Bristol City have made a decision on the future of Sammie Szmodics, with the Championship side agreeing a deal with Peterborough United.
Sunderland suffered a second consecutive failure to gain promotion this year and manager Phil Parkinson has gradually been adding to his squad ahead of the 2020/21 season.
With further transfer activity expected at the Stadium of Light, interest in Szmodics had emerged with the 24-year-old falling out of favour with Bristol City.
Szmodics made a handful of appearances last term whilst spending time during the 2019/20 season on loan with League One side Peterborough, scoring four goals and providing four assists in 10 games (as per Transfermarkt).
It now appears that Sunderland are set to miss out to Darren Ferguson’s side, with a bid in the region of £1m from Posh believed to have been accepted by Bristol City.
Valued at £135,000 by Transfermarkt, Szmodics’ reported transfer fee is a big outlay for Peterborough, especially given the tight salary cap rules introduced in the English Football League this season.
Whether or not Sunderland’s interest in Szmodics was as genuine as reports claimed is only clear to those directly involved in the transfer.
Parkinson will be fully focused on the new season with the Black Cats, who begin their League One campaign against Bristol Rovers on Saturday, and he will need to quickly move on from the unsuccessful pursuit of the 24-year-old.
Do you think Sunderland should have done more to try and sign Szmodics? Let us know your views in the comments section below…
According to The Express, West Ham are eyeing a potential deal for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi this summer, if Sebastien Haller leaves the club.
What’s the word?
Despite arriving for a club-record fee last summer, reports have suggested that Haller could be on his way out of the London Stadium after a difficult debut campaign – the Frenchman has scored just once this calendar year.
Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?
And as per The Express, if Haller does leave, then the Hammers are lining up Batshuayi and Real Madrid marksman Luka Jovic as potential replacements.
The report claims that Haller’s former manager at Eintracht Frankfurt, Niko Kovac, is keen on a reunion with the striker at his new club, AS Monaco.
A GSB disaster
Whilst the Hammers’ reported interest in Jovic is something to get excited about given his goal-scoring pedigree, the same cannot be said for Batshuayi.
The Belgian arrived at Stamford Bridge back in 2016 for a fee in the region of £33m, and there can be absolutely no question that he has not justified that price tag at all.
Despite being on a hefty £90k-a-week wage as well, the 26-year-old has been anything but clinical in front of goal since then. He has scored just 25 times in 77 games for West Ham’s London rivals, whilst the fact he has been shipped out on loan to the likes of Crystal Palace, Valencia and Borussia Dortmund shows just much of a turn his form has taken.
Aside from Paul Merson simply insisting that he is “not good enough”, the late Ray Wilkins even called him a “liability” after a particularly anonymous performance against against Palace. He added: “His movement is almost null and void and when you’re playing in a team like Chelsea, your movement has to be first-class up front.”
The Hammers could do without another well-paid centre-forward who actually contributes very little. And in actual fact, Haller has proven that he is a better striker than Batshuayi this season too. As per Sofascore, the West Ham man averaged 1.4 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game whilst missing six big chances in 32 Premier League games.
On the other hand, Batshuayi played just 16 times in the top-flight, but missed four big chances, and averaged a dismal 0.7 shots, 0.2 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per match. The fact West Ham are supposedly interested in a striker like that just reeks of yet another GSB transfer disaster.
Newcastle United have officially confirmed the signing of Callum Wilson from Championship club Bournemouth.
According to the official website of the Tyneside club, the 28-year old has joined up at St. James’ Park for an undisclosed fee and has signed a deal that will keep him in the northeast until the summer of 2024.
Speaking on the capture of Wilson, Steve Bruce has said: “I’m grateful the club has made it happen. Lee Charnley and those behind the scenes deserve a lot of credit.”
Indeed, the managing director of the Magpies was one of several people apparently instrumental in the signing of Wilson, who was not short of suitors as Dean Smith’s Aston Villa reportedly had a bid of their own rejected for the English international just a few days ago.
Nonetheless, this is a good bit of business from all of the parties involved in the deal. Wilson is somewhat of a goal-machine when glancing upon his statistics from his career thus far.
In 250 games across club level and England’s under-21 and senior teams, the striker has scored a relatively impressive 92 goals, as per Transfermarkt, meaning that he finds the back of the net every two to three matches on average.
The goal threat that Wilson carries may be vital for the Magpies going into the new season, as Newcastle fans will be hoping that the centre-forward can hit the ground running straight away.
Supporters may be able to see the Englishman for the first time in the famous black-and-white stripes at 3pm on Saturday as they kick off the new Premier League season away at David Moyes’ West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Geordies, are you happy with Wilson’s signing? Comment below with your views!
Arsenal’s transfer plans seem likely to revolve around whether or not Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is going to stay at the club or not.
The Gabon international is in the final year of his contract at the Emirates, and if he doesn’t put pen to paper on a new deal, the Gunners will have to start looking at alternate attacking options.
Luckily, recent reports indicate that the London club already have a contingency plan in place for if they do lose their top scorer.
What’s the story then?
Le10 Sport are claiming that Arsenal have a number of attacking options on their watchlist for if Aubameyang leaves, and one man they’re looking at is Memphis Depay.
The Dutch attacker has been plying his trade over in France for the past few years with Lyon, and if he can bring that sort of form over to England he could be a real coup.
Arsenal’s Salah
It would be very easy for any Gunners supporter to turn their nose up at the idea of signing Depay after his lacklustre spell with Manchester United in the Premier League.
However, the old adage is ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’ for a reason, and Depay has more than proven he has bags of talent during his time at PSV and Lyon.
The 26-year-old won an Eredivisie Golden Boot at PSV, and this season he’s netted 14 goals in 18 appearances for Lyon across Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
For some players, their first stint in the Premier League just doesn’t go to plan, just look at Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne’s stints at Chelsea where they couldn’t buy a start or a goal.
Since returning to the league for both Liverpool and Man City respectively, they’ve gone on to arguably be two of the best players the division has ever seen with Salah breaking the record for goals in a 38-game season and De Bruyne on the brink of breaking the assists record.
If Depay can showcase his talents this time around he could be a real star for the Gunners.
Tottenham Hotspur and Philippe Coutinho. It’s the rumour that seems to surface every single summer and with the transfer window back open for business, it’s happening again – but maybe it’s time for the club to actually consider the playmaker?
What’s the word?
According to Spanish outlet Sport, the Brazilian has three offers on the table, one of which is from Spurs as his agent, Kia Joorabchian, tries to negotiate his exit from Barcelona.
The other teams keen are arch-rivals Arsenal and Leicester City – but Jose Mourinho and Brendan Rodgers hold the keys having qualified for the Europa League next season.
Coutinho could leave the La Liga outfit permanently but a loan deal with an option to buy isn’t off the cards either.
A true no. 10
It’s an interesting conundrum to consider for Mourinho as on the face of it, an attacking midfielder isn’t really required but despite showing flashes this season, Giovani Lo Celso has a long way to go until he can fill Christian Eriksen’s boots.
Per WhoScored, Coutinho has provided eight goals and six assists whilst also averaging 2.5 shots, 1.4 dribbles and 1.3 key passes per game for his loan club Bayern Munich as they won the Bundesliga once again.
These figures are leagues ahead of the Spurs man, who has managed a mere two assists all campaign as well as just 1.1 dribbles, 1 key pass and 0.6 shots per appearance.
Coutinho is likely to cost a total of €20m (£18m) for a season, which is a fraction of the €60m (£55m) Spurs paid Betis for the Argentine playmaker.
The former Liverpool man is a true number ten and that’s something Mourinho is lacking – there’s also Dele Alli but he’s struggled to feature much since the Portuguese’s appointment in November.
AND in other news, Spurs swoop for Mourinho target could spell trouble for Lamela…
With the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League’s top-ten, it’s no surprise to see Tottenham being linked with a whole host of centre-backs ahead of the summer transfer window.
The futures of the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth are also very much up in the air, so a new central defender is likely to be even more of a major priority for Jose Mourinho’s side.
And according to The Daily Telegraph, the Lilywhites are looking at Sevilla powerhouse Diego Carlos.
Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…
The report claims that whilst Spurs are involved in the race to sign Beijing Guoan defender Kim Min-jae, Carlos is another viable alternative for them. However, the one main sticking point behind doing a deal for the Brazilian, is his asking price, with Sevilla reportedly wanting in excess of £35m to part ways with the 6 foot ace.
After hearing about their links to Carlos, Spurs fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions.
A few fans insisted that Daniel Levy simply wouldn’t be willing to shell out to sign someone like Carlos, and with that reported £35m asking price, it’s clear to see why.
Another Spurs fan in particular questioned why the club just didn’t go for a more proven and elite option like Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly.
Part of a Sevilla side currently lying in fourth place in La Liga and well in the fight for Champions League football next season, Carlos has been one of the standout performers.
The 27-year-old has featured in all but two of Sevilla’s league games this season, and boasts some pretty impressive defensive and passing stats when compared to someone like Toby Alderweireld.
As per Sofascore, he wins more total duels (4.1), averages a better passing accuracy (84%), and has committed no errors that have either led to a shot or goal this season, unlike Alderweireld who has made two.
Spurs have got plenty of options to decide over, but Carlos is playing in a side competing with the big boys in Spain, and seems to be more than holding his own.
With Amanda Staveley on the brink of brokering a deal for a Saudi-led consortium to buy Newcastle United from Mike Ashley, speculation over their summer priorities has been rife.
After years of Premier League preservation being the club’s primary goal, the Magpies are now being linked with a host of names as they seek to climb the table.
Currently sat 13, Steve Bruce has done a commendable job in keeping his goal-shy side closer to mid-table than to the bottom, but it appears that he, like many of his players, could be looking at the exit door.
On the incoming side of things, the club are said to be interested in players from across Europe of all positions and given their potential financial situation, they are one of a small group of clubs not expected to be impacted by the global economic situation.
Here, we look at five players the North East side should look to target this summer.
Odsonne Edouard
Soccer Football – Europa League Play Off First Leg – Celtic v AIK – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Britain – August 22, 2019 Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
A player that has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs of late, Odsonne Edouard has had an outstanding season with Celtic this term.
Bagging 22 goals from 27 league starts, the 22-year-old has stepped up this term and could offer the perfect option for Newcastle.
Joelinton has managed just one goal this term and while he can still play a valuable role, it makes sense to add a goalscorer to the squad.
According to the Daily Record, the Magpies could seal a deal for around £25m plus add-ons, in a move that could provide good value for all parties.
Dean Henderson
Having conceded just 22 goals so far this league season, Dean Henderson has been one of the form goalkeepers.
On loan at Sheffield United from Manchester United, he earned his first England call-up and will surely be looking for regular game time at Old Trafford or a permanent move away.
With David De Gea currently in possession of the number one jersey at United, Newcastle could offer an exciting opportunity for a young and ambitious player like Henderson.
Martin Dubravka has been an ever-present this term, but at 31 years of age, the club could well look to upgrade with the 23-year-old.
Wilfried Zaha
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Linked with a move to Arsenal and Everton last summer, Wilfried Zaha could finally be set to get his move away from Selhurst Park.
According to The Sun, Zaha is valued at around £60m by Crystal Palace and is very much on the radar of Newcastle, who The Sun claim could spend up to £300m this summer.
An academy graduate at Palace, Zaha had a brief spell at Old Trafford before returning and appears keen to test himself at the top level.
With Newcastle said to be very ambitious it is a deal that makes plenty of sense and even though the Ivory Coast international is having his worst goalscoring season since 2015/16, his proven quality at Premier League level makes him an obvious target and upgrade on their current options.
Houssem Aouar
One of the most sought after midfielders in Europe, Houssem Aouar has emerged as a target for Newcastle according to reports in France.
Reportedly valued at around £45m, Newcastle are to be keen on the player who is said to be a target for Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United.
An outstanding dribbler and passer, Aouar is averaging 2.6 dribbles, one key pass and 42.1 accurate passes per match in a struggling Lyon side this term, while he has also scored three and assisted four goals in Ligue 1 so far.
Aged 21, he is the perfect profile for a club looking to build to the future and offers an upgrade on the likes of Isaac Hayden and Jonjo Shelvey.
Kalidou Koulibaly
In what would be a fantastic coup for the club, Newcastle are being linked with a move for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly according to reports in Italy.
The club are reportedly in pole position to sign the 28-year-old due to the financial toll borne by the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, who had been linked with the Senegal international.
Averaging 58 completed passes per match as well as 2.6 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 2.8 clearances, Koulibaly is rated by many as one of the best defenders in Europe and is said to be keen on a move away.
However, with Newcastle potentially one of the few sides that can afford his wages and transfer fee, it may be a choice between staying in Naples or moving to the North East.
If and when Newcastle’s proposed takeover goes through, Steve Bruce’s future at the club promises to be one of the main topics for discussion.
The current Magpies boss took on the difficult task of trying to replace fans favourite Rafa Benitez, and to his credit, has ensured the Tyneside club are well clear of the relegation zone – in fact, at the time that all football was postponed, they were just two wins behind eight-placed Tottenham.
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Now, The Sun claim that Newcastle’s players are very keen on seeing Bruce stay at St James’ Park, and that he remains very popular among his squad “who are determined to prove to the new owners that he should be kept on beyond this season”.
After hearing about the update on Bruce’s future, Newcastle fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.
One Newcastle fan simply suggested that as well as getting rid of Bruce, the Magpies should get rid of the entire playing squad too.
Whilst Bruce has done a fine job in the circumstances, surely Newcastle won’t turn down the opportunity to potentially bring in someone like Mauricio Pochettino?
The ex-Spurs manager is of course available following his sacking from the Lilywhites earlier this season, and based on the work he has done in rebuilding the likes of Southampton and Spurs in the Premier League, he appears to be the perfect fit for Newcastle.
It remains to be seen how things pans out.
Meanwhile, Newcastle fans react to Craig Hope’s update on the future of this ace.
Wolverhampton Wanderers must consider signing Mohammed Salisu after transfer news emerged from El Desmarque that they are one of a high number of clubs interested in signing the Real Valladolid central defender in the upcoming summer transfer window.
As per the outlet, Southampton and Watford, amongst other teams outside of the Premier League, have all courted Salisu and may be looking to pounce for his signature once the window opens.
Indeed, the centre-back is valued at 11 million euros (roughly £9.9 million) and has made an appearance in every game in La Liga in this season so far, according to Transfermarkt.
In those matches, the left-footed centre-half wins 4.5 duels on average, and also averages five clearances, 1.4 tackles and 1.1 interceptions, keeping a total of seven clean sheets (via Sofascore).
Given those relatively impressive stats and the fact that he is left-footed, Salisu could arguably slot in nicely as the left-sided man of Nuno Espirito Santo’s back three.
It is a position that Romain Saiss has had to fill in Transfermarkt).
If Salisu plays on the left side, then captain Conor Coady can play in the middle of the three central defenders and Willy Boly can play on the right given that he is right-footed.
At a potentially bargain price, and given also the apparent competition for his signature, Wolves should at least consider the Ghanaian as a possible swoop.
WWFC fans, do you think Salisu would be a good signing? Comment below!
What proved to certainly be a fruitful move for Kyle Walker has turned out to be problematic for Tottenham Hotspur across their backline.
The right-back departed the club back in 2017 for a sum of £45million after Mauricio Pochettino decided to cash in, and the Englishman has certainly reaped the rewards of the transfer. Since his arrival at the Etihad, Walker has enjoyed tremendous achievements, including two Premier League titles and an FA Cup win.
However, it hasn’t been rosy for both parties. Since the 29-year-old left London, Spurs have increasingly let in more goals as they struggle to plug the defensive leak. In Walker’s final season with the club, Tottenham finished second in the Premier League and conceded just 26 goals, less than champions Chelsea and the lowest amount in the entire league.
But following his departure, defensive issues presented themselves and each campaign since Walker’s absence has seen Spurs let in more and more goals. The 2017/18 season – the first without their right-back – saw Spurs concede 36 goals, followed by 39 goals in 2018/19 and their worst yet this campaign having already let in 40 goals.
Despite veteran internationals Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, as well as replacement right-back Serge Aurier, Spurs can’t seem to stop leaking goals. Meanwhile, Walker has contributed to Man City’s extremely low tally of conceded goals since he joined, including their +72 goal difference last season after conceding just 23 times.
Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?
In fact, City’s No.2 has registered an average pass rate of 88.9% which is much higher than his usurper Aurier (78.3%). Walker also averages more passes per match (67.5) than the Ivorian (37.7) – (via WhoScored).
Although Tottenham made a tidy £39m profit on the Sheffield-born ace, the repercussions have been costly with the London side struggling to get near the second-place finish they managed in 2017. They are currently having a torrid season, sitting eighth in the league table, just two points ahead of Burnley and Crystal Palace.