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This is set to be an intriguing summer on the transfer front for new Wolves manager Bruno Lage.

He’s already confirmed two transfers but there is much work to do as the vast majority of European players begin pre-season.

What’s the word?

One of the biggest fears over the coming months is that Ruben Neves could leave Molineux behind.

The Portuguese is one of their most sellable assets and in a window where finances are limited, they may be forced to let him leave.

If Neves does depart then Wolves already have a replacement in mind.

That’s according to journalist Pedro Sepulveda who was speaking on Fabrizio Romano’s Twitch stream this week.

He commented: “If Ruben Neves moves from Wolverhampton, the player that Wolverhampton is going to buy is Joao Palhinha from Sporting.

“There are already some negotiations between Wolverhampton and Palhinha”

Fantastic replacement

The news that Neves is potentially moving closer to the exit door is sure to frustrate supporters but if they replace him with Palhinha, they should be beaming from ear to ear.

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The midfielder was selected for Portugal’s Euro 2020 squad after an impressive campaign at Sporting. He won the league on his way to becoming one of the sternest defensive midfielders in the Portuguese top-flight.

Palhinha was ruthless, combining a sense of grace in his passing with immense robustness in the challenge.

If Lage is going to replace Neves sufficiently, these are the two outstanding qualities he needs to look for.

The Wolves quarterback completed 84.4% of his passes in the league last term, while winning 2.4 tackles per match.

Palhinha, however, is a big upgrade on the defensive side of the game. He completed 83.4% of his passes but made 3.3 successful tackles per outing. That statistic was then bettered during the European Championships as the 26-year-old won a whopping 4.5.

A destructive force, the midfielder combines elegance with destruction. Lage should be delighted if they can wrap up a deal to sign him.

Judging by his qualities, supporters must also be particularly pleased if Palhinha signs on the dotted line. He should be able to help them forget about Neves swiftly.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Neves: Wolves must swoop for £150k-p/w beast who’s an “unstoppable force”…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have raved over a transfer update involving exciting young attacker Fabio Carvalho.

The talented teenager has continued to thrive at Craven Cottage since breaking into Fulham’s first team in 2020, clinching the EFL Young Player of the Month in August whilst continuing to show his potential.

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His current deal at Fulham expires at the end of the season, prompting clubs to take a serious interest in the England youth starlet, with West Ham apparently among his many suitors according to TEAMtalk. Indeed, they claimed that the Irons, and by extension owners GSB, have Carvalho in their sights as talks over an extension stall at his current club.

The Hammers are joined by Spurs, Liverpool and Southampton in being linked with the youngster, with that trio also believed to keeping tabs on the 19-year-old with a view to making a move.

West Ham fans rave…

Amid this development, plenty of West Ham fans have raved on Twitter, and it’s not hard to see why given Carvalho’s performances and high ceiling.

Check out some of their best reactions to the news that their club want him below, with one Hammers fan labelling the player a would-be ‘fantastic signing’.

“I’d take Fabio Carvalho. He’s the sort of signing we should be making, lots of potential but already proving he can score and perform at that level. Once the transfer window opens for us in about 10 days time … hopefully we make a move.” 

Credit: @RockyWhu

“Yes plz”

Credit: @IronsJoes

“Baller”

Credit: @jakewhu16

“please please please please”

Credit: @3ndtroducing

“This would be a fantastic signing.”

Credit: @WestHamUtdScout

“Wanted him years ago, would be perfect for Lanzini back up.”

Credit: @Icevain7

In other news: West Ham source: Newman makes move to sign ‘devastating’ forward after price plummets by £32m, find out more here.

Liverpool are plotting a summer move for Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino this summer who could be available for £45m.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Spain, the Reds could revive their pursuit of the Spanish star after previously registering interest in the winter market.

Klopp wants to sign a ‘top class’ central midfielder this summer and there is a lot of speculation about who that might be. Whilst many stand out names have been mentioned, considering a player like Merino may be worth it.

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The player is valued at a mouthwatering £45m by Transfermarkt.

He’s better than Henderson

Not only would he be available at a cheaper price than others, he has Premier League experience as well. He spent a season on loan at Newcastle United before being bought by the Magpies for £6.3m.

At the time his capture was described as “obscenely good” by journalist Simon Harrison, but he was sold in the same transfer window. He was also described as “more mobile and more dynamic.” than Liverpool legend Xabi Alonso by his then manager Rafael Benítez.

Perhaps he’s one that got away for the Toon, but it could play to Liverpool’s advantage nicely. His time on Tyneside wasn’t exceptional but he was only 21-years old and has since improved.

Although in a recent interview he admits that he “still gets goosebumps” thinking about the crowd at St James’ Park, therefore just imagine what he would feel in front of the Anfield faithful.

The Spaniard has made 27 league appearances for Real Sociedad this season and has seven goal contributions to his name.

What’s more impressive are his stats on the ball, he is in the top 7% in Europe’s top five leagues compared to players in his position for passes under pressure and touches in the opposing penalty area.

To get a feel for how well he would do in a Liverpool shirt we compared him to captain and star midfielder for the Reds Jordan Henderson.

Merino has a higher expected goals and assists per 90 minutes this season at 0.27 compared to the Reds skipper’s 0.21.

He also beats Henderson in some defensive areas, including having tackled a higher percentage of dribblers at 38% compared to 28%.

And at just 25-years-old he has his best years ahead of him. Klopp could go for a more complete midfielder who is perhaps already world-class, but it would cost more and leave him with less money to spend elsewhere.

He has a proven record of turning good players into the best players and he could do the same with Merino.

IN other news: Sources: Liverpool now set to sign “generational” ace, he’s more exciting than Carvalho…

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills believes that Patrick Bamford may not return from injury until December.

The Lowdown: Bamford missing for two months already

Marcelo Bielsa’s side may have shown glimpses of form in recent weeks but there is still no denying that, on the whole, they have been disappointing so far this season.

Leeds sit 15th in the Premier League table after 11 matches and they have had to make do without Bamford since the middle of September. An ankle injury has kept the 28-year-old sidelined for the last six league games and his return doesn’t yet appear to be in sight.

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The Latest: Mills makes worrying claim

Speaking to Football Insider, Mills bemoaned Bamford’s absence and claimed that he may not return to the fold until some time next month. The former Leeds right-back said:

“You start to wonder, do they know the root of the problem?

“What is the issue? What is the reason for him breaking down?

“We know how intense the way Bielsa plays. We know the fitness level that he will insist his players are at to come back into the team.

“When you’ve been out for that long, it is going to take him a little while even when he’s started training, to get back up to speed and get back up to what Bielsa wants.

“If the injury keeps going wrong, if you come back too soon, even if it’s just a few days you may just tweak it. That delays it by another week.

“Sometimes the longer it goes on, the more you try to force it. Injuries are a very delicate balance and he could be out until December now.”

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The Verdict: Desperately need him back

Bamford has been a massive loss for Leeds, with the England international leading the line superbly last season, scoring 17 goals and registering seven assists in the league.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hailed the striker as ‘exceptional’ and his all-round game brings out the best in those around him in terms of his work rate, hold-up play and ability to drop deep, allowing space in behind for the wide players.

The hope is that Bamford’s return comes sooner rather than later, but for the time being, Leeds’ other attackers will need to keep stepping up.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with a move for a player in superb form this season. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United are in the midst of a crucial period of their season in terms of trying to win the Europa League and finish as high up the Premier League table as possible.

However, with the upcoming summer transfer window in mind, it seems as though the Hammers could be involved in a race to secure the signing of a player that will be very familiar to a number of fans at the London Stadium.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mirror, West Ham are one of the teams mentioned with a potential summer transfer move for Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.

The report also claims that fellow Premier League side Newcastle United, as well as Serie A trio AC Milan, Juventus and AS Roma, are interested in signing the Englishman.

Forget Lanzini

As many West Ham fans will remember, Lingard, who is currently valued at £18m according to Transfermarkt, spent the second half of last season on loan with the Hammers.

During his time at the east London club, the 29-year-old scored nine goals and provided five assists in just 16 appearances.

Things this season back at the Manchester club have been rather disheartening for the England international, as he’s only started three of the 19 games he’s played in across all competitions.

Labelled as a “hungry” player in the past by Roy Keane, this is exactly what he’ll be in terms of getting regular playing time next term, which would be easier at West Ham rather than with the Red Devils.

With the former Hammers loan star set to see his contract at Old Trafford expire in the summer, this could be a bargain transfer for David Moyes’ side and give them an experienced player that knows how to play in this team at a high level.

If the east London club were to secure Lingard’s signature once again, this time on a permanent basis, it could be bad news for Manuel Lanzini, who has been linked with a move to River Plate.

Having racked up just six goal contributions in 24 league appearances this season and earning himself a rather uninspiring overall performance rating of 6.66 from WhoScored, it could sway Moyes into getting rid of the Argentine and bringing Lingard back into the frame as his replacement.

In other news: Huge blow: West Ham dealt fresh injury setback ahead of Lyon, Moyes will be sweating

Some Everton fans have been left fuming over some transfer news on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

As per The Daily Telegraph, Newcastle United are keen on signing the Goodison Park striker, while Arsenal and an unnamed club from the Bundesliga are also interested in his signature.

Manchester City and Manchester United are also believed to be a long-term admirer of his, as the race hots up to sign the former Sheffield United ace.

Of course, their talisman being linked with a move to a rival in the Premier League has upset a lot of supporters of the Merseyside club, who simply do not want to see him go, unless a monstrous offer came in.

With three goals in three games so far this season before his injury (Transfermarkt), Rafa Benitez would find it so hard to replace him.

Everton fans on Calvert-Lewin transfer news

These Toffees fans fumed as the transfer news on Calvert-Lewin was shared on Twitter:

“The media literally hate us”

Credit: @KUEFC

“Can all this bad news just like stop?…”

Credit: @shaun00012

“Marcel will let him leave for a season long loan and bring in someone like Joelinton”

Credit: @g4j4s4

“Knew this was coming”

Credit: @ToffeeTosh1878

“And so it begins”

Credit: @robjones673

“Don’t worry we have Rondon”

Credit: @neilh32

In other news, find out whose return from injury has Blues buzzing here!

Lee Bowyer is eager to secure at least one more Birmingham City signing before the closure of the summer transfer window.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by Birmingham Live, the Blues manager revealed that, while none of the deals the club are currently working on are any further along, he is hoping that his side will be able to welcome the addition of one more loan signing prior to transfer deadline day at the start of next week.

The 44-year-old said: “Not [any further along] at the moment. It’s a tough market. We’re always trying to improve. We’ll keep trying to push to make it happen, that’s all we can do.

“We’re limited financially so we have to keep trying to do the right thing to improve us. There’s no point just bringing in bodies that aren’t going to make us any better.”

Bowyer continued: “We’ve got five loans already so if we do, we’ll maybe bring in one more loan. We’ve just got to weigh up and see what’s what after the weekend.

“We’ve only played four games, there’s another 42 to go. We’re going to get injuries, suspensions, so you need to strengthen the squad. You need numbers.”

Music to the ears of fans

With Bowyer’s comments being made after his side had just secured a rather astonishing 5-0 away win at Luton Town, a game the manager described as the best performance he’d ever witnessed from any of the teams he has managed, the argument that Birmingham need to bring in further additions in the transfer market may appear slightly redundant.

However, as has so often been in the way in his reign at St. Andrew’s, Bowyer is correct to want to bring in at least one more body this summer, for exactly the reason he states – with his comments likely to be music to the ears of fans of the club.

Indeed, a season in the Championship is arguably one of the most challenging and physically demanding campaigns of all the leagues in Europe, with injury, fatigue and operating with a small squad having been the downfall of many a promotion contender.

However, despite their impressive start to the season, with the Blues currently occupying eighth place in the second tier table, it may still be slightly premature to dub Bowyer’s side as play-off hopefuls.

Having said that, considering the vast improvements the 44-year-old has overseen since taking over at the club, we would not bet against the former Charlton Athletic manager going on to do something special with Birmingham this season.

And, if Bowyer can go on to bring in one more signing over the coming days, taking into account how well the manager has performed in the transfer market thus far, we would not blame Birmingham fans for starting to get their hopes up of a top-six finish come next May.

In other news: “Outstanding” £5k-p/w gem drops transfer hint which will leave Birmingham fans gutted

Following on from their disheartening 1-0 defeat against Liverpool in their previous Premier League outing thanks to a very late winner from Divock Origi, Wolves have another tough test coming up this weekend with a trip to face Manchester City.

Speaking ahead of the match against Pep Guardiola’s side, who are currently top of the league table with 32 goals scored and just nine conceded with 15 games played, Old Gold manager Bruno Lage revealed some news in his latest press conference which will have a lot of Wolves fans buzzing.

What’s the news?

The 45-year-old revealed that Molineux duo Conor Coady and Rayan Ait-Nouri are fit enough to play against the reigning champions after it came out that the club captain had been carrying an injury in recent weeks; and with the 20-year-old being forced off the pitch in the game against Liverpool, it will be a big relief to everyone at the club to have both available for the trip to the Etihad Stadium.

With Ait-Nouri racking up more tackles per game (3.9) than any other Wolves player in the league, as well as an overall season rating of 7.07/10 for his performances – making him their joint-highest rated player according to WhoScored – it’s easy to see why his availability will be a big boost for the Midlands side when they face City.

As for Coady, given his experience and reliability for Wolves over the years as well as his leadership on the pitch as captain, it’s safe to say that he’ll be an important figure for them again this weekend and desperate to stop City from scoring.

Looking ahead to the match on Saturday, with Wolves only conceding 13 goals so far this season in the league, four more than leaders City, Lage and the Molineux club’s fans will have the belief that they will be able to go to the Etihad and come away with a positive result, which they almost managed to do against Liverpool last weekend, especially with Coady and Ait-Nouri available.

Moving beyond the City match, with Wolves set to take on Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United in their next five league games, Lage and everyone else at Molineux will be hoping that the aforementione defenders will remain fit for those festive fixtures as well.

In other news: Lage could be set for big boost on key Wolves duo, fans would surely be delighted

Writing on his Patreon, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee has just shared the latest on West Ham United and their pursuit of Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard.

The Lowdown: Lingard saga never-ending…

It is well known that Irons boss David Moyes had the 28-year-old on his summer transfer target list after a very impressive temporary spell over the second half of 2020/2021 (WhoScored).

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Indeed, Lingard was the subject of intense West Ham interest earlier this year as Moyes and the club looked to secure a permanent deal.

However, the attacking midfielder instead opted to remain at United in the hope of reviving his Old Trafford career (Manchester Evening News) – a plan which didn’t exactly work out given his lack of game time under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

As new contract talks stall, with Lingard reportedly open to leaving in January as many clubs circle (ESPN), ExWHUemployee has shared the latest on West Ham’s stance.

The Latest: West Ham set for early talks…

According to the insider, West Ham, and by extension their head of recruitment Rob Newman, will start talks ‘early’ in the January window in an attempt to sign Lingard.

Despite speculation surrounding a change in exit stance due to Solskjaer’s sacking, Ex says that he is ‘still expected to want to move’ in a possible boost for the Hammers.

However, there will also be plenty of competition for the England international’s signature and a ‘number of things to sort out’ with his deal.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Moyes’ high-flying Irons are seemingly on top of the world right now having just secured an impressive 3-2 win over European champions Chelsea at the London Stadium on Saturday.

However, given their increasingly congested calendar as they attempt to battle in the English top flight, domestic cups and now Europa League, West Ham will need to strengthen in January.

It is believed by another reliable source in The Evening Standard that Moyes will be backed to bring in a new striker, centre-half and potentially Lingard.

The latter man, we believe, shouldn’t come as a must for the club given they already have a wealth of options in the attacking midfield area – with Jarrod Bowen, Manuel Lanzini, Said Benrahma, Nikola Vlasic and Pablo Fornals all capable of shining there.

They are arguably in dire need of a natural striking alternative to Michail Antonio, especially given his concerning injury history, while new defensive worries surrounding Kurt Zouma and Ben Johnson indicate they may also be short defensively.

Lingard, despite being lauded as ‘unbelievable’ for his spell with West Ham last year by pundit Kevin Phillips, should be bottom of the priority list.

In other news: Journalist hints West Ham may now be in pole position to sign ‘world class’ forward for Moyes, find out more here.

According to Football Insider, a new ‘top target’ for the central defensive position has emerged for West Ham as GSB table a bid to sign Rennes colossus Nayef Aguerd.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defender chase…

Before trying to snap up new attackers, with the transfer window deadline now looming at the end of this month, manager David Moyes first has his sights set on landing a star centre-back.

Indeed, reliable club insider ExWHUemployee believes all attention is focused on the signing of a new defender who can reinforce West Ham’s backline before the start of 2021/2022.

The Irons are believed to be in talks for Fiorentina powerhouse Nikola Milenkovic after faltering in their bid to sign Kurt Zouma (Fabrizio Romano), but Football Insider has now brought news on yet another target.

The Latest: West Ham table Aguerd bid…

As per FI, West Ham have made an offer of £15 million to land Aguerd as a new ‘top target’ for Moyes emerges.

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GSB are prepared to pay a ‘significant sum’ to land one star centre-back addition and have received ‘encouraging bulletins’ about the Rennes ace in particular – who can also play in a full-back role.

While the club have bid £15m to sign Aguerd, it is also believed that his club are expected to reject West Ham’s approach as they continue to play ‘hardball’.

As a result, Moyes may have to turn to alternative targets despite their interest in the 25-year-old.

The Verdict: Move on…

Aguerd seems a would-be capable signing and one who could thrive in the Premier League, but if Rennes continue to prove challenging in negotiations, West Ham shouldn’t hesitate in moving on.

The Morocco international averaged a cool and composed 90.4% pass accuracy out from the back over 35 Ligue 1 starts last season, more than any Hammers defender managed by comparison (WhoScored).

Standing at a lofty 6 foot 2, he also possesses the physicality to succeed in England.

However, fellow target Milenkovic could bring similar traits to West Ham and it is believed they are ‘progressing’ in talks.

As such, it is perhaps best for Moyes and co to now focus all their attention on signing the Serbian.

In other news: ‘Yesssss’, ‘What we’ve been asking for’…West Ham fans rave over official club post, find out more here.