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Wolves head coach Bruno Lage has told winger Adama Traore to take the next chance presented to him after Hwang Hee-chan scored twice in the 2-1 win over Newcastle United on Saturday.

The Lowdown: Contract stalemate

Traore has been at the club since he moved from Middlesbrough in 2018 and he has scored only 10 goals in 140 appearances for the Wanderers, setting up 18 in the same period.

The Spain international’s contract runs out in the summer of 2023 and was previously linked with a move away from Molineux in the last transfer window, but nothing materialised and he duly stayed put.

In Wolves’ 2-1 win over Newcastle, Hwang started ahead of Traore and scored twice, whilst Traore only came on in injury time despite being a key figure in Lage’s opening games in charge.

The Latest: Lage sends defiant message

Speaking after yesterday’s 2-1 win over Newcastle [via Birmingham Mail], Lage sent a message to his winger after leaving him out of the starting line-up.

“This is football,” said the Wolves boss. “This is our job, we don’t have easy decisions. It’s good for me to say, now you can understand better why I chose Joao (Moutinho) and Leander (Dendoncker) for the Southampton again and Ruben (Neves) and Joao for this game, why I choose Adama for some games and not other games.

“It’s not about Adama, it’s about all the players. I think, first of all, they need to understand my way to work, but also the man they have in front of them.

“I never lie to them, I’m here to help, to take the best from them and they need to continue to work. You can imagine one player stands on the bench and the other guy goes inside and scores two goals to help the team. When you have your chances, you need to go inside (and help the team).”

The Verdict: Traore has to prove his worth

Traore, especially under Nuno Espirito Santo, was one name always on the team sheet on a consistent basis. However, Lage has made a bold call to not include him in the starting line-up in the previous two games and has duly been rewarded with six points.

The Spain winger’s future at the club remains uncertain and a move elsewhere could be on the cards, but sitting on the bench and only playing for a few minutes here and there won’t do him or the club any good if selling him is their intention.

Labelled ‘undefendable’ by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp in the past, Traore’s power and pace has caused problems for many Premier League defenders, and he will want to continue to do so this season.

In other news, many Wolves fans were buzzing with this man’s performance. Find out more here.

According to RMC Sport, Marseille chiefs have been left angry with defender Duje Caleta-Car after he refused to join West Ham United or Wolverhampton Wanderers before the deadline.

The Lowdown: West Ham summer completed…

As the Irons have completed their summer business, it’s safe to say most supporters will be fairly happy with the outcome given they had just Alphonse Areola to show for a majority of the window.

In the end, manager David Moyes came out with Aroela, centre-back Kurt Zouma, midfielder Alex Kral and attacker Nikola Vlasic – with only the lack of another striker being a sour point.

The central defensive area was a big topic for much of the window, and before West Ham landed Zouma, they were apparently in the mix to land Caleta-Car from Marseille.

The Latest: Marseille chiefs angry with Caleta-Car…

As per RMC Sport, chiefs at the Ligue 1 giants are angry with Caleta-Car after he refused to join West Ham a few weeks ago, or Wolves before the deadline.

Marseille apparently needed to ‘lift some of the constraints’ weighing on the club in this transfer market and were desperate to find a solution to sell the player.

Valencia came forward in the last minute but to no avail, with the 24-year-old now set to stay at the Stade Vélodrome in January.

The Verdict: Blessing in disguise?

Despite Caleta-Car having perks of his own, standing at a colossal 6 foot 4 and possessing the physicality for Premier League football, Zouma stands out as the better option.

The latter man has a wealth of experience both in Europe and the English top-flight – all while being a calm and composed option at the back for West Ham.

He averaged an impressive 90.9% pass accuracy out from the back over 22 league starts for Chelsea last season and even pitched in with five goals going forward (WhoScored).

Missing out on the £22.5 million-valued Caleta-Car could actually come as a blessing in disguise.

In other news: ‘Yayyyy’, ‘Ooooo’, ‘Actually mental’…West Ham fans rave over ‘fantastic news’, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to hand midfielder Oliver Skipp an improved contract deal, according to The Scottish Sun.

The Lowdown: Developing well

The 21-year-old has been a near ever-present figure in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side this season after breaking into the squad off the back of a successful loan spell in the Championship with Norwich City.

After making his senior debut in a 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over West Ham United in October 2018, Skipp has made 29 appearances for the club and has started four of Spurs’ opening five league games.

Despite only signing a four-year contract extension last summer, the £25,000-per-week midfielder could be set to land another new deal.

The Latest: New deal on the table

According to The Scottish Sun, Tottenham want to reward Skipp for emerging as a first team regular by increasing his wages to between £35,000 and £40,000 per week.

Norwich’s move for a permanent deal never happened due to Spurs’ high regard for the midfielder and the club were willing to listen to offers for Harry Winks due to the 21-year-old’s emergence.

The report claimed that the deal would run until 2025, when Skipp will be 25 years of age.

The Verdict: Skipp on the rise for Spurs

Skipp didn’t start in Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea and the midfield battle was easily won by Thomas Tuchel’s side without his presence.

Labelled ‘perfect’ by Norwich manager Daniel Farke last season, Skipp’s early season performances have had many Spurs fans praising the academy graduate. He has completed 35.8 (89%) of his passes per game and had formed a good partnership with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the club’s opening few games.

With Skipp being a constant figure in the England under-21 squad, his aspirations will be to make the step up to Gareth Southgate’s squad, and he will need to be playing weekly in the Premier League to attract the interest of the England boss.

A new contract and renewed trust handed to him by Spurs should go some way towards helping him in that aim.

In other news, some Tottenham fans have erupted over the official FIFA 22 rankings for their players. Find out more here.

Rangers ‘have made Everton aware’ of what kind of bid for Nathan Patterson would be taken seriously, according to The 4th Official. 

The lowdown

The Mirror’s John Cross reported on Sunday afternoon that the Toffees had tabled a £5m offer for the right-back.

Recruiting cover and competition for Seamus Coleman in that position is thought to be the club’s main focus ahead of next week’s transfer deadline.

Patterson made five Scottish Premiership appearances for Steven Gerrard’s side last season and racked up a further four outings in the Europa League (via WhoScored). Scotland manager Steve Clarke was so impressed that he called up the 19-year-old for the European Championship earlier in the summer.

The teenager still has three years to run on his deal with the Gers, having agreed fresh terms as recently as January (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

According to The 4th Official, Rangers are said to be ‘confident’ in their stance and have communicated their demands to Everton.

It would apparently take a ‘really significant outlay’ to bring him to Merseyside, and The 4th Official claimed that the £5m figure initially reported is ‘a bit misleading’; the Blues actually offered £4.2m up front.

The verdict

This would be a shrewd addition for Everton. Patterson would probably only feature sporadically at first given Coleman’s long-standing status as a regular but the Irishman would progressively be phased out for his long-term successor.

Rangers, for their part, probably have a similar plan in mind, with first-choice right-back James Tavernier turning 30 in October.

How high should Everton be willing to go on a fee? Another couple of million would be reasonable, but with the transfer deadline now approaching, they should walk away swiftly if the gap in the clubs’ respective valuations seems insurmountable.

In other news, many Everton fans were left fuming over this transfer news.

An update has emerged on reported Leeds United transfer target Matheus Cunha regarding Hertha Berlin’s valuation of the Brazilian.

What’s the talk?

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, via Sport Witness, Leeds have a concrete interest in Hertha Berlin attacking midfielder Matheus Cunha heading into the final few weeks of the window.

The report claimed that £21m (€25m) would be enough to tempt the Bundesliga club to part ways with the Brazilian, with AS Monaco and Zenit St Petersburg also hot on his trail.

Get it done

Victor Orta must sanction a deal to bring Cunha to Elland Road before the end of the transfer window. The midfield maestro could be a terrific addition to the squad and significantly strengthen Marcelo Bielsa’s attacking options.

Firstly, his versatility could be a useful asset to the Argentine coach. He played in a plethora of positions for Hertha in the Bundesliga last season, filling in six separate roles – including on the wing, through the middle as a striker, in the number 10 position and as a central midfielder. This means that Bielsa could use him in a variety of ways and would not be limited in what he could do with him in the Premier League.

Secondly, Cunha has proven that he has the quality to make an impact in the final third at the top level. The forward provided seven goals and four assists in 25 league starts last term, having managed five goals and nine starts in the previous campaign. This suggests that he could arrive in England and be a reliable option for Bielsa in attack.

Only three Leeds players scored more goals than him in the 2020/21 campaign, whilst no-one from the Whites was able to match Cunha’s sublime average WhoScored rating of 7.33. Therefore, he could improve their current squad and add some extra quality in the wide and central attacking roles.

He also comes highly recommended. Last year, former Hertha head coach Bruno Labbadia lauded the attacker and claimed that he is capable of “individual brilliance”. He said: “Matheus has something special. He can always produce something with a moment of individual brilliance.”

At the age of 22, the midfielder also has plenty of growth left in him. He could be a player who Bielsa is able to develop on the training ground to increase his value, which is why picking him up now for £21m could be a shrewd piece of business from the financial side over the long run whilst also improving the playing squad immediately.

AND in other news, Orta must avoid £45m Leeds blunder over “unplayable” beast, fans would be livid…

Derby County midfielder Graeme Shinnie could be heading for an exit from Pride Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the East Anglia Daily Times, who claim that Ipswich Town have turned their attention towards the 30-year-old in the summer transfer window, after the League One side missed out on the signing of Luton Town midfielder Joe Morrel.

The report goes on to state that the Scotland international is entering the final year of his contract at Derby, as well as mentioning the fact that the Rams are currently operating under an EFL transfer embargo as a result of their dire financial situation, suggesting that Mel Morris could be tempted to cash in on the player if a reasonable bid is submitted.

Grave error

While it is indeed true that Derby are in rather desperate need of funds this summer, it is not a difficult argument to make that cashing in on the supporters’ Player of the Season would be a grave error by the Rams’ chairman.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances last time out, the £1.62m-rated man scored three goals, registered one assist and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes and taking 0.9 shots per game.

The midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, 1.2 clearances and winning 5.6 duels per match.

These returns saw the man Derek McInnes dubbed an “excellent” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.98, ranking him as Wayne Rooney’s fifth-best player in the second tier of English football.

As such, considering the already limited squad with which the 35-year-old manager is operating this season, Morris sanctioning the sale of one of his most consistent performers ahead of what is sure to be a challenging and arduous Championship campaign would undoubtedly leave Rooney, as well as fans of the club, rightly fuming.

In other news: Derby County plotting swoop for “outstanding” £25k-p/w beast, Rooney would love him

A number of Liverpool supporters after fuming after a fresh update claimed any new Reds signings will likely be put off until next year.

Jurgen Klopp’s side scraped to a third-place finish in the Premier League last season, despite constant injury problems holding them back.

The hope from some fans was therefore that Liverpool would have a busy summer in the transfer market to alleviate that issue, but things haven’t panned out that way to date.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Ibrahima Konate is still the only signing to come in, while the likes of Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri have moved on to new clubs.

There is still time for new faces to arrive before next Tuesday’s transfer cutoff, but The Daily Mail [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter] claim that signings won’t happen until next summer now, even though David Marshall and Mikkel Damsgaard are mentioned in the report.

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Liverpool fans angry at transfer latest

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their frustration at the update.

“Ian Ayre is back”

Credit: @DembeReloaded

“Nextyearpool at it again”

Credit: @DarthMoaner

“That magic ‘next year/summer’ phrase again”

Credit: @LangatGodwin_LG

“Mbappe to David Marshall doesn’t feel like the flex I was hoping for”

Credit: @PaulSenior1

“If I had a pound for every time I heard that Liverpool would spend bigger NEXT summer, I would have enough money to make the signings myself”

Credit: @CosmoKhan

“I hate this club”

Credit: @nasir_l

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at an update ahead of the Premier League clash with Chelsea. Read more here.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Nuno Espirito Santo will be frustrated in his efforts to sign two transfer targets after a falling out between the north Londoners and Southampton, according to Evening Standard journalist Jack Rosser.

Nuno has yet to complete his first signing since being named as Jose Mourinho’s successor last month.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss is keen to improve his options ahead of the new Premier League season and Southampton duo Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard are on his wishlist.

Nuno wants top target Ings – who rejected a new Saints contract earlier this month – to join and play alongside star striker Harry Kane, while Spurs are looking to do a deal for Vestergaard after the Denmark international defender entered the final 12 months of his £60,000-per-week contract.

But it appears Nuno may be unable to welcome either of the Saints stars due to a feud between the south coast club and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy which relates to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s switch to north London from St Mary’s last summer.

Rosser feels Nuno may have to turn his attentions elsewhere.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “Spurs have got a problem because Saints don’t really like them at the moment.

“They are very assertively saying they don’t want to do business with Tottenham after their dealings with them over Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, so that’s a problem for Ings and Vestergaard.”

A journalist has dropped a definitive blow to Everton hopes of signing Denzel Dumfries.

The Lowdown: Dumfries linked

There have been various reports over the last few weeks linking Dumfries with a move to Goodison Park.

Bild (via Sport Witness) claimed that they were among the ‘hottest contenders’ to sign the PSV ace in the summer window, as they look to try and find a long-term replacement for the ageing Seamus Coleman.

The Latest: Dumfries blow

Speaking at De Oranjezomer of Veronica Inside (via Voetbal Primeur), De Telegraaf football journalist Valentijn Driessen has claimed that Dumfries is set to join Inter Milan, even though the Toffees ‘had the best papers’:

“Everton simply had the best papers. Only you have to have money to get someone. And Raiola is of course close with Inter.

From what I understood, Dumfries would now be on his way to Inter with Raiola. As we speak, Inter has the best papers to bring him in. They sold Achraf Hakimi, so they’re really looking for a right back. That’s a bit of the same type.”

The Verdict: Shame

It is a real shame that the Blues look set to miss out on signing Dumfries, as he could have turned out to be a real asset for them.

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The Netherlands international caught the eye at Euro 2020, scoring two goals in the group stages from right-back (Sofascore).

He showed his attacking exploits at club level in the 2020/21 season too, scoring four times and making a further nine assists in 41 matches in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

At 25 years of age, Dumfries has still not reached his peak yet, and given that he is already the captain of PSV, he could have been the perfect ready-made replacement for Coleman once his time at EFC comes to an end.

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano transfer update has Evertonians fuming here!

Many Southampton fans want to sign Matthew Hoppe this summer after the Saints were linked with a move for the American starlet.

The Saints were hit by a bombshell earlier in this transfer window when Danny Ings turned down a new four-year contract at the club (Sky Sports). As such, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side may be on the lookout for a new striker this summer.

According to 90min.de, that man could be Schalke 04’s Hoppe. The Gelsenkirchen club had one of the worst seasons in their history last time out as they were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga and won just three league games (Sky Sports), but 20-year-old Hoppe was one of their few bright sparks as he netted six times in 22 Bundesliga matches (Transfermarkt).

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. These Southampton fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with one hailing the American’s “insane potential”.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Hoppe

“Please, I would love an American Saint. Plus we all know how badly the last transfer rumour about an American from Schalke hurt us.”

Credit: @Ingsanity

“Nice”

Credit: @StarksJosh

“He has insane potential”

Credit: @saints_josh2

“He has a lot of potential. I hope this is as well as Armstrong rather than instead of though.”

Credit: @JordanPoole13

“If we get both him and Armstrong I don’t see why not. Especially if Obafemi and Ndlundulu go out on loan and Long moves on. Won’t hurt to have a little depth.”

Credit: @ArmondDeBeste

“he’d be a good fit for Ralph’s system and v cheap. like a young Gabbi, but puts in a shift pressing”

Credit: @yourboyandy8

In other news, many Southampton fans loved this club reveal.