rival clubs from looking to prise him away from Molineux.

Unplayable

Even with Daniel James in the ranks, United could do with some added depth in the right-wing position, and Traore’s arrival would give them bona-fide first-team quality.

The Spaniard’s combination of speed and directness has made him an unstoppable force at times. As per Whoscored, his ridiculous average of 5.2 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season ranks him first in the entire division, whilst his average match rating of 7.61 is actually only behind Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne.

It’s no surprise that he has earned some rave reviews for his performances, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp even describing him as “unplayable”. And with Bruno Fernandes’ arrival in January, United have the kind of play-maker who would surely relish playing with someone of Traore’s abilities.

The winger’s speed and runs in behind would give Fernandes a superb option to start counter-attacks, and it’s the kind of devastating partnership that could wreak havoc in the Premier League.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

£15m move in the summer and six consecutive Premier League starts at the beginning of the season, but it’s fair to say that things have gone downhill for Che Adams since Ralph Hasenhuttl’s initial placement of faith in him.

No goals in his opening seven appearances in all competitions saw him dropped from the squad entirely against Tottenham Hotspur at the end of September, and he’s barely played in the Premier League since.

He has featured for a total of 20 minutes since, and having been in the matchday 18 for five consecutive top flight games, Hasenhuttl made the call to leave him out again against Arsenal on Saturday.

It surely would have been a big blow for the former Birmingham City man when he saw Michael Obafemi earn just the second Premier League start of his career at the Emirates, with Nathan Redmond, Sofiane Boufal, Moussa Djenepo and Shane Long all included too by their Austrian manager.

The fine form of Danny Ings, who now has seven goals in his last eight outings, has hardly helped matters, but the weekend made it clear exactly where the 23-year-old lies in the pecking order right now.

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Hasenhuttl came out and said after Adams was omitted against Spurs that he would “give him a lot of trust”, before saying “he is now in a better way” prior to the 9-0 thrashing by Leicester City – reassuring words.

The former RB Leipzig boss’ latest decision suggests he has turned his back on Adams for now though, with Ings, Obafemi and Long all selected ahead of him against the Gunners.

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He may still have a role to play in the upcoming busy run of fixtures ahead of the festive period, and what important fixtures they are too against the likes of Watford, Norwich City and Aston Villa – all clubs in and around Southampton in the Premier League table as things stand.

Adams will hope to get that all-important goal during that run, but if he doesn’t then him and the club may well have a decision to make in the New Year – a loan exit could be a potential option in order for him to regain some confidence.

In other news, Southampton fans have been discussing a £20m-rated target who scored twice at the weekend…

Southampton welcome Watford to St Mary’s this weekend in what will be an absolutely crucial game down at the bottom of the Premier League.

The Saints find themselves in 19th place with just nine points to their name from 13 games, whereas the Hornets find themselves one point below Southampton in 20th.

Obviously, the loser of this encounter will head into December rooted to the bottom of the table, so there is plenty at stake in the battle for survival.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have conceded the most goals in the division with 31 – the most by a single side in Europe’s top five leagues – whereas Watford have scored the least goals in the Premier League this term with just eight strikes.

Nevertheless, here’s the XI that we think the former RB Leipzig boss should select for this crucial game…

Southampton lined up in a 4-3-3 formation last time out against Arsenal, and were excellent having had 21 shots to the Gunners’ 12 – it was only for some extremely wasteful finishing that the Saints didn’t win the game.

We think that Hasenhuttl needs to stick with this system, but there are also some changes he needs to make in terms of personnel.

The Austrian coach revealed that Stuart Armstrong – who we outlined could soon become Southampton’s most important midfielder – will miss the game due to injury.

Instead of simply bringing Oriol Romeu back into the fold, Hasenhuttl should bring 20-year-old Callum Slattery in from the wilderness to replicate the Scot’s energy and tempo in the middle of the park – none of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Romeu or James Ward-Prowse have the intensity needed to press effectively.

Elsewhere, Hasenhuttl also revealed that Jannik Vestergaard has been ill and may be a doubt for the game, although the Dane wasn’t even on the bench last time out anyway – as a result, Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens should start.

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In attack, Moussa Djenepo must start having began the Arsenal game on the bench following international duty – we have already seen how the Malian can win games alone with moments of brilliance such as against Brighton and Sheffield United, which could be the difference against Watford.

In other Southampton news, Hasenhuttl must be wary of this Watford duo…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Leeds’ striking conundrum has been a hot topic amongst the fanbase for months now.

Marcelo Bielsa has to choose between Patrick Bamford and Eddie Nketiah on a weekly basis, and up until this point he’s picked the former Middlesbrough striker over the Arsenal loanee every single time he’s gone into a Championship match.

However, a recent revelation should have put Bamford on red-alert, and he needs to step up his game over the coming weeks.

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Nketiah was going to start

Phil Hay revealed in his Q&A with the Athletic on Sunday that Eddie Nketiah was set to have a run of starts, but an injury has prevented him from ever making the starting XI.

This has meant that Bamford’s run of consecutive first XI appearances continued, and it also means that the Boro striker has yet another chance to cement himself as Bielsa’s definite first-choice. It’s an opportunity he simply has to take.

Bamford’s chance

The striker needs to be at his very best over this next few weeks while Nketiah works towards getting back to full fitness.

Nobody is blind to the fact that Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t like rushing players back to the first team, and that means that Bamford will have a few more games to show the Argentine that he should continue to be selected ahead of the 20-year-old.

It won’t be long until Bielsa is once again considering his striking options, and Bamford needs to make sure that he is undroppable once Nketiah is back fit and ready to play.

The 26-year-old returned to goalscoring form last time out when he tucked away a penalty but before that he hadn’t netted in his last ten outings.

He was on a dismal run of form but if he can rediscover the type of performances that saw him score four in his first five matches of the season, both he and Leeds will be a lot better off.

If he does start finding the net more regularly, Bielsa will be left with no other choice but to keep Nketiah on the bench.