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Yorkshire Live journalist Dom Howson has delivered an update on Lee Gregory’s future at Sheffield Wednesday during a fan Q&A session.

The Lowdown: Gregory’s debut season

The 33-year-old first made the switch to League One when he joined the Owls in a permanent move from Championship side Stoke City last summer, where he has become a regular feature in Darren Moore’s starting XI in his debut season at Hillsborough, racking up 39 appearances across all competitions.

When the striker put pen to paper on arrival, his contract was set to run until 2023, so with just 12 months now remaining on his current deal, the club will no doubt be sweating over his future after such a successful campaign.

The Latest: Howson drops Gregory update

In a fan Q&A session for Yorkshire Live, Howson was asked by a supporter whether Sheffield Wednesday are in negotiations over a new agreement for Gregory, confirming there are no talks yet but they will be in the pipeline:

“Not sure talks have taken place yet with Gregory but I am sure that is one Wednesday will be looking to sort out sooner rather than later. Gregory was superb in his first year at the club.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The former Potters star was a standout performer for the Owls during his opening campaign in the third-tier, so it wouldn’t come as any surprise to see the club wanting to extend his stay for as long as possible.

Throughout the 2021/22 term, the forward, who was once hailed an “instrumental” player by former Millwall teammate Tom Bradshaw, scored an outstanding 16 goals and provided six assists in League One, as per Transfermarkt, and was a pivotal figure in helping his side reach the play-offs.

Looking ahead to next season, Gregory will be pivotal if the club manage to go all the way and seal promotion to the Championship, so this update that talks are due is certainly an exciting one.

In other news… Sheffield Wednesday are reportedly closing in on the signing of a new defender.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, with the 24-year-old having been heavily linked with a move away from north London this summer, Fabio Paratici will be demanding a figure in the region of €30m (£26m) in order for him to sanction the sale of the Netherlands international.

The transfer insider went on to state that Ajax are currently working on a deal with Tottenham but are yet to come to an agreement, while a number of other clubs are also believed to be keeping a very close eye on the situation of the winger ahead of a potential move of their own in the coming weeks.

In his tweet, Romano said: “Tottenham want around €30m to let Steven Bergwijn leave this summer. Ajax are working on it with an official proposal, still waiting to reach an agreement with Spurs. There are many clubs interested in Bergwijn – but Ajax are on it since January.”

Supporters will be buzzing

While it undeniable that Bergwijn is an incredibly talented player, considering just how little Antonio Conte has utilised the former PSV Eindhoven starlet since his arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last November, Romano’s claim that Spurs could receive as a much as £26m from the forward’s sale this summer is sure to have left supporters buzzing.

Indeed, of the 20 Premier League games in which the £16.2m-rated talent featured under the management of the 52-year-old, the 24-year-old was handed a start just once – playing a total of 275 minutes of league football for the Italian.

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Despite this lack of game time, the £73k-per-week winger still managed to catch the eye, scoring three goals over his aforementioned 20 league appearances for Conte – an average of one every 92 minutes – as well as bagging a further goal and assist over his three outings in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

However, with the joint Premier League Golden Boot winner, Son Heung-min, ahead of him in the manager’s left-wing pecking order, unfortunately for Bergwijn, his route to regular first-team minutes was very much blocked by the South Korean sensation – something that looks unlikely to change heading into 2022/23.

As such, it would appear that a parting of the ways this summer would best suit the player and the club, with the flying Dutchman undoubtedly looking forward to the prospect of becoming an important player for his new side, while Fabio Paratici will certainly welcome an additional £26m to his budget in the transfer market.

AND in other news: Conte could land the next Alba as Spurs now eye £15m “monster” who can “run all night”

Aston Villa are expected to sign Rangers teenager Rory Wilson in the coming weeks, according to The Athletic. 

The Lowdown: Finally!

Wilson, a 16-year-old striker labelled as ‘clinical’ by Brian McLaughlin, has been on Villa’s radar for some time.

Villa were linked with the forward at the end of March and again at the beginning of May, with reports suggesting that Gerrard wanted Villa to pip Liverpool in the race for Wilson’s services.

It looks as if the Villa manager is finally set to get his way when it comes to the teenager regarded as one of the best young players in the United Kingdom.

The Latest: Set to leave Ibrox

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell provided a Rangers transfer update on Friday, looking at the club’s summer plans.

When it came to youngsters at Ibrox, Campbell stated that Wilson ‘is expected to leave for Aston Villa in the coming weeks’.

The Verdict: Shrewd move

Wilson appears to be a future star and has already been snapped up by Adidas in a boot deal and CAA Base agency, who represent the likes of Heung-min Son and Raphael Varane.

You’d expect that the striker, who scored more than 40 goals at youth level last season, will go into the club’s academy ranks to start with. However, it wouldn’t come as a shock if the Scot impresses at Bodymoor Heath, which could see him make the odd first-team match-day squad from time to time, as we saw with Tim Iroegbunam last season.

In other news: Sky Sports man now drops ‘crazy’ Luis Suarez to AVFC claim after what he’s heard from Villa Park. 

Aston Villa are set to back away from a move for Bologna defender Aaron Hickey, according to the latest rumours.

What’s the word?

As per The Athletic, the Scotland teenager had been a target for the Midlands outfit, although the club have since ‘cooled’ their interest owing to the player’s reported £20m price tag.

The report suggests that Villa are in the market for a new left-sided defender, despite having signed Lucas Digne in January, with Steven Gerrard eyeing a ‘young and progressive’ deputy to the £25m Frenchman.

Sporting director Johan Lange is now set to scour the continent for another possible target, while as for Hickey, the 19-year-old is rumoured to be of interest to fellow Premier League outfit, Arsenal.

The next Lahm?

With the aforementioned Digne on one side and Matty Cash on the other, Gerrard appears well-stocked at present in his full-back ranks, although the addition of the former Hearts starlet would have provided genuine competition and cover, with the £13.5m-rated gem seemingly comfortable on either flank.

The Glasgow-born ace has caught the attention of clubs across Europe in recent times, having made the bold decision to move to Italy at the age of just 18, going on to make 48 appearances for the Serie A outfit over the last two seasons.

Having been eased in during his debut campaign, the 2021/22 season proved a real breakthrough term for the three-cap star, as he went on to score five goals and register one assist in his 36 league outings – 34 of which had come as starts.

The “special talent” – as he has previously been dubbed by former Hearts boss Daniel Stendel – has thrived for his current side of late, with such form even seeing him handed a surprise start in the recent 2-0 defeat for Steve Clarke’s Scotland side in the crucial playoff clash against Ukraine.

Although he struggled on the night – earning a dismal rating of 4/10 from journalist Matt Atkinson – the expectation is that he will go on to remain a regular for his country in the coming years, having been tipped for big things by those who have worked closely with him.

The aforementioned Stendel, in particular, seemingly has a real fondness for the youngster’s talents, once insisting that he is “like Philipp Lahm” amid rumours of a potential move to Bayern Munich.

That is high praise indeed to compare him to the World Cup-winning German legend, with now-retired full-back having claimed almost every prize going in the game, while racking up a remarkable 516 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit during his 15-year senior career.

Dubbed “one of the most intelligent” players in the game by Pep Guardiola, Lahm was also able to convert into a holding midfielder during the Manchester City boss’ time in Germany, with his adaptability and quality making him one of the finest players of his era.

Like the 38-year-old, young Hickey can also be deployed in a midfield role, with his versatility making him a real asset were he to be signed by any side this summer.

At present, it looks like Gerrard and co are nearing almighty mistake if they are to let the wonderkid escape their grasp.

IN other news, Gerrard can land AVFC’s next Southgate with move for “outstanding” £120k-p/w warrior

Manchester United and Arsenal have emerged as suitors for Leeds United winger Raphinha this summer, according to journalist Gianluigi Longari.

The Lowdown: Homage to Catalonia?

The Whites preserved their Premier League status after winning 2-1 away to Brentford last weekend, on what was a huge day for the club.

Raphinha did his more than his fair share throughout the campaign, leading Leeds’ scoring charts with 11 league goals and firing home a vital penalty in the aforementioned victory over the Bees.

It is widely expected that the 25-year-old will depart for Spain this summer, however, having reached a natural conclusion at Elland Road and with Barcelona eyeing up a move.

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The Latest: MUFC and Arsenal twist

Taking to Twitter late on Wednesday night, Longari claimed that Manchester United and Arsenal could throw a twist into the battle to sign the Brazilian:

“Raphinha first offer rejected by #Leeds. Barca have priority but watch out for the Premier (#Arsenal and #Mufc).”

The Verdict: Barca or nothing?

It is wholly understandable why a move to Barca would appeal to Raphinha, with some of his country’s greatest-ever players representing the club, whether it be Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or Romario.

It would be hard to begrudge him a switch to the Catalan giants then, but it is tough to see him heading to United or Arsenal, especially with the former being Leeds’ bitter rivals.

Meanwhile, the Gunners failed to qualify for the Champions League in 2022/23, so Raphinha is unlikely to leave a club he loves only to be plying his trade in the Europa League next season.

Moving to Barca still feels likely but if that doesn’t materialise it could give Jesse Marsch hope of keeping hold of one of his star men.

In other news, a transfer expert has talked up a Leeds signing happening this summer. Read more here.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is subject to interest from Bayern Munich, according to a report from The Telegraph. 

The lowdown: Difficult season

Rashford endured a tough 2021/22 campaign and finished the season with just seven direct goal contributions in 32 appearances across all competitions.

As a result, the 24-year-old has been left out of Gareth Southgate’s most recent England squad and will miss the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches for the Three Lions.

With Erik ten Hag officially starting at United this week, one of the Dutchman’s first orders of business could be to address the future of Rashford at Old Trafford…

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The latest: Bayern interested in Rashford

As per The Telegraph, Bayern are believed to be keeping a close eye on the situation surrounding the 46-cap England international.

It’s suggested that the Bundesliga champions are monitoring the Red Devils academy graduate, but have seemingly made Liverpool ace Sadio Mane their attacking priority this summer.

The report claimed that the versatile forward, who was once dubbed ‘different class’ by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following a 4-1 victory over Bournemouth in 2018, ‘wants to stay’ in Manchester and will ‘undergo intense warm weather training’ with the squad.

The verdict: Persevere with him, Erik

Learning that Rashford is willing to stay and fight for a place in Ten Hag’s plans should come as music to the ears of United supporters.

Despite the obvious issues faced during the 2021/22 season, the local lad has already amassed 150 direct goal contributions in 303 first-team outings for the club before his 25th birthday, proof of an innate ability to perform at the very highest level.

Moreover, Manchester United across the board were sub-par over the season, and the £63m-valued star wasn’t alone in underperforming, so he should be given the opportunity for a clean slate in what could be a new dawn at the club under Ten Hag.

In other news: Man Utd and Ten Hag launch ‘important offer’ to sign ‘the future’ of football along with De Jong

The glittering early reign of Ange Postecoglou at Celtic has seen the 56-year-old showcase his talent for identifying quality and affordable additions in the transfer market, with the wave of incomings having proven vital in the club’s Premiership triumph.

The same cannot be said of his predecessor Neil Lennon, the Northern Irishman having overseen a dismal end to his second stint in charge at Parkhead, notably making some bizarre signings and missing out on some potentially crucial acquisitions.

One such missed opportunity is that of Amine Gouiri, the 22-year-old having been linked with a move to Glasgow in the summer of 2020 as the club eyed another French success story after bringing in Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard in previous years.

The young forward had previously gained wider attention after his stunning displays at the European Under-17 Championship in 2017 in which he netted seven goals, making his senior club debut just a few months later.

Despite catching the eye of the Glasgow giants in 2020, the deal ultimately fell through as reports at the time suggested that the Hoops were unwilling to fork out the required fee to prise him from Lyon, with doubts over spending that amount on a player who at the time had made just eight Ligue 1 appearances.

As it proved, the “wonderkid” – as he has been described by Opta – made the move to Nice later that summer in a €7m (£5.9m) deal, with that figure now looking like a total bargain, such has been his form in the past two seasons.

The £13k-per-week gem has chipped in with 45 goal contributions in just 83 appearances for his current club and has even been compared to Karim Benzema. His tally includes ten goals and eight assists in Ligue 1 so far this term, while also helping Christophe Galtier’s side to reach the French Cup final, where they were defeated by Nantes.

Such has been his meteoric rise, Gouiri is now valued at a staggering £45m by Transfermarkt, almost eight times more than what Lennon and co could have paid for him less than two years ago.

To rub further salt in the wounds, Celtic did end up splashing the cash on a striker that summer, eventually forking out a reported £4.5m on Albian Ajeti, just a fraction less than what they could have paid for the young Frenchman.

As those at Celtic Park are fully aware, the Swiss marksman has failed to make the grade thus far, with a paltry nine goals in 48 appearances. His valuation now stands at just £2.25m, illustrating just how poorly the club spent their transfer budget in the summer of 2020.

On recent form, it looks as if Gouiri will continue to haunt the Hoops over their misjudgment two years ago.

In other news, Celtic can unearth a new Giakoumakis after submitting bid for “very strong” £2.5m gem

Steven Gerrard could be a ‘big factor’ in Joe Gomez possibly joining Aston Villa from Liverpool this summer, according to Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Gomez links

NSWE have already made a start on their summer spending ahead of Gerrard’s first full season in charge by securing a permanent deal for Philippe Coutinho.

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Barcelona revealed that they have reached a €20m (£16.9m) agreement with Villa to make the Brazilian’s loan spell permanent in the Midlands, and it looks as if defensive reinforcements are next on NSWE’s radar.

Moving on from the little magician, recent reports have now suggested that Gomez is wanted at Villa Park in a defensive overhaul, with the 24-year-old making just ten starts this season.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

O’Rourke, talking to The Transfer Tavern, said the Gerrard factor could play a ‘big’ role in Villa’s chances of signing Gomez, however, he added that the defender is still ‘highly regarded at Anfield’.

“I’m sure it would be a big factor if Villa did go for Joe Gomez to work under Steven Gerrard.

“Villa have been keeping tabs on Gomez for a while now for the last couple of transfer windows but Liverpool have always opted to keep him.

“I’m not too sure Jurgen Klopp will be willing to lose Gomez either who obviously has come back after that serious injury he had last season.

“He’ll find it hard to get first-team chances but I know he’s still highly regarded at Anfield so Klopp will be in no rush to send him out the exit door. I think Liverpool ideally would like to keep him at Anfield.”

The Verdict: Tricky

It looks as if a move for Gomez won’t be as straightforward as the one for Coutinho, with O’Rourke believing the Reds may not be in a rush to part ways with the defender.

Gomez will be entering the final two years of his Anfield contract in the summer, so he may have to try and force an exit in search of regular game time in the Midlands.

However, with Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa possibly moving on over the coming months, Villa will need to bring in more defenders than just Gomez, meaning it could be an extremely busy summer in regards to defensive incomings and outgoings.

In other news: NSWE now close to agreeing deal for another midfielder alongside Coutinho.  

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe could target a reunion with Arnaut Danjuma this summer. 

The lowdown

Bournemouth paid £14.8million – one of the largest transfer fees in their history – to sign Danjuma from Club Brugge ahead of the 2019/20 season, when Howe was still manager.

But it was an injury-disrupted campaign for the Dutchman, limited to just six starts as Bournemouth suffered relegation to the Championship.

Howe subsequently left, but after Danjuma scored 17 goals and provided eight assists in the second tier, he earned a £21.15million move to Villarreal.

And the left winger, who can also operate in a striker role, has enjoyed an excellent season with The Yellow Submarine, recording 20 direct goal contributions (16G, 4A).

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The latest

Chronicle Live journalist Aaron Stokes tweeted on Thursday that Danjuma ‘has a lot of admiration for Eddie Howe and his staff’ after they worked together at The Vitality Stadium.

In the attached story, he reveals that ‘sources close to the player’ say they parted on ‘good terms’.

‘No offers [have been] submitted to Villarreal yet’, but this relationship could be a key advantage for Newcastle if they make a move.

As such, it’s ‘one to keep an eye on’ for the Magpies faithful this summer.

The verdict

Danjuma, 25, is definitely an exciting option.

Kevin Phillips has billed him ‘a nightmare for defenders’ because of his ‘pace and directness’, Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann called him ‘very dangerous’ and his agent says ‘he’s one of the best talents of his generation’ and ‘belongs in the category of [Kylian] Mbappe’.

While Howe may be able to successfully court the player, the fee could potentially be a problem.

It’s been suggested that his Villarreal contract contains a whopping £64million release clause.

And with Newcastle’s budget for the summer apparently less than the £90million they spent in January, they may decide that it’s imprudent to commit such a large portion to one deal.

The move may only be viable if Unai Emery’s side are willing to negotiate a lower fee.

In other news, Newcastle are preparing an offer for this forward.

Can Rob Edwards save Wolverhampton Wanderers from relegation?

During the international break, the 42-year-old controversially left Middlesbrough, currently second in the EFL Championship, to take over the reins at Molineux, returning to the club for whom he made 111 appearances as a player, but he has a massive task on his hands.

Wolves currently have just two points on the board after 11 matches, no side in Premier League history has ever survived from this position, losing four on the spin ahead of Crystal Palace’s visit to the Black Country on Saturday afternoon.

The Old Gold’s eight-year stay in the top-flight is under serious threat, so if Edwards harbours any realistic hopes of leading Wolves to a great escape, he must surely unleash a new-look forward line in attack.

Jørgen Strand Larsen's downturn in form

Last season, his first after arriving from Celta Vigo, only nine players scored more Premier League goals than Jørgen Strand Larsen’s tally of 14, an impressive figure considering Wolves finished 16th.

This saw Newcastle make multiple bids to sign the 25-year-old, the highest of which was £55m, despite the fact he had cost the Old Gold only €30m (around £26m).

Wolves rejected all of these bids, with Strand Larsen instead signing a new five-year contract, but now they desperately need him to rediscover his best form.

So far this season, the striker has just three goals to his name, bagging a Carabao Cup double against West Ham in August, while his only goal in the Premier League thus far was a penalty during the infamous 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Burnley that ultimately cost Vítor Pereira his job.

Strand Larsen did find the target last Sunday as Norway crushed Italy 4-1 at San Siro, officially confirming his country’s place at next summer’s World Cup, so will be hoping to take confidence from that back into his club form.

Nevertheless, Wolves could be doing more to get the best out of their number nine, underlined by the fact that Strand Larsen’s shots and shot on target per 90 statistics have significantly decreased this season, so could partnering him alongside a “huge talent” be the solution?

Rob Edwards must unleash Wolves' next Jimenez

Wolves only made five senior summer signings, all of whom have had varying degrees of little impact, namely Fer López, Jhon Arias, David Møller Wolfe and Jackson Tchatchoua.

The last of the additions, arriving on deadline day, was striker Tolu Arokodare, joining from Genk for £24m, and he is possibly the most exciting of the quintet, even if the Wolves faithful have seen very little from him thus far.

The 24-year-old has taken an unusual route to the Premier League, beginning his senior career at Latvian club Valmiera, scoring 22 goals in just 34 appearances, hence why Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout described him as “simply too good” for the Virslīga, currently ranked the 36th best league in Europe.

​​​​​​​

After a brief and unsuccessful stint at Köln, scoring no goals for die Geißböcke, Arokodare​​​​​​​ rediscovered his mojo at Amiens, netting 21 times across two seasons for the Ligue 2 side, earning a move to Genk, scoring on 41 occasions for the Smurfs.

Of these goals, 21 came in last season’s Jupiler Pro League, which Global Football Rankings believes to be the sixth-strongest league in the world, and the Nigerian international’s statistics make for impressive reading.

Goals

21

1st

Goals inside the box

21

1st

Headed goals

3

3rd

Expected goals

28.53

1st

Shots

158

1st

Shots per 90

4.9

1st

Shots on target

52

2nd

Big chances missed

34

1st

Assists

5

17th

Big chances created

7

32nd

Key passes

32

52nd

Shot-creating actions

77

16th

Goal-creating actions

9

13th

Aerial duels won

156

3rd

Touches in the box

217

1st

The table makes for interesting reading, emphasising the fact that Arokodare is a penalty box presence, considering all 21 of his goals came inside the area, while also ranking first for shots, shots per 90 and touches in the opposition area.

Meantime, he is also excellent in the air, scoring three headers while also ending up third for aerial duels won, behind only Daan Heymans​​​​​​​ and Aurélien Scheidler​​​​​​​; the former joined Genk to replace Arokodare, while the latter moved to Royal Charleroi to replace the former.

The statistic though that leaps off the page most is the fact that Arokodare missed 34 Opta-defined big chances.

For comparison, the leaders in this metric across other European leagues last season were Ollie Watkins in the Premier League (27), Kylian Mbappé in La Liga (29), Serhou Guirassy in the Bundesliga (21) and Roberto Piccoli in Serie A (26), so no one came close to the Nigerian’s 34, which shows he is often in the right position, albeit is regularly an erratic finisher.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Despite this, Arokodare is still highly rated, with journalist Graeme Bailey​​​​​​​ labelling him a “huge talent”, while the aforementioned Kulig notes that “physicality, heading and link-up play” are his primary assets.

This all sounds rather reminiscent of Wolves’ best striker of their current stint in the Premier League, Raúl Jiménez, who is the club’s all-time leading scorer in the competition with 40.

After bouncing around Club América, Atlético Madrid and Benfica, the Mexican really flourished at Molineux, very much considered to be one of the best centre-forwards in the division prior to suffering a horrific fractured skull in November 2020.

Arokodare certainly possesses all the raw attributes to be as good as Jiménez, so now is the time for him to prove this.

Well, Wolves supporters have been treated to a mere amuse-bouche of what their new striker could offer so far, scoring in EFL Cup ties against Everton and Chelsea, starting only once in the Premier League thus far, not doing so in any of Wolves’ last six.

So, pairing him with Strand Larsen would certainly give opposition defences something to think about, with the duo possessing similar but also complementary skillsets.

With Palace captain Marc Guéhi a doubt due to a foot injury, surely Wolves’ best hope of claiming a first win of the season is to deploy the two strikers together.

£55m spent & Hackney signs: Dream Wolves XI Edwards can build in January

This is the dream Wolves starting line-up that Rob Edwards could build in the January window.

ByDan Emery Nov 11, 2025