Category Uncategorized

Wolves are reportedly in talks to sign Argentine midfielder Carlos Alcaraz and the youngster could be the man to replace Ruben Neves at Molineux.

According to FC Inter News, the long-term target is already in contact with Wolves about a potential move to the Premier League, as he continues to impress in his native Argentina.

The Racing Club star contributed nine goals and two assists in 2022 and has 83 senior appearances under his belt despite only being 19 years old, so it is easy to see why he is attracting interest from abroad.

Golazo Argentina was full of praise for Alcaraz earlier this year after he scored twice in a 5-0 win against Aldosivi, writing:

“Racing two-up at half time thanks to a Carlos Alcaraz brace. The young midfielder really flourishing this season arrives in the box to take both goals superbly. May well be the next significant sale out of La Academia.”

The teenage star looks to be extremely versatile, as he has featured in a number of positions across the midfield and attack for Racing Club, but his knack for scoring goals from midfield makes him a natural heir to Neves in Julen Lopetegui’s side.

The 25-year-old already looked likely to leave Wolves even before their woeful start to the season and it seems inevitable that his future lies away from Molineux, even if they can avoid relegation this season, as his certainly deserves to test himself against Europe’s elite.

Since joining the club from Porto in 2017, the midfield maestro has gone to make 228 appearances for the Old Gold, contributing 28 goals and 12 assists in that time, so it will be extremely tough to replace him when he does eventually move on.

The Portugal international has been far and away the top performer at Wolves this season, with his 7.00 average rating from WhoScored ranking him comfortably as their best player.

While Wolves brought in the likes of Matheus Nunes and Boubacar Traore during the summer window, Alcaraz’s ability in front of goal and wonderkid status suggest that he could have the ability to fill Neves’ shoes at Molineux should he arrive in January.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery has been reacting to an injury to Aston Villa star Philippe Coutinho.

The Lowdown: Coutinho injury

The 30-year-old is yet to feature under his new manager Unai Emery after suffering a thigh injury during training at Bodymoor Heath earlier this month.

Reports suggested that the Brazilian was set to be out for around seven weeks as a result, missing the World Cup in Qatar. However, it seems as if that timeframe could be longer following Dinnery’s comments, as it appears to be a complex injury from which to recover.

The Latest: Dinnery’s comments

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was speaking to GiveMeSport regarding Coutinho’s injury. He described it as a ‘fairly serious setback’ and said that it could ‘potentially extend beyond 10-12 weeks’.

The injury analyst stated: “We’re looking, initially, at around about two months as a minimum for this one.

“This was a fairly serious setback and we’re looking at a minimum of seven-eight weeks. That could potentially extend beyond 10-12 weeks.

“The difficulty that you always have with long-term injuries is that they’re always fraught with setbacks along the road. It rarely is a smooth, straight line to recovery, so there will be twists and turns along the way.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-updates-4/” title=”Aston Villa latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Future in question?

Coutinho has struggled for form this season, posting the lowest WhoScored rating of anyone to start more than three Premier League games for Villa, and is yet to score or register an assist in 12 top-flight appearances, all of which came prior to Emery’s appointment.

Speculation in recent days even claimed that Villa could be open to a January swap deal involving the 30-year-old and Inter Milan’s Hakan Calhanoglu.

Therefore, we could see Coutinho dropping down the pecking order in the Midlands, with Emery potentially open to offloading the playmaker in 2023.

A claim has emerged on Newcastle United and what they need to do to sign James Maddison from Leicester City in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Ben Jacobs has claimed that the Magpies could need to be quick and decisive to land the England international at the start of 2023, due to the potential interest in his services.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “They probably have to move quite aggressively and fast if they want Maddison and to try to get a jump on his other suitors.

“But, from Maddison’s point of view, I think he’ll bide his time. I don’t think he’ll rush into a move when he knows that if he completes another strong season at Leicester, having been their player of the season last year, he will have a whole host of offers including, no doubt, from clubs that have qualified for the Champions League.

“Newcastle is obviously one to watch because they’re flying and Eddie Howe really likes James Maddison.”

Get it done

Magpies sporting director Dan Ashworth must take action and ‘aggressively’ pursue a deal to sign the attacking midfielder as soon as possible as he could be a fantastic addition to the team.

Newcastle must snap him up before other teams have the chance to tempt him into moving elsewhere, particularly if he ends up going to Qatar next month as performing well in a World Cup could attract more interest in his services.

The gem, who the Foxes reportedly value at £60m, has the quality to improve Eddie Howe’s squad as he is a proven Premier League performer who can score and assist goals at this level.

He has found the back of the net 18 times in the league since the start of last season and that is six more than any Newcastle player in that time, with Callum Wilson (12) leading the way.

Meanwhile, his 22 chances created in 2021/22 suggest that the maestro, whose set-pieces were once dubbed “world-class” by Gareth Southgate, would provide a level of creativity from the middle of that park that Howe’s team has been lacking so far this term.

Bruno Guimaraes has created 14 chances in the top-flight this season and no other Magpies midfielder or attacker has managed more than that, highlighting the improvement Maddison would provide in that department.

Statman Dave recently described the gem as a “magician” and the former Norwich man’s statistics suggest that he has the quality to weave his magic week-in-week-out at St. James’ Park if he joins the club in January.

Therefore, Ashworth must aggressively pursue the 25-year-old as his ability could make him a valuable addition to Howe’s squad by improving the team’s attack heading into the second half of the campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur made it back-to-back Premier League defeats on Sunday afternoon, having suffered a 2-1 loss at the hands of a resurgent Newcastle United side following what was another unconvincing display from Antonio Conte’s men.

Just a matter of days after their limp showing at Old Trafford against Manchester United, the north Londoners again came unstuck against the Magpies, having been undone by first-half goals from Callum Wilson and the in-form Miguel Amiron, who bagged his sixth league goal of the campaign.

A header from the ever-reliable Harry Kane – who now boasts a stunning haul of ten top-flight strikes so far this term – had given Spurs hope of a comeback against Eddie Howe’s men, although the home side were ultimately unable to produce much of a rally as they stumbled their way to defeat.

A key villain in that disappointing affair for the Lilywhites had been that of centre-back Davinson Sanchez, with the Colombian international having failed to deliver after taking the place of the stricken Cristian Romero in the backline.

The 26-year-old was “desperately poor” on the day – in the words of Sky Sports reporter Ben Grounds (Live Blog, 23/10/2022, 17:41), having been particularly wasteful in possession, squandering the ball on ten occasions from his 50 touches.

The £65k-per-week flop – who cost the club an eye-watering £42m fee back in 2017 – also failed to complete any of his four long balls, while also proving something of a liability in a defensive sense, having won just two of his six aerial duels.

On what was just his fifth league start of the season, the former Ajax man proved just why he has largely played second fiddle during Conte’s tenure to date, with his match rating of 6.6, as per SofaScore, having been the joint-second worst of any of his starting teammates against the Tynesiders.

The £25.2m-rated man was also notably criticised by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick in his post-match player ratings piece, awarding the 50-cap dud a 5/10 rating, while also stating: ‘Uncomfortable when pressed and touch was sloppy. No surprise he was rusty but rarely comfortable when asked to play out.’

On the basis of that display, Sanchez – who has proven something of a costly mistake for owner Daniel Levy – will be lucky to retain his place for Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Sporting CP, having only served to amplify the setback of losing Romero to injury.

Everton journalist for The Liverpool Echo Joe Thomas reports that Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz is an ‘option’ for the Toffees in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Calvert-Lewin injuries

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has had significant injury problems since last season, which have unfortunately carried into this campaign.

The Goodison Park outfit signed Neal Maupay from Brighton and Hove Albion as cover for him in the summer, but with just seven goals in their opening eight games in the Premier League, they may want to bring in some extra firepower up top when January comes around.

The Latest: Brereton Diaz an ‘option’

Replying to a supporter of the Merseyside club in a Q&A session for The Liverpool Echo, Thomas says that Brereton Diaz is an ‘option’ in January, although Kevin Thelwell’s ability to sign another striker may depend on Calvert-Lewin’s performance upon his return from injury:

“On Diaz, he is an option, but Maupay was chosen ahead of him because he was Premier League-proven.

“I think Everton’s January plans depend on what happens in the next eight games.

“If DCL comes back well, the focus may well be on an attacking wide player who can also potentially do a job in the middle if needed.

“And the better Everton do, the more patience they can have when looking around, and the more attractive they will look to targets.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-8/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Get it done

Even if Calvert-Lewin does manage to hit the ground running, he is always a bad injury away from being sidelined for another few months, so Frank Lampard’s side may want to consider signing a new striker not just for January, but for the long-term as well.

Hailed as a ‘beast’ by former Rovers manager Tony Mowbray, Brereton Diaz scored an impressive 22 goals in the Championship last term, and already has five in this campaign (Transfermarkt).

The six-foot-one striker looks ready to make the step up to the top flight going by his exploits with Chile, and at 23 years of age, the Toffees would be buying a player that will be hitting his prime over the next few years.

Wolves have been dealt a blow with the news that Manchester United and Chelsea are looking to snap up the Molineux club’s recruitment chief Matt Hobbs.

The Lowdown: Hobbs’ role at Wolves

In an era where transfer fees are often exorbitant, player recruitment is becoming an increasingly important aspect of running a football club, with everyone looking to get good value on the players that they sign.

Hobbs is a key figure at Wolves in that respect, heading the recruitment team and doing his best to ensure that the right players come in each summer in order to strengthen the squad.

The Old Gold’s business has often been astute under his watch, with Bruno Lage praising his work in the past, and his efforts clearly aren’t going unnoticed elsewhere.

The Latest: Hobbs wanted by Premier League giants

According to Football Insider, United and Chelsea are eyeing up a move for Hobbs, seeing him as someone who can enhance their respective recruitment departments.

The Wolves employee is ‘on the radar’ of both Premier League clubs, and a deal to secure his services could be finalised ‘within weeks’.

[freshpress-quiz id=“398117″]

The Verdict: Big blow for Wolves

Having a top-class recruitment chief in place is huge for any club – Michael Edwards at Liverpool is a good example of that – and Hobbs is no different.

Although he has only been in his current role since February, he has still overseen some notable business at Molineux, with more than £100m spent on summer signings Matheus Nunes, Goncaldo Guedes, Sasa Kalajdzic and Nathan Collins – the former of those being a club-record transfer for the Old Gold.

[freshpress-poll id=“399044″]

Should Hobbs move on – he may find it hard to say no to one of the foremost clubs in the league – it is imperative that a suitable replacement comes in immediately, ensuring that Wolves can still pull off some astute business in the transfer market.

Crystal Palace are working to pip Leeds United to a deal for Watford forward Ismaila Sarr, according to journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Sarr at Watford

The 24-year-old, who has been labelled a player with “scary” ability by former team-mate Ben Foster, has been with the Hornets since 2019.

The Senegal international can play anywhere across the front three and has scored 25 times in 95 Watford appearances.

Sarr has lost three times in four matches against Palace, but it looks as if a move to Selhurst Park could now be on the cards.

The Latest: Sarr transfer update

Aouna shared an update regarding Sarr for Foot Mercato on Tuesday afternoon.

He stated on Twitter that Leeds ‘almost’ have a salary agreement in place with the 24-year-old before adding that Eagles chiefs Dougie Freedman and Steve Parish are rushing to sign the player.

Patrick Vieira has already made contact with the Senegal forward, who would like to return to the Premier League.

The Verdict: Get it done

Although Palace already have plenty of attacking talent, Sarr could fit in perfectly under Vieira. He would be able to provide an option anywhere in attack and has already proven himself in the Premier League, scoring 10 times in 50 games at that level, so he will know what to expect.

The club are also yet to make a senior attacking signing this summer, with teenage winger Malcolm Ebiowei joining from Derby, so landing Sarr would add strength in depth.

The five-substitute rule also means that clubs could do with plenty of firepower in each position, so the 24-year-old Senegal wizard could be the ideal attacking signing to replace Christian Benteke.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has confirmed his team news before the Premier League opener against Southampton as Oliver Skipp will ‘definitely’ miss out. 

The lowdown: Injury-plagued

Unfortunately, Skipp sat out much of the 2021/22 campaign due to a groin injury which saw the academy graduate miss 20 matches all told.

The 22-year-old England youth international had previously established himself as a mainstay in the senior squad, amassing 51 outings for Spurs following a successful season-long loan spell at Norwich City.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Now, as the Lilywhites kick off their 2022/23 season by welcoming Southampton to N17, Skipp is certain to miss the curtain raiser in north London due to a freak heel injury…

The latest: ‘Definitely’

Speaking to the assembled media ahead of the match (via football.london), Conte told the press that the 14-cap England Under 21 starlet will be absent for the opener whilst there are doubts elsewhere in the squad.

He said: “At the moment we only have one player who will definitely miss Southampton and that is Skipp. Bissouma, another day [before the game] still, nothing serious, but I don’t want to take a risk with anyone for the next games.”

The verdict: Shame

Having endured a difficult campaign last year, Skipp – who was dubbed the ‘perfect’ player by former Norwich City manager Daniel Farke – would’ve been among those most relishing the opportunity for a clean slate this time around.

Instead, it’s going to be another brief wait for the £16.2million valued uncompromising Englishman as the medical staff attempt to get the entire squad in full working order ahead of what is going to be a chaotic season, punctuated by a World Cup and the return of UEFA Champions League football to north London.

Before then, in the confirmed absence of Skipp, and indeed potentially Bissouma, Conte is likely to turn to Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and perhaps even Harry Winks to front up the engine room of the Tottenham starting XI.

Newcastle United have made a shock move for James Maddison this weekend, and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s progress in completing a move for the player.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, Newcastle have seen a £40m bid rejected for the Leicester City attacking midfielder and are weighing up their options going forward.

Sheth tweeted on Saturday morning: “Leicester City have rejected a £40m bid from Newcastle United for James Maddison. Newcastle deciding whether to go back in with an improved offer. Leicester valuation thought to be closer to £60m.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Newcastle supporters will be buzzing that the club is showing intent to strengthen the attacking threat this summer, but it will be interesting to see how he fits into Eddie Howe’s system owing to the fact that the club have bid £40m for the player – so he will clearly be a first team regular.

There is no doubt that the Leicester City star would certainly add a lot of quality to the high-pressing style that the Newcastle boss loves to play, something he proved with the Foxes last season.

Over 35 Premier League appearances, the 25-year-old scored 12 goals, delivered eight assists and created 11 big chances, as well as made an average of 1.4 key passes, 1.1 tackles and took 2.4 shots per game, in addition to winning the majority of his duels (55%) and successfully completing the majority of his dribbles too (65%).

Maddison ranked ninth for chance creation and eighth for shots on target in the entirety of the Premier League last season, proving that he is an ideal versatile playmaker that could certainly boost Newcastle’s goal-scoring opportunities.

With that being said, the signing of Maddison would be a big coup for the North East club, however, Howe and the powers at St James’ Park will need to decide whether they need him enough to improve their £40m bid in the coming days.

AND in other news: “I’m sure..”: Transfer insider drops big Newcastle claim that’ll excite supporters

Everton gem Jarrad Branthwaite is set to leave the club on loan after being omitted from the Toffees squad for their pre-season tour, claims journalist Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Senior minutes

The 20-year-old made six Premier League appearances last season, adding a goal to his tally as well.

After arriving on a permanent deal from Carlisle, the defender was sent out on loan to Championship side Blackburn Rovers, where he made ten appearances in the English second division.

With just 36 total senior appearances to his name, a number of rumours have emerged linking the youngster with another loan move away as a means of pursuing more regular first-team football.

The Latest: Taylor’s news

Taylor, a journalist for the Daily Express, has shared the latest news on Branthwaite’s imminent future. Taking to Twitter, he revealed interest from former Blue Marcel Brands:

“Jarrad Branthwaite set to leave Everton on loan. Defender did not travel with rest of squad for pre-season tour of USA. Strong interest from various Championship clubs & PSV, where Marcel Brands is now operating as Director of Football.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/everton-news-7/” title=”Everton news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Good experience

The young defender performed well each time he pulled on a Blues shirt in the Premier League last season. As per WhoScored, the 20-year-old averaged 3.3 clearances, 0.8 long balls and 0.7 tackles a game across the 2021/22 campaign, demonstrating a variety of abilities when given the chance to do so.

Branthwaite was previously hailed by his former manager at Carlisle, Steven Pressley, who claimed: “I think he has got everything. He can pass the ball almost equally as good with both feet. He’s a terrific footballer.

“And If he continues to develop, then, without doubt, he can be an England player.”

If Branthwaite gets the first-team experience he needs, he could be a great long-term addition to Frank Lampard’s squad.