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What forms a recipe for a transfer at Molineux? Well, first of all, you have to be a fine cheese, a player capable of maturing over time and developing as each year passes by.

Secondly, you quite often have to hail from Iberia. Add a light sprinkling of Gestifute, Jorge Mendes’ agency, into the equation and you have a classic culmination.

Of course, Wolves do explore other areas but they have no fewer than eight of their players on the books of the so-called super agent. It’s hard to forget that Nuno Santo is also a client of Mendes.

Close ties to an agent as powerful as him leads to a lot of transfer rumours and one of the freshest to emerge regards Goncalo Guedes.

Football Insider revealed earlier this month that Wolves were trying to beat West Ham to the attacking midfielder’s signature. Again, he is a player with all the ingredients Jeff Shi loves.

He is Portuguese, he is young enough to develop at 24, and he’s a client of Mendes.

With seven goal involvements to his name in 2020/21, he’d be a shrewd addition for Wolves and crucially could give them a bit of added spice in the final third. After all, it’s something they’ve lacked enormously this term.

Fabio Silva has netted just twice while Willian Jose is yet to score for the Old Gold, something Steve Bull attributes to a lack of service.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said last week: “I can relate to where he’s [Jose] coming from because I’d be as frustrated as he is, and I’d want to get the wingers and strangle them and say get that ball in the box.”

Guedes is someone who can bring a bit of extra creativity to this Wolves side, possessing the ability to play on the wing and in behind the striker.

Though, as well as aiding Wolves’ frontline, he could make up for the loss of a certain Pedro Goncalves. The Portuguese sensation played a matter of minutes for the Molineux outfit before being sold to Sporting Lisbon with very little fanfare.

However, his development has been meteoric, now being linked with high-brow moves to clubs like Liverpool after scoring 15 goals and claiming five assists this term.

Guedes might not be as prolific as that, but he certainly knows where the net is and he comes with a glowing recommendation from none other than Luis Figo; “Guedes is a fast, irreverent and unpredictable player, who himself builds actions for his teammates and is also able to finish well,” the former Ballon d’Or winner said.

Building chances for others and finishing adeptly bears great similarity to Goncalves, a player Wolves must now be cursing their luck over.

Guedes has scored 20 times during his time at current club Valencia and due to the positions he occupies on the field, could be their inadvertent replacement.

AND in other news, Wolves must swoop for £74k-p/w beast this summer, Spiers once dubbed him “superb”…

Manchester United return to Premier League action on tonight when they travel to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, as United look to consolidate second place in the Premier League.

United’s form has stuttered a little in recent weeks after drawing three of their last four Premier League games, most recently sharing the spoils in a drab goalless draw with Chelsea.

Those draws have ended any realistic hopes of challenging Manchester City at the top of the table, after Pep Guardiola’s side extended their lead to 15 points.

But United have certainly been hard to beat on the road, having lost just once in their last 20 league games, and they are still unbeaten away from home this season.

This game comes four days before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side head across Manchester to face City, so some changes are expected here.

So how do we expect United to line up?

Paul Pogba and Phil Jones are the two definite absentees for the Red Devils, while Edinson Cavani is line for a return after missing the last four games with a muscle injury.

The Uruguayan, who earns £210k-a-week, has been sorely missed by Solskjaer’s side and would give them a much-needed focal point in attack, with Mason Greenwood dropping to the bench.

While at Paris St Germain, Solskjaer described him as a “warrior”, and United have certainly lacked that fight in some of their recent attacking displays.

Elsewhere, Alex Telles could come in to freshen things up at left-back to rest Luke Shaw ahead of that aforementioned match away at Man City on Sunday.

Nemanja Matic has fond memories of playing at Selhurst Park after scoring United’s goal of the season in a 3-2 win for United in March 2018, and he could be brought in at the expense of Scott McTominay.

Eric Bailly may also be introduced to freshen up what has seemed to be a rather suspect partnership between Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire at times.

And in other news, Daniel James enjoying a renaissance at Man United

It might not have been the announcement that everyone was hoping and praying for on Wednesday, but it’s been revealed that Conor Hazard will be a Celtic player for a few more years.

Of course, the Green Brigade are currently eagerly awaiting news of who their new manager could be. They are also hoping for promising updates on the futures of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer.

They are yet to sign new contracts with the Hoops and are regularly being linked with a move away to the Premier League and other shores across Europe.

However, one man who will be staying put beyond the summer is Hazard. The goalkeeper has penned new terms until 2023 putting to bed speculation surrounding his future.

Earlier this term it looked as though the 22-year-old wouldn’t sign a new contract and thus, leave on a free transfer. The stopper had a loan move to Dundee United blocked and was waiting to be given more consistent game time before deciding to agree to new terms.

Clearly, the Northern Irishman is now happy with his place in the team and is excited about the future. It might be a mere coincidence that he’s signed on now Neil Lennon has left, but either way, he could play a major part in the club’s plans going forward.

Nick Hammond has been rather poor with his recruitment lately and nothing typifies that more than the £4.5m they forked out for the error-prone Vasilis Barkas last summer. Scott Bain has also made mistakes but after becoming the hero of Celtic’s Scottish Cup final win, Hazard is surely set for a brighter future.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-hunt-stories-wagner-marsch-martinez-lennon-news” title=”The last stories on Celtic’s hunt for a new manager!”]

He may have been at fault in normal time during their win over Hearts back in December but the youngster stood up when it mattered in the shoot-out, saving a succession of penalties.

The 22-year-old is still vastly inexperienced but with the number one spot so uncertain, signing on talent with potential like Hazard’s is incredibly promising news. It’s especially positive when you consider both Cameron Harper and Karomoko Dembele could leave in the summer on free transfers.

Hazard hasn’t featured since the 0-0 draw with Livingston in January but has kept three clean sheets in his six outings between the sticks this term. Considering how ropey Celtic’s defence has been of late, that’s a decent record.

He needs to work on being more commanding but at just 22, the ‘keeper has a big part to play in their rebuild going forward.

AND in other news, Hammond could end Christie’s Celtic stay by landing 27-goal ace that Strachan rates…

Rangers are susceptible to some of the most surprising and downright bizarre transfer rumours, aren’t they?

The January transfer window is in full swing as clubs up and down the country seek to strengthen their squad with new additions.

Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard has shown he isn’t afraid to dip his toes into the transfer market. Not content with signing Bongani Zungu on loan from French Ligue 2 side Amiens last summer – and it’s fair to say that the results have been a mixed bag – the 54-time Scottish champions are now interested in signing Nigeria midfielder Fatai Gbadamosi from Shooting Stars, if recent reports are to be believed.

That’s according to 90min, who claimed earlier this week that Rangers and Celtic are set to go head to head for Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi by the end of January.

Awoniyi has five goals in 13 Bundesliga appearances for Union Berlin. His current contract with his parent club runs until 2023.

The report adds the Old Firm rivals are reportedly interested in Gbadamosi and are ready to battle each other for their respective transfer targets.

Gerrard’s side is already well stocked in the midfield with Steven Davis, Ryan Jack and Zungu.

And we must admit that the thought of adding a virtual unknown in Gbadamosi to that mix does little to whet the appetite and reeks of sheer desperation from Ross Wilson. Either that or sheer baloney – take your pick.

Apart from the fact the 22-year-old currently plies his trade in the Nigerian league, there is very little information or statistics about him. He has previously played in Europe with Turkish side Kepezspor and has represented Nigeria at under-23 level.

Would the unknown quantity get game time at Rangers? Probably not. Steven Davis is playing arguably some of the best football we’ve seen in recent years from the big Northern Irishman, while Jack and Zungu are also options for Gerrard.

In fact, it’s fair to say that Zungu’s start to life at Ibrox has been rather underwhelming as he has struggled to break his way into Gerrard’s side, such is their strength in depth.

The Light Blues boss is on the hunt for a central midfielder, although he seems to have earmarked Sheffield United’s John Lundstram to fill the void.

We just can’t see the point in taking a punt on an unproven inexperienced youngster who is yet to hit the big time, it just doesn’t make any sense, and we can’t see it happening.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must sanction Rangers swoop for on-loan Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi…

Steve Bruce has revealed that Newcastle United will boast a near fully fit squad for their trip to Everton on Saturday, as he strives to get the Magpies back to winning ways.

The Toon were without defenders Paul Dummett, Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and DeAndre Yedlin for their 2-1 loss at home to Leeds United on Tuesday night, in which defeat made it 11-straight winless games for the Tyneside outfit across all competitions.

United have also lost their last six-in-a-row but saw Allan Saint-Maximin make an instant impact from the bench against Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, and could opt to start the winger at Goodison Park following his recovery from coronavirus.

So, with changes on the cards, here’s a potential line-up Bruce could name when Newcastle visit Everton this Saturday lunchtime…

Karl Darlow was on hand to produce a couple of crucial stops in defeat to Leeds but was beaten by the visitors’ only two shots on target, yet will be expected to retain his place in goal having opened all 20 of Newcastle’s Premier League fixtures this term.

Bruce may also name a mostly unchanged backline at Goodison Park, despite Clark and Dummett’s returns to training, with Yedlin replacing Isaac Hayden at full-back now that the United States international’s visa issues are believed to have been resolved.

“Fede Fernandez won’t make it, unfortunately. Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett trained yesterday [Thursday] for the first time, so we’ll see how they are. It’s maybe a bit early for the two of them, but we’ll see how they are this morning,” Bruce said.

Hayden returning to midfield with Yedlin recalled will likely see the Arsenal product partner Jonjo Shelvey in the engine room, with Jeff Hendrick again not proving to be Bruce’s answer in the role after questionably being retained for the Leeds defeat after an anonymous showing at Aston Villa.

Jacob Murphy struggled at first against the Whites on Tuesday night and lost the ball in the lead up to the visitors’ opening goal, but rallied in the second period with a couple of inviting crosses before making way for Saint-Maximin.

Murphy may now be given a reprieve, as Ryan Fraser ghosted from wing to wing against Leeds whilst Bruce shifted the Scotland international across the pitch trying to find a role that would see the summer arrival prove the biggest threat.

Miguel Almiron looked his most dangerous after moving in centrally against Leeds and will hope to start in the role against Everton, with Saint-Maximin opening the action on the left. The £29m-rated French maestro has not started a league game since November after suffering with the long-term effects of Covid-19.

Callum Wilson will be expected to start as the sole centre-forward in the Newcastle line-up at Everton after a hard-working performance against Leeds, which failed to return the 28-year-old his first goal of 2021 after six consecutive fruitless outings.

AND in other news, Newcastle could part with a £30k-p/w dynamo before the end of the month…

Wayne Rooney has been backed by former Derby County midfielder Rob Lee to succeed Phillip Cocu on a permanent basis.

Rooney has previously made it clear he wants to permanently take over as Derby manager after Cocu was sacked by the club, with the Manchester United legend having been installed as caretaker boss.

The former England captain is in interim charge at Pride Park and is considered to be a genuine contender, with a John Terry and Ashley Cole combination also reportedly an option, according to The Mirror.

It’s claimed the Rams are unlikely to appoint their new manager until Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan’s takeover has been completed.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast editor James Beavis, Lee believes that the board “might as well” give the former Red Devils forward the job on a full-time basis if Terry and Cole are an option.

He told FFC:

“If you’re going to give it to someone like that, you might as well give it to Rooney. Why give it to John Terry or Ashley Cole if Rooney is there?

“He’s already being paid by the club, his stature is as good as them, he’s as inexperienced as they are – I know John Terry’s been assistant to Dean Smith at Aston Villa, but he’s never been a manager.

“Not saying he won’t be good, but Rooney’s already there, I don’t see why you would pay more money for those players if you’re going to go down that route.

“If you’re going for an experienced manager, like Sam Allardyce, then it’s different. Maybe Rooney could near underneath him? But it totally depends on who takes over the club.”

It’s surely a no-brainer at this point, isn’t it?

Rooney has played 35 games for Derby in all competitions, scoring seven goals and supplying three assists, via Transfermarkt.

His knowledge of the game is arguably second-to-none, as his impressive resume more than speaks for itself – five Premier League titles, one Champions League trophy, one FA Cup and four English League Cups during his time at Old Trafford.

The 35-year-old then steered Derby to just their second win of the season against Millwall which lifted the Rams off the bottom of the Championship table and ended their 12-match winless streak in the process.

If he is genuinely serious about getting his first job in management, then surely there is no better place to start, as his former England teammate Frank Lampard cut his teeth at Pride Park before he became Chelsea boss.

A new year means new hope and new beginnings, but before we all get carried away thinking about what the next twelve months might have in store, there’s the not-so-small matter of the final chapter of 2020 to deal with first.

Christmas practices may have been significantly different this time around but there was one constant to keep us all entertained – Premier League football which, even during these trying times, rarely manages to disappoint.

In fact, December was a pretty interesting month in the Premier League with all but two clubs, Crystal Palace and Burnley, finishing the 31-day period in a different position to the one they started it in.

Spurs plummeted from first all the way to seventh, while City jumped up from eleventh to eighth and Burnley managed to escape the relegation zone at Fulham’s expense.

But away from the teams and onto the individuals. Here are the six players who impressed us so much during the dying embers of 2020 that they’ve earned nominations for the GMS Fans’ Premier League Player of the Month award for December.

All statistics courtesy of Whoscored.

The Goalkeepers

Nominee: Nick Pope

34 clean sheets were kept by goalkeepers in the Premier League throughout December, which is pretty astounding considering how many goals were flying in during the first few months of the season. Top flight defences have got their act together and the glovesmen are benefitting from that, albeit some inevitably more than others.

Nick Pope may not have been at the top of December’s clean sheets table, but having come in a respectable joint-second while recording 24 saves and conceding only three goals, the Burnley No.1 managed to tick boxes on multiple fronts.

Perhaps we’ve unfairly overlooked Emiliano Martinez, who made just two saves less than Pope while keeping an extra clean sheet, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that Burnley entered last month in 19th place, whereas the Argentine has been luxury to an in-form Villa side playing in front of him.

Pope has been crucial to Sean Dyche’s side escaping the relegation zone, making six saves in their 1-0 away win over Arsenal alone.

The Defenders

Nominee: James Justin

Before we begin discussing individuals, honourable mentions must go to the backlines at Aston Villa and Manchester City – they conceded just one goal apiece throughout the last month, resulting in four clean sheets each from five games.

Nonetheless, another defensive player has caught our attention for his December efforts – Leicester City’s versatile full-back James Justin. Last month saw him weigh in with an impressive 21 tackles across six games, as well as 13 key passes and five dribbles.

More than just impressive statistical returns, however, the 22-year-old gets the nod for two particularly noteworthy performances.

After completely embarrassing Dan Burn during Leicester’s 3-0 win over Brighton in which Justin nabbed his first assist of the season, his partnership with Marc Albrighton drew praise from Match of the Day’s Dion Dublin and Micah Richards as Brendan Rodgers’ side expertly dispensed of Spurs in a 2-0 win last month.

The Midfielders

Nominees: Anwar El Ghazi, Tomas Soucek, Bruno Fernandes

There’s a pretty good chance November’s winner Bruno Fernandes will make it onto the shortlist for the majority of monthly Premier League awards this season, which not only attests to his impeccable playmaking abilities but also how much Manchester United rely on their talismanic midfield maestro.

December was another affluent month for the Portugal international with three goals and four assists, including a brace and a setup in Manchester United’s 6-2 demolition of Leeds at Old Trafford. He also managed to set a record for the most key passes in a single game this season (eight) against West Ham, despite only coming on at half-time to lead a glorious comeback for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

However, Fernandes was outscored by Aston Villa’s Anwar El Ghazi, whose incredible run of five goals in as many appearances throughout December saw him net the joint-most times of any Premier League player, while few could hold a candle to his return of 15 shots on target either.

But we aren’t only interested in the Premier League’s engine room tricksters, and thus the final midfield nominee of this month is a particularly unique one.

Tomas Soucek may not be the most fashionable of players by modern standards but his towering 6 foot 4 frame is certainly effective – he’s won the most headers of any midfielder in Europe this season by a gargantuan margin of 34. That’s almost as many as he won in December alone, while six outings last month yielded a return of three top flight goals.

The Strikers

Nominee: Mohamed Salah

Having both matched El Ghazi’s haul of five goals, albeit enjoying the luxury of one extra appearance each, the striker section of December’s GMS Fans’ award was always going to be a battle between two forwards on either side of the famous Northwest rivalry – Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.

And although the England man will feel aggrieved to have missed out, ultimately he can’t have too many complaints with Salah adding an extra two assists on top of the aforementioned quintet of strikes. Fernandes is the only Premier League player to match his seven goal involvements in December.

Salah also produced one of the most potent cameo performances you’re ever likely to see in the Premier League, the Egyptian coming on with just 33 minutes left to go against Crystal Palace and yet still bagging two goals and one assist to help Liverpool to a stunning 7-0 victory.

Admittedly, the goals have dried up entirely since then, but Salah had already done enough by Christmas time to earn himself the final spot amongst this month’s nominees.

Aston Villa are seeing the fruits of their labour come to fruition this season as their summer transfer business has actually paid off this time around.

The arrival of Ollie Watkins for a whopping £33m looked to be a massive gamble, potentially overpaying for an unproven talent, but he’s duly delivered with eight goals in ten appearances in all competitions, including a hat-trick against defending champions, Liverpool.

We’ve also seen Chelsea outcast Ross Barkley come in and make an instant impact, averaging 3.4 shots, 3 key passes and 2.2 dribbles per match in the top-flight for the Midlands outfit, via WhoScored.

However, we shouldn’t forget their brash spending in the 2019 summer window, which nearly cost them their place in the big time, and to this day, they are still feeling the effects of what Suso left behind.

One poor signing has been Marvelous Nakamba, signed in an £11m deal from Club Brugge despite already bringing in a defensive midfielder in the shape of Douglas Luiz a week earlier.

This season, the 26-year-old has only featured for 13 minutes in the Premier League and when deployed last term, he was hardly inspiring.

Per WhoScored, Nakamba averaged 1.9 tackles, 1.5 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and just 0.4 key passes per game from 29 appearances.

It led to fans dubbing him their “worst signing of the summer,” a “liability” as well as looking like he’s “scared of the ball” – even if that’s something some of his teammates certainly disagree with.

According to Spotrac, the Zimbabwean international is earning around £32.5k-per-week at Villa Park, meaning he’s cost them around £13 in total since his arrival.

His continued omission from playing, whilst under contract until 2024, is merely just an absolute waste of money and is burning a massive hole in Nassef Sawiris’ pocket.

The Villans should look to end this Suso catastrophe in the January window.

AND in other news, Relegated in 2016, now worth over 2017: Lerner has been made to look a right fool…

Glasgow Rangers return to Europa League action after cruising to a comfortable win over Ross County in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend when they take on Lech Poznan in Poland on Thursday night.

Rangers have been in such fine form since the start of the season as they remain unbeaten across all competitions, although they will be aware that their actions have consequences, as their performances this season have led to interest in some of their star men, with the winter transfer market set to open in under a month’s time.

George Edmundson, Jordan Jones and Nathan Patterson are currently self-isolating for various reasons, but there’s no doubt that any moves for their best players would be a much more significant dent to their title-winning ambitions than a couple of short-term absentees.

Reports in recent times revealed that Benfica are keeping tabs on Glen Kamara, amid interest from Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle, Sheffield United and Southampton, whilst former Rangers chairman Dave King has claimed that it is essential that the 54-time Scottish champions sell their key players to cover the costs of the pandemic.

The Gers signed Kamara from Dundee FC on a four-year pre-contract deal in 2019, which means that they could, in theory, make a tidy profit if they cash in on the Finnish central midfielder in January, as his market value is estimated at £1.08m, via Transfermarkt.

However, that’s a move that sporting director and board member Ross Wilson must avoid at all costs.

Kamara has been an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s side so far this season as they have stormed to the top of the table and reached the knockout stages of the Europa League.

The Ibrox boss made no secret of his desire to sign another central midfielder in the summer, but the Finland international has cemented his place in the starting line-up, and for very good reason.

Per WhoScored, the 25-year-old has scored one goal in five games in the Europa League, meaning he has been a useful attacking threat, whilst he is averaging 2 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game.

Gerrard could call upon any number of combinations in his absence, as there’s plenty of options in the midfield, including Scott Arfield, Joe Aribo, Steven Davis, Ryan Jack and Bongani Zungu, but given the fact that he has started every single game in the European competition thus far, it just goes to show just how much Gerrard trusts him to get the job done.

Currently, the Gers are on course to regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign based on their performances so far this season. Once hailed as an “excellent” colossus by former Rangers star Neil Murray, Kamara has played a key part in their recent success and it’s fair to say that he is simply irreplaceable, regardless of the financial rewards.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers captain James Tavernier produced a near-perfect performance against Ross County…

Manchester United have been dealt a devastating blow after one of their top transfer targets showed exactly why the Red Devils should have signed him this summer…

What’s the word?

Jack Grealish dazzled on his England debut as Gareth Southgate’s side cruised to a comfortable 3-0 over Wales.

The Aston Villa captain impressed during his long overdue start for the Three Lions, after appearing as a substitute in the previous international break.

Grealish had been tipped to make the move to Old Trafford in the summer, amid interest from Arsenal.

However, the 25-year-old has since committed his future to his boyhood club by signing a new five-year deal, despite plenty of speculation suggesting that he’d be on the move.

Speaking to Sky Sports after Dean Smith’s side beat Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup, Grealish admitted it was a close call.

“Yeah I suppose it was. I had a good season last season, there was interest, but I believe everything happens for a reason and I’ve happened to sign a new contract here, and I’ve got the biggest smile on my face.”

Now, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may regret missing out on the midfielder when he had the chance to sign him in the transfer window.

Missed trick?

This has been brewing for a while now.

After a shaky start to his international career, the playmaker has often divided opinion, but if there’s anyone that can get the best out of an attacking midfielder then it surely has to be Solskjaer instead of Dean Smith, who was a tenacious defender during his playing days.

Grealish has enjoyed great success against United in recent times, having opened the scoring in the 2-2 draw in December last year. He ran riot over the Red Devils, winning eight out of nine ground duels, whilst registering a pass accuracy rating of 91% and taking 59 touches of the ball, as per SofaScore.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown praised his “magnificent” man of the match performance before adding: “The way he wants the ball in every situation, holding it, he is powerful, he has got that quality on the ball.”

Solskjaer has settled for a first-choice front three of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood but the decision to only sign Edinson Cavani and Donny van de Beek in the summer means he is short of options, as Daniel James, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata have struggled to convince their critics.

The £36m-rated Grealish, who can play in the centre or on the left, would have added some much-needed creativity and versatility.

This season, he has played in 3 games in the Premier League, scoring 3 goals and supplying 3 assists, whilst averaging 3 shots, 3.3 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Daniel James has failed to score or supply a single assist and only managed one shot per game, by comparison.

You can’t help but feel like United could live to regret their decision as their transfer window was hit-and-miss, at best.

AND in other news, Rio Ferdinand’s support of Man United’s Edinson Cavani deal is great news for Solskjaer…